Welcome to this Project! This blog was conceived on the 8th August 2008,hence its title. 8 is the number of new beginnings, which was also the prophetic declaration over the Church through various prophets in 2008. On,Now,To the Third Level is not some elite form of Christianity. It is God's Norm. Watchman Nee would have called it the Normal Christian Life. Others in time past called it brokenness. We call it life. Rob Rufus explains in "Taking Away The Veil" that Christ has opened the way through to God for us. We can live there. Why bother using the phrase "Third Level"? Because there are 3 places in God's Tabernacle. And there are 3 stages of growth in 1 John 2. More than this, historically and corporately we have known forgiveness by grace. Then from 1906 onward the Church has known a charismatic empowering by grace. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and supernatural manifestations. But what we are now saying is we can live full-time to God's glory and in God's glory. There are keys of faith to each stage and in these last days God has been revealing the grace keys to this final level....a level that has had the Veil Taken Away. It is the level that is the full realisation of the New Covenant in Christ's Blood, but also the life that God promised when He said "The Knowledge of the Glory of God shall cover the Earth as the Waters Cover the Sea". A FULL LIST OF SUBJECT LABELS CAN BE FOUND LISTED ALPHABETICALLY AT THE BASE OF THIS PAGE. Anthony Ray Misslin was born June 30, 1954, in Garrison, to Leo and Gladys Misslin. An eternal scholar, he attended Beulah public schools, the University of North Dakota and the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He was a talented musician, an accomplished engineer, a passionate leader, as well as a greatly loved and cherished husband, father, papa/grandpa and friend. Tony passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2016. He will live on in the love of his wife, Roberta; his children, Victoria, Jessica and her husband, Matt, and Matthew and his wife, Jess; and his grandchildren, Ian, Daxton, Jaren, Brinley and Micah. His light is remembered by his siblings, Jo, Carol, William and Daniel; along with a band of loving nieces, nephews and numerous caring friends and colleagues. Funeral Mass was celebrated on Jan. 5 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Excelsior, Minn. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tony Misslin Memorial Fund, to provide support for music and education opportunities for children. Donations can be mailed to 518 Everett St., El Cerrito, Calif. 94530. "I'm gonna turn on my love light, Let it shine one more time, Let it shine, shine, shine for the last time." Eric Clapton, "I've Told You for the Last Time." (Huber Funeral & Cremation Services Excelsior Chapel) Europes intimate apparel brand Hunkemoller in Trinidad Originally a Dutch company with roots as far back as the 19th century, Hunkem?ller is rapidly expanding throughout Europe and through its franchise programme now has over 722 locations globally. InvesTT said the local store opening was made possible because of a partnership be tween US-based master franchising company, Brand Management Ventures Limited (BMVL) (and) a prominent Trinidadian entrepreneur, through BMVLs locally registered subsidiary Brand Management Limited (BML). This partnership followed an introduction facilitated by InvesTT, this countrys national investment promotion agency which falls under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The engagement between InvesTT, BMVL and BML began in 2013 when the agency was instrumental in identifying local partners, providing assistance with the business registration, customs clearance and coordinating site visits, as BMVLs plans for Trinidad and Tobago will continue to create opportunities for local business persons to partner alongside world class brands, InvesTT stated. Noting these partnerships have to potential to extend beyond TT to the rest of the Caribbean, InvesTTs Acting President Stacy Adams, We continue to give BML all the support they need to expand their business in TT while creating investment opportunities for local investors. Hunkem?ller is the second global brand to be introduced in TT by BML. Earlier in 2016 they successfully introduced the Polish brand Inglot Cosmetics in partnership with Starlite Drugs. Collectively, both brands have produced approximately 15 jobs in Trinidad with the potential for increased employment as additional Hunkem?ller and Inglot Cosmetics stores are expected to be set up over the next two years. In fact, Inglot will launch a second store in SouthPark in March 2017, InvesTT said. Richard Aquilina, Partner of both BMVL and BML, said Trinidad remains a key retail market for BML. We have been particularly encouraged by the performance of Inglot in Trinidad and believe Hunkemoller too will be received well by local consumers. In both cases, Inglot and latterlyHunkem?ller, fill gaps in the retail marketplace offering quality products at affordable prices. Focussing on Trinidad initially, we see this as a springboard for further expansion and development not only within TT but also across the Caribbean. InvesTT has been paramount in supporting our strategy to date offering advice and support across a wide spectrum of areas and certainly we would not be in the position we are today without their help and support, Aquilina said. Murdered Blue Boy laid to rest Brown was one of three killed in an ambush upon the birthday party of Daniel Spencer at about 12.30am on Wednesday morning at Spencers home on Commonwealth Drive, Freeport. Browns funeral service was held at the home of his grandparents, Jean and Harry Seebran, 75 and 74 respectively at Limefruit Road, Freeport. Everybody know that we call him Blue Boy, but not many people know why, said Deodath Brown, one of Browns uncles, as he wished his nephew farewell. But it is because when he was born, he had a little hole in his heart, and it made his skin blue. The doctors said it would get better as he got older, and we thank God it did. Browns family was an evidently practising Christian family, but neither Brown nor his common-law wife would attend church on Sunday mornings despite being invited, according to presiding Pastor Gloria Stewart. He used to say that he prefers to go on a Saturday because it is too crowded on a Sunday. That way, he could get to talk with his Father alone and get all the attention and love from him that he wanted, said one of his shaken older sisters, Karen Brown, who celebrated her birthday on the day her brother was killed. My brother didnt even get to wish me happy birthday and now I will have to remember him every year I celebrate my birthday. However, every Saturday afternoon, he could be seen cleaning the same church he declined to attend, mopping the floors spotless. I watched him cleaning that floor, and I ask him where he learn to clean so well, said one church member remembering him. He say Mama taught me. Before the ceremony officially began, Browns mother Kamla Brown, stood over her sons casket alone, smiling, whispering to him as if he were still alive, and she kept smiling towards the heavens while the over 200 mourners sang hymns. He was later laid to rest at Calcutta No.2 Cemetery. Also killed in Wednesdays shooting were Winston Edwards, 39, and Elton Amorer, 35. "Anything being done simply because that's the way we have always done it should be and must be rigorously and respectfully questioned. And no matter what, we must have the courage to admit that we can always do better." Gov. Doug Burgum, in his State of the State speech. q q q "Right now is the time to right-size government, to balance our budget without raising taxes, to fund our priorities and do more with less." Burgum, in his State of the State speech. q q q "His overall message was good, but I'm just wondering what his thoughts were on the budget." Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, reacting to Burgums speech. q q q "That might happen in downtown Baghdad, but not in downtown Bismarck." House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, on the possible introduction of an anti-mask law. Other states have passed laws prohibiting the wearing of masks to disguise one's identity. Pipeline protesters in North Dakota have been wearing masks. q q q "The insurance commissioner role just got even more interesting. There's going to be a major focus on repealing Obamacare, (but) I don't think it's going to happen as quickly as folks would like, especially in North Dakota." Jon Godfread, North Dakotas new insurance commissioner. q q q "I just question why would you cut so many people from an agency." Josh Gallion, the states new auditor, questioning former Gov. Jack Dalrymple's 2017-19 budget proposal to cut six staffers from the auditors office. q q q "Do you want to know how fast the paws are going to freeze? Put your hand on concrete, put your hand on the ground, and see how fast it takes your hand to get cold." Missy Hilsendeger, animal control warden at the Bismarck-Mandan Animal Impound Facility, on how quickly dogs and cats can get frostbite on their paws in the cold weather. q q q "What we see a lot with these people with behavioral health issues, they end up spending more time in jail than someone who doesn't have those issues. Unfortunately, sometimes jail gets to be the default location for them." Mark Kemmet, the Burleigh County Detention Centers new behavioral health specialist. q q q "First baby on the first of the year. Excited. Overwhelming, a little bit, but excited. It's going to be new for us." Katie Glines, after having the first baby of 2017 in Bismarck. Glines and Scott Johnson welcomed a daughter. q q q "There is a thriving art culture in Bismarck. We're just glad to be part of it." David Borlaug, president of the Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, on operating the Capital Art Gallery in Bismarck. q q q "I feel like I'm almost the same person, but I'm a little different, because I can't do everything I could have before. I'm not mean and I'm not mad. I'm just friendly and shyish." Shayna Monson, Dickinson, on recovering from an accident that killed two other women. Kamla: Govt, OWTU in deal Let us see what happens over the weekend. I suspect that the matter might have already been dealt with, she told reporters at the adjournment of yesterdays sitting of the Parliament. I hope there is in fact a deal in the publics interest and for the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, she said. Persad-Bissessar said it was passing strange, she said, that the meeting between the Minister of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprises, the OWTU and Petrotrin was adjourned yesterday to go all the way down to Sunday. She queried, Dont you find that strange? Why didnt they meet tomorrow? Why? She also heard by the way, One of them saying that the court is going to make a ruling soon. When Imbert said that people are not panic buying because they know that the Government was working in their best interest, Persad-Bissessar said, Of course they are friends. They are comrades- in-arm as it were, and I do hope they have a deal. On Imberts view that the 0-0-0 offer to the OWTU was a Peoples Partnership government offer, Persad-Bissessar said, Dont believe everything you hear from the other side. You can go back to Mr (Patrick) Mannings time as well. The Rowley-led Government was now in office for 16 months, she said, and all those things that they say we did, assuming but not admitting that they are true, that we did or did not do, are irrelevant at this point in time. She said Government has had 16 months to deal with the issues for which they preached they had all the answers and solutions. She expressed the view that Government has collapsed and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has given a no-confidence in his entire Cabinet by committees to do everything. She called the initiative a committeerisation of Government. She said government ministers were not speaking to the public. We do not hear them speaking. We hear very few ministers speaking. The minister of everything speaks on everything, she said. Meanwhile on Government finally sending the Tax Exchange Information Bill to a Joint Select Committee, she said, the matter could have been resolved four months ago but because of bad faith on the part of Government in dragging their feet and reneging on their promise, it was not done before. She congratulated the opposition members of Parliament holding fast to their position in spite of being bullied inside and outside of the Parliament by their colleagues and some members of the private sector. She noted the need for it to go a JSC because of the intrusive nature of some provisions that could affect the privacy of local citizens as well. PM: New Tobago legislation coming Rowley said while many persons associate former President Arthur NR Robinson (deceased) with the movement for greater autonomy for Tobago, it was Murray who crystallised this ambition in insisting that the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) be re-established as the administrative authority in the sister isle. Rowley said Murrays efforts to re-establish the Assembly came at a time, when there was great anxiety in Tobago that independence was not working for us as a country and Tobago was falling behind. He said Murrays efforts played a key role in the re-establishment of the THA in 1980. I can tell you today that no Tobagonian now is conceiving of a Tobago without the THA, Rowley said. Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis paid tribute to Balgobin Ramdeen, the last surviving member of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) from the pre-Independence era. Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh praised Ramdeen as a representative who fought tirelessly to ensure that persons in rural communities received the most basic ammenities. Orientation for new Tunapuna/Piarco councillors Those present included new chairman, Paul Leacock, and Vice Chairman, Onika Haynes. Representatives first toured the corporations headquarters at Centenary Street, Tunapuna, then boarded mini-buses to visit the corporations premises at Macoya which included the Transport, Stores and Disaster Management Units. At the latter, disaster coordinator, Rishi Siew, demonstrated, via a television monitor, real-time accounts of regional weather systems and earthquake activity. He disclosed that since the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that startled Trinidad in early December, this country has experienced 120 other earth tremors, detected by equipment even if unfelt by the human senses. Siew said his units role includes monitoring activity at the Big Stage of the Queens Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, at Carnival. After the tour, councillors and aldermen received their briefing packages, had lunch and then heard a lecture by Independent Senator Stephen Crease, himself a former local government official. Leacock, who served under his predecessor, Edwin Gooding, as former vice chairman, told Newsday the council is now easing into a continuation of the past pattern of works. I was mentored under his (Goodings) leadership, and therefore a lot of what weve started to pursue was already in train. He noted the challenge of getting workers to settle down now after Christmas, but have found the staff to have a quite willing approach. The CEO has been working well with us. She has some concerns about how things are done but we are working through the issues, and we are headed in the same direction. He said its great to have a council comprised of relatively young persons. We are finding ways to get them to understand what the process is. This orientation really should be the first step in setting them in a direction for how the council functions, what are the departments, and who your contacts are, Leacock said. Some of them have had a baptism of fire. For example Councillor Candice Allain came in at our elections in the week of rains in Paria. So from the day after elections, she would have been in Madamas and Paria, crossing large areas of landslips, going out to meet with the children and the community, and shes done a great job. A few others had issues too. Councillor Josann Moses in her area in Aripo, Councillor Judy Garner had some flooding, Councillor Samuel Sankat had some flooding. Councillor J-Lynn Roopnarine had a fire in her area. Councillor Josiah Austin had two rooftops blow off. Its been quite a challenging first month but we are doing well and are looking forward to continuing the work, as a team. Although we may represent different parties we are here for the people of TT. Leacock said the council had a nice mix of freshness and experience. The vice chairman (Haynes) has had 11 years of service at local government - seven years as a councillor and four as an alderman. We have six returning councillors who have three years service. Other councillors had served in two councils ago, he said, including Councillor Roopnarine. So we have about six people who are genuinely new. They are young and vibrant and bring their professional lives. Doodnath proceeding with cleanup campaign In a media release on Thursday, Doodnath stated that Murray Trace, Siparia, a former agricultural access road, had been paved with the construction of drains, and had become an extremely busy thoroughfare, linking Siparia to San Fernando, saving commuters time and money. Its a green and scenic drive. Unfortunately it has now become an unsightly dumping site, Doodnath, the Siparia East/San Francique South councillor, said. The idea is to engage NGO s, business enterprises, religious organisations, private citizens, sporting clubs, schools, on a voluntary basis, to clean up and beautify Murray Trace, he said, adding that works would commence later in January. A petition to let out-of-state lawyers represent pipeline protesters has drawn thousands of public comments to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The vast majority of the comments, which come from as far away as Hawaii, are in favor of the petition, which arose from concerns among some lawyers there were not enough criminal defense attorneys in the state to handle the 570-plus criminal cases arising from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. When the petition was filed in mid-December, 264 people were listed as being without attorneys, a problem they said could be partly attributed to a shortage of public defenders and private criminal defense lawyers. But many key North Dakota stakeholders, including the state bar association and the presiding district judge, expressed reservations about allowing such lawyers to practice in the state without strict supervision, a review of public comments provided to the Tribune by the court clerk's office shows. The petition, which was submitted in mid-December by 10 North Dakota and Minnesota lawyers and organizations, asks the state supreme court to relax the rules on out-of-state lawyers. One way they suggest doing this would be to allow lawyers to practice in North Dakota as long as they are licensed in the federal system. Currently, out-of-state lawyers must work very closely with a local lawyer, who must appear at all hearings. According to the petition, willing lawyers have had trouble finding local partners, because of existing workloads, conflicts and extra fees. By leaving the rules as is, the petitioners say many peoples constitutional right to a defense attorney is at risk. The fallout from the DAPL protests is unprecedented in North Dakota. The sheer scale presents a legal crisis in providing quality representation to all defendants, the petitioners wrote. The State Bar Association of North Dakota did not oppose the petition, but said it was concerned with the protection of the public and unauthorized practice of law. The bar recommended that any rule changes only apply to lawyers working on protest-related cases. Also, it suggested there should be rules that lawyers must be in good standing in their respective states, pay licensure fees at least once and be subject to discipline. It also said it may not be the best organization to supervise such a program. If the court eases any of the requirements those changes should be done in light of the interests of the protection of those being represented, President Charles DeMakis wrote. The Indigent Defense Commission remained neutral with respect to the petition, which is purportedly written to help it handle an ever-increasing number of cases. In a letter to the court, the executive director detailed the efforts the commission has taken to appoint 81 lawyers to pipeline cases and said she was committed to continuing to provide services to all who qualify. The DAPL cases have added significant work volume to an already record-breaking year. The commission and its employees and contractors are dedicated to their mission of providing high-quality, professional and effective defense services to those in need and will continue to fulfill it, Executive Director Jean Delaney wrote. South Central District Presiding Judge Gail Hagerty, writing on behalf of the judges in the district, including Morton County, opposed the petition and said she had not seen the issues obtaining lawyers that were pointed out in the brief. We have not experienced difficulty in having attorneys appointed for those who are indigent and are entitled to court-appointed counsel, Hagerty wrote. It should be remembered that there are only a handful of prosecuting attorneys involved in the cases involving pipeline protests. However, a judge on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, said he wished the court would allow the relaxed rules as an excellent way to ensure legal counsel for defendants, many of whom are indigent, while saving Morton County and the state monies for courtappointed counsel. The judge, B.J. Jones, said several attorneys had asked him to be their associate counsel, but the time-commitment was too difficult, as he would need to appear with them at any proceeding. The rules associated with appearing with outside counsel are very laborious and would require me to be away from court so often that I have had to turn down these requests, Jones wrote. Neither the North Dakota States Attorneys Association nor the North Dakota Criminal Defense Lawyers Association provided comments. Among the supporters were civil rights and legal defense groups, including Amnesty International, the Civil Liberties Defense Center, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Lawyers Guild, which has helped coordinate out-of-state lawyers to assist protesters with their cases. The right of both indigent and non-indigent defendants to adequate and effective counsel undergirds the guarantees of a fair and speedy trial, due process and equal protection that constitute the cornerstones of the rule of law. Timely intervention by this court could protect these foundational principles and preclude the time and expense of years of subsequent litigation should these defendants be denied their constitutional rights, the NLG commented. The NLG said that, if the rules were approved, they could help provide attorneys from its network. Some tribes and native organizations, including Standing Rock, also endorsed the measure. Thousands of members of the public, many from other states and using a template response, also wrote the court to endorse a temporary change. Allowing out-of-state attorneys will help to ensure our water protectors receive as fair a trial as possible, many wrote. Meanwhile, some North Dakotan members of the public rejected the idea, condemning it as special treatment or a way of pulling business from local lawyers. Comments were accepted Dec. 15-30. The court has yet to rule on the petition. There is no hearing scheduled. AgustaWestland: Fresh NBW against James, summons to 3 others Delhi,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Defence/Security, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) A court here on Saturday issued a fresh open-ended Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against British national Christian Michel James and issued summons against a company and two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore ($528 million)AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued the fresh warrant against James and fresh summonses against Delhi-based Media Exim Pvt. Ltd. and its Directors R.K. Nanda and former Director J.B. Subramaniyam under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after they did not appear in court. The court asked them to appear on February 22, the next date of hearing. The company will be represented by an authorised representative. After considering a supplementary charge sheet in the case, the court issued summons against the company and two individuals on December 1. The court said there is prima facie sufficient evidence against the accused. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in June filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe in the helicopter deal. --IANS akk/tsb/vm Report on Russia's interference in US presidential election released United States,Politics,Technology,Diplomacy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) The US intelligence has released a report, making public its assessment of alleged Russia's interference in the presidential election last year. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election," the report said on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported. The reported adding that Moscow's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," it said. "We have high confidence in these judgments." The report said Moscow's action was part of its "longstanding desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order" and demonstrated a "significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort." The report is the declassified version of a comprehensive intelligence report that US President Barack Obama directed the intelligence community to conduct on December 9, 2016. Trump has repeatedly refused to accept the findings that Russia has intervened in the 2016 presidential election. He quoted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange this week to voice new doubt about the hacking claim made by US intelligence agencies. The Russian government has also denied the accusations. On Friday, Trump met chiefs of intelligence agencies in New York to be briefed on alleged Russia cyber attacks against the US. Following the meeting, Trump said the alleged hacking activities had no impact on the election results and he didn't directly acknowledge Moscow's responsibility. However, Trump added that he had a "constructive meeting" with the top intelligence officials, and he had "tremendous respect" for the work of the intelligence community. The President-elect also said he will appoint a team within 90 days to figure out ways to stop foreign hacking. "Whether it is our government, organizations, associations or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks," he said. --IANS pgh/ Remove Kerala minister accused of murder: Chennithala Kerala,National,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 7 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday wrote to CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to seek the removal of Electricity Minister M.M. Mani, who is an accused in a murder case. Yechury has been in the state capital for the past two days for the Communist Party of India-Marxist Politburo and Central Committee meetings. A court had dismissed Mani's petition in the last week of December seeking discharge in a case relating to the murder of a Youth Congress leader in 1982. Chennithala, Leader of Opposition in Kerala assembly, said in his letter: "... former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has also written to you about the morality of Mani's continuation as a minister. But your CMI-M state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the case was registered even before Mani became a legislator and hence need not resign; but this is unconstitutional. "He (Mani) will perhaps be the first minister to face trial while being in the Cabinet. You should please direct (Chief Minister Pinarayi) Vijayan to remove him," said Chennithala, who is Leader of the Opposition in Kerala assembly. The Congress leader said both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court had dismissed Mani's petition to seek quashing of the FIR. --IANS sg/tsb/vm Sakshi Maharaj defends controversial remarks, BJP distances itself Delhi,National,Politics,Religion, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Facing severe criticism, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday defended his controversial speech in which he blamed Muslims for India's population boom, saying he did not name any community but rather expressed concern. While the opposition has called for action against him, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday distanced itself from the remarks. A day after making the communally laced speech at a gathering in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Unnao MP blamed the media for quoting him "out of context". "I did not make any communal speech. It was a gathering of saints during which I expressed concern about population explosion. My speech has been videographed and no where I have named any community," Sakshi Maharaj told IANS. Speaking at the event in Meerut on Friday, the controversial leader called for implementing the Uniform Civil Code and indirectly held Muslims responsible for population explosion. "Population is rising rapidly, and so are the country's problems. But Hindus are not responsible for this. Those who talk about four wives and forty children are responsible," Sakshi Maharaj said in his address which was telecast by the media and widely shared on social media. "Remember, if Hindus number decreases, the country will be divided," said the MP, days after the Supreme Court declared that appealing for votes in the name of religion was "illegal". "I said four wives and forty children will not be allowed, cannot be allowed. Mothers are not machines," he said, calling for equal laws for all irrespective of number of children a person has. While the opposition Congress and the state's ruling Samajwadi Party expressed strong reservation over the remarks and termed it a violation of the election Model Code of Conduct, the BJP distanced itself. "This shouldn't be seen as the BJP's stand," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here when asked by the media to react to the controversial remarks. Calling the remarks offensive and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Congress leader K. C. Mittal said the party was approaching the Election Commission of India to seek action against Sakshi Maharaj. The SP as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party also demanded stringent action against the BJP leader notorious for making controversial statements. In January 2015, he had asked Hindu women to produce at least four children each to "protect the religion". --IANS and/py/bg Turkish PM visits Baghdad Iraq,Diplomacy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Baghdad, Jan 7 (IANS) Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in Baghdad on Saturday to meet Iraqi officials in an attempt to improve bilateral relations, officials said. According to sources, Yildirim arrived on an official visit to Iraq, Efe news reported. The Prime Minister is due to meet his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and other officials from the Iraqi government to enhance bilateral relations and discuss several issues. Relations between Turkey and Iraq are tense due to the existence of a Turkish military base in northern Iraq as well as the presence of anti-Ankara Kurdish guerrillas near the countries' shared border. --IANS ksk/bg IS prison cells discovered in Mosul Iraq,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Baghdad, Jan 7 (IANS) Iraqi police on Saturday discovered prisons once used by the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Mosul. Federal police commander told Efe news that General Raed Shaker Jawdat discovered several prison systems and a small medical clinic that was used by the IS in the eastern Al-Wadha district. Security personnel were clearing the neighbourhood after fully recapturing the zone from the IS on Thursday. The prison systems contained solitary confinement cells and torture rooms. The small medical clinic was stocked with surgical provisions to treat fighters injured in the violent battle for the Iraqi city that was being waged between the terror group and the advancing central Iraqi army and their allies. Security forces were engaged in continued clashes in the northern limits of the neighbourhood but were now less than one kilometre from the Tigris river that runs through the heart of the city, Jawdat said. Iraqi forces, alongside their Kurdish Peshmerga allies and several Shia para militaries, launched the second phase of their offensive to recapture Mosul last week. The city, which fell to the jihadis in 2014, is the last IS bastion in Iraq. --IANS ksk/bg AgustaWestland: Fresh NBW against James, summons to 3 others Delhi,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Defence/Security, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) A court here on Saturday issued a fresh open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national Christian Michel James and summons to a company and two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore ($528 million) AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued the fresh warrant against James and fresh summons to Delhi-based Media Exim Pvt. Ltd. and its Directors R.K. Nanda and former Director J.B. Subramaniyam under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after they did not appear in court. Public Prosecutor Navin Kumar told the court the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. The court directed the accused to appear on February 22, the next date of hearing. The company will be represented by an authorised representative. After considering a supplementary charge sheet in the case, the court issued summons against the company and two individuals last month. The court said there is prima facie sufficient evidence against the accused. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in June last year filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe into the helicopter deal. According to the ED, Media Exim is a shell company of James and allegedly incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks paid to James by Finmeccanica, a group firm of AgustaWestland. James allegedly received around Rs 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. The agency is said to have found that of the kickbacks received by James, Rs 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. "Nanda and Subramaniyam were appointed Directors of Media Exim Pvt. Ltd., who willingly and knowingly connived with James and helped him in acquiring immovable and movable properties or assets in Delhi, which have already been attached," the ED said. James and other alleged middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa have been named as accused in separate investigations conducted by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Both the agencies have also notified an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against James after a city court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Investigators said James is currently staying in Dubai. The first charge sheet was filed in the case in November 2014 against businessman Gautam Khaitan, his wife Ritu, Chandigarh-based firm Aeromatrix and Gerosa and Haschke. --IANS akk/tsb/bg Russia asks Apple, Google to remove LinkedIn from app stores Russian Federation,Technology,Business/Economy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Moscow, Jan 7 (IANS) Accusing LinkedIn of flouting local laws that require internet firms to store data on citizens within the nations borders, the Russian authorities have asked Apple and Google to remove the professional networking site app from their online stores. Recently, a Russian court blocked the Microsoft-owned LinkedIn service for breaching the country's data protection rules. According to The New York Times, Apple has confirmed that it was asked to remove its LinkedIn app in Russia about a month ago. "However, Google has not confirmed if it had removed LinkedIn in Russia but said that it adhered to Russian local laws," the report added. Meanwhile, LinkedIn responded that the company was "disappointed" with the decision by Russian regulators to block the service. "It denies access to our members in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses," Nicole Leverich, a spokeswoman for LinkedIn, was quoted as saying. LinkedIn has several million users in Russia. Earlier this week, Apple removed the New York Times from its app store following a request from Chinese authorities claiming the app was in violation of regulations. China is known for banning digital sites like Facebook and Google that it believes harm its national security or promote misinformation. The Wall Street Journal's Chinese-language site has been blocked since 2014. --IANS qd/na/bg Sushma seeks report from Indian envoy to Qatar on Indians on death row Delhi,National,Immigration/Law/Rights,Politics,Diplomacy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday sought a report from the Indian Ambassador in Qatar on two Indian nationals who were awarded the death penalty in the Gulf country last year. "I have asked for a report from Indian Ambassador in Qatar," the Minister said in a tweet. She was responding to a tweet from @bkanagaraja, a Twitter user, requesting her to save Subramaniam Alagappa and Chelladurai Perumal, two Indians sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in Qatar. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister, uploaded on the public forum, change.org, H. Vasanthakumar, Member of Legislative Assembly from Nanguneri in Tamil Nadu, said, "Two Innocent Indian Nationals namely Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal have been sentenced to death by the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) in Qatar." He requested the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister for immediate and "direct intervention with the Ruler of Qatar" for their safe return to India. "If these Indian nationals were not released and sent back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy in Delhi and Qatar Consulate in Mumbai," Vasanthakumar added. On December 8, the ministry, in its weekly media briefing, had said, "Subramanian Alagappa and Chelladurai Perumal continue to remain on death row. The third convict, Shivakumar Archunan, his case was reviewed by the appeals court and his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment." "We had filed a case in respect of all three because we believe that the penalty is too harsh... Our Embassy in Qatar continues to closely monitor this case in association with the lawyer who has been appointed for all three accused," official ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup added. --IANS rs/lok/bg Beijing to launch environmental police force China,Environment/Wildlife, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Beijing, Jan 7 (IANS) One of the world's most polluted cities, Beijing will set up a green police force to contain pollution which has reached endemic proportions in the megapolis. Besides, the authorities will ban 300,000 high polluting vehicles and shut down the only coal-fired power plant and polluting factories in 2017. Beijing will strengthen environmental protection in 2017 by organising an environmental police force to step up supervision and accountability in its 16 districts, the city's acting mayor Cai Qi was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency on Saturday. "Open air barbecues, garbage incineration, biomass burning, dust from roads -- these acts of non-compliance with regulations are actually the result of lax supervision and weak law enforcement," said Cai at a meeting after a spell of smog lasting more than a week in the city. Cai said the city government will take tougher measures to tackle air pollution in the new year. The residents of Beijing rang in the first day of 2017 with heavy smog blanketing the city. So much so that many fled to other parts of the country for New Year's revelry. The city's only coal-fired power plant will be closed until after the heating season. Coal consumption will be cut by 30 percent to less than 7 million tonnes in 2017. Another 300,000 high-polluting old vehicles will be phased out in 2017. Cleaner gas and diesel will be put into use starting February 15. Additionally, 500 manufacturing and polluting factories will be closed, while another 2,560 will be upgraded to meet higher pollution treatment standards. Cai said the city will also build closer ties with neighbouring Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality in fighting air pollution. Unbridled factories over the decades propelled economic development but polluted the country. Air pollution is one of the biggest problems of China, which has taken steps in this regard. Many top officials in provincial governments have been sacked for failing to contain pollution. In 2015, China shut down some 17,000 polluting units in the country. --IANS gsh/bg Police register case, EC seeks report on Sakshi Maharaj's remarks Delhi,National,Politics,Religion,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) The Election Commission on Saturday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh administration while police registered a case against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his speech in which he allegedly blamed the Muslims for India's population boom. The Unnao MP's speech at a religious gathering at Meerut in the poll-bound state attracted widespread condemnation while his own party distanced itself from his remarks. "Cognisance has been taken about the remarks made by him at Augarnath temple. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has sought a report," Meerut District Magistrate B. Chandrakala said adding that police have also registered a case against the leader. Addressing a gathering of seers on Friday, the controversial Bharatiya Janata Party leader called for implementing the Uniform Civil Code and indirectly held the Muslims responsible for the population explosion. "Population is rising rapidly, and so are the country's problems. But Hindus are not responsible for this. Those who talk about four wives and 40 children are responsible," he said. "Remember, if Hindus number decreases, the country will be divided," said the MP, days after the Supreme Court declared that appealing for votes in the name of religion was "illegal". "I said four wives and 40 children will not be allowed, cannot be allowed. Mothers are not machines," he said, calling for equal laws for all, irrespective of the number of children a person has. While the opposition Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and the state's ruling Samajwadi Party demanded stringent action, Sakshi Maharaj appeared unfazed and sought to defend the remarks. "I did not make any communal speech. It was a gathering of saints, during which I expressed concern about population explosion. My speech has been videotaped and nowhere have I named any community," Sakshi Maharaj told IANS. "I said mothers -- irrespective of their community -- should be respected and not treated like a child-producing machine," he said and blamed the media for quoting him "out of context". Courting controversy in the past for making inflammatory speeches, Sakshi Maharaj failed to find endorsement from his own party. "This shouldn't be seen as the party's (BJP) stand," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here when asked by the media to react to the controversial remarks. In January 2015, the self-proclaimed saint had asked Hindu women to produce at least four children each to "protect the religion". --IANS and/tsb/bg Turkish army says 21 IS militants killed in Syria Turkey,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Ankara, Jan 7 (IANS) At least 21 Islamic State militants were killed and 168 targets belonging to the IS were hit in Al-Bab in northern Syria in military operations in the last 24 hours, the Turkish General Staff stated on Saturday. Turkish artillery supported by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) hit 156 identified IS targets including shelters, defensive positions, command and control buildings, weapons and vehicles. Turkish warplanes hit 12 IS targets. The statement, cited by Xinhua, also said 43 mines and 2,794 improvised explosive devices had been defused since the start of the operation on August 24 last year. Turkey has been pushing southward, supporting FSA forces as part of Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched to clear IS and other terrorist organisations from Turkey's southern borders and form a 5,000-square meter terror-free zone, according to Turkish Daily Sabah. The Turkish armed forces launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against both the IS and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). Turkey regards the YPG and the PYD as terrorist organisations due to their links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Meanwhile, Turkish jets hit 11 PKK targets used as shelters and defensive positions in the Qandil Mountains region of northern Iraq on Friday, the military told Turkish Daily Sabah on Saturday. --IANS ahm/bg AAP government will reverse coconut tree amendment in three days: Kejriwal Goa,National,Politics, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Panaji, Jan 7 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that if his Aam Aadmi Party is elected to power in Goa, it would reverse the controversial order, officially withdrawing tree status to the coconut palm within three days. "I have told (AAP's chief ministerial candidate) Elvis (Gomes) when the AAP government is formed, the law which changed the status of the coconut palm from tree to grass has to be reversed in three days," he said at a public rally in South Goa's Mormugao legislative assembly constituency. In January last year, the Goa assembly had passed a controversial amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Protection of Trees Act, formally de-recognizing the coconut palm as a tree. It was formally accorded assent by Governor Mridula Sinha subsequently. The amendment was severely critiqued by civil society groups and opposition in Goa. --IANS maya/vd Canadian PM won't attend Trump's inauguration ceremony Canada,Politics, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Ottawa, Jan 7 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not attend the inauguration of the US' president-elect Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington. Instead of going to Washington to participate in the ceremony, Trudeau will be on a tour of Canada, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday. Instead of Trudeau, the Canadian government will send a top-level delegation from Ottawa to attend the ceremony, Efe news reported. The Canada tour will also prevent Trudeau from attending the Davos World Economic Forum, which takes place every year in Switzerland. --IANS ksk Gulshan Devaiah, wife stranded in Istanbul airport Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz,Bollywood, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS) Actor Gulshan Devaiah and his wife Kalliroi Tziafeta are stranded due to snowstorm at Istanbul airport en route to India. The couple had gone to Greece to ring in Christmas and New Year and were on their way to Mumbai from Athens. "Stuck in Istanbul airport. All flights cancelled due to snowstorm. Been here over 12 hours. The whole airport is closed," Gulshan tweeted on Saturday. In a series of tweets, Gulshan has been sharing updates from the trip. From pictures of exotic locales in Greece to home-cooked gourmet meal, the "Hunterrr" actor has been having a ball of a time. The couple even watched Damien Chazelle's musical comedy "La La Land". Last seen in Konkana Sensharma's "A Death in the Gunj", Gulshan awaits the release of "Cabaret", which also stars Richa Chadda. --IANS hp/sug/vm Om Puri may you remain with your ever-infectious smile: Big B Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has mourned the death of veteran actor and theatre personality Om Puri, saying may he remain with his "ever infectious smile". The 66-year-old actor was found dead at his residence on Friday morning. He suffered a cardiac attack. "Om Puri, if in soul you be, may you remain with your ever infectious smile," Amitabh wrote on his blog. The 74-year-old thespian also shared that "death, that darkest moment of humanity". "Took away another soul into its boundless fold and left us all in disbelief," he added. Big B called Om "a friend, an affable loving colleague and a dynamic talent". Amitabh, along with his son and actor Abhishek, attended the actor's cremation, which took place at the Oshiwara Eletrical crematorium, here. He said that the only thing that he could do is to hold his "friend's son in an embrace and transfer strength to him in his young world." "'Be strong'.. is all I can muster ... what else can I say .. what else can anyone say .. they that have lost personally and in relation, shall bear the end, with greater sorrow .. who knows," Amitabh added. The last rites of Om Puri were carried out by his son Ishaan in the presence of his divorced wife Nandita Puri and close friends Ashoke Pandit and Anupam Kher as well as iconic filmmakers like Ketan Mehta, Prakash Jha and Govind Nihlani, actors Shabana Azmi, Shakti Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, Manoj Bajpayee and Ranbir Shorey, Farhan Akhtar and veterans Gulzar, Javed Akhtar and Sonu Nigam. --IANS dc/nv/vm Trump times: Putin, pot, protests and pigs that fly! (Washington Diary) United States,Politics,Diplomacy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) The Donald would not buy it! All of Uncle Sam's spymasters could not convince PEOTUS who would soon be POTUS that Vladimir Putin's spooks helped him pull off his stunning victory in the presidential race. While Russia, China and others may be consistently trying to hack into US institutions, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election," Donald Trump declared after a "constructive" briefing from the intelligence chiefs. The President-elect also announced plans to appoint a team within 90 days to figure out ways to stop foreign hacking. But hours before four spymasters came down to New York's Trump Tower, dubbed the White House North, to report to their boss to be, he dismissed the storm over alleged Russian hacking as a political "witch hunt." "They got beaten very badly in the election," he told the New York Times referring to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." Noting that previous hacks of the White House and Congress did not receive the same kind of attention, Trump told the Times: "They've hacked the White House. They've hacked Congress. We're like the hacking capital of the world." The spooks also released a declassified report essentially repeating what they had been leaking for days to suggest Putin himself 'ordered' the campaign to "denigrate Secretary Clinton" as Russia "developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Pundits, press and many of Trump's own party men were aghast that Trump would give more credence to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, who has denied receiving any information from the Russians or any other "state actors," than his spooks. "The dishonest media likes saying that I am in agreement with Julian Assange - wrong," he tweeted earlier. "The media lies to make it look like I am against 'Intelligence' when in fact I am a big fan." A day earlier top spymaster James Clapper had told a Senate panel chaired by Republican Party's 2008 presidential candidate, John McCain that they were "more resolute" in their conviction about the Russian hack first voiced in October. Even as hiding behind the cloak of secrecy, Clapper offered no concrete evidence about what the Russians did, he was not shy about declaring Russia an "existential threat." But he declined to take a "very heavy policy call" to declare Russian actions an "act of war" as suggested by McCain, who had first endorsed and then unendorsed Trump. The spymasters stuck to their story that the Russians hacked the Democratic Party and Clinton's campaign chief and passed on their "stolen" emails to WikiLeaks to release "drip, drip, drip" in the run up to the November 8 election. But there was no way for the spy agencies to "gauge the impact" of Russian hacking "on the choices the electorate made," Clapper said while acknowledging that it "did not change any vote-tallies." By way of proof, unnamed US officials offered "new information" about intercepted conversations of Russian officials expressing happiness at Trump's win and congratulating each other. Meanwhile, amid last ditch efforts by several Democratic lawmakers citing Russian influence, a joint session of Congress formally certified Trump's Electoral College victory with Vice President Joe Biden, declaring, "It is over." But another battle loomed ahead: confirmation of Trump's choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson with McCain and a couple of other Republican senators having concerns about "a friend of Russia." Asked if he would vote for the oil tycoon's confirmation, McCain quipped: "Sure ? there's also a realistic scenario that pigs fly." Yet his spokesperson later clarified that her boss was only joking. Protests are also brewing with some historically black schools declining to join Trump's January 20 inauguration parade and more than 150,000 people supporting women's rights signing for a rally in Washington the next day. But the marching band of Talladega College that bills itself as Alabama's oldest private, historically black liberal arts college will play at the parade despite days of criticism on social media. Among all things potty, another group advocating marijuana legalisation plans to hand over 4200 joints to participants in a march to National Mall. They would light up as Trump begins to speak braving risk of arrest for smoking on federal land. (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) --IANS ak/tb Tokyo mulls shouldering additional cost for Olympics Japan,Business/Economy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Tokyo, Jan 7 (IANS) Tokyo's Governor has indicated the metropolitan government will consider shouldering the cost of temporary facilities to be built outside the capital for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Japanese officials said. Yuriko Koike made the suggestion on Friday as the host city, the central government and the organising committee prepare to resume talks this month on who should pay how much for the temporary facilities, public broadcaster NHK reported. The committee said local municipalities that host the facilities should cover some of the cost. But those authorities argue the committee should bear the full amount as initially planned. Under the law, the metropolitan government is not allowed to pay for temporary venues outside Tokyo. Koike told the media that the basic rule is that the committee pays everything. But she said a contract signed with the International Olympic Committee stipulates that Tokyo will shoulder any costs the organising committee cannot pay. --IANS ksk/vm Top House Republicans have introduced a bill to limit bonuses awarded to a North Dakota governors staff members and appointees after some controversy in 2015. The legislation, which counts House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, as a sponsor, limits a bonus paid to an employee in the governors office or state officer appointed by the governor to 10 percent of their annual salary or $5,000, whichever is less. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jeff Delzer, R-Underwood, is the primary sponsor of the bill. He said it was crafted in response to retention bonuses paid to some members of former Gov. Jack Dalrymples Cabinet and a handful of his staffers in 2015. It just wasnt well accepted, what Gov. Dalrymple did at that particular time, Delzer said Friday, Jan. 6. He felt he needed to do it, and he had the right to do it, we just want to make sure that future governors understand that thats not what we think should be done. Five of Dalrymples staffers received almost $100,000 combined in retention bonuses in June 2015. Two of his Cabinet members, Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp and Department of Human Services Director Maggie Anderson, received more than $58,000 in retention bonuses combined. Both are now members of Republican Gov. Doug Burgums Cabinet. Burgum had no comment on the bill Friday afternoon, his spokesman Mike Nowatzki said. News of the bonuses came just a few months before Dalrymple, a Republican, ordered state agencies to cut their budgets due to slumping oil and farm commodities prices. Dalrymple defended the bonuses at the time, arguing they were necessary to retain highly talented employees in state government. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said Friday they felt the payouts were excessive. We like to reward good work, but we think were paying our people very well, Carlson said. The public was not happy. The legislation would add language to a section of existing state law that says state agencies must fund recruitment and retention bonus programs from within the agency salaries and wages budget. The law allows state agencies to develop those bonus programs for employees in hard-to-fill occupations. A separate section of state law governing state employee performance bonuses include a limit of $1,000 per fiscal year. The section on recruitment or retention bonuses doesnt contain such a limit. Carlsons counterpart, House Minority Leader Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, said he would support House Bill 1153 in its current form, arguing state leaders should try to create a culture of fairness. Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman, D-New Rockford, agreed that the Dalrymple bonuses were in excess of what they should have been, but she hesitated to comment on the merits of the bill before it comes over to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said he supports the legislation. Four killed in Bengal accident West Bengal,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Kolkata, Jan 7 (IANS) Four persons were killed and 40 severely injured when a luxury bus rammed into a truck near Howrah district in West Bengal on Saturday, police said. "A luxury tourist bus rammed into a truck, loaded with iron rods, on the National Highway 6 in the morning. The bus was on its way back from Puri to Kolkata," police said. According to police, the bus was travelling at a very high speed and the iron rods pierced the vehicle. Lack of visibility due to fog might have caused the accident, it said. The injured tourists were admitted to Uluberia Hospital in Howrah. "The driver and the helper of the bus fled after the incident. We are hunting for the two," police added. --IANS mgr/bdc/py/vm Thailand floods kills 11 people, thousands of people stranded Thailand, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 NI Wire Due to heavy rainfall in Thailand, thousands of people were affected and some people lost their lives in heavy floods. According to the authorities at least 11 people were killed and one reported missing while thousands of people have been affected by heavy floods. The Officials said, the heavy rains continued from some days and caused heavy floods in the area in which at least 11 people lost their lives. According to sources, after days of heavy rain, the central government has sent military units to help regional authorities provide relief to victims. Rescue efforts are underway for residents stranded and cut off from other communities due to the floods. These floods have become severe in the provinces of Trang and Surat Thani, where many roads remain inundated while the floors of houses and schools are submerged under water. The airport in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat has been shut down after rivers and canals overflowed due to the rains which have arrived late as the monsoon season usually ends in the region in November or December. Storms have also affected the north of neighbouring Malaysia, where hundreds of schools have been closed. According to the Thai Meteorological Department, rainfall will continue in the region until Sunday when it will begin moving towards the Myanmar border. Earlier, in 2011 Thailand floods killed 815 people and affected 13.6 million people. Over 20,000 square Kilometres of farmland was damaged in Thailand and its sixty-five provinces were declared flood disaster zones among 77 provinces. That disaster has been described as the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected. --with agency inputs Jaitley termed Demonetisation a historic decision towards poors welfare New Delhi, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 NI Wire The Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8 previous year and declared old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 as an illegal tender to curb the black money from the countrys economy. Just before the legislative assembly elections, the Finance minister Arun Jaitley termed demonetisation as a decision towards poors welfare. The Finance Minister termed the governments decision as a historic and bold move towards the welfare of the poor, while serving as crippling blow to terror, fake currency note racket, and insurgency. According to Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talking about the achievements of the government, Arun Jaitley represented the partys economic resolution in the BJP national executive meet also said that the demonetisation decision was taken because the Narendra Modi government "is visionary and committed about its promises made before coming to power", according to Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She quoted the saying of Jaitley as, The demonetisation move of the government on November 8 closed the lifeline of terror funding and fake currency. Demonetisation was a crippling blow to terror, fake currency note racket, and insurgency. The economic resolution was focused primarily on demonetisation. Before the assembly elections all parties are making their platforms for getting peoples attention towards themselves so, counting governments initiatives, Jaitley hailed number of government's initiatives that were taken in the last two years to curb black money and fake currency. At a press conference, Sitharaman added that measures such a decision required visionary leadership, which BJP had now provided and quoted sayings of Jaitley as "he informed the party leaders how and why this demonetisation was different than the earlier ones. The Union Minister further added, The entire executive unanimously agreed that it is a historic step, and described about the role of government in making Indias economy free of black economy. She also said, measures announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi post-demonetisation were due to the fact that he fully recognised the hardships faced by the Dalits, tribals and women and took steps accordingly to allay them. She then added, "Being a sensitive government it reached to people who were affected due to demonetisation steps. The Prime Minister on December 3, in his address to the nation mentioned about the number of steps for the senior citizens, farmers, pregnant women and many more. She also cited Jaitley as saying how the government set up a Special Investigation Team to probe accounts holding black money, and "rewrote treaties with many nations and signed them all over again, for exchange of information as to who's holding how much". Sitharaman said: "Jaitley ji informed the party leaders that the income and revenue of most of the big states in the country has increased after November 8 decision of demonetisation, except West Bengal." The minister spoke of a Benami Properties Confiscation Act, 1988 which was never notified by the previous governments as well as explaining the difference between 1997 Amnesty scheme by the then government, and the recent Income Declaration Scheme during the meet. The old amnesty scheme was not effective one, thus we brought Benaami Properties Confestication act, in which there are provisions of punishment and penalty and it is stricter than the earlier older one. According to the Union Minister Sitharaman, Jaitley said We brought that bill before a parliamentary Standing Committee in 2014 and notified it... so that the government can confiscate benami properties. Sitharaman also said that Jaitley informed the party here that the formal economy of the country is growing. She said, The Finance Minister also said that with the huge amounts returning to banks now the government now can take several developmental measures and the same amount can be used by the banks too. --with agency inputs Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump may think the CIA is composed entirely of the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction; he may put scare quotes around the word intelligence when referring to the findings of Americas spy agencies; and he may suggest that those agencies engage in political witch hunts but that doesnt mean he lacks tremendous respect for what they do! So we learned on Friday, minutes after the president-elect emerged from a special briefing on Russian hacking of Americas political institutions. After the nations top intelligence and law-enforcement officials presented Trump with their case for believing the Kremlin was responsible for hacking the email accounts of both the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, the president-elect released the following statement: Trump got the intel briefing. He now seems to agree Russia (among others) is hacking the US, doesn't think it affected the vote. pic.twitter.com/qmV17aMSEq Sheera Frenkel (@sheeraf) January 6, 2017 Here, Trump acknowledges that Russia is among the many entities targeting Americas cyberinfrastructure, but declines to assign the nation culpability for any specific cyberattacks. He also insists that the various hacks of Democratic institutions had absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election a claim that no human being who hasnt seen voting returns from an alternate universe could possibly know the veracity of. Regardless, Trump appears to be treating cybersecurity as a significant concern, at least rhetorically. And hes now acknowledging that hacking is a tool available to more powerful entities than 400-pound guys sitting in their beds. He still doesnt seem to have an appetite for punishing Russias alleged attempts to undermine our democracy (and/or get him elected). But he also resisted the temptation to praise Vladimir Putin or Julian Assange. So, count this one as a step toward normality. Shortly after the release of Trumps statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a declassified version of the CIA, FBI, and NSAs joint report on Russian interference in the 2016 elections. Still, the document isnt without its interesting tidbits. Apparently, Putin underestimated Trumps appeal in the Rust Belt. That report is much heavier on conclusions than it is on evidence. Ostensibly, the intelligence agencies are not comfortable disclosing precisely how they came to conclude that Russian operatives were behind the cyberattacks against the DNC and Clinton campaign. And the reports most explosive finding that Russia initially intended its attacks to sow doubts about the legitimacy of American democracy, before developing an affinity for the candidate who was constantly praising Putin has been on the public record for nearly a month now (and wasnt hard to intuit much earlier than that). President-elect Trump and the billionaire who would become his pick for secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, at Trumps New Jersey golf club in November. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images The head of the Office of Government Ethics, the federal agency charged with investigating the backgrounds of Donald Trumps cabinet nominees, told Senate Democrats on Saturday that the process of vetting Trumps picks is overwhelming the agency. Director Walter Shaub Jr. also emphasized his concern that Republicans are pushing forward with confirmation hearings for Trumps nominees before the appropriate paperwork has been completed, and thus before the OGE can confirm that the nominees have no financial, ethical, or criminal red flags. At present, Republican lawmakers expect to hold hearings on at least seven of Trumps cabinet picks within the next several days, which Shaub says has created undue pressure for the watchdog agency to rush through the vetting process, and thus leaves some nominees with potentially unknown or unresolved ethics issues shortly before their scheduled hearings. If that scenario indeed happens, it will be a first in the OGEs four-decade history, according to Shaub. In response to Shaubs letter to Senate Democrats, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the GOP and Trump transition team of colluding to jam through the nominees and sidestep the law. Of continuing concern are the number of extraordinarily rich among Trumps nominees, a group which includes three billionaires and is set to become the wealthiest White House cabinet in history. The New York Times reports that some of Trumps picks are so rich that there arent enough boxes on the standard disclosure forms for them to list all their varied assets. Members of the executive branch are not allowed to use their positions to enrich themselves, which is why the OGE looks to identify potential conflicts of interest so they can be resolved before cabinet nominees are chosen or confirmed. (That federal law does not apply to the president or vice-president.) In addition to Shaubs letter, emails obtained by MSNBC through a Freedom of Information Request suggest that the OGE briefly lost contact with the Trump transition team after Trumps election in November. According to the communication records, the agency struggled to reach and get responses from the Trump team, the staffing of which was very much in flux at the time. Both MSNBC and Politico, who also reviewed the emails, note that much of the released communication was heavily redacted, and some messages may remain unreleased due to executive privilege so the full picture of communication between the OGE and the Trump transition team remains unclear. Regardless, the OGE did offer advice to the Trump team on topics like the appropriate structure of a blind trust with regards to Trump divesting himself from the Trump Organization. They also suggested that the Trump transition team give them advance notice of cabinet picks so they could be vetted before making their nominations public. That appears to have happened in some cases, but not in others. The frustration over not being able to effectively communicate with Trump officials is also apparently one of the reasons the OGE posted a series of somewhat bizarre tweets in late November which seemed to encourage the idea of Trump divesting from his family business. The president-elect has yet to explain if and how he will separate himself from the Trump Organization, though he is supposed to announce those details next week. Photo: Getty Images Prince Harry and Suits actress Meghan Markle enjoyed a little London reunion on New Years Eve before heading off to Norway for some romance under the stars well, the Aurora Borealis to be exact. The couple took a regular old commercial flight to Norway near the edge of the Arctic Circle so they could snuggle up under the Northern Lights. They also indulged in a number of delightful cold-weather activities, such as riding about in sleds pulled by adorable huskies and watching orcas frolic. They could be engaged by the spring, gushed a source to Us Weekly. So far, Markle has met Prince Charles and Prince William, and Buckingham Palace has given the pair two thumbs up. Queen Elizabeth II is delighted to see Harry in a loving relationship, a rep stated. Forreal tho damn Reply Parent Thread Link no clue how she books these things. is hype really that crucial ? Reply Parent Thread Link it is. she has a huuuuuge following and industry ppl know they need those SM clicks Reply Parent Thread Link She is a click bait model. Every job she gets will give the brand a big exposure. Reply Parent Thread Link she has a cult following like all her family followers tbh Reply Parent Thread Link I'm interested to know how it'll work out in the long run. I mean, making her and other insta models makeup brand ambassadors is one thing, but the full on supermodel treatment is pretty hit or miss. I heard that her Vogue cover didn't sell very well and the VS show keeps falling in the ratings etc. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link her name. Reply Parent Thread Link she doesn't show any range Reply Parent Thread Link mte she's horrible holy shit Reply Parent Thread Link She makes a good insta model, I'll give her that Edited at 2017-01-07 11:33 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link She's like Kate Upton, just because you're pretty doesn't mean you can model. Like men with big dicks...they don't try as hard as ones with smaller ones because they just expect to be good. Reply Parent Thread Link She looks terrefied 95% of the time. Awful Reply Parent Thread Link A dig on La Dibla Blanca? Reply Thread Link I feel like people wouldn't like her as much if she got her body done. She already has her fave done but for whatever reason people think Kendall (and Kourtney even though I like her as well) are better since they didn't mess with their asses. Reply Parent Thread Link haha Reply Parent Thread Link She looks so bored Reply Thread Link because she legit is the most boring person in the world. ive never heard her say anything interesting at all. she just stands there with that bored look, staring off into space like..... doesn't even try at all. Reply Parent Thread Link She's dead inside Reply Parent Thread Link Joan <3 Kendall always looks soulless when she models. Reply Thread Link Kendull looking dead eyed as usual. She's just not a good editorial model. Reply Thread Link editorial model. sis her walk.. LMFAOOOO LOOK AT EVERYONE AND THEN KENDALL YOU DONT EVEN HAVE TO LOOK FOR HER YOU WILL KNOW BY HER WALK pic.twitter.com/Frz1NFsPSS julia (@supremaciskt) November 30, 2016 She's just not a goodmodel.sis her walk.. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link l m a o Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao! She's just not meant for this profession. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't see a difference in any of their walks, no clue which she is. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link omg Reply Parent Thread Link I was like which one it's sf blurry and then I see it lmao Reply Parent Thread Link its werid because i think that her eyes are absolutely gorgeous, and in some instagram pics her eyes look so beautiful and bambi like, but in her modeling pics for some reason its blah Reply Parent Thread Link Is she dead? Is the fashion industry just Weekend at Bernie's-ing her? Reply Thread Link she's the living proof of how not all pretty girls can be models she's gorgeous imo, just terrible on camera Reply Parent Thread Link Did Kendall get lip injections? Reply Thread Link yes Reply Parent Thread Link yupp and they tried to pass them off as lipliner too lol Reply Parent Thread Link lol she tried to say that "omg kylie lined my lips guys calm down!" but uh.... they're so stupid, like we havent been watching your dumbasses grow up since you were 8???? delusionalllll Reply Parent Thread Link Really? Oh man. I have to admit that I don't follow Kendall, so I wasn't sure if maybe she had bigger lips naturally, but tbh they have exactly the same "look" as Kylie's do in the sense that they are very ...3-dimensional? Like, they just don't look at all like a typical overdrawn lip would. Reply Parent Thread Link that dude's face in the first pic says what we're all thinking "why do you suck so much at your job Kendall" Reply Thread Link this new one is like the Sears version of that photo, omg Reply Parent Thread Link omg wow yes THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER Reply Parent Thread Link ugh yes. ive forgotten pm everything about this movie/book except how perfect she was in that role Reply Parent Thread Link i was literally so attracted to her in this role. it was beautiful Reply Parent Thread Link yess Reply Parent Thread Link I like Kendall's nose job, oop. Reply Thread Link besides her lips she recently fucked up, i think she has the best plastic surgery out of all the klan it's v subtle apart from the lips and she was really pretty to begin with Reply Parent Thread Link Nothing wrong with liking good work. Edited at 2017-01-07 09:14 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link really? i think it still looks kind of wide and flat, not an "ideal" model nose, but ya it does look better than before Reply Parent Thread Link Kendall wears that eye makeup so well but she definitely does not have the same "spark" in her eyes that the others do. Reply Thread Link ia there's plain models like guinevere van seenus or valerija kelava whom i wouldn't look at twice in the street but can captivate the camera and bring their A game in print work. kendall is always just there like a wilted leaf in a floral arrangement Reply Parent Thread Link how are those two models plain? they have killer face structure for modeling, which most of the population doesn't have. and kendall doesn't either Reply Parent Thread Expand Link American LNG exports for 2016, according to the Department of Energy, totaled 109 Bcf through December, averaging about 0.3 Bcf per day. But contrary to expectations when Cheniere Energy first opened its LNG terminal at Sabine Pass, Louisiana at the start of the year, the bulk of those energy exports have not gone to markets in East Asia, passing through the newly-expanded Panama Canal, or to markets in Western Europe. Instead, the chief recipient of American LNG has been countries south of the border. Chile received nine shipments for a total of 26.4 Bcf. Argentina was second, with six shipments totaling 16.7 Bcf. In total, four countries in South America received fifty-four percent of all American LNG in 2016, with the rest mostly going to the Middle East. By contrast, a single shipment was received by China, two were sent to Europe, and four to India. But will the trend hold in 2017? Mexico, undergoing major energy reforms, has seen prices stay steady as domestic supply fails to keep pace with demand. Gas imports to Mexico rose by thirty-one percent in 2016, according to Bloomberg, as deregulation encouraged new pipeline projects and closer ties to the U.S. energy industry. Brazil remains competitive, staying at or around $6 MMbtu for most of 2016. Prices in East Asia, which spiked as high as $20 MMbtu, fell during the year to the same levels as Chile and Argentina. Given their closer proximity, and the heavy competition U.S. LNG encounters from Australia and Qatar for the Asian market, Chenieres shipments naturally trended towards Latin American markets. Latin America looks set to increase its demand for LNG. The enlarged Panama Canal makes exports to Chile and Ecuador cheaper and more attractive, cutting travel time to those countries by more significant margins than travel times to East Asia, according to the EIA. As early as February 2016, analysts were caught off guard reporting that the first shipments of U.S. liquefied natural gas were destined not for Shanghai, but rather for import terminals on the Brazilian coast. Related: Platts Sees OPEC Cuts Eliminating Oversupply By Q3 But long-term money has always been on East Asia as the prime destination for American natural gas exports. In December, Bloomberg reported that ten out of twelve LNG tankers leaving Sabine Pass were destined for East Asia. The shift is being driven by higher demand for heating gas and power plant fuel. Prices have lurched back up since July, with the spot price jumping to $9.20 in mid-December. After a slow start, the natural gas market looks bullish in 2017, with demand closely pegged to a winter that, if sufficiently cold, could drive prices up. Natural gas futures, according to info from Bloomberg, after plummeting in 2015, rose steadily over the course of 2016 as U.S. natural gas production leveled off, albeit with frequent volatility spikes. China has just unveiled a massive program for renewable energy as part of its next Five Year Plan. Reading between the lines, its clear that Chinas recent overcapacity crisis will continue, encouraging it to move away from coal, yet its reliance on that fuel and on natural gas will continue long after 2020. But growth in natural gas output, which China boosted by thirteen percent in 2016, will make up changes in domestic demand. That doesnt change the fact that LNG imports to China hit a record in November, rising forty-seven percent compared to 2015, in part due to colder-than-average conditions. Related: U.S. Oil And Gas Deals Double In 2016 Even with the growth of renewables in China, which is slated to make up a third of all renewable energy growth worldwide, natural gas demand will increase and supplies from Qatar and Australia, where the huge Chevron Gorgon plant has experienced periodic shut-downs, may not be enough to fill the gap. With half of all future U.S. LNG exports already contracted by East Asian buyers, the analysts who predicted long-term East Asian demand look right on the money. That means the current trend of U.S. LNG exports to East Asia could outlast the initial rush to fill Latin American demand. Or better yet, Chenieres output will be joined by cargoes from the seven other LNG export terminals currently approved for construction by the Federal Government, and will feed both growing Latin American and East Asian demand. That coupled with falling supply of U.S. natural gas could tighten the supply-demand balance and raise prices, foreshadowing a potential bonanza for natural gas suppliers and exporters, if economic trends hold. The future could be rosy for American LNG. By Gregory Brew for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Republican Chair Bob Corker says President-elect Donald Trump should not and would not reverse the nuclear deal with Iran. Speaking to journalists on Friday, Senator Corker (Tennessee) said the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement should remain in place, even if there was a need for stricter enforcement of the deals terms. In spite of the all the flaws in the agreement, nothing bad is going to happen relative to nuclear development in Iran in the next few years. Its just not, news agencies quoted Corker as saying. Though Trump has colorfully implied that the Iran deal would be torn up and has called it a horrible deal, even Israelto which Trump has been paying great lip service via his favored social media serviceseems to think privately that tearing up the deal would be dangerously destabilizing. As we get closer to the new presidents inauguration, however, Iran may be viewed more soberly, and the earlier promised radical change may not be so radical at the end of the day. The Iran deal from my perspective was flawed. It was not negotiated in a good way, because as almost all of us know, so much leverage was given up on the front end, Senator Corker said. Related: Platts Sees OPEC Cuts Eliminating Oversupply By Q3 At the same time, Corker added, youve got a choice. You can come in and figuratively tear it up ... and you can create a crisis on the front end by doing so. Or you can understand that we have lots of challenges to deal with around the world." What you can do instead is to begin to radically ensure its being implemented properly, he added. Corkers statements come right after the issuance by Iran of a list of 29 companies that qualified for bidding on oil and gas tendersand only one U.S. player was among them. Most others pulled out of the race due to concerns that relations between Iran and the U.S. will take a turn for the worse once Trump takes office later this month. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: There are a lot of reasons to be excited for 2017, but at the top of the list or at least right below "Its not 2016" is the number of exciting, potential-rich movies coming out in the next 359 days. Theres a new Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis collaboration about fashion in the 1950s, no less, so itll look ever better than usual. Theres a new "Kong" and a new "Planet of the Apes" installment. Terrance Malick will step back behind the camera for another new movie, while Oscar-winning screenwriter extraordinaire Aaron Sorkin will step behind a camera for the first time. Luc Besson will return to "Fifth Element"-level kooky sci-fi with "Valerian," while Ridley Scott will return to "Alien" (for real this time; none of this wishy-washy "Prometheus" nonsense) with "Covenant." Beloved books old ("Murder on the Orient Express") and new ("The Dark Tower") will hit the big screen. Did you like Kate McKinnon in "Ghostbusters"? Well, shes got a new dark comedy about a dead male stripper with Scarlett Johansson, Ilana Glazer and Demi Moore (?). And speaking of pitch black comedy, if you liked "The Lobster," Colin Farrell and its writer-director are teaming back up for the just joyful sounding "The Killing of a Sacred Deer." Theres a new "Kingsman" and a new "Cloverfield" episode and a new Sofia Coppola film and a movie where Gerard Butler has to save the world from a massive climate change storm AND save the president from assassination IN THE SAME MOVIE. And none of those made my list. So yeah, if 2017 is ringing in the end of days, at least well be going out with some solid movies to be excited about. And here are the 17 Im most excited for. 1. "Baby Driver" While Edgar Wright has a pretty firm grasp on critics and film nerds hearts, hes never quite had that big blockbuster hit that deservedly upgraded him a beloved household name. Part of it is that his style is far too particular to be sanded down of its delightful manic quirks and slid into a conventional blockbuster brand (as we learned with "Ant-Man"); that he usually has his fun in genre movie sandboxes zombies, sci-fi, video games, buddy cop actioners doesnt help either. But perhaps "Baby Driver" will be the one that breaks through into a hit. His latest follows a young getaway driver ("Divergent" series survivor Ansel Elgort) who wants to leave his life of crime for the girl of his dreams. Oh, and he has tinnitus, so he uses music to drown out the ringing during missions, resulting in a crazy action musical numbers ad yeah, this probably wont make any money either. But the cast is loaded Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and if anybody can make an crime thriller action musical romance not only work but sing off the screen, its Wright, who cares more about every element of filmmaking (sound, editing, framing) than any other working director. (Release date: Aug. 11) 2. "The LEGO Batman Movie" Ive had enough grumpy Batmen in my life. After seeing his parents get killed in every single reboot just in case you forgot the other five times grimacing at the world while doing CrossFit and now casually murdering henchmen, Im starting to miss the days of the old goofy Adam West version. Uh, maybe not. But "The LEGO Batman Movie" seems to be the perfect next step up from that old school cornball, lovingly parodying and mocking Dark Knight (voiced by Gob Bluth himself, Will Arnett) and his very, very, very serious superhero-dom in that awesomely creative and colorful LEGO style. The original "LEGO Movie" was a surprise smash, mixing a rapidfire sense of humor and ingenuity with a bit of heart. Hopefully this one-off sequel clicks just as well instead of being the cinematic equivalent of stepping barefoot on a lost LEGO brick. (Release date: Feb. 10) 3. "John Wick: Chapter Two" The original "John Wick" was a perfectly lean, mean, Keanu Reeves headshot-delivering machine, delivering perfectly choreographed and captured action sequences dripping with cool and surrounded on all sides, just out of frame, by a world of hitmen and their secret codes and operations. A lot of blockbusters are all about creating universes and world-building; "John Wick" did it easily, all with a simple story about a guy getting revenge for his dead dog by putting bullets in craniums. Itd be easy for the upcoming sequel to blow it up, "Die Hard"-style, into something bigger and not better but it seems "Chapter Two" has the right idea, giving us just a bit more of this secret world of assassins and Mr. Wicks very unsuccessful retirement away from it all. A bunch of familiar, un-headshotted faces from the first film are returning Ian McShane, Lance Reddick but the most important one is behind the camera: Chad Stahelski, a stuntman-turned-director whose knowledge from his former career helped make the action scenes in the first film pop with cool and clarity. Expect more sweet gun fights and, better yet, expect the dog to live this time! (Release date: Feb. 10) 4. "A Cure for Wellness" January and February have earned a reputation for being terrible months for movies, typically a burial ground for projects the studios know suck and have no faith in. Over the past few years, however, thats been changing. Last February, for instance, brought us "Hail, Caesar!", "The Witch" and a small flick called "Deadpool." The year before, the first two months offered up "Kingsman" and "Paddington." Its a happy trend (a time of year with no good movies to see isnt good for anyone especially movies) one that seems to be continuing this year. "John Wick: Chapter Two" and "LEGO Batman" are both February releases, and if youre a horror buff, Halloween is coming early. "Get Out," Jordan Peeles directorial debut about a black man trapped in the Stepford suburb (featuring the terrific Daniel Kaluuya of the "Fifteen Million Merits" episode of "Black Mirror"), will wrap up the month on a high, and horrific, note. But the one Im most looking forward to comes a week earlier: "A Cure for Wellness." Ive been asking for years for Gore Verbinski to head back to horror "The Ring" is a true horror legend, minus the sequels and spoofing and now hes finally doing it. And "A Cure for Wellness" looks exactly like what Id hope to see from his return, telling a tale of a man (Dane DeHaan) hunting for his boss in the most gorgeously gothic and grim of wellness centers. It looks eerie and disturbing as hell the perfect cure for having to see "Fifty Shades Darker" the weekend before. (Release date: Feb. 17) 5. "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2" I could fill up about a third of this list with just Marvels upcoming slate of superhero flicks. The big screens best version of the webslinger will get his own movie with Julys "Spider-Man: Homecoming," while "Thor: Ragnarok" will bring Thor, Hulk and Doctor Strange together under the wonderfully kooky eye of director Taiki Waititi ("What We Do In the Shadows"). And thats not even mentioning the grim and gritty-looking "Logan," which did the impossible and made me interested in yet another freaking Hugh Jackman Wolverine movie. But Ill set my focus on my favorite of the bunch, "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2." The whole gang is back, and judging by the trailer, their fun wit from the first film possibly my favorite of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasnt gone anywhere either. Director James Gunn is back too, and he looks like hes having a blast creating weird alien creatures and nifty gizmos for his ragtag band of heroes to play with. But above all: Baby Groot? Tonight, the world will implode in on itself but UNTIL THEN I will distract myself by staring happily at this: pic.twitter.com/Wk8mozV2vf Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) October 19, 2016 Baby Groot. (Release date: May 5) 6. "Wonder Woman" DC is going to have to do a lot of apologizing before I can forgive them for the 2016 dung-filled duo of "BvS" and "Suicide Squad" probably involving some self-flagellation. "Wonder Woman," however, looks like a good start a really good start, actually. Pretty much everyone agrees that Gal Gadots Wonder Woman was one of the few bright spots of "BvS" mostly by being the only one who seemed happy to be there and now we get a whole movie of her being a badass. The rest of the cast surrounding her (Chris Pine, Robin Wright) is great, and its about damn time a woman got a solo superhero flick one directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, at that too. The setting is intriguing too, heading back in time to World War I, a generally untapped story well for Hollywood overall much less comic book superhero movies. And most importantly, it looks fun? Like, there are colors and everything? Its almost enough to make me excited for Novembers "Justice League." Well almost. (Release date: June 2) 7. "Blade Runner 2049" Denis Villenueve is one of Hollywoods hottest directors, coming off the terrific pair of thrillers "Sicario" and "Arrival" the latter possibly earning him a Best Picture and Best Director nomination later this month. So what does he do for a third act? Revisit one of the most beloved sci-fi cult movies of all time with "Blade Runner 2049." Thats all. There were a lot of concerns coming into this update, from the general idea that this sequel is just a cheap cash-in on a popular 80s sci-fi title (see: "Robocop," "Total Recall") to remembering that other time Harrison Ford revisited a popular character from his past (no, not the good one; the other one. Yeah, THAT one) to the fact Jared Leto is apparently going to show up. But those worries were somewhat alleviated by the rest of the impressive cast list, complete with Ryan Gosling, Mackenzie Davis, Robin Wright and many, many more. Then they were completely alleviated by the newly released trailer, filled with gorgeous, haunting imagery. And with that, we went from wondering if "Blade Runner 2049" might at least not suck to wondering if it might just surpass its predecessor. (Release date: Oct. 6) 8. "Coco" Ive been hard on Pixar in the past few years, complaining about doing sequels of its popular brand names rather than making the original movies it made its name on. And yes, 2017 will bring us "Cars 3" apparently directed by Zack Snyder. But, in November, it will also bring us "Coco," an original story about a 12-year-old boy discovering a century-old mystery. Yes, thats a very vague plot description and we dont even have a trailer yet. But the few details there are that its original, that its inspired by Dia de los Muertos and that it comes from director Lee Unkrich, who directed the very good Pixar sequel "Toy Story 3" all sound exciting. And did I mention its original? As in not just a sequel? Because its not just a sequel and the last time Pixar did that, it was "Inside Out," and I cried for days (fact check: It was actually "The Good Dinosaur," which I cried about for different reasons). (Release date: Nov. 22) There's an enormous gap between justice as its administered in our courts and "justice" as it is meted out in the thousands of fatal encounters with police that take place in the US every year. The US is the only western nation that currently enforces the death penalty. Thirty-two states and the US federal government apply it; 18 states and the District of Columbia do not. There were no legal executions in the US between 1967 and 1977. Since then, more than 1400 convicts have been executed, an average of about 40 people per year (just 20 in 2016, a 25-year low). The death penalty has not been shown to decrease murders or other crimes. The murder rate in non-death-penalty states is consistently lower--30 percent on average--than in death-penalty states. Nonetheless, capital punishment in the US retains strong popular support. As you would expect, the death penalty is only applied for very serious offenses. These vary from state to state, for example intentional homicide with aggravating circumstances such as rape, multiple victims, or the killing of an on-duty police officer. At the federal level, treason, espionage and large-scale drug trafficking are also capital offenses. The constitutional right to due process guarantees that even after a fair trial, conviction and sentencing, convicts facing death have access to legal appeals that can delay their execution for years--currently an average of more than 14 years. None of the above is true on the streets: --Rather that 40 per year, 1000 to 2000 people die in encounters with police every year--25 to 50 times more than are legally executed. --As multiple notorious cases have shown in recent years, a fatal encounter with police can stem from a broken tail-light, shoplifting, carrying a crucifix, or as minorities have been reporting for years, walking or driving while Black, Hispanic or Native American. --As a depressing number of videos show, "due process" is often reduced to minutes or even seconds between an officer's first contact with a suspect and a fatal barrage of shots. --Fatal encounters with police are far from fair with respect to race or ethnicity. A recent study in the American Journal of Public Health analyzed 2,285 "legal intervention deaths" in the US between 2010 and 2014 and found that Blacks, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives were 2.7 times more likely to die in police encounters than Whites, and Hispanics 1.6 times more likely to die. --The interactions between police and the people they are supposed to serve and protect vary greatly from state to state. Police in New Mexico, with a population just over 2 million, killed 28 people in the first half of 2016. Nevada, with a comparable population, saw just 4 police-related deaths. Arizona has a slightly smaller population than Washington, yet Arizona police killed more than twice as many people. Californians are three times more likely to die in an arrest-related event than New Yorkers. Of course, this does not mean that all or most of those deaths are illegal or illegitimate. Police officers do represent the front line of our system of justice, place their own lives at risk (although not nearly as much as the public believes), and have to deal with many difficult and sometimes dangerous people and situations. University of South Carolina criminologist Geoff Alpert points out that in 98.9 percent of cases, killings by police are found to be justified. However, justified does not mean necessary or just. The number of police killings places the US at the ragged edge of other developed countries. A few examples: The US has about 6 times the population of England and Wales. Yet US police killed more people in the first 24 day s of 2015 than police in England and Wales over the last 24 years. The US has about 4 times the population of Germany. US police kill two or three times as many people every week as German police do in a year . Almost twice as many unarmed Black men (19) were killed by US police in 2015 than all the people killed by police in Germany that year (10). Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Consortium News Russian President Vladimir Putin, following his address to the UN General Assembly on Sept. 28, 2015. (Image by (UN Photo)) Details DMCA Repeating an accusation over and over again is not evidence that the accused is guilty, no matter how much "confidence" the accuser asserts about the conclusion. Nor is it evidence just to suggest that someone has a motive for doing something. Many conspiracy theories are built on the notion of "cui bono" -- who benefits -- without following up the supposed motive with facts. But that is essentially what the U.S. intelligence community has done regarding the dangerous accusation that Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a covert information campaign to influence the outcome of the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election in favor of Republican Donald Trump. Just a day after Director of National Intelligence James Clapper vowed to go to the greatest possible lengths to supply the public with the evidence behind the accusations, his office released a 25-page report that contained no direct evidence that Russia delivered hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta to WikiLeaks. The DNI report amounted to a compendium of reasons to suspect that Russia was the source of the information -- built largely on the argument that Russia had a motive for doing so because of its disdain for Democratic nominee Clinton and the potential for friendlier relations with Republican nominee Trump. But the case, as presented, is one-sided and lacks any actual proof. Further, the continued use of the word "assesses" -- as in the U.S. intelligence community "assesses" that Russia is guilty -- suggests that the underlying classified information also may be less than conclusive because, in intelligence-world-speak, "assesses" often means "guesses." The DNI report admits as much, saying, "Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact. Assessments are based on collected information, which is often incomplete or fragmentary, as well as logic, argumentation, and precedents." But the report's assessment is more than just a reasonable judgment based on a body of incomplete information. It is tendentious in that it only lays out the case for believing in Russia's guilt, not reasons for doubting that guilt. A Risky Bet For instance, while it is true that many Russian officials, including President Putin, considered Clinton to be a threat to worsen the already frayed relationship between the two nuclear superpowers, the report ignores the downside for Russia trying to interfere with the U.S. election campaign and then failing to stop Clinton, which looked like the most likely outcome until Election Night. If Russia had accessed the DNC and Podesta emails and slipped them to WikiLeaks for publication, Putin would have to think that the National Security Agency, with its exceptional ability to track electronic communications around the world, might well have detected the maneuver and would have informed Clinton. So, on top of Clinton's well-known hawkishness, Putin would have risked handing the expected incoming president a personal reason to take revenge on him and his country. Historically, Russia has been very circumspect in such situations, usually holding its intelligence collections for internal purposes only, not sharing them with the public. While it is conceivable that Putin decided to take this extraordinary risk in this case -- despite the widely held view that Clinton was a shoo-in to defeat Trump -- an objective report would have examined this counter argument for him not doing so. But the DNI report was not driven by a desire to be evenhanded; it is, in effect, a prosecutor's brief, albeit one that lacks any real evidence that the accused is guilty. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Basic Bankroll Management The first step to making money gambling is knowing how much you can afford. Bankroll management will help prevent the emotional lows that come with massive losses and ensure your profits dont disappear too quickly into thin air! Learning effective bankroll strategies is critical if you want to win big and have the most fun. Lets get started! What is Bankroll Management? Setting a bankroll is essential to playing any game of chance. Your starting capital should be large enough so that you can afford the likely loss before hitting a win, but not too much for unforeseen circumstances where all your wages are going towards living costs instead A good rule-of-thumb would be setting aside at least 10% percent on top if possible (though this will vary depending upon how often casinos offer rebates). The more you risk, the greater your return. -Card Monte bets are often seen as a way for players to get their feet wet in gambling and learn about different ways that casinos operate before risking any other kind of money on them this type allows people with no experience whatsoever access to blackjack games where experienced professionals can teach newbies card counting tricks, so they dont stand out too quickly What do you think is the primary purpose of any investment? To make a profit! Yes, but not only. Many investments aim to achieve the desired social, environmental and other effects. Want to learn more about impact investing? Read this guide! Regardless of how much you start with, its essential to remember that poker is a game for skilful players. It doesnt matter if your bankroll consists of $10 or 100 thousand dollars; all competitors have one thing in common their ability and knowledge about the cards theyre dealt will determine whether or not success can be achieved at this particular table! Finding the Right Amount For You Once you have set an initial bankroll amount, itll be time to limit your wagers. When playing blackjack, its essential to have at least 20 buy-ins (some people will consider this too low and prefer double that amount). So if your going table is $5 per bet, then make sure they accept cards and cash. When youre on a winning or losing streak, its easy to play for hours without stopping. But this isnt good because the game will end before your feet stop tapping! In order not to get too ahead of yourself and wear down in those crucial last few minutes before victory overtakes them completely (or defeat), make sure that every time YOU tap away at whatever score is temporarily etched into stone whether by 1 point OR 100+you setbacks are temporary; successes durable. The two-hour playing session should be enough time for you to get a good workout, but if it isnt then just walk away when the timer goes off. When it comes to limits, many players like setting a loss limit. So just because you have $100 in your pocket doesnt mean that all this money will be lost at once (although possible). You might only choose how much can disappear after some time has passed and when playing sessions end so dont get too excited about losing everything right away! Even professional gamblers follow a strict bankroll management strategy. Quick Tips for Bankroll Management Set a budget for your session or casino visit Make one deposit per session if online Divide your budget for the number of days at an offline casino Set win and loss limits and stick to them! If you lose your bankroll, stop playing Set winning goals If you reach a goal, put aside all or some of your winnings Make bets proportional to your total bankroll Never chase losses You can maximize your casino experience by managing money properly. When you follow these simple guidelines, your time at the casino will be everything that was promised and then some. Good morning members of the press Corp. I invited you to share my deepest concern with an opportunity available to all of us as Ghanaians to showcase Ghana once again as an epitome of democracy not only in Africa but the world at large. Let me once again extend my deepest heartfelt condolences to our dear widow, Dr. Naadu Mills and the family of the late Prof. Mills and all the good people of our nation. I also congratulate our President John Mahama for ascending onto the SEAT of Excellence in Ghana. The well calculated and measured home call by our Sovereign God of our late President John E. A. Mills on one hand has opened the next chapter of opportunity for Ghana to tread and showcase the path of dignity in governance revolution not only in Africa but the world. On another hand, President Mill's death can open the flood gates of insecurity to Ghana our motherland as predicted by Centre for Strategic Information System (CSIS) report in June 2011 for Ghana destabilization during December 2012 election. However, President Mahama, holding the steer of the Yutong Bus is not only drifting Ghana in the bus but has also began accelerating and veering towards probable intense confusion in his own Party, NDC, the family of the late President Mills and double agony of security threat during December 2012 election. As opined by K.B. Quantson, the security expert in Ghana, in his book entitled 'You and Your Security Environment' that I should therefore remind them of the wise words of J.F. Clark that our politicians should mature into statesmen. 'A politician thinks of the next elections, a statesman of the next generation. A politician looks for the success of his party, statesman for that of his country. The statesman wishes to steer while the politician is satisfied to drift.' Drifting politicians undermine human security. They operate without principles or scruples. As pointed out by J.F. Clark, Drifting politicians undermine human security. They operate without principles or scruples. Ghana needs the statesman's character that can enable the country to crossover or Passover from 2012 7th December election to 2013 7th January Inauguration of the next President and government revolution of 'Appropriatism Ideology 'not only for Africa but the world at large. We are as a nation in a dispensation of NOT politics as usual where politicians drift safely in political decisions and rhetoric only but we are also in time sensitivity of words and actions to the voters. Can President Mahama, lead Ghana into peaceful elections? PRESIDENT MAHAMA IS DRIFTING TO THE DITCH TOO EARLY Whereas it was a constitutional mandate to swear in President Mahama with such a supersonic speed, why the rush for the NDC to declare him as the Flagbearer at a time that he President Mahama has requested that we all mourn his Predecessor, Late Prof. Mills? President Mahama could not organize and supervise an eternal resting place for the Late President Mills with his family without confusion. Why burying Prof. Mills twice? I called on the funeral planning committee and add my voice for the late President Mills to be buried in his hometown. President Mahama claims to eulogize the late Prof. Mills but he President Mahama wants a communication team that reflects his demeanor and that he will not countenance his team members who indulge in politics of insults. A timely and perfect remark. So was the late Prof. Mills sponsoring the insults? President Mahama says that he reflects the first leader after post independence but why has he appointed a vice who was born before independence? What a paradox and a quick reversal of Ghanas destiny! Putting a new wine in old wineskin or patching a new cloth in an old one. The chemistry of such bonding has always been uncomfortable blast. Former President Rawlings and the Late former vice President Arkaah. Though the selected Vice President, Mr. Amissah Arthur may qualify for the position, there is perception that he is the alleged prominent gay partner banker who one Mr. Joseph Kwabena Owusu Sekyere, had purportedly told the Daily Guide Paper, which appeared in the paper on 9 January 2012. The Parliamentary appointment committee should ask Mr. Amissah if he is a Gay or Bisexual or none for clarification in order to preserve his dignity. We need to stop politics of character assassination without proof, a lesson we are all learning from the Late President Mills. We hope that question 5 is not in the affirmative, else President Mahama through Parliament is about to cause the greatest abomination to the throne. This is what will be termed as Sexo Haram. Voters will demand why the NDC majority Parliament has still not passed any act on gays and lesbians issues to date like the Nigerian Parliament did in order to help direct future reactions toward LBGT community in Ghana. WHAT IS PRESIDENT MAHAMA'S LEADERSHIP MANDATE President Mahama in the equation of the erstwhile Mills-Mahama administration is one-term government. However, the 3rd NDC government has the greatest opportunity to lift Ghana's dignity to the highest to beat the record set by former President Mandela. Ghana was given heraldic double Johns so that the 2nd John can correct the obvious past mistakes. President Mahamas duty is to make sure his decisions actually reconcile the NDC party feudal factions. The wikileaks expose of calculated scheme against former President Rawlings, if even succeeds will be at a great cost to the NDC party. President Mahama should not go for 2nd Term and not harden his heart like his predecessor, the late Prof. Mills. Political decision alone has the greatest potential to exchange his dignified destiny for the continent for a rather unpleasant one. President Mahama is demanded first by the land Ghana and second by Africa to supervise neutrally and peacefully December 7 2012 election. President Mahama should be happy to be the unprecedented shortest serving President, not desperate for power as Chronicle Newspaper reported on 2 September 2010, who puts his countrys survival above his party and acted as a true Statesman for his country. President Mahama will have greater dignified personality in the world. I am prepared to support President Mahama to chart this part of dignity, peace and joy to his spirit, soul and body. What the late President Prof. Mills was whisked by intercepted unseen hands of the watchers of Ghana, President Mahama should discerningly be sensitive to help avoid and spare the nation for the predicted shake up so as to chart the path of joy and peace for the voters. Ghana needs JOY in 2012 election after weve had PEACE in five successive elections. What is politics? The office of JOY2012 demands an answer from our politicians. How can each contesting candidate give JOY to the electorate after being voted to power? President Mahama if he loves his soul his immediate family and the nation should chart the path outlined above to bring joy and seriously consider this counsel of the 3rd NDC government. This is a serious counsel and not politics as usual for Ghanas interest first above personal ambition. Thank You for your Time. By: Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY2012) The Next President. Source: Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY2012) Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This illustration shows several comets speeding across a vast protoplanetary disk of gas and dust and heading straight for the youthful, central star. These "kamikaze" comets will eventually plunge into the star and vaporize. The comets are too small to photograph, but their gaseous spectral "fingerprints" on the star's light were detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The gravitational influence of a suspected Jupiter-sized planet in the foreground may have catapulted the comets into the star. This star, called HD 172555, represents the third extrasolar system where astronomers have detected doomed, wayward comets. The star resides 95 light-years from Earth. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild and G. Bacon (STScI) Interstellar forecast for a nearby star: Raining comets! NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered comets plunging onto the star HD 172555, which is a youthful 23 million years old and resides 95 light-years from Earth. The exocometscomets outside our solar systemwere not directly seen around the star, but their presence was inferred by detecting gas that is likely the vaporized remnants of their icy nuclei. HD 172555 represents the third extrasolar system where astronomers have detected doomed, wayward comets. All of the systems are young, under 40 million years old. The presence of these doomed comets provides circumstantial evidence for "gravitational stirring" by an unseen Jupiter-size planet, where comets deflected by its gravity are catapulted into the star. These events also provide new insights into the past and present activity of comets in our solar system. It's a mechanism where infalling comets could have transported water to Earth and the other inner planets of our solar system. Astronomers have found similar plunges in our own solar system. Sun-grazing comets routinely fall into our sun. "Seeing these sun-grazing comets in our solar system and in three extrasolar systems means that this activity may be common in young star systems," said study leader Carol Grady of Eureka Scientific Inc. in Oakland, California, and NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "This activity at its peak represents a star's active teenage years. Watching these events gives us insight into what probably went on in the early days of our solar system, when comets were pelting the inner solar system bodies, including Earth. In fact, these star-grazing comets may make life possible, because they carry water and other life-forming elements, such as carbon, to terrestrial planets." Grady will present her team's results Jan. 6 at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. The star is part of the Beta Pictoris Moving Group, a collection of stars born from the same stellar nursery. It is the second group member found to harbor such comets. Beta Pictoris, the group's namesake, also is feasting on exocomets travelling too close. A young gas-giant planet has been observed in that star's vast debris disk. The stellar group is important to study because it is the closest collection of young stars to Earth. At least 37.5 percent of the more massive stars in the Beta Pictoris Moving Group either have a directly imaged planet, such as 51 Eridani b in the 51 Eridani system, or infalling star-grazing bodies, or, in the case of Beta Pictoris, both types of objects. The grouping is at about the age that it should be building terrestrial planets, Grady said. A team of French astronomers first discovered exocomets transiting HD 172555 in archival data gathered between 2004 and 2011 by the European Southern Observatory's HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) planet-finding spectrograph. A spectrograph divides light into its component colors, allowing astronomers to detect an object's chemical makeup. The HARPS spectrograph detected the chemical fingerprints of calcium imprinted in the starlight, evidence that comet-like objects were falling into the star. As a follow-up to that discovery, Grady's team used Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) in 2015 to conduct a spectrographic analysis in ultraviolet light, which allows Hubble to identify the signature of certain elements. Hubble made two observations, separated by six days. Hubble detected silicon and carbon gas in the starlight. The gas was moving at about 360,000 miles per hour across the face of the star. The most likely explanation for the speedy gas is that Hubble is seeing material from comet-like objects that broke apart after streaking across the face of the star. The gaseous debris from the disintegrating comets is vastly dispersed in front of the star. "As transiting features go, this vaporized material is easy to see because it contains very large structures," Grady said. "This is in marked contrast to trying to find a small transiting exoplanet, where you're looking for tiny dips in the star's light." Hubble gleaned this information because the HD 172555 debris disk surrounding the star is slightly inclined to Hubble's line of sight, giving the telescope a clear view of comet activity. Grady's team hopes to use STIS again in follow-up observations to look for oxygen and hydrogen, which would confirm the identity of the disintegrating objects as comets. "Hubble shows that these star-grazers look and move like comets, but until we determine their composition, we cannot confirm they are comets," Grady said. "We need additional data to establish whether our star-grazers are icy like comets or more rocky like asteroids." Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America. Today marks two years since armed terrorists shot and killed staff at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, after the paper published a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed. In a book he wrote before the 2015 attacks which I've blogged about in the past former Charlie editor-in-chief Charb, stood by some of the newspaper's more controversial cartoons from over the years. Those cartoons included depictions of political officials, the pope, the prophet Mohammed, and many others. After all, Charlie was, and still is, an equal-opportunity offender. The year after 12 people (nine editorial staffers, two law enforcement officers and a janitor) were killed, surviving members of the editorial staff were given the annual Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN, one of America's leading free speech proponents. Sadly, about two dozen authors affiliated with PEN refused to attend the award ceremony because they felt Charlie was encouraging "ignorance." They went as far as urging PEN to strip the French paper of its nomination. It would be interesting to see what Charb, if he was still alive, would have to say about those authors boycotting his paper winning an award. Perhaps he would counter-punch with caricatures of them on the following issue of Charlie? After all, if writers don't stand up for their fellow writers, then who will? An Albany man was jailed Thursday on multiple felony charges for allegedly cashing three fake checks at Saratoga County banks last year, garnering $8,500 through the forgeries, police said. John D. Miller, 43, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and one count of forgery, all felonies, after a State Police investigation into fake business checks cashed at banks in Wilton, Malta and Milton in October, officials said. Miller was arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail for lack of bail. Police said the investigation was ongoing as of Friday. WARRENSBURG The case against a former Horicon fire chief who was arrested 17 months ago for allegedly endangering the welfare of a 15-year-old girl through inappropriate sex-themed cellphone text messages is headed to another court. James Hayes, 56, of Horicon, was charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child in July 2015 after State Police were contacted by a parent of the girl who had become aware of his correspondence with her, police said. He was acquainted with the teen, and there were no allegations of physical contact between the two. Hayes was the longtime Horicon fire chief at the time of his arrest, but resigned a short time later. The case was moved recently from Horicon Town Court to Warrensburg Town Court after Horicon Town Justice John Stevens recused himself after the filing of a pre-trial motion by Hayes defense lawyer, Peter Gerstenzang. The reason for the recusal was unclear Friday. Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague was appointed as special prosecutor for the case last summer, after Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan disqualified her office because of a conflict of interest. Members of Hogans staff were familiar with Hayes. Essex County Assistant District Attorney Jamie Martineau, who is handling the case, did not return a phone call for comment on the case Friday. Gerstenzang said he was hopeful the case will be resolved in the coming weeks. He said he had no further comment. Gerstenzang has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, alleging insufficient evidence to prove the charge and procedural issues. Warrensburg Town Justice Mindy Fisk is to decide the motion. Hayes has pleaded not guilty, is free on his own recognizance and is due back in court on Feb. 1. He faces up to a year in Warren County Jail if convicted. Russia has placed advanced surface-to-surface ballistic missiles in Syria, according to an Israelli satellite imaging company, which published satellite photos of the missile-launchers on Friday. ImageSat International said its EROS B satellite captured photos of two vehicle-mounted SS-26 Iskander missile launchers in northern Syria. The launchers are located in the Syrian armys Latakia airbase. Two other launchers had also been spotted at the base, it said. The Iskander is a mid-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, with a range of 400-500 kilometers. According to the Ynet news website, Russia has previously considered providing Iskander missiles to the Syrian President Bashar Assad, but has refrained from doing so due to Israeli concerns. The weaponry seen in the newly released photos is apparently controlled by Russian forces operating in Syria, and has not been handed over to Assads forces. "This revelation approves [sic] several unconfirmed reports of the Iskander presence in Syria and uncovers the systems deployment site, ImageSat said. It added that according to its assessments, the launchers were routinely deployed under camouflage nets at a nearby unpaved compound. Most probably, heavy rain and floods forced the redeployment of those two elements to the location in which they were revealed by iSi analysts. The Ynet report said Israel is worried that the weaponry could fall into the hands of Lebanese Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside Russian and Syrian regime forces, and is committed to destroying Israel. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: -b361f9c68d5079fa.jpg Tens of thousands of spectators are again expected to line the streets of downtown Ocean Springs when the 42nd annual Ocean Springs Elks Mardi Gras Parade rolls on Feb. 11 -- the first of seven Mardi Gras parades scheduled in Jackson County. (File photo/Gulflive.com) OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Mardi Gras parades will roll across south Mississippi beginning Jan. 28 through Fat Tuesday (Feb. 28). More than 20 parades are scheduled across the coast and attract an estimated 450,000 people. According to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, the 1908 Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade in Biloxi was the first on the Gulf Coast, with 17 floats participating. The GCCA parade continues to roll every Fat Tuesday and features more than 100 units. The Orange Grove Carnival Association parade, which will roll Jan. 28, has supplanted the Ocean Springs Elks parade as the first on the Mississippi coast, but the Ocean Springs parade is still Jackson County's first and is set for Feb. 11 this year. Six other Jackson County parades are scheduled, including premier parades in Gautier, Pascagoula and the much-discussed Ocean Springs night parade. Here is the complete schedule of 2017 parades along the Mississippi coast: January 28 27th annual Orange Grove Carnival Association parade February 11 42nd annual Ocean Springs Elks parade 9th annual Krewe of Legacy parade (Pass Christian) Second Liners Mardi Gras Club parade (Biloxi) February 12 14th annual Lizana parade February 18 17th annual Biloxi Children's Walking Parade 27th annual Mystic Krewe of Pine Island parade (Vancleave) Carnival Association of Long Beach parade Krewe of Little Rascals Children's parade (Pascagoula) Bay St. Louis Krewe of Kids parade Gautier Men's Club parade February 19 50th annual Krewe of Nereids parade (Bay St. Louis) February 24 9th annual Ocean Springs Carnival Association Night Parade February 25 47th annual Krewe of Gemini day parade (Gulfport) Jackson County Carnival Association parade (Pascagoula) Krewe of Diamondhead parade Krewe of Neptune night parade (Biloxi) February 26 D'Iberville/St. Martin North Bay Area parade St. Paul Carnival Association parade (Pass Christian) February 27 Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse parade (Bay St. Louis) February 28 (Fat Tuesday) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East 21338828-mmmain.jpg Moss Point City Hall (Tyler Carter/tcarter@al.com) MOSS POINT, Miss. - The Moss Point Board of Aldermen has six candidates who have applied for the position of Chief of Police after it was vacated with the firing of former chief, Art McClung. Interviews were conducted on Tuesday before the aldermen held their first meeting of the new year. The board decided in early November in a 5-2 vote that it was time for the city to seek new law enforcement leadership. At their Oct. 19 meeting, the aldermen had decided to table the discussions regarding their search for a new police chief because they needed more time to discuss the future of the police department. With municipal elections in the coming months, some aldermen feel appointing a new chief under the current board's administration is a mistake. Ward 5 Alderman Linwood Grierson and Ward 6 Alderman Wayne Lennep have been vocal in their wanting the next administration to choose the next chief. "I think it is best for the next administration to select a new chief. This, in my opinion, would be best for the city, new administration, and the new chief," Grierson said. The six candidates who applied for the position are: Christopher C. Canaski, Kiln MS. George Chaix, Biloxi, MS Stacey V. Deans, Ocean Springs, MS Louis C. Fairley, McLain, MS Joe Sellers, Moss Point, MS Lamar Underwood, Moss Point, MS The obvious candidate missing from the list is current Interim Police Chief Brandon Ashley. Ashley said his decision not to apply simply rested on the fact of a new administration that would soon be ushered into City Hall. "I did not apply at this time because of the upcoming city elections and the uncertainty that brings," Ashley said. "The City of Moss Point could have a new mayor and board and at this time I do not want to place the future of my career in this uncertain circumstance. If I had applied and been selected as the Chief, I would become an at will employee of the Mayor and Board of Alderman and not knowing who maybe the next mayor or board members I could be replaced with the change in the leadership of the city. This scenario is one I choose not to place myself in." Lennep says he is against the current administration selecting a new chief for various reasons, but partly because of a Mississippi law that was changed last year concerning all appointed positions of municipalities in the state. Prior to Senate Bill 2587, when a new term begins, individuals in any existing appointed positions could remain in place indefinitely if a new or returning mayor and board did not take action to reappoint or replace them. The law now requires a new administration to take action to appoint or to reappoint within a certain number of days. Rollovers are no longer allowed, according to state law. If such action is not taken, the city would not be allowed to pay the salaries of those employees holding the positions, under the new law. Because of the revision of the new law, the current process being conducted by the board in selecting a new chief will have to be repeated by the incoming administration in deciding who will be reappointed and who will be replaced. If a new mayor and board is elected, they would have the authority to make changes to all appointed positions if they desired. While the board has conducted five interviews, another interview is scheduled before their Jan. 17 regular board meeting. Afterwards, the board will decide to either narrow down the number of candidates they have interviewed or select from the number of applicants. The City of Moss Point will be on its third police chief since 2014 and its seventh since 2000. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! The Second Lady is looking regal in African Print, artistically designed with beads which teamed up with a yellow scarf and matching head gear. READ ALSO:Presidential lifestyle Mrs. Bawumias makeup with perfectly on point as the world witnesses such historic event ongoing at Independence Square. She opted for some royal earrings and a clutch as she posed for the cameras. READ ALSO: Pulse Style Samira was born to a politician, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, the National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) and Hajia Ayesha Ramadan and she is their only daughter. Despite her fathers political leaning, Samira has risen to become a leading member of the New Patriotic Party. READ ALSO:Celebrity Couple All the signs are that there is going to be a positive change. We should all support Nana so that we all move forward, he told Adom TV. In a separate interview with GHOne Television, the outgoing moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana said the country was terribly managed under the Mahama administration, hoping that Akufo-Addos presidency will bring relief to Ghanaians. Every concerned Ghanaian knows where our country was heading toward. Some of us realised it, we spoke against it, we were insulted but we were never discouraged, Rev. said Martey He said he will criticism the Akufo-Addo administration if they take the path of the Mahama administration. When wise people rule, the citizenry becomes happy and we hope as I have known Nana (Akufo-Addo), he does not make many too mistakes and I hope that the mistakes that were made in the past, he will not repeat them, he will rectify them and build a strong foundation for Ghanas development, he said. Rev. Martey stoked controversy last year after alleging that the out-going Mahama administration sought to bribe him to keep him silent from voicing on national issues. Rev Marty said his only dream is to have a better Ghana for the benefit of all Ghanaians. The protests in Bouake spread to the central towns of Daloa and Daoukro as well as Korhogo in the north, as angry troops took to the streets demanding salary hikes. Witnesses said the soldiers had left the streets by nightfall except for Bouake, where troops continued to sporadically fire rocket launchers and spray rifle bullets into the air. "The soldiers are still in control of Bouake. The town is deserted," an AFP correspondent reported. "There are only soldiers riding in their own vehicles and in government cars." The government held a meeting of the National Crisis Committee to discuss the situation, a source close to the defence ministry said. Several dozen trucks and buses were blocked several kilometres (miles) from Bouake on the main road from Abidjan, Ivory Coast's economic capital. Bouake is the cradle of the armed rebellion that controlled Ivory Coast's north when the country was cut in two between 2002 and 2011. An army officer in Bouake told AFP that former rebel fighters -- now part of the army -- were behind the uprising. "It's a mutiny by former fighters integrated into the army who are demanding bonuses of five million CFA francs ($8,000, 7,600 euros) each plus a house," the officer said earlier Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity. Police disarmed One soldier told AFP the troops were asking for 10 million francs each as well as housing. "If necessary, we will not return to the barracks," he warned. In a statement read out on national television, Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi called on "all soldiers to remain calm and return to their barracks, to enable the search for lasting solutions for every component of Ivory Coast's armed forces." He said the soldiers were demanding payment of bonuses, salary rises and faster promotion. Soldiers broke into Bouake's main weapons depot, arming themselves with rocket-launchers and other weapons mounted on pickup trucks, a military source said. AFP's correspondent in the city said troops there had attacked all seven police posts, manned strategic junctions and put up barricades in the town centre. A police source said the soldiers arrived at one police station at about 3:00 am (0300 GMT) and took away their Kalashnikov assault rifles. The police headquarters in the city was also attacked, the source said. All businesses and schools were closed in Bouake, which became the capital of a rebellion after former president Laurent Gbagbo stayed in power after a foiled 2002 coup attempt. The effective partitioning of the country between a rebel-held north and a loyalist south sparked a decade of clashes and crises. Rebel forces generally backed current President Alassane Ouattara, who took office in April 2011 after a bloody post-electoral showdown which ended when Gbagbo was arrested. Gbagbo was turned over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where his trial began in January last year for crimes against humanity. 'We're scared, hiding out' Several people in Bouake reached by telephone from Abidjan said the shooting began in the early hours of Friday. "I was really scared. I thought that they were going to come into my station to take petrol for free as they do regularly," Koffi Raphael, who runs a gas station not far from the barracks, told AFP. In Daloa, "soldiers on motorbikes are driving around town shooting into the air," one resident had told AFP earlier. "There's gunfire, we're scared, hiding out at home," another had said. In November 2014, a strike by former rebels who had joined the army brought the country to a standstill after spreading to Abidjan from Bouake. His named was proposed by the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) after which he was approved by MPs. The Speaker's oath of office and allegiance was administered to him by the Chief Justice Mrs Georgina Wood. In a short speech after he assumed the role of Speaker, the former Ghana's High Commissioner to India thanked God and the leadership of the NPP for his current position. He said it was a great honour to be made the speaker, saying he sees his current position as a second coming, having served as an MP before. He promised to be fair to every member of the house to air their views. Prof. Oquaye urged the Majority not to use their numbers as the basis to stifle the contribution of the Minority. On private member bills, the new speaker said the narrow view were only the executive is the originator of bills must end. He said the introduction of the private member bills will release the innermost abilities of MPs. In his concluding remarks, he pledged to protect MPs and restore their full privileges. Joseph Osei-Owusu, MP for Bekwai and Alban Bagbin, MP for Nadowli/Kaleo were also sworn-in as first and second deputy speakers respectively. Majority bench Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, emerged as the new Majority Leader having served as Minority leader for two consecutive terms. Adwoa Sarfo, NPP MP for Dome/Kwabenya, will support Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as Deputy Majority Leader. Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, MP for Sunyani East will serve as the Majority Chief Whip. He would be assisted by Alex Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu, as the First Majority Chief Whip and Matthew Nyindam, NPP MP for Kpandai, as the Second Majority Chief Whip. Minority bench Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu emerged as the Minority. He will be assisted in that position by his close rival James Klutse Avedzi. Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka will serve as the Minority Chief Whip having served as the Majority Chief Whip in the sixth parliament. In a press release signed by the President of the U.S chapter, Juliet Ohemeng-Ntiamoah, the association said it was highly impressed with the way and manner Ghanaians conducted themselves during last months polls. It also thanked President John Dramani Mahama for his show of true statesmanship by accepting defeat hours before the results were declared by the electoral commission. The graduate students association of Ghana in USA (GRASAG-USA) extends heartfelt congratulations to Ghanaians for the successful elections held on December 7th 2016 and the subsequent peaceful transfer of power to the new government. This display of political maturity has once again deepened our democracy and ensured that Ghana remains the beacon of democracy in Africa. In view of this, GRASAG-USA would like to commend the outgoing president, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for his statesmanship and dedicated service to Ghana in the past years. The association also congratulates His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his ascension to the highest office of our motherland. We are of a deep conviction that his resolve to help build Ghana, will inspire hope in Ghanaians both home and abroad to work hard towards the common good of the country. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation greater and stronger. GRASAG-USA is an organization that seeks to create a collaborative platform for a vibrant community of Ghanaian Graduate Students in the US Mr Akufo-Addo was sworn-in as president on Saturday, January 7, 2017 by the Chief Justice Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood. The oath of office and allegiance also administered to his vice president Dr Mahamadu Bawumia. Mr Barrow, who won Gambia's election against Yahya Jammeh, in a congratulatory message expressed hope that Akufo-Addo will continue with "the great works" of President John Mahama. He also commended President Mahama for his maturity and statesmanship and thanked him for his efforts in improving relations between Banjul and Accra. Mr Barrow pulled off a stunning victory in Gambia, winning 54.54 percent (263,515 votes) while Jammeh took 36.66 percent (212,099) and third party candidate Mama Kandeh 102,969 votes (17.80 percent). Jammeh conceded defeat and later changed his mind, citing irregularities. He has also petitioned Gambia's court to overturn the results. "I ask you to be citizens. Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character," Bush said on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001. Akufo-Addo told a roaring crowd at the Independence Square that: "The change can and should start now. I urge you to be citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens building our communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done." "Official account of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, Former President of the Republic of Ghana (2013- 2017). Tweets by H.E. are signed JM," the immediate former president's bio on his Twitter handle read. The former president lost the 2016 elections to Nana Akufo-Addo by more than one million votes. In a powerful speech, president Mahama said:"Many people have asked me what my plans are, I have no plans yet. "My immediate intention is to take a well-deserved rest after 3 years of working without a single break. "I guess that going forward I'll be more engaged on sub-regional, continental and global matters." In his speech, the touted his role as the ECOWAS chair in his early days as the president of Ghana. READ MORE: President Mahama touts achievements to ECOWAS leaders "I remember during my tenure we faced many challenges...Ebola. With the hard work that was done my our three colleagues in the three most affected countries, the crisis in Burkina Faso, in Mali, peaceful transition of power in Nigeria, Togo elections ad so many other issues," he said. He also affirmed his belief in ECOWAS, urging for the speedy integration process. This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way. Ouattara's ability to make it to the event was in doubt after soldiers seized control of Ivory Coast's second city Bouake on Friday in a protest over pay, firing rocket launchers in the streets and terrifying residents, as the government called for calm. Witnesses said the soldiers had left the streets by nightfall except for Bouake, where troops continued to sporadically fire rocket launchers and spray rifle bullets into the air, according to the AFP. "The soldiers are still in control of Bouake. The town is deserted," an AFP correspondent reported. "There are only soldiers riding in their own vehicles and in government cars." The Ivorian leader is the Special Guest Speaker for today's event. Several African leaders are currently seated at the Independence Square to observe the event. They include Zambian President Edgar Lungu, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Egyptian strongman Abdul Fattah el-Sisi and Sierra Leones Ernest Bai Koroma. In addition, Chadian President, Idriss Deby, Liberian President, Sirleaf Ellen Johnson and Ethiopian President, Mulatu Teshome also arrived in Ghana Friday for the event. READ MORE: Five incumbent presidents who conceded defeat in Africa Also in Ghana are Kenyan Vice president Raila Odinga and Equatorial Guinea Vice President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The dignitaries were welcomed at the Airport by high profile members of the incoming Akufo-Addo administration such as the National Security Minister-designate, Albert Kan Dapaah, Papa Owusu Ankomah and Hackman Owusu Agyeman. The new Speaker had earlier been sworn into office by the Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood. The New Patriotic Party (NPP), form the majority in parliament with 171 seats and have therefore moved from the new Speakers left-hand side to occupy seats to his right. The National Democratic Congress which has 104 seats have moved to the left side to form the minority. The seventh parliament of the Fourth Republic will run for a four-year term. Professor Mike Oquaye is the new Speaker of Parliament, while Joseph Osei-Owusu, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai constituency, has been elected as the First Deputy Speaker. The NDCs Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin has also been elected the 2nd Deputy Speaker. The Member of Parliament for the Suame constituency, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, is now the Majority Leader in parliament, with Sarah Adjoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya, serving as his Deputy. The Minority Leader is now the NDCs Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, who will be assisted by the Member of Parliament for Ketu North, James Klutse Avedzi. According to him, "We must restore integrity in public life and ensure that state coffers are not exploited." Read more: Nana Addo sworn in as President After taking the presidential oath of office and oath of allegiance, Nana Akufo-Addo said, "I shall protect the public purse by ensuring value for money... We will provide vision and direction and shine the light for our entrepreneurs." "I am determined to do all in my power to accomplish the task of the mandate and justify their confidence. I will not let you, the people of Ghana, down," he said. Nana Akufo-Addo charged all Ghanaians to regard politics as an avenue of service to our fellow human being; our success or failure should be judged by the quality of knowledge of the ordinary man. He has however, wished former President John Mahama well and thanked him for his service to the people of Ghana. "I want to thank sincerely our departing president, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, for his service to our nation. He stepped intonational leadership at a delicate moment in the countrys history. He got into office for the first time of the death of a sitting president, the late professor John Evans Atta Mills. Read also: Mike Oquaye is next Speaker of Parliament "I urge you to be citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens building our communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done," he said. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was sworn in as the fifth president of Ghana under the Fourth Republic on Saturday January 7, 2017. Akufo-Addo was sworn in by Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood after he took the presidential oath and the oath of secrecy before parliament. In his inaugural speech, the president assured that he would guard the public purse for the improvement of the livelihoods of all Ghanaians. According to him, "We must restore integrity in public life and ensure that state coffers are not exploited." "I shall protect the public purse by ensuring value for money... We will provide vision and direction and shine the light for our entrepreneurs." "I am determined to do all in my power to accomplish the task of the mandate and justify their confidence. I will not let you, the people of Ghana, down," he said. Nana Akufo-Addo further wished former President John Mahama well and thanked him for his service to the people of Ghana. "I want to thank sincerely our departing president, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, for his service to our nation. He stepped intonational leadership at a delicate moment in the countrys history. He got into office for the first time of the death of a sitting president, the late professor John Evans Atta Mills. Read also: Mike Oquaye is next Speaker of Parliament He reassured that the important commitments to the nation for that matter are going to be fulfilled. Speaking during his inauguration in Accra on Saturday, January 7 2017, President Nana Addo said, "I am in the new unique position of being able to draw on the wisdom and experience of three former presidents of the Republic; their excellencies Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, and John Dramani Mahama. They represent the continuity of the institutions of our republic for which we thank God. "I am deeply humbled by the exceptional mandate and extraordinary show of confidence that the Ghanaian people have conferred on my party, the New Patriotic Party, and on my modest person. "I am determined to do all in my power to accomplish the task of the mandate and justify their confidence. I will not let you, the people of Ghana, down." "We have a proud heritage, we have the John Mensah Sarbah, Joseph Casley-Hayford George Paa Grant, RF Blay, Joseph Boakye Dankwa, Emmanuel Obestebi Lmptey, Edward Akufo-Addo, William Ofori Atta, Kwabena Kese, Ernest Ako Agyei, Kwame Nkrumah, Kobina Gbedema, Kojo Botsio, SD Dombo, Kofi Abrefa Busia, Baffour Osei Akoto, and others who taught us what the principles of fidelity, courage, patience, resilience, and collective actions do yield." He has however, given the assurance that he would guard the public purse for the improvement of the livelihoods of all Ghanaians. According to him, "We must restore integrity in public life and ensure that state coffers are not exploited." Read more: Nana Addo sworn in as President Nana Akufo-Addo said, "I shall protect the public purse by ensuring value for money... We will provide vision and direction and shine the light for our entrepreneurs." He has also wished former President John Mahama well and thanked him for his service to the people of Ghana. Prof Oquaye said he looks forward to maximizing the opportunities for every member to contribute. I trust the experienced ones will mentor the up-coming. Those who sit in front should please learn to look behind them to allow others to contribute and remember that whereas they cannot normally see from the back of their heads, I have been placed on this platform so that everyone can catch my eye. I intend to be fair to all and therefore seek your understanding in advance. He added that he will work with the leadership of the House to institute means of encouraging new MPs to contribute to discussions on the floor. Prof Mike Oquaye also raised issues about the inability of Members of Parliament to initiate legislation independent of the Executive and called for a change in the practice. The principle was that, the Commons would not give to the King/Queen, monies that the Crown had not asked for. But over the years, the British Parliament has developed means of allowing private members to introduce legislation. Recent studies I have made show that, there are a number of procedures whereby Private Members may initiate bills. Certainly, the Executive cannot sit aside while Parliament alone passes laws which impose obligations which the Executive cannot meet. We shall broaden our horizon in the lawmaking process to benefit our people. READ ALSO: Profile of Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye He further described as worrying the low representation of women in Parliament, adding that there must be ways of finding a solution to that problem. He also asked that the house is given a New Chamber, a good library among other things, to enable it to perform its duties effectively. "A very disturbing aspect of Ghanas Parliamentary democracy is the abysmal low representation of women in Parliament," he said. "There is a compelling need for a comprehensive study of the factors which militate against the effective representation of women in Parliament. An Affirmative Action law could be the only way of using the law as an instrument of social engineering and mischief correction to ensure equality," he added. He said: "Hon. Members, our democratic development is not impressive at all in this regard. The Inter-Parliamentary Union in their latest publication on 1 December 2016 classified nations in a descending order by the percentage of women representation in Parliament. Out of 193 nations Ghana was number 150. Very sad. Rwanda, was first, Bolivia, second, Cuba, third, Iceland, fourth, Nicaragua, fifth, Sweden, sixth. U.K, Germany, Switzerland were all listed. "Algeria, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Lesotho, Morocco, Zambia, Liberia all beat us to it. I have added the Report as an Appendix to my speech to show all Members how deeply I feel about this tragedy. The methodology to ensure equality is available. This Parliament must do it for Ghana. This revelation comes three months after Kim Kardashian was tied up, gagged and robbed at gunpoint in her hotel room while in Paris for the the Fashion Week. ALSO READ: Supermodel strips for dramatic W Magazine December 2016 cover feature Campbell made this known during an interview while appearing as a guest on the Wendy Williams Show on Thursday, January 5, 2017. The top model recounted her experience while visiting her friend, legendary designer, Azzedine Alaia, in 2012. She said that she had been sure something was wrong from the moment she was picked up from the airport. Upon her arrival at Azzedine's home, however, things suddenly went from bad to worse. "[A group] followed me from the airport," she said. "They attacked me. They opened my car door and said, Naomi Campbell, were going to kill you. I didnt make it so public. I didnt want it to be. I think theres a picture of me in a wheelchair at the time." Fortunately, people working at the Alaia store in front of the designer's home rushed out to bring her inside just as the attack occurred but it was still a harrowing experience for her. "In the interim, you decide in a very split moment I dont know if Id ever do this again in hindsight Am I going to let this guy take my bag with all my passports or am I going to fight for it? "My decision was, I am not letting my bag go." "The driver was in on it. Its a whole ring thats been happening for a few years now, she continued. "I very much sympathise with [Kim]. I felt for her right away. I hated hearing these stories that it wasn't true. It was absolutely true, and it happened to me and its happened to a few other people that Im not at liberty to say, but are well known also." ALSO READ: Super model celebrates 45th birthday in a French castle Reports say the closed door meeting was to discuss the allegations against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Lawal Babachir and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu. You will recall that Buhari ordered Malami to investigate the allegations against the two public officers. According to Vanguard, the AGF refused to speak with State House correspondents after his meeting with the President. Babachir Lawal was accused of diverting funds meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The governor made call on Friday when he received the leadership of Methodist Church of Nigeria, at the Government House, Osogbo. Aregbesola said the country has reached a climax where prayers and supplication are indispensable to facilitate quick recovery of the economy. I am a product of prayers. I believe strongly in the efficacy of prayers. That is why our administration has been growing from strength to strength. As we all know, the present economic situation has challenged each and everyone on the need to move closer to God and as well support the country with prayers. We must all pray vehemently to rescue our nation out of the current socio-economic, religious, cultural and political unrest, he said. Besides, the governor said his administration had been working hard in reviving the the economy of the state as well as positioning it as the most viable economy in the country. He said his administration, since inception in 2010, has been threading the path of economic reinvigoration, which according to him, had helped to record unprecedented feats in the last six years. Earlier, the Archbishop of Ilesa Arch-diocese of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Amos Akindeko, eulogised the governor for always placing God first in all his dealings. Some of the disappointed passengers made the complaint to the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, at the airport during the on-the-spot assessment of the facilities on ground at the airport. They lamented that they had been parading the airport since on Tuesday just to board Arik air from Kaduna to Lagos to no avail without any explanation or apology from the airline officials. They described the attitude of the operators of the airline as nonchalant because there was no form of notification. They added that it was until after the passengers approached the minister to complain that one of the official told them to come back on Saturday. The airline was said to have been cancelling its flight without considering the distance they travelled from or the implication of such on their businesses. One of the passengers who gave her name as Mrs Nkenna with her three kids told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that she and her family were supposed to have travelled to Lagos on Tuesday. She said the airline had been cancelling flight without prior notification, adding that it had been the same experience in the last four days. I and my family including our children are being stranded at Kaduna Airport by Arik Airline. I dont know what to do because the airline did not give us any prior notice to the cancellation of the flight; no SMS, no email. We have been coming to the airport everyday since on Tuesday hoping to to board only for an official of the airline to tell us on Friday that we will board on Saturday," she added. Another affected passengers, Mrs Janet Oyedele, expressed her frustration with the airline, saying she was not aware of the cancellation of the flight until she got to the airport. One of the staff working at the airlines counter assured us that the flight was rescheduled for Saturday but was not sure of the possibility of the flight. Arik Air seems to be a disgrace to this country and unfortunately for them, they are not the only carrier flying, why are other airlines not affected? The reason is Arik air has been messing up with passengers and getting away with it over time, she said. Reacting to the four-day cancellation of flight, Arik Air Communications Manager, Mr Ola Adebanji, attributed the cancellation to fuel scarcity and bad weather. ALSO READ: Arik Air passengers assault airline staff over delayed flight According to Adebanji, there is fuel scarcity earlier in the week coupled with bad weather. So, it is not deliberate but if the weather is okay to fly today, they will go. Mr Mohammed Danjuma, Head of Programme, Management and Coordination, of the committee disclosed during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday, in Abuja. Danjuma said that the journey toward the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Northeast and its recovery efforts in 2017 required effective coordination with PCNI piloting the agenda. He explained that the humanitarian crises has been heightened following the liberation of more people from Boko Haram held territories leaving many of them in dire need of humanitarian and psychological assistance. Danjuma said the multiple humanitarian actors on the field, who are operating in silos, had also led to duplication of efforts which was further worsened by the lack of coordination. These, he said, have led to lack of accountability and transparency. He said this was prompted the committee to adopt the Buhari plan, which is optimised to direct and guide the delivery of all North-east intervention initiatives. The Buhari plan is working to achieve a safe and prosperous North east that will be a global model for post-conflict socio-economic recovery and development. The plan also hopes to achieve peace and stability in the region with the provision of equal access to basic services and facilities. We would also ensure the protection of women and girls against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), and target socio-economic development for women and youths to empower them, he said. Danjuam said that in order to achieve the objectives of the plan, the committee has come up with a work plan divided into three components which includes the short term, intermediate and long term. He explained that the short term components, which would focus on immediate comprehensive relief, social stabilization, and early recovery, is aimed at addressing the immediate challenge of over seven million people in need. The programme coordinator said the intermediate component, which would focus on relocation, rehabilitation and resettlement, was aimed at supporting the voluntary resettlement of 2.4 million displaced persons. Danjuma said the long term component would focus on economic and development strategies of the North-east, which is aimed at providing sustainable growth for 21.4 million citizens. He said the committee hoped to achieve the plans in a time frame of five years; the short term component to be achieved within six to 12 months and the intermediate component within six to 24 months. President Buhari had earlier advised the Governors to use the funds to settle the outstanding salaries of civil servants. A source in the presidency revealed that Governor Fayose only paid one month out of the seven months owed workers. The source said The agreement between the Federal Government and the state governors was very clear. While 50 per cent of the amount released was to be used to offset outstanding salary and pension arrears, the remaining 50 per cent would be used for the payment of other obligations. Some governors have however reneged on this agreement. Security reports available to the Presidency showed that Governor Ayodele Fayose paid only one month out of eight-month salary arrears. The same governor went ahead to pay a curious 13-month salary to Ekiti workers. Yet, he got N8.877 billion refund. Instead of accounting for what he used the loan refund for, he has the temerity to attack the Federal Government on hardship in the country. The relevant agencies are monitoring development in Ekiti and some states. According to The Nation, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Toyin Ojodebunked the claim saying, the states share of the money was only N5.3 billion, which he said could barely pay one month out of the arrears of salaries owed the civil servants in the state. According to Daily Post, Fayose criticised the governments decision to divert flights from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the Kaduna International Airport. The Federal Government had earlier announced that it will be carrying out repairs on the Abuja Airport and instructed airlines to use the Kaduna Airport during the period of the repairs. According to Fayose, the Buhari administration always acts before consulting stakeholders on important issues. He also said They act before they think and they take decisions before consulting critical stakeholders. That way, they always end up putting the cart before the horse. That is how they have messed up the economy and now have brought unprecedented grief, misery, poverty and suffering on Nigerians. Fayose said This same Kaduna is where Shiites waylaid a whole Chief of Army Staff; the crisis created is yet to abate as the Shiites continue to defy the authorities to mount public protests. This is the same Kaduna where over a thousand citizens have been slaughtered like rams and the FG has not brought a single of the murderers to book. The situation in southern Kaduna and in other parts remains as tense as ever. This is the same Kaduna-Abuja death-trap of a road where a sitting Minister of the Federal Republic, his wife and son lost their lives in a road mishap. This is the same Kaduna-Abuja road where a Minister and her husband were kidnapped in broad daylight. It is also on this same road that an Army officer was butchered; where herdsmen parade their herds in broad daylight causing avoidable accidents and other inconveniences to travellers. This is the same road where Boko Haram and other criminally-minded hoodlums operate at will. We will lose business to neighbouring countries; a government that is parroting diversification of the economy will lose non-oil revenue. An aviation sector that is in crisis before will have its situation worsened. Expect more jobs to be lost in that sector, further worsening the alarming unemployment problem in the country, he added. The Ekiti Governor also called on the Federal Government to convene an aviation stakeholders meeting. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a service of song was held at the St Pauls Church in Benin as part of the burial arrangement for the late magistrate. The service of songs started at about 4:00p.m and was graced by dignitaries. In attendance were Governor of Edo, Mr Godwin Obaseki and the Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shuaibu, former governor of Edo, Adams Oshiomhole and the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun,. Others are former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Malam Nuhu Ribadu, Dr Babatunde Fowler, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among others. Omoigui passed on at a Lagos hospital following complications from gunshot injuries she received from an armed robbery attack in Benin. The militant group also alleged that the Buhari led administration has not shown any sign that they are ready to dialogue. This is coming after the Movement for the Emancipation and of the Niger Delta (MEND), withdrew its support for Buhari, calling him a crafty man. The NDA called for a ceasefire in 2016, following calls by the Federal Government for militants in the Niger Delta, to dialogue. According to Daily Post, the militant group said The people of our Niger Delta, sane minds in Nigeria and the comity of nations that the remaining 11 months and couples of weeks in 2017 will be filled with surprises and a reconfiguration of the struggle for the liberation of our motherland. Since, the declaration of cessation of hostilities in the region by all fighters and affiliates, it has been evidently clear that the Nigerian state is not ready for any form of dialogue and negotiation with our people to addressing the issues sustaining the unending sufferings and deprivation of the people of the Niger Delta. The world is aware that, after listening to calls from our Royal Fathers, Community Leaders, Stakeholders and members of the comity of nations especially the governments of the United States of America, Great Britain and the European Union, we halted all actions. This prospect for hope for a genuine dialogue and negotiations have been dashed and rejected. The world knows that PANDEF as team of critical stakeholders was mandated to engender a genuine dialogue and negotiations process that will be made of apolitical committed Niger Deltans to engage with the government and people of Nigeria, representatives of the International Oil Corporations and neutral observers. But this government decides to go around to politicising and blackmailing the process to forestall any genuine dialogue and negotiations. The world should be assured that, our next line of actions to redeem Operations Red Economy will be unannounced with surely overwhelming signatures to this government and humanity. The world is aware that the government of Nigeria has ear problems but we never knew that it has taken a detoriating deaf level dimensions. It is only through hard knocks we can speak to the Nigerian government henceforth. We feel your pains from these dashed hopes of a genuine talk once again. All fighters and commands are hereby placed on high readiness in your webs of operations to hit and knock the enemy very hard. That is the way to discuss with a deaf, when he cannot understand your soft massage. We are determined to hit him very hard and deadly that even his eyes will shed blood, his ear will be more deafened and his heart shall quake; when he sees, hear and feel the outcome of our next activities. On this note, we are declaring Operations Walls of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua simultaneously to reclaim our motherland and dislodge all cleavages the Nigerian Ruling oligarchy has foisted on the region that is sustaining the ongoing primitive accumulation by dispossession. Mr Ramsey Mukoro, leader of the 3rd phase of the amnesty programme, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that some former agitators had received two out of four months salary backlog. The Amnesty Office has started paying but my third phase people have yet to get alerts, we are hoping that we in the third phase will benefit as well. It has really been difficult for us and we spend Christmas and New Year on empty stomach, they should try and make it go round, Mukoro said. Mr Piriye Kiyaramo, the Liaison Officer at the Bayelsa Office of the Presidential Amnesty Office, told NAN that the Amnesty office began the payment after the new year holidays. The office commenced payment of the outstanding stipends this week after the new year, precisely on Wednesday. The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brig.- General Paul Boroh is concerned about the welfare of beneficiaries in the programme. A followup from last month's warning that San Francisco's beloved DNA Lounge a legendary space for dance, conversation, pizza, counterculture, tech, and lulz may have to close: the proprietor, JWZ, is now accepting support and sponsorship through Patreon. The umbrella of DNA is host to countless vibrant communities and thousands of regulars. We've had many years of the most diverse, weird, interesting calendar of any venue. A typical month here doesn't include just bands and DJs, but comedy, lecture series, circuses, robotic exhibitions, dance performances, hair shows We always strive to provide a home for a whole lot of truly amazing art. DNA Lounge has always been a political project: an attempt to move the needle of culture in this city. To provide a forum for a wide variety of art that makes this city a better place. DNA Lounge is putatively a business, but it is also activism. A political, cultural and artistic project like this does not come cheap. While we consider DNA Lounge to be monumentally successful in all the ways that truly matter, monetarily, the club has always operated at a significant loss. In the opinion piece which was obtained from Vanguard, the pastor accused Buhari of fighting corruption with double standards. Read the complete article below: Leadership matters in the development of nations. Today, Aliko Dangote is worth less than half of what he was worth under former President Jonathan. He was worth $25 billion in 2014 and is now worth $12.4 billion today! Listen to the words spoken by Aliko Dangote about President Jonathan on Friday the 6th of September, 2013 in Nairobi while speaking to the political and business elite of Kenya-As you all know, without good policies of government, there is no way a person like me from a big town like Kano can rise from a humble beginning to become the 25th richest person on earth. Without the policies of president Jonathan and also making sure that there is consistency in the policies of the government, this could not have happened. I wonder what Africas richest man would say about President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors. Hardly (or never) has a country deteriorated so speedily as Nigeria has under the stewardship (if you can call it that) of President Muhammadu Buhari. In just eighteen months, President Buhari has become the poster boy for the adage that it takes time to build but little or no time to destroy. And it is not just on the economic side that things have unraveled. Social justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms are all being rolled back under this administration. Name your dog Buhari in todays Nigeria and you will be diligently prosecuted but commit genocide in Southern Kaduna and you wont even be charged! Openly behead a female evangelist and your case may be dismissed even if you are charged, but criticize a governor, who himself criticizes wildly, and be speedily charged to court. Accuse PDP politicians and security forces will arrest them before investigation. Produce proof of the Secretary to the Government of the Federations alleged corruption and the same forces are suddenly paralyzed. Welcome to President Buharis new and improved Nigeria. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria practices a dual legal system where All Progressive Congress politicians are innocent until proven guilty while Peoples Democratic Party politicians are guilty until proven innocent. If you doubt me, then ask Rotimi Amaechi and Babachir Lawal who are attending Federal Executive Council to decide the faith of Nigeria meetings while Femi Fani-Kayode and Olisa Metuh are in and out of court. Alas! Corruption cannot kill corruption. When you fight corruption with double standards, it is not corruption you kill, but your integrity. And while the Southern Kaduna killings rages and goes seemingly unnoticed by our President, I was shocked to read that the Presidency had issued a statement condemning the recent death in police custody of Tochukwu Nnadi in South Africa. Not that I am happy that Tochukwu was killed. Far from it. I am sad. Very sad. But why condemn one death in South Africa and remain silent to Genocide in Southern Kaduna? And then it finally hit me! If you are a Nigerian and you want the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to condemn your killing, you better make sure your killers kill you in Southern Africa and not in Southern Kaduna! Still on Kaduna, I am particularly pained because I saw it coming. My grouse is with the Christian Association of Nigeria which refused to heed the warnings of many of us who saw the direction the nation was and is still heading and gave strong warnings. I publicly warned the Body of Christ immediately after the killings of hundreds of Shiites (according to the official Kaduna White Paper on the killings which declared that over 300 Shiites were killed) that if we did not speak up for Shiites, our turn would come too. With what is happening now in Southern Kaduna, did I lie? You should not wait until injustice touches you before you speak up for justice! That is a lesson the world learnt from Germany when the SS kept on coming for one group or the other until there was no one left to talk again. And the double standards continue to manifest themselves everywhere. For instance, it did not take the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the DSS this long to investigate and arrest PDP politicians. Why the foot dragging with Babachir, the Baba of IDP funds? Why is he allowed to continue in office during his investigation yet the same Presidency wanted accused judges to step down during theirs? Is there one rule for Babachir and another rule for the perceived enemies of President Muhammadu Buhari? One would think that a man accused of stealing from IDPs would be expeditiously investigated and tried. Or is it a case of when I see the broom I will pass over? When Stella Oduah and Barth Nnaji were accused of corruption (and a mere conflict of interest in the case of Nnaji) then President Goodluck Jonathan asked them to resign within weeks. Today, our so called anti corruption President, Muhammadu Buhari, is waiting for further investigations before moving against the famous grass cutter, Babachir Lawal. With the likes of Rotimi Amaechi, who spent half a million hosting Wole Soyinka, I guess 270 million to allegedly clear grass for IDPs is no big deal to President Muhammadu Buhari! And the same government that arrested several newspaper publishers and proprietors and also forced them to refund monies that they received for public relations and media agency is now doing something similar in a case of do as I say dont do as I do. The Buhari administration budgeted 180 million to facilitate appearances with social media influencers. This from a so called anti corruption regime! After facilitating the Social Media influencers with these tax payer millions, the same administration sends the EFCC to arrest its political opponents for facilitating their own media associates! Apparently, this administration wants a monopoly on facilitation and jealously guards the monopoly using law enforcement agents paid with our tax Naira. Even conservative global media houses now feel compelled to write about the double standards that exist in Nigeria under President Buhari because they are so glaring to the point of being blatant. Writing in December 2016 for instance, Bloomberg had this to say about Buharis Nigeria: Out of 17 top positions in the army, navy, air force and other security agencies, (only) three are from the south. This is coming from a foreign news media! Look at the excuse the President gave for not attending the South-East Economic and Security Summit in Enugu. In an official statement, the Presidency said stakeholders from the South East came and advised him (the President) to not go in view of the closeness of the date to Christmas; that given the sensitivity of the period to the people, a presidential visit may come with over exertion and possibly, be disruptive of Christmas. Even if you must lie, must the lie be so unintelligent? The President did not attend and did not send a representative because of the closeness of the date to Christmas, yet he still approved the military and paramilitary Operation Python Dance which made 2016 the worst year for South easterners since the civil war ended 47 years ago! And yet when the same President was compelled by bad weather to cancel his state visit to Bauchi state on December 29, 2016, he felt moved enough to tape a video message in Hausa explaining to the people of Bauchi why he was unable to come and apologizing to them profusely. You may recall that President Buhari got something like 97% of the votes of Bauchi state but only got less than 5% of the votes of the Southeastern states. Those who thought the President was joking in July 23, 2015 when he said the constituents, for example, gave me 97% cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5% now know that our President was speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Fellow Nigerians, brace up. Double standards are now official state policy! And something else In two weeks, my friend, Philip Adekunle will be 50. Philip Adekunle is quite the unusual person. He has achieved much that should make a man proud and perhaps some men with such achievements would even want some form of adulation. Not Philip. He carries himself with modesty but certainty. Modesty about his achievements and certainty that he can do even more. He was my first Arianna Huffington and Nigeria Village Square was my first Huffington Post. There are very few Nigerians who would not pick up Philips phone calls and fewer still who would not fail to call back if for some reason they could not pick up when he called. The police authorities dismissed one Inspector and five sergeants for allegedly misusing their weapons during the December 10, 2016 elections in the state. The Rivers state government however debunked claims that the men misused their weapons, saying they stopped an attempt to assassinate Governor Wike. Also, a Rivers APC chieftain, Godstime Orlukwu also slammed the Rivers government for alleging that the APC is behind the sack of the policemen. Orlukwu said What the PDP and the Rivers state Government are saying is complete balderdash. The APC does not run the Nigeria Police. The Nigeria Police Force is an autonomous institution which derives its powers from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If the police finds some of its officers culpable, they are bound to their decision strictly based on their Laws. The All Progressives Congress is a party rooted in Progressive politics and decency. There is no reason whatsoever for us to meddle into the activities of the police. Governor Nyesom Wike also described the dismissal of six police officers attached to him as an act of brazen "dictatorship from the APC government". The posters were seen pasted in strategic locations in Auchi and other major communities in Etsako East, Central and West Local Government Areas. The colourful posters have also been extended to Benin City, specifically in front of Denis Osadebe Government House as well as the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the posters suggest that the trained medical doctor, son of the former governor, have joined the race for the vacant seat of Etsako Federal Constituency. NAN reports that the posters have inscription such as Enough is Enough, it is time for the New Generation. The seat for the Etsako Federal Constituency was declared vacant after the occupant, Mr Philip Shaibu was elected deputy to Governor Godwin Obaseki. ALSO READ: EFCC probes Oshiomhole over alleged inflation of contracts The comment was made on Thursday, January 5, by Ekiti PDP Chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase. Fayose is not just the Governor of Ekiti State, but the opposition voice in Nigeria. He speaks for all the oppressed Nigerians in the South-West, South-East, South-South, North-Central and even in the far North, Oguntuase said according to Punch. Removing Governor Fayose from power is like removing the whole Ekiti, who voted for him in all the 16 local government areas of this state. Any war waged against our governor will be resisted by the people from all these zones. Governor Fayose has been the most consistent critic of President Buharis government, particularly against the poorly-managed economy, leading to this recession. So, all Nigerians will rise against this evil plot. If you look at the results of the 2014 governorship poll, you would think it was a tsunami because he won in all the 16 local governments. If truly democracy still remains the government of the people, then any attempt to remove Governor Fayose will be tantamount to the usurpation of the peoples power, he added. ALSO READ: ' YNaija News, in a report published on Saturday, January 7, 2017, disclosed that the clergyman has been succeeded by Pastor J.O. Obayemi, formerly a deputy in charge of the church's finance and a governing council member. No official statement has been released by the RCCG in respect to this development. The news of his exit is coming close to a year after the church slammed those calling for the retirement of Adeboye who is now 74 years old. One of the leaders of the RCCG, Pastor Adesola came in his defense, describing those asking for him to retire as ignorant. Daddy G.O, as he is often called, is regarded as one of the most revered church leaders in Nigeria, and indeed all over the world. His ministry has spread throughout the nooks and crannies of the globe, making it one of the most popular Christian organisation worldwide. Though considered easy going and a virtuous leader, the soft spoken Adeboye has never been able to shield himself from controversies. The ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), recently criticised him for praising Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose. ALSO READ: RCCG pastor gives hope to the oppressed in 2017 prophesies He also received some bashing for advising young men not to marry any woman who does not display any culinary ability and a potential to pray for at least one hour. Pastor Enoch Adeboye was appointed as the head of the RCCG in the year 1981, following the passing of Papa Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi. British rights group Survival International said this week it had convinced the OECD to investigate its claim that WWF had partially funded and provided logistical support to anti-poaching government "ecoguards" who have allegedly been systematically abusing the hunter-gatherer Baka people and other rainforest tribes for decades. "Baka have been forced from large areas of their ancestral land and face violence from WWF-funded anti-poaching squads if they hunt, forage or visit sacred sites," Survival said in a statement. The NGO, which campaigns for tribal people's rights, alleged that the Baka had for more than 20 years faced abuse including "arrest and beatings, torture and even death" at the hands of the eco guards. It submitted a formal complaint last February to the OECD's national office in Switzerland, where WWF is headquartered. The OECD's Swiss branch agreed last month to look into the matter, according to a report on its website, which stressed that it would serve as a mediator between the two organisations and that its future conclusions "should not be construed as a judgment." Unprecedented This is the first time a non-profit organisation will be scrutinised under the OECD's guidelines, which are usually used to determine if commercial multinational entities are acting responsibly. WWF meanwhile said in a statement Friday that it "takes any and all allegations of human rights violations extremely seriously." It said it "has worked strenuously to obtain improved recognition and rights for the Baka community" and conceded "there is clearly more work to be done to improve conditions of the Baka people." But it said it had always been open to dialogue on how to improve the situation and had been working to facilitate the employment of Baka ecoguards, and had been providing human rights training to ecoguards among other things. "We therefore find it regrettable that Survival International has not accepted our offer to work together on the ground to address the complex social and political context facing the Baka in Cameroon," it said. WWF vowed to cooperate with the OECD efforts, but said it disagreed with "turning the OECD guidelines, designed for commercial enterprises, into a mechanism for resolving issues between two non-profit organisations." Survival chief Stephen Corry meanwhile alleged that WWF had "done nothing effective to address the concerns of the thousands of tribal people dispossessed and mistreated through its projects." The new constitution, which will replace the basic law drawn up in the wake of Turkey's 1980 military coup, seeks to set up for the first time a formal presidential system for ruling the country. Critics have claimed that the move is part of a power grab by Erdogan for one man rule in the wake of the July 15 failed putsch bid. But Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) say the system would bring Turkey into line with countries such as France and the United States and is needed for efficient government. The debates on the 18-article new constitution will begin in parliament on Monday after the draft was agreed by a parliamentary commission ahead of the New Year, the official Anadolu news agency said. The two readings are expected to last a total of 13-15 days, it added. The AKP needs more than 330 votes -- a three fifths majority -- for the bill to then be submitted to a referendum for public approval. However November 2015 polls left the AKP short of a super majority in parliament and is relying on support of the opposition right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the fourth largest party. Under the new constitution, the president would not have to sever links with a political party, as is the case now even though Erdogan co-founded the AKP. It is also expected to lead to the creation of posts of vice presidents and the abolition of the office of prime minister. The number of MPs would be increased to 600 from 550 and the age of eligibility to become a lawmaker reduced to 18 from 25. The draft law says the president would be elected for a five-year term and serve for a maximum of two mandates. Fivethirtyeight's analysis of a Surveymonkey data-set shows that Hillary Clinton would have won the 2016 election if registered Democrats had turned out and voted in larger numbers in other words, Hillary's failure to convince registered Democrats to vote, rather than abstain, lost her the election. This echoes the message from the Democratic Party's left wing, represented by Sanders supporters, who argued that Hillary Clinton represented a finance-friendly, militarized, neoliberal continuation of the Obama administration, which failed to jail a single banker responsible for the 2008 crisis (preferring to lavish billions on the sector and largely allow it to continue its reckless and greedy speculation); deported more people than any other administration in history; engaged in a secret, unilateral assassination program in countries where the US was not at war; massively increased domestic surveillance; and charged more whistleblowers with espionage than all other administrations in US history combined. The poll data suggests that the Sanders critique of Hillary as distasteful to the party base was correct: "Trump was able to win, in large part, because voters who disliked both candidates favored him in big numbers, according to the exit polls. Clinton, apparently, couldn't get those who disliked both candidates and who may have been more favorably disposed to her candidacy to turn out and vote." The abstainers were most likely to be nonwhite and/or Hispanic; another major predictor of abstention was being young the young voters who registered as voters were not willing to vote for Hillary. Note that these are registered voters: in other words, this is not about voter suppression in GOP-controlled states. If these registered voters whose registration was not suppressed by GOP tactics had come to the polls, Hillary would have won. Separately, it is likely that a repeal of GOP voter suppression could have registered enough new Democratic voters to make up for the mass abstentions. But it is not fair to characterize this as a voter-suppression problem again, even taking voter suppression into account, motivating these voters to go to the polls would have won Hillary the election. More harmful for Clinton was which young voters stayed home: minorities. Among white voters, voters 18-29 years old made up 30 percent of voters who did not participate in the November election. Among young Hispanic voters, that climbs to 43 percent. Among young black voters, it was an even higher 46 percent. That generally matches the findings of the voter data released in some Southern states showing that young black voters were especially likely to stay home in this election. Younger black voters were far more likely to support Bernie Sanders in the primary, suggesting that there simply was not the enthusiasm for Clinton's candidacy as there was for Obama's in 2012. Clinton's favorable rating, for instance, was about 10 percentage points lower among the youngest black voters compared to the oldest black voters in the SurveyMonkey poll. Perhaps most important is the group that voted in much larger numbers than in 2012: white voters without a college degree. (Trump won this bloc 63 percent to 32 percent.) Generally speaking, college graduates are more likely to vote than non-college graduates, even when controlling for race. According to the Current Population Survey, whites without a college degree made up 44 percent of voters who cast a ballot in 2012, and 58 percent of registered voters who didn't vote. Registered Voters Who Stayed Home Probably Cost Clinton The Election [Harry Enten/Fivethirtyeight] (via Naked Capitalism) A vacant downtown Silvis store that once housed Cashway Lumber, and later Pro Build Contractor Supply, now will become an R.P. Lumber store. John Corelis, of NAI Ruhl Commercial Co., who brokered the deal, said the building has been sold to Old Capital Retail, a subsidiary of the Edwardsville, Illinois-based R.P. Lumber. Founded by Robert Plummer in 1977 in Staunton, Illinois, the full service building materials supplier has 65 stores across the state and in Missouri. "They're a lumber company that specializes in contractors, but they'll have a large showroom for do-it-yourselfers," Corelis added. He said the building sold for $710,000. It was listed for $875,000. It was owned by Laird Norton Real Estate Inc., of Seattle, Washington. R.P. Lumber trucks are already on site, presumably making renovations. The site included a 37,000-square-foot-retail building and seven acres with numerous outbuildings. Corelis said the building was vacated a few years back when the Silvis Pro Build consolidated with its Davenport sister store. "I'm excited because I think it will be good for the city of Silvis," said Corelis, Ruhl Commercial's senior vice president. "Anchor Lumber is next door and it attracts people that are looking for lumber products to that area." For Corelis, this marked a second chance to sell the downtown site. In the 1970s, he listed the property a former ice house that once sold blocks of ice cut from the frozen Mississippi River. But shortly after the listing, fire ravaged the 1800s-circa building. "It was sold to Cashway Lumber after the building burned down, and they were there a long time," he recalled. Midland Communications adopts new name Midland Communications, Davenport, has announced a new name that it says better reflects the company it is today. Now known as Midland Technologies, the 70-year-old company has grown to develop a very diverse suite of technology products and services. Company president Jason Smith said the name change was driven by the fact that customers thought of Midland solely as a unified communications equipment provider. For the past decade, Midland has been providing managed IT services, security, surveillance, audio visual and unified communications solutions to the business community. "We expect this to deepen our relationship with current customers and to create a better customers experience for everyone we connect with in the future as well," he said. Launched in 1946 as the worldwide marketing arm of Victor-Animagraph Projectors, Midland has been a distributor of NEC America since 1977. It boasts a customer base of more than 3,000 companies, government agencies, universities and colleges, hospitals and hotels. For more information, call Midland Technologies at 563-326-1237 or visit www.midland.com. Slumberland aids Bethany clients Thanks to the generosity of Slumberland Furniture Stores in Davenport and Moline, more than three dozen Quad-Citians began the new year with new mattresses. The two Slumberland stores donated 37 new twin-size mattress sets last month to Bethany for Children & Families, which identified people in need of new beds. Bethany President and CEO Bill Steinhauser said the donation ensures that 37 people "will no longer have to sleep on the floor during these frigid winter nights." The donation was made through Slumberland's annual Making Homes for the Holidays, a program created in 1993. Since its inception, the program has donated 2,000 mattress sets. Founded in 1967 in Richfield, Minn., Slumberland has expanded to more than 125 stores in 12 states throughout the Midwest. Family Resources is hosting events to raise awareness for the eradication of human trafficking in Iowa and Illinois through the Braking Traffik program. For more information on Human Trafficking Awareness Month, visit http://famres.org/calendar. The public is invited to the following events: Noon Monday, the Davenport Police Department, 416 N. Harrison St., hosts a Lunch-and-Learn event. Wednesday, Jan. 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a meet-and-greet luncheon at the Family Resources campus in building C, second floor. Thursday, Jan. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon, Braking Traffik will display an awareness table at the Rock Island County Courthouse, 1504 3rd Ave. Rock Island. Thursday, Jan. 26 at noon, the Rock Island Police Department, 1212 5th Ave., will host a Lunch-and-Learn event. BELLEVUE, Iowa Police here are asking the publics help in the death investigation of a Bellevue man on or about Christmas Day. Bellevue police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation say that on or about Dec. 25, someone forced their way into the home of James M. Remakel, 59, at 606 S. Riverview St., according to a news release issued by the Bellevue Police Department. Some kind of altercation ensued and Remakel died as a result, police said. The cause of death is from multiple sharp edged wounds and the State Medical Examiners Office has ruled the death a homicide. The Jackson County Crime Stopper is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Remakels death. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain completely anonymous. The Jackson County Crime Stoppers hotline is 563-652-2212. Anyone with a tip also can call the Bellevue Police Department at 563-872-4545. Thomas Geyer A Davenport man who pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a crystal methamphetamine investigation earlier this year is headed to prison after a judge revoked his previously imposed probation. Gage A. Wenthe, 26, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and five years in prison for possession with intent to deliver marijuana. His probation also was revoked in a separate case and he was sentenced to up to two years in prison for third-degree criminal mischief and up to six months in jail for possession of marijuana-first offense. District Court Judge Mark Smith ruled ordered the sentences to run at the same time, for a total of 10 years. Scott County Sheriffs deputies searched a home in the 400 block of West 7th Street just before 9 a.m. April 6 as part of an investigation into the narcotics activities of Wenthe, specifically the sale of crystal methamphetamine out of the home. Deputies seized the drug, also known as "ice," marijuana, suspected marijuana wax, an unknown white powder, drug paraphernalia, a digital scale, packaging materials and two rifles, according to investigators. Wenthe, when questioned by deputies, admitted to being a middle man for the sale of methamphetamine and marijuana to several people in the area, according to investigators. The home belongs to 3rd Ward Alderman Bill Boom, who was representing the City Council at the broadband conference in Austin, Texas, at the time of the search. Wenthe had lived with him for six years, Boom told the Quad-City Times in April. Boom has not been charged in the case and has said he had no knowledge of the drugs in his house. At the time of his arrest, Wenthe was on probation for the marijuana and criminal mischief charges. In August, Wenthe was given a deferred sentence, three years of probation and accepted into the new Scott County Mental Health Court program. The mental health court provides wraparound services, rather than jail or prison time, for nonviolent offenders who struggle with mental illness. Wenthe had to maintain his medication regiment, stay away from illegal substances, appear in court weekly and complete a residential program at the Salvation Army, among other requirements of his probation and mental health court. Assistant Scott County Attorney Steven Berger, a member of the mental health court team, filed a petition to revoke Wenthes probation on Dec. 29. The petition did not list the alleged probation violation. However, a motion to modify the terms of Wenthes probation that was filed by Berger on Dec. 19 alleged that he did not sleep at Unity House of Davenport, a transitional facility he was ordered to stay at, for two nights. Smith, who oversees mental health court, said during a short hearing Friday that the team has imposed at least three sanctions against Wenthe for violating the terms of the program. One sanction, according to court documents, was a seven-day jail sentence for contempt of court. A bench warrant was issued Dec. 23 for Wenthe. He has remained in the Scott County Jail since then on a $15,000 cash-only bond. On Friday, Wenthe stipulated to the violations alleged in the petition to revoke his bond and waived his right to a formal hearing. Smith told Wenthe that the mental health court team had a lot of hope for you and that he could have turned his life around if he had successfully completed the program. Its unfortunate, he said. Those were your choices. We can only offer you help, we cant make you comply and those choices have consequences, so one of the things youre going to learn in life is the consequences of your actions, and those consequences in this case are pretty severe. CEDAR RAPIDS With Republicans in control of the Iowa House, Senate and governors office, Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg doesnt want to even mention which social conservative agenda items worry him most. I dont really want to tell you all of the things we are concerned about because I dont want to put an idea in (Republicans) minds, Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, said. "I dont want to plant the seeds." Social conservatives hope 2017 is the year the seeds they have been planting blossom into laws to strengthen and defend families, protect life, strengthen marriage, expand educational choice and defend the poor. But only if pro-family Iowans are engaged in speaking our values to our government, according to a recent Family Leader newsletter. House Minority Leader Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, is calling on defenders of the status quo to speak up, too. We will exercise every option available to us to show our opposition, Smith said. Well have to rely on the people to voice their opinions. Some likely hot button issues of the 2017 session are: Abortion We are a prolife caucus, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said. Thats who we are. So we will continue to do bills that advance the protection of life. That likely will include restrictions on abortion, perhaps banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy or if the fetus weighs at least 350 grams, and amending the state Constitution to specify there is no fundamental right to abortion. Upmeyer wasnt aware of any plans for an attempt to ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception. Ohio lawmakers approved that legislation, but it was vetoed. Planned Parenthood Another Republican goal in recent years has been to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood. Upmeyer said the caucus prefers state dollars go to womens health care providers that do not also provide abortions. There are plenty of clinics other than Planned Parenthood that offer breast cancer screening and reproductive health exams that are covered by tax dollars for Medicaid patients, according to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock. Better options for more women and their health care, he said. Voter Photo ID This could be one of the first bills to land on Gov. Terry Branstads desk. Despite Democratic arguments that requiring voters to show a photo ID is a barrier to voting, Dix cites a 2013 Iowa Poll that found 71 percent of Iowans favored requiring voter photo IDs. Voter photo ID is among the recommendations Secretary of State Paul Pate made to the Legislature. He estimated the cost to provide IDs to Iowans without state-issued IDs would be $500,000. The argument he and GOP lawmakers make is that voters want confidence that only eligible voters are participating in elections. Voting should be easy, cheating should be hard, they say. Its inconsistent for Republicans to relax restrictions on gun ownership under the guise of expanding Iowans constitutional rights but make it harder to vote another constitutional right, Smith said. Pate also proposed signature verification in addition to a photo ID, recommended using electronic poll books at every precinct and requiring an ID number for absentee ballot voting. Traffic cameras Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, has tried but failed to ban traffic enforcement devices speed cameras and red-light cameras. But Im in the majority, and that changes everything, said Zaun, who will be the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. He said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Chip Baltimore, R-Boone, has agreed to run the bill, and I have assurances from Gov. Branstad he will sign it. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that in 2014 red-light running caused 171,000 traffic crashes nationwide, which led to approximately 126,000 injuries and 709 deaths. Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, calls Zauns plan for the state to pre-empt local governments that want to use automated traffic devices for public safety a role reversal because its usually Republicans complaining about the Legislature imposing a one-size-fits-all regulation on local governments. Zaun counters that hes trying to stop to the abuse thats taking place throughout Iowa. He thinks local governments interest in the cameras is more about raising revenue for cities than safety. The last time it came up in the House, Upmeyer said, My recollection was that most of the caucus just wanted to do away with them. Gun rights Attempts to expand Iowans gun rights are a sure thing in the GOP-controlled Senate. Sioux City Republican Sen. Rich Bertrand has been emailing Iowans to tell them that with their help, there is an absolutely incredible opportunity to make both constitutional carry and stand-your-ground a reality in Iowa. In an email distributed by Iowa Gun Owners, Bertrand described stand-you-ground as simply stating in law that Iowa gun owners can defend themselves against attackers without fear of legal backlash. Constitutional carry would restore the right of Iowa citizens to carry a firearm for protection "without going through a bunch of bureaucratic rigmarole or paying expensive fees, Bertrand said. Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, said a state version of the federal Second Amendment is a priority for the GOP majority. In the past, opponents of these measures could rely on liberal Democrats to block their passage in the Senate. This year, Jeremy Brigham, executive director of Iowans for Gun Safety, said they will need to talk to Republicans. Theyre in charge, so we need to let them know what the facts are. Better laws lead to less gun violence, Brigham said. Weakening law will likely lead to more gun violence. Although expanded gun rights is seen as a GOP issue, Brigham isnt sure all Republican share Bertrands zeal. He points out some Republicans who defeated Democratic incumbents generally won by small margins. They need to watch their backs, he said. Some GOP lawmakers who supported expanding gun rights out of party loyalty in the past may be less willing this year if they think theres a real possibility of those bills becoming law. Brigham emphasized that his group is pushing a gun safety agenda rather than an anti-gun agenda. Iowans for Gun Safety want to require Iowans to have hands-on training before getting a gun permit rather than taking online gun training. It also wants to require the safe storage of guns in homes, including the use of gun safes so weapons are not readily available to children or burglars. The Davenport Police Family Support Group will hold its third annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at Keppy Hall at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport. Officers representing Davenport, Bettendorf, Scott County Sheriffs Department, Iowa State Patrol and Illinois State Police, among other agencies, will be on hand. There will be refreshments, as well as games for the children, such as coloring pages, an obstacle course, blue ribbon making, and blue light giveaways. There also will be a photo area and a chance to dress in police gear. Davenport Police administrative assistant Sandra Sievert said it is an opportunity for people considering a career in law enforcement to chat with officers in a casual setting about their jobs. Thomas Geyer Watching Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a gruff, 50-year veteran of the spy world, answer congressional questions Thursday, you couldn't help wondering if perhaps this time Donald Trump has met his match. To recall a quip made years ago by a prominent Washington lawyer, Clapper is not a "potted plant." He has served Republicans and Democrats alike with the same grumpy dislike of political criticism. The showdown between Clapper and Trump over allegations of Russian hacking will shape public perceptions of the next president in the two weeks before his inauguration. We'll learn more about what Russian hackers did during the 2016 campaign. We'll also learn more about Trump and whether he will bring his Russophilia into the White House. After this week's briefings of Trump and President Obama, the real circus will come next week, when members of Congress receive their own classified reports. Democrats would be wise if they kept their mouths shut and let GOP Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham do the talking. Trump's post-election line on Russian hacking has been to blame U.S. intelligence agencies and the news media. Bashing the "elitist" media has been a standard GOP tactic since Richard Nixon's day. But Trump at times has actually seemed to be siding with Russia and other anti-American critics and against U.S. intelligence agencies. The standard response of a president-elect to any allegation of foreign meddling in the U.S. election, you'd think, would be to call for an investigation. Instead, Trump called the allegations of Russian hacking "ridiculous," claimed it was the Democratic National Committee's own fault if its cybersecurity was poor, needled the CIA for its Iraq WMD mistakes, and otherwise sought to belittle the intelligence agencies. Weirdest of all was Trump's embrace this week of Julian Assange, the head of WikiLeaks and a person many U.S. officials, Republican and Democrat, see as having damaged U.S. national security by leaking classified documents about nearly every area of foreign policy. When Assange sought to pooh-pooh Moscow's role with a careful denial that his source hadn't been "the Russian government" or a "state party," he got three "Pinocchios" from The Washington Post's Fact Checker. But Trump treated him like a new friend. He approvingly tweeted Assange's claim that U.S. media coverage was "very dishonest" and added: "More dishonest than anyone knows." Then, in one of those "who, me?" reversals that are a Trump specialty, he tweeted Thursday: "The dishonest media likes saying that I am in Agreement with Julian Assange -- wrong. I simply state what he states, ... The media lies to make it look like I am against 'Intelligence' when in fact I am a big fan!" We'll soon see how supportive of U.S. intelligence Trump really is. But in recent months, his approach to the hacking story has been worryingly similar to Russia's own response: It's all lies, circulated by a dishonest media. Nobody can believe anything. This sort of information fog is precisely what Moscow seeks to spawn in its own propaganda campaigns. The Russian goal is "to corrode democratic norms and institutions by discrediting the electoral process and to tarnish the reputations of democratic governments in order to establish a kind of moral equivalence between Russia and the West," wrote Thorsten Benner and Mirko Hohmann last month in Foreign Affairs. Anyone who thinks that the Russian hacking charges are simply an attempt to belittle or discredit Trump should study Russia's current covert-action campaign in Europe. Benner and Hohmann quote Bruno Kahl, the chief of Germany's intelligence service, who told a newspaper there that "cyberattacks are taking place that have no purpose other than to elicit uncertainty." The head of French information security similarly warned last month that Western countries face "the development of a digital threat for political ends and for destabilization." This Russian political assault has been hiding in plain sight. Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist, wrote last July when news surfaced that the DNC had been hacked that Hillary Clinton was seen by Moscow "as a tough and uncompromising adversary," that the U.S. elections were "the most sensitive" problem facing the Kremlin, and that only President Vladimir Putin could decide what to do. And what did Trump say back then about Russian hackers? "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing" from Clinton's private server. He egged on a foreign intelligence service to help his campaign, then claimed they didn't do it, then blamed U.S. intelligence for faulty reporting. And the question is: Why? Joseph Talbot, a bank executive, was arrested by New York State Police on Dec 29 for DUI, and, as its custom, the Times of Wayne County published his name and mugshot something it's done for every local arrest for 28 years. During his arrest, Talbot reportedly expressed his displeasure at the knowledge that he, too, would be featured in the Times, and took (unsuccessful) steps to prevent that. Having failed to keep his mugshot out of the paper, he is alleged to have visited many local newsagent the next day, buying up hundreds of copies of the day's edition, apparently in a bid to prevent anyone from seeing the report of his arrest. However, more than 80% of the papers printed are distributed to subscribers' doors and anyone can just visit the paper's website, should they have trouble sourcing a print edition at a newsstand (as the Washington Post dryly notes, "this being about 20 years after the rise of newspaper websites, there was another means of circulation as well"). Jill Humphries was working at Joey's Northside Grocery in Newark on Saturday. "The gentleman came in and he picked up all of the Times papers that we have," recalls Humphries. The fellow grabbed all the paper on the rack in front of the store and asked: 'Is this all you have?' and I said, 'No, we have more.' Then he asked, 'Well, when you run out, do they come and bring more or once you're out your'e out?' " Upon learning that the paper doesn't normally get another shipment, the man asked for the whole shebang all the ones in the rack plus 100 waiting in the wings. "He said, 'Okay, I'll take them.' " As this transaction was going down, another customer in the store sensed that there was a run on the copies of the Times of Wayne County. "She said, 'Save me one,' and he didn't." Story goes viral after man scoops up hundreds of newspapers in attempt to hide DWI arrest [Patti Holdraker/Times of Wayne County] Man buys stacks of local newspapers following DWI arrest [Erik Wemple/Washington Post] (via Marginal Revolution) In the Jan. 1 Quad-City Times, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer writes, The Security Council just declared the territories legally Palestinian without the Palestinians having to concede anything, let alone peace. Hes exactly right of course, although elsewhere he argues otherwise. Thats the way a civilized society operates. When you take something that doesnt belong to you, you cant demand a ransom or expect anything in return for giving it back. That would be extortion, a crime. When asked, youre just supposed to give it back. In most cases, you should even expect to receive some sort of punishment. In this case, the Security Council was lenient with Israel and didnt require it. I hope they've learned something and don't try to take even more land for even more settlements. Marlyn Schepers Muscatine Living with Tourette's syndrome, Nicholas Nick Anderson learned at a young age that his uncontrollable body movements and verbal sounds do not determine who he is. Someone told me that, Tourettes isnt who you are youre Nick Anderson you just have Tourettes, so I dont let it define who I am, said the 31-year-old Rapid City resident. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a condition of the nervous system that causes a person to have tics. There are two types of tics, which include sound and motor tics. Nick knows firsthand about both types of tics. Nearly every day of his life, he experiences sudden physical movements of various body parts. He also has vocal tics, which cause him to make uncontrollable sneezing, coughing or yelling sounds, but he does not yell out words. Certain triggers cause Nicks involuntary movements to become more active, such as when he gets nervous or extremely happy. However, hes had therapy to help him manage the symptoms. Its basically called acceptance commitment therapy, and they use it a lot for people who have anxiety, and they use it a lot for people with addictions, Nick said, explaining that this therapy taught him to accept that he has a condition and since he cannot control his movements or vocals, he has to have a commitment to first notice it and then work on it. For example, if he has a tic in his shoulder, he might put his arm in a position to prevent the movement. Another way he minimizes his tics is by focusing on one of his passions, such as drawing, photographing or working with animals. Animals have always kind of been my medicine, said Nick who graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor of science degree in natural resources and a minor in biology. Because of his love of animals, he spends his days working at Bear Country, USA, where he is surrounded by a variety of animals ranging from bears and elk to otters. For Ryan Sjovall, Nicks manager, its easy to see that Nicks passion is working with animals. Thats what hes best at and thats where he seems happiest, Sjovall said. Hes a good guy. Though Nick has a lot of positive aspects and an upbeat personality, he has experienced trials. I get a lot of looks, said Nick, who grew up in Utah. In addition to stares, he is often misjudged. Nick remembers when he was living in Utah, someone called the police on him because they assumed he was a threat or under the influence just because of his tics. All of a sudden, police officers start filing in, theres like five of them right there, ready to take me down, he said. Situations like this are embarrassing for Nick. Its hard because everyone wants to fit in and be accepted and sometimes its hard when you have something you cant help and someone judges you for it, he said. Instead of making assumptions or staring, Nick wishes people would just talk to him. Id like them to say, Hey, I notice you have a few movements or vocalizations, do yo have Tourettes just come out and ask, he said. His dad, Tod Anderson, who recalls the stares and the times when Nick was misjudged, says he is amazed by his sons ability to withstand the pressure. For him to deal with that with such a positive attitude hes my hero, Tod said. Nick also has had to face the realities of the diagnosis. There is no standard treatment, although the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports that some patients may benefit from various types of medications, there is no one drug for all patients. Nick does take medications to help calm his blood pressure and to regulate dopamine because dopamine is what triggers his tics, such as when hes feeling extremely happy. According to the CDC, some people with TS may have a decrease or increase in tics overtime while some may disappear altogether. It is not known how many people in the U.S. have TS, but CDC statistics show that one of every 360 children is diagnosed with TS between the ages of 6-17. Boys are three to five times more likely to have TS than girls. Nick remembers when he first learned of his condition. He was a senior in high school. I started having these tics and my teachers called my mom and told her about it, so we went to a doctor and he diagnosed me with it, Nick said. He admits that when he first learned of his condition, he asked himself, Why me? And because of unwanted stares from people, he used his diagnosis as a crutch. Later he learned not to let his feelings or is condition stand in his way. If its something I want to do, then I do it instead of letting Tourettes be an excuse not to, Nick said. This includes his love of public speaking and encouraging other people. He says his biggest reward from having TS is his ability to show sympathy toward others. If I see them down and out, I like to share with them, No matter what kind of struggle you have, you can always accomplish your goals and dreams. PIERRE | A South Dakota circuit judge is asking the attorney for convicted prison guard killer Rodney Berget to submit a report about whether his client is mentally disabled. State Attorney General Marty Jackley says the judge wants to review the findings before ruling on a motion by prosecutors to dismiss Berget's death penalty appeal. Berget told Judge Doug Hoffman in September that he wanted to drop the appeal. Berget and another inmate, Eric Robert, were convicted of killing guard Ronald Johnson in 2011. Robert was executed in 2012. Jackley says that testing throughout Berget's life has shown him to be a person of "at least ordinary intelligence" and there's no evidence to suggest that he isn't competent. Berget's attorney, Eric Schulte, was not immediately available for comment. SIOUX FALLS | Conflicting insurance and business regulations passed by the South Dakota Legislature last year mean Sioux Falls won't get Uber, Lyft or other ride-hailing services anytime soon, according to a state lawmaker. Rep. Greg Jamison told fellow lawmakers and Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce members this week that it will be a while before either company enters the city's market. That's because of city and state insurance regulations that require companies to collect and submit sales taxes, which he called a potential deal breaker, according to the Argus Leader. "The city of Sioux Falls isn't going to look the other way," said Jamison, a Republican and former Sioux Falls City councilmember. "Until that's figured out, don't look out for Uber any time soon." Neither company responded to an Associated Press email requesting comment on Friday. While South Dakota's Legislature approved a law last year that set down insurance regulations and other requirements for transportation companies like Uber and Lyft, lawmakers also passed a law requiring online businesses without an in-state presence to collect and submit sales taxes. That law is meant to put online retailers on par with brick-and-mortar stores. South Dakota sued a set of online retailers outside of the state that have kept up their business without sending in sales tax collections. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has said he hopes to take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. A 21-year-old Rapid City man was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for a convenience store robbery in which police said a replica gun was used. Jamaul Shangreaux had pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery June 22 at the Circle S Plaza convenience store on East Fairmont Boulevard. Police said Shangreaux and an accomplice fled with $175.97 in cash after brandishing an Airsoft gun at the clerk. The 7th Circuit Court handed Shangreaux a seven-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, according to his attorney, Paul Brankin. Shangreauxs co-defendant, Yuriah Anderson, 19, had already been sentenced to serve almost eight years for the Circle S robbery as well as one at Happy Jacks Casino on East St. Patrick Street on June 23. The Rapid City sanitation worker who fell into a truck Thursday afternoon suffered a medical condition and remains hospitalized, according to a city release. The Fire Department received a call about a worker who was trapped in the truck. But when responders arrived, Fire Department spokesman Jim Bussell said, they found he wasn't trapped but had suffered a medical condition. In an update from the city Friday, interim Public Works Director Dale Tech said the male worker followed safety protocol and there were no mechanical issues with the truck. The male employee was working in a residential area near Fifth and St. Patrick streets just after noon Thursday when a trash container released from the sanitation truck's grappling arm into the hopper of the truck, the release said. While retrieving the container, the worker experienced a medical episode inside the hopper and requested assistance. A witness at the scene responded, called 911 and provided additional assistance until emergency personnel arrived on scene. "Based on our investigation, the worker was following safety protocol, did what he was trained to do and there were no mechanical issues with the truck or the equipment. He experienced a medical episode during the performance of his work duties," said Tech. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the worker and his family." The worker was transported to Rapid City Regional Hospita,l where he remained hospitalized Friday. The incident remains under investigation by the city's Office of Risk Management and Solid Waste Division. WASHINGTON | You can kick the can down the road, but when Kim Jong Un announces, as he did last Sunday, that "we have reached the final stage in preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic rocket," you are reaching the end of that road. Since the early 1990s, we have offered every kind of inducement to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program. All failed miserably. Pyongyang managed to extort money, food, oil and commercial nuclear reactors in exchange. But it was all a swindle. North Korea was never going to give up its nukes because it sees them as the ultimate guarantee of regime survival. The North Koreans believe that nukes confer inviolability. Saddam Hussein was invaded and deposed before he could acquire them. Kim won't let that happen to him. That's why Thae Yong Ho, a recent high-level defector, insisted that "As long as Kim Jong Un is in power, North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons, even if it's offered $1 trillion or $10 trillion in rewards." Meanwhile, they have advanced. They've already exploded a handful of nuclear bombs. And they've twice successfully launched satellites, which means they have the ICBM essentials. If they can miniaturize their weapons to fit on top of the rocket and control re-entry, they'll be able to push a button in Pyongyang and wipe out an American city. What to do? The options are stark: 1) Pre-emptive attack on its missile launching facilities. Doable but reckless. It is the option most likely to trigger an actual war. The North Koreans enjoy both conventional superiority and proximity: a vast army poised at the Demilitarized Zone only 30 miles from Seoul. Americans are not going to fight another land war in Asia. 2) Shoot down the test ICBM, as advocated by The Wall Street Journal. Assuming we can. Democrats have done their best to abort or slow down anti-missile defenses since Ronald Reagan proposed them in the early 1980s. Even so, we should be able to intercept a single, relatively primitive ICBM of the sort North Korea might be capable of. Though such a shoot-down would occur nowhere near North Korean soil, it could still very well provoke a military response. Which is why the new administration should issue a clear warning that if such a test missile is launched, we will bring it down. Barack Obama is gone. Such a red line could be a powerful deterrent. 3) Return tactical U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea. They were withdrawn in 1991 by George H.W. Bush in the waning days of the Cold War. Gorbachev's Soviet Union responded in kind. A good idea in general, but not on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang had railed constantly against their presence, but they did act as a deterrent to any contemplated North Korean aggression. Which might make them a useful bargaining chip. 4) Economic leverage on China, upon which Pyongyang depends for its survival. Donald Trump seems to suggest using trade to pressure China to get North Korea to desist. The problem is that China has shown no evidence of being willing to yield a priceless strategic asset a wholly dependent client state that acts as a permanent thorn and distraction to U.S. power in the Pacific Rim because of mere economic pressure. 5) Strategic leverage on China. We've been begging China for decades to halt the North Korean nuclear program. Beijing plays along with sanctions and offers occasional expressions of dismay. Nothing more. There's one way guaranteed to get its attention. Declare that we would no longer oppose Japan acquiring a nuclear deterrent. This is a radical step that goes against our general policy of nonproliferation. But the point is to halt proliferation to the infinitely more dangerous regime in North Korea. China is the key. The Chinese have many nightmares, none worse than a nuclear-armed Japan. The principal strategic challenge facing the United States is the rise of revisionist powers Russia, China and Iran striving to expel American influence from their regions. In comparison, the Korean problem is minor, an idiosyncratic relic of the Cold War. North Korea should be a strategic afterthought, like Cuba. And it would be if not for its nukes. That's a big if. A wholly unpredictable, highly erratic and often irrational regime is acquiring the capacity to destroy an American city by missile. That's an urgent problem. North Korea may be just an unexploded ordnance of a long-concluded Cold War. But we cannot keep assuming it will never go off. News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-11-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. How data could be collected and used if hunting tags go electronic brought concerns from several lawmakers Thursday. Sen. J.P. Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman, introduced Senate Bill 50 before the Senate Fish and Game Committee at the Capitol. The bill, brought at the request of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, gives the department authority to pursue electronic validation for hunting carcass tags. Current law requires hunters to validate paper tags for animals such as elk and turkeys by cutting out the date. We have adapted technology to many similar functions in our lives, Pomnichowski said, pointing to electronic airplane boarding passes and reading books on mobile devices as examples. A law passed last session allows electronic licenses for fishing or hunting not requiring a carcass tag. FWP has seen success and a lot of use with those electronic licenses, said Hank Worsech, the licensing bureau chief for FWP. This will allow the department to adapt to changing technology and customer expectations, he told the committee, adding that other states are pursuing similar technology. The bill does not put electronic tags into practice, but simply allows FWP to pursue and authority to put the technology in place, he said. Before implementing electronic tags, the department would convene a working group to study the technology and any concerns it might come with, he said. Implementation and the scope of any data collection drew the most questions from senators. Sen. Chas Vincent, R-Libby, thanked FWP for bringing the bill and said that he hoped data could be used in wildlife management. But collecting data such as kill locations troubled some senators. A lot of people are very secretive of where they hunt, said Sen. Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade. Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, agreed. I do not want the department to have carte blanche on the hunters location, she said, citing concerns about the recently announced change of FWPs enforcement division chief. I dont know any hunter that likes to give up their location except to a dear close hunting partner or a husband. Hinkle floated an amendment idea to put parameters in the law about what data could be collected. Pomnichowski noted that she would be open to the idea depending on the language of the amendment. Data collection would likely be at the hunting district scale, FWP staff said, but what information is collected was more a matter philosophical limits than technological capability. The tech work in a project like this is really the easy part, said FWP Chief of Administration Dustin Temple. Its really making sure that the user experience is good, making sure people are comfortable with it and making sure their data is secure. The bill drew support from the Montana Wildlife Federation and the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. No immediate action was taken by the committee Thursday. BILLINGS In an unusual labor settlement, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been ordered to remove its chief law enforcement officer, Thomas Flowers, and replace him with a 2015 competitor for the job. Flowers promotion in 2015 was successfully challenged by one of his officers, Region 3 warden Sgt. David Loewen, of Helena who had filed a grievance with the Board of Personnel Appeals. In its findings the board told FWP to appoint Loewen to his position of choice, according to a Jan. 2 FWP email to staff explaining the situation. Loewen is now scheduled to assume Flowers job as FWP chief of law enforcement beginning Jan. 9. Flowers is on paid administrative leave. Becky Docktor, FWPs chief legal counsel, said shes never seen such a ruling by the board before. More often it will direct the agency to redo its hiring process. The board told FWP that it had erred in its implementation of the hiring processes associated with the July 2015 hiring of the Chief of the Enforcement Division and the September 2015 hiring of the Assistant Chief of the Enforcement Division, according to the FWP email. The Board found that the department violated provisions of Montana Rules, FWPs Recruitment and Selection Policy, and the Veterans Employment Preference Act and Rules. Loewen had filed three grievances with the board, centered on the fact that he wasnt hired for three different positions in the department, according to David Scrimm, chief administrative law judge for the Department of Labor and Industry. The three positions were law enforcement division chief, Region 3 warden captain and enforcement division assistant administrator. The Region 3 warden captain is Adam Pankratz. The assistant administrator is Ron Jendro. Both of those men were also promoted to their positions in 2015. Although FWP could appeal the ruling, Dustin Temple, chief of administration in consultation with Paul Sihler, chief of staff, and Mike Volesky, chief of operations chose to abide by the decision after extensive discussions, Sihler said. The men are filling in for FWP director Jeff Hagener who retired last month. No replacement has yet been named by Gov. Steve Bullock. Well do everything we can to make him as whole as we can, recognizing theres only one chief position, Sihler said. The administrators stance riled Flowers, who has no standing in the case. The most disappointing thing was not to have backing from the department, Flowers said. In response, he has talked to an attorney about petitioning in District Court for reinstatement. For now hes on paid administrative leave. Flowers said he found the departments decision especially irritating considering that the agency plans to appeal a $1,500 fine by the Department of Political Practices over FWPs loaning a trailer to a trapping group. Maybe I should register myself at (the Department of Motor Vehicles) as a trailer and I would be treated a little better, he joked. Ive got to figure out a way to attach a license plate to my backside. The FWP email to staff said Loewen and Flowers were both well qualified finalists for the chiefs position. Because of that, it was a very difficult issue that the directors office has been struggling with during the last month. The memo was co-authored by Sihler, Temple and Volesky. The directors office regrets these mistakes, and apologizes to those directly affected by the consequences, the email said, and also noted that it is the departments intent to keep Flowers employed in FWP enforcement in a meaningful capacity. What that means Flowers isnt sure, since theres no lateral move from chief of enforcement. The issue erupted less than a month after the same interim directors dismissed Montana State Parks director Chas Van Genderen over what was termed a personnel issue. Flowers is a 28-year veteran with FWP. Prior to being hired as chief of law enforcement he worked as FWPs Region 6 supervisor in Glasgow. He took that position in 2013 after previously working as a criminal investigator based in Choteau. He started with FWP as a warden in Miles City in 1988. A voice message left for Loewen and his attorney were not returned by press time. They requested attorney fees be paid as part of the settlement, but the hearing officer denied that request, which they are appealing to the board. FWP and the Montana Department of Transportation are the only two agencies in the state to use the Board of Personnel Appeals to rule on complaints. The Board of Personnel Appeals is a five-member quasi-judicial board charged with providing appellate-level review for matters involving the Collective Bargaining Act for Public Employees, according to the Department of Labor and Industrys website. Other agencies have their own internal processes, Scrimm said. We dont see a lot of them 10 to 15 a year for all state agencies, Scrimm said of such cases. Most are resolved at a lower level so they dont make it this far. According to its website, The Office of Administrative Hearings, formerly known as the Hearings Bureau, holds impartial administrative hearings and provides dispute resolution services in unemployment insurance cases, wage and hour claims, public employee collective bargaining and unfair labor practices cases, state employee classification appeals and grievances, uninsured employer regulatory matters, professional and occupational licensing appeals, and human rights complaints. In the wake of the ruling and change in duties, FWPs administrators said in their letter to staff, We are taking steps to add additional rigor to department hiring practices to ensure these mistakes are not repeated. BILLINGS - A proposal to extend and modify the issuance of bison hunting licenses to people on Montanas Indian reservations and the Little Shell Tribe was strongly supported by tribal legislators during the first hearing of House Bill 108 on Thursday. The bill would extend a law on the books since 2005, which was originally supposed to sunset in 2015, and ensure the tags are over and above the 80 issued to state applicants annually. Under the bill that was heard by the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee, two tags would be provided to each of Montanas seven reservations, as well as to the Little Shell Tribe, each year. We would like to see it increased to five, said Rep. Rae Peppers, D-Lame Deer. We feel like the buffalo are part of our tradition and what we do with them is important. That was echoed by two other American Indian legislators who testified in support of the bill. No one spoke in opposition to the measure. Sen. Lea Whitford, D-Cut Bank, also said the number should be increased. Bison are an important cultural component of who we are, she said. The state already allows four tribes with treaty rights to hunt bison that migrate out of Yellowstone National Park, only one of which is a Montana tribe the Confederated Salish and Kootenai. Those treaty tribes regulate their own hunters. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks also issues 80 tags annually through a drawing to other hunters who apply. Increasing the number of tags given to the eight tribes beyond two could make the small region where bison are hunted outside of Yellowstone in Montana even more crowded, warned Mike Volesky, FWPs chief of staff. The treaty hunt is really getting to capacity, he said, which at times has resulted in the harvest of up to 400 bison. Adding more hunters to the area could be a safety concern as well as exceed local residents tolerance of bison hunters, Volesky noted. We are a little bit loath to add more, he said. Rep. Kerry White, R-Bozeman, asked Volesky if FWP had pursued a motion by the Environmental Quality Council to allow tribal bison hunting inside Yellowstone National Park. Volesky said FWP has no jurisdiction inside the park. Roe Another bill before the committee, HB 69, would extend the paddlefish caviar agreement with the city of Glendive to June of 2020. Under the agreement, a contractor removes the eggs from paddlefish caught on the Yellowstone River and sells them for up to $300 a pound. Seventy percent of the money made from the sale goes to a Glendive grant program, the rest to FWP for research of the fish. Glendive resident Bob Gilbert said renewing the agreement for only two years isnt fair to the contractor. FWP wants the term short because of concern about dwindling numbers of paddlefish and the possibility that a fish bypass channel may be constructed at Intake Dam, allowing the fish to move beyond the structure. Right now the dam acts as a blockade to paddlefish, which migrate upstream in the spring to spawn, allowing anglers to snag the fish. Eileen Ryce, Fisheries Division administrator for FWP, told the committee there has been limited recruitment of young paddlefish into the population since 1999. If this trend continues we will have to consider less harvest, she said. Last year the harvest was 1,000 fish. Skunk The third bill before the committee would get rid of the archaic name civet cat used to refer to skunks, and remove spotted skunks from designation as predators. HB 98, sponsored by Rep. Janet Ellis, D-Helena, is meant to ensure that if the spotted skunk is ever considered for endangered species listing Montana wouldnt get caught in any fray. Were really just trying to take away an argument for federal listing, said Ken McDonald, FWPs Wildlife Division administrator. The Eastern spotted skunk is being considered for listing. Striped skunks are the more common critter most Montanans are familiar with. There have been only 22 documented sightings of spotted skunks in the state, mostly in southwestern Montana. Insurance companies can cancel policies or raise rates on customers based on questions asked about an incident or a claim filed even if the company never paid a dime. Senate Bill 58 would ban companies from using information about zero-dollar claims in making underwriting decisions that ultimately affect cancellations, renewals and rates of insurance policies. The measure carried by Sen. Mary McNally, a Billings Democrat, also is supported by Republican State Auditor and Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale. The bill would affect a broad range of insurance policies from homeowners and auto to commercial property and professional liability. Some homeowners have had their insurance canceled or not renewed for making inquiries about coverage for incidents that they, not the insurance company, ultimately pay for, McNally said while introducing the bill to the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee on Friday. Its particularly ironic because most of these policies require you to make that notice. Then that information can be used against you. She noted that thousands of policies were canceled in the Billings area after repeated hailstorms. Although some of those cancellations were likely based on risk calculated using claims that the company actually paid out, some were instead the result of risk assessments based on claims that the customer paid themselves and cost the insurance company nothing. This bill does not interfere with an insurance companys ability to cancel or not renew based on a history of excessive claims, McNally said. It simply requires that those claims resulted in real costs to the insurer, not zero. Bob Biskupiak, the states deputy insurance commissioner and longtime agent, said the bill would provide common sense protections for consumers. This will provide Montana consumers with an assurance that if they comply with their insurance policies (and report incidents that might lead to a claim), they will not be penalized by their insurance companies for claims where no dollars were paid out, he said. The tweak to state insurance regulation was first proposed in 2015 as part of a larger reform package that failed, in large part, because it also would have limited the age of claims companies could consider. That is not part of this years bill. Nonetheless, lobbyists for the insurance industry testified against the bill Friday. They said that information about claims and inquiries, even if they did not result in the company spending any money, are an important part of actuarial formulas used to calculate risk. Companies dont pick that standard out of thin air and arbitrarily use it to decline insurance or to determine rates, said Bruce Spencer, a lobbyist for All State Insurance Company. Its part of the secret sauce of rate making. Not every company uses the same formula. Thats how they compete in terms of rates because theyre doing different things slightly differently. Along with other insurance company representatives, he said being able to accurately measure risk makes it easier for companies to set fair rates for their customers. He noted that it makes more sense for certain types of polices to weigh zero-dollar claims, such as if an attorney repeatedly calls in to say he might have committed malpractice even if no claim is ultimately paid out. The committee requested more information about the bill and has not yet taken a vote. Tim Meikle of Hamilton was returning from an 18-day excursion to Cuba when his trip home was shattered by a shooting Friday that left five dead in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I had literally just got on my flight (in Fort Lauderdale) and sat down when I looked out the window and saw people running out across the tarmac,'' Meikle said. There were hundreds of people running. The flight attendant appeared and informed the passengers that there was a code red and everyone needed to get off the airplane immediately. As soon as we got out there on the tarmac, we saw people crying and talking about a shooting, he said. The people gathered on the tarmac were very much afraid. Someone would hear a noise and people would start running in one direction, he said. There would be another noise and they would start running in a different direction. It was difficult to understand. Eventually, everyone on the tarmac was gathered together against a large concrete wall among several luggage carts. Meikle said they all sat there for about an hour as they gathered information about the shooting from news sources on their cell phones. There were a lot of rumors floating around, he said. At first, we heard that one person had been shot, but that turned out not be true. We also heard there were two shooters. That wasnt true, either. It was a pretty confused situation. Meikle said that as of 7:30 p.m. Mountain time, he and an estimated 2,000 people were still being held at the airport, more than eight hours after the shooting, with no access to their baggage and no idea where they would spend the night. There are no concessions open at this point, he said. They wont let us leave. Theres no real staff here that I can see. The airplane that he had boarded just before the shooting had arrived earlier from Minneapolis. Meikle believed the airplane may have carried the shooter to Fort Lauderdale. The Associated Press said the gunman was identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard. The veteran from Anchorage, Alaska, had told the FBI there that the U.S. was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. They called our plane a crime scene, Meikle said. I think the plane is officially grounded. At this point, Meikle said it will be at least Monday before he can return home. It is my birthday today, he said. Unfortunately bad things happen, but we move on. Tim Meikle of Hamilton was returning from an 18-day excursion to Cuba when his trip home was shattered by a shooting Friday that left five dead in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I had literally just got on my flight and sat down when I looked out the window and saw people running out across the tarmac in Ft. Lauderdale, Meikle said. There were hundreds of people running. The flight attendant appeared and informed the passengers that there was a code red and everyone needed to get off the airplane immediately. As soon as we got out there on the tarmac, we saw people crying and talking about a shooting, he said. The people gathered on the tarmac were very much afraid. Someone would hear a noise and people would start running in one direction, he said. There would be another noise and they would start running in a different direction. It was difficult to understand. Eventually, everyone on the tarmac was gathered together against a large concrete wall among several luggage carts. Meikle said they all sat there for about an hour as they gathered information about the shooting from news sources on their cell phones. There were a lot of rumors floating around, he said. At first, we heard that one person had been shot, but that turned out not be true. We also heard there were two shooters. That wasnt true, either. It was a pretty confused situation. Meikle said that as of 6 p.m. Mountain time, he and an estimated 300 to 400 people were still being held at the airport, seven hours after the shooting, with no access to their baggage and no idea where they would spend the night. There are no concessions open at this point, he said. They wont let us leave. Theres no real staff here that I can see. The airplane that he had boarded just before the shooting had arrived earlier from Minneapolis. Meikle believed the airplane may have carried the shooter to Fort Lauderdale. The Associated Press said the gunman was identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard. The veteran from Anchorage, Alaska, had told the FBI there that the U.S. was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. They called our plane a crime scene, Meikle said. I think the plane is officially grounded. At this point, Meikle said he it will be Monday before he can return home. It is my birthday today, he said. Unfortunately bad things happen, but we move on. Guwahati : Not cash crunch, Assam Congress leaders now faced security cover crunch. After Union home ministry withdrawn NSG security cover to former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the BJP led Assam government had recently withdrawn security cover of at least 150 congress leaders of the state. Following the security cover crunch, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday had expressed their angers against the saffron party. 'After NSG security cover withdrawn of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the state government had withdrawn security cover of several Congress leaders of the state,' APCC president and Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora said. The state Congress unit sent a memorandum to the Union home minister through the Assam governor and urged to restore the security cover. In the memorandum sent to the Union home minister, the state Congress unit said that, Tarun Gogoi had headed the helm of affairs of the state for 15 years at a stretch and was largely successful in containing militancy and insurgency in the state, but at the cost of rendering his life immediately vulnerable at the hands of such militant elements still active in Assam. 'Gogoi is out of the office of Chief Minister only 7 months back. During such short period, his threat perception never can come to such a point where it is fit for withdrawal of his NSG security cover. The Union home ministry so far not withdrawn the years long NSG coverage to some other former Chief Ministers of different states including former Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta,' said in the memorandum. The Assam Congress unit also submitted a memorandum to the Assam governor in various issues including eviction drives in Kaziranga, Bardowa, Mayong, Sipajhar and Barkhetri and demanded governor's intervention to stop the on-going eviction drive to avoid disintegration of the social fabric on the lines of religious and linguistic divide. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Guwahati : Assam police on Friday had arrested an Executive Engineer of the state Public Health Engineering (PHE) department from Upper Assam's Dibrugarh district, who allegedly taking bribes from a number of contractors in the name of allotting works order. According to the reports, based on a complaint from a person Dibrugarh police had arrested the engineer from his office. Nazrul Islam, Executive Engineer was arrested from his office,aA a police official said. The Dibrugarh police also registered a case (No- 33/17 under section 387 of the IPC) against the engineer. The complainant said that, the engineer charged commission in 40-60 percentage break-up from him and other contractors in different works. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Kathmandu, Nepal: The Parliament Secretariat has postponed the House meeting till next Sunday, January 8. The meeting was called for 1 pm on Tuesday. Though the House meeting used to postpone due to the obstruction from the opposition parties including the main opposition CPN UML, the parliament Secretariat postponed the meeting without any obvious reason. In the notice issued to inform about the postponement of the meeting Parliaments Secretariat Manohar Prasad Bhattarai has stated that the meeting could not be held on Tuesday due to special reasons. The opposition parties including the main opposition UML has been obstructing the parliament since November 29 to protest the constitution amendment bill registered in the parliament. KATHMANDU: Police have arrested five persons for throwing waste into the Bagmati River in Til Ganga of Kathmandu on Saturday. The arrestees were workers of Annapurna Sweets Shop in Gaushala, Arun Glass House, Chicken House and a furniture shop in Tilganga and Shiva Shankar Hotel in Jaya Bageshwori. They were arrested red-handed while disposing garbage in the River, said Sub-Inspector Badriman Nagarkoti. The arrestees have been fined Rs 5,000 each for their untoward action, according to police. Under the Solid Waste Management Act-2011, those found guilty of disposing garbage in prohibited zones face a six-month jail term or a penalty of Rs 5,000 to Rs 150,000 or both, according to the nature of offense. Meanwhile, around 10 tonnes of solid waste were extracted from various rivers in the Kathmandu valley including Bagmati River and its tributaries at various places in the Valley today as a part of the Bagmati Clean-Up Campaign that entered 191st week today.RSS Blog Archive June (1) May (16) April (23) March (20) February (17) January (13) December (22) November (40) October (57) September (45) August (55) July (52) June (165) May (121) April (141) March (32) February (76) January (141) December (85) November (130) October (146) September (96) August (89) July (82) June (64) May (99) April (41) March (98) February (61) January (64) December (67) November (51) October (70) September (75) August (52) July (66) June (76) May (104) April (93) March (151) February (168) January (107) December (42) November (56) October (69) September (103) August (75) July (191) June (171) May (207) April (302) March (490) February (155) January (138) December (135) November (226) October (146) September (107) August (160) July (292) June (316) May (361) April (460) March (327) February (49) January (2) November (13) October (3) September (37) August (43) July (6) June (12) May (1) April (29) March (30) February (58) January (27) December (11) November (16) October (34) September (81) August (81) July (93) June (12) May (1) February (1) November (3) October (2) September (6) August (1) July (2) June (14) May (10) April (8) March (13) February (1) January (5) sacw.net - 7 January 2017 The Haryana government organized Gita Festival in Kurkshetra with a budget of Rs 100 Crores. This was to celebrate the teachings of Bhagavad Gita. This is the place where Lord Krishna is believed to have delivered the sermons that form the core of a version of Hinduism. The celebration of the Gita Festival has been very meticulous to involve most of the districts of Haryana and is replete with seminars and cultural programs around the teachings of this holy book. As such it is a Holy Scripture, which has been most in news from last quite some time. Those taking part in the festival include the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), yoga guru Baba Ramdevas Patanjali Yog Peeth, Ram Krishna Mission, and ISKCON. This state funded festival comes in the backdrop of the Modi Sarkar coming to power at the centre. Modi, in his innumerable trips abroad has been gifting Gita to the dignitaries overseas. Also his foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had once proclaimed that Gita should be declared as the national book. One recalls that many BJP ruled state Governments like MP have started teaching Gita Saar (Essence of Gita) in their schools. When BJP was in power in Karnataka, the State government had planned to introduce the teaching of Gita in its schools. There is also an attempt to present this holy tome not as a religious book but a book of Indian Philosophy, cutting across different religions. For example Madhya Pradesh High court has ruled (Jan 2012) that aGita is essentially a book on Indian philosophy, not a book on Indian religiona . This judgment seems to be influenced more by the dominant political ideology than the theological understanding of Hinduism or the principles of Indian Constitution or even by the practices of the Courts themselves. One knows that Gita is used in the courts for administering oath to Hindus before they depose. The Bhagwat Gita or Gita (Song of God) is a 700 verse scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata. As it is drawn from Mahabharata it can be labeled as Smriti text (from memory). Some sects of Hinduism give it the status of Upanishad, thereby making it sruti (revealed) book. It is also regarded to represent the summary of Upanishadic teachings and so it is also called as aUpanishad of Upanishadsa. In this Holy Scripture Lord Krishna teaches Arjun about his duties as a Prince belonging to Kshtriya Varna. Arjun was faced with the dilemma of the war, the possibility of killing his own kin. Lord tells Arjun that it is his holy duty to undertake the war. As most holy scriptures are the revelations from the supreme God, in Gita also Krishna reveals his identity as Supreme Being himself (Svayam Bhagvan) and this book is also regarded as the core of Hindu philosophy. The Gita elaborates on the central part of Hindu theology, the origin of Varnas. In Purush Sukta of Vedas tell us as to how Lord Brahma created four Varnas from the body of Virat Purush (Primeval man). In Gita on similar lines Lord Krishna also tells about the divine origin of Varnaas. Lord says that the fourfold order was created by him according to the divisions of quality (Guna) and work (karma). One knows that origin of Hinduism is different from the Prophet based religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity and Islam. Here there has been an evolution of the Hinduism over a period of time and today while Hinduism is a religion, Gita is its Holy Scripture. To take the stand that it is Indian philosophy and not religious one is far from truth. There is philosophy also in many a Holy Scriptures. Notwithstanding that, they are primarily religious scriptures. From the religion of Pastoral Aryans to the practices of Hindus today, there is a long journey. The communal forces want to introduce this text in schools as not only they want to impose Hindu nation in this country but also through this book, they aim to reinforce the concept of Varna, which is one of the core doctrine of Brahmanical version of Hinduism, and Gita tells this by attributing Varna to the divine creation by Lord Himself. While there are many a philosophical formulations in this divine book there is also the subtle defense of what the Hindutva politics wants to bring in today, Varan- Jati in a repackaged form. Dharma spoken of in Gita is essentially is Varnashram Dharma, which is a graded hierarchy, which is against the spirit of Indian Constitution, the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Gitaas Varnashram Dharma violates the principles of equality. So here you are showing that violation of norms of equality. Surely, Gita is a Holy Hindu scripture. We are a secular country, where citizenship is equal for people of all religions. So here you violate the secular ethos of our country by state sponsoring a festival in its name. Ambedkar, the Chairman of drafting committee of Indian Constitution, had an interesting take on Gita. In his work aPhilosophy of Hinduisma (Critical Quest 2010) where he points out that aBhagwat Gita is a Manusmriti in Nutshella. His supporting the burning of Manusmriti was symbolic of opposing the hierarchy inherent in the Brahmanical Hinduism. It is also true that what has been asserted as Hinduism from last two centuries is Brahmanical Hinduism. Gita does represent the Brahmanical Hinduism, in contrast to other Hindu traditions like Nath, Tantra, Siddha, Shaiva and Bhakti. These traditions are away from Brahmanical hierarchical values. RSS-Hindutva has made Brahmanical values as the base of their politics. So while there is a lot of confusion among many who eulogize Gita, the practitioners of Hindutva politics RSS-BJP are very consciously promoting Gita, as the restoration of caste and gender hierarchy is the core agenda of their politics. Gita is not a national book; it is a Holy Hindu Scripture for sure. Indian Constitution is our National book. The verdict of the court needs re-examination as it is not conforming to the belief of millions of Hindus who have been away from Brahmanical notions. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Photos: This refugee Boy Scout troop could be a blueprint for the future The China-linked DragonOK continues updating tools and tactics and targeted entities in various countries, including Russia and Tibet. It was September 2014, when security researchers at FireEye spotted for the first time the cyber espionage activities of a Chinese state-sponsored group dubbed DragonOK. At the time, FireEye discovered two hacking campaigns conducted by distinct groups operating in separate regions of China that seem to work in parallel. The first team of hackers named Moafee, targeted military and government organizations which were in some way involved in South China sea dispute. The attackers hit different organizations as explained by the researchers at FireEye in a blog post, and appears to operate from the Guangdong Province and hit entities working in the defense industry in the United States. The second team, dubbed DragonOK, conducted corporate espionage operations on high-tech and manufacturing companies in Japan and Taiwan. DragonOK is back and recently targeted Japanese organizations in several industries, including manufacturing, technology, energy, higher education and semiconductor. While Japan is considered the main target of the APT, hackers also targeted individuals or organizations in Taiwan, Tibet, and Russia. According to the experts at Palo Alto Networks, one of the malware used by the DragonOK APT was dubbed Sysget and was used to target entities in Taiwan. The Sysget malware was delivered both directly via phishing emails, as well as in RTF documents triggering the CVE-2015-1641 flaw that in turn leveraged a unique shellcode. The experts observed three distinct new versions of Sysget malware that were improved to make harder the detection and the analysis by security solutions. PaloAlto also observed DragonOK hackers using other two families malware, the IsSpace and TidePool. IsSpace is an evolution of the NFlog backdoor used by both DragonOK and Moafee. The second malware TidePool was observed earlier this year in targeted attacks powered by a different Chinese APT group, dubbed Operation Ke3chang. Back in 2013, the security researchers at FireEye spotted a group of China-Linked hackers that conducted an espionage campaign on foreign affairs ministries in Europe. The campaign was named Operation Ke3chang, the same threat actors were spotted targeting personnel at Indian embassies across the world earlier this year. DragonOK now used the TidePool malware in targeted attacks against organizations in Russia and Tibet. The analysis published by Palo Alto Networks researchers included links between the C&C domains of the various malware used by the DragonOK (i.e. TidePool, IsSpace and Sysget), and other Indicators of Compromise. The DragonOK group are quite active and continue updating their tools and tactics. Their toolset is being actively developed to make detection and analysis more difficult. Additionally, they appear to be using additional malware toolsets such as TidePool. states Palo Alto Networks. While Japan is still the most-targeted region by this group, they look to be seeking out victims in other regions as well, such as Taiwan, Tibet, and Russia. Enjoy the report! Pierluigi Paganini (Security Affairs DragonOK, China) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Email Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On AKRON, Iowa -- Years ago, researchers asked 1,000 patients if they felt sick over the course of a month. Seven hundred patients said they did. Of those 700 patients, 400 said they went to a doctor. Only one of those 400 patients ended up receiving medical attention at a tertiary care center. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City is an example of a tertiary care center. These leading academic medical centers are where clinical research is conducted in the United States. Cynthia Wolff, a family physician who practices at Akron Mercy Medical Clinic, and Becky Borchers, a social worker and Wolff's patient of more than 30 years, are seeking to make a difference for the 399 patients who are seen in primary care offices. They traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in mid-November to attend a meeting of the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG), a multidisciplinary organization for primary care researchers. Wolff and Borchers participate in PaCE (Patient and Clinician Engagement), a community of patients and physicians funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The community, which is part of NAPCRG, is looking at the way primary care research is conducted. "We need patients engaged in their health care. We need them to be part of what we study, what we do," Wolff said. "We need community clinicians, but we also need the researchers to help know the best way to do that research to find out what makes a difference." Members of PaCE are well-versed in primary care research and advocacy. Doctors and patients team up to form dyads. They sometimes join with an academic researcher to form a triad. These dyads and triads collaborate with national research networks to provide a reasoned and grounded voice to inform the research agenda and process. Wolff said she asked Borchers to "take a big leap" with her because she shares her goal of wanting to make a difference in health care. Borchers said she didn't hesitate accepting Wolff's invitation to form a dyad because she knows Wolff as an enthusiastic innovator. "When she came to me with this project, I wasn't surprised at all that she had her feet involved in something new and exciting," she said. Patients have a voice In early 2012, Wolff was involved in a community research project focusing on radon testing and mitigation. Radon is a odorless, colorless gas produced by the decay of uranium that can enter buildings through foundation or basement cracks. Breathing in this radioactive gas at high levels over a long period can cause lung cancer. As a result of her work, Wolff was invited to attend an international meeting of NAPCRG. During the meeting, she was asked to join a group of 20 people who were discussing patient engagement. "The radon project became an example that they saw of how communities and patients could be engaged in helping to solve their own health care problems," Wolff said. "What we did for radon here in Akron has changed what's happening with radon throughout the state of Iowa and throughout the country." The following year, that group approached PCORI and asked for funding. PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization that was authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. Their request was granted and PaCE was born. Wolff said the PaCE community's job at the NAPCRG meeting was to guide, critique and teach researchers from all over the world. The researchers made more than 800 presentations about a variety of primary care-based research topics ranging from obesity to addiction to nursing home care. "Most researchers are very-well intended and excellent researchers in primary care, but they are at the ivory towers. They had never thought that patients and community clinicians should be involved in research because that's not the way that research has been in the past," she said. "Patients have a voice. That voice is critical." Wolff said patients, who now sit on the leadership boards of most major U.S. medical organizations, are "changing the way we look at health care." She said PCORI will no longer fund research projects unless they are patient-centered. At the NAPCRG meeting, the PaCE community advised researchers on how they can engage patients from the vary beginning and how including patient and community clinician input could change their research. Wolff said in many cases research didn't produce the right answer because researchers didn't ask the right questions. She said they would've if they had taken the patient's perspective into consideration. "It was four intense days, but it was very exciting to see so many different things that were being considered, thought about, explored and researched," Borchers said. "It was very exciting for me as a patient to be on the same playing field with these extremely intelligent well-versed people." According to Wolff, it can take up to 17 years for vital information from research to reach the patients who need it. Research that shows radon can cause lung cancer came out in the 90s, but Wolff said she didn't know about it until four years ago. "It's just because we don't have a good dissemination process in this country," she said. "When patients and clinicians are involved, that information gets where it needs to go." SIOUX CITY -- Nearly a dozen Siouxlanders braved the bitter cold Friday to observe local Eastern Orthodox priests bless the Missouri River in Sioux City. Each Jan. 6, Eastern Orthodox Christians throughout the world celebrate Theophany, which in Greek mean "manifestation of God." The day commemorates the baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity. While all parishes hold an in-church Blessing of the Water Service, annual outdoor services along a major waterway like the Missouri is a rarity in the Midwest. On Friday, parishoners gathered behind Bev's on the River in Chris Larsen Park for a blessing led by The Rev. Father Dimitri Tobias of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and The Rev. Lucas Rice of St Thomas Antiochian Orthodox Church. Mayor Bob Scott was among the attendees. Each priest tossed into the river and then retrieved a blessed cross, symbolic of Christs baptism in the River Jordan. As part of the Blessing of the Water tradition, holy water is given to the faithful to consume and to use in blessing their homes. In the weeks following the service, clergy visit the homes of parishioners and conduct a service of blessing, using the water blessed on the holiday. An associated tradition has been the tossing of a cross into the water to be retrieved, in warmer climates by divers. In Sioux City, The Rev. Lucas Rice introduced the annual service five years ago. This year, outdoor services also were held in seven other cities within the Metropolis of Chicago, which includes Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota and large portions of Missouri and Indiana. In Iowa, blessings took place in the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, the Des Moines River in Des Moines and the Mississippi River in Dubuque. SIOUX CITY | Citizens are invited to provide comments at a public forum regarding statewide changes in social studies standards. The Iowa Department of Education will gather input of the proposed standards in Johnston, with a satellite office in Sioux City, on Monday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The Sioux City session will be set up at the Northwest Area Education Agency Room 206, 1520 Morningside Ave. This will be the first of three January forums on the changes, which were written by Iowa educators. The draft is now subject to review by the Social Studies Standards Review Team. SIOUX CITY | A proposed $9.3 million project at Sioux City's wastewater treatment facility could allow the city to capture methane gas created during the treatment process and sell it as renewable fuel. The City Council on Monday will discuss whether to pay a West Des Moines engineering firm nearly $1.3 million to plan the project. The council will also take a separate vote on whether to award another agreement to the firm for $605,000 to plan a separate five-year, $16 million maintenance and upgrade project at the treatment plant. Under the first project agreement, Bartlett & West would help the city design a system to divert, clean up and compress a gas created as a byproduct during the anaerobic digestion process the city uses to break down raw sludge and turn it into biosolids. "Its a green project," city utilities director Mark Simms said Friday. "It enables us to become a lot more environmentally friendly and obviously reuse this gas, which is fairly significant quantity." Simms said the plant currently repurposes some of this gas during the cold months to heat digesters and buildings. The rest is burnt off as waste, he said. Once the proposed project is complete, Simms said the gas could either be used in the city's fleet of vehicles or be channeled into a nearby MidAmerican Energy or Northern Natural Gas pipeline to be sold as renewable fuel. Simms said under the Renewable Fuels Act, the financial benefit of selling the fuel has increased, making it the more attractive option. "We expect to offset that cost fairly quickly with the revenue," he said. Simms acknowledged the gas that would be produced is a methane similar to that produced by Big Ox Energy South Sioux City. Big Ox's renewable fuels plant, which fired up for the first time last fall, has been tied to hydrogen sulfide gas odors in a South Sioux City sewer line that has produced pungent odors and displaced up to two dozen residents. However, Simms assured the city is taking precautions to ensure odor problems won't also occur at the wastewater plant. "The difference really is, the city of Sioux City has had this digestion process since 1961, and so theyre very dissimilar in many ways," he said. "There are a number of safeguards were taking. Weve told the engineers that this project cant cause an odor problem." The other project to be designed by Bartlett & West includes 22 maintenance projects and upgrades at the facility that will take place over the next three years, costing between $12 million and $13 million. In the two years following, a second phase of the project will include seven to eight more, bring that total to about $16 million, Simms said. Bartlett & West will provide all services leading up to construction on these projects, as well as draft an updated facility plan for the plant. Simms said many of the projects will be funded through the state's revolving fund, a low-interest loan program. He said the fixes and upgrades will not only keep the plant running smoothly but will also bring it closer to receiving an increased rating capacity from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. "Our real goal on these things is to do everything that we can to maximize the capacity of the current facility," Simms said. "Many items of the we do here could have an impact on how DNR views our facility in term of capacity." The council meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Monday at the council chambers on the fifth floor of City Hall, 405 Sixth Street. DES MOINES | With Republicans in control of the Iowa House, Senate and governors office, Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, doesnt want to even mention which social conservative agenda items worry him most. I dont really want to tell you all of the things we are concerned about because I dont want to put an idea in (Republicans) minds. I dont want to plant the seeds, Hogg said. Social conservatives hope 2017 is the year the seeds theyve been planting blossom into laws to strengthen and defend families, protect life, strengthen marriage, expand educational choice and defend the poor. But only if pro-family Iowans are engaged in speaking our values to our government, according to a recent Family Leader newsletter. House Minority Leader Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, is calling on defenders of the status quo to speak up, too. We will exercise every option available to us to show our opposition, Smith said. Well have to rely on the people to voice their opinions. Some likely hot button issues of the 2017 session are: Abortion: We are a pro-life caucus, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said. Thats who we are. So we will continue to do bills that advance the protection of life. That likely will include restrictions on abortion, perhaps banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy or if the fetus weighs at least 350 grams, and amending the state Constitution to specify there is no fundamental right to abortion. Upmeyer wasnt aware of any plans for an attempt to ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception. Ohio lawmakers approved that legislation, but it was vetoed. Defunding Planned Parenthood: Another Republicans goal in recent years has been to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood. Upmeyer said the caucus prefers state dollars go to womens health care providers that do not also provide abortions. There are plenty of clinics other than Planned Parenthood that offer breast cancer screening and reproductive health exams that are covered by tax dollars for Medicaid patients, according to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock. Better options for more women and their health care, he said. Voter Photo ID: This could be one of the first bills to land on Gov. Terry Branstads desk. Despite Democratic arguments that requiring voters to show a photo ID is a barrier to voting, Dix cites a 2013 Iowa Poll that found 71 percent of Iowans favored requiring voter photo IDs. Voter photo ID is among the recommendations Secretary of State Paul Pate made to the Legislature. He estimated the cost to provide IDs to Iowans without state-issued IDs would be about $500,000. The argument he and GOP lawmakers make is that voters want confidence that only eligible voters are participating in elections. Voting should be easy, cheating should be hard, they say. Its inconsistent for Republicans to relax restrictions on gun ownership under the guise of expanding Iowans constitutional rights, but make it harder to vote another constitutional right, Smith said. Pate also proposed signature verification in addition to a photo ID, recommended using electronic poll books at every precinct and requiring an ID number for absentee ballot voting. Traffic cameras: Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, has tried, but failed, to ban traffic enforcement devices speed cameras and red light cameras. But Im in the majority and that changes everything, said Zaun, who will be the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. He said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Chip Baltimore, R-Boone, has agreed to run the bill and I have assurances from Gov. Branstad he will sign it. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that in 2014 red-light running caused 171,000 traffic crashes nationwide, which led to approximately 126,000 injuries and 709 deaths. Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, calls Zauns plan for the state to pre-empt local governments that want to use automated traffic devices for public safety a role reversal because its usually Republicans complaining about the Legislature imposing a one-size-fits-all regulation on local governments. Zaun counters that hes trying to stop to the abuse thats taking place throughout Iowa. He believes local governments interest in the cameras is more about raising revenue for cities than safety. The last time it came up in the House, Upmeyer said, and My recollection was that most of the caucus just wanted to do away with them. The city of Sioux City has two mobile speed cameras on Interstate 29 and three red light cameras at two intersections on state-operated roads and six red-light cameras on city streets. The cameras, which are maintained by a private contractor, has generated millions of dollars in revenue for the city since they were first installed in 2010. Gun rights: Attempts to expand Iowans gun rights are a sure thing in the GOP-controlled Senate. Sioux City Republican Sen. Rick Bertrand has been emailing Iowans to tell them that with their help there is an absolutely incredible opportunity to make both constitutional carry and stand-your-ground a reality in Iowa. In an email distributed by Iowa Gun Owners, Bertrand described stand-you-ground as simply stating in law that Iowa gun owners can defend themselves against attackers without fear of legal backlash. Constitutional carry would restore the right of Iowa citizens to carry a firearm for protection without going through a bunch of bureaucratic rigmarole or paying expensive fees, Bertrand said. Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, says a state version of the federal Second Amendment is a priority for the GOP majority. In the past, opponents of these measures could rely on liberal Democrats to block their passage in the Senate. This year, Jeremy Brigham, executive director of Iowans for Gun Safety, said they will need to talk to Republicans. Theyre in charge, so we need to let them know what the facts are. Better laws lead to less gun violence, Brigham said. Weakening law will likely lead to more gun violence. Although expanded gun rights is seen as a GOP issue, Brigham isnt sure all Republican share Bertrands zeal. He points out some Republicans who defeated Democratic incumbents generally won by small margins. They need to watch their backs, he said. Some GOP lawmakers who supported expanding gun rights out of party loyalty in the past may be less willing this year if they think theres a real possibility of those bills becoming law. Brigham emphasized that his group is pushing a gun safety agenda rather than an anti-gun agenda. Iowans for Gun Safety want to require Iowans to have hands-on training before getting a gun permit rather than taking online gun training. It also wants to require the safe storage of guns in homes, including the use of gun safes so weapons are not readily available to children or burglars. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Citizens Bank, National Association that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, corporations, and institutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. The Consumer Banking segment offers deposit products, mortgage and home equity lending products, credit cards, business loans, wealth management, and investment services; and auto, education, and point-of-sale finance loans, as well as digital deposit products. This segment serves its customers through telephone service centers, as well as through its online and mobile platforms. 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(Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH. Read More The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. Peter R. Worch, PhD, Colonel, USAF Retired, 81, passed away on 1/6/2017. He was a native of Binghamton, New York and recently a resident of Port Saint Lucie, Florida spending summers in Solomons, Maryland. Peter Worch is predeceased by his wife of 33 years, Jeanette (Foland) whom he loved dearly and missed terribly every day. He is survived by two wonderful children, Cynthia (Dave Smalley) and Peter Worch Jr (Wanda), six grandchildren: Raebecca, Gregory, and Benjamin Smalley; and, Rudy, Matthew, and Nicholas Worch; and three great-grandchildren: Hunter, Pilot, and Rowan. He enjoyed his children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren immensely. He was grateful for the care his family gave to him throughout his life. Peter Worch lifelong learner with a PhD in electrical engineering. He served in the United States Air Force for 24 years in research and development. Dr. Peter Worch then worked in the defense industry developing communications and intelligence systems. He pioneered the development of advanced manned and unmanned aircraft systems including early stealth aircraft technology. He served on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board for 24 years where he chaired major studies in communications and aviation. Up until his death, he was an advanced design consultant to the military combat aircraft industry. Dr. Worch had a wide range of interests. He was an experienced pilot with commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings, an accomplished maker of half-hull boat models, and enjoyed fishing, hunting, sailing, boating, biking, wood-working, and electronics. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 10th at 11:00 am at Our Lady Star of the Sea Historic Catholic Church, 90 Alexander Lane, Solomons, MD with Msgr. Michael Wilson officiating. Dr. Worch will be buried in Vestal Hills Memorial Park, Vestal, NY. Friends are encouraged to donate to American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers. Arrangements by Rausch Funeral Home. Some say that adolescence is the most dynamic period with uncertain maturity. Characters are still being formed, so things like likes and Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. Exocomets NASA/ESA/STSCI Interstellar forecast for a nearby star: Raining comets! NASAs Hubble Space Telescope has discovered comets plunging into the star HD 172555, which is a youthful 23 million years old and resides 95 light-years from Earth. The exocomets comets outside our solar system were not directly seen around the star, but their presence was inferred by detecting gas that is likely the vaporized remnants of their icy nuclei. HD 172555 represents the third extrasolar system where astronomers have detected doomed, wayward comets. All of these systems are young, under 40 million years old. The presence of these doomed comets provides circumstantial evidence for gravitational stirring by an unseen Jupiter-size planet, where comets deflected by its gravity are catapulted into the star. These events also provide new insights into the past and present activity of comets in our solar system. Its a mechanism where infalling comets could have transported water to Earth and the other inner planets of our solar system. Astronomers have found similar plunges in our own solar system. Sun-grazing comets routinely fall into our Sun. Seeing these Sun-grazing comets in our solar system and in three extrasolar systems means that this activity may be common in young star systems, said study leader Carol Grady of Eureka Scientific Inc., in Oakland, California, and NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This activity at its peak represents a stars active teenage years. Watching these events gives us insight into what probably went on in the early days of our solar system, when comets were pelting the inner solar system bodies, including Earth. In fact, these star-grazing comets may make life possible, because they carry water and other life-forming elements, such as carbon, to terrestrial planets. Grady will present her teams results Jan. 6 at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. The star is part of the Beta Pictoris Moving Group, a collection of stars born from the same stellar nursery. It is the second group member found to harbor such comets. Beta Pictoris, the groups namesake, also is feasting on exocomets travelling too close. A young gas-giant planet has been observed in that stars vast debris disk. The Beta Pictoris Moving Group is important to study because it is the closest collection of young stars to Earth. At least 37.5 percent of the more massive stars in the group either have a directly imaged planet, such as 51 Eridani b in the 51 Eridani system, or infalling star-grazing bodies, or, in the case of Beta Pictoris, both types of objects. The grouping is around the age where it should be building terrestrial planets, Grady said. A team of French astronomers first discovered exocomets transiting HD 172555 in archival data gathered between 2004 and 2011 by the European Southern Observatorys HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) spectrograph. A spectrograph divides light into its component colors, allowing astronomers to detect an objects chemical makeup. The HARPS spectrograph detected the chemical fingerprints of calcium imprinted in the starlight, evidence that comet-like objects were falling into the star. As a follow-up to that discovery, Gradys team used Hubbles Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) in 2015 to conduct a spectrographic analysis in ultraviolet light, which allows Hubble to identify the signature of certain elements. Hubble made two observations, separated by six days. The telescope detected silicon and carbon gas in the starlight. The gas was moving at about 360,000 miles per hour across the face of the star. The most likely explanation for the speedy gas is that Hubble is seeing material from comet-like objects that broke apart after streaking across the face of the star. The gaseous debris from the disintegrating comets is vastly dispersed in front of the star. As transiting features go, this vaporized material is easy to see because it contains very large structures, Grady said. This is in marked contrast to trying to find a small, transiting exoplanet, where youre looking for tiny dips in the stars light. Hubble gleaned this information because the HD 172555 debris disk surrounding the star is viewed close to edge on through the disk, giving the telescope a clear view of comet activity. Gradys team hopes to use STIS again in follow-up observations to look for oxygen and hydrogen, which would confirm the identity of the disintegrating objects as comets. Hubble shows that these star-grazers look and move like comets, but until we determine their composition, we cannot confirm they are comets, Grady said. We need additional data to establish whether our star-grazers are icy like comets or more rocky like asteroids. Images and more information about the exocomets in HD 172555 and Hubble: http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2017-02 The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA Goddard manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C. TW Hydrae STSCI A possible planet in a nearby stellar system may be betraying its presence in a unique way: by a shadow that is sweeping across the face of a vast pancake-shaped gas-and-dust disk surrounding a young star. The planet itself is not casting the shadow. But it is doing some heavy lifting by gravitationally pulling on material near the star and warping the inner part of the disk. The twisted, misaligned inner disk is casting its shadow across the surface of the outer disk. A team of astronomers led by John Debes of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, say this scenario is the most plausible explanation for the shadow they spotted in the stellar system TW Hydrae, located 192 light-years away in the constellation Hydra, also known as the Female Water Snake. The star is roughly 8 million years old and slightly less massive than our sun. The researchers uncovered the phenomenon while analyzing 18 years worth of archival observations taken by NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. This is the very first disk where we have so many images over such a long period of time, therefore allowing us to see this interesting effect, Debes said. That gives us hope that this shadow phenomenon may be fairly common in young stellar systems. Debes will present his teams results Jan. 7 at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. Debes first clue to the phenomenon was a brightness in the disk that changed with position. Astronomers using Hubbles Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) first noted this brightness asymmetry in 2005. But they had only one set of observations, and could not make a definitive determination about the nature of the mystery feature. Searching the archive, Debes team put together six images from several different epochs. The observations were made by STIS and by Hubbles Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). STIS is equipped with a coronagraph that blocks starlight to within about 1 billion miles from the star, allowing Hubble to look as close to the star as Saturn is to our sun. Over time, the structure appeared to move in counterclockwise fashion around the disk, until, in 2016, it was in the same position as it was in images taken in 2000. This 16-year period puzzled the researchers. They originally thought the feature was part of the disk, but the short period meant that the feature was moving way too fast to be physically in the disk. Under the laws of gravity, disks rotate at glacial speeds. The outermost parts of the TW Hydrae disk would take centuries to complete one rotation. The fact that I saw the same motion over 10 billion miles from the star was pretty significant, and told me that I was seeing something that was imprinted on the outer disk rather than something that was happening directly in the disk itself, Debes said. The best explanation is that the feature is a shadow moving across the surface of the disk. The research team concluded that whatever was making the shadow must be deep inside the 41-billion-mile-wide disk, so close to the star it cannot be imaged by Hubble or any other present-day telescope. The most likely way to create a shadow is to have an inner disk that is tilted relative to the outer disk. In fact, submillimeter observations of TW Hydrae by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile suggested a possible warp in the inner disk. But what causes disks to warp? The most plausible scenario is the gravitational influence of an unseen planet, which is pulling material out of the plane of the disk and twisting the inner disk, Debes explained. The misaligned disk is inside the planets orbit. Given the relatively short 16-year period of the clocklike moving shadow, the planet is estimated to be about 100 million miles from the star about as close as Earth is from the sun. The planet would be roughly the size of Jupiter to have enough gravity to pull the material up out of the plane of the main disk. The planets gravitational pull causes the disk to wobble, or precess, around the star, giving the shadow its 16-year rotational period. Recent observations of TW Hydrae by ALMA in Chile add credence to the presence of a planet. ALMA revealed a gap in the disk roughly 9 million miles from TW Hydrae. A gap is significant, because it could be the signature of an unseen planet clearing away a path in the disk. This new Hubble study offers a unique way to look for planets hiding in the inner part of the disk and probe what is happening very close to the star, which is not reachable in direct imaging by current telescopes. What is surprising is that we can learn something about an unseen part of the disk by studying the disks outer region and by measuring the motion, location, and behavior of a shadow, Debes said. This study shows us that even these large disks, whose inner regions are unobservable, are still dynamic, or changing in detectable ways which we didnt imagine. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C. More imagery With an aggravated shoulder injury from his past, driver Jonathan Drury took off the final month of the 2016 harness racing season to undergo corrective surgery, but that didnt keep the 27-year-old reinsman from posting a career-year for earnings. The Guelph, Ont. horseman won 131 races in 2016 and drove winners of more than $2.78 million in purse earnings, improving upon his $2.14 million season in 2015 and cracking Canadas top 10 leaderboard in the process. Drury last raced on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Woodbine Racetrack before his scheduled surgery the following Friday to help relieve pinched and inflamed tendons in his shoulder that developed from past injuries to the area. I was in an accident when I was younger, a school bus accident, and kind of landed on it. I got in an accident [racing] at Georgian Downs a long time ago and seemed to land on it. It just seems everything I do I kind of bang up that same spot, explained Drury. It was never really anything serious, but over time it got worse and worse. There was like a hook on the end of the bone in my shoulder and it was pinching all the tendons so, with wear and tear, my tendons became inflamed and there was less room for them to move and everything was just grinding away. Drury explained that through surgery, doctors were able to shave the end of the bone off to create more space and alleviate the inflammation in the tendons. Well into his expected recovery period of two to three months, Drury reported that he is ahead of schedule in his physiotherapy. Everything has been going really well actually, Drury told Trot Insider on Wednesday afternoon. Im ahead of schedule with the rehab. I was supposed to be close to two weeks in a sling before I started anything and they actually got me in for rehab five days after my surgery and got things started. Things have been going really well; my movement is coming back pretty good and Ive got most of my range of motion back. Its just a matter of getting it strengthened up now. Drury will check in with his surgeon on January 10 to review his case and get a better idea of a timeline for his return to racing action, but is hopeful that he will be able to resume driving before the end of the month. Drurys 2016 campaign was highlighted by an Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final victory with the Colin Johnson-trained Arsenal Seelster and multiple Gold wins aboard OBrien Award finalist Betting Line for the Casie Coleman stable. And the rising star has lots to look forward to in 2017, including the return of a pair of promising pacing fillies. 2016 OSS Super Final - Two-Year-Old Colt Pace (Arsenal Seelster, 1st) I look forward to seeing Candlelight Dinner back this year, said Drury of the Coleman trainee he drove to victory in the Eternal Camnation Stakes and finished third in the Three Diamonds on his final race day of 2016. I was also a really big fan of Casies filly Fade there last year and I think youll hear from her again this year. I think shes going to come back to be even better than she was last year. She finished off in her prime and was locked-in in the Super Final and I got out late [to finish second]. I think she probably had a good shot to get there if I could have got out sooner, but I think shes going to be a nice filly this year. Im kind of looking forward to seeing her come back and obviously that colt of Colins, Arsenal Seelster, again. Hopefully, he comes back bigger and stronger. 2016 OSS Super Final - Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (Fade, 2nd) It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here. Even though she might have been disappointed with the outcome of the election, 15-year-old Emma Ortiz-Walters is counting down the days until she leaves for Washington, D.C., to attend the countrys 58th presidential inauguration. The Three Rivers Christian School sophomore and Rainier resident will travel with a group of students from around the nation as part of the Envision Career and Leadership program, which hosts a Presidential Inauguration leadership summit for high school students. One of the things Im most excited about is seeing history being made, Emma said by phone Wednesday. This was a very historic race for the presidency. Im excited to see for lack of a better word the culmination of all that. Shell head out on Jan. 18 and spend the next several days attending conferences, participating in discussion groups and attending the inauguration itself. Emma was invited to apply to the inauguration trip because she was already an alumna of a previous program hosted by Envision, which puts on career, technology and leadership programs for students with high academic achievement. For its basic programs, students must have a 3.0 GPA or greater and demonstrate leadership potential through extracurricular activities as well as personal essays. About 10,000 students attend Envision events all over the country each year. While Emma said shes currently interested in the sciences, particularly theoretical physics, developing leadership skills is important to her. My personal belief is its important even if Im not necessarily going to go into government or business, Emma said. Leadership includes communication skills and being able to articulate yourself well. Part of the upcoming trip includes small-group discussions with other students to generate solutions to real-world challenges that the next president and their generation will face, according to the programs website. Small groups will discuss a range of topics from technology and the future of humanity to conflict and compromise in a global age. Emma will be a part of the group discussing women and their role in global leadership, a topic which interests the young teen. By no means is our country the worst, but were kind of behind in women in leadership and ... theres still a bit of sexism in our society, Emma said. And I think that women have a lot of potential, but in some places theyre not able to use that potential because a man will be chosen before them. Emma and her mother declined to talk specifics about their political leanings, but Emma did say that she was disappointed with the outcome of the November election. Emma will also have the opportunity to explore Washington, D.C., including trips to the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum. Several notable speakers will be in attendance before and after the inauguration, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell and writer and director Spike Lee. The program costs a little over $3,000 to attend, not including airfare. Through fundraising and seeking sponsorship, Emma raised nearly $3,000 toward her trip. Im super proud of the fact that she has a spreadsheet (with) everybodys name and address. And if theyve made a donation she has that logged and she has the date logged when she sent a thank you card, said Emmas mother, Denise Walters. Im super excited for her. Walters said that this is the first presidential election that the entire family (Emma, Denise and Denises husband) has followed together. We all did not share the same political views, Walters said. So there was a lot of, I guess you could say, debating and talk about why we felt the way we felt and what we saw as progress. Walters said her daughter can be very opinionated, and she encourages that as long as Emma has the facts to back it up, Walters said. And she did. If she was going to make a statement ... she had the facts to back up her statement. She has some safety concerns for her daughter, noting how divisive the election was. I think any type of event that she is going to, especially with politics, theres always a chance for trouble, Walters said. But the group has provided parents and attendees with safety procedures, emergency contact numbers and plenty of information that Walters feels confident her daughter will be safe. I thought about her not going when all of the hubbub started with Trump, Walters said. But if we didnt do something every time we were scared, that wouldnt be good. This was a very historic race for the presidency. Im excited to see for lack of a better word the culmination of all that. Emma Ortiz-Walters After Foxconns failure attempt to establish a manufacturing plant for iPhone in Maharashtra, Taiwan-based OEM maker Wistron has confirmed for the same but in Bangalore. The company has chosen Peenya, the citys industrial hub to establish their manufacturing camp. The news was really in buzz as two weeks prior to this, the Wall street Journal has reported Apples keen interest in making iPhone Made in India for which they had been in talks with the State Government of Karnataka. According to a state govt official, Wistorn Corporation has also requested for quick processing of its application. Earlier in May, Apple has shown its interest in guiding Indian developers to build an application for Apple TV and Apple watch. To carry out the same, it has also promised to create an iOS developer community. Now, this is the 2nd biggest announcement from Apple to the Indian market. Apples iPhone 7 has really outshined all the smartphones in the market. If you want to download iPhone 7 wallpapers, check iphone 7 wallpaper here. Apples business in India saw 50% upward scale last year than previous with a sale of 2.5 millions of iPhones, according to a data from Hong-Kong based Counter-point technology Market research. The sales figure touched a rocket high Rs 9997 crore in 2016 which is just 1.5 times of what company had achieved in 2015. This is another reason for Apple on setting up a manufacturing plant. Also through Make in India campaign, The Indian government is providing lucrative incentives to outside manufacturers to open their manufacturing site in India to eradicate job insecurity and to a stronger Indian economy. On the same point, Apple has sought detailed clarification from the government. The company wants to know how exactly the incentives are going to make its decision budget friendly. However, on the global point of view, last year was not so good for Apple as for the first time in 15 years, the company saw a decline in sales target and its faulty iPhones were imported from all parts of the world after halted by the commerce ministry. The tech giant Apple is currently in talks in India for its plans to start manufacturing unit in the country. According to a post from Reuters the company is demanding special concession from the Indian government for its plans. However, the country is resisting the companys demand for the tax incentives, as the trade minister said on Tuesday that India cant offer special exceptions for the U.S. company. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the country cant give special and privileged terms and they are unable to offer extra concessions, however the decision isnt final. Being diplomatic in the statement she said, I am not saying that we have said yes, I am not saying that we have said no. Currently, 42 foreign smartphone manufacturers are making their products in India, including Chinese firm Xiaomi and Huawei. And these firms are already getting benefits from the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (MSIPS) to boost electronic manufacturing in the country. With MSIPS, the government provides financial incentives to offset disability and attract investments in the electronics hardware segment. It also gives a subsidy for investments in Special Economic Zones, among other benefits. Explaining the same, DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek said that the government keeps getting requests from several firms for incentives and the Apples request is one of them. He further addedThe government examines (all the requests) with appropriate departments. All such requests are examined in consultation with concerned departments and that process is on. As a part of PM Narendra Modis bid to boost Make In India, Apple is looking forward to open its own stores in the country but has been demanded from the government to locally source at least some of the components. Last week, the companys CEO Tim Cook had met with PM Modi for the plan in manufacturing and retail in India, as the Cupertino giant is looking to expand its presence in the second largest smartphone selling nation. Apple is pursuing a license to set up its own stores, which could start to open as early as next year. Not only Apple, India is also keen to get the firm to commence making its products in the country. As of now, government officials arent available to comment on the matter, while an Apple spokesperson didnt respond to an email from Reuters seeking comment. If Apple starts local manufacturing in India, it would help the company to open retail stores in the country where its iPhones account for less than 2 percent of Indian smartphones sales. Also, it would lead to job opportunities for the Indian citizens. Currently, Apples products are manufactured in six countries, including South Korea, Japan and the US. The US space agency NASA mesmerizes space enthusiasts by sharing stunning images of earth captured from space. Several astronauts aboard International Space Station and satellites orbiting Earth have shot some incredible pics of our planet. However, what US space agency has shared this time, is one of the best and unique shot of Earth and moon ever. NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that is orbiting Mars has shown how Earth and Moon together appear when seen from the red planet. The breathtaking view was taken on Nov. 20, 2016 by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Scientists at NASA revealed that the spacecraft was nearly 127 million miles away from the Earth when it clicked the image. MRO captured Earth and Moon differently and scientists at the US space agency later processed and stitched the images to make one composite picture that shows both the moon and Earth. Also, scientists have maintained the correct aspect ratio of both the celestial object while joining the image. The combined view retains the correct positions and sizes of the two bodies relative to each other. The distance between Earth and the moon is about 30 times the diameter of Earth. Earth and the moon appear closer than they actually are in this image because the observation was planned for a time at which the moon was almost directly behind Earth, from Mars point of view, to see the Earth-facing side of the moon. In the image, the reddish feature near the middle of the face of Earth is Australia. With HiRISE and five other instruments, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been investigating Mars since 2006. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado. NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASAs Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter and collaborates with JPL to operate it. Also, see top 16 images of Earth shortlisted by NASA that were captured in 2016. These images show Earth in shades and patterns like you have never seen before. From a sunset over the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean to thunderstorms over the Philippine Sea, from Dubai to Aurora Australis, the images seem ethereal. Full Resolution Image: hidden The FBI on Friday released 100 pages of heavily censored documents related to its agreement with an unidentified vendor to hack into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters, but it did not identify whom it paid to perform the work or how much it cost. The records were provided in response to a federal lawsuit filed against the FBI by The Associated Press, Vice Media and Gannett, the parent company of USA Today. The media organizations sued in September to learn how much the FBI paid and who it hired to break into the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people at a holiday gathering of county workers in December 2015. The FBI for weeks had maintained that only Apple Inc. could access the information on its phone, which was protected by encryption, but ultimately broke or bypassed Apple's digital locks with the help of an unnamed third party. The FBI, in its records release Friday, censored critical details that would have shown how much the FBI paid, whom it hired and how it opened the phone. The files had been marked "secret" before they were turned over under the lawsuit. The files make clear that the FBI signed a nondisclosure agreement with the vendor. The records also show that the FBI received at least three inquiries from companies interested in developing a product to unlock the phone, but none had the ability to come up with a solution fast enough for the FBI. The FBI also said in contracting documents that it did not solicit competing bids or proposals because it thought widely disclosing the bureau's needs could harm national security. The lawsuit was filed months after the FBI's sudden announcement in March that it had purchased a tool from an unidentified third party to open Farook's phone. The disclosure aborted a court fight that began when a federal judge had directed Apple to help the FBI break into the phone. The suit by the media organizations argued there was no legal basis to withhold the information and challenged the adequacy of the FBI's search for relevant records. It also said the public had a right to know whether the vendor has adequate security measures, is a proper recipient of government funds and will act only in the public interest. In refusing to provide the records, the FBI said the records had been compiled for law enforcement purposes and might interfere with ongoing enforcement proceedings, even though at the time the shooters were both dead and there were no indications others were involved. It was the third lawsuit the AP has filed against the Obama administration under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. AP hidden Elon Musks SpaceX rocket company has been cleared to resume flying following a launch pad explosion four months ago, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday. The decision clears SpaceX to attempt to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 10 Iridium Communications Inc satellites as early as Monday, a day later than originally planned. SpaceX, owned by Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Officer Musk, on Friday declined to comment about what caused the delay. Liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is targeted for around 10:22 a.m. PST/1:22 p.m. EST. The FAA, which oversees commercial U.S. space launches, oversaw SpaceXs investigation into why a Falcon 9 rocket burst into flames on a launch pad in Florida as it was being fueled for a routine, prelaunch test on Sept. 1. The accident destroyed the $62 million booster and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite that had been partly leased by Facebook Inc to expand internet access in Africa. The FAA has closed the investigation, the agency said in a statement. SpaceX applied for a license to launch the Iridium NEXT satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The FAA has granted a license for that purpose, the statement said. The launch will be SpaceXs first since August. The company has a backlog of more than 70 missions for NASA and commercial customers, worth more than $10 billion. As a result of the accident investigation, SpaceX is changing the way it fuels its rockets to prevent canisters of helium, located inside liquid oxygen tanks, from bursting. The company said the long-term solution will be to redesign the helium canisters, which are made of an aluminum liner and a carbon overwrap. The helium is needed to maintain oxygen tank pressure. All systems are go for launch next week, Musk posted on Twitter. Reuters tech2 News Staff The Maharashtra State government's plan to convert Mumbai into India's first Wi-Fi city is in full swing. The Hindustan Times (HT)reports that the plan is to set up over 6,000 MTNL hotspots at 1,200 locations across the city. The publication clarifies that speeds offered will be in the 20 Mbps range and that 1GB of data or 30 minutes of use, whichever comes first, will be free. The project will be launched in a phased manner, with 500 locations, including slums and tourist hotspots, as the first targets. The date of launch, which was earlier set at 9 January, has apparently yet to be finalised, but a senior government official has reportedly told HT that the launch will happen "soon". Another source tells HT that another 6,000 hotspots at 700 locations will be activated by May. The launch will occur in time for the BMC elections in February. Larsen and Toubro is in charge of the project, which was delayed by more than a month owing to difficulty in procuring the requisite hardware. HT reports that the cost of each access point is "about Rs 2.5 lakh". The total cost will be in excess of Rs 125 crore. About me I'm Avi Green From Jerusalem, Israel I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best. My profile Archives - Archives - July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy Taiwan President heads to US as Beijing watches Taiwan\'s President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech before traveling to visit Central American allies including a U.S. transit on Saturday at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taouyuan, Taiwan. AFP, Taipei : Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan's Central American allies, Tsai's US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office and the foreign ministry declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. Deputy foreign minister Javier Hou told a legislative committee last month the ministry was seeking to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to the Central News Agency. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador-among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. It is also an opportunity to interact with leaders of other countries "to show the international community that Taiwan is a competent and responsible partner," Tsai told reporters Saturday before her departure. May to meet Trump in Washington in spring Reuters, London : British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with Donald Trump in Washington in the spring, a representative said, in the first visit with the new president by the leader of one of the United States' closest allies. In a phone call with Trump in late November, the Conservative prime minister and the Republican president-elect agreed to work on building relationships through the US presidential transition and to meet at the earliest opportunity. "We are pleased to have been able to make that happen and the Prime Minister looks forward to visiting the new president in the spring," May's representative said in an emailed statement on Thursday. The statement did not provide further details on the timing of her visit to the US capital. During the call, May's second such conversation with Trump since his election on November 8, the prime minister "suggested it would be a good idea for key staff from both teams to meet. President-elect Trump agreed this would be useful," the statement said. Trump takes office on January 20. 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. US goes from bandleader to bystander in Syria peace efforts Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington. AP, Washington : Stung by years of failure to stop Syria's bloodshed, the United States is now but a bystander to the civil war as President Barack Obama leaves office. Secretary of State John Kerry still is speaking sporadically with Russian, Turkish and Arab foreign ministers about cease-fire efforts, and there are occasional consultations with the opposition. But less than two weeks before Donald Trump's presidency begins, the outgoing administration is no longer even claiming to play the leading part in the peace mediation that it spearheaded unsuccessfully for years. Formal contacts with Russia and others in Geneva, the main meeting point for the U.S.-led diplomacy, have ended. Leadership has been ceded to Russia and, to a lesser degree, Turkey and Iran. After helping Syria's military oust the remaining rebels in Aleppo last month, Moscow has cast itself as the would-be peacemaker, clinching a new truce without Washington's help and announcing Friday that it was starting to draw down its forces in the region. Russian envoys also are organizing the first talks between the Syrian government and opposition in nearly a year, set for later this month in Astana, Kazakhstan. "We still are at the proverbial table," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Friday. "We may not be at the table in Astana, we may not be at the table in Moscow, I understand that. But it's not like we are walking away from Syria." He added later: "We aren't connected to this piece of it. It's not like we're pulling out from the whole puzzle." With no indication about how the incoming Trump administration intends to proceed on Syria, U.S. diplomats are wary of engaging in any new initiatives that would require a sustained American role. As a result, it is ambivalent about attending even in an observer role the proposed peace meeting. Turkey has told the U.S. its presence would be acceptable, American officials said, but Washington has yet to make a decision. The diminution of the American role could have drawbacks. Obama demanded almost six years ago that Syrian President Bashar Assad leave power and allow for a democratic transition. But Obama's reticence to plunge the U.S. into another Mideast war meant the United States never had the capability to shape such an outcome. Its increasingly marginal role in recent months means it could have even less capacity to help shape Syria's future and safeguard vital American interests, such as Israel's security and fighting the Islamic State group. On the other hand, Obama hands the baton to Trump without any large-scale military or diplomatic engagement in Syria. The president never wanted to own the conflict, which has killed up to a half-million people and prompted millions to flee as refugees. And his reticence to intervene at least means Trump will have flexibility, which Obama didn't have in inheriting the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Providing humanitarian aid during civil wars Jonathan Kennedy and Domna Michailidou : In recent months, nongovernmental organizations and journalists have accused the United Nations of bias toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and failure to distribute humanitarian aid to rebel-controlled areas of Syria. The UN does work closely with the Syrian government, and humanitarian aid has not consistently reached areas outside of government control. But the detractors overlook an inherent contradiction in the UN's responsibilities in countries facing civil war. According to the UN Charter, one of the organization's purposes is to coordinate relief operations during and after disasters of a "humanitarian character" in which national authorities cannot cope on their own. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has overall responsibility for the UN's disaster-relief efforts, and its activities should be guided by the four principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. But the UN also has a mandate to respect its member states' sovereignty, which means that it must acknowledge an internationally recognized regime's authority over its territory and the people living there. This is not an issue when countries are ruled by governments that have exclusive jurisdiction over their territory and a genuine concern for their citizens' welfare. But it becomes problematic when these conditions don't exist, such as in civil wars. When militant groups capture territory within a country, it gives rise to a situation that the sociologist Charles Tilly called dual or multiple sovereignty. The rebels, rather than the internationally recognized regime, become the de facto sovereigns of areas they control. This poses a challenge for the UN because of its twin mandates to deliver humanitarian aid impartially and to respect its member states' sovereignty. The challenge becomes stark when an internationally recognized regime denies the UN permission to deliver humanitarian aid to opposition-controlled areas. From the regime's perspective, the fear is that providing aid to these areas will sustain hostile communities, and could be perceived as acknowledging the rebels as de facto political leaders. This civil-war scenario characterizes Syria. The Assad regime had lost control of vast swaths of territory within the Syrian Arab Republic's nominal borders, and it has little concern for the welfare of communities living in rebel-controlled territory, as evidenced by the Syrian Army's indiscriminate violence toward civilians in those areas. And yet, despite the Assad regime's contempt for humanitarian norms, the UN still must obtain its permission to operate in rebel-controlled areas. In fact, the UN's Humanitarian Response Program for Syria stipulates that "the Government of Syria bears the primary responsibility for protecting its citizens." In theory, the Syrian government allows humanitarian aid to be transported across the front lines from areas it controls to rebel-controlled territory. In practice, however, delivering aid has been extremely difficult, owing to ongoing fighting and bureaucratic obstacles put in place by the Syrian government. The UN has very little power to influence the Syrian government's humanitarian-aid strategy, and if it openly defies the regime, it could lose permission to operate in the country at all. The UN has helped negotiate temporary ceasefires so that humanitarian-aid agencies can access besieged areas; UN agencies have quietly furnished local NGOs working in rebel-controlled areas with sorely needed supplies and technical advice; and the SC has passed resolutions to bypass the Syrian government and allow cross-border humanitarian-aid delivery. Accusations that the UN is biased toward the Assad regime are unfair, given the reality on the ground. The UN has no other option but to cooperate with the internationally recognized regime. While the UN has worked to overcome these constraints, its efforts have been necessarily slow, reactive, and ad hoc. Worse still, its efforts were possible only because the humanitarian crisis deteriorated to such an extent that it could no longer be ignored. Ideally, the international humanitarian-aid regime would more accurately reflect the political realities in countries afflicted by civil war, and the UN would be able to work with all parties that control territory. One way to achieve this would be to revise the UN Charter so that it permits the organization to engage with de facto political leaders in rebel-controlled areas. The argument for making this change is especially strong in cases such as Syria, where the government has acted without concern for the wellbeing of communities living in rebel-controlled areas. Another possibility would be to transfer responsibility for humanitarian aid in conflict zones to an NGO that is not under the same pressure to respect the sovereignty of internationally recognized regimes. Such a change would be incongruous with the current system of international politics, which is based on the inviolability of nation-states. But surely delivering humanitarian aid to those who need it should be prioritized over the sovereignty of governments that do not respect the welfare of their citizens. (Kennedy is a research associate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. Michailidou works for the Economics Department of the OECD). Fresh loan scam at Sonali Bank Gazi Anowarul Hoque : The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an inquiry into a complaint filed against Showban International (Pvt) Limited that it reportedly embezzled a sum of Tk 6 crore from Sonali Bank Limited by managing GM Rafiqul Islam and DGM Mohammad Alauddin, sources said. The bank itself sent a complaint to ACC for investigation against those officers who violated banking rules and regulation while sanctioning the loan. "Recently, we have collected the loan disbursement documents from the bank. We are investigating the loan scam in a proper way," Mahbub Alam, Deputy Assistant Director of ACC told The New Nation on Saturday. According to the loan documents, the bank authority sanctioned Tk 1.20 crore as loan to Showban International to import capital machinery from Germany with the condition of giving registered mortgage. The borrower, however, wanted to mortgage land for Tk 26 lakh, but the then AGM of RAJUK Branch Rafiqul Islam disbursed of Tk five crore violating banking rules in 2005. The borrower imported machinery from China instead of Germany. Thus the AGM got illegal benefits through over invoice. In the same way, Mohammad Alauddin, DGM of the bank, disbursed Tk 1.20 crore without mortgage of 54.66 decimal lands which was a clear violating of the head office sanction. At the time of loan disbursing Mohammad Alauddin held the post of Branch Manager. Sources said, by this time the borrowing company has been in bankruptcy. The bank filed a case against the loan receiver of about Tk 12 crore on 3rd March 2014 but the party has not been found anywhere. ACC has already summoned GM Rafiqul Islam and DGM Mohammad Alauddin and they have been asked to explain as to why they disburse loans to Showban International without mortgage, sources said. DGM Mohammad Alauddin told The New Nation on Saturday, "The loan was disbursed under order of higher authority." Couple killed, 5 others hurt in Savar Staff Reporter : A couple was burnt to death and five members of the same family injured when a gas cylinder exploded in Katlapur area of Savar municipality in Dhaka district in small hours of Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Rowshan Ali, 50, and his wife Khairunnesa, 45. The injured persons were admitted to Enam Medical College Hospital, police said. "The gas cylinder explosion resulted in fire that engulfed the house around 1:30am, leaving seven persons severely burnt," said Kamruzzaman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Savar Model Police Station. A team of fire service rushed to the spot following information and rescued the injured." The on duty doctors declared the couple dead in the hospital around 2:00am, the police official said. Bullet marks found on Marzan, Saddam`s bodies Fugitive militants to be nabbed soon: IGP Staff Reporter : Physicians found multiple bullet marks on the bodies of 'mastermind' of Gulshan terror attack Nurul Islam Fahad alias Marzan and his accomplice Saddam Hossain. "They (Marzan and Saddam) died of bullet injuries. Besides, we have recovered three bullets from the each body during the postmortem and they were killed in police firing," Assistant Professor Sohel Mahmud, Head of the Forensic Medicine Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) told journalists after conducting autopsies of the bodies on Saturday. Asked whether the militants had taken any drug before they were killed, the forensic expert said it could be known only after receiving the report of chemical analysis of their blood. The physician also said the samples of blood and hairs also have been collected from the bodies for viscera and DNA. The bodies will be kept at the DMCH mortuary. Marzan and his associate Saddam were killed in a gunfight with members of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) at Beribadh in the city's Mohammadpur area early Friday.The CTTC's Sub-Inspector Asgar Ali on Friday filed a case with Mohammadpur Police Station in connection with the alleged gunfight and the case statement said that the third "militant" fled the scene. The third "militant" was not named. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque on Saturday said that Marzan was involved in the most the militant attacks launched in capital Dhaka and northern parts of the country. "We had information that Marzan would enter Dhaka through Mohammadpur Beribadh area. So, we set up a check post in the area. And at last Marzan along with another militant Saddam Hossain appeared the scene," he told journalists on the sideline of the inaugural session of a two-day "International Conference on Terrorism in the Wave of Islamic State" on Dhaka University campus. Replying to a query about the exact number of the militants involved with the 'Neo JMB', Shahidul Hoque said, "Most of the militants were either killed or arrested by law enforcers." He stressed the need for setting up a de-radicalization and rehabilitation centre to bring back the militants to their normal life. "Militants always try to spread their religious beliefs amongst people . . . A de-radicalization and rehabilitation centre will be set up to help them in returning to their normal life," he said. He further mentioned that the misguided people were the members of home-grown militant organizations including Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), who want to change the political ideology through violence. Subsequently, the IGP told journalists that the members of law enforcement agencies would be able to nab the militant kingpin Major Zia like others as they continue their combined drives. He added that police will now track down terror financiers and backers. "The fugitive militant will be detained soon," he said. Replying to a query, he said, "As we have enough evidences regarding the Holey Artisan bakery or other attacks, the deaths of Gulshan cafe attack's mastermind Marzan and his cohort Saddam will not hamper our efforts in countering militancy." The IGP said the drive will continue until militancy and terrorism are rooted out completely from the country. Marzan allegedly coordinated the Gulshan cafe attack while Saddam Hossain alias Rahul led "Neo JMB" activities in the northern region. Marzan was next in the rank to top Neo JMB coordinator Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury while Saddam was wanted in at least 10 murder cases, including that for the killing of Japanese national Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur and Jogeshwar Das Adhikari in Panchagarh. BNP`s countrywide demo today Having failed to get permission for holding its scheduled rally in the city, BNP on Saturday announced a countrywide demonstration programme for Sunday. BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office. Rizvi said their demonstration programme is meant for registering their party's protest against the denial of police permission for their Saturday's scheduled rally at Suhrawardy Udyan and attack on their party leaders and activists at different parts of the country during the party's black flag procession programme on January 5 marking the 10th parliamentary election day as 'Democracy Killing Day'. "They (govt) have once again proved that they have shut all the doors and windows of democracy by not allowing us to hold our rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. I, on behalf of BNP, strongly denounce the government's attitude," said Rizvi. As part of their protest against the government action, the BNP leader said their leaders and activists will stage demonstrations and bring out protest processions in all metropolitan cities and district towns across the country on Sunday. Besides, he said, Dhaka city BNP's all thana units will also observe similar programmes on the same day. Earlier on December 28, BNP sought permission from the authorities concerned to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on January 7 marking January 5 as 'Democracy Killing Day'. BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday urged the government to allow their party to hold its rally either at Suhrawardy Udyan or in front of their central office, but there was no response from Dhaka metropolitan police to it. Huge law enforcers were deployed in front of BNP's Nayapaltan central office and its adjacent areas since morning. They barred BNP leaders and activists from entering their office. The law enforcers took position in front of the BNP office with armored vehicles, water cannons and a prison vans. However, the presence of police started getting thin after the announcement of BNP's demonstration programme. Criticising the government for deploying the law enforcers in front of their office and Suhrawardy Udyan, Rizvi said, "Law enforcers have besieged our office. A war-like situation has also been prevailing in Suhrawardy Udyan area since morning. It seems the government has declared a war against BNP." He alleged that the government is suppressing their party leaders and activists by using law enforcers like their party musclemen. "The government now considers police, not people, as the source of power." He warned that the way the ruling party has resorted to repressive acts and put democracy into a 'poisonous gas chamber', it will not find any one to lament for it when it falls in a dangerous situation in the future. Eviction fear grips shop owners Bulldozer being used to remove debris of the partially collapsed DNCC market that caught the devastating fire early Tuesday gutting over 300 shops. This photo was taken on Saturday. Reza Mahmud : Fear of eviction spreads among the shop owners of the fire ravaged DNCC market at Gulshan-1. The businessmen who termed the incident as an act of sabotage, said that an influential quarter might demolish the market to build a multi-storied shopping mall there. The businessmen were under pressure to agree with the proposal in this regards before outbreak of fire in the market on Wednesday midnight. "It was a sabotage. It was an act of miscreants. There are a lot of reasons to think such," Sher Mahmud, President of the Businessmen's Association of the east portion of the market known as 'Kancha Market'told The New Nation yesterday. He said, they are analysing amount of losses after talks with the shop owners of the market. We had also formed a probe body on Saturday, asking the market businessmen to find out the causes of fire. "We will request the government to pay us compensations after holding a press conference on Sunday," he said. Dhaka North City Mayor Annisul Huq, who visited the spot twice, denied that it was an act of sabotage. He claimed that it was an accident and suspected that short-circuit might have caused the fire. He also assured that the victims would be given priorities when the construction of the new building will be constructed. Meanwhile, Talal Rizvi, the President of West portion of the market known as 'Pucca Market' told The New Nation, "We did not know what was the reason of fire in the market. We formed a probe body on Friday to investigate the reason of fire." "The extent of losses of 234 shops in pucca market has been estimated for Tk two billion," he said. The business leader said that the Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq also formed a probe body on Thursday. Talal Rizvi said, "After getting the reports from the probe body, we will demand compensations." The shopping complex, divided into two sections, has a total of around 600 shops. The second floor sells imported food items, readymade garments, electronic goods etc, while the east end of the ground floor complex sells groceries and kitchen items. A large section on the ground floor has gas-cylinder repairing outlets. The correspondent saw on Saturday that smoke even afternoon from the devastated Kancha Market, three days after the fire broke out. The shop owners were seen busy on the day to assess their losses. They were seen to fill-up some forms provided by the business body. Some of the businessmen and their workers were seen to shift the goods from the shops. Most of the goods were damaged in east side of the market. Unburned cloths and other products of some shops were affected by smoke and Fire Brigade waters. The glass and steel wares were seen damaged by fire and smoke. Most of them found half burned and tainted with smoke. Some shops were found in west portion trading but the two gates of the market were found mostly closed with the police check post barricades. There was huge rush but few of them were customers of the shops. Most of them wanted to go there only to see the conditions of the market. Most of them were the shop owners and the employees to sort out the goods. "We are undone now. Most of us are in uncertain condition if we be able to continue our business here," said one of the shop owners preferring anonymity. He said, "Some influential persons are creating pressure upon us to agree with the suggestion for build a multi-storied shopping complex. We did not agree because of the uncertainty of our future possessions. Amid the unpleasant circumstances, the incident of fire occurred. Most of the shop owners lost almost of their capital, their resources. We feel very helpless in this uncertain situation." "Few of our shop owners have sold their goods. Most of them were busy to repair and clean the shops and goods." Said Muhammad Babu Mian, owner of Nahar Furnishers in the market. He said, the fire harmed them seriously. created an accute uneasy situation. "We did not know how many days will cost us to fully repair the market. We are waiting to overcome uneasy situation like the smoke and stains," he said. Labourers started repairing and evacuation works without helmet and without sufficient safety measures in the devastated portion of Kancha Market. Some local leaders were in the markets' ground floor where the workers were working. They alongwith the labours prevented the media men to take photographs and video footages from them. They misbehaved with journalists who went there for taking footages. The leaders introduced them as the shop owners but denied to give details. Doubtful jumps of capital machinery imports IMPORT payments for capital machinery increased by 80.80 per cent to US$ 2.49 billion in the first five months (July-November) of the current financial year compared with that in the same period a year ago, strengthening suspicion of money laundering as the growth came amid dull business and investment situation in the country, as per a report of a local daily. The latest Bangladesh Bank data released on Thursday showed that import of industrial raw materials also posted a positive growth in the July-November period of FY17 compared with that of the same period in FY16. Experts and BB officials said that some businessmen were now laundering money abroad in the form of import of capital machinery when the country's business was facing a dull situation. The country's business is now facing a stagnant situation, and so the rising import of capital machinery raises a suspicion that money laundering might be occurring behind the scenes. Former interim government adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam is reported to have said that some persons had conducted capital flight in the form of import of capital machinery, as per the report. They have done it through over-invoicing in the letters of credit form (LCF) as the country's economy now was not so strong that the jump in the import of capital machinery could be explained. This view was echoed by former BB governor Salehuddin Ahmed, as per the report. It is well known that capital flight is a serious problem facing all developing countries including Bangladesh. The solutions to the problem are also easy -- it should not be a big matter to coordinate the knowledge of Bangladeshi citizens who hold accounts which have huge cash reserves -- provided the central banks of developed countries co-operate. While the Western banks have strict privacy policies these can be circumvented -- as the US has done with the FACTA Act which requires all banks -- including Swiss ones, to notify the US of the wealth of their US citizen accounts. Data from the Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington-based research organisation, gives a comprehensive picture about money laundered out of a country. Illegal capital flight from Bangladesh surged 33.78 percent year-on-year to $9.66 billion in 2013 through trade misinvoicing and other channels, according to the GFI. The highest in a decade, the amount was more than six percent of the country's GDP and one-third of the export receipts in 2013. It is three times the size of average foreign aid Bangladesh received in recent times. The organisation had ranked Bangladesh 26th in the list of the countries that lost most money to illicit money outflows. This is why Bangladeshi citizens' deposits with Swiss banks rose to 8.85 percent year-on-year in 2015 to an astounding Tk 4,423 crore (550.85 million Swiss franc), shows Swiss central bank data -- up from only 1222 crore in 2011.This tremendous amount should not be lost forever, it must be brought back into the country. AL now `criminal breeding farm`, says Rizvi UNB, Dhaka : Accusing Awami League 'cadres' of attacking their party's female leaders and activists in Barisal, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said the ruling party has now turned into a 'criminal breeding farm'. "Police and the armed cadres of Chhatra League and Jubo League attacked our female leaders, including a female councillor, at Barisal City unit BNP office while observing democracy killing day's programme on January 5, leaving around 50 of them seriously injured," he said. The BNP leader further said, "Different forces and Awami cadres have taken the competition of repressing women to the Olympic level under the current regime. It has resorted to repressive acts to eliminate its opponents pampering criminals. It seems that Awami League itself has become a criminal reproduction farm." Rizvi came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office protesting the denial of permission for their Saturday's scheduled rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. He slammed Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader for accusing BNP of trying to grab power by ousting the Sheikh Hasina government through a conspiracy, saying it's Awami League, not BNP, assumed office through a plot. "Local and international conspirators have put you (AL) in power." Protesting the AL leader's allegation, Rizvi also urged Quader to explain how and what type of conspiracy BNP is hatching against the government. He said Awami League was happy when military ruler HM Ershad took over ousting an elected government. "Isn't it part of conspiracy...You had supported the Fakhruddin-Moyeenuddin-led illegal and unconstitutional administration. Were they not conspirators those who support such a regime? The Awami League general secretary should explain it." The BNP leader claimed that their party never ever supported any undemocratic and evil forces. Mentioning that a ruling party leader said no one wearing uniform (Army) will put Khaleda Zia in power, he said, "It's a nice comment. But, we've seen you repeatedly supported the people in uniform." He said though some people in uniform annihilated democracy, many of them also protected democracy in different countries, including the UK, the USA and France. Marzan`s death won`t affect case: IGP UNB, Dhaka : Inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque on Saturday said the killing of top 'Neo JMB' leader Nurul Islam Marzan, the 'mastermind' of Gulshan terror attack, will not affect the case in this regard. "Now we've enough information most militants involved in the attack have been arrested while others killed in gunfights with law enforcers," the IGP said. The police chief said this while talking to reporters after attending an international conference on the rise of Islamic State organised by the Department of Criminology of Dhaka University at Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on the campus. He also said Marzan was involved in militant attacks carried out in Dhaka and Sholakia in Kishoreganj. Marzan and his associate Saddam were killed in a gunfight with members of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) at Beribadh in the city's Mohammadpur area early Friday. UN Human Rights envoy to probe Rohingya violence QNA News, New York : United Nations on Friday said its human rights envoy for Myanmar will probe escalating violence in the country, including a military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, when she visits next week. During the 12-day visit, at the invitation of the Government, the Special Rapporteur will address a broad range of human rights issues with the authorities and various stakeholders, including political and community leaders, civil society representatives, as well as victims of human rights violations and members of the international community. In line with her mandate from the UN Human Rights Council, Lee has proposed benchmarks to the Government ahead of her visit to help monitor and assess progress in the situation of human rights in Myanmar. By the end of her visit, she hopes to arrive at mutually agreed benchmarks with the Government, which will include priority areas for technical assistance and capacity building. Intensifying clashes between Myanmar's military and ethnic minorities has undercut Aung San Suu Kyi's vow to bring peace to the country following her party's elevation to government last March. Areas of Rakhine have been in lockdown since October, sending tens of thousands of the Rohingya minority fleeing to Bangladesh. Lee has slammed the lockdown as "unacceptable" and called for an investigation into claims troops have raped, murdered and tortured civilians from the Muslim minority. 12 members of Noa Bahini surrender UNB, Patuakhali : Members of Sundarbans-based infamous robber gang 'Noa Bahini' surrendered to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal along with their arms at Kuakata Rakhaine Market field in Kalapara upazila on Saturday morning. Twelve members of the gang laid down their 25 firearms and 1000 bullets around 12.30pm, said Major Adnan, deputy commanding officer of RAB-8 Barisal. Later, the minister distributed TK 20,000 each to 60 robbers who surrendered earlier and now out of jail on bail for their rehabilitation. He also distributed TK to the family members of 12 robbers who are still in jail for their legal support. The surrendered robbers used to attack trawlers of fishermen and kidnap fishermen for ransom in deep forests of the Sundarbans. Over the last six months, a total of 72 members of eight robber gangs of the Sundarbans surrendered to law enforcers along with huge arms and ammunition. An alleged terrorist is not a proven terrorist, if killed Editorial Desk : The blazing question of crossfire killings by our law enforcers is once again raised against the backdrop of killings of Nurul Islam Marzan and his aide Saddam Hossain. Marzan was reportedly the operational commander of last year's Holey Artisan Bakery attack, and Saddam, an accused murderer of Japanese national Kunio Hoshi; nevertheless, both were shot dead by the counter-terrorism police near Mohammadpur's Beribandh vicinity, the day before yesterday. Like many times before, we are forced to ask - whether our law enforcement agencies have any civil, professional or constitutional rights to exercise such killings of suspected criminals. Surely, they do not have. Our Constitution guarantees that nobody can be deprived of his life without due process of law. Humans are the easy target for anybody to kill. There is no need for highly trained professional police. Whatever the term may be, the long-list of extra-judicial killings occurring in recent times has not only seriously diminished the friendly face of the police to our people, but has also made our law enforcement more and more difficult. Recent statistics have revealed truth, shocking enough to instil an ordinary mind with ghastly apprehensions. According to a reliable source, total number of extra-judicial killings between the years 2001 and 2016, now stands anywhere between 2685 and 2700, perhaps even more. More often than not, it is either RAB or police and now counter-terrorism units, who are frequently, mentioned in the news reports, but in reality - at least some twenty-four various affiliates of the country's main law enforcement wing the police and also the defence establishments are in same way connected and responsible for all the killings. The new breed of victims of wholesale killing are now markedly, alleged, 'listed and un-listed' extremists, Jihadists and fundamentalists. This new definition commenced after the last July Gulshan Cafe attacks. The point, however, is about the ability of the prosecution to prove in a court of law who are what. But such a situation in which anybody can be killed and called extremist creates panic in the minds of the general public and helps the dangerous elements to be more dangerous because real dangerous ones remain free. With regard to the killings of Marzan and his aide, following all unexplained and unjustified killings in the shape of busting terrorist hideouts - the government is repeatedly violating a very crucial article of our constitution. Article 31 of the Constitution of Bangladesh clearly states: "To enjoy the protection of law, and to be treated in accordance with law, is the inalienable right of every citizen, wherever he may be, and of every other person for the time being within Bangladesh, and in particular no action detrimental to the life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law." This Article should make the law enforcers of sacred responsibility to save lives. It is our strong belief that by police being not careful of the law, crimes will not be stopped. We want to help police for our own safety and security. What we want to emphasise is that our police must act as law-enforcers and not enforcers of power politics. We want our police to be pro-people and pro-law. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe News / Africa by IOL Johannesburg - The Limpopo Department of Health has warned of the danger of drowning in the Limpopo River which is commonly used as a crossing point into South Africa from neighbouring Zimbabwe and Botswana.The Department's spokesperson, Derick Kganyago, said on Friday that increased rainfall over the past week had seen river levels rise, leading to strong flowing currents."The Limpopo River is also crocodile infested, further posing a risk to the lives of those illegally using the river to cross into the province," said Kganyago.He said the department had appointed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescue personnel, the South African Police Service and military to assist with search and rescue operations over the past week as several incidents had been reported."On Wednesday evening it was reported that four adults were swept away by the river while crossing to Vhembe and to date, two have drowned and their bodies have been retrieved," he said."Meanwhile, the search continues for the remaining two. There are reports of people having been swept away by heavy currents of the river in various parts of the province and our teams are working tirelessly to bring them to safety."Kganyago said the Department was grateful for the work done by the search and rescue teams from the EMS, SAPS and Military in putting their own lives at risk in trying to save others and working along river banks infested with crocodiles and snakes.Kganyago said the department was also concerned about the public health impact that was posed by the illegal crossing of the river."At this time of the year, the risk of infection from cholera and typhoid and other waterborne diseases is high," he said.The Department warned the public not to consume water and further urged residents who experienced symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pains or cramps to visit their nearest health clinic. News / National by Staff Reporter The High Court of Zimbabwe will this term alone hear 45 murder cases, one robbery case and prophet Walter Magaya's rape case between this month and March.The National Prosecuting Authority has since notified authorities in charge of prisons in Bindura, Marondera, Karoi, Mt Darwin, Murehwa, Kadoma, Chinhoyi and Mutoko to make arrangements and transfer the murder suspects held in their prisons to Harare prisons immediately.Police have been advised to ensure that witnesses are available to attend court on time."The subpoenas for all witnesses for the cases set down for this period have been sent to you for distribution to the various police stations and for the services to the witnesses," reads the notice to Deputy Commissioner General of Police (Crime) Godwin Matanga.Meanwhile, the newly opened Masvingo High Court will hear 22 murder cases when the judicial year opens. The court was officially opened in May last year.The first ever High Court to be opened in Masvingo in post-independence Zimbabwe is manned by two judgesJustices Joseph Martin Mafusire and Garainesu Mawadze.Masvingo became the third city to house the High Court after Harare and Bulawayo. 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. I've had a bit of a difficult time moderating the comments to the Ektachrome post. Seems some feathers are getting ruffled, going both ways. On that score, just a reminder: I ask that comments respond to the post, not to other commenters, unless you're being helpful. Our Comments Section is like the "Letters to the Editor" section in a newspaper. It's not a forum. My own [personal, individual, you don't have to agree with it] opinion, echoing a comment Carl Weese made long ago: Black-and-white was already perfect in the film era. Digital was the coming of age of color. ...And, at least for home and enthusiast use, digital color surpasses anything the film era had to offer, with the possible exception of projected Kodachrome. But look, we're all different, eh? There's no point in getting upset one way or the other about it. Everybody has their own preferences and opinions. Some people love film, some people love digital, some people love both. Some people have strong opinions about many different aspects of technique within analog or digital. One person's opinions about materials and ways of working don't have to affect another's. Can strong opinions be consistent with tolerance? I think so, as long as the strong opinions don't cross the line into "true believer" territorywhich is more of a psychological affliction, if you ask meand as long as we're not talking about core beliefs like politics or religion. Or PCs vs. Macsif I may quote Kurtz in Heart of Darkness, "Windows! The horror! The horror!" That might not be quite the exact quote. Personally, for example, I never gave a fig about Ektachrome, but that doesn't mean I don't respect someone who worked with it for years, loved it, has warm memories of it, and is delighted it's coming back. I'm happy for them. Why wouldn't I be? All good if you ask me. I would never look at great work and say, "it's no good because it was shot on Ektachrome." That would never happen. Other people might not give a fig about Plus-X and Tri-X, which I shot thousands of rolls of prior to A.D. 2000 and loved dearly. That's all right with methey don't have to like what I liked. Well, as long as they're willing to remain open-minded about the work itself, I guess. There's that need for tolerance again. We all tend to like what we need (or needed) for our work, I think, and whatever "nourishes our enthusiasm" in Ansel's words*. What that is can be different for different individuals. All that's needed is to rememberoh yeahto be tolerant. Mike * I love that phrasea mild, careful verbal formulation that nevertheless acknowledges the depths of photo-geekery, to which Ansel was not immune. Original contents copyright 2017 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. Settle this dispute Give Mike a Like or Buy yourself something nice (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.) Featured Comments from: Al DaValle: "Thank God we all like different things!!! Think how boring the world would be if our desires, preferences and choices were the same!!!" Tyler Monson: "'To have to despise something in order to respect something else is a sign of impotence' (Paul Strand, 1917)." Speed: "I wonder...did anyone ever complain to Paul Simon that he hadn't written a song called 'Ektachrome'?" Mike replies: It's little known, but that was the original title of the song. "Ektachroh-oh-ome / You give me those aaaac-curate colors." However, he couldn't find anything to rhyme with the line "All the world's a sunny day...as long as you use a Wratten 81A warming filter...." hugh crawford: "I hadn't even heard that Ektachrome had gone away, but looking through all my 30-year-old Ektachromes and Kodachromes I really am not too interested in using Ektachrome ever again. In fact I wish I hadn't used it then. It was the abundance of labs that would clip test, push- and pull-process and do one-hour processing and have a guy on a bicycle hand-deliver it to you that made E-6 worthwhile. Kodachrome I would be interested in. Verichrome Pan would tempt me back into the darkroom." Mike replies: You and me both, but only if they re-introduced Medalist along with it! CHESTER The first-degree murder trial for a man who is accused of causing the death of a Chester police officer in October has been postponed. Jason Stoker appeared in Judge Richard Brown's Randolph County Courtroom Friday for a case management conference. Randolph County Public Defender James Kelley asked for a continuance in Stoker's first-degree murder case. He cited problems in getting the accident reconstruction back from the Illinois Sate police in time to prepare adequate defense for the the February jury trial. Stoker, of Chester, was arrested for allegedly leading officer James Brockmeyer on a high-speed chase Oct. 28 outside of Chester on Palestine Road, which allegedly resulted in Brockmeyer crashing his car; Brockmeyer died in the crash. Kelley said it is his client's right to a speedy trial, but because of the nature of the case and the slower-than-anticipated timeline for preparing evidence, he needed more time. Kelley said after discussion with Stoker, he had agreed to waive his right and prolong the trial. Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker had no objection, saying that he, too, would like a chance to look at the crash reconstruction. Judge Brown asked Stoker if he understood his rights and understood that he was granting the court longer than the 120-day window the law requires those charged with a crime to be tried within. Stoker said he did. Brown granted the continuance, scheduling a meeting for March 10 to see how the case was progressing. The case could be tried as early as March or as late as July, depending on when jury settings are scheduled and when the case is ready. During Stoker's probable cause hearing Dec. 5, Special Agent Farrin Melton of the Illinois State Police testified that, based on his investigation, he believed Brockmeyer tried to pull Stoker over after reports that Stoker was crossing into Illinois from Missouri. Police have said Stoker was wanted for using an invalid driver's license and for his alleged connection to trafficking methamphetamine. After being signaled to pull over, Stoker allegedly led Brockmeyer on the high-speed chase. Melton said a preliminary traffic reconstruction report revealed that Brockmeyer was traveling at a speed of 114 mph when he crashed. Melton said a preliminary cause of Brockmeyers death was blunt force trauma. A Murphysboro woman was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of retail theft and theft, according to a Friday news release from Michael Carr, Jackson County States Attorney. On Dec. 11, Kristen Duncan, 35, received a ride from a Murphysboro woman to a local grocery store. The two then went to the Murphysboro womans home for a short time, and later that afternoon the woman gave Duncan a ride to Duncans friends house where the two departed ways. On Dec. 12, the Murphysboro woman noticed that a bottle of prescription medicine was missing from her kitchen cabinet. Duncan admitted to having taken the medicine. Also Dec. 12, Duncan took items from the Hucks Store on Walnut Street in Murphysboro. An employee witnessed the theft and video surveillance confirmed Duncans actions. A warrant was issued, and she was apprehended for both crimes two days later. The release states that Duncans criminal history includes three prior theft convictions, a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, and a burglary conviction, all in Jackson County. The Southern CARBONDALE A new law is aimed at alleviating the states teacher shortage by making it easier for out-of-state educators to transfer their licenses to Illinois. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the measure into law Friday at Carbondale Community High School. He was joined by outgoing State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, a co-sponsor of the bill, and State Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphsyboro. Rauner hailed the bipartisan SB 2912, which passed unanimously in both chambers of the Illinois Legislature, as a great step in the right direction for teachers in Illinois. Everything we do in public service, we focus on our young people and building a better future for the children and our grandchildren in Illinois, Rauner said. The law allows the Illinois State Board of Education to grant Illinois licenses to teachers with comparable out-of-state licenses, and it also reduces the fees associated with obtaining a teaching license or substitute teaching license. In addition, the law lifts burdens for retired teachers who want to return to the classroom as substitute teachers. Carbondale Community High School Superintendent Steve Murphy said schools in the Carbondale district struggle to find substitute teachers. All of us superintendents in Southern Illinois, when we interview new teachers, we get great candidates from Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and our state government should really facilitate those teachers that want to move to Illinois, rather than put up a bunch of red tape to stop them from moving to Illinois, Murphy said. Illinois Association of School Administrators Regional Superintendent Jeff Vose said his office has seen the impact of the teacher shortage problem firsthand. A district in Peoria had 60 unfilled teacher positions earlier this year, he said. Thats just unacceptable. From being in education as long as I have been, this bill will help hopefully rectify that situation and it will stop the unnecessary roadblocks to get a license to be a teacher, Vose said. Rauner called the states lack of support for schools immoral and a fundamental failure. Weve got a bipartisan task force working right now, in fact I think theyre meeting again today, to come up with a new funding formula so we can support our more rural districts, our smaller school districts, our low-income districts, and get more equitable school funding along with more school funding for all schools, Rauner said. Meeting with press after the bill signing, Rauner was asked about the possibility of a stopgap for K-12 categorical funding for the remainder of the academic year. Im pushing every day to get a balanced budget with more resources for education. For me, education is the number one priority. Nothing should come ahead of education, funding our teachers, our schools, he said. In regards to reports of budget talks between Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Republican Leader Christine Radogno, Rauner said it would be premature to comment on specifics but that he was briefed on the possible deal by Radogno earlier in the week. Im not familiar with all the details. I think theyre still being worked out. I think some legislation is being drafted, but Im heartened by that, Im optimistic that Democrats and Republicans are negotiating in good faith to come up with changes to our system so its not broken anymore, Rauner said. Reached by phone on Friday, Illinois Education Association Director of Government Relations Jim Reed said the union supports the new law, but that it took issue with an early draft that would have allowed individuals with 60 hours of college coursework to teach under a short-term substitute teachers license. (The current requirement is 120 hours.) That provision was taken out of the bill, thanks to the IEAs negotiations throughout the fall session and into the veto session. We think its a good first step. We understand and know that there is still a shortage and that we probably have to find other ways to help address the shortage, but we applaud both the sponsors and the governor for signing the bill, Reed said. News / National by Stephen Jakes MDC-T senior official Job Wiwa Sikhala has related on how the Zimbabwean government resorted to harassing and oppression white Zimbabweans leading most of them to leave the country resulting to the economic crisis currently rocking the nation."The incident that made me feel pity for white Zimbabweans, is that it was sometime in the 2000s when the toxic Zanu PF politics of racial discrimination and incitement of hatred against white Zimbabweans was at its peak that I was one of those who sat silently in Parliament listening to Paul Mangwana who was chosen to be the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee to investigate on the misconduct of Roy Bennett after his altercation with the then Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa," Sikhala wrote on his Facebook post."The altercation is sometimes reported with exaggerated superlatives to paint a picture of a rogue Boer in Roy Bennett even though Roy is not a Boer. The scuffle having been provoked by Chinamasa's derogatory answer to Bennett's question in parliament on how the former white commercial farmers will be compensated for the improvements made in commercial farms and how far the government has gone to complete the investigations on the murder of several commercial farmers such as Stevens."He said rather than answering the question Chinamasa went all over the place insulting Bennett and his ancestors that he had no right whatsoever to ask him such a question which Chinamasa described as silly because Bennett's ancestors were murderers and that this government had no business to protect descendants of murderers."Bennett was told by some other MPs seated next to him that Chinamasa's insults have gone beyond normal expectations that if ever such words were uttered to them they would have long assaulted him. In a blink of an eye Bennett aggressively left his seat charging towards Chinamasa. On his way charging to Chinamasa, Didymus Mutasa kicked Bennett by the buttocks and Bennett pushed Chinamasa and told him off. The push was extremely minimal. The joke of what we used to see in the Sri Lankan Parliament or Indian Parliament or even the South African Parliament since the emergency of EFF," he said."Few days later Chinamasa moved a motion in Parliament for the institution of a Parliamentary Committee to investigate whether Bennett's conduct had violated the Parliamentary Rules and Orders. Paul Mangwana was appointed the Chairperson of the Committee which was congested with Zanu PF persons. The MDC was represented by Prof Welshman Ncube and the Parliamentary Chief Whip Innocent Gonese."Sikhala said Paul Mangwana after a long time of about 8 months came back to present the verdict of his Committee to Parliament where his Committee asked Parliament to sit as a court to pass a custodial sentence to Bennett."Mangwana spoke as if Bennett was responsible for all the deaths and violence that took place in the country since 1890 to that day. Bennett was portrayed as the villain of all. Mangwana was in an overzealous and pompous mood on the day in question. He retrieved all superlatives to describe how evil Bennett was and the need of our society to confine him to prison with hard labour so as to send a clear message to would be white offenders of Bennett's mental disposition," he said."We might hate him or like him, Tendai Biti on this particular gave one of the most polished legal presentation. In his contribution when the debate was brought to the floor Biti presented a long narrative of our history and the position of law when an institution like Parliament is faced with such a problem. It was a refined oral mitigation that brought the best out of the man. His presentation is one of the best I heard from him. When David Coltart came in to give a passionate narration of the history of violence in our country since 1890 through to the Smith regime via Gukurahundi and the 1999 to 2000s violence the House kept quiet for sometimes to ponder. The two lawyers gave memorable defence to Bennett while in the same vein where explicitly exposing Zanu PF hypocrisy."He said despite pleas of justice to be exercised in the matter, the hard hearts of Zanu PF could not be turned."They wanted the man to be eliminated from the political radar. They wanted him nowhere except behind bars. When we final went for the vote Zanu PF was already singing and ululating. Some where already demanding for his labour in their seized farms. Some were saying he should die. Others started to mock him. I saw and personally witnessed Pauline Gwanyanya, Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga and Edith Matamisa crying. We silently moved out of Parliament to our homes in anger and anguish," he said."It was difficult and hard to take. I have never witnessed such anger in my life. Words that were said by Zanu PF against Zimbabwean whites are unprintable to this day. Even their mother 's private parts were described in jubilation. They were swearing that they will not rest until all whites were driven out of Zimbabwe. Some were even saying that they will have a good time with Bennett's wife or rape her while he is in prison. Others said they will never ever allow him to be brought food in prison. Some saying boys will ravage his back in prison. Others urging him to prepare napkins as he will be impregnated in prison. I have never come across such. Even the worst sinner has rights."Sikhala said having fought for equality in modern Zimbabwe he wonder where Roy is?"Is there anyone with information where this brave man is? What is in his mind? Has he paid his back on Zimbabwe?" he said. News / National by Stephen Jakes A staunch MDC-T supporter, Innocent Shumba has declared that Morgan Tsvangirai will lead a new democratic free Zimbabwe come 2018 elections.The remarks comes as the ruling Zanu PF and over 50 opposition parties in the country are gearing themselves for the campaigns ahead of the water shed polls."His Excellence President Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai will eventually lead a New Democratic Free Zimbabwe. Never again shall Zimbabwe be ruled by an almost 100 year old clueless thuggish sick sadist," Shumba posted on his popular Facebook wall."It's time for Matibili Mudonhi Mugabe to leave Zimbabwe is NOW. Let's mobilise while these hooligans buffoons are busy planning against each other and Victory is Certain come 2018." Orangeburg County leaders rolled out the proverbial red carpet at a celebratory feast Thursday evening in honor of Grand American officials, organizers and hunters. The invitation-only steak-and-potato dinner, held at The Cinema, was provided specifically for the Grand American Board, representatives of the United Kennel Club and Grand American sponsors. The dinner is hosted annually by the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, which also helps to coordinate lodging for Grand American officials. The dinner was catered by former Elloree mayor Van Stickles. Beer and wine were also served. "It is like a big family reunion," Grand American President David McKee told the approximately 150 people in attendance. "We look forward to coming here." McKee praised the hospitality offered by city and county leaders each year the event has been held. "We don't ask for something that ya'll don't help us with," he said. "We hope we do many more years together." McKee recognized all the sponsors of the Grand American. "It means so much that you are here in our city," Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler told the group. "You have been coming for a long time, and we appreciate that." Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright also thanked the Grand American leaders. "With all due respect to the mayor, you can't hunt in the city," Wright said to a round of laughter and the approval of Council Vice Chairwoman Janie Cooper-Smith. "It is a privilege for Orangeburg County to be the host for such an event," Chamber President Melinda Jackson said. "The traffic for the Grand American is triple what we get from the Rose Festival. It is one of our biggest events in the county. We are blessed to and fortunate to have this event." Jackson said the Grand American is a boon for the area's restaurant and hotel business. "These are events we want to see more of," she said. "Thank you so much for choosing Orangeburg as your destination." The dinner served as the kick-off event for the 52nd annual competition. Held at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds, the event features two night hunts and a bench show over the two-day period. Hunters come from all over the country for what is one of Orangeburg County's signature events. The United Kennel Club-sanctioned event is one of the top field trials in the nation for coon dogs. The number of hunters is estimated annually at around 1,000. But the accompanying crowd typically totals more than 40,000 and even 50,000 in years past. Lots of locals join in, visiting the headquarters at the fairgrounds for the treeing contest, bench show and just to see the coon dogs. Its direct economic impact locally has been estimated as high as $6.5 million. South Carolina has been a hub of dog field trials since the early 1900s when professional trainers from across the country recognized the state as ideal for wintertime dog training. Hunters bring their prize-winning coon dogs to compete with hopes of winning the coveted title of Grand Champion. Points are earned by the dogs for their ability to locate and track the animal, but the raccoons are not killed. James Atwell, who won the Grand American in 2001 with his dog Buckhorn Mtn. Nighttime Savage, travels all the way from Bland, Virginia, to compete in the hunt and has been doing so for the past 32 years. He says this year's hunt will be unique in that a rare snowfall is forecast. "A whole lot of the hunters are from up in the northern area," Atwell said. "But the racoons down here don't ever have bad weather. They won't be on the ground and moving as good, and it will be harder to tree them." He said he loves coming back each year for the hunt. "I love the location and the people and the hospitality," Atwell said. "The hospitality is great. It is an honor to be here." Andy Harris of Tarboro, North Carolina, has been coming to the Grand American for 15 years. He was in the final four of the Grand American in 2010. "I love the atmosphere," he said. "It is about meeting new and old friends." Harris said Orangeburg County is a great place to hunt. "It has got some coons and is a good central location," he said, noting the threat of snow is "nothing unusual." "In 2010 when we went out for the final four, it was like 18 degrees to 20 degrees. The water was freezing on my pants. This is nothing unusual." This year Harris will be hunting a younger dog named Gus. He said the late round Saturday night will most likely see a "good, seasoned, older dog" come out on top. "They have a better nose and tend to tree more lay up coons (raccoons that have been up in trees for an extended period)," Harris said. The history of the Grand American is a story of initial skepticism on the part of local officials. Most people at the time were unfamiliar with the sport and had doubts about the Grand Americans viability. The hard work of many volunteers made that first year happen and resulted in locals seeing the attraction. As one of the events founders, Jim Mathis of Denmark, has written about the first year: Most motels were filled, restaurants were busy, coon hunters wives shopped and the officials of Orangeburg were greatly impressed. We never had to pressure them again. Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office A woman blamed sleep deprivation for her shoplifting at Walmart on Wednesday. Deputies responded to the North Road business at 6:46 p.m. where an employee told them the 55-year-old Norfolk, Virginia woman attempted to leave the store with $1,328 worth of merchandise without paying for it. The woman told deputies that she made a mistake, blaming her actions on not getting any sleep over the past two days. Walmart management was able to recover all of the stolen items. Deputies arrested the woman, charged her with shoplifting and transported her to the Orangeburg County Detention Center without incident. In other reports: An employee of a gas station on Homestead Road, Bowman, is facing a larceny charge after he was allegedly caught on video stealing gasoline and clothing. The employee admitted to stealing the items, according to the incident report. Deputies responded to the Pilot Gas Station at 3:14 p.m. on Wednesday after the owner of the business reported a loss of gasoline profits over the past two months and surveillance video purportedly showing an employee stealing from a storage unit on site. The owner told deputies that the storage unit is always locked and only employees can unlock it. He said he recently placed cameras around the storage unit and saw the employee taking 10 units of gasoline from it on Jan. 1, and then on Jan. 2, the same employee took five units of gasoline and two large bags of clothes. The owner said he found the two large bags of clothes in the employees vehicle. When confronted, the employee confessed to the theft and provided a written statement, the owner said. According to the incident report, the employee told deputies he would pay for the items as long as he didnt go to jail, noting that hes currently on probation and could not afford to go back to jail. The owner said it is the policy of the gas stations corporate office to press charges, the report states. Deputies arrested the employee, charged him with larceny and transported him to the OCDC. The value of the stolen gasoline and clothing over the two-day period was $1,061. Deputies at 7:24 a.m. Wednesday responded to a Mannlicher Drive residence where a man reported someone had stolen a set of four 28-inch chrome rims from his 2010 Ford F-150 pickup during the night. The rims are valued at $3,000. News / National by Stephen Jakes ZimPF member Obert Mundevere Ncube has said Rhodesia was a wonderful country in terms of economy and governance though its laws were harsh especially against the black majority.His remarks come in the work of the increasingly deteriorating economic situation in the country under the rule of President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF since 1980."Rhodesia was a wonderful country but the laws were harsh there because of trust between blacks and whites. Admittedly it had it's political problems, but those problems mostly originated with whites against blacks," Ncube said."A black man came in and we celebrated while he signed the death warrant of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of his black community. It was the name "independence" that left the country in the hands of thugs."Ncube said Zimbabweans must register and vote for their political parties of their choices."Mine is Zimbabwe People First. I bank on it, follow me and lets walk the last mile together, we are almost there," he said.Zimbabwe is set to hold general elections in 2018. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. NEW YORK Thomson Reuters (NYSE, TSX: TRI), the worlds leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, announced today that its full-year and fourth-quarter 2016 earnings will be issued via news release on Thursday, February 9, 2017. Jim Smith, chief executive officer, and Stephane Bello, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast that morning at 8:30 a.m. EST. Discussions may include forward-looking information. You can access the webcast by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Thomson Reuters website. Registration for the webcast is now open. Additionally, an archive of the webcast will be available following the presentation. Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com. CONTACT Media Andrew Green Director, Corporate Affairs Tel: +1 646 223 4228 Email: andrew.green@tr.com Investors Frank J. Golden Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: +1 646 223 5288 Email: frank.golden@tr.com By Trend Barring an economic recession, 2016 should have been the low for oil prices, believes Rhidoy Rashid, an oil analyst at Energy Aspects, an independent research consultancy specializing in global energy markets. Rashid believes that as oil demand and supply balances tighten through the course of 2017, after the deal on oil output cut reached by OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, the prices should recover. The forward curve will flatten, and we expect backwardation by late 3Q2017 (barring any supply shocks), after three years of steep contango. Our current price forecasts place Brent at around $65 per barrel by the end of 2Q2017, and prices could rise to as high as $70-75 by the end of this year, the analyst told Trend by email. In December 2016 OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 bpd starting from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months, to take into account prevailing market conditions and prospects. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1, with top exporter Saudi Arabia cutting as much as 486,000 bpd. Rashid noted that the decision to cut production caught many by surprise late last year. Prices received an immediate boost, although there is still much scepticism about how successfully the group will implement its commitments, according to the expert. Certainly, we are not expecting 100 percent compliance from all members, but Saudi Arabia and the other GCC [Gulf] states will follow through on 0.8 mb/d, and other OPEC members should push the total past 80 percent, he said. Rashid went on to add that Nigeria and Libya remain wild cards, but Riyadh is ready to cut further if they manage to outperform. He also noted that in the broader context of the rebalancing cycle, reducing output now, just as inventories have started to edge lower, makes sense as it will put the rebalancing on a firmer footing and ensure an uplift to oil prices. The current OPEC agreement is not necessarily a six-month deal to get oil prices up. Of course, prices are widely expected to rise but the underlying objective is to run down the excess stocks, Rashid said. So the market should not rule out an extension of this deal in May for another six months, the expert believes. OPEC countries agreed to cut oil production at the meeting on Nov. 30. On the eve of this meeting on Nov. 29 Brent oil prices hit $44.68 per barrel. On Jan. 6 oil prices rose to $57.1 per barrel. By Azertac Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration has issued an Order, approving the plan of events on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of January 20 tragedy. Under the plan, meetings, conferences, lectures will be organized, plays will be staged, films and documentaries will be screened to commemorate the bloody events of Black January when in 1990 the Soviet army entered capital Baku, killing and wounding hundreds of innocent and defenseless people. Azerbaijan`s embassies, missions and diaspora organizations in foreign countries will organize commemorative events and increase the international community`s awareness of January 20 tragedy through the mass media, including television, radio and the Internet. According to the plan, commemorative events will also be held by religious confessions and organizations, higher educational institutions and secondary schools across the country. The plan will also see the provision of humanitarian aid to families of those who were martyred in the bloody events. A nationwide minute of silence for victims of the Bloody January will be observed at 12.00 on January 20 and the national flag will be lowered across the country, according to the plan of events. By Trend Few people in Turkey are unaware of the economic, political and military might of Azerbaijan in the region. The surveys carried out in Turkey also testify to this. Today, the Azerbaijan-Turkey relations are at a high level due to the policy of the presidents of the two countries. However, this does not meet the interests of some countries. And there are some countries which think that the Azerbaijan-Turkey relations pose a threat. But there is no reason to think so, as Baku and Ankara are the guarantors of security and stability in the region. Baku and Ankara prove to the world that the common energy and political potential of Turkey and Azerbaijan is aimed at developing the region. It is worth noting that while some Western allies refused to invest in the Turkish economy, Azerbaijan was one of the countries to invest in it. To date, Azerbaijan has invested $8 billion in the Turkish economy, of which $6.7 billion account for such projects as Petkim petrochemical complex, Star refinery and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), while the remaining $1.3 billion have been directed to other spheres. The total volume of Azerbaijani investments in Turkey is planned to be brought to $18-20 billion by 2020. Thus, thanks to Azerbaijan, Turkey is bringing to life its long-standing desire to become an energy hub in the region. At a time when almost all the energy projects in Turkey are not progressing so far, Azerbaijans TANAP project is not losing its importance and has become uncontested. TANAP is not only an indicator of Azerbaijans successful energy policy, but it also aims to meet Europes gas needs. One can talk for a long time about the prospects of energy and transport projects initiated by Azerbaijan, but not only these projects make Azerbaijan an important ally of Turkey. Undoubtedly, cooperation is currently one of the regions needs, and here, of course, one cannot do without a major player, Azerbaijan. There is a number of trilateral cooperation formats in the region, for example, Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia, Turkey-Azerbaijan-Iran, Turkey-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan. Thanks to the policy of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is a strong and important link in all these formats of cooperation. Azerbaijan also played an important role in mending the relations between Turkey and Russia, after which Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan. Currently, the creation of another trilateral format of cooperation with the participation of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia is under discussion. Some political experts dont rule out that the establishment of this format will have a positive impact on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkey, considering the important role of Azerbaijan in the region, also works to create Azerbaijan-Turkey-Kazakhstan trilateral format. Development of this format proves once again the political power and the importance of Azerbaijan, which strengthens with each passing year. News / National by Staff Reporter ELEVEN witnesses are due to testify against Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries founder Walter Magaya during his rape trial starting at the High Court on February 20.Magaya is accused of raping a 25-year-old former PHD Ministries congregant.According to the Herald, the woman was raped after accepting an invitation from Magaya to visit him at his house. The prophet is said to have then given her $200. The woman reported the incident to her boyfriend in July 2015.However, in November last year, she tried to withdraw the charges claiming she was being threatened with unspecified action by unidentified people who did not want the trial to go ahead.The prosecution refused to drop the rape charges, prompting Magaya's lawyers to refer the case to the Constitutional Court.The application was granted and a decision on the constitutionality of prosecuting a rape suspect following the withdrawal of a report by the complainant will be made. By Trend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault discussed prospects of the settlement in the Middle East, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said after the telephone conversation between the ministers, TASS reported. "Jean-Marc Ayrault talked about the preparations for the upcoming international conference on January 15 in Paris. Sergey Lavrov told the minister about Russias efforts on promoting the restoration of Palestinian unity and emphasized the fact that now it is important not only in words but in deeds to reopen dialogue between the parties of the conflict," the Ministry said. "The Russian minister talked about the current situation in Syria, where, thanks to the guarantees from Russia, Turkey and Iran were cessation of hostilities was achieved, which is generally respected, and is intended to serve as a basis for the transition to a political settlement," the Ministry said. Saudi Arabian contractor Abdullah Abdul Mohsin Al Khodari and Sons said it has won a SR69-million ($18.4 million) contract from the kingdom's Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Under the 36-month contract, Khodari will provide maintenance for the Saudi water networks and their ancillaries, it said in a statement. The financial impact of this project started during the third quarter of the fiscal year 2016. In another development, Al Khodari has renewed its existing agreement with Al Bilad Bank for Islamic credit facilities worth SR124.4 million ($33.1 million). The purpose of these facilities was to provide bonding commitments and fund the working capital and capex requirements of the company. About 42 per cent of the facilities are funded under Murabaha modes of financing, whereas 58 per cent limits are for multi-purpose bonds, said the Saudi contractor in a statement. The credit agreement expires on October 11, 2017 however the credit limits shall mature over the contractual lives of the financed projects which range between 24 to 36 months, it added.-TradeArabia News Service UAE-based Strata Manufacturing, a composite aero-structures manufacturing facility owned by Mubadala, said it has achieved a key Emiratisation milestone with 105 nationals graduating from its training program. With the successful graduation, Strata has reinforced the Made in UAE brand taking its Emirati workforce to over 51 per cent. The milestone was announced during a graduation ceremony held at the UAE University campus in Al Ain for the new graduates, who are set to join Stratas expanding workforce. Since the launch of the aerostructures training program in 2010, Strata has trained more than 300 Emiratis to join the globally-sought after aerospace workforce. The latest batch of graduates passing out of the program successfully now means that more than half of its employees are UAE nationals, thus supporting the national ambition of building a global aerospace hub in Abu Dhabis eastern city of Al Ain. Welcoming the graduates, CEO Badr Al Olama said: "Todays announcement is a remarkable achievement that we are all very proud of. On behalf of Strata, I want to congratulate the latest class of graduates for their hard work and commitment in their tireless investment towards building a long-term, prosperous career in the aerospace sector which is by far one of the most exciting and dynamic industries in the world." "As with all success stories, it begins with an ambitious idea that is nurtured and fostered over time by unwavering commitment and collaboration from many," he stated. Al Olams pointed out that Strata had truly become a true UAE success story since its establishment in 2010. He was speaking at the graduation ceremony in the presence of Homaid Al Shimmari, the chief executive of Aerospace & Engineering Services at Mubadala, along with the executive director Cyril Arar and Ismail Ali Abdulla, the deputy chief executive of Strata and other officials. Based in the heart of Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park - the multi-faceted development that supports Abu Dhabis vision to grow a globally-competitive aerospace cluster in the emirate - Strata remains the only company in the Gulf that manufactures aircraft components for the world's leading aircraft manufacturers, such as Airbus and Boeing, he added. One of Stratas highlights has always been the development of Emirati female technicians, who grew a career for themselves through determination and national pride to hone their talents and give back to their country. At present, Emirati women at Strata account for over half of the 48 team leaders and almost half of the supervisors compressing the competency and credibility that is built over 10 years globally into less than 5 years in the UAE. Al Olama said Strata was founded to diversify the economy and transform traditional manufacturing into knowledge-export and innovation through the sustained investment in high tech sectors such as aerospace. "This vision set by the leadership was built on the premise of inclusion without distinguishing between men and women, young or old," he added.-TradeArabia News Service More than 200 leading organisations, including Honeywell, Emerson Automation Solutions, Verwater, Endress+Hauser, Siemens and Silverwing, will showcase their latest solutions at StocExpo Europe 2017, to be held later this year in the Netherlands. StocExpo Europe 2017, a leading international event for the tank terminal industry, will take place from March 28 to 30, at the Ahoy Rotterdam convention centre and arena, in Rotterdam. The event will feature innovation spanning the entire supply spectrum from pumps and valves, loading equipment and coatings through to roofing, tank cleaning and degassing, said a statement. Implico Group will be introducing its new handheld solution for railcar handling. By allowing staff at trackside to be directly connected to the terminal management and automation system OpenTAS - workers can enter current loading data without detours or delays, speeding up the entire process, it said. Michael Martens, managing partner, Implico Group, said: The event is more than just a trade fair for us. Weve been exhibiting our software and cloud solutions for the optimisation of terminal management processes at StocExpo for many years. We feel connected to the people and the industry. Its always like coming home, he added. Pascal Vande Velde, CEO and founder at Avalon Automation, said: We are attending the event because we simply cant afford not to. It is the must-attend event for anyone playing a significant role in the liquid storage industry. Avalon Automation will be presenting the latest release of Alias, its configurable TAS solution which offers contracting, order management, scheduling, inventory control, order based loading, order to cash, conditional billing, KPI reporting, and more. It helps to drive down risk, avoid human errors, and structurally reduce operational costs, it added. After listening to its community of operators Arflu has designed a Dual Expanding Plug valve that eliminates the common problems that occur during operation. Being showcased at the upcoming event, the valve has a backseat, the stem packing is accessible from the outside and it can easily be changed even under pressure. The Lightning Master stand will feature its movable arm grounding system Mags. This patented bypass conductor system for external floating roof tanks is simple, gravity-powered and reliable, having been through a simulated wind test in excess of 2,000,000 cycles without wear or failure, said a statement. Jennifer Evans, director of marketing at Lightning Master Corporation, said: We view the event as the worlds premier industrial exhibition focused on bulk storage of petrochemical material. Many of the industrys best and brightest gather here to exchange new ideas and information, he said. FSP-Tech produces tank safety showers for indoor and outdoor applications. It will be demonstrating how these showers, made from stainless steel, save costs and increase safety when compared to conventional safety showers, it said. Verwater will be displaying its full spectrum of industrial and tank-related maintenance and project services, such as jacking, civil works, piping and mechanical, turnarounds, protective coatings, E&I, panel building and engineering, it added. StocExpo Europe 2017 provides Jabitherm Rohrsysteme with the perfect platform to showcase its pre-insulated pipes which are ideally suited for those involved in the chemistry and oil/gas/LNG-transfer industries. Nick Powell, portfolio event director, StocExpo & Tank Storage, said: We have such a diverse level of innovation on show this year covering the whole tank storage supply chain. I think this year more than ever we have something for everyone. We are thrilled to have the major names on board, but we are also very pleased to have so many smaller, highly innovative first-time exhibitors signing up for the show, he said. This mix means decision-makers at our show will not only meet all of their major potential suppliers under one roof, but theyll have access to a supply base which they might otherwise, never have the time or opportunity to see, he added. TradeArabia News Service EFG Hermes, a leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, said its renewable energy platform Vortex has entered into a definitive agreement with TerraForm Power to acquire a major solar energy portfolio in the UK for 470 million ($581 million). The portfolio, which includes 24 operational assets, has a combined 365 megawatts (MW) of power and an estimated useful life of around three decades, said the company in a statement. Acquisition of one of the largest UK solar PV portfolios gives Vortex 822MW of net installed renewable energy generation capacity and total investments of $1.4 billion in the sector across Europe to date, it added. The closing of the transaction is subject to the completion of certain conditions precedents. On the strategic move, EFG Hermes Group CEO Karim Awad said: "This landmark acquisition caps a two-year period in which our private equity team has built Vortex from a newcomer into a platform managing 822 MW in net capacity across the UK, France, Spain, Belgium and Portugal, thus making it one of the largest renewable energy focused investment managers in Europe." The transaction is also an example of our groups announced merchant banking strategy of effectively utilizing our balance sheet to support our core businesses and enhance shareholder returns, stated Awad. According to him, the Portfolio has an average asset age of two years and an estimated useful life of 30 years. It is backed by the UK governments Renewable Obligation Certificates and 14-year power purchase agreements with creditworthy off-takers. It currently carries a project finance debt facility of 300 million. Vortex intends to refinance the existing debt shortly after the completion of the transaction. With this transaction, Vortex has successfully deployed $1.4 billion in the European renewables market since 2014 after acquiring net installed wind capacities of 457 MW through assets managed by EDP Renovaveis SA across four Western European jurisdictions. Lightsource, Europes largest developer of solar PV projects with more than 1.3 GW of assets under management, will act as a technical partner for operations and management services post completion of the acquisition. Karim Moussa, the head of private equity at EFG Hermes, said the UK was a key contributor to Europes solar market. "This portfolio offers us an attractive entry point with a long-term investment proposition in the country. Our existing asset base in Vortex has paid superior cash yields to our investors to date. We are delighted to add this high-quality Portfolio to the platform and bring in the United Kingdoms premier solar developer as our technical partner," he noted. Nick Boyle, the CEO at Lightsource, said: "We are very proud of the in-house knowledge and expertise that we have developed over the last five years, which allows us to provide a gold-standard service in operations & maintenance to third party clients and thus help us secure such quality business. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with EFG Hermes." Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), one of the largest utility players in Asia with a market capitalization of $17 billion and a power generation capacity of 12 GW in 2016, has subscribed into Vortex to fund 50 per cent of the equity share capital of the transaction. The remaining stake will be initially underwritten by EFG Hermes with a final targeted hold of five per cent of the equity, consistent with the previous transactions undertaken by Vortex. Moussa expressed delight at the new partnership with TNB, a major reputable industry player in Asia. "With such strong additional backing of our platform, we shall continue adding significant renewable capacities to Vortex through future acquisitions in the United Kingdom and other European countries," he added. TNB chief executive Datuk Seri Ir. Azman bin Mohd pointed out that this was a rare opportunity to acquire a sizeable solar power business via Vortex in the UK. "It helps us deliver the renewable energy part of Tenagas international expansion plan more than one year ahead of schedule. Vortexs advisors on the transaction included Watson Farley and Williams, Davis Polk, and Shearman & Sterling (legal), Deloitte (financial, tax and accounting), Enertis (technical), Willis (insurance), Baringa (market), Operis (model audit) and Global Capital Finance (financial advisor).-TradeArabia News Service Page Not Found 404 Error The page you requested could not be found. Try using the search box below or click on the homepage button to go there. Wyoming is known for its wind. Gusts regularly pummel the states high plains at 50 mph or even 60 mph, yet few think of wind as one of the states precious energy resources. Right now, its just a small piece of Wyomings revenue picture. But as the cost to develop wind farms drops and interest from developers nationwide rises, some wonder if those developers should pay more into the long-term health of the states economy. After all, Wyoming is not just a windy state but an industry one, which is why two lawmakers are hoping the state can profit just a bit more from the resource. Rep. Scott Clem, R-Gillette, and Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, plan to file a bill increasing the states wind tax from $1 to $5, or a half a penny per kilowatt hour, when lawmakers meet in Cheyenne this month. Increasing the states wind generation tax has been a contentious topic. It failed to gain support from lawmakers over the interim, but Case and Clem remain confident. I feel like we owe it to future generations, because we are making decisions right now about the Wyoming that theyll experience in 100 years, said Case, who believes the detriment of wind farms to the Wyoming landscape calls for compensation. The proposed increase is $2 more than the one lawmakers considered during a six-hour session in September with the Joint Revenue Committee. There was an even consensus to abandon the idea after that meeting, as many argued it would hurt business and revenue more than it would help. I think our viewshed is important, he said We dont have a right to make those decisions for future generations without at least thinking about them in the equation. Most wind farms developed now will be serving customers outside the state, as Wyomings electricity demand is met for the foreseeable future. That, too, is a problem for Case. I look at 100 percent of the impact and zero percent of the benefit from the energy, he said. However, opponents say Wyoming has nothing to gain and everything to lose in increasing the tax. Wyoming is the only state that charges wind developers for generation, in addition to property and sales and use taxes. An increase in taxes will make Wyoming less competitive and derail projects in development, some say. If the projects dont go forward, then an increase in the wind tax will have accomplished nothing. What Wyoming stands to lose is significant, said Roxane Perruso, the vice president and general counsel for Power Company of Wyoming. PCW is developing the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project in Carbon County, a 1,000-turbine proposal in the final stages of permitting. As an example of what a large project contributes, Perruso said termination of Chokecherry would cost Wyoming $800 million in lost taxes over the next 20 years. Utility companies who need more renewable energy could buy from any number of states and any number of projects across the West, said Kara Choquette, spokeswoman for the company. They dont have to come to Wyoming Are they really going to pay for Wyoming wind if it costs that much more than anything else thats available? Others agree with the developers. The Carbon County Economic Development Corporation and the Wyoming Taxpayers Association do not support the tax. In a study from the University of Wyoming Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy, economists found that Wyoming wind policies are partially responsible for a decline in wind development since 2010. The generation tax was passed in 2010, implemented in 2012. Of 11 states on the same electricity grid, Wyoming is the only one to have a negative growth in wind developments over the last seven years, according to the study. For Sen. Ogden Driskill, the September testimony from developers like Rocky Mountain Power, TransAlta and Power Company of Wyoming changed his view on a tax increase. I really feel like wind is a resource similar to our other resources and it should be taxed, he said. But it needs to be taxed in such a way that were not killing industry doing it. Wind energy is growing, and if there is a place for it in Wyoming as a business, the government needs to allow for that, he said. Its really important that we are somewhere near the front end and we establish a clear set of rules so the industry is able to react to that set of rules and make their business models accordingly, he added. For Case, the issue is about preparing for the future, too, by making sure that changes to Wyoming are compensated for and that the wind industry pays a fair share. Wyoming coal production hit about 302 million tons in 2016, according to preliminary counts from the Energy Information Administration, mirroring what some believed were overly optimistic predictions made by Wyoming economists in October. Official data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration should be available by mid-January. The numbers represent a bittersweet finish line for coal, like a celebration of moderate strength in a patient recovering from life-threatening injuries. The industrys struggles are well-known in Wyoming. Layoffs, bankruptcies and three-decade production lows marred the first half of 2016. Mild weather, indebted companies and low prices in natural gas coals biggest competitor hit the industry in force. However, coal has showed its moxie. Production turned a corner in the third quarter of 2016, almost doubling from the second quarter, when only 60 million tons were mined in Wyoming. State economists in October projected Wyoming would reach 300 million tons by the end of the year. Its a far cry from the 400-million-ton norms of years past but a return that seemed impossible when coal began its historic decline. It was absolutely, 100 percent, unprecedented decline in coal production on an absolute basis and a percentage basis, said Don Richards, co-chair of the Legislative Service Office, which prepares a biannual projection of state revenue. The state uses a number of resources to build out its predictions, from past data to expert analysis. They dont always hit the nail on the head. Predictions at the start of the year didnt see the historic downturn. Im not going to pat ourselves on the back that we got the second half right, Richards said. Im more critical that we missed the first half. In defense of Wyoming economists, few saw the decline coming in such severity, he said. Somehow, Wyoming coal reached equilibrium all the same. The downturn has been showing in the numbers for years, said Chris Carrol, coal geologist for the Wyoming State Geological Survey, which publishes quarterly coal data. The competition from natural gas, retirement of coal-fired power plants and political pressure started showing in 2013, he recalled. I look at it as a market correction, from 400 million a year (norms) to 300 million a year, he said. The market has played the leading role in coals tragic story over the last few years. The revolution in fracking and resulting cheap natural gas is the undeniable villain eroding coals share of the market. Though no one can predict coals future, some see signs that the industry could continue strengthening into 2017 if natural gas spot prices remain over $2.50. The current price is hovering above $3 as winter electricity demand is high. But natural gas isnt the only factor determining how much coal comes out of the ground to generate electricity across the U.S., said Travis Deti, president of the Wyoming Mining Association. I think what gets left out of the discussion of market forces is the federal government has been weighing in very heavily on market forces for the last eight years, Deti said. The new incoming administration has made it clear that they are going to take a good hard look at the regulatory regime thats been implemented and pick up a shift in policy. I think thats going to be helpful to our industry. Congress has already begun its work to undo recent environmental regulations. However it will be the administration of president-elect Donald Trump, who promised to repeal regulations pressuring coal like Clean Power Plan, that will write the immediate future for coal, Deti said. The fate of the Clean Power Plan is the great unknown for coal. If enacted, it would put increasing pressure on the industry. Though analysts and experts see coal surviving for decades under the plan, it would provide less and less of the electricity generation in the U.S., ceding ground to natural gas and increasingly cheap sources like wind and solar. Deti hopes that utilities will be more willing to keep coal-fired generation in their business plans if there is less pressure on coal from federal powers. Despite the uncertainties ahead, the coal rally at the end of 2016 isnt a surprise to industry, he said. We were kind of expecting that with the increase in production in the last couple of quarters to probably hit around 300 million, Deti said. Its a sign that brings fragile hope to an exhausted coal country as the new year begins. Sundays Highlights Sundays support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 10 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200;10:15 a.m., 917 N. Beech; noon, 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 6:30 p.m., 1124 Elma, Imitate the Image Church; 6:30 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 6:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 8 p.m., 328 1/2 E. A. Douglas: 1 p.m, Douglas, 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back), womens meeting; 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. Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 6:30 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 8 p.m., 15th & Melrose at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Nicotine Anonymous: 5 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Info: Pam M., 577-0518; Troy Y., 267-6326. Benefit breakfast at VFW VFW Post 9439 and Auxiliary, 1800 Bryan Stock Trail, will host a benefit breakfast for DAV (Disabled American Veterans) from 8 to 11 a.m. All proceeds will go to DAV. Menu includes ham, bacon, sausage, biscuits with sausage gravy, eggs, hash browns, green chili, pancakes, danish, fruit and beverages. Cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children under 10. Public is welcome. Info: 235-4867. Sunday breakfast at Elks The Casper Elks Lodge serves breakfast open to the public on Sundays from 8 to 11 a.m. Serving pancakes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage links, potatoes, scrambled eggs, French toast and omelets to order. New to the menu is build your own breakfast burrito. Also served is toast, juice, tea and coffee. All you can eat for $7, children 5 to 12 are $3, 4 and under are free. For more information, call 234-4839. McInroy documentary on PBS Educator and documentary filmmaker Patricia McInroy was raised in Casper and visits family in Wyoming frequently. Her documentary, Clara, Angel of the Rockies, will air on Wyoming PBS at 11 a.m. Sunday. The 30-minute film is the winner of PBS To The Contrary: All About Women Womens History U.S. Category. McInroy made the documentary with her own funds to help spread Browns story of hope. Brown was born in Virginia around 1800 and freed in 1856, when her owner, George Brown, died in Russellville, Kentucky. Brown then made her way west, where she set up a laundry business for miners in Colorado and made a small fortune, which she shared with others. McInroy is a graduate of the University of Missouri journalism program and has an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She currently teaches at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and The Denver School of Photography. Also a graduate of Casper College in 1989, McInroy was employed as a full-time photographer at the Casper Star-Tribune from 1995 to 1997. To see a trailer for the documentary, visit vimeo.com/193411212. Coyotes at ice arena The Casper Coyotes host a game at the Casper Ice Arena at noon. Buy tickets at the arena or www.caspercoyotes.com. Mangus Ski League begins The Casper Nordic Club is offering Mangus Ski League lessons for all ages 4-99 on five consecutive Sundays: Jan. 8, 15, 22 and 29 and Feb. 5, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Classes start promptly; we advise arriving early for best parking spots and time to gear up. Registration forms are available on Facebook under Casper Nordic Club, or at Mountain Sports, Zeelos and 42 Degrees North. Late on-site registration available before first class (Jan. 8) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A $5 late fee will be added. Ski passes are required. Theyre available at the lodge, ski stores and Natrona County Roads, Parks, and Bridges, 538 SW Wyoming Blvd., Mills. A signed risk and release form is also required, available with the registration form. Fees are $70 for Nordic Club member first person, $60 for additional family members. Non-member fees are $80 for the first person and $70 for additional family members. Membership fees are $25 for a family and $15 for an individual. Questions: Call Tori at 259-9299. Send forms to Casper Nordic Club, PO Box 1231, Casper, WY 82601. Chamber music hosts Merchants The Casper Chamber Music Society will host Ana, Rachel & Friends at 4 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, 4600 S. Poplar St. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors. Students and children under 10 are free. Rachel and Ana Merchant have been staples of the local music scene for years with their bluegrass trio along with their father, Kim. They have been working on new vocals for the concert of bluegrass, with some classical, old-time fiddle, gospel and other assorted tunes thrown in. Jam session at Eagles Jam Session from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Eagles Hall, 306 N. Durbin St. Bring your instrument or your voice and join in on stage; all are welcome. Eagle Riders will prepare hamburgers for purchase. Robbie Daniels 235-5130 Saturdays 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. NAMI: 4 p.m., 133 W. Sixth St. NAMI C.A.R.E. (Consumers Advocating Recovery through Empowerment) Support Group for individuals with mental illness. Info: 234-0440. Adult Children of Alcoholics: 1:30-3 p.m., 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott St., Suite 200. Open meeting. Fine Arts meets Monday Casper Fine Arts Club will meet Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, at Bethel Baptist Church, 3030 S. Poplar. Business meeting at 1 p.m., program at 1:30 p.m. India Hayford will present a program on Yemenite Jewish Embroidery. Everyone welcome. Contact President Lu Dwyer for further information, 234-0606. Photographers meet Monday The Casper Photography Associations first meeting for 2017 will be held at the Wyoming Oil And Gas Commission Building at 7:15 p.m., on Monday, Jan. 9. The program will be a reshow of the Christmas Slide Program. We will review pending programs, events and field trips for the upcoming year. Treats will be provided by Molly and Bill Miller. School open house Tuesday Excel Academy Private School will hold an open house for our 2017-2018 academic year. We are accepting students entering grades K-8 and preschool (ages 2-5). The open house will be at 6:15 p.m., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 804 S. Wolcott St. The 2017-2018 school year starts on Sept 5, 2017. For further information, please call 259-4599, or email jawistisen@excelacademywy.com Reveille hears Special Olympics Priscilla Dowse, President and CEO of Special Olympics Wyoming, will be talking about her organizations programs and activities at the Wednesday, Jan. 11 Reveille Rotary meeting beginning at 7 a.m. at the Central Wyoming Senior Services Center, 1831 East 4th Street. Dowse first became involved with Special Olympics as a volunteer when she was teaching special education in 1977. Soon after, she was hired to be the first Director of Programs for Special Olympics Wyoming in 1982. Since that time, Dowse has worked for Special Olympics Vermont and Special Olympics New Hampshire. In 2003, she returned to Wyoming to take the role of CEO. Guests are welcome to come hear about Special Olympics Wyoming and roles that the organization has in the lives of many Wyomingites at the Reveille Rotary meeting on Jan. 11. Beekeepers meet Thursday Thinking about become a beekeeper? Or you already have hives? Join us to learn about bees and meet area beekeepers. Natrona County Beekeepers Association will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12, in the basement of the College Heights Baptist Church, 600 West 21st Street. Senior rides to symphony The Reveille Rotary Club of Casper is offering transportation for seniors over 60 to the Wyoming Symphony Orchestras performance on Saturday, Jan, 21, 2017 at John F. Welsh Auditorium in Natrona County High School. The Reveille Rotary Club partners with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra to provide transportation to concert-goers who prefer not to drive at night. Transportation arrangements to attend the performance can be made for everyone who already holds a Symphony ticket as well as for those who need a ticket. Anyone 60 years and over wishing to get a ride to the performance must call 266-1478 or 235-8384 to reserve a spot by Tuesday, Jan. 17. There is no charge for transportation or for registering; however, a donation toward the price of the ticket is appreciated if feasible. Those who register will be given a general admission ticket to the event and a ride from home to and from the concert. The January Wyoming Symphony Orchestra performance is Signs of Life. The Wyoming Symphony Orchestra is directed by Matthew Savery in his ninth year as Music Director. This season marks the 67th anniversary of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. For more information about the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, please call 266-1478 or visit the Symphonys website at www.wyomingsymphony.org. Canines for Charity races Jan. 28-29 Canines for Charity will be hosting the 22nd Annual Casper Mountain Sled Dog Races on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29, 2017, in Bear Trap Meadow on top of Casper Mountain. The sled dog races will begin at 9 a.m. both days at the fast and furious starting gate just off of the parking lot at the north end of the meadow. The 10-mile races will be the first out and the shorter races will take place before noon. If you want to see the star canine athletes in action, come on up and join us. You can meet the mushers and their dogs all morning. The event is free for spectators and parking and warm food are available. Wear warm clothing and please leave your pets at home as they are very distracting to the dogs. After youve watched the excitement of the races, come share a delicious supper with the mushers and warm up your bidding hands for the auction at the Ramkota Hotel to support our own Natrona County 4Hers, on Saturday, Jan. 28, starting at 6 p.m. What better way to help your community than to support our future leaders! For tickets to the supper and auction, please call the Natrona County 4H office at 235-9400. For more information about the races, please go to caninesforcharity.org A Natrona County judge sentenced a Bar Nunn man to five to 10 years in the state penitentiary Friday for raping a sleeping teenage girl who was babysitting his daughter, though he could have been sentenced to up to 65 years had he not taken a plea deal. Benjamin Marquez pleaded no contest to one count of third-degree sexual assault of a minor in September, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 15 years. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to cap the sentence at 10 years and dismiss a charge of first-degree sexual assault, which has a maximum sentence of 50 years. After a series of friends testified on behalf of Marquezs character and his love for his daughter, Assistant District Attorney Brett Johnson recommended that Natrona County District Court Judge Catherine Wilking sentence Marquez to eight to 10 years. This is not a who-dunnit, Johnson said. His DNA was found in the victims underwear. Johnson said that the victim, who was a relative of Marquezs girlfriend, was particularly vulnerable because she had a difficult home life and needed Marquez as support. Citing a psycho-sexual evaluation that Marquez took, Johnson also said that Marquez had kissed the teenager against her will before the night of the assault and had always had an attraction toward her. A message needs to be sent: You dont get to do this, the prosecutor said before recommending the eight- to 10-year prison sentence. Marquezs attorney, Rich Jamieson, said the underlying issue was Marquezs problem with alcohol. Jamieson said Marquezs evaluations showed he was a low risk to offend again and that his client needed access to good substance abuse treatment, which he was unlikely to receive as an inmate at the state prison. Jamiesons argument that his client was not a risk to society was troubled, however, by the fact that Marquez was arrested for drunk driving on New Years Eve this year a violation of his bond conditions. Its treatment that Ben needs, Jamieson said. He obviously does stupid things when he drinks. Marquez began to cry at the courtroom table, hiding his face with his hands, as Jamieson described Marquezs love for his daughter and the unwavering support of his family. Jamieson asked that Wilking sentence Marquez to 10 years of supervised probation with either 90 days in jail or nine months at the Casper Re-Entry Center. When given a chance to speak, Marquez said he was sorry for the damage he did to the victim and the pain he inflicted on his family, especially his daughter. I made mistakes, I know I did, he said. I deserve to be punished. Im just asking for a chance to prove thats not who I am. Before announcing her decision, Wilking reminded the court of the person largely missing from much of the arguments made during the hourlong hearing the victim. This will be something that the child will live with for the rest of her life, Wilking said before handing down her sentence. The interests of justice require a prison sentence for this crime, she said. Deputies with the Natrona County Sheriffs Office arrested Marquez in March after the state crime lab matched his DNA with semen found in the underwear of a 16-year-girl who said he raped her while she slept. The 16-year-old was babysitting Marquezs daughter at his home the night of the crime. Before leaving his home to go to a Christmas party on Dec. 19, 2015, Marquez told the girl that there was alcohol in the fridge, according to court documents. When Marquez returned home a few hours later, he set up an air mattress for the girl to sleep on in the babys room and told her to lock the door. The girl woke later that night and found Marquez raping her, according to the documents. She told investigators that she tried to push him off her and told him no three times. She said that Marquez ignored her and that she felt overpowered, the documents state. Johnson said at the sentencing hearing Friday that the girl estimated the assault lasted between 30 minutes and an hour. The teenager went to the Wyoming Medical Center on Dec. 21, 2015, to complete a sexual assault exam. Investigators later sent the evidence, including the underwear, to the state crime lab for analysis. Marquez went to the sheriffs office the next day and told an investigator that he remembers blowing up the air mattress that night but was too drunk to remember anything else, the documents state. It could have been me, he told the investigator. I could have done it, I dont remember. The sheriffs office collected a DNA sample from Marquez the next day and sent it to the crime lab. In March, the lab notified the office that Marquezs DNA matched a sample taken from the girls underwear and he was arrested. A Casper man was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in state prison Thursday for robbing a woman jogging on a city bike path in May. Jesus Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one county of robbery in September at his arraignment in Natrona County District Court. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to lower the charge from aggravated robbery, which has a maximum penalty of 25 years, to robbery, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years. Rodriguez attacked the woman about 8 p.m. May 29 as she jogged along the riverside bike path under the Poplar Street Bridge, according to court documents. Rodriguez threw the woman to the ground and tried to steal her running belt. The woman fought Rodriguez off her and he ran away, the documents state, and police found him nearby soon after. The woman had scrapes on her knees and elbows, but was otherwise unharmed. Rodriguez told police that he was just out for a jog and hadnt done anything wrong, according to the documents. A breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol concentration was about .21 percent. At his Sept. 28 arraignment, Rodriguez said he was attempting to take the womans cellphone or her car keys so that he could steal from her vehicle, court documents state. He said he needed money for his trip to Denver planned for the next day. He had previously stated in court that he was homeless and had only been in Casper for one week at the time of the crime. A revamped Casper favorite will soon bring some local flavor and waffles to Eastridge Malls long hallways of big-box stores and chain restaurants. The new owner of Ken and Bettys Ice Cream Parlor will reopen the restaurant as Serendipity Cafe on Jan. 14 in the malls food court. Not only will the cafe bring a new variety of food to the standard mall selections, it will also give shoppers a chance to support the local business community, owner Johnathan Tieszen said. Not a lot of owners actually work in their business, he said. But every dollar spent with us stays here. Along with ice cream, the cafe will feature a full coffee bar and sell gelato, crepes and waffles made from scratch. Along with standard Nutella-and-fruit crepes, the shop will serve savory ones, including a turkey and avocado crepe topped with a balsamic glaze. Tieszen bought Ken and Bettys in February, a calculated risk during Wyomings economic downturn. But ice cream is perhaps even more important during hard times, he said. Its a simple joy that can be shared even when money is tight. I grew up really poor, he said. I didnt get to go to ice cream every time I had good grades. But when we did go, it was always a real treat. Dan Carey, creator and former owner of the ice cream store, decided to sell the Casper location more than a year ago. Careys daughter-in-law had been managing the store but needed to quit to spend more time with her young children. Carey tried to manage the store from his home in Lander. Those 150 miles are way too long when youre trying to run a store, he said. If I lived in town, itd be a way different story. The Lander location, which opened in 2009, will remain the same, Carey said. Since taking over the store, Tieszen has rotated a variety of foods through the menu: pretzels, hot dogs, waffles and crepes. Its hard to sell ice cream when the temperature is below freezing, and Tieszen needed to add other options to make up for the drop in sales. He estimated that in December he sold a tenth of the amount that he sold in June. At Serendipity Cafe, Tieszen expects ice cream will make up only about a fifth of sales. He hopes the move to the mall will bring more foot traffic to the store as shoppers are lured inside by the siren call of coffee and treats. Parents can sip coffee or try a savory crepe while kids lick ice cream cones. If Im at the mall, Im already there when they need some snacks while shopping, he said. Tieszen has worked in management for larger companies for years, but this is the first time hes run his own business. Its freeing, he said, to be able to make decisions without going through a tangled bureaucracy. He hopes to continue to give back to the community through fundraisers on Sundays, when part of the cafes proceeds go to a local organization or charity. Ive really enjoyed getting to know and give back to the Casper community over the past nine months, Tieszen said. I feel that the community has really embraced us. A church and an affordable-housing organization are on the cusp of purchasing two vacant Natrona County School District buildings, officials said Friday. Alliance Church submitted the best bid for the Fairgrounds Center, and the Casper Housing Authority did the same for the old Roosevelt High School. The districts board of trustees will vote to approve the bids Monday night, with approval pending final sale negotiations between the buyers and the district. Dennis Bay, the districts executive director of business services, said he could not discuss the details of the bids yet. But he said he expects the board to approve the bids. In November, when it was announced that a number of district buildings would be sold off, Bay said an unnamed religious group was looking for a new church location. It wasnt clear if Alliance is the group he referenced. Bay said both buildings received multiple bids. The district had both buildings appraised by two companies, and the average of the two appraisals became the minimum bid that an entity could submit for the building. The other buildings that the district hopes to eventually remove from inventory are North Casper, Grant and Mills elementary schools and the Star Lane Center. Mills is currently being appraised, Bay said, and the district hopes that work will be completed by the end of January. North Casper is being used to store the districts old furniture, a function that will become more vital after Mills and Grant are emptied following this school year. Bay said it was difficult to say when exactly North Casper would be advertised and appraised; the furniture within it will eventually be auctioned off or used elsewhere in the district. The district remains in discussions with the town of Mills to sell its namesake school building, which will be vacated after this school year; its students and faculty will move to the new Journey Elementary. Were still trying to negotiate with the town of Mills because we think itd be the best interest in town of Mills to buy it, Bay said. The Star Lane Centers future is also uncertain. At the minimum, it will not be sold before the end of the 2017-18 school year. As for Grant which needs repairs and is being closed amid a drop in elementary student enrollment Bay and district spokeswoman Tanya Southerland said the building is not yet for sale and has not been appraised. Were not going to start the process until the end of this academic year and the students and staff are outside of the building, Bay said. Southerland added that the decision to keep the school off the auction block for now was a matter of respect for the students, parents and faculty of Grant, some of whom expressed frustration at the decision to close the school early last month. But once its been vacated fully, it, too, will be appraised twice and put up for sale. Bay said that local entities have expressed interest in buying every building including Grant and the Star Lane Center that the district will eventually place on the market. Im pleased, Bay said. Im tickled to death that the buildings can be reused and entities come in and have a building that they can do whatever they want to with. A waterline break at Midwest School damaged around 5,000 square feet of the building last month but shouldnt delay the school reopening next fall, officials said. Dennis Bay, Natrona County School Districts executive director of business services, said the break, which was located primarily in the high school wing of the building, was discovered on Dec. 23. FDL Energy, the company that runs the oil field that surrounds Midwest and is involved in adding measures to prevent gas leaks into the building, found the flooding. Its unclear how many days had passed between the waterline breaking and FDL discovering the problem. Right now we are scheduling a trip with one of our contractors and consultants to go out there (early next week), assess the damage and develop a plan on how theyre going to get in there and repair all the damages, Bay said. Because that work has not started, Bay said its unclear how much it will cost to repair the damage. Midwest is currently vacant. A gas leak from a nearby well last spring forced the evacuation and indefinite closure of the school, and students have been bused to Westwood Elementary and Pathways schools in Casper. Bay said the schools disuse over the past several months may have contributed to the pipe bursting, but its difficult to say for certain because the flooding ruined the nearby furnace. Last month, officials said students should be back in Midwest starting in fall 2017. Though the flooding adds complications, Bay said the school should still be open again by August. In an effort to ensure a gas leak doesnt spill into the school again, consultants are designing a system to pump air from beneath the school and eject it over building. That system is set to be installed by April. Until the system is up and running and subsequent testing gives the all-clear, repair crews cannot enter the parts of Midwest affected by the flooding, Bay said. He said he hopes construction will be underway by May. Bay said there was also minor flooding at Fairgrounds Center, which is also vacant. He said the damage there was not as extensive as the damage to Midwest. Authorities issued an Amber Alert early Saturday morning for two children who were allegedly abducted by their mother and may be traveling through Wyoming. The children, Morgan and Landon Griffin, were last seen with their mother, Mary Andrea Purcell, on Tuesday in Des Moines, Iowa, according to the alert. Purcell's parental rights had been terminated in 2007 and she faces a warrant for allegedly violating a custodial order, according to a press release by the sheriff's department in Polk County, Iowa. Purcell is thought to be driving a gold or brown 2003 Chevrolet Suburban with Iowa license plate CRY 371. Authorities suspect she may traveling through Wyoming with the children on her way to Oregon. Morgan Griffin is described as a 12-year-old white and Asian boy who is 5 foot 3 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. His brother, Landon, is a white and Asian 11-year-old who is 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Authorities describe Purcell as a white, 35-year-old who is 5 foot 2 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. Wyoming's general elections will probably be quieter than the primaries. But there are some dynamics at play in the run-up to November that could indicate longer-term political trends. Funding crisis, billion-dollar shortfall, district layoffs and school finance legislation are phrases we have heard lately about education funding. Make no mistake we face challenging times, but let us not fall to the temptation of hasty remedies and drastic measures. I am confident that we can and will find a methodical and strategic way for moving education forward in Wyoming. I have had encouraging conversations with policymakers, education professionals and citizens about how to navigate this situation while maintaining the great progress we have made. This progress is evidenced by a national ranking of seventh for overall education quality in the 2017 Quality Counts Report by Education Week, 2016 PAWS scores rising in almost every category, NAEP scores beating the national average and much more. With the legislative session pending, I wanted to communicate what I see as the most pressing and important issues facing education in early 2017: School finance: The Wyoming Legislature should resist the temptation to fix the school funding model during the session. Tapping our savings, piecemeal cuts and lopping off parts of our school funding model are not long-term solutions to our $400 million a year shortfall. There are, however, significant savings and efficiencies that can be realized immediately through legislative action during the upcoming session. My recommendations for this session can be found at: edu.wyoming.gov/edfinance. Following the session, a supercommittee composed of legislative committee chairs, education stakeholders and advisers should go to work to determine long-term changes to the school funding model. A legislative subcommittee on education finance has already begun this work with its release of the Wyoming K-12 Education Funding Deficit White Paper. Federal law: No Child Left Behind is no more. It has been replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which has been described as the largest transfer of federal power to states in over a quarter-century. As a result, I spent 2016 pushing back against nationally required standards and assessments and advocating for a more robust, uniquely Wyoming accountability system that places career and military readiness on par with college readiness. The national education landscape is changing in a good way for those of us who believe in state and local control. We are seizing this opportunity by finding ways to adjust our funding streams, rules, policies, and practices away from mere federal compliance and toward better support to our schools. Accountability for career and military readiness: For far too long, we have narrowly focused on college readiness in English and math to define school success. It is time for our state accountability system to reward schools for preparing all students for post-secondary success in college, workforce training, a career or service in the military. A bill I and many others worked on closely with the Joint Education Committee attempts to accomplish this. The business community has cried out for more emphasis on career readiness, and I am committed to engaging them. Another bill I support would adjust the Hathaway scholarship program to allow successful students on a career-training path to use the scholarship for workforce training. Civics education: Thirteen states require students to pass the U.S. citizenship test to graduate from high school. Rep. Scott Clem is sponsoring similar legislation, which I support and have been advising on for months. The bill reflects the concerns of many across the state and will serve as a catalyst to better prepare students for responsible citizenship. Computer science and computational thinking: Technology is a viable sector in our states economy and a key to diversity. We can be serious economic contenders only if we ensure an interested, prepared workforce. UW is doing its job with the Science Initiative. K-12 must step up and ensure all students have an understanding of the technological sciences and languages of computers. With support from the Joint Education Committee, I spearheaded the drafting of a bill to require a fourth year of either math or computer science as a graduation requirement. I am monitoring many other topics that could come up this session. One is an Indian education bill designed to enhance learning opportunities about Wyomings native cultures. Another is related to Education Savings Accounts and expanding school choice options. An Article V convention of the states joint resolution would enter Wyoming into an increasingly popular movement by states to address the national debt. There will certainly be many more. Thank you for your time and for what you do to make Wyoming the greatest state in the greatest country. It continues to be my utmost honor to serve as your state superintendent. This September found me in a familiar location, on the side of a mountain in western Wyoming chasing elk with stick and string. However, this year was a bit different, because I wasnt in my normal stomping grounds. This was a new area, unfamiliar to me in some ways but similar just the same. I wasnt in a place where I had to gain access, request permission or pay a fee. I was on public lands. My lands, your lands, our lands and I was free to roam as far as my legs would take me and I was willing to pack an elk out. It was awesome. For the last year or so, it has been hard to not notice the pounding political drums aligned with and talking about public lands, land access and land transfers. Equally vocal have been those opposed to land transfers of any kind, who favor keeping public lands in the hands of the federal government. To be honest, I didnt even notice the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1970s and 80s, but I do know that this time, I for one am paying attention. I, like so many in the West, rely heavily on public lands and the ability to access them. But this issue faces everyone, not just Westerners. This is the same land that anyone from anywhere can come out to Wyoming and access with little effort. It is our heritage, our legacy that must be kept for future generations to enjoy and to me, its a cold dead hands issue. From the Wyoming perspective, there have been several legislative sessions that have seen various land transfer bills come up, disappear and reappear in various forms. This last session, a bill moved forward and was approved to spend $75,000 on a study to see how feasible it would even be for the state to manage specific public lands, should the federal government grant them. The end result: It is extremely costly and prohibitive for the state to consider given how things stand. Just days after this study was released, Wyoming legislative members making up the Select Federal Natural Resource Committee met in Riverton to discuss and take comment on a possible amendment to the Wyoming Constitution regarding the transfer of lands into the state from the federal government. It was reported that during this meeting, dozens of individuals voiced opposition to the proposed amendment and only two voiced support what one may consider looking from the outside as a directive yet the committee as a whole voted 5-1 to move forward with the draft amendment. On Dec. 14, a subcommittee of the FNRC met in Cheyenne for the sole purpose of discussing the specific language of the amendment. Again, numerous people took the time and expense to travel to southeast Wyoming only to be told they could not disagree with the amendment, only provide language suggestions for it. I have heard the argument from land transfer proponents that the state could do a better job managing the land within our borders, that our legislators would be more responsive than those on the federal side. From what has been demonstrated so far, I see nothing that shows that to be so. I acknowledge that things could run smoother between the federal land management agencies and the local/state agencies, that there should be more input and say in what happens in our backyard. So lets work on making that happen. But the notion that Wyoming lands should only belong to Wyomingites and not all Americans seems to me to be, well, un-American. If you care about public lands as much as I do, please contact your state senator and representative immediately and tell them to oppose the constitutional amendment. In another sign of a recovering Arizona economy, the number of bankruptcies filed in the state dropped for the fifth straight year in 2016, falling 10 percent from the prior year. Bankrutpcy cases filed in the Tucson area also dropped 5.6 percent, according to the latest statistics form the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Phoenix. But while business filings were down nearly 40 percent, numbers were up statewide for a type of individual bankruptcy filing. Statewide, 14,657 bankruptcies of all types were filed last year, down from 16,313 in 2015, while overall filings in the Tucson court fell to 3,437 from 3,642 in the prior year. But filings under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which are filed by individuals who work out a plan to repay all or some of their debt, rose 7.3 percent statewide last year and jumped 18.5 percent in Tucson, where 718 Chapter 13 cases were filed. Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings, which are filed mainly by businesses to protect against legal action while they work out plans to repay creditors, fell 39.5 percent statewide last year. Notable Chapter 11 business bankruptcies filed in Tucson last year included artificial heart maker SynCardia Systems, whose assets were sold to an investor who pledged to recapitalize the company; and the still-pending case of Lodge Partners, operator of the Lodge on the Desert. Chapter 11 filings were down nearly 42 percent in the Tucson court, where 25 cases were filed, and fell nearly 43 percent in the Phoenix area. But Chapter 11 filings tripled to 9 last year in the Yuma court, where changes are magnified by the relatively small number of overall filings. Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcies fell 12.6 percent statewide, 28.6 percent in Tucson and 13.9 percent in Phoenix. A key permit decision on the proposed Rosemont Mine which would be the countrys third-largest copper mine wont be made until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The Army Corps of Engineers said last week it doesnt expect to issue its decision on a Clean Water Act permit for the mine until after Jan. 20, when Trump is inaugurated. It declined in response to a question from the Star to give a timeline for the decision. A lower-level Corps office in Los Angeles recommended denial of the permit last July. The higher-level, San Francisco-based South Pacific Division will make the decision and continues to review records associated with the recommendation, said spokeswoman Heather Babb. This includes the final environmental impact statement, scientific studies and permit and agency comments, Babb said in an email. Two outside legal experts of widely different political views agreed that all things being equal, a Trump administration decision would likely be better for the mine than a ruling under the Obama administration. But that doesnt make the mines approval a sure thing, said law professors Jonathan Adler of Case Western University and Patrick Parenteau of the Vermont Law School. In fact, a recent statement from the Corps new South Pacific commander, Pete Helmlinger, to mine applicant Hudbay Minerals Inc., could be a signal that a denial is coming, said the two professors, who have closely followed the Army Corps for years. Helmlinger, who started the job in August, toured the proposed mine site in the Santa Rita Mountains last month. He has advised Hudbay that if the decision is to deny the permit, he would provide prior notification about the reasons the application does not meet regulatory requirements and would discuss any measures that could lead to a permit approval, Babb told the Star. Trump, while not taking a public position on Rosemont, has repeatedly blasted what he sees as federal regulatory overreach. Obama has tightened a number of federal environmental rules and proposed many new ones, and his administration has in the past eight months denied permits to the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, to a coal export terminal in Bellingham, Washington, and to a mine on Forest Service land in Minnesota. The first two of those decisions were made by the Army Corps. If Im seeking the permit for some sort of extractive project, the mine or something else, I prefer my chances in a Trump administration rather than the Obama administration, said the libertarian-leaning Adler. But as a military operation, The Corps prides itself on maintaining independence from the political operatives, at least at the level where this decision will be made, Parenteau said. Its not clear Rosemont would necessarily be high-profile enough for administration higher-ups to get involved or to have a major effect on the decision, added Adler. But there is that possibility, he said. Agencies are aware that new folks may want to evaluate it differently. Babb said she cant speculate how the Corps is leaning while its review is being conducted. Parenteau, who has worked for environmental groups and federal agencies, said simple logic suggests Helmlingers statement could foretell a denial. No need to give Hudbay one last crack at it if the permit was about to be issued, said Parenteau, senior counsel for Vermont Law Schools Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic. Its certainly an indication, suggestive, or a signal that a denial could be coming, said Adler, director of Case Westerns Center for Business Law and Regulation and a senior fellow for the Property and Environment Research Center, which seeks to improve environmental quality through free markets and property rights. At the same time, there is often some degree of back and forth between the Corps and permit applicants over mitigation terms, Adler added. That happens if the Corps believes a project could be done in a way that meets its standards, but whats proposed doesnt specifically meet them, he said. The Corps permit is one of two key decisions remaining for the $2 billion copper mine project. The other is a formal record of decision from the U.S. Forest Service. Rosemont would dispose of its waste rock and tailings on Coronado National Forest land while mining on private land. Forest Service officials have been generally favorable to the project, having issued a tentative approval in December 2013 on the grounds that they believed the mine would meet all environmental laws. But the Corps has been much cooler, with its Los Angeles-based officials repeatedly saying through 2014 that Rosemonts plans to compensate for mine impacts on neighboring washes and streams were inadequate. The Corps has since said little publicly about the mine, other than to confirm the negative recommendation of July 2016. It has declined to release a copy of the recommendation. The mine would remove about 243 million pounds of copper a year from Rosemonts open pit. Hudbay has pledged to hire at least 400 permanent employees, many at high salaries. It commissioned a study by an Arizona State University economist that concluded the mine would bring many billions of dollars in economic benefits to Arizona over the projects expected 25-year life. But environmentalists and other mine opponents, including Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, have expressed concerns that the mine would pollute air and water, jeopardize imperiled species including a rare jaguar, and drain neighboring water supplies including the lush Cienega Creek. Their views have won acceptance at some federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, but not from others such as the Fish and Wildlife Service. Another reason a Trump administration decision isnt necessarily a done deal is that Helmlinger is an Obama administration holdover, Adler and Parenteau said. Hudbay can appeal a negative decision to the Corps chief of engineers, who reports to the assistant Army secretary. At the EPA, top regional administrator jobs traditionally flip when the White House changes parties, but theres normally less political turnover at the Corps, the two professors said. The Army Corps is part of the Army. The military has a chain of command and a seniority system that is based on military criteria, Adler said. There arent as many political positions that are selected on a political basis. The question is whether Helmlinger will get any direction from above, Parenteau said. The Tucson City Council will be asked on Tuesday to sign off on a deal to give the regions largest private employer, Raytheon Missile Systems, $6 million worth of additional tax breaks to help the company expand and hire 1,900 new employees. The deal is the second amendment to what is called the pre-annexation agreement that dates back to 1995 between the city and what was then Hughes Missile Systems Co., now Raytheon. The agreement was meant to help offset costs Raytheon would incur when it was annexed by the city by depositing revenue from certain use and electricity taxes paid by the company into a fund that would be used for the mutual benefit of the company and the city. The money, for example, could be used to fund public infrastructure improvements, such as roads around the company, improve transit services, buy property to help create a buffer around the companys facility near the airport as well as other agreed-upon capital improvements. Under a previous amendment, the city allowed for up to $8 million of tax revenues paid by Raytheon to be set aside to help the defense contractor expand locally. The revised deal set for a vote Tuesday increases the cap amount to $14 million. The proposed agreement also includes a new section that states Raytheon would agree to the city annexing its facility at 9000 S. Rita Road, in the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, if and when an annexation petition is presented. Raytheon is expected to spend roughly $400 million on the planned expansion, creating a minimum of 1,900 new jobs at an average salary of $110,000. The expansion, officially announced in November, is also expected to create new jobs in Tucson indirectly, ranging from construction jobs to partners that have service contracts with Raytheon. The median household income in Pima County was about $46,000 in 2014, according to the most recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. The contract contains six separate clauses allowing the city to sever the agreement if Raytheon fails to meet expected deadlines. For example, Raytheon must break ground on the expansion no later than September 2018, must spend at least $100 million on the expansion before September 2019 and must have hired at least 1,900 new employees by January 2021. Another clause requires the new employees must work for Raytheon in Southern Arizona for at least three years. Councilman Steve Kozachik is looking forward to finalizing the new agreement . Allowing them to reinvest money generated by their own operations to catalyze 1,900 net new high-paying jobs and see a $400 million capital improvement makes sense from everybodys perspective, he said. Councilwoman Regina Romero said the agreement is a shining example of the citys Primary Jobs Incentive program, whose mission is to attract high-wage, long-term jobs with health-care benefits for Tucsonans. This project exceeds all of the goals of the program, she said. A representative for Raytheon declined to discuss the details of the agreement. Pima County has also approved several incentives with the company following the announcement of its expansion. Raytheon has about 10,000 employees, according to city documents. PHOENIX Saying he fears harm to Arizonans, Gov. Doug Ducey is urging Congress to not to rush repeal of the Affordable Care Act. I dont want to see any Arizonan have the rug pulled out from underneath them in terms of changing this law, the Republican governor told an audience of business executives, lobbyists and lawmakers on Friday. We can take a little time to get there, he said. Theres no rush, although we should have a sense of urgency because its topical now. Ducey said its not that hes a fan of the program. I believe that Obamacare is a monumental failure and a rolling disaster, he said. He said that has been borne out as the program has matured, with 14 of the states 15 counties having only a single provider. Premiums are increasing by 50 percent or more, he added. This program is failing under its own weight, Ducey said. But the governor sought to dampen the enthusiasm of Republican Congress members who are moving to make outright repeal of the program their first order of business. The skill is in the replacement of what everyone wanted to see, which was a better health-care market, Ducey said. He said that will require a more measured approach than occurred in 2010 when the act was rushed through, with no Republican votes, and some Congress members quipped they had to vote for the measure to know what was in it. This time, how bout you read the bill before you sign it? Ducey said. This time, he said, Congress should have broad input, including patients, doctors, advocates, insurers and the pharmaceutical industry. That statement, however, ignores that Obama convened a health summit shortly after taking office and brought in all of the interests that Ducey said need to be part of what comes next. It took months before the final plan was approved by Congress. Explaining his position after his public comments Friday, Ducey said its important for the new Congress to see the issue not just in terms of finally having the votes and a signature from the new president to get their way on an issue that not a single Republican supported. I think the first thing to realize is that we are talking about people and peoples lives, Ducey said. The problem with Obamacare is that it was rushed and it was hurried and it was partisan, he continued, saying he believes federal lawmakers can do better if they take the time. But Ducey was cagey when asked if he had conveyed his views to the Republicans in Arizonas congressional delegation, many of whom ran on platforms of making the repeal of the Affordable Care Act their first priority. I think Im being recorded right now, he quipped, suggesting that his views will get to Washington through the media. Theres a potentially more immediate and more direct concern for Ducey if lawmakers repeal the federal law and the funding that goes with it. Ducey predecessor Jan Brewer took advantage of one provision of the Affordable Care Act that said the federal government would pick up pretty much the entire cost if states expanded eligibility for their Medicaid programs. Medicaid already paid about two-thirds of the cost for Arizonas program, which provided care at no charge for those below the federal poverty level. But in 2013 Brewer got lawmakers to extend the program to people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, on the governors promise it would bring in $1.6 billion a year. Ducey inherited that program. But if the Affordable Care Act goes away, so does the federal money. Asked Friday what his backup plan is, he responded, These are all hypotheticals and Im not going to deal with them. In 2013, Brewer took a strong stance against Republican Congress members who already were trying to repeal the law. Brewer said then, like Ducey said Friday, she was never a fan of the program, pointing out she was among several governors who sued unsuccessfully to have it declared unconstitutional. But she said that once it was clear the law would take effect, she wanted Arizona to take advantage of the reward for expanding Medicaid. She said that made it worthwhile to fight with state legislators from her own Republican Party and even form an alliance with Democrats to push the plan through. The bottom line is we need that money in our economy to save rural hospitals and jobs in rural areas, Brewer said at the time. PHOENIX State legislators will try this year to dilute the constitutional right of Arizonans to enact their own laws unfettered by legislative interference. A series of measures being proposed would change the signature threshold and impose new rules on using paid circulators for initiative petitions. The biggest would ask voters to repeal the measure they approved in 1998 that specifically bars lawmakers from tinkering with laws approved at the ballot box. There will be other issues consuming lawmakers time, of course, when the Legislatures session begins Monday, ranging from how to divide up the more than $9 billion in state revenues, to who gets tax cuts. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, in campaigning in 2014, vowed to propose a tax cut every year he is in office. He told Capitol Media Services he remains committed to that pledge. But dont underestimate the political fighting that will occur over initiatives and who gets to write and repeal state laws. Voter-approved laws Arizonas constitution spells out that citizens are the ultimate lawmakers, and theyve made use of that right. Voters, for example, approved higher taxes on tobacco and limits on where people can smoke. And it was voters who required funding of early childhood education programs, allowed the medical use of marijuana and approved the states first-ever minimum wage. But it was the recent 58-42 percent approval of Proposition 206 on the Nov. 8 ballot, hiking that minimum wage immediately to $10, taking it to $12 by 2020 and mandating paid time off, that has angered some business leaders. They want new registration requirements on people who collect signatures for money, and to make it easier to challenge those signatures. There also are moves to require a certain percentage of signatures on ballot propositions to come from the states 13 rural counties. One of the most sweeping comes from Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale. She wants to repeal the constitutional provision requiring a hands-off approach by lawmakers after voters have had their say. Ugenti-Rita said voters are unaware that once they approve something, its pretty much forever. It makes it difficult for the Legislature to deal with unintended consequences, she said. In order to manage economic changes, the Legislature needs to have the ability to adjust policy accordingly. She acknowledged that outright repeal would require ratification by the voters who approved the restriction in the first place. So she said she may be willing to accept something less drastic, perhaps a required disclosure on future ballot measures that they cant be altered by lawmakers. But Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs, D-Phoenix, said the reason voters approved the restriction is because lawmakers ignored the voice of people that were passing initiatives. She noted that in 1996, voters approved the first medical marijuana measure. But the following year lawmakers, insisting that voters must have made a mistake, effectively repealed it by making it subject to federal approval, something that was not going to happen. So in 1998 proponents put the original measure back on the ballot, where it passed again. They also secured adoption of the Voter Protection Act, which says lawmakers can alter initiatives only if they further the purpose of the original measure and only on a three-fourths vote. Ducey is reacting cautiously to the ideas. Im someone who believes you must respect the will of the people, he said. But the governor also said he is concerned that laws get cemented into place even as situations change. Ducey said there should be a requirement to review all statutes regularly, whether approved by lawmakers or voters. I really love the idea of sunsetting laws, he said. That would mean sending anything voters approved back to the ballot every decade, forcing proponents to again marshal support. Gun laws Guns present a different issue. With certain exceptions, including schools and court houses, nothing in state law specifically makes public buildings off-limits to weapons. But the operator of a building can declare that guns are not permitted simply by putting a sign at each public entrance. Those who ignore the signs are subject to arrest. A legislative proposal would allow buildings to be declared gun-free zones only if the operators also install metal detectors and have guards to ensure that no one in the building is armed. Supporters say the problem with the current system is that those who obey laws will leave their weapons outside or check them in lockers that are supposed to be available; those who are criminals will ignore the signs. That strips the law-abiding citizens of their ability to defend themselves from those who want to cause mayhem, backers say. Ducey is taking no formal position other than to say he is a supporter of the Second Amendment. Abortion laws No less controversial are abortion measures. The historic 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade said states cannot forbid women from terminating a pregnancy. But the high court has said states can regulate the procedure to protect the health of the mother and the life of the fetus and also can outlaw abortions on viable fetuses. So far, Arizona lawmakers have approved and courts have upheld a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement for an in-person appointment with a doctor and an ultrasound. But other rules, like banning abortions after the 20th week and limiting the use of certain drugs to induce an abortion, have been struck down. Thats unlikely to keep abortion foes from trying measures here that are being used by their counterparts in other states. Aside from the proposed ban at 20-weeks the point at which some argue a fetus can feel pain there have been efforts to require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Texas is pushing ahead with a law that requires the formal burial of fetal remains. Ducey, who has previously signed various abortion-related measures, suggested anything else that reaches his desk this year will get similar approval. Im pro-life and Im always going to be on the side of life, he said. Minimum wage The passage of Proposition 206 will have another impact this session. State health officials say they need more money because the higher wage requirement will force them to increase payments to private companies that provide direct in-home and nursing care. The current reimbursement rate was negotiated based on last years $8.05 minimum wage. Sen. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, wants to go further, suggesting a do-over. He said voters might have second thoughts once they figure out there is a $50 million price tag for the coming six months, though the federal government will absorb part of that. But there is potential fallout for lawmakers telling voters that they really didnt understand what they were adopting and that its OK to pay care workers less than those who work in fast food. Ducey said only that hes all ears in listening to whatever lawmakers propose on the subject. Lots of hot items Other potentially controversial measures include: Having the Legislature legalize recreational use of marijuana rather than leaving it for another ballot fight; Revamping who sits on the state Board of Education; Funding more than $20 billion in needed road construction and repairs; Restoring the criminal penalties for violations of campaign-finance laws that legislators repealed last year; Barring texting while driving; Creating a new post of lieutenant governor who would run as a ticket with the governor; Making it a felony to steal a U.S. flag; Giving income tax breaks when people make a profit off the sale of U.S. gold coins; Allowing officials to deny unduly burdensome or harassing requests for public records; Authorizing a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget; Expanding laws that protect private individuals and companies from having to provide services to people whose religious beliefs they find objectionable; Providing more immunity to state and local governments from lawsuits over road design; Limiting the ability of cities to issue ID cards to people not legally present in this country; Reducing the kinds of notices that government agencies must publish in newspapers; Revamping how lawsuits are filed over violations of statutes to protect the disabled; Altering the state retirement systems to preserve their financial solvency. 9 $1,5 - 2022 -- () $1 541 . The Republicans are waging war against the right to vote. Although there is no evidence, elections are denounced as fraudulent. They have slate of election denying candidates on ballots across the country. These candidates are great at identifying the problems facing our country, but not so Six people died and 13 were injured by gunfire when a gunman opened fire outside the Safeway store at Ina and Oracle roads north of Tucson on Jan. 8, 2011. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was holding a "Congress On Your Corner" event on Tucson's northwest side when the attack occurred. Those who died: Christina-Taylor Green, 9; Dorothy "Dot" Morris, 76; John Roll, 63; Phyllis Schneck, 79; Dorwan Stoddard, 76; Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman, 30 Happy New Year to all readers and welcome to Bollywood Butterfly! For our very first post, what could be better than bringing together the heartfelt wishes your favourite Bollywood stars have posted to mark 2017. With major Bollywood films to be released, this year is set to keep you entertained and we will be right there to keep you informed of what the stars are posting on their social media pages. So, stay tuned to Bollywood Butterfly! New Year Messages from Bollywood Celebrities Who better to start with than Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan. The biggest name in Bollywood today posted a message which encouraged people to do whatever they were too scared to do last year. With his general spiritual take on life, this was the perfect message to inspire his fans to share his outlook on life. And considering it's Shah Rukh Khan, we would certainly advise on taking the advice on board! Shah Rukh Khan also did his bit to warn people of the dangers of drinking and driving with a genius video using hashtag #RaeesKiSuno. His much awaited film with Pakistani actress, Mahira Khan, is set to release on 25th January and using this opportunity to send out a social message and promote his film, he posted the video in character. Check it out! The wonderful Katrina Kaif wished her fans a joyous new year alongside a stunning picture of herself. Following a jam packed 2016 for Katina, including a successful bridal photoshoot with Manish Malhotra, we're sure Miss Kaif is starting 2017 with huge optimism. The adorable Alia Bhatt posted a promotional picture from her upcoming film Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya with Varun Dhawan. Happy New Year from Badri and his dulhaniya !! pic.twitter.com/OGyUCWOyLg Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) January 1, 2017 One of our favourite posts from one of our favourite Bollywood stars! The hilariously funny Sonam Kapoor posted a fun picture from Amsterdam before the wonderful news that she has been voted the best actress in 2016 by the DD News Viewers Choice award. Well done, Sonam! Bollywood Ladies in Hollywood! Another celeb excited by a unique movie release in the new year is the beautiful Deepika Padukone. In response to a post by a Twitter fan page about her upcoming Hollywood film with Vin Diesal, XxX Return of Xander Cage, Deepika sent a lovely message proclaiming her love for her fans. We didn't expect any less of the wonderful Deepika! I LOVE you guys! Happy New Year and see you in the new year! https://t.co/QJ3rtC4nUh Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) December 31, 2016 The beautiful Priyanka Chopra gave us pure envy with a vacation selfie of her looking wonderfully relaxed! With her confirmed celebrity status in America, 2016 was a great year for Priyanka and 2017 is set to continue in the same way with Miss Chopra being confirmed as a presenter at the Golden Globe Awards. You go, girl! Last but by no means least, we have the exceptionally cool Ranveer Singh. Using the hashtag #BestYearEver for 2017, Ranveer posted a superb selfie with sun, water and animated sunglasses! We do love him! Sky News reported that Britain took a symbolic step closer to Brexit after MPs voted by 461 votes to 89 - a majority of 372 -f or a Brexit strategy to be revealed as well as the passing of an amendment to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2016. Although the vote is not legally binding, it is the first time since the referendum that MPs have supported May's Brexit timetable, which would lead the UK to exiting the EU sometime around March 2019. Labour's Demands Tulip Siddiq, Labour politician, stated: "It's been six months since the referendum. It's ludicrous that it's taken this long for the Prime Minister to acknowledge that Brexit is important enough that the British people need to know her government's plans." Shadow Brexit minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined Labour's five fold demands for Brexit negotiations. Sir Keir stated in parliament: "Firstly, [Labour demands] enough detail and clarity to end the circus of uncertainty." and to end the circus of uncertainty." "The second requirement is that it must have enough detail to allow relevant parliamentary bodies and committees to scrutinse the plan effectively." "Thirdly, the plan must provide enough detail to enable the office for Budget Responsibility to do its job properly". "Fourthly, the plan must have enough details to enable the relevant authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to be assured that their particular concerns are going addressed". and Northern Ireland to be assured that their particular concerns are going addressed". "Fifthly, the plan must have enough detail to build a genuine consensus across parliament." When asked how Labour would respond if their conditions were not met, Sir Keir stated the government would face a "further challenge" from the opposition before refusing to expand upon his statement. Ian Duncan Smith, Conservative leave supporter, told Sky News that the vote gives the PM a "blank cheque" for Brexit. Labour & Tories holding hands towards a hard Brexit, refusing to seek the will of the people on the deal. I want democracy not a stitch up. Tim Farron (@timfarron) 7 December 2016 Out of the 89 MPs that voted against the amendment, there was 51 SNP MPs, 23 Labour MPs, 5 Liberal Democrat MPs, 3 SDLP MPs, 3 Plaid Cyrmu MPs, 2 Independent MPs, 1 Green MP and 1 Conservative MP-Ken Clarke. The government's latest Brexit fumble comes in spite of previously stating that there was no plan to provide a Brexit "running commentary" at the risk of showing their negotiating hand. Theresa May missed the vote as she was in the Middle East. With heavy news coverage, Americas latest mass shooting, which took place at an airport in South Florida, has left at least five people dead and eight more wounded. This is according to local authorities most recent report. Witnesses report an anarchic scene as civilians were spotted fleeing from the eventful terminal with others ducking and covering their heads. Too early to determine whether it was a terrorist act Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County, Florida, appeared at a news conference to clear some things up. He confirmed the five deaths and when asked if this airport shooting was a terrorist attack, he said its too early to tell. He said that the FBI are interrogating the suspect they have in custody, who they brought in without incident. Israel also said there was no sign of another shooter being involved. The airport will now by closed for an extended period of time (according to a tweet posted on the airports official Twitter account). The TSA also released a tweet identifying the incident as an active shooter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just outside Miami, Florida. Events suggest a second shooter Over an hour after the suspect was placed in police custody, alarms went off in another terminal and people were caught fleeing in terror by live news cameras that were at the scene before Florida authorities moved in armed with semi-automatic weapons. Israel clarified this confusing separate incident to some extent at the news conference in Florida, as he explained that while somebody was wounded in the evacuation of the terminal, it had nothing to do with any type of gunshot or anything like that. In an interview with MSNBC, Mayor Barbara Sharief of Broward County, Florida, reported eyewitness accounts from a multi-storey car park who heard something that sounded like gunshots. After these were reported, local authorities evacuated and conducted a search of the area. She confirmed that the investigating authorities have no confirmation at all that there is another active shooting at the airport. The shooter has been identified While Sharief, Israel, and other Florida authorities have yet to formally identify the shooter, some news outlets used eyewitness accounts of the shooter to identify him. The suspect was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt and apparently took out a handgun at baggage claim and opened fire on everyone, with one witness saying he was shooting people in the head, and another saying he went through about three magazines before he tossed the gun aside and lay down in the floor awaiting arrest. While the investigation into the Florida shooting is underway, other airports are being feared as potential targets, with police being fully deployed at airports in major US cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. The FAA has grounded all flights bound for Fort Lauderdale indefinitely. Throughout the 2016 election cycle, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump seemed like mortal enemies, forging a rivalry that would last well beyond the election and its resulting Presidency. But despite their fiercely competitive debates and swapping of harsh insults like nasty woman, it seems as though there is no bad blood between the pair, as Hillary will be attending Trumps inauguration (though not in the capacity she was hoping to a few months ago). Shell be bringing her husband Bill, too Hillarys husband, former Democratic US President Bill Clinton, will be heading to Washington DC to attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Trump with her on 20 January, according to their aides. The LA Times reports that it is the norm for ex-Presidents and their wives to attend Presidential inauguration ceremonies, however, this is a special case given how this ex-Presidents wife lost the election to the President-elect whose inauguration it is, the first time in history this is the case for a former First Lady, so it was unclear whether or not Hillary would be attending the ceremony without confirmation. The fact that Hillary Clinton will be in attendance is important for America, as the dominating political power over the country shifts from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, as her being there suggests a peaceful transition with no bad blood or ongoing feud. Both Clintons have congratulated Trump on victory Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have offered their congratulations to Trump on his victory, showing that while he may be a sore winner, she is an incredibly gracious loser. This is surprising given the insults they hurled at each other throughout the election campaign. Trump called Hillary a bigot (yes, that is the right way around), she said the KKK were Trump supporters, he said shame on you for that stupid email scandal, she called him prejudiced, he called her a liar, she called him a white nationalist, he called her a fear-monger, and the list goes on and on, so its surprising that shes going to see him sworn into office and called to congratulate him on winning the election. However, a spokesperson for Bill Clinton has said that neither he nor Hillary have said a word to Trump since. [ Opposition leaders after a meeting with the Election Commission seeking postponement of the Union Budget in view of the Assembly polls in five states. ] As always, state elections are going to be exciting. If the BJP wins in UP, the Presidential election will be a cake walk for the ruling party. If it loses, there will be greater pressure on the party managers to prove they are capable of winning the 2019 elections. A loss would also suggest that the ostensible approval for demonetization was an illusion that a hapless and bullied population exhibited to the press out of apprehension and fear. Winning these state elections is therefore going to be really important for the PM and his government to regain credibility after a number of policies that have faded from public memory. Elections for the five states would be held over a forty day period starting two months and in some of the most important states. Of course Uttar Pradesh is critical as it is the state that elects the largest number of legislators, sends the largest number of members to parliament, one of whom is the Prime Minister himself. The Union budget is scheduled to be presented on the 1st of February and this is getting the opposition agitated. The fear is that the FM will announce populist measures that could influence voting patterns. What is it that the opposition is afraid of? There is a suspicion that the government is worried about the negative fallout of the demonetization exercise. In order to win over those who have stood in long queues at banks and ATMs over the last couple of months, the government may decide to dole out some sops. What a number of people are speculating on is that those who have Jan Dhan accounts will find a sum of money transferred to their accounts as a gift from a grateful Prime Minister. This sounds rather far-fetched for at least two reasons low tax revenue and the failure of demonetization. The government does not have too much money to hand out. Tax revenues would have fallen in the last two months and will not pick up in the next quarter too as growth has fallen perceptibly. There is no extra money with the government that it can use to distribute across the country. There was some hope that a large sum of at least three lakh crores would not return to the banks during the demonetization exercise but all indications are that all the money has come back into the system. Even if some money hadnt come back, it would be imprudent for the government to have laid claims to that unreturned cash. The PM has already announced that farmers will get cheap loans. He has also announced that those who are building low cost houses will get access to low interest loans. The government now has nothing else to announce in the budget on these lines. The FM could very well decide to give a loan waiver to farmers, but this would go completely against the line that the PM has taken. He has often blamed the subsidy culture of the Congress. It will be another loss of face if he does precisely the same. The oppositions insistence that the budget should be postponed is not relevant as a result. There is also voter behavior that suggests the same. The electorate rarely votes or what a government has done in the past. Votes are cast based on what a party promises it would do in the future. If the government declares everything in the budget, there is nothing for the voter to look forward to and he could then choose anyone else on any other parameter like caste or ideology. If the FM announces major sops before elections, there is little for the voter to look forward to afterwards. There is yet another point that must be noted. Paradoxical as it is, the fact is that there is widespread approval of demonetization. People standing in queues for hours say they are happy with this move and feel it would result in rooting out corruption and black money. Narendra Modis approval rating continues to be high, if one were to believe the various surveys and opinion polls being conducted. If that is the case, then why does he have to do anything else to win over a population that is already chanting his name? One must also not forget that the PM has repeatedly talked about the poor tax to GDP ratio in India. There are only 24 lakh people who pay income tax, he has argued. The FM too has spoken of the need to collect more revenue through taxation and of increasing the tax net. With this in the background, it makes little sense for the budget to announce new tax sops or for increasing the tax exemption limit as is being forecast by various analysts. The Opposition parties also fear that such an announcement could lead to a consolidation of urban votes behind the BJP. If indeed approval is so high and people do want to see an expansion in the tax net and an increase in tax revenues, it would make for poor decision making to tamper with existing tax rates or tax exemption limits. As a result, there is little for the opposition to worry about when it comes to the government insisting it wants to present the budget before the elections. The democratic tradition would have been if the treasury itself announced that it would postpone the budget presentation. But if it is adamant, there is no harm in letting it proceed with its idea. What the government should be worried about actually is the pernicious manner in which growth rate is going down. Reduction in the growth rate not only means lesser money with the government to spend, it also means fewer jobs. High unemployment never works well in elections, even if they are polarized along religious and caste lines. The budget, instead of worrying about elections in UP and Punjab and others, should focus more on increasing consumption in the country and encouraging higher levels of investment leading to capacity expansion and job creation. Six-year-old david puckett wandered from his home near East Amherst Place and Jasper Street in Aurora, Colorado around 5:30 pm on Saturday, December 31st. According to the Amber Alert, he was wearing a tan jacket, black shirt, green camouflage pants, and black boots with an orange stripe. At a news conference on Sunday, the boy's mother, Stephanie Puckett, pleaded with the community to "please bring my baby home." She was concerned that her son was not dressed properly for the cold weather. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, along with the FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation are in full force searching for the missing boy. Day 2 of search brings no clues On Monday, the search intensified with bloodhounds searching for the boy's scent around a 205 mile radius of the boy's home. Authorities, along with volunteers, canvassed the neighbourhood to interview people and search for clues. Police stated that a helicopter and drone were used in the search but came up with no sign of the missing child. Officers also set up a checkpoint near East Iliff Avenue and South Chambers Road asking drivers if they had seen the missing boy. In a press conference, authorities asked the community to look for the missing boy in their backyards, fridges, cabinets, old vehicles or anything a child could crawl into. Police said that calling his name wouldn't be enough. Authorities also asked for everyone to review surveillance camera footage in the area and report any sightings to them as soon as possible. Abduction not suspected at this time Although no foul play is suspected, Public Information Officer Crystal McKoy stated in a news conference that the CBI issued the amber alert "due to the passing of time and impending cold weather." David is described by police as "at risk" due to having a learning disability. He has wandered off school property in the past. According to CBS Denver 4 News, a reward of $10,000 is now being offered. Details of Amber Alert Age : 6-years-old : 6-years-old Sex : Male : Male Skin : White : White Hair : Light brown : Light brown Eyes : Brown : Brown Height : 4 feet : 4 feet Weight : 48 pounds : 48 pounds Description: The child was last seen wearing a tan jacket, black shirt, green camouflage pants, and black boots with an orange stripe. If you have any information about the missing boy, contact the Aurora Police Department at 303-739-1870. A crack in the Antarctic ice shelf is growing at an accelerated rate with scientists reporting a chunk bigger than Rhode Island and almost the size of Delaware possibly breaking away as soon as later this winter. This 2,000 square miles breaking off this shelf would dramatically change the Antarctic Peninsula. Crack has grown 11 miles since December The crack is not just growing by inches or feet, it has grown 11 miles in length since the beginning of December and earlier this year it extended another 13 miles across the shelf. The crack has grown 50 miles since 2011, but as you can see by the latest reports on its growth, the rate has become astronomical with almost half of that 50 miles occurring within the last year. 100 miles long In all this crack extends almost 100 miles, and the width of the crack has grown to "well over 1,000 feet." All that is left connecting the chunk that is breaking off of the Antarctic ice shelf is "12 miles of ice." This crack could cross that 12 miles of ice sometime before the end of winter, setting the 2,000 square mile ice chunk free from the Antarctic ice shelf. Biggest ever recorded The scientists keeping tabs on this crack are from a project called MIDAS. This is funded by a British government collaboration which is based out of both the Swansea and Aberystwyth Universities in Wales. The fast warming Antarctic Peninsula has already seen two other shelves within the same region break off. If this chunk of ice lets go, it will be the biggest ever recorded. According to The Washington Post, it is widely believed that climate change is the reason this Delaware-sized chunk is separating from the shelf. If this huge chunk of ice does separate from the ice shelf it could "accelerate further breakup of the Antarctic ice shelf." Ocean water will rise The piece of ice that is in danger of breaking off acts like a "cork" that keeps the glaciers in Antarctica from flowing into the ocean. The scientists believe the sea water rising by as much as 4-inches (or 10 centimeters) could be one of the long-term effects of this 2,000 square miles of ice being set free. According to what the Washington Post reports, the chance of this ice chunk breaking off from the Antarctic ice shelf is looking rather "imminent." Florida Governor Rick Scott is taking heat for calling President-elect Trump instead of President Obama after the tragic Ft. Lauderdale Airport shooting that left five people dead and at least eight injured on Friday. During a press conference, Scott told reporters that he called Trump and Vice President-elect Pence "multiple times" in an effort to keep them informed about the mass shooting. A reporter asked why he didn't call President Barack Obama, and he stated that he has a "personal relationship" with both Trump and Pence, so he reached out to them instead. Other than staying informed about the situation, the President-elect has no power at this time to do anything, but Governor Scott stated that Trump told him that he and Pence would do "everything in their power" to help the governor get whatever resources were needed from the federal government. Twitter blasts Scott for not calling Obama Trump acknowledged on Twitter that he had spoken to Governor Rick Scott about the Florida airport shooting and then moved on to tweeting out a birthday wish to his son Eric. And while Twitter was busy calling out Trump for spending more time tweeting about Schwarzenegger's "Celebrity Apprentice" ratings than the shooting, the Florida governor got blasted on social media for calling Trump instead of Obama. "I have a personal relationship with Vice President-elect Pence and President-elect Trump, and I reached out," Gov. Scott told reporters who asked why he passed over Obama. A quick look at Scott's Twitter account indicates that his decision to call the President-elect about the shooting instead of the POTUS wasn't a good move. "Governor Rick Scott apparently doesn't know we only have one president at a time," tweeted Khary Penebake. "He only called Trump, who isn't acting president." "Rick Scott" Two term Florida "fraud" governor does not understand chain of command deliberately reaches out to Trump who is NOT POTUS. William S. Nall (@wsnall) January 7, 2017 Governor Rick Scott forgets @POTUS is not @realDonaldTrump and politicizes a tragedy. Disgraceful Latinarants (@latinarants) January 7, 2017 Governor Rick Scott of Florida, President Obama is still the president show him some respect. Don Salmon (@dijoni) January 7, 2017 @FLGovScott @Airbnb You are disgusting, you are using this disaster to promote Trump, by disrespecting who is in charge, President Obama. Loli Braun (@Lolibraun) January 7, 2017 Several hours after the shooting, President-elect Trump tweeted that he had spoken to Governor Scott about the Florida airport shooting and told people to "stay safe." VP-elect Pence jumped in on Twitter as well, sending out a standard "thoughts and prayers" message to his Twitter followers. In the first mass shooting of 2017, a gunman opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida Friday afternoon. In the aftermath, Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced that he briefed President-elect Donald Trump on the incident, but failed to do so with President Obama. Florida shooting It appeared to be another routine day at the Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday afternoon, but then a gunman opened fire, shooting at least 13 bullets that caused five deaths, while leaving eight others injured. The suspect has since been captured, and has been ID'd as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago. Santiago was found with a Military ID in his possession after being apprehended by law enforcement as he was trying to reload his weapon. As reported by Fox News on January 6, Gov. Rick Scott elaborated further during a news conference. Florida Gov. Rick Scott: "Pres-elect Trump and VP Pence reached out to me, Obama has not." That pretty well says who is our REAL President! pic.twitter.com/0Hh17oUM2k Tennessee GOP (@TEN_GOP) January 6, 2017 Gov. Rick Scott spoke to reports on Friday afternoon, going into further detail about the information surrounding the shooting. Scott confirmed that he had reached out and briefed Donald Trump and Mike Pence, but did not offer the same courtesy for President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. While Scott attempted to excuse his actions by telling the media that he never heard from the president, he then noted that he was the one who made the call to the Trump team. When asked about the situation further, Scott said he didn't want to get political. A gunman opened fired at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, killing at least 5 and wounding at least 8 others https://t.co/Ogw10hPi9s The New York Times (@nytimes) January 6, 2017 Despite not being in contact with Rick Scott, Obama was briefed by other officials, though he has yet to make a statement. Trump, on the other hand, took to Twitter to give his thoughts. "Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott," Trump tweeted, before adding, "Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" NEW: Esteban Santiago was member of Alaska Nat'l Guard until Aug. '16, when he received general discharge for unsatisfactory performance. pic.twitter.com/5ogeWczXTJ CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2017 Shooter information While little is currently known about Fort Lauderdale shooter Esteban Santiago, information is starting to be released. Born in New Jersey in 1990, Santiago is a United States citizen and former member of the United States Army Reservists. Santiago had recent questions surrounding his mental health, including an incident at an FBI office in Alaska last November where he was taken to a psychiatric facility after telling people he was being forced to fight the Islamic State terrorist group. It's currently unknown what Santiago's motive was for the shooting. While being interviewed by PBS, Vice-President Joe Biden, who has served in that capacity under President Barack Obama for the past eight years, told President-elect Donald Trump to "grow up." Biden's comments to Trump, who some people suspect of being nothing more than a "puppet" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, were made in response to complaints from Trump about the way in which the Obama Administration has been handling the transition of power from Obama to Trump. When confronted with Trump's complaints during the PBS interview, Biden told Trump to "grow up" and then added, "It's time to be an adult!," (ABC News, 1-6-17). Biden's impressive political career Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1942. Biden began his career as an attorney in 1969. He soon got into politics and was elected to the New Castle County Council in Delaware in 1970. In 1972, Biden was elected to the United States Senate from Delaware and was elected to six consecutive terms in the Senate. As a Senator, Biden opposed the Gulf War in 1991. Biden strongly advocated for NATO and supported American and NATO intervention in Bosnia in 1994 and 1995. Although Biden voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, he objected to increased American troop involvement in that war in 2007. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden advocated for greater control of violent crime, including violent crimes against women. Biden sat as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the much-publicized Supreme Court hearings for Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Biden unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1998 and 2008. He dropped out of the race both times; however, he was nominated as Obama's running mate in 2008. Biden was elected Vice-President in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Some of the issues for which Biden has been a stalwart advocate include: the Affordable Care Act, (Obama Care), reinstating infrastructure spending, tax relief, continuing unemployment insurance for those who need it, and job creation. In 2015, after the untimely death of his son Beau from cancer, Biden chose not to run for the Democratic Party nomination for President in 2016. No nonsense Biden Joe Biden has always been a "no nonsense" type of politician. He has always been the kind of guy who says what he means and follows through on what he says he is going to do. In light of this, it is not difficult to understand why he would address Trump's complaints about the transition process with a simple, blunt statement like, "Grow up," and "It's time to be an adult!" Sanders' display of Trump's tweet Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders decided this week to confront Trump with his own words. Sanders, who is concerned that Trump appears to be waning on his promise to protect both Social Security and Medicare, displayed a huge poster on which was printed one of Trump's tweets from the 2016 Presidential campaign. In that tweet, Trump promised not to cut Social Security and Medicare. Sanders, who describes himself as a Socialist, has been a lifelong advocate of the rights of workers, the elderly, the handicapped and the financially challenged. To date, Trump has addressed the needs of this demographic of Americans by promising to protect them and siding with GOP Congressional leaders who are trying to slash Social Security and Medicare rights of that same demographic. Observers on both sides of the aisle are watching, recording and reporting Trump's every move. On New Years Eve, exactly because of the symbolism of the place, an unidentified terrorist from ISIS perpetrated a massacre in Turkey. Differently from TAK, the Kurdish group responsible for an attack weeks ago behind the Besiktas stadium, whose targets were primarily policemen (even though the attack killed some passerby), ISIS systematically targets civilians, besides places of an obvious symbolism and economic impact. Previously they attacked tourists in Sultanahmet and Taksim historic and touristic areas as well as the main airport in town. 39 dead and 65 wounded Until now we are aware of 39 dead and 65 wounded, with 25 of the dead from foreign countries. We must pay attention to their nationalities. According to the Turkish press, there is one Canadian, one Russian and two Indians among the dead, but almost all are from Islamic countries. Seven from Saudi Arabia, two from Tunisia, two from Morocco, two from Jordan, two from Iraq, one from Syria, one from Kuwait and one Arabic-Israeli (I use here this definition because I dont know how the victim defined herself, and its relevant to say that some Arabic-Israelis, like filmmaker Suha Arraf, identify themselves as Palestinians). This shows how attractive Istanbul is for the Arabic-Islamic world as a whole, and it also shows how most victims from ISIS are Muslims. There is no doubt, like the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan recognized, that the attacks are related to the latest events in the region, especially in Syria. Like the journalist Murat Yektin from the Hurriyet newspaper reminds, we must pay attention to two important points, both connected to internal Turkish affairs. The frustrated coup in July of 2016 The first one is that even with there being a lot of people calling for the possibility of an ISIS attack in places like shopping centers, movie theaters, restaurants and nightclubs in big cities like Istanbul and Ankara, once again the Turkish intelligence failed at large. The probable reason is connected to the frustrated coup in July of 2016. The government accuses the Hizmet movement for the coup and since then has been persecuting, firing, emptying the spaces used by the group, headed by imam Fethullah Gullen. And intelligence was one of their most important cores. With activists from Hizmet away, intelligence is now occupied by inexperienced professionals who are, literally, novices, because they are incredibly young. The second issue is related to the rhetoric of Dyianet, the Turkish Directory for Religious Affairs. On the last Friday of 2016, the sermon this institution preached to almost eighty thousand mosques in the country was calling celebrations such as the New Year as non-Islamic and not connected to Turkish cultural traditions. This way, although ISIS has officially recognized the guilt of the attack although the terrorist himself was not yet arrested its partially connected to the recent rhetoric of the AKPs government itself. The Obama administrations decision to abstain on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Jewish settlements in the West Bank has been roundly condemned as a stab in the back against an American ally. The depths of opposition to the decision became manifest recently when the House of Representatives voted 342 to 80 to condemn the resolution and, by extension, Obamas decision to allow it to pass. The vote, which was symbolic, may be just the beginning of the other shoe dropping. Sentiment is growing in Congress to accept a proposal by Sen. Ted Cruz and others to cut off funding for the United Nations unless and until that body reverses its anti-Israel resolution. The move might well cripple the world bodys ability to operate since the United States provides 22 percent of its budget. The Obama administration, in satisfying its pique against Israel and its leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, may well, quite by accident, driven a stake through the heart of a world body increasingly seen as corrupt and in the thrall of third world dictators and terrorists. The UN regularly condemns the only liberal democracy in the Middle East while ignoring human rights abuses in Iran and Saudi Arabia and genocide taking place in Syria. American lawmakers have started to lose patience with this dichotomy and are prepared to do something about it. The United Nations and its supporters will soon be faced with a quandary. They can reform the world body and make it into a force for good that it was promised to be when it was first formed in the wake of World War II. Or it can see it fade away in short order, to become either a shadow of itself, increasingly irrelevant on the world stage. If the United Nations joins the League of Nations on the ash heap of history, one salutary outcome will take place. Some prime real estate in New York City will open up for economic development. A new hotel/convention center will attract business to the city and not freeloading diplomats who do not pay their parking tickets. There is never a dull moment when it comes to Donald J. Trump! Love him or hate him, no doubt he keeps us entertained and commands the attention of the entire world. Donald Trump has now taken on both North Korea and China; the President-elect is using a single stone to kill two birds at the same time. Trump in two wars - China and North Korea On Monday, in his first tweet, Mr. Trump commented that, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, said his administration was finalizing a test dispatch of an intercontinental ballistic rocket. Kim Jong Un also stated that they are putting the finishing touches on building an atomic weapon that could strike parts of the U.S. Less than an hour later, Mr. Trump pointed the finger at Beijing for not getting serious about North Korea's weapons program. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that China has been taking out huge amounts of cash and resources from the United States in an absolutely uneven exchange yet won't assist with North Korea. Trump angry at China and North Korea - loves Russia Twitter-friendly Trump has once again triggered a war of words against China through his Twitter account. But, this is a sharp deviation with his tweets on Russia, whom many are saying that he admired, obviously, for helping him defeat Hillary Clinton to win the US Presidency with the infamous Russian hack. Six nation talk to end N. Korea atomic program Inquiries concerning Mr. Trump's tweets at a press conference on Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry representative Geng Shuang said that China's involvement with the issue of North Korean atomic weapons is clear for all to see. Shuang also indicated that his country had met with six countries that are persuading North Korea to dismantle its atomic program. Foreign Minister Shuang, also noted that China supports the United Nations sanctions against North Korea. And any relationship problem that the US is claiming against China should be dealt with in a professional manner through the discourse of diplomatic discussions. declared Minister Geng Shuang. After Donald Trump announced his campaign for president, it was only a matter of time before he would be the butt of many jokes. The biggest humorous shot taken at Trump has been the impression done by Alec Baldwin on "Saturday Night Live," which was in full effect on social media. Baldwin on Trump As the election moved forward, so did political satire. On "Saturday Night Live," the show did what it had always done for nearly four decades. Cast members roasted the top political candidates, poking fun at campaign rallies, news interviews, and debates. As expected, Donald Trump was a top target, and was portrayed by veteran actor Alec Baldwin. Baldwin's performance was so spot on that the billionare real estate mogul would often rant on Twitter, voicing his displeasure in countless social media tirades. At one point, Trump was so triggered by an episode that he called for "Saturday Night Live" to be taken off the air. Following Trump's election win, Baldwin has made sporadic appearances on the sketch comedy program, and has even made his views known outside of the show, which was highlighted by The Hill on January 6. Alec Baldwin mocks Trump in Russian MAGA hathttps://t.co/z5SC1WPEIC pic.twitter.com/FEa94cHdtZ The Hill (@thehill) January 7, 2017 Without even using words, Alec Baldwin took to his Instagram account on Friday and posted a picture of himself wearing a Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hat. However, the hat in question was not the typical piece of headgear found on Trump's campaign website, but rather a modified version. BREAKING: US intel report finds Russia tried to influence election outcome by boosting Trump and harming Clinton https://t.co/a8XBaNz3Xj pic.twitter.com/xsMLXYV7mn CNN (@CNN) January 6, 2017 Instead of the slogan written in English, it was replaced by a Russian translation, in a clear shot at Trump's alleged relationship with the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Donald Trump has yet to respond to Alec Baldwin over his latest jab, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he did. From Russia with love Over the last year, news outlets have continued to question what relationship, if any, Donald Trump has with Russia. In light of recent events surrounding Russia's hacking of the Democratic National Committee, Trump has continued to express doubt that the Kremlin had an impact on the election. Even after receiving classified briefings on the issue, the former host of "The Apprentice" is sticking by his praise of Putin and the Russians. Ever since Donald Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to become the new president-elect, there's been a constant cloud of controversy hanging over his victory. In recent weeks, various sources have confirmed that Russia hacked the election in favor of Trump, but the president-elect is still pushing back. Trump on Twitter Even before his election win, Donald Trump had been forced to deal with criticism from the media who found links between his campaign and Russia. During the year and a half that he was running for president, Trump always made sure to avoid any criticism of the Kremlin, often praising controversial Russian President Vladimir Putin on more than one occasion. In the weeks since Election Day, the CIA and FBI have both confirmed Russia's involvement with the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), information that has since been backed up by the White House. Trump continues to dismiss all the evidence, which continued on his Twitter account on January 7. Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017 "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday morning. In a pair of follow-up tweets, the billionaire real estate mogul continued his rant. have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017 "We have enough problems around the world without yet another one," Trump wrote, before adding, "When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017 Moving forward On Friday, Donald Trump met with several members of the intelligence community, including FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director James Brennan. The former host of "The Apprentice" was given the latest up to date information that showed Russia not only hacked the DNC, but did so with the goal of hurting Hillary Clinton's chances in the election. Despite this, Trump released a statement that denied the hack had an impact on his victory. With Trump officially heading to the White House in just over two weeks, it appears that the United States' relationship with Russia will take a drastic turn. General Hospital spoilers and news say it might be a while before Robert Scorpio is back after a late-night Twitter rant on January 3rd. Tristan Rogers, the actor that plays the WSB spy, admitted to boozing when he invited GH fans to engage with him. The results were shocking. Tristan lambasted the current writers and left many wondering if hell be asked back to the ABC soap. Tweeting and wine dont mix Tuesday evening, Tristan tweeted out, Ive had a drink or three and encouraged fans to ask him questions. One super-fan, Pam Petrakos, asked, what would be your dream storyline if/when Robert would return to GH? Sooooo ask me some "dum ass" stupid question. I've had a drink or three. tristanrogers (@tristanrogers) January 4, 2017 Tristan quipped a cutting remark about the current writing regime with, Something that makes sense. So clearly it aint going to happen." The alcohol-fueled criticism didnt stop there. The actor also told fans he was drinking wine but said tomorrow may be a vodka sofa, then joked about auto-correct. @PamPetrakos Something that makes sense. So clearly it ain't going to happen. tristanrogers (@tristanrogers) January 4, 2017 Cracks about low ratings In addition to cracking on the writers, Tristan brought up the lower ratings. Another fan, Rhonda Thompson, asked the actor, they cant write a s/l im being honest here back then 80s 90s gh u coudlnt get me away from the show." If you dont know, s/l means storyline. Tristan replied to this fan, Ill bet they can now, which seems like he's saying the writing is turning off GH fans and this is evidenced by lower ratings. He wasnt pulling any punches. Tristan also answered a question about what superpower hed want by saying, To turn water into wine.' I mean good wine. Highs and lows from the past Tristan answered fan questions about his childhood in Australia, then talk came back to GH when he was asked if he misses the WSB. He replied, I miss the WSB as it was. Not what its become." Clearly Tristan isnt impressed with much on General Hospital these days. The actor did share some fond recollections of the GH heyday in the 80s when asked about his favorite plot. He said, The Ice Princess." It was so silly. Just a hoot to be part of it. He also said working with Demi Moore was fun when asked about her short time on the show as Jackie. @kissangel864 I miss the WSB as it was. Not what it's become. tristanrogers (@tristanrogers) January 4, 2017 Love scenes and 'Y&R' Tristan also scooped on his love life when he was asked if he and Emma Samms (ex-Holly) ever make love in real life and he replied saucily, We dated for over a year. So Yeah we may have. He also said of Robert and Holly, Its a story that really needs closure. But it wont happen. When asked about Anthony Geary (ex-Luke) and if they talk, the actor said, No and I dont expect to. He also talked about upcoming scenes on The Young and The Restless as Colin, and while he wouldnt give details, he said he likes working with Jess Walton. Is Robert gone for good after this? Last we saw Robert, he came to Port Charles to deliver a message from Luke and talked about the thermos embryo with Lulu and Dante. Recently, Anna called Robert on the phone for WSB business but he wasnt heard or seen. Has Tristan irritated GH bosses with this Twitter rant, and will he not be back as Robert anytime soon as a consequence? Is there a reason that the actor seemed disgruntled with General Hospital? Tyler Christopher tweeted a tease about returning as Nikolas, but his Twitter talk was very positive. General Hospital is on ABC weekdays and there are good things coming with Finns drug addiction and Blake Berris guest arc as recast Spinelli, plus more as Franco tries to solve Toms murder. Dont miss a day! It has been reported that Prince Harry has met his girlfriend Meghan Markle's father. In fact, the meeting took place about six months ago during one of Harry's trips to Toronto when he and Meghan first started dating. Thomas Markle, 72, is said to like Prince Harry and believes the relationship with his daughter will continue to develop. The former lighting director for the soap opera "General Hospital" is said to be proud of the relationship between his actress daughter and Harry. Meghan's older brother, Thomas Markle Jr., 50, has not met his sister's royal boyfriend yet, but he has concluded that Meghan and the Prince are definitely happy and in love. Meghan and Thomas Jr. share the same father but not the same mother. Meghan was born during her father's second marriage to her mother Doria Ragland, 60, from whom he is now divorced. Thomas Jr was born during his father's marriage to his first wife, Roslyn. It is unclear whether Prince Harry has met Meghan's mother yet. If not, it might be soon. Markle has met some of the royals Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been traveling back and forth from Canada to London for several months. She has met some members of Harry's family, including Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, during a visit to London at the beginning of December. She has also been introduced to Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Queen Elizabeth approves of the relationship A few days ago, it was reported that Queen Elizabeth approves of the relationship between her grandson and his actress girlfriend. The Queen says she is glad to see that Harry is happy. Prince William has also given his stamp of approval on his brother's romance with Meghan. Harry's father, Prince Charles, has also met Meghan and approves of her. It seems like the relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan is really becoming serious. No one knows what will happen next in their relationship. In fact, the couple probably doesn't know what the future holds for them. However, they are enjoying each other now and having fun while they are dating. "The Young and the Restless" spoilers tease tense moments are ahead on the CBS soap opera. The fans have been waiting for Steve Burton's departure for several weeks now. And, it looks like we will finally see the end of his storyline in the coming weeks. A few days ago, Steve tweeted that he wasn't done on "Y&R" yet, and the fans can expect his final scene to air during the last week of January. Sharon freaks out about Dylan's whereabouts "The Young and the Restless" promo shows Dylan getting close and cozy with an unknown woman. According to Serial Scoop, Jessica Nicole Webb was cast as Alex and will be involved in Dylan's exit storyline. In the promo, Dylan has facial hair and seems much more relaxed that we've ever seen on the CBS soap opera. Sharon (Sharon Case) doesn't know that her husband is growing closer to a hot young police officer. All she knows is she doesn't know where he is and he's alone. Sharon marches into Paul's (Doug Davidson) office and demands to know where her husband is. As you can imagine, Christine (Lauralee Bell) and Paul aren't comfortable with giving out his location for fear she will blow the case right open. Jessica Nicole Webb Cast as Alex on 'The Young and the Restless' https://t.co/WvufgAaZ6Q #YR pic.twitter.com/2sfpQvPuua Serial Scoop (@SerialScoop) January 6, 2017 Dylan's last scene will 'break your heart' "The Young and the Restless" spoilers tease that Dylan's final scenes will be shocking, and will lead to some huge revelation. Until the promo came out, the "Y&R" fans had no idea what type of admission could be coming out. Now, with the new woman on the scene, it looks like Dylan could decide to abandon his life with Sharon, especially considering how much heartache they have faced together. Still more to come! https://t.co/1hUdSH1mjo Steve Burton (@1SteveBurton) January 2, 2017 With the information we have to go on, it seems possible that Dylan will tell Sharon he doesn't plan on coming home. He likes the life he has with his new love interest and partner and wishes her well. We know Dylan doesn't die because Steve Burton claims they left the door open for him to return if he chose to down the road. So, do you think Dylan will stay undercover and tell Sharon their marriage is over? Is it possible that he will be forced into the witness protection program after he solves the case? "The Young and the Restless" airs weekdays on CBS. Xiaomi made its CES debut this week looking to transform its image as a smartphone maker into a technology company of international vision that goes beyond its core smart devices and connects 50 million devices through its internet of things (IoT) platform. Xiaomi has more than 70 products on display at the Las Vegas Convention Center, including smartphones, TVs, routers and dozens of Mi Ecosystem products across categories such as smart home, health and fitness, personal transportation and smart toys. Although approximately 23 million Mi bands (heart-rate monitors) and 3.3 million webcams have been sold so far, and more than 1 million Mi Air Purifiers are sold annually, Xiaomi's international marketing and sales approach remains modest, as there is no immediate plan to officially enter "developed markets" such as the US, Canada or Western Europe. Xiang Wang, senior vice-president, said at Thursday's media conference that his company believes the Consumer Electronics Show is an "ideal place for us to showcase our innovations" to a tech-savvy audience. "We have proved that the Mi Ecosystem model works, and our focus going forward is to ensure that we can scale this model further in terms of products and also geographically." Functioning like an umbrella, the Mi Ecosystem covers hundreds of smart products manufactured by Xiaomi's "ecosystem" partners. Xiaomi has invested in 77 companies that design and manufacture products beyond its three core product categories: smartphones, smart TVs and smart routers, said Hugo Barra, vice-president. "We incubate and invest in specialized companies to effectively expand product line in a highly scalable manner." Barra introduced three Xiaomi products at CES: the white version of the Mi Mix smartphone; Mi Router HD and Xiaomi's thinnest smart TV to date, the Mi TV 4. Spending about 10 minutes detailing the "revolutionary features" of the Mi TV 4, Barra explained why the 4.9mm-thin, frameless set is a "must-buy". The Mi TV 4 (65") has been crafted with a modular design, and the TV set is separated into two parts: a 4K display and the Mi TV Bar, which incorporates both the motherboard and an independent sound system that includes up-firing speakers. The speakers, together with a subwoofer and two rear wireless satellite speakers, make up the Mi TV 4 Dolby Atmos home theater. junechang@chinadialyusa.com Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sakshi Maharaj was on Saturday booked for allegedly hurting religious feelings after he indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country that sparked a controversy, days after Supreme Court outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion or caste. As the outburst by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation from opposition parties, the BJP distanced itself from the comments made at a sant sammelan on Friday while the Election Commission sought a report from Meerut district administration. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 298 (uttering, words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 153b (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) among others, police said. Superintendent of Police Meerut J Ravinder Goud said the FIR was registered at Sadar Bazar police station. Congress said it will file a complaint against Sakshi Maharaj before the Election Commission. Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population, he said. Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country, he added. Congress leader KC Mittal said Sakshi Maharajs speech is offensive as it is based on caste and religion and goes against the recent Supreme Court judgment. It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and Congress is officially filing a complaint against him in the Election Commission, he said. Condemning the comments, Janata Dal-United leader K C Tyagi termed them as the first major violation of the Supreme Court guidelines outlined on Monday on use of religion in politics. Recently the Supreme Court and the Chief Election Commission laid down some guidelines for model code of conduct, including not to use religion, caste and language. This is the first major violation by a major political party that is BJP, by its MP. Now action must be taken by the party as well as the Election Commission against Sakshi Maharaj. They are making derogatory comments against one section of the society. This is violation of Model Code of Conduct to incite one section against another. And this is a criminal act, he said. Asked about the comments, BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, I havent seen his statement, but we believe in taking everyone along...Country runs on law, on Constitution, it does not run with stick. Such statements or views... are not of either BJP or government. We have nothing to do with such statements. Caught in the controversy at a time when elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states are around the corner, an unfazed Maharaj made it clear that he was not speaking at a BJP event. I had said that the population of India is approx 132 crore. Indias landmass is not increasing but our population keeps on increasing. We need to control this menace. We should respect women and I had said that she is not a machine, that is why 4 wives, 40 kids and triple talaq are no longer tolerable. We need to take a decision whether we should have one, two, three or four kids. But we need to take a decision on this, he said. The Election Commission sought a report from the Meerut administration in connection with Sakshi Mahrajs statement, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Lucknow said. The Meerut district administration said ADM, Meerut and city magistrate are investigating the matter from all aspects. We have got information about few comments during the sant sammelan held at AugharnathTemple through various newspapers. We have sought reports on it from Election Commission. ADM city and city magistrate are investigating the matter from all aspects. We will take prompt action according to law if we find anything, District Magistrate B Chandrakala said. An army veteran, who had told the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that he was being forced to fight for the Islamic State, opened fire in the baggage area of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, killing five people and wounding eight others, the latest mass shooting incident to rock the United States. IMAGE: People take cover outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images The 26-year-old suspect, identified as Esteban Santiago who had been treated for mental health issues, drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the busy airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, authorities said. Santiago, who was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt, was taken into custody. His motive was not immediately known. Floridas Broward County Sheriffs office said five people were dead and eight had been taken to a nearby hospital. The shooting took place on Friday in Terminal 2 in the baggage claim area, outside the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, police said. Air Canada and Delta Airlines operate out of Terminal 2. IMAGE: Police said the gunman arrived at the airport with a checked gun. After he claimed his bag, he took the gun from bag. Thereafter, he went into the bathroom to load it. He started shooting as he came out of the bathroom. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images People were corralled onto the tarmac and paramedics were at the scene, police said. All services at the airport have been temporarily suspended, the airport tweeted. A Iraq war veteran, Santiago was discharged from the Alaska Army National Guard last year due to unsatisfactory performance. In November, Santiago paid a visit to the FBI office in Anchorage, telling agents he was being directed by a US intelligence agency to fight for IS, CNN reported, citing law enforcement sources. IMAGE: Passengers wait for word about their flights as first responders secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images George Piro, the special agent in charge in Miami, told reporters that Santiago was turned over to local authorities and he voluntarily submitted to a mental health evaluation. The military said Santiagos nine years of service in the guard included one 10-month tour of Iraq, where he was awarded a combat action badge. The President (Barack Obama), on behalf of the American people, extended his sincere condolences to the families and other loved ones of those killed and noted that his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded, said Ned Price, Spokesman of National Security Council, White House. Federal authorities will continue to assist the ongoing investigation into this horrific shooting, Price said. IMAGE: First responders secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after the shooting. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Earlier, Obama spoke by phone with Florida Governor Rick Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief following the tragic loss of life in the incident. Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe! US President-elect Donald Trump said in a tweet. Hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene. Police received a call just before 1 pm local time (2330 IST on Friday) about shots fired at Terminal Drive. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said in a tweet, Im at the Ft Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running. A Miami TV station tweeted footage claiming to be from inside the baggage terminal. The video shows several injured people lying on the floor as witnesses shout for medical help. IMAGE: People exit the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale. Photograph: Andrew Innerarity/Reuters Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that the shooter acted alone and there is no evidence of a partner. At this time we do not have a motive, but we are actively investigating that, she said. Florida Governor Rick Scott wrote on social media, I am on my way to Fort Lauderdale International Airport to be briefed by law enforcement. The shooter was very skinny. He seemed to be very young... He was just letting himself be dragged by the police. It was scary, an eyewitness said. More than 325 departure and 325 arrival flights come in and out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in a day, according to the airports website. Over 73,000 travellers are at the airport on a daily basis. According to the Pentagon, suspect Santiago was recipient of several medals including one Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Police said he arrived at the airport with a checked gun. After he claimed his bag, he took the gun from bag. Thereafter, he went into the bathroom to load it. Santiago started shooting as he came out of the bathroom. His brother was quoted as saying in the local press that Santiago was receiving psychological treatment while living in Alaska. Our hearts ache for those killed in this senseless attack, and we pray for the swift recovery of all who were wounded. No words can replace the loss of loved ones. No moments of silence can quiet the voices across America calling for action, said Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. Hanoi, January 6 (VNA) The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) should reduce industrial developments dependence on natural resources while fostering innovation-based industries, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on January 6. At a teleconference to set up tasks for the MoIT this year, the PM emphasised that science-technology and innovation are an important development direction of Vietnams industrial sector. He noted in the short term, alongside high added-value industries, the country still has to rely on natural resource-based and labour intensive industries. To develop a nation with strong competitiveness, a fair business environment for all people and businesses must be created first. This is a critical task of a growth-facilitating Government of which the MoIT is a member, he said. Outlining tasks for the sector in the year, PM Phuc told the MoIT to thoroughly deal with the big loss-making projects under its remit, reiterating that money from the State budget must not be wasted further on these projects. The ministry needs to devise policies for developing some important industries such as automobile, electronics and mechanics while stepping up trade promotion. It should also encourage all economic sectors, including State-owned enterprises, FDI firms, equitised companies, and cooperatives, to engage in developing industry and trade, he added. The Government leader also instructed developing support industries and industries serving agriculture, especially hi-tech agriculture. He suggested a campaign be launched to promote industries that serve hi-tech agriculture so as to turn hi-tech agriculture into a strength of Vietnam. At the meeting, he also applauded the industry and trade sectors contributions to the national development, adding that processing and manufacturing grew 11.2 percent last year, compared to 10.5 percent in 2015. The total retail sales of goods and services also expanded 10.2 percent, compared to 9.72 percent in the previous year. The PM praised the campaign Vietnamese people prioritise using Vietnamese goods as effective and the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeits and low-quality goods has been improved. PM Phuc also pointed out certain shortcomings such as many loss-making projects, ineffective development strategies for some industries, problematic management of the domestic market and cross-border trade, sluggish re-organisation of State-owned companies, and controversial appointment of some officials. Reporting on his sectors performance, MoIT Minister Tran Tuan Anh said the whole industrial sector expanded by 7.5 percent in 2016. While mining contracted 5.9 percent, processing and manufacturing rose 11.2 percent. There remain big issues, he noted, elaborating that industrial growth still depended on the increase of the business number, investment capital and labour. Domestic firms are now only able to do sub-contracting work with low added value and have to import a large volume of raw materials. Oil extraction has hit its limit while investment in exploration activities is facing difficulties. Export revenue was nearly 176 billion USD in 2016, a year-on-year rise of 8.6 percent but lower than the growth target of 10 percent, the minister said, noting that about 70 percent of the turnover was contributed by foreign invested firms. Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of 2.68 billion USD last year, which Anh considered as a result of the industry and trade sectors efforts amid disadvantages in global markets such as falling prices of many key commodities, including crude oil and agricultural and aquatic products. VNA/VNP Many housing projects, both landed properties and condominiums, were developed in this area, which includes districts 2, 9, Thu uc and a part of Binh Thanh. Photo vtv4.vtv.vn HCM CITY The focus of development for HCM Citys property market shifted from the south to the east last year, experts said. Many housing projects, both landed properties and condominiums, were developed in this area, which includes districts 2, 9, Thu uc and a part of Binh Thanh. The area has become a veritable construction site with a raft of developments like Sala, The Sun Avenue, Lakeview City and Cantavil An Phu. A report released on Wednesday by property consultant CBRE said 41 per cent of apartment developments were in the east. The figures were 34 per cent for the south, 7 per cent for the north and 11 per cent for the west. In terms of districts, 2 and 9 accounted for 11 per cent each, the company said. Their rates of successful transactions were high -- 73 per cent for District 9 and 70 per cent for District 2. A report by Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) newspaper said land prices had shot up in the east last year, increasing by 51 per cent in District 9 and 34 per cent in Thu uc. Analysts attributed the easts rising popularity to its convenient transportation in the form of the under-construction metro route No1, widening of the Ha Noi Highway, the HCM City Long Thanh Dau Giay Expressway and the upcoming Long Thanh Airport. Duong Thuy Dung, director of research and consulting at CBRE, told Viet Nam News that the east is also a gateway to the city with easy access to other provinces like Binh Duong and vacation spots like Vung Tau and Phan Thiet. As a gateway it would also benefit from many support policies from the authorities, she said. An executive at a giant property developer, who asked not to be named, told Viet Nam News that "it makes eminent sense to develop properties in the east". He pointed out that the Thu Thiem New Urban Area was being developed there. "Water pipes and telecom and electric cables are all underground here," he said. His company had already handed over units in some housing projects and received good feedback from buyers, who said they enjoyed the convenience offered by the area, he added. VNS Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers speech at a meeting held in Ha Noi yesterday. Photo VGP HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for reduced dependence on unsustainable advantages and natural resources and greater reliance on creativity, science and technology to boost industrial growth. His comments came at a 2016 review meeting held in Ha Noi yesterday, during which he praised the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) for its successes in restructuring via reducing the number of units and staff while improving its effectiveness. It has stumbled, but not fallen. It has shown strong improvement, he said at a conference yesterday. Phuc said that while the ministry removed several superfluous administrative procedures to resolve difficulties faced by people and businesses, it experienced limitations including decreasing output and crude oil prices, exerting pressure on the State budget. Many projects had been tardy and suffered prolonged losses. Some planning strategies had not been effective, and failed to create the needed momentum to attract investment from the private sector, including into industries and sectors like automobile, mechanics, steel and electricity. The PM said the market watch and trade border management agencies had also not been fully effective against smuggling and multi-level marketing activities. In addition, the restructuring of State-owned enterprises had been slow. Some issues relating to the hiring of staff had dented the Ministrys image, he noted. The Ministry should strive to develop the countrys industrial sector by reducing dependence on unsustainable advantages and natural resources such as crude oil, coal and minerals. The sector should base itself on science and technology and creativity to generate its development momentum, he said. He asked the ministry to formulate specific policies for development of key industrial products like automobiles, electronics and mechanics. It should also develop industry to serve hi-tech agriculture, he added. He also asked the ministry to build a national brand for key Vietnamese products. The PM urged the industrial sector to quickly and actively integrate with and exploit ASEAN and China markets. The country should take advantage of trade pacts, improving market management and reducing counterfeit goods. The mechanisms for e-commerce development and border trade should strive to break new ground, he said. The issue is also how to better exploit the local market with a population of around 100 million. The ministry should encourage Vietnamese people to use Vietnamese goods of high quality and reasonable prices, he said. Four targets set Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh said the ministry had set four targets to help the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) grow by 6.7 per cent in 2017: increase industrial production index by 8-9 per cent; exports by more than 6-7 per cent; keep trade deficit to under 3.5 per cent of export revenues; and increase retail goods sales and service revenues by 10-11 per cent. The ministry would step up restructuring of the industrial sector by stepping up development of processing and manufacturing sectors while reducing outwork and assembly of industrial products, he said. Apart from removing a number of complicated administrative procedures, the ministry would strive to create the best conditions for enterprises to develop, the minister said. He also said the ministry would take full advantage of free trade agreements (FTA) to actively support domestic enterprises participate in global supply chains. It would also put forth policies to provide more assistance for support industries, while working with the involved parties to simplify customs procedures and supply businesses with useful information to prevent and handle trade disputes, he affirmed. Anh proposed that the PM approves a particular mechanism to implement urgent power projects, a plan to restructure businesses under the Electricity of Viet Nam Group (EVN) in the 2016-20 period, and a strategic scheme to develop the power sector through 2025 with a vision towards 2040. He also recommended that the Government approves a framework for average retail electricity prices between 2017 and 2018, and a decision to increase the EVNs chartered capital. The Minister asked the government to direct the Ministry of Finance to support the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) in implementing the government guaranteed undertaking (GGU) commitments on preferential tariffs for the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex for 10 years of commercial operations. He also suggested the government consider ways to support the oil and gas, coal, and fertilizer sectors and amend Decree No 203/2013/N-CP on calculating and collecting money from minerals mining. VNS HCM CITY The HCM City Department of Tourism on January 5 began issuing a code of conduct it had drawn up for tourists visiting the city to ensure they behave appropriately in public. It is in five languages -- Vietnamese, English, Chinese, Korean, and Russian -- and printed on what looks like a collapsible fan. It lists eight dos and donts. Visitors are asked to comply with local laws and regulations, respect local customs and practices as well as the rules and regulations at tourist sites and other public places. They are also advised to be respectful and helpful to disabled and older people, children and women and protect the environment. They are warned against consuming, buying, selling and using banned substances, wildlife or endangered species and causing damage to artefacts and historical and cultural relics. While not an injunction, they are requested not to waste food. It is available now at three- to five-star hotels, travel agencies, Tan Son Nhat International Airport, tourist information centres and diplomatic agencies. A total of 75,000 copies will be released this month and 75,000 more in June. VNS Strong trust, mutual understanding and convergence of views mark longstanding India-Viet Nam ties, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish tells Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 45th Anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations (January 7, 1972 - January 7, 2017). Photo indianexpress.com Strong trust, mutual understanding and convergence of views mark longstanding India-Viet Nam ties, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish tells Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 45th Anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations (January 7, 1972 - January 7, 2017). Can you give us a review of bilateral co-operation between Viet Nam and India? The civilisational relationship between India and Viet Nam spans over 2000 years, and the advent of Buddhism from India to Viet Nam and the remnants of the Hindu Champa civilization in Viet Nam stand testimony to this fact. Our monks, traders and peoples interacted over centuries and intense cultural exchanges have left their imprint on our daily lives and activities. During our respective freedom struggles, the founding fathers of our nations were in close contact, laying the foundation of trust and friendship; a valued relationship that successive generations of leaders have nurtured and built upon during Viet Nams phase of national reunification and national reconstruction. In 2017, the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of our Strategic Partnership. During Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Viet Nam in September 2016, he and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc took the historic step to elevate the relationship to that of Strategic Comprehensive Partnership, a clear indication of the importance the two countries place on their relationship of long-standing traditional friendship. The recent years have witnessed a number of visits of leaders from both sides, including at the highest political levels. We enjoy good relations between political parties and legislative institutions and have established bilateral co-operation mechanisms. The relations between the two countries are marked by strong trust, mutual understanding and convergence of views on various international issues and the regional security situation in Asia. Our leaders have emphasised that enhancing bilateral economic engagement is a strategic objective. Bilateral trade is growing at a healthy pace and is currently around US$8 billion; our leaders have set a trade target of $15 billion by 2020, and both sides are committed to achieving it. India is keen on increasing its investments in Viet Nam, which is currently over $1.2 billion, and would be tripling in a few years once some large infrastructure investments reach fruition. We would similarly like to invite Vietnamese business and industry to look at India as an attractive investment destination. We have identified priority areas for co-operation: hydrocarbons, power generation, renewable energy, infrastructure, tourism, textiles, footwear, medical services and pharmaceuticals, ICT, electronics, agriculture, agro-products, chemicals, machine tools and other supporting industries. The relationship between our leadership, peoples, governments, legislatures and political parties is very strong and we remain committed to take it to greater heights Please tell us about Indias Act East Policy and Viet Nams role therein. 2017 also marks the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. India has been a dialogue partner of ASEAN since 1992 and was accorded strategic partner status in 2012. Viet Nam is an important pillar of Indias Act East Policy. Viet Nam has consistently supported the policy and welcomes a greater role for India in the regional and international arena. The Act East policy was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbours of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy. Our Act East policy looks beyond the traditional paradigm and aims to forge alliances with our eastern neighbors to encompass security, strategic, political, counterterrorism, and defense collaboration in addition to economic ties. Viet Nam is an integral member of ASEAN and plays an important role in our Act East policy. Viet Nam is ASEANs Coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations from 2015 to 2018 and this would further facilitate closer cooperation between the two sides. India has pledged $1 billion Line of Credit for enhancing digital and physical connectivity between India and ASEAN. We also look at Viet Nams co-operation and support towards an early realization of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). What can Viet Nam and India do in the near future to materialise the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between two countries? The elevation of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries to that of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a clear indication of the goodwill, trust and importance the two countries place on their relationship. It is also an acknowledgment of the existing strong bilateral defense and security ties and our mutual desire to contribute to regional peace, stability, co-operation and prosperity. The partnership covers a wide variety of topics including co-operation in development, political exchanges, defense and security, human resource development, commercial and economic ties, cultural exchanges, scholarships and Official Development Assistance. The partnership between the two countries is extremely vibrant and dynamic; however, to fully realize the potential of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a lot more has to be done. Both sides are committed to achieve the trade target of $15 billion by having greater trade and industry exchanges at the business and government levels and to remove all impediments to trade with a focus on priority areas identified by our leaders. We also desire to enhance mutual investments in key sectors. Defence is an important component of our relationship and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Viet Nam in 2016 announced a new Defence Line of Credit for Viet Nam of $500 million for facilitating deeper defense industry co-operation. The bilateral defence co-operation includes exchange of high level visits, annual high-level dialogues, service-to-service cooperation, naval ship visits, extensive training and capacity building, defence equipment procurement and related transfer of technology, and cooperation at regional fora such as ADMM-Plus. The two countries will benefit immensely by having direct flight and shipping connectivity. It is encouraging that in 2017, Vietjet would be starting direct flights to India. The banking and financial sector linkages are being enhanced for facilitating more intensive economic engagement. 2016 witnessed the opening of a branch of Bank of India in HCM City and we are happy that this month, Bank of India also received its licence for international foreign exchange transactions which will assist Indian business and industry in Viet Nam. India has an active portfolio of human resource development and capacity building in Viet Nam in IT, English language training, entrepreneurship development, high-performance computing and other areas of Science and Technology. The two countries are also collaborating in Peaceful uses of Nuclear Technology, and a Framework Agreement on this was signed during the recent visit of Chairperson of National Assembly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to India in December, 2016. We are also collaborating on the Exploration of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes and we signed a Framework Agreement for the same during the visit of Prime Minister Modi last year. We need to further enhance our people to people contact by promoting tourism and culture. There is a need for more cultural exchanges. The newly opened Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) in Ha Noi would enable the people of Viet Nam to get easy access to information on culture and tourism of India, and would also serve to showcase Indian culture and performing arts. We are already successfully conducting classical dance, music and yoga classes in the ICC. The library at the center is open to public giving them access to various volumes of select Indian literature and books. We would soon be expanding our activities to have exhibitions and other cultural programs and events at the center. The Indian Embassy gives out numerous scholarships to Viet Namese citizens especially under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Presently, 150 ITEC slots are being offered to Viet Nam every year along with 16 scholarships under the General Cultural Scholarship Scheme (GCSS), 14 scholarships under the Educational Exchange Programme (EEP) and 10 scholarships under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Scholarship Scheme. It is only with such a multi-pronged approach that we can actualise the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and harness the true potential for greatness of our countries and peoples. Viet Nams diplomatic sector recorded a successful 2016, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh told local media in a meeting on the occasion of the New Year. Photo english.vietnamnet.vn HA NOI Viet Nams diplomatic sector recorded a successful 2016, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh told local media in a meeting on the occasion of the New Year. Amid unpredictable changes in world politics, Viet Nam maintained an independent and self-reliant foreign policy while enhancing international integration, he said. In bilateral relations, Viet Nam had built strategic partnerships and comprehensive partnerships with all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, as well as most other major global and regional powers. The year 2016 can be called the end of the building period and witnessed the concrete implementation of these agreements, Deputy PM Minh said. Visits by top Vietnamese leaders to important global powers and visits by their leaders to Viet Nam proved the effectiveness of these partnerships, Minh said. Viet Nam also participated in multilateral diplomatic forums, such as ASEAN summits, the Francophone Summit, and the expanded G7 Summit while contributing to resolutions of the United Nations on childrens rights and climate change, the Deputy PM noted. The successful organisation of the 8th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Summit and the 7th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Co-operation Strategy Summit in Ha Noi and the World Economic Forum on Mekong Region marked another highlight in the countrys diplomatic achievements. However, there are still areas that need to be improved, according to the Deputy PM. The implementation of the agreements reached during bilateral visits by top leaders, which requires the involvement of multiple sectors, industries and localities, has not lived up to expectation. The problem lies in our poor implementing culture. This is what we need to improve, he said. There was also an unexpected downturn in trade relations between Viet Nam and ASEAN, despite the fact that the ASEAN Economic Community was established at the end of 2015, according to the Deputy PM. One year since the communitys establishment, Viet Nam and other ASEAN members had worked towards building a single regional market, abolishing tariffs and creating favourable conditions for better connectivity in manufacturing, he said. However, trade turnover of Viet Nam with ASEAN reduced by 8 per cent. This probably stems from the fact that our businesses still focus on markets outside the region, or our products are similar to those of other regional countries, instead of supplementing them, he said. Looking ahead, the Deputy PM said there were major issues of concern for the diplomatic sector in 2017, including how to maintain and upgrade bilateral relations with other countries amid unpredictable developments in the regional security environment and how to enhance international integration in the context of a resurgence of nationalism and protectionism. When asked about Viet Nams reaction to leadership changes in some major countries in the region and the world, he emphasised that "Viet Nam aims to promote relationships with a country as a whole, not with a single government or party". The country would continue to pursue a policy of befriending all countries, multilateralising and diversifying relations on the basis of independence, self-reliance and international law, he said. In 2017, the country faces the important task of hosting the APEC Year with hundreds of events and activities being held. Preparations for the events were kicked off in 2015 and had been basically completed with the involvement of various ministries, sectors and localities, Minh said. The contents high on the agenda of APEC, proposed by Viet Nam, include sustainable growth, enhancing economic connectivity, supporting small and medium-sized and super-small enterprises, securing food safety and tackling climate change. Besides successfully holding the events, Viet Nam aims to promote the image of the country and its localities to the world and introduce to the world various changes that have taken place in the country since the last time it hosted APEC in 2006, according to the Deputy PM. In response to questions about the East Sea issue, Minh said he believed that it would still be an issue of concern this year given complicated developments last year. However, he asserted that Viet Nam would continue pursuing peaceful settlement through negotiations. We are undertaking negotiations with China on delimitation of the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf as well as with Indonesia and Malaysia on delimitation of the continental shelves, he said. VNS Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong am on Thursday said 67,000 tonnes of rice had been provided for people affected by saltwater intrusion and marine environmental incident in the central region. Photo vnexpress.net HA NOI Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong am on Thursday said 67,000 tonnes of rice had been provided for people affected by saltwater intrusion and marine environmental incident in the central region. He revealed that 40 provinces had submitted Tet preparation plans for needy people, noting that natural disasters, including long-lasting floods, harmed agricultural production, especially in the central and Central Highlands regions. He also said in November 2016, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs directed localities to use local budgets to support needy households during Tet. Nearly VN431 billion (US$19 million) will be used to assist people with significant contributions to the national revolutionary cause. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour will encourage businesses to give Tet bonus to workers and facilitate their travelling, Dam said. The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee will present more than 6,000 gift packages worth VN3.5 billion (US$154,000) to support poor families and centres taking care of orphans and the disabled. 4,500 gifts worth nearly VN2.3 billion ($101,000) will also be presented to impoverished families in the northern, central, southwestern and Central Highlands regions. VNS HCM City authorities plan to expand e-government services this year, the vice chairman of the citys Peoples Committee said during an online conference on administrative reform on January 5. Photo egov.org.vn HCM CITY HCM City authorities plan to expand e-government services this year, the vice chairman of the citys Peoples Committee said during an online conference on administrative reform on January 5. Tran Vinh Tuyen said the city targeted having 40-50 per cent of public services online this year, with all state agencies from the city to grassroots levels setting up a system to collect opinions from the public. All city government offices will have to reduce the number of delayed application files by 50 per cent, and offices that harass individuals or enterprises will be strictly punished. The citys Department of Information and Communication will also be expected to use electronic signatures and connect all city government offices websites, he said. The city provides 1,700 online level-2 public services, 426 level-3 services, and 46 level-4 services. Level-1 services are not provided online. The city expects all online services to provide necessary information about administrative procedures. Level-2 services allow people to download and fill out application forms and send them directly via the internet or post office. Level-3 services allow people to pay charges, if necessary, and receive results via the internet, while level 4 receives results via the internet or post office. Colonel Nguyen Van Anh, head of the city polices immigration division, said that initially 3,000 people had applied for passports on peak days. He said that the division had issued passports via the internet at level 3 since August 2015. However, after three months of implementation of issuing passports via the internet, only 4-6 per cent of people have applied online, he said. Since February of last year, the immigration division has increased communications about the service to the public, with the aim of increasing the number of online applications to 74 per cent. Twelve hours after application, the person will receive results, thus saving time and transport costs. Last year, the immigration division provided 153,000 passports. Anh said the procedures had helped to prevent corruption and improve administrative procedures. Le Hoai Trung, deputy head of the citys Department of Home Affairs, said that many departments and peoples committees in districts had not updated administrative procedures or had provided insufficient information. Several government offices and peoples committees have carried out administrative procedures slowly via the one-door online portal, Trung said. The rate of feedback on public administration services has been rather high. From April to November last year, 2,857 people evaluated the quality of administrative procedures via the websites of city departments and postal services. Moreover, more than 30,000 attendees were surveyed by the citys Institute for Development Studies via telephone or directly interviewed, according to Trung. Of these, more than 94 per cent were satisfied about the citys administrative procedures, with the remaining 5.89 per cent dissatisfied. Tuyen said the city would improve its hotline quality so that feedback from residents could be received in a timely fashion. The committee has assigned the Department of Home Affairs to work with the Viet Nam Fatherland Front to monitor city government offices activities. The city will also organise conferences for enterprises to introduce their IT products online, he said. In addition, leaders of city government offices will receive commendations for providing quality online public services, and more online meetings will be carried out, he added. VNS HCM CITY The aviation authority has approved several proposals from local airlines to increase the number of domestic flights to meet high demand during Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, although only half of the requested additions have been approved. Local airlines such as national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget airlines Vietjet and Jetstar have asked for permission to add a total of 2,486 flights, but the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) has approved only 1,270 of the proposed flights. Ho Quoc Cuong, chief of the aviation transportation under CAAV, attributed the reason for the decision to the serious overload at HCM Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the countrys busiest airport. The airport can handle no more than 42 flights per hour, he said. In a report submitted to the Ministry of Transport on Thursday, CAAV said the airlines would be permitted to operate additional domestic flights between January 16 and February 12, a rise of 8.5 per cent compared to ordinary days. Vietnam Airlines has been allowed to add 380 flights with more than 76,700 seats during the festive season, while Vietjet and Jetstar will add 560 flights (100,800 seats) and 330 flights (59,400 seats), respectively. Around 1,067 of the approved extra flights will depart or land at Tan Son Nhat airport. The additional flights will only operate from 11pm to 7am daily. During Tet, Tan Son Nhat airport will serve 807 flights per day during peak time, a 7.7 per cent increase from the normal schedule. CAAV has approved nearly all of Vietnam Airlines extra flights, but Vietjet will only be able to offer half of its proposed additional services. Jetstar has had 30 per cent of its requests approved. Under CAAVs decision, the three carriers will be forced to cut a total of 230,000 seats from their previously planned Tet services. Passengers who have booked flights on the airlines extra flights before approval from CAAV are concerned about their holiday plans. Ho Quoc Cuong, chief of the aviation transportation under the CAAV, said the air carriers might not sell tickets for all of the planned extra services, so there was little chance that passengers with purchased tickets would miss flights. If this happens, carriers must pay compensation and take full responsibility for the passengers, he said. Trinh Ngoc Thanh, deputy general director of Vietnam Airlines, said the decision had not affected the airlines operation because the carrier had not sold tickets for additional flights that had not been approved by CAAV. Tet falls in late January, but HCM City residents often begin flying back to their hometowns weeks before the holiday. VNS HA NOI With the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival just weeks away, the Ha Noi Peoples Committee has directed strict controls over all aspects of food production, including its origins. Inspections will be carried out over all stages, from production to distribution. The citys move is part of implementing the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs instructions on strengthening the State management over food safety, consolidating food safety inspection teams at local levels and increasing certification of food safety and safe food facilities. Management of local wholesale markets will be tightened and the role of inter-sector inspection teams enhanced to ensure food safety in canteens as well as street food stalls. The municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been asked to control production inputs and grant food safety certificates to eligible facilities. The capital citys population of 7.5 million people is served by 20 trade centres, 12 super markets, 460 traditional markets and 454 wet markets. Around 800-1,000 tonnes of meat, 340-400 tonnes of seafood, and 2,500 tonnes of fruits and vegetables are consumed everyday. Local production meets 60 per cent of food demand and 18 per cent of demand for fruits and vegetables. The rest of the demand is met with goods from other localities in the country and imported from foreign markets. NA inspection In a working session with the municipal Peoples Committee yesterday, National Assembly vice chairman Phung Quoc Hien said food safety was a major concern in Viet Nam at present, particularly the capital city. A NA delegation led by Hien had recently checked the implementation of food safety regulations in areas around Ha Noi and found several shortcomings. Tran Van Minh, Deputy head of the NAs Science, Technology and Environment Committee, said abattoirs in Chuong My Districts Huu Van Commune were all located within residential areas and failed to meet veterinary requirements. He detailed that some of the slaughter-houses are not licensed, the animals were not quarantined, and the slaughtering was done manually. Another Deputy head of the committee, Phung uc Tien, said the food safety violations at slaughter-houses were a matter of grave concern. It is urgent that the city tightens the organisation and management of livestock slaughter in the locality. Particularly important is that slaughtering zones are set up to minimise unhealthy practices, Tien said. They were informed that local authorities plan to implement several measures in tandem to reduce the number of small abattoirs to 30 per cent in the next five years. Visiting two vegetable growing areas in ong Anh Districts Van Noi Commune, Ngo Thi Minh, deputy head of the NAs Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, said a few establishments have applied scientific and technological advances in vegetable cultivation, but results remained modest. She recommended that Ha Noi also plans concentrated zones for growing safe vegetables. Officials told the NA deputies that Ha Noi has been expanding the area of growing safe vegetables in accordance with the VietGAP standards, and has signed co-operation agreements with provinces and cities nation-wide to develop production chains with clear origins. Tighter still A representative of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department said that management has been strengthened over the past few months, but as the Tet holidays approach, food safety acquires added urgency as it is a time when consumption of food reaches its annual peak. Food safety inspection teams have been set up with inspectors from the ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, Public Security, and other departments and agencies. These teams will carry out inspections in 12 cities and provinces: Ha Noi, Bac Ninh, HCM City, Binh Phuoc, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang, An Giang, ong Thap, Gia Lai and Kon Tum. At the same time, cities, provinces, districts and communes will establish inspection teams of their own to check food hygiene and safety in their localities. The inspections are aimed at evaluating State management of food safety from provincial to commune levels, as well as the observance of relevant regulations by producers, traders and caterers. Authorities are hoping to prevent violations in a timely manner, and minimise the number of food poisoning cases and food-borne diseases. VNS Ravindra Kumar Two months after Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the controversial decision to withdraw currency notes of Rupees 500 (US$7.4) and 1,000 from circulation, his country is still reeling from the effects. On November 8, Modi had sought 50 days until 31 December for things to become normal after an estimated 86 per cent of currency notes were abruptly withdrawn from circulation. But the calculations of his government have proved as accurate as the Prime Ministers count of 53 days as 50. On January 1, Indians were exactly where they had been for days after the November announcement in queues outside banks and at automated teller machines to withdraw their own money for use in an economy that is still largely cash-driven in terms of the everyday transactions that make up life. There are limits to the cash they can withdraw Rs 4,500 (US$66) a day from ATMs or Rs 24,000 (US$354) in all every week from their accounts - and there seems little hope of respite in the foreseeable future. The distress is so acute in Indias villages where some two-thirds of people live that Indias Central Bank was forced to issue instructions that 40 per cent of cash supplies be sent to rural areas. Characterised by policy flip-flops and shoddy implementation, the decision to withdraw old notes and to replace them initially with new 2,000 notes for which no one seemed to have change and later with Rs 500 notes in a new series was said to have several objectives. Modi had said these were to snuff out black money, detect fake notes and paralyse underground groups sitting on large piles of extorted money. Later, spin doctors put it out that it was all part of governments plan to make India a digital, cashless economy. By themselves, the objectives were unexceptional, even laudable. But as is always the case with pious intention, there is more to the story. Black money has two faces the first worn when tax has either not been paid or underpaid on honestly earned income, and the other which is the fruit of crime, extortion or corruption and is spawned by the first. Paying tax is part of a social contract whereby the citizen agrees to give to government a portion of earnings in order to secure services that include infrastructure, defence and, most important, social security. Sadly in India, this has largely been a contract neither party citizen or State has honoured. Who breached the contract first is a moot question, as indeed whether the two parties worked in tandem to do so. Less than four cent Indians pay income tax and farmers, even the richest of them, pay no tax. The result is that governments at the federal and provincial levels have performed pathetically in terms of meeting social obligations. Things are so bad that in order to meet two of its most basic commitments public sanitation and education the state levies a tax surcharge on citizens. Seventy years after independence, a majority of Indians have no social security to speak of. The other face of black money fruit of crime and corruption is a necessary component of the social fabric. Bribes are sought and paid to navigate the cumbersome processes of an opaque bureaucracy, to secure government contracts, to avail undeserved tax sops and to overcome the intrusions of the policeman, the taxman and the alderman. It is not without reason that most politicians and many bureaucrats are considered corrupt. The cash for paying these bribes comes from under-invoicing exports (and sales), over-invoicing imports (and purchases) and evading local taxes through the device of what is called a kutcha (handwritten and loose-leaf) invoice. The fact that most of the old cash in circulation has been deposited into bank accounts would suggest that very little of it was black and thus debunks Modis primary hypothesis. The truth though is that almost every one with unexplained cash on hand on 8 November has found a way to bring it into the system. Money changers formal and informal - in Delhis Chandni Chowk, Kolkatas Bara Bazar, Singapores Lucky Plaza and Bangkoks Sukhumvit Road were happily accepting old Indian notes at a 70 to 75 per cent discount until the last week of December. The cash changed overseas found its way into India through porous land borders with Nepal and Bhutan and was deposited into bank accounts of friends, relatives but mostly of low-income strangers who offered the service at a charge. Of course, all deposits above a threshold limit will be scrutinised by the taxman but clearly many Indians think this is a procedure they will manage (another Indian-English word with myriad connotations) because taxmen are believed, for the most part, to be notoriously manageable. The irony of Modis anti-corruption measure though is that it gave birth to a new class of the corrupt bank officers and tellers, petrol pump operators, railway counter clerks, school and municipal body cashiers (until December, old notes were accepted for fuel, train tickets, school fees and local body taxes) who had the power to change old into new notes. But cash isnt all bad. It cant be because after all it is an instrument of the state. A majority of Indians prefer to receive wages and make payments in cash. They find it convenient and reliable, while plastic and digital transactions are deemed suspicious. Digital security in India is suspect; just six weeks before the demonetisation, an estimated 3.2 million ATM cards were hacked. While India scores fairly high on the World Banks index of infrastructure ahead of Greece, Saudi Arabia and Thailand the benefits do not percolate to the countrys interiors where power supply is erratic and internet connectivity spotty. In essence, the governments hope of a digital India is far-fetched in at least the medium term. With most of the cash that was in circulation before 8 November now deposited in banks, many believe it is only a matter of time before it re-enters the system and does all the things good and bad that it once did. If that happens, Modis venture would have failed. Two consequences though will be inevitable. One, the taxman will have become even more powerful. Two, someone will have to pay for putting people to such misery. Modi must hope it is not he who does. The Statesman/ANN DES MOINES -- The Polk County Sheriff's Office has found the two young boys involved in Friday evening's Amber Alert. In a news release, the office said detectives made contact with the boys' biological mother, Mary Purcell, around 4 p.m. Saturday. The two boys, Morgan Griffin, 11, and Landon Griffin, 12, were unharmed. Purcell was taken into custody. She was facing a Polk County warrant for violation of a custodial order. Landon and Morgan are in the care of the Iowa Department of Human Services for the time being. The Amber Alert was issued late Friday. Purcell had her parental rights terminated and there is a Polk County warrant for violation of a custodial order for her. The children's grandmother had parental custody. No details were available on where they were found. SUMNER One person was injured and one person killed in a shooting Friday night in Sumner, according to a Bremer County Sheriffs Office news release Saturday. Law enforcement does not believe there is a concern for public safety after the incident. The Bremer County Sheriffs Office responded to a 911 call at about 10:55 p.m. Friday at the 1300 block of Whitetail Avenue in Sumner that someone had been shot. Deputies responded and located one person who had been injured and another who was deceased. The injured person was transported to Community Memorial Hospital, Sumner. Names are not being released at this time pending the notification of relatives. The Bremer County Sheriffs Office was assisted by the Sumner Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Sumner Emergency Medical Services and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations. DES MOINES -- While conceding some anxiety over becoming Americas next ambassador to China, Gov. Terry Branstad believes it is the opportunity of a lifetime. Branstad, 70, the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, said Thursday he is leaving a job he loves but felt he couldnt turn down President-elect Donald Trump's nomination after getting the blessing of his wife and family. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I think if I turned this down I would always regret it, he said. Branstad was in New York last month on an economic development trip when he and his wife, Chris, stopped by Trump Tower to visit with the president-elect whom the governor strongly supported. His son, Eric, guided Trumps Iowa election effort. A short time later Trump announced his intent to nominate Branstad. He cited the governors relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping dating back to the mid-1980s when Xi was a county official seeking a closer relationship with Iowa's agriculture sector. Branstads nomination is still subject to Senate confirmation but is considered likely. When Chris and the rest of the family said they were intrigued by the idea and they thought even the grandchildren spending some time in China would be a great experience for them that pretty much sealed the deal, Branstad said. We had several family discussions about it, he added, but I tell you theres still some anxiety in my family. Every one of us has some anxiety about this. This is a big change. Its moving half way around the world. Its a very different culture. Its obviously a very contentious relationship we have, and I still have a lot to learn, Branstad said. I have a lot to learn about foreign policy and some of the issues that the ambassador has to deal with. But I guess Im intrigued and excited about the opportunity. I want to make the best of it. I know its a huge -- using a Donald Trump term -- its a huge challenge, its also a huge opportunity. I want to make the most of it. Branstad has divided his time over the past month preparing his final Condition of the State address to the Legislature Tuesday and filling out a detailed questionnaire as part of the nomination process. The governor has led six Iowa trade missions to China including one last fall -- meeting with numerous provincial governors, ministerial leaders and local officials. CEDAR FALLS Iowa Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, says he heard the voters loud and clear Nov. 8. The message, he says, is voters want us to kick the door in on how government does business. He repeated that message at a Friday forum hosted by the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber at MidwestOne Bank. The Legislature convenes Monday. The message that we heard from voters is they want government to do business differently, Dix said. Bottom line, were going to be focused on growth and opportunities. When asked what growth will take, Dix offered three areas he expects Republicans to focus on: Making sure state regulations are based on sound science but and are not overly burdensome to business. Local control. Tax reform. He said Republicans may end tax credits that put the state in a position of picking winners and losers and also will change the income tax system, particularly on corporate income tax. Obviously, thats going to be a work in progress; its not something you just snap your fingers and do, Dix said. Rep. Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls, stressed lawmakers do not want the state would lose a ton of revenue, but will focus on simplifying the code and leveling the playing field. But he and Dix noted the state has the highest corporate tax rate in the country. They also said they would not eliminate all tax credits. Dix said making the state more attractive to business could help address declining enrollment and funding at three-quarters of the schools in the state. Rogers also suggested GOP policies would help to increase the states static population. People who are risking their lives and theyre risking resources for more jobs in this state is really how the state moves along, and so thats why we are so focused on growth and giving opportunities for business owners to do that, Rogers said. Both said the first order of business when the Legislature convenes Monday is to reduce spending by $100 million for the remaining six months of the current fiscal year. Revenue is still growing, but not at the rate anticipated when the lawmakers passed the budget, so cuts are necessary. One attendee stressed cuts should not come from the states public universities, particularly University of Northern Iowa. Republican Gov. Terry Branstad has said he would shield K-12 school funding, property tax credits and Medicaid from cuts. Rogers agreed UNI should keep its funding, but argued University of Iowa and Iowa State University could more easily manage a reduction or static funding. Dix added the Board of Regents also could make policy changes to reduce costs without impacting education at public universities. Other issues addressed Friday included water quality initiatives and mental health services. CEDAR FALLS Former longtime Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews is headed to The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., later this month to be tested for liver cancer, he said Friday. The diagnosis has not been confirmed but its probable, Crews said. Crews, 70, recently went to Wheaton Franciscan Healthcares Arrowhead Clinic to be checked for what he thought was a bout with flu. Blood tests showed his enzymes were high. That was followed by a CAT scan at Sartori Memorial Hospital and a liver biopsy. Crews will be in Rochester from Jan. 17-19. Cancer has not been not confirmed. Its enough of a suspicion the chances are its probable rather than possible, he said. The former mayor has lost a considerable amount of weight since leaving office a year ago, acknowledging some depression since then. He and his wife, Ronelle Langley, began a regular mall-walking regimen and recently got a membership at the Cedar Falls Recreation Center. I didnt have any major serious symptoms, he said, noting his weight is about where it was in his early college days. He went to Arrowhead after becoming nauseated. Its not Crews first trip to Mayo. He went there after suffering a mild stroke in 1993. Crews has held public office most of his adult life. He was mayor for a total of 30 years in three separate stints: 1971-79, 1987-1993 and 1999 through the end of 2015. Thrown into a 2015 runoff election with his eventual successor, current Mayor Jim Brown, Crews decided to retire at the end of his term. He was one of the youngest mayors in the nation when first elected at age 24 in 1971. In addition to his 30 years as mayor he served one four-year term on the City Council and one year as Black Hawk County treasurer, in between his mayoral stints. Crews said he and his wife were visiting family out of town prior to the Rochester trip and acknowledged and appreciated local prayer chains which have been started on his behalf. DES MOINES (AP) An Iowa man who was a frequent traveler and loved to cruise with his wife was among the five people killed in the airport shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., his sister told The Associated Press on Saturday. They were supposed to leave today, Elizabeth Oehme-Miller, 52, said by phone from Council Bluffs, also the couples hometown. They were happy to be going on another trip. Michael Oehme, 57, was a land surveyor and owned his own business, Boundaryline Surveys, his sister said. His wife, Kari Oehme, is hospitalized with injuries from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and is expected to recover, with a family member flying to Fort Lauderdale to help her return home, her sister-in-law said. Kari Oehme is a clerical worker at a local office, Oehme-Miller said. She said she learned the couple was at the airport during the shooting through a text message from her daughter. Authorities say Army veteran Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, killed five and wounded six Friday in Fort Lauderdale. I still cant believe its true, Oehme-Miller said. It hasnt hit yet. Im kind of in shock right now. The couple was supposed to be cruising to the Caribbean a day after their arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport, a hub for vacationers headed to ships at Port Everglades. No official list of the victims has been released, but loved ones have started to talk about them to news outlets. All text and specified images on this site are by and copyright (c) 2006-2022 YTSL . 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(36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James addressed the Air Force Associations Air Force Breakfast Series Jan. 6, at the Key Bridge Marriot in Arlington, Virginia. James began her presentation by reflecting on her appointment as the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force. It was the honor of my professional life time hands down and I want to reiterate that, she said. These past three years have been such a privilege. For more than three years, her focus remained steadfast with three priorities: taking care of people; striking the best balance between the readiness needs of today and the need to modernize; and making every dollar count. When she took on her new role in December 2013, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were winding down, the thought was that there would be fewer overseas deployments, less threats and more emphasis on having Airmen at home, and more opportunity for home station training. According to James, it looked like an opportunity to rebuild full spectrum readiness and reset the forces. At the time, she was briefed the plan for a smaller Air Force and the budget she inherited reflected that plan. The plan included reductions in personnel and equipment that needed to be modernized. It made sense in late 2013, the secretary said. Then 2014 came. She discussed Russias invasion of Crimea; the emergence of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, China stepping up its efforts to create artificial islands in the South China Sea, and North Korea redoubling its efforts on advanced ballistic missiles. At the same time, she started traveling around the Air Force to meet Airmen and was surprised by what she discovered. It seemed like we were already short everywhereoverseas as well as domestically, James said. Thats because we had actually been cutting our forces for the better part of 20 years, even though we were maintaining very heavy and very demanding combat missions and deployments on a worldwide basis during that same period. So our people, to me, even back then, were showing some real strains and that goes for our family members as well. She realized the briefings and assumptions that had been made in Washington were not adding up and concluded the Air Force needed more people, not less. By the summer of 2014, the Air Force halted its next planned phase of involuntary downsizing, and instead, began reversing the trend seeking additional funding for personnel and modernization. People issues have continued to be her top focus throughout her tenure. We need to continue to grow in a balanced way over the next several years, she said. And when I say balanced we need to do it in a Total Force way: active duty, National Guard and Reserve. Operational requirements have continued to grow, especially for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The [Remotely Piloted Aircraft] mission didnt even exist 15 years ago, and now now it is central to everything we do in the fight, James said. She elaborated by sharing that roughly 20,000 people were assigned to the RPA mission in a time when the Air Force was reducing in strength by approximately 40,000 people. The appetite for the capability was insatiable. It was difficult to keep up with, she explained. As that demand continued, retention became a problem. That is why the RPA get-well plan was launched, James said. It included doubling the training pipeline, more use of Air Guard and Reserve forces, a temporary decrease in the number of combat air patrols, increasing the RPA pilot retention bonuses, putting into place an expanded basing structure for quality of life concerns and reintroducing enlisted pilots for the first time in 60 years. She elaborated on the Air Forces aging inventory and about the new aircraft that will be added, which in-turn, will drive requirements for an increase in maintenance and skilled maintainers. She went on to talk about quality of life issues, which include keeping compensation for military competitive with the civilian sector and safeguarding retention bonuses and other benefits. Quality of life issues also include safeguarding Airmens time, James said. There have been reductions in computer-based trainings and additional duties with the intent of giving Airmen more time to perform their primary mission. Promoting diversity and inclusion have also been major efforts. During her tenure the Air Force launched a total of 22 initiatives aimed at the goal. She shared that research demonstrates teams with members from diverse backgrounds from different demographics groups, geographies and experiences produce better, more innovative outcomes. And, that is exactly what the Air Force needs. As part of this ongoing effort to recruit and retain talented Airmen, requirements regarding accessions are being updated. Updates including changes to tattoo and medical policies that had previously barred people from serving is expected to be released next week. The secretary went on to talk about balancing readiness with needed modernization. That includes funding and upgraded training, such as for exercises, base ranges and simulations. The top acquisition priorities continue to include the F-35 Lightning II, the KC-46 Pegasus, the B-21 Raider and the new combat rescue helicopters. James then articulated the expansion of the space mission. Recent progress includes the Space Enterprise Vision, updated training and doctrine and the creation of the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center. The priority of making every dollar count has also made progress, James said. This is all about recognition of the fact that we are entrusted with the taxpayers money, and that money is precious, and we need to be as efficient as possible, she said. James concluded driving home the point that, We absolutely need to stay on the path of growth to a larger Air Force. PHOENIX, AZ, January 07, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Jennifer Karmely, a Las Vegas based child psychologist, has written a children's picture book, The Day the Grownups Went Away, as a tool for parents and educators to open a dialogue with children as to why they need supervision and grownups to help them with navigating the highs and lows and the joys and travesties of daily life. The author is set to launch a series of videos in February to provide tips and pointers to parents and educators in beginning a conversation with children as to why they are important in a child's life. Dr. Jennifer Karmely, who obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and who has worked in the Las Vegas metro area at various clinics in the areas of substance abuse and child therapy, conceived of the idea when she had a few patients/clients who had a difficult time dealing with authority. Dr. Karmely states, "All children have problems with authority at some point and some have more of a problem than others. Parents, guardians, and teachers need to have a way of starting a dialogue with these kids so that the kids understand why those in charge are important to their life." Children get tired of being told what to do. Dr. Karmely said, "Adults get tired of being told what to do, as well." Sometimes all of us need to understand why rules are important and how they keep us safe and functioning. The best way to do this with a child is to talk to them. The Day the Grownups Went Away is a great tool for helping children understand the need for authority, rules, and to learn to be more open to adults in their life. It is also a great tool for helping adults talk to children about why their rules and level of care keep them safe. Dr. Karmely's book has been highly received by her colleagues and other psychology/ social work professionals. Dr. Karmely, PhD, has spent her career wondering about how children think and how adults can better communicate with them. Due to brain development and maturation, children aren't just "mini adults". They are different beings altogether and understanding their perspective is critical for communicating with them. The Day the Grownups Went Away provides whimsical illustration and accessible language for a child to understand the adult perspective and provides useful language for communicating with adults. It provides the same to adults wanting to communicate with children. At one point, Leo, the main protagonist, goes to school where there are no teachers or principals anywhere. The children are in their classroom destroying everything. At first, Leo is quite happy but then he realizes the mayhem is destroying his classroom and there is no one to teach him anything. Leo decides to be mature and start teaching math but the other students are less than receptive. When Leo goes home with his little sister and has to change her diaper and make her dinner he realizes that being an authority figure is hard work. The book is illustrated by Tatiana Minina, a Russian born illustrator now living in Massachusetts who has illustrated several books over the years. To learn about Ms. Minina, go to: http://www.tatianaminina.com. To learn more about Dr. Jennifer Karmely, PhD, you can visit, http://www.bluebowliterature.com, an imprint of Radion Media, for more information. Dr. Jennifer Karmely's biography in The Day the Grownups Went Away is as follows: "Dr. Jennifer Karmely is a child psychologist who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. You might have heard of Las Vegas. It's where grownups go do grownup stuff - like lose money and laugh a lot. Why are they laughing if they lose money? If you lose your lunch money, you don't laugh. Grownups are strange. Dr. Karmely also has two girls who love dolls, princesses, and just about anything pretty. Girls will be girls. Dr. Karmely also has a loving husband who helps take care of the girls. Dr. Karmely spent a lot of time in school. She loves school. She got a fancy title, 'doctor' (Dr.) and you can too but you have to be a grownup and study hard. Did we say she is super smart?" All media inquiries should be directed to Risa Peris, Editor: [email protected] or via phone at 602-819-4989. For review copies please send a request to [email protected] Radion Media uses NetGalley and review copies will be sent via email for download onto a tablet or for reading on the computer. The Day the Grownups Went Away is printed by Blue Bow Literature, an imprint of Radion Media. The book is available in print, ebook, in bookstores, and in libraries for 100+ platforms including Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble. # # # CHICAGO, IL, January 07, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Nando's PERi-PERi, the South African-Portuguese restaurant known worldwide for its spicy flame-grilled chicken, celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, January 14, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The restaurant, at 1447 E. 53rd Street, is the 11th Nando's to open in and around Chicago. Nando's will pay it forward by donating 100 percent of opening-day sales to the Kenwood Academy High School in Hyde Park. The donation will help fund college visits for students at Kenwood Academy, consistently ranked as one of the best public schools in the city. "Nearly nine out of every 10 Kenwood Academy graduates continue on to a four-year institution, and we are proud to help support this outstanding tradition," said Burton Heiss, CEO of Nando's PERi-PERi. "It's all about being good neighbors, and Nando's looks forward to becoming an integral part of the South Side." Nationwide, Nando's has donated more than $200,000 to schools and local non-profit organizations, all through opening-day sales. Every Nando's is painstakingly designed and completely unique, with earthy textures and bright colors that reflect its sunny African-Portuguese heritage. With thousands of pieces of original works of art that are a constant reminder of where the restaurant came from, Nando's has become the largest collector of South African contemporary art in the world. Nando's new Hyde Park restaurant features one-of-a-kind South African artwork, too, including a corrugated-metal mural that was hand-painted in Hyde Park by South African street artist Kilmany-Jo Liversage. Nando's has built an intensely loyal following, from London to the Loop, by providing fresh food in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly service. Nando's is known worldwide for its succulent PERi-PERi chicken, marinated for 24 hours, flame-grilled to perfection, and basted to the customer's preferred flavor and spice. WHAT: NANDO'S GRAND OPENING IN HYDE PARK WHERE: 1447 E. 53RD STREET, CHICAGO. WHEN: GRAND OPENING IS SAT., JAN. 14, AT 11AM CT THE KENWOOD ACADEMY FUNDRAISER RUNS FROM 11AM TO 10PM ABOUT NANDO'S PERi-PERi The first Nando's restaurant opened its doors in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Since then, the Nando's flame has spread to 1,200 restaurants in 23 countries on five continents. Nando's is known worldwide for its succulent PERi-PERi chicken, marinated for 24 hours, flame-grilled to perfection, and basted to the customer's preferred flavor and spice. It's equally renowned for its spicy PERi-PERi, the Bird's Eye chili pepper that indigenous Africans introduced to the Portuguese centuries ago. Nando's PERi-PERi made its U.S. debut in 2008 with the opening of its first location in Washington, DC. Nando's PERi-PERi now operates three dozen restaurants in and around Chicago, Washington and Baltimore. For more information, please visit www.nandosperiperi.com, follow @NandosUSA on Twitter or Like Us at Nando's PERi-PERi USA on Facebook. # # # 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. Local RI Surfer Launches a New Surf Inspired Clothing Brand A brand inspired by the beach community & preserving the surf. Rhode Island, USA Eco Friendly Apparel Company, Beyond the Break, LLC has announced the launch of an all new surf inspired clothing brand.The Surf & Beach Lifestyle Clothing is aimed at looking stylish while surfing and it is not only a unique but also an inspiring idea. The company has also announced that with each sale, it will be making charitable contributions with donations and it aims to preserve the environment. We are committed to building a beach and surf lifestyle brand while preserving the surf. New plan on partneringwith eco-friendly charities and will continue donating from each and every sale, said Nick Handfield of the Beyond the Break LLC. We have a strong commitment to using environmentally sustainable fabrics for our garments, he added. The company has a team of expert designers that make each design go through a highly monitored process of manufacturing to ensure the style, comfort and durability. The primary aim of the eco-friendly surf apparel company is to provide stylish as well as comfortable clothing at affordable rates while also preserving the environment. The company partners with few other nonprofit organizations who have the same motivation and dedication to preserve the environment. The categories offered by the store cover men, women and also accessories. The surf wear is ideal whether youre catching some waves at the beach or just hanging with friends in your favorite spot. Inspired from the beach and surf culture, the company is not only providing fashionable as well as comfortable garments to its customers but is also enabling each customer to make a contribution towards saving the environment. Each purchase has a share that directly goes into the noble cause of preserving the surf and this is yet another unprecedented approach taken by the company. For Further Information, Please visit: https://www.beyondthebreakapparel.com/ Media Contact Company Name: Beyond the Break, LLC Contact Person: Nick Handfield Email: beyondthebreakapparel@gmail.com Country: United States Website: https://www.beyondthebreakapparel.com/ NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 6, an announcement seeking "goodwill ambassadors" who wish to engage in public service that leads to the betterment of mankind debuted in New York's Times Square and received worldwide attention immediately. The announcement is a global call out to our planet's "new citizens" organized by Green Benevolent Planet (www.lvmengya.cn), an organization dedicated to the transformation of our planet into a better place for every member of the human race. The message contained in the announcement is directed to all individuals who are willing to devote themselves to this charitable cause and achieve the dream where every person on our planet is environmentally responsible and dedicated to making our planet a better place to live, not only for themselves but for their fellow man, whomever and wherever he or she may be. This is the first time that Green Benevolent Planet has used New York's Times Square as a venue for advertising the recruitment drive. The world-renowned cultural landmark and business center is visited by more than 40 million tourists and crossed by more than 100 million pedestrians annually. The presence of the organization's announcement on the screens above the square demonstrated Green Benevolent Planet's commitment to making a difference. The organization initiated the recruitment drive in China and plans to expand the drive worldwide in phases. With this phase, Green Benevolent Planet aims to recruit the first batch of 7,000 global goodwill ambassadors, including public sector influencers invited by the organization as well as volunteers from around the world who are supportive of the cause. The first batch of these "planetary citizens" will take the lead in learning and experiencing the "Green Benevolent" model and shoulder the responsibility for promoting the organization's message and recruiting more such citizens in their respective countries. Green Benevolent Planet, an organization founded with the mission of bringing together all advocates and supporters of environmental responsibility and of the protection of the environment, is a new ecosystem combining business with the public interest, the physical world with the virtual, while unifying both online and offline communities. Green Benevolent Planet allows either individuals or companies to make their contribution for the betterment of mankind via the "Green Benevolent" model. During the process, Green Benevolent Planet will provide these "planetary citizens" with cutting-edge technologies including the latest advancements in virtual reality (VR), assisting them in creating and executing public welfare initiatives that leverage online tools and technologies to stage both online and offline events, based on a methodology that leverages online tools and technologies to maximize the effectiveness of the initiative. The "Green Benevolent" model relies on the sense of civic duty that resides in every human being and applies that sense to the protection of the planet we all live on. The model acts as the primary guide for all "planetary citizens". The new ecosystem is committed to encouraging people to get involved in events that contribute to the public good. It is also a model of a new life style being promoted by Yan Tao, concurrently president of the Beijing Green Dream Public Welfare Foundation, president of Lvmengya Public Welfare Society and chairman of Lvshang Investment Group, as well as by other leaders with a similar vision. Green Benevolent Planet aims to create a new global culture based on the goodness that is resident in every human being and on the environmental protection of our planet. The announcement in New York's Times Square serves as the official notice of the organization's existence and its readiness to serve the public good. Everyone on planet Earth is invited to join the ecosystem by taking part in a training at Green Dream Camp, a special facility created for this purpose, where the student will learn the principles behind the ecosystem as well as become proficient in the various cooperation models. Upon completion of the training, they will become a formal resident and receive a qualifying certification. They can also communicate and exchange ideas with other residents of Green Benevolent Planet with the goal of creating their own "space", collectively forming a powerful force for the benefit of the public interest worldwide. Once upon a time, you might have never given a second thought to giving your mother a warm hug, to helping an older person cross the street or to rescuing a wounded animal. However, on Green Benevolent Planet, even the smallest act of kindness is regarded as something important and that has value and significance. Big Data technology will be deployed to collect the information on each person's good deeds, and add them into their personal account as quantitative data points. These points can be exchanged for services and goods or to realize the account holder's personal dreams, creating, in effect, a benign cycle of Green Benevolent ecology. You might already be of the opinion that we have reached a time on our planet where it has become an extravagant hope to have access to food that is safe to eat, drink water that is free of pollution, breathe fresh air, and lead a life that is not only environmentally responsible but also environmentally satisfying. If this is already your mind set, then, now, more than ever, is the time to take action, by joining the Green Benevolent Planet program. Through the program we expect to build a global village bound by a sense of mutual trust, where all inhabitants live together in harmony and share a common dream for a better and environmentally responsible society, and where its members coexist and interact through mutual acts of kindness, both big and small. The society that binds the inhabitants together is based on the search for truth rather than the accumulation of money, through good will and understanding rather than brutality and violence, and through the development of and adherence to a set of principles that have intrinsic value rather than a superficial message, despite the boundaries of language, race and skin color. Yuri Gagarin, the world's first astronaut and the first person to circle the earth above the stratosphere, said: "Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and enhance this beauty, rather than destroy it!" Green Benevolent Planet is not only the birthplace and habitat of Green Benevolent culture, but also an expansive stage for exchanges between Chinese civilization and the other civilizations of the world. It is also an exploration into building a community that seeks to set a new direction for human destiny, and a Green Benevolent home where the goodness that resides in the heart of every individual is brought to the fore. This "home" is the place that every human being dreams of. Bearing the Green Benevolent concept in mind, we hope people all over the world will join hands to build a Green Benevolent Planet and open the door to what it means to lead a Green and Benevolent life. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/green-benevolent-planet-launches-worldwide-recruitment-drive-for-7000-public-service-goodwill-ambassadors-in-new-yorks-times-square-300384156.html SOURCE Green Benevolent Planet You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close January 5, 2017 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip, under Hamas control, announced during a Dec. 22 event held on a Gaza beach the creation of special marine forces as an independent entity from the other security institutions. The establishment of this new security body sends a challenge to Israel. Eight years ago, the first Israeli war on the Gaza Strip broke out with sudden air raids that targeted security institutions across Gaza and claimed the lives of more than 350 security officers, among them police Chief Toufic Jaber and Attorney General Ismail Jaber. Maj. Gen. Toufic Abu Naim, the current head of Hamas' security apparatus, said during the event, The marine force will work to ensure the security of the coast of the Gaza Strip, which extends over 39 kilometers [24 miles]. The force will be responsible for the security of the coastal region to protect it from smugglers and outlaws and organize the fishing activities. Interior Ministry spokesperson Iyad al-Bazm told Al-Monitor, The marine force is an independent body tasked with developing the security measures along the Gaza coast and monitoring the shores to look out for smuggling operations and security breaches. Bazm said that 600 members of the new force are veterans of various security units of the Interior Ministry. Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform Bloc parliamentarian Marwan Abu Rass told Al-Monitor, Any country that has a coast must have a marine security force to ensure its naval security and monitor its coasts. He added, Members of the new Palestinian security body have the right to receive adequate training to do their jobs with expertise. The new marine force is intended to deter drug traffickers and prevent communication between Palestinian spies who collect information about Hamas and Israeli officers via the sea, which Israel controls. The Hamas-affiliated security apparatus is expending serious effort to arrest spies. On April 24, Al-Majd, a security website affiliated with Hamas, said that security forces in Gaza arrested a fisherman who has worked as a spy for Israel since 2010 for sharing information about Hamas activities and handing over names to Israeli officers. Retired general and commentator on security affairs Youcef al-Sharkawi told Al-Monitor that despite the civil and security goals of the new marine force, Israel is afraid that the new marine force will boost the marine capacities of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades [Hamas military wing]. Israel accuses al-Qassam Brigades of exploiting the sea to smuggle weapons and diving equipment to prepare for the next military confrontation with it. On Sept. 13, Israel said it had arrested fisherman Jihad Aryashi in August after he smuggled explosive material used to make Hamas weapons in his boat. The Israeli authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the matter. However, the Israeli Al-Masdar website published an article Nov. 7 about Hamas' marine preparations. The article read, Israel is cautiously monitoring Hamas attempts to increase its smuggling of weapons by sea to the Gaza Strip and is keeping an eye on the increased training of the movements marine commandos. Sharkawi believes that Israel mostly fears Hamas forces will infiltrate Israeli seaports, planting bombs there or raiding coastal Israeli towns. The 2014 war on Gaza witnessed the first Hamas attempt to infiltrate Israel by sea. Hamas claims that four al-Qassam Brigades divers crossed the sea borders and entered the Israeli Zakim military base on July 8, 2014, and clashed with Israeli forces for hours before they were killed. Israeli sources claim the divers never made it onto the base. Sharkawi noted that this operation was significant for Israel because it revealed Hamas marine capacities and development. Bazm explained, however, Most security forces in the Interior Ministry in Gaza are not linked to the Palestinian resistances work, and their mission is restricted to serving citizens. Abu Rass believes that Israels concerns are unfounded. He said, Israel is afraid of being two-timed. It does not want the ruling authorities in Gaza to develop its resistance apparatus under security pretexts. These concerns are unjustified. We have the right to develop our security apparatus, and we dont care about Israels security qualms. He added, The resistance has the right to arm itself, but does not do so through the security bodies of the Interior Ministry. The resistance factions have their own ways. Israels arrest of fishermen on the grounds of smuggling weapons to Hamas is devoid of truth. Nevertheless, the Israeli navy will restrict the work of the new marine force to 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the shore. Though the 1993 Oslo Accord granted Gazans the right to sail a distance of 32 kilometers (20 miles), Israel did not abide by the agreement. Notably, Israel treats the Hamas-affiliated civil security and police institutions as military bodies, destroying its infrastructure during the first Israeli war on Gaza in 2008. Therefore, Sharkawi would not be surprised by an Israeli attack on the new marine force during any new clashes. January 6, 2017 NAJAF, Iraq Iran and Turkey are trying to extend their economic influence over Iraqi Kurdistan oil, even as controversy flares over surreptitious deals between Kurdistan and Turkey. Iraqi Kurdistan has been shipping oil to Turkey without Baghdad's knowledge, resulting in Iraq violating an OPEC agreement, according to accusations leveled Jan. 3 by Iraq's prime minister. Also, Iraq recently confirmed that a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) minister had offered to sell oil fields to Turkey for $5 billion, again without consulting Baghdad. Meanwhile, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh plans to visit Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi next week to discuss cooperative projects related to oil and gas. Chief among these is the establishment of an oil pipeline from the province of Sulaimaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan to Iranian territory. Such a project would almost completely end the oil export monopoly of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is led by KRG President Massoud Barzani. The oil is now carried through Turkey, which has close strategic relations with Barzani's party. Nazim Dabbagh, Iraqi Kurdistan's representative in Tehran, told Rudaw media network that Zanganeh's visit to Iraq "comes within the framework of Iran's attempts to link the oil of Kirkuk, the Kurdistan Region and all of Iraq to Iran, in order [for it] to be exported through Iranian territory. Iraqi Kurdistan's oil is one of the main topics of contention between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad on one hand, and among Kurdish political parties on the other. Critics say Barzani's KDP, which controls the KRG, based in Erbil, is using money from oil and gas toward achieving its separatist goal. Some other parties oppose separatism, fearing the KDP will control Kurdish wealth and, consequently, monopolize power in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdish differences, most notably over the oil export issue, have raised the idea of dividing the Kurdistan Region and declaring another Kurdish province that would include Sulaimaniyah, Halabja, Kirkuk and Khanaqin, which would limit Barzanis authority to a small province with no effect. The idea was proposed by Kirkuk Gov. Najmaldin Karim, who is a leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) political movement in Iraq. The KRG is dealing with the oil and gas issue as a domestic one that involves Kurds alone, without Baghdad, and it holds international conferences that call for international investments. Meanwhile, it is concluding contracts with companies without Baghdad. The Kurdistan-Iraq Oil & Gas Conference took place Dec. 5-7 in London under the auspices of Iraqi Kurdistan and with the participation of Kurdish officials including Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami and a large number of representatives of international oil companies. Organizers say the conference was the largest international meeting ever held regarding Iraqi Kurdistan's oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, Turkey is taking advantage of its strategic relationship with the KDP and has offered the possibility of exporting Iraqi oil from the Kurdistan Region through Turkey without agreements between Baghdad and Erbil. Article 111 of the Iraqi Constitution affirms that oil and gas are owned by all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates. Iraq's 2017 budget, which was adopted Dec. 7, obliges Iraqi Kurdistan to export 550,000 barrels per day total from its oil fields, including the oil of Kirkuk province, exclusively through the transnational State Oil Marketing Organization. The revenues, according to the budget, should go to the federal public treasury. However, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Jan. 3 accused the KRG of exporting larger oil quantities via Turkey without the knowledge of Baghdad, which led Iraq to violate its OPEC obligations to cut total output by 200,000 barrels per day. During the month of November alone, the KRG exported 587,646 barrels per day through Turkey without any coordination with Baghdad, Abadi said. The strategic relationship between Turkey and Barzani's KDP is a subject for debate among the anti-Barzani parties, especially the PUK and the Movement for Change (Gorran), whose parliamentarian Serwa Abdul Wahid called Sept. 25 on the KRG to return to Iraq instead of resorting to Turkey, adding that the KRG had previously tried Turkey but reaped no benefit. Abdul Wahid said in December that financial, commercial and oil transactions made under the Barzani's supervision lack transparency. Hoshyar Abdullah, the head of the parliamentary bloc of change, had previously accused Barzani's KDP of exporting 1 million oil barrels per day through Turkey, knowing that the export revenue destinations have yet to be revealed. PUK leader Hero Ahmed sent a letter to Abadi in September calling on Abadi to prevent Iraqi Kurdistan from exporting oil due to its failure to follow the principles of transparency and fairness when it comes to oil in the region. Ares Abdullah, a PUK parliament member and chairman of the parliamentary oil and energy bloc, in February accused the KDP of exporting 400,000 oil barrels from Kirkuk while only handing over the revenues from 20,000 barrels to the government coffers. Also, WikiLeaks published secret documents a year ago about the existence of a deal between the KRG and Turkey to sell oil fields to Turkey in exchange for $5 billion. Muhsin al-Sadoun, a leader in Barzani's KDP, just confirmed in a Dec. 29 interview with Al-Baghdadia News, Minister of Natural Resources in Kurdistan Ashti Hawrami had previously suggested selling several oil fields in the Kurdistan Region to Turkish Energy Minister Bert Bayrak to repay debt and resolve the financial crisis plaguing the Erbil government. However, the deal was not concluded, according to Sadoun. The Kurdistan oil issue will remain a card in the hands of Baghdad, Tehran and Ankara to achieve their political goals in Iraqi Kurdistan, which means it will remain a key obstacle to the Kurdistan independence project as long as the Kurdish parties fail to conclude a transparent and fair agreement. January 6, 2017 Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman is currently considering allowing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to once again work in Israel, particularly in agriculture. This was once a common practice, but it stopped about a decade ago after Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. What makes today's situation unusual is that the economic crisis that Gazans face is not what will influence Libermans final decision. Rather, it is pressure from the leaders of the southern Israeli regional councils of Shaar HaNegev and Eshkol, where there is a severe shortage of laborers to work in agriculture, the primary source of income for the communities bordering the Gaza Strip. The heads of the regional councils met with Liberman in September to ask him to consider granting entry to workers from Gaza to save agricultural production in the area. Before the Hamas coup, laborers from Gaza who worked in Israel in construction, agriculture and industry were the driving force of Gaza's economy. People with permits to enter Israel were considered lucky despite the difficulties involved and the long journey they were forced to endure night after night so they could reach their destinations before dawn to perform manual labor for a minuscule fee. After all, it allowed them to somehow support their families. Will Liberman acquiesce, or will he reject the council heads request? At this point, no one knows. In the meantime, however, dozens of workers from Gaza can be seen every day at major intersections in southern Israeli cities, including Ashdod and Ashkelon, seeking to land odd jobs. They gather, clutching their bags of food, hoping to be picked up by building and repair contractors, even if only for a single day's work. These scenes are a reminder of days gone by, when most construction workers in Israel came from Gaza. One might therefore ask whether there has been a change in Israels closed crossing policy. Is the presence of Palestinian workers in Ashdod or Ashkelon the result of an easing of the closure in an attempt to reduce the economic distress felt by Gazas residents? An examination by Al-Monitor found that the closure policy has not changed, and if anything, it has become more rigid. It was also discovered that the workers are actually merchants and businessmen who have permits to enter Israel for meetings and to purchase raw materials from Israeli suppliers. Given the appalling state of Gazas economy and the dramatic drop in their incomes, however, they are using their entry permits to instead work at odd jobs in the cities and towns across southern Israel. Most of these businessmen were once considered Gazas economic elite. They dealt in large sums of money and employed dozens of Palestinian workers. Then came the closure, lasting almost a decade, and their businesses began to face serious difficulties. Having lost their sources of income, some suddenly found themselves on the verge of bankruptcy. Many have used up savings painstakingly accumulated over the years. The way they see it, their only option now is to go to Israel, offer their expertise in construction and return home to Gaza with weekly or even just a day's wages. At least they will have enough money to buy the most basic of essentials such as food and clothing. N., a Nuseirat resident who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, said that he had owned a small factory that manufactured flooring tiles. He employed 20 workers, and they used their earnings to support their extended families. Israeli restrictions on the import of cement and other raw materials and the economic crisis in Gaza forced him to stop all of his manufacturing lines. They were costing him money. The machinery then rusted due to lack of use, except for the machines on a single production line, which he turns on every so often. I keep the factory open, just so I can still be considered a businessman, he explained. If I close [the factory], Ill lose the option of finding work in Israel. He decided to work in construction in Israel after he heard that other Gaza entrepreneurs were doing so. Most of us worked with Israelis, N. said. We have quite a few Israeli friends, and we are considered experts in the fields of flooring and construction. He claimed that some days he can earn as much as 500 shekels ($130), an enormous sum in Gaza, but on other days he goes home without a penny. M., a resident of Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, exits through the Erez crossing every so often using the special permit for businessmen. I am very careful not to stand at the intersections with everyone else. I am scared that they will catch me, and then I will lose the only thing we have left. I have friends in Ashkelon and Beer Tuvia, he said. They find me day jobs. Requesting anonymity, he said he has worked as a porter, a packer, a cleaner and even a farmhand in the village of Bitha in the Negev where he knows a farmer. M. sometimes sleeps at the farmers home. He feels sorry for us and for what is happening to us these days, he said. We were young when we first met. Our families knew each other. I knew his children when they were young. Meanwhile, they have grown up. My children grew up too. I have seven sons and three daughters, and never in my life did I imagine that I would have nothing to give them to eat. If only I never had children. If only I had never brought them [into the world] to suffer. I love them. They are my life, but I dont know what will happen to them a year, two years, 10 years from now. What will happen to us? What will become of us? Other businessmen refused to go into detail about their situations. One of them explained that there is considerable fear, not only of Israel, but also of Hamas. As long as Hamas rules Gaza, there will be no chance of the situation of the local residents improving, he said. We dont interest anyone anymore, N. concluded. We could all die, and no one would give a damn. January 5, 2017 Palestinians generally welcomed the speech delivered by US Secretary of State John Kerry Dec. 28, although they also felt it was more geared toward defending the anti-settlement vote on Dec. 23 at the UN Security Council than presenting a bold, new initiative. A short, seven-minute excerpt, temporarily posted on the State Department website, features the highlights of the speech in terms of why the United States abstained on Resolution 2334, affirming the illegality of Israeli settlements. The 73-minute speech, delivered in the State Departments Dean Acheson Auditorium, appeared particularly aimed at saving Israel from itself in making a last ditch effort to save the two-state solution. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reacted swiftly to the speech, announcing that the Palestinians would return to peace talks if Israel halted settlement activities. A statement read by chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and quoted by the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, read, The minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities and agrees to implement the signed agreements on the basis of mutual reciprocity, the Palestinian leadership stands ready to resume permanent status negotiations on the basis of international law and relevant international legality resolutions under a specified timeframe. PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi remarked that despite everything President Barack Obama and Kerry have given the Israelis, they are still not satisfied. She told Al-Monitor, I am amazed. Eight years of total disdain toward the Obama administration, and after Kerry gave them everything they want, summarized in six principles that reflect the Israeli position, they were unhappy. Ashrawi said that Kerry had to prove his Zionist credentials in the speech, but that the Israelis still trashed his speech. They rejected their own priorities simply because [Kerry] reminded them of the US public position that settlements are illegal and that they need a Palestinian state to rescue Israel from itself, Ashrawi said. Noura Erekat, a law professor at George Mason University in the United States, told Al-Monitor that it was a positive move that Kerry had tried to be realistic after eight years of the Obama administrations inaction, but that the Palestinian state is not the ultimate objective of Palestinians. She said, The two-state solution is not for Palestine as much as it is for Israel. Erekat cited as a parallel example what had happened to Jews in Europe. In the same way that Zionism was not the be-all and end-all solution to anti-Semitism, the Palestinian state is not the be-all and end-all solution for Palestinians. In her opinion, a sounder solution requires dealing with the colonial apartheid settler enterprise that has taken hold of the Israeli system. A sovereign state will protect Palestinians from further encroachment and will stop the expansionist apartheid regime, but what Palestinians need more than a state is freedom, she said. Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and leader of the Mubadara Initiative, told the Refugees website Dec. 29 that Kerry's description of the current right-wing Israeli government had been very accurate and unprecedented. He said, Without the recognition of the rights of Palestinians to freedom and dignity, the only option left is a single state or the continuation of occupation and the apartheid regime that [the occupation] has brought with it. Hanna Issa, the head of the Islamic Christian Council of Jerusalem, told Al-Monitor that Kerry stating that the settlements hamper the two-state solution was welcomed, but took issue with other important aspects of it. Issa said, He adopted the Israeli position by taking issues out of context. He talked about the Jewish state without talking about other parts of UN Resolution 181, which deals with Jerusalem as an international city. And he talked about compensation to refugees, which is part of what UN Resolution 194 talks about, without talking about the right of return. While Palestinian reactions to the content of Kerrys speech were generally mixed, there was agreement that it was too little, too late. Erekat said people should not forget the time that was wasted during Obama's two terms. What he didnt tell the world is why he waited until 23 days before the advent of the new administration before saying what he said, she commented. Is it aimed at making us forget eight years of unprecedented support for Israel by the Obama administration? One issue that has prevented a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is that Israel has never had to pay a political price for its obstinance and unwillingness to compromise. While in April 2014 Kerry made a brief reference to Israeli responsibility for the failure of the talks he led, Israelis were, two years later, given a hefty $38 billion, 10-year military aid package. Kerry's attempt to set the record straight and to pinpoint who was responsible for the failure of negotiations, while not explicit, partially mitigates the problem, although the incoming Donald Trump administration is unlikely to pay much attention to it. Palestinians counting on the United States to rescue them from the decadeslong occupation might feel good about some of what Kerry said, but are unlikely to see any concrete changes. The administration set to take over is unlikely to give Kerrys last-minute speech on the Middle East conflict much thought. tacos.png Build-your-own tacos donated by Otey's Taven and Taco Mama (Heart to Table) More than 350 people sought shelter from the extreme temperatures at Birmingham's warming station at Boutwell Auditorium on Friday night. Similar numbers are expected Saturday and Sunday nights, said Don Lupo, director of the Mayor's Office of Citizens Assistance. "Our sole purpose at the direction of the mayor is to offer a place to keep people warm," he said. "We don't ask any questions. We don't care if you are homeless. We don't care if you haven't paid your light bill." The warming station at 1930 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd. opens at 5 p.m. and everyone has to be out for the day at 7 a.m. Lupo said area homeless shelters were full overnight, and the warming station was able to accommodate all of the overflow, though they did run out of cots. "The Birmingham Police Department and the Firehouse Shelter street team was bringing in people," he said. "We got people off the street, if they wanted off the street." Lupo said through a community-supported effort, especially from several locally owned restaurants, no one was left hungry Friday night. There was even food left over, including cases of oranges from the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama that was shared with Salvation Army, Firehouse Shelter and First Light. Otey's Taven and Taco Mama brought beef, flour tortillas, tomatoes and cheese and all of the essentials for making tacos. "It was incredible," Lupo said. "I have been doing this for years, and we have never had tacos," he added. "Honestly, it was labor intensive, but the people loved it," Lupo added, of the tacos. "It was like we were giving them ice cream. If you live on the streets you may get pizza once in the while and burgers once in a while. You will get plenty of chicken. You never get tacos. It was like a dream come true." Marco Morosini, owner of Silvertron Cafe, said he brought 40 pounds of boneless chicken wings and pasta on Friday night. Morosini helped form Heart to Table, an organization that recruits local restaurants to donate food to the homeless population seeking shelter at Boutwell. He said it is tough to find restaurants that will donate, and he asks residents to support the ones that do. Last year, local restaurants fed 2,100 people at Boutwell, he said. So far this year, they have fed 1,200. Jeff Sessions In this Nov. 29, 2016 photo, Attorney General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., is shown while meeting with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) (Molly Riley) On Tuesday, Jeff Sessions will be in the same spot he was nearly 30 years ago -- seated at a table opposite the dais of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a microphone in front of him -- as the body weighs whether to confirm Alabama's junior senator as the U.S. attorney general of Donald Trump's administration. It is the same spot where Sessions, then a U.S. attorney in Mobile, was seated in 1986 when he gained a national reputation after being a little-known Alabama prosecutor. But that reputation also came with black eye -- amid allegations that he made racist statements while working in Alabama, Sessions' bid for a federal judgeship stalled in the Judiciary Committee and then-President Ronald Reagan withdrew the nomination. But unlike 1986, Sessions will appear before the committee as one of their colleagues, choosing not to resign from his Senate seat before the proceedings. He has also been a former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and it is that closeness -- and the Republican Senate majority's power over the rules of the hearing -- that critics of his nomination say cloud the impartiality of the process. "Attorney general has not been a matter of dynastic succession," Cornell William Brooks, national president of the NAACP, said on a conference call with reporters Friday morning, adding that he believed the hearings will be more akin to a "political coronation." The rules set by Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, schedule Sessions' hearings for two days, with one day mostly devoted to testimony from Sessions and the second day featuring testimony from nine witnesses -- five called by Republicans and four called by Democrats. The witness lists are still being finalized; a Judiciary Committee spokeswoman told AL.com that the names should be made public on Monday, a day before the hearing. After the two days of testimony, the 16-member committee will then vote whether to send Sessions' nomination to the full Senate, where the senator will need a majority of members to confirm him to head the Justice Department. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the body, is pushing to delay the hearings in order to extend the confirmation process, allow the committee to call additional witnesses and gather more information so the committee can better judge Sessions, who has been criticized for handing the committee an incomplete questionnaire for review. Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said the two-day hearings constitute a "rushed and rigged confirmation process." Other anti-Sessions advocates pointed out that John Ashcroft, the first attorney general under George W. Bush -- who, like Sessions, was a senator when he was being reviewed to head the Justice Department -- faced four days of hearings and the committee heard from dozens of witnesses. Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, argued that a lack of witnesses means Sessions won't be getting a proper vetting. Among her concerns are whether the committee will hear from Alabamians who can testify that Sessions is "not a civil rights advocate." "It speaks to the refusal to the leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee," she said on the Friday conference call. "We need time, and we need witnesses, and we need an opportunity to fully untangle the responsibilities of attorney general." But Sessions' supporters say the senator is a victim of a double standard. William Smith, the senator's former chief counsel who has made the rounds on cable news to defend Sessions, pointed out that the hearings for President Obama's attorney general nominees -- Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch -- were scheduled for the same amount of time that Sessions' hearing is allotted. Smith argued that because the senators on the committee are familiar with Sessions, there's no need to extend the hearings. "It's kind of like they should already know him. He debated with them on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He debated with them on the Senate floor," Smith told AL.com. "There isn't any news with Jeff Sessions that they don't know about. They already know who Jeff Sessions already is." Esteban Santiago.JPG Esteban Santiago, the alleged shooter in the Fort Lauderdale Airport rampage that left five people dead and eight people injured. (Contributed photo/Twitter) Esteban Santiago, the alleged shooter in the Fort Lauderdale Airport rampage that left five people dead and eight people injured, was a new father and recently discharged member of the Puerto Rico National Guard. Santiago has been identified as the shooter in the Friday incident at a Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport baggage claim area for Delta Air Lines and Air Canada. The shooter, who was armed with a handgun he allegedly took from his checked luggage, was arrested at the scene as he stopped to reload his weapon. He was identified by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., as well as other law enforcement at the scene. Santiago, 26, was born in New Jersey but grew up in Puerto Rico and had recently become a father. He served in the Puerto Rico National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2010, serving a year with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Santiago was reportedly carrying his military ID when he was arrested; he had been honorably discharged four months ago. Santiago previously lived in Naples, Florida. The suspect's brother, Bryan Santiago, told the AP his sibling had been living in Alaska where he was receiving psychological treatment. CNN reported Santiago had said he was hearing voices telling him to join Islamic terrorist organizations and had later checked into a hospital for treatment. In November 2016, Santiago told the FBI in Anchorage he was being forced to fight for ISIS. Friday's incident occurred after Santiago's flight from Anchorage, Alaska landed in Fort Lauderdale. Police have not identified any possible motive related to the shootings. Reports of a mid-flight altercation involving Santiago are being investigated, officials said. President-elect Donald Trump has responded to the shooting. The Wells Fargo Bank in Daphne was robbed at around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, police said. Images of the suspect were caught on security camera footage, Daphne police said. According to police, the suspect entered the bank located at 2535 US Highway 98 and handed the teller a note demanding cash. The man then left the bank in an unknown direction. Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call Daphne police at 621-9100. Artist Diala Brisly is using art to help refugee children in Lebanon cope with the psychological burden of war. Beirut Diala Brisly has some very powerful weapons in her hands but while they can influence the world, they cannot hurt anyone. Her weapons are colours. Until a few years ago, Brisly lived in Damascus, where she began to draw both to help children cope with the trauma of war, and, after fleeing Syria for Turkey, to help deal with the loss of her own brother in the Syrian conflict. Today, she lives in Beirut, where she takes her brushes and her colours inside the tents of other Syrian refugees, helping them to combat their difficult living conditions and the ever-present longing for home. Brisly, 35, began working as a cartoonist at the Syria-based Spacetoon channel in 2001. She first became aware that art could be a powerful tool for change in 2011, when anti-government protests broke out across Syria. In 2011, I began as an activist in the movement for democracy in Syria, at first joining in protests and creating artwork. This soon expanded into working to supply field hospitals that were under siege with [medical equipment] and coordinating humanitarian assistance. But soon, Brislys friends started getting arrested, one after another, and she began to worry that she could be next. I realised that I should run away from my country, she told Al Jazeera. After fleeing to Turkey as a refugee, Brisly said she struggled to find a job, even as a humanitarian volunteer. I felt useless, and above all, I felt guilty because I wanted a safe life while people in Syria were still suffering, dying of starvation, dying under the bombs. I felt useless, and above all, I felt guilty because I wanted a safe life while people in Syria were still suffering, dying of starvation, dying under the bombs. by Diala Brisly, artist One day, she received a phone call that her brother had been killed in northern Syria, and Brisly broke down. In 2014, she decided move to Beirut and begin afresh, making use of her artistic talent. There, she became involved with humanitarian groups focusing on womens rights and refugee education. She painted murals on the tents of refugees depicting sunshine, nature, and the concept of finding hope in an effort to help children forget about the war. All of Brislys works have one thing in common: The images must be simple, so that they can enter the hearts of the children more easily. To many, it may seem pure decoration, but for children, it is real therapy, Brisly said. In one instance, Brisly recalled holding an art lesson with children in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. None of the children had access to the Lebanese public school system. There was a child who was 10 years old, Ahmed, she recalled. During the morning, he was forced to work as a mechanic, because his father could not find a job and they did not know how to feed themselves. I drew with him every afternoon for two weeks. One day, I asked him for a phone number where I could contact him and his family. His WhatsApp picture was a coffin, and his status was: When I die you will miss me. I was desperate: a 10-year-old boy with thoughts so close to death. Brisly worked with Ahmed for weeks and tried to explain that he had to remain strong despite the many hardships. One day, Brisly asked Ahmed to change his WhatsApp image and status. Be optimistic, she told him. He told me that he did it just for me. He put an image with colourful flowers and a sentence: I will resist, no matter how tough it will be in my life. I felt that my work was finally useful. READ MORE: Coding classes open new doors for Syrian refugees According to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, approximately 500,000 school-age children like Ahmed have fled to Lebanon since the outbreak of Syrias war. More than half lack access to schooling, despite the addition of a second shift of afternoon classes in an effort to accommodate the influx. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 70 percent of refugee families in Lebanon live below the poverty line, forcing more and more young children to go to work for just a few dollars a day. The biggest risk for Syrian children in Lebanon will be the lack of education, Brisly said. These children are the future of Syria; they represent the only possibility of rebuilding our country. But what kind of country will [it] be if we witness the destruction of these children without doing anything? In the meantime, Brisly intends to continue using her colours to tell stories of salvation and hope. I would like to help children around the world, she said. But my biggest dream is to go to help children in Syria. Madhu has worked for 26 years to help make people with disabilities educated, independent, and self-reliant. Bangalore, India Madhu Singhal started working with people with disabilities in the slums near her neighbourhood in the early 90s, helping them find education and professional training centres. With the help of hospitals and other organisations operating in the area, she initially identified 40 disabled people, whom she approached with her offer to help. But, as the days passed, more and more people approached her. Several visually impaired people came to Madhu and told her that they wanted to go to college, but there werent any books in Braille for them to read or audio books. We didnt have any infrastructure for Braille, she recalls. To address this shortage, she started the Talking Book Library in 1992, with a collection of 50 volunteer-made cassette tapes, which today, has expanded to more than 2,500 audio books. Madhu has worked relentlessly for 26 years helping to better the lives of disabled people around her, but it was her own journey that prepared her for this inspiring life. Madhu was born with her disability in the small town of Rohtak in the state of Haryana, in north India. When she was two months old, her mother felt that there was something wrong. She sensed that I was not reacting to light. The doctors confirmed that there was a deformity in her eyes and that she would never be able to see. But as the years went by, Singhal grew up like any other child, active and talkative along with her three siblings. They lived in a large family home with 50 of their relatives, cousins, aunts and uncles sharing a large, sprawling four-storey house. They lived a comfortable, happy life. Her father ran a large wholesale grocery family business and her mother was a homemaker. I was very fond of playing with the other children in my family, and I always participated in everything they did, Madhu recalls. When she was five, a doctor recommended that her parents consider options for her education. Fifty years ago, no one in the small town of Rohtak knew that a visually impaired girl could study, Madhu says. But her mother was able to find a blind teacher in the same town who started visiting Madhu at home to teach her Braille. I was pursuing my education from home. Every year, we purchased the new Braille books but there was no formal examination, Madhu says. Her parents also arranged for music lessons at home to enrich her education. When Madhu was 12, her blind teacher told her parents that she was ready to attend regular school. WATCH: The gift of sight (25:00) Overcoming the challenges of formal schooling Her parents didnt think twice about sending her to school, but in the larger social setting, she faced challenges she had not known in the protective environment of her home. Overcoming these obstacles, helped shape her determination and resilient attitude for which she has become known. The first three months in the new school were a struggle for me. The other children did not know that the blind could study. They behaved with me as if I had landed from some other planet, Madhu says. Slowly and steadily, as Madhu engaged in school work, her classmates realised that Madhu was capable of many tasks despite her disability. The school officials were supportive and she was even provided with a scribe during examinations, who wrote what Madhu dictated. She completed her matriculation with high marks. Attending and completing college was the next challenge Madhu set for herself. On my way to college, I would often hear people commenting about me and my family, she recalls. People didnt understand why, even though her family could feed and support her at home, they would send her to college to face daily difficulties. As there were very few books available in Braille or audio for her courses in the Bachelor or Arts programme, with permission from the school, she recorded her lectures and transcribed them into Braille at home. My fingers ached from writing 40 or 50 pages daily on thick Braille paper. Her efforts paid off, however, and Madhu graduated first in her class. With the same determination, Madhu completed her masters degree in Hindustani classical music. Her fathers death just before her post-graduation examinations left Madhu feeling disoriented. My father was a huge pillar of strength for me and his sudden death was a huge turmoil. When shortly after this, her brother moved his family and business to Kanpur, in Uttar Pradesh, she was happy for the change of scenery but was left without direction. I was sitting at home for four years and did not know what to do next. I read a lot of Braille magazines and started making friends with other blind people through the pen-pals column, Madhu says. It is through these Braille letters and magazine articles that she first came to know about other visually impaired people who were doing remarkable work. She felt inspired that she too had the capability to do something for society. From personal experience, Madhu feels that it is very important for those who have disabilities to be able to live and work independently and she became determined to help others accomplish this. READ MORE: Saving sight in South Sudan A new chapter Madhus was finally able to put these ideas into action with the help of her brother-in-law, Gyan Prakash Goyal. Her sisters husband, she says, was a gentleman who always thought about others. During his visits to Rohtak, he persuaded Madhu to accompany him and his wife to Bangalore where she remained thereafter. My brother-in-law took me to his office to meet with different people. He was an influential businessman who helped arrange meetings for Madhu with organisations working for the welfare of people with visual impairment, Madhu says. Through these experiences, Madhu met many people including NS Hema, founder of Association of People with Disability, a nongovernmental organisation based in Bangalore, which helped her get started in her work. Teaching others With this inspiration, she established Mitra Jyothi, a charitable trust in 1990. The trust helps visually impaired adults to lead independent and dignified lives through education, training, counselling, communication and technology. Madhus many other accomplishments include the setting up of the Braille transcription centre, which provides Braille copies of required books, tactile diagrams and business cards. More than 55,000 pages have been printed at this facility in languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati and English. Most recently, iIn January 2016, Mitra Jyothi started The Centre for Empowerment of Women with Disabilities, a hostel facility that provides cheap accommodation for working women with disabilities. For her tireless work, Madhu has received numerous awards and honours, including the Shell Helen Keller Award. It was my passion to do something for people with disabilities. Every day, there is a new opportunity for me to learn, Madhu says. When I meet different people with disabilities, I understand their problems and my mind starts working on how to solve them. For much of the world, Myanmar is considered to be in the process of transforming from pariah to pet project. Following half a century of Western isolation, Myanmar voted in a government of retired generals two years ago, heralding radical economic and political reforms. Most observers agree the government is creeping towards more transparent and democratic rule, but there remains a debate of whether Western economic sanctions helped or hindered the reform and whether outstanding sanctions are an effective diplomatic tool. In 2010, the government ended pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyis house arrest and began releasing hundreds of political prisoners. As a result, the West suspended or lifted most of their trade and economic sanctions, opening the door to bargain-hunting frontier investors. Still, the US maintains sanctions against a number of favoured Myanmar tycoons who allegedly grew rich through corruption and their close ties to the old regime. In December the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) agreed to pay US authorities $133m to settle sanctions violations in four countries including Myanmar, where it processed 46 wire transfers totalling around $376,000. As the political and economic landscape shifts, the cronies have tried to rebrand themselves as potential local partners for foreign businesses. Human rights groups argue the US needs to maintain pressure against the Myanmar government to ensure the reformers dont backslide. Despite holding by-elections and taking other positive steps, the government has yet to institute the reforms necessary to move Burma toward democracy, and basic political power remains with the military, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in an open letter to President Obama in November. It is imperative for the United States to retain its leverage until real reform occurs. But others say the sanctions were a knee-jerk moral response to the cruelty and indifference of the Myanmar state towards its citizens, and not an effective use of the diplomatic toolbox. They say the real trigger of reform in Myanmar was an internal recognition that the era of superstitious and paranoid governance was outdated, combined with fears of encroaching economic domination by resource-hungry China. The remaining sanctions, the pragmatists argue, could be retarding economic growth and job creation because those with a murky history also have much-needed capital and market knowledge. Sanctions were ineffective at best, and counterproductive at worst, says Richard Horsey, a political analyst. The cronies made their millions at the expense of the country but, putting aside the moral argument, theyre now well-placed to help the economy grow. Some of the cronies are the biggest tax-payers in the country. Corruption and sanctions are abstract concepts rarely captured visually, but Al Jazeera attempted to meet some of the alleged crony capitalists. At least 48 people killed and many others wounded in northern stronghold of Turkey-backed Syrian rebels. A fuel truck exploded in the busy centre of a rebel-held town near Syrias border with Turkey on Saturday killing dozens of people and wounding dozens more. The blast struck near a bustling market and in front of a courthouse in Azaz killing at least 48 people a death toll expected to rise, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Observatory, said the explosion was caused by a rigged fuel tanker, which explains the large blast and high death toll. Syrias nearly six-year war has created a patchwork of areas of control across the country, and Azaz is a major stronghold of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). About 14 of the dead were rebel fighters or courthouse guards. Images shared online showed a huge plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic market and sounds of gunfire echoing in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. Bodies were strewn on the ground as a father ran away from the scene hugging his child. Other activist groups, including the Azaz Media Center, put the death toll at 50, adding search-and-rescue operations continued for at least two hours after the blast. The Syrian Observatory said the explosion took place near the local court operated by rebels. Opinion: How blood feud is growing among the Syrian youth The attack was the latest in a string of bombings to hit Azaz, 16km south of the Turkish city of Kilis. The area is a stronghold of the Turkish-backed Syrian rebels involved in a major operation aimed at clearing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group from the border region. Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the Syria border, said there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Azaz is a very strategic town. It had been a stronghold of ISIL since 2013 but the group was evicted by the Free Syrian Army recently. ISIL has been trying to stage a comeback there, Ahelbarra said. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year resettled in Azaz. To the west of Azaz, Syrian Kurdish forces have control of a swath of land, and they have often tried to advance towards the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back ISIL, gaining territory and advancing on the ISIL-stronghold of al-Bab further east. ISIL has frequently targeted rebel factions with bombings, including an attack in November that killed 25 civilians and opposition fighters in a car bomb on a rebel headquarters. At last 20 people were also killed in a separate car bomb attack in October. Saturdays blast comes as a fragile ceasefire is being observed across much of Syria. The truce negotiated by Syrias ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey does not include ISIL or the former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. American troops return to the restive province largely controlled by the Taliban after NATO withdrawal in 2014. About 300 US marines will deploy to Afghanistans embattled southern Helmand province as part of a NATO mission to train and advise local forces a move that the Taliban said it was a challenge that it welcomed. The marines will head to the poppy-growing province this spring in the latest sign that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the 15-year conflict. Task Force Southwest led by Brigadier-General Roger Turner Jr will train and advise key leaders within the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police, a statement published late Friday by the US Marine Corps said. The Marine Corps has an operational history in Afghanistan, particularly in Helmand province, the statement noted, adding the troops will assist in preserving gains made together with the Afghans. Taliban uses drones to film attacks in Afghanistan The soldiers will train and advise Afghan security forces pushing back against Taliban fighters who have taken most of Helmand after the end of NATOs combat mission and withdrawal of most US forces from the province in 2014. Almost all of Helmands districts, except for the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, are either heavily embattled or fully controlled by the Taliban. We really need air support in Helmand. I hope they [US] support our air force, since we dont have enough air power in Helmand, Rasul Zazai, a spokesman for the Afghan armys 215 Corps stationed in Helmand, told AFP news agency. In response to the marines announcement, the Taliban told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Helmand is under strong control and the group is happy to fight against them and maintain their stronghold in Helmand. This statement is a response beforehand to our upcoming spring offensive. This is just to boost the morale of the Afghan forces who were brutally beaten by our fighters in Helmand, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, told Al Jazeera. Let them come and fight with us, so we can show them how strong we are and how they they will once again fail miserably in the fight to take back Helmand. READ MORE: Kabul deplores exclusion from trilateral meeting Last year, Afghanistan saw intensified Taliban attacks across the country, leaving Afghan forces stretched on multiple fronts. Helmand is strategically important for the Taliban, as it is the main source of the countrys opium output, worth an estimated $4bn a year, much of which funds the war. Provincial officials say the Taliban now controls 85 percent of the province, while only a year ago the government controlled 80 percent. About 30,000 people were displaced in Helmand alone, mostly fleeing to the provincial capital, with the city still practically besieged. Roads from neighbouring districts are heavily mined by the Taliban. NATO officially ended its combat mission in December 2014, but US forces were granted greater powers in June last year to strike at the Taliban fighters as President Barack Obama vowed a more aggressive campaign. The United States still has about 8,400 troops in the country. In early December, General John Nicholson, the chief US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said the government directly controls about 64 percent of the population of 30 million, down slightly from 68 percent earlier in 2016. US president-elect Donald Trump has said that hacking by foreign powers did not affect the final outcome of the November presidential election, after being briefed on an intelligence report blaming Russias Vladimir Putin for a cyber campaign to keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House. While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organisations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election, Trump said in a statement. Trump met the heads of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency in New York on Friday, on their newly completed report into Moscows alleged interference. READ MORE: Trump pushes back against Russia hacking investigation In a separate post on social media late on Friday, Trump blamed the Democratic National Committee for allowing hackers into its computer systems. Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place. The Republican National Committee had strong defense! Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place.The Republican National Committee had strong defense! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017 The new declassified report, released by US intelligence officials following the meeting with Trump, said Putin ordered a campaign to influence the 2016 election. It goes on to say that Kremlin developed a clear preference for Trump and hacked targets including both major political parties to help him. The strategy encompassed covert tactics, such as cyberattacks and paying social media users, as well as overt efforts to target US government employees, think-tanks and NGOs. The report also warned that Moscow will try to influence other elections of US allies. We are on the same team After the briefing, Vice President-elect Mike Pence addressed reporters outside of Trump Tower, in New York, about the report, vowing that the government would take an aggressive action to combat cyberattacks, and protect the security of the American people from this type of intrusion in the future. Al Jazeeras Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington DC, said the report strengthens calls from US political leaders to step up its cyber security, and to impose more sanctions against Russia. For a very long time, Donald Trump had been saying there is no evidence that the Russians are involved in the hacking, Fisher said, adding that Trump will have to decide on sanctions against Russia when he assumes the presidency. Top Democrats have also been calling on the US to develop a robust cyber strategy to protect democracy. Meanwhile, US president Barack Obama has reminded his successor that were on the same team, after the release of the report. One of the things I am concerned about is, the degree to which weve seen a lot of commentary lately where there are Republicans or pundits or cable commentators who seem to have more confidence in (Russian president) Vladimir Putin than fellow Americans because those fellow Americans are Democrats. That cannot be, Obama said in an interview with ABC News. We have to remind ourselves were on the same team. Vladimir Putins not on our team, Obama added in the interview, which is to be broadcast in full on Sunday. West Africa leaders not ready to send soldiers as they negotiate with outgoing President Jammeh to relinquish power. West African leaders are still pursuing mediation to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia where President Yahya Jammeh refused to accept defeat in an election last month. Liberias president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, told reporters on Saturday, after a meeting among regional leaders in Ghanas capital, Accra, that regional bloc ECOWAS did not yet intend to deploy its standby military force in the country. We are committed to a peaceful mediation and a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia. We will continue to pursue that for now, said Sirleaf, who chairs the 15-member body. READ MORE: Gambians seek justice after a 22-year reign of terror Asked if the regional group would deploy a standby force soon, she said no, adding that ECOWAS was closely monitoring proceedings in The Gambias Supreme Court, where Jammeh is challenging the poll result. Nigerian foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama said ECOWAS would hold a meeting on Monday in Abuja to discuss further steps. There are some disturbing information the [Nigerian] president [Muhammadu Buhari] is hearing which he needs to verify and the Abuja meeting will take a final decision, he said, without elaborating. Buhari has been appointed by ECOWAS as a mediator. Jammeh, a former coup leader who has ruled the country for 22 years, initially accepted his defeat by opposition figure Adama Barrow in the December 1 election. But a week later, he reversed his position, vowing to hang onto power despite a wave of regional and international condemnation. Diplomats are concerned the impasse over the poll could escalate quickly into violence. Gunfire erupts near main military camp in city of Bouake, where disgruntled soldiers launched a mutiny on Friday. Heavy gunfire erupted early on Saturday near the main military camp in Ivory Coasts second largest city, Bouake, where disgruntled soldiers launched an uprising a day earlier over salaries and bonuses, a resident and a soldier said. The shooting is very heavy right now at the third battalion. Im nearby and I hear it like it was right next to us, resident Konan Benoit told Reuters news agency by telephone, as gunfire could be heard on the line. The renegade soldiers have controlled the city of around a half million residents since taking up positions at key entry points early on Friday. The army has sent reinforcements to Bouake but the defence minister said in a statement late on Friday that the government was prepared to listen to the soldiers grievances. It was not immediately clear what provoked the gunfire, but a member of the uprising said soldiers had seen what they considered suspicious movements outside the camp in Bouake. This is gunfire to discourage them, the unnamed soldier said. Similar mutinies also occurred in two of the West African nations other main cities on Friday as the movement appeared to spread. American official treated at a hospital after shooting in Guadalajara, prompting FBI to offer $20,000 reward. Mexican police launched a manhunt for a gunman who shot and wounded a US consulate official who was driving out of a parking garage in the western city of Guadalajara. The consulate posted a video on Facebook showing the attacker, dressed in blue, waiting outside a shopping centres garage on Friday, raising his gun and firing at the car before fleeing. An official from the US consulate was wounded by a shot from a firearm According to the medical report, he is in stable condition, Mexicos attorney generals office said in a statement. The motive was not immediately known. Moments before the shooting, the official, who was wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, paid his parking ticket at an automated machine, according to another video. After the official walks away, the gunman is seen following him. READ MORE: Meet the man cleaning up after Mexicos murders The FBI offered a $20,000 reward for information about the attacker. The US embassy declined to give more details about the shooting or the officials title and identity. In 2010, a consular official, her husband, and the spouse of another consular official were killed in two simultaneous attacks in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez, which at the time was considered the worlds murder capital amid an ultra-violent drug war. A year later gunmen from the Zetas drug cartel opened fire on a vehicle of two US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the northern state of San Luis Potosi, killing one of the officers. Este es el hombre por quien se ofrecen 20 mil dolares de recompensa por disparar contra oficial en @USCGGuadalajara pic.twitter.com/3XxvvDiE8F Embajada EU en Mex (@USEmbassyMEX) January 7, 2017 In 2012 two US officials, widely reported to be CIA agents, and a Mexican marine were wounded when they were shot at by federal police officers as they were driving in the central state of Morelos. Fourteen officers were initially accused of attempted murder, but they were later put on trial on charges of using excessive force, with officials saying it was a case of mistaken identity. In a case that caused friction between the US and Mexican governments in 1985, undercover US agent Enrique Kiki Camarena was tortured and killed by the Guadalajara drug cartel. The Israeli government is in the midst of a brazen, covert influence campaign in Britain, a six-month undercover investigation by Al Jazeera will reveal. Each episode of the four-part series The Lobby will be broadcast daily on Al Jazeera from January 11 at 22:30 GMT. For half a year, Robin (alias), an undercover reporter, met with members of Britains lobby network that enjoys strong support from the Israeli government by way of the Israeli embassy in London. Robin posed as a graduate activist with strong sympathies towards Israel who was eager to help combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement prominent in Britain. Among just a few of the investigations many findings, Al Jazeeras Investigative Unit can on Sunday reveal that an Israeli diplomat plotted to destroy the careers of senior politicians. Alan Duncan targeted Robin secretly filmed the moment at a London brasserie when Shai Masot, a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy, asked Maria Strizzolo, who was then chief of staff to MP Robert Halfon, the deputy chairman of the ruling Conservative Party: Can I give you some MPs that I would suggest you take down? In response, Strizzolo said: Well you know, if you look hard enough Im sure that there is something that theyre trying to hide. Yeah. I have some MPs, Masot replies. [Strizzolo] knows which MPs I want to take down The Deputy Foreign Minister. Masot was referring to Sir Alan Duncan, the foreign office minister. Strizzolo later hinted that a little scandal might see Duncan dismissed. Duncan said in 2014 that while he fully supports Israels right to exist, he believes settlements on occupied Palestinian land represent an ever-deepening stain on the face of the globe. He also likened the situation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank to apartheid. At the same dinner table conversation, Masot described British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, Duncans boss, as an idiot without any kind of responsibilities, while Strizzolo said he was solid on Israel. Shaping foreign policy agenda Strizzolo, while advising Robin, revealed that she had a strategy of manipulation to ensure Israel remains at the top of the UKs foreign policy agenda. If at least you can get a small group of MPs that you know you can always rely on, when there is something coming to parliament and you know you brief them, you say: You dont have to do anything, we are going to give you the speech, we are going to give you all the information, we are going to do everything for you, she said. She also advised trying to infiltrate Prime Minsters Questions, a weekly session in which the leader of the country answers questions from MPs. The debate is televised live. If they already have the question to table for PMQs [Prime Ministers Questions], its harder to say: No, no, no, I wont do it, she said. Strizzolo then boasted how her own efforts once made an immediate impact on the national debate. While in Israel with the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary group in 2014, she persuaded MP Halfon to question the prime minster in public over three missing teenagers believed to have been kidnapped and murdered to get a response from the government, Strizzolo said. Halfon took the request and called on then-Prime Minister David Cameron to support the Israeli government, which he said should do everything possible to take out Hamas terrorist networks. In response, Cameron promised that Britain would stand by Israel. After news of Al Jazeeras Investigative Units series The Lobby was published by international media, an Israeli embassy spokesman in London tweeted a message saying that Masot would be ending his term shortly, adding that Mark Regev, ambassador of Israel to the UK, had apologised to Duncan and made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable. Al Jazeera Investigative Units series The Lobby can be viewed on Al Jazeera at the following times: Episode One Wednesday, January 11, 22:30 GMT Episode Two Thursday, January 12, 22:30 GMT Episode Three Friday, January 13, 22:30 GMT Episode Four Saturday, January 14, 22:30 GMT The series will also be available online. Disgruntled troops surround house in Bouake where defence chief is staying despite reported agreement to end revolt. Mutinying soldiers in Ivory Coasts second largest city, Bouake, opened fire on a local officials house where the defence minister was staying shortly after he appeared to have brokered a deal to end a two-day revolt. Defence minister Alain-Richard Donwahi was trapped inside by the shooting late on Saturday, unable to head back to the commercial capital, Abidjan. Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris said a source reported from inside the house of a local official in Bouake where Donwahi was staying with other government representatives that it had been surrounded by soldiers and fired upon. He said the situation is tense and the soldiers say theyre not moving an inch until all their demands are met, said Idris. The incident came minutes after Ivory Coasts president, Alassane Ouattara, went on national television to say a deal with the troops to end the revolt had been reached. In addition to Donwahi, the deputy commander of the elite Republican Guard, the mayor of Bouake and other local officials, as well as journalists, were trapped inside the residence. A crowd of angry soldiers massed outside the house and a Reuters news agency reporter said he heard some loudly shouting that they wanted their bonuses paid immediately, not next week. It just shows that the situation is unpredictable. Its a very confused situation right now, Kamissa Camara from the National Endowment for Democracy told Al Jazeera. It is quite worrying and we dont know where its going to go. The worst-case scenario could be the military wanting to remove President Ouattara. Its all speculation at this point. The two-day mutiny by soldiers spread quickly in nine cities across Ivory Coast with troops demanding higher salaries and improved living conditions. Speaking to his ministers and reporters, Ouattara said the government had agreed to take into account the soldiers demands concerning bonus payments and living and working conditions. I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy, Ouattara said. Ouattara did not give details of the deal offered to the mutineers in his brief televised comments. Soldiers in Bouake appeared furious after his announcement, with one mutineer saying: The president must tell us the date we will be paid and the amount we will be given. Earlier, a member of the uprising said mutinying soldiers would return to their barracks. Its over, Sergeant Mamadou Kone told the Reuters news agency. Some of our soldiers will remain in place to manage the security of shops and banks, but the majority of soldiers will return to barracks beginning tonight. Unrest linked to the mutiny was witnessed in cities across the country, including the commercial capital of Abidjan, where gunfire rang out at the defence ministry after soldiers entered the citys military headquarters. Abidjan is a city of nearly five million residents where the president, administration and parliament are based. Rogue soldiers also erected makeshift barricades around the nearby military headquarters, leaving all roads leading to the camp gridlocked with traffic and hampering access to several neighbouring districts. The uprising began early on Friday when disgruntled soldiers, mainly former rebel fighters, seized Bouake. The mutiny then spread to numerous other cities and towns. READ MORE: Gunfire rocks Bouake army camp after troops pay tribute Ivory Coast, French-speaking and West Africas largest economy, has emerged from a 2002-11 political crisis as one of the continents rising economic stars. However, years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, a thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions. Nearly all of the mutineers appeared to be former members of the New Forces rebellion, which had used Bouake as its de facto capital and controlled the northern half of Ivory Coast from 2002 until the country was reunited following a 2011 civil war. Donwahi arrived in Bouake in the early afternoon accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Issiaka Ouattara, known as Wattao, a former rebel leader who is now the deputy commander of the Republican Guard. During a similar uprising in 2014, when hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay, the government agreed upon a financial settlement. Disgruntled troops surrounded house in Bouake where defence chief was staying, firing automatic weapons and RPGs. Mutinying soldiers in Ivory Coasts second largest city Bouake released the defence minister after opening fire on the governors house where he was staying as a two-day troop revolt came to a violent standoff. Defence minister, Alain-Richard Donwahi was trapped inside by the shooting late on Saturday, unable to head back to the commercial capital, Abidjan. But after several hours Donwahi, other officials, and journalists were allowed to leave the home. The defence chief went immediately to the airport to fly back to Abidjan. The incident came minutes after Ivory Coasts president, Alassane Ouattara, went on national television to say a deal with the troops to end the revolt had been reached. In addition to Donwahi, the deputy commander of the elite Republican Guard and the mayor of Bouake had been trapped inside the residence. A crowd of angry soldiers massed outside the house, loudly shouting that they wanted their bonuses paid immediately, not next week. Journalist Ange Aboa, who was inside the home, told Al Jazeera the troops then opened fire with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. We tried to save our lives; it was a disaster, he said. There was gunfire and everybody ran away. The two-day mutiny by soldiers spread quickly in nine cities across Ivory Coast with troops demanding higher salaries and improved living conditions. Speaking to his ministers and reporters, Ouattara said the government had agreed to take into account the soldiers demands concerning bonus payments and living and working conditions. I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy, Ouattara said. Ouattara did not give details of the deal offered to the mutineers in his brief televised comments. Soldiers in Bouake appeared furious after his announcement, with one mutineer saying: The president must tell us the date we will be paid and the amount we will be given. Earlier, a member of the uprising said mutinying soldiers would return to their barracks. Its over, Sergeant Mamadou Kone told the Reuters news agency. Some of our soldiers will remain in place to manage the security of shops and banks, but the majority of soldiers will return to barracks beginning tonight. Unrest linked to the mutiny was witnessed in cities across the country, including the commercial capital of Abidjan, where gunfire rang out at the defence ministry after soldiers entered the citys military headquarters. Abidjan is a city of nearly five million residents where the president, administration and parliament are based. Rogue soldiers also erected makeshift barricades around the nearby military headquarters, leaving all roads leading to the camp gridlocked with traffic and hampering access to several neighbouring districts. The uprising began early on Friday when disgruntled soldiers mainly former rebel fighters seized Bouake. The mutiny then spread to numerous other cities and towns. READ MORE: Gunfire rocks Bouake army camp after troops pay tribute Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africas largest economy, has emerged from a 2002-11 political crisis as one of the continents rising economic stars. However, years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, a thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions. Nearly all of the mutineers appeared to be former members of the New Forces rebellion, which had used Bouake as its de facto capital and controlled the northern half of Ivory Coast from 2002 until the country was reunited following a 2011 civil war. Donwahi arrived in Bouake in the early afternoon accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Issiaka Ouattara, known as Wattao, a former rebel leader who is now the deputy commander of the Republican Guard. During a similar uprising in 2014, when hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay, the government agreed upon a financial settlement. Former human rights lawyer vowed to put Ghana back on path of prosperity after economic slump under President Mahama. Ghanas new president, Nana Akufo-Addo, will be sworn in on Saturday after beating incumbent leader John Dramani Mahama in elections last month. The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer will take the oath of office at a ceremony in Independence Square in central Accra before more than 6,000 guests and members of the public. Mahama had previously encouraged his citizens to support Akufo-Addo as his successor. I stand here today, Mr Speaker, holding the baton of leadership prepared to pass it on with pride, goodwill and determination to Nana Akufo-Addo, said Maham in a farewell address on December 31. The new president told AFP news agency that after smooth handovers of power in his home country and places such as Nigeria, leaders wanting to stay in office at all costs were fighting the tide of history. READ MORE: Ghanas Akufo-Addo wins presidential election During the week of Akufo-Addos election, beaten president Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia promised to challenge the results of elections that he had previously accepted. Ghanas elections, which were held on December 7, came in the wake of a weak economy. The country was unhappy with the ruling party. Seven out of 10 Ghanaians believed that the country was headed in the wrong direction, according to the Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Akufo-Addo has vowed to put the West African nation back on the path of progress and prosperity after an economic slump under Mahama that led to an International Monetary Fund bailout. This week Mahama defended his record, saying his government had been up against strong headwinds that caused growth to slow, public sector debt to rise and the cedi currency to fall. President vows to not let Ghanaians down after taking oath of office at ceremony attended by dozens of African leaders. Nana Akufo-Addo was sworn in as Ghanas new president on Saturday, in a ceremony attended by dozens of African leaders. The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer defeated incumbent John Dramani Mahama in elections last month. I will not let you, the people of Ghana, down, Akufo-Addo wrote on his Twitter feed just after he took office. He also vowed to reduce taxes to boost the economy and declared that Ghana was open for business again. The new president took the oath of office at a ceremony in Independence Square in central Accra, marking the latest peaceful transition of power in the West African country. More than 6,000 members of the public, dignitaries and heads of state were in attendance, including Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari and Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta. Akufo-Addo told AFP news agency that after smooth handovers of power in his home country and places such as Nigeria, leaders wanting to stay in office at all costs were fighting the tide of history. READ MORE: Ghanas Akufo-Addo wins presidential election During the week of Akufo-Addos election, beaten President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia promised to challenge the results of elections that he had previously accepted. Ghanas elections, which were held on December 7, came in the wake of a weak economy. The country was unhappy with the ruling party. Seven out of 10 Ghanaians believed that the country was headed in the wrong direction, according to the Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Akufo-Addo has vowed to put Ghana back on the path of progress and prosperity after an economic slump under Mahama that led to an International Monetary Fund bailout. This week, Mahama defended his record, saying his government had been up against strong headwinds that caused growth to slow, public sector debt to rise and the cedi currency to fall. On December 31, Mahama had encouraged his citizens to support Akufo-Addo as his successor. I stand here today, Mr Speaker, holding the baton of leadership prepared to pass it on with pride, goodwill and determination to Nana Akufo-Addo, said Mahama in a farewell address. The controversial tribunals were set up in the wake of the 2014 Peshawar school attack that left scores of pupils dead. A controversial law in Pakistan that allowed military courts to try people on terrorism charges has expired, two years after its introduction following an attack that left scores of schoolchildren dead. During their time of existence, the tribunals hanged 12 people and ordered the executions of 149 more amid sharp criticism from rights groups. The courts were set up in the wake of a 2014 assault on a school in northwestern Peshawar, in which gunmen killed at least 141 people , mostly children. The two-year term of military courts will be completed today, finance minister Ishaq Dar told a press conference on Saturday. The government has not taken any decision on their renewal so far. READ MORE: Pakistan gets new COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa Following the Peshawar attack, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tahreek-e-Taliban, the army intensified an operation against armed groups in the tribal areas and the government launched a National Action Plan, including the creation of the courts. The special tribunals were seen as an exceptional short-term measure put in place to allow the government time to reform the criminal justice system. Their establishment prompted concern from human rights activists and was even challenged in the countrys top court by a group of lawyers in April 2015. Rights activists also called for greater transparency, saying the courts failed to meet even the murky standards of military tribunals around the world. In a statement issued to the media on Friday, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said justice reform had not been carried out, and called for fair, credible trials. OPINION: Divisive politics impede progress in South Asia The lapse of the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians is a step in the right direction, but unsurprisingly, there is no sign of the promised reforms to strengthen the ordinary criminal justice system to effectively handle terrorism-related cases, said Sam Zarifi, ICJs Asia Director. The Pakistani government must not re-enact legislation to continue secret military trials of civilians, nor resort to more short-term, short-sighted security measures that are contrary to human rights protections, Zarifi added. Analyst Imtiaz Gul told AFP news agency that heavy criticism meant Pakistan was unlikely to extend the courts, saying the controversy had been an embarrassment to the country. Quoting military sources, the ICJ said 274 people have been convicted by military courts since January 2015, of which 161 have been sentenced to death. Twelve of those have already been hanged. READ MORE: Pakistan executions surge a year after Peshawar attack The rights group said the details of only seven cases where people were given life imprisonment have been made public. The names, charges, and duration of prison terms for the remaining 106 people have not been disclosed, ICJ said. On Friday, local media quoted Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, interior minister, saying that, from now on, the cases which were sent to the military courts will be referred to existing anti-terrorism courts. Tsais US stopovers come after she incensed China by her phone call to Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory. Taiwans president, Tsai Ing-wen, has left for the United States Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwans Central American allies, Tsais US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. A transit is a transit, the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, in response to whether she would be meeting anyone from Trumps administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is a little bit inappropriate to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. READ MORE: Donald Trump questions one China policy Last month, Taiwans deputy foreign minister, Javier Hou, told a legislative committee that the ministry wanted to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to Taiwans state-owned Central News Agency. The call in December almost upended decades of diplomatic practise in the US. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsais trip. The trip to Central America also serves as a way to create strong international relations that could help strengthen Taiwans self-rule. Taiwan is considered a breakaway state by China, and it is down to 21 allies, after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. Analyst Liao said Beijing would continue to woo the islands allies as a pressure tactic on Tsai, who refuses to acknowledge the concept that there is only one China. Protesters say the deal will take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Clashes between protesters and government supporters have erupted in southern Sri Lanka during a rally against a port deal with China. The clashes took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for an industrial zone near the port city of Hambantota, about 240km southeast of the capital, Colombo. Government supporters armed with clubs first attacked protesters organised by the opposition and led by Buddhist monks in Amabalantota, 22km from Hambantota. The protesters responded by throwing rocks. It was not clear how many people were injured, but several people were seen being taken away in ambulances. The villagers marched against what they say is a plan to take over private land for the industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Lawmaker DV Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a Chinese colony. We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone, said Chanaka, the district politician. When you give away such a vast area of land, you cant stop the area becoming a Chinese colony. READ MORE: Worlds tallest Christmas tree unites Sri Lanka Buddhist clergy will follow an ancient tradition and issue a decree, asking the government to stop the leasing, said Magama Mahanama, from the Monks Organisation to Protect National Assets. Historically, kings in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka are said to have abided by decrees issued by Buddhist monks. Ninety-nine years means at least two generations. When they [the Chinese] take root here, whats the guarantee that we will have it back? There is a major threat of cultural erosion and demographic change, Mahanama said. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier this week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free the country from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. Charity calls on government to make more funds available as it helps NHS cope with increased demand for health services. The Red Cross has warned of a humanitarian crisis in the British National Health Service (NHS) as it struggles to cope with overcrowding and a lack of resources. Teams from the medical charity were deployed at a number of hospitals in the East Midlands region of England in early January to alleviate the pressure on local hospitals. The Red Cross helped transport patients to and from hospitals and its volunteers assisted discharged patients to prepare for recovery at home. In a statement on Friday, Red Cross chief executive Mike Adamson said the government needed to act immediately to stabilise the service. The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country, he said. We call on the UK government to allocate immediate funding to stabilise the current system and set out plans towards creating a sustainable funding settlement for the future. Demand at highest levels Speaking to the BBC, Professor Keith Willett, director of acute care for NHS England, disputed the Red Cross description of the situation as a humanitarian crisis. On the international scale of a humanitarian crisis, I do not think the NHS is at that point, he said. Clearly, demand is at the highest level ever. But also our planning is probably more comprehensive than it has ever been. In many ways, this is a level of pressure we have not seen before and the workload that the NHS is being asked to shoulder in terms of medical treatment and personal care is very high. Willett went on to ask members of the public to relieve pressure off hospital services by using non-emergency helplines, local GP services and pharmacies. Critics, however, blamed government mismanagement for the deteriorating standards of services the NHS provides. The opposition Labour Partys shadow-health secretary Jonathan Ashworth described the Red Cross statement as a badge of shame on the ruling Conservative Party. The Red Cross being called in to help in our hospitals is just the latest staggering example of how the NHS is now being pushed to breaking point, Ashworth said in a statement. More patients are languishing on trolleys and in ambulance queues. Meanwhile, hospitals have been desperately pleading on Twitter for patients to stay away from A and E [Accident and Emergency], he added. The stark reality is the NHS is facing a crisis this winter and in need of urgent help from Ministers. READ MORE: UK doctors go on strike over changes to contracts Dr Enam Haque, a GP trainer and lecturer at the University of Manchester Medical School, said the government had not responded to the rising cost of treatment and staff shortages. The NHS crisis, contrary to that portrayed in the media, is not due to migrants or health tourism, but due to many years of underspending by the Conservative government, Haque said. There is also a crisis in the profession with doctor shortages making the NHS less sustainable. This has been brought about by an unfair contract being imposed on junior doctors, which puts patient safety at risk through longer and unfair working conditions. Haque called on the government to increase funding for the NHS and ensure better working conditions for its staff but said he feared deteriorating standards were a prelude to eventual privatisation. My fear, though, is that the crisis is being deliberately created in order to make the NHS fail and, therefore, allow privatisation through the back door. This will lead to health inequality and worsening health outcomes for people. Saudi interior ministry says security forces surrounded a house and ordered suspects to surrender but they opened fire. Two dangerous terrorists, including an explosive-belt maker, were shot and killed in Saudi Arabia during a security operation in the capital Riyadh on Saturday. The Saudi state news agency SPA, citing an interior ministry spokesman, said a security officer was also wounded in the operation in the al-Yasmin neighbourhood in northern Riyadh. Suspect Tayeh al-Saihari, who had been wanted by authorities for his alleged involvement in attacks, was spotted in a house in the area. Saihari was with Talal al-Saidi who was also wanted by authorities. Security forces surrounded the house at dawn and ordered the suspects to surrender, according to the ministry spokesman. The suspects refused and opened fire on the police who then launched an assault and killed them both, the spokesman said. Two explosive belts ready to be activated were found in the house, as well as a homemade bomb and material that could be used to make explosives, the interior ministry said. It said Saihari had prepared the explosive belts that were used in suicide attacks, including the deadly bombing of a headquarters of the special forces in 2015 and near the Prophets Mosque in Medina last July. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 15 people. But no one claimed responsibility for a July 2016 attack in Medina in which four security guards were killed. Since late 2014, ISIL has claimed a series of bombings and shootings against Shia Muslims in the Sunni-majority kingdom, as well as against security forces. Shaker Aamer says he endured torture by US authorities during his 14 years jailed in Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Doha, Qatar Barack Obamas failure to shutter Guantanamo Bay was a stain on his legacy as US president, according to Shaker Aamer, a Saudi-born UK resident held at the infamous US detention centre for nearly 14 years without trial. Aamer was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001, but was never charged with a crime. He was released from the Cuba-based prison in October 2015 and has since lived with his wife and four children in Britain. Despite Obamas January 2009 executive order to close Guantanamo, he failed to do so throughout his eight years of presidency. Of the 240 prisoners who were there when Obama took office in 2009, 55 are still in Guantanamo, according to Human Rights First. As many as 19 have been cleared for release, while a mere three individuals from the remaining detainees have been convicted by a military commission. Overall, more than 780 people have been held in Guantanamo, and the prisoner population peaked at 684 people in June 2003. President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has already vowed to keep the prison open and lock up more bad dudes. Al Jazeera spoke to Aamer about Obamas legacy, the effect of hunger strikes and his life after his release. Al Jazeera: Will the US shut down Guantanamo Bay? Shaker Aamer: Can they shut down Guantanamo? Yes. But first of all, people have to understand why they want to keep Guantanamo open. Theres more to it than just politics or safety. If they close Guantanamo, what will tell the world about whos to blame for these 15 years when they put [away] all these people who didnt belong there? Its just about explaining to the people. We are talking about one of the most sophisticated intelligence services in the world. Guantanamo proved to the entire world that the CIA operates outside [the rules] of the [US] government. Its a government inside a government, and they operate outside the law. Whos willing to answer all these questions? Are they willing to answer them? No, theyre not. READ MORE: Whats next for Guantanamo? People have to ask why it cannot be closed. Its about responsibilities and opening the books, answering questions to the whole world. First of all, they have to [answer these questions] to the Americans. The impact of what happened on Americans was great, on the way they live and their freedoms. And everything we suffered was because of national security. I couldnt receive letters from my own kids because of national security. I couldnt speak freely with my lawyer because of national security. After all this, do you think theyre going to close Guantanamo and then tell the world theyve got only a handful of people that were trying to put on trial for the past 10 years and until now we cannot succeed? Can the world accept that? No. Thats why this scarecrow that is Guantanamo has to stay. Al Jazeera: Will you continue to fight for the closure of Guantanamo? Aamer: Its about our futures. We are still suffering. They [governments] refuse to talk about it now. For [governments], its normal because they didnt lose anything. But for me, I lost 14 years and I wont sacrifice them without benefiting today and tomorrow and Im not talking about personal compensation. They compensated us [financially], but without saying, sorry. Its a lot bigger than me. Its not just because of the detainees. We are talking about a whole government, a whole system. They [the US government] lied to their own people just to let their soldiers accept torturing us. Can you imagine that they had to go to classes and show them movies about us? They had to make [guards and soldiers] believe they were defending freedom. For [a soldier] to accept all this, they had to brainwash them. Now we have to reverse everything to let them know that we are human beings and we havent done anything. Al Jazeera: You have a reputation as having been a key protest leader while you were in Guantanamo Bay. How important were the hunger strikes and other protests within the prison walls? Aamer: When someone launches a hunger strike, it means he is willing to lose his life for the cause. It is a peaceful tactic. They told the world we were trying to kill ourselves to serve al-Qaeda. Its amazing how they twisted logic. They were so brutal when they dealt with us [on hunger strike]. But a hunger strike was our peaceful means of telling the world: Listen, if Im guilty, put me on trial. If Im innocent, send me home. We were hunger striking to gain some human rights. I swear to God, they treated us as less than cockroaches. READ MORE: Guantanamo torture victims should be allowed UN visit Some of the guards would break down. Not once, not twice 10, 20, 30 times. Its beautiful when you see this soldier become your friend; when they sacrifice their own job, their income, for you. Some of them refused to participate [in force-feeding], they were sent back from Guantanamo. Even though the US denies it, the hunger strike was effective. We gained some control. We changed the whole equation because of hunger strikes. Al Jazeera: What has life been like since your release? Aamer: I have no restrictions for me in any way not written. But my phone is tapped; my house is being watched; there are cameras in front of my house all the time. My lawyer advised me to stay away from overseas phone calls. I refuse to talk to anybody because Im worried about my family and my kids. I dont want to do anything, even go back for questioning. My wife is still not ready to take any more pressure or shock. Its so sad. At the same time, my wife worries every time there is a knock on the door. People in the UK are going to jail because they one time knew someone who is in Syria now. Imagine if I receive a phone call from someone who was in Guantanamo right now? Definitely, they are going to come knock on my door. Thats why Im free, but Im not free. Im being watched. When I came out, I found a different family, a different life, different kids. My kids are grown up. To build a strong relationship with them is not easy. It is hard. They are my kids, but they are not my kids. They are very good kids, very educated, very smart. They still see me as a little bit of a stranger. Al Jazeera: It appears that Obamas final presidential term will expire without the closure of Guantanamo Bay. What do you think that says about his legacy? Aamer: I remember when Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize [in 2009]. It was sad. I told [my lawyer], if people like Obama get this prize, it means nothing. Where is the peace hes implementing? At that time, we were roughly 300-something people [in Guantanamo]. What peace did he bring to the world? The damage he did is worse than [former US President] George Bush. If Obama can get this prize, its just an insult. That prize is nothing. Its just a decoration. For Obama, he wants to close it. I have no doubt, but I think hes too much of a coward. You cannot be a hero without being willing to sacrifice. He proved hes the biggest liar; he proved hes not a leader. The most basic thing he could have done is close Guantanamo. He could have brought so much [respect] back to America. Follow Patrick Strickland on Twitter: @P_Strickland_ Hundreds of military vehicles to be transported to Eastern Europe in NATO build up that could increase Russia tensions. Hundreds of US tanks, trucks and other military equipment have arrived by ship in Germany to be transported to Eastern Europe as part of a NATO build up that threatens to increase tensions with Russia. Two shiploads arrived in the northern port of Bremerhaven on Friday and a third was due in a few days, while some 4,000 US troops will join up with the equipment over the next two weeks. The forces will gather first in Poland, then fan out across seven countries from Estonia to Bulgaria as part of a series of measures aimed at reassuring US allies in Europe after Russias 2014 annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. The best way to maintain the peace is through preparation, US Major General Timothy McGuire told reporters when asked if the large deployment was meant to send a message to Russia. This is just showing the strength and cohesion of the alliance and the US commitment to maintain the peace on the continent, he said. WATCH: Obama advisor: China is more of a threat than Russia NATO countries say their planned deployments to eastern NATO countries are purely defensive, but Russia has rebuked what it sees as an aggressive Western build up in Eastern Europe. In addition to US troops, NATO members Germany, Canada and Britain are also sending battalions of up to 1,000 troops each to the former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They say the four battalions, backed by additional US forces on rotation, are justified by Moscows annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Those actions alarmed the Baltic states, which worry they could be the next targets of Russian pressure. Among their equipment will be 87 Abrams M1A1 tanks, 20 Paladin artillery vehicles and 136 Bradley fighting vehicles. The equipment will be used by the US Armys 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, arriving this month from Fort Carson, Colorado, for the first of what Washington promises will be back-to-back nine-month rotations for the foreseeable future. READ MORE: Is Russia really a threat to the Baltic states? Germanys Left party, which has called for closer ties with Russia, said Berlin had a historic obligation to work for peace and disarmament, and it would protest against the deployment. Tanks never create peace anywhere, said Christian Goerke, who heads the party in Brandenburg state. Quite the contrary, a troop deployment of such a scale is part of always increasing build up and provocation. The military deployments came amid increased political tensions between Moscow and Washington, which accuses the Russian government of orchestrating cyber-attacks that allegedly influenced the 2016 US presidential elections and helped Donald Trump win the vote over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The US has imposed sanctions against Moscow over the allegations, expelling 35 Russian diplomats from the country. Russia has denied interfering in the election. Another 6,000 people sacked and dozens of associations closed over alleged links to July coup plotters. Turkey has dismissed more than 6,000 people and ordered the closure of dozens of associations under the state of emergency imposed after the failed coup in July, in a purge that has shown no sign of slowing. More than 100,000 people have already been suspended or sacked so far in a crackdown on those alleged to have links to coup plotters while dozens of media outlets have been shut down. In the latest government decrees published in the countrys official gazette late on Friday, 2,687 police officers, including 53 high-ranking commissioners, were dismissed. Meanwhile, 1,699 civil servants were removed from the ministry of justice, including eight members of the Council of State and one from the Supreme Electoral Council, Anadolu, the state news agency, reported late on Friday. Eight hundred thirty-eight health officials and hundreds of employees from other ministries were also dismissed, in addition to another 631 academics and eight members of the Council of State. State of emergency The dismissals are permitted under the state of emergency, which was extended by another three months in October, and was originally imposed in the wake of the coup. But its scope has been vehemently criticised by the European Union and human rights activists. The three decrees also ordered the closure of more than 80 associations accused of activities affecting the security of the state. READ MORE: Turkeys failed coup attempt All you need to know Critics have claimed that the crackdown goes well beyond the suspected coup plotters and targets anyone who has dared show opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara blames the coup plot on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen and says an unrelenting campaign is needed to root out his influence from public life. Gulen denies the allegations. Turkey also argues the exceptional security measures are necessary in the face of rising threats from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The country has been hit by two attacks this week, one claimed by ISIL against a high-end Turkish nightclub, and the other which authorities blamed on the PKK in the western city of Izmir. Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq and was discharged last year, identified as Fort Lauderdale gunman who killed five. A US army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area on Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. He was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs, the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press news agency that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the US government was controlling his mind and making him watch videos by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorised to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Santiago did not appear intent on hurting anyone. Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. One witness said the attacker shot his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travellers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder, Bruce Hogan, a witness, said. Hogan said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a disgraceful situation thats happening in our country and throughout the world and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We dont know why, said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. Santiagos brother, Bryan, told AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiagos girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he did not know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was two. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Major Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone absent several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honourable discharge. The attack is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travellers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. In 2013, a gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agencys screeners and wounded three others during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. Last November, an airline worker was shot and killed near an employee car park at Oklahoma Citys airport, and in 2015 a machete-wielding man was shot dead after he attacked federal security officers at the New Orleans airport. Snow storms and blizzards cause travel chaos across Italy, the Balkans and much of Turkey. Winter has set in with a vengeance across much of Central and Eastern Europe. The reason for the frigid blast is a strong area of high pressure that has settled over western parts of the continent. The location of the high-pressure system, or anticyclone, means that the past few days have seen a cold northerly blast extend from Scandinavia to the Levant countries. Kiev is facing temperatures of around minus 15 Celsius. This is around 11 degrees below the January average. The air is even more frigid in Moscow, where we could see temperatures struggling to reach minus 25C throughout this weekend. We would normally expect highs nearer minus 9C. Further south, weve had an area of low pressure dominating the weather, bringing relatively mild, moist air across the Mediterranean. This feed of moisture readily turned to snow as it moved over Italy, the Balkans and across the Black Sea. Naples had seen a rare covering of snow, as the wintry blast hit southern and central Italy on Friday, making clean-up work harder for firefighters in the quake-destroyed town of Norcia. On the other side of the Adriatic, much of Bosnia was covered in snow on Friday. They then struggled to reach minus 11 in the heat of the day. The snow brought traffic to a halt in many areas and some mountain roads were completely sealed off. Cold weather warnings have been issued and the bitter weather is expected to continue into the beginning of next week. Greece is expecting significant snowfalls this weekend, with temperatures barely getting above freezing in Athens. The same is true for much of Turkey, where weve had heavy snow on and off since the turn of the year. The latest snowstorm stopped all flights in and out of Istanbuls main Ataturk Airport for a time. The snowfall has also caused hundreds of village roads to be blocked in the eastern provinces of Turkey. Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have had blizzards on and off for much of this week and further snow and strong winds are forecast as the winter storm extends into western Russia. Elsewhere, a separate area of snow is currently moving out of Sweden and Finland into the Baltic States. We may well see a spell of freezing rain early in the weekend across northeastern France and the Low Countries. Additional reporting by Everton Fox Justices Ore and Kioko of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights reflect on the challenges facing the court. The African Court on Human and Peoples Rights is a tribunal established to ensure the protection of human rights across the continent. The court recently celebrated its 10th anniversary a decade that has been filled with challenges. It was originally set up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2006, but, in August 2007, its headquarters moved to Arusha, Tanzania. Out of the 54 member states of the African Union, only 30 recognise the court. And an even fewer, seven member states, allow NGOs and individuals to file cases. But perhaps, the biggest challenge is that most Africans dont seem to know the court even exists. So, has it failed? What has the court accomplished so far? And how will it move forward to guarantee human rights are protected across Africa? To find out, we sit down with the president and vice president of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights, Justice Sylvain Ore and Justice Ben Kioko, as they talk to Al Jazeera. Asked about the effectiveness of the court and whether there was any concrete evidence as to what it has achieved for member states, Justice Sylvain Ore believes one of the biggest accomplishments of the court thus far is in favour of freedom of speech. He specifically mentions Norbert Zongo, a Burkinabe investigative journalist who was murdered in Burkina Faso, then ruled by a military regime in 1998. It has been 18 years since his death and the case remains unsolved, but in 2015, after an appeal by Zongos family, the court ordered the government reopen the investigation. Fortunately, Burkina Faso has complied with the order we made with regards to the investigation, it is still ongoing, says Justice Ore. We ask Justice Ore about one of the longest ongoing human rights violations in African history, Darfur, and what is being done in regards to Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Hes been charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur. He visited South Africa, a signatory to the ICC, in June 2015, but the government ignored the courts arrest warrant and allowed him to leave the country. It was widely seen as a public display of disrespect for the ICC. Its a political decision of the South African state. I cannot really have an opinion on this because I do not know the circumstances that lead the South Africans to comply with the request of the ICC, says Ore. How, in actuality, can the court do its job effectively, if it is ultimately at the mercy of member states giving up political power in relation to cases, such as Omar al-Bashirs? Our mandate is not different from the European court on human rights. We do not have a force, like a police force, who oblige the states to comply. But I think that responsible states, with the vision to respect human rights, are the states that will comply with the decision of the international court, Ore says. When it comes to enforcing necessary decisions and rulings, Justice Ben Kioko echoes Ores comments, stating that without member states compliance, nothing can be done. Any international court that you can think of, for example, the International Criminal Court, it is funded by the state parties and it requires the cooperation of states, even to arrest individuals, says Kioko. The International Court of Justice is funded by member states. So, most of the international and regional courts are based on the same concept. You are funded by member states, but at the same time, you are given independence and impartiality And independence is very important to judges. You can talk to Al Jazeera, too. Join our Twitter conversation as we talk to world leaders and alternative voices shaping our times. You can also share your views and keep up to date with our latest interviews on Facebook. As UF alumnus Mike Biana prepared to board a flight at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday afternoon, his phone was flooded with panicked texts and messages. One terminal down, a five-minute walk, a gunman had opened fire at the baggage claim area of the airports Terminal 2. Five people were shot and six others were wounded. We thought we were all going to die, 26-year-old Biana said. For Biana, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native who graduated from UF in 2013, the flight was going to be a rare chance to see his cousin. But for a handful of Delta Airlines or Air Canada passengers who had just arrived in South Florida, their trip was cut short by gunfire. At about 12:55 p.m., Esteban Santiago, 26, of Anchorage, Alaska, pulled a gun from his luggage and opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport, according to the Associated Press. Santiago, an Iraq war veteran, then threw his gun down and lied down. He was arrested by law enforcement. The motive is under investigation, according to AP. Santiago is charged with weapons violations and an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. He could face the death penalty. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska, where he was serving as a National Guard soldier, and claimed the U.S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, according to AP. Biana said half an hour after hearing about the shooting, about 20 Transportation Security Administration members ran down Terminal 3, screaming at everyone to get down. He thought they looked like they were running away. He immediately dropped to the ground and hid behind a column as others ran to hide in a bathroom. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Biana said he didnt hear gunshots, but hiding behind that column was the worst 10 minutes of his life. He said he received messages from a friend that there was a second shooter in the Hibiscus garage. At a televised press conference, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel later confirmed there was not a second shooter. Security officers soon began evacuating everyone onto the tarmac, as far away from the garage as possible. No one told the airport visitors what happened, Biana said. As thousands stood outside calling and texting loved ones, Biana didnt know if his flight would be rescheduled or refunded, but by then he just wanted to go home. We were all just in shock that this was happening here in our backyard, he said. Its sad that the hashtag pray for blank could be applied anywhere. Glen Baker, a Gainesville Police Department officer working at Gainesville Regional Airport, said the shooting didnt affect the airports security Friday. Security hasnt been increased any more than normal, but were always aware something could happen, he said. There were no scheduled flights to Fort Lauderdale on Friday, and no flights to Miami were canceled. Hannah Kaufman, a UF alumna, was on the last flight to leave the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday before it was shut down. After visiting her family and boyfriend in Fort Lauderdale, the 22-year-old was heading back to Georgetown Universitys law school. Her flight was scheduled for 12:20 p.m. and delayed twice. Kaufman was in Terminal 3 and could hear a muffled intercom announcement as she walked toward the plane. Flight attendants urged passengers to board faster. It wasnt until she was in her assigned seat scrolling through Twitter that Kaufman realized what was happening. No one on the plane seemed to be reacting, she said. It was so strange to be that close to it and not know what was going on, she said. About to land in D.C., the pilot announced to the passengers the airport was closed. They were the last to leave. I obviously feel very lucky, she said. We couldve been standing there when it happened. Thousands of would-be passengers stand outside at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport tarmac after being evacuated due to an active shooter in Terminal 2. Most of the Israeli Right is refusing to address the chief issue in its death struggle with "Palestine." Israel trots out lawyers, historians, theoreticians, and academics to defend its control of Judea and Samaria; but that is not the central issue its rather a distraction from the core problem. I have no problem if Israel want to declare the land west of Jordan River (perhaps also Gaza) as Eretz Israel. Zionist writers, even here at American Thinker, will all invoke the San Remo Mandate of 1920 as the foundation for Israel's claim to the contested areas. All fine and well. Finally, the allied powers -- Britain, France, Italy, and Japan -- passed the San Remo Resolution in evidence of their agreement: ... This agreement was binding in international law, as these powers had the right to dispose of these lands. - Palestine, Back to the Future, American Thinker, Ted Belman, 2012 However, that is not the issue which troubles the world. Were there not roughly 300,000 Arabs in the eastern side of Jerusalem, no one would care what Israel does in Jerusalem; no one would be upset that Israel claims all of the city. Were there no Arabs in Judea and Samaria, no one would care that Israel is building "Jewish settlements." The problem is not so much who owns the land, but what to do with the Arabs on that land. One can make glorious appeals to the Western tradition, filled with gazillions of historical legal precedents, citing giants of Western legal thought, while playing stirring background music meant to bring tears to the most hardened of hearts -- all of this done in the service of defending Israel's claim on the geography -- but until one deals with the Arabs on the land, what has been accomplished? Instead, what we read all too often from right-wing Israelis is how San Remo gives the Jewish people the absolute right to the land. Well, San Remo did; but unfortunately, that right came with this death-defying obligation: ... it being clearly understood that nothing should be done which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine... -- The Palestinian Mandate, Avalon Project, Yale That is the issue, not the geography. So, while right-wing Jewish theoreticians will cite precedent after precedent on why the land is theirs, they dodge the underlying problem: The Arabs on the land that is theirs. Those who do address the issue, often tender ridiculous, or historically inaccurate, solutions: "DEPORT THEM TO JORDAN!" Well, the refugees from Haifa, Caesarea, West Jerusalem, Jaffa, etc., who now live in Judea and Samaria, did not originate in Jordan; nor does Jordan want them, nor their descendants, today. They came from what is now coastal Israel. Add to that the substantial number of Arabs with long roots in Judea and Samaria before 1948. That is an inconvenient fact, an ugly fact, a genuinely frustrating fact; but a fact nonetheless. Nor does their past Jordanian nationality mean anything. They did not move across the border in 1967, the border moved across them. Jordan withdraw nationality from those born after 1988, with the signing of the peace treaty with Israel. One consequence of this severing of ties with the West Bank was that Jordanians of Palestinian origin residing in the West Bank at that time lost their Jordanian nationality. -- Human Rights Watch They are not Jordanians any more. It was a temporary accident of history. To make an historical analogy, when the USA acquired the Southwest from Mexico in 1848, the Indians on the land became our problem. The terroristic Apache, formerly Mexico's headache, were not deportable to Mexico. Though born under Mexican sovereignty, Geronimo was now America's matter. The U.S. Army had to bring Geronimo back from Mexico, where he was hiding out. Likewise, the Arabs in Judea and Samaria are now Israel's problem, not Jordan's. This is especially true of the Christians in Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour, who may have been in Judea and Samaria for centuries, if not millennia. These people were traceable under Ottoman records back to the 16th century, and before that... who knows? The Ottomans came to them, not the other way around. The same San Remo Mandate, cited as the authority for Israel's sovereignty, also required a protection of the full "civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine." Those civil rights necessarily included voting in the government which rules over their borders, their population registry, their movement, their travel, etc. We know this because the Ottomans gave voting rights to the local Arabs for the Ottoman parliament; and, inasmuch as civil rights were to be protected, voting rights could not have been withdrawn. These [1914] elections also produced a significant increase in the number of Arab deputies compared with previous elections -- Elections and the Electoral Process in the Ottoman Empire, 1876-1919 This right was reaffirmed when Britain gave the franchise to Palestinian Arabs during the Mandatory period. The voting franchise cannot be denied by saying the Arabs did not have national rights. American Southerners may not have had the national right to secede in 1861, but they had the civil right to vote against Lincoln in 1860. Voting is a civil right; and San Remo guaranteed it to the Arabs. Maybe unwisely, certainly unfortunately, but it did so. World War I, which placed the area under British rule, had become, before it ended, "a war for democracy," which set the impetus for Arab rights. Since 1967, Israel has done everything possible to secure her sovereignty in Judea and Samaria --altogether heroic and laudable -- but has done so without extending the franchise to the Arabs in Judea and Samaria. One can understand why the Jewish state would not want to enfranchise so many hostile, irrational, terroristic Muslims. One suspects Israel figured the matter would be a temporary interregnum, until a final solution was arrived at; but as time went by, Israel could no longer gloss over the arrangement; and the Arab intifadas brought the issue to the world's attention. Even Oslo was not a solution. The Arabs -- let's be honest -- were reduced to rather small Muslim reservations in a very limited space. Israel has so circumscribed the PA's authority as to make it effectually equivalent to armed hall monitors in an unruly high school. Even the PA's population registry and residency are subject to Israeli control. The PA does not even have the authority to allow a "Palestinian" from Gaza to relocate to Ramallah in Judea and Samaria. Claims that Israel has tendered sovereignty to the PA are deceptive and fool no one. This policy may be wise for Israel, as the Arabs seek the destruction of the Jewish state; but it is not sovereignty for the "Palestinians," and should not be sold as such. All of this would make perfect sense, if Israeli security, and Jewish plans for Judea and Samaria, were the only criteria; but it was not what San Remo intended, and since Israel has not yet officially annexed the land, one could seriously argue that San Remo obligations still obtain. This is the core issue: the Arabs on the land; not One State, Two State options. Everything else is talking heads, talking nonsense. Caroline Glick, in The Israeli Solution, has made a stab at addressing the core issue, holding out the promise of eventual enfranchisement of the Arabs. However, most intelligent Israeli Jews cringe at the immediate implication of a population spike of Arabs from 20% to one-third of the voting population. One also cannot help notice that this does not address the festering sore of Gaza. Martin Sherman considers Glick's solution inadvisable. It would require more than a gigantic leap of unsubstantiated hope to believe that such a measure could precipitate any result other than Lebanonization of Israel. -- JPost, Into the fray: To my colleague Caroline, a caveat, Martin Sherman Sherman's analyis is absolutely correct. Israel would go the way of Lebanon, which divided along warring religious clines. Martin Sherman counter-suggests paying Arab individuals to leave, on a large scale, which sounds like a great idea, until one tries to find out who will pay for a project that would cost in the vicinity of $150 billion. One thing is sure: the Arabs states will certainly not pay. Still, it sounds like a safer option for Israel, whoever pays. Wisely, both of these solutions avoid the ridiculous idea of annexing area C only, while concentrating the "Palestinians" in discontiguous, unviable bantustans of areas A & B. Does anyone think the "bantustan" solution wouldn't make Israel an immediate pariah state; and legitimize BDS? Such a solution would inevitably tar Israel with the charge of "Aparthied," and no amount of explaining (hasbara) would convince the world otherwise. Other than Glick's and Sherman's ideas, I can find no serious practicable analysis of how to deal with the only problem: the Arabs on the land. I am not in favor of the two-state solution; but I feel that Israel's present situation, where it rules over approximately 2 million -- depending on who is asked -- hostile, disenfranchised Arabs in Judea and Samaria, and tries them under military law, is unstable, and ultimately deleterious -- and it necessarily calls into question Israel's claim to be a democracy. It is certainly not the worst abuse of civil rights on the planet, but it is the squeakiest wheel at the moment; and it will not go away unless Israel addresses the core problem: the Arabs on the land, rather than answering with shibboleths of "the only democracy in the Mideast," or "We gave the PA sovereignty," which are both legitimately open to question, given the circumstances. Rather than explaining or trying to redefine the problem. Israel must objectively deal with it. It is clear that Israel under no circumstances will give the Palestinians a real, independent state. That would be insane. Then Israel must admit as much, rather than saying Israel should negotiate a two-state solution with a partner, who would never agree to the strictures that Israel would require -- particularly as Israel builds new communities in areas the Palestinians feel should be theirs. This is game playing. We expect lies from Muslims. Must we get them also from Israel? Whatever, we think about Obama's betrayal of Israel, it was partially motivated by frustration with the Israeli government's game playing. Yes, Obama was unfair to Israel; but yes, Israel does play games -- not that the Arabs do not, either. Stop the facade. Officially declare the two-state solution dead. Then deciding between a buyout or enfranchisement is the long-term option. Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who wishes he had availed himself more fully of the opportunity to learn Spanish in high school, lo those many decades ago. In his biting article in Commentary on February 1, 1981, Daniel P. Moynihan, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, 1975-76, was critical of his successor, Donald F. McHenry, for not voting against a U.N. Security Council resolution strongly critical of Israel. The United States had "joined the jackals." Moynihan remarked that for the U.S. to abstain on a UNSC resolution concerning Israel was the equivalent of acquiescing in it. Thirty-five years later, with the abstention of the U.S. in allowing UNSC Resolution 2334 to pass, the question must be posed: has the Obama administration in its final days joined the jackals? One of the more difficult questions to answer correctly today is which of the organization of the United Nations is the most damaging and perverse. The U.N. General Assembly in 2016 adopted 19 resolutions critical of Israel and only nine others critical of the rest of the world. The Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted 12 specific resolutions pertaining to Israel. The 2017 membership of UNHRC, which "upholds the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights," includes Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Cuba, Iraq, and Qatar. On December 23, 2016, the Security Council adopted by 14-0 and one abstention (the United States) Resolution 2334, which strongly condemned Israeli settlement construction. Throughout his presidency, Obama has always wanted to "put daylight" between the United States and Israel, a policy approximating that of the lack of empathy of the international left and its continuing animosity toward the Jewish state and the Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama's decision was not only a denial of U.S. policy. It was also intellectually inexplicable why the U.S. president allowed such a biting, one-sided resolution to pass. Obama's action may be attributed to personal pique and animus against both his adversary, Netanyahu, for his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and to the state of Israel. The Wall Street Journal regarded it as an anti-Israeli tantrum. Senator Chuck Schumer said it was like the infamous 1975 resolution that "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination" all over again. Or did U.S. career diplomats influence the president? If so, one of the many tasks of President Trump is to drain the swamp of the U.S. State Department. Even Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., confessed she did not agree with every word in the resolution. As a prelude to her partly disingenuous speech explaining the U.S. abstention, she spoke about the double standard, the different treatment of Israel from all other nations at the U.N. The truth is that resolutions critical of the ongoing savage bombardment of civilians and hospitals by countries other than Israel are in line to be passed but never are. Nevertheless, Power defended the U.S. abstention because the resolution, she said, reflected facts on the ground. She argued that Israeli settlements that are not legal are "accelerating" and must stop. A somewhat more midway position was taken by British P.M. Theresa May, who voted in favor of the resolution because the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal. At the same time, she commented on, and was critical of, the speech on December 28, 2016 of U.S. secretary of state John Kerry for singling out the issue of Israeli settlements. May urged that the way to make peace is not to focus on only one issue, the construction of settlements, in a complex situation. Nor was it appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally, Israel. The people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism with which they have had to cope for too long. The line for support of 2334 stretched around the world. It was introduced by New Zealand and was approved by members including Britain, France, China, Russia, and Japan, while the U.S. abstained. Israel is familiar with U.N. condemnations, but rarely with U.S. abstentions on critical resolutions against it, such as President Jimmy Carter's action in March 1980 regarding Resolution 465. The U.S. has rejected Israel's claim to the Golan Heights and has allowed resolutions that condemn occupation of that area as a violation of international law. But there is a crucial difference between Resolutions 465 and 2334. In 1980, there was no tacit U.S.-Israeli agreement, as there has been, that the U.S. would automatically veto anti-Israeli resolutions relating to issues that will be on the agenda for a peace arrangement. Resolution 2334 in 2016 imposed a solution. Indeed, 2334 goes farther. It states that the establishment of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and is a major obstacle to achievement of a two-state solution. It demands that Israel cease, immediately and completely, all settlement activities in that territory. The UNSC does not recognize any changes to the June 4, 1967 lines, including Jerusalem, other than those agreed to by the parties through negotiations. Logically, since the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall in Jerusalem were captured from the Jordanian occupiers in 1967, the UNSC considers them illegal. Therefore, 2334 does not distinguish between the territory of the state of Israel and other territory. Moreover, 2334 neglects the vital fact that Israel is the only existing legal inheritor of the British Mandate. It was the Palestinian and Arab countries who rejected the partition resolution U.N. General Assembly 181. It was Jordan that held the disputed areas until 1967, and its proclaimed annexation of the territories was recognized only by the U.K. and Pakistan. Resolution 2334 was passed under chapter 6, not chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter and thus cannot be forced on Israel. It does not make law, but is a recommendation. But it is an obstacle to the required objective peaceful negotiations of final status arrangements because it bypasses the necessary negotiating process. It is unhelpful because it is eager to make policy, such as holding that the status quo about Israel-Palestine is not sustainable. The resolution implies that Israel has no claim to any of the territories occupied since 1967. However, it ignores international agreements. The Oslo Accords make no reference to "1967 lines," and so Resolution 2334 prejudges the outcome of any negotiations. Donald Trump has called for moving of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and has indicated some support for settlements. He is aware that Netanyahu has been making friendly relations around the world, most recently with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Acting as a result of the resolution, Netanyahu cut off $8 million in contributions to five U.N. agencies. He ordered Israeli ambassadors in New Zealand and Senegal to return home, cut off all aid programs to Senegal, and canceled the visit of the prime minister of Ukraine. Trump has asserted that things at the U.N. will be different after January 20, 2016. He must ensure that the United States never again join the jackals regarding Israel as on all other matters. Iran, known for its unbridled sectarian meddling in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, is currently facing an unwanted quagmire and dead-end in the Levant. We cannot limit Irans role and its meddling across the Middle East to 2016 alone. There is an ongoing war in the region, resulting from Irans escalating interventions. Irans ultimate objective is to completely restructure the regions entire fabric, pursuing a truly destructive and very dangerous policy in this regard. The war in Syria is one of the pillars of this initiative, also continuing in Iraq and Lebanon. Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, known for his close relations with Tehran, was the byproduct of Irans policies in that country. Iraq under Maliki back in 2010 was oppressing the Sunni community, leading to a major revolt by this vital sector of Mesopotamia. Iraq continues to suffer from such atrocities. Iran sustained its warmongering and expansionist ambitions in lands far away, such as Yemen. This initiative is also facing major difficulties, with Oman -- known for its warm relations with Iran -- recently joining the Saudi-led coalition against the Iran-backed Shiite Houthis in Yemen. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sought to deliver serious blows to Saudi Arabia, using the war in Yemen as the necessary medium. However, Yemen cannot and will not remain the Houthis hostage, and this country will not witness a repeat of the Hizb'allah scenario in Lebanon. The Syria Swamp Syria, despite the heavy Iranian influence, is now becoming a colossal challenge for Tehran. As U.S. President Barack Obama failed to live up to expectations, Russia and Turkey have taken the helm, sidelining Iran as a result. While Syria comprises the backbone of Irans expansionist adventure in the region, one cannot truly claim Tehran has made significant advances. The Aleppo war made it clear Irans aim is to occupy Syria. There is no Assad army in Syria and Iran-backed Shiite militia groups are rampant across the country. By falling to Russias knees to intervene in Syria, Iran accepted the harsh reality of Assad no longer governing what is left of the country. Currently Iran is no longer considered Russias partner in Syria. Moscow has its own interests, not necessarily in line with those of Tehran. The Free Syrian Army, a major wing of the Syrian opposition, suspended its participation in the Astana negotiations in response to continuous military attacks by Iran and Assad against the Wadi Barda region near Damascus. This has prompted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to demand that Iran rein in the Shiite militias and Assad from violating the so-called ceasefire. Turkey is working with Russia on the question of sanctions for those who violate the ceasefire deal, which was brokered by Ankara and Moscow, Reuters reported citing Cavusoglu. This is a vivid show of how Iran has been sidelined in Syria. It is quite obvious that Iran has no intention of allowing a political solution evolve and reach tangible results in Syria. Iran thrives on lasting crises and this is the mullahs very policy to maintain Assad as their puppet in Damascus. Tehran is furious over the fact that Russia and Turkey signed an agreement with a variety of armed Syrian opposition groups, inviting them to the Astana talks. To add insult to injury, Ankara has made demands requiring all foreign forces to withdraw from Syria, before a diplomatic solution is reached or even discussed. Of course, Iran giving in to such demands is highly unlikely after feeling shelved in the wake of the recent Ankara/Moscow initiative. It has, is and always will be in Irans nature a continued desire and need to inflame the entire region in turmoil. This is a vital lifeline for Iran. Following close to six years of disastrous warfare, nearly half a million innocent Syrians killed and more than 11 million displaced, it is high time to reach a final and lasting solution. The regime in Tehran is the source of crisis in the region and killings in Syria; it has played the greatest role in the expansion and continuation of ISIS. Peace and tranquility in the region can only be achieved by evicting this regime from the region, said Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the main NCRI member, has played a pivotal role in alerting the global community of Irans human rights violations, terrorism, and meddling across the region, and the mullahs clandestine nuclear weapons drive. These revelations have further plunged Iran into its current crises. After decades of appeasement by the West have proven a dismal failure, Tehran must be approached by a determined and firm international community. Two graduate students and two undergraduates recalled personally experiencing the July 15, 2016 coup attempt against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government at a December 7, 2016, Georgetown University panel, before a youthful audience of about fifty. As crews from Turkeys TRT Haber television network and Anadolu Agency (AA) filmed/recorded, the panelists praised the coups popular foiling as a democratic victory, irrespective of Erdogans dangerous Islamist policies. Such willful blindness mirrors that of other American-educated Middle East studies scholars whose actions and pronouncements lend a veneer of legitimacy to Erdogans dictatorial policies, including mass purges and arrests of academics and teachers throughout Turkey. Erdogans personal spokesman is Ibrahim Kalin, a George Washington University Ph.D. who serves as a senior fellow at Georgetowns Saudi-funded Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He joined Juan Cole of Michigan, Cemil Aydin of UNC Chapel Hill (Harvard Ph.D.) at an October 2016 conference in Istanbul even as innocent educators languished in prison or faced academic ruin. Islamism certainly colored the experiences of the panels two graduate students, Harvard University Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations doctoral student Rushain Abbasi and his wife Safia Latif, who were in Istanbul during the attempted coup. Abbasi is a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB)-affiliated Muslim Students Association and a former teacher at the Boston Islamic Seminary, an affiliate of another MB group, the Muslim American Society. His previous writing stereotypically attributed Islamist violence to the histories of colonialism, imperialism, and economic exploitation that still plague the non-Western world, maintaining, [i]t is not the texts of Islam . . . that are in need of reform. Latif, a Boston University doctoral student in religious studies who earned an M.A. in Middle East studies from the University of Texas, was like-minded. She previously participated in a conference chaired by the notorious Islamist and UC-Berkeley lecturer Hatem Bazian at Californias Zaytuna College. Having witnessed Egyptians in 2013 overthrowing the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of President Mohamed Morsi, she despaired of the same thing happening in Turkey. To see another democratically elected government with an ostensible Islamist president fall was almost too much to bear. My first reaction was a religious one; I took to the prayer mat and I began praying for the Turkish people. Latif blasted the shameful Western reactions to the coup, such as media reports of its popular support and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeting that Turks are taking their country back! She complained that after the coup, a lot of the media focus was on political grievances against Erdogan, him consolidating [sic] power, [and] his authoritarian, totalitarian, dictatorial nature, all of which are, in fact, critical concerns under Erdogans Islamist rule. Instead, she blamed the West, claiming that it doesnt support democracy and freedom overseas, especially when Islamists are in power, as it seems to threaten the universality of the West and its political hegemony. Abbasi agreed: If the coup was successful, we would be very happy in America. In contrast to reporting on coup casualties, all the headlines the next day I had seen were about freedom of speech and Erdogan. What are we talking about? he asked, implying that free speech is trivial. His comments about the American-based Turkish Muslim leader Fethullah Gulen, who is widely considered (albeit without any evidence) in Turkey and among the panelists as the coup instigator, were intriguing. Many of his friends became religious through the Gulen movement, but left after having realized the cult nature of the group and the hidden motivation, essentially setting up a parallel state, which was displayed on that night of the coup. The Gulen movement has a nice veneer to it, but there is very kind of dark underside to a lot of it, in the same way that so many colonial regimes set up schools, he said, referring to the movements worldwide private school network. Unanimously expressing relief at the coups failure, the panelists showed a misplaced optimism in Turkeys future under Erdogan, whose threats to democracy remained unmentioned. Latif gushed about seeing Turks defeat the coup across the entire political and religious spectrum without the slightest indication of dissent from or dissatisfaction with Erdogan. Likewise, after the coup Abbasi emailed to his friends worldwide that we are essentially going out every night and partying with Turks amid a huge sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. Social media reports demonstrated to him that every single person was inspired that night in other Muslim countries, although its unclear whether a supposed victory for liberty or for Erdogans Islamism was the inspiration. The Georgetown panel, sponsored by the universitys Turkish student organization, marked another chapter in the hagiographic apologetics for Erdogans Islamism prevalent in American Middle East studies. Hypercritical of the Wests established democracies but indifferent about majority-Muslim countries like Turkey rapidly losing any remaining vestiges of democracy, the panelists exposed their pious confidence in Islamism. They were oblivious to why some informed observers, including Middle East Forum President Daniel Pipes, rooted for the coup. Abbasi described his visit to a mosque the morning following the rebellion. The salawat, the prayers of the prophet, were being sent out from all the mosques, and it was a very inspiring feeling. Yet any attempt to combine the panelists faith with freedom in countries like Turkey, Egypt, and Abbasis native Pakistan will require critical self-reflection, not disdain for the West and its freedoms. Andrew E. Harrod is a freelance researcher and writer who holds a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School. He is a fellow with the Lawfare Project. Follow him on Twitter at @AEHarrod. This essay was sponsored by Campus Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum. Upon hearing that four blacks kidnapped and tortured a disabled white man, I wanted to say to the left (Democrats, mainstream media, Hollywood, and Black Lives Matter), Mission accomplished. The four pieces of pond-scum forced their white hostage to say f*** Trump and f*** white people. Folks, make no mistake about it. While some on the left claim to be upset, this is exactly the hate and violence they hope to generate throughout Trump's entire presidency. A farmer does not plant corn and then act surprised when stalks of corn begin to grow. The left has been planting seeds of racial hate and division ever since white America elected Obama. Why? Because the left needed to be able to scream racism whenever anyone opposed Obama (their Trojan Horse) implementing their far-left-radical socialist/progressive agenda. Leftist billionaire George Soros gave Black Lives Matter $33 million to wreak havoc in our streets; sowing seeds of racial paranoia, fear, and hate. The leftist Ford Foundation pledged $100 million to Black Lives Matter to sow lies about cops and whites. And what did BLM do? BLM declared it open season on killing cops and white people. Leftist Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino planted hate in blacks at an anti-cop rally calling cops murderers of blacks. Obama irrigated fields of discord planted by the New Black Panther Party when his DOJ allowed the hate group to illegally offer a $10k bounty for George Zimmerman. Despite evidence confirming that Michael Brown was shot while attacking a police officer, Leftist media relentlessly nurtured the lie that the black youth was shot while surrendering with his hands up, yelling, Don't shoot. The Democrat Party doubled down using their white-cop-murdered-Brown-lie as fertilizer to feed their seeds of hate planted in the minds of black Americans. The Democrats despicably invited Brown's mom to speak at their national convention. As a decent human being, you are probably asking, Lloyd, why would Democrats sow lies to grow racial hate in black Americans? Answer: the more the left can get blacks hating and fearing cops and whites, the more blacks will vote for Democrats. The more Democrats in government, the more the left can force its wacko agenda on Americans. When voters blew the Left's mind by selecting Trump over Hillary, the Left tripled down on their sowing seeds of hate and fear, fertilizing their seeds with foul-smelling lies. Upon Trump winning the WH, the left immediately hired Trump protesters to riot, paying them $1500 per week. How could the left relentlessly sow seeds of fear and hate 24/7 and not expect a harvest of attacks on innocent whites and assassinations of police? Do not be fooled, folks. The left is ecstatic that they are reaping exactly what they planted; black rage and violence against cops, whites, Trump, his voters, and America. Will this horrific incident of blacks torturing a disabled white man cause the left to abandon lying, sowing seeds of hate, fear, and violence? Quite the opposite. The left is fast and furiously seeking new ways to broadcast their seeds of destruction to greater audiences. This is the satanic evil we are dealing with folks. All one needs to know about the left is that implementing their socialist/progressive, anti-God, anti-America, and anti-traditional-values agenda trumps everything. National security, national race relations and American lives are deemed acceptable collateral damage. Meanwhile, these evil people receive high marks for compassion. The reality is leftists have no regard for individuals, viewing them as mere pawns for furthering their agenda. Leftists stomp the life out of anyone preventing them from shoving their evil agenda down the throats of the masses. Now is the time to call out the left and defeat them. Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American http://www.lloydmarcus.com/ President Barack Obama is wrapping things up at the White House, and he naturally wants to cram-in last minute achievements, leave his mark, and ensure a policy legacy. All presidents do that, but President Obama is making some terrible errors in focus and time management, because one cannot rectify eight years of over-reach, under-reach or missed chances in a matter of days or hours. Mr. Obama has a sharp pen, but he has to be careful not to stick himself -- and the country -- in the rear. That last pen-poke may be the most lasting part of his legacy. That is why it is a huge mistake to try to make major changes in the following areas: Re-setting relations with Russia, again, but this time to a kind of Cold War footing, rather than the moderate and flexible posture that in truth he, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry pursued futilely for nearly eight years; Trying to re-set the foundations of Americas ties with Israel and the entire international communitys approach to Arab-Israeli peace, rejecting the flexible formula of defensible borders and land-for-peace of UN Resolution 242 of 1967 and moving to an imposed solution of total Israeli withdrawal in 2017; Trying to build-in last-minute edicts to protect hastily conceived environmental edicts and sloppy health-care legislation; Releasing or re-settling dangerous terrorists from Guantanamo Base to sites inside the continental US; Re-settling hundreds of Syrian refugees -- most of them young Muslim males, not children, women or Christian victims -- inside the United States without any careful review of their background. For once, Mr. Obama needs to be honest with himself. These areas just mentioned are not areas of success. No amount of spinning will change the fact that Obama failed on Russia, failed on cyber-security, failed to impose total withdrawal on Israel. Obama worked hard to placate Russias Vladimir Putin. Everyone heard him promise Putin and his puppet Dimitri Medvedev (over an open microphone) that he would be more flexible after the 2012 election. This was Barack Obama, not Donald Trump, not Julian Assange. There are many witnesses to Obamas flexibility -- buried in the Ukraine and in Syria, where Obama let Putin do what he wanted. Now, in the final hours of his presidency, Obama wants everyone to import refugees, instability and potential terror from Syria. Obama thought he was the smartest guy in the world when it came to dealing with Muslims and the Middle East. He invited the Muslim Brotherhood, hugged Turkeys Islamist autocrat Recep Erdogan, befriended Irans ayatollahs and the corrupt PLO. They all became more extreme. The PLO will not even talk to Israel without having preconditions met -- a reversal of 20 years of talks, and there are now more journalists in jail in Turkey than ever before (more jailed journalists than anywhere else in the world). Obamas removal of Iran sanctions, his passivity to Iranian provocations, and his attacks on Israel, encouraged the Iranians to persecute Iranian dissidents, to kidnap more Americans, to harass US ships in the Persian Gulf area. When the real US-Iran deal was revealed -- including paying Iran almost two billion in un-marked bills -- Obama tried to change the story line. It was a fantastic deal, he said. The Israeli Prime Minister was blind, extreme. The ayatollahs were moderate realists. So, after so many failed lies, so many treacherous talking points, will another Obama speech tour or late diplomatic flurry change the real results of eight years at this hour? Ultimately, what defeated Obama-Clinton was not any Republican. It was Obamas own arrogance -- not the audacity of hope but the audacity of hype. It was Obamas hubris, his chutzpah and the same inattention to details that made him a bad student at Columbia who spent his whole time failing but somehow graduating to the next level. Obama-Clinton Kerry did not do the homework, and Obama cannot hide his grades this time because the work -- for better or worse -- is either done or not done. So what can Obama realistically do with his last hours in office -- something that will leave a nice shine on his years? Lets revisit January 2009. Barack Obamas promise -- in words and potential -- was being a young man of color bringing hope and change. He was meant to be a symbol for a post-racial society, a post-partisan society, but it was Obamas biggest broken promise. Obamas years will be seen as the time partisanship grew and racial tensions rose again. But there is a last-minute chance to use Obamas symbolic presidency to do something good and noble. A few days ago a group of African-American youths in Chicago attacked and tortured a young, mentally crippled white man for several hours. They broadcast their actions. Chicago is Obamas home town, and the African-American community there is his turf. That is where he began as a community organizer. This is Obamas chance to step up and to condemn anti-White as well as anti-Black actions and rhetoric -- to show that all men are created equal, that all lives matter. President Obama should find the assaulted young white man, visit him or bring him to the White House in one of his final acts. Then, Mr. Obama, embrace him, please. America will have a fonder memory of you. Michael Widlanski is the author of Battle for Our Minds: Western Elites and the Terror Threat. Earlier this week, President Obama transferred four Guantanamo detainees to Saudi Arabia. That leaves 55 hardened terrorists incarcerated at Camp Delta. But before he leaves office, the president is planning to transfer up to 22 more prisoners to various countries, despite the fact that the review board set up to determine which prisoners can safely be released says that many of those remaining terrorists have promised to return to jihad. The four detainees transferred to Saudi Arabia will undergo "rehabilitation" therapy at a facility the Kingdom says has had great success in "deprogramming" violent terrorists. Breitbart: In recent weeks, the number of detainees who are expected to be set free by the end of Obamas tenure on January 20 has varied by news agencies from 17 to 19. Earlier this week, the White House responded to incoming President Donald Trumps urging to stop transferring prisoners out of Guantanamo, saying it plans to liberate more detainees before Obama leaves office. The Obama administration reportedly told Congress last month that the sitting president would reduce the population of Guantanamo, also known as Gitmo, by 19 to 40 detainees. Now, the Daily Mail reports: President Obama is planning to transfer at least 22 additional Guantanamo Bay detainees out of the military detention center before he leaves office later this month, DailyMail.com has learned. The group being released will be drawn from those held at Guantanamo who include an accused senior al Qaeda bomb-maker, the terror groups top financial manager, and two intended 9/11 hijackers, who have all been held in the Cuba-based U.S. detention facility for more than a decade. Of the 59 prisoners still held at Gitmo, 22 have been cleared for release by Obamas multi-agency parole-style board known as the Periodic Review Board (PRB) and nearly half (27) are considered forever prisoners, or too dangerous to release. However, the PRB has made the decision to liberate prisoners who had already been designated too dangerous to release, which means the forever prisoner designation has not prevented the Obama administration from transferring out detainees. According to the Miami Herald, the remaining 10 prisoners are still undergoing war crimes proceedings at military commissions, including six who are facing death penalty tribunals. The Daily Mail reports: The list of recommended for transfer prisoners includes a number of top al Qaeda operatives and commanders [] Some of the recommended transfers have also vowed to return to jihad if they are ever released, according to reports from US military officials. They have also threatened to assassinate the U.S. president, kill American citizens, and attack other world leaders who are allied with the West. This is what happens when national security is pushed aside in favor of a political agenda. President Obama promised to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, and he is willing to sacrifice American lives to fulfill that pledge. As for the Saudi "deprogramming" facility, the Middle East Institute's study of the program found that it "has proven unable to rehabilitate the most radical and dangerous militants. Furthermore, the program's utility as a model for other nations is limited by its reliance on Saudi-specific factors." The recidivism rate of Gitmo detainees returning to the fight is close to 30%. That's nearly one in three terrorists a low number, considering how dangerous the remaining prisoners are considered to be. President-Elect Trump opposes any more releases from Gitmo, but he is helpless until January 20. Trump will be left to deal with any potential fallout from Obama's release of people who want to kill Americans. A law that would impose a mandatory minimum five-year jail sentence for illegal aliens who re-enter the country after being deported has been reintroduced in the 115th Congress. Known as "Kate's Law," after a San Francisco woman. Kate Steinle, who was murdered by an illegal alien who had been deported several times, the bill was passed by the House last year but died in the Senate. Washington Times: Parents should never experience the heartbreak of burying their child, but the Obama administrations commitment to lawless immigration policy has made that tragedy the new normal, said Mr. King, Iowa Republican. In his push for amnesty for criminals, the president ignored the price paid by victims the price paid by Kate Steinle as she died in her fathers arms on San Franciscos waterfront, he said. Kates beautiful life was taken from her on July 1, 2015, when she was shot in the back by an illegal alien who had previously been deported five times and was seeking refuge in a so-called sanctuary city. The bill was originally introduced in 2015 by Mr. Cruz in the Senate and by former Rep. Matt Salmon in the House. Mr. Salmon, Arizona Republican, retired at the end of the last Congress. Mr. Cruz said the American people had given Congress and the incoming administration a mandate to reverse the dangerous course set under the Obama Administration that has encouraged illegal immigration and enabled lawbreakers to escape prosecution. Kates Law is crucial to ensure that deported illegal aliens, especially those with violent criminal records, are deterred from illegally re-entering the United States to prey on innocent Americans, the Texas Republican said. I look forward to working with my colleagues and President-elect Trump to once and for all prevent cities from harboring illegal aliens, enforce federal immigration laws, and ensure the safety and security of the American people. During the presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump championed the Steinle family and the parents of other victims of illegal immigrant crime. Steinles name was included in a list of victims cited by Mr. Trump in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Of all my travels in this country, nothing has affected me more, nothing even close I have to tell you, than the time I have spent with the mothers and fathers who have lost their children to violence spilling across our borders, which we can solve. We have to solve it, Mr. Trump said in the speech. Mr. King said it was a disgrace that tougher laws havent been enacted in the year and a half since the murder of Steinle. Steinle's story is a horror story told far too often in America. There have been numerous cases of illegal aliens who have been repeatedly deported only to return and commit horrific crimes, including rape, drunk driving, and murder. Kate's law would remove excuses made by sanctuary cities that they can't detain illegal aliens at the federal government's request, even if they are charged with a serious crime. While the bill will almost certainly pass the House, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Unless Republicans can find eight Senate Democrats willing to stand up and be counted as supporters of Kate Steinle, the bill is likely to once again go down to defeat. Two months ago, the president was faced with the reality that his legacy was rejected at the polls. He had expected Hillary Clinton to win the national election and continue his policies. Instead, Donald Trump utilized a successful strategy to win the Electoral College, bypassing the effort to secure the popular vote. Trump thus demonstrated his political talents and showed that his business acumen is transferrable to wider issues. We will see how well he and his amazing team will be able to reset the national priorities. Initially, Obama recognized that Clinton was beaten fairly and that she had failed to provide any rationale for her election other than that she is a woman who would continue the Obama policies. He blamed her loss on lack of effort to reach certain communities she took for granted. He noted that he would have been more vigorous in the campaign. But with time, he has shifted his argument for Clinton's loss to the difficulty of a female breaking through and implied that the Russian penetration of DNC computers was critical to undermining her victory. Obama has decided to erect roadblocks for Trump and alter longstanding relationships with allies such as Israel as a result of the Clinton loss. Yesterday, Trump was given the secret final report from the intelligence community regarding the Russian attempts to influence our electoral process. He noted that the report was given to NBC before he was briefed. This clearly demonstrates the fault lines within the agencies that border on the political. Trump has recognized the need to generate a plan to deal with computer vulnerability within 90 days in office. Hopefully, this will be the end of this discussion, but Obama and the press will likely push more on this issue. The president did not seem exercised when in 2015 the intelligence community recognized the Chinese penetration of records at the Office of Personnel Management. Clearly, this did not upset the Obama agenda. There was no political gain in retaliation against the Chinese, but for the narcissist-in-chief, the Russians offer a rationale for the Clinton loss aside from Obama failed policies. The White House has effected several new executive orders and regulations in the environmental field to delay any changes Trump might contemplate. These include oil fields in Alaska. This also hurts the economy, another Obama policy of slow economic growth; thus, Obama leaves another roadblock for Trump. The American abstention at the U.N. was aimed not at Benjamin Netanyahu (though he is disliked by Obama), but at Israel directly and Jews indirectly. This international law would prevent Jewish homesteading in the Old City of Jerusalem (East). The result is to prevent prayer at the Western Wall for Jews, an anti-Semitic action. Obama, finally unleashed (or unchained, per V.P. Joe Biden), could punish Israel and let Secretary of State John Kerry rail against the longtime ally in favor of the PLO and Hamas. These actions make sense in context of the philosophical orientation of a Marxist construct. The Israelis have a stronger military than the hundreds of millions Muslim neighbors. They have a growing economy constituting less than 2% of the territory of the Middle East, while the bulk of the population is mired in poverty. Israel is the most democratic country in the region, providing the most equal protections for women and minorities in the area. But it represents Western values anathema to Marxists. The left opposes the capitalists of Wall Street and Main Street. Bill O'Reilly recently allowed Cornel West and Carl Dix to describe their fears of Trump. The litany of characters they support remind one of the Obama administration's preferences in national conflicts. Finally, Valerie Jarrett provided CNN clear evidence of this orientation by lying about the Obama ethical lapses. It is a brave new world. Fortunately, Trump will begin the reversal process. A painting depicting a police officer as a wild boar shooting a black man has hung in the hall of the U.S. Capitol building since the summer, causing outrage among police organizations across the country. Several police groups urged Speaker Paul Ryan to remove the offensive painting, which won an art competition in the district of St. Louis congressman Lacy Clay. Yesterday, Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Marine veteran, unscrewed the painting from the wall and removed it, returning it to Rep. Clay's office. Politico: I took it down when I walked by and gave it back to Lacy, Hunter told POLITICO. Asked about blowback from Clay, the Congressional Black Caucus or Democrats, he scoffed: Blowback from what? Taking a down a painting that depicts policemen as pigs? No, Im not. Clay plans to rehang the painting in the Cannon tunnel on Tuesday. His office circulated a note to CBC members Friday afternoon urging them to join him "in supporting artistic expression and decorum and against censorship." "The U.S. Capitol features several pieces from American history that CBC members may find objectionable- art and figures reflecting segregationist, traitors, and slave owners," Yvette Cravins, Clay's chief of staff, said in an email sent to CBC offices and obtained by POLITICO. "Rep. Clay has always respected the right of expression and freedom of speech. Therefore, he will not tolerate the removal of a painting from the First Congressional District of Missouris art contest due to a Members personal objections," Cravins added. The topic had surfaced in a closed-door GOP conference meeting on Friday. Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and David Reichert (R-Wash.), a former cop, talked about how disrespectful it was to men and women who served in uniform, Hunter told POLITICO in a short phone interview when asked about the matter. The acrylic painting on canvas, created by David Pulphus, shows police officers in uniform holding up guns at black men. One has the face of a boar; another what looks like the face of a horse. The black man being aimed at appears to have the face of a wolf, while onlooking pedestrians in the background hold up signs that read stop kill, history and racism kills. Does anyone believe that the representation of a cop featuring a boars head isnt meant to depict cops as pigs? It's one thing to hang paintings depicting slave owners. That's history and is in keeping with an accurate portrayal of America. But a painting that is clearly meant to incite and offend has no place in the U.S. Capitol building. Clay can move the painting to a parking garage, and it would still offend. Hunter should be commended for taking matters into his own hands. While the rest of the GOP House members were wringing their hands, not wanting to offend the Black Caucus, Hunter did what should have been done in the first place. Trump derangement escalated among the Democrat Senate and House minority leaders on January 4 as Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi bewailed that Republican strategies to replace Obamacare "will make America sick again"! How dare Republicans attempt to repair the gaping wounds in our health care system inflicted by government invasive species? This reminds us of when President George W. Bush was blocked by the Dems from attempting crucial and very belated repairs to the Social Security system. How will this scorched-earth sour-grape whining revive rapidly declining Democrat support or contribute to bipartisan solutions? Statements such as calling half of the Trump supporters "racist irredeemable deplorables" contributed to their unparalleled presidential, congressional, and state government election defeats in November, with a 2018 Democrat election earthquake on the horizon. They continue their Harry Reid stonewalling of any legislation that would help restore liberty, justice, and fiscal health. Since Trump's election, the Democrat leaders have been complaining about our major crises as if Republicans controlled the presidency for the last eight years, or as if Trump were already in office! Democrats deflect and project their failings instead of owning any blame because taking personal moral responsibility is absent from their collectivist definition of liberty. Progressives are unwilling to admit why the tide is turning against them. Surely the Obamacare disaster would convince statist liberals that drastic government incursion into health care or into any arena beyond their constitutional responsibility could never succeed. How could they be willing to violate America's founding principles by extorting payment for the extensive medical expenses of the older population from the young? Why is that younger population prevented from buying inexpensive and simple catastrophic medical insurance? Why are conscientiously healthy insurees coerced into subsidizing the extensive health care interventions which flagrantly unhealthy people always require? Why did Jonathan Gruber admit that Obamacare's passage depended upon the "stupidity of the American voter"? The freedom-loving commonsense Americans who have finally upturned the political status quo know the answers. Tweeting directly to every American who has subscribed to Trump's Twitter account has our progressive brethren in hysteria because the political and main media cabal is finally being undermined. Wait for an upsurge in liberal elite apoplexy when Trump continues to tweet after taking office. I wonder if SNL, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon have the courage to portray the hilarious, over-the-top outrage against a president-elect who dares to bypass both the leftist media and the dinosaur political establishment. It is poetic that not one Republican voted for Obamacare, which was illegally and unconstitutionally passed, unexamined, in the dead of night. Health care insurance and medical services will be restored to free-market principles and individual choice two foundations of liberty we implore Democrats to embrace. Send your comments to Jeff Hogan at deltanorthfork@gmail.com. There are too many criminals in our country. If there's one job Americans will do, it seems to be commiting crimes. I don't understand why there is protest against vetting aliens who want to come to this country to make sure they are not criminals. I don't understand why sanctuary cities refuse to allow the deportation of aliens who have committed crimes. Cheap labor is one thing, but good or bad, it shouldn't apply to the commission of crimes. We have our own domestic criminals. We don't need to import more. Not all illegals intend to lead lives of crime aside from breaking immigration law. Some come in hopes of higher wages and more comfortable living situations, some for free stuff. Either goal deprives citizens of those opportunities. If a country does not put the welfare of its citizens first, there is no reason to be a citizen. So you won't be deported? Even non-citizens are generally not deported, and re-entry is very easy. So you can vote? Illegal aliens sometimes do vote, and citizens often do not. Open borders advocates don't even seem interested in keeping out the sick. Swine flu is not the only adverse health condition that originated elsewhere and was brought here. They are willing to risk the lives of everyone in the country to feed their feelings of moral superiority. And for the most part, they won't be mingling with these carriers of tuberculosis and other diseases; we will. I'm not the only one to suggest that those who support open borders should personally share their homes with the people they want to bring in. Let them deal with people who have different hygiene practices and attitudes toward morality, religion, and law. Let the reality of actual aliens mug them and their illusions of noble poor refugees yearning to be free. Let them experience an epiphany that these would-be immigrants view "living free" as "living at the expense of others." Eight years of supine purported enforcement of immigration law has eradicated my last vestige of tolerance for these criminals. Close the border, and send the trespassers back via whatever path got them here. Let their families go with them or agree to be separated. When our country was sparsely settled and labor-intensive industries were getting off the ground, healthy immigrants were useful and still had to meet certain standards before they were allowed in. We have watched manufacturing go to other countries and our population grow beyond what the labor market can support. We don't need more people. You think one of them might have a brilliant idea we'd miss out on? Fine let them enrich their countries of origin. We have a great deal more than most places, including ideas. Let's fund people who pledge allegiance to our country, not foreigners who want to tear us down. Party's over, illegals. Time to go. Like most readers, I was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton until I fell for the propaganda coming out of Russia that convinced me to switch my support to Donald Trump. It was the steady stream of false news from Russia that fooled me into switching my vote, and I suspect that it was the same for a lot of people. Below are some of the most widely distributed false stories peddled by Russia, either anti-Hillary or pro-Trump, that I suspect moved the most votes: 1) Hillary planned to paint the White House pink and to strap thousands of sanitary pads around the marble pillars at the front entrance, creating enormous phallic cotton swabs as a tribute to femininity nationwide. 2) Hillary planned to increase taxes on men by 56%. 3) Hillary planned to make a peace deal with ISIS and even to hire some of its members to work in the civil rights division of the Justice Department. 4) Hillary's slogan "I'm with her" was actually a secret reference to Huma Abedin and Hillary's future divorce plans. 5) Hillary Clinton planned to move our embassy out of Israel and into the Upper West Side of Manhattan, "clearly uncontested territory." 6) Hillary Clinton is actually Michelle Obama in whiteface. 7) Hillary had Huma Abedin liquidate Antonin Scalia, posing as room service, using her poison ring injector. 8) Hillary planned to legalize all aliens in the country, as well as the entire populations of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Yemen, to give Democrats a decisive voting advantage in future elections. 9) Hillary planned to declare herself empress, abolish the House of Representatives, and replace the Senate with an Imperial Senate answerable only to her. 10) After the election, Hillary planned to formally switch genders. She had already selected the name "Ralph." 11) As president, Donald Trump planned to have the U.S. Navy sink all container ships from China until they play fair. 12) As president, Donald Trump not only plans to stop Muslim immigration, but also plans put into place a special tax on hijabs and burkas. Not only will Trump stop Muslim immigration, but he will make Islamists pay for it. 13) In front of Trump's border wall, as a further deterrent, he plans to release packs of hungry dogs who have been purposefully starved for days. 14) Under Trump's plan, big business leaders who ship jobs out of the country will themselves be deported to Syrian refugee camps in Germany and France. So what Russian hacking or propaganda convinced you to vote against Hillary? Let us know in the comments section! Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com. Yes, this is satire. On rare occasions, a thrift store or a pawnshop can yield items of extreme value, but these are hardly the places you can expect to bump into the museum director of the Louvre or the Metropolitan. But Michael Frank is the head of a museum of a different breed, and a thrift store or a flea market is exactly the sort of place he would visit whenever he wants to enrich the museum's collection. Frank works for the Museum of Bad Art, the only museum in the world dedicated to bringing the worst of art to the widest of audiences. The museum has three galleries in Brookline, Somerville and South Weymouth, all in the Boston area, where up to seventy pieces of atrocious artwork are displayed at a time, although the museum's actual collection numbers about 600 pieces. Charlie and Sheba, a painting at the Museum of Bad Art, where art is too bad to be ignored. The Museum of Bad Art, or MOBA, began its journey more than twenty years ago in 1994, when antique dealer Scott Wilson spotted a painting in the trash the iconic Lucy in the Field with Flowers and showed it to his friends, who then suggested he start a collection. Wilson acquired a few more equally terrible pieces and began to hold receptions at his friends home. For a year, these exhibitions were well attended prompting him to move his collection to a ramshackle basement of a community theater in Dedham, Massachusetts. When the building got sold, he found a permanent home in the Somerville movie theater, conveniently located just outside the mens room, where the constant sound of flushing toilet and the smell carry to the collection and helps create a convivial atmosphere appropriate for a museum dedicated to preserving the best of the bad. Later, two additional branch galleries were opened in Brookline and South Weymouth, near Boston. The museum acquires its collection from thrift shops, flea markets, garage sales, and trash barrels. Often, artists themselves will make a donation. All submission to the museum must pass through a rigorous review process. No children artworks are allowed, or art traditionally perceived as lesser in quality, such as black velvet paintings, paint-by-numbers, kitsch, or factory-made tourist pieces. "What we look for are pieces of work that are produced in an attempt to make some sort of artistic statement but clearly something has gone wrong," says Michael Frank. "There has to be something about it that makes you stop, and very often wonder why the artist continued down the path to produce what he or she did." Or, as honorary curator Ollie Hallowell puts, the art must have "that 'Oh my God' quality." "Nine out of ten pieces don't get in because they're not bad enough, said co-founder Marie Jackson. What an artist considers to be bad doesn't always meet our low standards. Here are some samples. You can browse their entire collection online. Lucy in the Field with Flowers, the first painting that inspired the creation of the museum. Sources: www.museumofbadart.org / Vice / NPR / Wikipedia At CES 2017, we go hands on with the Huawei Mate 9, the companys latest smartphone that they are bringing to the US. And the first Huawei-branded flagship smartphone in quite some time. While the company did announce the device back in November at an event in Munich, Germany, they had not released it in the US yet. But that has now changed as the Huawei Mate 9 is now available to buy. We are already fairly familiar with the Huawei Mate 9, having reviewed it last year, and with the US release, its mostly just more of the same. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, seeing as the Huawei Mate 9 is already pretty beastly. When talking about specs, the Huawei Mate 9 features a 5.9-inch 1080p resolution display. Its powered by Huaweis own HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor (which is an octa-core setup: quad-core 2.4GHz Cortex-A73 and quad-core 1.8GHz Cortex-A53), along with 4GB of RAM. There is 64GB of storage included in the Mate 9, and it does have a microSD card slot so you are able to expand the storage with up to 256GB of additional space. There is a pretty massive 4,000 mAh battery inside the Mate 9, which is non-removable, but it should last you the majority of your working day as it did for us during our review of the device. The Huawei Mate 9 does use a dual-camera setup, and it is a Leica-branded camera once again. There is a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor and then a 12-megapixel RGB sensor, which are fused together to create some pretty incredible images. It also creates some great looking bokeh effects, which most other smartphones are unable to do, without adding in a bit of noise. The Huawei Mate line has always been known for having a big screen and a big battery, and that is exactly what the Chinese firm has done with the Mate 9 this time around. And its coming into the US at pretty much the perfect time, with the Galaxy Note 7 leaving a huge gap in the phablet market. You can check out our hands on with the Huawei Mate 9 from CES 2017 in the gallery below. Or head straight through the links to order the Huawei Mate 9. The Google app may soon add keyboard support to Google Assistant. As it currently stands, Google Assistant outside of the Allo application requires voice interaction, whereas Google Assistant inside of Allo lets the user type commands, queries and more and Google Assistant will respond back accordingly. The latest version of the Google App Beta contains details that suggest Google may be looking to introduce keyboard support for the Google Assistant core feature so that users can type everything out to interact with it instead of having to speak. While there is no clear indication right now of when Google might introduce this function, a new keyboard icon found within the APK for the Google app beta version 6.1 for the Google Assistant popup points to a possibly near future inclusion of an ability to type interactions. This ability might make using Google Assistant more commonplace for those who dont care to speak to the digital assistant. In addition to this potential feature, it also looks like Google Assistant for Android Wear might be on the way, as strings of code found in the latest beta APK make references to the Google Assistant settings screen on Android Wear. Google Assistant on Android Wear has been speculated on before but this suggests Google is continuing to work on it, and with Android Wear 2.0s launch having been pushed back to 2017 instead of launching last year, its possible that it could be ready in time for the new version of software. Since the Google app is also for Search and not just an interface for getting access to your personalized Google Now-related content, it makes sense that Google might want to make it as easy as possible to get to Search from just about anywhere. In this latest Google app beta APK, strings of code make reference to search gestures which could point to the possibility of being able to quickly access Search through a shortcut by performing a gesture on the home screen. Whether or not this is exactly what Google has planned for search gestures is unclear, but it seems logical to have it implemented for those who have devices where the Google app isnt readily available via a swipe to the right, i.e. on devices which dont have the Google or Pixel launchers installed and dont have search widgets on the home screen. If youre using the Google app beta and havent gotten the latest update, you can pick up the APK from the button down below. Samsung happens to be the number one smartphone manufacturer in the world, and it has been dominating the industry for many years, with its only major competitor being Apple, for the most part of the decade. However, in recent years, many smartphone manufacturers have been emerging, especially companies from China, such as Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi, OnePlus and Lenovo. These Chinese manufacturers have been flooding emerging markets such as India, and other Asian countries, and the population has swung in favor of Chinese smartphones due to the fact that they are affordable and come feature packed, considering the price point of most Chinese smartphones. In India, Samsung remains the top smartphone vendor in the country, but its market share has been declining over the years. According to research company Counterpoint, back in 2015, Samsung accounted for 30 percent of Indias smartphone market in terms of shares, but that figure has dropped significantly to just 21 percent in November 2016. On the other hand, Chinese smartphone vendors commanded a 50 percent share of the Indian smartphone market collectively in the same month, making it the biggest share ever taken out of Indias $10 billion smartphone market. This represents a rapid increase from the initial 19 percent these Chinese companies held just over a year ago. When Chinese brands first emerged, they were associated with low quality handsets which could fail anytime, but that has now changed, and most Chinese brands produce quality and premium smartphones at lower prices along with innovative features like batteries with bigger capacities, and selfie cameras with a flash. Chinese manufacturers have also been able to capture the Indian market by running sponsorship campaigns as well as getting endorsements from popular local celebrities. Counterpoint also mentions that in the $120 to $440 mid-range smartphone segment, Chinese manufacturers have managed to pull away from Samsung and have now doubled their market share to 68 percent. This is all while Samsungs has seen a 14% dip in their own market share for the same region since November of 2015. However, the South Korean brand is not the only manufacturer losing market ground to Chinese manufacturers, as Indian manufacturers are feeling the heat too. Indian brands such as Micromax, Lava and Karbon now hold less than 20 percent of the market collectively, compared to the 40 percent they held over a year ago. If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both In the United States, we believe that worthy people lift themselves up by their bootstraps. This is our idea of freedom. What it means in practice is that every individual is supposed to understand finance so well that they can effectively manage their own retirement funds. And every individual is expected to understand their health risks well enough to make their own decisions about insurance. To take away the power of individuals to control their own destiny is viewed as anti-American by so much of this country. You are your own master. Children are indoctrinated into this cultural logic early, even as their parents restrict their mobility and limit their access to social situations. But when it comes to information, they are taught that they are the sole proprietors of knowledge. All they have to do is do the research for themselves and they will know better than anyone what is real. Chilean Navy Release Groundbreaking Footage Of Flat & Elongated UFO After Two Years Of Investigation ******************************************************* Chile Navy Release 10 Min of UFO Footage In Infrared, Gov Calls It 100% Real, 3 Videos, UFO Sighting Daily. Here are the three videos of the Space Craft https://youtu.be/NkUTGpegZN0 https://youtu.be/gOLpeBp9m1Y https://youtu.be/_Csb4_lx040 ******************************************************* The Chilean Navy has declassified footage of a UFO that theyve been studying for two years. The footage was taken from a Navy helicopter and reveals a fairly large UFO that, according to the Navy Captain, appeared flat and elongated with two thermal spotlights like discharges that did not coincide with the axel of motion.The technician described it as white with a semi-oval shape on the horizontal axis. The nine minute video was released by CEFAA the Chilean government agency which investigates UFO.Keep in mind, this is not the first time that highly trained military professionals have captured something astonishing and unexplainable on radar while in flight. Approximately 10 years ago, the Mexican government released footage of 11 bright objects that were moving rapidly across the sky which were captured by their Air Force pilots. Strangely, these objects were reported to be invisible to the eye, although captured on radar as well as infrared cameras. See picture below.Nov 11, 2014 but released this weekAlong ocean area of Chile, Vina Del MarThis incredible raw military footage was captured by two naval officers on a military helicopter with a high tech infrared camera with computer target tracking. The footage was taken by Santiago when they were flying at an altitude of 4,500 feet up. They first noticed the UFO with the naked eye when they were 34 to 40 miles away from it. The helicopter pilots were a Navy captain and a camera technician who's specially falls into this area, so with an expert like him behind this high tech military grade IR camera...this UFO was not going to escape from being recorded. They captured ten full minutes of video that is absolutely mind blowing. The captain stated that the UFO was a "flat, elongated structure with two thermal spotlights-like discharges that did not coincide with the axis of motion." During this chase, the pilot contacted two different radar towers, but both were unable to track the UFO the pilot was recording. The pilots helicopter radar also failed to pick up this alien craft, and yet they it was big enough to notice 40 miles away and record for over 10 minutes! The pilot of the helicopter did attempt to contact the UFO with his radio, but there was not reply, probably because alien craft communicate in different ways than our old ancient radio waves. This ground breaking footage realised by the Chile government and their statement of it having been analysed and scrutinised for over 2 years before its release, only adds to the authenticity and importance of this sighting. Mumbai: Overlooking massive protests from opposition parties, the government on Saturday said that it has called the annual Budget session of Parliament on January 31. Earlier the government, while breaking away from decades-old tradition of holding the Budget session in last week of February, had announced that it will advance the Budget date and present it on February 1 instead of last week of the same month. The Congress along with key opposition parties has taken several representations to the President with a plea to change the dates of assembly polls as they think any populist announcement in Budget would influence voters mind. Earlier, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi had announced dates for elections to five state assemblies going to polls starting February 4. The CEC who has also received complaints from opposition parties has written to Cabinet Secretary asking him to reply with governments stand on the issue. The actor breathed his last on January 7 following a massive cardiac arrest. The actor was living alone at the time of his death. Mumbai: The preliminary postmortem (PM) report of the deceased actor states that the cause of death as unknown. Based on this report, police has registered an accidental death report (ADR) and even interrogated his domestic help and driver. Puri was rushed to Cooper hospital on Friday night after suffering a massive heart attack. A source from the hospital told The Asian Age, The body has minor head injury which cannot be cause of death. He fell unconscious and hence hit the floor. His liver was found to be swollen due to alcohol abuse. The preliminary report has been sent to Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory, which will determine the exact cause of death. The final report will be out after two weeks. The film has three stories and spans one night in Mumbai. Its hard to even give a one-liner for the movie; its too complex a film. Akshay Oberoi, who has a role in Delhi Belly writer Akshat Vermas film Kaalgandi, recently revealed that Saif Ali Khan will also feature in one of the three stories that comprise the film. Saif and I are cast as brothers in one of the three stories in Kaalagandi. He has a fabulous role; so do I. Its a story that unfolds in the course of one night. Weve almost wrapped up the shooting of the film. It is a completely wacky film, and I loved shooting it, said the actor. Akshay, who earlier formed a special bond with Randeep Hooda when they worked together in Laal Rang, praised both Saif and Akshat, the director to the skies. We shot our scenes together in a hurry since Saif needed to move on to his next project, a remake of the Hollywood film Chef. I am thrilled to be in the film and to be working with him. Hes the best co-star Ive had yet. I also think that Akshat can write dialogues better than some international people. I hope the film is a game changer for me. Ive never had more fun playing any part, he gushed. Shedding more light on Akshats film Akshay said, Akshats film is a bit different than Delhi Belly. Its darker, but still absolutely hilarious. The film has three stories and spans one night in Mumbai. Its hard to even give a one-liner for the movie; its too complex a film. When asked why Akshats film is titled Kaalagandi, Akshay Oberoi laughs, Now thats something only a mind as wacky as Akshats can answer. I think Kaalagandi is a crazy title and that is what Akshat wanted. The title matches the films zany tone. Fisher openly discussed her battles with depression and bipolar disorder during her lifetime. Mumbai: Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds were laid to rest in a joint private funeral service, with the Star Wars actress' ashes placed in a giant Prozac pill urn. Fisher, 60, a longtime mental health advocate, openly discussed her battles with depression and bipolar disorder during her lifetime. Prior to the service at the Hollywood Hills' Forest Lawn Memorial Park, despite the family's desire to lay both actresses to rest together, Fisher preferred cremation while Reynolds wanted to be buried. According to USA Today, some of Fisher's ashes were placed in the coffin with her mother, with the rest residing in the Prozac pill urn that her brother Todd Fisher held during the service. Todd Fisher explained the unique urn saying, "Carrie's favourite possession was a giant Prozac pill that she bought many years ago. A big pill. She loved it, and it was in her house, and (daughter) Billie (Lourd) and I felt it was where she'd want to be. We couldn't find anything appropriate. "Carrie would like that. It was her favourite thing, and so that's how you do it. And so they're together, and they will be together here and in heaven, and we're OK with that." He added that Friday's private service "was fitting and it was beautiful" and that the family was planning for a larger public memorial in the future. Todd was joined at the graveside by Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd and her rumoured boyfriend Taylor Lautner for the private family funeral. The young actress' Scream Queens co-stars Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, and Abigail Breslin were also in attendance. Reynolds and Fisher's family held a private service at the actresses' home on Thursday, with Meryl Streep, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Dreyfuss and Penny Marshall among the celebrities in attendance. Fisher died December 27, four days after suffering a cardiac episode aboard an airplane and Reynolds died the next day following a severe stroke aged 84. The act of lying is so integral to cinema that one would presume any film constructed around one is on fertile grounds. Rating: Cast: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris Director: Robert Zemeckis Perhaps the best, most successfully realised scene in Allied is a mid-desert romp between its protagonists inside a 40s geyser-car even as the sand from a simulated, recruited storm fills the vehicle, and thereby the frame, obscuring them from our view. There is desperation induced by the rather terminal nature of war; there is also love, but doomed, eventually, to be buried under the thick blanket of the sand that swirls around them a perfect instance of sentiment being acted upon by material, visceral forces (the very foundation, thus, of great cinema). In more manners than one, Allied is nostalgic about the classical war-film. Its central precept, much like all the films of the 40s it models itself upon, in summary: in times of paranoia and deceit, love is the first, tragic casualty. The fictional universe of its characters is not as much an actual, historical war, but a film based on the actual, historical war. It is permeated therefore by an incredible self-awareness of its own artifice: the backgrounds are all painted, the actors all seem to be at a world-war themed fancy dress party, its locations are all studio-lots for hire, there is a lot of backlighting, the spoken, littered sentences in French sound like set-dressing and at any point in time, the generator may whirr down to let a stagehand walk into the frame. In short, an ode to the movies about the war made during wartime by the studios incidentally, the most famous of which, Casablanca (1942), our present film refers to repeatedly, almost to the point of rut. Much like the accidental meeting that propels the Michael Curtiz classic, Allied is kindled when Max meets Marion, a passerby resistance fighter. They collude on the assassination plot of a Nazi senior and as people who live through a shared danger tend to invariably do, fall in love. He asks her to marry her, she accepts. They move to the quieter, more sedate precinct of Hampstead in England, where a rural, backwater life carries on without much interruption (these parts are actually interesting an action-thriller where nothing ever happens!). Soon, an upheaval. Max is informed Marion may be a German spy pretending to be a resistance fighter. He and his mates at the V-Section devise a few smart ones to entrap her, the ultimate one of which involves testing her skills on the piano (interesting: in The Pianist, a mans skills with the instrument save him; here, she can literally not play to save her life). Then, declarations of love, a rescue mission, eternal love, etc. Allied is most interesting when it stops pretending it has much to say, or contribute it begins to resemble in these moments the sort of film one would show a fake film crew inside another film producing: a movie, movie. It is not a difficult conception that Steven Knights screenplay in itself is pregnant with possibilities of moments of swift deceit, day-to-day sleight, contests of wit the installation, so to say, of a larger system of smoke-and-mirrors. A scene early into the film, set inside the office of a Nazi officer stationed in Morocco, betrays potential: Max has a city-wide reputation as a poker-player and the officer would like to test if this is a mere front or if there is actual ability. He hands Max a deck of cards to handle. The film stops and savours as he accepts this invitation: he shuffles the cards for an unnaturally long time, tossing them, cutting through them, spluttering them as if through a motor from one hand to another. A rare occasion, here, for the film elongates the moment to underline the absurdity of this brief performance it is playful and for the effect it has on the officer, fulfilling. The act of lying is so integral to cinema that one would presume any film constructed around one is on fertile grounds (think Suspicion, think Mr and Mrs Smith, think F for Fake) and yet, Allied desires, however, for most of its duration, to be overtly sincere, humourless, with its greatest ambition to be incredibly dull and respectful. This it accomplishes with commendation through a combination of Zemeckis machinations to override Steven Knights screenplay (Knights Hummingbird and Locke are both great contemporary titles) and induce it with the gravity he thinks war-films deserve and the performances of its two veteran actors, who treat these parts as portals into the future: roles they think they will be remembered for 70 years later. The writer is programmer, Lightcube Film Society The Indian Navy has been closely monitoring the movement of foreign vessels in the Indian Ocean in Indias vicinity. The image can be accessed by clicking on the historical imagery icon on Google Earth and scrolling back to May, 2016, said the report. (Photo: Twitter) New Delhi: The dragons (China) footprints in the Indian Ocean seem to be growing by the day, with reports of satellite imagery indicating that a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine docked at Pakistans Karachi port in May this year. Initial reports of the submarine docking at Karachi had surfaced in May 2016 itself but the satellite imagery now appears to have triggered fresh concern in the Indian security establishment. The Indian Navy has been closely monitoring the movement of foreign vessels in the Indian Ocean in Indias vicinity, especially Chinese submarines, which may have been keeping a close watch on Indian warships. This comes at a time when the Navy, itself, desperately needs fresh induction of submarines to replenish its ageing fleet. During the tenure of the Rajapaksa regime in Sri Lanka, the presence of Chinese nuclear submarines in Sri Lankan waters had shaken New Delhi, which promptly took up the matter with the Rajapaksa government in Colombo, which was actively encouraging Beijing in its designs. In fact, an internal defence thinktank report of the Indian government prepared a few years ago had revealed, Chinas recent strategic manoeuvres in and around the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) pose a threat to both Indias economic and security interests. Chinas naval capabilities have significantly expanded over the past few years with induction of new submarines, like the Shang and Jin class boats. It is well entrenched even in public discourse through think tanks and other agencies that the Chinese naval capability is proving to be a major limiting factor to other regional navies, especially the Indian Navy (IN). Chinese interests in the IOR will demand attempts to begin deterrent patrolling as early as within the next three years. These extended patrols may fully overlap with India Navys current area of operation and subsurface activity. The report added, Unclassified Chinese economic and military investments in the IOR will require a rapid evolution of subsurface support for the entire gamut of activity, both existing and prospective. Without adequate bilateral military linkages and transparency standards, the threat of a serious reduction in sea denial and anti access in the IOR is a reality. In four to six years, it may be commonplace to assume that Plan SSNs (nuclear-powered submarines) are very much part of forces operating in a full-fledged manner in the IOR. According to information, since 2000, China has rapidly expanded its arsenal of antiaccess and area-denial capabilities in the southern IOR. China is acquiring the ability to hold large surface ships, including aircraft carriers, at risk (via oceangoing submarines, antiship missiles, wireguided torpedoes, or antiship ballistic missiles), posing a major threat to all forces operating in the IOR. The Election Commission of India has written a letter to Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha. New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha's reply on the plea of Opposition parties seeking postponement of the budget presentation date. According to an Indian Express report, the ECI has written a letter to Sinha on the issue and has asked him to respond to the plea by January 10. The ECI is believed to have asked the Centre to explain why it wants to advance the budget session for it to take an informed decision on the matter. The Budget session of the Parliament will begin from February 1 if the government has its way. The session is being advanced as the government wants early allocation of funds for various schemes-- from April 1, the beginning of the financial year. Opposition leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), DMK, Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) visited the Election Commission Thursday to protest the Union Budget date, as it was being announced before the Assembly elections in five states. The Opposition requested the EC to ensure that the Budget is held after polls in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur - conclude on March 8. Populist measures could be taken in the Budget, so a just and fair election cannot be held, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said after meeting EC officials. We demand that the Budget be presented after March 8, which is when polling for elections will be over, he added. The Election Commission on Wednesday announced seven-phase polling for 403 assembly constituencies in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, two-phase polling in Manipur and one-phase polling each in the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa respectively. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that the counting of votes in all the five states will take place on March 11. Dhavan also submitted that Justice Katju stated that he had always and will continue to respect the judiciary as an institution. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dropped the contempt of court proceedings against former Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju pertaining to certain blogs he wrote against the bench in the sensational Soumya murder case after he rendered an unconditional apology for his remarks. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Uday Lalit passed a brief order closing the contempt proceedings after senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, senior lawyer representing Justice Katju, submitted that he has filed an affidavit tendering unconditional apology and also deleted the blogs and Facebook posts. Mr Dhavan also submitted that Justice Katju stated that he had always and will continue to respect the judiciary as an institution. On November 11, 2016, in an unprecedented move the bench had issued a notice asking Justice Katju why contempt proceedings should not be initiated for criticising judges and not the judgment in the Soumya rape and murder case. However, the court early this week granted exemption from personal appearance in the court of Justice Katju. On November 11, 2016 Justice Katju had come to the court on an invite from the bench to debate the several fundamental flaws and grievous errors he claimed in a blog and Facebook post allegedly scandalising the judiciary. The court issued the notice after dismissing petitions filed by the Kerala government and Soumyas mother seeking death penalty for the accused, Govindachamy, for causing the death of Soumya after raping her. Today, the court gave a quietus to the issue by dropping the proceedings. NIA also claimed that Ali was trained at a Lashkar camp in PoK to carry out various activities. New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has chargesheeted a Pakistani national and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba militant Bahadur Ali who was caught by security forces in July last year from the Kashmir Valley. According to the chargesheet filed on Friday, Bahadur Ali was planning to carry out terror attacks at different places in the country, including Delhi. The NIA chargesheet also claims that the recent unrest in the Kashmir Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces was orchestrated by the LeT, which operates from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The chargesheet has been filed against Bahadur Ali under different sections of the IPC, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Act, Explosive Substance Act, Arms Act, Foreigners Act and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act. Ali has been in judicial custody since August last year. Investigations by NIA revealed that Lashkar, with assistance from Pakistani security forces deployed along the border, had pushed heavily-armed militants across the border with the sole purpose of creating trouble and attacking police and security personnel. The NIA chargesheet also mentions how some Lashkar militant had mixed with the agitating crowds in order to target security personnel with stones and even grenades. In its chargesheet, NIA has also stated that Ali along and his associates had planned multiple terror attacks to destabilise the security and sovereignty of India. The pocket diary recovered from Ali, among other things, contains the names of several towns in Jammu and Kashmir besides Delhi, the chargesheet claims. It is clear that Bahadur Ali is a trained Lashkar operative and recovery of a diary from him with names of these cities is a clear indication that he was directed to conduct terror strikes in several cities, including Delhi, an NIA official said. Investigation conducted by the NIA revealed that the LeT has set up a well-organised machinery for the recruitment of vulnerable youth from different provinces of Pakistan, as part of a conspiracy to wage war against India. Ali, a class 4 dropout, hails from Jahama village of Raiwind in Lahore. He was arrested from village Yahama in Mawar area of Qalamabad, Handwara, in North Kashmir on July 25. The Army claimed to have recovered three AK-47 rifles, two pistols and Rs 23,000 in Indian currency from his possession. NIA also claimed that Ali was trained at a Lashkar camp in PoK to carry out various activities, including map reading and operating GPS devices. He had infiltrated into India along with two other associates, Abu Saad and Abu Darda. Ali reportedly disclosed during custodial interrogation that he had concealed arms, ammunition and other articles near a big tree in the forest near village Yahama. On his disclosure and identification of the spot, several articles were recovered and seized. These included an AK-47 rifle, five AK-47 magazines loaded with ammunition (30 rounds each), a grenade launcher, five live shells, two live hand grenades, an ICOM wireless set, magazine pouch and a bag containing medicine and other items of daily use. Several of these items were labelled Made in Pakistan, officials had said. The Opposition has sought action against the MP for the offensive remarks, which were quickly disowned by the BJP. Lucknow/New Delhi: The police lodged an FIR against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after he indirectly blamed Muslims for Indias population boom, just four days after the Supreme Court banned seeking votes in the name of religion, caste, community or language. Speaking at a religious congregation in poll-bound Uttar Pradeshs Meerut district on Friday, the MP allegedly blamed population boom on those with four wives and 40 children. The Election Commission has sought a report from the district administration. Hindus are not responsible... Strict laws are required if we really want to curb population. Mothers are not just birth-giving machines. Mothers Hindu or Muslim should be respected, the MP reportedly said, two days after Assembly elections were announced in five states, including UP. He was also quoted as having said that he had urged the Centre to implement a uniform civil code, another contentious issue, as soon as possible. The FIR was registered at Meerut's Sadar Bazar police station. The MP has made controversial remarks in the past as well. Uttar Pradesh's chief electoral officer has sought a report from the Meerut administration. The Opposition has sought action against the MP for the offensive remarks, which were quickly disowned by the BJP. Distancing itself from the Unnao MPs comment, Union minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that his party is for inclusive growth. I have not read his statement. This country runs as per law, Constitution and not baton. His statement, I believe, is not the governments view and also not of the BJP, Mr Naqvi said. BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said Sakshi Maharaj has clarified on the issue and the BJP believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas. The Congress complained to Indias Chief Election Commissioner and demanded immediate action against the MP in light of the model code of conduct that came into force on Wednesday, and the Supreme Court order that came on Monday. On Saturday, Sakshi Maharaj denied commenting on any particular community. He said that he had been quoted out of context, and was ready to face the Election Commission. We have got information about a few comments during a sant sammelan held at Augharnath Temple here through various newspapers. We will take prompt action according to law if we find anything, Meerut district magistrate B. Chandrakala said. Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said since the model code of conduct is already in force, the MPs speech would amount to corrupt practice under Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act. The Election Commission, he said, could restrain Sakshi Maharaj from addressing future election meetings till the conclusion of polls in the five states. UP Congress MLA Akhilesh Singh said, The BJP leaders communal remarks are a ploy to divert attention from promises made by his party and also a violation of the SC order. He should be dismissed from Parliament and BJP should expel him from the party. Sources in the state election commission said that they had not yet received directives regarding the implementation of the SC order. The modalities of the manner of implementation are still being worked out. We have sought a report from the district administration and we will forward the same to the central Election Commission for advice on action, a senior official said. Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said in Delhi, I would urge BJP to stop such things. Elections cannot be won by creating a stressful environment. BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria accused the BJP of using divisive language to whip up communal sentiments. Despite the Oppositions objection, its now more or less certain that the Centre will go ahead with the Budget presentation on February 1 New Delhi: Even as the Election Commission has sought the Centres response to the Oppositions demand for postponing the Budget session, a notification went out on Saturday that the session has been convened to start from January 31. Despite the Oppositions objection, its now more or less certain that the Centre will go ahead with the Budget presentation on February 1. President Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on January 31, an official notification said. A similar notification is also expected from the Lok Sabha secretariat, agencies reported. While the session will begin with the Presidents address to the joint sitting of the two Houses, the same day the pre-Budget economic survey will also be tabled. The practice of separate railway budget presentation is being scrapped from this year. The railway estimates will be part of the Union Budget. The notification comes even as Opposition parties have raised objections to the presentation of the Budget on February 1, just four days before polling begins in Punjab and Goa. With Assembly elections scheduled in five states in February-March, Opposition parties say that the BJP-led government can use the Budget to woo voters by offering sops, and tilt the balance in its favour. They have petitioned the EC, which has asked Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha to respond on Centres behalf. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recommended that the Budget session commence on January 31 and the Budget be presented the next day so that new financial provisions come into force from April 1. Accounts departments RTI reply says bills still under process. Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modis office is lagging behind in maintaining records as the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has either not received or is still processing bills of chartered flights for 17 of the 27 foreign visits Mr Modi made since May 2014. This has been revealed by the accounts department of the PMO in response to an RTI query. Ever since taking charge, Mr Modi has visited 44 countries in his 27 foreign visits. Of these, he has visited the USA four times, in September-October 2014, September 2015, April 2016 and June 2016. He has also visited Bhutan, Nepal, France, China, Russia, Japan, Afghanistan, Singapore and Uzbekistan. Mr Modis first foreign visit as PM was to Bhutan in 2014, and the last as of now to Japan in November 2016. However, according to the RTI reply, the accounts department said it is yet to receive bills of expenditure on chartered flights for nine foreign visits that were made by Mr Modi between 2015 and 2016. Whereas, for eight foreign visits undertaken by the Prime Minister, the PMO said the bills are under process. According to the data shared by the PMO, a total of Rs 77.91 crore was spent in 2014 as expenditure on chartered flights that were used for travelling for five foreign visits to countries like Brazil, Japan and Bhutan. However, the PMO did not share the data for costs incurred by using Indian Air Forces Boeing Business Jet for visits to countries such as Singapore, Bangladesh and Iran in 2015 and 2016. Mansoor Darvesh, the RTI applicant who had sought the information from the PMO, said, I had sought information that was about the total expenditure incurred during the Prime Ministers foreign visits, but reply was given only on chartered flights, which clearly indicates lack of transparency. In a way, the highest office of the country is avoiding sharing the details. Also, I had sought the information in September 2016 but was given the information in the first week of December 2016 - three months after it was sought. Meanwhile, a detailed query sent to the PMO regarding the issue, did not yield any reply till the time of going to press. He has been accused of sexually exploiting a minor girl twice. Shillong: Independent Meghalaya MLA Julius Dorphang, who was wanted in connection with a sex-racket case involving a 14-year old girl, was arrested on Saturday from his hideout in neighbouring Assam, the police said. The arrest came a day after a look out notice was issued and the state police sought cooperation from their counterparts in neighbouring states. Dorphang was accused of sexually exploiting the minor girl twice, once in a guest House and the other time in a resort. "We have arrested Dorphang and he was brought here. He will now face trial," East Khasi Hills district SP M Kharkrang said. The arrest was made from a place which Dorphang used as a hideout, he said, without divulging details. In fact, several raids were conducted within the state and in Assam, where the legislator frequented till on Friday morning but the raids were futile. A joint raid was also conducted at Hatigaon area on Thursday where the surrendered ULFA leaders are running their offices but they did not find him there. Dorphang, who had co-founded an armed organization until he surrendered in 2007, went into hiding after the police booked him under section 366 (A) of the IPC and registered section 3 (a)/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) and under section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA). The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house, owned by senior Congress leader and Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh's son, was arrested for trafficking of the 14-yr-old victim last month. The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she named all those involved in sexually exploiting her. Five of the eight people, including four women named in separate FIRs, have been arrested till date. On January 4, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dorphang, following which the manhunt began. United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. RICHARD ARTHUR SCHMIDT, Defendant - Appellee. No. 16-6567 Decided: January 04, 2017 Before WILKINSON, AGEE, and HARRIS, Circuit Judges. ARGUED: Sujit Raman, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Greenbelt, Maryland, for Appellant. Mary Elizabeth Davis, DAVIS & DAVIS, Washington, D.C., for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Rod J. Rosenstein, United States Attorney, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellant. Richard Schmidt pleaded guilty to traveling in foreign commerce and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2423(c). Schmidt now argues that, as a matter of law, he did not travel in foreign commerce in connection with his illicit sexual conduct and is thus actually innocent of the offense. The district court agreed. We review the judgment of the district court de novo, and for the reasons that follow, we reverse. I. In the words of the district court, Schmidt is a sexual predator. United States v. Schmidt, Civ. No. JFM-13-3370, 2015 WL 5440732, at *1 (D. Md. Sept. 11, 2015). He has been repeatedly convicted since 1984 for extensive and grotesque sex offenses involving young boys. In June 2002, Schmidt fled the United States to the Philippines to avoid arrest for allegedly making unauthorized contact with a minor in violation of his parole. He obtained employment there as a school instructor until he was arrested by Philippine authorities for once again sexually molesting young boys. In December 2003, Schmidt fled to Cambodia during a period of pre-trial release, roughly eighteen months after he first arrived in the Philippines. His pattern of sex offenses nonetheless continued until he was arrested by Cambodian authorities that same month. He was soon released on police watch only to rape another young boy within two days. As a result, Schmidt was deported to the United States to face numerous criminal charges, including a violation of 2423(c) in Count 10 of his indictment for illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia. Schmidt pleaded unconditionally guilty to this charge and was sentenced to a prison term of fifteen years and a lifetime of supervised release. Schmidt now petitions under 28 U.S.C. 2255 to vacate his conviction, arguing that he is actually innocent of violating 2423(c) and that his counsel was ineffective for failing to notice this defect at the time he entered his plea. Schmidt does not deny his illicit sexual conduct. Instead, Schmidt contends that his travel in foreign commerce ended during his stay in the Philippines, long before his illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia. He further claims that any subsequent travel, such as his flight to Cambodia, was not independent travel in foreign commerce for purposes of 2423(c). We are therefore presented with a straightforward question. When did Schmidt's travel in foreign commerce end after he departed the United States? Because we conclude that Schmidt was still traveling in foreign commerce from the time he departed the United States until the time of his illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia, we conclude that he is not actually innocent of the 2423(c) offense. II. A. Congress enacted 2423(c) as part of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-21, 105(a), 117 Stat. 650, 654 (2003). At the time of Schmidt's offense, it read: Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places.Any United States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence who travels in foreign commerce, and engages in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both. As the title implies, 2423(c) was intended to criminalize Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places. It was aimed in part at the ugly American, whose sexual exploits and visitation to sexual guesthouses abroad have helped to stimulate the sex trade in young children even to the point of wrenching them at an early age from their own homes. The statute expanded upon 18 U.S.C. 2423(b), which had been previously enacted to criminalize Travel With Intent To Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. Congress recognized the difficulty of proving that a defendant traveled for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, id., and passed 2423(c) to close loopholes that facilitated the abuse of children abroad by sex tourists, United States v. Bollinger, 798 F.3d 201, 219 (4th Cir. 2015). As the House Conference Report explained, Current law [ 2423(b)] requires the government to prove that the defendant traveled with the intent to engage in the illegal activity. Under this section [ 2423(c)], the government would only have to prove that the defendant engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a minor while in a foreign country. H.R. CONF. REP. NO. 10866, at 51 (2003), reprinted in 2003 U.S.C.C.A.N. 683, 686. We construe the statute accordingly. B. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines travel as to go on or as if on a trip or tour, to go from place to place, and to move or undergo transmission from one place to another. MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY 1331 (11th ed. 2003). Neither party contends that prohibited sexual conduct must occur en route from one place to another, and such a narrow construction of travel would surely defeat the intent of Congress. See United States v. Clark, 435 F.3d 1100, 1107 (9th Cir. 2006) (It [ 2423(c)] does not require that the conduct occur while traveling in foreign commerce.). Rather, travel denotes a broader concept of movement abroad. A person may still be traveling even after a significant amount of time in a given location so long as the visit is sufficiently transient or contemplates some future departure. See United States v. Jackson, 480 F.3d 1014, 1022 (9th Cir. 2007). Travel can thus continue until a party either returns to his or her place of origin or permanently resettles elsewhere. As the Ninth Circuit has observed, [A]n understanding that travel ends only upon permanent resettlement in a foreign country is supported by courts' regular use of a distinction between individuals who are physically present without intending to stay in a locale and those who are present with an intent to remain. People in the first category are usually considered mere visitors, while people in the second category are considered residents or domiciliaries of the new location. Id. at 1023-24. This construction comports with colloquial usage. Id. at 1023. Next, 18 U.S.C. 10 defines foreign commerce, in language that largely parallels the Foreign Commerce Clause, to include commerce with a foreign country. We have previously noted, focusing on the conjunctive with, that foreign commerce requires some nexus with the United States. See Bollinger, 798 F.3d at 214. This makes sense: The United States cannot go around prosecuting under the statute those with no real connection to this country. See United States v. Pendleton, 658 F.3d 299, 307-08 (3d Cir. 2011) (Courts have consistently held that the Foreign Commerce Clause requires a jurisdictional nexus with the United States, but there is precious little case law on how to establish the requisite link (citations omitted)); United States v. Weingarten, 632 F.3d 60, 70 (2d Cir. 2011) ([I]t would be anomalous to construe the general definition of foreign commerce in 10 as including all forms of commerce occurring outside the United States and without nexus whatsoever to this country.). The statutory history of 10 reinforces this requirement. See Weingarten, 632 F.3d at 67-70. Travel in foreign commerce therefore encompasses movement abroad that maintains some nexus with the United States. We consider all relevant facts and circumstances to determine whether and to what extent a defendant traveled in foreign commerce. III. A. Schmidt does not contest that he traveled in foreign commerce when he fled the United States to the Philippines. Movement directly to or from the United States is unquestionably an adequate nexus. Instead, Schmidt argues that his travel in foreign commerce ended shortly thereafter. He points out that he obtained a work permit and full-time employment, rented a home, and used a local driver's license in the Philippines. He further argues that the eighteen months he spent there was sufficient to indicate that his travel had ended, or at least to sever any nexus with the United States. As a result, Schmidt contends that he was no longer traveling in foreign commerce when he fled to and engaged in illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia. We disagree. Schmidt overlooks a number of more significant factors. To begin, his status remained transient from the time he left the United States until the time of his illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia. He stayed in the Philippines on a series of two-month tourist visas and worked using an alien employment permit for non-resident foreign nationals that he apparently allowed to lapse before renewing. J.A. 223-24. Schmidt also maintained a substantial amount of money in the United States, and never purchased a home or other property abroad. When Schmidt's unlawful sexual conduct attracted the attention of Philippine authorities, he had no trouble making a quick pivot to Cambodia. Unlike when he fled the United States leaving significant assets behind, Schmidt fled the Philippines leaving no trace beyond the ruin caused by his sexual exploits. He then entered Cambodia on a one-month tourist visa and frequented guesthouses known to attract sex tourists. We specifically note that Schmidt continually traveled on a United States passport and made no effort to obtain permanent status in another country. At all times, he was a visitor in both the Philippines and Cambodia. The sum of these factors is more than sufficient to establish for purposes of 2423(c) that Schmidt was still traveling in foreign commerce from the time he left the United States until the time of his illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia. Contrary to his protestations of permanency, Schmidt was something of a rolling stone. B. Schmidt contends, however, that travel in foreign commerce necessarily ends sometime during the first stop after departure and that the requisite nexus with the United States is thereafter severed. But nothing in 2423(c) indicates that illicit sexual conduct must take place immediately or even shortly after leaving the United States, or that a single course of travel is limited to a single destination. Common sense refutes any such notion. Schmidt's theory would allow a simple layover to defeat the clear design of the statute. A defendant might make a quick stop and then proceed elsewhere cloaked in an artificial immunity from prosecution. See Weingarten, 632 F.3d at 71. Intermediate stops of longer duration are likewise inapposite until a party returns to his or her place of origin or permanently resettles. See id. ([M]ere stops along the way do not deprive travel of its territorial nexus to the United States.). Schmidt finally emphasizes that he had no intent to return to the United States and thus his travel in foreign commerce necessarily concluded shortly after he arrived in the Philippines. However, the element of travel and requisite nexus with the United States is an objective inquiry that does not turn solely on self-serving and subjective allegations of intent. While intent to permanently resettle may be one factor in determining when relevant travel in foreign commerce comes to an end, it is not dispositive. In any event, the record here does not support Schmidt's claim. United States v. Jackson is instructive by comparison. The Ninth Circuit there concluded that the defendant's travel in foreign commerce ended after he moved to Cambodia, purchased a home, and commenced the five-year residency requirement for Cambodian citizenship. 480 F.3d at 1015-16, 1024. The defendant and his partner also sold their home and remaining property in the United States, transferring all their assets to Cambodia. Id. Schmidt's sojourns display none of these features. IV. The judgment of the district court is accordingly reversed. We remand for reinstatement of the judgment of conviction on Count 10, which charged defendant with the aforementioned 2423(c) offense. REVERSED FOOTNOTES . Schmidt also pleaded guilty to Count 7 of his indictment, which the government has conceded was defective. . In 2013, Congress amended 2423(c) to criminalize illicit sexual conduct by any United States citizen who travels in foreign commerce or resides, either temporarily or permanently, in a foreign country. Pub. L. No. 113-4, 1211(b), 127 Stat. 54, 142 (2013) (emphasis added). To the extent Congress meant to clarify the original meaning of 2423(c), the Supreme Court has held that [s]ubsequent legislation declaring the intent of an earlier statute is entitled to great weight in statutory construction. Red Lion Broad. Co. v. FCC, 395 U.S. 367, 38081 (1969). . Schmidt's conviction does not present an ex post facto problem because he was still traveling in foreign commerce and engaging in illicit sexual conduct after 2423(c) was enacted on April 30, 2003. Count 10 charged Schmidt with violating 2423(c) in December 2003. . Schmidt's continuous course of travel makes it unnecessary to address the government's contention that 2423(c) applies to illicit sexual conduct even after travel in foreign commerce has concluded. Similarly, what might qualify as a nexus to the United States, or how attenuated a nexus might be permitted, are questions we need not decide. WILKINSON, Circuit Judge: Shivpal Yadav went to meet Akhilesh with a compromise formula, but returned empty handed in 7 minutes. Lucknow/New Delhi: The main thorn in the Samajwadi parivar, the so-called outsider Amar Singh, has apparently given an indication that he is willing to step down if his presence is the main stumbling block to the partys unity. Hectic parleys were held throughout the day on Friday in Lucknow without any breakthrough, except that Akhilesh Yadav continued to remain on top with majority of the Samajwadi Party legislators backing him. On the request of the faction led by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, SPs bank accounts have been frozen. The Samajwadi Party has around Rs 500 crore in its Delhi, Etawah and Lucknow accounts and money cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the partys national president. While some in the party claimed that the crisis in the SP would get over by Sunday, both the factions seemed keen to meet the Election Commission on January 9 to claim the cycle symbol. Friday was a day of meetings in Lucknow even as the brain behind the Akhilesh camp, party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, was camped in Delhi with over 200 signed affidavits from legislators MLAs and MLCs in the chief ministers favour. He said that he would pursue Mr Akhilesh s claim to the party symbol with EC on Monday. The EC will offer the party symbol not merely on the basis of the strength of legislatures, but also on proof of organisational strength that each faction has in the party. This would mean that all district heads and block-level office bearers would have to sign in favour either Akhilesh Yadav or Mulayam Singh Yadav. Ram Gopal Yadav is reportedly ready with the required documents. In Lucknow, the entire senior SP leadership, including Amar Singh, converged at Mulayam Singh Yadavs residence to make a last-ditch attempt to avert a vertical split in the party. Shivpal Yadav arrived early in the morning at his elder brothers house and Amar Singh followed shortly. Shivpal Yadav even went across to meet chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, apparently with a compromise formula, but returned empty handed within seven minutes. Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav reportedly offered to resign in order to facilitate a truce between father and son, but Mulayam Singh Yadav refused to let them go. Akhilesh Yadav, though in Lucknow, did not meet his father. Though Mulayam Singh continues to get isolated with each passing day, leaders in the Akhilesh camp are leaving nothing to chance, for now or the future. Determined not to let him step down as national president of the party, Sunil Sajan, a close confidant of the chief minister, said, Even if he wants to, he cannot step down because he was elected by the national convention. On January 1, at the national convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav was elected as the national president of the party. This convention was declared illegal by Mulayam Singh Yadav. In Lucknow, Amar Singh lashed out at Naresh Agarwal, Rajya Sabha MP in Akhilesh Yadavs camp, who had called him a BJP agent. This is the same person who has been in the Congress, then a minister in the BJP government and then traveled to BSP and he is calling me a BJP agent, he said. Amar Singh also hit out at Akhilesh Yadav for accepting the support of MLAs with criminals records, like Sigbatullah Ansari, brother of Mukhtar Ansari and Gayatri Prajapati. Then came his sting. Shivpal Yadav has been accused of harboring criminals, but now the same criminals have turned noble after they went to the chief ministers residence and signed an affidavit in his favor, Amar Singh said. In the national capital, however, Amar Singhs tone was much subdued. Speaking to the media at Indira Gandhi International Airport, he said, I continue to give my blessings to Akhilesh Yadavji and I want to assure him that I am not against his progress. Trying to reach out to the chief minister, Amar Singh said that his contribution to CM Akhilesh Yadavs growing up life is well known and is in the public domain. He claimed that be it education or personal life, we have always supported Akhilesh. Sending a signal that he was ready to step down, Amar Singh played the emotional card, saying, I will only feel bad if Mulayam Singh Yadav discards me from his heart I would not have any regrets if I am expelled. TMC sources said a massive protest was planned in New Delhi starting January 9. Kolkata/New Delhi: Trinamul Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday launched a high-decibel attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a national government be formed at the Centre that should be led by any other senior BJP leader like Lal Krishna Advani, Arun Jaitley or Rajnath Singh. The TMC is also planning massive protests across the country from Monday over the demonetisation move and the arrest of its top leaders by the CBI, that it has called vendetta politics by the Narendra Modi government. We appeal to the President to save the country from the mess. In the current situation, a national government should be formed with another BJP person at the helm. He (Modi) has to go, Ms Banerjee said. It is time for Presidents Rule at the Centre. Let us set aside our political differences, draft a Common Minimum Agenda and form a national government at the Centre, she said. Lashing out at the PM, Ms Banerjee said: To save the country, let a national government be formed. Advaniji, Rajnathji or Jaitleyji can head it. The current situation is unacceptable. A national government is a coalition government, specially one subordinating party differences to the national interest in a time of crisis, as in Britain under Ramsay MacDonald in the 1930s. All institutions were under attack, the West Bengal chief minister said, and added: This is a dangerous game. The PM is behaving like Kalidas, trying to cut the branch he is sitting on. TMC sources said a massive protest was planned in New Delhi starting January 9. The protest is likely to last at least for three days, a Trinamul leader said. All state units would be organising demonstrations against demonetisation from January 9 to 11 in various parts of the country. The protests will be held in all states. The Trinamul Congress has been on the warpath since the arrest of its Lok Sabha floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay by the CBI in the Rose Valley chit fund case. Another MP, actor-politician Tapas Pal, was also arrested recently. The TMC MPs had hit the streets of the national capital on Wednesday and Thursday, making a bid to storm the PMO and courting arrest. Over 30 TMC MPs were briefly detained protesting near the Prime Ministers residence. West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra also boycotted the pre-Budget consultations in New Delhi, claiming that there was a financial emergency and a political environment of fear across the country. Protests were held near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex, from where the TMC MPs went to protest outside the Prime Ministers residence. PM Modi given standing ovation for twin moves to usher in an era of transformation. New Delhi: Hailing the Narendra Modi governments moves for a surgical strike on terror launchpads across the Line of Control and the demonetisation exercise as historic. the BJP on Friday sounded confident that it will win the coming Assembly elections in five states, including in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The twin issues may also figure prominently in the partys election campaign. Hailing the cross-LoC surgical strike as a bold decision by the government and claiming that the whole world had appreciated Indias strength after it, the BJP, in a stern message to Pakistan for sheltering terror modules, said while the Modi government would continue to show zero tolerance for terrorism, it also reserves every right to respond to such threats in an appropriate and out-of-the-box manner in future too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a standing ovation for these two historic decisions at the BJP national executive meeting that began here on Friday. Party chief Amit Shah said both decisions will find a positive mention in history. The national executive also passed a political resolution Transformative Governance Value-based Politics, which hailed these twin decisions of the Modi government. It described the Opposition parties as anti-people and anti-democracy for criticising demonetisation, and said 2016 was the dawn of a new era with several transformative decisions by the government in the spheres of national security, self-pride, probity and the welfare of the poor. In the election-going states, the BJPs main poll plank will be good governance and development, and party leaders have been asked to highlight the demonetisation as the governments surgical strike against black money and corruption. While some BJP poll managers are not in favour of highlighting the demonetisation issue too much, keeping in mind the hardships faced by people, Mr Shah asserted that the party had snatched the pro-poor plank of the Opposition parties as the people were in favour of the decision, despite facing problems. Hailing the Modi government for taking transformative initiatives, the resolution said the government ushered in a new light in the lives of the poor and downtrodden while benefiting the country by setting the basics of the economy right. Asserting that the BJP had got a mandate in 2014 not just to run the country but to transform it, Mr Shah, in his inaugural address, said his partys performance in the recent byelections and local body elections after the demonetisation had proved that the people were backing the decision and had exposed the Opposition. He said the demonetisation would boost the governments revenue that would be spent on pro-poor welfare measures. Hitting out at the Opposition parties, Mr Shah said earlier they used to ask what the government had done to check black money, and now they were asking why it had taken such a decision. Their shift from what to why has exposed them, Mr Shah told party leaders at the meeting. Referring to the partys last national council meeting in Kozhikode in September, Mr Shah said its leaders had felt the pain of the Uri terror attacks as he highlighted the two historic decisions of the government afterwards. For the first time India carried out such a surgical strike. The whole world appreciated Indias strength. It was an example of great bravery. This surgical strike is Indias answer to terrorism. The BJP always spoke about its policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, and has now acted accordingly, the BJP president said. The resolution also claimed the strikes had the required effect on our neighbour, which can be gauged from the fact that there is near normal silence on the India-Pakistan border in the last few weeks, and also the initiative taken by Pakistan to call for DGMO-level talks between the two countries. On demonetisation, it said various surveys had indicated overwhelming public support for the exercise. Mr Shah said it had rattled the Opposition. The Opposition has been exposed and does not know what to do as the poor, who for historical reasons shown preference for a few parties, are now backing Modi and the BJP and the pro-poor plank has been snatched from the hands of these parties, he said. Criticising the Opposition parties, mainly the Congress, for stalling the Winter Session of Parliament, the BJP said: Obstruction and obfuscation has become the hallmark of Opposition politics in the country. It also said the demonetisation decision was not abrupt and argued the government was in active mode against black money since it took over in 2014. Citing attacks on its workers in Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal and Left-ruled Kerala, the BJP said normal functioning of political activity has become difficult under the draconian TMC rule and that the red terror in Kerala continues to rob the lives of its dedicated karyakartas. Extreme appeasement politics of the governments in the states have led to severe communal tension and strife in these states... The failure of the TMC government in West Bengal in safeguarding the majority law-abiding community is most glaring in the recent Dhulagarh riots, where rioters went about torching houses and shouting slogans like Pakistan Zindabad while the state police had looked the other way, reads the resolution. Fully supporting Mr Modis path-breaking initiative in electoral reforms by suggesting simultaneous polls to the Central and state legislatures, the national executive said such a move, together with several other important reforms, would pave way for cleaner and healthier electoral practices in the country. On the coming Assembly elections in five states, the resolution said the people of the country were yearning to follow PM Modis development politics and appealed to its cadre to work hard so that we can secure the mandate of the people and form governments in all five states. Targetting the Congress government in Manipur, the BJP bamed it for the recent blockade and said the BJP will usher in a bandh-mukt and vikas-yukt Manipur if it was voted to power in the northeastern state. New Delhi: With the nation still reeling from the recent slew of sexual assault cases, another case of molestation has surfaced in Delhi's posh Hauz Khas area, where a German woman research scholar was allegedly molested by her landlord last year. The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have received a complaint from the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) regarding the case and that an investigation is underway. The incident took place on November 30 last year. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the incident happened when the researcher was visiting her landlord in his home to settle some outstanding bills, when she sought to use his washroom. When she came out of the washroom, he attacked her. He touched her inappropriately and forced himself on her. When she resisted the bid, he allegedly tried to throttle her, a police officer said. The woman however managed to escape. "A complaint was forwarded from the DCW to us and a molestation case has been registered. Also an investigation is underway. We have contacted the concerned victim," Delhi South Western Range Joint Commissioner, Deependra Pathak said. The victim had lodged a complaint with Swati Maliwal, the chairperson of DCW on December 5 and the police registered the FIR on December 27 under section 354(Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of woman) of the IPC at the Hauz Khas Police Station. Meanwhile, the nation is seething in the wake of horrific reports of mass molestation on the New Year's Eve in Bengaluru and its rerun in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar. On December 31, in a similar incident, a young woman walking home was approached by two men on a scooter. Alarmed, she tried to side-step them, but one man disembarked and attacked her. As she fought back, he pushed her towards the other man. He molested her, and then threw her hard to the ground. The video - recorded by security cameras at a house nearby in East Bengaluru - shows a group of people watching the assault without intervening. The city police has been facing a storm of criticism after a group of men groped, stalked and harassed women on New Year's Eve, as thousands of people were partying in the city's biggest commercial stretch. Video footage and pictures circulated on social media had showed women crying and seeking help. Mhaske had filed a PIL, alleging a scam in the procurement of tablets and their distribution by the civic body in schools. Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday directed a social activist to give names of 10 Municipal Corporation schools in which tablets distributed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation were not working properly. The division bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice G.S. Kulkarni asked activist Prithvi Maske to give names of 10 schools so that the court could include them as respondents. "We could even form a committee of experts to find out if tabs distributed to standard 8 students are of high quality or not," said Justice Chellur. However, the court has also asked BMC to file an affidavit on steps taken against the company, which has provided defective tablets. During hearing, the bench was informed that so far 22,000 tabs have been distributed to BMC schools and a contract of Rs 50 crore is in place for warranty of 3-years for these tabs. The court was further informed that so far in less than 5 per cent tabs problems have been reported. The petitioner has also claimed that from 2016 till date, 15,000 phones have also been supplied and he has learnt from school that these are not working properly. Mhaske had filed a Public Interest Litigation, alleging a scam in the procurement of tablets and their distribution by the civic body in schools. He has also sought an independent investigation into the alleged scam by Special Investigating Team (SIT) or the CBI. According to the petitioner, he first came to know about the alleged fraud when he went through features of one of the tabs being used by a child in his neighbourhood. Following this he filed several RTIs from August 2015 onwards, seeking details of tender allotment and distribution of these tabs to school children. The 66-year-old actor had apparently returned from a party the night before, where he had allegedly consumed liquor. Several Bollywood personalities including Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar attended Om Puri's funeral and paid their final respects to the veteran actor. Among others who attended the funeral are poet-writer Gulzar, Shashi Kapoor, Vidya Balan and Irrfan Khan. (Photo: Mrugesh Bandiwadekar) Mumbai: Veteran Bollywood actor Om Puri died early Friday morning due to cardiac arrest inside his Oshiwara flat. The 66-year-old actor had apparently returned from a party the night before, where he had allegedly consumed liquor. He went to his Oshiwara flat, where he fell in the kitchen sometime during the night, injuring himself. His driver, who arrived at the flat early Friday morning, found his body. The body was taken to Cooper Hospital and underwent an autopsy. The actors last rites were performed in an electric crematorium at around 6.30 pm. Senior police inspector of Oshiwara police station Subhash Khanvilkar said, The driver (Mr Mishra) in his statement has said he had to take keys from the neighbour and it was then that they saw the body lying on the floor. Shabana Azmi along with Javed Akhtar and Ashok Pandit rushed Puri to the hospital but he was declared brought dead. The Asian Age spoke to the workers who were present with Puri the previous night at the party. The workers on condition on anonymity alleged Puri was highly intoxicated and had been dropped home after the party by an actor friend. Ram Avatar, an ex-driver of Puri, recalled his former employer. I was to meet him this Sunday but I am saddened I couldnt meet him one last time. He had helped fund my first daughters marriage and had called me to meet him after he came to know that I got my second daughter recently married too. Sources said Puri had also funded the education of his driver, Mr Mishra. Mr Mishras son is now an engineer. Some of the actors who attended the acclaimed performers funeral included Anup Jalota, Johnny Lever, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, Kanwaljit Singh and Alok Nath. Puri won various awards during his career, including the National Award for Best Actor for the 1983 film Ardh Satya and, the BAFTA award for Best Actor in 1999 and Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award. Mr Jalota called Puri a global actor. The greatest thing he did was making acting visible. He worked for a month in my upcoming movie Mr Kabaadi, which will be released in March this year. I dont think anyone could contribute to the field at a level that he has done, he said. Mr Nath said, He was a person internationally recognised for his work. However, at the age of sitting back and getting rewards for his hard work, he had to undergo troubles in life. It is sad to know that he was found lying in his flat with no one around. Dr Ganesh Shinde, the dean of civic-run Cooper Hospital, said, The post-mortem was done, we have taken samples and sent to Kalina lab. However, the actor had fallen down at his residence due to a massive heart attack. He collapsed on the floor and had injures on the left side of his brain. Mr Pandit said Puri was to host a show in the US and he had gone to his residence on Friday to pick him up for a meeting at the US embassy. But I didnt know well have to pick up his body, rued Mr Pandit. The boy struck his caste off from the school attendance record, to the surprise of his classmates and teachers. Mumbai: A 12-year-old student from Marathwada region has become the talk of his village for 'erasing' any mention his caste from the school attendance record. Rohan Bhosle, a seventh standard student of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) school at Pargaon village in Ashti tehsil of Beed district deleted any mention of his caste from the school attendance sheet recently, winning praise from classmates and teachers. Prateeksha Shirole, Rohan's classmate, said he took the muster sheet, pulled out a pen and rubbed the blue ink on the column which mentioned his caste. Somnath Walke, Rohan's teacher said, "I was shocked and wondered why he did that. When I asked him why he erased his caste, he said, 'Sir, you regularly teach us in the classroom about equality. Everybody has only one caste: humanity. Nobody should ask the other as to what his caste is'," said Walke. Rohan's parents Suresh and Manda, who are farmers, said they were surprised that Rohan had taken such a "revolutionary" step. The dossier contains information and proof of RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism, Pakistan claimed. United Nations: Pakistan has handed over a dossier on India's alleged "interference" in the country to new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and asked the world body to play a role in "restraining" India from such activities. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi delivered the dossier on "India's interference and terrorism in Pakistan" in a meeting with the UN chief in United Nations on Friday along with a letter from the Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the meeting was held at the request of the Pakistani envoy. When asked about what was discussed in the meeting, which took place at around noon, he said he did not have "any indication" of what was discussed in the meeting. "The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Baluchistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015," the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement in Islamabad. In the covering letter sent with the dossier, Aziz claimed that the arrest of "Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Baluchistan and his confessional statement admitting involvement in activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, and support to terrorist elements vindicated Pakistan's long-standing position about India's involvement in such activities." He also claimed that India was carrying out these activities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism and international conventions on terrorism. Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning "subversive activities" in the country. India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government. India's "hostile intentions" towards Pakistan were also borne out by recent statements of its political and military leadership, Aziz was quoted as saying in the letter. He claimed Pakistan had made a major contribution to global counter terrorism efforts and secured significant gains in its domestic fight against terrorism. Aziz urged the Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies to seriously consider the matter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play a role in "restraining India from these activities, which were in clear violation of international law and posed a threat to regional and international peace and security". Dujarric was asked by a Pakistani journalist at the news briefing if the new Secretary-General would talk to Indian authorities about tensions on the border with Pakistan. The spokesperson responded he did not have "anything new to add to our well-worn and well-stated policy, but if anything changes, I will let you know". The Foreign Office statement said, "Pakistan continues to desire peace with all its neighbours including India. It is convinced that the common objectives of economic development and prosperity for our people can best be promoted through regional cooperation, conflict resolution and peaceful settlement of disputes," "At the same time, however, Pakistan will resolutely defend its territorial integrity and take all necessary measures to counter any threat to its security," it said. Trump acknowledged that cyber attacks by Russia, China and other countries threaten US institutions, political parties, and businesses. Washington: Donald Trump asserted on Friday that hacking by foreign powers did not sway the US election, after being briefed on an intelligence report that blamed on Russia's Vladimir Putin for a cyber campaign to keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House. After weeks of rejecting the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, the president-elect accepted the possibility that Moscow was involved in hacking US targets including the Democratic National Committee. In a statement after meeting four top intelligence chiefs, Trump acknowledged that cyber attacks by Russia, China and other countries threaten US institutions, political parties, and businesses. But there was no direct acceptance of the intelligence chiefs' conclusion that Moscow staged an unprecedented attempt to influence the 2016 White House race by hacking and leaking documents that, they said in a new report, also aimed to boost Trump's campaign. "While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election," Trump said in a statement. Trump met the heads of the Directorate of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency in New York Friday on their newly completed report into Moscow's alleged interference. Putin preferred Trump A shortened, declassified version of the report released to the public by the Director of National Intelligence shortly after the meeting said Putin personally ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation to undermine the Democrat candidate, Clinton, who had widely been expected to win the November 8 election. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," they said. The report offered little new evidence on how US intelligence bodies reached their conclusion, and Russia has denied any election meddling. President Barack Obama had already taken retaliatory action on December 29, expelling 35 Russians he said were intelligence operatives, and placing sanctions on a number of other Russian officials and entities. "I think that what is true, is that the Russians intended to meddle and they meddled," Obama said in excerpts of an interview set to air Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "One of the things I am concerned about is the degree to which we've seen a lot of commentary lately where there are Republicans or pundits or cable commentators who seem to have more confidence in Vladimir Putin than fellow Americans because those fellow Americans are Democrats. That cannot be," Obama said. Trump's meeting with intelligence chiefs, which the Republican called "constructive," may have smoothed over ruffled feelings between the intelligence bureaucracy and an incoming president who has openly questioned its work. Just before the meeting, Trump branded the focus on Russia a "political witch hunt" in an interview with the New York Times. But afterwards Trump said that as soon as he takes office on January 20 he will give a team 90 days to come up with a plan to halt cyber attacks. "Whether it is our government, organizations, associations or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyber attacks," he said. Election legitimacy The much-anticipated report was likely to further raise the sensitivity over the outcome of an election in which Clinton easily won the popular vote but was beaten by Trump in the electoral college, which decides the winner. "We must also be clear that there is no evidence that there was any interference in the voting or balloting process," said House Speaker Paul Ryan in a statement. "We cannot allow partisans to exploit this report in an attempt to delegitimize the president-elect's victory. Donald Trump won this election fair and square because he heard the voices of Americans who felt forgotten." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong critic of Trump's dismissal of intelligence conclusions on Russia, also argued there was nothing in the report to indicate an impact on the election outcome. "I agree with President-elect Trump that Russian cyber attacks did not affect the vote tally and were not responsible for the outcome," Graham said in a statement. However, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff rejected that conclusion. "The president-elect's statement that the Russian hacking had 'absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election' is not supported by the briefing, report or common sense," he said. French far-right leader says if elected President, she may call for EU exit Paris: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Friday pledged that if elected President she would campaign for France to leave the European Union (EU) if Brussels fails to surrender control over national borders, law-making and economic and monetary policy. Ms Le Pen, who has promised to dump the euro and organise a Brexit-style referendum on Frances membership of the EU, has recently appeared to soften her stance, saying that she is open to a common currency co-existing alongside a national currency. Addressing a gathering of foreign correspondents, the National Front (FN) leader said: I have not changed my mind on the process I will put to the French with regard to the EU. If she wins the vote on May 7, she said she would immediately begin negotiations with the EU on restoring four fundamental types of sovereignty: territorial, economic, monetary and legislative. The discussions, which would centre on Frances call for the restoration of intra-European borders and the ability to adopt protectionist policies, would last six months after which she would organise a Frexit in/out referendum. Either I will have secured the return of those four sovereignties and I will advise the French to remain in a new Europe of nations, or I will not and then I will advise them to leave the EU. There is no question for me of betraying the people, she said. On the euro, Ms Le Pen said she had never been hostile to the return of a form of common currency, citing the European Currency Unit (ECU), a pre-euro basket of currencies that existed alongside national currencies, as a model. Polls last year showed French voters were opposed to exiting the EU but were more conflicted about the common currency. Ms Le Pen admitted that the French had fears about a so-called Frexit but viewed the euro as a millstone. Brussels, she charged, had used the euro in Greece not as a currency but a knife that you stick in a countrys ribs to force it to do what its people dont want to do. She is seen as one of the top contenders for the French presidency. United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. RAHIM MCWILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, et al., Defendants-Appellees. No. 15-1729 Decided: January 05, 2017 Before KANNE, WILLIAMS, and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges. Rahim McWilliams, who is now incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections, broke a bone in his right hand after slipping and falling on a wet floor while detained at the Cook County jail in Chicago. In this action under 42 U.S.C. 1983 and Illinois law, McWilliams claims that employees at both the county jail and the state Department of Corrections deliberately ignored his injury until after it was too late to prevent permanent disfigurement and pain. McWilliams also claims that his fall resulted from staff negligence at the county jail. His operative complaint identifies the intended defendants to include Cook County and unnamed physicians and guards, but the lawsuit never proceeded because the district court, after twice denying an application from McWilliams to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP), dismissed the action for failure to pay the filing fee. We authorized McWilliams to proceed with this appeal IFP, and we agree with him that the district court abused its discretion in denying leave to proceed IFP. I. Background For both of his IFP applications in the district court, McWilliams used a form provided by the clerk's office for the Northern District of Illinois. That form includes a line, with checkboxes, constituting the applicant's representation that the form is his or her application to proceed without full prepayment of fees, or in support of my motion for appointment of counsel, or both. The form, which says nothing about the need to file a separate motion if the assistance of counsel is desired, also asks prisoner applicants to provide an inmate identification number, the name of the applicant's institution, and records from the applicant's inmate trust account. McWilliams checked the third box, indicating that his application was in support of both leave to proceed IFP and appointment of counsel. He answered all of the questions on the form, except that he omitted his identification number and the name of the prison (both of which appear prominently on his complaint submitted contemporaneously with the IFP application, as well as in the trust officer's certification incorporated into the IFP application). On the IFP form, where McWilliams was asked if he or anyone living in the same residence had received more than $200 from other sources not specifically listed on the form, he checked yes and explained that Brittany Smith had received a donation of $188. The district court denied IFP with the explanation, first, that McWilliams, by omitting his prisoner number and the name of the facility, had failed to provide sufficient or accurate information. The court also faulted McWilliams because, according to the court, he had received $188 in gifts, yet the statement from his prison trust fund does not reflect any such income. The district court did not acknowledge that McWilliams actually had said on his application that the $188 (an amount below the reporting threshold) was donated to Brittany Smith, not to him, and neither did the court explain its apparent belief that the $188, even if received in a lump sum by Smith, had been, or was required to be, deposited into McWilliams's trust account. The court ordered McWilliams either to pay the filing fee or submit an accurately and properly completed application for IFP within the next month to avoid dismissal. In addition, the court said that it was denying McWilliams's motion for attorney assistance, even though no such motion had been filed. McWilliams then submitted a second IFP application, along with a first motion for appointment of counsel. This time he provided his inmate identification number and the name of the prison where he was incarcerated, but instead of checking no in response to every question about sources of funds, he said that he was not employed and wrote N/A across the remaining questions. On the IFP application the prison trust officer certified that McWilliams had $106.85 in his account and had received an average of $73.73 in the four months since his transfer to that facility. In his motion for appointment of counsel, McWilliams explained that he has limited formal education of a fourth grader and was dependent on help from other inmates. He also submitted a list of the law firms and legal-aid organizations he had asked to represent him. The district court denied the IFP application because McWilliams had written N/A instead of answering no to each specific question. The court then struck McWilliams's motion for appointment of counsel as moot and dismissed the action. II. Analysis The district court erred. As we have noted, the information purportedly missing from McWilliams's first IFP application was already in the court's hands, not only on his contemporaneously filed complaint but also in the trust officer's certification incorporated into the IFP application. And the court's conclusion that the application was inaccurate simply because McWilliams's trust account did not show a deposit of $188 is unpersuasive; even if that amount was donated to McWilliams and not to Brittany Smith (as the form says), nothing suggests that the funds were received in a lump sum. More importantly, we are not aware of any requirement that all financial resources available to an inmate be deposited into his or her trust account. What matters is disclosure; a district court may dismiss a complaint if a plaintiff's allegation of poverty is untrue, 28 U.S.C. 1915(e)(2)(A), but the court here did not point to anything untruthful about McWilliams's submission. See Arzuaga v. Quiros, 781 F.3d 29, 34 (2d Cir. 2015) (noting that 1915 does not mandate that a prisoner proceeding IFP must disclose every deposit he or she receives in her prisoner trust account). In this instance the plaintiff disclosed an amount below the $200 reporting threshold listed on the formand for that candor he was penalized. As for McWilliams's second application, moreover, the meaning of N/A on the form could not have been unclear given his first application. That McWilliams was indigent and qualified to proceed IFP is apparent from the two applications he submitted to the district court. This case should have proceeded nearly two years ago, and unless significant financial resources have become available to McWilliams since we granted his application to proceed IFP on appeal, the district court must grant IFP and move the case forward. On remand the district court should take up McWilliams's request for counsel, since identifying the correct defendants through discovery will be a critical first step in the litigation. III. Conclusion The judgment is VACATED, and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. PER CURIAM. On assuming the presidency, Aoun will not bow to past constraints and aims to restore the Land of the Cedars to its role as a nation of encounter. Beirut (AsiaNews) Asserting his own and Lebanons political independence by dedicating his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, that the country that has long opposed his ambition to the highest office of the Republic, because of his links with Hezbollah and then with Iran. Thisis how diplomatic circles are interpreting Lebanese President Michel Aouns decision to travel to Riyadh on Monday for a two day visit before going to Qatar, another important country in the Middle East alliances. First Aoun wants to show that the alliance of his "Courant patriotique libre" with Hezbollah will not influence his Presidency, which he will carry out independently. In this logic, the trip is of relative importance. The fact that the deal that paved the way for his Presidency also allowed the return of Saad Hariri as head of Government, leader of the Sunnis of the Courant du Futur, a great friend of the Saudis. This equidistance from the opposing parties and the consequent freedom of action might foster Lebanons return as an example of coexistence that it had in the past, and even enable it to find the space to become a mediator between the Saudis and Iranians, or at least a moderator. Aoun also hopes that the visit will bring financial gain: first the return of investors and the wealthy Gulf tourists to Lebanon and also those three billion dollars that Riyadh had promised to support the Lebanese army, but which stopped a year ago to protest Hezbollahs hostile attitude. (YH) Offenders risk up to six months in prison and fines up to $ 140 thousand. Large felines represent a status symbol to show off in homes, cars and on the streets. The new law also cover dog owners: registration, use of leash and vaccination mandatory. Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The private possession of wild animals like tigers, lions and cheetahs are now banned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)after years of controversy and debate. A widespread trend in the country - and other States in the oil-rich region - it is not uncommon for wealthy families to have large and mostly dangerous feline specimens as pets. These animals have long represented a status symbol to show off not only in domestic settings, but also in parks, on boats and even in cars (see photo). It is not uncommon to see photos of wealthy Arabs on their social profiles posing next to big felines, regardless not only of the danger they represent, but also the needs of the same animals that prefer other natural habitats. In October a video where some tigers - white and Bengali - were bathing in the waters off a beach in Dubai went viral on the web. However, from today owners are likely to face heavy fines if not the prison for violations. Rather than motivated by the need to protect these animals, the Emirate authorities are trying to curb the danger posed by the animals, which have repeatedly have been found roaming free in the streets of the country. According to reports from the site Gulf News, the law prohibits the sale and possession of "all kinds of wild animals and domesticated ones, but which still represent a danger. In future, these animals should be housed only in zoos, wildlife parks, circuses and research centers or conservation and study of wild species. Anyone found with a large feline or other exotic animals in public will be punished with penalties of up to six months in prison and fines of 500 thousand dirhams (just under $ 140 thousand). The fines can go up to 700 thousand dirhams if the samples are used to "terrorize" the population. The legislation also involves the owners of more traditional domestic animals. Even dog owners, in fact, will have to apply for and obtain a permit and, in the case of walking in public, will need to keep the animal on a leash and make vaccines against the most dangerous diseases. Again there are fines up to 100 thousand dirhams for breaches. Dog lovers will have until mid-June to get licenses and proceed with injections. BBC Two Airs Controversial 'Real Housewives Of ISIS' Sketch Trending News: People Are Freaking Out Over The 'Real Housewives Of ISIS' Sketch Long Story Short Satirists produced a sketch about ISIS in the style of The Real Housewives that some find funny, others offensive. Long Story BBC Two, a British television channel, has aired a sketch thats gotten viewers from the United Kingdom to the United States talking. The Real Housewives of ISIS portrays the comedic difficulties that four British Muslim women face after joining the terrorist organization in Syria, such as airstrikes interfering with explosive-belt and suicide-vest fashion shows. Its only three days till the beheading, and Ive got no idea what Im going to wear, declares Afsana, one of the characters. Yeah, it's like that. Muslims and non-Muslims alike have debated the merits of the sketch. One viewer on Twitter referenced the terrorist organizations employment of forced marriage and wartime sexual violence. The BBC really made a satirical show called "The Real Housewives of ISIS" while the real housewives of ISIS are being raped and abused daily Meraj. (@UncleMeraj) January 4, 2017 Critics of the sketch, which parodies American media franchise The Real Housewives and its Australian, British, Canadian, French, and Greek spinoffs, contend that it ignores the challenges that women in ISISs caliphate face and mainstreams Islamophobia. Some subject-matter experts have condemned what they view as leftist backlash inspired by political correctness, emphasizing the potential importance of comedy in combatting terrorists and denying them legitimacy. We think nothing when the Ku Klux Klan or the Nazis are satirized, so why not ISIS? asked Shiraz Maher, from the International Center for the Study of Radicalization. ISIS wants to be taken seriously as an actor and state, they want approbation, and comedy denies them that, and takes away their shine. British Muslim comedian Shazia Mirza agrees. Some people say that they are offended, some people are offended on others behalf, others are offended and they dont even know why, she told The Guardian. Being offended is very popular these days. In light of the Charlie Hebdo shootings, when French extremists killed comedians for satirizing Muhammad, the debate over the relationship between information warfare, political correctness, propaganda, and taste has become more relevant than ever. No one can decide whether The Real Housewives of ISIS is effective, funny, or offensive. It may very well be all three. Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question Whats the line between funny and offensive in comedy? Drop This Fact Kurdish militiawomen in Iraq and Syria have united to fight ISIS in Mosul and Raqqa. Hi everyone, this has been a bit of a nightmare for us trying to figure things out so I thought I'd come here and just ask around. I'm a Canadian citizen with an Aussie fiance and we are currently in Canada but going to fly to Aus next month. I've been on a Working Holiday visa since the start of April 2016 and now it will be coming to a close soon and we decided we'd like to live permanently in Australia and we're weighing our options. We were originally going to get married this month in Jan and then apply for the Partner Migration visa but some people are saying that the immigration officers will think it was rushed so close to the application date and we'll get rejected. So now we're thinking of doing the Prospective Marriage visa BUT it's also $7,000. So what comes after the prospective marriage visa once we're married? Do we need to pay another $7,000 for the partner migration visa as well??? Please advise. EDIT: I started filling out a Partner Migration Visa and in it it asks for my relation to my sponsor (my fiance) and I selected 'engaged' and then it asks me when we plan to get married. Would this be the best option for us? If we select to get married in a few months, would we be granted this partner visa if the grant is offered after we marry in 3-4 months? Alrighty, Would just like some clarification on some things if I may. 1. With the Statement that both the sponsor and applicant have to write (individually) am I right in saying I can great a word doc (converted to PDF) and attach document and when it comes up with the section to write it up on the online application i can write say "see attachment ______"? 2. With the There are 4 broad categories of evidence that you need to provide: financial aspects; the nature of the household; social context of the relationship; and the nature of your commitment to each other. Is this just providing various documents (receipts, statements etc)? and as for the Nature of the Household, does that need to be a form statement/Stat Dec SEPARATE to the individual statements? 3. Do both Sponsor and Applicant need to provide a Free to Marry Certificate, even though neither of us have been married? Those are the questions i can't seem to locate a direct answer for, I very much appreciate your help! thanks heaps peeps! Concept-i demonstrates the effectiveness of artificial intelligence in cars; designed to adapt its services according to user preference. Toyota's new autonomous vehicle, the Concept-i, has been revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show to demonstrate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in cars. Developed by Toyotas California design centre, CALTY, Concept-i has been created to focus on user experience by using Toyotas so-called kinetic warmth design philosophy. The cars AI system, named Yui, seamlessly adapts its services to the users preferences over time through machine learning, while also linking to the cars location and connectivity features to offer area-specific facilities. Yui can communicate with users via spoken messages, lights and even touch- sensitive features. Concept-i is first an autonomous electric car, but passengers can also switch the car into manual mode in certain circumstances. During manual operation too, the car will monitor the driver's attention and road conditions, and will provide automated assistance under dangerous conditions. The cars extensive use of glass has enabled designers to give the cabin a more airy feel. The cabin itself uses lighting and illuminated messages to provide passengers with information. Instead of a central display, the car employs projectors to show the information in the area it relates to. Blind spot alerts, for example, are shown on the cars pillars. Bob Carter, the company's senior vice president of automotive operations (US) said: At Toyota we recognise that the important question isnt whether future vehicles will be equipped with automated or connected technologies, it is the experience of the people who engage with those vehicles. Thanks to Concept-i and the power of artificial intelligence, we think the future is a vehicle that can engage with people in return. Atlanta Drive will be closed between addresses 3956 and 3961 until Jan. 31, for utility work. Residents will be detoured to Memphis Drive to Elm Street and back to Atlanta Drive. No less than 17.55 million brand spanking new vehicles were bought in 2016 in the U.S., an all-time record. In terms of best-selling nameplates, pickups reign supreme. The full-size segment ( F-Series, Silverado, Ram ) is the favorite among Americans, but so are small trucks such as the Toyota Tacoma.Mitsubishi, whos been recently bought by Nissan following the financial disaster prompted by the fuel economy scandal of 2016, doesnt have a workhorse to sell in the U.S. of A. The brand's dealers could sure use a truck, as pointed out by Mitsubishis North American executive vice president and COO. Speaking to Autoblog , Don Swearingen made it clear that a truck such as the L200 is something U.S. dealers could really use in their lots.Built in Thailand and sold in places that include Europe, the L200 (or Triton) is a perfectly fine mid-size workhorse that also happens to be immensely capable. My colleague tested a diesel-powered L200 Double Cab on regular roads and off the beaten track and, according to him, the L200 is a great all-around package. In America, however, the Thai-built L200 isnt feasible.For starters, the Chicken Tax would ramp up the price into uncompetitive territory. Then theres the problem of certifying a vehicle designed with the EMEA and Oceania regions in mind. Given these circumstances, there might be a silver lining on the horizon given Nissans buyout of Mitsubishi Motors.The Nissan Frontier, which is seriously old in each and every way accountable, could be replaced by a U.S.-spec version of the L200 in the near future. Theres also the possibility for Nissan to adapt the NP300 Navara to U.S. specifications, then allow Mitsubishi to swap the Nissan badges for its own.Whichever way you look at it, there are solutions for Mitsubishis U.S. dealers to get their hands on a pickup truck . The question, however, is how much will they have to wait for Nissan to give this proposal the green light. The fleet management company was awarded two Silver Stevies for Innovation in Sales and Best Use of Technology in Sales and two Bronze Stevies for Innovation in Customer Service and Best Use of Technology in Customer Service. NVIDIA wowed everyone at CES 2017 with "Xavier," their AI car supercomputer. The Drive PX 2 system was installed in a Star Wars inspired Lincoln called "BB8." CES 2017. During NVIDIA's keynote address, its CEO Jen-Hsun Huang made an announcement. His company planned to turn any car into "your most personal robot." The consumer electronics company unveiled an AI car supercomputer called the "Xavier." The supercomputer is an auto-grade, 512-core Volta CPU AI platform. It uses an octa-core ARM64 processor chipset and is capable of doing 30,000 TOPS (trillion operations per second). The AI supercomputer can be installed into basically any and every car. "Xavier" can learn how to drive by watching a human being. The system's aim is to be able to turn the user's car into a robot that can mimic a human driver. NVIDIA showcased their Drive PX 2 system through a Star Wars inspired Lincoln. They named it "BB8," after the popular droid from "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens." This is not the first time the graphics card manufacturer has built an AI car supercomputer. In fact, they have already made several versions of self-driving vehicles in the past. Huang noted that their company has been trying to come up with self-driving technology for 10 years. Xavier is the newest and most powerful evolution of NVIDIA's Drive PX 2 supercomputer. The company is confident that "Xavier" will be their final model that can be used in future applications. NVIDIA's New Partnerships. Huang also announced his company's new partnerships to cement their place in the automotive tech manufacturing industry. His company has a partnership with Audi which hopes to develop self-driving vehicles by 2020. In addition, the graphics card manufacturer will be working with HERE and Zenrin. Both companies are pioneers in digital mapping technology. HERE is owned by BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Zenrin is a Japanese company that builds digital maps locally. NVIDIA's self-driving technology will also be used by ZF and Bosch. They will use the AI supercomputer's self-driving platform and offer it to car and truck makers. The company faces stiff competition in the self-driving car race. But "Xavier" inside the Star Wars inspired "BB8" Lincoln was definitely one of the biggest CES 2017 NVIDIA highlights. The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold its first meeting of 2017 on Jan. 13 in the Flyway Room of the Big Cypress Lodge at the Bass Pro Shops in Memphis. The one-day meeting begins at 9 a.m. Among the items on this months agenda, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agencys Wildlife Division staff will present waterfowl and other migratory bird hunting seasons, including sandhill cranes, for next fall and winter to the commission. Due to recent changes in the timing of the federal regulation process in regard to the waterfowl and migratory game bird hunting, the annual proposals will now be made in January. They will be voted upon at the February commission meeting to be held in Nashville. There will be a presentation from Ducks Unlimited on the organizations partnership with the TWRA. DUs Dave Kostersky and Tim Willis will be present to discuss Tennessees efforts with Duck Unlimited and prairie Canada to create and enhance wetlands. A review of the big game tagging/harvest reporting will be made by assistant chief of wildlife and forestry, Joe Benedict. Wade Bourne will be honored by the TFWC with a resolution for his long-time communications efforts in helping promote the outdoors. He was an outdoors journalist from Clarksville who recently passed away. The TFWC will be meeting for the second consecutive year at the location which opened in 2015. Last years scheduled two-day meeting was cut short due to inclement weather. The Big Cypress Lodge is located at 1 Bass Pro Drive. The public is invited to attend the meeting. 7 January 2017 10:31 (UTC+04:00) The Armenian terrorist group known as the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) has penetrated in Armenias security services and army, according to ASALA member Mardiros Jamgotchian. Jamgotchian, who committed a terrorist attack in 1981 against an employee of the Turkish Consulate in Geneva, said in an interview with the Swiss magazine L'Hebdo that after 35 years, he still doesnt regret committing his crime. He enthusiastically and in detail described his crime in his interview. The ASALA member doesnt conceal the fact that after being released from a Geneva prison and coming back to Armenia, he began to maintain close relations with Armenian security services. The terrorist was welcomed as a hero by his home country and shortly thereafter he was sent to Nagorno-Karabakh, where combat operations were going on at the moment, L'Hebdo reports. Jamgotchian admitted in his interview that Yerevan openly supports the ASALA terrorist organization. He noted he still visits the Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia and periodically speaks before soldiers. L'Hebdo reports that Jamgotchian has lived in the US for four years, but the terrorist refused to say what he was doing there. The Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) terrorist organization operated actively from 1975 to the early 1990s. More than a third of ASALA attacks were aimed at airports in different countries and 50 percent were aimed at diplomatic missions. ASALA terrorists also carried out a number of terrorist attacks against religious figures and media workers. Forty-two Turkish diplomats were killed in ASALA attacks. The organization committed 110 terror acts in total. 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 January 2017 14:17 (UTC+04:00) The Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan has presented documents for extradition of Alexander Lapshin to law enforcement agencies of Belarus, Eldar Sultanov, head of the press service of Prosecutor Generals Office, told Trend Jan. 7. Lapshin was arrested in Belarus, because he had a criminal conspiracy with a group of people and illegally visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, where he spoke openly against Azerbaijans statehood, said Sultanov. He noted that currently, all necessary steps are being taken for Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan. Lapshin has been declared internationally wanted due to the fact that his actions include such offenses as public incitement against the state and illegal crossing of the state border and the Department for Investigation of Grave Crimes has filed a criminal case against him under the articles of 281.2 (Public incitement for violent seizure of power, forcible retention of power or violent change of the constitutional order or violation of Azerbaijans territorial integrity, as well as dissemination of such content, committed repeatedly or by a group of people) and 318.2 (Crossing the guarded state border of Azerbaijan without established documents), explained Sultanov. He added that a preventive measure in the form of an arrest for two months has been decided by the Minsk court against Lapshin. Currently, documents needed for Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan are being prepared, said Sultanov. Alexander Lapshin is a citizen of several countries and has had a criminal conspiracy with Armenians living in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. He also illegally visited these territories. Lapshin is accused of violating Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012. In order to promote the illegal regime created in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia, Lapshin presented Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state on his social media account and supporting the independence of the unrecognized regime he made public incitement aimed at violating Azerbaijans territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016 in those territories. 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 January 2017 00:46 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Kazakhstan, Turkey and Azerbaijan are close partners in the framework of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking states. Kazakh political analyst Dosym Satpayev made the remark while talking to Day.Az, when commenting on Turkeys aim to create a new tripartite format Azerbaijan-Turkey-Kazakhstan. "These three states form the core in the formation of a unified Turkic field. Of course, this includes also Kyrgyzstan. Turkmenistan, for its part, played a role of observer recently. In November last year, President Erdogan paid an official visit to Uzbekistan. It is possible that one of the aims of the visit was to attract Tashkent to this Council," he said. Azerbaijan, Turkey and Kazakhstan - the three Turkic countries have formed good bilateral relationships over the recent years, equally benefiting in numerous ways. These relationships are expected to gain further depth and width in the near future after establishment of the tripartite format. The three countries are also the members of parliamentary union of Turkic-speaking countries TURKPA established in 2008 aiming at expansion political, economical and cultural relations among Turkic-speaking countries. As for the economic sphere, Satpayev said the three countries also attempt to strengthen cooperation, including opening of new trans-Caspian routes for transportation of goods. "We know that a trans-logistic consortium with participation of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and China have already been created. Our countries are closely cooperating within the framework of international structures, or are in close contact with each other on a bilateral basis," he said stressing that countries have no serious tensions, conflicts, contradictions with each other, and have a great desire to find common ground on almost all issues, both in political and in economic segment. Today, several trilateral formats, such as the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Turkey-Iran and Turkey-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan exist in the region. Trilateral formats provide strong support for regional development by raising political and economic ties between three countries to a new level, according to experts. The work is also underway on creation of Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia format. The idea of creating the tripartite format of Turkey-Azerbaijan- Russia was initiated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the framework of his St. Petersburg meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last August. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 January 2017 13:27 (UTC+04:00) Oil rose slightly on Friday on increased buying ahead of the weekend, but a strong U.S. dollar and lingering doubts that not all OPEC producers would cut output in line with an agreement, pressured prices, Reuters reported. End of week position-squaring combined with relatively low volumes during the first trading week of the year led to the market being choppy, traders said. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were trading 19 cents higher at $57.08 per barrel at 11:34 a.m. EST, after moving in a $56.28-to-$57.47 range. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 rose 24 cents at $54.00 a barrel, after trading between $53.32 and $54.32. The contracts were on track for a slight gain on the week. "There's a lot of volatility, or at least changes in direction," ABN Amro senior energy economist Hans van Cleef said. "People think the long-term trend is up, but after a gain of a few dollars, they take profit." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 January 2017 10:56 (UTC+04:00) Turkeys Defense Minister Fikri Isik says the US, in order to fight the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, has chosen another terrorist group the Democratic Union Party (PYD) as its ally. Because of that Turkey is suffering today, and the US itself will face problems in the future, he said in an interview with the Haberturk TV channel Jan. 6. The US is still not keeping its promises concerning the withdrawal of PYD militants from the Syrian city of Manbij to the east bank of the river Euphrates, according to the minister. If the US does not keep its promise, Turkey will be forced to carry out an operation to clear the city of the militants, Isik said. As for the Incirlik Air Base in Turkeys Adana, Isik said the air base belongs to Turkey and all foreign forces at the base are only stationed there by Ankaras permission. Ankara does not consider closing down the air base now. However, if the use of the Incirlik Air Base contradicts Turkeys interests, we will assess the situation and take appropriate measures, the defense minister added. Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has earlier said shutting down the Incirlik Air Base in Adana is not on the agenda. Earlier Veysi Kaynak, deputy prime minister, said Ankara questions the presence of forces of the coalition at the Incirlik base. Incirlik Air Base is used by the United States Air Force and the Turkish Air Force. Its activities are regulated by the Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement. Planes of a number of the coalition members, that participate in air operations against IS, are also stationed at this air base. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 January 2017 13:08 (UTC+04:00) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault discussed prospects of the settlement in the Middle East, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said after the telephone conversation between the ministers, TASS reported. "Jean-Marc Ayrault talked about the preparations for the upcoming international conference on January 15 in Paris. Sergey Lavrov told the minister about Russias efforts on promoting the restoration of Palestinian unity and emphasized the fact that now it is important not only in words but in deeds to reopen dialogue between the parties of the conflict," the Ministry said. "The Russian minister talked about the current situation in Syria, where, thanks to the guarantees from Russia, Turkey and Iran were cessation of hostilities was achieved, which is generally respected, and is intended to serve as a basis for the transition to a political settlement," the Ministry said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 January 2017 07:30 (UTC+04:00) 07:30 (GMT+4) The shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida resulted in a total of 45 people injured, the Broward County Sheriff's Office has announced, Sputnik reported. The incident occurred near Terminal 2 of the airport on Friday morning. It was earlier reported that a gunman killed five and wounded 13 people. "This is a fluid situation. 5 dead. 8 initially injured. 37 others injured after incident. All injured taken to BHMC & Memorial Regional," the sheriffs office said on its official Twitter page. 00:50 (GMT+4) 13 people are reportedly injured. Five individuals have died, according to the sheriff's department in Fort Lauderdale, Sputnik reported. 23:55 (GMT+4) Authorities say five people were killed and eight were wounded after a lone suspect opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, international airport, AP reported. The Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted the information following Friday afternoon's shooting. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that authorities "have an active crime scene investigation involving terminal 2." News stations showed video of medics taking care of a bleeding victim outside the airport. Helicopters hovering over the scene showed hundreds of people standing on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by and numerous law enforcement officers, including tactical units, rushed to the scene. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that he was at the airport when shots were fired and "everyone is running." 22:46 (GMT+4) Police are on the scene of a mass shooting at the Florida airport where nine people are reportedly injured. Three individuals have died, Sputnik reported. The suspect is in custody and police have said there was only one shooter. The situation has been locked down by police and uninjured would-be flyers are currently being evacuated. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer is on the scene. Fleischer tweeted that "all seems calm now," but about 15 minutes earlier said that "everyone is running." It remains unknown if the one of the casualties was the gunman. 22:21 (GMT+4) Police are on the scene of a mass shooting at the Florida airport where anywhere between five and nine people are reportedly injured, Sputnik reported. The suspect is in custody and police have said there was only one shooter. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Opinions expressed in this column are those of Lois Henry. Her column runs Wednesdays and Sundays. Comment at http://www.bakersfield.com, call her at 395-7373 or email lhenry@bakersfield.com LOIS HENRY ONLINE Read archived columns by Lois Henry at Bakersfield.com/henry. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 11/3/2022 The Sales Institute at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Gary W. Rollins College of Business is officially open for business. After more than two years in the planning, the Sales ... more A Bakersfield attorney charged with misappropriating nearly $1 million from a client has denied the five counts filed against her and is askin Sonia Young, locally known as The Purple Lady, will be honored during the 2017 Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award presentation on Tuesday, March 7. ArtsBuild will host the event at the Hunter Museum of American Art from 6-8 p.m. A Chattanooga native, Ms. Young cultivated a life-long love of the arts at a young age. After graduating from Chattanooga High School, she received a B.A. from Tulane University and a Masters degree in Psychology from UTC. A true arts advocate, Mrs. Young currently serves on the boards of Chattanooga Theatre Centre and Chattanooga Ballet. In the early 1980s, Mrs. Young wrote and directed the youth theatre production, Purple Princess, for the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. This show, along with her leadership, became the impetus to establish the CTCs Youth Theatre, which she considers her most meaningful accomplishment. Mrs. Young has also served on the boards of Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Allied Arts (ArtsBuild), Chattanooga Opera Association, Tennessee River Gorge Trust, Chattanooga Zoo, McKamey Animal Care Trust, Girls Inc., Childrens Hospital Foundation, and Kids on the Block. She has led numerous fundraising campaigns for these organizations and more. She was named a Tennessee Women of Distinction by the American Lung Association in 2007. Mrs. Young continues to teach public speaking at UTC, a position she has held for 29 years. As a journalist, she has written for the Chattanooga Times, Chattanooga Life and Leisure Magazine and, for the past 23 years, for the Lookout and Signal Mountain Mirrors. Bob Willie, executive director of Chattanooga Ballet, nominated Mrs. Young for the award. There are very few arts organizations that have not been enhanced in some way by Sonia Young's passion and dedication to the arts in our community, said Mr. Willie. She has been a consummate arts advocate and fundraiser for the arts throughout her life. Sonia's passion for the arts has been dedicated to providing quality professional arts education and performance opportunities for the children of Chattanooga. Through her efforts, tens of thousands of children have been able to experience and appreciate the beauty and inspiration that are provided through arts. Sonia is an incredible role model for the next generation of arts leaders who follow in her footsteps. Sonias extraordinary volunteer efforts on behalf of the Chattanooga arts community is almost beyond compare, said ArtsBuild President Dan Bowers. She continues to be a tireless advocate for the arts and is passionate in her advocacy for many other nonprofit organizations. ArtsBuild is thrilled to be able to honor Sonia with this award. ArtsBuild established this annual award in 2014 to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions to the arts in Chattanooga and is actively engaged in the cultural life of the community. The first award recognized Ruth Holmberg for her extraordinary support of the arts and cultural community in Chattanooga over the past 70 years. The 2017 Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award is sponsored by First Tennessee Bank and EMJ Corporation. For more information visit www.artsbuild.com or call 756-2787. Tickets for the event will be available beginning in mid-January. Here is the upcoming Planning Commission agenda for Monday at 1 p.m.: 2017-001 R-1 O-1 Carl Puryear 2050 Hickory Valley Road Couny 8, City 6 Deny MR2017-002 Franchise Agreement Buddy Bates, McCoy Homes/Keith Porter 700 Blk. Mt. Vernon Avenue at 1200 W. Mississippi Ave.Couny 2,City 2Approve2017-003R-1C-2Adamson Development / Woodard Development Co.4949, 4978 Patsy Place (off Apison Pk)Couny 5,City 4Approve W/C2017-004C-2UGCRandy Troupe, Sr./ Brian Davis3221 Brainerd RoadCouny 5,City 9Approve2017-006SEPPUDMBSC Black Creek, LLC Attn.: Doug Stein/ Obar Investments, LLC3800 block Cummings RoadCouny 6,City 1Approve2017-007SPDaycare CenterCrystal Porter/John Lines2212 Taft HighwayWaldenDeferMR2017-008ClosureStreets & AlleysState of TN, Univ. of TN, Real Prop.-Adam Foster1200-1300 blk. Vine St., 500 blk. Hoskins St., 1200-1300 blk. E. 5th St., 500 blk. McGee St. and two (2) unopened alleysCouny 4,City 8ApproveMR2017-009LeaseAgreementCity Chattanooga, Real Property219,221,225,231,235,237 Aster AvenueCouny 6,City 1ApproveMR2017-010LeaseAgreementCity Chattanooga, Real Property3000 E. 34th StreetCouny 4,City 7Approve2017-011R-1R-T/ZCNE, Bob McNutt1801 E. 12th StreetCouny 4,City 8Approve W/C2017-012R-3R-T/ZCNE/Highland Park, LLC, Bob McNutt2103,2107,2109 Vance AvenueCouny 4,City 8Approve W/C2017-013A-1R-1Mike Moon, East Haven Partners, LLC/ Childress Family Lmtd. Partnership9648 East Brainerd RoadCouny 7Approve2017-014R-1RT-1Joseph Ingram/ Sergey Lyashevskiy7712, 7716 Shallowford RoadCouny 8,City 4Approve W/C2017-015R-2M-1Joseph Ingram/ Marco Investments2605 East 40th StreetCouny 4,City 7Approve W/C2017-016R-1O-1Donna Klein/Karen Walters1106 Greens RoadCouny 7,City 4Approve W/C2017-017R-1R-3Monica Luck1803 West 38th StreetCouny 6,City 7Deny2017-018R-1R-T/ZTower Const., Calvin Ball1608 E. 13th StreetCouny 4,City 8Approve W/CMR2017-019AbandonSewerBranch Waterside Assoc., LP, C/O Jack Haylett/ Byron Defoot, Lifestyle Way Prop. Invest.2334, 2345 Elam LaneCouny 8,City 4ApproveMR2017-020AbandonAlleyMcCallie Commons, LLC/ Saeed,Tatiana & Ata MoharreriUnopened ALLEY off 600 blk. O'Neal StreetCouny 6,City 8ApproveOld Business2016-197SEPPUD ResidentialOoltewah Develop., LLC/ Shane Howard; Robert & Darlene Center (Deferred from December Planning Commission)276 W. 21st Street 9730, 9742, 9744 East Brainerd RoadCouny 7Approve W/C President-elect Donald Trump announced today that he intends to nominate form United States Senator Dan Coats to serve as the Director of National Intelligence. Trump nominates former Senator Dan Coasts as Director of National Intelligence Sen. Coats' experience gives him keen understanding of national security threats Director of National Intelligence installed after Sept. 11 attacks Sen. Coats served for years on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, including during the just-completed 114th Congress and previously on the Senate Armed Services Committee. His experience has given him a keen understanding of the national security threats currently facing our nation and the solutions required to address them, according to the statement released. Im very confident that Senator Dan Coats is the right choice to serve as Director of National Intelligence, said President-elect Trump. Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community. If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm. The Director of National Intelligence was installed as head of the U.S. Intelligence Community after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as a way to facilitate the sharing of information. Which ultimately made it possible to form a more comprehensive threat assessment. The DNI is also responsible for delivering the Presidents Daily Brief, which fuses intelligence from across various agencies to give the President the most up-to-date information on threats around the world, among other critical responsibilities. It is an honor to be nominated as Director of National Intelligence, said Sen. Coats. A robust and responsible intelligence infrastructure is essential to our homeland security, and if confirmed I will ensure our national security decision-makers have every piece of information they need to protect the American people from the threats facing our nation. There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen. The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travelers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have traveled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities said Saturday, but they don't know yet why he chose his target and have not yet ruled out terrorism. Private planes and a few small jets began taking off early Saturday morning after Friday's lone gunman attack that left five people dead and six injured. All roadways in and out of the airport also are open. "Yesterday, we experienced a hateful, evil attack on our state," said Gov. Rick Scott, speaking at the Fort Lauderdale Airport Saturday morning. "People were senselessly murdered, it was a horrific day. "The person responsible for this act will be brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law." Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. FBI Agent George Piro said Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked on a flight from Alaska. "Indications are that he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Piro said. "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it's too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the U.S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. Santiago had not been placed on the U.S. no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, Piro said. The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop to the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." Additional questions on airport security The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. "The fact is that wherever there are crowds, such as at our airports, we remain vulnerable to these types of attacks," Nelson said. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a "disgraceful situation that's happening in our country and throughout the world" and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted - from specialist to private first class - and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. That uncle would be Chester Dean Young, who gave me my first and middle names! And yes, I have already written about him about a year ago. Today I want to re-visit his short life, just to ponder some of the differences between his time (of 1917) and ours. (He died on January 7th of that year). The major medical difference that comes to mind is the almost total eradication of tuberculosis, the dread disease that took his life at age 24. (I have a very healthy grandson who is that same age at the moment, and for whom the word "tuberculosis" has little or no meaning). Although born at Flintstone, GA, Chester spent most of his days in St. Elmo, whose mores and Victorian values doubtless molded his life-style, habits, and beliefs. Uncle Chester - whom I never knew - is reported to have been an avid reader, loving the Harry Potter type book of his day, known as PECK'S BAD BOY. He had been a good student at Central HS (when it was located on Dodds Avenue on what is now McCallie School property). It is therefore easy to imagine that he took a keen interest in World War 1 - a war from which he would have been exempted had he lived. Fact is that he died three months, almost to the day, before the US's entry into that terrible war. Growing up in St. Elmo he counted at least two well-known residents there among his friends: Creed Bates and Tom White. Bates later acquired the rank of Lt. Col. in the World War, later becoming the long-time principal of Chattanooga HS. White became owner of a popular grocery store located on St. Elmo Avenue about two blocks south of St. Elmo United Methodist Church. As a high school graduate he was able to take a business course and find immediate employment in the offices of Dixie Portland Cement Company at Richard City, (South Pittsburg), TN. They liked him there, and he received several promotions before the tuberculosis took over and ruled the rest of his life. Local doctors sent him to Pine Breeze Sanitarium north of the river for treatments which did no good. Next step was to send him to the warm, dry climate of Phoenix, AZ. There he again found immediate employment at another mining concern and was able to set up a small chicken farm with a newfound Arizona friend in his spare time. Pine Breeze has long-since been gone as it was no longer needed due to the gradual eradication of TB. Be grateful for that! FDR's MARCH OF DIMES, originally founded to pay for polio research, soon included tuberculosis among its beneficiaries, slowly overtaking that disease and virtually removing it from our consciousness. As the only son (to survive infancy) of my grandparents, James Lyde and Mattie Minerva Smith Young, I have often wondered where Uncle Chester's education and entreprenurial spirit might have taken him in life had he lived. It would appear he was on his way to a successful career - and might have lived on to influence my early years. I will always regret I never knew him. Same goes for his father, (my grandfather) who died at age 43 (of "grippe")! The accompanying picture shows Uncle Chester in the middle, with Tom White at left. Driver of the handsome rig is unknown. One can imagine that the image was snapped by a photographer friend on a Sunday drive after church. My uncle does not appear to be too happy, and I wonder if his dread disease had already set in... Were the others taking him on a Sunday excursion simply to try and cheer him up? Don't know. Just let this short story remind us all to be grateful for the modern age we live in, when so many maladies such as tuberculosis, small-pox, polio, yellow fever - even many forms of cancer - have been conquered. My Uncle Chester's burial was in the comparatively new Hooker, GA Cemetery, which HIS uncle, Dr. John Wesley Smith, had founded years before to help finance a new university in that area. (That story is related in a book, THE ROAD I CAME, by Paul Jordan-Smith, from Caxton Press). --- (Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached at cymppm@comcast.net ) Heavy Ice / Snow for Oregon Coast Range, Valley, Even Beaches Published 01/06/2017 at 10:53 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Oregon Coast) - Winter storm warnings are up for all of Oregon over the weekend, cautioning of snow and then freezing rain in Portland, all of the Willamette Valley, the Oregon coast range and even some of the coastline and its beach towns. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued the warnings for these areas, in effect for all of Saturday and most of Sunday, varying slightly from region to region. For the north Oregon coast the warning is in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, with snow accumulation up to two inches and ice up to .20 inches. On the central coast, it's in effect from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m., with up to an inch of snow and one tenth of an inch of ice although luckily most of that will be just a bit inland from the beaches. For the Oregon coast range at least the sections closer to Florence, Eugene and Newport up to Lincoln City - the winter storm warning runs from 4 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. on Sunday, with up to one inch of snow and as much as half an inch of ice. The northern coast range will be hit more like Portland, with the warning in effect from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Up to an inch of ice is possible and up to two inches of snow may fall. The NWS said temperatures will start falling below freezing Saturday morning (the central coast will get hit earlier), just as several bands of precipitation begin pushing through. This will result snow at first, changing to freezing rain and very icy roads. Some state agencies are urging Oregon residents to keep emergency kits on hand and prepare for power outages that could last for days even in the more populated metro areas of the valley. By the late afternoon on Saturday to late evening Sunday depending on location temperatures will warm up to above freezing and regular rain will kick in. This transition will occur most quickly in Lane County, and the slowest in and near the Columbia Gorge, the NWS said. The result will be a variety of winter weather impacts ranging from heavy snow in the Gorge to a potential ice storms for portions of the Willamette Valley and nearby hills. Temperatures on the Oregon coast for most of the weekend will largely be about freezing for nighttime lows but with daytime highs in the low to mid 30's, making this area the warmest and least complicated for driving. However, the coast range passes will be affected greatly by these ice storms, although highways near Lincoln City, Newport and Florence should be affected less. All Oregon coast range passes should mostly clear by Sunday, however, with heavy rains expected along with sizable winds. The bad news for the entire region is that more snow is expected from Monday through the rest of the week, according to NWS predictions as of Friday night. Portland will get a respite for about a day and a half, then more snow comes in on Tuesday. The coast range will stay somewhat snowy all through the week. Oregon coast beach towns will not get any more snow after the weekend. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours - Keep an eye on Oregon Coast Weather - Keep an eye on Oregon Coast and Coast Range Traffic Conditions Sand Lake Country Inn, Pacific City More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Publix Super Markets joined forces with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area to break ground on the companys first sponsored Habitat for Humanity home on Friday. Publix Super Markets Charities is proud to support Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the Southeast with a $5.5 million donation," said Brenda Reid, media and community relations manager for Publix. "Our associates look forward to helping build one of the homes in the Chattanooga area." weather permitting. Over the next 15-weeks, more than 150 Publix associates will work alongside Habitat partner families each weekend to build a 4-bedroom home for Chattanooga native, LaToya Little and her three children.weather permitting. Dan is much smarter than me and he holds on to all the ticket stubs for concerts and sporting events that hes attended over the years. He recently sent me a rug and a coffee mug that he created based on the ticket stub for a special concert we attended almost 30 years ago when we were at the University of Illinois. The show was Stevie Ray Vaughan at Foellinger Auditorium. At the time I was in college and had almost no money. I saw that Stevie Ray Vaughan was coming to campus and thought I would get up early and stand in line to purchase tickets before class (I rarely got up early in those days when I could avoid it). Alas, the line was already long and I pretty much gave up right away. There was a guy who was scalping tickets, however, so I went up to him and bought two tickets for what I remember was about $50. The tickets were up front in the first couple of rows as it turned out but way, way on the left side of the stage. Dan and I got rip roaring drunk before the show (which was the custom, back in the day) and we headed to Foellinger. Note that Foellinger was a lecture hall and I had many classes in that room the room had bolted-down desks with the fold out panels that you could write on, so it was kind of odd that they had concerts at that same room (I also saw the punk band Husker Du in that same lecture hall, which seemed even odder). When we got to our seats I remember being disappointed because we were far to the side and the speakers were a wall out front. We couldnt see the drums or the back of the stage. But when the show started, SRV came out and stood right in front of the speakers immediately in our face about ten feet away and jammed the whole show right there. It was amazing. I looked on the site Setlist and I couldnt find the song list from that show but they had some other shows on that tour and I think this is a pretty typical list from the era. Of course you could spend a gigantic post summarizing how great SRV is and his impact on music but I wont replicate that here. Youd be better off going to YouTube and watching one of his concerts from the 1987 tour online. Cross posted at LITGM To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below A luxury silver jewellery and giftware business which boasts supermodel Naomi Campbell as a brand ambassador is launching its first store in Northern Ireland. Irish firm Newbridge Silverware is opening its flagship store in Belfast next month. The company has been designing and producing silver giftware and tableware for the last 80 years, and has also branched out into a wide range of jewellery. It has a number of outlets, including its Newbridge Visitor Centre in the Republic, which showcases jewellery and clothing worn by some of Hollywood's biggest stars. That includes dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis. It is understood the company is now due to open its first Northern Ireland store, at Arthur Street in Belfast city centre. Fit-out for the business is believed to have started, with the company expected to open towards the end of February. The new retail brand for Belfast was secured by commercial property firm Murphy Surveyors. Supermodel Naomi Campbell was unveiled as the face of Newbridge Silverware in 2015 at a press conference in the Merrion Hotel in Dublin. Ms Campbell will now be one of the faces of the firm for at least the next year. Oonagh Doyle of Newbridge said she was "looking forward to being in Belfast". The company sells a host of jewellery, across various different ranges. That includes contemporary ranges, as worn by Ms Campbell. And the firm also has a Guinness-inspired collection, which includes rose gold earrings, watches, necklaces, giftware and Christmas decorations. The company was founded in the 1930s as a cutlery manufacturer. It has also long been a believer in the power of the brand, having continued to associate itself with celebrities, even during the years of the recent recession. That includes a partnership with Brian O'Driscoll's wife Amy Huberman, and more recently a deal with Ireland rugby star Rob Kearney. Newbridge Silverware is the latest brand to set up shop in Northern Ireland's high streets, following a series of big names opening their doors here in 2016. Those included fashion names such as Stradivarius, a sister company of Zara, and menswear specialist Moss Bros. Christmas 2016 is now past but we can carry the memory and spirit of Christmas with us into the New Year - the spirit of love and goodwill, thoughtfulness and generosity, warmth and friendship. In particular, there will be thoughts of the birth of Jesus in a feeding-trough in a stable in Bethlehem: of the angels singing, 'Glory to God in the highest', and the shepherds hastening to the stable. The familiar and beautiful Christmas Carols may still resound inspirationally in our hearing. Even as we take down the Christmas decorations, put away the Christmas cards, and dismantle the Christmas tree, we remember that two-thousand years ago a little child was born in meagre circumstances to a humble Jewish couple from Nazareth in Galilee. Though the surroundings were unusual, sparse and inauspicious, the event itself was singular in its uniqueness. It was the most momentous and important event in the history of the Universe. God came to earth in human form. From that moment, whether in the manger in Bethlehem, or in the Carpenter's shop in Nazareth, or indeed in living our lives in the twenty-first century, those who encountered Jesus encountered God. How important it is that we carry that thought and truth with us as we enter a new year and new challenges. In the Christian Calendar, yesterday was The Epiphany - when Christians around the world celebrated the 'manifestation' or 'showing forth' of the baby Jesus to all mankind. In every respect, with one exception, the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas Day was a Jewish event. Mary and Joseph were Jews. The shepherds were Jews. Bethlehem - the City of David - was Jewish. Jesus was circumcised in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. However, Epiphany was about the visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The Magi were not Jews. They came from a land in the East, and from a religion which was not Jewish: and their worship and gifts were accepted. They were Gentiles but were received by Jesus, demonstrating that Jesus came for Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus came for all mankind. Here is a great truth for every person today. Mankind comprises individuals and groups of many creeds, classes and colours. Epiphany tells us clearly that Jesus came for everyone without distinction. Every person is included in the loving purposes of God. Epiphany adds a crucial dimension to the Christmas story - Jesus is the universal Saviour Messiah. Epiphany affirms that Jesus is not sectional or sectarian in any way. His reach is universal and his unerring love is for every person without exception. There is no preferential treatment for any person - Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist or agnostic. All are loved equally by the infant in the manger. Christmas tells us again of the love of the Christ-child. Epiphany tells us that the child of Bethlehem is for every person! Man was shot in legs in Ardnamonagh Parade area of Belfast General view of Ardmonagh Parade in west Belfast where a 21-year-old was shot in both legs. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Police at the scene of a shooting in the Ardmonagh Parade area of Belfast on 6th January 2017 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph ) A man was shot in both legs in the Ardmonagh Parade area of west Belfast on Friday night. Police said the paramilitary-style shooting happened at around 10pm. The 21-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries which are not believed to be life threatening. Detective Inspector Mark McHaffie said he is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or anyone who has information to contact detectives at Reactive and Organised Crime at Musgrave PSNI station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 1178 06/01/17. Alternatively they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111. The funeral of solicitor Gerry Daly takes place at St Gerards Church, Antrim Road, yesterday More than 500 mourners gathered yesterday to pay their respects to the veteran Belfast solicitor Gerry Daly, who died just two weeks after his wedding. Mr Daly spent more than 40 years of his life with Francis Hanna solicitors in May Street. He started as a junior clerk in 1975 at the age of 17 before earning his legal qualifications and rising to partner. He had just married his partner Rosie on December 15 before sadly passing away on December 30. Yesterday mourners packed into St Gerard's Church on Belfast's Antrim Road to say a final farewell, with only standing room for the many who came to pay their respects. Martin Hanna, his friend and fellow partner at Francis Hanna solicitors, gave the eulogy. Before the funeral he thanked those who paid tribute to Mr Daly. "He was a much loved and respected person. We'll give him a great send off on Thursday," he said in an online tribute. The law firm's website said staff were deeply saddened at the loss of "our esteemed partner and dear friend. Gerry was an extremely industrious solicitor and became a partner in the practice at the earliest possible opportunity". "He took pride in his straight-talking style and pragmatic approach to problem solving". Mr Daly is survived by his wife Rosie, children Danielle, Tony and Dominique, and grandson Cillian. Two men have been given prison sentences for running a lucrative "evil trade'' in drugs using the internet's so-called 'dark web' Two men have been given prison sentences for running a lucrative "evil trade'' in drugs using the internet's so-called 'dark web'. Richard Charles Patrick Sinclair (34), of Cranagh Road, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, received a seven year sentence. The court heard he used a bedroom in his grandmother's house to buy drugs over the internet from Holland, using the crypto-currency bitcoin and then distributed them to customers inside DVD cases. He pleaded guilty to a number of offences, including possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and importing a class A drug. Kyle James Hall (26), received a five-year sentence after he used his Chamberlain Street home in east Belfast, where he lived with his partner and their infant child, to run his own similar online drugs distribution network. Hall pleaded guilty to a number of drug offences. A third co-accused, Stephen Rodgers (29), of Glynn Park Close, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, who was described as a "patsy" in the drugs operation, received 240 hours of community service. He admitted being concerned in the supply of class A, class B and class C drugs and converting criminal property. Passing sentence at Belfast Crown Court, Judge Geoffrey Miller QC told Hall he would serve 33 months in custody and the same on licence after his release. Judge Miller QC said the 10 months Sinclair and Hall had spent on remand should be taken into account. The judge said the case showed the "use of the 'dark web' for the purpose of a range of drugs in significant wholesale quantities which were distributed to a large online customer base''. "This was a sophisticated and commercial operation which generated several hundred thousand pounds in revenue from an evil trade in drugs," he said. Belfast Crown Court had previously heard that in August 2016, police searched Sinclair's home, which he shared with his grandmother, and found him in his bedroom "in the process of destroying evidence on his computer''. Prosecution lawyer Philip Henry told the court: "Displayed on the computer screen was a list showing details of hundreds of drugs transactions.'' Inside the property, detectives found "five sealed packages'' with the names and addresses of clients which were stamped and ready to post. Three contained DVD cases containing packages of MDMA powder. Two of the packages were addressed to Kyle Hall and contained 1,500. Police suspected that this was payment for drugs that Hall was sending to Sinclair the same day by a courier company containing 3,000 tablets of class A drug. A tin box found under the computer desk containing around 70 grammes of MDMA powder and 310 LSD tablets. Officers also found a cash box with around 6,000. During the course of the search, the court heard police also uncovered a large quantity of DVD cases, brown cardboard envelopes, a vacuum sealing device, doctored deodorant containers to allow drugs to be put inside and a box of latex gloves. Sinclair's computer was examined by the PSNI's Cyber Crime unit, which found emails he had sent to customers. Customers were told to send secure packages to a mail box service in Armagh which would be forwarded to him before he would send out the drugs. A Co Down woman known for designing some of the world's most stunning tropical getaways has died. Linda Garland, who decorated the luxurious homes of the world's biggest stars - including David Bowie and Mick Jagger - succumbed to her long battle with cancer this week. Ms Garland earned herself the nickname 'the bamboo crusader' because of her sustainable building projects and environmentalist work. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010. The Newry woman battled with the illness for the last six years but she passed away in hospital in Victoria, Australia, on Tuesday. She was 70 when she died. The design artist is responsible for the theme of numerous extravagant tropical homes owned by the world's wealthiest people, including Richard Branson. The interior designer and landscape artist was one of two children who grew up on a large estate in Newry. She moved to London in the middle of the Swinging Sixties when she was 18-years-old to pursue her design ambitions. But just two years later, while in Italy, a near-fatal car crash changed the course of her life entirely. After spending months recovering in hospital she decided to travel the world collecting fabrics and artefacts and by 1974 she had settled in Bali. The bamboo queen's exploration of local crafts paid off and by the 1980s her interior design business was booming. She quickly gained a reputation for her sustainable ecological projects. One of her best known works is the famous Panchoran Retreat in Bali. The eco-friendly estate comprises six well spaced out villas made of bamboo and tiered down a lush hillside overlooking a small river on the Indonesian island. The retreat has a 26-metre pool which is fed with water from a nearby spring. Linda was also the mastermind behind the decor of the late David Bowie's tropical hideaway on the private Caribbean island of Mustique. The Indonesian-themed house unfolds in a series of Balinese temple pavilions, cleverly arranged around a two-tiered ornamental pool. Linda's signature look was most evident in the spacious property's bamboo lounge and home studio which also had a bamboo ceiling. Linda gained Indonesian citizenship following her marriage to Amir Rabik. In 1993 she founded the Environmental Bamboo Foundation after becoming increasingly concerned by the destruction of forests. The non-profit organisation will continue to seek to alleviate the devastating impact of deforestation in Indonesia, now championed by her son Arief Rabik. Duncan Murray Kirk, a friend of Linda's, posted a tribute to her on Facebook. In it she said: "I feel a deep gratitude to have been a close friend and to have received the guiding light that she spread widely for the greater good of humanity and its ecology." Amir Sidharta also paid tribute, writing: "RIP Linda Garland, the grand lady of bamboo! "Thank you for supporting Bali's creative industries since the 1980s. "Thank you for inspiring many craftsman in Indonesia. Thank you for helping make Indonesia 'cool' to the world. Thank you for all your trust. And also thank you for introducing me to David Bowie." No Bail For 4 Charged In Live-Streamed Hate Crime & Kidnapping By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 6, 2017 8:40PM Chicago Police Department The two men and two women charged with hate crime and kidnapping, among other offenses, in an attack on a schizophrenic man that broadcast live on Facebook were denied bail by a judge at a bond court hearing in Chicago on Friday afternoon, according to news reports. "I'm looking at each of you and wondering where was the sense of decency that each of you should have had?" said Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil. "I don't see it." No bail for 4 defendants in Chicago torture case. Judge: "Where was the sense of decency? I find each of you a danger to yourself & society. Andy Grimm (@agrimm34) January 6, 2017 Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18; Brittany Covington, 18; and Tanishia Covington, 24, each face charges of aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Cooper and Brittany Covington are also charged with residential burglary; and Hill faces charges of robbery, residential burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle. The grandmother of two of the suspects nodded in agreement when the judge questioned their decency, Tribune reporter Will Lee Tweeted. The mother of the victim cried out "yes" when the judge ordered the four held without bond, Lee also Tweeted. The four were formally charged on Thursday. Police superintendent Eddie Johnson called the incident "brutal" and "sickening" at an arrest announcement on Wednesday. President Obama called the incident "despicable" in an interview with CBS2 on Thursday. The videowhich was first streamed live on Facebook then heavily circulated on social media Wednesday eveningshows the victim with his mouth taped and hands bound while his scalp and sweatshirt are cut with a knife. At least one offender is heard shouting, "fuck white people" and "fuck Donald Trump. The victim is also seen being forced to drink toilet water in another video. The group tried to extort the victim's mother for a $300 ransom, prosecutors alleged. One defendant allegedly said, "I don't give a fuck if he is schizophrenic," the Sun-Times reports. Prosecutors reportedly said in court on Friday that hate crime charges were based on both the victim's disability and race. When asked which aspect was the motivating factor in pursuing hate crime charges, Police Commander Kevin Duffin said at a Thursday briefing it was "six of one, half dozen the other." Gerry Adams left little doubt that Sinn Fein will pull the plug on the institutions - likely prompting a snap election - if Arlene Foster does not temporarily step down Gerry Adams has made clear Sinn Fein will not back down from its demand for Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to allow a probe into her role in a botched green energy scheme. The Sinn Fein president warned the Democratic Unionist leader that she is not a "Prime Minister" and her position in one of the two leading roles in the power-sharing administration depended on his party's agreement. Addressing party faithful in west Belfast, Mr Adams left little doubt that Sinn Fein will pull the plug on the institutions - likely prompting a snap election - if Mrs Foster does not temporarily step down. Mrs Foster, who presided over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) when economy minister, has steadfastly refused to leave the stage to facilitate a probe into a scandal that has left Stormont facing a 490 million bill. Mr Adams said: "If the First Minister does not take the actions that society desires and deserves and which a sustainable process of change requires, then Sinn Fein will bring this ongoing and totally unacceptable state of affairs to an end." The fate of the current administration now hangs on the pivotal issue of whether or not Mrs Foster will stand down. On Friday she voiced support for a judge-led probe into RHI outlined by her Sinn Fein partners in government, but she again emphatically rejected the republican party's prerequisite that she step aside to facilitate it. "It is clear there are many in the political class who do not believe in due process or natural justice," said the DUP leader. "They just want me to go regardless of the fact that there is not a scintilla of evidence of wrongdoing against me. I don't roll over to my political opponents." The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out 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 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 lack of consensus over the form of an investigation comes amid similar disagreement on DUP proposals to reduce the overspend. The DUP has claimed its proposals could wipe out the bill, but Sinn Fein have rubbished them. In his speech on Saturday, Mr Adams said: "The DUP leader has thus far refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report by an independent investigation into the RHI scandal. "She repeated that refusal yesterday. "That is not good enough. Arlene Foster has been First Minister for almost a year." He added: "Arlene Foster is not a Prime Minister. She is a co-equal partner in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister. She can continue in that office but only for as long as Sinn Fein allows it." In a strongly-worded speech he also branded DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan an "ignoramus" for cutting funding for an Irish language initiative just before Christmas. He said during ten years of partnership government together, the DUP had shown Sinn Fein "deliberate provocation, arrogance and disrespect". DUP Assembly member Edwin Poots was scornful in response to Mr Adams' remarks, which were made in the Felons social club. Referring to the aristocratic title temporarily applied to the Sinn Fein leader by Westminster conventions when he resigned as an MP, Mr Poots tweeted: "Baron Gerry Adams of Northstead finds Arlene Foster guilty at high noon in the Felons Club kangaroo court." Michelle O'Neill holds a copy of Sinn Fein's Terms of Reference for the Independent Panel Investigation of the Non Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Under Sinn Fein's plan for an investigation into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scandal, an independent panel led by a judicial figure from outside Northern Ireland would be established. Northern Ireland's Attorney General, John Larkin, would appoint the chairperson. It is envisaged the panel would include experts in accountancy, renewable energy and the workings of the civil service. Legislation would be required to confer powers to compel witnesses and subpoena papers. While this could theoretically be done in 10 days through accelerated passage in the Assembly, a more realistic time frame would be four weeks. Sinn Fein wants the panel to produce a preliminary report within four weeks of it commencing its work, with a final report within three months. The republican party wants Arlene Foster to step aside during the period prior to the preliminary report being completed. The DUP leader has made clear she won't, so the Sinn Fein proposal is unlikely to be implemented. Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said the NI Attorney General should not be asked to appoint the panel chair, as he himself was appointed by, and is accountable to, the First and deputy First Ministers. Mr Nesbitt suggested Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, should appoint the chair. Alliance leader Naomi Long said it would not be appropriate for the Attorney General to appoint the chair, commenting: "The Attorney General is a barrister, not a judge. He can't appoint anyone senior to him. He is not in charge of the judiciary." Mrs Long added that she could not understand why Sinn Fein "cannot bring themselves to call for a full public inquiry". A public consultation has been opened over plans to ban smoking in cars carrying children. Health Minister Michelle O'Neill called it "inconceivable" that young people should be exposed to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. Yesterday she announced an eight-week consultation on regulations that would restrict smoking in cars carrying youngsters. Drivers who fail to prevent passengers smoking while someone aged under 18 is present could be criminalised if the proposals become law. Ms O'Neill said the dangers of second-hand tobacco smoke were well known. "Children are more susceptible than adults to harm caused by others' cigarette smoke as they have smaller lungs and less developed immune systems," the Health Minister added. "It is inconceivable that we continue to allow children to be exposed to such harm while travelling within the confined space of a car." The planned extension of existing legislation - the Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 - was welcomed by Gerry McElwee, the head of cancer prevention at Cancer Focus NI, who described the proposals as a "positive move in the right direction", but also claimed more needed to be done. "In the near future we would also like to see smoking stubbed out wherever children play or learn, including playgrounds, public parks, zoos and theme parks," he said. "We already know that children who regularly see adults smoke are much more likely to try smoking. "We firmly believe that this move could help protect children's health and reduce their perception that smoking is normal behaviour." Mr McElwee also said most smokers start while children, adding that Cancer Focus NI was working towards a tobacco-free Northern Ireland by 2035. Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw welcomed the consultation. "Alliance committed to this in our manifesto, particularly on occasions where children are present, and we have pursued it strongly," she said. Concerns over the health of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness were growing last night after he missed a key Sinn Fein announcement. The party yesterday outlined proposals for a probe into the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal at a high-profile Stormont press conference. However, Mr McGuinness was nowhere to be seen. Earlier this week he was described as "not well". For the second time in three days, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill took the party reins, announcing demands for an independent investigation into the crisis and renewing calls for Arlene Foster to stand aside. The Deputy First Minister has not been seen in public since before Christmas and questions about his health and the stability of his position are mounting. He took part in a meeting with Mrs Foster and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds in Belfast on Wednesday, and held talks with Secretary of State James Brokenshire. Sinn Fein later issued a joint statement from Mr McGuinness and Ms O'Neill. However, Mr McGuinness made no public comment or appearance after the meeting. And at yesterday's Stormont press conference, the only reference to Mr McGuinness came from Ms O'Neill, who insisted he was central to decision-making around the RHI saga. "Obviously Martin has his health issues but despite all of that he is still at the core of all these issues and has been involved in making all these decisions," she said. Earlier this week Mrs Foster alluded to Mr McGuinness's health troubles in an interview, where she referred to "jockeying for position" within Sinn Fein. She said: "The Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is not well and there seems to be some jockeying for position internally." Party leader Gerry Adams told a Sinn Fein meeting before Christmas that Mr McGuinness's health was making it difficult to secure the political institutions. In an interview before Christmas, Mr McGuinness (66) said: "I am being attended to by a wonderful group of doctors and nurses from our health service and I think that's all I have to say about it at the moment." No further details of his health problems have been outlined, and his continued absence has only served to fuel speculation. The Belfast Telegraph asked Sinn Fein why Mr McGuinness wasn't at yesterday's press conference and if the public could be assured about his health and the stability of his position. A party spokesman said: "Martin McGuinness is receiving ongoing medical treatment but he has been in contact with the Executive Office and Sinn Fein colleagues throughout the ongoing crisis. The Deputy First Minister met with Sinn Fein ministers in Stormont Castle this week before meetings with Arlene Foster and Nigel Dodds and the British Secretary of State James Brokenshire." Following questions about the Deputy First Minister's state of health, the Executive Office referred the Belfast Telegraph back to a previous statement. It said: "Martin McGuinness is fulfilling his responsibilities as Deputy First Minister working with his departmental political advisers. There has been no disruption to the work of the Executive Office during this period." Writing in the Belfast Telegraph last month, former Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay predicted a "changing of the guard" in the party, suggesting Mr McGuinness could step down this year. "Over the past two weeks there have been plenty of references to Martin's health, so that may be a signal that changes are coming. "Gerry Adams has commented on Martin's health in a number of interviews, but at the end of the day it will be down to Martin McGuinness himself and the party leadership," he said. Concerns over Mr McGuinness's health emerged at the start of December when he pulled out of a trade mission to China at the last minute. His absence had initially been blamed on "unforeseen personal circumstances". Mr McGuinnness is a regular user of Twitter, but has posted just once since New Year's Eve. Garda at the scene in Kilclare Crescent in Jobstown A teenage boy detained after the fatal stabbing of another young man has been released without charge, gardai said. He was arrested and questioned by detectives in Dublin on Friday over the death of a 17-year-old, named locally as Reece Cullen. Mr Cullen was attacked at a house in Kilclare Crescent in the Jobstown area of the capital at about 3pm on Thursday and later pronounced dead in nearby Tallaght Hospital. A Garda spokesman said on Saturday that the teenager arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act had been released late on Friday night. A file will now be prepared for the director of public prosecutions, he added. The BNS agency is based in Tallinn, Estonia A cyber attack disrupted services for 10 hours at the main Baltic news agency in Estonia, bosses said on Saturday. The Tallinn-based Baltic News Service said the attackers targeted "servers in the BNS network" at around 2pm on Friday. The agency said it managed to get the system up and running again around midnight on Friday, adding that its services were functioning normally on Saturday. BNS did not say who it suspected was behind the attack. BNS sends out news from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in those three Baltic languages, and in English and Russian. AP Photo courtesy of Taylor Elenburg shows Passengers gathering on the tarmac of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida after a gunman opened fire on January 06, 2017. TAYLOR ELENBURG/AFP/Getty Images An aerial view taken on April 20, 2016 shows the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida. A gunman opened fire Friday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida, killing at least one person and injuring nine before being taken into custody, US media reported.Television footage showed passengers running to safety, and others gathered on the tarmac as NBC reported, citing Broward County officials, that one person had been killed. / AFP PHOTO / Daniel SLIMDANIEL SLIM/AFP/Getty Images In this still image from video provided by NBC TV Local10, people stand on the tarmac after shots were fired at the international airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Local10 and other news media outlets reported Friday that multiple people were shot. (NBC TV Local10 via AP) An arriving airline passenger pulled a gun from his luggage and opened fire in the baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale airport, killing five people and wounding eight. The gunman was immediately taken into custody. He was identified by the authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, an Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq but was discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. The authorities gave no details on a possible motive for the shooting, which sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and on to the tarmac, baggage in hand, and forced the shutdown of the entire airport. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said: "We don't know a motive at this point. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism. We can't conclude that." President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag - not a carry-on - and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed on the attack by the sheriff's office, said that the shooter had arrived aboard a Canadian flight with a gun in a checked bag. "After he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," Mr LaMarca said. However, the Canadian Embassy said the suspect did not arrive from Canada and was not on an Air Canada flight, but instead appeared to have flown from Anchorage, Alaska, where Santiago lived. The attack took place at terminal 2, which serves Delta Air Lines and Air Canada. Mr Lea said the gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding". The killer had a handgun and went through about three magazines of ammunition, Mr Lea said. "He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him," Mr Lea said. Sheriff Scott Israel said five people were killed and eight were wounded. Their condition was not disclosed. He said the gunman was arrested unharmed, with no law enforcement officers firing any shots, and was being questioned by the FBI. People spilled on to the tarmac, some carrying luggage, and some ran from both terminals 1 and 2, hiding behind cars or anything else they could find to shield themselves. The airport suspended operations as law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene and emergency medical workers treated the bleeding victims. Fort Lauderdale-bound flights already in the air were delayed or diverted, and those that had yet to take off from the airport were held on the ground. At least one person appeared to be lying in a pool of blood with a head wound. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told The Associated Press that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he did not know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the telephone. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was aged two. He was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. Santiago received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard last year for unsatisfactory performance, military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead said without giving details. John Schilcher told Fox News said he came up to the baggage claim and heard the first gunshot as he picked up his bag off a carousel. "The person next to me fell to the ground and then I started hearing other pops. And as this happened, other people started falling and you could hear it and smell it, and people on either side of me were going down and I just dropped to the ground," said Mr Schilcher, who was there with his wife and mother-in-law. "The firing just went on and on." "I was down on the floor. When we finally looked up there was a policeman standing over me," he said. "That's when I assumed it was safe." AP Woman Describes 'Scary' Attack On The 606 While She Was Out Jogging By Rachel Cromidas in News on Jan 6, 2017 8:20PM The 606. Photo by Braden Nesin/Chicagoist A 29-year-old Lakeview woman was attacked while jogging on The 606 Wednesday evening, and a runner who heard her screaming scared the attackers off. The woman, who spoke to Chicagoist Friday morning and requested anonymity because she experienced a crime, described how the harrowing attack took place around 6 p.m. Wednesday while she was in the middle of a routine jog along the popular Northwest Side trail. The woman was heading east near the Humboldt Boulevard overpass when she watched a male runner ahead of her jog in between a group of four men walking east ahead of her. She followed behind the runner, passing close to the group of men, when she realized the men had begun chasing after her. "I heard the scuffle of feet and a saw huge shadow covering mine," she said. "One of the guys lunged at me and tried to grab my neck. The three other guys were watching. He ended up trying to grab me and dragged me across to the other side of the trail. I was screaming for help because there was another runner and I thought, this is my only chance." The man who grabbed her repeatedly attempted to push her to the ground, she said, while she screamed for help. She managed to roll out of his grasp she said, and then began sprinting toward the runner ahead of her, who heard her cries. The runner then flagged down a cyclist heading west, who stopped to comfort her. They stayed with her as her attacker and his companion fled. The woman said she works as a nanny near Rockwell and Bloomingdale avenues, so she went to her boss's house and together they called the police department to report the attack. She said she filed a police report from an officer, but has not heard back from them yet. A police department spokesperson told Chicagoist Friday afternoon that the report was not in their system. She described the man who attacked her as around 5'8" in height, 250-280 lbs, black, with cornrows, a black jacket and colored pants. She said she didn't get a good look at the other three, but that they appeared to be in their 20s or 30s. The experience was particularly harrowing, she said, because she didn't know if they intended to assault her or mug her, and she wasn't carrying any valuables besides her phone. "I'm about to get gang raped, that's what was going through my mind," she said. "I don't think I've ever been that scared before in my life." She believes the fact that a runner and cyclist heard her screaming and stopped may have prevented the attack from getting worse. She said her sister made a post to Reddit about the attack to thank the runner and cyclist for their help, and to let other people know how they can help out in situations in the future. "Even if the runner was out numbered, just him turning back scared the people off," she said. "That's why my sister said, please don't ever ignore cries for help, even if you don't believe it will make a difference." The woman told Chicagoist that she had heard of other crimes on The 606, but thought that she was relatively safe. "I run [on The 606] pretty often," she said. "I knew it was dark out, but it was still early enough, and it was cold, there weren't that many people out there. I had my headphones in, but the volume was really low and I was pretty alert. I'd heard stories of people getting mugged, but I didn't think it would actually happen to me." Now, she wouldn't go jogging on The 606 alone, she said. "I like to run by myself, that's my therapy, and those guys just took it from me." Five people have been shot dead at Fort Lauderdale international airport in Florida. Without a word, the gunman moved through the baggage claim picking off travellers until his handgun ran out of ammunition, leaving five dead and eight wounded at Fort Lauderdale airport. Panicked witnesses ran out of the terminal and spilled on to the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in toilet cubicles or crouched behind cars as police and paramedics rushed in on Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Authorities said an Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival and opened fire on fellow travellers. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a holiday, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five bangs and saw everyone drop to the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the US government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official. FBI agent George Piro, who is in charge of the Miami field office, confirmed that Santiago had gone into the Anchorage office and said he clearly indicated at the time that he was not intent on hurting anyone. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) AP People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Al Diaz /Miami Herald via AP) AP Police officers stand on the perimeter road along the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) AP People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) AP People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside the terminal, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) AP Photo courtesy of Taylor Elenburg shows passengers gathering on the tarmac of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida after a gunman opened fire on January 06, 2017. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Al Diaz /Miami Herald via AP) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Mr Piro said authorities are looking at leads in several states and have not ruled out terrorism. "We're looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle," he said Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday, Mr Piro said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag - not a carry-on - and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage - his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why", said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The gunman was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagled on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding", according to Mr Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, he said. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, and was being questioned by the FBI, Sheriff Scott Israel said. Expand Close An aerial view taken of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An aerial view taken of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida. AFP/Getty Images Mr Israel said 30 to 40 people were injured - scrapes, bruises and broken bones - after the shooting. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. At least one of the victims was seen lying in a pool of blood with what appeared to be a head wound. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions about whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security. While travellers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a "disgraceful situation that's happening in our country and throughout the world" and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he did not know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was two. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Major Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone Awol several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honourable discharge. Taiwan's leader vowed to bolster her island's presence on the international stage as she set off to visit four Central American allies on a trip that includes US transits and looks set to annoy China. President Tsai Ing-wen said the visits to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador would "show the international society that Taiwan is a capable and responsible partner for co-operation". She will transit through Houston and San Francisco, stops that will probably irritate Beijing, which has urged Washington to prevent the self-ruled island's leader from stopping in the US and "refrain from sending any wrong signal to the Taiwanese independence forces". Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of China and officials complained after President-elect Donald Trump last month breached diplomatic protocol by speaking by phone with the Taiwanese leader. Mr Trump raised further concerns in Beijing when he questioned a US policy that since 1979 has recognised Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. It was not clear if Ms Tsai would meet President-elect Donald Trump or anyone from his transition team, though analysts say she is likely to meet US politicians. US politicians often meet Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the US - most recently in June, when Ms Tsai held talks in Miami with Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Ms Tsai's visit comes as Beijing has ratcheted up efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan, intervening to prevent the island's participation in international forums and establishing diplomatic relations with its former allies Gambia and Sao Tome and Principe. The moves have been seen as effectively abandoning the unspoken diplomatic truce that lasted eight years under Ms Tsai's China-friendly predecessor. Before boarding her flight on Saturday, Ms Tsai said the visits to the Central American countries were also aimed at strengthening economic and trade relations with the allies to produce "concrete results" benefiting both sides. Ms Tsai, who is leading a delegation of 120 people, will attend the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. AP One of the salutary lessons of recent days has been the revelation in newly-released official papers that senior Catholic clergy were ambivalent about the appointment of Robin Eames as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland. Under the 30-year release of State papers, Cardinal Tomas O'Fiach allegedly told Irish government officials in 1986 that he thought that Eames was "a cold fish" and that he would have preferred his successor in Derry Bishop James Mehaffey to have been elected to the top post. However, O'Fiach said he had an "open mind" and that Archbishop Eames seemed constructive about the newly-signed Anglo-Irish Agreement. Anyone who knows Robin Eames is aware that he is a warm-hearted and sociable man, and not in the least a cold fish. Ironically Cardinal O'Fiach was cut from the same cloth, though politically and ecclesiastically different, and I know that both men consequently got on very well. The comments by Bishop Daly, later a cardinal and archbishop, are equally fascinating. Having interviewed Cahal Daly at length for my biography of Robin Eames, I am surprised that the Catholic leader believed initially that his Protestant counterpart did not have a good ecumenical record as Bishop of Derry. In fact, Robin Eames and the then Catholic Bishop of Derry, Edward Daly, worked hard to bridge the divides in their city and Edward Daly had nothing but praise for his fellow bishop in Londonderry. Cardinal Daly also allegedly told an Irish government official that he hoped that Eames' new role as Primate of All-Ireland "will cause him to offer more balanced views in future". Later on Robin Eames and Cahal Daly worked together well and they travelled to the USA to show Irish-Americans how the Irish church leaders were supporting one another. These recently-published revelations show how private doubts and insecurities lurk in the minds of public figures . Cahal Daly was an intelligent and friendly man whom I met frequently as a journalist, but I noticed how waspish he could be, especially if he felt insecure about his leadership. I also met Tomas O'Fiach several times. He was a jovial, scholarly and sensitive prelate, with no false image. He was an old-fashioned peaceful Irish republican from Crossmaglen, but he worked hard to bridge the church divides. He also had a great sense of humour, like Robin Eames, and one of O'Fiach's party-pieces was to sing The Auld Orange Flute in Irish. One of the lessons about the revelation and publication of allegedly 'confidential' conversations is to realise that none of these meetings with government officials are ever truly confidential. I attended several 'private' meetings with former Irish prime ministers and on different occasions with Northern Ireland Secretaries of State, and I shudder to think what was said on those occasions. Certainly one of the most entertaining was James Prior, and another was Garret FitzGerald, while Edward Daly was the most cagey, and Douglas Hurd cleverly turned the conversation round so that we senior journalists from the Belfast Telegraph were doing most of the talking. From my experience, Dublin is a tricky place in which to do business. Most Dubliners are immensely charming, but you have to keep your wits about you, and an unguarded word may be carried a long way behind your back - and not to your advantage. People are more blunt in the north, but they are all the better for it. Perhaps the greatest lesson of all is to learn how to keep your own counsel, and to obey the old Irish axiom 'whatever you say, say nothing'. The Apostle James put the point much better in his New Testament Epistle: "... the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set alight by such a small fire." How less complicated life would be in this age of overwhelming social media, where people are hell-bent on revealing everything, if we all tried to gabble less and to listen more. Saudi Arabia is governed by Wahhabism, a strict kind of fundamentalist Salafism. Former CIA director James Woolsey once described Wahhabism as "the soil in which Al-Qaeda and its sister terrorist organizations are flourishing" As recently as two years ago, Saudi Arabias half century-long effort to establish itself as the main power among Arab and Islamic states looked as if it was succeeding. A US State Department paper sent by former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in 2014 and published by Wikileaks spoke of the Saudis and Qataris as rivals competing to dominate the Sunni world. A year later in December 2015, the German foreign intelligence service BND was so worried about the growing influence of Saudi Arabia that it took the extraordinary step of producing a memo, saying that the previous cautious diplomatic stance of older leading members of the royal family is being replaced by an impulsive policy of intervention. An embarrassed German government forced the BND to recant, but over the last year its fears about the destabilising impact of more aggressive Saudi policies were more than fulfilled. What it did not foresee was the speed with which Saudi Arabia would see its high ambitions defeated or frustrated on almost every front. But in the last year Saudi Arabia has seen its allies in Syrian civil war lose their last big urban centre in east Aleppo. Here, at least, Saudi intervention was indirect but in Yemen direct engagement of the vastly expensive Saudi military machine has failed to produce a victory. Instead of Iranian influence being curtailed by a more energetic Saudi policy, the exact opposite has happened. In the last OPEC meeting, the Saudis agreed to cut crude production while Iran raised output, something Riyadh had said it would always reject. In the US, the final guarantor of the continued rule of the House of Saud, President Obama allowed himself to be quoted as complaining about the convention in Washington of treating Saudi Arabia as a friend and ally. At a popular level, there is growing hostility to Saudi Arabia reflected in the near unanimous vote in Congress to allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government as bearing responsibility for the attack. Read more Read More Under the mercurial guidance of Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the most powerful figure in Saudi decision making, Saudi foreign policy became more militaristic and nationalistic after his 80 year old father Salman became king on 23 January 2015. Saudi military intervention in Yemen followed, as did increased Saudi assistance to a rebel alliance in Syria in which the most powerful fighting force was Jabhat al-Nusra, formerly the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda. Nothing has gone well for the Saudis in Yemen and Syria. The Saudis apparently expected the Houthis to be defeated swiftly by pro-Saudi forces, but after fifteen months of bombing they and their ally, former President Saleh, still hold the capital Sanaa and northern Yemen. The prolonged bombardment of the Arab worlds poorest country by the richest has produced a humanitarian catastrophe in which at least 60 per cent of the 25 million Yemeni population do not get enough to eat or drink. The enhanced Saudi involvement in Syria in 2015 on the side of the insurgents had similarly damaging and unexpected consequences. The Saudis had succeeded Qatar as the main Arab supporter of the Syrian insurgency in 2013 in the belief that their Syrian allies could defeat President Bashar al-Assad or lure the US into doing so for them. In the event, greater military pressure on Assad served only to make him seek more help from Russia and Iran and precipitated Russian military intervention in September 2015 which the US was not prepared to oppose. Prince Mohammed bin Salman is being blamed inside and outside the Kingdom for impulsive misjudgments that have brought failure or stalemate. On the economic front, his Vision 2030 project whereby Saudi Arabia is to become less wholly dependent on oil revenues and more like a normal non-oil state attracted scepticism mixed with derision from the beginning. Read more Read More It is doubtful if there will be much change in the patronage system whereby a high proportion of oil revenues are spent on employing Saudis regardless of their qualifications or willingness to work. Protests by Saudi Arabias ten million-strong foreign work force, a third of the 30 million population, because they have not been paid can be ignored or crushed by floggings and imprisonment. The security of the Saudi state is not threatened. The danger for the rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the other Gulf states is rather that hubris and wishful thinking have tempted them to try to do things well beyond their strength. None of this is new and the Gulf oil states have been increasing their power in the Arab and Muslim worlds since the nationalist regimes in Egypt, Syria and Jordan were defeated by Israel in 1967. They found and Saudi Arabia is now finding the same thing that militaristic nationalism works well to foster support for rulers under pressure so long as they can promise victory, but delegitimises them when they suffered defeat. Read more Read More Previously Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states had worked through allies and proxies but this restraint ended with the popular uprisings of 2011. Qatar and later Saudi Arabia shifted towards supporting regime change. Revolutions transmuted into counter-revolutions with a strong sectarian cutting edge in countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain where there were Sunni and non-Sunni populations. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Prime Minister Theresa May meets King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia (left) in Manama, Bahrain, where she is on a three day visit to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. PA PA Prime Minister Theresa May meets King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia in Manama, Bahrain, where she is on a three day visit to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. PA PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prime Minister Theresa May meets King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia (left) in Manama, Bahrain, where she is on a three day visit to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. PA Critics of Saudi and Qatari policies often demonise them as cunning and effective, but their most striking characteristic is their extreme messiness and ignorance of real conditions on the ground. In 2011, Qatar believed that Assad could be quickly driven from power just like Muamar Gaddafi in Libya. When this did not happen they pumped in money and weapons willy-nilly while hoping that the US could be persuaded to intervene militarily to overthrow Assad as Nato had done in Libya. Experts on in Syria argue about the extent to which the Saudis and the Qataris knowingly funded Islamic State and various al-Qaeda clones. The answer seems to be that they did not know, and often did not care, exactly who they were funding and that, in any case, it often came from wealthy individuals and not from the Saudi government or intelligence services. Read more Read More The mechanism whereby Saudi money finances extreme jihadi groups was explained in an article by Carlotta Gall in the New York Times in December on how the Saudis had bankrolled the Taliban after their defeat in 2001. The article cites the former Taliban Finance Minister, Agha Jan Motasim, as explaining in an interview how he would travel to Saudi Arabia to raise large sums of money from private individuals which was then covertly transferred to Afghanistan. Afghan officials are quoted as saying that a recent offensive by 40,000 Taliban cost foreign donors $1 billion. The attempt by Saudi Arabia and Gulf oil states to achieve hegemony in the Arab and Sunni Muslim worlds has proved disastrous for almost everybody. The capture of east Aleppo by the Syrian Army and the likely fall of Mosul to the Iraqi Army means defeat for that the Sunni Arabs in a great swathe of territory stretching from Iran to the Mediterranean. Largely thanks to their Gulf benefactors, they are facing permanent subjection to hostile governments. An internet user in Jakarta reads an article telling how to fight hoaxes, Jan. 6, 2017. Hoaxes flooding the internet, particularly on social media sites, have driven concerned activists to establish a group calling itself the Indonesian Community of Anti-Slander Research. The government is getting involved in a similar effort. President Joko Jokowi Widodo recently announced plans to set up a National Cyber Agency (BCN). Presidential spokesman Johan Budi said the agency would do much more than just help tackle hoaxes or other cases of so-called fake news. The agency is aimed at securing the governments internet system from potential hacking. It is set up to create a secure system, to protect from cyber crime, Johan told BenarNews. [I]f there are efforts initiated by communities to combat hoaxes, the government will weigh in on them. So people will learn not to use social media to conduct slander, he said, adding, In the end, we hope people can recognize fake news and know how to fight against it. Meanwhile, Wiranto, who is Indonesias coordinating minister for politics, law and security affairs, said the government would enforce laws against those involved in distributing fake news. We have instructed the police to be firm. No compromise, Wiranto told CNN Indonesia. Social media should not be used for negative purposes such as attacking individuals, groups and even the governments policies. Regarding the governments plan to set up the BCN, Wiranto said officials hope it would aid in ridding the internet of hoaxes and in providing information that people need to identify fake news. The Antihoax Research Committee Septiaji Eko Nugroho, of Wonosobo, Central Java, helped set up another group, the Antihoax Research Community. Activists in several cities including Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Jakarta are working to remove negative web content and distribute more positive social media. We held a number of discussions on hoaxes distributed on social media. A friend has even dedicated time to create an application to identify hoaxes, Septiaji told BenarNews. It becomes a problem when the public starts to leave the mainstream media and visit unreliable websites. Its like escaping one problem and starting a new one. Its not getting better. Its even worse by consuming fake news, said Septiaji, who runs a business in information technology. Differences in political and religious point of views, he added, have divided the public. These differences were not visible until now. Social media facilitates those who take advantages from the growing issue, while some others lack of knowledge to understand, he said. Better late than never The government has been slow to respond, Septiaji added. But its better late than never. We have to fix it together, he said. The first thing to do, Septiaji said, is enforce the law because, in his opinion, those responsible for distributing fake news should be charged. We hope there will be no violation in the implementation. Those who violate the laws must be punished. Dont let them go free. It would not solve the problem just by blocking those malicious websites, he said. Human Rights Watch activist Andreas Harsono welcomes these public initiatives. They are responsible for keeping the core values of journalism alive. I think what they do is incredible, the former journalist told BenarNews. Andreas pointed out that professionalism could be questioned as the number of journalists has skyrocketed since the fall of the Suharto government in 1998. There were only 6,000 journalists before reformation era. But in the past 10 years, the number has grown to 75,000. I can say most of them have less skills, he said. But I believe that democracy is born along with journalism. They will also die together. Thats why it is important for us to develop healthy journalism and protect the society from fake news and hoaxes. The Ministry of Communication and Information appreciates public initiatives to eradicate hoaxes. It is something positive and the government is ready to cooperate, spokesman Noor Iza told BenarNews. Fingers are your tiger Meanwhile, Nahdlatul Ulama secretary Marsudi Syuhud told BenarNews that the traditionalist Muslim organization he is leading is one step ahead of the government by introducing cyber warriors. The teams original goal was to eradicate radicalism and extremism online. Its so sad to see our society taking part in spreading false news which can lead to unwanted slander. It is sinful to do that, Syuhud said. Indonesians used to have a proverb saying, Your Mouth is Your Tiger, it is now Your Fingers are Your Tiger. Philippine soldiers prepare to hunt for more than 100 escaped inmates in the mountains on the southern island of Mindanao, Jan. 5, 2017. The killing of a militant leader in the Philippines has dealt Islamic State (IS) a significant blow by taking out the influential head of one of the groups affiliates in Southeast Asia, terrorism experts said. Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who was known as Tokboy and was the founder and leader of Ansarul Khilafa Philippines (AKP), was tracked down and shot at a beach resort on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao by security forces on Thursday, police said. Three other suspected members of AKP, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, were arrested. The death of Tokboy is a big loss for IS groups in Southeast Asia. At the moment, ISs options are greatest in the Philippines because separatists there can still move freely, Nasir Abbas, an analyst with the Consultant Center for Police and Terrorism Research in Jakarta, told BenarNews. The loss is because Tokboy was influential among rebel groups in the Philippines, such as AKP or Abu Sayyaf. Theres a high probability of retaliation in the Philippines, he added. Rohan Gunaratna, director of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said the AKP headed by Tokboy is one of three militant groups that make up the official branch of Islamic State in the Philippines. IS Philippines consists of AKP, al Harakat ul Islamiyah Basilan, led by Isnilon Hapilon, and Jund ul Tawhid, led by Amin Baco. The three groups have pledged allegiance to IS, which is based in Raqqa, Syria, and have been officially accepted by it, according to Gunaratna, a BenarNews contributor. Until the death of its leader, Tokboy was the most significant IS-centric threat group in the Philippines. Although its membership was largely Moro, AKP maintained extensive links with foreign terrorist groups. This included operational links with MIT, JI and several other threat groups in Southeast Asia, including provision of weapons from AKP to MIT, Gunaratna told BenarNews on Friday. He was referring to the militant groups Jemaah Islamiyah and the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT). Tokboy worked with a range of threat groups in the Philippines, especially with Islamic State Philippines, led by Isnilon Hapilon, to promote the IS agenda in Southeast Asia, he added. Philippines: a new base for IS? Meanwhile, IS in Southeast Asia is assessing its resources because the groups strength is diminishing in Iraq and Syria amid government offensives against it, said Pol. Gen. Hamidin, the director of prevention at Indonesias National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), citing reports from various sources. IS is no longer able to pay salaries and its ability to fund fighter operations is limited, he said. IS leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi is believed to be hiding at the IS headquarters in Rakka. IS at the moment is planning to move its army headquarters to northern Afghanistan, and the Philippines is being presented as a second alternative, Hamidin told BenarNews. Tokboys death creates an opportunity for the network to consider Indonesia, given its history of terrorist networks, according to him. The potential for revenge acts of terrorism is very high because the IS command is always the same: for those who want to fight, its not necessary to go to Iraq or Syria, instead you can carry out amaliyah (acts of terror) in your respective areas, he said. Whats more, a characteristic of IS is that if they are attacked and defeated in one location, they order outside networks to move on their own, he said. The BNPT and other institutions have taken preventative measures against potential militant attacks such as tightening border security. Indonesian authorities have already reinforced security and mapped out terror groups quite well, so they are not able to move freely here. And we are doing massive undercover surveillance, including in cyberspace, so that we know what strategic steps must be taken next, Hamidin said. Philippine National Police released this undated photo of Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, also known as Tokboy. [AFP/Philippine National Police] Malaysia: minimal effect In Malaysia, the chief of the national polices counter-terror special branch said he did not expect much to change in his country as a result of Tokboys death. The impact on ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and Malaysia is minimal because whenever a leader dies there will always be someone to replace him, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay told BenarNews. He pointed out that the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which also aligns itself with IS, is the strongest militant group in the Philippines. Malaysian police acknowledge the group Tokboy is attached to, but doubt it has any effect on Malaysia. The group is just one of the four. There are three others that are still active, Ayob said. He named Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Maute group (IS in Lanao) as the other militant groups in southern Philippines. Tokboys past Tokboy is not particularly well known in Indonesia or important to militant groups there, according to Abbas, who at one time was a high-ranking member of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). He denied that Tokboy was linked to JI, the al-Qaeda-affiliated network that carried out the Bali bombings in 2002, or to the MIT group based in Sulawesi, which has been reduced to nine members following a two-year security operation in that region. Indonesian police have already proved that IS groups want to carry out acts of terror in Indonesia, he said. In November 2015, Tokboy managed to escape when Philippine Marines raided an AKP camp in Barangay Butril, Palimbang. Eight AKP members were killed during a four-hour firefight, the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said in a report published in October 2016. The Tokboy-led AKP was responsible for an August 2008 attack in Mindanao that left two civilians dead and a series of robberies and other crimes, IPCA reported. Tokboy was arrested in July 2008, but escaped from jail in March 2010 and had been on the loose since then. Art Gallery Exodus From The West Loop Is West Town's Gain By Chicagoist_Guest in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 7, 2017 2:43PM By Mia DiMeo This weekend, former West Loop art spaces DOCUMENT, Paris London Hong Kong, Volume Gallery, and Western Exhibitions will open the first exhibitions in their new home, the 7,000-square-foot upper level of 1709 W Chicago Ave. The galleries add to the booming density of art in the neighborhood, with kindred spirits nearby including Corbett vs. Dempsey, Efrain Lopez Gallery, moniquemeloche, Patron, Roots & Culture, The Mission and Regards. When rising rent pushed the galleries out of the 845 W. Washington Blvd. building, camaraderie and pragmatism steered them towards the perfect new spot together. The decision to push further west came when the owners of the Washington building offered to rent out the upstairs of the property on Chicago Ave., while also allowing the galleries to customize the building updates and floor plan. Exhibiting design and architecture needs a clean space, and one that leads itself to rapid transformationbeing able to build out a space instead of moving into one has been a wonderful opportunity for us, points out Claire Warner, co-owner of Volume Gallery, a gallery focused on American contemporary design. Since the gallerys founding in 2010, Volume has been a destination for functional art lovers, so much so that the New York Times named Warner and partner Sam Vinz two of the most important new dealers on the forefront of design, WUNDERKAMMERwhich, like all the debut exhibitions at the new space, holds its opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 7, between 5 and 8 p.m.is Volumes take on a cabinet of curiosities, and includes previously unseen objects from the gallerys past by Snarkitecture and Thaddeus Wolfe. We like the [West Town] area because its closer to galleries we share a similar conversation with, said Aron Gent, founder of five-year- old DOCUMENT, a photo, film and media-based art gallery and printmaking studio. Gent also co-directs Paris London Hong Kong, a modest, evolving experimental site, with Dan Devening. Abstract tapestries woven by John Paul Morabito from digital photo collages made by Laura Letinsky will adorn the walls of the new DOCUMENT space beginning Saturday evening. Paris London Hong Kong will present new video works and sculpture by Hudson, New York-based Annie Bielski. Established in 2002, Western Exhibitions is the veteran gallery of the bunch, and was previously located in the West Loop for the last eight years. Owner/Director Scott Speh notes the path of galleries from River West to Ukrainian Village; all in fairly close proximity to one another, calling it a quasi arts district, with added perks. Theres lots of street parking here. There are things to do at night, but its not too dense. Underlying system is not known, at Western Exhibitions, will examine the many manifestations of pattern and repetition in art today. Familiar names from WE's roster, including Edie Fake and Jessica Labatte, will join other artists that utilize pattern, in a colorful, dizzying presentation fitting for the new space. After we moved last week, we had a couple of beers at Forbidden Root, Speh continued. When we left, we were just standing outside, soaking up the neighborhood, and turned to each other and said, this just feels right. Free, public receptions for the above exhibitions below will be held from 5 - 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 7. See gallery websites for duration of each exhibition run. In a visit to the Deep South on Friday, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha told residents that his government was determined to end violence in the region and had made significant progress in exploratory peace talks with rebel group representatives. After flying to Narathiwat, Prayuth and members of his cabinet met behind closed doors with local officials, then delivered packages of basic foodstuffs to some 2,000 flood-hit residents. In 2017, the violence must ease and eventually end, he told local people at the offices of the Ra-ngae district government. We are negotiating for peace. We are not at war, or talking with an opponent, as some media outlets have said. We simply have different thoughts. Now, we have made significant progress. Everything must be clear in 2017 for the security of the Deep South, he said. Negotiators for Thailands military government and MARA Patani, a panel representing Deep South rebel groups, have held a series of exploratory talks over the last two years but have yet to agree on a limited cease fire seen as a prerequisite for formal negotiations. Step by step The talks have taken place against a backdrop of ongoing killings in the Muslim-majority, Malay-speaking region, where a separatist insurgency has simmered since the 1960s. At least 6,700 people have been killed in violence linked to the conflict since it rekindled in 2004. Regarding the violence problem, we need to go step by step. Whatever issues we differ on, we need to adapt. We need to get rid of the elements that caused conflict, Prayuth said. The government is determined to fix all the problems. Seventy million people and the minority must walk side-by-side, not just the minority resists us and we reject them. Otherwise, Thai society cannot be peaceful, he said, using an approximate number for the population of the majority Buddhist Kingdom. In April, the Thai government abruptly dropped its long-time chief negotiator in the talks and rejected Terms of Reference that had been agreed by technical teams from both sides. At the time, Prayuth said the talks were not successful because the two sides had different goals. Moreover, he said, Thailand could not negotiate with members of banned groups. [T]he government cannot bargain with them using domestic laws. Thailand cannot talk to wrongdoers, he said. Six die in floods Ra-ngae district is one of 13 districts in Narathiwat that have flooded since heavy rain started on Dec. 29, and 9,528 of its residents have been affected, Arun Srisai, the district chief, reported to the prime minister Friday. To date, nine provinces in southern Thailand remain flooded, affecting more than 100,000 households, a disaster prevention official said. Overnight Thursday to Friday, run-off from a deforested mountain range caused flash floods in parts of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattalung and Narathiwat, accounting for a total of six deaths in these three provinces. The floods took place in nine provinces due to the third spike in heavy rain since year-end. The troubles include heavy rains and water run-off, rough seas and a landslide, Chatchai Promlert, director-general of disaster prevention at the Interior Ministry, told BenarNews Friday. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. Soldiers march during a military parade at the Jose Marti Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba, on Jan. 2, 2017. Thousands of Cubans participated in a military and civic rally on Monday in homage to the late leader Fidel Castro in Havana's Revolution Square. Jan. 2 also marks the 60th anniversary of the landing of the Granma yacht, considered the beginning of the guerrilla war against dictator Fulgencio Batista. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez) Cubans on Jan. 1, 2017 observed the 68th anniversary of the triumph of the revolution led by Fidel Castro on that date in 1959 - but for the first time without him. There were no statues or giant portraits of Fidel. Instead, there was a giant replica of the Granma, the motor boat he and the other revolutionaries left Mexico in six decades earlier in 1956 to lunch the second - and successful - plan to overthrow the repressive U.S.-backed regime in Havana. In keeping with his final wishes, there was very limited emphasis on Fidel. But how easy will it be to ever de-emphasize, decelerate or understate the monumental global legacy he left? When he died last November at age 90, the elder Castro had survived countless assassination attempts and outlived eleven U.S. presidents. Fidel lived and died a total enigma - loved and hated, envied and detested, but also well respected. Most Cubans never expected to ever hear his death-announcement. But die he did - and cry did many. The Cuban Revolution's leader elected to reject a state funeral. Instead, he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes returned to Santiago, where the revolution he led had started. His brother Raul indicated that Fidel had dictated that "once dead, his name and likeness would never be used on institutions, streets, parks or other public sites, and that busts, statutes or other forms of tribute would never be erected." Fidel's wishes are now law. His name and images won't appear anywhere (in Cuba). But it will be absolutely impossible to prevent him from remaining an internationally renowned progressive political personality. Cubans who care to never forget him (or allow him to be forgotten) will now forever hold on to all their private memories - portraits and posters, books and speeches and other memorabilia. It is argued that Fidel willed what he wanted the way he did, to avoid becoming subject to the idolatry of personality cultism. The term "Cult of the Personality" does have its negative connotations. But it cannot be applied to anything about Fidel Castro and cannot be used to describe anyone professing to admire Fidel more than any other revolutionary leader. This is simply because no one who truly admires Fidel for who he was - and still is, in their minds - can ever turn him into who he was not. Fidel's final wishes are being respected. But he could not have intended that anyone should have to avoid (or stifle) stating or showing very strong levels of reverence for him, simply for fear of being accused of deification or venturing into creating a cult out of his personality. Honoring Fidel's final wishes, however, must be balanced against the need to ensure that his example is one that can always be pointed at and shown to generations of Cubans and world citizens to come, as a sample and example of humanity always worth emulating. The simple and undeniable truth is that Fidel Castro and Personality Cultism are miles apart. The high degree of natural reverence, devotion and homage that grew and lived with him from 1952 to 2016 cannot be tempered by either Fidel's last wishes or posthumous decrees. His positive, outstanding story and example were woven and knitted over long years and everything must be done to ensure that his rich legacy continues to live on in the minds of his heirs and successors, at home and abroad, forever and ever... Earl Bousquet is a contributor to china.org.cn, editor-at-large of The Diplomatic Courier and author of an online regional newspaper column entitled Chronicles of a Chronic Caribbean Chronicler. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash Companies from Cuba and the United States on Thursday signed an agreement on shipping the first exports from Cuba to the United States in over 50 years, with a U.S. businessman calling for the embargo on Cuba to be dumped into "the junkyard of history". The agreement was reached between Cuban state company Cubaexport and U.S. firm Coabana Trading, allowing handmade Cuban charcoal to be exported legally to the American market. The document was signed by Cubaexport's General Director Isabel O'Reilly and Coabana Trading President Scott de Gilbert. Gilbert hailed the significance of the first agreement on exporting Cuban goods to the United States after half a century of political enmity. "It's a truly memorable moment", he said. Concerning the embargo imposed by Washington on Havana since 1962, Gilbert said it needed to be scrapped. "This failed Cold War relic should be relegated to the junkyard of history, where it belongs," he said. "We hope to work with the administration of the next U.S. president, Donald Trump, as we have done with that of Barack Obama, in order to increase the trade between both nations," Gilbert said. He expressed the hope that this agreement will provide an opportunity for Americans to learn about a Cuban product of excellent quality, as many other consumers already do in Europe and beyond. O'Reilly said the first shipment of two containers with approximately 40 tons of charcoal will be sent on Jan. 18 and exports could immediately be scaled up, if needed. "We are very satisfied with this commercial agreement that will bring Cuban charcoal to the United States. This makes it the first effective export of goods from this island to that country, allowing its population to enjoy a product of excellent quality," O'Reilly told reporters. The price per ton of charcoal is set at 420 U.S. dollars, the best price yet obtained by Cubaexport. According to official figures, Cuba produces over 40,000 tons of marabou charcoal a year to meet domestic demand and export to Europe, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and Israel. It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a Flash Russia began a phaseout of its military presence in Syria on Friday, with the withdrawal of its aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from the Mediterranean, said Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The military reduction came after Russia and Turkey brokered a nationwide truce in Syria last week between the Syrian government and major opposition groups in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of civil war in the Middle East country. In accordance with a decision made by President Vladimir Putin, the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, along with other vessels, is set to leave the conflict zone later Friday for its home base in Russia, said Gerasimov. The aircraft carrier group has completed assigned tasks in Syria in its first-ever combat mission, said Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, the group's task force commander. The Russian Naval Aviation has destroyed more than 1,200 terrorist targets in 420 sorties over two months of operations in Syria, said Kartapolov. Russian military support played a pivotal role in the latest Syrian government victories on the battleground, said Lt. Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, chief of the Syrian Army General Staff. Russia and other potential mediators are expected to meet warring parties in Syria in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month to seek settlement of the chronic crisis, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives and displaced nearly 11 million others. Pongal 2020: How To Clean Your House And Prepare It For This Special Day Decor lekhaka-Lekhaka Festivals of India are mainly community festivals where people decorate their home, prepare festival-special dishes and enjoy the occasion with friends and family. Pongal/Sankranti is a festival that is immensely popular in South India, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Pongal is a festival of 4 days, which include 'Bhogi Pongal', 'Perum Pongal', 'Mattu Pongal' and 'Kanum Pongal'. The festival will begin from 15 January and it will continue till 18 January, this year in 2020. Also Read: Cleaning The House For Pongal: Tips Usually, it is an agricultural festival, celebrated in South India. When crops like rice, turmeric, sugarcane, etc., are harvested, Pongal/Sankranti is celebrated to welcome the new crops at home. People not only make Pongal on this day, but they also decorate their house with several things. The colour of Pongal/Sankranti is green and therefore, green is used to decorate the houses. Also Read: Pongal: The Four Days Festival Whether it is the mango leaves, banana leaves or sugarcane sticks, green must be there, as this signifies the colour of agriculture. So, here are the ways on how you can prepare your home for Pongal/Sankranti to welcome the festival in all its vibrancy. 1. Decorate Your Kitchen: Do you live in an apartment? Then, you won't get separate space to cook Pongal rice. Clean your kitchen before Pongal and decorate the door with mango leaves. This is known as indoor Pongal. 2. Paint The Yard: Pongal/Sankranti decoration can be done in the best way if you have a yard. You need to clean the yard and decorate it with rangolis. Usually, the rangolis for Pongal/Sankranti are painted by mixing rice powder with water. You can also use colours like green, red, yellow, etc. Have beautiful and designer rangolis. 3. Decorate With Long Sugarcane: Do you have long sugarcane sticks? Then, put them around the place where you are going to cook the pongal. It must be kept as the boundary and the rangoli should be made within the barriers. As greenery must be there in the decoration of Pongal, choose such sugarcane sticks which have leaves on top. 4. Pongal Pot Is A Must: You need Pongal pots to cook Pongal rice in it. These are mainly earthen pots, painted with beautiful designs. If you have an earthen pot at home, you can paint it to make it into a beautiful Pongal pot. 5. Draw The Cow: One of the most significant incidents of Pongal is to worship the holy cow. As cow is the symbol of abundance, many people paint pictures of cows on the walls of their earthen cottage at the countryside and villages. 6. Decorate With Lights: So far, you got ideas on how to decorate your house for Pongal in a village. But, if you live in a city, you can't make a holy cow on the wall or get a separate space for cooking Pongal rice. So, in that case, you can decorate your house with lights and flowers to enjoy the festival. 7. Pongal Feast: Ultimately, the festival gets its height at the time of Pongal feast. Foods are distributed on banana leaves and several dishes and sweets are made to welcome your guests for the occasion. Thus, you can decorate your house for Pongal/Sankranti and celebrate the festival with fun and happiness. When the breeze of spring soothes human kind, we set on to enjoy Pongal/Sankranti with lots of vibrancy and happiness. PR Newswire LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2017 LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 5, 2017, Las Vegas witnessed the grand opening of the 50th International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). On Jan. 6th, the Awards Ceremony for 2016-2017 Global Top Brands hosted by International Data Group (IDG) was held in Wynn Hotel Las Vegas. Mr. Patrick Kenealy, Managing Director of IDG Ventures USA unveiled the lists of 2016-2017 Global Top 20Smart Connected Devices Brands and Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands. Chinese smart phone brands such as Huawei, Lenovo, Xiaomi, ZTE, Coolpad, etc., together with Apple and Samsung, etc. were granted this honor. Since 2007, Apple and Google released the first smart phone successively, smart connected devices and smart phones have entered a fast-growing golden decade. According to relevant statistics, the annual growth rate of smart connected devices was not less than 25% from 2009 to 2014. While due to the constant market saturation, consumers slowed down their demand for new mobile phones. Consequently, smart phone growth rate came to an inflection point in 2015 and declined to single digits in 2016. However, smart connected devices have achieved rapid technological development in during past decade, a series of innovations such as Touch Screen, Metal Chassis, Fingerprint Recognition, Type-C Interface and Force Touch. Meanwhile, transformation and development of smart connected devices have been constantly promoted by the mobile Internet and intelligent applications. Therefore, in the new era of intelligence, smart connected devices and smart phone brands can effectively improve their second growth only by continuous technical adjustments and active transformation to the Internet and intellectualization. Although Apple and Samsung still remain the top two in the global smart connected devices and smart phones market, these well-known brands are gradually losing their strong appeal to users with the occurrence of Samsung Note 7 battery explosion accident and iPhone innovation ability decline. Coolpad, Huawei, ZTE, OPPO, vivo and other domestic high-end smart phones begin to dominate the market gradually and are accepted by more users. Thus, there are still opportunities for smart connected devices and smart phones market in the future. Only by continuous development of innovative technology and products, making hardware design panders to consumers' habits and conforms to the kinesiology principles, software applications with more humanization and operating comfortableness, can manufacturers give more vitality and competitiveness to their brands. Campaigns like 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands are carried out to encourage intelligent terminal device enterprises and smart phone companies to conduct technological innovation actively, foster innovative products and promote industrial innovation and upgrading of intelligence. It is reported that the lists of Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands are the fruition of the IDG and IDC's co-operation. According to authoritative survey data from IDC, lists gave the comprehensive collation and evaluation to the industrial development of global smart connected devices and smart phones in 2016. Eventually, Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Lenovo, OPPO, Vivo, LG, HP, Xiaomi, ZTE, Dell, Asus, TCL-Alcatel, Gionee, Letv, Acer, Motorola, Coolpad, HTC and Micromax topped the list of 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands. Samsung, Apple, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, LG, Xiaomi, ZTE, TCL-Alcatel, Gionee, Lenovo, Letv, Motorola, Coolpad and HTC had their names on the list of 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands. In the Individual Award aspect, Cool Changer S1 won the award of The Best Overall Performing Smartphone of 2016, ROBOO won the Annual Global "A.I. Robot for Kids" Gold Award. Mr. Patrick Kenealy said at the awards ceremony, "The year of 2017 will usher in the first decade of the development of smart connected devices and smart phones. Under the stimulus of innovative technology, smart phone and terminal industry now are undergoing drastic changes. The global smart phone market is basically captured by Apple, Samsung and a number of Chinese brands. We can see that with the trend of intellectualization, smart connected devices manufacturers headed by Chinese brands are constantly accelerating transformation and upgrading and striving for innovation. Based on the innovation of smart connected devices and smart phone manufacturers in terms of technology, design, interaction and user experience, these selection activities comprehensively analyzed and evaluated the development of global smart connected devices and smart phone industry in 2016, thus creating a better future for smart connected devices and smart phone companies." "It is a great honor for Coolpad to be named again on the lists of 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands, and Cool Changer S1 won the award of The Best Overall Performing Smartphone of 2016," Coolpad Group said, "The explosive development of mobile Internet and intelligent technology in recent years has created an unprecedented opportunity for Coolpad. Last year, it took us a whole year for strategic transformation, from product R&D to top-quality products, as well as more emphasis placed on brand influence. In the future, Coolpad will be more dedicated and professional to strive for excellence and provide products with more elegant appearance and better performance. Meanwhile, we will continue to focus on superior product strategy to introduce more ecological hardware platforms and intelligent hardware related products. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. remarked, "We are happy that Huawei has been included into the list of 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands. It indicates that the smart & connected industry and users have recognized Huawei's efforts over the years. Now Huawei Mate 9 and other flagship phones of Huawei with a series of new technologies like Leica dual camera, topnotch security solutions, and EMUI 5.0 OS can provide a more intuitive user experience. In the future, Huawei, by virtue of its advantages in 5G technology, will continue to reform and innovate to further develop information and communications technology, strengthen its industry leading position, strive to build itself into a smartphone brand winning more extensive recognition from consumers worldwide, and build a better connected world in an all-round way." Samsung Group noted, "Despite the fact that Samsung develops virtual reality and produces screens and processors for VR headsets based on its hardware manufacturing background, Chinese manufacturers offering low prices might pose a threat to it in price in a year or two. Samsung hopes to build a whole ecosystem through various ways where ordinary consumers can make their own content easily and communicate with friends via VR. Samsung is trying to provide the best user experience for customers, based on which it will make necessary improvements and innovations." Driven by innovative technology in the era of intelligence, global smart connected devices and smart phone industry will usher in a new leap once again, bringing a new round of development opportunities to brands and enterprises. Let's bear witness to the birth of the 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands, make a comprehensive understanding on the development process and pattern evolution of global smart connected devices and smart phone brands in the past ten years, and experience the power of technological innovation together. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idg-unveils-the-lists-of-2016-2017-global-top-20-smart-connected-devices-brands-and-2016-2017-global-top-15-smart-phones-brands-300387068.html SOURCE IDG China Real Estate News What is it like to live in Bostons North End? Nancy Caruso said she never leaves her home without bumping into someone she knows. Salem Street in Boston's North End is a great place to walk. Jonathan Wiggs/GlobeStaff Nancy Caruso said she never leaves her home without bumping into someone she knows. The best part of the North End is you see the same people day in and day out, Caruso said, regarding Bostons traditionally Italian neighborhood. Her family immigrated to the North End from Italy in the late 1930s, settling on Endicott Street. Caruso still lives on that street today, but in a different building. She reflected on the days when the North End was filled with nearly all Italians and when the women would spend Saturday mornings washing their windows and sweeping the steps while the men went to work. All would chitchat on the sidewalks. Advertisement: Though Caruso who is involved with North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council, North End Waterfront Health, and other local organizations misses parts of the North Ends past, she thinks the neighborhood still has everything people need. We have just about everything down here, Caruso said. We have the best butcher shop downtown. Who would go to big markets when you can get fresh meat here every day? She also mentioned the neighborhoods coffee shops, pastry stores, library, churches, schools, and historical sites and the myriad activities. In the North End you stay young forever, Caruso said. No one gets old. The years go by, but who cares? Thats just the calendar. BY THE NUMBERS 1680 The year that the famed Paul Revere house was built, which was long before the patriot owned it. It is one of the only frame structures of its period left in the central part of the city. According to the Boston Landmarks Commission, disastrous fires in 1676 and 1679 encouraged building in the red brick that has been the hallmark of the North End ever since. 90 The percentage of neighborhood residents of Italian heritage by 1920. In 1855, nearly half of North Enders were Irish. The influxes of Polish and Russian Jews and Italian immigrants began in the 1870s, according to the Boston Landmarks Commission. Advertisement: 21 The number of people killed in the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, which also crushed buildings and tore a firehouse from its foundation. According to a study, the tank was stressed well beyond capacity and made from a steel susceptible to fracture, the Globe reported. 1630s When the North End was settled. It it considered the citys oldest residential community, according to the Boston Planning & Development Agency. 2,200+ The number of grave markers in Copps Hill Burying Ground. The earliest dates to 1661. PROS & CONS Pro Feasts There are fewer feasts now, but the North End still hosts five full-scale ones. Hundreds of thousands eat, drink, and watch the processions. Con Its not easy being popular Whether they are walking the Freedom Trail or just coming to eat, tourists fill the neighborhoods winding streets (and wait in line at its restaurants) much of the year. Pro Ah, yes, the food The North End has some of Bostons highest-rated restaurants. Dont forget the cafes, gelaterias, bakeries, meat and fish markets, and delis. Modern Pastry is a fixture on Hanover Street in Bostons North End. Jonathan Wiggs/GlobeStaff Hanover Street in the North End. Jonathan Wiggs/GlobeStaff Interior of the Old North Church, in Bostons North End. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Domenic Pizziferri is photographed inside Modern Pastry on Hanover Street. He was picking up a birthday cake for a cousin who is turning 80 years old. Jonathan Wiggs/GlobeStaff Saint Leonard Church, in Bostons North End. Jonathan Wiggs/GlobeStaff Copps Hill Burying Ground. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff A bustling Hanover Street in the North End. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff The Paul Revere Statue. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff The Paul Revere House. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Megan Turchi, a reporter for Boston.com, can be reached at [email protected] Follow her on Twitter @meganturchi. An expert in foetal maternal medicine at the National Maternity Hospital has said some 30 pregnancies were terminated in 2015 because of a pre-natal Down Syndrome diagnosis. Dr Peter McParland was speaking at this weekend's meeting of the Citizens' Assembly, which is discussing the issue of abortion and the Eighth Amendment. A boy arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing in Dublin has been released without charge. 17-year-old Reece Cullen died after he was attacked in Kilcare Crescent in Jobstown in Tallaght on Thursday afternoon. A teenager arrested in the Tallaght area early yesterday morning was released from custody overnight. Gardai said they could not confirm a report the boy is just 14 years old, It is understood the arrest was made after the boy presented himself at a Garda station yesterday morning. The fatal stabbing is believed to have taken place in a house in Jobstown and the attacker fled the scene shortly afterwards. Emergency services were notified by a neighbour who discovered the teenager bleeding heavily in the corridor of the house. Reece was taken to Tallaght Hospital but was later pronounced dead. The teenager had recently lost his mother, Ann Marie Cullen, who died last September. A Garda file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. A man has been injured in a paramilitary-style shooting in Belfast, police said. The incident took place in the Ardmonagh Parade area of Belfast at around 10pm on Friday. The man, 21, was shot in both legs, and taken to hospital for treatment. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to contact the PSNI. The shooting of a man in Belfast on Friday has been described as a "cowardly act of violence". The 21-year-old was attacked in in a paramilitary-style shooting at around 10pm in the Ardmonagh Parade area. He received gunshots in both legs and was taken to hospital for treatment. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said: "I am sickened by news of the punishment-style shooting in Belfast last night - a cowardly act of violence that has no place in our society. "I urge anyone with information to contact the police." The shooting was also condemned by Sinn Fein MLA Orlaithi Flynn. He said: "There can be no place for these type of actions in our society. Those responsible need to stop immediately. "I would call on anyone with information on this attack to bring it forward to the PSNI." Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to call detectives at Reactive and Organised Crime at Musgrave PSNI station on 101, quoting reference 1178 06/01/17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. An Army veteran who complained the US government was controlling his mind drew a gun at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida and opened fire in the baggage claim area, killing five people and wounding eight. He was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say the government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who said the veteran did not appear intent on hurting anyone. The authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. Shortly after the shooting, and before details of Santiago's mental health became public, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said it remained to be seen whether it was terrorism or the work of "someone who is mentally deranged". FBI Special Agent George Piro said the authorities are looking at leads in several states and have not ruled out terrorism. "We're looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle," he said. Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday, Mr Piro said. One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travellers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in toilet cubicles or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a holiday, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop down on the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag - not a carry-on - and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight on Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage - his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said it is a "disgraceful situation that's happening in our country and throughout the world" and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. A shooting victim is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale airport. Pictures: AP Santiago's brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said he did not know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was two. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Major Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted - from specialist to private first class - and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honourable discharge. - AP Sharp divisions over Donald Trump's election as US president have sparked uncertainty about who will participate at his inauguration. Politicians, celebrities and even secondary school students are debating whether taking part in the inauguration is a political act that demonstrates support for the new president and his agenda or a non-partisan tribute to democratic traditions and the peaceful transfer of power. Among critics of the president-elect, everyone from Hillary Clinton and Hollywood A-listers to the band director at tiny Madawaska Middle/High School in northern Maine is wrestling with the issue - and reaching different conclusions. Bill and Hillary Clinton served belated notice this past week that they will be on the inaugural podium when Mr Trump takes the oath of office on January 20. At least two legislators have said they will boycott the ceremony. In Utah, singer Jan Chamberlin was so dismayed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's decision to perform at the swearing-in that she decided not only to sit out the event but to resign from the choir she dearly loves. "The president-elect does not represent anything that reflects my moral views," said Ms Chamberlin, who voted for independent Evan McMullin. She said she is concerned that participation in the inauguration will tarnish the choir by creating a false impression that the church supports Mr Trump. A fellow choir member, Cristi Brazao, who also did not support Mr Trump, posted on her Facebook page that she will be singing at the inauguration because "my mission as a singer has always been to soften hearts, to bridge gaps, to make connections and also to make friends". Similar debates have played out among the dancers of the Radio City Rockettes and members of the marching band of historically black Talladega College in Alabama after inaugural planners announced that the groups would be performing. For Ben Meiklejohn, director of the 30-student Pride of Madawaska Marching Band, performing for an inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial will give his teenage musicians the experience of a lifetime and has nothing to do with politics. He still remembers when his high school band marched in the 1989 inaugural parade for George HW Bush. "I've always thought that music transcends politics, that music can get beyond the barriers that divide people," said Mr Meiklejohn, who voted for the Green Party's Jill Stein. Apparently that is not the case in left-leaning Hollywood, where publicist Howard Bragman said most entertainers see "no separation between Trump the man" and his inauguration, and want nothing to do with him. Mr Trump denies he is facing any shortage of top talent. "The so-called "A'' list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!" the president-elect tweeted last month. On Wednesday, he tweeted that album sales for classical teenage singer Jackie Evancho, who has also performed at events with President Barack Obama, had "skyrocketed" after her December 14 announcement that she will sing the national anthem at the swearing-in. Her sales did rise after the announcement, and that could be partly due to the inauguration. But it could also be a matter of timing: Christmas albums sell well during the holidays and Evancho appeared on an NBC special on December 19. Participation in an inaugural is always a personal decision, and no doubt people have opted to sit out past inaugurations due to differences with the president-elect. But historians and others say this year's public angst over whether to be associated with the inauguration is unusual. Before the 2001 inauguration of George W Bush, plenty of people harboured bitter feelings about the recount and Supreme Court ruling that left Republican Mr Bush ahead of Democratic vice president Al Gore. But former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer does not recall the same type of debate over whether to participate in the inauguration. He shied away from blaming one party or the other, but lamented the greater polarisation surrounding what traditionally has been "an American moment". "Add this to the long and growing list of things that pull us apart," said Mr Fleischer. Inaugural historian Jim Bendat points to bipartisan participation in past inaugurals. Singer Ethel Merman, a prominent Republican, sang at Democrat John F Kennedy's inaugural gala in 1961. Contralto Marian Anderson sang at the second inaugural of Republican Dwight Eisenhower and at Kennedy's inauguration. "It's really hard to look at this inauguration the same way that we have looked at all others," says Mr Bendat, author of the inaugural history book Democracy's Big Day. Many performers "don't see Donald Trump as the type of person that they want to identify with because of the way that he campaigned for more than a year". Robert Reich, a former Bill Clinton administration official, thinks politicians should feel the same way. After the Clintons said they would attend the inauguration, Mr Reich tweeted that "by attending Trump's inauguration, they're normalising it - as if Trump were just another president". "The underlying issue here isn't the normal and noble desire to overcome partisanship and promote a peaceful transition of power," Mr Reich added. "It's that Donald Trump became president by lying, demeaning women, denigrating racial and ethnic minorities, denying intelligence reports of foreign intervention in our election, excusing violence against opponents, and undermining the freedom and independence of the press." Mr Meiklejohn offered a different take, saying: "We're not the president-elect or his advisers or his team or any of the people that are going to be setting policy. "We're just a group of 7th to 12th graders from Madawaska, Maine, coming to play some music." AP Congress has certified Donald Trump's US presidential victory over the objections of a handful of House Democrats, with Vice President Joe Biden pronouncing, "It is over." House Democrats objected to the votes from at least 10 states, raising issues of voter suppression as well as American intelligence showing that Russia tried to sway the election in favour of Mr Trump. In each case, their objections were denied because they did not have the support of any senators. All 538 electors met in their respective state capitals in December to cast their votes. Friday's vote count made it official. Mr Biden presided over the count in his role as president of the Senate. Mr Trump finished with 304 electoral votes and Democrat Hillary Clinton got 227. There were seven protest votes for other candidates. It takes 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency. Senate pages carry a box containing electoral college ballots before a joint session of Congress to count the votes in Washington. As expected, Mike Pence was elected vice president. Mr Trump and Mr Pence are to be sworn in on January 20. As the votes were announced for state after state, Democratic members of the House stood up to object. But in each case, no Democratic senator would join them, and Mr Biden cut them off. "There can be no debate," Mr Biden said repeatedly. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., shakes hands with Vice President Joe Biden. Under federal law, if at least one senator and one House member object to the vote from any state, the House and Senate will meet separately to debate the merits of the objection. Toward the end of the count, Representative Maxine Waters pleaded for a senator to join her in objecting. "Is there one United States senator who will join me in this letter of objection?" Ms Waters said to boos from Republicans. None did. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., objects during a joint session of Congress to count electoral votes in Washington. Several protesters were ejected from the public gallery as the vote count concluded. Mr Trump won even though Mrs Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes. His election has generated much angst among Democrats and others who oppose the billionaire businessman. But they have been powerless to change the outcome. Despite rumblings of a revolt, only two Republican electors - both from Texas - cast protest votes for someone other than Mr Trump. Mrs Clinton lost four Democratic electors in Washington state and one in Hawaii. A protester is escorted out of the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress to count the votes. On Friday morning, Mr Trump went on Twitter to provide another assessment of the election. "Hillary and the Dems were never going to beat the PASSION of my voters. They saw what was happening in the last two weeks before the (election) and knew they were in big trouble - which is why they cancelled their big fireworks at the last minute. THEY SAW A MOVEMENT LIKE NEVER BEFORE," Mr Trump wrote. FIFA have written to World Cup teams urging them to focus on the soccer in Qatar and not let the sport be dragged... TEHRAN: Iran on Saturday accused the United States of seeking to gain concessions in nuclear talks aimed at... Australia supplies only 3.4 per cent of Indonesia's imports (notably wheat and live cattle) and Indonesia only 2.5 per cent of Australia's imports. Two-way investment levels are also modest. The ACT government, in selecting priority markets for engagement, rates Indonesia an "also ran". Strong government-to-government connections have not been well reflected either in trade or people-to-people relationships although Indonesia has been a popular tourist destination and a recent mega business mission (to be followed by an Indonesia Australia Business Week in March 2017) has shown Australian recognition of the potential for increased trade. Australian public attitudes turned negative in 2015 after the executions of drug couriers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, but recovered quickly. The Lowy Institute of International Affairs' 2016 survey found Indonesia to be rated Australia's third "best friend in Asia" (after China and Japan) overtaking Singapore. However the same survey found public knowledge of Indonesia to be limited. Only 35 per cent identified Indonesia as a democracy despite almost 20 years of democratic rule. This week's diplomatic spat sparked by Indonesia's Kopassus (the equivalent of the SAS) is not untypical of issues with our neighbour, Indonesia, but the bilateral relationship is broad and strong. Australia's spanking new embassy complex in Jakarta, housing Australia's largest embassy, exemplifies the close attention federal governments pay to Indonesia with its 255 million people and 17,000 islands. Indonesia is seen as a "difficult" market ranking 109th in the 2016 World Bank Ease of Doing Business survey (China was 84th, Singapore first, New Zealand second and India 130th). Weak rule of law, complex bureaucratic processes and corruption remain problems but, as the latter scores indicate, ones not unique to Indonesia. Security issues are also real but little different from those facing most countries. Indonesia often gets a bad press; most recently with Islamic-inspired demonstrations against the Chinese Christian Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama known as "Ahok'', a political ally of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). A highly effective governor, Ahok has been accused of blasphemy, a crime in Indonesia. Many observers expect him to be convicted and jailed although the evidence against him seems tenuous. These large demonstrations have been peaceful and, although conducted by some fringe groups of dubious repute, are widely believed to be financed and encouraged by political competitors of Ahok for (re)election as governor of Jakarta. Major Islamic bodies Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have not been involved. Possible undermining of the successful Jokowi administration and the rights of minorities are of more concern than the demonstrations per se. Why should we take Indonesia seriously as a market? One reason is to be found in (recently revised) projections of economic growth by PWC. Indonesia's GDP, based on PPP rankings, moves from $US2.5 trillion in 2014 and ninth ranking in the world to $US5.5 trillion and fifth ranking by 2030 and to $US12.2 trillion and fourth place in the world (after China, India and the US) by 2050. These projections assume reasonably favourable policy settings and absence of major disruptions but are widely accepted as credible. A more compelling argument may be the growth of the Indonesian middle class. Euromonitor rates Indonesia's middle class as the world's fourth-largest with 17.3 million households (the US's middle class was 25.3 million households, India 74 million and China 112 million). It notes that this will grow to 20 million households by 2030 with strongly rising expenditure. In a ranking of middle-class consumption by country, Brookings ranks Indonesia as eighth in the world by 2020 and fourth by 2030 behind only India, China and the US. Indonesia's per capital income in 2050 is estimated by PWC as $US38,263, midway between India ($US26,264 and China $US43,528). "When it calves, the Larsen C Ice Shelf will lose more than 10 per cent of its area to leave the ice front at its most retreated position ever recorded; this event will fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula," said the researchers in a statement about the rift. "We have previously shown that the new configuration will be less stable than it was prior to the rift, and that Larsen C may eventually follow the example of its neighbour Larsen B, which disintegrated in 2002 following a similar rift-induced calving event." Here's an image showing the apparently accelerating advance of the rift, per the Project Midas team: The current location of the rift on Larsen C, as of January 2017. Labels highlight significant jumps. Tip positions are derived from Landsat (USGS) and Sentinel-1 InSAR (ESA) data. Background image blends BEDMAP2 Elevation (BAS) with MODIS MOA2009 Image mosaic (NSIDC). Other data from SCAR ADD and OSM. The British Antarctic Survey also released a statement on the growing rift, saying a huge iceberg is "set to calve" from Larsen C. "Because of the uncertainty surrounding the stability of the Larsen C ice shelf, we chose not to camp on the ice this season," David Vaughan, the survey's director of science, said in the statement. The floating ice shelf is fed by the flow of ice glaciers that sit above sea level on the Antarctic Peninsula. As the shelf loses mass, these glaciers could flow more quickly which would contribute to rising sea levels. Losses from the ice shelf alone, however dramatic, would not have that effect, as the shelf is already floating on water, just like an ice cube in a glass of water. Fortunately, the Antarctic Peninsula does not contain nearly as much ice as other, thicker parts of Antarctica, such as the West and East Antarctic ice sheets. The potential sea level rise if Larsen C is lost would be measured in centimetres, not feet. Still, it would subtract a major, enduring feature from the planet, and add to already dramatic changes that have been seen in the Antarctic Peninsula, the portion of the icy continent that extends northward towards South America. Two smaller ice shelves near Larsen C Larsen A, and Larsen B have already largely disintegrated. Larsen B retains a remnant of its former size, but scientists have determined that this ice, too, could vanish before too long. They have also documented that following the collapse of much of the Larsen B ice shelf in 2002, the glaciers behind it sped up their flow towards the sea. Now, the fear is the same process could be unleashed on the larger Larsen C shelf. The Larsen C ice shelf is more than 300 metres thick, and in spatial extent, nearly the size of Scotland. It is the fourth-largest ice shelf in Antarctica, although nothing compared with the two largest, the Ross and Filchner-Ronne ice shelves. NASA, during a flight in November, captured several spectacular photos of the rift, including the one at the top of this article and also the close-up below. But that was before further extension of the rift last month: The Larsen C rift on November 10, 2016. Credit:NASA, John Sonntag The Antarctic continent is ringed with ice shelves, which are the ocean-front portions of larger glaciers. But as the climate changes, these features have been thinning and in some cases breaking apart dramatically. The Project MIDAS group did not immediately make a statement attributing the development at Larsen C to climate change, but the fact that the shelf would be "at its most retreated position ever recorded" after the break is certainly suggestive. Previous research has also documented that the Larsen C ice shelf is becoming less thick, and so floating lower in the water, and this appears tied to the warming of the Antarctic Peninsula in recent decades. Warmer seas could also be playing a role. Now, the wait for the anticipated break begins. Swansea University's Adrian Luckman, who heads up Project MIDAS, told the BBC that "If it doesn't go in the next few months, I'll be amazed." Daniela Jansen, a researcher with the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany who collaborates with the Project MIDAS team, largely agreed in an email to The Washington Post. Loading It is entirely possible that Sussan Ley bought her investment property in Surfers Paradise on the spur of the moment in the midst of a trip devoted to public duty, says the man who sold the apartment to her, Martin Corkery. "People do it all the time," says Mr Corkery, a Liberal Party donor. As far as Mr Corkery remembers, the $795,000 Main Beach apartment was advertised in the windows of the Ray White office at Main Beach, on a billboard in front of the building and online. The auction, he says, was held at 10am or 11am in the apartment itself. (The Ray White office did not answer calls on Saturday.) Under Queensland law people purchasing at auction must pre-register before bidding with a drivers licence or passport, and a utilities bill, but as Mr Corkery says, that can be done quickly before the auction takes place. Obama thanked teachers and advocates "all across this nation who get up every day and work their hearts out to lift up our young people. I am so grateful to all of you for your passion and your dedication and all the hard work on behalf of the next generation, and I can think of no better way to end my time as first lady than celebrating with all of you, so I want to close today by simply saying 'thank you.'" US First lady Michelle Obama was visibly moved as she concluded her final official speech at the White House, as part of a ceremony for teachers honouring the 2017 school counsellor of the year. Michelle Obama delivers remarks honouring the 2017 School Counsellor of the Year and counsellors from across the country in the East Room of the White House January 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. These were the last public remarks by the first lady during her husband Barack Obama's presidency. Credit:Getty It was an emotional conclusion to a pointed speech that seemed to allude to concerns and fears that emerged during the divisive presidential election, though she never mentioned President-elect Donald Trump by name. In the most charged moments of her remarks, Obama directly addressed young people, returning often to the theme of hope that she said was the guiding force for her husband's eight years as president. "When you encounter obstacles, because I guarantee you you will and many of you already have, when you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up, I want you to remember something my husband and I have talked about since we first started this journey nearly a decade ago, something that has carried us through every moment in this White House and every moment in our lives, and that is the power of hope. "The belief that something better is always possible if you're willing to work for it and fight for it. It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voice of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves then we can be whatever we dream regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe, they too will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves." In another emotional moment, Obama invoked her father and his belief in the American Dream. A young woman has been killed in a road crash on the NSW south coast. The 19-year-old woman was driving on the Princes Highway near Narooma before 1pm on Saturday in a Toyota Corolla when it is believed she was involved in a head-on collision with a Land Cruiser. The woman died on the scene and her 19-year-old male passenger was flown to Canberra Hospital in a critical but stable condition. The Landcruiser driver, a 19-year-old man, was unharmed but his three teenage passengers were taken to Bega Hospital with minor injuries. Police have launched an investigation and called for witnesses to come forward. His life lasted just nine years, but those who gathered for Josiah Sisson's funeral on Saturday found comfort in their belief he will live forever in heaven. Josiah's life support was switched off on December 27, two days after he was struck by a vehicle at Springwood on Christmas Day, driven by local man Adrian Taylor. Karl Sisson with his son Jordan are seen at the funeral of Josiah Sisson. Credit:Robert Shakespeare Police have alleged Mr Taylor was under the influence of alcohol. While Mr Taylor had met with Josiah's father, Karl Sisson, since the accident, he was not among the about 300 mourners who packed the Potters House Christian Church at Strathpine on Saturday. Footscray burger restaurant 8bit has been targeted by vandals for the second time in a week. Over the New Year's weekend, the burger and shakes venue had its windows smashed. The words "F--- off hipster scum" were also scrawled across the front door. During the early hours of Saturday morning, the Droop Street store was targeted again. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the restaurant was targeted by a man and a woman about 2am. Riot police and dog handlers were called to the Parkville centre last November. Credit:ABC News They climbed into a roof cavity of a unit at the centre. "Whilst they were in the roof cavity, they managed to free one of their co-detainees out of his locked cell." The minister said the rioting was brought to an end at 1.20am after police took control of the unit. However, she denied the department had lost control of the entire centre. It is believed staff were evacuated. "We have some very serious limitations with the infrastructure at the Parkville Youth Justice facility," she said. "That became apparent during the riot in November where we had similarly young offenders who were able to access the roof cavity . "The infrastructure limitation have become very apparent to the young offenders and they are taking advantage of the situation." She said they were "working around-the-clock" to fortify the whole centre, including the ceiling, which could take up to July to complete. Ms Mikakos said "business plans" to redevelop the centre had also been expedited. Ian Lanyon, the Department of Human Services secure services director, said only 47 beds out of the 120 were now operating at the Parkville prison. A department spokesman said no one was injured in the rioting. "There were no injuries to young people, staff or police and at no point was there a threat to the security of the perimeter of the facility," he said. "Damage to the facility will be assessed, with repair work to start as soon as this is completed." It is understood there was another incident on Friday night at the centre resulting in damage to property. In late December, the Andrews government reclassified a section of the adult maximum-security Barwon Prison as a youth justice and remand centre after a Supreme Court ruling that it was unlawful to keep children in adult prison. Teenagers as young as 15 were sent to the adult jail in November after destroying security cameras and ripping ceilings and walls apart, causing an estimated $2 million in damage. The state opposition's spokeswoman on children, Georgie Crozier, said on Sunday that Ms Mikakos should be removed. The government said it was too early to assess the costs, but Ms Crozier said the damage bill from Saturday was reported to be $100,000. "This is an ongoing crisis, but the minister has been incapable of bringing youth justice under control," Ms Crozier said. "[Premier] Daniel Andrews needs to return from holiday. He needs to sack the minister. He needs to take control." Speaking outside parliament on Sunday, opposition leader Matthew Guy echoed Ms Crozier's call for the children's minister to be sacked. "We're beginning 2017 where 2016 left off with a youth justice system in crisis, a minister in denial and a premier too arrogant to sack his minister," he said. "It's not going to get any better. The government is still not putting into place sentencing reforms, bail reforms. Some of these promises won't come in for three, maybe four years. "What we're not seeing is a government fixing the problems of today." When asked what the coalition would do if it was in government, Mr Guy said he wouldn't allow government to let young offenders off the hook. He said there are riots at Parkville because the government is applying a "soft touch". "We will reform our bail system from the ground up," he said. "We will reform our community corrections order system all over again there's a whole raft of measures that need to be done, and done soon." Streets in Parkville were blocked on Saturday night as police, including the critical incident response unit, dealt with the riot. In September, inmates and staff clashed for three consecutive nights, with several juvenile offenders threatening staff and taking control of part of the centre. Hugh De Kretser, executive director of the Human Rights Law Centre, said his organisation may launch a fresh bid to remove teenage offenders from Barwon. Mandurah police have arrested a man in Falcon on Saturday afternoon following a firearm incident. Detectives and local officers swooped on the Merlin Street property just after noon. Police in Mandurah have arrested a man over the firearm incident. Credit:Kate Hedley A police spokesman said a report had been made to police earlier in the day concerning a young man armed with a gun. The man and his alleged victims are understood to be known to each other. A proposed alcohol prohibition bill is before Indonesia's House of Representatives. Credit:New York Times Ahok, who is a Christian, told voters they were being deceived by his political foes. He claimed they had taken a Koranic verse out of context to argue that non-Muslims should not lead Muslims. Ahok is now on trial for blasphemy after mass rallies, spearheaded by Islamic hardliners, called for him to be jailed. Permadi is a member of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic civil organisation in the world, which has 50 million members. NU promotes Islam Nusantara, a pluralistic, tolerant form of Islam, as an antidote to extremist ideology and jihadism. Ahok is now on trial for blasphemy after mass rallies, spearheaded by Islamic hardliners, called for him to be jailed. Credit:AP Permadi believes extremist groups have gained momentum on the back of the Ahok case and are now spreading radical doctrine that it is haram (forbidden) to have an "infidel" leader. "Unfortunately moderate Muslims simply swallow it and won't listen to our statements," Permadi says. "We in NU are worried because the radical groups successfully took some of the moderates on to their side. And we have run out of ideas on how to counter this problem." The past year has seen a marked rise in right-wing Islamic political activism as Indonesian society becomes increasingly conservative. The Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to criminalise sex outside marriage, which would made gay sex illegal for the first time in Indonesia's history. A proposed alcohol prohibition bill is before Indonesia's House of Representatives, although the likely outcome will be more controls on alcohol consumption rather than a total ban. A survey in October of Islamic education teachers in five of Indonesia's 34 provinces admittedly the most conservative provinces found nearly 80 per cent supported implementing Sharia as law. It also found 74 per cent believed Muslims shouldn't give greetings such as "Merry Christmas" to those from other faiths and 89 per cent believed non-Sunni minorities should not be accommodated within Islam in Indonesia. "Divisions between Muslims at the grassroot level has taken place, namely division between Muslims who think Ahok is innocent and who think Ahok insults Islam," Permadi says. "The division is wider than the Ahok case, look at the example of [the fatwa against Muslims wearing] Santa hats and Sari Roti bread." Yes, even bread has become polarising in Indonesia. At the most recent mass rally, volunteers handed out Sari Roti, the largest mass-market Japanese-style bread brand in Indonesia, with signs that said "free for Muslims". The bread manufacturer, Nippon Indosari Corpindo, whose chief executive is Chinese-Indonesian, later issued a statement denying the company had supported the rally and stressing it supported Indonesia's motto "Unity in Diversity". The bread company's support for Indonesian pluralism outraged some of Indonesia's netizens, who called for a boycott of Sari Roti bread and posted photos of themselves stamping on it. On Christmas Day, Indonesia's second-largest Islamic civic group, Muhammadiyah, started producing its own bread in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city. The secretary of Muhammadiyah's Surabaya branch, Muhammad Arifan, said the bakery had been planned since January last year, but acknowledged the Sari Roti controversy gave the plan a boost. "Honestly, Sari Roti created a polemic at that time and it attracted people and yes, we used the momentum of the third rally," Muhammad told Fairfax Media. The sectarian tension in Indonesia has been compounded by a deluge of fake news. Indonesian President Joko Widodo was forced to deny rumours that 10 million Chinese workers had been permitted to work in Indonesia, saying the figure was just 21,000. Bank Indonesia denied bizarre claims circulated on social media that there was a hammer and sickle symbol on the 100,000 rupiah note. (Any activity which propagates communism, Marxism or Leninism is banned in Indonesia.) The Chinese embassy in Indonesia expressed alarm over claims China was waging biological warfare against Indonesia after four Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly planting chilli seeds contaminated with a bacteria that can cause crop failure. "The backdrop of that is also the income disparity that this country has," Yenny Wahid, the director of the Wahid Institute, a research centre on Islam that promotes tolerance, told a forum recently. According to World Bank data, she says, a small percentage of the population controls a large percentage of its assets. "The Chinese issue here has always been a big issue because of the perceived dominance of the ethnicity in our economic landscape," she says. "Millions of Indonesians have Facebook accounts, so when you get ... inaccurate or unbalanced articles about how Singapore was before the Chinese controlled it and how Indonesia is going to turn into Singapore with the Chinese controlling it and blah blah blah. So all of these articles are being sent to Facebook accounts of poor people in the villages who feel the economic crunch, who feel [their] land is being snapped up by the Chinese All these campaigns being sent out in massive ways by people who have access to this machinery really drove a campaign of hysteria." The Indonesian government has responded by vowing to crack down on fake news and reinforce Indonesia's state ideology, Pancasila. The five principles of Pancasila emphasise political pluralism, social justice for all the people of Indonesia and the unity of the state. Senior Cabinet Minister Luhut Pandjaitan recently lamented that unlike during the authoritarian Suharto era, when Pancasila was well understood, "we don't promote our ideology for many years". President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, abruptly announced a presidential task force last month to implement the state ideology, inlcuding in the school curriculum. But critics claimed it was a reactionary move and establishing a taskforce would not address intolerance from those acting in the name of religion. The influential Tempo magazine, while concerned about rising intolerance, suggested Jokowi was turning the clock back to 1979, when the Suharto regime established a board for applying Pancasila, known as BP7. "It ended with the downfall of the regime in 1998," Tempo noted in an editorial. Acts of intolerance are usually a reflection of a particular group holding supremacist views, according to Yahya Cholil Staquf, the general secretary of NU's Supreme Council. "It is important for everybody to understand there is a kind of supremacist view that is embedded in and established in the orthodoxy of Islam. It is there," Yahya told a recent forum. "That becomes a kind of ammunition for any political actors who want to use political Islam as a tool to gain victory." Yahya says Indonesia has a history of re-contextualising Islam. Proof of this, he says, is Indonesian scholars accepting in the 1940s that Indonesia would be a pluralist state based on Pancasila rather than an Islamic state. "You cannot find in the orthodoxy of Islam any elements that support the decision to legitimise a non-Islamic republic. But Islamic leaders at the time did that." Yahya says the fact Ahok was elected deputy governor in 2012 also illustrates Indonesia's culture of tolerance. "That should be a proof that Jakarta Muslims are ready to have a Chinese Christian to be governor of Jakarta," he says. Fort Lauderdale: Federal law enforcement officials said they were investigating whether the gunman who opened fire at the airport in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, was mentally disturbed and heard voices in his head telling him to commit acts of violence. According to a senior law enforcement official, the gunman, identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, walked into the FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska, in November and made disturbing remarks that prompted officials to urge him to seek mental health care. Santiago, appearing "agitated and incoherent," said "that his mind was being controlled by a US intelligence agency," the official said. Other officials said it was too early to tell whether Santiago, who was captured in the airport, had been inspired by terrorist groups, including the Islamic State. The officials said he had viewed extremist materials on the internet. Rio de Janeiro: Jailed members of Brazil's most powerful drug gang have killed 33 inmates at a prison, decapitating and cutting out the hearts of most of them, in revenge for a separate prison massacre that left 56 dead this week. Friday's massacre in the Monte Cristo prison in the Amazonian state of Roraima carried out by members of the First Capital Command (PCC) gang sparked concerns that months of violence between criminal groups controlling Brazil's prisons was spiralling out of control. The PCC itself was targeted on Sunday in neighbouring Amazonas state in Brazil's worst prison slaughter for more than two decades. In a mobile phone video that circulated widely on social media, self-described PCC members are seen hacking away at bodies littering an outdoor patio inside the prison. Malaysia has announced the A$200 million hunt for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 will end within two weeks, despite pleas that authorities push on with the search of a vast expanse of the far southern Indian Ocean. "We're at the final lap within these two weeks," transport minister Liow Tiong Lai told reporters, adding "we hope we can still find the plane." Mr Liow dampened hopes the search would be extended following a recommendation by investigators to search a new 25,000 kilometre area north of where it was first thought the plane crashed in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board. He said the imminent completion of a search of a 120,000 square kilometre area would end the most expensive and extensive search for an aircraft in history, in the absence of any "credible clue" suggesting it be extended. President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as US director of national intelligence, giving the retired lawmaker oversight of the spy agencies that have drawn scepticism from Trump. Coats, 73, probably would face close questioning by both Republicans and Democrats about how he views the intelligence community's conclusions that Russia hacked Democratic Party computer systems in order to meddle in the US presidential campaign, which Trump has repeatedly questioned. Dan Coats will oversee 17 security agencies. Credit:SUSAN WALSH The current director of national intelligence, James Clapper, who briefed Trump on Friday, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday that US intelligence agencies now have "very high" confidence in their assessment. "Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community," Trump said on Saturday in a statement. 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. latest news October 31, 2022 Buddy TV In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options... Here's where Andy Kim stands on abortion, inflation and more The USA TODAY Network New Jersey asked Andy Kim and Bob Healey where they stand on key issues in the midterms. Only one answered. Google has honoured Sandford Fleming, a Canadian inventor and engineer of Scottish birth known for his invention of worldwide standard time, with a Doodle. "Today's Doodle reflects Fleming's legacy on this, the 190th anniversary of his birth," Google said in a statement on Saturday. It is widely believed that Fleming missing a train in Ireland due to a mistake printed in a timetable ultimately led to his brilliant idea that altered time as we know it. Fleming was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in 1827. This was a period when regions used solar time to set their own clocks. Solar time worked well enough until trains came along and the need for standardised time arose. Following his missed train in 1876, Fleming proposed a worldwide standard time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute on February 8, 1879. He advocated for dividing the world into 24 time zones beginning at the Greenwich Meridian and spaced at 15 degree intervals. His proposal gave way to the International Prime Meridian Conference which convened in 1884 and was attended by 25 nations. It was here that Fleming's system of international standard time was adopted. Fleming was also known for helping build the Intercontinental Railway, serving as chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and designing Canada's first postage stamp. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF)'s 2016 were given away in six fields at an awards ceremony here, celebrating their inspiring journey and contributions to science and research. The Prize was given across the fields of Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. Dr Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, Nobel Prize Laureate and Padma Vibhushan, felicitated the winners and awarded each laureate a purse of Rs 65 lakhs, a 22-karat gold medallion and a citation certificate. Trustees of the Infosys Science Foundation, S D Shibulal, President of the Board of Trustees, N R Narayana Murthy, Mohandas Pai, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Srinath Batni and K Dinesh, were present at the event, also attended by eminent scientists and leaders from different industries and academia. Ramakrishnan commended the extraordinary work that the Infosys Science Foundation is doing to encourage scientific research in India, according to a Foundation release. "In a complex and technological world, it is increasingly important for all of us to understand the basis of science and technology, and to distinguish evidence-based facts from speculation and myth," he said. Scientists work quietly to advance the state of our understanding in areas of pure mathematics and physics all the way to medicine and engineering, and the is a nice way to recognise the work of some leading scientists and stimulate public interest in science, he said. The winners of 2016 are 1) Engineering and Computer Science: V Kumaran, Professor, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, 2) Humanities: Prof Sunil Amrith, Mehra Family Professor of South Asian Studies, Professor of History, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA, 3)Life Sciences: Prof Gagandeep Kang, Executive Director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad. Mathematical Sciences: Akshay Venkatesh, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Stanford University, USA, 5) Physical Sciences Dr Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and 6) Social Sciences: Prof Kaivan Munshi, Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, UK. Infosys Science Foundation is a not-for-profit trust funded by a corpus which today stands at over Rs 140 crore contributed by the trustees and Infosys. With a series of new launches and aggressive marketing, is confident that it will progress to become the third largest brand in the Indian passenger car market. The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant against British national Christian Michel James and re-issued summons against a company and two other accused in the Rs. 3,600 crore helicopter deal scam. The summons were issued as all the accused failed to appear before the court. Next date for hearing has been scheduled for February 22. The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam. The ED counsel told the court that there was enough evidence against the accused to initiate proceedings. According to the Enforcement Directorate, Media Exim is a shell company of James and incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks. The Enforcement Directorate found that of the alleged kickbacks received by James, Rs. 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. James allegedly received around Rs. 225 crore as kickbacks from for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. Maldives imports about $ 1.5 billion worth merchandise annually. Male Port handles roughly 70,000 TEUs annually and Kochi is the nearest port, with only 30 hours sailing time The regular shipping service connecting Cochin Port with Maldives will soon be available as Cochin is the nearest major port for Maldives. A team of officials from Maldives Port held discussions with the chairman and senior officers of the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) and International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), Vallarpadam, on Friday last week. Maldives imports about $ 1.5 billion worth merchandise annually. The Male Port handles roughly 70,000 TEUs annually and Cochin Port is the nearest port, with only 30 hours sailing time. A lot of Indian products are being routed to Maldives through Colombo, Dubai and Singapore ports. This is time-consuming and involves higher transportation cost. Hence, there is a scope to operate a weekly service of a 600 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) vessel from Cochin Port to Male. Regular shipping would mean just-in-time inventory for Maldives, and reduce the cost of imports as sometimes they are forced to airlift items in emergency. Maldives imports a large number of essential items, including medicines, provisions, fruits and vegetables from India. The Maldives officials told the country was interested in importing more containers from south India as it is cost effective for them. The main hurdle is the absence of regular shipping service from India, especially from Cochin,which is their nearest port. According to them, every month 2,200 TEUs were being imported. If 50 per cent of this could be en-routed through Cochin port, it would save a lot of shipping charges. Hence, the country is keen on starting regular service with Cochin. The meeting also decided to start service of container vessels which have capacity to handle 600 TEUs in the first phase. The port in Maldives has the capacity to handle only small vessels. At least one vessel will sail to Maldives every week. The Customs department would soon set up a container scanning machine at ICTT, costing roughly Rs 30 crore. The DP world also held discussions with companies in Tamil Nadu to attract more cargo to Vallarpadam terminal. Handling charges at Vallarpadam to be reduced KK Krishanadas, CEO of DP World Cochin, which operates terminals at ICTT Vallarpadam, was present in the discussions. He confirmed the company had started exploring ways to facilitate regular sailings to Maldives and to promote cargo movement to Maldives Port via Cochin Port. Paul Antony, chairman of Cochin Port Trust (CPT), hoped the proposed 100-acre Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) of CPT would be ideal for the trade opportunity with Maldives. The meeting also decided to apprise the shipping companies and the business community in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and oil companies of business opportunities and also facilitate faster connectivity to Maldives via Kochi, a CPT press release stated. Air India, often at the receiving end of criticism for its sloppy performance, is yet to be paid Rs 750 crore by the government for flying Very Very Important Persons and defence services. Bhutan is looking at attracting more foreign investments and greater private participation in expanding the country's hydro power sector. "We encourage private sector participation in the hydro power sector. We encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)," Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said here today, addressing industry chambers - CII, Ficci and Assocham. "For smaller projects, we will be encouraging aggressively the private sector and FDI," Tshering said. Tata Power, among others, is already working on a hydel project in the neighbouring nation. At present, many of the hydel projects being developed in Bhutan are under an agreement between the two countries. The Indian government has agreed to develop 10,000 MW of hydro power in Bhutan by 2020. Tobgay said: "Three of those projects are already under construction, six other DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) are already ready..." Under Indo-Bhutan co-operation, many hydel projects including 1,020 MW Tala plant are already functioning. The Bhutanese Prime Minister said that if there are delays, then the implementation and investment modalities could be re-looked into. Meanwhile, in response to a query, he said there is "no reason" to change the country's hydro power policy which was adopted by the earlier government. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) preparing for electoral battles in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, and the government facing criticism for demonetisation Prime Minister on Saturday told the party leadership that it should welcome criticism and be unfazed by it. All India Waqf conference gets underway Ministry, Nawadco and CWC collectively striving to use auqaf for welfare of Minorities Specially Muslims: Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs said that the Centre, National Waqf Development Corporation (NAWADCO) and Central Waqf Council together have launched a campaign to utilise the Waqf properties for socio-economic-educational empowerment of minority communities specially Muslims. The Minority Affairs Ministry has been working on different strategies for welfare of Muslim community which include protection and development of Waqf properties, he added. Shri Naqvi stated this while inaugurating All India Waqf Conference in New Delhi today. He said that several States have come forward for better utilisation of Waqf properties, for progress of Muslims. Most states have been performing well but more needs to be done by all the States and UTs. All States should constitute the three Member Tribunals, the Minister said further. Shri Naqvi said that all efforts are being made to ensure that all Waqf Boards and their records across the country are computerised and Minority Affairs Ministry has been providing all possible help to the State Waqf Boards. The Computerisation of Waqf Boards and their properties will help in ensuring transparency in functioning of Waqf Boards Appreciating all participants for their efforts in ensuring that all auqafs under their charge are properly maintained, controlled, he urged to use the income from such properties to achieve the laid objectives for which such auqafs were created. He urged them to extend their full cooperation in implementing the Waqf Act, Lease Rules, relevant schemes etc., which will not only help in computerization of all records but will also increase the income of the Waqf Boards/Muttawallis. During the meetings, power point presentations on waqf issues were made by the Ministry of Minority Affairs; Central Waqf Council; NAWADCO, Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala State Waqf Boards and extensive deliberations were held on all the items of agenda. Speaking on the occasion Shri Ameising Luikham,the Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs said that Under the provisions of the amended Waqf Act, 1995, the Ministry of Minority Affairs notified the Waqf Properties Lease Rules on 3.6.14. These rules provide for restriction on grant of lease in certain cases; procedure to be followed for lease/registration/renewal of lease properties; rights and obligations of the lessor and lessee etc. Based on the difficulties faced by some State Waqf Boards in implementing the notified rules, some amendments therein were modified on 25.8.2015. One of the important provisions of the Act relate to framing of Waqf Rules by the State/UT Governments. For assisting the State/UT Governments in this regard, the Ministry of Minority Affairs prepared the relevant model rules and provided copies thereof to all States/UTs on 18.7.16 for consideration. However, most states are yet to notify revised rules. He hoped that constructive and positive results will emerge from todays deliberations. Earlier welcoming the gathering Shri Jaa-ne Aalam,J S in the Ministry outlined the agenda of the meeting. Shri Ashok Pai, CEO, NAWADCO said that income of merely Rs.163 crores from huge Waqf properties shows that steps need to be taken to improve the management of Waqf properties. Emphasising the effective implementation of Lease Rules under revised Act, he promised to extend all possible help in developing the Waqf properties. He said across the country 100 properties have been identified and intentions received for developing 35 properties, so far. The Secretary CWC, Shri Jamal Ahmad gave vote of thanks at the end of inaugural session. Management of Waqf properties is a very important area of public policy. The Waqf Act 1995 regulates the administration of Waqfs. The Ministry has also launched several schemes. This Conference has been organized to review the implementation of the schemes for strengthening of Waqf Boards and computerization of records as well as to review the functioning of the Waqf Act 1995. To deal with complaints regarding Waqf properties, one-man Board of Adjudication will be established soon at the Centre level to be headed by a retired Supreme Court Justice or retired High Court Chief Justice. Three-member Tribunals are being established in the States. About 15-16 states have established these tribunals. The conference will discuss various issues related to implementation of amendments incorporated in the Waqf Act, 1995; Waqf Properties Lease Rules, 2014; framing of Waqf Rules by the State/UT Governments; review of progress under the schemes relating to grant of financial assistance to the State Waqf Boards for computerization of Waqf properties; strengthening of Waqf Boards; and development of Waqf properties by National Waqf Development Corporation Ltd. (NAWADCO). Officials from about 20 States/UTs are participating in the Conference besides Officers from the Ministry, NAWADCO, CWC and NMDFC. Those participating include Assam,Chhatisgarh,Delhi,Haryana,Kerala,Madhya,Pudducheri,Orissa,Tamilnadu,Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh etc. Chinas push to develop its domestic semiconductor technology threatens to harm US chipmakers and put Americas national security at risk, the Obama administration warned in a report that called for greater scrutiny of Chinese industrial policy. Chinas goal to achieve a leadership position in semiconductor design and manufacturing, in part by spending $150 billion over a 10-year period, requires an effective response to maintain US competitiveness in the industry, according to the report released Friday. We found that Chinese policies are distorting ... Shortly after the November election, with the nation's political attention focused on the Trump transition, an influential advocacy group met outside Washington to discuss how to leverage the extraordinary shift of power to Republicans in the rest of the country. In recent years an movement to reform global narcotics policies has been growing, with activists and presidents alike declaring that the United States war on drugs has failed. Now it seems the US has finally gotten the message from Latin America, at least, whose nations have long borne the brunt of drug prohibition. For the past few decades, globalisation has been the status quo. Advancements in communication and transport technology have made the world far smaller than it once was, and governments and businesses everywhere have long since sought to make this notion profitable. This has manifested in free-trade agreements, economic and political unions and, in Europe, the unprecedented common citizenship of 500m people across 28 countries. But after the Brexit vote, after Donald Trumps victory, and with Marine Le Pens French presidential campaign on the horizon, globalised nations are finding themselves divided down the middle on ideological lines. So entrenched are the beliefs on each side of the divide that they invoke a counterculture of their own, threatening to spurn the society they once shared.For the past few decades, globalisation has been the status quo. Advancements in communication and transport technology have made the world far smaller than it once was, and governments and businesses everywhere have long since sought to make this notion profitable. This has manifested in free-trade agreements, economic and political unions and, in Europe, the unprecedented common citizenship of 500m people across 28 countries. In 1996, political scientist Samuel Huntington hypothesised that identity politics would become the fulcrum of global conflict. He described the fundamental bonds of nation as history, language, culture, tradition and, most importantly, religion. For him, these characteristics bind nations together above all, and do so in opposition to those on the outside. Huntington foresaw a heightened awareness of cultural differences as a result of globalisation. Regional cultures, he predicted, would see their own identity through differences with their neighbours. Detractors of Huntington, such as economist Amartya Sen, warned that such a homogenised view of cultural groups was a mistake as most valued diversity as a defining characteristic. In reality, they were both correct. But not entirely. New priorities Language, culture, tradition and religion are no longer enough to bind the regions of the Western world. There has been a markedly political transformation. Identity within Western culture has unravelled into a question of how outsiders are, or should be, viewed. Working-class voters, traditionally the base of social democratic parties, are turning towards the anti-immigration populism of the right. This in itself is nothing new, but for the first time traditional notions of left and right are being replaced. In the US, its for or against the Mexican wall. In the UK, its Remain or Leave. On the other side of the aisle, globalists are equally determined to preserve a common citizenship. Luxembourg MEP Charles Goerens, for example, proposed that associate EU citizenship could allow citizens of former member states to opt-in voluntarily. Here, a new kind of transnational citizenship would be on offer one that would be invulnerable to the whims of nation-state isolationism. Division and union The existing geography of nationhood then, at least in terms of nation-state unions, is under pressure from both globalists and anti-globalists simultaneously. Right-wing populist movements in Europe are pushing for more countries to leave the EU, while the UK wrestles with internal disputes. Its not just the familiar spectres of regional nationalism that threaten to dismantle the UK now either. In London, city mayor Sadiq Khan wants a London work permit to sidestep the EU immigration restrictions that look to become an inevitable part of Brexit. There are even murmurings of a full London independence movement. In the US the notion of Californian independence (Calexit) has been gaining traction since the election of Donald Trump. While right-wing populists seek to destroy the globalised world in pursuit of a traditional nationalism, these new independence movements seek to do the opposite: to liberate themselves from their historical identity in order to forge worldwide relationships. Herein lies a striking similarity between the music subcultures I study and current geopolitical trends. Scholars in my own field have found that music lovers goths, for example can feel they have more in common with other members of their musical subculture, even if they live thousands of miles away, than with people in their geographical community. In the same sense, internationalism has become a subcultural identity. A social democrat in the UK is likely to have more in common with a social democrat in France or Germany than with a nationalist in their home town. The prospect of individual EU citizenship (which seems increasingly possible), alongside desperate attempts for British citizens to seek citizenship in other EU states, is proof of this. Irish passport applications doubled overnight after the Brexit vote, while Trumps election saw the Canadian immigration homepage crash. Globalisation may have paved the way for the populist right to flourish in response but, in opening up the world through technology, the barriers of geography have been diminished permanently. After the end As Trumps election was assured, Florian Philippot, the vice-president of Le Pens Front National, tweeted: Their world is collapsing. Ours is being built. This is momentarily true for the physical world, in the form of existing governmental power structures. But the ideological sphere of internationalism is still intact. Imagine a world, within our lifetime, in which the people of California, Scotland, Catalonia, London, and Berlin shared free movement and common citizenship, but where visas were required to visit Florida or Plymouth. Once, not too long ago, such an idea would have been absurd, but no more we have already witnessed the unimaginable. Is the possibility of a world map shaped by ideological nationhood so extraordinary? Rio Goldhammer, Doctoral Researcher in Leisure Studies, Leeds Beckett University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. prices fell on Friday, reversing earlier gains, on concerns that not all Opec producers will cut output in line with an agreement reached in November, and a stronger US dollar. Brent crude futures, the benchmark for prices, were trading at $57.75 per barrel at 1443 GMT, down 14 cents from the previous close after trading as much as 58 cents higher earlier in the day. In the United States, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were $53.74 a barrel, 3 cents below their last settlement, after trading as much as 56 cents above it. "There's a lot of volatility, or at least changes in direction," ABN Amro Senior Energy Economist Hans Van Cleef said. "People think the long-term trend is up, but after a gain of a few dollars, they take profit." The contracts are largely flat on the week. While top exporter Saudi Arabia, along with fellow Gulf members Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, have shown signs of cutting production in line with an agreement reached by Opec and other producers, market watchers have doubts about overall compliance. Saudi Arabia cut output in January by at least 486,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 10.058 million bpd, fully implementing the agreement to curb a global supply glut. State producer Saudi Aramco has started talks with customers globally on possible cuts of 3% to 7% in February crude loadings. On Friday, a Kuwaiti oil official said that country had also reduced production in line with the deal, and there are also reports of supply cuts from Abu Dhabi. But there are still doubts about other producers' compliance. "There will be some countries who will cheat...we expect zero compliance from Baghdad... And we definitely do not expect the Kurds to join in, given that they are autonomous from the federal government," Energy Aspects said in its 2017 oil market outlook, published this week. Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said this week the autonomous Kurdish region was exporting more than its allocated share of oil. Iraq is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' second-largest producer. Overall supply from Opec in December fell only slightly to 34.18 million barrels per day (bpd) from a revised 34.38 million bpd in November, according to a Reuters survey this week based on shipping data and information from industry sources. Analysts also said the strong dollar, which edged higher on Friday following US jobs data, capped oil prices, as it made oil more expensive for holders of other currencies. Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on Saturday made a last minute effort to challenge Donald Trump's presidency as she surprised everyone by trying to raise last-gasp objections against him during a joint session of the US Congress to formally put its seal of approval on the presidential elections. The attempt by Jayapal, a first-time Congresswoman who was elected from Seattle in the general elections, was shot down by an irked Vice-President Joe Biden, who told her that it was all over. Biden was chairing the session of the Congress when lawmakers met to formally approve the electoral college victory of Trump. According to the last count, Trump has 304 electoral college votes as against 227 of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. As the joint session of the Congress was in progress, Jayapal in an unusual move and breaking the tradition stood up, making Biden to ask "for what purpose does the gentlewoman rise?" "Mr President, I object to the certificate from the state of Georgia on the grounds that the electoral votes were not..." Jayapal said as she was cut-off mid-way by the Vice-President with the gavel. "There is no debate," Biden said and reminded her of the rule book that he has not received any such objection in writing from her and also it was not signed by any Senator. She acknowledged that it has not been signed by any Senator. Unperturbed, Jayapal continued with her speech. "Mr President, even as people waited hours in Georgia...," she said, as Biden interrupted again by slamming the gavel. "There is no debate," he said, as the Indian-American Congresswoman insisted to speak. "It is over," Biden said as the house erupted in a laughter including the House Speaker Paul Ryan. Later Jayapal defended her decision to break the rule book. "One of my greatest worries about a Trump presidency is numbness. I am worried that the American people are constantly bombarded with shocking, racist, sexist remarks and tweets and that all the hatred Trump spews will slowly become the new normal," Jayapal said. Jayapal told her supporters that she took to the floor of the US House of Representatives and made one last attempt to challenge Trump's presidency. "When I stood up, I knew nothing I could say would undo the presidential election," she acknowledged. "But I felt it critical that the American people saw that we know how democracy has been undermined and votes have been suppressed. I raised my voice to show you what we progressives are going to do for the next four years. We're not going to stop being shocked. We're never going to become complacent. And we're never going to give up," Jayapal said. In an interview, she wished that Biden could have allowed her to speak. "It was really important, from my personal perspective, for the American people to know we understand the issues with the way this election happened," Jayapal was quoted as saying by The Seattle Times. A pack of Nobel Prize-winning economists gave Donald Trump and his policy plans the thumbs-down, with one saying the president-elects programmes could lead to a deep recession. Speaking on a panel during the first day of the annual American Economic Association meeting in Chicago, the Nobel laureates voiced a variety of concerns about the billionaire developers stance, from his haranguing of US companies about their outsourcing plans to the risk that his tax and spending proposals could lead to run-away budget deficits. There is a broad consensus that the ... US President-elect Donald Trumps promise to shrink a trade deficit with China through punishing tariffs wouldnt just hurt the worlds second-biggest economy it would also damage the rest of Asia. Thats the increasing view of economists who say the risk of significant Trump-triggered trade tensions could slow growth in the worlds best performing region, which accounts for 67 per cent of Americas goods trade deficit, according to Morgan Stanley. Donald Trumps campaign proposal to impose hefty tariffs on China has ... Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, US intelligence said in a report today. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," said the report from the Director of National Intelligence. Volkswagen is nearing a deal to pay more than $2 billion to resolve a federal criminal investigation into its cheating on emissions tests, according to three people briefed on the negotiations. The Centre has rebuked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remark asking President Pranab Mukherjee to oust the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, in the wake of his decision to demonetise 500 and 1000 rupee notes. "A Prime Minister is elected by the people, he is not randomly chosen. Just because she is commenting, one must not take it seriously. Mamata shouldn't have said like this," Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiu told ANI. Mamata yesterday asked the ruling dispensation to make way for a " government" headed by senior BJP leader L.K. Advani or Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "Hallabazi is going on by this government. I appeal to the President to save us as no government can bulldoze on people like this. I want a new government to be set up to save the country from this situation for two and half years," she said. Mamata then went on to ask President Pranab Mukherjee for help and said that it is only he, who can save the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A series of workshops was initiated in Chennai today, 6 January, to assist capacity building for museums in Tamil Nadu. Thirty participants from twenty district museums in Tamil Nadu, eight State archaeology museums, and the Government Museum, Chennai, participated in the workshop. The initiative is a partnership between the Government Museum, Chennai and AusHeritage, Australia's International Cultural Heritage Network. It was launched by Sean Kelly, Consul-General of Australia for South India, in the presence of Dr. Jagannathan, Director, Government Museum, Chennai, and Mr. Vinod Daniel. Mr Daniel said "The objective was to assist in developing better storage and display conditions for cultural collections in Tamil Nadu." "Ten variables that can affect cultural collections were discussed at the workshop. As follow-up steps, participants will be trained in a risk matrix on which of the ten variables would be relevant to their particular museum based on both observation as well as using scientific data. They will then be trained to develop both low cost and medium cost mechanisms to deal with the variables that would be relevant to their particular institution" he said. Mr Daniel added that "Each institution will go back and develop a simple collection risk management and mitigation framework for their institution. In two months' time we will have a follow up workshop where they will present their observations and mitigating mechanisms. There would be additional follow up workshops in future that will deal with specific aspects including Pest Management, Disaster Management, Museum Displays, and Documentation." Vinod Daniel is the Chairman of the Board for AusHeritage (Australia's International Cultural Heritage Network), and Board Member of the International Council of Museums (International Museum peak body with 35,000 professionals, 20,000 museums, 140 committees and 35 international committees). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the nation still reeling from the recent slew of sexual assault cases, another case of molestation has surfaced in Delhi's posh Hauz Khas area, where a German woman research scholar was allegedly molested by her landlord last year on November 30th. The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have received a complaint from the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) regarding the case and that an investigation is underway. "A complaint was forwarded from the DCW to us and a molestation case has been registered. Also an investigation is underway. We have contacted the concerned victim," Delhi South Western Range Joint Commissioner, Deependra Pathak said. The victim had lodged a complaint with Swati Maliwal, the chairperson of DCW on December 5 and the police registered the FIR on December 27 under section 354(Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of woman) of the IPC at the Hauz Khas Police Station. Meanwhile, the nation is seething in the wake of horrific reports of mass molestation on the New Year's Eve in Bengaluru and its rerun in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar. On December 31, in a similar incident, a young woman walking home was approached by two men on a scooter. Alarmed, she tried to side-step them, but one man disembarked and attacked her. As she fought back, he pushed her towards the other man. He molested her, and then threw her hard to the ground. The video - recorded by security cameras at a house nearby in East Bengaluru - shows a group of people watching the assault without intervening. The city police has been facing a storm of criticism after a group of men groped, stalked and harassed women on New Year's Eve, as thousands of people were partying in the city's biggest commercial stretch. Video footage and pictures circulated on social media had showed women crying and seeking help. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested notorious criminal Yogender Sharma of Billa Gang, who was wanted in a number of cases related to robbery and attempt to murder. The police also recovered sophisticated pistol .765 mm along with 6 live cartridges from Sharma. Sharma was a wanted in three cases of attempt to murder and a robbery case. It is also known that he intended to eliminate rival Dabbu and Bittu in order to create dominance in the Trans Yamuna area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha, seeking Centre's stand on the Opposition's plea to postpone the Budget presentation to a day after March 8, the last date of polling in Uttar Pradesh. As per the ECI sources, this has been done by the Election Commission as per normal procedure. This move from the ECI comes just a day after a delegation of the opposition parties met all three Election Commissioners, Naseem Zaidi, OP Rawat and AK Joti. On Thursday the opposition demanded the date for budget presentation be shifted till after the elections get over. The Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and others said they were not in favour of February 1 as the start of the budget session. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the negation has been put forward as it would lead to biased elections, which are against the constitution and democracy, adding further that they have no problem with any date post elections. "If the government wants, it can call session from 31. But, only the budget should be presented post March 8, as it is the last date of elections. It can choose any date after March 8 as it can announce it any day before March 31," he said. TMC leader Derek O'Brien resonated the same saying the Centre can present the budget after March 8, once the elections get over. "It is about 15-16 opposition parties together. There is a simple solution - the government has enough time to present the budget after March 8. It can get it passed before March 31. That is the fair way of doing," he said. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday inducted ex-Army chief (retd) general J.J. Singh ahead of the Punjab state assembly polls, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in Chandigarh who branded the development as 'historic'. "We are proud of the fact that the first Sikh Ex-Army Chief has joined SAD and he will be contesting from Patiala," Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said. Badal who termed the moment as historic also announced that he will be contesting from Patiala. General (rtd) Singh, who was the first Sikh officer to become the army chief, has been provided security cover by the police in Patiala. At least 12 cops and vehicle have been put on the job on the orders of ADGP (security). Singh fought the 1965 and 1971 wars, apart from being among the architects of defeating Pakistani intruders in Kargil. Interstingly Congress stalwart Captain Amarinder Singh, too, had served on the Indo-Pak border during the 1965 war. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after drawing flak for his offensive statement on Muslims, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader again stirred up a controversy on Saturday, saying that it is not acceptable to have four wives and 40 children, adding that he should be rewarded for not having child. "The population is increasing by the day. A woman is not a machine. It is not acceptable to have four wives, 40 children and three divorces," Maharaj told ANI. "We should be rewarded, as I have four brothers and we all are unmarried and thus we don't have any child," the BJP leader added. Maharaj is facing huge backlash following his statement holding Muslims responsible for population rise. "This population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children," he had said. Meanwhile, the opposition has demanded stringent action against the leader for his offensive remark and mulling to move Election Commission. "The speech of based on religion and caste is very offensive and it violates the Model Code of conduct. I feel action should be taken. We will definitely move the Election Commission," Congress leader K. C. Mittal told ANI. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will release the Congress poll manifesto for Punjab at the Congress headquarters on January 9. On the same day, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to officially join Congress. According to sources, Sidhu wanted to join Congress in presence of party vice president Rahul Gandhi but since he is out of country, he decided the date accordingly. On January 10th, the Congress will also finalise its third and final list of 40 candidates in its Central Election Committee headed by party president Sonia Gandhi. The Punjab Congress is waiting for Rahul Gandhi to return from his New Year trip abroad to get the party's campaign rolling. The assembly elections in Punjab along with the by-poll for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat will be held on February 4. Meghalaya MLA Julius K Dorphang, accused of raping a minor girl, was arrested in Guwahati yesterday. The absconding Independent legislator, who was wanted in a sex racket involving a 14-year-old girl, will be today produced at 11 a.m before the Shillong district and session court. Dorphang, who was accused of sexually exploitating a minor girl twice, once in a guest House at Motinagar and the other time in a resort in RI Bhoi District, has been brought to Shillong. The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house was arrested for pimping the victim last month. The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she named all those involved in the racket. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai Police registers Accidental Death Report (ADR) on Saturday in connection with actor Om Puri's death, who passed away yesterday after suffering a cardiac arrest. According to reports, the preliminary postmortem report of the deceased actor states that the cause of death as 'unknown', started rumours of foul play involved in the case. Meanwhile, the Police has also reportedly interrogated his domestic help and driver. Puri starred in several award-winning Indian movies and also featured in crossover ventures, was born on October 18, 1950, to a Punjabi family in Ambala, Haryana. The actor, who had more than 100 films to his credits, was also an alumnus of the 1973 class of the School of Drama (NSD) where Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student. He was honoured with Padma Shri and two Film Awards during his acting career that stretched for more than four decades. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that there are no plans by the government to extend the term of military courts as there term expires, adding that the cases will be transferred to anti-terrorism courts. "Terrorism cases will be referred to anti-terrorism courts. We have no plan to give military courts any extension," the Express Tribune quoted Nisar as saying. The 21st Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by both the National Assembly of Pakistan and Senate of Pakistan on January 6, 2015, and received the assent of the President on January 7, 2015. The decision to amend the Constitution came after the 2014 Peshawar school massacre. The amendment established speedy trial military courts for terrorist offenses, waging war against Pakistan, and acts threatening the security of Pakistan. The duration of these courts is two years. The government had earlier, at the time of the amendment, promised to revamp the judicial system and introduce new clauses in the existing laws to protect judges, witnesses and prosecutors. It has been reported that the government is currently working on a new draft law in this regard. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Special Assistant on Human Rights Barrister Zafarullah Khan said that the interior ministry is dealing with this issue directly and they do not have further details in this regard. The military courts have sentenced 161 militants to death and handed 116 others jail terms during their two-year tenure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Saturday termed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sakshi Maharaj's comment on Muslims as 'offensive' and said it would bring the issue to the notice of the Election Commission. "The speech of based on religion and caste is very offensive and it violates the Model Code. I feel action should be taken. We will definitely move the Election Commission. At the same time, on the basis of the recent Supreme Court judgement, we will request the Election Commission to issue appropriate instructions to district election officers as well as the block officers so that no election campaign is carried out on the basis of caste and religion, as BJP has been doing," Congress leader K C Mittal told ANI. Accusing the BJP of fighting elections based on caste and religion, Mittal said it is the only agenda of the saffron party. "This is the only agenda they have, they have nothing beyond that. It should stop. We, being secular means secular and, the Supreme Court has settled it now," he said. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party also slammed the BJP, highlighting the Supreme Court's ruling on the same. "There is no point of making such statements. Even the Supreme Court has given its ruling banning use of religion, caste and community to seek votes during elections. I would urge BJP to stop such things. Elections cannot be won by creating a stressful environment," Senior Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal told ANI. on Friday stirred a fresh controversy by holding Muslims responsible for population boom. "This population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children," he said. Following Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Sakshi Maharaj recent shocker blaming Muslims for population boom in the nation, the minority community has come down heavily on the controversial leader attacking him for his 'irresponsible' remark. "Population is increased by those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children," Maharaj had said which immediately triggered a outrage. Commenting on the statement, Maulana Yasoob Abbas, a Muslim Cleric in Lucknow said, "This is a very derogatory statement and nothing can be done to compensate it. On one side Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about the development of entire society and on the other side Sakshi Maharaj, a member of BJP, is making such demeaning remarks which doesn't suit his position. Also he is a saint, a Maharaj". Abbas further said that no religious community in the nation wants a communal division, adding that there won't be casting of votes in the name of religion. "It will be solely on the basis on development and progress. Whoever is working for the people will get the votes and who has kept the state blindfolded will get the results", Abbas told ANI. Berating the BJP MP for his "unfortunate and irresponsible remark", the cleric asserted that he will raise the issue with the concerned authorities. Expressing similar emotions, Mohd. Afzal, President of Rastriya Muslim Manch, said, "I haven't seen a man who has 4 wives. May be Sakshi Maharaj would have seen one. I would request all the political parties to not use such remarks relating to religion in order to create disputes". Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against Sakshi Maharaj for his remark. This is not the first time that an FIR has been registered against him. He was the main accused in the murder of Dwivedi, a close associate of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpajee. The swami, who holds the title of "Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Nirmal Panchayati Akhada", was caught in a sting operation on MPs in 2005. He was among the 11 MPs who were caught on tape talking about misuse of MP Local Area Development Funds and expelled from the Rajya Sabha in March 2006. Sakshi was also said to be complicit in murder of his close associate Sujata Verma. It came as a surprise to many within the BJP when Sakshi was given a ticket, on the recommendation of Amit Shah, in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sindh Governor Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui has refused to ratify the forced controversial bill, following strident protests by various groups. The bill was unanimously adopted by the Sindh Assembly recently against forced conversions. "Please reconsider the legislation," the Express Tribune quoted Siddiqui, as saying in his message to the Assembly Secretariat. The governor, in his observations, cited the letters written by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), MQM parliamentary leader Sardar Ahmed, as well as the protest by religious parties, who had called for the bill's withdrawal or proposed amendments to it. "Today, we have received the bill with the governor's message. The governor's plea for reconsideration means he has asked for the bill's withdrawal and for the introduction of a new law," said Sindh Assembly Secretary GM Umer Farooq. He said that the bill will be presented at the upcoming session of the Assembly as it has Governor's message appended to it and the house will decide to accept it or not. The bill which was jointly moved by the ruling PPP and the PML-F lawmakers recommended that change of religion not be recognised until a person becomes 18 years old and severe penalties for forced conversion of religion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday has instructed concerned officers to formulate on a comprehensive plan for fisheries and sheep rearing. In a statement, the Chief Minister expressed his desire to restructure fish breeding centres and similarly, for the sheep rearing and supplying parallel in 30 districts of the State except in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister had chaired a high level review meeting on fisheries, sheep rearing and dairy development in the state at Pragathi Bhavan here on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the officials concerned should work with commitment and dedication to implement successfully programmes like the fisheries development, sheep rearing and dairy development. "To gain people's confidence over the government, the Chief Minister said the programmes of the government should be implemented without being indifferent. Successful implementation of these programme would eradicate poverty," Rao said. In order to implement several development programmes in the fisheries, there is a need for the establishment of a corporation or federation. He said castes such as Boya and Kuruma are also dependent on fisheries like the Gangaputra and Mudiraj communities. He said that in the entire state, there are about three to four lakh Yadav families who are living on sheep rearing and the government is ready to support them. He wanted the officials concerned to identify suitable lands on Krishna and Godavari River Basin to set up Colleges for Fisheries. Rao added that there is a need to form societies for the fish growers and sheep rearers and members from other communities which are also dependent on fisheries and sheep rearing should be made members. He added there will be more development in the growing and supply of fish in near future and the entire face of the fisheries in the state will change for the better. Since the government has plans to fill up more than 46,000 tanks in the state by getting water from irrigation projects, the Chief Minister said every tank in the state should become a breeding place for the fish. Efforts will be on to bring in all tanks under the fisheries department. The Chief Minister also spoke about the dairy development with the officials concerned. He wanted them to prepare a comprehensive plan so that the daily need of milk in the state should be augment from the sources within the state but not imported milk from other areas. The state should become self-sufficient in dairy products, he said. To instil confidence among the sheep rearers and fish growers, Rao wanted the Telangana cultural council to make short films, songs, CDs to create awareness among the beneficiaries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said that his meeting with intelligence officials on the intelligence community's report on Russian related hacking was 'constructive'. "I had a constructive meeting and conversation with the leaders of the Intelligence Community this afternoon. I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this community to our great nation, Trump said in a statement after meeting. He said there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election, including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines despite some countries trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of the country. Trump said the hackers were unsuccessful in their attempt to hack the Republican National Committee as it had a strong hacking defence system. The president-elect said that he would appoint a team to provide him a plan to aggressively combat and stop cyber attacks within 90 days of taking office. Senior intelligence officials briefed Trump on Russian hacking during the election campaign in the meeting which lasted around 90 minutes at Trump Tower. CNN quoted a Trump spokeswoman as saying that the officials, who gave the briefing, were Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey. A declassified version of the report released by the intelligence community said that that Russian President Vladimir Putin had sought to help Donald Trump win the presidential elections. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," the report said. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the hacking. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi has said that the new United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has agreed to play the role of an "honest broker" to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan. Lodhi, in an interview to Geo News on Saturday after her meeting with the UN secretary general, said that Pakistan welcomed the decision of the UN secretary general. She said the UN secretary general appreciated Islamabad's war against terrorism, adding that Pakistan is one of three biggest countries helping the UN in its peace missions. Pakistan had announced on Friday that it has submitted a dossier to the new United Nations' Secretary General over Indian interference in Islamabad, which was aimed at "destabilising" the nation. Lodhi had delivered the dossier on India's "interference and terrorism" in Pakistan, along with a letter from Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. "The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015," read a statement on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government of Pakistan website. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IMF will assess financial stability of Indian economy jointly with the World Bank in 2017 In 2017, IMF will assess financial stability of Indian economy jointly with the World Bank. Others Economies whose financial stability the IMF will assess during 2017 jointly with the World Bank include Bulgaria, China, Guyana, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Zambia. However, Economies whose financial stability the IMF will assess during 2017 include-Bahrain, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Spain. The Financial Sector Assessment Program remains the IMF's principal tool for assessing countries' financial stability. It identifies weaknesses in a country's financial system that could threaten its stability, as well as strengths that make the system resilient. The IMF tailors country stability assessments to analyze issues of particular interest or concern in each country. In 2017, IMF teams of experts will focus on systemic risks, the health of banks, and contagion and spillover risks. For each economy, the IMF will make policy recommendations about how to: Strengthen the monitoring of risks to the financial system as a whole Improve financial oversight and the macroprudential framework for financial system safety, and Prepare for stressful financial conditions We have this handy factsheet that explains the why and how of our financial assessments. You can also read more about why we assess the 29 systemically important financial sectors every five years. Some highlights for countries under review in 2017 include: China Since the global financial crisis, China's growth has relied increasingly on credit, especially in the corporate sector, including state-owned enterprises, and in recent months also on mortgage lending. Tensions between sustaining growth and the need to contain indebtedness, together with certain financial sector innovations, have led to increased financial sector complexity and the risk of gaps in supervision. The IMF will examine these issues from a systemic point of view. Indonesia Financial conglomerates play a dominant role in the financial system and the economy, and account for 70 percent of the assets of financial institutions. The IMF will look closely at the oversight of financial conglomerates, and seek to identify areas for improvement in the newly implemented integrated supervisory framework, and the recently adopted law on crisis management and resolution. Japan Since the 2012 assessment, the profitability of financial institutions' domestic operations has weakened. This has prompted large banks and insurers to expand overseas in a search for higher yields, and smaller banks to increase their exposure to real estate and small and medium-sized enterprises. Against this background, the IMF will assess vulnerabilities associated with the international expansion of banks and insurers, as well as longer-term prospects for the financial sector in the context of demographic changes and low growth. Luxembourg Home to a key international central securities depository, Luxembourg has the world's second largest investment fund industry, and the profitability of its banking industry is tied to the general health of these funds. To address some of the systemic vulnerabilities, the IMF will use stress tests and spillover analysis to assess the ability of Luxembourg's financial institutions to absorb liquidity and/or solvency shocks. Saudi Arabia An extended period of low oil prices is affecting the Saudi economy. Although the bank-dominated financial sector has so far been resilient, this episode is an opportunity to complete the financial reform agenda and make improvements in the functioning of the interbank market that would also help banks diversify their funding sources over the longer term. These are the key issues the IMF will explore with officials. Spain The assessment will look at progress and improvements made since the crisis. It will tackle banks' ability to adjust to low profits due to their business models, and their ability to manage the post-crisis recovery. The IMF will also examine the emerging needs of the institutional framework, and apply enhanced methods to capture cross-border financial shocks, and account for the linkages between the economy and the financial system as a whole. Zambia Against a backdrop of declining economic growth due to sharply lower copper prices and an unsustainable fiscal deficit, the IMF will focus on how to maintain financial stability, including the adequacy of supervisory resources. It will also examine the adherence to international norms of the legal and regulatory framework for financial sector oversight. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) From her troubled teenage years to being a social activist working for the rights of the transgender community, Sharmila (name changed to protect identity), 44, has come a long way. But the journey has not been easy. Originally from Sri Lanka, Sharmila came to Tamil Nadu in 1977 when she was seven. She began to realise her preference to express herself as a girl when she was a kid. As she grew out of her pre-teen years, Sharmila's desire to emulate her sister and mother, trying on their sarees and make-up, was frowned on by her family. She was even taken to a psychiatric facility in Tiruchirapalli, a city in central Tamil Nadu, to be "treated". As a child who did not conform to traditional gender norms, Sharmila faced physical and emotional abuse at home and sexual abuse at school. At that age, few have the courage to speak up, said Sharmila. Four of 10 transgender people face sexual abuse before completing 18 years, according to a survey by Swasti Health Resource Centre -- a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation -- among 2,169 respondents across three states: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The abuse begins as early as age five, but most vulnerable are those aged 11 to 15, the data show. Violence (physical, emotional and sexual) continues beyond childhood: 971 (44.7 per cent) respondents reported facing 2,811 incidents of violence -- an average of three incidents per person --between April and October 2015. Emotional violence topped the list (1,228), followed by physical violence (802) and sexual violence (781). Many gender non-conforming children drop out of school due to harassment and discrimination. As many as 616 respondents (28.4 per cent) without education were more vulnerable to violence than those with education, the data reveal. Without education, life skills and jobs, many trans-women (men who express themselves as women) take to sex work. In most cases, clients are the top perpetrators of physical violence and second in sexual and emotional violence. That is why activists like Sharmila stress the importance of education and jobs for transgender people to integrate them into society and make them less vulnerable to violence and discrimination. Trans-women are often used by men for sex, only to be abandoned later, Sharmila said. Marriages with men tend to end in separation because of familial and societal pressures. As many as 751 respondents (34.6 per cent) were separated. While 719 respondents (33.2 per cent) reported being married, no more than 5.1 per cent, or 110, were living with husbands. As many as 30 per cent transgender people live alone, the survey found. No more than seven per cent lived with families, largely because they were not accepted or lacked support. The jamaat (community or a cohabitating system for transgender people) formed an important support system for many. About 35 per cent or 751 respondents live with gurus (mentor) or jamaats. Besides the jamaat, community organisations were sources of support for transgender people: 1,923, or 88.7 per cent, respondents were registered members of community organisations. These organisations help them with prevention of HIV AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome), sexual health and with individual rights. Concerns of sexual health and individual rights are not always mutually exclusive. Sexual reassignment surgery (SRS), a surgical procedure to change genital organs from one gender to other, as an important measure for self-realisation, is one such scenario. As many as 1,564 respondents (72.1 per cent) have undergone SRS. SRS is performed in select government facilities, free of cost, in Tamil Nadu, according to a 2010 report, Hijras/Transgender Women in India, released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-India. Since private facilities are unaffordable, the absence of affordable public-funded facilities forces many individuals to go to unqualified doctors, resulting, often, in post-operative complications, particularly urological. Tamil Nadu has proven itself as the most transgender-friendly state in India. Besides providing free SRS, it also has a Tamil Nadu Aravanigal (Transgender) Welfare Board (TGWB), formed in April 2008, as the nodal body to address the social-protection needs of transgender people. Within a year of TGWB's existence, 3,887 transgender people were enumerated and 2,411 aravani (transgender) identity cards were distributed, according to this 2012 policy brief for the UNDP by Venkatesan Chakrapani, associated with the Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy, an advocacy. Until 2010, 335 free land pattas (title deeds), 1,211 ration/food cards and 320 self-employment grants of Rs 20,000 each were distributed. A path-breaking achievement in the struggle for transgender rights was a 2014 Supreme Court judgment that recognised them as the third gender. The judgment also attributed to them socially and economically backward status, thus entitling them to reservations under the other backward classes (OBC) quota. However, in July 2016, the court reprimanded the Centre for failing to implement its order two years after it was passed, especially with reference to reservations in jobs and education. Activists fighting for transgender rights have criticised the 2016 draft bill for Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) as undermining the court's 2014 judgment. (In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Sumit Chaturvedi is an independent media consultant with Swasti Health Resource Centre and a blogger at OpinionTandoor.in. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org) --IANS/IndiaSpend sumit/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here on Saturday issued a fresh open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national Christian Michel James and summons to a company and two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore ($528 million) AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued the fresh warrant against James and fresh summons to Delhi-based Media Exim Pvt. Ltd. and its Directors R.K. Nanda and former Director J.B. Subramaniyam under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after they did not appear in court. Public Prosecutor Navin Kumar told the court the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. The court directed the accused to appear on February 22, the next date of hearing. The company will be represented by an authorised representative. After considering a supplementary charge sheet in the case, the court issued summons against the company and two individuals last month. The court said there is prima facie sufficient evidence against the accused. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in June last year filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe into the helicopter deal. According to the ED, Media Exim is a shell company of James and allegedly incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks paid to James by Finmeccanica, a group firm of AgustaWestland. James allegedly received around Rs 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. The agency is said to have found that of the kickbacks received by James, Rs 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. "Nanda and Subramaniyam were appointed Directors of Media Exim Pvt. Ltd., who willingly and knowingly connived with James and helped him in acquiring immovable and movable properties or assets in Delhi, which have already been attached," the ED said. James and other alleged middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa have been named as accused in separate investigations conducted by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Both the agencies have also notified an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against James after a city court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Investigators said James is currently staying in Dubai. The first charge sheet was filed in the case in November 2014 against businessman Gautam Khaitan, his wife Ritu, Chandigarh-based firm Aeromatrix and Gerosa and Haschke. --IANS akk/tsb/bg (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Supporters of Cambodia's ruling party gathered on Saturday to celebrate the country's Victory Day, marking the 38th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Prime Minister Hun Sen led celebrations at the headquarters of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), which were joined by thousands of supporters, government officials and diplomats, Efe news reported. The annual Victory Over Genocide Day marks the anniversary of the fall of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime, which was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people during its rule from April 1975 to January 1979. The event on Saturday included a blessing ceremony performed by Buddhist monks, traditional dance performances and a speech from the prime minister in which he recalled the challenges with rebuilding the country after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Following the event, Hun Sen continued to discuss the importance of the day on his Facebook page. January 7 "is the second life of all Cambodian people in Cambodia, living again from the Khmer Rouge regime... (It) gave life and freedom to the people", he wrote in his native Khmer language. However, while the CPP holds large-scale events each year to mark the national holiday, others are less keen to celebrate the day that Vietnamese forces and members of Hun Sen's government toppled the regime. Taking to his own Facebook page, Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, described the day as a "military and political show organised by the communist Vietnamese", whom he accused of helping the Khmer Rouge take power in 1975. "They say they came to liberate us from the Khmer Rouge. But if there were no communist Vietnamese in the first place there would be no Khmer Rouge either," he argued. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US first lady Michelle Obama has asked the American people to remember that the US' "glorious diversity" was "not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are". Michelle Obama on Friday spoke directly to young people in her last speech before leaving the White House, and said that being the US first lady for the past eight years "has been the greatest honour of my life". Her voice was full of emotion as she expressed a wish that "all the young people in this room and those who are watching, know that this country belongs to you -- to all of you, from every background and walk of life", FE news reported. Not once did she mention US President-elect Donald Trump who will take office within two weeks on January 20, but her speech praised the "power of hope" in contrast to the divisive, aggressive rhetoric used by the magnate during the electoral campaign. The outgoing first lady also had kind words for immigrants, who, she said, are "part of a proud American tradition -- the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on the Earth". But above all, she wanted to direct her final message as first lady to the country's young people: "Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don't matter, or like you don't have a place in our American story -- because you do." Michelle Obama was highly critical of Trump during the electoral campaign, but, after the billionaire's victory in the November 8 election, she has worked together with her husband President Barack Obama to make the transition of power in the White House go off as smoothly as possible. The event where Michelle gave her last official speech as the first lady was a tribute to the 2017 National School Counsellor of the Year. --IANS py/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey and Iraq on Saturday agreed on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from a military base in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa near the stronghold of the Islamic State in Mosul. "We have discussed the Iraqi demand of withdrawing Turkish forces from Bashiqa, and the Turkish side confirmed that they will solve the issue of their troops' presence in Bashiqa soon," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters at a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim, Xinhua reported. "We have agreed on non-interference in internal affairs of each country and vowed to respect the sovereignty of both countries," Abadi said after meeting Yildirim. For his part, Yildirim explained that the presence of Turkish troops in Bashiqa was to train and arm local forces to fight the IS group, saying "the withdrawal of Turkish forces will be achieved later." "We will not accept any action to threaten Iraq's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Turkey is exerting effort to fight terrorist groups and seeking to impose security in the whole region," Yildirim said. He said that at the meeting with Iraqi officials it was also agreed to boost the level of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries on the reconstruction of areas affected by terrorism. Yildirim, accompanied by a delegation of Turkish ministers and top officials, arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for a two-day visit to end the diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Yildirim is also expected to visit Arbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan to meet Kurdish leaders, including the region's President Masoud Barzani. Since 2015, hundreds of Turkish soldiers have been deployed in Bashiqa camp, some 30 km northeast of Mosul. The presence of the Turkish troops led to a dispute between Iraq and Turkey, as Baghdad repeatedly said Turkish forces violated Iraq's sovereignty by entering the country without permission. However, Ankara said that Turkish soldiers were sent to Bashiqa at the request of Abadi, and that their presence was aimed at training both Peshmerga fighters and local tribal volunteers to combat IS militants in Mosul. --IANS ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iraqi police on Saturday discovered prisons once used by the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Mosul. Federal police commander told Efe news that General Raed Shaker Jawdat discovered several prison systems and a small medical clinic that was used by the IS in the eastern Al-Wadha district. Security personnel were clearing the neighbourhood after fully recapturing the zone from the IS on Thursday. The prison systems contained solitary confinement cells and torture rooms. The small medical clinic was stocked with surgical provisions to treat fighters injured in the violent battle for the Iraqi city that was being waged between the terror group and the advancing central Iraqi army and their allies. Security forces were engaged in continued clashes in the northern limits of the neighbourhood but were now less than one kilometre from the Tigris river that runs through the heart of the city, Jawdat said. Iraqi forces, alongside their Kurdish Peshmerga allies and several Shia para militaries, launched the second phase of their offensive to recapture Mosul last week. The city, which fell to the jihadis in 2014, is the last IS bastion in Iraq. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Ek din keh leejiye jo kuch hai dil mein aapke Ek din sun leejiye jo kuch hamare dil mein hai" (Some day speak out everything in your heart. But one day also listen to what we have in our hearts) You would imagine that this simple arrangement of words, a polite satire on the Prime Minister's repetitious style of one-way communications (though in waist coats of diverse colours) would go down well with audiences who have stood in queues outside their banks. Wrong. A verse like this would break their trance. Don't forget our important tiraths, or pilgrimages -- Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, Sabrimala, Shravanabelagola, to name just a few -- demand arduous journeys on foot before that moment of rapture, a sighting of the deity. It is in this framework that the Indian has been mobilised for some higher purpose. Not for him to reason why, not at the moment. The man in the queue should not be confused with the elite who never had to stand in line and who see limited currency supply as a boon, a welcome route to automatic thrift. If I tipped a bearer Rs 100 before November 8, I now tip him only Rs 20 and the recipient, a born fatalist, is even happier. This in fact is the new norm. Economists will study the downstream consequences of this abrupt slowing of cash flow for months to come. Never in history has every citizen been in possession of data which would be the envy of social scientists worldwide. In the past 60 days I must have asked questions on demonetisation of, say, an average of five persons each day -- spread over Delhi, Lucknow, Aligarh. What are my findings? Broadly, there are two categories of responses which, quite strangely, remind me of the Mandal Commission and its consequences. Let me explain why. The majority of the educated speculated about black money, remonetisation of banks, a degree of collusion between bank employees and corrupt depositors who transformed astronomical sums of old money into new, the problem the middle level stores and shops were having in acquiring swipe machines and so on. But this lot was, almost without exception, over a period of time, beginning to give Narendra Modi the benefit of doubt: things will improve. This was the growing refrain. In the late 80s and 90s when reservations were being increased, this lot would have been the savarnas, the upper castes opposed to rapid Mandalisation. Have those averse to sustained mandalised spotted a possible equalizer in the travails of demonetisation? The uneducated, the Dalits on whose back a new mandalised leadership consolidated itself in state capitals, have to this day continued to sell fruits and vegetables in carts, pavement stalls; lounging between parked cars are daily wage workers, carpenters, barbers, street cobblers, rag pickers -- the list is endless. "Many of these do not even know how to make phone calls," says Prakash the contractor in Kotla Mubarakpur. How will they ever enter the cashless economy? These are the ones who have returned to their villages only to find their banks unable to give them any cash. Such stories reinforced by the narratives of their relatives and clans grow with geometrical progression -- this is the overwhelming majority in the countryside. For this multitude, Modi is quite the opposite of the hero TV channels project him as. This population is totally at variance from the city dweller in the queue -- "things will improve". Obviously, the two categories of voters will support opposite sides in the coming elections to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa. Uttarakhand was carved out to insulate the Hill savarnas from the ravages of Uttar Pradesh's Mandalised . The state has two dominant castes, Brahmins and Thakurs, both on the right side of the demonetisation divide. It is in Uttar Pradesh where the wretched of the earth, further dispossessed by the currency crunch, will expend their anger against Modi. Post Mandal, Yadavs, backbone of the Samajwadi party (SP), have emerged as the most powerful intermediate caste. They do not rank with the poorest. Dalits do. And they are mostly with Mayawati. Will the formidable leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) be the biggest beneficiary of the currency mayhem? Muslims are badly hit too. Whether they will be seduced by SP or BSP, popularity currents on election night will dictate. That Modi remains unchallenged after he made the nation stand outside its banks, for 60 days and more, would have been incendiary material had there been leaders of sufficient calibre to light the match, Hindu fatalism notwithstanding. Mamata Banerjee has spunk but no supporting character outside Bengal. Punjab, therefore, is consequential for Modi in this context. Despite the media unabashedly playing the corporate hand, ground reports from Punjab are favourable to the AAP. Arvind Kejriwal, persistently reviled by the media, an unfriendly Lt. Governor, a piqued BJP and Congress, will acquire an aura if he wins. By the way, how is he faring in Goa? What is playing out in Lucknow is a combination of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and Lear. In Ferdowsi's tragedy, Rustam slays his own son Sohrab. Lear goes mad, having been betrayed by his own progeny. The more courtiers around Mulayam Singh egg him on for action against his son Akhilesh Yadav, the stronger will be the electoral storm gathering in the young Chief Minister's favour. With Mulayam Singh's mental faculties in question, the conspirators are egging the aging Rustam to politically slay Sohrab. Should Akhilesh prevail in these series of rounds, well, Modi will have to take note of another political contender for the 2019 general elections. Meanwhile, state elections will ominously bring into focus the fateful Ides of March which is when results will start pouring in. (A senior commentator on diplomatic and political affairs, Saeed Naqvi can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com. The views expressed are personal.) --IANS naqvi/mr/sac/ky (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was arrested here for robbing a woman co-passenger during a flight from Amritsar to here, police said on Saturday. Police said the accused identified as Rajesh Kapoor, 34, was arrested on Friday night after police raided his residence in Paharganj area of central Delhi. According to police, the incident took place on Thursday when Komal Sood, a resident of Gurugram, filed a complaint that three different credit cards kept in her cabin luggage had been stolen during her journey on Air India Flight AI462. She also said that later she received a message about shopping worth US $2,016 on her credit cards, a senior officer said. "During investigating the case, we found that the accused shopped from a Duty Free shop at the departure wing, purchasing 16 bottles of 'Chanel' Perfume'," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Bhatia said. The identity of Kapoor was ascertained after police studied the details of passengers. He had been earlier been arrested by police in connection with a robbery case, Bhatia said. "Raids were conducted at Kapoors' house but it was found that he had changed his address. He was later arrested after police raided his new residence at Paharganj with the help of local sources," he added. During interrogation, Kapoor told police that he had stolen earlier a Canadian $5,800 from the baggage of a co-passenger at IGI Airport. He had recently lost a lot of money in betting and was under pressure to pay the debt, Bhatia added. Kapoor came to know about Sood would travel from Amritsar to Delhi by air and planned to rob her.--IANS sp/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday offered prayers at her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's grave on his first death anniversary. Mehbooba visited the grave in Bijbehara town in Anantnag district. The former Chief Minister passed away this day last year following a brief illness in New Delhi. The ruling People's Democratic Party has planned an elaborate programme of remembrance for its founder on his first death anniversary, including blood donation camp events, across the state. Mehbooba arrived here two days back in connection with her scheduled programme to visit her father's mausoleum. --IANS sq/py/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to counter the bill for H1-B visas which has been re-introduced in the US Congress after a failed attempt in July last year, Nasscom will highlight the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions, a top official said. "The US government's statistics said there is shortage of skilled workers. It is question of demand and supply. The current bill and many other such legislative measures are applied on a discriminatory basis. "We continue to share our perceptions about the skill shortages that exist, the kind of contribution the IT industry has made to corporate America. We share our deep concern at the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions," Nasscom's President R. Chandrashekhar told BTVi in an interview. The bill proposes a minimum pay of $100,000 annually to every employee taken to US under the H1-B visa which is an over 66 per cent increase from the current average. He said the bill was a statement of intention at this point of time. "We have to see what route it takes. It does not immediately mean that anything is going to happen in a hurry," said Chandrashekhar. The competitiveness of the industry arises from the value proposition of India, he said. "In the past, there has been reluctance in the US Congress to deal with such issues relating to immigration on a piecemeal basis in preference for a more comprehensive bill which covers all the aspects of immigration," he said. --IANS bdc/lok/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has mourned the death of veteran actor and theatre personality Om Puri, saying may he remain with his "ever infectious smile". The 66-year-old actor was found dead at his residence on Friday morning. He suffered a cardiac attack. "Om Puri, if in soul you be, may you remain with your ever infectious smile," Amitabh wrote on his blog. The 74-year-old thespian also shared that "death, that darkest moment of humanity". "Took away another soul into its boundless fold and left us all in disbelief," he added. Big B called Om "a friend, an affable loving colleague and a dynamic talent". Amitabh, along with his son and actor Abhishek, attended the actor's cremation, which took place at the Oshiwara Eletrical crematorium, here. He said that the only thing that he could do is to hold his "friend's son in an embrace and transfer strength to him in his young world." "'Be strong'.. is all I can muster ... what else can I say .. what else can anyone say .. they that have lost personally and in relation, shall bear the end, with greater sorrow .. who knows," Amitabh added. The last rites of Om Puri were carried out by his son Ishaan in the presence of his divorced wife Nandita Puri and close friends Ashoke Pandit and Anupam Kher as well as iconic filmmakers like Ketan Mehta, Prakash Jha and Govind Nihlani, actors Shabana Azmi, Shakti Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, Manoj Bajpayee and Ranbir Shorey, Farhan Akhtar and veterans Gulzar, Javed Akhtar and Sonu Nigam. --IANS dc/nv/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Visiting Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Saturday expressed hope that his visit will lay foundation for a robust and forward looking 21st century partnership between India and Portugal. "My visit has a strong emotional side and a personal motivation. As a person of Indian-origin, I am honoured by the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Costa, who is on a seven-day visit to India, said. "I hope my visit will lay foundation for a robust and forward looking 21st century partnership between India and Portugal," he told reporters after he was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with Costa later in the day when the entire gamut of bilateral relations will be discussed. Costa will be the chief guest at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) to be inaugurated by Modi in Bengaluru. Costa will also attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. On the final leg of his visit, Costa will visit Goa as he traces his roots in the coastal state. He is likely to spend some time at his ancestral place. --IANS bns/py/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Barack Obama's appointee as ambassador to India, Richard Verma, may be ending his New Delhi assignment this month when President-elect Donald Trump takes over on January 20 if an administration directive to non-career diplomats holds. The Washington Post reported that the Obama administration has asked all "non-career ambassadors to submit their resignations effective with the close of the Obama presidency" on January 20. The newspaper quoted three unidentified officials as confirming that all the ambassadors have complied with the directive. While requests for resignations by non-career diplomats is usually made at the end of a president's term, they are usually given some additional time to wind up their affairs. This time there was "the additional admonition that the resignations would be blanket and final," the newspaper said. The Post said according to two officials "the unusually stern and specific directive to 'political ambassadors'" came at the "behest of the incoming Trump administration." Verma, a non-career diplomat, is the first person of Indian descent to be ambassador to India. He did not come up the ranks of the foreign service but was recruited in 2009 to be the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under Hillary Clinton when she was the Secretary of State. He left the State Department in 2011 to work for a law firm before being appointed ambassador to India in 2014. His nomination received unanimous support from both parties in the Senate. Long associated with the Democratic Party, he has served as the senior national security advisor to Senator Harry Reid when the Democratic Party had the Senate majority and Reid was its leader. Verma has worked as an aide to the late Democratic Congressman Jack Murtha and as a director with National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. A lawyer by training, he has also served in the Air Force as a judge advocate. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians) --IANS al/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Accusing LinkedIn of flouting local laws that require internet firms to store data on citizens within the nations borders, the Russian authorities have asked Apple and Google to remove the professional networking site app from their online stores. Recently, a Russian court blocked the Microsoft-owned LinkedIn service for breaching the country's data protection rules. According to The New York Times, Apple has confirmed that it was asked to remove its LinkedIn app in Russia about a month ago. "However, Google has not confirmed if it had removed LinkedIn in Russia but said that it adhered to Russian local laws," the report added. Meanwhile, LinkedIn responded that the company was "disappointed" with the decision by Russian regulators to block the service. "It denies access to our members in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses," Nicole Leverich, a spokeswoman for LinkedIn, was quoted as saying. LinkedIn has several million users in Russia. Earlier this week, Apple removed the New York Times from its app store following a request from Chinese authorities claiming the app was in violation of regulations. China is known for banning digital sites like Facebook and Google that it believes harm its national security or promote misinformation. The Wall Street Journal's Chinese-language site has been blocked since 2014. --IANS qd/na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facing severe criticism, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday defended his controversial speech in which he blamed Muslims for India's population boom, saying he did not name any community but rather expressed concern. While the opposition has called for action against him, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday distanced itself from the remarks. A day after making the communally laced speech at a gathering in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Unnao MP blamed the media for quoting him "out of context". "I did not make any communal speech. It was a gathering of saints during which I expressed concern about population explosion. My speech has been videographed and no where I have named any community," Sakshi Maharaj told IANS. Speaking at the event in Meerut on Friday, the controversial leader called for implementing the Uniform Civil Code and indirectly held Muslims responsible for population explosion. "Population is rising rapidly, and so are the country's problems. But Hindus are not responsible for this. Those who talk about four wives and forty children are responsible," Sakshi Maharaj said in his address which was telecast by the media and widely shared on social media. "Remember, if Hindus number decreases, the country will be divided," said the MP, days after the Supreme Court declared that appealing for votes in the name of religion was "illegal". "I said four wives and forty children will not be allowed, cannot be allowed. Mothers are not machines," he said, calling for equal laws for all irrespective of number of children a person has. While the opposition Congress and the state's ruling Samajwadi Party expressed strong reservation over the remarks and termed it a violation of the election Model Code of Conduct, the BJP distanced itself. "This shouldn't be seen as the BJP's stand," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here when asked by the media to react to the controversial remarks. Calling the remarks offensive and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Congress leader K. C. Mittal said the party was approaching the Election Commission of India to seek action against Sakshi Maharaj. The SP as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party also demanded stringent action against the BJP leader notorious for making controversial statements. In January 2015, he had asked Hindu women to produce at least four children each to "protect the religion". --IANS and/py/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 21 Islamic State militants were killed and 168 targets belonging to the IS were hit in Al-Bab in northern Syria in military operations in the last 24 hours, the Turkish General Staff stated on Saturday. Turkish artillery supported by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) hit 156 identified IS targets including shelters, defensive positions, command and control buildings, weapons and vehicles. Turkish warplanes hit 12 IS targets. The statement, cited by Xinhua, also said 43 mines and 2,794 improvised explosive devices had been defused since the start of the operation on August 24 last year. Turkey has been pushing southward, supporting FSA forces as part of Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched to clear IS and other terrorist organisations from Turkey's southern borders and form a 5,000-square meter terror-free zone, according to Turkish Daily Sabah. The Turkish armed forces launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against both the IS and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). Turkey regards the YPG and the PYD as terrorist organisations due to their links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Meanwhile, Turkish jets hit 11 PKK targets used as shelters and defensive positions in the Qandil Mountains region of northern Iraq on Friday, the military told Turkish Daily Sabah on Saturday. --IANS ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in Baghdad on Saturday to meet Iraqi officials in an attempt to improve bilateral relations, officials said. According to sources, Yildirim arrived on an official visit to Iraq, Efe news reported. The Prime Minister is due to meet his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and other officials from the Iraqi government to enhance bilateral relations and discuss several issues. Relations between Turkey and Iraq are tense due to the existence of a Turkish military base in northern Iraq as well as the presence of anti-Ankara Kurdish guerrillas near the countries' shared border. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jharkhand chief ministers official residence, a sprawling bungalow on Kanke Road in capital city Ranchi, has vaastu dosh (astrological defect of architecture). Astrologers attribute it to the states addiction to unstable rule. Delhi Congress activists on Saturday staged demonstrations across the national capital against the "faulty" implementation of by the central government and seeking answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the charge of "corruption" against him. Demonstrations were staged in all 14 district units of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) as part of the nationwide stir. Congress activists protested against the move with begging bowls. They said the move has created "severe hardships" to the poor and weaker sections of the society. AICC general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Delhi P C Chacko, who took part in demonstrations in several districts, said the "ill-conceived" drive has "unsettled" the lives of crores of common people. He also reiterated party vice president Rahul Gandhi's charge of "corruption" against Modi and sought his response. Senior party leaders, including DPCC chief spokesperson Sharmishtha Mukherjee and Chatar Singh, slammed the Modi government at a public rally held at Kirari. "The common refrain is that November 8, 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation, will be remembered as a black day. It has taken the country back by several years," Mukherjee said. An FIR has been filed against controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP for his recent shocker blaming Muslims for population boom in the nation. yesterday stirred a fresh controversy saying, "this population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children." Despite drawing flak for his offensive statement again stirred up a controversy on Saturday, saying that it is not acceptable to have four wives and 40 children, adding that he should be rewarded for not having child. "The population is increasing by the day. A woman is not a machine. It is not acceptable to have for wives, 40 children and three divorces," Maharaj told ANI. "We should be rewarded, as I have four brothers and we all are unmarried and thus we don't have any child," the BJP leader added. Meanwhile, the Opposition cornered the BJP over Maharaj's comment, with the Congress branding the statement as 'offensive', assuring that it would bring the issue to the notice of the Election Commission. The Samajwadi Party also slammed the BJP, highlighting the Supreme Court's ruling on the same. "There is no point of making such statements. Even the Supreme Court has given its ruling banning use of religion, caste and community to seek votes during elections. I would urge BJP to stop such things. Elections cannot be won by creating a stressful environment," Senior Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal told ANI. This is not the first time that an FIR has been registered against him, as he was the main accused in the murder of Dwivedi, a close associate of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpajee. The swami, who holds the title of "Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Nirmal Panchayati Akhada", was caught in a sting operation on MPs in 2005. He was among the 11 MPs who were caught on tape talking about misuse of MP Local Area Development Funds and expelled from the Rajya Sabha in March 2006. It came as a surprise to many both within and outside the BJP when Sakshi was given a ticket, on the recommendation of party chief Amit Shah, in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Saturday visited her father's grave, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, at Bijbehara in Anantnag district to offer prayers on his first death anniversary. Mehbooba, accompanied by Works Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, PDP General Secretary Sartaj Madni and a few relatives, visited Mufti's grave in the morning and offered prayers for the founder patron of the ruling party, officials said. Mufti, former chief minister of the state, died at AIIMS hospital this day in 2016 after he was admitted due to severe infection. Although PDP had planned several rallies across the valley to mark Mufti's first death anniversary, snowfall over the past four days put a spanner in the works. However, the party has organised a function at Indoor Stadium later in the day to pay tributes to the departed leader. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister saying she has become a comic figure after her recent comment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should go and a new government should be formed at the Centre. "She has become a comical figure these days. It is ridiculous on her part to attack without any basis on any issue. It is her MPs that are indulged in large scale corruption like in Saradha chit fund scam and Rose Valley scam," BJP leader S Prakash said in Bengaluru. Prakash said Mamata has chosen to attack on same demonetisation issue with new tamasha and new drama each passing day. "She is losing her credibility and relevance in Indian politics," he added. The BJP leader further said that the demonetisation impact was not as serious as opposition parties have predicted as now things are returning back to normalcy. Earlier, the TMC supremo had said, "In current situation a government should be formed with another BJP person at helm. He (Modi) has to go." Mamata added that to save the country, let a government be formed as the current situation is unacceptable. Mamata also appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee to "save" the nation by "setting up" another government as the ruling dispensation is incapable of running the Centre. "Hallabazi is going on by this government. I appeal to the President to save us as no government can bulldoze on people like this. I want a new government to be set up to save the country from this situation for two and half years," she said. "To save this country, let a national government be formed: Advaniji, Rajnathji or Jaitleyji can head it," she said, referring to BJP leaders LK Advani, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley. "I will still say this. I am not afraid of the Prime Minister even if he cuts my neck," she added. Mamata will protest against the demonetisation move outside the office of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Kolkata on January 9 and then in the national capital on January 10 and 11. She said that she would launch a 72-hour protest in 10 states across the country, including Delhi. These days, it is hard to miss newspaper and radio advertisements, large hoardings and painted walls singing paeans of the Parkash Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab. The advertisements boast about development work, which the state government has undertaken in the last 10 years. Yemeni government forces attacked rebel positions on the Red Sea coast today sparking clashes in which seven soldiers, including a general, and 11 rebels were killed, loyalist military sources said. The assault on the coastal district of Dhubab, just 30 kilometres north of the Bab al-Mandab strait linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, came after the government sent reinforcements from its headquarters in Aden. The general was killed by rebel sniper fire, the military sources said. The government and its allies in a Saudi-led coalition recaptured the strait in October 2015. But the rebels still control nearly all of Yemen's Red Sea coast to the north, posing what the coalition says is a threat to international shipping. In September and October, two US warships and a United Arab Emirates vessel contracted to the coalition were targeted by missile fire from rebel-held territory. The loyalist offensive failed to dislodge the rebels from their positions as they put up fierce resistance, leaving many wounded on both sides, the commander said. The Yemeni conflict has killed more than 7,000 people since the coalition's military intervention began in March 2015, according to the United Nations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan government today repatriated 218 Indian fishermen through the border here, two days after their release from jails as a goodwill gesture. All the prisoners crossed over to India around 1.00 AM through the land transit route of Attari (Indian side) - Wagah (Pakistan side) border on the basis of 'Emergency Travel Certificates' issued by the Indian High Commission at Islamabad, a BSF spokesman said. Pakistan had announced their release on Thursday bringing the total number of Indian fishermen freed from Pakistani jails as "goodwill gesture" in the last 12 days to 439, despite the chill in bilateral ties. They were arrested a year ago when their boasts slipped into Pakistan through territorial waters in Arabian Sea. They were caught by the Pakistani coast guards on the charge of illegal fishing while violating its territorial waters. Immediately after the repatriation, the medical examination of all the prisoners was conducted by a team of doctors. The moment, fishermen crossed over to India, they humbly bowed down their forehead and kissed the motherland with passion. At that time many fishermen were seen with moist eyes. The fishermen were also worried about their future as they would not be able to join their profession once again as their boats were seized by the Pakistani coast guards. This is the second batch of Indian fishermen released from Pakistan jails since relations between the two countries became tense after the terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri in September last for which India has blamed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit. On December 25, the Pakistan government had freed 220 Indian fishermen who were in jail for more than a year as goodwill gesture after Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. Last March, the Pakistan government had released 87 Indian fishermen who had been languishing in jail in Karachi for the last two-and-half years. Pakistan and India frequently arrest each others' fishermen for violating the territorial boundary. Poor fishermen from both countries routinely find themselves arrested for illegal fishing as there is no clear demarcation of the boundaries between the two countries in the Arabian sea near Sir Creek, and lack of technology has made life difficult for the fishermen. On December 30, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency arrested 66 Indian fishermen for illegally fishing in Pakistan's territorial waters. Fishermen from both countries end up languishing in jails for years even after serving their sentences and their only hope of getting released is when the governments decide to take goodwill steps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Special Task Force (STF) today seized 469 cartons of India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) from a truck near Fatehpur locality within Didarganj police station's jurisdiction in Patna district. The police also arrested the truck driver and another person. Acting on a tip-off, the STF along with the local police intercepted the truck near Fatehpur and recovered 469 cartons of IMFL, a release issued by the DGP control room said adding, the vehicle was impounded. The seized consignment of liquor was manufactured in Punjab according to stickers on the bottles and had been brought from Jharkhand, the release said. The Bihar government had on October 2 last year notified the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act banning manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, possession, sale and consumption of liquor and foreign liquor through stringent provisions incorporated under the law. As per the new liquor law, those found indulging in unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture, possession, sale, intoxicant or liquor could attract a minimum ten years of jail term which may extended to imprisonment for life, besides, a minimum fine of Rs one lakh which may extend to Rs ten lakh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Army veteran, who had told FBI that he was being forced to fight for ISIS, opened fire in the baggage area of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, killing five people and wounding eight others, the latest mass shooting incident to rock the US. The 26-year-old suspect, identified as Esteban Santiago who had been treated for mental health issues, drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the busy airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, authorities said. Santiago, who was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, was taken into custody. His motive was not immediately known. Florida's Broward County Sheriff's office said five people were dead and eight had been taken to a nearby hospital. The shooting took place yesterday in Terminal 2 in the baggage claim area, outside the TSA checkpoint, police said. Air Canada and Delta Airlines operate out of Terminal 2. People were corralled onto the tarmac and paramedics were at the scene, police said. All services at the airport have been temporarily suspended, the airport tweeted. A Iraq war veteran, Santiago was discharged from the Alaska Army National Guard last year due to unsatisfactory performance. In November, Santiago paid a visit to the FBI office in Anchorage, telling agents he was being directed by a US intelligence agency to fight for ISIS, CNN reported, citing law enforcement sources. George Piro, the special agent in charge in Miami, told reporters that Santiago was turned over to local authorities and he voluntarily submitted to a mental health evaluation. The military said Santiago's nine years of service in the guard included one 10-month tour of Iraq, where he was awarded a combat action badge. "The President (Barack Obama), on behalf of the American people, extended his sincere condolences to the families and other loved ones of those killed and noted that his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded," said Ned Price, Spokesman of National Security Council, the White House. Federal authorities will continue to assist the ongoing investigation into this horrific shooting, Price said. Earlier, Obama spoke by phone with Florida Governor Rick Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief following the tragic loss of life in the incident. "Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!," US President-elect Donald Trump said in a tweet. Hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene. Police received a call just before 1300 local time (2330 IST yesterday) about shots fired at Terminal Drive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Customs officials today seized 6 kg charas worth Rs 60 lakh in the international market from a compartment of Jansadharan Express at Sugauli station in Bihar's East Champaran district. Acting on a tip-off, a team raided a compartment of Raxaul-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Jansadharan Express and seized 12 packets, each weighing 500 grams, from a bag, Sugauli Customs Superintendent RB Ram said. No one was arrested in this connection as there was no claimant of the bag, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the rural areas of Indore district, the city too has been declared as open defecation free. "Following a survey under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Union Government has declared all 85 wards of the city open defecation free," Mayor Malini Gaud said today. "After this feat, we are aiming to turn Indore into one of the cleanest cities of India," she told reporters here. Indore Municipal Corporation launched a drive to rid the city of open defecation two years ago and built 12,549 single toilet units. Besides, 174 public toilets were refurbished and 17 mobile toilets were provided. On January 25, 2015, Indore district (rural areas) became the second district in the country to become open defecation free after West Bengal's Nadia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Perfume maker Ajmal and Sons is now focussing on establishing its prime brand 'perfumes' in the Indian market after carving a niche in several Middle-East countries. "We are now focusing on India and we are happy that the first major store is being finally opened in our home state Assam", Ajmal Group of Companies Managing Director Sirajuddin Ajmal told reporters today during the launch of its first perfume store here. Ajmal, who is the AIUDF Lok Sabha member from Barpeta in western Assam, pointed out that the Indian market had remained stable during the global recession. "The recession will continue in the global market for another year and things are expected to look up in 2018 but the Indian market has remained unaffected and buying power of the people has increased." The group is therefore now focussing more on India and is planning business strategies with long-term goals. The group is continuously engaged in introducing a wide range of perfumes ranging from Oriental/Exotic concentrates, Oriental sprays, French sprays along with cosmetic products like talcum powder, lotions, hair oil, fairness creams and essential oils. The group plans to have more than 150 exclusive outlets in India by 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid intense slugfest for the 'cycle' symbol, the Akhilesh Yadav faction today submitted to the Election Commission affidavits which it claimed to have signatures of "90 per cent" of legislators and delegates, including over 200 of the 229 MLAs and 56 of 68 MLCs. The Mulayam camp is likely to submit its set of affidavits on Monday, the deadline set by EC for both the sides to submit documents before it decides on which side to be allotted the 'cycle' symbol after the split in SP was formalised on January 3. The Akhilesh faction's documents were submitted by his loyalist uncle Ramgopal in copies of seven as asked by the poll panel. He claimed that the papers number over 1.5 lakh pages and carry signatures of over 200 MLAs, 56 of the 68 MLCs, 15 of the 24 MPs and nearly 4600 of over 5000 delegates of Samajwadi Party supporting Akhilesh. "90 per cent of the legislators and delegates are with Akhilesh Yadav, therefore, it is crystal clear that we are the real SP...We should be given the cycle symbol and considered the real SP," he told reporters after handing over documents. He claimed a set was sent to Mulayam Singh Yadav at his Delhi residence but he refused to acknowledge the receipt. "Now, it will be sent to his Lucknow address," Ramgopal said. Mulayam, on the other hand, met his younger brother Shivpal Yadav, senior party leaders Azam Khan and Ambika Chowdhury, Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey and some others at this residence. SP treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth also met Akhilesh as his residence. For the record, Chowdhury, while emerging from Mulayam's residence, said, "All will be well. SP will remain one." In Etawah, Mulayam's brother Abhayram Yadav hailed Shivpal and blamed "stubborn Akhilesh" for the ongoing crisis within the family and party. "Akhilesh is stubborn. Shivpal used to take him to school and take care of him," he said when reporters asked him about the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu today left for Sri Lanka on a two-day visit at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena. Naidu will be the Guest of Honour at a function tomorrow to mark the completion of two years in office of Sirisena, said a statement issued by his office. He will also deliver a lecture on the topic 'Prosperity to All' with focus on economic development under-pinning poverty alleviation and innovation. Sirisena will host a dinner for Naidu on his arrival on Saturday in Colombo, the statement said. The Chief Minister will also meet Non-Resident Indians (NRI) before his departure from Colombo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Unit of BJP on Saturday denied any move to replace incumbent Chief Minister Pema Khandu as speculated in a section of media. "Pema Khandu enjoys absolute support of 47 BJP and 2 Independent MLAs in the 60 member House. The state BJP endorsed full support to the leadership of Khandu," state BJP President Tapir Gao in a statement said. According to report in a national daily, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's name is doing the rounds as the next possible Chief Minister of the state. State BJP President Tapir Gao is also said to be in the race, the report stated. The BJP national executive led by National President Amit Shah and the in-charge Ram Madhav have pledged absolute faith in the leadership of Khandu as the Chief Minister of the BJP led government in . Gao said that there is absolutely no question of replacing Khandu who enjoys full support of entire BJP party. "We in BJP do not have culture of high command replacing the political leadership in the state. The speculations so made and printed by some media houses are pure rumours that are being spread by political opponents who are playing an outdated political trick to confuse people and to vent out their sheer frustration," he claimed. Gao further appealed to the media to be more sensible in bringing out such news items by properly verifying and authenticating the source as it creates a sense of political insecurity in the state which has seen so much of political turmoil in the recent past. "Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and therefore should act responsibly in the larger interest of the state and its people. It should not be a party in creating panicky situations by bringing out these types of news item that does not have any source," the BJP said. "Reputed dailies should not behave like a social media by publishing news that does not have any accountability," Gao added. A cold wave across Europe has left at least 23 dead in the past two days, including several migrants and homeless people, authorities said today, with the frigid temperatures expected to continue through the weekend. Russia meanwhile celebrated the coldest Orthodox Christmas in 120 years, and even Istanbul was covered with a blanket of snow. Ten of the latest victims of the cold perished in Poland where temperatures were as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius (seven degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday. "Seven people died on Friday in what was the deadliest day this winter," said spokeswoman Bozena Wysocka from the Polish government centre for security (RCB). "We recorded three other victims the previous day," she said. "This takes to 53 the number of hypothermia victims since November 1." In Italy in the past 48 hours the cold has been blamed for seven deaths, including five homeless people, two of them Polish nationals, authorities said. There was heavy snowfall in central Italy and also in the southeast where the airports at Bari and Brindisi as well as in Sicily were closed Saturday morning. Prague's emergency services reported three deaths -- two homeless people and a parking lot guard -- overnight in the Czech capital, the coldest night so far this winter. Temperatures in Moscow fell to minus 30 degrees overnight and to minus 24 in Saint Petersburg where police found the body of a man who had died of hypothermia. And in Bulgaria on Friday the frozen bodies of two Iraqi migrants were discovered by villagers in a mountain forest in the southeast of the country near the border with Turkey. Authorities expect the toll to rise as weather conditions are set to remain unchanged this weekend. The heavy snowstorms reached Turkey, paralysing its biggest city Istanbul where almost 65 centimetres (25 inches) of snow fell, forcing hundreds of flights to be cancelled today. Coastguards also ordered a halt to shipping traffic in both directions through the Bosphorus Strait -- one of the world's busiest sea thoroughfares -- and the municipal ferry service between the European and Asian sides of the city was suspended. Greece likewise has seen fierce cold weather over the past week. In the north near the Turkish frontier a 20-year-old Afghan migrant died of the cold on Tuesday. With more than 60,000 mainly Syrian refugees on its territory, Greece has moved many migrants to prefabricated houses and heated tents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese Met depatment today warned people in capital Beijing to avoid coming in contact with snow which officials said is "dirty" as it has absorbed pollutants which had enveloped the city since the final day of the last year. The Beijing weather forecast bureau said that snow followed by blasts of cold wind will clean up the air this weekend. Snow fell in many parts of Beijing today morning and is expected to last into the night, bringing a bit of relief from the smog that has persisted since the last day of 2016. The city witnessed slight snow but the smog continued to envelope the city. Meteorologist Guo Jianxing, however, warned the public not to get too close to snow. "Because the snow absorbs pollutants, it is dirty," Guo said. "People should carry umbrellas if they walk outside and quickly brush off any snow that falls on their skin," he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua agency. According to the city's air quality surveillance centre, with the exception of northwestern Beijing, the capital remained "seriously polluted" as of 1 pm today. The density of PM 2.5 - tiny pollutant - was 178 micrograms per cubic meter. The weather bureau said gusts of wind, a major force to dispel the smog, will start to arrive tomorrow from the north. It said Beijing's heavy air pollution will be eased and finally cleared from north to south. At worst, only very light smog will linger in a small portion of the city, it added. The smog has become north China's biggest environmental issue in recent years, particularly in winter, when coal-fired heating boilers rev up and the wind weakens. Despite drops in pollution indicators, smog still frequently occurs, the report said. Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, told media here yesterday that his ministry is evaluating emergency plans of 20 cities including Beijing in dealing with heavy air pollution amid criticism that officials shun putting out high alerts to avoid taking action against erring factories. Chen said that inspections had found some cities failing to take effective measures following alerts, or their measures were impracticable. Though pollution in Beijing exceeded hazardous levels for the past several days, the city has not issued the red alert, the maximum warning which would warrant enforcement of odd and even number car system, closure of schools and factories emitting pollution as construction sites. Instead the city officials stuck to orange alert below the red which drew criticism from netizens. Critics say besides use of coal for heating during winter, the pollution levels shot up in the last few weeks as factories ramped up their production ahead of the Chinese New Year later this month during which they had to shut down for prolonged period. China has a four-tier colour-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Bipasha Basu, who turned 37 today, is celebrating her birthday with her actor husband Karan Singh Grover in Australia. The actress is currently vacationing with Karan visiting the beaches along the Gold Coast and Sydney. "We have been planning to visit a few islands, and since we both love water, we plan to try snorkeling while we are here," Bipasha said in a statement. The actress got hitched to TV actor Karan on April 30 last year. The couple has been sharing a lot of vacation pictures on their social media accounts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader M Shashidhar Reddy today expressed apprehension that the BJP-led NDA government may divert bank notes to poll-bound States to gain unfair electoral advantage, and sought intervention of the Election Commission to curb "such misuse of power". In a letter to Election Commission (EC), Reddy, also a former Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said that a demand for Rs 10,000 crore in smaller denomination was made by the Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu in a November 18 letter to the Centre. He noted that Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a part of NDA as a pre-poll ally, with two of its MPs as Ministers in the Government at the Centre. "If this is what an ally of the ruling NDA could demand, it would not be difficult to imagine what the BJP itself could do to divert more bank notes to the crucial poll-bound states," Reddy said in the letter, released at a press conference here. "This will give the ruling BJP an unfair advantage in the existing climate of monumental mismanagement in the implementation of demonetisation, which left the people cash-starved," he said. There is, therefore, an urgent need for intervention of the EC to ensure that there is no such "misuse of power" by the ruling BJP in the States going for elections soon, he said. Reddy noted that the model code of conduct has come into effect on January 4 with the announcement of poll schedule in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. "However, the measures to deal with exigencies of the post-demonetisation phase in these poll-bound states could well be utilised by the BJP to take steps which would not appear to violate the poll code in any way, even while misusing power to manipulate the supply of bank notes to the poll-bound states," he alleged. The EC, Reddy said, should step in now to prevent "such a blatant misuse of power since the election code in its present format has not factored in the possible actions in the unprecedented post-demonetisation phase, failing which the EC could be found to commit monumental blunder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police today cordoned off the headquarters of Bangladesh's largest opposition party BNP on the eve of a planned countrywide demonstration to mark the third anniversary of 2014 general election which it had boycotted. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced the countrywide demonstration for tomorrow after it was denied permission to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan here to protest the January 5, 2014, general election which it had boycotted and dubbed "democracy killing day". BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed announced the programme at a press briefing at its Nayapaltan central office yesterday. "We will hold demonstration programmes in every district and city and wards of Dhaka," he said. Since today morning, heavy police force has been deployed in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office and armored vehicle and water cannon were also positioned on nearby streets, the Daily Star reported. Asked about the police deployment, Kazi Shahiduzzaman, inspector of Ramna Police Station, said: "BNP yesterday announced about holding a programme here. We have intelligence information that two groups of the party may create chaos in the area. We are here to save people." BNP, along with some other Opposition parties had boycotted the 2014 election. Consequently, it currently holds no representation in the Bangladesh Parliament and has been demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League, which swept the 2014 election, celebrates January 5 as a "victory day of democracy" and has rejected BNP's demand for fresh elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has recommended to the Centre to extend interest subvention to non-crop agri loans to boost farmers' investment in technological upgradation. "In a recent Niti Aayog meeting with the Prime Minister, we have recommended extending the benefit of interest subvention even for non-crop agri loans," CACP Chairman Vijay Paul Sharma said here today. Speaking at Bharat Chamber of Commerce organised interactive session on emerging trends in agri-business, Sharma said there was no need to differentiate between crop and non-crop loans and hence had also recommended it to the Finance Ministry for the upcoming budget. Government offers interest subvention of 3 per cent on crop loans, which accounts for 85 per cent of the total agricultural loans expected to touch Rs 9 lakh crore this fiscal, he said. Justifying extension of interest subvention to non-crop loans, Sharma said "We felt offering interest subvention will encourage farmers to invest in technology and equipment for farming." Government is targeting sustainable growth for agriculture which suffered in the recent past years. However, with good monsoon this season, the agri sector is expected to grow at 4 per cent. Sharma said the Centre wants states which are engaged in decentralised procurement of agri produce under minimum support price mechanism to also cover storage and distribution. West Bengal is among the states which procure paddy through decentralised system. This will help states cover more farmers and have a more efficient distribution system than Food Corporation of India, Sharma said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A car bomb killed at least 19 people, mostly civilians, in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on the border with Turkey today, a monitor said. Dozens were also wounded in the attack which struck in front of an Islamic courthouse where a market is located, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The group said the toll was likely to rise in the attack, which was the latest in a string of bombings to hit Azaz. In November, rebels said 25 people -- civilians and opposition fighters -- were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. The blast comes as a fragile ceasefire is being observed across much of Syria. The truce negotiated by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey does not include the Islamic State group or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four family members, including two women, had a narrow escape after their car caught fire near here, police said today. The occupants succeeded in coming out of the car in time. Ranjit Singh and other family members, all belonging to village Tehang (Phillaur) were returning from nearby Chaheru village after attending a religious function yesterday. When their car reached at Mehtan bridge on National Highway-1, it caught fire due to sudden sparking in it, police said. A fire tender extinguished the fire but the front portion of the car was burnt badly, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano's bewitching TV series "Charmed" is heading back to the small screen. The team behind comedy series Jane the Virgin are developing a revamp, set in the mid-1970s, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The "Charmed" reboot will be connected to the original series, which followed the lives of magical witch sisters, played by Doherty, Milano, Holly Marie Combs, and Rose McGowan. TV bosses at CBS attempted to revamp the show in 2013, but abandoned the project after McGowan accused them of "running out of ideas". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala today sought the intervention of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to remove party leader and State Electricity Minister MM Mani from the state cabinet, following a local court rejecting his plea for discharge in a murder case. Chennithala, in a letter to Yechury, said, after the rejection of the discharge petition by Thodupuzha Additional Sessions Court, Mani had been named as second accused in the case related to the murder of youth Congress leader Anjeri Baby at Udumanchola in Idukki district on November 12, 1982. Chennithala also mentioned that he was given to understand that CPI-M veteran VS Achuthanandan had written a letter to CPI-M central leadership questioning Mani's continuation in office. "The letter of Achuthanandan serves to highlight the concern of people as reflected in debates about the involvement of CPI-M in political murders," he said. With regard to the contention of state party leaders that there was no need for Mani to resign as the case was pending even before he became MLA, Chennithala said, "This contention is nothing but specious and does not hide the unconstitutionality or the ignominy of a minister having to face trial in office." Chennithala urged Yechury to direct Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to remove Mani from the cabinet. The case was reopened by the previous Congress-led UDF government after Mani made two controversial speeches in 2012 in which he publicly stated that the Communist party had often eliminated its political foes in Idukki district in the 1980s. Thodupuzha Additional Sessions Court had dismissed the discharge petition of Mani, a member of the CPI-M state Secretariat, on December 24 last. He was made a minister in November last, following resignation of Industries Minister E P Jayarajan on charges of nepotism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A professor in East China's Shandong Province has been fired from his post of political advisor after he was accused of insulting Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China. Deng Xiangchao, professor at Shangdong Jianzhu University, was removed as a member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The government of East China's Shandong Province announced on Thursday they had also dismissed Deng as counsellor of the provincial government, state-run Global Times reported. The provincial government said it will no longer employ Deng as a counsellor due to "relevant regulations," but did not give specific reasons. Deng was accused of insulting Mao (1893-1976) on Sina Weibo, China's twitter-like microblogging service, on the eve of Mao's 123rd birth anniversary, which was celebrated on December 26. The daily did not elaborate on his "offending" comments. The legacy left by Mao, founder of the ruling Chinese Communist Part of China (CPC) has come under cloud after his death as the party has shed hardline Communism advocated by him and violent purges during the decade-long Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and opted for wide spread economic reforms, registering fastest development for over two decades. Photos showing angry people protesting against Deng in front of the gate of Shandong Jianzhu University are circulating online. The protestors are holding Mao's portraits and banners that read "whoever opposes Chairman Mao is an enemy of the People". The photos are dated Wednesday. Mao's loyalists said on their blogs that a few supporters of Deng argued with them at the scene but they were outnumbered by patriots who love Mao. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chinese textile firm was fined USD 2.9 million for dumping 2,700 tonnes of acid in China's rivers. Textile and dye manufacturer Dystar (Nanjing) Dyestuff Company has been fined for improper handling of 2,700 tonnes of acid that ended up in east China rivers. According to the Intermediate People's Court of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, the acid was a waste product of textile and dye manufacturing. The Nanjing-based company sold the waste to an unlicensed disposal firm, which resold it to a sub-contractor. The court found that between September 2013 and May 2014, 2,698 tonnes of the waste acid was dumped into the Taidong River and the New Tongyang Canal in Jiangsu. The other 130 tonnes were seized, state-run Xinhua agency reported today. Environmental agencies found the waste contained high concentrations of sulphuric acid and a large number of organic compounds, posing great environmental danger and possibly causing long-term ecological damage, according to the court. Dystar (Nanjing) Dyestuff Company was fined 20 million yuan (USD 2.9 million). Six persons responsible for dumping were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three-and-a-half to five years. Those convicted include a dye company official who solicited commissions from the unlicensed disposal firm amounting to 281,000 yuan, the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inspected a government run bull mother farm here and lauded the upkeep of cattle, especially cows and their scientific breeding. Chouhan sought details over the different breeds of cows at the farm of MP State Livestock and Poultry Development Cooperation (MPSLPDC) yesterday, a release said today. He evinced keen interest in process of insemination adapted to produce high breed cattle at the farm, it added. The Chief Minister was apprised on the modern techniques being used for the disposal of farm waste and cow dung which Chouhan appreciated. Chouhan praised MPSLPDC director Dr HBS Bhadoria saying that the farm was being run on the lines of modernised ones at Punjab and Haryana states, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least nine people, among them seven government soldiers, were killed in fighting near the Syrian capital Damascus overnight, despite a fragile nationwide truce, a monitor said today. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting was continuing on Saturday in Wadi Barada, a rebel-held district northwest of Damascus that is home to the capital's main water source. The Britain-based monitor said the overnight fighting had killed at least seven Syrian soldiers and wounded around 20 others, some of whom were in serious condition. Two civilians were also killed in the violence, the group said. Water supplies from Wadi Barada have been cut since December 22. The regime and the rebels have traded accusations of responsibility, with the government saying the rebels deliberately targeted water infrastructure and the opposition saying army strikes hit pumping facilities. Fighting has continued in the area despite the start on December 30 of a nationwide truce brokered by regime ally Russia and opposition backer Turkey. The ceasefire, accepted by both the government and key rebel groups, has brought quiet to large parts of Syria, but the violence has continued in Wadi Barada. There have been discussions about the possibility of an agreement to end the fighting, with experts able to enter the area to fix the damaged water infrastructure. But so far no deal has been reached, and the UN warned earlier this week that 5.5 million people were now affected by water shortages in the capital and its suburbs. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Over half the country's population has been displaced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress today complained to the Election Commission against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his controversial remarks made in Meerut in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and sought immediate action against him. AICC Secretary, Legal and Human Rights department, K C Mittal said Sakshi Maharaj has not just violated the Model Code of Conduct but also the law and asked the EC to view his remarks as per recent judgment of Supreme Court prohibiting seeking votes in the name of religion. "It has been requested that the entire statement by Sakshi Maharaj may be perused and appropriate action taken against him and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the this regard, in view of the nature of offending statement," he said. In his complaint to CEC Nasim Zaidi and two other ECs, the Congress cited the Supreme Court verdict holding that elections to the state legislatures or the Parliament must be secular and any appeal in the name of religion, caste, community and language, is impermissible under the Representation of People Act, 1951. "If examined by the Election Commission (EC) in entirety, it is not only in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but may be punishable in law," Mittal said in his letter. "Any violation should be dealt with firmly and effectively and immediate necessary action should be taken against all persons violating the law," he added. He also said that since the election process in five states has already commenced, Election Commission should issue instructions to officials in all poll going states to ensure that no party or candidate violates the law and MCC. "It is necessary that the Commission issues instructions, orders to all its CEOs, DEOs and other electoral officers and authorities in five states to ensure that during the election campaign no such appeal is made in contravention of the said judgement and EC instructions," he said. Maharaj was booked for allegedly hurting religious feelings after he indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country that sparked a controversy, days after Supreme Court outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion or caste. As the outburst by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation from opposition parties, the BJP distanced itself from the comments made at a 'sant sammelan' here yesterday while the Election Commission sought a report from Meerut district administration. "Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population," he said. "Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country," he added. Mittal said Sakshi Maharaj's speech is "offensive" as it is based on caste and religion and goes against the recent Supreme Court judgement and warned that anyone even raising communal slogans linked to religion will come under the purview of the Supreme Court judgement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal today demanded a judicial probe into the "demonetisation scam", claiming that most of the black money had returned to the banks which suggested a "conspiracy". Sibal claimed at a press conference here that of the Rs 15.15 lakh crore in old currency that was demonetised, Rs 14.97 lakh crore was back in the banking system. "Is the alleged black money becoming legitimate? This cannot happen without conspiracy of the ruling BJP and banking institutions," Sibal alleged. "If the money which is deposited in the banks is not black money, what is the fight to curb black money, which (Prime Minister) Modi talks about to justify demonetisation, for? We demand a probe by a judicial commission in the demonetisation scam," he said. Narendra Modi had asked the people the bear the pain for 50 days after demonetisation and said he was ready to face any punishment after that, Sibal pointed out, adding now the PM should announce what punishment he would take and where, as the situation was not yet normal. "RBI Governor Urjit Patel and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley are unaware how much money has come back in the banking system," the Congress spokesperson said, alleging that demonetisation was a "conspiracy to benefit BJP". Sibal also slammed the NDA government for advancing the Budget with an eye on Assembly elections. "Why was the need for preponing the Budget when the allocations will be implemented from April 1," he asked. As per a Right to Information reply to a question by Congress, only eight government nominees on the central board of RBI attended the meeting on November 8 (prior to demonetisation), he claimed. "Why was the 21-member board with independent directors not called? Was demonetisation a government or RBI decision?" he said. Why BJP took no action against its own office-bearers in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu who were allegedly caught with "bundles of new Rs 2,000 notes", Sibal asked. Congress would seek reply from PM in the budget session, he said. "He (Modi) did not speak in the Monsoon session. We want him to reply to our charges in the Parliament and not outside," Sibal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court today dismissed the bail plea of controversial lawyer Rohit Tandon, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case post demonetisation. The Enforcement Directorate had arrested him after a raid in connection with a black money probe which led to the alleged seizure of Rs 13.6 crore from his law firm. Tandon's bail plea was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge R K Tripathi. ED strongly oppossed his contention on the ground that the investigation is at a crucial stage. He was arrested on December 29 last year and after initial interrogation, he was sent to judicial custody for 14 days on January 2. While seeking bail for Tandon, his counsel and senior advocate Vikas Pahwa said there was no evidence against the him and no proceeds of the alleged crime had been identified by ED yet. He argued that ED has no right to arrest the accused as the source of funds involved in the alleged transactions was yet to be ascertained. Rebutting the arguments of the accused, Special Public Prosecutor Vikas Garg, appearing for ED, said it was the source of funds and not just funds which had to be ascertained, an aspect on which the probe is going on, adding that the investigation is at a crucial stage. During the hearing, the counsel for the accused said that the alleged offences were not violative of the government's November 8, 2016 notification and ED was making the arrests for media attention to highlight demonetisation, a claim rejected by the agency's counsel. Besides Tandon, two other accused -- Kolkata-based businessman Paras M Lodha and Kotak Mahindra bank manager Ashish Kumar -- were arrested in separate PMLA cases. They are also in the judicial custody. Lodha has also moved a bail application which has been opposed by ED which has alleged that he was involved in the offence of money laundering which "frustrated" demonetisation policy of the government posing "serious threat" to financial health of the country. Lodha was arrested on December 21, 2016 in connection with alleged conversion of over Rs 25 crore old currency into new notes and his bail plea will be heard on January 11. Ashish Kumar was arrested on December 28 by ED in connection with its money laundering probe in a case of detection of nine alleged fake accounts with deposits of Rs 34 crore post demonetisation. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today met a host of central ministers and invited them to participate in the February 16/17 investment summit in Ranchi. Das, who is in Delhi now, invited Road Transport and Highways, Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of State for Coal (Independent) Piyush Goal, Minister of state for Petroleum (Independent) Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of state for Commerce and Industry (Independent charge) Nirmala Sitharaman, an official release said here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several Congress workers in Puducherry today staged a demonstration outside central government offices here, to protest the "hasty and faulty" decision of the Centre to demonetise high value currency notes. Addressing agitators outside a nationalised bank in the heart of the town, Puducherry PWD Minister A Namassivayam claimed that the demonetisation scheme had caused "inexplicable havoc to all sections of people and more particularly the workers and the poorer sections." The demonstration by party volunteers was in keeping with the decision taken recently at the executive committee meeting of the PCC, he said. Industries Minister M O H F Shahjahan led the agitation in front of the Pondicherry university in neighbouring Kalapet. Condemning the move, he said, "The schemewas implemented without any forethought and alternative arrangements by the Prime Minister." Functionaries of the PCC and office bearers of the youth wing held demonstrations at different points to register their protest against the Centre's "anti-poor policies including demonetisation of the currencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lisa Walter had never been to Menomonie when she drove north on Interstate 94 in 1993 to interview for a sergeants position at University of Wisconsin-Stout. If she got the job she certainly didnt intend for it to be the last stop in her law enforcement career. Walter, a native of Hartford in southeastern Wisconsin, had grown attached to Milwaukee while working in the city for the state Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles. She had worked for the State Capitol Police Department as well, in Madison and Milwaukee, but wanted to bolster her resume with police supervisory experience. The sergeants position at UW-Stout fit the bill. My full intention was to get supervisory experience somewhere in the state and go back to Milwaukee, Walter said recently in her corner office at the UW-Stout Police Department. I absolutely love Milwaukee. I still do. Walter landed the sergeants position, but life doesnt always work out as planned. She never did return to Milwaukee to work. On Friday, Jan. 6, Walter will retire from the campus police department, having served as police chief since 1999, first in an interim position and permanently since 2002. A search is underway to fill the position. Department veteran Jason Spetz will serve as interim chief. Chief Walter brought an enormous amount of professionalism, good humor and common sense to the department, Chancellor Bob Meyer said. While she will be incredibly hard to replace, Lisa is leaving the department in very good shape and her legacy will continue for a very long time. Meyer said Walter worked hard to connect the community with the department and UW-Stout, noting the Run with the Cops event she started to benefit Special Olympics and other volunteering she has done for Special Olympics and other organizations. Meyer also said Walter has been omnipresent at all major events at UW-Stout throughout her career, including homecoming, residence hall Move-in Day, visits by dignitaries, etc. Lisa certainly has been visible, not only on campus but in the community and the region, Meyer said. She is the epitome of what community policing is all about. Chief Walter was instrumental in building an effective working relationship between our departments, said Eric Atkinson, chief of the Menomonie Police Department. She was transparent in her objectives and was always willing to collaborate on projects aimed at enhancing public safety. We will miss her enthusiasm and her ability to collaborate with various community shareholders, Atkinson continued. Her ability to connect with students, staff, faculty and the community was nothing short of exceptional. She is a role model for not only law enforcement but the community as a whole. Taking on changes Walter said that while she did some research about UW-Stout and the area before interviewing, the trip to Menomonie was an eye-opener. When I drove northbound on I-94 to come up for interview day, I was like, man, this is gorgeous up here, Walter said. This is up north. This is where everybody goes for vacations, for goodness sakes. The accommodations at the police department, which recently had been separated from the safety and risk management operation, left a little to be desired, Walter said. When I came in, my office was a table in the squad room. I sort of sat back and said, what did I do? At the time patrol officers at UW-Stout and most campuses around the U.S. walked around during the day with empty (gun) holsters. They werent able to take guns on patrol with them until midnight. That eventually changed, however, as did many other things for the department once Walter became established. For the most part, she said, the capabilities of the campus police and the Menomonie Police Department now are the same. My responsibility is to do whats right for the campus and for my officers, Walter said. So I chunked away at these (changes) and took them on as I saw they would be appropriate and accepted. Special campus challenges The capabilities might be the same, but the demands and expectations certainly are different for a campus police department. Ive told families at freshman orientation that we are the most diverse and unique community of 10,000 people in northwestern Wisconsin, other than other campus communities, Walter said. You cant go to any other community of 10,000 and have the diversity that we have. That requires a certain kind of officer. For example, she said, her officers have to know students and members of our community, and she places a premium on continually learning as a staff person. That includes diversity training, she said. It takes good judgment and sometimes a gentle touch when dealing with students, Walter said. I tell parents, We will not become mom and dad, but we will become the cool aunt or uncle who is willing to flick your student on the forehead when they do stupid stuff, she said, adding, and then there are other people that youve got to put the hammer down. Walter said it was the ability to get to know the students, faculty, staff and the public that kept her at UW-Stout. Im not good just in a squad car doing traffic, she said. Im not good just behind the uniform. I am much better when I have that ability to know people longer term. This was a good connection for me. However, any police career that lasts 23 years is bound to include some tragic events, and Walters time on campus certainly had its share: three students killed in a house fire, a suicide in a residence hall, a student who died after an altercation near the Log Jam and, most recently, the death of student Hussain Saeed Alnahdi in downtown Menomonie. While many of the deaths occurred off campus, university police always is involved in investigations involving students and any aftermath. Part of it is you need a thick skin, she said, but part of it is you tend to get killed with a thousand cuts on this job. Student deaths are the worst, the absolute worst. She added: You just cant ever prepare for a face-to-face with a parent who is never going to see their kid again. You just cant. Setting an example Walter doesnt make a big deal of it, but she acknowledges the fact she has been something of a trail blazer in her profession, where women make up just 15 percent of all law enforcement officers. I started my career with a sheriff who told me right to my face that women dont belong in law enforcement, Walter said. That was 32 years ago. I still think women have a ways to go in this profession. When I go to chiefs conferences, Im one of the very few women and there are very few minorities. So, weve got a long way to go, but its been a heck of a trail to blaze. Whats next for Walter? She will continue her volunteer work for organizations like Special Olympics, but there are no professional plans at present. Im going to take a deep breath, she said. I may even turn my phone off at night. Fans of Carrie Fisher have launched a petition to have the late actress' "Star Wars" character officially deemed a Disney princess. The tragic star shot to fame as Princess Leia in George Lucas' original sci-fi trilogy, and reprised the iconic role for 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." She also reportedly wrapped filming scenes for the next sequel, "Star Wars: Episode VIII", before her untimely death on December 27. Now fans are calling on studio bosses, who have taken over the rights to the franchise, to officially recognise Leia as a Disney princess, reported Fox . A campaign has been established on Change.Org by superfan Cody Christensen to convince Disney CEO Bob Iger to honour fans' request, and a week after its launch, it has garnered more than 58,000 signatures towards its 75,000 goal. The post read: "After the tragic loss of Carrie Fisher, we feel that it is only fitting for Disney to do away with the rule that an official Disney princess must be animated and make Leia a full-fledged princess. This would be a wonderful way to remember Carrie and a welcoming to one of Disney's new properties that is beloved by millions." It continued, "What we are asking is that the Walt Disney Corporation hold a full ceremony inducting Leia as the newest Disney princess as well as a special service in memory of Carrie Fisher." Fisher died at the age of 60, four days after suffering a massive heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Her mother, Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds, died a day after her daughter from a suspected stroke. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kisan Mahapanchayat, a farmers' body here, today said they would hold a demonstration near the state assembly during the next session and accused the Rajasthan government of "ignoring" the demands of farmers. The body also asked state government to pass a resolution to implement the recommendations of National Farmers Commission (2004). Rampal Jat, Mahapanchayat's national president also accused the BJP government in the state of ignoring the demands of farmers. He said the government should start taking pro-farmer decisions and roll back the hike in electricity tariffs. "The farmers should be free from all kinds of loan and in this direction, the government should implement Farmers commission - 2004 report from August 15, 2007," he told reporters here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travellers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have travelled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities have said, but they do not know why he chose his target and have not ruled out terrorism. Authorities said during a conference yesterday that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. FBI Agent George Piro said Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked on a flight from Alaska. "Indications are that he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Piro said. "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it's too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the U.S. Government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. Santiago had not been placed on the US no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, Piro said. The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Mark Lea, 53, had just flown in from Minnesota with his wife for a cruise when he heard three quick cracks, like a firecracker. Then came more cracks, and "I knew it was more than just a firecracker," he said. Making sure his wife was outside, Lea helped evacuate some older women who had fallen, he said. Then he saw the shooter. "He was just kind of randomly shooting people," he said. "If you were in his path, you were going to get shot. He was walking and shooting." Over the course of about 45 seconds, the shooter reloaded twice, he said. When he was out of bullets, he walked away, dropped the gun and lay face down, spread eagle on the floor, Lea said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor and West Bengal minister Sovon Chatterjee today said an FIR has been lodged against a firm for trying to fraudulently withdraw Rs 8.56 crore from the Housing Board bank account. Chatterjee told reporters the cheque of a nationalised bank had the forged signature of Housing Board Chairman and the fraud was detected when the cheque was presented at the Tollygunje branch of the bank and raised suspicion of the staff. A probe has been ordered against the said firm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four terrorists have been killed and five others arrested after an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in Pakistan's troubled Baluchistan province. Frontier Corp sources said that the five terrorists were killed in the Uch area near Dera Murad Jamali during a combing operation late last night. "Four terrorists were shot in the exchange of fire while five others were injured and arrested," the source confirmed. The combing operation was carried out hours after the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Alami, a banned outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shia Hazara Muslims in which five people died. Police said two of the injured people were in critical condition. "Two persons on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate firing on a taxi in which the Hazara men were travelling on Spiny road in Quetta," a police official said. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Abdul Razzak Cheema said the incident appeared to be a sectarian targeted shooting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shots rang out at a military base in Abidjan today as a mutiny by disgruntled troops appeared to spread to Ivory Coast's economic capital despite government efforts to defuse the crisis. The widening unrest came after troops seized control of Bouake, the country's second city, firing rocket launchers in the streets in an angry protest over pay. Bouake was the headquarters of an armed rebellion that broke out in 2002 and split Ivory Coast in two until 2011. "Shots were heard here in Abidjan at the Akouedo military base," a newsflash on national television said Saturday, referring to a camp in the northern sector of the city. Troops closed off a large junction near the Akouedo base, leaving all roads leading to the camp gridlocked with traffic and hampering access to several neighbouring districts. The unrest erupted in the early hours of Friday morning with troops demanding hefty pay rises, and the protests quickly spread to other cities, including Man in the west. In an attempt to defuse the crisis, Ivory Coast's defence minister headed to Bouake. "We are going to talk with our men, hear their complaints and find solutions to this situation that is understandable but regrettable," Alain-Richard Donwahi said in a televised address before his departure. The rattle of automatic gunfire, which raged throughout Friday night, could still be heard on Saturday morning along with the sound of heavy weapons fire, Bouake residents and an AFP correspondent said. "We heard shooting all through the night," one resident told AFP by phone. Similar protests erupted in several central and northern towns throughout the day and by Saturday morning, the unrest had also spread to Man, witnesses and a military source said. There were also protests in the central towns of Daloa and Daoukro as well as Korhogo in the north, where angry troops demanded salary hikes although witnesses said they had largely disappeared from the streets by Friday evening. Speaking to AFP yesterday, a military official said the unrest was spearheaded by former rebel fighters now integrated into the army who were demanding bonuses of five million CFA francs (USD 8,000) each plus a house. "We are emerging from a crisis and our army is being rebuilt," the defence minister said. "Things are not moving as quickly as we hoped but they are moving none the less." However troops expressed wariness over Donwahi's intentions, with one telling AFP; "we believe they are getting ready to do something against us." "If he wants to come to negotiate, there won't be any problems. But if they want to attack us, we are ready for that too," he added. President Alassane Ouattara, who is currently in Ghana for the swearing in of that country's new president, was expected to return to Abidjan, the economic capital, by the end of the day for a cabinet meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A hard-core Maoist, who was carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head, today surrendered before the Superintendent of Police, police said. Dibba Pahan surrendered before SP Ashwaini Kumar Sinha, Khunti, in the presence of DIG R K Dhan, Commandant Raj Kumar and other police officers, they said. Pahan was involved in the gunning down of MLA, Tamar, Ramesh Munda, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pramod Kumar and Inspector Francis Indwar in the past. A cheque of Rs 15 lakh was handed over to him under the government's surrender policy for rehabilitation. Earlier, the district police recovered arms and ammunition following a special campaign launched against People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) in extremist-hit Koenjhar Jungle under Murhu police station of the district last night, Sinha said. The Security forces recovered three carbines, one double barrel gun, one country-made pistol and four loaded magazines, he said. He said the arms and ammunition belonged to the PLFI's self-styled Sub-Zonal Commander Jida Gudia and Area Commander Pattu Nag, who along with aides managed to escape under cover of darkness on seeing the approaching security personnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today modified the death sentence awarded to a 23-year-old man, who was convicted of rape and murder of a woman in 2013, to life sentence. Disposing a referred trial for confirmation of death sentence, a division bench comprising Justices S Nagamuthu and N Authinathan partly allowed an appeal in this regard by the accused Manivel. The bench, however, made it clear that Manivel shall not be considered for any remission by the government for 20 years. The prosecution case was that on November 23, 2013, when the 28-year-old woman was returning home from work in a bicycle, Manivel, who was waiting for her near a culvert in a village in Ramanathapuram district, intercepted and dragged her to a field and raped her. When she resisted, he attacked her and smothered her to death. He tied her body with the cycle using the dupatta and pushed it to a nearby canal. The Mahila Court in Tiruvarur district had on September 20 last year awarded death sentence to him and referred the trial for confirmation to the high court. Manivel had also preferred an appeal against the order. Holding that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that it was Manuel who had raped and murdered the women and later thrown the body into the canal to destroy evidence. Therefore, the trial court was right in convicting the accused. However, "coming to quantum of punishment, in our considered view, this case would not fall within the category of rarest of rare cases", the bench said, and commuted the death penalty to life sentence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madras High Court today declined to entertain a PIL which accused vice-chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University Dr Geethalakshmi of appointing her doctor-husband R Sugumar and doctor-sister S Usha as members of top academic bodies, and purchasing a high-end cars against rules. The petitioner Varaaki sought a direction to the Governor to take action against the vice-chancellor. Dismissing the PIL and Varaki, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar said "We are completely dissatisfied with bonafides of this petition. The power of the vice-chancellor, in turn, is checked by various bodies, where agendas are placed and approved. Thus, there is a control and check mechanism provided under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University Act, 1998 itself." The petitioner said that he had already sent representations to the government and the Governor complaining that the vice-chancellor had purchased a high-end car over and above what had been provided for in the budged, and that she had appointed her husband as member of Standing Academic Board and Faculty of UG Medicine and Surgery of the university, and sister as Standing Academic Board and Faculty of Medicine and Medical Specialties in the university. Rejecting the PIL, the bench said 'merely because a person unconnected with the subject matter even wrote letters to the chancellor, it would not give him the right to seek a direction from the court, that the chancellor must act in a particular manner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal today asked the voters of Goa to "accept money" if offered by Congress or BJP candidates, but vote only for his party. "If Congress or BJP candidates offer money, do not refuse it. Accept it as it is your own money and there is nothing wrong in getting it back. If they do not offer money, go to their offices and ask for it. But, when it comes to voting, press the button against the name of the AAP candidate," he told an election rally in Benaulim constituency. Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in five states, the Delhi Chief Minister trashed the pre-poll surveys of television channels saying "they have no credibility". "Yeh jo TV channel wale camera lage hai na, yeh jhoote survey dikhayenge aapko. Abhi shuru bhi kiya hai unhone...(the TV cameras you see belong to channels which will show false surveys. They have already started it)," he said. "Aap sabko colony me jake bata dena ki TV channel pe bharosa mat karo, yeh sab jhoot mooth idhar udhar dikhate hai, sab bakwas dikhate hai (tell everyone not to trust these TV channels, they show lies and nonsense)," he added. Kejriwal, who arrived in Goa today, toured south Goa before addressing the public meeting in Benaulim. Claiming that television channels had shown "false" survey reports against the Aam Aadmi Party even in the past, he said, "When our government was formed in 2013, the TV channels were showing that AAP will win one-two seats, but we got 28." "(Again) when we formed the government in 2015, the TV channels showed we will get 18 seats, but we got 67 (in Delhi). Yesterday, I was watching a TV channel which said we will get two seats in Goa which means, we will get 28," Kejriwal added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just months after creating the Governors Task Force on Opioid Abuse, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called a special session of the Legislature on Thursday to ramp up the states response to heroin and opioid abuse. Walker toured the state to sign three executive orders Thursday, stopping at HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Chippewa Falls to sign the third. What most people dont realize, he said, is that heroin, meth and opioid abuse stems from prescription drug abuse. This is a public health crisis, and every one of us has a job to play in this, Walker said. We need to change our perspective as patients, change the mindset that prescription drugs arent dangerous because they arent illegal. Our problem While the orders speak specifically about heroin and opioids, Walker said these treatments and recovery options apply to addiction in general. When you talk about addiction it goes across the board, he said. A lot of people think heroin and meth is somebody elses problem. This is our problem. The executive orders would require state agencies to take further action to combat opioid abuse and addiction, and the Department of Health Services to apply for federal funding for programs responding to the opioid crisis. Walker is reasonably confident the special session, which he called to demand immediate action, will move quickly through the Assembly and Senate, as legislators have acted quickly on his Heroin, Opiate Prevention & Education agenda items in the past. It will go through the legislative process in short order, Walker said. We can sign in the coming month or two, which is critically important. The special session will consider action on 11 items, all of which come from recommendations the Task Force on Opioid Abuse released in its report Thursday. Among them, lawmakers are called to: Allow school personnel to administer drugs to counteract opioid overdoses. Permit the UW Office of Educational Opportunity to charter a recovery school for high school students who need in-patient care for opioid addiction, allowing them to stay in school during the treatment. Require pharmacists to prescribe cough syrups and medications currently available over the counter that contain codeine, an opioid. Permit relatives to commit a drug-addicted family member, similar to the current laws for alcoholism. Give limited immunity from criminal prosecution to people who overdose and then dial 911 to seek help. Other legislation requested by Walker would allocate funds to medical, criminal and treatment efforts to combat opiods. The funding requests, all for the 2017-2019 budget, include: $63,000 per year to the rural hospital graduate medical training program. $1 million per year for grants to support new medically-assisted treatment centers. $500,000 per year for a consultation service for medical professionals to access addiction medicine specialists. $420,000 per year for four additional criminal investigation agents at the state Department of Justice focused on drug interdiction and trafficking. $100,000 per year to expand the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment training program offered by the state Department of Public Instruction. Other orders expected to be signed by Walker call on state agencies to adopt additional recommendations from the opioid task force and ask the Department of Health Services to apply for up to $7.6 million in federal grants made available through a recently-passed federal act. The Imam of a Kolkata mosque today issued a 'fatwa' against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of "bluffing" the people through demonetisation, evoking a sharp reaction from BJP which demanded his arrest. Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Masjid, said, "Everyday people are harassed and facing problem due to demonetisation." "Modi is bluffing the society and the innocent people of the country through demonetisation and nobody wants him to continue as the Prime Minister," he said during a joint conference by the All India Majlis-e-Sura and All India Minority Forum here. Slamming the 'fatwa', BJP National Secretary Sidharth Nath Singh, who is in-charge of party's West Bengal affairs, said in Delhi, "We demand that Mamata Banerjee immediately order his arrest. The fatwa against our Prime Minister is highly condemnable. TMC MP Idris Ali was sitting next to him when he issued the fatwa." Warning of protets if the state government did not take any action against the imam, Singh said, "This is not an issue between BJP and TMC. This is an insult of the Prime Minister by a religious leader considered close to the Chief Minister." Earlier Barkati alleged, "People who keep beard are mostly religious like maulanas, sadhus, sufis, sikh gurus.. But Modi keeping beard is 'bhondami' (bluffing). I have no hesitation in saying that he (Modi) is bluffing the country. He (Modi) has lost all his credentials as the Prime Minister." Terming Modi "communal" and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a figure of "communal harmony", he claimed that most of the people in the country now want Banerjee to be the Prime Minister of the country. Last month Barkati had issued a 'fatwa' against BJP state president Dilip Ghosh for his comments against Banerjee. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deepening ties, India and Portugal today inked seven pacts to boost engagement in a wide range of areas including defence and security, IT and renewable energy even as they took a veiled dig at China for stalling New Delhi's move at the UN to designate JeM Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. In wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and States harbouring them stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism. In a statement to the media, Modi said he and Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror. "Recognising the importance of the Central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee," a joint statement issued after the talks said. On December 30, China had blocked India's move to list Pakistan-based Azhar as a terrorist, at the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. China was the only member at the 15-nation panel to have opposed India's move. The joint statement called for combating terrorism in a spirit of 'zero tolerance', underlining that States should not support any terror entity including 'non-State actors' on any grounds. The two leaders also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and sought adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN. The Prime Minister said the talks covered full range of India-Portugal ties across various sectors. "We agreed that the two countries must focus on action oriented approach to realise the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that," he said. The statement said the two prime ministers looked forward to the signing of the Protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and to early ratification of the Social Security Agreement by Portugal to enable it to enter into force. Modi also thanked Costa for Portugal's support to India's membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The MoU on defence envisages cooperation meeting security challenges, including in the maritime domain and defence industries. On defence cooperation, Modi invited Portuguese companies to participate in the 'Make in India' initiative and set up joint ventures and commercial partnerships based on joint production and technology transfer. The other MoUs signed provided for cooperation in areas of information technology and electronics, agricultural trade including market access for agricultural products, deeper engagement in renewable energy and marine research. The two sides also decided to work together in strengthening bilateral economic and commercial ties in third countries, and issued a joint declaration in this regard. Modi and Costa condemned extremism and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations, "irrespective of who the perpetrators are and of their motivations." Costa, who had lived in Goa, said he felt proud for being able to return to India as Portugal's Prime Minister. "This may be your first state visit to India, but you are neither a stranger to India, nor is India unfamiliar to you. So, in addition to extending a warm welcome on this chilly evening, I must also say, Welcome Back!," said Modi. Costa, who arrived here today on a 7-day visit, also said Portugal will continue to support India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council along with Brazil and another country from the African continent. The Portuguese PM will attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Bengaluru tomorrow and then will travel to Gandhinagar to attend the Vibrant Gujarat summit on January 10. He will also visit his ancestral home in Goa. Talking about UN's role, he said protection of human rights, rule of law and peaceful resolution of conflicts must be priority for all. Referring to India's NSG bid, Portugal hoped that India will achieve its early membership. Both sides also agreed to accord priority to boost start- ups and creating a favourable ecosystems for entrepreneurship. "In this context, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on start-ups and the roadmap therein and called for regular exchanges between Start-Up India and Start-Up Portugal to boost business and enterprise," said the statement. Recognizing the cultural and commercial significance of India's film industry and its growing interest in Portugal, Costa agreed to facilitate enhanced collaboration to make Portugal a preferred filming destination for the industry. In this context, the two leaders looked forward to early conclusion of an Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement between the two countries, as a timely initiative to incentivize joint film production and boost cooperation in the vibrant film sector. The two sides also decided to join hands in strengthening bilateral economic and commercial ties in third countries. The declaration in this regard said both sides intend to work together to identify and mutually support projects and economic activities closely coordinated with third country participants. "Both countries will encourage their private sector to undertake joint economic, commercial and industrial projects and investments in third countries to boost growth, jobs and development. Such projects should contribute to the local economy, regional connectivity and integration, in order to benefit third countries, by taking into account their priorities in terms of development and the needs of their people," the joint declaration said. It said cooperation will be complementary and mutually beneficial and strive to promote best practices in development of projects. A six-member team of Gujarat Fisheries department today took custody of the 218 Indian fishermen, who were by the Pakistan government as a 'goodwill gesture' at the Wagah border, a government official said. The team, headed by K R Patni, has been camping in Amritsar since January 5 to receive the freed and bringing them to Gujarat. "We have received the 218 early this morning today at the Wagah border. Most of them belong to different places like Jamnagar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Verawal, Navsari of Gujarat, Daman and Diu, while few hail from other states," Patni told PTI from Amritsar over phone. The first batch of will leave for Vadodara by train this evening, he said, adding that they have also requested the Railway department to make necessary arrangements for fishermen to reach Vadodara from Amritsar. The fishermen were freed from Malir jail in Karachi on January 5. This was the second batch of Indian fishermen released from Pakistan jails since relations between the two countries became tense after the terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri. The first batch of 220 fishermen was released on December 25 last. These fishermen had allegedly strayed into Pakistan's territorial waters, bringing the total number of Indian fishermen freed from Pakistani jails as "goodwill gesture" in the last 10 days to 438, despite the chill in bilateral ties. According to Patni, fisherman Jeeva Bhagwan from Gir Somnath district, who was also lodged in the Karachi jail, died of a cardiac arrest just a day before the release of his compatriots. Poor fishermen from both countries routinely find themselves arrested for illegal fishing as there is no clear demarcation of the boundaries between the two countries in the Arabian sea near Sir Creek. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said there would be "bipolar" fight in Punjab and Goa in the Legislative Assembly polls. "It is not a four-cornered contest, it is a bi-polar contest in Punjab and Goa. On one side all the parties and against them is AAP. This is a dharma-yuddha," Kejriwal said, addressing a rally in Benaulim Assembly constituency near here. Congress and BJP were playing a "friendly match", he said. "BJP had promised to take action against corrupt Congressmen during 2012 Goa polls, but after they won the election, they did nothing. "Congress too sat at home and didn't act like opposition for five years. This is the time to spoil their friendly match," said the national convener of AAP. "They have got together to stop AAP from winning because if we win, the corrupt leaders from BJP and Congress will go to jail. The two parties are fighting the elections in sync. This is not just happening in Goa, this is also happening in Punjab," Kejriwal said. AAP will revoke the ticket of any of its 36 candidates in Goa if he or she was found guilty of corruption, crime, communal behaviour or tainted character, he said. "If any of our candidates is found guilty on these four parameters and if there is any strong prima facie evidence, we will cancel their ticket even 24 hours before the poll. We will keep seat empty but won't let a wrong candidate contest on our ticket," he said. In Goa, AAP had offered a clean face as Chief Ministerial candidate in Elvis Gomes against the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Kejriwal said. BJP government was trying to harass Gomes by filing fake cases with Anti Corruption Bureau against him, he alleged. "I was told yesterday that Elvis Gomes would be arrested before I land here. I said if that happens I will meet Elvis in jail," Kejriwal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JD(U) workers in Bihar would be engaged by the Nitish Kumar government to rope in the maximum number of people for the mammoth human chain in support of prohibition on January 21 and to popularise the "seven resolves" programme of "sushasan" (good governance) among the public. At a meeting of the party's state office-bearers and district unit chiefs, chaired by Bihar JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh today, it was decided to hold workshops at the district-level to arm the party workers with the details of welfare programmes undertaken by the Nitish Kumar government. Senior party leaders were alloted districts to preside over such workshops, a JD(U) release said here. Addressing the meeting, Singh told the participants about the importance of the human chain which would be formed in the state on January 21 involving more than two crore citizens to affirm the resolve in support of the liquor ban. All the party workers were instructed to take part in the human chain which is tipped to be the biggest in the world. The workshops would also apprise the block and panchayat level JD(U) workers of the significance of the "seven resolves" programme which has been adopted as a programme of good governance by the Nitish Kumar government for the next four years of its term. They would also be told in detail about the Public Grievance Redressal Act, which promises to resolve the complaints submitted within 60 days, to raise awareness among the people about it, the statement said. It was decided that senior JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak would train the workers at the workshops in Vaishali and Samastipur districts. Rajya Sabha member Ramnath Thakur has been entrusted with the responsibility of Darbhanga, Supual and Madhubani and former Assembly speaker Udai Narayan Chaudhary of Jamui, Sheikhpura and Nawada. Rajya Sabha member and a close confidante of the chief minister, RCP Singh would conduct the workshop in Patna and Nalanda districts. The state JD(U) chief himself would be in charge of the workshops in Buxar and Bhojpur districts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Registrar of Kalyani Government Engineering College and nine students were today sentenced to 20 days imprisonment by a local court here. A fine of Rs 2,000 each was also imposed on the ten persons by Sandip Kumar Kundu, ACJM-II of the Kalyani Court in connection with a complaint lodged against them by the police for allegedly attacking the Kalyani police station in March, 2014. All nine students and Registrar Bishnupada Biswas were later on release on personal bail bonds of Rs 1,500 each by the court, their lawyer Sarit Mukherjee said. The lawyer said a clash had broken out in the college campus between a group of outsiders and the students at night in March, 2014. "The police was informed, but their failed to reach the campus on time. A section of students then went to the police station and complained against police inaction against those creating trouble. The Registrar had also accompanied the students," said Mukherjee adding, the police had alleged that a section of students became unruly and pelted stones at the police station. "The case was going on for so long and we will move the upper court by this month for justice," the lawyer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Kate Beckinsale will be "stalking" her daughter around New York City as she embarks on her college career. The "Underworld" star took to Instagram last month to gush about her daughter Lily, who had scored early acceptance into her chosen university, and now the proud mother has revealed the 17-year-old will be pursuing her higher education in NYC, reported Contactmusic. Kate said she will miss having Lily with her in Los Angeles, but she is eager to explore the city in her spare time. "She's going to be quite far away, but I'm planning on stalking her...!" she laughed during an appearance on New York-based breakfast show "Good Morning America." The 43-year-old British star is planning to spend more time on America's East Coast visiting her daughter and taking the opportunity to catch up with old friends. "I love it here. We lived here. My daughter took her first steps here and said her first word here, which was 'duck', in case anyone is interested..." Kate has remained close to her ex, Welsh actor Michael Sheen - who is Lily's dad, since their split in 2003, and they were all together in December to celebrate Lily's college offer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan has done evil things in Kashmir but ultimately the "evil forces would be defeated by the 'khudai taqat' (divine power)", senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar told a gathering of Kashmiri youth here. Kumar said "Kashmir, Kashmiri and Kashmiriyat is an 'ilm' (knowledge) and no one can denigrate that. "I have seen Kashmir from Jammu to Ladakh, from Doda to Rajouri, and I can tell you that guns don't give lives but take lives. It doesn't educate you but snatches your education. It doesn't give you comfort but fear," he said at the conference of Kashmiri students organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an RSS affiliate. "Pakistan has bedeviled its own soil and has done evil things in Kashmir. But, ultimately evil forces would be defeated by the divine power ('khudayi taqat'), which the Kashmiris are followers of," Kumar said. Violent protests for months last year had hit hard normal life and resulted in shutdown of schools and death of 86 people in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The manch, set up in 2012 with Kumar as 'marg darshak', seeks to bring the Kashmiri youth "to the mainstream", with the RSS leader asserting that "Kashmir is for all Indians and rest of India for all Kashmiris." "The tricolour was there in Kashmir and it will be there in Kashmir... Also, Indians go to Kashmir and bring tourism and prosperity there, and Kashmiris should go to any part of India, get skilled and contribute to the growth of the state and the country," Kumar added. The RSS leader said the conference would be a beginning for a new chapter, and people would "script a new Kashmir and a new India". Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who could not attend the programme, sent a message which was read out by a senior official at the conference. "Programmes like this conference would enhance interaction of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India and promote brotherhood among people. We are committed to development of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Rs 80,000-crore package announced by the Centre last year, is being implemented and monitored duly. "But, development cannot take place when we are amid separatist and destructive forces. I urge people there to not be misled by those, but walk with us," Singh said in his message. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In view of promoting khadi for masses, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is set to open modern high end khadi outlet named 'Khadi Lounge' at Delhi, Jaipur and Lucknow. "After Mumbai, the khadi lounges will be opened at Delhi, Jaipur and Lucknow, which will stock premium collection varieties of elegant, stylish khadi silk and newly designed ready-mades which will satisfy the quest of khadi lovers," KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena told reporters here today. KVIC will also renovate its 178 odd old outlets with the help of Rs 80 crore grant, Saxena said. KVIC today opened its first high end Khadi outlet named Khadi lounge in Mumbai, which will showcase designer line of garments and exclusive fabric for men and women in major metropolitan cities. The designer wear includes high fashion garments including ready to wear designed by Ritu Beri, an acclaimed fashion designer. This store will provide Khadi a niche among the fashion conscious Mumbaikars and trend conscious youth with modern hand spun fabric and garments, an official release said. The idea of Lounge series of Khadi outlet is to showcase countries best handcrafted fabric and products in the modern outlet, it added. While inaugurating the khadi lounge, Minister of State for MSME, Haribhai Choudhary said buying one piece of khadi cloth will generate employment for one artisan. MSME is generating 94 per cent employment and only 4 per cent is done by public sector. MSME sector also contribute 65 per cent of GDP growth is from MSME sector, he said. The Minister informed that entrepreneurs ZED (zero defects, zero effect) movement is being taken up by MSME, at least 10 lakh units should come forward. We have set 50 parameters to meet ZED certification standard. The banks are instructed for generated one entrepreneur from SC/ST and women from each branch, he added. Creating healthy completion for quality production is another agenda of MSME. For this five types of awards will be given to increase to best performer from MSME sector, Choudhary said. Saxena said KVIC reconfirms its commitment towards 'Make in India' initiative and aligned with Prime Minister's vision for khadi. Saxena also informed about launching of cashless digital payment system like Paytm. Usha Suresh, CEO, KVIC said "the company has taken this initiative to implement the mission of our Prime Minister for making of khadi, a fashionable garment". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For the health and welfare of thousands of people in Wisconsin, I recommend that our state legislators introduce a bill that would require that all waste from septic systems be taken to a nearby municipal waste water treatment system. Michigan and Florida have such a bill. The present method of disposal of septage waste from septic tanks is by landspreading on selected WDNR sites. Today this system is very badly broken. In the past, one DNR person was in charge of 17 counties in northwestern Wisconsin. Now there is only one person in charge of the entire state. Out of 400 landspreading sites in Dunn County, 150 sites do not meet NR 113 requirements which states that percolation rates cannot be greater than 6 inches per hour. If there are 150 sites in Dunn County, there must be thousands of sites throughout Wisconsin that are not suitable for landspreading of septic waste. In Oconto County out of 18 sites looked at, 10 sites failed to meet requirements in NR 113. In Portage County, adequate data was not available to properly identify the fate of much of the septage waste generated in the county. Many of the DNR legal descriptions and approved landspreading sites were inaccurate and required correction in order to be mapped. It would take a number of people decades to look at each site in Wisconsin to determine if it meets NR 113 requirements. There is a health risk to those people that have wells near sites with high percolation rates. With thousands of landspreading sites that do not meet NR 113 requirements in Wisconsin there could be thousands of people drinking groundwater from wells near these sites. A study through the Marshfield Medical Research Foundation found viruses in well water near septage landspreading sites of Hepatitis A, Norwalk-like viruses, Rotavirus, and Enterovirus. NR 113 requires that septage be limed before landspreading; however the effectiveness of lime to inactivating the full spectrum of virus types has not been fully investigated. Pharmaceuticals and heavy metals from cosmetics can easily enter the groundwater where percolation rates are high. The health and welfare of people could be affected by getting acute diarrhea and other illnesses by using groundwater from wells near the failed landspreading sites. I discovered this septage waste landspreading problem by accident as a Town of Menomonie board member. The town was in the process of creating an ordinance protecting groundwater. I asked the DNR for the location of all the septic waste landspreading sites in Dunn County and determined that out of 400 sites, 150 failed to meet NR 113 requirements. For the health and safety of those people using groundwater from wells near failed septic waste landspreading sites, state legislators should address the seriousness of the situation and take quick action to protect thousands of people from this health risk. A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly shooting a youth after the latter tried to intervene in a fight and save his friend. The accused Gaurav, a resident of Sadar Bazar, was nabbed within a few hours, police said today. On January 5, a PCR call was received around 9.50 PM about a person who had been shot with a pistol. After police rushed to the spot, it was found that the victim, Keshav Kumar, had been rushed to Lady Hardinge Hospital, where he was given treatment. He told police that two persons were thrashing his friend, Jadu. He tried to intervene but the men opened fire on him and then fled. An information was received that the accused were criminals of Sadar Bazar and on January 6 morning, one of them would come to the area. Gaurav was apprehended while he had come to collect money from his house, said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, DCP (central). Gaurav told police that he had lent Rs 5000 to Jadu. On the night of incident, while he along with his accomplice was beating Jadu, Kumar intervened. They got angry and shot at him with their country-made pistol. Police said that Gaurav was previously involved in 13 cases of robbery, snatching and attempt to murder across Delhi. He was in judicial custody in Tihar Jail in an attempt to murder case of Prasad Nagar Police Station and was released from jail two and half months back. Police is trying to nab the second accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of Sankranti festival, Maharashtra government has banned the use of 'manja' (kite string, mostly made of nylon these days) which is known to cause injuries to birds and even people. State environment department has issued a directive banning the manja. In 2015, after receiving an appeal from the animal rights group PETA, the Animal Welfare Board of India had urged the states and union territories to ban the manja. Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had sent letters urging the states and UTs to impose a ban. The state government has now banned not only the use of manja string but also prohibited its storage, stated a release from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board today. "The Maharashtra government has taken the decision under section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The manja or pucca threads have been causing serious injuries to people and birds. It has created problems like injuries to birds and animals, (causing) electricity equipment developing some problems, road accidents and loss of life in some cases. Hence, the state has decided to ban its use and storage," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A massive tanker truck bomb ripped through a market by a courthouse in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz today, killing 43 people and wounding dozens near the Turkish border. The attack appeared to be the deadliest yet in the town in northern Aleppo province, which has been regularly hit by bombing targeting rebels and civilians. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least six rebels were among the dead, but most of those killed were civilians. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said identification of the dead was being hampered by the fact that some bodies were completely burned in the blast. Video from the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal, which bulldozers were working to clear. Raging fires were burning in several vehicles, and the fire brigade was battling to put them out with a giant water tanker and hoses. Civil defence workers, rebels and civilians picked through the rubble of a building, half of which had tumbled into the street. Azaz has been repeatedly struck by bomb attacks, including in November when rebels said 25 people -- civilians and opposition fighters -- were killed in a car bombing of a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for today's attack, but Osama al-Merhi, a lawyer at the scene of the blast, pointed the finger at IS. "These kinds of crimes are only committed by the terrorist group Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "They are the ones who target civilians and the cadres who are building this country," he told AFP. The blast comes during a fragile nationwide ceasefire brokered by government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The truce came into effect on December 30, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakh capital Astana, which regime ally Iran is also helping organise. But the ceasefire and the planned talks have been threatened by ongoing violence in the rebel-held Wadi Barada region outside Damascus, which is the main water source for the capital. Overnight, the Observatory said seven Syrian soldiers and two civilians were killed in clashes, though the fighting appeared to have calmed by late Saturday morning. Fighting in the region has continued despite the truce, which does not apply to IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, known previously as Al-Nusra Front. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Meghalaya legislator Julius Dorphang, who was wanted for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, was arrested from his hideout in neighbouring Assam and remanded today in police custody for 5 days. Dorphang was arrested past 11 o'clock last night from the Inter State Bus Terminus on the outskirts of Guwahati in a joint operation with the Guwahati Metro police and was brought here early in the morning, SP (City) Vivek Syiem told PTI, adding that he had been remanded in custody. He had been booked under the POCSO Act in connection with the sex-racket involving the minor girl last month, besides Section 366 (A) of the IPC and section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA), following which he had gone into hiding. District and Session Judge E Kharumnuid sent the Independent legislator, who is supporting the ruling Congress in the state, to police custody for five days after he was produced in the afternoon. Police have also intimated Speaker Abu Taher Mondal about the arrest and the details of the cases pending against the legislator which he will be chargesheeted with, the SP (City) said. The state police first booked the legislator on December 24 at Laitumkhrah Police Station in Shillong. On January 4, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dorphang, after which the manhunt began. Following his arrest, police have so far picked up seven of the eight people named by the girl in her statement to the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Yesterday the police arrested Sandip Biswa, the driver, who ferried the minor girl to the guest houses owned by Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh's son and other guest houses in the city. (Reopens CAL2) Dorphang has another FIR filed against him by the SCPCR in Ri-Bhoi district based on a statement of the victim that she was also sexually assaulted at a guest house in that district, the police officer said. Police have also moved court that another section 5(c) of the POCSO Act be added since it was a certain kind of sexual assault committed by a public servant. The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house owned by senior Congress leader and Home Minister's son was arrested on charge of sexually exploiting the victim last month. The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she named all those involved in the crime. The SP (City) has said more arrests will follow as the investigation is on. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today rolled out an ambitious Rs 45-crore project for the development of the revered Hazratbal Shrine and its adjoining areas on the banks of the popular Dal Lake. Hazratbal Shrine is a popular tourist destination in Srinagar. The name of the shrine comes from Urdu word Hazrat, meaning "respected", and Kashmiri word bal, meaning "place". The project aims to construct tensile structures for prayers during summer and monsoon, four-laning of 'dargah' entrance, illuminating the shrine complex, underground ablution spaces, dormitory for devotees, re-developing dargah market, an Islamic Cultural Centre and a sewerage treatment plant for the shrine complex, an official spokesman said here. He said the project also envisages an obstructed-free view of the famous Dal Lake from the shrine complex. The project would be completed within two years. Mehbooba said her government plans to develop facilities in Srinagar so that the city could be promoted as a tourism destination, thereby contributing to the local economy. She said there was a need to protect nd upgrade the several shrines, mosques and places of heritage in the city to attract tourists. Mehbooba asked the project executing agencies to employ locals for labour and other components of the project. Earlier, Secretary, Tourism, Farooq Ahmad Shah briefed the chief minister on the project. He said Rs 110 crore have been earmarked for tourism-related projects in Srinagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A memorial for Sikhs killed during the 1984 riots has been constructed by the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) here as a "reminder of injustice" towards the victims. Called "The Wall of Truth", the structure has been built in an area of 2500 sq mt and at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore at the Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib Complex near Parliament. It will be thrown open to the public on January 15. "The Wall of Truth, which had courted controversy in 2013 with the Congress-backed SAD (Delhi) opposing the choice of venue, is finally completed. It will be thrown open to the public on January 15. "The widows of the victims will lead the event that will be attended by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal," General Secretary, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Manjinder Singh Sirsa said. "The memorial has names of thousands of Sikhs killed in the carnage and people from other communities who laid down their lives trying to save them etched on its walls. We have also given space to the observations of different panels which were set up by the government to probe the riots," he said. The decision to build the memorial had come in 2013, close on the heels of acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was facing allegations of perpetrating the riots, by a Karkardooma court in April that year. The construction work had begun in November 2014. Sirsa, who is also the national spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal, said the DSGMC fought a long battle against the previous UPA government for making the memorial a reality. "Congress was dead set against the construction of the memorial. It even moved court against it. Also, the Sheila Dikshit government had in November 2012 scuttled our efforts to name a park in Punjabi Bagh to commemorate the killing of innocent Sikhs," he said. Sirsa rued that the judiciary has "not been able to put the perpetrators of the massacre behind bars." "The courts delivered justice in the cases related to the 2002 Gujarat riots. But the anti-Sikhs riots are a blot on the judiciary," he alleged. He said the DSGMC chose the venue, just a stone's throw away from Parliament, "to remind the government of its failure to do justice to its people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ivory Coast's Defence Minister Alain Richard Donwahi has been released after two hours of detention by mutinous soldiers and has left the city where he was being held, a photographer said. "Open the doors, they're coming out," a soldier shouted before Donwahi and his team left local government offices in Ivory Coast's second city Bouake, where they had been negotiating a deal to end a two-day mutiny over salaries that has spread to other towns including the economic capital Abidjan. Donwahi and his aides went directly to the local airport and their plane "took off straight away", the AFP photographer said yesterday, adding that neither the minister nor the mutineers made any comments. The defence minister had flown into Bouake earlier Saturday in a bid to defuse the crisis sparked by soldiers taking to the streets demanding bonuses, pay rises, housing and faster promotion. President Alassane Ouattara had earlier in the evening announced that a deal had been reached between the two sides after Donwahi met with a delegation of mutineers. But shortly afterwards, angry soldiers rejected the terms of the deal, firing Kalashnikov rifles and heavy weapons outside the offices where the talks were taking place to block the minister and his team from leaving. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The inauguration of a China-backed SEZ in Sri Lanka's southern port of Hambantota was today marred by a protest by supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa over what they said was encroachment of private land, in an embarrassment to the government. Defying a court order obtained against any form of public protests for 14 days from today, the Rajapaksa backers made their way into the inauguration site where Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Chinese Ambassador Xi Xianliang were present with other senior government ministers. Police used tear gas and water cannon to quell the protest, during which the protesters hurled stones at the site, eyewitnesses said. At least 10 people, including three policemen, were injured and admitted in the Hambantota hospital. Hambantota, some 240 kms from here, is former strongman Rajapaksa's hometown as well his electoral district. The protesters said they were defying court orders due to "people's rights" over the land. "We are against this move to give our lands to the Chinese," Omare Kassapa, a leading Buddhist monk among the protestors, said. "We are going ahead with the protest despite the court order to ban it because our people's rights are important to us," said Ranjith Soyza, a Joint Opposition legislator and Rajapaksa backer. In a last-minute move to appease the Buddhist monk protest, Wickremesinghe rushed to Hambantota last night to have talks with the monks. He said only 1,235 acres of land will be taken from Hambantota while the rest of the land needed for the project would be taken from the neighbouring districts of Moneragala, Matara and Galle. The protest was based on the reported move to hand over 15,000 acres from Hambantota for the industrial park. The agreement is to give the Chinese an 80 per cent stake in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Speaking at the opening Chinese Ambassador Xi said China hopes to invest 5 billion dollars during the next 3-5 years in the Hambantota SEZ to create 100,000 jobs for the Sri Lankans. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and combat terrorism. The decision to appoint Gen (retd) Raheel, who retired in November 2016, was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said yesterday. Speaking during a talk show on Geo TV, Asif admitted that an agreement in this regard was finalised a few days back. "No, definitely our government's consent must have been part of this," he replied when asked if the decision was taken in Riyadh or Islamabad. Asif said that both the governments and army were on board regarding the decision to let Raheel take charge of the alliance. He, however, refused to share the details of agreement under which Raheel has been appointed the chief of the Saudi-led alliance. Raheel retired as the army chief in November and has been succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa. 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 raised to 39. The countries include Turkey, UAE, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and others. The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh. Pakistani leaders were initially taken aback when Saudi Arabia, without proper consultation with them, had announced in 2015 that Islamabad was also part of the new alliance to combat militancy. Iran was not included in the grouping which appeared as a vague attempt to forge a Sunni Muslim alliance against Shiite Iran to curtail its influence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and rest of the Middle East. Pakistan was in an unenviable position as it has good ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. It was also not ready to be dragged into the politics of Middle East. Hence, the government had announced that a decision about joining the group would be taken once its details were known. Later, Pakistan confirmed its participation in the alliance, but had said that the scope of its participation would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling. After remaining dormant for months, the group is trying to reassemble. The Saudi-led coalition is also engaged in a military operation in Yemen since March 2015 when Houthis drove out the government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is believed to be in exile in Saudi Arabia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 1,500 mourners attended the funerals today in the West Bank city of Hebron of two alleged Palestinian assailants killed by Israeli troops last year. Hatem Shaludi, 25, and 16-year-old Mohammed Rajabi were both shot dead in September during separate alleged stabbing attacks on Israeli soldiers in the occupied city. Israeli authorities returned their bodies for burial by their families yesterday. 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. Since the start of the violence, Israeli forces have confiscated the bodies of killed Palestinians, often for several months, as a means of deterrence and to prevent clashes during funerals. Israel is still withholding the remains of seven Palestinians, three from Hebron which is a frequent hotspot. Mourners at today's funerals carried pictures of the deceased, Palestinian national flags and banners of various Palestinian groups, including the Islamist militant movement Hamas. It was not known, however, if either Shaludi or Rajabi were directly linked to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Israel said last week that it would not release the bodies of Hamas militants killed during attacks on Israelis but would instead bury them itself. The decision by the security cabinet followed the release by Hamas of video footage showing a mock birthday party for Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, believed by the army to have been killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The government did not elaborate on the burial plan, but said that the same meeting discussed ways of getting back the remains of Shaul and another soldier killed in the Gaza war and obtaining the release of two Israeli civilians missing in Gaza and believed to be held by Hamas. In September, a senior Israeli official said that Israel had been holding since the war 18 Palestinians from Gaza as well as the bodies of 19 others and had "offered to swap them for the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers". He said that Hamas turned down the offer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There are 46 beds for inpatient detoxification addiction at the L.E. Phillips-Libertas Treatment Center in Chippewa Falls. That number represents roughly half of the 86 beds for addiction treatment in the entire state of Wisconsin, HSHS St. Josephs Hospital CEO Joan Coffman said. Thats scary, Coffman, who is a member of the governors newly-formed Task Force on Opioid Abuse, said. We definitely need more. She hopes proposed legislation listed in Gov. Scott Walkers executive orders Thursday will change that, for the treatment center here and the entire state. Following a report released Thursday from the Task Force on Opioid Abuse, Walker called the Legislature into special session the same day to introduce legislation that would act immediately in the fight against opioid abuse. This isnt just some report, Walker said. Were taking immediate action on recommendations. My expectation is members of the Senate act on it quite quickly as they have with Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education agenda items in the past. State Rep. Kathy Bernier (R-Lake Hallie) said she hopes the legislation that lawmakers will consider includes fighting the abuse of methamphetamine, a major problem locally. Were not having as many problems with opioid abuse as meth abuse, she said. We want to make sure these bills will help the Chippewa Valley with its addiction. While the figures in the report talk about opioids and heroin specifically, Walker said this report is about addictions across the board. What it boils down to is really prescription drug abuse, he said. Many heroin, opioid and meth users start there. People think its a prescription drug, its not illegal, Walker said. We need to change that mindset. He required all state agencies to take further action to combat prescription drug abuse and addiction based upon recommendations in the task forces Combating Opioid Abuse report. He also directed the state Department of Health Services to apply for $7.5 million in federal funds through the passage of the 21st Century CURES Act, which makes these funds available per year for two years. The funds would go to programs responding to the opioid crisis. HSHS is one of three health organizations in the state that was awarded grant funding for treatment resources through the governors HOPE agenda. But its not enough. State Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette), a task force member who co-authored the report, knows. His daughter, Cassie, is recovering from an addiction to prescription pain-killer Oxycontin. Nygren made a trip to L.E. Phillips-Libertas Treatment Center a few years ago in the hopes to help his daughter. But the trip didnt last long. We made a trip in and a trip out in about two days, he said. Because my insurance, even though Im very well covered as a state employee, did not cover the treatment. In 2014, Wisconsin saw 622 opioid-related overdose deaths, more than triple the 194 deaths in 2003. Drugged-driving car crashes led to 149 deaths in Wisconsin in 2015. Over the past decade, there has been a 200 percent increase in drugged-driving deaths in the state. This legislation would set state standards regarding the serious crisis of addiction. It directs the office of the commissioner of insurance to conduct a statewide survey of all insurance providers, because Nygren said they dont know how most insurance carriers cover addiction issues. Once they get those results back, they can discuss best-practice standards when it comes to addiction. Another piece of legislation would put $60,000 per year of the 2017-19 biennium toward funding 20 new recovery corps specialists. Similar to AmeriCorps members who serve the community, co-author of the report and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, said this corps would be specific to those in the recovery community. They also introduced legislation allocating $420,000 per year toward adding agents in the Department of Justice to crack down on drug traffickers, Kleefisch said. Other items include allowing school personnel to administer drugs to counteract opioid overdoses, opening a recovery school under the UW System, give limited immunity from prosecution to people who dial 911 after an overdose and others. Outgoing Chippewa County District Attorney Steve Gibbs, who heard Walker speak Thursday at the hospital, was happy with the governors actions. It is a growing epidemic that affects every facet of county government, Gibbs said. We have to start somewhere and if we dont do anything, its going to spin out of control. Gibbs was appointed by Walker to succeed retired Judge Roderick Cameron. All 11 items of proposed legislation, plus the requirements to the Department of Health Services and other state agencies, come from recommendations in the task forces report. Coffman said she was honored to be part of the task force and impressed with how quickly they were moving. Im so grateful for their aggressive leadership in putting something together, Coffman said of Kleefisch and Nygren. (The task force) just met for the first time in October, only had three meetings and here it is the first week of January and were submitting a report with findings. Shes optimistic this is a step in the right direction for the addiction crisis the state as well as the nation are currently facing. While theres still a long road ahead, awareness is a key first step, as she noticed was proven with tobacco. Once we raised the level of awareness with smoking, look how much it has subsided, Coffman said. This will be harder because its such a significant addiction. But when we start raising the awareness of addiction as a chronic disease, increasing education and treating it mainstream like any other chronic disease, well get ahead of it faster. A Vaishnodevi-bound pilgrim died near Ban Ganga area of Katra town in Reasi district today. The pilgrim, identified as Vishno Sonaba, a resident of Maharashtra, was found dead under mysterious circumstances, a police officer said. The body has been brought to Community Health Centre Katra and a case has been registered. The body will be handed over to the relatives after conducting all legal and medical formalities, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Preparations for the eight edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit are over, a senior Gujarat government official said today. The summit will be formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 10. Modi will be in Gujarat from January 9 and will participate in events related to the summit. "All the preparations regarding the summit are over," state principal secretary of Industries department P K Taneja told reporters. The summit, a brain child of Prime Minister Modi will be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The biennial summit was started with the aim to attract investment in Gujarat by Modi. On January 9, Modi will inaugurate Nobel Laureates conference, where nine Nobel prize winners from across the world have confirmed their participation. The prime Minister will also inaugurate BSE international stock exchange at GIFT city Gandhinagar on the ninth. In the last Vibrant Gujarat summit, 21,000 MoUs for proposed industrial investment in the state of Rs 25 lakh crore were signed with Gujarat government. Officials indicated that they are expecting the figure of investments and MoUs will be higher this time and will cross Rs 25 lakh crore mark. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress today held protests across Rajasthan against Union government's demonetisation of high- value currency notes, with the party's state unit chief Sachin Pilot alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy giving statements when people struggled to get adequate cash. The demonstrations were organised in all district headquarters, with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Sachin Pilot leading the agitation in state capital Jaipur. Addressing partymen at a gathering, Pilot said the decision on November 8 to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and bring in new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes have badly affected the poor, middle class and trade and industry bodies. Several industrial units have shut down and many workers have been struggling to find employment, he claimed adding that there were still queues outside ATMs and people were not getting adequate cash. "Currency crisis still persists but Prime Minister Modi is only giving statements," he said. Modi in a sudden decision on November 8 had announced the scrapping of old high-value notes as legal tender. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He is one of the nominees at this year's Golden Globes but British-Indian star Dev Patel says he does not enjoy walking the red carpet as it makes him nervous. Patel, however, is looking forward to celebrate the acclaim that his film "Lion" has received. It is one of the most talked about movies this award season in Hollywood. "Red carpets make me very nervous. It's a big source of anxiety for me but it is a necessary part of the job," Patel told PTI over phone from Los Angeles. The 26-year-old actor is nominated in the best supporting actor category at the Globes this Sunday for playing the true-life inspired role of Saroo Brierley. Patel, who shot to global fame with 2008 movie "Slumdog Millionaire", and has starred in films like "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "The Man Who Knew Infinity", says he never imagined that "Lion" will touch so many people with its story of a man in search of his roots. "I am looking forward to celebrate our movie at the Globes. It is a very small film. We never imagined being on the international stage. We just made it with a lot of heart and then it resonated with so many people. "Sharing stage with such legends for an Indian guy who grew up in London, it is really an honour for me." "Lion", also starring Rooney Mara, David Wenham and Nicole Kidman, releases in India on February 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'KITE 2017', Telangana State's 2nd International Kite Festival, to be held from January 12 to 17 here is going to introduce 'Remote controlled kites'. "Traditionally kites are flown with strings. But, remote controlled flying of kites is something revolutionary which is not witnessed much in India. The joy of remote control kite flying offers altogether a new experience for the first time to Indians," Geoffrey Fisher, Head of the Aga Khan Academy said in a release. These kites will be flown at a special night flying curtain raiser event at People's Plaza on January 12, he said. "This is something revolutionary - the joy of remote controlled kite flying offers a new experience altogether for Indians, as they are not dependent on wind but instead use propellers powered by rechargeable batteries", Fisher explained. 'KITE 2017' festival is organised for the cause of women's empowerment through girl child education. It aims to raise the tourism profile and rich cultural heritage of Hyderabad as a 'hidden jewel' of India by attracting renowned international kite flayers from 16 countries and 10 pan Indian clubs to Telangana State, the release said. Telangana Tourism and Incredible India have joined hands with Aga Khan Academy to host this event at sprawling 100 acres campus of Aga Khan Academy. Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu will be the face of the festival. KITE 2017, Telangana International Kite Festival (TIKF) is organised to profile the long-standing regional tradition of kite-flying and the unique culture, crafts, and cuisine of Telangana through an exciting festival programme for schools, children, families and kite-flying enthusiasts of all ages, B Venkatesham, Telangana Tourism Secretary said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Seoul today, demanding impeached President Park Geun-Hye's immediate removal and the salvaging of a sunken ferry which left more than 300 dead. Park was impeached by parliament last month over an influence-peddling scandal and the Constitutional Court now has to decide whether to confirm the impeachment. The corruption scandal has brought huge numbers of protesters onto the streets every week demanding Park's removal and she is also under fire over her response to the Sewol ferry accident in 2014. "Park step down, salvage the Sewol," the protesters, estimated to number half a million by organisers, chanted as they marched toward the presidential Blue House, the prime minister's office and the Constitutional Court. At 7 pm (local time) hundreds of yellow balloons were released and the protesters blew out the candles they were carrying as a symbolic gesture asking that Park clarify the mystery surrounding her seven-hour absence at the time of the ferry sinking. Unconfirmed media reports have suggested a wide range of theories regarding Park's whereabouts, including a romantic liaison, participation in a shamanistic ritual, cosmetic surgery or a 90-minute haircut. The protesters also urged the government to speed up its efforts to salvage the ship to determine the exact cause of the disaster. Regarding the corruption case, Park has repeatedly denied accusations she colluded with a longtime friend, Choi Soon-Il, to strong-arm donations worth tens of millions of dollars from top firms which were then funnelled to dubious foundations. The president still has her supporters however, with an estimated 30,000 demonstrators staging a counter-protest today outside the office of a special prosecutor investigating the scandal. Waving national flags and chanting military songs, the protesters dismissed the impeachment move as a conspiracy spawned by "pro-North Korean" leftists seeking to topple the conservative government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj has indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country, sparking a controversy barely four days after Supreme Court made it illegal to seek votes in the name of religion or caste. As the comments by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation today from opposition parties, the Election Commission sought a report from Meerut district administration while the BJP distanced itself from the outburst made at a 'sant sammelan' here yesterday. Congress said it will file a complaint against the MP before the Election Commission. "Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population," he said. "Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country," he added. Congress leader KC Mittal said Sakshi Maharaj's speech is "offensive" as it is based on caste and religion and goes against the recent Supreme Court judgement. "It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and Congress is officially filing a complaint against him in the Election Commission," he said. Condemning the comments, JD-U leader K C Tyagi termed them as the first major violation of the Supreme Court guidelines outlined on Monday on use of religion in politics. "Recently the Supreme Court and the Chief Election Commission laid down some guidelines for model code of conduct, including not to use religion, caste and language. This is the first major violation by a major political party that is BJP, by its MP. Now action must be taken by the party as well as the Election Commission against Sakshi Maharaj. "They are making derogatory comments against one section of the society. This is violation of Model Code of Conduct to incite one section against another. And this is a criminal act," he said. Asked about the comments, BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "I haven't seen his statement, but we believe in taking everyone along...Country runs on law, on Constitution, it does not run with stick. "Such statements or views...Are not of either BJP or government. We have nothing to do with such statements." Caught in the controversy at a time when elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states are around the corner, an unfazed Maharaj made it clear that he was not speaking at a BJP event. "I had said that the population of India is approx 132 crore. India's landmass is not increasing but our population keeps on increasing. We need to control this menace. "We should respect women and I had said that she is not a machine, that is why 40 wives, 40 kids and triple talaq are no longer tolerable. We need to take a decision whether we should have one, two, three or four kids. But we need to take a decision on this," he said. The Election Commission has sought a report from the Meerut administration in connection with Sakshi Mahraj's statement, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Lucknow said. The Meerut district administration said ADM, Meerut and city magistrate are investigating the matter from all aspects. "We have got information about few comments during the 'sant sammelan' held at Augharnath Temple here through various newspapers. We have sought reports on it from Election Commission. ADM city and city magistrate are investigating the matter from all aspects. We will take prompt action according to law if we find anything," District Magistrate B Chandrakala said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sanitation situation in east Delhi may deteriorate as EDMC workers today continued with their indefinite strike over "non-payment" of salaries, even as the city government hinted at release of funds with a rider. "We will continue with our strike as long as salaries of EDMC sanitation workers for three months (October-December) are not paid," president of Delhi unit of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union Sanjay Gehlot said. "If our demands are not met, we will take sterner stand from Monday," he said and claimed that 17,000 sanitation workers are participating in the strike. The union said the sanitation workers had protested at residences of a few MLAs and garbage was dumped outside their houses in protest. Meanwhile, Delhi minister Satyendar Jain today said the city government is likely to provide funds for payment of salaries for striking sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) which is due for three months. He also alleged that "corruption" in the BJP-ruled civic body is the "main reason" behind its poor financial health. "Delhi government will soon give a relief to the employees of the EDMC. The government will give funds only for the salaries of employees. We have to do something for them," Jain told reporters here. Chairman of the Delhi Commission for Safai Karamcharis Santlal Chawria in a statement said, "It is a matter of shame that EDMC has not paid salaries to its safai karamcharis. The Commission views this act of EDMC as criminal negligence and contempt of court." It should make its financial statement public as to where has it spent its funds and grant-in-aid received from the Delhi government, Chawria said. EDMC, which has decided to use private entities for garbage disposal work, today wrote to Delhi police, seeking protection for smooth operation. EDMC has two zones, Shahdara North and Shahdara South. EDMC 'safai karmacharis' had struck work in January and October last year, posing serious health and hygiene challenge to the authorities. The strike in 2015 was called off after the intervention of the Delhi High Court. East Delhi generates a large quantity of garbage with Ghazipur landfill site receiving on an average 2,500 tonnes of waste daily. The strike may leave the area, which also has a number of unauthorised colonies, in a mess. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An official of a private school here has been arrested on the charge of abetment after a 16-year-old student allegedly committed suicide following the "humiliation" meted out to him by the school management over delay in payment of fees, police said today. School correspondent, Khaja Z, was arrested and efforts are on to arrest his wife, who is the principal of the school, Kanchanbagh Police Station Inspector K Shankar said. "The boy, a ninth class student of the school located at Chandrayangutta here, allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan on Wednesday even as his family members in a complaint accused the school management of humiliating him over the delay in payment of fees," the Inspector said. The school management has refuted the charges levelled by the boy's family and claimed that he had resorted to the extreme step over personal reasons. Further probe into the case is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MLA Harshvardhan Jadhav has been sentenced to one year imprisonment for assaulting a policeman in 2011. District and Sessions Judge R R Kakani on Friday convicted the MLA from Kannad constituency in Aurangabad district. The judge sentenced him to one-year imprisonment for each of the offences under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty). The sentences will run concurrently. The court also slapped a cumulative fine of Rs 10,000 on both the counts. On January 5, 2011, Jadhav, then an MLA of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), got into an altercation with local police after he allegedly tried to drive into the convoy of the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was on a visit to the district. According to the prosecution, Jadhav broke the police cordon and tried to ram his vehicle into the police officers and when he was stopped by police sub-inspector (PSI) S Kokne, he assaulted the officer. Jadhav had quit the MNS and won the 2014 Assembly elections on a ticket. The court has given one month's time to him to challenge the verdict. Jailed RJD leader has created yet another controversy with his purported selfie showing his changed look inside Siwan prison going viral on the social media. In the wake of the controversy, the Siwan district administration has conducted raids inside the jail. Officer in-charge of Muffasil police station Vinay Pratap Singh today confirmed the raids inside Siwan jail and said three mobile phones, four sim cards and two mobile batteries were seized. He, however, did not divulge if anything was seized from the cell of the controversial RJD leader. Siwan jail officials denied that a selfie was clicked by Shahabuddin and said some "well-wisher" who might have come to meet him could have taken the photo and posted it on the social media. Shahabuddin, a four-time RJD MP from Siwan, is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by the Patna High Court in connection with the killing of the prime witness in the murder of two brothers by pouring acid on them. Notorious and known for muscle-flexing, Shahabuddin is facing over 36 cases, including of murder and kidnapping. Meanwhile, RJD spokesman Ashok Sinha told PTI that he could not confirm the veracity of the information. "The Grand Alliance government in Bihar, in which the RJD is a major constituent, does not compromise on any law-and-order issue," he claimed. Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) today carried out an encroachment drive and demolished some shops at the local scrap market here, civic officials said. The nearly two decade old market, located on the Ambad-Link road, was established illegally on unauthorised land. Heavy police bandobast was made at the site. "The market comprises more than 700 shops - both pucca and temporary constructions - and few shops have been pulled down today. The drive comes following a Bombay high court order. The drive would continue for next 2-3 days," NMC Deputy Commissioner (Encroachment), R M Bahiram said. It has been postponed on several occasions in the recent past due to political pressures. NMC Commissioner Abhishek Krishna had sent notice to traders under the scrap merchants association well in advance. The scrap merchants' association had on Friday filed a plea with the Bombay high court, seeking stay on the demolition action, which was rejected by the court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Burundi authorities have arrested six people in connection with the murder of the country's environment minister, the prosecutor general said today. Emmanuel Niyonkuru, 54, the country's water, environment and planning minister, was shot dead shortly after midnight on New Years Eve in the most high-profile killing since Burundi's political crisis began nearly two years ago. Police were quick to term the killing an "assassination" although the motive for the attack was not immediately clear. Prosecutor general Sylvestre Nyandwi told journalists that the minister had been shot in the head as he returned home in the capital Bujumbura. "After this foul act, investigations began quickly and six suspected perpetrators were apprehended, including four men and two women," he said. Nyandwi said investigations were still ongoing and did not reveal the identities of those arrested nor their alleged motives. Niyonkuru is the first cabinet minister to be killed but other senior regime figures have been targeted since the crisis erupted over President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid to run for a third term in April 2015. General Adolphe Nshimirimana, considered Nkurunziza's right-hand man, was killed in August 2015. Almost a year later former government minister and spokeswoman Hafsa Mossi was killed by gunmen in her car. Other attacks have failed, with senior presidential advisor Willy Nyamitwe, a spokesman widely regarded as the public face of the government, escaping an ambush by a group of gunmen as he returned to his Bujumbura home in November. Burundi has commonly blamed neighbouring Rwanda for the attacks. At least 500 people have been killed and 300,000 have fled the country since the unrest began as protesters -- and then military coup-plotters -- fought against Nkurunziza's third mandate. UN and NGO human rights reports have raised fears that Burundi's political crisis might take on an ethnic dimension, warning of the potential for genocide. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kuljeet Singh 'Monty' Brar, son of a senior Akali leader Sant Singh Brar today joined the Aam Aadmi Party here. Brar was currently serving as vice-president of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) Malwa zone-1. He is son of senior SAD leader from Gidderbaha Assembly segment, Sant Singh Brar, said an AAP press release. Sant Singh Brar had contested the Assembly elections in 2012 on a SAD ticket from Gidderbaha. Welcoming Brar in party fold, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said youth is the backbone of party and party assures them to provide a healthy future. Brar said that "people friendly" policies of AAP forced him to join the party. He said he will now work to strengthen party candidate Jagdeep Sandhu in Gidderbaha. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress today said several prominent Akali leaders from Barnala joined the party today. Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh welcomed the Malwa leaders, including Amarjit Singh Anand (Senior Vice President, SAD, Malwa Zone 2), Sandeep Singla (Vice President, SAD, Malwa Zone 2), and Darshan Singh Mann (Vice President, SAD Beopar Cell), said a party release. In addition, the national and state level bodies of the National Anti Corruption Council (Regd) also severed ties with SAD, with a large number of its activists from all over the state pledging allegiance to Amarinder Singh, it said. Prominent among them were the Council's National President Bharat Bhushan and National Chairman GL Singla, who were accompanied by several businessmen and industrialists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Marking the 'son rise' in the ruling PDP, Tasaduq Mufti today joined the party on the first death anniversary of his father and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, saying he dreams of cleaning up politics in Kashmir. A famed cinematographer, Tasaduq joined the PDP at a function here in the presence of his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti besides other ministers and party leaders. His entry comes at a time when PDP is looking at filling two Lok Sabha seats -- Anantnag and Srinagar. Anantnag, the traditional base of the ruling PDP, fell vacant last year after incumbent Mehbooba became the Chief Minister and was elected as an MLA, following death of her father, the then Chief Minister. Srinagar seat fell vacant in September last year when PDP member Tariq Hamid Karra resigned in protest against handling of the Kashmir unrest by his party's government. The party may field Tasaduq from Anantnag constituency in a bid to retain the seat, for which elections could be announced any time. In his brief acceptance speech, Tasaduq thanked the party workers for their love and affection towards PDP. "I have remained aloof from politics all my life. But today I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along," he told the party cadres. He said his dream was to clean up politics in Kashmir. "I have felt the pace of government work. The speed with which work happens here, what dream can be realised?" Welcoming her brother into the party fold, Mehbooba said Tasaduq, like his father, has a dream to do something for Jammu and Kashmir. "Tasaduq has his own identity and his own work. No one in Mumbai knew him as Mufti Sayeed's son till his second term (as chief minister). Like his father, he wants to do something for Jammu and Kashmir," she said in her address. Known for his cinematography in movies like Omkara and Kaminey, Tasaduq is an American Film Institute graduate. He is known in Bollywood as Tassaduq Hussain and does not use the famous Mufti surname. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A squabble between a senior teacher of S C B Medical College and a police inspector over parking dispute led to a road blockade inside the state'e premier hospital on Friday night by some medicos. DCP Sanjiv Arora said, "Two cases, one each by the police inspector and the doctor, have been registered and investigations are on." He said the situation inside the campus is now back to normal now. Police said trouble began on Friday afternoon when the medical college's head of nephrology department Chittaranjan Kar refused to remove his car that was illegally parked in front of the department. When insisted by police, Kar abused the additional IIC of a local police station and threatened to transfer the cop within 24-hours to a remote district. Based on the additional IIC's complaint, the local Mangalabag police registered a case against Kar booking him for charges of wrongful restraint, using obscene words in public, obstructing public servant in discharging his duties, obstruction of public way and criminal intimidation. Soon after Kar was booked and police wanted to tow the illegally parked vehicle, some students of the medical college squatted around Kar's car stopping the police to remove it. Late in the evening, the medicos blocked the main entrance of the premier hospital demanding immediate withdrawal of the case against Kar and an unconditional apology from the concerned police inspector. When medicos and their associations joined the issue, the Odisha Police Association (OPA) came in support. Arora later intervened to pacify the groups and the situation was stated to be normal now. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Marvel's "Black Panther" continues to gather all the top-notched stars by adding Emmy Award winner Sterling K Brown to its cast. The "This Is Us" actor will portray a mysterious character N'Jobu, the only figure from T'Challa's past. N'Jobu doesn't appear in the original comic book series, reported Ace Showbiz. He will join Chadwick Boseman who stars as the titular hero, Michael B Jordan who stars as Erik Killmonger, Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira. Whitaker, Nyong'o, Basset and Gurira will be playing the role of Zuri, Nakia, Ramonda and Okoye respectively. The 40-year-old actor expresses his excitement regarding the casting as tweeting, "Beyond thrilled to be joining this immensely talented group of actors & storytellers! Thank you for a seat at the table!" Brown is best known for his role as Christopher Darden on TV series "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story", which earned him the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie at the 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. He's also starring on the new NBC series "This Is Us". "Black Panther" will be directed by Ryan Coogler. The superhero movie is scheduled to hit US theatres on February 16th, 2018 and will begin filming in January in Atlanta, Georgia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The nephew of the prime suspect in last month's Berlin market attack and three others arrested in Tunisia were not linked to the carnage, a prosecution spokesman said today. Days after the December 19 attack, Tunisia's interior ministry announced the arrest of the nephew of Anis Amri, the suspected Berlin attacker, and two others. Prosecution spokesman Sofiene Sliti told AFP today that a fourth man had been also arrested. "The investigations have shown that none of them had any link to the Berlin attack and that they don't belong to any jihadist group," he said. Three have been released while Amri's nephew is still being held as part of another investigation into his "intention to join jihadist groups abroad," Sliti added. The interior ministry said on December 24 that the suspects were arrested for links to Amri but that there was no direct link between them and the attack on a central Berlin Christmas market. It said that Amri's nephew -- who has not been named -- admitted being in contact with his uncle through the messaging service Telegram. Amri allegedly urged his nephew to adopt jihadist ideology "and asked him to pledge allegiance to Daesh (IS)," it said. The nephew also told investigators that Amri "sent him money through the post... So that he could join him in Germany." The nephew was reported to have said that Amri was the "prince" or leader of a jihadist group based in Germany known as the "Abu al-Walaa" brigade. Amri, 24, is believed to have hijacked a truck and used it to mow down holiday revellers in attack that left 12 people dead. It was claimed by the Islamic State group. Amri was shot dead after firing at two Italian policemen who had stopped him for a routine identity check near Milan's Sesto San Giovanni railway station on December 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today sought a report from the Indian envoy in Qatar on the two Indians who were awarded death penalty by a court in the Gulf country. "I have asked for a report from Indian Ambassador in Qatar," Swaraj tweeted. Her response came after one Balachandar Kanagara sought her intervention in saving Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal who were handed death sentence by Qatar's Supreme Court. Congress MLA from Tamil Nadu's Nanguneri Constituency, H Vasanthakumar had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj recently, seeking their urgent intervention in saving the two Indians. The MLA requested Modi and Swaraj to take up the case with the Ruler of Qatar. "If these Indian nationals were not released and send back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy at Delhi and Qatar Consulate at Mumbai," he had said in the letter. The Indian Embassy in Qatar had helped the two Indians in fighting their cases. Responding to help sought by a Pakistani woman in her return to Pakistan, Swaraj tweeted that Pakistan High Commission here should do it. As per reports, the woman Sofia and her husband were caught in November 2011 from Nepal border on charges of spying. She has apparently been acquitted by a court. Replying to a query on reports of 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu in Iranian Navy's custody, MEA officials said the matter is being checked with Indian Embassy in Tehran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States today on her way to Central America, a trip that will be closely watched by Beijing, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to visit Taiwan's ally nations in Central America, Beijing-sceptic Tsai's transit stops in Houston this weekend and San Francisco next weekend will be under scrutiny as cross-strait tensions rise. Tsai's conversation with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador -- among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. ' The Vatican is Taiwan's highest-profile supporter, but the Holy See's recently improving relations with Beijing is casting doubt over ties with the island. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PDR Cigars Pinar del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon, a limited release offering from 2012 is making another limited return this time as a shop exclusive to Underground Cigar Shop in Fort Worth Texas. The cigar is expected will be available at the Fort Worth retailer beginning Thursday January 12th at 10am,. Its been over four years since the last release of the Pinar del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon. The 2012 release saw 2,000 boxes released. This time a run of 200 boxes of ten were produced. The Pinar del Rio Reserva Superior Salomon is a 6 x 66 salomon. The cigar features a double wrapper including a maduro combined with a natural wrapper at the head and footer. Each cigar is packaged in an individual coffin. The blend of the PDR Reserva Superior Salomon consists of a Brazilian wrapper, a double binder utilizing Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos and an all ligero filler of Dominican, Nicaragua, and Pennsylvania tobacco. Pricing is set at $13.50 per cigar or $135.00 per box of ten. Photo Credits: Halfwheel.com, used with permission A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and murdered at a village in Palus Taluka of Sangli district in western Maharashtra, police said today. The incident came to light on Friday when the body of the victim was recovered from a roadside in Malwadi village under Bhilawadi police station limits, police said. Four persons have been detained and are being questioned. "The victim had left her home on the night of January 5 following a heated argument with her mother. However, her mother did not reveal this to any of her relatives, who stay nearby. The girl's father had died a few years back," a police officer said. "Next day, when her body was found, her family members came to the police station," he said. Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Kolhapur range, Vishwas Nangare Patil, told PTI that at least four suspects are being questioned in connection with the case. "We have detained four persons as of now and their interrogation is on. Besides, two more people are being questioned in this case," he said. The girl's body was sent to a government-run hospital for post-mortem, which revealed that the victim had been raped and smothered to death, a police official said. "A case of rape and murder was registered against unidentified persons late last night," the official said. Tense situation prevailed in Malwadi village, as local residents gathered outside Bhilawadi police station this morning and held a protest demanding arrest of the accused. The villagers also observed a strike today to condemn the incident. "Police force has been deployed in Bhilawadi considering the possibility of law and order problems," police said. According to police, after the incident came to light, some people circulated messages on social media claiming that the accused belonged to a particular religion and caste. However, police appealed to people not to believe in any such "baseless and provocative" posts on social media. "Since we have not arrested anyone so far, why should one give wrong information on social media. I request all the responsible citizens not to believe in such posts," Datta Shinde, Superintendent of Police, Sangli, said. "We are trying to collect evidence and making all efforts to crack this case and to bring the culprits to book," Shinde said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 34-year-old Tamil Nadu fisherman was injured when he was allegedly attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy for fishing in their territorial waters, today. The incident occurred when eight fishermen, who had ventured into the sea from here, in two boats, were attacked by Lankan naval personnel with plastic pipes, while they were fishing off Neduntheevu, Rameswaram Fishermen Association President, P Sesuraja said. While seven of them managed to flee in another boat, Deepak Raj sustained injuries and fell into the sea, he said. The naval men also rammed and damaged one of the mechanised boats, Sesuraja alleged. Raj was rescued by his colleagues and admitted to Ramanthapuram government hospital, Deputy Director of Fisheries Department, KT Gopinath said. A case has been registered, police said. On January 4, ten tamil fishermen from Pudukottai district were arrested and their two boats impounded by the Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in the island nation waters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu unit of Congress today demanded that the state be declared drought hit in view of failure of monsoon and distress faced by farmers. A resolution adopted at the first Executive committee meeting of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee here after Su Thirunavukarasar was appointed its President also urged the state government to secure suitable financial package from the Centre and take up relief measures on a war-footing. Senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram, E V K S Elangovan, Oscar Fernandes, former Union Minister Rahman Khan and Karnataka Energy Minister D K Sivakumar, who are the party's South Co-ordinators participated, were among those who attended the meeting. The meeting criticised the Centre's demonetisation scheme saying it caused hardship to people and paralysed the economy. "Due to demonetisation an organised loot, a well planned loot has taken place. All the savings of the common man had been taken away by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and kept in bank", Sivakumar told reporters after the meeting. One of the resolutions flayed the RBI for issuing more than 60 circulars post-demonetisation and said Modi's push for cashless transactions was an attempt to cover up the 'failure' of demonetisation. Noting that the Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had been holding protests across the country on the demonetisation issue, it urged the cadres to step up the agitation against the BJP-led NDA government. Citing 'failure' of North East monsoon, the party said Tamil Nadu was facing acute water shortage as there had been 41 per cent deficit in the annual rainfall this season. "This Council urges the Tamil Nadu government to declare the State as drought-hit and receive suitable financial package from Centre so that welfare measures be taken up in war-footing", it said. Referring to the farmer suicides allegedly over crop loss, the party asked the AIADMK Government to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation and Rs 25,000 per acre as relief. On the impact of Cyclone Vardah in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts, the TNCC said Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has said the damage caused by cyclone was valued at Rs 22,573 crore. "But, so far Narendra Modi government has sanctioned only Rs 500 crore", the resolution said, adding seeking to know why the AIADMK despite being the third largest party in the Parliament did not even condemn the centre for not releasing adequate funds. On jallikattu issue, it urged the state and Central governments should take steps to ensure conduct of the traditional bull taming sport during the coming Pongal festivities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in a car bomb attack today in the rebel-held town of Azaz in northern Syria has risen to 43, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. The Britain-based group said six rebels were among the dead, but most were believed to be civilians, adding that dozens of people had also been injured in the blast in the town near the Turkish border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US president-elect on Saturday nominated former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as the Director of National Intelligence, the federal agency which heads all American intelligence agencies including the FBI and CIA. "I'm very confident that Senator Dan Coats is the right choice to serve as Director of National Intelligence," Trump said. Coats had served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, including during the just-completed 114th Congress and previously on Senate Armed Services Committee. "Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgement required to lead our intelligence community," he said. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created in the aftermath of 9/11 as head of the US Intelligence Community to facilitate the sharing of information, ultimately making it possible to form a more comprehensive threat assessment. "If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administration's ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm," Trump said. "A robust and responsible intelligence infrastructure is essential to our homeland security, and if confirmed I will ensure our national security decision-makers have every piece of information they need to protect the American people from the threats facing our nation," Coats said. "There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilise every tool at my disposal to make that happen," said Coats, who as per the transition team will bring decades of experience and profound judgment to the supervision and coordination of America's intelligence efforts. Coats was born in Michigan and earned a BA in political science at Wheaton College in Illinois before serving in the US Army from 1966 to 1968. After his military service, he earned a JD from the University of Indiana in 1972 and subsequently worked in the private sector. From 1981 to 1989 he served in the US House of Representative from Indiana and as a Senator again from 2011-2017. He did not seek his re-election. From 2001-2005he was the US Ambassador to Germany. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in Baghdad today for a two-day visit, according to a report on Iraqi state TV. It's the first such visit since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorised Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbours fighting the Islamic State group. The TV didn't give details on Yildirim's schedule. On his Twitter account, the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Faruk Kaymakci, said that "We hope that his visit will open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations." The presence of some 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of the IS-held city of Mosul, has stirred tension with Baghdad since late last year. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are there without permission and are in "blatant violation" of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey says the troops were invited by local Iraqi authorities and has ignored the calls. The issue has led to a war of words between the two country's leaders as Iraqi government troops launched a massive military operation to recapture Mosul on October 17. Ankara has insisted that its forces should take part in retaking the city, but Baghdad has refused. The issue of the Turkish forces in Bashiqa grew into a rare and bitter public feud last year between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. At one point, Erdogan gave a speech telling al-Abadi to "know his place," and adding, "you are not at my level, you are not my equivalent, you are not of the same quality as me." Al-Abadi responded by mocking Erdogan's use of a video messaging app during Turkey's failed coup last year. An Iraqi court later issued an arrest warrant against the former governor of Ninevah province, of which Mosul is the capital, Atheel al-Nujaifi, accusing him of facilitating the entry of the Turkish forces. The troops have trained Sunni fighters loyal to al-Nujaifi and Kurdish forces loyal to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani who both have sought greater power away from the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad. In a press conference on Thursday, Erdogan's spokesman said that Yildirim's discussions in Iraq will include the Bashiqa dispute, the fight against IS, and the Kurdish Turkish separatist group known as the PKK which has used Iraqi territory to launch attacks inside Turkey. Turkey has also deepened its involvement in the war in neighboring Syria, where its forces and allied Syrian opposition fighters are battling both IS extremists and US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. Last month, Russia, which backs the Syrian government, and Turkey, a strong supporter of Syria's moderate opposition, brokered the current shaky cease-fire, which came into effect on December 30. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi security forces today shot and killed two suspected jihadists including an explosive belt maker during a police operation in the north of the capital, the interior ministry said. Suspect Tayeh al-Saihari, who had been wanted by authorities for his alleged involvement in jihadist attacks, was spotted in a house in a northern Riyadh neighbourhood, a ministry spokesman said. In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the spokesman said that Saihari was with Talal al-Saidi, also wanted by the authorities on suspicion of belonging to jihadist groups. Security forces surrounded the house at dawn and ordered the suspects to surrender but they refused and opened fire on the police who then launched an assault, killing them both, he said. The interior ministry said two explosive belts "ready to be activated" were found in the house, as well as a homemade bomb and material that could be used to make explosives. It said that Saihari had "prepared the explosive belts that were used in suicide attacks", including the deadly bombing of a headquarters of the special forces in 2015 and near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina last July. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 15 people. But no one claimed responsibility for a July 2016 attack in Medina in which four security guards were killed. Since late 2014, IS has claimed a series of bombings and shootings against Shiites in the Sunni-majority kingdom, as well against security forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The murals on the Karachi Press Club walls have been restored paying homage to several progressive civil society activists, just two days after it was vandalised by members of Pakistan's politico-religious parties. A team of Phool Patti Pakistan's Truck Art Team led by cartoonist Feica restored the murals to their original shape. The vandals spray painted threatening messages on the murals of nearly all women activists featured on the walls and also called for death for the son of slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer for speaking against the Blasphemy law. A group of artisans had painted the murals last October. The vandals had spray painted the initials of politico- religious parties Pakistan Sunni Tehreek and Tehreek-i-Labbaik but both parties have denied their involvement. The vandalisation of the wall murals highlights the clear divide in Pakistani society between religious extremists and liberals/moderates. The English daily 'Dawn' wrote in an editorial today that if ever an image was emblematic of Pakistan's progress in the war against extremism-and indeed of the fissures in its society-it is the viciously defaced Karachi Press Club walls. On the mural paying homage to Yasmeen Lari, a prominent architect, historian and humanitarian aid worker, the vandals spray painted calls for executing Asia Bibi, currently on death row as a blasphemy accused in bold black paint. The vandalisation took place on the day civil society activists and moderates paid tributes to Taseer who was gunned down by his security guard in Islamabad in 2011 for his vocal opposition to the blasphemy law and for speaking in favor of minorities rights. His son Shaan Taseer had few days back repeated his father's stance on the blasphemy law, and has been criticised heavily by the religious right for his views. The vandals also spray painted demands in black spray calling for the immediate arrest and hanging of Shaan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Police has deployed Village Police Officers in 4,137 gram panchayats spread across 12 districts of the state, who will look after maintenance of peace and prevention of crime in villages. The Village Police Officer, of the rank of Police Constable/Head Constable/Assistant Sub-Inspector will be present in the villages and will sit in this office at least three days in a week, an official release said today. An office consisting a table, a chair along with the name plate of police officer along with his mobile number have been set up in the panchayat offices in these revenue villages, it said. According to the release, Village Police Officers would now ensure access to public. "In the earlier system for every small or big matter, the people especially from rural villages had to travel to the Mandal headquarters. With the Village Police Officer, the access to police would be within reach to all people irrespective of socio-economic status," it added. Village Police Officer will also result in better policing as the policemen/ women would be stationed in the village itself enabling improvement in various aspects of policing directly, it said. In the present system, the centre of the policing system is the Station House Officer with constables and head constables assisting him. Now each constable would have a jurisdiction of own and this would give respect to him, the release said. To ensure that the system works properly, the Sub-Inspector would, at regular intervals interact and take a feedback on functioning of Village Police Officer, it added. With the reorganisation of districts (formation of 21 new districts), the accessibility of Superintendent of Police has increased. Thus, any lacuna/ complaints against the Village Police Officer can be brought to the notice of the SP immediately, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Volkswagen is close to a deal to pay USD two billion to settle a US criminal investigation into the emissions-cheating scandal involving its diesel cars, a leading American daily has reported. A settlement between the US Department of Justice and the German auto giant could come as early as next week, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing three people who were not identified. VW told AFP it was continuing to cooperate with US authorities to resolve the case. Volkswagen admitted last year it had installed software on as many as 11 million diesel vehicles sold worldwide to circumvent tests for emissions while enabling them to release up to 40 times the permitted amounts of nitrogen oxides during actual driving. Volkswagen already has settled civil charges in the scandal, agreeing to pay USD 14.7 billion in an agreement that permits owners of nearly a half million 2.0-liter diesel vehicles to either sell them back or get them fixed. Last month, the company announced it reached an additional USD 1 billion civil agreement with US authorities for a similar on deal covering 80,000 3.0-liter diesel vehicles. However, that agreement has yet to be approved by a judge. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman has been arrested here on charge of allegedly luring a woman under the pretext of getting her a job in Delhi, who later died due to physical assault by her employer, police said today. Mariyam surrendered herself at the Mukherjee Nagar police station, they said. "She got to know that several police teams are looking for her and thought that she won't be able to escape. She surrendered at the police station and was arrested," police said. According to the sources, Mariyam allegedly trafficked the girl from West Bengal and she is not sharing details about other girls trafficked from the state and Nepal on the pretext of providing lucrative jobs in Delhi. Mariyam used to convince poor families of these girls and tell them that their daughters will earn good money in the range of Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000 in Delhi and brought them here, police said. The maid had succumbed at a private hospital on January 4 allegedly due to physical assault. Meanwhile, the medical board of Safdarjung Hospital that was supposed to conduct the autopsy of the maid, couldn't conduct the post-mortem yesterday and it will be carried out today, the officer said. Following the autopsy, the body will be handed over to her mother for the last rites. The accused employer, Atul Kr Lohia, was arrested on December 24 but was later released on bail. Earlier, a case under Section 304(culpable homicide) was also added. The placement agency owner, Ganesh Burman, and a woman agent were also arrested in this connection. It was found that Barman used to lure women through agents like Mariyam from areas like West Bengal on the pretext of providing jobs in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman here was booked for allegedly attacking her seven-year-old son with a knife, leaving him seriously injured police said today. The woman, Reshma was booked by Bhiwandi police under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC following a complaint by the victim but no arrest has been made so far in this connection, they said. According to police, the boy's father Akash Kumbhar is a painter and married Reshma from Calcutta. The boy said in his complaint that his mother always used to fight with his father as he was unemployed and was at home for last two months. The incident occured on December 29 after the father and son duo returned home after a vacation to Calcutta. The mother again picked up a quarrel over his job and later attacked the boy using a knife and told both of them to leave the house. The victim was rushed to local hospital where he was treated. After his recovery he approached the police and registered the complaint last night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commercial Feature is a Business Standard Digital Marketing Initiative. The Editorial/Content team at Business Standard has not contributed to writing or editing these articles. For further information, please write to assist@bsmail.in Vodafone joined the price war with Reliance Jio and Airtel on Friday with a 'SuperHour' scheme under which it will offer unlimited 3G or 4G data for one hour at a starting price of Rs 16 for pre-paid customers. It will also offer unlimited local voice calls within the network with one hour validity for Rs 7. With SuperHour, you can use and download as much data as you like for one hour at a fixed, nominal price, the company said. UK telecom giant Vodafone, which also has deep piockets, has already carried out a $5 billion writedown of its India business because of the disruptive competition introduced by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio. As part of the new Vodafone offer with unrestricted repeat purchase, you can make every hour SuperHour, Sandeep Kataria, Chief Commercial Officer, Vodafone India said in a statement. Customers can also buy the SuperHour pack for making unlimited local Vodafone to Vodafone voice calls for only Rs 7, the statement added. Under the scheme, prepaid customers will get unlimited 4G/3G data usage for one hour, starting at just Rs 16 which will be launched from January 7 and available to customers across all circles by January 9. The rate may vary across circles, it added. For 2G customers the company is offering unlimited data for Rs 5. Customers can make unlimited repeat purchase of the voice and data packs, it added. The unlimited data offer can also be used to view a variety of videos and movies on Vodafone Play, whose subscription is free till March 31, 2017. Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Airtel had on Tuesday upped the ante in the price war with Reliance Jio by offering free data to attract new 4G customers. The package is Bharti's latest response to the entry last year of new operator Reliance Jio, backed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, rocked the telecom sector by offering free data services until March 31 this year. Bharti is offering three gigabytes (GB) of free 4G data per month until the December 31, 2017 for customers who switch to some of its plans from other carriers and to existing customers who upgrade to 4G by Feb. 28. The RBI has agreed to provide Rs 1 billion in Rs 100 denomination notes to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ease the acute shortage of Rs 100 notes faced by the Himalayan nation, a media report said on Saturday. The NRB's plan to import Rs 100 denomination notes was delayed due to the Indian government's move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8. As RBI was under pressure to manage cash after the demonetisation, the central bank of India had told its Nepali counterpart that Nepal may have to wait till the situation normalises in India, The Himalayan Times reported. But, RBI recently wrote to NRB that it will be able to provide Rs 1 billion in Rs 100 denomination notes, the paper said. As RBI has agreed to provide Rs 1 billion, NRB officials have said that the central bank is preparing to bring the amount within January. After the demonetisation in India, NRB had also lowered exchange limit of Indian banknotes in Nepal. Currently, NRB is providing exchange facility of up to Rs 2,000 on basis of citizenship identification. Similarly, it is providing Rs 10,000 to those who submit a copy of air or train ticket to travel to India and Rs 25,000 for those travelling to India for medical check-up. Janak Bahadur Adhikari, executive director of the Banking Office at NRB, said that the limit of rupee exchange will not be reviewed until RBI is able to provide regular exchange facility. RBI has been extending Rs 6 billion exchange facility to Nepal every year (based on Indian fiscal year calendar) but this year Nepal is unlikely to get this facility due to the demonetisation, according to Adhikari. "NRB has brought only Rs 1.20 billion this year," he said. Currently, NRB has around Rs 3.5 billion in its coffers and after bringing another Rs 1 billion, NRB will be able to provide exchange facility to Nepali and Indian nationals in Nepal for the next eight to nine months. Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese, who earn a living by working as daily-wage labourers in India, visit the neighbouring country seeking medical treatment or rely on Indian markets to purchase daily essentials, were said to be holding big chunk of scrapped Indian bank notes. The NRB had said in November that Rs 33.6 million in the denominations of 500 and 1,000 is within the financial system in Nepal. The figure included cash parked at vaults of banks, financial institutions and the NRB. This is a key distressed market to follow since Las Vegas has seen the largest price decline of any of the Case-Shiller composite 20 cities. The Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors reported Southern Nevada Home Sales Rose in 2016, Including During December, GLVAR Housing Statistics for December 2016 The Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS (GLVAR) reported Friday that more existing homes were sold in Southern Nevada in 2016 than in 2015, even with a tight housing supply and rising home prices. ... The total number of existing local homes, condos and townhomes sold in December was 3,402, up from 3,290 in December 2015. According to GLVAR, a total of 41,720 such properties were sold in 2016. That was more than the 38,577 properties sold during 2015. It was also more than in 2014, but fewer than during each of the previous five years. ... By the end of December, GLVAR reported 5,951 single-family homes listed for sale without any sort of offer. Thats down 17.6 percent from one year ago. For condos and townhomes, the 910 properties listed without offers in December represented a 56.5 percent decrease from one year ago. emphasis added 1) Overall sales were up 3.4% year-over-year.2) Active inventory (single-family and condos) is down sharply from a year ago (A very sharp decline in condo inventory). Barrister Agbor Balla Middle Leader of CACSC Wilson MUSA Members of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC, have revealed that they are much ready to dialogue with the government to break the deadlock that has existed since the strike action in the North West and South West regions began. In a Press briefing on the developments of events and their stance, they said, We are willing to dialogue and solve problems which have beset the NW and SW regions, but Government seems to have other priorities. We still believe that a return to two-states Federation remains the best guarantee or institutional safeguard for the protection of our legal, educational, social economic and political in Cameroon. They also said only a press conference will be convened to announce any strike suspension and not a Press release. The announcement comes a day after a fake Press release presumably from a government agent said the strike had been suspended and called on students and pupils to go back to school on Monday, it was later found out that the release was not from the Consortium. The Consortium equally observed with regrets governments plan to undermine the dialogue process by making several moves to non members of the ad hoc committee by trying to coerce Chiefs, Fons, Principals and Elites. Members of the Consortium have given the Parliamentarians One week to secure the release of youth abducted in Bamenda without which they will face difficulties in upcoming elections. They maintained the ghost town come Monday. Ezekiel Dotta ''The Judas Iscariot of Anglophonee Journalists'' Wilson MUSA The dust is yet to settle after the recent meeting of a certain group of Journalists under the banner of Confederation of Anglophone Journalists for a United and Stable Cameroon which held in Bamenda Thursday January 5, 2017 and called on Journalists in the North West region to handle the current crisis in the two English speaking regions with care. The outing by the so called confederation of Journalists has sparked outrage among Anglophone Journalists in Cameroon. They uphold that the Journalists must have been bribed by regime to say good things about the ongoing strike action. Members of the Consortium of Anglophone Journalists drawn from different Journalism Associations and Trade Unions have challenged the two representatives to show proof of their membership which to them will be a sign of their seriousness. They wrote: The Cameroon All Anglophone Journalists Consortium Tel: 675138091 Friday, January 06, 2017 PRESS RELEASE Mindful of the treacherous outing of two self-proclaimed journalists on January 5 calling off the ongoing strike by Lawyers and Teachers of Former West Cameroon, Aware that President Biya on December 31 said the issues raised by those striking are substantive, Mindful of the inalienable right to freedom of speech: We, members of The Cameroon All Anglophone Journalists Consortium dissociate ourselves from the utterances made by this instrumentalized individuals that pass for journalists; Challenge the said individuals to produce a list of their members. Insist that journalists did not call for any strike action and as such cannot call-off one; Urge government to desist from manipulating so-called journalists in an attempt to foil the ongoing strike, Enjoin government to engage in frank dialogue as prescribed by President Paul Biya. We hereby state our resolve to remain true to the values of the journalism profession to the best of our consciences. Done and signed in Buea this 06th Day of January, 2017. For the Consortium, John Mbah Akuroh , Tarhyang Tabe, Adams Bouddih, Anna Munjong, Larry Essong, Atia Azohnwi, Franklin Sone Bayen, Solomon Amabo Amabo, Amindeh Blaise Atabong, Kum Leonard. Enter Veteran Journalist John Mbah Akuroh Reacting to the outing of the so called Journalists, CRTV fire brand journalists and critic of the regime, John Mbah Akuroh castigated the leaders of the Confederation calling them quacks. In the words of John Mbah: A group of hungry so-called journalists grouped under a yet-to-be known federation of Anglophone Journalism associations was caught sharing money at Ayaba Hotel in Bamenda this day to whomever wanted to collect so they could go and sell their message that students must return to school on Monday the 9th of January, 2017. He added that The said traitors, led by one Dotta Ezekiel who runs The Watchdog newspaper, specialized in dishing out awards to gullible politicians, posed as representing all Anglophone journalists in Cameroon. In my capacity as President of the Cameroon Anglophone Publishers' Association, CANPA and Secretary General of the Commonwealth Journalists Association - CJA- Cameroon, hereby assert that we support the strikes and stand by the demands made, while insisting we back the calls for schools shutdown and ghost town until the demands presented are met. It is reported that Dotta Ezekiel has dragged John Mbah Akuroh to a court in Bamenda for his statements. 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 ... Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. COLUMBUS Platte County Treasurer Theresa Gabriel said her office is crazy right now. Well, every time we do a renewal we have to get a new plate, said Gabriel. So it takes twice as long. The new license plates are in, and Gabriel said theyre not exactly flying off the shelves. Mostly the reaction was earlier when the design was revealed, she said. They hated it. The design features the Capitol Sower on a relatively plain background. It drew criticism because of what some consider to be a "provocative" pose for the statue as well as an initial mix-up when the designer used the Sower from Michigan State University, not the Capitol in Lincoln. Gabriel said quite a few people are going with one of the many specialty plates that are available in Nebraska. People love the mountain lion plate, she said. The mountain lion plates were created through an effort by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, and a portion of the $5 fee goes toward mountain lion conservation in the state. One group that is not such a big fan of the mountain lion plates is law enforcement. Gabriel said she showed the new plates to some sheriff's deputies, and they're concerned the plates will be difficult to read. The military specialty plates are also popular. Each plate is adorned with the seal of a military branch and an American flag. Given Nebraskas high veteran population, its not surprising theyre a big seller. Theyre only $5 extra, so theyre a favorite statewide, said Gabriel. In addition to handing out new plates and training employees who werent with the department during the last design switch six years ago, Gabriel is renewing all 820 Nebraska Public Power District vehicles. Last year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows public power districts of a certain size to register all their vehicles in the county where the utility is headquartered. That means all NPPD vehicles are being renewed in Platte County. Its also a confusing time in the treasurer's office. Many commercial and agricultural vehicle owners thought they would receive the same license plate numbers they had before. However, Gabriel said drivers will have to receive new numbers because the computer system can't match old numbers with changes in the system. In the past weve always matched truck and pickup plates, said Gabriel. It would be labor intensive and people wouldnt want to pay extra taxes for something like that (now)." Gabriel is asking county residents to remain patient and have everything ready when they stop by her office for new plates. Weve had a line out of our door consistently here just because of the amount of time it takes, she said. Its just a busy time. A police officer jumped into a moving car in Long Island last week to save a toddler from a vehicle being driven by a woman on drugs. NBC New York reports that Suffolk County police officer Joe Goss spotted a woman driven at 20 mph on the Long Island Expressway with a toddler in the backseat. Suspecting that the woman of the slow-moving car was high on drugs, Goss jumped into action. While in his patrol vehicle, Goss managed to slow the car of 37-year-old Maria Lagatta down to around 5 mph. He then jumped through the passenger side window of the car and shifted it into park. Describing the scene, Goss said I didnt Superman into the car or anything like that. Im pretty tall so I was able to lean up. All I had to do was move one of my feet up, like a pool shot move. I was able to lean in, and so once I got my hand on it, her hand was on the shifter as well, so we just forced it right into park. After the ordeal, Lagatta was arrested for aggravated DWI with a child passenger 15 years or younger, while driving impaired by drugs and endangering the welfare of a child. Lagattas 22-month-old daughter was later released by police to a relative. VIDEO Each year, senators come together to address important priorities on behalf of our states taxpayers. In this first week of January, Nebraskas citizen legislature returned to Lincoln. The gravity of the responsibility of what is before us this session is humbling. The Legislature and I need to get to work balancing our budget, controlling spending and delivering much-needed tax relief for the citizens of Nebraska. The budget will be the No. 1 priority we deal with during this legislative session. Over the past several months, tax receipts have been lagging. In the last fiscal year, receipts came in $95 million below forecast. In October, the forecast for the current fiscal year was revised downward by $172 million, leaving a gap of $267 million between forecasted receipts and current appropriations. Over the past several months, I have been working with state agencies to manage their budgets in anticipation of working with the Legislature to address the gap between projected revenues and appropriations. In July, I provided guidance to my cabinet and all state agencies, urging fiscal restraint. In October, I placed a freeze on non-mission-critical hires and a travel ban on non-essential, out-of-state travel. Additionally, my State Budget Office reduced allotments, or the amount of money made available to an agency, as well as carryover appropriations for state agencies. This year, we have two budgets on which to work. The first is the current years budget, which we must adjust to close the gap between revenue and appropriations. The second is the next two-year budget, which will cover fiscal years 2017-19. The budgets I am delivering are balanced, will not raise taxes, and will reduce government spending. To address the gap in the current years budget, I delivered budget adjustment recommendations to the Legislature this week. This budget makes $276 million in adjustments necessary to restore balance to the budget by reducing government spending and realigning existing revenues from other sources. The budget adjustments do not raise taxes. I am urging the Appropriations Committee to make this a priority and to get the FY 2016-17 budget bills to the legislative floor by the first week in February. In preparing these adjustments, I worked to protect investments in education. My adjustments delivered to the Legislature increase TEEOSA, state aid to K12 schools, by $316,161, which is also a slight increase over the historic high we set for state support for TEEOSA and Special Education this year. Additionally, my office collaborated with the University of Nebraska as they worked to adjust their budget to help them protect their priorities and plan adjustments accordingly. My budget adjustments also support continued reform in key agencies such as the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Over the past two years, the Legislature and I have been working together to chart a new course for NDCS to protect public safety. To continue reform, my adjustments exempt the agency from across-the-board cuts. In DHHS, I protected priorities such as our veterans homes and public health aid, and we were able to provide additional resources for critical programming in the areas of child welfare and developmental disabilities. The budget adjustments for FY 2016-17 are just the first step. On Thursday, I will deliver my annual State of the State address. In the address, I will unveil my next two-year budget for FY 2017-19, which will follow the same principles that guided my adjustments to the current budget. In this address, I also plan to talk about several other legislative initiatives. This session will be full of tough choices as the Legislature and I work together to balance the budget and address other important priorities. During the session, lobbyists will try to protect their interests over the taxpayer, so we must remain vigilant. I urge you to reach out to your senator and express your desire for fiscal restraint. You can find their information by visiting www.NebraskaLegislature.gov. Joining the facelifted GLA crossover and the new E-Class Coupe at Mercedes-Benzs Detroit auto show booth will be a renewed lineup of AMG GT coupes. Mercedes AMG division is withholding details for now, but the Germans mentioned that the AMG GT and AMG GT S will benefit from a facelift and technical upgrade, which could include the distinctive new 300 SL Panamericana inspired grille featured on the R and Roadster models. The long-rumored AMG GT C coupe modeled after the GT C Roadster (pictured above) will also have its world premiere in Detroit as an Edition 50 special celebrating the performance sub-brands 50th anniversary. It will get the same improvements as the open top C model and then some more to justify its special edition tag, likely with unique color choices inside and out, bespoke trim and added equipment. As with the AMG GT C Roadster, the C Coupe will benefit from a 47hp boost over the S coupe, with the tuned twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine delivering 550hp and 501lb-ft (680Nm), together with altered gear ratios for the 7sp dual-clutch transmission. It will also feature the wilder GT Rs rear axle steering, electronic locking differential, active air management and a wider rear track along with more aggressive bodywork. Expect it to be a smidge faster than the C Roadster that hits 100km/h (62mph) in 3.7 seconds before topping out at an electronically limited 196mph (316km/h). The 2017 Detroit auto show runs January 8-22 and is open to the public from January 14. Note: Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster pictured above Video You know a studio is doing solid work when its the fans, and not the studio itself, who are creating reels of the companys best work. Thats the case with this unsolicited reel for South Koreas Studio Mir, the outsource studio that has created animation for shows like Voltron: Legendary Defender, The Legend of Korra, and The Boondocks. The fan who made this reel, Felix (@DestructoKitteh), describes the compilation as a selection of well animated scenes from various Studio Mir productions. Photo: Google Maps UPDATE 1:15 p.m. Another vehicle crash has closed Highway 1 in both directions at Eagle River Bridge, just west of the Enchanted Forest. Drive BC reports the crash occurred 34 kilometres west of Revelstoke. An assessment is in progress. Meanwhile, a vehicle incident on the highway west of Sicamous has now been cleared. UPDATE 12:05 p.m. According to DriveBC, a stretch of Highway 1 eight kilometres west of Sicamous has now opened to single lane alternating traffic. ORIGINAL 10:45 a.m. Drive BC reports that Highway 1 is closed in both directions eight kilometres west of Sicamous because of a vehicle accident. There is no estimated time of opening and an assessment is in progress. Castanet will update when further information becomes available. Photo: Contributed The BC SPCA saw a record number of large-scale animal seizures in 2016. Nearly 500 animals in distress, including dogs, cats, horses and farm animals, were taken into custody. In one incident, 66 dogs and puppies were seized from a Langley puppy mill in February. In March, 82 dogs and cats were seized from a Surrey breeder. The SPCA is used to dealing with significant numbers of animals annually more than 35,000 animals enter our shelters every year, said CEO Craig Daniell. But having 70 or 80 sick, injured and highly contagious animals come into care on the same day requires a very different level of response. With a $5 million contribution from the provincial government and donor contributions, the SPCA began replacing or refurbishing shelters in 12 communities this past year. These include new large-animal facilities in Surrey and Kelowna and a specialized site for seized cats in Surrey. Having those facilities in the case of large seizures helps biosecurity to prevent the spread of disease. Many of the animals rescued from puppy mills in 2016 were suffering from parvovirus, ringworm and other highly contagious and life-threatening illnesses, said Daniell. These animals have multiple and complex care needs and require specialized treatment and housing areas. In addition, a state-of-the-art Community Animal Centre has been built in Nanaimo, and planning is at an advanced stage for new facilities in Kamloops, Castlegar and Dawson Creek. The second phase of the capital plan will focus on new facilities in Prince George, Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, and the final phase will include new SPCA centres in the Shuswap and Campbell River, and refurbishments to the Kelowna, Surrey and Cowichan shelters. Kelowna General Hospital is bursting at the seams. The hospital is currently at 131 per cent of capacity, resulting in longer wait times and some patients being housed in hallways. An outbreak of influenza and gastrointestinal illness is partly to blame for the large volume of patients. In a statement to Castanet Friday afternoon, Interior Health said an outbreak in several residential care facilities means KGH is also caring for some of those ill residents. "An outbreak at a care facility can also mean admissions may be restricted, so we have been unable to discharge some healthy residents back to their care homes," IH said. "Having said that, our staff and physicians are working extremely hard and are providing safe, quality care to all hospital patients, regardless of this increase in volume." KGH was at 130 per cent of capacity Thursday, but officials note the number can fluctuate on a daily, even hourly basis. They further state the number of people being cared for in hallways also fluctuates as patients are either moved between units and floors, or are sent home. "We understand that this is not ideal and we empathize with the patients who find themselves in this situation. Its important to note that the medical needs of these patients are being met. "Our staff are always working to minimize the amount of time any patient may spend in a hallway setting, and to find an appropriate place for everyone based on their medical need." Despite the number of patients being treated, Interior Health is reassuring the public they are providing safe patient care, an are open and available to care for anyone who comes to the hospital. "If a person feels they require emergency care, they are encouraged to come to the emergency department. We do ask that people be patient when waiting to be seen in the ED, as people are seen and treated based on the urgency of their needs." Photo: QPS Police say a tip from Australia has led to the rescue of a four-year-old alleged victim of child pornography in Ontario. London, Ont., police say they were notified Wednesday by the Queensland Police Service that images of a young girl were being shared through a website located in Russia. They say officer searched a home in the city on Thursday and seized a mobile phone and several computer devices. Police say a 40-year-old London man has been arrested and faces 11 charges, including possession of child pornography, making child pornography, making child pornography available, voyeurism, and making a voyeuristic recording available. They say the accused is not being identified to protect the identity of the alleged victim. Police say the girl was not physically injured and is receiving appropriate support from victim services and family members. Photo: Contributed Justin Trudeau, his family and a few friends were guests of the Aga Khan over the holidays on the wealthy religious leader's private Bahamian island. A spokesman for the prime minister, Cameron Ahmad, is confirming a National Post report that the Aga Khan invited the Trudeau family and a few friends to join him on Bell Island. The Aga Khan is the hereditary spiritual leader of the world's approximately 15 million Ismaili Muslims and a renowned philanthropist. Ahmad notes that the Aga Khan and Trudeau "have been close family friends for many years." As required for security purposes, Trudeau and his family flew to Nassau on a government Challenger jet; Ahmad says no friends were aboard. He says Trudeau will reimburse the cost of the airfare for himself and his family to and from Nassau. The Aga Khan founded one of the world's largest development agencies, the Aga Khan Development Network, dedicated to enhancing progress in under-developed regions of the world. In 2009, then-prime minister Stephen Harper bestowed honorary citizenship on the Aga Khan. Photo: The Canadian Press Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister faced renewed questions Friday over how much work he gets done while spending up to two months a year at his vacation home in Costa Rica. Pallister said he reads and writes documents, and communicates by phone, while in the tropical country but rarely uses email. He said he also does not get documents sent to him electronically, barring an emergency. "Principally, we use emails for emergencies and, fingers crossed, there haven't been emergencies so, it's been good, but I'm available, I'm accessible at any point in time if need be," Pallister said Friday in an interview at the legislature. "I prefer direct phone conversations. I just find the quality of the interactions a lot better." Pallister, who was elected last April, revealed in an interview with The Canadian Press last month that he plans to spend a total of six to eight weeks a year not all at once in Costa Rica while serving as premier. The legislature resumes in March and the budget is expected in early spring. Pallister describes himself as a workaholic and has repeatedly said he gets a lot of work done while at his Costa Rica home. A report Friday by the Winnipeg Free Press said government records showed Pallister had no email communication with any of his senior political staff during his first three months in office, and there was no record of a specific email address for the premier in the government directory. Pallister said he has a government email account that he rarely, if ever, uses. He also said he has a cellphone with him in Costa Rica sometimes carried by his wife and Internet access, and he personally covers all long-distance communication charges. "The taxpayer is not paying because I'm in Costa Rica or anywhere else." Pallister showed reporters Friday several large documents he says he took with him on a trip to Costa Rica over the holidays a report on pre-budget public consultations, an external review of government's fiscal performance and more. Transporting physical documents, as well as a flash drive containing electronic records, also provides a level of security over email, Pallister said. Photo: The Canadian Press Lawyers for a Calgary judge who asked a sex assault complainant why she couldn't keep her "knees together" say his behaviour was based on "ignorance" and removing him from the bench should be a last resort. Federal Court Justice Robin Camp's legal team issued a response Friday to a November report from the Canadian Judicial Council which recommended that he should lose his job. "Removal is not necessary to preserve public confidence in this case. Justice Camp's misconduct was the product of ignorance not animus. He has worked hard to correct his knowledge deficit," said the 25-page document signed by Camp's lawyers. "Justice Camp made errors in his judicial role. But he is apologetic and committed to education and improvement. The principles of judicial independence, rehabilitation, public confidence, and proportionality are all engaged here." A Canadian Judicial Council committee, which held a public hearing in Calgary in September, concluded Camp's apology wasn't enough to offset the damage done. "We conclude that Justice Camp's conduct is so manifestly and profoundly destructive of the concept of the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judicial role that public confidence is sufficiently undermined to render the judge incapable of executing the judicial office,'' the five-member panel wrote in a unanimous decision released Nov. 30. Court transcripts from a 2014 sexual assault trial show Camp called the complainant, an indigenous woman who was 19 years old and homeless at the time of the alleged assault, "the accused" numerous times a mistake he repeated during the judicial council hearing in the fall before correcting himself. Camp was a provincial court judge at the time. During the trial, he also told the young woman "pain and sex sometimes go together" and asked why she didn't just keep her "knees together." Camp acquitted Alexander Wagar, but the verdict was overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered. A verdict in the retrial is expected this month. Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ringing in the new year with a determined effort to re-establish his connection with grassroots Canadians after closing out 2016 amid accusations of kowtowing to wealthy donors at elite Liberal fundraisers. Trudeau is planning to embark on a campaign-style tour, talking to average folks at coffee shops and church basements across the country. His communications director, Kate Purchase, says Trudeau will make three or four pit stops each day of the tour. It was initially slated to take up six or seven days over the next three weeks, with breaks for a trip to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and a two-day cabinet retreat before Parliament resumes at the end of the month. But the Prime Minister's Office announced Friday that Trudeau has cancelled plans to attend the elite Davos summit of business, academic and government leaders. Instead, he'll expand the cross-country tour, spending more time meeting more ordinary Canadians in more locations. The first leg of the tour is to start at the end of next week with Trudeau travelling Highway 401 from Ottawa to London, Ont., with an overnight at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. That will be followed up by stops in British Columbia, Quebec and the Prairies, with events still being planned for the Atlantic provinces. Purchase says the events will be a mix of traditional town hall-style, question-and-answer sessions and more informal mingling with people in coffee shops and church basements. "We see this as part of a concerted effort to remain connected to Canadians, at home in their communities," she says. "The prime minister wants to hear from them how they are feeling at the start of 2017, what their concerns and anxieties are and what we can do to help alleviate that." The tour may also be intended to reverse the slippage in Trudeau's popularity over the final months of 2016 as he deflected allegations of unethical fundraising practices over his appearance at multiple events where donors contributed as much as $1,500 to the Liberal party in order to rub shoulders with the prime minister. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Photo: Contributed The whopping $60 million jackpot in Friday night's Lotto Max draw was claimed by a single ticket sold in Quebec. There were also 42 Maxmillions prizes of $1 million each up for grabs. A total of 22 winning Maxmillions tickets were sold 14 of them are worth $1 million each and the other eight $500,000 each. Three of those tickets were sold in B.C. two $1-million tickets, one each in Vancouver and Surrey, and a $500,000 ticket in Abbotsford. The jackpot for the next Lotto Max draw on Jan, 13 will be approximately $34 million. Photo: Twitter The Atlantic provinces are bracing for a winter wallop that could bring up to 40 centimetres of snow to parts of the region. Environment Canada says a low pressure system will intensify as it tracks south of Nova Scotia on Saturday evening. Winter storm warnings have been issued for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and for parts of eastern New Brunswick and western Newfoundland. The national weather forecaster says up to 25 centimetres of snow is expected in eastern Nova Scotia by Sunday morning, with 40 centimetres expected elsewhere in the province. Up to 30 centimetres is expected in western P.E.I. and up to 40 centimetres in other parts of the province. Eastern New Brunswick and western Newfoundland are both bracing for about 20 centimetres of snow by Sunday. Photo: The Canadian Press Thousands of people have lined up in frigid temperatures hoping for tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell speech in his hometown of Chicago. Tickets are being handed out Saturday morning at McCormick Place, a convention centre along Lake Michigan. Obama plans to speak to supporters there on Tuesday night, carrying on a tradition set in 1796 when George Washington addressed the American people for the last time as president. Obama has described the event as "a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey." Tickets are free but had to be picked up in-person. People are lined up around the building in single-digit temperatures. Photo: The Canadian Press The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage at a Florida airport had a history of mental health problems some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said Friday after the deadly shooting. "Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good," his uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper. Esteban Santiago, 26, deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. In recent years, Santiago a new dad, family said had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. Bryan Santiago said his brother's girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. In November, Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The FBI agents notified the police after the interview with Esteban Santiago, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. Bryan Santiago said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues. "We have not talked for the past three weeks," Bryan Santiago said. "That's a bit unusual ... I'm in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person." While in Iraq, Santiago cleared roads of improvised explosive devices and at least two members of his company were killed, spokeswoman Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead told The New York Times. He was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation. Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father to a son and was struggling. "It was like he lost his mind," she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things." Photo: The Canadian Press The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travellers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have travelled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities said Saturday, but they don't know yet why he chose his target and have not yet ruled out terrorism. Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the co-operative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. FBI Agent George Piro said Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked on a flight from Alaska. "Indications are that he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Piro said. "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it's too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the U.S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. Santiago had not been placed on the U.S. no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, Piro said. The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The gunman was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. He said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding." The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition. Photo: Contributed A New Brunswick woman says she is distraught and heartbroken after receiving a ransom call for her missing dog. Denise Ramsay says her 12-year-old German shepherd Labrador mix dog vanished from her yard in Miramichi at about 10 p.m. on Dec. 28. She says she received a call from a blocked number on New Year's Day and the man on the other end of the line said he had her dog Sadie. The man demanded $200 and said he wasn't going to drop off the dog until the money was transferred to him. Not knowing if the man actually had Sadie, Ramsay kept him on the line and called 911 on another phone, but when the man realized the 911 operator was listening in on the conversation via speakerphone, he hung up. Ramsay says if she wasn't so distraught, she would have taken the man's email and made the transfer regardless in the hopes it would have helped with a police investigation that has gone cold. She says her family is devastated without Sadie and she's offering a $1,000 reward for her return. Ramsay says Sadie has never wandered away from home before because she has a collar that emits a sound when she reaches the perimeter of their property. Photo: Facebook Mexican prosecutors said Saturday they are searching for a gunman who opened fire on an official of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. The Attorney General's Office said Saturday the official was wounded in the attack Friday in Guadalajara. Surveillance video of the attack shows the gunman following the official in a parking garage. The official, whose name was not released, was dressed in shorts. The shooting appeared to be a direct attempt to kill the consular employee. The attacker doesn't appear to try to approach the official while he is walking, but instead waits for him to exit the parking garage in his vehicle and fires a round into the car's windshield. The consulate said on its Facebook page that the FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker. Photo: Getty Images The Ministry of Environment, along with the Interior Health Authority, have ended the air quality advisory issued on Jan. 5 for Lavington due to high concentrations of fine particulates. Smoke reduction has mainly contributed to improving air quality. Changing weather conditions are also expected to further improve air quality over the next few days. For more information, go to: www.bcairquality.ca. Photo: The Canadian Press Charles Manson is back in a California prison after a hospital stay for an unspecified medical problem. State corrections department spokesman Jeffrey Callison says Saturday that Manson is at Corcoran State Prison in Central California. In an email, Callison adds that the department has never stated Manson ever left the facility. Authorities have cited privacy laws in declining to comment on reports earlier this week that Manson was taken to a hospital in Bakersfield, 60 miles south of the prison. The 82-year-old Manson is serving a life sentence for orchestrating the 1969 murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others. Photo: Twitter A visit to Alberta by a senior advisor to President-elect Donald Trump has been cancelled. Kellyanne Conway was to speak at a private dinner in Calgary hosted by the Alberta Prosperity Fund on Jan. 12, and also tour the oilsands near Fort McMurray. The conservative political action committee had announced the dinner and tour in late November, just weeks after Trump won the U.S. election. But the group's president, Barry McNamar, says in a news release that "a visit is just not possible at this time" despite efforts by both sides. Trump's inauguration will take place in Washington on Jan. 20. The news release says Conway's visit has not been rescheduled and tickets for the sold-out dinner will be refunded. As we know, Griff may or may not be a right-on activist but he certainly has some seedy-looking friends who are all going to a gig. Peter h... remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. They lived in a neighborhood without an official name built around a church missing from the maps. A black settlement once thrived in the area along Mountain Street in Mount Holly Springs. With origins predating the Civil War, it peaked around 1900 and went into a slow and steady decline until today only one family makes up the bulk of what remains. There is very little record of the African American community in town, said Lindsay Varner, director of the Greater Carlisle Heart and Soul Project. This is an incredibly important piece of history that is now starting to come forward. Fond memories This catalyst for that started last May after Varner interviewed Harriett Gumby, the granddaughter of Elias Parker, a former slave from Hagerstown who built the Mount Tabor church on Cedar Street around 1870. Parker is buried in the nearby cemetery with other veterans of the U.S. Colored Troops. The church was very active long before I was born, Gumby said in a phone interview with The Sentinel. By the time she came along, an older brother was a secretary and superintendent. Her earliest memories are of attending Sunday school and sitting in on services officiated by a female preacher who came into town from Chambersburg. She recalled with pride how her father lived to be 92 and was once named the grand marshal of the town Halloween Parade. Her stories of a church long since inactive prompted Varner and others to research a community that began when free blacks began to settle along a suspected route on the Underground Railroad to stops in Boiling Springs and Carlisle. A safe haven As a route, it makes sense, Varner said. It was the quietest way to get under the cover of the mountains. This early enclave formed the basis of what became a refuge for recently freed blacks seeking a fresh start. Census data shows that by 1880 about 13 families had moved north from Georgia, Maryland and Virginia to settle in Mount Holly Springs. Birth records confirm these families included members born into slavery either before or during the Civil War. Chances are they were drawn to Mount Holly Springs by the lure of work and the existence of an already established community, Varner said. People tend to settle where they are comfortable around people with common experiences. Though census records confirm a sizable population once lived along Mountain Street, there is no way of knowing exactly how many attended the Mount Tabor Church. We dont have a congregation list, Varner said. It is believed the church was in operation for about 100 years from 1870 to 1970. The starting point is based on the memories the Gumby family has of Parker building the church. The end point may be the only written record of the churchs existence. In 1973, Mount Holly Springs celebrated the centennial of its incorporation. A special publication was released commemorating this milestone. It talked about the Mount Tabor Church being there, but no longer having an active congregation for about two to three years, Varner said. We have not been able to find any books about the church. While research shows no outright signs of racism, there is evidence to suggest the black community in Mount Holly Springs was subjected to the kind of unspoken discrimination common in post-Civil War communities, Varner said. For one, the church did not appear on any maps. That and the fact that blacks were only buried in the Mount Tabor cemetery would indicate some level of segregation. The steady decline African American families living along Mountain Street were within easy walking distance of two paper mills and a cannery. There was a lot of work on that end of town, Varner said. Census records show a decline in the black population starting in the 1920s and continuing through the 1940s as factories were closing in Mount Holly Springs but thriving elsewhere. It is believed that many blacks left town for better work prospects in Carlisle and Harrisburg. No doubt the church congregation shrank with this migration. The scant existence of any history of the black population underscores the need to preserve as much of the Mount Tabor church as possible, Varner said. When you think of Mount Holly as a whole, they have lost a lot of their history. Simple gifts of faith and community are making it possible for a Mount Holly Springs woman to preserve the cherished memories of a family legacy. God is working with the project for it to be a success, said Harriett Gumby, a town native. We could not have accomplished as much as we did. A year ago the old AME Zion church on Cedar Street in the borough was just a ramshackle remnant of a once-thriving black neighborhood. Today the Mount Tabor Church and its cemetery, located along Cedar Street just outside the borough, are the focal point of a unified effort to bring to the forefront a past mostly forgotten except by those deeply touched by the spirit of this one-room sanctuary. It began last spring with the Heart and Soul Project and its mission to record the stories of the Carlisle area. It took on life in May when Gumby agreed to be interviewed and shared her memories of growing up in faith as a black woman in a close-knit community of believers. Her story inspired others to take action to save the church and its contents for future generations and to mark off and respect the boundaries of the hallowed ground where her grandfather, Elias Van Buren Parker, builder of the church, now rests with other veterans of the U.S. Colored Troops. I have a lot of faith, Gumby said. It may take a little while, but somebody can give us a helping hand to keep the project moving. I am delighted by what has transpired. Heart and Soul Funded by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the South Mountain Partnership, the Heart and Soul Project uses storytelling as a tool to gain an understanding of what is important to a community, said Lindsay Varner, the local project director. Insight from this process is then translated into action through initiatives and programs that showcase and enhance the community, Varner said. Heart and Soul is an outgrowth of the Orton Family Foundation that has worked with towns across the country. The Carlisle area was one of four Pennsylvania communities selected to host a pilot program to see how this method could work statewide. In the process of collecting stories from Mount Holly Springs, it was suggested that Harriett Gumby be interviewed. It was through her story that we found out about the church, Varner said. We started learning more about the family connection. With understanding came a sense of urgency prompting the call to action that continued through the rest of the year. It started with a simple wish from an old woman. Family ties Harriett does not want her family history to be gone, Varner said. Her biggest fear is she would die, the church would be demolished and the cemetery would be forgotten. Gumby elaborated on this during a recent interview with The Sentinel. As one of four remaining siblings from a family of 11 children, she feels duty-bound to do all she can to preserve the memory of the church, especially now that momentum is on her side. This is my flesh and blood, she said. It was my grandfathers legacy that brought the church into existence. That is why I am so concerned. Other communities have joined together to preserve old buildings, Gumby said. Why cant we do something like that for my grandfather and mother? Born into slavery, Elias Parker fought with the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. He later moved to Mount Holly Springs where he built the church. Gumby has fond memories of her late mother, who was also named Harriett. A homemaker, she was called upon often to administer home remedies to sick children throughout the town. Gumbys father worked in one of the local paper mills before taking a job as a janitor in Harrisburg. The black neighborhood that flourished in the post-Civil War years peaked in population around 1900. It then went into decline as local manufacturing closed shop and jobs went elsewhere. For a time, Gumby lived in New Jersey before she moved back to Mount Holly Springs. Today she and her sister Edna are taking care of their older sister Esther who used to teach Sunday school at the church. Their nephew Tom Gumby remembers sneaking into the building while it was empty to play its organ and piano under the watchful eyes of a portrait of Jesus that seemed to stare out from the wall. Taking action Borough Councilwoman Pam Still was collecting memories on her own before the Heart and Soul Project came on the scene. I just felt storytelling was important, she said. There are a lot of older people in Mount holly Springs. When they are gone, their stories are gone. Gumby was first contacted in April. That was when she first mentioned her family connection with the church. Varner sat in on an interview Still conducted with Gumby on May 19. The week prior, Varner had arranged for experts in history, architecture and preservation to visit the Mount Tabor church. Once Harriett made us aware of the church, we jumped to action, Still said. Local residents David Toner, Chuck Crone and Carman James started the work by clearing away poison ivy and some of the vines and tree limbs that covered the church. They had to be careful what to remove because some of the plant life had interweaved itself into the structure. This preliminary work was necessary because arrangements had been made for the local paper mill to conduct a 3-D laser scan of the church and the cemetery. The goal of the scan was to record the dimensions and the interior layout of the building along with the makeup of the burial ground. This was done over several days in July, Varner said. She said this information would prove useful if something were to happen to the church and the cemetery. The scan was an opportunity for Mount Holly Springs Specialty Paper to train workers on the use of the equipment while giving something back to the community. In mid-October, volunteers from Ahold, the parent company of Giant Food Stores, converged on the Mount Tabor Church during the United Way Day of Caring. Their mission was to remove all the furniture and artifacts found in the vestibule, sanctuary and attic while Varner prepared an inventory. We then took on the arduous job of cleaning the inside, Still said. Because there is no electricity in the sanctuary, workers swept the walls and floor the old-fashioned way until a portable generator could be brought in to run a shop vac. Since so many windows were missing, there were piles of leaves and dust, Pam Still said. For several days we work on cleaning using snow shovels to throw the leaves out of the window. Other people soon joined the effort. A neighbor passing by donated some plastic sheeting that the volunteers used to shore up the windows to prevent future debris from drifting into the church. Unity and solidarity The clean-up took place from late October to early November, Varner said. Two weeks later, on Nov. 15, a production crew from the Orton Family Foundation visited the church to shoot footage for a publicity film on how the Heart and Soul Project is working to affect positive change in communities. Local volunteers brought in some of the church pews, the pulpit, some flowers and a wreath for the filming. Interviews were conducted of former church members and organizers of the volunteer effort. The highlight for Pam Still was when she arrived at the church with the film crew. As we approached, the song Amazing Grace resonated from inside, Still said. Harriett Gumby had started to sing in her beautiful Gospel-like voice. She knew the words to all three verses. All joined in to sing young, old, African American, white. I wonder how rare in the history of the church this might have been. It just felt right. There was so much unity and solidarity. It was heartwarming. The whole experience of the past year has given Gumby renewed hope that someday in some way all the issues associated with the preservation of the church would be resolved. It is not about this highfalutin electronic age, said Gumby, who is in her 80s. It is that small town attitude that when a neighbor needs a little help, we do what we can to help. This small town attitude still exists. You just got to find it. As we close out 2016 and enter 2017, I find it comforting to reflect on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wherever I discover them. While many Americans are very familiar with his 1963 I Have a Dream speech, there is value in considering the concluding section of Dr. Kings Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony lecture given Dec. 11, 1963, in Oslo, Norway. Dr. King offered the following words: All that I have said boils down to the point of affirming that mankinds survival is dependent upon mans ability to solve the problems of racial injustice, poverty, and war; the solution of these problems is in turn dependent upon man squaring his moral progress with his scientific progress, and learning the practical art of living in harmony. .. A widely separated family inherits a house in which they have to live together. This is the great new problem of mankind. We have inherited a big house, a great world in which we have to live together black and white, Easterners and Westerners, Gentiles and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Moslem and Hindu, a family unduly separated in ideas, culture, and interests who, because we can never again live without each other, must learn, somehow, in this one big world, to live with each other. Dr. Kings themes were linked to those of German Lutheran minister Friedrich Niemoller, who had been imprisoned for seven years in Nazi concentration camps. In 1946, he wrote: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me. Clearly, Dr. Kings new problems are just echoes of mankinds old problems, which reemerged on the world stage in 1933. Niemollers statement reinforces Kings 1963 declaration from a jail in Birmingham: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Dr. Kings later words from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. paralleled Niemollers comments during a West German television interview that same year and became the catalyst for justice across the globe that we still seek today. This year, our Carlisle community continues Americas quest to embrace Dr. Kings Dream and we celebrate its 28th year commemoration of his birthday. We will gather Jan. 15 for a short march in downtown Carlisle followed by an ecumenical service at First Presbyterian Church at the town square. Over the course of the past weeks you have seen notices of the Jan. 15 event with the theme, Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Day of Service: Take a stand. Take a step toward unity in our community. Carlisle community members and organizations will have the opportunity to gather and demonstrate support for those ideals, which are rooted in American values. Our commemoration committee invites you to be part of this celebration within our community. You can track the work of your community-based committee on Facebook by following: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CarlisleMartinLutherKingCommemoration Chicago.com, the local website and domain service that offers Chicagoans vanity email addresses, has a new owner: the Chicago Community Trust. Sun-Times owner Wrapports has owned Chicago.com since 2013, when it bought the site from local entrepreneur Josh Metnick. It used the site to highlight local events and tourist information and sold email addresses ending in @chicago.com. Advertisement As part of the Chicago Community Trust, a more than 100-year-old foundation, the site will be a place to find philanthropic opportunities and to highlight good things going on in Chicago, said Terry Mazany, president and CEO of the Trust. The site will serve as a "digital public square" and resource for visitors, chief marketing officer Daniel Ash said in an email to Blue Sky. He said the Trust's long-term plan is to "make the Chicago.com email address available to donors as a special recognition of their commitment to Chicago." Advertisement The acquisition closed Thursday, Mazany said. Terms were not disclosed. Chicago Community Trust Chairman Michael Ferro is former chairman of Wrapports. Ferro is now chairman of Tronc, which owns the Chicago Tribune. He announced in spring 2016 that he was donating his stake in Wrapports to an unnamed charitable trust. The Chicago.com acquisition came to light this week after users received emails stating their email service would be terminated on Feb. 15 and they would receive pro-rated refunds for their subscriptions. On Friday, the homepage of Chicago.com was updated with news of the new ownership. Wrapports Ventures confirmed that it sent the email. "We followed the appropriate legal process (and) notified users via email about the sale and changes that would take place," a spokeswoman said. But Ash said that email was incorrect. The Chicago.com email program will continue "without interruption," he said. "The email program will continue. We have to move it to the Trust. There was some confusion as the transaction closed," Ash wrote. "We will work hard and fast to get the legal matters with the email business squared away and, then, provide clear and correct communication to chicago.com email customers," Ash wrote in another email. Mazany said existing users will be able to continue with their email addresses but will eventually need to re-register. He said the Trust will send an update to Chicago.com users next week. Advertisement As for the site's sub domains, which some Chicago.com users use to host their own websites, Mazany said the Trust may review whether that use fits within its vision. According to the chicago.com site, the price for a user's first name paired with @chicago.com has been $349 a year. mgraham@chicagotribune.com Twitter @megancgraham Here is the full text of the email users received: Dear Chicago.com email user, Advertisement We regret to inform you that, due to the sale of the domain "chicago.com", the chicago.com email service and any sub domains will terminate operations for all users at noon on February 15th, 2017 (the "Effective Date"). All current and paid customers will receive a pro-rated refund for the unused months of their subscription. We recognize the inconvenience this may cause and hope to address your concerns with answers to frequently asked questions below. We want to remind you that Chicago.com email is a forwarding service - all emails that you received under your @chicago.com account will be stored in the existing email inbox you used to send and receive emails. Once the @chicago.com email service is shut down, you will no longer receive emails under your @chicago.com handle. We are giving users notice to make the necessary arrangements to notify their contacts that as of the Effective Date your @chicago.com email will no longer be valid or functional. You can set up an auto responder for all incoming mail allowing your contacts to adjust their preferred contact email address going forward. We recommend that you set up this auto response immediately (see instructions below). As of the Effective Date any incoming mail to your @chicago.com email account will bounce back. PLEASE BE ADVISED YOU WILL NEED TO UPDATE ANY ACCOUNTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY USING A @Chicago.com EMAIL ADDRESS PRIOR TO February 15th, 2017. Advertisement Best Regards, Chicago.com Team The city of Urbana argues that its Carle Foundation Hospital should have to pitch in on taxes. (Robin Scholz / AP) They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes but not for many Illinois hospitals that don't have to pay property taxes to their local communities. A case set to go before the state Supreme Court on Thursday is challenging the law that allows Illinois' not-for-profit hospitals to skip paying property taxes. Advertisement Those challenging the law say many not-for-profit hospitals enjoy hefty profits and should have to contribute to their communities, just like any other business. Hospitals, however, argue they provide valuable charitable care and use the exemptions to fulfill their communities' health care needs. Hundreds of millions of dollars for hospitals, communities and taxpayers are at stake. Meanwhile, applications for hospital property tax exemptions have been in limbo for about a year while the courts consider the issue. Advertisement "If the law is struck down, then it's going to be a big issue for not-for-profit hospitals across the state," said John Colombo, a tax law professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "I bet a lot of municipalities and taxing jurisdictions would look at this and say, 'Ah-ha, here's an extra $1 million to $2 million or extra $200,000 or $300,000 that will go toward the school, toward fixing the roads,' and they're going to be aggressive about (getting) that." About 156 of Illinois' more than 200 hospitals are not-for-profit, including many of the biggest names in health care in the Chicago area Advocate Health Care, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rush University Medical Center. It's difficult to say exactly how much those Illinois hospitals might have to pay in property taxes if the law is ruled unconstitutional. But a 2009 report by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability pegged the value of 47 Chicago-area not-for-profit hospitals' property tax exemptions at $279 million. It's an issue other states are grappling with as well. About half of New Jersey's 64 not-for-profit, acute-care hospitals are in court over the issue after a New Jersey tax court judge's 2015 ruling that a Morristown, N.J., hospital shouldn't be exempt from property taxes because it operates more like a for-profit business. In that case, the judge said that if all hospitals operate like the one in Morristown, then "for purposes of property-tax exemption, modern nonprofit hospitals are essentially legal fictions." Currently, an Illinois not-for-profit hospital can be considered tax-exempt if the value of its charitable services is equal to or greater than its estimated tax liability. The city of Urbana and others involved in the case, however, argue in the Supreme Court case that the Illinois Constitution allows exemptions only for property used exclusively for charitable purposes. Many not-for-profit hospitals are actually moneymaking businesses that should have to pay their fair share for services such as police, roads and schools, Urbana argues. Urbana argues that its Carle Foundation Hospital should have to pitch in on taxes. "The reality is that today's hospitals are not little operations run by nuns who have devoted themselves to living in poverty to help other people," according to a court brief filed by Urbana and others fighting Carle's exemption, including Champaign County and Cunningham Township. "... Today's hospitals are big businesses." Urbana lost 11 percent of its assessed property value for tax purposes when Carle Foundation Hospital and another Urbana hospital, now called Presence Covenant Medical Center, were relieved of paying more than $6 million a year in property taxes, said Mayor Laurel Prussing. Advertisement If Urbana wins the case, it could put its share of the property tax dollars toward hiring five new police officers to fight violent crime, she said. "We need more police officers to try to nip these things in the bud," Prussing said. Carle can spare the cash, she said. Last year, a study published in the journal Health Affairs named Carle the 10th most profitable hospital in the country when it came to patient care services, with $163.5 million in profits in fiscal year 2013. Carle leaders disagree with how that number was calculated because it doesn't include the entire system. Carle says its 2015 adjusted income from operations was $81.2 million about a 3 percent margin, when the entire system is included. Not-for-profit hospitals don't refer to the money they make as profits or use the term "profit margin." Many call it net income or margin. Carle's margin isn't excessive and gives the health system the stability it needs to continue providing care to the community, said Carle Chief Financial Officer Dennis Hesch. Carle provided $30.6 million in charity care in 2015, according to the hospital. Advertisement "Dollars paid by a charitable organization in property taxes are dollars that can't be invested in health care and research related to improving the health of the communities we serve," said L.J. Fallon, Carle chief legal and human resources officer. Hospitals across Illinois feel the same way. Northwestern Memorial HealthCare was the most profitable hospital system in the Chicago area in 2015, with a profit of $451 million for hospital operations and a 15 percent margin, according to a report by independent health care financial analyst Allan Baumgarten, based on data reported to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Baumgarten's reports on Illinois' health care sector are sold to health care professionals, but some hospitals disagree with his analysis. Northwestern disputes the accuracy of Baumgarten's numbers, because they are only for hospitals, not the entire Northwestern system, and include data for three hospitals that were not part of the system until shortly after fiscal year 2015 ended, said Northwestern spokesman Christopher King. Still, even without those three hospitals, Northwestern would have been the most profitable system in the Chicago area in fiscal year 2015, according to the analysis. Advertisement King said that for the whole system in 2015, net income was $98 million, a margin of 2.6 percent. The property tax exemption is important to Northwestern, which spent $63 million on charity care last year, King said. "The potential elimination of the Illinois hospital property tax exemption would jeopardize investments in vital community programs, training the next generation of caregivers and breakthrough clinical research," King said in a statement. Large hospital system Advocate Health Care had about $386 million in profit from hospital operations in 2015 and a 9.7 percent profit margin, according to Baumgarten's analysis. Like Carle and Northwestern, Advocate disagrees with Baumgarten's assessment. Advocate says in 2015, as a system, it took in $78.6 million more than it spent, which was reinvested back into the system. Advocate spent $686 million on community benefits in 2015, which include things like charity care and community support and services, Advocate spokeswoman Lisa Lesniak said. "We are hopeful the Supreme Court will agree that the statute provides a clear and constitutional approach to property tax exemption so we can continue to invest in the health and wellness of our communities," Lesniak said in a statement. Advertisement Plus, not all Illinois hospital systems are doing well financially, argue those in favor of the law. More than 40 percent of Illinois hospitals are either operating in the red or on thin margins, said A.J. Wilhelmi, president and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. "Additional pressures such as losing tax-exempt status will put hospitals in difficult positions of having to decide whether to provide a full array of services, lay off staff or put capital improvement on hold," Wilhelmi said. The hospital association believes the current law is constitutional partly because hospitals are used primarily for a charitable purpose providing health care to anyone, regardless of ability to pay, said Mark Deaton, association general counsel. Plus, some say, Illinois cities and schools wouldn't likely get an immediate property tax windfall even if Carle were to lose the case. Some hospitals might still qualify for exemptions under an old law that says hospitals can get exemptions if they're owned by charitable institutions, Deaton said. It's also likely that if the law is struck down, municipalities and other taxing jurisdictions that want the tax dollars will likely have to first challenge their hospitals' exemptions with the Illinois Department of Revenue and potentially in court, said Colombo, the University of Illinois tax law professor. It's also possible that some municipalities might choose not to challenge the exemptions because the hospitals might be their largest employers, he said. Advertisement Also, in some municipalities, tax levies might remain steady, even with hospitals on the tax rolls. In other words, cities wouldn't actually get more overall property tax revenue, though other taxpayers might have lower bills if hospitals contribute. It's also possible the Illinois Health and Hospital Association would work with lawmakers to pass a new law defining how hospitals may get exemptions if the current one is struck down. Wilhelmi said the association will "assess all options" once a ruling comes down. The association worked with lawmakers to pass the current law that's now being challenged in 2012. The law was passed after the state Supreme Court, in 2010, ruled against a property tax exemption for Provena Covenant Medical Center, now called Presence Covenant Medical Center. Many hospitals and municipalities across the state are watching the Supreme Court case closely. The Illinois Department of Revenue last year put a moratorium on issuing any new property tax exemptions for hospitals while the courts deal with the issue. The department now has 95 such applications pending. Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar said he's not sure how much property taxes from his local hospital, Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook, would help Bolingbrook, considering the city would get only a small portion and the rest would go to other taxing entities, like local schools. But the premise that the hospital doesn't have to pay property taxes seems unfair to him. Advertisement "They have a substantial piece of property that's off the tax rolls and the varying taxing bodies are expected to operate public services they don't contribute toward, but they certainly create the need for some of it," Claar said of the hospital. The Bolingbrook hospital, which had nearly $4 million in profit for hospital operations in 2015 according to Baumgarten's report, said in a statement that it spends far more helping the community than it receives in property tax exemptions. CEO Rick Mace has said in the past that "every dollar tied up elsewhere is a dollar not spent on sick and needy patients." Chicago Tribune's Jennifer Smith Richards contributed. lschencker@chicagotribune.com Twitter @lschencker The full length video of a press conference held at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport on the latest information about the shooting there early Friday afternoon. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) The young Iraq war veteran suspected of fatally shooting five people and wounding eight others at Fort Lauderdale's international airport Friday had become mentally agitated in recent weeks, family members said, despite his happiness over the birth of a son less than four months ago. Esteban Santiago, 26, was in custody following the attack, being questioned by local and federal law enforcement. Eyewitnesses described an eerily calm assailant who fired bursts from a semiautomatic handgun at fellow airline passengers as they clustered around a baggage carousel and then just as calmly tossed his weapon away and positioned himself spread-eagle on the ground, waiting for police to arrest him. Advertisement The country's largest mass shooting of the new year threw the busy Florida airport into chaos, with thousands of travelers and airport staff fleeing onto walkways and the tarmac as emergency responders and law enforcement officers, many heavily armed and in tactical gear, rushed to the scene. In addition to the eight people hurt in the shooting, 37 others were injured in the chaotic aftermath, authorities said. Advertisement The Federal Aviation Administration said it had grounded flights around the country destined for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, but some flights that were landing when the shooting broke out shortly before 1 p.m. were stranded for hours on the tarmac with passengers aboard. Hundreds more people were trapped as security forces swept the airport. As the attack unfolded, the Transportation Safety Administration said on Twitter that there was an active shooter in the airport and urged people inside to shelter in place. Later, television video showed long lines of people trudging with their luggage away from the terminals or milling around outside, with most vehicles still blocked from entering the closed airport. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that he was following the "horrific events" at the airport briefed by Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who said he had phoned Trump rather than calling President Obama. The White House said Obama was briefed about the attack by staff. The trajectory of Santiago's life had taken him from balmy Puerto Rico to snowy Anchorage. Along the way, many troubling signs emerged. A federal law enforcement official said Santiago boarded a Delta Air Lines flight in Anchorage and flew to Fort Lauderdale by way of Minneapolis. Authorities are investigating whether he got into a dispute with another passenger on the Anchorage-to-Minneapolis leg of the flight, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. After getting off the plane, the gunman retrieved his baggage and went to the bathroom, where he pulled out the gun, the official said. Unloaded firearms can be legally checked in baggage in a secure container if declared, according to TSA regulations. Law enforcement authorities said the suspect was taken into custody without any additional shots being fired, and no other suspects have been identified. Advertisement Authorities said the motive was unknown. But worrying details of the suspect's life in Alaska were beginning to emerge. George L. Piro, the special agent in charge at the FBI's Miami field office, reported that Santiago had walked into the agency's Anchorage field office in November. "At that time, he clearly stated that he did not intend to harm anyone," Piro told reporters. But the FBI agents who spoke to him were concerned about his "erratic behavior" and turned him over to local law enforcement, which in turn took him to a medical facility for evaluation. A federal law enforcement source said Santiago had complained in his visit to the FBI of being forced to fight for the militant group Islamic State. He reported that his mind was being controlled by a U.S. spy agency, the official said. Last January, he was arrested and charged with assault in an incident involving his girlfriend. According to the court complaint, police said he had been yelling at her through a locked bathroom door, then busted through the door, pulling it out of its frame. He then began striking her and strangling her, the woman told police, though they observed no apparent injuries. Advertisement The prosecutor dismissed the case in March when Santiago entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. Santiago was formerly a member of the Alaska Army National Guard and left the organization for "unsatisfactory performance" in August 2016, a National Guard spokeswoman confirmed to the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in Florida. His rank at the time was private first class. Esteban Ruiz Santiago, 26. (Broward Sheriff's Office / AP ) "He is no longer a member of our organization," said Lt. Col. Candis A. Olmstead, who added that she could not elaborate on the reason for his discharge. "Information on disciplinary actions [is] not releasable,'' she said. A combat engineer, Santiago joined the Puerto Rico National Guard in December 2007. He was deployed to Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011, according to the Alaska Army National Guard. In Union City, N.J., an aunt, Maria Luisa Ruiz, told reporters that Santiago had been happy upon the birth of his son, but that she and family members had feared his mental state was deteriorating. She showed reporters a photo of him wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word "Disturbed." "Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind," she said, according to the website NorthJersey.com. "He said he saw things." Advertisement Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters the incident appeared to have been limited to the lower-level baggage claim area of Terminal 2, and there was no evidence to support unconfirmed reports of gunshots in another terminal. "There's no confirmation of any kind of gunshots anywhere at any time other than this horrific, horrific incident," Israel said. The FBI has joined the investigation. Santiago will face federal charges and will most likely make his first court appearance in Broward County on Monday, Piro said. He did not specify the charges and declined to speculate about a motive, saying it was too early in the investigation. Agents have not ruled anything out, including the possibility of terrorism, he said. "It is a long-term, very difficult, complex investigation." Hours after the shooting, most vehicles were still blocked from entering the closed airport, and authorities said it wasn't scheduled to reopen until 5 a.m. Saturday. Advertisement According to a spokesperson for the Broward Sheriffs Office, multiple people have been shot and one person is in custody after shots were fired at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) For some of those caught up in the attack, Friday was to have been the start of a voyage on one of the many cruises that depart from Fort Lauderdale. Mark Lea, a 53-year-old financial advisor, had just arrived on a flight from Minnesota with his wife to catch a cruise to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. The couple collected their luggage and were about to leave the terminal when they heard three quick bursts of what they thought were firecrackers. They quickly realized, however, that a gunman had opened fire about 100 yards away. "At that point, people started frantically screaming and yelling and running for the exits," Lea said by telephone from the airport. "People were kind of tripping over each other." He helped his wife to safety, then went back to aid others. He described the shooter as "very calm, very quiet, no emotions." The gunman, who was dressed in jeans and a blue polo shirt, was carrying what appeared to Lea to be a 9-millimeter handgun. He fired off a few dozen rounds near the luggage carousels, then dropped his gun to the ground and lay spread-eagle on the floor, waiting for sheriff's deputies to apprehend him, Lea said. Advertisement "This whole thing took place in about 45 seconds and he was done," said Lea. Hours later, the couple were still waiting at the airport with other passengers to retrieve their luggage. Authorities moved passengers upstairs to the ticketing area to wait while they secured the crime scene. Travelers described huddling inside a restaurant in Terminal 2, using tables for cover, after the gunfire erupted or ducking behind parked cars when they saw people running out the doors. Others told of surreal scenes that suddenly punctuated the tedium of a routine wait at the airport. Bruce Wagner, 55, and his husband were on their way to New York after an 11-day Caribbean cruise. They were sitting at their gate when they suddenly saw people running and screaming. The crowd stampeded for the exits, he said but there was no way out except for the jetways for boarding planes. Alarms blared, and security officials struggled to open emergency exits leading down to the tarmac. "Everybody just plowed through them, packed like sardines, shoving and pushing and screaming," Wagner said by phone, with alarms still screeching in the background. Some of those who ran outside stayed close to the terminals, but others fled as far as the runways. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 18 People seek cover on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Finally passengers were let back inside, where passengers' bags and outerwear were strewn everywhere, and iPads were left still plugged in for charging in the melee. Only moments later, an apparently false alarm sent people fleeing again. "It was totally inept as far as security or any kind of safety," Wagner said. "It seems like nobody's had any experience or training." Josh Marsh, 24, described airline staff just one terminal over from the attack scene as being unaware of the shooting even after he showed an agent social media reports of the shooting. "Nothing happened for a good 20 minutes," Marsh said. "No lockdown, no announcements, no nothing." Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer was one of those caught up in the incident, tweeting that shots had been fired and "everyone was running." Advertisement Shooting location at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (@latimesgraphics ) The Fort Lauderdale airport, about 25 miles north of Miami, is a major travel hub, with more than 70,000 people passing through daily, according to the airport. Security was stepped up at the larger Miami airport in the wake of the shooting. For some, the attack shattered a workday routine. Jayce Sisley, who lives in Fort Lauderdale and works as a flight attendant, said he was heading to the airport for work when worried friends and family began texting him about the shooting. His employer told him flights were still departing and asked him to report for duty, but the pathway was blocked by emergency vehicles, he said, with officers waving off arriving cars. Panic spread rapidly. A traveler identified only as Ben told CBS' Miami affiliate that he was boarding a shuttle outside the terminal when he saw "everyone in a big pack just running as far as possible away from the shots." "It was a scene of ambulances and police cars, trucks, all kinds of people with automatic weapons blocking all the exits," Sisley said. As he headed back from the airport, emergency vehicles roared past him, sirens blaring, he said. That's when the magnitude of the situation hit him. Even though he had received training for these types of incidents, Sisley said, it all seemed unreal. "I'm shocked," he said. "And I'm worried." King and Wilber reported from Washington, Agrawal and Zavis from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Melissa Etehad in Los Angeles, William J. Hennigan in Washington and Sun-Sentinel staff contributed to this report. ALSO Advertisement Congress begins to search for funds to help Trump build border wall U.S. intelligence report says Putin targeted presidential election to 'harm' Hillary Clinton's chances The reaction to a viral Facebook video of a hate crime tells us something about postelection America UPDATES: 8 p.m.: The article was updated with information on the suspect's past encounters with the FBI and other details from a law enforcement press conference. 7:10 p.m.: The article was updated with additional witness interviews and details of an criminal complaint against the suspected shooter. Advertisement 4 p.m.: The article was updated with background on the shooting suspect's time in Alaska. 3:20 p.m.: The article was updated with additional witness accounts. 2:35 p.m.: The article was updated with additional details from a law enforcement source. 1:05 p.m.: The article was updated with details from law enforcement officials. 12:10 p.m.: The article was updated throughout with staff reporting. 10:55 a.m.: This article was updated with reports of multiple deaths. Advertisement This article was originally published at 10:30 a.m. President-elect Donald Trump tapped into the frustrations of the widely ignored white working class. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Reporting from Washington Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered an intelligence operation against the U.S. presidential campaign and ultimately sought to help Donald Trump win the White House, according to a new U.S. intelligence report released Friday, shortly after the president-elect appeared to dismiss its key findings. Putin both "aspired to help" Trump in November and to "harm" Trump's rival, Democratic nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with leaks of pilfered emails and other covert activities, the report concludes in a dramatic expansion of official U.S. accusations against the Kremlin. Advertisement The report depicts the Russian operation as unprecedented, saying that an aggressive mix of digital thefts and leaks, fake news and propaganda represented "a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort" against a U.S. election campaign. Moscow's goals "were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," the report states. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Advertisement They "aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton," the report adds. U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies found no evidence that hackers tampered with actual voting or with counting ballots on election day. But in a startling new assertion, it says Russian intelligence "obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards," adding that Russian spies began collecting information on equipment used in U.S. elections in early 2014. The 14 pages released offer a largely circumstantial case rather than hard evidence of Putin's direct involvement, and mostly focus on Russian propaganda efforts. But the full report remains classified, and the public portion does not include the specific intelligence. Still, the rare release of a major intelligence assessment marks a sharp escalation in what has become a bare-knuckle fight between Trump and the U.S. intelligence community, backed by President Obama, over the president-elect's repeated derision of their understanding of Russia's role. Intelligence officials had planned to declassify the key findings next week after briefing members of Congress. But the declassified summary was rushed out Friday afternoon shortly after Trump had been briefed on the full report and had made clear he was not convinced. In a statement, Trump conflated the Russian cyberattacks with those of other countries and individuals, and said the hacking had "absolutely no effect" on the election. "While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election, including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines," Trump said after he was briefed by four U.S. intelligence chiefs at his office in New York. Advertisement Earlier Friday, in an interview with the New York Times, Trump had called the focus on election-related hacking a "political witch hunt" by his adversaries, who he said were embarrassed by their loss in November. The growing dispute has become a sore point for Trump's transition team and a worry for Republicans on Capitol Hill who are convinced that Moscow had a malign role and fear Trump's presidency will get off to a shaky start. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) acknowledged the predicament Friday, noting that Russia "clearly tried to meddle in our political system." But he warned that Democrats might try to use the intelligence report to undermine Trump's mandate in the White House. "We cannot allow partisans to exploit this report in an attempt to delegitimize the president-elect's victory," Ryan said. Democrats were quick to respond. "I'm appalled the Russian government took the extreme step of interfering with our presidential election, particularly with the goal of tilting the playing field to increase one candidate's chance of winning," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Advertisement "The President-Elect's statement that the Russian hacking had 'absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election' is not supported by the briefing, report, or common sense," said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, in a statement. The report, which Obama had requested, is a joint product of the CIA, the FBI and the National Security Agency. The three agencies said they had "high confidence" in the findings except for the assessment that Putin had aspired to help Trump's chances. The NSA said it had "moderate confidence" in that finding. In addition to stealing and dumping embarrassing emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton's campaign, Russian intelligence officials also used state-funded broadcasts and third-party intermediaries, and paid social media "trolls" to spread false information and disparage Clinton, the report says. When it appeared that Clinton was likely to win, according to the report, Moscow "focused more on undercutting [her] legitimacy and crippling her presidency from the start." Putin "holds a grudge" against Clinton, it noted, adding, "He has publicly blamed her since 2011 for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012." Officials working for the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, used an online persona known as Guccifer 2.0 and the website DCLeaks.com to release emails, as well as to relay them to WikiLeaks. Advertisement Earlier this week, Trump retweeted denials by Julian Assange, the fugitive founder of Wikileaks, that it had gotten the emails from the Russian government or its operatives. Trump was briefed on the evidence for more than an hour in a face-to-face meeting with Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James B. Comey and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. Soon after, Trump issued a statement that called the meeting "constructive" and said he had "tremendous respect" for those serving in the nation's intelligence agencies. That marked a shift from the mocking tweets he had issued in recent weeks, using language so demoralizing that Clapper publicly noted at a Senate hearing on Thursday that there was a difference between healthy skepticism and "disparagement." Trump said the U.S. needed to "aggressively combat and stop" cyberattacks, and said he would order a team to create a plan within the first three months of taking office. In addition, Trump said hackers tried but failed to infiltrate Republican National Committee computers. The RNC had "strong hacking defenses and the hackers were unsuccessful," Trump said. Advertisement He was joined at the briefing by members of his national security team: Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Trump's pick for CIA director; Reince Priebus, who will be White House chief of staff; Michael T. Flynn, who will be national security advisor; K.T. McFarland, his pick for deputy national security advisor; and Tom Bossert, whom Trump has chosen for his homeland security advisor. Last Friday, the White House cited the intelligence when they expelled 35 suspected Russian intelligence operatives, closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland, and expanded sanctions on Moscow. Intelligence officials also briefed eight congressional leaders Friday morning on the completed classified report, which was given to Obama on Thursday. "It was really quite a stunning disclosure," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said after the briefing. Clapper, Brennan, Rogers and Comey will testify Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to committee Chairman Sen. Richard M. Burr (R-N.C.). In a statement late Friday, Burr said Russia had conducted a "direct and aggressive covert influence campaign" during the election. Advertisement "This is a troubling chapter in an ongoing story," he added, "and I expect that our nation's leaders will counter these activities appropriately." brian.bennett@latimes.com Twitter: @ByBrianBennett ALSO When Trump says he wants to deport criminals, he means something starkly different than Obama Yes, Trump can boost deportations and gut the Dreamer program for young immigrants Advertisement An outsider takes charge of the Border Patrol and yes, he'll wear the green uniform UPDATES: 4:30 p.m.: Updated with additional details from the intelligence report and other changes throughout. 1 p.m.: This article was updated with Trump's response after a meeting with U.S. intelligence chiefs. 9:05 a.m: Updated with details about the classified briefing to congressional leaders. This story was originally published at 7:55 a.m. Girl Scouts sell cookies. Do you have to buy? (Girl Scouts of the USA) Nina Grotto is a door-to-door saleswoman, and she's a standout at her job. She's got her sales pitch down, and last year, she sold 7,000 boxes of cookies. This year, she's determined to do even more. Advertisement If you live anywhere near Hinsdale, you can expect a knock on your door from Grotto. The high school student, who is 17, has been selling Girl Scout cookies since she was in the first grade. And while most strangers will buy a box or two, she said some people hide when they see her approaching their door. Advertisement "A lot of people will buy one or two boxes just because you're out in the cold," Grotto said. "But there are a lot of people who just don't answer the door." Girl Scouts, along with Rodan & Fields reps, LuLaRoe consultants, Matilda Jane trunk keepers, Jamberry consultants and other independent direct sales businesses have popped up in doorways, on social media and in email inboxes in recent years, as stay-at-home parents and overworked career people seek ways to create positive cash flow. But it also means that friends, family and even strangers have had to navigate tricky etiquette situations at home and at work when asked to support these business endeavors. There are no real rules when it comes to whether you should purchase from your friends or family, but you really shouldn't feel you have to do it, said Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and owner of The Protocol School of Texas. Gottsman's friend recently asked her to purchase a bottle of shampoo from a friend who'd started selling a new line. Her answer: No. "She's pitching everyone privately and calling and badgering us," Gottsman said. On the other hand, sellers do have a right to sell. That means they can post on social media and they can let friends know that they've started a business. They can also sell at the office if their job allows it, but many offices have "no solicitation" policies for this specific reason, Gottsman said. Advertisement But when you start to tag and put pressure on others to purchase your goods, then you've gone too far, Gottsman said. You'll know that you've gone too far if you notice that your friends feel uncomfortable. And if you're continually asking friends and families to make a purchase, then it's going to get uncomfortable quickly. "Etiquette is using common sense and making others feel comfortable," said Sue Fox, founder of Etiquette Survival in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Lisa Pilotto, a consultant with Rodan & Fields, said she tries to do this by being as authentic as possible. "I truly believe that the products and business that I have to share are a gift, and when I have the opportunity to share them with people, I think my genuine love for the products and the opportunity shines through," Pilotto said. "However, it doesn't matter how genuine I am if people don't know that I have a gift to share, so I post information, testimonials and personal videos frequently on social media, and I find ways to weave what I am doing into conversations in an authentic way." Advertisement As a result, she said, 20 percent of her customers are people she didn't previously know. But, she said, friends shouldn't feel any pressure to make a purchase, nor should they feel bad or guilty if they decide not to buy something. "It might break up a friendship, but if it does, then that wasn't a very strong friendship," Gottsman said. Still, if the people selling are good friends or family members, they may want to know why you simply won't purchase their product or the cookies that their child is selling, said Jacqueline Whitmore, founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach. "And realize that when it's your turn to sell something, that they might not buy something in return," Whitmore said. If the person selling is a good friend or a child of a friend, but you really don't like the product or cookies, it may be worthwhile for the sake of friendship to simply offer to make a donation, Whitmore suggested. Danielle Braff is a freelancer. Advertisement RELATED STORIES: How to stop your parents from embarrassing you on social media I went overboard policing my kids' diets. It totally backfired. How to make money off those unwanted holiday gifts With public meetings about improving Chicago's popular but confusing downtown pedway system set to start this week, it's time to hear from the real experts on the heated underground network of tunnels and corridors the people who use it to escape winter's biting cold. Many of them responded to my Dec. 25 column about the pedway, which serves thousands of people each weekday and links more than 50 buildings to the CTA's Red and Blue lines, and the train station beneath Millennium Park. Pedway users voiced concerns about a lack of maps to inconvenient operating hours to poor access for people who are disabled. Advertisement A Chicago-based nonprofit, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, will convene the meetings Wednesday and Thursday. It is funding a $125,000 redesign of the main pedway stretch beneath Randolph Street. City officials, who acknowledge that the pedway needs a reboot, are cooperating with the effort, which could introduce concerts and art shows to the underground. That would be nice. But members of the public want to see these nitty-gritty issues addressed: Advertisement Is a pedway map available? The city's Department of Transportation has one posted online. So does Google Maps. But neither map is ideal. The city's map was last changed in 2013; it will be updated "in the near future," said a spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation. The Google map, while more user-friendly than the city's, doesn't include the entire system. Within the pedway system, there are no paper maps available even though the city's Department of Transportation promised to provide them 11 years ago as part of a federally funded, nearly $1.5 million city push to make the system easier to navigate. Even in the digital age, hand-held maps would be useful. City of Chicago Pedway System map As of 2013, the most up-to-date map available from the City of Chicago Source: City of Chicago data portal Why are the hours inconsistent? Several readers complained that the pedway isn't open on weeknights and weekends. The city's map says the system's "normal" hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but that's fiction. The pedway stays open past 5 weeknights, allowing people to get to CTA and Metra trains along the system or escape winter cold as they cross the Loop. And the sections of the pedway that connect the Red and Blue lines remain open 24 hours a day, the transportation department spokesman said. Yet many sections close after 7 weeknights, pedway users say. And some of those sections are shut on Sunday, frustrating downtown residents who want to use the pedway to get from their buildings to the Blue Line train to O'Hare International Airport. The root cause of this problem? Sections of the pedway are operated by building owners. And their operating hours aren't always in sync. That also affects other aspects of the system, such as security and maintenance. Advertisement Who's responsible for security and maintenance? "There are some parts of the pedway," wrote reader and downtown resident Stephen Walton, "that are pretty scary early in the morning or later in the evening, given there is no security patrolling it. I won't let my wife take the pedway to work until after 8 a.m., when there are more people in it." "The homeless use the pedway as a dry shelter, which I won't begrudge them, but they also use it as an open bathroom and garbage dump after store hours, which makes it unsightly, if not unsanitary, Walton said. "The problem is that none of the stores 'own' the pedway, so none of them think they need to clean it up." Customers use the Pedway system last month beneath Macy's on State Street. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) He's onto something, even if stores and other building owners are responsible for operating their sections of the pedway. The real questions are: How should those sections work together for the convenience and comfort of the public? And who will pay to make the now-disparate system more unified and secure, not to mention cleaner? How about better access for the disabled? Getting into, and around, the pedway can be daunting for people in wheelchairs or others who are disabled. A report last week by CBS Chicago spotlighted malfunctioning elevators that connect the pedway and street level. Some sections of the pedway are connected by doors that are difficult for people in wheelchairs to open on their own, advocates for the disabled said. Revolving doors pose another obstacle. Advertisement In response, the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities said it would "initiate a more comprehensive evaluation" of the pedway "to ensure greater access for people with disabilities in accordance with federal, state and local law." Yet the city lacks the power to force private buildings to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act "unless they are doing some remodeling already," the transportation department spokesman said. And while the "the accessibility issues are important," Learner said, the main focus of the public meetings about the pedway will be on "better way-finding and navigation" and linking the pedway to other parts of downtown. "We can't do everything," he said, adding that city officials bear the ultimate responsibility for improved accessibility. Where will the meeting be held? Wednesday's meeting, which will explore cultural uses for the pedway, will be from 4-7 p.m. in the Garland Room of the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. There will be two Thursday meetings. The first, which will focus on pedway-related transportation issues, will be from 8-10:30 a.m. at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, 35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1600. The second, aimed at downtown businesses, will be from 4-7 p.m. at Cannon Design, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1100. Advertisement At the meetings, team of consultants, including Billings Jackson Design of Chicago, is expected to present ideas for discussion rather than a finished plan. Monday update: The Environmental Law & Policy Center asks that people register to attend this week's pedway workshops. Depending on the workshop, there will be limited physical space or attendees will need to be on building lists to get up to the workshops. Following is information from the center about registering: Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Wednesday: Register with matt.nielson@cityofchicago.org Environmental Law & Policy Center Thursday morning: egister with pedway@elpc.org Chicago Loop Alliance Thursday evening: Register with clainfo@chicagoloopalliance.com bkamin@chicagotribune.com Twitter @BlairKamin One person was shot about 10:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 2017, on an outbound Milwaukee District North Line Metra train at the Lake Cook Metra station in suburban Deerfield. (Joe Shuman / Chicago Tribune) Police shot and killed a murder suspect during a shootout aboard an outbound Metra train late Friday night in north suburban Deerfield, according to authorities. No officers or passengers were wounded in the gunbattle aboard the Milwaukee District North Line, though several officers did suffer minor injuries dodging gunfire from the suspect, officials said. Advertisement The man was identified as Jamal Parks, 32, of Gurnee, according to a release Saturday afternoon from Illinois State Police. About three to five officers with the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force boarded the outbound train at the Deerfield station around 10:30 p.m. after they tracked a man they believe was present at the scene of a fatal shooting in southwest suburban Evergreen Park on Thursday night, according to Tim McCarthy, Orland Park police chief and chairman of the task force. Advertisement According to McCarthy, the suspect spotted the officers first and fled to the upper level of a double-decker railway car to avoid them. As an officer attempted to arrest the man, he broke free, pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots at the officers, McCarthy said. After officers retreated to the lower level, at least one of the task force officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, striking the man. The wounded man was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Lake County coroner's office has scheduled an autopsy for Monday. The passengers who were on the outbound train were taken to a nearby retail store for safety and to be interviewed by police, according to Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile. The shooting caused delays of up to 80 minutes. Metra trains were operating again on the tracks as of 2 a.m. Saturday. The suspect is believed to be one of at least three people who fled the scene in the Thursday night shooting of David Murrell, 34. Murrell, of the Ashburn community, was shot multiple times at 6:45 p.m. in the parking lot of Walgreens, 8700 S. Kedzie Ave. Witnesses told police Murrell was sitting in his car when shots were fired. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Just after the shooting, Evergreen Park police indicated that Murrell appeared to have been targeted but declined to offer further details. The task force turned the matter over to the Illinois State Police's Public Integrity task force, which handles all police-involved shootings outside of Chicago. Metra passenger Tracey Klassman, 22, was headed home to Mundelein after spending the evening downtown with friends. Coincidentally, she ran into other friends on the train, and she moved and sat with them. She was tired and began napping but woke up when her cellphone rang with a call from her father. Advertisement Around the same time, the lights on the train went off and the train halted at the Lake Cook Road station. A conductor announced there was a problem with the lights but said everything would be fixed soon. Klassman's friends disembarked after a few minutes, saying they didn't want to wait around, but she stayed. Several minutes went by, and she gazed out the window. Suddenly she saw several police officers running back and forth. "At this point I knew it wasn't just the lights,'' Klassman said. Moments later, Klassman heard three gunshots, slightly muffled, from two or three train cars ahead of her, and people near her began to yell: "Duck, duck, duck!'' The passengers tried to help each other, saying: "I think that was a gunshot -- stay low,'' Klassman said. She and another young woman crouched together under a seat. Seconds later, about 30 passengers came running into their car, screaming, with their heads down. "I wasn't sure if there was a shooter running after these people or what, '' Klassman said. "It was so traumatic,'' she said. "The conductor told them to run back in here as far as they could go,'' Klassman said they told her. Advertisement There was one more train car behind them, but it was blocked off. Klassman managed to crawl underneath a metal bar, open the door and everyone rushed in. Once inside, she and the young woman near her locked themselves in a restroom. "I thought the bathroom might be bulletproof,'' Klassman said. The woman with her was terrified. She kept saying to someone on her cellphone: "I'm going to die, I'm going to die,'' Klassman said. "I was trying to calm her down,'' Klassman said. "I didn't even know her.'' Klassman, who remained on her cellphone with her father the whole time, told him to call 911 while she was in the restroom. "He was a wreck, he felt helpless.'' Klassman said they "just stayed put'' and gave instructions to anyone outside that they should knock three times so they would know when it was safe. Advertisement Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > When she finally opened the door, they were the last ones to scamper out of the train car, and police directed them to take shelter at a nearby Home Depot. "We ran across, and down the street to the Home Depot. It was so crazy,'' Klassman said. A woman who was waiting for her husband drove her and another couple to the Deerfield station, but most of the other passengers stayed at the Home Depot. Klassman said throughout the ordeal she was shocked but she went into "survival mode.'' "It was really scary.'' wlee@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @MidNoirCowboy Peter Konhilas, 21, went missing Jan. 3, 2017, in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood. (Provided by the Chicago Police Department) A man went missing four days ago on the Lower West Side in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, police said. Peter Konhilas, 21, was last seen Jan. 3 in the 2000 block of West Coulter Street. Police said he may need medical help. Advertisement Konhilas is known to walk along train tracks, and frequents the area near 14th and Canal streets, police said. He is described as Hispanic with a light complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds, police said. Advertisement Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact police at 312-747-8380. World Bank holds meet with India on Indus Water Treaty Published: January 7, 2017 India asked the World Bank not to rush in brokering a deal on its dispute with Pakistan over Ratle and Kishenganga projects coming up in Jammu and Kashmir. India conveyed its position during a meeting with World Bank representative in New Delhi. India asserted that the differences between India and Pakistan can be resolved bilaterally or through a neutral expert. Key outcomes of the meeting India also maintained its position that the designs of the Ratle and Kishenganga projects do not violate the Indo-Pak Indus Water Treaty (IWT). Following this, the World Bank decided to set up a Court of Arbitration (CoA) to settle the disputes following Pakistans demand and also agreed to appoint a neutral expert as sought by India. However, India reacted strongly to the decision to appoint the CoA as earlier World Bank in December 2016 had announced that it will temporarily halt the two simultaneous processes to resolve the differences. About Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) IWT is a bilateral water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan signed in 1960. It was brokered by the World Bank (then the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development). The treaty deals with sharing of water of Indus water system having six rivers Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum between the two countries . It gives India control over three eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej and Pakistan control over three western rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. It is most successful water treaty in world. Even, it has survived India-Pakistan wars of 1965, 1971 and the 1999 Kargil standoff besides Kashmir insurgency since 1990. Month: Current Affairs - January, 2017 Topics: India- Pakistan india-world bank Indus Water Treaty National World Bank Latest E-Books Robert Sterling, left, of McHenry, was charged with first-degree reckless homicide and homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. Authorities have referred Tyler Odell, right, for a possible charge of being a party to a reckless homicide, but he has not been formally charged. (Walworth County Sheriff's Office) Two people are in custody in the death of a McHenry man who was fatally shot in the face after a drunken game of Russian roulette, authorities said. David Bauspies, 36, died after he was shot Monday in an apartment in East Troy, Wis. Advertisement According to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Walworth County, East Troy police responded to the apartment about 12:30 p.m. that day to investigate a report of gunfire. When they arrived, they discovered another McHenry man, Robert Sterling, 31, kneeling over Bauspies' "deceased" body, a revolver lying on the floor nearby and "a large amount of blood on the wall and surrounding the victim," the complaint said. The document also stated that Sterling had blood on his hands and clothing. Advertisement Authorities said a man who lives in the apartment, Tyler Odell, 22, later told East Troy police that Sterling and Bauspies had been drinking beer and were "pretty drunk," according to the complaint. Odell "decided to show everyone his gun," a .44 Magnum revolver, after removing its six rounds of ammunition, the complaint said. Odell told authorities he then put one round back in the gun, spun the cylinder and aimed the revolver at his own head but did not pull the trigger, according to the court record. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Odell told police he then handed the gun to Sterling, who "spun the cylinder, held the gun up to (his own) head, and pulled the trigger," but the gun did not fire. Odell said Sterling "then pointed the gun at Bauspies and pulled the trigger, causing the gun to fire," according to the criminal complaint. Odell and another man who was present but was not charged in the shooting then left the apartment, returned later and were met by police outside, authorities said. According to the complaint, Sterling told authorities that he was holding the revolver "by (his) knee when the gun went off and Bauspies was shot." Sterling was formally charged Friday with first-degree reckless homicide and homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon in Bauspies' death and was being held in lieu of $20,000 bond in Walworth County Jail, according to authorities and court records. Odell was being held in lieu of a $10,000 bond, and authorities said they have referred him for a possible charge of being a party to a reckless homicide, though he has not been formally charged. Odell is due in court Tuesday, according to court records. A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover funeral costs for Bauspies, who is the father of a young child, according to the site. The person who set up the page could not be reached for comment. Advertisement Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter. The sun wasn't up yet and it was a bitter 3 degrees outside, the kind of cold that forced those shivering outside McCormick Place to pull their scarves up over their noses and hold each other tight. Yet a palpable excitement pulsed through the crowd, and those who dared lower their scarves laughed, their breath visible in the frosty air, before saying, "This is insane!" or "I can't believe we're doing this!" Advertisement Thousands lined up early Saturday for a shot at a ticket to President Barack Obama's farewell speech Tuesday at McCormick Place. While the tickets were free, just one ticket per person was available on a first-come, first-served basis, and so people arrived to Saturday's 8 a.m. ticket pick-up as early as 4 a.m., despite a White House announcement earlier this week that no one would be allowed to line up before 6 a.m. The first wave of people were able to wait inside, forming a line from the grand ballroom of the South building that snaked through the West building and finally outside, winding around the Hyatt Regency hotel. Those hoping to snatch a ticket exited cars stuck in traffic and raced through intersections, only to find that the line was so large that they were unsure where it began or ended. Advertisement The size of the crowd meant that, as early as 7 a.m., Chicago police were telling people who hadn't yet arrived to McCormick Place to save themselves from the frigid temperatures, as the tickets for the most part were spoken for. Several of the thousands who lined up Jan. 7, 2017, for tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell speech, to be held Jan. 10 in Chicago, share their thoughts on what the presidency meant to them. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Within hours of the 11 a.m. closing, tickets were popping up on the secondary market, including a pair of tickets that were being sold for $10,000 as of 1 p.m. The crowd in line Saturday mostly was a younger one, packed with college students, some of whom wore University of Chicago maroon or carried backpacks weighed down by textbooks. Families brought their young children, who sat in strollers padded with fleece blankets. Older couples wrapped quilts over each other's shoulders, and little kids skipped in and out of line, their parents calling after them. Everyone, it seemed, wanted the chance to see Obama address the nation as president one last time. 'Message of hope' Laura Cabral, 25, finally made it indoors after spending two hours waiting in the cold. She was short of breath as she took off her ski mask, hat, and the two blankets that had been draped over her shoulders.She chuckled as she laid out her recipe for surviving the cold. "Sweatpants, wool socks, boots, flannel, layers, the ski mask, down-feather gloves," she said. The night Obama was elected, in 2008, she nearly joined the masses celebrating in Grant Park. She was just about to step off the train and head to the park when she got a phone call from her mother. Advertisement "She's like, 'I prepared dinner, mi hija! I have pork chops and rice and beans, let's watch together,'" Cabral said. So Cabral decided to instead spend the night with her mother. This week, when the family found out Obama would give his farewell speech in Chicago, it was Cabral's mother who insisted Cabral go get tickets. "I think his message of hope, his initial campaign message, resonated with me. I've tried to keep true to it," said Cabral, who lives in Little Village. "As a person of color, as a Democrat, I really need this to lift my spirits." She said she admired Obama's optimism and ability to deliver uplifting speeches, and she said she hoped his final one to the nation would touch on the issues that mattered to her: reproductive freedom, rights for undocumented immigrants and affordable health care, for example. "He's the Chicago president," she said, noting how the speech would be a prideful moment for Chicagoans. "Just one more oomph, one more hurrah for the city." 'Ease of mind' Advertisement To Leticia Archibald, Obama's decision to give his farewell speech in Chicago means he still cares about his city about the families and neighbors who've suffered in 2016 from the worst violence in two decades. "With all the deaths, and the kids just watching these traumatic things, we're experiencing just heavy loads," she said. "So this, him coming here and doing his farewell address, it's an ease of mind ... he's showing his support." In many ways, Obama is a hero to the family, especially to Archibald's 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old niece, who turned 1 the day Obama first was elected president. So Archibald, 37, left her Calumet Park home with the girls and her cousin, Jatonna Brister, at 4:30 a.m., arriving at McCormick Place about 20 minutes later. They raced through the doors of the South building and were lucky to snag a good spot in line. "We're excited to see him come back home one last time and keep his mark here in Chicago," said Brister, 29. 'A sense of optimism' Moises Rodriguez and Logan Leak, two first-year roommates at U. of C., are looking to Obama for guidance throughout Donald Trump's administration, believing the issues most important to them are at risk. Advertisement Rodriguez, 18, comes from a low-income immigrant family in Chattanooga, Tenn. He said if not for Obama's immigration and education policies, Rodriguez wouldn't have been able to study political science and gender equality studies at the university. Leak, a molecular biology student from Cleveland, is passionate about gay marriage and, as a gay man who recently came out, was elated when gay marriage became legal in all 50 states. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > But Leak, 19, worries that Trump, a "loose cannon in everything he says," could work to reverse the 2015 Supreme Court ruling by stacking the court with justices who are against gay marriage. "That's another example of how we're not really sure where we'll go from here," he said. "I want a sense of clarity from President Obama before he leaves office." Rodriguez, too, wants clarity and looks forward to the message Obama will share. "I think right now in the aftermath of the election, all of us just need a sense of optimism," he said. "It's really incredible to think how optimistic (Obama) is right now, considering his entire presidency has been absolutely stunning, and then (Trump's election) happening afterward is incredibly shocking. "I think it's definitely gonna be a sense of hope, that it's gonna be OK." Advertisement meltagouri@chicagotribune.com Twitter @marwaeltagouri Large amounts of lead have been found in the water in Chicago-area parks, schools and homes. Heres what you can do to protect yourself from lead exposure in drinking water. Nov. 18, 2016. (Chicago Tribune) Despite renewed national attention to the dangers of lead plumbing, most schools and day care centers still aren't required to guarantee the safety of drinking water provided to children who are most vulnerable to the toxic metal. Limited voluntary testing shows parents have reason to be concerned. Chicago Public Schools has found lead in the water at dozens of buildings, and a dozen Cook County districts have reported results that ranged from trace amounts of lead to staggeringly high levels at some water fountains. Advertisement Yet when the Tribune surveyed all 146 suburban Cook County school districts at the end of the last school year, officials at about 100 either said they had not tested or referred questions to municipal water departments. Given the widespread use of lead in Illinois during the last century Chicago required lead plumbing until it was banned nationwide in 1986 Attorney General Lisa Madigan and public health advocates are pushing legislation that would require every Illinois school and day care center to regularly test water for a potent neurotoxin that can trigger learning disabilities and violent behavior. Advertisement "Unfortunately, we know there will be schools that do not have these critical tests done unless mandated by law to do so," Madigan said. "That's why this bill is important and needs to be enacted immediately." But with only two days remaining in the current legislative session, the attorney general's bill is on hold in a House committee, stalled after Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration announced it opposed the measure and proposed rival legislation in late November. The governor's bill would allow schools to conduct detailed plumbing inventories instead of testing drinking fountains for lead. It also would order state health officials to develop their own standards for lead in drinking water a task traditionally handled by federal authorities after years of study. Critics accuse the Rauner administration of effectively thwarting a statewide response by introducing its own bill late in the legislative session and loading it with a number of complex proposals that haven't been debated. "If you don't require testing, how are you supposed to know if there is a problem?" said Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, which helped draft the attorney general's legislation. "The governor's approach also could end up being more expensive for schools that already are concerned about costs." A spokeswoman for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement that Rauner's proposal addresses issues that are missing from the attorney general's bill. "Illinois EPA is hopeful that we can arrive at a consensus on the development and implementation of an approach that is protective of Illinois' children," according to the statement. Lobbyists for schools and municipal governments said they are close to brokering a deal to finance statewide testing of schools. Rauner administration officials also appeared to soften their opposition to Madigan's bill Friday, which could boost the chances of brokering a deal before the legislature adjourns. Dust from crumbling lead-based paint remains the chief source of exposure to the toxic metal, but high levels also can leach from lead pipes and plumbing fixtures installed before Congress banned lead plumbing in 1986. Advertisement Harmful fixtures also can be found in newer buildings because federal lawmakers chose to define "lead free" as no more than 8 percent lead an industry-friendly provision that wasn't eliminated until 2013. Under federal regulations, school districts aren't required to test drinking fountains and faucets unless they own a private water supply. Only a few rural districts that rely on wells do. "Our national approach to lead in water follows the principle: Don't look, don't ask, don't tell," said Yanna Lambrinidou, a Virginia Tech researcher who served on a U.S. EPA advisory panel that in 2015 called for an aggressive campaign of testing and public warnings. "Funding for fixes is a challenge, but it's also a matter of priority setting. What cost savings exactly justifies the ravaging of our children's brains from lead in school drinking water?" Both the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say lead is unsafe at any level. Small doses early in life can permanently damage parts of the brain that enable people to pay attention, regulate emotions and control impulses. A 2015 study of CPS students found that children were more likely to fail third grade if they had elevated lead levels, even when controlling for other factors such as poverty, race, birth weight and the mother's education level. Other studies show students who fail to master reading skills during such a critical year are more likely to fall behind in later grades and drop out of high school. Contractors hired by Chicago Public Schools test drinking water for lead in June. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune) The water crisis in Flint, Mich., brought a renewed focus to the problem last year. Weeks of national news coverage prompted some districts to finally test their water, starting with schools built in the 1800s. Advertisement In April, shortly after Chicago Public Schools disclosed the district had not checked water fountains for lead contamination, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the nation's third-largest school system would embark on a testing program. High levels found in an initial round of sampling prompted CPS to go forward with districtwide testing. A CPS spokeswoman said Friday that nearly 12,000 fixtures at 524 schools have been tested and high levels of lead were found at about 3 percent. An "action plan" is in place for any fixture where lead levels exceeded 15 parts per billion, she said. Though some school officials have described 15 ppb as an EPA "action level," the federal agency's regulations apply only to testing carried out across municipal water systems, not to results from an individual fixture. Of the 38 districts in suburban Cook County that told the Tribune they have tested water, nearly a third said some amount of lead was detected in at least one sample. Most of the fixtures in Glenview District 34 came up clean, but a handful had alarmingly high lead levels and were replaced or removed, said Eric Miller, assistant superintendent for business services. One fountain at Hoffman Elementary had an extremely high level of 548 parts per billion. "No level of lead is acceptable," said Miller, who said the district also brought in bottled water. "That's where that continuous cycle of testing is so important." Advertisement Lead turned up in a handful of tests at Wilmette School District 39, East Maine District 63, Northbrook District 28 and Park Ridge-Niles District 64. Wilmette officials said its problems were in district offices, not in schools, and old fixtures were swapped out. Northbrook said it installed filters and did not find lead when it retested. East Maine replaced older brass fixtures that seemed to be the source of the lead. In District 64, officials said the four sinks where lead was detected were not used by students. Lead concentrations weren't high enough to require action, they said, but the district will continue to test and monitor. Margaret Clauson, superintendent of Skokie/Morton Grove District 69, said the district checked more than 50 locations starting in September and found lead only at one older faucet, which was replaced with a lead-free fixture. Other districts that reported finding at least some lead in water though sometimes a small amount at only one sink or fountain included Community High School District 218, Dolton District 149, Lindop District 92, Lyons Township High School District 204, West Northfield District 31 and Winnetka District 36. Dolton said officials had been assured the water was safe but shut off two fountains Friday and are planning to retest soon. Lindop said lead was found in water at some fixtures in 2013 but not during another round of testing in 2015. Lyons tested in 2014 after a renovation project, which can disturb water lines and potentially release some lead; an official said ongoing testing has showed the water there is safe. West Northfield said it also continues to test regularly to ensure safety. In Winnetka, the main water line at Hubbard Woods School was replaced over the summer. Several districts provided invoices that showed testing water at schools was relatively inexpensive. Officials are more concerned about the need for costly repairs and want the state to help out. Advertisement "The bigger issue is, is there money behind it to help address issues?" Clauson said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Madigan's legislation would allow school districts to take advantage of funds set aside to make schools safer, by adding lead plumbing fixes to a list of eligible projects that already includes the removal of asbestos and lead-based paint. Some districts still would find it difficult to pay to remove dangerous water fixtures, said Zach Messersmith, a lobbyist for the Illinois Association of School Boards. Considering the scope of potential hazards in schools across Illinois, he said, the state should take a more aggressive role in coming up with a solution. "This is a school safety issue that isn't going away," Messersmith said. "Lead in water is dangerous, especially for young children. We've been telling our members there are going to be changes. They should get out in front of it now." mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com jrichards@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @scribeguy Twitter @jsmithrichards SPRING VALLEY, Ill. Tucked along the main drag that runs through this tiny Illinois River town is an unassuming gas station where Auditor General Frank Mautino's now-defunct campaign fund reported spending more than $247,000 on fuel and car repairs over 16 years. Ornamental duck figurines adorn antique-style fuel pumps outside Happy's Super Service & Food Mart, a convenience store with an attached auto shop now at the center of a federal investigation into Mautino's political spending during his time as a state lawmaker. The State Board of Elections also is looking at Mautino's accounting of campaign funds, questioning whether he properly disclosed where the money went and, in some cases, if the expenses were allowed. Advertisement The twin probes represent a rapid reversal of political fortune for Mautino, a Democrat whose colleagues in the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in October 2015 to appoint him to a 10-year post as the state's top financial watchdog, praising him as a longtime public servant whose character was beyond reproach. The lingering issue, which could get aired publicly in 2017, has resulted in a situation unusual even in corruption-plagued Illinois: the very person who is supposed to make sure state tax dollars are spent prudently is embroiled in a spending scandal of his own. Advertisement "These kind of watchdogs ... they need to have very strong moral authority," said Chris Mooney, director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois. "They have legal authority, but they don't have too much enforcement power, in general. They do a thankless task they're going around trying to find problems, and no one in the agencies likes it when they show up." Mautino, who has said little publicly about the probes, declined comment through a spokesman. The expenses in question went unnoticed until Mautino's 24-year career as an Illinois House member came to an end and he'd closed his campaign account. Around the time Mautino took the helm at the auditor general's office last January, a Downstate group known as the Edgar County Watchdogs first raised questions about his financial disclosures, asking why the campaign fund had reported spending so much money on gas and vehicle repairs. At the time, Mautino issued a statement through a spokesman that contended the reports "fully detail campaign expenditures that were made to help defray the standard, reasonable expenses incurred while Frank performed the governmental and public service duties of serving as state representative of his large, mostly rural district." That explanation didn't satisfy Streator resident David Cooke, who wondered why state election officials weren't looking into the matter. Cooke, a 57-year-old retired former nuclear power plant worker who served 12 years on a local school board, learned that the State Board of Elections would initiate an investigation only if a complaint was filed. "I thought, who's going to file a complaint and what happens if no one files a complaint?" Cooke told the Tribune. "They take no independent action? That was my fear. So I thought, it can't be that hard. It's really a fairly simple process." Cooke filed a state complaint in February. Since then, Mautino's attorneys have disclosed to the elections board that a federal criminal investigation is underway involving "the same subject matter." As such, Mautino's camp has argued that the state should set aside Cooke's complaint, but the elections board has denied that request. Pushing the issue turned out to be more complex and time-consuming than Cooke anticipated, and he's gotten help from a nonprofit legal center affiliated with a conservative think tank tied to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Advertisement Back in March, Cooke attended a preliminary, closed-door hearing with Mautino's attorney. An elections board hearing officer concluded there was enough to the complaint to proceed to a public hearing. That meant Cooke would be able to issue subpoenas to Mautino and others to try to find out more about how the campaign funds were spent and accounted for. But a public hearing is still months away lawyers for Cooke and Mautino aren't due back to the elections board until early February, when they're expected to push the matter further down the calendar. Cooke's complaint also detailed more than 100 expenditures to Happy's and Spring Valley City Bank, a hulking brick building down the road from the gas station, where Mautino kept his campaign funds. Between 1999 and 2015, Mautino's campaign listed the bank as the recipient of expenditures for activities like get-out-the-vote efforts and travel expenses items not typically attributed to a bank because election rules require disclosure of the ultimate recipient of campaign funds. Specifically, Cooke questioned $30,000 worth of expenditures to the bank, including a 2000 payment of $8,000 listed as for "election expenses." Of the payments to Happy's, 53 expenditures were listed as "repair camp vehicles/gas" for a total of $18,985 from 1999 through 2002, according to Cooke's complaint. "It is extremely questionable for 53 times in a 4-year period a vehicle would need both repairs and gasoline each time," Cooke reasoned. Approached by a Tribune reporter, several attendants at Happy's said they were aware of the matter but declined to comment further. The Tribune reviewed campaign finance reports from 1999, the earliest year for which electronic paperwork is available, to 2015, when Mautino closed the political account. The reports showed the campaign fund reported spending $22,172 on expenditures at Happy's that were listed only as gas purchases, and $224,509 on charges at Happy's that were listed as a combination of both gas and vehicle repairs. Advertisement Broken down by years, the reports show a climb in gas and repair expenditures, from $3,630 in 1999 to a peak of $28,588 in 2011. By way of example, that year Mautino's campaign fund reported spending $2,367 on Jan. 18, an additional $1,697 on Feb. 17 and $3,615 on April 12. Cooke argued that the records were not detailed enough to explain the types and costs of the repairs, and noted that gas and repair expenses are allowed to be billed to a campaign committee only for vehicles owned or leased by the campaign. The elections board hearing officer agreed the reports left questions unanswered. "At a minimum, the expenditures to Happy's Super Service lack sufficient detail and a breakdown between gas and repairs as to vehicles is required," hearing examiner James Tenuto wrote in a report to the board. "Furthermore, the report should clarify whether the vehicles are owned and/or leased by the respondent, or are private vehicles." Tenuto also wanted to know who was the beneficiary of expenditures to Spring Valley City Bank listed as "elections expenditures" and "for volunteers." At the end of April, a 60-day deadline was recommended for Mautino to amend his reports or face questioning at a public hearing. Mautino's lawyers have tried to halt the hearing until after the federal investigation had concluded. Mautino is still seeking intervention from a state appellate court, but in November that court denied an emergency motion that would have put the state board probe on hold. While Mautino was working to halt the inquiry, Cooke started shopping around for lawyers and reaching out to people like Dan Proft, a conservative talk-show host and Republican political operative. Advertisement Cooke said eventually he was approached by the Liberty Justice Center, a not-for-profit affiliated with the Illinois Policy Institute a conservative think tank that received more than $500,000 in donations from Rauner when he was a private citizen. The law center typically takes on causes "to protect constitutional rights and enforce limits of government power," said Jacob Huebert, an attorney there. The group decided to take on Cooke's complaint even though, as Huebert acknowledged, the subject matter was "a little unusual" for an organization that's focused on issues of constitutionality. "Citizens of Illinois have a very strong interest in knowing if their auditor general, who is in charge of making sure that the state is spending money properly, broke laws," Huebert said. The stakes for the auditor general are high not only is his reputation on the line, so is his family legacy. The Mautino name is king in Spring Valley, which sits on the northern bank of the Illinois River about 13 miles west of Starved Rock State Park. Mautino inherited the state House seat that includes Spring Valley and neighboring Peru from his father, Richard Mautino, who held it for 16 years before he died in 1991. Around the corner from Happy's sits a town library named for the elder Mautino. A portion of the north-south route that connects the town to Interstate 80 is called Richard Mautino Memorial Drive. Over the summer, a group of House Republicans called for Mautino to step down, saying it's improper for the state's top watchdog to be embroiled in a campaign spending issue. "All citizens of Illinois, as well as every member of the General Assembly, has a tacit right to be able to trust and have full faith in the office of the auditor general," said Republican Rep. Dwight Kay of Glen Carbon, who lost a re-election bid in November. "Illinoisans deserve a clean government, and Auditor General Mautino has done nothing to suggest that he's up to that task." Adding fuel to the matter was the silence of Mautino, whose position as auditor general is answerable to the General Assembly. The Republican lawmakers complained that despite repeatedly requesting explanations from Mautino about the campaign spending issues, he refused to respond. Rauner, however, has tried to stay out of the fight, saying he wants to let the investigation process "play itself out." Advertisement Cooke, whose complaint has propelled the state inquiry, described his political views as conservative but said it wasn't partisan politics that motivated him to push the issue. Cooke said he could imagine his former colleagues at the power plant paying into a campaign fund to support Mautino when he was running for re-election. "It just galled me that you have people that don't make a lot of money and they go to their fundraisers and they might buy a $25 or a $50 ticket," Cooke said. "These people believe in you. It's the general principle, you have to disclose where it goes. You can't use it as your own piggy bank." kgeiger@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kimgeiger ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. The horrific beating of a mentally disabled white man in Chicago by four black assailants broadcast on social media is highlighting anti-white hate crimes at a time of increased racial strife in the United States. But federal statistics and experts say anti-white incidents remain a smaller percentage of overall hate crimes. Anti-black hate crimes are still the largest number of cases. According to the 2015 FBI hate crime statistics, the latest available, there were 613 anti-white-related crimes out of 5,850 total cases. That's around 10.5 percent of all reported hate crimes, and within the yearly average, federal numbers show. By comparison, the FBI reports there were 1,745 anti-black hate crimes or about 30 percent of all reported incidents. Jews were the most targeted religious group that year and were victims of 11 percent of all hate crimes. It's not clear how many anti-Jewish hate crime victims also may have been attacked because of their race. That data also suggested that blacks and Jews remain disproportionally targets of hate crimes compared to their population as opposed to whites. African-Americans are only 13 percent of the U.S. population, while non-Hispanic whites are 61 percent. The FBI defines a hate crime as a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity." Filing reports for the federal count is voluntary, but guidelines call for reports to be submitted even if they list zero hate crimes. Even then, experts say the FBI data on hate crimes isn't a full picture since anti-black cases are skewed lower by the lack of reporting participation by some southern law enforcement agencies. Some large Florida cities, like Miami, reported no hate crimes to the FBI in 2015, said Brian Levin, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University. "I doubt that cities as diverse as those had no hate crimes," he said. In Chicago, two men and two women all black are facing hate crime charges in connection with the brutal beating of a mentally disabled white man that was streamed on Facebook Live. The video shows the victim is tied up and the suspects are making racial slurs and references to his mental capacity, Chicago Police Commander Kevin Duffin said. The suspects are accused of forcing the victim to drink toilet water and kiss the floor, stuffing a sock into his mouth, taping his mouth shut and binding his hands with a belt. The 18-year-old victim, who is from a Chicago suburb, suffers from schizophrenia and attention-deficit disorder, authorities said. The victim also was taunted with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Eighteen-year-olds Brittany Covington, Tesfaye Cooper and Jordan Hill, and 24-year-old Tanishia Covington also face kidnapping and battery charges in connection with the attack. The case heightened political tensions on social media and opened yet-to-be healed wounds from a nasty presidential election campaign. Some conservatives suggested the attack highlighted growing anti-white violence and was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, although police said there was no indication of any connection. The FBI does classify attacks based on disability as a hate crime. Federal numbers show 88 incidents related to attacks on disability in 2015. In addition to underreporting, Levin said strong federal data of the race and ethnicity of assailants is incomplete because of the lack of consistent reporting. The 2015 FBI data showed that of the 734 total reported offenses committed against whites a single incident could have multiple offenses like assault or theft 46 percent of those were committed by blacks. In contrast, of the 2,125 reported offenses committed against blacks, 58 percent of those who committed by whites. Still, despite the data, Levin said the Chicago beating is resonating because it was shown via social media and racial relations are tense following the November election. Live streams and 140 Twitter characters inflame the fires. Levin described the situation as "a logjam of motivations" for conflict, saying it's like nothing he's ever seen. "We are seeing the coarseness that exists in society generally, those embers, have crossed the fire lines to all parts of the racial, ethnic and ideological spectrum," Levin said. Associated Press Republicans on Capitol Hill say they don't need to wait for Mexico to make good on President-elect Donald Trump's central campaign promise: building a southern border wall. In fact, they are happy to underwrite the wall themselves, at a potential cost of many billions of dollars. The GOP's willingness to fund Trump's border wall with taxpayer money could put the party's deeply held desire to rein in government spending in conflict with its long-standing goal of cracking down on illegal immigration and toughening border security. Nonetheless, many Republicans do not see an inherent conflict. "It would be a proposal that would cost billions of dollars to get done, but if it's an appropriate priority for our country, it's worth spending that kind of money," said Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. There is no reliable price tag on building a border wall, but Trump has estimated the cost at $8 billion. Recent congressional legislation pegged the number at $10 billion, and construction experts say it could be more than double that. The wall is one part of a massive spending strategy at the core of Trump's populist agenda. Trump has not provided extensive details on how he plans to follow through on vows such as overhauling the tax code, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, and executing a sprawling infrastructure program. But each of those proposals carries an exorbitant price tag, and experts say that combined, they could add trillions of dollars to the deficit. Experts at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimate that Trump's tax proposals alone could add as much as $7.2 trillion to the deficit in the coming decade. Even-more-conservative estimates, such as those produced by the right-leaning Tax Foundation, concluded that Trump's tax proposals would create at least a $4.4 trillion budget hole in the same time frame. The costs of rolling back the ACA are harder to predict. Repealing the entire law would increase deficits by more than $350 billion over a decade, according to a 2015 report from the Congressional Budget Office, which serves as an independent scorekeeper. If Congress plans to mimic a 2015 attempt at repeal, the eventual legislation could reduce deficits by $282 billion. But lawmakers have yet to reveal a plan to replace the ACA with tax breaks and benefits that could more than offset any savings. Trump has not outlined a detailed plan for infrastructure spending. But his nominee to be commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, has suggested that the government offer approximately $140 billion in tax credits to nudge companies to invest $1 trillion of their own money. Under President Obama, Republicans decried new federal spending to stimulate the economy, expand health-care coverage and pursue other domestic priorities. But so far, they seem to harbor no similar qualms about Trump's platform. "I think realistically we're going to have to find a way to fund this," Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., an Appropriations Committee member, said about the border wall. He said the Trump transition team has not directly contacted the committee on the issue. Other Republicans reacted with a shrug, pointing to support and even money for building a wall that has already been provided by Congress. "We've already appropriated money for walls," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. "We've got walls right now." Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a fierce opponent of illegal immigration, is not worried about when or how Mexico reimburses the U.S. government for the massive construction project. "If we build that wall, and Donald Trump hasn't figured out how to get Mexico to pay, I'm not going to be the guy who says, 'Let's wait until we get this in pesos,' " King said. The Trump team is committed to moving forward on the wall quickly and before Republicans become uneasy about the project and its political cost, according to several people close to Trump. A national exit poll of presidential voters found that only 41 percent supported building a wall along the entire border with Mexico. But among Trump supporters, three-quarters backed the proposal. And there is plenty of skepticism that Trump will ultimately follow through: A CNN/ORC poll taken after the election found just under half of all Americans thought it was at least somewhat likely that Trump would build a wall along the southern border, while a November Quinnipiac poll found just 19 percent of registered voters thought Trump would get Mexico to pay for such a wall. Trump's strategy is being driven by several advisers, in particular those with political links to Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Trump's nominee to be attorney general. They include speechwriter and policy aide Stephen Miller, incoming deputy White House chief of staff Rick Dearborn and incoming White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon. Sessions himself, who has focused on border security for decades, also is intimately involved in the discussions. Miller is already drafting executive actions related to border and immigration policy, and Dearborn is working with Republican leaders to coordinate legislation. Bannon, the people close to Trump added, is paying close attention to officials he may be able to work with inside the Mexican government on the border and other issues, with new Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray familiar to him and other Trump aides. Videgaray was involved in Trump's trip to meet Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, which sparked controversy during the campaign. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who once served in the House and is friendly with many Republicans still skittish about Trump, is considered key to smoothing any tensions as the push to build the wall gets underway. During the campaign, the wall was Trump's signature promise and a raucous rallying cry among his supporters at his large rallies. Trump repeatedly said that Mexico would have to pay for the giant structure, but he also signaled that U.S. taxpayers would be reimbursed for it after its construction. In a Friday-morning tweet, Trump said: "The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!" Republicans are discussing reviving a 2006 law - supported by the GOP and Democrats alike - that gave them authority to construct partial fencing along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border. The 2006 Secure Fence Act mandated 700 miles of "reinforced fencing" along the southern border as well as enhanced surveillance systems. The full complement of barriers was never completed, and GOP lawmakers think the law provides sufficient authority to proceed with additional construction. That would allow Congress, without passing new legislation, to start funding the wall through the normal budget appropriations process. Current federal spending authority expires April 28, and Republicans could push to include such funding in any spending legislation to follow. The plan may put Democrats in a political bind, forcing them to advocate shutting down the government if the wall is included in a must-pass spending bill - mirroring a similar position in which Republicans frequently found themselves during the Obama years. Several high-profile Democrats, including then-Sen. Barack Obama (Illinois) and current Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), originally voted for the Secure Fence Act. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., dismissed Republicans' invocation of the bipartisan 2006 law - "That's about politics not about policy," she said - and said funding for a wall would be a "heavy sell." Pelosi also asked where the money would be generated. "What is this coming out of? . . . Is this coming out of education? Is this coming out of everything we do on the domestic side?" she asked, while mocking Trump's notion that Mexico would eventually pay for it: "Oh, yeah, really?" Some lawmakers have shied away from committing to building a continuous wall along the border, and some think it could be constructed in different ways and out of a variety of materials, to include fencing. "I think it could take several different forms," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said Friday. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Friday he had been impressed with a system of fences he had inspected along the Israeli border with Palestinian territories. "I'm always looking for best practices," he said. "It's been incredibly effective. They had thousands of illegal immigrants; it's down to the teens." The Washington Post's Scott Clement, Robert Costa, Karoun Demirjian, Kelsey Snell, Sean Sullivan and David Weigel contributed to this report. As a GOP cabal tried to gut a congressional watchdog office in the early hours of the 115th U.S. Congress, Americans rushed to their search engines. "Who is my representative" queries spiked on Google on Jan. 3. Angry voters gave congressmen an earful, and the effort died. Our first thought: Way to go, good citizens! This is how you hold your elected representatives accountable. Our second thought: You had to Google? Really? OK, but put that phone number in your speed dial, now that you've seen how well it works. The nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics was saved, and the House of Representatives was put on notice that, yes, voters are watching. Advertisement Highlights of the last election cycle, as revealed by search engine spikes: On Super Tuesday, "how to move to Canada." In September, "registrarse para votar," Spanish for "register to vote." Advertisement In October, queries surged for "write in." And on Nov. 10, it was "what is the Electoral College?" We get that the identity of your congressman isn't intuitively obvious. Example: Voters in Elmhurst are still getting used to the idea that they're represented by Democrat Mike Quigley, who lives on Chicago's North Side. Blame the tortured boundaries of the 5th Congressional District, redrawn not just to favor a Democrat but to unseat a GOP incumbent, Rep. Judy Biggert, by lassoing her home in Hinsdale out of the 13th. Rockford voters were all in the same district on every map dating to 1850; now some of them are represented by Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, and some by Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon. Three congressmen represent downstate Collinsville, population 26,000, which was busted into pieces to dilute the concentration of Republican voters. Even Google has a little trouble with that one. In its effort to clean up a mistake it made on 1.9 million red light and speed-camera tickets, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration has erred again. In a mass mailing last week to recipients of those tickets, City Hall offered a second chance to appeal the violations. The effort was intended to fend off a class-action lawsuit alleging the city failed to give ticket holders adequate time or notice the first time around. Advertisement One problem: The city's ticket website is not allowing many ticket holders to view the violation video or photographic evidence used to issue the fines in the first place. One attorney said many of his clients who got letters from the city are getting error messages when they go to view their violations, some more than 6 years old. Advertisement "It's alarming to me that they would do something like this," said Kimberly Slider, 46, of Sauk Village, who received notices on five red light camera tickets she received in 2010 and 2011. "Of the five, I could only see two of the videos. "They are just up to the same old money-grabbing tactics," said Slider, an attorney in the consumer fraud division of the Illinois attorney general's office. "I know these tactics when I see them." Emanuel's Transportation Department spokesman, Michael Claffey, said Friday that "as soon as the city was alerted to this problem, we immediately contacted our vendors for the automated enforcement programs, and they are adding additional resources to get every violation uploaded as soon as possible." Claffey said the process may take several days, and that to ensure everyone has ample time to contest their violations, the city is extending the deadline for filing the new appeals by two weeks to Feb. 19. The city offered no explanation for the glitch, but Claffey said some of the data from older tickets from 2010 and 2011 still has yet to be uploaded into the system. He also suggested high traffic on the website might be to blame. "We are updating our website this evening to alert people to the issue and the extension to contest violations," he said. Claffey also cautioned people to make sure they are checking the correct database on the city's website. Red light camera tickets and speed camera tickets have to be looked up separately, and an error message will appear if the citation number is plugged into the wrong database. Asked what the city is going to do for those who have already discarded their notices because of the frustration at being unable to see the violation video, Claffey said, "All we can do is apologize." Advertisement Claffey added that violation videos can be viewed by entering a vehicle owner and vehicle tag number. The mass mailing to nearly 1.2 million recipients of 1.9 million tickets offers a second chance to appeal red light camera violations issued between May 23, 2010, and May 14, 2015, or speed camera tickets since May 2012, which is when that program began. The appeals offer by the city follows a ruling last year by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy denying the city's motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit alleging the city violated due process by failing to mail out second notices and wait the full 25 days required by law to assess late fees. Chicago attorney Jacie Zolna, who filed the suit, has called the Emanuel administration's effort to force people to relitigate the city's illegal behavior a sham. On Friday, he scoffed at the idea the city would allow his clients to appeal violations when they cannot see the evidence used to fine them. "I think they've got another problem here," he said. "It appears to me they have a difficult time doing anything right." The notice instructs ticket holders to visit the city's website at www.cityofchicago.org/review, but after plugging in the citation and license plate numbers to view the video, many see only the error message "invalid citation/pin number combination." Advertisement Zolna said no photos or video were available on 18 of 37 cases of which his office is aware, including two violations sent to him personally. The dates on tickets where no video is available range from 2009 all the way through 2015, Zolna said. Of six notices for rehearing sent to the Chicago Tribune for violations on company cars, the video evidence was unavailable on only one, a red light camera ticket from 2010. Zolna's suit was among half a dozen lawsuits that followed a Tribune investigation of corruption and mismanagement within the city's $600 million red light program. The series exposed a $2 million City Hall bribery scheme that brought the traffic cameras to Chicago as well as tens of thousands of tickets that were issued to drivers unfairly. The investigation found malfunctioning cameras, inconsistent enforcement and millions of dollars in tickets issued purposely by City Hall even after transportation officials knew that yellow light times were dropping below the federal minimum guidelines. Throughout the scandal, the Emanuel administration has been reluctant to issue refunds, in some cases forcing drivers to file paperwork and apply for a rehearing process some critics have called onerous. Former City Hall operative John Bills was sentenced to 10 years in prison for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to steer tens of millions of dollars in red light camera contracts to an Arizona company, Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. The former CEO of the company was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison. Advertisement According to testimony at his federal trial, Bills took a cash bribe of up to $2,000 for each of the 384 red light cameras that were installed while he oversaw the program. The Tribune found that up to 40 percent of those cameras made intersections more dangerous by increasing injuries from rear-end crashes by 22 percent. One of the suits that stemmed from the scandal was filed by the Emanuel administration itself, seeking more than $350 million in damages from Redflex. dkidwell@chicagotribune.com Twitter @DavidKidwell Making sense (and, sometimes, nonsense) out of Current News, Issues, Politics An Arlington Heights karaoke bar and Korean restaurant is finally getting a liquor license, with village officials saying this week that the owner deserves forgiveness after the venues prior violations and former ties to a woman charged with prostitution. (Karen Ann Cullotta / Pioneer Press) An Arlington Heights karaoke bar and restaurant is finally getting a liquor license, with village officials saying this week that the owner deserves forgiveness after the venue's prior rule violations and former ties to a woman charged with prostitution. Officials said the Music Box Cafe, also known as the Ding, Dong, Dang Korean restaurant, was twice denied a liquor license in recent years, in part due to the business' former affiliation with a masseuse charged with prostitution who is a relative of owner Song Han. Advertisement The restaurant also had violations including incorrect paperwork when they previously applied for the liquor license, officials said. Despite not having a license to serve liquor, the business has remained in operation in recent years as a karaoke bar and Korean restaurant with a BYOB policy, said Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes, who also serves as the village's liquor commissioner. Advertisement "Mainly because of the affiliation with [the relative], we had some concerns with the liquor license application process, and the board didn't feel comfortable issuing one at the time," Hayes said, adding that Han's relative is no longer involved with the business. "It's been about three and a half years since their second application was denied, and I and others felt that they could operate their business without any incidents occurring, and they should have the privilege," Hayes said. Han was not immediately available for comment on Friday. But at a village board meeting earlier this month, Trustee Thomas Glasgow said while the board had twice denied the request for a liquor license, Han has proven to be "a trustworthy person for the past three and a half years." "I do believe very much that forgiveness is a good thing and the sign of civilized people," Glasgow said. kcullotta@tribpub.com Twitter: @kcullotta Police are seeking information about a garage shot last month on Aurora's East Side. A resident of the 1400 block of Bangor Lane found her garage was damaged by a bullet sometime between 5 p.m. Dec. 15 and noon Dec. 24, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said in an email. Police have no suspects and estimated the shooting caused $500 in damage, Ferrelli said. Advertisement Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call Aurora police investigators at 630-256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to any arrests. People also can submit tips through the Aurora Police Department's free My PD mobile app. Advertisement hleone@tribpub.com Twitter @hannahmleone The Aurora Farmers Market has received a grant from a national organization dedicated to getting healthy, fresh food to all American families. The Wholesome Wave National Nutrition Incentive Network chose the Farmers Market to receive $25,000 to go toward a weekly fruit and vegetable allowance (called a prescription) for low and moderate income families; a nutrition education and demonstration program; and a gleaning program to provide fresh produce each week to the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry, when in season. Advertisement Wholesome Wave chose the Aurora market's grant proposal as one of nine awarded nationally, out of 109 proposals. "Their main goal is to put healthy, fresh food on the table for all families," said Dale Hazelwood, who runs the Aurora Farmers Market. Advertisement Hazelwood said in addition to benefiting Aurora families, the grant will help stimulate the local agricultural economy, and will attract new people to the Aurora market. The grant would provide weekly prescriptions worth about $35 in produce to each recipient family. In addition, grant recipients can get another $25 in double value bonus from SNAP, the state's food stamp program, while shopping at the city's farmers markets. The nutrition education and demonstration part of the grant would be handled by nutrition students from Northern Illinois University, who will showcase seasonal produce and do simple recipe demonstrations at the markets. The gleaning part of the grant takes place after the market closes on Saturdays, when produce not sold will go to the food pantry. The grant will pay for a staffer from the pantry to get the food and take it to the pantry. Marilyn Weisner, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry director, said Saturday is the same day the pantry does food rescue from area grocery stores. She said the demonstrations by NIU students at the market are similar to ones the University of Illinois Extension Service does at the pantry, showcasing recipe ideas for produce. "It's a good program," Weisner said. "We give out thousands of pounds of fresh produce each week. This is a nice way to expand people's knowledge about food and recipes for that food." The Aurora City Council's Finance Committee recently recommended the city approve receiving the grant, and the City Council is due to vote on it at Tuesday's regular meeting. Wholesome Wave will officially announce the grant later this month. Advertisement slord@tribpub.com Transparency not what it seems Linda Chapa LaVia wants to be mayor of Aurora. She's calling for "transparency" in government and is even calling random voters to get input as to how to make the city better. Advertisement Here's how to make Aurora better don't elect Linda Chapa LaVia mayor and don't send her back to Springfield. When a politician calls for "transparency," it means he or she has no ideas but it sounds good to those not paying attention until five minutes before stepping behind the curtain to cast their ballot. Hillary and Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Mike Madigan, to name a few, all call(ed) for transparency. Hillary didn't have a press conference during her campaign for nearly a year; the president said he had a pen and a phone and wasn't afraid to use them and he did to the tune of over 20,000 regulations with no regard for Congress. Rahm Emanuel is another story and Mike Madigan, probably the dirtiest politician in Illinois, loves "transparency." Advertisement Now, Ms. Chapa LaVia has the audacity to call for transparency! Yes, we can see right through her transparency plea. We see straight through to Mike Madigan and his filthy hands engulfing Aurora, as evidenced by his fundraiser for her a few months back. Regardless of anything she says or promises, to be "in bed" with Madigan, even once, creates an illegitimate Madigan political love child in Aurora. When you deal with the devil, you eventually will be asked to pay it back. Mark Werthmann, Aurora Share your views Submit letters to the editor via email to suburbanletters@tribpub.com. Please include your name and town of residence for publication. Please include phone number and email address for confirmation. Letters should be no more than 250 words. Evergreen Park police have identified the victim of a fatal Thursday night shooting as David Murrell, 34, of Chicago. Murrell was found shot in his car about 6:45 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Walgreens, 8700 S. Kedzie Ave., and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Capt. Peter Donovan said Murrell appears to have been targeted, but he declined to offer further details, saying there is an ongoing investigation by the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and the Evergreen Park Police Department. Advertisement Witnesses told police Murrell was sitting in his car when shots were fired, and three men ran from the scene. Public records indicate that Murrell had a 2007 conviction for delivery/manufacturing of marijuana, and a 2005 conviction for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Advertisement Freelancer Bob Rakow also contributed. Crete Township residents are opposed to an intermodal facility proposed by CSX Transportation, immediately west of these railroad tracks on Crete-Monee Road, which is across the street from Balmoral Elementary School (at right) This view is looking west from a resident's yard on Princess Lane. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown) Crete Township residents tried to convince Will County officials not to support an overpass on Crete-Monee Road, fearing it would pave the way for a proposed intermodal facility that they oppose. But they were told that a grade separation over the Union Pacific/CSX Railroad would not prevent the intermodal from being developed on a 1,000-acre site along those tracks from Crete-Monee Road south to Goodenow Road. Advertisement And, even though residents who will be most impacted by this development live in unincorporated Will County, there is little the county can do for them, since the project is within the village of Crete, County Board Speaker Jim Moustis told the dozens of residents who came to his executive committee meeting Thursday morning. CSX Transportation wants to build a $215 million intermodal facility on the same land that CenterPoint Intermodal Center wanted to develop about 10 years ago. Advertisement Then, as now, neighbors opposed the plan as not being well thought out, said County Board member Laurie Summers, D-Crete. The plan is similar to one proposed before, but the overpass is new, she said. "We cannot handle the truck traffic now. We do not have the infrastructure for that here," she said, adding that she visited CenterPoint's intermodal in Joliet and knows "how bad it is." Both Crete-Monee and Goodenow roads are two-lane rural roads. She held a meeting earlier this month to air residents' concerns and update them on the proposal. "It needs to be a regional plan," Summers said. CSX is seeking funds from the Illinois Commerce Commission to help pay for the $17 million overpass, but it needs a government agency to apply for them. CSX will provide the local match of 40 percent or $6.8 million. No county funds will be used. The committee agreed to have Will County be the sponsoring agency, but the matter will be voted on by the full board at a special meeting Thursday, given that the deadline to apply for this year's funds is Jan. 15. According to Tom Livingston, CSX's regional vice president of government and community affairs, the crossing has an average of 3,550 vehicles and 60 school buses per day, with 41 trains. The proposed terminal will initially generate another six trains per day, he said. Advertisement The terminal will be 220 acres, with another 130 acres for future expansion. The remaining 700 acres could be for rail-served warehousing or other industrial uses, according to Livingston's documentation. Regarding CSX's specific plans for the terminal, "We are still kicking the tires," he said. "We have not designed it. Whatever we do, we will listen. We want to get it right," he said. Even though opponents said the overpass would be a "precursor" to the intermodal, Livingston said, "One would not drive the other." Several residents said the intermodal facility would destroy their property values and quality of life and that the diesel fuel would increase health problems and contaminate their private wells. "Is CSX trying to kill us and our children?" said Rachel Piepenbrink. Advertisement Bob Howard, a former Will County Board member from Beecher who was defeated by Summers in the November election, said the proposed intermodal is "literally right up against residents' homes," and a new overpass would require taking some of that property. He cited a "lack of communication" with the village of Crete and called for new legislation that would require more regional notification to other government entities when such large-scale projects are being planned. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Others were concerned about the impact on Balmoral Elementary School, which sits 800 feet west of the tracks on the north side of Crete-Monee Road the northern border of the proposed facility. Jill Hornick suggested that they all "work together to find a plan where this can be built and not destroy people's lives." Moustis told the crowd that county government is "very limited" and has no authority over municipalities, especially a home-rule community like Crete. Most of their issues are with the village of Crete, he said, urging residents to focus their attention on "where you can make a difference." Advertisement "Regardless of what happens, the grade separation is good for the community," Moustis said, adding that the chance of getting ICC funds for it is "slim." Hornick said later that residents will continue to educate the surrounding community about the impacts of this intermodal and will keep speaking out about it "until the village acknowledges our valid concerns." slafferty@tribpub.com Some senior girls disciplined by Marist High School in November after racially charged text messages they allegedly sent were made public on social media returned to the school in Mount Greenwood on Friday, Marist officials and students confirmed. Principal Larry Tucker released a statement announcing the students' return and participation in a reconciliation prayer service, but declined to explain the school's decision to invite the girls back to campus or elaborate on what it will mean for them going forward. Advertisement "Marist High School feels there has been both discipline and forgiveness in this situation, paired with learning opportunities for the entire community," Tucker's statement reads. "The school will continue to address this issue in a proactive way that will make it a stronger school community where all are welcomed and valued." The school's statement stated that "several of the students involved in a social media incident in November returned to school," but officials would not clarify how many had returned. Advertisement Attorney Steven Glink, who represents two of the girls who were disciplined, said his clients were not among the group of students welcomed back to the school on Friday, but declined further comment on the issue. Glink said his clients, who were expelled from Marist and filed suit against the school in early December, had reached an agreement with administrators late last month that would allow them to receive their diplomas after completing an undisclosed amount of schoolwork. He said they would not return to classes at Marist or any other school. "Marist offered up an academic plan and it'll protect my clients' interest in finishing high school and getting a diploma, graduating and moving on to college," he said. It's unclear whether the other students who returned to the school for the prayer service would be returning to the classroom permanently, but multiple Marist students said the girls were in classes on Friday. One Marist senior, who is black, said she was "appalled and disgusted" by her school's decision to welcome back the girls during an assembly on Friday. She said four of the six girls who were disciplined by the school came to the stage following a sermon on the importance of forgiveness, briefly apologized for their actions and then shared a group hug. After assisting faculty members in constructing a table that the school uses as an altar a symbolic gesture meant to convey a rebuilding of the Marist community a teacher anointed the girls and all other students with oil, the student said. "I believe that Marist is more concerned with satisfying the feelings of the majority [than] they are with protecting their minorities," she wrote in an email to the Daily Southtown. "I now have to go to class with some of these girls and it disgusts me that I will have to walk at graduation with these girls." Advertisement The girls, all seniors, were disciplined in early November after their alleged participation in a racially charged text message chain was made public on social media. The students had been discussing the impact that the police shooting of a 25-year-old black man in Mount Greenwood and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed would have on classes in the coming week when one of the girls allegedly wrote "I f------ hate n------," screen shots posted to Twitter indicate. At least four other girls reaffirmed the racist message. Marist administrators, who said they learned of the exchange after a Twitter user posted a screen shot of the text messages and tagged the school's account to alert them, took swift disciplinary action against the girls it determined to be involved. "We are devastated by this situation," a statement the school released at the time said. "Disciplinary action is being taken." According to the lawsuit Glink filed in Cook County Court, five of the 32 girls who allegedly participated in the group text chain were either suspended or expelled from the school. Glink said on Thursday that he'd since heard the school had disciplined six girls, not five, and multiple Marist students who spoke on the condition on anonymity confirmed the school had disciplined six girls in total. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > The lawsuit filed on behalf of two of the girls contends that the screen shots that were made public were taken out of context. Glink asserted the racist comments attributed to his clients were made in response to a Twitter post shared on the text chain that claimed black gang members had put out an order "to kill all white kids seen in Mount Greenwood," and said the girls responded the way they did because they feared for their safety. Advertisement "Did these girls make inappropriate comments? Yes, they did. Nobody's denying that," he said. "The point of the lawsuit is that it really just snowballed out of control I believe Marist overreacted to it." Glink declined comment on the apparent reinstatement of several of the formerly suspended or expelled students on Friday, but said earlier this week that his clients would continue to pursue their lawsuit against the school. They had originally sought reinstatement at the school or $65,000 each in back tuition paid to the school during their more than three years of enrollment plus $1 million each in damages. Glink said the amount of back tuition sought, if any, will be determined by how the proposed alternative academic plan plays out, but that both clients are still seeking in excess of $1 million in damages for an alleged invasion of privacy that severely damaged their reputations, caused severe emotional distress and made them objects of public criticism and scorn. zkoeske@tribpub.com Twitter @ZakKoeske Lauren Dundek of New Lenox took this winning photo of a frog. It is among the seven finalists in the Forest Preserves District of Will County's Preserve the Moment photo contest. (Photo courtesy of Will County Forest Preserves) (Photo courtesy of Will County Forest Preserves) It was the smart phone that launched Chuck Medrano into a new hobby, one that has brought him enjoyment, opportunity and, now, an award. Medrano won the December portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will County's 2016 Preserve the Moment contest. Online voting for the top three winners from a pool of seven finalists begins Tuesday. You can view the photos on the District's Flickr page (www.flickr.com/photos/willcoforests). Advertisement Medrano's photo of a snow-covered bridge at Hickory Creek Preserve in Mokena was taken just after last month's first snowfall. "I'd seen the bridge many times in my trips to the woods," said Medrano, who lives in Mokena. "On that day I was looking for something that would really say winter. It had just snowed and snow was covering all the trees and bridges. The water was still there. It was nice." Advertisement Like many amateur photographers who also love nature, he wanted to share his photo, or more specifically, share the feeling that the scene evoked. "I wanted to show something that is relatable to people who go to the forest preserves. I wanted to give people a different view. There was a nice contrast of lightness and darkness. I thought it would make a really nice picture," he said. Though his winning shot was captured with a Sony Supershot camera, Medrano, a biomedic technician, said his interest in photography began with a cell phone. "I love art and had some design classes in college but didn't really start taking pictures until I got a smart phone with a camera and realized how many things I wanted to take pictures of," he said. Alan Keahey of Naperville took this photo of a heron. It is among the seven finalists in the Forest Preserves District of Will County's Preserve the Moment photo contest. (Photo courtesy of Will County Forest Preserves) (Photo courtesy of Will County Forest Preserves) Before that he said he was OK just to look at photographs. "But now I can make my own. There are a lot of things that catch my eye. So, it just started with having access to a digital camera." For many, cell phone cameras are a gateway into photography. And many of those shutterbug artists find their subjects in nature. Medrano's advice to novices: "Look for something unique. I'm always looking for images and different perspectives to capture." Suzy Lyttle, a naturalist with the Will County preserves, leads photography hikes each season at the Plum Creek Nature Center in Beecher. The next hike is Feb. 3. Advertisement "I think the interest in nature photography has always been there," Lyttle said. But now that cell phone cameras are accessible and social media sites, such as Snapchat and Instagram provide easy platforms on which to share photos, the craft has been gaining momentum, she said. "What's interesting is that I've learned that when people come on the hikes, they really enjoy learning about what they're taking photos of. That's my role as a naturalist," she said. "For example, instead of just photographing a flower, I can tell you that's a spring beauty and here's why." In addition to offering tips for capturing unique photos, Lyttle said, she introduces many hikers to often-overlooked aspects of the preserves, including mushrooms, insects and patterns in bark. "So, it's kind of nature education along the way," she said. Is it possible to get decent nature photos with a cell phone? Advertisement "Definitely," Lyttle said. "That's kind of my main camera right now. I have a digital slr (single lense reflex) but I use my cellphone a lot just because it's on me all the time. You may not be able to get a deer or a bird far away but it takes really great detail shots of nature photography. I have gotten some excellent shots of mushrooms and flowers, even insects. When butterflies freshly emerge and they're slower, you can get great shots of them, too." Every photographer knows that good photos depend not only on a good subject, but on good technique. Choose lighting wisely, she said. "I plan my programs to go out first thing in the morning," Lyttle said. "Because if it's a sunny day, you don't necessarily want to take pictures at noon or in the afternoon because that's going to provide all these shadows. I go out at 8 a.m. before the sun reaches its highest point. It gives you sort of a soft glow on your photos. The same with evening light, when sun is going down. It's softer." Still, Lyttle said, "Photography is about getting out there and experiencing something new. If you're not so keen on nature, photography can be a great launching off spot. It can be something that makes you stop and notice things." Mike MacDonald is a nature photographer who specializes in capturing images in the Chicago area (www.chicagonaturenow.com and www.chicagonature.com). Chuck Medrano's photo of a snow-covered bridge at Hickory Creek took first place in the December portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will Countys Preserve the Moment contest. (Photo courtesy of Will County Forest Preserves) He said there is a rich diversity in places across both the city and suburbs that makes for great photos. Among his favorite places to shoot in the Southland are the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, McGinnis Slough in Orland Park and Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve in Monee. Advertisement He's written a book, "My Journey Into the Wilds of Chicago," and he teaches several photography classes, including Make Great Pictures Now, at various locations around the city and suburbs. Photography, he said, "has been made so easy for people because they don't have to go off and buy a camera. They don't have to make a conscious decision to start taking photos. The ability comes with something you use everyday, a cell phone." Still, he added, just because you can take photos doesn't mean you're taking great or even good photos. "There's more to photography than aiming a camera at stuff," MacDonald said. "Photography is capturing the essence of something, capturing that emotion, that power," he said. "Most people are only capturing the gist of something." Because cell phone cameras have a small sensor that forces a deep depth of field, it is impossible to blur the background, a technique many professionals employ when photographing a person or an animal. Advertisement Too much depth of field can look like clutter, he said. "It's a distraction from your subject." With an slr camera, a photographer can control the mechanisms and widen the aperture to create shallowness, limiting the background and emphasizing the subject, he said. "But you can't do that with a cell phone," he said. "There will come a time that you'll have to graduate to a better camera." What you can do with a cell phone, however, is set up your shoot by moving yourself to limit background clutter, he said. And, he added, when shooting landscapes, cell phones, particularly the iPhone, "work to your benefit because it has such great depth of field. Everything's in focus because that sensor is so small." The biggest mistake most people make when shooting scenery is shooting too much of it, he said. "Zoom in to tell a story without distraction." Advertisement In addition to avoiding a messy background, MacDonald said, strive to take a photo that is interesting. Don't always center your subject, he said. "People read photos from bottom left to upper right, unless you're photographing people, in which case the viewer goes straight to the eyes," he said. "That's how your eyes follow a picture. Let your subject lead to something interesting. Say a log starts in the lower left and leads to the upper right and there in the upper right corner is a flower." If you see a whole bunch of flowers, resist the temptation to shoot the whole bunch, he said. Instead, he said, shoot a few, with your image leading to the larger grouping in the background. Chuck Medrano, seen here with his girlfriend, Andrea Laue, and their dogs, took first place in the December portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will Countys Preserve the Moment contest. (Photo courtesy of Will County Forest Preserves) "A lot of people think what they're seeing and feeling is going to instantly convert into the picture. Just because a subject is beautiful doesn't mean it's going to be beautiful in your photo or that it will deliver that same image," he said. With professional tips and practice, you can become a better photographer, he said. "Tell the beautiful story that moved you in the first place," MacDonald said. "That's the bottom line here." Advertisement Doing so can make your life more interesting and even open doors. Medrano and his girlfriend, Andrea Laue, also enjoy photographing their dogs, Levi Pitboxer, an 85-pound pitbull boxer, and Gigi, a 12-pound Maltese. "One is big, one is little, one is black and one is white," he said. "It makes for great photos and interesting situations." Each dog has its own social media sites. "People seem to enjoy our photos. We put them online and get lots of feedback. That encourages us to take more," he said. This past fall, they put together a calendar of the year's travels to Arizona, Wisconsin and New Mexico and sold it, donating the few hundred dollars in profits to NAWS (Humane Society) in Mokena. Advertisement Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > And, now, he is a finalist in the Will County forest preserves first photo contest. But it all started with a cell phone camera, he said. Some 160 shutterbugs have submitted more than 700 photos in the contest, which ran from June to December. Their subjects, found at 36 of the district's preserves, included birds, bugs, coyotes, fungus, flowers and sunsets, to name a few. In addition to Medrano, the other finalists are Lauren Dundek of New Lenox, frog; Alan Keahey of Naperville, heron; Ryan Buzzelli of Lockport, snake; Lani Nishimura of Plainfield, hawk; Kevin Keyes of Westmont, toad; and John Sullivan of Crest Hill, raccoons. Finalists were chosen by forest preserve judges, preserves spokesperson Cindy Cain said. Members of the public get to choose the overall winners. Online voting begins Tuesday on the district's Facebook page, (www.facebook.com/WillCoForests). Every "like," "share" and "comment" will be counted. Voting ends January 20. The first-place winner will receive a wireless HP color printer. The second-place winner will receive a messenger-style bag with a padded laptop sleeve. The third-place winner will receive a fleece blanket. All who entered the contest qualified for a participation gift. dvickroy@tribpub.com Advertisement Twitter @dvickroy I read many comments in this section that complain about how our tax money is spent. We complain about tax dollars going to school districts, complain about teachers' pensions, etc. Yet, I have not heard anyone mention the situation with Melania Trump. She refuses to live in Washington, D.C. in the White House. Rather, she wants to live in her Manhattan penthouse. As a result, it will cost us taxpayers $1 million per day to provide Secret Service protection in that densely populated area. And Donald Trump, himself, will get $1.5 million of our tax dollars per year for the rent in his building for the Secret Service. It will cost us over a billion dollars throughout his four year term. Where's the outrage? Instead, some of us choose to pick on middle class citizens instead of the elite that are robbing us blind. Can you imagine if Michelle Obama did that? Sean Hannity and Fox News would be on a rampage. SS Advertisement Rumors have surfaced about a possible settlement between the Department of Justice, Buckeye, and the Village of Tinley Park. If the village decides to settle, there will always be questions to whether it was done for the good of the community or to avoid exposure to what may have been questionable practices by elected officials and staff. Knowing what we do about the equally drawn battle lines of the current board and the deciding vote left to the mayor, if they decide to take it to a vote, in all fairness to the citizens, it should be done after the election by the people who will be there to work through whatever decision is made. Tinley Park Advertisement For the sake of my grandchildren, as a parent of a 30-plus year old, I am begging the mayors and the law enforcement for Burbank and Justice and Chicago Public Schools to do something about this epidemic and influx of heroin into our towns and our homes. Everyone is sweeping this drug issue under the rug. Are your pockets getting filled or do you have no conscience? Has it touched your family yet? These communities are turning into cesspools and no one cares. Do your jobs. What are you paid for? Get the dealers out of here and crack down hard on the users. Do something. Help protect the children living in the homes of drug addicts. I saw on the 6 p.m. news William Daley, brother of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, say that Donald Trump should "think before you tweet." Interesting that he would say that considering his brother was a perpetual spoken word accident about to happen. Tom,, Evergreen Park The same Sen. Mitch McConnell who vowed that his only goal was to make President Barack Obama an one term president. The same McConnell who for eight years obstructed everything the president did or tried to do. The same McConnell who for the last year has refused to consider the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, is now complaining that the Democrats might try to obstruct McConnell's extreme agenda. If I thought that McConnell had an ounce of integrity. I would appeal to that integrity, but he is a political hack who has been in Congress far too long. William, Oak Lawn What's Speak Out? Speak Out allows readers to comment on the issues of the day. Email Speak Out at speakout@southtownstar.com or call 312-222-2427. Please limit comments to 30 seconds or about 120 words and give your first name and your hometown. Pete Sotos was one of three Elgin Police Department employees honored Thursday. Sotos retired after nearly 29 years as a dispatcher having started before 911 was used in the city. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News) A new lieutenant's position was created at the Elgin Police Department to oversee the technical investigations division, prompting the promotion of Chris Jensen. Jensen, however, will be lieutenant on the midnight shift and current midnight lieutenant, Jim Bisceglie, will oversee the technical and research division. Advertisement Jensen was promoted recently in a ceremony at the Centre of Elgin that included the promotion of Todd Pavoris to the rank of sergeant, and recognized telecommunications supervisor Pete Sotos. Sotos is retiring after nearly 29 years in the 911 center. The addition of a technical and research division is an example of the department's forward-thinking, said Chief of Police Jeff Swoboda. Advertisement "I am so proud to work in a community that is forward thinking. The fact we are doing the things we are doing is not just luck," Swoboda said. While other departments facing criticism following officer-involved shootings and say they are "rethinking" police body cameras "we don't need to rethink because we are thinking of it on the front end," Swoboda said. Elgin officers should be receiving their body cameras in February, Swoboda said. As part of Bisceglie's position, the lieutenant will be responsible for maintaining those cameras' records. Bisceglie was promoted to lieutenant in April. He was among the officers who built the department's real-time information center integrating technology such as street cameras and police vehicle tracking systems to help solve crimes. The technology gives the department "new ways to be more efficient and more precise. Those systems need to be monitored and collectively doing that we needed them to do," Swoboda said. The technology allows the department to do more with fewer officers, Swoboda said. Currently there are 182 sworn officers in the city, down from a high of 196 a decade ago. Jensen, the newly-minted lieutenant, has also "led from the front," Swoboda said. While serving on the department's drug unit, Jensen helped to get a new Illinois law passed which allowed communities to charge the cost of investigating drug dealers back to that dealer after an arrest and conviction, Jensen said. Advertisement Working with Lt. Jeff Adam and state lawmakers, the law doesn't seek tens of thousands, but does hold the dealers responsible, he said. "If they are knowingly selling drugs, why should people who work hard have to pay taxes to investigate their illegal activity," Jensen said. Pavoris was hired in 2003 and is currently assigned to the afternoon patrol shift, Swoboda said. He also serves as a SWAT team leader and oversees the police departments Taser program. As part of that program, Pavoris does community presentations about the department's use of force policies. He hopes to be the kind of leader who helped him, Pavoris said. "I went up to a supervisor who gave me a lot of advice and assistance along the way," Pavoris said. That supervisor told him "you don't have to thank me, just do for the next guy in line what I did for you," he said. Advertisement "That is what I'd really like to do as I move along in my career use my experience and knowledge to move them forward," Pavoris said. As Swoboda and others thanked Sotos for his work, the chief remarked on how many things have changed since 1988, when Sotos began as a dispatcher in Elgin. Back then, Swoboda said, there was no 911 system in Elgin. There were no computers in squad cars, and no records management system tracking calls. What hasn't changed, Swoboda said, is a city council and city management that give its officers the tools they need. While he wasn't with the department in 1988 "I can imagine that the best ideas didn't come from the third floor, but are coming from the people who are out there every day," Swoboda said. Advertisement Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. KCR BJP : - ; A school bus to transport students in and out of Algonquin-based Community Unit School District 300 sits inside the Durham School Services bus depot in Algonquin on Friday. (Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News) While some school districts are still on winter break, Community Unit School District 300 finished its first week of classes Friday. Making sure the school buses will continue to bus students home, school bus driver Lillian Fowler was out in the freezing cold late Friday morning, checking motor oil levels and conditions. This is Fowler's 10th year transporting children to and from the Algonquin-based schools. Advertisement Only six months into her job a decade ago, District 300 subcontracted with Durham School Services, a private school bus company that transports more than one million children daily, according to the Durham website, and relinquished most of its transportation operations to them. Today, Durham's District 300 operations are located in a building just next to administration and blocks from Jacobs High School, overseeing 230 buses and vans. "I don't have any complaints," Fowler said. "I like Durham." Advertisement The route District 300 took in its school bus operations outsourcing its transportation to an outside company is often a contentious issue. In School District U46, bus drivers, mechanics and others of the District U46 Transportation Union have not hidden their disapproval over a Request for Proposals released at the end of 2016 for about half of its 291 bus routes. On Monday, members of the transportation union plan to make a repeat appearance before the school board, said president Heather Weiss. Their opinions on the topic have not changed, as evidenced by a handout the union has continued distributing into this year. The handout lists the nearly 400-member union's chief complaints about outsourcing, such as the district losing local control of the area, having less say in employee hiring and a reduction in bus driver safety and quality. The perceived cost savings of shifting to an out-of-district hire districts often outsource because it would reduce their operating budgets would not happen, the union wrote. Nonetheless, privately-run school bus transportation exists at a large scale, including the Chicago suburbs. Some local school districts have outsourced transportation services to outside providers for years. According to the trade publication School Bus Fleet's most recent factbook, 35 percent of all school buses were contractor-owned in the 2014-15 school year. The percentage is almost identical to the 36 percent reported in the 2013-14 school year. While School Bus Fleet's nationwide survey identifies how many school buses are publicly or privately-owned, the data are incomplete, as several states, such as Illinois, did not report. A representative for the Illinois Board of Education said the agency does not keep a record of subcontracted school bus operations. Larger national organizations, including the National Education Association, have been critical of outsourcing. Many private companies are simply looking for a quick profit, often foregoing high wages, benefits, and good employee relations, according to the National Education Association. Advertisement In District 300, Fowler said the lack of benefits is a downside, as they have to depend on family members' employer insurance benefits or purchasing under the Affordable Care Act. However, it hasn't been enough to make her look elsewhere. "Of course, I don't know what the other companies are like," she said. District 300 transportation director Donna Bordsen said while there was initial resistance when the district shifted toward an outside hire, the partnership has gone well this past decade. "They end up hiring your own bus drivers," she said. "Everyone had to go through an interview process, but they hired basically 95 percent of them. The others went out on their own." The district is currently in the process of transferring all its own school buses to Durham, said Bordsen. While the bus fleet is currently almost evenly split between Durham-owned and district-owned, she said the plan is for Durham to have ownership of all of them by 2019. In Naperville, Indian Prairie School District 204 has outsourced all its school bus operations to an outside company, First Student, since "the beginning of time", said Tim Keeley, director of support services. While he could not pinpoint when Indian Prairie contracted, Keeley said it has been at least 15 years. Advertisement First Student runs more than 250 buses in Indian Prairie. And most of the bus drivers are from the Naperville area, Keeley said. The perception private bus companies will hire drivers not familiar with the community does not apply in Naperville. "It's kind of a mix out here," he said. "But when you ask if drivers live local, I'd say they do." Other districts in the suburbs have hired private companies for some or all of their bus routes, including East Aurora Public School District 131 and School District 54 in Schaumburg. raguerrero@tribpub.com Fox Lake Fire Department crews battle a fire that swept through a house on Highpoint Road on Jan. 6, 2016. (Joe Shuman / News-Sun) A fire seriously damaged a home in Ingleside Friday morning, according to authorities. A 911 call was received at 11:54 a.m. reporting a fire on the 25800 block of Highpoint Avenue in Ingleside, according to Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Advertisement Covelli said no one was home at the time of the fire and that the Fox Lake Fire Department was the lead response agency, while the sheriff's office dispatched an investigator to the scene. Firefighters faced brutally cold conditions as they fought the blaze, and because the area did not have hydrants, water was shuttled in by fire department tanker trucks, according to an onlooker at the scene. Advertisement As of late Friday afternoon, Covelli said he had no information on the extent of the damage, and attempts to reach Fox Lake Fire Department officials for comment were unsuccessful. jrnewton@tribpub.com Twitter @jimnewton5 Waukegan police recently purchased a 3-dimensional forensic scanner that will recreate computer-generated crime scenes. Here, the scanner is used by David Dustin, of Georgia-based Dustin Forensics, who trained Waukegan police, to illustrate an underground bunker in Texas that was pitch black. (Erin Gallagher / Lake County News-Sun) The Waukegan Police Department is one of only three law enforcement agencies that have a three-dimensional forensic scanner that can virtually re-create crime scenes or crashes, authorities said. The Faro Focus 3-D scanner attaches to a tripod and rotates 360 degrees, painting the room with infrared light, said David Dustin of the Georgia-based Dustin Forensics, who trained Waukegan police personnel how to use it. Advertisement The accompanying software will then connect a series of video-type scans to create a virtually realistic model of a scene within 2 millimeters accuracy, he said. "The selling point for us (is) it's a time-saving factor," said Waukegan police Lt. Edward Fitzgerald. "For us, it saves on overtime." Advertisement Using the scanner is simple because it easily attaches to a tripod in a just a few moments, Dustin said. Previously, Waukegan police used either hand-held measuring tapes or a Leica Total Station laser measuring device, which first had to be balanced on the tripod to use. "That thing was a nightmare to set up," said Fitzgerald, who is the commander of both the department's traffic division and major crime scene unit. The Leica also gathered 50 to 300 points of measurement, whereas the new Faro scanner gathers millions of measurements. Each scan takes six to eight minutes, Dustin said. Police then move the tripod to a different point for another scan. While the scan takes place, police are able to do other tasks. Then, after the software re-creates the scene, police can take measurements, such as the distance between two shell casings, or between a corpse and a weapon, simply by clicking on two points with a computer mouse. Police can use the software to gather any measurements they may have missed on the actual scene, Fitzgerald said. Once the virtual 3-D scene is created, the final product can be downloaded onto a thumb drive with any accompanying documents, such as police reports, and turned over to prosecuting attorneys in an uneditable format that can't be manipulated, Dustin said. The scanner can be used at night or in the dark. It creates a black-and-white scan of an area, which Dustin used in an underground bunker case in Texas, he said. The scanner also reveals blood stains that can be easily disguised by dark clothing, Fitzgerald said. "We definitely do a lot of nighttime crime scenes, so it definitely benefits us to have the nighttime capabilities," Fitzgerald said. The sophisticated software also allows the viewer to rotate around within a scene, get different perspectives and re-create events, such as a rollover crash, Fitzgerald said. He added the device can also show the trajectory of a bullet and can take the viewer through a wall like a ghost to follow the path of a bullet. Viewers can zoom in on any point captured by the scan to see close-up detail. Advertisement Showing proximity is described by users as an important benefit of the scanner. Dustin testified in 2016 in the trial of Justin Ross Harris, the man convicted of leaving his toddler in a car in the heat. Dustin showed jurors a virtual re-creation of the car and how closely the toddler's car seat was to the driver, he said. Because of the accuracy, the virtual scenes have so far been accepted by the courts, which helps prosecution in a case, Dustin said. Another benefit is that court costs may be lessened because attorneys won't waste time litigating facts proven by the scans, he said. "I think it would offer more veracity to an officer's observations," Fitzgerald said. "I can't think of a way it can be manipulated." The public benefits because the scans can verify if an officer is telling the truth, giving more accountability and credibility to an officer, he said. The only downsides, other than the cost and the learning curve, is that shiny surfaces, such as chrome, occasionally can interfere with the infrared light, Fitzgerald said. Waukegan police spent about $80,000 for the scanner, tripod, hand-held scanner, software and training, Fitzgerald said. He added that funding came from the Shawna Fund, named after a girl killed by a drunk driver. People convicted of driving while intoxicated pay an additional fine to the fund "to use for equipment purchases and enforcement efforts related to traffic and DUI enforcement," he said. Advertisement "The use of the 3-D scanner will help our department cut processing costs in the long run, as it is mostly automated," said Waukegan police Chief Wayne Walles. "The final product is very impressive in that it perfectly re-creates a scene, and that helps in our investigative analysis as well as courtroom presentation." The scanner was purchased in October, and in November, six officers underwent training from the major traffic accidents and major crime scene units. Within hours after the training ended, Waukegan police were called to a scene where the scanner was put to use. Since then, it's been used about five times, Fitzgerald said. Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun. Whether we want to or not, here we go into the minefield of race, where the potential explosions and destruction are even larger than usual as 2017 gets underway in America. One thing that hasn't changed is that, regardless of the year on the calendar, people will run news headlines through the lens of their worldview and make of it what they will, and all too often only what they will. Advertisement Take, for stark and recent example, the two stories that occupied the front page of Friday's News-Sun: "Hate crime charges in attack," which detailed the latest in what is now known officially on Wikipedia as the "2017 Chicago torture incident;" and "Customer alleges racial slur," the even more local tale of a woman accusing a Zion Dairy Queen owner of calling her and her children a word that could not be printed in our pages. In the first example, people of sound and rational mind can surely agree that the abuse targeted upon the victim and livestreamed to the world are criminally and morally wrong. Along with being disgusting, inexcusable, troubling and many other things described by adjectives, the actions were also outrageous, and outrage is where we go sideways or backward in the modern day. Advertisement Raise your hand if you have a friend, professional colleague, casual acquaintance or in-law who posted on social media dehumanizing terms to describe the four accused black suspects. Keep your hand raised only if you've ever seen those same friends, professional colleagues, casual acquaintances or in-laws post similar sentiments about the Dylann Roofs among us. When it comes to the Dairy Queen story, people of sound and rational mind can surely agree that the use of a certain racial slur should not be directed in a negative way from one human to another, much less from a white man to a biracial woman and her children. The outrage in this case became a problem when the restaurant owner's name and hometown were posted on social media. Random accusations of past misdeeds and threats of violence against him were unfortunately mixed in among comment threads that were largely supportive of the young woman. Within a few hours of the woman's story spreading across social media which, it must be said, performed a positive service in this case the Dairy Queen owner's own Facebook page was blocked to the outside world. It's a safe bet this was done as a protective measure. This is how someone can do something offensive and claim victim status of their own. All told, it was no surprise to see gasoline being poured on the fires. A new standard of divisiveness driven by the relative protection of the internet and the cocoon it creates for us has not only become more and more acceptable in American life but has been shown to be a means to attention and success. My father used to call it "venting your spleen." It was supposed to be harmless maybe you yelled at the TV instead of your fellow man. Today, a spleen can be vented into the wide world without consequences, as long as no one bothers to connect your cyber self with your real self. Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday > This is not an argument for censorship or against the sharing of opposing views. It is merely an observation, and not an original one, that we are not making progress by simply shouting against one another and/or spouting off among people who agree with us. Advertisement To quote another man of past vintage, in this case Moe Howard of "The Three Stooges," we're getting nowhere fast. It might seem inappropriate to quote such a man in such a circumstance, but it is no more insane than your old high school friend posting links to a neo-conservative website and thinking it will sway your neo-progressive friends, or vice versa. As the outrage culture continues its effort to spin us downward into hopelessness, there were glimmers of light that Zion's Dairy Queen incident might take a different tack. For starters, the white mayor and white police chief backed the biracial complainant. Then corporate officials announced the company was ending its franchise agreement with the store owner. Following that news, how will Lake County's episode in the culture wars play out? We can keep our fingers crossed and hope to be surprised. danmoran@tribpub.com Twitter@NewsSunDanMoran Brandon Getzloff and his wife spent Friday night outside the Naperville Municipal Center, surviving the single-digit temperatures with a little help from some liquid courage. "We brought a tent and had a bottle of Fireball that we shared," Getzloff said. "We also had a space heater. There was no way I was going to miss seeing the Cubs World Series trophy." Advertisement The couple, who live in Carol Stream, were first in line for the 11 a.m. Saturday trophy viewing at the municipal center, having arrived at 6:30 p.m. Friday to ensure they wouldn't miss out on getting a glimpse of what many thought they'd never live to see the Chicago Cubs win. Naperville was the first suburban location to have a viewing, city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said. Hundreds gathered outside the municipal building long before the doors opened at 7 a.m. Saturday, and it was expected that thousands would pass through those doors to "witness history" in the two hours the trophy was on display, she said. Advertisement Other viewings are planned, including upcoming stops in Schaumburg and Rockford, but for many it was a seize-the-moment experience. "I got here around 7 o'clock this morning. This is something I've waited for my whole life," said Brooke Guddendorf, 39, of Aurora. "I brought hand warmers, so this hasn't been too bad. I saw an article in the paper that the trophy was going to be here, and I said to my friends, 'I'm going. Who's with me?' But no one else came." While those toward the front of the line were able to take refuge indoors once the municipal center opened, hundreds joined Guddendorf in waiting outside as lines wrapped around the building and down the block. Devin Larsen, a mechanic for the city of Naperville, was stationed outside the city's parking deck at 8 a.m. "The lower deck is full, and people drive by and ask where they can park," Larsen said. "From time to time, one car goes out from here and another goes in. Some people just give up and leave." Getzloff's wife, Rosa, said she agreed to join her husband in the overnight adventure because he had made a similar sacrifice for her a few weeks ago. "I'm actually a Sox fan, but I said I'd do this with my husband because he stood in line outside with me weeks ago before Christmas when we went shopping on Black Friday," she said. "We got here at 6:30 last night and had a pizza from Rosati's delivered here at midnight. The guy even came into the tent. The pizza was still nice and warm." LaCloche said the city started working with the Cubs a month ago to get the team to bring the trophy to Naperville. Advertisement "People are aware this is a part of history and want to take part in what was a (historic victory after a) 108-year drought," LaCloche said. "We know people are super excited, and we've been working with the Cubs since December as they were looking to scout out locations. Being the fifth-largest city in the state, they knew people would come here." Jason Freitag, of Naperville, actually arrived before the Getzloffs but opted to wait in his van for a while before becoming the second in line, he said. "I'm actually a South Side Cub fan," Freitag said. "I dressed in a lot of layers. My friends here were kind enough to share their Fireball with me, and that helped. The Cubs may not be a dynasty yet, but I feel they're going to be. I had to see this." Those with a much longer allegiance to the ballclub, such as Naperville's Bob Stabrawa, 70, said coming to the trophy tour was all about having what might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "My dad used to be an Andy Frain usher, and we'd get into game years ago and just sit on the steps," Stabrawa said. "It's a really great feeling to see that this has come to pass, and at my age, you never know if you'll ever see this again. All of the people in my family that were fans have passed away, and I feel coming here is something I also needed to do for them." David Sharos is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. An overflow crowd gathers at the Oak Park Public Library on Jan. 5 for a discussion about participating in upcoming marches in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press) Following a contentious presidential election, thousands of local women are expected to march in Washington, D.C., and downtown Chicago later this month. An overflowing crowd filled the Veteran's Room of the Oak Park Public Library on Jan. 5 to discuss the marches, with many in attendance pledging to attend one of the events. Advertisement "This turnout is making me so proud and so happy," said organizer Mrinalini Chakraborty. "This movement started on Facebook and still lives on Facebook. We are kind of running faster than we can think." According to event organizers, the march events are designed to send a bold message to the new government officials on their first day in office, and also to the world that women's rights are human rights. Both marches are scheduled to take place on Jan. 21, one day after the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Advertisement Though the final route is not confirmed, Chakraborty estimates at least 200,000 people will march in Washington, D.C., and said more than 1,800 buses from across the country will be bringing marchers to the nation's capital. The route is expected to begin at the corner of Independence Avenue and 3rd Street. Among those taking part will be River Forest resident Summer Zandrew, who organized a bus trip with several of her neighbors and their children to Washington. "We all thought it was really important to have our children be a part of this," Zandrew said. "I have never been a part of anything like this, but if there is a silver lining of Trump's election it's this awakening of humanity. I hope that sends a message to the world and all of our elected officials. I'm marching to do what I can to say that as women, we will not be bullied or bulldozed." In addition to the march taking place in Washington, a similar march will take place the same day in downtown Chicago. Oak Park resident and Oak Park and River Forest High School teacher Anthony Clark helped organized the Oak Park Library meeting, and pledged to stand with the women for their cause. "I'm a male," Clark said. "I will never experience the sexism that you may experience, but I can empathize that sexism is wrong. I believe in your movement, and we are more powerful when we work together." Clark also urged those participating to think long-term when becoming involved in equity issues. "We can go to this march, make some [social media] posts, look cool and get some likes, but you're not eliminating anything," Clark said. "This is good, but ask yourself what you are willing to do once this march is over. The fight is just beginning. Trump's in office now. He's emboldening people, but it's nothing new. This has been going on, and it's time for us to step up." Advertisement Clark's Suburban Unity Alliance will gather near OPRF at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 21, and participants intend to take the CTA Green Line to the Petrillo Bandshell in Chicago's Grant Park, where the Chicago march is expected to begin. More information on the Women's March in Washington DC is available at www.womensmarch.com and www.womensmarchillinois.com. Information on the Chicago Women's March is available at http://womens121marchonchicago.org. sschering@pioneerlocal.com Twitter: @steveschering The moniker Joy Wok reflects the mission of the restaurant in Chesterton. "We just want people to come to the restaurant and be filled with joy when they leave. We want to satisfy them. That's why we named it Joy Wok," said Hong Gao, co-owner and manager of Joy Wok. Advertisement "We do Chinese food and Thai food. We also have a lot of items on the menu. We bring something new to the community. We're also looking to add more stuff to the menu and something different." Gao said family members and fellow Valparaiso residents who help with Joy Wok include Chef Jinlong Gao, originally from China and formerly of Chesterton, and her brother Kui Gao, who works in the kitchen. Advertisement "When it comes to Thai food, I highly recommend the pad Thai noodles, Thai mango chicken and Thai basil beef. These three are the most popular dishes. When it comes to appetizers, it's Thai shrimp spring rolls," Hong Gao said. "The most popular dish with Chinese food is General Tso's chicken, Happy Family and dragon & Phoenix. Then the appetizer crab Rangoon is definitely something everybody should try." Happy Family is a chef's specialty and features fresh chicken, shrimp, roasted pork and beef with broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, zucchini, snap peas, mushrooms and green cabbage in a brown sauce. Dragon & Phoenix is another chef's specialty. The spicy dish features General Tso's chicken and garlic shrimp. "Everything we make here is (made with) fresh ingredients. Everything is made from scratch. Everything is made to order," Hong Gao said. Prices start at $1.75 for appetizers, $2.75 for soups, $3.95 for fried rice, $4.95 for noodles, $6.95 for chicken dishes, $7.25 for beef or shrimp selections, $9.25 for vegetarian dishes and $10.95 for chef's specialties. Joy Wok also offers lunch specials with plain fried rice and a pork egg roll until 3 p.m. for $7.25, and dinner combos with pork fried rice and a pork egg roll for $9.50. Vegetarian side substitutions are allowed. "We have really good ratings on Facebook. Our business is growing. It's all because of word-of-mouth because we focus on quality service and also our prices are really reasonable. We have the freshest ingredients and variety of food," Hong Gao said. Advertisement Prior to Joy Wok opening in July, she owned restaurants in New York and a couple in Northwest Indiana and worked as a nurse and in sales. Living in Chesterton for approximately 13 years is what prompted her to open her latest venture there. "I like the town. I like the people. They're very friendly," Hong Gao said. Joy Wok offers seating for approximately 28 people. "We have origami art. Something that you don't see very often is artwork made all out of paper. I think that's very unique," said Hong Gao, describing the decor. "It's a very comfortable environment." Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays. Advertisement Information: Joy Wok is at 442 Sand Creek Drive North, Suite 106, Chesterton. Contact 219-728-1867 or www.facebook.com/joywok2197281867. Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Despite doing several international tours, The Special Consensus has kicked off each year for approximately the last 20 in Valparaiso. Billed as "bluegrass with an attitude," the acoustic band performs its annual Front Porch Music concert Saturday. Advertisement "The people there are just great folks and we always want to support the people that help promote the music," said Greg Cahill, co-founder of The Special Consensus, via phone from his home office in Oak Lawn, Illinois. "We have this regular following of folks that have been coming every year or almost every year. We started playing there when our guitar player was working there part-time when we weren't on tour. We hardly play any places that small anymore but it just became a ritual. We just love it." Advertisement Marty Marrone was their guitar player back then, but the band now consists of Cahill on banjo, Nick Dumas on mandolin, Dan Eubanks on bass and Rick Faris on guitar. "These guys are just great guys as well as great musicians," said Cahill, who still serves as a banjo instructor one day a month at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. "I'm always trying to find top guys and find younger guys. There's so many good musicians that just need an opportunity like our new guy, Nick. He's in his 20s. But you have to get along. It can get tedious if you have somebody who's just not a team player or doing it just for the money. "Everybody has a passion for the music and is respectful of each other." The Special Consensus, who began performing in the Midwest in spring 1975, was nominated for a Grammy Award for best bluegrass album for 2012's "Scratch Gravel Road," which was released through Compass Records. "It was great because the people voting are your peers. That's a huge compliment. A lot of folks spend their entire life and don't get the nomination, so we were very honored," said Cahill, who created the Traditional American Music Program in 1984 to introduce students of all ages to bluegrass music. "It was a real big thing to get nominated for the Grammy and playing the Grand Ole Opry, especially for a band from Illinois, which is not recognized as a bluegrass place." The roots-oriented set list planned for Front Porch Music includes material from The Special Consensus' 18th album, "Long I Ride," which was released in March on Compass, plus original songs written by band members, traditional bluegrass tunes, some gospel songs and a couple of swing numbers. Advertisement "We just look forward to seeing all our friends and hope some new folks will read the article and come check it out," said Cahill, whose family includes wife Jackie, son Dan, daughter-in-law Gloria and grandchildren Sean, Vanessa and Daniel. Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. The Special Consensus When: 8 p.m. Jan. 7 Where: Front Porch Music, 505 E. Lincolnway, Valparaiso Tickets: $20; limited seating available Advertisement Information: 219-464-4700, www.frontporchmusic.com or www.specialc.com Flowers from the funeral of three children killed in a Gary fire are loaded for transport to the cemetery. (Jim Karczewski / Post-Tribune) Reading Becky Jacobs' story in the Post-Tribune about the funeral Tuesday for three small children killed in a Christmas Eve arson fire in Gary, visualizing those "white, child-sized caskets topped with flowers and stuffed bears," it was evident that the service was moving, with many powerful testimonies given to the tragic loss of lives just begun. There were words, and tears, from those who had taught the children, words about their beautiful smiles, passion for learning and love of eating and superheroes. Sandi Sweeney, director of programs at Lake Ridge Head Start, said: "We are devastated because a part of us goes with them." Advertisement There were words from Pastor De'Wan Bynum, celebrating the short lives of the cousins, 5-year-old Jayden Mitchell, 4-year-old A'laya Pickens and 2-year-old Yaleah Cohen, while also noting, "they did not deserve to die like this." But, to us, there were no truer words than those of Ronald Brewer, president of Gary Common Council, who spoke to the need for such killings to stop. Advertisement "I have a problem with it, and you should have a problem with it. The community should be outraged," Brewer said. Yes. We can at times be numbed by so much bloodshed and heartache across a violent metropolitan area. But some acts of evil should still shake us to our core. If a community cannot be outraged by the snuffing out of three children three innocents who had lived a combined 11 years what could possibly outrage it? The community cannot be so dead inside as to just shrug off such horror. The fire was started with an incendiary device, authorities said. No arrests have been made in connection with the devastation in the 4400 block of West 23rd Court. Gary police are asking that anyone with "knowledge of the events that occurred, leading up to, during and after this tragic fire" share what they know. Perhaps someone saw something out of the ordinary. Or perhaps they even know who was capable of such a thing, of such cowardice. It's difficult to imagine sleeping peacefully with such knowledge. Say what you know. Pick. Up. The. Phone. 219-755-3855 or 866-274-6347. The person responsible for these deaths needs to be brought to justice, the kind with a black robe or a jury of peers, not street justice. For the families. For civilized society. Pastor Bynum at Christian Valley Baptist Church urged the families to "hold on" and turn to their religion and community for support. In the face of wanton destruction of lives just begun, he said again and again: "Something good is coming out of this." Advertisement We pray that it is outrage, and an awakening of human decency, and justice. Charges have been filed against two men after police say they robbed the Caseys General Store in Bonne Terre and were arrested at Walmart. Jesus Alberto Bertaza-Balle, 20, and Portillo Depaz, 23, who had most recently been staying at Red Cedar Lodge in Bonne Terre, are being charged with a class A felony of robbery in the first degree and felony armed criminal action. According to a probable cause statement, on Jan. 2 at 4:59 p.m. Bonne Terre Sgt. Ben Adams was contacted by Chief Doug Calvert who requested he respond to Caseys to assist in investigating an armed robbery that had just occurred. Adams reported that when he arrived at the gas station, Calvert was already there and he informed him the two suspects were two Hispanic men and they had been possibly seen at Walmart in Desloge. Adams stayed behind while the chief and lieutenant went to the Walmart to talk to the suspects. The report said a short time later Adams received a text message with photos of three Hispanic men and a silver car. He showed the photos to the cashier who was robbed at gun point and she was able to positively identify two of the three (Bertaza-Balle and Depaz) as the men who committed the robbery. The cashier could not identify the car because she did not see the suspects get in a vehicle. However, one of the delivery drivers positively identified the car in the photo as being parked on the Caseys parking lot as he had been leaving for a delivery. The cashier was then taken to the Desloge Walmart to identify the two men in person, rather than just by a photograph. Then the cashier positively identified Bertaza-Balle and Depaz in person, they were taken to the St. Francois County Jail and their car was towed at the request of the Walmart manager. Adams reported that Calvert did a precursory search of the car to try and locate any weapons. Calvert said he was unable to locate any weapons, but he did find a large amount of cash in the car. In addition, he said it appeared both men were wearing newly-purchased jackets and they had just paid cash to make a money transfer to Mexico. The cashier told police that the two men came into the store through the main entrance and they lingered around the store until they were the only customers in the building. She said the two men approached the counter attempting to purchase a bottle of Coke and one of them handed her a $2 bill. When the drawer opened, the cashier said they started talking in a foreign language that she believed to be Spanish. She said one of the men pulled out a gun and pointed it at her, while the other jumped over the counter and took all the money from the cash drawer. The first man held the gun pointed at her until they both left. A later audit by the manager determined they had taken $596.27. Investigators were able to seize a counter mat that had a shoe/boot print on it from one of the men as well as the $2 bill they had handed the cashier. They were also able to lift two partial palm prints and four fingerprints from the counter, as well as a partial thumb print from a cooler door the suspects had touched while in the store. Both Bertaza-Balle and Depaz are being held in the St. Francois County Jail on a $200,000 cash or surety bond. Sheryl Ruggaber, from left, her husband Brent and daughter Shelby, 3, enjoy hot dogs at Valpo Viennas Friday after Sheryl Ruggaber was sworn in as an American citizen. The family wanted American food to celebrate. (Amy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) Because there isn't anything much more American than hot dogs, that's what Sheryl Ruggaber and her family had to eat after she was sworn in as an American citizen Friday at U.S. District Court in Hammond. What she didn't expect when she walked in to Valpo Viennas in downtown Valparaiso was a collection of family and friends who greeted her with hugs, applause, a U.S.A. balloon and a banner proclaiming her new citizenship. Advertisement "We were talking about getting American food," she said as Pat Truax, owner of Valpo Viennas, told her she had to have a Chicago-style hot dog. Ruggaber, 38, came to America on Aug. 6, 2004 from the Philippines to marry her husband, Brent Ruggaber, and while becoming a citizen was always in the back of her mind, it came to the forefront during the presidential election when Ruggaber realized she wanted her voice to be heard. Advertisement "I wanted to take part because I wasn't voting in the Philippines and I wasn't voting here and I felt that I should," she said. "It was the candidates and before I never really had a say so I couldn't complain. This time I wanted to have a say of my candidate but I wasn't able to vote." Ruggaber, who lives in Valparaiso with Brent and their daughter Shelby, 3, had hoped to complete her citizenship before the election but that didn't happen. She plans on registering to vote in the coming week. "When you come here and become a permanent resident, you get to do everything but vote and run for office," she said, adding she's also looking forward to getting an American passport. Ruggaber learned to drive shortly after she came here and worked for seven years at the Menards in Valparaiso. She's worked at ArcelorMittal in Burns Harbor for five years, where she's a service technician. She and Brent met online through a series of coincidences and missteps. At the urging of a friend, she signed up for an online dating website but when she put in where she was from, Leyte in the Philippines, the site auto-corrected it to "Leroy." After a few attempts at fixing it, she gave up. Brent was doing online research for a local restaurant that wanted to look into marketing for singles and unknowingly went to the wrong website, where he created a profile to gain access to the site. He found Sheryl's profile and thought she was from Leroy, in south Lake County. It was only after the couple began an email exchange that Brent discovered Sheryl wasn't a county away. Still, their relationship blossomed, and he went to visit her in the Philippines for two weeks before Sheryl came to the U.S. so they could marry. When she arrived here, Brent drove her through Leroy as a joke. He is proud of her decision to become a citizen. Advertisement "I'm honored that she would make the commitment. It's a big step. I'm proud of the country and I'm happy to introduce Sheryl to everything this country has to offer, from beautiful scenery and places to the history and the politics," said Brent, 46, who works in customer service at ArcelorMittal. "I've always been very interested in the politics and history, so it's special to have someone coming from very basic knowledge and willing to learn." Becoming a citizen was also an important thing to do for Shelby, Sheryl said. "It's important for me for her to know this is home and this country has offered me a lot of opportunities to grow myself and be a better person and help other people," she said. "I want Shelby to learn about my culture and at the same time, it is really a privilege to be an American citizen, and she is really lucky to be born here." With that, Truax brought deep-fried Twinkies to the tables for the Ruggaber family and their friends. "You can't get any more American than a Chicago dog and a deep-fried chocolate Twinkie," he said. Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. You are here: Home The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said Friday it will intensify its crackdown on foreign exchange irregularities in 2017, including underground banking. The administration will also strengthen management of cross-border capital flow, and make further reforms to facilitate trade and investment in order to better serve the real economy, SAFE head Pan Gongsheng said after a work conference. SAFE will also improve operating management of foreign exchange reserves to maintain safety and flexibility while guarding against losses in value. China's forex reserves fell for the fifth straight month in November to 3.05 trillion U.S. dollars, the lowest level since March 2011. Despite recent drops, China is still home to the world's largest forex reserves and enjoys forex inflows from its trade surplus and foreign direct investment of about 620 billion U.S. dollars each year. Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the seventh plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Jan. 6, 2017. [Xinhua] The anti-corruption battle must go deeper, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, calling for strict governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) systematically, creatively and effectively. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the seventh plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which opened Friday. The guidelines established at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee should be implemented in a comprehensive manner, Xi said, adding that new practices must be guided with renewed understanding. The values of Communists must be upheld, and ideals and belief should be firmed with cultural confidence, Xi said, stressing the need to maintain the seriousness of political life in the Party and strengthen intra-Party supervision. The president said efforts should be made to address both symptoms and root causes of corruption, comprehensively strengthen discipline and to constantly improve work styles. The meeting was chaired by top graft buster Wang Qishan and attended by leaders including Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli. ANTI-GRAFT ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2016 "Managing and running the Party is not only linked to the fate of the Party itself, but is also related to the future and fate of the nation," Xi stressed, adding that the Party should address this issue with greater resolution, efforts and courage. "Only by managing the Party soundly can we successfully lead the people in handling major challenges, hedge against major risks, overcome major obstacles and solve major contradictions, achieving one victory after another," Xi said. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, "comprehensively and strictly governing the Party" has been included in the strategic blueprint, and efforts have been made to manage the Party stringently and carefully, according to Xi. Nothing is off-limits in the anti-corruption efforts, and zero tolerance has been shown toward corruption, Xi said, underscoring that the spread of corruption has been curbed and corruption cases that directly impact people's direct interests have been dealt with. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the entire Party, the Party's discipline has been strengthened, Xi said, adding that "the spread of corruption has been effectively contained and the battle against corruption has gained crushing momentum." "The objective of ensuring officials do not dare to be corrupt has been basically achieved," Xi said, concluding that a new atmosphere is emerging in the political life within the Party. ARDUOUS TASKS AHEAD Strict and comprehensive governance of the Party, despite achieving remarkable progress since the 18th CPC National Congress, remains an arduous task, Xi stressed. Implementing frugality rules is a "tenacious" and "protracted" battle, Xi said, calling for unwavering resolution. The battle against corruption will not relax one bit, and the "zero tolerance" principle will not change, Xi said, calling for "resolutely winning the battle of justice against corruption". Xi called for advancing reforms to the state supervisory system, and urged discipline inspection commissions at all levels to strengthen self-supervision and accept intra-Party and social supervision to build a reliable team of cadres. Xi also called for treating both root causes and symptoms in advancing strict and comprehensive Party governance. Xi stressed adhering to the values of Communists and improving one's political conscientiousness. Party members are confronted with "choices between public and private interests, righteousness and self-interest, virtue and vice, hardship and indulgence," Xi said, adding that it is political conscientiousness that determines their choices. Unshakable ideals and beliefs stem from cultural confidence, Xi noted, adding they must be grown and nourished in traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and socialist advanced culture. Xi also ordered Party members and cadres to stay away from vulgarity. Rather than catering to vulgar taste, they should elevate themselves spiritually to be people of integrity, prudence, and rectitude. Xi said senior officials of the CPC should take the lead in practicing strict intra-Party political life, always act with a correct political direction and stick to the Party's political stance and principles. Xi urged Party officials to conform with the CPC Central Committee both in thoughts and actions, as well as to implement the CPC Central Committee's major policies without reservations. Xi also underscored the importance of persistence in strengthening intra-Party supervision, urging Party organizations at various levels to be bold and serious in Party supervision and "cracking hard nuts." Xi asked officials to be candid, frank and sincere. Wang said studying Xi's remarks is "an important political task for the entire Party," asking authorities to maintain a sound intra-Party political environment and prepare for the 19th CPC National Congress to be held this year. Police in Anxi County in east China's Fujian Province said Friday that they have arrested 779 telecom fraud suspects in a 100-day crackdown following a high-profile scam case, which led to a girl's death. The crackdown started after the death of Xu Yuyu, an 18-year-old high school graduate in the city of Linyi in east China's Shandong Province. Xu was reported to have lost 9,900 yuan (1,443 U.S. dollars) meant for university tuition fees to telecom fraudsters, and reportedly died of cardiac arrest on Aug. 19. Three of the six suspects involved were from Anxi. The tragedy sparked public outcry against rampant telecom fraud. During the campaign, Anxi police successfully stopped 33 transfers of money due to suspected fraud, involving a total of 1.8 million yuan. They also froze more than 2,500 phone numbers suspected of being used in fraud. Thermal power stations and paper-making enterprises in China will from the second half of 2017 need licenses to discharge pollutants, as the country seeks tighter pollution control, the country's top environment watchdog said Friday. China's new pollutant discharge policy requires all stationary sources of pollution to obtain discharge licenses by 2020, according to a regulation released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Stationary sources are the major sources of China's pollutant discharge, and bringing stationary sources under control is the key to industrial pollution management, the ministry said. By issuing the licenses, environmental authorities will specify the location and number of pollutant discharge outlets for companies, the method and direction of discharge, as well as set ceilings on the variety, concentration and amount of pollutants. Steel and cement factories in Beijing and parts of Hebei province, where air pollution is rampant, will also be required to obtain licenses before discharging pollutants from July this year. China had 3,288 thermal power plants under environmental monitoring by 2014, responsible for 40 percent of China's industrial sulfur dioxide emission and 55.7 percent of nitric oxide emission. Meanwhile, the country has 4,664 paper-making enterprises discharging 18.7 percent of its total chemical oxygen demand. Chinese authorities will next verify and issue discharge licenses for enterprises in other industries with heavy pollution or overcapacity in 2017, including petro-chemical, non-ferrous metal, cement, printing and dyeing firms. The licenses will be valid for three years on first application. Once expired, they can be renewed for an extension of five years after obtaining regulatory approval, the ministry said. Companies in breach of the policy may face fines up to 1 million yuan (about 144,559 U.S. dollars) or the suspension of operations. Actions that hamper government supervision, such as the damaging of monitoring devices and failing to keep original monitoring records, will also be punished. The Chinese government released a national plan on environmental improvement for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) last month, setting detailed tasks to clean up polluted air, water and soil to improve the ecosystem. Beijing's education authorities have said the city will accelerate the installation of air purifiers in schools and kindergartens to protect student health on polluted days. The municipal education commission of Beijing has urged districts to begin the installation work at selected schools before the program benefits more schools. The city government will allocate money to help schools cover the costs. Some kindergartens, primary and middle schools in districts such as Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Haidian and Fengtai have already installed such devices, with financial support from the government, enterprises and parents. The middle school affiliated with Tsinghua University said Tuesday it has installed the first batch of air filtration devices in 11 classrooms on New Year's Day. The school plans to install such devices in all its classrooms. Fengtai district finance bureau said it has earmarked 5 million yuan (730,000 U.S. dollars) to cover the installation of air purification systems for 17 schools and kindergartens. Last year, a number of schools in the district were selected to install devices for testing purposes . Many regions in northern China, including Beijing, have experienced heavy smog since last Friday. You are here: Home Smoke billows from a factory in Dezhou, Shandong Province. [Photo / China Daily] China's top environmental watchdog Friday named and shamed a list of companies not complying with anti-smog environmental measures, with dozens of cities in the country suffering from polluted air all this week. Yusheng building material company in Hebi city, central China's Henan Province, started its own power production generator without permission and without taking any environmental protection steps, after its electricity supply was cut off by the local government, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said. The ministry in late December dispatched 10 inspection teams to different provincial regions nationwide to supervise the implementation of environmental measures taken by key industrial enterprises. Seven companies, including Tengfei wood industry company in Hebei Province, did not abide by local government emergency measures such as halting or reducing production when localities suffer from air pollution, a ministry statement said. "Environmental protection facilities installed at companies, including Shandong Xinsheng Industrial Development, did not yield the intended effects," the ministry added. Moreover, a list of companies including Wanlu building material company in Bazhou city, Hebei, discharged pollutants violating standards and did not run their environmental protection facilities as required, the ministry said. The ministry did not specify punishments for violators as they are set to be punished by local authorities. A total of 60 metropolitan areas and cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, neighboring provinces, and northwest China's Shaanxi Province were under alert for air pollution, including 31 cities under red alert, 21 under orange alert, and eight under yellow alert, the ministry said. Many cities in China have experienced heavy smog since last Friday. China's national observatory Wednesday renewed alerts for air pollution for some areas in northern, eastern and central China, including Beijing. The widespread smog in China was forecast to disperse Sunday, the ministry said. China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Measures such as suspension of schools, car restrictions and halting production will be adopted in some cities under red alert. Chinese cities have suffered from frequent winter smog in recent years, triggering public concern. Nearly 62 percent of Chinese cities monitored by the ministry suffered from air pollution Wednesday, providing fresh evidence of environmental challenges facing the country. The central government has stepped up efforts to cut outdated production capacity and has dispatched inspection teams to provincial regions to supervise environmental measures taken by industrial firms. Moreover, Chinese authorities are aiming to build a greener energy system in the coming years, in a country where about two-thirds of power is generated by coal. Small factories face anti-smog scrutiny [File photo/Xinhua] Stricter measures will be taken to monitor emissions and punish violators as the government tries to reduce pollutants from small factories in northern parts of the country, Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, said on Friday. Large enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region have been put under environmental supervision, which, as a result, has seen their emissions decline sharply. However, many small factories are continuing to discharge pollutants, which are partly to blame for the severe smog that has covered most parts of North China in recent days. It is a challenge for environmental authorities to reduce emissions from those small but highly polluting factories in the region, Chen added. "We have now put these small polluting factories on our priority list of supervision, he said. By Friday, 31 cities in northern and central parts of the country had been put under red alert, the highest level, amid almost a week of heavy smog, which is forecast to ease starting on Sunday. Measures to reduce the pollution include suspending industrial production and activities at construction sites and limiting the number of vehicles on roads. But inspectors sent by the ministry and local governments have discovered many cases of violation, especially by small factories in Hebei, Henan and Shandong provinces that continue to ignore production restrictions. For example, Yusheng, a building material company in Hebi, Henan province, used its own power generator to restart production after the local government cut its power supply as part of a restrictive move. The violators will be punished in accordance with the upper limit of punishments, the ministry said. Chen said these small factories are pursuing profits in disregard of environmental rules, and they can easily restart production without government notice, since environmental authorities are often short of staff. The authorities will use more remote-sensing and other technologies to cover larger areas, and they encourage the public to report violations by polluting companies to environmental officials. ** Editor's note - This commentary first appeared in the Daily Journal in June of 2010, the week after Carl Jones was senselessly killed by Tom Hennessey. The popular phrase these days is social networking, defining Internet tools such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Its an online way to keep up with whats going on with your friends and acquaintances. You can imagine my utter shock when I learned, via Facebook late Friday evening, that a well-liked member of the Middlebrook community had been gunned down in a senseless murder over a simple land dispute. I was working on the computer Friday evening when I decided to quickly check Facebook before I shut the machine down for the night. I had given in and opened a Facebook account last year after a highly successful marketing business owner convinced me the social site was a great business networking opportunity. I rarely write, or post as its called, anything on my wall, but I check the page a couple times a day as a means of keeping up with the lives of the people around me. If I see someone has posted vacation pictures, I might ask them how the trip went the next time I see them. If you recently posted that your son or daughter just graduated high school, the next time we talk I might ask you what their future plans are. You might say Im an electronic people watcher ... not in the stalker sense, just to keep up with those I know. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a note about how Thomas Hennessey Jr. had been identified as the man who had just shot and killed another man outside Town and Country grocery store in Ironton only an hour or so earlier. Im sure my mouth hung open for a moment ... because I knew Tom Hennessey Jr. As my brain tried to wrap itself around this newfound piece of information and my mouth still gaped, in the next moment my heart sank as my mind formed the question what if it was Carl Jones that he shot? As I scanned down the list of comments I shuddered as I saw someone had posted the name Carl Jones. You see ... I knew Carl Jones as well, even better than I knew Hennessey. And I also knew of the trouble between the two, and the severe hatred Hennessey held for Jones. Let me start this diatribe by saying that no man, and I mean no man, is all good or all evil. Were all human and have our shortcomings as we proceed through life. But some people seem to be just eaten up with less than equitable traits and qualities. You can tell when youre around them that theres trouble stirring somewhere within ... whether it be a head or a heart issue. Still others have qualities we could all aspire to, try to emulate, and should daily strive toward. Carl Jones possessed the latter qualities. He was a man who did much for many people, who raised five boys and was raising two more, who was hardworking, straightforward, seemingly honest in his business dealings, and would eagerly donate his time and energy to help those in his community. He didnt deserve to die at the hand of another person, and especially not at the hand of Tom Hennessey over hard feelings about a tiny dirt lane leading through some backwoods hunting land. Ironically, I first met both Hennessey and Jones because of their adjoining properties where the much-disputed legal easement runs. Why and when is not important, but Ill just say I spoke at length with both men several times over several months. I had been to each mans home at different times on business, and Carl had also been to mine. Each man had taken the time to tell me his side of the story. And each believed his position was valid. Having heard both viewpoints, I eventually formed my own opinion of the situation but as it turned out my business dealings didnt pertain to the easement in question, so I kept my opinion to myself. But regardless of whose opinion was right or wrong, theres no 30-foot wide strip of Ozarks soil worth the life of another human being. To that end, Tom Hennessey Jr. was decisively wrong for what he did late Friday night. Thats just a matter of fact. An argument over a strip of rocks, ticks and trees is not a reason to snuff out the life of another person. Choosing to take a life, and perhaps your own in the process, is a horrendous decision which is only multiplied exponentially when that person is also responsible for the welfare of many others. Hennessey knew firsthand that Carl Jones had a wife, two small boys, several grown sons, and several young grandchildren. For that matter, Hennessey himself had a grown son and a girlfriend. Both men had countless siblings and other family members. Knowing that, Hennessey still chose to take the ultimate act a human being can impose and purposely end the life of another ... and all because he wasnt happy with a years-old court ruling over a couple thousand dollars worth of land. Among writers theres a saying that youre only as good a writer as your last story or novel. Actors quickly learn that youre considered only as good a performer as your last movie or play. No matter what good or bad you do in your life, the fact is youre often judged and remembered by your last action. As for Carl Jones, his final act in life was to selflessly drive to the grocery store and spend his own money to buy a sack of potatoes and other groceries for a benefit dinner to be held the following day. From what I understand, he had just left a youth-league ballgame, and had told his wife that he would be home after he stopped by the store. His last act was one of charity toward others ... something he was well known for. As the details reveal at this point, Hennessey had shown up at the ballgame for no obvious reason. He apparently then followed Jones from the ballfield to the grocery store. Hennesseys final act was to senselessly confront and viciously kill Carl Jones, then try to run away. Moments later Hennesseys life was halted as a direct result of a decision which he made. Carl wasnt afforded that luxury. In the days since some people have come out to defend Hennessey and say he often did good things for other people. Maybe he did, but by his own actions he will not be around to help anyone ever again. Just like most of you, I know literally hundreds of people. And Ive met countless thousands more in my lifetime. Over the years Ive often played a game with my young daughter where she will open the regional phone book to any random page. I can find at least one person on that page that I can identify and tell her at least three specific details about his or her life. Try it sometime ... its not as difficult as it might seem. With that said, I can honestly say that of all the people Ive ever known Carl Jones was one of the most gentle men I had ever met. The topics we talked about during our visits were not lighthearted stuff. More often than not wed get around to talking about hunting, farming, land, politics, raising kids, making money and about the community. He was ever-proud of his children seven boys, including five grown sons and two pre-teens. His tired eyes would develop a spark and his mouth would curl into a smile when he mentioned anything about his wife. I saw him interact with his livestock and hunting dogs with the same nurturing spirit most people reserve for only family members ... if even then. Every time we hopped in his ATV to check out some remote part of his property he would always allow a dog or two to tag along, even if they had just climbed out of the pond or been rolling in the dust. Not once do I remember every running into him that he didnt go out his way to offer me a cold soft drink from the cooler he kept stocked with cans and ice in the back of his pickup truck. But Carl was more than a soft-hearted farmer. He was one of eight children raised with very little. Despite that he worked hard for six decades to provide his children and future generations with a place to call their own, and a means by which to keep it. He was in the military and served a tour in Vietnam. He returned back to Missouri and put in 30 years as a career boilermaker. Several of his sons, along with other family members, followed in his career path. When the time allowed, Carl loved to raise cattle and do farm chores. One day about this time last year we were riding along in his ATV and he abruptly stopped the rig high on a ridge overlooking his fields and said, Just look at that hay blowing in the wind. Isnt that magnificent. Another hobby Carl enjoyed was hunting. For years he took his sons a few miles south of their home in Middlebrook to hunt a remote, hilly piece of land. Eventually realizing that hunting land was becoming more and more scarce, he began scraping together money to buy the land when it became available. Over several years he collected a few tracts of land together to make a nice place for his family members. The problem was, or so it turned out to be, the land was not connected to the blacktop state road. Getting to it meant taking an old unimproved lane likely a former logging road across a couple other properties, including one owned by Thomas Hennessey Jr. Missouri law provides for access to ones land, at least to whatever extent a court of law will allow. In this case, the legal system granted Jones a narrow easement to get to his property. Generally speaking, no landowner likes being told what he or she must allow on property they hold deed to. Such property disputes have historically caused hard feelings, ended friendships, or even caused family members to sever ties. But only in the most bleak occasions of history has a dispute over dirt actually resulted in the spilling of blood. But such was the case with Tom Hennessey. Witnesses have told how in the moments leading up to the firing of shots Hennessey confronted Jones verbally with a barrage of accusations regarding the long-time court ruling. Then within a few moments it was over, and countless lives were damaged forever. Carl Jones was senselessly and brutally shot repeatedly at point blank range and killed by Hennessey as he walked out of the grocery store. Moments later Hennesseys life was ended by a police officer seemingly doing his duty and protecting himself and the community he was sworn to keep safe. First and foremost, in those moments Carls wife and young sons lost their husband and daddy. The five older sons lost their father and mentor. Grandkids lost their grandpa, and dozens of siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews lost their beloved family member. The community in and around Middlebrook lost a great citizen and gentleman farmer who would go out of his way to help his neighbors in time of need. The many witnesses to the tragic events also lost some of their innocence by what they inadvertently saw. The citizens of the relatively quiet group of communities lost some of their perception of being shielded from the senseless violence which more often plays out in big city living. For that matter, Hennesseys son lost his father, and the girlfriend lost her partner. His siblings and relatives lost someone they held dear to their hearts ... despite his final selfish actions. Is there any sense to be found, or words of wisdom to be gleaned, from this horrific tragedy? Not that I can find anywhere. It was the selfish robbery of a persons life simply because of a stupid grudge over a court decision about a path through the woods. Id just like to say my prayers of eventual peace and healing of broken hearts are with everyone involved, especially April and Carls children. May God hold you close during this time. International firms likely to take part in bids for govt procurement contracts The authorities on Friday moved to lure more direct foreign investment, with one minister announcing that international companies would be entitled to participate in bidding for government procurement contracts - as long as their products are made in China. Wang Shouwen, Vice-Minister of Commerce. [Photo provided to China Daily] Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen told a news conference in Beijing that the government had noticed that China's ability to attract foreign direct investment had in recent years been challenged by a number of factors, such as the cost advantages of domestic production. Additionally, nearby countries have been initiating their own moves to entice more foreign investment to their shores. "Some neighboring countries have already begun to offer more favorable policies to gain FDI to compete with China," he said. "Many developed countries are also encouraging their manufacturing businesses to move back to their home markets to boost jobs and taxes." Wang's comments follow the State Council's approval of a document last month that aims to make the process for foreign direct investment more direct, fair, open and efficient. The document outlined measures required to give foreign capital more market access to the country's services sector - including account auditing, financial institutions, share brokerages, fund management, telecommunications, internet, culture and education - as well as opening up opportunities in rail transportation, one of the pillar manufacturing sectors, to stimulate market competition. Li Guo, vice-minister of the General Administration of Customs. [Photo provided to China Daily] Wang said international companies can still remit their revenues overseas or add new investments anytime. He said China's recent moves to tighten controls on capital flows was only targeting illegal activities and was temporary. Profits earned by international groups based on the Chinese mainland - as well as companies from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in the manufacturing sector - grew by 10.8 percent on a year-on-year basis to reach 1.5 trillion yuan ($216.78 billion) between January and November in 2016. Li Guo, vice-minister of the General Administration of Customs, said customs will further simplify port clearance procedures. He said it will also encourage more innovation of trade processing and more special customs control areas, to support both China's FDI and foreign trade activities. Li said the central government is also allowing local government to offer new policies to attract FDI, within their statutory powers, based on their own economic development characteristics. Two Chinese State-owned firms joined hands on Friday to offer smartphone-based car-rental services, in a move to tap into the country's booming transportation market. Beijing Shouqi Group, a major car-rental and taxi firm in China, inked a strategic partnership with Beijing Municipal Road & Bridge Group Co Ltd, a major construction firm in China. Under the deal, Beijing Shouqi can access the latter's more than 50 parking lots, located under the city's second and third ring roads, to offer more convenient car-rental services. Beijing Shouqi launched its new-energy-car-rental app GoFun in 2015. Unlike rival products that charge by the day, users of GoFun can rent electric cars by the hour and by mileage. The new deal will allow users of GoFun to return cars to the nearest parking lot. GoFun currently operates in four cities, with 1,100 new energy vehicles for rental in Beijing. Wei Dong, CEO of GoFun, said the two sides will also set up a joint firm to meet Beijing consumers' growing desire for car-sharing services, but he declined to offer more information about the investment size. The move is part of Beijing Shouqi's broad efforts to diversity its business as it faces mounting competition from internet firms such as Didi Chuxing, China's largest ride-hailing firm. Zhang Xu, an analyst at Beijing-based internet consultancy Analysy, said over 100 Chinese firms had marched into the electric-car-rental sector last year. "To ease traffic jams and protect the environment, local governments have placed a limit on the number of cars allowed to travel within big cities. The service gives non-car owners easy access to vehicles." Zhang said. Performers at the parade of floats at the Shanghai Disney Resort hail visitors. [Photo provided to China Daily] The Shanghai Disney Resort, which runs Walt Disney Co's latest theme park, is expanding its talent pool by partnering with local educational institutions. The House of the Mouse will enter into agreements with 10 universities, colleges and vocational schools in 2017 by launching the "Shanghai Disney Resort Talent Class", the company said on Friday. The move reflects Disney's larger goal of hiring over 98 percent of its staff locally, according to Philippe Gas, general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. "The essential element in guest satisfaction is the interaction that our 10,000 staff members have with visitors," Gas said in a news conference in Shanghai. The theme park will set up joint classes with partner schools by teaching Disney's best practices in service excellence. Internship opportunities are up for grabs, where students take on different roles including animation designers, makeup artists, accountants and mechanical technicians. A typical class will host 30 to 50 people. Outstanding participants can apply to intern at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in the United States, training alongside American peers. Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai Sanda University, and the Tourism College of Zhejiang are among the first batch of schools to ink the deal. This year the Shanghai resort plans to recruit 2,000 full-time and part-time employees, with vacancies tailored to the disabled population, said Lara Tiam, vice-president of human resources at the resort. Long before its grand opening in June 2016, Disney devoted every effort to attract and retain skilled people in China, from job fairs and campus roadshows. Overseas internship opportunities have been offered to 1,200 Chinese students since 2014. It also targets young Chinese studying in the US in the talent pipeline, training them overseas and bringing them back to a Disneyland closer to home. But, Disney should be prepared for a high turnover rate, especially in the service and hospitality sector in China. According to the country's major recruiting website 51job.com, average turnover in that sector stood at around 20 percent in 2015. BEIJING - A fund launched by China's state-owned enterprises (SOE) aims to invest 5 billion yuan ($722 million) this year in impoverished areas, according to a board meeting on Friday. The poverty-relief fund, launched in October 2016, enlisted 51 SOEs to raise initial funding of about 12 billion yuan, which will increase to 100 billion by 2020. The fund is run by the State Development and Investment Corporation (SDIC) as part of the country's plan to deploy market forces in the fight against poverty. Since its debut, the fund has earmarked over 1.4 billion yuan for six projects, covering farm product sales, husbandry and forestry, Zhang Hua, chief accountant of SDIC said. The second round of fundraising will be completed by April of this year, Zhang said, adding that all the money will be put into use to fund projects by 2018. Developing local industry is a major priority in the battle against poverty, and China has supported the efforts of poor regions to develop local specialty industries based on their resources, such as the photovoltaic industry, tourism and e-commerce. China plans to lift all of its poor out of poverty by 2020. The separation of church and state crowd will read the title, "Foreign Policy and the Bible" and start screaming, but please hear me out. Should America, or any other nation for that matter, choose its allies and foreign policy decisions based on Biblical prophecy? There are just shy of 200 countries in the world today; the Bible only mentions a handful of these. Also, many of the nations named in the Bible no longer use their Biblical names; one needs to compare Bible time maps with current ones. Modern Jordan, for example, was split into three separate nations in Biblical times. Southern Jordan was Edom, the central part of the country was Moab, and Northern Jordan was Ammon. Therefore, when we read prophetic passages of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, we know unless there is a significant change in today's maps, these passages refer to modern day Jordan. Israel is by far the Bible most referenced nation. God promised Abraham that all the nations of the world would receive a blessing through his descendants through Issac (Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18). God promised Abraham and his descendants an area of land (Genesis 15:18-21; Numbers 34:1-10). The ground stretched from the Euphrates River in the northeast, down to the Jordan river, across the Sinai to the "River of Egypt" (some believe the "River of Egypt" to be the Nile while others believe it to be the Wadi). The current borders of Israel are less than half of what God has promised them. Through the Old Testament Israel's relationship with God was like a roller coaster. They would follow Him, turn to other gods, follow Him, turn to other gods, back and forth all the way through. The nation's overall rejection of the Messiah led to the destruction of Israel by the Romans in 70 A.D. Since God knows the future, He was aware that this would happen and prophecied that Israel would rise from the dead and become a nation again (Ezekiel 37). That prophecy was fulfilled in 1948. Israel will be a leading player, if not the primary player, in nearly every end time prophecy. God will fulfill His promises to Israel. What about other nations? What are in their futures according to the Bible? Psalm 83 and Amos chapters 1-2 describe an invasion of Israel and its result that has yet to take place. Israel suffers a surprise attack from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. Under the current political climate, this could take place after a 2-state solution or because of the lack of a 2-state solution. But, nonetheless, the attack comes. The attack is devastating. Fire "shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem" indicating the government of Israel may be wiped out. According to Psalms and Amos, the invaders are all destroyed by "fire." Israel is the last man standing but is severely weakened and possibly without a government. This battle could be the springboard for the Antichrist to step in and be the hero with a solution to this mess, bringing about the seven-year treaty which is the Tribulation Period (Daniel 9:27). While Israel sits under the protection of the Antichrist and thinking all is well another coalition is brewing for an attack on God's nation. As prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39, Russia, Iran, Turkey, The Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia, Lybia, and some of the former Soviet states will pour down into Israel. God steps in and miraculously defeats the invading hoard (Ezekiel 38:21-23), but the Antichrist will take the credit, forcing the great showdown between God and Satan. If we believe the Bible to be true can we separate our beliefs from our actions? If we believe it is wrong to tell a lie, cheat on our spouse, or murder someone because the Bible tells us so, is it not wrong to do these things? If God says He will bless the world through Israel and that Israel is the center of Biblical prophecies yet to be fulfilled; is it not in our best interests to be friends with Israel? On the other hand, with the Bible being true and it giving us a list of nations that will invade Israel in the future; should we not tread carefully when dealing with these countries? It appears there is far more involved with our foreign policy than Israel building settlements. Preacher Tim Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County Indiana. Email: preacherspoint@gmail.com. Website: www.preacherjohnson.com. Preacher Johnson is available for revivals, prophecy conferences, and other speaking. All Scripture KJV. BEIJING - The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said Friday it will intensify its crackdown on foreign exchange irregularities in 2017, including underground banking. The administration will also strengthen management of cross-border capital flow, and make further reforms to facilitate trade and investment in order to better serve the real economy, SAFE head Pan Gongsheng said after a work conference. SAFE will also improve operating management of foreign exchange reserves to maintain safety and flexibility while guarding against losses in value. China's forex reserves fell for the fifth straight month in November to $3.05 trillion, the lowest level since March 2011. Despite recent drops, China is still home to the world's largest forex reserves and enjoys forex inflows from its trade surplus and foreign direct investment of about $620 billion each year. People are silhouetted as they pose with mobile devices in front of a screen projected with a Samsung logo, in this picture illustration taken in Zenica October 29, 2014. [Photo/Agencies] Samsung Electronics Co underscored the resilience of its business when it reported its best operating profit in three years, weathering the death of its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 with the help of its workmanlike chip and display divisions and cheaper smartphones. The world's largest maker of mobile devices posted a 50 percent surge in quarterly operating profit after demand from Chinese smartphone brands pushed up memory chip prices and buoyed the unit that makes organic light-emitting diode screens. Samsung also touched up an older phone line-up with new colors and features, helping tide it over in the Note 7's absence. Samsung is emerging from its biggest corporate crisis, when reports of incendiary Note 7s forced the South Korean company to kill its most profitable gadget. It still hasn't revealed the results of a subsequent investigation into an episode that cost Samsung more than $6 billion and assured Apple Inc of the lead in premium devices over the holidays. It's now counting on its next marquee phone to repair its reputation. "Despite the Note 7's vacuum, Samsung acquitted itself well on the back of sound S7 sales," said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst with IBK Securities Co in Seoul. Operating income rose to 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion) in the quarter ended December, its biggest profit in three years, the Suwon, South Korea-based company said in preliminary results on Friday. That compares with the 8.29 trillion-won average of analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg in the past four weeks. Bloomberg A family robot at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang in November. [Photo/China Daily] Chinese internet colossus Baidu is out to make a splash with "Little Fish", a family robot that is a voice-controlled virtual valet akin to Amazon Echo or Google Home. Baidu showed off "Little Fish", a translation of its Chinese name Xiaoyu Zaijia, on Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas ahead of its release in China later this year. "I think 2017 will be the year of conversational computing," Baidu chief scientist Andrew Ng said while demonstrating the robot. "We see a clear path of it changing everything." Using the human voice to interact with computers that are able to essentially learn from experience was among the hot trends at the show. Arrays of device makers added digital aide capabilities with the help of Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant technology. Unlike "faceless" Amazon Alexa or Google Home devices that rely on people asking for information or controlling devices by speaking, Little Fish also features a touch-screen on top of its orb-shaped base. A camera on top tracks faces, and the screen swivels to keep facing a speaker. "Speech is the fastest way for you to communicate with a computer, but a screen is a very fast way for a machine to communicate with you," Ng said. For example, it would be quicker to glance at a requested list of top restaurants from Yelp than it would be to listen to the computer read all the names and descriptions, he said. "Little Fish" uses Baidu's operating system DuerOS, which is already employed by other devices in China, such as set-top TV boxes that can switch channels by voice command or figure out names of actors on screen when asked. "It will transform how you use devices in your home. There are plenty of business models," Ng said. Baidu partnered with hardware firm Ainemo to build the second-generation device. "We believe family robots will be the next big category that will be a member of everybody's home," Ainemo CEO Chenfeng Song said. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is getting a foothold in homes, with developers feverishly adding "skills" to Amazon Echo speakers infused with Alexa. Google, meanwhile, is using its AI prowess in Android smartphones, messaging software, and a vase-sized Home digital assistant. The home hubs, sometimes referred to as smart speakers, fetch content or answers from the internet, and can act as remote controls for other devices in houses. Chinese tech giant Huawei said at the trade show that it is adding Amazon's Alexa to its flagship smartphone for its US launch. Lenovo announced it was launching a smart home assistant powered by Alexa, joining the growing roster of contenders in voice-activated devices. Experts expect voice technology to quickly improve, within years perhaps even being able to recognize speakers so accurately it could be used for biometric security. The Hover Camera Passport drone in flight at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the United States, Jan 3, 2017. From smartphones and tablets to drones and self-driving cars, tens of thousands of new tech products make their debut this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017, one of the world's biggest tech events. [Photo/IC] URUMQI - A Chinese robot manufacturer is making China's new border city with Kazakhstan its export base, hoping Horgos will provide convenience in trade. Horgos Boshihao Electronic, a firm registered in southern China's city of Shenzhen, has been ramping up construction of its robot production workshop in Horgos and expects to start production in May. Min Jianbo, general manager of the company, said the plant in Horgos has been designed with an annual production capacity of 10,000 robot units with 80 percent service robots and 20 percent industrial robots. Dubbed the first new city on the Silk Road under China's Belt and Road initiative, Horgos was set up in 2014 and is positioned on the furthest fringe of western China. The area once thrived on the ancient Silk Road connecting trade between Europe and Asia. The railway port in Horgos was opened in 2016 for cross-border railway transportation. Min said exports from Horgos go to Europe through China-Europe train services and can save 10 days and one-third of costs on average per trip compared with shipping. After the plant is complete, Boshihao plans to establish an electronic industrial park in Horgos in the next five to ten years to attract supporting industries in the research and development of electronic products. Boshihao's service robots are able to replace human labor in nursing and education-related duties. Prices range from 5,000 yuan ($721) to 200,000 yuan, with industrial robots priced between 100,000 yuan to 1 million yuan. The company is looking at export markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia. Jiang Wen rarely sticks to the script when making public appearances.[Photo/Xinhua] A Chinese movie star recently sparked controversy when he implied that aircraft carriers constitute the prerequisite for selling movies overseas. Jiang Wen, when promoting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, told an interviewer: "The top priority (for China) is to develop aircraft carriers. When China has twice as many such carriers as the United States, everything will be easy. "Perhaps the US makes awful movies, but the whole world is willing to accept them because they have aircraft carriers as their support. It's useless to have intellectual property alone." Jiang was answering questions from a reporter with Beijing Youth Daily about the possibility of Chinese films possessing the global appeal of Hollywood spectacles such as the Star Wars franchise. Various interpretations and comments have surfaced in response to Jiang's remark. Some said he has placed importance on the overall power of a country rather than using the tunnel vision of the film industry alone. Others argued that he was attempting to attribute the low quality of Chinese films and their lack of competitiveness on the international market to the country's military might compared with that of the US. Jiang, also a formidable film director, is known for his maverick ways in making films and dealing with the media. Unlike his peers, he rarely sticks to the script when making public appearances. During the same interview, he refused to say he likes the Star Wars movies. Instead, he said he was prone to turn down the role of Baze Malbus in Rogue One, but his son changed his mind. In a previous interview with China Daily, Jiang said his political views were often misunderstood and he valued the aesthetics of a piece of art more than its political content. His reference to aircraft carriers as backup for the film industry has since resonated with the online public, with many expressing approval and praising him for his plain-spoken integrity. China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was in the South China Sea for military drills around the New Year holiday. A second carrier is under construction and, according to reports, will be completely Chinese designed. Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the seventh plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Jan. 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] Election fraud must not occur, president tells watchdog meeting President Xi Jinping required on Friday strict discipline in personnel reshuffles to prevent election fraud ahead of a key meeting of the Communist Party of China later this year. Party organizations at all levels are required to strengthen management and follow strict disciplines to ensure the right direction of the election, he said while addressing the opening of the annual plenary session of the Party's discipline watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. "Those who are excellent in both morality and capability should be chosen and promoted," he said. The 19th CPC National Congress is scheduled for the second half of this year, during which the next top leadership will be elected. Before and after the congress, a large number of personnel reshuffles are expected at various levels across the country. An editorial published on Friday by People's Daily, the CPC's official newspaper, also called for "zero tolerance" in handling election fraud, warning Party members to learn from past political scandals. Any malpractice, such as vote soliciting or vote buying, should be severely probed and punished, it said. The three-day meeting, during which members of the commission will discuss and determine this year's anti-graft priorities, is expected to conclude on Sunday. China witnessed a number of severe election scandals in the past few years. In all, 523 deputies to the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress, among the total 616 deputies who participated in the provincial election in January 2013, were found to have taken bribes. They either resigned or had their qualification as deputies terminated after the scandal exposed their wrongdoings. More than 950 officials who participated in, or bore responsibility for, the case have received punishment, according to the CCDI. China has undertaken a massive campaign against corruption since the current top leadership was elected in late 2012 at the 18th CPC National Congress. More than 100 officials above ministerial level have been probed for corruption since then. In the past four years, corruption has stopped spreading and a "crushing momentum" against graft has taken shape, Xi said on Friday. But the task is still arduous, and China will "never reduce the high pressure against corruption, and the zero tolerance attitude will be maintained", he said. Jiang Laiyong, a senior researcher with the China Anti-Corruption Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said election fraud is a universal problem in the world due to its complexity, and it's very timely that the top discipline watchdog is addressing the issue at its plenary session. "It's more than necessary to update relevant Party rules to meet the needs of reality, and further improve the supervision system within the Party and standardize the nomination for the election candidates," he said. In addition, Party officials who don't perform their duties to monitor their subordinates should face more severe Party or administrative penalties, including warnings or even being expelled from the Party, he suggested. After more than two decades on the run, the last suspect in the nation's largest armored car robbery has been detained by police. Police in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, successfully detained the suspect, Chen Xumin, in a market in Ruili, Yunnan province, in cooperation with local police on Thursday afternoon, according to the Guangzhou bureau of public security. Chen was escorted back to Guangzhou by police by train from Yunnan province on Friday, police said. Chen had changed his name and had cosmetic surgery, police said. He also married a local woman surnamed Yang, according to the police. Another suspect on the run had surrendered himself to police in Yunnan province on Dec 25 due to heavy pressure from police, the security bureau said. Both suspects admitted to having participated in the heist after they were detained, police said. On Dec 22, 1995, five men robbed an armored car at gunpoint in front of a bank office in Guangzhou. One officer was killed and another injured on the spot when the gang fired nine shots before taking the armored vehicle that carried currencies worth 15 million yuan ($2.18 million). It was then the largest heist on the mainland and was even turned into a TV series. A couple of weeks after the robbery, police detained He Yongxin, He Weiguang, He Donghai and Yuan Changrong, the four suspected gang heads, and 10 other gang members. Seven pistols, 282 bullets, more than 20 self-made hand grenades, plus most of the stolen money were seized. Guangdong province sent 3,500 police officers to hunt for the suspects, while Guangzhou city set up a special task force of more than 400 officers to focus on the case. Nine police groups were also sent to the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Fujian, Yunnan, Shaanxi and Jiangxi provinces. "Police have never given up their efforts to pursue and capture the suspects in the case over the previous 21 years, although many officers in charge of the case have changed," a police officer from the Guangzhou city bureau of public security said on Friday. More Chinese children join 'camp education', where learning occurs alongside playing Zhao Qing fondly reflects on her summer camp at UWC (United World College) Changshu, in south China. She cherishes "the sense of belonging and sense of being herself" she gained at the two-week camp. With more than 130 other teenagers from 14 countries, Zhao, 15, took part in outdoor adventure activities and workshops at the camp and became firm friends with an American girl who shared her interest in philosophy. For Xi Jinping, Kyrgyzstan leader, anti-terror efforts key to security China will expand its security cooperation with Kyrgyzstan to combat extremist and terrorist forces, President Xi Jinping said on Friday. "China expects to deepen security cooperation with Kyrgyzstan to combat together the three evil forces including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and maintain security and stability in the two countries and the region," Xi told Kyrgyzstani President Almazbek Atambayev when they met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Japan said on Friday it was temporarily recalling its ambassador to South Korea over a statue commemorating Korean women forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II which it said violated an agreement to resolve the issue. The two nations agreed in 2015 that the issue of "comfort women", which has long plagued ties between the two Asian neighbors, would be "finally and irreversibly resolved" if all conditions of the accord - which included a Japanese apology and a fund to help the victims - were met. The statue, which depicts a young, barefoot woman sitting in a chair, was erected near the Japanese consulate in the southern South Korean city of Busan at the end of last year. US President-elect Donald Trump pauses as he talks to members of the media at Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 21, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Donald Trump said he likes to be unpredictable. Indeed, he has been successful in confusing enemies, allies and partners alike. He said China has stolen American jobs and threatened to slap a 45 percent import tariff on Chinese goods. He had a phone conversation with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen the first of its kind since 1979, and he said that the US doesn't have to be bound by a one-China policy unless it can make a deal with China on other things. But a Chinese spokesman has already made it clear that if the one-China principle is not upheld, the development of China-US relations and bilateral cooperation in important areas is out of the question. Today China's economy already accounts for 63 percent of that of the United States. Should Trump initiate a trade war between the two largest economies in the world, China won't be the only loser. However, there are things that could put China and the US on a collision course. The fear is that incidents, such as a Chinese J-8 fighter's collision with a US EP-3 in 2001 or the standoff between the USNS Impeccable and the USS Cowpens with Chinese vessels in 2009 and 2013, and the deadly close encounter between a Chinese J-11B fighter with a USN P-8 Poseidon in 2014, could see the two giants "sleepwalking" into a war. An incident between China and Japan around the disputed islands in the East China Sea or in their overlapping Air Defense Identification Zones could also lead to a conflict that involves the US as Japan's ally. Whether it acknowledges it or not, the US is decliningotherwise Trump would not need to declare he wants to "make America great again". And, like it or not, China is still rising, although its economy has slowed. The first Chinese aircraft carrier has become operational and a second one is in the works. The US needs to do some soul-searching on a simple question: How many military secrets does China have that justifies the US' daily intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance that has lasted for decades. This is the root cause of the incidents which occur in China's exclusive economic zones or in the South China Sea. In other words, if there is no US intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, there will not be an incident. True, the two countries have signed The Rules of Behavior for Safety of Maritime and Air Encounter between China and the USa milestone in confidence building and avoiding a crisis, and pledged to do more exercises to familiarize themselves with good seamanship and airmanship. But if a stronger China believes that the US' intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance activities in China's exclusive economic zones are a hostile activity that it needs to counter, there is the risk of another incident. A healthy China-US relationship can only be managed through dynamic leadership, firm institutions and strong confidence building measures. A head of state should be accountable and, in a way, be predictable. Unpredictability is a dangerous hat to wear. It only adds uncertainty and breeds miscalculations. It remains to be seen if the US will continue its "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea under the Trump administration. Thanks to a U-turn in the relationship between China and the Philippines largely spearheaded by President Rodrigo Duterte, the tensions in the South China Sea have calmed down. Any further US intrusion into the waters of China-controlled islands or reefs will only show the US to be the troublemaker. Like it or not, the world has to deal with a Trump as US president. But being unpredictable won't be his secret weapon. It will be his Achilles' heel. The author is an honorary fellow with Center of China-American Defense Relations at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences. LUO JIE/CHINA DAILY The international demand for ivory threatens to wipe out elephants within little more than a decade, since every 15 minutes or so poachers slaughter an elephant for its ivory. An estimated two-thirds of the demand comes from China, where members of a growing middle class associate carved ivory products with luck and prosperity. The trade in ivory trinkets, chopsticks and figurines has remained legal even though the government enacted a ban on ivory imports and related products in March last year. China has now taken a historic step to phase out the commercial ivory trade by the end of this year, a decision that has been greeted as the single biggest hope for the survival of elephants since the modern poaching crisis began. "Ending the legal ivory trade in Chinathe world's largest consumer of elephant ivoryis critical to saving the species," wrote Elly Pepper of the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council, welcoming the Chinese government's decision. Under the measures China announced at the end of December, domestic ivory carving workshops and factories will shut down by the end of March and registered traders and processors will be phased out by the end of the year. Britain's Prince William, a prominent wildlife campaigner, said the Chinese ban was a potential turning point in the race to save elephants from extinction. "I congratulate the Chinese government for following through on this important commitment," he said in a statement. Beijing's action may indeed turn out to be the most important measure to preserve the species since the African elephant was first listed as an endangered species in 1989. But many other factors are involved and experts are reluctant to predict that the future of the world's largest land mammal is now secure. Activists have argued that the legal trade has helped to disguise the illegal trade, because it was often impossible to determine the origin of raw ivory. Although the new ban addresses that to a large extent, 40 tons of legal ivory remained stockpiled in the mainland at the end of last year, as China Daily reported, and could become a complicating factor in instituting the new ban. Experts also believe the effectiveness of the ban will depend on strengthened measures to combat smuggling. A recent surge in demand for ivory and rhino horn in Vietnam has been linked to possible smuggling networks. There is also still much to be done beyond China's borders to confront the extinction threat. There is a need to deter poachers who earn a mere handful of dollars per kilo of ivory that is then sold to end-users for hundreds of times more. That will involve more effective aid programs to improve the livelihoods of poor rural communities. But it will also demand more effective anti-poaching tactics. Blue Sky Rescue, one of China's largest nongovernmental disaster rescue organizations, has sent volunteers to Africa to join local efforts in wildlife protection. Meanwhile, the UK government announced late last year that it was partnering with China to train African border forces to spot and stop smugglers involved in the illicit trade in animal products. Such measures will help reinforce the impact of the ban on the legal trade announced by Beijing. Yet ultimately what is needed save the elephants from extinction is a change in public attitudes. The State, wildlife activists and celebrities have joined in campaigns to educate Chinese consumers about the devastating impact of the ivory trade. Now that the legal trade is being banned, the desire to own ivory should become even less respectable. Prosperous consumers may eventually be persuaded that the most exciting way to enjoy ivory is to book an African safari and go and see it attached to a living elephant. The author is a senior editorial consultant for China Daily UK. Children's picture books have been growing in popularity in the past few years. Xu Han, one of the artists who caters to this genre, has created the iconic character Ali. Photos provided to China Daily We are bombarded with images every waking minute of the day, and yet many of those who try to make a living bringing us such images are having a tough time Two and a half millennia after Confucius said that "One seeing is worth a hundred hearings" some bright spark in the English-speaking took a page out of the great sage's book and came up with "A picture is worth a thousand words". In the West that gave birth to an industry last century that employs millions of people who provide illustrations for books, catalogues, advertising and other media. And yet somewhere along the way in China the old message seems to have been overlooked by many, and only in recent years has the printed picture begun to impose itself as a medium par excellence for getting across messages in many different areas. One of those who is aware of how far China has lagged but is now seeing it making strides to catch up is Zhang Yunbao, 29, a children's picture book editor for Beijing Poplar Culture Project Co Ltd. In her free time she draws commercial illustrations and makes her own picture books. Zhang has worked in the field for five years and says that she has realized that in the past two years the demand for both commercial illustrations and children's picture books has begun to take off, "which holds the prospect of a much bigger market in coming years", she says. "You can see that illustrations are increasingly wanted by online shops, clothing brands, cellphone brands, and booths in shopping malls." Over each of the past 10 years sales of children's picture books have grown by an average of 10 to 12 percent in China??, says Hou Mingliang, founder of IlluSalon, an organization founded in Beijing in 2014 promote the use of illustrations in China and aims to bring together illustrators and those who use illustrations wherever they are. Hou has worked in the children's book publishing industry for eight years. A Sangkhalok-style celadon elephant rider figurine displayed at the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum in Bangkok University. [Photo/Xinhua] Sangkhalok ceramics, an ancient product of the Silk Road and a combination of both Chinese and Thai cultures, are now being manufactured again and are winning new-found popularity due to the ceramics' unique colors and motifs. Forty years ago, a Thai farmer came across some ancient ceramic wares with distinctive detailing while he was plowing his fields. The farmer, Prasert Mahothorn, was mesmerized by the vivid blue color and detailed patterns featuring fish and flowers. After that he devoted himself to studying the ancient techniques used to produce such spellbinding and beguiling artifacts. The Sangkhalok ceramics originally uncovered by Prasert can be dated back to the Sukhothai Kingdom period (1238-1583) and the Ayutthaya kingdom period (1351-1767). In the 1970s, more than 200 kilns were also found in the Si Satchanalai region, adjacent to Sukhothai city. Locals set up a private museum to collect the excavated ceramic wares from this area and an entire village specializing on manufacturing new Sangkhalok ceramics emerged. In a studio packed with Chinese porcelain, 72-year old Prasert told Xinhua that these delicate artifacts are exceedingly beautiful and that it was their beauty that drove him to learn how to make these ceramics when he was younger. Imitating the motifs found on authentic ancient ceramic artifacts and combining them with other patterns he learned from books, Prasert's works, with their unique style, won him some Thai businesspeople as customers. Once his business had become successful, Prasert set up a studio to teach his family members and residents of the village the technique of making Sangkhalok ceramics. Former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin shakes hands with residents during his visit to Shanghai. [Photo by Xu Genshun/Provided to China Daily] A look into the past of a political photographer who managed to get up close and personal with some of the world's most high profile leaders Xu Genshun may already be 67 this year, but the memories of his profession as a political photographer are still as intact as the poignant images he once shot. For example, he still fondly remembers the moments when former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin suddenly stepped out of his car to shake hands with Shanghai residents and the childlike smile of the former prime minister of Canada Jean Chretien as he rode a Phoenix bicycle through a busy street in the city. "My photography approach was to tell the hidden stories in history using close-ups of facial expressions, attire details and body language," said Xu, who has throughout his illustrious 28-year-career photographed more than 800 visiting world leaders and other important guests. "Those photos captured the dramatic changes taking place in Shanghai back during those times and were a way of recording how China's diplomatic relationships with other countries developed through years." Born in 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, Xu went through the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) after graduating from secondary school and was assigned to the Shanghai Machinery Factory of Mining and Metallurgy. Photo taken on Jan 6, 2017 shows the female Yang Yang Panda stay with her twin cubs, female Fu Feng and her brother Fu Ban, in their enclosure at Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria. Twin panda cubs born last summer at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo ventured out of their cave to make their public debut on Dec 30, 2016. The cubs, who still require a lot of sleep, are growing up well, the zoo said. [Photo/IC] (Photo : Getty Images) Plans are currently on going to put air purifiers in schools in Beijing for learning to continue. Advertisement Beijing is planning to install air purifiers and air filters in schools as the city continues to come up with new ways to battle with smog, according to the new initiative announced by the Education Municipal on Thursday. The move, which has been launched by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, will equip kindergarten, primary, and secondary schools with a new air filtration system, financed by the ministry. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement ECNS reported that the Education Municipal has taken note of the health concerns of parents and guardians and has thus barred all outdoor activities from taking place. Teaching activities are, however, expected to continue. The education municipal described the students as the future not only of their families but also of the nation. Thus, education authorities deem these children's health as a top priority. Since Dec. 30, Beijing has been under orange alert, a second level indicator of harsh air pollution. This has led to academic activities being put on hold as residents wait for the smog levels to reduce. CRI English reported that various parents had been reluctant to send their children to school. One parent, Lu Ying, said that she restricted her daughter from going to school for the past two days because she did not know the air quality of the environment there. She added she did not understand why schools needed to open. "I think if the school cannot match with air quality standards, they should suspend some classes under such bad condition," Lu said. In December, a school principal was suspended after forcing 480 pupils to take their exams at an open field in Henan Province. This was despite the government's red alert notice. Advertisement Tagschina, Beijing, air pollution, smog, school, Orange alert, air purifier (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese largest carmaker SAIC Motors has proposed to acquire GM's car manufacturing factory in Gujarat, India. Advertisement SAIC HK, a subsidiary of China's largest auto maker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), has submitted a proposal to acquire assets of General Motors' (GM) manufacturing unit in the Indian state of Gujarat. Both companies have appraised the Indian competition watchdog about the proposed transaction in their latest filings. SAIC HK will acquire the asset through an Indian subsidiary that is yet to be incorporated. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Recent media reports indicated that China's largest car manufacturer held several meetings with GM to discuss about Gujarat assets, while certain sources claimed that a final deal was sealed about a month back. GM basically operates two plants in India - one in Talegaon near Pune and other in Halol near Gujarat. "Discussions with SAIC on the sale of Halol are progressing well. The two parties will continue to work with Governments to secure the necessary approvals. We will share any progress at the appropriate time," a spokesperson from GM India said recently. SAIC had made a maiden entry in the lucrative Indian market in 2010 through an alliance with GM. Both companies planned to launch five made-in-China cars including a small car, a sedan, and light trucks in the Indian market. However, both companies shelved the plan halfway following a lukewarm response to their initial launches. The Chinese company now wants to manufacture car locally for the Indian market where it plans to launch some of its marquee products within a few months. These products include Maxus, MG, Roewe, and Yuejin. India is considered as one of the fastest growing global auto markets in the world and therefore assumes immense importance in SAIC 's ambition for a global push. Advertisement TagsSAIC China, SAIC Motors, SAIC and General Motors, General Motors, SAIC India (Photo : Getty Images) People wait on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting transpired near the baggage claim on January 6, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Officials are reporting that five people were killed in an attack by a single gunman who is a US veteran. Advertisement A young Iraq war veteran opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on Friday, killing five people and wounding dozen others. The authorities said the man was known to FBI prior to carrying out the deadly assault, CBS News reported. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The 26-year-old assailant, identified as Esteban Santiago, served in Iraq with the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard and was deployed in 2010. His service ended in August 2016 after getting discharged due to "unsatisfactory performance," an Alaska National Guard lieutenant told CBS. His brother told The Associated Press that Esteban had been on psychological treatments in Alaska. He walked into the FBI offices in Anchorage in November claiming that he was being subjected to mind control and voiced in his head were telling him to join and fight for the Islamic State terror group. "During the interview, Santiago appeared agitated and incoherent, and made disjointed statements," the FBI said, adding that he was transported to a local medical facility for evaluation. Santiago arrived in Florida on Friday afternoon aboard a Delta flight that flew from Anchorage, with only his semiautomatic handgun checked in and no other luggage, chief of the Anchorage Airport Police and Fire Department Jesse Davis said. The suspect retrieved his baggage, went into the bathroom to load the gun, and came out and started shooting the victims in random. After emptying three magazines of bullets, the shooter got down on the ground and waited for the police to arrive. Thousands were stranded on the airport, including passengers who remained on the plane for hours. About a year ago, Santiago was also charged with fourth-degree assault in an incident related to domestic violence involving his 40-year-old girlfriend, authorities told The Daily Beast. His court records also show his involvement in several transgressions, including operating a vehicle without insurance and a broken taillight, and eviction from his landlord for lack of rent payment. Advertisement TagsFort Lauderdale Airport, hollywood, Florida, shooting, veteran (Photo : Getty Images) Hamza bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, has called for terror attacks against the United States and its allies. Advertisement The Obama administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on Hamza bin Laden, son of slain Al Qaeda Osama bin Laden. The United States believes that the son to the Sept. 11 mastermind poses a threat to national security. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement In a statement, the US State Department said that the younger bin Laden was added to its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list after he was "determined to have committed, or pose a serious risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or national security." The sanctions will deny Hamza bin Laden access to the United States financial system. In addition, the sanctions can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other United States security agencies or other governments. Hamza bin Laden was officially named an Al Qaeda member in 2014 by his late father's successor, Ayman Al-Zawahiri. In 2016, he posted an audio message, in which he threatened revenge attacks against the United States. He also warned American citizens that they would be targeted both at home and abroad. In a 2005 audio message by Al-Zawahiri, Hamza bin Laden called for acts of terror in western countries. He has also called for lone Wolf attacks against the United States, France, and Israel. According to SITE intelligence group co-founder Rita Katz, Hamza bin Laden had been viewed by many as a future Al Qaeda leader but is yet to show the intellectual or operational acumen to replace Al-Zawahiri. His father, Osama bin Laden, was killed in a 2011 raid by US Special Forces at his compound in Pakistan. His death came 10 years after he masterminded the deadly 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. His older brother Khlaed was also killed in the raid. Hamza bin Laden was labeled a "crown prince" after surviving the raid that took his father's life, but he was not a key figure within the Al Qaeda command structure. The United States also imposed sanctions against Ibrahim Al-Banna, a senior member of the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Advertisement Tagsosama bin laden, Barack Obama, United States, Al-qaeda (Photo : Getty Images) Since Dec. 22, water has been cut off for at least 5 million people in Damascus and surrounding areas in Syria as a result of fighting in Wadi Barada by Syrian regime troops and rebel groups. Advertisement Five and a half million people in Damascus have little to no access to water from rebel-held Wadi Barada after the springs have been disrupted due to the ongoing fighting between Syrian regime troops and rebel groups. The springs of Wadi Barada are located just outside of Damascus and account for 70 percent of the water supplies in the Syrian capital, United Nations' humanitarian coordinator Jan Egeland said. Over 5 million people in the City of Jasmine and its vicinity have been afflicted by a water crisis since Dec. 22, having purportedly been contaminated with diesel fuel. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The regime and rebels have traded accusations over responsibility. Rebels blamed government forces for allegedly shelling the reservoir, while Syrian officials said the rebels intentionally infected the water and damaged the infrastructure. The United Nations has already warned that targeting water sources constitutes "war crime." Residents have been able to access water through rationing, which is up to two hours every three or four days. Many have turned to private distributors, which have questionable prices and qualities, prompting the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to raise the alarm over a potential increase in epidemic of water-borne diseases due to lack of clean water. "While private distributors are providing water, we are worried about quality and price of those supplies," Christophe Boulierac, a UNICEF spokesperson, said at the regular bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva. The Syrian government has sought to alleviate the predicament by transporting water from wells around the city, while UNICEF and its partners have rehabilitated 120 wells in and around Damascus to support a part of the residents' daily water necessities. "As of December 22, those wells were the only source of water for the entire city," the organization said. "This past week, daily water trucking resumed to 50 schools in Damascus to reach 30,000 children." All throughout Syria, about 15 million people are in dire need of water aid. Advertisement TagsSyria, Damascus, water shortage, United Nations, UNICEF (Photo : Getty Images) U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks honoring the 2017 School Counselor of the Year and counselors from across the country in the East Room of the White House Jan. 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. These were the final public remarks by the first lady during her husband Barack Obama's presidency. Advertisement Michelle Obama held back her tears as she delivered her final White House remarks on Friday. The emotional first lady gave an intensely passionate and powerful speech focusing on young people, immigrants, and diversities. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "If you or your parents are immigrants, you are a part of a proud American tradition," she said, calling our "glorious diversity" of faiths, colors and creeds as not a threat to who we are but rather, "it makes us who we are." She also added, "Don't ever let anyone make you feel like you don't matter, or like you don't have a place in our American story. You do." The event was to honor school educators all across the nation, which she began last year. The first lady gained a reputation of frequently reminding the youth to give importance in pursuing education. "I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don't be afraid, be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with good education," the outgoing first lady said. Obama hosted the 2017 School Counselor of the Year as a part of her Reach Higher Initiative, with one's main goal is to inspire students to pursue post-secondary education whether at a professional training program or a community college. This year's winner was Terri Tchorzynski from the Calhoun Area Career Centre in Battle Creek, Michigan. A graduate of Harvard Law School like the president, Michelle Obama recalled how her father strived hard hoping that one day his children would go to college and have unimaginable opportunities. She concluded her 21-minute speech with a lingering reminder to "lead by example with hope" and "never fear". "Being your First Lady has been the greatest honor of my life," she ends her final official speech in tears. President Obama's final speech was announced to take place on Jan. 10 in Chicago, according to the official page of The White House. The president said the speech will be a "chance to say thank you for this amazing journey" while celebrating the change of the country for the better in the last eight years, and "to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here." Advertisement TagsBarack Obama, Michelle Obama, White House, donald trump, USA, United States of America (Photo : Getty Images) Chinas foreign exchange reserves dropped further in December by $41 billion to reach at $3.011 trillion. However, the decline was far more less than what most analysts had expected. Advertisement China's foreign exchange reserves continued its downslide in December as it declined for straight six months to hit a five year low. However, the Chinese government can take respite in the fact that the decline was less than what most analysts had expected. China's exchange reserves witnessed a decline of $41 billion last month to reach at $3.011 trillion, according to the data issued by China's central bank on Saturday. The reserves had recorded more steep fall in the previous month of November at $69.06 billion. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Meanwhile, Reuters economists' poll had predicted a more sharp decline in reserves for December. The poll estimated that the country's reserves would drop by $51 billion to reach $3.001 trillion. The continuous freefall in China's reserves has been attributed to yuan's poor performance during most part of 2016. With Yuan losing its value sharply against the US dollar, the Chinese government had dig deep into foreign reserves to save its falling currency. The yuan depreciated 6.6 percent against resurgent dollar in 2016. This has been the Chinese currency's biggest single year fall since 1994. Now, most economists claimed that as Donald Trump's reign is set to begin in the White House, yuan will face further pressure in 2017. Trump unleashed barrage of tirades against China' economic policies while promising in one of the election rallies that he will fix China if he is elected as a president. However, many analysts believe that China's foreign exchange reserves are still in a healthy position to counter any political or economic setbacks. The Asian giant still boosts the world's largest stash of forex reserves by far. Advertisement TagsChina Foreign Exchange Reserves, China Forex Reserves, china, Chinese Economy 81 Muslim-Americans involved in violent extremist plots in 2015, highest since 9/11 The number of Muslim-Americans involved in violent extremist plots totalled 81 last year, the highest since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, according to a new report. Charles Kurzman, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina, released his own seventh annual report on Muslim-American extremism. The report said the total number of Muslim-Americans involved in violent extremism since 2001 totalled 344 or about 26 per year, according to CBN. Five plotters engaged in violence in the U.S. in 2015, killing 19 people and raising the total since 9/11 to 69 fatalities. Over the same period, more than 220,000 Americans were murdered, the report by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security read. Last year, 134 Americans were killed in mass shootings. Kurzman said the overall threat of Muslim-Americans to public safety is exaggerated. "Each year since 2010 when I began doing this report, I try to remind readers ... that among the threats to public safety that Americans face year in and year out, Islamic terrorism has played a very small role," Kurzman told Religion News Service. "Even the numbers of disrupted plots remain much lower than the public debate would lead us to believe. And yet it remains the focus of so much of the security discourse in American politics." Three-quarters of the plots involving 81 Muslim-Americans in violent extremism occurred in the first half of 2015 and the rest in the second half. The drop-off was overshadowed by the shootings in San Bernardino, California last December which killed 14. Kurzman said one factor in the drop-off may have been the decision by the Turkish government in 2015 to restrict travel to Syria through Turkey. Another is that the U.S. government's stepped-up efforts to arrest Americans who appeared to be planning to travel to Syria. The report added that 41 Muslim-Americans travelled to join militants in Syria since 2012, adding that the pace of travel peaked in 2014 and declined last year. "The period of accelerating radicalisation appears to have passed," Kurzman said. Children Of The Cathedral Sing A New Song By Black Sabbath Legend Tony Iommi The sound made by these young choristers is a "cross" between easy-listening pop and traditional cathedral choral. There is a medieval and a modern edge to the work, How Good It Is. It could be described as post-modern musical neo-Gothic with strong overtones of tradition. It is transcendent and beautiful. So it is difficult to believe this comes from the same place as heavy metal classics such as Paranoid, Iron Man and Children of the Grave. Legendary Black Sabbath lead guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi has written the choral work for Birmingham Cathedral to "give something back" to the city of his birth. Iommi, a true "Brummie" who grew up in Aston and was raised Catholic but rarely attended Mass, worked with Catherine Ogle, Dean of Birmingham and a long-time friend, on the five-minute arrangement. The aim is to celebrate peace, harmony and the Cathedral's role in the heart of the city. Ogle wrote the lyrics, based on Psalm 113. Iommi, credited as founder of heavy metal music and currently on "The End" world tour with Black Sabbath, has recently been told he is free of cancer after a long battle. The band has decided to call it a day, however, and they will perform their last gigs in their home city, at Birmingham's Genting Arena on February 2 and 4. Iommi said: "It's great to be involved with the Cathedral and doing something for it. When Catherine mentioned it, it felt like a nice thing to do, to be able to give something to the city." He admitted the choral work is a departure from his more usual style. "It's just a little bit different to Sabbath. We've done instrumental work before with orchestras and it's something I enjoy doing. It's completely different from any of the heavier stuff. This is a completely new piece of music and I'm really pleased with it." The heavy industrial heartland of Birmingham and surrounding towns such as Sandwell and Dudley, once famed for steel works and car factories such as Lucas and British Leyland, were a big influence on the heavy metal rock music pioneered by Black Sabbath. "So much has changed," said Iommi. "The city is hard to recognise these days. There's so much building work going on, it's really great that the city is expanding and offering people more to do here. It's different from my day. It's great to know after all these years we've been recognised in our city. It's something we're really proud of." Iommi also said it was a misunderstanding to imagine Black Sabbath had ever been Satanists. "People used to think we were Satanists but we weren't. The songs were the opposite and all about the dangers of black magic and Satanism. The closest we came was Black Magic chocolates!" Ogle, who is soon to leave Birmingham to become Dean of Winchester, said in a press release issued by the cathedral: "Tony and I were introduced by a mutual friend and we discussed a possible music collaboration in the future. Then, when Tony was unwell, we got to know one another better when I began to pray for him and kept in touch with Tony and his wife about his health." It comes soon after the cathedral celebrated its 300th anniversary. "This is a most wonderful gift Tony offered to the cathedral," said Ogle. "Tony has a huge fan base in the city. The cathedral is here to serve everyone so we want to connect with them too. The words come from scripture and are really positive about people living together in peace and harmony. This is what Birmingham is all about. "Birmingham is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how such a diverse group of people can live together in peace. That's what we all want. Working with Tony and bringing together such different musical styles is a really good illustration of that. "It's wonderful when a son of this city, who has had tremendous success, wants to give something back. That he wanted to do that through the Cathedral is very touching." Prog rock star Rick Wakeman was among those who tweeted in praise of the new choral work: @tonyiommi @bhamcathedral very proud of you Tony.....well done mate ....Rick (Wakeman) Rick Wakeman (@GrumpyOldRick) January 6, 2017 Lyrics for How Good It Is Inspired by Psalm 133 How good, oh how good... How good it is Where friendship dwells How good it is When kindred live In peace and love How good it is When strangers meet And find a home How good it is, so good.... This is home, this is home... Our city, God's city, our home.... So good, so good, together, so good... A West Virginia man is reportedly accused of stalking women inside a Walmart in Ohio and using a syringe to spray them with his semen. Timothy Blake is charged with pandering obscenity, sexual imposition and two counts of menace by stalking, CBS News says, and he has been booked without bond. IN-STORE BEATING: Houston-area man accused in Walmart slaying CBS News says a woman told police on Nov. 2 that a man at Walmart, whom she described as "creepy" and "seemed to be lingering around her," walked up behind her and she felt something wet on her back and foot. The woman then went into the bathroom, where she discovered it was a "sticky" substance, the report says. Ohio police got a similar call on Dec. 28 and noticed the same white pickup truck in the parking lot in surveillance video, the report says. Officers interviewed Blake, the owner of the truck. He allegedly told them that he threw egg yolks at the women, but he later admitted to masturbating into a syringe in his truck or in the Walmart bathroom, CBS News says. YIKES!: Florida man accused of looking up women's skirts at Walmart The affidavit obtained by CBS states Blake is married and that his wife was unaware of his actions. Blake reportedly told police that he blames his parents and said they molested him as a child. He was charged on Dec. 30. Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. The Coast Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are searching for three men who went duck hunting in Carancahua Bay Friday and did not return. Starett Burke from Wallisville, Spencer Hall from Mont Belvieu, and Chris Ruckman from Dayton were hunting between Port Lavaca and Palacios. They reportedly launched a 17-foot, green, flat-bottomed boat around 4 a.m. off County Road 312, on the bay's east side. He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media. Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates. Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications. A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission. He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups. Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association. He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV. Firefighters battled a blaze at an apartment complex in southeast Houston late Friday. The one-alarm fire broke out about 8 p.m. along Nathaniel at Ledge. At least nine Houston Fire Department vehicles, including engines and ladder trucks, are at the scene. A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship FBI agents say a man and two women are the prime suspects in a rash of Houston-area bank robberies in the last two months. Investigators said the most recent hold-ups occurred on Friday, the first about 10:30 a.m. at a Chase Bank branch in the 4000 block of FM 1960 West and about an hour later at another Chase branch along the 200 block of West Greens Road. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Central Texas woman appears to be smirking in her mugshot after she allegedly fatally "mutilated" her 5-year old daughter and stabbed her father-in-law in an altercation Thursday in Hays County, according to the Hays County Sheriffs Office. Krystle Villanueva, 24, faces a capital murder charge and second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The capital murder charge poses a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. She is being held on a $1.1 million bond at the Hays County Jail. RELATED: NWS: Temperatures will feel like teens in San Antonio this weekend Villanueva allegedly stabbed her daughter, Giovanna Larae Hernandez, multiple times during or before an altercation with her 58-year-old father-in-law, Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti. Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler said the girl was "mutilated." Cutler also said on a Facebook Live broadcast via KXAN that in his 43 years in the police force, "this is one of the worst cases Ive ever seen. Its probably the most horrific case in Hays County history, Cutler said during a Friday press conference. Our hearts are heavy here today with the loss of a beautiful 5-year-old girl. The Travis County Medical Examiners Office conducted an autopsy on Hernandez and ruled her death a homicide. RELATED: $5,000 reward to help solve NW Side 2011 capital murder case The investigation into this tragic and horrific homicide is ongoing, HCSO said in a news release. Officers initially responded to the call from the father-in-law at about 12:51 p.m. Thursday in the 200 block of Willow Terrace in the Green Pastures subdivision. The officers then advised that due to the nature of the call, the SWAT unit should be deployed to enter the trailer, the news release said. SWAT entered the home and found Hernandez dead and took Villanueva into custody, according to the release. The Hays County District Attorney said during the press conference his office has not determined what punishments they will seek in this ongoing case. RELATED: San Antonio man convicted of capital murder in 2014 drug robbery Photos from what appear to be Villanuevas multiple Facebook pages show photos of her, but also the following statement regarding her commitment to her daughter: The most important things to me in life is family and succeeding in life but especially my daughter Giovanna LaRae. Id do anything in the world for this chick, she said in the About Me section of one of the profiles. Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite 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. Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Screen Shot 2017-01-07 at 12.21.41 PM.png Ravenna police are investigating a shooting that left two dead, one injured. (File photo) RAVENNA, Ohio -- Two people were shot dead Saturday morning in Ravenna, according to police. One other person suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds, a news release from Ravenna police said. The shooting occurred shortly after 4:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Woodgate Boulevard. Police indicated an argument between several people inside the apartment led to shots being fired. The names of the people involved are not being released until family members are notified, according to the news release. Police have one person in custody and is locating and interviewing other witnesses. Portage County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and to assist Ravenna police. Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Portage County Coroner's Office are assisting with the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Ravenna police at 330-296-6486. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Chris Kuhar, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's executive director, promised big news about big cats on the last day of 2016. Friday morning he filled in the details. During a regular park-board meeting, he told the parks' three commissioners that two new exhibits are on the drawing board. One will house the zoo's two cheetahs at a stand-alone site near the African Savannah. The other is informally called the Asian Highland and will be home to a snow leopard, an Amur leopard and a two red pandas capable of breeding. That exhibit will be on a hill near the Wilderness Trek on the west side of the zoo. The red panda looks more like a red raccoon than the giant black-and-white pandas. Kuhar said they hope to continue to breed snow leopards and had great success in 2016 when one ciub was born there -- the zoo's 17th since 1979. Sean McDermott, the Metroparks' Chief Planning and Design Officer, said the goal is to have both exhibits open in 2018. He and Kuhar said the new spaces will be larger than what the animals currently have in the Primate, Cat and Aquatics Building. The hope is to submit plans to the commissioners in May with construction commencing this summer. At the Friday meeting, the commissioners approved paying Van Auken Akins Architects around $302,000 for concept design, design development, construction and permit document preparation and construction administration for the cheetah exhibit. They also approved paying around $557,000 to Van Auken Akins for similar services on the panda-leopard exhibit. Kuhar said after the meeting that eventually, the Primate Cat and Aquartics building will be repurposed but no firm decisions have been made. The zoo opened the well-received Rosebrough Tiger Passage (video) last summer. Mary Rose Oakar and Roslyn Painter-Goffi.JPG Both of Cuyahoga County's representatives to the state school board, Mary Rose-Oakar and Roslyn Painter-Goffi, will change this year. Oakar, a Democrat, will be replaced by fellow Democrat Meryl Johnson, while Democrat Painter-Goffi lost the November election to Republican Lisa Woods. (Patrick O'Donnell/The Plain Dealer) COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state school board has moved further to the political right as it starts 2017 with key decisions on charter schools, testing and graduation requirements on the horizon. That the officially non-partisan board would unofficially lean either Republican or Democrat is unremarkable. That's how the board is designed, with the governor allowed to select eight of the 19 seats. While Republicans have held a solid majority the last several years, their position has grown stronger. Just two years ago, with eight elected Democrats on the board creating an 11-8 split, Democrats held a press conference to vow that their opposition voice would be loud and would be heard. And it was. The two sides have had vigorous debates the last two years, even when Republicans still had the numbers to prevail. - Republicans have had stronger support for testing and setting high expectations for student scores, particularly to graduate from high school, while Democrats have wanted less. - Republicans have wanted school districts to have freedom to decide their own staffing and how to serve gifted students, while Democrats have wanted more requirements. - And Democrats called for an outside investigation after the Ohio Department of Education mishandled charter school oversight evaluations, while Republicans wanted to limit inquiries. Resignations and voters have now tipped things further toward Republicans. When the board meets Monday for the first time in 2017, the split will widen to 14-5, with one of the five left-leaning members not even registered for either party. Gone is Dayton member A.J. Wagner, a Democrat who resigned in November for personal reasons, and who was one of the leading Democrat voices. In his place, Kasich on Friday appointed Charlotte McGuire, a Republican that Wagner defeated in their school board race two years ago. McGuire, a former employee of the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, is now known as "Prophetess McGuire" as she and her husband run a Dayton church, Joshua Christian Ministries. In that 2014 race, she advocated for repealing the Common Core standards in Ohio and supported charter schools as offering competition to districts. Also gone is former Berea school district teacher Roslyn Painter-Goffi, also a Democrat and who was backed by teachers unions. Replacing her is conservative activist and one-time Tea Party organizer Lisa Woods, who beat her in the November election. And Republicans scored a major win in 2015 when Democrat and former State Rep. Bob Hagan of Youngstown stepped down to take a job out of state. Kasich filled that seat last year with someone even more politically savvy than Hagan - former Lieutenant Governor Nancy Hollister. State school board member Nancy Hollister. After serving under former Gov. George Voinovich, Hollister was briefly Ohio's first female governor when she filled that post for 11 days in 1999 between Voinovich joining the U.S. Senate and Bob Taft taking office as governor. Hollister, of Marietta, has since defeated strong Democratic opposition from former State Rep. Debbie Phillips in the November election to fill the last two years of Hagan's term. She now is a candidate to become the board's vice president next week. Board member Stephanie Dodd, one of the leaders of the minority coalition, won re-election in November and remains, but Dodd concedes that it there's no real opposition group anymore with goals or any agenda. "I may be the lone voice," she said, though a few new board members will also likely offer opposing view to the majority. The board's presidency will also change Monday, though it will likely remain Republican. Board President Tom Gunlock is stepping down from that job, though he will remain on the board. State school board member Tess Elshoff. The expected replacement is Tess Elshoff, from rural New Knoxville, who has served as vice president for the last two years. She has been a low-key vice-president, in contrast to Gunlock, who had led the overhaul of state report cards before becoming president. Unlike two years ago, there is no organized effort to promote any Democrats for either President or Vice-President. Here are some of the other changes to the board: - Mary Rose Oakar, the former Democratic Congresswoman who represented Cleveland and many Cuyahoga County suburbs, is out because of term limits. Meryl Johnson, another Democrat and former Cleveland teacher, won that seat in November. Backed by Oakar, Johnson will be vocal in her support of urban and underprivileged schools and students. - Replacing Democrat and vocal member Michael Collins, from suburban Columbus, is Antoinette Miranda, director of the School Psychology Program in the Department of Educational Studies at Ohio State University. She advocates for reduced testing, more funding for schools and more accountability for charter schools. - Replacing Democrat Ann Jacobs of Lima will be non-partisan Shawnee school board member Linda Haycock, also a Lima resident. Haycock told the Toledo Blade before the election that she is skeptical of counting on standardized tests to show how well schools are doing. She also wanted any school that receives public money, including charter schools, to be as accountable as traditional districts. - Republican Ron Rudduck, who brought his background as a superintendent to the board, chose not to seek re-election. Nick Owens, a Brown County prosecutor, won that seat. He said in his campaign that he wants to have more drug education, an improved graduation rate and high standards for students. oil.water.portage.jpg Akron's municipal water supply at Lake Rockwell, in Portage County, pictured in a March 2015 file photo, is surrounded by oil wells that have caused concern in Akron about potential threats to the water supply of thousands in Summit County. Thomas Suddes writes that a little-noted provision of House Bill 463 signed into law by Gov. Kasich Wednesday empowers local boards of elections and the Ohio secretary of state to determine on their own, without a court ruling on constitutionality, whether to rule off the ballot municipal or county charter proposals pertaining to hydraulic fracturing and other issues. (John Harper, cleveland.com, File, 2015) The legislature just made it harder for anyone to use local ballot issues to fight fracking, thanks to a bill rammed through the legislature, House Bill 463, which Gov. John Kasich signed Wednesday. That's not the only problem that mars the 67-page Christmas tree, which passed Dec. 8. Reprehensibly, the bill also weakens Ohio's housing discrimination law. As to the environment, HB 463 takes aim at attempts to propose county charters, or city or village ballot issues, that would ban fracking or any other local initiative that would run counter to statewide law (example: ballot issues to soften marijuana penalties). HB 463 gives county Boards of Elections and the Ohio secretary of state power to decide if a municipal initiative or proposed county charter fails to follow proper procedures for reaching the ballot - or (this is key) tries to claim local control over powers the state reserves for itself. (A 2004 law gives the state sole authority over oil and gas production.) If a ballot issue does either, HB 463 allows elections boards and the secretary to keep it off the ballot. Maybe county vote boards should umpire process stuff (such as validating signatures). But as to whether what a ballot issue aims to do is legal, courts should decide that after voters pass that issue, if they do. The backdrop: In 2015, voters in Medina County, Fulton County west of Toledo and Athens County, home to Ohio University, signed petitions proposing county charters they wanted on the ballot. (Ohio's only charter counties are Cuyahoga and Summit, which elect county executives). The 2015 charter proposals didn't make changes in each county's government structure; for example, an executive wouldn't have replaced county commissioners. But Ohio's Supreme Court said the proposed Medina, Fulton and Athens charters would have "effectively [banned] high-volume hydraulic fracking as a method of oil and gas extraction [in each county]." Secretary of State Jon Husted had earlier ruled the proposals off the ballot. He said Ohio law gives sole authority over oil and gas production to the state. And Husted said the proposals didn't include required specifics about which county officeholders the proposed charter counties would elect, etc. The Supreme Court ruled Husted didn't have the authority to decide the oil-and-gas angle - but said he was correct in deciding the charters lacked required specifics about county officeholders, keeping the initiatives off the ballot. In 2016, the Ohio Supreme Court again backed refusals by elections boards in Portage, Athens and Meigs counties to place similar proposed charters on the ballot. (Meigs County is in southeast Ohio along the Ohio River.) But what the Supreme Court didn't specifically decide was this: whether any officeholder or any government agency could keep a proposed county charter off the ballot because the proposed charter tried to assume power over things the state has reserved for itself (e.g., fracking). That's where HB 463 comes in. It gives county Boards of Elections power to yank an initiative if it would give a city or village more municipal home rule power than Ohio's constitution authorizes. And HB 463 says a county charter can be kept off the ballot if it tries to assume power the state doesn't give counties. A range of lobbies, with the Statehouse oil-and-gas crowd at or near the head of the parade, backed the anti-voter-initiative amendment. In fairness, the amendment could hold down the litigation costs that elections boards (taxpayers) shoulder. Yes, also, trying to block fracking with a county charter is like using a screwdriver to saw wood: That's not what the tool is for. Still, Ohio's Bill of Rights says "all political power is inherent in the people" - not, as the General Assembly seems to think, in the Statehouse's lobbies. Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens. To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-999-4689 Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue) just below. baby T-shirt by sara hoover.JPG Cleveland could learn a lot about saving babies from Boston. (Sara Hoover) Just like in Cleveland, far too many of Boston's black babies, many of them impoverished, were dying in the 2000s despite the city's top-notch hospitals. Nearly 14 of every 1,000 of Boston black babies didn't live to see their first birthday in 2000, because of prematurity, congenital defects or dangerous sleeping habits, such as being put to bed on their stomachs or with blankets. And they were the main victims of the city and state's once high infant mortality rate. Now Boston's double-digit rates seem to be in the past. The city's black infant mortality rate fell to 9.1. in 2013, the latest statistic available, thanks to a mixture of prenatal care through home visits and social service efforts. The rate for white babies is just 3. Meanwhile, Cleveland's black infant mortality rate -- 20 out of 1,000 in 2015, according to the Ohio Department of Public Health -- is horrific. That death rate is the main reason that Ohio has one of the worse infant mortality rates in the country, but hopefully improvement is on the way: Ohio Gov. John Kasich recently signed the state's first comprehensive law to deal with infant mortality law. Boston's 9.1 rate is not as good as the city's astounding 6.6. black infant mortality rate in 2012 (close to the U.S. goal for 2020), but the city is still committed to finding ways to keep babies alive, said Deborah Allen, director of the Bureau of Child, Adolescent and Family Health for the Boston Public Health Commission, the city's health department. That dedication and creativity is an attitude that ought to be emulated by First Year Cleveland, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County's new anti-infant mortality program that is just getting off the ground. Here are three ways Boston has tried to tackle the problem: * Focus on housing: Realizing that homelessness is a major cause of stress for many pregnant women, Boston teamed up with its federal public housing program to help eligible pregnant women get an apartment in public housing and social services. Ohio just passed a bill giving homeless pregnant women priority for rental assistance, which should help local programs get started. * Talk about family planning: Boston adopted Oregon's "One Key Question" program that encourages doctors to ask women of reproductive age if they are planning to become pregnant the following year. Doctors then discuss contraceptive use with patients who don't plan to have a child. Half of the pregnancies in the United States are unintended. * Listen to clients: Workers are taught to be aware that some women have experienced physical, sexual and mental abuse and may be distrustful of authority and that they should help teach women how to solve their own problems. There have been some bumps along the way, but Boston's multi-layered program that combines home visits with a focus on poverty seems to have made the difference. First Year Cleveland must not ignore these lessons. Sharon Broussard is chief editorial writer at cleveland.com. To reach Sharon Broussard: sbroussard@cleveland.com. Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue) just below. 20170105_141539-1.jpg John Visnauskas, left, and Jeff Fowler of the All Faiths Pantry show off part of the Sixth Annual Parma Peanut Butter Drive haul to be distributed to the needy in the area. (Mark Holan/special to cleveland.com) PARMA, Ohio - When you're looking to assist people in need, you don't have to look too far these days. They're often right next door to you or at least closer than you'd think. The All Faiths Pantry is a Parma area 501(c)3 non-profit organization that delivers groceries at no charge to local low-income seniors and others with challenges to mobility. The AFP and Parma City Council President Sean Brennan started the Parma Peanut Butter Drive six years ago, and the 2016 Drive concluded with a new record for pounds of peanut butter and cash donations collected. This year, the Drive collected 1,191 pounds of peanut butter and received $1,055 in cash donations, which allowed them to purchase more peanut butter at a lower cost than the average person. An additional 104 pounds of miscellaneous non-perishable groceries were also collected. That final tally is up from last year's totals of 639 pounds of peanut butter and $791 in cash donations. The AFP and Sean Brennan would like to thank the following businesses and organizations that provided drop-off points: Studio Zia Salon, the Cuyahoga County Public Library Parma branches, UH Parma Medical Center, the Parma Animal Shelter and the Office of Parma City Council. "I'm so incredibly proud of the Parma community for understanding the suburban poverty issue we have and doing something about it," Brennan said. "I also commend John Visnauskas and the AFP team for going about and beyond to help the needy among us." Winter Fest: Parma's St. Francis de Sales Parish will be hold its annual Winter Fest Jan. 21 and 22. The hours are 5:30-8 p.m. Jan. 21 and noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 22. It will be held in the parish cafeteria, 3434 George Avenue. Saturday's meal will be a broasted chicken dinner with all the trimmings catered by Stancato's. Pre-sale tickets are $15 for adults and $7.50 for 10 years and under. Call 440-884-2319 to reserve tickets. There are a limited number of tickets. On Sunday, the menu will be more casual: hot dogs, pizza and sausage sandwiches. They will be prepared and served by the parish's Boy Scouts. There will also be 50/50 sideboards and a Chinese Auction. The Grand Prize Raffle will be five $1,000 prize giveaways. The drawing will be at 3:45 p.m. Sunday. Local Scholar: Congratulations to Kasey Stefan, of Seven Hills, who made the University of Evansville (Indiana) Dean's List for the fall semester of 2016. She is a Public Health major. To make the University of Evansville Dean's List, the student must earn at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Reminder: Send me updates of your children's academic achievements at the high school and college level. All parents are proud of what their children achieve in school - at all levels. More Information: It's always interesting to find out about the local organizations and clubs, so please send me any pertinent and up-to-date information about activities and fundraisers at marklholan@yahoo.com watch now Jim Cramer says drug and bank stocks will be on the red-hot griddle next week. "I expect the drug stocks will be a mixed bag, but the banks should be in hog heaven," the "Mad Money" host said. Before diving into bank earnings on Friday, Cramer will have his eye on the drug stocks, kicking the week off with the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference. Usually conferences aren't powerful enough to move the tape, but the JPMorgan conference is the biggest and most important of its kind and could provide powerful insight to the drug stocks. Cramer will be focused specifically on the drug stocks that can break news. After shares of Constellation Brands plunged 7 percent on Thursday, Jim Cramer did his homework to see if it was time to reshuffle his beer stocks. Constellation Brands is the world's leading purveyor of premium wines and alcohol, and also imports popular Mexican beer brands like Corona, Modelo and Pacifico into the U.S. Cramer attributed the shares falling to beer sales that weren't strong enough for the bulls, but mainly, due to concerns over President-elect Donald Trump's agenda. "Investors are worried that the company could get hurt if the Trump administration imposes some kind of cross-border tariff on Mexican imports," Cramer said. After speaking with Constellation's CEO Rob Sands on Thursday, Cramer came to the conclusion that fears of Trump's agenda are overblown. It's not like Ford or General Motors moving an auto plant from Michigan to Mexico. If they made a Mexican beer in the U.S., it wouldn't really be a Mexican beer. Airline stocks suddenly seemed to be flying high recently thanks to the pro-business agenda expected of Trump and Warren Buffett's blessing. However, with 2017 in full swing, that sentiment on the group seems to have cooled rapidly. In the past two days, there were two bearish calls on airlines from Cowen and Morgan Stanley. "If you have been riding these stocks up, I don't blame anybody who wants to take their cue from this negative research and ring the register up here," Cramer said. Now that the airlines have had a huge run, he expects the stocks to become less attractive if they head higher. People look at AGCO equipment as they attend National Farm Machinery show in Louisville, Kentucky, February 12, 2016. Meredith Davis | Reuters It's that time again! Jim Cramer rang the lightning round bell, which means he gave his take on caller favorite stocks at rapid speed: Western Digital : "Western Digital is at $70 and I think it goes to $85. When we had management on they made me feel even better about the stock than had going in because I like flash memory. I like the Sandisk acquisition, I like them." Ferrellgas Partners : "There are forces going on in the propane business right now that trade day-to-day ... It is too hard. I would not sell it down here, but you have to understand that the cross-currents in that business are insane." Twilio : "They are the backbone for a lot of things like Airbnb and for Uber, and we know it went too high. When they did the secondary we backed away from it. I've got to tell you, at $27 I think it's fine. Not pound-table, but I think it's fine. They are great technology." Realty Income : "No. When they [the Fed] are raising rates I don't want to own Realty Income. I think that a 4 percent yield is just not enough to keep me in that stock. No, thank you. I'm going to pass." Synergy Pharmaceuticals : "Oh my, this is like the most speculative stock in the world. Everyone wants me to pound the table on it. No-can-do. I'm calling it a spec and I'm leaving it at that." Adient : "I think that's terrific in light of the fact that we saw those December numbers. And I don't think they are peak numbers. I know that makes me an outlier, but I think autos are still OK." Avis Budget Group : "Too hard. Don't buy, don't buy. That group is way too hard for this guy. It's way above my pay grade." HubSpot : "We don't need this, we have Salesforce. Salesforce had a great quarter. Salesforce is still down from when they reported the quarter. Let's not out think this. Salesforce.com, it's Benioff [CEO] time." AT&T : "People are telling me it's rolling over, the charts don't look good. Oh give me a break! AT&T is a buy, buy, buy. Very aggressive management now, good yield. I think it's fine. I'm not backing away from Verizon, either, just so we know." A Saturday afternoon crash involving as many as 20 vehicles including three tractor-trailers and a tanker truck closed a section of Interstate 91 in Connecticut, authorities said. Conntecticut State Police said there were no serious injuries in the pileup that occurred near exit 21 on the southbound side on I-91 in Middletown, as heavy snow from a massive winter storm was falling in southern New England. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his constructive stance toward Russia on Saturday, saying in a series of posts on social media that he was committed to having a "good relationship" with the country based on mutual respect. In a series of tweets, and with controversy still swirling around Russia's role in a series of high-profile cyber attacks, Trump appeared unbowed by accusations that Russia successfully interfered with the November election. Trump asserted that the country "would respect us far more than they do now" in the future. Trump tweet 1 Trump tweet 2 The posts came just as U.S. intelligence agencies met with the president-elect on Friday, and issued a report that fingered Vladimir Putin as having personally directed cyber attacks that influenced the general election vote. For his part, Trump has maintained a studious skepticism about Russia's involvement, insisting that he wanted to be certain before taking any action. Trump tweet 3 Over the last several weeks, Trump has publicly and pointedly questioned the assessments of U.S. intelligence agencies on Russia, while refusing to criticize Putin. Meanwhile, the Kremlin openly mocked the assertions of the Central Intelligence Agency's report. Since Friday, Russian officials have done what Trump has been wont to do: Taking to Twitter to dismiss the criticism and counter accusations of wrongdoing. You won't be able to pick up last-minute sides at Hy-Vee on Thanksgiving Do you "like"? Do you "tweet"? Do you tube? Does your business do any or all of these things and, if so, does it really ... After meeting with U.S. intelligence leaders on Friday, President-elect Donald Trump withheld any direct endorsement of their findings that Russia tried to meddle with the recent election. Rather, he focused on whether the hacking efforts -- from any country -- had an effect on the elections outcome. In his view, there was absolutely none. "While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election," Trump said in a statement. Trump made the remarks after the U.S. intelligence leaders said on Thursday that theyre more confident than ever the Kremlin directed the election-related hacks on Democratic groups and figures. The outgoing director of national intelligence has also advised the U.S. to consider a broad range of retaliations against Russia. But Trumps statement on Friday mentioned no such measures against the country. He only agreed that Russia was among the many parties trying to hack U.S. infrastructure and institutions. In response, Trump plans to appoint a team within 90 days of taking office that will offer a plan to combat and stop cyberattacks. However, he indicated the plan will probably remain classified. The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm, Trump said in his statement. Trump has repeatedly been skeptical about U.S. intelligence assertions that Russia is to blame for the election-related hacks. His camp has even gone as far to criticize the U.S. intelligence agencies behind the findings, saying "these are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction." However, that criticism was absent in Friday's statement. "I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this community to our great nation," he said. Security experts have suggested Trump probably won't ever explicitly agree on blaming Russia for the hacks, fearing that it will cast doubt over his election victory. At the same time, skepticism over U.S. intelligence findings linking the Kremlin with the hacks has been growing in recent days over an alleged lack of evidence and possible missteps with the investigation. However, the White House is preparing a report that will offer more detail into the suspected Russian hacking. A declassified version of that report could be made available as soon as Friday. As Dr Lee Rotherham noted on this site yesterday morning, Michael Goves remarks on experts during the referendum were much misrepresented. The phrase People have had enough of experts, so often repeated by Remainers, was followed by the crucial from organisations with acronyms saying they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong. The difference between the two is important, because it marks the boundary between a healthy increase in scepticism towards technocracy in our politics and counter-productive antipathy to expertise per se. Few people believe, I should think, that you can genuinely govern a country without reference to expert opinion. Countries are complex things and our politicians are, for the most part, generalists. It is right and proper that they call upon well-informed sources for evidence when they consider their policies. But too often many of todays politicians take this too far: instead of consulting experts before arriving at their own view, they instead farm out their responsibilities wholesale. Most recently, this has brought us to the brink of handing punitive power over our newspapers to Impress, a millionaire-backed self-regulator actively hostile to the popular press which no major title as chosen to submit to. As I wrote in December, reaching this point involved a multi-layered abdication of responsibility. MPs handed off the job of responding to a political crisis to a judge, whose rulings they now struggle to reject whether they agree with them or not. He decided the press should be overseen by an independent regulator. Even the choice of who that regulator should be which you might think an important decision has been handed off to another independent group, the Press Recognition Panel, which was itself assembled via an independent process. Note that every instance of the world independent in that description is a fresh degree of separation between the exercise of unprecedented state power and any political accountability for its use. The electorate doesnt choose the regulator, those who choose the regulator, or even those who choose the choosers. But Leveson is not the only example. For another take Chris Philps proposals, outlined here, to empower judges to rule on whether or not a public-sector strike is reasonable and proportionate a process which would charge unelected individuals to dole out white hats and basically write a just strike doctrine into British law from scratch. These are only two specific examples of a much broader trend. Other examples include kicking an ever-broadening range of issues out of the political arena via things like the Human Rights Act and delegating the creation of regulations and the disbursement of taxpayers money to an ever-growing network of regulators and quangos. Of course Parliament is ultimately responsible for all its delegated functions, but creating so much distance between the exercise of power and the voters makes it much more difficult to hold power to account, especially for people who dont take a very close interest in public affairs. Even when politicians do make decisions directly, they too often still reach for the shield of experts via the incantation of evidence-based policy. As Sam Bowman of the Adam Smith Institute notes: ideology is often dressed up in terminology that sounds neutral but makes significant assumptions about the role of the state and its ability to effectively solve societys problems. Anyone for some evidence-based policy? One of the triumphant Leave campaigns key themes was take back control, tapping into a sense that our political institutions and by extension we, the voters were having their authority sapped by other bodies which werent democratically accountable. To wrest power back from Brussels only to squirrel it away in the independent parts of our constitution would be to leave the job half-done. Politicians need to take ownership of difficult decisions, rather than trying to disguise their inherently political nature with the rhetoric of expertise. Nor should we forget that, as Andrew Lilico writes on CapX, experts are still people with social and political biases that skew their testimony. We need less independence, and more accountability, from people who wield the authority of the state or disburse its money. CORNWALL, Ontario A Cornwall business has received the stamp of approval from legendary Canadian home builder Mike Holmes. The Menard Bros. & Associates are now a HOLMES Approved Homes Partner Builder. The recognition means that they are building homes to the Mike Holmes standard. We take great pride in the way we build homes. Its a 60-year family tradition, says Guy Menard, President of Menard Bros.. Thats why were very honoured and grateful to be recognised by Mike Homes as a trusted builder who cares and does things right the first time. HOLMES Approved Homes is a project that Mike Holmes launched in 2011 to create a standard of quality and a certification program for home building in North America. Im always getting emails from people who want me to build their home, says Holmes. The truth is they just want a home built right. This program is about thatbuilding safer, healthier homes built right the first time. And we do this by partnering with builders who care about building better, so they get my guys to come in and inspect their homes as they go up. These homes go under a stage-by-stage inspection process to assure that quality is maintained at every level. Building beyond code has always been a way of life for us, which explains why this partnership is a perfect fit, added Guy Menard. From the beginning, we understood that some minimum building codes are just that minimum and weve exceeded them to create higher durability and superior performance. Third-party verification adds to new homeowners peace of mind, both now and whenever they choose to sell their home. Close Just like coffee, tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Due to the high demand, there is a need for expansion of the tea growing industry. Luckily, a 50-year-old research funded by Lipton may give hope to Central Valley tea growing industry. The researchers of Global Tea Initiative at UC will use samples and cuttings that have been used from a 50-year-old Lipton Tea project that were obtained a few months ago by contacting Kearney Center. They asked about the old research and they were surprised when they heard that tea plants were still surviving. Lipton Tea previously funded a 1967 research project. Surprisingly, there are 13 tea plants left from the research and they are still growing, according to ABC. Jeff Dahlberg, a member of UC researchers said the sample and cutting they gathered from the Kearney Center will be used to develop a tea program. The group's next steps is to establish a one-acre test plot to find out if tea can be a viable crop in the Valley No doubt tea is one of the favorite beverages not only in the United States, but also in Asia. One variety can be eaten and used as one of the ingredients in a salad. An article published on The Hindu Business suggests that Myanmar tea, which is a fermented or pickled tea is best for salad. Similar to coffee, tea contains antioxidants that help people be more youthful and protect their bodies from damages sustained because of pollution, according to Today. Additionally, studies suggest that tea can help protect the teeth and heart. It can also help prevent cancer. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Networking News D-Link Calls The FTC's Router And IP Camera Security Allegations 'Baseless' Joseph F. Kovar Share this Networking vendor D-Link, which this week was sued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over alleged security issues in its routers and IP cameras, blasted the FTC for insinuating potential security issues rather than pointing out specific instances where customer privacy was breached. The FTC filed a complaint in the Northern District of California on Thursday which charged Taiwan-based D-Link and D-Link Systems, its Fountain Valley, Calif.-based U.S. subsidiary, with failing to take "reasonable steps to secure its routers and Internet Protocol (IP) cameras" and possibly compromising sensitive consumer information "including live video and audio feeds from D-Link IP cameras." According to the FTC, D-Link failed to take steps to address "well-known and easily preventable security flaws." Among the alleged missteps were hard-coding the username "guest" and password "guest" into some products, allowing a software flaw that could let unauthorized users take control of routers, making a private key code for the D-Link software openly available on a public website for six months, and leaving users' login credentials for the company's mobile app unsecured. [Related: FTC Files Complaint Against D-Link Over Router, Camera Security Issues] D-Link was unable to provide a company executive to discuss the FTC action, citing executive travel schedules related to CES 2017. In a prepared statement, D-Link Systems said it rejects the FTCs allegations and firmly believes it has "more than reasonable" security processes and procedures including procedures to address potential security issues, which the company said exist in all of its internet of things (IoT) devices. The company also said the FTC did not allege any breach of a D-Link Systems device or actual instances of consumers suffering, but instead focused on the potential of being hacked. The FTC charges against D-Link Systems are unwarranted, said William Brown, chief information security officer at D-Link Systems, in the statement. "We will vigorously defend the security and integrity of our routers and IP cameras and are fully prepared to contest the complaint. Furthermore, we are continually working to address the overall security features of D-Link Systems' products for their intended applications and to regularly inform consumers of the appropriate steps to take to secure devices.," Brown said. D-Link late Thursday posted an online FAQ to address specific allegations in the FTC complaint. In the FAQ, the company said it maintains procedures to address the kind of potential security issues that exist in all IoT devices and said the FTC must allege that actual consumers were harmed or could suffer actual injuries. D-Link's response was what would be expected of a company facing allegations of delivering solutions which could impact the privacy of its customers, said Andrew Calore, vice president of BCI Computers, a West Warwick, R.I.-based solution provider who partners with D-Link to a limited extent. With the average household having 14 connected devices and the increasing reliance on IoT, security flaws are to be expected, Calore told CRN. "Nothing is perfect," he said. "For a company like D-Link, it sounds like they made a reasonable response to the FTC action." However, Calore praised the FTC for raising the issue. Vendors, in general, are quick to promise certain features and capabilities but often slower to deliver them, he said. "I agree the FTC should be involved," he said. "Routers and cameras get put in your home, your private area. They should be safe. Otherwise, someone could do something like use your camera to see if you're at home and then rob you." When talking with the IT director at a business customer, it is easy to talk about VPNs and firewalls to protect the business, Calore said. "But at home, users rely on their ISPs or on store-bought routers for security," he said. "You can't load antivirus on your baby monitors and cameras." Seabourn introduced Seabourn Encore to the world at a festive evening ceremony pier side in Singapore over the weekend. Sarah Brightman presided over the naming ceremony as godmother of the new 600-guest ship, the first of two new vessels for the company. "The launch of Seabourn Encore marks the start of a new era of ultra-luxury cruising," said Richard Meadows, President of Seabourn. "Seabourn Encore marks a major step forward in terms of growth for our company. This ship is stunningly beautiful and I know guests are going to be absolutely captivated as they step aboard and see it firsthand." "We are honored that Singapore hosted the christening of Seabourn's crown jewel. This event marks another milestone in our partnership with Seabourn Cruise Line and the Carnival Corporation," added Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board. "It is also testament to the growing appeal of Southeast Asia as the destination of choice for discerning travellers. We are confident that Seabourn's guests will enjoy experiencing the rich and diverse offerings of the region, and look forward to welcoming more of Carnival Corporation's ships to Singapore." Following the naming ceremony, the Seabourn Encore departed on its Inaugural Voyage, the 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise, bound for Indonesia. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Aresta Johnson does not come across as a woman just put in charge of a troubled, deficit-plagued school district of some 21,000 students the second largest in the state. She is calm and soft-spoken and addresses a fresh $250,000 budget cut laid on her lap from the state in the same unruffled tone she uses when discussing plans to visit schools or meet with parents. Right now I just want to do the best job that I can, Johnson said from her new office in City Hall. I want to create a sense of stability and continuity for the students and families ... I know there will be tough days ahead, but I want folks to have comfort in knowing that things are going to be OK. A one-time pharmaceutical chemist who was raised in a Waterbury housing project, Johnson, 49, was named interim schools superintendent by the city school board last month. She replaces Fran Rabinowitz, who cut short her tenure citing irreconcilable differences with board member Maria Pereira. Rabinowitz filed a complaint against Pereira with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunity. Rabinowitzs departure came before the city school boards on again, off again search for a permanent superintendent could be completed. Now fully under way, the search process is supposed to result in a selection by March and a start date in July. Johnson wont yet say if she will seek the permanent job. She will earn $136,000 for the seven months it is anticipated she will serve as interim. Her appointment was one of the few things the fractured school board has been able to agree on in months. For most of the fall, the board didnt even meet, with half of the panel boycotting meetings. Under Johnson, that will change. I think it will go fine, said Johnson, who was at the table during the school boards last meeting in December. One of her first orders of business, she said, will be to sit down individually with board members. I want to cultivate and nurture the relationship, individually and collectively as a governing body, Johnson said. Johnson brings with her the advantage of seeing the job and the districts needs up close. Shortly after Rabinowitz arrived, she hired Johnson to be in charge of the citys high schools and adult education program. It was a return to the district for Johnson whose first job came in 2005 as science coordinator and it surprised some. When Johnson left the district in 2012 she was principal at Central High School and Paul Vallas was superintendent. She had had a rocky relationship with some staff, once barring a scheduled after-school union meeting for retirees at Central until union leaders intervened. Rabinowitz, however, called Johnson a hard worker and made her part of her cabinet upon her return, expanded her role and encouraged her to seek the interim slot. Johnson said it was not something she ever imagined doing, even though she acquired the necessary credentials to become a superintendent earlier in her career, at the urging of a friend. It was something in my back pocket that I never thought I would have to pull out, Johnson said. During the last weeks of Rabinowitzs tenure, the two worked as a team. It was a great transition, Johnson said. She said she wants to keep many of the routines Rabinowitz put into place, such as holding regular data and special ed team meetings, holding public forums at budget time, keeping an open door policy and communicating regularly with the board through a weekly email update. She has met with the administrators union and has talked with Bridgeport Education Association President Rob Traber. I expect the relationship will be good, Johnson said. During her interview with the board, Johnson made it clear she is not political. She will go up to Hartford, but as a strong advocate for children. If I could send one message, it is that I am student-centered, Johnson said. In her first week on the job, Johnson, who still lives in Waterbury, said she is working late into the night but has not yet brought a sleeping bag. Johnson is married, and has a 24-year-old son who lives in Virginia. She has begun visiting schools, starting with K-6 ones on the citys East side, as well as the new Claytor School, which will have a science and technology theme. I absolutely love science, Johnson said. Until now she has also kept a hand on that teaching passion, volunteering in an after-school science program in Waterbury and teaching a science methods class at the University of Bridgeport. For now, that will have to stop. The job she leaves, which in addition to overseeing high schools includes guidance and the districts choice programs, is being held by Ralph Council, a retiree. / Michael P. Mayko DERBY-A longtime member of the citys Housing Authority resigned in protest over Mayor Anita Dugattos decision not to reappoint Joseph Romano Sr who spent more than a decade as chairman. Romano is the father of J.R. Romano, the Republican Partys state chairman.He said he was notified that he was not being re-appointed in a letter received Christmas Eve. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate His name was meant to bring a certain cachet to the property. But now that Donald Trump is just days away from assuming the presidency, its bringing more unwanted spotlight to Stamfords tallest building. Trump Parc, a 35-story luxury condominium tower downtown, is being targeted by Fairfield County Democrats as part of a Jan. 15 protest of the president-elect, complete with a papier-mache likeness of Trump. The demonstration will coincide with a national day of action urged by former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Democratic leaders in Congress. Organizers say Trump doesnt represent their values and priorities, from universal health care to economic equality and racial justice. Instead, they say, he stands for bigotry, misogyny and crony capitalism. People are frustrated by this election, said Stamford organizer Nina Sherwood, who was a Sanders delegate to last summers Democratic National Convention. This is less about Trump. People are upset because of him but its more about the vision of our country that we see and is possible. Trump does not own an equity stake in the high-rise, but received a seven-figure sum for the use of his name on the building. Among the buildings notable tenants is wrestling promoter Linda McMahon, who Trump tapped in December to head the Small Business Administration. A request for comment was left Friday for McMahon. State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano characterized the planned protest as the height of hypocrisy. Four months ago, they were demanding that Republicans accept the results of the election, Romano said. Donald Trump hasnt even been sworn in yet. Theyre still tone deaf to the election results. They have not accepted the fact that he won. This is not the first time the luxury property has been a magnet for controversy. The week after Trumps election, protesters picketed outside the condo development with signs that said, Never Trump. In 2015, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined members of a local mosque in calling for Trumps name to be removed from the residential tower when the real estate mogul proposed banning Muslims from entering the U.S. after the terrorist attack in Paris. At the time, the propertys developer, Stamford-based F.D. Rich, said it no longer controlled the building and had shifted ownership to the condo tenants association. During an interview last April with Hearst Connecticut Media, Trump said he was not aware of the controversy. Its a great building and were very proud of it, Trump said. I never heard that. The name is what gives it big value. neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TRUMBULL Being branched at the University of Connecticuts Stamford campus is not the end of the world. Not knowing what you want to do with your life in high school or even college is not only OK, but common. Finding ones passion is as important as good grades. And branching out by switching majors, for instance, might be for the best. This and other words of wisdom were showered on a good number of the towns eighth grade population at a special forum held at Trumbull High School this week. While some of the students in attendance became distracted by friends and cell phones during the 90-minute presentation, most had parents with them to take notes. This was amazing, Michelle Genuario, mom to 13-year-old Bella, said. I went to college. I have three degrees, but I am so far removed from it, this was good to hear. Schools Superintendent Gary Cialfi pointed out that the 2017 Superintendents College & Career Readiness for Success Forum wasnt a college planning night or even an introduction to high school. Rather, it was a chance to hear firsthand accounts from current and former high school students on how to take advantage of what high school has to offer for a better future. Also on hand were a couple of employers and college officials to tell students how to make their college and job applications stand out. More Information How to make the most of College 101 During Trumbull's Success Forum, sponsored jointly by the school board, Trumbull Business-Education Initiative and Trumbull ACE Foundation, Mark Ligas, an associate dean at Fairfield University, and Jennifer Parzych, a professor at Southern Connecticut State University, offered these essentials for making it at college: Enter college with an open mind. Your major could change. It's OK. Take risks in the classroom. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Communicate. Ask questions when unsure. Get and accept feedback. Get your money's worth in class. Be there the entire time. Take advantage of office hours. Form study groups Manage time proactively. Freedom can be a slippery slope. Extracurricular activities matter. It is how you find "your people." Persist through the tough stuff. See More Collapse Kate Hampford Donahue, president of Hampford Research, a specialty chemical manufacturer in Stratford, told students the number one thing she looks for is people who love what they do. We make some pretty cool stuff, Donahue said. Thomas Tesoro, vice president of human resources at Standard Motor Products, told students he sees 1,500 applications for entry level jobs. Experiences. Get experiences. Take internships, even if it helps you learn what you dont want to do. It demonstrates ability to be part of a team, Tesoro said. Dont give me reasons to disqualify you. Erin Wingo, a 2015 Trumbull grad and now a student at Clemson University, can relate. She told of taking a summer internship she hated. But she stuck it out, made connections and expanded her LinkedIn network. Anna Bivona, who graduated from Trumbull High in 2014, said its important to have direction, but not necessarily a plan. You do not have to have it all figured out, said Bivona, who switched from business to economics while spending her first two years of college at UConns Stamford branch. When I got a letter from UConn that I was branched, I felt it was the worst thing that could happen, Bivona said. But she made the most of it, applying for internships in company-rich Stamford as a freshman and being placed in a digital media agency. It was hands down the best decision I made, Bivona, now a junior and at the Storrs campus, said. Things arent always going to go as planned. Be resilient. Victoria Estacio, a Trumbull High senior, told of creating a independent research class when the schools curriculum lacked the course in dermatology she desired. Most students, she said, dont know they have the power to develop their own course. She also learned to eliminate clubs past freshmen year to focus on the few that she truly enjoyed. Jess Nyitrai, a Hillcrest Middle School eighth grader, asked the panel about making time for sports. Most told her it would help sharpen her time management and teamwork skills. Kat Lima-Galazka, 13, a Madison Middle School students, said hearing about the program made her feel less stressed. These people are going through the same thing I will, she said. Walk in the Woods: Late autumn is a great time for hiking Although many people think of hiking as a summer activity, it can be argued that the fall season is actually the best time to be in Nova Scotia's outdoors. Temperatures, while cooler, are actually far more comfortable if you are walking briskly. The ... County-specific poll may foretell whether Pa. is going blue or red Theresa May has many big issues to face aside from Brexit Could there be more eloquent proof than the extraordinary events of the last week that the Remoaners will grasp at any straw, however flimsy, in their cynical bid to sabotage Brexit negotiations and subvert the democratic will of the British people? And didnt those events also demonstrate just how resolute the Prime Minister is in her determination to thwart them? Hostilities began on Tuesday, when Sir Ivan Rogers resigned as ambassador to the EU with a petulant and treacherous sideswipe at Mrs May and her ministers, accusing them of muddled thinking and saying their approach to Brexit was shrouded in ill-founded arguments. Cue the usual shower of embittered Remainers, lining up to lavish praise on Sir Ivan. His criticisms, they said, proved Brexit was doomed and the Government was clueless. What a motley crew these Jeremiahs were. Slippery Lord Mandelson, twice sacked as a minister for lying, exiled former Chancellor George Osborne, and Jonathan Powell, the Blair henchman who did more than anyone to politicise the Civil Service. Without a hint of self-irony, these arch manipulators all accused ministers of compromising the neutrality of Whitehall. Then there was the preposterous Nick Clegg calling for a second referendum. No-one knows what Brexit means, he said. Once it becomes clear, it should be put to the people. For Mr Cleggs information, Brexit means leaving the European Union and it already has been put to the people, with a resounding result. Within 48 hours, this concocted hysteria seized on gleefully by the BBC simply evaporated. A new man was put in place, lauded by all sides as a perfect choice, and the political waters closed over the sanctimonious Sir Ivan as if hed never existed. Rather than getting involved in a war of words, Mrs May had neutralised him with quiet, ruthless efficiency. The Remain-supporting Economist magazine accused her of indecision And the week ended with an avalanche of spectacular economic news. The stock market hit an all-time high, exports are booming and, in a truly extraordinary admission, the Bank of Englands chief economist finally admitted its apocalyptic predictions about the effects of Brexit had been utterly wrong. Britains economy was in rude health. Meanwhile, Mrs May also found time to arrange an early meeting with Donald Trump. The liberal elite may snort with derision but in two weeks hell be the most powerful man in the free world and someone we must do business with. Our PMs calm assurance augurs well for the difficult negotiations ahead. The road may be rocky but her aim is simple free trade without free movement. As Europes best market, Britain has an extremely strong hand. Would the Germans really want huge tariffs on their cars, or the French dare risk being priced out of the lucrative British wine market? True, there are many big issues aside from Brexit and Mrs May will need all her steel to tackle them the care and NHS crises, the foreign aid scandal and the threat to the free Press from state regulation to name but a few. And the naysayers will continue to snipe. In a sneering hatchet job yesterday, the Remain-supporting Economist magazine accused her of indecision and muddle. But as Peter Oborne points out on Page 21, she shouldnt worry. The Economist has been wrong about every major political issue of recent times. So she should ignore their carping and get on with the job. With a 17-point poll lead she has the country firmly on her side. And the prize is huge. Predictably, there was always going to be a point when Theresa Mays critics would declare that her honeymoon as Prime Minister had ended. Such is the vicious world of politics. And so this weeks resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers, Britains ambassador to the EU, has been identified as marking that moment. Giving fuel to the PMs critics, he walked out of his job in a huff, launching an intemperate broadside against Mrs May, whom he accused of muddled thinking on Brexit. As day follows night, The Economist magazine, which has a global circulation of 1.4 million and was one of David Camerons most enthusiastic cheerleaders, seized its chance to declare war. The front page of its current issue carries the bleak headline Theresa Maybe: Britains indecisive premier, accompanied by a funereal black-and-white photo of her. Theresa Mays critics are declaring that her honeymoon as Prime Minister had ended Its accompanying cover story can only be described as an unscrupulous, unsubtle and partisan hatchet job. Mrs May is portrayed as thin-skinned, struggling, having made a shaky start and goes so far as to absurdly suggest she may be ousted by her own party if she fails on Brexit. Im convinced that this sort of character assassination has been planned for some time by powerful interests at the heart of the British Establishment who are determined to threaten stopping Brexit. For the fact is that many bankers, bureaucrats and those with strong pro-Brussels links are adamant that the decision made by the British people last June will be reversed. And The Economist is beloved by the pro-EU establishment. Significantly, the largest shareholder of the 173-year-old periodical is Italys Agnelli family, founders of the Fiat car empire. The Economist has a brother-in-arms in its battle against Brexit the Financial Times. It, too, is foreign-owned by the Japanese conglomerate Nikkei, which has no loyalties to this country and is well-read in Brussels, the City and in the financial markets. But The Economists evisceration of Mrs May marks one of the most intellectually shoddy pieces of journalism I have ever read. The leading article claims that Mrs May has sidelined the Treasury The truth is very different. Let me consider its claims. First, it calls on the PM to start accepting dissent and seeking alternative opinions. And yet the author goes on to contradict that assumption by describing how the Cabinet does conduct open discussions in which the Prime Minister really listens. There are other serious errors of fact. It refers, for instance, to Lord ONeill, who resigned from the Government in September, as a senior minister. In fact, he was as junior a minister as it is possible to be, holding the rank of under-secretary of state for a mere three months. The leading article also claims that Mrs May has sidelined the Treasury. Yet no evidence is provided for this assertion. The Economist also crucially fails to mention the fact that in the view of almost all civil servants and insiders, the relationship between the Treasury and 10 Downing Street is healthier than it has been for at least two decades. This is because under both Gordon Brown and then George Osborne, the Treasury became overmighty. Indeed, one of Mrs Mays biggest achievements has been to bring it back into balance with the rest of Whitehall. In all my discussions with civil servants, I have never come across any suggestion that the Treasury feels sidelined. If The Economist cant offer any evidence to substantiate its mischievous claim, I challenge it to apologise for what I believe to be a confected and mendacious contention. In sum, the report was not impartial political analysis. It was a particularly execrable example of what Bill Clinton used to call the politics of personal destruction. In any case, no one should be influenced by this cynical attempt to damage Theresa May, since The Economist has a long and wretched record of misjudging political events. The Economist wrote off Donald Trump's chances declaring Hillary Clinton to be unstoppable It favoured Edward Heath over Margaret Thatcher in the 1975 Tory leadership contest. In 1989, it argued the case for what turned out to be Britains calamitous entry into the Exchange Rate Mechanism (the precursor to the deeply flawed euro single currency). Its writers banged the drum for the Iraq War. Then, not learning from that heinous mistake, they were cheerleaders for David Camerons disastrous intervention in Libya. The ineluctable truth is that over the past few years The Economist has been wrong on most of the great issues of our time. It wrote off the chances of Donald Trump declaring Hillary Clinton to be unstoppable. When the referendum on the EU came, The Economist snootily dismissed scepticism from Brexiteers about apocalyptic Treasury economic forecasts as sneers, and warned official predictions of a downturn could actually be too optimistic. So, is its sudden attack on Theresa May a case of sour grapes, or just another example of its hopeless political judgment? For her part, Im sure she is not too bothered by this attack from such witless Euro-fanatics. Indeed, she would actually have been worried if The Economist had come out in her support. But, that said, she should brace herself for more attacks. Theresa May will have to deal with a great deal of such ill-informed and insidious assaults from within the heart of a bankrupt British establishment as she prepares to take Britain out of the EU. Every January, we should heed the wise words of Enver Hoxha, the communist who was leader of Albania for 41 years. My friend Richard Heller, who heard him address his people at the start of 1967, has reminded me of the quote: This year will be harder than last year. On the other hand, it will be easier than next year. How very true. To her myriad admirers, it may come as something of a jolt that the vibrant fashion icon Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, hits a milestone 35th birthday on Monday. For this landmark always a tricky one for women augurs huge and fundamental changes in her life. And not all of them, I suspect, to her liking. The first major upheaval will be the departure of Kate and her publicity-shy husband, Prince William, from permanent residence at their ten-bedroom Georgian mansion on the royal Sandringham estate to base themselves in London. Happier times: 2017 could prove to be testing for Kate as the young family may have to move back to London The Queen will have approved of their recluse lifestyle in Norfolk as she and Prince Philip only had four years of normal married life before she was crowned Queen The Queen, who gave them the lease of Anmer Hall, almost certainly has approved of their reclusive lifestyle there. For she will naturally have recognised that she herself and Prince Philip had only four years of normal married life in which to enjoy the birth and development of their first two children, Charles and Anne, before the sudden death of George VI swept her young family into the pressures of sovereignty. Thus the Queen will have wished for her grandson and his wife a respite from public life in order to spend time with their two young children. But a combination of circumstances is forcing the Cambridges, albeit unwillingly, more centrally into the official spotlight. Williams 40,000-a-year contract to fly emergency helicopters for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service is expected to end in March. Even if he extends it for several months, it is now certain the family is to move to London this year to take up permanent residence at Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Margaret. The couples elder child, Prince George, who will be four in July, attends a Montessori nursery in Norfolk three days a week, but the Cambridges are believed to have put his name down for the 19,620-a-year Wetherby Pre-Prep School in Kensington, West London. The Duke and Duchess have been very happy in Anmer Hall, Norfolk, over the past few years They are rumoured to be moving from their beloved Norfolk to Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Margaret, this year Up to now, the family has made only sporadic use of Kensington Palace, always returning to their beloved Norfolk, although Williams insistence on travelling there by helicopter at a cost of 5,000 a time to the taxpayer has generated criticism. Although a full-time life in the capital is looming, Kate has never been a London girl. She grew up in a village near Newbury in Berkshire. She became a boarder at the co-educational Marlborough College in Wiltshire, and graduated from the University of St Andrews in Fife. For three years, and even before their wedding in 2011, Kate and William were my near-neighbours on the romantic Isle of Anglesey, where Flight Lieutenant Wales of 22 Squadron co-piloted his yellow Sea King MK3 helicopter from RAF Valley on search and rescue missions. From their idyllic rural love nest, a 750-a-month farmhouse at Bodorgan, they had breathtaking views of the peaks of Snowdonia, and faced the water to Llanddwyn Island, named after St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers. Kate and I both shopped at the Menai Bridge branch of Waitrose, and I used to see her riding pillion on Williams red and white 180mph Ducati superbike. I would wind down my car window to wave as they roared by, and looking happy and very much in love, they would laugh and wave back. But since then, the couple have become much more prickly about their privacy. Understandably, Williams wariness dates from the age of 15, when his mother, Diana, was killed in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi. He insists on complete control of his young familys public appointments. He is reportedly deaf to all independent counsel. This is due to Williams 40,000-a-year contract, to fly emergency helicopters for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service, ending in March He was seen taking off in a helicopter earlier this week from Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge Indeed, one friend of the Royal Family referred to him as radiating a sense of entitlement and petulance, and described Kate as a little grand and occasionally abrupt. They have surrounded themselves with people who say Yes to everything, so they get no proper advice, the same friend added. Which is no doubt the reason why William, during a visit to the Foreign Office last year, fell into the egregious blunder of delivering a speech that appeared to strongly advocate Britain remaining in the EU, violating the centuries-old convention that the royals never say or do anything which involves politics. There was further embarrassment when Williams office at Kensington Palace attempted to counter mounting criticism over his lack of public engagements and official work, blaming it on European red tape, and claiming that Civil Aviation Authority rules on rest periods for pilots, handed down from Brussels, meant that William was banned from doing any sort of work on some of his rest days, including allegedly carrying out royal duties. It hasnt helped the couples cause, either, that William and Kate were embarrassingly eclipsed by the Queen last year in the number of official royal engagements they carried out. Admittedly, the number rose from the previous year following earlier widespread criticism but compared with the Queens 385 engagements, William did only 204, and Kate performed 115. Inevitably, their move from Norfolk to London will entail a busier official diary. Kate has allegedly told friends she is 'really broody' and would like to try for a third child Meanwhile, Kate has particular reason to regret losing the peace and privacy of their Norfolk bolt hole. She has confided to friends that she is really broody and would like to try for a third child. Following the decision of Commonwealth leaders to adopt absolute primogeniture in the British royal succession law, it means that Princess Charlotte could succeed to the throne after Prince George and ahead of any younger children. So Kate has already produced the heir and the spare. But her own happy family of three children herself, Pippa, and James is clearly something she would like to replicate. And William may feel the same, knowing that his mother always hoped for two boys and a girl, but never had the daughter she so much wanted. However, a third pregnancy might not be easy in the second half of her 30s. Of course, doctors point out the risks in pregnancy to women over the age of 35 (from reduced fertility, for example). But more specifically, during her first two pregnancies, Kate was afflicted by hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness that required hospital treatment. Both times she was compelled to cancel official engagements. Meanwhile, cruel rumours originating in an American gossip magazine that Kate is feeling the pressure of royal life and looking gaunt, appear to be wicked speculation with no basis in fact. Kate shopped at the Menai Bridge branch of Waitrose when William and her lived in Wales as a young couple (pictured in 2005) True, William has appeared without his wife at several of his friends weddings, plus there was Kates absence from the christening of Mia Tindall the baby daughter of Williams cousin Zara, in 2014, due to her second pregnancy. Regardless, William and Kate still appear intent on raising George and Charlotte in the manner of the middle-class traditions of the Middleton family, rather than the House of Windsor. Kates mother Carole Middleton is often spotted in sole charge of the children accompanied by a discreet detective taking them to fairs and other events around her Berkshire home. Significantly, their appearances with their paternal grandfather, Prince Charles, seem limited. Once installed permanently at Kensington Palace, Williams royal workload is bound to come under increased scrutiny. As president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), he has been absent from the organisations important events more than he has been present, in sharp contrast to his aunt Anne, the Princess Royal, who, during almost 30 years in the same role, hardly ever missed a single event. For two years in succession, William did not attend the all-star BAFTA receptions held in his own home, Kensington Palace. Last year, Eddie Redmayne, Penelope Cruz, Cate Blanchett and a host of other stars turned out to find no William to welcome them. There is another fascinating factor in this royal equation. Back in London, Kate could also find herself overshadowed by Prince Harrys beautiful and charismatic new girlfriend, the divorced American actress Meghan Markle. The last actress to infiltrate the House of Windsor was Koo Stark, and we all know how that ended. In the Eighties, having begun a relationship with Prince Andrew, the uninhibited American actress was seen by many as a breath of fresh air among the fusty Royal Family. Princess Charlotte and Prince George's appearences with their paternal grandfather, Prince Charles, seem limited By contrast, Kate's parents Carole and Michael, have been photographed on days out with their grandchildren That was until it emerged that her movie career had involved a naked lesbian shower scene. And so the script for this royal love affair swiftly unravelled, with Miss Stark saying later: In the end, we just ran out of energy. It had been strangled to death. If Harry succeeds in marrying Miss Markle, her philanthropic activities could provide Kate with serious competition. The yoga-loving actress is an ambassador for Canadian charity World Vision and has said: While my life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist. This type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose. On the other hand, if Harry and his American lover dont marry and he has to spend more years trying to find a bride, there will be even greater pressure on the Cambridges to satisfy public expectations. In the meantime, the 20th anniversary in August of Dianas death will, I fear, act to reinforce the sensitivity felt by both William and Harry about their private lives. Perhaps they should face up to the responsibilities of their privileged lives and emulate their 95-year-old grandfather, Prince Philip, who once wrote, in a resigned letter to the film and stage star Pat Kirkwood, with whom he was accused of having an extra-marital affair: Invasion of privacy, invention and false quotations are the bane of our existence. Kate could also find herself overshadowed by Prince Harrys beautiful and charismatic new girlfriend, the American actress Meghan Markle For her part, Kate really does stand at the crossroads as she hits the age of 35. Ahead lies the monotony and social competitiveness of school-runs and the advent of all the increased pressures of middle-age. Perhaps it is very revealing of her psyche that for someone whose duty is to be in the public eye, she has chosen to shun official photographers and favours taking her own portraits of George and Charlotte. It betrays an attitude that says she wants to exercise iron control over the image she wishes to present to the world. This change of approach marks a mini-revolution in the development of the Royal Familys relationship with its public. Williams great-grandmother, that revered matriarch the Queen Mother, told her daughters: The work you do is the rent you pay for the room you occupy on earth. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK And the world goes on regardless of joy or despair or one womans fortune or one mans loss. And we cant know the lives of others. From The Gap Of Time by Jeanette Winterson Advertisement Dear Bel, I live with my partner and our young daughter. Were engaged and on the whole have a really good relationship. But last year was challenging with quite a few arguments never about the big stuff, just stupid things. My mum lives near and helps with childcare as we both work full time. My partners parents live far away and have bought a house nearby but have not been able to sell their other home yet to move permanently. My partners father also has cancer. I have a decent relationship with my in-laws, but they upset me a few times last year. They were often in our locality house-hunting, but never stayed with us or made the effort to come and see their granddaughter, even though they told my partner how much they missed her. They also did not come to her birthday party, which I couldnt understand. Theyve turned up at very short notice to their house nearby, expecting to have our daughter at very short notice on days my mum has her. Mum has been really upset, so once I said no, as she had plans. They were not happy. Ive given up contacting my partners mother as I never get a response and genuinely dont know what I have done to upset her However, theyve been offered time with our daughter on numerous occasions, but theres always an excuse. Ive given up contacting my partners mother as I never get a response and genuinely dont know what I have done to upset her. Weve just had an upset over some babysitting arrangements, as a result of which I did speak rather sharply. She shouted Id made her feel small. I said I was really sorry, I hadnt meant to upset her, loved her to bits and the last thing I wanted was to argue. She kept on until my partner came in. Then her whole demeanour changed and she said shed accept my apology. Then I did shout at her saying she was happy to have a go until her son appeared, then played the hard-done-to martyr. At that, his parents stormed out of our home. Yesterday my partner visited them with our daughter, then had a go at me for displaying a grudge against his mother all year. Thats really unfair, as Ive gone out of my way to do things for them. He says hes close to leaving over the way I spoke to her. Our relationship is on really shaky ground. Im not perfect and acknowledge there have been times I over-reacted. A number of arguments have been my fault. But I love him very much and dont want us to split up. I cant bear the look of upset, hurt and disappointment in his eyes. What can I do? ROSIE Readers often say they worry that publication of somebodys letter will make the situation worse. Though I change names and omit details, a story can often be easily identified by those involved. Sometimes I actually wish all those involved in pretty common conflicts would indeed read this page; look at each other with annoyance; then horror; have serious conversations; then come to their senses and vow to co-exist with courtesy. Here, we have a couple with a two-year-old daughter who have chosen a sort of commitment, then stalled. Why didnt you get married? I cant help wondering if this plays any part (even subconsciously) in your own general tetchiness, because you fear your partner is not fully committed. Its just a thought to challenge you because you need to start by identifying the flash points (those stupid things) in the relationship and working out how to avoid them. You admit a lot of it begins with you; the big question is: Why? Its clear from your letter (three times as long as I print here) that not all your problems are caused by the in-laws, so you need to analyse whats going on. You could do with some counselling sessions together to kick start the process because theres much confusion and self-deception in your email. You told your mother-in-law you love her to bits but its not true. Youre very critical of your partners parents, and with some reason. You gave many examples of how you feel let down by them, your main feeling is probably acute disappointment you adore your child and cannot understand why they dont want to spend as much time with her as possible. You also told me a story of how they missed your birthday (apart from a cheque), which clearly hurt your feelings. I wish they would understand that, in fact, you would like to receive more attention than they seem capable of giving. But here, surely you in turn must consider that your father-in-laws health will preoccupy them much of the time. That, together with the stress of not being able to sell their first house, will subject them to a lot of strain and surely you need to show a little more understanding? Y ou are younger; you have your mother nearby to help; they are your boyfriends parents. All this signals that you need to grow up a little, control your temper, and find ways of coping for the sake of the relationship you value and the child who is its product. Surely there are two issues here. First, there is your relationship with your partner, with all its tensions. Second, there is your relationship with his parents. Heres the truth. They are his parents, therefore they are in your life and the only way forward is to vow to treat them with respect and affection, even if you find that hard. The second may help the first, and dealing with the first may help the second. Think about it before its too late. Can I stop my child's abusive marriage? Dear Bel, Three years ago, my only daughter called me and said she needed help to leave her husband (whom Ill never call my son-in-law). My husband (not her father, but always loved her like a daughter) immediately said to give her the money. It was nearly 2,000. Then, 18 months later, she said she was going back to her husband. Although I wasnt happy about it, I respected her decision, as she is an adult. But I told my husband, Well just wait for the next phone call. The call came in March 2016; then, she arrived at our extremely small house with our two grandchildren and stayed three nights. He phoned over 100 times, then she had to return home (50 miles away), as the girls were missing school. Three months later, things came to a head again. Her husband is so convinced shes having an affair, he has fitted a tracker to her car, followed her to work, hiding down the lane where they live so often that the neighbours call him paranoid Joe. She has never given him cause but his first wife apparently cheated on him before she died, so he thinks all women are the same. We gave her another 600 as he hadnt worked and wouldnt claim any benefits. Now we have found out shes once again taken him back despite the CPS prosecuting him for coercive control. Now she wont answer her phone when I call, but texts saying shell call. I understand she is embarrassed and ashamed to be back with him, but I miss her so much and dont know what to do. BARBARA This is every parents nightmare; there will be many people reading this who endure the daily pain of knowing their daughter is married to a terrible man. Sometimes, the situation can escalate into something truly frightening. But lets not dwell on that; enough to say your daughter is locked into a relationship with an obsessive, jealous man, has summoned the courage to walk out, then twice went back to him. Lets be in no doubt that a woman in her situation is usually constrained by psychological chains that are just as strong as real fetters. Why do women stay with men who bully and/or beat them? For many complicated reasons, including the belief that he might change. Because you detest your son-in-law, you can have no idea of why they got together in the first place, or the nature of her bond with him. Lets be in no doubt that a woman in her situation is usually constrained by psychological chains that are just as strong as real fetters. Why do women stay with men who bully and/or beat them? For many complicated reasons, including the belief that he might change (stock image) I should make it clear what the CPS prosecution means. Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse, used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. This is serious and in your situation I would certainly have given the money to help my daughter leave yes, then given more, too. The question is, what can you do now? A key factor must be what is happening to the grandchildren. This unpleasant, worrying situation can only have a detrimental effect on their mental well-being, so it must be watched. I would like their school to know whats going on, but doubt your daughter has given anything away. Might it be an idea for you to write a proper letter, in total confidence, to the head-teacher, spelling everything out and simply requesting that he/she is vigilant? You are 50 miles away; the teachers are close at hand and those children have the right to have concerned people looking out for them. The mans behaviour sounds out of control; its all very well for the neighbours to make a joke about it, but the situation is far from funny. Would it be a good idea for you and your husband to visit? You could tell your daughter you miss her and the grandchildren, therefore you and her stepfather want to book a B&B near them, picking the kids up from school, and so on. If she is ashamed as you suggest, she wont like this idea at all, but she may not stop you. Surely its vital you keep in constant touch with her and the children, even if she makes it difficult? Naturally, I believe she needs counselling to give her the strength to leave this marriage, which can only be harming her and the children, but have no idea how she can be forced to realise that truth. I pray she does. And Finally: Why good manners matter... It always intrigues me the way you respond to items here. Who would have thought that last weeks main letter from Marlene about thank-you letters would attract such a response? Robin and I were in a supermarket in Keynsham on the day it was printed, and a lady came up and said: I was just reading you! You are so right about thank-you letters. We then had a really enjoyable conversation (and by the way, everyone, I never, ever mind readers coming up to talk to me; on the contrary, I love it), agreeing that appreciation is vital within human relationships. Oh, that sounds pretentious, so how about, Its terrific to say Ta? The serious point concerns manners. I just received an invitation to the Oldie Magazines 2017 Oldie of the Year Awards. Last year, I went for the first time and it was great fun. But I was curious that they felt the need to paperclip a slip of paper to the invitation. WRITE TO BEL Bel answers readers questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, or e-mail bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. A pseudonym will be used if you wish. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Advertisement It says: It is a seated lunch, so please tell us if, after having accepted, youre no longer able to come. This is simply because if you dont, another guest will have an empty seat next to them and we will still have to pay for your lunch. Its amazing that plea is necessary given those on the guest list are all of a certain age and (Id assumed) pretty civilised. Clearly not. I cant be the only one who has been surprised (this ten years ago) when guests accepted an invitation to a special party in London then failed to show even though Id paid for canapes for a certain number. Emails make staying in touch so easy, so there is no excuse for rudeness. If the older generation fails to set an example, what hope is there for the young? If parents dont insist the little ones say Please and Thank you and Can I help you, then what hope is there for society? A sixteen-year-old girl went into surgery to have her appendix removed - only to find a miniature brain growing inside a tumor on her ovary. The child from Japan - who has not been identified - left doctors baffled when they found the 10cm-wide tumor, containing a 3cm-wide brain, and clumps of greasy matter hair, all covered by a thin plate of skull bone. Upon closer inspection, it was found to be a smaller version of a cerebellum which usually sits underneath the brain's two hemispheres. A mass on one side resembled a brain stem the structure that normally joins to the spinal cord. Doctors who were removing the appendix of a 16-year-old girl found a tumor on her ovary containing a miniature brain The extraordinary case was revealed last week in a study released by Nara Medical University in Japan. The tumor was removed three months later and she is recovering well. It was unclear as to when the discovery and removal took place. About one-fifth of ovarian tumors contain foreign tissue, including hair, teeth, cartilage, fat and muscle. These tumors are named teratomas after the Greek word 'teras', meaning monster. It is unknown what causes ovarian teratomas. One theory is that they arise when immature egg cells turn rogue, producing different body parts. Mature teratomas, such as the one found in the young girl, are the most common type of ovarian germ cell tumor. They are most often diagnosed in women during their reproductive years. Mature teratomas are often called dermoid cysts. They are removed with surgery and the condition is then cured. Masayuki Shintaku, who studied the tumor, from the Shiga Medical Center for Adults, explained that brain cells are often found in ovarian teratomas. But he added that it is extremely unusual for them to organize themselves into proper brain-like structures. Angelique Riepsamen, at the University of New South Wales in Australia, agreed, telling the New Scientist: 'Neural elements similar to that of the central nervous system are frequently reported in ovarian teratomas, but structures resembling the adult brain are rare.' The miniature brain even developed in such a way that electric impulses could transmit between neurons, just like in a normal brain, said Shintaku. While the girl didn't experience any symptoms, there have been some reports of women with ovarian teratomas who have developed personality changes, paranoid thoughts, confusion, agitation, seizures or memory loss. In April 2015, a tumor was found growing on the brain of Yamini Karanam, an Indiana University PhD student. The tumor contained bone, hair and teeth Some of these neurological symptoms can arise when the immune system recognizes brain cells in the ovary as foreign and launches an attack because cells in the woman's real brain can end up being attacked as well, leading to inflammation. In April 2015, a tumor was found growing on the brain of Yamini Karanam, an Indiana University PhD student. The doctor was shocked during surgery to discover that the tumor was an embryonic twin, complete with bone, hair, and teeth, which Karanam later dubbed her 'evil twin.' Dr Sean Grady, chairman of the department of neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania explained at the time that teratomas may not be remnants of twins. 'Im probably the best-known foreign author living in France, announces Peter May. The Glasgow-born crime writer isnt using poetic licence. May is tres celebre on the continental side of the Channel, where hes been awarded fistfuls of literary honours and is routinely courted by the media. When he became a French citizen last April it was covered on national television. The day after the Brexit vote my phone never stopped, he adds. The two people whose opinion the French media sought were me and Marianne Faithfull! Mays profile on this side of La Manche is rapidly rising, too and deservedly so. His breakthrough novel, The Blackhouse, was a dark, deeply atmospheric excavation of crimes past and present set on the Isle of Lewis. Peter May is a Glasgow-born writer now living in France, a country which has adopted may as its own Published in 2011, it was the first instalment in The Lewis Trilogy, which was published in more than 30 countries with sales of three million in the UK alone. Mays other major crime series, The Enzo Files, has also become a global bestseller. The New York Times called the 65-year-old a writer to follow to the ends of the Earth. Yet only a few years ago, The Blackhouse was rejected by every UK publisher. I was devastated, says May, sitting in the office at his home in Saint-Cere in the Lot valley in south-west France, where he has lived with his wife for nearly 15 years. I couldnt understand why nobody wanted to publish it. I was genuinely perplexed and hurt. I got pretty depressed. I was trying to make a living, and it came down to, How do I pay the electric bill? How do I survive? Eventually, a French publisher bought the novel and it mushroomed from there. Only after The Blackhouse had become a bestseller worldwide, however, was it picked up in Britain. Unsurprisingly, it has left May with some robust views on Britains literary establishment. There are some great, innovative editors out there but youve got a swathe of people who took a degree in I-dont-know-what at university and came in and worked a photocopier for a while until somebody thought it was time they became an editor, he says. These people sit there and they havent a clue. My agent would come from dinners where crime editors would say, Were looking for the next Ian Rankin. That was as far as their imagination would go. The whole business is pervaded by that attitude. It took being published outside of that vicious circle, in France, and then being bought up all over the world for the British to suddenly notice me and go, Oh! Does he feel vindicated? He laughs. God, yeah! Behind Mays head, a clapperboard bearing his name hangs on the office wall, a memento from his days writing storylines for the long-running Scottish TV soap Take The High Road and the first-ever Gaelic-language drama Machair. During the Eighties and Nineties he created, wrote and even produced many shows, and though he describes the adrenaline-fuelled appeal of that world as like a drug, he also admits: It wasnt really what I wanted to do. I wrote my first book when I was four years old Ive been writing all my life. I got into television by accident but it was easier to stay there than to take that leap in the dark into books. Hed published a couple of novels while working as a journalist in the Seventies but his writing career began in earnest with a series of thrillers set in China. The first, The Firemaker, was in 1999. They disappeared into a big, black hole, he says. That all changed with The Blackhouse, which drew on time May spent on Lewis while filming Machair. EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT... Read this exclusive extract from Peter Mays new thriller, Cast Iron Lot-et-Garonne, France, 2003. He started tracking west around the perimeter, a great swathe of exposed lake bed, parched and brown, cut deep into the land like a scar. All manner of detritus was exposed, both natural and man-made. The carcasses of long-dead trees. The skeleton of a pram. In all the scorched mud and desiccated slime, a flash of blue caught his eye. Pale and bleached by water and sun, just above the new waterline. He stumbled over uneven ground, drawn by the incongruous flash of colour in all this withered landscape. There were streaks of white in the baked mud around it, and he saw that it was a blue plastic bag. Only half of it was visible, the rest of it set solid in the mud. He laid his rod and his bag on the ground and crouched down beside it, curious. There was something inside. The plastic was brittle with age and tore easily beneath his fingers, and he found himself looking down into the black sockets of a skull that had once held eyes. Long, yellowed teeth were exposed in a ghastly grimace, grinning out at him as if amused by his shock. He recoiled at once, and sat down heavily. And it was only then he realised that those white streaks set into the dry lake bed around him were the remaining bones of a human skeleton. Advertisement Lewis made a huge impression on me for all sorts of reasons, he says. The culture, the landscape, the religion, the weather; I wanted to recreate that strangely enclosed island world. By the time he wrote the book, hed been living in France for a decade. The tipping point was when I was staying in Argyll, writing through a really cold winter. Over the previous few years my father, my wifes mother and my mother had all died. It was a sh**** time. We had nothing to keep us in Scotland and we just thought, lets go. Weve never regretted it. May calls himself an accidental crime writer and describes the prevailing trend for graphic depictions of violence as a kind of pornography. Im amazed at how popular gruesome violence is among readers. I have nothing against the crime genre, I enjoy it, but Im not sure what the fascination is. Weve probably all been victims of crime at one time, and all done things we shouldnt have too. Perhaps it taps into our deepest guilts and insecurities! There are healthy doses of guilt and insecurity in Mays books, which are often autobiographical. One character was based on a very strange aunt who hanged herself, while he drew on his rebellious youth for the 2015 novel Runaway. Like the books protagonist, May was expelled from Eastwood High School in Glasgow and ran away to London in the late Sixties with his rock n roll group. I hated school. I wasnt interested in the academic life it just wasnt for me. He shrugs. I suppose I was a bit of a troublemaker, playing in a band, long hair, all that. He still writes and records music for fun, and theres a hint of the unreconstructed hippy in his shaggy grey curls and baggy clothing. The hero of The Enzo Files, the charming, romantically chaotic forensic expert Enzo Macleod, is something of an alter ego. As well as being a displaced Scot living in the Lot, we both like good food, good wine and are fond of the opposite sex, May smiles. He had a failed first marriage and a dysfunctional relationship with the daughter of that marriage. I had all those things. Writing can be therapeutic, it allows you to work out your own problems, and maybe find a happier solution than is achievable in reality although I have a fantastic relationship with my daughter now. Enzo and I have a lot in common. And yet Mays new novel, Cast Iron, marks the end of The Enzo Files. May insists we wont see the character again. I like being able to draw a veil. Series can offer huge benefits for writers but there are dangers associated. Your publishers and your readers dont want to let them go, and you end up writing way beyond the sell-by date. I think Ian Rankin has brought Rebus out of retirement about three times! Mays ruthless streak extends to recently cancelling a contract for the BBC to adapt The Blackhouse for TV. I didnt like the way it was going and the people I was dealing with, he says bluntly. There have been several overtures from TV but Ive never been very happy with what people are proposing. Producers just dont get it, so in the end Ive kicked all offers into touch. I was talking to Ann Cleeves [who writes the books on which the BBC series Shetland and ITVs Vera are based], and she said, I dont know anything about television, they can do what they like with them. Well, they did! But shes been successful and shes quite happy with that. Im reluctant to let somebody else mess about with my books. May's breakthrough novel, The Blackhouse, was a dark, deeply atmospheric excavation of crimes past and present set on the Isle of Lewis May researches and develops his books over several months, plans a detailed synopsis, and then rises at six oclock each day for seven weeks to write them. But he says he will retire after completing a new trilogy and see out his days in his adopted homeland. We saw the EU referendum looming on the horizon and thought, they are just about daft enough to vote for this Brexit. It seemed the most sensible thing to do was to become French. He grins. Its funny, they always used to introduce me at events as the most French of Scots. Now they introduce me as the most Scots of French. Cast Iron is published by riverrun on January 12, priced 18.99. Peter May will be appearing at events in the UK throughout January. Australias Impressionists National Gallery, London Until March 26 Rating: Australia was a long, long way away from Europe in the late 19th century. So far away, in fact, that it took 15 years for Impressionism to make it from France to Oz. The first Impressionist show was in Paris in 1874; the first Australian one in 1889. Called the 9 By 5 Impression Exhibition, the Melbourne show got its name from the dimensions of the cigar box lids artists painted on. Several of those tiny, ingeniously painted lids are in this compelling show, the first exhibition of Australian art in the National Gallery. Charles Conders A Holiday At Mentone, 1888 Tom Roberts Allegro Con Brio, Bourke Street West, about 1885-86, reworked 1890 The four principal artists featured are Tom Roberts and Charles Conder both born in Britain and Arthur Streeton and John Russell, who had mixed with van Gogh, Matisse and Monet in Europe. Sometimes, Russell is a little slavish in his emulation of his European friends. His painting of Belle-Ile, an island off the coast of Brittany, owes everything to Claude Monets picture of the same island: the same subject matter; the same rough, swirling brushstrokes; the same garish blues and purples. The Australian Impressionists break free of their French shackles when they work in Australia. Painting en plein air, they captured the intense light and heat of the Australian back country. IT'S A FACT! John Russell painted the first portrait of fellow artist Vincent van Gogh in 1886, in Paris. It now hangs in Amsterdams Van Gogh Museum Advertisement In Streetons Golden Summer, Eaglemont now a Melbourne suburb, but then, in 1889, open farmland the fields are scorched a golden yellow, the shepherd boy and his sheep sheltering in the shade. The beaches in seaside pictures by Roberts and Conder are white hot. How you feel for these early European settlers kitted out in their bonnets, tights and head-to-toe dresses. In the best of the paintings, A Holiday At Mentone, you appreciate the sheer oddness, and ambition, of the Australian colonial adventure. Every detail of the humans on parade is European the top hat, cane and suit of a strutting dandy; the English-language newspaper read by an elegant lady in a striped, tightly waisted dress. And yet this is all taking place on a wild shore, 10,500 miles from London, in a heat so intense that one gentleman has fallen into a deep sleep, still in his three-piece suit, his paper flung aside on the roasting sand. Throughout the show, you get an intense feeling for how young European Australia was the first British settlers only arrived in Botany Bay in 1788. A century on, and Bourke Street, as painted by Tom Roberts in 1885, is like something out of the Wild West a low-rise collection of jumbled-together shops either side of a wide, half-empty road leading to an empty horizon. Bourke Street is now one of the busiest streets in Melbourne, flanked by skyscrapers and crammed with tourists. Arthur Streetons Golden Summer, Eaglemont, 1889 Australia still wasnt an independent country when these pictures were painted. It was only in 1901 that the six colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South and Western Australia joined to form the country of Australia. My crystal balls, or at least wine glasses, are clanging together and the future of 2017s flavour resonates deep within. My first prediction is easy, as Im backing the quality of English sparkling bottles to continue their dazzling trajectory. Currency fluctuations may also help their prices look tastier in the short term this new year. But thats just the tip of the wineberg. Ive been a fan of Portuguese wines for many years. They have some of the most dynamic reds and whites in Europe thanks to their local varieties and canny blends. With the success of Spanish Albarino, its not hard to see Portugals similarly zesty whites following suit look for Arinto from Bucelas in local indies or sites such as portugaliawines.co.uk. France is one to watch for the Loire Valley, a haven for wines great and small. Touraine Sauvignon Blanc still offers good value, but Id dig beyond into sparkling Saumur and reds from Cabernet Franc and even Gamay such as Adnams Gamay Noir Cuvee Vincent, Domaine Beausejour for just 7.99 (12.5%) a crisp light red that punches above its price, especially after chilling for 20 minutes in the fridge. As for fizz, sparkling red is ready for a comeback. For reds that deserve your attention, Austria seizes the crown check out gkwinehouse.co.uk. And for Sauvignon Blanc fans, the quality and value of white Bordeaux has still not been fully tapped into a gorgeous bottle from new outfit smashingwines.co.uk is Chateau Carbon dArtigues Cuvee Tradition Graves, 10.90 and theres 20 per cent off your first order. excalibur said: The Democrats controlled the Senate 2009-2014. That's 6 years. Click to expand... The slow crawl of Senate votes stems in part from acrimony over Republican objections to Obamas nominations for all posts and the change of longstanding rules by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to make it easier to pass some nominations. In protest, Republicans are routinely refusing to give the unanimous consent required to proceed on quick confirmation votes. Without consent, it can take up to eight hours on the floor to confirm a single ambassador. So who are the Republicans hurting? Reid said last week. Theyre not hurting me. Is this some payback for me? Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committees ranking Republican, said Reid bears the responsibility for the logjam. Rather than filling vacant embassies to alleviate the national security concerns raised by Secretary Kerry and others, the majority leader who controls the Senate floor chose to spend last week on a sportsmans bill and previous weeks confirming mostly judges, Corker said in a statement. Bob Silverman, president of the American Foreign Service Association, blames both parties. Its a bipartisan failure of the Senate, Silverman said. Its a Senate leadership problem . . . at the top. They just dont see eye to eye, there are blowups, they dont get along, theyre not able to agree on things that used to be routine. Silverman and some Senate Republicans also say that the White House has complicated matters by tapping a higher-than-normal percentage of campaign contributors, fund raisers and political friends some of whom with questionable international expertise for ambassadorships. Historically, presidents have adhered to a 70-30 combination on ambassadorial nominees: 70 percent of them career diplomats, 30 percent of them political appointments. Since taking office in 2009, 64.8 percent of Obamas ambassadorial appointees have been careerists and 35.2 percent political, according to American Foreign Service Association statistics. Only Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan had higher rates of political appointees, according to the association. That article was slack on why there's a logjam.More: Quarter of world has no U.S. ambassador | McClatchy DC Saint Joan Donmar Warehouse, London Until February 18 3hrs Rating: At the risk of being burnt on a pyre for saying so, Bernard Shaws prefaces to his plays are frequently more amusing than the dramas themselves. Not that Sybil Thorndike, for whom he wrote the title role in Saint Joan, can have laughed especially heartily when she read: Not one of Joans comrades ever claimed that she was pretty. All the men who alluded to the matter declared most emphatically that she was unattractive sexually to a degree that seemed to them miraculous. No one can dispute the prettiness of Gemma Arterton, the latest actress to take on the part of a farmers daughter who somehow persuades a local squire to give her horses and men so that she can visit the Dauphin and talk him into letting her lead an army against the English. Even with that luscious mane a boyish crop, her faced scrubbed and mud-spattered, the former Bond girl beneath remains unmistakable. But it is her extraordinary purity that makes Artertons performance near miraculous. Gemma Arterton - even with that luscious mane a boyish crop, her faced scrubbed and mud-spattered - is unmistakeable as a former Bond girl Josie Rourke sets the play in the chrome-and-glass boardroom of a City bond-trading office (Dauphin Holdings). Vast screens display the latest market prices, reports from analysts Bloomberg, and even a Newsnight commentary from Evan Davis. In sharp contrast to the men in suits, Joan first appears in a medieval red linen gown and later as a soldier, very much the individual taking on the patriarchal Establishment. Chin set, voice strong, shes a breath of fresh air, flooring the men around her as much by what she is not theres no cleavage, lipstick, or stilettos as what she is. There isnt the faintest trace of sexual allure in the way she spontaneously touches their arms and faces. She cant read or write and yet she causes chaos in a mans world, upsetting all those man-made bastions of religion, law and order. While the plays preoccupations with male hegemony, born-again patriotism and religious fanaticism sound loud and clear, the updating often feels forced and doesnt always make sense, overblowing small details, such as Joans ability to make hens lay eggs. A fine cast works hard to make Shaws blatant mouthpieces come to life, with Fisayo Akinades camp dilettante Dauphin injecting some welcome comedy. But while Artertons radiant Joan stirs and moves, Shaws arguments fail to ignite. Grease The Curve, Leicester Until January 21 2hrs 30 mins Rating: At Rydell High School in 1959, Danny hangs out with the macho Burger Palace Boys, feigning indifference to the non-smoking, no-groping Sandy, who is mocked by her girl gang. But once shes finally got on those tight black trousers, shes the one that he wants. At Rydell High School in 1959, Danny hangs out with the macho Burger Palace Boys, feigning indifference to the non-smoking, no-groping Sandy, who is mocked by her girl gang The familiar songs including Summer Nights and Hopelessly Devoted To You evoke the Seventies (the show opened in London in 1973 with a then unknown Richard Gere) more than the Fifties. Whats new here is a multi-racial cast, with Dex Lee, a black British actor, playing Danny. Hes a good mover but sparks with Jessica Pauls Sandy dont really fly. Her fixed facial expression is that of a nine-year-old in dire need of the loo. Of the cast, Id single out Djalenga Scott as the sarky Betty Rizzo and Darren Bennett, hilarious as Vince Fontaine, and Nick Winstons pumping choreography has terrific moments. Robert Gore-Langton Rent St James Theatre, London On tour until May 27 2hr 40mins Rating: Twenty years ago this musical by Jonathan Larson burst on the Broadway scene but the young, unknown Larson died just before the opening night. It ran for 12 years and its rock score defined the grungey American Nineties the way Hair did the Sixties. The story is Puccinis La Boheme set in New York Citys East Village, in a dump of a place peopled by HIV-positive junkies, musicians, transsexuals and artists. Aids, rent money and lovers tiffs form the thinnish plot but Bruce Guthries pacy direction with ace choreography by Lee Proud captures the shows sizzling seize-the-day spirit and its undertow of grief. The vocal solos from the cast are outstanding and Layton Williams, above, is memorable as the drag queen Angel, whose fabulous legs almost steal the show The band churns out chunky chords and soaring rhythms and the vocal solos from the cast are outstanding. Special mention goes to Philippa Stefanis club dancer Mimi and Lucie Jones and Shanay Holmes as the gay lovers (watch out for their amazing break-up duet). Layton Williams is memorable, too, as the drag queen Angel, whose fabulous legs almost steal the show. Robert Gore-Langton rentonstage.co.uk Annie Get Your Gun Sheffield Crucible Until January 21 2hrs 30mins Rating: The show opens with a cowboy soloing Theres No Business Like Showbusiness, the most famous number in Irving Berlins 1946 musical. This is the story of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler, who meet at a sharpshooting contest at Buffalo Bills Wild West Show and kerpow! Loves aim finally proves even truer. With costumes and dances all in period, this enjoyable, gun-totin musical is presented in, and is utterly of, its era and theres nothing wrong with that Anna-Jane Caseys Annie, with a laugh like a rusty hinge, is a joy as the lady shootist, and Ben Lewis has a cool, ten-gallon swagger as her match. In truth, Dorothy and Herbert Fields libretto is a bit thin and with zero grit in its eye. But Berlins songs are sure-fire, as are his lyrics (You cant shoot a male in the tail like a quail). They Say Its Wonderful, Anything You Can Do and especially I Got Lost In His Arms are sublime. With costumes and dances all in period, this enjoyable, gun-totin musical is presented in, and is utterly of, its era and theres nothing wrong with that. Robert Gore-Langton Strictly Ballroom The Musical West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds Until January 21 2hrs 30mins Rating: A veritable fire hazard of wigs, sequins and hairspray, this musical is not a patch on Baz Luhrmanns 1992 masterpiece of a film about ballroom dancing Down Under. The leads are fine: Sam Lips dances superbly as Scott, and Gemma Sutton sings sweetly as Fran, the ugly duckling who displaces his dance partner Tina Sparkle. But the burn- up-the-floor dance show you hope for never quite happens. A veritable fire hazard of wigs, sequins and hairspray, this musical is not a patch on Baz Luhrmanns 1992 masterpiece of a film about ballroom dancing Down Under Drew McOnies choreography is impressive but cold, and the ballroom cha-cha-cha-ing, fake smiles and male wigs become increasingly less endearing. Its only the Spanish scene closing the first act Fernando Mira stamping out a fabulous paso doble that has any real passion. Sia Furler is among top names to contribute new songs but none holds a candle to old chart hits such as Time After Time and Love Is In The Air. It has moments of fun but, in this format, and with such a boring set, its surely without West End prospects. Robert Gore-Langton Art The Old Vic, London Until February 18 1hr 30min Rating: Imagine that someone you believed you were wholly at one with on the things that mattered does something completely out of character. Like voting Brexit. Maybe you feel betrayed. Maybe you suddenly question the ties that bind your friendship. It was this thought that kept springing to mind at the revival of Art, in which the catalytic event is the purchase for 100,000 of a painting, white with a few white diagonal lines. This stylish, stimulating, beautifully constructed play by Frenchwoman Yasmina Reza burst into the West End in 1996. It ran for eight years and made the names of Reza and director Matthew Warchus. The stylish, beautifully-constructed play sees three old friends fall out over Serges (Rufus Sewell, pictured above with Paul Ritter) spectacular extravagance Now artistic director of The Old Vic, Warchus and designer Mark Thompson have returned to the piece with a near-identically chic production as three old friends fall out over Serges (Rufus Sewell) spectacular extravagance. Ugly home truths about each others taste, partners and choices suddenly erupt. The painting upsets Marc, an engineer, rather more than Yvan (Tim Key), a stationery salesman whose felt-tip is used in the deliciously climactic moment when Marc takes a pen to the painting. Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan is accused in the alleged Rs 600 crore bribery case The Supreme Court on Friday barred Aircel from selling or trading the licences of 2G spectrum as the company's promoter Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan and other foreigners accused in the alleged Rs 600 crore bribery case related to the Aircel- Maxis deal have been evading court summons and warrants. 'We cannot tolerate a person using the national resources such as spectrum of India and not honouring the court notice. You (Krishnan) cannot evade the process of law. You must come here from Malaysia and face the law if you want to use the spectrum,' a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said. Former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran have been accused of pressuring and coercing Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran, who got 2G licences in 2006, to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group. The apex court also stayed the selling and trading in the 2G Spectrum, which was originally granted to Aircel in 2006, and said that failure of Krishnan and other foreign accused to submit before the court of law here would entail passing of the proposed order of restraining the earning of any revenue by using the 2G spectrum licenses. Former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran have been accused of pressuring and coercing Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran The bench asked Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and two accused companies -- Malaysia's Maxis Communication Berhad and Astro All Asia Networl PLC -- to put in their appearance before the apex court within two weeks. The apex court further said that the instant order is to bring to the notice of the accused the proposed action that is likely to be taken. The bench asked the Telecom Ministry to devise ways and means to avoid any adverse consequenses following the court's order to millions of Aircel subscribers by provisionally transferring them to some other service providers, in case the necessity to pass the proposed order arises. It directed the Centre to publish its instant order in two leading newspapers in Malaysia and said that after the proposed order is passed, it would not be open to any of the accused to raise the objection of monetary losses. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on February 3. Special 2G prosecutor Anand Grover said that hearing on framing of charges in the trial court in Aircel-Maxis deal case is scheduled on January 9. During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that Maxis Group owner Ananda Krishnan was attempting to exit India after being chargesheeted by CBI for fraudulently 'force buying' Aircel for using the spectrum. 'We cannot say today that it was a fraud as there are all allegations at present but the process of law should be honoured,' the apex court said and asked amicus curiae and senior advocate K K Venugopal to suggest ways as what could be done if parties refused to appear before the court. This man has a serious problem. After alcohol and cannabis stopped providing the required kick, 30-year-old Manoj (name changed) started to get high on snake venom. A resident of Shadipur in west Delhi is now trying to get over his addiction at the RML Hospital, where doctors say his blood has turned toxic and even his spit can be fatal to others. Manoj, who is a drummer by profession, took to drugs in his early teens and got hooked on snake venom a few months ago. Manoj (name changed) got addicted to snake venom drug which allegedly gave him a high for 24-30 hours 'All my friends use opium, ganja, doda (poppy husk) and heroin. I was consuming all kinds of drugs available in the market and when they stopped having any effect on me, I decided to try snake venom. It keeps me high for at least 24-30 hours,' Manoj told Mail Today. Peddlers provide the venom in tiny packets, each one priced at about Rs 3,000-4,000. Dr Smita Deshpande, who heads the department of psychiatry and de-addiction at RML hospital, told Mail Today: 'This is for the first time that we have seen a patient admitted for drug rehabilitation, who has confessed to consuming dangerous snake venom to get a high.' Dr Lokesh Shekhawat, Assistant professor, RML hospital is treating Manoj 'Such cases are rare and patients too do not easily reveal what kind of drugs they are consuming.' Experts claim that a few addicts have distinct personality traits, and apparently are born with high-levels of impulsiveness and thrill-seeking tendencies. This behaviour is common in poly-substance users or abusers. Such people occasionally try to get an euphoric effect through snakebites or venom. Manoj was brought to the hospital by his family members, after his erratic behaviour increased and he started threatening them for money to get his fix. 'I have only recently started consuming snake venom orally, but some of my friends get snakebites to get an ultimate high,' said Manoj. RML doctors claim that procuring snake venom is illegal and it is also very expensive 'A serpent bites when it is pressed gently. The bite is administered under the tongue and its effects last for at least one week. This also depends on the species of the snake being used.' Manoj refused to reveal the source from where he gets the highly expensive drug in the city. RML doctors claim that procuring snake venom is illegal, and it is also very expensive. The rampant intake by a few users suggest that a full- fledged racket is active in the city. There have been reports that some snake catchers trade in venom. 'If a person consumes any kind of snake venom drug, his blood becomes toxic. Such a person cannot donate blood, as it can prove fatal to the recipient,' said Dr Lokesh Shekhawat, associate professor of psychiatry at RML Hospital. Snake venom addiction can result in slow-poisoning and can kill a person in stages - it could first affect the eyes, and ultimately lead to complete paralysis 'Today's youth is attracted to novel trends. Blood test reveal that the patient showed high levels of toxicity and the presence of other available drugs. Taking high doses of snake venom can be fatal, even for an addict.' Health experts say in the initial hours after the venom is ingested, a person's spit too can be fatal for others. The addiction can result in slow-poisoning and can kill a person in stages - it could first affect the eyes, and ultimately lead to complete paralysis. Snake venom, collected from farmed reptiles, has been used to make anti-sera for snakebites, which is done by injecting it into mammals such as sheep and horses, and collecting the antibodies generated through the process. Dr Shekhawat said there is no diagnostic equipment anywhere in the world to quantify the level of snake venom in Manoj's body. Cases of people getting hooked on snakebites and venom have been reported in the past from metro cities like Mumbai and Kolkata as well as in rural areas. Dr Shipra Singh, psychiatrist and drug rehabilitation expert at RML hospital, told Mail Today that she has consulted atleast six cases reported at Grant Medical College in central Mumbai. An expert from AIIMS, requesting anonymity, said: 'In the past 10 years, I have seen four cases like this and these are very, very rare.' 'As snake venom contains neurotoxins and cardiotoxins, it can always prove fatal to someone who is consuming it.' It claims that disturbance in the Valley was a planned move Bahadur Ali, the suspected LeT operator, was asked to fuel the agitation in the Kashmir Valley after the death of Burhan Wani, the chief of operations of Indian Kashmir's largest rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen. His instructors asked him to join the protest and throw grenades at the security forces and army officials. The revelations were made in the charge sheet that was filed by National Investigation Agency on Friday in a Delhi court. Bahadur Ali (pictured), the suspected LeT operator, was asked to fuel the agitation in the Kashmir Valley According to the federal agency, Bahadur Ali was trained to carry out terror attacks in Delhi and prominent cities of Jammu and Kashmir including border districts Poonch and Udhampur. The code 'Alfa 3' was used by the wireless and communication control station of Let that was located on approximately 15,000 feet in POK to gain a direct line of site for effective communication with the handlers in J&K. The 21-year-old has also been accused of stone pelting and tailoring unrest in the Valley in the aftermath of Burhan Wani's death. DG of NIA Sharad Kumar told India Today TV: 'NIA has unearthed a deep-rooted conspiracy by Lashkar terrorist in act of waging war against India.' 'NIA investigators have done work professionally. There is a 100 per cent proof of role of Pakistan as per the charge sheet.' NIA heads claim the Bahadur Ali was given training and weapons in Pakistan The 23-page chargesheet of NIA says Bahadur Ali and two others - Abu Saad and Abu Darda were pushed across the Line of Control from a Lashkar launch pad, 'Mandakuli', in the intervening night of 12th and 13th June 2016. The trio walked for 7 days, following grid references on a GPS device and reached Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir. It was here that the group called their handler, Walid bhai, by pairing their mobile phone with wireless set to avoid interception. NIA believes the handler was communicating from Lashkar control room Alpha 3. The charge sheet says Abu Saad and Abu Haider went missing or were killed in village Wadar when they had gone to arrange food through a local contact. Ali fled on hearing gun shots and was later told by Alpha 3 to reach Mukam, Yahama a village further in the hinterland of Kashmir. In a major legal victory for Montblanc Simplo GmbH, the German manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, the Delhi High Court has restrained an e-commerce platform from manufacturing, selling, advertising, directly or indirectly dealing in writing instruments, wallets, watches, leather goods, jewellery or any other goods bearing the trademark of the company. The company counsel alleged the portal was selling fake products of its premier collections at a lower price. The counsel said due to sale of the counterfeit products from various collections and range, the company had suffered loss in business and also faced lose of reputation and trust of their clients. HC denied damages to Montblanc as it could not prove the extent of its losses (picture for representation) It was in July 2013 that the German manufacturer learnt through its Indian sales unit that a Chandigarh-based e-commerce site with the domain name digaaz.com was selling counterfeit products at a discounted rate of 75 per cent. Discrepancies Advocate Pravin Anand, representing Montblank, also sought damages worth Rs 20,05,000, which were however, denied by the court, which observed that the extent of actual damages suffered due to this could not be proved. To nail the act, the company purchased the writing instrument from the portal and examined it. It was found out that the price of original Meisterstuck Classique that cost around Rs 30,000 was being sold at Rs 6,860. It was found out that the price of original Meisterstuck Classique that cost around Rs 30,000 was being sold at Rs 6,860 on shopping portal (picture for representation) It pointed out that there were several discrepancies in the look of the product like difference in the colour combination, inferior material was used in the counterfeit product. It said that even the trademarks were infringed. Montblanc and Louis Vuitton moved Delhi High Court in 2014 to restrain it from selling their products. In its order, the court took cognizance of the numerous consumer complaints and allegations of fraud against the portal and granted interim injunction in favour of Mont Blanc and Louis Vuitton. The court also directed the registrar of the domain name digaaz.com and the internet service provider offering the hosting services to the website to suspend the domain name and the website, respectively. After several complaints from the customers, the cyber crime cell of Chandigarh Police in 2014 filed an FIR under Section 406,420 IPC & 66 AIT Act of PS-39. The police had also seized good number of counterfeit products from the portal and also arrested the directors of the portal. Previous cases Earlier, several popular, high-end brands such as Hermes, Cartier and Gucci have resorted to legal recourse to protect their brands from cheap lookalikes. A fashion insider quoting anonymity said: 'A lot of fakes are linked to underground mafia related to terrorism, women and child trafficking. It is not as harmless as it seems.' According to an Assocham, the fake luxury goods market in India is reportedly increasing at a rate of 40-45 per cent annually. ASSOCHAM has noted that web shopping portals account for over 25 per cent of the fake luxury goods market in India. The government has deferred a long pending demand of the Armed Forces to create three new commands to deal with cyber, space and special forces while asking them to first create capabilities and structures for such operations before going in for expansion. To deal with these issues, the defence ministry has created three special cells under Major General-rank officers under the tri-services Integrated Defence Staff. 'The government has deferred the demand for creation of commands for Cyber, Special Forces and Space under senior Lt General- rank officers and asked the forces to first create capabilities for such commands,' sources told Mail Today. The decision to defer the creation of new commands was taken soon after PM Narendra Modi told the senior military commanders that while global powers were reducing their manpower The decision to defer the creation of new commands was taken soon after PM Narendra Modi told the senior military commanders that while global powers were reducing their manpower, Indian forces were continuously demanding expansion of their size. 'Modernisation and expansion of forces at the same time is a difficult and unnecessary goal.' 'We need forces that are agile, mobile and driven by technology, not just human valour. We must re-examine our assumptions that keep massive funds locked up in inventories,' Modi had said in his last address to the combined commanders. The forces also wanted an army commander equivalent post to be created for the upcoming National Defence University which has been put on hold by the government. The Armed Forces had initiated the demand for creation of three new commands during the UPA government where the three services had decided to take one each command for themselves creating three army commander-equivalent positions. The forces also wanted an army commander equivalent post to be created for the upcoming National Defence University which has been put on hold by the government. The new cells for the space, cyber and special forces are already working jointly with each other involving elements of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy. The cells have carried out some very important war games also related to their domains involving space and cyber assets and their reports were shared with the Prime Minister's Office, the sources revealed. The chiefs of staff committee, which comprises the Army, Navy and IAF chiefs, had recommended the urgent need for the three new unified commands in 2012. The three services already have their own space and cyber cells as well as different Special Forces in the form of Para-SF battalions (Army), marine commandos (Navy) and Guards (IAF). The country has only two operational tri-services commands including the strategically- located Andaman and Nicobar command in Port Blair which will now probably have an officer from the Navy as its head permanently. The other tri-services organisation is the Strategic Forces Command which looks after the nuclear arsenal including the Agni series missiles for the Nuclear Command Authority - the Prime Minister headed body. The government is now considering the creation of a four-star officer appointment in form of the permanent chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee. Adolescent enthusiasm: Next's 4.8m-a-year boss Simon Wolfson Careers of High Street bosses tend to follow a familiar path. Typically they've started out as trainees, slowly progressing through the ranks of middle management until a vacancy arises in the boardroom. Arriving in the top job, a press release heralds them as honest trundlers who know the company inside out after years of toil and hard graft. But casting Next's 4.8m-a-year boss Simon Wolfson, 49 or Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise to give him his correct title as an up-by-his-bootstraps shopfloor Johnny is beyond the burnishments of even the most accomplished of public relations reptiles. Educated at Radley and Trinity College, Cambridge, to say that Wolfson's elevation up the corporate ladder has been meteoric would be somewhat underplaying it. Arriving in 1991 at the Kensington branch of Next his father David was company chairman he was swiftly promoted as assistant to the firm's then boss David Jones. Within ten years, aged just 33, the eager whippersnapper succeeded Jones as the youngest ever chief executive of a FTSE 100 company. His inexorable rise is perhaps even more understandable when you consider his lineage. His grandfather was Sir Isaac Wolfson, the brilliant financier behind Great Universal Stores, the one-time powerhouse which owned Burberry and Scotch House. His aforementioned father has been an adornment to numerous company boards. But while howls of nepotism have accompanied his career, there is no doubt that after 16 years Wolfson has established himself as one of the more respected members of British business. Certainly those who meet this rather gawky figure testify to his impressive character. Mild mannered and cerebral, he fizzes with adolescent enthusiasm and lofty ideas beyond just flogging affordable clothing. Record: Aged just 33, Wolfson became the youngest ever chief executive of a FTSE 100 company Three years ago, he launched the Wolfson Economics Prize, an annual 250,000 contest which seeks blue skies solutions to infrastructure problems. Unusually for a FTSE 100 boss, he chooses to takes sides politically. Ennobled by the Conservatives in 2010, he maintains strong links to the party's fluffy modernisers. He was an early backer of David Cameron's 2005 leadership campaign, and despite his anti-EU views he was one of the few business leader to come out in support of Brexit he remains on friendly terms with Sir Oliver Letwin and George Osborne. His wife Eleanor, 37, daughter of Charity Commission head William Shawcross and with whom he has a son, served for eight years as the former chancellor's economic adviser. Habitually dressed in nondescript 100 suits Next, natch and swotty-looking wire-framed spectacles, he retains modest tastes for someone said to be worth 112million. The only immediate signifier to his vast wealth is a beautiful 17th century country pile near Milton Keynes and a townhouse in desirable Primrose Hill, which he purchased after liquifying 3.28million of his shares before his wedding in 2012. Proof of his considerable significance in British business emerged this week, after Next reported a 0.4 per cent drop in sales at Christmas, wiping 948million off the company's value. The retailer has for some time been a bellwether for the High Street's fortunes. When Next is struggling, it usually means trouble's a-brewing. Sure enough, Wolfson's bleak warnings about future trading has had a knock-on effect to rivals Marks & Spencer and Primark, all of whose share prices have taken a tumble. Like many traditional clothing brands, Next struggles to keep pace with more modish arrivals such as Zara and New Look. Once the epitome of 90s chic, the brand is beginning to feel a little long in the tooth. And while it was quick to adapt to the challenges of the internet, younger generations prefer to spend their lunch hours scouring cheaper, more fashionable online stores. Wolfson's relations with staff remain mixed. They were delighted when in 2013 and 2014 he chose to share with them his bonus, worth a combined 6million. But he remains a hate figure among the unions over his opposition to the living wage. In 2015, the GMB accused him of having 'a total disregard for family life' after abolishing extra pay for staff on Sundays, deeming it a normal working day. For now, Wolfson insists he's going nowhere, but with a young family he may be beginning to wonder if it's all still worth it. After all, 16 years seems an unusually long time to remain in charge of a FTSE 100 company. For a time there was speculation he might be appointed a Cabinet minister. Judging by his wildly mediocre appearance record in the Lords he's spoken less than half a dozen times in five years it would appear he didn't accept a peerage to just sloth among prune-chinned members of the Upper House. The FTSE 100 yesterday finished at 7210.05 the seventh day in a row that it has closed at a record high. But how high can it go? Some experts believe a strong start to the year could be a sign of a strong year to come. Since 1984 the FTSE 100 has gained in January in 19 out of 32 years, according to figures from Fidelity. In 15 of those 19 years, the market went on to finish the year higher than it began. So it's a good omen. High point: The FTSE 100 yesterday finished at 7210.05 the seventh day in a row that it has closed at a record high In its first year of trading in 1984 the FTSE finished 6.2 per cent higher in January. It went on to gain a further 15.9 per cent, rising from 1000 to 1232.2 throughout the year. The stock market started 1997 at 4118.5 and, after adding 157 points in January, went on to climb another 20.1 per cent to finish the year at 5135.5. The so-called January effect seems to have a remarkably high hit rate. Only in 1987, 1994, 2001 and 2015 has the market broken this pattern. But with so much uncertainty on the horizon this year, there is no guarantee that it will continue its stellar rise. Brexit has been centre-stage for more than six months now, but it will be a major consideration for investors this year. The market has been given a short-term lift from the fall in the pound, which is boosting the overseas earnings of many firms. But as increased import costs start to weigh on firms, this may not last. Although the UK is unlikely to leave the EU for at least another 18 months, Naeem Aslam of Think Markets believes the negotiations, as they unfold, could push the FTSE towards the 9000 mark. Jordan Hiscott, chief trader at Ayondo markets, says: 'If it looks like we are headed for a so-called hard Brexit, this will lead to a weaker pound, which will boost the profits of many FTSE international companies and push the market higher. I think the FTSE could reach 7500.' Tom Becket, chief investment officer at Psigma, is expecting FTSE company earnings to grow around 8 per cent this year because of the weakness in the pound, and two-thirds of blue-chip company earnings coming from overseas. He says: 'However, I don't think it will go much higher than 7400 because I think optimism in 2016 meant a lot of this year's growth was already borrowed last year.' The fortunes of the oil and mining sector is likely to be a major decider in the outlook for the stock market. A fragile pact among the Opec cartel members has led to a recovery in the price of the black stuff. But the production cut is yet to come into play and many experts are unsure how long it will hold. If any member reneges on their pledge it could send the oil price spiralling again, damaging the prospects of the FTSE oil giants. Fiona Cincotta, market analyst at City Index, says: 'I am looking optimistically at the FTSE for the year. Levels of above 8750 could realistically be within reach.' Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, says: 'When I drew up my forecasts in mid-December, I thought a year-end point of around 7350 for the FTSE looked pretty fair, but that looks a bit tight-fisted after the recent surge. 'But I do fear it might not take a lot to shake things up, given the prevailing buoyant mood, so I would be wary of getting too carried away just yet.' For those who do think the FTSE has further to climb, Jason Hollands, managing director at Bestinvest, says investing in a simple tracker fund is a cheap way to get access to this growth. The iShares FTSE 100 tracker charges just 0.07 per cent a year. Investors can also pick funds which focus on blue-chip business. Hollands likes the JO Hambro UK Opportunities fund which invests in BP, National Grid and Unilever. It has returned 15.5 per cent over the past year. The owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas and lingerie brand Boux Avenue has warned that retailers face a 'perfect storm' this year. Theo Paphitis said his firm Theo Paphitis Group has had to adjust its business plan to accommodate changes in shoppers' habits and the fall in the pound. He also urged reform of business rates, which he described as archaic and unsuitable for the current retail climate. Bleak outlook: Theo Paphitis said his firm Theo Paphitis Group has had to adjust its business plan to accommodate changes in shoppers' habits and the fall in the pound He said: 'Retail, especially within bricks and mortar in the UK, is facing the perfect storm. The facts are that footfall and activity on our high streets and town centres are in decline but businesses like ours are about to see an overall increase instead of a decrease in their rates bill in the next 12 months.' Ryman and Robert Dyas saw turnover fall in 2016 by 2.5 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively. Three years ago, Valerie Graves was brutally beaten to death with a claw hammer as she house sat for friends in a sleepy West Sussex village. What followed became the biggest manhunt in the history of Sussex Police and the largest DNA search ever conducted in Britain. But as Valerie's killer remains at large, residents have been left what the next steps are in the murder investigation - and are police any closer to finding the man who killed the grandmother? Scroll down for video Three years ago, Valerie Graves was brutally murdered, beaten to death with a claw hammer as she house sat for friends in a sleepy West Sussex village Ms Graves was killed as she house-sat for friends at their 1.6m mansion in Bosham, West Sussex On 30 December 2013, mother-of-two Valerie Graves was found brutally murdered in a bedroom in Smugglers Lane, Bosham. She had been house-sitting at the property for friends over the Christmas period and had celebrated her 55th birthday just days earlier. Days afterwards, police found the murder weapon - a claw hammer which had been discarded in nearby bushes, alongside a limited DNA profile. They could confirm only that it was DNA belonging to a male aged between 17-65. Yet despite one of the largest investigations Sussex Police has ever carried out and a number of high profile family appeals, Valerie's killer remains at large. Police took samples from more than 2,500 men with a connection to the village - but later confirmed they wanted to eliminate another 2,500 from their inquiries. According to police detectives, Valeries body was discovered in the morning by her sister Janet Graves, who initally believed the death to be suicide - but paramedics called to the house quickly identified the area as a crime scene. Days afterwards, police found the murder weapon - a claw hammer which had been discarded in nearby bushes, alongside a limited DNA profile Ms Graves was house-sitting in a property in Smugglers Lane, Bosham, when she was savagely killed in her bed just days after celebrating her 55th birthday with family on Christmas Day Distraught: The siblings were visibly emotional as Mr Wood read out his statement at a press conference Valerie - a talented artist - is pictured with her children, although the date the picture was taken is unknown Ms Graves (pictured, date unknown), was a popular artist, grandmother and mother-of-two Despite one of the largest investigations Sussex Police has ever carried out and a number of high profile family appeals, Valerie's killer remains at large Experts disagree about the motive behind the murder, with some saying it was a failed burglary while others believe it was a targeted attack. The village Ms Graves was murdered in - Bosham - is a favourite with ITV drama Midsomer Murders. Bosham featured in the episode, 'Written in Blood'. An inquest into Valerie's murder in June recorded a verdict of unlawful killing. The inquest heard Valeries bedroom was on the ground floor and the bedroom door was found open. The room had one external door leading onto a patio at the back of the house. Valerie was described as someone who was unlikely to offend and had recently moved from Scotland to Bracklesham Bay to care for her elderly mother. Coroner Penelope Schofield re-issed an appeal for anyone with information to come forward. Emotion: The victim's son Tim Wood paid tribute to her in January during a press conference following her death while sitting alongside his sister Jemima Harrison Police officers searched the area surrounding the 1.6million home in Bosham, West Sussex, when Ms Graves was found dead in 2013. She had suffered severe head and facial injuries Experts disagree about the motive behind the murder, with some saying it was a failed burglary while others believe it was a targeted attack Sussex Police launched its biggest voluntary mass DNA screening in its history asking all men aged over 17 who live, work or visit Bosham to provide a DNA sample to eliminate them from the inquiry. To date detectives from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team have taken 2,737 DNA samples from men from Bosham or associated to the enquiry in some other way. Detective Superintendent Jason Taylor said: 'This investigation remains a priority for Sussex Police and we will do everything reasonably possible to find Valerie's killer and get justice for her and her family. 'This time of year is particularly difficult for her family and friends. 'We are still offering a 10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Valerie's killer and I would ask anyone who has information to contact police.' An exhaustive and thorough forensic search got underway at the property after the murder in 2013 An iceberg the size of Rhode Island is expected to break off of Antarctica within the next few months. Scientists say we can anticipate a rise in sea levels when it happens. Astronomers are predicting that a "new" star produced by a stellar collision that happened centuries ago will be visible to the naked eye in 2022. They call it the "Boom Star." Thousands are logging on to watch a live-streaming argument between two Google Homes bots on Twitch. Ok. This is weird. The Chilean government released a nine-minute video that appears to show an actual UFO (or rather, a UAP--unidentified aerial phenomenon). Watch the footage for yourself. Its ... intense. Carrie Fisher's ashes were reportedly placed in an urn shaped like a giant Prozac pill. Volunteers granted the wishes of hundreds of sick children in 2016 - including finding dinosaurs, seeing a unicorn fly, and being a ballerina for a day. Throughout the year, the foundation Make-A-Wish Australia arranged to make more than 500 dreams come true. Those included seven-year-old Lyam's wish to be a fireman for a day. Lyam, who is from New Caledonia and suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, got to ride in a firetruck, was lifted 37 meters on an aerial ladder, and received his own firefighter's suit and black fireman's helmet. Scroll down for video Lyam, 7, was one of over 500 children who had their wishes granted by Make-A-Wish Australia Lyam, who suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, got to be a fireman for a day Domenic, 9, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, wanted to be the superhero Iron Boy - and had his wish granted in a spectacular way Domenic was given his own Iron Boy suit and taken by NSW police officers on a mission that saw him rescuing a woman and taking down several bad guys Domenic was sent a video message by Robert Downey Jr, who portrays Iron Man in the Marvel movies. 'I'm making you an honorary member of the Avengers,' Downey Jr said in the video 'To see my son happy after such a long time in treatment makes me so happy,' Lyam's mother told Make-A-Wish. Domenic, nine, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, wanted to be the superhero Iron Boy - and had his wish granted in a spectacular way. He was given his own Iron Boy suit and taken by NSW police officers on a mission that saw him rescuing a woman and taking down several bad guys. Iron Boy was then honoured in front of an adoring crowd outside the Sydney opera house. He was even sent a personal video message by actor Robert Downey Jr, who portrays Iron Man in the Marvel movie franchise. 'I'm making you an honorary member of the Avengers,' Downey Jr said in the video. Hayley, 8, who was diagnosed with the auto-immune blood disorder aplastic anaemia, had the chance to dance alongside ballerinas The dance enthusiast had a one-on-one ballet lesson with Sarah Thompson from the Australian Ballet and was a VIP guest to their performance of Swan Lake Breanna, 12, wished for a fairy tale ball. She made a grand entrance to a standing ovation of 800 guests, Make-A-Wish said Breanna, who was diagnosed with biliary atresia, arrived at her Cinderella-style ball in a pink Hummer limousine Dre, 4, wished to play some ball with the Canberra Raiders. He hit the ground with the pro players on a sunny day Canberra Raiders players gave low-fives to Dre, 4, who was diagnosed with Hunter Syndrome Posing for a photo with the Canberra Raiders after a day of practice was a dream come true for Dre Other children who had their wishes granted included Hayley, eight, who was diagnosed with the auto-immune blood disorder aplastic anaemia and had the chance to dance alongside ballerinas. The dance enthusiast had a one-on-one ballet lesson with Sarah Thompson from the Australian Ballet and was a VIP guest to their performance of Swan Lake where she was presented with a bouquet of flowers. Five-year-old Scarlett, who was born with a rare heart defect, had her very creative wish of meeting a flying unicorn and tasting its horn come true. After months of hard work from animators, chefs, and a small string orchestra, a crowd of 200 watched her dream come true at the Melbourne Arts Centre. Make-A-Wish has granted more than 8,500 wishes since 1985. More heartwarming stories can be fond on Make-A-Wish's Facebook page. Anyone who wishes to donate time, money or special skills to Make-A-Wish can do so via the foundation's website. Scarlett, 5, who lives with a rare heart defect, wished to see a unicorn fly. Amazingly, she had her wish granted A woman has recalled the horrific abuse she was subjected to by her former partner - who boasted of his attacks by putting photos of her injuries on Facebook. Atlanta Hammond, from Braintree, Essex, says she was subjected to daily physical abuse, banned from socialising and forced to quit her job by her ex-boyfriend. And when the mother-of-one plucked up the courage to leave him, he threatened to publish a video of himself raping her while she slept and post it online. The 21-year-old, who has a two-year-old son, says her former partner exerted control over her from the time they met in 2013, when she was just 18. Atlanta Hammond, from Braintree, Essex, says she was subjected to daily physical abuse, banned from socialising and forced to quit her job by her ex-boyfriend Halil Cetinkayali She said Halil Cetinkayali, 30, made her 'feel like a princess' - before things quickly turned sour. Halil, who Atlanta described as a staunch Muslim, made her quit her job as a carer 'out of respect for his faith'. And after Googling friends' names on the internet one day, she found he was using an alias and was wanted by police. However, when she confronted him, he turned violent, grabbing her throat and said he would post the footage of the two of them online. The pair stayed together, with Halil abusing her every day. She told The Sun: 'I didnt have to do anything to get hit. Say the wrong thing, answer back, talk to the wrong person. Incredibly, Halil would himself post images of the abuse onto Facebook, along with the caption ' This is the girl I beat up and cheated on for two years' When the mother-of-one plucked up the courage to leave Halil, he threatened to publish a video of himself raping her while she slept and post it online. 'Hed make me sit on the phone to him all night if I was at a friends house. 'I wasnt allowed to see any male friends. In fact, eventually, he banned me seeing anyone but my mum and for those times hed buy me concealer.' The abuse finally became too much for Atlanta one night when she attempted to escape Halil's clutches as he slept and go to her mother's house. However Halil caught Atlanta as she was about to get into a cab outside their home, viciously assaulting her and stabbing her in the hip as a result. Halil Cetinkayali was jailed for his attacks on Atlanta It was after this final attack that a brave Atlanta plucked up the courage to tell the police of the abuse, and he was arrested for wounding with intent. But such was the power he had over his victim that Halil was able to convince Atlanta to retract her statement and he was released with an electronic tag in July 2014. It was at this point that Halil showed her the video he had taken off himself raping Atlanta while she slept. It was this threat that proved the final straw for the mother of one, who sent a final text to Halil with pictures of the cuts and bruises she has suffered at his hands. Incredibly, Halil would himself post the images onto Facebook, along with the caption ' This is the girl I beat up and cheated on for two years'. Atlanta broke off all contact with Halil afterwards, and wouldn't see him again until she returned to her home one day to find him lying on her bed. He chased her into the street and viciously attacked her in broad daylight, leading neighbours to call for the police. It was after his arrest that Atlanta finally told police officers the whole story of her physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her partner. Halil was sentenced to 19 years and eight months in prison in April. According to the district attorney, Crumpacker had asked for cocaine to be delivered 13 times to his $2.5 million apartment on West 13th Street near Union Square in Manhattan, and spent $3,000. A Chipotle executive pleaded guilty to cocaine possession six months after he and many other Manhattan professionals were arrested in a white collar drug bust. In exchange for pleading guilty in court on Friday, Mark Crumpacker will have his case dismissed if he attends treatment for a year and stays out of trouble, according to the New York Daily News. The 53-year-old is the chief of marketing and developing for the Mexican fast-casual chain. Crumpacker had been named as a customer in a New York cocaine ring indictment and was placed on leave by Chipotle in June. Chipotle executive, Mark Crumpacker (pictured in court Friday) pleaded guilty to cocaine possession six months after he and many other Manhattan professionals were arrested in a white collar drug bust In exchange for pleading guilty in court on Friday, Mark Crumpacker will have his case dismissed if he attends treatment for a year and stays out of trouble. The 53-year-old is the chief of marketing and developing for the Mexican fast-casual chain He returned to work in September as chief creative and development officer, helping lead the chain's efforts to recover from a series of food scares. Chipotle said it determined none of the alleged activities took place during work time. Crumpacker's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, said Friday he expects the charge will be dismissed no later than January of next year. He said Crumpacker has already been getting treatment. 'We're very happy the case will ultimately be dismissed,' Lefcourt said outside the courtroom. The Manhattan District Attorney's office said Crumpacker also agreed to drug testing. Crumpacker said he was 'absolutely' glad to put the case behind him Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Ellen Biben asked Crumpacker if he 'knowingly and unlawfully' had the popular party drug on January 29, as charged in the second count of his indictment. He paused and answered 'yes' as Biben warned him that to benefit from the deal, he must pass regular drug tests, continue treatment and avoid being rearrested. Crumpacker, who wore a grey blazer and dark jeans, said he was 'absolutely' glad to put the case behind him. According to the district attorney, Crumpacker had asked for cocaine to be delivered 13 times to his $2.5 million apartment on West 13th Street near Union Square in Manhattan, and spent $3,000. He was charged with criminal possession in the seventh degree and bail was set at $10,000 or $4,500 cash back in July. A Fox Business Network producer and a Cushman & Wakefield employee were among those netted in the investigation. Accused drug peddlers in the operation were also charged. Crumpacker made just shy of $4.3million in total compensation in 2015 in his role as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at the Mexican fast food chain, receiving roughly $45,000 for housing expenses and over $30,000 for a company car. Of his total compensation, he received $530,000 as his salary as of 2015. According to the district attorney, Crumpacker had asked for cocaine to be delivered 13 times to his $2.5 million apartment (pictured) in Manhattan, and spent $3,000 Crumpacker made just shy of $4.3million in total compensation in 2015 in his role as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at the Mexican fast food chain, receiving roughly $45,000 for housing expenses and over $30,000 for a company car Judge Edward McLaughlin said to Crumpacker and his lawyer during his first appearance: 'I don't want someone who is a purported bigshot to think they should be treated differently.' Crumpacker was named Chipotle's first CMO in January 2009, and according to his LinkedIn page he oversees all of the company's marketing functions including advertising, design, events, public relations, social media, and research. In 2013, Crumpacker was named Chipotle's Chief Development Officer and now leads the company's real estate, design, construction and facilities functions worldwide. Prior to joining Chipotle, he was the founder, CEO and Creative Director at Sequence, a San Francisco-based branding and interactive agency. The salaries of Chipotle's top executives were hit earlier this year thanks to a damaging E. Coli outbreak linked to its restaurants. Co-CEOs Steve Ells and Monty Moran had their pay cut in half in 2015. Ells' pay dropped to $13.8m in 2015, down from $28.9 million; while Moran's pay dropped to $13.6 million from $28.1 million. They were awarded no stock. Mexico won't pay the bill for President-Elect Donald Trump's proposed wall along its border with the US, says outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry disputed the feasibility of one of Trump's best-known campaign promises. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has said the country would not pay the wall. 'Theyve said theyre not going to pay for it. Theyre not going to voluntarily pony up and pay for something they disagree with', Kerry told ABC Newss Martha Raddatz on Friday. Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry said Mexico won't pay for President-Elect Donald Trump's proposed wall along the southern border of the US Trump said earlier on Friday that taxpayer money will help fund the proposed wall to 'speed up the process' until Mexico 'reimburses' the US. His plan is most likely to renegotiate Nafta with Mexico's government. 'It's going to be a part of everything. We are going to be making a much better deal. It's a deal that never should have been signed', Trump said. Reports emerged that Trump is working with Republicans in Congress to use American tax-payer dollars to build the wall as early as April. Trump reportedly plans to use American tax-payer dollars to help fund his plan to build a multi-billion dollar wall between the US and Mexico Trump's administration has reportedly hatched a multi-billion dollar plan to make good on his promise, citing a 2006 law as authority for constructing the wall, though funding for the measure remains unclear. The law in question, which was signed by George W Bush, authorized a more than 700-mile 'physical barrier' between the US and Mexico. This measure was never fully implemented. His incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said the administration will find a way, 'whether it's through higher tariffs or a direct check', to get Mexico to reimburse the US for the costs. Trump tweeted Friday morning that the media are dishonest for not reporting that Mexico will pay for the wall in the future. Kerry also commented on Trump's use of Twitter, saying he doesn't think social media is the appropriate platform for discussing foreign affairs. 'I don't make announcements of foreign policy by tweet, Twitter. I don't think that, you know, 140 characters allows you to adequately deal with the complexity of many of the choices that we make', Kerry said. Kerry said he hopes Trump and his administration will 'move to a different way of communicating'. Trump tweets almost daily on everything from reality television to relations between China and Taiwan. After Trump won the election, he alarmed politicians when he accepted a phone call from the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen. This changed a near-40-year-old policy with China. A Chicago judge denied bail for four suspects involved in the hate crime torture of a special needs man as it is revealed they demanded $300 from the victim's mother. Four suspects were labeled 'a danger to society' by a judge after they were charged with hate crimes for live-streaming the torture of a white 18-year-old on Facebook. The judge denied the group bail and asked the suspects: ' Where was your sense of decency?' One of the four suspects demanded $300 from the victim's mother if she wanted her son back, a prosecutor revealed on Friday. Scroll down for video Jordan Hill, 18, is one of the members of the torture gang who allegedly kidnapped and filmed the torture of a special needs man. Prosecutors say Hill, of suburban Carpentersville, demanded a $300 ransom from the victim's mother Members of the alleged torture gang (l-r) Tesfaye Cooper, 18; Brittany Covington, 18; and her sister Tanisha Covington, 24, have all been charged with two hate crimes in addition to other charges Jordan Hill, 18; Tesfaye Cooper, 18; and sisters Brittany, 18, and Tanisha Covington, 24, are facing several charges against them for torturing a severely disabled white 18-year-old who suffers from schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder. Attorneys for the suspects tried to argue for their bail by telling the judge about their background and family life. Public defenders say 24-year-old suspect Covington, of Chicago, is the mother of two children, ages 11 months and two years old. They say her sister, Brittany Covington of Chicago, attends college and is involved with her church. The attorneys say Hill, of suburban Carpentersville, works for a staffing company assembling furniture and attends church with his grandmother. They say the fourth suspect Cooper, of Chicago, cares for his twin brother who uses a wheelchair and is a high school junior. Hill, who knew the unidentified victim from attending a school together in Aurora, allegedly told the victim's mother she could have her son back for $300, reported CBS Chicago. The four men and women allegedly tortured a 18-year-old special needs man with schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder in Chicago. Thirty minutes of the torture was live-streamed on Facebook on Tuesday The group of four black men and women were charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery and a hate crime on Thursday. They were charged with two hate crimes - one because the young man was disabled and one because of race. Prosecutors say they forced the disabled man to drink toilet water, kiss the floor. They also say the suspects stuffed a sock into his mouth, taped his mouth shut and bound his hands with a belt. Family members of Brittany Covington and Tanishia Covington, left and right, leave the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Friday The torture is believed to have started in a van and continued in a house and lasted around six hours, with a half an hour of the torture live-streamed on Facebook. On the live stream the disabled young man was forced to drink toilet water and a piece of his scalp was cut off. At one point in the video, one of the four yells 'f*** Donald Trump. F*** white people' at the victim. It was at this McDonald's where the victim met Jordan Hill, after being dropped off by his mother Chicago Police Cmdr. Kevin Duffin said the victim and Hill met out in the suburbs, later revealed it was at a McDonald's. 'Apparently, they met out in the suburbs. These subjects then stole a van out in the suburbs and then brought him into Chicago,' he said. 'It is quite possible that it is a kidnapping. (The victim) is traumatized by the incident and it is a little tough to communicate with him.' The victim was found on this block in Chicago after escaping from his ordeal They then held him for 24 to 48 hours, before eventually letting him walk free. The victim was found walking distressed and disoriented on a street near the apartment by police on Tuesday night around 5:30pm. Police stopped the young man, partly because he was wearing shorts in the dead of winter. The young man then led them to the scene where the attack happened, and police discovered signs of struggle and damage to the property. The suspects were arrested and then later charged. Hill, faces an additional charge of robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle. For many young girls growing up, the dream is to one day be just like their mother. But Natalie, Jazmyne and Tamika Wardell aren't just alike - they're almost identical. A car lover, Mrs Wardell, 45, will this weekend attend her 23rd straight Summernats car festival in Canberra with her husband Brendan and daughters in tow. Despite being more than double the age of her two eldest daughters - Jazmyne, 21 and Tamika, 19 - it's little surprise the trio of blonde beauties are commonly mistaken for sisters. From heading out for dinner and the movies, to attending car and music festivals, Mrs Wardell told Daily Mail Australia she and her girls are the best of friends. Scroll down for video Natalie, 45 (left), Tamika, 19 (centre), and Jazmyne Wardell, 21 (right), are often mistaken for sisters Mrs Wardell (left) is this year attending her 23rd consecutive Summernats car festival and has taken eldest daughter Jazmyne (right) along with her to enjoy their regular family outing 'Every weekend as a family we try to go to a car event,' Mrs Wardell told Daily Mail Australia. 'Two of them are into cars but one's not, which is good for my husband because he doesn't have any sons at all.' A self-confessed 'bogan Barbie' - an affectionate term for a buxom blonde redneck - Mrs Wardell met her husband after stopping to admire his car while out shopping. More than two decades on and they share three stunning daughters and still attend car events across the country, often turning them into holidays for the whole family. While many daughters are embarrassed to hang out with their mum once they reach their teenage years, these girls continue to enjoy Mrs Wardell's company, despite the constant comments about their similarities. 'People ask if we're sisters all the time, and some even think Jazmyne is my mum because shes so tall and I'm so short,' Mrs Wardell said. While many daughters are embarrassed to hang out with their mum once they reach their teenage years, Jazmyne (right) and her two siblings enjoy being by Mrs Wardell's (left) side Mrs Wardell (pictured) said that wherever she goes with her young daughters they are often confused for sisters. 2016 will be the 23rd straight year she's attended Summernats festival Her eldest daughter Jazmyne (pictured) is a keen car enthusiast and is currently building her own car. She and her mother regularly posts photos of themselves out and about together Even middle daughter Tamika (pictured) is confused for being a sister of her mum, however Mrs Wardell said she's not as into cars as her two other sisters Mrs Wardell (left) said that she sees the comments as a compliment, while the Jazmyne (right) and her two other girls often see the lighter side 'Just yesterday at Summernats we were waiting to get to in a ute and somebody asked if we were sisters. 'I guess it's a compliment to me, but people will say things like "You try to copy them", but I mean I've had long blonde hair since I was 15. It's just genetics.' While the constant comparisons can become monotonous, Mrs Wardell said they do try and see the lighter side. 'Its funny when were walking around somewhere and she yells out Mum,' she said. 'Everyone looks around as if to say, "Who on earth are you talking to?".' Mrs Wardle (pictured), a self-confessed 'bogan Barbie', met her husband after stopping to admire his car On Saturday afternoon Jazmyne (pictured) will compete for the Ms Summernats 2016 title Jazmyne (left), Natalie (middle) and the Wardell family regularly make trips across Australia together attending different car meets On Saturday Jazmyne will compete in the annual Ms Summernats competition. With the rest of the Wardell family showing off their hot cars and burning rubber, it's always a busy day. But Mrs Wardell said while others may judge her family for going to events notorious for being filled with booze and middle-aged, it kept them close together. 'What I notice is that my friends who arent into cars but their husbands are seem to fight alot,' she said. 'It brings us closer as a family. It's great.' looking for a place to sleep, eat and charge his phone A teen dubbed the 'Goldilocks' burglar will stay behind bars after a magistrate denied him bail. Isaac Henderson, 18, allegedly broke into a couple's recently-sold east Melbourne home, dragged their bed into the lounge room and was found sleeping inside. He is accused of threatening Mel Christensen with a knife after she and her husband Tony woke him shirtless in the bed at about 11am on December 29. Scroll down for video Isaac Henderson, an 18-year-old from Melbourne who has been dubbed the 'Goldilocks' burglar by police, said he had a fight with his father before he allegedly broke into a couple's home Henderson appeared in Ringwood Magistrates' Court on Thursday after two days in custody, charged with burglary, criminal damage, assault with a weapon and making threats. Magistrate Marc Sargent refused bail because he was concerned the accused was still a danger to the community because he was on probation for armed robbery. He admitted to being puzzled by the bizarre case was alarmed by Henderson's 'preparedness to brandish a weapon when it was completely unnecessary'. Mr Sargent was also concerned the teen allegedly threatened officers when he was arrested and told them: 'I'll put the f*****g dog on to you.' Mr Henderson is accused of breaking into Mel and Tony Christensen's recently sold home in Donvale, east Melbourne, on December 29 The court heard Henderson had a fight with his father and left the house, became lost and was looking for a place to sleep, eat and charge his phone. He also allegedly took a shower and turned on the air-conditioning. Senior Constable Brendan Keanan told the court Mr Henderson admitted to police he broke into the property, but denied using a knife. Mr Henderson also allegedly told police he threatened Mrs Christensen with a chicken skewer but police say they were unable to find any weapons to verify either version of the incident. The Christensens said they came home last Thursday at about 11am to find their bed had been dragged from the bedroom to the living room. 'He was wriggling around when he flipped up the doona wielding a large knife. He pulled it against my neck from behind and started threatening me,' Ms Christensen told Daily Mail Australia. He allegedly threatening the Ms Christensen with a knife after the couple woke him In footage of the incident taken by her husband on his smartphone, Ms Christensen's blood-curdling screams can be heard as he is checking for accomplices downstairs. Realising the threat of accomplices was a decoy, her quick-thinking husband raced back upstairs and then pursued Mr Henderson, who allegedly fled. 'My husband trailed him up the street, [after] he threw me away and took off barefoot,' Ms Christensen claimed. Mr Christensen told Daily Mail Australia his instincts kicked in when he whipped out his phone and began filming. He has been charged with burglary, criminal damage, assault with a weapon and making threats and appeared in the Ringwood Magistrates' Court on Thursday 'All I was thinking was what I have I got to do to help police find this person,' he said. Upon hearing her screams, Mr Christensen said he knew what he had to do. 'At that point I knew her safety was the only thing that mattered so I left the phone and chased him out,' he said. Former weatherman Michael Fish has joked his forecasts are more accurate than the Bank of Englands dire financial predictions. He also said he would like a gold bar as an apology after the national banks chief economist compared economic forecasters to weathermen in particular to Mr Fish who in 1987 famously told the nation there would be no hurricane. On Thursday, Andy Haldane said his profession was in crisis after bungling so many major calls in recent years, such as over financial crisis and the impact of the Brexit vote. But he added that it had been business as usual since the EU referendum. A top Bank of England official compared economic forecasters to weathermen in particular Mr Fish who in 1987 famously told the nation there would be no hurricane (pictured) Mr Fish responded on Twitter, joking: My forecast (better than the Bank of Englands) is now online. I reckon that Andrew Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England owes me a gold bar or two. Now retired, Mr Fish is remembered for the gaffe on October 15, 1987, when he famously said during a bulletin: Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way... well, if youre watching, dont worry, there isnt! His words were followed by the worst storm for 300 years which battered the UK, claiming 20 lives, flattening 15 million trees and causing 1.5billion of damage. Mr Fish said his phone had not stopped ringing since Mr Haldane made the remarks at an event at the Institute for Government in London this week. Mr Haldane was speaking after figures showed the economy grew by more than 1 per cent in the six months after the vote to leave the EU adding to the deluge of upbeat data published since the Brexit vote. The Bank of Englands chief economist Andy Haldane (shown right) said his profession was in crisis after bungling so many major calls in recent years. Shown left, weatherman Michael Fish Speaking at the event, Mr Haldane said: Lets go back to a different crisis, which is a crisis not in economic forecasting but in weather forecasting that resulted from the 1987 Great Storm, he said. Michael Fish getting up, saying someones just called me, hurricane coming. Theres no hurricane coming but it will be very windy in Spain. Thats very similar to the sort of reports central banks, naming no names, issued pre-crisis. There is no hurricane coming but it might be very windy in the sub-prime sector. Mr Fish seemed to take the reference in good humour, and said he was owed lunch or a couple of bars of gold for the quip. Ive actually left a message with the Bank of England press office asking if hed kindly get in touch with me, he told The Telegraph. An elderly woman died after spending 35 hours waiting on a trolley in A&E, in a tragedy which exposes the depth of the NHS crisis. She was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital earlier this week, but could not be placed on a ward due to a shortage of beds. The patient, who has not been named, deteriorated and suffered a cardiac arrest. She died in an undignified hospital cubicle with curtains pulled around the outside. A second patient at the same hospital, who was made to stay in a waiting room, died after suffering an aneurysm. Derek Goodburn, 73, was rushed to resuscitation but could not be saved. Last night there were claims that the hospital was in meltdown, with nurses in tears and patients lying on trolleys three deep in the corridor. But doctors said the scenes were being repeated in A&E units across the country, as the NHS struggles in the face of its worst crisis in 15 years. Last night the Red Cross said it had been called in to help hospitals and ambulance services, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis. NHS figures yesterday showed the full extent of the pressures on the health service. For the single week leading up to January 1, they revealed: A&E units had to temporarily close their doors to ambulances 42 times; Nearly a quarter of patients waited at least four hours to be seen, while 372,000 in total turned up to casualty; One thousand beds were closed every day of the week to contain the spread of winter vomiting bug norovirus; More than 457,000 patients called the NHS 111 helpline. Ministers will hold an urgent meeting with MPs and health bosses in Worcestershire on Monday to discuss why patients are waiting so long on trolleys. But the nationwide crisis is being blamed on the drastic shortfall in social care funding, paid for by local councils. This is preventing elderly patients from being discharged from hospital and moved to a care home or back into their own property with extra help. Instead they languish in hospital beds, meaning there is no space for new patients coming into A&E. MPs are calling on the Government to divert money from the foreign aid budget to pay for social care. The Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester has been one of the worst affected. John Freeman, whose wife Pauline was admitted there on New Years Day following a stroke, said she waited for 54 hours. It was absolutely horrendous in there, he said. The nurses were brilliant. They did all they could, but the place was in meltdown. At times the corridors were three trolleys deep. There were at least 20 people on trolleys for much of the time. It was very difficult to manoeuvre around them. A porter told me they were putting some patients in a decontamination room basically a big shower room to cram in more beds. They ran out of pillows and blankets. Staff had been pulled in from all over the country, and I heard that some of them go home crying at night because the conditions affect them so badly. Retired bank manager Mr Goodburn stopped breathing in the A&E waiting room around two-and-half hours after arriving with severe pain in his side, after celebrating his partners 56th birthday. Her son Graham Baylis, 39, said the grandfather-of-three had fallen ill as they drove to a hotel after going out for a meal on Monday evening. Mr Baylis, from Broadway in Worcestershire, said: The hospital was really busy it was a bank holiday and all the minor injury units were closed so the hospital was taking patients from all over. He was triaged and given morphine by the nurse but was told to go back and wait. But he was in so much pain he couldnt get comfortable the staff could see that. Mr Baylis said that as he approached the reception desk to ask for help, an alarm sounded and medics poured out to treat Mr Goodburn. Worcestershire Royal Hospital's A&E has been so busy patients have described the hallways as three beds deep and staff in tears Doctors laid him on the floor of the waiting room, managed to restart his heart and moved him to the resuscitation area. Mr Baylis added: As we followed, I could see around six trolleys lined up in a corridor. Then we were told to go and wait in a family room. About five minutes later, somebody came and told us he was dead. The daughter of another patient said on Facebook that her father was in the corridor from Tuesday evening until Thursday afternoon, after being brought in with a severe lung condition. Up to 30 patients were stuck on trolleys in the corridor on Wednesday, and another 23 on Thursday. The trust is in special measures having been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission in December 2015. Earlier that year, five A&E consultants resigned warning of massive overcrowding that was a disgrace. A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, which runs the A&E, yesterday confirmed the two deaths and promised to review the circumstances. They said the deaths did not actually occur in the corridor although patients had been waiting there beforehand and that A&E was experiencing an extremely busy period. The national figures from NHS England showed the number of times A&E units had to temporarily close their doors to ambulances was twice as high as this time last year. There were 42 A&E diverts in the week to January 1, compared with just 20 over the same period the year before. Such measures usually last several hours and should be used only as a last resort. WIDOW, 93, LEFT WAITING ON FLOOR Audrey Esposito, who waited 40 minutes on a pavement for an ambulance A frail 93-year-old was forced to wait on the pavement in freezing temperatures for 40 minutes after she suffered a fall as no ambulances were available. Audrey Esposito sustained bad facial injuries, pictured, after tripping over near her home. The great-great-grandmother ended up lying on the pavement under a blanket provided by a local shop owner in Bristol as she waited for help to arrive. Police administered basic first aid and called 999 after spotting Mrs Esposito. But the stretched South Western Ambulance Service said it could not allocate a crew despite temperatures being as cold as -2C (28F). After 40 minutes, police managed to flag down a passing paramedic in a car, who drove Mrs Esposito to Southmead Hospital. She was taken to the minor injuries unit instead of A&E but yesterday, ten days after her fall on December 27, she remained in hospital. The widowed pensioner, who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War, suffered cuts and bruises to her face, injured her wrists and needed surgery on her knee. Her son John Standfield, 59, described his mothers long wait as disgraceful. The IT consultant said: My mother could have easily died at the scene if not from her injuries then from the freezing stone floor she lay on. A spokesman for SWAS apologised for Mrs Espositos experience and said the call was made during an extremely busy time. Advertisement Separate data from a snapshot of 60 casualty units showed that almost a quarter of patients are waiting at least four hours to be seen. The research by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, which represents A&E doctors, also showed that in some hospitals, one in five beds are taken up by elderly patients who should be discharged. A College statement warned the crisis was causing untold patient misery. President Dr Taj Hassan said: The emergency care system is on its knees, despite the huge efforts of staff who are struggling to cope with the intense demands being put upon them. Last night the Red Cross said its volunteers were at Plymouths Derriford Hospital until January 1, helping discharge patients. It is in talks with other hospitals about providing help, and has also assisted the East Midlands Ambulance Service. Charity boss Mike Adamson said: The British Red Cross is on the frontline responding to our humanitarian crisis in hospital and ambulance services across the country. Labour health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said: For the Red Cross to brand the situation a humanitarian crisis should be a badge of shame for government ministers. A Department of Health spokesman said: Its unacceptable for anyone who needs a bed to have to wait 35 hours to be admitted, and we expect the hospital to ensure this doesnt happen again. Across the country, we know the NHS is very busy but in general, hospitals are putting in place steps to cope with the extra demands winter brings supported by an extra 400million of funding. Have you recently experienced a long delay in A&E? Please email hospitals@dailymail.co.uk Did call centre fiasco lead to fatality? Investigation is launched after a patient dies on New Years Day during five-hour period when control room staff had to record information by PEN A patient died during a computer meltdown at an ambulance control centre in the early hours of New Years Day, it emerged last night. Response times were delayed in London as staff were forced to record calls by pen for nearly five hours during one of the busiest periods of the year. Last night officials at London Ambulance Service admitted they had launched an investigation into the death of one patient to determine whether the computer crash had been a factor. The computer dispatch system, which logs emergencies and allocates ambulances, failed just after midnight. For five hours, operators had to process calls with pen and paper and use radios to assign response units. Response times were delayed in London as staff were forced to record calls by pen for nearly five hours on New Year's Day. File image from the service in December An investigation has begun to determine the cause of the problems but a separate team will look specifically at the death of one patient. London Ambulance Service director of operations Paul Woodrow said: We have launched a full external investigation into the circumstances and any impact on our patients. As part of our investigation we have identified a patient who sadly died during the time of the computer issues where we would like to look more closely at whether this was potentially a contributory factor. It is too early to say what the cause of this patients death was but we will report on the findings when the investigation is complete. We would like to encourage anyone with any concerns to contact us. Mr Woodrow said control room staff were trained in using a manual back-up system and continued to prioritise patients in the same way. But an anonymous ambulance crew member told the BBC: We went from running a service to running a shambles. People couldnt get ambulances. People couldnt get help. They were waiting and waiting and waiting. As one man died during the five-hour period calls were logged by pen and paper, an investigation has been launched. File image Control staff were starting to worry because the calls were backing up. Road staff were getting frustrated because we couldnt respond to jobs. They didnt have a clue where we were or where we were going. The people of London were failed on New Years Eve. They couldnt get hold of us if they needed to. A patient died during a computer meltdown at an ambulance control centre in the early hours of New Years Day, it emerged last night. Response times were delayed in London as staff were forced to record calls by pen for nearly five hours during one of the busiest periods of the year. Last night officials at London Ambulance Service admitted they had launched an investigation into the death of one patient to determine whether the computer crash had been a factor. The computer dispatch system, which logs emergencies and allocates ambulances, failed just after midnight. For five hours, operators had to process calls with pen and paper and use radios to assign response units. Response times were delayed in London as staff were forced to record calls by pen for nearly five hours on New Year's Day. File image from the service in December An investigation has begun to determine the cause of the problems but a separate team will look specifically at the death of one patient. London Ambulance Service director of operations Paul Woodrow said: We have launched a full external investigation into the circumstances and any impact on our patients. As part of our investigation we have identified a patient who sadly died during the time of the computer issues where we would like to look more closely at whether this was potentially a contributory factor. It is too early to say what the cause of this patients death was but we will report on the findings when the investigation is complete. We would like to encourage anyone with any concerns to contact us. Mr Woodrow said control room staff were trained in using a manual back-up system and continued to prioritise patients in the same way. But an anonymous ambulance crew member told the BBC: We went from running a service to running a shambles. People couldnt get ambulances. People couldnt get help. They were waiting and waiting and waiting. As one man died during the five-hour period calls were logged by pen and paper, an investigation has been launched. File image Control staff were starting to worry because the calls were backing up. Road staff were getting frustrated because we couldnt respond to jobs. They didnt have a clue where we were or where we were going. The people of London were failed on New Years Eve. They couldnt get hold of us if they needed to. A ban on toxic plastic microbeads in cosmetics could fall foul of EU law, a report warned yesterday. Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom vowed last month to ban the use of the tiny plastic particles in cosmetics and personal care products by the end of the year. The move follows pressure by environmental groups and a campaign by the Daily Mail to prevent the beads polluting the oceans. But a detailed report by the House of Commons Library has warned that any attempt to impose a unilateral ban could breach EU laws. It noted that no EU country has banned microbeads and warned that a clampdown could contravene the EU Treaties that prohibit member states from measures that restrict the free movement of goods. Trillions of microbeads from products such as shower gel, toothpaste and facial scrubs are dumped into oceans every year The study said EU regulations do allow for product restrictions for non-economic environmental reasons. But it warned that ministers would have to prove any ban was proportionate, backed by scientific evidence and did not discriminate against producers in any EU state. The report from the library, which provides impartial research for MPs, also suggests the issue is a grey area which could be open to legal challenge by the cosmetics industry. The Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association has said a ban is unnecessary as most microbeads will be removed from cosmetics by 2020 under voluntary agreements. The trade body has also questioned the fairness of a ban which does not affect other sources of microbead pollution, such as car tyres. Mary Creagh, Labour chairman of the Commons environmental audit committee, said there was public support for the ban But Mary Creagh, Labour chairman of the Commons environmental audit committee, said: Consumers want to see these harmful plastics removed and many of the big players are doing it it would fly in the face of consumer wishes for the industry to take legal action. Miss Creagh said that Italy, France and Ireland were also considering bans on microbeads. The Government needs to protect our fragile marine environment and the human food chain, she added. Trillions of microbeads from products such as shower gel, toothpaste and facial scrubs are dumped into oceans every year. A single shower can result in 100,000 microbeads. On an average day, the UK dumps 86 tons of beads into the sea, where they collect in the bodies of fish, birds and crabs. Some experts believe they can enter the food chain. Britain has joined the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Sweden in calling for an EU-wide ban but progress in Brussels has been glacial. An indigenous support group snubbed the dad of AFL star Dustin Martin, who hoped to confirm his newly discovered Aboriginal heritage in order to gain re-entry to Australia after being deported for alleged gang ties. New Zealand citizen Shane Martin, 49, an alleged top-ranking official with Rebels Motorcycle Gang, had his visa revoked in March last year as part of a government crackdown on bikie gangs. He hoped a confirmation of his professed Aboriginal heritage would allow him to return to Australia - but that dream appeared to be dashed after a community organisation rejected his claim, the Herald Sun reported. Shane Martin, left, pictured with AFL star son Dustin, right, hoped to confirm his newly discovered Aboriginal heritage in order to gain re-entry to Australia New Zealand citizen Shane Martin, 49, an alleged top-ranking official with Rebels Motorcycle Gang, had his visa revoked in March last year as part of a government crackdown on gangs Dustin Martin plays for AFL team Richmond Football Club. His father was deported from Australia for alleged gang ties This week, the Aboriginal Sobriety Group overturned an earlier decision to grant Mr Martin a 'confirmation of Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander descent,' the newspaper reported. The three-member ASG board said Mr Martin failed to meet the criteria for confirming Aboriginality: being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent, identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island person and being accepted as such by the community. It was unclear which of the three criteria Mr Martin failed to meet. Mr Martin's uncle Dean, who first told him the family had Aboriginal roots, also had his claim of Aboriginality rejected. The Martins claimed to be of the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal group. Shane Martin lived in Australia for 20 years. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to ASG for comment. Hidden from view behind bushes and foliage, the squad of six Royal Marines lay in wait. They had received intelligence that their barracks in north Belfast was to be attacked by the IRA. Their job was to stop that attack happening. Some time around midnight, one of their number detected movement and heard gunfire. He raised his rifle to his shoulder, squinting through the night-sight at the road in front. Through the darkness, a male figure emerged. A Chelsea Pensioner, who lives at the Chelsea Hospital, has been targeted by detectives dragging up historical death cases from decades ago (stock image) I clearly saw a person aiming a weapon in the direction of the main gate area, he says. He was standing in a firing position and aiming the weapon, which I examined later. It was an old Lee-Enfield with a five-round magazine in place, a classic and very accurate rifle. Immediately, the marine fired off four rounds. He makes no apology for his actions. He was there to protect his colleagues. Following orders. My company commander put me in situ to ambush and if necessary kill an enemy who was trying to kill us, he says. You have to put them away quickly. Youre not on a film set. This is real. Youre not there to take his photo and get his name and address. Youre not there to shoot his weapon out of his hands in the John Wayne mode. Youre not there to shoot him in the foot to disable him. Youre there to stop him by all means bestowed on you by legal authority before he discharges his weapon at the security forces or a member of the public, whom it is your job to protect. To this day he has no idea whether his bullets hit the man or not. As he fired, so did others. Not just the marines, he says, but other enemy gunmen. All hell broke loose, he adds, describing bullets ricocheting off the whitewashed houses along the road. When the firefight died down, the men were ordered back to barracks. There they would later learn that one person had died a 17-year-old Catholic labourer called John Mooney. An inquest would subsequently be held into his death, in which claim and counter-claim would be made about the incident. It would also be disputed whether Mr Mooney had a weapon or was simply an innocent passer-by. But despite hearing evidence from some of those present on the night, it would prove inconclusive. It looks unlikely that we will ever get satisfactorily to the bottom of this, the coroner was reported to have observed. That was in 1972. Now, 45 years on, the authorities want to challenge that conclusion. We know this because the marine whose story we tell today has been tracked down and interviewed as part of a much wider police investigation into the deaths of all those killed by British forces during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. This is despite the fact that he is 75 years old and living in retirement as a Chelsea Pensioner. They traced him to his lodgings there through his pension records. He is the first known Chelsea Pensioner to have been targeted by detectives dragging up historical cases from decades ago. Any ex-Army soldier over the age of 65 who faces spending their advanced years alone can apply for residence as a Chelsea Pensioner. Normally a marine cannot become one, but the man who spoke to us had also served in the Army and so was eligible. He never married and moved into the Royal Hospital Chelsea seven years ago. The former Marine who spoke to the Daily Mail was also in the Army, so he moved into the Royal Hospital Chelsea (above) The ex-marine fears for his safety if he should be identified, but says he has nothing to hide about what happened on that day in 1972. All the same, he is deeply concerned that he, and others like him, could fall victim to a politically correct witch-hunt ignorant of the realities of the conflict he and his comrades were thrust into all those years ago. I am now under suspicion, he says. 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 doesnt matter if you served for 22 years in the Army and the Marines, these people are still going to chase you. It doesnt matter if you live in a castle in Scotland, a council estate in England or a magnificent place like the Royal Hospital Chelsea. They will still want to find you. No doubt some will argue that if he is innocent he has nothing to fear. But, as has become apparent in recent years, that is not the case. Hundreds of soldiers who risked their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan returned home only to fall victim to a cabal of Left-leaning lawyers who specialise in suing the Armed Forces. Undeterred by lack of evidence, the cabal set out to prove that these men were guilty of heinous crimes, including torture and murder. Citing human rights legislation, they first sought out compensation-seeking victims, then pressured the Government to set up multiple inquiries into their claims. Even though in many cases the allegations had already been investigated and dismissed, former members of the military were publicly accused. The cost of these inquiries, including huge sums paid in legal aid to the law firms bringing the cases, already runs into tens of millions of pounds all picked up by the taxpayer. And what of the personal cost to those who find themselves at the centre of these endless investigations? They are often already traumatised by their experiences, and the stress of having to relive them and justify their actions can prove intolerable. Now it has been revealed that a new unit is to investigate every British Army killing during the Troubles. The taxpayer-funded Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB) is to re-open 238 fatal incidents, which led to 302 deaths. It means UK veterans being investigated as potential murder or manslaughter suspects over actions they took decades ago at the height of the IRA terror campaign. They could face new charges, trials, even jail. LIB has taken over the work of the Police Service of Northern Irelands Historical Enquiries Team (HET), which was disbanded at the end of 2013 following budget cuts and a critical report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. In 2013, the Chelsea pensioner received a letter from the HET, asking him about his involvement in an ambush in July 1972. It stated that the team had been given his address by the Department for Work and Pensions. The letter, seen by this newpaper, reads: I am the Lead Senior Investigating Officer currently leading the review of the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr John Mooney, who was shot and killed on July 15, 1972, in north Belfast. I understand that you were serving with the Royal Marines at the time and may be able to assist our review. I would be grateful if you could spare some time to talk to us about the incident. I appreciate it happened a very long time ago, but nevertheless you may well be able to help us understand more clearly what happened. All very friendly. But a covering letter from the Ministry of Defence warned that he might have to give a witness statement, adding that, if he wanted, the MoD would provide a lawyer for him. Coming so long after the event, this understandably left the marine worried about what it all meant. But he dutifully contacted the HET and arranged for them to speak to him. Two investigators then travelled from Belfast to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where they spent four hours quizzing him about the events. While he says he has not heard from them since, he now fears it is almost inevitable that the new probe will lead to him coming under fresh investigation. The new team will obviously have had all the files and documents passed on to them, he says. And my name will be among all of that. Two investigators then travelled from Belfast to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where they spent four hours quizzing him about the events (file photo) What he fears is that the actions taken on that day will not be seen within the context in which they occurred. And that is why he wants the precise details of what happened put into the public domain. At the time of the firefight he was no green squaddie fresh from the parade ground. Having joined up at the age of 18, he first spent six years serving in the Army, seeing action in Aden. He then signed up with 45 Commando Royal Marines, with whom he would serve a total of 16 years. This would include six tours of Northern Ireland, the first of which was in 1970. By the time he returned in 1972, the situation there had rapidly deteriorated. That year there were the highest number of deaths recorded in any year of the Troubles 497. This included Bloody Sunday in January, an incident in which 14 unarmed civilians were shot dead by the British Army. Later in the year came the so-called Bloody Friday bombings, in which the IRA exploded more than 20 bombs across Belfast within about 80 minutes. Nine were killed, including two British soldiers, and around 130 were injured. They would be followed by Operation Motorman, in which 22,000 troops bulldozed their way into no-go areas taken over by republican paramilitaries in Belfast and Derry. British troops carrying out patrols were at daily risk. There were real problems going on with the Catholics and Protestants then, the marine tells me, recalling how one of his colleagues was shot in the head by a sniper while on patrol. And the kids were being used something rotten. They would come into the middle of the street to make a kerfuffle hundreds of kids and the troops would then be called in to deal with them. At a set sign, a whistle, the kids would scarper, leaving the troops in the middle of the road, perfect for a shot. In the summer of that year, 45 Commando was based at Ligoniel in north Belfast, in barracks in a fortified converted mill. On the day in question, he and five colleagues were told by their company commander to prepare for what he says was known in soldiers parlance as a hot, deliberate ambush. The Ops room had received intelligence that outside persons would later converge on Ligoniel for an armed assault on our front-gate sentries, he says. Having taken up positions outside the base, they waited for the attack to begin. Hearing shooting near the main barracks gate, he raised his rifle to scan the road through his night-sight. It was then that he saw and shot at the armed man. At the same time other weapons were being discharged. The world had exploded, he says. Its such chaos you dont know what is going on. After the short but intense fire-fight, the patrol were ordered back to barracks. On subsequently learning that a man had died, he requested more information from senior officers. But none was forthcoming. As a result, he says he never knew whether it was established precisely how the man had died: I ambushed but I dont know if I killed. Were mine the only rounds to hit the man in question? I fired at him but I dont know where my rounds landed. I still, after 45 years, dont know. However, it appears that Mr Mooneys death was investigated at the time. The day after, it was reported in the Belfast Telegraph that the barracks had been attacked by four gunmen. A military spokesman was quoted as saying that one gunman had been killed instantly and another wounded. It also claimed that a rifle had been found next to the body of the dead man. Elsewhere it was reported that an inquest subsequently took place. Although the marine who spoke to the Mail did not give evidence himself, some of his comrades did. At the hearing, it was claimed the marines had engaged a group of eight youths, three of whom were known to be armed and who were thought to be preparing for an attack on the barracks. British troops have deployed to Sierra Leone as part of a new Africa mission to stop the migrant flow to Europe at its source. Some 90 UK soldiers joined local troops in the jungle for the first time ever as the Armed Forces seeks to increase its military footprint in the region. Two thirds of Britains global training team effort is now in the continent after hundreds troops deployed to South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria to help bolster security. Some 90 UK soldiers joined local troops in the jungle for the first time ever in Sierra Leone. File photo Whitehall sources said that by helping with stability in Africa, it would lead to fewer migrant push factors, and in turn boost UK security. The source added: We want to do more than pull migrants out of the water, we want to stop them before they get there. We are focusing on the region to stop migrants at the source and by taking on terror in Africa it means we can stop terrorism spreading to the UK. It is feared the continent is at boiling point due to the deteriorating security situation in nations struggling to fight terror and gripped by civil war. Money made from the ivory trade has also been used to fund terror activity according to experts in the region. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: Training with Sierra Leonean forces is just the latest example of the UK stepping up globally to tackle international threats that put Britain at risk. By working with allies in Africa, Britains armed forces can help ensure stability in the region which helps to deliver security at home in the UK. Wherever terrorism rears its ugly head, Britain will continue to back our friends as they work to defeat threats posed by these barbaric groups, including Daesh, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. Defence secretary Michael Fallon says training with Sierra Leone is the latest example of the UK stepping up globally to tackle international threats that put Britain at risk David Cameron was set to turn his attention to Africa last year with a planned trip around African nations but his plans were scuppered by the Brexit vote. In the wake of the decision to leave the European Union, Britain is using its defence capabilities to expand its global influence. The 90 soldiers from 1st The Queens Dragoons Guards B Squadron deployed alongside 25 soldiers from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces last month. They have been taking part in a jungle exercise to learn the skills to live and fight in the environment. The MoD said: UK focus on military support to Africa is strong, and two-thirds of Britains entire global short-term training team effort is invested in the continent, which equates to around 18,000 man days of training per year. The UK plays a role stemming extremism in Africa, supporting security in the countries affected, in turn making Britain safer. UK troops are also in Tunisia helping forces defend against Islamic State by teaching them border security to prevent illegal movement from Libya. In Nigeria, over 350 British troops are training the Nigeria Armed Forces fighting Boko Haram. In total, around 22,000 Nigerian military personnel have been trained since April 2015. Around 65 UK troops are backing UN, EU and African Union efforts in Somalia by helping to combat the threat posed by Al-Shabaab extremists. Some 400 troops are due to deploy to the UN mission in war-torn South Sudan, and this year the Army will deploy to Malawi to train a new force of anti-poaching trackers. The MoD said: Illegal wildlife trade is a challenge that blights much of Africa. In 2017 a British Army team will deploy to Malawi to train a new force of anti-poaching trackers, helping counter the threat of poaching, and bring those responsible to justice. The gunman behind the deadly shooting at Florida's Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport is an Iraq war veteran who had recently become a father and was suffering mental health issues, according to his family. Esteban Santiago, 26, left five people dead and eight wounded when he opened fire in the airport's baggage claim terminal on Friday. His family have said Santiago was struggling with psychiatric problems in the lead up to the shooting and had recently been hospitalized for treatment in Anchorage, Alaska. Esteban Santiago, the 26-year-old gunman behind the deadly shooting at Florida's Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, was an Iraq war veteran suffering mental health issues Santiago had also been charged with domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend in January 2016, The Daily Beast reports. He allegedly verbally abused her in their apartment in Anchorage, Alaska while she was locked in the bathroom. Santiago is accused of then breaking down the door and hitting the woman in the head and strangling her. Santiago was arrested days later after fleeing the scene but was released on the condition he stayed away from the victim. He was charged with violating the conditions in February 2016 after police found him at his girlfriend's home. The assault case was resolved in March. His brother Bryan Santiago, who lives in Puerto Rico, said his family got a call in recent months from Santiago's girlfriend alerting them to his health situation. He said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the phone. The incident that sparked his hospitalization occurred in November when Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage claiming the government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch videos for ISIS, CBS reports. A law enforcement official said the FBI interviewed him and then called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The FBI said Santiago stated he did not want to harm anyone, but authorities were concerned by his erratic behavior. They said they closed their assessment of him once he was admitted for treatment. He was also contacted by the FBI after an employer back in Alaska raised concerns about certain things he had said, according to ABC News. Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico when he was two years old with his mother and brother. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before serving with the Puerto Rico National Guard from 2007. He eventually joined the Alaska National guard from 2014 to 2016. Santiago, who served in Iraq in 2010 as a combat engineer (right), recently welcomed a child (left) with his girlfriend in Anchorage, Alaska in September A firearm (believed to be pictured) was Santiago's only piece of checked luggage when he flew from Alaska to Florida on Delta via Minneapolis on Friday Cellphone video showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before receiving a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year. He had been living in Anchorage, Alaska with his girlfriend for two years before they welcomed a child in September last year. His aunt Maria Ruiz told NorthJersey.com that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child. But she said something happened to him about a month ago and he was hospitalized for two weeks. She did not have details of his condition. 'Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind. He said he saw things,' she said. His uncle, Hernan Rivera, said: 'Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good.' Santiago's brother Bryan Santiago speculated about a motive for the shooting, saying he could have suffered a 'flashback' from his time in Iraq, despite never being diagnosed with PTSD, NBC reports. Santiago had been living in this apartment complex in Anchorage, Alaska with his girlfriend and their newborn baby Santaigo's aunt Maria Ruiz, who lives in New Jersey, said that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child last year Authorities investigate the home of Maria Luisa Ruiz in Union City, New Jersey. Ruiz is the aunt of the Esteban Santiago, the main suspect in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Shooting on Friday Authorities closed off the street where Santiago's aunt lived in Union City, New Jersey on Friday night as they investigated the deadly shooting He said had recently been fighting with people back in Alaska, including his girlfriend who he was having relationship issues with. He said Santiago, who was 'was pro-America', has not spoken to his family for several weeks, which was unusual. Law enforcement officials said Santiago flew from Anchorage, Alaska to Minneapolis, St. Paul on Delta flight 1088 on Thursday night. He caught a connecting Delta flight 2182 to Florida on Friday. A firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. The motive for the shooting is still not known, but there have been reports Santiago may have gotten into an altercation on his flight earlier that morning. Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2:30pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported An armed police officer with his handgun drawn is seen helping a woman evacuate during the chaos A picture shared on social media allegedly showed one of the people who was shot by a gunman A shooting victim is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Santiago - dressed in a Star Wars t-shirt - claimed his bag once he got to Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood. He went to the bathroom to load his handgun before opening fire in the baggage claim area. Witnesses said he only stopped firing when he ran out of ammunition, at which point he surrendered to police. Authorities said Santiago was carrying U.S. military identification at the time. The Islamic Council has refused to hand over the land of Australia's biggest Muslim school after being found guilty of using the institution to funnel millions in cash. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal on Thursday upheld the Federal Government's decision last February to strip Sydney's Malek Fahd Islamic school of $19 million in government funding. The school is expected to continue pocketing funding while appealing the decision in the federal court, reports Sydney Morning Herald. The Islamic Council has refused to hand over the land of Australia's biggest Islamic school, Sydney's Malek Fahd On Friday the school council implored the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils relinquish the grounds to the community. According to the school council, Saudi monarch Malek Fahd donated millions of dollars to the Islamic administrative body to build the school in 1989. 'The latest newsletter from the school board calling on AFIC to hand over ownership of school land...is an attempt to take ownership of community property without proper justification,' said AFIC's president Keysar Trad. He admitted the federation established the school with a $1 million gift from King Fahd, but refused they should be expected to concede the land. 'We are the landlord, they are the tenant, we always have been. The school council has cancelled every meeting we have requested with them.' This week the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled the school at Greenacre was 'at minimum' run for profit and not a fit and proper organisation. Australian Federation of Islamic Council's president Keysar Trad claimed the argument they should give up the land was unjustified The Administrative Appeals Tribunal on Thursday upheld the Federal Government's decision last February to strip the Sydney school of the cash The tribunal found that though improvements were made to how the school was run, there was an 'ongoing burden of the uncommercial arrangements with AFIC'. Malek Fahd is 80 per cent government funded and may now be forced to close, putting hundreds of teachers and staff out of work and displacing 2,400 students. 'Malek Fahd cannot survive without public funding. We only have sufficient funds to continue to the end of the second term at the end of June,' the school told parents last year. Education Minister Simon Birmingham said every taxpayer dollar should be spent on education Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham welcomed the ruling, saying it ended 18 months of uncertainty. 'Australians rightly expect that every taxpayer dollar committed to school education is genuinely expended on school education,' he said. 'Our attention now turns to working with the students and their families, the teachers and the whole school community about how we best support them through this difficult time. 'While this is a difficult time, I remain committed to ensuring that all school authorities meet the requirements of the Education Act to ensure that our taxpayer dollars and any private investment by parents is being spent to benefit Australian students.' The tribunal found that though improvements were made to how the school was run, there was an 'ongoing burden of the uncommercial arrangements with AFIC' Malek Fahd is 80 per cent government funded and may now be forced to close, putting hundreds of teachers and staff out of work and displacing 2,400 students (stock picture) The funding was pulled after a review of six schools authorities affiliated with the AFIC after concerns were raised about their financial management and governance. It found Malek Fahd gave the AFIC millions of dollars in management fees and consistently failed to comply with basic financial and governance standards. The other schools audited were the Islamic College of Brisbane, the Islamic College of Melbourne, the Islamic College of South Australia, the Islamic School of Canberra and Langford Islamic College, in Western Australia. The funding was pulled after a review of six schools authorities affiliated with the AFIC after concerns were raised about their financial management and governance A young Russian woman has been placed on a sanction list by the White House for supposedly helping Vladimir Putin to interfere in the US election. Alisa Shevchenko is a skilled hacker employed by big businesses to track down weaknesses in their online security. Her company was a surprise inclusion on a sanctions list released by the US government last week amid paranoia over alleged Russian meddling in Donald Trump's presidential election win. The only information on the fact sheet said that the company - named ZOR - provided the Russian Federation's foreign intelligence service 'with technical research and development'. Alisa Shevchenko is a skilled hacker employed by big businesses to track down weaknesses in their online security However she hit back at the company's inclusion on the list, claiming she had never knowingly carried out work for the Russian government. In encrypted emails to The Guardian, the hacker claimed the White House may have been tricked by counterfeit in order to frame my company or had simply 'misinterpreted the facts'. The news came as Putin attended a Russian Orthodox Christmas service at St George's Monastery in the Novgorod region. The church celebrates the religious festival following the Julian calendar. Vladimir Putin (centre left, front) attends a Christmas service at a Russian monastery The Russian leader prepares to light a candle at the service at St George's Monastery Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) talks to fishermen after attending a Christmas service Putin with a young girl lighting a candle at the Russian Orthodox church's service in Novorgod Shevchenko said: A young female hacker and her helpless company seems like a perfect pick for that goal. I dont try to hide, I travel a lot, and am a friendly communicative person. And most importantly, I dont have any big money, power or connections behind me to shrug off the blame. So really, it could be anyone.' Donald Trump, the president-elect, has insisted that the hacking had 'no effect' on the election's outcome, but has remained mum in the past 24 hours on Russia's involvement She also mocked the the 'insane level of hysteria around the entire "Russian hacking" story'. Donald Trump has ignored an intelligence report claiming Vladimir Putin influenced the election to help him win. The president-elect insisted Russian hacking had 'no effect' on the outcome of the race for the White House and dismissed suggestions voting machines had been tampered with. He made the strongly-worded denial just 10 minutes after he met with intelligence chiefs to discuss meddling by the Kremlin. The classified report he was shown stated that Putin 'ordered' a stealth influence campaign last year aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election. The official finding of the NSA, FBI and CIA is that Putin 'ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election.' Vladimir Putin's government in Moscow, Russia was behind a series of cyber attacks and other influence campaigns aimed at influencing America's election, according to a report released Friday by the NSA, CIA and FBI The U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions were published in a 25-page report, a sanitized version of a classified briefing received by Trump and by President Barack Obama 'Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency,' it says. The report says Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscow's long-standing desire to undermine 'the U.S.-led liberal democratic order, the promotion of which Putin and other senior Russian leaders view as a threat to Russia and Putins regime.' After his briefing, Trump didn't embrace the report's central finding that Russia was behind the cyber intrusions. The intelligence assessment made no mention of a separate hacking attack on a Gmail account belonging to John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful presidential campaign. A North Carolina police officer's two-year-old son accidentally shot his mother at their home Wednesday night. Officer Jeremy Ferguson is currently being investigated by North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation following the incident. Authorities said Ferguson's son found his father's off-duty gun in a zipped-up bag and accidentally fired it, striking his mother, Christina Ferguson, in the buttocks, according toWSOC-TV. North Carolina police officer Jeremy Ferguson is currently being investigated by North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation after his son found his father's gun in a zipped-up bag and accidentally fired it, striking his mother, Christina (left) in the buttocks The child found the gun, which was not Ferguson's service weapon, in their home's laundry room. His mother, was taken to Carolina's Healthcare System Union where she's since been discharged and is expected to be fine, according to 12 News. Waxhaw Police Chief told the station that Ferguson has been with the department for a year and called him a 'good officer'. Union County Sheriff spokesman Tony Underwood said that 'it only takes a second or two for a child to be able to gain access to a gun'. Ferguson has been placed on administrative leave as the Waxhaw Police Department conducts its own internal investigation. The investigation should be wrapped up in the coming days, and will determine if any charges will be filed. Ferguson has been placed on administrative leave as the Waxhaw Police Department conducts its own internal investigation. His wife, Christina (left), is recovering from her injury and is expected to be fine The incident took place at the family's home (pictured) on Wednesday night. The investigation should be wrapped up in the coming days, and will determine if any charges will be filed Mexico will not pay for Republican President-elect Donald Trump's proposed border wall, according to Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry offered a simple answer on the topic during an interview with ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz. Raddatz asked: 'Do you see any way to get Mexico to pay for a wall?' 'No,' Kerry, a Democrat, replied. Scroll down for video Mexico will not pay for Republican President-elect Donald Trump's proposed border wall, according to Secretary of State John Kerry On Friday, Trump tweeted that Mexico will reimburse American taxpayers for a new border wall and that US money spent will be for the 'sake of speed' Raddatz asked the nation's top diplomat: 'Absolutely no way? No tarriffs, no any --' Kerry answered: 'Well, they said they're not gonna pay for it. I mean I, you know, I suppose you can create something and make a pretense that it's them doing it, you know, I don't know, but I --' 'But that would just be pretense?' Raddatz asked. Kerry said: 'They're not going to voluntarily pony up and pay for something that they disagree with. 'Now, I said voluntarily, you know, let's wait and see what other choices are made, but I really think that Mexico has to speak for itself on that one.' During his campaign, Trump repeatedly told voters if elected he would build a wall along the US southern border and make Mexico pay for it. But Trump never settled on a mechanism for how Mexico would pay. During his campaign, Trump repeatedly told voters if elected he would build a wall along the US southern border and make Mexico pay for it (December 2016 photo) He floated various options, including compelling the country to cover the cost through higher visa and border crossing fees and threatening to target billions of dollars in remittances sent home by immigrants living in the US. On Friday, Trump tweeted that Mexico will reimburse American taxpayers for a new border wall and that US money spent will be for the 'sake of speed'. His tweet came as congressional Republicans and his top aides consider a plan to ask Congress to ensure money is available in U.S. coffers for the wall without passing any new legislation. Instead, they would rely on existing law that already authorizes fencing and other technology along the southern border. The potential approach was disclosed Thursday by two congressional officials and a senior transition official with knowledge of the discussions; all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer said putting U.S. money up-front 'doesn't mean he's broken his promise'. In an interview Friday on ABC's Good Morning America, Spicer said: 'I think he's going to continue to talk to them (the Mexican government) about that.' Trump is pictured in August next to Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico's president. Nieto previously revealed that his country isn't going to pay for Trump's proposed wall ABC News' Raddatz also asked Kerry about the President-elect's tweeting about world events. She said: 'The tweets that you've been seeing from the President-elect, and obviously those pertaining to foreign policy, whether they're on Taiwan, whether they're on Russia, whether on intel - what effect do you think that has?' Kerry said he wouldn't speculate, saying 'I don't make announcements in foreign policy by tweet, Twitter. 'I don't think that, you know, 140 characters allow you to adequately [...] deal with the complexity of many of the choices that we make. 'And I think that we really need to hopefully move to a different [...] way of communicating, where ever this administration is going to go. A Dakar rally race almost ended in tragedy when a car when flying off the track and narrowly missed a group of spectators. The incredible footage was captured by one of the viewers who was directly in the path of two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz's vehicle. The race in Bolivia was nearing the end of the fourth day of twelve when Carlos Sainz and his co-driver, Lucas Cruz, went to take a sharp bend on the dusty track but went careering over the edge. According to Fox News, the pair escaped without serious injury but the car was written off to the extent where they had to withdraw from the competition. Fellow rally driver Tim Coronel was stood by the track and posted a dramatic clip showing the car coming off the track. It bounces straight towards the camera at great speed, and evasive action had to be taken to get out of the way of it. Another angle shows the huge cloud of dust that the rolling car threw up as it went off the track. The race in Bolivia was nearing the end of the fourth day of twelve when Sainz and his co-driver, Lucas Cruz, went to take a sharp bend on the dusty track Aslan Noakes was on her way home to Oregon from a work trip to Haiti when she got caught up in the turmoil of a deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. I was in Terminal 3 dropping my bags off, the 32-year-old Philomath resident told the Gazette-Times in a phone interview about two hours after the incident. Someone comes running up and said theres been a shooting. Checking her phone for news, Noakes learned that five people were dead, several more had been wounded and the shooter was in custody in Terminal 2. She thought the crisis was over, but then blue-uniformed security guards began running through the terminal, yelling at people to get down. People were screaming, she said. At that point, the entire airport was evacuated, and Noakes found herself on the tarmac with hundreds of other people under the watchful eyes of security personnel. Theres helicopters that have formed a perimeter around us, she said. Noakes said the shooting, while upsetting, didnt cause her to panic. Before I started going to Haiti, I think it would have fazed me a little more, she said. Noakes, a registered nurse, has been making regular trips to Haiti since shortly after a massive earthquake devastated the island nation in 2010. She is now the executive director of Empower Haiti Together, a business that sells Haitian products through an online store to fund community development projects and support jobs in Haiti. Shootings and other dangerous situations are commonplace occurrences there, and she never felt directly threatened during Fridays airport incident. Im so used to scary things that have just happened in life, you just go into triage mode, Noakes said. I dont wince as much as I used to. Noakes added that the experience would not prevent her from traveling in the future. I feel like I have a purpose in life and that if my purpose is done, then Im done, she said. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Im going to just live my life, and not live in fear. As of noon Pacific time, Noakes was still waiting on the tarmac with hundreds of other stranded travelers waiting for the all-clear to get back inside the airport and sort out connecting flights. She said she was anxious to get home to her family in Philomath, including husband Brian and 4 -year-old son Sam. Ironically, Noakes wasnt supposed to go through the Fort Lauderdale airport at all on this trip. I was supposed to fly through Charlotte, but I didnt want to get stuck in this big winter storm so I asked my dad to rebook me, she said. I guess I could be in Charlotte in a snowstorm right now. The mother of missing man Matthew Leveson has opened up on the day her son came out to her about his sexuality in a poignant letter. Matthew Leveson was last seen leaving ARQ nightclub in Darlinghurst, Sydney, in 2007 alongside his older lover Michael Atkins, who was acquitted of his manslaughter and murder in 2009 Faye Leveson said she and her husband had known their beloved son was gay since he was a child, revealing they welcomed him with open arms after reading a letter he wrote them declaring he was gay. The devastated mother spoke to gaynewsnetwork on what should have been her son's 30th birthday, two month after week-long excavation for his body in dense bushland at the Royal National Park, south of Sydney. Matthew Leveson was last seen leaving ARQ nightclub in Darlinghurst, Sydney, in 2007 'I went into his room, found the letter, read the letter and bawled my eyes out': Faye Leveson has revealed the day her son came out to her about his sexuality 'He was very quiet in primary school. We knew from when he was four years old that he was gay, so when he came out it wasn't a shockWe wanted him to tell us in his own time,' the mother said. 'The day before his HSC, he tidied up his room and messaged me saying, 'Mum, I've left an envelope in my bedroom, go and read it. 'I went into his room, found the letter, read the letter and bawled my eyes out. It wasn't a surprise. I messaged him back saying, 'Get your butt back home, we love you just the same.' In November, a tip-off from Mr Leveson's former boyfriend Mrl Atkins sparked a renewed a week-long police search. But despite making a number of promising breakthroughs, the search for the body of the 20-year-old was abandoned by police. Over the nine years since he vanished, police and his family have desperately scoured bushland and sites across New South Wales. Matthew Leveson was last seen leaving ARQ nightclub in Darlinghurst, alongside his older lover Michael Atkins (left) The parents of Matthew Leveson speak with police as they arrive to the site where it is believed their son was buried in the Royal National Park Since Sears bought the trademark in 1927, Craftsman tools have had a famous lifetime - and unlimited - warranty. But after nearly 90 years, Sears announced Thursday that it's selling the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker Inc for $900 million that bosses hope will keep the company afloat. The change of hands has caused some to question whether Craftsman's lifetime warranty will still apply to tools people own now or purchase in the future. Craftsman's lifetime warranty may change once its acquired by Stanley Black & Decker Inc. 'Best part is the lifetime warranty. Break a tool, bring it to Sears, get a brand new one, no charge or backtalk. Virtually everyone in our shop feels the same way. They all also use Craftsman," electrical design engineer Mike wrote to Consumerist. Stanley Black & Decker spokesman Tim Perra answered yes, hinting at some possible changes. 'Today, Craftsman's warranties vary by business and product lines, and in some cases are very similar to Stanley Black & Decker's existing lifetime guarantee policies on certain product lines', Perra said. 'It is too early to speculate on the specifics, but we would expect that to continue and we are always committed to doing the right thing to support the brand and our end-users'. Craftsman's lifetime warranty only applies to hand tools and not to items that can wear out over normal use, such as saw blades. Sears is selling its Craftsman tool brand to Stanley Black & Decker Inc for about $900 million The company's warranty has lost its luster in the past decade, with some stores setting quotas on the number of items that can be exchanged. An updated version of the warranty in 2014 further eroded the company's reputation by noting that tools must be returned to the store 'from which it was purchased'. Sears will continue to sell Craftsman products for 15 years at its Kmart and namesake stores until an undisclosed time. After that period, the former retail giant will pay three percent of royalties to Stanley Black & Decker. Stanley, which makes and sells tools under the DeWalt and Black & Decker names, wants to grow the Craftsman brand by selling its products in more stores outside of Sears. Two Swedish companies have produced what could be the first ever shower beer. Brewery PangPang and creative agency Snask produced the alcoholic beverage that is only meant to be drunk while bathing. The drink - which can also be used to condition hair - is 10 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV). A relaxing shower can now be even calmer - by drinking a Shower Beer (pictured) Snask's website calls the product: 'A sweet but strong pale ale in a 18 cl small bottle meant to gulp in three sips while standing in the shower getting ready for the night.' The agency says on its website: 'We wanted an idea, a concept, something bigger than just the actual beer. 'Something that could kickstart the night and act as your power up while fixing your hair while listening to "Dressed For Success" on repeat. 'We already work with the local genius brewer Fredrik "PangPang" Tunedal so it felt obvious that he would be the backbone of the brewing part.' Brewery PangPang and creative agency Snask, both of which are Swedish, are behind the alcoholic beverage. Snask calls the product: 'A sweet but strong pale ale' Tunedal told MUNCHIES: 'The idea for a Shower Beer is an universal thing, I think. 'As a brewer I work long and hard days, and when I come home I'm often covered in malt dust (my girlfriend actually calls me Mr. Malty Pants) and the shower is a gateway back to normal society.' He also revealed to the digital outlet: 'The beer is heavily hopped with Citra [hops], and has a citrusy, soapy, and somewhat herbal profile.' Tunedal said: 'I designed the recipe so that it can also be used as a conditioner, so if you are into looking good rather than feeling good, I've thought of you too!' The drink - which can also be used to condition hair - is 10 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) Snask's website says: 'The first batch sold out instantly at the first release party. The 2nd is in the brewery tanks.' Tunedal explained: 'We did this first batch that wasn't that big. It was mostly for the Swedish market and we wanted to have it for ourselves. 'It sold out so fast. There's quite an interest in it.' Snask's Creative Director Fredrik Ost told Bustle: 'Right now it retails for $12 a bottle but we are not sure how it will be priced outside Sweden. 'We have received incredible amounts of interest from all over the world so we are currently looking for distributors outside Scandinavia in order to be able to shower this whole planet with this brew.' Steve Frappier was in the baggage claim area of the airport's terminal when gunman Esteban Santiago opened fire on Friday, killing five and injuring eight A man's laptop remarkably saved him from being struck by a bullet in the deadly shooting at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport. Steve Frappier was in the baggage claim area of the airport's terminal when gunman Esteban Santiago opened fire on Friday, killing five and injuring eight. Mr Frappier told CNN that his laptop, which was in the bag he was carrying on his back, managed to deflect a bullet. 'The backpack saved my life,' he said. When he dropped to the floor after hearing gunfire, Mr Frappier said his backpack remained on his back. 'I was on the ground like a tortoise with the backpack,' he said. He said the shooter shot in his direction and he felt something hit his back, but he just assumed it was pieces of nearby luggage given he was not injured. 'It was only later when I went to the bathroom to check myself out that (I found) the bullet had entered my backpack, hit my laptop,' he said. Frappier said that his laptop, which was in the bag he was carrying on his back, managed to deflect a bullet when the gunman started shooting on Friday Cellphone video showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds A firearm (believed to be pictured) was Santiago's only piece of checked luggage when he flew from Alaska to Florida on Delta via Minneapolis on Friday Esteban Santiago, the 26-year-old gunman behind the deadly shooting at Florida's Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, was an Iraq war veteran suffering mental health issues 'Later when I gave my bag to the FBI for investigation, they found the bullet in the pocket of my backpack.' Mr Frappier took a photo of where the bullet struck his laptop. He was one of the many inside Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport when the 26-year-old Iraq war veteran started randomly shooting people with his handgun. Esteban Santiago flew into the airport from Anchorage, Alaska (with a layover in Minneapolis, St. Paul) on Delta flight 2182 - a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. His family have since revealed he had been suffering from mental health problems. Steve Frappier said the shooter shot in his direction and he felt something hit his back, but he just assumed it was pieces of nearby luggage given he was not injured Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2:30pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported A picture shared on social media allegedly showed one of the people who was shot by a gunman Embattled former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer is getting rid of one of his luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicles, using Instagram. Mehajer posted a message to his 158,000 Instagram followers asking 'who wants' the 'limited edition' 2016 G63 AMG vehicle in matte grey. The former deputy mayor has more than one of the $250,000 vehicles - his now estranged wife Aysha was told to 'walk home' by police after driving the cream coloured version of the car shortly after the couple's elaborate wedding. Mehajer posted a message to his 158,000 Instagram followers asking 'who wants' the 'limited edition' 2016 G63 AMG vehicle in matte grey Mehajer's followers on the picture-sharing platform were quick to comment on the post with many expecting the ex-politician to be giving the car away for free. The post had more than 200 comments and 6,000 likes in just 24 hours - with many admitting they wanted the car just because he had owned it. 'Who wants this 2016 G63 AMG in Limited Edition Matte Grey? Digit plates included. "No one is perfect, but if you're in this, you'll be pretty close"'the full post read. Aysha was pulled over on October 2015 when she was driving the same model vehicle. The young woman was told the side-exhaust on the car was worthy of a defect notice - but she refused to pay the fine. The former deputy mayor has more than one of the $250,000 vehicles - his now estranged wife Aysha was told to 'walk home' by police after driving the cream coloured version of the car shortly after the couple's elaborate wedding Her husband appeared in court to support her over the claimed defect and the couple won. At the time Mr Mehajer told Daily Mail Australia the couple would be fighting the defect notice because it was 'unlawfully and unjustly issued to us.' 'Additionally, the conduct of the officer was also questionable as he had advised Aysha to ''leave the Vehicle and walk home'',' Mr Mehajer said. The defect notice read 'Vehicle does not comply with Australian Standard - Side Exhaust'. Mehajer was angry when Aysha was told to 'walk home' after the car was defected The Deputy Mayor, who became a household name after his controversial wedding caused havoc in the streets of Auburn, Sydney, which had been illegally blocked for the event, says he checked to see if the defect notice was valid before deciding to fight it. 'Contact was made with the higher authorities in Mercedes-Benz Australia to confirm why they would release a vehicle that was not Australia standard compliant,' Mr Mehajer said. Tim Clarke, Senior Engineer at Mercedes-Benz Australia responded to Mr Mehajer's questions in a letter viewed by Daily Mail Australia. 'Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty Ltd confirms that all Mercedes-Benz 463 G63 vehicles are fitted with an Identification Plate....confirming the vehicle is certified to the Australian Design Rules.' An Iowa man, a 62-year-old grandfather, and a great grandmother, were among the five victims shot dead at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida. Michael Oehme, 57, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was identified today as one of the victims, according to local reports. Terry Andres, 62, of Virginia, and Olga Woltering, of Georgia, were the first to be identified as those shot dead by 26-year-old gunman Esteban Santiago as passengers collected their baggage in the terminal on Friday. Oehme was about to go on a cruise to the Caribbean with his wife, Kari Oehme, who was shot in shoulder, but is expected to recover. Scroll down for video Michael Oehme, left, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was identified today as one of the five victims killed in the Ft Lauderdale airport shooting. Oehme's wife Kari, right, was shot in the shoulder, but survived Michael Oehme, pictured with his dog, died at the scene in Terminal 2. He was heading for a cruise with is wife Kari when he was gunned down Cellphone video showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds The couple were due to head out on the cruise a day after they arrived at Fort Lauderdale. Mr Oehme's sister, Elizabeth Oehme-Miller, 52, told The Associated Press on Saturday the situation 'hasn't hit' her yet and she is still in disbelief. She said the couple were frequent travelers and were 'happy to be going on another trip.' Mrs Oehme is currently in hospital being treated for her gunshot wounds. Witness Mark Lea, told WOWT 6 he had raced back inside the airport to help victims and found Mrs Oehme down and lying in 'a pool of blood'. Lea is also from Council Bluffs, but said he did not know Mr and Mrs Oehme. Kari Oehme, left, was about to go on a cruise with her husband when they were both shot on Friday Olga Woltering, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday, she was believed to be in her 80s Olga Woltering, was a British native from Marietta, Georgia who was also scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Catholic Church of Transfiguration released a statement on their website saying Woltering was 'active in many ministries' and whose family had been members of the church since 1978. Fellow church members said the devout Catholic woman was believed to be in her 80s. 'Olga was so charming, calling everybody "Lovey" or "Love" in her unmistakable British accent,' the statement said. A parishioner told AP Olga and Ralph were 'the life of the party.' Woltering pictured center, with her family. Fellow parishioners said she and her family had been a members of the church since 1978 Olga Woltering, was a British native from Marietta, Georgia who was also scheduled Terry Andres, 62, was one of five shot dead by 26-year-old gunman Esteban Santiago at Ft. Lauderdale airport in Florida on Friday Esteban Santiago, is shown in this booking photo provided by the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 7 Members of the Transfiguration Catholic Church where the couple attended posted their condolences on Facebook on Friday night. Mrs Woltering was described as a 'wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend'. Terry Andres was on vacation with his wife of 40 years when he was killed. His wife was able to escape from the terrifying ordeal unharmed. Mr Andres daughter confirmed that the 62-year-old was among those to have died at the airport, WAVY-TV reports. Mr Andres had worked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and had volunteered with the local fire department in Virginia Beach. His family said he was well known and loved by the community. He was due to celebrate his 63rd birthday soon, his daughter said. Olga Woltering, pictured with her husband Ralph, was described as a 'wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend' Mr Andres, who lives at Virginia Beach, Virginia, was on vacation with his wife when he was killed at the Florida airport Andres, who was a grandfather, had worked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and had volunteered with the local fire department in Virginia Beach Michael Oehme (pictured with his dog) and his wife were frequent travelers Law enforcement officers examined the crime scene inside the baggage hall on Friday night This picture shows what may be the weapon that was used by the gunman in the shooting on Friday Two others were shot dead and eight were wounded when the gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area. Authorities have not released the name's of any of the victims. The shooter, Santiago, was taken into custody immediately after the incident. Police are investigating whether he was mentally disturbed or had links to any extremist groups including the Islamic State. Authorities said Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage in November last year claiming the government was trying to control his mind and he was being forced to watch videos for ISIS, CBS reports. After that incident, Santiago started getting treatment for his mental health issues. Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2.30pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported to be in bushland near Bindoon, northeast of Perth The mother of a man dismembered in a gruesome drug-related murder has voiced her wishes to find his remains. The WA Supreme Court trial last year heard Wade Dunn's killers fatally beat him with a metal pole before using a chainsaw to hack apart his body and dump the remains in remote bushland in 2015. Robyn Hudson has told of her anguish at being deprived of a proper farewell for her son ahead of his killers' sentencing next week, reports News.com. Wade Dunn was dismembered in a gruesome drug-related murder in 2015 His mother Robyn Hudson has voiced her wishes to find his never located remains 'It gobsmacks people can be so heartless. But then looking at what they did to my son ... Oh my God. They don't have a heart,' Ms Hudson said. She said she regrets neglecting to move her son from harm's way after learning he had gotten mixed up with a dangerous crowd too late. 'If I knew what it was I would have got him away from Perth. I've done it before when he got in trouble with certain people. I just made him sort of vanish.' Garry David Jackson, 51, was found guilty of murdering Mr Dunn at trial in Perth late last year. Mark David Corbett, had earlier pleaded guilty to murder. 'My son's life is gone and these guys aren't remorseful or anything. Even though Corbett pleaded guilty and took police [to where he thought the remains were]. But still nothing.' She has sought an Aboriginal tracker who worked with police in the 1970s to scour the general area of bushland near Bindoon, northeast of Perth, where the remains are understood to be in. The court heard Mr Corbett had a $27,000 drug debt and Mr Dunn was lured to Corbett's house under the pretext of collecting the debt. Next week Mr Jackson and Mr Corbett face sentencing over the murder. His remains are believed to be in bushland near Bindoon, northeast of Perth A brave father saved his two little girls from being killed by a kangaroo that almost tore his ear off in a terrifying Christmas Eve attack. Matthew Chenhall and family were eating a barbeque lunch while camping at his father-in-law's property in Lake Conjola, on the NSW South Coast. He was walking just behind daughters Holly, 11, and Amelia, 9, along a river when they were stopped in their tracks by a two metre-tall male eastern grey kangaroo. Brave father Matthew Chenhall saved his two little girls from being killed by a kangaroo that almost tore his ear off in a terrifying Christmas Eve attack (whole family pictured) Amelia panicked when it became aggressive and threw her sausage sandwich at it, assuming it was after food, but it did not get out of their way. 'By the time I got to the girls they were really scared and it was growling and hissing. It reared up into an attack mode so I got between it and the girls to shield them,' Mr Chenhall told Daily Mail Australia. No sooner had he arrived than the powerful marsupial attacked. 'He got me in a headlock with one arm and ripped my ear apart with the other,' he said. He was walking just behind daughters Holly, 11, and Amelia, 9, along a river when they were stopped in their tracks by a two metre-tall male eastern grey kangaroo Mr Chenhall got between it and his girls but was put in a headlock until he punched it to break free and was rushed to hospital with his right ear torn up and needing 12 stitches Mr Chenhall being worked on by paramedics after he made it back to the house 'I managed to get my left arm free and gave it a good punch on the chin which startled him and loosened the grip enough for me to pull my head out.' Though he has escaped the animal's clutches, his right ear was torn to shreds, a sharp kick broke two ribs and he suffered deep scratches on his back and leg. 'I felt it get my ear and I knew it wasn't in good shape because the kids were screaming,' he said. Mr Chenhall send both children to running back to the house and retreated slowly from the kangaroo, which held its ground ready for round two. He was rushed to Shoalhaven Hospital where he was lucky a plastic surgeon was on duty - otherwise he'd have to go all the way to Sydney - to patch up his ear. 'Doctors said it was lucky I got in the way because with what it did to me if it had got to the girls it would have killed them,' he said. He also suffered two broken ribs and deep scratches to his back and leg Injuries to Mr Chenhall's ear and leg after his encounter with the huge kangaroo The two metre-tall eastern grey kangaroo even came back the next night ready for round two (stock image) Fortunately, he was back with his family by 4am the next morning ready to celebrate Christmas and said his ear just had its 12 stitches taken out and looked 'quite good'. 'All I was concerned about was getting back for Christmas. I only got a couple of hours sleep before the kids were up to open presents,' he said. 'The kids were quite traumatised for a few days and the kangaroo came back the next night and was outside the tent making all sorts of noise. Donald Trump is blaming the victim of reported Russian cyberattacks the Democratic National Committee for allowing hackers into its computer systems. The president-elect was back on Twitter late Friday after meeting earlier in the day with U.S. intelligence officials, who presented him with a classified report on Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Trump tweeted on Friday night: 'Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place. The Republican National Committee had strong defense!' Donald Trump is blaming the victim of reported Russian cyberattacks the Democratic National Committee for allowing hackers into its computer systems (December photo) Trump tweeted: 'Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place. The Republican National Committee had strong defense!' The unclassified version of the intelligence report says Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the election in favor of Trump, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the DNC and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. The report says the Russian government provided stolen emails to WikiLeaks. Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America's presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies declared Friday in the government's first formal allegation supporting sensational claims that Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted. The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more-detailed classified account given earlier to Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld the government's evidence to back up its assertions. Trump, in a brief interview, said he 'learned a lot' from his discussions with intelligence officials, but declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had meddled in the election on his behalf. 'It was a really great meeting, I really like those people a lot,' said Trump, who has challenged the intelligence community since winning the election. 'I learned a lot and I think they did also.' Trump would not detail what evidence he was presented with, saying only that he learned 'a lot of confidential things'. Because Trump is not yet president, he is legally constrained from revealing classified information. Trump (pictured Thursday) said he 'learned a lot' from his discussions with intelligence officials, but declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had meddled in the election on his behalf Trump (center) exits One World Trade Center following a meeting in Manhattan on Thursday In an earlier written statement, Trump said it was clear Russian email hacking did not deliver him the presidency. The unclassified version of the intelligence report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the U.S. political process, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid 'trolls' to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines. Pictured is a part of the declassified version Intelligence Community Assessment on Russia's efforts to interfere with the U.S. political process President Barack Obama requested the report last month and wanted it completed before inauguration day. The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Putin to the hackings, called it the 'boldest effort yet' to influence a U.S. election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks - something the website's founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied. The intelligence agencies also said Russia will continue to try to influence future events in the U.S. and worldwide, particularly among U.S. allies. Since Election Day, the intelligence agencies said, Russia has launched a 'spear-phishing' campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy. The report lacked details about how the U.S. learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. President Barack Obama (pictured Thursday) requested the report last month and wanted it completed before inauguration day Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret, since revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it 'does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign.' It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. 'Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency,' it said. 'We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.' Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. The report was released shortly after intelligence officials finished briefing Trump - a move probably intended to bolster the intelligence findings against pushback from the president-elect. Trump could use the lack of supporting details in the public version to fuel his dismissiveness of the findings, even though he has now been briefed on the classified portion. Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies' claims of Russia's involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information Friday. Just hours before he was briefed, Trump dismissed the assessment and told The New York Times the focus on Russia's involvement is a 'political witch hunt' by adversaries. 'They got beaten very badly in the election,' Trump said. 'They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this.' After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, 'there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election'. Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured in November) ordered a hidden campaign to influence America's presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies declared Friday The top U.S. intelligence official, James Clapper, told Congress on Thursday that intelligence agencies had no way of gauging what influence this meddling had in the outcome of the election. It was unclear Friday what evidence Trump had to support his claims. Trump acknowledged in his statement that 'Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people' are consistently trying to hack U.S. networks, including the Democratic National Committee's. He said, as did the intelligence report, that 'there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines'. Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a plan to 'aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks'. As Trump met in New York with intelligence officials, Congress tallied the Electoral College votes, officially confirming his November victory. A father and son who allegedly staged a kidnapping have faced court after records of their alleged plans were obtained by police. Sung Sub Kim, 47, and his 21-year-old son, Gyu Tae, appeared via videolink at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday. They are accused of faking the kidnapping in Sydney's inner-west. Both are charged with publishing false or misleading material to obtain an advantage and false representation resulting in a police investigation. Magistrate Chris McRobert denied Sung bail on Saturday but agreed to release Gyu (pictured), saying the father was more likely responsible for the plan Gyu Tae leaving court (pictured)- Sung Sub Kim, 47, and his 21-year-old son, Gyu Tae, appeared via videolink at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday Sung was found bound and apparently injured near his car on Dean Street, Strathfield South, about 12:30am on Wednesday (alleged fake kidnapping pictured) Police began investigating the alleged kidnapping on Tuesday after receiving information that several threatening text messages had been sent to various members of Sung's family, demanding a ransom of $200,000. The texts included pictures of a person appearing bound in the back seat of a car with a bag over their head and threats to kill Sung if the ransom was not paid by Wednesday, according to documents tendered in court. Sung was found bound and apparently injured near his car on Dean Street, Strathfield South, about 12:30am on Wednesday. Court papers state police later interviewed Sung and examined his mobile phone, extracting several audio recordings of phone conversations in which the father allegedly planned the kidnapping with his son. 'All these calls were made during the time in which both the accused and co-accused had portrayed to police that the accused had been kidnapped and was in no way able to make phone calls,' the court documents state. Gyu was interviewed several times by police about the incident and, on one occasion, tried to retract his statements as he was 'not happy' with the investigation, according to the documents. Police also obtained booking details and CCTV footage from a motel in Chullora, where Sung allegedly spent the night he was meant to have been held by the kidnappers. Both Sung and Gyu were arrested at Auburn police station on Friday. Magistrate Chris McRobert denied Sung bail on Saturday but agreed to release Gyu, saying the father was more likely responsible for the plan. A father and son who allegedly staged a kidnapping (alleged fake kidnapping pictured) have faced court after records of their alleged plans were obtained by police A father and son have been accused of faking a kidnapping (alleged fake kidnapping pictured) 'It's probably reasonable to assume that his father is the real prime mover,' Mr McRobert said. 'I'm prepared to grant a strict conditional bail because I have an impression that this extremely foolish exercise was more likely your father's idea than yours,' he told Gyu, who has no criminal record. Mr McRobert also expressed concern over Sung's involvement in the incident, as he is on bail for other serious offences, including robbery in company and aggravated break and enter. 'The real concern is that this person is on district court bail already,' he said. Linn County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested a 21-year-old Brownsville man on Friday in connection with a string of burglaries committed in the city over the last few months. According to a Sheriff's Office news release, the burglaries involved seven businesses and two residences. All have occurred since September 2016. The investigation led deputies to serve the search warrant Friday in the 100 block of East Blakely Avenue. Recovered items included a firearm, personal identification, bank cards, checks and jewelry and children's toys. Methamphetamine residue and drug paraphernalia were also recovered from the residence. Alexander William Adams, 21, was arrested and lodged at the Linn County Jail on multiple counts of burglary, multiple counts of first-degree theft, felon in possession of a firearm, theft by receiving, multiple counts of second-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy. In connection to this investigation, three juvenile arrests were made before the search warrant was served. Three Brownsville males two 15-year-olds and one 14-year-old were referred to the Linn County Juvenile Department on charges of second-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, first-degree theft, conspiracy and MIP-Alcohol and Curfew. Additional arrests may be made as the investigation continues, the news release said. A photo of Florida airport gunman Esteban Santiago appears to show him making a jihadist one-fingered salute while wearing a Mid-Eastern keffiyeh sometime prior to him carrying out the shooting massacre. The 26-year-old Iraq war veteran was pictured in the photo gesturing with his index finger in a pose that has become notorious among supporters of the Islamic State. Law enforcement officers are currently looking at whether Santiago had any links to ISIS or if he was mentally disturbed as part of their investigation into the deaths of five people in the baggage claim hall at Ft. Lauderdale airport on Friday. Ft. Lauderdale airport gunman Esteban Santiago, 26, is pictured giving a one-fingered salute similar to a pose used by ISIS jihadists FBI officials said late on Friday night they had not ruled out terrorism and were investigating all angles as they try to determine a motive for the shooting spree. It was not immediately clear where or when the photo of Santiago was taken in which he appears to be making the jihadist salute. The traditional Islamic gesture - which refers to the tawhid or 'the belief in the oneness of God' - has been widely adopted by Islamic State supporters. Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posed in a similar stance in front of an Islamic flag in his bedroom. Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posed in a similar stance in front of an Islamic flag in his bedroom The traditional Islamic gesture - which refers to the tawhid or 'the belief in the oneness of God' - has been widely adopted by Islamic State supporters Australian jihadi Khaled Sharrouf has also been pictured doing the one-fingered salute Santiago was hospitalized for mental health treatment in November last year after he voluntarily walked into an FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska where he lives claiming the government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch videos for ISIS. A law enforcement official said the FBI interviewed him and then called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The FBI revealed on Friday that Santiago stated he did not want to harm anyone, but authorities were concerned by his erratic behavior. They said they closed their assessment of him once he was admitted for treatment. Santiago, who was part of the Army National Guard from 2007-2016, was deployed to Iraq in 2010. He spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion. Law enforcement officers are currently investigating whether Santiago, who served in Iraq, had any links to ISIS or if he was mentally disturbed A firearm (believed to be pictured) was Santiago's only piece of checked luggage when he flew from Alaska to Florida on Delta via Minneapolis on Friday The brother of a man accused of killing five people at a Florida airport questioned Saturday why his brother was allowed to keep his gun even after US authorities knew he'd become increasingly paranoid and was hearing voices. Esteban Santiago, 26, had trouble controlling his anger after serving in Iraq and told his brother that he felt he was being chased and controlled by the CIA through secret online messages. When he told agents at an FBI field office his paranoid thoughts in November, he was evaluated for four days, then released without any follow-up medication or therapy. 'The FBI failed there,' Bryan Santiago told The Associated Press. 'We're not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this.' Bryan Santiago (pictured), the brother of a man accused of killing five people at a Florida airport questioned Saturday why his brother was allowed to keep his gun Esteban Santiago (pictured left in his booking photo), 26, was questioned at length after the shooting. Pictured right, people leave a garage area with their hands up in the air outside the airport after the shooting on Friday 'The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didn't do anything,' the brother said in Spanish, speaking outside his family's house in Penuelas, Puerto Rico. In recent years, Esteban Santiago a new dad had been living in Anchorage, Alaska. But there were signs of trouble. Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was forcing him to watch ISIS videos, a law enforcement official said Friday. The FBI office in Alaska interviewed Esteban Santiago and then notified police, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. He was also charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, choked her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. 'The FBI failed there,' Bryan Santiago (pictured Saturday) said in Penuelas, Puerto Rico. 'We're not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this' The suspect (pictured) was apprehended in the airport's Terminal 2 near the baggage claim area and taken away by police Esteban Santiago (pictured in handcuffs being led to jail Saturday) is being held on suspicion of murder. Authorities believe he committed the shooting that left five dead and six wounded Friday A month later, municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Bryan Santiago said his brother had requested psychological help but barely received any. 'I told him to go to church or to seek professional help,' he said. Family members have said Esteban Santiago changed after serving a yearlong tour in Iraq. He was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. He deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Major Paul Dahlen. Esteban Santiago's mother wiped tears from her eyes as she stood inside a screen door Saturday. She said her son had been tremendously affected by seeing a bomb explode near two friends while serving in Iraq. Alaska National Guard spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Candis Olmstead told The New York Times that two soldiers in Santiago's company had died during his stint in Iraq. Former neighbor Ursula Candelario in Penuelas recalled seeing Esteban Santiago grow up and said people used to salute him after he joined the Guard. 'He was very peaceful, very educated, very serious,' she said. 'We're in shock. I couldn't believe it.' Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage, Olmstead told AP. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for 'unsatisfactory performance.' His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. She would not elaborate on his discharge. The Pentagon said he went AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. Santaigo's aunt Maria Ruiz, who lives in New Jersey, said that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child last year While it is unclear if Esteban Santiago had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, as many as one in five veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan develop the affliction each year, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. A 2014 Veterans Affairs study found that almost 30 percent of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who sought treatment at VA hospitals were diagnosed with PTSD symptoms. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them on Friday. Maria Ruiz told The Record newspaper that her nephew had recently become a father to a son and was struggling. 'It was like he lost his mind,' she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. 'He said he saw things.' Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. Senator-elect Nelson Cruz, who knew the family and represents the town where they live in Puerto Rico, said he had been talking regularly with Bryan Santiago since the shooting. A trainee heart surgeon has been busted filming men showering in the public bathrooms at Brisbane's popular South Bank parklands. German national Duy Tran Le, 26, was fined $800 after pleading guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday to seven counts of recording in breach of privacy. The court heard Le had been in Australia for a month to celebrate his recent graduation from medical school when he filmed the naked men on Friday. German trainee heart surgeon Duy Tran Le, 26, (above) has been fined $800 after pleading guilty to filming men showering in the public bathrooms at Brisbane's South Bank parklands Le filmed seven men in the space of three hours by holding his iPhone over the wall of the neighbouring cubicle. None of the men realised they were being filmed but his behaviour drew the attention of South Bank security who contacted police. Le was arrested and police found video of the men on his phone. Acting Magistrate Jason Schubert described his actions as 'disgusting'. 'The offences are disgusting offences, involving a serious breach of the privacy of other adult males,' he said. Pictured above is a stock image of South Bank parklands in Brisbane's inner-city 'I can only assume the offending was for sexual gratification purposes.' Le's lawyer Kate MacArthur said her client had been accepted into a cardiology unit in Germany and would fly home on January 12. 'He has a very promising career ahead of him,' she said She said her client was ashamed of his actions but asked that a conviction not be recorded against him because it could jeopardise his career and ability to travel. A father and his two young sons who went missing in regional Western Australia have been found safe and sound. Marcos Flaxman, 38, and his two sons, Phoenix, 7, and Zaedyn, 5, were located safe and well on Saturday night. The trio were reported missing after they failed to turn up at a family residence in Millbridge on Friday night West Australian man Marcos Flaxman, 38 (pictured) and his two sons have been found after being reported missing on Saturday The alarm was raised when the West Australian man and his two children left a family home in Millbridge about 9:15pm on Friday night and were headed to another house but failed to arrive. Mr Flaxman and his two children were headed to Boyanup approximately a 25 minute drive from Millbridge. The 38-year-old was driving a white 2006 Toyota Landcruiser with vehicle registration plates 1CPP 220. Mr Flaxman and his two children Phoenix, 7 (right), and Zaedyn, 5 (left), were reported missing on Saturday Steel firm boss Sir Andrew Cook has threatened to stop funding the party if Theresa May's Brexit plans mean taking the UK out of the single market A top Tory donor has threatened to stop funding the party if Theresa May's Brexit plans mean taking the UK out of the single market. Steel firm boss Sir Andrew Cook, who has given more than 1.2million to the party, warned that jobs and exports would be at risk if the Prime Minister chose to go down the route. The chairman of William Cook argued that membership of the single market was 'critical' to the economy. Sir Andrew - who was given a knighthood in David Cameron's controversial resignation honours list -said the country could 'sleepwalk to disaster' if the UK's membership of the single market was sacrificed, The Times reported. He said his company relied on exports to mainland Europe and skilled labour from the EU. Sir Andrew told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I'm trying to explain how critical the single market is to the real economy.' Speaking from Sheffield, he said: 'Two miles away is one of my factories, with 200 people employed making engineering parts that go to France, Germany and Italy for pumps and so forth. 'Thirty five miles up the road in Leeds I've another factory with 200 people making other stuff for the train manufacturers of Germany, Austria and so forth. 'The single market is essential to keep these people in employment.' He added: 'There are barriers to entry without the single market, there are tariffs. 'There is a desire by my competitors in mainland Europe to exclude me from the market. Were it not for the single market I would not be trading with these people. He said that the country could 'sleepwalk to disaster' if the Prime Minister, pictured arriving at an EU Summit in Brussels, chose to go down that route 'There is no domestic manufacturing industry of any major size in this country with which to trade. It is vital to these jobs and people that are trying to reduce the chronic and dangerous balance of payments deficit that this country suffers from.' Sir Andrew, who was treasurer of the Conservative In campaign, said ideas of free movement and paying money to Brussels had not been properly considered by voters. He said: I don't think they were chucked out on the basis of sensible information. The fact of the matter is that the amount of money that we contribute to the European Union was always portrayed by the leavers as a gross sum without anything in return. Sir Andrew said he had a number of Polish machinists at his plant in Leeds, adding: 'We are talking about EU citizens, with skills, coming here to fill jobs that British people are either unable to do or don't want to do.' Asked if his concerns would be listened to in Westminster, he said: 'I think some people will take me into account, others will not. The Turkish government has dismissed more than 8,000 civil servants for alleged ties to terror organisations, in the latest purge following last summer's failed coup. More than 100,000 people have already been suspended or dismissed from their jobs for alleged links to coup-plotters. The latest purge includes around 2,700 police officers, 1,700 employees at the Justice Ministry and more than 600 academics. The Turkish government has dismissed more than 8,000 civil servants for alleged ties to terror organisations, in the latest purge following last summer's failed coup. Pictured is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressing a rally on Friday More than 100,000 people have already been suspended or dismissed from their jobs for alleged links to coup-plotters President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency following the failed coup last July, which is still in place. Over 40,000 arrests have been made over suspected links to Fethullah Gulen, the cleric who the government claims orchestrated the coup attempt. The purge has now been expanded to include ties to other 'terror organisations,' including alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party or the PKK. The PKK has been waging a 30-long insurgency and is considered a terror organisation by Turkey and its allies, including the U.S. The purge has now been expanded to include ties to other 'terror organisations,' including alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party or the PKK The country has been under a state of emergency since the failed coup last July In November, nine parliamentarians from the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party, or HDP, including its co-presidents, were arrested for alleged ties to the PKK. The HDP denies the accusation and critics see the arrests as a means to silence the opposition. Nearly 140 media organisations have been ordered to close since the failed coup. Eleven local newspapers have been allowed to reopen under Friday's decree. 115 journalists have been imprisoned under the state of emergency, according to the Platform for Independent Journalism. Eleven local newspapers have been allowed to reopen under Friday's decree. Desperate 11th hour talks to solve rail, air and tube disputes have failed, with millions set to be caught up by travel chaos. A 24-hour strike by London Underground (LU) workers will leave commuters stranded this week, with staff set to walk out for 24 hours from 6pm on Sunday. British Airways passengers are also set to endure disruption with cabin crew strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday, while Southern Rail drivers are poised to stage a walk-out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. A Tube strike will begin at 6pm on Sunday and will disrupt services all day on Monday in the latest bout of industrial action Such is the severity of the industrial action on the Tube, that LU bosses have warned they may be forced to close many central London stations in Zone 1. Last ditch talks over the strikes by Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union ended in despair today as an agreement could not be reached. Workers are taking industrial action over staffing and ticket office closures - with the strikes set to be the worst endured in more than 20 years. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes remained at the Acas building in central London today, making it clear he was determined to continue trying to break the deadlock. In a message to RMT members, regional organiser John Leach made it clear that the talks had 'failed' and the strike will go ahead. He said: 'We saw LU face to face and reiterated our position on the key issues of the dispute. 'We demanded that they guarantee the staffing of all station control rooms. We demanded that the current offer of 150 additional jobs be significantly improved and guaranteed to not be lowered under any circumstances. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes remained at the Acas building in central London today, making it clear he was determined to continue trying to break the deadlock 'LU's response was to repeat their offer of yesterday. 'This is just not acceptable. The unsafe practices and pressure on staff and passengers have to be resisted and will be.' A Transport for London (TfL) spokesman said: 'We are still in dispute resolution talks at Acas and will remain available for talks throughout the weekend.' A company source said the RMT left the talks without giving TfL the opportunity to share any further proposals with them. A NEW WINTER OF DISCONTENT? THE LATEST STRIKE DATES Drivers' union ASLEF is due to stage three days of Southern Rail strikes on January 10, 11 and 13, plus three more on January 24, 25 and 27. The Tube strike will begin at 6pm on Sunday evening and continue throughout Monday. The RMT is balloting its Northern Rail members on Tuesday - potentially paving the way for more strikes later this month. Advertisement Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has written to the Chambers of Commerce in the South East asking firms to show 'patience and understanding' to their employees 'during this difficult time'. Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames supported Mr Grayling's message and told the Daily Telegraph: 'I think it's overdue but I'm glad the Secretary of State has done it. I'm sure employers will pay heed to what the Transport Secretary has said.' Yesterday RMT general secretary Mick Cash claimed that the LU were yet to offer any 'serious plans' to tackle the union's concerns. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned the industrial action. He said: 'Next week's planned tube strike is unnecessary and will cause misery for millions of Londoners. 'I urge the unions to call it off immediately.' Announcing the Northern Rail ballot earlier this week, Mr Cash said Northern staff were being offered 'a below the rate for the job pay deal'. He said: 'Industrial relations with the firm were already at a low and the latest pay offer shows continued contempt for the workers who run the service and make the company's profits.' 'Our members deserve to paid properly for the work that they do.' Transport Secretary Chris Grayling asked firms to show 'patience and understanding' to their employees 'during this difficult time' Mr Grayling has demanded Southern Rail workers - being taken out of duty by the RMT and Aslef unions - call off a strike that will close a major commuter next week. Aslef say driver-only operated trains run by Southern are unsafe - but an independent regulator yesterday said this was not the case. Mr Grayling told the BBC: 'Ultimately I don't have the power to force unions to stop striking. I wish I did - but I don't.' Drivers' union ASLEF is due to stage three days of Southern Rail strikes on January 10, 11 and 13, plus three more on January 24, 25 and 27. The RMT is balloting its Northern Rail members on Tuesday - potentially paving the way for more strikes later this month. A young woman who rose to fame after she was pictured holding a milk tea in high school is now the face of one of Australia's fastest growing baby formula companies. Bubs Australia has recruited Zhang 'Nancy' Zeitan, 23, with the hopes she will be able to help them conquer the $295 million baby formula industry in China. Zeitan's innocent photo of her with the popular Asian drink earned her the moniker of the 'milk tea sister' and catapulted her to fame. Zhang 'Nancy' Zetian rose to fame after she was pictured holding a milk tea in high school Now as one of China's very first social media influencers, Zeitan has almost 50,000 followers on her Instagram page and is married to a Chinese billionaire businessman. Her pale skin and angelic looks was what helped achieve online success. Zetian's popularity is what Bubs Australia, a newly ASX-listed company, hopes to tap into to work its way up the ladder within the multi-million dollar dairy export industry. Bubs Australia has reportedly recruited her to avoid the disaster baby formula maker Bellamys faced in 2016. Bellamy's sales plummeted in China last year, and its stock was promptly dumped by investors. The company reportedly largely relied on its penetration into the Chinese market, but when that failed its entire business model was questioned. Ms Zetian gave birth to her first child in March, making her an ideal fit for Bubs Australia Ms Zetian's influence in China is expected to boost sales of the Bubs Australia product in the Chinese market, to ensure it does not face the same fate. Zetian, a young mother herself, gave birth to her first child in March last year, further establishing her as a perfect representative of the company's target audience. Ms Zetian also owns a 17 per cent stake in Bubs Australia, according to the Townsville Bulletin. Ms Zhang's angelic features shot her to fame after her photo was shared on social media platforms in China Her investment in the booming baby formula business and $295 million dairy export industry is joined by Australia's own billionaire James Packer. Mr Packer owns one-quarter of Ellerston Capital, a company which also has a large investment in Bubs Australia. But the Bubs Australia link circles right back to Zetian, who is more entwined in the company than first meets the eye. Zetian's husband Liu Qiangdong, also known as Richard Liu, is a Chinese billionaire and has a hand in sales of the product. Mr Liu is the CEO of an e-commerce platform called JD.com which sells the product in Chinese and other overseas markets. The Chinese businessman is reportedly worth $9.4 million. The pair were married in Sydney in October 2015 before welcoming their first child in March. Ms Zhang married Liu Qiangdong (aka Richard Liu) in Sydney on October 1, 2015 (pictured) Ms Zhang's romance with her husband was plastered across Chinese tabloids due to her large following Their marriage captivated the Chinese public due to their fame and also the fact the Chinese beauty was 19 years younger than Mr Liu. Their romance began when Ms Zetian was an exchange student in the US. Their courtship was so hotly covered that photos of the pair walking through New York City were splashed across the Chinese media. The pair's influence and involvement in Bubs Australia saw shares soar by more than a third to 13.7 cents on Tuesday, its first day of trading. Bubs Australia's share price hit 33.5 cents by the time the stock closed. The baby formula company is not the couple's first link to Australia. They had their wedding in Australia in October 2015, and went on to own multi-million-dollar homes in some of Sydney's most affluent areas. They own a $16.2 million penthouse at The Rocks, and a $36 million home in Vaucluse, the Townsville Bulletin reported. Their Vaucluse mansion was also reportedly home to US actor Leonardo DiCaprio during the filming of The Great Gatsby. One of the country's most popular nightclubs has reopened after it was forced TO close in the wake of two teenagers suffering drug-related deaths. Fabric in central London had its licence revoked in September, after Islington Council found it had a 'culture of drug use'. However, the legendary Farringdon club has now been allowed to open its doors after all parties agreed to new licensing conditions, including a raised entry age and tougher security measures. Drug amnesty bins can be seen outside Fabric's doors and those who plan to take illegal substances to the club have been warned that if caught, they face a life-time ban (pictured, the bins and drugs policy notice outside the club) Drug amnesty bins can be seen outside Fabric's doors and those who plan to take illegal substances to the club have been warned that if caught, they face a life-time ban from the venue. Fabric's licence conditions also include a ban on anyone under the age of 19 entering the venue between 8pm on Fridays and 8am on Mondays. The club has pledged to introduce a new ID scanning system, which could be seen being used on entry, and to improve search procedures and introduce covert surveillance in the venue. Scotland Yard, which had applied for the licence to be reviewed, said while police usually patrol nightlife in the area officers will be specifically stationed at Fabric 'to support the door team who may need our help'. Superintendent Nick Davies said: 'As things settle down and it becomes business as normal for Fabric they will be subject of the same police and licensing visits as other clubs in the borough.' The measures come after Jack Crossley, from Worcester Park in Surrey, died on the morning of August 6 after becoming unwell at the club. His inquest, held earlier this week, heard he had smuggled drugs into the venue in his boxers before buying more inside. Fabric in central London had its licence revoked in September, after Islington Council found it had a 'culture of drug use' Ryan Browne died in hospital on June 25 after taking ecstasy on a night out at Fabric. He died due to 'recreational drug use gone wrong', his inquest was told. Last month the club's managing director Gary Kilbey warned visitors not to bring drugs to the club. On the Fabric blog he wrote: 'Our longevity also relies on you our supportive clientele who we are so dependent on, we still need your help. 'We need you to come with the conditions of our reopening in mind and help us achieve a drug free environment. Come with respect for our zero tolerance policy and remember, there are no safe ways to take drugs.' While a sign at the entrance to the queuing area outside the club greeted punters with a polite request to 'respect our zero policy to drugs'. It added: 'Anyone found with illegal drugs will be banned from the venue and reported to the police.' Last night, eager revellers keen to hit the dancefloor could be seen queuing outside the club. The legendary Farringdon club has now been allowed to open its doors after all parties agreed to new licensing conditions, including a raised entry age and tougher security measures Fabric's licence conditions also include a ban on anyone under the age of 19 entering the venue between 8pm on Fridays and 8am on Mondays Ricky Payne from Hayes in west London, said its reopening was 'brilliant' and 'absolutely amazing'. The 27-year-old added: 'Where else do we have to go? It is the best club in the world - an institution.' Justin Watson from Virginia, USA, said it was his first time visiting Fabric: 'We came from the States for the opening. 'We have never been before and are both DJs and are trying to check out places before they close. 'I'm definitely excited - it's an institution.' Tereza Petkona, who is 19, said she 'really happy' to be born in the year she was - allowing her to visit the club. The mother of missing Ben Needham says she will continue fighting to find out what happened to her son, and called for people with answers to 'do the right thing'. Ben was just 21 months old when he vanished on the Greek island of Kos in 1991, and his devastated family are desperate to find the truth. In a New Year message posted on Facebook, his mother Kerry Needham called on anyone who knows her son's fate to come forward. The image features a picture of missing Ben and urges people with information to come forward Ben Needham was 21 months old when he vanished on the Greek island of Kos in 1991 She posted a new picture of Ben on the Find Ben Needham Facebook page, which carried the caption: 'You may think you can hide in the dark forever. No one can hide from their conscience. 'Someone, somewhere, knows something.' In a message posted at the end of the year, the Needham family wrote to supporters: 'This year has been a very hard and emotionally exhausting year, which would have been so much harder without all of your continued support.' Kerry Needham says the family will 'continue fighting' for Ben after police said they believe he died in an accident involving a digger Officers from South Yorkshire Police last year carried out a search of the area where Ben vanished The family has vowed to 'continue fighting' for Ben. An eight-week search of the area where Ben went missing ended in October, and investigators discovered a toy car belonging to the toddler, which was handed to his family. Detective Inspector John Cousins said he now believed the toddler died in an accident involving a digger. Speaking about the toy, he said: 'It was an item that Ben was in possession of at the time he disappeared. Kerry was able to confirm this. It was an emotional time for all of us.' After a search of the site ended last year, Kerry said he hoped Greek digger driver Konstantinos Barkas, also known as Dino, is 'burning in hell'. The search was launched amid claims Barkas may have been responsible for Ben's death as he was clearing land with an excavator near the spot where the child had been playing on the day he vanished. Kerry holding a picture of her son in 1991. More than 25 years later, the family still does know what happened to him He is believed to have died from stomach cancer last year, and Kerry said he had taken secrets to his grave. After last year's search ended, she said: 'They (police) know he's dead but just can't find him. Police said it's time we ended our 25-year search. 'They are right but I can't say goodbye knowing he's still on that island somewhere. I feel physically sick. I can't feel any worse than I do. 'He didn't leave Kos, he didn't walk away... Somebody didn't take him, so he's here somewhere.' And she continued: 'Someone knows where he is. For God's sake, help me find him. We know he's dead but we need to find him. When someone dies you find a special place.' An Apex gang member was plotting fresh crimes behind bars before being released recently. The member, a 16-year-old boy, told a friend he planned on stealing only months after being locked up for a string of offence including robbery. 'They were saying "let's get back on it... there's s***loads of new estates down Clyde Rd",' the unnamed family friend told the Herald Sun. An Apex gang member was plotting fresh crimes behind bars before being released recently 'They were talking about where they're going to start, where they're going out.' The teenager was sentenced to 15 months in youth detention in September on a number of charges including car thefts, aggravated burglaries and handling stolen goods, as well as possessing and trafficking ecstasy. While locked up the teen was believed to have been involved in the Parkville riots in which forty young offenders destroyed the youth facility by setting fires and vandalising it. He was then transferred to the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre. In October the youth's sentence was slashed to only nine months which was further reduced after his lawyer argued that the 138 days in presentence detention hadnt been declared. The member, a 16-year-old boy, told a friend he planned on stealing only months after being locked up for a string of offence including robbery. A drone is believed to have torn holes in the front of a plane carrying 80 passengers after a midair collision in Mozambique. Crew members heard a loud bang, but thought the aircraft had collided with a bird. It was only during a post flight examination that the extent of the damage was revealed, and pictures reveal the right side of the plane was battered by the object. Crew on the plane thought the loud bang was caused by a bird The absence of blood and feathers has fuelled the belief that the mystery object was a drone. It happened as the approached the airport in Tete. Reports in Mozambique state that the mystery object was a drone, although an update by airline LAM Mozambique Airlines describes it simply as an 'external body'. The absence of blood and feathers has fuelled the belief that the crash was with a drone The airline told Portuguese news agency Lusa that the possibility the plane hit a drone is 'a speculation'. Authorities are investigating Thursday's incident. The head of the Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority told Lusa that it's too early to say what caused the damage to the plane. A statement from the Drone Manufacturers Alliance, USA Today reports, said it had not been confirmed that the object was a drone, but said: 'Nevertheless, we take these reports seriously, and our member companies stand ready to offer assistance to Mozambiques aviation authorities as they investigate this incident.' It said it works hard to educate users about safe use of drones. A car bomb has killed at least 48 people, mostly civilians, in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on the border with Turkey. Dozens were also wounded in the attack on Saturday which struck in front of an Islamic courthouse near a market, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The group said the toll was likely to rise in the attack, which was the latest in a string of bombings to hit Azaz that have previously been blamed on ISIS. Scroll down for video People carry out search and rescue works at the area of blast after a bomb-laden vehicle attacked to local courthouse in Azaz district of Aleppo Men run away from the blast that killed at least 48 people as vehicles burn in the background A fire engine makes its way to the blast zone to extinguish the flames caused by the bomb People gather amidst the debris at the site of the bomb attack in the rebel-held town of Azaz People carry out search and rescue works at the area of blast after a bomb-laden vehicle attacked a local courthouse in the Azaz district of Aleppo Two injured Syrian women are seen at the scene of blast, which killed at least 48 people Firefighters co-ordinate a rescue operation after the blast ripped through the town near the Turkish border Fire rages in the background as people run away from the blast zone in Azaz, Syria A barefoot and bloodied man and his fellow civilians carry a casualty to a car after the blast Video footage obtained by MailOnline shows children and women covered in blood racing from the blast zone. Another man is seen running away from the smoke on fire. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said identification of the dead was being hampered by the fact that some bodies were completely burned in the blast. Images the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal, which bulldozers were working to clear. In unverified comments, Turkey's privately-owned Dogan news agency said a car bomb planted by Islamic State was responsible. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the terror group. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency cited a doctor in Azaz as saying at least 60 people had been killed and more than 50 wounded. An Azaz resident who went to the local hospital said he had counted around 30 bodies laid out. The Britain-based group said six rebels were among the dead, but most were believed to be civilians. Civilians with search and rescue team members trying to extinguish a fire that broke out in the wake of the bomb blast Bulldozers worked to clear the wreckage after the bomb went off near a busy marketplace Images the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal A damaged vehicle and building are seen at the area of blast after a bomb-laden vehicle attacked a local courthouse in Azaz The blast was the latest in a string of bombings to hit Azaz that have previously been blamed on Islamic State The aftermath of the car bomb attack in the Syrian town where at least 48 people were killed Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the toll was likely to rise in the attack People inspect the area of blast after the bomb-laden vehicle attacked In November, rebels said 25 people - civilians and opposition fighters - were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. Civilians flee the scene of the bomb attack In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. The blast comes as a fragile ceasefire is being observed across much of Syria. The truce negotiated by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey does not include the Islamic State group or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest attack. Syria's nearly six-year war has create a patchwork of areas of control across the country, and Azaz is a major stronghold of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). The FSA is an alliance of moderate rebel groups whose fighters have, with Turkish military support, pushed Islamic State militants out of the border area. Saturday's explosion was heard across the border in the Turkish town of Kilis, Dogan said. Anadolu said 23 wounded people had been taken by ambulance to Kilis hospital, one of whom subsequently died. In a round-up of its military operations over the last 24 hours in support of rebels in northern Syria, the Turkish military said on Saturday that 21 Islamic State militants had been killed in clashes. Two BBC presenters were left red faced after a mix up which saw an academic confused with a mountain climber on live TV. Rachel Burden and Jon Kay introduced their next guest as mountaineer Leslie Binns, only to discover the man sitting on the sofa was political scientist Todd Landman, who was there to discuss relations between the US and Russia. Realising the blunder, Ms Burden said, as the cameras rolled: 'It is ever so funny, I looked at this man and thought he doesn't necessarily look like a mountaineer.' Mr Binns is about to embark on a second bid to reach Everest's summit, having abandoned his first attempt to help a fellow mountaineer who was in trouble. Professor Todd Landman looked bemused when the camera panned over to him after another guest was introduced She had said, introducing the guest: 'When you have pushed yourself to the edge to conquer Mount Everest, imagine abandoning your climb just 500 metres from the top. 'It's not something you would choose to do lightly, but that's what our next, and very heroic guest, did to help a fellow mountaineer who had got into trouble.' And Mr Kay continued: 'Former British serviceman Leslie Binns turned around to save a woman who collapsed while she was on her trip, but he is now attempting to scale the world's highest mountain again. Presenters Jon Kay and Rachel Burden quipped about the blunder after they realised what had happened Professor Landman was on the sofa, but mountaineer Leslie Binns was introduced to the audience 'He is going back and joins us now in the studio ahead of his next mission.' But when the camera panned to Professor Landman, the bemused expert said: 'I think you have the wrong guest Sir.' Mr Kay then asked: 'Do you have any heroic stories to tell us?' Prof Landman responded: 'I have lots of heroic stories but not involving Everest.' The real Leslie Binns, who abandoned his effort to reach Everest's summit to help a fellow mountaineer, in the studio Both presenters later tweeted about their mistake. Ms Burden wrote: 'That moment when you're supposed to be talking to a mountaineer, an academic sits down next to you, and you go with it anyway @BBCBreakfast.' She then posted a photo of herself with mountaineer Leslie Binns and wrote: 'Let the real @BinnsLeslie stand up! @BBCBreakfast.' Oops: Both presenters later tweeted about the mistake, which screened on BBC Breakfast this morning Mr Kay wrote: 'OK, so no-one noticed that - We'll carry on. Wrong guest? Wrong story? Nah. The viewers won't guess. Aaaaagh.' They then went on to interview Mr Binns properly at 9.20am. In 2006 Guy Goma, a business studies graduate from Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo was accidentally interviewed on BBC News 24 when he was mistaken for technology expert Guy Kewney. It is believed the Queen, pictured last month, is feeling better. She is expected to attend a Sunday service today at 11am at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham The Queen is expected to make her first appearance at Sandringham today after being struck down with a heavy cold over Christmas. The 90-year-old monarch broke protocol for the first time ever when she decided not to attend both her traditional Christmas and New Year's church services. However, it is now believed that the Queen is feeling better and will attend a Sunday service at 11am at St Mary Magdalene Church on her Norfolk Estate. Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the rumours and said the Queen's appearance will be confirmed after 9.30am today. Such was the intensity of her condition over the festive period that the monarch delayed her annual trip to Sandringham for the holidays. She traveled one day later than planned and used a helicopter rather than a train to shorten the travel time. Prince Philip, 95, also suffered from the heavy cold but managed to recover enough to attend the service on New Year's Day. Princess Anne told well-wishers that her mother was feeling 'better' as she attended with her father last Sunday. Royal sources suggested that the Queen had a persistent 'hacking cough' and was staying away from church as she did not want to disturb other worshippers. The Palace's last official statement was last Sunday morning when it was confirmed that the Queen would not be attending last week's service. Pictured: Prince Philip leaves St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, after attending a New Year's Day church service The statement only said: 'The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold.' Her prolonged illness has raised some concerns because colds and flus can be dangerous for elderly people. The Queen has generally been in good health in recent years, although she has cut down somewhat on her traveling and public appearances. However, signs of the monarch being on the mend were revealed earlier this week when she presented a trusted member of staff with an honour. THE QUEEN: UNDER THE WEATHER BUT KEEPING UP APPEARANCES It is believed that the Queen was last seen in public on December 1 when she was photographed visiting the Goodenough College for British and international postgraduate students in London. She also had a string of public engagements in the first two weeks December meeting politicians and diplomats behind closed doors at Buckingham Palace. The last time she is believed to have been officially photographed was at a ceremony to meet the High Commissioner of Bangladesh and the Ambassador to Liberia on December 9. The Queen and Philip also attended the private funeral of her cousin and lifelong friend Margaret Rhodes, 91, at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park on December 12. She and Philip are also thought to have hosted their traditional party for Buckingham palace staff on December 20. Advertisement The queen invested Ray Wheaton, the Queen's Page of the Chambers, with the insignia of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order, according to the court circular. The LVO, which is the Queen's personal gift and is bestowed independently of 10 Downing Street, recognises service to the Royal Family and household. She is also said to be up and about and dealing with her red boxes of official papers. On Tuesday she sent a message of condolence to the President of Turkey, following the attack in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day that killed 39 people. The Queen said she and Philip were saddened and that their thoughts were with the families of the victims and with the Turkish people. The Queen (pictured, during her Christmas speech) presented a trusted member of staff with an honour this week Reports claimed the Queen was almost shot by one of her own guards while she took a late-night stroll through Buckingham Palace's grounds earlier this week It has certainly been an eventful week for the elderly monarch, with reports claiming that she was almost shot by one of her own guards while she took a late-night stroll through Buckingham Palace's grounds. The guard is said to have shouted into the darkness when he spotted a figure walking around Buckingham Palace at 3am, believing it might be an intruder. But the shadowy suspect was in fact Her Majesty, who had stepped out for some fresh air because she couldn't sleep. Police charged one man over incident but are still hunting for second suspect Woman was later dumped on the road before her car was found burnt out stole the woman's car while she was still inside A young woman has been carjacked at gunpoint as she left a gym in Adelaide. The 22-year-old was leaving a gym on Stanbel Street at Salisbury Plain at 10.30pm on Friday when two men allegedly ambushed her with a gun. When she reached her red Holden Barina two men pulled out a gun and stole her car while she was still inside, The Advertiser reported. The car was later found burnt out (pictured) on Ranger Street in Elizabeth Park When she reached her red Holden Barina (pictured burnt out) two men pulled out a gun and stole her car while she was still inside The alleged offenders continued to drive to Lloyd Street where they threw the woman out of the car. As her Barina sped off the woman was left screaming helplessly in the middle of the road. The car was later found burnt out on Ranger Street in Elizabeth Park. A witness, who asked not be named, said: 'I heard the car pull up and the men yelling and the girl screaming.' 'She was screaming, "please help me, somebody help me", after the car took off. Police later charged a 33-year-old Elizabeth Grove man with assault, aggravated robbery, abduction and making threats to kill. He is due to appear in Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Monday. Police are still hunting for the second man. Advertisement Snow and sleet pounded a large swath of the East Coast on Saturday, killing three and coating roads with ice and causing hundreds of crashes. In Kentucky a man died when his pickup truck went off a snow-slickened road Thursday. The Weather Channel reported that two other deaths in Oregon and Maine have also been blamed on the weather. Thousands of people lost power and forecasters warned of blizzard-like conditions from Virginia to parts of the Northeast. An estimated 73million Americans from as far north as Maine and as far south as Mississippi are under winter weather storm warnings, according to NBC. Of the lower 48 states, 19 are now being affected by either winter storm warnings or advisories. The snow storm, Helena, is gradually moving toward the mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, with warnings and advisories in effect along the coasts and up through New England, according to The National Weather Service. New York City is expected to see between three and five inches of snow today, while forecasters predict as much as eight inches in Long Island. Authorities in Connecticut had to shut down Interstate 91 in both directions after a 30-car pileup clogged traffic, according to NBC Connecticut. Scroll down for video Authorities in Connecticut had to shut down Interstate 91 in both directions after a 30-car pileup clogged traffic in Middletown (above) Police said the crash near exit 21 involved at least 20 cars, three tractor trailers and a tanker. No serious injuries were reported The mayor of Middletown said that fuel tanks from at least two of the trucks ruptured, spilling diesel fuel onto the highway More than 50 flights were canceled at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport on Saturday. An American Airlines jet is seen above at JFK Hundreds of flights were canceled in the South, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast on Saturday A snow plow heads south on I-85 during a snowstorm on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, as ice and sleet accumulated on highways throughout the South A very white house! The White House with a fresh dusting of snow in Washington, DC, on Saturday Temperatures dip: A groundskeeper clears snow from the North Portico of the White House in Washington, U.S An American Airlines plane is de-iced by airport workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport early Saturday Daniel Mitchell operates a snowblower along the sidewalk on Norfolk Ave next to Randolph College on Lynchburg, Virginia, on Saturday Mark Blackwell with Bradley Wrecker Service pulls a truck from a ditch on West Boulevard near Charlotte Douglas International Airport early Saturday Police said the crash near exit 21 involved at least 20 cars, three tractor trailers and a tanker. No serious injuries were reported. The mayor of Middletown said that fuel tanks from at least two of the trucks ruptured, spilling diesel fuel onto the highway. State workers were at the scene trying to clean up the spill, the mayor said. NBC Connecticut is updating a list of local institutions that have closed due to the weather. Hundreds of flights were canceled, according to NBC, more than 50 flights were canceled at New York JFK and Newark airports early Saturday. Delta canceled 175 flights, most of which were into and out of its hub in Atlanta. Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the South's biggest cities Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh appeared to avoid the worst of the storm. Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped. 'If I tell you anything it would be stay home,' North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. 'Do not go out and drive on the roads unless you absolutely have to.' Cooper was supposed to have been sworn in Saturday at an outdoor ceremony attended by thousands. He instead rushed through a 20-minute indoor oath-taking Friday. 'Consider yourselves the chosen few,' Cooper jokingly told family, friends and well-wishers able to attend his swearing-in Friday. North Carolina cities Burlington, Greensboro and Roxboro received eight inches or more of snow, and several inches fell in southeast Virginia, where a blizzard warning was issued for the cities along the coast. North Carolina reported more than 250 crashes, while Virginia had more than 100. In Charlotte alone, 35 accidents were reported since 10pm on Friday, according to NBC News. Hundreds of crashes were reported in Tennessee starting Friday. Some of these were fender benders involving school buses driving along roads that were covered by up to two inches of snow. An SUV slides across the highway in Birmingham as winter storm creates icy conditions across the South A Virginia transit employee watches as a motorist tries to take the exit for I-64 in Hampton, Virginia, on Saturday Chilly work! Michael Warren shovels snow outside of the Golden Corral in Hampton, Va., Saturday Snow is cleared from the Mount Rose Highway during a winter storm near Incline Village, Nevada Power outages had grown to about 25,000 in North Carolina alone, according to a news release from the governor. Nearly half were in the Charlotte area and adjacent Union County, according to Duke Power. In Cornelius, north of Charlotte, Matt Thomas said he used a ruler to measure nearly six inches of snow and sleet that had piled up on the back of his pickup truck. He planned to spend the weekend enjoying the snow and watching television. A plow passed through his neighborhood, but the road still looked slippery. 'The sleet started first, so there's definitely a layer of ice under the snow,' he said by phone. 'I'm staying home.' The unpredictable storm left some areas with much different outcomes than neighboring counties. Unofficial totals from the National Weather Service showed that much of Raleigh and Charlotte had two inches or less of precipitation much of it sleet while areas to the north of both cities got several inches of snow. In Atlanta and parts of Georgia, people who were expecting a couple of inches of snow instead woke up to a thin coat of ice. Still, it didn't stop children from sliding down slick grassy hills in what is a once- or twice-a-year icy occurrence. Devastation: A tree is seen above after it fell in front a home in southwestern Atlanta The icy roads are taking their toll, as evidenced by the above photo showing a motorist skid off the highway near Marietta, Georgia Some took to social media to complain that they didn't have anything to sled in, prompting an apologetic Tweet from one well-known Raleigh weatherman. 'To all my detractors, more than 24 hours ago I began talking about how this snow event could go up in smoke. I try to be honest-all I can do,' WRAL-TV chief meteorologist Greg Fishel said early Saturday. A blizzard warning for southeast Virginia accompanied forecasts of high winds and up to nine inches of snow there. The National Weather Service had already measured nearly six inches of snow at its post in Wakefield on Saturday. Even with snow coating Virginia Beach roads, diners and staff made it to the popular breakfast spot Citrus. 'When there's bad weather, people come out,' manager Tara Junke said. 'I've worked in restaurants for 20 years in Hampton Roads and we've never shut down for snow.' Chris Turner, 58, a health care analyst sitting at the counter with a mug of tea, said he drove seven miles to his usual breakfast spot, aided by four-wheel drive. 'It's fun to enjoy mother nature in all her glory,' he said. 'I'd rather be out. I can't stay at home.' A runner along East Morehead Street near uptown Charlotte braves the heavy snowfall on Saturday People bundle against the cold and snow as they walk downtown in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday An estimated 73million Americans from as far north as Maine and as far south as Mississippi are under winter weather storm warnings early Saturday morning. Pedestrians are seen on a street in downtown Newark on Saturday Of the lower 48 states, 19 are now being affected by either winter storm warnings or advisories. A man is bundled as he stands in the snow in Newark Raleigh-Durham International Airport said its staff worked through the night to clear runways. It said most airlines had canceled flights through mid-morning. Most flights have been canceled at Norfolk's airport because of the winter storm, the latest disruption to hit airports in the region. The website for Norfolk International Airport shows that every arriving flight has been cancelled for Saturday, as well as most departing flights. In North Carolina, Raleigh's airport said there were many cancellations and it expected very few flights to arrive or depart on Saturday. The Charlotte airport said it would open with limited operations after de-icing 70 planes on Friday and plowing of the airfield. It advised travelers to check their carrier for cancellations. Atlanta's airport said that some flights have been canceled but that regular takeoffs and landings were resuming. With southeast Virginia next in the storm's path, police in Newport News say roads in the city are 'extremely hazardous.' The National Weather Service reports nearly six inches of snow at its Wakefield office. The Virginia National Guard says about 200 members are staged at firehouses around southeast Virginia with Humvees and trucks to help police and firefighters. This map shows the snow precipitation as of mid-day on Saturday. The storm was making its way from the Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic and up the eastern seaboard to New England Blizzard conditions are expected to be felt in southeast New England, particularly the Boston and Rhode Island areas Most flights have been canceled at Norfolk's airport because of the winter storm, the latest disruption to hit airports in the region. The map above shows blizzard warnings in effect for Norfolk Unseasonably cold temperatures were recorded in the South on Saturday morning, creating conditions for a rare snowstorm The National Weather Service said early Saturday that cities including Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Roxboro had more than six inches of snow and sleet The low temperatures mean that icy roads can be expected for the next couple of days Low temperatures in the single digits are expected for places like Knoxville, Tennessee, and Raleigh, North Carolina, this weekend The most snowfall is forecast for slightly off of the coast of the eastern seaboard, though most areas will likely see between three and five inches The cold temperatures are part of a winter spell that is stretching from the Appalachians and into New England Much of North Carolina is under a winter storm warning until 7pm Saturday and southeast Virginia was under a blizzard warning. Meanwhile, ice and snow on some roads in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia made driving hazardous. 'Whenever snow comes people get really excited. I'm a little excited,' said Donovan Cheatham, who studies music at North Carolina Central University and plays in jazz bands. He and roommate Collin Williams said if they get snowed in, they may miss a paying gig but will jam anyway - Collins on alto saxophone and Cheatham on drums. 'Practice. We'll get a lot of practice in,' Williams said. Lauren Rathbone, manager of Public Hardware in Durham, North Carolina, said the store sold out of more than 100 sleds Friday, along with bags and bags of ice melt to treat driveways and walks. Ice sickles form on a rail after a winter storm hit the South in Calera, Alabama A person catches a ride on the icy highway after leaving their car on the side of the road near Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday Chad Denman helps push motorists up Crystal Hill Rd. in North Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday Josh Skaggs walks down JFK Blvd. in North Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday A car is loaded onto a flatbed wrecker after it crashed at the corner of Lanese Dockery Drive and Union University Drive in Jackson, Tennessee on Friday Beckett Thomas and Amaya Kindle sled down a hill at The Greens of North Hills golf course in Sherwood, Arkansas, on Friday Jackson Bernard, 8, takes a spin down a snow-covered Lakeshore Drive on his sled as Lizzy Phillips and Lady Dog look on in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on Friday Luis Morales laughs as Salvador Damazo crashes into him, while pushing him, down a hill at the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex in Jackson, Tennessee, on Friday Nathan Williamson, left, Ashlynne Clifft, Amy Clifft, Alyssa Clifft and Christen Long make their way to the top of the hill at the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex in Jackson Abby Pittman, 14, slides down a large hill at Craighead Forest Park in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Friday Riley Cotton, 7, enjoys sledding in the snow at Medi Park, after an overnight storm blanketed Amarillo, Texas, on Friday Randall County Emergency responders work an accident at Interstate 27 and Highway 2219, after a driver slide off the service road, in Amarillo, Texas, on Friday Daniel Patricio spreads sand onto the sidewalk of Trustmark Bank at the intersection of Clay and Washington Street in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Friday Delta passengers wait in line in hopes of catching their flight out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as monitors display flight information on Friday Ice forms on a windshield after a winter storm hit the South on Saturday near Pelham, Alabama Traffic backs up due to ice and snowy weather conditions on I-65 North early Saturday morning near Birmingham, Alabama Davis Harry (left), 14, and James Young (right), 12, and reacts as he sleds down a hill during a winter storm which moved through Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday Margaret Young (left), 10, and an unidentified young girl sleds down a hill during a winter storm which moved through Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday Much of North Carolina is under a winter storm warning until 7pm Saturday and southeast Virginia was under a blizzard warning Some took to sledding in snow-coated northern Atlanta suburbs and in Tennessee. Meanwhile California is preparing for heavy rains not seen in a decade. Officials said up to 12 inches of rain is expected in the lower-lying areas of the state, according to The Los Angeles Times. The rain is in addition to the heavy snowfall - up to 6 feet in some areas - that has accumulated in the regions above 8,500 feet that comprise the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Some rain showers were reported in the San Francisco area, but that's just the beginning of what's expected this weekend. 'We're expecting heavy, heavy rain. It starts out as snow then turns to rain then turns to snow again,' Hammitt said. 'We're concerned about the melt increasing waterways and all the lakes.' 'People are definitely in a state of panic right now,' said El Dorado County sheriff's Sgt. Todd Hammitt. 'We're getting a lot of calls asking if we're going to be able to deal with everything. It's the general pandemonium of not knowing what's coming.' The combination of rain and melting snow could create the conditions for some of the worst flooding in California in at least 20 years, according to AccuWeather. 'There is the potential for excessive rain, combined with melting snow to trigger the worst flooding in northern California since 1997 and perhaps 1986,' an executive with AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions, Mike Smith, said. An 'atmospheric river' weather system dumped rain and snow in California on Thursday, and forecasters said another, stronger, plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean would slam the state during the weekend. Snow is cleared above from a residential road during a winter storm in Incline Village, Nevada. Up to six feet of snow are expected in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the coming days An 'atmospheric river' weather system dumped rain and snow on California on Thursday Forecasters said another, stronger, plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean would slam the state during the weekend and into next week An atmospheric river is a long and narrow region of the atmosphere that horizontally transports moisture out of the tropics The system prompted heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, where the Mammoth Mountain ski resort reported accumulations ranging from 44 inches to 7 feet in 1 days An atmospheric river is a long and narrow region of the atmosphere that horizontally transports moisture out of the tropics, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. An atmospheric river that brings moisture to the West Coast from near Hawaii is sometimes called a 'Pineapple Express.' The system prompted heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, where the Mammoth Mountain ski resort reported accumulations ranging from 44 inches to 7 feet in 1 days, with more falling. The snowfall closed mountain routes or forced chain and snow tire requirements. A right-wing political group called on 'patriots' to gather at an Indigenous band's show after the band said it would burn the Australian flag at its Melbourne gig on Saturday night. Neil Erikson spoke out on behalf of the Australian Settlers Rebellion group on Saturday claiming the band's decision to burn the flag was 'shocking and disgusting'. 'I've got no problem with Aboriginals being proud of who they are, I've got no problem with Aboriginals being a little bit p*ssed off with Australia,' he said. 'But what's going on tonight is quite f***ing shocking and disgusting, and it's made made me sick.' Scroll down for video Dispossessed is pictured burning the Australian flag at its Melbourne gig on Saturday night 'We will open the show with burning the flag of a genocidal regime,' the band said alongside this photo on Thursday Mr Erikson was responding to a Facebook post uploaded by Sydney band Dispossessed, an Indigenous rights band who claim to be Aboriginal resistance fighters, unapologetic for their strong opinions. In a provocative post uploaded to Facebook on Thursday, the band claimed they would 'open the show with burning the flag of a genocidal regime'. It goes on to say tickets for the show were almost sold out, but 'blackfullas [sic] get in for free'. 'Stay black and deadly,' the messages ends. We are not here to heal your white guilt. We are here to destroy all those who stand in our path. We are vessels carrying our ancestors wrath, sorrow and vengeance,' the band wrote We aim to smash your white fragility, to make you realize how much you oppress us and silence us even when you stand in front of us clapping,' the band wrote The post infuriated Mr Erikson who labelled the post 'reverse racism'. 'You guys are going to burn our national flag and give free entry to black people, that's racist, that's so f***ing racist,' he said. 'Genocidal regime that has brought you hospitals, technology, your amps, your clothes, your culture, your everything, and you're willing to burn the national flag to get some attention.' The post infuriated Neil Erikson (pictured) who labelled it as 'reverse racism' in a video uploaded to Facebook on Saturday Neil Erikson (left and right) said he was shocked and disgusted by the post which promised to burn the Australian Flag 'Fair's fair,' right-wing group the Australian Settlers Rebellion wrote alongside this photo posted to their Facebook page on Saturday The right-wing activist also accused the band of disrespecting the Australian military. 'These people are showing utter disrespect for our ANZACS whether they be aboriginal or not,' he said. 'My grandfather fought for that flag, spent three years in a German prison camp, great grandfather fought at Gallipoli and lost his brother for that flag. 'These people don't respect anything about our culture or our country, our hospitals, everything that is given to them for free.' Mr Erikson urged 'patriots' to show up at the band's Melbourne gig in protest. After his video was uploaded, the band itself shared it to their own Facebook page, inciting mixed reactions from social media users. 'F*** them up if they show. It is not some political peaceful protest out the front of parliament, if the patriots want to send soldiers,' one man said in support of the band. 'There is no place for misguided patriotism and no intelligence in racism. Hope it's a sick show, burn bright,' another said. 'No one has ever died for a flag, a flag is a piece of cloth. They might have died for freedom, which of course, is the freedom to burn the f***ing flag,' another said. The band followed through with its promise to burn the Australian flag on Saturday night The band, Dispossessed, claims to be 'vessels carrying our ancestors wrath, sorrow and vengeance' But others were quick to agree with Mr Erikson, sharing their disgust at the band's promise to burn the flag and give Indigenous people free entry. 'What he is saying is true, if you think what he is saying is wrong you are very deluded,' one man said. 'Blacks get in free? If that's not racist I am an American Indian.' One woman urged the band to 'stay safe' following the slew of heated comments. 'Stay safe young ones. These rednecks are looking to cause trouble,' she said. To which one man replied 'no trouble, just don't touch the flag, that is what will cause trouble'. A terminally ill cancer sufferer has fulfilled his dying wish and married his sweetheart in a whirlwind wedding after being told he only has months to live. Lee Harrison, 31, bravely fought off a last minute threat to his health to tie the knot with Hayley Buffin, 33, in a heart-wrenching ceremony yesterday. He was only discharged from hospital 24 hours before his dream wedding in front of close friends and family at Makeney Hall Hotel, in Milford, Derbyshire. Lee Harrison was only discharged from hospital 24 hours before his dream wedding Lee was told he had liver and bowel cancer that could leave him with just one year left to live in October last year. But thanks to a charity and the generosity of strangers the couple managed to plan the wedding quickly in order to tick off the ultimate item on Lee's bucket list. Hayley thanked everyone for the wonderful day the pair enjoyed and said she is now looking forward to spending 'what time they have let together as Mr and Mrs'. Hayley, who lives with Lee in Chaddesden, added: 'Lee managed to keep the pain at bay and he was tired but kept it together. Lee, 31, bravely fought off a last minute threat to his health to tie the knot with Hayley Buffin In October last year he was told he had liver and bowel cancer meaning he had a year to live 'The day has been better than anything we could have dreamed of- the generosity of everyone involved has been overwhelming 'The dress, the cake - it has been a dream wedding and just so amazing.' After the wedding, the pair enjoyed a reception at the hotel with a further 100 guests arriving for the evening party. However, at one point it was thought the whole ceremony might not go-ahead after Lee was rushed to hospital with a blood clot. Further celebrations have had to be put on hold as Lee requires further treatment today. Thanks to a charity and the generosity of strangers the couple planned the wedding quickly But Lee was rushed to hospital with a blood clot days before the ceremony 'Lee managed to keep the pain at bay and he was tired but kept it together,' said his now wife Hayley added: 'It has been an emotional day for everyone and I managed to hold it together. 'We book out of the hotel at 11am and then it is straight to hospital. 'But we are hoping that he will be well enough to return home as soon as possible and I am looking forward to being Mr and Mrs for what time we have left.' Charity Gift of a Wedding put together all the essential details, such as the venue and photographer, through the help of traders in the area. 'I am looking forward to being Mr and Mrs for what time we have left,' said Hayley Buffin, 33 Charity Gift of a Wedding put together all the details, such as the venue and photographer Founder Patricia Harrison, who set the charity up five years ago said before the wedding: 'We don't do cookie cutter weddings. 'Hayley and Lee will tell us what kind of day they want and we will create that. 'Both people have to be over 18, UK residents, have a terminal or life-shortening illness, and have the time to get married outside of hospital appointments and so on. 'Plus, they've got to want to get married. It sound a bit quirky but sometimes people come to us expecting their terminally-ill partner wants to get married when might not. 'But, if they fulfil that criteria, then we give them a wedding. 'The only thing that could stop us is if we get too many people and can't cope but that hasn't happened yet.' He was discharged from the National Army Guard for unsatisfactory performance in August giving a one-fingered salute similar to one used by Islamic State Sources say he walked into an FBI office in Alaska last year claiming he was being forced to fight for ISIS Brother said Santiago was getting psychological treatment; family said he acted strangely after Iraq Santiago had been living in Anchorage for two years with his girlfriend and their newborn baby Loaded his gun in the bathroom and shot dead victims in baggage claim area, according to commissioner Flew into the Florida airport from Anchorage, Alaska, and had checked his gun for the flight, officials said Suspect Esteban Santiago, 26, an Iraq army veteran, was taken to Broward County Main Jail on Saturday Five people dead and six injured after gunman opened fire in Florida's Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Advertisement The suspected gunman who authorities believe shot dead five people and injured six after opening fire in Fort Lauderdale International airport had gone AWOL several times while serving in the military and was investigated for child pornography, authorities have said. Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old Iraq war veteran, was taken into custody and was pictured in handcuffs Saturday as police led him to the Broward County Main Jail, where he is held on suspicion of murder. Police believe he flew out of Anchorage, Alaska on a 9:52 pm Delta flight and checked his gun during the flight. Santiago loaded his gun in the airport bathroom before silently and indiscriminately shooting victims in the baggage claim area in Terminal 2 on Friday about 1 pm, officials said. The Army vet was getting psychological treatment, according to his brother, who said he didn't know precisely what the captured man was getting treated for. His family also said Santiago had been acting strangely after returning from Iraq. FBI investigators have not ruled out terrorism as a reason for the attack, a special agent at the bureau's office in Miami said Saturday. They were set to pursue 'every angle' to try to determine the motive behind the deadly attack. The bureau believes Santiago came to Fort Lauderdale to carry out the horrific attack but chose it without any specific reason. Investigators haven't identified any triggers so far. Santiago is expected to appear in federal court Monday. Scroll down for video Esteban Santiago, 26, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, was transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authorities Saturday Santiago (pictured in handcuffs being led to jail Saturday) is being held on suspicion of murder. Authorities believe he committed the shooting that left five dead and six wounded Friday The suspect (pictured) was apprehended in the airport's Terminal 2 near the baggage claim area and taken away by police The captured man (pictured left in his booking photo) was questioned at length after the shooting. Pictured right, people leave a garage area with their hands up in the air outside the airport after the shooting on Friday FBI agents were seen on Saturday walking out of Santiago's Anchorage, Alaska home while the investigation continued Santiago served in Iraq in 2010 as a private first class and combat engineer. He received half a dozen medals before receiving a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year The Army vet (pictured left giving a one-fingered salute similar to ISIS jihadists), has been identified as the suspected gunman in the Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood airport shooting. He is said to have a girlfriend and child (right) back in Alaska It took deputies 70 to 80 seconds to come into contact with the suspect, authorities said Saturday morning during a news conference. FBI investigators have identified all five victims in the attack but have yet to confirm their identities. Early reports said eight people were injured in the shooting. That number was revised to six on Saturday morning. Three were in good condition while three others were in the ICU. Santiago flew into the airport from Anchorage, Alaska (with a layover in Minneapolis-St Paul) on Delta flight 2182 with a firearm as his only piece of checked luggage, in accordance with TSA regulations, authorities believe. The 26-year-old, who was dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt, claimed his bag, went to the bathroom to load his handgun and then started shooting people dead, according to the county commissioner. Witnesses said the gunman sprayed bullets around then lay down on the floor spread-eagled, awaiting arrest. They described the gunman as a 5'7'' male wearing a blue T-shirt. Investigators said on Saturday morning they hadn't identified an altercation on the flight or at baggage claim that could have led to the shooting. They interviewed 175 witnesses during their probe. The suspect came to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport 'specifically to carry out this horrific attack', FBI Special Agent In Charge George Piro said Saturday morning at a news conference. 'We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack,' he added. An early investigation revealed no particular reason that could have caused the suspect to pick the airport. Terry Andres, of Virginia, and Olga Woltering, of Georgia, were among those who were killed. Andres, a 62-year-old grandfather, was at the airport with his wife to go on a vacation, while Woltering was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday. Michael Oehme, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was identified Saturday as one of the five victims, according to local reports. Oehme was about to go on a cruise with his wife, Kari Oehme. She was shot in the shoulder but is expected to survive. Nearly 40 were hurt during the evacuation,CNN reported. Some of them came out with broken bones. Governor Rick Scott visited the airport Saturday morning after meeting with many survivors, some of whom were 'fighting for their lives'. 'It was an absolutely horrific day,' Scott told USA Today about the shooting. 'The person responsible for this act will be brought to justice to the furthest extent of the law.' The airport reopened Saturday morning after a 16-hour shutdown, which included a mass evacuation with numerous passengers taking cover. Terminal 2, where the shooting occurred, remained an active crime scene. Airport officials were going through more than 20,000 bags and personal items left during the evacuation. Security has been increased and will be re-evaluated in the future, Sheriff Scott Israel said. Governor Scott meanwhile has expressed his hope that visitors will return to Florida in the future. 'We love our tourists and we want them to keep coming back,' Scott said Saturday morning at the airport, according to the Miami Herald. 'The number one priority for our state is safety.' Investigators questioned Santiago at length after the shooting and as of Saturday morning hadn't ruled out terrorism as a possible motive. They were reviewing the captured man's recent movements. Authorities believe he acted alone. 'We will be pursuing every angle to try to determine the motive behind this attack,' special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Miami George Piro told The Associated Press. Santiago had gone AWOL several times while serving in the Alaska National Guard, the Pentagon said. He had served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and in the Alaska National Guard, including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011. The private first class and combat engineer received half a dozen medals before getting a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year. Santiago had also been investigated as part of a child porn probe in 2011 or 2012, law enforcement told CBS News. Authorities seized three weapons and a computer but didn't file any charges, the network reported. The 26-year-old had a history of mental health issues, according to his relatives - some of which followed his military service in Iraq several years ago. Named victims so far A 62-year-old man and a great grandmother were among the victims of the deadly Ft. Lauderdale airport shooting in Florida. Terry Andres, of Virginia, and Olga Woltering, of Georgia, were among the five shot dead by 26-year-old gunman Esteban Santiago as passengers collected their baggage in the terminal on Friday. Andres was on vacation with his wife when he was killed. Olga Woltering, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday. Advertisement Authorities said Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage in November last year claiming the government was trying to control his mind and he was being forced to watch ISIS videos, CBS reported. Investigators did a background check and found no connection between Santiago and terror groups, USA Today wrote. They turned over the suspect to local authorities for a medical referral. After that incident, Santiago started getting treatment for his mental health issues, sources said. He was previously pictured giving a one-fingered salute, which is commonly used by Islamic State jihadists often before they embark on a suicide bombing. Santiago was also contacted by the FBI after an employer back in Alaska raised concerns about certain things he had said, according to ABC News. His aunt Maria Ruiz told NorthJersey.com that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child in September last year. But she said something happened to him about a month ago and he was hospitalized for two weeks. She did not have details of his condition. 'Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind. He said he saw things,' she said. Santiago's brother Bryan Santiago said he could have suffered a 'flashback' from his time in Iraq, despite never being diagnosed with PTSD, NBC reports. Delta airlines staff helped customers as services resumed Saturday after the shooting that left five dead at the airport Meanwhile a hazmat crew cleaned up the baggage claim area in Terminal 2, where the deadly shooting occurred Friday Passengers, including 13-year-old Joey Rankin, waited with their luggage in the reopened Florida airport on Saturday Florida Governor Rick Scott and US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz are pictured arriving to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport Saturday for a press conference FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George Piro spoke to reporters at the airport during a news conference Saturday morning Large lines snaked through the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport on Saturday, just a day after the shooting A man in a hazmat suit was seen cleaning in Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport on Saturday Cleanup was underway Saturday in the freshly reopened airport. Travelers were allowed in again Saturday morning Chaos erupted and passengers ran for cover in Terminal 1 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday Travelers were seen running across Terminal 1 while seeking cover after the shooting unfolded in the airport's Terminal 2 Passengers took cover behind and under rows of seats at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport's Terminal 1 Other travelers ran out of Terminal 1 while a shooting in Terminal 2 left five people dead and six people injured Passengers ran outside and across the tarmac as they evacuated the airport's Terminal 1 Friday in the wake of the shooting The captured man was an Iraq veteran having served in the country for one year before being discharged in August last year. Police said Santiago into Florida from Alaska on Friday, after transferring at Minneapolis-St Paul Among the first of the victims to be named is Terry Andres (pictured) - a 62-year-old grandfather who was at the airport with his wife to go on a vacation Olga Woltering, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday Michael Oehme (left), of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was identified Saturday as one of the five victims, according to local reports. Oehme was about to go on a cruise with his wife, Kari Oehme (right). She was shot in the shoulder but is expected to survive Law enforcement officers o Friday night examined the crime scene inside the baggage hall in the airport's Terminal 2 A picture shared on social media allegedly showed one of the people who was shot by a gunman A shooting victim is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida A shooting victim is seen in the back of an ambulance after arriving at the Broward Health Trauma Center on Friday The airport reopened early Saturday morning after a 16-hour shutdown. Pictured, passengers wait in line at Terminal 4 the day after the shooting The airport's Terminal 2 remained a crime scene as of Saturday morning. Pictured, investigators walked in wearing special shoes to continue examining the area Police officers walked past passengers as they lined up in Terminal 4, the morning after the shooting. Friday's attack prompted a frantic mass evacuation Florida Governor Rick Scott met with displaced passengers Saturday morning at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport (pictured) Governor Scott (pictured Saturday morning) visited the airport in the wake of Friday's shooting that left five people dead and six injured after a gunman opened fire in Terminal 2 The Broward sheriff shared this photo of a young child sleeping in a suitcase at the airport, saying the night after the shooting had been long for everyone and thanking the public for their patience Gunman 'lost his head' after Iraq tour, say his family Santaigo's aunt Maria Ruiz, who lives in New Jersey, said that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child last year The man suspected to be behind the deadly shooting at Florida's Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport is an Iraq war veteran who had recently become a father and was suffering mental health issues, according to his family. Authorities believe Esteban Santiago, 26, left five people dead and six wounded when he opened fire in the airport's baggage claim terminal on Friday. His family have said Santiago was struggling with psychiatric problems in the lead up to the shooting and had recently been hospitalized for treatment in Anchorage, Alaska. Santiago had also been charged with domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend in January 2016, The Daily Beast reports. He allegedly verbally abused her in their apartment in Anchorage, Alaska while she was locked in the bathroom. Santiago is accused of then breaking down the door and hitting the woman in the head and strangling her. Santiago was arrested days later after fleeing the scene but was released on the condition he stayed away from the victim. He was charged with violating the conditions in February 2016 after police found him at his girlfriend's home. The assault case was resolved in March. His brother Bryan Santiago, who lives in Puerto Rico, said his family got a call in recent months from Santiago's girlfriend alerting them to his health situation. He said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the phone. The incident that sparked his hospitalization occurred in November when Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage claiming the government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch videos for ISIS, CBS reported. A law enforcement official said the FBI interviewed him and then called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The FBI said Santiago stated he did not want to harm anyone, but authorities were concerned by his erratic behavior. They said they closed their assessment of him once he was admitted for treatment. He was also contacted by the FBI after an employer back in Alaska raised concerns about certain things he had said, according to ABC News. Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico when he was two years old with his mother and brother. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before serving with the Puerto Rico National Guard from 2007. He eventually joined the Alaska National guard from 2014 to 2016. Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before receiving a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance in August last year. He had been living in Anchorage, Alaska with his girlfriend for two years before they welcomed a child in September last year. His aunt Maria Ruiz told NorthJersey.com that Santiago had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child. But she said something happened to him about a month ago and he was hospitalized for two weeks. She did not have details of his condition. 'Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind. He said he saw things,' she said. His uncle, Hernan Rivera, said: 'Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good.' Santiago's brother Bryan Santiago speculated about a motive for the shooting, saying he could have suffered a 'flashback' from his time in Iraq, despite never being diagnosed with PTSD, NBC reports. He said had recently been fighting with people back in Alaska, including his girlfriend with whom he was having relationship issues. He said Santiago, who was 'was pro-America', has not spoken to his family for several weeks, which was unusual. Advertisement The motive for the shooting is still not known, but Florida Senator Marco Rubio told CNN that Santiago may have gotten into an altercation on his flight earlier that morning. 'I know that was mentioned as a potential cause and they wanted to kind of look into that a little further and get to that point,' Rubio said. Santiago's brother said he had been fighting with people back in Alaska, including his girlfriend with whom he was having relationship issues. He said Santiago, who was 'was pro-America', has not spoken to his family for several weeks. 'We have not talked for the past three weeks,' Bryan told the Associated Press. 'That's a bit unusual... I'm in shock. He was a serious person... He was a normal person.' The gunman was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico where his mother and brother still live. He came back to Puerto Rico after serving in Iraq, before moving to Alaska. He lived there from 2014 to 2016 and his girlfriend and child are still there. His most recent address was in Naples, Florida. Other details about the shooter reveal he had a minor criminal record for traffic violations, according to court records. He was also evicted by his landlord for failing to pay rent in February 2015. Santiago was charged with fourth-degree assault and damage of property in January 2016, stemming from a domestic violence incident. In March, Santiago settled the charges by agreeing to complete unknown requirements demanded by prosecutors in exchange for dismissing the case. People were seen on the floor trying to comfort loved ones (left), while others appeared to be shielding others (right) This picture shows what may be the weapon used by the Fort Lauderdale shooter on Friday HOW CAN YOU CARRY A GUN IN LUGGAGE? It is legal for unloaded firearms to be transported, according to rules set out by the Transportation Security Administration. Unloaded firearms must be locked in a hard-sided container in checked baggage only. The firearm and ammunition must be declared to the airline at the baggage counter. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. *Source: Transportation Security Administration Advertisement About 90 minutes after the shooting in the airport on Friday, chaos broke out again when police officers were seen rushing into the parking garage with their guns drawn while bystanders sought shelter behind vehicles. But the Broward County Sheriff said the only shooting that happened was in Terminal 2 and that he believes only the one gunman was involved. A witness told NBC Miami that the shooter was silent and didn't appear to be targeting anyone in particular - 'popping off bullets at random'. John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, said the shooter was 'directly firing at us' while passengers waited for their bags to come off the carousel. In another interview with Fox News, Schlicher said that the shooter was aiming at people's heads. 'All the people seemed to be shot in the head,' Schlicher said. 'He was shooting people who were down on the ground too.' The shooter reloaded once for a second burst of shooting, Schlicher said, but he could not say how many bullets were fired. Santiago's aunt Maria Ruiz (pictured), who lives in New Jersey, said he had returned from Iraq acting strangely but had seemed happy after the birth of his child last year Authorities investigate the home of Maria Luisa Ruiz in Union City, New Jersey. Ruiz is the aunt of the Esteban Santiago, the main suspect in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Shooting on Friday Santiago had been living in this apartment complex in Anchorage, Alaska with his girlfriend and their newborn baby Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2:30 pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported An armed police officer with his handgun drawn is seen helping a woman evacuate during the chaos People take cover outside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, January 6 Police assist people seeking cover outside of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Police forced bystanders to take cover and lay low outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport People are seen desperately running across the tarmac after the shooting earlier in the afternoon Law enforcement personnel arrive in an armored car at the airport after the deadly shooting that saw five killed People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport People wait at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim Police question people who are evacuating from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport near the tarmac Shocking video has emerged from inside the terminal where a gunman opened fire on Friday. One woman walked towards the camera and said there had been bullets 'flying everywhere' during the shooting TIMELINE OF THE SHOOTING 12:57pm - Reports of the shooting emerged. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said: 'everyone is running' 1:16pm - Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport released a statement confirming there was an 'ongoing incident' at the baggage claim in Terminal 2 1:37pm - Pictures and videos emerged of passengers being evacuated out onto the tarmac 1:50pm - Officials said all services at the airport had been temporarily suspended 2:33pm - TSA issued a second warning. 'Update: Active shooter. Shelter in place.' There were reports of an incident in Terminal 1, where a pilot said they smelled gun powder 2:37pm - Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said the shooter had landed at the airport on an international flight and collected the gun - which he had checked into his luggage. He then, according to LaMarca, walked into the bathroom, loaded his weapon, then walked back out into the baggage claim and opened fire. 3:33pm - Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said only one person had been arrested in the shooting. Advertisement Mark Lea, a 53-year-old financial adviser from Minneapolis, says he was in baggage claim when the shooting started. 'I was dodging bullets and trying to help people get out of the way,' Lea said. 'At first we thought it was firecrackers,' he said. 'Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run.' Ari Fleischer, a former White House spokesman who was at the scene, tweeted: 'I'm at the Ft Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.' Cellphone video footage broadcast by local Fox television affiliate Channel 7 showed one person lying bloodied on the floor, and several others on their knees. A passenger named as Peter Cruise said he believed that travelers on his plane were among the victims. He said he and his family 'were walking up the ramp and just passed the checking gate when all a sudden everybody started running.' 'I grabbed the kids and took off running down the ramp. Told the flight attendant to let us off the tarmac, we ran to hide behind some luggage carts.' Video from the airport Friday afternoon showed hundreds of passengers corralled together on the tarmac with emergency vehicles parked outside the terminal with lights flashing. Governor Rick Scott rushed to the airport to be briefed on the shooting, as dozens of police and emergency vehicles converged on the scene. President-elect Donald Trump said he had spoken with Scott, and was 'monitoring the terrible situation in Florida.' 'Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!' he tweeted. President Barack Obama has also been briefed on the developing situation. He told ABC News on Friday night that he was 'heartbroken' for the families affected. 'These kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the eight years I have been president. The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous,' he said. The Florida attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others who are loners or mentally disturbed who have easy access to weapons under U.S. gun laws. Jesse Davis, chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, said Santiago didn't call attention to himself and 'as far as we can tell' traveled alone from Alaska to Florida. He said that a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. Authorities are trying to track Santiago's movements through Alaska's largest commercial airport using video footage. Davis noted that it's not usual for travelers at the Alaska airport to check firearms because many people hunt. The one-fingered ISIS salute adopted by the gunman A photo of Florida airport gunman Esteban Santiago appears to show him making a jihadist one-fingered salute while wearing a Mid-Eastern keffiyeh sometime prior to him carrying out the shooting massacre. The 26-year-old Iraq war veteran was pictured in the photo gesturing with his index finger in a pose that has become notorious among supporters of the Islamic State. Law enforcement officers are currently looking at whether Santiago had any links to ISIS or if he was mentally disturbed as part of their investigation into the deaths of five people in the baggage claim hall at Ft. Lauderdale airport on Friday. FBI officials said late on Friday night they had not ruled out terrorism and were investigating all angles as they try to determine a motive for the shooting spree. It was not immediately clear where or when the photo of Santiago was taken in which he appears to be making the jihadist salute. The traditional Islamic gesture - which refers to the tawhid or 'the belief in the oneness of God' - has been widely adopted by Islamic State supporters (above). Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posed in a similar stance in front of an Islamic flag in his bedroom. Advertisement Donald Trump tweeted that he was monitoring the situation at the airport about an hour after it happened People take cover at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport after a gunman killed five people and injured many more Police assist a woman seeking cover outside Terminal 2 at the Florida airport on Friday Two heavily-armed law enforcement officials are seen standing outside the garage at the airport. There had been reports of a potential second incident Law enforcement personnel stand near the airport on Friday as they secured the surrounding area A group of people are seen walking out of a parking garage with their hands in the air after the shooting A law enforcement helicopter is seen flying over a garage at the airport after it was put into lockdown People take cover outside Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. One woman is openly weeping as she hides behind the barrier An official is seen directing people who were running on the tarmac in Florida on Friday afternoon Police evacuate a civilian from an area at Fort Lauderdale Airport about 3pm on Friday after the shooting Footage showed police officers in a stairwell as the airport remained a crime scene into the afternoon Photo courtesy of Taylor Elenburg shows passengers gathering on the tarmac of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida after a gunman opened fire Travelers and airport workers are evacuated out of the terminal after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida A heavily armored vehicle is seen heading to the the airport after the shooting on Friday afternoon An aerial view taken on April 20, 2016 shows the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida, where a gunman opened fire on Friday People who were evacuated onto the tarmac were put onto buses and moved. The airport was then shut down Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was in the airport at the time of the shooting and tweeted about what was happening A Swedish woman decided to test whether it was possible to get a chick to hatch from a box of eggs - and three weeks later Coop Olle was born. The small yellow chicken was born in Ranas, north of Stockholm, after Agneta Linge put the box in an incubator. She has named the newborn after the Coop store she bought the eggs from. The newborn has been named Coop Olle, after a shop-bought egg hatched in Sweden The box of eggs was put in an incubator by Agneta Linge and partner Bernt Eriksson Agneta, 52, was inspired to try it after going on Facebook. She told The Local: 'I saw a Facebook site called "people who have hatched shop eggs" and I couldnt help but try.' Twenty one days later Olle was born - but Agneta is not sure whether he is male or female. Agneta was inspired to try after reading about chicks hatched from grocery store-bought eggs on Facebook Agneta pictured with the newborn chick, who was born after the box of eggs was put in an incubator for 21 days She and partner Bernt Eriksson, 66, worried that the newborn may be lonely, so went to a nearby farm to buy two companions, who now share a cardboard box in their home. Agneta told Aftonbladet: 'Chickens should really have company, so now he lives with two guys.' She continued: 'Eggs that become chicks must not have been cooled, so we've been lucky. We had no idea that the eggs could be fertilized.' The remains of five people, including three children, that were discovered inside a home in rural western Oregon that burned down on Tuesday appear to have been part of a murder-suicide. Autopsies show the children were shot to death; the woman died of blunt-force trauma to the head; and the man died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. The medical examiner has yet to confirm the identities of the deceased, but the residence belonged to Erin Kroeker, 39 and Keith Kroeker, 42, and their three children, 10-year-old twin boys named Luke and Braedon, and seven-year-old daughter, Leia. The Marion County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that the bodies were found over the last two days in the scorched rubble and appear consistent with that of the family who own the property. Officials say the fire was started 'deliberately'. Feared dead: Officials have recovered from the scene of an Oregon house fire five remains who are believed to be Erin and Keith Kroeker, their 10-year-old twins and seven-year-old girl A memorial has been left outside the burned remains of the Kroeker's home after five bodies were found beat or shot to death and then burned in a major intentional fire Deadly fire: The remains of a man, a woman and three children were uncovered over the last two days inside the Kroekers' fire-ravaged home near Hubbard, Oregon (pictured) Believed to be part of a murder-suicide, autopsies of the deceased show the children were shot to death; the woman died of blunt-force trauma to the head; and the man died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said The sheriff's office said it does not believe there is a danger to the public and that no suspects are being sought, but won't comment on evidence or give more details as the investigation continues. Investigators were trying to piece together what took place in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, when firefighters found a home, a shop and detached garage ablaze. The property is near the town of Hubbard amid hop farms in the Willamette Valley off Interstate 5, between Portland and Salem. Lt. Chris Baldrige told the station KATU that each of the fires ignited separately, describing the case as a complex criminal investigation, which is expected to continue into the weekend. Firefighters responded to reports of the house fire at about 3am on Tuesday and found three different structures alight, including the house Firefighters found one dead body inside one of the structures about 30 minutes after they arrived Emily Hamberger told OregonLive.com she has learned from some mutual friends that the Kroekers, whom she knew from church, hosted a dinner party Monday night, just hours before the fires ravaged their home. When their friends left, Erin and Keith's three children were getting ready for bed. Hamberger said Keith Kroeker was an elder at the Mid Valley Community Church and his wife helped with the children's choir. Firefighters responded to reports of a house fire at about 3am on Tuesday and found three different structures, which were not close together, alight. About 30 minutes later, the first dead body was found in the smoldering debris. About 100 first responders, among them 40 investigators, spent three days sifting through piles of the debris. The work at the site has been made more difficult due to the size of the crime scene, the extent of the damage to the structures and low temperatures, which caused the thousands of gallons of water used to put out the flames to freeze over. Last party: A friend said the Kroekers hosted a dinner party Monday. As the last of their friends departed that night, their kids (bottom row - 10-year-old twin boys named Luke and Braedon, and seven-year-old daughter, Leia) were getting ready for bed Mrs Kroeker, pictured here with her seven-year-old daughter, Leia, helped with the children's choir at the family's church Neighbor Michelle Palacios said the Kroeker family have been there for years, the Woodburn Independent newspaper reported. 'We've always been neighborly ... we've gone to each other's jewelry parties, we've exchanged Christmas cookies,' Palacios was quoted as saying. 'This is just bizarre.' Krystle Villanueva was charged and arrested on January 5 for her daughter's murder and for assaulting her father-in-law with a knife A mom appears to be choking back laughter in her mugshot after allegedly mutilating and killing her five-year-old daughter. Krystle Villanueva, 24, is charged with capital murder for allegedly stabbing her daughter Giovanna Larae Hernandez to death. She could face life in prison or the death penalty. Villanueva is also accused of stabbing her father-in-law, Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti, who tried to stop the attack. Mr Arellano-Uresti says that at 11am January 5 he went to go make lunch at the home in Kyle, a town located 25 minutes from Austin. According to KXAN, he saw Villanueva take a knife to her back bedroom then he heard Giovanna crying out in pain. When the SWAT team arrived, Giovanna Larae Hernandez (left) was dead after being stabbed multiple times and Krystle Villanueva (right) was showering off Krystle Villanueva's father-in-law said he tried to stop her from killing her five-year-old daughter Giovanna Larae Hernandez (pictured) Krystle Villanueva ran outside with a shotgun that was unloaded when her father-in-law took away a knife she was using as a weapon Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti (pictured) said he tried to stop his daughter-in-law from killing five-year-old Giovanna Larae Hernandez Mr Arellano-Uresti tried to grab the weapon from Villanueva and she attacked him, stabbing him in the forehead and back. Witnesses then saw Mr Arellano-Uresti leave the home and Villanueva run after him with a shotgun that was not loaded. Police and the SWAT team were called to the scene and found Villanueva washing off in the shower. Giovanna was dead in a bedroom according to Spectrum News. Neighbors were shocked that such a horror could happen in the quiet Green Pastures subdivision. Toxicology reports are still out, but Villanueva's friends said she suffered from drug addiction. They were also in shock that the mother could commit such a crime. Villanueva (right) is being held on a $1.1 million bond at the Hays County Jail Krystle Villanueva allegedly suffers from drug addiction but it is not known if she was under the influence at the time when she was charged with killing her daughter Arellano-Uresti alleged his daughter-in-law used drugs, alcohol and marijuana according to the affidavit. Her sister told officers in 2015 she went to a nearby rehab center for substance abuse. Villanueva's friend Sabrine Sifuentez told the station: 'She went to a rehab. She did a 90-day program and she came out good. She was doing good. She had a job. 'She tried to get help. I don't know if she just relapsed, or I really can't say what happened.' On a live Facebook broadcast by KXAN, Sheriff Gary Cutler said: 'This is one of the worst cases I've ever seen.' Police cordoned off the residence where Giovanna Larae Hernandez was found murdered Neighbors said the area was fairly quiet and Sheriff Gary Cutler said it was 'one of the worst cases I've ever seen' Police and a SWAT team were called to the scene where Giovanna Larae Hernandez was killed Sheriff Gary Cutler said Villanueva had minor run-ins with the law but 'nothing major' 'The suspect has had minor issues with law enforcement in the past, nothing major.' She is also charged with second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In one of the 'About Me' sections on one of her Facebook profiles she says: 'The most important things to me in life is family and succeeding in life but especially my daughter Giovanna La'Rae. I'd do anything in the world for this chick.' Villanueva is being held on a $1.1 million bond at the Hays County Jail. Of the total $800,000 is for capital murder and $300,000 is for aggravated assault. A classified report on Russian efforts to influence the US presidential election has reportedly revealed British spies 'tipped off the CIA' about the hacking. British intelligence was aware of Russia's involvement as early as autumn 2015, the report claims, shortly after they thwarted a similar attack targeting the UK general election. 'The British picked it up, and we may have had it at about the same time,' a cyber expert who has been briefed on the findings told The New York Times. In 2015 a Russian hacking group known as Fancy Bears reportedly tried to disrupt the UK's general election by targeting every Whitehall server, including the Home Office, Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence, and every major TV broadcaster. A declassified intelligence report explicitly ties President Vladimir Putin to meddling in the US election The report which was released on Friday said Russia had a 'clear preference' for Trump in his race against Hillary Clinton However, the attempt was thwarted by GCHQ. A declassified version of the report into Russian efforts to influence the US presidential election, released on Friday, explicitly ties President Vladimir Putin to the meddling and said Russia had a 'clear preference' for Trump in his race against Hillary Clinton. The paper, which called Russia's meddling the 'boldest effort yet' to influence a U.S. election, was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to hack the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, among them Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. It said that Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks even though the website's founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied that it got the emails it released from the Russian government. The report noted that the emails could have been passed through middlemen. 'We assess with high confidence that the GRU (a top Russian intelligence agency) relayed material it acquired from the DNC and senior Democratic officials to WikiLeaks,' the report said. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid 'trolls' to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. Moreover, intelligence officials believe that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its activities in the election to put its thumbprint on future elections in the United States and allied nations. The public report was minus classified details that intelligence officials shared with President Barack Obama on Thursday. Alisa Shevchenko is a skilled hacker employed by big businesses to track down weaknesses in their online security On Saturday it also emerged a young Russian woman has been placed on a sanction list by the White House for supposedly helping to interfere in the US election. Alisa Shevchenko is a skilled hacker employed by big businesses to track down weaknesses in their online security. Her company was a surprise inclusion on a sanctions list released by the US government last week amid paranoia over alleged Russian meddling in Donald Trump's presidential election win. The only information on the fact sheet said that the company - named ZOR - provided the Russian Federation's foreign intelligence service 'with technical research and development'. However she hit back at the company's inclusion on the list, claiming she had never knowingly carried out work for the Russian government. In encrypted emails to The Guardian, the hacker claimed the White House may have been tricked by 'counterfeit in order to frame my company' or had simply 'misinterpreted the facts'. The news came as Putin attended a Russian Orthodox Christmas service at St George's Monastery in the Novgorod region. The church celebrates the religious festival following the Julian calendar. Vladimir Putin (centre left, front) attends a Christmas service at a Russian monastery The Russian leader prepares to light a candle at the service at St George's Monastery Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) talks to fishermen after attending a Christmas service Putin with a young girl lighting a candle at the Russian Orthodox church's service in Novorgod Shevchenko said: 'A young female hacker and her helpless company seems like a perfect pick for that goal. I don't try to hide, I travel a lot, and am a friendly communicative person. 'And most importantly, I don't have any big money, power or connections behind me to shrug off the blame. So really, it could be anyone.' She also mocked the the 'insane level of hysteria around the entire 'Russian hacking' story'. Trump has ignored the intelligence report claiming Vladimir Putin influenced the election to help him win. The president-elect insisted Russian hacking had 'no effect' on the outcome of the race for the White House and dismissed suggestions voting machines had been tampered with. He made the strongly-worded denial just 10 minutes after he met with intelligence chiefs to discuss meddling by the Kremlin. Clinton complained during a post-election party in December that Putin had a 'personal beef' against her stemming from her criticism of the elections that brought him to power. Donald Trump, the president-elect, has insisted that the hacking had 'no effect' on the election's outcome, but has remained mum in the past 24 hours on Russia's involvement Vladimir Putin's government in Moscow, Russia was behind a series of cyber attacks and other influence campaigns aimed at influencing America's election, according to a report released Friday by the NSA, CIA and FBI Supporters of the NHS have reacted in fury after the Red Cross claimed hospitals were facing a 'humanitarian crisis' after its worst week in 15 years. The charity said it stepped in to help the NHS in England to deal with the increased demand during the winter, but have been hit with criticism accusing them of overstating the issue. It comes as it emerged that two patients died on trolleys in Worcestershire Royal Hospital's accident and emergency department in the last week. But former doctor and now MP for Totnes Sarah Wollaston who is chairman of the Health Select Committee bit back, saying: 'There is a crisis in social care provision but the term 'humanitarian crisis' is too strong. 'This is not equivalent to Syria or Yemen.' Former doctor and now MP for Totnes Sarah Wollaston who is chairman of the Health Select Committee criticised the use of the term 'humanitarian crisis' Red Cross said it stepped in to help the NHS in England to deal with the increased demand during the winter Syrian men carrying babies make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held Salihin neighbourhood of the northern city of Aleppo, which is what people are describing as a real humanitarian crisis The charity's chief executive, Mike Adamson, said extra cash was needed for health and social care to make the system sustainable. 'The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country. Red Cross chief executive, Mike Adamson 'We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds.' However, Keith Willett, director of acute care for NHS England, said it had worked with the charity over recent winters, funding and supporting it with its 'excellent service at home and ambulance service'. He added: 'But on the international scale of a humanitarian crisis, I do not think the NHS is at that point.' The latest figures show overflowing A&E departments have shut their doors to patients more than 140 times in December. On Friday a national body warned that a third of health trusts in England had issued alerts that they needed urgent action to cope last month, with seven of those unable to provide comprehensive care. Describing the pressure on the NHS, Mr Willett said: 'Clearly, demand is at the highest level ever. 'But also our planning is probably more comprehensive than it has ever been. 'In many ways this is a level of pressure we have not seen before and the workload that the NHS is being asked to shoulder in terms of medical treatment and personal care is very high. 'There are several reasons for that. 'There is the winter and many more people have breathing and heart problems, but we know it is also very difficult at the moment and social care and community services are not able to react fast enough to free up beds to keep up the flow through hospitals.' He explained that the main problem is moving patients through the hospital, and added: 'Many commentators have said if there is more money to be had then it should be directed at social care in the community first, and that will help the NHS more than anything else at the moment.' Keith Willett, director of acute care for NHS England Labour politicians jumped on the comments made by the British Red Cross, including Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labours Shadow Health Secretary, who said: 'The Red Cross being called in to help in our hospitals is just the latest staggering example of how the NHS is now being pushed to breaking point. 'For the Red Cross to brand the situation a "humanitarian crisis" should be a badge of shame for government ministers. 'This winter we are seeing a third of hospitals reporting they need urgent help to cope with the numbers of patients coming through the doors, A&Es have had to turn patients away more than 140 times in December because they couldnt cope and several hospitals have admitted they couldnt offer patients comprehensive care. 'More patients are languishing on trolleys and in ambulance queues. 'Meanwhile hospitals have been desperately pleading on Twitter for patients to stay away from A&E. 'The stark reality is the NHS is facing a crisis this winter and in need of urgent help from ministers. 'Its time Theresa May urgently faced up to her responsibilities and abandoned her policy of systematically underfunding our NHS.' Jeremy Corbyn demanded Theresa May explain to the House of Commons on Monday how she intends to fix what he describes as her failures in the health service. 'The crisis in our NHS is unprecedented,' he wrote on Twitter. 'People are lying on trolleys in corridors waiting to be seen. 'Hospitals have had to close their doors, unable to admit patients. 'The health service is at breaking point. but this crisis isn't due to an outbreak of disease, it's a crisis made in Downing Street by this Government a crisis we warned them about.' Despite the criticism, the NHS was supported by a number of people on Twitter, including Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes who said using the term 'humanitarian crisis' was 'outrageous', pointing out it was not equivalent to Syria or Yemen. Others agreed, including Charlie Peters, who said the Red Cross would lose 'a lot of credibility' for the claims, calling them 'alarmist nonsense lacking proper evidence'. Jeremy Corbyn demanded Theresa May explain to the House of Commons on Monday how she intends to fix what he describes as her failures in the health service A search and rescue member carries a child from the site of a barrel bomb attack staged by Syrian army in the opposition-controlled Mashhad district of Aleppo Meanwhile it was disclosed the London Ambulance Service suffered a computer blackout on New Year's Eve that forced call handlers to revert to pen and paper on the busiest night of the year. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said on Friday that it was investigating two deaths at Worcestershire Royal Hospital's A&E department in Worcester in the last week. In one of the cases a female patient on an emergency trolley on a corridor within A&E suffered an aneurysm and later died in a resuscitation bay, it is understood. Another patient died after suffering a cardiac arrest on another A&E trolley within the department after waiting 35 hours for a ward bed elsewhere in the hospital. A general view shows destruction in the al-Shaar neighbourhood after government forces took control of the area in the eastern part of the northern city of Aleppo A Syrian wounded baby gets treatment at a field hospital after warcrafts belonging to Russian army carried out an airstrike on a residential area at Bustan Al-Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo The trust said it was also investigating the death of a third patient on a separate ward in the same period. All three deaths happened between Saturday and midnight on Tuesday. The trust said accident and emergency departments had been 'extremely busy' through Christmas and New Year. News of the deaths came as NHS England data was released showing that, from December 1 to January 1, there were 143 A&E diverts across England, a 63 percent rise on the 88 recorded for December 1 to January 3 the previous year. The row comes as it emerged two people died at Worcestershire Royal Hospital after waiting for hours in A&E NHS officials say A&E diverts should only occur as a 'last resort' and are put in place when A&E departments cannot cope with any more patients. Instead, patients are sent to other hospitals for treatment. The latest data shows there were 42 diverts over Christmas week ending January 1 - the highest on record. This compares with about 20 diverts on average over a typical winter week of the NHS. Other data compiled by the Nuffield Trust shows a third of the 150 English hospital trusts warned they needed urgent action to cope last month. In the worst cases, seven of the 50 trusts that issued alerts announced they were unable to give patients comprehensive care. NHS England data for the week ending January 1 shows there were 372,000 attendances at A&E during the week, 40,000 more than the previous week (332,000). There were 92,000 emergency admissions over the course of the week, up on the previous week (89,000). The busiest day of the week for attendances was December 27 when there were 60,000 A&E attendances. Emergency admissions peaked at 14,600 the following day. WIDOW, 93, LEFT WAITING ON FLOOR Audrey Esposito, who waited 40 minutes on a pavement for an ambulance A frail 93-year-old was forced to wait on the pavement in freezing temperatures for 40 minutes after she suffered a fall as no ambulances were available. Audrey Esposito sustained bad facial injuries, pictured, after tripping over near her home. The great-great-grandmother ended up lying on the pavement under a blanket provided by a local shop owner in Bristol as she waited for help to arrive. Police administered basic first aid and called 999 after spotting Mrs Esposito. But the stretched South Western Ambulance Service said it could not allocate a crew despite temperatures being as cold as -2C (28F). After 40 minutes, police managed to flag down a passing paramedic in a car, who drove Mrs Esposito to Southmead Hospital. She was taken to the minor injuries unit instead of A&E but yesterday, ten days after her fall on December 27, she remained in hospital. The widowed pensioner, who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War, suffered cuts and bruises to her face, injured her wrists and needed surgery on her knee. Her son John Standfield, 59, described his mothers long wait as disgraceful. The IT consultant said: My mother could have easily died at the scene if not from her injuries then from the freezing stone floor she lay on. A spokesman for SWAS apologised for Mrs Espositos experience and said the call was made during an extremely busy time. Advertisement The British Medical Association said the NHS should be 'ashamed' of the situation, and it's head Dr Mark Porter added: 'This intervention from the Red Cross highlights the enormous pressure the NHS is currently facing as conditions in hospitals across the country are reaching a dangerous level. 'The Government should be ashamed that it has got to the point where volunteers have been necessary to ease the burden. 'The devastating consequences of the lack of commitment to funding for health and social care have become all too apparent and patients are enduring one of the worst winters on record. 'Staff are working flat-out in extremely difficult conditions. 'The Government must take responsibility for the patients whose care and safety is being put at risk and urgently get to grips with this crisis situation.' Health minister Jeremy Hunt has not spoken publicly on the issue despite repeated requests for comment and former health minister Norman Lamb urged him to come out of 'hiding'. The Liberal Democrat said: 'Jeremy Hunt must stop hiding and announce immediate measures to alleviate this crisis, including emergency funding to plug gaps across services that are putting patient safety at risk. 'This Government should be ashamed. Captain Peter Rose, head of 94th Precinct, is facing extreme public scrutiny after making comments regarding what he considers to be 'real rapes' The public is taking issue with comments made by a police captain in Brooklyn, New York, regarding what he considers to be 'real rapes'. Captain Peter Rose, head of 94th Precinct, explained that while there was an increase in the number of rapes, only a few of the number reported were 'true stranger rapes'. He said at a community council meeting on Wednesday night: 'The reported rapes are not total abomination rapes where strangers are being dragged off the streets. 'If there's a true stranger rape, a random guy picks up a stranger off the street, those are the troubling ones. that person has, like, no moral standards.' He later told DNA info that the spiked trend of date rape and 'hookups' are not something that they are worried about, because they are not true 'stranger' rapes. People around the country are taking issue with the police captain's comments, and Mayor de Blasio's office reprimanded him. He said at a community council meeting on Wednesday night: 'The reported rapes are not total abomination rapes where strangers are being dragged off the streets. 'If there's a true stranger rape, a random guy picks up a stranger off the street, those are the troubling ones. that person has, like, no moral standards' Jane Manning, Director of Advocacy at the National Organization for Women New York City chapter was among those to make a public statement. She told DNA info: 'the idea that "this isn't some guy who's dangerous to women" that in itself is a major window into the mentality that we're up against.' She further explained that his comments set a dangerous tone and precedent for officer attitude towards 'acquaintance rapes' and how seriously they should be taken. Public Advocate Letita James condemned Rose's remarks as well, the New York Post reports. Rose's comments were in response to new data by DNA info that shows sex attacks in the Brooklyn neighborhood Greenpoint have increased 62 per cent in the last year THe police captain does not face disciplinary action, and another officer, who wishes to remain unnamed, told the Post that the comments may have been 'misinterpreted or misstated'. People around the country are taking issue with the comments, and Mayor de Blasio's office reprimanded him She said: 'Too often victims of rape and sexual crimes do not come forward because of fear that their claims won't be taken seriously, and these comments perpetuate those concerns. ' The women's rights group UltraViolet called for Rose's firing over his remarks that were 'deeply disturbing coming from a police captain'. Spokesperson Eric Phillips clarified that all sexual assault cases are taken seriously by the police, and that 'rape is rape'. Rose does not face disciplinary action, and another officer, who wishes to remain unnamed, told the Post that the comments may have been 'misinterpreted or misstated'. Rose's comments were in response to new data by DNA info that shows sex attacks in the Brooklyn neighborhood Greenpoint have increased 62 per cent in the last year. The NYPD captain insisted that authorities are not 'too worried' about the trend because only a few were 'true stranger rapes'. According to police statistics, there were 13 rapes or attempted rapes in the Brooklyn neighborhood in 2016 but only three suspects charged. Police Officials said unsolved cases are because most were 'acquaintance rape', and women who originally came forward declined to 'cooperate further'. According to the same DNA info report, only about 14 per cent of rapes nationally are 'stranger rapes'. Florida Governor Rick Scott helped travelers find their missing luggage Saturday as he visited Fort Lauderdale International airport in the wake of the shooting that left five dead and six wounded. Two passengers spotted Scott crossing Terminal 2, where the heinous attack unfolded Friday, and approached him Saturday morning. The two travelers, who were about to go on a cruise, told the Miami Herald they had tried without success to find their four bags, which were part of 20,000 items left behind during a mass evacuation the previous day. Scott liaised with Delta to make sure the bags would be sent to the passengers at their first port of call. The governor, who has visited survivors of the attack, also expressed hope that tourists would return to Florida in the future and declared safety a priority. President Barack Obama meanwhile has said he was 'heartbroken' for the five victims' families, adding that similar attacks have happened too often during his two terms. Florida Governor Rick Scott met with displaced passengers Saturday morning at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport (pictured) Governor Scott (pictured Saturday morning) visited the airport in the wake of Friday's shooting that left five people dead and six injured after a gunman opened fire in Terminal 2 Scott came to the airport Saturday morning while authorities continued their investigation. They have identified a primary suspect and have not ruled out terrorism as a motive. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport reopened Saturday morning after a 16-hour shutdown. Terminal 2 is still considered a crime scene. Airport officials are now working to reunited displaced travelers with 20,000 items left behind when the attack unfolded Friday afternoon, prompting a frantic evacuation. Passengers Ronald Mackey and Charod Oliphant approached Governor Scott in Terminal 2 Saturday morning, frustrated that they couldn't find their four bags. They had flown to Fort Lauderdale Friday with their wives to go on a Caribbean cruise and had packed light clothes for the upcoming trip. 'I just explained to the governor my frustration with the process of finding my bag,' Mackey told the Miami Herald. The airport reopened early Saturday morning after a 16-hour shutdown. Pictured, passengers wait in line at Terminal 4 the day after the shooting Police officers walked past passengers as they lined up in Terminal 4, the morning after the shooting. Friday's attack prompted a frantic mass evacuation The airport's Terminal 2 remained a crime scene as of Saturday morning. Pictured, investigators walked in wearing special shoes to continue examining the area Travelers were seen sleeping at Terminal 4 after the airport reopened at 5 am Saturday, marking the end of a long shutdown following the attack Mackey had been talking to Delta about finding his luggage and ended up putting the governor on the line, hoping to speed things up. A representative from the airline said after talking to Scott that Mackey's luggage would be sent to Aruba, the first port of call on the cruise. The two passengers were also promised an allowance to purchase underwear and toiletries in the meantime. 'I think they would have done that anyway,' Oliphant said, adding that talking to the governor probably gave the airline more incentive. Oliphant recounted being barricaded into a security office for several hours after rumors of a second shooter started spreading into the airport, saying it was a 'harrowing experience'. A SWAT team eventually came to find the travelers, who included children and seniors, he said. Passengers were allowed to return to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport Saturday morning (pictured). Meanwhile airport officials worked to reunite people with their luggage A sign signaled that Terminal 2, where the shooting unfolded, remained closed as of Saturday morning. It was still considered a crime scene FBI investigators worked at Terminal 2 Saturday morning. Authorities have identified a suspect in the deadly shooting and have not eliminated terrorism as a possible motive Passengers were seen walking along a sidewalk at the airport after it reopened. More than 20,000 items were left behind by displaced travelers Friday Workers prepared airplanes on the tarmac Saturday as airport activity resumed. Governor Rick Scott has expressed hope that tourists will come back to the state Scott has met with survivors of the attack, some of whom are still in surgery and fighting for their lives. 'We love our tourists and we want them to keep coming back,' Scott said Saturday morning at the airport, according to the Miami Herald. 'The number one priority for our state is safety.' President Barack Obama spoke out about the heinous attack in the early hours of Saturday, telling ABC News he was 'heartbroken' for the victims' families. 'These kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the eight years I have been president. The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous,' he said. President-elect Donald Trump said on Twitter he was 'monitoring the terrible situation' in Florida and offered 'thoughts and prayers for all'. German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said a break-up of the European Union can no longer be ruled out Germany's insistence on austerity in the euro zone has left Europe more divided than ever and a break-up of the European Union can no longer be ruled out, according to German deputy leader Sigmar Gabriel. 'I also know about the state of the EU. It is no longer unthinkable that it breaks apart,' he said. The Social Democrat vice chancellor told Der Spiegel magazine on Saturday that strenuous efforts by France and Italy to reduce their fiscal deficits came with the political risks which threatened the future of the bloc. 'I once asked the chancellor, what would be more costly for Germany: for France to be allowed to have half a percentage point more deficit, or for Marine Le Pen to become president?' he said in reference to the leader of the far-right National Front. 'Until today, she still owes me an answer,' added Gabriel. The SPD is expected to choose Gabriel, who is also economy minister, to run against Angela Merkel for chancellor in September's general election. Asked if he really believed he could win more votes by transferring more German money to other EU countries, Gabriel replied: 'I know that this discussion is extremely unpopular. German deputy leader Sigmar Gabriel is expected to be run against Angela Merkel for chancellor in September's general election 'But I also know about the state of the EU. It is no longer unthinkable that it breaks apart. 'Should that happen, our children and grandchildren would curse us,' he added. 'Because Germany is the biggest beneficiary of the European community - economically and politically.' Gabriel's SPD favours a greater focus on investment while Merkel's conservatives put more emphasis on fiscal discipline as a foundation for economic prosperity. His bid to stop more EU countries shifting to the right comes amid Merkel facing a huge backlash over her migration policies. Open borders symbolise liberty and forward thinking for many Europeans but they increasingly look like the continent's Achilles' heel. Last month Europe's No. 1 terrorism suspect crossed at least two borders despite an international manhunt, and he was felled only by chance, in a random ID check in a Milan suburb. The bungled chase for Berlin market attack suspect Anis Amri is just one example of recent cross-border security failures that are emboldening nationalists fed up with European unity. Extremist violence, they argue, is too high a price to pay for the freedom to travel easily. Merkel's defence of the EU, and the welcoming hand she extended to Syrian war refugees, were once seen as assets, signs of her moral authority. Today, with anti-immigrant, anti-establishment sentiment rising across Europe, they are threatening to become liabilities. Countless numbers of people cross borders in the 26-country Schengen travel zone every day, due to a 31-year-old system encompassing nearly 400 million people that has dramatically boosted trade and job prospects across the world's largest collective economy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Parliament President Martin Schulz at an EU Summit in Brussels in December It's a pillar of a system designed to prevent new world wars, yet it is a system under growing strain. While EU countries debated over how to manage an influx of migrants last year, eastern nations rebuilt border fences and exposed EU weaknesses. The German far right is insisting on closing the country's borders. Merkel's conservatives are suggesting 'transit zones' to hold migrants at the borders while their identities are confirmed, and making it easier to hold people in pre-deportation detention. A Le Pen win in France would trigger a 'Frexit' referendum - and if another of the major EU countries was to leave it could trigger a procession. Far-right parties are on the rise in countries such as the Netherlands, Hungary and Finland - the citizens of which are increasingly questioning their necessity of their membership. Britain is set to trigger Article 50 and begin negotiations to leave the EU in less than three months time after a swell in nationalist sentiment lead to 52 per cent of people voting Leave. In December, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator said Brussels has 'no clear plans for the future' of the EU without Britain. Europhiles have repeatedly accused Britain of not having a plan for leaving, but Guy Verhofstadt said the remaining 27 member states are also ill prepared for the country's departure. French President Francois Hollande (second from right) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (second from left) are pictured with German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Michel Sapin, French minister of the economy The MEP and former Belgian prime minister called on leaders to urgently draw up ideas such as developing a European army. Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, he said: 'It's the last European Council of 2016 and I think it is not difficult to say it was a very difficult year for the EU with all the crises we're facing: the migrant crisis, economic crisis, the Brexit decision, the terrorist attacks and so on. 'My hope is that in this last meeting that the European Council preparing the new year, 2017, will have strong conclusions on the way forward with the EU. 'I have to tell you that the first draft that I have seen was not very convincing. It was again very general remarks but no clear plans for the future.' Meanwhile, Merkel has hinted in the past that she might be prepared to do a deal on free movement rules with Britain. Sir Ivan Rogers, the UK's top diplomat in Brussels, this week resigned over the 'muddled thinking' surrounding Britain's exit She said the EU must 'discuss further' the principle of free movement amid growing concern across the continent about Brexit's impact. But the Chancellor's remarks stand in stark contrast to other EU politicians who have insisted there can be no watering down of the bloc's principles to suit the UK. Merkel has also been warned that Britain and Germany must have a comprehensive trade deal after Brexit. Bavarian Economy Minister Ilse Aigner said the UK quitting the EU was a 'high risk' to the German economy. Ms Aigner said Britain was 'one of the most important trading partners for Bavaria', which is home to BMW, Audi and Siemens. Gabriel's stark warning about the future of the EU post-Brexit comes in the same week as Sir Ivan Rogers, the UK's top diplomat in Brussels, resigned over the 'muddled thinking' surrounding Britain's exit. The Foreign Office has confirmed that Sir Ivan had not sought any further civil service job. Prime Minister Theresa May, pictured here with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, has insisted she wants firms to have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market after Britain leaves the EU It is understood that Sir Ivan will receive three months pay in lieu of notice, in line with standard Foreign Office terms, but no special 'pay off' was offered or sought. He is being succeeded by career diplomat Sir Tim Barrow, a former ambassador to Russia described by No 10 as a 'seasoned and tough negotiator' who will help the Government make a success of Brexit. In a fiery message to staff announcing his resignation from the Brussels post, Sir Ivan had hit out at the 'ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking' of politicians and said civil servants still did not know the Government's plans for Brexit. The news of Sir Ivan's departure from the civil service came as a leading businessman and Tory donor warned about the dangers of leaving the single market. Sir Andrew Cook, who has given a reported 1.2 million to the Conservatives, said he would find it impossible to continue to fund the party if Theresa May's Brexit plans involved quitting the single market. Two conjoined sisters from Egypt look set to be separated after intervention from Saudi Arabia's king. The young girls, named Menna and May, will be treated at the kingdom's expense, reports in the Middle East have stated. King Salman al-Saud has ordered that that the conjoined sisters are transferred to Saudi capital Riyadh, where evaluations will be carried out to determine if they can be separated. King Salman al-Saud has ordered that that conjoined sisters are transferred to Saudi capital Riyadh Their father, Islam Saqr Ramadan Hassan, a day labourer, said the move had brought 'happiness and joy to our hearts' The twins are conjoined at the back of their heads, and share tissue and veins around the brain area. Their father, Islam Saqr Ramadan Hassan, a day labourer, said the move had brought 'happiness and joy to our hearts'. He said he has not been able to raise enough money to pay for expensive surgery. The family had been unable to meet the cost of treatment before the Saudi royal family intervened The twins will be be flown to King Abdul-Aziz Medical centre. Dr Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Rabiah, a general supervisor at the King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Center, said: 'This parental and humanitarian gesture is an extension to his great and noble attitudes towards humanitarian work and serving the less fortunate of this dear homeland and the Arab, Islamic and friendly countries.' Two 16-year-old girls accused of plotting a Columbine-like shooting at their school wrote about death and researched how to buy guns online, new documents show. Brooke Higgins and Sienna Johnson planned to shoot their classmates then themselves at suburban Mountain Vista High School in Colorado. Higgins' search history revealed that she read about teen suicide, how it feels to be high on heroin, the eleven satanic rules of the earth, and viewed a Craigslist posting for a sawed off shotgun. Charged: Sienna Johnson and Brooke Higgins, both 16, have now been charged as adults in an alleged plot to kill classmates at Mountain Vista High School They organized the attack for December 17, just before Christmas break, as it would be 'the most traumatic' for the community, according to Denver 7. The girls have now been charged as adults as prosecutors on Thursday charged Brooke Higgins with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Higgins wrote that she wished she could have been part of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and openly discussed her depression and cocaine use. Everything written by one of the Columbine killers in his journal 'made sense to her', according to the affidavit. Though the affidavit has now made a number of the case's shocking details public, Johnson posted the disturbing images of her journal to a personal website, where she wrote extensively about her love of 'rebelling' and struggling family life. Sienna Johnson posted images of her own writings on to a Weebly website The site also contains poetry and lengthy descriptions about her personal and family life A judge set her bond at $1 million after prosecutors argued she was a danger to the community. Her defense attorney, Dagny Van Der Jagt, argued against the charges and wants the case to be tried in juvenile court. Higgins and Sienna Johnson were arrested December 12 after police were alerted via a text-a-tip program developed for schools. Prosecutors said they worked together to form plans to attack classmates at Mountain Vista High School in the affluent suburb of Highlands Ranch. But Van Der Jagt said the teens were not close friends and their cases are different. Johnson, left, had mentioned Natural Born Killers, a 1994 film that was referenced repeatedly by the two Columbine killers. Higgins was infatuated with the two students who attacked Columbine High in April 1999 Plans: Prosecutors say the plot concocted by the girls would have seen them shooting people at Mountain Vista, pcitured, and had expressed a fascination with things tied to the Columbine High School killers 'They have very different personalities, backgrounds, interests,' she said after Thursday's hearing. 'They have been linked by what I call very weak circumstantial inferences.' Juvenile court is a better place for Higgins because it focuses more on treatment and therapy than incarceration, said Van Der Jagt, who told the judge her client struggles with depression. Behind bars: The two girls were taken into custody December 12 after Douglas County sheriffs investigators, acting on a tip, uncovered the alleged plot Prosecutors charged Johnson with the same crimes earlier this month. She also remains jailed on $1 million bond. They allege Johnson mapped plans for the attack and bought a BB gun for practice. Higgins warned a friend about the plans for the shooting, and a search of her cell phone showed she visited Armslist.com, an online gun site, prosecutors said. Rebekah Mellon plead guilty to first degree murder in the death of her husband at their home in Phoenix, Arizona Chilling photos reveal the blood stained floor and couch where a man spent the last 17 minutes of his life. Rebekah Mellon plead guilty to first degree murder in the death of her husband at their home in Phoenix, Arizona. Mellon shot her husband Donald in their living room on July 31, 2012, then sat on their L-shaped couch and smoked a cigarette for the 17 minutes that he lay dying. The entire altercation was captured on the couple's home surveillance system, as reported by Az Central. After she hot him, footage shows Mellon sit on the L-shaped couch and light up a cigarette. It also shows Donald Mellon covered in blood and crawling into the frame and lifting himself off the floor onto the couch. Mellon shot her husband Donald in their living room on July 31, 2012, then sat on their L-shaped couch and smoked a cigarette for the 17 minutes that he lay dying After she hot him, footage shows Mellon sit on the L-shaped couch and light up a cigarette It also shows Donald Mellon covered in blood and crawling into the frame and lifting himself off the floor onto the couch. Six minutes after he did so, his wife called the police Six minutes after he did so, his wife called the police. Had medical examiners gotten to Donald sooner, he likely would have survived the injuries. Before seeing the video, Az Central reports that the defense was looking to plead guilty to manslaughter charges, which would have gotten her a sentence of seven to 10 years. Had medical examiners gotten to Donald sooner, he likely would have survived the injuries After seeing the footage, Maricopa County Supreme Court Judge told Mellon that she should accept a plea bargain Mellon suffered years of domestic abuse charges at the hands of the man she murdered, and the defense planned to use that as the reason for her break. However, after seeing the footage, Maricopa County Supreme Court Judge told Mellon that she should accept a plea bargain. She said: 'Jurors will never have seen something like that. 'Someone willing to sit in the same room with someone and patiently let him die.' The outlined plea saw Mellon plead guilty to second-degree murder, receiving a sentence of at least 20 years, Az Central reported. Mellon suffered years of domestic abuse charges at the hands of the man she murdered, and the defense planned to use that as the reason for her break The entire scene was captured on the couple's home surveillance system, as reported by Az Central Its a very long time since Ian Rankin has faced such open ridicule. With book sales in the tens of millions around the globe, the creator of John Rebus is used to a more appreciative audience. But today, in the Oxford Bar in Edinburgh, a regular haunt of both the detective and Rankin himself, he is being subjected to public humiliation as regulars scoff at the new Nike trainers he is wearing in particular, their incredibly bright, luminous green laces. A laughing Rankin, 56, whose photograph hangs prominently on the wall, shrugs off the good-humoured insults with the ease of a longstanding friend which is what, of course, the pub, tucked away in a quiet lane off the citys bustling heart, has become over the past 30 years since he dreamt up Rebus. With 2017 being such a landmark year in the life of his best-known character, Ian Rankin is about to set off on an international tour instead, beginning in the US next month Within the next few days, the author would normally be preparing to start writing his next Rebus book but with 2017 being such a landmark year in the life of his best-known character, he is about to set off on an international tour instead, beginning in the US next month. Ahead of the anniversary, Rankin reveals a three-day RebusFest will be held on June 30 in Edinburgh, featuring some of the bands loved by both himself and Rebus and are mentioned throughout the 21 books. Screenings and appearances by actors involved in the TV series are also planned. Rankin also says the ageing Rebus has made him acknowledge his own mortality, how negotiations are under way to bring the character back to TV and hints he might even find time to write a new book later this year. But before all that, Rankin, whose latest book Rather Be the Devil was published two months ago, is looking forward to a holiday in St Lucia with his wife Miranda. Rebus, of course, will be there in spirit whether they like it or not. Rankin says: It feels a bit strange not to be preparing for my next book. Fans want another one. Rebus is so real to so many people and the truth is they often get very disappointed when they meet me because Im not him. Hes much more interesting and more complicated than me. Its hugely flattering that people want to spend time with him. Ive had people saying, I cant believe its the 30th anniversary, Ive been with you since book one. Thats the reality, hes been with them for half their lives. Its terrifying. A three-day RebusFest will be held on June 30 in Edinburgh, featuring some of the bands loved by both himself and Rebus As he talks about Rebus, discussing his recent health issues, his bad habits smoking and drinking even his musical tastes, its hard not to get swept up in the phenomenon, whether you are a fan or not. So, if Rebus is real, does he have a view on Brexit? Tickled by the idea, Rankins eyes dance as he says: Rebus is not political, so I think its an irrelevance to him. Why would it affect him anyway? He doesnt have a passport, so he doesnt go abroad, he doesnt need euros. Rankins books, however, do often weave current events, from the G8 summit in Scotland in 2005 to the independence referendum of 2014, into their storylines. Rebus may not have much to say on Brexit but Rankin, who usually steers clear of political pronouncements, is clearly rattled by the outcome of the EU referendum. He said: We were on holiday in Greece and my wife stayed up to watch the Brexit result, while I went to bed. There were six of us in the villa and when I came downstairs next morning, it was like a f***ing funeral. I said, Everybody all right? My wife said, Weve left. I said, What do you mean, weve left? Our friend, who we were staying with, is Greek but hes a dentist in Edinburgh. He was asking what did it mean for him, for the people he employed? Nobody could take it in. His first novel, Knots & Crosses, which was rejected by five publishers before being accepted, introduced readers to Rebus as a 40-year-old, heavy-smoking, heavy-drinking, divorced father of one Its not our generation thats going to have to deal with this, its the next generation. Weve made a helluva mess. Its not really democracy if they dont make everybody vote. They should have made it compulsory for something that big. What you end up with is 72 per cent of the population across the UK voting on something with massive implications for everybody. Rankin smiles ruefully as he says he slept through the victory of Donald Trump too. You know how they say, May you live in interesting times. Well, sometimes times are just too interesting. God, its unbelievable. I went to bed thinking there was no way he was getting in, I woke up to my wife crying, Trumps in. I tell you, Im never sleeping again. Hes due in the US shortly after Trump is inaugurated as President. Its the closest well get to The West Wing, he says. Things can only get better, as they say. Ive decided Im going to use all my money and all my talent to build a bunker at the moment. Im going to fill it up with books, music and booze. Well dig ourselves in for the Trump presidency and come out in four years time. All that will be left will be scorpions and Keith Richards. Rankin is in negotiations to bring Rebus back to TV after buying back the rights as he was annoyed by the editing for the last series, starring Ken Stott. They were turning 400-page books into a one-hour episode with adverts, he says, disgusted. An earlier series, starring John Hannah as a young Rebus, he felt was much fairer to his writing. So, were talking to various people. It could be a while though. There are so many cops on TV just now. Im not in a hurry. It will have to be right before Ill let them do it. He adds with a Cheshire cat grin: Im a great admirer of Scandinavian crime dramas, which are allowed to play out over a number of hours. About 20 would be good. Regarding a new Rebus novel, Rankin says: The second half of this year is looking a bit quiet, so I might find the time then. Becoming the No1 best-seller for fiction in the US, Rankin reveals, is still one of his biggest dreams. But he says: Ive not cracked America yet. Theres always something to chase, no matter how successful an author is. But Im happy where I am. I get to do a book when I want to, I get as much free time as I want, I get to buy lots of LPs, go on lots of holidays. Im around for my family and I make a living as well. Its pretty good. Rankin is in negotiations to bring Rebus back to TV after buying back the rights as he was annoyed by the editing for the last series, starring Ken Stott His first novel, Knots & Crosses, which was rejected by five publishers before being accepted, introduced readers to Rebus as a 40-year-old, heavy-smoking, heavy-drinking, divorced father of one. But it would be the tenth Rebus book, Dead Souls, before he made it into the Top Ten best-sellers list, finally reaping the rewards of his hard graft. Until 2007, Rankin, who is originally from Cardenden in Fife but now lives in Edinburghs Merchiston, stuck to real-time ageing and retired Rebus, aged 60, in Exit Music. But five years later, with improvements in DNA leading to successes in cold cases, he had a reason to bring him back to the delight of fans. So what are the omens now for Rebus? Rankin admits hes managed to slow down time in recent books, but there is no doubt age is creeping up on Rebus and, indirectly, preying on the authors mind. Hes about 66, he should be 70, says Rankin. Ive slowed the clock drastically just to squeeze another book or two out of him before it gets ridiculous. Theres no denying the latest books have all been focused on mortality. Hes feeling his age now. Hes not the guy he was in the early books. Previously, he could use his physical presence to intimidate people. He doesnt get into a fight now because he knows hell lose. These latest books have Rebus coming to terms with whether there is a role for him in this shiny new world. Is that how Rankin sees things going for himself? If you were a psychoanalyst, I guess you would say its all there in the books. Id be told, Youre worried about dying, youre fretting about it. Partly, they would be right. My mum died of cancer at 58 and Im 56, so you do start to think about that stuff. He blames his wife for Rebus present gloomy health prospects. Its all her fault. Shes been saying for years Rebus has had a lucky run, bearing in mind his smoking, drinking and lack of exercise. Miranda has a good friend whos a GP, so I asked her what she would expect him to present if he walked into her surgery. She went through half a dozen things, some more horrendous than others, from cancer to chronic pulmonary disease, before I settled on the latter. So now Rebus needs an inhaler. Not exactly life-threatening, but life-limiting. Next book, I have to bear that in mind. It was the tenth Rebus book, Dead Souls, before he made it into the Top Ten best-sellers list, finally reaping the rewards of his hard graft. One book Rankin wont be working on is Sir Sean Connerys autobiography, which the pair discussed a few years ago. He was a big fan of my books and had an inkling we could maybe do a book together. It was just an idea and, as these things sometimes do, it didnt go any further. But I remember I felt I should take along a DVD to get him to sign it. Unfortunately, his film of choice was The League of Extraordinary Gentleman the movie in which Sir Sean had such a spectacular falling-out with director Stephen Norrington he quit acting for good. Rankin recalls: I grabbed a DVD because I thought Id better get his autograph, but the only bloody film I could find was that one, the last one he made because he hated it so much. I said to Sir Sean, Do you mind signing this for me?. He took it from me, signed it and handed it back, saying, The director was a f***ing mad man. Ive still got the signed DVD. I bet there arent too many signed copies of that around. Rankin feels fortunate he will never have to worry about money, thanks to Rebus. Particularly because the younger of his two sons, Kit, 22, suffers from Angelman syndrome, a disorder which causes severe disabilities. He uses a wheelchair and is looked after in a care facility for young adults. Rankin feels fortunate he will never have to worry about money, thanks to Rebus Rankin says: When he was first diagnosed, we were living in France and I was writing my eighth Rebus book, Black and Blue. I channelled all my frustration and rage on to the page. All the big questions. Why us? The award-winning book secured Rankins reputation as an author. Now he says: It took me a long time to get famous, to get rich. If it had happened overnight, I probably would have been insufferable. But by the time I did, I wasnt in the first flush of youth any more and I had kids. So you dont buy the Lamborghini, you dont have the huge, expensive holidays. Its lovely to be able to help my family. I dont have to worry about Kit getting the equipment he needs. Hes as happy as Larry now. Every day is full of fun, people looking after him amazingly well. Hes so busy we have to make an appointment to see him. But whats in store for Rebus? I dont know whats going to happen to him. He cant run around solving crimes when hes 70 or in an old folks home. The grandmother of two sisters charged in the torture of a special needs teenager has apologized to the victim. Priscilla Covington, 65, told DailyMail.com: I am so sorry, I am so sorry. I apologize on behalf of my family to his, thats all I can say. Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, have been charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery and hate crime for torturing the victim along with alleged accomplices Jordan Hill, 18, and Tesfaye Cooper, 18. The grandmother, who brought up Brittany from infancy, added: My girl was not raised liked that. Brittany Covington (center), 18, and Tanishia Covington (right), 24, have been charged in the kidnapping and torture of a white special needs teenager. Their grandmother, Priscilla Covington (left), says that she has apologized to the victim She attended court on Friday with other family members to support her granddaughters. During the six-hour ordeal, the gang terrorized and degraded the 18-year-old, then posted a video to Facebooks live-stream. He was beaten, cut with a knife, burned with cigarettes and at one point, a piece of his scalp was cut off. They forced the disabled man to drink toilet water and kiss the floor, according to police. Tesfaye Cooper (left) and Jordan Hill (right) were alleged accomplices to the crime During the six-hour ordeal, the gang terrorized and degraded the 18-year-old (seen above), then posted a video to Facebooks live-stream The suspects also allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth, taped his mouth shut and bound his hands with a belt. One of the four accused can be heard screaming, 'f*** Donald Trump, f*** white people' at the victim. The group of four black men and women were denied bail by a judge on Friday who labelled them a danger to society. I'm looking at each of you and wondering where was the sense of decency that each of you should have had? Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil said. I don't see it. Relatives of Brittany Covington and Tanishia Covington, left and right, leave the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Friday. Priscilla Covington is seen on the far left One of the four suspects demanded $300 from the victim's mother if she wanted her son back, a prosecutor revealed on Friday. The four were also charged with two hate crimes - one because the young man was disabled and one because of race. The teen, who is white, suffers from schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder. He attended a special needs school in Aurora, Illinois with one of the accused, Jordan Hill. Hill was also charged with robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He, Cooper and Brittany Covington face additional charges of residential burglary, according to Cook County State Attorney's Office. Attorneys for the suspects tried to argue for their bail by telling the judge about their background and family life. Priscilla Covington, 65, told DailyMail.com: I am so sorry, I am so sorry. I apologize on behalf of my family to his, thats all I can say. Her Chicago apartment is seen above Public defenders say 24-year-old suspect Covington, of Chicago, is the mother of two children, ages 11 months and two years old. They said her sister, Brittany Covington, of Chicago, attends college and is involved with her church. Tanishia Covington is the only accused with a prior adult criminal record, according to reports. In 2005, she was convicted of shoplifting, and she pleaded guilty in April of 2016 for failing to appear at her court date on a criminal trespass to a vehicle charge. The grandmother, who brought up Brittany (left) from infancy, added: My girl was not raised liked that. Tanishia Covington (right) is the only accused with a prior adult criminal record Priscilla Covington (right) told the AP on Friday: I'm so upset, my head is about to bust open. Her grandmother told the AP on Friday: I'm so upset, my head is about to bust open. I don't know if someone influenced her. ... She had her ups and down. [She] was a good person. I'm so confused. The attorneys say Hill, of suburban Carpentersville, works for a staffing company assembling furniture and attends church with his grandmother. They say the fourth suspect Cooper, of Chicago, cares for his twin brother who uses a wheelchair and is a high school junior. The victims aunt told DailyMail.com on Friday that he was unable to speak about the attack other than to repeatedly ask why a friend he idolized had done this to him. Janet Grant said her nephew would be mentally scarred by the prolonged ordeal where he was bound, beaten, cut, burned and forced to drink from a toilet. Grant said: '[The victim] just keeps saying, 'Why, why? Jordan was my friend. He's been my friend for a couple of years.' She continued: 'They went to school together, they both had problems. He adores Jordan. I don't know Jordan but [the victim] really liked him. It's one thing if they didn't know each other but [the victim] idolized him.' The suspects allegedly stuffed a sock into the victim's mouth, taped his mouth shut and bound his hands with a belt The four friends arrested in the incident allegedly expressed no remorse for the torture. Grant, who is the sister of the victim's father said the family were 'terrible' since the teenager's ordeal. 'He's got enough problems already. They put cigarette butts out on his head, cut a hole in his scalp. Once they took him to Chicago, he had no meds for four days. He couldn't even fight back. 'Physically he'll heal but mentallyhe'll always be looking over his shoulder. Probably won't trust anybody. ' Grant said that she was unsure if any family members would attend the first court appearance of the four accused on Friday. One of the four accused can be heard screaming, 'f*** Donald Trump, f*** white people' at the victim. In another video that surfaced on Wednesday night, the torturers force the victim to drink water from a toilet (left) 'I don't even know if my brother's going everyone is having a hard time dealing with it,' she said. The family does not know the connection Hill had to the other three accused. His aunt said the only thing she would ask them is 'why just why?' His cousin, Kyle Pudowski, 21, told DailyMail.com: 'I don't know what made people do that. It's crazy.' Mrs Grant added: 'Or even watch people do that. How could a woman watch that? They thought it was going to make them popular putting cigarette butts out on a kid with schizophrenia and ADHD.' Kyle Pudowski said he hoped that the perpetrators would receive lengthy prison sentences for that they had done. The aunt added: 'It's not even about the punishment just why? Grant said the family had been deeply touched by the outpouring of support from the local community and beyond. A GoFundMe account set up with a goal of raising $10,000 has surpassed $82,000. 'It's wonderful,' she said. 'It's sad it takes something like this.' Grant said that she had spent a lot of time with the victim and that she and her brother babysat each other's children when they were growing up. She said: '[He's] a good boy. He would give you the shirt off his back. 'His mom didn't like him hanging out but [he] would say, "that's my friend, that's my friend." He looked up to Jordan. '[He] thought he was cool. I think he was one of the popular ones at school.' The family made a brief statement to local TV stations on Thursday night. David Boyd, the victim's brother-in-law, said: 'He's doing well as well as he could be at this time. We are so grateful for all the prayers and efforts that led to the safe return of our brother. 'This should never happen.' Grant said that the victim's father was too devastated to speak at the brief news conference. Streamwood Police Department said in a statement that his parents reported him missing on January 2. They had last heard from him on New Year's Eve after dropping him off at a McDonald's restaurant in Streamwood, close to their home. As police investigated the disappearance, the parents received text messages from the captors. Police then found a disturbing video showing the victim being tortured. The video lasts for 30 minutes but investigators believe that the vulnerable victim's ordeal went on for six hours. It was initially posted by Brittany Covington but has since been deleted. In another video that surfaced on Wednesday night, the torturers force the victim to drink water from a toilet. The unidentified victim was able to make a break for it when the downstairs neighbors reported the noise to police. The victim has been returned to his parents. Chicago authorities revealed more about the disturbing incident on Thursday. The victim's parents dropped him off at a McDonald's on Saturday so that he could spend the night at Hill's home. '[He] told [his mother] that he was meeting a friend there but never said who,' according to a missing person's report. '[His mother] believes that the friend [the victim] was meeting is Jordan.' The parents became worried on Monday after only having sporadic text messages from their son and then his phone being turned off. Police considered the teenager 'a missing endangered person due to his mental health history and not currently taking his medication.' His mother thought he may be with another friend, Derek, in the area but she didn't know his last name or if it is his real name because he did 'not like telling his parents who he is with,' the police report stated. On Saturday night, Hill had allegedly picked the victim up in a stolen van. For the first two days, the two visited friends and the victim reportedly slept in the van at night. On Tuesday, the pair visited the West Chicago residence of the Covington sisters where Cooper was also present. A few hours after they arrived at the house, Hill and the victim got into a play fight that then escalated to a prolonged torture. Police said the young man made so much noise as he was being tortured that the downstairs neighbors eventually called police to report the noise. The group became angered with the downstairs neighbors, and three of them went downstairs to kick the neighbor's door in. It was at this moment that the victim was able to make a break for it. Outside of the residence, a police officer found the victim 'bloodied and bruised', wearing a tank top and shorts in the dead of winter. The victim was treated in hospital and has been returned to his parents. On Thursday, President Obama said he believed the 'despicable' actions seen in the video were examples of long-existing hatred, and not a sign of U.S. race relations getting worse. A police officer in Fort Worth, Texas claims he was refused service at a Wendy's. When he entered the fast food chain's location at Trail Lake Drive and Interstate 20, he stated that the employees turned away and ignored him. Police spokesperson Sargent Marc Povero said the officer was the only customer in the restaurant, and the employees then hid in the restaurant's kitchen until he left. A police officer in Fort Worth, Texas claims he was refused service at a Wendy's at Trail Lake Drive and Interstate 20 Povero said that the officer believed they refused him because he was wearing his uniform, and stated that someone in the drive-thru made eye contact with him but didn't help him or take his order, according to Yahoo News. The Fort Worth Police Department then tweeted at Wendy's, asking for an explanation for the employees alleged behavior. The fast food chain was quick to respond and handled the situation 'abruptly' with the Fort Worth Police. Fort Worth Police then tweeted at the fast food chain asking '#whatsthebeef' Wendy's asked Fort Worth PD to direct message them with more information about the incident so they could properly investigate. The conflict seems to have been resolved as of yesterday afternoon after the chain met with the police department and 'confirmed their support for law enforcement'. Fort Worth PD posted an update again on Twitter thanking Wendy's - ending the tweet with the hashtag '#wendysbackstheblue'. Wendy's 'abruptly' handled the situation and squashed the apparent beef with the police department Evidently, Twitter is the best platform to reach the chain. They've made headlines recently with their quick one-liners and witty retorts in response to trolling tweeters. Their official account frequently chats with fans and jokes with those who put down the restaurant, but they generally respond to any service complaints formally. Wendy's is known for their witty responses and jokes with Twitter users are still searching for the gunman Mexican prosecutors said Saturday they are searching for a gunman who opened fire on an official of the US consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. The Attorney General's Office said Saturday the official was wounded in the attack Friday in Guadalajara. Surveillance video of the attack shows the gunman following the official in a parking garage. The official, whose name was not released, was dressed in shorts. The shooting appeared to be a direct attempt to kill the consular employee. The attacker doesn't appear to try to approach the official while he is walking, but instead waits for him to exit the parking garage in his vehicle and fires a round into the car's windshield. The consulate said on its Facebook page that the FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker. US consular employees and other US agents have been attacked in Mexico in the past; the attackers have usually argued the attacks were cases of mistaken identity. In 2014, a Mexican gang leader was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2010 slayings in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, of a US consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee. A gunman waited outside of a parking garage for the vehicle with the US official to exit The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for any information on the gunman who injured the official in what appears to be an attempted assassination Prosecutors said Arturo Gallegos Castrellon was in charge of a team of assassins with the Barrio Azteca, a gang allied with the Juarez drug cartel, and had ordered the three slayings. The murders of US consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton, her husband, Arthur Redfels, and Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another consulate employee, as they left a children's birthday party were a mistake, former gang members testified during the trial. Redfels was driving a white SUV that was very similar to a vehicle that Gallegos Castrellon had marked as a target for his team of assassins because they thought it belonged to members of the rival Sinaloa cartel. In 2012, uniformed police pumped 152 bullets into a US Embassy vehicle carrying two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain. The shooting against a US consulate represents a trend against American officials in Mexico The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said the people they attacked were in uniform and marked cars, and that they had responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation said those attacked were in street clothes, riding in unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers. A Mexican drug cartel lieutenant pleaded guilty in 2013 to murder and attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States in the Feb. 15, 2011, shootings of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton (right) was a US consulate employee who was murdered with her husband Arthur Redfels (left) in 2014 Mexican Arturo Gallegos Castrellon was sentenced to life in prison for the 2010 murders in the border city of Ciudad Juarez The attackers acknowledged they were members of a Los Zetas Cartel hit squad and directly participated in the attack, which resulted in the death of ICE agent Jaime Zapata and the wounding of his colleague Victor Avila, both based in Texas. According to court documents, a commander in Los Zetas Cartel tried to hijack the agents' armored government vehicle as it was driving on Highway 57 in San Luis Potosi. After hit squads forced the vehicle off the road and surrounded it, the Zetas commander ordered the US agents to get out. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is defending the syndicated talk show host Monica Crowley, named as a communications specialist for the incoming administration, against plagiarism accusations. Crowley plagiarized vast sections of her books in more than 50 instances, a CNN KFile report has found. Trump's transition team has dismissed the report as a 'politically motivated attack'. The conservative author published 'What The (Bleep) Just Happened', a critique of Barack Obama's first presidency, in 2012. The book, according to Monday's report, contains numerous sections lifted from outlets such as The New York Times, The Associated Press and Investopedia, without a bibliography or notes. Donald Trump's national security adviser Monica Crowley (pictured) plagiarized more than 50 passages in her 2012 book, a CNN report found Saturday Crowley, set to serve as director of strategic communications for the National Security Council, appears to have taken passages from several columnists, news stories and even Wikipedia articles. Trump's transition team has dismissed the latest accusations against Crowley. The book (pictured), contains no bibliography or notes but some passages are strikingly similar to news stories, columns and even Wikipedia entries, the CNN report said 'Monica's exceptional insight and thoughtful work on how to turn this country around is exactly why she will be serving in the Administration,' a transition spokesperson told CNN in a statement. 'HarperCollinsone of the largest and most respected publishers in the worldpublished her book which has become a national best-seller. Any attempt to discredit Monica is nothing more than a politically motivated attack that seeks to distract from the real issues facing this country.' One of the passages outlined in Saturday's report is what Crowley presented as a list of 'porkstatic spending items' from the 2009 stimulus package. But most of the items actually came from a podiatrist's 2004 website, and many came from a conservative list with some items dating back to the 1990s, CNN wrote. Crowley also seems to have taken a large section from Investopedia, explaining Keynesian economics. Eleven passages from the 2012 book also look identical to articles published in the National Review by Andrew C McCarthy, a friend of Crowley's. Crowley was accused of plagiarism in 1999, after one of her Wall Street Journal columns looked similar to a 1988 story in Commentary magazine. 'Had we known of the parallels, we would not have published the article,' a Wall Street Journal editor's note read according to Slate. Crowley denied the accusation, telling the New York Times at the time: 'I did not, nor would I ever, use material from a source without citing it.' The DailyMail.com has reached out to Trump's transition team for further comment. In his latest Twitter rant, President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that 'only 'stupid' people or fools' would dismiss closer ties with Russia. He added: 'We have enough problems without yet another one,' and said Russians would respect 'us far more' under his administration than they do with Barack Obama in the White House. Trump remained unswayed after his classified briefing on an intelligence report that accused Moscow of meddling on his behalf in the election that catapulted him to power. President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that 'only 'stupid' people or fools' would dismiss closer ties with Russia Despite intelligence reports detailing Moscow's involvement in the election, Trump tweeted on Saturday that having a good relationship with Russia is 'a good thing' He recently criticized American intelligence agencies calling assessments 'a political witch hunt' after reports said the Kremlin was involved with the US election. A classified report was presented to Trump on Friday, detailing Russian President Vladimir Putin's involvement and Moscow's 'clear preference' for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. However, Trump remained unconvinced and continued to say closer ties will be one less problem for the US and perhaps both countries will work together to 'solve many of the great and pressing problems' of the world. Russians would respect 'us far more' under his administration than they do with Barack Obama in the White House, Trump tweeted Trump said closer ties will be one less problem for the US and perhaps both countries will work together to 'solve many of the great and pressing problems' of the world But even as intelligence officials are looking back to their reports on the election, and have predicted that Russia isn't done intruding in U.S. politics and policy-making. Immediately after the Nov. 8 election, Russia began a 'spear-phishing' campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy, the report said. The report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to hack the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, among them Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. The unclassified version said Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks even though the website's founder, Julian Assange, has denied that it got the emails it released from the Russian government. The report noted that the emails could have been passed through middlemen. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid 'trolls' to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. Moreover, intelligence officials believe that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its activities in the election to put its thumbprint on future elections in the United States and allied nations. President-elect Donald Trump complained about the focus on Russian hacking during an interview with The New York Times on Friday The public report was minus classified details that intelligence officials shared with President Barack Obama on Thursday. In a brief interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Trump said he 'learned a lot' from his discussions with intelligence officials, but he declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had intruded in the election on his behalf. After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said: 'there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election' and that there 'was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines.' Vladimir Putin's inner circle celebrated after Donald Trump won the US election and were aware of hacks in intercepted messages, according to a newly released US intelligence report Intelligence officials have never made that claim. In fact, the report stated that the Department of Homeland Security did not think that the systems that were targeted or compromised by Russian actors were 'involved in vote tallying.' The report released publicly lacked details about how the U.S. learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret. Revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper listens to questions while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it 'does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign.' It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. 'Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency,' it said. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal 'We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.' Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. Before the intelligence agencies completed their assessment, Obama announced sanctions against Russia. Trump has not said whether he will undo them once he takes office, but lawmakers are calling for more punitive measures against Russia and have little to no appetite to roll back any current sanctions. The Department of Homeland Security did not think that the systems that were targeted or compromised by Russian actors were 'involved in vote tallying' Trump said he would appoint a team within three months of taking office to develop a plan to 'aggressively combat and stop cyber attacks.' On Saturday, he said he wanted retired Sen. Dan Coats to be national intelligence director, describing the former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee as the right person to lead the new administration's 'ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm.' Dramatic footage has emerged showing police officers and ISIS terrorists engaged in a shootout in Saudi Arabia. The street battle began at around dawn, in the Jasmine district towards the north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Security agencies obtained information that there was a gang preparing explosives, and launched a daring raid. A video taken from a bedroom window shows the terrorists, armed with machine guns, approaching the police car But the suspects inside refused to surrender and a gunfight ensued, as shocked citizens watched on from their homes. The terrorists, who were strapped with suicide belts, are believed to have taken a prisoner hostage in the incident. Those who were out in the street when the shootout started were ushered to safety into a nearby mosque. A video taken from a bedroom window shows the terrorists, armed with machine guns, approaching the police car. They get right up to the vehicle, but as they do, one of the police officers manages to shoot them at point blank range with a pistol In the background, a woman can be heard crying hysterically as she watches the drama unfold In the background, a woman can be heard crying hysterically as she watches the drama unfold. They get right up to the vehicle, but as they do, one of the police officers manages to shoot them at point blank range with a pistol. The hero police officer is currently in hospital recovering from his injuries. The hero police officer is currently in hospital recovering from his injuries following the shootout Jolie filed for divorce in September a week after the family fought on a flight from France to US Claimed he is casting blame at her for 'consequences of his own actions' She approved, but accused him of 'grossly mis A friend of Brad Pitt has revealed his sadness that the star's divorce with Angelina Jolie will unfold in the public eye after sealed court documents were leaked. The leaked documents illustrate the intensity of the custody battle between the two. The Pitt source told DailyMail.com that how the split has unfolded 'only hurts the entire family'. 'Its sad that that it took four months to agree to seal the records involving the case but only one day to start playing things out in public again,' they said. 'Brad has been cleared by both the FBI and Child Services and its unfortunate that they continue to behave in a way that only hurts the entire family,' they added. Scroll down for video Angelina Jolie is now accusing her estranged husband of 'publicly impugning' her character in new court documents that claim Pitt is 'terrified the public will learn the truth' Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt a week after the family took a flight from France to California in which the actor allegedly got in a fight with his son Maddox The documents show Jolie accusing her estranged husband of 'publicly impugning' her character in new court documents that claim Pitt is 'terrified the public will learn the truth'. The allegations came as Jolie approved of Pitt's request that their children's records be legally sealed. Pitt, 53, and his legal team asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to seal all records relating to their six children, claiming their accessibility is a violation of privacy, on Wednesday. Jolie, 41, agreed with his motives but accused Pitt of using court filings to deflect from his 'own role in the media storm that has engulfed' their children . Jolie, 41, accused Pitt of using court filings to deflect from his 'own role in the media storm that has engulfed' their children in new documents filed by her attorney Laura Wasser this week Jolie's team accused Pitt of superfluous court filings that 'could have been avoided' but are instead a 'desperate effort to obscure the truth which threatens his reputation' 'There is no question that this case has been of extraordinary interest to the public since its inception,' read the papers, filed by Jolie's attorney Laura Wasser. 'And there is little doubt that (Pitt) would prefer to keep the entire case private, particularly given the detailed investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Children and Family Services into allegations of abuse.' Wasser then goes on to claim that Jolie has not addressed 'each and every false allegation made by (Pitt)' in an effort to protect their children 'from additional tabloid fodder'. 'Her conduct in this case has been grossly mischaracterized by (Pitt)', the statement continues. 'Likely terrified that the public will learn the truth, (Pitt) is now casting blame at (Jolie) for the consequences of his own actions.' Jolie's legal team then accuses Pitt of superfluous court filings that 'could have been avoided' and protected his children's privacy, but are instead a 'desperate effort to obscure the truth which threatens his reputation'. The papers also claim that Pitt has refused to follow the couple's agreement that he will currently only have weekly therapeutic visits with his children. Since October 2016, therapists have been present during each of Pitt's visits with his children Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The papers also claim that Pitt has refused to follow the couple's agreement that he will currently only have weekly therapeutic visits with his children Since October 2016, therapists have been present during each of Pitt's visits with his children Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne The allegations have come to light as Jolie approved of Pitt's request that their children's records be legally sealed (pictured) The frequency and duration of these visits are being decided by the children's therapists, which the papers state were put in place by Jolie and Pitt after the infamous incident on a flight from Europe to California in September 2016. Pitt and his family allegedly got into an argument aboard a private plane in September, causing an anonymous source to call the DCFS. Pitt was exonerated in November by officials with the FBI and LA DCFS amid accusations he was physically abusive to Maddox during the flight from France. Although further weekly therapeutic visits have been scheduled through the end of January, Jolie's team claims Pitt has made repeated requests for more. The papers state that Pitt's legal team began requesting increased visitation in a non-therapeutic setting which 'was not recommended by the children's therapists and not agreed upon in the prior custody stipulation agreement'. It states that it is up to the therapists to decide, based on each child's 'individual feelings and progress', when and how Pitt's visits can increase. Aside from news of the documents, sources tell People magazine that Angelina's lawyers insist Pitt's accusations of her leaking information were only announced due to his fear of private information surfacing in the divorce proceedings. A source claims Maddox and Pax had 'no interest in seeing their dad' amid the ongoing strife An insider said the children were at odds as some of the girls are 'accusing their older brothers of being responsible for their father' 'Yesterday's filing makes no sense legally,' the source told DailyMail at the time. 'Everyone was surprised that he filed with the court because he already filed with the court before. Besides, Angelina had already signed an agreement to seal the court file. It protects the children and it also protects information about Brad.' 'All parties have already agreed and signed. The accusation that she is not protecting the privacy of her children is clearly false.' 'If Angelina wanted to detail what happened on the plane, she could have. Nothing has been released and Angelina has kept silent.' Meanwhile, Pitt's lawyers are claiming that Jolie made public the names of her children's therapists and other mental health professionals. It's the first time since Jolie's September 19 divorce filing in Los Angeles that Pitt has gone on the offensive against his estranged wife. Jolie - who currently retains temporary physical custody of the children - remains undaunted in her attempts to get sole custody of the kids At the time of the parting, Pitt said that 'what matters most now is the well-being of' their six children, adding: 'I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.' The ongoing strife has caused tension in the household amid the holiday season, according to an In Touch Weekly report, as an insider said that the children were at odds because Maddox and Pax had 'no interest in seeing their dad' amid the tough time. 'Some of the girls are accusing their older brother of being responsible for their not seeing Brad either,' the source said, while another insider told the publication that some of the kids 'can't understand why they're being kept away' from Pitt. Pitt and Jolie - whose romance is believed to have begun during filming of Mr & Mrs Smith, while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston, in 2005 - are due back in court next month for a hearing in the ongoing case. The actor is requesting to share joint physical and legal custody of the six kids with Jolie, who wants sole physical custody with Pitt receiving scheduled visits. Thousands waited for hours in single-digit temperatures to try to snag a ticket to President Barack Obama's farewell speech in Chicago. People began lining up well before sunrise for Saturday's 8 am ticket distribution, saying they want to show their appreciation and soak in the final moments of his history-making presidency. The lines stretched for blocks and snarled traffic around McCormick Place, the sprawling convention center along Lake Michigan where Obama will speak on Tuesday night. Sheryl Harvey is shown with her ticket to President Barack Obama's final scheduled speech in Chicago Thousands waited for hours in single-digit temperatures to try to snag a ticket to President Barack Obama's farewell speech People began lining up well before sunrise for Saturday's 8 am ticket distribution, saying they want to show their appreciation and soak in the final moments of his history-making presidency 'You never know when something as huge or as phenomenal like this will happen again, so I was like "I'm not missing this for nothing",'' said Umar Ibrahim, 28, who took the day off from his job as a city bus driver to snag a ticket, waking up at 3 a.m. to start the trek to the convention center. 'Just talking about it makes you beam,' he said as he clenched his ticket, grinning from ear-to-ear. Obama's final speech to the public will continue a tradition set in 1796 when George Washington addressed the American people for the last time as president. Obama's final speech to the public will continue a tradition set in 1796 when George Washington addressed the American people for the last time as president Thje event will be followed by a 'family reunion' for alumni of Obama's former campaigns, according to a save-the-date Organizers didn't say how many tickets were available, but many people walked away empty-handed on Saturday It will be followed by a 'family reunion' for alumni of Obama's former campaigns, according to a save-the-date. Obama has described the event as 'a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey,' to celebrate the ways the country has changed and 'to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here.' For many supporters, Obama's decision to give the speech in Chicago rather than Washington added to the significance of the event. For many supporters, Obama's decision to give the speech in Chicago rather than Washington added to the significance of the event It was in Chicago's Grant Park that in 2008 he delivered his victory speech after becoming the nation's first black president The lines stretched for blocks and snarled traffic around McCormick Place, the sprawling convention center along Lake Michigan where Obama will speak on Tuesday night It was in Chicago's Grant Park that in 2008 he delivered his victory speech after becoming the nation's first black president. 'He's coming home,' said Cheryl Bellamy-Bonner, 56, who volunteered on Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign. 'It shows he really cares about the people.' The President has described the event as 'a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey,' to celebrate the ways the country has changed and 'to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here' First Lady Michelle Obama is pictured embracing one of the finalists for the 2017 School Counselor of the Year during a ceremony at the White House, and her last public remarks as First Lady. She will accompany the President on Tuesday, along with Vice President Joe Biden Bellamy-Bonner said she appreciated Obama's professionalism in office and his support of diversity. She explained that if there have been any disappointments in his administration, it's that he couldn't accomplish more, which she blamed on a lack of bipartisanship. On Tuesday night, she's hoping to hear what Obama will do next and 'what we can do to help.' Organizers didn't say how many tickets were available, but many people walked away empty-handed on Saturday. Among them was Stacy Bond. The 28-year-old from suburban Evanston said she's disheartened about President-elect Donald Trump and wanted to be in the room to hear directly from Obama, the first president she voted for after reaching the legal voting age. 'You kind of want to hold on to that last bit of him that we've had,' she said. The White House says the farewell address also will be streamed live online. A carer who murdered 11 elderly patients in a nursing home fire has petitioned to have access to his favourite gay magazine in prison. Roger Kingsley Dean, 40, is living out a life sentence over one of the worst mass murders in Australian history at a Quakers Hill aged care unit in Sydney's west. The mass murderer has complained of the lack of racy reading in jail in a letter to the editors of popular gay magazine, DNA. Roger Kingsley Dean is pictured at the scene after a fire engulfed the Quakers Hill nursing home he worked at He wrote a letter to gay magazine DNA in 2013, published in issue #166 (pictured) 'Dear Editor, I used to be a regular DNA subscriber, but unfortunately I am now in prison doing a life sentence,' Dean wrote to the editors in a letter from 2013. 'I wonder if your marketing department can liaise with my prison's general manager to suggest they include DNA on the prison magazine buying list. 'I have spoken with various gay inmates who also feel frustrated that they are not able to buy gay books, literature and magazine.' The editor replied to say it was a 'bummer' Dean had to do 'hard time without appropriate reading material'. Dean complained of not having access to the magazine in the letter to the editor, entitled: 'Don't forget the felons' The scene of the destructive Quakers Hill fire is pictured Dean is pictured being interviewed by police after the 2011 fire killed 11 people The marketing team would be in touch with the general manager, the editor's response said. Dean's letter was published in issue #166 of DNA in 2013, and was unearthed by Daily Telegraph on Sunday. He was working as a nurse at the Quakers Hill nursing home when he set fire to it and killed 11 people in 2011. A Corrective Services spokeswoman told Daily Telegraph DNA magazine was not available at Goulburn prison and was unable to confirm whether Dean wrote the letter. Surviving patients and staff are pictured being evacuated from the Quakers Hill nursing home A British great-grandmother has been named as one of the five people shot dead in the Fort Lauderdale Airport attack. Olga Woltering, 84, was killed when a gunman opened fire on passengers as they collected their baggage inside an airport terminal in Florida. Mrs Woltering, originally from Ipswich, was making her way to a cruise as to celebrate the 90th birthday of her husband Ralph when she was killed. Her son Tim called his mother ' a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and good friend to many'. He added: 'She, along with our father Ralph, is the cornerstone of our family, and while she's absent in our lives now, she remains in our hearts, thoughts, and memories forever. Scroll down for video Olga Woltering, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, was scheduled to leave on a cruise from Florida on Saturday with her husband Ralph to celebrate his 90th birthday Olga Woltering, pictured with her husband Ralph, was described as a 'wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend' 'Her bright smile and loving manner will be missed by all who had the fortune to know her. 'She rarely seemed to meet a stranger, rather she had a smile or a hug for all.She was a blessing in the lives of family and friends. 'She was always guided by her strong faith in God and remained very active in her church, Transfiguration Church. 'She worked at and led cursillos in the church to bring God's message to others, and she spoke to groups about her personal faith as a testament to the power of God's love for us. 'She will be terribly missed by her faith community. Her family asks for privacy at this time as we mourn her loss and support our father and each other in the coming days. 'We are truly appreciative of everyone's prayers and support during this difficult time.' Her church in Georgia, where she lived, posted a tribute to Olga, praising her 'loving' and 'caring nature'. Posting to its website, the Transfiguration Catholic Church said: 'Olga was so charming, calling everybody "lovey" or "love" in her unmistakable British accent. Cellphone video showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds 'Her life revolved around her kids, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and hundreds of extended family at Transfiguration.' Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo added: 'Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met. 'This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved. Esteban Santiago, is shown in this booking photo provided by the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 7 'Olga and Ralph have been members of our Transfiguration Family since October 1978. 'May God give consolation to all of the victims of this tragedy and may God give eternal rest to those who died. Especially to our beloved Olga. Peace.' A parishioner said Olga and Ralph were 'the life of the party.' Friends who attended church with Mrs Woltering spoke of their shock and horror at her killing on social media. Jerry De Varennes wrote: 'Tragedy hit too close to home today. Transfiguration Church lost a very loving and caring woman in the Ft Lauderdale airport attack. Prayers lifted up for the soul of Olga Woltering and her family. Prayers also lifted up for a crazy and cruel world.' Virginia Moran added: 'So very sad, Olga's ever present smile was infectious and brightened any day, she will be deeply missed and my prayers are with Ralph, her family, all those she touched, and all who were impacted by yesterday's senseless action.' Diane Friesen said: 'Dear Ralph, wish there was something we could do to take away your pain. Olga was loved so much. Our hearts are broken. 'I'll always remember how she would say in her English accent, "hello love".' Law enforcement officers examined the crime scene inside the baggage hall on Friday night This picture shows what may be the weapon that was used by the gunman in the shooting on Friday Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old Iraq war veteran, was taken into custody and was pictured in handcuffs Saturday as police led him to the Broward County Main Jail, where he is held on suspicion of murder. On Saturday authorities charged Santiago with committing an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death, which carries the death penalty or a prison sentence up to life. He was also charged with two firearms offences and will appear in court on Monday. It came as authorities in the US revealed more about the alleged shooter, who is alleged to have travelled to Fort Lauderdale specifically to carry out the shooting. The FBI said Santiago had a gun confiscated after walking into the law enforcement agency's office in Anchorage, Alaska, in a distressed state. However, it was returned to him in December after he underwent mental health checks. They did not say if it was the same gun as used in the attack at the airport. The attack happened in the baggage reclaim area just before 1pm local time, the Fort Lauderdale sheriff's office said. Terrified people were seen running across the tarmac about 2.30pm - more than an hour after the shooting was reported More than 30 Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers were either sacked or allowed to quit Dozens of armed police have lost their jobs for slacking off while they were meant to be guarding Britains nuclear bomb factory. More than 30 Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers were either sacked or allowed to quit after bosses discovered they had not been patrolling the top-security site properly possibly for years. The force uncovered potentially systemic and long-running failures in duty and supervision by officers at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield, the 225-acre site in Berkshire where warheads for the Trident submarines are assembled. The mass misconduct involved very serious but isolated instances of numbers of officers failing to carry out their duties, internal documents seen by The Mail on Sunday reveal. After the irregularities in MDP patrol activity were first identified in August 2013, investigators spent months studying CCTV footage to find out who had not been doing their jobs properly. They then gathered 25 officers in a parade room and read out the names of those who were being served with misconduct notices, a distressing and demotivating event that came to be known as Black Tuesday, according to a review completed earlier this year. Eventually, six MDP officers were dismissed for gross misconduct, 25 resigned or retired and another six were given warnings, while ten had no further action taken against them. The force uncovered potentially systemic and long-running failures in duty and supervision by officers at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield But Len Jackson, a former police watchdog who sits on the MDP Committee, wrote in his review that it remains a major bone of contention at every level that no one above the rank of sergeant has ever been disciplined. Officers felt that bosses should have solved all of the patrolling issues by giving out a strong and final warning then sending everyone back to work. The MDP is now using technology to track officer movements and activity by location, according to an annual report. There was a separate regrettable incident at AWE Aldermaston that led to two MDP officers being dismissed and nine resigning or retiring, but the MoD refused to reveal details on security grounds. Last night, David Cullen, Research Manager at pro-disarmament group Nuclear Information Service, said: Instead of senior officers being held to account, there was a bungled investigation. If the MDP cant even properly investigate wrongdoing in its own ranks, why should anyone trust them to guard nuclear weapons? This is the alarming picture which reveals that the Russian army has deployed missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to war-torn Syria. The satellite image was obtained by Israeli intelligence and shows rockets on mobile launchers at a military base at Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. The new SS-26 Iskander missiles have a range of 350 miles, putting the UK air base on Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri little more than a hundred miles away easily within range. The satellite image was obtained by Israeli intelligence and shows rockets on mobile launchers at a military base at Latakia Russia has provided large-scale military support to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in the conflict, which has killed 400,000 people. Last night, security experts said the missiles were the most advanced ever produced by Russia and had been sent to Syria on a dry run. Igor Sutyagin, a senior research fellow in Russian studies at think-tank RUSI, said: Syria is like a huge test area for Russia. These missiles are a generational step ahead of what it had before. have also been found to use the same trick However, some say it is a fake or the sticker is on the home button It shows him holding an iPad with a sticker covering the front-facing camera The leader of the Catholic Church is taking extra measures to keep hackers at bay. A photo shared to Twitter shows Pope Francis holding an iPad with a sticker strategically placed over the front-facing camera. Covering up webcams has turned into a trend, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and FBI Director James Comey have both used this technique in the past. Scroll down for video The leader of the Catholic Church is taking extra measures to keep hackers at bay. A photo shared to Twitter shows Pope Francis holding an iPad with a sticker strategically placed over the front-facing camera The photo of the pontiff was shared on Twitter this past Tuesday by Collin Anderson, who praised Pope Francis for blocking the front-facing camera on the iPad and even gave him the thumbs-up emoji. The image has since been retweeted 3,085 times and liked more than 4,000 times. Although some are praising Pope Francis for taking precautions while using digital devices, others arent sold that the image is real or if the sticker is actually covering the camera. I think he is holding it upside down...that's the home button, not the cam, simulacra deorum shared on Twitter. The photo of the pontiff was shared on Twitter this past Tuesday by Collin Anderson, who praised Pope Francis for blocking the front-facing camera on the iPad and even gave him the thumbs-up emoji MARK ZUCKERBERG COVERS MACBOOK CAM WITH TAPE In June, a photo of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed his concerns about being spied on. A photo that he shared to help celebrate Instagram's 500 million monthly active users shows the camera and audio jack on the billionaire's Macbook covered with pieces of tape. Zuckerberg celebrates Instagram's 500 million monthly active users - his Macbook is visible in the background A close-up of the image shows the webcam and microphone on Zuckerberg's laptop both covered with tape. The picture was widely circulated on the web after the no-frills security measure was spotted After posting the photo online, Chris Olson was the first to point out on Twitter that tape is covering his camera and audio jack on his Macbook at his desk. It's rumored that skilled hackers are able to take over the front facing cameras on laptops when they're not covered up. It appears as though Zuckerberg, who is worth $35.7billion, is trying to prevent that from happening by placing a piece of tape over his camera, making the webcam useless. Advertisement But Michael Graziano wrote, we have yet another reason to like this pope (or at least respect the IS guys at the Vatican). The cameras on computers, smartphones and tablets are known to be open doors for hackers who are able to manipulate the technology in order to see right into your world. Zuckerberg was one of the first to use this technique and have the image go viral. .@CDA @SwiftOnSecurity and we have yet another reason I like this pope (or at least respect the IS guys at the Vatican) :) Michael Graziano (@voretaq7) January 4, 2017 @CDA I think he is holding it upside down...that's the home button, not the cam @DonnchaC simulacra deorum (@digitalfolklore) January 4, 2017 In June, the tech tycoon shared a photo to celebrate Instagram's 500 million monthly active users, but users notice in the background the camera and audio jack on the billionaire's Macbook covered with pieces of tape. After posting the photo online, Chris Olson was the first to point out on Twitter that tape is covering his camera and audio jack on his Macbook at his desk .@CDA It's a nice touch that Vatican IT provides a branded sticker for this bearing the coat of arms of the Holy See. #pope #ipad pic.twitter.com/dpdPr4S2wM David W. Robinson (@jdormansteele) January 5, 2017 It appears as though Zuckerberg, who is worth $35.7billion, is trying to prevent that from happening by placing a piece of tape over his camera, making the webcam useless. Zuckerberg has been previously photographed at the same desk. Roughly nine months ago while on a tour, he showed off the same desk that's complete with the same items on it then as it is now, according to Gizmodo. However, some arent sold that the image is real or if the sticker is actually covering the camera. Zuckerberg met the Pope in August, which may have given the pontiff the idea to beef up his cyber security and cover up the iPad camera Zuckerberg and his wife Pricilla Chan also met the Pope in August, which may have given the pontiff the idea to beef up his cyber security. Another well-known, yet unlikely individual was also spotted using this trick. FBI Director James Comey was widely mocked for saying that physically covering the webcam on his laptop is common sense and a step that everyone should follow in April. 'There's some sensible things you should be doing, and that's one of them,' Comey said during a conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in October defending his decision. You go into any government office and we all have the little camera things that sit on top of the screen,' he added, according to a report in The Hill. 'They all have a little lid that closes down on them. 'You do that so that people who don't have authority don't look at you. I think that's a good thing.' FBI boss James Comey said that physically covering the webcam on his laptop is common sense and a step that everyone should follow Comey was mocked on Twitter after revealing that uses tape to cover up his laptop webcam to ensure privacy. Speaking at an encryption and privacy Q&A session at Kenyon College at the time, Comey said: 'I saw something in the news, so I copied it. 'I put a piece of tape I have obviously a laptop, personal laptop I put a piece of tape over the camera. 'Because I saw somebody smarter than I am had a piece of tape over their camera.' His comment was made in response to a question about growing public awareness of the ways in which technology can spy on people But many have commented on the director's hypocrisy in doing this when he has said technology companies should not make devices that are 'unhackable' to law enforcement. Jyro has unveiled a line of self-balancing, single-wheeled devices that can drive up to 15 miles per hour. The firm demonstrated its devices at CES in Las Vegas, including an electric skateboard and a futuristic unicycle equipped with dynamic stabilization technology. Riders can control its movement just by leaning forward and back, and the Jyro Roll will basically do all the work for you. Scroll down for video Jyro has unveiled a line of self-balancing, single-wheeled devices that can drive up to 15 miles per hour. The firm demonstrated its devices at CES in Las Vegas, including an electric skateboard and a futuristic unicycle equipped with dynamic stabilization technology HOW IT WORKS The Jyro devices are equipped with a gyroscope accelerometer, allowing them to achieve dynamic stabilization. First, they explained to Dailymail.com, you have to step on it and get it to a horizontal position to stabilize it. Then, just lean forward or back to drive it in the direction you want to go. They say 'the software is so smart it's doing the work for you.' Advertisement The Jyro devices are equipped with a gyroscope accelerometer, the team explained to Dailymail.com. The Jyro Roll is their electronic stabilized, self-balancing, single-wheeled skateboard that can hit a max speed of 12mph. And the Jyro Solo 1 and 2 use either a single wheel or side-by-side double wheels, respectively, each with footpads on the side. These can go up to 15mph. Speaking to Dailymail.com, Brandon Yamawaki explained that its a lot easier to use than you might think. After youve gotten on it and stabilized it horizontally, all you do is lean to go, and it carves a lot like a skateboard and it feels a lot like a snowboard when youre riding it, Yamawaki said. Dailymail.com got a chance to try it out too and while it wasnt exactly as easy as the skilled exhibitors made it look, it was much more beginner-friendly than expected Its super fun, its a way for transportation but its a great way just to cruise around. The board doesnt let you fall off the software is actually so smart it's doing the work for you. All you have to do is stand on it and ride it. The device takes roughly three hours to charge, and can travel up to 15 miles on that power. Its also equipped with Bluetooth capability and an accompanying app, and can achieve 20 degree climbing angle. It will be available in April for $1,000. Yamawaki demonstrated the technology in the show room, making it look entirely effortless. The Jyro Solo 1 and 2 use either a single wheel (shown right) or side-by-side double wheels (on left), respectively, each with footpads on the side. These can go up to 15mph The Solo device, which uses the same technology as the skateboard, makes for a convenient transportation method for commuters. It comes in a tight, single form factor, making it extremely portable to get its rider from the home, to the train, to the office, and back Dailymail.com got a chance to try it out too and while it wasnt exactly as easy as the skilled exhibitors made it look, it was much more beginner-friendly than expected. The company has a general focus on electronic, stabilized ride-ons, Yamawaki told Dailymail.com And, the products arent only for fun. The Solo device, which uses the same technology as the skateboard, makes for a convenient transportation method for commuters. Advertisement Christmas is over, and we have officially hit mid-winter. The perfect time, perhaps, to look to the future and start planning your next getaway. Travel Mail has compiled a top ten list of timely breaks with thrills for all ages, so you can get ahead of the pack and book your 2017 adventure. Wine, walks and wonders of Chile Fly right in: New direct flights from London to Chile's Santiago makes it easier than ever to explore stunning Patagonia The fantastically long and narrow country of Chile is one of the most remote in South America. But a new direct British Airways flight to Santiago changes all that. It is easier than ever to experience the moon-like landscapes of the Atacama Desert, sip some of the worlds best wines at vineyards, hike in the Andes or explore the fjords, glaciers and penguin-filled islands of Patagonia. When to go: Now. Chiles seasons are the reverse of ours, so Santiago basks in temperatures of around 30c in January and February, with warm weather until April. How: Exodus (020 3811 5278) has a 15-day Discover Chile group tour taking in the Atacama, Lake District and Torres del Paine National Park, from 3,749pp, including flights. Various departure dates. Canadas 150th birthday bash Serene: If youve always wanted to experience Canada's diverse landscape, entry to all national parks - including Banff's Lake Moraine, pictured - as well as historic sites and marine conservation areas, will be free in 2017 Its rich heritage may go back much further, but Canada only became a united country in 1867. Cue huge celebrations this year as it marks its 150th birthday. If youve always wanted to experience the countrys diverse landscape, entry to all national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas will be free in 2017. You will also find a year of events and some very special Canada Day celebrations on July 1. Visit canada.pch.gc.ca for more information. When to go: Its reliably warm in July and August across the country and you can easily coincide with Canada Day. How: Canadian Affair (020 3424 6831) has a 13-night Western Delights fly-drive holiday, taking in Banff and Jasper, Whistler and Vancouver Island, from 1,765pp, including flights and car hire. Alternative Spanish break Glorious: Explore the medieval charms of the Old Quarter, with its Gothic and Romanesque buildings, in Girona, Catalonia A medieval treat in northern Catalonia, Girona is much overshadowed by neighbouring Barcelona. But this year sees new Jet2 flights from Belfast, East Midlands and Edinburgh. Explore the Old Quarter of Gothic and Romanesque buildings that are perched next to the Onyar and Ter rivers and crowned with a hilltop castle. If youre looking for beaches, the Costa Brava is only an hour away. When to go: Its balmy from May to October. July and August are hottest, with highs of 29c. How: Jet2 (0333 300 0404) flies to Girona from 41.30 one way. Ryanair (0871 246 0000) flies from Belfast from 27.99 one way. Soak up Russias rich history Red alert: Both Moscow (left) and St Petersburg (right) both boast cultural riches and staggering architecture In 2017, Russia will mark 100 years since the Bolshevik Revolution, which overthrew the Tsars and ushered in a new world order. Unrest began in March 1917 in St Petersburg, and Moscow was reinstated as the capital city just a year later. Take in both cities to compare imperial opulence and canals of the former, with the stark Soviet buildings and the preserved leader of the latter. When to go: June and July see long days of warm, sunny weather and plenty of cultural events. August is warm, but slightly quieter. How: Steppes Travel (01285 601 759) has a seven-day tour of Moscow and St Petersburg led by Princess Katya Galitzine, part of one of the oldest noble families in Russia, from 2,895pp, excluding flights. Departs September 8, 2017. See the sparkle of New Orleans Raise a glass: New Orleans is a city of energy. The new BA flight will bring the vibrancy of Bourbon Street even closer The home town of jazz, spicy Cajun and creole cuisine, elegant French Quarter architecture and the rowdy, lovable carnival of Mardi Gras, New Orleans is a city with a unique energy. This March, British Airways launches the first direct flights from London. Make it your chance to discover parties on Bourbon Street, see the amazing recovery after Hurricane Katrina, experience the music scene and explore its history. When to go: The weather is warm, but comfortable from February to May. Mardi Gras is on February 28 this year and the world-renowned Jazz Fest starts on April 28. How: British Airways (0344 493 0787) has fights to New Orleans from 710 return. Explore the sleek style of Denmark Star-studded: This year sees the Danish city of Aarhus takes its turn as a European Capital of Culture Why have one celebration when you can have two? This year sees the Danish city of Aarhus become the European Capital of Culture and the European Region of Gastronomy. It is also easy to explore, has a beautiful setting on the Jutland Peninsula and has won a slew of architecture awards for its modern design. When to go: June and September are pleasant. Expect 22c in July and August. How: Ryanair has flights from London. Villa Provence (00 45 8618 2400) has been voted best hotel in Denmark by TripAdvisor users: doubles cost from 168. Contemporary Cape Town A novelty: The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa opens in September on Cape Town's Victoria and Alfred waterfront South Africas most beautiful city is about to become the home of Africas largest contemporary arts museum. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa opens in September on the Victoria and Alfred waterfront. Looking for a place to stay? Luxury 28-room hotel The Silo opens in March above the new museum, with waterfront and Table Mountain views as well as a rooftop infinity bar and pool. When to go: Cape Town is pleasant all year round, but the warmest months are from December to March, with an average temperature of 26c. How: The Silo (00 27 216 715502) has double rooms starting from 718. Golden shores of the Caribbean Shore thing: The Shore Club, a colonial-style building in the Turks and Caicos, is the first resort on the famous Long Bay beach Turks and Caicos is famed for its beautiful Long Bay beach, often voted among the best in the world. The Shore Club is the first resort on the famous stretch of sand. A beautiful colonial building with 106 suites and six villas, its setting is ideal for relaxation. Active types can try everything from snorkelling to exploring the island by bike all included in the price. When to go: The peak season is from December to March, with dry weather and warm temperatures of 27c. How: The Shore Club (00 1 649 339 8000) has double rooms from 594. Persian perfection Ancient wonder: Take a wander around the beautifully preserved ruins of Persepolis in Iran's Esfahan region The Foreign Office has relaxed its travel advice to Iran thanks to thawing diplomatic relations. Take a tour to experience Esfahan, with its feast of Islamic architecture, graceful bridges and beautiful mosques, and the beautifully preserved Achaemenid ruins of Persepolis. Add in the medieval grandeur and Persian culture of Shiraz and you have the ingredients for a holiday like no other. When to go: The high season is from March to May. September and October are also pleasant and often cheaper. How: Cox & Kings (0203 8139 460) has a ten-night Treasures Of Persia small group tour from 2,495pp, including flights. The toast of Yorkshire Hull and back: The Mercure Hull Royal Hotel is a stately Victorian building in Hull, the UKs City of Culture for 2017 The UKs City of Culture for 2017 is much maligned Hull. It kicked off a year of events last week by telling the citys story on its streets. On February 22-25, every corner of Hull will host award-winning shows in the Back To Ours event. The port has inspired centuries of poets and incited the English Civil War when it closed its gates to Charles 1 in 1642. Explore the beautiful buildings of the old town, stroll by the restored marina and visit the amazing aquarium Deep. When to go: Time your visit with one of the events this year, visit Hull 2017 for details. The Golden Globes Awards are always a full evening of red carpet glamour and awards surprises. This year actress Ruth Negga is hoping to pull off something 'quite dramatic' at the annual ceremony. In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, the rising star explained how she can't wait to shock fashion critics when she walks the red carpet at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday. Golden girl: Actress Ruth Negga is looking forward to this year's Golden Globe Awards for more than one reasons. In addition to her first nomination for the film Loving, she's planning on wearing a 'quite dramatic' dress to the red carpet The 34-year-old actress has put a lot of thought into the type of frock she's going to wear to the forthcoming ceremony. Speaking to WWD.com, she said: 'I've done the fitting, but I haven't seen the finished product. It's going to be exciting. It's beautiful and it's quite dramatic.' But the brunette beauty has always wanted to think outside the box when it comes to her fashion choices, saying she's drawn to patterns that are 'unique' and "original." Fashion daredevil: Here, the Loving lead attends the 26th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) She explained: 'Gosh ... I like things that are unique and are a bit original and creative. I love Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Prada. And the Rodarte sisters are amazing.' It's not just her attire that she needs to feel comfortable in though, as Ruth thinks it's important that her make-up artists knows what colours and looks will suit her skin. She said: 'I have a wonderful stylist Karla Welch. She does all of that for me and I'm so grateful. She has such a creative eye and it's original.' A lady of unique taste: The 34-year-old actress is a fan of 'unique' and 'creative' fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Rodarte The Preacher star feels blessed to have such a great connection with her stylist, saying: 'She psychic-ly gets in tune with her clients. She knows what you want and desire and what makes you feel confident as well as comfortable. I think that's a great feat.' Once she's wrapped up awards season, Ruth is planning to have some much deserved down time. Crushing it: The rising star likes taking fashionable risks. Here, the Loving star looked stunning in crushed velvet at this year's Palm Springs International Film Festival She said: 'I don't really have plans. I think I'll try and search out the projects that interest me that I think I'll be happiest doing.' The Ethiopian-Irish beauty is excited to continue her work as the tough as nails character Tulip O'Hare on the AMC series The Preacher. 'My character Tulip O'Hare is a breath of brilliantly strange, fresh air. She's a unique, original character and I think there's not many people like that on screen. It's a privilege to play her.' She said goodbye to the late Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds in a private memorial service on Thursday. And later that day, Gwyneth Paltrow headed out once more to attend Hollywood agent Cade Hudson's star-studded birthday party in Beverly Hills. Accompanied by boyfriend Brad Falchuck, the 44-year-old actress took her look from day-to-night by slipping out of the camel-toned ankle boots she wore to the somber event and into a pair of sleek nude pumps. Day-to-night: Gwyneth Paltrow, 44, was spotted leaving Hollywood agent Cade Hudson's star-studded birthday bash after saying her goodbyes to Carrie Fisher Low-maintenance: As it was for the memorial, her makeup was kept to a minimum and her blonde tresses were blown out into slight waves Calling an Uber? Emma Roberts was seen in a turtleneck sweater drss that reached past her knees, on her phone after leaving the party with Rachel Zoe As it was for the memorial - which was attended by A-listers coming to show their respect for the iconic mother-daughter duo that passed within 24 hours of each other - her makeup was kept to a minimum and her blonde tresses were blown out into slight waves. When Gwyneth exited the party with her 45-year-old beau, she held onto two white paper gift bags, which were given to all the guests in attendance. Easy going: The multi-functional getup consisted of a pale lilac dress with a bow around the collar, a camel coloured over-sized coat, and patent nude pumps Goodies: When Gwyneth exited the party with her 45-year-old beau, she held onto two white paper gift bags Aside from Paltrow, CAA agent Cade represents some of Hollywood's elite. His list of clients boasts the likes of George Clooney, J. J. Abrams, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Sharon Stone, and Meryl Streep. So it's no surprise that his annual birthday bash is attended by the greats, as well. Looking good: Bella Thorne, 19, wore skintight distressed denim while dancing and twerking at Hudson's birthday party Ready to go: Roberts looked excited to leave and get to opening her goodie bag Morose men: Sean Penn and Chord Overstreet were nonchalant when leaving the party Joining Paltrow this year at were Bella Thorne, Emma Roberts, Paris Hilton, Rachel Zoe, Sean Penn, Seth MacFarlane and many more as guests sipped on SVEDKA cocktails to celebrate. Bella Thorne, 19, looked incredible in painted-on skinny jeans, a light pink crop top and camel boots and leather jacket. Emma Roberts, 25, looked cozy yet chic in a taupe-coloured turtleneck sweater dress that reached down past her knees and featured a slit in the hem. New lovers: New couple Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner exited the party together Comedian is here: Funny man Seth MacFarlane must have forgotten his goodie bag inside Her entourage was spotted speaking with celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe. However Roberts, wearing patent leather black booties, was much more interested in her phone. Joe Jonas and Cody Simpson - both pop stars and the exes of model Gigi Hadid - were also in attendance at the star-studded event. Cade's BFF, showman Jeff Beacher, also attended the bash. Jonas took the stage alongside his band DNCE to perform for Cade's 30th birthday. Busy: Brother and sister Dylan and Hopper Penn were also at the party with their father That's hot: Paris Hilton took time away from traveling to show up to her friend's birthday party While most celebrities are flocking to Hollywood for the Golden Globes weekend, Anne Hathaway headed to the East Coast. The 34-year-old Oscar winner, who recently was spotted out and about in Los Angeles, touched down at JFK Airport in New York City on Friday. The actress and mother-of-one went make-up free and made a stylish yet practical jet-setter in flat thigh-high leather boots. Scroll down for video Not attending Golden Globes: Anne Hathaway, who recently was spotted out and about in Los Angeles, touched down at JFK Airport in NYC on Friday amid award show weekend Anne was bundled up as she prepared for the significant drop in temperatures upon her arrival in NYC. She looked cozy chic in a grey sweater and black pants and topped off the look with a stylish black coat. The Intern actress made the coast-to-coast flight look beautifully easy as she landed with her raven locks styled down to perfection while donning star-worthy shades. Anne can next be seen starring alongside Jason Sudeikis in Colossal, which is set for release in the US on January 20 at the Sundance Film Festival. Cozy chic: The 34-year-old Oscar winner made a stylish yet practical jet-setter in flat thigh-high leather boots and bundled up in a grey sweater and black coat Natural beauty: The actress made the coast-to-coast flight look easy as she landed with her raven locks styled down to perfection while donning star-worthy shades She will also star in Ocean's Eight, which isn't set for release until summer 2018. Anne and her husband Adam Shulman, 35, welcomed son Jonathan on March 24. The new parents married in September 2012 in Big Sur, California after dating for four years. Upcoming: The mother-of-one, who recently took a break from social media, can next be seen in Colossal, which is set for release in the US on January 20 at the Sundance Film Festival Jet-setter: Anne had been arriving at LAX for her flight earlier that day They've kept a low profile since arriving in Australia for the Christmas and New Year holidays. But Bobby Cannavale was happy to share a photo from his trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland with girlfriend Rose Byrne on Friday. The Boardwalk Empire star, 46, took to Instagram to post a candid snap while kissing his partner-of-four-years on the cheek. Sweet! Bobby Cannavale shared a photo from his trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland with girlfriend Rose Byrne on Friday In the post, Bobby shows his affection to Rose, who smiles and looks radiant make-up free with a towel wrapped around her head. He captioned the post: 'My beautiful lady @maryrosebyrne and I went to the Great Barrier Reef today!' However, missing in the picture was the couple's 11-month-old son Rocco. Happy family! The couple have been together for four years and have an 11-month-old son The New York-based family is currently in Sydney, while Rose films the Hollywood adaptation of Peter Rabbit. She is set to play to lead role of Bea and said she is 'thrilled' to be doing a movie for her son at the AACTAs in December. 'It is one for Rocco so I'm thrilled and I feel very lucky to be home and working,' she told The Daily Telegraph. Back home! The family has kept a low profile since arriving in Australia over the Christmas and New Year holidays She stars alongside Margot Robbie, Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley and late night TV host James Cordon, who plays Peter Rabbit. The film is produced by Will Gluck, who Rose previously worked with on the 2014 remake of the musical Annie, and will be released in 2018. She previously said: 'I am curious about how it will be reinvented but it will be fun.' Friday saw the announcement that Rove McManus and Sam Frost's breakfast radio show was being dropped after a year of disastrous ratings. The departure proves that third time is not always the charm, with 2DayFM failing yet again to rebuild an audience after Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson left the network back in 2013. Since The Kyle And Jackie O Show moved to KIIS 106.5, bringing most of their audience with them, there have been THREE short-lived attempts to replace them. Scroll down for video Will 2Day FM ever get it right? Rove McManus (L) and Sam Frost's (R) cancelled radio show is the THIRD time 2DayFM have unsuccessfully tried to rebuild their struggling breakfast ratings By October 2014, Mel B and Sophie Monk had left the struggling 'Breakfast With The Stars' program hosted by Merrick Watts and Jules Lund. This format was soon replaced by Dan Debuf and Maz Compton - but they were eventually dropped in favour of Rove And Sam, which launched in November 2015. And Southern Cross Austereo announced on Friday that Rove And Sam was moving to the evening slot from January 30, airing from 7-8pm. New program: Rove And Sam is being moved to a nightly slot and will be replaced by a new morning program hosted by Em Rusciano (L) and Harley Breen (R) The new program is being replaced The Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen. Em took to Facebook to announce the news before it was confirmed by the network, writing 'Today is a big day, today I can tell you that I have a NEW JOB!' She continued: 'I will be hosting breakfast radio on 2DAY FM Sydney this year! Well not just me, Harley Breen too!' Will the ratings improve? In last year's final radio survey, Rove And Sam claimed just 3.8 per cent audience share, their lowest score in over six months Em and Harley will have a big job on their hands as they try to improve the station's years of poor ratings. In last year's final radio survey, Rove And Sam claimed just 3.8 per cent audience share, their lowest score in over six months. Getting them on board was also costly exercise for the network, with Rove's contract reportedly costing $3.7million per year. The big bucks! Getting Rove And Sam to air in November 2015 was a costly exercise for the network, with Rove's contract reportedly costing $3.7million per year Rove signed with 2DayFM back in late 2015, replacing Dan Debuf and Maz Compton's struggling breakfast program. Dan And Maz were then moved to a national weekend breakfast show at 6am to 8am on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Prior to their breakfast slot appointment, the station had another line-up which was underperforming in the ratings. The program consisted of Merrick Watts, Jules Lund, former Spice Girl Mel B and media personality Sophie Monk. However it failed to find an audience, despite being loftily billed as 'Breakfast With The Stars'. Didn't work out: Rove signed with 2DayFM back in late 2015, replacing Dan Debuf (R) and Maz Compton's (L) struggling breakfast program, Dan And Maz Another attempt: After being replaced by Rove And Sam in November 2015, Dan And Maz moved to a national weekend breakfast show last year All-star? Before Dan and Maz, 2DayFM had another line-up underperforming in the ratings, despite being billed as 'Breakfast With The Stars'. Pictured (L-R): Mel B, Merrick Watts, Sophie Monk and Jules Lund Mel B soon announced her departure from the show in August 2014, and by mid-October that year, Sophie confirmed she was leaving. Since Kyle And Jackie O's departure in 2013, 2DayFM has been unable to find any continued success on the breakfast time slot. Meanwhile, the final survey for 2016 saw Kyle And Jackie O's KIIS FM program take the top spot in the breakfast ratings. Losing its spark? Since Kyle Sandilands And Jackie 'O' Henderson's departure in 2013, 2DayFM has been unable to find any continued success on the breakfast time slot She was one of the main attractions at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris in November. And Kelly Gale was back working for the lingerie company on Friday, stopping to take a sexy selfie before a photo shoot. The 21-year-old beauty put her ample assets on display as she uploaded the sizzling snap to Instagram. Scroll down for video Professional poser! Kelly Gale was back working for Victoria's Secret once again on Friday, stopping to take a sexy selfie before a photo shoot She captioned the picture: 'Shooting with @victoriassecret today.' In the photo, the Swedish-Australian star strikes a sultry pose as her dark locks fall over her shapely bust. A grey bra and delicate necklace were all Kelly wore for the snap, which she shared with her 538,000 followers. Runway regular! Kelly was one of the main attractions at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris last year Striking: Kelly has become synonymous with Victoria's Secret during the early years of her career since making her runway debut for the brand in 2013 (pictured) Seasoned pro: Kelly walked again for the lingerie brand in 2014 before making her third appearance during their annual spectacular in November last year The super-fit model has become synonymous with Victoria's Secret during the early years of her career since making her runway debut for the company in 2013. Kelly walked again for the lingerie brand the following year before making her third appearance during their annual spectacular in November last year. After taking a year out in 2015, the model's return to the runway nearly ended in disaster. 'I was so concerned that my boobs were going to pop out': After taking a year out in 2015, the model's return to the runway nearly ended in disaster 'My bra was too small this year': Following the 2016 show at the Grand Palais, Kelly told News Corp she was close to suffering a wardrobe malfunction Following the show at the Grand Palais, Kelly told News Corp she was close to suffering an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction. She said: 'I was so concerned that my boobs were going to pop out of my bra. 'My bra was too small this year, but you just have to put the costumes on and hope that they will fit and stay in place. 'Before the show, I prayed that my boobs wouldn't fly out of my bra, but I think I managed to keep them nicely tucked away.' Adam Driver has described Carrie Fisher's death as a 'tragedy.' The 33-year-old actor - who played Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens alongside Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia - praised the late actress and her 'generous energy.' He said: 'As you can kind of tell from meeting her, she burns very bright and has such a great, very generous energy.' Grieving Leia's death: Adam Driver, pictured in New York on Wednesday, appeared on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert this week where he talked about the death of his Star Wars co-star Carrie Fisher 'For that suddenly not to be on set, or we're talking about it in publicity or just in life, when you kind of see her around at a Star Wars event, or anywhere, to have... her character - not just her character in the movie, but her character missing from that very small unit - is a tragedy.' And Adam has great memories of Carrie, revealing the last time he saw her was on set in her iconic role. Speaking on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert, he added: 'We finished the second one last summer. I think that was the last time I saw her, actually, on set being Princess Leia.' Farewell, Princess: Carrie Fisher, who was known for Star Wars, died on December 27 following a cardiac arrest. Here she is in New York last October Happy group: The late actress appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last November with her Star Wars co-stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and movie director J.J. Abrams Carrie passed away on December 27 after suffering a heart attack on a plane from London to Los Angeles. The late actress was given CPR on the plane and rushed to hospital as soon as the the aircraft landed. When she reached Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, she was put on a ventilator. Force be with you: The Star Wars Episode VII cast attended the premiere for the film in London in December 2015 Mother-daughter: The Princess Leia icon attended the premiere of Absolutely Fabulous with her daughter Billie Lourd in London last June And stars were out in full force to bid farewell to Carrie and her mother Debbie Reynolds, who passed away on December 28, at a memorial service held at the family home on Thursday. Carrie's daughter Billie Lourd wanted the service to be held at home so they could remember all the great times they had shared there. She stripped down to just a wet white T-shirt for a racy short film she released in late December. And Kylie Jenner's online boutique - The Kylie Shop - released a behind the scenes Polaroid photo from the shoot to Instagram on Friday. The 19-year-old was snapped holding on to boyfriend Tyga's hands as he strategically covered her breasts. The Kylie Shop: Kylie Jenner's online shop released a behind the scenes Polaroid photo from the shoot to Instagram on Friday; pictured with Tyga covering her breasts with his hands The film, directed by Sasha Samsonova, premiered on W Magazine on Christmas morning. The makeup entrepreneur wore just a damp tee - which was completely see-through. Kylie placed her hands over her beau's tattooed ones - as he posed behind her. Her boutique, The Kylie Shop, also posted another photo - this time of the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wearing just a red bra and boyfriend jeans. Flawless: Her boutique, The Kylie Shop, also posted another photo - this time of the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wearing just a red bra and boyfriend jeans The snap was taken late last year when she rocked platinum blonde tresses. The photo is also another behind the scenes shot of the star - this time from a shoot for her Kylie Shop clothing collection. The star wears the lingerie and denim look on the front of $35 T-shirts and a $70 hoodie selling on her e-commerce site. The revealing photos comes just one day after Kylie returned to Los Angeles following her trip with Tyga and friends to Mexico. They enjoyed a brief holiday to Punta Mita; Tyga's son King Cairo was also there. Holiday: The revealing photos comes just one day after Kylie returned to Los Angeles following her trip with Tyga and friends to Mexico; from left: King Cairo, Kylie and Tyga King Cairo is Tyga's son with his ex fiancee Blac Chyna. During her beach vacation, Kylie showed off her incredible curves in a green and black netted swimsuit by Melissa Odabash. The best selling author also wore a $112 black and white bikini with a matching choker - all by Ellejay Swim as well as a Marysia Palm Spring bikini set in olive. Enjoying the sun's rays: Kylie was seen showing off her flat stomach and ample cleavage in an olive green suit by Marysia 'Feel me': Kylie posed in a black and white suit - complete with a matching choker - all by Ellejay Rosa She is expecting for the second time. So no doubt Natalie Portman is looking to enjoy the rest of her pregnancy with a relaxing, yet stimulating hobby. The 35-year-old actress was spotted on Friday having a stroll in Los Angeles with two large bags from a local bookstore in hand. The Oscar-winning actress cut a casually stylish figure, having slipped on a pair of brown flip flops and black butterfly sunglasses. Quite the haul: Natalie Portman was spotted on Friday having a stroll in Los Angeles, two large bags from a local bookstore in hand She'd pulled on a blue dress that was speckled with white polka dots and that tightened about the bulging bump indicating her second pregnancy. Her hair fell free, and her outfit's hem was cut off above the knee, allowing her to showcase her porcelain legs. The Black Swan Academy Award winner had slung a large black handbag over her right shoulder for her shop at Skylight Books. The film star's currently expecting her second baby by Benjamin Millepied, the Bordeaux-born choreographer she married four years ago. Bumping along: The Jackie star's currently expecting her second baby by Benjamin Millepied, the Bordeaux-born choreographer she married four years ago The year before their wedding, she gave birth to a son called Aleph. In 2014, the family moved to Paris, but returned to Los Angeles this year. She's nominated to take home the Golden Globe Award for Best Film Drama Actress on Sunday, courtesy her performance in the new Pablo Larrain drama Jackie. The film follows Jacqueline Kennedy's struggle to cope with her grief during the immediate aftermath of her husband, President John F Kennedy's assassination. Casually stylish: Her hair fell free, and her outfit's hem was cut off above the knee, allowing her to showcase her porcelain legs This week, W ran an interview in which she explained how wearing the former First Lady's iconic hairdo enabled her to slip into character. 'I was doing the research - watching the tapes and working on the dialect and everything - at the same time as they were getting me into my costume fittings and hair and make-up tests,' she recalled. 'But yeah, once you have that hair... the hair is so iconic that it can kind of make you look like her even though I don't naturally look like her that much apart from my coloring. So with all of those elements you just feel in her skin in some way.' Don't expect to see Ben Affleck's kids in anything anytime soon. The Argo star, speaking with Extra Friday, said that he won't allow his three children with estranged wife Jennifer Garner - Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven, and Samuel, four - to appear in any Hollywood productions until they're legal adults - and even then, he'll be against it. 'I wouldnt allow them to do it until theyre 18,' Affleck, 44, told the show's Mario Lopez. 'And once they were 18, they can do whatever they want to do, but I would discourage it.' Scroll below for video Not having it: Ben Affleck, 44, told Extra that he 'wouldnt allow' his kids to get into acting before they're 18, and would discourage them from doing it then Affleck was sporadically appearing before the camera as young as eight-years-old for PBS's The Voyage Of the Mimi. He said that he had a difficult foray into fame upon his breakout in 1997, for his Oscar-winning efforts writing and acting in the classic motion picture Good Will Hunting (with best friend Matt Damon). 'Overnight, I went from somebody no one ever heard of, to somebody that gets recognized on the street and could get a table at a restaurant,' said Affleck, who paved his road to the A-list in his early-20s with supporting roles in films such as 1992's School Ties, 1993's Dazed and Confused and 1995's Mallrats. Life lessons: The Live by Night star told television presenter Mario Lopez that he found his own journey into the Hollywood spotlight to be confusing For more info go to Extra Devoted dad: The actor, seen here with estranged wife Jennifer Garner and their daughters in September in Brentwood, vowed he'd discourage his kids to pursue a career in front of the Hollywood cameras Fitting: Affleck told Lopez he spent the holidays with Garner and their kids, noting that his young son Samuel ironically received a Bat Cave toy. He was seen at church with Seraphina and Samuel in November Affleck said that when the spotlight began to shine on him, he 'was 24 years old and it was a confusing time. 'Theres no map to it, youve just got to figure it out on your own.' The actor-writer-director of the upcoming Live by Night - a Prohibition Era period piece about gangsters - said that two decades after his Hollywood breakout, he's got 'a much better perspective on it all,' granted 'it still can be confusing and difficult to deal with. 'Ive got three kids now,' he said, 'and its a whole long road later.' Good eye for talent: At 20, Affleck played high school bully O'Bannion in Richard Linklater's 1993 film Dazed and Confused, which also featured a 24-year-old Matthew McConaughey Affleck told Lopez that his holiday season went well, as he spent it with Garner and their kids. Samuel received a Batman toy and one of his daughters got an iPod touch, he said. 'No phones, cant call anybody, cant text, but she can play music' said Ben, who sported a beard for the chat. Live by Night, co-starring Elle Fanning, Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana arrives in theaters Thursday. ' star confirmed via Twitter he was safe and had been 'evacuated' Australian actor Liam McIntyre narrowly avoided being caught up in the airport shooting in Florida that left five dead and at least eight injured. The terrified star said he was dangerously close to the scene but missed the gunman because he was bidding farewell to wife Erin. Liam confirmed he was supposed to be at the baggage claim area in Terminal 2 when Esteban Santiago opened fire at about 1pm. 'Today is solidly terrifying': Australian actor Liam McIntyre (L) revealed on Twitter he was close to where gunman Esteban Santiago opened fire at Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday afternoon but avoided the scene as he had just left Terminal 2 to bid farewell to his wife Erin (R) Lucky escape: 'Dear God. Was in a different terminal to see @Erin_McIntyre8 on her flight. Then there was a shooting at the terminal I was meant to be at,' Liam wrote on Twitter 'Dear God. Was in a different terminal to see @Erin_McIntyre8 on her flight. Then there was a shooting at the terminal I was meant to be at,' Liam tweeted. 'Praying for all the people caught in the ft. Lauderdale shooting a terminal over. Dear God. 'Terminal one alarms at fort lauderdale airport. Police guns drawn. Still developing here. Be safe. First-hand account: The Spartacus actor kept his Twitter followers up-to-date with details Safe: 'Out. Safe. Wow. Thoughts and prayers to those who weren't so lucky,' Liam concluded Unharmed: Thankfully, Liam and wife Erin were left unharmed after the tragic mass shooting 'Okay, been evacuated to a separate area. Today is solidly terrifying. Hopefully it's under control now. Stay safe. 'Just saw a family reunited with their 5 year old. That made everyone feel a bit better! Thank goodness for some good news! 'Out. Safe. Wow. Thoughts and prayers to those who weren't so lucky,' Liam concluded. Identified: Esteban Santiago, 26, an Iraq war veteran, has been identified as the gunman who opened fire at about 1pm at the baggage claim area at Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale airport The scene: Dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt, Esteban claimed his bag, went to the bathroom to load his handgun and then started shooting people Esteban Santiago flew into the airport from Anchorage, Alaska (with a layover in Minneapolis, St. Paul) on Delta flight 2182 - a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. The 26-year-old, who was dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt, claimed his bag, went to the bathroom to load his handgun and then started shooting people dead. Among the first of the victims to be named is Terry Andres - a 62-year-old grandfather who was at the airport with his wife to go on a vacation. Tragic: Among the first of the victims to be named is Terry Andres - a 62-year-old grandfather who was at the airport with his wife to go on a vacation Santiago had a history of mental problems, according to NBC News. Authorities said Santiago walked into an FBI office in Anchorage in November last year claiming the government was trying to control his mind and he was being forced to watch videos for ISIS, CBS reports. After that incident, Santiago started getting treatment for his mental health issues. He was also contacted by the FBI after an employer back in Alaska raised concerns about certain things he had said, according to ABC News. Details: Photos have emerged of the scene in which the tragic shooting took place About 90 minutes after the shooting, chaos broke out again when police officers were seen rushing into the parking garage with their guns drawn while bystanders sought shelter behind vehicles. But the Broward County Sheriff said the only shooting that happened was in Terminal 2 and that he currently believes only one gunman was involved. A witness told NBC Miami that the shooter was silent and didn't appear to be targeting anyone in particular - 'popping off bullets at random'. Investigation: Police question people who are evacuating from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport near the tarmac Aftermath: Passengers were seen waiting outside after the shooting John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, described the shooter as a 'slender man' who was 'directly firing at us' while passengers waited for their bags to come off the carousel. In another interview with Fox News, Schlicher said that the shooter was aiming at people's heads. 'All the people seemed to be shot in the head,' Schlicher said. 'He was shooting people who were down on the ground too.' The shooter reloaded once for a second burst of shooting, Schlicher said, but he could not say how many bullets were fired. It's the annual red carpet event that recognises excellence in international film and television. And Melbourne-born Luke Hemsworth, older brother of fellow actors Chris and Liam, was dressed to impress at the International AACTA Awards in Los Angeles on Friday. The 36-year-old cut a suave figure in a fitted burgundy suit, fitted black shirt and coordinating tie. Well-suited! Luke Hemsworth, 36, cut a suave figure in a tailored ensemble, as he attended the International AACTA Awards in Los Angeles on Friday Luke sported a deep burgundy suit that was tailored to his muscular frame. A vest in the same fabric worked as additional detail, paired with a black button-up shirt and coordinating tie. Black dress shoes and silver bands on his fingers, finished off the look. Fitting: A vest in the same fabric worked as an additional detail, paired with a crisp black button-up shirt and a coordinating tie Serious: Luke sported a very pensive expression on the red carpet Luke came to attention after starring as Nathan Tyson in Channel Ten soap Neighbours, and Ashley Stubbs in HBO sci-fi series Westworld. He then went on to star in films Kill Me Three Times and The Anomaly in 2014, and Infini in 2015. Luke is currently filming Abilene, starring as the lead role of Wild Bill Hickok. New role: Luke is currently filming Abilene, starring as the lead role of Wild Bill Hickok The film also stars Trace Adkins and Kris Kristofferson. Christmas saw Luke come together with brothers Chris, 33, and Liam, 26, to celebrate on December 25, with their partners and children. Pictures shared to Instagram of the A-list clan saw them dressed in matching festive pyjamas as they celebrated in what appeared to be a perfectly styled living room. Family ties: Christmas saw Luke come together with brothers Chris, 33, and Liam Hemsworth, 26, to celebrate on December 25, with their partners and children Their personality was taken into account for the design of their onesie - which all featured a name or message on the derriere. Luke and Chris' children posed together in one picture, showing off their names on their red onesies with a snowflake print. They're the photogenic couple, known for their striking good looks. And Natasha Oakley packed on the PDA with her beau Gilles Souteyrand, in a snap shared to Instagram on Saturday. 'Met this cute guy in Anguilla,' the 25-year-old captioned the snap, that saw her revealing her pert derriere in a skimpy white bikini, as she embraced her hunky partner, in Caribbean. 'Met this cute guy in Anguilla': Natasha Oakley, 25, revealed her pert derriere in a skimpy white bikini in a snap shared to Instagram on Saturday, seen packing on the PDA with beau Gilles Souteyrand Natasha showed off her toned back and lithe arms in a skimpy bikini top, as she embraced her hunky boyfriend in the crystal waters. A pair of G-string briefs left very little to the imagination, flaunting her toned derriere. With her head resting close to Gilles', Natasha allowed her wet blonde locks to fall behind her shoulders. Luxurious: The post comes as Natasha has been enjoying a picturesque vacation in the Caribbean island of Anguilla Leggy lady: Numerous snaps on the star's Instagram account, sees the swimwear designer offering her best angles to the camera, in fashionable ensembles Meanwhile, Gilles, a personal trainer and model, revealed his muscular upper frame in a pair of white boardshorts. Also not shy in showing his affection for his girlfriend of over a year-and-a-half, Gilles embraced Natasha, placing his right hand on the small of her back. The post comes as Natasha has been enjoying a picturesque vacation in the Caribbean island of Anguilla. Riding on nicely: The post comes as Natasha has been enjoying a picturesque vacation in the Caribbean island of Anguilla Numerous snaps on the star's Instagram account, sees the swimwear designer offering her best angles to the camera, in fashionable ensembles. The New Year festivities saw Natasha take to her social media account, wishing her 1.8 million followers, nothing but a positive 2017. She wrote in a lengthy caption: 'I am so thankful for everything wonderful that 2016 has brought me, even the negative moments and occurrences that have taught me to be humble, thoughtful and kind. Going strong: Natasha and Gilles have been dating for over a year-and-a-half, marking their year anniversary in June last year Grateful: The New Year festivities saw Natasha take to her social media account, wishing her 1.8 million followers, nothing but a positive 2017 'I have always lived by the words my Dad told me "You can't have the yin without the yang". Everything happens for a reason and the truth is that what people remember the most is how you deal with problems, how you persevere through pain.' The swimwear model went on to thank those who supported her through the past year, saying she will cherish 2017. She said: 'I hope 2017 is a positive and wonderful year in many ways, especially for those less fortunate. I am so thankful for all I have and so thankful to my family, my friends, my followers and my clients for all of their support and positivity.' Gushing: The swimwear model went on to thank those who supported her through the past year, saying she will cherish 2017 We are all so lucky to live another year on this beautiful planet, look after it and treat everyday of 2017 like the gift that it is.' While Natasha didn't have Gilles to kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve, her model beau did post a special message for her on Instagram. Beside a collage of pictures of the pair, he wrote: 'An amazing year travelling around the world with the love of my life. Sadly, I won't be spending New Year's Eve with you but here is a snapshot of our 2016. Happy New Year honey!!!' She's the bubbly blonde who failed to win Richie Strahan's heart on The Bachelor. But Faith Williams is believed to have moved on with a new man, Brisbane businessman Jeremy Hassell. First spotted embracing at the airport last October, the 25-year-old appeared to confirm the relationship on Saturday, gushing 'I'm lucky enough to have found someone so amazing.' Scroll down for video 'I am lucky enough to have found someone so amazing': The Bachelor's Faith Williams reveals romance with businessman Jeremy Hassell Taking to Instagram, the hairdresser shared a photo of her and Jeremy embracing, followed by a long heartfelt message. 'Anyone that is close to me knows that talking feelings is not my forte but I'm lucky enough to have found someone so amazing they have broken down my walls,' Faith wrote. 'Thanks for sticking by me. You are my Rock @jeremyhassell.' 'You are my rock': Faith and her beau were first spotted together in October, embracing goodbye at Brisbane airport, before she got on a plane for Bali Daily Mail Australia has reached out for comment. Some of Faith's Bachelor besties were quick to comment, with the show's 'villain' Keira Maguire simply writing 'Cute', while Rachael Gouvignon gushed: 'Yay, so happy for you babe.' 'We both have ourselves a Jeremy now faithy girl,' Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris also remarked, referencing her own boyfriend Jeremy Banks. Faith and her beau were first spotted together in October, embracing goodbye at Brisbane airport, before she got on a plane for Bali. Health businessman: Jeremy is the owner of City Cave, a 'float centre' which purports to reduce joint pain and anxiety Jeremy is the owner of City Cave, a 'float centre' which touts itself as a reliever in joint pain and anxiety. He also volunteers with emergency services and enthusiastically documents his beach going and healthy eating on his Instagram account. Faith's confirmation comes after fans speculated that the curvy blonde was entertaining a romance with The Bachelorette's Jake Ellis. The two Brisbane natives were photographed together at multiple events, even attending a Circue De Solei show in November just the two of them. Previous rumours: Faith's confirmation comes after fans speculated that the curvy blonde was entertaining a romance with The Bachelorette's Jake Ellis But Faith was quick to put to quash any rumours of a romantic dalliance, writing on Instagram:'Just to put some rumours to rest Jake and I are JUST FRIENDS!' Despite sharing some steamy kisses with Richie on The Bachelor, the curvy blonde was booted from the show after making it to the top five. She later told Elle Magazine she felt friend-zoned by Richie towards the end. Just friends guys: But Faith was quick to put to quash any rumours of a romantic dalliance 'I couldn't understand why he would put me on a date where we had no time together, whereas all the other girls that had second dates had the beautiful romantic dates,' Faith said. '... Every other girl's date was a lot different to mine, so that made me realise, 'I think I'm being friend-zoned.'' Australia's biggest stars were shining in Hollywood at the fifth International AACTA Awards this week. And Simon Baker and was joined by his wife Rebecca Rigg at the annual ceremony in Los Angeles on Friday night. The Mentalist actor, 47, looked delightfully dapper in a black suit, glasses and a blue patterned tie. Scroll down for video Ceremony: Simon Baker and was joined by his wife Rebecca Rigg at the fifth International AACTA Awards in Los Angeles on Friday night The Tasmanian-born star rocked a rugged, unshaven look and with his trademark thick-rimmed glasses. Meanwhile, his wife Rebecca kept it simple yet elegant in a black top with a plunging neckline and a navy skirt. She opted for natural look make-up and several accessories, including a statement ring, hoop earrings and a red clutch. Classic look: Rebecca Rigg kept it simple yet elegant in a plunging black top while Simon looked dapper in a suit and shiny dress shoes The Devil Wears Prada star was recently in Sydney over the Christmas and New Year holiday with his family. Simon and Rebecca have been together for 20 years and have three children - Stella, 23, Harry, 15, and Claude, nine. They split their time between Sydney and Los Angeles. Trademark: The Mentalist actor, 47, also wore his trademark thick-rimmed glasses Simon's next film, Breathe, which he also directs, is expected to be released sometime in 2017. The film is based on author Tim Winton's novel and is set along coastal Australia in the mid '70s. It follows the story of two thrill-seeking teenage surfers who form a friendship with an older, mysterious man. She found fame on a reality TV dating show that involves complete strangers getting married. So it wasn't entirely out of the ordinary to see Married At First Sight's Clare Verrall publicly propositioning a Cosmopolitan Bachelor of the Year finalist named Ryan that she found on Instagram on Saturday. The 33-year-old posted a screenshot of the stranger's Instagram profile onto her own page, before gushing that she had found her 'soulmate.' Married At First Sight... again? MAFS star Clare Verrall called a handsome stranger that she found on Instagram her 'soulmate' and made it clear that she was interested in him 'So, um, pretty sure I just found my soulmate on Instagram,' wrote Clare. She then directly mentioned his profile handle, @aussiedogguy, to ensure that he'd be notified of her post, followed by the hashtags: '#AnimalRescue #LovesDogs #Hot #Single #LivesInAnotherState <- #Thatsannoying.' Clare wasn't done there, further writing: 'He also now knows I totally just IG stalked him #NotSubtle. He's getting my cosmo-tinder bachelor of the year vote that's for sure! #Stalker #OhWell #NothingToLose!' 'He also now knows I totally just IG stalked him!' The 33-year-old wasn't shy about letting Ryan know that she was VERY keen on him '#NotSubtle': Clare made her intentions clear by posting a screenshot of Ryan's Instagram profile to her own page When one of Clare's friends commented that she actually knows Ryan, an ecstatic Clare responded: 'lol no friggin way!!! What a small world! Tell him nice things about me!' Miraculously, the Adelaide-based Ryan wasn't terrified by the strong come-on, and instead responded by commenting that he wanted to visit the blonde reality TV star and their mutual friend in Melbourne. 'You guys crack me up! G'day Clare,' he wrote. 'Thanks for the repost haha I'm going to have to plan a Melb trip to actually meet you guys in person.' 'I'm going to have to plan a Melb trip to actually meet you guys in person!' The Adelaide-based dog lover actually said that he wants to meet the blonde MAFS star Match made in heaven? Clare and Ryan are both dog lovers and they both appear to enjoy basking in the limelight Although they've never met, Clare and Ryan already have a few things in common. They're both animal lovers, especially when it comes to dogs, and neither one is shy about being in the limelight. Clare, of course, is a former reality star, while Ryan's a Cosmopolitan Bachelor of the Year finalist who has been featured in the media multiple times before thanks to his Instagram page. Flashback: Clare failed to find love with Jono Pitman on Channel 9's Married At First Sight She's appeared on her fair share of reality shows, including Ex On The Beach, Signed by Katie Price and 2005's Brat Camp. But it appears Jemma Lucy hasn't had her fill of the TV world yet as she hinted that a stint on ITV2's Love Island could be next on the cards. The 28-year-old teased her Snapchat followers that she might be joining the 2017 cast later this year as she shared a photo that saw her holding a hot pink sash that read 'Miss Love Island 201'. Scroll down for video On to another one: Jemma Lucy hasn't had her fill of the TV world yet as she hinted that a stint on ITV2's Love Island could be next on the cards Concealing the full year with her hand, the MTV star teased her fans about a possible appearance on the show, in that saw her wearing nothing but a tiny pair of black underwear, covering her modesty with the ribbon. Adding fuel to the fire, she captioned the intimate pic: 'Guess where I'm going', alongside a number of waving hand emojis. MailOnline have contacted Jemma's rep for comment. Her possible exciting announcement comes as she shared a passionate snog with former Love Island star Sophie Gradon while flaunting some serious skin when she stepped out in Newscastle in nothing but a thigh-skimming T-shirt on Friday night. The Ex On The Beach beauty put on a very cheeky display as she flashed her pert derriere in the tiny tee as they hit the Toon's Jalou night club for some fun, following their steamy display. Passionate: Her possible exciting announcement comes as she shared a passionate snog with former Love Island star Sophie Gradon That's cheeky: Jemma dared to bare some skin, stepping out in Newscastle in nothing but a thigh-grazing T-shirt In a jovial spirit, Jemma at one point pulled up her short ensemble to showcase her many intricate inkings and bare behind while her former Miss Great Britain pal laughed at her wacky antics. Keeping a casual edge to her look, the MTV star worked a pair of blush coloured trainers that hinted at her black Adidas ankle socks while she playfully larked around the street, tugging at her T-shirt. Jemma continued to make mischief when she flashed her tiny burgundy intimates to waiting cameras as she paraded her toned pins down the street, carrying her black studded clutch and khaki lightweight bomber over her Moschino bracelet wrapped wrist. Keeping to her usual glamorous beauty look, Jemma left her raven-coloured locks cascade down her back and shoulders in a loose straight style as she clowned about. While Newcastle native Sarah sizzled in a saucy leather mini skirt and crotchet body that teased at her taut stomach, as she wrapped up in a statement faux fur jacket, Cheeky: The 28-year-old Ex On The Beach star put on a very cheeky display as she flashed her pert derriere and burgundy coloured intimates in the tiny tee as they hit the Toon's Jalou night club for some fun Flashing the flesh of late on social media, Jemma was back to her old tricks as she shared an incredibly steamy topless snap on her Instagram on Thursday. The reality star undressed for the racy black and white pic on the photo sharing site, that highlighted her buxom bust in full as she posed with an equally scantily-clad pal, Elliane Eberle, 22. Seductively posing for the camera, she highlighted her many intricate inkings for the intimate pic that had her surgically-enhanced cleavage and panther tattoo on display. Dare to bare: Jemma is back to her old tricks as she shared an incredibly racy topless snap on her Instagram alongside her equally scantily-clad pal Elliane Eberle, 22 Accentuating her plump out, Jemma appeared to work a slick of gloss across her lips as she swept her raven-coloured locks into a low messy bun, allowing strands to fall and frame her face as well as her features. Resting her head on her pal, Elliane puckered up alongside the MTV bad girl, working her dark tresses into a ponytail while she wrapped a black choker around her neck. Captioning the saucy snap, she wrote: 'Literally found another version of me!!! @elleberle this beaut, when am I seeing u again!!' Meanwhile, Jemma appears to be determined to share snaps of her in various states of undress as last week she shared a completely naked selfie on the social media platform. Sunning herself! The reality star shared a number of steamy selfies in which she stripped down to various states of undress late last week Jemma found reality fame on the MTV dating show's third season in 2015 before making an explosive return in last year's fifth series - where she was kicked off for various aggressive outbursts. Since her untimely dismissal, the tattooed beauty has been on a crusade to shock both on social media, nights out and romantic dalliances. Her latest Instagram spree saw the star, real name Jemma Henley, bare more than ever as she peeled off her clothes to go totally naked on a sunbed. Using her hands to attempt to protect her modesty, the tattoo model barely hid her cleavage as she pouted into her phone. Shocking: Once again, Jemma was not shy when it came to social media as she shared a lewd clip on Snapchat Jemma later appeared complacent with her clothes once again as she opted to go topless in another duo of images which laid all her eye-popping assets on display. After her string of sexy selfies, she then took to Snapchat where she sent shockwaves when she joined a pal in simulating a sex act on a banana. Jemma's social media spree comes after she spoke to OK! online about her lonely Christmas, when she numbs her hatred for the festive period with alcohol. She said: 'I usually just get really drunk so I don't have to deal with it. When I was younger it was a really nice, fun time. But as I got older and got sent away from home and sent to boarding school, that's when it started to become a not-nice time. Out and a pout: Using her hands to attempt to protect her modesty, the tattoo model barely hid her surgically-enhanced cleavage as she pouted into her phone 'I would usually get plonked with someone else's family, and you know when you're not with your family and with someone elses, it makes you feel like you're not accepted. You should be with your own family, not with other peoples.' Prior to her EOTB run, the raven-haired stunner got her first taste of TV fame on Channel 4s Brat Camp in 2005 - a show aimed at troubled teens. Among her co-stars, Jemma was sent to a US correctional centre following a string of offences including shoplifting atop being expelled from three schools. Following this she competed on Signed by Katie Price, a reality show hoping to find a protege for the model, before she launched herself into the reality world on EOTB. Oh dear! Jemma later appeared complacent with her clothes once again as she opted to go topless in another duo of images which laid all her eye-popping assets on display During her first run in 2015's third season, she enjoyed dalliances with Kirk Norcross, before returning in series five this year - where she was ejected for her 'unreasonable behaviour' after an array of brawls. Jemma has gained herself a bad girl reputation during her stints on the MTV dating show after she frequently became embroiled in furious rows with co-stars. Kayleigh Morris was the particular thorn in her side as the duo frequently rowed over various topics, before one argument escalated after which security withdrew her from the Thai villa. She's been littering her Instagram with snaps from her New Year's getaway to sun-drenched Sri Lanka. And Myleene Klass certainly looked refreshed as she touched down in the UK with her two adorable daughters, Ava, nine, and Hero, on Wednesday. The TV star, 38, couldn't resist flashing her pearly whites as she carted her luggage through the airport, while her mini-me's followed on either side. Scroll down form video Back in town: Myleene Klass, 38, looked refreshed as she touched down in the UK following her Sri Lanka getaway with her two adorable daughters, Ava, nine, and Hero, on Wednesday Looking jet-set chic, the Classic FM presenter opted for a comfortable all-black ensemble which she teamed with a bulky beige scarf. Her positive demeanour only highlighted her glowing, newly topped up tan as she made her way to an awaiting vehicle. Despite still being indoors, the multi-talented star opted for shades, which complemented her highlighted locks as she strolled along in comfortable trainers. Her two daughters looked equally as stylish- with both matching in lovely monochrome dresses and hats. Jet-setter chic: The Classic Fm presenter opted for a comfortable all-black ensemble which she teamed with a bulky beige scarf Mini-me's: Her two daughters looked equally as stylish- with both matching in lovely monochrome dresses and hats Myleene put on quite the ency-inducing display during her time in Sri Lanka and in one social media snap she looked every inch the surfer chick as she took to the ocean on a boogie board on Tuesday. The mother-of-two showed off her figure in the photo, rocking a wild animal print bikini with an intricate crochet neckline as she lifted her board above her head. In another shot, Myleene flaunted her toned figure as she sat cross-legged on the sand while holding onto a refreshing coconut. Last week the former Hear'Say star sizzled in another self-designed bikini which boasted a triangle crochet pattern with a sculpted cup and low-slung bottom - rivalling her famous I'm A Celebrity shower moment. Happy lady: The TV star couldn't resist flashing her pearly whites as she carted her luggage through the airport Bronzed beauty: Her positive demeanour only highlighted her glowing, newly topped up tan as she made her way to an awaiting vehicle Surf's up! Myleene looked every inch the surfer chick as she took to the Indian Ocean on a boogie board on Tuesday This is the life: In another shot, Myleene flaunted her toned figure as she sat cross-legged on the sand while holding onto a refreshing coconut Myleene, who soared to fame in 2001 on pioneering talent show Popstars, looked sensational in her swimwear which highlighted every aspect of her frame. The day before Myleene enjoyed a safari with her daughters, sharing shots of herself and her girls spotting elephants from their vehicle. 'Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures. L.Carroll #nationalpark #klassgirls #srilanka,' Myleene quoted in one photo caption. While Myleene spent quality time with her two little girls on the holiday, she is set to return to her hunky beau Simon Motson, who she's been dating since mid 2016. Following in her footsteps: Hero and Ava joined their mum in the surf They announced their split after four years together last October. But while they haven't been seen together since announcing their break-up, Kris Smith and Maddy King appear to still have the same taste in beer. In what could be an amazing coincidence or perhaps something more, both have posted photos to Instagram which depict them raising identical beers with similar goofy expressions at the same Sydney bar. Scroll down for video Beers for two? Former flames Kris Smith and Maddy King share eerily similar photos taken at the SAME bar Kris shared his beer photo with his 75,000 followers on Thursday. The hunky model looked casual, wearing a plain black T-shirt. Sitting in a wooden booth, the father of one holds an oversized beer glass up to his mouth, poised to drink the enormous beverage. Split? The couple revealed they had parted ways last October, with Kris telling Daily Mail Australia: 'Maddy and I are no longer together, we haven't been for some time.' 'New Years resolution was to have one beer, so I made sure it was a good one,' Kris joked in the caption. On Saturday, Kris' ex Maddy also took to the social media site to share an equally enthusiastic selfie with the same oversized beer. The brunette stunner is at the same Sydney bar as Kris, also sitting at a wooden booth similar to the one her ex-boyfriend was pictured in. Coincidence? The brunette stunner has been pictured Sydney bar as Kris, also sitting at a wooden booth similar to the one her ex-boyfriend was pictured in Sporting a fresh-faced look, Maddy holds her large beer up and drinks. The nutrition student captions the photo by also making a reference to portion sizes. 'It's all about balance,' she writes. The couple revealed they had parted ways last October, with Kris telling Daily Mail Australia: 'Maddy and I are no longer together, we haven't been for some time.' Father of one: Kris also has a six-year-old son Ethan with Dannii Minogue, who he previously dated for more than three years But his ex revealed there were no hard feelings over the split. 'There are no hard feelings and are still friends,' Maddy said, also adding: 'My dad has beers with him every Sunday.' Kris also has a six-year-old son Ethan with Dannii Minogue, who he previously dated for more than three years. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kris and Maddy for comment. Red carpet regulars: The couple dated for more than four years and were a fixture on the Sydney social scene She's the fitness enthusiast, who's known for documenting her gruelling workouts on social media. And on Saturday, Michelle Bridges, 46, showed off the fruits of her labour in a revealing poolside snap. The bikini-clad former Biggest Loser star showed off her chiselled torso and gym-honed physique in an envy-inducing Instagram snap and made sure to plug her 12-week fitness program in the caption. Abs-olutely incredible: Former Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges showed off her chiselled torso and gym-honed physique in an envy-inducing Instagram snap on Saturday 'A time for all things.....relaxing by the pool is one! #mbactive #12wbt,' she wrote. The hashtag 12wbt references Michelle's 12 Week Body Transformation program, which seeks to help clients get in shape within three months. The mother-of-one sported a multicoloured bikini top paired with purple bottoms and a wide-brimmed star hat. Banging bod: Michelle recently posted a video of her post-Christmas holiday workout in a bid to inspire her followers to shed unwanted calories She is pictured soaking up sun rays as loved ones enjoy a swim nearby. The stunning snap comes days after the former reality star posted a video of her post-Christmas holiday workout in a bid to inspire her followers to shed unwanted calories. The exhaustive routine included lunges, squats and kicks repeated five times along with a ten minute warm up jog. She captioned the routine her 'Christmas Cardio calorie shredder!' Her followers were quick to notice that the hands-on mum was looking shredded. 'Is that a six pack I've just seen? Mum you're killing it,' one fan commented on the video. Another follower gushed that the 46-year-old was 'Body and career goals right here keep doing what you do!' Michelle has been including her one-year-old son in her workout routines, including jogging up and down concrete stairs using Axel as a weight earlier this month. 'You want me to do more than 10 times Axel?! Are you nuts!?? My legs are shaking!!' the fitness author captioned the picture. Working out with baby: The former Biggest Loser trainer recently told her 234k Instagram followers that she's been using her son as '12kg weight vest' So toned: The trainer's followers were quick to noticed that the mum was looking shredded. 'Is that a six pack I've just seen? Mum you're killing it,' one fan commented She recently told her 234k Instagram followers that she's been using her son as '12kg weight vest.' Michelle began working out less than a month after giving birth, spending 56 minutes a day jogging and walking. She came under fire for the intense post-natal routine, which was slammed as 'irresponsible' by physiotherapist Lyz Evans. She defended her choice to return to her normal routine as 'right for her body.' Skye Wheatley is known for being fixated on her own appearance, having previously received lip fillers, a breast augmentation, and most recently, a new nose. But on Saturday, the plastic fantastic 23-year-old pushed beauty aside and decided to puff away on an unhealthy cigarette at the FOMO Music Festival in Brisbane. Despite the fact that smoking is linked to premature ageing, bad skin, yellow teeth, and many more visual horrors, Skye didn't seem to mind as she sucked down the smoke whilst enjoying the festival's EDM beats. Puff puff! Skye Wheatley sucked on a cigarette at Brisbane's FOMO Music Festival on Saturday The Instagram model was joined by a group of friends, as well as her on-again/off-again boyfriend, tattooed tradie Cameron McCristal. To combat Brisbane's warm weather, Skye decided to dress in minimal clothing. She flaunted her infamous Bangkok boob job in a busty white lace bra that she was boldly wearing as a top. Thirsty? The Instagram model enjoyed a beverage in a Red Bull cup as she danced up a storm Rocking out! The 26-year-old danced to the festival's musical acts, which included EDM duo Peking Duk and rapper Desiigner The blonde bombshell slipped into a white denim mini-skirt, and wore sneakers instead of heels to ensure that she could comfortably dance to musical acts like rapper Desiigner. Not one for subtlety when it comes to style, Skye also sported fake pink nails which had been embellished and bedazzled with rhinestones and glitter. The pouty social media darling quenched her thirst by sipping out of a cup marked with a Red Bull logo. Busting out! She flaunted her infamous Bangkok boob job in a busty white lace bra that she was boldly wearing as a top All right in white! The blonde bombshell slipped into a white denim mini-skirt, and wore sneakers instead of heels to ensure that she could comfortably dance to musical Claws: Not one for subtlety when it comes to style, Skye also sported a fake pink nails which had been embellished and bedazzled with rhinestones and glitter The more the merrier! The Instagram model was joined by a group of friends, as well as her on-again/off-again boyfriend, tattooed tradie Cameron McCristal Skye regularly flies between her home on the Gold Coast and Sydney in order to see celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Michael Zacharia in Double Bay. The doctor performed the former Big Brother contestant's nose job, which generated a mixed response from fans who worried she had gone too far with her plastic surgeries. Skye also met him for a consultation as she endeavored to fix the botched boob job she received in Thailand in 2015, but it is not known if she went through with the procedure. Perfect: Skye showed off her new nose as well as her artificially plump pout Having fun? The duck-lipped social media darling quenched her thirst by sipping out of a cup marked with a Red Bull logo She recently told Yahoo!7 that her surgery ordeal in Bangkok made her lose sleep the night before her rhinoplasty. 'I was just stressing out because I was like, 'I need this to be perfect',' she said. 'I've had a botched surgery before so I was really nervous and I knew there were complications involved so that was always in the back of my mind.' What's going on?! Skye struck a very bizarre facial expression at one point All smiles: The starlet beamed as her tattooed tradie boyfriend say behind her Plump pout: Skye has been open about receiving lip fillers, and even advises fans on which injectables are the best Skye's extensive surgery, use of extensions, makeup, fake tan and weight loss products has left her looking almost unrecognisable from the wholesome girl who Australia first met during Big Brother in 2014. The bubbly blonde rocked a makeup-free face, beachy waves and a more casual style of dressing during her time on screen. She's now focused on launching her very own swimwear line, tentatively titled Skyla Swim. Who's that girl? Skye's extensive makeover has left her looking almost unrecognisable from the wholesome girl who Australia first met during Big Brother in 2014 Sam Frost is understood to have backed out of plans to build a country home with ex-boyfriend Sasha Mielczarek,The Sunday Telegraph has reported. The couple reportedly paid up to $810,000 on a block of land just outside Bowral, in the NSW Southern Highlands last June. But a fortnight ago, the land's future was thrown into doubt when the couple announced they had ended their high-profile relationship after 18 months together. Scroll down for video Changed her mind? Sam Frost is understood to have backed out of plans to build a country home with former partner Sasha Mielczarek, The Sunday Telegraph has reported Confidential reports Sam, 27, pulled out of the planned deal, however, did not specify exact reasons that led to the decision. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Sam's representatives for comment. At the time of the purchase, her construction builder beau Sasha, 32, said the upmarket area holds fond memories. 'I love building and all things construction': Shortly after the purchase last year Sasha had gushed excitedly about the project 'I love building and all things construction,' he told The Daily Telegraph. He added: 'Having grown up in the Southern Highlands and even going to high school there I'm pretty attached to the area.' In 2015, the happy couple had revealed their desire to settle down shortly after the show's finale aired, possibly prompting the land purchase mere months later. 'I see us getting married, having a couple of kids': The happy couple first revealed their desire to settle down shortly after the show's finale aired, possibly prompting the land purchase mere months later 'I see us getting married, having a couple of kids and getting in an old hot rod or convertible and driving to the beach,' Sasha told Woman's Day. Sam added: 'Our children would be running around with sand and buckets.He's going to make the perfect husband.' 2DayFM confirmed on Friday that Sam and her radio show partner Rove McManus had been axed from their primetime breakfast radio gig. Gone: 2DayFM confirmed on Friday that Sam and her radio show partner Rove McManus had been axed from their primetime breakfast radio gig Instead, the two will fill an hour-long 7pm slot as Em Rusciano and Harley Breen take over the morning show. She had reportedly been earning a fee similar to the $40,000 payment she received for starring on The Bachelorette, while Rove was being paid around $700,000 annually, The Sydney Morning Herald revealed. She's the Penrith native and former strip club hostess who now lives a life of leisure and luxury after turning a stint on Big Brother into Instagram fame. And on Saturday, it was business as usual for Lisa Clark, who spent the day lounging by the beach before sharing images of the moment to social media for her followers. The 31-year-old, who looked sensational in a barely-there bikini, was most likely relaxing before her next job as a freelance digital 'influencer' later this month. Not an inch to pinch! Lisa Clark showcased her taut bikini body on Instagram, which is no doubt a result of her regular workout sessions in trendy Eastern Suburbs gyms On Friday, she took to Instagram to show off the itinerary for an upcoming job with a General Pants store in West Hollywood. The documents revealed that the social media socialite will arrive at Los Angeles Airport, before heading to West Hollywood to check into 3-star hotel The Standard. The contract also specified that Lisa will be given 'free time to laze by pool,' making it the perfect fit for the serial relaxer. What job? The 31-year-old former strip club hostess is set to head to West Hollywood later this month for a digital 'influencer' job with General Pants 'Free time to laze by pool': The contract mentioned that Lisa will have time to relax by the pool, making it the perfect job for her Before hitting it big on Big Brother, the blonde beauty actually worked at General Pants as a PR assistant. The Instagram personality and freelance blogger has come a long way since those days, and now advises others on how to achieve the perfect career - just like hers! The budding journalist recently penned a feature on career tips for little-known Wordpress blog Skills Road. Jet-set! The Big Brother villain regularly travels thanks to her glamorous new career as an Instagram model Cheers! The Penrith native even gets into invite-only parties at A-list events like the Melbourne Cup 'Lets be honest, we all have those days when we feel like we live to work, bills pile in, most of us live well beyond our means and the fear of leaving something stable to chase a passion can all be a little daunting,' she scrawled in the informative piece. She continued: 'You need to think about what makes you tick, what motivates you and the types of environments you excel in and then do everything you can to get into the industry you so desire.' The former Western Sydney vixen then offered four useful tips for changing one's career, including 'leverage social media' and 'just do it.' Dances from the Dynasties: 2,500 Years of Dance PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) She's endured a difficult few weeks, after reportedly losing her home in December. And it seems Danniella Westbrook is now resorting to alternative methods to reduce her stress levels, after she was seen attending a meditation clinic on Saturday. The actress, 43, was spotted leaving the Kadampa Meditation Centre in Birmingham with a wad of leaflets - perhaps hoping to find a moment of calm amidst her financial woes. Scroll down for video Danniella Westbrook, 43, appears to be resorting to alternative methods to reduce her stress levels, after she was seen attending a meditation clinic in Birmingham on Saturday The former EastEnders star appeared immersed in the documents she picked up at the clinic as she made her way out of the meditation specialists. Danniella kept things casual and comfy in skinny jeans and a black fur coat, in order to fully relax for her therapy session. Still retaining her chic style however, the troubled star opted for a khaki set of strides adorned with chunky silver zips and biker-style panels on the knees. Finding her inner calm: Danniella kept things casual and comfy in skinny jeans and a black fur coat, in order to fully relax for her therapy session Adding further feminine touches, she wore pale pink trainers on her feet and accessorised with a pastel striped scarf - before adding a grungy cap on top. Danniella was then seen stopping outside an estate agent where she browsed the properties advertised in the window - avidly hunting for new accommodation after reportedly losing her home. Danniella is currently said to be living 'here there and everywhere' after losing her car and home before Christmas due to insufficient funds. She was pictured tearfully dragging a large suitcase through Liverpool earlier this month, before she was seen at a bingo hall in a bid to secure some money in her account. Any luck? Danniella was then seen stopping at an estate agent - avidly hunting for new accommodation after reportedly losing her home in December In one further blow, she then attained and lost a job at a tooth whitening clinic in the space of two days. Nicole Francis, the shop's owner, claimed that whilst the pair were friends, her personal hygiene was not up to standards, so she had to let Danniella go. She accused the actress of leaving bloodied tissues around the Lip Couture practice in Liverpool, which she said had been used to mop up Danniella's fragile septum. Despite Nicole's claims that the dismissal had nothing to do with her friend's appearance, Danniella wrote on Twitter: 'Just so everyone is aware I WILL NOT BE DOING TEETH WHITENING AT LIP COUTURE. Troubled times: Danniella is currently said to be living 'here there and everywhere' after losing her car and home before Christmas due to insufficient funds 'Apparently due to my septicaemia & multiple operations clients dont want to look at me or have me treating them. 'SO Nicoles mum Suzanne will be doing the treatments Wishing the girls all the best & happy Christmas all x.' Danniella's septum famously collapsed in the year 2000 due to her excessive use of cocaine. At the height of her drug abuse, it was reported she had taken up to five grams of cocaine a day, blowing close to 250,000 on the drug. She could bag her first ever Golden Globe award on Sunday, after scoring a nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her turn in Rules Don't Apply. And Lily Collins practised her red carpet glamour as she arrived in style for a party at celebrity hot-spot Catch LA in West Hollywood on Friday night. The 27-year-old British-American actress made a racy statement in a semi-sheer, glittering black dress which highlighted her perky assets and tiny midriff. Scroll down for video Dare to bare! Lily Collins, 27, made a racy statement as she arrived for a party at celebrity hot-spot Catch LA in West Hollywood on Friday night The eye-catching clingy number boasted nude underlay, which covered her modesty as she strutted forth in a pair of open-toe stiletto heels. A pattern of black leaves ran throughout the number and were positioned strategically upon her cleavage and lower torso to avoid a malfunction. Forgoing the beige sheath, the daughter of musician legend Phil Collins' legs were on fine form under the knee-length garment. Her make-up look was equally as glamorous with her peepers smoked out to perfection and a complementary matte, nude lip. Sheer: The British-American actress was clad in a semi-sheer, glittering black dress which highlighted her perky assets and tiny midriff Bold beauty: The eye-catching clingy number boasted nude underlay, which covered her modesty as she strutted forth in a pair of open-toe stiletto heels Lily, who rang in the New Year in the low-key countrysides of UK, also made a stylish statement as she attended the W Magazine Celebrates the Best Performances event at the Chateau Marmont in LA on Thursday night. The stunner dropped jaws in a daring sheer silver gown that left very little to the imagination. The floor-length, sleeveless frock was ringed with shimmering horizontal bands and completely see-through in between, showcasing the actresses stunning body. The party was held ahead of Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony, and brought together much of the talent on the list of nominees. Gorgeous: Her make-up look was equally as glamorous with her peepers smoked out to perfection and a complementary matte, nude lip Always glam: Lily also made a stylish statement as she attended the W Magazine Celebrates the Best Performances event at the Chateau Marmont in LA on Thursday night Lily is nominated for Rules Don't Apply, a Warren Beatty-directed film, where the English rose plays a young actress tempting fate with forbidden love in 1950's Hollywood. She goes up against Annette Bening for 20th Century Women, Hailee Steinfeld for The Edge of Seventeen, Emma Stone for La La Land, and Meryl Streep for Florence Foster Jenkins. The 74th Golden Globe Awards will air live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on January 8 and will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Freida Pinto is feeling the blues. On Friday, the actress arrived to the CAA Party at Catch LA in West Hollywood, California where she sported a unique yet stylish ensemble. As she was spotted making her way to the big event, she wore a black and white strapless top with a long blue coat draped around her shoulders. A blue evening: On Friday, Freida Pinto attended the CAA party at Catch LA in West Hollywood, California in a royal blue coat with a black and white top The Slumdog Millionaire star added on a pair of blue pants with white print and some fancy silver high heels. Freida kept her hair tied back upon her arrival and appeared to be in a decent state of mind. The 32-year-old also donned some bling with a tight necklace and a watch on her left wrist. Stylish girl: The actress added on a pair of blue and white pants that exuded her slender figure Staying lovely: The star showed off her classy makeup at the big event to celebrate the Golden Globe Awards airing on Sunday night Her complexion was on point with a small amount of makeup, including some lipstick and eyeshadow. Odds are likely it was an incredible evening as the CAA party celebrated the Golden Globe Awards two nights before the ceremony. Freida spoke with E! News last November on the struggles that women face when it comes to equalization in the movie industry. It's not just about equal pay, but it's also about being treated like a person instead of an object. Always elegant: The BAFTA Film Award nominee attended the John Hardy Artisan in Residence Launch in New York City last month 'People are still giving in to the idea of the female characters being objectified or overly sexualized in films and it's working, it's because people are habituated in that and you have to break that,' the actress explained. 'You have to break that in a smart but aggressive way.' The India native added that there are 'still' not a lot of strong women characters, but there are people who are open-minded about that. 'Of course there are certain people who think outside the box, so I wouldn't say that the whole world wants inequality but I guess there are certain barriers,' Freida said. 'I definitely think culture and religion play a massive part and also it's a habit.' Naomi Campbell stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday evening for dinner at Catch restaurant, and was immediately accosted by autograph-hungry fans. And the gracious beauty obliged by stopping and signing a few pieces of paper for her revelers, looking as classic as ever. The star wore a midnight blue velvet ensemble, which hung gracefully off her slight frame, and added to the sleek look by wearing her glossy raven tresses to trickle down past her shoulders, straightened to perfection. She finished the look with an intricate headpiece of shiny black jewels and a copper chain that ran along her centre-parting. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Fashion statement: Naomi Campbell looked sleek as she stopped to sign autographs in LA... following her reminder to the world that she was also once attacked in Paris similarly to Kim Kardashian The exotically regal look was competed with a splash of crimson on her pouty lips. The 46-year-old supermodel has been doing the rounds in LA during her time in the states, and has appeared on US TV to discuss matters surrounding George Michael's untimely death and Kim Kardashian's Parisian robbery. 'I sympathise with [Kardashian] a lot,' she told talk show host Wendy Williams. 'In 2012 I was attacked in Paris. They followed me from the airport. They attacked me. 'They opened my car door and said, "Naomi Campbell, we're going to kill you!"' Unlike Kardashian, Campbell kept the ins and outs of her ordeal out of the press, and has opted to remain private about what exactly took place. But with the similarities between the two incidents - both being in Paris, both being with high-profile people, both involving death threats - Campbell clearly felt the desire to share. Happy to oblige: The gracious beauty stopped and signed a few pieces of paper for her revelers, looking as classic as ever At the time of the attack, Campbell was travelling to Azzedine Alaias house - who is a designer - for a dinner. The robbers approached the model outside Alaias shop - which is connected to his home - and it transpires her driver was in on it. The employees at Alaias store eventually saved her, but not before Campbell stood her ground. Despite the death threats, the feisty star revealed that adrenaline made her fight against the would-be thieves. Exotic: She finished the look with an intricate headpiece of shiny black jewels and a copper chain that ran along her centre-parting 'You decide in a very split moment "am I going to let this guy take my bag with all my passports, or am I going to fight for it?" And my decision was, I am not letting my bag go.' She elaborated also on the organised crime in Paris that she feels both she and Kardashian were subjected to. 'Its a whole ring thats been happening for a few years now, so I very much sympathize with [Kardashian] and I felt for her right away,' Campbell added. Following Kardashian's incident - which took place in October - rumours began to circulate that it had been a PR stunt. 'I hated hearing these stories that it wasnt true,' Campbell said. 'It was absolutely true and it happened to me and its happened to a few other people.' Traumatised: 'Its a whole ring thats been happening for a few years now, so I very much sympathize with [Kardashian] and I felt for her right away,' Campbell added Spilling the beans: Kardashian has reappeared on her social media accounts over the past 24 hours and further details are thought to be aired about the state of things on the forthcoming season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, due to broadcast in March Kardashian's constant presence on social media came to a grinding halt following the incident and she went underground for the remainder of 2016. Things then got worse for her as her husband Kanye West appeared to experience some form of a breakdown. But Kardashian has reappeared on her social media accounts over the past 24 hours and further details are thought to be aired about the state of things on the forthcoming season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, due to broadcast in March. Meanwhile, Campbell also commented on the death of pop star George Michael, who was found deceased at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day. Having famously appeared in Michael's iconic Freedom '90 video, Campbell revealed on Wednesday that she's still grieving for the star. Lindsay Lohan is undergoing a total image re-haul. The 30-year-old actress has wiped most of her social media accounts clean shortly after posting a war poem she penned about the plight of Syrian refugees on Instagram. Lindsay's camp explained to DailyMail.com exclusively that the Mean Girls star is 'in a period of renewal, and is very excited for what the new year holds.' The starlet voiced: 'I am so excited for this new chapter in my life!' New year, new Lindsay: Lindsay Lohan, 30, has wiped most of her social media accounts clean shortly after posting a war poem she penned about the plight of Syrian refugees on Instagram A few months ago, the red headed beauty - who turned her life upside down and spent time volunteering in the war-torn country of Turkey - transitioned to a new management team. The team is assisting the once controversial starlet in her mission to refashion herself - a la actress-turned-aid-worker Angelina Jolie. Her manager Scott Carlsen said of the changes Lohan is making: 'We are extremely happy here at team Lohan, thrilled to see everyone's reactions over the next year as we have some big projects lined up.' New beginnings: Lohan is excited to start new business ventures in Dubai. She is pictured here in the Middle Eastern country in December The Liz & Dick actress told CNN on Facebook Live that in between business ventures, she will mainly spend her time in Turkey volunteering, and in Dubai creating her own production company. Lohan will next be seen in the upcoming horror-crime film The Shadow Within, and is beginning a new 'very important' project in April. She said of the flick: 'It shows how you can find love in the darkest places.' In the same interview she also revealed that she's still urgently pushing for a Mean Girls 2, unfortunately to no avail thus far. Though the new year is looking bright, 2016 was tumultuous for The Parent Trap star, to say the least. Rough ending: Lohan called off her engagement to 23-year-old businessman Egor Tarabasov just a few months after the Russian investor asked for her hand in marriage Lohan called off her engagement to 23-year-old businessman Egor Tarabasov just a few months after the Russian investor asked for her hand in marriage. Since walking away from her ex-fiance, she's revealed the younger man harmed her physically, and lived off of her money. In October, things got harder when the philanthropist had her ring finger partially ripped off in a fishing accident in Turkey. Luckily, a friend grabbed the severed bit of her finger and it was sewn back on by a plastic surgeon. Kind soul: After losing and re-attaching a portion of her ring finger, Lindsay continued to help, visiting a Syrian family and giving the children presents in October Lohan didn't skip a beat and was quick to return to her humanitarian work of aiding Syrian refugees. It was nearly 10 years ago that the blue-eyed beauty was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in May and then again for the possession of cocaine in July of the same year. PR queen Roxy Jacenko is planning to leave her husband Oliver Curtis when he is released from jail, a friend has claimed. Curtis is expected to be released from Cooma prison in June after he was convicted last year of insider trading. Jacenko, of Sydney's eastern suburbs, has been openly discussing plans to end their four-year marriage when he is released, a friend told Daily Telegraph. Scroll down for video A friend has reportedly said PR queen Roxy Jacenko (pictured with her children in Hawaii) is preparing to split from her husband, Oliver Curtis Oliver Curtis and Roxy Jacenko are pictured with their children Pixie and Hunter 'She has said that once Oli is out, she will end it,' the friend told Daily Telegraph. They have been married for four years The friend said Jacenko, 36, didn't appear to want the split, but has been 'preparing for it for a while' and seems to have it 'worked out in her head'. She has been getting support from her friend and ex-boyfriend, millionaire property developer Nabil Gazal, friends have previously claimed. Daily Mail Australia has approached Jacenko for comment. The friend said Curtis' imprisonment had made dealing with her recent breast cancer treatment more difficult. Jacenko is rumoured to be preparing to split from Curtis when he is released from jail in June Jacenko kisses a dolphin during the Christmas break Jacenko has been getting support from her friend and ex-boyfriend, millionaire property developer Nabil Gazal (pictured), friends have previously claimed She was diagnosed just eight days after Curtis was sentenced to prison. He is expected to be released in June on good behaviour, after one year behind bars. Jacenko had documented the luxury clothing she wore to court in daily selfies taken from an elevator and posted to social media. She stood by her husband's side throughout the trial and the couple were routinely photographed arriving at court, hand-in-hand. Curtis has been reportedly struggling in prison, where he spent Christmas without his family. Jacenko and their children, five-year-old Pixie and two-year-old Hunter, spent the break in Hawaii, according to photos posted to social media. The couple were photographed arriving at court hand-in-hand as Jacenko supported her husband throughout the trial Jacenko is pictured with their children, five-year-old Pixie and two-year-old Hunter The couple's two young children, Pixie and Hunter, are pictured together Renee Bargh knows how to make an entrance! The stunning Australian-born American TV presenter wowed at the AACTA International Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, taking to the red carpet in an eye-catching black dress. Donning a form-fitting fringed black Misha Collection frock that showed off her slender midriff, the Extra TV reporter turned heads at the Avalon theatre in Hollywood, were the event was held. Scroll down for video Making an entrance: Renee Bargh wowed at the AACTA International Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, taking to the red carpet in an eye-catching black fringe dress The co-host and correspondent for Extra is now based in California and has a Cali tan to show for it, with her lithe limbs looking golden and glowing. Although she may have had some help from a touch of bronzer as the 30-year-old recently spent the Christmas holiday's in South California's Big Bear Lake. The area is known for it's chilly winters and the Queensland born beauty spent some time on the slopes thanks to snow fall in the area. She also appeared to have slightly darker hair than in recent weeks, trading her blonde locks for a trendy 'bronde' do which mixes brunette and flaxen tones. Darker do: The Extra TV presenter appeared to have slightly darker hair than in recent weeks, trading her blonde locks for a trendy 'bronde' do which mixes brunette and flaxen tones Toned, tan and terrific: The Queensland-born beauty sports a Cali tan and bronzed skin but spent the recent weeks on a ski trip over the holidays Natural toned make up with a subtle nude pink lip, smoky eyes and rust toned eye shadow completed the effortlessly glam look. The beauty recently discussed her search for Mr Right with the men's lifestyle magazine Oliver Grand. 'Generally humour and wit [attract me]. A great smile definitely helps but I need brains. Someone who can stimulate me regularly and teach me new things.' 'Integrity, honesty, trust, communication and a sense of adventure. Spontaneity and the desire to explore [are also things which attract me to a man].' Single and ready to mingle: The popular personality recently revealed she's looking for a man with humour, wit and a great smile Describing her perfect date, Renee said: 'A hike or beach walk followed by a picnic or home cooked meal. The way to my heart is through my stomach.' The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards are in their sixth year and honour the the best achievements in international film from the past year, months after the Australian ceremony was held. The event attracted an impressive roll call of A-listers, with Isla Fisher, Sacha Baron Cohen, Nicole Kidman and Jessica Marais making an appearance. Taiwan president heads to US as Beijing watches Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan's Central American allies, Tsai's US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Houston and San Francisco in the United States while on a nine-day trip to ally nations in Central America The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. - Seeking to meet Congress members - Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office and the foreign ministry declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. Deputy foreign minister Javier Hou told a legislative committee last month the ministry was seeking to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to the Central News Agency. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador -- among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. It is also an opportunity to interact with leaders of other countries "to show the international community that Taiwan is a competent and responsible partner," Tsai told reporters Saturday before her departure. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwan's highest-profile supporter, but the Holy See's recently improving relations with Beijing are casting doubt over ties with the island. Analyst Liao said Beijing would continue to woo the island's allies as a pressure tactic on Tsai, who refuses to acknowledge the concept that there is only "one China". Taiwan's defence ministry has declined to comment on speculation that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait on its return journey after its first exercise in the Pacific. The ministry is "monitoring at all times" the position of the Liaoning, spokesman Chen Chung-chi said. Jeff Bridges cements place in Hollywood Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges was described as "royalty" by his peers on Friday as he sunk his hands and feet into the cement at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre. The 67-year-old actor, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe this year for "Hell or High Water," was surrounded by fellow actors and industry heavyweights, including Sharon Stone and Chris Pine, during the ceremony. "He is a pillar. He is a backbone. He may as well be royalty," said Pine as he introduced the veteran actor. "Even within the business, actors are fangirling over Jeff Bridges all the time, including myself." Actor Jeff Bridges displays his hands after imprinting them in a block of cement at a Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood Robyn BECK (AFP) Pine added that Bridges, who won an Oscar in 2010 for his performance in "Crazy Heart," just "breathes love." "He has a heart miles and miles wide. His bandwidth for love, compassion and positivity is something to really behold," Pine said. Bridges, dressed in a suit and tie, recalled coming to the iconic theater as a kid and joked that his brother Beau had told him to "bliss out" and enjoy the imprint ceremony. Australia whitewash Pakistan with Sydney Test win Australia clinched a series clean sweep with an emphatic 220-run win over Pakistan in the third Test in Sydney on Saturday. The tourists were all out shortly before tea on the final day for 244 chasing 465 runs with paceman Josh Hazlewood and spinner Steve O'Keefe both snaring three wickets. Pakistan's hopes of holding out for a draw evaporated with the dismissals of leading series runscorer Azhar Ali and veteran Younis Khan before lunch. Spinner Steve O'Keefe took three wickets as the Australians dismissed Pakistan for 244 just before tea on the final day to wrap up another emphatic Test series victory WILLIAM WEST (AFP) Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed topscored with a fighting unbeaten 72 off 70 balls. Australia completed a series clean sweep after a 39-run win in the first Gabba Test and an innings and 18-run victory in Melbourne last week. It was Pakistan's 12th straight defeat since their last Test win in Australia in Sydney 22 years ago. Dynamic opening batsman David Warner was named man of the match for his scintillating hundred before lunch on the opening day, while skipper Steve Smith was announced as the official player of the series. "I'm really proud of the way the boys have played in the last few weeks," Smith said. "I don't think Davy Warner knows any other way and he set the tone for us straight up in the first and second innings." Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said his team never recovered from their shattering innings defeat to lose the series in the second Melbourne Test. "The last day of the MCG was the biggest disappointment of the tour and we got demoralised from that and could not recover. This is how it is. Australia is not an easy place," Misbah said. The highest target successfully chased down in the fourth innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground was Australia's 288 for two against South Africa in 2006. The tourists lost four wickets in Saturday's first session after resuming at 55 for one. Azhar Ali lasted just six balls into the final day before he was out in a soft dismissal on his overnight score of 11. He tried to work Josh Hazlewood to the leg-side only to bunt the ball back to the bowler for an easy return catch. Azhar finished as the highest Pakistan runscorer in a series in Australia with 406 at 81.20. Babar Azam followed in Hazlewood's next over, trapped leg before wicket for nine to end a disappointing series with a total of just 68 runs from six innings. - Khan falls short - Younis Khan missed out on becoming the first Pakistan batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs when he was caught in the deep off spinner Nathan Lyon for 13. Younis, who scored an unbeaten 175 for his 34th Test hundred in the first innings, did not get enough on a Lyon delivery and lobbed to Hazlewood at mid-on. It was a significant wicket for Australia following on from the first-over dismissal of Azhar to have Pakistan plunging towards defeat. Nightwatchman Yasir Shah's 93-ball defiance ended a half-hour before lunch when he was snapped up the slips by fielding substitute Jackson Bird off left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe for 13. Asad Shafiq went soon after lunch bowled by Mitchell Starc off a thick inside edge for 30. Misbah resisted for 98 balls before he went after O'Keefe and skied to the safe hands of Lyon at mid-off for 38 -- his highest score of a struggling series. Misbah, at 42 and playing his probable last innings in Australia, was given a generous ovation as he left the SCG. Wahab Riaz cracked three fours off nine balls before he lost a review for caught behind off O'Keefe for 12, and O'Keefe ran out Mohammad Amir for five to put Australia on the brink of victory. Hazlewood claimed the last wicket and his third of the innings when he had Imran Khan caught in the slips for a duck. Australia tour India next month for a four-Test series, while Pakistan do not have any Tests scheduled until April, when they will tour the West Indies for a four-match series. Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq (R) cuts a ball away in front of Australia's Peter Handscomb (C) and Matthew Wade (L) on the final day of the third cricket Test in Sydney WILLIAM WEST (AFP) Younis Khan missed out on becoming the first Pakistan batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs when he was caught in the deep off spinner Nathan Lyon for 13 WILLIAM WEST (AFP) Moore, Thomas share lead at Tournament of Champions Ryan Moore and Justin Thomas shot identical six-under 67s for the second straight day and are tied for the lead at the halfway point of the PGA Tour's Tournament of Champions. Moore and Thomas are at 12-under 134 and have a one shot lead after 36 holes at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. First round leader Jimmy Walker is tied for second with Patrick Reid at 11 under, but world number one Jason Day is also still in the mix. Ryan Moore plays a shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the SBS Tournament of Champions in Lahaina, Hawaii SAM GREENWOOD (Getty/AFP) Walker was at 12 under until he made bogey on the 17th hole to fall one back after a 70 on Friday. Reed posted one of the low rounds of the day with an eight-under 65. Moore closed his round with a wedge shot on No. 18 that stopped a foot from the hole. He made birdie on four of his final five holes. Thomas put together a string of three consecutive birdies starting at No. 3. His lone bogey of the round came at the par-five No. 15. Jason Dufner was by himself at 10 under after back-to-back 68s, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan was another shot back at nine under after a 68. Matsuyama, who is seeking his fourth straight win, was one of six players to lead in the second round. Australia's Day was tied for 11th at seven under after posting a 69. American Dustin Johnson was also at seven under after a second-round 70. Defending champion Jordan Spieth sabotaged his otherwise strong round with a triple bogey after an errant drive on the 17th hole for a 69. He is seven shots adrift at five under. "I'll struggle for the next couple hours getting over 17 kind of throwing me out of the tournament," Spieth said. US Marines to return to Afghanistan's Helmand province Some 300 US Marines will head to Helmand province in Afghanistan this spring to help a NATO-led mission to train Afghan forces, the Marines said. The move puts Marines back in Helmand, who left in 2014 as NATO withdrew its forces and let Afghan troops lead the fight against the Taliban. They were among the first US forces sent to Afghanistan after the 2001 terror attacks in the United States. Several thousand were deployed in Helmand, an opium-producing region, where they engaged in bitter combat with the Taliban insurgency. US Marines left Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2014 as NATO withdrew its forces and let Afghan troops lead the fight against the Taliban WAKIL KOHSAR (AFP/File) The administration of outgoing President Barack Obama had hoped to withdraw most US military forces from Afghanistan by now, leaving behind just a small force. But the United States still has some 8,400 military personnel in the country, and is now returning the Marines to Helmand. At the request of US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the US forces in Afghanistan, "approximately 300 Marines will deploy to Helmand Province Afghanistan in Spring 2017 in support of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission," a statement from the Marine Corps said. The Marines "will train and advise key leaders within the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police," it added. "Advising and assisting Afghan defense and security forces will assist in preserving gains made together with the Afghans." The Afghan army and police are struggling in their struggle against a resurgent Taliban. In early December General John Nicholson, the chief US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said that Kabul directly controls about 64 percent of the country's population of 30 million, down slightly from 68 percent earlier in 2016. He said that the Taliban have been especially active in Helmand province and are working opium with traffickers. "There's a nexus here between the insurgency and criminal networks that's occurring in Helmand that makes Helmand such a difficult fight," he added. Repair teams poised to begin work restoring Damascus water Repair teams were poised to enter a restive region near Damascus on Saturday to begin work on restoring the Syrian capital's water supply, state media said. Millions of people have been without water for weeks after fighting damaged key infrastructure in the Wadi Barada region that is the main water source for Damascus. Clashes continued there overnight and into Saturday morning, killing seven Syrian government soldiers and two civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrians walk past a poster calling for on people to save water in the capital Damascus LOUAI BESHARA (AFP/File) But by late morning, state media said maintenance teams had arrived in the area 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Damascus and were "prepared to enter" to begin repair work. A source close to the regime said a temporary ceasefire had been agreed to allow the repair crews to enter, though it could take days before the mains supply is restored. Fighting has raged in Wadi Barada for several weeks, despite the December 30 start of a ceasefire brokered by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The truce has held across much of the country, though it does not apply to the Islamic State group or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now known as Fateh al-Sham Front. The government says Fateh al-Sham is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Rebels deny the jihadist group is in the region and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. - 5.5 million without water: UN - The fighting has left some 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs facing water shortages, the United Nations warned earlier this week. It said sabotaging water supplies was a war crime but made no direct accusations of blame. Russia and Turkey have worked increasingly closely on the Syrian conflict and last month brokered a deal for civilians and surrendering rebels to leave Aleppo. They want the ceasefire agreement to pave the way for new peace talks to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana later this month. But the fighting in Wadi Barada has already prompted rebels to halt talks to prepare for the Astana meeting, citing regime "violations" of the ceasefire. Both Moscow and Ankara have launched military interventions in Syria, with Turkey starting its Operation Euphrates Shield in August targeting both IS jihadists and Kurdish militants. After seizing several towns from IS, Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels are now focusing their attentions on Al-Bab, a jihadist bastion in Aleppo province. The Observatory said on Saturday that Turkey had sent major reinforcements to the area in apparent preparation for an operation against the town. - US-backed alliance advances - A US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters has also been advancing into IS-held territory as they press a drive towards the jihadists' de facto Syrian capital Raqa. Alliance fighters supported by US special forces moved within striking distance of the Tabqa dam on the Euphrates River, the country's largest, the Observatory said. "They have taken the last village between them and the dam. Now all that remains in front of them is four kilometres (two and a half miles) of empty land," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The dam lies just 500 metres (yards) from the town of Tabqa, where many senior IS commanders have been based. Russia launched its own military intervention in Syria in September 2015, aimed at bolstering ally President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels. But it announced in December it would begin withdrawing forces, and the Russian military on Friday said the drawdown had started. Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov said a naval group headed by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kutnetsov would be the first to leave. President Vladimir Putin had already announced a partial withdrawal of Russian forces in March 2016, but Moscow later had to ramp up its presence again as fighting increased. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Over half the country's population has been displaced. Syrian aircraft attack rebels near Damascus water source Massive tanker bomb kills 48 in Syria border town A massive tanker truck bomb ripped through a market by a courthouse in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on Saturday, killing 48 people and wounding dozens near the Turkish border. The attack appeared to be the deadliest yet in the town in northern Aleppo province, which has been regularly hit by bombings targeting rebels and civilians. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least fourteen rebels were among the dead, but most of those killed were civilians, including five religious judges belonging to various rebel factions. A huge tanker truck bomb ripped through a market area in front of a local Islamic courthouse in the Syrian border town of Azaz on January 7, 2017 Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said identification of the dead was being hampered by the fact that some bodies were completely burned in the blast. Video from the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal, which bulldozers were working to clear. Raging fires were burning in several vehicles, and the fire brigade was battling to put them out with a giant water tanker and hoses. Azaz has been repeatedly struck by bomb attacks, including in November when rebels said 25 people -- civilians and opposition fighters -- were killed in a car bombing of a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. - IS suspected - There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack, but Osama al-Merhi, a lawyer at the scene of the blast, pointed the finger at IS. "These kinds of crimes are only committed by the terrorist group Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "They are the ones who target civilians and the cadres who are building this country," he told AFP. The blast comes during a fragile nationwide ceasefire brokered by government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The truce came into effect on December 30, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakh capital Astana, which regime ally Iran is also helping organise. But the ceasefire and the planned talks have been threatened by ongoing violence in the rebel-held Wadi Barada region outside Damascus, which is the main water source for the capital. Overnight, the Observatory said seven Syrian soldiers and two civilians were killed in clashes. Fighting in the region has continued despite the truce, which does not apply to IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, known previously as Al-Nusra Front. The government says Fateh al-Sham is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Rebels deny the jihadist group is in the region and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. - Millions without water - The damage has left 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs without water, according to the UN. A source close to the regime said a temporary ceasefire had been agreed to allow the repair crews to enter Wadi Barada, though it could take days before the mains supply is restored. State media on Saturday said however that maintenance teams attempted to reach the area 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Damascus but were forced back by sniper fire. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. The fighting has displaced more than half the population, internally or abroad, and proved stubbornly resistant to international attempts to broker a political solution. Turkey and Russia want to convene negotiations in Astana later this month, but rebels have suspended participation in preparatory talks, blaming regime "violations" in Wadi Barada. Elsewhere, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by US special forces moved to within four kilometres (2.5 miles) of the Tabqa dam held by IS, the Observatory said. The monitor said the Syrian Democratic Forces had taken the last IS-held village between them and the dam on the Euphrates, which is the country's largest. The dam is just 500 metres (yards) from the town of Tabqa, where many senior IS commanders have been based. Raging fires burn in several vehicles after a tanker bomb went off in the Syrian city of Azaz on January 7, 2017 S. Korea protesters demand president's removal, ferry salvage Hundreds of thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Seoul on Saturday, demanding impeached President Park Geun-Hye's immediate removal and the salvaging of a sunken ferry which left more than 300 dead. Park was impeached by parliament last month over an influence-peddling scandal and the Constitutional Court now has to decide whether to confirm the impeachment. The corruption scandal has brought huge numbers of protesters onto the streets every week demanding Park's removal and she is also under fire over her response to the Sewol ferry accident in 2014. South Korean protesters carry portraits of President Park Geun-Hye during a protest demanding her immediate removal during a rally in Seoul, on January 7, 2017 Jung Yeon-Je (AFP) "Park step down, salvage the Sewol," the protesters, estimated to number half a million by organisers, chanted as they marched toward the presidential Blue House, the prime minister's office and the Constitutional Court. At 7 p.m. (10:00 GMT) hundreds of yellow balloons were released and the protesters blew out the candles they were carrying as a symbolic gesture asking that Park clarify the mystery surrounding her seven-hour absence at the time of the ferry sinking. Unconfirmed media reports have suggested a wide range of theories regarding Park's whereabouts, including a romantic liaison, participation in a shamanistic ritual, cosmetic surgery or a 90-minute haircut. The protesters also urged the government to speed up its efforts to salvage the ship to determine the exact cause of the disaster. Regarding the corruption case, Park has repeatedly denied accusations she colluded with a longtime friend, Choi Soon-Il, to strong-arm donations worth tens of millions of dollars from top firms which were then funnelled to dubious foundations. The president still has her supporters however, with an estimated 30,000 demonstrators staging a counter-protest Saturday outside the office of a special prosecutor investigating the scandal. Waving national flags and chanting military songs, the protesters dismissed the impeachment move as a conspiracy spawned by "pro-North Korean" leftists seeking to topple the conservative government. South Korean relatives of the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster carry a banner showing portraits of the victims during a protest against President Park Geun-Hye in Seoul, on January 7, 2017 Jung Yeon-Je (AFP) Palestinians bury alleged assailants killed in attacks Around 1,500 mourners attended the funerals Saturday in the West Bank city of Hebron of two alleged Palestinian assailants killed by Israeli troops last year. Hatem Shaludi, 25, and 16-year-old Mohammed Rajabi were both shot dead in September during separate alleged stabbing attacks on Israeli soldiers in the occupied city. Israeli authorities returned their bodies for burial by their families on Friday. Mourners attend the funeral of Mohamed al-Rajabi and Hatem Shaludi, two Palestinians by Israeli troops after reportedly carrying out stabbing attacks, on January 7, 2017 Hazem Bader (AFP) 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. Since the start of the violence, Israeli forces have confiscated the bodies of killed Palestinians, often for several months, as a means of deterrence and to prevent clashes during funerals. Israel is still withholding the remains of seven Palestinians, from east Jerusalem and the West Bank, including three from Hebron which is a frequent hotspot. Mourners at Saturday's funerals carried pictures of the deceased, Palestinian national flags and banners of various Palestinian groups, including the Islamist militant movement Hamas. It was not known, however, if either Shaludi or Rajabi were directly linked to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Israel said last week that it would not release the bodies of Hamas militants killed during attacks on Israelis but would instead bury them itself. The decision by the security cabinet followed the release by Hamas of video footage showing a mock birthday party for Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, believed by the army to have been killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The government did not elaborate on the burial plan, but said that the same meeting discussed ways of getting back the remains of Shaul and another soldier killed in the Gaza war and obtaining the release of two Israeli civilians missing in Gaza and believed to be held by Hamas. In September, a senior Israeli official said that Israel had been holding since the war 18 Palestinians from Gaza as well as the bodies of 19 others and had "offered to swap them for the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers". Hundreds protest as Sri Lanka launches Chinese industrial zone Sri Lanka police fired teargas to disperse hundreds of people protesting the launch Saturday of a special industrial zone in the island's south that hopes to attract billions of dollars in Chinese investment. Protesters pelted government supporters with stones and police retaliated with teargas and water cannon at the launch, which was also attended by the prime minister and the Chinese ambassador, a police official told AFP. Authorities said about 25 people were hurt in the skirmishes, including 12 police. Sri Lankan police use water canons to disperse activists and Buddhist monks during a protest in the southern port city of Hambantota on January 7, 2017 Ishara S. Kodikara (AFP) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and ambassador Yi Xianliang said the zone in Hambantota, 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of Colombo, will generate thousands of jobs and bring in about $5 billion in Chinese investment. But residents are afraid they will loose their land to the project, which is situated adjacent to a loss-making $1.4 billion harbour that Colombo hopes to turn into a joint venture with a Chinese company. The port has already proved controversial in itself with hundreds of temporary dock workers going on strike in December demanding that they be absorbed into the main port-owning company ahead of any sale to the Chinese. The government denies residents will lose any land to the new industrial zone, saying 95 percent of the area allocated for the project is state-owned and the remainder will be bought from private owners. They say there will be no forced acquisitions. "In the next two to five years, if everything is OK, there will be about $5 billion of (Chinese) investments in this zone," ambassador Yi said at the launch, adding that 100,000 jobs could be created. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said creating the special area for Chinese investors was aimed at making the debt-burdened Hambantota port viable. "The Hambantota port was going to sink us (Sri Lanka), but we are now trying to leverage it to create new economic activity and boost growth," Wickremesinghe said. The government, which came to power in 2015, has been trying to renegotiate the terms of its $8-billion Chinese debt, which includes the construction costs of the Hambantota port as well as a nearby international airport which is used by only one airline. The former administration relied heavily on China to build ports, highways and railways as Western nations shunned it over its dismal human rights record. I. Coast seeks to defuse troops' mutiny as unrest spreads Ivory Coast's defence minister on Saturday headed to the northern city of Bouake where troops have seized control, firing rocket launchers in the streets in an angry protest over pay. As the country's second city, Bouake was the headquarters of an armed rebellion that broke out in 2002 and split Ivory Coast in two until 2011. The unrest erupted in the early hours of Friday morning with troops demanding hefty pay rises, and the protests quickly spread to other cities, including Man in the west. Lieutenant-Colonel Issiaka Ouattara (left) speaks with Archbishop Paul-Simeon Ahouanan Djro as unrest sweeps through Ivory Coast's second city of Bouake, on January 7, 2017 Sia Kambou (AFP) "We are going to talk with our men, hear their complaints and find solutions to this situation that is understandable but regrettable," Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi said in a televised address before his departure. The rattle of automatic gunfire continued throughout the night, and could still be heard on Saturday morning along with the sound of heavy weapons fire, local residents and an AFP correspondent said. "We heard shooting all through the night," one resident told AFP by phone. - Disgruntled former rebels - Troops had also set up barricades, blocking entry into the city where long queues of vehicles could be seen waiting. Similar protests erupted in several central and northern towns throughout the day and by Saturday morning, the unrest had also spread to Man, witnesses and a military source said. "I went out of my house at 7:00 am when I heard the first shots," a local resident called Jean told AFP, saying that within an hour, the firing had "intensified." "The military is now parading through the streets in vehicles," he said, with a military source confirming the unrest had hit the city shortly after dawn on Saturday. - Troops wary - The protests had also spread to the central towns of Daloa and Daoukro as well as Korhogo in the north, where angry troops demanded salary hikes although witnesses said they had largely disappeared from the streets by Friday evening. Speaking to AFP on Friday, a military official said the unrest was spearheaded by former rebel fighters now integrated into the army who were demanding bonuses of five million CFA francs ($8,000, 7,600 euros) each plus a house. "We are emerging from a crisis and our army is being rebuilt," the defence minister said in his televised address. "Things are not moving as quickly as we hoped but they are moving none the less." - An ongoing issue - Ahead of the minister's arrival, troops expressed wariness over his intentions, with one telling AFP, "We believe they are getting ready to do something against us." "If he wants to come to negotiate, there won't be any problems. But if they want to attack us, we are ready for that too," he added. President Alassane Ouattara, who is currently in Ghana for the swearing in of the country's new president, was expected to return to Abidjan, the economic capital, by the end of the day for a cabinet meeting. Friday's unrest saw troops breaking in to Bouake's main weapons depot, arming themselves with rocket-launchers and other weapons mounted on pickup trucks, a military source said. Troops then attacked all seven police posts, manned strategic junctions and put up barricades in the town centre, an AFP correspondent said. A similar dispute by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake in November 2014 which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill. The nearly 9,000 strikers, who joined the army between 2009 and 2011, were demanding full payment of back pay and promotions. Bouake was the capital of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then president Laurent Gbagbo, who remained in power. The effective partitioning of the country between a rebel-held north and a loyalist south sparked a decade of clashes and crises. Rebel forces generally backed Ouattara, the current president who took office in April 2011 after a bloody post-electoral showdown which ended with Gbagbo's arrest. Gbagbo was turned over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where his trial began in January last year for crimes against humanity. [caption] UN peacekeepers patrol Bouake where soldiers seized control of Ivory Coast's second city on January 6, 2017 Sia Kambou (AFP) Passengers rest next to a bus as they wait to enter Ivory Coast's second city of Bouake, on January 6, 2017 Sia Kambou (AFP) Pakistan law allowing secret military terror courts expires A Pakistani law allowing secret military courts to try civilians on terror charges expired Saturday, after the controversial tribunals hanged 12 people and ordered the executions of 149 more amid sharp criticism from rights groups. The government has not said whether it plans to extend use of the courts, created by constitutional amendment after the country's deadliest ever extremist attack in 2014. The assault on a school in northwestern Peshawar, in which gunmen killed more than 150 people -- mostly children -- traumatised a country already grimly accustomed to atrocities. The Pakistani law allowing for secret military courts to trial civilians on terror charges was created after the 2014 assault on a Peshawar school, in which 150 people died A Majeed (AFP/File) The army intensified an operation against militants in the tribal areas and the government launched a National Action Plan, including the creation of the courts, against extremism. The courts were seen as an "exceptional" short-term measure put in place to allow the government time to reform the criminal justice system. But rights activists called for greater transparency, saying the courts failed to meet even the murky standards of military tribunals around the world. In a statement issued to the media Friday, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said justice reform had not been carried out, and called for fair, credible trials. "The lapse of the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians is a step in the right direction, but unsurprisingly, there is no sign of the promised reforms to strengthen the ordinary criminal justice system to effectively handle terrorism-related cases," said Sam Zarifi, ICJs Asia Director. "The Pakistani Government must not re-enact legislation to continue secret military trials of civilians, nor resort to more short-term, short-sighted security measures that are contrary to human rights protections," Zarifi added. Analyst Imtiaz Gul said heavy criticism meant Pakistan was unlikely to extend the courts, saying the controversy had been an "embarrassment" to the country. Quoting military sources, the ICJ said 274 people have been convicted by military courts since January 2015, of which 161 have been sentenced to death. Twelve of those have already been hanged. The rights group said the details of only seven cases where people were given life imprisonment have been made public. Health fears for detained Sudan opposition figure The family of detained Sudanese opposition figure Siddig Yousif have appealed for his release following an "alarming" worsening of his health. The 85-year-old was detained in November along with three other leftist leaders by the National Intelligence and Security Service during a crackdown on protests sparked by fuel price hikes. Yousif's family, who were allowed to visit him on January 5, said there had been "an alarming deterioration in his state of health". Siddig Yousif, 85, was detained in November by the National Intelligence and Security Service during a crackdown on protests sparked by fuel price hikes Ashraf Shazly (AFP/File) Iraq PM says Turkish troop problem solved soon Iraq and Turkey's prime ministers held talks Saturday in Baghdad which both said reflected progress in resolving a bitter row over the presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said at a joint press conference after meeting Turkey's Binali Yildirim that the issue would be solved soon. "The prime minister and the delegation accompanying him confirmed that this issue will be solved in a satisfactory manner soon," he said. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (left) and his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi hold talks in Baghdad, on January 7, 2017 Hakan Goktepe (Turkish PM Office/AFP) Turkey has for some time maintained troops at a base near Bashiqa, a town just northeast of Mosul, and reinforcements dispatched there in 2015 led to a deterioration in relations between the two neighbours. Baghdad has accused Turkey of violating its sovereignty but Ankara has insisted rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who are based in northern Iraq should be dealt with. - Mosul battle - Yildirim on Saturday said Abadi had provided such assurances. "This is very important for us. We were very pleased with this and it shows in the best way what we can do in the fight against terror," he told reporters. The PKK, a Turkish organisation, and its local allies control key areas in the Sinjar region, which lies between Mosul and Syria, south of the Turkish border. Ankara has blamed a number of recent deadly attacks in Turkey on the PKK and has hinted it would not hesitate to cross the border to hunt down the Kurdish separatists. Abadi said he had a deal with the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region for its forces to establish control over the Sinjar area. "It should be under the full control of Iraqi forces and any outside forces are not allowed to control this area," Abadi said. Yildirim said his government was committed to respecting and supporting Iraq's sovereignty. Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces on October 17 launched a broad offensive, the country's largest in years, to retake Mosul from the Islamic State jihadist group. The Turkish troops based outside Bashiqa, which was recaptured from IS in November 2016, have offered some artillery support but largely stayed out of the battle. Ankara has insisted Mosul must keep its Sunni Arab Muslim majority which it had before IS took over the city from woefully unprepared Iraqi troops in 2014. Yildirim suggested that Turkey would pull its troops out of Bashiqa once the battle for Mosul is over. While Abadi has said a victory in Mosul could take three more months, many observers argue the timetable is optimistic. Exactly which Iraqi forces secure the city will also be significant, with Turkey particularly wary of Shiite-dominated militias loyal to Tehran attempting to gain a foothold in northern Iraq. Gunfire in Abidjan as Ivory Coast mutiny spreads Shots rang out at a military base in Abidjan on Saturday as a mutiny by disgruntled troops appeared to spread to Ivory Coast's economic capital despite government efforts to defuse the crisis. The widening unrest came after troops seized control of Bouake, the country's second city, firing rocket launchers in the streets in an angry protest over pay. Bouake was the headquarters of an armed rebellion that broke out in 2002 and split Ivory Coast in two until 2011. Soldiers stand guard at a road black in the Plateau business district of Abidjan on January 7, 2017, as shots were heard inside a nearby military camp according to local media ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP) "Shots were heard here in Abidjan at the Akouedo military base," a newsflash on national television said Saturday, referring to a camp in the northern sector of the city. Troops closed off a large junction near the Akouedo base, leaving all roads leading to the camp gridlocked with traffic and hampering access to several neighbouring districts. The unrest erupted in the early hours of Friday morning with troops demanding hefty pay rises, and the protests quickly spread to other cities, including Man in the west. In an attempt to defuse the crisis, Ivory Coast's defence minister headed to Bouake. "We are going to talk with our men, hear their complaints and find solutions to this situation that is understandable but regrettable," Alain-Richard Donwahi said in a televised address before his departure. The rattle of automatic gunfire, which raged throughout Friday night, could still be heard on Saturday morning along with the sound of heavy weapons fire, Bouake residents and an AFP correspondent said. "We heard shooting all through the night," one resident told AFP by phone. - Disgruntled former rebels - Similar protests erupted in several central and northern towns throughout the day and by Saturday morning, the unrest had also spread to Man, witnesses and a military source said. "I went out of my house at 7:00 am when I heard the first shots," a local resident called Jean told AFP, saying that within an hour, the firing had "intensified." "The military is now parading through the streets in vehicles," he said, with a military source confirming the unrest had hit the city shortly after dawn on Saturday. There were also protests in the central towns of Daloa and Daoukro as well as Korhogo in the north, where angry troops demanded salary hikes although witnesses said they had largely disappeared from the streets by Friday evening. Speaking to AFP on Friday, a military official said the unrest was spearheaded by former rebel fighters now integrated into the army who were demanding bonuses of five million CFA francs ($8,000, 7,600 euros) each plus a house. - Troops wary - "We are emerging from a crisis and our army is being rebuilt," the defence minister said. "Things are not moving as quickly as we hoped but they are moving none the less." However troops expressed wariness over Donwahi's intentions, with one telling AFP; "we believe they are getting ready to do something against us." "If he wants to come to negotiate, there won't be any problems. But if they want to attack us, we are ready for that too," he added. President Alassane Ouattara, who is currently in Ghana for the swearing in of that country's new president, was expected to return to Abidjan, the economic capital, by the end of the day for a cabinet meeting. Friday's unrest saw troops breaking in to Bouake's main weapons depot, arming themselves with rocket-launchers and other weapons mounted on pickup trucks, a military source said. Troops then attacked all seven police posts, manned strategic junctions and put up barricades in the town centre, an AFP correspondent said. - An ongoing issue - A similar dispute by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake in November 2014 which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill. The nearly 9,000 strikers, who joined the army between 2009 and 2011, were demanding full payment of back pay and promotions. Bouake was the capital of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then president Laurent Gbagbo, who remained in power. The effective partitioning of the country between a rebel-held north and a loyalist south sparked a decade of clashes and crises. Rebel forces generally backed Ouattara, the current president who took office in April 2011 after a bloody post-electoral showdown which ended with Gbagbo's arrest. Gbagbo was turned over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where his trial began in January last year for crimes against humanity. Unrest in Ivory Coast Alain BOMMENEL, Sophie RAMIS (AFP) Lieutenant-colonel Issiaka Ouattara (C), also known as Wattao, flanked by soldiers, arrives at the deputy prefect's residence in Bouake for talks with the deputy prefect and Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi on January 7, 2017 Sia KAMBOU (AFP) A convoy of UN Blue Helmet peacekeepers is parked at the entrance of Ivory Coast's second city of Bouake on January 6, 2017, where soldiers demanding more pay and housing rose up earlier in the day SIA KAMBOU (AFP/File) Florida shooting suspect could face death penalty The US authorities have charged the Iraq war vet accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six at a Florida airport with federal crimes that could carry the death penalty. The Justice Department on Saturday charged Esteban Santiago, 26, with firearms offenses and carrying out an act of violence when he opened fire at the busy Fort Lauderdale airport. Santiago, who had earlier shown signs of "erratic behavior," arrived Friday on a flight from Alaska. Esteban Santiago, 26, was accused of killing five, wounding six and sending thousands scrambling for safety in a shooting rampage at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport At baggage claim, he retrieved a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and ammunition that he had declared and stowed inside his checked luggage, then allegedly loaded the weapon in a bathroom and opened fire in the crowded baggage claim area of Terminal 2. Once his ammunition was exhausted Santiago lay on the floor with his arms and legs spread out and peacefully surrendered when a sheriff deputy approached him, witnesses quoted in US media said. The hail of bullets sent thousands scrambling for safety and shut down the airport, a major gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, for about 16 hours. If convicted of the charges Santiago could face the death penalty or life in prison, US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a statement. "Santiago started shooting, aiming at his victims' heads until he was out of ammunition," the statement said. Santiago, who traveled to Fort Lauderdale on a one-way ticket, walked around while firing approximately 10 to 15 rounds "in a methodical manner," FBI agent Michael Ferlazzo wrote in court records, according to US media. FBI special agent George Piro said agents were looking into the motives for the attack, including "continuing to look at the terrorism angle." Piro said Santiago appeared to be acting alone and that "every indication" is that he followed rules in flying with the weapon. Santiago is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Monday. - 'Erratic' - A former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, Santiago served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011. He ended his service in August. On November 7, Santiago walked into the FBI's office in Anchorage, Alaska and complained that his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies, which were forcing him to watch Islamic State jihadist videos, the authorities said. This "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. Anchorage police chief Christopher Tolley said Santiago came to the FBI office with a loaded magazine, but left his gun and newborn child in his car. Police took Santiago's weapon for safekeeping at the time, but he was able to reclaim it on December 8. Tolley said it was unclear if Santiago used that gun in the airport rampage. Santiago's brother, Bryan, criticized the way the authorities have handled his case. "They had him hospitalized for four days and they let him go. How are you going to let someone leave a psychological center after four days when he said he hears voices that the CIA is telling him to join certain groups?" he told CNN in a Spanish-language interview the network translated into English. "Not everyone has the same reaction when they return from war," he added. "Some are better, and some, not so much." The authorities have not identified any victims, but three named in media reports were all getting ready to set off on cruises. They included British-born 84-year-old grandmother Olga Woltering, who was embarking on a family cruise with her 90-year-old husband, the Sun Sentinel reported. Terry Andres, 62, was going on vacation with his wife of nearly four decades, Ann, the Palm Beach Post reported. Other victims included Michael and Kari Oehme, a couple in their 50s. Michael was killed and his wife wounded in the shoulder, the Miami Herald reported. - Checking weapons - The shooting renewed anxieties about security at US airports. The Transportation Security Administration -- the agency responsible for airport security -- lets passengers travel with unloaded firearms and ammunition as checked baggage. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents the Florida district that includes the airport, said the rules need to be reexamined. The incident should prompt a review of "whether or not you should be allowed to check a firearm at all" -- as well as how passengers should be able to retrieve checked weapons after landing, she told CNN. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy rebuked the Republican-controlled Congress for not tightening gun laws. "Political cowardice is the accomplice of every mass shooter," he wrote on Twitter. "The utter silence of Congress in the face of this carnage has become consent." The Fort Lauderdale airport re-opened Saturday morning, and staff struggled to return nearly 20,000 pieces of luggage and other personal items abandoned by passengers who fled the shooting. People wait on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim on January 6, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida JOE RAEDLE (Getty/AFP) First responders secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim on January 6, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida JOE RAEDLE (Getty/AFP) Trumps lambasts 'fools' who oppose better Russia ties President-elect Donald Trump condemned Russia critics on Saturday, calling those who oppose better relations with Moscow "stupid" people and "fools" in his latest Twitter tirade. His attack comes a day after the Republican president-elect met the country's leading intelligence agency chiefs -- including the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and CIA chief John Brennan -- who told him that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a vast cyberattack and leaking campaign aimed at helping install Trump in the White House. "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing," he tweeted on Saturday. "Only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" US President-elect Donald Trump (L) tweeted about Russia, whose leader Vladimir Putin is seen in 2016 (R), "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing. Only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" DON EMMERT, Natalia KOLESNIKOVA (AFP/File) "When I am President," he added, "Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" But the formal announcement of former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Trump's pick for US director of national intelligence, also on Saturday, may go at least a little toward reassuring those critical of Trump's praise for Putin and desire to improve relations with Moscow. A mild-mannered former ambassador to Germany who also served on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Coats, 73, has been a vocal critic of Russia's annexation of Crimea. He was widely tipped for the job coordinating 16 intelligence and security agencies -- a position Trump may slim down. "Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community," Trump said in a statement. "If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm." - Trump accuses Democrats - After their meeting with Trump on Friday about findings that undermine the legitimacy of his election, intelligence officials released a declassified report describing an unprecedented Russian cyberattack as part of an ongoing effort to subvert American democratic institutions. Although Trump accepted the possibility that Moscow was involved in hacking US targets including the Democratic National Committee, the president-elect held fast to his rejection of the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election. He told the New York Times before the meeting that the accusations are part of a "political witch-hunt" against him. He blamed Democrats for the hacking, accusing the Democratic National Committee of "gross negligence" in another series of tweets on Saturday. "Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed!" Trump, who has ridiculed the country's intelligence agencies, repeated his view that the findings show "absolutely no evidence" any hacking affected the election results. "Voting machines not touched!" Moscow denies the hacking accusations. On Saturday, a top Russian lawmaker accused US President Barack Obama's administration of undermining US democracy instead. "The Democratic process in the United States is undermined not by Russia, but by the Obama administration and the media which supported (Democratic nominee Hillary) Clinton against Trump, Alexei Pushkov, former parliamentary foreign relations committee chairman, tweeted." The threat to democracy is the United States." - Blacklisted by Moscow - Coats -- who served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1989 to 1999, and then from 2011 to the end of his term on Tuesday -- was one of six US legislators and three White House aides blacklisted by Moscow in 2014 in reprisal for US sanctions placed on the country for its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. The former senator, who had advocated tough sanctions against Moscow, has called the ban an honor. He was US ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005 under the George W. Bush administration, and served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as economy-related committees during the past six years. He welcomed his nomination on Saturday. "There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen," he said in a statement. His nomination must pass Senate confirmation. Created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the DNI oversees coordination between disparate agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and others, acting as the president's principal adviser on their work. US media reported earlier this week that Trump's transition team is working on a plan to scale down the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. However, the incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has called the reports "false." Dan Coats was one of six US legislators and three White House aides blacklisted by Moscow in 2014 in reprisal for US sanctions placed on the country Bryan R. Smith (AFP/File) Leading American intelligence agency chiefs told Donald Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a vast cyberattack against mainly Democratic organizations Jim Watson (AFP) I. Coast soldiers end mutiny after deal Ivory Coast soldiers on Sunday ended a two-day mutiny in the second city Bouake and other key areas after reaching a deal on their demands for pay rises, housing and faster promotion. President Alassane Ouattara called on his compatriots to "go back about their business" as normal after the deal was accepted by the military mutineers, who actions had paralysed Bouake. The world's top cocoa producer was rocked by two days of unrest after soldiers seized control of Bouake's streets early Friday, firing rocket-launchers and terrifying residents, in a mutiny that spread to other cities including the economic capital Abidjan. A delegation of mutinous Ivorian soldiers stand behind Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi (C) as he speaks to journalists in Bouake, on January 7, 2017 SIA KAMBOU (AFP) "There has been no firing since Saturday night," a local journalist in Bouake said on Sunday. "Traffic has resumed this morning and the shops have reopened." One of the leaders of the mutiny in the west African country said he was "happy with the turn of events" after soldiers returned to their barracks. "All we are asking is for the president to be attentive to the living conditions of soldiers," he said on condition of anonymity. In Abidjan -- a bustling seaport that is home to the presidency and parliament -- national television reported that shots had been fired at the Akouedo barracks on Saturday. The soldiers had also detained Defence Minister Alain Richard Donwahi for two hours, firing Kalashnikovs and heavy weapons around the home of a senior local official where Donwahi was meeting with soldiers' representatives. "After the regrettable events of recent days, the situation is back under control and everyone should go back about their business," Ouattara tweeted Sunday. On Sunday, Abidjan's central Plateau area where several government offices and leading businesses are located, was calm. "Life is back to normal," a resident said. The same was true for the northern city of Korhogo and Man in the west. Ouattara announced on Saturday evening that an agreement had been reached. In a brief televised address he said it took into account "the demands relating to bonuses and improving the living conditions of soldiers," without giving details of the accord. - 'Many problems to resolve' - Donwahi, who returned to Abidjan on Saturday night, said all bonus arrears would be paid. "We are aware that there are many problems to resolve... I can assure you that we will keep our commitments but they too should keep theirs," he said. Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the capital of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then president Laurent Gbagbo. Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill. The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement. - Politically motivated? - A Bouake resident said on Sunday he had had enough. "We no longer want this situation in Bouake," said teacher Adama Coulibaly. "We are tired of these actions of the soldiers." Shopkeeper Adama Cisse warned: "If the shooting continues I think the population will revolt." Some analysts said the mutiny could be a pressure tactic on Ouattara. "One of the things to ascertain is whether there has been a political manipulation. We are waiting for the nomination of the vice president and the prime minister... are the former rebel leaders behind this?" one said. "At present everybody is thinking about Guillaume Soro," the expert said, referring to one of the leaders of the 2002 rebellion which sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest. Soro, who served as prime minister for five years until March 2012, is currently parliamentary speaker. Rebel forces had then backed Ouattara, the current president who took office in April 2011 after a bloody post-electoral showdown with Gbagbo that left 3,000 people dead. But some soldiers denied they had been manipulated, arguing that it was "a family matter". "You can equip the army but if the men are not motivated it won't serve any purpose," said one, adding that Ouattara was the troops' "spiritual father". A retired soldier said the problem was that senior officers earned disproportionately high salaries. Unrest in Ivory Coast Alain BOMMENEL, Sophie RAMIS (AFP) Soldiers stand guard at a road black in the Plateau business district of Abidjan on January 7, 2017, as shots were heard inside a nearby military camp according to local media ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP) People wait on January 7, 2017, fifteen kilometres from Bouake where soldiers protesting their pay seized control of Ivory Coast's second city Sia KAMBOU (AFP) Lieutenant-colonel Issiaka Ouattara (C), also known as Wattao, flanked by soldiers, arrives at the deputy prefect's residence in Bouake for talks with the deputy prefect and Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi on January 7, 2017 Sia KAMBOU (AFP) Israelis rally for unity after soldier's manslaughter verdict Israelis on Saturday answered a wounded army veteran's call for a show of unity after the deeply divisive manslaughter conviction of a soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant. Israeli public radio said about 1,500 turned up at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square after a moving Facebook appeal by reserve Captain Ziv Shilon who was seriously injured in 2012 when a Palestinian roadside bomb went off as he patrolled Israel's border with Gaza. "Tonight, right, centre or left we are together," he wrote on Saturday, before the evening rally. An Israeli woman holds a poster reading in Hebrew: "We never abandon soldiers" as she demonstrates outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv on January 4, 2017, in support of Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant JACK GUEZ (AFP/File) Shilon said he was appalled at the wave of hate unleashed in the wake of Wednesday's guilty ruling in the case of soldier Elor Azaria, caught on video delivering a shot to the head of a Palestinian attacker as he lay wounded on the ground. Immediately after the verdict dozens of Azaria supporters scuffled with police. The following day police arrested two people after death threats emerged online against a military judge and other officials. Another two, both minors, were arrested on suspicion of daubing graffiti, including calls to kill Arabs and police officers. Israel's military has assigned bodyguards to all three judges who convicted the 20-year-old French-Israeli. "I feel that our people are divided, hurting, hating, disappointed, desperate," Shilon posted in the early hours of Thursday. "I -- who did not cry at moments that were so hard that I would not wish them on anyone -- today I just cried," he wrote. "I cried for the hands I left behind in Gaza and I asked myself, perhaps for the first time, was it worth fighting for a people that hates itself?" Right-wing politicians -- including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- have already called for Azaria to be pardoned, although he has yet to be sentenced and his lawyers may appeal. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has reportedly been targeted with threats, with some Azaria supporters suggesting he would join Rabin -- a reference to the 1995 assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist. Parliament speaker Yuli Edelstein said a number of officials had also been targeted online, an army spokeswoman said. 2 men killed on beach in Mexico resort of Acapulco MEXICO CITY (AP) Authorities say two men have been shot to death on a beach in Mexico's once-glamorous Pacific coast resort of Acapulco. The two were shot several times Friday, apparently with pistols. Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez said the victims did not appear to be tourists. Forensics take away the body of a man after he was shot together with another one at the Tamarindos beach in the port city of Acapulco Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Two men, both fully dressed and not wearing the shorts or bathing suits usually used by tourists, were shot several times. Killings occur frequently in the poorer neighborhoods of Acapulco, but seldom on the city's beaches.(AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez) Killings occur frequently in the poorer neighborhoods of Acapulco, but seldom on the city's beaches. The beach in question is mainly used by local residents, not foreign tourists. The most recent spate of beach killings was in early 2016, when two people were shot dead on a nearby stretch of beach, and a vendor was fatally shot by a man who then escaped on a Jet Ski. A man lies dead after being shot at the Tamarindos beach in the port city of Acapulco Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Two men, both fully dressed and not wearing the shorts or bathing suits usually used by tourists, were shot several times. Killings occur frequently in the poorer neighborhoods of Acapulco, but seldom on the city's beaches.(AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez) California funds 1st US inmate sex reassignment SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A 57-year-old convicted killer serving a life sentence in California became the first U.S. inmate to receive state-funded sex-reassignment surgery, the prisoner's attorneys confirmed Friday to The Associated Press. California prison officials agreed in August 2015 to pay for the surgery for Shiloh Heavenly Quine, who was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery for ransom and has no possibility of parole. "For too long, institutions have ignored doctors and casually dismissed medically necessary and life-saving care for transgender people just because of who we are," said Kris Hayashi, executive director of the Transgender Law Center, which represents Quine and other transgender inmates. FILE - This June 11, 2015, file photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows Shiloh Heavenly Quine. The 57-year-old convicted killer has become the first U.S. inmate to receive state-funded sex reassignment surgery. Shiloh Heavenly Quine has been living as a woman in a California men's prison. The surgery was scheduled for Thursday, and her attorneys told The Associated Press on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, that it was performed. California prison officials agreed in 2015 to pay for the surgery for Quine. (AP Photo/California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, File) Hayashi said the surgery fulfills a landmark legal settlement and is a victory for "all transgender people who have ever been denied the medical care we need." Quine's case led the state to become the first to set standards for transgender inmates to apply to receive state-funded sex-reassignment surgery. Her case prompted a federal magistrate to provide transgender female inmates housed in men's facilities with items such as nightgowns, scarves and necklaces. Lacking cosmetics, she had her eyelids tattooed blue and her eyebrows and lashes tattooed black. Quine previously wrote that her presence in the men's prison creates "confusion and mixed emotions from the males that go from romantic thoughts to disgust and explosive turmoil reactions." She will be moved to a women's prison following the operation, which was performed at a hospital in San Francisco, her attorneys said. The daughter of Quine's victim said she objects to inmates getting taxpayer-funded surgery that is not readily available to non-criminals, regardless of the cost. "My dad begged for his life," said Farida Baig, who tried unsuccessfully to block Quine's surgery through the courts. "It just made me dizzy and sick. I'm helping pay for his surgery; I live in California. It's kind of like a slap in the face." Quine and an accomplice kidnapped and fatally shot 33-year-old Shahid Ali Baig, a father of three, in downtown Los Angeles in February 1980, stealing $80 and his car during a drug- and alcohol-fueled rampage. California was legally required to pay for the operation, corrections spokeswoman Terry Thornton said. "The Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution requires that prisons provide inmates with medically necessary treatment for medical and mental health conditions, including inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria," Thornton said in a written statement. Corrections officials fought for years to avoid paying for sex-reassignment surgeries. In one high-profile case, the state paroled Michelle-Lael Norsworthy in 2015, just one day before a federal appeals court was to hear her request for state-funded surgery. Joyce Hayhoe, a spokeswoman for the federal court-appointed official who controls California's prison medical care, said the cost of sex-reassignment surgeries could approach $100,000, including procedures and medications before and after the operation. The Transgender Law Center said that figure is exaggerated. A portion of the state's expense will generally be reimbursed by the federal government, sometimes up to 95 percent, Hayhoe said. Since the state approved its policy, officials have received 64 other inmate requests for sex-reassignment surgeries, and four have been approved. Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which supports crime victims, said there are not enough operations to make a big dent in the corrections budget, though he does not think the state should fund them. For Quine, the procedure marks the end of a years-long quest. She says in court documents that she has thought of herself as female since age 9. But she was raised in the 1970s to be "a real man" and went on to marry and divorce two women and father two daughters. Quine told a prison psychologist who recommended her for the operation that it would bring a "drastic, internal completeness." She expects it will end a dysfunction and depression so deep that she tried to cut and hang herself in prison five times, most recently in 2014 when she was initially told she could not have the operation. Quine said she tried unsuccessfully to amputate her genitalia when she was about 19, three years before she went to prison and roughly the same time she tried self-medicating with illegally purchased female hormones. The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that 3,200 transgender inmates are housed in U.S. prisons and jails. A judge ordered Massachusetts in 2012 to provide an inmate with sex-reassignment surgery, but the decision was overturned on appeal. The Latest: Ex-US Rep. Renzi leaves prison after 3 years PHOENIX (AP) The Latest on former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi's release from federal prison (all times local): 5:25 p.m. Former Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi has been released from a federal prison after serving three years for corruption, money laundering and other charges. He walked free just ahead of his scheduled Saturday release date. His attorney, Kelly B. Kramer, declined to comment on his client's plans after prison. Renzi was convicted in 2013 of conspiring to use his congressional post to make companies buy his former business associate's land so the associate could repay a debt to Renzi. Renzi represented Arizona's 1st Congressional District from 2003 to 2009. He didn't seek re-election in 2008 while facing charges. Police brace for Sri Lanka rally against port lease to China COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka police are bracing for a big protest Saturday by thousands of Buddhist monks and opposition supporters against a government decision to lease a major seaport to a Chinese-controlled venture. The government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80-percent ownership. The protest against the deal is taking place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visits the area on Saturday to inaugurate an industrial zone surrounding the port. A court has issued a restraining order on the protest saying it could lead to unrest. China invested over $1.2 billion in the port in what some analysts call its "string of pearls" strategy in countries surrounding its rival India. Although the project made losses since 2010, Sri Lanka's government, at first critical of the enterprise, approached China seeking help to make it viable. Lawmaker D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a "Chinese colony." He said more than 10,000 people including 3,000 monks are expected to turn out for the protest. Police commandos patrolled the streets of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of capital Colombo, set up roadblocks and stationed water cannons to prevent unrest. "We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone," said Chanaka, the district lawmaker. "When you give away such a vast area of land you can't stop the area becoming a Chinese colony." After the lease expires, it can be negotiated for another 99 years, according to the framework agreement, whose terms are still being negotiated. The government also has proposed to lease another 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in Hambantota district and adjoining Moneragala district for an industrial zone. The Rev. Magama Mahanama, from an organization calling itself the Monks' Organization to Protect National Assets, said that the clergy following an ancient tradition would issue a decree to the government to stop the leasing. Historically, kings in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka are said to have abided by decrees issued by Buddhist monks. "It's a way of conveying the message that the monks are not for it," Mahanama said. "Ninety-nine years means at least two generations. When they (the Chinese) take root here, what's the guarantee that we will have it back? There is a major threat of cultural erosion and demographic change." Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier this week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free the country from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. He said the industrial zone was necessary to make the port and the nearby Chinese-financed airport, also running at a heavy loss, viable. Spieth makes 9 birdies and has 2 bad holes at Kapalua KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) Jordan Spieth made nine birdies Friday with the kind of round that should have put him in contention at the SBS Tournament of Champions. Except for two holes, he might have been. Instead, Spieth left Kapalua thinking more about a high finish than a title defense. Jordan Spieth walks up the third fairway during the second round of the Tournament of Champions golf event, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York) He made a double bogey on the par-3 eighth when his ball caught a wicked lie in the bunker and his next shot buried in deep rough. What really irritated him was a bad drive on the 17th, compounded by not getting the right yardage and laying up into a hazard, leading to triple bogey. "I'll struggle for the next couple hours getting over 17 kind of throwing me out of the tournament," Spieth said after his 69. "Just feel like it's going to be too big of an uphill battle. But I can get myself probably 12- to 14-under par the next two days and finish in the top five. So that becomes the next goal." He spoke outside the scoring trailer, still running hot enough to rule himself out so quickly. Spieth was at 5-under 141. By the end of the round, he was seven shots behind Justin Thomas and Ryan Moore with 36 holes remaining. Still, his outlook illustrated the irritation. Spieth thought his 7-iron on No. 8 had a chance to be close until it took a hop into bunker on the downslope. He blasted out across the green, and the ball had so much spin that it buried in the rough. He couldn't control the spin on that one as it raced across the green into the rough. Spieth had to make a 5-footer for double bogey. His caddie, Michael Greller, set a short goal of making five birdies the rest of the way. "We got five on the next five," Spieth said after rolling in four birdies from inside 10 feet and one from about 35 feet across the 11th green. He missed a couple of other chances on the 14th and 15th, but still was only one shot behind until the 17th. Trying to hammer a tee shot, he hit a toe-hook into the hazard. "Hitting a ball where I did on 17 with about a 95-yard fairway is as bad a shot as I'll hit this year," he said. And then he compounded the mistake. Spieth said he and Greller rushed the next one and didn't get the right yardage, and it didn't help that he caught a flier with a 7-iron out of the rough. It bounded into the gorge dividing the fairway and green for another penalty shot. Spieth rebounded with a fifth shot to about 4 feet, and then he missed the putt. "What we should have done was take the time for us to sit back, look at the options, make sure that this next shot's in play and have Michael maybe walk off the 185-, 190-some-odd yards we had to the end and say, 'Hey, this needs to pitch at 160.' I just took a 7-iron, caught a flier and ripped it, thinking I had way more than I did," he said. "It was kind of a rookie move." For the second round of the year, there were plenty of positives, starting with those nine birdies set up by an impeccable wedge game. Even so, it was difficult to ignore a double bogey and triple bogey that wrecked a round that otherwise matched the brilliant weather. "Just because we were in contention," Spieth said, "and now pretty surely out of it." Jordan Spieth hits from the second tee during the second round of the Tournament of Champions golf event, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Without a word, the gunman moved through the baggage claim picking off travelers until his handgun ran out of ammunition, leaving five dead and eight wounded in Fort Lauderdale's airport. Panicked witnesses ran out of the terminal and spilled onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Authorities said an Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival and opened fire on fellow travelers. Law enforcement officers stand guard at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop to the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. FBI agent George Piro, who is in charge of the Miami field office, confirmed that Santiago had come into the Anchorage office and said he clearly indicated at the time that he was not intent on hurting anyone. Piro said authorities are looking at leads in several states and have not ruled out terrorism. "We're looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle," he said Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday, Piro said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The gunman was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding," according to Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, and was being questioned by the FBI, Sheriff Scott Israel said. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said 30 to 40 people were injured scrapes, bruises and broken bones after the shooting. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. At least one of the victims was seen lying in a pool of blood with what appeared to be a head wound. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. Airport Director Mark Gale said it will try to reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday but urged travelers to check with their individual airlines on flight status The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. "The fact is that wherever there are crowds, such as at our airports, we remain vulnerable to these types of attacks," Nelson said. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a "disgraceful situation that's happening in our country and throughout the world" and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. ___ Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro and Adriana Gomez-Licon in Miami; Lolita C. Baldor and Eric Tucker in Washington; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; David Koenig in Dallas; and Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report. Law enforcement officers walk around Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Pople flee the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement personnel search a garage area at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Law enforcement officials head to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) An injured woman is loaded into an emergency vehicle at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a gunman opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) People hide aT pole at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (AP Photo/Julie Brown) People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) A shooting victim is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities said multiple people have died after a lone suspect opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, international airport. (Taimy Alvarez /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) A shooting victim is unloaded from an emergency vehicle and taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities said multiple people have died after a lone suspect opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, international airport. (Taimy Alvarez /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Police officers stand on the perimeter road along the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) In this still image from video provided by NBC TV Local10, people stand on the tarmac after shots were fired at the international airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Local10 and other news media outlets reported Friday that multiple people were shot. (NBC TV Local10 via AP) Law enforcement personnel shield civilians outside a garage area at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) A shooting victim arrives at Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities say a lone shooter opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, international airport Friday, killing "multiple" people before he was taken into custody. The airport suspended operations as law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene. (Taimy Alvarez/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) People exit the Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, after a gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) Passengers run on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) Passengers wait on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the airport Friday, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) An injured woman is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities say a lone shooter opened fire at the airport Friday afternoon, killing "multiple" people before he was taken into custody. (Taimy Alvarez/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) An injured woman is brought to an emergency vehicle at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a gunman opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (David Santiago /El Nuevo Herald via AP) Law enforcement personnel stand outside a garage area at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody. (David Santiago /El Nuevo Herald via AP) Law enforcement officers patrol the ticketing counters at the Tampa International Airport Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. Police were on a heightened state of alert after the shooting at an airport today in Fort Lauderdale. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) This booking photo provided by the Broward Sheriff's Office shows suspect Esteban Ruiz Santiago, 26, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Relatives of the man who police say opened fire Friday killing several people and wounding others at a Florida airport report he had a history of mental health issues. They tell The Associated Press and other news outlets that some of the problems followed his time serving a military tour in Iraq, and that he was being treated at his current home in Alaska. (Broward Sheriff's Office via AP) Esteban Santiago, 26, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, is transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authorities, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The gunman who fatally shot several people and wounded others on Friday in Fort Lauderdale's airport sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac with bags in hand. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Esteban Santiago, 26, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, is transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authorities, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage leaving several people dead and wounding others at a Florida airport had a history of mental health problems some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said Friday after the deadly shooting. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Turkish PM visits Iraq amid spat over unauthorized troops BAGHDAD (AP) Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, Iraqi government troops made fresh progress in their push against IS inside the northern city of Mosul, dislodging militants from new areas and for the first time reaching the nearest point to Tigris river that divides the city since the operation began in mid-October. The presence of some 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of the IS-held city of Mosul, has stirred tension with Baghdad since late last year. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are there without permission and are in "blatant violation" of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey says the troops were invited by local Iraqi authorities and has ignored the calls. Iraqi president Fuad Masum, right, meets with Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim, left, at the presidential palace in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. (Khalid al Mousily, Pool via AP) Shortly after Yildirim arrival, the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Faruk Kaymakci, said on his Twitter accounts that "We hope that his visit will open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations." But emerging from an hours-long meeting in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area, both sides seemed still far from resolving that issue. Iraqi Prime Minister Hiader al-Abadi said in a joint press conference the Turkish delegation "stressed that this issue will be resolved in a proper way within the (coming) short period." For his part, Yildirim said the presence of the Turkish troops "wasn't born out of pleasure but rather out of need." "Iraq's sovereignty is very important for us, we will not allow or be involved in any attempt or move to hurt its sovereignty," Yildirim added. Both sides also said they had discussed the fight against IS, and the Kurdish Turkish separatist group known as the PKK, which has used Iraqi territory to launch attacks inside Turkey and target water supplies to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The issue has led to a war of words between the two nations' leaders as Iraqi government troops launched a massive military operation to recapture Mosul on Oct. 17. Ankara has insisted that its forces should take part in retaking the city, but Baghdad has refused. The issue of the Turkish forces in Bashiqa grew into a rare and bitter public feud last year between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. At one point, Erdogan gave a speech telling al-Abadi to "know his place," and adding, "you are not at my level, you are not my equivalent, you are not of the same quality as me." Al-Abadi responded by mocking Erdogan's use of a video messaging app during Turkey's failed coup last year. An Iraqi court later issued an arrest warrant against the former governor of Ninevah province, of which Mosul is the capital, Atheel al-Nujaifi, accusing him of facilitating the entry of the Turkish forces. The troops have trained Sunni fighters loyal to al-Nujaifi and Kurdish forces loyal to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani who both have sought greater power away from the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad. Turkey has also deepened its involvement in the war in neighboring Syria, where its forces and allied Syrian opposition fighters are battling both IS extremists and U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. Last month, Russia, which backs the Syrian government, and Turkey, a strong supporter of Syria's moderate opposition, brokered the current shaky cease-fire, which came into effect on Dec. 30. Also Saturday, Iraqi troops pushed deeper into eastern Mosul, entering four neighborhoods, according to the operation's commander Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Rasheed Yar Allah. He said in a statement that the troops had "liberated" the neighborhoods of Rifaq, Atibaa 1st and Atibaa 2nd, as well as Ghufran along the Tigris river, but didn't elaborate on whether pockets of resistance still remained. Yar Allah also announced the capture of the Salam and Shafaa hospitals in the Wahda neighborhood as well as a 186-building residential complex in the northern Hadbaa neighborhood. Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul fell to IS in the summer of 2014 as the militants swept over much of the country's north and central areas. If successful, the retaking of the city would be the biggest blow yet to IS. Mosul is the largest remaining city in the self-declared IS "caliphate" spanning Iraq and Syria. Elsewhere, Turkish fighter jets struck 11 Kurdish militant targets around Qandil in northern Iraq Friday, according to Turkey's military. F-16s and F-4s pounded rebel positions, shelters and ammunition depots belonging to the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers' Party, the military said in a written statement. The PKK, which has been fighting an insurgency since 1984, resumed attacks in Turkey after a fragile peace process with the government collapsed in 2015. The group is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its western allies. ___ Associated Press writers Zeynep Bilginsoy and Michael Corder in Istanbul and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey contributed to this report. Iraqi president Fuad Masum, right, meets with Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim, left, at the presidential palace in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. (Khalid al Mousily, Pool via AP) Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, right, and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim speak during a meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Yildirim is in Iraq for a two-day visit. (Hakan Goktepe, Prime Minister's Press Service, Pool photo via AP) Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, right, and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim listen to the national anthems during a welcome ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Yildirim is in Iraq for a two-day visit. (Hakan Goktepe, Prime Minister's Press Service, Pool photo via AP) Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, left, and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim inspect honour guard during a welcome ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Yildirim is in Iraq for a two-day visit. (Hakan Goktepe, Prime Minister's Press Service, Pool photo via AP) NY governor's 101-plus pardons and a controversy NEW YORK (AP) Like many governors, New York's Andrew Cuomo wasn't known for granting clemency. Until last week. In a single day, the Democrat pardoned 101 people convicted as teenagers of nonviolent crimes and granted clemency to a dozen other people including a chance at parole for a onetime revolutionary involved in a Brinks armored-car holdup that led to the deaths of two police officers and a security guard. Cuomo set out in 2015 to systematize and ramp up consideration of clemency bids, including by enlisting volunteer lawyers to help people apply. The pardon program for former 16- and 17-year-old convicts, in itself, is ultimately expected to aid over 10,000 people. People gather in front of the Rockland County Courthouse to express their objection to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo commuting the sentence of Judith Clark in New City, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Cuomo said Monday that a former radical who drove a getaway car during a 1981 Brinks armed car robbery that left three dead impressed him as community-minded when they met before he commuted her sentence to let her seek parole. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) But his controversial decision to commute ex-radical Judith Clark's sentence may test the openness to reprieves in New York, a state experts have considered one of the most guarded with clemency. "The governor wanted to make sure we created a sustainable system, and he also wanted to use his power to grant clemency for good," said his top lawyer, Alphonso David. Clark's case, he said, "shows the governor's commitment to granting clemency to individuals who have shown the possibility of rehabilitation." Cuomo said Clark, the getaway driver in the 1981 heist in suburban Rockland County, became a repentant, "impressive" and community-spirited prisoner. She helped found an HIV/AIDS education program and has done other charitable work behind bars while serving 35 years so far, longer than some co-defendants. But to some law enforcement officials and relatives of slain Nyack police officers Waverly Brown and Edward O'Grady and Brinks guard Peter Paige, Clark's prison record doesn't justify a reprieve for a member of a murderous group of radicals aiming for armed revolution, even if the 67-year-old Clark has since disavowed those views. "When the governor of the state speaks about this woman as being impressive, where is the compassion for our side?" says John Hanchar, O'Grady's nephew and now a police officer himself in nearby Clarkstown. Hanchar was among hundreds of people at a protest this week over Cuomo's decision to commute Clark's 75-years-to-life sentence to 35 years to life. The change makes her eligible for a parole board hearing now instead of in 2056. No hearing date has been set. The debate over Clark's case reflects the complexity of granting clemency, a power the nation's founders enshrined in the Constitution. Without pardons, justice would be "too sanguinary and cruel," Alexander Hamilton later wrote in The Federalist Papers. But the power has sometimes proven explosive. Governors and presidents have faced criticism for granting clemency to relatives, political allies and notorious figures. And governors became warier of giving convicts breaks after a powerful 1988 presidential campaign ad spotlighted Willie Horton, a convicted killer who raped a woman while on a weekend furlough program that Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis had supported as Massachusetts' governor. Fears that clemency could backfire were echoed when Maurice Clemmons, an Arkansas inmate paroled after his sentence was commuted by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, went on to kill four police officers near Seattle in 2009. Comprehensive, state-by-state statistics on clemency decisions aren't readily available. But only 15 states both regularly review pardon applications and grant more than 30 percent of them, according to research done by Margaret Love, who served as U.S. pardon attorney under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. States vary in how much clemency discretion the governor has. Regardless, his or her inclinations can play a big role in how often it's granted. Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown, for instance, has pardoned 854 people and commuted two sentences since 2011, while Republican predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger granted 15 pardons and 10 commutations in just over seven years, according to the state's governor's office. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, refuses to grant pardons altogether, saying it undermines jurors' and courts' decisions. Pardons generally restore civil rights and can clear records that keep people from certain jobs or licenses; pardons often come after people have completed their punishments. Clemency can also include commutations, which reduce sentences being served but don't erase convictions. "The cases range from the very easy to the very difficult the bar fight when you were 17, and now you're 48 and you need clearance for a federal job, that's very easy," says former Maryland Gov. Bob Erlich, a Republican who estimates he granted hundreds of pardons and dozens of commutations during his four years. "The commutation cases are difficult, by definition," generally involving violent crimes and long sentences, said Erlich, who now leads a clemency project and clinic at Catholic University in Washington. New York's Cuomo, who took office in 2011, granted eight pardons and three commutations before this year. Clemency has generally been rare in New York in the last decade, though former Gov. David Paterson in 2010 pardoned 34 people, many facing deportation because of drug crimes. ___ Associated Press writer Verena Dobnik contributed to this report. People gather in front of the Rockland County Courthouse to express their objection to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo commuting the sentence of Judith Clark in New City, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. The decision may test openness to reprieves in New York, a state considered one of the most guarded with clemency. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) FILE - In this Oct. 21, 1981 file photo, Judith Clark is taken into police custody in Nanuet, N.Y. Clark, a former radical who drove a getaway car during the 1981 Brinks armored car robbery will be eligible for parole in 2017 following a commutation from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/David Handschuh, File) People are reflected in the bullet-shattered glass of a Brinks armored car that was part of the evidence used against Judith Clark in front of the Rockland County Courthouse in New City, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that Clark, a former radical who drove a getaway car during a 1981 Brinks armed car robbery that left three dead, impressed him as community-minded when they met before he commuted her sentence to let her seek parole. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Turkey's tourism takes big hit after extremist attacks ISTANBUL (AP) The once bustling Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is astonishingly quiet. The shops and restaurants in the city's trendy Istiklal Street are all but empty of foreign customers and the hotels in the upscale Nisantasi district are nearly deserted. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks including the nightclub massacre of New Year's revelers, most of them foreigners and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. Tourism, a key component of the economy as well as a substantial foreign currency earner, has taken a hit not least because Russian visitors have stayed away in the wake of a diplomatic spat over Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in November 2015. People walk over the Golden Horn Bridge in Istanbul, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including the nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) "2016 was a lost year for Turkish tourism," said Cetin Gurcun, secretary general of Turkey's travel agency association, TURSAB. "It is impossible for Turkey to give up on tourism, but the most important priority of the sector is security," Gurcun added. "The first thing a tourist looks for when choosing a destination is peace and safety. Only then do they research service quality and price." There was a time when tourism in Turkey was red hot, climbing from 10.5 million visitors in 2000 to 36.2 million people in 2015, making it the sixth-most visited destination in the world. The sector earned $31.5 billion in 2015. But that all came to a halt last year, with a 30 percent drop in visitors, from 34.8 million in the January-November period in 2015 to a little over 24 million for the same period in 2016. Yasemin Pirinccioglu, general manager of the VIP Event travel agency, said that foreigners who had visited before were still returning. "But the people who are planning to come for the first time to Turkey, they're postponing their trips," she said. Natalia Dubaltsava from war-ravaged eastern Ukraine is among those who come to Istanbul regularly. "We make trips here anyway," she said. "There is unrest in the world. It's a fact. People say the same about our city, Dnepropetrovsk. We are close to the front line, but it is calm there. Life is life. We decided to go anyway." Because of the economic downturn, the Turkish Lira hit a record low in the first week of 2017, trading around 3.60 per U.S. dollar. Analysts expect it to weaken further in coming months. While the weaker currency could have some beneficial economic effects making it cheaper to visit or invest in Turkey and helping the country's exports the drop makes the country poorer overall and less able to pay its debts. The security concerns are obvious in the economic data. In the third quarter of last year, the drop in tourism was the main cause for a 7 percent year-on-year decrease in the sale of goods and services. Consumer spending and investment have also plummeted since the summer. Istanbul, the country's most popular tourist destination for foreigners, has been the biggest target for extremists. Ten German tourists were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of Istanbul's historic district on January 12, 2016. Other attacks in Istanbul include one in the central Beyoglu neighborhood in March, as well as at the city's main airport in June, where dozens died. Hundreds of people eager to wave goodbye to a tumultuous 2016 gathered at the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul for New Year's celebrations only to become the first victims of 2017 when an Islamic State gunman stormed the premises and killed 39 people, mostly foreigners. One statistic stood out in the wake of the tragedy most of the victims were from the Middle East. "Before, there were a lot of customers from America and Europe," said the club co-owner, Mehmet Kocarslan said. "Once the Westerners decreased, Middle Easterners became a majority." "2016 was a very unfortunate year for Turkey," added Kocarslan, who said he was contemplating closing the club after the massacre. "There hasn't been a hardship our country didn't encounter." In the sprawling Grand Bazaar officially the first ever roofed shopping mall when it was built in the 15th century vendors stood in front of their jewelry, clothing and souvenir shops, desperately looking for foreign customers. "Business is quite different than before," shop owner Muslim Besenk said. "There are bombs going off everywhere, why should tourists come? Only Arabs come. The rest cannot come and it's not certain that they will." Basel Trablesei, a tourist from Lebanon, did not seem worried by the security in Istanbul despite the nightclub attack. "What happened here happens anywhere in the world, so this is something we can't avoid," he said. "I tell everyone to come to Istanbul." Pinar Kartal Timer, general manager of Istanbul's historic Pera Palas hotel in the lively Beyoglu neighborhood, said the rise in tourists from the Middle East was because of Turkey's greater ties to the region. "It's because already the strategy of the Turkish government has been to make a rapprochement with Middle Eastern countries," she said, referring to the conservative leadership that has shifted from its pro-Western policies. Barcin Yinanc, a columnist at the English-language Daily News, said that all the strategic advantages Turkey offered in the mid-2000s have now turned against it. "Ironically, all the triggers that helped Turkey fly high in the global market in the mid-2000s safety, security, stability and predictability have now become big barriers," she wrote. In this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 photo, a tram is driven past as a Turkish police officer secures central Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue, the main shopping road of Istanbul. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including the nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) In this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 photo, Turkish flags decorate Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including this weeks nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) In this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 photo, a vendor waits for customers in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including this weeks nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) A woman takes pictures on a boat crossing the Bosporus in Istanbul, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including this weeks nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) In this Wednesday Jan. 4, 2017 photo a Turkish police officer patrols the area by the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions, in Istanbul. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including this weeks nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) In this Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 photo, people walk at the Arasta Bazaar in the historic Sultanahmet district in Istanbul, one of the city's main tourist attractions. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including the nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) In this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 photo, a shop owner holds cups of tea outside his shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including the nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) In this Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 photo, tourists visit the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions, in the historic Sultanahmet district in Istanbul. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks _ including the nightclub massacre of New Years revelers, most of them foreigners _ and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. (AP Photo/ Emrah Gurel) Gunman shoots, wounds US consular official in Mexico MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexican prosecutors said Saturday they are searching for a gunman who opened fire on an official of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. The Attorney General's Office said the official was wounded in the attack Friday in Guadalajara. The city is the capital of Jalisco state, which is dominated by the hyper-violent Jalisco New Generation cartel. There was no immediate evidence of any cartel link to the attack. The shooting appeared to be a direct attempt to kill the consular employee. Surveillance video of the attack shows the gunman following the official in a parking garage. The official, whose name was not released, was dressed in shorts. The attacker doesn't appear to try to approach the official while he is walking, but instead waits for him to exit the parking garage in his vehicle and fires a round into the car's windshield. The consulate said on its Facebook page that the FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker. Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city and is not specifically singled out for any special precautions in the latest U.S. travel warning updated on Dec. 8. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said that for privacy reasons no further information would be made available on the victim, including his condition. "The safety and security of our employees overseas is among our highest priorities," said an embassy spokeswoman who was not authorized to be quoted by name. "We are working closely with Mexican law enforcement ?in this matter." The Attorney General's Office said the victim was in "stable" condition and under protection, apparently at a local hospital. The office said the case was being handled by federal detectives. An attack on diplomatic personnel would be considered a federal crime in Mexico. U.S. consular employees and other U.S. agents have been attacked in Mexico in the past; the attackers have usually argued the attacks were cases of mistaken identity. In 2014, a Mexican gang leader was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2010 slayings in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, of a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee. Prosecutors said Arturo Gallegos Castrellon was in charge of a team of assassins with the Barrio Azteca, a gang allied with the Juarez drug cartel, and had ordered the three slayings. The killings of U.S. consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton, her husband, Arthur Redfels, and Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another consulate employee, as they left a children's birthday party were a mistake, former gang members testified during the trial. Redfels was driving a white SUV that was very similar to a vehicle that Gallegos Castrellon had marked as a target for his team of assassins because they thought it belonged to members of the rival Sinaloa cartel. In 2012, uniformed police pumped 152 bullets into a U.S. Embassy vehicle carrying two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain. The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said the people they attacked were in uniform and marked cars, and that they had responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation said those attacked were in street clothes, riding in unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers. A Mexican drug cartel lieutenant pleaded guilty in 2013 to murder and attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States in the Feb. 15, 2011, shootings of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The attackers acknowledged they were members of a Los Zetas Cartel hit squad and directly participated in the attack, which resulted in the death of ICE agent Jaime Zapata and the wounding of his colleague Victor Avila, both based in Texas. Brazilian official resigns after celebrating inmate deaths RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) The Brazilian government's national secretary of youth has resigned after celebrating the deaths of inmates killed in prison uprisings. Youth Secretary Bruno Julio resigned Friday. He had earlier declared that more inmates should be slain and there should be a mass prisoner killing per week. He also said the problem with prison killings is that "there aren't enough of them." At least 31 inmates were slain Friday in northern Brazil, some with their hearts and intestines ripped out during killings led by the country's largest gang. The bloodshed came just days after 60 inmates were killed during rioting at two prisons in a neighboring state. It increased fears that violence could spread, including to the streets of major cities, as gangs vie for control inside prisons and in slums. The Latest, victims: Ohio woman killed in airport shooting FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) The Latest on the five people killed in the airport shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (all times local): 7:30 p.m. An Ohio woman is one of the five victims of the Florida airport shooting and her husband was critically injured in the attack. Steve Reineccius confirmed Saturday over Facebook that his grandmother Shirley Timmons was killed when a gunman opened fire in a baggage claim area at a Fort Lauderdale airport. Reineccius says his grandmother and grandfather Steve Timmons, who was wounded in the shooting, were both 70 years old. WILE-FM (http://bit.ly/2iODNWI) reports that the couple had flown to Fort Lauderdale on Friday to join the rest of their family for a cruise. The radio station says Steve Timmons was shot in the head and underwent emergency surgery at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, where he's in critical condition. The couple's 51st wedding anniversary was in three weeks. They're from Senecaville, about 90 miles east of Columbus. ___ 12:40 p.m. A devout Catholic woman who lived in Georgia was among the five people killed in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport shooting. That's according to her church, which confirmed the death of Olga Woltering in a statement on its website Saturday, the day after the attack. The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration said the native English woman who had long lived in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta "was so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent." A fellow parishioner says she and her husband, Ralph, were "the life of the party." The church says, "Her life revolved around her kids, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and hundreds of extended family at Transfiguration." ___ This item has been corrected to fix a typo in the woman's first name - it is Olga, not Ogla. ___ 12:05 p.m. The sister of an Iowa man says he was among the five people killed in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport shooting. Elizabeth Oehme-Miller told The Associated Press by phone Saturday that her brother, 57-year-old Michael Oehme, was killed in Friday's attack and that her brother's wife, Kari Oehme, was shot in the shoulder and is expected to recover. Oehme-Miller says the couple was in Fort Lauderdale getting ready for a Caribbean cruise that was supposed to start Saturday. She says they were frequent travelers who loved cruises and were happy to be headed on another one. Oehme-Miller says another family member is flying to Fort Lauderdale to help Kari Oehme return home to Council Bluffs, which is right across the state border from Omaha, Nebraska. Advertisement Many people turned to exploring local nature paths for their daily exercise when lockdown closed gyms and group sports took a hiatus amid the pandemic. Amateur photographers who captured stunning images of animals in their natural habitat were quick to submit their snaps to Weekend magazine's annual Wildlife Photography Challenge in the hopes of winning a package worth over 1,000. The entrants were split into five categories - Birds; Mammals; Insects; Under-18s; and Reptiles, Fish, Amphibians & Molluscs. While each category winner received a Nikon mirrorless digital camera kit and a year's subscription to Nikon Owner magazine, the overall winner also received a trip to the Camargue with wildlife photographer Simon Stafford, courtesy of Create Away, for a four-night masterclass in photographing the region's wild horses, flamingos and bulls. Judges David Suchet, Clare Balding, Lucy Cooke, Steve Brown, Kelly Brook and Michael Eleftheriades were impressed with Lee O'dwyer, 67, a retired engineer from Lancashire, who was awarded the overall winner for his shot of a long-tailed tit. These runner-up snaps taken by talented amateur photographers prove choosing an overall winner was a tough decision... BIRDS PUFFIN: Taken by Joseph Bristow, 23, a retail supervisor from Llantwit Major. 'Arriving at 3am and queueing for the 6am ticket office to open. First in line I caught the boat over to Skomer Island. With only a few hours permitted on the island I had no time to waste. Surrounded by the Puffins was an amazing spectacle and allowed me to capture some amazing photos. I found this one puffin who seemed very tame and loved posing for the camera. As he stared down the barrel of my lens I took my shot and was pleased with the result. I found the black background really provides a provocative and striking image highlight the vibrant colour of the Puffins.' KESTREL CHICKS: Taken by Jayne Kirkby, 20, from Braintree, Essex. 'Beautiful pair of Kestrel chicks, taken at Wrabness on 20th June 2020.' KINGFISHER: Tim Clifton, a 59-year-old from, St Leonards on Sea, snapped this captivating photo of a kingfisher hunting for small fish MALLARD: William Watson, 64, a semi retired HGV driver from East Dunbartonshire. 'Taken on the Forth & Clyde canal (December '19') Bishopbriggs, As I went to take this photo of this female Mallard it stretched creating a nice reflection....' INSECTS BUTTERFLY: Adam Lane, a 27-year-old host at Legoland, from Slough, captured a butterfly perched on a purple flower in specular detail WASP: Shelia Moth took this captivating photo of a wasp on a thistle, capturing the insect and plant in immense detail SPIDER: Taken by Geoffrey Wells, 67, a maintenance caretaker from North Yorkshire. 'This picture was taken in my back garden during the recent lockdown.' REPTILES MATING FROGS: Taken by Steve Jellett, 64, from Essex, who is retired. 'Taken in small garden pond when 21 frogs descended to mate.' MAMMALS ROE DEER: Tim Cliffton, a 75-year-old from St Leonards on sea, took a photograph of two roe deer spotted in a field MOUSE: Taken by Cameron Parfitt, 20, a student at the University of Brighton, from Worthing. 'I would love to highlight that even in your back garden there are images to be had. This image is of a cheeky wood mouse that keeps stealing food from what we have now dubbed the mouse feeder. It's not unheard of for this little guy to be found inside the feeder without a care in the world stuffing himself with the bird seed.' JUNIORS FOX CUB: Billy Evans-Freke, 15, a secondary school student from East Sussex. 'It wasn't a long wait in the hide before the first fox cub woke up from its nap and came out into the open. It was soon followed by another cub. At first they stayed in the shadows of the bushes near the den. But once they gained their confidence they started coming closer. This cub in particular was very curious and came very close to the hide.' Estonia's former ruling party picks new leader after setback TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Estonia's largest political party, which last year lost the prime minister's post it held for 11 years, has chosen a new leader. Party delegates for the center-right Reform Party voted 1,048-635 on Saturday to elect Hanno Pevkur to replace former Prime Minister Taavi Roivas. Roivas announced in December he would step down as a chairman. Pevkur, a 39-year-old lawyer, has served as interior, justice and social affairs minister in previous Cabinets. Roivas was forced to resign as prime minister following a no-confidence vote in November. Reform Party was left out of the current three-party coalition government led by the left-leaning Center Party. Former North Dakota oil executive charged with fraud BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A onetime North Dakota oilfield executive is accused of breaking federal law by falsely inflating company revenues by tens of millions of dollars. Joseph Kostelecky, of Dickinson, pleaded not guilty in Bismarck on Friday to five counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Prosecutors say Kostelecky served as an executive officer in the U.S. for Poseidon Concepts Corp., a fluid storage tank supplier based in Calgary, Alberta. He was promoted to executive vice president in May 2012, a position he held until resigning in January 2013. The indictment alleges that Kostelecky made false and misleading claims about finances in order to inflate the value of the company and stock price. "As part of and in furtherance of the scheme, Kostelecky repeatedly undertook efforts to conceal the fact that millions of dollars of purported contract revenue did not exist or was not collectible," the indictment says. Defense attorney Markus Powell declined to comment. Investigators say in late 2012 and early 2013 the company informed investors that much of its previously reported revenue wasn't collectible. Poseidon's common stock plummeted from more than $13 per share to 18 cents per share, a loss of nearly 99 percent. The stock was delisted from trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange in May 2013. Mexicans march against gas price hike, little looting MEXICO CITY (AP) A protest against Mexico's 20-percent gasoline price hike turned violent Saturday after a lone protester drove his truck into a line of police guarding a fuel distribution terminal in Baja California. Federal police said seven officers were injured in the incident in Rosarito, near the border city of Tijuana. Video showed the small pickup driving straight into the line of riot police, then backing up and speeding off. Supermarket displays stand empty and looted following protests caused by a 20 percent hike in gasoline prices, in Veracruz, Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The Interior Department reported that more than 1,500 people have been detained for looting or disturbances nationwide since protests began early in the week. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Largely peaceful protests against the fuel price increases continued elsewhere in Mexico Saturday, and looting seen earlier in the week largely subsided. But nervousness remained. Officials in Veracruz, one of the states hardest-hit by the looting on Wednesday and Thursday, said some neighborhood groups had begun to form patrols of residents armed with staves or machetes to ward off looters. Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes Linares said 532 people had been detained in his state alone and that social rumors of further looting apparently unfounded had caused "an artificial psychosis." He said that in the northern part of the state, given this psychosis, "the neighbors decided to arm themselves with staves, machetes, creating the impression that there were armed groups of criminals." Yunes Linares said the government was trying to convince residents to stop such patrolling. The Interior Department reported a total of more than 1,500 people have been detained for looting or disturbances nationwide since protests began early in the week. It is unclear how many have been charged. Hundreds of stores were looted, mainly on Wednesday and Thursday. Police protection of stores has been stepped up since. The federal police reported continued protests, and some highway blockages, on Saturday. Thousands of people marched down main avenues in the western city of Guadalajara Saturday to protest the increases, which are part of a government effort to deregulate fuel prices. Despite persistent rumors that political interests might have egged on the looters to smear the gas-hike protesters, Yunes Linares said there was "no evidence that political parties were involved." He said authorities were investigating whether criminal gangs had taken part. Masked men stand guard in front of a gas station in Veracruz, Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. As looting as largely subsided in Mexico, following a 20 percent hike in gasoline prices, neighborhoods in affected areas have taken to guarding themselves from potential looters. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) A masked man stands guard at a neighborhood in Veracruz, Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. As looting as largely subsided in Mexico, following a 20 percent hike in gasoline prices, neighborhoods in affected areas have taken to guarding themselves from potential looters. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Supermarket displays stand empty and looted following protests caused by a 20 percent hike in gasoline prices, in Veracruz, Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The Interior Department reported that more than 1,500 people have been detained for looting or disturbances nationwide since protests began early in the week. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Protesters hold a sign that reads in Spanish "Pena Out! No to the gasoline price hike!" as they demonstrate against fuel price hikes in Mexico City, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Sometimes-violent protests and looting over gasoline price hikes in Mexico are continuing and officials say that so far they've left one policeman dead and five injured, 300 stores looted and over 600 people arrested. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Protesters demonstrate with an effigy of President Enrique Pena Nieto, against fuel price hikes outside the national palace in Mexico City, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The effigy has the word "Assassin" written in on it in Spanish. Sometimes-violent protests and looting over gasoline price hikes in Mexico are continuing and officials say that so far they've left one policeman dead and five injured, 300 stores looted and over 600 people arrested. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Protesters demonstrate against fuel price hikes in Mexico City, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Sometimes-violent protests and looting over gasoline price hikes in Mexico are continuing and officials say that so far they've left one policeman dead and five injured, 300 stores looted and over 600 people arrested. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Protesters hold sings against fuel price hikes, that read in Spanish "No more gasoline price hike," "Corrupt Politicians" and "No more stealing with gasoline price hikes," in Mexico City, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Sometimes-violent protests and looting over gasoline price hikes in Mexico are continuing and officials say that so far they've left one policeman dead and five injured, 300 stores looted and over 600 people arrested. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Protesters march against fuel price hikes in Mexico City, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Sometimes-violent protests and looting over gasoline price hikes in Mexico are continuing and officials say that so far they've left one policeman dead and five injured, 300 stores looted and over 600 people arrested. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Brother of airport shooting suspect says US gov't failed him PENUELAS, Puerto Rico (AP) The brother of a man accused of killing five people at a Florida airport questioned Saturday why his brother was allowed to keep his gun after U.S. authorities knew he'd become increasingly paranoid and was hearing voices. Esteban Santiago, 26, had trouble controlling his anger after serving in Iraq and told his brother that he felt he was being chased and controlled by the CIA through secret online messages. When he told agents at an FBI field office his paranoid thoughts in November, he was evaluated for four days, then released without any follow-up medication or therapy. "The FBI failed there," Bryan Santiago told The Associated Press. "We're not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this." This booking photo provided by the Broward Sheriff's Office shows suspect Esteban Ruiz Santiago, 26, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Relatives of the man who police say opened fire Friday killing several people and wounding others at a Florida airport report he had a history of mental health issues. They tell The Associated Press and other news outlets that some of the problems followed his time serving a military tour in Iraq, and that he was being treated at his current home in Alaska. (Broward Sheriff's Office via AP) Speaking in Spanish outside his family's house in Penuelas, the brother said: "The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didn't do anything." Bryan Santiago said he noted that his brother was behaving differently when he returned from Iraq. "He sometimes couldn't control his anger," he said. "You could tell something had changed." Bryan Santiago said that when he went to visit his brother in Alaska last August, he said Santiago told him he was hearing voices and felt he was being chased. Authorities in Alaska on Saturday defended their interactions with Esteban Santiago. FBI Special Agent in Charge Marlin Ritzman told a news conference that Santiago broke no laws when he walked into the Anchorage FBI office "making disjointed comments about mind control." He characterized Santiago as a "walk-in complaint," which he said offices around the country receive daily. Anchorage police were called to the office by the agency, told Santiago he was having "terroristic thoughts" and believed he was being influenced by the so-called Islamic State group and was taken to a mental health facility, city Police Chief Chris Tolley said. Santiago had left a gun in his vehicle when he went to the FBI office with his newborn child. Police held the gun until Santiago was released and contacted him about picking up the weapon, which he did on Dec. 8, Tolley said. Authorities would not confirm whether he used the same gun Friday. "There is speculation that it is the same gun. I have not received confirmation that it, in fact, is that gun," Tolley said. In recent years, Esteban Santiago a new dad had been living in Anchorage. But there were signs of trouble. He was charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, choked her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. A month later, municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Tolley detailed other complaints of physical disturbances last year involving Santiago but said officers either found no probable cause for arrest or were told by the city prosecutor not to arrest him. Bryan Santiago said his brother had requested psychological help but barely received any. "I told him to go to church or to seek professional help," he said. Family members have said Esteban Santiago changed after serving a yearlong tour in Iraq. He was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. He deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. Esteban Santiago's mother wiped tears from her eyes as she stood inside a screen door Saturday. She said her son had been tremendously affected by seeing a bomb explode near two friends while serving in Iraq. Alaska National Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead told The New York Times that two soldiers in Santiago's company had died during his stint in Iraq. Former neighbor Ursula Candelario in Penuelas recalled seeing Esteban Santiago grow up and said people used to salute him after he joined the Guard. "He was very peaceful, very educated, very serious," she said. "We're in shock. I couldn't believe it." Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage, Olmstead told AP. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for "unsatisfactory performance." His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. She would not elaborate on his discharge. The Pentagon said he went AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. While it is unclear if Esteban Santiago had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, as many as one in five veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan develop the affliction each year, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A 2014 Veterans Affairs study found that almost 30 percent of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who sought treatment at VA hospitals were diagnosed with PTSD symptoms. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them on Friday. Maria Ruiz told The Record newspaper that her nephew had recently become a father to a son and was struggling. "It was like he lost his mind," she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things." Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. Puerto Rico Sen. Nelson Cruz, who knew the family and represents the town where they live, said he had been talking regularly with Bryan Santiago since the shooting. "They're very humble and very Christian people," Cruz said. "They want to tell the families of the victims that they're extremely saddened and extremely upset by what happened." ___ Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Rachel D'Oro and Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; Jason Dearen in Gainesville, Florida and Lolita C. Baldor and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. ___ This story corrects a statement given to The Associated Press from the Anchorage Police Department that says Esteban Santiago left his newborn in the car when he went to an FBI office. The child was in the care of the FBI until his mother retrieved him. Esteban Santiago, 26, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, is transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authorities, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage leaving several people dead and wounding others at a Florida airport had a history of mental health problems some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said Friday after the deadly shooting. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Esteban Santiago, 26, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, is transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authorities, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The gunman who fatally shot several people and wounded others on Friday in Fort Lauderdale's airport sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac with bags in hand. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) A Union City Police walks inside a police barrier on 20th Street in Union City, N.J., after attention was brought to a home believed to be inhabited by possible family members of the suspect in the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Union City, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) People believed to be FBI agents are seen outside of a home believed to be inhabited by possible family members of the suspect in the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Union City, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Bryan Santiago speaks about his brother Esteban, a man accused of shooting five people at a Florida airport on Friday, in Penuelas, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The FBI failed there. ... Were not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this, Bryan Santiago told The Associated Press. The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didnt do anything. (AP Photo/Danica Coto) Bryan Santiago poses in front of the family home after speaking about his brother Esteban, a man accused of shooting five people at a Florida airport on Friday, in Penuelas, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. The FBI failed there. ... Were not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this, Bryan Santiago told The Associated Press. The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didnt do anything. (AP Photo/Danica Coto) Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt are under pressure to act over pressures in the health service as officials clashed with health organisations about the scale of the crisis in the NHS. The Red Cross has warned of a humanitarian crisis a claim disputed by NHS England while the British Medical Association (BMA) said the Government should be ashamed of the situation. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has demanded that the Prime Minister comes to the Commons on Monday to explain the scandal in the English health and social care system. The British Red Cross said it has stepped in to help the NHS in England deal with the increased demand put on the service over the colder months. The charitys chief executive, Mike Adamson, said extra cash was needed for health and social care to make the system sustainable. We're sending in volunteers and our Land Rover fleet to help get people home from hospital and free up beds during the current winter crisis pic.twitter.com/Ma0UmjarPj British Red Cross (@BritishRedCross) January 6, 2017 He said: The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country. We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much-needed beds. However, Keith Willett, director of acute care for NHS England, rejected Mr Adamsons description of the situation. He said that on the international scale of a humanitarian crisis, I do not think the NHS is at that point. 14 health trusts have warned of overcrowding in their A&E units. We're helping the NHS by taking these patients home and freeing up beds. pic.twitter.com/E53RBEFoMY British Red Cross (@BritishRedCross) January 6, 2017 Mr Willett said: Clearly, demand is at the highest level ever. But also our planning is probably more comprehensive than it has ever been. In many ways this is a level of pressure we have not seen before and the workload that the NHS is being asked to shoulder in terms of medical treatment and personal care is very high. There are several reasons for that. There is the winter and many more people have breathing and heart problems, but we know it is also very difficult at the moment and social care and community services are not able to react fast enough to free up beds to keep up the flow through hospitals. 1/2 Lab in govt delivered record satisfaction in NHS, shortest waits, new hospitals/health centres, tens of thousands more nurses & doctors Michael Dugher (@MichaelDugher) January 7, 2017 2/2 Today we have a #NHSCrisis under the Tories. Shows again why Labour must get into a position where can beat the Tories & win an election Michael Dugher (@MichaelDugher) January 7, 2017 BMA head Dr Mark Porter said: This intervention from the Red Cross highlights the enormous pressure the NHS is currently facing as conditions in hospitals across the country are reaching a dangerous level. The Government should be ashamed that it has got to the point where volunteers have been necessary to ease the burden. The devastating consequences of the lack of commitment to funding for health and social care have become all too apparent and patients are enduring one of the worst winters on record. Staff are working flat-out in extremely difficult conditions. Surely the very idea that the NHS should rely on the British Red Cross is reason enough to scream 'you can't trust the Tories with the NHS'? Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) January 7, 2017 Mr Corbyn said: The crisis in our NHS is unprecedented. People are lying on trolleys in corridors waiting to be seen. Hospitals have had to close their doors, unable to admit patients. The health service is at breaking point. He added: This is a national scandal and Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt have to take both responsibility and urgent action to tackle it. London Underground has made a last-minute offer to try to avert a strike which will cause travel chaos for millions of passengers. The move came on the fourth day of talks between the company and officials from the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA). No details were given of the offer. Union members are due to walk out for 24 hours from 6pm on Sunday in a dispute over jobs and ticket office closures. A London Underground sign The TSSA said it will consult with its reps overnight before deciding whether to call off the action. The RMT delegation had left the meeting at the conciliation service Acas before the offer was made. In a message to RMT members, regional organiser John Leach made it clear that the talks had failed and the strike will go ahead. He said: We saw LU face to face and reiterated our position on the key issues of the dispute. We demanded that they guarantee the staffing of all station control rooms. We demanded that the current offer of 150 additional jobs be significantly improved and guaranteed to not be lowered under any circumstances. LUs response was to repeat their offer of yesterday. This is just not acceptable. The unsafe practices and pressure on staff and passengers have to be resisted and will be. An RMT spokesman told the Press Association that the hundreds of job cuts agreed by former London mayor Boris Johnson had been a disaster and should be reversed. The cuts have gone too far and it is the staff who are highlighting the impact on moving millions of people every day. The RMT said more than 800 jobs had been axed under the so-called Fit For The Future programme, adding that LU was only offering to reinstate 150. Solidarity with our brothers & sisters taking action against London Underground/TFL. We ask cab drivers to show support at picket lines. London Taxi (@RMT_LondonTaxi) January 6, 2017 Most of the 500 new jobs claimed by the company were to fill current vacancies and staff turnover, according to the union. The RMT added that LU was refusing to reopen any of the closed ticket offices. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: London Underground have made us a new offer. We will now share its contents with our reps and seek their views overnight. A spokesman for Transport for London said: Talks have concluded for the day. We have made a proposal to the unions and we await their response. The RMT has more members on the Tube than the TSSA. Transport for London has advised passengers that there will be a severely reduced service across the Tube network on Sunday evening and all day on Monday if the strike goes ahead. A four-year-old boy and his mother, who went missing together for more than 24 hours, have been found safe and well, police said. Officers had said they were extremely concerned about young Andrew Shorrock, who was last seen with his mother Amy, 34, on Friday after boarding a Blackpool-bound train at Manchester Piccadilly station. (Greater Manchester Police/PA) Greater Manchester Police said that the pair, from the Tameside area of the city, were found in Ashton-under-Lyne late on Saturday. Heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures have continued to sweep the European continent, causing more than a dozen deaths, grounding planes and crippling ferries in Italy and Turkey. At least 10 people have died in the cold that has gripped Poland in recent days, including seven men who died on Friday, authorities said. Temperatures in Poland dropped below minus 20C (minus 4F) on Saturday, and weather forecasters said they would sink more overnight. A man also died on Saturday in Belgium when his truck slid off a highway. In Italy, sub-freezing temperatures were blamed for the deaths of half a dozen homeless people. Heavy snow and high winds resulted in re-routed flights, delayed ferries, cancelled trains and closed roads, media reported. Icicles on a fountain in St. Peter's Square With no indications of a let-up, some schools in southern Italy were ordered not to open on Monday because a metre of snow had already buried some areas, the ANSA news agency reported. The chill did not spare sunny Rome. The fountains in St Peters Square froze overnight and dripped icicles instead. Temperatures dropped to minus 7C (19F) in Greeces second largest city, Thessaloniki, and minus 10C (14F) was expected on Sunday, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Snow ploughing during heavy snowfall in Greece last night. Video: Nico Charles pic.twitter.com/C62osVaPIH severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) January 7, 2017 Several Greek islands, otherwise known for their sunny and warm weather, were blanketed in snow. Roads were closed temporarily across large swathes of northern Greece due to snow and ice. Heavy snow also crippled Istanbul, and national carrier Turkish Airlines cancelled more than 650 flights. A man shovels snow in Istanbul (Mike Gorder/AP) The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that even the Bosporus Strait which runs through Istanbul and is one of Europes busiest shipping lanes was closed and ferry service halted. Turkeys private Dogan news agency reported that one of the main highways in Istanbul practically turned into a car park after drivers deserted their cars on Friday night to walk home rather than battle the gusting snow and slippery roads. Two delivery men whose truck was parked on a side street made the best of the situation, engaging in a snowball fight in between pushing their loads through mounds of snow that built up at the roadside. In northern Europe, where residents are accustomed to sub-zero temperatures and snowy winters, police in Denmark warned about icy and slippery roads after dozens of minor traffic accidents. Turkey detains 18 people over Izmir attack, sees PKK responsible - minister By Mehmet Emin Caliskan IZMIR, Turkey, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Turkish police detained 18 people over a gun and bomb attack that killed two people in the city of Izmir and the justice minister said on Friday there was no doubt Kurdish militants were responsible. Militants clashed with police and detonated a car bomb outside the main courthouse in Turkey's third largest city, located on its western Aegean coast, on Thursday after their vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint. A police officer and a court employee were killed. Nine other people were wounded. The incident again highlighted the deterioration in Turkey's public security, coming soon after a gunman killed 39 New Year's revellers inside a popular Istanbul nightclub. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for that attack. Authorities said it was clear from weapons seized by police that militants had planned a much bigger attack in Izmir but it was thwarted when security forces spotted their vehicle as it approached the courthouse. Speaking on Friday at the funeral of the slain police officer, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said the two assailants, shot dead by police, had been identified and efforts were under way to find their accomplices. Police had detained 18 people. "All the information we have obtained show it was the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) terrorist organisation who gave instructions for the attack and that the terrorists were from the PKK," he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. On Friday, security police took up guard near the courthouse as hundreds of people filed in for the funeral. Thursday's explosion shattered windows in a nearby cafeteria and scattered rubble across the steps to the courthouse entrance. Hundreds in Izmir's main Alsancak square protested over the attack, holding up banners that read, "We are not afraid." The PKK - designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and European Union - and its affiliates have been carrying out increasingly deadly attacks over the past year and a half, ever further from the largely Kurdish southeast, where they have waged an insurgency since 1984. Izmir, a liberal city on Turkey's Aegean seacoast, had largely escaped the PKK and Islamist militant violence that has scarred Istanbul and the capital Ankara in recent months. Turkey, a NATO member, is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria. German prosecutor investigates publisher of Axel Springer's Bild FRANKFURT, Jan 6 (Reuters) - German prosecutors on Friday said they had opened an investigation of Kai Diekmann, publisher of best-selling European tabloid newspaper Bild, days after parent company Axel Springer announced he had resigned. Diekmann has long been one of the most powerful media figures in Germany, with his newspaper becoming known for either making or breaking careers of political leaders and celebrities. "We have a criminal investigation against Kai Diekmann," a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Potsdam, Germany said. The spokesman declined to give any further details about the reasons for the investigation involving Diekmann, who became Bild's publisher after serving as editor in chief from 2001 until the end of 2015. German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Friday that a Springer employee had filed a sexual harassment complaint against Diekmann in Potsdam last year. Reuters was unable to determine how the matter was resolved or if it related to the criminal investigation. Diekmann declined to comment on both the investigation and the allegation in the magazine when contacted by Reuters. His lawyer, Otmar Kury, said the accusations were unfounded. "We have full confidence in the work of the investigating authorities," Kury said. Axel Springer said that it had held its own internal investigation after an employee came forward with sexual harassment allegations and, following a "very intensive and in-depth" investigation, had not found evidence of any criminal behaviour. However, the company had alerted the public prosecuters and passed on its findings, a company spokeswoman said. The company declined to give further details about its internal investigation. Springer said last week that Diekmann would leave the company -- at his own request -- on Jan. 31 this year after more than 30 years with the company. . Ford plant turns 'cemetery' as Trump wrenches Mexican autos By Christine Murray SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co's abrupt move to scrap a planned $1.6 billion car plant in central Mexico has spooked a network of suppliers who bet on a growing customer base and dramatized the risk that Donald Trump's agenda poses to the country's broader economy. Many auto parts makers had started to expand in anticipation of Ford's plant in the state of San Luis Potosi, where industry is "easily 70 percent" dependent on the auto sector, said Julian Eaves, managing director of Preferred Compounding de Mexico, a U.S.-owned maker of rubber compounds operating here. "It's going to have a huge impact on the local community," said Eaves. The loss to the economy, Eaves calculates, could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and maybe even into the billions, over the next five years, as manufacturing, contracting and indirect jobs all fall short of plans. Officials say they are still analyzing the economic impact of the Ford decision. The hemorrhaging may be just the beginning of Mexico's pain from Trump's vows to shake up trade and bring manufacturing jobs back north when he takes office on Jan. 20. Ford ascribed its move to a decline in North American demand for small cars like the ones it planned to make in San Luis Potosi. But Trump had been lambasting Ford for its Mexico operations, months before he was elected president in November. Trump upped the ante on Thursday, threatening to slap a "border tax" on Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp for cars it sells to the United States from a new plant in Mexico, fueling fears of an all-out offensive by his government on Mexican industry. Mexico's government on Friday "categorically" rejected any attempt to use threats to influence investment decisions in Mexico, saying it wanted to boost the competitiveness of North America. It did not mention Trump or Toyota in its brief statement. In a matter of days, Ford's retreat has turned the factory site into a barren plain bereft of its economic promise. "It now looks like a cemetery," said Fernando Rosales, 28, a hydraulic hoses contractor preparing to abandon the site. "(There is) only death here, we are all leaving." Ford's decision also puts the brakes on Detroit automakers' push to build small cars in Mexico to reduce labor costs, while using higher-paid U.S. workers for larger, more expensive vehicles. Not far from the doomed Ford site, other major players from the global automotive industry are in the midst of multi-million dollar investments, including General Motors Co, which Trump has also repeatedly berated for investing in Mexico. German carmaker BMW is assembling a $1 billion plant, and a few miles from the Ford site, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co is busy building a $550 million tire facility. The U.S. president-elect's broadsides against Mexico have shown how exposed companies in the supply chain are to the whims of U.S. automakers under pressure not to offshore production. Shares in Kansas City Southern, one of the main railroad operators in Mexico, fell following news of the Ford cancellation and have lost 3.3 percent since Tuesday morning. Between 40 and 50, mostly foreign-owned, suppliers were ready to come and supply the San Luis Potosi plant, said Sergio Resendez of real estate broker Colliers International. "This was going to catapult us," Gustavo Puente, the state economy minister of San Luis Potosi, said of the plant Ford originally announced in April of last year. Ford told him the plan was off about an hour before it went public with the news, he said. Around 12 to 14 of the suppliers had already invested money buying land or signed a contract with developers, said Resendez of Colliers, though Puente suggested the number was fewer. "It's a very, very complicated hole," Resendez said. "The suppliers, depending on their level of advancement, will lose money. They had already made big investments." 'KICK IN THE TEETH' At the Ford premises, shocked and dejected workers packed up construction materials and prepared to leave. "This is a massive kick in the teeth," Rosalio Rocha, 52, a construction worker on the site from a nearby town said. "It looks like he is going to keep going on about it," he added, referring to Trump. Some of the ground at the 280-hectare site had already been leveled and the skeletons of two large, white buildings stood out against a rusty brown and green backdrop. Workers said they had heard plans for an industrial park opposite the site for suppliers had also been suspended. The park's developers were not immediately available to comment. The auto sector is at the heart of a Mexican industrial boom since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between it, the United States and Canada, a deal Trump has threatened to renegotiate in favor of the United States or scrap entirely. "It hurts because we're partners in trade, culture, sports, we're partners in everything," said Puente, the San Luis Potosi economy minister. "It hurts because they - he - is pushing a policy that wants to break those ties." About half of the foreign direct investment (FDI) to Mexico since the start of the century has come from the United States, where it sends around 80 percent of its goods exports. Carmaking is no exception. Mexico produced 3.22 million autos in the first 11 months of last year, and exported 2.55 million, local industry group AMIA said. Fully 77 percent of the exports went to the United States. Some Mexican states have come to depend on autos almost entirely for growth. In San Luis Potosi, 15,000-17,000 new direct jobs are expected to be created in 2017, all in the auto sector, according to federal labor delegate Edgar Duron. The total does not include the Ford plant, which had been expected to create thousands of additional jobs in coming years. The San Luis Potosi state government had already paid part of the 1 billion pesos ($47 million) it owed under a contract to support the Ford plant, Puente said, without specifying how much. The federal government said Ford would reimburse the sum. Projects, both private and public, are underway to spend hundreds of millions of pesos to expand the city's airport and build a new bus line in expectation of a busier future. But the real fear in Mexico is that, as Trump himself tweeted after the Ford decision, "This is just the beginning." Outside the Goodyear plant in San Luis Potosi, 46-year-old Marcos Rodriguez, an engineer working on the facility, said that Mexico should assume that other sites are at risk. Gunmen kill eight Hazara miners in Afghanistan KABUL, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen killed eight members of Afghanistan's Hazara minority who were working as miners in the northern province of Baghlan, a local government official said. Faiz Mohammad Amiri, governor of Taleh va Barfak district, said the eight dead and three other wounded, who all came from Daykundi province in central Afghanistan, had been pulled out of a vehicle and shot on Friday. He blamed the Taliban, which controls the district where the incident occurred but the insurgent movement denied any involvement. "The people working in this mine had our permission and we had good relations," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. "They hadn't created any problems." He blamed "arbakis" or members of informal local militias, in the area for the killings. Hazaras are a Persian-speaking, largely Shia minority, who have faced a long history of discrimination and violence in mainly Sunni Afghanistan. Last year, scores of Hazara were killed in a series of attacks in Kabul, some claimed by Islamic State in an apparent attempt to stir sectarian tensions. The incident underlines the dire security situation in the country, where government forces now control only two-thirds of national territory and violence is a daily occurrence. Leo Burnett Sri Lanka, the local office of the global advertising network Leo Burnett Worldwide, is gearing up to host the eighth edition of Leo Art at the Galle Literary Festival, which brings the creative community, writers and artists from across the island and around the world together annually at the historic Dutch Fort in Galle. Powered by its Platinum sponsor Mastercard, the Leo Art exhibition will officially be launched on January 12, at 6:00 p.m., at the Fort Printers Hotel. The exhibition will continue until Sunday, January 15. To celebrate the launch of the eighth edition of Leo Art, renowned Sri Lankan author Nayomi Munaweera, who is residing in the US, will read an extract from her latest book titled What Lies Between Us at the preview. This is the eighth successful season of Leo Art, which has been titled Art at the Fest. This edition of Leo Art will feature the work of 10 renowned local artists who will each present a new series of their work. This exhibition will feature 50 canvases crafted in a variety of media using varying styles and techniques. These 50 canvases have been created especially for this exhibition and will be showcased to art enthusiasts, buyers and festival attendees alike. The artists who have been selected to feature their work at this edition of Leo Art are Sanjeewa Kumara, J.C. Ratnayake, Vajira Gunawardena, Dileepa Jeewantha, Susil Senanayake, Thushara Dep, Prageeth Ratnayake, Chamila Gamage, Chiranthi Gunasekara and Sanjaya Bandara Senevirathna. Leo Art is an artists-in-residence programme initiated by Leo Burnett to foster creativity in art. It provides young Sri Lankan artists with spaces to express their creative ideas. These artists also have the opportunity to collaborate with agency teams on commercial projects. Through Leo Art the artists and their work can be seen and appreciated by a larger audience. Leo Art has progressively grown over the years since it was launched in 2008. Last year, Leo Art Strokes at the Mews was hosted at Park Street Mews as part of Leo Burnetts 81st global anniversary celebrations featuring the work of 19 artists. The success of Leo Art at the Mews resulted in the Galle Literary Festival inviting Leo Burnett to showcase Leo Art at the festival. Commenting on the upcoming exhibition Leo Burnett Sri Lanka Managing Director Ranil de Silva said, The Leo Art programme is an important part of Leo Burnett Sri Lankas commitment to giving back to Sri Lankas creative community. It started as a small-scale exhibition that we hosted in our quadrangle, since its inception Leo Art has rapidly evolved into a fully-fledged annual showcase of contemporary Sri Lankan art. It has flourished each year and has received significant local and international recognition. We are proud to host the eighth edition of Leo Art at the Galle Literary Festival, which is one of the countrys most prestigious literary events. We are also delighted to have Mastercard step forward to support Leo Art as a partner of the exhibition this year. Leo Burnett has had a long-standing history of spearheading and inspiring creative excellence, whilst nurturing the next generation of creative talent. Our efforts to build a strong creative platform for local artists help them gain valuable exposure to help develop these artists in particular and creatively in general. This programme helps to fuel collaboration between our teams and the artistic community, which ultimately supports our ongoing efforts to create inspiring ideas. This year Leo Burnett Sri Lanka celebrates its 18th anniversary. Over the years, the agency has built many powerful brands and meaningful partnerships with its clients, whilst delivering gratifying results and gaining industry recognition in Sri Lanka, the region and globally. The company handles a diverse portfolio of clients; it is one of the worlds largest agency networks and is a member of the PublicisGroupe, the worlds fourth largest communications company. In the wake of the Consultative Task Force calling for foreign judges to hear war crime charges, a government minister said yesterday that President Maithripala Sirisena categorically ruled out the participation of foreign judges to hear or inquire into war crime allegations. Addressing a hurriedly called press conference at the Presidents House, State Minister of Finance Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene reaffirmed the President's position. He said only logistical and IT assistance would be obtained to expedite the judicial process, when the judicial mechanism was set up to probe the alleged crimes. Responding to journalists on the suggestions that had been made by the Consultative Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanism to include foreign judges in the judicial process that is to probe war crimes, Minister Yapa said President Sirisena was very clear on this matter and added he has more than once said there will be no foreign judges in the local judicial mechanism and it will not be a hybrid court as suggested by certain groups. President Sirisena and the government have full confidence in our judiciary, legal process and judges. We have extremely eminent and experienced judges and our judges have served in various countries and global organizations that have given much credit to the country. Minister Yapa said Sri Lanka expects to submit a progress report to the UNHRC in March and explain the measures take by the unity government to promote reconciliation, rule of law, inter communal harmony and strengthen democratic institutions and the concept of good governance. Sri Lankas Constitution or the Criminal Procedure Code do not provide for the establishment of a judicial mechanism with foreign judges to adjudicate alleged war crimes. As such the issue of establishing a so-called Hybrid Court does not arise and the governments intention was to establish a credible domestic mechanism comprising of our own judges, acceptable to the local and global community. The government under no circumstances will target war heroes, field commanders of the three armed forces or the political leadership for war crime charges or haul them before a court or tribunal. But we have to deal with those if there are any, who have violated the International Humanitarian Law on an individual level, he stressed. (Sandun A Jayasekera) Tense situation was reported today in Hambantota when a group of people including Buddhist monks and politicians protested against the launching of the Hambantota Industrial Zone. Pix by Sanath Gamage A group of people led by the opposition MPs staged a protest against the setting up of an industrial zone in Hambantota today. Pix by Pradeep Pathiranha Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse a group of people including Joint Opposition MPs, who are staging a protest in Hambantota where the foundation stone for the Hambantota Industrial Zone was laid. (Sanath Gamage) Transcription 1 2015 NISA Policy Paper series Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi Assistant Professor, IR Department, South Asian University, New Delhi NISA Alum, 2 1 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi ABSTRACT: In this paper an attempt is made to analyse NATO s role in Afghanistan. The paper also focuses on organizational history of NATO while trying to understand its contemporary relevance, in context of its involvement in Afghanistan. This paper puts forward numerous policy recommendations on present and future role of NATO in Afghanistan. KEYWORDS: NATO, Afghanistan, Taliban, Terrorism, Peace INTRODUCTION T he fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 changed the discourse in International Relations. Likewise, the second event that was to have such an impact on International Relations was the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US. Between the two, the fall of the Berlin Wall was certainly a positive event that opened prospects for closeness of international community. Fall of Berlin Wall is also associated with the end of the Cold War and with this the world came to be described as more united than ever before, where the notion of sovereignty and its relevance was questioned. In addition, revolution in information technology and expansion of global economy both in merchandise and service sectors were a few of the most recognizable phenomena of the post-cold War world order (Gilpin, 2001). These were some of the positive episodes of the post-cold War international system but along with it many new problems also started cropping up. The interrelated and better-interconnected world benefited not only the progressive but also the rogue elements. These include those who for long had been preparing to inflict terror in order to promote their way of understanding as opposed to free and liberal values. In addition, ethnic and civil conflicts also engulfed different parts of the world making some places safe hideouts for rogue elements to live and prosper. First, such problems related to ethnic and civil conflict started in Europe when trouble erupted in the Balkan region. The Balkan crisis was just a preview of what started multiplying in other parts of the world (Moodie 1995). Afghanistan was another such region but it would be wrong to reach any conclusion without contextually and objectively analysing the reasons for the same. The foremost question is, what made Afghanistan a preferred destination for international terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida that planned and executed the 9/11 terrorists attacks. Some of these issues will be briefly dealt with in this paper. While discussing Afghanistan, the role of the international community cannot be dismissed because after 3 1 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi 9/11 many countries became actively involved in Afghanistan. In this paper we will particularly focus on the role of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that took the responsibility of establishing peace and order in Afghanistan. From NATO s perspective, Afghanistan is an important country for several reasons. Firstly, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, NATO, for the first time in its history invoked Article 5 related to collective defence. Article 5 implies that an attack on a member country should be treated as an attack on all i. Secondly, Afghanistan is also a country outside the Euro-Atlantic region where NATO had started its mission. Mission in Afghanistan can also be termed as one of the longest and difficult missions for NATO. Lastly, even after the long stay in Afghanistan it was difficult to conclude that NATO s Afghan mission was a success because peace and stability are still a distant dream for the common people in Afghanistan. All these points necessitate a thorough analysis of NATO s role in Afghanistan. While making this analysis we will evaluate the new role of NATO in Afghanistan since January In the light of our analysis we will also make some concrete suggestions. NATO: History and Theoretical Perspective Former American President Woodrow Wilson said, Interest does not tie nations together; it sometimes separates them. But sympathy and understanding does unite them ii. Can this statement be applicable on NATO that entered the 66 th year of its existence in April One of the longest surviving collective defence organizations of the world, NATO was established in 1949 to address security concerns of the western European countries. After the end of World War II (WW-II), the Soviet Union emerged as one of the superpowers. Confident with the success in WW-II, the Soviet Union started pursuing aggressive foreign policy to enhance its influence and domination particularly in Europe. Soviet threat was abetted by a number of crisis and conflicts in and around Europe, like 1947 Greece civil war, Berlin blockade of 1948, Turkey facing threat from Moscow, etc. These volatile situations induced the western European countries to seriously consider the creation of a strategic alliance. While assessing the overall situation in Europe the US President Harry S. Truman urged the Congress to help Greece and Turkey. The US Congress responded positively with an aid package of $400 million to counter the growing influence of the Soviet Union in these two countries. The relief package helped Greece and Turkey but security considerations remained top priority for the western European countries. Consequently, five countries of Europe (Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) formed Western European Union (WEU) by signing Brussels Treaty in March The primary objective of Brussels Treaty was to develop a common 4 2 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi defence system and to strengthen ties that would help them to resist ideological, political and military threats to their security. After the creation of WEU, negotiations with the United States of America (USA) and Canada were followed by the creation of North Atlantic Alliance based on security guarantee and mutual agreements between Europe and International Relations, nation-states prefer alliances for balance of power (Morgenthau, 2007). This provides a reason for creation of an alliance and its continuation is also explained as necessary for balance of threat. Whereas balance of power theory predicts that states will react to imbalances of power, balance of threat theory predicts when there is North America. Five more European an imbalance of threat states will form an countries Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Norway were invited by the WEU to participate in the process. Finally, in April 1949, the Treaty of Washington was signed establishing the NATO with consent of twelve alliance to increase their internal efforts in order to reduce their vulnerability (Walt, 1987). Realist school of thought in this regard has its explanation for establishment and continuation of NATO. countries. In brief, NATO was a Cold War formation to ensure security of western Europe and to strategically balance the Soviet Union. NATO officially has its own justification for its continuance, relevance and expansion. This can be inferred from new strategic concept of the NATO that was adopted in November 2010 during the Lisbon summit. The strategic Historically, NATO was founded to provide security cover to its member states during the Cold War. This makes us question the rationale for its continuation in post-cold War period. According to an American strategic analyst, Thomas Young, end of the Cold War has resulted in a massive sea change in Europe s security environment is a fact. Notwithstanding the dissolution of the Soviet and the Warsaw Pact, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) appears to be politically active and institutionally viable (Young, 1997). According to realist theory of concept is an official document that outlines NATO s enduring purpose and its fundamental security task (NATO, 2014). As per the Strategic Concept of 2010 threat to NATO members includes conventional threat from proliferation of ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, trans-illegal activities and extremism, cyber attacks, threat to vital communication, transit and trade routes, technology related trends and environmental 5 3 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi threats. Estimation and recognition of these threats entail continuance of NATO even NATO in Afghanistan: Resolute Support From ISAF to after the end of Cold War. There is another institutional perspective on continuance of NATO and this is well explained by Celeste Wallander. According to her, alliance cannot be only viewed as aggregation of national power but also as security institution creation of which is costly but affordable to maintain it. This is a reason why it remains useful despite changed circumstance (Wallander, 2000). Taliban was in control of Afghanistan when the terrorist attacks were launched on the US. Although there was resistance to Taliban by the Northern Alliance it was limited to few areas. In the rise and success of Taliban, Al- Qaida had played a vital role as it helped in eliminating many important leaders of Northern Alliance like Ahmad Shah Massoud (9 September 2001). Due to this camaraderie Taliban rejected Washington s demand to Briefly, there are various perspectives and approaches to explain continuation of NATO even after end of the Cold War. hand over Osama Bin Laden the main conspirator of 9/11 terrorist attacks. Failing to have any rational negotiation with Taliban the US and its allies opted for a military operation, which was also supported by the Northern From simple strategic viewpoint, NATO provides an enhanced security umbrella to all its members and partners. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine that NATO s relevance will decline with time particularly for Euro-Atlantic countries. From functional and practical aspects also it is proved that Euro-Atlantic nations depend largely on NATO for attaining security. This was the case with Afghanistan when after 9/11 terrorist attacks NATO members agreed to start a decisive battle against international terrorism. This brought NATO to Afghanistan, which was the base of Osama Bin Laden. In the next part of this paper we will discuss NATO s intervention and role in Afghanistan. Alliance of Afghanistan. Faced with a superior army, Taliban and Al-Qaida fled from Kabul but these warring groups never accepted defeat. Taliban and its associates that prominently included Al-Qaida resorted to their old strategy of guerrilla warfare creating enough trouble for the new political setup in Afghanistan. Aware of Taliban s nefarious designs the international community decided to establish International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) at Bonn conference of December The ISAF was responsible for combat operation in Afghanistan and after the UN mandate in August 2003 NATO assumed leadership of 6 4 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi the ISAF operations. The ISAF mandate was initially limited to providing security in and around Kabul but NATO had taken charge of the United Nations extended ISAF s mandate to cover whole of Afghanistan. This mandate was provided by the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1510 in NATO had undertaken a daunting task of providing security to entire Afghanistan and had to face stiff resistance from Taliban. Due to this it took almost three years for NATO to expand its operations to the whole of Afghanistan (see Table 1). Table 1: Phase Wise Expansion of NATO led ISAF in Afghanistan Stage Areas of Operation 1. To the North: On 31 December 2003, the military component of the Kunduz PRT was placed under ISAF command as a pilot project. 2. To the West: On 10 February 2005 NATO announced that ISAF would expand into the West of Afghanistan. 3. To the South: On 31 July 2006 ISAF assumed command of the Southern region of Afghanistan from US- led Coalition forces. 4. Expansion towards East and Total Control: On 5 October 2006 ISAF led by NATO implemented final stage of its expansion, by taking command of the international military forces in eastern Afghanistan from US-led coalition. Source: ISAF Website [Online: Web] Accessed on 19 January URL: Afghanistan is an important case study; in fact a testing ground for NATO forces. In words of former secretary general of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, [W]e cannot afford the price of failure in Afghanistan. Instability in an already highly unstable region is a safe haven for international terrorism iii. Scheffer said this in 2009 but his statement is still relevant in 2015 when NATO has acquired different role for itself in Afghanistan. NATO took responsibility of combat operations in 2003, but presently the organization is entrusted with the duty of training Afghan security personnel and of assisting Afghan security forces in some of its operations. While there has been a remarkable change in overall role of NATO from 2003 to 2015 but ground realities remain more or less the same in Afghanistan. In reality, the security situation has only deteriorated since 2006 and political uncertainty still looms large in Afghanistan. While the nature of problems remains almost the same in Afghanistan, international forces as per its earlier commitment ceased their direct combat operations in December In view of overall situation New Afghan 7 5 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi government that was elected in 2014 signed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US and also NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). These two agreements are relevant considering the future of Afghanistan s security where threat from Taliban has not receded. With signing of SOFA, NATO has started mission Resolute Support to train, advice and assist Afghan security forces and institutions. For mission Resolute Support approximately 12,000 personnel from NATO and supporting nations will stay in Afghanistan. The mission is planned to operate with one central hub (in Kabul/Bagram) and four spokes in Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar and Laghman iv. This is a formal plan for mission Resolute Support and it is in initial stage inhibiting us to make any concrete evolution at this juncture. Whatever inference we can draw will be based on the earlier mission of NATO that was to support the ISAF. Broadly there are two distinct conclusions that can be drawn from former mission of NATO in Afghanistan. One, after initial success NATO faced strong resistance from a regrouped Taliban after Due to longevity of mission, NATO members and contributing nations had a tough time convincing their own citizens about significance of bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan. In short, there was no popular public support in Euro-Atlantic nations for mission in Afghanistan. These are not positive situations and it only aggravates troubles for NATO in Afghanistan. A number of occurrences have made people change their attitude towards their support for NATO s Afghan mission. According to 47 Nation Pew Global Attitudes Survey seven out of the twelve NATO countries that were included in the survey, supported withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan (Pew Global Project Attitudes, 2007, 24). One of the prime reasons for decline in support was the high number of causalities suffered by the coalition military in Afghanistan (see Table 2). Table 2: Coalition Military Fatalities in Afghanistan (From ) Year US UK Other Total Total Source: 8 6 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi Second was that the last decade was marked as a struggle for major economies of world and supporting a war mission in Afghanistan has its Thus, while interest of NATO countries in Afghanistan is on the decline Taliban and its allies see it as an opportunity to come back to financial costs. According to research, the seat of power. There is also a change in estimation cost of war (present and future) for the US alone is total $1.6 trillion (Brown attitude of West towards Taliban and diplomatic channels are opened to engage University, 2013). Third is related to some these warring factions in some type of recent changes in the international relations. With the rise of ISIS, international attention is presently on political developments in West Asia. Strategic analysts all over the world are of the opinion that ISIS is a negotiations. Taliban was allowed to open its office in Doha, Qatar and they are engaged in dialogue by the Afghan government (Kamrany 2014). As of now future of this process is uncertain and it will largely depend on bigger threat to success of elected international community and that they are better organized Thus, while interest of NATO countries in Afghanistan is on the decline Taliban and its allies see it as an opportunity to come back to Afghan government to keep political and military control of the country. In the light and more lethal the seat of power. There is also a change in of these as compared to attitude of West towards Taliban and developments few Taliban and Al- Qaida. In these circumstances domestic diplomatic channels are opened to engage these warring factions in some type of negotiations. suggestions are worth considering that are discussed in the last part of this paper. politics over Afghanistan in NATO countries will remain that of opposition. Mission Resolute Support is primarily about training and advice but it includes taking part in military operations. It, too, involves financial liability. Therefore as per the risk estimation not much has changed except for the number of NATO troops that remained stationed in Afghanistan. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: a) Afghanistan is Still an Important Country for NATO: While there is a geographical shift in discourse of international terrorism it is clear that Afghanistan cannot be ignored. The recent spurt in violence both in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a matter of concern. The Af-Pak region even today is one of the most volatile 9 7 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi regions of the world and home to several terrorist organizations including the Taliban and Al-Qaida. These elements are motivated and mobilised to inflict terror on international community at the first available opportunity. They are brutal as witnessed during the attack on schoolchildren in Peshawar, Pakistan in December 2014 and will not hesitate to target innocent people. Thus, the threat continues as before and the international community will have to be vigilant. For NATO, failure in Afghanistan will raise doubts on its ability to successfully complete a mission. In case Afghanistan falls back into the hands of Taliban it will only make things worse both for the Afghans and for international community. b) Negotiate With Taliban that Respect Human Rights: Negotiation with Taliban and other warring factions is a positive step. Permanent peace cannot be achieved only by confrontational methods and for sustainable peace reconciliation is important in conflictridden countries. Afghanistan is no exception but negotiation with Taliban can only bring desired result if they accede to respect human rights of others and are willing to lay down their guns. Taliban should participate in the democratic process and will have to earn the confidence of the Afghans before it can come to power. Return of Taliban in its earlier avatar will have disastrous consequences. c) Mission Resolute Support Should Achieve its Objective: Foreign troops can never provide permanent security to a nation. Moreover, no sovereign nation wants to remain eternally dependent on foreign forces for its internal and external security. While considering the above it is worth mentioning that it is a matter of fact that long-term conflict in Afghanistan has ruined institutions of law and order, police and army. International community will have to help Afghanistan not only in reconstructing the infrastructure but should also help in building social capital. This includes training, advice and mentoring of police and security personnel of Afghanistan so that they can independently tackle all eventualities. In brief, mission Resolute Support should ideally achieve its objective. d) Recognizing Role of Regional Actors: Afghanistan is at the crossroads of three different regions: South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia. This geographical location puts Afghanistan in midst of power politics between regional actors of all three regions. In this Iran, Pakistan, Russia, India, and China are major regional powers 10 8 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi having pertinent interest in Afghanistan. These regional actors have an interest in the political stability of Afghanistan and at the same time they also have their own agendas particularly Pakistan. It is a notable fact that Islamabad has sway over some sections of Taliban and therefore cannot be ignored. In these circumstances regional dynamics cannot be overlooked and this is equally applicable for the NATO and it requires a sensitive and sensible approach. CONCLUSION In this paper we have focused on NATO s role in Afghanistan underlining the relevance of peaceful Afghanistan. While making our arguments we accepted that international reality has changed between 2001 and 2015 and in between NATO has taken other responsibilities. Still NATO cannot afford an unstable and volatile Afghanistan controlled by defying Taliban and supported by Al- Qaida. This paper, which offered some suggestions and provided comprehensive research on this topic, also gives concrete answers pertaining to NATO s future role in Afghanistan. REFERENCES: Brown University (2013), The Costs of 12 Years in Afghanistan, URL: years-afghanistan (Accessed on 26 January 2015) Gilpin, Robert (2001), Global Political Economy Understanding the International Economic Order, Princeton: Princeton University Press. Morgenthau, Hans. J (2007) (6 th Indian edition), Politics Among Nations The Struggle for Power and Peace, New Delhi: Kalyani Publisher. Kamrany, Nake. M (2014), How to End Afghanistan War: Negotiate with Taliban, The Huffington Post, URL: (accessed on 25 January 2015). Moodie, Michael (1995). The Balkan Tragedy, Annals of the American Academy of Political Science, 541: NATO (2014), Strategic Concept, URL: 26.htm?selectedLocale=en (Accessed on 25 January 2015). Pew Global Project Attitudes (2007), 47- Nation Pew Global Attitude Survey, URL: (accessed on 26 January 2015). Young, Thomas. D (1997), Command in NATO after the Cold War: Alliance, National and Multinational Consideration, Pennsylvania: US Army College 11 9 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi Wallander, Celeste. A (2000), Institutional Asset and Adaptability: NATO After the Cold War, International Organization, 54 (4): Walt, Stephen. M (1987), The Origins of Alliances, New York: Cornell University Press ENDNOTES i ii For details see : President Woodrow Wilson on the United States and Latin America, address before the Southern Commercial Congress at mobile, Alabama, October 27, 1913 [Online: web] Accessed on 1 February 2011, URL: iii iv for full speech see: see NATO website: 12 1 Critical Overview of NATO s Role in Afghanistan Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi About NISA NATO International School of Azerbaijan (NISA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan information, training and research institution founded in 2003 in Baku, Azerbaijan. NISA was established to provide a sound platform for academic discourse and raise awareness locally and internationally on Euro-Atlantic security and integration. Through its Winter and Summer Sessions, Senior Conferences and Regional Workshops, NISA brings graduates, young scholars and early to mid-career practitioners to engage in academic discussions on issues of regional and global significance. NISA also commits itself to research and thus encourages young researchers locally and internationally to involve in research and publication through NISA channels. Author Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi is an Assistant Professor at the International Relations Department of South Asian University. He is also an Associate Research Fellow at United Service Institution of India. Dr. Tripathi is an Alum of NISA Summer Session of 2014 on International Economic Security. The opinions and conclusion expressed herein are those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NATO International School of Azerbaijan. I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. More on who I am is here. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Whether Putin placed him in the White House or not, Trump or Pence is the president. And Schumers brilliant strategy of nominating unelectable corporate shills backed by Wall Street to ride into Senate seats on Hillarys coattails in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Florida and Ohio means the GOP will control the Senate for4 more years. That leaves one task to put the breaks on Trump the 2018 House elections. Blue America is busy finding good candidates but reality of winning back the House is at least partially dependent on two other factors: Trump failing as miserably in governing as he has in the transition and in Cabinet-building and the Republican-backed Congress overreaching enough to infuriate the American public. Im not a betting man, but I would bet on that whole mess happening in spades. This week, for example, CNN reported that Ryan is so cocksure of his ability to take healthcare away from 20 million Americans that he decided to gratuitously toss defunding Planned Parenthood into the mix. This is a big mistake, one that puts his whole project in danger. A push by Republican congressional leaders, explained the CNN report, to defund Planned Parenthood could threaten passage of their top-priority legislation to repeal Obamacare because of opposition to the anti-abortion provision by two key GOP senators. Since then at least two more Republicans are indicated discomfort with the repeal without replacing + Planned Parenthood defunding strategy. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Thursday that Republicans will move to strip all federal funding for Planned Parenthood as part of the process they are using early this year to dismantle Obamacare. Congressional Republicans have tried for years to zero out all federal funding for Planned Parenthood because the group provides abortion services. The fight over Obamacare helped trigger a 16-day government shutdown in 2013, and Democrats and President Barack Obama insisted any Planned Parenthood provision targeting the group be removed from a bill to fund federal agencies. The decision to add the controversial Planned Parenthood language, which is opposed by most Democrats, could have a major impact on getting the Affordable Care Act repeal legislation through the Senate because supporters need the backing of at least 50 of their 52 members and two pro-choice senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, won't commit to approving the bill with the Planned Parenthood provision in it. Further complicating matters for Senate GOP leaders is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, who announced this week he plans to vote against the Obamacare repeal legislation because the underlying budget measure it is attached to doesn't balance and adds to the deficit. If Murkowski, Collins and Paul all voted against the budget bill, it would be enough to torpedo the Obamacare repeal legislation. "I'm going to wait and see what happens," Collins told reporters, indicating she thinks it's too early to decide how she will vote on the bill. "Obviously, I'm not happy to hear the speaker wants to include defunding of Planned Parenthood, an extremely controversial issue in the package." Murkowski's told reporters Tuesday she was still weighing the issue. In 2015, she joined Collins in voting for an amendment to strip Planned Parenthood funding out of a budget bill that would have also repealed much of Obamacare. But Murkowski ultimately backed the repeal measure even though it had the anti-Planned Parenthood provision, which Obama ultimately vetoed. "At this point and time, I have not been involved in a sit down with colleagues about specifics of reconciliation. So it's tough for me to speculate or engage in any conjecture," Murkowski said earlier this week. "We're going to be having a lot of discussions about that probably as soon as this week." When asked her position Thursday, Murkowski's spokeswoman Karina Petersen said, the senator "is concerned about defunding Planned Parenthood as she is a longtime support of Planned Parenthood and has opposed broadly defunding the organization." Republicans could drop the Planned Parenthood measure, but doing so could spark anger from the right-flank of their party and potentially make it harder to defund the organization at a later date. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in his chamber, said "that's certainly where I am" when asked if he wanted to include defunding of the organization into the repeal measure. But he noted "that's place we start" and that nothing has "finally been decided yet." "While we would like to have all 52 senators, if we have a vice president in the chair, that gives us a little bit of flexibility on reconciliation," Cornyn said Thursday, referencing the ability of the vice president to break Senate ties. The vast majority of federal money that Planned Parenthood does receive funds preventive health care, birth control, pregnancy tests, and other women's health care services. Democrats also point out that much of the money the group received is through the Medicaid program, which reimburses health care clinics that provide care to those covered by the federal program. Under the long-standing "Hyde amendment" that is attached to annual funding bills, no federal money is allowed to go to programs that include abortion services, unless they are needed to preserve the life of the mother or are caused by rape. Democrats immediately denounced the news that Republicans again were working to bar future federal funds for Planned Parenthood. "This is a priority for the Republicans," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Thursday afternoon. "So I just would like to speak individually to women across America: this is about respect for you, for your judgment about your personal decisions in terms of your reproductive needs, the size and timing of your family or the rest, not to be determined by the insurance company or by the Republican ideological right-wing caucus in the House of Representatives. So this is a very important occasion where we're pointing out very specifically what repeal of the (Affordable Care Act) will mean to woman." Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told CNN's Erin Burnett on OutFront Thursday that "concerned" women have lobbied against the move throughout the day. For the past few months, Ive been observing with horror all the cabinet appointments in the incoming Trump administration and the Theresa May government . As someone who originally did a PhD with the intent to become a career diplomat (and yes, I realize theres a foreign civil service pathway to achieve precisely that goal), to me expertise in top-level agencies was more than a mere technicality: it was a requirement. I wanted a PhD in international relations or political science because I wanted to be knowledgeable about the dynamics of global affairs, diplomacy and state-to-state relationships. Thus, watching Prime Minister May appoint Boris Johnson as foreign secretary and PEOTUS Trump appoint Exxon Mobil chairman Rex Tillerson to the State Department was shocking. To me, these kinds of appointments signal a complete disdain for expertise, career service and the foreign civil service structures and legacies. Then came embattled Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto with the cherry on top. Pena Nieto has rescued his long-time aide from the depths of scorn and made him Foreign Affairs minister, substituting Claudia Ruiz Massieu (the niece of former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari). Videgaray was the political operator of Trumps visit to Mexico, the former finance minister, and was ousted after Pena Nieto was heavily criticized because of his willingness to host Trump and the fact that he extended an invitation to the then Republican candidate. Trump has been openly adversarial toward Mexico and Mexicans from the beginning of his campaign, and has repeatedly said that the US under his leadership would be building a wall and that hed make Mexico pay for it. Videgarays appointment is widely perceived as one of the worst in the history of Mexican foreign ministries at a time when Mexico needs a foreign affairs secretary with diplomatic skills and experience in international negotiations and who is well versed in how international organizations work. Mexico isnt lacking in career diplomats and ambassadors at all. Many Mexicans have occupied top global positions with great success. Former Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Rosario Green Llaguno was UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs under Boutros-Boutros Ghali and then became coordinator for womens issues across the UN. Alicia Barcena is Executive Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Jose Angel Gurria, also former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, is the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Patricia Espinosa, who completed her term as Foreign Affairs Secretary under former President Felipe Calderon, became the Executive Director of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in May of 2016. There is ample expertise and experienced specialists in Mexico on global affairs, and well-prepared career diplomats, academics and civil society leaders. If the current Mexican president were interested in having a top-notch diplomat heading the Foreign Affairs, he had plenty competent, knowledgeable and experienced people to choose from. Why would Pena Nieto choose to appoint a Foreign Affairs minister with absolutely zero knowledge of the inner workings of diplomacy and international relations? That was the kicker in these discussions (search Twitter for estoy aqui para aprender, Spanish for I am here to learn). During his appointment acceptance speech, Videgaray said Im not a diplomat, I dont even know how the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs works, I say this with humility I am here to learn (link in Spanish). This apparent humility soon became fodder for memes and a slew of angry tweets. Though there is some research on the Mexican domestic level civil service, there is very little work studying the professionalization of the Mexican foreign service. Nevertheless, it is clear that having well-trained, expert, career civil servants is fundamental for the proper functioning of government, even more so for foreign affairs agencies. Nieto Morales et al have shown that success in building enforcement capacity in the Mexican Professional Civil Service reform has relied on on having a robust body of career civil servants. Even if reforms that implemented a national career service in Mexico have been relatively recent (as Benton indicates in her 2002 study), the Mexican foreign civil service has been trained for much longer. Diplomacy requires expertise, training and experience. Mexican foreign affairs career officials have been trained for decades at the Instituto Matias Romero. The IMR is Mexicos diplomatic academy, and offers training for regular civilians to help them become part of the professionalized Mexican foreign civil service. These career diplomats learn how to engage and participate in the global arena through courses, exams and many years of appointments and engagement with the international community. If Videgaray had wanted to learn, he could have joined the ranks of foreign civil service individuals and career diplomats, from the bottom up, not arrive to one of the most important cabinet positions saying I am absolutely clueless about the job youre doing and the tasks I am supposed to be fulfilling but hey I am buddies with the PEOTUS son-in-law. If Pena Nieto and his government had any credibility left (his approval ratings were reportedly in the low 20%, lower than former presidents Calderon and Fox, and probably the lowest for any Mexican president in history), this appointment helped seal the deal and will sink his approval rate lower if that is even possible. And then we have the incoming Trump administration breaking precedent and refusing to give politically-appointed ambassadors extensions beyond inauguration day. Despite not being politically-appointed, career diplomat and foreign policy expert jobs are also likely to be nixed. Its been reported already that many are likely to leave their jobs in an exodus. I wouldnt be surprised if this were the case too in the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. Who would want to work for someone who has no clue about the monumental challenges facing the ministry he is heading now? Loss of well-trained and expert staff in foreign ministries should worry country leaders. Apparently, neither Trump, nor May nor Pena Nieto do not even think about this for a second. In a post-truth world, we are witnessing an era of open contempt for expertise, knowledge and experience. Scary thought during turbulent times. UPDATE I was just alerted by Sarah Croco to a project by Thomas Flores, Gabriella Lloyd and Irfan Nooruddin on the political economy of technocratic expertise. Mexican high-level cabinet members had traditionally been PhD holders educated in foreign universities, and thus Mexico could be a good case study for this project. 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It operates a network of power generation and distribution facilities that include fossil-fuel-generated and green energy. As of mid-2022, the company was capable of generating 58 GW of electricity with nearly 60% of the load produced by green sources including wind and solar. In their view, going green isnt an option, its the solution. NextEra Energy has been recognized multiple times as a leader in clean energy and ESG practices and was ranked the #1 electric and gas utility on the Forbes list of Most Admired Companies. The company is the result of several mergers that begin with FPL Group. FPL Group is now a subsidiary of NextEra Energy and the third-largest provider of electricity in the US servicing nearly half of Florida. FPL and its affiliates are the single largest provider of renewable energy generated from wind and sun. The group changed its name in 2010 following a decision to shift focus onto renewable energy sources. Today, NextEra Energy, Inc through its subsidiary FPL serves about 12 million people in eastern and southwestern Florida. The company employs nearly 14,900 people who service 5.8 million accounts. The company is in business to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to retail and wholesale clients. Electricity is generated through wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired facilities. The company is also engaged in the construction and operation of new facilities, specifically renewable power generation, storage, and delivery facilities, and can offer custom solutions tailored to any need. Offerings include tailored services to assist businesses with their transition to clean energy. NextEra Energy also owns and operates 7 nuclear power stations in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin generating power for the wholesale market. Unlike other companies that are targeting net-zero emissions, NextEra Energy has a plan to reach real zero and is investing heavily to reach that goal by 2045. The company had invested nearly $50 billion in green energy infrastructure and initiatives by mid-2022. The plan is to first work on reducing its own emissions and then take its knowledge and expertise to the world. The United States welcomes the recent signing of a political compromise agreement by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, and opposition party leaders. By paving the way for peaceful, democratic elections in 2017, this agreement marks an important and historic step for the DRC and the region of Central Africa. The United States commends the willingness of President Joseph Kabila and opposition leaders to compromise on key issues, thereby laying the groundwork for the countrys first democratic transfer of power. Under the constitution, President Kabila should have left office on December 20 at the end of his second and final mandate. A crisis ensued when he failed to organize elections and step down. Under the terms of the deal, President Kabila agreed not to seek a third term or change the constitution but will remain in office until the installation of his successor following elections which will be held by the end of December 2017. An oversight council responsible for overseeing implementation of the agreement will be established and headed by opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi and a prime minister will be named from among the opposition Rassemblement coalition. The United States also commends the tireless mediating role played by the DRC's Conference of Catholic Bishops leading to this agreement. Blessed with natural resources but burdened with corruption and political instability, the Democratic Republic of Congo has never witnessed a democratic transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Two decades ago, the country fought some of the deadliest conflicts in modern African history. Wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in forces from at least six African countries and left more than three million dead. The east of the country remains a battleground for armed conflict between rival militias. This political agreement provides an opportunity to take the DRC in a new and peaceful direction. The United States, said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner, encourage[s] the DRC government and opposition leaders to continue their cooperation as they work to implement this agreement and preserve the progress achieved on behalf of the Congolese people. The end of 2016 and the start of 2017 was marred with blood and sorrow from terrorist attacks in two capitals: Istanbul and Baghdad. ISIL, or Daesh as it is also called, has claimed responsibility for the attacks in both cities. In Istanbul during the early hours of January 1, a man gunned down partygoers celebrating the New Year at a popular nightclub, leaving at least 39 dead and injuring dozens more. The victims came from thirteen different countries. Turkish police have not yet apprehended the perpetrator, but Turkish officials announced they have identified the gunman. U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Istanbul, and in a statement extended condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and to the people of Turkey. He said the United States stands in solidarity with our NATO Ally Turkey in combating the ongoing threat of terrorism. Sadly, he added, this heinous attack is only the latest effort to kill and maim innocent civilians. These attacks only reinforce our strong determination to work with the government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism. In Baghdad, a series of terrorist attacks on December 31st and January 2 has left close to 90 people dead and dozens more injured. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the twin bombings in Baghdad on the 31st and for a suicide truck-bomb attack on January 2 that took place in Sadr City, a Shia district of eastern Baghdad. State Department Spokesperson John Kirby condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms, and in a statement also extended the deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hope for a speedy recovery of all those wounded. These vicious acts of mass murder, Mr. Kirby said, are a sobering reminder of the need to continue coalition operations against Daesh and to eliminate the threat this terrorist group poses. The U.S. reaffirms its commitment to support the government and people of Iraq in this struggle, and remains steadfast in its commitment to the Global Coalition to degrade and defeat Daesh. 125 YEARS AGO January 2, 1892: Mr. Pratt, formerly bridge tender at the Humboldt crossing, just below Palisade, was knocked off of the iron bridge, which now spans the river at that point, by a light engine Saturday afternoon and instantly killed. There was a blinding snow storm at the time and the engineer could not see ten feet ahead of his engine. The body was thrown on the ice in the river, from which place it was picked up and taken to Beowawe. The deceased had a little ranch in the canyon which he had been cultivating for some time past. C.H. Coop, the old-time line repairer, came over from California the first of the week to repair the telegraph line between Elko and Tuscarora, but unable to get out of Elko until Thursday morning, on account of the heavy storm. He took Vore and a couple of pairs of snow shoes with him. The past week has been a stormy one. Snow commenced to fall Saturday night and continued without interval until Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday morning the barometer was lower that it has been for years. Since the 1st of December four feet and three inches of snow fell. There is now a depth of two feet on the level, the rain having settled it considerably. In places the drifts are ten feet high. 100 YEARS AGO January 2, 1917: With the ending of his term as justice of the peace which he has creditably filled for the past four years, H.U. Castle has entered into a partnership with Judge B.F. Curler, the firm to be known as Curler & Castle, with offices in the Farrington building. This combination should make a strong firm. Judge Curler is recognized as one of the leading attorneys in the west and his reputation is second to none as a man who wins cases. Mr. Castle is probably one of the best known and liked men locally, and with his wide acquaintance and affability, bring to the firm the friendship of the majority of the people in this section of the state. January 5, 1917: This morning the county clerk issued first papers to Jose Sustacha, a rancher from Lamoille, who wants to become a full-fledged citizen. This makes just 351 citizenship papers that have been issued from the clerks office since Fred Voight took charge six years ago. Before that time a person desiring to swear allegiance to the president of the United States was compelled to go to Carson City, and as the expense was considerable, it acted as a check on the naturalization business. Pete Etchart, a prominent rancher from Mound valley came in yesterday from his ranch in a sleigh. He says that after traveling to town in a car all summer it seemed to him that he never would get here. 75 YEARS AGO January 3, 1942: Mayor David Dotta has been named chairman of the Elko county tire rationing board. He named an Elko committee to work with him today, including Willard Mintun, Oscar Upwall, Bob Newman, Warren Monroe, Edith Johnson and Dave Ogilvie. They met with the tire dealers of Elko this afternoon in an effort to make preliminary plans for the rationing of tires here. January 6, 1942: Women will participate in the jury duty at the next term of the court, which will be called by Judge James Dysart. There are a number of cases pending and the jurist is waiting for the completion of the court room before setting the date for the court term. While women will be called for duty here in connection with trials, the number will be limited members of the board of county commissioners explained today. Married women are exempt, so are nurses, teachers and employees of the county. This leaves only a limited number who can be called. Quarters were completed last year for the women who will be chosen for jury duty. Women have not been named to the trial jury for a number of years here as there was no accommodations to keep them over-night. January 7, 1942: Approximately 45 new homes were constructed in Elko during 1941, according to figures compiled at the city office today by City Clerk Lucille Johnson. Building permits totaled $210,710, without including one permit for $7,600 which was issued. While this permit was issued there home was not started. A good number of the new homes constructed here were within the $4,000 to $5,000 class, while some homes were built at considerably smaller figures. 50 YEARS AGO January 3, 1967: An estimated 30 to 50 people were involuntary guests in South Ruby Valley Sunday when high winds swooped down from the Ruby Mountains to close all roads of the Ruby Marshes area. Ranchers reported as having as many as eight overnight guests, as holiday visitors to the popular recreation area scrambled to buildings when they found the roads closed. Only two roads lead out of the area; over Harrison Pass, which is several feet deep in snow, and the other leads north towards Wells and Secret Pass, and was drifted 18 to 20 inches deep. The highway department sent plows out at noon Sunday, on first reports of drifting snow, but found the wind blowing so hard the road closed as soon as the plows passed. Monday morning the crews were able to clear a single lane from the McCrea ranch south to the Wines ranch. January 6, 1967: The board of Elko County commissioners, holding their first meeting of the year, yesterday selected E.C. (Eddie) Murphy, Jr., as chairman, Dr. A.A. Cuthbertson, beginning his second term on the commission, was named secretary. John Carpenter was named as the third member of the commission, holding a short term seat, replacing George Ogilvie, who retired from the commission. January 7, 1967: Former Gov. Grant Sawyer announced Friday he would join a Nevada law firm Feb. 1, apparently rejecting a proposal to become governor of the Panama Canal Zone. Sawyer 48, served eight years as governor before being defeated in November by Paul Laxalt. 25 YEARS AGO January 3, 1992: The Western Folklife Center, sponsor of the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering, today announced it has purchased the historic Pioneer Hotel in downtown Elko at the corner of Railroad and Fifth Streets. The sale of the vacant building, completed Tuesday, was made possible through a donation to the center from George Gund, Elko County ranch owner. Folklife center spokesmen report plans for the building include a rehabilitation program to transform the hotel into the centers headquarters and a cultural center for northern Nevada. January 6, 1992: Elko councilmen voted last week to spend extra grant money from federal taxpayers to move the gravel, north-south runway at the airport. The extra money, $227,000, came from the Federal Aviation Administration when it decided to start counting Casino Express passengers. The grant was based on the number of passengers in certain categories of flights. Under the plan voted on Tuesday, the runway would be moved 160 feet to the west and reduced from 200 feet in width to 60 feet, freeing 300 feet for the development of tie-downs and hangars. State funding for higher education, freedom of speech on campus and tweaks to public records law are on the agenda at the upcoming General Assembly session in Richmond. The University of Virginia and Piedmont Virginia Community College are each facing a 5 percent budget cut under a proposal by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Because of a $654 million budget shortfall, the state already has had to cancel planned salary increases for Virginia employees. Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, heads the education committee in the state House of Delegates. Landes said legislators are restricted, in some ways, because they have obligations to K-12 education and health care that are mandated by law. On the other hand, there is some flexibility with higher education. I do believe that, then, higher education is a priority of the General Assembly, Landes said. Having said that, many legislators do not believe that higher education has done all it can to reduce administrative costs and find savings before looking at increasing tuition Colleges and universities should maintain staffing levels, Landes said, and look for other ways to keep administrative costs down. Presidents of each institution say the cuts shouldnt interfere with current programs, but both seem concerned about their abilities to hire and retain faculty. PVCC President Frank Friedman said he is planning to ask the state to extend a planned 1.5 percent bonus scheduled at the end of this year into permanent salary increases. Legislators seem open to the idea, Friedman told the PVCC board last week. I think the General Assembly is realizing this is really making recruiting and hiring difficult, he said. In October, a panel in the state House of Delegates recommended salary increases of 3 percent for state employees. This gave UVa President Teresa A. Sullivan some hope for increased faculty pay, which she addressed at a legislative forum at the university last month. Still, Sullivan stressed the need to show discipline in the face of budgetary uncertainty. We need to take a realistic view of, and plan for, the financial realities we will face over the next several years, she said. UVas Board of Visitors votes on tuition proposals at its annual spring semester meeting, scheduled for March 2 and 3. Officials from UVa and PVCC likely will be monitoring other pieces of legislation that could affect them directly. Legislators will consider a bill that would narrow exemptions to public records law in a variety of ways. HB 1539 would eliminate the protection of public officials correspondence, which is currently shielded from records requests by the working papers exemption. The exemption may have kept legislators from seeing some of Sullivans correspondence records last summer, when the General Assembly was investigating UVas Strategic Investment Fund for allegations of financial mismanagement. In August, legislators claimed many of Sullivans responses appeared to have been omitted from the responses to their requests. The university responded only by saying it was reviewing the lawmakers request again. The dispute died quietly later that month after state auditors cleared UVa of wrongdoing. Open-government advocates welcome the proposed changes but are skeptical that theyll have much real-world impact. Megan K. Rhyne, of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said the exemptions are meant to allow executives in government to hold off on making decisions until they have gathered as much information as they need. But allowing officials correspondence to stay out of the realm of public records indefinitely makes it very difficult to hold them accountable, Rhyne said. Part of the reach of this is we dont have any way to know who is influencing, whos talking and what theyre doing, she said. Its a very far-reaching exemption right now. Two bills seek to protect speech rights on campus. HB 1401 would prohibit state public colleges and universities from abridging the freedom of any individual, including enrolled students, faculty or other employees and invited guests to speak on campus. Another would tie funding under a state financial aid program to free speech rights for students. Under HB 1434, colleges would only qualify for money from the Tuition Assistance Grant program if they offer a guarantee of free speech and expression in writing. Other universities, including the University of Chicago, have adopted such policies of their own accord, but it has never been mandated. Joshua Wheeler, an attorney who heads the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, said hes not sure the bills would achieve their stated goal. The First Amendment should already cover these rights, Wheeler said, and legal challenges are the main tool for protecting free speech on campus. But a bill that ties funding to speech policies, for example, could be vulnerable to abuse. I get nervous any time the government hinges eligibility on a governmental benefit based on the speech of a private individual or organization, Wheeler said. You can imagine lots of other contexts where this might be troubling. Wheeler said recent court rulings show how this could unfold. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state of Texas had the right to reject a proposal for specialty license plates featuring the Confederate battle flag that would be sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The judges made the ruling on the basis that state license plates constitute government speech. This could set a bad precedent for other state institutions, Wheeler said. To allow the government to engage in that kind of viewpoint discrimination is very troubling because it allows the government to condition benefits on people expressing the views the government agrees with. Hops & Hymns (Scottsville) will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 15 at James River Brewery, 561 Valley St. (434) 286-7837. Mechanicsville Baptist Church (Gordonsville) holds How Can I Be Blessed?, a Precepts Bible Study of The Sermon on the Mount, at 12:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday beginning Jan. 17 for 10 weeks. 10200 Louisa Road. (540) 832-3269. Operation Esther Circle meets to pray for international students and missions at 5:30 p.m. each Thursday. Planning sessions for a Prayer Watch will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Jan 19 at the Overseas Students Mission, 3045 Ivy Road. (434) 227-0811. PCC Church (Bremo Bluff) holds Open Mic Night from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 20. 2723 James Madison Highway. (804) 598-1174. St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Orange) hosts a performance by the Orange Music Society, featuring the Eckhart Ensemble, at 4 p.m. Sunday. 119 Caroline St. (540) 672-1050. 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. BUCKINGHAM After a five-hour public hearing Thursday night, the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a controversial compressor station, part of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline project spearheaded by Dominion, over the objections of scores of opponents. the board has been part of a full and wide discussion of this matter, said Supervisor Donald E. Bryan, who added that the board had been grappling with the compressor station proposal for about two years and said he had consulted other counties with compressor stations and found no evidence of detrimental health or noise effects. Two supervisors abstained, one because he works for Dominion and the other because he has interest in land pertaining to the pipeline. Annie Parr, born and raised in Buckingham, where her family has owned hundreds of acres for generations, was incensed by the vote. Shame on every one of you, she told the supervisors at the end of the hearing, during which 95 speakers signed up and the boards 141-capacity chambers were packed with pipeline and compressor station opponents from Buckingham and elsewhere in Virginia. * * * The proposed 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline from West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina is being developed by a partnership led by Dominion that also consists of Duke Energy and its Piedmont Natural Gas subsidiary and Southern Company Gas, owner of Virginia Natural Gas in Virginia Beach. Its an injustice, if for no other reason than eminent domain for private gain, Parr said before the meeting. Its a lot of issues involved, but thats the bottom one. The 53,783-horsepower compressor station would create the pressure to push the gas from Marcellus shale plays in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio through the pipeline on a 68-acre parcel along Route 56 in western Buckingham, where the ACP would intersect with the Transco Pipeline. The county Planning Commission already has approved the permit, with a lengthy list of conditions related to noise, lighting, site layout and air pollution controls. The Board of Supervisors tacked on some additional conditions, though those were not available Thursday night. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality must still approve an air permit for the station. Irene Leech, a 58-year-old cattle farmer, said the proposed pipeline would bisect land that has been in her family for 100 years. Our land is our heritage, she said. Its not a commodity I could sell to take care of myself. ... I cant imagine having to put my head down every night in that blast zone. Most of those who signed up to speak including members of the Friends of Buckingham community group and Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, a nearby spiritual community that opposes the pipeline and compressor station implored the board to deny the permit. Mitigation means that there is something wrong stirring in our spirits that we are worried about, said Dhyani Simonini, a retired teacher. There is something wrong here. I know that the boards of Buckingham County have always cared about two things: They have cared about prosperity for the county and jobs. And there is nothing wrong with those values. But you have to watch out. I ask you to turn down this compressor and to say, This is an agricultural county, and we have everything we need to find the jobs. The objections centered on safety hazards, emissions and noise from the proposed station, which would have a footprint of about 18 acres on the parcel, as well as environmental justice and racism arguments, given the fact that the Union Hill location is in a predominantly black community. The Rev. Paul Wilson, pastor of the Union Hill and Union Grove Baptist churches, told the supervisors that approving the permit amounted to a violation of the Ten Commandments. Dominion is not a god; Dominion does not have a soul, he said. God will hold you accountable, the church will hold you accountable, the people will hold you accountable. ... Let there be no blood on your hands. Some speakers also worried about blowdowns, when gas is vented from the pipeline for maintenance or during emergencies. Evan Johns, an attorney for Appalachian Mountain Advocates, and other speakers said the compressor station was ineligible for a special-use permit because the pipeline is not a public utility and the station is a transmission compressor, not a distribution compressor. The agricultural district in question permits only public utility booster or relay stations, a category that does not extend to the proposed Buckingham station, they argued. The hearing came less than a week after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a draft environmental impact statement that said the $5.1 billion pipeline would have some adverse and significant environmental impacts, though most would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with mitigating measures proposed by the partners building the pipeline and recommendations by federal regulators. * * * The Buckingham station is one of three proposed to maintain pressure in the pipeline, which would bring gas from the Marcellus shale fields to southeastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Carla Picard, a spokeswoman for the pipeline, told the Board of Supervisors that North Carolina, in particular, is starved for this particular resource. The Buckingham station would allow the new pipeline to move natural gas to and from the Transco line, which extends up the East Coast from the Gulf of Mexico. And though critics of the pipeline have questioned its necessity and alleged that the pipeline is really about connecting shale gas to export terminals, Dominion spokesman Aaron Ruby called that total misinformation. All of the natural gas will be purchased by public utilities in Virginia and North Carolina, he said. Ruby said the pipeline already has reached easement agreements with more than half of the 2,900 private landowners along the route, including in Buckingham. He called eminent domain an absolute last resort. Picard and Ruby said the compressor station would be equipped with best-in-class features to limit emissions and noise. The feared blowdowns would occur only about once every five years, Picard said, with other release of gas being kept to a minimum. The methane that runs through this pipe is our product, she said. Were highly motivated to keep it in the pipe. A noise study Picard presented said the compressor station would be barely perceptible over background levels. Dominion employees and contractors have been exposed to far more methane venting than the general public and have not suffered any headaches, nosebleeds or any other health effects, the ACP presentation to the board said. Picard added that the station would be subject to rigorous federal and state requirements and would be continuously monitored. The station and pipeline also would provide $8.7 million in tax revenue to the county in its first eight years of operation, according to the pipeline presentation. Maybe youre really hoping against hope that Dominion is going to become Santa Claus for the county with no risk, Jeff Kamen, a former journalist who lives near the proposed station, told the board. Theyre not Santa Claus. We are flyover for them, whatever they told you tonight. Not everyone was against the pipeline, however. Kevin Battle, a union boilermaker, said he and other workers were eager for the chance to help build the compressor station. A few speakers took aim at the opponents. Every person here, when they go home at night, wants their heat on and cold food in the refrigerator, said Jared Turner, who said he makes his living building and maintaining power plants. Did anybody walk to this meeting? Dominion hopes to secure federal approval later this year and begin construction by this fall. The young daughter of a Charlottesville police officer is recovering from a serious illness, and on Saturday, Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters will match all donations to help with her medical expenses. From 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Shenandoah Joe, at 945 Preston Ave. in Charlottesville, will match any donations made to help Jolie Ketchum, who has been at the University of Virginia Medical Center since Nov. 20 with a respiratory virus. The little girl also was recently diagnosed as having Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a genetic disorder that can cause a range of physical and cognitive challenges. Friends of the family and Charlottesville police hope to raise $10,000 to help the Ketchums cover the medical expenses. For more information or to donate, visit youcaring.com/jolieketchum. An Ashland man was killed in Louisa County on Thursday night when a pickup truck crossed the center line of U.S. 33 and struck his moped head-on. The Virginia State Police said Timothy R. Wilmore, 22, died at the scene when his 2015 Tao moped was hit by a 2015 Ford F-150 driven by Danny K. Torgerson, 47, of Louisa County. The truck then ran off the road and struck a tree. The crash occurred just east of Route 657. Torgerson, who was not wearing a seatbelt, according to authorities, was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Wilmore was wearing a helmet, police said. State police said Torgerson was charged with DUI and that other charges are pending. A Sheetz Cafe is coming to The Corner. Sheetz Inc. is a family-owned and -operated convenience restaurant and gas station chain with 539 locations throughout Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and West Virginia. The cafe will not have gas pumps, but will focus on made-to-order subs, sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through touchscreen terminals. The company has filed an application for a certificate of appropriateness with the city of Charlottesville for minimal modifications to the exterior of the former Eddys Tavern space at 1517 University Ave. Nick Ruffner, a spokesman for Sheetz, said The Corner location will be the companys fourth cafe and will be most similar to the Sheetz Cafe near Penn State University. Right now, the status is that the team is moving through the drawing and permitting stage, Ruffner said. I really cant comment on a projected open date its just early on in the process. According to the application, the corporate branding primarily will be on the interior but will be evident in new exterior signage and dark-red awnings. The company also plans to have outdoor seating. The Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review Board is scheduled to review the application at its Jan. 17 meeting. In a video about the opening of the first Sheetz Cafe on the companys website, Emily Sheetz said the company is targeting millennials with this type of store, and that college campuses are the perfect opportunity to reach them. Snowfall was early and heavy in December 1889, and Nevada stockmen were jubilant at the end of a long dry spell. The snow continued to fall, and by mid-January train service at all Nevada points came to a standstill. From Wyoming west, the country was in the grip of a disastrous winter. Sheep and cattle starved and froze. Trains were stalled. The Sierras were blocked, as fires in the Donner snow sheds had left the tracks exposed to the drifting snow. A herd of wild horses huddled together and were frozen in their tracks near Virginia City. Cattle losses on the ranches were at 50 percent. A band of 400 sheep froze in one night in the Reese River Valley. Everywhere mail was carried by sleigh and later on snowshoes. Antelope bands starved near Wells, Nevada, and in Reno the temperature dropped to -42 degrees. There were reports of temperatures less than -70 degrees near Deeth, in Elko County. One family drove 500 cattle to Elko by sleigh, but lost all the cattle and barely escaped with their lives. All the mines in Virginia City were closed as snow blocked the ore tracks. With no train service and no way to haul freight up the steep canyon to the city, food supplies ran low, and the town was in danger of starvation. Finally, ranchers and farmers in Dayton ran sleigh loads of potatoes to the mouth of Sutro Tunnel. The potatoes and other supplies were loaded into ore cars, and underground trains hauled them to the C & C Shaft hoisting works. Tons of the spuds were lifted to the surface in hungry Virginia City, amid cheers from the populace. In Reno, the stalled Southern Pacific Railroad was caring for 600 unwilling passengers who were stranded, and the train yards were jammed with snowbound trains waiting to get over the Sierras. For weeks, the Virginia and Truckee, Carson and Colorado, and the Eureka and Palisade railways had been snowbound. The roof of Pipers Opera House fell in under six feet of heavy snow. The 600 guests of the Southern Pacific in Reno petitioned for free rides back to Ogden, Utah, with a detour through the southwest to the coast. The railroad stalled off the request until finally, on Jan. 30, 1890, the tracks over the Sierras were cleared. Twelve locomotives began blasting on their whistles, calling passengers from hotels, saloons and other points of local interest. Soon, mobs of passengers jammed the Reno platform and filled the street as they hauled out baggage and loaded up. The townspeople cheered the passengers and the passengers cheered the trains. At 1:30 p.m., the first in a long series of trains chugged out. It was a scene of great excitement, equaled only by the great Reno fire, and still later by the great Reno flood. Meanwhile, the rest of the state dug itself out. Many cattle and sheep outfits were broke, bodies of animals littered the range for miles and commercial life was almost at a standstill. But the thaw continued, and most stockmen, including the Cassinellis of Dayton, were saved and continued on for many more successful years. Another week or so would have ruined the entire state. The winter of 1889-1890 had no real parallel in Nevada history until the dramatic winter of the Elko Operation Haylift of 1949, 60 years later. This was when military transport planes were used to haul hay to hundreds of starving cattle in Elko County. Its time to review... The Top Trends of 2016! Streaming TV everywhere My boss thinks Im working, but Im really binge-watching The Walking Dead. Of course, I think my boss is working when hes probably watching Game of Thrones. And we both think were going to get paid, but for some reason, the companys going broke. Twitter 2015: What can you say in only 140 characters? 2016: Enough to make you president. Fake news If its on the internet, it must be true. By the way, wont you please look at my Craigslist ad for the Brooklyn Bridge? I think youll like the price. Tell all your Facebook friends! Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Self-driving cars Think about it: Soon youll be able to text, eat fast food, put on makeup, talk on the phone, yell at the kids and daydream while you run your errands. Just like you do now. Craft breweries Where absolutely no one knows your name, because youre on a quest to stop at every craft brewery in every town in the entire country. Youre not an aimless drunk, youre an adventurer, tasting beers that may never be made again. Small children will look up to you. Amazon Echo You speak to it like a person and it does everything you ask it to do plays music, sets timers, reads books, tells you the news and the weather all with no backtalk, snide remarks, questions or attitude. Oh, please, Amazon start making people. Hacking Its the Russians, its the Chinese, its your neighbors kid in his basement. If youre smart enough to hack into the Department of Defense, youre smart enough to get a real job with benefits, a retirement package and a seven-figure salary. And theyll probably still let you work from your basement. Mansplaining Its when a guy tells a woman something she already knows in the most condescending way possible. But you already knew that. Dumpster fire The metaphor we use now for any ugly but newsworthy event that never should have happened in the first place. Used in a sentence: We all recall the dumpster fire that was the presidential campaign of 2016. Drones If you didnt get one for Christmas, you must be over 50. I suppose we can look out for some new sayings in the coming years: like a drone in a china shop, little drones have big ears, and Were you drone-dropping on us? Frose A slushie made out of rose wine. When you really dont care about what you drink as long as it gets the job done. Netflix and chill Why go out to a movie when you can sit at home and snuggle? Because theyll stop making movies if people dont go out to see them, thats why. Hamilton The cheapest tickets to the rap musical about one of Americas Founding Fathers are selling for an astounding $450. Scalpers get more. Start saving for your kids senior class trip to New York while theyre in pre-K. Iceland Its the hot travel spot because its not hot. Its overrun with tourists who are trying to get away from other tourists. Yogi Berra, send us a sign, we need you to explain this. Man buns Oh, to be a freshman at college again. Or any other kind of idiot. As I was traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, from Johannesburg, I was sitting in the economy class five rows behind the first class. In front of me there was a family of threea dad, a mom and a young girl traveling together, but they all had middle seats in the three rows in front of me. I heard the dad asking the flight attendant if he could switch seats with somebody else. The flight attendant stated that, If you could find someone who is willing to trade seats with you, that will be fine. The dad began to ask everyone around him but no one was willing to take his middle seat. There arent too many people who would voluntarily sit in a middle seat. The airplane was about to taxi off the gate. The flight attendant returned while the dad was still standing trying to resolve the situation. With a sense of desperation, the flight attendant asked the lady who had a window seat and was sitting next to a young girl to trade seats. She reluctantly agreed to give up her window seat and took the uncomfortable middle seat. You could see the look on the ladys face that she was frustrated. What made things more difficult is the dad did not appear to be grateful to the lady who switched seats with him, rather he said thank you to the flight attendant. While we were taxiing, the same flight attendant returned to talk to the lady who gave up her window seat for the middle seat, and told her, After takeoff, I will move you to first class! A few minutes later, after the seat belt signs were turned off, the lady was ushered to first class for a free upgrade. As I was observing what was happening in front of my eyes, I had mixed emotions. I began with feeling sorry for the dad who desperately wanted to sit next to his daughter. Then I felt frustrated because of how he reacted toward the lady who gave up something to provide the dad with a solution to his dilemma. Lastly, I was praising God for rewarding the lady who sacrificed. Sacrifice does not have to feel good. Sacrifice does not have to be easy. Most people are not willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of others. If you are waiting for your sacrifice to be something that makes you feel better while you are doing it, that is not a sacrifice. Jesus did not enjoy being the sacrifice nor giving His life as a sacrifice. In Luke 22:42-44, it says, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The Bible reveals to us in this text that Jesus was under a great deal of stress. The kind of stress that caused His body to sweat blood. Jesus stress was due to the fact that He was just about to trade places, or seats, with us. We can say that Jesus making this sacrifice was easy, but He surrendered His will to His father. The lady who switched her good seat for an uncomfortable seat reluctantly agreed to the request of the flight attendant. But she ended up receiving a free upgrade to first class. In closing, make a decision this year to live a life that is willing to sacrifice comfort for the glory of God. The lady who sacrificed her seat did not know that she would receive an upgrade. You and I both know that God always keeps His promises. Your sacrifices will never go unnoticed by God. You may not know how everything will unfold but just trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Happy New Year and God bless you! ELKO Those interested in fish restoration projects can attend a presentation hosted by the Bristlecone Audubon Chapter. The Bristlecone Audubon Chapter will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 in room 208 of the DCIT building on the campus of Great Basin College (1050 Chilton Circle). The program will be presented by Sam Sedillo who works for Trout Unlimited as the Sierra Cascades Field Coordinator out of the Truckee Trout Unlimited office. He works on restoration projects, volunteer operations, fish sampling, and outreach. Specifically, Sam will be presenting on how Trout Unlimited is leading projects to conserve, protect, and restore Lahontan cutthroat trout and other native salmonids in Nevada, while also benefitting other wildlife through the process of restoration and land protection. Trout Unlimited is excited to be working on projects that both directly benefit the special fish and wildlife that exist in the state and also provide increased opportunities for anglers to catch these fish. Sedillo completed his degree in Natural Resources Management and Fishery Biology from Colorado State University. Everyone is welcome to attend. ELKO After receiving numerous complaints from residents, the Elko County Health Board this week sent a five-page letter to LifePoint Health CEO William Carpenter with concerns about Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospitals prices and billing practices. LifePoint is the corporation that owns the hospital. The County Health Board consists of all five commissioners, plus Dr. Joy DeGuzman and Elko County Sheriff Jim Pitts. The board voted unanimously to send the letter Tuesday. Theyre sending the letter because individual members of the board have received complaints and concerns from residents, said Elko County Manager Rob Stokes. The letter begins, The Elko County Health Board would like to officially put you on notice that the local hospital is having an extremely negative impact on our local economy and the safety, health and welfare of our citizens. The health board tells Carpenter that the County owned and operated the hospital for almost 100 years before electing to sell to Province Health Care, which was later acquired by LifePoint. During the last several year some of the areas largest employers, including mining companies, the County and Elko County School District, have taken drastic steps to reduce their healthcare overhead, the board states. Many of these employers encourage their employees to seek healthcare out of town to save money. The two major mining companies have elected to utilize Surgery Plus to negotiate charges and refer patients to out of town providers, paying the employee gas, lodging and meal expensesat a significant savings to the charges at NNRH, the letter states Other large employers also are exploring the idea of sending their employees out of town. The health board says these actions are directly related to high charges to patients and insurance companies at Elkos hospital. This anti-competitive pricing is eroding our healthcare infrastructure, the letter states. Local medical providers are losing business. They are either leaving Elko or minimizing their staffing levels to stay in business. Other businesses are reportedly choosing not to relocate here. The health board states these out-of-town medical trips put residents health at risk. It also told Carpenter that the community has a widespread lack of confidence that the corporation cares about our community. The board gave examples of abuse by the hospital to patients. When services were compared to hospitals in Twin Falls, Reno, Salt Lake City or Fallon the prices were higher in Elko. One of the health board members was involved in a serious accident. He received six hours of medical care in NNRH but when he suffered a relapse he was in Fallon and stayed the night at Banner Churchill Community Hospital. The Fallon hospital charged him $7,571. NNRH CEO Rick Palagi reviewed the board members accounts and said the same services would cost $11,750 in Elko, which is about a 35 percent difference in cost. Another complaint concerned the hospitals billing practices of patients being hounded to pledge to pay a bill within 72 hours of treatment to receive a prompt pay discount. The patient said she took time to read the document and it stated she had seven days to pay the bill not 72 hours. The health board brought up the companys mission of making communities healthier and its vision, We want to create places where: People choose to come for healthcare, physicians want to practice, and employees want to work. The letter also states LifePoints five core guiding principles are Delivering high quality patient care, supporting physicians, creating excellent workplaces for our employees, taking a leadership role in our communities and ensuring fiscal responsibility. The letter states, However it is not evident to the community that these words match what is actually taking place. The health board told Carpenter it wants the hospital to remain profitable, but when costs become exorbitant people are willing to travel to receive those same services at a lower price. The Elko County Health Boards grievance is not with the local administration, the letter states We are convinced local CEO Rick Palagi is a good and sincere man, but we suspect his hands are being tied by the Tennessee headquarters. We are directing this letter to your attention because we believe the only way to affect positive resolution to these high charges is to work with the corporate level. The board invited Carpenter to come to Elko to listen to the communitys complaints and concerns firsthand. NNRH Director of Marketing and Community Relations Steve Burrows said the hospital couldnt comment on the letter. LifePoint Director of Communications Emily Serck said the company had not received the letter yet. It would be premature for us to respond to something we havent yet seen in its entirety, she said Friday. Attention: Nevada business owners. First there was The Great Depression. Then there was The Great Society. Now get ready for THE GREAT DISRUPTION. What Priceline and Expedia did to the travel industry; what Uber and Lyft did to the taxi industry; what Airbnb did to the hotel industry The new REAL Chamber of Commerce is hoping to do to the business association industry. I recently heard about the REAL Chamber during my weekly interview on Kevin Walls Live and Local radio program. The prime movers-and-shakers of the project are former Nevada State Assemblyman Brent Jones and retired business executive Jerry Littman. And here in a nutshell is the rationale for establishing this new organization: If youre a non-Big Gaming business in Nevada which is constantly under threat of having your profits raided by the government and your time wasted by busy-body bureaucrats who seemingly have nothing better to do than make your life a living hell The Las Vegas/Metro Chamber of Commerce absolutely stinks on ice. Its guiding philosophy is: Go Along to Get Along. And its motto is: Thank you, sir. May I have another? The Chambers dereliction of duty has been going on for more than 20 years now and has hurt businesses statewide. But its most shameful performance came during the last legislative session when it supported the largest tax increase in Nevada history. A tax increase that not only permanently jacked up the sales tax and vehicle registration fees, but doubled the cost of a business license while increasing the Modified Business Tax. Worse, the bill also created a brand new anti-business gross receipts tax the Commerce Tax just like the one almost 80 percent of voters rejected at the polls just six months earlier. That would be the same gross receipts tax that was slammed in a 2015 study by the Tax Foundation that the Chamber itself commissioned but ended up disowning and apologizing for after Gov. Brian Sandoval publicly attacked them over it. Not exactly a profile in political courage. And to add insult to injury, that tax hike also created a new Nevada IRS that every business in Nevada must now report to even if theyre not subject to the tax itself! Plus, almost every legislator the Chamber endorsed in 2014 voted for this monstrosity. May as well call it the Chamber of Commerce Tax. Anyway, that betrayal was enough to start a mass exodus of businesses from the Las Vegas Chamber. And it was enough to cause Jones and Littman to start this alternative organization which they promise will not compromise the interests of Nevadas business community for legislative expediency. A real business guard dog/pit bull has been needed in Nevada for a long time. And the REAL Chamber of Commerce may just be the disruption of the status quo the doctor ordered. Hyderabad: The Centre would shortly launch an exclusive scheme for women entrepreneurs, a senior official in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said today. "It will be an exclusive scheme for women entrepreneurs. We have not yet finalised the contours (of the scheme). Hopefully, we will launch it before the end of the financial year," B H Anil Kumar, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry, told reporters here. Earlier, he launched myloanassocham.com, a portal, industry body ASSOCHAM said, that provides MSMEs online access to funds at an affordable rate from a mix of banks and financial institutions. Kumar said the figures that the MSME sector contributes 8 per cent to the country's GDP, 45 per cent of the manufacturing output and 40 per cent of the exports are based on survey reports of 2007. Those survey reports have been extrapolated. It's a random survey, and it's not clear how much of that figure is based on hardcore data, according to him. In this background, the Ministry is in the process of creating an MSME data bank based on which it can project the actual requirements of the sector, he said and asked these enterprises to register themselves. Reserve Bank of India, Kumar said, has issued guidelines for creation of committees for revival and rehabilitation of MSMEs which are facing stress. Banks are in the process of setting them up at State levels. Noting that 90 per cent of MSMEs in India are either based on proprietorship or partnership model, Kumar pitched for they putting in place a corporate structure so that an enterprise "does not die when entrepreneur passes away". New Delhi: Tamil Nadu will become the 21st state to join UDAY scheme meant for revival of debt stressed discoms on Monday, paving the way for covering almost 90 per cent of total utilities' debt of around Rs 4 lakh crore. "The power distribution utility of Tamil Nadu alone has debt of around Rs 50,000 crore. As much as 90 per cent of utilities total debt of around Rs 4 lakh crore would be covered under UDAY scheme once Tamil Nadu joins the scheme," an official said. The official said Tamil Nadu would ink a memorandum of understanding on Monday to join the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY), which was launched by the Centre in November 2015 for turnaround of debt stressed utilities by 2019. Power Minister Piyush Goyal would preside over the signing of MoU with government of Tamil Nadu and TANGEDCO (state utility). Tamil Nadu Energy Minister P Thangamani shall also attend the event in the capital. Earlier this week, Telangana and Assam joined UDAY and will get overall net benefits of Rs 6,116 crore and Rs 1,663 crore respectively under the scheme. Under the scheme, states and discoms collectively have issued bonds worth Rs 1.83 lakh crore so far to pay off debt. Government offers interest subvention of 3 per cent on crop loans, which accounts for 85 per cent of the total agricultural loans expected to touch Rs 9 lakh crore this fiscal. (Representational Image) Kolkata: The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has recommended to the Centre to extend interest subvention to non-crop agri loans to boost farmers' investment in technological upgradation. "In a recent Niti Aayog meeting with the Prime Minister, we have recommended extending the benefit of interest subvention even for non-crop agri loans," CACP Chairman Vijay Paul Sharma said here today. Speaking at Bharat Chamber of Commerce organised interactive session on emerging trends in agri-business, Sharma said there was no need to differentiate between crop and non-crop loans and hence had also recommended it to the Finance Ministry for the upcoming budget. Government offers interest subvention of 3 per cent on crop loans, which accounts for 85 per cent of the total agricultural loans expected to touch Rs 9 lakh crore this fiscal, he said. Justifying extension of interest subvention to non-crop loans, Sharma said. "We felt offering interest subvention will encourage farmers to invest in technology and equipment for farming." Government is targeting sustainable growth for agriculture which suffered in the recent past years. However, with good monsoon this season, the agri sector is expected to grow at 4 per cent. Sharma said the Centre wants states which are engaged in decentralised procurement of agri produce under minimum support price mechanism to also cover storage and distribution. West Bengal is among the states which procure paddy through decentralised system. This will help states cover more farmers and have a more efficient distribution system than Food Corporation of India, Sharma said. Singapore: Indian economy will grow faster than China despite the temporary slowdown created by demonetisation, an Indian-origin academic and former Singapore diplomat said at a conference of leading world universities here today. "Even if the demonetisation created a slowdown, it is not going to change the long-term momentum of where India is going with its economic growth," said Dean Kishore Mahbubani of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Concluding a three-day conference attended by educators from leading universities from across the world that make up the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, Mahbubani said demonetisation is good for Indian economy in the long-term. "I think demonetisation is a good thing for a lot of (black) money has come back into the economy. That, I think, is good for the economy," he said. The Reserve Bank of India will need to borrow less after the cash returns to banks following demonetisation, he said. "India will grow faster than China even after this (demonetisation) slow down. There is a lot of momentum in the Indian economy," said Mahbubani. The conference also discussed changing global trends. "We are moving from a unipolar world to a multi-polar world which is good for small states because they will have more options," he said. "The fact that we are moving towards multi-polar world will create new opportunities for Singapore. We can have good relations with China, United States, India and Europe," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference. Panelists at the conference addressed geopolitical tensions wrought by the rise of the Islamic State, cyber-attacks and North Korea missile launches as well as mounting economic challenges such as the fate of global markets in the wake of Brexit and expectations for the continued development of free trade. "The world has changed and has become multi-polar, less dominated by the US, to a point where reaching decisions at the global level is increasingly complex and difficult to achieve," said Merit E. Janow, Dean of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. "It becomes more challenging given that a number of countries around the world and specifically in the Asia Pacific region are seeking greater influence within international bodies, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation, United Nations and G20," said Janow. "These countries, particularly in Asia, are taking steps to create their own regional institutions because they feel they are unable to have the degree of voice and influence in the established bodies that they perceive is appropriate. "International organisations and bodies need to adjust to this new reality and ensure that important developing nations have a greater voice," he added. The conference heard that China, Japan and India formed three of the four leading global economies, along with the US as the fourth. NRB officials have said that the central bank is preparing to bring the amount within January. Kathmandu: The RBI has agreed to provide Rupees one billion in Rs 100 denomination notes to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to ease the acute shortage of Rs 100 notes faced by the Himalayan nation, a media report said today. The NRB's plan to import RS 100 denomination notes was delayed due to the Indian government's move to demonetise RS 500 and RS 1,000 notes on November 8. As RBI was under pressure to manage cash after the demonetisation, the central bank of India had told its Nepali counterpart that Nepal may have to wait till the situation normalises in India, The Himalayan Times reported. But, RBI recently wrote to NRB that it will be able to provide RS one billion in RS 100 denomination notes, the paper said. As RBI has agreed to provide RS one billion, NRB officials have said that the central bank is preparing to bring the amount within January. After the demonetisation in India, NRB had also lowered exchange limit of Indian banknotes in Nepal. Currently, NRB is providing exchange facility of up to RS 2,000 on basis of citizenship identification. Similarly, it is providing RS 10,000 to those who submit a copy of air or train ticket to travel to India and RS 25,000 for those travelling to India for medical check-up. Janak Bahadur Adhikari, executive director of the Banking Office at NRB, said that the limit of RS exchange will not be reviewed until RBI is able to provide regular exchange facility. RBI has been extending RS six billion exchange facility to Nepal every year (based on Indian fiscal year calendar) but this year Nepal is unlikely to get this facility due to the demonetisation, according to Adhikari. "NRB has brought only RS 1.20 billion this year," he said. Currently, NRB has around RS 3.5 billion in its coffers and after bringing another RS one billion, NRB will be able to provide exchange facility to Nepali and Indian nationals in Nepal for the next eight to nine months. Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese, who earn a living by working as daily-wage labourers in India, visit the neighbouring country seeking medical treatment or rely on Indian markets to purchase daily essentials, were said to be holding big chunk of scrapped Indian bank notes. The NRB had said in November that RS 33.6 million in the denominations of 500 and 1,000 is within the financial system in Nepal. The figure included cash parked at vaults of banks, financial institutions and the NRB. Mumbai: Earlier we had reported that Sushant Singh Rajput and his co-star Kriti Sanon were spotted together celebrating the New Year in London. Time and again both have refused their link ups but we have only one thing to say- we don't buy it. In a recent interview with a daily, Kriti vehemently denied her relationship with Sushant while the latter laughed it off. We appreciate their secrecy but we cannot stop wondering whats brewing between the alleged couple. Take a look at this picture and decided for yourself! A picture is worth a thousand words and this picture of Sushant and Kriti clearly proves there is something more than camaraderie. Much has been said and written about the upcoming clash between SRKs Raees and Hrithik Roshans Kaabil, but Hrithik is just back from a family holiday, looking fit and healthy, as he confesses, I am feeling relaxed at the moment. The actor says it feels great when people from India call him an International Star. But ask him if he is keen on doing Hollywood films, and he replies, When people here have given me the title of International Star, there is no need for me to work in Hollywood! Praising fellow actor Priyanka Chopra for doing well in Hollywood, Hrithik says, Priyanka is a very talented actor. We can expect much more from her as she always surprises us with her performances. When asked why he thinks the Khans have not yet tried their luck in Hollywood, Hrithik says, I dont think thats their goal. Maybe their ultimate aim is to do good films here in Bollywood. With Kaabil and Raees releasing on the same date, Hrithik adds, They probably could not find an appropriate date other than January 25. However, Shah Rukh Khan and I are friends. Of course, friendship and business are two different things, but we will remain friends forever. Steering to the topic of playing a visually impaired character in the film, Hrithik explains, This character needed to be played honestly. Although we could see, we had to pretend being visually impaired. It was challenging but a great learning experience for me. Hrithik is all praise for co-star Yami Gautam. Without Yami, this film would have not been possible at all. Youll have to watch her splendid performance to see how she has done justice to her character. A doting father to his two boys, Hrithik says, I always allow my kids to do whatever they want to experience, but I explain the good and bad effects of their actions to them. They need to tread their own path, fall, get up and keep walking. I do not wish to deprive them of trying anything. Hrithik says his kids love him to bits and recalls instances where they wanted him to feel happy. When they saw my film Mohenjo Daro, they came home and told me, Papa the film is good! Probably they must have heard about the film not having done well at the BO. Also after watching the trailer of Kaabil, they gave me 8.5 out of 10! he says with a smile. About his own father, producer-director Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik, the devoted son, says, My dad does regular exercises to keep fit and fine. But if he misses even a single day, I immediately remind him to do it the next day. Hrithik being the romantic at heart adds, Love is just an illusion. All the things that you hear and see dont exist. Romance ke baad jo love rehta hai, now thats not an illusion. Its real. Australian-Indian actor, Pallavi Sharda, has much to look forward to this year. Apart from Begum Jaan featuring Vidya Balan, she has Lion, directed by Garth Davis, featuring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. Pallavi talks to us... Youve been away from the scene? I just got back from Goas New Year celebrations. Before that, I was in Australia and Bali. I also shot Begum Jaan and an independent film in Manali. Would you say youre choosy when it comes to commercial films? I never had a backup for my career. Ive made it on my own, so I have to be careful. I always go with the films that resonate with the people and me. I never go running after every single role that comes my way. I think I am choosy in a good way, and am very happy with the choices I have made. Last two years have been exceptional for me and this year too will be good. Was it difficult for you to get used to the rat race of Bollywood? I think anyone who comes from outside faces a bit of difficulty in making a mark. I came from Australia and I thought I understood India, but I didnt. I grew up with morals in Australia and came to the hustle bustle of Mumbai. I used to wonder whether to be conservative or non-conservative. I was like a good Indian girl, who was asked to push boundaries. I had a really interesting personal journey out here. My journey is more than a film. Tell us about your role in Lion It is just so fantastic to be in a film like Lion. For an actor like me, who is an outsider, and to be around actors like Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman is an overwhelming and a learning experience. They are all such humble people. My director Garth Davis is such a fine man that he knows how to extract a performance. The whole set was so funny and fussy, but high on drama and emotions. Do you regret that some films you were banking on didnt pan out well? Who knows Indian sensibilities? Films and audiences are changing. I feel that even filmmakers are confused about Indian sensibilities. Im not solely responsible for the failure of those films? My job as an actor is to perform. If my director gives me a script, I need to step into the character. I dont understand anything beyond that. If I wouldnt have done the films I did, I wouldnt have been here. I consider myself very lucky. If someone offers you a big film, opposite a superstar, would you say no to that? I am happy the way my career has shaped so far because I am self made. I am still working on some amazing films. What do I have to be unhappy about? What are your projects in 2017? Begum Jaan releases in March. I am going to shoot a journey story with Discovery India. I love travel and dance and the show is about that, so I am excited. How is your dancing treating you? It is going on very well all around the globe. Dance makes me happy. When I was kid, I saw Sridevi in Chandni in a pink lehenga dancing on Mere Haathon Mein... and I decided to become an actress! Coming to Begum Jaan It is a very different film. It is a remake of Rajkahini but it is not right to compare the two. It is a story of human triumph. It is a provoking story of wonderful women. Vidya is so amazing that I am in awe of her. She radiates warmth and generosity. We were the first to report on Vijay Sethupathis inclusion in Vetri Maarans dream project Vada Chennai, the gangster trilogy, which stars Dhanush as the lead protagonist. A shooting schedule of Vada Chennai was completed a few months back. Now, confirmed sources inform us that Sethupathi, who is enjoying a rich vein of success in Ktown with back-to-back hits and several films in his kitty, has walked out of the project owing to his dates being wasted three times! Apparently, Sethupathi, despite his busy shooting schedules, gave dates on a priority basis to Vada... not once, but thrice. Reportedly, the makers could not use the Aandavan Kattalai stars dates and the peeved actor decided to walk out. Meanwhile Vijay Sethupathis Dharmadurai (the title was originally Superstars yesteryear blockbuster) in Seenu Ramasamys direction successfully ran for 100 days. As a token of appreciation, commemorative shields were presented to all those who were part of the film. In a bid to honor Rajinikanth, producer RK Suresh along with the director and lead actor, met the former and presented him with a shield as well. Devin Copeland, aka De Rico, and Mareio Overton accused the pop star and his mentor of ripping off their 2008 song of the same name, but lost their argument in court. (Photo: AP) Mumbai: Pop sensation Justin Bieber and Usher are in the clear after a judge dismissed a plagiarism case filed against them over the song Somebody to Love. Devin Copeland, aka De Rico, and Mareio Overton accused the pop star and his mentor of ripping off their 2008 song of the same name, but lost their argument in court. The duo appealed the verdict, urging a new judge to listen to the two songs, reported TMZ. He did and sent the matter back to the trial judge, who insisted the similarities were modest at best. Nikesha Patel may sign a bi-lingual (releasing in Tamil and Telugu), that will be directed by Hashim Marekar, with Jai as the lead actor. The actress might give importance to this film because its releasing in two languages. However, the makers have not revealed about her role yet, says a source. The actress has also signed a Telugu film, Guntur Talkies 2, and is going to join the team soon. Recently, her other Telugu film, Araku Road Lo, released and did average business at the BO. Nikesha is now waiting for a good break in Telugu and Tamil. Though she is getting offers from Kannada Film Industry, she wants to choose her projects carefully. Rana Daggubati is now busy shooting for an untitled film directed by Teja. The shooting of this film is on at Rayalaseema where they shot important scenes of Rana with the crowd. According to a source, the film has a political backdrop and director Teja has come up with an interesting story. Its a political family drama between a husband and wife played by Rana and Kajal. Ranas character is more like a biopic, showing his journey of five years that include action, politics and family drama, says a source. Its a story-based film and the political thing comes up in some part of his life in the film. Ranas father, Suresh Babu, is also part of the production of this film and has liked the subject. He, too, is involved in the production and has been spotted with the unit in Anantapur, adds the unit. New Delhi: The 45th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair themed 'Manushi - writings on and by women' began here today, with over 800 participating publishers from across the country and abroad. Touted as Asia's largest, the nine-day fair was inaugurated today by Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development. Jnanpith awardee and Odia writer Pratibha Ray and Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to India Tomasz Kozlowski were also present as Guest of Honour and Special guest respectively. Talking about the heme Pavilion at the fair, Ray said that literature is "beyond gender and geography", and that the section on women writing is in fact focussed on "human writing". "I am happy that this year focus is on human writing. But, let me tell you literature is beyond gender and geography. So, all writers are feminists," she said. Dismissing the popular belief that women are "late comers" in the profession of writing, which is largely believed to "male-driven", Ray asserted that all writers were different in their creative expressions as each experience is subjective. "As the view of writers are different, naturally their writings will be different. It should be different, because if they are not, then why write the same things," she said. The Theme Pavilion on 'Manushi' has on display books from different genres, posters and panels of some of the eminent women scholars of ancient and medieval India as well as women pioneers of modern Indian literature. Both Pandey and Kozlowski highlighted the importance of books in the current technology-driven era. The EU ambassador said that the seeming contrast between traditional books and the Internet, is "spacious" and insisted that technology must not be perceived as a threat. "There is a perception that the role of traditional books in our social lives will be diminshed with the advent of the Internet and other technologies. Some people might even think that books and technology are at contrast. "I personally think this contrast is spacious. Books are probably the most important form of technology that has ever been invented," he said. Talking about the religious and spiritual stature attributed to books in India, where they are synonymous with Goddess Saraswati, Pandey said, "It is important to know the importance of books in the current digital age." Referring to a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a recent event at the Benaras Hindu University, the Minister said, "Our PM said a very important thing that books are an important part of literature, music and art. If books are not there, then in today's age of technology, no one can save human beings from turning into a robot." He also noted that the publication of books have increased with the increase in literacy. Applauding the theme of the fair, Pandey said it was in line with the government's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign. While declaring that the EU will be the guest country at next edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair, Kozlowski praised the "flourishing" Indian publishing industry and the growing popularity of Indian literature across the globe. "I would like to declare that the EU will be the guest country in 2018. Publishing in India is flourishing. India is one of the top six publishing industries in the world today and Indian literature is present and appreciated across Europe," he said. The fair is also celebrating 60 years of National Book Trust (NBT) at the Special Pavilion, featuring an exhibit titled, "This is No Looking Back!". The Children's Pavilion is hosting seminars, panel discussions, storytelling sessions, workshops on creative writing and illustrations among others. Although the fair this year does not have a guest country at the Foreign Pavilion, but the international segment has participation by over 20 countries including, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Nepal, Iran, Poland, Japan, Spain, Sri Lanka among others. It will also provide a platform for B2B activities for publishers from India and abroad, and will focus on the idea and business of creating a culture of reading. The fair underway at Pragati Maidan here, will come to a close on January 15. The nearby Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995, and Larsen B dramatically broke up seven years later before scientists saw the break in the ice block breaking from Larsen C. (Photo: Pixabay) Paris: A massive ice block nearly 100 times the area of Manhattan is poised to break off Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf, scientists reported today. A slow-progressing rift suddenly grew by 18 kilometres (11 miles) at the end of December, leaving the finger-shaped chunk -- 350 metres thick -- connected along only a small fraction of its length.The rift has also widened, from less than 50 metres (160 feet) in 2011 to nearly 500 metres today. "If it doesn't go in the next few months, I'll be amazed," said Adrian Luckman, a professor at Swansea University in Wales, and leader of Britain's Project Midas, which tracks changes in West Antarctic ice formations. By itself, the soon-to-be iceberg will not add to sea levels, the likely consequence of ice sheet disintegration that most worries scientists. The real danger is from inland glaciers, held in place by the floating, cliff-like ice shelves that straddle land and sea. The fragile West Antarctic ice sheet -- where Larsen C is located -- holds enough frozen water to raise global oceans by at least four metres (13 feet). Recent studies have suggested that climate change may already have condemned large chunks of it to disintegration, though whether on a time scale of centuries or millennia is not known. The breaking off, or calving, of ice shelves is a natural process, but global warming is thought to have accelerated the process. Warming ocean water erodes their underbelly, while rising air temperatures weaken them from above. The nearby Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995, and Larsen B dramatically broke up seven years later. The ice block currently separating from Larsen C contains about 10 percent of its mass, and would be among the 10 largest break-offs ever recorded, Luckman said. If all the ice held back by Larsen C entered the sea, it would lift global oceans by about 10 centimetres (four inches)."We are convinced although others are not that the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one," Luckman said in a statement. Oceans in recent decades have absorbed much of the excess heat generated by climate change, which has lifted average global air temperatures by one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).The world's nations have undertaken in the Paris Agreement, inked in the French capital in December 2015, to cap global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial era levels. The MLA was arrested in Guwahati and then taken to Shillong. (Representational Image) Shillong: Independent Meghalaya MLA Julius Dorphang, who was wanted in connection with a sex-racket case involving a 14-year old girl, was arrested on Saturday from his hideout in neighbouring Assam, the police said. The arrest came a day after a look out notice was issued and the state police sought cooperation from their counterparts in neighbouring states. Dorphang was accused of sexually exploiting the minor girl twice, once in a guest House and the other time in a resort. "We have arrested Dorphang and he was brought here. He will now face trial," East Khasi Hills district SP M Kharkrang said. The arrest was made from a place which Dorphang used as a hideout, he said, without divulging details. In fact several raids were conducted within the state and even several places in Assam where the legislator frequented till Friday morning but the raids were futile. A joint raid was also conducted at Hatigaon area on Thursday where the surrendered ULFA leaders are running their offices but they did not find him there. Dorphang, who had co-founded an armed organization until he surrendered in 2007, went into hiding after the police booked him under section 366 (A) of the IPC and registered section 3 (a)/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) and under section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA). The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house, owned by senior Congress leader and Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh's son, was arrested for trafficking of the 14-yr-old victim last month. The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she named all those involved in sexually exploiting her. Five of the eight people, including four women named in separate FIRs, have been arrested till date. On January 4, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dorphang, following which the manhunt began. Mumbai: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by unidentified persons at Bhilawadi in Sangli district in western Maharashtra, police said on Saturday. The incident came to light on the night of January 5 when the body of the victim was recovered from roadside in Malavali village under Bhilawadi police station limits, police said. The body was sent to a government-run hospital for post-mortem, which revealed that the victim had been raped and smothered to death, a police official said. "A case of rape and murder was registered against unidentified persons late last night," the official said. Police are questioning some suspects, who stay near the residence of the victim, in connection with the case. Tense situation prevailed in Malavali village, as local residents gathered outside Bhilawadi police station this morning and held a protest demanding arrest of the accused. The villagers are also observing a token strike on Saturday to condemn the incident. "Police force has been deployed in Bhilawadi considering the possibility of law and order problems," police said. According to police, after the incident came to light, some people circulated messages on social media claiming that the accused belonged to a particular religion and caste. However, police have appealed to people not to believe in any such "baseless and provocative" posts on social media. "Since we have not arrested anyone so far, how can somebody play a mischief by putting wrong information on social media. I request all the responsible citizens not to believe in such posts," Datta Shinde, Superintendent of Police, Sangli, said. "All the necessary steps are being followed to collect the clues and scientific evidence. We are making all efforts to crack this case and to bring the culprits to book," Shinde said. Pune: A scrap dealer and his son have been arrested for allegedly murdering a 27-year-old private moneylender from Chikhli, Pune, in a case that seems to have its escape plan inspired from Bollywood crime thriller Dhrishyam. According to media reports, the arrested duo, Samidullah Maniyar (54) and Mehboob Maniyar (26) got the idea to dispose the corpse of the victim, which was found to be buried in a plot allegedly rented by the accused, from the Bollywood flick Dhrishyam. The victim was identified to be Shriram Shivaji Walekar Police officials were quoted as saying that the duo confessed to have tried to destroy all evidence including the crime, similar to the movies storyline. According to Devendra Chavan, assistant inspector, Nigdi police, the suspects had planned to kill Walekar as he was pursuing the accused for money he had lent them. "The father-son duo rented an empty plot near their godown. After slitting Walekar's throat inside their scrap godown on September 27 last year, the suspects then covered his body in a plastic sheet and buried it in the rented plot," Chavan was quoted saying. He further added that the highly decomposed body of Walekar was exhumed on Friday. According to the report, the victims father lodged a missing person complaint with the Nigdi police on September 28 last year, where he had stated that Walekar had been missing from the previous morning. During the probe, police discovered that he was a private moneylender and started investigating people whom he had lent money to. The investigation also showed that Samidullah had previously borrowed money on numerous occasions from Walekar. Furthermore, the police also received a tip-off that Walekar and Samidulla had an argument regarding the borrowed money. After checking the call logs of Walekar and Samidullah, the police ascertained that they were in contact with each other since September last year. On visiting his house, it was known that Samidullah had gone to visit his native with his son. Thus, the police took Mehboob under custody immediately after he returned to Kudalwadi on Thursday. While he initially refused any connection with the victim, Mehboob later confessed and also revealed his fathers involvement. Samidullah was a arrested a day later after Mehboob confessed. The duo had reportedly borrowed Rs 5 lakh for business. The spat started after the victim started demanding Rs 8.40 lakh including interest, which they did not want to pay. The report further stated that investigations were ongoing. Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today urged the Krishna River Management Board to ensure prudent release of water from river Krishna to both AP and Telangana to protect the interests of farmers. "Both AP and Telangana are facing problem when water levels are low in the river as the upper riparian states Maharashtra and Karnataka are not releasing adequate water. "The Board should ensure judicious release of water for both irrigation and drinking water needs," the Chief Minister told KRMB chairman H K Haldar here. The KRMB chairman, member-secretary Sameer Chatterjee and other members were here to inspect the structures on river Krishna. The CM interacted with them briefly on the release of water, an official release said. Chandrababu explained the real-time water management system being used in AP to the KRMB team. State Water Resources Minister D U Rao accompanied the team. Haldar and team visited the Dr K L Rao Sagar project on Thursday. New Delhi: BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj was today booked for allegedly hurting religious feelings after he indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country that sparked a controversy, days after Supreme Court outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion or caste. As the outburst by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation from opposition parties, the BJP distanced itself from the comments made at a 'sant sammelan' here yesterday while the Election Commission sought a report from Meerut district administration. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 153b (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national- integration) among others, police said. SP Meerut J Ravinder Goud said the FIR was registered at Sadar Bazar police station. Congress said it will file a complaint against Sakshi Maharaj before the Election Commission. "Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population," he said. "Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country," he added. Congress leader KC Mittal said Sakshi Maharaj's speech is "offensive" as it is based on caste and religion and goes against the recent Supreme Court judgement. "It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and Congress is officially filing a complaint against him in the Election Commission," he said. Condemning the comments, JD-U leader K C Tyagi termed them as the first major violation of the Supreme Court guidelines outlined on Monday on use of religion in politics. "Recently the Supreme Court and the Chief Election Commission laid down some guidelines for model code of conduct, including not to use religion, caste and language. This is the first major violation by a major political party that is BJP, by its MP. Now action must be taken by the party as well as the Election Commission against Sakshi Maharaj. "They are making derogatory comments against one section of the society. This is violation of Model Code of Conduct to incite one section against another. And this is a criminal act," he said. Asked about the comments, BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "I haven't seen his statement, but we believe in taking everyone along...Country runs on law, on Constitution, it does not run with stick. "Such statements or views...are not of either BJP or government. We have nothing to do with such statements." Caught in the controversy at a time when elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states are around the corner, an unfazed Maharaj made it clear that he was not speaking at a BJP event. "I had said that the population of India is approx 132 crore. India's landmass is not increasing but our population keeps on increasing. We need to control this menace. "We should respect women and I had said that she is not a machine, that is why 4 wives, 40 kids and triple talaq are no longer tolerable. We need to take a decision whether we should have one, two, three or four kids. But we need to take a decision on this," he said. The Election Commission sought a report from the Meerut administration in connection with Sakshi Mahraj's statement, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Lucknow said. The Meerut district administration said ADM, Meerut and city magistrate are investigating the matter from all aspects. "We have got information about few comments during the 'sant sammelan' held at Augharnath Temple here through various newspapers. We have sought reports on it from Election Commission. ADM city and city magistrate are investigating the matter from all aspects. We will take prompt action according to law if we find anything," District Magistrate B Chandrakala said. The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant against British national Christian Michel James and re-issued summons against a company and two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal scam. The summons were issued as all the accused failed to appear before the court. Next date for hearing has been scheduled for February 22. The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam. The ED counsel told the court that there was enough evidence against the accused to initiate proceedings. According to the Enforcement Directorate, Media Exim is a shell company of James and incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks. The Enforcement Directorate found that of the alleged kickbacks received by James, Rs. 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. James allegedly received around Rs. 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha's reply on the plea of Opposition parties seeking postponement of the budget presentation date. According to an Indian Express report, the ECI has written a letter to Sinha on the issue and has asked him to respond to the plea by January 10. The ECI is believed to have asked the Centre to explain why it wants to advance the budget session for it to take an informed decision on the matter. The Budget session of the Parliament will begin from February 1 if the government has its way. The session is being advanced as the government wants early allocation of funds for various schemes-- from April 1, the beginning of the financial year. Opposition leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), DMK, Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) visited the Election Commission Thursday to protest the Union Budget date, as it was being announced before the Assembly elections in five states. The Opposition requested the EC to ensure that the Budget is held after polls in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur - conclude on March 8. Populist measures could be taken in the Budget, so a just and fair election cannot be held, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said after meeting EC officials. We demand that the Budget be presented after March 8, which is when polling for elections will be over, he added. The Election Commission on Wednesday announced seven-phase polling for 403 assembly constituencies in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, two-phase polling in Manipur and one-phase polling each in the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa respectively. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that the counting of votes in all the five states will take place on March 11. Panaji: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to keep a strict watch on drug paddlers in the state to ensure that narcotics does not become a conduit to push in money or lure voters during upcoming Goa polls. "We have had a meeting with Goa Police's Anti Narcotics Cell and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) who are keeping a close watch on drug paddling in the state," Goa's Chief Electoral Officer Kunal said on Saturday. He said the ECI guidelines have also cautioned against the use of narcotics trade to induce voters or circulate money during upcoming state assembly polls. Kunal also added that Chief Electoral Office has asked agency to have area-wise map of the drug trade in the Coastal state. "The list of people involved in this trade based their past records and intelligence inputs have also been made. They will be under constant watch during the election period," he said. The CEO has also asked both the district magistrates to ensure that drug trade is monitored. Narcotics are a social evil and also we want to ensure that it is not used to induce voters, Kunal said. "All the measures are in place to ensure that no voter is allowed to be influenced, he said adding that the active flying squads in all the constituencies also would be equipped with one surveillance officer who would be monitoring the narcotics trade. The CEO has also decided to take up awareness campaign through social media against the use of narcotics and its evil effects. Chennai: The Madras high court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation, which sought a direction to the Union government to confer Bharat Ratna award on former Chief Minister late J.Jayalalithaa. Dismissing the PIL filed by Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation represented by its managing trustee K.K.Ramesh, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.Sundar said, "The award of Bharat Ratna to any person falls within the domain of the executive function and it is not for the court to issue directions as to who should be given the award or not". Narrating her cinema career right from her first movie to the last film, Ramesh in his petition submitted that Jayalalithaa had bagged several awards including Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress. Similarly, narrating her political career, Ramesh submitted that Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five times. Her first aim was to solve humble problem of poor people. Hence, she consulted the officials and opened Amma canteen at a very lowest price, and Amma medical aids and gave different schemes particularly she gave free sanitary napkins to the female students all over the state and gave laptops and cycles and free foods and also cattle to land less poor agriculturists and also she waived the agriculture loans of farmers. Therefore, she was by the public and for the public. She cared the people as a mother. So she was called as Amma by the people of Tamil Nadu, he added. According to the organisers, more than two lakh participants took part in the morcha. (Photo: ANI) Aurangabad: The Muslim community from Aurangabad district on Friday took out a 'Muslim Arakashan Muk Morcha' to press for their demands, including a grant of 15 percent reservation to the Muslim community under the Ragnath Mishra Commission, Sacchar Committee and Mehmood-Ur-Rehman committee reports. According to the organisers, more than two lakh participants from various Muslim organisations, including people from all walks of life, participated in the morcha, which started from Aam Khas Maidan to Divisional Commissioner office. The morcha later moved to their destination route and reached to the Divisional Commissioner office, where the student delegation submitted their demands in the form of a memorandum to the District Commissioner, Purshotam Bhapkar. In their memorandum it is mentioned that, it has been proved to the state government that Muslims are economically and socially backward in the Maharashtra state as per the reports. However, the state government failed to implement the above committee's findings and also did not provide reservation to Muslims. Their main demands were 15 percent reservation to Muslim in education and employment, non-interference of the government in Muslim personal law, return of waqf properties, compensation to youngster who had spent a major part of their lives in jail on false allegations of involvement in terrorist activities and no ban on Muslim education centres. Keeping in view of the procession, the police maintained tight security arrangements in the route where the morcha was carried out to avert any untoward incident. Bhubaneswar: Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal, arrested in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, was on Friday sent to jail, after CBI interrogated him jointly with the party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay. Pal, arrested in Kolkata on December 30 and brought to Odisha the next day, was produced in the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (SCJM) court, designated as the CBI court, after the expiry of his six-day remand in two phases. The MP's lawyer Sabyasachi Banerjee had earlier moved a bail plea but SCJM P K Mishra reserved judgement on it and sent Pal to Jharpada jail here till January 19. "My client is clinically ill and he requires bail on health ground," Banerjee told reporters outside the court. Officials of the investigating agency said the actor turned politician was interrogated jointly with the party's leader in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay, who was arrested in Kolkata in the same case on January 3. Pal was arrested on December 30 by CBI for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam. He was taken on remand in two phases by the CBI from December 31. During the first phase of his remand period, Pal had complained about his health and spent most of the time at the Capital Hospital. CBI in its petition to the court said that Pal was one of the directors of the chit fund group in 2010. Pal is also accused of promoting the company through his speeches and misleading people to make deposits with it. The group allegedly duped investors in at least four states, including Odisha and West Bengal. In its charge sheet submitted at the court here on January 7, 2016, CBI had charged the chit fund of defrauding investors of Rs 17,000 crore, out of which Rs 450 crore from Odisha alone. The release follows the decision taken at a high ministerial-level meeting held in Colombo between India and Sri Lanka on the fishermens issue few days back. RAMESWARAM: Providing a much needed relief for the anguished fishermen community in the State, Sri Lanka on Friday ordered the release of all the 51 fishermen from Tamil Nadu arrested by their Navy during the months of November and December 2016, for allegedly poaching into Sri Lankan waters while fishing in Palk Straits and Gulf of Mannar and other nearby fishing areas in the Bay of Bengal. The fishermen released by the Island-government today included 27 fishers from Rameswaram island alone, five from Pamban, seven from Thoothukudi and 12 from Pudukottai district, said C.R. Senthilvel, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Fishermens Confederation. The release follows the decision taken at a high ministerial-level meeting held in Colombo between India and Sri Lanka on the fishermens issue few days back. The news of the Sri Lankan court releasing all the 51 fishermen as agreed upon at that meeting was received with tremendous relief and joy by the fisher-folks here, said Senthilvel. They are expected to return in a day or two. Bengaluru: Twenty world class universities will be opened in the country and public and private players will be given an equal opportunity to start these institutions, said Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar during an interaction on Reaching out to Indian Students Abroad and NRI, OCI students in India at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Saturday I want private universities to be among the top 10 in the world. He said, The government has released funds under the PM scholarship programme for 150 students, of which 50 are reserved for children of Indian parents residing in Gulf countries. The government will give Rs 2,000 for boys and Rs 2,250 for girls per month. But there are very few takers for the Gulf scholarship. The delegates at the conference drew Mr Javadekars attention to agents cheating students, who want to pursue higher education abroad, difficulty in judging credentials of student abroad who wants to study in India, issues with work visa, permits and overcharging of NRI students by some of the universities. Aniket, an NRI student, said, I came back to India to study in Pune. I spent weeks at the police commissioners office for visa verification. It was a huge waste of time. Siddharth, an Indian student who went to study law in the UK, said, It is easy for an Indian lawyer to work in the UK. I went to study law and want to come back to work in India, but they dont recognise my bachelor's qualification. The minister promised to look into these issues. The National Academic Repository, which contains authenticated academic transcripts and qualifications of all NRI students including past records, has been launched. The ministry is working on national institutions ranking list and is trying to bring the CBSE syllabus on par with international syllabi, he said. Minister of state for external affairs Gen V.K Singh too was present. Iraqi authorities have warned the illegal immigrants to leave the country by paying $2,000 penalty to get their exit passes. Nizamabad: Around 500 youths from Telangana state are stranded in Iraq. Most of them are illegal immigrants who went there in search of jobs. A few Gulf agents cheated the gullible youths on the pretext of providing suitable jobs in Iraq. These unfortunate victims, who found themselves stranded in Iraq without valid papers, can be arrested soon. Iraqi authorities have warned the illegal immigrants to leave the country by paying $2,000 penalty to get their exit passes. Earlier, $400 was the penalty for illegal immigrants, but recently they hiked the penalty amount up to $2,000. As a result, the victims are unable to pay the penalty and will be forced to go to jail after they are arrested. Hoping for a better livelihood in Iraq, hundreds of youths from erstwhile Nizamabad, Adilabad and Karimnagar districts went to Iraq. Cheated by a few Gulf agents, the youths reached Iraq on visit visas instead of work visas. The companies in Iraq refused to provide employment to the Indians, especially Telanganites, who were on visit visas. Reportedly, some are already in Iraq jails and others are eagerly waiting to get back home. They are all deeply traumatized. They have no money and no one to guide them. Recently, 33 youths reached Hyderabad from Iraq with the help of the TS government. A delegation of NRIs consulted with the TS government authorities for the safe release of the youths. Meanwhile, those still stranded in Iraq urged the state and Central governments to give them exemption from penalty in Iraq for lack of exit pass. Most of them just wanted to go back home safely. The victims also urged the government to take stringent action against Gulf agents, who cheated the youths on providing employment in the Gulf. Thiruvananthapuram: Perhaps in a first in the states history, IAS officers in Kerala decided to go on mass casual leave on Monday to protest against the Vigilance directors abuse of power and registration of cases against senior civil servants. The decision was taken at a meeting held here, which was attended by many officers, including senior bureaucrats. A note circulated after the meeting gave a detailed account of circumstances that have led to the mass leave decision. The note: We are deeply aggrieved and saddened that such an officer (Vigilance director Jacob Thomas), whose integrity is prima facie doubtful and not beyond suspicion, is allowed to sit in judgement as vigilance director on the conduct of other civil servants. We are requesting our colleagues of the Kerala IAS Association to avail one days casual leave on January 9, 2017 to express our sadness, frustration and professional dissatisfaction and to show our solidarity with our aggrieved colleges, in allowing the present vigilance director to continue abusing his powers. While doing so we request all officers who are attending to emergency duties of law and order or other critical duties particularly in the post of district collector and sub collectors to be in their offices and attend to their work while expressing their solidarity with this sentiment by availing of one days casual leave. We are also requesting the president of Kerala IAS Association to draft an appropriate memorandum on the basis of the sentiments expressed above and submit the same to the Chief Minister for his kind and urgent attention. We are also requesting the president of Kerala IAS Association to seek an appointment with Chief Minister to meet him and submit our grievances. Several officers of the IAS in Kerala state assembled on January 7, 2017 at 6.30 pm in the wake of the disturbing developments that affect the morale of the civil service, on account of the abuse of power on the part of the vigilance director and anti corruption bureau. Referring to the vigilance registering a FIR against additional chief secretary Paul Antony, the note said;``the latest case was on January 6 when a senior colleague with exemplary credentials was implicated as the third accused in a case involving the appointment of a relative of a minister as managing director of a corporation. In this instance the officer has implemented the written instructions of his minister in accordance with the circular No 25208/D2/09/ID dated 15.2.2010 under the Rules of Business that confers sole powers of such appointments in the industries department to the minster. We are unable to understand how obeying the written instructions of a minister , which is not in violation of any Act or statute can be deemed illegal and how such an officer can be implicated in a criminal case. We the officers who have reason to believe that the action by the vigilance director against our senior colleague was motivated in vindictive retaliation primarily due to the fact that he took the view that the arrest of Mr Padmakumar former MD Malabar Cements Ltd was in gross violation of all legal norms and principles of natural justice. In the past few months there have been other instances when the vigilance director had unleashed vindictive actions against officers who have either pointed out his illegal misdoings or questioned his powers to the take the law into his hands. In one case the vigilance director has reopened a case where the departmental enquiry had already been conducted and had filed an FIR against the officer. In some of these cases, the petition themselves have been filed by persons with very questionable background or where they themselves are accused in grievous crime cases. We are also aggrieved by the fact that even while the vigilance director is allowed to violate principles of natural justice and abuse of his power, government is not taking any action to restrain the illegal actions of the vigilance director as seem from the following; 1. We understand that despite the legal advise of the law secretary, views of the industries secretary and the chief secretary that the vigilance director violated basic principles laid down by the Supreme Court on arrest in the case of Mr Padmakumar former MD of Malabar Cements, government have decided to protect the director without even assigning any valid reason. 2. We understand that the government has decided to accord legal protection to the vigilance director in a case of violation of all India services conduct rules , where he has accepted private employment and received remuneration unauthorisedly, simply on the basis of an undertaking that he has repaid the same to the private employer. 3. We understand that there are several files which establish clearly that the vigilance director while working as director of ports has caused the loss of an amount of approximately Rs 35 - 50 crores to government. We sadly observe that ironically this amount is much more than the value reported in the media on any case that is currently under the investigation of the vigilance department after the present vigilance director has taken charge. Yet no steps have been taken by government to take action under law against the vigilance director for these serious financial offences. 4. We also understand that a few of the above investigation reports in the cases in which the vigilance director is involved directly, implicates him in several grievous offences under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Yet, we regretfully observe that he has been afforded protection by government for the past several months without any action on the part of government. 5. There were several media reports which suggest the involvement of the vigilance director in the encroachment of over 150 acres of forest land in ecologically sensitive areas of Karnataka, held in the name of a close relative of the vigilance director. Despite the fact that this property is part of his declared annual property statement, government has not taken any step to eek his explanation on his involvement in the illegal acquisition and retention of the forest land. 6. We understand that there is a petition pending before government that has alleged that the declared assets of the current vigilance director by his own admission is in the order of Rs 35-40 crore and that these assets are disproportionate to his or his family members known sources of income. Ironically government has not even called for the explanation of the vigilance director so far to prove the sources of financing for these assets while he himself is allowed to charge cases of disproportionate assets in gross abuse of power. Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modis office is lagging behind in maintaining records as the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has either not received or is still processing bills of chartered flights for 17 of the 27 foreign visits Mr Modi made since May 2014. This was revealed by the accounts department of the PMO in response to an RTI query. Ever since taking charge as Prime Minister, Mr Modi has visited 44 countries in his 27 foreign visits. He visited the US four times. Mr Modi has visited Bhutan, Nepal, France, China, Russia, Japan, Afghanistan, Singapore and Uzbekistan. His first foreign visit as Prime Minister was to Bhutan in 2014, and the last till date was to Japan in November 2016, which was shortly after the announcement of demonetisation. However, according to the RTI reply, the accounts department of the PMO said it is yet to receive bills of expenditure on chartered flights for nine foreign visits that were made by Mr Modi between 2015 and 2016. Whereas, for eight foreign visits undertaken by the Prime Minister, the PMO said the bills are under process. According to the data, Rs 77.91 crore was spent in 2014 on chartered flights that were used for travelling for five foreign visits to countries like Brazil, Japan and Bhutan. However, the PMO did not share the data for costs incurred by using Indian Air Forces Boeing Business Jet for visits to countries such as Singapore, Bangladesh and Iran in 2015 and 2016. TRS government, with its wrong policies, has pushed the state into huge debts and financial crisis, says Reddy.(Representational image) Hyderabad: TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday lashed out at the Central government, saying that its demonetisation move has negatively impacted the agricultural sector and affecting the sowing process across the country, especially in TS. Addressing a dharna organised by former minister Ramreddy Damodar Reddy at Suryapet district headquarters, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the note ban has drastically reduced the sowing area in the current Rabi season. According to a rough estimate, as against the normal sowing area of 12.07 lakh hectares in TS, the sowing area, as on January 4, got reduced to 5.57 lakh ha or just 46 per cent, he said. This would have an adverse impact agricultural production leading to shortage of food grains and other commodities in the next few months, the TPCC chief said, adding that demonetisation has dealt a severe blow to the rural economy. Similarly, small traders, petty businessmen and even housewives were badly hit due to demonetisation, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said. The TPCC chief said that it was the Congress that gave a revenue surplus Telangana but the TRS government, with its wrong policies, has pushed the state into huge debts and financial crisis. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly K. Jana Reddy said that the people of Telangana have now realised that Mr Rao only talks and does not implement any scheme. He said that the Congress was set to come to power in TS in the 2019 elections with more than 85 Assembly seats. New Delhi: The Supreme Court has cautioned the High Courts against passing orders staying the arrest of accused if they cant quash an FIR even if the allegations cited are not true. At the most, the High Court can grant anticipatory bail while allowing investigation to proceed, the court held. The bench gave this ruling while setting aside an order of the Hyderabad High Court for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state staying the arrest of accused Habib Abdulla Geelani and two others without quashing the FIR. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said the High Court should exercise its inherent power in a very sparing manner and this is not to be used to choke or smother the prosecution that is legitimate. Unethical litigants earn SC ire The bench said wherever the High Court finds that in a given case if the protection against pre-arrest is not given, it would amount to gross miscarriage of justice and no case, at all, is made for arrest pending trial, the High Court would be free to grant the relief in the nature of anticipatory bail. In the instant case, the bench noted that the HC has not referred to allegations made in the FIR or what has come out in the investigation. It has noted that the investigation is in progress and it is not appropriate to stay the investigation of the case. It has disposed of the application under Section 482 CrPC and has directed that the investigating agency shall not arrest the accused persons. The bench said it is absolutely inconceivable for the High Court to pass an order of the present nature while declining to interfere or expressing opinion that it is not appropriate to stay the investigation. The courts should oust unscrupulous litigants from invoking the inherent jurisdiction of the court at the drop of a hat to file an application for quashing of launching an FIR and then seek relief by an interim order. China is the second largest submarine operator in the world. (Photo: Twitter) New Delhi: A day after it was reported that an advanced Chinese nuclear submarine was docked in the Karachi port earlier in May 2016, an image has surfaced, showing a Chinese diesel-electric submarine in Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia after an extended deployment in the Indian Ocean. According to a report in NDTV, the images came to fore after it was tweeted by the Royal Malaysian Navy's official Twitter page. Beijing though, insisted in a statement that the Type 039 'Song' class diesel electric submarine, which was pictured with a large support ship, was present at the coastal site during a rest period from anti-piracy patrols off Somalian coast. It was docked at Kota Kinabalu since Tuesday and submarine was scheduled to depart earlier in the day. INS Chakra is Indias only nuclear ballistic missile submarine, since it has been only a short while since the arrival of INS Arihant. Indian Navy also has 13 Russian and German designed diesel-electric submarines and first of six new French-designed 'Scorpene' class submarines still to enter service along with a number of other indigenous nuclear fast attack submarines. Meanwhile China is the second largest submarine operator in the world, with 12 to 15 nuclear submarines of all types, and 56 conventionally powered submarines. The diesel electric submarines are silent when operating underwater but need to surface periodically, vulnerable to detection. Earlier in 2006, a Chinese 'Song' class submarine went undetected and surfaced within the firing range of the torpedoes of aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the East China Sea. For the record, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba earlier said, "As far as People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ships and submarines are concerned, the Indian Navy keeps a close eye and monitor their movements. We launch surveillance missions in the form of aircraft and ships to keep a track of them." HYDERABAD: Companies based in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia seem to be interested in hiring IIT Hyderabad students going by the campus recruitments being held this academic year. In the first phase of recruitments, in December, 45 per cent of undergraduate and postgraduate students got job offers from both national and international companies. Sixteen students got job offers from reputed firms such as Yahoo-Japan, Works App, Capital Dynamics, Rakuten and Murata Manufacturing, with pay packages in the range of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 38 lakh per annum. International companies are inclined to recruit more from the older IITs such as Bombay and Delhi, but this year they have also focused on the best among the newer lot of IITs. According to Dr B.Venkatesham from the training and placements department of IIT-Hyderabad, 85 per cent of B.Tech students and 70 per cent of M.Tech students are likely to get placed with good pay packages this year. He is expecting a five per cent increase in hiring compared to last year. The highest pay package also witnessed a jump this year, from Rs 34 lakh to Rs 38 lakh per annum. The average salary went up from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh in the first phase of recruitments. Of the 160 companies that registered for campus recruitments this year, 72 have completed all formalities. The others will visit the campus in the next phase, till May. Amazon, Benz, Wal-mart, Qualcomm, Pay-Pal, Bellingham, Striker, Eaton, and Honeywell are among the top firms that are looking for IIT-H students this year. Asked whether IIT-H had blacklisted any firms that failed to give jobs after hiring students, Mr Venkatesham said Hyderabad had not faced such problems. New Delhi: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Saturday called for a stringent action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sakshi Maharaj adding that the leader should be dealt strictly by the law enforcing agencies. "The recent Supreme Court order should be considered suo moto by the Election Commission and Sakshi Maharaj should be dealt with iron hands by law enforcing agencies and by the Election Commission," BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said. Bhadoria also accused the saffron party of using divisive language to whip up communal sentiments. "Sakshi Maharaj and many like him within the BJP have started using the language of divisiveness. They want to whip up the communal sentiments. They again want the elections to be held on communal issues," he said. Sakshi Maharaj yesterday stirred a fresh controversy by holding Muslims responsible for population boom. "This population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children," he said. Srinagar: Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, the cinematographer brother of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Saturday formally joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pledged to bring peace and prosperity to the State and ensure common people and VIPs walk together. He announced his decision to join the party at a rally held here to commemorate the first death anniversary of its founder and his father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. He said, Im joining the PDP not just because I am the son of late Mufti Sahib; but only after Im convinced and inspired by the amount of work the PDP has done for Jammu and Kashmir and its people. The 45-year-old Hussain may be the partys candidate to contest the election on Anantnag Lok Sabha seat from where his sister Mehbooba was elected in the 2014 elections, the party sources said. Till the by-poll is held, he is likely to be assigned immense responsibility and given important party work in the PDP, the sources said. He is the only son among the four siblings. Hussain, an American Film Institute graduate, who was behind Bollywood blockbusters like Omkara and Kaminey, had attended a meeting of the PDPs extended core group in January last year. The meeting giving credence to reports that he has been successfully persuaded by the family and some close associates of his late father to join active politics and supplement the effort aimed at taking his (Sayeeds) mission forward. However, it took him almost one year to do it as he was waiting for the completion of a couple of Bollywood projects he was associated with. Announcing to join the PDP formally, he claimed that he had remained aloof from politics all his life. But today I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along, he said adding that he dream was to clean up politics in Kashmir. During the lifetime of his father, Hussain had repeatedly said that he is not interested in politics. When asked about it had in an interview his mother Gulshan Nazir Ara said, Wherever he is, he should be happy. The PDP was launched by Sayeed and his daughter Mufti in 1999 after quitting Congress party. PDP cobbled together a coalition governmen t with ideologically divergent BJP in March 2015 at the head of its patron Sayeed who died in a Delhi hospital on January 7. Mufti after initial reluctance assumed her father mantle and became the Chief Minister on April 4 last year. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who is also the president of the PDP, while welcoming her brother in the party, said he like his father has a dream to do something for Jammu and Kashmir. She said, Tassaduq has his own identity and his own work. No one in Mumbai knew him as Mufti Sayeeds son till his second term (as chief minister). Like his father, he wants to do something for Jammu and Kashmir Sayeeds first death anniversary was observed by the party by holding special prayer meetings in the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu and at some other places in the State. An official release said that Sayeed was remembered by people for his contribution in changing the political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir and putting it on the track of peace, dignity, development and prosperity. Earlier during the day, Chief Minister Mehbooba and other family members and senior party leaders visited the highway town of Bijbehara, 48-km south of Srinagar, and paid floral tributes at the late leaders mausoleum. She offered Fateha beside his grave and joined Quran Khawani (reciting holy Qura). Lucknow: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, on Saturday predicted a clear majority for Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi party in the upcoming UP polls, adding that the BJP would be routed in the state and would bag lesser seats than the Bahujan Samaj Party. Writing in a Facebook post, the retired chief justice said that the religious fault lines and the demonetisation would work against the BJP in the elections, while the same factors would give SP an edge over the other parties, helping Akhilesh Yadav to consolidate the government for a second time. Some say that the split in SP will damage the party, but in my opinion it will benefit it. Almost the entire party is with Akhilesh, so there is hardly any split. Also, the party now has a new image, with a young, dynamic leader with a clean image, and free of the partys constraining elements, he said. He added that after the dramatic developments in the party, it was sure to bag the Muslim votes as they perceived the BJP as anti-Muslim. It seems clear that the Muslims will vote unitedly for the SP led by Akhilesh, and will not split their votes. This is because the party under Akhilesh has emerged as a new party, a new SP without the tarnished image of the old. Till now Akhilesh was perceived as a Chief Minister whose hands were tied by his father, uncle, etc. and he was not a free man. But now he is free of those constraints, he wrote. Explaining why he foresaw the BJP to be routed from the state, Katju said that there was no BJP wave to propel the party to power like in 2014 general elections. The BJPs vote bank is the upper caste Hindus. These collectively are about 18-20%.It may also get a small section of about 5 or 6% of OBC votes. That may make bring up the figure for BJP to 25 or 26%, which is far less than the minimum of 30% required to win an election, he said. But in fact it (BJP) will lose at least 5% of its votes because of demonetization. Many jobs have been lost because of demonetization and the common man of all castes and communities was put to great hardship because of this harebrained scheme. Those who thought of making India a digital economy forgot that India is not a developed country like America or Europe, and it is basically a cash economy. So the BJP votes will go down to about 20 or 21%, making it behind even BSP, what to say of SP, he explained. The largest state in India, Uttar Pradesh is heading to polls on February 11, in seven phases. The election outcome is expected to have a ripple effect in the larger political picture of the country, and the BJP is giving a tough fight to the ruling SP in the state to cement their power. The Congress, however, does not feature in Katjus list of frontrunners. New Delhi: Describing Congress and other rival parties as anti-people and anti-democracy, BJP on Friday hailed the Modi government, saying 2016 was the dawn of a new era with a number of transformative decisions in the spheres of national security, self-pride, probity and the poor's welfare. The political resolution passed at the party's national executive claimed that the Modi government has created a new history in the direction of the poors welfare with its bold initiatives. Proposed by Union Home Minister and former party chief Rajnath Singh, the resolution also hit out at the opposition, saying obstruction and obfuscation have become their hallmark while BJP has notched up one electoral victory after another which shows popular support for demonetisation. Calling Modi's policies transformative, it promised that the new year would bring more prosperity and progress. The resolution also dwelt at length in attacking West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who has emerged as a trenchant critics of the Centre. Attacking her government for its "failure" in safeguarding the law-abiding majority community, the resolution cited the Dhulagarh riots as its most glaring example as rioters went about torching houses and shouting slogans like Pakistan zindabad. The behaviour of the parties led by Congress in stalling the entire session of Parliament betrays their scant respect for democratic institutions. With efforts on for a rapprochement between Mulayam and Akhilesh, the CMs loyalist Ramgopal Yadav adopted a wait-and-watch policy by deciding against going to the Election Commission with a list of supporters despite announcing he would do so. Lucknow/New Delhi: The main thorn in the Samajwadi parivar, the so-called outsider Amar Singh, has apparently given an indication that he is willing to step down if his presence is the main stumbling block to the partys unity. Hectic parleys were held throughout the day on Friday in Lucknow without any breakthrough, except that Akhilesh Yadav continued to remain on top with majority of the Samajwadi Party legislators backing him. On the request of the faction led by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, SPs bank accounts have been frozen. The Samajwadi Party has around `500 crore in its Delhi, Etawah and Lucknow accounts and money cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the partys national president. While some in the party claimed that the crisis in the SP would get over by Sunday, both the factions seemed keen to meet the Election Commission on January 9 to claim the cycle symbol. Friday was a day of meetings in Lucknow even as the brain behind the Akhilesh camp, party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, was camped in Delhi with over 200 signed affidavits from legislators MLAs and MLCs in the chief ministers favour. He said that he would pursue Akhilesh Yadavs claim to the party symbol with EC on Monday. The EC will offer the party symbol not merely on the basis of the strength of legislatures, but also on proof of organisational strength that each faction has in the party. This would mean that all district heads and block-level office bearers would have to sign in favour either Akhilesh Yadav or Mulayam Singh Yadav. Ram Gopal Yadav is reportedly ready with the required documents. In Lucknow, the entire senior SP leadership, converged at Mulayams residence. Lucknow: With the sound and fury in Samajwadi Party catching the fancy of its archrival BSP, its supreme Mayawati on Saturday told senior leaders and party candidates to make voters aware of the family feud in the ruling party and not fritter away their ballots to indirectly help BJP. Fishing in troubled waters, Mayawati convened a meeting of senior BSP leaders and party candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to issue necessary directives for going to polls. The BSP supremo, who has been highlighting the sharp divide in SP at her public meetings and rallies, asked senior leaders to make the electorate aware of the feud which did not augur well for the state's development. "If the ruling party cannot put its own house in order, what can it do for the welfare of the state," she was quoted as saying by a leader who attended the meeting but requested anonymity. Mayawati has been cautioning Muslim voters not to waste their ballots by backing the faction-ridden SP as split in their votes would ultimately help BJP. Terming BJP as the "friendl y party" of Samajwadi Party, she told party workers today that in order to divert peoples attention from BJP's unfulfilled poll promises, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought note ban without any preparation and now he is indulging in gimmicks and issuing statements to ward off any adverse impact in the elections. As Muslims are a force to reckon with, accounting for 20 per cent of the state's population, a lion's share of BSP candidates belong to that community. The party has announced its decision to give 97 Muslim candidates tickets to wean them away from SP, which considers the community as its major votebank. In its first list of 100 candidates, there were 36 Muslim candidates, while the second one had 22 nominees from that community. The third list of 100 more candidates released today carries names of 24 Muslims. SP war: Deadlock continues as fresh reconciliation efforts fail Before chairing today's meeting, Mayawati told reporters that its purpose was to apprise party leaders of pressing issues and to give necessary instructions to ensure that BSP comes to power with a majority. "This meeting has been convened to issue necessary directives to the partymen on Model Code of Conduct which has come into force and instruct them to adhere to it in a disciplined manner which is also in the interest of democratic norms, the poor and deprived sections," she said. "They will also be told about the ongoing family feud in the ruling Samajwadi Party as well as the bad shape of law and order, jungle raj and caste-based discrimination and regionalism in development," she said. The BSP supremo said that due to the family feud and crisis in SP, the ruling party has seen the writing on the wall that it would not come back to power. "It is, therefore, favouring alliance with Congress which is on oxygen in UP," she said, adding that by even talking about a tie-up with Congress, SP had conceded defeat. She said that even if the factionalism in the SP comes to an end due to political and electoral compulsions, it will not be in the interest of the state or is people. "Party candidates will also be made aware of BJP going back on poll promises, the ill-planned demonetisation measure, and tricks adopted by the saffron party to mislead people," Mayawati said. She also directed her partymen to hold a series of small meetings in all the constituencies and formulate an effective strategy to win the elections. Mayawati, who has so far declared candidates for 300 of the 403 assembly seats, expressed apprehensions that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might dole out sops in the Union Budget to woo voters and asked her partymen to remain alert on this count. She said it was necessary that all party workers up to the grassroot level and candidates should know the new directives of the Election Commission and added that they need to be followed strictly. Meanwhile, the BSP today announced its third list of candidates for 100 more Assembly seats, with 24 Muslim aspirants getting tickets in the new list. While the first list of 100 candidates contained names of 36 Muslim candidates, the second and third list have 22 and 24 aspirants respectively from that community. The minority community plays a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies. BSP has already shortlisted names of candidates for all the 403 seats. Giving caste-wise details of the shortlisted candidates, Mayawati had said 87 tickets will be given to Dalits, 97 to Muslims and 106 to OBCs. Of the 113 tickets earmarked for upper castes, Brahmins will get 66, Kshatriyas 36, and others 11, she had said. The BSP chief had said that she had finalised the names of candidates long ago and there will be no change in it. Lucknow: Two days after the poll dates were announced in Uttar Pradesh, BJP MP and religious leader Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday triggered a fresh row by insinuating that the Muslim community was responsible for the population boom in the country. According to reports, he made provocative remarks when he was speaking at the inauguration function of a temple in Meerut. "This population rise in not because of Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children," he reportedly said. But the MP later went on to deny he had said anything of that sort. The controversial remarks comes close on the heels of the Supreme Court making it clear that no person can seek votes in the name of religion and caste. Flaying the comments, JD-U leader K C Tyagi termed them as the first major violation of the Supreme Court guidelines on use of religion in politics. "Recently the Supreme Court and the Chief Election Commission laid down some guidelines for model code of conduct, including not to use religion, caste and language. This is the first major violation by a major political party that is BJP, by its MP. Now action must be taken by the party as well as the Election Commission against Sakshi Maharaj. They are making derogatory comments against one section of the society. This is violation of Model Code of Conduct to incite one section against another. And this is a criminal act," he said. Coming under Opposition fire, the BJP also distanced itself from the comments, claiming the party had nothing to do with the views expressed by the leader. This shouldn't be seen as the BJP's stand, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. Condemning the party for the offensive remarks, the Congress said it would take the matter to the Election Commission. Congress leader KC Mittal told ANI, Sakshi Maharajs speech based on caste and religion is very offensive. It's a violation of the MCC and the recent Supreme Court judgement, adding the party would move EC to formally request action against the leader. Jumping on the bandwagon, the Samajwadi Party also slammed the BJP, highlighting the recent Supreme Court ruling that votes should not be sough on the basis of caste, religion etc. Sakshi Maharaj, a BJP MP from UPs Unnao, had earlier in 2015 called for Hindu women to bear 4 children each. His remarks had sparked criticism from the Opposition which had alleged the ruling party was trying to polarise society. The importance of Indian judiciary in bringing about important policy changes in various fields cannot be underestimated. And if the intervention is by the apex court, the Supreme Court of India, its impact is far more deep and wide. The past decade has witnessed several interventions by the Supreme Court on important matters of public importance ultimately resulting into legislations, most of which have been appreciated by the people at large. When there is a ruling by the Supreme Court on matters of reforms in Indian elections and politics, it is welcomed by much more enthusiasm compared to any other reform. In 2002, it directed all candidates to file affidavit detailing their criminal antecedents, educational qualifications and details of their asset. In 2003, the SC ruled that an elected representative would be immediately disqualified on conviction and sentence of more than two years. Then came NOTA (none of the above, a ballot option that a voter can choose to apply instead of giving their vote to any of the contesting candidates), which again was widely celebrated. The recent ruling of the Supreme Court declaring use of religion and caste as corrupt practice and call for disqualification of the candidate has certainly created some euphoria among the common man, but I doubt this would have the desired impact in bringing about reforms in Indian elections or nature of campaign. The recent judgment by the seven-judge bench of the SC in a majority decision held that an appeal for votes during elections on the basis of religion, caste, race, community or language, even that of the electorate, will amount to a corrupt practice and call for disqualification of the candidate. The judgment says: Election is a secular exercise and, therefore, a process should be followed. The relationship between man and God is an individual choice and state should keep this in mind. The Supreme Court held in a majority judgment of 4:3. The court was interpreting the pronoun his used in Section 123 (3) of the Representation of the People Act. The provision mandates that it would amount to a corrupt practice if a candidate or his agent or any other person, with his consent, appeals for votes on religious or such grounds. The majority on the bench the Chief Justice and Justices Madan B. Lokur, S.A. Bobde and L. Nageshwara Rao interpreted that Parliament meant by his a complete ban on any referen ce or appeal to religion, race, community, caste and language during elections. This meant the pronoun extended to the social, linguistic and religious identity of the voter also. What this judgment does is only re-emphasise these rules/provisions, which is already there in Section 123 (3A) of the Peoples Representation Act, which prohibits use of religion and caste for political mobilisation and considers its use as illegal. It says, The promotion of, or attempt to promote, feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of the citizens of India on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language, by a candidate or his agent or any other person with the consent of a candidate or his election agent for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate or for prejudicially affecting the election of any candidate has been declared as illegal under Representation of Peoples Act under section 123 (3A), which has never been taken seriously by candidates and political parties. While we may find instances when charges may have been filed against candidates using name of religion or caste for mobilising voters, hardly any candidate have been convicted for that resulting in his/her being debarred from contesting election. The only name that comes to my mind is Balasaheb Thackeray who was debarred from contesting election and voting rights for six years in 1999. The ban was lifted in 2005 and he voted for the first time after that in 2007 Bombay Municipal election. While the new ruling of the Supreme Court will be a matter of discussion for some time in near future, I doubt this would have any significant impact on the nature of campaign on the ground. While we could celebrate these reforms that are seen as efforts towards cleaning Indian politics, some did make an impact, but most of these reforms are merely lip service. Candidates have been barred from contesting elections in different states on various grounds, mainly on issue of not filing return about their expenses in election. However, we hardly have cases where candidates have been debarred from contesting election on other grounds. Disclosure has been celebrated and still being celebrated by common people but hardly any candidate has been debarred from contesting election due to false disclosure. There is hardly any check on the authenticity of the declaration. Similarly, the introduction of NOTA has been widely celebrated, but is there any after effect of that? What if large number of people voted for NOTA? Even if majority of voters opt for NOTA it may not affect the election result in that constituency. In a multi-cultural society like India, with voters of varied religious belief, multiple caste identities, various languages and similar such identities with which people have strong affiliations, it is difficult to imagine how political parties and candidates would be able to reach out to their voters without any reference to the identity of religion, caste or language. This is much truer since in our multi-party democracy, various regional parties own their existence to having appeal amongst voters of particular caste or religion. Caste is a reality in our social life and politics is merely a reflection of our society. How can we expect candidates not mentioning caste when they raise issue of discrimination and make their commitment to fight such injustice? What may be desired is to refrain from attacking other religion and caste but not a blanket ban on candidates not using caste or religious appeal. The recently appointed Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat, has brought a fresh approach to dealing with the very difficult insurgency-like situation in Kashmir Valley triggered by the killing last July of a young Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, who had acquired cult status as much on account of his scrubbed good looks as the fact that he chose to take up arms and fight back after his brother was (unfairly) killed by security forces. The Army Chief has, however, rightly surmised that the basic cause behind the relatively high figures of Kashmiri youth being drawn to militancy of late lies elsewhere that they are falling victim to false propaganda generated by Islamic organisations interpreting Islam in a very incorrect manner with inaccuracies, and on account of developments in the Middle East. This brings in the factor concerning Pakistan, where false propaganda is being manufactured to incite the Valleys Muslim population, and also points to the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as a potent development that has attracted young Muslims worldwide. Kashmiris themselves are fully conscious of the play of these malignant forces exacerbating a situation in which the sense of political alienation in the Valley has not been addressed. Worse, they rightly feel that the Narendra Modi government has abandoned the path chosen by his predecessors Manmohan Singh and Atal Behari Vajpayee and dropped the idea of engaging the different social and political constituencies in Kashmir in dialogue. Gen. Rawats thinking does not seem out of sync with this, although in his public remarks he has quite appropriately not gone into the question of political engagement. But he has said that it is not a happy situation when our own countrymen get involved in insurgency. This is what leads him to articulate the view that rather than target individuals alone, what is needed is the targeting of false propaganda. This is the hearts and minds approach in the war of perceptions. This is classical counter-insurgency as distinct from counter-terrorism. Under the first, the environment is to be made such that people reject the enemys propaganda to achieve certain aims; the second merely thinks killing a few terrorists would solve the problem. In Kashmir, the hearts and minds approach is badly needed. But success has another key ingredient that the government appreciate the value of dialogue with the people. This is outside the Armys domain. Kashmir is the first place the new Army Chief has chosen to visit after assuming charge a week ago. This suggests the priority to be accorded to the issue when we look at the security map of the country. Chinas most advanced nuclear-powered submarine a sleek 093 Shang-class vessel was spotted in Karachi last year by a satellite imagery expert who downloaded the image from Google Earth. The sub was also spotted later by others when it was moving out through waters off Singapore. Revelations confirm that China will pursue its own agenda in challenging not only India but also other powers in a show of dominance in the Indian Ocean. While the news of the sub being spotted too near home for comfort is alarming, what it means in terms of military strategy is the movement of Indian warships is under surveillance. Chinese submarines have in the past docked in Colombo too. That was considered alarming while Pakistans total cooperation with China lends this later incident no element of surprise. Chinas moves have invariably been aligned with its own interests as well as that of its axis which protected Pakistan. Whether it is in blocking at the UN the declaration of Masood Azhar as a terrorist or expanding its influence through the Gwadar port in Balochistan, it is clear that China has involved Pakistan in its bear hug. The only response India needs to shape for its own good is to build up its naval strength quickly. Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal with former Army chief - Gen (retd) J J Singh as the party's candidate from Patiala (Urban) assembly constituency and others during a press conference in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, the chief secretary as well as director-general of police are both from the Jammu region. Dr Shesh Pal Vaid, a 1986-batch IPS officer, was named the new DGP from this month. Meanwhile, the state chief secretary B.R. Sharma took over during Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds PDP-BJP rule in September last. Sources say that in the past 70 years, J&K natives have been simultaneously heads of the state bureaucracy and police seven times often for brief periods. While there have been four instances of a chief secretary and DGP hailing from the Kashmir Valley its a first for Jammu. While this confluence may be entirely a coincidence, it has occurred when the BJP is ruling at the Centre and is also partner in the coalition with Kashmir-centric PDP. Usually, it is the Valley that tends to dominate the state bureaucracy, but this time its turned out to be Jammu! Election rap in Punjab With state Assembly elections now imminent in Punjab, the role of bureaucrats will be under scrutiny. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal government, which is fighting incumbency, is trying not to tread on the toes of the Election Commission. Recently, the state government had invited the ire of the EC over constituents of a panel of cops which would be deployed to replace those cops and bureaucrats who are found guilty of misconduct or favouring any political party during the elections. The governments initial list contained an overwhelming number of state service cops, which the EC strongly objected to. The Badal government has now submitted a new list. Out of a panel of 17 SSPs sent by the SAD to the EC, only one is a promotee cop from the Punjab Police Service. The rest are direct Indian Police Service officers, also known as regular recruits. Similarly, 11 IG-rank officers sent for the panel, too, have just one state service officer while others are from the 1993-batch and onwards. Obviously, the government does not want to risk any confrontation with the EC which could jeopardise its poll prospects. MEA and the waiting game The buzz in Dillis babu corridors is whether foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, who is retiring this month, will be given an extension or whether India will get a new foreign secretary. The keen interest is understandable considering that an extension to Mr Jaishankar would cast a major ripple through the ministry of external affairs. According to sources, as many as 10 senior diplomats will retire without getting a shot at the coveted slot. They include Indias ambassador to Italy Anil Wadhwa, secretary (West) Sujata Mehta, Indian ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, secretary (economic relations) Amar Sinha, Indian ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, dean of the Foreign Service Institute and director-general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Amrendra Khatua, to name a few. While many insist its likely that the foreign secretary may get an extension given his proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is also pointed out that Mr Modi had gone against advice and convention when he ended Sujatha Singhs term midway and brought in Mr Jaishankar as her replacement. That closeness holds but knowing Mr Modi, who likes to keep everyone guessing, the wait may be agonising for those in contention and even for the incumbent. The mass molestation on New Year's Eve here in Bengaluru has brought many pressing issues to light. At the outset, I don't believe that it is right to isolate Bengaluru from what is clearly a widespread phenomenon, which is, quite simply, the license Indian men seem to think they have to treat women as objects to satisfy their perverse pleasures. One of the theories is that this is a consequence of accelerated growth toward a society that grants women the same opportunities as their male counterparts. This kind of generalisation doesn't really ring true, for while there is certainly a backlash against women growing increasingly assertive, it doesn't justify the crass mindset with which we are dealing. And as more women enter schools, workplaces and public spaces, it appears as if a significant section of Indian men are unable to deal with the shift. Is Bengaluru paying the price for growth, then? I'm not sure I concur. Sexual harassment is prevalent everywhere, in the so-called developed countries too. It appears as if male entitlement goes hand-in-hand with market-created cultures. Donald Trump's locker room talk and his behaviour are symbolic of this trend. A great amount of discussion and awareness measures are necessary to prepare society at large for such a paradigm shift, but these are noticeably absent within the education system. Many, many households continue to favour the son, with families adopting a 'chalta hai, boys will be boys' attitude toward misdemeanours or perverse tendencies. Young men grow up feeling a sense of entitlement toward the world and women, too. One hopes for growth in the right direction, but what we're getting is far from it. On the contrary, we are seeing a resurgence of retrograde approaches towards women. When senior political leaders speak about " tradition" and "culture" in terms of the subordinate woman whose place is within the confines of her home, when public discourse includes constant blaming women for the crimes against them, are we not collectively encouraging the harassers and molesters, the rapists and criminals? The law must be exercised in keeping with the changes in society. Also - and this is critical - the political will to develop an environment that is safe for women, as well as the infrastructure that goes with it - is totally absent. Not only is there no political will, our leaders continue to use the most objectionable, regressive language about women and their place in society, Karnataka's Home Minister being the latest example. One of the main reasons behind the horrendous events that unfolded on December 31 was the utter failure on the part of the police to arrest even a single miscreant that night. The lack of intervention by people in the vicinity is just as disturbing. We don't want a police state in the name of basic security! The safety and security of women depends on a combination of administrative measures and conscious, citizen-based intervention. To remain an onlooker when a girl is being harassed is to be a conniver. The orthodox, male-oriented mindset that currently prevails is being backed by political patronage is creating an environment where women who don't conform to a certain stereotype are considered "wayward" and "asking for punishment." I call this the Sita Syndrome. If you cross the 'Lakshman-Rekha', it's open season! Women are creating their own futures, which challenges these notions in many ways. Young men and women are forced to deal with horrific acts of violence should they choose a partner from a different caste or religious community. Khap Panchayats, the so-called love jihad and every other hate-filled campaign is part of an elitist, communal train of thought. So we have a toxic combination of patriarchal, casteist and communal forces creating an atmosphere that judges women and metes out punishment. Well it is pretty obvious, deploy police personnel who act, instead of those who believe that duty ends with swinging a few sticks. Not a single miscreant involved in the mass molestation has been arrested. They must be sitting around now, bragging about what they did that dreadful night and how they got away with it. The absence of speedy, harsh punishment has a key role in the spate of crimes against women. If there is political will, criminals can be made to pay for their misdeeds, which will have an impact on society. If I was the Chief Minister of Karnataka I would ask the Home Minister to resign. Secondly, I would hold the police officers accountable and take action against them. Thirdly, I would budget enough funds to provide the infrastructure required in public spaces to make them secure and safe as suggested by the Verma Commission. Fourthly, I would call a meeting of women's organisations and concerned activists to involve them in efforts to make the city safer for women. And finally I would ensure a change in the educational syllabus. Finally, to all the girls out there, I say: Speak out. Don't allow hooligans to chase you away from public spaces, determine the way you dress or speak or where you go. Reclaim your city! As for the boys - masculinity does not mean aggression, patriarchy doesn't have to mean rape culture. Shame and name those around you who disrespect or demean women and girls, whether it is sexist talk about your colleagues or elsewhere. Make it cool to respect women, not objectify them. And come out in defence of any woman you see being harassed. Do not be an onlooker! Im writing this from Hertfordshire in England, with a fractured foot. I was bowling when my left foot turned inwards and I fell on it, cracking my ankle. I knew instantly something serious had happened. However I dismissed it as a sprain and ignored it, assuming it would heal itself. A couple of days later the foot still looked like a balloon and I decided to see a doctor to find out what was wrong. The physician at Harley Street in London I telephoned said he could see me that afternoon but the X-ray results would only be available to him the following day. I couldnt wait and so went to the accident and emergency ward of a nearby hospital. There I said I was from Bengaluru and was flying out the in the next few days. The attendant registered me and asked me to wait with about a dozen other people, some of them in worse state than I was. After about half an hour I was asked to see a nurse. She saw the swelling and sent me for an X-ray. Here the radiologist took a couple of shots and told me it was a fracture. She asked if I had been walking around with it and I said yes. She called a wheelchair that then took me to another building to see the doctor. After another half an hours wait the man (many or most of the doctors here are Indian) showed me the scan. It was a spiral fracture with the line curving across my ankle bone. He then said I would have to be given a cast and would have to wait half an hour before it could be ready. After a few minutes a woman called my name out and asked for my shoe size. I said it was 11 and she went off to fetch the cast. It turned out to be a large plastic boot with a hard shell outside and a soft inflatable section inside that one could pump to make the foot fit snugly. The device came with two large socks and the attendant or nurse gave me a demonstration of how to put it on with patience and concern. She then asked if I had been given a CD of my X-ray. I said I had not and she walked with me back to the first building and had the CD burnt. She then told me how to exit the building after the CD came, which took another five minutes. I did not have to pay anything and the whole thing, the registration, the consultancy, the X-ray and the cast were free. I was out of the hospital some two hours after I had hobbled in. I am writing this because British newspapers are always full of stories about how terrible the National Health Service is. And how people are made to wait for days before they are given an appointment for things like surgery. The NHS is free for all citizens and, apparently, it is free for emergency and accident services also for all, including tourists. I think that is very civilised. I recognise that my experience may not be the same as that other Britishers have had, and that the emergency section is probably not the best place to judge a government run health service. But the care and efficiency I encountered could not have been but the product of a system that functions well. I felt guilty of not having to pay but I also recognise that my tax had funded the subsidised education of thousands of Indian doctors who had then migrated to the UK. The UK spends Rs 9.3 lakh crore per year on the NHS, which is about Rs 1.5 lakh per citizen. Indias Union health budget is Rs 33,000 crore per year, which means we spend Rs 260 per citizen. Of course, we are a poor nation, but we are a poor nation that last year spent Rs 59,000 crore buying 36 fighter planes and this year is spending Rs 99,000 crore on a bullet train. It is unthinkable to me that in the UK citizens would allow their government to spend so foolishly on such toys, at the expense of the health of its citizens. It is middle class Indians who dominate the media and its debates who are forcing these choices upon the crores of poor. We think becoming a superpower means being able to fight wars and showing off Japanese technology and building great statues. In the UK, being a civilised nation means being able to put together a state machinery that is efficient and caring and nurtures the human being even one who is not their citizen. Kimbrough and Whitson were assisted by European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, 38, and Oleg Novitskiy of Russia from inside the station. (represejntational image) Two American astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station on Friday to upgrade the orbiting outpost's electrical system. Americans Shane Kimbrough, the 49-year-old commander of the six-person crew aboard the ISS, and flight engineer Peggy Whitson, 56, officially ended their expedition at 1855 GMT. During their approximately six-and-a-half hour spacewalk, the pair installed new adapter plates and hooked up electrical connections for three of six new lithium-ion batteries installed on the station's truss, according to the US space agency NASA. Japan's uninhabited H-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV, delivered the batteries last month. The Canadian-built Dextre robotic arm began the installation to pave the way for the astronauts' work. The new batteries are expected to last as long as the ISS is expected to remain in use -- until at least 2024. Kimbrough and Whitson were assisted by European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, 38, and Oleg Novitskiy of Russia from inside the station. The entire orbital ballet was conducted by the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Kimbrough and Pesquet are scheduled on January 13 to conduct another expedition to connect the other three lithium-ion batteries. The vessel that brought the new batteries will be unplugged in February after being loaded with waste and old equipment, including nine of the old nickel-hydrogen batteries. It will then plunge back into the atmosphere and disintegrate over the Pacific Ocean. Friday's spacewalk marks Whitson's seventh, matching the record previously set by fellow American Suni Williams for the most spacewalks by a woman. It is also the 196th overall spacewalk for space station assembly and maintenance. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The cane looks as authentic as the centuries-old traditional cane design and conceals all the sensors within the grip itself. The cane is expected to be on shelves by end of this year. Its almost fiction coming true where everything from your shoes to your jeans can talk to you. IoT and connected devices are here to stay and almost everything around you will communicate with each other. In a new opening, a smart cane has been developed which will help the elderly, crippled, or injured, inform your near and dear ones in case you fall. The walking stick, named Dring Smartcane from a French startup Novin debuted at the CES this year, now pushed the centuries old tool into the digital space. The cane has a built-in accelerometer and a gyroscope which tracks the users movements. The cane also has an alerting system which connects to a GSM network and alerts the persons immediate caretaker about a mishap. The sensors inside the cane include a GPS, which can give the caregiver complete information about the whereabouts of the one using it. Since it contains GSM connectivity, it does not need to be paired to any device. Caregivers automatically receive a phone call, a text message or an email. The caregiver signals that he/she can respond to the alert. Confirmation is sent to the cane, which lets its user know that someone has been warned. The onboard battery lasts long enough to allow charging between weeks of use. The cane also uses a built-in AI system to process the data and understand the users habits, movements and walking habits, including activity, tiredness and other changes, and uploads it to a secure server for further analysis. The cane looks as authentic as the centuries-old traditional cane design and conceals all the sensors within the grip itself. The cane is expected to be on shelves by end of this year.t Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Nokia will reportedly be launching 6-7 new smartphones in the 2017, out of the numbered; two Android-smartphones yet known are said to be called Nokia D1 and Nokia E1. While the specification of the Nokia D1 is still unknown, detailed specifications of the latter have been surfaced online. According to the leaks, the Nokia E1 smartphone will feature 5.2/5.3-inch (720p) display, is powered by 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor with Adreno 308, coupled with 2GB RAM with 16GB memory storage, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The two smartphone are rumoured to be released in February at the trade fair. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Lagos: Doctors Without Borders says it has given food to 26,000 families taking refuge from Boko Haram Islamic extremists in northeast Nigeria's biggest city, stepping outside its traditional medical role to try to prevent more children dying. A statement Saturday says people are "in desperate need" and other organizations are not stepping up. UN agencies and private charities operate in Maiduguri city alongside government agencies being investigated for corruption in food distribution. Refugees have almost doubled the population of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, to 2.5 million. The United Nations in December appealed for $1 billion to tackle Africa's worst humanitarian crisis in which 5.1 million refugees face starvation in northeast Nigeria. It warns many more could die in famine than the 20,000-plus killed in the seven-year Islamic uprising. An injured woman is taken into Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. (Photo: AP) Florida: A gunman opened fire on Friday in a baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale international airport, killing five people and wounding eight before he was taken into custody. Here's a look at other recent attacks that resulted in deaths at U.S. airports: Nov. 16, 2016: A Southwest Airlines worker was shot and killed near an employee parking lot at Oklahoma City's airport. Police said the man who shot him was likely retaliating after losing his own job with the airline. March 21, 2015: A machete-wielding man attacked federal transportation security officers, slightly injuring one, at New Orleans' international airport and was shot to death. Authorities later said he also was carrying a bag loaded with Molotov cocktails. Nov. 1, 2013: A gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agency's screeners and wounded three other people during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. He was sentenced to life plus 60 years in prison for murder and other crimes. July 4, 2002: An Egyptian national from Irvine, California, opened fire at an El Al ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport, killing an airline employee and a diamond importer, and wounding four others. He was shot dead by a security guard. May 22, 2002: A former Marine killed a San Diego woman in the ticket area of the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans with a shotgun he had concealed inside a tube container. He was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. Dallas: The suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport used a gun that he had stored in his checked luggage, raising questions about airport security and whether safety officials need to change the current rules. Esteban Santiago, 26, retrieved his gun from his bag on the carousel, loaded it in a bathroom of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, then emerged shooting in the baggage-claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration rules prohibit guns in carry-on bags, but they allow passengers to ship guns if they are unloaded, put in a hard-sided, locked container that only the owner has the ability to unlock, and placed in a checked bag. Explosive or flammable ammunition such as gun powder is banned, but bullets are legal if carried in checked baggage. That means gun owners can't get to their weapons during a flight but can easily retrieve and load them after claiming their checked bags. "This guy found a way to exploit a weakness in the system," said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst in San Francisco. A ban on shipping guns in luggage would hurt law-abiding hunters, he said, "but I don't think the TSA and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) can ignore what happened. How many airline passengers today are worried that they are vulnerable?" This is not the first shooting using weapons in checked baggage. In 1972, three members of the Japanese Red Army terror group retrieved guns and grenades from their bags after landing in Tel Aviv, Israel, and killed 26 people. "This guy followed the script from 1972," said Jeffrey Price, an aviation-security expert who teaches at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Price said that banning guns in luggage might have prevented Friday's attack but wouldn't stop a determined killer. "What's to stop him from driving to the airport, parking his car, getting his gun and going into the airport and shooting people?" Price said. A TSA spokesman referred The Associated Press to the agency's current rules but declined to comment further, including on whether Friday's shooting would lead to a review of those rules. The TSA does not track the number of guns that passengers place in checked bags, but it is not a rare practice. Most airlines detail their gun-carrying policies on their websites. Santiago had flown out of Anchorage, Alaska. So many hunters from the Lower 48 visit Alaska that the state's Fish and Game Department also describes on its site how to travel with guns. Price noted that passengers wishing to check guns must declare them and show that they are unloaded. He said airlines often have the gun inspected by TSA officers in another part of the airport. It's enough of an inconvenience, he said, that he tells hunters to mail or use a delivery service to ship the gun to their destination. The TSA has been confiscating more guns from carry-on bags. Screeners took away 2,653 guns in 2015, up 20 percent from 2014. The TSA frequently tweets photos of the arsenal that it scoops up at checkpoints. Washington: First lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned case for embracing diversity and welcoming all religious groups on Friday in a not-so-veiled message to her husband's successor two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day. In what was billed as her last formal speech before President Barack Obama leaves office, the first lady said at an event honouring high school counsellors that the United States belonged to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. "Our glorious diversity our diversities of faiths and colours and creeds that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are," she said. The remarks were reminiscent of her vigorous campaign speeches in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed building a wall along the border of Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country. "If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition: the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth," Mrs Obama said. "If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too and whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh these religions are teaching our young people about justice and compassion and honesty." "Being your First Lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope I made you proud." The First Lady https://t.co/8INNaOIdt1 The First Lady (@FLOTUS) January 6, 2017 Mrs Obama gave a series of high-profile speeches at campaign events for Clinton last year and made clear her disapproval of Trump for questioning President Obama's citizenship and for the New York businessman's treatment of women after a recording was released in which he bragged about groping women. Trump was a leader of the so-called birther movement that questioned whether President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, had been born in the United States. Mrs Obama has kept a lower public profile since the election. Choking up on Friday, she said being first lady had been the greatest honor of her life. "So that's my final message to young people as first lady. It is simple. I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong," she said. "Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life." Washington: Eminent Indian-Americans from across America are gearing to celebrate inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the US with a presidential ball along with other Asian American community on January 19. The only presidential inaugural ball of its kind, among others, would also felicitate Indian-Americans who have been nominated by Trump to key positions in his administration. Prominent among them being South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has been nominated to the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations, which is a Cabinet level post. "Asian Pacific American Presidential Inaugural Gala 2017" being organised by Trump-Pence Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee (APAAC) and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans has several top Indian-Americans on its leadership team, including Puneet Ahuwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California, Shalabh Kumar from Illinois, and Harry Walia from Florida. "The Asian Pacific American Gala is defining statement of our nations diverse strength and huge intellectual capital amongst the Asian American Communities. Indian-Americans should be leading the Presidential inaugural celebration as we have the most to benefit with strong US-India relations," Puneet Ahluwalia, Finance Chairman of the gala, told PTI. "We are leading in numerous fields and it is time we lead in mainstream political activities," he said. The presidential inaugural gala will be held in the historic ball room of Mayflower hotel on the eve of Trump's swearing in on January 20. "The Asian American Gala as part of President Trump's Inaugural symbolises the success achieved by Indian and Asian Americans," said Vivek Lall, who has been a leading US corporate figure working with many governments globally. "Under the Trump Presidency we can foresee a stronger America with enhanced substantial partnerships in trade and active diplomacy across the globe," he said, asserting that US-India cooperation will further deepen on multiple fronts during the incoming administration. In a statement, APAAC and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans said the inaugural ball will include celebration with prominent dignitaries and presidential appointees. 70-year-old Trump, Vice president-elect Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Marco Rubio, incoming White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus have been invited to the event. The event among other things would include performances from Asian Pacific American communities proudly sharing their rich cultures, a media release said. "This will be an excellent event that features our national Asian Pacific American leaders who have worked so hard to elect and represent Trump," said Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam and APAAC co-chair said. United Nations: Pakistan has handed over a dossier on India's alleged "interference" in the country to new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and asked the world body to play a role in "restraining" India from such activities. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi delivered the dossier on "India's interference and terrorism in Pakistan" in a meeting with the UN chief in United Nations on Friday along with a letter from the Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the meeting was held at the request of the Pakistani envoy. When asked about what was discussed in the meeting, which took place at around noon, he said he did not have "any indication" of what was discussed in the meeting. "The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Baluchistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015," the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement in Islamabad. In the covering letter sent with the dossier, Aziz claimed that the arrest of "Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Baluchistan and his confessional statement admitting involvement in activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, and support to terrorist elements vindicated Pakistan's long-standing position about India's involvement in such activities." He also claimed that India was carrying out these activities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism and international conventions on terrorism. Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning "subversive activities" in the country. India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government. India's "hostile intentions" towards Pakistan were also borne out by recent statements of its political and military leadership, Aziz was quoted as saying in the letter. He claimed Pakistan had made a major contribution to global counter terrorism efforts and secured significant gains in its domestic fight against terrorism. Aziz urged the Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies to seriously consider the matter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play a role in "restraining India from these activities, which were in clear violation of international law and posed a threat to regional and international peace and security". Dujarric was asked by a Pakistani journalist at the news briefing if the new Secretary-General would talk to Indianauthorities about tensions on the border with Pakistan. The spokesperson responded he did not have "anything new to add to our well-worn and well-stated policy, but if anything changes, I will let you know". The Foreign Office statement said, "Pakistan continues to desire peace with all its neighbours including India. It is convinced that the common objectives of economic development and prosperity for our people can best be promoted through regional cooperation, conflict resolution and peaceful settlement of disputes," "At the same time, however, Pakistan will resolutely defend its territorial integrity and take all necessary measures to counter any threat to its security," it said. Boston: Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Friday she will run for a second term in 2018, signalling again that she plans to be one of her party's fiercest critics of Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress.Warren made the announcement which had been expected in a message to supporters. "This isn't the fight we were expecting to fight," Ms Warren wrote. "But this is the fight that's in front of us. And the people of Massachusetts didn't send me to Washington to roll over and play dead while Donald Trump and his team of billionaires, bigots and Wall Street bankers crush the working people of our Commonwealth and this country." Warren, a former Harvard Law School professor, won the Senate seat in 2012 by beating incumbent Republican Senator Scott Brown in her first political contest. Potential GOP opponents in 2018 include former Boston Red Sox pitching star Curt Schilling, a strong Trump-backer. Warren said she expected both the upcoming fights in the Senate over the next two years and her re-election campaign to be "uglier and nastier than anything we've ever imagined," adding she would take nothing for granted. Warren was among Democrats vetted by Hillary Clinton for the party's vice presidential nomination, which went to Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Warren has also figured in very early speculation about the 2020 presidential race. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Warren did not rule out a future White House run but added that it wasn't something she was thinking about at the moment. She was recently named to the Senate Armed Services Committee, a high-profile assignment that could enhance her foreign policy credentials. "The big banks and giant corporations aren't lining up to give money for my re-election," Warren wrote. "In fact, a lot of them would rather see me pack my bags and go home." She appealed to supporters to make small donations to the campaign and volunteer to knock on doors or make phone calls on her behalf. "We cannot and will not allow the Republicans and the powerful interests to sink our campaign the same way they sank so many campaigns in 2016," she wrote. Warren reported more than $4.1 million in her campaign account as of September 30, according to Federal Election Commission records, and she said previously her political action committee helped raise more than $5 million for Democratic candidates last year. Warren assailed Trump during the 2016 campaign, calling him "fraudster-in-chief," among other things. Trump responded via Twitter, labelling her "goofy Elizabeth Warren" and referring to her as "Pocahontas," a reference to Ms Warren's claim to have Native American ancestry. Passengers take cover as first responders secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting (Photo: AFP) Washington: A man had a narrow shave after a bullet hit his backpack and pierced his laptop during the shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale International Airport late Friday. An Iraq war veteran opened fire at Fort Lauderdales main airport, a major tourist hub in Florida, killing five people and injuring eight, as panicked travelers fled for safety. Steve Frappier dove to the ground to escape the gunfire. A bullet hit his backpack, damaging a laptop that was inside, he told CNN. The backpack saved my life, he said. I felt something hit my back. It was only later when I went to the bathroom to check myself out that the bullet had entered my backpack, hit my laptop and then later when I gave my backpack over to the FBI for investigation they found the bullet in the pocket of my backpack, Frappier told CNN. He said he had quickly stuffed his laptop into his bag, leaving it open while disembarking from his flight earlier. Meanwhile, the suspect, identified by police as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, was in custody and being questioned by the FBI over the shooting. Santiago who had been treated for mental health issues, drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the busy airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area, authorities said. His motive was not immediately known. Beijing: A professor in East China's ShandongProvince has been fired from his post of political advisor after he was accused of insulting Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China. Deng Xiangchao, professor at Shangdong Jianzhu University, was removed as a member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The government of East China's Shandong Province announced on Thursday they had also dismissed Deng as counsellor of the provincial government, state-run Global Times reported. The provincial government said it will no longer employ Deng as a counsellor due to "relevant regulations," but did not give specific reasons. Deng was accused of insulting Mao (1893-1976) on Sina Weibo, China's twitter-like microblogging service, on the eve of Mao's 123rd birth anniversary, which was celebrated on December 26. The daily did not elaborate on his "offending" comments. The legacy left by Mao, founder of the ruling Communist Part of China (CPC) has come under cloud after his death as the party has shed hardline Communism advocated by him and violent purges during the decade-long Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and opted for wide spread economic reforms, registering fastest development for over two decades. Photos showing angry people protesting against Deng in front of the gate of Shandong Jianzhu University are circulating online. The protestors are holding Mao's portraits and banners that read "whoever opposes Chairman Mao is an enemy of the People". The photos are dated Wednesday. Mao's loyalists said on their blogs that a few supporters of Deng argued with them at the scene but they were outnumbered by patriots who love Mao. All came from Daykundi province in central Afghanistan, had been pulled out of a vehicle and shot on Friday. (Photo: Representational Image) Kabul: Unidentified gunmen killed eight members of Afghanistan's Hazara minority who were working as miners in the northern province of Baghlan, a local government official said. Faiz Mohammad Amiri, governor of Taleh va Barfak district, said the eight dead and three other wounded, who all came from Daykundi province in central Afghanistan, had been pulled out of a vehicle and shot on Friday. He blamed the Taliban, which controls the district where the incident occurred but the insurgent movement denied any involvement. "The people working in this mine had our permission and we had good relations," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. "They hadn't created any problems." He blamed "arbakis" or members of informal local militias, in the area for the killings. Hazaras are a Persian-speaking, largely Shia minority, who have faced a long history of discrimination and violence in mainly Sunni Afghanistan. Last year, scores of Hazara were killed in a series of attacks in Kabul, some claimed by Islamic State in an apparent attempt to stir sectarian tensions. The incident underlines the dire security situation in the country, where government forces now control only two-thirds of national territory and violence is a daily occurrence. Taipei: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be closely watched by Beijing, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to visit Taiwan's ally nations in Central America, Beijing-sceptic Tsai's transit stops in Houston this weekend and San Francisco next weekend will be under scrutiny as cross-strait tensions rise. Tsai's conversation with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador -- among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwan's highest-profile supporter, but the Holy See's recently improving relations with Beijing is casting doubt over ties with the island. Analyst Liao said Beijing would continue to woo the island's allies as a pressure tactic on Tsai, who refuses to acknowledge the concept that there is only "one China". Taiwan's defence ministry has declined to comment on speculation that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait on its return journey after its first exercise in the Pacific. The ministry is "monitoring at all times" the position of the Liaoning, spokesman Chen Chung-chi said. The vessel and five other warships passed south of the island outside Taiwan's air defence identification zone last month, before heading to the South China Sea. London: India will organise a series of events across Britain to celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. Indian high commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha, made the announcement on Friday evening at a special musical Gurbani event at India House in London. The commemorative event included participants from the British Punjabi community and other representatives of the Indian diaspora. "This occasion provides us the perfect opportunity to introspect, and to work towards building a better, happier and more united world," Sinha said. This event followed the visit of Indian High Commission officers a day earlier to the historic Shepherd's Bush Gurdwara Sahib in London, the oldest Gurudwara in Europe, to pay homage to Guru Gobind Singh - the 10th Sikh Guru. Similar commemorative events will take place around the UK in 2017, backed by prominent British Sikh organisations. Describing the occasion of Prakash Parv as a "very special anniversary", British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday hailed the "exceptional" contribution of British Sikhs in the UK's economy, charity and armed forces. Beirut: A car bomb killed at least 43 people, mostly civilians, in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on the border with Turkey on Saturday, a monitor said. Dozens were also wounded in the attack which struck in front of an Islamic courthouse where a market is located, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The group said the toll was likely to rise in the attack, which was the latest in a string of bombings to hit Azaz. In November, rebels said 25 people - civilians and opposition fighters - were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. The blast comes as a fragile ceasefire is being observed across much of Syria. The truce negotiated by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey does not include the Islamic State group or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Baghdad: Iraq's state TV says the Turkish Prime Minister has arrived in Baghdad in his first visit since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq. The Saturday report didn't give details on the schedule of Binali Yildirim's two-day visit. On his Twitter account, the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Faruk Kaymakci, said that, "We hope that his visit will open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations." The presence of some 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of Mosul has stirred tension with Baghdad since late 2016. Iraq says they are in "blatant violation" of Iraqi sovereignty and had demanded their withdrawal. Turkey says the troops were invited by Iraqi forces and has ignored the calls. A Sri Lankan protester hurls a stone at government supporters during a protest in Mirijjawila village in Hambantota. (Photo: AP) Colombo: The inauguration of a China-backed SEZ in Sri Lanka's southern port of Hambantota was on Saturday marred by a protest by supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa over what they said was encroachment of private land, in an embarrassment to the government. Defying a court order obtained against any form of public protests for 14 days from Satuday, the Rajapaksa backers made their way into the inauguration site where Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Chinese Ambassador Xi Xianliang were present with other senior government ministers. Police used tear gas and water cannon to quell the protest, during which the protesters hurled stones at the site, eyewitnesses said. At least 10 people, including three policemen, were injured and admitted in the Hambantota hospital. Hambantota, some 240 kms from Colombo, is former strongman Rajapaksa's hometown as well his electoral district. The protesters said they were defying court orders due to "people's rights" over the land. "We are against this move to give our lands to the Chinese," Omare Kassapa, a leading Buddhist monk among the protestors, said. "We are going ahead with the protest despite the court order to ban it because our people's rights are important to us," said Ranjith Soyza, a Joint Opposition legislator and Rajapaksa backer. In a last-minute move to appease the Buddhist monk protest, Wickremesinghe rushed to Hambantota on Friday night to have talks with the monks. He said only 1,235 acres of land will be taken from Hambantota while the rest of the land needed for the project would be taken from the neighbouring districts of Moneragala, Matara and Galle. The protest was based on the reported move to hand over 15,000 acres from Hambantota for the industrial park. The agreement is to give the Chinese an 80% stake in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Speaking at the opening Chinese Ambassador Xi said China hopes to invest $5 billion during the next 3-5 years in the Hambantota SEZ to create 100,000 jobs for the Sri Lankans. Karachi: Four terrorists have been killed and five others arrested after an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in Pakistan's troubled Baluchistan province. Frontier Corp sources said that the four terrorists were killed in the Uch area near Dera Murad Jamali during a combing operation late Friday night. "Four terrorists were shot in the exchange of fire while five others were injured and arrested," the source confirmed. The combing operation was carried out hours after the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Alami, a banned outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shia Hazara Muslims in which five people died. Police said two of the injured people were in critical condition. "Two persons on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate firing on a taxi in which the Hazara men were travelling on Spiny road in Quetta," a police official said. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Abdul Razzak Cheema said the incident appeared to be a sectarian targeted shooting. Ambalantota: Sri Lankan police used water cannons to try to break up violent clashes Saturday between government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. The clashes took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone near the port city of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of capital Colombo. Government supporters armed with clubs first attacked protesters organized by the opposition and led by Buddhist monks in Amabalantota, some 22 kilometers (13 miles) from Hambantota. The protesters responded by throwing rocks. It was not clear how many people were injured, but several people were seen being taken away by ambulances. The government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80-percent ownership. Officials also plan to set up the nearby industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories. The villagers and monks are opposed to it and demand their residential and farmlands be spared. A court had issued a restraining order on the protest, saying it could lead to unrest. China invested over $1.2 billion in the port in what some analysts call its "string of pearls" strategy in countries surrounding its rival India. Although the project made losses since 2010, Sri Lanka's government, at first critical of the enterprise, approached China seeking help to make it viable. Lawmaker D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a "Chinese colony." "We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone," said Chanaka, the district lawmaker. "When you give away such a vast area of land you can't stop the area becoming a Chinese colony." After the lease expires, it can be negotiated for another 99 years, according to the framework agreement, whose terms are still being negotiated. The government also has proposed to lease 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in Hambantota district and adjoining Moneragala district for the industrial zone. The Rev. Magama Mahanama, from an organization calling itself the Monks' Organization to Protect National Assets, said that the clergy following an ancient tradition would issue a decree to the government to stop the leasing. Historically, kings in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka are said to have abided by decrees issued by Buddhist monks. "It's a way of conveying the message that the monks are not for it," Mahanama said. "Ninety-nine years means at least two generations. When they (the Chinese) take root here, what's the guarantee that we will have it back? There is a major threat of cultural erosion and demographic change." Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier this week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free the country from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. He said the industrial zone was necessary to make the port and the nearby Chinese-financed airport, also running at a heavy loss, viable. "The port can't be taken away," he said, adding that the former British colonial rulers did not take away the Trincomalee harbour, Sri Lanka's airport or the Colombo port. The initial fervor of `note bandi (demonetisation) among the public in Uttar Pradesh is now seemingly on the wane. At one time, there was terrible excitement about black money coming under control and the conmen going to the gallows. But then, people think and act differently. Note bandi has affected the youth, the women, the migrant workers and daily wage earners, the small and big shopkeepers, the farmers, and the politicians of all hues and colours, but differently. However, they are as much concerned about their own welfare as those of the neighbours and the community. That is the rich mosaic of a poor state. The youth enamoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modis bold step, stood in long unwinding queues in terrible winters. Their belief in the righteousness of the idea remained unshattered and were wooed to stand for the same much as our jawans do in the cold, freezing frontiers of the country. In some places in Allahabad, those in the queues got rasagullas in praise. In contrast, in Deoria, the youth threw shoes and chappals at the Parivartan Yatra of the BJP. This was repeated in many other places as well. The youth now engage in a war of ideas within themselves: they voted for a strong leader 30 months ago, is it time to give up on him? Or is it too early to take a call? What good demonetisation has done to them? These thoughts cut across among youth of all castes in the state, except for the diehard within them. When youth start thinking on their own, the signals can be red for the ruling regime. Rural women who largely keep money hidden from their husbands to be used in emergencies were stunned by currency ban move. These monies were to be used to give to their married daughters and sons-in-law in small amounts when they would come home. Cheated by the note bandi, their small dreams are shattered. They are an unhappy lot. Women remaining at home and men migrating to other states for seasonal employment are common in the state. From Meja near Allahabad, the stone breakers have migrated to Western India, mainly to Gujarat for work. Thousands from UP work in diamond industry in Surat. These migrant labourers from across Uttar Pradesh are returning in hoards from Mumbai and Gujarat. Most have returned after failing to receive their wages ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 20,000. For them, there is no work in Gujarat or Mumbai, nor any daily wage manual job under the rural job scheme back home. Kallo Devi in Jhusi, Allahabad spent a lakh of rupees on her daughters marriage expecting to pay back from earnings from their fruit shop but the stream of customers went dry. Now, she is indebted to three micro finance agencies which are after her. There are thousands of such small shops in crisis. To cope with this, they are looking for the swap machines, not realising the governments strategy to bring them under the tax regime for a successful GST. Traders, who are traditional BJP supporters, are beginning to realise that if they use the e-payment option, higher taxes will have to be paid. A young student flaunted his debit card to pay for a pack of chikki, assuming that shopkeeper would not have a swap machine. The shopkeeper took out the swap machine and retorted, Rs 50 in cash or Rs 70 by swap. The student grinned, took out the Rs 50 note and sauntered with the chikki. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would not give up easily. He has announced awards for lucky winners of e-payment users, enticing them into a lottery. He is likely to have countless unhappy ones against each winner. The fervor of extracting black money a matter of national pride and nationalist consciousness is being refueled with bolder statements including a strike on benami assets. These efforts will be weighed against the grim realities that people face and a shock to their means of living. Lesser yield The farmers big, small and the marginal have been affected by cash crunch. Most have been able to sow the fields but have been forced to use less fertiliser and await a lesser yield. Informal credit is available at usurious rates. The returns are likely to be more unprofitable than in the past. Some farmers are still selling their kharif paddy and are offered by the trader Rs 1,500 per quintal in cash now or Rs 1,900 at an unstated later date. They rue the note bandi. Most of the farmers belong to the other backward classes who are supporters of the Samajwadi Party. In the meanwhile, BSP leader Mayawati landed in a controversy, having deposited Rs 102 crore in the party account and challenging all political parties, the BJP in particular, to declare their bank accounts. She asked the BJP as to how much they deposited in their banks 10 months prior to and after note bandi. The Dalits take pride in their confident leader. The chess board for the impending elections has been laid with affected people as pawns. Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister, has stolen the development agenda from the BJP. The Congress seemingly a small player, has underlined the concerns of farmers and daily wage workers more than others but has few listeners and even lesser followers. The BJP has invested heavily in the state but how much it will reap remains to be seen, given the cash crunch. In this election time, issues like communal violence and Ram mandir may crop up any time. The BJP is yet to open its cards. The BSP which plays straight and is a mighty force, the SPs internal troubles, the Congress failing to find any following, are some of the features of this election. (The writer is Director, G B Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad) The street was not crowded when the incident took place. Dogs on the street began to bark. The molester hurried away when the victim fell and raised an alarm, an eyewitness said. The woman is a resident of Banaswadi and was visiting her relatives house in HBR Layout, where she had stayed overnight. She got up early as her work begins at 7 am, police said. I spoke to the victim. She panicked when the man approached her. When she tried to run, she fell and hurt herself, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Hilori told DH. K G Halli police have registered a case and launched a manhunt. The CCTV footage was not clear enough to identify the molester, but our men are speaking to shopkeepers and people in the area to ascertain his identity, a senior police officer said. Cuts and bruises The victim has sustained injuries on her tongue, hip, and limbs. Police suspect she fell and injured herself while trying to escape from the molester. She was treated as an outpatient at a nearby hospital. A 25-year-old woman was molested in K G Halli on Friday. She has suffered cuts and bruises.She was walking towards Govindapura Circle, near Arabic College, when she was accosted by a man who groped her. It was 6.30 am, and she was on her way to catch a bus to work.The incident comes a day after four men were arrested for molesting a woman in Kammanahalli late on New Years Eve. Reports about a mass molestation incident on Brigade Road has also made it to the headlines.Police have accessed CCTV footage from a tea shop showing a man following the victim on Friday.The incident took place at a blind spot, and police said they had found no video evidence of the molestation.The man walks back into the frame after the victim has raised an alarm. Around 10 am, the victim and her mother approached me and asked if they could see the footage captured on our CCTV, said Mujeeb Khan, who runs the tea shop. He later handed over the footage to the police.Neighbours said they had heard the screams of the woman. A few rushed to her help, but the molester had fled by then.Onlookers alerted her family, who took her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated as an outpatient.Crowded street Acting on Opposition complaint, the Election Commission has sought the Centre's response on their objection to presenting the budget on February 1 before the Assembly polls to five states. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha who is likely to consult the the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry before framing his response on the government's plans to advance the budget presentation to February 1, sources said. The Commission had yesterday forwarded a letter of the opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BSP and SP, asking the government to postpone the presentation of the budget to at least till March 8, when the last of the votes will be cast for the polls to UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. The Cabinet Secretary has been asked to respond by January 10. Sources said the government is on a firm wicket on the issue and as per rules and procedures, there is no infirmity in preponing the session which usually begins in the third week of February. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recently recommended that the Budget session will commence on January 31 and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1 so that the new provisions come into force from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal. "When the opposition had objected in 2012 during the Assembly polls to these five states, Congress had accepted their stand and postponed presentation of the Union Budget from February 28 to March 16. We want that there should be no presentation of the Budget till the elections are over," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had said after meeting EC on January 5. Azad said electoral laws make it clear that the ruling party should have no advantage during elections and both the opposition and the ruling side should be on an equal footing. He said the Budget on February 1 will tilt the balance in favour of BJP as it would use the exercise to influence voters by doling out sops. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended the move asking why the opposition parties are afraid of it when they have claimed that demonetisation is an unpopular decision. Sixteen parties had written to the President and EC opposing the decision to have an early Budget session beginning January 31. General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and combat terrorism. The decision to appoint Gen (retd) Raheel, who retired in November 2016, was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said yesterday. Speaking during a talk show on Geo TV, Asif admitted that an agreement in this regard was finalised a few days back. "No, definitely our government's consent must have been part of this," he replied when asked if the decision was taken in Riyadh or Islamabad. Asif said that both the governments and army were on board regarding the decision to let Raheel take charge of the alliance. He, however, refused to share the details of agreement under which Raheel has been appointed the chief of the Saudi-led alliance. Raheel retired as the army chief in November and has been succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa. 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 raised to 39. The countries include Turkey, UAE, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and others. The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh. Pakistani leaders were initially taken aback when Saudi Arabia, without proper consultation with them, had announced in 2015 that Islamabad was also part of the new alliance to combat militancy. Iran was not included in the grouping which appeared as a vague attempt to forge a Sunni Muslim alliance against Shiite Iran to curtail its influence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and rest of the Middle East. Pakistan was in an unenviable position as it has good ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. It was also not ready to be dragged into the politics of Middle East. Hence, the government had announced that a decision about joining the group would be taken once its details were known. Later, Pakistan confirmed its participation in the alliance, but had said that the scope of its participation would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling. After remaining dormant for months, the group is trying to reassemble. The Saudi-led coalition is also engaged in a military operation in Yemen since March 2015 when Houthis drove out the government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is believed to be in exile in Saudi Arabia. My first year of college was a very lonely time. Living in the town of Indore, far away from home, I felt disconnected. My only communication with home was a monthly letter that I wrote and posted, and a reply that my father sent. Things changed in the second year a new concept called a PCO booth had begun to spread in Indore. These places let you make phone calls yes, even to other towns! for a fee, and what was more, they charged 1/4th of the daytime rates if you called after 11 in the night. For the remainder of my college years, I was a connoisseur of PCO booths in my area. It was only later that I found who was responsible for this magical innovation. It was a man named Sam Pitroda. Pitroda, an NRI settled in the US, had come to visit India in the 80s. He found that he could not phone his wife back in Chicago, and resolved to strengthen Indias telecommunications network. Thanks to his experience in the field, C-DOT was set up in 1984. Over the next decade, phones became more commonplace. By the 90s, they were available in small towns, too. And, every street corner shop had one. Pitroda is not an outlier in the way he came back to contribute to India. The last few decades have seen a sea change in the place of NRIs, or Non Resident Indians, in Indian society. Where they were forgotten by all except for the family they infrequently visited, now they are taking a larger role in the nation. The change has not been made apparent, though. This is partly because we tend to club all types of emigration into one bucket and treat it the same. But there have been at least three separate waves of emigration, for very different reasons, over the past century, from India. Lets look at them separately. The first kind was forced emigration. During British rule, Indians were shipped abroad to work as labourers in plantations all over the world. When the world wars came around, we were shipped as cannon fodder for the front lines in Europe and Asia. These NRIs became PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins), and rarely if ever, managed to come back to their homeland. Instead, they branched off into a new culture that was a mix of Indian and local culture. This phenomenon was enabled by colonialism, and has thankfully died out today. The people who were affected by these forced moves are now long gone, and their descendants have now integrated into those societies. In this century, there has been a second wave of voluntary emigrants for primarily economic reasons. Simply put, there are unskilled or semi-skilled job opportunities in rich countries that pay many times what the Indian market can pay. Often theres a coupling of specific states with destinations. So Keralites, for example, have a strong affinity for emigrating to the Gulf countries. Punjabis have preferred Canada. And Gujarati Patels have chosen the motel industry in the USA. This kind of emigration is the most commonly recognised stereotype. When Donald Trump and the British politicians talk about stopping immigration, this is the kind they mean. Theres a third kind, which isnt discussed as much. Its the specialised skills-based emigration, and the dominant direction here has been from India and China, to the US and Europe. The process usually starts with going abroad for higher studies, and then moving on to job opportunities. The software engineers you know, who post on your Facebook timeline regularly about their visits to American national parks, are part of this trend. By some counts, more than half of Silicon Valley are immigrants from India and China. Theres an overlap between this category and the previous one, but the technical education angle is unique here. It has really caught on only in the last three decades, fired up by the rise of the software industry worldwide. Dinesh (name changed), one of these skills-based migrants, shares his story: I went to the US to do my Masters in the late 90s. Hadnt originally planned to stay, but the job market was bad in India in the early 2000s, and I stuck on here. Then marriage, a home, a child, happened. It was just a case of one anchor being heavier than the other. Ive been in Atlanta for the last 15 years now. When I first went there, Indians were few and far between. Of late, there has been a sharp rise in their numbers. I can see them everywhere. And I see more and more Indian parents visiting, pushing along prams in the evenings. Were a significant minority now. Brain drain The dominant narrative in the 70s and 80s in India was that all emigration was brain drain, that we were losing all our best people to foreign countries, and that India would never progress as long as that kept happening. Movies like Ek Doctor Ki Maut talked of how the best Indian minds were pushed to emigrate because of the inefficiency and corruption in India. People were lost, the zeitgeist went, once they left the country. However, the last two decades have proven this narrative wrong, sometimes in surprising ways. Indians do love their country, it turns out, and theyve shown it in myriad ways. Descendants of forced emigrants have maintained their connection with the country in any way they can. The more affluent ones have returned to re-establish their roots. Others have paved the way for a cultural acceptance of India in the places they settled in. So, the West Indies, Mauritius, Singapore, and parts of Africa have that India-inspired cuisine, language, and a familiarity with our customs and traditions. Many have taken up Indias open invitation to PIOs to reconnect. Others will make it a point to marry within their community back home in India to keep up the relationship. Economic migrants have had a big impact on their hometown areas through remittances. World Bank data shows that remittance inflows to India in the last few years have been about $70 billion per year, which is about 4 lakh crores. Compare this to the entire Indian government budget of 19 lakh crores this year. The communities that benefitted have seen startling changes. Kerala, an early recipient of remittances from the Gulf, has had the highest literacy rates and the second-lowest poverty rates in India. Punjab and Gujarat, traditionally business-oriented states, have had their fortunes boosted by their NRIs. The money is remitted to their families, but of course, it begins to circulate in the economy and boosts it. But the latest wave of skill-based emigration the so-called H1B immigrants, largely software engineers, have triggered a virtual revolution in Indias economy. Out of thousands of examples, Ill select one: Dr Anand Deshpande. He completed his education at Indiana University and took up at job at Palo Alto in the late 80s. Sensing an opportunity in India, he returned and founded Persistent Systems in Pune in 1990. Today, it is one of Indias best-regarded services companies, employs over 6,000 people, and has steadily moved up the value chain in the software space. Or, consider other industries like food products. The sisters Suhasini and Anindita Sampath, inspired by the health bars they saw during their stay in the US, founded Yoga Bars in Bengaluru. Today, its one of the notable health food brands in India. Several popular restaurateurs are returned NRIs. By some metrics, the current software start-up revolution, going on in India, can be traced to the first generation of software engineers who went on-site to the US and Europe through service companies. Not all benefits are in the corporate universe. In 1990, a small group of Indian students at UC Berkeley decided to start a group dedicated to helping children in India. After much discussion, they decided to focus on childrens education. Most of their initial funding came from US college students and NRIs. Today, this group, known as Asha, has more than 50 chapters spread across the US, Europe, and India. A 1,000-plus volunteers have mobilised funds to complete 400 projects, across 23 Indian states. The culture of social awareness and giving back, prevalent in the western world, has had a fillip from our travellers. Living in another country exposes one to new viewpoints and cultures. This varied experience, especially when gained in a developed country, can be brought back to ones homeland. On the flip side Not all is positive about the NRI phenomenon. There is a sizeable proportion of Indian migrants who make their adopted home their own and never look back. Who can blame them, with the multiple negatives of life in India? And the public perception about NRIs here often puts a burden on them. But, life isnt really easy in the US, either. Dinesh says ruefully, Latent racism and fitting in is a real problem in the US. Dinesh has continued to write on his blog and on web forums about Indian movies and music, and makes it a point to pick up the latest books whenever he visits home. In these ways, hes very much the typical NRI. The intellectual and financial heft of the NRI market has changed some things about India. PIOs and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas are priorities for the government, which recognises that this section of Indians wants to be involved with their motherland. As more Indians return with first-world experience, they demand the same quality of service and professionalism from businesses here. They are willing to pay a premium for well-made global cuisine and products. They take up teaching positions in colleges and consultancies at hospitals and corporates, utilising the high-quality experience they have gained. On a lighter note, some film-makers are making NRIs the theme and target market of their films. As more international brands of fast food make their way to India, returned NRIs are often their early adopters. Those who left India for global destinations are no less Indian than those who stayed behind. They have the same wish to help the country, if only they are enabled to do so. India gains from their experience and skills, not to mention finances. This is not a zero-sum game: it is quite doable for returning NRIs to gain for themselves from the newfound interest that India has in them. Its the very definition of win-win. No trip to Indonesia is complete without taking a peek into its traditional fabric the renowned batik works. The art of making batik is practised in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Nigeria, but one would swear by the brilliant works of Indonesian batik, that has become a symbol of its glorious heritage. The world of batik is most advanced in Java and the works there are best known in terms of pattern, technique and craftsmanship. During my recent visit to Bali, I travelled to Batubulan near Ubud, around 15 km from the city of Denpasar, and happened to drop in at Sari Amerta, the only private batik-making setup in the area that boasts of a fabulous collection of batik works. The centre also runs a live batik-making workshop. The technique of using wax-resistant dyeing on the entire cloth is highly developed in Indonesia and has tremendous social, cultural and economic significance. Usually, cotton or silk cloth is used for making batik prints that can absorb the wax used for dye-resisting process, but it is essential to use high-quality cloth with high-thread count that can keep up the intricate design qualities of the works. History says that the use of batik initially started in 12th century in Indonesia, and was used by one and all, irrespective of tribes, communities and religions in the country. It was in 2009 that the Indonesian batik was listed by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In contemporary times, batik is used in both casual and formal wear in Bali. Such works usually flaunt motifs like birds, flowers like hibiscus, fishes and the day-to-day activities of Balinese dancers. The style of making batik in the island of Bali is quite new, but is a fast-growing industry. This 75-year-old art was first patronised by the kings of Ubud sometime back in the 20th century. Global tourists took notice of Bali batik in 1970 and the batik industry began booming in the 90s. These days, a large chunk of the famed batik works of Bali is exported to the United States and the United Kingdom. Traditional colours used in such works are usually blue, brown and light yellow. To begin with, designs are drawn on a white cloth. The designs are then redrawn with wax and these designs are filled with tiny embellishments, wherever necessary. Then the process of dyeing begins. Some parts of the wax portion are scraped with a knife. Later, the entire cloth is put in boiling water to get rid of all the wax, and the two colours blue and white are obtained. The parts where embellishments are done are covered. In order to get the second colour, dyeing is done and the wax is removed by putting the cloth in the boiling water again. The final material is washed and dried in shade. It takes up an entire month to make a single piece of batik work. The cloth has to be drawn on both sides and dipped in a dye bath four times for the process to be complete. At Sari Amerta, one can come across an astounding array of profusely coloured batik works that are modestly priced. There are attractive silk wall hangings, pillow cover sets, T-shirts, kimonos, hand fans, silk scarves and sandals. A German research scholar has accused her landlord of molesting her at his home in south Delhi's Hauz Khas area. According to an email complaint by the woman, the incident took place in November when she had gone to her landlord's house to clear outstanding bills before returning home. The woman, in her 20s, sent an email to the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) on December 5 after she went back. The complaint was forwarded to Delhi Police in mid-December. A case was registered on December 27 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC, a senior police officer said. The woman wrote that she had visited her landlord's house on November 30 when he started talking about his personal life and his marital problems, which made her uncomfortable, the officer said. Then the accused tried to force himself on her but she managed to escape after the landlord's son returned home, he said. The woman wrote in her complaint that she informed her friends about the incident and even sought help from them when the accused came to meet her, police said. She didn't file a complaint then because she was scared and wasn't aware about the laws here, they added. Police have sent her a couple of emails requesting her to join the probe. "We have written an email to the victim requesting her to come to India and record her statement before the magistrate for further investigation in the case. A reminder mail was also dropped today but the woman has not responded yet. We are hopeful that she will come to India to record her statement," the police officer said. The accused is married with two kids. The incident comes months after a US woman was allegedly raped by five men at a five-star hotel in Connaught Place in April this year. She had come down to India to join the probe last month. This Japanese crime phenomenon is now a bestseller in the UK, with dozens of glowing testimonials regarding its brilliance. This complex novel revolves around many, many things. Numerous characters appear and reappear in the course of multiple threads of unfolding action. Some of them surface briefly to dangle yet another teaser, only to fade away as diversions from the core mystery. Below, in brief, are the main threads of this complex tale. Police officer Mikami and his former police officer wife Minakos private world is falling apart. Their only child, Ayumi, a teenaged girl obsessed with her perceived ugly face, leaves home and vanishes. The entire countrys police force are on the lookout for one of their own, but the hope of Ayumis return diminishes. Small industrialist Amamiyas only child, seven-year-old daughter Shoko, was kidnapped in 1989, and found murdered. Even after 14 years, this case, referred to as Six Four, remains unsolved. Mikami and Minako had briefly taken part in the initial investigations at that time. Mikami currently looks after Press Relations. Press meetings are like battlefields, with day and night-long sieges. The press actually make one police official have a breakdown while he is fielding their relentless and hostile barrage of questions. The press want all the facts and details of cases immediately. The police try to conceal certain points, ostensibly for the safety of the victims of crime, but sometimes also to shield their own shortcomings in handling the case. With the press threatening to boycott coverage, Mikami has to get the obviously disenchanted Amamiyas consent for a meeting with a top police official from Tokyo. This seems a police PR exercise for a case which is all but dead. Meanwhile, inter-department rivalries and intrigues drive twisted tentacles into the police force. It was Administrative Affairs that had set out on the offensive. On orders from Akama, Futawatari was digging around Criminal Investigations weak spots. His sights were set on Six Four. In his hands, he held a card called the Koda Memo. What was it? A 100-odd pages later, after other threads are expanded, the novel again returns to Futawatari and the Koda Memo. There is no progress yet on this front. The mystery of Futawatari expanded to take over (Mikamis) thoughts. Futawatari knew something he wasnt supposed to have heard about. He was discussing something it was taboo to speak of... Futawatari was doing something without realising the risk, No. It was unthinkable. Spoiler warning! Some of the sub-mysteries dont get clearly resolved. The novels plus points are many. Brief descriptive passages bring the settings to life. The Kotohira Bridge, pale, nebulous in the glare of the mercury lamps, makes a perfect setting for a crime committed in the hilly regions of rural Japan. The major characters are well delineated and convincing. Amamiyas expression had been completely devoid of hope, no longer believing in anything. Amamiya hadnt been robbed of a feeling or an idea. He had suffered the physical loss of the thing he loved most. Distinctions such as Showa or Heisei meant nothing to him. His only fate was to drift through a world in which his daughter didnt exist. Such passages, and others describing the changing dynamics of Mikami and Minakos conjugal relationship, probe the psyche of characters deeper than the average crime novel. Jonathan Lloyd-Davies does an admirable job of translating this long novel from Japanese to English. It reads smoothly, without noticeable jolts. However much a book may appeal to critics and the readers who make it into a bestseller, not even the best books are for everyone. Each reader has his or her own tastes and preferences. I found the story too slow and convoluted. Dozens of characters, often with similar names, made the novel an effort to follow. The book has a helpful table of its numerous characters, possibly anticipating such difficulties among readers. Figuring out the relationships and intrigues between Mutsuko, Matsuota and Masato, and Mikami, Minako and Mikumo, and then again, reporters with names like Yanase and Yanasima, can get tedious even with the helpful table. Possibly due to cultural conditioning, and definitely due to my lack of comprehension, the threat of sequestering the directors post in the police did not seem so terrible or shocking. Apparent cover-ups regarding a death in police custody, and of the failure of a police official to tap a phone call in time, also did not shock or awe me as much as they were meant to. Another factor making the read laborious for me were the many subplots, intrigues and mysteries. Some of these are red herrings deftly placed to complicate the mystery. The unsolved kidnap-murder case Six Four; a bid rigging charge being hushed up; inter-departmental intrigues within the police; Ayumis disappearance; a police custody death also being hushed up; the mysterious Koda Memo; the intrigues and undercurrents among the reporters of over 12 papers and TV channels; Futawataris quest; the disappearance of police officials Koda and Hiyoshi, who were initially involved with case Six Four; all these and more mysteries intertwining in one book, overwhelmed me. The mysteries do unfold towards the end in an interesting way. This book will reward die-hard mystery buffs patient enough to wade through 600-plus meandering pages. Six Four Hideo Yokoyama, translated by Jonathan Lloyd-Davies Hachette 2016, pp 635, Rs 499 The Correspondence J D Daniels Penguin 2017, pp 126, Rs 1,059 Dont make your books any shorter, please, Graham Greene begged his friend Muriel Spark in a 1974 letter, or youll disappear like Beckett. J D Danielss first book, The Correspondence, is all of 126 pages. Its so slim you can use it as a bookmark inside another book. Its so slim its over before its quite gotten going. But from the moment you crack it open, youre in the presence of an original voice. Daniels is a young writer, raised in Kentucky, who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His book comprises a series of letters with titles like Letter From Majorca and Letter From Kentucky. These arent addressed to anyone in particular. Each could profitably be called, to borrow the title of a James Baldwin essay, Letter From a Region in My Mind. Four are billed as essays; two are said to be short stories. Each originally appeared in The Paris Review, a magazine that, under the editorship of Lorin Stein, has been on a hot streak. The writer Tom Franklin once described a certain kind of Southern literary voice as the sensitive guy at the dogfight. Theres some of that quality in the first essay here, Letter From Cambridge. Instead of dogfighting, there is mixed martial arts. Daniels is newly divorced and finally sober. He decides that it might feel good to hit people, or to be hit, as if in agreement with the novelist Harry Crews, who wrote, Nothing gets you back in touch with yourself like a little of your own blood. Living in Cambridge, Daniels begins to study Brazilian jujitsu. Hes the kind of mild guy other fighters call professor. But he gets quite adept at violence; he grows feral. His girlfriend asks, What happened to the bookish layabout I fell in love with? He finds himself thinking while running: Cambridge is lousy with runners, and every time one of those scarecrows breezed past me and my knee brace, I thought, Im glad you can run, because when I catch you, the E R nurse is going to pick your teeth out of my elbow the way Mamaw picked raisins out of her slice of cake. This passage is both typical of this book and startling. Its typical because Daniels leans on his rough upbringing in Kentucky, and violence is never far below the surface of these letters. Its startling because The Correspondence is also thoughtful and almost self-consciously literary. This same chapter includes a long, knowing evaluation of the state of Brazilian literature. These essays and stories move high and low at once. Some read a bit like the earthy and doomed short stories of the West Virginia writer Breece DJ Pancake, as tweaked by an ironic miniaturist like Lydia Davis. Its an intoxicating combination. We read about the blue-collar jobs the author has worked, about his uncle who once woke up in a dumpster, and about his sometimes abusive father, a Vietnam veteran. We read about his long nights, before he was sober, doing things like snorting pills off the back of filthy toilets in bars. I was a promising young drunk, he tells us, bad with women and an easy vomiter. He gets freelance writing assignments from national magazines (The New Republic, GQ, The London Review of Books) but mostly blows them. He wants to write something larger and better, but he thinks to himself: There was nothing the matter with me that was not also the matter with everyone else. I was not as interesting as I thought I was. My major problem, inadequate or inappropriate love from my parents, was as common as dirt. He begins to write the letters in this book. His life improves. The problem that confronts the reader of The Correspondence is that, after the near-brilliant first three essays, the pieces begin to display glitches. The second half of the book (two stories and another essay) is lesser work, uneven in tone. Given that the first three essays fill only 76 pages, this entire book begins to seem like a premature birth. The second half cant come close to cashing the check the first half has written. This is a book proposal as much as a book. The short stories are of a piece with the essays; theyre essentially written in the same voice and fit inside the same loose narrative arc. But they lack the gravitas of the earlier letters, and the wit fizzles. In Letter From Devils Tower, billed as fiction, a woman hands a man her purse (he doesnt want it), and she says to him: Be careful. Dont touch it. You might break out in little purses and purse yourself to death. Its impossible to imagine a line this fancifully dead in the first half. Theres a sense of genuine solitude in the best letters in The Correspondence. Other people a wife, friends, employers, lovers flicker in and out, but Daniels makes his way very much alone, in front of his laptop, in the ring and everyplace else. Fighting was an adequate substitute for writing, he writes. I got in a couple of fights, under controlled circumstances, almost every day, sometimes before breakfast. A fight is a story. It offers the shaped comfort of narrative: a beginning, first this happened, and a middle, then this happened because of that and, if it is not interrupted, an end. The Correspondence doesnt have a proper ending. But its beginning is packed with so much promise that 2017 looks better already. The economy of the country has collapsed due to the demonetisation move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai. Speaking outside DCs office on Saturday, Rai termed the move as anti-national. Stating that the NDA government has denied people use of their own hard-earned money, Rai said the BJP promised to bring back black money from abroad, but has cheated people by demonetising high value currency notes. While the move did not affect the rich, it has badly affected the poor. He said that the lavish marriage at Ballari by the Reddys is a mirror to the failure of the move by the Centre. AICC observer Dr Vishnuprasad said that Modi presumed that he would gain popularity by demonetising high value currencies. However, people would show him his popularity in the next elections. Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader said that the people have now realised the truth. Those who waited in long queues to draw their own money, will teach a lesson to the BJP in the next elections, he said. In Udupi The district Congress staged a rally condemning the demonetisation and rise in corruption. District In-charge Minister Pramod Madhwaraj said demonetisation has affected the country massively in terms of declining growth rate. Anywhere else in the world, there would have been a huge civilian revolution following demonetisation. Indians are tolerant and open-minded. Already 50 days are over, but the repercussions continue snowballing. The poor and the traders are the worst sufferers. The income generation has miserably failed as against the assurances by the prime minister over the augmentation of the income. The country is lynching towards decline. Demonetisation has not spared the states exchequer, as states are also experiencing the brunt of the impact. Quoting an economist, he said demonetisation can be taken up only in countries like Greece, where the economy has gone to the dogs. A developing country like India, with increasing growth rate, will experience the worst due to demonisation. The country is also on the threshold of economic bankruptcy. Nearly 14.5-lakh crore worth currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination is banned and the printed currency is only Rs 2.3 lakh crore, the minster added. At least one year is required to replace the currencies that have been banned, he said and confidently added that the Congress is the only solution and the voters would realise the truth. The Congress district president Gopal Poojary said demonetisation has put an end to all cooperative system of financing. Farmers who were dependent on short-term loans from cooperative banks are suffering. They are deprived of the right to borrow the money. There has been universal embargo on 370 district central cooperative societies and over 93,000 agricultural credit societies. Small and medium industries are shutting down with massive job losses. As per the Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE), the loss in the first 50 days would be Rs 11.28 lakh crore. He said that even after December 31, there is no solution found for the repercussions emerging out of demonetisation. The NDA government has stopped all the pro-poor programmes initiated by the UPA government. The prime minister is a liar who always misguides the nation with fake assurances. An artificial emergency is created in the country, he added. He said 115 innocent lives had tragic deaths owing to the impact of demonetisation. The Reserve Bank of India has changed the rules 126 times in 50 days. The prime minister has paralysed the agricultural economy. A memorandum was submitted to the DC demanding independent inquiry and the compensation for recouping the losses suffered by demonetisation. Uflex, the $1-billion homegrown flexible packaging giant, has hinted at plans to tap the demand for packaging solutions from the Karnataka liquor market, as it forays into the aseptic packaging segment with its soon-to-be-opened facility at Sanand in Gujarat. Under a new business initiative, Uflex is venturing into aseptic liquid packaging. Were setting up an aseptic packaging plant, where safe and hygenic (aseptic) packaging material required for packing liquid products will be manufactured, the companys President and CEO (New Business Initiatives), Ashwani Sharma, told DH, adding that Uflex will also offer packaging machines for filling aseptic packs. The plant will open in the first half of this year at Sanand, occupying 21 acres of land, with an investment of Rs 580 crore. Once operational, the facility will employ a workforce of 250. The company has also announced a new brand Asepto as part of the new business initiative. Aseptic processing refers to a sterile (aseptic) product being packaged in a sterile container in a way that maintains sterility. This packaging process is an ideal way to preserve liquids (potable), including alcoholic beverages. Cheers to Karnataka It must be noted that a sizeable proportion of liquor in Karnataka is sold in aseptic packs, whose market is growing in excess of 25%. Between January and December last year, over three billion aseptic liquor packs were sold in South India in totality. According to Sharma, One of the major reasons to move towards such packs is to curb adulteration and duplicity leading to health hazards. A study has found that 20% of analysed samples from across India were adulterated and misbranded, which affects government revenue. It is in this light that Uflex is eyeing to tap this growing market. Our main focus segments are dairy, juice and alcohol as of now, there are only few states selling liquor in aseptic packs, and Karnataka is a major liquor market, Sharma said. Being an Indian manufacturer and supplier of aseptic packs, we see an opportunity to serve the market as an alternate supplier. Currently, we will be offering formats of 90 ml and 180 ml, as they are the most fetched packs, he added. Today, Uflex boasts of manufacturing operations across India, the UAE, Poland, Egypt, Mexico, and the US, with a total film and packaging production capacity of 4,47,000 MT per annum. On the back of a robust demand for flexible packaging in India and overseas, it aims to double its consolidated revenue to $2 billion in the next three years. While US President-elect Donald Trump is eager to repeal Obamacare, Indian healthcare companies, with massive presence in the US, believe that Obamacare cannot be changed overnight with 21 million lives at stake. Trump has called Obamacare an absolute disaster. The Affordable Care Act, approved in 2010, without any Republican votes, provides tax credits to help people buy private insurance. It also allowed states to expand Medicaid eligibility, with the federal government paying most of the cost for new beneficiaries. Indian firms believe that healthcare in the US is very polarised. Trumps desire to repeal Obamacare within 100 days may take longer at least a couple of years. Chocko Valliappa, CEO of Vee Technologies, a healthcare revenue cycle management services company, said, Trump is looking at repelling Obamacare, but does not look to have a replacement as yet. Some of the key considerations that will be in debates are guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions and providing coverage to the kids till they are 26 years of age. Repealing a law that will throw 21 million Americans without insurance coverage will not be easy. I feel Obamacare cannot be changed overnight. No direct threat Healthcare outsourcing for India will be limited to the extent of companies working exclusively on Obamacare. The Indian IT and BPO industry thrives in filling up the skill gap that exists within the US, and therefore, not a direct threat. Trump has spoken about Medicare Drug negotiations, wanting to drastically cut the prices. Indian Pharma companies could gain by exporting generic drugs that might attract Trump, Valliappa added. Telediagnostics firm Teleradiology Solutions (TRS) Co-founder Dr Sunita Maheshwari said, Outsourcing of healthcare work from the US to Indian companies depends upon what is going to happen with Obamacare. There have been many changes in the healthcare scenario in the US over the years. The US senate tried to pass a Data Protection Act that would prevent patient data from leaving the US. Such a ban would have affected not just us, but all outsourced work such as medical transcription, billing, coding, and telemedicine. Luckily, better sense prevailed and they realised that this would actually raise healthcare costs in the US. We survived that bullet, Dr Sunita said. With Obamacare, many of the uninsured became insured. In one way, it was wonderful for the poorer Americans. Over 21 million people got benefitted. Trump is threatening to repeal Obamacare. If he does so, healthcare costs are likely to go up and that is good for teleradiology organisations like ours. With Obamacare, we thought that we would be hit and we survived. So we are hoping that we will also survive Trump, Dr Sunita added. Increased outsourcing In fact, according to the CEO of the American Telemedicine Association, Dr Jonathan Linkous, who spoke at the recent Telemedicon in Bengaluru, If America wants to reduce its health care costs, it should increase some of its outsourcing. The size of the American healthcare Industry alone is equivalent to the entire GDP of France, at $3 trillion. Healthcare reform has always evinced passionate response. Obamacares primary focus was to provide insurance cover for the 10% of the population uninsured, Valliappa added. Urban Development Minister R Roshan Baig on Saturday said preparations are being made to take up a project to process salt water and supply it to people to meet drinking water shortage, on a pilot basis. The project will be taken up under public-private- participation on the lines of Chennai city in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government has incorporated the system where salt water is being processed by a Spain firm in partnership with an Indian firm. The same water is being supplied to a part of Chennai city besides industries, he said. A private company has evinced interest in taking up the task in Mangaluru. The company that will be entrusted with the task will invest on processing unit with the state not feeling the pinch of investment, he said. The charges will be fixed according to domestic and industrial consumption, continuing with the existing system. Baig said the project is not just restricted to Mangaluru city, as plans are afoot to supply treated water to Sakleshpur in neighbouring Hassan district too. In the later days, same water will be used to cater to drinking water needs of Bengaluru by supplying water from the pipeline of Yettinahole project. The minister also directed City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer to submit a proposal to replace existing street lamps with LED bulbs. It is essential to take measures to check burgeoning electricity bills. With LED bulbs, the city corporation alone can save Rs 6 crore against Rs 11 crore annual electricity bills, he said. When some corporators brought it to the notice of the minister that Antony Waste Handling Cell Private Limited that is entrusted with the task of collection and disposal of waste has failed to an extent, the minister directed the officials to focus on tapping alternative energy utilising solid waste. Baig directed the officials to expedite works for early completion of modern abbattoir. Besides submitting a proposal to deputy commissioner to reserve lands for burial grounds of Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities. The construction of houses for pourakarmikas under Gruha Bhagya scheme should be completed on time, he suggested. Mayor K Harinath requested the minister to take measures to sanction more funds to the city corporation. Vacant posts should be filled, he said and urged the minister to check the financial burden due to implementation of equal pay for all. The mayor also requested the minister to clear hurdles related to construction of houses on single sites. Mangaluru North MLA B A Mohiuddin Bawa, Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Chairman K Suresh Ballal were present. The Union government has come up with new guidelines that would push 20 Indian universities to attain world standards. There are several universities even from Singapore that have made it to the top 20. In the past, India has had world-class universities like Nalanda. We have to raise our universities to the same standards. Hence, 10 private and 10 government universities would be chosen for this purpose. They will be selected based on their vision, action plan, experience and the people involved, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar said here on Saturday. He was delivering a talk on Nurturing Indias Young Ambassadors: Reaching out to Indian Students Abroad organised as part of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Several challenges that NRI students faced were also discussed during the session. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is in the process of gathering data of about 6.5 lakh NRI students, according to Vani Rao, Joint Secretary, MEA. This database would have details of students degrees, the courses they pursue and their duration. The website would later be used to issue advisories to students regarding any frauds, she added. Among the other challenges, students said that Indian universities ought to merge their academic year with universities across the world to avoid confusion. They also wanted NRI students to be spared of writing competitive exams in India. One of the students asked why they were asked cough up extra fees compared to other Indian students. They also voiced concerns pertaining to visa extensions. Sometimes, the duration of the course does not match the visa validity period. MEA must ensure the visa validity is the same as that of the course, they said. Indian universities granting degrees in regional languages is another challenge that international students are facing as their names are being misspelt at the time of admission by foreign universities. Meanwhile, Javadekar said that out of 150 scholarships that the government offers to NRI students (Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children), several remain unclaimed. Fifty of these scholarships are reserved for NRI students whose parents work in Gulf countries. A totally digitised India in two-and-a-half years, where ATM, credit and debit card transactions will be replaced by money transfers through thumb impressions in 30 seconds! This was the big picture painted by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant as 1,700 Pravasi Bharatiya delegates watched in awe. Driven by an unprecedented smartphone penetration, India is in the midst of a huge financial disruption. Aadhaar-enabled payment systems are making existing methods redundant. In due course, every Indian will be using thumbs and ticking on a bank icon for transactions, Kant said. Although the disruption culture is expanding to all spheres, Kant had a lament: Women entrepreneurs are still a rarity. Women contribute only 17% to the GDP. They need a critical push if India is to develop into a $10 trillion economy. Black economy is another concern. He said currently, only 2 to 2.5% Indians pay tax. The formal economy is only $2 trillion now. The rest is the non-formal black economy. For renowned scholar in grassroots innovations, Prof Anil Kumar Gupta, growth had to be linked to a connect between young entrepreneurs and traditional training institutes such as ITI. To help startups struggling for early stage investments, new instruments have to be identified so that people can donate in large numbers. Let investments in startups become a sport. Start enjoying the process, he said. Karnataka leads the way in innovation and use of disruptive technology, said panellists at the session Fuelling growth through disruptive innovations: Startup ecosystem in Karnataka. Minister for IT, Biotechnology and Tourism Priyank Kharge said, Bengaluru is the second largest chip design hub and the IT sector is the largest employer with 10 lakh jobs directly and 30 lakh indirectly. Principal secretary for IT, BT, Science and Technology, V Manjula said the government has selected 40 startups for their innovative ideas for angel funding of close to Rs 250 lakh. Karnataka is an innovation hub. Bengaluru has carved a niche for startups and many companies that originated from here have grown to become big players across the globe, she said. Bengaluru, a city fabled for its unplanned growth, will soon see the rollout of a scheme to regularise unauthorised development and constructions. Christened Akrama-Sakrama, the scheme is being sold as a boon for property owners and a one-time golden opportunity for them to come clean. The scheme has pitted some civil society organisations, NGOs and activists against the government as they feel such regularisation is unfair to those who have built homes within the framework of the law. Though many people have been airing such views, there are some who feel the government must be magnanimous. In their quest to have a roof above their head, people end up buying homes wherever it is affordable. The cheaper options are usually those which have flouted the rules, says B P Mallikarjuniah, a former ITI employee. Though he does not have to worry about Akrama-Sakrama, as his residence in Mallathahalli is free of violations, Mallikarjuniah is not miffed with the governments plan to regularise illegal properties. Its difficult for the poor and the middle class to own a house in a city like Bengaluru. There is no point in demolishing their homes now. Its better to levy a fee and regularise properties, he says. Years ago, Mahadevappa, a retired government employee, collated his lifes savings to buy a home in Malleshwaram. But his property now needs to be regularised. The violations were made by the builder from whom we bought the house. I have to now pay a fee and get it regularised, he says. Mahadevappa feels the scheme will help people, but the government, he says, needs to show urgency as the matter has dragged on for too long. This has been going on for so long. More and more buildings are coming up in Bengaluru. Its best if the government notifies the scheme at the earliest, he says. But the fee may be too steep for some. The government has put everyone on the same scale. How can the poor, the middle class and the rich be expected to pay the same percentage of penalty, questions Y B Krishnendra, former president of the Someshwarapura Layout Residents Welfare Association. The government should, according to Krishnendra, reduce the fee for those from low-income backgrounds or else they may stay away from the whole process. The fine in some cases runs into several lakhs, an amount some people may not be able to afford, he says. And the ceiling for violation is baffling for some. The maximum violation that can be regularised is 50%. What about the pete areas? What does the government plan to do there? The violations there are way beyond the permissible limits, says Srinivasamurthy, a civil engineer and a Class-I contractor. Pointing to the future, Srinivasamurthy says the government should not allow violations or else the whole circus will be played out again and again. If the government is really serious, the present Akrama-Sakrama should be combined with a strict enforcement of building by-laws for future constructions. But so far I havent seen them take such measures. There are upcoming properties which continue to flout rules, he says. A simpler way out could be by collecting betterment charges, feels Karthikeyan, a Beml employee and resident of Kaggadasapura. Fix a nominal fee as betterment charge and legalise properties. This will help the poor and may also push owners with large violations to come forward. Trilok Chandra, a businessman who owns a shop on Kilari Road, is not convinced with the governments October 19, 2013, deadline. Why only till 2013? What about buildings that have been constructed later? Will there be another round of Akrama-Sakrama? he asks. Regularising the irregular was never an easy task. While accommodating everyones views may not be possible, the government should at the least remind itself that this is meant for the needy, and not a way out for big realtors to clean their slate. Flouting building bye-laws with impunity, lakhs of properties have sprung up across the city. Revenue layouts have mushroomed without the necessary approvals. Is a one-time regularisation the answer? A one-time opportunity to regularise building bye-law violations with an apt branding: Akrama Sakrama. Thousands of properties, both residential and commercial, should benefit from it, although with conditions. But is this the panacea for Bengalurus hugely unregulated urban growth? Here's what is in store: Over the next four months, owners could apply to get 50% of violations in their residential properties regularised. For commercial properties, only 25% violations will come under the scheme, being implemented in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. Properties built before October 19, 2013 are eligible. Widespread violations Violations have been widespread. If commercial buildings have mushroomed in areas demarcated for residential layouts, many have flouted rules of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) with disdain, building multiple floors in violation of the Town and Country Planning Act. But demolishing these buildings would mean rendering lakhs of families homeless. Instead, the government chose to give them this one-time chance to regularise all illegal structures. There is another category of violations, bunched together for regularisation: Revenue layouts. Over the last several years, lakhs of buildings have sprung up across the city without any permission from the competent authorities. As a well-oiled machinery of corrupt bureaucrats, politicians, builders and land-owners took shape, agricultural lands transformed into these revenue layouts without the mandatory changes in land-use. Low-cost options Rising demand for affordable housing forced the citizens to fall prey to this corrupt nexus. Neither the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) nor the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) could meet the demand. As these agencies, along with BMRDA, BIAAPA and BMICPA failed to provide sites and houses at a cheaper rate, citizens had no choice but to opt for the revenue layouts. Since the brains behind these layouts had enough clout in the nexus, the necessary approvals were given the go-by. Sites were thus far cheaper than those in the layouts approved by the government agencies. Rampant corruption and high conversion charges escalate the cost of genuine sites, rendering them completely unaffordable to the middle and lower classes. Taking advantage of the peoples desperation to own a house, realtors form revenue layouts and sell them at low rates. Inevitably, such transactions are highly risky. In most of the cases, as property owners themselves admit, the documents would not be genuine. If conversion issues plague many sites on revenue layouts, there are cases where layouts are formed on lakes, stormwater drains, parks, playgrounds and other civic amenity sites. The rules are clear that the regularisation exercise will not cover sites on encroachments. Why one-time? Critics of the Akrama-Sakrama scheme ask why the regularisation exercise should be a one-time activity. They feel it would only spur violators to indulge in more illegalities in the hope that another Akrama-Sakrama would be waiting five years down the line. So, what is their alternative? Civic evangelist V Ravichander suggests a model where houses with violations are brought under a cloud. This can be a self-assessment exercise and let this be recorded in BBMP, BDA records, in stamps and registration offices and online. And specify how the citizen can remove the stigma associated with the property. The day the regularisation is complied with, the property is no longer under a cloud. Else the property owner pays an annual akrama-sakrama cess in perpetuity. Annual cess Under this model, minor violations that do not have any impact on the neighbourhood can be waived off at the outset. On an annual basis the civic authorities could levy a cess that could be -around 7-10 per cent of the one-time regularisation fee amount currently being advocated. The way to get out of paying this cess and removing the stigma is to correct the irregularity. If that cannot be done, the cess stays, he explains. This, however, remains a suggestion. With the High Court of Karnataka giving its approval for the Akrama Sakrama scheme, the regularisation exercise has already begun. But it is not clear how many will opt for it. The last time such an option was offered, only about 1,600 applications were received. Whatever penalty amount the government eventually ends up collecting, an informed suggestion is this: Use at least 50% of that money in improving the same locality from where the penalty amount is collected. As many as 140 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) were visiting India as part of the Know India programme organised by the Ministry of External Affairs. While the first visit to some was a shock, others found India wasnt as bad as it was portrayed. For Sapir Shay, a fashion designing student from Israel, the stark difference between the rich and the poor was shocking. It is my first visit to India. While we were staying in a posh hotel, right outside, we could see really poor people. There is a child begging for help. That left me shocked, she said. Bhavisthra Ramlagan, an environmental scientist from South Africa, however, said India for her was much better than what was portrayed back home. I was warned that I must carry face masks. It was not that bad. We toured North India and travelled to parts of Delhi and UP, she said. Asked why she had not visited the country before, Ramlagan said she was a sixth generation citizen of South Africa and found no need to come here. My family does not even speak Hindi anymore, she added. She got to know about the programme for the first time through the Ministry of External Affairs Know India Programme (KIP), which brings young Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) between 18 and 30 years to their home country if they have never visited India. Ramlagan said that though her country was not free from poverty, rural areas had better infrastructure. Drawing a comparison, she said, Here, we came across beggars even in the citys central business district, she said. Both the women said that they were warned about molestation cases in the country. They complained that men staring at them left them uncomfortable and they wanted to hide behind men accompanying them. They recalled "blatant staring and wolf whistles" they were subjected to in Lucknow. With MEA bearing all the expenses, the 25-day orientation programme involves participants in batches of 40 per programme. They can spend time at locations of their choice where sightseeing, lectures and other programmes are organised. Startups from across India have set up stalls at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas exhibition centre to showcase their talent and achievements. Around 20 are sharing the platform under the umbrella MEA-NITI Ayog National Contest of Social Innovation-2016. Some of them include non-polluting boats, a startup empowering women and another making organic fertiliser from banana peels. The non-polluting boat, called Aditya, is said to be Indias first solar and electric ferry. Sandith Thandasherry, managing director, Navalt Solar and Electric Boats Pvt Ltd, told DH, The idea came to us when we saw increasing pollution levels from diesel-powered boats that ferried people. If the sky is clear, then the solar panels charge the battery while the ferry is on the move but when it cloudy, the ferry is plugged to the electric panels and the battery is charged for eight hours. Nyayika, a startup empowering women, was formed by Pramila Ben (40) from Gujarat. I was subjected to domestic violence. But now I have put all that behind me and I am helping my sisters fight for their rights. The NGO, not only handles domestic violence cases, rape and assault against women, but helps women and rural men in various government schemes, she said. Prakash Vaghasiya, co-director of V R Innovative Solution Enterprise, which has created Nutrivise Earth Organic Fertiliser from banana peels, told DH that the company is yet to be launched, but when the Gujarat government heard of the initiative they urged the firm to register for the competition. The organic fertiliser is made only of banana peel with some bacterial anaerobic treatment to make fertilizers, he said. As Karnataka and the Centre beckoned the Indian diaspora seeking investments, 700 delegates from the Middle East stood waiting for an assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite being the source of maximum remittances to the country, they felt ignored and not engaged enough. On the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017 event here on Saturday, the delegates articulated their concerns about rehabilitation, denial of voting rights and a lack of direction in the Centres engagement with them. The demands had been pending for 25 years, the Sharjah-based Indian Association president Y A Rahim told DH. Millions of Indians settled in the Gulf have been seeking contributory pension and NRI free-zones in districts to help them set up small-scale industries, he said. The Gulf community had matured enough to turn entrepreneurs, and the governments here could exploit it for mutual benefit. China has done so, making millions of dollars in the process. We contribute $ 69 billion to India in remittances every year. But there is a clear lack of initiative from the Indian side. The concerns were communicated to the Ministry of External Affairs repeatedly. We now expect results, concrete decisions from Modi. We will protest if it is not forthcoming here, said Rahim. Many non-resident Indians (NRIs) didnt seem impressed by the way demonetisation was implemented. NRIs, who landed in Bengaluru for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), said the intention may have been good but the manner in which it was executed put crores of people in trouble. Sanjay Kumar, secretary of Indian Social Club of Thailand, said there were discussions in Thailand about demonetisation where people agreed the cause was good but implementation was poor. Kumar said, We agree that secrecy was very much required but at the same time, there should have been adequate preparation. In a big country like India, cash crunch would ruin the economy. Hailing from Palwal in Haryana, Kumar narrated his own experience. His mother, who cannot walk due to old age, found it hard to survive without cash. She was in dire need of cash. All I could do sitting many kilometres away was to transfer money, but who could draw cash for her? In rural areas, digital transactions are a distant dream and all financial dealings are in cash, said Kumar. He sought to know how many big black money holders were spotted in queues for cash. Shailesh Upadhyay from Thailand said demonetisation may be beneficial in the long run but it has slowed down economic activities. Dr E K Mohammed Shaffe, who heads the International Indian School-Dammam at Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia said, as a student of economics, he is unable to understand what the government had achieved. We believe the intentions were good, but why was there no planning? No banks outside India accepted demonetised currency because of which many of us lost our hard-earned money in lakhs of rupees, said Dr Shaffe. Former bureaucrat from Mauritius Mookhesswur Choonee backed the decision saying that this was one major step to curb black money. Cash-strapped visitors The demonetisation effect hit many NRIs as soon as they landed in Bengaluru as they had a tough time reaching the venue with taxi drivers insisting on cash. Gopal K from Qatar said he had only Rs 4,000 when he came to Bengaluru of which he spent Rs 2,000.I have to manage with only Rs 2,000 for the next two days in Bengaluru, said Gopal. Sanjay Kumar from Thailand said he had very little cash in hand and tried to pay the taxi driver online but he refused to accept it. If this is the status of digital transactions in the IT capital of India, then imagine the situation in remote parts of the country, said Kumar. The state government has decided to stop storing question papers of public examinations such as SSLC and PU in taluk treasuries in the coming days as part of measures to prevent paper leaks. Instead, question papers will be stored only in strongrooms of district treasuries, which have better security. A decision to this effect was taken based on a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe that traced cases of question paper leak in the past to taluk treasuries. Besides, discretionary powers of the Treasury Director to release question papers in advance, has been removed. The CID, which conducted an investigation into the PU chemistry paper leak last year, had traced the leak to a treasury at Hangal taluk of Haveri district. A second division assistant at the treasury office was reportedly involved in the illegal act. The culprit had gained entry into the strongroom and taken photographs of the question paper using his mobile phone in the absence of proper security. The investigation had found a similar case of paper leak in the past in a taluk treasury. Director of Treasury department K P Jyoti said the CID investigation has found taluk treasuries vulnerable. Security is a major issue at taluk treasuries. Round-the-clock security has to be ensured for question papers. So, the government has decided to store question papers only at district treasuries with proper security arrangements from this year, she added. Once the question papers are printed, they are normally safeguarded in strongrooms of government treasuries till the examinations are held. Question papers have to be handed over to the examination-conducting authority only one hour before the scheduled time of the examination according to the Karnataka Treasury Code. However, papers are released in advance if the examination centres are located in far-flung places after obtaining special permission. Powers curtailed The government has recently amended Article 18(a) of the Treasury Code, removing the discretionary powers of the director to release papers in advance. Now, the papers will be released in advance only if the examination-conducting authorities make a written requisition in this regard. A committee headed by a deputy commissioner will decide whether the requisition for early release is genuine or not, she added. CCTVs in district treasuries The government will instal closed-circuit television cameras at all district treasuries shortly to monitor the movement of people. The Department of Pre-University Education has come forward to instal cameras. This apart, the Home Department has been requested to provide round-the-clock security at all treasuries during examinations, Jyoti said. Preventing Government will not store question papers in taluk treasuries in coming days. Question papers will be stored only in district treasuries. Discretionary power of Director of Treasuries to release question paper in advance removed. Will the next generation fast-paced public transport system that ferries people at airline speed but at the cost of a bus fare hit Indian streets? It appears so as the Centre is studying whether the US startup Hyperloop One type of futuristic transport network can be introduced here. The technology for passenger and freight transportation, being implemented in some foreign countries, propels a pod-like vehicle through a near vacuum tube at more than aircraft speed. Union Road Transport Ministry officials recently made a presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the latest modes of public transport system across the world recently, including the Hyperloop One, the Straddling Bus developed in China, and the Podcars. Concerned over the growing traffic clog in urban areas, the government is exploring various models for modern public transport system, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said. The prime minister is keen to shift to better modes of public transport and has asked the ministry to conduct feasibility studies of these models, Gadkari said. In November, Dubai had signed an agreement with Hyperloop One to evaluate construction of the network. Once implemented, the travel time of 150 km between the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be just 12 minutes. At least 25 students of a private school had a narrow escape when their school bus got stuck in a pothole and crashed into an electricity pole at Hurugalli in Bidadi around 8.30 am on Saturday. The front windshield of the bus was shattered, but no casualties were reported. Police said a few students sustained minor bruises and were discharged as outpatients from a nearby private hospital. The driver, attender and students seated on the front seats escaped unhurt, while a few seated in the rear, sustained injuries due to the impact of the collision. School authorities were immediately informed but no complaint was lodged. In a surprise move by the Centre, the telecom ministry on Saturday appointed tainted Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh chairman of the telephone advisory committee for Kolkata circle. Even though both the ministry and Ghosh maintained there was nothing political about it, the appointment has given rise to speculations that it was an incentive for the suspended MP to turn state approver in the multi-crore Saradha scam. Trinamool soldier I have been one of the soldiers of the Trinamool during the partys worst times and have been paying my membership fees all along. I dont see any political overtone in this. I will talk to my lawyers and send a reply to the ministry, Ghosh told reporters on Saturday. A senior telecom official also claimed the offer was a routine measure available to all MPs. Although the Trinamool leadership is yet to comment on the matter, insiders admitted the timing of the appointment seemed suspicious. Incidentally, Ghosh received the ministrys letter the same day he had his bail confirmed by the Calcutta High Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Ghosh in November 2013 for his role in the Saradha scam but was released from jail on interim bail in October 2016. He had his regular bail confirmed by the high court on Friday when his name was kept out of the charge sheet. The court, however, ordered Ghosh to submit his passport to the CBI and not leave the jurisdiction of his local police station. Concerns within the Trinamool Congress are that he could turn state approver and help the CBI nail his former party colleagues. While Ghosh refrained from commenting on his future political plans, political insiders believe he is likely to announce his decision to join the BJP soon. Ghosh was deemed a key player in the Saradha scam and investigators believe that as head of the Saradhas media business, he helped the groups chairman and managing director, Sudipto Sen, to expand his business, using his influence as a Trinamool MP. Ghosh called a press conference at his north Kolkata residence on Saturday and lashed out at his party, challenging Trinamool national spokesperson Derek OBrien to a debate over the Saradha scam. If OBrien has the guts, he will sit across the table and debate with me, he said. He also said that an enquiry committee should be set up to initiate a probe against chit fund firms like Rose Valley. M C Mohan Kumari (Geetha Mahadeva Prasad), wife of late cooperation minister H S Mahadeva Prasad, who died on January 3, would be the Congress party candidate from the Gundlupet Assembly constituency for the upcoming by-election. The by-election is necessitated following the death of Prasad, who represented the constituency. Speaking to reporters after performing the third-day rituals of Prasad at his farmhouse in Halahalli, Gundlupet taluk, Geetha said she would decide about politics after the 11th day death ritual of Prasad. She said she would take further decision as per the suggestions of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and seer Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt. My husband worked hard for the development of the constituency. It is imperative for me to take additional responsibility to continue his good works. BJP MP Sakshi Maharajs remarks appearing to blame the Muslim community for the population boom in the country prompted the Congress to approach the Election Commission (EC). The Congress contended that it violated the Supreme Court judgement on the use of religion in garnering votes. The Meerut police registered an FIR against Maharaj for deliberate attempts to outrage religious feelings, hurting religious feelings and making statements prejudicial to national integration. In a memorandum to the EC, Congress leader K C Mittal contended that Maharajs remarks were in contravention of the apex court judgement on January 2, which states that seeking votes in the name of religion was impermissible under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The BJP distanced itself from Maharajs remarks. His statement is not the governments view and also not of the BJP, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. JD(U) leader K C Tyagi termed Maharajs remarks the first major violation of the SC guidelines on the use of religion in politics. Newly retired world champion Nico Rosberg is currently just enjoying his family and life, relieved of being from the high boost pressures of Formula 1. The German was spotted on social media this week apparently refuelling a 'LaFerrari' supercar, something which fueled allegations that he was going to ditch the Mercedes brand altogether. But there was a perfectly simple explanation for the stolen pic, as Rosbergt explained to Germany's Auto Bild. "That is indeed me in the photo, but unfortunately the car belongs to a buddy who was paying for fuel." Sport Bild also reported that Rosberg is likely to remain a Mercedes brand ambassador in 2017, when he will officially be the sport's reigning world champion. GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter With no solution in sight, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav are preparing to slug it out in the upcoming electoral battle in the state. According to the leaders close to Mulayam, Chief Minister Akhilesh was not ready to bend even a little bit to concede his fathers demands, which included relinquishing the post of the national president of the party. On the other hand, the Akhilesh group maintained that the rival faction was not ready to throw out SP Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and hand over the authority of selection of nominees to Akhilesh. On Saturday, too, there were several rounds of meetings between senior SP leaders, including minister Azam Khan and Mulayam, but no compromise could be reached. Khan and Shivpal also held several rounds of discussions with Mulayam here to find a solution to the crisis, but in vain. Sources said that Khan was likely to side with Mulayam in the event of a split in the party. Azam Khan has promised Mulayam that he will be with the party patriarch in case of a split, said a leader close to Khan here. The patch-up efforts launched by the elders of the Yadav family, who had descended on the state capital from their native village of Saifai to broker a truce, had failed to yield any positive results. Sources close to Akhilesh said that he was preparing to go it alone in the polls and might announce his list of nominees in the next few days. The Mulayam group also indicated on Saturday that its list of candidates was almost ready and could be declared shortly. Sources said that both Mulayam and Shivpal might leave for Delhi on Sunday to the meet Election Commission (EC) officials to hand over some important documents in support of their claim over cycle, the partys election symbol. SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav was also scheduled to meet EC officials on Saturday, sources here said. Akhilesh camp bullish over cycle The faction of the Samajwadi Party (SP) led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday presented the affidavits of party delegates to the Election Commission (EC) to stake claim to the cycle symbol, DHNS reports from New Delhi. SP General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav met the EC and gave affidavits of 4,716 delegates, including MLAs, MPs, gram panchayat members, municipal corporation counsellors and representatives of its national convention. The party has 5,731 delegates in total. This is an overwhelming majority... Over 90% of the SP is led by Akhilesh, Ram Gopal told journalists after his meeting with the EC. Religious leader and president of Basava Dharma Peetha, Mate Mahadevi, said on Saturday that there had been an increase in sexual assaults against women as girls roam in the night freely. Reacting to the molestation of girls during the New Years Eve celebrations in Bengaluru, she said that it was not right on the part of girls to behave provocatively wearing skimpy dresses on the pretext of New Years Eve celebrations. Such conduct is an invitation to sexual perverts, she said. She said that in order to prevent such instances in future, girls should cover themselves up and a dress code should be introduced for them in colleges. Women are partly responsible for rapes against them and so is society. Porn movies too play a role. Therefore, a dress code on the lines of one in Arab countries should be introduced for women in India, she said. A team of concerned citizens led by former external affairs minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday released its report on Kashmir. The team recommended multi-dimensional dialogue by the PDP-BJP government, which includes talks with the Hurriyat at the earliest. It also asked the government to improve the human rights situation and resuscitate democratic linkages between people and allow Kashmiris to assemble and meet to hold discussions. The report wanted the administration to institutionalise the process of interaction between civil society groups from the rest of India and the Kashmiris by involving more opinion makers and citizens. Listing its most important findings after visiting the militancy-affected rural areas of the Kashmir Valley, the report said that the anger in the rural areas is palpably greater than in Srinagar. The report also noted particularly that there is an increasing lack of fear among the youngsters, or so they claim, in confronting the security forces. They point out that neither the president nor the prime minister had participated in the last rites and burial of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, while both had rushed to Chennai when J Jayalalithaa passed away. They contrasted the way two gold medal-winning sportspersons P V Sindhu and young Tajmul Islam were felicitated on their return from abroad, the report said. The team also found that the dominant feeling one came across was that no amount of financial packages will help resolve the political issue of Kashmir. The overwhelming feeling was that the only context within which the Kashmir issue can be settled is the one laid out by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of resolving the Kashmir tangle within the ambit of humanity (insaniyat ke dayare mein). Big trouble after April, says report The Yashwant Sinha-led team of concerned citizens on Kashmir has concluded that there is a strange apprehension among the Kashmiris that something untoward is going to happen once spring sets in, DHNS reports. As of now, the strike calendar has become fortnightly and a complete hartal or closure is limited to only two days in a week. It is, as though, realising the hardships being faced by the people, the Hurriyat leaders have decided not to enforce the hartal with full vigour, according to the teams report. However, it said what happens in the period after April 2017 is expected to be much higher in magnitude and intensity. India and Portugal on Saturday inked seven pacts, including one for defence cooperation, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted his counterpart from the South European country, Antonio Luis Santos da Costa. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked for India-Portugal defence cooperation envisages high-level visits, working-level exchanges, education and training exchanges, exchange of views on issues of mutual interests like security challenges, maritime security and United Nations peacekeeping operations. The MoU also provides for cooperation between defence industries of the two nations. The MoU on Defence cooperation signed on Saturday will help us harness our respective strengths in this field for mutual benefit, Modi said in a statement after his meeting with Costa in Hyderabad House. Modi and Costa called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing. Recognizing the importance of the central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee, noted a joint statement issued after the meeting of the two Prime Ministers. This comes a week after China blocked the latest attempt of India to impose UN sanctions on Pakistan-based terrorist leader Masood Azhar. The other MoUs inked on Saturday sought to step up bilateral cooperation in Information Technology and Electronics, Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Renewable Energy, Marine Research and Resources. An MoU for establishment of an ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) chair of Indian Studies in University of Lisbon was also signed. The two nations inked an agreement on visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports too. Modi and Costa also issued an India-Portugal Joint Declaration on Cooperation in Third Countries. Modi also invited Portuguese companies to take advantage of his governments Make in India initiative. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up the two-day BJP conclave, saying demonetisation was not a part of the BJPs political agenda but a hard decision necessary to fix the countrys ills. He also said he did not consider the poor as part of his vote bank. The prime minister also stressed on bringing transparency in political funding, saying, the BJP fully supports the idea. Modi, who has been speaking on the need for electoral reforms in the country, said the BJP would play a proactive role in this regard. We do not see it (fighting poverty) through the lens of vote bank and we must not. For us, poor and poverty are not just about winning polls, its an opportunity to serve. Modis remark came a day after party chief Amit Shah said at the conclave that the Opposition is frustrated by the fact that the support of the poor, which for historical reasons was with some other parties, has now shifted to the BJP and Modi. Modis address to BJP leaders from all over the country came after the partys executive endorsed his governments demonetisation decision that shook the country. Addressing the two-day national executive meet, Modi said, Our commitment is to change quality of life of poor. Demonetisation is part of long term measures against corruption and black money. The prime minister saluted what he called the inner strength of the poor who responded to his appeal, in spite of some difficulties and voluntarily supported demonetisation. Flayed by those opposing demonetisation, Modi said, Some people worry about lifestyle but our priority is to make quality of life better for the poor and underprivileged. The move to demonetise higher value currency is a part of the long term measures against corruption and black money in the country. Within days of the Supreme Court ruling making the use of religion to seek votes illegal, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj embarrassed his party by reportedly blaming Muslims for the rise in the population of the country, and sought a tough law to control the same. The controversial saffron leader was booked for violation of the model code of conduct and a case was lodged against him under Section 298 of the IPC. Speaking at a meeting of saints at the Shanidham temple in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut town on Friday evening, Maharaj also sought a ban on triple talaq. The time has come to make tough laws to control population.... four wives and 40 children will not be tolerated.... the country will be divided if the population of Hindus decline, the MP from Unnao said. Mothers are not machines to produce children, he remarked. According to sources, the Election Commission has sought a report from the district administration on the remarks by the MP. Reports said the saints forced a video-recording team, sent to cover the event by the administration, to leave the venue. Maharajs remarks drew criticism from the Opposition parties, which demanded strict action against the BJP Lok Sabha member. It is an attempt to polarise the Assembly polls along communal lines... Sakshi Maharaj should be acted against, said state Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi. The BSP has also demanded action against Maharaj. BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh sought to distance themselves from the remarks. It might be his personal views, said a state BJP leader. Maharaj claimed that his remarks were not aimed at any political party. I had made the remarks at a meeting of the saint community... there was no public meeting..., he said. In 2015, Maharajs remarks urging Hindu women to give birth to at least four children to increase Hindu population created a furore. His remarks on Prophet Muhammad too had stirred the hornets nest. Billed as the biggest-ever assembly of the Indian diaspora, the 14th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas began with much fanfare here on Saturday. About 1,700 non-resident Indians took in the sights and sounds, with the focus on the first day being on Indias transition to a digitised economy and youth entrepreneurship. A sense of anticipation was in the air as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the convention on Sunday. The turnout this time is overwhelmingly from West Asian countries such as Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Over 700 delegates from the Gulf are hopeful the prime minister will redress 25-year-old demands linked to rehabilitation. The Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on the Bengaluru-Mumbai highway has turned into a mini-India, with people from different parts of the country and representatives of the diaspora coming together in big numbers. Dnyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, ministry of external affairs, said 7,100 people had so far registered for the event and spot registrations would be open till Saturday evening. Besides Modi, the spotlight on Sunday will also be on Portuguese prime minister Dr Antonio Costa, who is arriving as a chief guest. Singhs T party Setting the tone for the three-day event, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said talent, training, technology and team work would be the four elements binding NRI youth with the country in the years ahead. Cultural events, besides exhibits by states, ministries and private and public organisations are adding colour to the mela. Stalls promoting traditional medicine Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani as also yoga are conspicuous. A display details the Ganga-cleaning project, Namaami Gange. Some NRIs complained about a shortage of cash because of the November 8 demonetisation. The Modi governments plan to advance the presentation of the General Budget will remain unchanged as President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday summoned the Budget Session of Parliament from January 31. The President will address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at 11 am on Tuesday, January 31, in the Central Hall, Parliament House, New Delhi, a Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on Saturday says. The bulletin also intimates members about the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1. The summoning of the Budget Session is indicative of the President rejecting the plea of 16 Opposition parties to postpone the presentation of the General Budget. The Opposition had argued that the presentation of the Budget could give the ruling BJP undue advantage in the elections to five states beginning February 4. Earlier in the day, the Election Commission asked the Union government to give its view on some political parties demand for deferring the presentation of the Budget in view of the model code of conduct imposed in five poll-bound states. In a move that could stir controversy, Prime Minister Narendra Modis office has decided to make public the decisions taken by the erstwhile National Advisory Council headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi during the decade-long United Progressive Alliance government. Around 700 files containing the minutes of the NAC meetings, details of foreign and domestic tours undertaken by its members, and other sensitive government matters handled by the council will be made public shortly, highly placed government sources said. The files will establish that it was Sonia who was running the UPA government and not former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the sources said. Throughout NACs existence from 2004, the BJP had described it as an extra-Constitutional authority designed to equip Sonia with remote control to run the Manmohan Singh-led government. But the Congress had always defended NAC, arguing that its existence marked signs of a healthy democracy and that the advisory body facilitated greater pre-policy deliberations. NAC was scrapped after the NDA government came to power in May 2014. Modi himself was a critic of NAC. During his stint as Gujarat chief minister, he had charged the council with drafting a perverse and ill-conceived bill to tackle communal violence, which was seen by the BJP as a tool to target its government in Gujarat. One of the files accessed by the then NAC chief Sonia, which is expected to be made public, was on the legislation to regulate real estate. The then Union minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kumari Shelja, wrote to Madam on November 16, 2011, informing and seeking her guidance on the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill 2011. At that time, the bill had been circulated among the chief ministers and Central ministers for their feedback, revealed Sheljas communication. The file showed back-and-forth conversations. Among them were suggestions on the draft legislation by the private real estate developers associations, CREDAI, and a leading real estate developer. It also contained a note dated December 2, 2011, from Rita Sharma, who was secretary to the advisory body, giving the salient features of the bill and marked to Sonia. Dad Shah Rukh Khans Rules For Men Who Want To Date Suhana Doctor who performed abortion on Ohio girl sues to stop Indiana AG from accessing records An Indianapolis doctor thrust into national news on abortion is suing to stop Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita from obtaining medical records. Pakistan, China and Russia held three-way Afghan peace talks in Moscow last week and though Afghanistan was absent, the US hoped the meeting would lead to peace. At a news briefing in Washington on Tuesday afternoon, state department spokesman John Kirby said the US recognised Afghanistan's right to hold all negotiations with other nations on issues that concerned the country and its people. He said the US could continue to support the Afghan government but Washington still believed only an Afghan-led peace process could bring peace to the country. ''What we welcome is any international effort to help Afghanistan become secure and more prosperous. And we continue to support, as we always have, an Afghan-led reconciliation process,'' Kirby said when asked if the three-way talks had the support of the US. ''We still believe that's the right way to go here, going forward. That hasn't changed. And our support for President [Ashraf] Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah [Abdullah] remains steadfast, '' The Kashmir Monitor reported citing Agencies. Kirby further noted that as a nation-state Afghanistan ''has every right and every responsibility, quite frankly, for the betterment of their own people to have, whether it's multilateral or bilateral, discussions with neighbouring nations and nations that aren't neighbouring''. Meanwhile, Pakistan believed the Obama administration played the role of a 'major spoiler' in the Afghan peace process, according to a senior Pakistani official who was part of the discussions with US officials, The Express Tribune reported. The official, who spoke to The Express Tribune and did not wish to be identified, was speaking about the failure of efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US. ''There was no clarity among the Obama administration about peace talks in Afghanistan. It played the role of a major spoiler in Afghanistan,'' he said. When asked about the failure of the QCG, he said ''there were differences in thought because China and Pakistan were on one side and Afghanistan and the US on another.'' Pakistan's former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif, has been appointed as head of the 39 Islamic Countries alliance, Pakistan defence minister Khwaja Asif has said. Saudi Arabia announced in December the formation of the Islamic military alliance to combat terrorism. The alliance will act to protect the nations from all armed groups and terrorist organisations - whatever their doctrine or title - which spread killing and corruption in the world and are designed to terrorise the innocent, Saudi Press Agency had earlier quoted a statement as saying about the objectives of the alliance. Khwaja Asif told Geo television on Friday that an agreement on Raheel Sharif's appointment was reached a few days ago. However, no details of the agreement are available. Raheel Sharif retired as Pakistan Army Chief in November 2016 after completing his three-year term. The Pakistani army conducted major operations against the armed groups under Raheel Sharif, the country's media reported. The coalition consists of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Turkey, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Djibouti, Senegal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Gabon, Guinea, Palestine, Comoros, Qatar, Cote d'Ivoire, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, the Maldives, Mali, Malaysia, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Yemen. The Pakistan government and the army top brass had given their consent for the appointment as retired officers can take up such assignments within two years of stepping down only with the government's assent, he said. ''Our government's say was involved in it, he couldn't have done this independently. All the clearances were taken,'' Asif said. ''This was in the pipeline for quite some time and the prime minister was also part of the deliberations.'' Asif described the military alliance as a ''good thing'' saying the ''Ummah'' (Muslim brotherhood) requires unity to tackle problems in ''Myanmar, Palestine, Syria, Libya and Kashmir''. He did not give details. Pakistan was at the centre of a controversy when Saudi Arabia named it as part of the military alliance without seeking Islamabad's consent. The government later confirmed its participation in the alliance but has not committed itself to providing troops for any possible operations. The coalition was envisaged to serve as a platform for security cooperation, including provision of training, equipment and troops, and involvement of religious scholars for dealing with extremism. China today asserted that it is committed to executing the Southern Economic Development Zone in the southern port town of Hambantota in Sri Lanka despite hostile propaganda by the local opposition parties. Speaking at the launch of the controversial Chinese projects in Sri Lanka's Hambantota port amidst rioting against the Sino-Sri Lankan deal by locals, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said that ''no negative force'' can stop China's development assistance to Sri Lanka, and no one can stop the ''strong friendship'' between the two countries. ''This is a great opportunity for Sri Lanka, as more than 50 Chinese investors are interested in investing in the Southern Development Project. If everything goes well, at least $5 billion might be invested in the next three to five years, providing 100,000 jobs to Sri Lankans,'' Yi said. ''Sri Lanka is the most friendly country for China, which is why it has been China's highest priority to invest in Sri Lanka,'' he added. ''In 2014, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Sri Lanka, we decided to make Sri Lanka our first priority for investments. Then in 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena visited China and we confirmed and decided to support each other. Last April, Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe visited China. It is quite clear that the Chinese President and Prime Minister reached a consensus. Now, China will join Sri Lanka to help it establish its basic industrial system,'' Yi said. The Southern Development Zone would be the most important economic activity for Sri Lanka, its government and the people of Hambanota, the envoy said. ''Sri Lanka is not a small country but a great country with a 20 million population. It's a big country with big potential. That is why today we have gathered here and I stand here to share with you my feelings. I will do my best to help develop Sri Lanka,'' Yi said. He assured that all Chinese projects would follow the Environmental Impact Assessment and also the laws of Sri Lanka. ''This is my promise and a promise from all Chinese business people. We will respect decisions made by the Sri Lankan government and people. We will corporate with you, government ministers and the people, to make this area, within the next 30 years, a developed area,'' Yi said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked China for showing interest in investing $5 billion in the next 3 to 5 years and said this would pave way for Sri Lanka to be a developed nation. ''No one can stop us from establishing a new Sri Lanka for the benefit of the youth. Like Malaysia, Singapore, and China, we will also be a developed country,'' the prime minister said. Clashes erupted after protesters pelted stones at the area where the ceremony was being held. Sri Lanka has allocated 15,000 acres for Chinese investments in South Sri Lanka and will give an 80 per cent stake in the Hambantota Port to China Merchants Port Holdings in a debt equity swap as Sri Lanka finds itself unable to pay the total debt of $1.4 billion dollars incurred in building the port. But the opposition and the media describe this as a ''sell out of national strategic asset''. But the Sri Lankan government has blamed former President Mahinda Rajapakse for taking hefty loans to build the Hambantota Port, highways and Mattala Airport during the previous regime, without any repayment plans. RBI to provide Nepal Rs100 cr in Rs100 notes The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to supply Rs100 crore in Rs100 notes to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) in view of the shortage of Indian currency in the country. NRB officials said the new notes will arrive in January itself, PTI reports. The report said NRB's earlier plan to import Rs100 notes from India was delayed due to the demonetisation of higher value notes by the Government of India. The RBI had asked its Nepali counterpart to wait for the situation in India to normalise. Post demonetisation exercise, NRB had lowered the exchange limit of Indian banknotes in Nepal. It currently allows an exchange of up to Rs2,000 on the basis of citizenship identification. The limit is raised to Rs10,000 for those who produce a valid rail or air ticket to India and Rs25,000 for those getting a medical checkup in India, it said. PTI quoted an NRB official as saying that the limit will not be reviewed till the RBI is able to provide notes. The RBI had been exchanging Rs600 crore every year, which is unlikely this year due to the cash-swap. NRB has brought only Rs120 crore this year and has Rs350 crore in its reserves. After receiving the additional Rs100 crore it will be able to provide cash exchange facilities to both Nepali and Indian nationals for the next eight to nine months. Russian President Vladimir Putin set out to undermine the 2016 US election and discredit former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an unprecedented "influence campaign", eventually deciding to help the chances of President-elect Donald Trump, according to a declassified report by the US intelligence community. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability," according to the report, released late on Friday. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," the report continued, adding, "Putin and the Russian government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible." The release of the report by the top three US intelligence agencies came just hours after intelligence chiefs gave a classified briefing to Trump in New York. Outgoing President Barack Obama, who ordered the report, was briefed on the material Thursday. In the report, both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation state they have "high confidence" in their conclusions. A third intelligence branch, the National Security Agency, while in agreement, said it had only "moderate" confidence in the findings. Late Friday, Trump, rather than criticising Putin and Russia for interfering in an American election, posted a tweet that blames the Democrats for being hacked. ''Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place,'' Trump tweeted. He further tweeted that ''The Republican National Committee had strong defence,'' without making any reference to Russia's election tampering. Trump called his briefing Friday "constructive", but maintained in a statement that any efforts by Russia or other countries to interfere with the US election had "absolutely no effect on the outcome". Trump also promised to appoint a team to come up with a plan to combat cyberattacks on the US by Russia and China, as well as from other countries and entities, within 90 days of his inauguration. "America's safety and security will be my No 1 priority," Trump said in the statement. "The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm." Earlier Friday, however, Trump characterized the intelligence community's insistence that Russia interfered in the elections as a "political witch hunt" during an interview with The New York Times, saying it was being carried out by opponents who were still upset about losing to him. His failure to fully endorse the US intelligence community's findings even after the briefing is likely to stir further controversy. White House spokesman Josh Earnest went so far as to question Trump's motives, citing a series of tweets by the president-elect. "His concerns are about something other than protecting classified information," Earnest said Friday. "What those concerns are is something that I'll let him articulate." Some US lawmakers who have also been briefed on the classified version of the report have come away with far different determinations. "Suffice to say, it's stunning in its conclusions," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Another Democrat, Representative Bennie Thompson, said the classified report "presents compelling evidence" of Russian interference. The ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee also said it was "stunning and quite shameful that the president-elect has instead put his energy towards impugning the intelligence community he will soon be overseeing." "This is a troubling chapter in an ongoing story," Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement Friday. "The Intelligence Community's report on Russian activities and intentions in recent US elections highlights for the American people the direct and aggressive covert influence campaign conducted against our nation," said Burr, a Republican. "I expect that out our nation's leaders will counter these activities appropriately." Home Four wheelers Worlds Best Selling City Cars In 2016 Top Selling Is A Made-In-India Car! oi-Kennedy Paul The definition of "city cars" (or "urban cars" or "mini cars") is a small passenger car with length size less than 3.7 meters and is mainly intended to be primarily used inside the city or urban areas. Regions around the globe refer to it differently such as subcompact in North America, superminis by Euro NCAP, European commission refers to it as A-segment and Japan call it the Kei cars. Here are the world's best-selling city cars in 2016 based on sales collected over 2,400 different models in all countries in the world: {photo-feature} Most Viewed Car Photo Gallery Looking to buy a new-generation hatchback car this 2017? The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Swift could be your choice. Click through images of the next-generation Swift below to help you decide better. Two Ukrainian soldiers were injured near the village of Novotoshkivske, Popasna district, Luhansk region, due to shelling by the illegal armed groups, according to the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters. "Two of our soldiers were wounded in the vicinity of Novotoshkivske," the press center of the ATO headquarters reported on Facebook. According to the report, as of 18:00 on January 6, illegal armed groups fired at the ATO forces positions 21 times. By Jan Rocha By 2040, the number of electric cars in the world could reach 150 million, or even, if more ambitious targets for emissions reductions are adopted, 715 million. So said the International Energy Agency. Not only would this mean a drastic reduction in the demand for oil, it could also mean a drastic reduction in the demand for biofuels such as ethanol. But the biofuel industry is not giving up without a fight. At the recent UN climate talks in Morocco, a consortium of 20 countries launched Biofuture, a platform designed to encourage the use of low-carbon biofuels, including the second generation of sugarcane cellulose-based biofuel. Brazil, the worlds second largest producer of both ethanol and biodiesel (the U.S. is the largest) is leading the initiative. Biofuels Solution Renato Godinho, head of the Energetic Resources Division at Brazils Foreign Ministry, played down the idea of a massive changeover to electric cars before 2050. He said, Biofuels are an immediate solution. The climate cannot wait. Even if there were to be a massive replacement of existing light vehicles by electric models, biofuels advocates believe that the cargo and aviation sectors will be using biofuels for a long time to come. Artur Milanez, manager of the biofuels department at the BNDES, Brazils development bank, said: Even if electrification seems to make sense today, what will define things is the market. Another reason for Brazils enthusiasm for biofuels is that giving them a larger share in the economy will enable Brazil to fulfill its Paris agreement emissions targets, reducing the use of fossil fuels. Petrol sold at the pump already contains 25 percent ethanol, produced from sugarcane. There are more than 400 sugarcane refineries in Brazil, expected to produce an estimated 26.3 billion liters this year, according to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association. Brazil began developing biofuels in the 1970s, when, as an oil importer, it was badly hit by the OPEC oil shock. Cars running on subsidized ethanol took over the internal market, but once the price of oil fell and Brazil began developing its own oilfields, petrol reasserted its dominance. Even so, many of the cars produced in Brazil today are still dual fuel, known as flex. Ethanol was traditionally produced by fermentation, but years of research in government-sponsored labs has resulted in what is called second-generation ethanol. Enzymes are used to break down the cellulose in the bagasse (the fibrous waste of sugarcane, maize and rice). Productivity has been increased by 50 percent, producing 10,000 liters per hectare. This new technology has now left the lab and joined industry, but there are still some problems of scale. Once the technology becomes more widely used, it is claimed that Brazil could produce 45bn liters a year, using the area already planted with sugarcane. This is almost the 50bn liters Brazil needs to produce by 2030 if it is to meet its INDC [the intended nationally determined contribution to the emission cuts determined by the Paris agreement], said Milanez. But such expansion can be problematic. Potential consumers, such as Germany, are wary because they are concerned that demand will lead to sugarcane being grown in the Amazon, causing deforestation or will push out small farmers growing food crops, as has already happened in Africa. This is a real threat, which could easily be avoided by a change in government policy, offering incentives to use the millions of already deforested and degraded acres that have been used as cattle pasture and then abandoned, and paying farmers for environmental services. Under the present government, which is dominated by agribusiness interests, anti-environmentalists and climate deniers, it is more likely that deforestation will continue apace. Vegetation Loss A World Wide Fund for Nature (WWG) study forecast the clearing of approximately 10m hectares of the cerrado, the vast tropical savannah region of central Brazil, for agriculture in the next 10 years, unless there is a change in policy. It also projected a loss of 30 percent in the natural vegetation cover in the states of Maranhao and Piaui in the same period. The western region of Maranhao contains an area of Amazonian tropical forest, while Piaui is a large state that borders the semi-arid area of the northeast. Cassio Franco Moreira of WWF blames Brazils Forest Code, approved in 2012, which has allowed agricultural expansion in cerrado areas, where many of the countrys principal rivers, including those that flow through the Amazon, have their source, instead of encouraging sustainable agricultural practices. Once again, Brazil presents a paradox. It is leading the initiative for biofuels, which could reduce carbon emissions. But it is allowing them to be grown in areas that should be protected. Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine has recorded most intense violations of Donbas ceasefire near Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. "On the evening of 4 January, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 66 explosions assessed as rounds of 152mm artillery, five assessed as impacts and the rest undetermined, all 8-12km south-east," the SMM said in a report as of 7:30 p.m. of January 5. "The Mission also heard 15 shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-2) cannon (30mm), eight bursts of anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23, 23mm), and seven bursts of automatic-grenade-launcher fire, all 3-8km south-east or south-south-east. On 5 January, in the same location, the SMM heard five explosions assessed as 120mm mortar rounds, two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of an undetermined weapon, 20 shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon, four bursts of anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23) and intense heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-8km south-south-east. The Mission also heard two undetermined explosions, 35 shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon and intense heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-12km east-south-east," the SMM said. "On the evening of 4 January, while in 'DPR'[Donetsk People's Republic]-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions 10-12km east," the SMM said. 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. A gunfight between Ukrainian military and an unlawful armed group took place after midnight near Avdiyivka, Donetsk region, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has reported. "A sabotage group of the adversary made up of less than ten people came 100 meters from our positions and then opened fire. Due to a well-organized response by the Armed Forces of Ukraine the attack was rebuffed and the enemy retreated," the report reads. No Ukrainians were killed in this attack which lasted around half an hour. There is no information about casualties among the enemy. Ukrainian parliamentarian Nadiya Savchenko has announced plans to unveil lists of people, who were captured or disappeared in Donbas, in the very near future. "The lists of prisoners-of-war and missing persons I have received as a result of the meeting in Minsk, as well as those I have gathered since my release from Russian captivity, I will publish [them] in the very near future," Savchenko wrote on her Facebook page. Savchenko confirmed that on December 7, 2016 she was in Minsk where she met with Russian representatives and the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky. She said the chief goal of the meeting was the need to resolve the prisoner swap issue. 30 December 2016 Lack of funding for heath in Sudan has resulted in the closure of 11 health facilities and left another 49 facilities at risk of closure, impacting around a million people, including 323 000 women of childbearing age and children under 5 who will lack access to maternal/child health care. An estimated 769 000 people are either affected or at risk of being affected by the closure of health facilities, a number that is currently exacerbated by the high influx of refugees. The closure of health facilities will only add to the existing risk of epidemics due to limited access to primary health care services among IDPs and host communities. Immediate consequences of the closure of health facilities are a drop in immunization services and maternal/child health care, a heightened risk of epidemics, and increased morbidity and mortality rates. "While the Federal Ministry of Health has been fully engaged in finding solutions for continuity, we collectively acknowledge that funds are needed to continue supporting clinics in remote areas that provide people with health services during this time of transition. A heightened risk of epidemics is likely ... with people having to travel long distances to access available health care services," said Dr Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO Representative in Sudan. The health sector in Sudan has been grossly underfunded over the past 3 years, with donors focusing on emergencies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. As 2016 comes to an end, health sector requirements for 2016 are only 42% funded. Samsung Electronics is destined to release its flagship handset Samsung Galaxy S8 in March. The said smartphone's photos have leaked online indicating that it might boast a bezel-less display and the South Korean tech company might also ditch the home button. According to Forbes, Samsung might skip its regular presentation spot at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February. Instead, the South Korean tech giant is supposed to be considering a separate event to be held in New York in March with the Samsung Galaxy S8 consequently not going on sale until April 18th. Additionally, the April 18th date links in with recent speculations that Samsung Electronics will start mass production of the Samsung Galaxy S8 in early March. This would be a noteworthy delay compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7 which was released on March 11th 2016. But then it would really be more matched with Galaxy S releases historically. When it comes with the design and features, Indian Express noted that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have a bezel-less display and there would be no home button. The bottom bezel is also anticipated to be thinner now and Samsung's logo will be positioned here. The top bezel will have same set-up housing the light sensors, earpiece and front camera. The image also indicated a dual-edge curved display, which might mean that the Samsung Galaxy S8 might also have S8 'edge' variant. The Galaxy S8 is also speculated to be engineered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 processor and it will be the first handset to exhibit the chipset. It is expected to pack a 6-inch display, and come with 8GB of RAM. The South Korean tech company is rumored to bring USB Type-C to the device, while taking away the 3.5mm headphone jack. Just like other leak photos and imaged it isn't a 100 per cent sure if this will be the actual Samsung Galaxy S8 so it needs to be considered with some caution. As for the release, it is just months away meaning the company's patrons won't have to wait that long until Galaxy S8 will be unveiled. Kate Middleton and Prince William have been criticized last year because of their low attendance in terms of royal events, gatherings, and their royal duties. But now, it seems like the royal couple is stepping up and would follow Queen Elizabeth's request to save their royal image. The Duchess of Cambridge just worked for 68 days last year and she was even considered as the laziest Royal among them all much to the dismay of Queen Elizabeth. Perhaps that was very hard to accept for her that's why now; she changed her work attitude and is now busier that even as the year has started. As per Celeb Dirty Laundry, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make an official visit to a Child Bereavement UK Centre and will join the celebration for its first anniversary. Though there are as no official confirmations on this yet, reports are claiming that Kate will be joining William on the same day as she is also set to appear at the Anna Freud Early Years Parenting Unit. It can be recalled that William has been a patron of this Child Bereavement UK since the year 2009 and the royal couple shall see the effects this centre has made in the lives of the families in the UK. Apart from this event, Kate Middleton and Prince William will also attend a Family Support Group session. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shall take part in the discussion and sharing of feelings and memories. It seems like Queen Elizabeth really wants the royal couple to save their public and royal image. As reported before on International Business Times, the Queen delegated some of her national charities to Kate, William, and the other members of the royal family. Because of this, some have speculated that Queen Elizabeth is already preparing to step down from the throne. However, still with the latest report, the Queen does not really want to abdicate the throne in these crucial times that the British monarchy needs her. If this is the case then Prince William and Kate Middleton must have thought that through getting serious this time is their royal duties, they can be of help too. Two Ukrainian servicemen have been injured as a result of militant shelling near the village of Novotoshkivske, Luhansk region, in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianik said. Over the past 24 hours no Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in fighting, though two were injured as a result of grenade shelling near Novotoshkivske, he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday. Last night the operation's press center said two soldiers had been injured near Novotoshkivske. The most recent data gathered by the National Sample Survey Office on work participation for women in India reveal a sharp decline, primarily due to the NSSOs conventional measures not accounting for economic activities undertaken by women for the benefit of households. Alternative definitional approaches to the production boundary, such as the Indian System of National Accounts and the United Nations System of National Accounts, somewhat better account for unpaid work by women for households own consumption. An analysis of data from the part of the NSSO schedule on employment and unemployment (for 200405 and 201112) that enquires about various activities undertaken by individuals who report performing household activities as their principal activity, reveals a less dramatic decline than that presented by the more conventional measure of work participation. This finding contributes to a significant rethinking of how rural womens contributions to economic activities for their own households can be better recognised through data. About 15 years ago researchers discovered genetic differences that probably explain the different fur coloring in desert mice populations in New Mexico and Arizona (see papers here and here). Mice populations living on light colored terrain tend to have light colored fur, and those on dark colored terrain tend to have dark colored fur. Blending in with the terrain helps to camouflage the mice, protecting them from predators. And that is, apparently, exactly what the mice did about a thousand years ago when desert lava flows produced the darkened terrain. But that is where the science is overtaken by the dogma. Evolutionists have misappropriated this research work, casting it as a textbook example of evolution, and creating a video (above) to indoctrinate students. The first problem in casting the dark colored mice as an example of evolution is that their genetic differences are not known to be the result of random mutations. For evolutionists there simply is no question that the genetic differences that are thought to cause the dark fur color arose from random mutations. Now that may be correct. But it may not be. We simply do not know. This is not merely a technical objection in spite of evolutionary theory which called for random mutations to be the source of change, in recent decades directed mutations have been found to be at work in an ever increasing number of cases. For many years evolutionists have ignored and even resisted these findings. Too often I have debated evolutionists who, when I point to this evidence, simply deny it. So while the genetic differences in those dark mice may well be the result of random mutations, evolutionists do not even give this a second thought. They simply assume from the start, and inform their audience in no uncertain terms, that random mutations are the cause. This is an example of what philosophers refer to as a theory-laden observation. Science can get into trouble when the measurements and observations themselves, rather than being theory-neutral and independent of the theories which explain them, are in fact intertwined with those theories. This can become circular very quickly, and this desert mouse case is a good example of that. Evolutionists assume the genetic differences arose from random mutations, and then claim the evidence as a powerful confirmation of evolution. The second problem in casting the dark-colored mice as an example of evolution is that the dark coloration may be the result of multiple genetic changes. In one case, four mutations are identified, all of which perhaps are required to bring about the coloration change. It very well could be that only a single mutation is required. But that is not known. And if multiple genetic changes are required, then this quickly transitions from an example of what random mutations can do to an example of what random mutations cannot do. If four mutations are required, then weve just found yet another hard failure of evolution. But again, the evolutionists give no hint of this interesting question. If everyone had their burning curiosity (as Clarence Darrow put it) then science would have long since come to an end. The third problem in casting the dark colored mice as an example of evolution is that the coloration is too precise. The dark colored fur appears on the top of the mice, but not their underbelly. This makes sense since the topside is mainly what is exposed to predators. But in the evolution narrative, there is no fitness advantage to such precision. Darkening the entire mouse would, apparently, work just as well. Small-Scale Adaptation So far, evolutionists are proclaiming a slam-dunk, case-closed example when in fact there are many unknowns. But there is one big known we havent yet mentioned. It would be a deceptive equivocation to label fur coloration change via a few mutations as evolution when, in fact, this is nothing more than small-scale adaptation. In their honest moments, as Stephen Jay Gould once put it, even evolutionists admit that random mutation isnt enough, and that adaptation mechanisms are not enough, to explain the kind of large-scale change evolution requires. Mice changing fur color does not demonstrate how metabolism, the central nervous system, bones, red blood cells, or any other biological wonder could have arisen through random mutations coupled with natural selection. This is an old technique evolutionists have exploited ever since Darwin. Demonstrate biological change, any biological change, no matter how trivial, and claim victory. Evolutionist Steve Jones once claimed that the changes observed in viruses contain Darwins entire argument. That is a gross misrepresentation of the science, and only serves to mislead audiences. In the above video, biologist Sean Carroll states that thanks to these mice, science has an example of evolution, crystal clear, in every detail (6:42-48). It would be difficult to imagine a more absurd canard. Mice changing color is not a crystal clear example of evolution in every detail. Not even close. Cross-posted at Darwins God. The General Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry has said residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are increasingly dissatisfied with local "authorities" because of the delays in payments of salaries and pensions, poor quality of food from the so-called "humanitarian aid" coming from Russia and atrocities committed by the so-called "law enforcement agencies" of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People Republics. Dissent and dissatisfaction with the occupational "authorities" is growing among the residents of the areas of Donbas which are beyond Kyiv control in the first place because of wage and pension arrears, according to the report posted on the Facebook page of the General Intelligence Directorate on Saturday. "Most of the population of the self-proclaimed republics cannot properly celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays because they lack even minimal funds," the Ukrainian intelligence department said. In addition, locals are very unhappy about the poor quality of food products, which come in the so-called Russian "humanitarian convoys." "All the time, we witness the import of low-quality, third-rate products, including meat products and alcoholic beverages, for which there is no demand, even in Russia, and which are questionably suitable for consumption," the General Intelligence Department said. People are also indignant over the lawlessness of the so-called "law-enforcers' of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, who under the pretext of fighting "the agents of Ukrainian special services" have started arbitrary arrests, robbery and torture, pursuing their own interests and personal enrichment at the expense of local residents, especially entrepreneurs. The General Intelligence Directorate also said that on January 6, five tanks with fuel and combustible material (about 250 tons) arrived at the Rovenky station, Luhansk region, from Russia. Friday, January 6, 2017 It snowed in Albuquerque today! And that makes this Close to Home cartoon close to home. A collection of snow people stand before an oddly-shaped casket three spherical sections of increasing girth from head to foot. One snowman says, I kept telling her, You dont need to lose weight! And even if you DID, hot yoga is NOT the way to do it!' Even though the temperature barely made it above freezing today here, the sun came out. Most of the treacherous ice that closed schools and offices this morning melted away. Yep, all it takes is a little solar gain, and the weight gain is gone along with the snow people. Now, if only that would work on us humans and our holiday treat-fueled weight gain. Wonder where they got the personalized snowman shaped casket? Happy New Year! This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The year hasnt gotten off to a good start for Bill Hall Jr. Trucking. A bankruptcy judge has dismissed the Chapter 11 case for Bill Hall Jr. Trucking GP LLC after it failed to file a reorganization plan and proof of insurance on its property by deadlines agreed to in November. The U.S. trustee responsible for administering the companys bankruptcy on Thursday morning sought dismissal of the case, reporting that the company was not in compliance with the terms of a Nov. 28 agreed order. U.S Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta issued the dismissal order within a few hours of the U.S. trustees request. An affiliated company, Bill Hall Jr. Trucking Ltd., which filed for reorganization on Nov. 10, remains in bankruptcy. The cases dismissal surprised Jesse Blanco Jr., LLCs bankruptcy lawyer. I know that as of Thursday and Friday of last week, I thought I had provided all the information that the U.S. trustee needed, Blanco said in a phone interview. This call is a surprise call to me. Ill just need to coordinate with the U.S. trustees office and try to get this issue resolved. Blanco didnt immediately know if he could get the bankruptcy reinstated or whether the company would have to refile. Ill have to find out, he said. LLC owns a fleet of trucks and trailers that are used by Ltd. to haul gravel and other materials for road construction. Without the protections offered by the Chapter 11 filing, LLC could face the prospect of creditors moving to repossess its assets. LLC entered bankruptcy in June. Company manager Frances Hall, who signed the bankruptcy paperwork, was convicted less than three months later for the 2013 murder of her husband Bill Hall Jr. Jurors determined she acted with sudden passion when she knocked her husbands Harley-Davidson off a highway while chasing his mistress, who was in another vehicle. The Halls started Bill Hall Jr. Trucking in 1989, building it into a multimillion-dollar company with a fleet of 130 trucks. Frances Hall is currently serving a two-year sentence at the Texas Department of Criminal Justices Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, about 40 miles west of Waco. LLC filed an amended schedule of assets and liabilities last week. It had reported $7.5 million in assets and nearly $5.8 million in liabilities. LLC was supposed to file its reorganization plan by Dec. 15, according to the terms of an order it agreed to on Nov. 28. It also agreed to file proof of insurance on all of its property by Dec. 12. Neither of those was done, according to the U.S. trustee. 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. A hearing on a motion to jointly administer the two Bill Hall Jr. Trucking bankruptcies was set for Thursday. But given the dismissal of LLCs bankruptcy, Gargotta ordered that the joint administration was moot. pdanner@express-news.net Twitter: @AlamoPD With its world-famous museums and dozens of galleries displaying works by both established and up-and-coming artists, New York City is home to a vibrant arts scene, and several new tours are a way to delve more deeply into this rich and diverse culture. Dont get a lecture on art have a conversation about it with Wendy Lubovich, who leads private 90-minute tours of art galleries in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art through her company Walk of Art. An art educator who has worked in several museums, Lubovich says that her interactive and customized tours are meant to evoke the feeling that a curator is showing you art youre interested in; in the Met, that could mean focusing on Impressionist paintings or seeing the American Wing. $100 a person. Museum Hack also offers an exploration of the Met but with a different sensibility: The company prides itself on leading engaging tours of museums for people who dont like museums and recently introduced the Big Gay Met tour, focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender works displayed at the Met, from ancient times to modern day. An example is the painting Naked Man, Back View, by British artist Lucian Freud, of a man who lived his life as a drag queen. There is a lot of gay art at the Met, but its usually not represented that way, said Ethan Angelica, an art lover who created and leads the tour. Two hours, $59 a person. For children between the ages of 2 and 4, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has Little Guggs on select Wednesdays and Saturdays through May. These hourlong visits, at which children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, include a short story, a trip to the galleries and various arts and crafts projects. $30, advance registration required. (For more information, email strollertours@guggenheim.org.) The Museum of the Moving Image, in Queens, is dedicated to film, television and digital media and recently started offering hourlong Family Tours of its Behind the Screen exhibition, spanning 15,000 square feet. Visitors will learn how movie images are created and can experiment with sound effects, build their own short animation and dub their voice into a clip from a popular film such as The Wizard of Oz. $150 for up to 18 people. Take to the city streets to learn about art with the two-hour East Harlem Street Art Walking Tour, offered by the travel company Viator. A professional artist leads a walk through the Upper Manhattan neighborhood to see historic street art and graffiti. Stops include the popular Graffiti Hall of Fame in the courtyard of the Jackie Robinson Educational Complex, where graffiti artists have adorned the walls for more than three decades. $35 a person. Discover New York, a custom travel company based in the city, has two outer-borough art tours tailored to what clients are interested in. The Bronx has one of the citys most exciting art scenes, according to the company founder, Kitt Garrett, because artists can find studio spaces at more affordable prices, compared with other neighborhoods. Her Bronx Diverse Neighborhoods excursion could include visiting Mott Haven, the Grand Concourse and University Heights to visit these artists in their studios and see notable galleries, or the day might be spent outdoors looking at sculptures and studying the art details in some of the more than 400 Art Deco buildings found throughout the borough. Garrett also has an art tour of Brooklyn that hits Dumbo, Williamsburg and Bushwick, and includes visits to art galleries, spending time with an artist in her studio and looking at outdoor sculptures and murals. Both tours are five hours each and have a starting price of $1,950 for two people, including a car and driver, a licensed guide and all tolls and gratuities. Many Bexar County school districts received low letter grades from the Texas Education Agency in a report released Friday to show what a new A-F grading system for schools and districts could look like when it takes effect next school year. Schools and districts received grades in four of the five subcategories the state plans to use when A-F grades officially come out in summer 2018. They did not receive overall grades because the fifth subcategory, which allows schools and districts to rate themselves, hasnt been completed. In Bexar County, Northside, North East and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City independent school districts received Bs and Cs. Alamo Heights ISD and the three military school districts received As in at least one category, but Alamo Heights received a D in closing performance gaps and Fort Sam Houston and Lackland received Fs in college readiness. On the low end of the scale, Southside ISD received two Ds and two Fs. Grades are calculated based on student test scores, growth in those scores, progress closing performance gaps, college or career readiness and school district self-assessments. Mark Eads, Southside superintendent, said he was asking lawmakers to change or abandon the A-F rating system and urged parents last month to do the same. An A-F system will create a false impression about neighborhoods and communities, he said in a letter to parents. Texas should now have an accountability system that harms families and communities because of economic situations. Eads added the grades wont reflect the districts improvements because they are based on data from last school year. Eads took over at the end of that year, becoming the districts sixth superintendent in three years as test scores plummeted. Like Eads, educators statewide have complained that the new rating system is not transparent and unfairly penalizes school districts with higher poverty rates. Mike Morath, state commissioner of education, has said the provisional grades will help keep schools accountable and create incentives for improvement. He said the letter grade formula will be continually refined until it takes effect next year. amalik@express-news.net sfosterfrau@express-news.net The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) will talk to MP Nadia Savchenko, who announced her intention to publish lists of prisoners and missing persons in Donbas, and explain to her the possible harm from the disclosure of such lists. "Naturally, we know these lists. We are working with these lists. I can only say that there are certain laws that limit the leakage of any information related to personal data [...] We should not use this information for some selfish goals, should not manipulate these lists, engage in political campaigning," the SBU chief's adviser, Yuriy Tandit, said on the 112.ua TV channel on Saturday. He stressed that "in no case" one should distribute information that may "harm not only people who are there, but their friends and relatives." "Don't worry: we will work with her within the law," Tandit said responding to a question about whether the SBU will explain its position to Savchenko. Savchenko earlier wrote on her Facebook page about her plans to unveil lists of people, who were captured or disappeared in Donbas, in the near future. "The lists of prisoners-of-war and missing persons I have received as a result of the meeting in Minsk, as well as those I have gathered since my release from Russian captivity, I will publish [them] in the very near future," Savchenko wrote. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Terrell Hills residents Elizabeth and Barry Roberts have temporarily transformed Travis Park for an extravagant debutante party today that will include exotic animals and circus performers under red-and-white-striped tents. The coming-out party for Carolina, their 21-year-old daughter, will include a carousel, Ferris wheel, jugglers, musical performances and exotic animals two camels, two zebras and some smaller animals, according to officials with information about the events permits. The Robertses are expecting 1,200 guests for the party that will be in the St. Anthony Hotel and the park, which is now closed to the public. The hosts hired Wilkinson Rhodes, an event-planning firm, to arrange the party, which is several months in the making, according to city officials. Earlier in the week, the park began to transform as workers constructed the large tents that stand throughout the downtown green space. Assistant City Manager Lori Houston said the event planners paid about $18,800 for the park-use permit and another $11,000 for street closures and use of the citys right-of-way. That money will be spent on upgrading electrical components and re-sodding Travis Park, Houston said. The park will remain shuttered through the end of the month so those improvements can be completed. The planning and cooperation from the party will showcase to event and conference organizers that not all events have to be inside and that the city now has another asset that can accommodate their next celebration, Houston said. The city is excited about this event because it can show its ability to work with the private sector on major events and will be a marketing tool for major conventions and events, Houston added. Travis Street, between Jefferson and Navarro streets, will be temporarily closed for 24 hours, beginning at 3 a.m. today for the event, city officials said. Barry Roberts is a San Antonio native and Texas A&M University graduate. He is co-trustee of the family business, Coates Energy, according to the companys website. His family owns the Heritage Ranch in Wilson and Karnes counties, along with El Negro Ranch in Starr County, according to the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Staff writer Josh Baugh contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Republicans in Congress are working with Donald Trumps transition team on a strategy for building the southern border wall that would put taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars in costs which the president-elect promises will eventually be borne by Mexico. Members of Congress and aides said Friday they hope that a funding plan under study would enable construction of the wall to begin early in the Trump administration, which begins Jan. 20. The plan, relying on authority in a 2006 law, tentatively calls for including construction money in legislation that needs to pass by April to keep the federal government running. One way to get started in fulfilling Mr. Trumps promise would be to fund existing law, said U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. I dont know that anyone expected the government of Mexico to write a giant check to the U.S. Treasury, he said. Trump has estimated the cost at between $8 billion and $12 billion for an impenetrable precast concrete wall spanning hundreds of miles along the border. Initial response to the plan presages the pitched debate in Congress over paying for the wall, which was a rallying point in Trumps campaign and one of his most divisive proposals. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, called the proposed plan evidence of another broken promise by Trump. Incredible, was the reaction by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-San Antonio. Trump has abandoned the Mexico will pay for it now approach and is asking American taxpayers to come up with the money. U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, is the Texas regional representative of the Republican Policy Committee, which considers GOP legislative priorities. Farenthold said that with new technologies and better enforcement of immigration laws, a border wall might prove to be unnecessary. But he added: With the campaign promise Trump made, if he wants to fulfill it and if we can find the money to finance it until Mexico pays for it, theres no reason not to do it. Trump on Friday used Twitter to blast reports of the funding plan, writing that the dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for the sake of speed) will be paid back by Mexico later! Trump spokesman Sean Spicer played down coverage of the discussions, reading from a Trump statement in October telling voters not to worry about the walls cost because the country of Mexico will be reimbursing the United States. Spicer acknowledged an ongoing discussion with Congress about how to fund it and obviously the logistics to make it work. He added that some of the construction probably could begin right away. Republicans say they hope to rely on existing authority under the 2006 Secure Fence Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush, for 670 miles of border fence, including nearly 56 miles across the Rio Grande Valley. The wall likely will remain a flash point in relations between the United States and Mexico. Mexico has said it wont pay for a wall that should not be built. Officials at Mexicos embassy in Washington did not respond Friday to questions about Trumps latest assertions. On Thursday, former Mexican President Vincente Fox wrote on Twitter: Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday cast further doubt on reimbursement in an interview with ABC. Theyre not going to voluntarily pony up and pay for something they disagree with, Kerry said. Trump and Republicans have spelled out methods to extract monies if needed, including impounding remittance payments and increasing fees on visas and border crossing cards. On Friday, Messer introduced legislation aimed at curbing the use of child tax credits by undocumented immigrants. He referred to a U.S. Treasury inspector general report estimating the cost to taxpayers at $4.2 billion annually. The 2011 report found an increasing number of undocumented immigrants, even though they lack Social Security numbers, are using individual taxpayer identification numbers to file tax returns in which they claim an Additional Child Tax Credit, a refundable credit intended for working families. The payment of federal funds through this tax benefit appears to provide an additional incentive for aliens to enter, reside and work in the United States without authorization, the report concluded. Messer said his legislation aims to close that loophole. Republicans have tried and failed before to block unauthorized workers from getting the refunds. But until money can be recouped, Messer said, Congress should pay for the wall. Its a big-dollar project, but its a matter of priorities, he said. This is a high priority for this country and we should make the sacrifices to fund it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Hays County woman is charged with capital murder in the stabbing death of her 5-year-old daughter in what sheriffs officials called a tragic and horrific homicide. The child, Giovanna Hernandez, was stabbed multiple times at her home in the Central Texas town of Kyle, officials said. Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler said the girl was mutilated. This is one of the worst cases Ive seen, Cutler said during a Facebook Live video broadcast by Austins KXAN on Friday. He has been in law enforcement 43 years. Its probably the most horrific case in Hays County history, he said during the news conference. Our hearts are heavy here today with the loss of a beautiful 5-year-old girl. In addition to capital murder, Krystle Villanueva, 24, also was charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the stabbing of her father-in-law, Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti, 58. The capital murder charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. She was at the Hays County Jail under $1.1 million bail. Authorities said Villanueva stabbed her daughter during or before an altercation with her father-in-law. The Travis County medical examiners office ruled the childs death a homicide. Officers initially responded to the call from the father-in-law around 12:50 p.m. Thursday in the 200 block of Willow Terrace in the Green Pastures subdivision in Kyle. The officers then advised that due to the nature of the call, the SWAT unit should be deployed to enter the trailer, a sheriffs office news release said. SWAT entered the home and found Giovanna dead and took Villanueva into custody, according to the release. Photos from what appear to be Villanuevas numerous Facebook pages show photos of her, but also the following statement regarding her commitment to her daughter: The most important things to me in life is family and succeeding in life but especially my daughter Giovanna LaRae. Id do anything in the world for this chick, she said in the About Me section of one of the profiles. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite Sheriff Javier Salazar announced the newest members of his executive command staff in a Friday night news conference that included a prayer and a pinning ceremony. Salazar named eight staff picks out of 10 in front of about 75 people gathered in Commissioners Court at the Bexar County Courthouse. The two other announcements will be made within a few weeks, he said. While several of his picks have had longtime careers with the Sheriffs Office, Salazar chose a few outsiders, including a colleague from the San Antonio Police Department and a former field agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration to oversee criminal investigations. His command staff will look different than predecessor Susan Pamerleaus, as Salazar is adding three assistant chiefs under his new Chief Deputy Don Tijerina, to break up the division between law enforcement and detention, Salazar said. After filing a temporary restraining order that was ultimately dismissed against Pamerleau for making what he called improper personnel changes last week, Salazar chose one member of her staff for his own team. Former chief financial officer Ottis Hutchinson will now be the director of budget and support. Tijerina has been with the Sheriffs Office since 1992, working in detention, followed by stints in patrol, criminal investigations and criminal warrants. Salazars assistant chief over law enforcement, Dale Bennett, served as patrol chief under Sheriff Rolando Tafolla and is currently an administrative sergeant with the city of Bee Cave. On Tuesday, Salazar will ask county commissioners to approve his hiring out of retirement from the county. James Serrato from SAPD will be Salazars second assistant chief and chief of staff, overseeing the training academy, budget, public information office and facilities. Salazar plans to appoint either a sergeant or lieutenant from within the Sheriffs Office to serve as his public information officer. Salazar still plans to appoint a third assistant chief overseeing detention and another position focused on narco-terrorism and crime interdiction beyond Bexar County. He also announced a full-time SWAT team in the Sheriffs Office, to enhance the part-time volunteer version that exists today. He also named Dennis Casillas deputy chief of tactical support, Nancy Sanford deputy chief of criminal investigations, Roy Fletcher deputy chief of patrol and Laura Balditt deputy chief of detention. Command staff members will be expected to complete mandatory overtime shifts at the jail, Salazar said. AUSTIN - There has been no shortage of tough fiscal news for Texas officials, but they appear to have dodged a bullet with a Friday court ruling in a tax case that could have cost the state billions of dollars. The case involves an effort by American Multi-Cinema Inc. to get a bigger state deduction in determining its franchise tax payments. The movie theater chain would get a nearly $1.2 million tax refund, plus penalty and interest, under the ruling by a panel of the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin. But the judges on the appellate court narrowed the scope of a previous decision in the case, lifting concerns at the state comptrollers office that the case would open the door for a broad range of businesses to bring similar lawsuits. Our fear was always that it would be more broadly applied to other service industries, said Lauren Willis, spokeswoman for Comptroller Glenn Hegar. We feel this ruling really narrows that application. If the previous ruling had stood, Hegar has said, it could have cost Texas about $1.1 billion a year in franchise tax revenue, plus refunds totaling about $6 billion. That would be devastating for the state budget, which already is feeling the economic drag of struggles in the oil-and-gas industry. Hegar on Monday will release his revenue estimate for the next two-year budget period, and lawmakers who meet in regular session beginning Tuesday arent expecting good news. The AMC lawsuit case is focused on the franchise-tax deduction for cost of goods sold, which includes items like the raw material used to make an item. The 3rd Court panel, considering an appeal from a trial court decision in the case, ruled in 2015 that exhibiting a movie amounts to a good because its perceptible to the senses. It said AMC thus could include its auditorium expenses as production costs when figuring its franchise-tax deduction. Applying that definition in the AMC case could have allowed many other service providers to claim the same deduction, Hegar has said. In asking the court for a rehearing, the state made the point, among others, that it could cost Texas coffers billions of dollars. In reconsidering the case, the appellate court panel stood by its decision to uphold a refund for AMC, but it did so on narrower grounds, using a different definition in the tax code. The 3rd Court decision could be appealed to the Texas Supreme Court. A lawyer for AMC didnt immediately return a telephone call for comment. pfikac@express-news.net Twitter: @pfikac WASHINGTON U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin, "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election," and turned from seeking to "denigrate" Hillary Clinton to developing "a clear preference for President-elect Trump." President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged the possibility Friday that Russia had hacked a variety of U.S. targets, including the Democratic National Committee, after an almost two-hour meeting with the nation's top intelligence officials. But Trump asserted the hacking had no effect on the outcome of the election. The conclusions were part of a declassified intelligence report, ordered by President Barack Obama, that was released Friday afternoon. Its main conclusions were described to Trump by intelligence officials earlier in the day. The report, a damning and surprisingly detailed account of Russia's efforts to undermine the U.S. electoral system and Clinton in particular, went on to assess that Putin "aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him." The report described a broad campaign that included covert operations, including cyberactivities, with "trolling" and "fake news." In the unclassified version of the report, the intelligence agencies also concluded "with high confidence" that Russia's main military intelligence unit, the GRU, created the "persona" called Guccifer 2.0 and a website, DCLeaks.com, to release the emails of the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of the Clinton campaign, John Podesta. Participating in the briefing were James Clapper, the director of national intelligence; John Brennan, the director of the CIA; Adm. Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency; and James Comey, the director of the FBI. In a statement issued after the president-elect was briefed by senior U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials, Trump said: While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyberinfrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. For months, Trump had publicly resisted any suggestion that Russia was involved in cyberattacks during the 2016 presidential election and had mocked the intelligence agencies behind assessments on Russian hacking. After Fridays briefing, he said he has tremendous respect for the people who work for U.S. spy agencies. But just hours before, the president-elect had attributed claims of Russian hacking to embarrassed election-year rivals, calling the storm surrounding the cyberattacks a political witch hunt being carried out by his adversaries, who he said were embarrassed by their loss to him in the election last year. Trump spoke to the New York Times by telephone three hours before he was set to be briefed by the nations top intelligence and law enforcement officials about the Russian hacking of U.S. political institutions. In the conversation, he repeatedly criticized the intense focus on Russia. China, relatively recently, hacked 20 million government names, he said, referring to the breach of computers at the Office of Personnel Management in late 2014 and early 2015. How come nobody even talks about that? This is a political witch hunt. In congressional testimony Thursday, intelligence officials rejected Trumps longstanding skepticism about Russias cyberactivities and told lawmakers they had unanimously concluded that the Russian government used hacking and leaks of information to influence the U.S. election. Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Trumps comments were disparaging and bad for morale at the nations spy agencies. He said that our assessment now is even more resolute about the Russian hacking. New York Times Staff Writer Michael D. Shear contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The icy conditions that forced officials to shut several major intersections Friday morning on the North Side likely wont be repeated over the weekend because theres no precipitation in the forecast. Widespread hard freezes and temperatures in the low 20s are still expected through Sunday. Connectors at U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 were temporarily closed as were the intersections of Loop 1604 at Gold Canyon Road, Stone Oak Parkway and Northwest Military Highway. Texas Department of Transportation workers applied saltwater brine to the roads to melt the ice that formed after a strong cold front swept through the city late Thursday. Meanwhile, a band of snow moved across North Texas, blanketing the area with between a trace to 1 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. The greatest amounts of snow were observed along the Red River, while the Dallas and Fort Worth areas received one-tenth of an inch. NWS meteorologist Cory Van Pelt said temperatures this morning and Sunday morning in the San Antonio area will be in the low- to mid-20s, with winds causing the temperatures to feel as if they are in the teens. Despite sunny skies, residents should expect highs in the 40s during those days, Van Pelt said. The weather will warm up early next week, Van Pelt added, with highs in the mid-70s by Tuesday. Today, expect a high near 44 and a low around 23. Sunday will see a high of about 50 and a low around 38, according to the NWS forecast. Temperatures are expected to warm even more Monday, with a high around 66 and a low around 54. twhite@mysa.com Staff Writers Rebecca Salinas and Jacob Beltran contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport left five dead and eight wounded Friday as the airport descended into chaos, with passengers taking shelter, flights being diverted and additional gunshots being reported but never substantiated. Authorities said the shooter had disembarked in Terminal 2 from a flight from Alaska. Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said the gunman had arrived with a checked gun. He claimed his bag, went into a bathroom to load the gun and then came out and started shooting, LaMarca said. A suspect identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, was taken into custody without incident. Federal law enforcement officials said they were investigating whether Santiago might have been a mentally disturbed individual who reported hearing voices in his head telling him to commit acts of violence, according to the New York Times. A veteran of service in Iraq, he had been discharged from the Alaska Army National Guard last August for unsatisfactory performance, according to its public affairs office. According to officials, Santiago visited the FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska, sometime before the attack and made remarks that prompted law enforcement to urge him to seek mental health care. Though he reported hearing voices in his head, he told the FBI that he was in control and did not intend to hurt anyone, the Times reported. It was too early to tell whether he might have been inspired by terrorist groups, including Islamic State, but the FBI was investigating that possibility, the officials said, adding that he had viewed extremism materials on the internet, according to the Times. Santiago reportedly told the FBI that he believed that materials had been put on his computer by a government agency trying to control his mind. Santiago had gotten into an argument with a passenger on one leg of his trip from Alaska, which ended with a Delta flight to Fort Lauderdale, according to a CBS News report that quoted federal law enforcement sources. Authorities said the shooting began shortly after 1 p.m. Friday. Mark Lea, a witness who spoke by phone with CBS News, said he was in a baggage claim area at the time of the shooting, several feet from the gunman. He said the shooter appeared calm and started randomly shooting without saying anything. Lea told CBS News that people were ducking behind chairs and baggage as the shooter was going through the baggage claim area. He said police began drawing their guns, shouting, Lock it down! and Get down! and instructing everyone to make no sudden movements. The wounded were taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. Dr. Ralph Guarneri, the trauma surgeon on call, said all the wounded victims remained alive and in stable condition. Theyre in the hospital doing as well as can be expected, he said. Sen. Bill Nelson, who had been briefed by the Transportation Security Administration, said Santiago had been carrying military ID. Maria Ruiz, Santiagos aunt, who lives in Union City, New Jersey, told reporters for NorthJersey.com that he had served two years in Iraq and came back acting strangely. But she said he was happy about the birth of his child last year. I dont know why this happened, she said during an interview at her home Friday afternoon. As she spoke to reporters, FBI agents arrived at her home. Court records show that Santiago was prosecuted in Anchorage over a Jan. 10 incident last year. He was accused of making some kind of threat that would create fear of injury and criminal mischief. Both allegations were misdemeanors. His brother Bryan Santiago told the Associated Press the suspect had been receiving psychological treatment while living in Alaska. Gov. Rick Scott said during a news conference at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that whoever is responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The citizens of Florida will not tolerate senseless acts of evil, Scott said. I just cant imagine how this ever happened in a state like ours. Scott said he called President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and they told him that they would do everything they could to provide whatever resources Florida needs. He said he did not call President Barack Obama, saying he has a personal relationship with Trump and Pence. Right now the biggest thing to do is pray for them pray for the individuals that ended up in the hospital, Scott said. Pray that every one of them survives. As chaos descended on the airport, law enforcement officers with shotguns and other weapons in their hands went through other terminals and parking areas. Civilians were seen taking shelter under the staircase in one of the garages. Police officers were seen climbing up the garage staircase. Celinie Nguyen, a senior at Palm Beach Central High School, walked off her plane from New York City and soon encountered a scene of panic. We just got off the plane and were walking to the arrivals exit, but people just started running and it got crazy, Nguyen, who was returning from a vacation in Johannesburg, South Africa, said in a text message from what she described as a safe room at the airport. There was screaming from the people running. At a restaurant in Terminal 3, Nichole Geisser and her daughter suddenly heard shouting that there was another shooter, as people stormed the corridor outside the restaurant, screaming and tripping over each other. It was surreal. It was completely unbelievable, Geisser said. It was absolutely every man for himself. It was total panic. Geisser grabbed her daughter and forced her under the table, collected chairs and shoved them in front of her. She stayed there, a human shield, until about four minutes later when someone said everything was OK. At 2:55 p.m. rescue workers were headed to Terminal 4 under armed escort. The Broward County Sheriffs Office said at 2:55 p.m. that there were unconfirmed reports of additional shots fired and urged people to shelter in place. Though law enforcement officers rushed to a second site at the airport with weapons drawn, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said there were no other shootings. He attributed the reports to a possible injury of someone trying to flee the scene. Airport director Mark Gale said staff are going to go step by step, methodically through the building before they take any steps to reopen the airport. They said they do not know when they will reopen the airport. Incoming flights more than 50 miles away were diverted to other airports or held on the ground. The airport suspended all services and urged travelers to get in touch with their airlines. The International Renaissance Foundation does not share the position expressed by Ukrainian businessman Victor Pinchuk in an article for The Wall Street Journal, however it continues to fulfill its partnership commitments in joint projects with his charitable foundation, including the 'Ukrainian Breakfast' in the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. "We do not share the views expressed by Victor Pinchuk in his article 'Ukraine Must Make Painful Compromises for Peace With Russia', published in the Wall Street Journal on December 29, 2016. Victor Pinchuk is the founder of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, a charity that IRF has partnered with in several projects, including the support for participation of leading Ukrainian experts in annual conferences of the Yalta European Strategy and participation of new politicians of the parliament's inter-faction Euro-Optimists group in 'Ukrainian Breakfasts' during the World Economic Forum in Davos," reads the statement published on the website of the International Renaissance Foundation on Saturday. The foundation said they will nevertheless continue performing their obligations as a partner in joint projects with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. "Specifically, in January 2017 we provide support for the participation of a group of Ukrainian politicians, government officials, independent experts and intellectuals in the 'Ukrainian Breakfast' during the World Economic Forum in Davos. We hope that the participants we support will be able to use the proposed international platform to bring their views to global and European leaders that will gather in Davos," the organization said. The International Renaissance Foundation also reserves the right to determine plans for further cooperation with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, as well as with other partners of the IRF, on conditions of respect for shared values and program priorities. "We do not share the view that in order to achieve peace Ukraine should give up its strategic course of the European and Euro-Atlantic integration, or take the strategic goals supported by the majority of the society and fixed in the Ukrainian legislation - off its agenda," the statement reads. The International Renaissance Foundation also said abandoning the vector of integration into the EU and NATO will not solve a single problem in relations with Moscow. "We do not think that taking the Crimea issue out of the matter and re-integrating the occupied Donbas on Russia's conditions (which would exactly be the result of the proposed 'pseudo-elections') would make Ukraine a viable state. On the contrary, by accepting such conditions Ukraine would inevitably go the way of Bosnia and Herzegovina and would become a country of only nominal territorial integrity. Its further fragmentation would only be a matter of time. Abandoning the struggle for the Crimea would mean not only betraying Crimean Ukrainians but also betraying the entire people, the Crimean Tatars, who suffer from injustice under the occupation," the foundation said. As reported, in an article for The Wall Street Journal, published late last year, Pinchuk proposed to the authorities and the citizens of Ukraine should make a number of "painful compromises" for the sake of finishing the conflict with Russia. Among the initiatives voiced by the businessman, were the following: temporary exclusion of stated goals of the country's membership in the EU, refusal of the intention to join NATO in the short and medium term and country's agreement to neutrality. He also insists on the stance that "Crimea must not get in the way of a deal that ends the war in the east on an equitable basis" while maintaining the position that Crimea is a part of Ukraine, and it must be returned. Furthermore, Pinchuk suggested that Ukraine should agree to the holding of local elections in separate districts of Donbas until Ukraine has full control over its territory in order "to demonstrate Ukraine's commitment to peaceful reunification." One more Pinchuk proposal was the consent of Ukraine to the gradual lifting of the sanctions from Russia. The Wensleydale Creamery, the famous Yorkshire Dales cheese-maker, has celebrated the 20th anniversary of the formation of its dedicated Milk Producer Group. The Creamery at Hawes, in Wensleydale is now sourcing milk from over 40 local farms, contributing more than 12million to the local economy through milk payments, wages and purchases. A modern success story, The Wensleydale Creamery looks towards a strong start to 2017, following a 5million investment in its new dairy and cheese-making facilities. Driven by the love for its quality handcrafted cheeses, the business, which is seeing year-on-year growth in the UK and internationally, had its busiest festive period ever; with its award-winning cheeses being enjoyed on many of the nations Christmas cheeseboards. David Hartley, managing director at The Wensleydale Creamery, said: Were passionate and proud of our Yorkshire heritage and provenance and we are delighted to be celebrating 20 years of working closely with our Milk Producer Group as we head into the 21st year. Its a significant landmark and achievement that the group continues to come together and support each other 20 years on! We want to say a big thank you to all of our supplying farmers for their high quality milk, which is at the heart of our truly special cheese. Our family of farmers is integral to the production of our award-winning cheeses, yogurts and butter, and its vital that we support them to ensure a sustainable milk future for the Yorkshire Dales. 'Local and deeply rural Dales economy' Matthew Bell, chairman of The Wensleydale Milk Producer Group, commented: I cannot stress enough the importance and value of The Wensleydale Creamery to our local and deeply rural Dales economy. Our industry is facing tough issues and we need to work together throughout the supply chain to ensure a viable future for us all. Its a really competitive market out there for the dairy industry. We need to continue to work hand in hand to ensure that we deliver the milk thats needed to supply The Creamery, as it aspires to grow over the next 20 years. The Wensleydale Creamery, based at Hawes in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is home of the famous Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, which is protected with European Protected Food Name status. It is renowned for its traditional cheese-making skills as well as being innovative with the development of new cheese and dairy products. In 1996, The Wensleydale Creamery secured contracts with local farms for the direct supply of milk to The Creamery. Today, it continues this relationship with the group of farmers who are dedicated to supplying quality milk to make its award-winning cheese, and is actively looking for more Yorkshire farmers to join its Milk Producer Group. A four-course 20th celebration dinner was held in Calverts Restaurant at The Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre, with farmers from the Milk Producer Group and the milk tanker drivers to mark the occasion. President Trump still hasnt named his agriculture representative By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content Farms.com With two weeks until his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump has selected much of his cabinet except for his Secretary of Agriculture. Reports say a number of candidates, including former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue, current Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller and Californias former lieutenant governor Abel Maldonado, are potential candidates for the position. But does it matter where the Secretary of Agriculture is from? According to some farmers, maybe it does. Cannon Michael, whose farm in Californias Central Valley includes cotton and tomatoes, said having a California representative could help the White House understand the states agricultural needs. (It) would be good to have someone connected to California since we are unique in many ways, he said. (It) definitely would not hurt. David Ocker, who farms in southern Texas, said the candidate, regardless of where theyre from, needs to understand trade. I would like to see someone who understands free market capitalism and can teach the virtues of the American system, he said. Heather Lindberg, a hog farmer from Iowa, said her sense of pride for the Secretary of Agriculture comes in how well they perform their duties. If they are good then I am proud, she said. Its not merely that they are from here. Lindberg also said the person should have some background in agriculture if they are to hold the position. She points to current Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey as an example. (Hes) both Iowas ag secretary as well as an actual farmer. Its like hes double qualified. Warrenton, VA (20186) Today Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 73F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Hundreds of tanks, self-propelled howitzers and other military vehicles have been offloaded in the German port of Bremerhaven since Friday after arriving in Germany by sea from the United States, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported. This is the biggest delivery of a U.S. armored tank brigade to Europe since the end of the Cold War, and over the coming days the military equipment will be sent by train from Germany to bases in Poland and the Baltic states, according to the BBC. To that end the Bundeswehr will need over 900 railcars and platforms, Deutsche Welle said. The total length of rolling stock with military equipment will be around 14 kilometers. Also to arrive in Germany are 3,500 U.S. troops from the 4th Infantry Division from the Fort Carson base in Colorado. In addition, this year the U.S., Britain, Germany and Canada will send four battalions, 4,000 troops in total, each to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The deployment of NATO forces in Eastern Europe is part of the North-Atlantic alliance's program aimed at deterring a possible Russian aggression. Russia has repeatedly criticized the enlargement of NATO presence in Eastern Europe. U.S. troops will be stationed in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, as well as Bulgaria and Hungary. Initially it was assumed that U.S. troops would arrive in Europe at the end of January, but the outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama sped up the process. More Information Where to find help Families Overcoming Drug Addiction (FODA); meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Fauquier Hospital in the Sycamore Conference Room. Call 540-316-9221 or email MyFODAfamily@gmail.com for more information. Come As You Are Coalition (CAYA); an online clearinghouse that connects people to helpful resources, available treatments and support groups. The organization helps to raise community awareness on substance abuse through local prevention programs in Fauquier and Culpeper counties. Visit cayacoalition.org for more information. Narcotics Anonymous; meetings held at Warrenton Baptist Church, 123 Main St., Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. Celebrate Recovery, The Bridge Community Church, 8776 James Madison Highway, Warrenton. A Bible-based 12-step recovery program, meets Fridays at 6 p.m. in the church office. Call 540-341-7409 or email celebraterecovery@bridge4life.com for more information. UPDATED: As of about 10 p.m. Monday, Dominion Energy had restored power to about 3,000 homes and businesses that lost electricity at about 8 p.m. due to an equipment issue, according to the Do Pitts: Before voting, take a look at your sample ballot in Cumberland County and NC With similar decoration as a state-owned bank, uniformed bank staff dealing with business, and even deposit slips looking like real ones, the fake bank in South Chinas Nanjing had swindled over $58 million (RMB400 million) out of Chinese customers for about 2 years since 2013. According to Nanjing Intermediate Peoples Court on Jan 5, 2017, the notorious fake bank case went through the second trial. The two prime culprits, Surname Zeng and Surname He, were sentenced to nine-year and nine-year-and-a-half imprisonment respectively for illegally taking public deposits. The defendants Zeng and He lured customers with high discount charge up to 10-15%. They then utilized fake deposit slips to illegally pocket public deposits from these customers from February 2013 to October 2014. This fake bank was in fact a rural cooperative without the required financial permit issued by People's Bank of China. The two defendants together pocketed a total of $61 million (RMB435 million) from 443 people, with the actual loss of $22 million (RMB149 million) after auditing. The Speed-to-Market Scheme (STMS) that aims at developing the Speed-to-Market textile and apparel export segment of Mauritius in the wake of Brexit will be launched this month after consultations with various stakeholders. It will allow Mauritian exporters to become more competitive vis-a-vis other countries exporting via air freight to Europe. Another one of the schemes objectives is to enhance the competitiveness of Mauritian exports in the European market, especially in terms of speed of delivery. At the same time, it will provide support to the textile and apparel enterprises facing difficulties in the wake of Brexit, according to an official statement by the Mauritian government. The scheme will only be applicable to the textile and apparel manufacturing companies. It will provide a 40 per cent refund on air freight cost to exporters to Europe including the UK. It will be time-bound for 2 years and will be operated and managed by Enterprise Mauritius. The Speed-to-Market Scheme (STMS) that aims at developing the 'Speed-to-Market' textile and apparel export segment of Mauritius in the wake of Brexit will be launched this month after consultations with various stakeholders. It will allow Mauritian exporters to become more competitive vis-a-vis other countries exporting via air freight to Europe.# The refund will be applicable for exports as from April 1, 2017. The STMS air freight rebate scheme for textile and apparel was announced in the Budget speech 2016/17 by the minister of finance and economic development of Mauritius. (KD) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India His First Meeting With Salman Khan During His VJ Days Aditya was quoted saying, "The first time I met Salman Khan was when I was a VJ. It was my 19th birthday and we were waiting to interview him for Salaam-E-Ishq. He was supposed to come to interact with the team and we were waiting for a while since he came much later. I remember being very nervous that day as everyone around was like 'be careful', ' he would do this' and they were trying to psyche me out." "I was very nervous while interviewing him as well, but when he got to know it's my birthday he organised an impromptu party. We all were sitting near his van, eating some food and chilling over a few drinks. I remember bringing in my 19th birthday with Salman Khan and of course, after than we worked together in London Dreams. He took care of Rannvijay (Singh) and me like an elder brother and guided us through the shoot. The experience of working on London Dreams is one that I would never forget. That's how our friendship started and it feels very nice that he is still looking out for me." The Failure Of His Last Film Fitoor He further added, "I signed Fitoor because of the story, not because it had a successful actor like Katrina Kaif, and I felt the star-cast was apt for the film. I think a film flops because of various reasons. Film-making is a combination of many things and many things can go wrong. It is a very complicated process and there are different stages you encounter while making a film. A film could flop when you go wrong at any step." Adityas Take On Live-In Relationships "I think live-in relationship works for a few people and it doesn't for others. I have never done it, so I can't speak about the pros and cons. I don't know if that will work for me or not, but I am definitely not close to the idea. For an arrangement like that to succeed, one needs to have the right feeling for the right person. I believe in the institution of marriage, but I am not ready for marriage either." His Chemistry With Shraddha Kapoor In OK Jaanu In the same interview, he further added, "Both Shraddha and I are really excited for this film, because it is in a complete different place from Aashiqui 2. We feel happy that we are not repeating ourselves in this film as it is a fresh subject and tackles a different issue. We share friendship off screen and we have tried to ex-plore that comfort to be translated on screen." Gulshan Devaiah, who starred in the comedy film 'Hunterrr' which released in 2015, is stranded at the Istanbul airport in Turkey due to heavy snowstorm. The actor was en route Mumbai after a vacation with his wife Kalliroi Tziafeta. 'A Scandall' Actress Reeth Mazumder To Star In A Death Metal Song For French Band 'Kopper8'! Gulshan and Kalliroi had been on a holiday to Greece to ring in the New Year 2017 and had even watched Damien Chazelle's musical comedy La La Land. Unfortunately, their connecting flight was in Istanbul and the duo are stranded there for close to 12 hours for now. In a series of tweets, the Hunterrr star Gulshan revealed his condition by saying, "Stuck in #Istanbul airport, all flights cancelled due to snow storm. Been here over 12 hrs The whole airport is closed #snowstorm." The actor also shared a video clip of the Istanbul airport and everything is fully covered in snow, including the aeroplanes. After Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Opens Up About The Bangalore Molestation Case! Gulshan Devaiah would next be seen in the film Cabaret, which stars Richa Chadha in the lead role. The film is produced by Pooja Bhatt and speculation is rife that the film is inspired by Helen's life. However, the film-makers have denied the speculations. Bangalore Molestation Case! Anushka Sharma Slams A Twitter Troll Kriti Sanon debuted with the film Heropanti in 2014 and was paired alongside debutant Tiger Shroff. The actress was then seen in a star-studded film Dilwale which was directed by Rohit Shetty. The film starred Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Varun Dhawan in the lead roles. Kriti Sanon Will Not Be A Part Of Aamir Khan's Thugs Of Hindostan? Despite being on a star-studded film like Dilwale, Kriti Sanon revealed that she still feels like an outsider in the industry and believes that it will get better with the coming days. She said, "Not completely, but it is better. As you do films, you get to know more people. And as you know more people, you feel a little more comfortable at their parties and social events. I still feel a little out of place. I'm not completely comfortable. I can't completely let go at parties. A bit of me still feels like an outsider. I am assuming that it is only going to get better ahead." Kriti Sanon is currently shooting for two films simultaneously, Raabta and Bareilly Ki Barfi. While she is paired alongside Sushant Singh Rajput in Raabta, she'll be seen alongside Ayushmann Khurrana in Bareilly Ki Barfi. The film also stars Rajkummar Rao in the lead role and both the films are scheduled to hit the theatres in 2017. Bangalore Molestation Case! Anushka Sharma Slams A Twitter Troll Kriti Sanon had some good words for both her co-stars Sushant, Rajkummar and Ayushmann and said, "Ayushmann and Raj Kummar are fabulous. Even in the case of Raabta, Sushant is an amazing actor. A lot of the scenes seem more alive when you are performing with a good actor. It is the give and take that matters." Bengaluru Molestation Case: Esha Gupta Takes A Stand, But Gets Shamed In Return! Film director Gurinder Chadha mourned the death of veteran actor Om Puri and talked about her experience of working with him. Om Puri was found dead at his residence on Friday (6 January) morning. He suffered a cardiac attack. Talking about Om Puri, Gurinder Chadha told Mumbai Mirror, ''We had been trying to work together for a very long time, so when I had sent Omji the script of Viceroy's House, he was delighted to be a part of the film, as it was set in the same time period as Richard Attenborough's Gandhi which had released 35 years ago. He plays Abba to Huma Qureshi's Aalia who is in love with a Punjabi Hindu boy.'' She added, ''In one of the party scenes, a junior artiste was supposed to hand him a plate of pakodas. The actor was so nervous he spoke his lines too loud and Omji turned to him and said, "Main andha hoon, behra nahin," and the whole unit burst out laughing.'' ''He was so jolly on the sets, never once complaining about the many nights shoots. He would arrange a few chairs together and lie down saying, "Wake me up when you need me. The last time we spoke, he wanted to see the film and I was going to show it to him on my next visit to India,'' revealed the famous director. ''It would have been lovely to get his comments and have a drink with him. I'll show the film to his wife and son,'' Gurinder Chadha said. Also Read: Actors Don't Want To Make A Tamasha Of Their Love Life; That's Why They Stay Mum: Aditya Roy Kapur American screenwriter, actor, director and producer Bryan Lee Cranston, popularly known as Bryan Cranston says that he is looking forward to the opportunity to work with Ben Affleck again. Bryan Cranston states that Ben Affleck apart from being a great actor is one of the best directors in Hollywood. The former Breaking Bad actor associated with Ben for the movie Argo and it grabbed the Oscar for the Best Picture. The actor also said that working with actor/director Ben Affleck was one among his career highlights. "I think the best thing about Ben is his insight. He has total willingness and courage to get down into the dirt as a director. I think he's a very good actor but he's an even better director." Said Bryan Lee Cranston. Cranston continued, "What I learned from Ben is creating physical obstacles. If a character has an easy arc it's not interesting. So if you put physical obstacles in that character's way, that he or she needs to get around, somehow it adds to the anxiety that an audience wants to feel." "He's brilliant at that." Cranston added. Cranston also said about Ben, "He's got a terrific mind. Any time there were breaks doing Argo he would relax by doing The New York Times crossword puzzle - and he would pound it out." (Xinhua) 19:36, January 06, 2017 The ongoing search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has entered "final lap" and a tripartite meeting would be held to decide the next step, a Malaysian official said on Friday. The search of the 120,000-square-km area in the South Indian Ocean is "in the final lap", possibly completed "within these two weeks", Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told reporters. The governments of Malaysia, Australia and China will wait for the final search report before holding a tripartite meeting, he said. The state news agency quoted Liow as saying that the tripartite meeting, which could be held at the end of this month, would decide whether to continue the search for the ill-fated flight. A recent report released by Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which in charge of the underwater search efforts for missing, admitted there is a "high probability" the aircraft is not within the existing search area. "We cannot just base on assumptions, we need credible clues to look for the plane, so we are waiting for the final report," Liow said when asked about the possibility of extending the search area. Flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board, most of them Chinese, en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. The three nations have decided to suspend the search operation after finishing the 120,000 square km if no credible information emerged. Renowned Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield, who features Martin Scorsese's latest movie Silence, says working with the legendary director wasa "A Gift". "He wants you at your most unknown. He wants you at your most spontaneous. Your most daring and far reaching beyond what you know of yourself as a person and as an actor. So that was a gift to me." Andrew Garfield said in a statement about Scorsese. While talking about the movie, Garfield said the script of the movie had fascinated him a lot. "It's a story that's so rich and important for our times. How do you truly sacrifice yourself to serve others? Because that's what a life of service to God seems to me to be." Garfield added. "It's what a life of faith seems to me to be. By not treating yourself as god or a false idol, which obviously, we have a lot of in our culture right now." Garfield stated further. Producer Irwin Winkler also praised Scorsese and said he is glad to get associated with the legendary director once again. They have done five movies together including some of renowned the classics like Raging Bull and Goodfellas. "Strangely enough when you make a movie with Marty, you're not the outsider. You're the insider. So it's very, very satisfactory as far as creativity is concerned. So for a producer that is a great gift," Winkler said. In Beyhadh, Saanjh is completely shattered after seeing Arjun proposing Maya (Jennifer Winget) in Mauritius. Arjun is unaware of Saanjh's love for him, and he also doesn't know about Maya's craziness. Arjun, Maya and Saanjh return to Mumbai. While on their way back home, in flight, Maya would have booked for herself and Arjun in business class. Since she doesn't want Saanjh to be anywhere around them, she would make her sit in economy class. But, Arjun asks Maya, if he can accompany Saanjh. Although Maya is annoyed with Arjun and Saanjh's friendship, she agree for Arjun's happiness. But, later, she too joins Arjun in the economy class. She tells Arjun that she will be with him everywhere! Saanjh looks upset with Maya's words. Arjun and Saanjh's families will be expecting their marriage news, but the duo shocks everyone by revealing Maya and Arjun's love story. As we all know Arjun's brother Ayaan has always been supportive to Saanjh. This time too, he will support Saanjh to get over the heart break. But, according to the latest spoiler, Ayaan would unknowingly fall in love with Saanjh. Ayaan, who is also unaware of Maya's past, will apparently be genuinely happy for his brother as he found love. It has to be seen whether Ayaan will express his feelings towards Saanjh even after knowing that she loves Arjun? What will Saanjh's reaction be? Also, Maya's mother shocks her by revealing that Ashwin is back and he will be staying with them again! It has to be recalled that Maya has a troubled childhood days because of Ashwin. It has to be seen who Maya will deal with Ashwin. Will she take Arjun's help? Will Ashwin trouble Arjun? Stay locked to this space for the latest updates... Swaragini actress Helly Shah celebrates her birthday today (January 7). Apparently, the actress is celebrating her birthday with her family in her hometown, Ahmedabad. Television actors took to social media to wish the 'Princess of television' on her birthday. Check out to know who all wish the pretty actress on her special day... Roop Durgapal "Aj kiskaaa Bdayyy haiii ????? Hellly ka @hellyshahofficial wish u loadsa happinesss on ur special day..luv n hugsss." Nikita Sharma "Happpppyyy bbbbiiirrrttthhhddaayyy to the most cutest and adorable person I have ever met...the girl with the best smile happyyy bbiirrthddayyy hellu....wish all your dreams come true rise and shine cutie @hellyshahofficial." Bhavini Purohit "I look back on the craziest stuff we have done and think this is why we are Bestest Friends Happiest Birthdayy sweetie #AlwaysGonnaBeUrPopCornPartr #Loveu." Sharad Tripathi "Wishing happiest birthday to the chirpy bubbly and the cutest @OfficialHelly7 .Ur smile is infectiously endearing..keep smiling..love n hugs." Lalit Mohan Lalit Mohan shared a picture snapped with Helly on his social networking account. He wished the pretty actress, "Bon anniversaire, Madame ." Helly Shah Helly took to social media to thank her fans for the beautiful gifts. She shared a picture and wrote, "Mornings be like Guyz u all are crazy ..... Much Love to all of u ." Helly hails from a Gujarati family. She began her acting career when she was in the 8th grade. Her first show was Gulaal in which she played the role of Talli. The show which was aired on Star Plus, also starred Manasi Parekh Gohil and Neil Bhatt. The actress did a series of shows - Alaxmi - Humari Super Bahu, Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi and Khushiyon Kii Gullak Aashi. Helly aka Swara became the household name with the Colors show, Swaragini. Helly's pairing with Varun Kapoor, who played the role of Sanskar, was most loved by the audiences. Fans have nick-named the couple as 'SwaSan'. Recently, the couple also won an award (Colors Golden Petal Awards) in the 'Favourite Jodi' category. Helly has bagged 3rd place (TV Personality 2016) on the UK's biggest and only Indian TV stars poll! 12 Must See Pictures Of Swaragini's Swara Aka Helly Shah Helly had participated in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9. Unfortunately, her journey was short, as she got eliminated soon. There are also rumours that the actress has given a look test for Ishqbaaz. She is being considered for the role of Omkara's love interest! Flosstime, a Palo Alto, California-based developer of an automated floss dispenser, closed a $970K seed round of funding. Backers included San Joaquin Angels, Wesco Facilidades & Bem-estar and other angel investors. Founded in August 2014 by Michael Evans, Duc Duong and Gregorio Faria, who met in a Stanford Biodesign course, Flosstime has just launched a consumer device which dispenses floss, reminds people to floss and rewards daily flossing habits. With a single touch, the circular device dispenses 18 inches of floss, cuts it and sets a 90-second LED-timer that moves around the device, indicating how long users should spend on each section of the mouth. After 90-seconds, Flosstime will light up with a smile as a reward for a job well done. After a 22-hour period of inactivity, an orange frown reminds the user that it is time to floss again. If unused after seven days, the device will automatically shoot out a length of floss. The habit-forming device can be set to single and dual-user modes. Available today at Flosstime.com, the device can be purchased for $29.99 and will ship in January 2017. FinSMEs 06/01/2017 Riverside Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm focused on investing in middle market healthcare and technology companies, has announced four promotions. With the aim of further strengthening the investment team as the firm continues to invest Riverside Fund V, L.P., a $561m equity fund, Riverside promoted Michelle Noon and Max Osofsky to General Partner, David Del Papa to Partner, and Chris Ryan to Principal. Michelle Noon joined Riverside Partners in 2008 and focuses on technology investments with a specific emphasis on software, software-based services, transaction processing and media technology. She brings more than 15 years of experience in private equity and finance to her role. Noon has played key deal and portfolio management roles with Riversides technology investments including Thinklogical, Contractor Management Services and Pilgrim Quality Solutions. Prior to joining Riverside, she was on the investment team at Thoma Bravo (f/k/a Thoma Cressey Equity Partners) in San Francisco and focused on software investments. Noon also worked as part of the investment banking group at Morgan Stanley in New York. Max Osofsky brings more than 16 years of private equity and consulting experience to the Riverside Partners team, which he joined in 2008. Osofsky co-leads the firms healthcare investing activities. He has played key leadership roles with several current Riverside portfolio companies, including Bottom Line Systems, Allied Dental, BioAgilytix, Dominion Diagnostics and HealthDrive, as well as with prior investments in Tegra Medical (sold to SFS Group) and Vocollect (sold to Honeywell). Prior to joining Riverside, Osofsky was a Vice President at Summit Partners, and a consultant at Bain & Company. David Del Papa joined Riverside Partners in 2012 as a Vice President, and has more than ten years of private equity and consulting experience. He has been involved in all facets of the investment process and played a key role on several Riverside Partners technology and healthcare investments including ITC Global (sold to Panasonic Corporation), Eliassen Group, and Thinklogical. Prior to joining Riverside, Del Papa was on the lower middle market buyout team at H.I.G. Capital. David also worked as a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. Chris Ryan joined Riverside Partners in 2011 and brings more than 10 years of private equity and consulting experience to the firm. Ryan focuses on investments in the technology sector. He has worked closely with several Riverside portfolio companies including Contractor Management Services, FirstLight Fiber (sold to Oak Hill Capital Partners), Thinklogical, and ITC Global (sold to Panasonic Corporation). Prior to joining Riverside Partners, Ryan was an Associate with Advent International and a strategy consultant with the Parthenon Group. FinSMEs 06/01/2017 By Ange Aboa | BOUAKE, Ivory Coast BOUAKE, Ivory Coast Mutinying soldiers entered Ivory Coast's military headquarters and fired into the air inside the compound housing the defence ministry on Saturday, a diplomatic source said, and the defence minister sought to negotiate an end to their two-day revolt.The uprising began early on Friday when disgruntled soldiers - mainly former rebel fighters - demanding wage increases and bonuses seized Bouake, the second-largest city, then spread to at least four other cities and towns later in the day.Residents and soldiers reported shooting in Man, Toulepleu, Bondoukou and Abidjan, a city of nearly 5 million residents where the president, administration and parliament are based. "There's a lot of shooting in the air inside the ministry of defence," said the diplomatic source who saw and spoke to the mutineers. "It's in the hands of the bad guys." Rogue soldiers had also erected makeshift barricades around the nearby military headquarters, the source said. President Alassane Ouattara was visiting neighbouring Ghana for the swearing-in of its new president, after which he returned to Abidjan in the afternoon for a special cabinet meeting. Saturday saw the revolt rapidly gain momentum as angry soldiers took to the streets in town after town, often firing their guns in the air and warning residents to return home. Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi travelled to Bouake on Saturday in an attempt to negotiate with the mutiny's leaders and quell the uprising."I came, as promised, to meet with our brothers. I am there to reassure them, as the president asked me to," Donwahi said before meeting with leaders of the revolt. "We are going to listen and find a solution." Ivory Coast - French-speaking West Africa's largest economy - has emerged from a 2002-11 political crisis as one of the continent's rising economic stars. However, years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions.STANDOFF Heavy gunfire was heard during the night in the northern city of Korhogo and early on Saturday in Bouake. The revolt then spread to the Akouedo military base located in a residential section of Abidjan, where gunfire was confirmed by a soldier inside the camp and a local resident.Another diplomatic source said armed dissident soldiers - some of whom blackened their faces with ashes or wore scarves around their heads - blocked a main road near the camp and threatened people in passing cars.Loyalist troops sought to reinforce security in Abidjan. A Reuters reporter saw elite Republican Guard soldiers deployed on two of the three bridges spanning the lagoon that divides the city's northern and southern halves. Members of a special police and military security unit were positioned near the third bridge, the first diplomat said.Abidjan residents, meanwhile, rushed to supermarkets to buy bottled water and other provisions, fearing violence could eventually paralyse the city. A Reuters reporter in Bouake, who met some of the mutineers, said they were composed of low-ranking soldiers but also included some demobilised combatants. Nearly all appeared to be former members of the New Forces rebellion, which had used Bouake as its de facto capital and controlled the northern half of Ivory Coast from 2002 until the country was reunited following a 2011 civil war.Defence Minister Donwahi arrived in Bouake in the early afternoon accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Issiaka Ouattara, known as Wattao, a former rebel leader who is now the deputy commander of the Republican Guard.Troop reinforcements were sent towards Bouake on Friday after word of the revolt reached the army headquarters in Abidjan, creating a standoff with renegade soldiers holding positions at the entrance to the city. Soldiers from the country's U.N. peacekeeping mission were also blocked on the outskirts of Bouake on Saturday after mutineers refused to let them enter.During a similar uprising in 2014, when hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay, the government agreed a financial settlement. (Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Additional reporting and writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Dale Hudson and Stephen Powell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Shillong: Independent Meghalaya MLA Julius Dorphang, who was wanted in connection with a sex-racket case involving a 14-year old girl in Shillong, was arrested on Saturday from his hideout in neighbouring Assam, the police said. The arrest came a day after a look out notice was issued and the state police sought cooperation from their counterparts in neighbouring states. "We have arrested Dorphang and he was brought here. He will now face trial," East Khasi Hills district SP M Kharkrang told PTI. The arrest was made from a place which he used as a hideout, he said, without divulging details. In fact several raids were conducted within the state and even several places in Assam where the legislator frequented till yesterday morning but the raids were futile. A joint raid was also conducted at Hatigaon area on Thursday where the surrendered ULFA leaders are running their offices but they did not find him there. Dorphang, who had co-founded an armed organization until he surrendered in 2007, went into hiding after the police booked him under section 366 (A) of the IPC and registered section 3 (a)/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) and under section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA) against him. The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house owned by senior Congress leader and Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh's son was arrested for trafficking of the 14-yr-old victim last month. The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she named all those involved in sexually exploiting her. Five of the eight people, including four women, named in separate FIRs have been arrested till date. On 4 January, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dorphang, following which the manhunt began. New Delhi: India and Portugal inked seven pacts to expand bilateral engagement in a wide range of areas including defence and security, IT and renewable energy, even as they took a veiled dig at China for blocking New Delhi's move at the UN to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and States harbouring them, stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism. Modi, in a statement to the media, said he and Costa discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror. "Recognising the importance of the central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee," a joint statement issued after the talks said. On 30 December, China had blocked India's move to list Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist, at the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. China was the only member on the 15-nation committee to have opposed India's move. The joint statement said both sides called for strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism in a spirit of zero tolerance, underlining that States should not support any terror entity including 'non-State actors' on any grounds. The two leaders also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and sought adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN. Modi said his talks with Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, covered the full range of India-Portugal ties across various sectors. "We agreed that the two countries must focus on action-oriented approach to realise the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that," he said. Modi also thanked Costa for Portugal's support to India's membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The MoU on defence envisages cooperation meeting security challenges, including in the maritime domain and defence industries. File photo taken on September 5, 2016 shows Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meeting with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, China. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO) WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. intelligence released a report on Friday, making public its assessment of alleged Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election last year. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election," the report said, adding that Moscow's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," it said. "We have high confidence in these judgments." The report said Moscow's action was part of its "longstanding desire to undermine the U.S.-led liberal democratic order" , and demonstrated a "significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort." The report is the declassified version of a comprehensive intelligence report that U.S. President Barack Obama directed the intelligence community to conduct on Dec. 9, 2016. Trump has repeatedly refused to accept the findings that Russia has intervened in the 2016 presidential election. He quoted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange this week to voice new doubt about the hacking claim made by U.S. intelligence agencies. The Russian government has also denied the accusations. On Friday, Trump met with chiefs of intelligence agencies in New York to be briefed on alleged Russia cyber attacks against the United States. Following the meeting, Trump said the alleged hacking activities had no impact on the election results and he didn't directly acknowledge Moscow's responsibility. However, Trump added that he had a "constructive meeting" with the top intelligence officials, and he had "tremendous respect" for the work of the intelligence community. The President-elect also said he will appoint a team within 90 days to figure out ways to stop foreign hacking. "Whether it is our government, organizations, associations or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks," he said. Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Sakshi Maharaj is again doing what he does best: putting his foot in his mouth. Ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states, the Unnao MP clearly blamed Muslims for a sharp rise in population in the country when he said that Hindus are clearly not responsible for it and then went on to add: "Population is increased by those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children." Leaving no doubt that he was speaking against the Muslim community, Maharaj also then spoke against the practice of triple talaq and asked the government to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as soon as possible, reported News18. We really wonder about how much Maharaj actually cares about the triple talaq issue, considering the communal angle he gave to the issue of population rise. He also said that the country was being divided because Hindus were not having enough children. "Hindu ghataa aur desh bataa," he said. "Whether Hindu or Muslim, mothers are not machines," he added. Reacting to Maharaj's remarks, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told Times Now that such a statement could not be BJP's position. Maharaj's remarks make a mockery out of the Supreme Court's Monday verdict that seeking votes in the name of religion during polls is illegal. PTI had reported that the Supreme Court in a majority verdict, held that any appeal for votes on the ground of religion amounts to corrupt practices under electoral laws. In a marked departure from the view held in the 1995 "Hindutva" judgement that the term "his" used in section 123 (3) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act meant the religion, caste, etc, of candidates only, a seven-judge bench headed by the then chief justice, TS Thakur, by a majority of 4:3, had held that any appeal for votes on these grounds would amount to "corrupt practice". "An appeal in the name of religion, race, caste, community or language is impermissible under the RP Act, 1951 and would constitute a corrupt practice sufficient to annul the election in which such an appeal was made regardless whether the appeal was in the name of the candidate's religion or the religion of the election agent or that of the opponent or that of the voter's," the former Chief Justice of India, who concurred with majority verdict written by Justice MB Lokur, had said. After the apex court verdict, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also said that the BJP never did nor will it do politics of religious polarisation, stressing that the "secular" parties need to be cautious in the wake of the Supreme Court order. "I feel if it (BJP) was doing politics of polarisation, it would not have got a clear majority in Parliament... it is for the first time that a non-Congress party has got a clear majority in the Parliament. Now, to accuse that political party, and its workers and volunteers is not right," he had said. On the Supreme Court order, he had said, "Whatever the Supreme Court has said is absolutely right. I fully agree with whatever the apex court has said...Politics should not be on the lines of caste, cult or religion. Politics should be only in the name of humanity and justice." Clearly, though, Sakshi Maharaj is either unaware of or deliberately ignoring both the Supreme Court verdict and Rajnath Singh's remarks. Maharaj later said that he had been misquoted and that he actually said nothing against the Muslim community, reported CNN-News18. He said that he was ready to face the Election Commission if he was wrong. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: The BJP distanced itself from party MP Sakshi Maharaj's comment suggesting Muslims were responsible for the population boom in the country, saying it is not the view of the ruling party nor that of the NDA government at the Centre. Union minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi reiterated that the BJP is for inclusive growth and asserted the country will be governed based on law and Constitution and not danda (baton). "I have not read his statement. But when we talk about development of all, this country runs as per law, Constitution and not baton. His statement, I believe, is not the government's view and also not of the BJP," Naqvi told reporters here. Asked about Congress reportedly planning to take up the issue with Election Commission given the model code of conduct is in effect in five states including Uttar Pradesh where Maharaj made the statement, Naqvi said "It is wrong to perceive his statement as that of the BJP." Maharaj had stoked controversy by indirectly blaming Muslims for the population boom in the country. Without naming any community, the lawmaker had said the population has gone up due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children. "Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population," the Unnao MP had said addressing a sant sammelan in Meerut on Friday. Feroze Gandhi, probably Indias original anti-corruption crusader, has over the years caught little attention of historians and authors. While one may get tired of counting the number of biographies of Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira Gandhi, there are, in all, two biographies of Feroze Gandhi the man who was a freedom fighter, a member of Constituent Assembly, a fearless critic of his own partys government and above all, a member of the so-called first family of Indian politics. India needs to know more about him. Veteran Swedish journalist Bertil Falk tries in earnest to address this information gap in his book titled Feroze the forgotten Gandhi. The book opens with Ferozes roots and demolishes the myth that he got his surname from Mahatma Gandhi. Ferozes family name was Gandhy. Falk has even attached Ferozes birth certificate as an appendix. Feroze was born in Mumbai to a middle-class Parsi parents but brought up in Allahabad by his single aunt who was a aoctor by profession. Ferozes plunged into the Freedom struggle in his early twenties. By the age of 21, Feroze had been to jail thrice. He became an important Congress worker in Allahabad and while working for the party got associated with Kamla Nehru and Indira. Feroze took great care of ailing Kamala and thus developed a bond with the Nehru family. Ferozes stay in Europe with Indira, his proposal to marry her, the return journey via sea during WWII and finally their marriage all of this is covered crisply by Balk. There is an interesting chapter woven around the Feroze-Indira marriage initial opposition by Nehru, Indiras firmness, Mahatma's role, opposition by Hindu extremists (!) and finally the unique rituals by a renowned Sanskrit scholar. Also read: An interview with author Bertil Falk Falk then takes us through Ferozes parliamentary career. Feroze was an outstanding parliamentarian. He was a true democrat who fought hard for the free press and even got a private members bill passed which helped the press to cover parliamentary proceedings without the fear of defamation. The high point of Ferozes legislative career came when he delivered his famous speech on the LIC scam which forced then Finance Minister TT Krishnamachari to resign (the speech has been reproduced as an appendix.) The sheer Depth of Falk's investigation can become a case study for investigative journalism. Feroze was strongly opposed to the dismissal of the Communist government in Kerala. He knew it was being done at the behest of Indira and voiced his opposition strongly, both at home and in parliament. The author has got this part of Ferozes life well covered. He has tried to portray the fundamental difference in approaches of Indira and her husband towards democratic values. Falk has explored the less known stints of Feroze as a director of his father-in-laws newspaper National Herald and as a managing director of The Indian Express. The account given by Balk of Ferozes commitment and efforts towards the development of his constituency is inspiring. Equally depressing is the part about Ferozes neglect of his health and the ultimate price he paid for it. Falk takes us through all this in great detail and in the process throws light on Ferozes persona a friendly, jovial character with a deep concern for the poor and the downtrodden but without great business sense. While the running theme of the book is the difference in the personalities of Feroze and Indira, Falk has fallen short on shedding adequate light on the falling out of the husband and wife (whether it was Ferozes womanising tendencies or Indiras neglect of him owing to her political ambitions), his awkward relationship with Nehru, his role as a father to two young sons and the impact of all this on Rajiv and Sanjay. Readers would have benefitted if Falk had given a more intimate account of Feroze Gandhis family life. We are also left with much less knowledge about Feroze, the Socialist and liberal leader. After all, when Feroze was at peak of his parliamentary success, it was also the time of important policy decisions by Nehru such as the Hindu code bill or the second Five Year Plan, etc, which shaped India in years to come. Ferozes stand on these policy matters has been scarcely touched upon. It has taken almost four decades of Falks efforts to put together this book. It is rich with references from his interviews with people, opinions and quotes from Ferozes contemporaries and his own research of Indian Politics. Falks style of dotting the narrative with first person accounts by people of his subject is refreshing. While doing so, he has carefully managed the balance of the book by pointing anomalies or questioning theories in these accounts. This book is in sync with the recent trend of bringing to the fore the contributions of hitherto neglected personalities. It makes a good read about Indias unique VIP Very Investigative Parliamentarian a term coined by Falk himself. The Mumbai Police Calendar 2017, shot by photographer Pravin Talan, was launched by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis recently. While the force will be using its official Twitter handle to share images from the calendar, a downloadable PDF version will also be made available. About the theme for this year's calendar Commissioner of Police Dattatraya Padsalgikar says, "Mumbai is a magnanimous city. It has lived through a lot of ups and downs and always emerged stronger than before. This city has inspired millions across the globe and inspires us at every dawn. Mumbai Police derives its strength from the citizens and our selfless service is our tribute to Mumbai." Scroll down to see a selection of images from the calendar: Mumbai: The upcoming elections to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be a trial of survival for the ruling Shiv Sena while ally Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now the dominant partner in Maharashtra, is seeing the electoral battle to take control of Asia's richest civic body to create space for itself in the city's political landscape. Political observers say the election will primarily be a Shiv Sena versus BJP battle. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will take a decision on the alliance with Shiv Sena, which on its side, has maintained that it will only forge an alliance if there is an "honourable pact" coming their way. However, given the frosty relations between the ruling partners, the two are yet to come on a meeting ground for discussions on a possible alliance. A BJP leader said the party has invited district unit presidents to submit a list of probable candidates for the civil polls. Only those candidates who get the highest ratings in an internal survey will get party tickets. On the preparatory side, the BJP, which emerged as the "big brother" after the 2014 assembly polls, has already put in place its organisational structure up to booth levels in all the wards. Grassroot workers are of the view that BJP should go alone and the party expects to win more than 80 seats or emerge as the single largest party in the 227-member house. Workers are of the view that the party made good gains in 2014 winning 15 MLAs and 2 MPs but the need of the hour is to consolidate on these gains. "Time is ripe. If not now, then BJP will never be able to expand in Mumbai," a leader said. "As per the Assembly election results of 2014, BJP was ahead in over 144 wards," the BJP leader added. BJP which has been in power with the Shiv Sena in the civic body for over two decades now, does not want to share the anti-incumbency factor and is keen to unseat the Sena by highlighting alleged corruption there. Currently BJP has 33 corporators while ruling Sena has 75 members. The Congress and NCP stand at 52 and 13 each while the MNS has 28 members in the municipal body. "Sena and BJP contesting separately will leave the Congress with no space in the election discourse. Congress, which is already a faction-ridden unit will raise national issues and target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will work in BJP's favour as supporters of Modi will consolidate and stand firm with the party," a BJP leader said. Raj Thackeray's MNS is not considered an electoral factor now, while MIM which won a seat in the assembly elections will look to take a sizeable chunk of Muslim votes, political observers said. With NCP already announcing their list of 45 candidates, chances of a Congress-NCP alliance appear bleak. Congress has got nearly 1,400 applications from aspiring candidates and the party has begun the process of selection and scrutinising candidates. While city unit chief Sanjay Nirupam maintained that Congress will go alone in the elections, State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said an alliance will take place only if the local unit wishes. "NCP was our ally. Now it is just an ad hoc arrangement," he said. New Delhi: Nearly two months after the 8 November demonetisation, a senior Union minister on Saturday hailed scrapping of the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as "historic" and said the step "could only be taken by a visionary leadership". "The entire executive unanimously agreed that it is a historic step," Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industries, told the media on the second day of the Bharatiya Janata Party National Executive meet in Delhi. She said such decision required visionary leadership, which the BJP had now provided. Sitharaman measures announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi post-demonetisation were due to the fact that he fully recognised the hardships faced by the Dalits, tribals and women and took steps accordingly to allay them. "We formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe accounts holding black money, and rewrote treaties with many nations and signed them all over again, for exchange of information as to who's holding how much," she said. The minister spoke of a 'Benami Properties Confiscation Act, 1988' which, she said, "was never notified by the previous governments. "We brought that bill before a parliamentary Standing Committee in 2014 and notified it... so that the government can confiscate benami properties," she said. Puducherry: Several Congress workers in Puducherry on Saturday staged a demonstration outside central government offices in Puducherry, to protest the "hasty and faulty" decision of the Centre to demonetise high value currency notes. Addressing agitators outside a nationalised bank in the heart of the town, Puducherry PWD Minister A Namassivayam claimed that the demonetisation scheme had caused "inexplicable havoc to all sections of people and more particularly the workers and the poorer sections." The demonstration by party volunteers was in keeping with the decision taken recently at the executive committee meeting of the PCC, he said. Industries Minister MOHF Shahjahan led the agitation in front of the Pondicherry university in neighbouring Kalapet. Condemning the move, he said, "The scheme was implemented without any forethought and alternative arrangements by the Prime Minister." Functionaries of the PCC and office bearers of the youth wing held demonstrations at different points to register their protest against the Centre's "anti-poor policies including demonetisation of the currencies." Opposition parties have urged the Centre and the Election Commission to postpone the Union Budget until after the conclusion of Assembly polls in five states, but industry experts and academics believe government spending is needed immediately to mitigate pains caused by the Centre's demonetisation decision. The experts have identified agriculture, rural infrastructure and energy as the three sectors which require immediate attention. This comes at a time when even President Pranab Mukherjee stressed upon the need to alleviate the sufferings of the poor following demonetisation. Economist professor Venkatesh Athreya, of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, told Firstpost, "The government can do a lot to mitigate the sufferings of the poor people of India even if it doesn't advance the budget to 1 February. For instance, what prevents them from spending more money on schemes such as MGNREGA, which is seen as an important lifeline to the poor?" he asks. Adding that demonetisation has collapsed the banking system, which hasn't been able to lend money to the agriculture sector for the last two months, Athreya said there is an immediate need to spend money in agriculture, rural infrastructure and energy. He also says that if the government had any real intentions of helping the poor, it would have expanded investments in these sectors without getting into a tussle with the Opposition over the budget date. Mukherjee, while addressing governors and lieutenant governors on 5 January, had said that India has to speed up implementation of projects and economic policies faster than the pace that was seen in the earlier financial years, to provide the poor with the relief they were craving. "Demonetisation, while immobilising black money and fighting corruption, may lead to temporary slowdown of the economy," he said. He had also appreciated the transition in approach towards poverty alleviation from entitlement to entrepreunership, albeit with a caution that he is not too sure that the poor can wait that long and asserted that they need to get succour "here and now". A study published by Vox CEPR's Policy Portal in 2010 had said that the global downturn in the last decade of the millennium had resulted in an addition of 1.4 million to 2 million poor people in Bangladesh and Phillipines. Similar adversities in India too are feared on the face of the temporary economic slump predicted by Mukherjee. His address also underlined the real challenges the country is facing and the need to deal with them in a timely manner, which was in contrast to the Opposition's demand to postpone the budget. Industry experts expect more pro-poor measures will be announced, specifically in three key sectors: Agriculture, infrastructure and energy. Bimal Jain, market watcher and chairman of the indirect taxes committee of the Punjab Haryana and Delhi Chambers of Commerce, told Firstpost that the demand to postpone the budget does not seem to be a legitimate one, especially at a time when the economy is struggling hard to cope with the effects of the temporary slump caused by demonetisation. "The country needs major decisions immediately to subsidise energy and relax agricultural loans.We need to invest more in infrastructure, to mitigate the pains of the poor and also to boost up the economy. Without the budget, these decisions cannot be taken," he said. He also said that the budgetary decisions are meant for an pan-Indian impact. Hence, the musing that it will influence elections in Uttar Pradesh, does not hold ground. He also believes that postponing the budget will only cause further delays in handing over benefits to the people, as implementation of the schemes will require time. For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here. New Delhi: Acting on Opposition complaint, the Election Commission has sought the Centre's response on their objection to presenting the budget on 1 February before the Assembly polls to five states. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written to Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha who is likely to consult the the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry before framing his response on the government's plans to advance the budget presentation to 1 February, sources said. The Commission had on Friday forwarded a letter of the opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BSP and SP, asking the government to postpone the presentation of the budget to at least till 8 March, when the last of the votes will be cast for the polls to UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. The Cabinet Secretary has been asked to respond by 10 January. Sources said the government is on a firm wicket on the issue and as per rules and procedures, there is no infirmity in preponing the session which usually begins in the third week of February. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recently recommended that the budget session will commence on 31 January and the Union Budget will be presented on 1 February so that the new provisions come into force from 1 April, the beginning of the new fiscal. "When the opposition had objected in 2012 during the Assembly polls to these five states, Congress had accepted their stand and postponed presentation of the Union Budget from February 28 to March 16. We want that there should be no presentation of the budget till the elections are over," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had said after meeting EC on 5 January. Azad said electoral laws make it clear that the ruling party should have no advantage during elections and both the opposition and the ruling side should be on an equal footing. He said the budget on 1 February will tilt the balance in favour of BJP as it would use the exercise to influence voters by doling out sops. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended the move asking why the opposition parties are afraid of it when they have claimed that demonetisation is an unpopular decision. Sixteen parties had written to the President and EC opposing the decision to have an early budget session beginning 31 January. For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here. WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- A shooting has killed five people and injured eight inside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in the U.S. state of Florida Friday, local police said. "5 ppl dead; 8 injured were taken to an area hospital," Broward County Sheriff's office said on its twitter account. It has tweeted earlier that one suspect had been taken into custody. Multiple news outlets have reported that the suspect had been identified as Esteban Santiago, a New Jersey man with a military ID. CNN cited Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief as saying that there's no evidence that the suspect had accomplices and local authorities are looking into the motive of the attack. "Communications received a call around 12:55 pm about shots fired at 100 Terminal Drive at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int'l Airport," Broward County Police said. Photos and videos taken at the site suggested that the incident took place at the baggage claim section of a terminal. Its money or the lack of it that has become the buzzword in the south-western coastal state Goa that goes to poll early next month. Money plays an important role in elections across democracies, but it matters the most when it comes to Goa. With corruption and bribery accepted as a rule rather than an exception in the Goan society, politicians, from village councils to parliamentary polls, depend heavily on money to bribe their way to victory. Neither are any objections raised nor are any questions asked since all political parties since times immemorial have been using money to entice voters. However, the situation has changed drastically with Goa slowly but surely gearing up to elect its new state legislative assembly on 4 February. Demonetisation and the resultant cash crunch along with a strict vigil launched by the poll panel have come as a bolt from the blue for Goa's politicians who are not sure how to reach out to their voters and impress them. Goa, as anywhere else in India, is still reeling under the pressure of demonetisation, particularly because the new notes of Rs 500 denomination are yet to get into circulation in the coastal state (due to a continued cap on maximum withdrawals from accounts and through ATMs). And, to make matters worse, Kunal, Goas chief electoral officer, has taken rather seriously the Rs 20 lakh ceiling imposed by the autonomous Election Commission of India for all aspirants in the state. Faced with a lack of liquidity, ticket aspirants of various parties have asked their workers to mobilise money and seek donation even before all political parties, barring the fledgeling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), could declare their list of candidates for the 40-member assembly. The polls panels Wednesday announcement that all candidates in the fray would have to open election-specific bank accounts in which all donations above Rs 20,000 would have to be deposited through cheque or draft and all payments for the same amount must be made through cheques have made the ticket hopefuls jittery. The poll panel has already constituted two flying squads comprising three teams for each of the 40 assembly segments for 24x7 monitoring and strict adherence to the model code of conduct. A dedicated helpline has been installed as well for complaints with a reaction time of five minutes to reach the spot, which can put even the police and fire brigade to shame. The poll panel has also asked the local police to keep a close eye on vendors like those supplying milk, newspapers, vegetables and other sundry items to households since they were used in the past by innovative politicians to send bribe money to voters in the last two days before the scheduled polling date. The poll panel has also instructed the local excise department to closely monitor liquor outlets and manufacturers to ensure that voters are deprived of alcohol as a mode of bribe. The excise department, in return, has set up flying squads at taluka (subdivision) levels to monitor unauthorised parties. Alcohol wholesalers have been directed to handover their daily stock and sale list along with CCTV recordings of those taking deliveries on a daily basis. In addition, all alcohol manufacturing units have been instructed to handover daily production, stock and supply records to detect an abnormality in production and supply, while all sick bottling units have been sealed to prevent illegal production. Blame it on the crackdown on money and alcohol if the voting percentage in Goa declines from the highly impressive 81.73 percent recorded in 2012. Politicians, cutting across party lines, admit that it would not be easy for them to lure uncommitted voters or fence-sitters to vote for them as such voters, traditionally used to accept cash and alcohol bottles, may prefer to sit at home than queue up at polling booths. Faced with strict guidelines laid down by the Election Commission and acute shortage of money, there is a general apprehension that various mafias, especially the mining mafia, the casino mafia, the real-estate mafia and the drug mafia, may come up to their rescue and dole out money, which does not come without set preconditions to which individuals and their parties have to agree beforehand. The thumb rule here is that you have to spend over Rs 1 crore if you want to emerge victorious in the assembly elections. How am I going to arrange so much money and even if I do, will I be able to evade the prying eyes of the poll observers and flying squads? wondered a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state lawmaker from North Goa, seeking anonymity, and concluding that it may not be a risk worth taking since it would lead to harsh consequences including disqualification. The saving grace for many politicians in Goa is the one-month window that the Election Commission has provided between the day election schedules were announced (4 January) and the day of voting (4 February). Less campaign time automatically results in fewer expenses. It will be interesting, however, to watch how the campaigning unfolds and is conducted over the crucial 12 days under the changed circumstances which are likely to pick pace only after 21 January, which is the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The good news, many feel, is that the lack of money power will shift the focus to development where the incumbent MLAs of the ruling BJP and opposition would have to claim votes based on their work over the last five years. Sitting MLAs and new nominees would now be required to break down the manifestoes of their respective parties to booth levels, and offer promising action plans that may, in an ultimate reckoning, prove a much needed boon in disguise, especially since despite corruption being a way of life in Goa, the yearning to eliminate it is gaining ground with each passing election. The Bharatiya Janata Party has called for a day-long strike in Kerala's Palakkad district on Saturday protesting the death of party worker C Radhakrishnan whose house was allegedly set on fire by CPM workers in December 2016, reports said. According to The Indian Express, the 44-year-old BJP worker from Kanjikode in Kerala's Palakkad district died over a week on Friday after "sustaining burn injuries in an arson attack on his house". His house was allegedly set on fire by CPI (M) workers on December 28. Two other family members of the victim were also injured in the attack. The India Today said that the BJP worker died at the Thrissur Jubilee Mission Hospital. "Radhakrishnan's house in Kanjikkode in Palakkad was burnt after CPM workers in the area allegedly set fire to bikes parked in front of the house. The fire then spread to a gas cylinder which exploded and burnt the entire house," the report said. "Radhakrishnans house caught fire before rescuers could remove an LPG cylinder placed near the burning bikes. The fire spread and engulfed the room where Radhakrishnan had been sleeping when the cylinder caught fire and exploded," The Indian Express reported. The attackers had reportedly also set a cattle shed on fire. The strike will go on from 6 am to 6 pm on Saturday, DNA said. Srinagar: On Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited her father's grave, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, at Bijbehara in Anantnag district to offer prayers on his first death anniversary. Mehbooba, accompanied by Works Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, PDP General Secretary Sartaj Madni and few relatives, visited Mufti's grave this morning and offered prayers for the founder patron of the ruling party, officials said. Mufti, former chief minister of the state, died at AIIMS hospital this day last year after he was admitted due to severe infection. Although PDP had planned several rallies across the valley to mark Mufti's first death anniversary, snowfall over the past four days put a spanner in the works. However, the party has organised a function at Indoor Stadium later in the day to pay tributes to the departed leader. Srinagar: Tasaduq Mufti, the son of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a function to commemorate his father's first death anniversary. Tasaduq, a famed cinematographer, joined the party in the presence of his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who was there along with her cabinet and party colleagues. In his brief speech at the function, Tasaduq thanked the party workers for their love and affection towards PDP. "I have remained aloof from politics all my life. But today I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along," he told the party men. He said his dream was to clean up politics in Kashmir. "I have felt the pace of government work. The speed with which work happens here, what dream can be realised?" he asked. Welcoming her brother into the party fold, Mehbooba said Tasaduq like his father, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has a dream to do something for Jammu and Kashmir. "Tasaduq has his own identity and his own work. No one in Mumbai knew him as Mufti Sayeed's son till his second term (as chief minister). Like his father, he wants to do something for Jammu and Kashmir," she said in her address. Known for his cinematography in movies like Omkara and Kaminey, Tasaduq is an American Film Institute graduate. He is known in Bollywood as Tassaduq Hussain and does not use the famous Mufti surname. New Delhi: Playing the pro-poor card, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said they are the focus of his government and projected demonetisation as a long-term tool to fight black money and corruption to improve their lives. Serving the poor is serving God, he said in his concluding address at the two-day BJP National Executive meeting, in which he invoked a Sanskrit shloka to say that he does not covet power, heaven or second life but longs to end the people's sufferings. Modi again pitched for electoral reforms and sought a consensus among political parties, asserting that BJP will play a lead role in making political funding transparent as demonetisation and digital economy have ushered in a more transparent era. "BJP will be at the forefront of pushing transparency in political funding. People have a right to know where our funds are coming from," he said. With opposition parties levelling corruption charges at BJP leadership following the note ban, he asked party leaders to welcome criticism but they should remain unfazed by accusations even as he underlined his humble origins and had lived poverty. Referring to the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, including the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Modi expressed confidence that the party will win there. He referred to the impressive Lucknow rally he had addressed a few days ago and his interactions with workers in his constituency Varanasi to make the point. The prime minister asked workers to focus effectively on booths, saying the more they work there the more fruits the party will harvest. "The situation is in our favour in the elections," he said. It was the poor and his government to empower them which was the central theme of his 50-minute long speech. "The poor of our country have accepted this historic decision (demonetisation). They have accepted that it is an effective step to end social ills including corruption. Accepting the hardships which came with the decision, they have welcome this historic step toward a great change," Modi said, adding that the country has seen society's strength in the last two months. Some people were concerned about improvement in their life style but priority of our government was to change the quality of the life of the poor, Modi said. Briefing reporters, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the prime minister asserted that the poor and poverty are not a tool for winning elections for the BJP and that it does not look at them through vote-bank glasses. Modi cited a string of measures taken up by the government, including Jan Dhan accounts, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, and said the poor have inner strength to overcome poverty and his government has been working to empower them. Sources said he also asked party leaders to not seek poll tickets for their kin, saying organisation will take care of the exercise. Exhorting workers to win over the poor, Modi said BJP is blessed with lakhs of selfless functionaries connected to the ground and said they are not swayed by wind but are capable of changing its direction. Apparently responding to criticism that cash did not have a big share of black money, he said it was the source of all forms, like benami assets and gold, of black money. He invoked the party's ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose birth centenary is being celebrated by the government and the organisation, and said his government's works are in line with his garib kalyan agenda. The party's responsibility has increased following public support to demonetisation, he said. Ravi Shankar Prasad said BJP will hold its next national executive meeting on 15-16 April. Prasad said he felt few addresses at the national executive meetings were as impressive as Modi's, and that many leaders shared his feelings. The party's good governance department, headed by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, gave a comparative presentation on state governments to claim that BJP-run states were more efficient. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave a presentation on his government's efforts to double farmers' income while Union minister Piyush Goyal spoke about digital economy. On concerns that the trading community, a traditional BJP vote bank, has been hit hard by demonetisation, the party leadership said the exercise has also succeeded in attracting new voters, sources said. Editor's note: This article was originally published on 7 January. It is being republished in light of Tassaduq Hussain Mufti's induction as a cabinet minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar: Speculation was in the air for a long time but no one got a whiff of it, including his friends and close associates. When Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, the youngest of the four siblings and the only son of the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, announced his decision to join politics everyone was surprised. "I am not joining PDP for being the son of late Mufti but because I was inspired by amount of work PDP had done for people," Tassaduq, 45, told a huge gathering inside the Indoor Stadium in Srinagar, where thousands of PDP workers had gathered on the first anniversary of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Sayeed had passed away on 7 January last year after a brief illness. It was his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, the president of PDP, who after months of wait decided to go ahead with the PDP-BJP alliance in the state, which her father stitched. On Saturday, the junior Mufti said he was inspired by his father and would work for the peace and prosperity of the state "where common man and VIPs will walk together. My endeavor is to work for people and carry forward the mission of my father," he said amid thunderous applause from people. "I have remained aloof from politics all my life. But today, I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along," Tassaduq said while addressing the party workers and thanked them for their support. Last year in January after the death of his father, when the core group of the party met in Srinagar for the first time to discuss government formation with BJP, Tassaduq was present in the meeting. Tassaduq earned fame as a cinematographer while working in Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey and Omkara. He won the Zee Cine and Star Screen awards for Best Cinematographer in 2006 for Omkara. He has studied cinematography in the US. After his first film, Omkara, Ravi K Chandran, one of Indias best directors of photography called him one of the "most outstanding cameramen in India". However, he never showed any interest in politics. Throughout last year, after the death of his father, he got himself involved in many heritage projects in the state, including the famous silk factory in Srinagar, which has been turned into ruins from last few decades and his friends say he was working on getting the government to declare it as a heritage site. He also helped tourism department indirectly to map heritage sites in Kashmir. In Muftis family, Mehbooba, the present chief minister, has been the only visible face in politics. She has been the driving force behind the PDP emerging as a stable force in Kashmir politics. She worked for years to make true her father's dream of becoming the chief minister of the state. But unlike Mehbooba, Tassaduq never spoke publicly and never expressed his desire to join politics until Saturday. But he did help young entrepreneurs, many boys and girls with start-up projects, coffee shops, boutiques, Kashmir arts, giving them tips on funding, packaging, and markets. The junior Mufti is likely to fight his first political first electoral battle from the south Kashmirs Anantnag parliamentary constituency, which has fallen vacant after his sister Mehbooba was sworn in as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. It would certainly be an acid test for Tasadduq despite Anantnag being a traditional political turf of the Muftis. There is something curious about the latest round of confrontation between India and China on the former's final testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. It's not as if that by testing one ICBM, albeit with a capacity to carry a nuclear warhead into Chinese mainland, India has caught up with China's military might and drew parity with their vastly superior strategic nuclear weaponry. With a GDP five times that of India's and a defence budget that at $150 billion outstrips India's by four times, China is bent upon world domination and dreams of replacing US as the next global superpower. It therefore sounded a little jarring when Chinese media on Thursday indulged in nakedly aggressive posturing over India's final test-firing of Agni-IV and played its Pakistan card rather openly, warning India that more missile testing will develop into an arms race in south Asia because it won't shy away from arming Islamabad to match India's arsenal. This represents an interesting new deviation in Chinese policy. Though this wasn't an "official response" to India's flight-testing of Agni-IV that carries a strike range of 4,000km, the country's state-run media is traditionally used to convey messages that are considered too incendiary for official conduits. The diplomatic reaction, transmitted through China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, wasn't too staid either as Beijing accused India of breaking UNSC resolutions through the testing of ballistic missile. Under President Xi Jinping, China has long given Deng Xiaoping's '24-character strategy' a quiet burial in favour of a muscular, assertive foreign policy but that geopolitical aggression is usually masked by plausible deniability or an exaggerated show of humility. Not exactly Gandhian principle of "true power speaks softly" but China rarely indulges in sabre-rattling even as under Jinping it goes about pursuing the 'Chinese Dream' and translating aggressively its might as world's second-largest economy into hard military power. Its revisionist policies under the new "core leader" and leveraging of economic prowess into geostrategic depth and political weight-throwing has always gone hand in hand with a perverse modesty. Not this time. India's test-firing of DRDO-developed long-range weaponry that may carry nuclear weaponry deep into Chinese territory seems to have touched a raw nerve that prompted Beijing to launch an open threat and use the one card that it prefers to hide beneath its sleeves Pakistan. The Global Times editorial wrote: "In general, it is not difficult for India to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles which can cover the whole world. If the UN Security Council has no objection over this, let it be. The range of Pakistan's nuclear missiles will also see an increase." Beijing's use of Pakistan to contain India is nothing new. It has exploited the animosity between the neighbours to great effect. Whereas on one hand, it has built strategic depth inside Pakistan by almost-colonising the economically bankrupt nation, it has also propped up the warmonger Rawalpindi generals by supplying arms and military technology so that they may remain up to scratch in an arms race and keep India within their crosshairs. But in every step of the way, China has maintained a facade of neutrality. What explains the departure? In his book Choices, former national security adviser Shivshankar Menon provides some valuable insights. According to Menon, who served as India's foreign secretary and was instrumental in engineering the 1993 Border Peace Agreement with China during the Narasimha Rao regime, the balance of power between India and China is of great importance to the latter. Though Beijing never shies away from pointing out the difference between India and China in terms of economic and military might, it is perennially worried about India inching towards some sort of parity. The shades of this were evident in the border dispute between the two countries. While China had vastly improved its military and civilian infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border in the 1980s and 1990s, it became according to Menon who served as India's envoy to China from 2000-03 extremely annoyed when New Delhi tried to close the infrastructure gap and enhance military deployments and capabilities along the LAC. The Chinese, says the author, has been pressing hard of late for an agreement that would "freeze the existing imbalance" along the border. Not surprisingly, this has become the latest flashpoint of conflicting interests and Chinese irritation has been further exacerbated by Indian steps along the 120,000 square-mile long LAC. As a Times of India report points out, New Delhi has decided to base the first squadron of Rafale fighter jets at Bengal's Hashimara base from 2019 as part of "conventional deterrence against China". Other steps include additional Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, spy drones & helicopters in the North East, deployment of T-72 tanks in eastern Ladakh and Sikkim, new infantry divisions, Mountain Strike Corps, Super Hercules Aircraft and the works, according to the report. The Chinese threats, therefore, are an expression of insecurity that should help India gain strategic leverage against the Dragon. Beijing: A professor in East China's Shandong Province has been fired from his post of political advisor after he was accused of insulting Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China. Deng Xiangchao, professor at Shangdong Jianzhu University, was removed as a member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The government of East China's Shandong Province announced on Thursday they had also dismissed Deng as counsellor of the provincial government, state-run Global Times reported. The provincial government said it will no longer employ Deng as a counsellor due to "relevant regulations," but did not give specific reasons. Deng was accused of insulting Mao (18931976) on Sina Weibo, China's twitter-like microblogging service, on the eve of Mao's 123rd birth anniversary, which was celebrated on 26 December. The daily did not elaborate on his "offending" comments. The legacy left by Mao, founder of the ruling Chinese Communist Part of China (CPC) has come under cloud after his death as the party has shed hardline Communism advocated by him and violent purges during the decade-long Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and opted for wide spread economic reforms, registering fastest development for over two decades. Photos showing angry people protesting against Deng in front of the gate of Shandong Jianzhu University are circulating online. The protestors are holding Mao's portraits and banners that read "whoever opposes Chairman Mao is an enemy of the People". The photos are dated Wednesday. Mao's loyalists said on their blogs that a few supporters of Deng argued with them at the scene but they were outnumbered by patriots who love Mao. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: A gunman with a US military identification opened fire at a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing five people before being taken into custody, officials and witnesses said. Five people died and eight were wounded, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, where air traffic was shut down. The gunman had arrived on a flight with a checked gun in his bag, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. The shooter claimed his bag and went to the bathroom to load the gun before coming out and firing, LaMarca said. Cellphone video posted on social media showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds. The shooter was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Israel said, adding it was too early to assign a motive. "At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said. Nonetheless, he said "this scene is considered fluid and active" as police searched the rest of the airport.The shooter was identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, and had a US military identification, according to a spokesman for US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, who spoke with officials at the Transportation Security Administration. A person by the name Esteban Santiago was discharged honorably from the Army National Guard last year, ABC News reported, citing the Army criminal investigation division. The shooter, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside upon running out of ammunition, surrendering to police, MSNBC reported. The Florida attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed who have easy access to weapons under US gun laws. About 90 minutes after the attack, panic broke out anew with passengers and police running frantically about at a separate terminal, but Israel said there were no other reports of shots being fired. John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, described the shooter as a slender man who was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags. "I put my head down and prayed," Schlicher said, adding that his wife gave first aid to someone who had been shot in the head. His mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said. Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC "there was no rhyme or reason to it.""He didn't say anything, he was quiet the whole time, he didn't yell anything," Lea said. Security officials corralled dozens of passengers in several groups. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway, with Miami International Airport known as the primary airport for international flights in the area. History of Shootings Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma City's airport in what police called a premeditated act. The deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. One of the most shocking was in 2012, when a man entered an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, and shot dead 20 first-graders and six adults.Attackers have exploited security officials' focus on preventing attacks on airplanes rather than inside airports. In Western Europe and the United States, terminals are easily accessible public spaces. But at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, widely seen as a model for security, private companies trained by the national security agency use bomb-detectors, profile passengers and question travelers under the watch of police at the airport's entrance. Beijing will launch a pilot program to equip schools and kindergartens with air filtration devices. Smog has been a significant issue in the Chinese capital this winter. "I was coughing just now, I always wear mask, from school to home." "The air is choking when the door and window is open." The thick air pollution has prompted many parents to appeal online for better air ventilation systems, with filters, to be installed in schools. On Friday morning, Beijing Municipal Education Commission unveiled plans to subsidize schools to install more air purifiers and add filters to ventilation systems. But for most parents in Beijing, even if some schools are equipped with air purifying devices, it is far from enough. Lu Ying, a mother of a 6th grade student in Haidian district, is one of them. "I didn't send my daughter to school the past two days. I am not sure about the air quality there. I think if the school can't match with air quality standards, they should suspend some classes under such bad air condition. I don't know why the school is still open today, maybe it's because now is the end of term." Beijing has issued and extended an orange alert for heavy air pollution as persistent smog continues to shroud the Chinese capital. All outdoor courses and activities at schools, kindergartens and other centers for children have been canceled as a result. Lu Ying says 40 students in her daughter's class are sharing only one small purifier in a big classroom. Wang Dian, key account manager of IQ air, which specializes in air purifying solutions, suggests that parents be rational regarding ventilation systems, saying that this technology alone may not be helpful enough. "An air ventilation system is just a primary filtration. The filtration is not fine enough. It can't filter most harmful substances. This is because the air outside is bad. " He says when it comes to space with high density of occupancy, like schools in Beijing, more purifiers should be a better choice. So far, 8 primary and middle schools and kindergartens in the city's Dongcheng district are confirmed to be part of the pilot scheme to add air purifiers. The municipal education authority also says all districts should be open to expert opinions on the subject and push ahead with the program in an orderly fashion. By Jeff Mason | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON First lady Michelle Obama made an impassioned case for embracing diversity and welcoming all religious groups on Friday in a not-so-veiled message to her husband's successor two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day.In what was billed as her last formal speech before President Barack Obama leaves office, the first lady said at an event honouring high school counsellors that the United States belonged to people from all backgrounds and walks of life."Our glorious diversity - our diversities of faiths and colours and creeds - that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are," she said.The remarks were reminiscent of her vigorous campaign speeches in favour of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed building a wall along the border of Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country. "If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition: the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth," Mrs. Obama said."If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too ... And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh - these religions are teaching our young people about justice and compassion and honesty."Mrs. Obama gave a series of high profile speeches at campaign events for Clinton last year and made clear her disapproval of Trump for questioning President Obama's citizenship and for the New York businessman's treatment of women after a recording was released in which he bragged about groping women. Trump was a leader of the so-called birther movement that questioned whether President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, had been born in the United States.Mrs. Obama has kept a lower public profile since the election. Choking up on Friday, she said being first lady had been the greatest honour of her life."So that's my final message to young people as first lady. It is simple. I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong," she said. "Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life." (Reporting by Jeff Mason, editing by G Crosse) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Delhi: India and Portugal on Saturday inked seven pacts to expand bilateral engagement in a wide range of areas including defence and security, IT and renewable energy even as they took a veiled dig at China for blocking New Delhi's move at the UN to list Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. In wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and States harbouring them stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism. Modi, in a statement to the media, said he and Costa discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror. "Recognising the importance of the Central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee," a joint statement issued after the talks said. On 30 December, China had blocked India's move to list Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist, at the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. China was the only member in the 15-nation Committee to have opposed India's move. The joint statement said both sides called for strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism in a spirit of 'zero tolerance', underlining that States should not support any terror entity including 'non-State actors' on any grounds. The two leaders also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and sought adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN. The prime minister said his talks with Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, covered the full range of IndiaPortugal ties across various sectors. "We agreed that the two countries must focus on an action-oriented approach to realize the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that," he said. Modi also thanked Costa for Portugal's support to India's membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The MoU on defence envisages cooperation meeting security challenges, including in the maritime domain and defence industries. The joint statement said the two prime ministers looked forward to the signing of the protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and to early ratification of the Social Security Agreement by Portugal to enable it to enter into force. Modi and Costa condemned extremism and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations, "irrespective of who the perpetrators are and of their motivations." "They called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing," the statement said. It further said: "They underlined that States should not support any terror entity including 'non-State actors' on any grounds and that violent extremism fuelled by misuse of Internet and the social media needs to be countered." Costa, who had lived in Goa, said he felt proud for being able to return to India as Portugal's prime minister. "This may be your first state visit to India, but you are neither a stranger to India nor is India unfamiliar to you. So, in addition to extending a warm welcome on this chilly evening, I must also say, Welcome Back!," said Modi. On defence cooperation, Modi invited Portuguese companies to participate in the 'Make in India' initiative and set up joint ventures and commercial partnerships based on joint production and technology transfer. Costa, who arrived on Saturday on a seven-day visit, also said Portugal will continue to support India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council along with Brazil and another country from the African continent. The Portuguese PM will attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Bengaluru tomorrow and then will travel to Gandhinagar to attend the Vibrant Gujarat summit on 10 January. He will also visit his ancestral home in Goa. Talking about UN's role, he said protection of human rights, rule of law and peaceful resolution of conflicts must be the priority for all. Referring to India's NSG bid, Portugal hoped that India will achieve its early membership. The other MoUs signed provided for cooperation in areas of information technology and electronics, agricultural trade including market access for agricultural products, deeper engagement in renewable energy and marine research. Both sides also agreed to accord priority to boost start- ups and creating favourable ecosystems for entrepreneurship. "In this context, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on start-ups and the roadmap therein and called for regular exchanges between Start-Up India and Start-Up Portugal to boost business and enterprise," said the statement. A commemorative stamp celebrating two dance forms of the two countries were released. Recognising the cultural and commercial significance of India's film industry and its growing interest in Portugal, Costa agreed to facilitate enhanced collaboration to make Portugal a preferred filming destination for the industry. In this context, the two leaders looked forward to early conclusion of an Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement between the two countries, as a timely initiative to incentivize joint film production and boost cooperation in the vibrant film sector. By Stephen Kalin and Ahmed Rasheed | MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD Iraqi special forces closed in on the Tigris river that runs through central Mosul on Saturday, advancing in parallel with other troops and forcing Islamic State to retreat in its last major stronghold in the country.Islamic State has been driven out of more than half the areas it held east of the Tigris river, which bisects the city, but is still in control of the west. It will be harder for the jihadists to defend Mosul once Iraqi forces reach the river.Baghdad meanwhile said it had come to an agreement with Ankara over a demand for withdrawal of Turkish forces from an area close to Mosul as the two regional powers sought to improve ties following a year-long spat over the military deployment.In a visit to Iraq, Turkey's prime minister did not say a deal had been reached, but that the issue was discussed and would be resolved.Tension between the two neighbours in the run-up to the U.S.-backed campaign to drive Islamic State from Mosul, which began in October, has been just one sign of the coming struggle for influence over Iraq's second city even once the jihadists have been driven out.The battle for the city has yet to be won but is beginning to make quicker progress.Iraqi counter-terrorism forces pushed to within several hundred metres (yards) of the Tigris and a strategic bridge on Saturday, the closest they have been, after staging an unprecedented nighttime assault the day before in a nearby district, a spokesman said.Advances in recent days have driven militants out of several additional areas east of the river.The counter-terrorism service (CTS) spokesman said new tactics and better coordination were helping."Counter-terrorism forces have been sent about 500 metres from the fourth bridge," Sabah al-Numan told reporters east of Mosul.A coalition spokesman said on Twitter that Islamic State had damaged the fourth bridge in a "desperate act" as they lost ground. The bridge has already been hit by U.S.-led air strikes to prevent the militants sending reinforcements across the city.CTS seized the Ghufran district, also known as al-Baath, and entered adjacent Wahda, Numan said.A separate military statement said Iraqi federal police had recaptured a hospital complex in Wahda in southeastern Mosul, a significant turnaround after U.S.-backed army units were forced to withdraw from the site last month under fierce counter-attacks from Islamic State. CTS and federal police "are now moving in parallel on both axes" in southeastern Mosul, Numan said."We are proceeding side by side ... and advancing at the same level. This is a very important factor, thanks to which Daesh (Islamic State) has not been able to move its fighters. It has to support one axis (front) at the expense of another.""We have worn down the terrorist organisation with this type of advance."TURKISH WITHDRAWAL DISCUSSED Senior CTS commanders met on Saturday at a makeshift outpost in eastern Mosul where life in areas recaptured from Islamic State is slowly returning to normal despite heavy damage to homes and infrastructure.Residents lined the streets and vendors sold produce, eggs and meat in areas where clashes raged just a few weeks earlier. One of the generals handed out chocolates to neighbourhood children beside a column of black Humvees as the distant sound of explosions rang out.Friday's nighttime operation, launched after a week of planning, had been a particular success, Numan said.CTS forces using night-vision equipment crossed the Khosr river, a tributary that runs perpendicular to the Tigris through eastern Mosul, via a makeshift earth bridge after Islamic State had destroyed permanent ones, he said.Air strikes from the U.S.-led coalition sped that advance into Muthanna district.The CTS and federal police are part of a 100,000-strong Iraqi force made up of the military, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias, backed by U.S.-led coalition air power.Some Sunni Muslim and Kurdish peshmerga units participating in the campaign received training from by Turkish forces at the Bashiqa camp northeast of Mosul. Turkey's military presence in northern Iraq since well before the Mosul campaign has angered Baghdad, and the two countries traded barbs over the issue shortly before it began on Oct. 17.Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Baghdad reached an agreement with Ankara on Saturday over Iraq's request that Turkish forces withdraw.He gave no details of the deal, which he announced during a visit to Baghdad by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.Yildirim said at a news conference with Abadi: "We discussed the issue of Bashiqa.""We see that significant progress is being made in cleansing Daesh from the region. In line with this, we will solve this (Bashiqa) subject somehow in a friendly way."A joint communique issued after the prime ministers met said the countries had agreed to respect each other's territorial integrity, and noted that Bashiqa was "an Iraqi camp". Yildirim also welcomed recent Abadi remarks that Iraq would not allow the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to harm Turkey from Iraqi territory."This shows in the best way what we can do together and against terror," he said.Turkey is trying to keep Kurdish militants away from its borders in both Iraq and Syria, fearing their presence could embolden its own Kurdish insurgency.It also has historical ties to northern Iraq and Mosul, and is seeking to maintain influence there, especially against a Shi'ite-dominated Baghdad government. (Reporting by Stephen Kalin in Mosul, Ahmed Rahseed and John Davison in Baghdad, Daren Butler in Istanbul; Writing by John Davison; Editing by Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Toronto: The Canadian Prime Minister will not attend the inauguration of the US President-elect on 20 January in Washington. Instead of going to Washington to participate in Trump's inauguration ceremony, Justin Trudeau will be on a tour of Canada, holding meetings with the population of the country, EFE news quoted the Prime Minister's Office as saying on Friday. Instead of Trudeau, the Canadian government will send a top-level delegation from Ottawa to attend the ceremony. The tour will also prevent Trudeau from attending the Davos World Economic Forum, which takes place every year in Switzerland. US Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, has presented his resignation and will officially leave the country on the day Trump is sworn in. Heyman's resignation comes after Trump demanded that all ambassadors appointed by outgoing President Barack Obama leave their posts on 20 January. New York: US President Barack Obama's appointee as ambassador to India, Richard Verma, may be ending his New Delhi assignment this month when President-elect Donald Trump takes over on 20 January if an administration directive to non-career diplomats holds. The Washington Post reported that the Obama administration has asked all "non-career ambassadors to submit their resignations effective with the close of the Obama presidency" on 20 January. The newspaper quoted three unidentified officials as confirming that all the ambassadors have complied with the directive. While requests for resignations by non-career diplomats is usually made at the end of a president's term, they are usually given some additional time to wind up their affairs. This time there was "the additional admonition that the resignations would be blanket and final," the newspaper said. The Post said according to two officials "the unusually stern and specific directive to 'political ambassadors'" came at the "behest of the incoming Trump administration." Verma, a non-career diplomat, is the first person of Indian descent to be ambassador to India. He did not come up the ranks of the foreign service but was recruited in 2009 to be the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under Hillary Clinton when she was the Secretary of State. He left the State Department in 2011 to work for a law firm before being appointed ambassador to India in 2014. His nomination received unanimous support from both parties in the Senate. Long associated with the Democratic Party, he has served as the senior national security advisor to Senator Harry Reid when the Democratic Party had the Senate majority and Reid was its leader. Verma has worked as an aide to the late Democratic Congressman Jack Murtha and as a director with National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. A lawyer by training, he has also served in the Air Force as a judge advocate. By Zachary Fagenson | FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A gunman with a U.S. military identification opened fire at a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing five people before being taken into custody, officials and witnesses said.Five people died and eight were wounded, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, where air traffic was shut down.The gunman had arrived on a flight with a checked gun in his bag, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. The shooter claimed his bag and went to the bathroom to load the gun before coming out and firing, LaMarca said.Cellphone video posted on social media showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds.The shooter was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Israel said, adding it was too early to assign a motive."At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said.Nonetheless, he said "this scene is considered fluid and active" as police searched the rest of the airport.The shooter was identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, and had a U.S. military identification, according to a spokesman for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, who spoke with officials at the Transportation Security Administration.The shooter, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside upon running out of ammunition, surrendering to police, MSNBC reported. The Florida attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed who have easy access to weapons under U.S. gun laws.About 90 minutes after the attack, panic broke out anew with passengers and police running frantically about at a separate terminal, but Israel said there were no other reports of shots being fired.John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, described the shooter as a slender man who was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags."I put my head down and prayed," Schlicher said, adding that his wife gave first aid to someone who had been shot in the head. His mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said. Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC "there was no rhyme or reason to it.""He didn't say anything, he was quiet the whole time, he didn't yell anything," Lea said.Security officials corralled dozens of passengers in several groups.Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway, with Miami International Airport known as the primary airport for international flights in the area. HISTORY OF SHOOTINGS Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma City's airport in what police called a premeditated act.The deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 53 people and wounded 49 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.One of the most shocking was in 2012, when a man entered an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, and shot dead 20 first-graders and six adults.Attackers have exploited security officials' focus on preventing attacks on airplanes rather than inside airports. In Western Europe and the United States, terminals are easily accessible public spaces.But at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, widely seen as a model for security, private companies trained by the national security agency use bomb-detectors, profile passengers and question travelers under the watch of police at the airport's entrance. (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins, Letitia Stein, Jeffrey Dastin, Joseph Ax, Jonathan Allen, Gina Cherelus and Laila Kearney; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By B. Channa Kumara | HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka Sri Lankan police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators protesting against a planned investment zone supported by China.Hospital authorities said at least 21 people were injured in the protests. According to police, 52 demonstrators were arrested.Protesters say that the government of President Maithripala Sirisena is trying to evict thousands of families to provide 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of land in the projected industrial zone for Chinese investors.The zone is in the southern district of Hambantota, where China has already built a $1.5 billion port and airport, part of President Sirisena's ambitious $50 billion development project to revive the economy. The government has denied the protesters' claim and says opposition is driven by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's political ambitions. Rajapaksa, who is trying to make a political comeback, has publicly criticized the plan, saying it will deprive people of agricultural land. At Saturday's opening of the investment zone, Chinese ambassador Yi Xianlang struck an upbeat note."This is the moment for China to help other countries who need investments," the Chinese envoy to Sri Lanka told the launching ceremony. "No force can stop the cooperation from China to Sri Lanka." He also said the investment zone would be the most important economic project of this government and "if everything goes well", China would invest $5 billion during the next three to five years and create 100,000 jobs. Sirisena's government is already in the final phase of discussion with China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd to develop the China-built port, granting them 80 percent stake on a 99-year lease for $1.12 billion. China's interest in the port may reflect its ambition to build a "Maritime Silk Route" to the oil-rich Middle East and onwards to Europe.That makes some countries, including India and the United States, nervous with Sri Lanka's proximity to shipping lanes through which much of the world's trade passes en route to China and Japan. The port was built with Chinese loans and contractors in 2010 under Rajapaksa, as part of efforts to develop the country's infrastructure after ending a 26-year war in 2009. (Writing by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Shihar Aneez and Stephen Powell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Steve Holland and Mark Hosenball | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Republican Donald Trump's electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign, U.S. intelligence agencies said in an assessment on Friday.Russia's objectives were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate former secretary of state Clinton, make it harder for her to win and harm her presidency if she did, an unclassified report released by the top U.S. intelligence agency said."We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election," the report said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments."The agencies believe Russian military intelligence used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks, DCLeaks.com and the Guccifer 2.0 personal to release emails that it had acquired from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and top Democrats as part of the effort. It said the operation went for "targets associated with both major US political parties."The report assessed with "high confidence" that the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, had used those intermediaries to release "US victim data obtained in cyber operations publicly and in exclusives to media outlets and relayed material to WikiLeaks." WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he did not receive emails stolen from the DNC and top Hillary Clinton aide John Podesta from "a state party." Assange did not rule out the possibility that he got the material from a third party. Russian actors were not found to have targeted U.S. systems that are involved in tallying votes, the report said. The report was produced by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency.Russia denies the U.S. government's allegations of hacking during the election campaign.Trump, who has developed a rocky relationship with U.S. spy agencies, defended the legitimacy of his election victory after he received a nearly two-hour briefing on their conclusion that Russia had staged cyber attacks during the 2016 campaign. Clinton won the nationwide popular vote but lost in the Electoral College that formally elects the president.In a statement after the briefing, Trump did not squarely address whether he was told of the agencies' belief Russia carried out the hacking.Instead, he said: "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations" including the DNC. "There was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines," Trump said.The New York businessman, who is to be inaugurated as president on Jan. 20, also said he would appoint a team to give him a plan within 90 days of taking office on how to prevent cyber attacks but suggested that he would keep their recommendations secret."The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm," Trump said. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Mark Hosenball, Yara Bayoumy and Warren Strobel in Washington; additional reporting by Amy Tennery, Patricia Zengerle, Dustin Volz, David Alexander, Susan Heavey; Writing by Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A professor in East Chinas Shandong Province was removed from his post of political advisor on Friday after he was accused of insulting Chinas late leader Mao Zedong. Deng Xiangchao, professor at Shangdong Jianzhu University, was removed as a member of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The government of East Chinas Shandong Province announced on Thursday they had also dismissed Deng as counselor of the provincial government. The government posted the announcement on its official website saying it will no longer employ Deng Xiangchao as a counselor due to relevant regulations, but did not give specific reasons. Deng was accused of insulting Mao on Sina Weibo, Chinas twitter-like microblogging service, on the eve of Maos 123rd birth anniversary, which falls on December 26. Photos showing angry people protesting against Deng in front of the gate of Shandong Jianzhu University are circulating online. The protestors are holding Maos portraits and banners that read whoever opposes Chairman Mao is an enemy of the People. The photos are dated Wednesday. Maos loyalists said on their blogs that a few supporters of Deng argued with them at the scene but they were outnumbered by patriots who love Mao. The search engine giant, Google has announced the acquisition of Swedens Lime Audio company, in order to boost the voice quality on Hangouts. The Limes Audio team builds technology to enhance the voice communication systems sound for a better experience during video conferencing. In fact, Google acquired Swedish communications company Marratech, back in 2007 to support Google Talk and Hangouts. However, the company hasnt revealed any financial details of the deal till now. Limes Audio was founded in 2007 by Fredric Lindstrom and Christian Schuldt with a workforce of just 20. In a blog post, Google said: As more and more businesses adopt our video conferencing solutions, powered by Chromebox for Meetings and Google Hangouts, its critical that we provide a great audio experience. With G Suite customers now relying on video communications for their day-to-day meetings, its more important than ever to ensure low-cost, high-quality audio. One of the biggest challenges to a great video meeting is the audio quality. Conference rooms today come in all shapes and sizes and that can provide a challenge for acoustics. Additionally, a poor internet connection can hamper voice quality in video conference calls. Limes Audio has been building solutions that remove the distracting noise, distortion and echoes that can affect online video and telephony meetings, improving the overall online conference experience. Fredric & Christian, Founders of Limes Audio, on their website, said: Shares of Macy's (M 0.92%) and Kohl's (KSS -0.41%) were crushed on Thursday, after both department store operators cut their earnings forecasts due to weak holiday season sales. Macy's stock tumbled 14%, leaving it near a 52-week low. Kohl's shares plunged a painful 19%, eviscerating two months of big gains. Both companies' results suggested that department stores still haven't found the answer to changing retail traffic trends. The poor results were particularly discouraging as weather trends have been far more favorable over the past two months than in the prior-year period. In the case of Kohl's, the big stock decline was probably justified. However, investors are overreacting to Macy's weak sales performance. Store closures and cost cuts will help Macy's continue to produce strong cash flow despite its sales declines. Furthermore, real estate represents the majority of the company's value today. Department store sales decline once again At Macy's, comparable-store sales (including licensed departments) declined 2.1% during the combined November-December period. That is roughly consistent with the low end of the company's Q4 guidance range, which called for a 0.5% to 2% comp sales decline. However, it's actually better than the company's prior trend. Through the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, comp sales fell 3.5% year over year. Macy's blamed the sales declines primarily on reduced demand for handbags and watches. On the bright side, its online business continues to thrive. The Macy's and Bloomingdale's e-commerce sites both recorded double-digit sales gains during the holiday season. Meanwhile, at Kohl's, comp sales fell 2.1% for November and December combined. That was in line with the company's 2.4% comp sales decline for the first nine months of the fiscal year, but fell short of its internal forecast. Management noted that sales were highly volatile, with good results around Black Friday and the week before Christmas, but big sales declines for the rest of the period. Macy's and Kohl's slash their earnings forecasts The poor sales results -- along with the timing and product mix of those sales -- forced Macy's and Kohl's to reduce their Q4 and full-year earnings expectations. Macy's now expects full-year adjusted earnings per share of $2.95 to $3.10, down from a prior guidance range of $3.15 to $3.40. This implies that adjusted EPS will be slightly less than $2 in Q4, down from $2.09 a year earlier. (Some of this decline may be driven by the timing of asset sales.) As for Kohl's, management now expects full-year adjusted EPS of $3.60 to $3.65. This implies that adjusted EPS will total just $1.27 to $1.32 this quarter, down as much as 20% from $1.58 a year earlier. Macy's bears are missing the point For Kohl's shareholders, the recent guidance cut is a sobering development. Kohl's stock rallied from as low as $34 last spring to nearly $60 a month ago based on optimism that the company was on track to return to steady earnings growth, driven by a combination of modest sales increases and better inventory management. If Kohl's will instead remain on its current downward sales and earnings trajectory, the outlook for investors looks bleak. Even after Thursday's share price crash, Kohl's trades for more than 11 times earnings, which isn't that cheap for a company with declining earnings. By contrast, the bull case for Macy's stock doesn't rely on a sales recovery. The three main potential catalysts for the stock are 1. margin improvement stemming from store closures and cost cuts, 2. a potential reduction in the corporate tax rate, and 3. real estate sales. Corporate taxes are obviously outside of management's control. However, Macy's is moving quickly on the other two fronts. Last August, Macy's announced plans to close about 100 stores, with most of those occurring in early 2017. On Wednesday, the company identified 63 stores that will close in the next few months, along with two others that are scheduled to close later this year. Macy's also plans to cut spending on corporate overhead. These actions will result in thousands of job cuts, but will save the company about $550 million on an annual basis going forward. Meanwhile, in the past few months, Macy's has sold three valuable stores in Portland and San Francisco for total proceeds of nearly $350 million. It is also close to selling its Minneapolis flagship location for more than $40 million. (The latter figure is surprisingly low, given that store's gargantuan size of roughly 1 million square feet.) Macy's owns (or ground-leases) many of the stores it is closing this year. The company will work to sell those properties to mall owners or other investors for redevelopment. Macy's also recently announced a partnership with Brookfield Asset Management that will explore redevelopment options for another 50 stores. After its recent plunge, Macy's stock trades for just nine times free cash flow. The company's cost cuts and store closures should keep free cash flow stable or rising even if sales continue to decline. Corporate tax reform creates further free cash flow upside. This will provide plenty of cash for Macy's to maintain its generous dividend (which now yields nearly 5%) while paying down high-cost debt and continuing to repurchase some stock. Macy's will be able to use the proceeds of asset sales over the next few years for additional share repurchases. That could drive a surprisingly quick rebound in earnings per share -- and the stock price -- over the next few years. China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday that the strike at its project in Uganda was related to demands for a pay rise, and not because of the reported sexual harassment. The company's statement came after a report in German media Deutsche Welle said that CRSG's road construction project in Uganda was facing disputes, as hundreds of local workers went on a strike to protest against sexual harassment and salary delays. The Associated Press also cited a female worker in Uganda as saying that she had not been paid for three months because she refused sexual advances from her boss. But CRSG stressed in its statement that the project strictly abides by local laws. It also noted that the company had never delayed paying its employees; nor were any female employees sexually harassed. "We have zero tolerance for any kind of violations of laws and regulations, and will treat all misdeeds in accordance with relevant laws," the statement noted. An authoritative source told the Global Times that the workers in Uganda went on a strike to ask for a rise in their salaries, and several former female workers claimed they were sexually harassed because they were angry at being fired. In this episode of Motley Fool Answers, Alison and Robert take their fans behind the scenes at a special Motley Fool member event in Boston. Tune in as David Gardner, Raj Sisodia, and Morgan Housel share their insights on investing, conscious capitalism, and the nature of innovation. A full transcript follows the video. 10 stocks we like better thanWal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and TomGardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter theyhave run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tomjust revealed what they believe are theten best stocksfor investors to buy right now and Wal-Mart wasn't one of them! That's right -- theythink these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click hereto learn about these picks! *StockAdvisor returns as of December 12, 2016The author(s) may have a position in any stocks mentioned. This podcast was recorded on Nov. 29, 2016. Alison Southwick: This is Motley Fool Answers. I'm Alison Southwick and I'm joined, as always, by Robert Brokamp, personal finance expert here at The Motley Fool. How ya doing, Bro? Robert Brokamp: I'm splendid. How are you, Alison? Southwick: I'm good. In today's episode, we are sneaking our listeners into a recent member event in Boston so that you can eavesdrop on some of the highlights. We'll also answer your question about how we, personally personal finance. All that, and more, on this week's episode of Motley Fool Answers. __ Southwick: It's time for Answers, Answers and today's question comes from Albert. He writes: "I am starting to get proactive about my expenses, but I feel I am still a newcomer. Can you provide advice on what inspires you both to think high-level about your finances in life? I haven't had much guidance growing up and just want to hear what any of your long-term goals are and how you build your plans to achieve them." Any personal examples and obstacles along the way Albert would also like to hear about. Do you want to go first? Brokamp: I'll go first. It's a very interesting question. I was thinking about how I created my beliefs about money in general, because he talked about expenses, and I've always been someone who was frugal. I was never comfortable spending a lot of money and I guess that comes from my parents, although looking at some of the expenses from other people in my family ... my sisters! Southwick: Do they listen to the show? Hope not. Brokamp: I doubt it. A couple of them are more comfortable with spending money than I am, so I don't know if it came from my parents. But we all did go through an experience in high school when my dad's business went belly up and we went through some hard times. I think that was very informative for me. So when I think of my goals as a father, it is to have financial security for my family and that really breaks down into two main categories: college and retirement. Those are the things that motivate me. Those are the things that whenever ... It was my funny. We were sitting around the table and my wife said, "What if you won the lottery?" She's asking everyone at the table, "What if you won the lottery? What would you spend the money on?" And then she looked at me and said, "You can't say retirement and college. Choose something else." And how I stay on top of them is basically I do run my numbers at least once a year in terms of whether we're on track to have enough money to do those things. In terms of obstacles, it's really time. So having the time, on the weekend or whatever, to do all the little, silly personal finance stuff that you probably should do to make your life a little better. Southwick: So I am also a naturally frugal person. Most of my money lessons I learned from my mom and my dad, of course, and they are both completely different. I think I said this before on the show. My mom used to like to say, "Alan, you're good at making money and I'm good at saving money." I think that's what she used to say. Because my dad is very good at making money, but he's also very good at spending money. He came from a family that didn't necessarily have a lot of money, and rather than becoming frugal as a result, he ended up being the "Who knows about tomorrow? Let's have a good time today and have all these good experiences and spend money." And for most of his life he was very good at making money so it wasn't an issue. My mom, on the other hand, came from a fairly wealthy family. She was just naturally frugal and I think often lived under the fear that you may not have money tomorrow. And one of her stories that I will retell to you all, and now Mom gets to hear one of her stories told back to her, was that her mother, my grandmother, once joked that she was down to her last $20. My mom, as a child, heard this and got very worried. And, of course, it wasn't her last $20. Maybe she was just saying it was the last $20 she had in her wallet. It was not their last $20, but for some reason my mom, as a child, thought, "This is our last $20 and we're going to be out on the street." And she was terrified. I think that was kind of an offhanded comment that her grandmother made, but it really affected my mom long-term. So I learned most of my frugal habits from my mom, but I also think I learned from my dad to also spend money and enjoy yourself, so Ron and I will not hesitate to spend an insane amount of money on a really nice meal, which is probably one of the most ridiculous things you can spend a lot of money on next to like a boat. But that's what we enjoy doing, so we're not afraid to treat ourselves now and then. That's how both my parents influenced my thinking on money. I'm naturally frugal and scared of not having money. I like having money. Also I would point out that Ron and I have both been very lucky that we've always been employed and we have good health. I think if either one of those went away, we would be in such serious trouble ... not because we didn't make good, sound financial decisions, but just because that can absolutely sink you. Brokamp: Right. That's true. One of the biggest causes of people who go into bankruptcy is because of medical issues. Southwick: Right. So on the one hand we try to make a series of one good decision after another. Not spend too much. Live within our means. Brokamp: And you've been planning for a while. I know both of you have been saving for retirement for a while. Southwick: Yeah. And I'm not particularly worried, but as far as goals go, I think just not being out on the street is a pretty good one. I guess I was saying that we make one good decision after another and to just be thankful for what we have. That we've been set up to also succeed, as well, thanks to our parents, and our decisions, and luck. I don't know. I don't know what else to say. I mean, we don't buy anything until we have the money for it. I know that sounds dumb and not terribly profound, but we've been saving up for a new car for like 10 years now. That comes after everything else. The new car fund doesn't get money into it until everything else has money in it, including college fund, retirement fund, blah, blah, blah. Brokamp: That's impressive, actually. Southwick: That what? Brokamp: That you do that. I know it's a crazy thing in America to say this, but that you save until you have the money to pay for something to buy it, as opposed to going into debt to get it. Southwick: I don't know. Rick, how about you? Rick Engdahl: I am not on that side of the glass because I am not a frugal person, not particularly disciplined, and I don't have a lot of inspiration when it comes to personal finance. It's not a subject that interests me. Which is why I wholeheartedly believe in automation, because I can set it up so that my check comes in and savings automatically drips into all my various accounts, and that's that. And then whatever is left over I can spend. Southwick: And do. Engdahl: And do. Once I paid off my credit card years ago, my rule has just been that when the bill comes in, I pay it in full and that's it. Brokamp: And you've been an investor for years, and we know, now, that you are saving for your kids' college education, so that's good. Engdahl: I've always been saving for their educations, but now I'm saving by way of a 529 ... whatever that thing's called. Brokamp: Yes, right. Yes, that thing. That's the thing you're doing. Engdahl: But investing for years means I automated that. That's automated, too. Everything is automated, because I don't like to think about it. Brokamp: That's good advice. Southwick: I wouldn't say that Ron or I do anything necessarily that's terribly sophisticated or complex. It's just like make money. Be sure you're making money. And then spend less than you're making. And try to make the most out of what you didn't spend. Brokamp: That's actually a pretty good formula though. Southwick: We'll see. Brokamp: We'll see. Southwick: We've got a few years ahead of us in retirement, so we'll be OK. Villages, here we come. Brokamp: Here we come. __ Southwick: For today's episode we're doing a little eavesdropping on a member event that we just held in Boston for our ONE members. But, even though you're not a member, you're going to get to sneak into the room. It's cool. You're with me. We're highlighting three speakers from the event. Bro, you attend a fair number of member events. Can you set the stage? What's it like? Brokamp: Well, it's usually in a nice place in a nice city. We often have keynote speakers and then breakouts. We try to bring in prominent thinkers about investing or some aspect of society, so it's not always investing-related. We try to bring in some executives, particularly if it's the executives and companies from recommendations in any of our services. And really the great thing is just to meet all the people who are Motley Fool members. Southwick: Yeah, they're great. Brokamp: They are. They're the best. Southwick: So let's start with a familiar voice. David Gardner was interviewed by Chris Hill, and Chris asked him for some investing tips. David talked a bit about how winners tend to keep winning, so you shouldn't sell your stocks that have experienced huge gains just because the media tells you they can't possibly keep on winning. And then David continued with some additional advice. __ David Gardner: I think most people are looking, understandably, at near-term results, both for their own investment portfolios and at the businesses that they own. Looking at the near-term results when, of course, it's the long term that matters for both of those things. I think people are often looking at the wrong things that way. Another example is for people -- and we all do this -- each of these things is natural. It's also just natural to look at the win-loss record. It's also very natural to look at what's not working and to think that the stock that just lost 25% yesterday is much more important than the stock that you might have purchased 10 years ago and has been a good holding and went up only 3% yesterday. But often the math works out really well. I think you should be focused on your winners, so learning lessons from our winners and not too many lessons from our losers. Psychologists, too, remind us that the pain of loss is three times the joy of gain, so again it's understandable why people care so much about something that's down, but I much prefer to focus on what's up. And then maybe a third and final example (I'm going to say these words carefully, just because they matter) is I think most people, again, are looking at the wrong thing. I think many people are looking at the valuations of beaten-down also-rans; and that's where they're fishing, often, for their next investment. And by direct contrast, looking at the right things, I prefer to look at not the valuation but the performance of not beaten-down also-rans, but the performance of innovative leaders. Those are a few examples. Chris Hill: The last time you and I were onstage talking, it was FoolFest. You had just had your 50th birthday. Here we are, now. Your service, Rule Breakers, has just had a birthday -- much younger, though -- 12 years. When you think back over the last 12 years, two questions. First, what are one or two lessons that you have drawn from 12 years of rule breaking investing? Gardner: I think probably the most important lesson that I've learned -- and that we've all learned if you're a rule breaker, or if you followed our scorecard of what we've done -- is learning to fail. In fact, I bounced away from my talk this morning to see a local university that my son is applying to, and one of the things they say at this school is "we're looking for 'risk-takers' willing to fail." And I think that we have failed grandly and far more often in Motley Fool Rule Breakers than I think any other service at The Motley Fool. And I don't like that. We have 48 stocks that have lost 50% or more of their value. I've picked, with the help of my team, two stocks every single month since we launched in October, 2004, so 12 years ago this month that's 288 stocks. Forty-eight of them have lost 50% or more of their value. But we're a winning service, and so the important statistic that you need to know, I think, is that the 48th best stock that we've selected as of this morning (pre-market open ... I haven't updated my numbers) is Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which is up 187.4%. So if you do the math with me, I hope you're willing to lose 50% or more 48 times in order that your 48th best pick would be well above 100% gain. If you do the math with me, you'll see that that's a game you want to play every time, but it's very hard for many people, especially who have just joined Motley Fool services, and that's not true of this august crowd. But many people come and when their first stock drops 10% if it has bad earnings, that's very upsetting for them. So I think we've learned that lesson. If you're a rule breaker you know it. You're a risk-taker willing to fail, and the good news is our top two picks, alone, have wiped out all of those losses from all the other 48 worst picks we've ever made. Hill: This may be an unfair question, but I'll ask it anyway. Gardner: Go for it. Hill: Go back 12 years in time and think about your mentality, your approach as a rule breaker. Has your approach stayed the same throughout, and if not, in what ways has the rule breaker approach changed for you? Gardner: Well, ostensibly the rule breaker approach is the same. I mean, of course we're all adapting and evolving constantly, so it doesn't matter whether you're 70, 50, 30, or younger than that. You're going to change again and your mentality will. I can say, ostensibly, we haven't changed because the bedrock of what I wrote in the book Rule Breakers, Rule Makers-- that Tom and I wrote in 1998 -- those six traits that I wrote about then are exactly what we use today in 2016. The world may have changed some in the last 18 years, but we're still doing the same Fool thing in that way. But at the same time, yeah, my mentality 12 years ago was I didn't quite as much value the importance of culture at companies, where today I know I'm not the only one at the Fool. When I talked about how you're in a room full of people and you're hearing from people today who understand what matters, I think the culture of the institutions matters a great deal; much more than I appreciated 12 years ago. And I hope I was generally consistent with this 12 years ago, but I am only reminded, more and more today, of how important it is for me that the companies that I recommend in Rule Breakers do things that improve the world. That are admirable companies. When they succeed, I want us all to feel great about it. I want to feel great about that company succeeding. One thing that I wrote a couple of years ago, which is one of my favorite things that I've written, is just make your portfolio your best expression of your hopes for our future. I think that should be true of the things that you're invested in. When they win, we all win and you feel great about what happened. Southwick: I love that so much I want to embroider it on a pillow. Isn't it the best? It is. "Make your portfolio your best expression of your hopes for our future." I love that. Brokamp: My hopes for our future are that everyone goes out and gets Starbucks coffee while they're visiting a Home Depot because those are stocks in my portfolio. And they get surgery from a robot through Intuitive Surgical. Southwick: Buying some Disney products on Amazon Prime. Brokamp: There you go. Make sure you check your Facebook. Engdahl: It sounds like we're going to need a disclaimer this episode. Brokamp: Every company I just mentioned I personally own. Southwick: You're making fun of me in seeing this is like a very nice, motivational thing, but I do think it's nice. Like I do like the idea of living in a world where Disney movies exist. I don't know. Brokamp: That's what's really exciting about David's style. I mean, he really is looking for trends and the ways that the future will change compared to the other companies he mentioned -- the beaten-down has-beens or something along those lines. It can be a successful way of investing, but it's certainly not as exciting as what David does. Southwick: You're making fun of me for being a little schmaltzy. Whatever. Brokamp: I'm sure I'll love your pillow. Southwick: All right. Next up Tom Gardner interviewed Raj Sisodia. He's the co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism movement and author of the book, Firms of Endearment. Raj started off researching marketing and looking at effective ad spending, but he noticed something ... that some companies didn't have to spend much on advertising at all. Hm! Why was that? He spoke with Tom Gardner about what he learned about the common characteristics of conscious companies and how that equates into higher performance. Raj Sisodia: Well, what about the companies that don't spend a lot and yet have extremely high loyalty and trust? What are they doing? And what can we learn from them? And to me that constitutes marketing excellence. That's the holy grail -- customer loyalty and trust. And so when we started to identify companies just based on that simple lens, we started to find companies like Whole Foods, for example. Whole Foods, at the time, was spending only 10% of the industry average on marketing. They didn't have a chief marketing officer. They didn't have an ad agency. Ninety percent of what they did spend was spent at the store level, not at headquarters. Ninety percent of that related to their community activities, so they somehow thought of marketing as that. I said, "That's not what we teach. That's not supposed to be marketing." But marketing was almost an afterthought. Starbucks had never advertised once in their history at that point. I don't think they have even now, as far as I can tell. There was very little of that. So we started to find these companies. What we soon discovered was it wasn't about the marketing. That for these companies, even their employees were highly loyal and trusting. Their communities deeply embraced these companies and welcomed them. In fact, people waited and camped out in the parking lot before there were new stores or locations opening for some of these businesses. We found that their suppliers had long-term, stable relationships with these companies. So they were really in a stakeholder frame of operation. In other words, they were looking after the well-being of all of their stakeholders. Not just customers, but employees, suppliers, communities. Even the environment, etc. So we saw they were treating everybody the way customers should be treated. Understanding their needs and really creating value consciously for all of their stakeholders. And then beyond that, we found that they had a reason for being. It's not just another airline, or just another retailer, or just another furniture shop, or CarMax. They were trying to reinvent, or change the way something was being done. They had a purpose. So it's not a business with a mission. This was like a mission with a business. Whole Foods was trying to change the way people eat and think about food, and change the way we run our food system, and the health of the planet, and all of that is impacted by the way that they define their business. The Container Store is trying to help you get organized so you can feel less stressed out and more relaxed. Southwest was trying to bring freedom to the skies and enable more people to travel. Make it fun. Make it affordable. Make it accessible. So they all have a reason for being. CarMax was trying to reinvent the used car selling business, which of course, as we know, you feel like you walk in there and you're going to get victimized. So there was a purpose -- a higher purpose. We discovered that these businesses have a higher purpose. They're stakeholder oriented. And then we also discovered their leaders were different. They're typically, in many cases, still the founders. Even if it's not the founder -- if it's a 100-year-old company -- somebody who has a passion for what this business is about. What they're trying to do. They're driven by service to the purpose and service to the people -- and not so much about power and their own personal ego and enrichment. They're much more, I would say, down to earth. More like servant leaders than your command-and-control, top-down, almost like a legal type of leader. And then lastly, we found the cultures. The Motley Fool has a fantastic culture. You only know them as clients, but if you go and visit them, they pay a lot of attention to the culture. It's a lot of fun. There's a lot of trust, there's a lot of transparency, and there's caring. There's authentic caring for human beings at the heart of these companies. [Northwest] Airlines -- the stock market symbol is LUV. L-U-V, right? What they talk about is we love our customers. We love. We love everyone to death. It's all rooted in that. And most businesses, unfortunately, are rooted in fear and stress. They think the way to get people to perform is to just constantly put pressure on them. Carrots and sticks. Think about that. What animal belongs between a carrot and a stick? A jackass -- not a human being. And yet we use that kind of language and people start behaving that way. They're still trying to get the carrot and avoid the stick. So that's the big difference and those are the four pillars. Let me now describe Conscious Capitalism but they were really uncovered in that book. Halfway through I said it's not about marketing. We're discovering all these people talking about love, and care, and trust, and compassion, and all of that. So I was calling it "Share of Heart" for a while. And I said, "You know in marketing, we used to talk about share of market and then we had share of wallet." And our editor said, "So now you're talking about share of heart? What comes next? Share of soul?" A cynical view of marketing. Fortunately we didn't stick with that and we ended up calling it Firms of Endearment. Companies that are loved by everybody and how you do that. And the icing on the cake -- at the end of all of our research and selecting the companies based on these criteria -- we did the financial analysis. And we said, "You know, these companies are paying their people better." Certainly at the front lines. Costco pays double of Wal-Mart. The Container Store pays double the prevailing wage in the industry. They provide much better benefits. Starbucks provides generous healthcare even to part-time employees, for example. They're taking care of their customers. Providing great customer care. They're not squeezing their suppliers. Suppliers are profitable, and innovative, and healthy. They're investing in their communities. They're investing in the environment. They're paying taxes at an average rate of 34% -- that sample of companies. We said, "Maybe investor returns are good but nothing phenomenal because they are spending in all these other areas." What we found actually stunned us -- that these companies outperformed the market 9 to 1 over a 10-year period. That would have been 1996 to 2006 because the book came out in 2007. We had 18 public companies in that. We thought we had made a mistake. We went and redid the analysis. How can this be? Because we still had that zero-sum mentality. That if you need to do more for employees you'll have to take it away from investors. If you want to pay more, maybe your margins will have to suffer. Well, no. Business is not a zero-sum game. It's the ultimate positive-sum game on this planet. I don't think anything else comes close. You create extraordinary amounts of value when you align everybody together around a shared sense of purpose. So you're excited to go to work on Monday. You don't say, "Thank God it's Friday." Do you know that heart attacks are highest on Monday morning, by the way? Twenty percent higher. Monday morning at 4:00 a.m. is the peak. That's the state of affairs we have. So what we found is that these companies have broken that trade-off mentality, and when you align everything together you create this virtual cycle of higher performance. And nobody has to suffer in that. Everybody matters, and everybody can win when you do business in the right way. And it's not about making money, and having a bunch of side effects. These businesses are able to operate with a spectrum of positive effects. It's not just financial. It's intellectual capital. It's social capital. It's emotional well-being. It's spiritual well-being. Physical well-being. Ecological well-being. It has a positive impact on the culture, and those are all the consequences of how we choose to operate. So as I said, that book turned my life around, because until then I just had a job and a bit of a career in marketing, and now I had a calling. And I still remember sitting in Pennsylvania in the Poconos at some writing retreat and I had tears in my eyes as we were writing some of the stories about these companies, and the deep humanity that exists inside corporations, or can exist if you allow it to. Because human beings are wired to care and corporations are designed to snuff that out for the most part. You're supposed to leave that at the door. Put on your mask and armor and show up for battle. It doesn't have to be that way. Why can't we combine love and work? Those are the two aspects of being human. Southwick: As part of my job here at The Motley Fool, I also do media relations and so sometimes that means getting our analysts out there talking about investing. Sometimes it means talking about workplace culture at the Fool. And it's funny to me how there's this tone, generally, that work sucks. Brokamp: Right. Southwick: And I guess that it does, and it historically has, really, been hard and difficult work; but many people today, including all of us here at The Motley Fool, have the opportunity to have really rewarding work. And work doesn't have to suck -- but it does suck for many people. I don't know how to reconcile that. Someone's got to clean toilets and I love them for that. Brokamp: I want a pillow that says "make love and work." That's all I'm saying. Southwick: You be careful. Christmas is coming up. Be careful what you wish for. Brokamp: I look forward to it. Southwick: Love and work on a satin pillow. A gift for you and Mrs. Brokamp. All right. Finally friend of the podcast Morgan Housel gave a speech titled, "You Are Not Too Late." He begins by showing the audience an iconic photo of one of the most momentous events in human history. Morgan Housel: This is Wilbur and Orville Wright on December 17, 1903. This picture is the first second of the first flight in human history. And we know, in hindsight, that this is one of the most important events in human history. If you go to the Library of Congress, where I found these papers, you'll find two things that I think are pretty astounding. One is that the first passing mention of the Wright brothers in The New York Times was 1906, three years after their first flight. Even more astounding, I think, is in 1904 (so one year after their first flight) The New York Times interviewed a European count who was a hot air balloon tycoon of sorts. And they asked him if human flight -- what they called back then the flying machine (that's what they called them back then) -- if flying machines would ever become a reality. And this is what he said. He said, "In the very, very, far future," said the Count, with a crescendo accent on the "very" and a shoulder shrug that suggested an eternity, "there may be flying machines, but not now. Not now." This was a year after the Wrights' first flight, in the nation's newspaper of record. There are so many interesting stories that come from the Wright brothers, but to me the most fascinating is this five-year gap between when they changed the world and they convinced people that they changed the world. And I think what's really important is that if you look into it, this is an extreme example, but almost every innovative product throughout time (every big invention that really changes the world and goes on to be one of the most impactful inventions or innovations) is almost never understood at first. The products that are instantly adored are adored because they're familiar, and they're familiar because they're usually just slight improvements over what's already available. But when you have products that are totally transformational, almost nobody gets it at first. And that process between inventing it and getting people to understand it isn't something that takes months or years. It can take decades. We know in hindsight that the car was one of the most transformational inventions of the 20th century, but it took us a quarter of a century to figure that out. This is true for TV, too. This is The New York Times in 1927 talking about the first use of television. It says: "Pictures are Flashed by Wire and Radio Synchronizing with Speaker's Voice." That's the clunky way of describing what a TV is. This is a little different. They were really excited about the TV when it first came out, because it was amazing to watch. But you see this line here: "Commercial Use in Doubt." And here, too, the first TVs came around in the mid-1920s. It wasn't until the 1950s that it was a pretty viable, sustainable commercial enterprise. It took a quarter of a century to get there. This is really interesting. It was true for penicillin, as well. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin pretty much by accident in 1928. And if you had to make a list of the most important discoveries or inventions of the 20th century, penicillin would be at or near the top. Depending on whose estimates you use, penicillin saved between 80 to 200 million lives since it was put into practice. It's a huge gap, but whatever the number is, it's enormous. It wasn't until 1942 -- so 14 years after discovery -- that Merck, the pharmaceutical company, made 10 doses of penicillin and realized that it was actually pretty great. And the first mass-scale production actually came for D-Day in 1944. They made 2 million doses. But that was 16 years after we first discovered it. Here, too, we have more than a decade between discovering something that changes the world and convincing people that it's actually going to change the world. With any big breakthrough technology I, at least, want to think in hindsight (and I think it's common to think in hindsight) that the gap between invention and adoption is quick. And it almost never is. I think every big innovative technology follows an eight-part path that goes something like this. First when it's invented people say, "I've never heard of it. Nobody knows about it." And then after a while, they say, "I've heard of it, but I don't understand it." And then after a while they say, "I understand it, but I don't see how it's useful." And then as time goes on, they say, "I see how it could be fun for rich people, but not for me." And then they say, "I use it, but it's just a toy. It's not practical. It's just fun to play with." And then they say, "It's becoming more useful for me." And then they say, "I use it all the time." And then they say, "I could not imagine life without it." I think every innovative product goes through this cycle, and the important thing to understand is that this cycle can take decades and it rarely, if ever, takes less than five years. So what does that mean for you as an investor? That's why you're all here. I have two things for you to think about. The first is that when innovation is measured generationally, results should not be measured quarterly. You can imagine in hindsight going to Wilbur and Orville in 1904, a year after their flight, and saying, "How's revenue? How's net income? How did you perform in the last 90 days?" You can imagine going to Bill Gates in 1979 and saying, "It looks like your growth in the last quarter is kind of slowing down. This is really concerning to me." It sounds ridiculous in hindsight, because it is ridiculous in hindsight. But people do that today with companies like Google and Facebook -- that are really doing big, innovative things -- but are still judged by quarterly results. A lot of what we call "pessimism" is just impatience in disguise. This headline I found two days ago. It was perfect timing. It says: "Why the next 20 years will see a lot less technological disruption than the past 20 years." I'm not saying this is wrong. This might very well be true. But this headline is ubiquitous across time. You could go back 20 or 40 or 50 or 100 years and find the same kind of pessimism. We're always kind of stuck in this idea, this trap that we used to innovate in the past, but we don't anymore. That idea has been around for hundreds of years. It's almost always present. And I think the reason that it feels like we haven't innovated in 20 years is because it takes 20 years for us to notice what we've innovated. Marc Andreessen, who is a famous venture capitalist who started Netscape (one of the first internet browsers), told a fascinating story recently. He went to Silicon Valley in, I think, 1992. It was really early on in the internet days. And he said that even in the early '90s, there was a palpable sense in Silicon Valley that they missed the internet. That it was too late. That it was something that happened in the previous years, but if you got there in '92 or '94 or '95 it was too late. You missed it. And in hindsight, we know that's ridiculous because even in 1995 and even in 1999, that was just the early seedling days of the internet. But at the time they had this sense that it was something in the past. That the things that we're making now are not that important. Not having that much impact. That they were too late. About one year ago, Kevin Kelly, who is the executive editor of Wired magazine (Wired is a big technology magazine) was asked basically that same point ... whether we're too late to invest in technology. We've made so much progress over the last 50 years and built so many great companies: companies like Google, and Facebook, and Amazon. But is it too late? We've missed the boat and it's too late. And he gave a great three-sentence answer that I'd love to wrap up with today. He said: "The greatest products of the next 25 years have not been invented. If they have, you might not even know about them yet. You're not too late." Southwick: I remember when I bought Amazon -- way back in 2014 ... Brokamp: Wow! Southwick: ... yeah. I had this fear that I was too late and that I'd already missed my chance. But it's doubled since then! And, of course, for every Amazon in my portfolio I can show you three companies that have tanked, but that's my best example of thinking I was too late and I wasn't too late. Brokamp: That's a good one. Southwick: [00:34:25] Brokamp: That goes back to one of David's points -- that in your portfolio you're going to have losers. You're going to have losers. That's just part of what happens. But ideally you also have the Amazons. I think it was Buffett who said that he thought he was too late to buy Wal-Mart many years ago, and I think he said that he was instead sitting around sucking his thumb because he got around to it too late. He never bought it, and he totally regrets it. And Wal-Mart, at that point, had already been around for probably 25 or 30 years. He said he thought it was too late and he was wrong. So even Buffett does it. Southwick: We could also put that on a pillow. That's the show. It's edited doggedly by Rick Engdahl. For Robert Brokamp, I'm Alison Southwick. Stay Foolish everybody. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Alison Southwick owns shares of Costco Wholesale, Walt Disney, and Whole Foods Market. Chris Hill owns shares of Amazon.com, Starbucks, Walt Disney, and Whole Foods Market. David Gardner owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Facebook, Intuitive Surgical, Starbucks, Walt Disney, and Whole Foods Market. Morgan Housel has no position in any stocks mentioned. Richard Engdahl owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Costco Wholesale, Facebook, Starbucks, and Walt Disney. Robert Brokamp, CFP owns shares of Facebook, Home Depot, Intuitive Surgical, and Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, CarMax, Costco Wholesale, Facebook, Intuitive Surgical, Starbucks, Walt Disney, and Whole Foods Market. The Motley Fool recommends Home Depot and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travelers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have traveled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities said Saturday, but they don't know yet why he chose his target and have not yet ruled out terrorism. Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. FBI Agent George Piro said Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked on a flight from Alaska. "Indications are that he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Piro said. "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it's too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the U.S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. Santiago had not been placed on the U.S. no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, Piro said. The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop to the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." Santiago had been discharged from the National Guard last year after being demoted for unsatisfactory performance. His brother, Bryan Santiago, said Saturday that his brother had requested psychological help but received little assistance. Esteban Santiago said in August that he was hearing voices, Bryan Santiago said in Spanish on Saturday as he stood outside his family's home. He said he told his brother then to seek help. "How is it possible that the federal government knows, they hospitalize him for only four days, and then give him his weapon back?" Bryan Santiago said. His mother declined to comment as she stood inside the screen door, wiping tears from her eyes. The only thing she said was that Esteban Santiago had been tremendously affected by seeing a bomb explode next to two of his friends when he was around 18 years old while serving in Iraq. When Santiago spoke of mind control at the FBI office in November, agents questioned the agitated and disjointed man before calling police, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Santiago was then taken for a mental health evaluation. Piro, who is in charge of the Miami field office, said Santiago clearly indicated at the time that he was not intent on hurting anyone. Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday, Piro said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The gunman was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding," according to Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. ___ Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro, Curt Anderson and Adriana Gomez-Licon in Miami; Lolita C. Baldor and Eric Tucker in Washington; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; David Koenig in Dallas; and Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report. With the barbaric murder of Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh -- the Jordanian pilot locked in a cage and burned alive by operatives of the Islamic State, for all the world to see -- Jordans King Abdullah faces the most dangerous moment since ascending to the throne in 1999. ISIS jihadists in Syria and Iraq have publicly threatened to invade Jordan and slaughter the Abdullah, whom they denounce as a tyrant. Extremists inside Jordan took to the streets last summer shouting, Down, down with Abdullah! The latest ISIS propaganda video attacks the king as an ally of the crusaders. One figure in the video proclaims, "all Arab tyrants shouldbe burned." While Jordan has remained a source of calm in the region, the roots of radical Islamic extremism run deep there. A Jordanian, Abu Musab Zarqawi, was the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq -- the precursor to ISIS -- before he was killed by a U.S. airstrike on June 7, 2006. Today, an estimated 2,000 Jordanian nationals are fighting with ISIS. What happens when they come back to Jordan? The urgent question right now is whether American leaders fully understand just how catastrophic it would be for Jordan to fall to ISIS. Meanwhile, 1.3 million people, mostly Muslims, have fled Syria and are currently residing in Jordan. Some 600,000 are contained inside refugee camps. The rest are freely moving about the country. How many are plotting against the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and how advanced and sophisticated are their plans? The urgent question right now is whether American leaders fully understand just how catastrophic it would be for Jordan to fall to ISIS. The good news is that King Abdullah understands full well that he is in a winner-take-all showdown with ISIS, which he describes as a Third World war. As a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad, the king sees himself as a moderate Arab reformer. He believes Islam is the answer to the challenges facing his region, but he does not believe violent jihad is the way forward. He has built good relations with the West, maintains a solid peace treaty with Israel, and has worked hard to protect Christians in Jordan. But he is acutely aware that the jihadists are gunning for him. Indeed, upon hearing the news of the pilots murder, he immediately cut short his visit to Washington and returned to Amman to launch an earth-shaking military response to ISIS. The urgent question right now is whether American leaders fully understand just how catastrophic it would be for Jordan to fall to ISIS, and whether they are truly committed to taking all measures necessary to crush ISIS and stand firm with Jordan, one of our most important Arab allies. Friends and enemies alike have pointed out that President Obama has been indecisive and inconsistent in responding to the turmoil caused by the extremists. U.S.-led airstrikes have slowed the jihadist advance in Iraq, but ISIS is steadily expanding its control of Syria. Yet inexplicably, the White House has failed to set forth a clear strategy to defeat the Islamic State in either Iraq or Syria, even as the rest of the neighborhood -- from the shores of Tripoli to the Hindu Kush -- is falling apart before our eyes. Obama is now asking for congressional authorization for his half-hearted war on ISIS. Yet his very request shows how unsure and unserious he is. Congress should pass a resolution authorizing the use of "all means necessary" to defeat the enemy. But the president's draft explicitly rules out any serious use of ground forces, even if America's military leaders deem them essential. Obama specifically refuses to put an adequate number of U.S. special forces and technical advisers on the ground to help Iraqi forces retake their country. Last month, retired four-star U.S. Army General Jack Keane testified before Congress that at least 10,000 U.S. special operators are needed in the theater to prosecute an effective war against ISIS. Thus far, the administration adamantly disagrees. At the same time, President Obama refuses to directly and adequately arm the Kurds in their fight against ISIS, despite their heroic efforts on the battlefield. Obama should be providing Jordan and the Iraqis far more arms and other resources to fight ISIS, but he hesitates. Meanwhile, he exhibits a dangerously dysfunctional attitude toward two key American allies in the region, namely Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Like Jordans King Abdullah, both Netanyahu and al-Sisi clearly see the grave threat posed by the Shia brand of radicalism advanced by Iran and Hezbollah, and the similarly ominous threat posed by the Sunni brand of violent extremism advanced by ISIS, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Netanyahu and Sisi are quietly but actively working together and with Jordan against these threats. Yet Obamas public disdain for the Israeli and Egyptian leaders in the midst of a hot war is both counterproductive (the Egyptians are now turning to Moscow for help) and risks undermining the trust and confidence of Jordans leaders, as well as that of other Mideast allies. With so many other major challenges in the Middle East at present, it would be easy for American policy-makers to overlook Jordans importance -- easy, but a mistake. Jordan is the cornerstone of any future Arab-Israeli peace plan. If it fell to ISIS, Jordan would quickly become a launching pad for terrorist attacks against America and its allies. Fortunately, the American people instinctively understand the magnitude of the threat posed by ISIS. In a recent survey 74 percent of Americans said they worry ISIS will launch a catastrophic terrorist attack inside the U.S. if they are not defeated soon. Nearly as many Americans (72 percent) worry ISIS will soon try to launch a massive attack against the State of Israel. At the same time, 65 percent are afraid ISIS will also try to overthrow the King of Jordan an important, moderate Arab ally of the United States and use Jordan as a base camp to launch terrorist attacks against America and Israel. Not surprisingly, therefore, Americans want President Obama and congressional leaders to work closely with Americas most trusted allies in the Middle East including Jordan -- to crush ISIS quickly and decisively. God help us if the president does not start making the right moves before it is too late. The racial divide fanned by Barack Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder has a new highlight reel, courtesy of four black adults in Chicago who allegedly held hostage a white man with special needs and humiliated, beat, slashed him, while screaming slurs about white people and Donald Trump. The video of their alleged crimes was streamed live on Facebook. Not everyone, of course, will agree that the President should be held to account for this hate crime, and the President did condemn it. But I think that when the President of the United States and former Attorney General repeatedly accused police officers (who were merely doing their jobs) of racial prejudice and when he failed to strongly condemn riots in Baltimore and elsewhere he set the stage for acts of perceived retribution by violent minority individuals. No President of the United States in recent history has ever shown more of an inclination to look the other way when cities burn, police officers are killed or, for that matter, when terrorists commit crimes against our nation (and are then set free by him from Guantanamo Bay). Because no President in recent history seems to have been gripped by such deep conviction that Americaand, particularly, white America has so much about which to be ashamed and so much payback coming. The truth is that terrible crimes against black people have been committed by white criminals. But the Presidents psychological stance, on public display, has made equality look like the freedom for minorities to be hateful to other races, too. And that profound tragedy, as I see it, is Barack Obamas legacy, more than anything else. I still remember Oprah Winfrey saying she had done [her] homework on Barack Obama when she endorsed him for President, nearly eight years ago. What sort of homework did she do, I wonder? Where is Ms. Winfrey now, beloved by so many of every race, to clarify her views on whether she is disappointed by the racially-charged rhetoric of Mr. Obama and his cohorts? If theres any blame left to go around, by the way, maybe Mark Zuckerberg could take a look in the mirror and wonder why young adults seem to think it is just fine to videotape horrific acts, as though they are stars in a macabre movie. Because he provided the platform that degrades the empathetic instincts of millions of Americans and turns them into attention-seeking, mini-reality TV versions of themselves. It will be a monumental task for President-Elect Donald Trump to heal the nation, which is a necessary part of making it great, again. The healing will include a psychological reawakeningreminding people that the best in them is the part that knows their worth, and insists on it being honored, but is also capable of forgiving past transgressions. CHISINAU, Moldova -- While many Eastern Europeans welcome the Trump administrations promise to improve American relations with Russia, we hope it doesnt come at the expense of our dream for deeper ties to the West. As a small, landlocked former Soviet Republic, sandwiched between NATO nations to the West and Ukraine to the East, Moldova clearly has a lot riding on any American reconciliation with Russia. And while the last thing we want is to weaken our moorings to the West, we are optimistic that President-elect Trumps vision can positively transform the security environment in our region. As a fellow businessman who also believes in the art of the deal, I am hopeful that Mr. Trumps non-confrontational approach to Moscow will not only reduce tensions between your countries, but also reduce the pressure on countries like ours to choose sides. While Moldova doesnt want to be pulled back into Moscows orbit, we also know that we cannot prosper as a pawn in the power-struggle between East and West. Instead of being mired in a new cold war, we want to move forward with a free-market economy, integrated with the West but at peace with the East. And we expect the United States to continue to support our historic journey to our natural home in the European community. Unfortunately, for most of our past 25 years of independence, Moldova has been a flashpoint on the frontlines of the rivalry between Russia and the West. That can only be bad for a small country like ours, as evidenced by Russias continuing support for Transnistria, a breakaway region within Moldovas internationally recognized borders where 2,500 Russian troops are stationed. For more than two decades, the Transnistrian dispute has threatened the security of Moldova and the stability of Eastern Europe. But, if the United States and Russia are able to forge a new relationship more focused on cooperation than on confrontation, it could help foster constructive steps to resolve the secessionist standoff not only in Transnistria, but also in the territorial conflicts in Crimea in Ukraine and in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia. Rather than a battleground, Moldova wants to be a bridge between East and West. We would welcome transformation of the zero-sum environment where, if Moldova reaches out to the European Union and the United States, it is misunderstood as anti-Russian, and where goodwill gestures to Russia are misinterpreted as a retreat from Western integration. The fact is: Most Moldovans want to be pro-Western without being anti-Russian. With our cultural and historic affinity with Russia our second-largest trading partner after the EU we are not hostile to Moscow. We want to resolve our differences with Russia, most notably over Transnistria, and expand our economic relationship. Just as Eastern Europeans should not overreact to the change of administrations in the United States, Americans should make no mistake about Moldovas direction. Indeed, in a closely contested vote for the largely ceremonial position of president a post with limited constitutional authority and scant influence over foreign policy -- our voters recently elected a candidate who described himself as pro-Russian. However, our government is driven by a pro-West coalition, led by the Democratic Party of Moldova, which is moving Moldova closer to the EU and implementing comprehensive reforms as part of our Association Agreement with the EU. Through that agreement and a government reform action roadmap, Moldova is cracking down on political corruption, freeing up our economic system and strengthening the rule of law. In return, we are receiving practical incentives for our economy to diversify and modernize, including an expansion of bilateral trade with the EU, which already buys 62 percent of our countrys exports. Having suffered under communism for almost half a century and struggled against corruption for many years, Moldova is striving for free-market democracy and the rule of law. We look to the West as an economic and political model because we embrace the values of freedom and democracy. For the United States and Moldova, this should be a moment of promise, not peril. We are confident in an upgrade to the US-Moldova relationship this year since we are celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations. Symbolism should be met with a boost in our concrete cooperation. If the United States and Russia begin to thaw their relations, it will only be good news for Moldova. We are on course to our ultimate goal of a prosperous, entrepreneurial democracy, upholding legal and constitutional norms, that looks toward the West and maintains warm relations with all its neighbors. In this endeavor, the United States and EU are our inspirations, and we expect you to continue to be our partners. The Obama administration once again has sided with Argentina -- and by default, against Britain -- in the ongoing dispute over the island chain at the center of a 1982 war. In a move one British conservative analyst called "hugely insulting to Britain," the Organization of American States earlier this week adopted a declaration calling for negotiations between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the "sovereignty" of the Falkland Islands. While the U.S. delegation did not speak in support of the measure, it ultimately joined a consensus adopting it. However, Britain does not consider the sovereignty in question. After the British fended off an Argentine invasion of the nearby islands in 1982 -- a war in which hundreds died on both sides -- the government continues to assert control over the Falklands and grant islanders British citizenship. Britain has resisted international calls for the two nations to negotiate the issue -- which makes the U.S. position all the more peculiar. Noting that President Obama just returned from a visit to London where he cited the U.S.-U.K. "special relationship," Heritage Foundation analyst Nile Gardiner said the U.S. should at least stay neutral on the Falkland issue. "British sovereignty over the islands is not an issue for negotiation. ... This is a slap in the face for America's closest friend and ally," he said, accusing the administration of siding with Venezuela and others against its friend. "This is a bizarre foreign policy," he added. Gardiner is the director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, whose namesake was prime minister during the Falklands War. The Obama administration made clear in early 2010 that it would endorse calls for talks over the islands. At a Buenos Aires news conference with Argentina's president in March 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she agreed with Argentina that the two nations should "sit down and resolve the issues between them." From there, the U.S. implicitly backed an OAS document calling for talks last June and again Tuesday at a conference in El Salvador. The latest declaration, which refers to the islands as the Malvinas Islands, calls for exploring "all possible avenues towards a peaceful settlement of the dispute" and resuming sovereignty negotiations "as soon as possible." It was accompanied by some tough words toward Britain. In an OAS press release, Argentine foreign minister Hector Timerman said: "Unfortunately, Britain still declines to resume bilateral dialogue, in violation not only of repeated resolutions of the United Nations and this Organization." Timerman called for a "peaceful settlement to the dispute." In the wake of the adoption, the British government quietly asserted its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands while downplaying the U.S. position -- stressing that the Obama administration continues to recognize British control of the territory. "The longstanding U.S. position is unchanged. The U.S. recognizes the U.K.'s administration of the Falkland Islands," a British Embassy representative told FoxNews.com. "We're in regular touch with the U.S. on this issue, as on so many issues, and we expect that dialogue to continue." The government on the Falkland Islands expressed disappointment with the OAS declaration. According to a report in MercoPress, Falkland officials issued a statement saying they "regret that this issue should once again be raised on the regional stage" and support the standing British position that "the issue of sovereignty is non-negotiable." Just hours after the U.S. declassified an intelligence report Friday that offered new details on an alleged influence campaign stemming from Moscow-- including cyber activity-- President-elect Donald Trump took aim at the Democratic National Committee for allowing its systems to be hacked. Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place.The Republican National Committee had strong defense! the tweet read. The intelligence report added fresh fuel to the debate over Russias involvement in email hacking that affected Democratic groups during the 2016 race. Trump has publicly questioned the evidence linking Russia and, hours before his briefing on Friday, called the focus a political witch hunt. However, Trump and the intelligence community seemed to find some common ground after the briefing. Both Trump and the report said the Russians did not target vote tallying. Earlier, Trump said in a statement that there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. Still, the report lays out in new and alarming detail an alleged influence campaign stemming from Moscow, which Ryan and others condemned. The report said that included cyber activity, as well as efforts by state-funded media and paid social media trolls. The report said Russian intelligence services conducted cyber operations against both major U.S. parties, and said they have high confidence Russian military intelligence used Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks.com to release US victim data publicly and to the media, and relayed material to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks famously published emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta last year. Founder Julian Assange, however, told Fox News this past week that Russia was not his source. The report said: We assess with high confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election, the consistent goals of which were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. In his written statement, Trump acknowledged that Russia, China and others are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee but said there was absolutely no effect on the outcome. Trump also said the U.S. needs to fight and stop cyberattacks, and hell appoint a team to give him a plan within 90 days of taking office. Two weeks from today I will take the oath of office and Americas safety and security will be my number one priority, he said. Fox News Catherine Herridge, Matthew Dean, Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A day after U.S. intelligence officials said Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump, the president-elect renewed his call for better Washington-Moscow relations and suggested naysayers are fools or stupid people. The incoming Republican president, as he repeatedly did during his winning White House campaign, seemed eager Saturday to use Twitter to battle foes, critics and the Washington establishment, which appears to have no political desire to befriend former Cold War enemy Russia and now-Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump sent five tweets Saturday morning, including the final message over three separate tweets -- because of the limit to 140 characters each. Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am president, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!, Trump tweeted. Trump, during the 2016 White House race, roiled the U.S. intelligence community and others over suggestions that he admired Putins tough leadership, despite Russia in 2014 annexing neighboring Ukraines Crimea region and other strong-arm tactics. The president-elect has also suggested that the United States stature as a world power has been diminished because of President Obamas tentative foreign policy. On Friday, a declassified U.S. intelligence report accused Putin of ordering a campaign to influence the U.S. election and hurt 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons candidacy -- findings made public after officials briefed Trump. The report adds fresh fuel to the debate over Russias involvement in email hacking that affected Democratic groups during the 2016 race. Trump has publicly questioned the evidence linking Russia. And hours before the briefing, Trump called it a political witch hunt. However, Trump and the intelligence community seemed to find some common ground after the briefing. Both Trump and the report said the Russians did not target vote tallying. Trump, in a statement, went a step further and said there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. The two other Trump tweets Saturday morning said: Intelligence stated very strongly there was absolutely no evidence that hacking affected the election results. Voting machines not touched!" The other was, Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed! President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that hell nominate retired Republican Sen. Dan Coats as national intelligence director -- a post that oversees the entire U.S. intelligence community and each morning delivers the top-secret Presidents Daily Brief. The Indiana lawmaker served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and was a member of the chambers Armed Services Committee. He will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm, said Trump, a Republican. The announcement comes amid a rift between the incoming president and the so-called U.S. intelligence community, which includes the CIA, FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Trump has been wary of announcements by such agencies that Russia tried to influence the outcome of his successful 2016 White House race against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by stealing sensitive emails, then leaking them. Trump and his supporters have suggested the reports come with insufficient evidence and are attempts to delegitimize his upset win over Clinton. Trump's announcement came one day after the release of a declassified government report on Russian efforts to influence the presidential election. The report explicitly ties Russian President Vladimir Putin to the meddling and says Russia had a "clear preference" for Trump over Clinton. The report also predicts Russia isn't done intruding in U.S. politics and policymaking. Coats will await Senate confirmation to head the office, created after the Sept. 11 attacks to improve coordination among U.S. spy and law enforcement agencies. Coats, if confirmed, would be at the center of the intelligence community that Trump has publicly challenged, to the extent of saying he doesnt routinely read the daily intelligence brief submitted to him. I will ensure our national security decision-makers have every piece of information they need to protect the American people from the threats facing our nation, Coats said. There is no higher priority than keeping America safe." South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, a defense hawk, said: "This was a very good choice. ... Hes one of the most mature, knowledgeable and respected voices in the country on all things related to national security. Trump's team has been examining ways to restructure intelligence agencies as part of an effort to streamline operations and improve efficiency, but Coats' nomination could ease fears that Trump would push for a significant overhaul. Coats, 73, served eight years in the House before moving to the Senate in 1989 to take Dan Quayle's place when Quayle became President George H.W. Bush's vice president. He stayed in the Senate until 1998, then left to become a lobbyist. After serving as U.S. ambassador to Germany under President George W. Bush, Coats joined the international law firm of King & Spalding, helping lead the government affairs division and lobbying for pharmaceutical, defense and energy companies. Coats, who earned $600,000 in his final 13 months at King & Spalding, downplayed his lobbying work when he returned to Indiana for a successful Senate comeback bid in 2010. He served one term and did not seek re-election last year. Coats was a vocal critic of Russia and pushed the Obama administration to harshly punish Moscow for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. When the White House levied sanctions, the Kremlin responded by banning several lawmakers, including Coats, from traveling to Russia. Trump received a briefing Friday from intelligence officials on the classified report about Russian interference in the 2016 election, and he later told The Associated Press that he "learned a lot" from the discussions. But he declined to say whether he accepted the officials' assertion that Russia had intruded in the election on his behalf. Coats earned a bachelors degree in political science at Wheaton College, in Illinois, before serving in the Army from 1966 to 1968. He later earned a law degree from the University of Indiana. The Associated Press contributed to this report. China's top environmental watchdog Friday named and shamed a list of companies not complying with anti-smog environmental measures, with dozens of cities in the country suffering from polluted air all this week. Yusheng building material company in Hebi city, central China's Henan Province, started its own power production generator without permission and without taking any environmental protection steps, after its electricity supply was cut off by the local government, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said. The ministry in late December dispatched 10 inspection teams to different provincial regions nationwide to supervise the implementation of environmental measures taken by key industrial enterprises. Seven companies, including Tengfei wood industry company in Hebei Province, did not abide by local government emergency measures such as halting or reducing production when localities suffer from air pollution, a ministry statement said. "Environmental protection facilities installed at companies, including Shandong Xinsheng Industrial Development, did not yield the intended effects," the ministry added. Moreover, a list of companies including Wanlu building material company in Bazhou city, Hebei, discharged pollutants violating standards and did not run their environmental protection facilities as required, the ministry said. The ministry did not specify punishments for violators as they are set to be punished by local authorities. A total of 60 metropolitan areas and cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, neighboring provinces, and northwest China's Shaanxi Province were under alert for air pollution, including 31 cities under red alert, 21 under orange alert, and eight under yellow alert, the ministry said. Many cities in China have experienced heavy smog since last Friday. China's national observatory Wednesday renewed alerts for air pollution for some areas in northern, eastern and central China, including Beijing. The widespread smog in China was forecast to disperse Sunday, the ministry said. China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Measures such as suspension of schools, car restrictions and halting production will be adopted in some cities under red alert. Chinese cities have suffered from frequent winter smog in recent years, triggering public concern. Nearly 62 percent of Chinese cities monitored by the ministry suffered from air pollution Wednesday, providing fresh evidence of environmental challenges facing the country. The central government has stepped up efforts to cut outdated production capacity and has dispatched inspection teams to provincial regions to supervise environmental measures taken by industrial firms. Moreover, Chinese authorities are aiming to build a greener energy system in the coming years, in a country where about two-thirds of power is generated by coal. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 I never intended to do a strip tease in front of the Fijian village chief. Honest! I fully intended to keep my knees and shoulders covered and my head and feet bare, as prescribed, while inside the Mavua villages community hall. So, yes, blame it on the kava --a ritualistic potion of the South Pacific islands. This wasnt my first meke --the name for a Fiji village meet-and-greet celebration that inevitably involves song, dance, food. And kava. The making and sharing of kava typically begins the meke. Murky as the water of the Sigatoka River wed travel upstream that morning to reach the village, kava is made by the villagers, who grind and strain the root of a local plant known for its sedative properties. Most of the village of about 200 turned out to greet our tour group on the river banks that morning, among them a dozen or so children in their grey school uniforms, big smiles, and bigger bulas. Bula, the exuberant greeting Fijians thrust at visitors, is usually accompanied by vigorous two-hand, overhead waving and smiles that are the very definition of welcoming. The word can mean hello, bless you, much or very, and life. This particular meke took place on the main island of Viti Levu, Viti meaning Fiji in Fijian, levu meaning big. I should have been an expert on village etiquette by then. My first visit came on an earlier Captain Cook adventure cruise to some of the more remote, outer islands, in the village of Naselesele on an island named Taveuni that surely belonged on a Hollywood set. We received strict instructions from our cruise hospitality director, Florian Haber, on village protocol. The visitors men and women alike wrapped sulus (sarongs) to cover our knees and show respect for the chief. Hats, bare shoulders, and sunglasses are taboo. We were attending a lovo feast unearthed from an underground oven. But first comes the kava ceremony, during which no one speaks, stands, or moves around. After a quarter of an hour of what appeared to be the wringing of water from straw (actually kava bark), the presentation of the okay I can go ahead and say it now dishwater brown liquid began. A young warrior in a grass skirt presents the coconut shell vessel, one at a time, to partakers. Each claps once before taking the cup, pronounces bula, drinks it down in one gulp, claps three times, then says vinaka (thank you). As well as one can say vinaka with the lips, tongue, and throat gone numb. Then wakeful relaxation sets in. One quickly learns Fijians are some of the most welcoming and beautiful (inside and out) people, but they have mastered the art of enjoying life, ignoring clocks, celebrating family, living in the moment, and embracing their heritage. They have always held their culture dear, no matter that their past smacks of cannibalism and violence against early European explorers. They devoured their victims usually in circumstances where outcast men crossed their path. Because they did not wish to touch the flesh of their evil dinner entrees, they invented cannibal forks of carved wood with which they ate their brains. Cannibal forks remain one of the most popular souvenirs in Fiji, whether or not you choose to use them for brain food. Other shopping buys include sulus, replicas of the wooden axes once used by ancient warriors, and the grass skirts the men also wore. The grass skirts and cannibalism took a turn for obsolete with the arrival of missionaries. Keen to introduce table utensils to the savages, they were somewhat deflated to find them already using their own peculiar style of fork. Nonetheless, when we visited the village of Mavua aboard Sigatoka River Safari, we used our fingers to feed ourselves on the exotic dishes spread on a floor cloth. Of the four village mekes I had attended, this one struck my heart most deeply. The people in all the villages seemed eager to make friends. After moving speeches from everyone from a school boy to the chief and our village guide Gus, after the magnificent spread of food and exchanged recipes with the townswomen, after an incredible two hours in the village, we gave small gifts to the students and community. (Tipping is not an accepted practice in Fiji.) When I presented Gus with a shirt I had brought along, he immediately donned it over top of the one he was wearing and asked me to dance. During our square dance-like stepping, he asked if I would also like to give someone my sulu. I said sure, but then I would have to bare my knees. (I wore shorts underneath.) He assured me that was okay, and led me to one of the elders in the group. Just then the music stopped and suddenly the groups eyes were upon me as I in appearance to them unwrapped my skirt in front of the chief and his elders. There were some drawn breaths until the entire room realized I was making a gift of the sulu and not flashing our hosts as my gift to them. Then there was laughter, a traditional goodbye song that sounds like a blessing, and the vinakas of new friends. As we pulled away from the village landing, the villagers followed us with their wildly waving arms. For me specially, Gus threw a two handed kiss. The best kind of bula. Worried that Jordan could be vulnerable to the Islamic State militant group, the U.S. is stepping up its intelligence cooperation with one of its most stalwart Middle East allies. The CIA has approached a retired former agency official with close ties to King Abdullah II about setting up a special task force to help Jordan deal with the threat from the Islamic State group, according to two former agency officials who would not be quoted by name discussing a secret mission. The retiree, Robert Richer, a former Marine who was chief of CIA's Near East division, became close with King Abdullah when he was Amman station chief in 1999. Richer is now a consultant with clients in Jordan, according to his LinkedIn page. He declined to comment. While the prospect of the Islamic State prevailing over the well-equipped Jordanian military seems remote, Jordan is vulnerable to both terrorist attacks and internal strife. Its economy is weak, its unofficial unemployment rate is 30 percent, and 1.5 million Syrian refugees are consuming scarce resources and services, U.S. officials and experts say. "You couldn't imagine a worse scenario" that the collapse of the Jordanian government, said David Schenker, a former senior Pentagon official who now directs the program on Arab politics at the Washington Institute. "Everybody agrees that the stability of Jordan is a lynchpin of stability in the region. We're looking at a total meltdown if Jordan goes." Jordan is among the countries directly threatened by the Islamic State's recent surge, White House counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco told reporters last week. Secretary of State John Kerry is departing Tuesday on a trip to Jordan and Saudi Arabia as he tries to formally enlist those countries in a U.S. and European coalition against the Islamic State group. Whatever he does publicly, Abdullah who graduated from Deerfield Academy, a Massachusetts prep school, and once appeared on an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" has consistently supported the U.S. behind the scenes. The CIA has long had close ties to Jordan's intelligence service, and the two countries work closely together against al-Qaida and other extremist groups. The U.S. is providing Jordan about a $1 billion this year in economic and military aid, according to the Congressional Research Service, a sum that does not include classified intelligence funding through the CIA. Jordan's Information Minister, Mohammad al-Momani, acknowledged in an interview that his country faces both a terrorism danger and an internal security risk from the Islamic State. Jordan is cooperating with its allies to counter that threat, he said, but he declined to discuss details. The CIA is seeking to help Jordan coordinate intelligence on the Islamic State and its own internal extremists, thousands of whom have been going to fight with the al Nusra front, an al-Qaida affiliate, in Syria. Some have also gone to fight with the Islamic State group, which has broken from al Qaida and is laying claim as the true heir to Osama bin Laden, U.S. intelligence officials say. The agency can offer "more intelligence collection resources, more eyes looking at it, more monitoring, more operational one on one planning," said Nada Bakos, a former CIA analyst who used to track al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Qaida in Iraq, the Islamic State's predecessor, was founded by a Jordanian, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed by the U.S. military in Iraq in 2006 after the CIA and Bakos tracked him down. Al-Qaida in Iraq killed 60 people when it bombed two hotels in Jordan in 2005. In 2012, Jordanian authorities disrupted a terrorist plot by the group in which nearly a dozen militants allegedly planned to use weapons and bombs they obtained fighting in Syria to attack government buildings and embassies in Amman. Graffiti in support of the Islamic State group and black flags suggesting solidarity are a common sight in Jordan's southern city of Ma'an, long a hotbed of discontent. In an interview with the Associated Press in Jordan, an Islamic State group sympathizer who said he had fought in Syria said the group has wide support in Jordan, including many heads of tribes. The militant declined to be named because he could be arrested. In April, Jordan adopted a new anti-terrorism law that makes it illegal to speak in support of extremist groups. The Jordanian newspaper a-Sharq al-Awsat reported last week that Jordanian security forces had arrested 71 activists belonging to Islamist organizations, including the Islamic State group and the al-Nusra Front. "There's no doubting that ISIL has expanded its visible support base in the country in recent months," said Charles Lister, a terrorism expert at the Brookings Institution, using an alternate acronym for the group. Jordan's weak economy "is arguably the most serious concern with regards to its potential impact upon internal stability," Lister said. "One single terrorist attack in Jordan would be all it would take to induce the necessary internal conditions for the development of an active domestic terrorist or militant movement, such as ISIL or Al-Qaida." ___ Associated Press writer Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan contributed to this report. ___ Follow Ken Dilanian on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KenDilanianAP Five people, including three children, found dead in a fire in western Oregon appear to have been part of a murder-suicide, authorities said Friday. Investigators picking through the burned home near rural Hubbard found the remains of a man, woman and the children. Autopsies show the children were shot to death; the woman died of blunt-force trauma to the head; and the man died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. The sheriff's office did not identify the bodies, but records show the residence belonged to Erin Kroeker, 39, and Keith Kroeker, 42, and that they had three children. Authorities said they do not believe there is any immediate danger to the public. Firefighters called to the property early Tuesday near Interstate 5 between Portland and Salem found the home, a shop and a detached garage ablaze. Each structure was apparently ignited separately. The sheriff's office said it won't comment on evidence or give more details as the investigation continues. Vice President Joe Biden told President-elect Donald Trump Thursday to "grow up." Biden dismissed a Trump complaint on Twitter about how the Obama administration has handled the transition. The vice president told "PBS NewsHour" in an interview: "Grow up, Donald. Grow up. It's time to be an adult." Biden said of Trump: "You're president. You've got to do something. Show us what you have." The vice president also said that Trump as president will have to propose legislation that Congress and the public can then assess. He said that it'll be "much clearer what he's for and against" once he's in the position of governing. Biden also said it's "dangerous" for Trump to have publicly criticized the U.S. intelligence community over its conclusion that Russia interfered in the November election. Biden said it's "absolutely mindless" for a president not to have confidence in or listen to intelligence agencies. The vice president said it would be legitimate to question intelligence and ask for more detail or disagree. But he said that's different than Trump claiming he knows more than the intelligence agencies. Biden said that's like saying, "I know more about physics than my professor." He says that's worrisome, but he assumes Trump's behavior will change. He said that Trump is surrounding himself with "very smart people" like retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, the billionaire businessman's pick for defense secretary. You'd think that much cold, hard cash would make for an uncomfortable night's sleep. The AP reports a 28-year-old Brazilian man was arrested this week in Massachusetts after authorities found about $20 million hidden in a box spring. STATE'S EXPRESS LANE TOLL SOARS OVER $30 DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR The arrest of Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha is connected to an investigation into TelexFree, an alleged pyramid scheme, according to Reuters. Authorities say TelexFree was originally created to swindle Brazilian immigrants but ended up taking $1.8 billion from nearly 1 million people around the world. Authorities say Rocha, acting as a courier for the nephew of TelexFree's founder, delivered a suitcase containing $2.2 million to a cooperating witness. They then followed him to an apartment where they found $20 million more under a mattress. Click for more from Newser. The notorious criminal Charles Manson was back in prison Saturday after a brief stint in the hospial, the Los Angeles Times reported. SECURITY GUARD'S HOME SEARCHED IN HUNT FOR MISSING MICHIGAN WOMAN Manson, now a grizzled, shuffling 82-year-old, had an undisclosed but serious illness, according to news reports that correction officials would not confirm, citing privacy laws. He was too weak for surgery, TMZ reported Thursday. A corrections official told the Times on Friday that Manson returned to the prison where he was serving his life sentence. DOZENS KILLED, BRUTALIZED IN BRAZILIAN PRISON RIOT; WORST IN DECADES A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, Manson reinvented himself during the Summer of Love as a long-haired, Christ-like guru spouting Bible verses and Beatles lyrics. After attracting a few dozen followers from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, many of them young women, runaways or other lost souls, he took them to an old movie ranch on the edge of Los Angeles that he transformed into a commune of sex, drugs and music. On Aug. 9 and 10, 1969, he sent some of his devotees out on a murderous mission to two of Los Angeles' wealthiest neighborhoods, where they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate, several of her society friends and others. Most of the victims, including coffee heiress Abigail Folger, were stabbed. Tate's husband, Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski, was out of the country at the time. Authorities would learn that Manson had hoped the killings would touch off a race war. He had apparently gotten the idea from a twisted reading of the hard-rocking Beatles song "Helter Skelter." The slayings shocked the country with their savagery. Messages like "Pigs" and a misspelled "Healter Skelter" were scrawled in the victims' blood on their walls and doors, and the city was paralyzed in fear. Residents of Los Angeles' nearby Laurel Canyon neighborhood, then a haven for musicians, began locking their doors. The youngest member of the original Manson Family, Leslie Van Houten, a teenage runaway and former homecoming princess from a Los Angeles suburb, said he had brainwashed her and others with sex, LSD, constant readings from the Bible, repeated playings of the Beatles' "White Album" and rambling lectures about triggering a revolution. Like other surviving followers who took part in the killings, Van Houten is serving a life sentence for murder. A parole board recommended her release last year but was overruled by Gov. Jerry Brown. Another Manson Family member, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, was never charged in the so-called Tate-La Bianca murders but went to prison later for trying to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. Fromme, whose gun didn't fire, was paroled in 2009 after 34 years behind bars. After Manson and his followers were caught, the nation got a front-page look at his piercing, demonic stare and the Nazi swastika he carved into his forehead during his trial. The killings -- along with a deadly stabbing in December 1969 at a free concert headlined by the Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway outside San Francisco -- contributed to the sense that the era of peace and love that seemed to reach a high point at Woodstock in the summer of 1969 was over, the dream turned into a nightmare. But in her book "The White Album," writer Joan Didion indicated people living in Los Angeles at that time shouldn't have been that surprised. "This mystical flirtation with the idea of `sin' -- this sense that it was possible to go `too far,' and that many people were doing it -- was very much with us in Los Angeles in 1968 and 1969," she wrote. "A demented and seductive vortical tension was building in the community. The jitters were setting in." During a 2013 Rolling Stone interview, Manson had seemingly lost none of his attitude -- "If I can touch you, I can kill you," he told reporter Erik Hedegaard -- but did not appear to be aging well. "He's an old man with a nice head of gray hair but bad hearing, bad lungs, and chipped-and-fractured, prison-dispensed bad dentures," Hedegaard wrote, adding that Manson shuffled when he walked and used a cane. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The suspected killer in the Ft. Lauderdale rampage, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, was charged on Saturday with performing an act of violence at an airport, which could earn him the death penalty if he is convicted. Santiago was charged with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death and weapons charges. Earlier, the FBI announced that Santiago apparently traveled to the airport for the purpose of carrying out the bloody rampage. Santiago told investigators that he planned the attack, buying a one-way ticket to the Fort Lauderdale airport, a federal complaint said. Authorities don't know why he chose his target and have not ruled out terrorism. Terrorism may have been a "potential motivation" for the attack on Friday that killed five people, Special Agent in Charge George Piro said during a news conference. Later in the afternoon, police in Alaska said they had returned a handgun to the Florida airport shooting suspect which was temporarily taken from him when he underwent a mental evaluation late last year, according to a Reuters report. Anchorage Police Chief Christopher Tolley said it was not immediately clear if it was the same gun used in Friday's deadly rampage. Officials told a news conference the gun was returned to the suspect because the Iraq war veteran had not committed a crime. Why the gunman may have chosen South Florida was unclear. He had no clear connection to the state aside from relatives in the Naples area, a two-hour drive away, the Sun Sentinel reported. VIDEO: SEN. RUBIO REACTS TO AIRPORT SHOOTING The suspected shooter had a history of mental health problems -- some of which followed his military service in Iraq -- and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said. FBI investigators questioned Santiago for hours. Piro said investigators were scouring the 26-year-old suspect's social media footprint and looking into where he'd traveled before. Santiago was not on any no-fly list, according to the FBI. He allegedly carried out the attack with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, Piro added. FT. LAUDERDALE SHOOTING SUSPECT SAID HE WAS FORCED TO WATCH ISIS VIDEOS Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said six people were wounded in the attack -- not eight, as officials had said Friday. Three were in the intensive care unit and three were in good condition, Israel told reporters. "Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good," Santiago's uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper. Santiago deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. In recent years, Santiago -- a new dad, family said -- had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. Bryan Santiago said his brother's girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. In November, Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The FBI agents notified the police after the interview with Esteban Santiago, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. Bryan Santiago said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues. "We have not talked for the past three weeks," Bryan Santiago said. "That's a bit unusual ... I'm in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person." Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. Former neighbor Ursula Candelario recalled seeing Esteban Santiago grow up and said people used to salute him after he joined the Guard. "He was very peaceful, very educated, very serious," she said. "We're in shock. I couldn't believe it," said Candelario. While in Iraq, Santiago cleared roads of improvised explosive devices and at least two members of his company were killed, spokesman Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead told The New York Times. He was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation. Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage, Olmstead told the AP. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for "unsatisfactory performance," said Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman. His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. She would not elaborate on his discharge, but the Pentagon said he went AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. Still, he'd had some successes during his military career, being awarded a number of medals and commendations including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago after his arrest at the Fort Lauderdale airport. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them, and reporters swarmed around. Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father to a son and was struggling. "It was like he lost his mind," she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things." Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. Santiago was charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, choked her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. A month later municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Law enforcement officers were at the girlfriend's home Friday afternoon, and officers guarding the property outside told a reporter who approached the home to step away. Senator-elect Nelson Cruz, who knew the family and represents the town where they live in Puerto Rico, said he had been talking regularly with Bryan Santiago since the shooting. "They're very humble and very Christian people," Cruz said of Esteban Santiago's brother and mother. "They want to tell the families of the victims that they're extremely saddened and extremely upset by what happened." The Associated Press contributed to this report. In a social media post, TV personality Montel Williams slammed the suspects accused of beating a mentally disabled man and streaming in live on Facebook. Williams took to Facebook on Thursday to express his opinions on the brutal attack. JUDGE DENIES BAIL FOR 4 SUSPECTS IN CHICAGO TORTURE VIDEO Life in prison. No parole. I'm not interested in whether these kids had a tough life, whether their parents loved them enough, I don't care, Williams said. The TV personality called the argument of whether it was indeed a hate crime a distraction. FACEBOOK LIVE TORTURE VIDEO PART OF 'THE NEW NORMAL,' CHICAGO'S FORMER TOP COP SAYS This is the cold blooded torture of an innocent human being. That's bigger than a hate crime, it's bigger than racism, Williams added. Williams offered his prayers to the victim, adding, If you can do this to another human being once, you can't be trusted to not do it again. The four suspects accused in the Chicago Facebook Live attack were denied bail on Friday. The Chicago judge they appeared before in court said they are accused of such "terrible actions." The four suspects were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covington's 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. The beating was captured on cellphone video by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media. The graphic footage shows the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder. They also said the beating started in a van when the same attacker became angry that the mother had contacted him asking that her son be allowed to come home. A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water, kiss the floor and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt. Cook County Associate Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked the suspects "Where was your sense of decency?" "I find each of you a danger to yourself and society," the judge said. All four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crime one because of the victim's race and the other because of his mental disabilities. The uproar over the beating intensified the glare on Chicago after a bloody year of violent crime and protests against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a police department that has been accused of using excessive force and hushing-up wrongdoing. The department has also been the subject of a long civil-rights investigation by the Justice Department, which is expected to report its findings soon. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Connecticut state police responded Saturday to reports of a nearly 30-vehicle pileup on a highway near Hartford. A snowstorm that was predicted to bring up to 8 inches of snow to the area was being blamed for the crash at exit 21 in the southbound lanes of I-91 in Middletown. Police said no one was seriously injured. The pileup involved at least 20 cars, three tractor-trailers and a tanker. I-91 was shut in both directions from exit 20 to exit 25 after the accident, MassLive.com reported. Police snapped photos of the crash aftermath and posted them on Facebook and Twitter. In Virginia, authorities say slick roads have caused more than 500 crashes, including one that was fatal. State Police Spokeswoman Corinne Geller said a man's SUV struck another vehicle, then ran off the road and overturned in a creek. The snow has moved out of Virginia, but police say driving conditions remain dangerous and are encouraging people to stay off the roads. Winter weather and potentially dangerous road conditions led officials to postpone the men's college basketball game between 14th-ranked North Carolina and North Carolina State that was scheduled for Saturday night. Up to 8 inches of snow were expected in parts of Connecticut, but areas along the southeastern Massachusetts coast could get 1 to 2 feet before the storm moves away later Saturday. Blizzard conditions were reported on Cape Cod and Plymouth County. Officials warned people to stay off the roads as the heavy snow and gusty winds were expected to reduce visibility to near zero. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7 By Samir Ali Trend: The Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan has presented documents for extradition of Alexander Lapshin to law enforcement agencies of Belarus, Eldar Sultanov, head of the press service of Prosecutor Generals Office, told Trend Jan. 7. Lapshin was arrested in Belarus, because he had a criminal conspiracy with a group of people and illegally visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, where he spoke openly against Azerbaijans statehood, said Sultanov. He noted that currently, all necessary steps are being taken for Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan. Lapshin has been declared internationally wanted due to the fact that his actions include such offenses as public incitement against the state and illegal crossing of the state border and the Department for Investigation of Grave Crimes has filed a criminal case against him under the articles of 281.2 (Public incitement for violent seizure of power, forcible retention of power or violent change of the constitutional order or violation of Azerbaijans territorial integrity, as well as dissemination of such content, committed repeatedly or by a group of people) and 318.2 (Crossing the guarded state border of Azerbaijan without established documents), explained Sultanov. He added that a preventive measure in the form of an arrest for two months has been decided by the Minsk court against Lapshin. Currently, documents needed for Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan are being prepared, said Sultanov. Alexander Lapshin is a citizen of several countries and has had a criminal conspiracy with Armenians living in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. He also illegally visited these territories. Lapshin is accused of violating Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012. In order to promote the illegal regime created in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia, Lapshin presented Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state on his social media account and supporting the independence of the unrecognized regime he made public incitement aimed at violating Azerbaijans territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016 in those territories. 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. Relatives of the man accused of Friday's shooting rampage at a Florida airport say he had a history of mental health problems and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska. AIRPORT SHOOTING IN FT. LAUDERDALE KILLS 5 Esteban Santiago, 26, retrieved his gun from his bag on the carousel, loaded it in a bathroom of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, then emerged shooting in the baggage-claim area, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Saturday the wounded include some who are fighting for their lives. Its just senseless acts, he said at a news conference at the airport. Santiago brought a gun in a checked bag on an Air Canada flight, officials said. "He claimed his bag and took the gun from baggage and went into the bathroom to load it. Came out shooting people in baggage claim," Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca wrote on Facebook. SHOOTING SUSPECT 'LOST HIS MIND' AFTER IRAQ TOUR, FAMILY SAYS Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen said Santiago deployed to Iraq in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion. The suspect's uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper: "Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good." In recent years, Santiago had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. He said his brother's girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. Witnesses described a chaotic scene at the airport. Panicked passengers ran out of the terminal and spilled onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Authorities said Santiago, an Army veteran, had complained that the government was controlling his mind. They said he drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival and opened fire on fellow travelers. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop to the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." The Associated Press contributed to this report Four out of the five victims gunned down in the Fort Lauderdale airport attack were going on vacation that promised sun, sand and fun. They were collecting their luggage when Estefan Santiago opened fire in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at the airport on Friday. While the official list of victims has not been released, family and friends of the victims are speaking out and sharing their stories. Olga Woltering, 84, was a great-grandmother ready to set sail on her cruise with her husband Ralph Woltering, who was not hurt. They were going on the cruise to celebrate Ralph Wolterings 90th birthday, friend Dan Blankowski told FoxNews.com Saturday. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS FILE CHARGES AGAINST SANTIAGO, HE COULD FACE THE DEATH PENALTY He said Olga Woltering was a devout member of the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Marietta, active in many ministries. To call Olga and Ralph Pillars of the Transfiguration family, its not an exaggeration, Blankowski said. Friends described Olga Woltering as a "wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend," Fox 5 Atlanta reported Saturday. Parishioners at the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Cobb County, Georgia, remember Olga Woltering as "the life of the party." "She was always a bright spirit," Ron Schaefer said. "We'd see her at church, and it was always a pleasure to see her smiling face and say hello to her." At Saturday evening's Mass, Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo spoke of evil, saying there are some people walking in darkness, "bringing pain and clouds of sadness into our world." "We saw an example of this yesterday at the Fort Lauderdale airport," he sai Witnesses say Santiago picked off his victims as he walked through a baggage claim area without saying a word. Authorities say he was armed with a semi-automatic handgun from a checked bag after landing in Ft. Lauderdale on the second leg of a flight from Alaska. Six people were wounded. FBI AGENT WHO INTERROGATED SADDAM HUSSEIN LEADS AIRPORT CASE The dead also included another person going on a cruise. Michael Oehme was a frequent traveler who loved to cruise with his wife, and the couple was about to head out to sea again, his sister told The Associated Press on Saturday. "They were supposed to leave today," Elizabeth Oehme-Miller, 52, said by phone from Council Bluffs, Iowa, also the couple's hometown. "They were happy to be going on another trip." Oehme, 57, was a land surveyor and owned his own business, Boundaryline Surveys, his sister said. His wife, Kari Oehme, is hospitalized with injuries from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and is expected to recover, her sister-in-law said. Kari Oehme is a clerical worker at a local office, Oehme-Miller said. She said she learned that the couple was at the airport during the shooting through a text message from her daughter. "I still can't believe it's true," Oehme-Miller said. "It hasn't hit yet. I'm kind of in shock right now." WAVY-TV reported that a third victim was 62-year-old Terry Andres, of Virginia Beach. Andres and his wife, Ann, flew to Fort Lauderdale for a Caribbean cruise, one of many they'd taken together over the years. Because they loved to travel, they'd booked a second trip immediately following the cruise, a week in Cancun, Mexico. The night before they left their Virginia Beach home, the couple offered their generator to neighbors as a snowstorm bore down on the region. After hearing about the shooting, friend Jessica Winbauer texted the couple. "She texted me back about an hour and a half later saying 'Please call me," Winbauer told The Associated Press, holding back tears. That's when Ann Andres broke the news: her husband was one of the five victims. "She was alone sitting in a car where they had shuffled her, I guess," Winbauer said. "It was horrible." Terry Andres' death shocked the close-knit community just blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. Neighbors visited with one another to share the news or made the rare phone call to fill-in people who had moved away. "It's like a commune back here," said Winbauer, whose son is the Andres' godchild. "Everyone has keys to everybody's house. Everyone is connected." Tragedy struck an Ohio family when Shirley Timmons was slain and her husband critically injured during the airport attack. The couple had flown to Fort Lauderdale on Friday to join the rest of their family for a cruise, WILE-FM reported. Timmons' grandson Steve Reineccius confirmed over Facebook that his grandmother was one of the victims and that his grandfather Steve Timmons was wounded. They were both 70 years old. Timmons was shot in the head and underwent emergency surgery at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, where he's in critical condition, the station reported. The couple's 51st wedding anniversary was in three weeks. They're from Senecaville, about 90 miles east of Columbus. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Bhutan's pursuit of "Gross National Happiness" has brought it global fame as a model of alternative development, but its new prime minister believes the doctrine has distracted from tackling the country's problems. Tshering Tobgay, the new 'lyonchhen' of Bhutan as prime ministers are known in the Land of the Thunder Dragon, won elections last month and settled into his new office in the capital on Monday. Unquestioningly loyal like most Bhutanese to the royal family, he is prepared to voice views about GNH, another pillar of the Himalayan country, that would once have been sacrilegious. The country's pursuit of "happiness" -- effectively economic development that takes into account the environment and people's psychological well-being -- was first proposed by Bhutan's former king in the 1970s. While its promotion by prominent Western backers like economist Jeffrey Sachs have helped give Bhutan a prominence not normally accorded to such small and remote countries, the model faces increasing criticism at home. Tobgay, 47, backs the principles and the notion that "economic growth is not the be all and end all of development", but he confesses to finding the complexities of modern-day GNH hard to grasp. After years of development by policymakers, academics and consultants, it has become a fully fledged paradigm seeking to measure progress in nine distinct areas, with each of these appraised with 72 indices. "I'm sceptical on how it has been overused by some people and how they have been distracted from the real business at hand," he told AFP in an interview over the phone from the capital Thimphu. In a speech last year, the charismatic former civil servant called it "complicating stuff for me" and "very difficult". The government of vanquished former prime minister Jigmi Thinley spent enormous efforts advocating GNH at home and abroad, and even sponsored a United Nations resolution promoting happiness. While campaigning for the election, often on foot through remote villages, Tobgay focused on what he sees as "the business at hand" for Bhutan: chronic unemployment, poverty, corruption and a sense that politicians were too remote. A balance of payments crisis last year has led to a severe shortage of Indian rupees, leading the government to tighten import controls that have sharply slowed the economy and restricted foreign goods. "If the government of the day were to spend a disproportionate amount of time talking about GNH rather than delivering basic services then it is a distraction," Tobgay says. Some critics have taken to referring to GNH as "Government Needs Help". "There are four issues that can compound to make matters extremely bleak: our ballooning debt that if we're not careful will not be sustainable; the big rupee shortage; unemployment, in particular youth unemployment; and a perception of growing corruption," Tobgay explains. "These four combined can make a lethal combination." Tobgay's victory was a triumph for Bhutanese democracy in only the country's second national elections and was a remarkable personal feat for the Harvard-educated mountain-biking fan. From only two seats in the previous parliament, his People's Democratic Party is now the biggest bloc in the assembly thanks to some canny political alliances and his pragmatic message of change that resonated with voters. But he has inherited a tricky in-tray. As well as the rupee shortage and growing foreign indebtedness, he must smooth relations with India, the country's financial backer and patron. New Delhi cut vital subsidies on cooking gas and kerosene last month shortly before the elections, which reports said was a rebuke to Bhutan over its overtures to China and cost overruns on joint hydropower projects. Thimphu has no formal diplomatic relations with China, its other giant neighbour to the north, but the first meeting between former prime ministers Thinley and China's Wen Jiabao in June last year rang alarm bells in New Delhi. Tobgay, in his first interview with a foreign media organisation, refused to be drawn on whether greater engagement with China would be part of his foreign policy. "China is a reality, China is a neighbour and we cannot ignore that fact. We also have an unresolved border issue with China which needs attention... but we have to be sensitive to the geopolitical realities of the region," he said. "Our principal trading partner and the government-to-government partner is India and as of now we look towards India," he added. Addressing Bhutan's trade imbalance with India -- the source of raw materials, machinery and labour -- is foremost among his priorities because of the shortage of rupees. Peru says special forces troops have destroyed 20 clandestine landing strips used to fly drugs out of the jungle to Bolivia and Brazil. Military authorities said Wednesday that the landing strips were guarded by leftist Shining Path rebels, who finance their struggle by protecting drug traffickers. Joint Command chief Adm. Jose Cueto and national police chief Gen. Jorge Flores say the operation in the valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro rivers was conducted by 224 security agents using five tons of explosives, 10 helicopters and five hovercrafts. They say security forces also destroyed 24 wells used to process coca leaves, the base ingredient for making cocaine. Peru's government says the destruction of the landing strips and wells will hurt the Shining Path's finances. A former Guatemalan soldier accused of helping massacre more than 200 people in the 1980s and arrested in the U.S. in 2010 on immigration charges landed on Guatemala City Wednesday on a charter flight for American deportees Santos Lopez Alonzo, 64, allegedly served with an elite unit of the Guatemalan army and is among four former soldiers accused in the massacre who were arrested after heading to the United States. Soon after Santos Lopez Alonzo he landed in Guatemala City, advocates for victims' relatives said they hoped he'd be held accountable for the onslaught that wiped out the small village of Las Dos Erres in 1982. "We are very happy they deported him and that he must now face Guatemalan justice, above all, for the victims, who have always demanded justice," said Francisco Vivar, an advocate for victims. In an interview last week at a California immigration detention facility, Lopez said he guarded women and children during the massacre but killed no one. He told the Associated Press that he didn't fear Guatemala's investigation of the killings, but was afraid he would be tortured in his country as payback for assisting the U.S. government with its prosecution of one of his ex-comrades. He fought his deportation but a federal appeals court last month refused to block his return to Guatemala. The massacre took place at the height of Guatemala's more than three-decade civil war, which claimed at least 200,000 lives before ending in 1996. The U.S.-backed army was responsible for most of the deaths, according to findings of an independent truth commission set up to investigate the bloodshed. An elite group of soldiers was sent to search for missing weapons in Las Dos Erres in December 1982 but rounded up innocent men, women and children, raping girls and bludgeoning the villagers with a sledgehammer before throwing their bodies into a well. Lopez said he was a baker in the army and assigned to stand guard while others carried out the massacre. Soldiers escorted people out and returned empty-handed, he said, telling him only then that the villagers were being killed. "He who owes nothing, fears nothing," he said of the massacre. "If I had done something, if I had killed, I would be afraid, but I feel clean." More than a decade later, Guatemala's government opened an investigation and unearthed 162 skeletons at the well. Police said Wednesday that the onslaught left more than 200 people dead. Authorities issued arrest warrants for 17 soldiers, including Lopez, but the cases languished for years. In 2009, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights demanded Guatemala prosecute the perpetrators. The U.S. began arresting the former soldiers, including Lopez, the following year. Lopez was charged in Texas with illegally re-entering the U.S. after a 1999 deportation order. But he was not immediately sent back because he was held as a material witness in the prosecution of another former soldier who lied about the massacre on his U.S. naturalization forms. Afterward, Lopez tried to fend off deportation, but the Justice Department argued that Lopez prevented villagers from escaping the massacre. While Guatemalan prison conditions can be harsh, department lawyers wrote that Lopez didn't prove he would be tortured by officials if he returned home. His lawyer, Sarah Vanessa Perez, said Lopez is vulnerable because he helped the U.S. government as a witness. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused last month to prevent his deportation. "The United States is not going to serve as a safe haven for individuals who have committed atrocities overseas," said Jennifer Elzea, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "They may live quiet lives, but they must be held accountable for the activities in which they participated." Lopez also acknowledged taking a 5-year-old boy from the village, claiming he saved him and raised him as a son. Ramiro Osorio Cristales grew up to become a key voice for victims. He received asylum in Canada, testified against some of the soldiers about his memories of the killings and cut ties with Lopez, who Osorio says mistreated him for years. Efforts to reach Osorio, who previously testified in Guatemala about the abuse allegations, were unsuccessful. Lopez denied mistreating him. Guatemalan court findings against other former soldiers put Lopez at the massacre but include few details of his involvement beyond taking the boy. Lopez said he knows the killings were wrong but could not denounce them at the time. Back then, he said the Guatemalan government had complete control. "Orders are orders, given by the government," he said. "For speaking up, they would have killed me, too." Based on reporting by The Associated Press. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter & Instagram next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 West African leaders will make a decision Saturday on Gambia's electoral crisis and its longtime leader's refusal to accept defeat in elections. A military intervention led by Senegal could be in the offing. Nigeria's presidential spokesman Garba Shehu says Friday that "one way or the other, a decision will be taken." Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari heads a committee named by the Economic Committee of West African States to resolve the crisis. The regional bloc has threatened to send troops if President Yahya Jammeh does not step down Jan. 19. Shehu says a decision will be made Saturday at the inauguration of Ghana's new president. Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh conceded defeat in the Dec. 1 vote, then later demanded a new election. He is being criticized by the international community. Thirty-one inmates were slain Friday in northern Brazil, some with their hearts and intestines ripped out, during a prison killing spree led by the countrys largest gang, authorities said. The bloodshed comes just days after 60 inmates were killed during rioting at two prisons in a neighboring state and it increases fears that violence could spread, including to the streets of major cities, as gangs vie for influence and territory both inside prisons and in slums where trafficking operations are often based. Its also becoming a flashpoint for the government of President Michel Temer, whose administration is already struggling with an economic crisis and mounting corruption allegations. Authorities of the state of Roraima, on the border with Venezuela, said they requested help from Brazils federal government more than once to deal with its prison crisis, but no support was sent. This is a national crisis, said Uziel Castro, security secretary of the state where the latest massacre happened. Castro said the slaying spree began around 2:30 a.m. Friday at the Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo in the town of Boa Vista. He said it was led by members of Sao Paulo-based First Command, Brazils biggest criminal organization. He said First Command members did not attack members of a rival gang, but rather other prisoners, for motives that were not yet clear. There was no confrontation, this was a killing spree, said Castro. It was barbaric. Some were beheaded, others had their hearts or intestines ripped out. Castro said firearms were not involved, and none of the 1,500 inmates in the prison built for about 700 had escaped. A car bomb ripped through a busy commercial district in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border Saturday, killing nearly 50 in a huge explosion that damaged buildings and left rescuers scrambling to find survivors amid the wreckage, opposition activists said. Rescuers and doctors said the explosion was so large there were nearly 100 wounded and burned. Over 50 wounded were transported to the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment, as local hospitals couldn't cope. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Locals said a rigged tanker caused the explosion and blamed Islamic State militants, who have carried out attacks in the town before. The militant group has been increasingly pressed in Syria and Iraq, and has escalated its attacks against Turkey -- which backs Syrian opposition fighters in a campaign against the group in northern Syria. Azaz, only a couple of miles from the Turkish border, is a key town on a route used by opposition fighters moving between Syria and Turkey, and is a hub for anti-government activists as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkey-backed opposition groups to the east. Islamic State militants, who have tried to advance on the key border town before have been pushed back farther east in recent months in the Turkey-backed offensive. The bomb went off early Saturday afternoon outside a local courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi told The Associated Press from Azaz. "It hit the busiest part of the town," Alnajdi said, referring to the administrative part of town. A medical worker speaking to a local media outfit, al-Jisr, said many charred bodies, and body parts mixed with bones and mud, were piled up in local hospitals. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said at least 48 people were killed, including 14 fighters and guards to the local courthouse. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explained the large blast and high death toll. The activist-operated local Azaz Media center and Shabha Press put the death toll at 60, adding that search and rescue operations continued for hours after the explosion. Alnajdi said rescue workers were still working to identify and remove the bodies from the area, suggesting that the death toll was not final. He said some of the severely wounded were transported across the border into the Turkish town of Kilis for treatment. The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said 53 wounded Syrians were brought to Kilis' local hospital for treatment, including five in critical condition, transferred to Gaziantep. The agency said one later died. Media activist Baha al-Halabi, based in Aleppo province and who gathered information from Azaz residents, said witnesses reported many unidentified bodies. Footage shared online showed a large plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic street with the sound of gunfire in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. In one instance, a father ran away from the scene, carrying his child to safety. The court house and the security headquarters were damaged, as well as the Red Crescent and municipality offices, according to activists in the area. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year have resettled in Azaz. Syrian Kurdish forces control territory to the west of Azaz, and have often tried advancing toward the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back Islamic State extremists, gaining territory and advancing on the IS-stronghold town of al-Bab, further east. Turkey considers Syria Kurdish factions there terrorists, linked to a local group it is battling at home. A nationwide week-long cease-fire has mostly held across most of Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides of the conflict, reached an agreement late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Assad's government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. The Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked group Fatah al-Sham Front are not included in the deal, according to the Syrian government. Irans intelligence agency allegedly planned terrorist attacks against organizations and representatives engaged in pro-Israel work in Germany, according to German media reports citing the countrys federal prosecutor released on Friday. Syed Mustafa H., a 31-year-old Pakistani who worked for the German Aerospace Center in Bremen, was indicted on Monday for alleged espionage. West German Broadcasting (WDR) reported Irans intelligence agencys goal was to assassinate the former president of the German-Israel friendship society, Reinhold Robbe. From 1994 to 2005, Robbe served as a Social Democratic Party deputy in the Bundestag. He later served as the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces in the Bundestag. Irans targeting of a German politician is the first reported case of an Iranian intelligence operation working to assassinate a government representative in the Federal Republic. Journalist Georg Heil, who wrote the WDR article, reported that Mustafa also spied on a French-Israeli professor at a business college in Paris. The professor and the college in Paris were not identified in the report. The WDR reported that a second Pakistani suspect was arrested but was later released due to insufficient evidence. The suspect scrubbed his entire computer server of possibly incriminating information and departed the Federal Republic after his detainment. According to the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel newspaper, Mustafa was likely working for Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mustafa studied engineering at Bremerhaven College and provided PowerPoint presentations to Irans intelligence agency. WDR said Mustafa communicated inaccurate information about Robbe. Irans regime paid Mustafa for the information he secured, according to the indictment. He drafted a movement profile of Robbe and surveyed the society headquarters in Berlin. According to German authorities, Mustafas activity was a clear indication of an assassination attempt. Mustafa also followed Robbe during his commute on public transportation from his private residence to his office. The indictment states Mustafa had been in contact with a person from Irans intelligence agency responsible for espionage in Europe since 2011. German media said Mustafas espionage activity was part of a larger Iranian operation to target pro-Israel groups in France, Germany and other European countries. According to WDR, the motive for the attack based on one security theory is Irans desire to retaliate against Israeli advocates in Europe in the event that Israel launched air strikes to knock out Tehrans nuclear facilities. Mustufa is suspected of intelligence activity from July 2015 to July 2016 on behalf of Irans regime. In July, a Berlin court convicted an Iranian man of espionage on behalf of Irans regime. The 32-year-old man was sentenced to nearly two-and-a-half years in prison for spying on Iranian dissidents in Germany. The Jerusalem Posts review of German intelligence reports showed Iran ratcheted up its spy network in the Federal Republic in 2015. Iran has a vast espionage infrastructure in the country which coordinates with its embassy in Berlin. Benjamin Weinthal reports on human rights in the Middle East and is a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @BenWeinthal Jordan's government spokesman warned on Thursday of "catastrophic" repercussions if President-elect Donald Trump makes good on a campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to contested Jerusalem. HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY VOTES TO CONDEMN UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION ON ISRAEL SETTLEMENTS Such a move could affect relations between the U.S. and regional allies, including Jordan, Information Minister Mohammed Momani told The Associated Press, addressing the issue publicly for the first time. An embassy move would be a "red line" for Jordan, would "inflame the Islamic and Arab streets" and serve as a "gift to extremists," he said, adding that Jordan would use all possible political and diplomatic means to try and prevent such a decision. PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT URGES TRUMP NOT TO MOVE EMBASSY The U.S. considers pro-Western Jordan as an important ally in a turbulent Mideast. The Hashemite kingdom is a key member of a U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State extremists in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and maintains discreet security ties with Israel. Jordan also has a stake in Jerusalem, serving as custodian of Islam's third holiest shrine in the city's eastern sector. Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967 and annexed it to its capital. The Palestinians want to establish the capital of a future state in the city's eastern sector. Addressing the conflicting claims in the city would be central to any renewed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on the terms of Palestinian statehood. Jerusalem looms large in rival Israeli and Palestinian national narratives, and disputes over holy sites there have sparked several rounds of deadly violence over the years. Much of the world has not recognized Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem and most countries, including the United States, maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, Israel's vibrant commercial center and seaside metropolis. Momani, the Jordanian minister, said that moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem "will have catastrophic implications on several levels, including the regional situation." He said countries in the region would likely "think about different things and steps they should take in order to stop this from happening." "It will definitely affect the bilateral relationship between countries in the region, including Jordan, and the parties that will be related to such a decision," he said. Trump said during the presidential campaign that he intended to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Last month, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway was quoted as saying that moving the embassy to Jerusalem is a "very big priority" for the president-elect. Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador in Israel, David Friedman, has said he looks forward to working from Jerusalem. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: Russias Marine Offshore Contractor LLC intends to rent the Gurban Abbasov crane ship from Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC, the CJSC said in a message. Negotiations on this issue have already begun. During the meeting with Chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC Rauf Valiyev, the guests noted that they inspected the ship and are satisfied with its technical parameters. The crane ship is planned to be used in the Russian section of the Caspian Sea. During the meeting, the sides also discussed prospects of cooperation within joint projects. MOSCOWRussias top general said Friday his country would draw down its military presence in Syria, starting with a withdrawal of its warships from the eastern Mediterranean. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russias general staff, said Russia would withdraw the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from the waters off the coast of Syria. The ships deployed with the carrier in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will also be withdrawn, he said. Whether the reduction in the number of ships also means an overall decrease in Russian firepower in the region or a scaling back of its military campaign in Syria wasnt known. In October, Russias parliament ratified an agreement that allows the Kremlin to indefinitely maintain a military deployment in Syria aimed at what it said was peace and stability in the region. On Dec. 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the expansion of Russias naval facility in Tartus. There were no indications that the drawdown announced Friday is permanent or represents a diminished Russian commitment to keeping President Assad and his regime in power in Damascus. Click here to read more in The Wall Street Journal. FREDERICKSBURG Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, 308 Hanover St., will offer a course starting Jan. 11 on Divorce Recovery. For more information and child care, call 540/373-9021, ext. 105; fumcva.org/grow/adult. Peace United Methodist Church, 801 Maple Grove Drive, is changing its food pantry days. The food pantry will only be in operation the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 9:3011 a.m. 540/786-8585. Trinity Bible Church, 6331 Campus Drive, will hold a midweek Bible study beginning Wednesday at 7 p.m. on the Book of Revelation. The church will also continue to host Sunday evening AWANA ministry from 57 p.m. Email admin@tbc.me. Annual Religious Freedom Day Parade, departing from Fredericksburg Amtrak station at 1:30 p.m. Route proceeds down Caroline Street, up Amelia Street and down Washington Avenue to the Religious Freedom Monument with a ceremony and wreath laying at 2 p.m. Members of all faiths are invited to march in the parade and carry a banner identifying their affiliation and showing support for religious freedom. Sponsored by The Knights of Columbus, Rappahannock Assembly. SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY Wallers Baptist Church, 4001 Partlow Road, Partlow, will have free Community Stone Soup Suppers from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11 and Jan. 25. The whole community is invited for soup, bread, dessert, drinks and fellowship. Following supper, Adult Bible Study will start at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11 with The Ministry of the Apostle Paul, written and taught by James Thomas Lee Jr. There will also be Bible study for preschool to high school youth. 540/582-5703. St. Jude Catholic Church, 10725 Courthouse Road, will hold its Christian Music Cafe on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. at its Activity Center. Open-mic format for all performers, individuals or groups to share up to three songs. Sign-ups begin at 6:30 p.m. Free beverages and snacks provided. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Friends and family are welcome. Contact George Evans at music@stjudechurch.us or 540/891-7350. St. Matthew Catholic Church, 8200 Robert E. Lee Drive, will present a free concert of sacred choral music from The Adult Choir of St. Mary Catholic Church of Fredericksburg on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. Donations accepted. Contact David Mathers at 540/373-6491 Ext. 217 or dmathers@stmaryfred.org. Craigs Baptist Church, 14123 W. Catharpin Road. The AWANA program will be held every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The next eight-week Centershot archery program for ages 6 to adult will begin Feb. 2. Register early. 540/854-5284; churchbaptistchurch.org. New Destiny Baptist Church, 11903 Bowman Drive, will host Word on Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. weekly. newdestinyva.org. CAROLINE COUNTY St. John Baptist Church, 17080 S. River Road, Woodford, will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday on Monday, Jan. 16, at noon. 804/448-3866. WESTMORELAND COUNTY Macedonia Baptist Church, 1081 Macedonia Lane, Colonial Beach, will host Deacon Ordination Service for Tony Thompson and Kevin McDowney on Sunday at 3 p.m. Pastor Welford McDowney and the New Monrovia Baptist Church family and friends will be the guest. All are welcome to come out and witness a memorable occasion. 804/224-1500. New Life Ministries, 2800 McKinney Blvd., Colonial Beach. Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University will be offered Monday nights starting Jan. 9. This eight-week course teaches debt-reduction strategies and principles for financial well-being. 804/224-1769; http://fpu.com/1030144. CULPEPER COUNTY St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 115 N. East St., (parking: 120 N. Commerce St.), offers three Holy Communion Services every week: Sunday at 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m., child care from 9 a.m. to noon; Wednesday Centering Prayer at 11 a.m. and Healing and Holy Communion at noon. 540/825-8786; ststephensculpeper.net; or Facebook: St-Stephens-Episcopal-Church-Culpeper-VA. HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS Submit notices of area church services by email at newsroom@freelancestar.com or in person at The Free LanceStar, 1340 Central Park Blvd., Suite 100, Fredericksburg, no later than noon Wednesdays. Include complete name of church, location, time and date of event, and phone number and website. Two Stafford men were arrested on drug-related charges this week after one of them suffered an apparent overdose outside a county convenience store, police said. The incident took place about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday at the Wawa at 105 Garrisonville Road, Sheriffs spokeswoman M.C. Morris Moncure said. When Deputy D.T. Aubrecht arrived, rescue workers were treating a man near a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The Toyota driver told Aubrecht that he had picked up his friend, Robert A. Childs Jr., a few minutes earlier at a nearby CVS. He reported that Childs looked white faced and groggy before passing out in the back seat. The driver pulled over, got Childs out of the vehicle and called 911. A third person who had been in the vehicle, Francis James Gayle IV, was inside the Wawa when the deputy arrived, Moncure said. A witness who had just left the scene flagged down another deputy and reported seeing someone getting rid of evidence behind a nearby trash receptacle, Moncure said. The suspects were detained and searched while Deputy Alex Smith and his police dog, Lobo, searched the area. Multiple syringes and paraphernalia were found in the Dumpster, and white powder residue was found in the Wawa mens bathroom and on Gayle. Childs, 24, and Gayle, 21, were both charged with possession of illegal drugs and possession of controlled paraphernalia with the intent to distribute. Both were placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail; Childs was treated at a local hospital before going to jail, police said. The driver was not charged. The Religious Freedom Day celebration in Fredericksburg scheduled for today has been canceled due to weather concerns. The organizer of the event, Rick Reschick, said this is the first time in the history of the event that it has been canceled. Many members of the Knights of Columbus, which hosts the annual celebration, travel from the Chesapeake area, which is experiencing heavy snowfall and hazardous driving conditions. Reschick said that Sunday will likely see sub-zero temperatures, which could pose a danger for those marching in the parade, especially the elderly. The celebration has been held every winter since 1974 to commemorate the writing of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom by Thomas Jefferson during a visit to Fredericksburg in January 1777. The Virginia General Assembly enacted the statute into the states law on Jan. 16, 1786. The parade was set to march from the Fredericksburg VRE station to the Thomas Jefferson Religious Freedom Monument on Washington Avenue. All religious groups were invited to attend. Del. Bobby Orrock, Sen. Glen H. Sturtevant and Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw were scheduled to speak during the ceremony following the parade. At this point, there are no plans to reschedule this years celebration. Amanda Vicinanzo: 540/735-1975 Del. Mark Dudenhefer has decided not to run for re-election to the House of Delegates. The two-term Republican announced his decision on Friday. He first won the Second District seat in 2011. After losing it to Michael Futrell in 2013, he won it back in 2015. Dudenhefer also served on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors from 2005 to 2011, which included two years as chairman. One of the great honors of my life has been serving in the Virginia House of Delegates, Dudenhefer said in a news release. Many times, as I sat in my chair on the House floor, I reflected on the great Americans/Virginians who served in those very chambers. I take pride in the work that we accomplished. I only hope that my small contribution has lived up to the high standards expected by the citizens of the Commonwealth, especially those in House District 2. Dudenhefers crowning achievements during his time in the House of Delegates include Gwyneths Law and transportation funding reform. Gwyneths Law requires all teachers and high school students to receive CPR training. The law is named after Gwyneth Griffin, a 12-year-old girl with a heart defect who passed away in 2012 from complications suffered during a cardiac arrest while at A.G. Wright Middle School in Stafford. Gwyneth wasnt given CPR for at least 10 minutes. In addition, Dudenhefer championed transportation improvements while serving in the House of Delegates and on the Board of Supervisors. Transportation funding reform legislation passed in 2013 provided the revenue needed to build and expand roads. Dudenhefer also played an integral role in securing funding for Widewater State Park, a 1,100-acre peninsula between Aquia Creek and the Potomac River. Dudenhefer attended the groundbreaking ceremony in December, which marks the beginning of the propertys long-awaited transformation into a state park. Dudenhefer has not announced his next step after leaving Richmond. It has become clear to me that I can better serve my God, my family, and my fellow man by pursuing a different course, he said in a news release. I have not decided exactly what that path will be, but I will always remain a steadfast voice for transportation improvements and better communities. House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell, RStafford, issued a statement thanking Dudenhefer for his service to the commonwealth. Since his first election as delegate in 2011, Mark has been a tireless advocate for his constituents, Howell said. He has consistently fought for improved transportation and safer communities. I wish Mark and his family the very best in the next steps of their life. During a recent mission trip to Haiti, Susie Islas was impressed to find that most Haitian children are able to speak and understand four languages by the age of 10. They could switch their brains back and forth between English, Creole, French and Spanish super quick, she said. That was awesome to me. Haiti was a huge eye opener for me. She would love to see American children be equally confident in their foreign language abilities. So she is organizing Spanish-language clubs for children in Stafford and surrounding counties. With the number of native Spanish-speakers in America increasing, its important to be able to communicate with others, Islas said. Of the 27,841 students enrolled in Stafford County Public Schools, 17.4 percent are Hispanic. Islas clubs meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at Porter, England Run, or Salem Church libraries. She said she is willing to travel to other counties and to Marine Corps Base Quantico if there is an interest. The cost is $15 for a one-hour session, which Islas says is cheaper than the average private tutor. And way cheaper than Rosetta Stone, she said. Its equivalent to a Chipotle meal. The clubs are for children ages 2 through high-schoolers, Islas said. She can take eight to 10 students in each session. Currently, there are between two and four children attending each evening. Shed like to eventually offer a club for adults as well. Children will learn basic conversational Spanish in the clubs, Islas said. Theyll learn colors, how to introduce themselves, the difference between talking to adults and children, she said. For the youngest children in the club, she invented a game called La Cucaracha. She scatters paper cockroaches that she cut out over the floor. Kids sing the song La Cucaracha while picking up as many insects as they can, and when theyve finished, they learn how to count how many they have in Spanish. Islas hopes the clubs will also help high-school Spanish students who are struggling to pass their foreign-language classes. There are 3,853 high school students and 810 middle school students enrolled in Spanish classes in Stafford. Stafford students who wish to graduate with the advanced studies diploma must take three years of a foreign language. It can be a stumbling block for some. An hour and a half of Spanish every other day is not enough, Islas said. Theres a lot of pressure to pass the class, but when students leave Spanish class, they leave the Spanish language in the class. Tutoring is available after school but finding rides home can be hard for students who dont drive and have parents who work, Islas said. She thinks her evening clubs will be a more convenient option. In the clubs, well hang out and just talk, she continued. Kids these days dont talk that much. She said that a relaxed atmosphere and one-on-one time will help build students confidence in their abilities, and that will, in turn, make learning more fun. Islas, who also works as a medical assistant at Fredericksburg Christian Health Center, comes from a Spanish-speaking home. Her mother is from El Salvador and her father is from Mexico. However, she is the only one of her parents five children who speaks Spanish fluently. She has been tutoring a handful of private students on and off for three years, but this is the first year she is trying to reach out to the broader community. I want to hear what the community wants, she said. I want to be part of a childs life to help them learn. It brings tons of joy to me to help. I have complete confidence that anyone can learn a foreign language, she said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: Kazakhstan has started cutting its oil production to fulfill its commitments within the deal with OPEC and non- OPEC oil producers, Kuandik Kulmurzin, director of Kazakh Energy Ministrys department of oil industry development told Astana TV channel. Oil production has been reduced by 20,000 barrels of oil per day since Jan. 1, he said, but did not say at what fields the production was reduced. Previously, the Kazakh energy ministry said that oil production would be reduced at some oil fields in Aktobe, Kyzylorda and Mangystau regions. Natural decrease in production is observed at these fields. Reduction will not affect such major projects as the North-Caspian project (Kashagan), Tengiz and Karachaganak, said the ministrys message. In December 2016 OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. Non-oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 bpd starting from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months, to take into account prevailing market conditions and prospects. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1, with top exporter Saudi Arabia cutting as much as 486,000 bpd. Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova YOU can kick the can down the road, but when Kim Jong Un announces, as he did last Sunday, that we have reached the final stage in preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic rocket, you are reaching the end of that road. Since the early 1990s, we have offered every kind of inducement to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program. All failed miserably. Pyongyang managed to extort money, food, oil and commercial nuclear reactors in exchange. But it was all a swindle. North Korea was never going to give up its nukes because it sees them as the ultimate guarantee of regime survival. The North Koreans believe that nukes confer inviolability. Saddam Hussein was invaded and deposed before he could acquire them. Kim wont let that happen to him. Thats why Thae Yong Ho, a recent high-level defector, insisted that 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. Meanwhile, they have advanced. Theyve already exploded a handful of nuclear bombs. And theyve twice successfully launched satellites, which means they have the ICBM essentials. If they can miniaturize their weapons to fit on top of the rocket and control re-entry, theyll be able to push a button in Pyongyang and wipe out an American city. What to do? The options are stark: (1) Pre-emptive attack on its missile launching facilities. Doable but reckless. It is the option most likely to trigger an actual war. The North Koreans enjoy both conventional superiority and proximity: a vast army poised at the Demilitarized Zone only 30 miles from Seoul. Americans are not going to fight another land war in Asia. (2) Shoot down the test ICBM, as advocated by The Wall Street Journal. Assuming we can. Democrats have done their best to abort or slow down anti-missile defenses since Ronald Reagan proposed them in the early 1980s. Even so, we should be able to intercept a single, relatively primitive ICBM of the sort North Korea might be capable of. Though such a shoot-down would occur nowhere near North Korean soil, it could still very well provoke a military response. Which is why the new administration should issue a clear warning that if such a test missile is launched, we will bring it down. Barack Obama is gone. Such a red line could be a powerful deterrent. (3) Return tactical U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea. They were withdrawn in 1991 by George H.W. Bush in the waning days of the Cold War. Gorbachevs Soviet Union responded in kind. A good idea in general, but not on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang had railed constantly against their presence, but they did act as a deterrent to any contemplated North Korean aggression. Which might make them a useful bargaining chip. (4) Economic leverage on China, upon which Pyongyang depends for its survival. Donald Trump seems to suggest using trade to pressure China to get North Korea to desist. The problem is that China has shown no evidence of being willing to yield a priceless strategic asseta wholly dependent client state that acts as a permanent thorn and distraction to U.S. power in the Pacific Rimbecause of mere economic pressure. (5) Strategic leverage on China. Weve been begging China for decades to halt the North Korean nuclear program. Beijing plays along with sanctions and offers occasional expressions of dismay. Nothing more. Theres one way guaranteed to get its attention. Declare that we would no longer oppose Japan acquiring a nuclear deterrent. This is a radical step that goes against our general policy of nonproliferation. But the point is to halt proliferation to the infinitely more dangerous regime in North Korea. China is the key. The Chinese have many nightmares, none worse than a nuclear-armed Japan. The principal strategic challenge facing the United States is the rise of revisionist powersRussia, China and Iranstriving to expel American influence from their regions. In comparison, the Korean problem is minor, an idiosyncratic relic of the Cold War. North Korea should be a strategic afterthought, like Cuba. And it would be if not for its nukes. Thats a big if. A wholly unpredictable, highly erratic and often irrational regime is acquiring the capacity to destroy an American city by missile. Thats an urgent problem. North Korea may be just an unexploded ordnance of a long-concluded Cold War. But we cannot keep assuming it will never go off. Charles Krauthammer is a columnist with The Washington Post Writers Group. He may be reached at letters@charleskrauthammer.com. HERES a look at some recent news affecting the Fredericksburg region and our take on it. STOKING CURIOSITY Thank heaven for people such as Myron Wasiuta, Jerry Hubbell, Phil Sheridan and Mike Hammond. They help keep wonder alive. Wasiuta and Hubbell built a backyard observatory in a Spotsylvania County subdivision near what almost became a Walmart-anchored shopping center on the Wilderness battlefield. Sheridan and Hammond are two of the go-getters who preserve endangered botanical marvels at Meadowview Biological Research Station in Caroline County. Different as they might seem on the surface, both pursuits are low-key and done largely out of the public eye (exciting, but not sexy, as Hammond phrases it). Each also demands exacting work, done by these expert amateurs because they so love their subjects. Sheridan, who created Meadowview years ago, and Hammond log countless miles and hours to study and save pitcher plants and other rare species from Virginia and Marylands dwindling wetlands. A keystone species for those ecosystems, pitcher plants hold that habitat together. And bogsthose low-lying places most people pass right on bykeep water clean, doing a much better job of that than our species can. Hammond likens bogs to natures kidneys. To encourage the plants survival, Meadowviews volunteers propagate rare plants, reintroduce species to suitable habitat and welcome visitors (by appointment) to the internationally known research station on State Route 2 in Woodford. The nonprofit group has also established the 232-acre Joseph Pines Preserve in Sussex County and is raising funds to save two tracts in Caroline County that are part of a globally rare gravel bog, which contains the northernmost native pitcher-plant bog in Virginia. While the stations plantsmen look toward the earth, astronomers Wasiuta and Hubbell look skyward. They maintain the Mark Slade Remote Observatory, built in Wasiutas backyard, and hope the public will soon be able to watch live-streamed stargazing from it. Thats cool. And in astronomy, amateurs as well as the pros make fun and amazing discoveries. This citizen science is a highly collaborative enterprise, as amateurs finds about comets, asteroids and a super-earth attest. To learn more, see astronomyindc.org and check out the Rappahannock Astronomy Club, the webs Night Sky Network, the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum or the Richmond Astronomical Society. Best of all is that the people in such groups and at Meadowview and the Slade Observatory share their enthusiasm and knowledge with the rest of us. Thats more important than ever, with the United States in dire need of more youngsters eager to pursue careers in science, math, technology and engineering. The fate of our nationand economyrests on stoking those interests. We need battalions of bright, inquisitive, committed people who set their eyes on the stars, tinker with equations and gadgets, and care about this good earth. REMEMBERING A FLIER We are grateful, too, for the earnest people seeing to it that Virginia honors one of the nations Tuskegee airmen with a state historical marker. First Lt. Andrew Maples Jr., who perished in 1944 when his bomber escort crashed into the Adriatic Sea, will be honored in his hometown of Orange. The Tuskegee airmen, focus of many a book and movie, were the first black servicemen to fly combat missions for the U.S. Army Air Forces in an era when segregation ruled the military as well as civilian life. Maples learned to fly at Hampton Institute in 1941 and graduated from advanced training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama in 1943. The Virginian deployed with the 301st Fighter Squadron, and was last seen while escorting bombers to Hungary from Ramitelli Air Field in Italy, in his P-47 Thunderbolt. Fifteen minutes after takeoff, Maples reported mechanical trouble and turned back toward base. He later called to say he was bailing out of the aircraft. Squadron mates saw his plane hit the sea about five miles from shore; Maples body was never found. The recognition may be coming decades later, but were glad that Maples devotion to duty will soon be noted in the town of Orange, when his marker is erected at West Church Street and South Madison Road. America must always remember those who put their lives on the line for freedom. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 7 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Since the end of 2009, China has bought 160 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas and become its largest importer, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of China to Turkmenistan Sun Weidong said in an interview with the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper. Three lines of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline with a design capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year have been built so far, said the Chinese diplomat. Some 2,000 employees of 30 Chinese enterprises are engaged in economic activity in Turkmenistan. The total trade turnover between the two countries has significantly increased during 25 years of diplomatic relations. Under the influence of sluggish global trade, depression in the market of energy resources and other factors, the bilateral trade turnover in monetary terms decreased, but its volume remained the same for the last two years, said the Chinese ambassador. During the eleven months of last year, the trade turnover reached $5.4 billion. The diplomat added that the Chinese-Turkmen cooperation has great potential. Both sides are actively discussing the development of a special program to expand partnership in the economic sphere. The scientific and technological cooperation will become one of its most important aspects. The two sides plan to hold the first Chinese-Turkmen scientific and innovative forum this year. President Obamas legacy is not so great I like Free LanceStar writer Donnie Johnstons columns. They are folksy and come from his heart and memories, requiring no verification of facts. Unfortunately, his political columns are much the same, as was his recent piece praising President Obama [New Year will bring brand-new president, Dec. 31]. Donnie gave him credit for the stock market coming close to 20,000, and I guess thats true. His goading of Donald Trump led to his election, which gave the market the so-called Trump bump. The president did a lot of great things, like reaching across the aisle to the Republicans. Oh, wait, forget that. He never did that during either term. Obama always told the truth, too, such as If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. The list of these truths are too long for here. Obama had many firsts, including being the only president in history not to attain 3 percent economic growth. He succeeded in putting Iran on the path to becoming nuclear power, not to mention the pallets of cash sent to Iran under the cover of darkness. Gallup stated that Obama was one of the most divisive presidents in history. That is another measure of success. He succeeded in making police targets with his actions in places like Ferguson, Mo. ,and San Antonio, Texas. He gave credence to leftist organizations, leading to riots and destruction in several cities. Maybe Donnie forgot about places like Baltimore or Ferguson, or the Occupy movement. Obamas foreign policy was perfect in Libya, Egypt and Syria. Just ask the people in Aleppo and Benghazi. Sure, Obama did a good jobnot so much. John W. Powell Stafford Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 6 By Dalga Khatinoglu Trend: Iran plans to increase its gas export by more than 7 times within the 2016-2020 timeframe. Currently Iran exports about 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year (bcm/y) to Turkey and barters about 300-400 mcm of gas with Armenia, in exchange for electricity. However, according to an official document, prepared by National Iranian Gas Company, Iran plans to increase the volume of gas exports to about 70 bcm/y by 2020. The gas demand for power sector is expected to increase by only 15 bcm/y to around 70 bcm/y, while the industrial sector would double the gas consumption to above 80 bcm/y by 2020. Irans housing sector which consumes about 40 percent of the countrys total commercial gas production, would increase the gas usage very slightly from about 95 bcm/y in 2016 to a little more than 100 bcm/y in 2020. In total, the commercial gas production would increase from about 240 bcm/y in 2016 to around 340 bcm/y. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Iran has been exporting 230,000 barrels of crude oil to Italy on a daily basis in November 2016, which is a new record, the National Iranian Oil Company's OPEC Affairs and International Energy Forums Office said Jan. 7. Irans crude oil export to the Italian companies stood at 160,000 barrels per day in October 2016. Iran has recently signed a one-year contract with Italys Eni to sell 60,000-100,000 barrels of crude oil per day to the Italian company, starting from 2017. Safar Ali Keramati, deputy director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for crude marketing and operations said last month that that 14.5 percent from total value of the exported crude will be used to clear the debts to Eni due to its investments in phases 1 and 2 of Darkhovein oil field development project, meanwhile the remaining 85.5 percent will be paid to Iran in cash. Besides Eni, Iran has signed an oil export deal with Italian energy provider Saras. The volume of crude which is sold to Italys Saras varies from 30,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Agriculture could be used as an important bargaining chip in forthcoming Brexit negotiations, says a former top UK civil servant. The suggestion was made by Richard Packer in a paper for the Centre for Policy Studies, published on Friday (6 January). Sir Richard was permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) the forerunner of Defra from 1993 until 2000. See also: Leadsom warned over Brexit consequences for farming Valuable card The rules of trade for the agrofood sector will be a valuable card in the hands of the UK Brexit negotiators, he predicts. The forecast will concern farm leaders who want continued full and unfettered access to the EU single market after the UK leaves the EU. Industry leaders have also voiced concern that farmers could lose out if agriculture is used as a pawn in Brexit negotiations between the UK and Brussels. Sir Richard said: Certainly, concessions should not be made on the subject without significant gains elsewhere in the negotiations. Single market But he warns that full UK membership of the EU single market is unlikely post-Brexit. The more likely scenario is UK government ministers will have to choose between unilateral free trade and some sort of agreement, said Sir Richard. But the industry and public would take a dim view if the UK government adopted free trade by unilaterally removing all import restrictions, he added. This means rules for trade will have to be decided for agriculture a sector which Sir Richard said is more important in the EU than it is in the UK. Trade balance The balance of trade in food is nearly 17bn in favour of the EU, he points out. It is clear they will not be happy if charges at the level of the present EU external tariff are levied on their exports to the UK. But that is exactly what will happen unless some special arrangement to stop it is adopted. Otherwise, after Brexit, the EU would have to compete with others in the UK market such as Israel, North African countries and so on. Thus it is apparent that the EU will be keener to secure special arrangements for agricultural trade than will the UK. Played well, Sir Richard said the government will have a strong hand to deploy in this section of the negotiations. Brexit benefits Free to establish its own agricultural policy, Britain can take full advantage of the benefits of Brexit, he said. These include freedom from the payment of EU agricultural subsidies and the simplification of the system of support payments to British farmers. The UK would also have the ability to establish national rules in policy areas such as plant and animal health and GM foods. The full paper is available from Centre for Policy Studies website [PDF]. Head of the Iran-Oman Joint Chamber of Commerce Mohsen Zarrabi said on Saturday that Iran's exports to Oman has risen significantly over the past few years, IRNA reported. Iran's exports to Oman reached $390 million over the past seven months and is expected to rise to $600 million by the year end, Zarrabi said. This is while Iran's annual exports of commodities to the Persian Gulf country used to be at $148 million just four years ago, the official said. He said that the rise in Iran's exports to Oman is due in part to launching a direct shipping line between the two countries. It must be January in Oregon. Christmas decorations have been taken down and put away. Relatives from other states have gone home. And the flu bug has arrived with a bang. Confirmed cases of influenza in the mid-valley are up markedly compared to this time a year ago and staff at local medical centers are seeing a daily influx of people of all ages with symptoms. Linn and Benton county public health officials are urging people of all ages to get flu vaccinations. There are a lot of sick people around, said Charlie Fautin, deputy administrator of the Benton County Health Department. Some of it is real influenza, and there are a lot of colds going around this winter. Sarah West, a registered nurse at the North Albany Urgent Care of Samaritan Health Services, first saw patients with flu-like symptoms in October, but the numbers have jumped in the last couple weeks. Yes, it has really picked up after the holidays, West said. People were traveling and they were around groups of other people. Samaritans Corvallis facilities recorded 57 confirmed cases of influenza during eight months last season. In just two months this season, more than 70 cases have been confirmed. We are probably seeing 100 patients per day here and at our Geary Street clinic and at times, up to half of them are complaining of flu-like symptoms, West said. And, she added, the flu seems to be affecting all age groups. Parents worry about becoming sick and not being able to take care of their young children, West said. Also, people have to be careful that they dont become dehydrated because they cant hold down fluids. West said there appears to be an ample supply of injectable flu vaccine available. West said that if patients check in with health workers soon after the first symptoms of influenza, Tamiflu is effective and can shorten symptoms by about a day. But, if they have had symptoms for a few days, its too late for that, West said. Plus, there are side effects with Tamiflu. Those side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, nosebleed, eye redness or discomfort, sleep problems, cough or other respiratory problems. West said medical staff members are not immune to influenza, even though all Samaritan Health Services staff received immunizations. We have had staff out off and on for the last month, West said. She also urged people to practice good hygiene to help avoid the flu. I wash my hands constantly, West said. This seasons vaccine is considered a good match for the main strain of influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines take two weeks to become effective. Health officials recommend vaccinations for anyone older than six months. West said high-dose vaccines are available for people over age 65. Especially susceptible are older people who live in communal facilities such as nursing homes or assisted living centers. Beginning Thursday, all Samaritan Health Services hospitals started limiting visitors to their birth centers. Each new mom and pediatric patient will be allowed a total of four visitors during their hospital stay, and no visitors under the age of 12 will be allowed in the birthing centers or pediatric units unless they are a healthy sibling of a newborn or pediatric patient. This means four designated visitors throughout the entire hospital stay, not just four at a time. The designated support people need to be free of flu symptoms and follow infection control guidelines, such as hand washing. Basic influenza infection control measures: Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper sleeve. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently and regularly, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. This is how germs are spread. Get your seasonal flu shot. The vaccine remains the best way to prevent influenza illness for ourselves, our families, and our patients (subject to availability). If you are sick, stay home. Jan. 21, 1942 Dec. 30, 2016 William Earl King, 74, died Dec. 30 at the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Albany after internal bleeding and organ failure. He was born Jan. 21, 1942, to Donald and Ernestine in Boise, Idaho. Billy was the oldest of five children who all had amazing stories that charmed and scared us late at night during our famous King Kampouts at Green Peter Reservoir. Billy joined the Navy in 1959, served several years, was honorably discharged, and moved home to marry the love of his life, Judith Kaye Hawkins. They moved to Albany where they raised their two children. Billy helped form what became the City of Millersburg. He was elected and served on the Millersburg City Council and on their planning commission. He could fix anything and added Kings Electronics as a side business behind his home. He also raised a farm of cows, pigs, chickens and goats. Billy created works of art and furniture with black walnut, his favorite wood. He worked at the Albany paper mill for over 30 years and retired as a talented instrument technician. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judy; daughter LeeSa and partner Dawn; and son Kevin and his wife Karrie. He loved being Popo (grandfather) to grandsons Kaine Forden and wife Danica, and Kole Daniel and girlfriend Taylor. His love for birds, chipmunks, cats and his doggie, Princess, warmed our hearts. He had a wicked sense of humor and loved to tease. Billy will be missed, but he and his story will not be forgotten. Billy requested no services. Please consider a donation to any local animal shelter or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in his name. Fisher Funeral Home is handling arrangements. LEBANON A propane heater in a bedroom sparked a fire that destroyed a single-wide mobile home at 30005 Fairview Road and sent one man to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, according to the Lebanon Fire District. The mans injuries are not life-threatening. Lebanon deployed 16 firefighters at 7:58 a.m. By 8:05, the first arriving units were faced with a fully involved fire and began efforts to protect nearby structures from the intense heat. According to the report, an occupant was using a propane heater in a bedroom when it caught a blanket on fire. The fire quickly spread to a mattress. When the man dragged the burning mattress in an attempt to toss it outside, it spread fire throughout the house. A neighbor saw smoke billowing from the home and called 911. Firefighters were initially challenged to reach the structure when a live power line, which had burned through and fallen across the driveway, blocked their path. They were forced to find an alternative access point, which delayed their ability to deliver water onto the fire. Because there were no hydrants in the immediate area, and because fire engines only carry 750 gallons, or 4 to 5 minutes of water, volunteer firefighters brought water tenders carrying upward of 2,000 gallons each to set up portable water tanks at the scene. By 8:42, crews had contained the fire. A second alarm brought two units and five personnel from the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District, as well as one unit and four personnel from the Albany Fire Department. Ultimately, 13 units and 25 personnel were involved. According to Lebanon Fire Battalion Chief Ron Danielson, one person was injured in the fire, and because no air ambulances were able to fly due to cold weather conditions, the victim was transported by ground. Lebanon Fire District stressed that propane heaters or appliances should never be used inside of a home. Propane heaters produce carbon monoxide, which is odorless and displaces oxygen within confined spaces, and can be lethal. In addition, LFD said space heaters should never be left unattended and should only be used in open spaces, away from combustibles. Any space heater used inside of a structure should be UL listed and plugged directly into an outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip, as the large electric draw from space heaters can overload these cords and lead to fire. This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise. Corvallis Police Department THURSDAY, JAN. 5 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: 10:20 a.m., 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. An employee of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library reported that a man went into the bathroom and shattered the mirror. An officer responding spoke to a man who reportedly admitted to breaking the mirror after having a "temper tantrum." The man was trespassed from the library. Employees declined to press charges. Benton County Sheriff's Office THURSDAY, JAN. 5 METH: 4:31 p.m., 180 N.W. Fifth St. A deputy was processing Carlos Martin Gomez, 21, of Adair on a fugitive arrest warrant and reportedly discovered methamphetamine in Gomez's wallet. Gomez was booked into the Benton County Jail. MONDAY, JAN. 2 METH: 5:26 a.m., Northwest Highway 20 and milepost 7, Albany. A deputy cited Bradley Marion Pugh, 33, of Corvallis with possession of methamphetamine after contacting Pugh in Hyak Park. SATURDAY, DEC. 31 WARRANTS: 9:49 p.m., Northwest Harrison Boulevard and 14th Street. A deputy stopped Austin Wayne Sater, 27, of Albany on traffic violations when Sater reportedly gave a false name, date of birth and failed to present a driver's license. The deputy reported that Sater had 12 confirmed warrants for his arrest. Sater was later booked into the Benton County Jail and charged with providing false information to police, driving while suspended and failure to carry a driver's license. Mehlem Rhine path : Cyclist follows and photographs female jogger Bonn The 23-year-old woman was jogging along the Rhine in Mehlem on Wednesday afternoon. The police are investigating. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken It was supposed to be a normal jog late on Wednesday afternoon. At some point a 23-year-old woman realised that a cyclist had been behind her for a long time as she went down the banks of the Rhine at Mehlem. As she reached the Weinhauschen restaurant, she offered to let him by. The man declined and continued to follow her and take photos. This is how the mother of the jogger describes the events on Facebook. She said despite being asked, the cyclist refused to delete the photos. The young woman then took photos herself and threatened to call the police. Thank goodness I was waiting in my car to collect my daughter at the Mehlem ferry, said the mother. They then followed the man together but lost him and finally called the police. About 15,000 years ago, the ocean around Antarctica has seen an abrupt sea level rise of several meters. It could happen again. An international team of scientists with the participation of the University of Bonn is now reporting its findings in the magazine Scientific Reports. University of Bonns climate researcher Michael E. Weber is a member of the study group. He says, The changes that are currently taking place in a disturbing manner resemble those 14,700 years ago. At that time, changes in atmospheric-oceanic circulation led to a stratification in the ocean with a cold layer at the surface and a warm layer below. Under such conditions, ice sheets melt more strongly than when the surrounding ocean is thoroughly mixed. This is exactly what is presently happening around the Antarctic. The main author of the study, the Australian climate researcher Chris Fogwill from the Climate Change Research Center in Sydney, explains the process as follows: The reason for the layering is that global warming in parts of Antarctica is causing land based ice to melt, adding massive amounts of freshwater to the ocean surface. At the same time as the surface is cooling, the deeper ocean is warming, which has already accelerated the decline of glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. It appears global warming is replicating conditions that, in the past, triggered significant shifts in the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet. To investigate the climate changes of the past, the scientists are studying drill cores from the eternal ice. Layer by layer, this frozen climate archive reveals its secrets to the experts. In previous studies, the scientists had found evidence of eight massive melting events in deep sea sediments around the Antarctic, which occurred at the transition from the last ice age to the present warm period. Co-author Dr. Weber from the Steinmann Institute of the University of Bonn says: The largest melt occurred 14,700 years ago. During this time the Antarctic contributed to a sea level rise of at least three meters within a few centuries. The present discovery is the first direct evidence from the Antarctic continent which confirms the assumed models. The research team used isotopic analyzes of ice cores from the Weddell Sea region, which now flows into the ocean about a quarter of the Antarctic melt. Through a combination with ice sheet and climate modeling, the isotopic data show that the waters around the Antarctic were heavily layered at the time of the melting events, so that the ice sheets melted at a faster rate. The big question is whether the ice sheet will react to these changing ocean conditions as rapidly as it did 14,700 years ago, says co-author Nick Golledge from the Antarctic Research Center in Wellington, New Zealand. Reference: C. J. Fogwill, C. S. M. Turney, N. R. Golledge, D. M. Etheridge, M. Rubino, D. P. Thornton, A. Baker, J. Woodward, K. Winter, T. D. van Ommen, A. D. Moy, M. A. J. Curran, S. M. Davies, M. E. Weber, M. I. Bird, N. C. Munksgaard, L. Menviel, C. M. Rootes, B. Ellis, H. Millman, J. Vohra, A. Rivera, A. Cooper. Antarctic ice sheet discharge driven by atmosphere-ocean feedbacks at the Last Glacial Termination. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7: 39979 DOI: 10.1038/srep39979 Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Bonn. Tehran, Iran, January 7 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has written to Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, raising serious concerns about the conditions of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. In his letter, Zarif has asked the UN to work with the government of Myanmar to end the critical conditions of the Muslim population of Rohingya, Press TV reported. The Rohingya people are Muslim Indo-Aryan peoples from the Rakhine State, Myanmar. The ethnic Muslims have not only been deprived of their most basic right i.e. the right to belong to a country and a government that would protect them they are also being exposed to killings and violent and inhumane treatment on a daily basis, Zarif wrote. He also referred to an upcoming ad hoc meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 19 to address the situation of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and said the meeting reflects the depth of concern on the part of Islamic governments about the ethnic Muslims conditions. The Rohingya have been subjected to persecution in Myanmar since 2012. Extremist buddhists have attacked the Muslims, mainly in the northern Rakhine State, recurrently, torching their houses and causing them bodily harm. Since October last year, however, the violence against the Muslims there has increased. Back then, the Myanmarese military imposed a siege on Rakhine, and the government of Myanmar has blocked humanitarian and media access to the Muslims in the state ever since. There have been numerous reports of killings, rapes, and other forms of abuse being carried out against the besieged Muslims. Overall, dont let the bhoot mislead you, nothing bhootiya about this story. Had the makers tried to push the envelope, the idea could have been outstanding for a bhootiya comedy. Biden to Trump: 'Grow up Donald, time to be an adult' Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 6:18PM Outgoing US Vice President Joe Biden has harshly criticized Donald Trump, saying it is time for the president-elect to "grow up" and act like "an adult." Biden made the comments in an interview with the PBS News on Thursday after Trump mocked a top-ranking Senate Democrat and disparaged the US intelligence community over their alleged allegations that Russia had interfered in the November presidential election. "Grow up Donald, grow up, time to be an adult, you're president. You've got to do something, show us what you have," he said. "You're going to propose legislation, we're going to get to debate it, let the public decide, let them vote in Congress, let's see what happens. It's going to be much clearer what he's for and against and what we're for and against," Biden noted. Earlier in the day, Trump had described Chuck Schumer, the Democrat Senate minority leader, as the "head clown." Referring to as "mindless", the outgoing vice president also denounced Trump's skepticism about US intelligence agencies and the accusations leveled against Russia and their hacking plot in the 2016 US presidential election. "For a president not to have confidence in, not to be prepared to listen to, the myriad intelligence agencies, from defense intelligence to the CIA, is absolutely mindless," Biden said. "The idea that you may know more than the intelligence community knows - it's like saying I know more about physics than my professor. I didn't read the book, I just know I know more," he continued. Biden said it would be legitimate to question intelligence and ask for more detail or disagree but "dangerous" to publicly criticize the agencies and claim to know more than them. Trump has already voiced his doubts regarding Russia's alleged involvement in the November election, suggesting that the investigations by the FBI and CIA have been flawed. Washington first publicly accused Moscow of a campaign of cyber operations against American political organizations in October last year but did not attribute motives at the time. In the run-up to the November 8 face-off between GOP nominee Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Washington claimed that some Democratic organizations were hacked by Russians in favor of Trump. According to a Washington Post report, US intelligence agencies had identified individuals with alleged connection to the Russian government that had acted as part of a wider Russian operation to boost Trump and reduce his rival's chances of winning. While many Republican and Democratic politicians have voiced serious concern about the allegations, calling for an in-depth investigation, others have downplayed such claims, including Trump himself, who has dismissed the accusations and questioned the US intelligence community's judgment. He has described the CIA report as "ridiculous," alleging that his opponents are coming up with "excuses" to delegitimize his Electoral College victory, which did come as a surprise to many political observers. Clinton herself has signaled that her loss was in large part because of severe damage done to her campaign with allegations that the former US secretary of state's use of a private email account for top-level communication may have breached the law. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Reports: Trump To Nominate Former U.S. Senator As New Intelligence Chief January 06, 2017 U.S. media are reporting that President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate former U.S. Senator Dan Coats (Republican-Indiana) to be his director of national intelligence. Coats, 73, is a former U.S. ambassador to Germany under President George W. Bush who recently finished finished a six-year term in the U.S. Senate. Several media outlets -- including the New York Times, USA Today, and The Associated Press -- cited unidentified sources in the Trump transition team as confirming Trump's intention to nominate Coats. The pick is expected to be announced as early as January 6, the New York Times reported. The reports come amid Trump's standoff with the U.S. intelligence community, led by current Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, over an alleged Russian cyber campaign aimed at meddling in the U.S. presidential election that Trump won in November. Trump has publicly questioned the assessment by Clapper and the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies he oversees that top Russian officials ordered cyberintrusions that resulted in Democratic party e-mails being leaked during the presidential campaign. Russia denies any involvement in the leaks, which were widely seen as having damaged Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the election. If nominated, Coats would have to be confirmed by the Senate before assuming the post. Based on reporting by the New York Times, AP, USA Today, and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/trump-nominate -u-s-senator-coats-intelligence -chief/28216800.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After Intel Briefing Trump Says Hacking Had No Effect on Outcome of Election Sputnik News 22:41 06.01.2017(updated 00:27 07.01.2017) President-elect Donald Trump has now been briefed on alleged Russian meddling in the US election and issued a statement reiterating that there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election. Trump, who has been skeptical of the claims of Russian hacking, asserted that he "had a constructive meeting and conversation with the leaders of the intelligence community this afternoon. I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by men and women of this community and our great nation." "While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines." He added that there were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but they had strong hacking defenses and the attempts were unsuccessful. "Whether it is our government, organizations, associations, or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks," the statement says. Additionally, Trump promised to appoint a team to give him a plan to combat attacks within 90 days of taking office. "The methods, tools, and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm," he added. "Two weeks from today I will take the oath of office and America's safety and security will be my number one priority." A declassified portion of US intelligence agencies' report was expected to be released as early as Friday afternoon, following Trump's briefing. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Meets with US Intelligence Leaders on Russia Hacking By VOA News January 06, 2017 U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has dismissed the idea that Russia hacked into the recent presidential election process, received a full briefing Friday from top U.S. intelligence officials. Trump later released a statement calling the meeting "constructive" and said that he has "tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this community to our great nation." However, he did not explicitly endorse the view of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee's computers and then released damaging information to aid Trump's bid to become U.S. president. In the statement, Trump said Russia, China, other countries, groups and individuals are constantly engaged in hacking against U.S. government, business and political organizations. However, he said these efforts had "absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election." Trump said he would appoint a team to give him a plan within 90 days after taking office to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks." In an unprecedented move for a president-elect, Trump has been highly critical of intelligence agencies. In an interview Friday morning with The New York Times, Trump called the controversy surrounding Russian hacking during the election a "political witch hunt" being carried out by opponents who are still upset about losing to him. "They got beaten very badly in the election. I won more counties in the election than Ronald Reagan," Trump said. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." While Trump expressed concerns about state-sponsored hacking, he accused his political adversaries of ignoring past examples of countries hacking the United States. "China, relatively recently, hacked 20 million government names. How come nobody even talks about that?" Trump said, referencing a computer breach in 2014 and 2015 of the Office of Personnel Management computer system that led to the pilfering of millions of sensitive documents. Pelosi reaction Speaking to reporters Friday morning at the Capitol, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she has seen part of the classified report on the Russian hacking and called it "stunning in its conclusions." Pelosi said she hoped to see more of the report, but noted the importance of secrecy when it comes to security matters. "As a long-time intelligence person, I know we have to respect sources and methods," she said, mentioning that a portion of the report will be made public later Friday. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday there is currently "no plan" for President Barack Obama and Trump to discuss the intelligence briefing, which Obama received Thursday, but he said he "wouldn't rule out" a conversation. "If the president-elect calls the president ... he'll [Obama] call him back," Earnest said. Multifaceted Russian campaign On Thursday, America's top intelligence officials testified the evidence is firm that Russia interfered with the November presidential election, but they say there is no way to tell if it helped Trump win. "The Russians have a long history of interfering in elections, theirs and other people's," National Intelligence Director James Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "But we have never encountered such a direct campaign to interfere with the election process as we have seen in this case." Clapper told the senators that Russia undertook a "multifaceted campaign" that included not just hacking and leaking Democratic Party emails, but also "classical propaganda, misinformation, fake news." Clapper said he cannot know for sure if the Russian leaks of sensitive information influenced the choices voters made on November 8. He did say Russia did not interfere with the vote counting or the final result. Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Late Thursday, The Washington Post reported that, according to U.S. intelligence, senior Russian government officials jubilantly celebrated Trump's win and regarded it as a geopolitical win for Moscow. The Post says those Russian officials include some who may have had direct knowledge of the hacking. "The Russians felt pretty good about what happened on November 8 and they also felt pretty good about what they did," the newspaper said, quoting a senior U.S. official. After NBC later spoke with the same unnamed official and published a similar report, Trump responded on Twitter by questioning why a news organization received the secret report before he did. "I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it," Trump tweeted. Alexandra Vacraux, executive director at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies at Harvard University, told VOA she was in Moscow in December, where she said she met with "quite a few Russians" who were happy Trump won the election and optimistic about his coming presidency. Vacraux said it wasn't that the Russians were excited about Trump's policy ideas, but instead were relieved that Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, did not win. "They were convinced Hillary Clinton had regime change in Russia as one of her main objectives," Vacraux said. She said that many of the people in Putin's administration thought Clinton was responsible for instigating protests in Moscow in 2011 and 2012 following reports of election irregularities across Russia. Coats tapped for DNI job Trump is expected to name a new director of national intelligence to replace Clapper when the president-elect takes office later this month. Trump's pick, former Senator Dan Coats, is a former ambassador to Germany who served two years in the army before he represented the state of Indiana in the U.S. Senate from 1989 until 1999 and again since 2011. Coats declined to run for another term in last November's election. Ousting Obama's ambassadors News reports also suggest that Trump is poised to call all of Obama's foreign ambassadors home before Inauguration Day, marking a major shift from past precedent. Both Politico and The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, report that the Trump transition team sent a letter to the ambassadors ordering them to leave their foreign posts "without exception" before January 20, when the president-elect takes office. According to an unnamed source in the Times, the move is not meant to be political, but to keep the transition on schedule. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: Barring an economic recession, 2016 should have been the low for oil prices, believes Rhidoy Rashid, an oil analyst at Energy Aspects, an independent research consultancy specializing in global energy markets. Rashid believes that as oil demand and supply balances tighten through the course of 2017, after the deal on oil output cut reached by OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, the prices should recover. The forward curve will flatten, and we expect backwardation by late 3Q2017 (barring any supply shocks), after three years of steep contango. Our current price forecasts place Brent at around $65 per barrel by the end of 2Q2017, and prices could rise to as high as $70-75 by the end of this year, the analyst told Trend by email. In December 2016 OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 bpd starting from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months, to take into account prevailing market conditions and prospects. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1, with top exporter Saudi Arabia cutting as much as 486,000 bpd. Rashid noted that the decision to cut production caught many by surprise late last year. Prices received an immediate boost, although there is still much scepticism about how successfully the group will implement its commitments, according to the expert. Certainly, we are not expecting 100 percent compliance from all members, but Saudi Arabia and the other GCC [Gulf] states will follow through on 0.8 mb/d, and other OPEC members should push the total past 80 percent, he said. Rashid went on to add that Nigeria and Libya remain wild cards, but Riyadh is ready to cut further if they manage to outperform. He also noted that in the broader context of the rebalancing cycle, reducing output now, just as inventories have started to edge lower, makes sense as it will put the rebalancing on a firmer footing and ensure an uplift to oil prices. The current OPEC agreement is not necessarily a six-month deal to get oil prices up. Of course, prices are widely expected to rise but the underlying objective is to run down the excess stocks, Rashid said. So the market should not rule out an extension of this deal in May for another six months, the expert believes. OPEC countries agreed to cut oil production at the meeting on Nov. 30. On the eve of this meeting on Nov. 29 Brent oil prices hit $44.68 per barrel. On Jan. 6 oil prices rose to $57.1 per barrel. Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova France hands over lead in Baltic Air Policing to the Netherlands at Siauliai NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 5 Jan 2017 SIAULIAI, Lithuania -- On 5 January 2017, NATO's Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission entered its 43rd rotation since its beginning in 2004. After four months of leading the mission, France handed over the symbolic key to the Baltic Airspace to the Netherlands at the traditional ceremony held at Siauliai Air Base. The Royal Netherlands Air Force will now safeguard the skies over the three Baltic NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia until the end of April 2017 for a regular term of four months. The ceremony was once again attended by high ranking civilian, military and political guests amongst them the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Raimundas Karoblis. The Netherlands led the mission once before in 2005. In 2014 they augmented the mission out of Malbork Air Base in Poland, which was a temporary third BAP air base to enforce the mission after Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula. "It's good to be back in Siauliai after 12 years to perform the Air Policing once again to protect the Baltic States," said Major Gert, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Detachment. "A task we gladly perform for the next four months to demonstrate NATO unity," he added. With their rotation completed, the French Air Force has now supported NATO's BAP mission five times, three of which as augmenting nation operating out of Amari, Estonia and two as lead nation operating out of Siauliai. Lieutenant Colonel Isaak Diakite, Commander of the French Air Force Detachment, addressed his hosts for the final time, stating: "We have built some very special bounds between France and Lithuania during these four months and I hope it will continue in the future. Thank you for your support and your friendship." Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, thanked the French Air Force for their commitment and solidarity. "It is and will be very much appreciated by the people of Lithuania and the entire Baltic region. Please be assured that Lithuania will equally stand by your side in the time of need." he said to the French Airmen. Welcoming the Dutch detachment, he said: "We highly appreciate your valuable contribution to the security and integrity of the whole NATO airspace." The detachment of the Royal Netherlands Air Force will be augmented by a detachment of the German Air Force, operating out of Amari, Estonia. The German detachment has already been engaged in NATO's BAP mission for the past for month but will remain in place for a second four-month term until April 2017. Air Policing is a 24/7 NATO peacetime routine mission that is conducted to preserve the Alliance's airspace integrity and is not a response to a specific threat. Some member nations, like the Baltics, who do not have the full range of air defence assets in their militaries, are assisted by Allies providing an Air Policing capability to ensure a single standard of airspace safety and security all over NATO. The BAP mission shows NATO's determination to provide equal protection to all its members. All flights of the mission are commanded and controlled from NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany. The operational responsibility rests with the Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), NATO's single command for all air and space matters, headquartered in Ramstein, Germany. Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 6, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria 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 23 strikes in Syria: -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes destroyed five oil and gas refinement buildings and a refinement still. -- Near Raqqah, 17 strikes engaged 11 ISIL tactical units; destroyed 10 fighting positions, five oil pumpjacks, four oil refinement stills, two oil tanker trucks, an oil storage tank, a tunnel system, a vehicle bomb storage facility and a vehicle. Strikes in Iraq Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted six strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Haditha, a strike destroyed an artillery system. -- Near Huwayjah, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL-held building and a vehicle. -- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed three ISIL-held buildings, three supply caches, two mortar systems, a fighting position and a vehicle bomb; damaged 24 supply routes; and suppressed two mortar teams. 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 Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran still ready to arm Lebanese Army: MP IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Beirut, Jan 6, IRNA -- Iran is still ready to go on with its decision to arm the Lebanese Army but it stays with Beirut to take the final decision in this regard, says the head the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. Alaeddin Boroujerdi made the remarks on Friday on the sidelines of a ceremony held to pay tribute to martyrs of the resistance in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. It is Beirut that should take the final decision, Boroujerdi told reporters, referring to the visit to the Islamic Republic by former Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Mouqbel to explore ways to further defense ties and arming the Lebanese Army. He also congratulated the Lebanese nation on ending the power vacuum in the country and the election of the new president and establishment of the new cabinet. The official said ground is ready for enhancement of all-out ties between the two countries especially in trade and economic fields. He said Iran, Russia and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters are in Syria at the official request by the Syrian government to preserve the country's security, stability and sovereignty. There are parties engaged in Syria without permission from the Syrian government and their actions are against the international rules amounting to aggression, the MP added. He noted that decisions made by the Syrian government should be the yardstick for other parties' engagement in the country and those who have entered the Syrian territory without permission should leave it immediately. Boroujerdi praised the key role of the Lebanese martyrs and the sacrifice they made for a durable security to be established in the country despite threats from outside of the borders. The Iranian parliamentarian delegation arrived in Lebanon on Thursday evening and held a meeting with the country's parliament Hezbollah fraction. The Iranian delegation is expected to have separate meetings with the Lebanon president, parliament speaker and prime minister. Boroujerdi on Friday went to Dahieh region, south of Beirut, and paid tribute to Lebanon's resistance martyrs including Hezbollah's martyred commanders Imad Mughniyih and Mustafa Badreddine. 9191**2044 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gambia tops agenda of ECOWAS meeting in Ghana Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 6:11PM West African leaders are set to gather in Ghana to resolve the political deadlock in the Gambia. A spokesman for the Nigerian presidency said on Friday that the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would make a "major decision" about the Gambia at the meeting scheduled for Saturday. The Gambia's long-time President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down despite losing the December 1 presidential election to Adama Barrow. Last month, ECOWAS leaders said they would do anything necessary to uphold the result of the election in the Gambia. ECOWAS then placed its military forces on standby to intervene in case Jammeh attempted to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19. Jammeh has called the ECOWAS move "a declaration of war," and said he will defend himself against possible military intervention. Jammed says ECOWAS has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Gambia, and that the outcome of the election should be determined by the Supreme Court, where he has lodged a complaint. Garba Shehu, a spokesman for Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, emphasized the importance of the meeting in Ghana. "A major decision on the impasse is expected to be taken at that all-important meeting," said Shehu, adding that the Nigerian president was adamant to end the crisis in the Gambia. "President Buhari is the chief mediator of the crisis, and he is committed to ensuring that the logjam is resolved," he said. After the election in the Gambia, President Jammeh initially accepted losing to Barrow, triggering nationwide celebrations on the streets. However, a week later, he changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased toward his rival. He, then, filed a complaint with the Supreme Court against the electoral commission and vowed to remain in office despite regional and international pressure to concede defeat. Jammeh has ruled the Gambia for more than 22 years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former soldiers seize Ivory Coast city Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 11:12AM Former soldiers in the Ivory Coast have taken control of the city of Bouake, causing a shutdown in the West African country's second-largest metropolitan city. "The city is under the control of former soldiers," said an unidentified army officer, media reported on Friday. The demobilized soldiers, who had seized weapons from at least two police stations, took up positions at entry points into the city, according to reports. "It's a mutiny by former fighters integrated into the army, who are demanding bonuses of five million CFA francs (8,000 dollars) each plus a house," a soldier who asked to remain anonymous told media. Residents reported heavy shooting at around 2 am (0200 GMT). Sporadic gunfire continued later into the morning. "There are many of them at the north and south entrances to the city. We are on alert and await instructions from the hierarchy," said another source from Bouake. Residents stayed inside and businesses in the city remained closed on Friday morning. "The city is deserted. Men in balaclavas are patrolling the city on motorcycles or in cars. They aren't attacking residents They told us to stay at home," said Ami Soro, a teacher living in Bouake. An officer speaking from the commercial capital, Abidjan, said reinforcements had been sent to Bouake. The city was the seat of a rebellion that resulted in the seizure of the northern half of the world's top cocoa grower from 2002 until Ivory Coast was reunited following a civil war in 2011. Meanwhile, gunfire was heard at a military camp in Daloa, another town in Ivory Coast, on Friday. "There is gunfire at the Second Battalion in Daloa. It's young demobilized soldiers," said a resident, speaking by telephone from a cocoa processing factory near the army camp. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Utility Bills Arrive 18 Years Late For Surprised Uzbek Households RFE/RL's Uzbek Service January 06, 2017 Eighteen years might seem long enough to let bygones be bygones, even for utility bills. So it's little surprise that apartment dwellers in Jizzakh, a city in Uzbekistan midway between Tashkent and Samarkand, reacted with disbelief when they received notices recently that they owed money for services suspended almost two decades ago. "We couldn't believe the city sent us a hot water bill," one resident told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service on January 4, one day after he received the notice. "If I am not mistaken, the hot water supply was cut off to our building in 1999. That was 18 years ago, when I was a 1-year-old baby." Like many Uzbeks, he preferred not to give his name in a country where press freedoms are severely curtailed and people are routinely punished for criticizing authorities. The overdue notices, sent out by the municipal energy company, warned the apartment dwellers that if they did not pay they could face fines and liens on their property. The amount owed was 386,000 Uzbek soms in one case, equivalent to $120 and a sizable figure in a country where the average annual income is around $2,500. The notices struck residents as particularly surreal because they have been living without water from the city heating plant since it cut off supplies to their buildings 18 years ago without explanation. Many families furnish their own heat by burning coal in makeshift wood stoves as winter temperatures routinely plunge below freezing. In some cases, the residents say, they have long since removed useless radiators from their walls and sold them for cash to buy fuel. One resident told RFE/RL privately that he went to the offices of the energy provider -- the Jizzakh Heating Authority -- to ask why they were suddenly sending him overdue bill statements. "The representative told me that if you bring your old receipts showing you have already paid, then everything will be fine," he said. "But when I asked how I was supposed to still have receipts for what I paid 18 years ago, he simply said, 'That's your problem' and said if I couldn't prove I paid before I would have to pay now." The Jizzakh Heating Authority, which is part of the local government, has issued no public explanation for why it waited almost two decades to send out overdue notices. When contacted by RFE/RL, the head of the authority, Abduhamid Toshbulov, said only that he was aware some former customers did not welcome being contacted again. "People are not happy and they are writing their complaints to us, to city authorities, and even to the president of the country," Toshbulov said. "So we are asking them to bring their receipts to us so we can compare our information." He did not give any details about how many customers were being contacted or how many buildings in Jizzakh have been without central heat over the past decades. Many observers see the case as symptomatic of the wider chaotic state into which much of Uzbekistan's utility sector has fallen since the country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. During the Soviet era, people in Uzbekistan and elsewhere were mostly housed in state-built apartment blocks that were provided hot water from neighborhood boiler plants. The hot water, traveling as steam through surface pipes that extended kilometers between building clusters and were shaped into arches at regular intervals to let roads pass, not only supplied water to kitchens and bathrooms but also warmed radiators. More recently, however, much of that infrastructure, like the buildings themselves, has been collapsing from age and neglect. The fact that many Uzbeks now have to fend for themselves by burning coal and firewood is particularly ironic, given that Uzbekistan has estimated natural gas reserves of 66 trillion cubic feet and is the third-largest gas producer in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) after Russia and Turkmenistan. The country exports gas to China, with the exports reportedly reaching a level of some 10 billion cubic meters by the end of 2015. Uzbekistan's new president, Shavkat Mirziyaev, has said he plans to make improving Uzbekistan's crumbling infrastructure a priority. On a whistle-stop tour that preceded his election in December, he pledged to build homes, improve the provision of household electricity and gas, and create a more efficient transportation system. Mirziyaev long served as prime minister under former President Islam Karimov, who died in September after more than a quarter-century of authoritarian rule marked by widespread official corruption. Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan -utility-bills-18-years- late/28217625.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Army Deploys Thousands of Troops and Dozens of Tanks to Eastern Europe Sputnik News 21:35 06.01.2017(updated 22:02 06.01.2017) The US military has begun the deployment of 4,000 troops and 87 tanks to Eastern Europe, German media reported on Thursday. The US army is unloading 87 tanks and other military equipment including jeeps and howitzers from three transport ships at the German port of Bremerhaven, Germany's Radio Bremen reported on Friday. The equipment is being transported to Poland by rail, from where it will be distributed across the Baltic States, Bulgaria and Romania. A spokesman for the German Bundeswehr in Brandenburg said that a total 900 wagons would be required to transport the freight by rail, with a total length of 14 kilometers. The extra military presence is part of the Atlantic Resolve operation launched by the US military in April 2014, in the aftermath of the US-backed Maidan coup d'etat in Ukraine. The US has used claims of Russian military interference in Ukraine as the pretext for its military build-up in Eastern Europe, which Russia regards as a security threat. In the past ten years NATO's presence along Russia's western borders has grown eightfold, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last month. Shoigu also referred to NATO military exercises carried out close to the Russian border, including the Anaconda war game which took place last June, the largest military exercise in eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War. In July NATO held a summit in Warsaw, where defense ministers finalized arrangements to deploy multinational NATO battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, totaling around 4,000 troops. The summit also confirmed the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems and radars in Romania and Poland and confirmed that the United States would deploy 1,000 troops in Poland, allegedly to defend it against claimed Russian "aggression." Last month commander of US Army Europe Ben Hodges told the German magazine Der Spiegel that the US will continue to pursue military buildup in Europe in spite of the election of Donald Trump, who pledged to end the US commitment to European defense during his campaign. "We will remain here, and we will remain the leader of NATO," he said. Hodges added that Democratic and Republican members of Congress had written to Trump urging him to maintain the US presence in Europe. "They (the senators) want the US to remain in Europe, they want the deterrent against Russia," the commander said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cash-Strapped US Military Expected to Struggle to Meet Trump's Defense Vision Sputnik News 20:10 06.01.2017(updated 21:44 06.01.2017) Incoming US President Donald Trump has pledged to increase military capacity, but any extra money needs to be spent on plugging gaps in the Pentagon's over-ambitious budgeting, retired US Army Lieutenant General Thomas W. Spoehr wrote in the National Interest on Thursday. On the campaign trail in September, Trump called for a vast expansion of the military including 90,000 more Army soldiers and nearly 75 new Navy ships, which would cost up to $90 billion a year in extra spending. He told the Union League of Philadelphia that he will ask Congress to reverse cuts to defense spending which were imposed as part of the 2013 budget sequester. The US Defense Department budget for 2017 is $582.7 billion. Trump's statements led budget analysts to raise concerns about the potential impact on the US federal deficit, which was $587 billion in the 2016 fiscal year. According to Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, execution of the Pentagon's existing modernization strategy, without taking into account Trump's ambitious plans, would require an extra seven percent per year around $40 billion than has been budgeted. Writing in the National Interest, retired US Army Lieutenant General Thomas W. Spoehr warned that the US Department of Defense has made big plans to modernize the military without providing adequate funds. He said the Pentagon is relying on over-optimistic forecasts and tricks to fiddle the books. "These gimmicks include: relying on rosy future estimates for the cost of labor, fuel and currency exchange; pushing the costs of large modernization programs like the nuclear triad into the ill-defined 'out years,' and using Overseas Contingency Operations funds to help cover normal DoD operating costs." "Taken together, these liabilities, combined with the administration's decision to submit budgets in excess of the Budget Control Act caps, constitute about $100 billion dollars per year of unbudgeted liabilities or riska staggering sum that will severely limit the new administration's ability to quickly rebuild the US military." In December US Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work told the incoming Trump administration that current modernization plans and current operating plans would require about $88 billion a year in additional defense spending, even without the budget risks. "That doesn't buy you an extra ship, that doesn't buy you an extra airplane, that doesn't buy you an extra solider or sailor or airman or Marine," Work said. "That just gets you where you need to be, fills in the hole," USNI News reported. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Soldiers Mutiny in 3 Ivory Coast Cities By VOA News January 06, 2017 Soldiers in Ivory Coast launched mutinies in three cities on Friday in a bid for higher pay. Witnesses say gunfire erupted around 1:00 a.m. local time in Bouake, the country's second-largest city. VOA's French to Africa service reports that soldiers looted weapons from local police stations and took control of the northern and southern entrances to the city. Similar mutinies broke out in the towns of Korhogo and Daloa. In a communique, the Ivorian Defense Ministry said officers in Bouake have entered into discussions with the soldiers. It said the soldiers are demanding a salary increase, bonuses, and a reduction of time necessary to achieve higher pay grades. The ministry said it has put Ivorian troops on alert and reinforced security around military installations. The statement said all soldiers are asked to "remain calm and to return to their bases in order to allow the search for durable solutions for all members of the armed forces." The soldiers are former rebels who were integrated into Ivory Coast's army after the country's civil war. Bouake was the former capital of the rebellion, which split the country into northern and southern halves between 2002 and 2011. The country has been stable over the past five years, and conducted peaceful parliamentary elections in December in which the coalition of President Alassane Ouattara retained control of the National Assembly. Narita Namaste, a reporter for VOA's French to Africa service, contributed to this story from Abidjan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 4 Released Guantanamo Detainees Arrive in Saudi Arabia By VOA News January 05, 2017 The Pentagon has identified the latest group of detainees released from the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as four Yemenis, all of whom had been in custody for at least 14 years as suspected members of the al-Qaida terror network. The four arrived Thursday in Riyadh, capital of the Saudi kingdom, where they were reunited with family members in a gathering that was both tearful and joyous. The Saudi interior ministry said King Salman has decided the four men will live in the kingdom and take part in "a rehabilitation and de-radicalization program." No specific charges were ever brought against them during their time at Guantanamo. Fifty-five prisoners now remain at the U.S. detention center on Cuban soil, which President Barack Obama had promised to close down when he took office eight years ago. Disputes over how to handle the prisoners' release, or where to house them, blocked many efforts to thin the camp's population. More transfers expected U.S. officials reportedly plan to transfer abroad up to 15 other prisoners before Obama leaves the White House on January 20, but it appears the president's goal of closing down the detention camp completely will not be met. Republicans in the U.S. Congress rebuffed a series of attempts to move detainees from Cuba to maximum-security prisons in the United States, and President-elect Donald Trump has said he intends to keep Guantanamo open, to "load it up with some bad dudes." Earlier this week, Trump tweeted his opposition to further prisoner transfers: "There should be no further releases from Gitmo [a nickname for Guantanamo]. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield." If any more detainees are transferred abroad during the two weeks before Obama's term expires, news reports suggest they could go to Italy, Oman or the United Arab Emirates. Freed detainees identified A Pentagon statement issued after the prisoners arrived in Riyadh said: "The United States is grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility." U.S. and Saudi officials ensured the transfers took place with "appropriate security and humane treatment," the statement added. Saudi Arabia's state news agency identified the freed detainees as Mohammed Rajab Sadiq Abu Ghanem, Salem Ahmed Hadi bin Kanad, Abdullah Yehya Yousef al-Shibli and Mohammed Bawazir. The last had refused an offer to be released to Montenegro a year ago; his lawyer, who named his client as Mohammed Ali Abdullah Bwazir, said he had wanted to go to Saudi Arabia, where his brother and uncle live, and where his mother visits frequently. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Details added (first version posted on 15:20) Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7 Trend: A fuel truck exploded in the busy center of a rebel-held town near Syria's border with Turkey on Saturday, killing dozens of people and wounding dozens more, several sources said, Reuters reported Jan. 7. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 43 people, mostly civilians, were killed when the tanker blew up in front of a courthouse in the northern Syrian town of Azaz. Dozens more had severe injuries, said the Observatory, which monitors the violence in the country. In unsourced comments, Turkey's privately-owned Dogan news agency said a car bomb planted by Islamic State was responsible. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the militant group. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency cited a doctor in Azaz as saying at least 60 people had been killed and more than 50 wounded. An Azaz resident who went to the local hospital told Reuters he had counted around 30 bodies laid out. Syria's nearly six-year war has create a patchwork of areas of control across the country, and Azaz is a major stronghold of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). The FSA is an alliance of moderate rebel groups whose fighters have, with Turkish military support, pushed Islamic State militants out of the border area. Saturday's explosion was heard across the border in the Turkish town of Kilis, Dogan said. Anadolu said 23 wounded people had been taken by ambulance to Kilis hospital, one of whom subsequently died. In a round-up of its military operations over the last 24 hours in support of rebels in northern Syria, the Turkish military said on Saturday that 21 Islamic State militants had been killed in clashes. Turkish warplanes destroyed buildings and vehicles in air strikes on 12 Islamic State targets, it said. Mexico will pay US back for border wall, Trump insists Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 3:42PM US President-elect Donald Trump says Mexico will "later" repay for the construction of a wall on the US-Mexican border to be built with money from American tax payers. In a tweet on Friday, Trump criticized the media and said US taxpayers may foot the initial bill for the proposed wall along the southern border; however, he insisted that Mexico will fund it in the end. "The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!" the president-elect said. Reports said that the Trump transition team had signaled to the Republicans in Congress to fund the border wall project through federal tax dollars and other appropriations as early as April. The team argued that the the multibillion-dollar Secure Fence Act, authorizing the construction of a 700-mile "physical barrier" on the border, had already been ratified during the administration of former president George W. Bush and only needed funding to proceed. Trump's senior aide, Kellyanne Conway, said the president-elect would not renege on his campaign promise to force Mexico to pay for the wall. "Nothing has changed from our perspective. Congress is taking it on themselves to explore different options to pay for the wall," Conway said in an interview with CBS News. "Obviously, we respect federalism, and if Congress is trying to find different ways to fund this project that is a top priority of President(-elect) Trump, then they should do that," she added. Trump, who is to assume office on January 20, has repeatedly pledged to build a wall along the Southern border to prevent more Mexicans from entering the US illegally, and has promised to have Mexico cover the cost of the construction of his proposed wall. He has also called illegal Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals, and has vowed to deport some 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows in the United States. Trump border wall a 'racist monument' The president-elect's Friday tweet comes as Mexico has already dismissed any plans to pay for the border wall. The tweet made former Mexican President Vicente Fox react by saying, "Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he can't keep." Fox had previously called Trump "crazy" and used an expletive to lash out against Trump's demand for Mexico to pay for a border wall. "I am not going to pay for that [expletive] wall. He should pay for it. He's got the money," he said. In September last year, Enrique Pena Nieto, the incumbent Mexican president, also flatly rejected Trump's proposal on the construction of US-Mexico border wall and its payment by his country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US sends four Gitmo inmates to Saudi Arabia Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 10:28AM The United States has sent four prisoners from the country's notorious prison facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon announced the resettlements on Thursday. All of the four transferred were Yemenis, who had been imprisoned without trial for up to 15 years over suspected links to the al-Qaeda terrorist group, it said, adding that they had been cleared for transfer following an extensive security review. Their resettlement brings the Guantanamo inmate population to 55, including 19 also cleared for transfer. About 780 men have passed through the facility since it was opened following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the US to hold terrorism suspects. Four coordinated attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in property and infrastructure damage in the US on the morning of September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks. Fifteen of the 19 plane hijackers involved in the attacks were Saudi nationals. The four prisoners resettled on Thursday were sent to Saudi Arabia because they had demanded that they be sent to a country where they had family. The US had ruled out sending them back to Yemen, because the country is at war and there is an active al-Qaeda branch there. But Saudi Arabia, too, is commonly suspected of being the major sponsor of extremist groups, such as al-Qaeda. While Western governments have been reluctant to admit the substantive Saudi role in terrorism worldwide, journalists, including from the US, have long been writing about the Saudi campaign to spread terror. Osama bin Laden, the founder and the previous leader of al-Qaeda, was a Saudi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Denies Reports Border Wall Will Be Taxpayer-funded By Joshua Fatzick January 05, 2017 President-elect Donald Trump on Friday refuted claims that American taxpayers would be on the hook for a border wall with Mexico. Speaking to the New York Times, Trump said that the wall would initially be funded through Congress, but the money would eventually be repaid by Mexico. "We're going to get reimbursed," Trump said. "But I don't want to wait that long. But you start, and then you get reimbursed." Trump's comments came after Friday news reports cited House Republicans who said Trump's transition team wanted to start work on the wall as soon as possible and would seek funding through the appropriations process to do so. Trump has in the past suggested that Mexico would reimburse the U.S. for the wall's costs. He took to Twitter to call the reports "dishonest." "The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!" he said. Now, congressional Republicans are putting forth ideas to build the wall. The plan revolves around a little-know law passed in 2006 that mandates the construction of 700 miles of "reinforced fencing" along the southern US border. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 was never fully implemented, though Republican lawmakers now see it as a viable option to fulfill one of Trump's most prominent campaign promises. "It's an existing law that hasn't been implemented, in part based on the ideology and philosophy of the outgoing president," Republican Congressman Luke Messer told The Washington Post. "I see nothing partisan about trying to comply with existing laws." While taking this route to build the wall wouldn't guarantee repayment from Mexico, New York Congressman Chris Collins, who works on Trump's transition team, said he isn't worried because he believes trade between the two countries is so important, Mexico would have no choice but to comply. "When you understand that Mexico's economy is dependent upon U.S. consumers, Donald Trump has all the cards he needs to play," Collins told CNN. "On the trade negotiation side, I don't think it's that difficult for Donald Trump to convince Mexico that it's in their best interest to reimburse us for building the wall." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China taking indirect retaliatory action against THAAD deployment in S Korea: Seoul Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 10:54AM South Korea says China is taking "indirect action" against Seoul's months-long decision to deploy a US advanced missile system on its territory. South Korea's Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho made the claim on Thursday, some six months after Seoul announced that it had reached an agreement with Washington to install the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, a controversial move that provoked China's vehement opposition. "China is officially denying it, but we feel their actions are linked and that there have been indirect responses taken," he further claimed at a news conference at the ministry's headquarters in Sejong City, south of Seoul. "It's hard to ask them what they're up to when they have been denying it officially," Yoo added. Beijing recently rejected requests by South Korean carriers to operate charter flights between the two Asian nations, a move that has been interpreted by some as a response to the deployment of the THAAD. On Sunday, Yoo said the government was looking into whether China's decision to block charter flights was a retaliatory measure against the installment of the anti-missile system. In response to Yoo's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing on Friday that Beijing has an "open and positive attitude" toward trade ties with Seoul, but that "this requires a foundation of close friendship." He made no further comments. Seoul and Washington claim the THAAD missile system, to be deployed late this year, is intended to counter perceived threats posed by the North Korean missile and nuclear programs. China says issues with North Korea should be resolved through dialog, not escalatory military countermeasures such as the deployment of the THAAD. The announcement of the system's deployment has also triggered many protests within South Korea itself. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Launches Next-Gen Telecommunications Satellite Sputnik News 04:13 06.01.2017 China has successfully launched a new-generation telecommunications satellite, the country's Defense Ministry has announced. BEIJING (Sputnik) The launch was carried out at 15:19 GMT on Thursday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center using the Chang Zheng 3B (CZ-3B, or Long March 3B) carrier rocket, the ministry said. The second Tongxin Jishu Shiyan (TJS) satellite will help test multi-frequency high-speed data transmission. China plans to carry out about 30 space launches in 2017. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Nuke Sub Had Docked Too Close for Indian Comfort Sputnik News 16:56 06.01.2017(updated 17:01 06.01.2017) India may have to rework its maritime strategy because of heightened Chinese interest in its vicinity. The Indian strategic community is again aflutter over the visit of a PLA Navy submarine to Karachi. New Delhi (Sputnik) Another evidence of heightened Chinese activity not far from India's territorial waters has surfaced. A satellite image shows China's nuclear attack submarine docked at Karachi harbor in May last year. Images in Google Earth point to a Chinese Navy Type 091 'Han' class nuclear submarine that was deployed at Karachi harbor in May 2015. Earlier, the Indian Navy had claimed that China's PLA nuclear submarine was deployed and did a port call at Karachi but never mentioned the time frame of deployment. Government sources told Sputnik that an advanced version of Chinese submarine made a weeklong port call at Karachi. "PLA nuclear submarine was deployed and did a port call at Karachi. As far as deployment of PLA navy, ships and submarines are concerned, we keep a close eye and monitor their movement. We launch surveillance missions in the form of aircraft and ships to keep a track of them," Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba had said in December 2015. The May 2015 deployment comes barely six months after the first-ever Indian Ocean deployment of China's Song-class submarine between September and November 2014, and its docking in Sri Lanka's Colombo port. "In case of a maritime conflict in the area, China's energy shipments transiting the Indian Ocean are strategically vulnerable. Through its submarine deployments, China may be seeking to deter its potential adversaries against interdicting its Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) in the Indian Ocean," says Captain Gurmeet S Khurana, Executive Director at National Maritime Foundation. This period of deployment at Karachi may be to showcase the submarine to Pakistan Navy before finalizing the deal to purchase eight submarines from China. These submarines are equipped with Sterling AIP system, which the Chinese claim is more efficient than the AIP systems currently available in the world. "The deployments also likely to familiarize the PLA Navy with the new operational environment in the Indian Ocean, train them for distant missions, collect intelligence, and collate hydrographic data specific to the Indian Ocean, which is essential for future submarine operations in the region," Khurana added. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Rejects North Korea's Nuclear Claim Amid Growing Concerns By Baik Sungwon January 05, 2017 Amid speculation surrounding North Korea's nuclear capabilities, the U.S. government said this week that Pyongyang has yet to acquire the ability to outfit an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead. The latest assessment came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's statement that the preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile had "reached the final stage." His claim, in a New Year's Day address, immediately sent ripples across the world's capitals, prompting President-elect Donald Trump to tweet, "It won't happen!" Despite the U.S. rejection of North Korea's purported capability, experts are raising concern about the threats emanating from the regime. Olli Heinonen, former deputy director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told VOA that Pyongyang might be approaching or might have already hit a "milestone" in its arms development, after conducting five nuclear tests since 2006. "If we look at the historical examples like Pakistan, India, China, Russia, France and the U.K., they, after five tests, started to have a nuclear weapon which they can deliver," the 27-year veteran of the IAEA said, "and I think the North Koreans have reached that milestone." The most recent nuclear test, in September 2016, produced an explosive yield of around 20 to 30 kilotons, said Heinonen, adding, "That is very sizable." Concerns about unknowns According to Heinonen, "the unknowns" surrounding the North's nuclear and weapons programs are posing the greatest threat, because they make it difficult to determine current and future capabilities. The size of North Korea's current stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, its uranium enrichment capacity, and its progress in developing nuclear weapons and delivery systems are among the many things that are subject to uncertainties, he said. Heinonen also maintained that additional, clandestine nuclear facilities of unknown scale could exist, other than the widely known Punggye-ri nuclear test site and Yongbyon nuclear reactor facility. Another nuclear expert, David Albright, president and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security, said North Korea already possessed the technical sophistication to miniaturize a nuclear warhead that could be placed atop a ballistic missile, and was on track to achieve substantial nuclear yield, probably in the 50-to-100-kiloton range. "I think if you look at this technically, divorce yourself from the politics of Northeast Asia, you would have a hard time arguing that they didn't miniaturize [the nuclear warhead]," Albright said. "It would make them the worst nuclear program in the world, that after five nuclear tests they couldn't miniaturize." The scientist also warned that North Korea could hold around 12 to 20 uranium-based nuclear weapons, and by 2020, it might have enough material to build as many as 80 nuclear weapons. "They appear to have mastered fission weapons using plutonium or weapons-grade uranium," Albright said. ICBM capability questioned Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics raised doubts about the communist state's ability to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead. "I think that they are probably still five years away from an ICBM," said the astrophysicist, who tracks international satellites and rocket launchings. He said Pyongyang, whose intermediate-range missile tests mostly ended in failures, not only lacked in its basic launch technology, but also had not obtained upper-stage rockets, solid-fuel engines and the missile re-entry technology necessary for longer-range strikes. On Thursday, North Korea's state-run news agency KCNA reiterated its position "to bolster a nuclear deterrence," accusing the U.S. of making a direct nuclear threat against the country. Blinken: 'Qualitative improvement' U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a joint news conference after a meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts that North Korea had conducted 24 missile tests in the past year, as well as two nuclear tests, and learned from each one. "Even a so-called failure is progress because ... they apply what they have learned to their technology and to the next test. And in our assessment, we have a qualitative improvement in their capabilities in the past year as a result of this unprecedented level of activity," he said. "With every passing day the threat does get more acute," Blinken said, and referred to comments by North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, on Sunday that his country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) of a kind that could someday hit the United States. Blinken said it was vital for the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries to boost cooperation to defend against the threat. "At the same time, it's absolutely vitally important that we exercise sustained, comprehensive pressure on North Korea to get it to stop these programs, to come back to the negotiating table, and to engage in good faith on denuclearization," Blinken said, referring to international sanctions. Lee Jee-eun and Reuters contributed to this report, which was produced in collaboration with VOA's Korean service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defector: Criticism of Nuclear Program Only Strengthens Kim By Brian Padden January 06, 2017 A high-ranking North Korean defector says clashing with Pyongyang over its nuclear program has strengthened Kim Jong Un's leadership, but continued human rights criticism and increased information from the outside world will over time lead to the downfall of the authoritarian and repressive regime. Thae Yong-ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador in London, defected to South Korea in July, and has recently become an analyst with the Institute for National Security Strategy, a research organization affiliated with South Korea's National Intelligence Service. Thae has started speaking to media outlets in Seoul, providing insight into the mindset of the secretive Kim leadership, and how the international community can best foster change. Nuclear standoff The North Korean leader has openly declared his country a nuclear state despite U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the North's nuclear and missile programs. In 2016 North Korea conducted two increasingly powerful nuclear tests and 24 missile tests from road mobile and submarine launch platforms. The international community responded to these provocations with two rounds of increased international sanctions that impose new financial and trade restrictions on North Korea. In his News Year's message, Kim implied North Korea would soon test an intercontinental ballistic missile, which drew an immediate rebuke from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who tweeted, "It will not happen." Thae says the leadership in Pyongyang is unwilling to give up its nuclear program, and its defiance in the face of U.S.-led pressure has helped solidify internal popular support and earned the leadership a degree of international respect. "Some countries are interested in following North Korea's path to become nuclear powers themselves. Therefore, North Korean diplomats retain their dignity despite the criticisms of the international community," Thae said. Human rights He says, however, international criticism about human rights abuses in North Korea undermines Kim's standing in the world and with his own people. In 2014 the United Nations General Assembly voted to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity after a Commission of Inquiry report documented ongoing atrocities in North Korea that include a network of political prisons in the country, as well as widespread and systematic abuses that include torture, enslavement, rape and murder. The measure stalled in the U.N. Security Council where the North's allies, China and Russia, would have likely vetoed the measure if brought to a vote. Thae says North Korean diplomats have faced denunciations from allies and adversaries alike over Pyongyang's human rights record, but the leadership is more concerned about how this kind of criticism could damage the carefully nurtured public image of Kim as a near-infallible leader. "It is not easy for North Koreans to understand the concepts of the ICC or human rights. But they will be greatly interested if they hear that Kim Jong Un will be tried at the international court. It will be a direct sign that Kim Jong Un is a criminal and his regime has no future," he said. Information war The greatest threat to the North Korean government, Thae says, is information from the outside world, not only critical news reports and oppositional political messages, but also movies and TV series that show how the outside world has developed. "North Korea will collapse on its own when enough external information introduced through the internet reveals the truth of the Kim regime to the residents," he said. The advocacy group Human Rights Watch has criticized Kim for tightening controls on citizens through the country's borders, increasing efforts to restrict expression and preventing outside information from entering the country. Some analysts have said human rights criticisms only harden Pyongyang's adversarial stance, and will make it more difficult to pursue diplomatic negotiations in the future to halt the North's nuclear program. But Thae's views reinforce arguments made by human rights organizations that say promoting basic rights and freedom in North Korea is not an ancillary issue, but perhaps the best way to foster change from within. VOA's Youmi Kim contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran deal will not be cancelled under Trump: Senator Corker Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 7:27PM The head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has warned that the United States could trigger a crisis if it pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran. Republican Senator Bob Corker said on Friday that Washington will not "tear up" the 2015 deal with Tehran after US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office on January 20, but rather will focus on the serious implementation of the agreement. "In spite of all the flaws in the agreement, nothing bad is going to happen relative to nuclear development in Iran in the next few years. It's just not," Corker said. "You've got a choice. You can come in and figuratively tear it up ... and you can create a crisis on the front end by doing so. Or you can understand that we have lots of challenges to deal with around the world," he continued. "What you can do instead is to begin to radically ensure its being implemented properly," Corker noted. The US senator has already been criticized by hardline Republican opponents of the deal for failing to repeal it in the Senate in 2015. On Tuesday, 37 top US scientists, including some of the world's leading experts in the fields of nuclear science, wrote to the president-elect, calling on Trump to abide by the nuclear agreement with Iran when taking office on January 20. The signatories of the letter underscored that Iran has remained fully committed to its obligations under the deal, including the cessation of enrichment activities and the export of enriched uranium, and concluded that the country would now need "many months" instead of "just a few weeks" to enrich uranium to produce weapons. Iran and the P5+1 group the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany reached the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in July 2015. Iran has all along highlighted the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, saying it has never had any intention to use it for military purposes. Also, Iran says it is forbidden to use weapons of mass destruction from a religious standpoint, as highlighted on many occasions by the country's spiritual leaders. Under the deal, Tehran agreed to limit some aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of all nuclear-related sanctions. But during his campaign prior to the November 8 presidential election, Trump promised to annul the deal. He called the pact a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated." He also said that the agreement could lead to a "nuclear holocaust." The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program. Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kerry praises nuclear agreement with Iran in his departure memo Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 1:15PM US Secretary of State John Kerry has hailed the outgoing Obama administration for its efforts to sign the landmark nuclear agreement with Iran. In his departure memo issued on Thursday, Kerry said the 2015 deal cut off all pathways for Iran to develop what he called a nuclear weapon. "After reaching out to Iran through bilateral channels and more than two and a half years of intense multilateral negotiations, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China, the European Union and Iran agreed on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement that has verifiably cut off all of Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon," he said. The top US diplomat argued that the nuclear accord was a result of crippling sanctions engineered by the United States against the Islamic Republic. He then described Iran-US relations as contentious and called for maintaining pressure on the Islamic Republic to undermine its missile program, and went on to accuse Iran of supporting terrorism. "Our relationship remains highly contentious and we must maintain our pressure and continue to push back on Iran's missile program, its support for terrorism, its disregard for human rights, and its destabilizing interference in the affairs of its neighbors as long as these threats persist," Kerry said. Iran and the P5+1 group of countries reached the nuclear agreement in July 2015. In accordance to the JCPOA, which took effect in January, Iran has undertaken to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions. The Obama administration, however, has continued to maintain sanctions on Iran and a number of Iranian companies and individuals, prompting complaints from Tehran that Washington is failing to implement its side of the deal. The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have accused Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program. Washington and its allies had imposed illegal sanctions on Iran based on the unfounded accusation that Tehran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear program. Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. In addition, Iran says it is forbidden to use weapons of mass destruction from a religious point of view, as highlighted on many occasions by the country's spiritual leaders. But still Kerry argued in his departure memo, "In reaching and implementing this deal, we took a major security threat off the table without firing a single shot. The United States, our partners and allies in the Middle East (including Israel), and the entire international community are safer today because of the JCPOA." Elsewhere in a news briefing on Thursday, Kerry warned US President-elect Donald Trump about a possible cancellation of the Iran deal. During his presidential campaign, Trump, who defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election, had promised to annul the deal. He called the pact a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated." He also said that the deal could lead to a "nuclear holocaust." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Border traffic was stalled for hours following a bomb threat Friday, Reuters reported. The Canada Border Services Agency St-Bernard-de-Lacolle office and lanes there reopened around 1:15 p.m. following a bomb threat about early that morning, CBSA Communication Advisor Jacqueline Roby told the Press-Republican. All lanes entering and exiting Canada were closed for several hours, with Canadian authorities blocking southbound traffic and State Police diverting northbound traffic. The closure began around 9 a.m. after the call came in, Roby said. Top Republican Senator Believes Trump Will Abide By Iran Nuclear Deal January 06, 2017 A leading Republican senator says he expects President-elect Donald Trump to enforce the landmark deal with Iran that curtailed its atomic programs in exchange for lifting crippling sanctions. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said January 6 that ripping up the deal would create a crisis. "To tear it up on the front end, in my opinion, is not going to happen," Corker told reporters attending an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor newspaper. Trump criticized the deal during the election campaign, and several of his top advisers, including his nominee to head the CIA, are strident critics of engagement with Tehran. The comments by Corker came after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned the incoming Trump administration against scrapping the Iran nuclear deal, saying it has made the world safer by leaving Tehran technically unable to build a nuclear weapon. "Nobody can predict what choices [Trump] is going to make," Kerry said on January 5, but the United States had only "very bad choices" of a nuclear-armed Iran or a conflict in the Middle East before the deal was signed last year. "To be crystal clear, terminating that agreement now would leave us with those same bad choices," Kerry said. Corker also criticized some of the media leaks about the final White House report on Russia's alleged computer hacking during the election campaign. But he said he believed that the report, which he will receive next week, "is going to be very incriminating." "I believe the Russians have done very nefarious things," he said. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, and CNN.com Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/kerry-warns-trump -against-scrapping-iran- nuclear-deal/28216529.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Car bomb explosion kills 5, injures 13 in northwest Baghdad Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 6:16PM Security officials in Iraq say at least five civilians have lost their lives when a powerful bomb explosion ripped through a commercial district in the capital Baghdad. First Lieutenant Hatem al-Jaberi said 13 people also sustained injuries on Friday evening, when an explosives-laden car went off near a popular outdoor market in Baghdad's northwestern neighborhood of al-Shu'ala, Kurdish-language Rudaw television network reported. Security forces immediately cordoned off the scene of the explosion, and ambulances carried the injured to nearby hospitals to receive medical treatment. There has been no claim of responsibility for the bombing, but such attacks are usually blamed on Takfiri Daesh terrorists. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) says a total of 386 Iraqis were killed and another 1,066 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict last month. According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 385 in December 2016. Violence also left 1,060 people not including police personnel injured. A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in the northern province of Nineveh, where 208 civilians were killed. Terrorist attacks also left another 511 injured there. The northern and western parts of Iraq have been in chaos ever since Daesh started its campaign of terror in early June 2014. Iraqi army soldiers, supported by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units commonly known by the Arabic world Hashd al-Sha'abi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched a joint operation on October 17 to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists. A total of 129,642 civilians have been displaced from Mosul and neighboring areas ever since the start of the operations, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi govt. forces make fresh gains in militant-held Mosul Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 3:47PM Iraqi army soldiers, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units, have made further advances into Mosul as they seek to drive out Daesh Takfiri terrorists from their last urban stronghold in the violence-wracked Arab country. Commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah said the 71st Brigade of the 15th Division together with the 76th Brigade of the 166th Division in the Iraqi army managed to liberate dozens of housing units in Mosul's northern neighborhood of al-Hodaba from the grip of Daesh on Friday noon, Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported. The high-ranking Iraqi military figure put the number of retaken apartments at 168. Army soldiers and allied Popular Mobilization Units fighters commonly known by the Arabic world Hashd al-Sha'abi, also drove back Daesh extremists from Muthanna district in eastern Mosul. Separately, Iraqi government soldiers and their allies recaptured a northern village from Daesh, hours after the extremist militants seized it in a surprise attack. A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Iraqi forces, backed by helicopters, dislodged Daesh terrorists from the village of Abu Dalf in the northern province of Salahuddin. Eight government troops, including two senior officers, lost their lives in the fighting. "Six Daesh elements were also killed," the official added. Moreover, Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters retook the villages of Sahl Ahmad and Malah southwest of Mosul from Daesh on Friday. Iraqi army soldiers, supported by Hashd al-Sha'abi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched a joint operation on October 17 to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists. A total of 129,642 civilians have been displaced from Mosul and neighboring areas since the start of the operations, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday. Daesh commander slain in drone strike The Iraqi Defense Ministry also announced in a statement on Friday that the self-proclaimed Daesh air defense commander had been killed in an airstrike carried out by a CASC Rainbow operated by the country's Air Force. The statement added that Abdullah Yassin Suleiman al-Jubouri, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Saher, was killed when the unmanned aerial vehicle targeted Wadi al-Akab district in western Mosul. Meanwhile, Federal Police forces freed an Izadi woman, who had been held captive by Takfiri Daesh terrorists in the eastern Mosul district of Sumer. Commander of Federal Police Forces Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat identified the woman as Hadiyeh Barakat in a post published on his official Facebook page. In August 2014, Daesh terrorists overran the town of Sinjar northwest of the capital Baghdad, and systematically massacred, captured and enslaved thousands of Izadis. The UN says about 5,000 Izadi men were killed and thousands more, mostly women and children, were taken into captivity. Over the past few months, several mass graves containing bodies of people, including members of the Izadi minority group, have been uncovered in Iraq and neighboring Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraq forces regain control of villages in Anbar Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 11:5AM The Iraqi army has liberated seven villages in Anbar Province close to the border with Syria from Daesh control. The gains, which were announced on Friday, were achieved during a push underway to flush the terrorists out of the towns of Rawa, Aanah and al-Qaim, the last main populated areas held by Daesh in the western province, AFP reported. "Our military units liberated seven villages from Daesh control between the town of Haditha and the town of Aanah," said Staff Major General Qassem al-Mohammadi. Staff Major General Noman Abed al-Zobai, the commander of the Army's 7th Division, also said the troops had reached the outskirts of al-Sagra, an area southeast of Aanah. Iraqi forces have already liberated the key cities of Ramadi, the provincial capital, Fallujah, and Hit in the province. Ramadi's liberation collided head-on with Daesh's come-what-may terror drive against the country, which it had launched in 2014. On October 17, 2016, joint Iraqi forces launched an operation to retake the northern city of Mosul, which fell to Daesh in 2014. The advance has, however, been slowed down due to the presence of hundreds of thousands of civilians, many of whom are being prevented by the terrorists from leaving the city, the last Daesh stronghold in Iraq. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said it could take the country three months to vanquish the terrorists. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Army Drive on Mosul Creates 330,000 More Displaced Persons - UN Spokesman Sputnik News 21:48 06.01.2017 330,000 people were displaced by military operations in the Mosul area in Iraq, according to UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The drive by the Iraqi forces backed by the US coalition against the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, to liberate the city of Mosul has forced almost one third of a million more people to flee their homes, exacerbating the refugee crisis in northern Iraq, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Friday. "[On the] Iraqi front, 330,000 people [have been] displaced by military operations in the Mosul area," Dujarric told a press conference at UN headquarters in New York City. More than 287,000 of those refugees, or 87 percent have already sought refuge in displaced person camps, the UN spokesman added. On Thursday, the US Department of Defense announced further progress by the Iraqi army in its battle to retake the city of Mosul from the Daesh. It said Iraqi forces had connected their different ground lines of advance into the city. The Daesh is a designated terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and numerous countries around the world. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libya's Dismemberment Begins? Chad Declares Military Operation in Border Region Sputnik News 16:57 06.01.2017(updated 18:26 06.01.2017) On Thursday, the government of Chad announced a military operation along its border with Libya amid threats that Islamist militants from the Libyan city of Sirte may attempt to flee into the central African country, Reuters reports. Confirming that the border between Chad and Libya has become "a zone of military operation," Chadian Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke said that "some isolatedgroups have converged toward the south of Libya, that is to say on the northern border of our country, which is potentially exposed to a serious threat ofinfiltration." "With these two decisions, the government intends to stop any eventuality that could trouble the calm of our populations in these regions, and threaten peace inside our border," Padacke noted. Last month, the Government of National Accord (GNA), the largest of several warring factions in war-torn Libya, announced the complete liberation of the city of Sirte from Daesh forces. The city on the Mediterranean coast had been captured by the terrorists in 2014, with UN-recognized GNA forces starting an operation against them in May, 2016. Many of the terrorists are thought to have fled into eastern and southern Libya. Chad already faces problems with radical Islamist militants in its southern border regions. The country's army has been fighting Boko Haram, a brutal group affiliated with Daesh, which originated in Nigeria, but has since spread to areas in Chad, Niger, and northern Cameroon. Chad's military plays a major role in the regional effort to push back and eliminate the Boko Haram terrorists. Libya descended into chaos in 2011, when a NATO-supported insurgency overthrew long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. The war that followed has resulted in a number of militant and tribal groups vying for power, with some observers suggesting that Libya has effectively ceased to be a country. Libya and Chad have faced a series of sporadic clashes between the late 1970s and the late 1980s, with Libya on one side, and France, the US and Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo) on the other all vying for control of the central African country. Between 1986 and 1987, the two countries fought the so-called Toyota War, which resulted in Libyan forces getting expelled from Chad. Libya was then forced to cede the Aouzou Strip, a 114,000 square km strip of land rich in mineral wealth. In 1994, Libya completed its withdrawal from the area, and relations were normalized. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN to probe Myanmar crackdown on Rohingya Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 9:14AM The United Nations is conducting a probe into a harsh military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar following reports of rapes, killings, and torture against the minority group in the Buddhist-dominated country. The UN's Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, will start a 12-day visit to Rakhine and Kachin states on Monday, the UN said on Friday. The Rakhine State, in northern Myanmar, where the Rohingya are concentrated, has been under military siege since October last year, forcing tens of thousands of the members of the minority group to flee to neighboring regions in Kachin State or across the border to Bangladesh. The military crackdown in Rakhine began after a deadly raid on a police post that the government said was carried out by the Rohingya. Meanwhile, Lee has slammed the military crackdown in Rakhine as "unacceptable" and said it was necessary to investigate reports of troops raping, murdering, and torturing members of the Muslim minority. "The last few months have shown that the international community must remain vigilant in monitoring the human rights situation there," Lee said in a statement on Friday. "Apart from what is happening in Rakhine, the escalation in fighting in Kachin and Shan (states) is causing some disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year," she said. Lee's criticism of the military's treatment of the Rohingya in Myanmar has seen her face threats and demonstrations on previous visits to the country. A hard-line Buddhist monk has previously called the UN official a "whore in our country" over her criticism of the dire situation of women and minorities there. The Myanmarese army, which has blockaded Rakhine since October last year, denies the allegations of mistreatment against the Rohingya. A committee set up by the government recently concluded that law was not being violated in the state, an assertion widely derided by international rights organizations. The government recently detained eight members of the police after a video emerged showing officers beating and kicking unarmed Rohingya villagers. It did little, if anything, to reverse the salvo of criticism faced by the Myanmarese government, which continues to flatly deny mistreating the Rohingya. Since the crackdown began late last year, the government has been refusing aid agencies and media to visit Rakhine. The government denies full citizenship to the 1.1 million-strong Rohingya population, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh despite the fact that most of the Rohingya have an ancient lineage in Myanmar. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia says begun drawing down forces in Syria amid truce Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 8:53AM Russia says it has begun to draw down its military forces in Syria under a ceasefire agreement between opposition groups and the government. Russian General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov said Friday the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier and accompanying ships are to leave in the first step of the drawdown. "In accordance with the decision by the supreme commander-in-chief (President) Vladimir Putin, the Defense Ministry is starting to downsize the grouping of armed forces in Syria," TASS news agency quoted him as saying. Andrei Kartapolov, Russia's main commander in Syria, also said Friday that "the tasks set for the aircraft carrier group during its military mission have been fulfilled." He said the aircraft aboard the carrier carried out some 420 sorties and hit 1,252 terrorist targets during the two months that it was involved in the anti-terror mission in Syria. Russian officials said the drawdown is aimed at reinforcing the all-Syria ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, which took effect on December 30, 2016. Russia, however, will maintain its presence at an air base in Syria's Latakia Province and the naval facility in the port city of Tartus. Moscow currently has sufficient air defense capabilities in Syria thanks to its S-300 and S-400 systems deployed in the war-torn country, Kartapolov added. The drawdown follows a ceasefire deal negotiated recently between Russia and Turkey which supports militant groups. Turkey, however, has been stepping up its own military involvement in Syria which is fiercely critical of Ankara's incursion into the Arab country. On Friday, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said the country's forces and their militant allies were fighting to take the city of al-Bab close to the Turkish border. Turkish special forces, backed by tanks and warplanes, have been besieging al-Bab for weeks with the help of militants. Turkey claims its military deployment into Syria is aimed at fighting Daesh terrorists and Kurdish militants. Damascus has slammed Turkey's incursion as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. Ankara has recently stepped up negotiations with Russia after a period of bitter animosity between the two countries over Turkey's downing of a Russian aircraft in Syria. Turkish negotiators are to attend the next round of Syrian peace talks to be held in the Kazakh capital of Astana later this month with the participation of Russia and Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Military Says It Has Begun Drawdown Of Forces In Syria RFE/RL January 06, 2017 Russia's military has begun a drawdown of its forces in Syria, media reports quoted the chief of Russia's general staff as saying. "In accordance with the decision of the supreme commander of the Russian armed forces [President] Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry is beginning the reduction of the armed deployment to Syria," Russian news agencies quoted General Valery Gerasimov as saying on January 6. Gerasimov was reported to have said that Russia's naval fleet led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which has been operating in the Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian coast, would be the first to return from Syria. Putin said on December 29 that Russia had agreed to reduce its military deployment in Syria under the terms of a cease-fire agreement brokered by Moscow and Ankara. The fragile cease-fire has largely held despite sporadic violence near Syria's capital, Damascus. A car bomb in the government-held coastal town of Jableh on January 5 that killed 10 people was the first major incident since the cease-fire went into force on December 30. The truce is slated to be followed by peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, later this month. Russia has waged a potent air campaign in Syria since September 2015, bolstering the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and turning the tide of the war in the government's favor. Last month, Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes took full control of the northern city of Aleppo, forcing out rebels who had held the eastern part of the city since 2012. Putin had already announced a partial withdrawal of Russian forces in March. Around half its fixed-wing strike aircraft flew out in the days that followed. But Russia continued to ship significant quantities of military supplies to Syria. The five-year conflict has killed more than 250,000 Syrians and displaced about half the country's prewar population, or around 11 million people. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-syria -military-withdrawal/28216973.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Announces Further Syria Troops Pullout as New Ceasefire Holds Sputnik News 19:25 06.01.2017 Russia is going to continue its military pullout in Syria after completing a range of objectives and in the wake of the renewed ceasefire in the war-torn country, according to the statement of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia is starting to further reduce its military presence in Syria after completing a range of objectives and in the wake of the renewed ceasefire in the war-torn country, the Russian Armed Forces General Staff said Friday. Russia started its anti-terrorist campaign in Syria in September, 2015, following a request by the Syrian government. A number of ceasefire attempts and peace talks have taken place between Syria's warring factions since then. A US-Russian-brokered partial ceasefire was first introduced in early 2016, but violence continued, especially in Aleppo. A second Russian-Turkish-backed ceasefire took effect after the fall of Aleppo's militant-held enclave just before the end of 2016. The first scaling back of the Russian campaign took place in March, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of the bulk of the country's air group from Syria, stating that the mission's aims had been achieved and a chance should be given to diplomacy. A limited force remained and has been active in assisting Syrian forces against terrorists in eastern Syria and in Aleppo. PHASEOUT "In accordance with the decision of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin, the Defense Ministry is beginning to reduce the Armed Forces grouping in Syria," First Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Valery Gerasimov told reporters on Friday. Gerasimov said the reduction begins with the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Pyotr Velikiy battlecruiser alongside auxiliary ships. The carrier battle group arrived to the eastern Mediterranean in November after passing through the English Channel and Gibraltar. The deputy defense minister recalled that the nationwide ceasefire in Syria took effect at midnight local time on December 30 (22:00 GMT on December 29). The decision to cut Russia's military presence in the Arab republic was made by Putin at the recommendation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu the day before. Admiral Kuznetsov is set to be on its way back home to the Russian Northern Fleet's base later in the day, according to Gerasimov. The rest of the naval group will follow the aircraft carrier back to Severomorsk. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED The Russian Naval Aviation's carrier battle group in the east Mediterranean described its achievements over the past two months of the campaign. "In two months of combat actions, Naval Aviation pilots carried out 420 sorties, 117 of them at night Destruction was inflicted on 1,252 terrorist objects," the group's task force commander, Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, said. He stressed that the Admiral Kuznetsov-led group had completed all of its objectives, including the creation of a single air defense system. The system involved setting up interoperability between the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Bastion coastal defense systems on Syrian shores. The K-300P Bastion-P mobile anti-ship missile system was deployed to Syria in November. It has also for the first time been used to attack ground targets in Syria. S-300 and S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems were deployed the year before to protect Russian facilities in Syria, including the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval logistics facility, which has been in Russian operation since the 1970s. "A unified air defense system that provides reliable protection both on land and at sea was created jointly with the Russian troops in Syria's air defense forces and means on the basis of the modern S-300 and S-400 systems," Kartapolov said. CEASEFIRE The Syrian army praised Russia's role in helping achieve what appears to be a holding ceasefire. Syria's Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub on Friday stated that the Russian Aerospace Forces' support played a key role in the latest Syrian government forces' battlefield victories, thus paving the way for a renewed peace effort. "The support provided by the Russian Aerospace Forces played a major role in these victories, paving the way for a ceasefire agreement and creating the appropriate conditions to launch the Syrian crisis political settlement process," Ayyoub said via videoconference. The process of political settlement for the crisis is expected to resume early this year. 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 Kazakhstan's capital Astana between the parties to the Syrian conflict with Russia, Iran and Turkey as potential mediators. On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gave additional details on the proposal, stating that the talks may begin on January 23 provided that the ceasefire regime is upheld on the ground. He added that Russian experts are set to arrive to the Turkish capital of Ankara on January 9-10 in preparation for the upcoming Astana talks. The Astana talks are likely to be followed by the next round of UN-backed talks in Geneva. The intra-Syrian peace talks were supposed to take place in February 2016, but were suspended two days after kicking off. In December 2016, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said the United Nations wanted to reconvene the talks on February 8, 2017. Russia has stressed that the Astana and Geneva platforms do not seek to become rivals, but are, rather, complimentary. In Friday's statement, the Syrian general pledged to build on this success to defeat the remaining militant forces and thanked the Russian military on behalf of President Bashar Assad and the people of Syria for their support in fighting terrorism. "The Syrian people hope to strengthen ties with Russia across all spheres, including military cooperation that should continue between the two countries even after terrorists are defeated," Ayyoub said. Russia's general staff chief Gerasimov stressed the importance of the liberation of Aleppo by Syrian government forces for achieving lasting peace. "The successes of the Syrian armed forces in liberating Aleppo created the necessary conditions for the peaceful resolution of the conflict," Gerasimov said. He added that the nationwide truce agreement that took effect on December 30 served as clear confirmation of the fact. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two men were shot dead at a beach in Mexicos resort town of Acapulco, Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez Heredia announced, Sputnik reported. The men have not been identified, but "there was no evidence that they were tourists," Alvarez Heredia said as quoted by El Imparcial on Friday. According to the spokesperson, the Tamarindos beach where the shooting occurred on Friday morning is a common place for drug use. Guerrero state is one of the regions in Mexico where security concerns grew last year amid an increased rate of homicide. Russian Naval Aviation Destroys 1,252 Terrorist Targets in Syria Over 2 Months Sputnik News 11:44 06.01.2017(updated 14:44 06.01.2017) The Russian carrier-based aviation conducted 420 sorties, destroying 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria over two months, commander of the Russian military group in the country Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov said on Friday. "Over two months, naval aviation pilots carried out 420 sorties (including 117 at night). Nearly all sorties were accompanied by severe hydrometeorological conditions. A total of 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria were destroyed," he said. The statement comes as Moscow has started the reduction of its combat group in Syria, with the Admiral Kuznetsov being the first to sail back. A group of Russian warships headed by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, accompanied by the Pyotr Veliky battle cruiser, the Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov anti-submarine destroyers, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate and support vessels, carried out a counterterrorism operation in Syria starting on November 8. "The strikes were delivered against terrorists' infrastructure, groups of militants and vehicles, firing positions and strongholds of illegal armed formations. The Admiral Grigorovich frigate attacked Daesh targets in Syria with Kalibr cruise missiles. All targets were hit," the commander said. He added that is was the first time Russia has used its naval carrier-based aviation against ground targets. "The naval group accomplished its battle tasks. The Northern Fleet's aircraft carrier group is ready for further actions," Kartapolov said adding the ships had necessary supplies and were operable. He added that close interoperability has been established between the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Bastion coastal defense systems on Syrian shores. "A unified air defense system that provides reliable protection both on land and at sea was created jointly with the Russian troops in Syria's air defense forces and means on the basis of the modern S-300 and S-400 systems," the commander said. Russia has been conducting a military operation against terrorists in Syria since September 30, 2015, at the request of legitimate President Bashar Assad. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Starts Drawing Down Forces in Syria By VOA News January 06, 2017 Russia is beginning a draw-down of its military resources in Syria. Military chief Valery Gerasimov said Friday, "In accordance with the decision of the supreme commander of the Russian armed forces Vladimir Putin, the Russian defense ministry is beginning the reduction of the armed deployment to Syria." Gerasimov said the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and its accompanying ships will be the first to go. Moscow has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's devastating civil war. Russian forces were key in ousting rebels from Aleppo last month in the Syrian government's biggest victory in more than five years of war. Russia and Turkey, a strong supporter of Syria's moderate opposition, brokered the current cease-fire, which came into effect December 30. The truce has mostly held but not altogether halted fighting in the country, and the government and opposition have blamed each other for violations of the truce. The cease-fire is meant to pave the way for peace negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, later this month. The gathering could give new impetus for U.N.-mediated talks between Syria's warring sides Some material for this report came from the Associated Press. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Some 200 militants lay down weapons, join Syrian army Iran Press TV Fri Jan 6, 2017 8:21AM Nearly 200 militants from several villages on the southwestern outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, have turned themselves in and joined the ranks of the Syrian army. The militants from the villages of Beit Saber, Beit Tima, Saasaa al-Gharbiyeh, Hassno and Kafar Hour handed over their weapons to the authorities and pledged not to get involved in any act that might harm the homeland's security, said Mou'men Jarida, chairman of the Local Reconciliation Committee in the countryside of Damascus and Dara'a. Jarida noted that the local reconciliation process will soon be implemented in the southern and western parts of Quneitra Province and in the south of Dara'a province. The move comes as part of the Syrian government's policy of boosting Syrian-Syrian dialogue to resolve the crisis in the country. Nearly 1,200 militants are expected to turn in their weapons throughout the process. According to the Ministry of Justice, the legal status of 4,746 former militants was settled in 2016 within the framework of the reconciliation plan which seeks to restore the activities of state institutions in the countryside of Damascus. In recent weeks, hundreds of militants have laid down arms in different areas in order to fall under an amnesty law issued last year by President Bashar al-Assad, which pardons those ceasing to partake in the armed conflict. The latest development comes in the wake of a countrywide ceasefire in Syria, which came into effect on December 30, 2016, on the back of negotiations between Russia and Turkey. During the talks, Russia was representing the Syrian government, while Turkey, which has been supporting the militants in favor of ousting Assad, was negotiating on their behalf. The ceasefire was later ratified in a UN Security Council resolution. Russia, Turkey had clinched a similar deal in December that brought about a ceasefire in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo. Aleppo was liberated from militant control earlier in the month in a blow to the open-handed support the militants have been receiving from foreign states. The Syrian government and opposition groups are set to attend a round of peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, mediated by Russia, Iran and Turkey. No exact date has been set for the start of the diplomatic process. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Cuts Military Presence in Syria to Turn Military Success to Political Sputnik News 20:32 06.01.2017 Syria's opposition High Negotiations Committee's (HNC) adviser Yahya Aridi said that the Russian work in Syria has succeeded in achieving the goals set. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia is cutting its military presence in Syria in order to gain leverage over Iran and Damascus and encourage them to abide by the recently-established ceasefire, thus bringing the military success of its forces to a political level, opposition High Negotiations Committee's (HNC) adviser Yahya Aridi told Sputnik on Friday. Earlier in the day, chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov announced that Russia had begun the planned reduction of its military presence in Syria with a Northern Fleet carrier group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. "This Russian announcement of withdrawal of its military power could exercise some pressure on Tehran and Damascus]. That could constitute some kind of leverage," Aridi said. He added that if Iran and the Syrian government violated the ceasefire, "the result will backfire on Russia itself." "The Russian work in Syria has succeeded in achieving the goals set. Now it has to come to fruition. Its fruit can be a political settlement. If the withdrawal is serious, strategic, it will coordinate this success with another success at the political level," Aridi said. A nationwide ceasefire between the Syrian government and opposition factions took effect at midnight local time on December 30. Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors of the deal. The Russian Aerospace Forces' support played a key role in the latest Syrian government troops' battlefield victories, chief of the Syrian Army General Staff Lt. Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub said via videoconference earlier on Friday. The decision to cut Russia's military presence in the Arab republic was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the recommendation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on December 29. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ten Armed Group Leaders Join Syrian Ceasefire, Total at 104 Groups Sputnik News 18:00 06.01.2017(updated 18:10 06.01.2017) Another ten armed groups in the province of Hama signed application forms to join the cessation of hostilities in Syria, according to the Russian reconciliation center. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The leaders of 10 more armed formations in Syria have joined the Russian-Turkish brokered ceasefire, bringing the total to 104, the Russian reconciliation center said Friday. "Leaders of 10 armed groups in the province of Hama signed application forms to join the cessation of hostilities," the center said in a daily bulletin posted on its website. It noted that the number of settlements that joined the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on December 30, remained at 1091. Negotiations continued with field commanders and units of the armed opposition groups in Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Quneitra provinces, the center said. The number of armed groups that joined the cessation of hostilities in Syria has thus increased to 104. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Triumph in the Sky: Russia Blankets Syria With S-300, S-400 Air Defense Network Sputnik News 14:48 06.01.2017(updated 14:52 06.01.2017) The Russian task force in Syria has created a unified air defense network using advanced S-300 and S-400 "Triumf" surface-to-air missile systems, which can reliably defend the nation against aerial attacks both on land and at sea, commander of the Russian military group in the country Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov said on Friday. "A unified air defense system that provides reliable protection both on land and at sea has been created jointly with Russian troops in Syria's air defense forces using modern S-300 and S-400 systems," he said. The commander added that close interoperability was established between the system set up by the Russian Aerospace Forces and the country's own Bastion coastal defense systems. Russia deployed S-400 missile systems at its airbase in Syria in 2015 following the downing of a Russian Su-24 Fencer by a Turkish F-16 fighter on November 24. In October 2016, the Russian Defense Ministry said a battery of S-300 air defense systems had been delivered to Syria to protect a naval facility in the port of Tartus as well as protect Russian warships deployed off the Syrian coast. Addressing the activity of the Russian naval group in Syria, the commander noted that all kinds of defense and joint-force team play were mastered during the use of planes from both the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and Hmeymim Airbase in Latakia. Earlier in the day, the General Staff announced the start of the reduction of the Russian group in Syria. The Admiral Kuznetsov is to depart for Russia later on Friday. Kartapolov declared that the naval group of the Northern Fleet had accomplished its combat tasks, having destroyed 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria over two months. Russia has been conducting a military operation against terrorists in Syria since September 30, 2015, at the request of President Bashar Assad. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian refugees in Lebanon face economic hardship and food shortages joint UN agency study 6 January 2017 A joint United Nations agency study has revealed that Syrian refugees in Lebanon remain highly vulnerable and that despite living there for years, their economic situation continues to be difficult, leaving more than a third food insecure. "Syrian refugees are barely coping," Amin Awad, Director of the Middle Eastern and North Africa bureau of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today. "They remain extremely vulnerable and dependent on aid from the international community. Without continued support, their situation would be appalling." The study, conducted by UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP) analyzes the situation of some 1.5 million Syrians living in Lebanon. It is the fourth of its kind and includes detailed data from visits to more than 4,500 Syrian refugee households in 26 districts throughout the country. The report found that families have exhausted their resources and are now taking on harmful or asset-depleting coping mechanisms just to survive. Since 2015, there has been a 12 per cent increase in the number of families who are moderately to severely food insecure. 71 per cent live below the poverty line and more than half of families have 5 or more people living together. Yet, thanks to $1 billion in aid received as of November 2016, agencies were able to halt a sharper decline into poverty that was witnessed in 2014 and 2015. It also prevented further deterioration in health, education, shelter, water, hygiene, solid waste, and energy conditions. However, that $1billion is only half of the target request from a joint UN, government, and inter-agency appeal for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanon is the second largest host to Syrian refugees after Turkey. Refugees live in some 2,125 communities and locations in urban and rural areas around the country, with 71 per cent living in residential buildings, 12 per cent in non-residential homes, and 17 per cent in informal settlements. The agencies also report that 42 per cent of households are experiencing one or more of the following: overcrowding, dangerous structural conditions and urgently needed repairs, and no toilet. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-vice president insists on validity of '1992 consensus' ROC Central News Agency 2017/01/06 20:52:02 Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) The consensus of "one China, different interpretations" reached between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in 1992 cannot be overturned by a political party or individual, former Vice President Wu Den-yih () said Friday. Until the governments on either side agree to make a major change, the consensus will remain in place, Wu said during a meeting with a group of scholars from Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, who were interested in the Kuomintang's China policy. He told the visitors that cross-strait relations were peaceful and stable during the eight years when former President Ma Ying-jeou was in power from 2008 to 2016 mainly because he abided by the consensus and adopted an approach of "no unification, no independence, no use of force." He stressed that the consensus was not something that could be overturned by a political party or individual. Asked if the KMT will lose its competitiveness by sticking to the consensus now that people in Taiwan are refusing to accept it, Wu said the "1992 consensus" is a historical fact that no one can erase, noting that President Tsai Ing-wen () of the Democratic Progressive Party also promised to "maintain the status quo" during her two presidential campaigns. That consensus will continue to exist unless the top national leaders of either side agree to scrap it through the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), he said. The SEF and ARATS are semi-official intermediary bodies set up by Taipei and Beijing respectively to handle cross-strait affairs with the absence of official ties. Representing their respective governments, negotiators from SEF and ARATS reached a consensus in 1992 that there is only one China, with the two sides free to interpret its meaning. Unhappy that Tsai's government has refused to accept the "1992 consensus" explicitly, Beijing has suspended official dialogue with Taipei since Tsai was sworn in on May 20. (By Claudia Liu and Y.F. Low) ENDITEM/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan President Heading to the Americas to Protect Fragile Foreign Relations By Ralph Jennings January 06, 2017 Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will start a trip Saturday to the United States with the possibility of advancing relations with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump after a surprise call last month, and to Central American countries that could someday switch allegiance from Taipei to its powerful rival China. The trip viewed at home as a test of Taiwan's stable but fragile foreign relations in the Americas has raised alert in Beijing, which already protested the U.S. stopovers and is expected to react if Tsai shows new signs of getting close to Trump. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, not as a state entitled to foreign relations. It frets when the island's leaders make inroads overseas. Stops in Houston, San Francisco Tsai has not said who she might contact while in Houston for about a day on her way to Central America or in San Francisco for about the same length of time en route home from her nine-day journey. She has ruled out no one. The de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei - the American Institute in Taiwan - says Tsai's stopovers, a courtesy Washington normally gives Latin America-bound Taiwan leaders, are for private business only. Tsai probably hopes to contact people in the future administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office January 20, observers say. She called Trump December 2 and spoke for 12 minutes. "She will again have a chance to sit down with members of Congress of both parties, and, as she and all other Taiwan presidents have done in the past, she will again make phone calls to senior senators and representatives," said Coen Blaauw, executive director of the Washington-based, pro-Taiwan advocacy group Formosan Association for Public Affairs. "And the big unanswered question on everybody's mind this time around is will a Donald Trump surrogate request to meet with her on or off record," he said. Trump-Taiwan relations A stronger link with Trump following Tsai's call to the U.S. president-elect last month could bring Taiwan more military exchanges with its staunchest informal ally and more access to advanced weapons for defense against China. Taiwanese leaders also want a free-trade deal that would help local exporters. Exports to the United States, Taiwan's second biggest trading partner after China, were worth $48.5 billion in 2015. Washington broke formal ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favor of the larger and faster-growing China. A publicized encounter with Trump or with a transition team member might prompt China to show military might or offer aid money to win over more of Taiwan's 21 remaining diplomatic allies, including the Central American countries Tsai plans to visit next week, analysts say. Since the phone call, China has passed an aircraft carrier through waters near Taiwan and officials in Taipei suspect it paid Sao Tome and Principe, a country in Africa, last month to switch recognition to China. Some Taiwanese also fear Trump might use closer relations with Taiwan as a bargaining chip to win trade concessions from China and sideline Taipei if the concessions come through. China says its claim over Taiwan is not negotiable. Bolstering relations in Central America The mostly poor countries in the Americas, Africa and the South Pacific that recognize Taiwan give it a voice in the United Nations in exchange for development aid. China has more than 170 diplomatic partners, including the world's most powerful nations. Tsai will visit El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua next week for meetings with heads of state. She plans to talk with Central American officials about projects they can do together and to see how people live. "Of course some things have happened recently, but we think that basically the countries where we're going count as stable," Tsai told a news conference Saturday. "We will use the normal attitude to negotiate with those countries about what we can do together and carry out our foreign relations in a way in which both sides can obtain some substantive benefits." A Honduran diplomat in Taipei said Thursday he had heard of no urge to switch ties to China. The two sides may talk next week about working together on farming, fishing, tourism and infrastructure, he said. Tsai must step up development aid to hold onto relations, said Huang Kwei-bo, associate diplomacy professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei. Tsai can offer money for specific projects, such as airports, rather than giving it directly to politicians to avoid the perception of checkbook diplomacy, he said. The foreign minister said after the loss of Sao Tome and Principe that Taiwan would avoid "money diplomacy" with other governments. "The achievement in her hands I think would be to provide more aid to the allies," Huang said. "If you give them more humanitarian aid or more infrastructure development aid, that's all a positive. Another plus is to show that Tsai Ing-wen at least is going to Central America. She meets their heads of states and for the time being those relations perhaps won't change." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey confirms PKK behind bomb attack at Izmir courthouse People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 19:34, January 06, 2017 Turkish authorities have no doubt that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was behind the bomb attack in Izmir that killed two people, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Friday. Bozdag also told press that 18 people were detained in relation to the attack, adding that one of the terrorists tried to enter the courthouse. A car bombing and gunfire occurred outside the main courthouse in Turkey's third largest city, killing 2 and injuring 7. Izmir Governor Erol Ayyildiz told press on Thursday that one of the victims was a police officer while the other was an employee at the Izmir courthouse, adding that around seven people were also wounded and two militants were killed. Ayyildiz said an armed clash erupted with militants as police attempted to stop and search the car,adding that the militants were killed in clashes while two Kalashnikov and eight hand grenades were also seized. The local governor also said initial findings suggested that the PKK was responsible for the attack. The terror attack occurred just several days after a gunman killed 39 people in a New Year's Day mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As a weekend of snowstorms prepares to grip Istanbul, a total of 395 flights have already been cancelled at Istanbul's Ataturk and Sabiha Gokchen Airports, affecting many passengers' weekend plans, Daily Sabah reported. Snow crews at the airports have started to clear the runway and roads, and will continue their operations during the weekend to avoid flight delays, the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) said. Sabiha Gokcen Airport officials also made a statement, saying that 15 percent of the flights scheduled daily at the airport would be cancelled on Saturday and Sunday due to heavy snowfall and storms. The passengers were advised to monitor their flights on the airlines' official websites. Meteorology experts warned that snow as thick as 20 centimeters would blanket the city while authorities warned against icy roads and urged citizens to be on alert against collapsing of roofs of buildings not strong enough to withstand the heavy snowfall. The state-run General Directorate of Meteorology warned against "an extreme cold wave" in western and central Turkey, cautioning against a cold wave hailing from the Balkans. On Saturday, temperatures below 10 degrees are expected in western, northern and central Turkey. Temperatures will remain below 10 and sometimes 15 degrees at least until next midweek. Turkey Says Reconsidering U.S. Coalition's Use Of Strategic Air Base January 06, 2017 Turkish officials are suggesting that they may stop the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) militant group from using a strategically important air base near its border with Syria. The coalition has used the Incirlik base for staging air strikes against IS while allied Syrian Kurdish militias have battled the extremists on the ground. But Turkey regards the coalition's Kurdish allies as "terrorists" because they have ties to Kurdish separatist groups that have waged bloody attacks in Turkey. "Their presence [in Incirlik] is being questioned by our people and nation, and this issue is on the agenda of the government," Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak told broadcaster A Haber on January 5. Kaynak complained that the coalition has rarely used the Incirlik base to provide backup to Turkey as it battles IS with its own allies in Syria -- Sunni rebel groups. Turkey's presidential spokesman, defense, and foreign ministers have expressed similar sentiments this week, and said that Turkey has raised the issue with President-elect Donald Trump in hopes he will change course. Turkey's complaints prompted strong assurances from the Pentagon and White House in recent days that Ankara can count on support from U.S. planes as it engages IS around the Syrian town of Al-Bab. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-says-reconsidering-us- coalition-use-strategic-incirlik -air-base/28216637.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey is in Iraqs Bashiqa out of necessity, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his Iraqi counterpart Haidar al-Abadi during his visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Saturday, Anadolu reported. Yildirim is on an official visit to discuss regional issues, including bilateral cooperation against terrorism. He arrived at the Baghdad International Airport along with a high-level delegation. A closed to the press meeting was later held between Yildirim and al-Abadi. In remarks made after the meeting, Yildirim said: Your recent statement stating that we will not allow the PKK to threaten Turkey from Iraqi territories is of great importance to us. He said al-Ibadi's statement showed what the two countries could do together while fighting against terrorism. About Turkey's military presence in Iraqs Bashiqa, Yildirim said: Turkey is in Bashiqa not arbitrarily but out of necessity. "We see that important steps have been taken in clearing the area from Daesh. We will accordingly reach a solution in a friendly manner about this [PKK] issue as well." He also said the situation in Iraqs northern Sinjar region constituted a first-degree threat to Turkey and thanked al-Ibadi for his sensitivity over eliminating the threat there. "We will continue our cooperation with Iraq against all threats from Iraq, not only Sinjar," Yildirim said. Oil pipeline with Turkey Al-Ibadi, for his part, said Iraq would open an oil pipeline with Turkey after Mosul gets liberated, "which will be based on an agreement between the two countries." Describing Turkey as a "neighbor and friendly" country, he said Iraq was eager to increase its economic and commercial ties with Turkey. About the PKK terrorist organization's presence in Iraq, al-Ibadi said Iraq's constitution "does not allow attacks on a neighboring country for any reason". "We conveyed our request to withdraw Turkish soldiers from our territory in the final declaration signed on Bashiqa. Turkish side emphasized that they will respect Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said. Turkey has a longstanding military training mission at Camp Bashiqa, where Turkish soldiers have trained both Peshmerga fighters and local tribal volunteers in combat techniques. In recent months, the missions presence in Mosul in northern Iraq has led to tension between Baghdad and Ankara amid calls by some Iraqi lawmakers for Turkish troops to withdraw. The Turkish premier is expected to later meet President Fuad Masum and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri. Regional stability and security are on top of the premiers agenda during the visit. Steps to strengthen bilateral cooperation and counter terrorist groups such as the PKK, Daesh and FETO are expected to be discussed. Dan River Region residents can expect bitter cold before temperatures begin to climb Monday and Tuesday following a storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow. Danville had at least 7 inches of snow shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday, while Ringgold in Pittsylvania County had up to 9 inches before 2 p.m., said James Morrow, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. About 6 inches were reported in the county southwest of Chatham at about 8:15 a.m., according to the most recent figures available Saturday afternoon. The county had about 7-8 inches overall, Morrow said. Figures from Gretna and Hurt were not available Saturday afternoon. Single-digit temperatures are expected Sunday night, with numbers in the teens Monday night, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast calls for a high near 25 Sunday with the wind chill dipping to 2 below zero. Sunday night will bring a low of around 2 before Monday reaches a high of around 30, according to the weather service. Monday nights low will be around 17, but residents can anticipate warm-weather relief beginning Tuesday when temperatures are expected to hit a high near 42. The frigid weather is coming from a surge of cold air or an Arctic air mass from northern Canada pushed into the region, Morrow said. The remainder of the week should deliver almost spring-like conditions. Were slowly going to start warming, starting Monday, Morrow said. Rain is expected Tuesday night, with a low around 36. There is a 40-percent chance of showers Wednesday with a high near 56, according to the NWS. Wet weather should continue through Thursday, with a low around 42 Wednesday night and highs near 59 Thursday. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 47. Friday will be partly sunny with a high at about 63, according to the NWS. The balmy conditions will come from a warmer flow from the Gulf of Mexico, creating conditions for the upcoming rain, Morrow said. 2:15 pm. update Danville Public Works snowplow crews will begin plowing in residential neighborhoods at 2:30 p.m. today. Typically, it takes 24 hours to make a pass through all residential streets, according to a city news release. However, the heavier snow accumulation may require additional time to reach all streets. In addition, temperatures are expected to fall into single digits overnight. When temperatures fall that low, plowing may become ineffective. A full crew will be on duty tonight, city officials said. The crew will plow as long as temperatures allow for an effective snow removal operation. When plowing becomes ineffective, the crew will switch to a sand operation. On Sunday, plowing and sanding will continue. Residents and visitors are reminded that snowplows, when clearing streets, will create snow berms across driveways. Residents and visitors are responsible for removing these snow berms. 12:30 p.m. update The National Weather Service reports the snow should come to an end this afternoon, but bitter cold temperatures will grip the region through Tuesday. As of noon Saturday, a few residents ventured outside to begin the job of shoveling snow as some kids enjoyed an afternoon of play. Danville Public Works crews continue to clear the main roads in Danville, but officials advise against travel today. Original story: Local and state officials are warning Dan River Region residents to stay off the roads today. So far, Danville has received about 7 inches of snow, reported to the National Weather Service early Saturday morning. Chatham reported 4 inches of snow and Roxboro, North Carolina, was reporting 8 inches. As of 10:45 a.m., the snow was still falling in Danville, with forecasters predicting another 1 to 3 inches of accumulations possible. The area remained under a winter storm warning. Normally busy roads for a Saturday morning were void of traffic, as most residents stayed home to enjoy a snow day. Danville police are asking people to stay off the snow-covered roads unless absolutely necessary. Danville snowplow crews worked overnight to clear major thoroughfares and are prepared for a round-the-clock snow removal operation. In addition, due to the heavy snow accumulation, the city is using five contract road graders to assist in snow removal from streets. As of 9 a.m., there are no reported power outages, according to the city. Overnight, 20 customers were without power on Hamlin Avenue from 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Six customers were without power on Reuben Court from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Both outages were due to fallen trees. Virginia State Police reported 60 crashes and 41 disabled vehicles in the district including Pittsylvania County. Overnight, emergency officials in Danville received seven calls of disabled vehicles, according to a news release. Police responded to two vehicle crashes, one with minor injuries. Danville Transit will not provide fixed route service today due to the heavy snow accumulation. Reserve A Ride buses are operating. Danville Regional Airport closed at Friday night due to heavy snow accumulation. "Virginia State Police have spent the overnight hours responding to multiple calls across the Commonwealth for disabled and crashed vehicles," said Corinne N. Geller, public relations director for the Virginia State Police. "Road conditions are treacherous and Virginians are advised to stay off the roads. Bitter cold temperatures will make snow removal even more problematic. Temperatures aren't expected to get above freezing until Tuesday and overnight lows could dip into the single-digits. This story will be updated. To the editor: After nine years in the national spotlight, its still impossible to tell what President Barack Obama dislikes more Israel or the United States of America. The latest United Nations resolution condemning Israel was just the last demonstration of his dislike of Israel in general and Benjamin Netanyahu in particular. He actually sided with the Palestinians over our only true ally in that region. He telegraphed his dislike of this country shortly before the 2008 election, pronouncing it in need of total transformation. He followed that up with his apology tour, telling our enemies what an awful country we are. It is said that we should learn from the mistakes of others. Obama refuses to do that, despite having a prime example from which to learn. The world can see whats happening to Europe as a result of Muslim immigration. Rapes and sexual assaults are commonplace, as are violence and terrorism. The attitude of the leaders seems to be, Get used to it. Europe is committing slow suicide of their civilization, but Obama wants to repeat their mistakes. Muslims pose the greatest danger to Europe since the plague. This plague walks on two feet and demands Sharia law and welfare. Missing entirely from the discussion is the question of the wisdom of importing Muslims in large numbers. The answer is obvious, but no one dare ask the question. Obama is just as adamant about leaving the Southern border open, transporting illegal immigrants to red states all over the country, in hopes of someday turning them blue. I suppose thats part of his total transformation. He doesnt worry about the drugs, violence and disease that they bring with them. Most Europeans and many Americans have convinced themselves that theres no difference in people and cultures. So they wind up with no-go zones and mass sexual assaults, coming soon to a city near you. Is it too late to save Europe? Maybe. If its not, it soon will be. Is it too late for us to learn from the mistakes of Europe? Probably not, but it will be if we dont learn quickly. ROBERT HUDSON Pelham, North Carolina Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP) Cobalt development focus in light of surging demand from tech industry KNP Cobalt Zone has a JORC 2012-compliant resource of 7Mt at 0.12% cobalt and 0.86% nickel Cobalt-enriched zones are contained within and are a subset of the broader KNP resource of 805Mt at 0.05% cobalt and 0.7% nickel [1] , being Australia and the developed worlds largest cobalt resource KNP Chrysoprase (semi-precious gemstone) mechanised bulk production opportunity identified Lewis Ponds Bulk tonnage Exploration Target defined Significant base metal-gold open-pit potential, with orogenic gold and base metal mineralisation defined which is very similar to other large deposits in the region Lewis Ponds Main Zone and Toms Zone main shaft mullock sampling by Ardea returned assays of 9.912.1g/t gold and 272539g/t silver, possible epithermal mineralised affinity New tenement applications complementing existing Ardea projects Lewis Ponds, NSW several licence applications secured and already recommended for grant Bedonia West and Perrinvale, WA high quality Ni-Cu-PGM targets acquired Sydney, Jan. 06, 2017 - Heron Resources Limited (ASX: HRR TSX: HER, "Heron" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on Ardea Resources Limited (Ardea) and its project activities, as disclosed in the prospectus (Prospectus) lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on 9 November 2016 and Supplementary Prospectus lodged 18 November 2016.Ardeas management team has completed preparatory field programs including rock chip sampling ahead of the 2017 listing and project drilling. The recent focus has been on resource estimation and preparation of drilling approvals at Goongarrie South, Black Range and Kalpini (KNP Cobalt Zones) and at Lewis Ponds, and scoping of metallurgical and feasibility work for the KNP Cobalt Zone deposits and the Lewis Ponds stringer mineralisation. 1. Cobalt focus for the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project 1.1. High-grade cobalt resource The global KNP resource of 805Mt at 0.05% cobalt and 0.7% nickel contains within it high-grade concentrations of cobalt-rich mineralisation at Goongarrie South, Big Four, Scotia Dam, Aubils and Black Range (refer Ardea Prospectus pages 84-87 for global resource details). An upgraded cobalt-focused global resource for the KNP was defined as 49.7Mt at 0.12% Co and 0.86% Ni (refer Heron ASX announcement 6 January 2017 for global resource details). This resource comprises a recalculation of cobalt resources at Goongarrie South, Big Four, Scotia Dam and Aubils combined with the historic resource calculated for the Black Range area as defined in the Prospectus. This new KNP Cobalt Zone resource is comprised as follows: Table 1 KNP Cobalt Zone Resource Statement from independent consultancy Ridley Mineral Resource Consulting Pty Ltd Area Prospect Resource category Cutoff (% Co) Size (Mt) Co (%) Ni % MgO* % FeO* % Al 2 O 3 * % SiO 2 * % CaO* % Mn* % Cr* % Goongarrie Goongarrie South Measured 0.08 3.4 0.14 1.19 1.6 47 6.3 17 0.16 1.02 1.27 Indicated 0.08 11.2 0.11 0.92 1.8 43 6.2 23 0.78 0.71 1.20 Inferred 0.08 1.4 0.11 0.76 1.8 39 5.9 30 0.32 0.74 1.20 Big Four Indicated 0.08 4.5 0.11 0.89 1.6 40 5.3 32 0.68 0.76 1.07 Inferred 0.08 0.2 0.11 0.95 1.6 38 4.2 36 0.25 0.73 1.09 Scotia Dam Inferred 0.08 2.9 0.14 0.88 3.2 34 4.4 Goongarrie subtotal 23.6 0.12 0.94 Siberia Black Range Inferred 0.50(Ni) 20.1 0.10 0.75 7.9 28 6.7 Yerilla Aubils Inferred 0.08 6.0 0.15 0.90 6.4 33 4.7 31 4.57 0.91 KNP TOTAL 49.7 0.12 0.86 *Estimates for MgO, FeO, Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , CaO, Mn and Cr are provided for reference only and do not constitute Mineral Resources Figure 1 - KNP pyrolusitic ore. This drill sample from 2001 assayed approximately 1% Co and 2% Ni. The cobalt-rich material occurs within the upper part of the cobalt-nickel laterite profile. Figure 2 Run-of-mine KNP siliceous ore. This mine face includes green chrysoprase veining. Chrysoprase material tends to occur within the lower part of the cobalt-nickel laterite profile. Figure 3 Ardea WA projects, showing the Goongarrie South, Big Four, Scotia Dam, Black Range and Aubils Cobalt Zones. Figure 4 - Goongarrie South work currently underway, showing 0.08% Co trimmed block model grade shell 1.1.1. Goongarrie South The resource estimation reviewed existing KNP 0.5% Ni cut-off grade blocks which coincidentally exceed 0.08% Co and where they define coherent mining shapes. These grade shells were subsequently trimmed on an individual wireframe basis, excluding wireframe pods with less than three mineralised drillhole intersections, except where nearby adjacent drillhole intersections demonstrate continuity of the mineralisation above the 0.08% Co cut-off grade.1.1.1. Goongarrie South The cobalt review included the Goongarrie SouthBig FourScotia Dam resource belt. This area will clearly will be the focus of Ardeas future cobalt program. The current working concept is a Goongarrie South to Scotia Dam production rate of 2Mtpa at 0.12% Co and 0.94% Ni for approximately 2ktpa cobalt in intermediate product (a cobalt- and nickel-bearing manganese oxide) with in addition some 16ktpa nickel (distributed between battery feedstock and conventional nickel refinery feed). Plant site location would be at Goongarrie South at the northern end of the cobalt belt, with initial mine scheduling being a zone at Goongarrie South termed the Pamela Jean Deeps. 1.1.2. KNP, Australias largest cobalt resource Containing 386,400 tonnes of contained cobalt metal, the KNP is Australias largest cobalt deposit. By this measure, it is more than three times larger than Australias second largest cobalt deposit. The newly-reported cobalt resource from the high-grade KNP Cobalt Zone is a subset of the larger KNP resource, and this subset is by itself Australias fourth largest cobalt resource, containing 59,600 tonnes of cobalt metal. The KNP Cobalt Zone also has one of the highest cobalt grades in Australia. The updated resource reporting for cobalt-rich zones provides an insight into the potential to define further cobalt-rich zones in the KNP on the basis of remodeling work planned by Ardea that is focused on cobalt. Updated resource reporting on the cobalt-rich mineralisation at the KNP marks the first part of a refocusing for the KNP onto the cobalt component of the deposit. Forthcoming drilling and metallurgical studies will move the KNP towards a PFS focusing on feedstocks for the lithium ion battery industry (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide - LiNiMnCoO 2 or NMC). The drilling focus in ranking will be the contiguous cobalt zones in the Goongarrie South belt and at Black Range and Kalpini. The drilling will secure material for bench-scale metallurgical assessment. 1.2. Semi-precious gemstones within the KNP Chrysoprase (Australian Jade) The Kalgoorlie Nickel Project is characterised by widespread occurrences of the semi-precious gemstone chrysoprase. Chrysoprase is a rare, highly valued, nickel-bearing variety of chalcedony. Colour varies from apple green to deep green, and the highest quality material is translucent. Chrysoprase is commonly known by gemologists as Australian jade and is often used in jewellery as a substitute for jade due to its harder wearing characteristics. Chrysoprase is highly valued in east Asia notably China. The occurrence of chrysoprase in shallow strongly weathered horizons throughout the KNP is directly analogous to the occurrence of opal in the opal fields of Coober Pedy (SA) and Lightning Ridge (NSW). As in the opal fields, chrysoprase has developed in veins within cracks and crevices in the clay-rich host rocks. In the KNP, the highest quality, deepest green chrysoprase shows a direct spatial relationship to the cobalt- and nickel-rich parts of the orebodies. Ardea has defined five advanced stage chrysoprase pit opportunities within the KNP. Figure 5 - As mined chrysoprase, KNP. Indicative value $8-20 per kilogram. Forecasts of chrysoprase values are very difficult due to a lack of open markets, and confirm the desirability of securing a partnership with a downstream gemstone processor Ardea estimates open-pit mining costs of approximately $6/t with run-of-mine chrysoprase valued at approximately $8-20/kg, and gem quality in excess of $20/kg (break-even grade 1kg/t of lower quality chrysoprase). Kalgoorlie chrysoprase mining has traditionally been labour-intensive and conducted by small scale tributers. Ardea has scoped a mechanised production model using ore sorting technology. Ardea believes an east Asia jewellery producer would be a preferred chrysoprase development partner. 2. Lewis Ponds zinc-gold project Updates 2.1. Bulk tonnage model for exploration and development At Lewis Ponds, the mineralisation is accepted as Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) type (Prospectus, page 46). The mineralisation as described is multiple lenses (1, 2 and 3) of massive stratabound base metal sulphides hosted within the Anson Formation pyritic siltstones. Exploration has historically been on the basis of a narrow high grade underground mining model, and has generated a mineral resource totaling 6.6Mt at 1.5g/t gold and 2.4% zinc[2] estimated at a 3% ZnEq cut-off grade (refer Prospectus Table 3.2 for full description of resource status). As noted in the Prospectus (page 44), Lewis Ponds occurs on the Lewis Ponds Fault; a subsidiary fault to the Godolphin Fault. The region is well known for being prospective for a variety of deposit types, especially VMS deposits and orogenic gold deposits. Having now completed regional geological orientation programs in the Lewis Ponds area, it is clear that Lewis Ponds has a significant potential for orogenic gold deposits of the style of Regis Resources McPhillamys deposit, located 15km south along the Godolphin Fault from Lewis Ponds (Prospectus page 44). As well as the traditional zinc-dominant VMS model, there is now a requirement to additionally evaluate Lewis Ponds as a bulk tonnage orogenic gold-base metal system, with the clear mining model being McPhillamys (resource 73Mt at 0.93g/t Au at 0.4g/t Au cut-off grade, Regis Resources, 31 March 2015). Figure 6 Ardea NSW Projects showing Lewis Ponds, the recent applications of Yeoval-Mt Aubury immediately northwest of Copper Hill and Wisemans Creek immediately southeast of Lewis Ponds. The McPhillamys gold discovery is shown 20km SE from Lewis Ponds. There are very clear geo-metallurgical associations at Lewis Ponds, possibly representing separate mineralising events, in order of abundance: Dominant Zn-Pb-Ag-Au (stringer dominant but significant massive sulphide interbands). Au-Ag only (which is poorly sampled, thus difficult to quantify as an orogenic gold system). Minor Zn-Pb only. Rare Cu only, always in the footwall. Lewis Ponds mineralisation is dominantly a 20-50 metre wide stringer (shear vein) system with 2-10 metre thick bands of massive Zn-Pb-Ag-Au mineralisation able to carry sub-grade stringers, with typically 2-5 m internal waste bands. The mining implications for Lewis Ponds are: Drill intercepts are required to be bulked into broad lower grade intervals of the McPhillamys style, using a 1% ZnEq cut-off (approximately 0.5g/t AuEq) Open-pit bulk mining is more likely to be feasible, given the favourable Lewis Ponds strip ratios and consistent shallow high-grade mineralised At Lewis Ponds, the bulk tonnage potential is confirmed in Prospectus Figure 3.3 (refer gold-equivalent calculation), with the following gold-equivalent intercepts on Section 940mN representative of the overall Lewis Ponds mineralised system. Western Lode TLPRC-02 90m at 1.02g/t AuEq from 18m SLP-7 27m at 1.59g/t AuEq from 62m TLPD-02W 30m at 2.44g/t AuEq from 271m Central Lode LPRC-32 54m at 1.72g/t AuEq from 26m TLPD-40 37m at 0.92g/t AuEq from 199m Eastern Lode TLPD-40 68m at 0.97g/t AuEq from 57m Having now completed field reconnaissance, it is felt that Lewis Ponds is better evaluated as a base metal-gold stringer system. Table 2 summarises the more significant bulk-tonnage intercepts at Lewis Ponds. More detailed drill intercept data has been previously published by TriAusMin Limited in ASX announcements between 2002 to 2014 (Prospectus page 71) and these reports may be obtained from Ardea. From reviewing available drill core at site and archived core photographs, it is clear that extensive zones of sericite-pyrite alteration (potential gold mineralised host) have not been sampled. There is thus a requirement to cut and sample this core (assuming the individual core is still available), with the potential to establish McPhillamy-style mineralised systems. The Ardea intention is to drill a single orientated core hole on Sections 1000mN, 800mN, 600mN and 400mN, and all available core on these 200 metre spaced sections will be re-logged, re-photographed and assayed. This program will act as a control to allow a resource update based on bulk-tonnage parameters. The known high grade zone extends from Section 300mN to Section 1500mN and ultimately all historic drill holes within this zone will require re-logging and assay. This requirement was not anticipated within the Prospectus work program and has arisen through field studies subsequent to November 2016 Prospectus lodgment. 2.2. Field exploration results Whilst siting drill collars for the initial proposed Ardea drill program, a suite of samples was collected as a first pass in defining Lewis Ponds geo-metallurgical types (GeoMet study). At the old Lewis Ponds Main Zone and Toms Zone main shafts, the main producers in the field, it was apparent that the dominant shaft mullock at both locations (600m apart along strike) is a distinctive white vuggy quartz-pyrite sinter (which appeared to have the appearance of epithermal style mineralization). Table 3 Lewis Ponds Rock chip sampling Location Sample No Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Zn (%) Pb (%) Cu (%) As (ppm) Sb (ppm) Lewis Ponds Main Zone shaft LP01300 9.9 539 0.05 1.6 0.30 1030 2650 Toms Zone shaft LP01301 12.1 272 0.09 2.7 0.01 90 74 The high-grade Au-Ag with anomalous As-Sb is consistent with epithermal style mineralisation, and the low base metal values are not indicative of a VMS setting at the shaft areas. Base metal and gold production is unknown for the Lewis Ponds shaft. Toms produced 30,000 tonnes of pyrite ore for sulphuric acid production. It is puzzling that such high grade precious metal mineralisation remains at both locations as shaft mullock and was not treated in the historic operation. This mineralisation style was not predicted within the Prospectus and is of significant economic potential. In particular, Gold Stringer is a geo-metallurgical type recognized in Ardeas work but not described in historic Lewis Ponds records. Drill approval environmental submissions are being prepared, with Department of Resources and Energy approvals anticipated in time for February 2017 drilling. Figure 7 - Lewis Ponds, tenement and key prospects map Table 2 Lewis Ponds Polymetallic-Gold Stringer Zones, Significant Intercepts Hole ID East (local) North (local) From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Pb (%) Zn (%) ZnEq1 AuEq2 m.ZnEq3 Geo Met LPRC-6 -82 906 31 73 42 0.48 34 0.13 0.65 1.78 3.6 2.8 150.4 PS LPRC-17 -68 830 5 68 63 0.70 18 1.04 2.2 1.7 138.8 PS LPRC-21 -88 876 26 60 34 0.71 50 2.17 3.9 3.0 131.2 PS LPRC-32 -105 940 26 80 54 0.49 34 1.54 2.7 2.1 145.2 PS TLPD-03 -47 1146 163 250 87 0.44 23 0.06 0.47 1.08 2.4 1.9 210.1 PS TLPD-04 -61 1316 178 203 25 3.12 105 0.26 2.14 3.59 11.0 8.8 275.9 PS TLPD-06A 21 1235 290 395 105 0.94 50 0.14 0.85 1.89 4.7 3.7 489.9 PS TLPD-08 -51 1456 161 408 247 0.08 8 0.02 0.11 0.27 0.6 0.5 151.1 PS TLPD-09A 17 1205 248 370 122 0.37 9 0.04 0.22 0.47 1.3 1.0 157.1 PS TLPD-12 103 1312 419 559 140 1.53 52 0.10 1.45 2.20 6.1 4.8 850.4 PS TLPD-12W 103 1312 405 453 48 0.80 29 0.06 0.47 0.92 2.8 2.2 134.3 PS TLPD-12W3 103 1312 398 506 108 0.29 13 0.05 0.28 0.64 1.5 1.2 159.3 PS TLPD-15 74 1361 433 528 95 0.77 27 0.04 0.40 0.69 2.4 2.0 230.6 PS TLPD-18 80 1240 333 436 103 0.28 11 0.03 0.35 0.51 1.3 1.1 137.4 PS TLPD-19 97 1117 236 349 113 0.14 14 0.02 0.30 0.58 1.2 1.0 138.8 PS TLPD-20 72 1362 347 420 73 1.33 38 0.08 0.64 1.15 4.0 3.2 290.7 PS TLPD-21W 74 1361 409 510 101 1.03 38 0.07 0.60 1.01 3.4 2.7 345.3 PS TLPD-30 69 1491 569 760 191 0.15 9 0.02 0.14 0.22 0.7 0.6 131.6 PS TLPD-32 196 1386 484 558 74 0.37 24 0.06 0.49 0.87 2.1 1.7 158.9 PS TLPD-34 3 1231 232 298 66 0.40 23 0.08 0.35 0.81 2.0 1.6 134.4 PS TLPD-36 -68 1311 194 220 26 2.35 162 0.17 2.07 3.20 10.4 8.4 270.3 PS TLPD-37 -108 1213 147 184 37 1.24 35 0.10 0.68 1.33 4.1 3.2 150.4 PS TLPD-40 -4 938 56 245 189 0.05 5 0.05 0.21 0.54 0.9 0.7 172.5 PS TLPD-41 86 759 165 262 97 0.30 10 0.06 0.38 0.78 1.7 1.3 162.5 PS TLPD-46A 103 476 107 131 24 0.65 33 0.10 1.63 2.70 5.3 4.2 127.2 PS TLPD-51A 152 421 474 510 36 1.24 179 0.28 3.62 4.49 11.8 9.5 423.7 PM TLPD-51AW1 152 421 474 503 29 1.15 100 0.12 1.53 2.30 6.6 5.3 190.1 PM TLPD51AW2 152 421 321 399 78 0.22 22 0.05 0.89 1.44 2.7 2.2 213.2 PS TLPD-51AW3 152 421 388 402 14 1.10 95 0.14 4.33 5.87 11.9 9.4 166.2 PM TLPD-53 106 463 221 321 100 0.25 27 0.06 1.16 1.90 3.5 2.8 351.4 PS TLPD-62 145 353 287 394 107 0.16 14 0.03 0.32 0.68 1.4 1.1 145.5 PS TLPDD04002 -13 1268 238 309 71 0.64 27 0.07 0.52 1.11 2.8 2.2 198.8 PS TLPRC04010 -68 999 82 174 92 0.20 25 0.10 0.54 1.38 2.6 2.0 236.1 PS TLPRC-02 -124 968 18 129 111 0.26 14 0.06 0.24 0.56 1.4 1.1 151.4 PS TLPRC-04 -90 877 19 68 49 0.46 44 0.10 0.52 0.77 2.6 2.1 126.0 PS Geo-Metallurgy (GeoMet) PS Polymetallic Stringer, PM Polymetallic Massive, CS Copper Stringer (no intercepts are significant), GS Gold Stringer (no intercepts are significant) Zn Cu Pb Au Ag Metal prices US$ (21 Dec 2016) 2617 5488 2177 1133 16 1Zinc Equivalent Estimate Recovery for ZnEq calc 100 % 80 % 80 % 90 % 80 % ZnEq recov multiply factor 1.000 1.678 0.665 1.253 0.016 2Gold Equivalent Estimate Recovery for AuEq calc 80 % 80 % 80 % 100 % 80 % AuEq recov multiply factor 0.575 1.205 0.478 1.000 0.011 3 m.ZnEq = intercept width x ZnEq value Scoping study level financial model for a 1.5Mtpa open-pit with base metal float circuit indicates 1.6% ZnEq is a suitable break-even cut-off grade. 2.3. Exploration target In consideration of the broad mineralised intercepts over a strike length of 1.15km between Section 350mN and Section1500mN, the initial Lewis Ponds Exploration Target is estimated at 15 - 25Mt at 2.2 - 3.7% ZnEq (1.2 -2.0g/t AuEq)[3] (see Table 2 for values used in defining zinc and gold equivalents). The estimated breakeven mining grade is 1.6% ZnEq. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature, and there has been insufficient exploration based on the bulk-tonnage concept to estimate a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a bulk tonnage mineral resource. The system is open north and south along strike within areas of historic workings and soil geochemical anomalism. Significantly, there are extensive runs of historic drill core with no assays at all or only base metal assays (i.e. no gold assays). Commonly within the Lewis Ponds lode envelopes, the runs of non-assayed material correspond to core photography which clearly shows the core is altered and likely mineralised. These intervals are ascribed nil grade within intercept calculations, meaning the Exploration Target grade is likely under-estimated. Funds raised under Ardeas initial public offer will be used, amongst other things, to test the exploration target through diamond drilling on 100 metre spaced sections over the next 12 months. 3. Exploration update 3.1. Western Australian projects As exploration ramps up, Ardea intends to consolidate its substantial portfolio of exploration tenements in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia that are prospective for Archean-style nickel sulphide and gold mineralisation. The consolidation process has commenced. 3.1.1. Mt Zephyr Gold-Nickel Project - Ardea 100% Mt Zephyr is a section of greenstone belt localised on the Celia Lineament and located 60km NNE of Leonora. Referring to section 2(a) of the Supplementary Prospectus dated 18 November 2016, the objection to the grant of the main tenement has been withdrawn and accordingly the tenement has been recommended for grant. An archaeologist for assessing proposed Gale and Dunns New Find drill sites has been retained. Gale gold prospect Gale is a 273ppb Au soil anomaly which Aurora Gold[4] RAB drilled in the 1990s and intersected consistent >0.25g/t Au from surface to RAB refusal with intercepts of 6-18m at 0.5g/t Au and peak 6m at 1.3g/t Au. The anomaly is clearly a sub-horizontal geometry and not the narrow sub-vertical interpretation of previous explorers. The Gale RAB gold anomaly at a 0.25g/t Au cut-off grade defines an open sub-horizontal sheet with 700m N-S strike, 100m E-W width with up to 18m thick (corresponding to RAB refusal depths). A site visit confirmed the anomaly has not been followed up with previous RC drilling, apart from a very limited program at the extreme northwest corner of the soil anomaly. Old RAB chips mixed with aeolian sand located at the old RAB collars returned consistent 0.1-0.4g/t Au. RAB chips included silica-pyrite-sericite alteration, which have the appearance of a late stage mineraliser. The geological expression of Gale is felt to be closely analogous to the Dacian Gold Jupiter syenite-hosted gold discovery, located 50km southeast along strike on the Celia Lineament. The RAB chip anomalism is supported by up to 1.4 g/t Au in an unaltered granite float composite south of the RAB-drilled area, and 1.2-1.5g/t Au in gossanous limonite-white quartz vein float to the east of the RAB-drilled area. The observed sub-horizontal RAB litho-geochemistry is a primary protolith attribute, since very clear-cut sharp barren RAB assays occur at the east and west contacts (if solely a supergene blanket enrichment, diffuse contacts with wider and more gradual dispersion would be expected). Ardea plans to follow up the Gale RAB anomaly with systematic RC drill traverses. Figure 8 Mt Zephyr, tenement and key prospects map Dunns Line of gold prospects The model for gold mineralisation has been refined with the recognition that historic workings are closely associated with NE trending cross-faults within the N-S trending main BIF horizon. Ardeas exploration model has evolved to be closely analogous to the Hill 50 Boogardie Breaks at Mt Magnet in Western Australia. Rock chip and historic percussion drill chips along the target zone were sampled. It is planned to complete systematic soil auger geochemistry along the 4km of exposures along Dunns Line and extending into soil covered (altered) areas along strike of the main BIF. Jones Area A and B nickel sulphide prospects Olivine adcumulate komatiite channel facies have been identified by Ardea within a stratigraphic horizon which is felt to correlate with the Mt Windarra nickel sulphide mine stratigraphy. A sulphide facies BIF underlies the komatiite channel at Jones A, which is an excellent setting for Silver Swan-style nickel sulphide occurrences. Ironstone assays by Ardea at Jones Area B returned 0.3% Ni, confirming a prospective nickel sulphide setting. Soil auger geochemistry is planned ahead of ground EM surveys. There has been no previous RC drill testing of the Jones targets. The Mt Zephyr E39/1854 application containing the Gale, Dunns and Jones prospects has been recommended for grant and consultant retained for a heritage survey. 3.1.2. Bardoc Tectonic Zone Gold Project - Ardea 100% Ghost Rocks gold prospect The Lady Isobel group of workings trend NNW over an area of 170m x 70m. The workings include a substantial underlay shaft dipping approximately 450 towards 1200 (discordant to the overall trend of workings), with smaller subsidiary workings distributed over the full area on multiple structural orientations. Mullock consists of white quartz vein stockworks within an amphibolite host. Random mullock sampling by Ardea on the main shaft assayed up to 5.3 g/t Au. There appears to be a deficiency of mullock when considering the depth of shafts, suggesting part of the excavated material has been milled. Big Four gold prospect The Big Four gold prospect is being evaluated as a potential open-pit. The main lode has excellent visual expression, being a subvertical quartz lode within clay-limonite altered dioritic porphyry. Visual grade control should be possible in any open-pit mining. Reconnaissance in late 2016 was aimed at assessing additional exploration targets along strike, notably soil geochemical anomalies to the south. The target concept at Big Four is an open-pit developed over the historic workings. Elsewhere in the Bardoc Tectonic Zone (BTZ), such occurrences were drilled and mined during the various gold booms of the 1990-2000s. With Herons historical focus on the KNP nickel laterite within the BTZ tenure, gold exploration was minimal. A proposal was received by Ardea from a local contractor to complete a trial pit at Big Four under a profit share arrangement. In view of open ore positions at Big Four, it was concluded that further exploration was required at Big Four before a transaction could be considered. Figure 9 Big Four workings, facing north, note white quartz reef in left foreground Various gold joint ventures were also proposed, but decisions will await completion of the Ardea IPO. 4. Tenement acquisition update Ardea has applied for several new tenements in New South Wales and Western Australia, subsequent to the Ardea Prospectus Technical Assessment Report and so these projects are not covered in the Prospectus. The following sections briefly describe the geology and prospectivity of these new project areas. 4.1. Lachlan Fold Belt, NSW As part of the Ardea Prospectus preparation, a significant gold prospect has been generated for the Lewis Ponds project around the Godolphin Fault, a shallow east-dipping domain boundary structure separating the Ordovician Macquarie Arc in the west from the Silurian Hill End Trough in the east. From southeast to northwest, the structure hosts gold mining centres and targets from McPhillamys, Springfield, Mt Shorter, Calula and Copper Hill East. This Godolphin Fault trend is held within Ardeas tenement package, a 50km strike of continuous tenure abutting the McPhillamys deposit in the south and the Commonwealth (Silica Hill) deposit in the north. 4.1.1. Yeoval Porphyry Copper-Gold-Molybdenum-Rhenium Project (ELA5368, recommended for grant) - Ardea 100% Yeoval (ELA 5368) is located within the Macquarie Arc, 60km northeast of the Northparkes copper-gold mine. The tenement application covers an area of 138km2 and is intensely mineralised with more than 60 historic copper workings trending in a north-easterly direction, along a 20km strike. The project area encompasses the eastern section of the Early Devonian Yeoval Complex, with the major host being the Devonian-aged Naringla Granodiorite including gabbro-diorite and quartz monzo-diorites. The co-magmatic Canowindra Volcanics of the Cudal Group occur to the east and south. The Ardea exploration target is a large tonnage porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum-rhenium system. This report section contains exploration results and estimates reported by ASX-listed Augur Resources Limited on 17 September 2012 under the JORC Code 2004[5]. The information has not been updated to comply with the JORC Code 2012, and it is uncertain whether following evaluation or further exploration work that the estimate will be able to be reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012. The known Yeoval deposit comprises two main near-surface zones of bornite-chalcopyrite mineralisation. Initial drilling in 1972 produced best intercepts of 42.7m at 0.93% Cu and 18m at 0.8g/t Au. Drilling in 2008 by Augur Resources produced best intercepts of 90m at 0.90% Cu and 0.14g/t Au and 50m at 0.54% Cu and 0.48g/t Au. Augur Resources[5] reported on 17 September and 2 December 2008 an Inferred Mineral Resource in compliance with JORC 2004 guidelines and based on this, Augur Resources considered an Exploration Target of approximately 10Mt 13Mt at grades of approximately 0.38% Cu and 0.14g/t Au as achievable.[7] Table 4: Augur Resources Ltd announcement of drill hole YZ-04, 17 October 2012 Hole ID Grid E (m) Grid N (m) EOH (m) Declin / azimuth () From (m) To (m) Width (m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) YZ-04 654 137 6 377 651 385.9 -55/102.5 182.7 266.2 19.1 0.6 0.66 This table represents data from an Augur Resources announcement on 17 September 2012 to the ASX. The background details of the data have yet to be ascertained and application has been made by Ardea to the NSW Department regarding release of the relevant comprehensive data-set to open file. The above information is included to validate that the Yeoval deposit is significantly copper-gold endowed and so warrants further investigation. Copies of Augurs several Yeoval announcements are available by contacting Ardea. 4.1.2. Mt Aubrey Epithermal Gold-Silver Project (ELA5369, recommended for grant) - Ardea 100% Mt Aubrey (ELA 5369) is located at the east contact of the Macquarie Arc Ordovician andesites some 30km northeast of Parkes and 30km southeast of Peak Hill. The property was acquired by Ardea as an epithermal gold system hosted in Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian-aged Dulladerry Volcanics, a bimodal subaerial suite of quartz eye porphyry with rhyolitic ash-flow lapilli tuff, pyroclastic and breccia and amygdaloidal basalt. Gold mineralisation is typically hosted by 0.5-3m thick chalcedonic epithermal quartz veins and stockworks. All assays reported in Table 5 below are from open file reports and are not able to be verified by Ardea. Although an epithermal-style of gold mineralisation, the Mt Aubrey mineralisation isnt refractory, with the published run-of-mine grade (3.73g/t Au) returning 95.7% recovery in historic metallurgical test work. Gold mineralisation at the Mt Aubrey vein system remains open at depth and along strike, as the historical drilling done by BHP Gold was only designed to define shallow oxide resources. The Mount Aubrey deposit was mined by BHP Gold in 1990 and 1991 as shallow open-pit satellite operations to the Parkes Gold Mine. It is estimated that up to 120,000 tonnes of ore at 3.3g/t Au was trucked to Parkes for processing. As part of the operating agreement with the landowner all three of the small open-pits were back filled. It is presumed that the shallower of the drill intercepts as reported above were mined in the BHP open-pits. Historic pit pick-ups will be sought to quantify the status ore positions beneath the historic pit floors. In 2007, Aurelia Metals Ltd.[8] completed three diamond core holes beneath the former Mt Aubrey Gold Mine for a total of 916.6m. The holes were designed to test the down dip extension of high grade epithermal quartz veining mined in the Mt Aubrey open-pits. Holes MAD002 and MAD003 each intersected broad zones of epithermal quartz-carbonate vein stockworks associated with epidote, sericite and bleaching alteration and minor sulphides. Table 5 Mt Aubrey historic RC drill results. Hole ID Grid E (m) Grid N (m) EOH (m) Declin / azimuth () From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) MAR016 5161 10136 71 -60/018 38 44 6 6.65 MAR025 5201 10135 56 -60/024 30 32 2 6.04 MAR030 5291 10066 61 -60/018 45 49 4 2.17 52 59 7 1.33 MAR034 5743 10111 61 -60/355 49 55 6 6.21 MAR038 5774 10142 56 -60/355 6 11 5 3.18 16 25 9 1.26 MAR046 5161 10116 121 -60/018 64 73 9 4.12 MAR051 4881 10249 76 -60/018 26 29 3 7.99 MAR065 5201 10145 25 -60/018 14 17 3 7.68 MAR066 5739 10152 51 -69/175 4 11 7 3.10 24 27 3 1.85 32 40 8 1.85 MAR070 5140 10160 69 -60/017 15 27 7 17.78 MAR072 5180 10151 33 -60/019 6 16 10 8.52 MAR077 4923 10251 33 -60/018 5 10 5 8.10 MAR079 5694 10120 55 -60/355 6 14 8 2.87 MAR083 5821 10157 51 -60/019 23 24 1 6.10 37 48 11 2.95 MAR084 5821 10172 51 -60/018 17 20 3 4.57 MAR085 5862 10179 75 -60/018 12 16 5 3.97 MAR086 5861 10160 75 -60/020 18 27 9 2.45 MAR089 5662 10173 60 -60/018 18 21 3 5.66 It is yet to be determined through historic pit surveys which of these intercepts have been extracted in previous mining operations. Anecdotal reporting suggests very shallow open-pits, being some 20-30m deep as determined by stripping ratios. Their inclusion in this Report is solely to demonstrate that the Mt Aubrey system is gold-endowed and warrants further evaluation. At the Mt Aubrey South prospect drill hole MAD004 intersected a broad zone hosting abundant mineralised crustiform textured quartz-carbonate-pyrite veining with a gold intersection of 88m at 0.22g/t Au from 2m. The gold mineralisation in MAD004 represents an un-mined new gold-bearing structure to the south of the main Mt Aubrey vein system. The Blue Hills prospect is an area of outcropping, gold bearing veins and minor workings 2km along strike to the northwest of Mount Aubrey. Rock chip samples of up to 13.4g/t Au have been recorded and two costeans returned results of 2m at 1.35g/t Au and 6.5m at 1.40g/t Au. The area between Mt Aubrey and Blue Hills is mainly covered by modern alluvium but is also thought to contain quartz veining. The Emu Swamp prospect is located 3km to the east of Mt Aubrey and contains outcropping veining with rock chip gold values to 3.3 g/t Au associated with pyritic alteration. The 6km Blue Hills Mt Aubrey Emu Swamp trend represents a significant epithermal vein system target. Mt Aubrey along with the adjoining Yeoval tenure is interpreted by Ardea as the manifestation of a major NE-trending zoned porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum-rhenium to epithermal gold-silver intrusive centre. 4.1.3. Wisemans Creek Gold-Copper Project (ELA5378, recommended for grant) - Ardea 100% The Black Bullock prospect is located at Wisemans Creek, 35km southeast of Bathurst, NSW. Epithermal gold mineralisation within the tenure is hosted largely within Late-Silurian Early Devonian-aged slates, shales and sediments of the Kildrummie and Campbells Groups, with geology through the centre of the tenure comprising the andesitic Ordovician-aged Rockley Volcanics. Mineralisation has been reported as predominantly associated with silicified zones with epithermal textures such as open-space filling in quartz veins, quartz vein breccias, chalcedonic silicification and colloform banding. The units strike NNW and dip steeply eastwards. The Wisemans Creek area was held as EL2098 by Windsor Resources[9] during the 1980s and was part of a JV arrangement, which saw a total of 80 RC and three diamond holes drilled between the years 1985 - 1989. In Windsors 1988 Annual Operations report, the major historic gold mine production was noted as being from Black Bullock Mine, reporting production of some 40,000oz of silver and 2,098oz of gold from 4,700 tonnes of ore (at an average grade of 14g/t gold). Three main areas of interest were identified, some within State Forest and some on freehold land. At the gold prices of the day, the deposit was not considered economic, however gold intercepts at shallow depths were reported that warrant further investigation. Table 6 above lists only some of the more significant gold intercepts recorded in the Windsor Annual Report. An additional 23 RC and 3 diamond drill holes (not listed in Table 6) contained significant intercepts at or above 0.5g/t Au. In 2006 Central West Gold[10] completed an IP survey and drilled follow up RC holes based on modelling of the earlier historic drilling and which reportedly contained a best result of 3m at 0.36g/t Au from 9m. Table 6: Black Bullock prospect historic drill results Hole ID Grid E (m) Grid N (m) EOH (m) Declin / azimuth () From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) PWC-11 2100 1160 93 -60/270 0 16 16 0.62 PWC-14 2789 2200 99 -60/270 16 50 34 1.00 incl. 30 44 14 2.25 incl. 36 42 6 3.60 incl. 60 66 6 0.64 PWC-17 2673.5 2174 87 -60/090 10 30 20 0.22 PWC-18 2482 2070 105 -60/270 8 34 26 0.20 PWC-19 2437 2170 105 -60/270 6 16 10 0.25 Incl. 22 28 6 0.48 PWC-21 2604 1276 104 -60/270 74 100 26 1.56 incl. 74 86 12 3.10 PWC-25 2597 1387 82 -60/175 60 76 16 0.48 incl. 60 62 2 1.04 PWC-28 2900 2128 82 -60/090 66 82 16 0.3 PWC-29 1950 1990 51 -60/090 6 18 12 0.6 PWC-33 2650 1269 45 -60/270 16 28 12 1.5 PWC-34 2755 2195 75 -60/270 30 42 12 0.7 The above table represents historic data from GS1988_277 Windsor Resources report, recorded as a statutory requirement, for the NSW government department. The quality of the data has yet to be ascertained as historic QAQC work was poorly reported, but is included to establish that the Wisemans Creek prospect is gold-endowed and warrants further investigation. Duckmaloi Tungsten prospect From 2012 to 2014 part of the tenement area now held by Ardea was held by Resmetco Ltd[11] who explored for tungsten within a prospect known as Duckmaloi hosted within skarn style mineralisation. The prospect itself was estimated in an open file report to have an Exploration Target[3] of approximately 375,000 tonnes at 0.2% WO 3 The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature and there is insufficient information to estimate a Mineral Resource and it remains uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource in this area of drilling. The existence of this deposit style as well as the nearby epithermal occurrences does suggest evidence for a larger mineralizing system and also warrants further investigation. 4.1.4. Status of NSW Applications The Wisemans Creek, Yeoval and Mt Aubury applications have been recommended for grant. 4.2. Eastern Goldfields, WA 4.2.1. Bedonia West- Ardea 100% E63/1827 and E63/1828 covering 358km2 complete Ardeas coverage of the Jimberlana Dyke west of the existing Bedonia prospect. Recent Ardea work has confirmed the anomalous Ni-Cu-PGM soil auger geochemistry previously identified by Heron is coincident with a specific intrusive phase of the Jimberlana Dyke lopolith. The new applications consolidate Ardeas coverage of the favourable Proterozoic Dyke lopolith geological setting. 4.2.2. Perrinvale- Ardea 100% E29/1006 covers 175km2 along the eastern strike continuation of the Cathedrals Proterozoic Dyke complex. The application was predicated on Ardeas recognition of lopolith mineralisation controls at its Bedonia Project, and aims to secure similarly endowed lopolith geological settings, as well as the northern strike continuation of the domain boundary Ida Fault hosting the Mt Ida gold mining centre to the immediate south. 4.2.3. Status of WA Applications The WA applications at Perrinvale, Bedonia West and Jimberlana are proceeding towards grant with no objections pending. 5. Corporate update Ardea share applications A copy of the Prospectus and First and Second Supplementary Prospectus is available at www.ardearesources.com.au. Anyone considering investing should read the Prospectuses in their entirety before deciding whether to do so. Applications can only be made via the application form which is in the Prospectus. Please contact Ardeas Company Secretary, Mr Sam Middlemas, on +61 8 6500 9200 if a hard-copy of the Prospectus is required. About Heron Resources Limited: Herons project focus is commissioning the high-grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km southwest of Sydney, New South Wales. In addition, the Company holds a number of other high quality base metal exploration properties located in the immediate Woodlawn area of the Lachlan Fold Belt, New South Wales. With Herons focus on Woodlawn and the securing of finance for commissioning the operation, the spin-off of the non-Woodlawn assets into Ardea was commenced in August 2016. It is anticipated that Ardea will commence trading on ASX in February 2017. Compliance Statement (JORC 2012 and NI43-101) A competent persons statement for the purposes of Listing Rule 5.22 has previously been announced by the Company for: Lewis Ponds on 9 November 2016 (prospectus lodged by Ardea and Heron); Kalgoorlie Nickel Project on 21 October 2013 and 31 July 2014, 27 October 2016, 2016 Heron Annual Report and 6 January 2017; Big Four-Goongarrie on 13 March 2012, 26 June 2012 and 24 July 2012. KNP Cobalt Zone Study on 6 January 2017 The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects information included in previous announcements, and all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates continue to apply and have not materially changed. All projects will be subject to new work programs following the listing of Ardea, notably drilling, metallurgy and JORC Code 2012 resource estimation as applicable. The exploration target for Lewis Ponds, exploration results for Lewis Ponds, Gundagai, Mt Zephyr, BTZ and Kalgoorlie East Tenements, and forward programs contained in this announcement are based on, and fairly represents, information reviewed by Mr Ian Buchhorn, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Buchhorn is a full-time employee of Heron Resources Ltd. and has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results. Mr Buchhorn has reviewed the Heron announcements the subject of the Second Supplementary Prospectus and consents to the inclusion of the information in the form and context in which it appears. Mr Buchhorn states that the historical exploration results and estimates are an accurate representation of available data and studies for the Yeoval, Mt Aubury and Wisemans Creek projects and are reflect Mr Buchhorns on-the-ground knowledge of the regional project areas. The information in this report that relates to KNP Exploration Results is based on information originally compiled by previous and current full time employees of Heron Resources Ltd.. The Exploration Results and data collection processes have been reviewed, verified and re-interpreted by Mr Ian Buchhorn who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and currently a full-time employee of Heron Resources Ltd.. Mr Buchhorn has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the exploration activities undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr Buchhorn consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context that it appears. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for the Goongarrie South, Big Four and Aubils Prospects is based on information originally compiled by Mr James Ridley in 2008 and 2009 when employed as a Senior Resource Geologist with Heron Resources Ltd.. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for the Scotia and Black Range Prospects is based on information originally compiled by Snowden Mining Industry Consultants on behalf of Heron in 2004. The Mineral Resource estimates for all five prospect areas have been reviewed, validated and re-interpreted by James Ridley who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Ridley is now a full-time employee of Ridley Mineral Resource Consulting Pty Limited and has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the resource estimation activity that he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr Ridley consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context that it appears. Note that Mineral Resources that are not Ore Reserves do not have demonstrated viability. The exploration and industry benchmarking summaries are based on information reviewed by Mr Ian Buchhorn, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Buchhorn is a full-time employee of Heron Resources Ltd. and has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr Buchhorn has reviewed this press release and consents to the inclusion in this report of the information in the form and context in which it appears. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Australian and Canadian securities laws, which are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. This forward-looking information includes, or may be based upon, without limitation, estimates, forecasts and statements as to managements expectations with respect to, among other things, the timing and ability to complete the Ardea spin-out, the timing and amount of funding required to execute the Companys exploration, development and business plans, capital and exploration expenditures, the effect on the Company of any changes to existing legislation or policy, government regulation of mining operations, the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals, the success of exploration, development and mining activities, the geology of the Companys properties, environmental risks, the availability of labour, the focus of the Company in the future, demand and market outlook for precious metals and the prices thereof, progress in development of mineral properties, the Companys ability to raise funding privately or on a public market in the future, the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, may and similar expressions have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is given, and on information available to management at such time. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors, including, but not limited to, the ability to complete the Ardea spin-out on the basis of the proposed terms and timing or at all, fluctuations in currency markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, the ability of the Company to access sufficient capital on favourable terms or at all, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company does business or may carry on business in the future, operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities and grades of mineral reserves, contests over title to properties, especially title to undeveloped properties, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other geological data, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding, limitations of insurance coverage and the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, and should be considered carefully. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect the Companys actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective purchasers that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1577ca1a-d81a-421a-a266-f4c9eed1b352 JORC Code, 2012 Edition Table 1 (Mt Zephyr, Mt Aubury, Yeoval, Wisemans Creek) Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Mt Zephyr, Nord Resources (Pacific) Pty Ltd, 1982, open hole percussion drilling, decline 60 degrees west, only sample BIF, panned to detect gold, and if gold noted, submitted to Analabs, accordingly very poor assay coverage, assay technique not known Mt Zephyr, Aurora Gold Ltd., 1993, RAB drilling, decline 60 degrees west, 6m composites (two rod lengths), assay by AMDEL, 0.01g/t Au detection limit, QAQC replicate assay for each sample, acceptable precision Mt Zephyr, Newcrest Mining Ltd., 2008, assay by Genalysis, 50gm FA with AAS finish, 0.01g/t Au detection limit, presume QAQC but not detailed in available report, 1m RC chips Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). Refer above, insufficient detail in historic GSWA-held reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Not known Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Geotechnical logging most unlikely Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Subsampling most unlikely Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time QAQC likely for Newcrest phase of exploration, but not known. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Verification likely for Newcrest phase of exploration, but not known. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Local grids used, require field validation but minimal drill hole artefacts remain Georeferenced using surveyed gold mining lease corner pegs. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Insufficient sample points in previous work to establish continuity, Mt Zephyr, Nord and Aurora work not appropriate for Mineral Resource estimates Essentially wildcat exploration holes, not suited to resource estimation. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Not known Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Not known Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Not known Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results - (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. Heron granted Exploration Licence tenure and Ardea EL applications The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. No known impediments Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Desk top appraisal, requires re-drill by Ardea Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. Mt Zephyr, Syenite hosted gold associated with Celia Lineament, northwest continuation of Red October-Sunrise Dam-Wallaby-Jupiter trend, granitoid intrusives defined by circular magnetic anomalies (as per Mt Zephyr magnetic feature) Lewis Ponds, Mt Phillamy-style orogenic base metals-gold possibly overprinting VMS enriched meta-sedimentary succession. Mt Aubury-Yeoval, upper epithermal system with a Silurian-Devonian intrusive system. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. Refer above, local grids used, GIS registered but accuracy not quantified, insufficient detail in historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Not done in historic data Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). Not applicable Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Not available Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Not available Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Not available Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Mt Zephyr, ground magnetics to define syenite intrusives and contacts, gravity survey to define structures, aircore drill to quantify host geology, then RC sections for mineralisation continuity (200x40m initial pattern). Mt Aubury-Yeoval and Wisemans Creek, systematic multi-element soil auger geochemistry to rank drill targets. Perrinvale, Jimberlana, Bedonia West, multi-element soil auger geochemistry to define ground EM targets, RC drill all conductors. JORC Code, 2012 Edition Table 1 (Lewis Ponds Exploration Target) Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Refer reporting in Bob Cotton JORC 2004 and JORC 2012 reporting Refer ASX announcements as follows: Ardea Resources Prospectus dated 9 November 2016, pages 9-10, 43-48, 67, 83 (JORC 2012 Resource Statement), 95-106 (Tenements). Heron Annual Report 2016 dated 24 August 2016, section 10.6. Heron Quarterly Report September 2016 dated 31 October 2016. Both Reverse Circulation Percussion drilling (RCP) and Diamond core drilling (DD) have contributed to the Lewis Ponds resource database. RCP totals 2,190 samples representing 2,566 metres of mineralisation drilling, and DD totals 4,832 samples for 5,048 metres. Total drilling to the date of the Bob Cotton September 2016 report was 54,516 metres comprising: 117 primary diamond holes for 41,776 metres 32 wedged diamond holes for 7,159 metres 7 diamond tails to RCP holes for 159 metres 62 RCP holes for 5,421 metres 4 Open Holes (Percussion/Rotary drilling) for 276 metres The last hole drilled was the diamond tail to TLPRC04010. The Resource is based on sub-surface samples obtained by the above drilling. Earliest drilling was successful testing of geochemical and/or geophysical anomalism adjacent to historic small mining. This progressed into drilling on grid sections to test the discovered mineralisation at intervals appropriate for good confidence in continuity. The earliest was diamond drilling by Amax commencing 25 October, 1971. The Longyear 44 rig used was top industry standard for the time. Similarly, the first single shot gyro instruments were being used for downhole surveys. Handheld GPS became practical for sub-5m accuracy collar positioning in year 2000 (removal of Selective Availability). The most recent programs after and including 2004 used Trimble GPS for collar positioning. The first hole to have (Differential) GPS collar positioning was TLPD-55 which commenced 3 Nov1995. About 40 percent of the total metreage drilled was GPS located. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). HQ and NQ core, recoveries recorded, sampling by half core predominantly, focus for historic cut selection mainly dependent upon visible base metal sulphide-bearing drill core. Two main types of drilling have been used since the first drill testing at Lewis Ponds in 1971: Reverse Circulation Percussion (RCP) and Diamond Core Drilling (DD). Open hole techniques including Tricone, Blade and Hammer have been used to pre-collar holes through overburden and barren ground to place casing to facilitate deeper RC and/or DD. Prior to 1980, HQ core size was used only to seat the casing to enable NQ coring to start. Most of these holes at some stage reduced to BQ core size when rotation became an issue with NQ. In DD programs subsequent to 1980 HQ core size was used to refusal then reduction to NQ and possibly BQ. After 1990 triple tube barrels were used to good effect minimising core loss, and reduction to NQ became the norm with no further use of BQ coring. Diamond tails, as distinct from pre-collars, were used to extend RCP holes in the 2004 programs. These totalled 152 m in five holes. No use of oriented core was made until 2004 where drillers marks on core assisted determination of vergence in folding adjacent to mineralisation Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Core recoveries at Lewis Ponds have not in every case been recorded on a sample by sample basis, however a good recovery database is provided by recoveries recorded in the Geological Logs. These logs show that significant core loss is a comparatively rare event once the hole enters competent rock, and in most cases is due to local faulting and/or shearing. Recovery of core has been measured by restoring the core, fitting individual pieces end to end where possible. Lengths of the assembled core were measured to compare with the intervals between drillers downhole markers. The ratio between the measured length and the marker interval length was recorded as core recovery percent. Percussion chip samples, at least in the more recent RC drilling, were weighed and the weight recorded. Any noticeably low weight recorded became a recovery factor in the sampling record. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Logging of core and chips has been maintained throughout the Lewis Ponds programs. In the 1992 - 2004 programs, logs of downhole geology were generally prepared on paper proformas then entered digitally. In most cases scans of the hand logs have been made as well as the digital logs. The first objective has been to enable the lithology, alteration and mineralisation, and oxidation records to appear on screen together with grades for geological interpretive purposes. This has taken place to the standard required for mineral resource estimation and subsequent studies. The geological logging done, together with available photography, is considered to be adequate for mineral resource studies. Where needed terms such as massive, semi-massive stringer or disseminated have been used to describe the aspect of the metal sulphides. These qualitative terms are expected to be reflected in the assay results for the same intervals. This applies to logging both core and chips. Visual estimation of sulphide percentages has not been systematic throughout the drilling. Core photography has been carried out over the mineralised intervals in core obtained between TLPD33 and TLPD72 (Oct 1994 to April 1997) and the mineralised section of TLPD12. This represents approximately 50% of the total drilling, thus there is insufficient core photography to be a proxy for geotechnical logging in the event of a scoping study for Lewis Ponds. Minimal geotechnical logging, due to lack of orientated drill core. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Insufficient detail in pre-1992 historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time. With both RCP and DD drill sampling, a replicate sample was taken every 20m for quality control and submitted without special identification with other samples to the laboratory. It was rare for replicate sample assays, when compared with the original, to fall outside normal variability within the sampling/assay process. On some occasions a triplicate sample was taken for an umpire Au assay. The Lewis Ponds sulphides, whether massive, stringer or disseminated, have not raised problems of representivity with the RCP and DD sampling employed. Gold is a significant element of the Lewis Ponds metal value and could have representivity issues. Preliminary metallurgical study indicates that gold is largely refractory within sulphides. Nugget gold is therefore unlikely to be a problem in fresh rock at Lewis Ponds with attendant representivity issues. This may have to be reviewed if mineralisation in the oxide zone becomes a drilling target. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Refer above, insufficient detail in pre-1992 historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time QC Certificates of Analysis are held from the laboratory in respect of regular internal check assays of Standards, Blanks and Internal Duplicates from pulps of the original samples. Random checks give evidence of satisfactory procedures. Accuracy and Precision stats could be run for a marginally higher level of comfort. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Refer above, insufficient detail in historic pre-1992 reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time All significant intersections (TRO, TOA and prior) have been independently verified by a senior consultant to the extent of re-logging to become familiar with the detailed assaying characteristics. This was carried out in two phases and a full report has been presented describing each phase Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Refer above, insufficient detail in pre-1992 historic reports, reputable international explorer using standard industry practice of the time Local grids used, require field validation but minimal drill hole artefacts remain Collar positions have been set in using a Trimble GPS instrument with a sub-5 metre level of accuracy. Collars of TOA and TRO holes have been picked up using a DGPS Sub-1 metre instrument since mid-1995. Prior to that, holes may have been sited relative to a pegged tape and compass grid with significant inaccuracies. However in 1995 all previous hole collars appear to have been identified and surveyed by DGPS. No tape and compass coordinates are used to locate any item of drill data in the current database. In 2004 limited checks were made of surviving early hole collars (pre-1995) using DGPS with satisfactory results when compared with database. The Lewis Ponds grid was established in 1992 using a local grid north reference of 315 degrees magnetic. The Grid north orientation of 315 degrees (Mag) equates to 329 degrees MGA. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Where drilling density is greatest the Lewis Ponds mineralisation is seen to consist of simple lenses at all downhole Zinc Equivalent (ZnEq) cut-offs up to 8 to 9 % ZnEq. Cross sections are 20 m apart. On any one cross section three or more drill holes are sufficient to characterise the lenses. The drill intersections are usually about 50 to 80m apart down dip. For the thickest part of the Main Lenses this criterion applies on six contiguous cross sections, that is 120m of strike length. From this base, at the low 1% ZnEq cut-off, one or two intersections per cross section are sufficient to carry the lens interpretation a further 40m north and 300m up plunge to the south. At this point there is a second interval of 100m strike length near surface with 3 intercepts per cross section. At the plus 7% ZnEq cut-off, the lenses are limited to the 120m interval. It is considered that this data distribution permits estimation of resources in the Indicated category. For the Exploration Target Stringer interpretations, Lens interpretation has used Grade Composites based on (a) a 1% ZnEq downhole cut-off, effectively quantifying stringer and disseminated mineralisation, and (b) a 7% ZnEq downhole cut-off characterising semi-massive and massive sulphide mineralisation. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Generally orthogonal when using Stringer interpretations. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Perhaps the best security against potential sample tampering for a situation such as Lewis Ponds has been not to have to store the samples. Site processing of samples was by Company employees and when complete samples were less than an hour from the laboratory by company vehicle. Satisfactory internal security was maintained routinely by the Laboratory. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Consultants completed a total review and audit of the Lewis Ponds database following the public float of Tri Origin Minerals Limited on 9 Jan 2004. Areas were: Grids and Collars, Downhole surveys, Assays, Geology. Apart from this Review, previous resource estimates were studied for factors likely to introduce bias, up or down. Ardea is currently assembling available Lewis Ponds hard copy reports archived at the Woodlawn mine site. Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results - (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. TriAusMin (Heron) granted Exploration Licence tenure and Ardea EL applications. The project is on partly cleared private land, most of which is owned by Ardea. Access agreements are in place for the private land surrounding the main deposit area. There are no national parks, reserves or heritage sites affecting the project area. At this stage security can only be enhanced by continued engagement with stakeholders and maintaining profile in the City of Orange in particular The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. No known impediments Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. Refer Ardea Prospectus Amax Exploration Australia Inc entered a Joint Venture Agreement which Metals Investments Holdings NL and A.I. Consolidated Gold Pty Ltd held with the owner of the title ,Wentworth Mining Corporation Pty Ltd, over ground which included the Lewis Ponds deposit. Amax drilled four DD holes totalling 875 meters in 1971-1972 which contributed four intercepts above 7% ZnE to this Resource estimate. The only drilling done prior to Amax was by Cominco in 1969. Three holes were abandoned after entering disused workings at the Spicers Mine location, Lewis Ponds. Subsequent drilling by Aquitaine Australia Minerals Pty Ltd in 1975-1976 was under joint venture agreement with Amax and Shell Company of Australia. 10 (BOA series) holes were drilled totalling 2102 metres, which also contributed four intercepts. Between 1979 and 1981 a further 7 holes totalling 2274 metres (SLP series) were drilled by Shell and Aquitaine under the JV agreement with Amax. This drilling contributed five intercepts including one twinned in a wedge hole. In total, other party exploration contributed 15 percent of the database which now determines the geometry of potentially ore grade mineralisation for this Resource estimate. In 1987-1988, the Homestake subsidiary Sabminco drilled 33 RCP holes totalling 2300 metres (LPRC series). This drilling contributed 21 intercepts of the 230 used to interpret the Resource. Prior to the acquisition of TriAusMin by Heron in August 2014, Tri Origin Australia drilled 42,232 metres in 124 holes, followed by Tri Origin Minerals with 3,812 metres in 30 holes. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. Refer Ardea Prospectus. Lewis Ponds, Mt Phillamy-style orogenic base metals-gold possibly overprinting VMS enriched meta-sedimentary succession.. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. The database now carries 211 holes totalling 54516 metres. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Massive mineralization model: Grade compositing was by averages above cutoff weighted for sample length. The maximum total inclusion of subgrade was 5m and the maximum consecutive inclusion of subgrade was 3m. Two sets of composites were prepared, one based on downhole cut-off of 1 percent Zinc Equivalent (% ZnEq) and the other based on 7% ZnEq (potentially economic). No cutting of high grades took place at the aggregation stage because grade composites were used only for the interpretation of the geometry of the mineralisation on cross section and in plan, prior to wireframing, not for Resource estimation. Stringer Exploration Target mineralization model: There was no limitation on internal waste, since the objective was to generate mining shapes for a low grade open-pit bulk mining operation. The historic Lewis Ponds core assay data has significant runs of unassayed material which has been included in intercept runs as nil grade. Review of available core photography and geological logs confirms a significant proportion of un-assayed internal waste is sericite-pyrite altered and thus prospective for orogenic gold. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). Not currently applicable to Stringer systems, require geo-metallurgical assessment. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Available as hard copy at Woodlawn mine site, to be digitized. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Balanced reporting in Bob Cotton JORC 2004 and JORC 2012 reporting Site visits Site visits were made by the Competent Person Ian Buchhorn in January 2015 and November 2016 This was combined with seeing outcrop characteristics of the quartz eye volcaniclastic sandstone footwall and volcaniclastic siltstone hangingwall rocks. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Substantive exploration data reporting in Bob Cotton JORC 2004 and JORC 2012 reporting. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Multi-element soil auger geochemistry to quantify host geology and lode envelope, then 100m spaced DDH sections for mineralisation continuity/GeoMet. Copper Hill East and Wisemans Creek, systematic multi-element soil auger geochemistry to rank Lewis Ponds style drill targets. [1] The breakdown for the full KNP resource categories is as follows: Resource Category Quantity (Mt) Co (%) Ni (%) Measured 9.6 0.081 1.02 Indicated 244.0 0.052 0.75 KNP Total Measured and Indicated 253.6 0.052 0.76 Inferred 551.7 0.046 0.68 KNP Total Resources 805.3 0.048 0.70 [2] The breakdown for the full Lewis Ponds resource categories is as follows: Resource Category Quantity(Mt) Zn(%) Cu(%) Pb(%) Au(g/t) Ag(g/t) Indicated Main Zone 5.82 2.1 0.1 1.1 1.5 59 Toms Zone 0.54 5.5 0.3 3.8 1.7 172 Total Indicated 6.35 2.4 0.2 1.4 1.5 68 Inferred Main Zone 0.17 1.7 0.1 0.8 0.9 47 Toms Zone 0.10 5.0 0.2 3.6 1.4 174 Total Inferred 0.27 3.0 0.1 1.9 1.1 96 Total Mineral Resource 6.62 2.4 0.2 1.4 1.5 69 [3] An Exploration Target is a term used within the JORC2012 Code for an estimate of the exploration potential of a mineral deposit. As used in this release the stated Exploration Target is based upon the parameters described in the text, however the potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature and there is insufficient information to estimate a Mineral Resource and it remains uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource in this area of drilling. [4] Aurora Gold has not consented to the use of the historical geological report reference in this announcement. The potential quantity and grade of any mineralisation is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a mineral resource. [5] Augur Resources has not consented to the use of the historical geological report reference in this announcement. This section contains exploration results and estimates reported by Augur Resources Limited on 17 September 2012 under the JORC Code 2004. The information has not been updated to comply with the JORC Code 2012, and it is uncertain whether following evaluation and or further exploration work that the estimate will be able to be reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012. [7] The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature and there is insufficient information to estimate a Mineral Resource and it remains uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource in this area of drilling. [8] Aurelia Metals Ltd. has not consented to the use of the historical geological report reference in this announcement [9] Windsor Resources has not consented to the use of the historical geological report reference in this announcement. [10] Central West Gold has not consented to the use of the historical geological report reference in this announcement. [11] Resmetco Ltd has not consented to the use of the historical geological report reference in this announcement. For further information regarding Ardea, please visit www.ardearesources.com.au or www.heronresources.com.au or contact: Ardea Resources: Dr Matt Painter, Managing Director of Ardea Resources Ltd. Tel +61 8 6500 9200 Australia: Mr Wayne Taylor, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Heron Resources Tel: +61 2 9119 8111 or +61 8 6500 9200 Email: heron@heronresources.com.au Canada: Tel: +1 905 727 8688 (Toronto) the completion of a debt or equity financing for not less than $1,800,000; and key management and employees of Goldway entering into employment agreements. TORONTO,January 6, 2017 - Geodex Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: GXM) (the "Company" or "Geodex") is pleased to provide the following update on its previously announced initiative to become a Next Generation Metals and Mining Company. Each aspect of the Company's restructuring, financing and acquisition and growth strategy is discussed below.- Debt Settlement and Share ConsolidationAt the Company's special meeting of shareholders held on January 29, 2016, the shareholders approved: a) the consolidation of the common shares of the Company on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation common share for every ten (10) pre-consolidation common shares (the "Consolidation"); b) $386,059.30 in debt settlements to arm's length and non-arm's length parties through the issuance of 3,860,593 post-consolidation common shares of the Company at a deemed price of $0.10 per post-consolidation common share (the "Debt Settlement"); and c) the conversion of special warrants (converted into 670,000 common shares) issued in connection with a private placement in July 2015. The Consolidation and conversion of special warrants received final approval from the TSX Venture Exchange on February 9, 2016 resulting in 2,779,827 common shares issued and outstanding. Completion of the Debt Settlement will result in the issuance of an additional 3,860,593 common shares (or 6,640,420 pro forma shares) issued and outstanding prior to completion of the proposed non-brokered unit financing (the "Offering") and Goldway SRL acquisition. The Debt Settlement is expected to close concurrently with the first tranche of the proposed Offering, subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.- Non-brokered Private Placement of UnitsThe previously announced private placement offering of up to an aggregate of up to 2,000 Units (the "Units") of the Company for gross proceeds of $1,800,000 (the "Offering") has been revised. Each Unit is now comprised of: (i) a note in the principal amount of C$1,000, bearing a coupon of 10.0%, payable semi-annually (the "Note"); (ii) 1,500 common shares (the "Unit Shares"); and (iii) 1,500 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants"), with each Warrant exercisable into one common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.10 per Warrant Share, provided that the Warrant is exercised on or before the date that is 5 years from the date of closing.The Notes will have a 5-year term and are being sold at a 10% discount to their par value for a deemed offering price of $900.00 per Unit for gross proceeds of $1,800,000.The Offering may close in multiple tranches with proceeds of the Units sold under the Offering to be used for metal trading activities, project development capital for the Company's operations in Bolivia and for general working capital purposes.Key to the Company's growth strategy is the acquisition of Goldway S.R.L. ("Goldway"), a privately owned gold and metals trading company with operations in Bolivia. The original Letter of Intent ("LOI") entered into on July 22, 2015 has been amended pursuant to a share exchange agreement dated August 12, 2016, and it is intended that the shareholders of Goldway will receive: (i) $100,000 on closing of the acquisition; (ii) 5,000,000 of common shares in the capital of the Company ("Geodex Shares"), to be issued in tranches of one-third (1/3) on each of the closing of the acquisition, and the dates that are six (6) months and twelve (12) months following completion of the acquisition; and (iii) future cash payments equal to 10% of the operating earnings ("EBITDA") for the first year following the acquisition, 9.5% of EBITDA for the second year, and 9.0% of EBITDA for the third year. In the event that Goldway has minimum EBITDA of $1,000,000 for the 12 month period following completion of the acquisition the sellers may elect to receive a one-time payment of $500,000 in lieu of the annual payments.The transaction will be completed by way of cash and equity payments as described above, a considerable portion of which will be deferred and aligned to the profitability of Goldway. No finder's fee will be paid by Goldway pursuant to this transaction, and the transaction does not involve any non-arm's length parties.The proposed transaction is subject to final TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, receipt of required third party consents and completion of final due diligence. The terms of the transaction are subject to a 60 day period to complete due diligence period and a binding exclusivity obligation through such period.In addition to the above noted customary closing conditions and approvals, the transaction is also subject to:"The acquisition of Goldway is a key first step in our restructuring of Geodex to a sustainable, high growth Next Generation Metals and Mining Company." said Gorden Glenn, Chairman of Geodex Minerals Ltd. "With the support of existing and new shareholders, the management and board are focused on completing the final stages of our transformation and look forward to executing on our business strategy in central and south America. The acquisition is anticipated to propel growth during calendar 2017."The proposed acquisition of Goldway is a key milestone in the transformation of Geodex from a junior exploration company to a global metals trading business platform. Goldway complements and accelerates Geodex's existing business development efforts to generate significant revenues and build a global metals trading houseGeodex is focused on transforming itself to become a Next Generation Metals and Mining Company. The Company has been structured to provide not only high leverage to commodity prices and exploration and development success but also above average growth and a high return on invested capital (ROIC) for our stakeholders. We believe our active involvement in the physical commodities market provides us with insights in global primary supply and demand trends that in turn create a strategic and competitive advantage on new mine development and expansion opportunities on a global basis. GXM management and board have over 75 years collective expertise in exploration, development, operations, mining finance and capital markets to acquire and possibly make direct investments in projects and/or provide merchant banking advisory services to the benefit of our shareholders and client alike.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Geodex Minerals Ltd.Gorden GlennInterim President & Chief Executive OfficerFor further information, please contact Investor Relations at 647-985-2785 or info@geodexminerals.com. Visit our website at www.geodexminerals.comForward Looking Statements: The Statements included in this press release regarding financing plans, the Letter of Intent of Goldway S.R.L. and concerning predictions of economic performance and management's plans and objectives constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although the Company believes that expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The Company cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what the Company currently foresees.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Geodex Minerals Ltd. Turkey and the U.K. have agreed upon the importance of reaching a settlement on the divided island of Cyprus ahead of next weeks summit in the Swiss capital, Geneva, according to a Downing Street statement on Saturday, Anadolu reported. Prime Minister Theresa May called Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday to discuss the peace talks, the statement said. A government spokesman underlined Erdogan and May "agreed that the Geneva meeting was a real opportunity to secure a better future for Cyprus." "They [leaders] agreed on the importance of reaching a successful resolution to the Cyprus peace talks in Geneva, noting that this was a real opportunity to secure a better future for Cyprus and to guarantee stability in the wider region," the statement said. The British premier also expressed her sincere condolences over the recent terror attacks in Istanbul and Izmir. The statement added May was looking forward to her visit to Turkey. "They wished each other a happy and peaceful New Year and the prime minister said she looked forward to visiting Turkey early this year," it said. The Cyprus reunification talks will start on Jan. 9 in Geneva. Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci said last week the reunification referendum could be held in mid-2017 pending an agreement in Geneva. If a deal is reached on territorial changes, negotiators are expected to announce a date for a final summit between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders and three other states involved in the process as guarantor countries: Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. Reunification talks resumed in May 2015, and both sides have repeatedly expressed optimism that a solution would be found by the end of last year. Once a final agreement is reached, it would be put to both communities in a referendum. A UN-brokered peace deal was approved by Turkish Cypriots in 2004 but rejected by Greek Cypriot voters. 1. Gestural Interface 2. 4-D Printing and Self-Assembly 3. Gene Editing 4. 5G Telecommunications Further Toward the Edge The scholar Warren Bennis said: The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment. The joke is that technology has outstripped even our own comprehension. Perhaps not yet, but its easy to feel that way when one looks to the very furthest cutting edge of technology. Here are three examples of the amazing-made-real and what it will mean to us all. Smartdust: A system of microscopic, interconnected devices rigged up with computing power, sensing equipment, wireless radios and batteries, these clouds of dust particles could act as sensors to carry out simple tasks. The idea dates back several decades, but has moved closer to reality. In a recent paper published in Nature Photonics, scientists describe taking sharp images with a lens 120-millionths of a meter in diameter, the size of a grain of salt. This takes smartdust over a critical threshold, proving it is mechanically feasible to manufacture usable items on such a microscopic scale. Passive Wi-Fi: Researchers at the University of Washington think they have hit on a solution to power drain in Wi-Fi equipment. Their passive Wi-Fi hardware can drive routers, mobile phones and tablets using only 10-50 microwatts, or 10,000 times less power than todays best technologies. To achieve its energy savings, passive Wi-Fi reflects signal through a process called backscatter. While it wont fix all our charging woes screens still suck electricity greedily it could at least help to trim the battery drain of devices, a boon in terms of both convenience and cost. Neuromorphic computing: Computers dont think like we do. Where they conduct their calculations in a linear sequence, the brain is fully interconnected, with each neuron connected to thousands of others, Nayef Al-Rodhan, a scholar of technology and geopolitics, wrote in the journal Global Policy. Neuromorphic computing seeks to apply that same architecture to computers. Resulting systems might be faster and more intuitive; they might learn and remember in new ways. Some applications will include neuromorphic sensors in smartphones, smart cars and robots, or olfactory detection, Al-Rodhan wrote. Neuromorphic technology could impact anything from consumer electronics to warfare. 5. Nanotech Near-future technologies will change what we do, how we do it, even what we are.What we do: Why build objects, when 4-D printed materials will build themselves?How we do it: Drag a mouse, point a cursor and click? Tedious. How much simpler to toss off a gesture in the air, to manipulate computer operations with the wave of a hand or the flick of a finger?What we are: Gene editing already grows bigger corn and longer-lasting tomatoes. Could it grow a longer-lasting you?Last decades sci-fi movie effects become next years reality. Technology seems limited by nothing anymore save our own creativity and vision. Thats an opportunity for government leaders, of course. It heralds the arrival of new tools that can help to enhance citizen services while also improving the elemental functions within government.But theres a caveat, expressed nicely by American futurist Alex Steffen. We already have many of the technologies and tools that we need to build a sustainable future, he said. What we dont have is a new way of thinking, and thats really the hardest part.In considering the emerging technologies offered here, government leaders face an inherent challenge. They are tasked not only to help bring these bold ideas to fruition, but also to play a role in the ongoing dialog regarding the best and wisest uses for all this grand potential.Sometimes life imitates art. Take for example that scene in the 2002 science fiction film, where Tom Cruise uses specially designed gloves to maneuver content around wall-sized computer screens just by waving his hands.That is totally doable, said Mike Friedel, director of sales for Oblong Industries. The companys CEO, John Underkoffler, was science adviser to Steven Spielberg for the sci-fi film. While Oblongs product uses a wand rather than gloves, the premise is essentially the same.Gestural technology seeks to adapt the user interface, to make it more effective, more flexible, more intuitive. The user may interact with a computer monitor, a white board or a big array of screens. Commands may be conveyed through gloves or a wand or simply by waving a pattern in the air.This creates a new dynamic for presentations. Instead of having to click-and-drag on a screen, now you can grab something, resize it and bring it into the picture from some other place, with simple gestures, said Friedel.More than mere convenience, the promise of gestural tech lies in its ability to give people freer access to the vast volumes of data that are growing up in the public realm.People carry around massive amounts of data on smartphones and tablets and laptops. But can you really solve big problems on a smartphone? No. You need better access to that information, he said. Sometimes you need access to multiple streams of information, and the ability to manipulate that data is key. Its not just about having the information. Its about being able to combine that data, to cut and paste it and to share it.This raises interesting possibilities for government, said Michael Hong, principal at global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. When combined with virtual or augmented reality , the technology could open the door to smoother, more effective citizen services. Gestural technology could also help government to better serve those with disabilities.These are customized, instantaneous, personalized experiences. If someone can move their fingers or arms and you have sensors that pick up on that, now they can interface and engage with government in ways that they havent been able to in the past, he said.Gestural tech could bring new challenges too, as for instance with the auto industrys interest in establishing hand gestures as a way to simplify the control interfaces in a car. So now I will be able to engage with my music system or my climate control without even having to touch anything? For government, there are going to have to be safety precautions considered with that, Hong said. There has to be some policy impact.The video from MITs Self-Assembly Lab is not astonishing at first glance. A string of plastic-looking material about a foot long is immersed in water. In seconds, the object seizes up, contracts and reshapes itself into a new configuration.It may not look like much, but the implications are profound. The technology here is known generically as 4-D printing, or self-assembly. Unlike 3-D printing , which has become increasingly common, 4-D printing incorporates the added dimension of time, producing objects that possess the ability to evolve their properties under changing conditions.Researchers say it is akin to taking a simple flat cloth and programming it to curve itself into complex three-dimensional shapes. The transformation might be triggered by water, or by heat, light or electrical current. While it isnt commercially available, lab tests have shown it is at least technically feasible.The process requires specialized materials, many of which are currently being investigated. At Harvards Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, for example, researchers are working with hydrogel ink, which can cause other objects to change shape when exposed to water or other environmental changes. Such materials could give us self-evolving structures that transform into a pre-determined shape which can stretch, fold and bend given environmental stimulus, according toGovernment may find a range of uses for this capability, once scientists bring it to the point where it can deliver reliably at scale. What if roads that are subject to extreme temperatures could self-assemble at the molecular level to add new levels of resilience? And if so, could the same approach work in bridges and buildings?Imagine a sewer or water line that freezes and breaks or corrodes, something that can self-heal or expand based on increased capacity, said Daniel Castro, vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. You could build these different shapes on a very small scale and then when you bring it all together, you can build anything. That is the idea in principle.Such implementations may still be a ways down the road. While scientists are beginning to understand the physical parameters of self-assembly, they have not got it going on anything like a commercial scale. The hardest part of any innovation is scaling it so you can use it in production and get costs down in meaningful ways, Castro said. I dont think we are close to that yet.Gene editing can sound like the stuff of sci-fi nightmares. Given the ability to selectively snip into the human genome, will we yield to the temptation to try to generate perfect little versions of ourselves? If we can dip into the genetic code, selectively editing for the traits we do or do not value, is that a Frankenstein scenario in the making?Probably not. While scientists are focusing on an array of applications in the areas of health, agriculture and environment, fighting disease and improving health in humans is a top priority for many, said Dr. Catherine Bliss, assistant professor in the University of California, San Francisco, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.As the name suggests, gene editing is the process whereby scientists cut and paste strands of DNA actually inserting, removing and replacing them to modify an organisms genetic code, Bliss said. In a 2015 summit, scientists from around the globe agreed to channel their efforts toward fighting disease.With gene editing, scientists have been able to switch off the DNA that cause certain diseases. This kind of gene modification has been used to tackle leukemia in blood cells. Another emerging specialty, known as gene therapy, uses certain cells that can attack and kill unhealthy cancer cells. Research has shown that by enhancing what are known as T cells, they can reverse the effects of certain cancers. The T cells act as a drug and have proven effective in treating lymphoma and hemophilia in trials.Gene editing still is largely a research project, but one with potential practical applications. The U.S. government funds research into medical uses, but how far will other nations go? Will we create a race of smarter, faster, stronger people? Will some of us live substantially longer than others? Will [genetically modified] humans come to rule over non-GMOs, forcing them into a subservient underclass? These are but a few of the questions we must ask ourselves as we watch this technology develop, Bliss said.For state and local governments, the more immediate impact of genetic tinkering will likely come on the economic front. As research support builds for gene editing, government labs, state universities and other public institutions may be uniquely poised to reap a financial benefit. As Bliss noted, San Francisco area authorities have fought hard to keep the region on the cutting edge of R&D investments, and it has proved a lucrative path. So this is as much an economic matter for state and local governments as one of public health, she said.In the longer term, state and local authorities may find themselves grappling with a host of ethical issues. Genetic editing in the food chain already is raising public concerns, and those voices will only amplify as practical implementations related to human health arise. In the future, state and local governments may find themselves deliberating over policy regarding specific applications, Bliss said. There isnt any policy federal, state or local thus far.With 4G wireless communications less than 10 years old, it seems odd to be talking about replacing it. But its happening with 5G, the emerging standard in voice and data telecommunications. 1G was analog, 2G was digital for higher-quality voice, 3G started to provide higher rates allowing for more data-oriented applications, 4G has allowed for the ongoing growth in mobile applications and video over mobile, said Bhaskar Krishnamachari, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of the Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.The 5G specs aim squarely at IoT , with an eye toward supporting the millions of sensors that scientists expect to see deployed in support of smart homes, smart buildings and smart cities. To do this, 5G will have to support far greater density of connected devices. 5G will also have to provide much lower end-to-end latencies than todays cellular networks, Krishnamachari said.Krishnamacharis team is exploring the likely interactions of 5G-supported sensors in urban settings, where networks will need to handle data on such diverse phenomena as traffic flows, air quality and noise pollution, disasters, security incidents, and crowds.5G will enable much greater capabilities across a wide range of problems, said Darrell M. West, vice president and director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution. It will be faster, and there will also be more intelligent management of the network. You can have millions of sensors but you also need the means to deal with the flood of information that comes out of that. 5G includes much more advanced data analytics and network management.While scientists understand the technology driving 5G, actual implementation remains a few years off, with likely rollouts beginning in the 2020 time frame. There are questions of spectrum allocation that need to be resolved, among other issues.Local government will likely be called upon to play a part in any eventual deployment.5G will require many more antennas, and those antennas have to be hooked up to power and the rest of the Internet, said Doug Brake, telecom policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Building out all the 5G equipment and connectivity will have to be a cooperative endeavor with local governments if it is to truly flourish.One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. How small is that? Well, a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. It can be hard to conceptualize on that scale, and yet engineering is happening there.The United States National Nanotechnology Initiative cites examples, including nanotechnology-enabled catalysts that improve the combustion of methane to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and nanosensors to detect things like moisture levels and diseases in food crops. Such sensors could help firefighters and soldiers by detecting toxins in the air.Using sophisticated tools such as the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope, nanotech scientists are making inroads on a number of fronts. In health care, for instance, nanoparticles can seek out tumors and deliver drugs. They can push the boundaries of DNA sequencing and perhaps enable tissue regeneration or advanced wound treatment.In one recent article published on Phys.org, a science news service, scientists describe using a microscopic mechanical decoy to lure and destroy the influenza A virus. In a study on immune-compromised mice, the treatment cut the reduced influenza A mortality from 100 percent to 25 percent over 14 days. Instead of blocking the virus, we mimicked its target its a completely novel approach, according to the lead researcher. It is effective with influenza and we have reason to believe it will function with many other viruses. This could be therapeutic in cases where vaccine is not an option, such as exposure to an unanticipated strain, or with immune-compromised patients.The implications of nanoscale technology go far beyond the medical realm. Such products could bolster infrastructure, for example, by enhancing the performance, resiliency and longevity of steel, concrete, asphalt and other materials. Nanodevices could be embedded in the pavement to help drivers keep in their lanes, avoid collisions and adjust travel routes.Some have raised concerns that nanorobots could be weaponized, deployed as an avenue of biomechanical error. But informed observers say the benefits will far outweigh the potential downsides. By manipulating matter at the smallest elemental level you can impact its properties, changing its melting point, its permeability, its magnetic or chemical properties, said A.T. Kearneys Hong. In doing so, scientists may find new and better ways to attack disease, scrub the air of pollution or convert sunlight into usable energy. All these can have profound implications. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over the phone on Saturday about the developments in Syria and Cyprus, Anadolu reported. Erdogan and Guterres swapped notes on the negotiation process in the divided island of Cyprus as well as the recent developments in Syria, the source said. The Turkish president reportedly said Turkey supported a fair, permanent and comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue, which would satisfy both communities. Erdogan and Guterres agreed the coming talks in Geneva could be an important opportunity for reaching a settlement. Guterres also expressed his gratitude for Turkey's recent efforts towards finding a solution in the Syrian issue along with regional actors, as well as its efforts for helping refugees. The Cyprus reunification talks will start on Jan. 9 in Geneva. Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci said last week the reunification referendum could be held in mid-2017 pending an agreement in Geneva. If a deal is reached on territorial changes, negotiators are expected to announce a date for a final summit between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders and three other states involved in the process as guarantor countries: Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. Reunification talks resumed in May 2015, and both sides have repeatedly expressed optimism that a solution would be found by the end of last year. Once a final agreement is reached, it would be put to both communities in a referendum. A UN-brokered peace deal was approved by Turkish Cypriots in 2004 but rejected by Greek Cypriot voters. Manor and its administrators have admitted that the F1 team's short-term survival is in doubt. As owner Stephen Fitzpatrick's attempts to find new investors faltered, FRP Advisory were appointed on Friday to oversee a last-ditch rescue effort. An FRP spokesman admitted there is now a "very limited window of opportunity" to save Manor prior to the 2017 season. If not, staff redundancies are also "dependent on whether new investment can be secured". As for whether Manor will go to Melbourne in March, that depends on "negotiations with interested parties", the spokesman said. Owner Fitzpatrick is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "We do not want to repeat the past. That is why we decided that we will not start a season that we do not know we can finish." (GMM) Hon Hai Precision Industry Co's Vice President Tai Jeng-wu attends a press conference at the Taiwan Stock Exchange to announce their takeover of Sharp on March 30, 2016 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo : Getty Images) According to the Wall Street Journal, when Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, the leading iPhone assembler, took over Japan's Sharp Corporation, one of its company goals was to use Huawei to build its own global brand-name electronics business. Advertisement There is one major snag on this goal, however, as Hisense Co. Ltd. owns the rights to sell Sharp-brand televisions and says it has no intention of accepting Sharps plea to get its name back. Foxconn, despite being one of the world's largest contract electronics manufacturers, faced low margins and limited growth potential. Its chief Terry Gou spent approximately $3.3 billion to purchase Sharp. He said that he wanted to leverage the 104-year-old well-known consumer electronics maker to make Foxconn a respected innovator of high-tech consumer electronics. In order for him to do this, he has to recover the rights that Sharp has sold off to raise cash due to repeated business crises that happened to the company over the past few years. This is the first step in its longer-term strategy of rolling out Sharp-branded products sold in Japan such as air purifiers, cooking pots and others. Tai Jeng Wu, appointed CEO for Sharp and a long-time Gou lieutenant, bought the company that had the license of selling Sharp-branded TVs in Europe. He also plans to undo a deal to Hisense International Co, the company that purchased the rights, as an authorized Sharp-branded TVs seller in the U.S. by 2020. We feel compelled to defend our licensing agreement," said Lan Lin, the general manager of Hisense. "The Sharp brand name is important to us. Sharp benefits from the licensing deal as the Chinese company pays a certain fee to the Japanese company for each Sharp-branded TV it sells." Tai made it clear that he wanted full control of the Sharp branding last November at a news conference. He said that the manufacturing efficiency of Foxconn could help Sharp lower costs and price their products competitively in global markets. Hisense declined to comment on its future plans. According to analysts, reviving Sharp as a global brand will be a challenge. Hisense could also eventually use Sharp to promote its own brand TVs, which creates another challenge for Foxconn. Year of the Rooster Stamps to Be Released in China Chinese New Year Parade 2016 (Photo : Getty Images) A new set of rooster-themed stamps to celebrate the Year of the Rooster based on the Chinese zodiac will be released by the China Post Group Co. The stamp set is composed of two stamps with a value of 2.4 yuan. The stamps can also be availed online through WeChat. The coming year is considered to be the Year of the Rooster according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is the 10th sign in the Chinese zodiac. Advertisement Chinese fortune teller and "feng shui" expert Marites Allen said that "metal would mean guns, assassinations, killings could happen. We have to be very careful, we have to look out for each other." Allen also said that people have to be watchful in business "because cash flow will be very tight." She said that although the coming year might be difficult, the Year of the Rooster is considered the "peach blossom year" and will be a lucky year for love, especially for those born in the year of the dragon and ox. The coming Year of the Rooster starts on Jan. 28, 2017, which is Chinese Lunar New Year Day, and ends on Feb. 15, 2018. The designer of the new Chinese stamp is Meilin Han. He said that Chinese people feel close to the rooster as it reminds them of family values. "The stamps symbolize family harmony," he added. Han is now 80 years old and is well known for his paintings and sculptures. Han's passions include children and animals. This is the third time that Han designed stamps. The company's website is selling a sheet of 32 stamps with a face value of 38.4 yuan and can cost up to about 150 yuan. The popular online store Taobao is selling the stamp sets for 25 yuan. (L-R) British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson welcomes Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi as they meet for the U.K.-China Strategic Dialogue meeting on Dec. 20, 2016 in London, England. (Photo : Getty Images) With the post-Brexit referendum, China is still seen as the biggest player when it comes to British food and drink, says a government minister on Wednesday. Secretary of State for Environment, Farming, and Rural Affairs Andrea Leadsom said that there are big players in the global level. During the Farmer's conference in Oxford, Leadsom expressed that British food and drink can go beyond the European Union market and China is recognized for that matter. Advertisement As part of their International Action Plan, the United Kingdom included in sending export team based in China. They identified that Chinese people have an increasing enthusiasm for British food and drink. With emphasis, the U.K. projected in a report that British food and drink manufacturing is the largest among all industries in the country. Liam Fox, British trade minister, said that the post-Brexit market is doing a good deal of U.K. since it will enable them to set up free trade with China and even Hong Kong. "After Brexit, Britain is looking more outward from Europe. When we have the freedom to set rules outside of the restrictions of the EU, we will promote a more liberal global free trade agenda," Fox said in an interview. The United Kingdom was a member of the European Union since 1973, and even then they encountered several trade barriers. This is the result of a strict trade regulation by the EU, including acquiescence requirement and the free flow of goods and services. Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump's recent rant about One-China Policy is a contributing fuel for Britain in getting an opportunity with China. The drawback, however, is if Brexit finally comes, the United Kingdom will lose their access by being the gateway for China to European trade. Will there still be hope that the European Union will keep an open market? U.S. House Along with roll call votes last week, the House also re-elected Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) as its speaker. It also passed the following measures by voice vote: the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act, to provide taxpayers with an annual report disclosing the cost and performance of government programs and areas of duplication among them; the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act, to require information on contributors to presidential library fundraising organizations; the GAO Access and Oversight Act, to ensure the Government Accountability Office has adequate access to information; and the Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against Whistleblowers Act, to reauthorize the Office of Special Counsel. The votes by Rep. Ted Budd (R-Advance) were not made available. RULES FOR 115th CONGRESS: The House has passed a bill to adopt rules for the 115th Congress, including fines for representatives who make recordings or broadcasts on the House floor. The vote, on Jan. 3, was 234 yeas to 193 nays. NAY: Alma Adams (D-Charlotte) YEA: Mark Walker, (R-Greensboro) REVIEWING EXECUTIVE REGULATIONS: The House has passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which would amend the Congressional Review Act to allow Congress to review legislation that dismisses multiple executive agency regulations proposed in the last months of a given presidents term. The vote, on Jan. 4, was 238-184. NAY: Adams YEA: Walker ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS: The House has passed a resolution that objects to the recent U.N. Security Council resolution rebuking Israel for building settlements in the West Bank. Royce called the resolution a one-sided effort to blame Israel. The vote, on Jan. 5, was 342-80. YEAS: Adams, Walker OFFSETTING NEW REGULATIONS: The House has passed an amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act that would require federal agencies proposing new regulations to offset the cost of those regulations with the repeal or amending of existing regulations. The vote, on Jan. 5, was 235-185. NAY: Adams YEA: Walker REVIEWING PAST REGULATIONS: The House has passed an amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act that would require Congressional approval within 10 years of major rules adopted by federal agencies in order for those rules to remain in effect after the 10 years have passed. The vote, on Jan. 5, was 230-193. NAY: Adams YEA: Walker CONGRESS AND REGULATORY REVIEWS: The House has passed the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, which would require federal agencies to make public information about proposed regulations and require Congressional approval of major rules. The vote, on Jan. 5, was 237-187. NAY: Adams YEA: Walker U.S. Senate 2017 BUDGET: The Senate has agreed to a motion to begin considering a resolution to set forth a government budget for fiscal 2017. The vote, on Jan. 4, was 51-48. YEAS: Richard Burr (R), Thom Tillis (R) AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND THE BUDGET: The Senate has rejected a motion to waive a budgetary point of order against an amendment to a resolution to set forth a government budget for fiscal 2017. The amendment would have established obstacles to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The vote to waive the point of order, on Jan. 5, was 52-48. NAYS: Burr, Tillis Targeted News Service WENTWORTH Superior Court Judge Stuart Albright threw out part of a police interrogation recording in a murder case Friday, saying that Eden police did not properly respect the Fifth Amendment rights of Antonio Gwynn. Gwynn faces murder charges in the 2013 death of his 17-month-old daughter, Toni Maurie Gwynn. She died of whats called mechanical asphyxiation in this case, too-tight car seat straps and a blanket stuffed in her mouth that left her unable to breath, an autopsy showed. The video recording, dated July 16, 2013, includes multiple statements from Gwynn saying that he did not want to speak or answer more questions during his interrogation with former Eden Detective Ronald Markham. Defense attorney Richard Panosh argued that, in the tape, Gwynn invoked his right to remain silent and that right was not honored by Eden police, meaning that Gwynns statements in the tapes should be suppressed and not be considered. In response, District Attorney Craig Blitzer brought both Markham and Eden Detective David Lambert, who was also featured in the recording, to testify before Albright. Markham told the judge that he did not interpret Gwynns request to stop speaking as an invocation of his Fifth Amendment rights and that Gwynn followed the statements by continuing to speak voluntarily. Lambert testified he did not recall Gwynn saying he did not want to answer questions. The judge concluded that Gwynns statements in a portion of the recording were made voluntarily and that the suspect willingly signed away and waived his Miranda rights. Albright also concluded, however, that in a later instance Markham continued to question the suspect even after Gwynn requested no further questions. The judge added that Eden police did not remind Gwynn of his Miranda rights when interrogated during this later instance. He said that portion of the interrogation cant be used at trial. Blitzer said that the state will appeal the decision. Pending the appeal, Albright denied Gwynn bond. The case will be continued at a later date. Gwynn and the mother, Heather Gwynn, are both being held in the Rockingham County jail on charges in the July 11, 2013, death of their daughter. According to the autopsy, the child was strapped in a car seat in a closet for over 12 hours. Toni had bruises on her chest and abdomen that were consistent with the shapes of buckles and straps on the car seat, according to the report. She also had bruises on her legs, thighs and forehead, medical examiners said. The most likely cause of death is asphyxia due to a combination of mechanical compression of the chest by the straps and buckles of the car seat and smothering by the blanket, the report indicated. Justyn Melrose is a reporter for the RockinghamNow group of newspapers. Contact him at jmelrose@rockinghamnow.com. GREENSBORO Despite national television exposure and more than a million views of her story on social media, the disappearance of Tyarra Williams remains unsolved. The 5-foot-5, 120-pound woman with model good looks was dressed in blue Levis, a black jacket, a pink shirt and a royal blue toboggan when she walked out of her Stoneybrook Apartments unit on Jan. 7, 2016, and headed to a friends home. She was 19 at the time. Her 20th birthday has passed. She hasnt been seen since. In the past year, family and friends have held searches, set up a website and circulated a #findtyarra hashtag. Police do not believe she just walked away from her life. She was preparing to start classes at Guilford Technical Community College the next week. Her name has been added to the database of the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children. I just want to plead to whoever knows anything to dig deep within their heart and speak up, even if they want to remain anonymous, said her mother, Danielle Williams. Lets end this nightmare and bring her home. Today, Williams plans to gather with family. Tyarra also has a teenage brother. Time does not make this easier, it makes me miss her even more, Williams said. My heart aches the same today as it did 12 months ago. I can only imagine what she may be going through. Williams has traced her daughters steps many times. Through her daughters cellphone GPS feature, police have determined that Tyarra made it to the friends apartment, which is in the same complex, and appeared to be headed home when she disappeared. The phone hasnt been used since she disappeared. None of the many tips called in since police and family appealed to the public for help have filled in what might have happened to Tyarra. New tips have dwindled to nothing. We have not given up on finding her, said Susan Danielsen, spokeswoman of the Greensboro Police Department. Somebody knows something, so we encourage anyone with the smallest amount of information to give us a call. People have spread her story across the internet. Shared in Mississippi! Shay Mayo wrote on the Find Tyarra Cacique Williams Facebook page. I pray for her safe return! People concerned about talking directly to police can call Crime Stoppers and remain anonymous, Danielsen said. They can call (336) 373-1000 or text the tip to 274637 using the keyword badboyz. Last summer, investigators spent a weekend following a lead about a missing girl being held in a basement. That didnt pan out, but its possible that Tyarra is alive and being held against her will. People have gone missing for months and months and longer and are eventually found alive. Every time, my heart is happy for the family, most definitely, but at the same time I cant lie, I wish it was my child, Williams said. I get out of bed with prayer and hope, she said, and put forth the hope that maybe today is the day. China's National People's Congress meets only once a year for its full session. (Photo : Getty Images) The Supreme Peoples Procuratorate (SPP) reported the repatriation of 158 Chinese nationals accused of committing duty-related offenses amounting to 1.73 billion yuan. The suspects, who fled overseas to evade prosecution, were repatriated through the SPPs special operation that started in 2014. Advertisement Xinhua reported that 516 million yuan worth of assets have been seized from 41 fugitives from 18 countries from January to Nov. 2016. SPP official Wan Chun said that of the rounded-up fugitives, 40 suspects have received verdicts, with courts currently trying seven cases. The repatriations have been particularly problematic, as most of the fugitives went in hiding in countries that have no extradition treaties with China such as Australia, Canada, and the U.S. Currently, China is a party to 54 treaties for judicial assistance and 41 for extradition. Nonetheless, the SPP successfully utilized existing bilateral agreements in going after fugitives in such countries. The China-U.S. Joint Liaison Group (JLG) on Law Enforcement Cooperation proved instrumental in bringing home Chinese fugitives from different parts of the world, the Global Times reported. The JLG has long served as a major component of Chinas efforts to cooperate with law enforcement in the U.S. Formed in 1998, the bilateral agreement has operated under the tutelage of key officials in both countries foreign, security and justice ministries, among many others. The SPP aims to strengthen its campaign against duty-related crimes. The agency plans to achieve that through stronger cooperation with the rest of the international community, maximizing treaties on judicial assistance and extradition, and crafting a process specifically designed for recovering ill-gotten wealth. Following the repatriations, Wan said that the SPP vows to further strengthen Chinas corruption crackdown by continuing to go after illicit gains. Utmost efforts will be made to recover ill-gotten gains to prevent criminal offenders from getting the better end economically, the official said. Peter Sherr twisted and turned as he made his way through a standing-room-only-crowd to reach his seat at the table in the cramped meeting room. It was December 2011, and the school board was again trying to reach consensus on who would lead it in 2012. Spectators spilled into the narrow hallway, drawn to the special caucus because Sherr, a Republican from North Mianus, had let it be known that he could not support his partys candidate for chairman. He was going to break the political stalemate by breaking with party leadership, a risky and bold step that would cost him re-nomination two years later. Two Republican leaders, then-Republican Town Chairman Jim Campbell, and GOP state central committee member Edward Dadakis, placed themselves front and center in the crowd, doing laughable imitations of mob enforcers. They stood tall, arms crossed, staring menacingly at Sherr, daring him to go against their will. His vote cast for the Democrat, Sherr left the meeting, working through the crowd not making eye contact, walking briskly across the first-floor lobby and out the front door into the winter darkness. Campbell and Dadakis gave chase, and I was right behind them, though they did not see me. They yelled at Sherr, calling him a traitor to his party and saying that he was finished in Greenwich Republican politics. Sherr said after the meeting that he probably would not stand for re-election in 2013. He would later change his mind. Now, five years later, Sherr is the newly appointed school board chairman and an emerging power in Republican politics. As for the two enforcers, Campbell could not garner enough support to win even a seat on the RTC in 2016; Dadakis also left the RTC, saying it was time for new blood. He remains involved in the state GOP leadership. Sherr s emergence as a Republican leader started with his vote for Democrat Leslie Moriarty as school board chairman in 2011. As promised, Campbell, Dadakis and the RTC denied Sherr the re-nomination for a second four-year term. But Sherr did not walk away from the fight. He proved to be better organized and more in touch with Republican and unaffiliated voters than was the Republican Town Committee. He quickly got near-record numbers of petition signatures to gain a spot on the November ballot, and won more votes than any other school board candidate in 2013. To me, it has always been about respecting the voters, Sherr said recently. When I was first nominated (in 2009), I was guaranteed election because the RTC only nominated two candidates for two seats. But I ran a campaign anyway and people asked me why I bothered. I felt a responsibility to the voters to talk to them about why I was running and what I hoped to accomplish. Sherr owes nothing to the RTC, though he is a member of that group and now enjoys considerable support from its members. But his political influence comes from the voters, not the RTC. His victory embarrassed RTC leadership, not just because he stood up to them but because he ran a smart, aggressive campaign while the RTC relied on the assumed power of its endorsement. He spoke knowledgeably and confidently to voters about school issues and school budgets. His two RTC-backed opponents relied on the Republican label and the GOP machine to pull them to victory. It did not work that time, which shows that the GOP should not take victory for granted as it has for so many years. It is vulnerable to strong candidates, particularly those with proven appeal to unaffiliated voters, who make up the largest bloc of voters in town. Sherr told me that after his appointment as school board chairman, he received calls from several key GOP leaders. One of them, he said, told him that now that he had been made chairman, he had to stop acting like an outsider. But who is the outsider in this circumstance? Is it the candidate who got more votes than anyone else in his race, or the group that worked hard to defeat him and lost? The GOP leadership needs Sherr more than he needs them. I dont know if Sherr has any political ambitions beyond the school board; he says jokingly that his wife would leave him if he pursued another local office. But then he started talking about town issues other than schools. So clearly he has given it some thought. And that has to make some Republicans very nervous, and others very hopeful. He takes leadership of the school board just when the state seems to be getting tougher with communities, like Greenwich, that have dragged their feet on correcting racial imbalance in schools. It is the kind of issue that can make or break a political career in Greenwich. With more than 25 years in the tech industry, most recently as head of corporate strategy for Computer Associates, Sherr is expert at sifting through data, designing research projects and going where the evidence leads. Though Greenwich school administrators pride themselves on operating a data driven system, Sherr does not buy it. In his seven years on the BOE, he has yet to see the GPS administration become adept at looking behind the numbers. He regularly asks tough questions that go unanswered, and that at times upset other board members. Sherr is now positioned to have substantially more impact on the issues that come before the whole board, such as the search for a new superintendent of schools. He also needs to make the Board of Education relevant again. But thats a subject for another time. What is intriguing right now is how Sherr might exert his new power within GOP leadership. That should unfold as the town heads toward municipal elections in November. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It was a symbolic but fleeting convergence a governor who was once mayor and a cast of current mayors, including one who wants to be governor. They came to hear last weeks State of the State address by Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who foreshadowed a looming showdown between his administration and municipalities over shrinking local aid, the biggest cost driver in the state budget. But cities and towns arent waiting to buttress themselves from deeper cuts to school funding and reimbursement grants for properties such as colleges and hospitals that go untaxed. One emerging and potentially controversial plan would raise the state sales tax from 6.35 percent to 6.85 percent, and dedicate 1 percent of the levy to cities and towns. The proposal is not finalized, but it is being looked at by the states primary municipal lobbying group, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. The governor pretty much said, Im going to whack you guys pretty hard, said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, a Republican exploring a third run for governor. More News Malloy, unions square off again A CCM spokesman, who characterized the groups tax study and recommendations as a work in progress, declined to discuss the details. The sales tax carve-out is similar to one eyed by the state Senates top leader, Democrat Martin Looney of New Haven. That might offset the loss of state revenue and address the complaint that (cities and towns) often make, rightly that they are limited so much by the property tax and really dont have other sources of revenue, said Looney, the Senates president pro tempore. More Information Municipal aid The current level of state funding is shown first, followed by the adjusted total after cuts by the state. Ansonia: $18,077,266 to $17,809,286 Bethel: $9,382,262 to $9,143,641 Bridgeport: $221,569,563 to $218,945,430 Bridgewater: $267,764 to $226,438 Brookfield: $2,440,279 to $2,209,115 Danbury: $41,658,944 to $40,854,755 Darien: $1,405,758 to $924,076 Derby: $10,144,638 to $9,976,013 Easton: $708,745 to $574,824 Fairfield: $5,916,674 to $4,972,822 Greenwich: $3,061,484 to $1,433,625 Milford: $16,431,578 to $15,697,014 Monroe: $7,645,489 to $7,376,013 New Canaan: $1,310,631 to $855,302 New Fairfield: $5,113,655 to $4,938,285 New Milford: $14,190,396 to $13,820,782 Newtown: $8,214,892 to $7,821,040 Norwalk: $19,215,744 to $18,327,005 Oxford: $5,431,347 to $5,249,115 Redding: $899,896 to $746,790 Ridgefield: $2,430,107 to $2,042,459 Seymour: $11,304,141 to $11,100,038 Shelton: $8,339,235 to $7,796,030 Sherman: $361,385 to $301,011 Stamford: $20,513,382 to $19,420,804 Stratford: $27,733,247 to $27,090,916 Trumbull: $5,398,525 to $4,885,848 Weston: $919,670 to $736,381 Westport: $2,270,886 to $1,680,545 Wilton: $1,793,581 to $1,478,245 Source: Connecticut Conference of Municipalities See More Collapse In 2016, Boughton was the president of CCM and led a task force of mayors and first selectmen that examined tax reform. He said it would be premature for him to discuss the report until it is released. If you give the (sales tax) money to the state then to distribute, I know the fear would be that we would never get it, Boughton said. I think the devil is always in the details. CCMs tax policy initiative has frequently pitted Boughton against Hartfords Democratic mayor, Luke Bronin, whose city hasnt ruled out bankruptcy to get out of its fiscal hole. Its time to look at some broader tax reform ideas, including diverting some sales tax revenue to local government, Bronin said. You cant have strong suburbs without strong cities. Cities like Hartford, which house an enormous amount of non-taxable property that serves the entire region and state, have to be reimbursed for playing that role. Hartford is slated to receive $274 million in state aid this fiscal year, followed by New Haven with $229 million and Bridgeport with $219 million. Danbury will receive $41 million, which is more than Stamfords $19 million and Norwalks $18 million combined. Bankruptcy would be an enormous reputational stain for the state of Connecticut, Bronin said of Hartfords finances. It would make (General Electric) moving to Boston look like nothing. The money raised from the additional sales tax would help offset cuts to PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) grants, which many cities have come to rely on to make up for properties that are not on the local tax rolls. Boughton and Bronin, together with Bridgeports Joe Ganim, mayor of the states largest city, cast a conspicuous presence during Malloys State of the State address. Facing a mid-year budget deficit, Malloys administration slashed $50 million in education and school construction funds for cities and towns in late December. The controversial cuts appear to be a prelude to a school funding reset by the governors office, which is grappling with a $1.4 billion budget deficit in the upcoming year. Malloy said in an interview Friday that a sales tax increase wont be part of his forthcoming budget proposal, but he welcomed recommendations from groups such as CCM. I do chuckle and begrudge a lot of these national stories that come out about how high sales taxes are in places where they dont look at municipal or county taxes, Malloy said. Having said that, I dont think we should have a revenue-driven discussion. I think we should have spending-driven discussions. Staff writer Ken Dixon contributed to this report GREENWICH The future of the New Lebanon School building project, and Greenwichs racial balance plan, hang in limbo after a surprise recommendation from the Malloy administration that the construction a contender for 80 percent state reimbursement not be given state aid. This is much bigger than just the funding of the school, said New Lebanon Building Committee Chairman Stephen Walko. Greenwich officials who have been operating on the assumption that reimbursement was assured said they were shocked when Benjamin Barnes, state Office of Policy and Management secretary, told legislators they should reject Greenwichs application for a construction grant. It was a bolt out of the blue, said Board of Education Chairman Peter Sherr. The state should not step in to pay for a new school which may or may not solve the problem of racial disparity within the Greenwich District until the town has made much greater efforts to find a remedy within its existing school infrastructure, Barnes wrote in a Dec. 29 memo. That means redistricting, a word Greenwich officials and parents do not want to hear. The governors office has confirmed that Barnes speaks on behalf of the administration. While the Greenwich delegation to Hartford fights for New Lebanon funding in the capitol, officials in Greenwich are left speculating on what to do if the project does not get the more than $20 million expected from the state. New Lebanon School Board of Estimate and Taxation Chairman Michael Mason said dont expect a new school, as currently designed, if state money falls through. If the state cuts the money is the town going to build a $37 million school on taxpayer money? No, he said. To date, the town has agreed to put about $14 million toward the new New Lebanon School project. The BET built a number of escape hatches into its agreement to help finance the project, Mason said. Local funding is contingent on the project receiving the expected state aid and upon authorization from the Representative Town Meeting to borrow money for the towns share. After review by three legislative committees, school construction grants will be discussed by the General Assembly in June before going to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for his signature. Mason said BET members will be watching eyes glued to the legislative conversations about the project this spring. If the state nixes funding for new school construction, the school board will have to come up with a new way to address an overcrowded New Lebanon School. Home to 258 students this year, the school is beyond capacity even after kindergarteners were relocated off-site in 2014 in order to create more space. A larger new school was intended to alleviate the current enrollment strains and create space for new students to come to New Lebanon through the schools magnet program. Mason said he does not think the $14 million that the town has promised will be sufficient to build a new school. In the towns two most recent school construction projects, $23.4 million was spent on Glenville School and $27.4 million on Hamilton Avenue School. There is certainly consensus that the building needs be replaced in order to overcome the existing challenges, which include not enough classrooms, not enough common space and general inefficiencies, said Peter Bernstein, a school board member who sits on the New Lebanon Building Committee. Sherr said that without state funding, addressing New Lebanons overcrowding would be an urgent issue. We cannot accommodate the current school, magnet or no magnet, in the current building, he said. Racial balance If the state rejects funding, Greenwich could be forced to revisit its district-wide racial balance plan, of which a larger New Lebanon School was a crucial part. Like the two plans before it, Greenwichs 2014 racial balance plan rejected the idea of redistricting school zones to integrate students. It became apparent through board discussion and public forums that redistricting is not a viable solution in Greenwich because more than 20 percent of students would have to be transported from their neighborhood school to another school and, given the rapidly changing demographics of the town, racial balance and facility issues would be resolved for only a year or two, states the 2014 plan. Moreover, public opposition to redistricting was significant. We heard loud and clear from schools that have a significant minority population and those that do not, that they really, truly like their neighborhood schools and there is not a lot of interest in leaving the neighborhood school, said BOE member Laura Erickson. In a 2013 parent survey, 65 percent of respondents said having their child attend their neighborhood school was extremely important to them. Furthermore, when the Board of Education floated making North Street School a school of choice in 2013, a move that would allow open seats at North Street to be filled by students from other attendance areas and provide bus service to kids coming from New Lebanon the North Street PTA responded with a vehement letter to the school board. We believe the current proposal is a back-door way for the board to implement an unprecedented plan to begin busing students based on family income, North Street PTA co-Presidents Kim Blank and Marcy Braselton wrote. Greenwichs solution to racial imbalance, as in the past, was establishing magnet programs at the schools deemed racially imbalanced by the state, seeking to entice parents to move their children voluntarily. But New Lebanon School, which is 71 percent minority, 40 percentage points higher than the district average, does not currently have enough space to accept magnet students. In order for a magnet program at New Lebanon School to work, it is essential the facility be upgraded to provide sufficient number of classrooms and support spaces for all programs, states the 2014 plan. This renovation and expansion are key components of the proposed plan. School and town officials took offense to Barness memo, given that the racial balance plan was approved by the state in 2014. It was very troubling that the administration in Hartford that they may have been indicating that they no longer support the plan, said Sherr. (New Lebanon School) is not an ancillary part of the plan; that is at the center of the plan. Interim Superintendent of School Sal Corda said the memo was inconsistent with what the law says and urged that it was imperative for legislators to disregard it. Sherr defended the districts efforts. We went through extensive evaluation of all kinds of strategies, and we vetted those in the public, and we hired outside agencies at great expense, and we went very deep to consider any and all alternatives to addressing racial balance in Greenwich Public Schools, he said. (Barnes) seemed to imply that Greenwich did not give due consideration to redistricting. That is just false. I think (Barnes) wasnt aware of all of the facts regarding the school and the project itself, said state Rep. Mike Bocchino, R-150th, a former New Lebanon PTA president whose district includes the school. Sherr would not speculate on how the district might change its racial balance plan, if necessary. Going forward Greenwich officials are working to ensure that the New Lebanon School construction project receives the state aid that was expected. Sherr and Corda will meet with Dianna Wentzell, commissioner of the state Department of Education, on Monday. Bocchino said he is speaking with legislators who will review the New Lebanon grant before it goes to the General Assembly to ensure that they will support funding the project. Everybody in our delegation is 100 percent behind this, said Bocchino. This is a priority for us to make certain we are able to move this forward. State Sen. Scott Frantz, R-36th, said he could employ legislative techniques in committee to threaten other bills as way of protecting the New Lebanon grant. Meanwhile, the New Lebanon Building Committees plan of action will not change as a result of the memo, said Walko. The committee will send out bids to construction companies this spring, but will not sign any contracts until funding is approved by the General Assembly. Im not going to be tone deaf to this but there is a process, said Walko. It is concerning, of course it is, but I also have a lot of confidence in the state legislature. Walko and Sherr both expressed hopes for better communication from Hartford going forward. That kind of whipsaw is not helpful to an organization, said Sherr. For us who are decision makers in the town, we need a reasonably stable and clear policy environment in which we can make decisions on behalf of kids in Greenwich. When he chooses to act in this way, it injects a lot of uncertainty in that. emunson@hearstmediact.com; @emiliemunson WILTON New Jersey State Police are seeking help in locating additional victims of Ethan Chandler, 42, of Belleville, N.J., who was arrested on child sex charges. Chandler lived in Norwalk, Stamford and Monroe during the mid-1990s, officials said, and worked part time at Hope Church in Wilton. Cliffe Knechtle, who was an associate and senior pastor at Hope Church from 1989 to 2000, said Chandler worked part time in music and became more involved in youth ministry after he left. Knechtle said they havent talked since the news of Chandlers arrest. He described Chandler as a very kind, very warm gentleman. When I was there, he did an outstanding job, said Knechtle, who has been the senior pastor of Grace Community Church in New Canaan since its founding in 2001. I pray that if they are false accusations, that they be dropped; if they are true, then he would face the truth and come clean and repent and get back on the track of following Christ. Chandler was initially arrested Dec. 1 at his apartment on the charge of second-degree luring a child. Police said it was the result of an undercover investigation that caught Chandler attempting to lure an individual he believed was a 13-year-old boy for a sexual encounter through a mobile chat app called Kik. The boy was an undercover detective who responded to a Craigslist ad that Chandler allegedly posted for oral sex with a young man. After posting bail and being released from Essex County jail, Chandler was arrested again six days later on new charges of second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, in connection to a 14-year-old boy he met online on a social media site. These alleged sexual assaults were revealed from evidence police obtained through a search warrant at Chandlers apartment during his initial arrest on Dec. 1, police said. Chandler was lodged in Essex County jail with bail set at $200,000. The allegations against Chandler reveal a dangerous sexual predator who used social media to satiate his desire for young victims, New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino said. Well continue to protect children by patrolling the Internet and diligently pursuing all leads to arrest this type of tech-savvy predator. The New Jersey State Police and Division of Criminal Justice will continue their investigation and said they have obtained additional information Chandler allegedly sent nude photos of himself to at least three juveniles and may have been having sexual relations with another 14-year-old male. Officials are aware of Chandlers previous arrest on Feb. 22, 2014, by the Livingston Police Department in New Jersey, after he was discovered in the Livingston Mall bathroom kissing a young man who appeared to be a minor. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Chandler operates a video production company in South Orange, N.J., that films high school sporting events across the region, called Primetime Sports LLC, which puts him into close contact with children, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit at 609-584-5051, ext. 5624, or to email hitech@gw.njsp.org. SKim@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1044 Is China Draining the Life Out of Its Workers Through Compulsory Blood Donation? Blood testing and donation at Guangzhou Blood Centre (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese employees are worrying more about their career prospects--not because of concerns directly related to professional performance, but because of compulsory blood donation. Coercive approaches to blood donation are spreading in China, amid pressures to keep up with high demand for blood. In a Global Times report, government workers in Jiangsu Province have spoken about how they have been forced into donating blood in exchange of rosier professional opportunities. Those who have refused to donate blood reported that they had points counted against their annual evaluations. Advertisement Zhangjiagang, in Jiangsu Province, has been actively engaged in setting blood donation targets among its working population, claiming that no one has opposed said initiatives. But Shen, a government worker in the city, said that while there's nothing wrong with blood donation, making it compulsory is "weird." Nonetheless, a report from Sixth Tone noted that government workers in Jiangsu Province are not punished individually for refusing to donate blood, according to a Red Cross Society center there. Such clarification comes amid the existence of a so-called "blood donation index." The blood donation index in Jiangsu Province is used to ensure that government offices therein would keep up with blood donation quotas (18 percent of each office's workers) for them to be deemed as "civilized units." It's part of a greater scheme made to address China's blood donation shortage. China welcomed 2016 with a blood crisis, which affected 50 out of the country's 70 major cities, many of which saw their hospitals close due to a severe shortage in blood supply. Such crisis has created a lucrative black market involving the sale of blood--a practice that's currently prohibited by law. Prior to the ban, donating blood for commercial purposes has been allowed throughout the 1990s, although it has caused a bevy of problems relating to sterilization of equipment. The previous setup, notorious for unhygienic processes, contributed to the spread of bloodborne diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Still, many among the Chinese public continue to react with reluctance when it comes to blood donation. With that, it remains to be seen whether implied compulsion in blood donation would be helpful at all in addressing China's chronic blood supply problem. With a New Year comes new rules on the books. Residents of some states must abide by hundreds of new laws beginning this week. In Illinois, nearly 200 new laws went into effect, while California added around 900. Minimum wage The minimum wage has increased in 22 states. In some states, such as Arizona, Colorado and Maine, the public voted on ballot measures to determine the rate, while in others (i.e. Hawaii, Maryland and Vermont), state legislative bodies passed laws to enact new labor standards. Minimum wage amounts vary by state as well. For example, while New Jerseys is now $8.44, up 6 cents, Massachusetts and Washington now have the highest minimum wage in the country at $11. Some states arent done raising their hourly rates, either. New York and California are among several states and many cities that are working toward a $15 minimum wage in the future. Related: 4 Potential Lawsuits to Watch Out for in Small Business Public safety In Illinois, a new law impacts those in the beauty industry. In order to renew their licenses, cosmetologists are now required to get training to identify signs of domestic and sexual abuse and be better equipped to help clients who might be victims. Transportation In California, it is now illegal to hold your phone or any other electronic device while you are behind the wheel. It must be mounted on the dashboard. In Iowa, there are now statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies such as Lyft and Uber requiring background checks, insurance and termination if drivers engage in substance abuse on the job. Speaking of cars, if you have your eye on a Tesla, know that if you buy after Jan. 15, it wont be free to recharge the battery at the companys Supercharger stations. Related: 7 Things Business Owners Need to Know Post-Election Weapons A series of gun laws were also passed. In California, gun owners who have magazines capable of holding ten rounds of ammunition must relinquish them, and anyone purchasing ammunition must undergo a background check. In Missouri, gun owners are no longer required to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Drugs and alcohol In November, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada voted to allow recreational marijuana use, and those laws went into effect at the start of the year. Medical marijuana is now legal in Arkansas, Florida and Montana based on the results of the November election. If youre a craft beer connoisseur in New York City, when you go to the bar to buy a drink, there will be a tax of about one cent that will go back to the brewery that made the beer. And in Tennessee, there is a new regulation that allows breweries to make beer with an alcohol by volume of up to 10.1 percent. Related: What You Need to Know About New Local and State Laws for 2017 Things Could Be Much Worse. Like When Human Waste Falls From the Sky. Stuttering Startups: Legal Hazards You May Want To Avoid Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved In tones both conciliatory and cautionary, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy laid out a broad plan for Connecticut in 2017, both pledging and appealing to a more evenly divided legislature to work together, and warning of more service cuts and more intense oversight of state aid to communities. We hope that all parties in the House were listening to what the governor had to say and that Republicans, their ranks bolstered a bit by the November election, recognize their increased opportunity to influence the states future. It was not encouraging, though, we must say, to see a partisan display of Republican rumps on hands when the governor said something as compassionate as, Regardless of whether your family settled in Connecticut 300 years ago or three days ago, you are welcome here. In a time so poisoned by divisiveness, Malloys remark was an open-armed, open-hearted tonic. It drew a lengthy standing ovation from half the house. If Republicans cant agree that people are welcome in Connecticut, its hard to imagine what they might agree on. Whats coming next month in the governors budget proposal will not be pretty. It will include cuts and elimination of services, but not because ...certain work is not valued. It simply means that we can no longer afford to do it all, and that our spending must be focused on the very core, essential services for our residents, the governor said. Where the rubber is likely to meet the road in the months ahead is in the area of state aid to municipalities, and particularly in the area of education, a topic thats been long in the public eye but was actually stuck into the eye last September when a Superior Court judge ruled that the states method for distributing money to municipalities for education bordered on the irrational. The state spends billions of dollars on schools ...without any binding principle guaranteeing that education aid goes where its needed, wrote Judge Thomas Moukawsher. Well, the governor made it clear Wednesday that things need to change on that front. Its why I have long advocated that we direct our support to those municipalities that are struggling the most so that we can level the playing field for our students and our taxpayers, he said, suggesting that more affluent communities are going to see reductions while places like Bridgeport would get the benefit. But the governor was absolutely right when he added that if the state is going to be more active in helping less affluent communities, ...part of that role will be holding local political leadership and stakeholders to substantially higher standards and greater accountability. Despite the cool reception from Republicans on many of his points, Malloy kept reaching out. Im asking for your partnership. We are in this together, and together we shall prevail. It has a soothing, rosy sound to it. Democrats hold sway in the House by a count of 78-72. The Senate, following two recent resignations, is tied at 17 apiece. It would seem its in everyones best interests to work together. No one can say Malloy did not try to set the example Wednesday. The governor needs to be as conciliatory behind closed doors as he was on this grand public stage. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed the allegations that Russia-backed hackers interfered in the U.S. presidential election, dubbing such claims "hysteria" meant "only to distract the attention of the American people." But if Putin did attempt to meddle in the race, he apparently wouldn't be the first Russian head of state to do so. At least one other Kremlin leader has suggested he successfully influenced a U.S. election. That happened at the height of the Cold War, in 1961, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev met the then-recently elected John F. Kennedy in Vienna. According to Khrushchev's memoirs, he told the U.S. president: "You know, Mr. Kennedy, we voted for you." The comment (which was also published in a slightly different wording in a later version of the memoirs) was described as a joke. But beneath that humor lay a serious point. Khrushchev, the son of rural peasants, had ended up leading the Soviet Union after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953. By the late 1950s, he had made some limited internal reforms and was attempting to find a more stable relationship with the West. He famously allowed then-Vice President Richard Nixon to visit the Soviet Union in 1959, and later that year he became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States. Khrushchev apparently did not take to Nixon. In Moscow, the pair attended the opening of an exhibition devoted to the United States, then launched into a public argument of the merits of capitalism vs. communism - while standing inside a model kitchen. "You don't know anything about communism - except fear of it," Khrushchev told Nixon. In his memoir, published as "Khrushchev Remembers" in 1970, Khrushchev said he told other members of the Soviet leadership: "If Nixon becomes President, I don't believe he will contribute to an improvement of relations between our two countries." And conveniently for them, the Soviets had a hand to play in the election. On May 1, 1960, a U-2 surveillance plane operated by the CIA was shot down by the Soviet air force while flying near the city of Yekaterinburg. The U.S. initially said the plane had been studying weather patterns for NASA and had simply strayed off course. Information recovered from the plane's wreckage quickly proved otherwise. The U-2's pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was taken prisoner and put on trial for espionage, eventually being sentenced to a decade in a Soviet prison. Powers's fate became a point of tension in the Cold War, ruining a planned summit in Paris between the superpowers. Making matters worse, an American RB-47H reconnaissance bomber was shot down by Soviet forces in July and the Soviets took the two survivors captive. As tense as things were, Khrushchev believed those events also gave the Soviets a small amount of influence over that year's presidential race between Nixon and Kennedy. "I expressed my opinion to the leadership: The United States government has asked us to release Powers," Khrushchev wrote in his memoir. "Now is not the time to do it." Noting that the two candidates were at a "stalemate," Khrushchev recalled saying that if Powers or the other Americans were released before the election, it could give Nixon a boost. It would be better to wait until after the election, the Soviet premier thought. "My comrades agreed, and we did not release Powers," he wrote. "As it turned out, we'd done the right thing. Kennedy won the election by a majority of only 200,000 or so votes, a negligible margin if you consider the huge population of the United States. The slightest nudge either way would have been decisive." The two Americans on the RB-47H were released just days after Kennedy's inauguration. Powers was eventually released in 1962, swapped for a Soviet intelligence officer, Vilyam Fisher, who was serving a prison sentence in the United States for espionage (that exchange was later portrayed in the Stephen Spielberg film "Bridge of Spies"). The American pilot spent the rest of his life tainted by accusations that he had been too weak-willed in the face of Soviet interrogation, though the CIA's own report found he had acted honorably. He died in 1977. According to Khrushchev's account, Kennedy laughed when he brought up his role in the 1960 election. "You're right. I admit you played a role in the election and cast your vote for me," Khrushchev's memoir has Kennedy saying. Another account, however, from former Soviet ambassador Oleg Troyanovsky, suggested Kennedy wasn't so sure about the idea that Moscow had helped him win the election. Despite the seeming politeness of the conversation - Khrushchev's memoir describes Kennedy in Vienna as "pleasant and reasonable" - Kennedy didn't feel the meeting went well. The president told the New York Times' James Reston that Khrushchev "just beat the hell out of me" and that it was the "roughest thing in my life." Soon, Khrushchev and Kennedy were at loggerheads over Berlin and Cuba. Nixon finally won the Oval Office in 1968 and implemented a policy of "detente" with the Soviet Union, visiting the country again in 1971. By then, Khrushchev had been retired for four years. He had been removed from office in 1964, but he was allowed to live in relative comfort in a guarded compound outside Moscow. He is said to have began recording his memories on tape in 1968 at the urging of his family The tapes and a transcript were smuggled out to the West, where they were soon published by Little, Brown & Co. in 1970. Khrushchev died the following year. Ironically, given the Soviet tactic of "misinformation" at the time (a tactic that many see echoed in modern Russia's alleged support of "fake news") there was widespread suspicion that the book was a KGB forgery - a somehow shrewd attempt to influence the United States under Nixon. However, the tapes were later released, convincing the naysayers. Russia carried out a comprehensive cybercampaign to upend the U.S. presidential election, an operation that was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and "aspired to help" elect Donald Trump by discrediting his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a report released Friday. The report depicts Russian interference as unprecedented in scale, saying that Moscow's assault represented "a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort" beyond previous election-related espionage. The campaign was ordered by Putin himself and initially sought primarily to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, "denigrate Secretary Clinton" and harm her electoral prospects. But as the campaign proceeded, Russia "developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump" and repeatedly sought to elevate him by "discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him." The document represents an extraordinarily direct and detailed account of a long-standing U.S. adversary's multi-pronged intervention in a fundamental pillar of American democracy. Valery Sharifulin/TNS Trump emerged from a briefing on the report by the nation's top intelligence officials Friday seeming to acknowledge for the first time at least the possibility that Russia was behind election-related hacks. But he offered no indication that he was prepared to accept U.S. spy agencies' conclusion that Moscow sought to help him win. Instead, Trump said in a statement issued just minutes after the high-level meeting ended that whatever hacking had occurred, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election." Trump's statement seemed designed to create the impression that this was the view of the intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan, who had met with him. But weighing whether Russia's intervention altered the outcome of the 2016 race was beyond the scope of the review that the nation's spy agencies completed this week. And Clapper testified in a Senate hearing Thursday that U.S. intelligence services "have no way of gauging the impact . . . it had on the choices the electorate made. There's no way for us to gauge that." Trump's statement came after his first face-to-face encounter with the leaders of intelligence agencies whose work he has repeatedly disparaged. Others who took part in the meeting included FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency chief Adm. Mike Rogers. All four of the spy chiefs have endorsed a classified report that was briefed to Trump and circulated in Washington this week that concludes that Russia used a combination of aggressive hacking, propaganda and "fake news" to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Trump appeared to acknowledge that hacking of Democratic and Republican computer networks had occurred, but was apparently not prepared to accept the consensus view of U.S. spy services that Russia sought to help him win. "I had a constructive meeting and conversation with the leaders of the intelligence community," Trump said. He acknowledged that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber-infrastructure of our government institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee." The session was seen as an early indicator of whether Trump could reach some sort of accord with U.S. intelligence agencies or is determined to extend his increasingly bitter feud with America's spies and analysts into his first term. In an interview with The New York Times before Friday's briefing, Trump said the focus on Russian hacking "is a political witch hunt." In Thursday's testimony, Clapper appeared to take aim at Trump and the stream of social-media insults he has targeted at the intelligence community over the Russia issue. "There is an important distinction here between healthy skepticism, which policymakers, to include policymaker number one, should always have for intelligence," Clapper said. "But I think there is a difference between skepticism and disparagement." The meeting, which was requested by Trump, comes on the heels of a series of revelations about Russia's role and motivations in last year's campaign. The Washington Post reported in December that the CIA and other agencies had concluded that Russia sought not only to disrupt the election and sow doubt about the legitimacy of American democratic institutions but also to help Trump win. U.S. intelligence agencies based that determination on an array of interlocking intelligence pieces, including the identification of known "actors" with ties to Russian intelligence services who helped deliver troves of stolen Democratic email files to the WikiLeaks website. U.S. spy agencies also monitored communications in Moscow after the election that showed that senior officials in the Russian government, including those believed to have had knowledge of the hacking campaign, celebrated Trump's win and congratulated one another on the outcome. Trump has rejected intelligence agencies' unanimous conclusions about Russia, saying it could just as easily have been China or "some guy" in New Jersey. Trump has seemed to court conflict with U.S. intelligence agencies on several fronts. During his campaign, he vowed to order the CIA to return to the use of waterboarding and other brutal interrogation measures widely condemned as torture. Since his surprise victory, Trump has skipped the majority of the daily intelligence briefings made available to him, saying that he has no need for sessions that he finds repetitive. But the president-elect softened his message on Thursday, saying on Twitter that he is a "big fan" of intelligence, although, as has been his practice, he set off the word "intelligence" in quotes. A worker takes a break as steel wire waits to be loaded onto barges in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, on May 12, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images) China has pushed back against "extreme" tariffs on its exports amid fears in Beijing that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will embark on a policy of economic protectionism upon assuming office in Jan. 20. Trump has publicly vowed to impose tariffs of up to 45 percent on Chinese goods and said cheap imports are "killing" the U.S. manufacturing sector. Advertisement The president-elect has also appointed one of China's most prominent critics to key trade posts and pledged to label the country as a currency manipulator. But China's commerce ministry says it is already facing a record number of retaliatory trade measures from rival economies and trading blocs, including increased steel tariffs from the EU as Brussels moved to protect the Europe's steel industry from "dumping" of cheap Chinese product. "Trade disputes are becoming increasingly politicized, measures are increasingly extreme and final tariff rates are relatively high," ministry spokesman Sun Jiwen said, citing measures against Chinese steel, solar panel, ceramics, and tire industries. Trump's appointments to key cabinet positions have also stoked fears of a trade war between China and the U.S. Peter Navarro, an economist who authored the books "Death by China" and "The Coming China Wars," has been tapped to lead the White House National Trade Council and serve as director of trade and industrial policy. Navarro has accused China of destroying both American factories and jobs by flooding the U.S. will illegally subsidized and "contaminated, defective and cancerous" exports. Politicians must "aggressively and comprehensively address the China problem" before it leads to full-blown conflict, Navarro has warned in his book. In a 2012 Netflix documentary based on "Death by China," which Trump lauded as "right on," Navarro blames China for the loss of 57,000 American factories and 25 million jobs. While Trump has repeatedly scored China for undermining the U.S. manufacturing industry, EU officials have also accused Beijing of unfair trade practices, including flooding markets with state-subsidized cheap goods. The accusations have been particularly prominent in the European struggling steel sector, leading to Brussels imposing tariffs of up to 74 percent on some Chinese imports in October last year. Business minister Sajid Javid faced intense criticism in the U.K. for opposing EU's plans to protect steel producers such as Tata Steel U.K., which analysts warn to be in the brink of collapse. China highlighted a series of measures it said had been erected to protect foreign companies from its exports. The commerce ministry said 27 countries and regions slapped 119 trade policies against China to a value of $14.34 billion in 2016, up 75 percent from the past year. Twenty-one countries and regions took 49 remedies against Chinese steel imports, which it said cost $7.9 billion, up 63.1 percent from 2015. the inside game The Most Important Senate Race Is Also the Most Ignored The Most Important Senate Race Is Also the Most Ignored Samsung has been rumored to launch the oft-leaked Galaxy C7 Pro and Galaxy C5 Pro this month, with their possible release date being January 21. That is starting to make more and more sense considering how many times we've seen either of them being leaked in the past few weeks. Only today we saw the C5 Pro in a benchmark, and then in a purported live image - which got outed alongside pricing information for that and the C7 Pro too. The C5 Pro and C7 Pro are clearly eager to join the already official C9 Pro in Samsung's portfolio, introducing the new three-thin-lines antenna band design to the Korean company's fans. Someone who is in possession of a C7 Pro prototype has created a full photoshoot of the device, portraying it from a lot of angles for your viewing pleasure. Alleged Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro live images The shot of the About section in Settings demonstrates that this is in fact the Galaxy C7 Pro, with the model number SM-C7010. The device shown here is the gold variant, and as you can see it is tucked inside a transparent TPU case. Since the C9 Pro is also available in pink gold, we assume that color will be an option for the C7 Pro as well. Even more purported pictures of the Galaxy C7 Pro The Galaxy C7 Pro should come with a 5.7-inch 1080p touchscreen, the Snapdragon 626 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a pair of 16 MP cameras (the main one and the selfie one), and a 3,300 mAh battery. It will run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and launch in China first, priced at CNY 2,799 ($404 or 383 approximately). Thanks for the tip, Mikke! Source A worker looks after dairy cattle at a farm in Chongqing, China, on Dec. 2, 2008. (Photo : Getty Images) China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd has offered to acquire China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd for $826 million in a deal that will help secure a stable supply of raw milk from the Chinese diary giant. The offer comes at the heels of Hong Kong-listed China Mengniu's purchase of 965.47 million shares in Modern Dairy at HK$1.94 per share from a joint venture between KKR China Growth Fund and CDH Fund IV, raising its stake in Modern Dairy to 39.9 percent from the current 25.4 percent. Advertisement Under Hong Kong corporate regulations, the owner of more than a 30 percent stake in a company has to make an offer to buy out the shares it does not already own. China Mengniu is expected to make an offer for the remaining shares of China Modern Dairy at the same price of HK$1.94 each, a 7-percent premium after the markets closed on Wednesday, according to a report from Reuters. The report also forecasts Mengniu to spend another HK$6.4 billion ($826 million) on the sale, further increasing its stake to 91 percent. In response to the news, shares of China Modern Dairy surged by almost 10 percent to HK$1.98, its highest since December last year. China Mengniu's stock dropped by 2 as much percent, versus a near 1 percent increase in the benchmark Hang Seng Index (HIS). Once the deal is completed, Modern Dairy will remain listed in Hong Kong as some of its shareholders, including Chief Executive Lina Gao, said it will not sell their stocks, the company said in the filing. China Mengniu said internal resources and external debt facilities will be used to fund the purchase. The deal will enhance the business collaboration and will ensure the continuous supply of high quality and safe raw milk to Mengniu Group, the filing said. Based in the east China's Anhui Province, China Modern Dairy is the country's biggest dairy farming firm in terms of herd and raw milk production. 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"This meeting will be held in order you explain on the circumstances, legality and deportation alleged https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html of the elected Senator of Grand'Anse, in the person of Guy Philippe," says the invitation, adding that it must be accompanied by "the Director of the National Police and the Central Director of the Judicial Police." However, the Minister of Justice in a correspondence addressed to Ronald Lareche states "[...] regret to inform you that, in view of the late acquaintance with this correspondence, with my participation in the Palais National at a meeting on the continuation of the electoral process and the overall security of the country, I find myself unfortunately unable to respond to this invitation, due to a conflict of agenda. Accordingly, I should be grateful if you would postpone this important working session to the nearest later date, at your convenience. However, in relation to the facts mentioned, a detailed report will be sent to you from the first briefings received from the competent services [...]" On Friday, Guy Philippe, in custody, met his defense attorney, Richard Dansoh, before his first appearance at 2:00 pm in federal court with judge Barry Garber. Dansoh said he could not comment on the case before the hearing. For her part, Spokesman of the Ministry of Justice Sarah Schall said "The case is under seal", meaning that the confidential information given to the court will remain confidential and will not be made public. Guy Philippe, the charges are known, appearing on January 13, 2017 : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19731-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-the-charges-are-known-appearing-on-january-13-2017.html On the other hand Reynold Georges, the lawyer of the elected Senator Guy Philippe who was arrested Thursday afternoon and extrad that evening to the US by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accused Friday the DEA of kidnapping of his client, on which weighs an arrest warrant on charges of international drug trafficking. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19720-haiti-flash-arrest-of-senator-guy-philippe.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Humanitarian: 3 months after Matthew, aid to children continues Almost three months after Hurricane Matthew, UNICEF and its partners continue to deliver humanitarian aid to those most affected by the Category Four storm. Over two million people including 900,000 children were affected by the hurricane, of which 1.4 million require humanitarian assistance including 600,000 children. In addition to the personal losses of homes and crops, over 716 schools, and many health facilities and the existing sanitation infrastructure all suffered damage. Together with the government of Haiti, UNICEF and its partners have been able to ensure safe water is available daily to over 281,000 individuals, including over 118,000 children. UNICEF contributed to the cholera vaccination campaign, in November that reached 807,395 people, ensuring the delivery also of information regarding the prevention of cholera. Over 309,213 children between the ages of one to 14 years are included in this figure. In the health sector, UNICEF has restored the cold-chain systems of 37 facilities, has equipped 35 malnutrition outpatient treatment centers in GrandAnse and South and two inpatient facilities in each of these departments. In education, UNICEF has completed the restoration of 14 schools, with another 107 in various stages of progress. These restored schools have made it possible for 4,200 students to return to class. In total, its expected that over 36,000 students will return to the schools rehabilitated by UNICEF. UNICEF works closely with communities on malnutrition that continues to affect children and adults as they struggle to recover from the extended drought and the subsequent effects of hurricane Matthew including persistent risk of disease and loss of livelihood. UNICEF protection interventions are supporting families that have lost their livelihoods, aimed at preventing child separation; it is common for parents to place their children in residential care facilities in the often-false expectation that they will receive access to education that parents can no longer afford. Economic stress is also known to lead to violence, and increased social tension which combine to increase the potential for child abuse and neglect. To be closer to the population and improve delivery of services to the affected children and their families, UNICEF has opened two sub-offices: one in Les Cayes in the South department and the other in Jeremie in the Grand'Anse department. "Three months after Matthew, we can already see improvements: safe water is increasingly available, the vast majority of schools have reopened as have a number of health facilities; and areas that are the most difficult to access are receiving assistance. UNICEF is continuing to fulfill its mandate and obligations to emergency and development efforts," declared Marc Vincent, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Migration USA : Statement by Congressman Henry Cuellar Following the release of immigrants from Central America to Laredo (Texas border town with Mexico) by the Department of Homeland Security with a notice of appearance before an immigration judge, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) issued the following statement : "The Department of Homeland Security is releasing immigrants, mostly from Central America, in the Laredo area where they are free to go with relatives or sponsor organizations while they are given a Notice to Appear for an asylum hearing before an immigration judge on a certain date. These immigrants were previously processed to be deported before being reprocessed with a Notice to Appear and therefore released on their own recognizance. Our law enforcement on the border have a tremendous job at hand. I recently spoke with Roman Macaya, Costa Rican Ambassador to the United States, regarding information that about 40,000 migrants from Haiti, as well as Africa, Asia and the Middle East, will be on their way to the United States southern border via Central America and Mexico. I continue to stress the need to be more proactive and work with our neighbors in both Mexico and Central America to curb these huge waves of illegal immigration to the United States. Our taxpayer dollars, and more importantly, our border communities, are bearing the burden of providing emergency shelter and food for many of these immigrants who have been coming to the border and pleading asylum in record numbers. This past year, Congress provided $750 million in aid for Central America specifically to help deter illegal immigration to the United States. Furthermore, Im working with my colleagues to provide our justice system with the immigration judges and necessary infrastructure to cut down on the backlog of immigration cases. In FY16, we were able to provide the U.S. Department of Justice with 55 new immigration judges and had a deal worked out in the FY17 House Appropriations Act to provide 25 more. I will continue to work with my colleagues to find solutions to make changes to these processes at the border." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping politics... U.S. Embassy statement on the apprehension of Guy Philippe The U.S. Embassy welcomes the January 5 arrest https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19720-haiti-flash-arrest-of-senator-guy-philippe.html by the Haitian National Police of Guy Philippe, a wanted fugitive, and we praise them for their professionalism in carrying out the arrest. Mr. Philippe has been transferred https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html to the custody of the United States. The United States and the Government of Haiti have long-standing cooperation on judicial and law enforcement matters, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation in the future. There would be many other criminals elected deputies and senators "I am happy and sad," said Pierre Esperance, Executive Director of the RNDDH who decried the election of Philippe. "I am pleased to see that people like Guy Philippe who are trying to get immunity to enter parliament, will not have the chance to do so. This is a small step in the fight against corruption and impunity in the country. But he is not alone. There are many others like him, bandits, criminals, drug traffickers, who have been elected deputies and senators..." but he refrains from citing names... Uruguay satisfied The Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed on Friday the publication of the final results of the presidential elections of 20 November in Haiti, which led to the election of Jovenel Moise. Uruguay "congratulates the Haitian people for their participation in the process" and expresses "its satisfaction with this important step on the way to building a strong democracy" and the strengthening of national institutions in Haiti. Reaction of Jean Henry Ceant Jean Henry Ceant, former presidential candidate of the party "Renmen Ayiti", believes that the arrest of Guy Philippe can not have been possible without the direct involvement of the de facto President of the Republic, Jocelerme Privert and the Chief of Police Michel-Ange Gedeon they can not say that they are not aware of what has just happened [...] I think that the population must stand up to say its word [...]" BNE in Benin On Thursday, January 5, 2017, a delegation from the National Bureau of Ethnology (BNE) composed of anthropologists, dancers, ethnologists and drummers participated in a cultural exchange mission as part of the celebration of the National Day of Vodou in Benin and also of the 2017 edition of "here and elsewhere 3rd way" of the laboratory of contemporary arts. This mission is also part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the BNE. This exchange is initiated by Silvana Virchaux, president of the laboratory of contemporary arts and carried by Erol Josue, Director General of the BNE, artist and houngan. Panama wishes success to Jovenel Moise The Government of the Republic of Panama congratulates the elected President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, and wishes him success in his mandate starting on 7 February, as well as in all the programs to be undertaken with his team. HL/ HaitiLibre Putin Ordered Hacking that Helped Elect Trump, Concludes New and Damning US Intelligence Report Mutual admirers (Photo : Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered and was responsible for the Russian hacking and media black propaganda campaign that helped elect his favored candidate, Donald Trump, President of the United States, concludes the United States intelligence community (USIC) in its most damning statement yet about Russia's involvement in the U.S. presidential election. Advertisement Trump continues to deny this conclusion despite overwhelming evidence from his own intelligence community Putin helped him win the election. Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic Party rival and Putin's nemesis, won the popular vote by three million but the Electoral College vote (304) went to Trump. A new declassified report from USIC, which consists of 17 intelligence agencies, released Jan. 6 affirms Putin ordered an "influence campaign" aimed at hurting Hillary Clinton and helping Trump. Russia's successful campaign consisted of hacking Democratic Party groups and individuals, including Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. It also involved releasing the stolen information to third-party websites, especially WikiLeaks. These illegal activities amounted to what USIC called "a significant escalation" in longtime Russian efforts to undermine "the US-led liberal democratic order." The report was the first official, full and public accounting by USIC of its assessment of Russian cyberhacking activities during the 2016 campaign and the motivations behind that hacking. Back in October, USIC presented incontrovertible evidence from multiple intelligence sources and spies that Putin was personally involved in the Russian campaign that successfully interfered with the U.S. presidential election and got Donald Trump -- Putin's candidate -- elected President. Since then, however, USIC said it gathered additional information to make assessments of the main motivations behind the cyberhacking operations. USIC said the main aim of Russian meddling was to undermine the U.S. democratic process; harm Clinton's campaign and help Trump become president. The declassified report released Jan. 6 was even more damning in Putin's involvement in U.S. politics. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," said the report. "Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscow's longstanding desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order, but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations," the report continued. "Moscow's influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operations -- such as cyberactivity -- with overt efforts by Russian government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries and paid social media users or 'trolls,' " the report found. USIC released new pieces of evidence to support its conclusions. It noted that in the final run-up to the election, when polls favored Clinton to win the election, Moscow shifted its campaign to influence the election to one aimed at undermining the validity of the electoral results. "Before the election, Russian diplomats had already publicly denounced the U.S. electoral process and were prepared to publicly call into question the validity of the results," said the report. USIC also assessed "with high confidence" that the GRU (the intelligence agency of the Russian armed forces) "used the Guccifer 2.0 persona, DCLeaks.com, and WikiLeaks to release US victim data obtained in cyberoperations publicly." USIC also assessed "with high confidence" GRU provided WikiLeaks with the material they obtained from hacking the Democratic National Committee and top Democratic officials. It also noted in the report that the Russian influence campaign combined cyberhacking intelligence operations with overt propaganda efforts carried out by state-owned media outlets such as RT and Sputnik, and paid social media users. Trump, however, continues to deny his friend Putin is responsible for all these illegal actions that helped get him elected. More than 50,000 18-25 year olds from 90 countries and all 50 states packed the Atlanta Georgia Dome for Passion 2017, an annual conference bringing young adults from around the globe together to proclaim the name of God, with daily sessions featuring renowned speakers and artists. Returning to The Georgia Dome for the first time in four years, the three-day conference kicked off Monday, Jan. 2 and concluded Wednesday, Jan. 4, marking one of the final events held at the arena before its planned demolition this year. Spearheaded by Passion Founders Louie and Shelley Giglio, attendees heard from Christine Caine, Beth Moore, John Piper, Levi Lusko, Francis Chan and Katherine and Jay Wolf while joining in worship led by Passion Band (helmed by Kristian Stanfill, Brett Younker and Melodie Malone), Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels and Hillsong UNITED. To the surprise of all guests, multi-platinum selling Carrie Underwood joined GRAMMY nominated Crowder on stage Monday night and performed her No. 1 hit single "Something In The Water" to an enthusiastic crowd. Surrounding the worship at Passion is an emphasis on giving back, and the conference has raised more than $17 million for various philanthropic efforts over the years. This year, attendees participated in an endeavor to Make History Together. Students in attendance united in sponsoring more than 7,000 children through Compassion International, fulfilling all sponsorships in the countries of El Salvador, Rwanda, Tanzania and Indonesia as well as hundreds in Bolivia. Students have also continued to fight modern-day slavery through support of The END IT Movement along with gathering tens of thousands of new towels and socks for local Atlanta homeless shelters. Working as the heartbeat behind the worshipful event, 2,500 individuals have volunteered their time as the conference's Door Holders, opening a way for attendees to see and experience Jesus. An early copy of The Jesus Bible (Passion Publishing, Zondervan) was given to each Passion-goer. The Jesus Bible, released Jan. 3, is filled with 66 book introductions, over 1,000 articles and seven compelling essays by Giglio who served as the general editor, alongside Max Lucado, John Piper, Ravi Zacharias and Randy Alcorn, helping readers follow the thread of Jesus from cover to cover. To learn more and to access a 365-day reading plan featuring devotionals from The Jesus Bible, visit TheJesusBible.com. For the first time, Passion opened up the night sessions for Passion Alumni and adults over the age of 25, celebrating what God has done in the lives of people during 20 years of Passion. Passion Conferences has been uniting college students around the world for the past 20 years, hosting over 50 events in more than 16 countries. For more information about Passion Conferences, visit 268generation.com or follow @passion268 on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Tags : passion conference passion 2017 passion The iconic logo and tagline of Nokia is displayed along with the potential look of the upcoming Nokia Edge Android smartphone. (Photo : YouTube/GONE IN 180) Nokia phones specs, price list, and release date have been highly searched online. Smartphone enthusiasts have been anticipating the arrival of potential Nokia mobiles which may include the Nokia C1, Nokia Edge, Nokia D1C, and Nokia E1. In Nokia's partnership with HMD Global, there is a great possibility that the company will outclass and outsell rivals this New Year. Nokia C1, Nokia Edge, Nokia D1C, and Nokia E1, will likely serve as a springboard for the company in achieving their goal of bringing their name back to the top of mobile industry. Advertisement To begin with, rumored high end flagship products will try to convince consumers worldwide that Nokia is back for good. Nokia Edge and Nokia C1 will likely be the high-end offering of the company this year, which is valued to be within a $400 to $500 price point as most rumors would suggest. Accordingly, the former still has no dedicated chipset yet, but may have an octa-core processor with 3 GB of RAM based on a separate report. The latter on the other hand, is said to be equipped with Snapdragon 830 paired with 4GB of RAM, 5-inch display with a FullHD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and running Android 7.0 Nougat, according to Digital Trends. For its mid-range offering, it has been reported that a variant of Nokia D1C will likely suffice. A previously reported major leaked details some probable specs of Nokia D1C. The Nokia phone may include Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 1.4GHz, Adreno 505 GPU, and 2GB RAM. Alternatively, another setup may also include Snapdragon 600 series processor and 4GB RAM, as mentioned in a separate report. Lastly, Nokia E1 which is considered to be a low-end smartphone from the company may be powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor along with Adreno 308 GPU, according to Phone Arena. With the leaked info, it has been added that Nokia E1 may cost consumer only $150 for the said phone specs. Concerning its release date, it is being speculated that Nokia phones will likely arrive in the first quarter of this year. This would likely by in consonance with the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona. Hawaiian Electric seeks onshore wind farm developers on Oahu News Release from Hawaiian Electric HONOLULU, Jan. 5, 2017 To potentially save money for its customers, Hawaiian Electric Company wants to determine if there are independent developers capable of building utility-scale onshore wind projects on Oahu that would be able to take advantage of the federal investment tax credit for wind power that expires in 2019. Hawaiian Electric is committed to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045 while keeping electric rates as low as possible. Onshore wind projects able to capture the expiring federal investment tax credits for large wind are of interest because they can help reach those goals. The federal investment tax credit for large wind is scheduled to decrease as follows: 24 percent in 2017, 18 percent in 2018, and ending at 12 percent in 2019. The potential capacity for additional wind power on Oahu is limited and land costs on this island are significant contributors of renewable projects pricing, so we believe it is important to identify shovel-ready projects that can take advantage of the federal tax credits as the cost of such projects will likely be higher in the future, said Shelee Kimura, Hawaiian Electric vice president for Corporate Planning and Business Development. Interested parties who are capable of building onshore grid-scale wind projects on Oahu are asked to respond with an expression of interest no later than Jan. 31, 2017. Information from the responses may assist in the development and issuance of a more formal request for proposals within a competitive bidding process or the issuance of an alternative means of procurement, subject to approval by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC.) The detailed request for expressions of interest can be found at www.hawaiianelectric.com/windeoi. The criteria Hawaiian Electric is looking for includes: Projects would need a capacity of five megawatts or more at a total price per kilowatt hour that offers attractive savings for Hawaiian Electric customers. Developers must have experience with a similar project and demonstrate they can reasonably attain a commercial operation no later than the end of 2022. Developers should submit plans for, and evidence of any community relations outreach to be done during development and through the term of a purchase power agreement and information on any environmental benefits in addition renewable energy generation of the proposed project. An expression of interest is only an opportunity for developers to state their interest to Hawaiian Electric. Hawaiian Electric is under no obligation to move forward with any project and any future project would be subject to approval by the PUC and all other required permits and approvals. Individuals or community organizations wishing to comment on the expression of interest process may do so via email to windeoi@hawaiianelectric.com. All emails will be reviewed and receive responses. ---30--- Jan 9, 2017: Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light to seek more renewable energy for Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Hawaii Island Big Q: Generally, do you favor more wind-power projects on Oahu? SA: HECO seeks developers to utilize wind tax credit Hawaii Suicide Bill Abandons Safeguards by Wesley J. Smith, National Review, January 6, 2017 Assisted suiciders are running a scam. They assure a wary public that legalization is designed to be a rare event, only resorted to by the terminally ill when nothing else can be done to eliminate suffering. Then, they push the normalization of assisted suicide with all their might and the millions in PR spending. (See Brittany Maynard and suicide parties.) And all the while, they assure us that strict guidelines will prevent abuse. Thats the honey to help the hemlock go down. In reality, the strict guidelines are ephemeral and even those are being abandoned as soon as politically feasible. Case in point: Hawaiis draft assisted suicide legalization bill, which continues the process of expanding the guidelines so as to make them fundamentally meaningless. The Patients Rights Council (for which I am a paid consultant) has analyzed the proposal. Guidelines, schmidelines! From the analysis: Provision of life-ending drugs (called Medical Aid in Dying) would become a medical treatment. This would give insurance programs the opportunity to cut costs by denying payment of more expensive treatments while approving payment for the less costly prescription for a lethal drug overdose. If the bill is approved, will health insurance programs do the right thing or the cheap thing? Oregons Medicaid health care rationing which has denied life-extending treatment but offered assisted suicide to cancer patients already answered that question. The bill wants the despairing ill to have ready access to instant death: There is no waiting period between the time that the patient is diagnosed and the time that the prescription is written. A physician can give a patient the terminal diagnosis, deem the patient eligible for doctor-prescribed suicide, inform the patient of the availability of assisted suicide and write the prescription for the lethal dose of drugs on the same day without the patient ever recovering from the initial shock of being terminally ill. Suicidal people, including people wanting to kill themselves because of a terminal diagnosis, sometimes change their minds. I know. I have met them. This rush to death right will mean some who would have decided to carry on will surely die by suicide insteadand we will never know who they are. As usual, the definitions are loosey-goosey to permit broader access than appearances would suggest: Terminally ill is very broadly defined, making it possible for a doctor to prescribe the deadly drugs even though the patient could live for years. A person who is in the undefined final state of an incurable or irreversible condition would be considered terminally ill if the condition would, within reasonable medical judgment, result in death within six months. But there is no requirement that the condition be uncontrollable. There are many conditions (diabetes, certain types of leukemia and, even, alcoholism) that could meet this definition of terminal illness contained in the bill. For example, diabetes can be both incurable and irreversible but it is controllable. An insulin-dependent diabetic patient who stops taking insulin will, within reasonable medical judgment, die within six months. Thus, under the bill, diabetics would be eligible for doctor-prescribed suicide even though they could live virtually normal lives with insulin. Doctors would be required to lie on the death certificate about the cause of deatha corruption and bar to transparency, currently the law of Washington State: The proposal requires that death certificates be falsified. Although the manner of death resulting from an intentional overdose of drugs would be considered suicide, and the cause of death would be the lethal drugs, the proposal states that the cause of death listed on death certificates be the individuals underlying terminal illness. Theres much more, but you get the point. The euthanasia/assisted suicide movement is not about restrictions. It is about normalizing death for all manner and causes of human suffering. The rest is crass incrementalism. If that clear truth doesnt matter to you, it proves my point. But for the sake of intellectual integrity and the honesty of democratic deliberation, we should have that debate, not continually pretend we believe the nonsense about strict limits preventing abuse. ---30--- PDF: Full Text 2017 Assisted Suicide Bill LINK: Patients Rights Counci Analysis Related: Meet the Insurance Executive Behind Assisted Suicide in Hawaii Actors Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston and director Taika Waititi are seen on the set of the film 'Thor: Ragnarok' on August 23, 2016 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo : GETTY IMAGES/ Fairfax Media) Updates on the "Thor" franchise did not end on Jan. 5, when Disney dropped the brand new synopsis for "Thor: Ragnarok." Following the release, rumors started to swirl around that the special features for the Blu-ray and digital releases of "Doctor Strange" will include the comical mockumentary "Team Thor." Advertisement The upcoming "Doctor Strange" releases will reportedly include not a bit of "Thor: Ragnarok" footage but the demigod's hilarious adventures, particularly the second part of "Team Thor." The first part of the clip was unveiled at Marvel Studios' presentation at the San Diego Comic Con, where "Thor" director Takia Waititi shared a short clip that showed what had kept the God of Thunder busy during "Captain America: Civil War." The second part of "Team Thor" will show the rib-tickling partnership between the blonde-haired Asgardian and his roommate Darryl, Collider reported. The first part of the video revealed that during the Civil War, Thor was in Australia with Darryl, trying to figure out the mystery behind the Infinity Stones. At the San Diego Comic Con, Waititi hinted the return of Thor and Darryl in the near future. Shortly after the first part of the satirical video had debuted, Waititi teased that fans might see Thor and his bumbling roommate reunite and clown around, and that the first comical short film about Thor might just be a part of a much bigger thing. "I think you probably could see him again. There may be other little pieces of that thing that everyone saw that may just be a small part of a bigger thing," Waititi noted at the massive convention. Meanwhile, Marvel has confirmed that the "Doctor Strange" Blu-ray and digital releases would come with over 80 minutes of never-before-seen bonus materials, including five behind-the-scenes featurettes, some deleted scenes and sidesplitting outtakes, an audio commentary by "Doctor Strange" director Scott Derrickson, the second part of the "Team Thor" mockumentary, as well as an early peek at where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is headed. This "Phase 3 Exclusive Look" would reportedly offer glimpses of some of Marvel's upcoming films, including "Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2," "Black Panther," and "Avengers: Infinity War." "Doctor Strange" will hit Digital HD and Disney Movie Anywhere on Feb. 14 and will be out on 3D Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on Feb. 28. Watch Marvel's official preview for "Team Thor" Part 1 here: The number of detectives policing the capital's streets has dropped by 15pc in just 18 months, despite the bloody gang feud gripping the city. There has been a drop of 11pc since May 2015 in the number of detectives nationwide, while the number policing west Dublin, which includes Tallaght and Clondalkin, is down 20pc. Across the country, there were 100 more detectives on the streets in May 2015, with the losses accelerating last year, when 70 positions were lost. In recent months, the capital felt the harshest losses as 27 detectives out of 241 were pulled out of their divisions from May to October 2016. Inexcusable Fianna Fail TD Jim O'Callaghan described the situation as "simply inexcusable". "In October just passed, there were just 804 detectives in the force, an 11pc drop since May 2015, when there were almost 100 more detectives on the streets," he said. "It is simply inexcusable, given the outbreak of violent gangland crime in our capital city, we do not have a greater number of detectives working across divisions to protect our communities. "In light of the decrease in crime detection rates recorded between 2010 and 2014 and recently published by the CSO, the minister should be looking at increasing the number of detectives on our streets and not allowing this slide in numbers to continue." The Dublin North Central division went from having 38 detectives to 34 between May and October 2016. The DMR Southern division experienced the largest decrease, with a loss of eight detectives from a total of 49, while DMR West lost six from 55. Cork City has the largest division of detectives, with 77. This has dropped from 81 from May to October 2016. Limerick has the second largest force with 54 detectives in 2016 - three have since left. Dublin City Councillor Gary Gannon said there should be more of an effort to focus on street crime. "Muggings happening on the street, people having phones snatched out of their hands, these are the crimes that are no longer being investigated," claimed Mr Gannon. "One of the big complaints is people feel gardai don't come outside the commercial zones. That's going to have a knock-on effect in terms of their confidence and how safe they feel," he added. Resources A garda spokesperson said: "Garda personnel assigned throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. "They are determined by a number of factors, including population, crime trends and the policing needs of each individual division. "Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources, and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public." Concept artist offers glimpse of what it might have been like to have Ryan Gosling as Doctor Strange Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen attend the fan screening event for 'Doctor Strange' on October 24, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo : GETTY IMAGES/ Dave Hogan) Before Marvel Studios picked Benedict Cumberbatch to play the titular role of "Doctor Strange" for its second theatrical release, actors like Joaquin Phoenix, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke, Keanu Reeves and Ryan Gosling were also in the running to portray the arrogant neurosurgeon. Recently, a concept artist offered a glimpse of what it might have been like to have Ryan Gosling as The Sorcerer Supreme. Advertisement Created by concept artist Court Chu, the concept photos of the actor wearing the cape of Doctor Strange were first shared by Comicbook from the art blog of Chu. The two art pieces were reportedly created when Marvel Studios was in hopes of landing Ryan Gosling as Doctor Strange. The first art piece looks more in line with the design of Doctor Strange's actual wardrobe in the film, while the other one features a texture that is more in line with a typical superhero suit. In her post, Chu noted, "I worked probably not even a day on some version of Doctor Strange years ago, and back then they wanted Gosling." According to Chu, Marvel was serious enough back then to have commissioned a concept art that would envision Gosling in the role. However, the desire to have the actor star in the film proved short-lived when the studio ended up circling back around to one of their top choices--Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch did not commit to do the role the first time Marvel approached him due to his busy schedule performing "Hamlet" in London, Collider reported. When Phoenix walked away, Marvel opted to move the shooting schedule of "Doctor Strange" to accommodate him. While Ryan Gosling's decision to take a different route worked out alright, Collider noted that he could have offered something truly refreshing had he taken the role. When news about Gosling being tapped to do "Doctor Strange" came out in 2014, he was also being eyed for Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad." Ultimately, he chose to commit to "La La Land" and "Blade Runner 2049" instead. "Doctor Strange" will be available on Digital HD on Feb. 14 and will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on Feb. 28. Watch the official trailer for "Doctor Strange" here: A four-month-old baby girl from Dublin could have only weeks to live if the Government doesn't approve a new "life-enhancing" drug, according to her father. Baby Lara McHugh, from Blanchardstown, was diagnosed with a rare condition known as Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) just six weeks after she was born. Expand Close Lara McHugh's (4 months) is pictured with her father Niall McHugh and her mother Celine Power / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lara McHugh's (4 months) is pictured with her father Niall McHugh and her mother Celine Power The genetic disease makes her muscles extremely weak, with the weakest muscles being in the legs, upper arms, and neck. A common cold can easily turn into pneumonia, which is what usually takes the lives of children affected, along with "respiratory failure" when they no longer have the lung or chest muscles to be able to breathe on their own. The life expectancy of babies with SMA Type 1 is only eight months, with 80pc dying before their first birthday, and the majority of the rest dying by two years of age. There are currently just two babies with SMA in Ireland - both based in Dublin. Dad Niall McHugh told the Herald that his whole world collapsed as soon as his little girl was diagnosed with the fatal disease. "My fiancee Celine and I were absolutely devastated when we heard the news," he said. "We were in complete shock when we were told how serious our daughter's condition was and are just plagued with grief. "We brought Lara into Temple Street Children's Hospital to have a check-up when we noticed her legs weren't moving as well as the doctors expected. "We thought she would just need a bit of physio but, when we were told she would have to remain in hospital for two nights, we knew it was more serious. "After many tests, the doctors eventually diagnosed our daughter with SMA. "Myself and Celine had literally no idea what SMA was before she was diagnosed. There isn't a lot of Irish-based information about the illness out there, but through various forums on the internet we managed to learn a whole lot more about what our daughter was going through," he added. Hope Doctors told the couple that other children with the same condition don't usually live past the age of two. Niall said there is a ray of hope for his daughter due to a new drug for SMA patients, which was recently given FDA approval in America. Biotech company Biogen, which produces the drug Nusinersen, saw substantially positive results during clinical trials with babies similar to Lara in the US. "We watched a video of a baby girl the same age as Lara on the internet, who was receiving this new treatment, and the progress she made was just incredible," Niall said. However, the drug has not been authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). "We're hopeful that the HSE and the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) can approve the treatment Lara needs so she can take part in Biogen's expanded access programme," Lara's dad said. "We're not sure if this drug could save our daughter's life in the long-run, but it will certainly extend her life and, who knows, maybe they will find a cure in the meantime. "We've been told the drug could come at a cost of 400,000 for the first year, but we really need to have it approved right away. "We don't have time for the NCPE to negotiate another price." The HSE told the Herald it is aware that Biogen has applied to the EMA for market authorisation in the EU. "The HSE understands that application to EMA was submitted in September-October. EMA assessment processes generally take around one year," a spokesperson said. "When or if a European market authorisation is granted or is about to be granted, the HSE would expect to receive a pricing and reimbursement application from Biogen. Bleak "It is unlikely that the HSE will receive a pricing and reimbursement application until later this year." The NCPE, however, said it is currently not considering Nusinersen "as it has not yet received a positive opinion or marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency". "Lara's life depends on this drug being introduced in Ireland because without it her outlook looks very bleak," Niall said. "In the UK it has been approved, along with several other European countries, so why not here? It doesn't need official EU approval because we're simply looking for Lara to get on the drug's access programme. "It won't mean that the drug will be on the market, but at least our daughter will be receiving it. "I know the Cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi was rejected because of the high price, but we hope that the Government will make an exception for Biogen's drug because there currently is nothing like it on the market." Fan Bingbing attends the Louis Vuitton show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2017 on October 5, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo : Getty Images/Pascal Le Segretain) Chinese actors Fan Bingbing and Li Chen topbill the performers at China Central Televisions New Year Gala which marks the beginning of the festive Lunar New Year. The event, to be held in Beijing, is being speculated by fans of Fan Bingbing as the occasion when she would possibly announce her wedding to Li Chen. However, the couple said when asked about the possibility of a marriage announcement, Well definitely share if we have good news! Advertisement Together for Spring Festival According to Toggle, Li Chen and Fan Bingbing will spend the beginning of Spring Festival together since he could not return to Qingdao, his hometown, because of his work schedule. Li Chen is still mum about what they would perform, but he teased it could be something sweet and short such as a song. He promised to give out red packets during the Chinese New Year which he feels happy giving out because everybody worked hard in the last 12 months. The two confirmed in May 2015 their relationship in Weibo. Movies & TV Shows In 2016, Fan Bingbing appeared in three movies, I Am Not Madame Bovary, L.O.R.D.: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties and The Bombing. She had no TV series last year, but would take on the role of Ba Qing in Win the World which would air in 2017. Her forthcoming movies for this year are The Lady in the Portrait, where she plays Empress Ulanara, and White Sparrow. Li Chens career began in 1997 when as a 19-year-old first year acting student, he played JianNing, the main character in the TV series 17 Years Dont Cry. In 2016, Li Chen appeared in the movies MBA Partners and When Larry Met Mary. He did not do any TV series in 2016, but he would be seen in The Advisors Alliance this year. Look to Genesis 1:2 for the first reference to water in the Bible. Immediately after In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth comes And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Multitudes of references to water pervade the Bible thereafter. Of particular instance, the baptism of Jesus Christ rises to the fore within the Bible and history beyond. Therefore, a blessing of the water makes sound biblical sense. To wit come Jan. 8, Bluff Citys Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church will host a Blessing of the Holston River at 1 p.m. The churchs clergy, Rev. Fr. Stephen Mathewes, will preside. It is very profound, said Mathewes. The water is being sanctified on that day. This is what God wants for us. He wants to bless us. Its not our work; its His. The event marks the Feast of Theophany, which dates as Jan. 6. Defined as a visible manifestation to humankind of God, one can thus assume the impact and import of the day. Our main service is on Friday. Thats the official day for us, Mathewes said. (Sundays service) is a continuation of the service. One neednt classify as orthodox to attend. Some churches look at this as a service to the community, and I want to as well, Mathewes said. We would love for anyone and everyone to come and attend. Were not just doing this for ourselves; were doing this for everyone. Attendees will most likely number among many of whom have never participated in a riverside service to acknowledge the Feast of Theophany including he who will preside. This will be my first time to witness this ceremony, Mathewes said. So, Ill be very excited. Anticipate a short service of about 20 minutes. Adherences to various aspects of tradition as connected to the Feast of Theophany will squeeze tightly into that small window of time. There will be a prayer read from Matthew, Mathewes said. There will be hymns. The hymns we sing will be the ones we sing for the Feast of Theophany. There will be a prayer to bless the Holston River. Upon near conclusion of the event, Mathewes will take a cross into his hands. Well have a small handheld cross that we throw into the water, he said. (Traditionally) people can dive into the water. Its done all over the world. People even dive into the most frigid of waters, as in Russia. During such ceremonies, those who dive into the water do so to retrieve the cross. Upon its recovery, the person returns it to the pastor and receives a special blessing for having done so. Well have a cross made of ice, Mathewes said. No one will be called upon to dive for the cross during this ceremony. However, the immersion of the cross into a body of water symbolizes the baptism of Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist baptized Christ, the world of Christianity changed in gargantuan ways. Its the revelation of the Holy Trinity, Mathewes said. When Christ descended into the water we the father, the son and the holy spirit revealed to the entire world. Thats the reason we celebrate it. Hardly anything could be more powerful. Acknowledgement of and celebrations revolved around the baptism of Christ in the form of the Feast of Theophany even predate the initial celebrations of Christmas. Thats correct, Mathewes said. The earliest Christians celebrated Christs baptism before they celebrated Christmas. There is significance there. Consider the impact and import. Christ was born to save us all. He was baptized to reach out and embrace us all. He died for all of our sins. Could there be as monumental a figure in the history of mankind? His divinity was released when He descended into the water, Mathewes said. The divinity, its as if it is spreading out from Him and into creation. For a moment, delve into the Old Testament for examples of water and its boundless power. Water transformed from a killing machine in the Old Testament to a loving machine in the New Testament. Christ embodied the aftermath of that change. After Christ comes, water came to be a purifying thing, Mathewes said. Water has the power to wash us clean. In Psalm 51, it says wash me and I should be white as the snow. Its a great significance. Water is an implement through which sin is cleansed from the body and soul. Thats baptism, thus water represents eternal life as well. Reference John 4:14: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Water has the power to wash us clean, Mathewes said. In Psalm 51, it says wash me and I should be white as the snow. Its a great significance. So, in participating in the Blessing of the Holston River, congregants essentially step into the steps fashioned by Christians long before. It underscores a pivotal event in time the baptism of Jesus Christ, when Christ extended His heart via his love to grace all who know Him as the Lord and Savior. It was a miracle of miracles, Mathewes said. SERVICE OVERFLOWING WELLS: Bristol, Tenn., 312 McDowell Street. Jan. 8, 4 p.m.: Powerhouse service on Prayer, guest speaker Jackie Nophlin of Bristol, Virginia, gospel singing by Household of Faith Community Church Youth Choir. COMMUNITY MCKINNEY CENTER: Jonesborough, Tenn. 103 Franklin Avenue. Jan. 7, 2-5 p.m.: United We Stand, an interfaith storytelling concert, the event is a fundraiser, benefit Kathleen M. Stern, Milagros M. Argueta Endowment for Storytelling at ETSU, tickets $10, seating is limited, 423-753-1010. FIRST BROAD STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Kingsport, Tenn., 101 East Church Circle. Volunteer two hours any day Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marlene Hudson, 423-817-8332, to help with food, Bob Smith, 423-246-3966. Clothing and other donations can be brought to Single Vision or taken to Shades of Grace. FAIRVIEW UNITED METHODISH CHURCH: Jonesborough, Tenn., 878 Highway 81 North. Third Saturday each month, 7-10 a.m.: Country breakfast, bacon, fresh ground sausage, eggs, pancakes, gravy, biscuits and more. Donations. Located 5 miles from downtown Jonesborough going toward Fall Branch. YARD SALE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH: Abingdon, Va., 17535 Jeb Stuart Highway off Exit 19 toward Damascus: Yard Sale, second Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Name brand childrens and maternity clothes, plus tons of good quality baby equipment. Proceeds benefit the Mayan malnourished children of Guatemala, and children in our orphanage and those in our orphans at home program. www.safehomesforchildren.org. HOW TO SUBMIT News and calendar items for the Religion section should be emailed only to features@bristolnews.com with Religion Calendar in the subject line or sent by mail to Religion Editor, Bristol Herald Courier, P.O. Box 606, Bristol, VA 24203. Mailed items must be typewritten. Deadline is noon Monday. Please include the complete address of event location, name and telephone number of a contact person. If you have questions, contact Dorothy Hurt at 276-645-2556 or email dhurt@bristolnews.com. The service is free. 'Grey's Anatomy' actor Justin Chambers attends the 2015 ABC Upfront at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center on May 12, 2015 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy) "Grey's Anatomy" Season 13, episode 10 will see Alex (Justin Chambers) behind bars. Despite fleeing from his trial in episode 9, a new promo from ABC confirmed that the doctor will go to jail momentarily. Warning: This article contains spoilers from "Grey's Anatomy" Season 13. Read at your own risk! Advertisement In the clip, an angry Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) asks Alex if he knows what could happen to him and the hospital if he gets convicted for a felony. In the previous episodes, Alex assaulted Andrew de Luca (Giacomo Giannioti), thinking that the latter tried to have sex with his girlfriend, Jo (Camilla Luddington). Andrew filed a case against Alex, and the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital could not help but be divided. Some residents sided with Alex, while others sided with Andrew. Another scene from the teaser shows Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) reading what could be Alex's conviction. The lead character says, "30 years to life..." However, it is unclear how Meredith had access to such information. Another scene from the promo shows Dr. Bailey telling Meredith that she is suspended from the hospital. However, it is unclear whether or not Meredith could be suspended from the hospital since she is one of the shareholders there. Meanwhile, "You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch)" will also feature Dr. Bailey, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Jo heading to a maximum security women's prison. While there, the three female doctors will be tasked to attend to a 16-year-old girl who is pregnant. However, since the girl is a high risk prisoner, she will pose threat to the three doctors. By the looks of it, everyone will survive from the attacks. But Capshaw previously confirmed that episode 10 is one of the creepiest episodes to ever be part of "Grey's Anatomy" in all of its 13 seasons. Elsewhere, Meredith may finally come clean to Maggie (Kelly McCreary) about her real relationship with Nathan (Martin Henderson). Previously, Maggie told Meredith that she is interested in dating Nathan. The latter, however, is only interested in Meredith. "Grey's Anatomy" Season 13, episode 10 will air on ABC on Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. EST. It's been 125 years since Dracula was published. And it's still scary. The agreement stipulates that current president Joseph Kabila will step down by December 2017 Egypt has welcomed on Thursday evening an agreement reached between factions in Congo to end the political crisis in the country. A foreign ministry statement called on all political factions in Congo to respect the agreement and to work towards achieving prosperity for the people of Congo. The agreement reached last December states the delayed presidential and legislative elections will be held in December 2017, after which President Joseph Kabila will step down. Kabila, who assumed power in 2001 after the assassination of his father president Laurent Kablia, has not yet signed the agreement, which was mediated by the countrys Catholic Church. Violence erupted in Congo last month, after president Joseph Kabila refused to leave office following his second and final term end on 19 December. An earlier political agreement that would have allowed Kabila to remain in power until April 2018 was rejected by most of the country's opposition parties. At least 40 people were killed last month in the protests against the president. Search Keywords: Short link: With one hand holding a bottle of champagne and the other an oversized certificate declaring him the winner of $1 million from Publishers Clearing House, Bruce Saunders stood on the front porch of his western Davie County Monday and rattled off a list of things he plans spend his spend money on medical bills, fixing his lawnmower and helping family members. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Friday the building of what will be the largest church and the largest mosque in Egypt at the new capital by the coming year, and that he will be the first to donate money for the project. El-Sisi made the announcement on Friday evening while visiting the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo for Coptic Christmas celebrations, which were attended by the Coptic Pope Tawadros II. The president also apologised for the delay in the rebuilding of all the churches that were torched following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. However, President El-Sisi assured that with the exception of one church in Upper Egypt and one in Sinai, all the churches damaged in the attacks have been rebuilt. He also stressed that the Pope did not broach the subject of the damaged churches, "although it is his right to do so." The Egyptian president asserted that diversity and differences between people were created by God and should be respected. "Only beauty has a place among us, ugliness has no place here," he said. "Egypt will export good and light with all our help, we shall teach the region and the world love, peace, stability and security. Egypt will be great if we all deal [with each other] with honor, loyalty and peace," the president said. "As I stand in one of God's houses, I pray for God to save you and save Egypt, and keep peace and stability in our country," El-Sisi concluded. This is the third time El-Sisi has paid an official visit to the Coptic Cathedral. Last month, a suicide bomber killed 28 people and injured over 40 others at a Cairo church during Sunday prayers. Search Keywords: Short link: This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and her husband, deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Saturday differed on prohibition in Punjab. While Harsimrat favoured a ban on liquor, Sukhbir, who is also president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), argued that any restrictive policy leads to corruption. Today, if you look at Gujarat, there is more liquor consumed there than anywhere else. The more you start becoming restrictive, the more problems it creates, Sukhbir said. The remarks, made during a freewheeling chat at PowerCouple@ht, an event organised by Hindustan Times, are important in the backdrop of the drug problem in Punjab and Prime Minister Narendra Modis praise for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars prohibition policy at a public meeting in Patna on Thursday to celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. Both Sukhbir and Harsimrat were dismissive of the Aam Aadmi Party, seeing the Congress as their main opponent. It was a craze about a year-and-a-half back because it was something new. Punjabis love new things... then the reality of (Arvind) Kejriwal came in the open, the SAD chief said. The Election Commission registered a case against a BJP leader in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut on Saturday for violating the model code of conduct by allowing the telecast of its programme Udaan without its seeking permission. This is perhaps the first such incident in the state after the declaration of assembly polls dates on January 4. The Bharatiya Janata Partys city unit vice-president Vivek Rastogi organised the programme on Friday in which Union textile minister Smriti Irani interacted and answered queries of women and girls across 75 centres through video conferencing. It covered all the 403 constituencies of the state. A few television channels telecast the programme live. Rastogi had the permission for organising the programme but not allowing its telecast. Taking cognizance, Jitendra Bisaria, flying squad in-charge for Sivalkhas constituency, asked the organisers to show him permission for the telecast. The case has been lodged under section 188 for violation of model code of conduct against Vivek Rastogi. An investigation is underway, Akhilesh Kumar, station house officer of Jani police station, said. The partys city president Karunesh Nandan Garg, however, claimed that the programme was organised after seeking due permission. What can we do if some TV channels telecast it? Garg asked. He raised question over the complainants advice for seeking permission from state Election Commission for the telecast. I dont see any logic for seeking permission from Lucknow to organise a programme in Meerut, Garg said. Congress district president Vinay Pradhan charged the saffron party for paying no heed to the instructions of the poll panel and said BJPs leaders are acting like dictators and following Hitlarshahi. Irani flayed the state government on issues of law and order, womens safety and ongoing tussle for power in the Samajwadi Party while answering queries through video conferencing. She also targeted the Congress while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching many welfare schemes for women, poor and the common man. BJP MP from Meerut Rajendra Agarwal, MLA Satyaprakash Agarwal, Ravindra Bhadana, state women morcha president Swati Singh, regional president Bhupendra Singh, city president Karunesh Nandan Garg, state spokesperson Chandramohan and many party leaders attended the programme. As the world remembers Om Puri who passed away on Friday morning, here are excerpts of a book on the man, Om Puri - Unlikely Hero written by his ex-wife and author Nandita Puri. Nandita was married to him from 1993 to 2013. Published by Roli Books, the book captures some of the memorable moments of his life from his theatre days to his rise in the film industry. However, later Om called the book distasteful. A childhood spent in poverty: Even when as young as five, Om used to collect coal from the railway tracks and bring it home to be used as fuel. Once, Om and his friend found an egg. Om had never seen one but his friend explained that it was something edible. His mother would not let them enter the house with it but gave them an empty oil tin can and some wood. The boys lit a fire, boiled the egg in the tin can and then ate it with relish. It was perhaps the first time little Om had tasted any kind of non-vegetarian food. Playing Doctor in Strindbergs The Father, with Nina Tiwana as Lara, in Central State Library Hall in Patiala in 1968, (Roli Books/Nandita C Puri) When school was a luxury: Om was nearly eight when he reached Sanaur and had never been to a school till then. At his age most boys were in the second standard. So his uncles sent him to a private school run by a very strict teacher called Sadhuram. Sadhuram taught boys from the first to the third standards together so that they could get admission in a recognized school. In two years time Om made up for lost time in Sadhurams school. He remembers practising handwriting on a takhti or wooden slab and standing and droning multiplication tables in a sing-song manner: Ek dooni do; Do dooni char (One into twotwo; two into twofour ) Puri with co-actors Shabana Azmi and Patrick Swayze on the sets of City of Joy. (Roli Books/Nandita C Puri) The sexual awakening When he was 14 years old and in the ninth standard, a turning point came in Oms life. One summer night, as the family was sleeping out on the terrace, Om noticed his Chhoti Maami sleeping with her midriff exposed. He had been getting attracted towards her for a while and that night his reins snapped. He reached out and caressed his aunts exposed tummy. She just turned away and muttered angrily. Next morning when Om woke up, his uncle Tarachand just glared at him and gave him a tight slap across his face without saying a word. He was told to pack his bags and Ramesh was given the charge of dropping him home to Ludhiana. In Ludhiana, Om sulked for a while though his parents did not say anything. Om was keen to go back as he wanted to complete the rest of his education. A few days later, his brother Ved took him to Sanaur and tried to persuade his uncles. They remained adamant but Om too refused to return to Ludhiana. It was vacation time and school was closed, so Om literally had nowhere to stay. He persuaded the school chowkidar, Jethu, to let him in and he slept in the verandah. While he stayed there with all his worldly belongings in a tin trunk, Naresh Kaushal brought him food from home everyday. Om Puri with wife Nandita Puri. (Roli Books/Nandita C Puri) Oms change of events: In Sanaur too, there were no girls of his age and the only women he knew were his maternal aunts and the maids. So it was but natural for Om to take a liking to older women. He must have been around 14 when he was deflowered. A 55-five-year-old woman, Santi, used to provide general help in his maternal uncles house. Twice a day, water was drawn into the house with a hand pump and Om was asked to assist Santi in the job. Days went by and Om kept pressing the pump backwards and forwards, till one day he realised that Santi would first touch, then caress and finally fondle him during the task. The young boy began to get turned on without knowing what was happening to him. One day there was a power failure and in the dark, Santi grabbed Om, who was by then totally aroused. They slept together and the 14-year-old felt really great having come of age. Dark, greying, with a toothless grin, always dressed in half-torn salwars, Santi was Oms first lover. Om and the dog: Once while filming with Jackie Shroff, Om asked casually, whether Shroff had a dog. He replied he didnt like dogs too much and did not intend to keep one. But you must, Om insisted. Why? Shroff asked. Because then you can call him Om. Shroff looked bewildered and thought Om had gone crazy. But why would I do that?Om smiled mischievously and said, You see, I have a dog called Jackie. Shroff almost got up to hit him! On 14 July 2016, the French National Day, I lost my way trying to find John Bergers home in Antony, a suburb of Paris. I was to meet him at 7 pm. On near-empty streets, I was a direction dyslexic with a stubble that profiled me a foreigner Muslim, West Asian perhaps. This was a few hours before the Nice attack. Often, it is the kindness of strangers that makes us believe in the divine, believe in the beauty our lives are filled with every day irrespective of who we are, and the horrors we are capable of. A black woman I did notice she was black and perhaps I appeared black to her too decided to help me. After considering how lost I was, she insisted shed take me in her car and help find Bergers home. The woman and John spoke in French on the phone and we soon found him waiting outside his gate, standing by the road. John invited her in for a drink but the angel left, after accepting a hug from John and me. John, almost ninety, ushered me in, holding my excited hand with trembling warmth. He embraced me and sat me down, and called out to Nella. A bottle of wine was opened, while he raised his already filled glass. Theres also Vodka. You see Nella is Russian. Shes now French. Shes a writer and my friend, said John, mischievous and sincere at once. The midsummer light of the day spilled into the night as we drank, ate, spoke and exchanged poems. When evil becomes a constantly ineradicable reality, the moment of truth is always now, and it is poetry, according to Berger, that receives this truth, for poetry speaks to the immediate wound. But first, how and why did I, a leaf in the wind, find myself at John Bergers door (after getting lost in more ways than one)? In 2010, I was to publish Bhimayana, a graphic biography of BR Ambedkar pivoted around the wondrous art of Durgabai Vyam and Subhash Vyam. I believed the Gond artists had a way of seeing that John Berger may like to see. I managed to reach a draft copy to Berger thanks to our common friend Arundhati Roy. Seeing Bhimayana, Berger wrote a short note, which now adorns the book as a Foreword. He praised the conference of corporeal experience across generations, full of pain and empathy, and nurtured by a complicity and endurance that can outlive the Market. I believe it is from Berger that I learnt how to tell important stories of beauty, justice, and love using art without genuflecting to the Market, and by being skeptical about all that we are told to see. S Anand, publisher and poet (Narendra Bisht) Bhimayana led me to Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, another amazing artist who happens to be a Gond Adivasi as well. He let me set his story amidst a sea of stories; he let me set words against his colours. In 2016, Venkat and I were ready with Finding My Way, a gossamer of image and text. A longhand letter I wrote to Berger with an advance copy of the book yielded a reply in a shaky hand, folded and pressed into a stamped seals-bearing envelope. John said generous things about this book too. He signed off with, May I embrace you? Some friends did chide me, Oh he did not mean it literally. I told them they were wrong. I wished and prayed something would take me to France. Within months, the publisher of Bhimayanas French edition in Nantes got me invited to a boutique literary festival in the seaside town of La Baule. After engaging with some of Bergers writing on the arts, I had become acutely aware of arts collusion with capital, the state and the market (and caste, in India). I had stopped attending literature festivals; I was tired of grumbling against mining companies and corporations that facilitate discussions on Dalit or Adivasi literature while being in the business of disenfranchising the very people behind such stories and art. When a writer or artist ceases to see these contradictions and even defends them (under the excuse of freedom of expression), she stands compromised. Seeing words and imagesthe world we make as it makes usthrough Bergers eyes means you are called to stand upon a moral ground. And morality is the firstand often onlyjudgment you make of yourself before you judge others. You then come to regard morality as beautiful and hence sacred. You can then bear art. And art, Berger often reminds us, is labour. I was conscious of this when the invitation from a festival in a French town I had not even heard of materialized. But I temporarily suspended judgment on myself, and greedily agreed to go, just so I could meet Berger. That is how and why I found myself having dinner with John and Nella Bielski, Ukranian-born writer and actress who has loved John for a long time and had moved in to care for him after his wife Beverly died in 2013. At that time, I was reading a book called A Poem at the Right Moment: Remembered Verses from Premodern South India. The savants Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman had committed to paper what are called chatu poems translated from Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit. Most of these short poems do not have authors and are committed to memory and recited over generations; they were not written down till the modern period that did not know how to come to terms with the phenomenon of forming an informal literary community constituted solely by the memorability of poems. The book had been with me since 1997 when it was published, but it took nineteen years before the right moment came for it in my life. I offered to read to John and Nella a few of these poems both in English and the Tamil and Telugu versions, which had been provided. John loved them so much that I offered him the book, but he refused. He grabbed a paper and noted this poem down, said to have been spoken over a thousand years ago by the Tamil poet Avvaiyar when a Chola king failed to pay her attention, busy as he was buying saris for his wife: Youll spend thousands in gold on this splendid sari that will wear out within a few months. Listen, flawless king, famed for spearing foes in battle: what never wears or tears is my poem. Remembered at the right moment, this poem fulfilled itself in us. Read more: Booker prize-winning novelist and art critic John Berger dead at 90 When the time came for me to leave, John booked me a taxi. I protested in vain as he thrust 50 Euros into my palms for the fare. I related to John how this reminded me of what Ajay Navaria, a writer I had published, told me some years agoit was patriarchal and sentimental, but nevertheless. In India, however poor a father, whatever his fortunes and whatever caste he belongs to, gives his daughter at least the return bus fare when she visits him after shes been married. John then took me into his arms for what seemed an eternity. The Embrace No poem can capture the embrace but I habitually succumb to vanity. Words did not come to me when I was in your arms. I held all breath in my eyes On an evening of words soused in wine and in the colours of the lingering July sun that was beautifully unaware of what it had done, we suddenly walked into a joyous silence. eyes that saw love above all else. Im not afraid of any disease, not afraid of whats a part of our body, said Nella. What would pleasure be if we did not know pain? Ive been in his embrace even before he touched me. With rigour comes grace, and grace comes with love. In the blink of an eye, a moment passes into eternity. I am always fascinated by how trends in hoteliering change. Once upon a time, there was the grand hotel. This was, usually, an impressive structure built decades ago that prided itself on its heritage and offered formal service, with a single dining room and a bar. (Think of Claridges in London, The Oberoi Grand in Kolkata or the Taj Mahal in Mumbai.) Then, in the 60s, American-style hotels flooded the world thanks to such chains as Hilton, Intercontinental and Sheraton. These were modern buildings with less formal service, many speciality restaurants, 24-hour room service and a coffee shop that served hamburgers. (Think of the Oberoi Intercontinental in Delhi, the London Hilton on Park Lane or the Sheraton Hong Kong in Kowloon). From all accounts, the first Indian W has rocked Goa this season The grand hotels struggled to adapt and most were forced to accept some of the conveniences of the American-style hotels (extensive room service menus, for example). But broadly, the distinction survived. A guest who was used to, say, The Carlyle in New York would never consider staying at a nearby Hilton. A regular at the Mumbai Taj would insist on staying in the old building and would refuse to shift to the modern Intercontinental wing. The distinction only collapsed in the 90s with the rise of the modern luxury hotel. Such hotels lacked the heritage and history of the worlds grand hotels. And they were usually modern constructions. But unlike say, the Hiltons and Sheratons of old, they had huge rooms (about twice the size of the standard hotel room), expensive fittings (they even bragged about the thread count in their bed sheets) and first-rate service. Sometimes they also had good restaurants (often outsourced to celebrity chefs) but gourmet cuisine was not an integral part of their appeal. The rise of this kind of hotel coincided with the creation of a global financial community: super-bankers and private equity investors who rushed from capital to capital and traders who saw the whole world as one giant market. These people were too rich for the average Hilton and too driven to appreciate the stately pace of say, Pariss Le Bristol or Londons Claridges. They preferred chains that seemed more dynamic and less stuffy but were nevertheless, reassuringly expensive. The Four Seasons chain made its reputation servicing this kind of customer and Ritz-Carlton had a similar appeal. Eventually, everything merged. For instance, the Four Seasons took over Pariss venerable Georges V Hotel and preserved its grand character while improving the service. Giant corporations bought grand hotels and used their names to build global chains of modern hotels. The St Regis is one of New Yorks oldest luxury hotels. But the mammoth Starwood chain (owner of Sheraton, Meridien, Westin etc.) turned its name into a brand, opening new St Regis properties in major capitals. The Hilton chain took another New York property, Waldorf Astoria and turned it into yet another luxury brand using its name for newly-constructed hotels, which were nothing like the original. Today, the idea of a grand hotel managed by its owner survives only in a few European cities. (And Biki Oberoi runs one of the worlds last great owner-managed hotel companies). Most grand hotels are owned by rich men (Mohamed Al-Fayed, the Sultan of Brunei, Prince Al-Waleed, etc.) who treat them as trophy properties. Biki Oberoi runs one of the worlds last great owner-managed hotel companies The bulk of the worlds hotel sector is controlled by huge chains, which run sub-chains at different price points. For instance, Marriott (which recently bought Starwood) may operate perfectly ordinary Marriott hotels in many cities. But it also owns the Ritz-Carlton and Bulgari luxury brands. In the late 80s, changing demographics led to the first stirrings of a revolt against the conventional, corporate idea of a hotel. Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, who had run Studio 54, the trendy New York disco in the 70s, took over failing New York hotels and refashioned them as hip and trendy places. Three New York properties Morgans, the Royalton and the Paramount set off a revolution in hoteliering and by the time Schrager opened The Sanderson hotel in London (Rubell had died in the interim), the term hip hotel had come into common use. Sanderson London is among the trendy hotels opened by Ian Schrager Schrager used cutting-edge designers like Andree Putman and Philippe Starck to create hotel rooms that were radically different from the Hilton-Sheraton standard and turned the lobbies into something akin to clubs. As he famously said at the time, the lobby should be the living room of the hotel. His bellboys were put into designer clothes and seemed to have been hired for their good looks. He established the practice (now an industry standard) of putting video players (and, when they were invented, DVD players) and stereo systems in the rooms and of keeping a music and movie library for guest use (his movie libraries offered hard-core porn, which has also now become an industry standard thanks to pay-per-view technology). The cult following these early hotels engendered led others to enter that space. Some, like Andre Balazs, kept within the formula while others, like the British couple, Tim and Kit Kemp, opened spaces that were as cool and trendy as Schragers but warmer and less self-consciously hip; their wonderful Crosby Street Hotel in New York is almost the antithesis of the original Royalton. No good idea goes uncloned. So within a few years of the boom in hip hotels, Starwood had launched its own cookie-cutter copy. Called W, it was sneered at by those who knew the originals. But because Starwood had the resources to roll the concept out globally it was W, more than any individual-centric operation, that took the idea of hip hotels around the world. Ive always had difficulty taking W seriously because a clone is a clone, no matter how high the marketing budget is. Nevertheless I do have to concede that in recent years, Starwood has given W a character of its own. The W in Singapore is my hotel of choice in that city (it is in Sentosa so you forget you are in Singapore, which can be a good thing), and now that the first Indian W has opened in Goa, we can all experience Starwoods idea of corporate hipness in our own country. From all accounts, the hotel has rocked Goa this season. So powerful is the idea of a hip hotel in the 21st century that W hotels are among Starwoods most expensive properties (up there with St Regis). Other chains have scrambled to launch their own versions and Marriott has even tied up with Ian Schrager to launch Edition hotels. (So much for sneering at the clash between Schragers original concept and corporate hoteliering; eventually everything merges!) (Getty Images) Earlier people chose hotels for convenience or luxury or even, snob appeal. But after the rise of the hip hotel, new factors have begun to matter: fashion quotient, style and trendiness. Recognising that it too must enter any new category, Hyatt Hotels first took on Four Seasons/Ritz-Carlton with its Park Hyatt brand. And its response to the hip-lifestyle hotel category is Andaz. It is not, Hyatt insists, a Schrager-style concept (we dont run nightclubs in our lobbies) but it does, nevertheless, seek to re-invent the idea of a hotel. And yes, part of its appeal is style and trendiness. The first Indian Andaz has just opened in Delhi and you should go and make up your own mind about how successful Hyatt has been in its quest to refresh the traditional style of hoteliering. I went last week and was blown away. Right from the stylish lobby and the informal check-in routine to the studio spaces which guests can treat as living rooms or work areas, it marks a fundamental rethink of the way hotels are designed. I was particularly impressed by the standard rooms which are large, are planned with convenience in mind (plug points, reading lights etc) and do away with standard hotel furniture for a lighter, more artisanal feel. W Singapore, like W Goa, allows one to experience Starwoods idea of corporate hipness The one restaurant thats open (a Chinese place will open later) is so startlingly conceived that it deserves more space and I will write about it in another piece later this year. The Delhi Andaz is a generation ahead of any other Indian hotel I have seen. It is younger and much fresher. And theres no problem with the trendiness quotient: this is easily Delhis coolest hotel. But I am sure there will soon be imitators. Thats what the hotel industry is like. Just when you think you know what hotels are about, something new and imaginatively conceived comes along. And the old rules change all over again. From HT Brunch, January 8, 2017 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry will travel on Sunday to Muscat carrying a message from the country's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Oman's Sultan Qaboos, a foreign affairs statement read. The visit aims to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries and follow-up on the implementation of cooperation programs and projects between them, the statement added. During the visit, FM Shoukry and Qaboos are scheduled to discuss a number of regional and international issues of importance to both countries, the statement added, as well as crises in the Arab world that represent a threat to the Arab counties' security. Oman, a Gulf supporter of Egypt, is one of the few Arab states which maintains good relations with Iran. Oman, which neighbours Yemen, has used its links with Tehran to mediate peace talks between the Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents and Yemen's UN-recognised government of president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Search Keywords: Short link: Apple will have to double down on its India focus as the iPhone-maker saw a drop in sales for the first time since it launched smartphones in 2007, resulting in 15% ($1.55 million) cut in company CEO Tim Cooks salary. Also, for the first time in 15 years, Apple founded by Steve Jobs, who revolutionised phone designs missed its sales targets. According to Apples SEC filings, the company missed its sales target by 3.7%, and reported $215.6 billion in revenue in 2016. Its operating income fell from $71.2 billion to $60 billion. The company recently faced challenges from its ever-growing Chinese competition, and its attempt to grab buyers in emerging markets with the relatively lower-cost iPhone SE has failed. Throw in the rising competition from Chinese handset makers, Cook is struggling to keep the momentum going. India, on the other hand, is the only market that is growing, while all other markets such as America and China are facing saturation -- in some markets penetration of phones are as high as 80% to 85%. India is already the worlds third largest smartphone market, where more users are getting on the internet through mobile phones than anywhere else in the world. Over time, many believe that smartphone innovation has stagnated and as lifetime of the devices have gone up, resulting in a shrinkage of new buyers in developed markets. In China, it hasnt been able to grow its marketshare. According to research firm Gartner, Apple witnessed a drop of 2.5% in marketshare. For Cook, the only big market bet Apples growth remains India where half of the population is under 25 years old, and owning an iPhone is still an aspiration. In India, too, Cook has faced tough competition from its Chinese rivals. Another research firm Counterpoint Rresearch noted Apples share to be 5.6%, while its Chinese rival Oppo had a marketshare of 8%, in 2016s third quarter. Through his multiple visits in one of which he offered prayers at Mumbais Siddhivinayak Temple Cook has tried to convince authorities to dole out special tax benefits for manufacturing in India. However, the authorities arent convinced, as they believe that it would discriminate one handset maker over other. Apples latest India sales numbers arent available, but 2015 figures revealed that the company has crossed $1 billion in sales. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A rebel-turned-MLA from Meghalaya, accused of raping a 14-year-old girl twice once in a guest house owned by the family of state home minister HDR Lyngdoh and the other time in a resort, was arrested on Friday from Guwahati. Julius Kitbok Dorphang, an independent legislator representing Mawhati constituency, was later taken to Shillong and is now at the Sadar Police Station. He will be produced in court on Saturday. We assisted a team of Meghalaya police in arresting the MLA from ISBT (Inter-State Bus Terminus) area on the outskirts of the city, Guwahati commissioner of police Hiren Nath said. The Meghalaya Police issued a lookout notice for Dorphang, allegedly hiding in Assam with help from leaders of other militant outfits he had befriended during his underground days in Bangladesh two decades ago. Dorphang was absconding before a court in Shillong issued a non-bailable warrant against him on Wednesday for allegedly raping the girl. A police team from Meghalaya, with help from their Assam counterpart, raided a house in Guwahati on Thursday evening in a bid to arrest the 52-year-old Dorphang. But he gave them the slip. The house was raided because we had information the accused (Dorphang) visited it, East Khasi Hills district superintendent of police M Kharkrang said from Meghalaya capital Shillong. Reacting to reports from Meghalaya that leaders of Assam-based militant outfits on ceasefire mode, including United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), were helping Dorphang hide, Nath said: We have no such information. Dorphang developed a friendship with these leaders when they shared camps in Bangladesh, from where he operated between 1993 and 2007. He was then the chairperson of Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), a Meghalaya-based militant outfit. ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia refuted allegations that members of his organisation had sheltered Dorphang. It is totally false. We cannot support a person involved in crime against a minor girl who is like my daughter. The law should take action against such notorious persons, he told Hindustan Times. Dorphang was given general amnesty after he surrendered in 2007. This helped wipe clean his crime slate that included extortion, abduction, killing and waging war against the country. Womens organisations in matrilineal Meghalaya have sought exemplary punishment for Dorphang. Trafficking of girls is an organised racket that involves the high and mighty, Shillong-based Agnes Kharshiing, heading an NGO for womens rights, said. Opposition parties in Meghalaya sniffed the Mukul Sangma governments hand in such illegal activities after it transpired that state home minister Lyngdohs family owns the guest house where Dorphang allegedly raped the minor girl last month. There is no need for me to step down since I have given the police a free hand to investigate the case, Lyngdoh said to silence critics baying for his blood. Most of us know about the Sepoy Mutiny and the revolt of 1857 Indias First War of Independence but many wouldnt be familiar with the lesser-known facts about the event. In order to give some more insight on the monuments connected to the 1857 revolt, acclaimed heritage activist Vikramjit Singh Rai is doing a walk today called the 1857 Mutiny Trail. The walk will be more of an on-site discussion, which will help the participants to scientifically analyse the events. They will be given facts about each monument visited and then they will be allowed to have their own interpretations, says Rai. Not many of us know that Nepal played a pivotal role in the 1857 revolt and helped the Britishers in the fight by deploying their troops. So my effort will be to share the lesser known facts with the participants, he adds. The walk will begin from the Vice Chancellors office in North Campus, Delhi University and proceed towards monuments including Viceregal Lodge, Flag Staff Tower, Khooni Khar Jheel, Chauburja, Pir Ghaib Baoli, Ashoka Pillar and Mutiny Memorial. Since most monuments are either being used by the government agencies or arent open to public, the participants will be able to see the monuments from outside. Interested participants can register at the venue. Catch It Live What: 1857 Mutiny Trail Where: Main Gate, Kamla Nehru Ridge/VC Office When: January 8 Nearest metro station: Vishwavidyalaya on Yellow Line Timings: 10.30am to 1pm SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is planning to postpone Class 12 board exams to March second week owing to the upcoming assembly polls in five states, sources said. CBSE is likely to announce the schedule early next week. We will ensure there is no delay in releasing the results and students will get enough time between exams. It is most likely the exams will start on March 9 or 10. But a final view is yet to be taken, said a source. The exams usually begin on March 1 and end in April, and results are declared in the third week of May. The postponement will help conduct exams smoothly as teachers and staff will be busy with election duty, sources said. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur will go to polls between February 11 and March 8. There will no problem if results are declared on time, school principals and teachers said. I dont think 8-9 days delay in starting the examination will affect anything. There has been a lot of digitisation in CBSE. Last year too, CBSE was 10 days ahead in declaring the result, said principal of a school in west Delhi, requesting anonymity. As long as the last date of the examination held is maintained, there will be no problem, The Indian School principal, Tania Joshi, said. The time between exams may be reduced to adjust the delay. As college admissions will begin, there cannot be a delay in declaring results, said Joshi. However, students fear entrance examinations for engineering colleges may be held between board exams. The Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (Main) is scheduled for April 2. Last year, it was held on April 9. With this pushing back of examination dates by 9-10 days, it looks like we will have to take entrance tests in between exams, said Vidya Niketan student, Rohit Sharma. However, teachers said students shouldnt worry as CBSE usually holds the Humanities examination in the later part of April. As it is CBSE which conducts both examinations, they must have kept this issue in mind, said a teacher at Delhi Public School, RK Puram. There is information yet about CBSE Class 10 board exams. The Delhi Metro is set to add 104km to its network after the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet on Friday gave the much-awaited clearance to the six-line fourth phase that will boost connectivity to the Capitals outskirts, the airport and south Delhi. The Delhi government had in May given in-principal approval but the Centre returned the file, as it didnt make a provision for the projects funding. The cabinet cleared the financial arrangement and in six years, the Metro would have six more lines, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said. The project will cost Rs 50,000 crore. Usually 70% of the funds come through loan and the remaining 30% cost is borne equally by the Delhi government and the Centre. Read: Phase 4 will make Delhi Metro largest metro system after China We are now future oriented and lines have been planned in the areas where traffic is expected to grow, Sisodia said. The DMRC would submit a progress report to the cabinet every month. Once the Centres gives all-clear, the project would be completed in six years. The six lines are -- Rithala Narela, InderlokIndraprastha, TughlakabadAerocity, Lajpat Nagar Saket G-Block, Janakpuri (west)-RK Ashram and Mukundpur-Maujpur. While sending the file to the Centre in May, the Delhi government said the fund commitment would be cleared by the cabinet later. The Centre returned the file but after Fridays nod, it would be sent back to the urban development for final approval after which tenders will be called for construction work. Phase 4 network is expected to have a daily ridership of 850,000. These lines, in addition to the 140km being added in Phase 3, will decongest central and southern parts of the city. Phase 3 will get operational in a staggered manner. The first launch is expected sometime later this month and the last in September. The new lines will expand the Metro network to 434km and 308 stations. The daily ridership is likely to go up to 6.3 million from the current 2.8 million. Two hundred and ninety eight private schools built on government land will now have to admit students in nursery classes using the neighbourhood/distance criteria, under which sibling will be given priority. The schools will have to fill 75% of the seats under this criterion, which means 20% management quota stands quashed. Guidelines for admissions to these 298 schools were issued late on Saturday night after getting approval from Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Last year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had tried to quash the management quota, after which some schools had moved the Delhi High Court and obtained a judgment in their favour. Of the 298 private schools, Sanskriti School, CRPF Public School, Dwarka, and minority schools have been given exemption under the governments new rule. They can carry on with various reservations and can apply the distance/neighbourhood distance criteria only if they have general seats remaining after that. As per the governments new rule, schools will have to first admit students living with a 1km radius. Even among those living within the 1km distance criterion, preference will be given to children who have siblings studying in the same school. In case the applications of sibling category, in the neighbourhood range of 0-1km, are in excess of the seats under general category, draw of lots will be conducted. If there are vacancies after drawing lots, applicants residing within 1 to 3 km radius of a school shall be admitted, again those with siblings being given priority. Read: Delhi L-G approves nursery admission guidelines for pvt schools on DDA land In case of more vacancies, admissions will be offered to children residing within 3 to 6 km radius of the school. Those residing beyond 6km will be admitted only if the school has seats after meeting all above criterion. As there has been almost a week delay in starting the nursery admissions, the government is likely to extend the last date to apply. We have held consultation and the application process will be extended, said Saumya Gupta, director of education. The admission process for remaining 1,400 private schools started on January 2 and will continue till January 23. For these schools, distance is one of the criterions among others such as siblings, alumni and first girl child. When these schools were being given land by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) they had put a condition that they have to admit children of the neighbourhood. So the government has defined neighbourhood for these schools, said Education Minister Manish Sisodia in a tweet. In 2004, the Supreme Court had said that the schools will have to implement the terms of the allotment letter. This was not implemented, so in 2016, Justice for All moved the Delhi High Court again demanding implementation of the terms of allotment letter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A youth was shot dead and his friend injured when a group of men opened indiscriminate fire outside a shop in south-east Delhis Dakshinpuri area on Saturday night. Police say that the incident could be a fallout of a rivalry as preliminary investigations have ruled out the possibility of a robbery attempt. The incident was reported around 7.30pm when the two victims, Nadeem (25) and Jitu (24), were sitting outside the latters tyre repairing shop. Locals told the police that four men on two motorcycles drove up to them and fired indiscriminately. Jitu was hit by four bullets while Nadeem was shot on his leg. The men then threatened the locals who had gathered around them and fled. The victims were rushed to the Batra hospital nearby by the bystanders where Jitu was declared dead on arrival. A police team from the Ambedkar Nagar police station reached the spot and registered and recovered six spent cartridges from the spot. Jitus body was sent for an autopsy at the AIIMS where Nadeem underwent a surgery at the hospital. Probe suggests the killers were known to one of them while the other might have been hit in accidentally. A case of murder has been registered. Police say that Jitu has been running the tyre repair shop for a the past two years while Nadeem ran a scrap dealing shop nearby. A 34-year-old man who travelled by flights and trains to steal from fellow passengers was caught after he used credit cards stolen from a flier at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport to buy 16 perfume bottles worth Rs 1.3 lakh at a duty-free shop Rajesh Kapoor is a trader of imported goods who frequently travelled abroad. They began probing when a Gurgaon-based woman complained on Thursday that her stolen credit cards were used for shopping. She arrived at the Delhi airport from Amritsar by Air India flight AI-462. Three credit cards of different banks in her name kept in her cabin bag were stolen. She came to know about it only after she got a message that her credit cards were used to shop for $2016, said deputy commissioner of police (airport) Sanjay Bhatia. The transaction details led the police to a shop at the airport, where 16 bottles of Chanel perfume were bought using the card. CCTV footage from the store helped the police identify the man His movements were trailed and it was revealed that the passenger offloaded himself from AI-191, said Bhatia. He was identified with airlines help, but his address was not available, police said. Teams were deployed, and on Saturday, he was arrested from Paharganj, Bhatia added. Read: Fed up of security checks after bomb call, woman cancels trip to Toronto During interrogation, Kapoor confessed to selling the perfume bottles at a Karol Bagh shop for around Rs 50,000. Police seized all the bottles. Kapoor said he was involved in six similar theft cases four at railway stations and two at airports. He is out on bail. In April 2016, he booked a flight for Mumbai. Before boarding, he stole 5,800 Canadian dollars from a co-passengers baggage at IGI airport, police said. Recently, he reportedly lost a lot of money in betting and was under pressure to repay the debt. He thought there were fewer chances of being caught at airports or on flights. He used to book flights, which later had to go to international destination, so that he could target foreigners. He also used to travel second class in trains to target passengers, said Bhatia. He lived in Singapore and Malaysia for two years, police said. The Delhi Metro, which has issued tenders for the topographical survey of its six lines under Phase 4 approved by Delhi government, plans to start construction by August. The lines under Phase 4, in addition to the 140 kilometres added in Phase 3, are expected to free up traffic bottlenecks in congested central and southern parts of the city, and help passengers from outer Delhi. Phase 3 of Metros expansion is likely to be completed by mid-2017. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been seeking approval to start Phase 4s construction for over a year. The new phase will particularly benefit south Delhi as residents will have the option of taking the Metro to go to the airport. After the completion of Phase 4, the Delhi Metro will become the largest Metro system outside China to carry about seven million passengers every day. Right now, it is the 11th largest Metro system. After Phase 3s completion, we should be fourth or fifth. The DMRC has proposed to build a 20-km corridor between the existing Aerocity and Tughlakabad Metro stations. The line will go through densely populated areas of Sangam Vihar, Saket, Mehrauli, Vasant Kunj and Mahipalpur of south Delhi. The Delhi government rejected a proposal to extend it to the Terminal 1 station. Read: Metro link between Noida Sector-62 and Indirapuram gets a boost Passengers travelling on the Violet (ITO-Faridabad) Line have the option of taking the Metro for this corridor from Tughlakabad, while passengers on the Yellow (Huda City Centre-Samaypur Badli) Line can board from Saket. Currently the airport line is connected only with the Huda City Centre- Samaypur Badli line, at the New Delhi station. Once this line, which is part of Phase 4 of DMRC, is completed, passengers will have different options of going to the airport. From Aerocity, they can take the Airport Line to go to Terminal 3, said a senior DMRC official. Phase 4 will add to the ridership of the Airport Line. Almost 15 kilometres of this line will be underground because of space constraints. DMRC officials said they hoped the problem of overcrowding would be solved when lines under Phase 3 of the mass transit systems expansion become operational. In May, the AAP government gave in-principal approval but the Centre returned the file, saying they need to give financial approval. Now, deputy CM Manish Sisodia has said that approval has been given and in 72 months, Delhi will have six new lines of Delhi Metro. When completed, the new lines will expand the reach of Metro network to 434 kilometres across 308 stations. The daily ridership is also likely to go up to 63 lakh from the current 28 lakh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A retired army official shot and critically injured his 24-year-old drunk son after a tiff with the latter over his alcoholism at his house in Patel Nagar on Friday night. A heated argument turned violent when Jagdeesh Yadav (57) shot his son, Mordhwaj Yadav, four times with his licensed revolver at 10.30 pm. Police reached the spot at 11 pm, Civil Lines station officiating SHO inspector Jaipal said. The victim was shifted to a private hospital where his condition is said to be stable. A case has been registered under Section 307 (attempt to murder), he said. Mordhwaj, a lawyer at the Gurgaon district court, came to his house drunk and started fighting with his mother and sister, police said. He allegedly snatched his fathers revolver, but the family members managed to reclaim it from him. In the melee, Mordhwaj slapped his father twice. The infuriated father shot him once, and later pumped in three more bullets, said Jaipal. Jagdeesh, who retired as Havaldar and runs a business, is since missing. Meanwhile, neighbours said the nuisance created by Mordhwaj deeply perturbed Jagdeesh. Mordhwaj allegedly drank alcohol daily and created a ruckus in the area. The victim, despite being from a good family, caused frequent trouble as he entered into fights with neighbours, which forced his father to intervene and beg for forgiveness. His father was frustrated and that could have led to the shooting, said a neighbour, who claims to have been harassed by the victim. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Temperatures in Alexandria on Saturday are expected to reach highs of 15 degrees Celsius and lows of 5 degrees The Alexandria Port Authority shut down on Saturday the Alexandria and Dakheila ports due to bad weather conditions, state news agency MENA reported. Wind speeds exceeded 25 knots per hour, causing high waves in the Mediterranean. The two ports were closed to prevent ships from colliding with each other or with the ports docks, Port Authority spokesman Reda El-Ghandour told MENA. It is not yet known when the ports will reopen. Temperatures in Alexandria on Saturday are expected to reach highs of 15 degrees Celsius and lows of 5 degrees. Search Keywords: Short link: The Delhi cabinet on Friday approved a Good Samaritan policy under which the government will provide Rs 2,000 to any person extending help in taking a road accident victim to the hospital. This scheme will encourage people to take accident victims to the hospital. Along with Rs 2,000, an appreciation certificate issued by the government will also be given, said deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Experts said that the new move will give bystanders incentive to help accident victims and more importantly also provide them with legal protection. A Supreme Court order with regards to helping accident victims needs to be institutionalised better. That can only be done if people are motivated by giving them assurance that there is a law in place that will protect them. The monetary benefit is a great initiative but money is not the only factor when it comes to helping helping victims. It is the fear of legal hassles, said Saji Cherian, director (operations) of the road safety NGO SaveLife Foundation. He said that Delhi needs a comprehensive state-specific law for the protection of good samaritans similar to the one passed by Karnataka in November 2016. In 2012, SaveLife Foundation had filed a PIL which led to an SC judgement in 2016. The judgment had issued a list of guidelines protecting good samaritans from legal hassles. A bench comprising justices VP Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra directed the Centre to give wide publicity to the guidelines, which clearly stipulated that people who help victim of road accidents or other calamities would not be harassed in any way. The NGO in their petition had submitted the results of a survey conducted by them, which showed that 74% of the bystanders are unlikely to assist a victim of serious injury. They found that in Delhi the situation was the worst as 96% of people were unlikely to help. As per the Law Commission of India, 50% of those killed in road accidents could have been saved if they had received immediate assistance. A report by World Health Organisation (WHO) also claimed that skilled and empowered bystanders play a crucial role in saving lives and in order to enable bystanders to come forward and help injured persons, a supportive legal and ethical environment is needed. In 2015, 8085 accidents had taken place in the capital, in which 1622 people lost their lives. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As the sanitation workers refused to call off strike on Saturday, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation decided to take the services of private operators to clear the dhalaos. It has deployed around 43 trucks from Saturday evening to lift the garbage from Shahdara North and South zones. As per the notice issued by EDMC, all the private vehicles will assemble near Akshardham Temple first and them go to respective dhalaos/ dust bins in Shahdara Noth and Shadara south zone. These will collect garbage and dispose it to the sanitary landfill site in Ghazipur in police protection. The action has been taken as per Delhi High Court order in June 2015. In the order direction was issued to commissioner of police to constitute specific task forces for each ward in East Delhi, headed by a police officer not below the rank of sub inspector, to oversee the process of removing garbage, said a senior EDMC official. EDMC has written to Deputy Commissioners of Police North East and Shahdara district to direct the concerned SHO to provide sufficient police force. But the workers are not happy with the corporations decision. We always welcome the high courts decision but this is not the solution to existing problem. Rather than finding solution and providing salaries to employees, corporation is taking ----- of courts decision, said Sanjay Gehlot, president of President of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha. We will ask the workers to allow proper functioning of private trucks but who will sweep internal lanes, collect garbage from roadsides and drains, he said further . On Saturday, the Delhi Governments had also announced to release the funds to East Delhi Municipal Corporation for payment of pending salaries. Satyendar Jain, health minister, Delhi Government, said, We are concerned about the sanitation workers and will soon release the funds to corporation but only for paying the pending salaries.He also alleged that the corporation is indulged in making money rather than adding to the revenue. Meanwhile, Delhi commission for Safai Karamcharis has demanded explanation from EDMC on salary issue . As per the high courts direction, MCD should release the salaries of MCD safai karamcharis by 7th of each month. In the given circumstances why they are delaying payment . It is an act criminal negligence and contempt of court. They should make their financial statement public , said Santlal Chawria, chairman of commission. Workers are still adamant about their demands for paying three months pending salary, arrears (from the date of regularisation of employees) and their cashless medical insurance. We have to get on roads after every three months for last three years just to get our salaries. The state government and municipal corporation are fooling us and we dont want the situation to be repeated. We will not give up this time unless all our demands are met, said DP Chandel, president, Rastriya Safai Majdoor Congress. To calm down the situation, EDMC commission Mohanjeet Singh had also called a meeting with sanitation workers at his office, in afternoon. But that ended without any conclusion. The commissioner was sympathetic to our problem and shared his limitations also. But I cant run my house expenses with sympathies. He informed that a file on salary issue has been sent to state government but it has yet to get administrative approval, said Gehlot. Meanwhile, the workers have planned to gherao other MLAs on Monday morning and dumped garbage in their complexes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri, the CRPF Public School in Dwarka and minority schools built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land have been exempted from the new neighbourhood/distance rule. Terming these two schools as those set up for specific categories such as armed forces, paramilitary forces among others, they can carry on with their reservation. HT reported on January that these schools were likely to get special status. Sanskriti School reserves 60% of the seats for children of all India and central services belonging to Group A, selected through Civil Services Examination, and serving commissioned officers of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Similarly, the CRPF Public School reserves 60% of the seats for the children of CRPF. It is only for the remaining open/general seats admission will be conducted on the basis of neighbourhood. Read: Distance, siblings rules get priority in Delhi nursery admissions The authorities at the CRPF school said they were happy with the governments decision. We are happy that the government has understood the objective and purpose behind our school, said senior official at the school. The reason given by the government for the special status said, It was felt that these schools have been set up and run by the societies of government servants with a view to providing good education to the wards of their personnel/officers. Since their jobs are transferable and to ensure the admission of their wards and continuity of the studies of their wards, some preference in admission of their wards in some schools seems to be justified. Similarly around 40 minority schools built on government land have the right to reserve seats for the students belonging to the minority concerned. A 38-year-old Brazilian woman and an Afghan national were arrested at the IGI Airport between December 30 and January 4 by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for allegedly smuggling party drugs, capsules of cocaine and heroin worth over 10 crore in their stomach. A total of 65 pellets of cocaine and 90 capsules of heroin have been recovered so far from their stomach, even as the two are currently under medical observation at the Safdarjung Hospital. The seized drugs were supposed to be sold to drug users on the eve the New Year celebrations and during other rave parties in and around the national capital, NCB officials said. Rajendra Pal Singh, deputy director general (DDG) of NCB told HT that with the arrests and seizure of narcotics, they have foiled a massive drug deal made for the New Year celebrations. Interrogation of the two arrested foreigners will help us identify their links in India besides busting the drug cartels they were working for. The two worked as carriers for international syndicates involved in pushing cocaine, heroin and other narcotic drugs into India, said Singh. The seized narcotic items were smuggled into India keeping in mind the New Year celebrations, he said. According to the DDG, the NCB had put its focus on the foreigners coming to Delhi through IGI Airport to supply drugs in Delhi NCR during New Year celebration. On the night of December 30, NCB officials took Joseane Da Silva Antunes, a Brazilian woman, into their custody on suspicion of carrying drugs in her stomach after she landed at IGI airport in an Etihad Airways. She was travelling from Sao Paulo in Brazil to India via Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. As we had information that the Brazilian woman was hiding cocaine capsules, she was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for medical examination during which it was confirmed that some foreign bodies were concealed in her stomach, said the DDG, adding, 65 capsules of cocaine have been removed from her stomach so far. She is still under medical observation and more such capsules are likely to be recovered from her stomach. In a similar operation by the NCB, 50-year-old Afghan national Mohammad Qasem was apprehended on Wednesday after he arrived at the IGI airport. He was travelling from Herat in Afghanistan to New Delhi via Kabul. Qasem too was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital and 90 capsules of heroin have been removed so far from his stomach. During the initial questioning, Antunes told police that she was travelling to India for the first time. She was supposed to stay at a hotel in Paharganj, the booking of which was done through e-booking. NCB officials are now trying to find out who booked the hotel room for her, and from where. We are taking help of a translator for further probe as the woman does not speak English, the officer said. Qasems questioning has revealed that he had travelled to India six times in the past two years on medial and tourist visa. Officials are grilling him to know if he smuggled drugs during his earlier visits as well. In 2016, 47 people, including 18 foreign national, were arrested by the NCB and 225 kilograms of drugs were seized from them. The last session of Parliament turning into a washout surely shows that there is something rotten in the state of India. The start of the 70th year of Indias Independence from British rule is an appropriate time to consider what is rotten. One way to do this is to look back to the dangers Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, foresaw in his last speech to the Constituent Assembly to see if they have been averted. Not only is Ambedkar respected for the learning and wisdom he brought to drafting the Constitution, the PM has also adopted him as one of his role-models. So he should pay attention to his words. The first danger which is particularly relevant to Parliament is Ambedkars realisation that the measures Mahatma Gandhi had adopted to resist British rule might be misused. Ambedkar said in a democracy unconstitutional methods like civil-disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha were nothing but the grammar of anarchy. By disobeying the rules of procedure, and behaving like rival mobs of unruly protesters the MPs, the very people who should be upholding the dignity of Parliament, have turned parliamentary language into the grammar of anarchy. No party can absolve itself of blame for establishing this anarchic tradition and maintaining it. The PM shows his disrespect for Parliament by preferring to speak directly to the people because they cant ask awkward questions. Read: Total washout looms large on last day of winter session of Parliament Elections are a key element in a democracy and this year six assembly elections are to be held. All the significant parties participating are one man or one woman bands. Some of them like the Congress are family businesses run by the head of the family, some are personal properties like Mayawatis BSP. The AAP no longer belongs to the ordinary man. Arvind Kejriwal has taken it over. The BJP, which did have a tradition of inner democracy, has been taken over by Narendra Modi. So another of Ambedkars warnings has been ignored. He claimed the Bhakti tradition made India particularly prone to the hero-worship, which leads to parties and indeed sometime countries becoming dominated by one person and democracy being derailed. He told the Constituent Assembly: Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics Bhakti, or hero-worship, is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. Because Indias political parties are dominated by one person, dissent is not tolerated. Leaders see differences of opinion as challenges to their leadership. Ambedkar said party discipline could have converted the Constituent Assembly into a gathering of yes men, but fortunately there were rebels. Its not that Ambedkar was suggesting there should be anarchy in political parties. He expressed his gratitude for the discipline of the Congress saying it was entitled to take all the credit for the smooth sailing of the draft constitution in the Assembly. But that discipline was very different to the sycophancy that has converted the Congress into a party of yes men and women. Read: Winter session ends: Govt, Oppn take demonetisation row outside Parliament The failure to keep creed out of politics has been a crucial fault in Indian democracy. Even now there are attempts to politicise religion in the UP election with the BJP trying to forge a Hindu vote and talks between the Socialist Party and the Congress on uniting the Muslim vote. Ambedkar asked anxiously, Will India place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? He went on to say, I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. The anomaly is that the present government lays so much emphasis on nationalism, putting the country first, yet it uses creed to win votes. Once again this year politicians will also encourage Indians to vote on the basis of their caste. Political parties are busy doing their caste calculations encouraged by psephologists who tell them that in spite of 70 years of democracy a system, which is inherently unequal and hence undemocratic still has such a hold that it plays a major role in elections. Ambedkar pointed out that caste brought about separation in social life and generated antipathy and jealousy between castes. He went on to say, We must overcome all these difficulties if we wish to become a nation in reality. Read: Oppn wants demonetisation debate in Parliament without any rules In concluding his speech to the Constituent Assembly, Ambedkar maintained that if his warnings were ignored there would be a danger that Indians would lose their faith in democracy, that they would prefer government for the people to government by the people. So far that has not happened. Indians of all castes and creeds, educated and those without formal education, rich and poor, women as well as men, have voted in large numbers. They have voted governments out of office, and transfers of power have been peaceful. The magnitude of this achievement is shown by the history of so many post-colonial democracies, not to mention the centuries it took older democracies to grant universal suffrage. But does this mean that Ambedkars warnings can be ignored? The views expressed are personal Engineering students of both government and private institutions might soon have to write a mandatory exit examination in their final year. Their performance in this examination is likely to determine their employability, as the government plans to share their scores with prospective employers. Concerned about the quality of engineering students graduating every year, the government is proposing to test their attainment levels through this examination. The issue will come up for discussion at a meeting of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) next week. The proposed test is the result of the feedback the government has received about skewed standards of the countrys engineering education, which produces seven lakh students annually from 3,000-odd registered technical institutes. Data show that only 20% to 30% of them get a decent job. The low employability is attributed as much to the lack of requisite skills as to the falling demand from the industry. We want to check their aptitude, skills and critical thinking and not just theory. The exit examination will be focused entirely on that. This will give us a feedback on the teaching standards at these institutes too. We will be able to suggest remedial measures as it will help in identifying the colleges which require teacher training etc., said a human resource development (HRD) ministry source. There are thousands of engineering institutes across the country and they use different tools and techniques to teach and test the skill of students. To test their attainment levels, said sources, a committee has suggested making Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) examination mandatory for all students passing out of various engineering colleges. It will help assess standards of education in each institution and we will be able to make changes accordingly, said the source. Read : Enrolment to engineering courses dips over stagnant job market GATE is an all-India examination that primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and science. It is conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science and seven Indian Institutes of Technology. The GATE scores are usually used by IITs for admission to M.Tech. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has already proposed to make exit examination compulsory for obtaining degrees. Official sources said that they were weighing the option of making it a pre-condition for award of degree in engineering too. However, a final decision will be taken at the AICTE meeting. Although students will get their B.Tech degrees from their institutes regardless of their performance in the exit examination, participation in the examination would not be voluntary as is the case with GATE, said sources. Read: Govt plans single entrance exam for all engineering colleges from 2018 Once the proposal is approved and the mandatory exit examination is conducted, the results would be shared with institutes to help them devise techniques to plug the gaps. The AICTE will have to issue a regulation for this purpose so that all institutes follow it. If institutions dont comply with the regulation, they might face the risk of losing approval status, said sources. There are many reports about the poor employability of engineering graduates, which is a direct reflection of their non-technical skills. It will be commendable if IITs can impart such skills to the bright engineering graduates of our country. Mere assessment is a good step, although it will not be adequate if it is not backed by a curriculum to impart these non-technical, life skills such as critical thinking and soft skills, said Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and head of education and skill development, KPMG in India, a professional service company. (With inputs from Rozelle Laha) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Industries in Gurgaon and Manesar have been badly impacted by the slowdown following demonetisation. The demand for automobiles, industrial and other goods produced in this manufacturing zone has plummeted. Exporters, who are relatively less affected by the decision, are also facing problems in paying wages. We supply material handling equipment to auto and e-commerce industry across the country. There has been a 60% reduction in demand as the cash-on-delivery business of e-commerce sellers has crashed, Arun Kumar Popli, CEO of AV Engineers, said. Manufacturers said that while the demand has gone down, steel prices have risen by almost 30% in the last three months. This is a double whammy for the manufacturers, Popli said. The industry is also in trouble due to poor cash flow. I have to run to Delhi every week to get 50,000 from the current account for day-to-day operations. People are also scared and they dont want to spend large amounts. This has slowed down the entire business cycle, Suman Chawla, secretary of Manesar Industries Welfare Association, said. There are around 500 small and medium enterprises in Manesar and many of these are vendors who cater to large automobile companies such as Honda Motorcycles, Hero Motocorp and Maruti. There are also many garment exporters and furniture manufacturing industries that have taken a 30%-40% hit in business. Manoj Tyagi, the secretary of IMT Manesar Industrial Association, said that fewer motorcycles and scooters are being produced in Gurgaon due to the low demand. No one will admit it but vendors tell us that business is down by 40%. The cash situation has to improve for normalcy in business, he said. Industrialists in Manesar said they are also worried about the inability of the system to open bank accounts for their workers, which has made paying salaries difficult. As per the data compiled by the labour department, accounts have been opened only for 33,340 of the 2.12 lakh registered workers in Gurgaon. Even workers whose labour cards are regularly updated, numbering 98,352, have not been covered. There are 2 lakh unregistered workers in Gurgaon and no one is worried about them. The department had promised canteens at labour chowk but these are yet to come up. Around 70% of the daily wagers have returned home, Rajender Saroha, convener of Bhavan Nirman Kaamgar union, Gurgaon, said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After wishing Deepika Padukone in an Instagram post, Vin Diesel also sang her the birthday song on Wednesday. The Hollywood actor was at the Mexico premiere of his upcoming film xXx: Return of Xander Cage with Deepika and the rest of the films cast, where broke into the song and asked everyone to sing along. The song may not have been very melodious, but it sure left Deepika smiling. At the end, she went across the stage and gave Vin a big hug. Watch the video here: Vin also posted a birthday message on Instagram for Deepika with her pictures from the movie. Happy birthday to a truly amazing soul. So talented, stunning and regal. Blessed to know you and call you a real friend, he had written. Happy birthday to a truly amazing soul. So talented, stunning and regal. Blessed to know you and call you a real friend. #xXxThursdays A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jan 5, 2017 at 9:12am PST Diesel will visit India two days before the films release to promote it. Director DJ Caruso also took to social media to wish Deepika. Happy Birthday @deepikapadukone. You embody Lana Turner w/the grace of Audrey Hepburn and u can kick some ass too, he wrote on Twitter. Happy Birthday @deepikapadukone. You embody Lana Turner w/the grace of Audrey Hepburn and u can kick some ass too!https://t.co/nprLXlSI4k D.j. Caruso (@Deejaycar) January 5, 2017 Thanking all her fans and friends for their wishes, Deepika said, Mexico City+ One of xXx promotions+ Its My Birthday= What A Truly Amazing Day. Thank you all so much for all the love and wishes. Mexico City+Day One of XxX Promotions+Its My Birthday=What A Truly Amazing Day! Thank You all so much for all the Love and Wishes... A video posted by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Jan 5, 2017 at 1:18pm PST xXx: Return of Xander Cage releases in India on January 13, a week before anywhere else. It also stars Samuel L Jackson, Nina Dobrev and Ruby Rose. Follow @htshowbiz for more President Pranab Mukherjee has approved a proposal from the ministry of human resource development (HRD) appointing directors to five IITs of Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai-Durg, Goa and Dharwad on Saturday. Officials said the tenure for the five directors is five years. The director of an IIT is the academic as well as administrative head of the institution. There are 23 IITs in the country. Professor KN Satyanarayana has been appointed as director of IIT Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, professor PB Sunil Kumar director of IIT Palakkad, Kerala, professor Rajat Moona director of IIT Bhilai-Durg, and professor BK Mishra director of IIT Goa. For IIT Dharwad in Karnataka, professor Seshu Pasumarthy has been approved as director, it is learnt. Earlier, a search-cum-selection committee appointed by the Prakash Javadekar-led HRD ministry had recommended these names after holding interviews of several distinguished people with an outstanding academic record and the experience. Following the interviews, the ministry had forwarded the names to the President. Signalling no reconciliation between the two warring factions of the Samajwadi Party (SP), its leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday submitted affidavits to the Election Commission (EC) to prove majority support for the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav-led group. Ram Gopal told mediapersons that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for the chief minister. Both factions one led by party chief Mulayam Singh and the other by Akhilesh have been staking claim to the party name and the symbol, asserting majority support. The EC had given both sides time till January 9 to submit proof of their legislative support. Prolonged deliberations and mediation by party leaders, including Azam Khan, to bridge the divide in the party appear to have proved futile as Ramgopal said he received a list of over 200 legislators 56 of the 68 MLCs, 15 of the 24 MPs and 4,716 delegates for Akhilesh. Prime facie, the SP led by Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi Party, he said, adding that relevant documents, brought in seven cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages were submitted to the poll panel to assert Akhileshs right over the party name and symbol. A set of documents was also sent to Mulayams residence in the Capital, but were not received. Yadav said the same set will now be sent to his Lucknow address. Read| How family feud ended anti-incumbency for Akhilesh Yadav Egypt has been implementing tighter security measures at airports to help tourism industry recover Cairo International Airport is set to receive biometric equipment on 12 January to better track airport staff, according to Mohamed Saeed, the head of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation. Saeed said that the equipment, which is set to arrive from Germany, will be installed immediately at staff gates in the airports newly inaugurated Terminal 2, the state-owned MENA news agency reported on Friday. Saeed added that similar equipment has already been installed at the Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada international airports. Egypt has been implementing tighter security measures at its airports since the crash of a Russian passenger flight shortly after it took off from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport in late 2015. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for downing the plane shortly after the crash, which killed all 224 people on board. Egyptian investigations into the cause of the crash are still ongoing. Egypt's tourism industry has been hit hard since the crash, with the number of tourists visiting the country dropping by 50 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the previous year, according to Egypt's Tourism Authority. A number of European countries that suspended flights to Sharm El-Sheikh following the 2015 crash have recently reinstated direct flights to the South Sinai tourist hotspot. Russia, which leads European countries in sending tourists to Egypt, has inspected Egyptian airport security measures more than once, promising to resume flights to the country soon. Search Keywords: Short link: The army has firmed up plans to retire its oldest light-utility helicopters, pushing the panic button, as a string of recent crashes have blemished the safety record of the machines. A South Block source said that the early variants of the Cheetah and Chetak fleet will be replaced by the locally-made advanced light helicopter (ALH), also known as Dhruv. The source said the armys aviation wing would replace 41 Cheetahs and Chetaks with new helicopters from the ALH reserve stock and the proposal would be sent for Cabinet committee on security approval soon. The army and air force grounded their fleets of 280 light-utility helicopters last December, concerned if the machines were fit to fly, after three aviators were killed in a crash in West Bengal. Chequered Past November 30, 2016: A Cheetah helicopter crashes at Sukna in West Bengal, killing three officers March 11, 2016: A Cheetah helicopter crash lands in Hoshiarpur February 3, 2015: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat (then a Lt Gen) survives Cheetah crash in Dimapur October2, 2014: Three army aviators killed in Cheetah crash near Bareilly May 23, 2012: Pilot killed in Cheetah crash at Siachen August 18, 2010: 3 officers die in Cheetah crash in Nagaland The Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, lifeline of troops in high-altitude areas, including the Siachen glacier, are being cleared for flying in batches by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after carrying out a comprehensive safety check. The Kamov-226T light utility choppers, to be built with Russia, are to replace these helicopters. However, the $1-billion programme is yet to kick off and the military may have to wait several years for the new machines. Russia will supply 60 helicopters in flyaway condition while the remaining 140 will be manufactured in India. The manufacturing line of the ALH is quite stable and the machines are coming out at a pretty steady rate. The Kamovs will take time to come, a senior officer said. The army operates a mix of 150 Cheetahs and Chetaks. An IAF Cheetah helicopter that crash landed in Maili village in Hoshiarpur district in March 2016. (ANI File ) The design of these helicopters is more than 50 years old and their airworthiness is being questioned after a string of mishaps. Nine personnel were killed in six accidents involving these machines during 2012-15. The Cheetahs play a crucial role in supporting the army on the Siachen glacier, one of the worlds highest battlefields, flying at more than 20,000 feet. A group of army wives met defence minister Manohar Parrikar in 2015, demanding the helicopters be retired. HAL has licence-produced 625 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. It no longer builds them but is responsible for their maintenance and repair, a cause for concern. Chhattisgarh high court on Friday issued notices to the state government and top police officials in connection with the alleged fake encounter of a person, claimed to be Maoist, in Kondagaon in November last year. The Bilaspur bench of the court issued notices to state chief secretary, director general of police, inspector general of police (Bastar) and SP Kondagaon on a petition filed by the wife of the deceased, Bal Singh Sori, and local Congress MLA Mohan Markam. Satish Verma, counsel of the petitioners, told Hindustan Times that the officials have been asked to respond to the notice within four weeks. After the encounter, police claimed that Sori was an active Maoist. He hailed from Badekodre village of Kondagaon district of Bastar range. However, the petitioners claimed that the encounter was fake, as Sori was picked by security personnel and was killed later. Sori was booked on charges of being a Maoist three years ago and acquitted by a court in Kondagaon in July 2015. Read | In Bastar, locals fear increase in Maoist extortion after note ban A Delhi court issued fresh summons against three accused in a money laundering case related to AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. Summons were re-issued against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors RK Nanda and JB Subramaniyam. The court has asked them to be present in court on February 22. The court had issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James on November 31 last year. Counsel appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), NK Matta informed the court that summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. The court had the NBW against Michel and summons against other three accused in the case, saying, There is prima facie evidence against the accused. The NBW was issued after the investigating officer had told the court that the alleged middleman was out of India and pressed for an arrest warrant against him to bring him back to face trial. An open-ended NBW (arrest warrant) does not carry a time limit for its execution. In June last year, the ED had filed a 1,300-page prosecution complaint (equivalent to a charge sheet) in connection with its money laundering probe. It had said the investigation had found that Michel allegedly received 30 million Euros (about Rs 225 crore) from M/s AgustaWestland as kickbacks paid by the firm to execute the deal for sale of 12 helicopters to India in favour of the firm in guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. (With agency inputs) Read| AgustaWestland scam: Sanjeev Tyagi, Gautam Khaitan get bail in VVIP chopper case A special court may frame charges against former Rashtriya Janata Dal parliamentarian Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is lodged in a jail in Bihars Siwan, in connection with the murder of the brother of ex-MLC and BJP leader Manoj Kumar Singh in 2005. The matter was heard on Friday but the court fixed January 20 as the next date for hearing due to lack of original documents. Shahabuddin, who is facing more than 40 cases, including those of abduction and murder, was charged with involvement in the murder of Mrityunjay Kumar Singh. This came a day after the court framed charges against Shahabuddin in the Rajiv Roshan murder case. The next date of hearing, in this case, is January 19. Special judge BK Shukla directed the special public prosecutor to ensure the presence of all the witnesses on January 19. Summons have been issued to all of them. Roshan was a prime witness in the infamous acid bath case in which two of his brothers were allegedly killed at Shahabuddins behest. All three were abducted on March 31, 2004, from near a bus stand, though Roshan somehow managed to escape death. He was also shot dead on June 16, 2014, in Siwan few days before he was to record his evidence. Shahabuddin and his son Osama were made the accused in the case, though the former member of Parliament was lodged in jail that day and he was accused of being involved in the conspiracy to kill Roshan. The Patna high court ordered Shahabuddins release in September last year on the ground that the trial in the murder case will take a long time. It was quashed by the Supreme Court, which asked the ex-RJD parliamentarian to surrender. The apex court had earlier pulled up the Bihar coalition government for its shoddy approach to the case. The RJD is part of the ruling coalition in Bihar and Shahabuddin, who represented Siwan in the Lok Sabha for four successive terms between 1996 and 2008, is close to party chief Lalu Prasad. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said post demonetisation, printing presses in Pakistan, involved in circulation of counterfeit Indian currency, are shut and there is a sharp decline in the incidents of violence in Kashmir. There are news reports coming in that post demonetisation, printing presses in Pakistan which were involved in printing of counterfeit Indian currencies are shut. There are reports that after the scrapping of high value notes, there is sharp decline of 60 per cent in the incidents of violence in Kashmir and there is 50 per cent drop in hawala transactions, said Irani. Irani was here to attend the Digi Dhan Mela organised in city to promote cashless transactions. While addressing the gathering at the event, the Union Textile Minister said that after assuming office of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi started Swacchta Abhiyan but the Arthik Swacchta (financial cleanliness drive) began on November 8. She further said that Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi recently told her that post demonetisation there is a decline in cases of women and child trafficking. The Minister claimed that people of this country have extended their support to the demonetisation move. People are supporting the decision taken by Modiji because every countryman knows that the decision taken by the PM is in the interest of the nation, she said. She said that it is good to see that people from all the sections of society, such as tea vendor, vegetable vendor, shopkeepers have come here to participate in the event and are supporting the digital transformation. Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence, who too was present at the event, said that post demonetisation, some thought that people will get angry, however, it did not happen because people were ready to sacrifice and showed confidence in Modiji in his fight against black money and corruption. The Digi Dhan Mela saw over 60 stalls manned by banks, e-wallet, telecom, Aadhar enabled payment system (AEPS) vendors, merchants associations, Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendra operators, Fair Price Shop Owners, small vendors, self help groups from MSRLM, NPCI, UIDAI. Ten Village Panchayats and 10 Municipal Councils from the district were declared as digital-payment enabled bodies at the function. Election Commission has sought a report from Meerut district administration regarding a controversial statement by BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who indirectly blamed Muslims for the population boom in the country. The commission has sought a report from the Meerut administration in connection with the statement issued by Sakshi Maharaj yesterday, the chief electoral officer said in Lucknow. As per the norm, the district administration needs to submit a report to the EC in connection with the statement. The BJP MP stoked controversy on Friday by indirectly blaming Muslims for the population boom in the country at an event in Meerut. Controversial BJP parliamentarian Sakshi Maharaj waded into another controversy on Saturday by appearing to blame Muslims for the population boom and urging all political parties to come together to frame population control laws. This population rise is not because of Hindus. The population has risen because of those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children. It is not acceptable, the Unnao MP said in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut. An FIR was lodged against him later in the evening. The state goes to polls in about a month and the BJP is locked in a tough fight with regional rivals Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the Congress. The remark came days after the Supreme Court barred candidates from seeking votes in the name of religion. The Congress said the comment was offensive and violated the model code of conduct. It also complained to the Election Commission and sought immediate action against Maharaj. The SP also slammed the BJP, highlighting the Supreme Courts ruling. I would urge the BJP to stop such things. Elections cannot be won by creating a stressful environment, senior party leader Naresh Agarwal told the agency. The BJP, however, distanced itself from the remark, clarifying that it did not share his opinion. Later, the Unnao MP himself claimed that he was misquoted. I have not commented on any community. I have been misquoted and am ready to face the Election Commission, a news channel quoted him as saying. Maharaj is no stranger to such controversies. He triggered outrage in 2015 after urging all Hindu women to give birth to at least four children to increase the Hindu population and counter rising Muslim numbers. At the rally, Maharaj also criticised the triple talaq system and said it was unethical to desert a life partner by simply saying the word talaq thrice. He further said the BJP was pursuing a common civil code. Maharaj was addressing a gathering of Hindu saints. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that whatever the BJP had achieved was because of the blessings of saints. (With agency inputs) A German researcher in her late 20s has alleged that she was molested by her landlord earlier in December in South Delhis Hauz Khas area. The woman reportedly approached Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) who then contacted the police and a case in the matter was registered on December 27. In her statement to the DCW, the woman alleged that the incident occurred when she had gone to meet her landlord regarding some outstanding bills. After settling the bills she reportedly asked to use his washroom. She alleged that when she came out of the washroom, he attacked her. He touched her inappropriately and forced himself on her. When she resisted the bid, he allegedly tried to throttle her, a police officer said. The accused was reportedly alone at home at the time. The woman, however, managed to escape. Her friend then suggested that she should complain to the DCW. The woman has now returned to Germany and the police have written an email to her regarding the complaint. We have written to her asking her to record her statement. A case has been registered and the investigation is on. The police team also went to question the landlord but the house was found locked. He will soon be arrested, a police officer said. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Yadav family feud could have had a happy ending on Thursday itself had the events of the day unfolded as planned. According to sources, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shiv pal came to Lucknow from New Delhi in a plane chartered by CM Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh, along with UP cabinet minister Azam Khan, was supposed to give netaji a warm welcome at the Lucknow airport. Together, they would drive to Mulayams residence, where a give-and-take solution between the father and son would have been worked out. But, as it turned out, Mulayam and Shivpal came with Amar Singh, following which the plan to meet and resolve was shelved at the last moment, sources said. A broad consensus was arrived at on most of the issues. Shivpal had offered to step down, Akhilesh, on his part, had agreed to give tickets to sacked ministers But while Mulayam was unwilling to remove Amar Singh, the CM was against any action on Ramgopal Yadav, something unacceptable to netaji, said a source. To break the ice between the CM and his uncle Shivpal, it was agreed that Shivpal would go to bring Akhilesh to Mulayams residence on Friday. But both the CM and Azam refused to come to netajis residence because of Amar Singh, said another senior party leader requesting anonymity. Akhilesh, according to the leader, had made it clear that he was willing to discuss things only with netaji in the presence of Azam and Shivpal and not in front of any outsider (read Amar Singh). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asked the voters of Goa to accept money if offered by Congress or BJP candidates, but vote only for his party. If Congress or BJP candidates offer money, do not refuse it. Accept it as it is your own money and there is nothing wrong in getting it back. If they do not offer money, go to their offices and ask for it. But, when it comes to voting, press the button against the name of the AAP candidate, he told an election rally in Benaulim constituency. Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in five states, the Delhi Chief Minister trashed the pre-poll surveys of television news channels saying they have no credibility. Yeh jo TV channel wale camera lage hai na, yeh jhoote survey dikhayenge aapko. Abhi shuru bhi kiya hai unhone...(the TV cameras you see belong to channels which will show false surveys. They have already started it), he said. Aap sabko colony me jake bata dena ki TV channel pe bharosa mat karo, yeh sab jhoot mooth idhar udhar dikhate hai, sab bakwas dikhate hai (tell everyone not to trust these TV channels, they show lies and nonsense), he added. Kejriwal, who arrived in Goa today, toured south Goa before addressing the public meeting in Benaulim. Claiming that television channels had shown false survey reports against the Aam Aadmi Party even in the past, he said, When our government was formed in 2013, the TV channels were showing that AAP will win one-two seats, but we got 28. (Again) when we formed the government in 2015, the TV channels showed we will get 18 seats, but we got 67 (in Delhi). Yesterday, I was watching a TV channel which said we will get two seats in Goa which means, we will get 28, Kejriwal added. Related Egyptian orphanage shut down over child abuse reports A Cairo adminstrative prosecutor ordered on Saturday an investigation into possible child abuse at a Cairo orphanage after a video went viral on Friday online where what sounds like a child is heard screaming from inside the orphanage over being forced to bathe in cold water in the early morning hours. Earlier on Saturday, Egypts Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali referred an orphanage employee to the prosecution after the ministry conducted an on-site investigation of the facility. The video was recorded from the window of a neighbour of the Fifth Settlement branch of Dar Al-Orman orphanage. In the five-minute footage, what sounds like a child inside the orphanage can be heard screaming and arguing with an adult woman about being forced to bathe in cold water. The prosecution said it will investigate to determine the authenticity of the video and hold any possible wrongdoers accountable. Minister Wali said that the orphanage has been closed, with the children transferred to other facilities, pending completion of renovation and maintenance work at the facility. According to the person who filmed the video, this was not the first time she heard screams from inside the orphanage. The ministry said that the board of directors of Dar Al-Orman, which is considered one of the largest charity groups in the country, is cooperating with the investigation. In a statement on Saturday, Dar Al-Orman condemned the reported actions of its employee, and thanked the person who captured the incident, stressing its belief that all orphans in Egypt must be provided with a safe environment.. In recent months, several Egyptian orphanages were shut down following reports of abuse against children, including one Nasr City orphanage shuttered in November after reports of girls being burned with hot metal. Search Keywords: Short link: Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is on a seven-day visit to India, was on Saturday morning accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here in the presence of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The visit has a strong emotional side and a personal motivation. As a person of Indian origin I am honoured by invitation of Prime Minister Modi. I hope my visit will lay foundation for a robust and forward looking 21st century partnership between India and Portugal, said Costa. The two leaders will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations. Agreements in different fields are also expected to be inked after the talks. Later in the day, he would also be holding official talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari. The visiting dignitary will attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas as the chief guest in Bengaluru, and will also participate in few business events. He will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. In the last leg of his visit to India, he will be in Goa on 11-12 January. In Goa, he would be meeting the Governor and the Chief Minister. Costa, who traces his roots to Goa, will also spend some time at his ancestral place Tasaduq Hussain Mufti, son of late Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, Saturday formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Srinagar on his fathers first death anniversary. I will work for peace and prosperity of the state where the common man and the VIPs will play and walk together, Tasaduq Hussain Mufti told an impressive gathering of PDP leaders and workers at the Indoor Stadium led by his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. A Bollywood cinematographer known for his work in movies like Omkara and Kaminey, Tasaduqs baptism into politics is believed to have been promoted by family persuasion to help his sister with party affairs. He has also expressed concern over the Dal Lakes deteriorating ecology and the states dwindling forest cover. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is having sleepless nights, and the reason is a young woman advocate bent on ensuring justice for farmers wronged by the state government. Meet Rachna Reddy Bollu a 30-year-old advocate from Nagireddypet village in Medak district who took the Rao government to court for allegedly acquiring land from farmers for various government schemes, including the Mallanasagar reservoir project and the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project, through unfair means. The administrative order issued to this effect by the Telangana government was in violation of the Central Land Acquisition Act-2013, she held. Thanks to Rachnas initiative, a high court division bench headed by chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan on Thursday quashed the controversial order (GO 123) empowering the government to purchase lands for irrigation projects with the consent of the farmers instead of following the procedure laid down in the land acquisition legislation. Raos agitation over the advocates initiative was evident from his outburst in the state assembly, where he accused her of being part of a gang that was hell-bent on stalling irrigation projects. This lady advocate Rachna Reddy goes to every place projects are proposed, whether it is the Sundilla barrage, Pamulaparthi project or Mallannasagar project. She spreads blatant lies on land acquisition among the people, he said. The rant left everybody astounded, including the advocate herself. This is probably the first time a chief minister has taken a civilians name in the assembly, Rachna told HT. Nevertheless, there is no truth in Raos statement that the central act is riddled with loopholes. It is a completely fool-proof and well-researched law that provides relief and rehabilitation to people affected by land acquisition for various infrastructure projects. Rachna, who completed her PhD in international human rights from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, worked as a lecturer at NALSAR University in Hyderabad before becoming an advocate at the Hyderabad high court. She took up the farmers cause after she visited the affected villages and found how the authorities were acquiring land through the promise of higher compensation. Under her guidance, many farmers knocked on high courts door to challenge the validity of GO 123. Fighting this battle was akin to mixing social activism with the legal profession. I have been telling the farmers that land acquisition under a GO will not stand in the court of law, Rachna said. Last week, the Telangana assembly enacted a new law acquisition act amending the central law despite protests by opposition parties. It is nothing but a replica of GO 123. But then, we can challenge it only after it gets presidential assent and becomes a law, the advocate said. So far, Rachna has not been targeted directly by the powers-that-be. I may come under pressure in the coming days, but I am not scared. I will continue my fight for this just cause. Interestingly, Rachna had represented IAS officer Smitha Sabharwal, additional secretary to the chief minister, in her lawsuit against Outlook magazine. I did argue her case in the criminal defamation suit filed against the magazine. But the case is now being handled by the advocate general, and I am out of it, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid growing differences between her and the Congress government, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday said she would quit the post in May next year on completion of two years in office. I have given myself a tenure here. I shall relinquish my office on May 29, 2018 when I complete two years in Puducherry, she said in a communication to PTI. Bedi said that she has already informed her seniors about this. Her statement comes a day after Congress MLAs shot off a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh complaining about Bedis style of functioning in the backdrop of her cancelling an order of chief minister V Narayanasamy banning officials from using social media for official communication. The former IPS officer, who was sworn in as the Lt Governor of the Union Territory on May 29, 2016, had initiated several measures including steps to check crimes and corruption and for a garbage-free Puducherry. There had been differences between her and the government on occasions, though Narayanasamy had maintained the ties were cordial. In an apparent reference to Bedis direct interactions with government officials, Narayanasamy had in the past said the elected ministry should not be overlooked. In August last year, Bedi had allegedly threatened to quit her post and leave Puducherry over alleged lack of cooperation (from officials) for her clean Puducherry Mission. The demonetisation exercise is a historic step, commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday, after the BJPs national executive passed its economic resolution lauding the governments move to recall high-value banknotes. Sitharaman said the executives passage of the resolution was unanimous. PMs visionary leadership was lauded, she said. The resolution also praised the step and the measures that have followed since November 8, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his surprise move that he said was aimed at curbing black money and corruption. Modi is set to address the BJP meet later in the day. The announcement to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes 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. Read: Surgical strike, demonetisation dominate BJP national executives first day The Opposition parties attacked the Centre over the decision and blamed it for close to 100 deaths reported in the wake of the shock move. Quoting finance minister Arun Jaitley, who moved the resolution, Sitharaman said contrary to claims by the Opposition, revenue collections in most large states had gone up during the month of November with the exception of West Bengal. The meeting was being held ahead of assembly polls in five states that begin early next month and demonetisation is expected to figure among the election issues. The combined opposition has run a negative campaign against the Modi government on demonetisation but the surveys show that 80-85 per cent people have backed the decision, party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said. Demonetisation and the surgical strike against militant bases across the Line of Control, the de-facto border with Pakistan, dominated the national executive on Friday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Every political party in Punjab courts farmers for a good poll harvest. But historically, the peasantry has been the political constituency of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Its ally, the BJP, too, found favour with traders and urban voters. The two have sailed through the last two elections together. The Congress could not hold on to its traditional vote bank of Dalits and Hindus. The former drifted towards the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and later the SAD, which has wooed them with schemes such as subsidised atta-dal. It lost Hindus to the saffron surge in the country. But demonetisation of old currency is striking a jarring note among owners of small-scale industries and farmers the SAD-BJP base and may lead to change in voting patterns in the assembly elections on February 4. Workers at MS Bhogal & Sons, manufacturers and exporters of cycle and auto parts in Ludhiana. Many say they are facing a cash crisis post-demonetisation. (Anil Dayal/HT Photo) Political parties first smelt an opportunity in the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row to woo farmers. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are now trying to make note ban a poll issue. They may not be off the mark. The economic situation may make voters take political decisions. Read:Who is poll-ready in Punjab? AAP, SAD claim lead as Cong campaign sputters In the bicycle hub of the country, Ludhiana, for instance, the note ban seems to have led to a churn in the voting preferences as the industry claims its nuts and bolts are literally falling apart. In Janta Nagars small, smoky factories such as Dee Tee Traders, which makes hub axles for manufacturers and exporters. Its owner, Deepak Takiar, 37, started the business in 1999 when the industry was booming. He employs 30-35 workers on contract. After the note ban, he has 15. The labour wants cash and we dont have any. We were already suffering the onslaught of cheaper Chinese components and after the note ban, our orders have fallen to half, Takiar says. How will it impact the polls? We voted for the BJP in Lok Sabha polls but it has left traders and industrialists in the lurch. We cant support the party or its ally SAD this time. At the Nova Bicycles Industries in Ludhiana. As orders were drying up, the company reduced its working hours gradually from 12 hours to 10, then to eight and finally to five. (Anil Dayal/HT Photo) The situation is not as grim for medium-scale units such as Bhogal Cycles which employs 750 workers. This is one of Indias first companies that started making cycle parts in 1937. Its 63-year-old managing partner Avtar Bhogal says you cannot make people go cashless overnight. Bhogal says three years ago he had opened bank accounts of all his workers. But many still do not know how to operate ATMs. One of his factory workers recently lost R40,000 to an ATM fraud. On any given day, a third of our labour report absent. The government wants us to cut money for ESI hospitals and provident fund but the labour does not want to block its money. They have to wait at poorly-maintained ESI hospitals for hours for medicines. No wonder they prefer private clinics, he adds. Shesh Ram, 31, a native of Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh, who has been working at cycle manufacturers Bhogal and Sons Pvt Ltd for the past 13 years, says he is struggling to pay for milk and vegetables. I am pulling along with little cash I get from my owner. Ram is heading back to UP to cast his vote. I will see the mood in my village and then vote, he says. Read:Punjab polls: Unaligned voter silent amid mega celebrations of Sikh faith For Bhogal who claims to work on bills and pays taxes, the note ban has led to 30-40 per cent depletion in orders as the cycle and cycle spares industry runs on cash.On whether demonetisation will decide his vote, Bhogal says he has always voted for the Congress. Harmohinder Singh Pahwa, 73, the managing partner of Nova Cycles, has urgent worries. As orders were drying up, we reduced our working hours gradually from 12 hours to 10, then to eight and now to five. The system of contractual labour [40 per cent for his company] will almost end. Companies will hire only permanent employees now on. But even during days when there is less production, we will have to pay them, he adds. Though the company is opening bank accounts for workers, Pahwa says this will take his costs up by 15 per cent. On demonetisations impact on the polls, he says that the industry is angry at the mismanagement. Charanjit Singh Vishivkarma, President of United Cycle Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA) in Ludhiana feels that post-demonetisation, the small scale industry in Punjab ahs been hit very badly. He says he has been a supporter of the Akali Dal, but wont be able to do so in the upcoming polls. (Anil Dayal/HT Photo) Charanjit Singh Vishivkarma, president, United Cycle Parts Manufacturers Association, articulates the mood of the industry. The body caters to 2,500 of the nearly 4,000 cycle units in the city and Vishivkarma says it is because of Ludhiana that cycles in the country are cheaper by at least ~800. Ludhiana accounts for 90 per cent of bicycle and bicycle parts manufactured in the country. The scrap of one unit becomes raw material for another, he says. Vishivkarma says they are pure Akalis and their three generations have supported SAD. But we will not vote for them or BJP now, he says. Even as labour is leaving, the big steel cartels of the country are keeping prices high. The small-scale industry was already on the ventilator. Now, it will be wiped out. Modis own Make in India slogan is the first casualty of the note ban. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee may be locked in a fierce battle with the Modi government, but that isnt keeping her from staying up all night to finish writing her magnum opus in time for the Kolkata International Book Fair. The book focuses on the Singur land agitation, an event that earned her a place in history and contributed to ending the Left parties sway over Bengal in the 2011 assembly elections. We are ready work on a war footing once she sends us the final version, Sudhanshu Sekhar Dey, proprietor of Deys Publishers, told HT. Dey is also the director of the book fair, scheduled to be held between January 25 and February 5. The worlds largest event of the kind in terms of footfalls, it provides authors with the single-biggest opportunity to reach thousands of readers. A party leader said the book the title of which is yet to be finalised will contain a number of images depicting the struggle that occurred between 2006 and 2008, culminating in Tata Motors exit from the Singur project. She started writing the book in September, he added. Dey said the Trinamool Congress chief had submitted the manuscript a few days ago, only to take it back again for reworking. While the book is being written in Bengali, it will be translated in English and Hindi to cater to a wider audience. Trinamool leaders plan to circulate it in Tripura, where the party desperately wants to topple the CPI(M)-led Manik Sarkar government. The fallout of the Singur land agitation and the subsequent Supreme Court verdict on August 31, 2016 where it ordered that 997.11 acres of land acquired from farmers in Singur be returned to their original owners make it a case of unprecedented importance. Located in the lower Gangetic plains, Singur lies in the heart of one of the most fertile tracts of India allowing over three harvests annually. Understandably, the farmers were fiercely opposed to handing over the land for setting up an automobile plant. In that sense, Banerjees struggle which began in 2006 culminated in an all-round victory at both political and legal levels. Now, she plans on using it to project herself as well as her party as champions of farmer rights. The Trinamool chief has authored nearly five dozen books over the last three decades, a number of which were published by Deys Publishers. These include memoirs, political documentation works, poems, rhymes and even stories for children. Ten titles were launched by Banerjee in the 2016 book fair, a record even by her standards. This year, however, the number will be fewer. Besides the book on Singur, Deys will publish a collection of poems by the Trinamool chief. Jago Bangla, the partys own publication, will release two other books. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Military-grade equipment banned for sale to civilians can no longer be bought online in India. The sellers have withdrawn all products, including a device used by terrorists during a deadly attack in Punjab in July 2015, following a report published by Hindustan Times on December 14 last year. Among the merchandise earlier listed for sale by popular shopping portal Amazon India were night vision telescopic sights for rifles, helmet-mounted night vision goggles, and monocular sights that help in precision shooting even in darkness. These are all restricted items and can be used only by the armed forces, police, and government agencies. Civilians possessing or trading in night vision devices (NVDs) without Union home ministry permission can be prosecuted. After HT published the report, the sellers on Amazon India quickly withdrew all military-grade night vision sights and rifle scopes. Sellers on Amazon.in own their respective products and are responsible for product compliances, as may be applicable. As an intermediary under the Information Technology Act, Amazon.in does take reactive action against sellers who are selling illegal or fake products, as the case may be, a spokesperson for the company told HT. A defence ministry official said, The ministry took note of the HT report and a file was put up before the defence secretary. It is learnt that the ministry is conducting a probe. Interestingly, around the year-end, HT found that the devices withdrawn from the Amazon India website had resurfaced on another online store, Cart2India. On January 2, HT asked Cart2India if it had permission from the government to sell these. The Bengaluru-based company said it would reply within 48 hours and the products completely disappeared from its website in just a few hours. The official reply to HTs mail, however, didnt arrive till 4pm on Friday. Most of the NVDs that were available online till HT carried out the investigation stated they were made in the US. The average prices were four to six times higher than in the US. Some of the high-end products even carried the statutory US government warning: This item is restricted for sale to the state of California and outside the US. NVDs are a part of 428 items classified as restricted in the governments import list. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Controversial BJP parliamentarian Sakshi Maharaj has waded into another controversy by appearing to blame Muslims for the population boom and urging all political parties to come together for framing population control laws. This population rise in not because of Hindus. The population has risen because of those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children. It is not acceptable, the Unnao MP said in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut. The state goes to the polls in about a month and the BJP is locked in a tough fight with regional rivals Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the Congress. The remark came days after the Supreme Court barred candidates from seeking votes in the name of religion. The Congress said the comment was offensive and violated the model code of conduct. We will definitely move the election commission, Congress leader KC Mittal told ANI. Read | Elections a secular exercise, illegal to seek votes in the name of religion: SC The SP also slammed the BJP, highlighting the Supreme Courts ruling. I would urge the BJP to stop such things. Elections cannot be won by creating a stressful environment, senior party leader Naresh Agarwal told ANI. The BSP called for stringent action But the BJP, however, distanced itself from the remark clarifying that it did not share his opinion. Later, the Unnao MP himself claimed that he was misquoted. I have not commented on any community. I have been misquoted and am ready to face the election commission, CNN-News 18 quoted him as saying. Sakshi Maharaj is no stranger to such controversies. He triggered outrage in 2015 after urging all Hindu women to give birth to at least four children to increase the Hindu population and counter rising Muslim numbers. Read | Religious groups hail Supreme Courts ruling on caste, creed vote At the rally, Sakshi Maharaj also criticised the triple talaq system and said it was unethical to desert a life partner by simply saying the word talaq thrice. The Islamic practice has gained national focus after the government came out against it and a number of women challenged it in the Supreme Court. Maharaj further said the BJP was pursuing a common civil code and added that the party would not make the Ram Temple construction an issue in the upcoming elections. Sakshi was addressing a gathering of Hindu saints. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed whatever the BJP had achieved was because of the blessings of saints. Sakshi Maharaj said the PM eanted a white revolution in the country that would lead to ban on meat exports. There is a ban on keeping cows in Delhis Lutyens zone and I faced protests for keeping a cow in my residence but nobody could stop me. (with agency inputs) Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Saturday called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan and said that his country supports the inclusion of countries like India in the UN Security Council. There is need to strengthen and modernize the United Nations therefore, Portugal supports the inclusion of countries like India in the UN Security Council, he said, adding that only a strong UN can deal with challenges like terrorism, climate change, etc. There is need to do much more than has been done in the past. Portugal is keen to strengthen relations with India, he added. Costa also said he was honoured to pay a state visit to India as the first Portuguese Prime Minister of Indian origin. Welcoming him, President Mukherjee said India attaches great value to its historical bonds with Portugal spanning over 500 years. Mukherjee said India and Portugal share core values of democracy, pluralism, multiculturalism and rule of law. The two countries are built on many commonalities and have developed a broad programme of mutually beneficial co-operation. Prime Minister Costas visit takes place at a time when relations between India and Portugal are in an excellent state. In trade and investment, scientific research, education, culture and security, our success is substantial. Both the countries seek to strengthen their collaboration in areas where they have synergies including defence, maritime cooperation and oceanography and partnerships in third countries, Mukherjee said, but noted that trade and investment ties between India and Portugal have much scope for improvement. Bilateral trade between the two countries is of the order of $700 million. It needs to be energised and the trade basket diversified, he said. Futhermore, India and Portugal inked seven pacts to boost engagement in a wide range of areas including defence and security, IT and renewable energy even as they took a veiled dig at China for stalling New Delhis move at the UN to designate JeM Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. In wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and States harbouring them stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism. A massive tanker truck bomb ripped through a market by a courthouse in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on Saturday, killing 43 people and wounding dozens near the Turkish border. The attack appeared to be the deadliest yet in the town in northern Aleppo province, which has been regularly hit by bombing targeting rebels and civilians. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least six rebels were among the dead, but most of those killed were civilians. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said identification of the dead was being hampered by the fact that some bodies were completely burned in the blast. Video from the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal, which bulldozers were working to clear. Raging fires were burning in several vehicles, and the fire brigade was battling to put them out with a giant water tanker and hoses. Civil defence workers, rebels and civilians picked through the rubble of a building, half of which had tumbled into the street. Azaz has been repeatedly struck by bomb attacks, including in November when rebels said 25 people -- civilians and opposition fighters -- were killed in a car bombing of a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack, but Osama al-Merhi, a lawyer at the scene of the blast, pointed the finger at IS. "These kinds of crimes are only committed by the terrorist group Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "They are the ones who target civilians and the cadres who are building this country," he told AFP. The blast comes during a fragile nationwide ceasefire brokered by government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The truce came into effect on December 30, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakh capital Astana, which regime ally Iran is also helping organise. But the ceasefire and the planned talks have been threatened by ongoing violence in the rebel-held Wadi Barada region outside Damascus, which is the main water source for the capital. Overnight, the Observatory said seven Syrian soldiers and two civilians were killed in clashes, though the fighting appeared to have calmed by late Saturday morning. Fighting in the region has continued despite the truce, which does not apply to IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, known previously as Al-Nusra Front. The government says Fateh al-Sham is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Rebels deny the jihadist group is in the region and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. The damage has left 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs without water, according to the UN. On Saturday, state media said maintenance teams had arrived in the area 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Damascus and were "prepared to enter" to begin repair work. A source close to the regime said a temporary ceasefire had been agreed to allow the repair crews to enter, though it could take days before the mains supply is restored. But there was no official confirmation of a deal or the entry of the repair crews. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. The fighting has displaced more than half the population, internally or abroad, and proved stubbornly resistant to international attempts to broker a political solution. Turkey and Russia want to convene negotiations in Astana later this month, but rebels have suspended participation in preparatory talks, blaming regime "violations" in Wadi Barada. Elsewhere, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by US special forces moved to within four kilometres of the Tabqa dam held by IS, the Observatory said. The monitor said the Syrian Democratic Forces had taken the last IS-held village between them and the dam on the Euphrates, which is the country's largest. The dam is just 500 metres (yards) from the town of Tabqa, where many senior IS commanders have been based. Search Keywords: Short link: In the wake of violent protests in West Bengal following the arrest of Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for failing to maintain law and order in the state. With the CBI arresting two of her party MPs -- Tapas Paul and Sudip Bandyopadhyay -- in a chit fund scam, Banerjee has been attacking the Centre for being vindictive and has demanded the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Banerjee, who has locked horns with the Central government over demonetisation, even proposed establishing a national government and replacing Modi with BJP veteran L K Advani or Union finance minister Arun Jaitley or Union home minister Rajnath Singh. Read| Mamata livid as TMC MP arrested in chit fund scam, BJPs Kolkata office targeted Reacting to her remarks Rijiju accused Banerjee of trying to destroy the constitution. She is incapable of maintaining law and order in West Bengal. Being the Chief Minister when she makes such provocative statements, it appears she herself wants to destroy the constitution, he said. BJP activists are being attacked, her party workers are indulging in goondaism (hooliganism). And to top that she keeps on making provocative statements. We havent seen such a Chief Minister before, said Rijiju referring to the attack on the Bengal BJP headquarter, allegedly by Trinmaool activists, post Bandyopadhyays arrest. During one of the protests, the Kolkata residence of Union Minister Babul Supriyo was also attacked allegedly by Trinamool activists. She should work within the limits of the constitution. We all hold constitutional posts and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect the constitution. If the Chief Minister cannot ensure law and order, what answers will she give to the people of her state. The Bengal Chief Minister needs to realise this, added Rijiju. Read| Rose Valley scam: BJP leaders house attacked, MP says arrest due to note ban Jailed RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin created yet another controversy after a picture of him inside Siwan prison went viral on the social media, prompting jail authorities to conduct raids. In the photograph, the controversial RJD leader is seen with a tonsured head and trimmed moustache. He is wearing an overcoat and a necktie. After the raids, four mobile phones, three SIM cards and two batteries were recovered from three prisoners late on Saturday. A case had been lodged with Muffasil police station against Anil Singh, Bharat Singh and Masum Khan, on the basis of the statement of superintendent of jail Vidhu Bhardwaj, after recovery of mobile phones from them. Bhardwaj , however, refused to provide details about the raid on Shahabuddins ward. RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin is lodged inside Siwan jail. Meanwhile, prison officials claimed that the photograph of Shahabuddin was shot outside the jail. Shahabuddin, a four-time RJD MP from Siwan, is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by the Patna high court in connection with the killing of the prime witness in the murder of two brothers by pouring acid on them. A petition seeking his shift to the high-security Tihar jail in New Delhi has been pending with the Supreme Court and is scheduled for hearing on January 17. After the murder of Hindustan journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in May last year, Siwan police had seized 17 mobiles phones and 20 SIM cards. The raid came days after Shahabuddin- whose role in the case is under the scanner- and seven of his alleged supporters, were shifted from the district jail. During an earlier search, police had questioned 63 visitors who were on the jail premises to meet Shahabuddin. Forty-three mobile phones were seized from them. Soon after, Shahabuddin was shifted from Siwan jail to Bhagalpur. Most of the SIM cards could have been taken against fake IDs, but the phone call details will help us in tracing the conspirators, said an official. (With inputs from agencies) The ministry of road transport and highways is planning to soon launch two mobile apps -- m-Parivahan and e-challan -- which would not only give a push to road safety but also facilitate citizen interactions. m-Parivahan is a citizen centric app which would offer the facility of searching and establishing the genuineness of a vehicle and driver. e-challan is an enforcement app which will be utilised by traffic police as well as transport authorities. The ministry is planning to launch two apps related to road safety and customer facilitation. One of them would be e-challan which would be used by the enforcement authorities and another would be m-Parivahan which would provide host of services to citizens, a road ministry official said. It would also facilitate Good Samaritans in terms of reporting accidents or traffic violations, the official said. We expect to give big push to the road safety cause with these two apps and also facilitate customers while interacting with the transport department, the official added. Both the apps are expected to be launched during the Road Safety Week which begins on Monday. m-Parivahan will help in the safety of the passengers if they are hiring a driver. It will also help transporters. Secondly, it will help the people who are buying a second hand car, the official said. Additionally, m-Parivahan will facilitate Good Samaritans with the help of technology. m-Parivahan will help in reporting an accident and this accident reported will be directly transmitted to concerned traffic authorities in the state and the concerned Regional Transport Offices (RTOs). Under Motor Vehicles Act, the police as well as the transport authorities can take action against the traffic violators. If they use this app, the moment they put in a driving licence number, they will get entire information about the licence holder or the vehicle owner from the back-end and then they will have the option to tick the proper violation which has been committed and accordingly challans would be generated. e-challan mechanism facilitates payments as also cashless model... I am sure that the states over a period of time would come and join this platform. Already some states have started pilot run and it has been quite good, he said. The Road Safety Week will be observed from January 9-15. On January 10, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will attend a conclave which is being organised to involve corporates and enlist their support for the cause of promoting road safety. We expect the corporates to make commitment for road safety. This is the first time we are holding such an event. We are trying to involve the corporates also in road safety, the official said. The BJP national executive on Friday felicitated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for surgical strike against Pakistan and demonetisation decision, dubbing it historical and slammed the opposition parties for criticising it. Both the issues dominated the inaugural day of the two day meet which began here at NDMC convention centre here. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also asserted that it has snatched the pro-poor plank of Congress and other parties and claimed that the poor are now backing Prime Minister Modi. In his inaugural address at the two day party meet, organised three months after the last meeting in Kozhikode, party president Amit Shah targeted the opposition parties for criticising the demonetisation saying they used to earlier question what the government has done against black money and now they are questioning the government. The opposition parties have now been exposed, he said. Giving details of Shahs address, Union Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said: Shah said the outcomes of the demonetisation are now visible as it has badly hit the black money, fake currency, terror funding, Maoist activities and drug dealers. Shah asserted that the people of the country have hailed this historic decision saying that the note ban decision would result in more revenues that will be spent on pro-poor welfare measures, he said. The party President also mentioned in his speech that the surgical strikes carried out by the Army across the Line of Control (LoC) were recognised across the world and it reflects governments intention towards zero tolerance against terrorism. Shah also expressed concern for doing politics by some opposition parties on surgical strikes, Javadekar said. During his speech the BJP President also appealed to all the political parties to think of holding general and assembly polls simultaneously. He said, the party has also constituted a committee to submit a report in this regard, Javdekar said. To strengthen the party, Shah also asked the party workers to do shram daan in those area where the party base is not strong. Senior party leaders, Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states are took part in the meeting. Earlier in the day, Shah chaired a meeting of party national office bearers and discussed various issues. Modi will address the valedictory session on Saturday. The BJP national executive also passed a political resolution. Read more | India may take out of box action against Pakistan if proxy war continues: BJP External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday sought a report from the Indian ambassador in Qatar on two Indian nationals who were awarded the death penalty in the Gulf country last year. I have asked for a report from Indian Ambassador in Qatar, the minister said in a tweet. She was responding to a tweet from @bkanagaraja, a Twitter user, requesting her to save Subramaniam Alagappa and Chelladurai Perumal, two Indians sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in Qatar. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and external affairs minister, uploaded on the public forum, change.org, H Vasanthakumar, Member of Legislative Assembly from Nanguneri in Tamil Nadu, said, Two Innocent Indian Nationals namely Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal have been sentenced to death by the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) in Qatar. He requested the PM and Swaraj for immediate and direct intervention with the Ruler of Qatar for their safe return to India. If these Indian nationals were not released and sent back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy in Delhi and Qatar Consulate in Mumbai, Vasanthakumar added. On December 8, the ministry, in its weekly media briefing, had said: Subramanian Alagappa and Chelladurai Perumal continue to remain on death row. The third convict, Shivakumar Archunan, his case was reviewed by the appeals court and his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. We had filed a case in respect of all three because we believe that the penalty is too harsh... Our Embassy in Qatar continues to closely monitor this case in association with the lawyer who has been appointed for all three accused, official ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup added. Tamil Nadu on Saturday sought more water from Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh to meet Chennais drinking water requirements in the wake of highly deficient monsoon last year. Chief minister O Panneerselvam sought his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidus intervention in this regard. As per an agreement between the two states, AP is supposed to release 12 tmcft of water from Kandaleru reservoir between July and October and 4 tmcft between January and April to its southern neighbour every year. However, Panneerselvam said only 0.99 tmcft water was realised at the Tamil Nadu border from October to December last year. Noting that the reservoir had a storage level of 13.53 tmcft as on January 5, and Andhra Pradesh appeared to be in a position to help Tamil Nadu, he urged Naidu to direct officials concerned to release the agreed quantum of water. Northeast monsoon, the primary source of water for Tamil Nadu and Chennai, was highly deficient last year, lowering reservoir levels in the city. In such a situation, Panneerselvam said Chennai is critically dependent on the release of Krishna water for the next few months. Tamil Nadu is involved in a dispute with Karnataka over the release of Cauvery water, which has affected farmers in the southern parts of the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two CRPF personnel were injured, in a suspected IED blast, in Imphal on Saturday evening. According to reports, the blast took place around 6:30pm at Lamphel in Imphal West district when both jawans were returning on bicycles to their rented accommodation after duty. The injured CRPF personnel, identified as Viswender Jat (24) and Brajesh Singh (28), were admitted to a local hospital with splinter injuries. Jat sustained injuries on his left hand while Singh was hit on his head. Manipur is reeling under an economic blockade imposed by United Naga Council (UNC) since November 1 last year. The state is going to polls in two phases in March. Read| Medical emergency in Manipur: 57-day blockade cripples health services SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It is early morning and the Kachawa road vegetable mandi on the Varanasi-Allahabad road is crowded. Sacks of potatoes and peas are thrown into mini-trucks, as they speed away to sell the produce in towns and villages in the vicinity. To woo this market of truck drivers and farmers, Bijendra Nath and Ashish Kumar have set up roadside stalls to sell clothes. I ask them about the impact of demonetisation. Acha hua (it was good), says Kumar. The wealth of the rich was confiscated. Raees bhi gareeb ban gaya (the rich also became poor). Nath nodded. Not everyone agreed. Umashankar, standing at the mandi, told Kumar, Tell me, which rich man became poor? Modiji ne tu pet pe laat maar diya, (Modi has hit us economically). He said he was a labourer working in construction. There is no money, so there is no building work, and so there is no majdoori wages for us. I sometimes even earned 500 a day but thats gone now. Nath the vendor however did not let it pass. You dont earn because you dont work hard. Think about the future and the nation also, everyone is saying it is good. Umashankar gave it back and said, I also watch the news. Nothing has changed. Exactly two months since PM Narendra Modis decision to demonetise high value notes, HT travelled back to Purvanchal in UP one of Indias poorest regions to trace the public response to the decision. Read:In rural UP, demonetisation causes temporary pain but draws support In mid-November, there was euphoria and overwhelming support. Shopkeepers, farmers, women in bank queues had told us that this move will penalise the corrupt, will make India equal, and will generate direct benefits for the poor. Voices of criticism were muted and few. As we drove across the same towns and villages, met many of the same people, the mood was far more mixed. The cash supply situation had got better. But the euphoria had dissipated. There was still support, there were many who claimed that it had punished the corrupt and ended terror. Ashish Kumar and Bijendra Nath (in jackets) run roadside stalls and are fervent supporters of demonetisation. They feel it will make the rich poor. However, Umashankar, a daily wage labourer accuses Modi of taking away his livelihood. (Prashant Jha/HT Photo) But even advocates found it hard to enumerate more specific benefits of the move. And among the really poor, who have no fiscal cushion, there was visible unease. At the same time, while there were voices like that of Umashankar, there wasnt outright hostility and anger. Read:BJPs 2-day national meet from today, demonetisation to dominate the agenda All of this makes demonetisation the unknown variable, the X factor, of the 2017 elections. It could operate invisibly and shape voting. Or counter intuitive as it may sound, demonetisation despite its disruptive implications may not be a major factor, with voters continuing to cast their ballot on the basis of loyalties to ones caste, party or leader. No euphoria, no hostility In Mirzapurs Jamui bazaar, Prem Raj Singh runs a medical store. In mid-November, he had excitedly told us how he thought the move would clean India. Sitting in his shop, listening to Modis Lucknow speech on his mobile, Singh continued to support the decision, but in a far more measured tone. I had no problems. I work through cheques. My supplies came on time after I transferred amount. Did his sales dip? A little for the first few days, but it is now normal. And what would be the impact of the move on elections? People will move towards Modiji. He has done a good thing. As one drives towards Jaunpur and Azamgarh, on the outskirts of Varanasi, is the Danaganj market. The ATMs are still not fully functional, but the bank queues have reduced considerably. Read:Demonetisation will lead to bigger, cleaner GDP: BJP Lallan, a shopkeeper, is ambivalent about the move and says it did not affect his sales much. Sitting with him is Rajendra Yadav, a farmer, who has stronger views. We all suffered. But now it is time for the government to show us the benefits. What was the benefit he was expecting? We should get the black money that is now with RBI. They were both however skeptical of Modis cashless push. Lallans shop did not have a machine or e-wallet payment facility. Yadav said, If I have to give 100 to someone, why should I do it over the mobile? Cant I give someone cash? This card thing is only meant to benefit the capitalists. Lallan added that they will give Modi more time to deliver benefits, and then decide how to vote. Voting is a 2 minute decision inside the booth. Let us see till the end of the month. Notebandi and voting How will such attitudes play out in the elections? Will Modis attempt to craft a corrupt rich versus poor narrative work? Will the adverse economic impact on the poor manifest itself on poll day? The truth is that even politicians dont quite know. A BJP MLA from the region has two narratives on the issue. On the record, he mounts a strong defence of the visionary decision of Modi. Off the record, he complains that the move eroded employment, will mark a return of Inspector raj, and has made the party defensive right before elections. We were on the offensive against SP. Suddenly we have to answer questions. My sense is we will witness a 5-10 percent drop in votes, but those voters will not go and support another candidate. They may just stay home, says the MLA. Read:UP assembly polls: No CM face, BJP relies on PM Modi to fight leadership dilemma But he says it could have been worse, and the BJP has more or less managed the issue because of a particular Indian psychology. Imagine God gives two options you will get 100 tolas of jewellery and your neighbour will get 200 tolas. Or you will lose one arm, and your neighbour will lose both arms. What will you choose? I am telling you, Indians will go for the second option. An SP activist and an aide of CM Akhilesh Yadav argued demonetisation has devastated the rural economy, and farmers have lost out. But he too felt this will not be the decisive issue in the election. This election will turn on caste, leadership and development. An economically disruptive move like demonetisation will have political implications. But voting preferences are dictated by a complex set of factors. Irrespective of actual voter motivation, the result will be interpreted as either a popular endorsement or rejection of demonetisation. And in that lies the importance of UP 2017. On March 11, the silent UP voter will tell India what he wants. A woman in Bhubaneswar alleged that a group of young men harassed her and thrashed a male friend on Friday, the latest in a series of similar allegations across Indian cities. In a Facebook post, the woman, a BCom student, said the police arrived late and didnt take relevant action, questioning her integrity instead. Police, however, dismissed the allegations and said a case had been filed and a hunt for the accused was on. A case has been registered under section 354(b), 509, 34, 323 of the IPC. We have identified the accused and launched a manhunt, said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi. The case comes amid a number of such allegations in Bengaluru, sending shockwaves across the nation. In her post, the woman said the youngsters gestured indecently at them and passed lewd comments near Nandakanan road in Bhubaneswar. When a male friend tried to stop them, the men beat them up, the post said. The men then slapped one of the women and snatched her mobile phone. A few miles later, the group stopped them and started to create a scene. When the women phoned the nearest Police Control Room, the miscreants called up their friends, who joined them in abusing them and threatening the women of dire consequences, the woman added. The saddest part is that there was a gathering of around 30 male people but not a single man stood up, she said in her post. They should be ashamed of calling themselves men. The woman said that one of the men in the crowd asked the girls to stop creating a scene. You are girls, why (are you) raising (your) voice? Go home, things will settle. Stop creating a scene; know your limits. You are supposed to be home at this hour. The police were not helpful, either, the woman said, noting that they came 40 minutes after being called. When asked, the police said the PCR vans had no petrol, and told the girls to question the government regarding this, she added. The police then questioned the girls as to why they were taking the route and what relation they had with their male friend, the woman said. She also alleged that the police refused to file a complaint until the parents of the women reached the police station. Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi, however, denied the allegations and said the accused had been identified and a search was on to arrest them. He clarified that the PCR van had reached the spot in 15 minutes after getting the call. The Yadav belt of Etawah, Mainpuri and Firozabad a Samajwadi Party stronghold for years is divided in two distinct groups now. Both father and son, Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav, retain their popularity with supporters and any criticism coming their way is voiced guardedly. People cherish personal contact with the senior Yadav, fondly called dadda or netaji. All concede they owe development in the Yadav belt to netaji and bhaiyaji ( Akhilesh). Although there is more vocal support for Akhilesh, who is seen as the future face of the party and widely supported as SPs CM candidate in the poll-bound state, they want to see Mulayam Singh at the helm of the party that he established after a long struggle. Read: Tale of political families, their friends and feuds But despite different loyalties, both factions agree that SP leadership needs to resolve the dispute soon or else the party will pay a price in the polls. Senior SP leaders Ramgopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav are drawing their share of flak from different quarters, for the roles they played in escalating the conflict. Dr Pramod Yadav, who runs a clinic on Mainpuri road of Shikohabad market, says, Akhilesh is immensely popular and has worked hard in his five-year tenure as the chief minister, but all his good work will be washed away in this family feud. The chief minister should not view everything from the glasses of Professor sahab (Ramgopal Yadav). Just imagine what will happen if a tear falls from Mulayam Singhs eye at a public meeting in this region? Will Akhilesh be able to muster victory for his candidate from that seat? asks a supporter, highlighting the challenges the CM would face on sidelining his father. Let sense prevail Without naming the leader he supports, Abdul Gafoor Khan Mansoori, who has a well known utensils shop across the tehsil office in Etawah, says, When there is a retirement age for school principals, who ensure that their students are well taught and capable of standing on their own, then why do ageing political leaders wish to continue even after the next generation has become fully capable of running the show? Sitting two shops away, Ram Prasad Savita holds a different point of view. Even if the father makes a mistake, it is the sons duty to adjust to the situation. I hope and pray that God makes them see sense. MLAs of the Akhilesh camp after meeting CM Akhilesh Yadav at his 5 Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow. (Ashok Dutta/HT Photo) CM and Netaji At a small shop located on the diversion leading to the Yadav-dominated village of Maulapur in Sirsaganj assembly constituency of Firozabad, a heated discussion on Yadav family feud is taking place. Randhav Singh Yadav, a wrestler in his youth, has a question-cum-advice for Mulayam, whom he regards his guru in wrestling. If my son turns out to be a better pehalwan (wrestler) than me, will I not allow him to grow and rule the dangal that I used to win? he asks. Meanwhile, Dhirendra Pratap Singh Yadav of Maulapur disapproves of chacha Shivpal for steering CMs expulsion from the party a decision withdrawn after Azam Khans intervention. He is also unhappy with Ram Gopal for his comments against Mulayam. His view is shared by Chandra Bhan Singh Yadav, a teacher, who says, Although Akhilesh should be the leader of the party, netajis respect should remain intact. Both Chandra Bhan and Dhirendra have decided that in case of a clash at the time of voting, they will go with the candidate supported by the CM. Our vote will be for Akhilesh, for the development work undertaken by him, especially the UP Dial 100 police service. Hes also known for taking a stand against goondaism, says the duo. In Shikohabad town of the district, the story is no different. The parliamentary constituency of Akshay Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, has two SP candidates: one comes in Shivpals list and the other is backed by Akhilesh. A Yadav employed in a government job in Shikohabad says on condition of anonymity, A solution should be reached before the polling date. Akhilesh deserves to be the leader as it is the time of van-prastha (the fourth ashram mentioned in Hindu mythology, when a person retires to ascetic life) for netaji. However, netaji does not deserve being dropped as the partys national president in the manner in which he was. The meeting did not have the validity for passing such a resolution. Firozabad farmer Dinesh Kumar blames uncle Shivpal and Amar Singh for misguiding netaji against son Akhilesh. Read: Samajwadi Party stares at split as warring factions refuse to blink Hamari party Mainpuri, among the handful of constituencies from where Samajwadi Party won during the 2014 Lok Sabha election, is also divided between the Mulayam and Akhilesh camps. While the CM is widely credited for his development work, Mulayam has his own relationship with the place. Lawyer and social activist Nawal Sharma says, Akhilesh owes a lot to Mulayam for what he is today. His father won from Mainpuri many times, including the 2014 Lok Sabha election. He later vacated Mainpuri and retained Azamgarh, allowing Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhileshs cousin, to become Mainpuris new MP. Here too, resentment is evident against Shivpal, believed to be the main man behind CMs expulsion from the party. The decision, say people here, contributed to escalating the tensions in the Yadav clan. But lawyer A H Hashmi, also a member of Urdu Academy, calls the protests against Shivpal an outcome of local politics. We are hopeful that with Azam Khans intervention, a solution will soon be arrived at. Despite that, it is unfortunate that Samajwadi Party has to see such days. People have taken advantage of netajis simplicity, which has made Akhilesh angry, says Hashmi, mincing no words while voicing his disapproval of leaders like Amar Singh. With political events unfolding at a rapid pace and assembly elections right ahead, the Yadav belt is keenly watching out and hoping for an amicable solution to the tussle in SP, which they fondly call hamari party (our party). Read: History repeating itself? Mulayam followed Lohia, Akhilesh his father SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Yemeni government forces attacked rebel positions on the Red Sea coast on Saturday sparking clashes in which six soldiers and 11 rebels were killed, a loyalist commander said. The assault on the coastal district of Dhubab, just 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the Bab al-Madab strait where the busy shipping lane enters the Arabian Sea, came after the government sent reinforcements from its headquarters in Aden. The government and its allies in a Saudi-led coalition recaptured the strait in October 2015. But the rebels still control nearly all Yemen's Red Sea coast to the north, posing what the coalition says is a threat to international shipping. In September and October, two US warships and a United Arab Emirates vessel contracted to the coalition were targeted by missile fire from rebel-held territory. The loyalist offensive failed to dislodge the rebels from their positions as they put up fierce resistance, leaving many wounded on both sides, the commander said. The Yemeni conflict has killed more than 7,000 people since the coalition's military intervention began in March 2015, according to the United Nations. Search Keywords: Short link: Om Puri wanted to launch his son Ishaan Puri in Lucknow with the play Bicchoo, an adaption of French playwright Molieres famous play Scapian the Schemer. Directed by his brother-in-law Ranjit Kapoor he had played lead in the play in late 70s. Puri wanted his son to do the role he had done once. The play was first directed by Ranjit in Lucknow and our organisation produced the play. Actor Swadesh Bandhu did the main role which was later done by Puri in Mumbai, tells veteran theatre artiste Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha who also played one of the three main characters in the play. Puri had expressed his desire to Kulshreshtha during the shoot of his wife Seema Kapoors film Mr Kabadi in Lucknow. I had met him first in Mumbai in 1988 during my play Ram Leela at Prithvi Theatre. My last meeting was on the sets of Mr Kabadi in which we also share screen space. We also recorded a qawalli together. He used to make the atmosphere very light for junior artistes by taking the mike and cracking jokes or singing on the set. He left everyone in splits by making a funny parody of popular song Chitti Aai Hai, recalls Kulshreshtha. Ghazal samrat Anup Jalota, also a producer of Mr Kabadi, says, Its a big loss to the film world. Great man, great actor and a real friend I lost. During the shoot of Varanasi 2006, a film on the bomb blast at Sankat Mochan Temple, Puri got emotional talking about his uncalled-for comment on army-person which snowballed into a big controversy. He said to HT City, I come from an Army family and I now wonder how can I utter such words for a martyr. All my apologies cant wash off my sin. Puri later visited the martyrs family in Etawah to seek apology from them and took part in the prayer meet. Line producer Aroon Singh Dicky talks about his closeness with the actor. I have been a part of film Baabar with him. When his wife Seemaji was scheduled to direct a film in Lucknow I was busy with Jolly LLB. He called me up and in his baritone voice said: Aroonji, meri wife film direct kar rahi hai apko karni hai bas. Who can refuse such a legend! My last meeting was with him on the sets of Mr Kabadi at Shani Temple. Yesterday only, I spoke to Seemaji and in the morning I got this shocking news, says Dicky. Lucknow-lad and designer Manish Tripathi has worked with him in KC Bokadias film Dirty Politics. I was amazed to see how quickly he used to adapt himself in any character. He was very happy with the dresses I made for him and gave me a lovely note for the same. In the last few years Puri has shot back-to-back films in Lucknow. Besides Mr Kabadi, he has shot Baabar, Gandhigiri and Ram Bhajan Zindabad in last few years in Uttar Pradesh. He also shot Miss Tanakpur Hazir Ho in Western UP and Varanasi 2006 recently. He had also taken part during a session on Richard Attenboroughs film Gandhi in the Lucknow Literature Festival. In pics | Last journey: Film fraternity comes together to bid adieu to Om Puri Seers including an American priest who have gathered here for the 44-day annual Magh Mela beginning January 12 have supported chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, saying he has done a lot for the development of the state during the last five years. Akhilesh Yadav has a clean image. He has changed the face of UP from a backward to a fast developing state. During his tenure as CM, not even a single corruption charge was made against him, said Yogiraj Rameshji Maharaj, the Peethadhishwar of Shree Peetham Ashram. Talking to Hindustan Times, he said the seers were with Akhilesh Yadav in the upcoming assembly polls. He is a young and energetic leader. He has only development on his mind. Moreover, the state government under his leadership provided many new facilities to seers and pilgrims in Magh Mela. His biggest achievement was successful conduct of Kumbh Mela in 2013, he added. Instead of any religion or caste, people should vote for development in the state, he opined. Earlier on numerous occasions, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Swami Narendragiri praised Akhilesh Yadav for good governance saying the seers will be supporting him in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, an American professor and monk Ramdas Lamb, who is regular at Magh Mela, said, Akhilesh Yadav has the energy to initiate a positive change in UP. A follower of Ramanandi sect, Lamb added that he stayed in Magh Mela for almost a month every year. He said in the last 2-3 years facilities in the mela area had much improved. I have been coming here for the last 30 years. I also attended the Kumbh Mela. The arrangements made by the UP government were very good. I feel that Akhilesh Yadav should get a second term as chief minister of UP, opined Lamb who speaks Hindi fluently. He is an associate professor of religious studies at University of Hawaii. Read more: If Mulayam can leave son, why cant we leave him?: Akhilesh rises amid SP feud Power transfer in dynasties has rarely been smooth across the country and the latest to go into the pages of history will be the Yadav family feud. SP strongman Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose acumen was lauded in 2012 for the smooth transition of power to his then inexperienced son, is now facing flak for making political succession turbulent for his son, who has since grown popular. Less than five years back many regional parties were infested with succession wars -- DMK, RJD, Shiv Sena and NCP to name a few. There are many analogies of the ongoing feud in the Yadav family, the closest one being from Andhra Pradesh and then from UP itself, involving none other than the politician-wrestler Mulayam Singh himself. Ironically, the senior Yadav, who tirelessly talks about the great break-ups in political parties he has been witness to, has preferred to sacrifice his own 25-year-old party for some friends and family members and, in the process, strike a blow to the impressive constituency he had assiduously built over the years. Andhra Pradesh may be about 1700 kms away from Lucknow, but Baghpat is located in UP where Mulayam often describes how he had fallen victim to conspiracies. It was in 1984 when Choudhary Ajit Singh had returned to the country without any political ambitions. His father and founder president of Bhartiya Lok Dal Charan Singh had already declared Mulayam his political heir. According to KC Ranas book on Charan Singh several politicians strongly lobbied against Mulayam and propped up the then politically naive Ajit Singh to take over his fathers legacy. Some well-wishers of the party, however, organised a meeting between Ajit and Mulayam in which it was decided that while Ajit will take the national position and Mulayam will continue to lead Uttar Pradesh. But some leaders, hell-bent on stonewalling any rapprochement between the two leaders, did not allow this formula to fructify and in the process Lok Dal, which was emerging as a national party with wings in several states, split. Ajit political heir Jayant Choudhury declined to comment on the history while admitting that his father has shared all the milestones, including his initial days in politics. When some old friends of Mulayam were trying for a patch-up between him and his son Akhilesh, many from both sides in the family and followers, were busy sabotaging it. A very senior leader, who had taken Mulayams nod to attend the national convention called by Akhilesh faction on the first day of the year, had said confidently that he knew for sure that a formula was worked out. According to him even Mulayam was ready to attend the convention but stayed back home when told about the resolution electing Akhilesh as partys new president. The senior leader said, There is no confusion in Mulayams mind about his successor or chief ministerial face, but he doesnt want to upset some by announcing it now. Akhilesh faction, while insisting it is matter of the Akhileshs political career as well as the partys future demand to expose the saboteurs. Comparing denial of Charan Singhs mantle to Mulayam with Yadavs feud, a political commentator quipped What goes around comes around too. The second analogy in discussion is from Andhra Pradesh, as many see the aspirations of Mulayams extended family behind the impasse. This could be because Telugu Desham leader NT Rama Rao had also married a second time to Lakshmi Parvarthi. Many in the party had resisted her interference in government functioning. Mulayams second wife Sadhna Guptas, now Yadav, public appearances were limited to family functions. Ever since the family tussle started, her name has been figuring in political circles. However, in Andhra it was not the son but the son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu who had staged a coup unseating his father-in-law and TDP patriarch NT Rama Rao from CMs office. Many family members had supported Naidu, just as Akhilesh is supported by uncle Prof Ram Gopal Yadav and cousins. Publicly Mulayam is seen only with Shivpal and his son Aaditya Yadav. While taking over the party Naidu had also declared that he was trying to save his party, just as Akhilesh has been saying that he will gift victory of the party to his father . After NTRs death, his group was led by Laxmi Parvathi, which could make no electoral gains, while Naidu formed the government in 1999 and became its undisputed leader. Naidu had also won the symbol battle because of the support of partys legislators and leaders. Shivpal may meet Laxmis fate, if he doesnt patch up with Akhilesh, before or after the polls. Mulayam, who has led opposition politics in the country, knew both NT Rama Rao and Naidu. Why he is unwilling to pick up a lesson is known to none except that he is hurt enough to hear the other side of the story. The cycle that he told his son to learn and ride is likely to get lost in the files of Election Commission. What a coincidence, even TDPs symbol is cycle. Read more: Why UP matters: Can Indias most populous state decide the fate of Delhi? A 72-year-old businessman, who stayed alone, was found dead in his flat near Masjid Bunder, South Mumbai, on Saturday. The incident came to light when his grandson visited him in the evening. Dyneshwar Chavan, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 2), suspects that somebody known to the victim, Iqbal Darvesh, may have committed the crime. The Pydhonie police have registered a murder case and are trying to find out if robbery was the motive. The police said Darvesh died of suffocation as his mouth was stuffed with cloths and his legs were tied. They also found injury marks on his body. Darvesh, son of well-known police informer Jainu Mausi, was living on the second floor of the Sai Manzil Israel Moholla building near Masjid Bunder. The police are yet to ascertain the time of the incident which was reported by Darveshs grandson Salman. The victims grandson was the first person to witness the dead body, while a waiter from his hotel was the last person to see him alive on Friday at around 8pm. The waiter came to deliver food, said an officer. A crime branch team, a dog squad and a forensic were at the spot for leads. The police are not ruling out the possibility of a property dispute as Iqbal owned a sand shop, a saloon, a lodge and a hotel at Khadak in Dongri. He would usually eat food from his own hotel, which was located below his flat, said an officer. READ 24-year-old physiotherapist found dead in Mumbai SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three inspectors and five police officers sustained injuries after being assaulted by the relatives of two men they had arrested in Ulhasnagar on Friday. The accused, Kalya and Bablya were held in connection with a case of housebreaking theft committed earlier this month. They were accused of stealing Rs1.50 lakh. The men were arrested when the central police, along with 15 Ulhasnagar police officers, received a tipoff and nabbed them around 2.30 pm. We ascertained Kalya and Bablyas location from CCTV camera footage. After verifying this, we went to the spot, said Shakil Shaikh, a senior inspector from the Ulhasnagar police station. We caught Bablya and Kalya, but could not trace the third suspect. While we were accompanying the two accused to the police van, Bablyas mother, sister and other relatives approached. We thought they might plead with us and ask us to let the men go. However, they started pelting us with stones. We tried to shield ourselves, but got injured. Dozens of other women arrived and started assaulting us. We warned them against doing so, but they bit two officers and freed the accused, said Shaikh. The accused then fled. Police said Bablyas mother is also wanted in nine cases of housebreaking theft. However, she too managed to flee. Bablya and his mother consider housebreaking theft to be a family business. We are trying to trace the accused and their family members, added Shaikh. We were helpless as we were surrounded by the women. They not only beat us, but also verbally abused us. We alerted the control room. Extra police were deployed and the situation was brought under control, said an officer from the central police station. The injured police inspectors have been identified as Anil Bhise, Shrikant Meher and Vijay Dolas. A case has been lodged against Laxmi Bai, Jaya Metkar and Jyoti Kale and 12 others under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Read 19 arrested for assaulting cops during anti-encroachment drive at Digha in Mumbai 48-year-old Mumbai cop assaulted with iron rod during demolition drive SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Deposing before a magistrate court in a 1997 case against Shiv Sena workers for vandalising his official residence, former deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Saturday asked the judge to take no action against the accused. As many as 32 people were made accused. But over a period, several accused have died. Only eight accused appeared before the court. Bhujbal refused to identify the accused and pleaded that they be let off, Bansod said Under heavy police protection, the NCP leader was brought from the Arthur Road jail, where he is lodged in connection with a multi-crore money laundering case, to the Esplanade court. In 2008, he (Bhujbal) had settled all his disputes with Sena founder Bal Thackeray. As he had withdrawn a defamation case filed against the senior Sena members and party mouthpiece Saamana, he doesnt want the accused to suffer more, Bhujbal counsel, Mangesh Bansod, told the court. The case is related to the killing of 10 Dalit people in a police firing during a protest at Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar against the desecration of the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. After the tragedy, Bhujbal, the then leader of opposition, had made several speeches against the ruling BJP-Sena combine, which provoked Sena members to attack his official residence. READ Bhujbal says application against him by activist aimed at tarnishing image SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Mira-Bhayander unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was left red-faced as two of its leaders came to blows in front of hundreds at the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation on Friday afternoon. The two sitting corporator Ravi Vyas and the chief of the partys youth wing Vinod Shinde fought over who would accompany the mayor to meet a senior Bohri Muslim community leader in Bhayander. Even worse, the fight was witnessed by the mayor, who is also from the BJP. Mayor Geeta Jain was set to meet the leader when Shinde arrived with a few supporters to accompany her, said sources. Meanwhile, Vyas arrived at the spot, causing Shinde to object. The venue was already crowded with members of the Bohri community who were eager to meet their leader. Hence, I objected to Vyas presence, said Shinde. A heated argument ensued, which culminated in blows. The mayor then acted as a mediator between the two groups. Shinde later approached the Bhayander police and registered a complaint against six people, including Vyas. However, no arrests have been made yet. There was no reason for Shinde to object to my presence at the religious meet. One of my supporters bones got fractured in the scuffle. That should tell you who assaulted whom, said Vyas. Jain termed the situation an unfortunate incident. Police inspector Rajendra Kamble of the Bhayander police station said a case of rioting and assault was registered against six people. We will soon call them in for questioning, he added. Party sources said Vyas is set to file a cross-complaint against Shinde. The Opposition, as well as other political parties, have jumped into the fray and stated voters can expect similar incidents from the party in the run up to the civic polls. Read What 2017 means for parties in Maharashtra Exit state, central govt if you disagree with BJPs policies Ahead of the civic and zilla parishad polls in Maharashtra, the state Congress unit has decided to step up its agitation against the government. As higher-ups in the party intensify their protests against the notes ban, Congress leader and former union leader Kapil Sibal has demanded a judicial probe into demonetisation, terming it a huge conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party asked all its key leaders, including former chief ministers, to hold about 2,000 rallies across the state, with the aim to reach out to as many people as possible. A meeting of the Campaign Implementation Committee headed by former chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde was held at the partys Nariman Point office on Saturday. The committee reviewed its ongoing protest programmes against demonetisation and its fallout across the country. The country is going through a challenging time owing to the financial slowdown and unemployment, which is likely to increase in the coming days. Prime Minister Narendra Modis promise that the hardship will end in 50 days is nothing but a sham. Nobody knows how long this will go on for. The poor are not able to withdraw their own money and the Reserve Bank of India has not yet declared the amount of black money that has been unearthed, said Shinde. Shinde said that after the partys national convention in Delhi on January 11, it would step up protests against demonetisation.Sibal said that as most of the old currency has been deposited in banks, it is reasonable to believe that the notes ban was a conspiracy to legitimise black money. Of the Rs15.15 lakh crore in banned currency, Rs14.97 lakh crore has been deposited. The BJP has not taken action against its office bearers who were found with large sums of new currency illegally. This appears to be part of huge conspiracy and needs to be probed by a judicial body, he said. Narendra Modi had said that he was ready to face any punishment if the situation did not stabilise in 50 days. Now he should declare what type of punishment he is ready to receive, Sibal added. He questioned why the government allowed only eight of the 21 members of the RBIs central board to attend the meeting during which the decision to demonetise notes was taken. Read First note ban protests, now budget: Congress flip-flops wont do much good Irrational, senseless demonetisation policy dampened spirit of GST: Congress Vajpayee didnt believe in demonetisation: Congress claims in a booklet SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Its election season and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra has been working overtime to clear pending decisions and kick-off projects that have been in the pipeline for years. The party wants a majority in the civic bodies, including the countrys richest, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Ahead of next months elections, it has been taking decisions on several pending proposals the grandest of them all, the launch of the populist project to build a statue of the Maratha king Shivaji off the Mumbai coast. It has also offered more sops to developers to make redevelopment profitable, cleared the hawkers policy and are ready with a plan for Wi-Fi hotspots in the city, among other decisions. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his team may be busy showing the people what his government can do, but opposition parties have criticised the move and citizens groups are taking it with a pinch of salt all parties do the same while in power and criticise when they are the opposition. Earlier this week, the state came up with a solution for old tenanted buildings in the suburbs that could not be developed for years owing to restriction of construction limits compared to the island city. The government decided to incentivise the redevelopment and provide ownership to the tenants. In another decision, it relaxed the mandatory condition of builders handing over housing stock while redeveloping old buildings on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) layouts. This means the projects become more profitable for developers. The ruling party maintains the decision was to provide relief to more than two lakh families living in such buildings. The decision also entails increasing the size of the flats on offer from 376 sqft to 507 sqft. It also constituted a long-awaited state housing regulating body by appointing former IAS officer Gautam Chatterji as the first housing regulator. It has decided to give more FSI (floor space index) for big slum rehabilitation (SRA) projects. The new Hawkers policy was declared keeping in view the north Indian community, and eyeing the youth vote, the government has readied a plan to provide free Wi-Fi at 1,200 hotspots across 500 locations. Experts said laying the foundation stone of the Shivajis memorial by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the bhoomipujan of two Metro lines could have been done before as well. The series of decisions just weeks before the Mumbai polls have led to many questioning their propriety. Like the previous Congress-NCP government, the Fadnavis led government is also taking several decisions just ahead of the polls, said Milind Mhaske, the project director of non-government organisation Praja, which keeps tabs on performance of elected representatives. We, however, also feel the peoples participation in the five-year term of a government needs to be active. For instance, we complain about the ruling parties during elections, but later get busy with our daily lives. This should be balanced on both the sides, said Mhaske. Mumbai NCP chief Sachin Ahir said the BJP was doing the same thing it complained about the Congress-NCP government in the past 15 years. The government had ample time to make these decisions, but it failed to deliver. Now, keeping an eye on the polls, it is hurriedly coming out with all these decisions. Responding to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari insisted the difference between the BJP and the Congress-NCP governments was that the latter only made announcements ahead of the polls, while the BJP took actual decisions. Lets assume the decisions are being taken eyeing polls. So whats the harm if they are in public interest?, Bhandari said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON City schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have put their annual exams for Classes 1 to 9 on hold till the board announces the Class 12 and 10 exam timetable. The board exam schedule, which is usually declared in the first week of January, has been delayed this year, because of the forthcoming state assembly elections. Without knowing the board exam dates, the schools are unable to plan their own year-end exams. School exams for Classes 1 to 9 are held in the same month as the board exams of Class 10 and 12 in February-March every year. So to avoid a clash between the two, schools generally plan their own exams before or after the board exams. Our school exam depends on the board exam timetable but we havent received any word from the board yet, said Deepshikha Srivastava, principal, Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri, which acts as a centre for CBSE exams. Srivastava added that usually, they start home exams by the end of February and try to finish it before the board exam begins or hold some papers in between the gaps in the exam. We have to start the new academic year by April. Adding that this year, they have decided not to plan their school exam schedule until the board releases its timetable, Srivastava said, Both the exams should not clash especially for English and math papers, as the number of students appearing for these subjects tends to be huge. Teachers and students are also worried that practical exam dates too have not been decided yet, these tests are usually held between January and February. We hope that the timetable is declared soon so that students get sufficient time to prepare for the exams, said Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar School, Santacruz. Principals fear that board exams might be postponed this year because of the elections. On Thursday, the Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) had said that they too will reschedule their ICSE and ISC exams due to the polls. Since there are many CBSE schools in the north, exams might be held later than usually to avoid clash with the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, said Ganesh Parmeswaran, principal, Bal Bharti School, Kharghar. If that happens, it will affect school exams too, he said. Read more: CBSE likely to postpone Class 12 board exams by a week due to polls SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Around 1,500 mourners attended the funerals Saturday in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron of two alleged Palestinian assailants killed by Israeli troops last year. Hatem Shaludi, 25, and 16-year-old Mohammed Rajabi were both shot dead in September during separate alleged stabbing attacks on Israeli soldiers in the occupied city. Israeli authorities returned their bodies for burial by their families on Friday. 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 occupation authorities. Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on the besieged-Gaza Strip. Since the start of the violence, Israeli forces have confiscated the bodies of killed Palestinians, often for several months, as a means of deterrence and to prevent clashes during funerals. Israel is still withholding the remains of seven Palestinians, three from Hebron which is a frequent hotspot. Mourners at Saturday's funerals carried pictures of the deceased, Palestinian national flags and banners of various Palestinian groups, including the Islamist militant movement Hamas. It was not known, however, if either Shaludi or Rajabi were directly linked to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Israel said last week that it would not release the bodies of Hamas militants killed during attacks on Israelis but would instead bury them itself. The decision by the security cabinet followed the release by Hamas of video footage showing a mock birthday party for Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, believed by the army to have been killed in the 2014 war on Gaza. The government did not elaborate on the burial plan, but said that the same meeting discussed ways of getting back the remains of Shaul and another soldier killed in the Gaza war and obtaining the release of two Israelis missing in Gaza and believed to be held by Hamas. In September, a senior Israeli official said that Israel had been holding since the war 18 Palestinians from Gaza as well as the bodies of 19 others and had "offered to swap them for the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers". He said that Hamas turned down the offer. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the first memorial of late Bal Thackeray that was installed at Kala Talao in Kalyan on Saturday. Speaking at the ceremony, Uddhav said, It was the Shiv Sainiks of Bal Thackeray who saved Mumbai during the riots. He was the only leader in entire India who used to think for the people. The memorial is the first of its kind built after the death of the late Sena supremo and was installed on January 2. Everywhere the words black and white are being thrown around. With this memorial at Kala Talao (black lake), we have turned it saffron, said Uddhav in an indirect jab at the Centres demonetization initiative. The 22-foot statue of Thackeray that was veiled initially was opened to the public after Uddhav clicked a button on a remote to take off the curtain. Speaking after inaugurating it, the Sena chief said that the memorial would have 24-hour security and that it would be maintained meticulously. Uddhav had visited the memorial with his family along with Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde, state environment minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam and others. Read more: Decks cleared for Thackeray memorial at Mumbai Mayors Bungalow SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ahead of the civic elections scheduled in February, the ruling Shiv Sena vetoed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) plan to increase Byculla zoos entry fee. On Saturday, the party in a bid to kick-start its pet project early also announced that the penguin exhibit will be free for children for two months. We cancelled the plan to increase the entry fee as there was no clarity on the issue. Instead, we have thrown open the penguin exhibit. It will be free for children till March, said Trushna Vishwasrao, group leader, Shiv Sena. The pet project of Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, the penguin enclosure was planned nine years ago. However, the first phase of the project is yet to begin four years after a revised master plan was approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in New Delhi. After the death of one of the eight Humboldt penguins and termination of the current contractors agreement in October, the BMC was under pressure from the ruling party, and hence tried to open the exhibit in November, well before the elections code of conduct was enforced. However, the BMC is yet to open the exhibit to the public and aims to inaugurate it by the end of this month. At a group leaders meeting, the BMC also tabled the proposal to increase Byculla zoo entry fee from Rs10 to Rs100 after the exhibit is opened to the public. The civic body has been trying to increase the fare since 2014, without success. Currently, the entry fare for children is Rs5.The zoo houses about 130 animals and 300 birds.The penguins arrived at the zoo from Seoul in South Korea in July. The zoo had also planned to procure a jackal, wolf, leopard, Madras turtle and several other species as part of the first phase of its revamp plan.However, this has now been delayed until a new contractor is appointed. Read Delay in enclosure work at Byculla zoo: Mumbai to miss its date with 7 penguins Public will be able to see Byculla Zoos 8 Humboldt penguins by mid-November Mumbais zoo is a sad place SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The district administration has been working for the past three months to reach out to young, first-time voters in Gautam Budh Nagar and get them to participate in the electoral process. Elections in the district will be held on February 11 and over 5,000 young voters from Knowledge Park in Greater Noida will be voting for the first time. In addition, a private university will host a voting booth for the first time in the district. We appointed some students as ambassadors in more than 30 colleges of Greater Noida and have hosted various discussions and seminars in colleges in which students were encouraged to vote. We also organised three fortnight-long campaigns to enrol as many students of the district in the voter list as possible. The idea is that those who are 18 years and above by January 1, 2017, must be included in the voter list, said NP Singh, district magistrate. The district administration has also promised a safe atmosphere for students to cast their votes. Although students of Greater Noidas professional colleges are hardly known for hooliganism, we will still ensure that strictest security measures are taken. Paramilitary forces will be deployed in sensitive areas and there will be no hurdle before students to exercise their voting rights, said Singh. In addition, a polling booth will also be set up in Sharda University in Knowledge Park. It is for the first time in the history of Gautam Budh Nagar that a university will have a polling booth on election day. We are trying our best to turn it into a model booth so that voters, irrespective of their age and gender, have no difficulty in voting. Senior citizens will get plastic chairs to sit while waiting in the queue and mothers with children will get crutches. Drinking water and other amenities will also be provided, said Prashant Gupta, executive director, Sharda University. A total of 500 voters from Sharda University and 5,000 students and teaching staff of the areas 30 colleges will be exercising their vote at the university polling booth. I think its a great idea to set up a polling booth inside a university. Its high time that the youth get involved in the democratic process. Otherwise, we only engage in armchair activism on social media. If they (young people) want to see a developed Uttar Pradesh, they should come out (and vote) in large numbers, said Rishabh, a student of ITS College. However, outstation students in Knowledge Park might face difficulties in returning to their hometowns in the state on the polling days scheduled in seven phases in UP. Some of them had decided not to go back to vote. I come from Allahabad and in my district, polls will be held on February 23. However, I wont be travelling back for that day as semester exams are approaching, said Surya (name changed), a student of a private engineering college in Greater Noida. However, Singh said, According to the election commission, any person who has taken an off from work or college to exercise their vote, will be given leave. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In December, President Barack Obama ordered an intelligence assessment of Russias suspected role in influencing the US presidential election. He wanted it done before he left office. The office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has submitted its report, which was drafted and coordinated with the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency (NSA). The DNI released a declassified version of the report to the public after briefing Donald Trump on January 6. Read | US intel report ties Putin to hidden campaign in favour of Trump The assessment will generate heated debate in Washington and exert greater pressure on Trump to rethink his keenness on developing friendly ties with Russia. The report The DNI concluded that President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary (Hillary) Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. The report avoids assessing if Russias role swung the election in Trumps favour but says Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. It says the interference in the election was the most recent expression of Moscows desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order and that these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations. Moscows influence campaign was multi-faceted; it blended covert intelligence operations such as cyber activity with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or trolls. To this end, Russian intelligence agencies allegedly conducted cyber operations against US political parties, primary campaigns, think-tanks and lobbying groups. Material collected from the Democratic National Committee was relayed to DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks, which duly published it at opportune moments. Read | US obtained evidence after election that Russia leaked emails, say officials The DNI report focuses a good deal on Russias propaganda efforts through media organisations that it funds and controls like the television channel RT, formerly Russia Today. It says RT and quasi-government trolls provided increasingly favourable coverage to Trump while being critical of Clinton. The DNI offers detail on RTs programming that is often critical of US democracy and its government and argues that the channel has significant reach worldwide. It mentions reports that RT is the most-watched foreign news channel in the UK. RTs videos on YouTube received more than 800 million views during 2005-2012, far exceeding BBC and Al Jazeera English. It has more YouTube subscribers than its competitors, although its number of Twitter followers and Facebook engagement lags some way behind CNN. RT claims it is surpassing Al Jazeera in viewership in New York and Washington DC and that reaches 550 million people worldwide and 85 million in the US (NB: it does not release its US audience data). The report takes RT seriously because it considers the latter a vital piece of Russias strategy and it believes that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes. In other words, this form of subversion a combination of cyberattacks and information campaigns will be deployed in democracies elsewhere. Implications The DNI report that was fast-tracked by Obama, serves several purposes: It exerts a lot more public pressure on Trump to reconsider his approach to Russia. Trump has so far been dismissive of the claims of intelligence agencies on Moscows activities. This is a risky approach for him and the Republican Party. Trump owes his popularity to his willingness to take on the Washington establishment but it is unlikely that his (nationalist) base understands the establishment to include the CIA, FBI and NSA that still have a measure of authority in American culture. Many Republicans as it is do not agree with Trumps assessment of Russia; this report will harden their resistance and unnerve politicians who were willing to overlook this and move on in an effort to curry favour with Trump. It will also mean that confirmation hearings for Trumps cabinet, particularly for the pro-Russian presumptive Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, will be intense and challenging even though the Republicans have the numbers to get them through. Read | Report cites Putins influence campaign, Trump says no effect on poll result Two, Washington will be conducting its politics in the shadow of the next Russian hack. The DNI says that Russia hacked some Republican-affiliated targets too but did not conduct a disclosure campaign as they did for the Democrats. This means the GOP is also vulnerable to disclosures and few will argue against the possibility that Moscow has some dirt on Trump as well. And very much in the spirit of this, cyber operations will continue. The DNI report says that immediately after Election Day Russian intelligence began a spearphishing campaign targeting US Government employees and individuals associated with US think tanks and NGOs in national security, defense, and foreign policy fields. This campaign could provide material for future influence efforts as well as foreign intelligence collection on the incoming administrations goals and plans. Four, as alluded the Russian model of shaping democracy abroad can be exported elsewhere, first perhaps to Europe where key elections are due this year. France has presidential polls where leading contenders Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen are both pro-Russian figures and Le Pens National Front has taken loans from Russian banks. There are fears that Russian hackers may favour the rising Alternative for Germany at the expense of the current Chancellor Angela Merkel in the federal elections. Lastly, there will be discursive effects worldwide. Some analysts will downplay Russian tactics in the light of US attempts to influence domestic politics in other countries over the years and the fact that it has deployed technologies of mass surveillance all over the world and even spied on Angela Merkels smartphone. Arguments about equivalence will go on but the Russian methods, if true, are of a different order of intervention for the sheer audacity of the enterprise. Rarely does history throw up a figure like Trump in public life; Russia was evidently alert to the possibility of subverting a major democracy through someone like him and ruthlessly exploited the opportunity with the instruments it invested in. Ordinarily a DNI report signed off by three intelligence agencies would rally the nation and the political class against Russia and Putin. Instead it promises to throw the US into more turmoil because Trump seems to have no idea about the stakes at hand. Right now the script in Washington is apparently in step with what is in Putins head. The views expressed are personal. The author tweets as @SushilAaron. Also read | Were Russian diplomats vacationing or spying at the two compounds US shut down SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The political row over the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1, ahead of the polls in five states, has yet again exposed the cavalier approach of principal opposition Congress in formulating its strategy a misnomer given its contradictions and incoherence. The party has taken the lead in opposing the Budget presentation ahead of the assembly elections, arguing that it would give the ruling BJP an unfair opportunity to influence voters by showering sops. In opposing it, the grand old party has taken another U-turn - one of many in recent times. The time has come to think differently. There are strong arguments for changing the schedule of the Budget presentation, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had said last August. A month later, party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi reiterated: Technically, there would be nothing wrong in advancing the Union Budget. Read: Centre must delay Union budget till state polls are over: Oppn parties tell EC The Congress thinks differently now, considering that it has joined other parties in petitioning the election commission against advancing the Budget session. This is not the first time wisdom has dawned so late on the opposition party. It has often been blindsided by the BJPs shrewd political tactics and manoeuvres. The Congress supported demonetisation in its initial days, choosing to criticise only its faulty implementation. A week into the winter session of Parliament, the party changed its stand and started questioning the decision itself. Congress sources said there were no structural or comprehensive discussions within the party on its stand on demonetisation. Instead, party leaders had to take cues from vice-president Rahul Gandhis utterances and speeches on the issue. They (Congress) would have cornered us if they had stuck to the implementation part, instead of opposing the decision itself. Now, people see them standing with black money hoarders, a senior Union minister told HT on Thursday. The last winter session of Parliament also witnessed frequent flip-flops by the Congress, much to the amusement of the ruling camp. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took little time to grant an audience to a Rahul-led delegation on farmers issues on the last day of the session a move that drove a wedge in the united opposition. Leaders of other opposition parties were taken aback by the Congress vice-presidents unilateral move, which flew in the face of the partys stand to not allow the Rajya Sabha to function until Modi came to hear and respond to the debate on demonetisation. In the Lok Sabha, the Congress and other opposition parties disrupted the proceedings for weeks, demanding a debate under rules that entailed voting. Towards the end of the session, Congress leaders made a U-turn and wanted a debate under no rules. Read: As political parties cry foul, Jaitley defends Budget presentation before polls On the first day of the winter session started, the Congress initiated a debate on demonetisation in the Rajya Sabha. It, however, abandoned the debate mid-way and resorted to disruptions from the next day. Questions on the reasons for these flip-flops are answered by Congress leaders with a shrug of the shoulders and a grimace. You people should find out. Tell us why the same team (of central office-bearers) who were responsible for the 2014 debacle continues to hold sway. Why do you think organisational elections are being postponed? a senior Congress leader told HT. After the UPA was voted out of power in 2014, the core group an informal think tank comprising leaders such as Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and P Chidambaram ceased to exist. There is no formal or informal mechanism any more to formulate the partys stand on issues through comprehensive deliberations with a long-term, holistic perspective. After Rahuls induction into the organisation in 2007, the Congress had set up a Group to Look into Future Challenges, comprising him and 12 senior leaders. It submitted a report on the partys future roadmap which was never made public and slipped into oblivion after that. Congress president Sonia Gandhi proposed to set up a professional party think tank meant to be run on institutional lines during a party session at Burari in 2010. It was never acted upon. For a 131-year-old party that aspires to regain its past glory, ad-hocism in its approach to issues of national interest might not inspire peoples confidence. Read: PM Modi tears into Congress, says its leadership desperate after demonetisation Read: Note ban effect on vote bank: Why demonetisation is a key issue in 2017 assembly polls SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With polls less than a month away in Punjab, and politics at the heart of all talk for months already, HT brings to you a freewheeling chat with the power couple of Punjab Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in conversation with in conversation with Hindustan Times senior resident editor Ramesh Vinayak. Watch the full video here: Here are the highlights of what the power couple said: On Punjab polls Punjab polls is a two party game. It is Akalis versus a second party divided into two or three, says Sukhbir Singh Badal. Akalis have focused on all inclusive development: Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Winning and losing is upto God. Development of Punjab is my passion says Sukhbir Badal. There is nothing called good poll management. If people are not with you, you cannot win: Sukhbir Badal On drugs in Punjab Saying that all Punjabis are drug addicts is like throwing muck at your own self says Harsimrat Kaur Badal. It is a shame that the opposition stoops so low for politics that it defames its own people says Sukhbir. Had Bikram Singh Majithia been involved, why would we first arrest the drug lord who named him, asks Harsimrat Kaur Badal. On politics and governance My father never wanted me to grow in politics. I had to prove myself to him & SAD to be here says Sukhbir Badal. If a government has the will, it can change the state completely says Sukhbir Badal I dont hide my businesses. Every business of mine has been scrutinised thoroughly: Sukhbir Badal I would support prohibition in Punjab says Harsimrat Kaur. Any restrictive policy leads to corruption says Sukhbir Badal on prohibition. About AAP and Kejriwal Arvind Kejriwal dumped everyone he has been with. He is a rank opportunist, says Harsimrat Kaur. AAP is Made in China party. It was a new craze a year ago. Now they have lost face in Punjab says Sukhbir. Arvind Kejriwal is hobnobbing with radicals. He has no idea of Punjabs complex panthic politics: Sukhbir Badal AAP formed govt in Delhi with Congress help and is now saying that SAD is mixed up with Congress. Strange isnt it, asks Sukhbir Badal. Punjab is an agrarian state & needs GOI support. God forbid if AAP comes to power they will ruin Punjab fighting with Centre says Sukhbir Arvind Kejriwal is an agitationist and from being mayor of Delhi he wants to be Punjab CM: Sukhbir Badal. The meteorological departments prediction finally came true with the city receiving 31.2 mm rain by late evening. The rain brought along hailstorm with it that started after 9pm. Meanwhile, the rain continued continuously from evening till late in the night. JAMS, POWER CUTS RESULT A major traffic jam was witnessed in Sector 35 on Friday night due to rain and water-logging. Residents complained of inconvenience and many cars were stranded as the engines stopped working. The road opposite Sukhna Lake. (HT Photo) Following the storm, power lines snapped in Sector 27 with the outage lasting for more than an hour, beginning 10pm. Some colonies like Bapu Dham, Ram Darbar and Dadumajra faced power cuts for over an hour. Western disturbances caused the rain in the city. There will be light to moderate rainfall on Saturday as well, said Surender Paul, director, India Meteorological Department, Chandigarh. He added that the weather will remain cloudy and conditions would be windy. The weather will clear by Sunday afternoon. Friday night was warmer, due to cloudy conditions, with the temperature settling at 10.4C. When we express the rain as a quantity, say 5 mm, this means that over the relevant period, the showers received would have filled a tank of 5mm height over the citys area. 15 TRAINS DELAYED Due to the inclement weather, a total of 15 trains were delayed. The Kalka Howrah Mail arrived 22 hours late . Punjab BJP chief Vijay Samplas roadshows as part of his Vijay Sankalp Yatra (victory pledge tour) that started on December 30 has resulted in roadblocks so far for the party, barely a month ahead of the February 4 assembly polls. From revealing factionalism to running into trouble with the Election Commission, the yatra has seen brawls too among ticket contenders as the party is yet to announce any of its 23 candidates. Soon after it began from Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district, it became a show of strength for two ticket contenders, former MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha national vice-president Gurparvez Shelley, who hurled abuses at each other. A scuffle was, however, averted. In Abohar segment in Fazilka district, the yatra got lukewarm response and Sampla did not attend a rally and lunch hosted by Brij Lal Rinwa, a former state unit chief whom Sampla often referred to as his political guru. Barely 20 BJP workers attended the show in Maujgarh village on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road. The worst scenes so far were witnessed on Samplas home turf in Doaba region. In Phagwara on December 3, groups owing allegiance to Sampla and his intra-party rival, sitting MLA Som Parkash, got into a tussle and hurled abuses at each other during individual shows of strength. This was not entirely surprising, though. Samplas move to take former SAD MLA Mohan Lal into the party added fuel to the theory that he is seeking to replace Som Parkash. In a video, Mohan Lal is seen abusing Som Parkash. In Jalandhar as well, in the West segment, supporters of key Sampla man Sheetal Angural not only snatched the mike from cabinet minister Chunni Lal Bhagats son Mohinder Bhagat but his supporters threw garlands at Bhagat to disturb him during his speech. The timing of the yatra is illogical, said a senior leader of the party on the condition of anonymity. The brawls, scuffles and abuses have exposed the partys infighting when we are going for polls. On Friday, in Hoshiarpur, cold vibes were visible between former minister Tikshan Sud and national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna's political secretary Sanjiv Talwar. The Khanna-Sampla group is projecting Talwar as candidate in place of Sud.. Many senior leaders said the yatra seems a family-and-friends show by Sampla. Samplas son Sahil, nephew Ashu, and another relative, Rohan Sampla, control everything around the rath (campaign vehicle). The other leaders with the yatra, such as Vineet Joshi, are quite junior to the MLAs and ministers who are fighting among themselves, said a sitting MLA from Doaba. But Sampla insisted on Friday, All reports regarding infighting are just media creation. Even when we just exchange a mike, the media says it was snatched. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Villagers in north Chhattisgarhs forested districts are being asked not to brew and stock their favourite liquor at home to avoid uninvited guests in the form of wild elephants. High on local brew, these tuskers have run amok, damaging settlements and claiming over 50 lives last year alone. Some villagers have heeded the advisory, many are still reluctant, according to forest department officials conducting awareness drives against homemade liquor. Elephant herds come sniffing from more than 10km away for the pungent beverages, said Naved Shujauddin, divisional forest officer of Surajpur. Sashi Bhushan Kirketta, a resident of Neematoli village of Jashpur district, is among those who have decided to quit brewing the liquor. We have stopped brewing liquor from mahua (a nectar-rich flower) because of elephants. Whoever is still brewing it is ensuring it is sold quickly to avoid storing it in the village. Kirketta acknowledged people always knew homemade liquor caught the fancy of elephants, but their incursions had become too frequent and destructive to ignore. Apart from entering villages while foraging for food particularly jackfruit, sugarcane and paddy elephants also get drawn to mahua sharaab and paddy-based drinks favoured by tribals. Their forays often lead to houses being destroyed and even deaths. Though a comprehensive official report is awaited, more than 50 people died across Chhattisgarh in human-elephant conflict in 2016, said an official who did not want to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media. The fatalities marked a rise from 2015 when, according to forest department data, 44 people died in human-animal conflict. Such conflicts are routinely reported from Jashpur, Balrampur, Surguja, Surajpur, Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh and Korba regions. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha have 10% of the elephants in India but, on an average, account for approximately 65% of human casualty due to the human-elephant conflict, according to a Greenpeace report. Forest guards are at the forefront of the governments awareness drives against homemade liquor. They are engaging youth under the Hathi Mitra Dal (friends of elephants) programme and also training them on preventing elephant attacks and good practices, said Manoj Pandey, divisional forest officer (DFO), Jashpur. Hathi Mitra Dals abound in north Chhattisgarh. Senior forest department officers said the human-elephant conflict in the northern parts started in the late 1980s when 18 elephants migrated from neighbouring Jharkhand (then a part of Bihar) and Odisha. These officers estimate the number of elephants in the region has now swelled to more than 300. Bilaspur-based wildlife activist Neetu Gupta blames the human-elephant conflict on decreasing forest cover because of mining and development projects. Incidentally, Sarguja, Raigarh and Korba have nearly 100% of the coal reserves of Chhattisgarh. Wildlife activists claim most mining areas are on routes elephants use. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After Bhojpuri, Marathi and Punjabi film, global star Priyanka Chopra is all set to produce a Sikkimese-Nepalese film titled Paua. She desires to spread the reach of regional cinema across the nation and for that, PeeCee along with her mother Madhu Chopra, are roping in local talent from Nepal and Sikkim. Till now, she has produced a Bhojpuri film named Bam Bam Bol Raha Hai Kashi, a Marathi film Ventilator and Punjabi film titled Sarvann, which is set to release next week. Sarvann also has a special shabad sung by her late father, Dr. Ashok Chopra. During her India visit last week, she shared with a tabloid, I will be announcing five, small-budget, content-driven, path-breaking films in other languages this year. I want to tell as many stories as possible using local talent speaking in regional tongues. As per reports, the film would revolve around two young children, who get separated from their parents at the time of unrest at the Indian border with Nepal. At the moment, Chopra is all set to attend the 74th Golden Globe Awards on January 8 in Los Angeles. She is one of the presenters at the show, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Barrymore, Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman and Mandy Moore. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday an agreement had been reached with Turkey over an Iraqi demand that Turkish forces withdraw from a town near Mosul in the north of the country, Iraqi state TV reported. Abadi met his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in Baghdad. State television did not provide further details about the agreement over the town of Bashiqa, where Turkish forces have been stationed since before a recent offensive against Islamic State in northern Iraq. It said Turkey had pledged to "respect the sovereignty of Iraq" and that Baghdad and Ankara agreed not to interfere in each other's domestic affairs. Iraq and Turkey came to blows in October over the continued presence of Turkish forces in Bashiqa and elsewhere in northern Iraq, with each government summoning the other's ambassador just as the U.S.-backed campaign to drive IS out of Mosul was set to begin. Search Keywords: Short link: It was a special episode on Friday with Salman Khan taking the stage for an early weekend special. After a chaotic episode on Thursday that ended with Om Swamiji being kicked out of the show, Salman made an early entry. Here are the highlights from last nights episode: Salman slams Swamiji Talking about Oms attitude towards Rohan Mehra and Bani Judge, Salman condemned the incident and said it was pathetic that he continued in the show for so long. He also said he does not want to see Swamiji ever again. Salman slams Bani Salman questioned Bani for being irresponsible during the entire Swamiji fiasco and for breaking the basic rules of the house like not wearing a mike. He also said she was very close to becoming the next captain of the house but she lost because she broke the rules. Bani got angry and said her actions were justified. Bani started crying and Salman asked Bani to stay strong and not get bothered by people like Swami Om. Salman is sad over Om Puris death, a friend died in Istanbul attack Contrary to usual tradition on Bigg Boss, Salman Khan told the housemates that Bollywood actor Om Puri died on Friday morning. He also revealed that he lost a friend in the recent Istanbul terror attack. Manu upset with Manveer for going to Bani Later in the day, Manu Punjabi got angry with Manveer Gujjar when he went up to Bani and started convincing her to wear the mike and consoled her after Salman chided her. These are our highlights from Fridays episode, share yours @htshowbiz Heavy rains continued to ssouth on Saturday, bringing the death toll up to 18 and leaving thousands of villages partially submerged, authorities said. The flooding, which was roof-high in some areas, has affected nearly one million people in ten southern provinces since it started a week ago, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. At least 18 people have died and one is missing, it added, with the rains turning roads into rivers, inundating farmland and damaging more than 1,500 schools in the region. The downpour is expected to persist for at least two more days, according to Thailands Meteorological Department, which warned of flash floods. The situation is very bad today and tomorrow. Its still raining heavily, said Junjuda Pornsri, a meterological official. Military bases across the region have been mobilised to help evacuate flood victims, provide temporary shelters and distribute emergency aid, the government said Saturday. In hard-hit Nakhon Si Thammarat province, two army helicopters were deployed to airlift food to families trapped inside their homes in Cha-uat district. Bapha Suthiphanya, a 60-year-old who has spent the past three nights in a makeshift government shelter in the district, said she was forced to evacuate her home after the waters rose above her head. I was so shocked and scared. Ive never seen water like this and I also can not swim, she told AFP. Peak tourist season The monsoon rains are unusually heavy for this time of year in Thailand, which normally sees a three-month stretch of relatively dry and cool weather starting in November. It is high season for tourists who flock to the kingdoms island resorts, powering a crucial sector of the economy. But the deluge has already disrupted beach holidays in several traveller hotspots, including the popular islands of Samui and Phangan. Hundreds of tourists have had their flights delayed, while train and bus services on the mainland have also been suspended. Yet some travellers are refusing to let the storm stop the fun, with photos doing the rounds on social media of tourists coasting through flooded streets on pool floats, sipping drinks. Some tourists are enjoying the flooding, theyre taking pictures and going swimming, said Nongyao Jirundorn, a tourism official on Samui island. Neighbouring Malaysia was also hit by severe flooding earlier this week, with thousands stranded in relief centres in two northeastern states. But by Saturday, the number of evacuees in Kelantan and Terengganu had dropped to about 13,500, from almost 23,000 Wednesday, as weather conditions improved and authorities forecast less rainfall over the weekend. Prime Minister Najib Razak visited Kelantan on Saturday and met with people seeking shelter at a relief centre. Beijing will set up environmental police force to crackdown on erring factories and step up its supervision and enforce accountability in 16 districts to tackle the recurring pollution problem, officials said on Saturday. Open-air barbecues, garbage incineration, biomass burning, dust from roads - these acts of non-compliance with regulations are actually the result of lax supervision and weak law enforcement, said acting mayor Cai Qi at a meeting. Beijing will strengthen environmental protection in 2017 by organising an environmental police force, Qi said. His comments came as officials admitted public anger over the week-long pollution crisis in the city during which officials were criticised for issuing highest alerts to crackdown on the factories. Earlier, the Beijing weather forecast bureau said that snow followed by blasts of cold wind will clean up the air this weekend, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Many parts of Beijing experienced snowfall today morning which is expected to last till night, bringing a bit of relief from the smog that has persisted since the last day of 2016. The city witness slight snow but the smog continued to envelope the city. Cai said citys only coal-fired power plant will be closed after the heating season and coal consumption will be cut by 30 per cent to less than 7 million tonnes in 2017. Another 300,000 high-polluting old vehicles will be phased out in 2017. Cleaner gas and diesel will be put into use starting February 15. Additionally, 500 manufacturing and polluting factories will be closed, while another 2,560 will be upgraded to meet higher pollution treatment standards. The smog has become north Chinas biggest environmental issue in recent years, particularly in winter, when coal-fired heating boilers rev up and the wind weakens, the report said. China has a four-tier colour-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Chinas overseas investment in renewable energy projects jumped last year by 60 percent to a record $32 billion (30 billion euros), marking its leadership in the global market for clean energy, a report said Friday. In 2016, China finalised 11 foreign deals worth more than a billion dollars each, and is expected to pick up the pace this year, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). On Thursday, China announced that it would sink at least $361 billion into renewables by 2020, key to the countrys transition away from polluting coal power. Renewable energy will be the pillar for Chinas energy structure transition, said Li Yangzhe, deputy head of the National Energy Administration, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Overseas investments last year ranged from lithium battery makers in Australia and Chile to an electricity distribution deal in Brazil and the building of a solar cell factory in Vietnam. China now owns five of the six largest solar module manufacturing firms in the world, according to the report. On the domestic front, the worlds second largest economy had already emerged as a renewables powerhouse, outstripping the United States. China poured more than $100 billion in domestic renewable energy -- wind, solar, hydro -- and related sectors in 2015, more than double the US investment, according Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The US is already slipping well behind China in the race to secure a larger share of the booming clean energy market, said IEEFA director Tim Buckley. With the incoming (US) administration talking up coal and gas, prospective domestic policy changes dont bode well, he said in a statement. Hard to compete US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to restore Americas flagging coal industry, and has appointed several fossil fuel executives and lobbyists to key posts in his administration. Chinas emerging dominance of the clean energy sector also extends to jobs. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that China holds 3.5 million of the 8.1 million renewable energy jobs globally, compared to less than 800,000 in the United States. Chinas National Energy Administration said the nations renewables sector would generate at least 13 million jobs by 2020. Ulf Moslener, a professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, agreed that China has emerged as the world leader on renewable energy, with clear advantages over rich-nation competitors such as the United States and Germany. Standard solar modules are no long rocket science, he told AFP. It will be really hard to compete with China on the cost side. The same applies to wind energy. But US and European entrepreneurs should still have an advantage when it comes to high tech, he added, pointing to thin-film solar, and cutting-edge engineering services as examples. In 2016, China boosted its overseas influence by establishing the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is also funnelling billions into the New Development Bank, set up by the BRICS nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. All the banks initial loans were for renewable energy projects. Add in its established overseas investment banks, and China is clearly building the financial capacity to drive global mergers and acquisitions, the IEEFA report concluded. In 2015, China overtook the United States as the largest market for electric vehicles, and today two Chinese firms -- BYD Auto and battery maker CATL -- are challenging US firm Tesla for leadership of the sector. Donald Trump asserted Friday that hacking by foreign powers did not sway the US election, after being briefed on an intelligence report that blamed on Russias Vladimir Putin for a cyber campaign to keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House. After weeks of rejecting the intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, the president-elect accepted the possibility that Moscow was involved in hacking US targets including the Democratic National Committee. In a statement after meeting four top intelligence chiefs, Trump acknowledged that cyber attacks by Russia, China and other countries threaten US institutions, political parties, and businesses. But there was no direct acceptance of the intelligence chiefs conclusion that Moscow staged an unprecedented attempt to influence the 2016 White House race by hacking and leaking documents that, they said in a new report, also aimed to boost Trumps campaign. Read | Putin ordered influence campaign to help Trump beat Clinton: US intel While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election, Trump said in a statement. Trump met the heads of the Directorate of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency in New York Friday on their newly completed report into Moscows alleged interference. - Putin preferred Trump - A shortened, declassified version of the report -- released to the public by the Director of National Intelligence shortly after the meeting -- said Putin personally ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation to undermine the Democrat candidate, Clinton, who had widely been expected to win the November 8 election. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump, they said. The report offered little new evidence on how US intelligence bodies reached their conclusion, and Russia has denied any election meddling. President Barack Obama had already taken retaliatory action on December 29, expelling 35 Russians he said were intelligence operatives, and placing sanctions on a number of other Russian officials and entities. I think that what is true, is that the Russians intended to meddle and they meddled, Obama said in excerpts of an interview set to air Sunday on ABCs This Week. One of the things I am concerned about is the degree to which weve seen a lot of commentary lately where there are Republicans or pundits or cable commentators who seem to have more confidence in Vladimir Putin than fellow Americans because those fellow Americans are Democrats. That cannot be, Obama said. Trumps meeting with intelligence chiefs, which the Republican called constructive, may have smoothed over ruffled feelings between the intelligence bureaucracy and an incoming president who has openly questioned its work. Read | Donald Trump to order anti-hacking plan within 90 days of taking office Just before the meeting, Trump branded the focus on Russia a political witch hunt in an interview with the New York Times. But afterwards Trump said that as soon as he takes office on January 20 he will give a team 90 days to come up with a plan to halt cyber attacks. Whether it is our government, organizations, associations or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyber attacks, he said. - Election legitimacy - The much-anticipated report was likely to further raise the sensitivity over the outcome of an election in which Clinton easily won the popular vote but was beaten by Trump in the electoral college, which decides the winner. We must also be clear that there is no evidence that there was any interference in the voting or balloting process, said House Speaker Paul Ryan in a statement. We cannot allow partisans to exploit this report in an attempt to delegitimize the president-elects victory. Donald Trump won this election fair and square because he heard the voices of Americans who felt forgotten. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong critic of Trumps dismissal of intelligence conclusions on Russia, also argued there was nothing in the report to indicate an impact on the election outcome. I agree with President-elect Trump that Russian cyber attacks did not affect the vote tally and were not responsible for the outcome, Graham said in a statement. However, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff rejected that conclusion. The president-elects statement that the Russian hacking had absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election is not supported by the briefing, report or common sense, he said. President-elect Donald Trump said he had a constructive meeting with members of US intelligence agencies on Friday and plans to appoint a team to give him a plan to combat cyber attacks within 90 days of taking office on Jan. 20. Read | Putin ordered hidden campaign to help Trump, hurt Clinton: US intel report While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines, Trump said in a statement after the briefing from spy chiefs who have accused Russia of hacking to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. Russia denies the allegations. An Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. He was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs, the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it. The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Santiago did not appear intent on hurting anyone. Read | Santiago lost his mind after Iraq tour, had run-ins with law Law enforcement officers are seen as the search for suspects is conducted near the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Reuters) Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. Shortly after the shooting, and before details of Santiagos mental health became public, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that it remained to be seen whether it was terrorism or the work of someone who is mentally deranged. One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop down on the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder, he said. I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead. Read | Gunman in Star Wars T-shirt kills 5 at Florida airport, taken into custody It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We dont know why, said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. Law enforcement personnel shield civilians outside a garage area at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport, on January 6, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo) The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. In 2013, a gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agencys screeners and wounded three others during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. Last November, an airline worker was shot and killed near an employee parking lot at Oklahoma Citys airport, and in 2015 a machete-wielding man was shot to death after he attacked federal security officers at the New Orleans airport. While we have authorized doubling the number of TSA canine teams to try to prevent tragedies like this, the fact is that wherever there are crowds, such as at our airports, we remain vulnerable to these types of attacks, Nelson said. People seek cover on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a gunman opened fire near the baggage claim area on January 6, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AFP) The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding, according to Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him, Lea said. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, and was being questioned by the FBI, Sheriff Scott Israel said. The Broward Sheriffs Office said on social media Friday night that 37 people were injured after the shooting but didnt give details about how. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. At least one of the victims was seen lying in a pool of blood with what appeared to be a head wound. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a disgraceful situation thats happening in our country and throughout the world and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. Passengers take cover as first responders secure the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport. (AFP) Santiagos brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiagos girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he didnt know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. John Schilcher told Fox News he came up to the baggage claim and heard the first gunshot as he picked up his bag off a carousel. The person next to me fell to the ground and then I started hearing other pops. And as this happened, other people started falling and you could hear it and smell it, and people on either side of me were going down and I just dropped to the ground, said Schilcher, who was there with his wife and mother-in-law. The firing just went on and on. I was down on the floor. When we finally looked up there was a policeman standing over me, he said. Thats when I assumed it was safe. The gunman who opened fire at Floridas Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday had a history of mental health issues some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said after the deadly incident. Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasnt feeling too good, his uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper. Twenty six-year-old Esteban Santiago was deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Major Paul Dahlen. Read | Gunman in Star Wars T-shirt kills 5 at Florida airport, taken into custody In recent years, Santiago had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. Bryan Santiago said his brothers girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. In November, Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The FBI agents notified the police after the interview with Esteban, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. Passengers take cover in Terminal 1 at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport in Florida on January 6, 2017. An Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area. (AP) Bryan said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues. We have not talked for the past three weeks, Bryan said. Thats a bit unusual ... Im in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person. Esteban was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Fairbanks. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for unsatisfactory performance, said Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman. His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. She would not elaborate on his discharge, but the Pentagon said hed gone AWOL (absent without leave) several times and was demoted and discharged. Still, hed had some successes during his military career, being awarded a number of medals and commendations including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Read | Florida airport shooting: Gunman identified as discharged US veteran, claimed govt controlled his mind His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago after his arrest at the Fort Lauderdale airport. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them, and reporters swarmed around. Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father and was struggling. It was like he lost his mind, she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. He said he saw things. In Anchorage, police officers told reporters that they were interviewing people at an address for Santiago but wouldnt give details and were keeping journalists away from the home. FBI agents were also seen at the scene by neighbours. An injured woman is loaded into an emergency vehicle at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a gunman opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing at least five people and injuring eight others. (AP) Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage the one containing the gun. He was involved in a number of minor court cases in Alaska, including fines for not having proof of insurance and a criminal mischief case that led to a deferred sentence. His attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client with an AP reporter. Santiago was also charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriends Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, strangled her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. A month later municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Law enforcement officers were at the girlfriends home Friday afternoon, and officers guarding the property outside told a reporter who approached the home to step away Federal investigators will on Saturday pursue all angles in determining the motives behind a mass shooting in which an attacker opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdales airport, killing five people. Authorities said they had taken decorated Iraq war veteran Esteban Santiago into custody following the shooting and questioned him at length. He was expected to face federal charges, said George Piro, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations office in Miami. Read | US Army veteran kills five in Florida airport shooting, taken into custody Piro said FBI investigators had not ruled out terrorism as a reason for the attack and were reviewing the suspects recent movements. We will be pursuing every angle to try to determine the motive behind this attack, he said. Authorities said the attacker retrieved a 9mm semiautomatic handgun from his checked luggage and began firing indiscriminately. In addition to the five killed, eight people were wounded by gunfire and some three dozen were taken to hospital with bruises or broken bones. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway. It resumed cargo flights and general aviation for private small planes at midnight local time. Commercial flights were to resume on Saturday, the airport said on Twitter. Authorities said Santiago, 26, arrived in Fort Lauderdale shortly before 1 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) on Friday on a connecting flight from Alaska. Read | Florida shooting: US veteran lost mind after Iraq tour, had run-ins with law Piro said Santiago had turned up at an FBI office in Anchorage in November of last year behaving erratically and was turned over to local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental health evaluation. Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year. An aunt said he came back from his deployment a different person, MSNBC reported. The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by Islamist militants, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed. Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma Citys airport in what police called a premeditated act. The deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. If you are into waterfalls, green mountains and rich wildlife -- all on the outskirts of an organised, modern city -- then Rwanda's Kigali is your perfect holiday destination As I stepped out of the capitals international airport, my unconscious mind tried to tell me that I was in a cosmopolitan, eye-catching European city, as I found myself surrounded by green mountains integrated with well-designed modern infrastructure. Someone smiles at me and says, murakaza neza! Wait a minute this is not a European language. This phrase, meaning welcome, is in Kinyarwanda, the primary language spoken in Rwandas capital and largest city Kigali. The East African city has been rapidly growing and modernising since the early 1990s, when the country saw one of the continents most horrific genocides, which saw around one million people killed. This gory history had put safety at the top of my concerns before flying to Rwanda. As it turned out, however, it was just history, as Kigali is currently ranked among the safest cities in Africa and its streets are patrolled by heavily armed security forces all day long to protect people and maintain peace. Kigali, which covers 730 square kilometres, is inhabited by more than one million people, 60 percent of whom are youths. The exchange rate for the Rwandan currency stands at an average 820 Francs per US dollar. Kigali Genocide Memorial The Kigali Genocide Memorial is located in Gisozi, a 10-minute drive from the centre of town, and the entrance is free. The memorial is one of the most important sites to visit in Kigali. However, I do not recommend visiting it at the start of your trip, as you will really feel the pain and grief Rwandans suffered during the genocide, which will likely leave an emotional imprint. The memorial is considered the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group, which was committed by members of the Hutu majority in 1994. The Hutu and Tutsi are the major ethnic groups in the country, with the Hutu making up 84 percent of the population, according to the memorial data. The memorial is attached to a 1,200-seat amphitheatre, which marks the 20th commemoration of the genocide and hosts cultural and historical events. Dont forget to take a motorcycle ride! It is an exciting experience to take a seat behind a Rwandan biker as an affordable means of transportation, costing half the price of taxi fares, though taxi drivers are more familiar with the city and the destinations you will likely want to visit. Kigali Convention Centre Inaugurated in July 2016 after a four-year halt in construction and located in the Gasabo district, the convention centre is operated by international hotel chain Radisson Blu. According to leading Rwandan English-language newspaper the New Times, the countrys president attributed the final completion of the facility to the Rwandan spirit of never giving up, explaining that the stakeholders had previously tried to have it completed a number of times, but with no success. The centre, valued at more than $300 million, comprises a ribbon-striped five-star hotel with 292 rooms and a domed conference hall that can host up to 2,500 people. Life in Kigali The best time to book your flight to Kigali is between June and mid-September; the period called the long dry season. Rwanda's long rainy season lasts from March to May, when rains are heavy and persistent. During working days, you may not find a single person in any of Kigalis nightclubs, except for some local pubs that start to get jammed by midnight. However, on weekends, clubs, bars and restaurants become very crowded and active until the early hours of the morning. Mutzig, Skol and Primus are among Rwanda s most popular local brews, with prices ranging between RWF 750 and RWF 1,500 per bottle. Rwandans are very obedient to the law and custom, where you will rarely see people smoking in public, as it is considered shameful. They are also very friendly, and do not want to repeat the countrys bloody history, which is why ethnic discussions are widely avoided across the nation. Shopping If you are searching for traditional gifts, your destination will be Capalaki, where you can find Kigalis largest souvenir market, with items spread across dozens of individual stalls. Prices in Caplaki are high, though you can bargain down to a more reasonable price. Alternatively, you can head to the Market 2000 in the city centre, where you can find many street vendors and shops that offer more reasonable prices. For the popular Rwandan tea, coffee and Macadamia nuts, as well as regular groceries, there are Nakumatt and Simba, two of the biggest supermarkets in Kigalis Nyarugenge district. Pineapple, banana and passion fruit are the most popular fruits in the capital, and you can easily buy them at cheap prices. Rusumo Falls If you are a fan of jungle adventures, you can travel about 100 kilometres from Kigali to reach Rusumo Falls, located in the Kiehere area in Rwandas Eastern Province. Rusumo Falls is a waterfall surrounded by green parks and wild animals. It is situated on the Kagera River on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania, and is part of the most distant headwaters of the River Nile. The falls are approximately 15 metres high and 40 metres wide. However, around 85 percent of the falls are expected to be lost during the construction of the planned Rusumo Dam, which aims to generate roughly 80 megawatts of electricity to help Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Construction on the dam is expected to start in mid 2017, so you only have a few months to take a selfie by the spectacular waterfall. Search Keywords: Short link: Washington Esteban Santiago did not utter a word as he pulled out his handgun and opened fire on people around him, nor did he show any emotions, according to witnesses, and when the weapon was empty, he cast it aside and dropped to the ground. The 26-year-old US army veteran, who was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was two, was dealing with mental health issues and had been under treatment but nothing in his behaviour had pointed to the Friday shooting. We dont know what happened with this guy, Nelson Cruz, a Puerto Rican politician told The New York Times. He was an intelligent, brilliant young man who came back affected. When he came back from the conflict, he did not return well. Santiago had joined Puerto Ricos National Guard, a reserve component of US armed forces maintained separately by each state, in 2007 and deployed to Iraq in 2010 as part of an engineer battalion, which swept and cleared roads for explosives. Two men from his team were killed in insurgent attacks but there were no reports Santiago was in combat. He had joined the Army Reserves, a federal force of reservists who get the same training as active-duty personnel but dont deploy. Santiago joined the Alaskan Army National Guard in 2014 and left 2016 as combat engineer. Along the way he picked up a Meritorious Unit Commendation for his Iraq tour and a Good Conduct Medal. He got a general discharge for for unsatisfactory performance, Tampa Bay Times reported. His brother, Brian Santiago, has said Esteban was receiving treatment for psychological problems in Alaska, but he wasnt sure what for. The shooter once told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind, and forced him to watch Islamic State videos. Santiagos family has said he had seemed troubled after his return from Iraq, but appeared happy recently after the birth of a child. Washington A US army veteran who was receiving treatment for psychological problems opened fire on fellow air travellers at Floridas Fort Lauderdale international airport on Friday, killing five people and wounding eight others. The gunman, who was identified by authorities as Esteban Santiago, 26, then threw away his empty weapon and was taken into custody while he lay down on ground spread-eagled, according to news reports citing witnesses. As of Saturday morning, authorities have not said if Santiago was linked to a terrorist group or inspired by one, as has been the case in recent shootings such as the carnage at a nightclub in Orlando, also in Florida, and San Bernardino in California. President-elect Donald Trump, who called for banning Muslims from entering the US after San Bernardino, said in a tweet on Friday, Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe! If not linked to terrorism, the shooting will bring back the focus once again to Americas lax gun laws that allow people, including those with mental health problems, easy access to deadly weapons, even military style assault rifles. Some of the worst mass murders in recent memory were carried out by people with mental health problems such as Adam Lanza, who killed 20 school children between ages 6 and 7 in 2012, and Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter from 2011. Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska, where he lived, in November saying the government controlled his mind and forced him to watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned him and handed him over to the police who took him for psychological evaluation. The case was closed after the routine procedural investigations, database checks and interviews with relatives. Santiago, who had served in the Alaska National Guard, boarded a flight from Anchorage to Minneapolis and on to the Fort Lauderdale. He had checked in his weapon, a semi-automatic handgun, which he retrieved from the baggage claim area. He pulled it out of a bag, which was the only item he had checked in, and without saying a word, according to witnesses cited by local media, opened fire on people around him, and kept shooting till the weapon was empty. Checking in firearms while flying is a routine procedure hunters, for instance, do it all the time. The weapon must be unloaded, packed in a special hard-sided container locked by the passenger and handed over at the check-in counter. I'm at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running, Ari Fleischer, former President George W Bushs press secretary, wrote in a tweet soon after Santiago opened up with his handgun. Witnesses described complete chaos as people ran for shelter. People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs, Mark Lea, a witness, told MSNBC. He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it. A French background check of passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which mysteriously disappeared in 2014, has found no cause for suspicion, concurring sources told AFP on Friday. France has opened its own investigation into the disappearance because four French nationals were among the 227 passengers and 12 crew aboard the flight. The investigators and three examining magistrates met with relatives of the four on Thursday to brief them on the progress. The relatives were told that background checks on passengers and crew by Frances domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, turned up negative, according to sources close to the inquiry. Ghyslain Wattrelos, whose wife and two of his children were onboard, confirmed this account. They told us that the search didnt turn up anything, he told AFP. Questions about passenger and crew background emerged when the Malaysian authorities said two Iranian passengers on the flight had been travelling on stolen passports. But Interpol said they were most probably migrants trying to reach Europe. (AFP Graphic) At Thursdays meeting, a French specialist also provided the final version of an interim report that had been drawn up in September, but it didnt say anything that was much new, Wattrelos lawyer, Marie Dose, said. She praised the examining magistrates for their remarkable work. MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It is believed that the Boeing 777 crashed into the Indian Ocean, but an extensive deep-sea hunt off Australias west coast has failed to find a single piece of debris. On Friday, Malaysias transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, said the hunt would end in two weeks. Liow did not specify a date but said a tripartite meeting will be held after a final report is released when the 120,000-square-kilometre (46,000-square- mile) search ends. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which has been leading the search mission, said in a report last month that the jet is almost certainly not in the current search zone and may be further north. Mexican police are searching for gunman who opened fire on an official of the US consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. The Attorney Generals Office said Saturday the official was wounded by a gunshot Friday in Guadalajara. Surveillance video of the attack shows the gunman following the official in a parking garage. The official, whose name was not released, was dressed in shorts. The attacker doesnt appear to try to approach the official. Instead, the gunman waits for him to exit the parking garage and fires a round into the cars windshield. The consulate said on its Facebook page that the FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker. Gunmen killed nine Shia Hazara miners in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan on Friday, officials said, in the latest attack against ethnic minorities. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings in the remote district of Tala Wa Barfak, but the government blamed Islamic State jihadists who are making steady inroads into Afghanistan. Nine coalminers were killed by unknown gunmen in Tala wa Barfak. They were heading home when their vehicle were stopped by gunmen, district governor Faiz Mohammad Amiri told AFP. The governor of central Bamiyan province, apparently where the coalminers were from, confirmed the incident. The rise of the Islamic State group has raised the spectre of sectarian discord in Afghanistan, something that the Sunni-majority country has largely been spared despite decades of war. Until a few months ago IS was largely confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar bordering Pakistan, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings despite a US-backed offensive against the group. But the government this week said the group was steadily expanding into other provinces. Around 2,000 Shia Muslims in western Afghanistan staged a protest on Tuesday against growing sectarian attacks by the group and demanded protection from the government. Last year Afghanistan witnessed a wave of attacks on Shia claimed by IS, which considers Shia Muslims apostates. At least 14 Shia were killed in October in a powerful blast at a mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, hours after gunmen targeted Shia worshippers in a shrine in Kabul and killed 18 people. A massive ice block nearly 100 times the area of Manhattan is poised to break off Antarcticas Larsen C ice shelf, scientists reported on Friday. A slow-progressing rift suddenly grew by 18 kilometres at the end of December, leaving the finger-shaped chunk -- 350 metres thick -- connected along only a small fraction of its length. The rift has also widened, from less than 160 feet in 2011, to nearly 500 metres today. If it doesnt go in the next few months, Ill be amazed, said Adrian Luckman, a professor at Swansea University in Wales, and leader of Britains Project Midas, which tracks changes in West Antarctic ice formations. By itself, the soon-to-be iceberg will not add to sea levels, the likely consequence of ice sheet disintegration that most worries scientists. The real danger is from inland glaciers, held in place by the floating, cliff-like ice shelves that straddle land and sea. The fragile West Antarctic ice sheet -- where Larsen C is located -- holds enough frozen water to raise global oceans by at least four metres (13 feet). Recent studies have suggested that climate change may already have condemned large chunks of it to disintegration, though whether on a time scale of centuries or millennia is not known. The breaking off, or calving, of ice shelves is a natural process, but global warming is thought to have accelerated the process. Warming ocean water erodes their underbelly, while rising air temperatures weaken them from above. The nearby Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995, and Larsen B dramatically broke up seven years later. A combination of aerial photographs taken in February and March 2002 of parts of the Larsen B shelf in the Antarctic show different aspects of the final stages of the collapse. (Clockwise from top L) The pictures show the shelf breaking up near Foca Nunatak, a rift in the ice sheet near Cape Desengano, a cascade of water from melting ice nearly 30 meters high along the front of the shelf, and the new front edge of the shelf breaking up near Cape Foyn. (Reuters File ) The ice block currently separating from Larsen C contains about 10 percent of its mass, and would be among the 10 largest break-offs ever recorded, Luckman said. If all the ice held back by Larsen C entered the sea, it would lift global oceans by about 10 centimetres (four inches). We are convinced -- although others are not -- that the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one, Luckman said in a statement. Oceans in recent decades have absorbed much of the excess heat generated by climate change, which has lifted average global air temperatures by one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The worlds nations have undertaken in the Paris Agreement, inked in the French capital in December 2015, to cap global warming at well under two degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial era levels. Eminent Indian-Americans from across America are gearing to celebrate inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the US with a presidential ball along with other Asian American community on January 19. The only presidential inaugural ball of its kind, among others, would also felicitate Indian-Americans who have been nominated by Trump to key positions in his administration. Prominent among them being South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has been nominated to the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations, which is a Cabinet level post. Asian Pacific American Presidential Inaugural Gala 2017 being organised by Trump-Pence Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee (APAAC) and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans has several top Indian-Americans on its leadership team, including Puneet Ahuwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California, Shalabh Kumar from Illinois, and Harry Walia from Florida. The Asian Pacific American Gala is defining statement of our nations diverse strength and huge intellectual capital amongst the Asian American Communities. Indian-Americans should be leading the Presidential inaugural celebration as we have the most to benefit with strong US-India relations, Puneet Ahluwalia, Finance Chairman of the gala, told PTI. We are leading in numerous fields and it is time we lead in mainstream political activities, he said. The presidential inaugural gala will be held in the historic ball room of Mayflower hotel on the eve of Trumps swearing in on January 20. The Asian American Gala as part of President Trumps Inaugural symbolises the success achieved by Indian and Asian Americans, said Vivek Lall, who has been a leading US corporate figure working with many governments globally. Under the Trump Presidency we can foresee a stronger America with enhanced substantial partnerships in trade and active diplomacy across the globe, he said, asserting that US-India cooperation will further deepen on multiple fronts during the incoming administration. In a statement, APAAC and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans said the inaugural ball will include celebration with prominent dignitaries and presidential appointees. 70-year-old Trump, Vice president-elect Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Marco Rubio, incoming White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus have been invited to the event. The event among other things would include performances from Asian Pacific American communities proudly sharing their rich cultures, a media release said. This will be an excellent event that features our national Asian Pacific American leaders who have worked so hard to elect and represent Trump, said Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam and APAAC co-chair said. Israel announced on Friday it is cutting approximately $6 million in its annual dues to the United Nations this year to protest last months Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as a flagrant violation under international law. Israels UN Mission said the amount represents the portion of Israels contribution to the UNs regular budget totaling more than $40 million allocated to anti-Israel bodies. It named the UN agency for Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA, The Division for Palestinian Rights, the committee investigating Israeli practices affecting Palestinian human rights, and information programs on the Question of Palestine. It is unreasonable for Israel to fund bodies that operate against us at the UN, Israels UN ambassador Danny Danon said. The UN must end the absurd reality in which it supports bodies whose sole intent is to spread incitement and anti-Israel propaganda. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, asked to comment, said: We have not been informed. Israels UN Mission said the cut in funding is the first in a series of steps under consideration by the foreign ministry and the mission in reaction to the recent Security Council resolution. The Obama administrations decision to abstain and allow the UN Security Council to approve a long-sought resolution condemning Israeli settlements as an obstacle to a two-state solution was a sharp rebuke to a longstanding ally and a striking rupture with past US vetoes. Israels UN Mission said it will move forward on additional initiatives aimed at encouraging structural change within the UN with the ultimate goal of ending anti-Israel activities after Donald Trump becomes president of the United States on January 20. The president-elect has criticised President Barack Obamas green light for the Security Council condemnation. On Thursday, the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan resolution rebuking the United Nations for criticizing Israeli settlements and declaring unwavering support for Israel. The non-binding resolution insists that the United States reject any future UN actions that are similarly one-sided and anti-Israel. A Pakistani law allowing secret military courts to try civilians on terror charges expired Saturday, after the controversial tribunals hanged 12 people and ordered the executions of 149 more amid sharp criticism from rights groups. The government has not said whether it plans to extend use of the courts, created by constitutional amendment after the countrys deadliest ever extremist attack in 2014. The assault on a school in northwestern Peshawar, in which gunmen killed more than 150 people -- mostly children -- traumatised a country already grimly accustomed to atrocities. The army intensified an operation against militants in the tribal areas and the government launched a National Action Plan, including the creation of the courts, against extremism. The courts were seen as an exceptional short-term measure put in place to allow the government time to reform the criminal justice system. But rights activists called for greater transparency, saying the courts failed to meet even the murky standards of military tribunals around the world. In a statement issued to the media Friday, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said justice reform had not been carried out, and called for fair, credible trials. The lapse of the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians is a step in the right direction, but unsurprisingly, there is no sign of the promised reforms to strengthen the ordinary criminal justice system to effectively handle terrorism-related cases, said Sam Zarifi, ICJs Asia Director. The Pakistani Government must not re-enact legislation to continue secret military trials of civilians, nor resort to more short-term, short-sighted security measures that are contrary to human rights protections, Zarifi added. Analyst Imtiaz Gul said heavy criticism meant Pakistan was unlikely to extend the courts, saying the controversy had been an embarrassment to the country. Quoting military sources, the ICJ said 274 people have been convicted by military courts since January 2015, of which 161 have been sentenced to death. Twelve of those have already been hanged. The rights group said the details of only seven cases where people were given life imprisonment have been made public. The names, charges, and duration of prison terms for the remaining 106 people have not been disclosed, ICJ said. There is much to please Neil Pasricha. The 36-year-old Toronto residents latest non-fiction offering, The Happiness Equation, has figured near the top of every bestseller list in Canada. Thats not quite alien territory for him since his Book Of Awesome topped The New York Times list and was a global success in 2010. He has been described as the Pied Piper of Happiness. He gives paid pep talks at major corporations. But he still lists as his ambition: figuring out how to be happy. 2016 may have left many low, but Pasricha hit the highs: His book was published, and he also soft-launched the Institute for Global Happiness. Pasricha, who has an MBA from Harvard Business School, also quit his job as a Walmart Canada executive and is now entirely focused on finding happiness. Neil Pasricha autographing a copy of his book. (HT PHOTO) As Susan Cain, author of Quiet, blurbs on his book: Dale Carnegie was last century, Stephen Covey was last decade. Neil Pasricha is whats now. The new Guru of Glad pointed out during an interview that if you were to type in How To Be in a Google search, the first result would be Happy. We want it more than anything else, but we dont know where to find it, he said. So, now hes the director of an institute that wants to facilitate that quest. And the starting point is the place where happiness is most lacking the workplace. The goal of the Institute is to increase happiness in organisations, Pasricha says. Thats through making available resources online, such as workshops, videos, and even recordings of his speeches. During 2016, he made as many as 52, speaking to major global companies like Google, Microsoft and Accenture. His idea is to be in the middle. There is plenty of academic research on the subject, the United Nations releases dense reports on it, there are the Oprah Winfreys and Ellen de Genereses, there are over 100,000 books available on Amazon. Im not trying to outdo the scientists, Im not trying to outdo the researchers, Im not trying to outdo the positive psychologists. I may distil their work, I may try to paraphrase some of it, I may try to bring some of it together, but I try to make it more accessible. I hope we can bridge the divide between the academic and cat videos, he said. As for the choice of the workplace, he cited research from Harvards Matthew Killingsworth, who launched an app called Track Your Happiness. Aggregate data from 150,000 people showed the place were spending most of our time is also the place were the least happy which is work. Which is really depressing globally. Meanwhile, Pasricha has also taken ownership of the domain howtobehappy.com, which hasnt been populated with content yet. 2017 will mark his first full year of trying to answer that eternal question. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in the 2016 US election to undermine faith in the democratic process, harm Hillary Clintons electability and improve Donald Trumps electoral chances, the US intelligence has said. A declassified summary of the American intelligence communitys assessment of Russian meddling in the polls ---released on Friday --- also said the Russian government had developed a clear preference for Trump. Contents of the report were shared with Trump at a briefing by intelligence community leaders after which the President-elect acknowledged the possibility of the hacking of the computer networks of the Democratic National Committee. But in a statement after the briefing, Trump said: There was absolutely no effect (of the hackings) on the outcome of the election, including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. Later, he tweeted: Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place.The Republican National Committee had strong defense! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017 Read: Russian officials celebrated Trump win, says report The report didnt say that either, but, in the assessment of the intelligence community, Putin and the Russian government had aspired to help President-elect Trumps election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavourably to him. Russian meddling in US elections is not new, the report said, citing 2012 and 2008 polls as recent examples, but it was the most egregious yetdemonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations. And it was ordered directly by President Putin, the report said. We assess that influence campaigns are approved at the highest levels of the Russian governmentparticularly those that would be politically sensitive. The goal was to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. They then developed a clear preference for Trump, and when it appeared to Moscow that Clinton could win, the the Russian influence campaign then focused on undermining her expected presidency, the report said. Though a clear timeline didnt emerge in the report for the influence campaign, its first traceable manifestation was Russian intelligence gaining access to the Democratic partys computers in July 2015. They stayed there till June 2016. The US has blamed Russian intelligence agencies General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (better known the world over as just GRU) and the Federal Security Service (also known as FSB, successor to KGB) and sanctioned their leaders. The report said GRU began cyber operations aimed at the presidential elections in March 2016, by hacking personal email accounts of Democratic party leaders, most damaging of which was that of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta. Read: Donald Trump to order anti-hacking plan within 90 days of taking office By May, the report said, GRU operatives had shovelled out vast amounts of dataUS intelligence called it victim datathat they put out in public through Guccifer 2.0 persona, DCLeaks.com, and WikiLeaks. The report said some of this stolen stuff started appearing on DCLeaks.com from June. And later on WikiLeaks, which, it added, may have been chosen because of its self- proclaimed reputation for authenticity. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has denied, as recently as earlier this week in an interview to an American news channel that Russia was the source of the hacked emails his website had released in tranches in the final days of the campaign. The intelligence report also considered in exhaustive details the role of a Russian government-backed television news channel RT (formerly Russia Today), whose American network parlayed some of the most damaging conspiracy theories about Clinton. It ran baseless reports about Clintons health, the Clinton Foundations charity work, links to Islamic extremists stoking, that tapped into, and stoked, every right-wing falsehood that Trump himself endorsed, or insinuated. The report named officials close to Putin who portrayed Trump as an outsider victimised by a corrupt political establishment and faulty democratic election process that aimed to prevent his election because of his desire to work with Moscow. The influence campaign, the report said, followed a multifaceted approach that blends covert intelligence operationssuch as cyber activitywith overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or trolls. President Barack Obama has come under criticism for not responding aggressively to this even after becoming aware of it. He has said he told Putin to cut it out it at a summit in September, but Russians had had already achieved much of what they had set out to by then already. Read: US intel report ties Putin to hidden campaign in favour of Trump A massive tanker truck bomb ripped through a market by a courthouse in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on Saturday, killing 48 people and wounding dozens near the Turkish border. The attack appeared to be the deadliest yet in the town in northern Aleppo province, which has been regularly hit by bombings targeting rebels and civilians. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least fourteen rebels were among the dead, but most of those killed were civilians, including five religious judges belonging to various rebel factions. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said identification of the dead was being hampered by the fact that some bodies were completely burned in the blast. Video from the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal, which bulldozers were working to clear. Raging fires were burning in several vehicles, and the fire brigade was battling to put them out with a giant water tanker and hoses. Azaz has been repeatedly struck by bomb attacks, including in November when rebels said 25 people -- civilians and opposition fighters -- were killed in a car bombing of a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. IS suspected There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturdays attack, but Osama al-Merhi, a lawyer at the scene of the blast, pointed the finger at IS. These kinds of crimes are only committed by the terrorist group Daesh, he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. They are the ones who target civilians and the cadres who are building this country, he told AFP. The blast comes during a fragile nationwide ceasefire brokered by government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The truce came into effect on December 30, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakh capital Astana, which regime ally Iran is also helping organise. But the ceasefire and the planned talks have been threatened by ongoing violence in the rebel-held Wadi Barada region outside Damascus, which is the main water source for the capital. Overnight, the Observatory said seven Syrian soldiers and two civilians were killed in clashes. Fighting in the region has continued despite the truce, which does not apply to IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, known previously as Al-Nusra Front. The government says Fateh al-Sham is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Rebels deny the jihadist group is in the region and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday formally announced former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as his pick for US director of national intelligence. A mild-mannered former ambassador to Germany who also served on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Coats was widely expected to be selected for the job coordinating 16 intelligence and security agencies -- a position Trump may slim down. Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community, Trump said in a statement. If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm. The announcement comes a day after the Republican president-elect met the countrys leading intelligence agency chiefs -- including the current director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and CIA chief John Brennan -- who told him that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a vast cyberattack against mainly Democratic organizations aimed at helping install Trump in the White House. Trump largely dismissed the findings after telling the New York Times before the meeting that the accusations are part of a political witch-hunt against him. The selection of Coats, 73, may go some way toward reassuring those critical of Trumps praise for Putin and stated desire to improve relations with Russia. Coats -- who served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1989 to 1999, and then from 2011 to the end of his term on Tuesday -- was one of six US legislators and three White House aides blacklisted by Moscow in 2014 in reprisal for US sanctions placed on the country for its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. The former senator, who had advocated tough sanctions against Moscow, has called the ban an honor. He was US ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005 under the George W. Bush administration, and served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as economy-related committees during the past six years. His nomination will have to pass Senate confirmation. Created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the DNI oversees coordination between disparate agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and others, acting as the presidents principal adviser on their work. US media reported earlier this week that Trumps transition team is working on a plan to scale down the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. However, the incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has called the reports false. A conservative media personality tapped by the incoming Donald Trump administration for a top communications role was accused Saturday of plagiarizing sections of her 2012 book, CNN reported. The president-elect has nominated Monica Crowley, a talk-radio host and Fox News commentator, to a senior communications job with the National Security Council. After reviewing her book What The (Bleep) Just Happened, CNN reported finding some 50 sections copied -- some with minor changes -- from news articles, websites, think-tank reports and Wikipedia. A section on Keynesian economics, for example, came almost directly from a 2009 article published on investopedia.com. The Trump team defended Crowley in a statement, saying her exceptional insight and thoughtful work on how to turn this country around is exactly why she will be serving in the administration. Any attempt to discredit Monica is nothing more than a politically motivated attack that seeks to distract from the real issues facing the country, CNN quoted the statement as saying, without confirming or denying the accusations of plagiarism. Read| Trump formally announces Dan Coats for intelligence director Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence Americas presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, US intelligence agencies declared Friday in the governments first formal allegation supporting sensational claims that Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted. The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more-detailed classified account given earlier to Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld the governments evidence to back up its assertions. Trump, in a brief interview with The Associated Press, said he learned a lot from his discussions with intelligence officials, but declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had meddled in the election on his behalf. It was a really great meeting, I really like those people a lot, said Trump, who has challenged the intelligence community since winning the election. I learned a lot and I think they did also. The "Intelligence" briefing on so-called "Russian hacking" was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2017 Trump would not detail what evidence he was presented with, saying only that he learned a lot of confidential things. Because Trump is not yet president, he is legally constrained from revealing classified information. In an earlier written statement, Trump said it was clear Russian email hacking did not deliver him the presidency. The unclassified version of the intelligence report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the US political process, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid trolls to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines. President Barack Obama requested the report last month and wanted it completed before inauguration day. Read | US obtained evidence after election that Russia leaked emails, say officials The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Putin to the hackings, called it the boldest effort yet to influence a US election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks something the websites founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied. The intelligence agencies also said Russia will continue to try to influence future events in the US and worldwide, particularly among US allies. Since Election Day, the intelligence agencies said, Russia has launched a spear-fishing campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting US government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy. The report lacked details about how the US learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret, since revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign. It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency, it said. We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. Read | Donald Trump doubtful as US spy chiefs to testify on Russian hacking Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. It said the Russian effort was the boldest yet intended to affect a US election. The report was released shortly after intelligence officials finished briefing Trump a move probably intended to bolster the intelligence findings against pushback from the president-elect. Trump could use the lack of supporting details in the public version to fuel his dismissiveness of the findings, even though he has now been briefed on the classified portion. Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies claims of Russias involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information Friday. Just hours before he was briefed, Trump dismissed the assessment and told The New York Times the focus on Russias involvement is a political witch hunt by adversaries who are embarrassed they lost the election. They got beaten very badly in the election, Trump said. They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, its a witch hunt. They just focus on this. After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election. The top US intelligence official, James Clapper, told Congress on Thursday that intelligence agencies had no way of gauging what influence this meddling had in the outcome of the election. It was unclear Friday what evidence Trump had to support his claims. As Trump met in New York with intelligence officials for his briefing about Russias campaign, Congress tallied the Electoral College votes, officially confirming Trumps November victory. Trump acknowledged in his statement that Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to hack US networks, including the Democratic National Committees. He said, as did the intelligence report, that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a plan to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks. Before the intelligence agencies completed their assessment, Obama announced sanctions against Russia late last year. Trump has not said whether he will undo them once he takes office. President Barack Obama on Saturday spoke about the importance of ordinary people working together for change in a preview of the farewell address he will deliver in Chicago next week. Many departing US presidents have given farewell addresses as they leave office, a tradition dating to the first US president, George Washington, in 1796. The running thread through my career has been the notion that when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together in collective effort, things change for the better, Obama said in his weekly radio address. Thats the belief at the heart of this precious American experiment in self-government. Its what gives work and purpose to each new generation. Obama urged listeners to remember that America is a story told over a longer time horizon, in fits and starts, punctuated at times by hardship, but ultimately written by generations of citizens whove somehow worked together, without fanfare, to form a more perfect union. He then highlighted some of the accomplishments during his presidency, which include sweeping improvements to health care coverage, bringing home troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, and bringing the world together around a climate agreement. Nevertheless our work is and will always be unfinished. Thats the imperative of citizenship - the idea that with hard work, people who love their country can change it. The Hawaii-born Obama said he chose to deliver Tuesdays farewell address in Chicago not only because its my hometown - where I met my wife and we started a family - but also because its really where my career in public service began. The White House said it was the first time a president returns to his hometown to deliver such a speech. Democrat Obama hands the presidency over to Republican Donald Trump in Washington on January 20. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Fewer top-tier Houston commercial real estate properties changed hands in 2016 as investors shied away from the energy capital and owners were in no rush to sell at discount prices. Sales of Houston-area properties such as apartments, offices, industrial buildings, shopping centers and hotels totaled $7.9 billion through November, according to Real Capital Analytics, a real estate research firm. By comparison, such sales totaled $13.4 billion in 2015. The sales volume through November was anywhere from 30 percent to 38 percent lower than the comparable 11-month periods from 2013 to 2015. The drop is still less than half of the 60 percent decline in local commercial real estate investments seen in both 2008 and 2009 after reaching $14.3 billion in 2007. Overbuilding in the office and apartment sectors has translated into high levels of vacancy and, in many cases, offers of free rent to get tenants. That makes those types of buildings less profitable to operate, so buyers want a deal to make the numbers work. "The only buyers that are really out there are opportunistic buyers, and they want a deal. They want a steal," said Rudy Hubbard, a managing director at JLL who brokers office buildings. More Information Sales tally The value of commercial real estate investments in the Houston area for properties valued at $2.5 million or more, in billions: Through November (full year) 2013: $12.8 billion ($14.7 billion) 2014: $11 billion ($12.6 billion) 2015: $12.1 billion ($13.4 billion) 2016: $7.9 billion (N/A) Source: Real Capital Analytics Big deals Some of the largest Houston-area commercial real estate deals of 2016: January: Southstar Capital Group buys Radius at Shadow Creek Ranch apartments at 2400 Business Center Drive from McCann Realty Partners for $56.7 million. February: Ecclestone Organization buys Sheraton North Houston at 15700 John F. Kennedy Blvd. from Driftwood Hospitality/Apollo Global RE for $58.5 million. May: Blackstone buys the Riverpark Shopping Center in Sugar Land for $67.9 million as part of a 51-property portfolio from RioCan REIT. June: JPMorgan buys stake in River Oaks District from OliverMcMillan, Baupost Group for $550 million. August: New Market Properties buys Champions Village shopping center from Hines REIT as part of eight-property, $158 million portfolio in multiple states. September: Kimco buys stake in Cypress Towne Center at 25833 U.S. 290 from GE Pension Trust for $81.9 million. November: KBS Growth & Income REIT of Newport Beach, Calif. buys the Office at Greenhouse, developed by Stream Realty Partners in a venture with Wile Interests and J.P. Morgan Asset Management in 2014, for $47 million. Source: Real Capital Analytics See More Collapse "And there are no steals out there." Sales of office buildings in 2016 totaled only 10 to 12 percent of the more than $2 billion worth of buildings that changed hands across the Houston region in 2015, according to Hubbard. Most of the owners are well-capitalized and not overly leveraged, typically with 60 or 65 percent debt, Hubbard said. Their properties are generating enough rent to pay the note, so they're holding onto them until conditions improve. On the apartment side, the focus has shifted away from the newest and nicest so-called Class A properties traditionally sought by institutional investors. "Our group's sales are going to look very similar to last year's totals," said Todd Marix, senior managing director of HFF who deals in multifamily properties. "It's less A, and more B and C for us." Hines, a global real estate firm based in Houston, pulled its flagship WaterWall Place apartments near the Galleria off the market after failing to draw a high enough offer, Marix said. The 322-unit, seven-story complex, which launched the developer's entry into the multifamily market four years ago, had been singled out from a multibillion-dollar package of properties being liquidated in the Hines Global REIT. "This is not the kind of building that you want to give away in a thin market," said Marix, who was marketing the building. One of the top multifamily sales of the year, Marix said, was Mid-America Apartment Communities' purchase of Alexan Heights, a 352-unit complex at 655 Yale, from Trammell Crow Residential and the Carlyle Group. Many developers, which might otherwise sell the project once it is completed and 90 percent or more leased, are keeping them. Two months free rent is common in new communities. "It really limits the value the buyer would have been able to pay, had that free rent not been there," Marix said. "These guys know these buildings are worth more if there's less free rent in the market." Marix speculated it will be a year or two for Class A apartment sales to pick up. The biggest deal of 2016 was JPMorgan Asset Management's $550 million purchase of a stake in the River Oaks District mixed-use project from developer OliverMcMillan and Baupost Group, according to Real Capital Analytics. Other standouts were Brookfield Property Partners' purchase of the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Downtown, Texas Children's Hospital's purchase of the O'Quinn Medical Tower and the Baylor Clinic building in the Texas Medical Center, and Blackstone's purchase of the Riverpark Shopping Center in Sugar Land from RioCan REIT. The retail sector outshined others as consumers continued to spend and developers added shopping centers at a rapid pace. "There is still significant demand for retail space and, despite the overall downturn in the economy, purchasing power is still up in Houston," said Mark Sikes, a principal at Deal Sikes & Associates, a real estate valuation firm. Shopping center values are generally up slightly over the previous year, Sikes said. Among the larger retail sales, Hines sold the Champions Village shopping center as part of an eight-property portfolio spanning several states to New Market Properties. The investment slowdown comes on the heels of some record-setting deals in 2015, many to foreign investors, who seek the safest places to invest. Those 2015 deals included: 22-story BBVA Compass Plaza at 2200 Post Oak Blvd. to a Spain-based private investor; the 36-story 1000 Main building downtown to German realty fund Union Investment; and Broadstone Post Oak apartments to Chinese real estate conglomerate CSCEC. In the office sector, Hubbard of JLL is seeing more optimism among investors as oil has passed the $50 mark. "When it gets to $60 and stays there six to eight months, you'll see a dramatic increase in investor activity in Houston," he said. Sales could be spurred when it comes time to refinance buildings with significant vacant space or sublease space. "When their loans come due, they're going to have difficulty refinancing," Hubbard said. "The buildings are either going to sell or go back to the lender." "In December, job losses were large and widespread across most major industry sectors." In the first days of January 2009, that seemingly calm statement was the straitlaced Bureau of Labor Statistics' way of saying that the wheels were coming off the American economy. As then-president-elect Barack Obama prepared to take office, 632,000 more people had filed for unemployment in the previous month, bringing the total increase since the beginning of the recession a year earlier to 3.6 million. The unemployment rate had risen to 7.2 percent; ten months later it would peak at 10 percent. In just the month he took office, January 2009, employers would slash nearly 800,000 jobs. Fast forward eight years. The last employment report of Obama's term delivered an increase of 156,000 jobs, putting the average for the year at 180,000 per month down from 225,000 per month in 2015, but still capping 75 straight months of job growth, the longest streak on record. The unemployment rate is at 4.7 percent. The economy is growing steadily, if at a slower rate than decades past. Stock markets are up 180 percent and corporate profits have risen 112 percent, as the New York Times highlighted. Real median personal income has risen 4.7 percent since 2009, and is almost back to where it was in 2007. Perhaps it's good fortune to inherit an economy with nowhere to go but up. Now, that isn't to say Obama made all the right choices, or that everything in America is better than when he took control. The share of income going to the top 1 percent of earners has risen. The labor force participation rate of prime-age workers rebounded in 2016, but still hasn't reached the level it was at when Obama's term began. The wage gap between white workers and black workers is nearly as large as it's ever been. Major banks still fail the tests that are supposed to determine whether they could go bankrupt without taking the financial system down with them. But still, that leaves Donald Trump with a very different task at the outset of his term than Obama had: Nurturing an economy that's fundamentally healthy, rather than resuscitating one that had been rolled in on life support. Rather than broad stimulus plans to create jobs as quickly as possible, Trump's economy might benefit from more targeted interventions to help particular communities that are still suffering. It would benefit from an intense focus on emerging threats to economic stability, whether they come from at home (like channels of capital that have grown up around regulations) or abroad (like populist movements pulling the Eurozone apart). Instead, Trump seems more focused on TV ratings and denying the intelligence community's consensus that Russia took his side in the election, or claiming victory each time a manufacturer keeps a few hundred jobs in the United States. Meanwhile, he's assembled an economic team filled with a mix of protectionists and corporate raiders from the very Wall Street banks he railed against only a few months ago. The report card starts now. One of the most lauded burgers in America (hailing from Brooklyn, NY) is coming to Houston. But, burger lovers, you have only a few hours during a one-night-only pop-up to snag one. So get to Cane Rosso in Montrose early on Jan. 12 when the pizza restaurant plays host to restaurateurs Matthew and Emily Hyland of Brooklyn's Emily and Emmy Squared pizza restaurants. Emily is the home of the celebrated Emmy Burger while sister restaurant, Emmy Squared, offers a vaunted spicy chicken sandwich. Both restaurants are widely praised for their pizza but the burger at Emily has developed a cult status. The Emmy Burger and the chicken sandwich ($20 and $15, respectively) will be available in very limited quantities beginning at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12. The owners of the restaurants will also be at the pop-up, courtesy of Cane Rosso owner Jay Jerrier, a huge fan of the Hylands' food. The Houston Emily/Emmy Squared pop-up is one of three Texas pop ups organized by Jerrier (Jan. 9 in Dallas, Jan. 10 in Austin) as the first in a series of Guest Chef Nights planned for Cane Rosso restaurants this year. Jerrier fell in love with Emily and Emmy Squared in the summer of 2016 while visiting Brooklyn. He said he had "some of the most memorable meals I've had in a long time from both Emily and Emmy Squared. To this day I we can't stop talking about how good everything was." So he invited the Hylands for a Texas vacation to oversee the pop-ups. In addition to the Emmy Burger and spicy chicken sandwich, Cane Rosso will also sell its Neapolitan pizza and salads during the pop-ups. Good thing: those sandwiches are going to fly. So what makes the Emmy Burger so good? Eater New York described it like this in 2015: "The seven ounce patties are formed in-house, seasoned simply with salt, and seared on the flattop in clarified butter. The result is a deeply bronzed crust yielding to a succulent interior, redolent with flavor of a prime steak. After searing, Hyland applies black pepper to the still sizzling patty. He refrains from seasoning before the initial searing to keep the pepper from burning and becoming acrid. Next the patty is blanketed in one year-old Grafton Cheddar from Vermont and a tangle of caramelized onions, then finished in the oven below the flattop to melt the cheese. The burger is served on a pretzel roll, which should completely suck but doesn't. The pretzel roll from Tom Cat Bakery, on the other hand, is sturdy, both structurally and in terms of flavor. It's quite dense, and has a far more assertive taste than a generic white bun, with a yeasty sourness and a salty punch. But the patty is so flavorful that the bun works well in this situation, whereas it might overpower a more muted blend. The burger is served with a dollop of "special sauce," a house made aioli spiked with red pepper, and comes with a side of hand cut fries and a few gherkins for color. It is, like all great burgers, a study in synergy and balance. Yes, it diverges from my simple cheeseburger ideal, but there's an undeniable appeal to this burger precisely because of the complexity of its flavors and textures the voluptuous mouthfeel of the beef, the gaminess and funk tempered by the sweetness of the onions, the gentle tang of the cheese playing off of the pretzel." Cane Rosso Montrose, 4306 Montrose, 713-337-1155; canerosso.com/Montrose It's not that Donna Karan isn't focused on fashion anymore, she's just in a different place. A more Zen place. In November, the designer and fashion mogul opened the West Coast flagship store for her Urban Zen brand in Los Angeles. Urban Zen, which also has locations in New York and Aspen, offers fashion, but the concept is much deeper. "The idea was to bring a community together in health care, education and culture," said the 68-year-old Karan, who was in Houston for the Nomad Two Worlds Foundation cocktail reception and fundraiser with the organization's founder, famed fashion photographer Russell James. "Everyone wants to see clothes. Yes, we have clothes, but I did Donna Karan and DKNY. The fact is that fashion is secondary now. " Karan has moved on from her namesake business, Donna Karan International, which she sold to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2001. She remained the brand designer until 2015, and LVMH sold it last summer to G-III Apparel Group. A grandmother and lifelong yogi, Karan started Urban Zen in 2007 because her company didn't want to produce yoga wear. The startup was also an opportunity for her to spread her philanthropic wings. Urban Zen offers a variety of clothing, furniture and accessories made by artisans from around the world. The philanthropic arm - the Urban Zen Foundation - includes the Haiti Artisan Project, Integrative Therapy program and programs to empower children through meditation, yoga and nutrition. "I'm a strong believer in the philosophy that each community takes care of each community," Karan said. "So it's not about me taking care of culture in Texas, for example. It's about creating the community that cares about preserving culture in Texas. Once we find the tool, you pass it on, then it becomes a movement." A native New Yorker, Karan was born into a fashion-focused family. Her mother was a model; her father a tailor. She studied at Parsons School of Design for two years before going to work at Anne Klein. She eventually became Klein's head designer and worked there until 1984, when she launched her own label. Her mission was to design modern clothes for the modern woman. She reveals candid details about her life in her 2015 memoir, "My Journey" (Random House). To many women, Karan, with her "seven easy pieces," was a heroine. She made dressing practical, functional and ever stylish, from the body suit to the cold-shoulder top, worn by Hillary Clinton. Urban Zen is her next chapter, and she has partnered with James on work around the globe, including in Haiti, where they have opened a vocational school. "There were so few people who get the preservation of culture," she said. "Russell and I have been to Haiti, and it was mind-blowing for me. While everyone is giving money, money, money, we're giving jobs, and that's the beauty." At the Nomad Two Worlds Foundation event, which featured performances by Native-American and Australian performers, Karan donned her signature look - she dressed in all-black with her hair pulled in a tight ponytail. When she welcomed a Cherokee/Chickasaw storyteller who was on the program, Karan was captivated by the woman's native attire. "This is what inspires me," she said with childlike enthusiasm. "How can you not be inspired by the way she looks?" An acceptance letter from one of the nation's top colleges doesn't immediately impart a sense of belonging or eliminate some of the substantial road blocks that low-income students often face in college, Houston students said Saturday. These students, who attend elite universities across the nation, discussed their insecurities and exchanged advice at a Saturday morning summit by the nonprofit fellowship Emerge. Founded in 2010, Emerge offers intensive college preparation to top underserved students from the Houston and Spring Branch ISDs. Many of the students, selected as fellows, are the first of their family to go to college. More than 330 participants now attend 85 top colleges nationwide, and they continue to receive support from the Houston-based program over the summer and on holiday breaks, like in Saturday's session at Rice University. Some described a deep sense of obligation of representing their race or gender in classroom interactions. One woman said she is one of four black women majoring in economics at Wellesley College. There, she feels pressure to "not only just pass, but excel" in the popular major to show her peers she belongs. Facilitator Eldridge Gilbert, the managing director of schools at KIPP Public Charter Schools in San Francisco, urged students to remember that they earned their spots, even when they feel out of place. He recalled suffering from "imposter syndrome" as an undergraduate at Brown University, feeling like he somehow got lucky and didn't belong at the elite school. "It can be really unhealthy to not own who you are and your own success in those spaces," Gilbert said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This is one of those report cards you don't want your parents to see. Houston-area school districts found themselves stunned with many C's and D's under the letter grades unveiled Friday by the Texas Education Agency - a controversial new system that educators fear could hurt community morale. Houston ISD, Texas' largest school system, earned B's for closing achievement gaps and learning gains on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness. It earned a C for student achievement on the STAAR, and its lowest mark - a D - came in postsecondary readiness, a stumbling block for many Texas schools. Educators argue that this new system relies too much on standardized tests and fails to take into account the complexities of individual schools and districts, like whether their student body is predominantly poor or non-native English speakers. "The real education experts are pretty united on this one. We see it doing more harm than good," said Clay Robison, a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association, which represents 68,000 teachers and support staff. The grades, based on 2015-2016 scores, are a soft launch of sorts to official letter grades that will be released in fall 2018, unless educators are successful in lobbying lawmakers to abandon this new A-through-F system. The state's official ratings for 2015-16, released last November, rely on the former system that deemed schools and districts as either meeting standard or requiring improvement. More Information School grades by the numbers 28 Houston-area schools getting A's on all domains 78 Houston-area schools that met standards on the current system but got D's and F's in the new one 14 Houston-area schools getting F's on all domains 46.5 Percent of Houston-area high schools getting a D/F on post-secondary preparedness 29.8 Percent of Houston-area elementary schools gettinga D/F on chronicabsenteeism See More Collapse About 85 percent of the 8,285 schools in the state met the current standard. About 6 percent of those received D's or F's on all four measures of the new system. "The ratings in this report are for informational purposes to meet a legislative requirement and represent work-in-progress models that are likely to change before AF ratings become effective in August 2018," TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said. Under the law that created the letter-grade accountability system, lawmakers asked the TEA to provide a report with preliminary grades by Jan. 1. The grades were released publicly Friday. Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-Clint, introduced a bill in the legislature this week to strike the decidedly unpopular grading system. 'Erodes local control' Katy ISD Superintendent Lance Hindt lambasted the preliminary grades on Friday as an attack on public schools for political gain. "Our legislators' 'ranking' and comparing of public schools feeds the agenda of those claiming our public schools are failing and vouchers, tax credits, scholarships, etc. are the answer," Hindt said. "Meanwhile, public schools are underfunded and overmandated by the state and federal governments. Our private school counterparts would never accept funding that tied them to the mandates the Legislature and the TEA place on our public schools - essentially eroding communities' local control." The final system that will be used to calculate letter grades in 2018 is expected to include five domains. Friday's tentative grades included just four categories, similar to those in the state's current accountability system. At least two Houston-area schools, including HISD's Sterling High and Spring Branch ISD's Sherwood Elementary, scored straight F's in Friday's preliminary grades despite having "met standard" in their official accountability rankings. At least 78 Houston-area schools, including charters, earned D's and F's, even though they "met standard" in the current system. Of those, 12 schools and five districts got straight F's on the preliminary letter grades but "met standard" in the current accountability system. The two systems are not meant to be compared, said Lauren Callahan, a TEA spokeswoman. "When you're looking at the current system, you really don't have a good idea as a parent whether your campus barely met standard or they are knocking it out of the park," she said. "There is a lot more that goes through the A-F system than is in the pass-fail system." Still, the mismatched results baffled leaders at schools that earned F's but still "met standard," as was the case at Sherwood. Spring Branch ISD Superintendent Scott Muri and Sherwood Principal Stefanie Spencer had no idea how such different ratings could be possible. "The logic behind it is unexplained. For a school to meet standard in one system and get all F's in the other indicates we have a flawed accountability system that was presented to Legislature on Jan. 1," Muri said. "As a superintendent I can't explain it, even speaking to a principal, we can't understand it." About 65 percent of Sherwood's students are considered low-income. The campus, which has a diverse student body, features a dual-language program that helps English speakers become nearly fluent in Spanish by the time they graduate fifth grade. But Spencer said the letter grades won't tell parents that story. Instead, she worries the "met standard" ranking coupled with the preliminary F grades will confuse and frustrate parents. "To get this letter grade and be confused that we were rated "met standard" and now we're an F - parents are really not going to understand this," Spencer said. "It's creating unnecessary anxiety. I think if you were to look at it as a parent, unless you're skilled in calculus, you'll have hard time digging down and really understanding this." Nine Houston ISD schools, two Katy ISD schools, two Conroe ISD schools, three Cypress-Fairbanks ISD schools, three Fort Bend ISD schools and three KIPP Charter schools earned straight A's. Spring Branch ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Lamar CISD, Bryan ISD and Tomball ISD each had one school that earned straight A's. Alief Early College High School was one of only 29 campuses in the Houston metro area to earn straight A's on its preliminary report card. While Principal Kerry Johnson and her students were excited to learn of their performance on the tentative measures, she said the state's letter grades mean little to her. "To be quite honest, I have issues with it," Johnson said. "From what I know, I don't think a single letter grade gives a good depiction of what the school is doing. We shouldn't be the only school in (Alief) with A's." Alief Early College and Kerr High School are both nationally recognized as Blue Ribbon schools for their students' achievement. But while Kerr, a magnet school that students must apply to, earned A's in student achievement, learning gains and closing achievement gaps, it was rated as a C in terms of postsecondary readiness. 'Raw deal for kids' Slightly fewer schools received straight F's than straight A's in the Houston area. Nine Houston ISD schools, two Spring Branch ISD schools, a YES Prep charter school, Zoe Learning Academy charter school and Arrow Academy charter earned straight F's. Despite the few straight F grades, more than 150 school boards have approved resolutions demanding lawmakers repeal the new system. "When you start labeling schools and, or communities as failures, there's a really harmful domino effect to that," said Rep. Gonzalez. "It impacts the psyche of the community and the student and the teachers, it impacts property values, which therefore impacts school funding formulas." The evaluation system doesn't take into account inequities in school funding, she said, and instead measures poor schools with fewer resources with the same metric as wealthy schools. Gonzalez, who serves on the House Public Education Committee wants to soften the language of the evaluation, switching out A, B and C for "exemplary," "recognized," and "acceptable," and use the term "unacceptable" for D and F grades - an iteration of accountability that Texas used for years previously. Lawmakers are going to have the chance to hear from their constituents, school districts and parents, said Mark Wiggins, a lobbyist for the Association of Texas Professional Educators. He said although the letter grades may have had noble intentions, the unintended side effects of stigmatizing students and schools are too great. "This is a raw deal for kids," Wiggins said. "It oversimplifies for kids all the things the schools are doing, and it relies too much on flawed tests and the kids are the ones who end up getting labeled failing." Matt Dempsey contributed to this report. A federal judge in Houston dealt a major blow Friday to the city of Pasadena in a closely watched voting rights case, ruling that officials deliberately diluted the clout of Hispanic voters by revising the system for electing City Council members. Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Pasadena to revert to its previous use of single-member districts for the upcoming May elections and ruled the city would need preclearance from the Department of Justice for any future changes. "In Pasadena, Texas, Latino voters do not have the same right to vote as their Anglo neighbors," Rosenthal concluded in the 113-page decision released late Friday. Patricia Gonzales, one of the plaintiffs who filed the federal lawsuit, said fairness can be restored to the city election system. "All right," she said, when informed of the ruling. "Now each section will be able to vote on who they want and their voices will be heard. I'm very pleased with the outcome." The ruling could provide a key test of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 2013 that gutted portions of the Voting Rights Act, legal experts said. "It is a great win," said Michael Li, senior redistricting counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. "This case shows that there is something you can do, at least if you have the facts, lawyers and resources." The lawsuit was filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund on behalf of a group of Latino voters, who said city leaders deliberately tried to quell the growing Hispanic vote by changing from eight to six single-member districts and adding two at-large positions elected citywide. During a seven-day trial presented directly to Rosenthal without a jury, witnesses testified there are vast disparities in incomes and living conditions in the blue-collar city on the Houston Ship Channel. The northern portion of the city, where the majority of Hispanics live, has poor drainage, broken sidewalks and streets in disrepair. The southern part of Pasadena, which is majority white, has better infrastructure and more improvement projects, witnesses said. Impact on May elections Rosenthal cited witness testimony in her opinion, noting that both Texas and Pasadena had histories of exclusionary practices and that discriminatory attitudes toward Latinos still endured among Pasadena residents. In recent years, the political balance in Pasadena had begun to shift, the judge wrote. But just as Latino voters were poised to elect a majority of single-district representatives to the City Council, longtime Mayor Johnny Isbell and his backers proposed changes to the election system, the judge said. "In short, Pasadena's elections are racially polarized," Rosenthal wrote. "The City's 2013 racially polarized vote in favor of the 62 redistricting map and plan and the Council's 2014 vote to approve the change were narrowly decided. The effect was to dilute Latino voting strength. That effect was foreseeable and foreseen." The city is likely to appeal the decision to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but the ruling could have a significant impact nonetheless on the May elections. All City Council seats and the mayor's post are up for election; Isbell is facing term limits and cannot seek re-election. MALDEF attorneys called the ruling an important win for voting rights in communities such as Pasadena that were better protected under the Voting Rights Act prior to the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby decision, which eliminated the requirement for preclearance by jurisdictions with a history of voting rights problems. "The court's well-reasoned decision is a clear warning to other jurisdictions that might seek to limit Latino voting power by taking advantage of the Supreme Court's dismantling of the protections of preclearance in the notorious Shelby County case," said Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. "The decision is also a repudiation of those, including congressional leaders, who facilely assert that intentional vote discrimination no longer occurs and that the protections of preclearance are no longer needed." Symbol of deeper woes C. Robert Heath, the lead attorney who represented Isbell and other city officials, said his team needed time to analyze the ruling. "Certainly, I do think that the plan doesn't result in dilution of the Hispanic vote," he said. "As the evidence showed there were more Hispanics elected under the 6-2 plan than were ever elected under the 8-0 plan. But the judge obviously disagreed." Isbell could not be reached for comment. City Councilman Ornaldo Ybarra - who was a defendant in the suit as a city official but who supported the plaintiffs - said he always believed the lawsuit would prevail. "Lots of time and energy was lost in addressing the city's crumbling infrastructure and we should transition back to an 8-0 system and begin addressing the needs of the taxpayers," he said. Oscar Del Toro, who narrowly lost a 2015 bid for one of the newly created at-large council seats, called Friday's ruling a "good step." Del Toro campaigned for increased Latino influence in Pasadena. He said the suit is a symbol of deeper problems in the city. "This is bigger than just changing the districts," he said. Mike Snyder contributed to this report. WASHINGTON Republicans in Congress are working with Donald Trump's transition team on a strategy for building the southern border wall that would put taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars in costs - which the president-elect promises will eventually be borne by Mexico. Members of Congress and aides said Friday they hope that a funding plan under study would enable construction of the wall to start early in the Trump administration, which begins Jan. 20. The plan, relying on authority in a 2006 law, tentatively calls for including construction funds in legislation that needs to pass by April to keep the federal government running. "One way to get started in fulfilling Mr. Trump's promise would be to fund existing law," said U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. "I don't know that anyone expected the government of Mexico to write a giant check to the U.S. Treasury," he said. Trump has estimated the cost at between $8 billion and $12 billion for a precast concrete "impenetrable" wall spanning hundreds of miles along the border. Initial response to the plan presages the pitched debate in Congress over paying for the wall, which was a rallying point in Trump's campaign and one of his most divisive proposals. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, called the proposed plan evidence of "another broken promise by Trump." "Incredible," was the reaction by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-San Antonio. "He (Trump) has abandoned the 'Mexico will pay for it now approach' and is asking American taxpayers to come up with the money." U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, is the Texas regional representative of the Republican Policy Committee, which considers GOP legislative priorities. Farenthold said that with new technologies and better enforcement of immigration laws, a border wall might prove to be unnecessary. But he added: "With the campaign promise Trump made, if he wants to fulfill it and if we can find the money to finance it until Mexico pays for it, there's no reason not to do it." Trump on Friday used Twitter to blast reports of the funding plan, writing that "the dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for the sake of speed) will be paid back by Mexico later!" Trump spokesman Sean Spicer played down coverage of the discussions, reading from a Trump statement in October telling voters not to worry about the wall's cost because "the country of Mexico will be reimbursing the United States." Spicer acknowledged "an ongoing discussion with Congress about how to fund it and obviously the logistics to make it work." He added that some of the construction probably could begin "right away." Republicans say they hope to rely on existing authority under the 2006 Secure Fence Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush, authorizing 670 miles of border fence, including nearly 56 miles across the Rio Grande Valley. The wall likely will remain a flash point in relations between the United States and Mexico. Mexico has said it won't pay for a wall that should not be built. Officials at Mexico's embassy in Washington did not respond Friday to questions about Trump's latest assertions. On Thursday, former Mexican President Vincente Fox wrote on Twitter: "Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument." Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday cast further doubt on reimbursement in an interview with ABC. "They're not going to voluntarily pony up and pay for something they disagree with," Kerry said. Trump and Republicans have spelled out methods to extract monies if needed, including impounding remittance payments and increasing fees on visas and border crossing cards. On Friday, Messer introduced legislation aimed at curbing the use of child tax credits by undocumented immigrants. He referred to a U.S. Treasury inspector general report estimating the cost to taxpayers at $4.2 billion annually. The 2011 report found that an increasing number of undocumented immigrants, even though they lack Social Security numbers, are using individual taxpayer identification numbers to file tax returns in which they claim an Additional Child Tax Credit, a refundable credit intended for working families. "The payment of federal funds through this tax benefit appears to provide an additional incentive for aliens to enter, reside and work in the United States without authorization," the report concluded. Messer said his legislation aims to close that loophole. (Thumbs up) As the head of the CIA and then as the boss of the head of the CIA, George H.W. Bush knew all the secrets. He and wife Barbara also know another secret: the key to a long, stable relationship. They celebrated their 72nd anniversary Friday. Here's to many more. (Thumbs up) Our favorite fighter in Houston is U.S. Rep. Ted Poe. He's declared war on sex traffickers and passed bills to put them out of business. And he's one of the few people to shout down John Culberson's ridiculous intransigence on light rail. Now, Poe's done battle with leukemia at M.D. Anderson and it looks like victory. "My fight is not yet over," he said, "but the progress that has been made in the last six months has been nothing short of miraculous, thanks to the Good Lord." (Thumbs up) Declaring that the Legislature wouldn't have to meet every two years if people didn't break things, state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake) along with Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) kicked off the new year by filing bills meant to close loopholes in the Public Information Act. The Texas Supreme Court broke things by ruling for the Greater Houston Partnership which withheld information from a taxpayer about how it spent funds sent to it by the city of Houston. We'll write more about this in coming weeks, but it's nice to see a bipartisan duo advocating for accountability of taxpayer dollars. (Thumbs up) Cool-headed Lake Jackson Police Department officers prevented the escalation of a situation that could have gone very bad on New Year's Day. In the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up department, our story starts with Angleton rappers Tru Keezy and Yung Groovy. The duo decided to shoot a video in front of a TDECU Credit Union. The problem was they were dressed as bank robbers with fake bags of money and real (but unloaded) guns. That's no joke. The cops, according to KPRC's Bill Spencer, who had trouble reporting with a straight face, showed up with guns drawn but ultimately let the rappers go without filing charges. (Thumbs down) State Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez (D-Weslaco) came within millimeters of being obituary page news when he was hit in the head by a bullet fired into the air on New Year's Eve. After recovering from surgery, he promised to file a bill penalizing Texans who participate in celebratory gun fire. (Thumbs down) There is no more honorable profession, in our HO, than that of journalist. We're especially proud of the ink-stained varietal. So, it is with disappointment that we see a new list from CareerCast.com that ranks the worst job of 2016 as newspaper reporter. There's a lack of jobs, long hours, stress and, all of that for low pay. Not true for television journalists. Megyn Kelly this week got snatched up by NBC from Fox News to the tune of $20 million. That, friends, is a lot of City Hall reporters. (Thumbs down) In a Mitt Romney-like hidden video on the Texas Monthly website, you can see Houston's John Whitmire doling out advice to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System. A report by Dallas television station KDFW was critical of the state's longest serving senator for taking money from the retirement funds with one hand and using the other to potentially vote on pension bills. The fund said it hired him for federal lobbying, but his briefing covered the bathroom bill and other Lone Star issues. Anyway, ethics experts say it's Texas Kosher. Whitmire told Texas Monthly he would never, ever, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die do anything that even sniffed of a conflict of interest. (Thumbs down) And speaking of ethics, along comes newly elected state District Judge Herb Ritchie. A couple of days before donning his robe in the 337th criminal district court, he sends out a letter soliciting funds. " if you are willing and able to help me with a contribution at this time, it would be much appreciated." Local lawyer and blogger Mark Bennett reports that eight days before the election Ritchie filed a report showing he "had no campaign debt." (Thumbs down) As New Yorkers watched the ball drop over Times Square on New Year's Eve, somebody dropped the ball in downtown Houston. Houston First spent a fortune doing a fine job of transforming Avenida de las Americas into a showcase in time for the Super Bowl. So why weren't there any fireworks on the 31st? Suburban families checked into the new Marriott Marquis Hotel expecting the traditional midnight pyrotechnics that have lit up Discovery Green in past years, but they were buzzing with disappointment when they heard it wouldn't happen. A Cabool woman was injured Friday in a Highway M crash about two miles north of her hometown, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Melissa A. Todd, 37, was the driver of a southbound 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche that slid on ice, went off the roadway and overturned, said Tpr. Stacy Crewse. Todd, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken by private vehicle to Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston. The vehicle sustained moderate damage, Crewse said. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. A New Hampshire father was fired after he missed work to see the birth of his son. Lamar Austin was on a 90-day probation contract with private security group Salerno Protective Services. The 30-year-old father, who was supposed to be on call 24/7, missed his shift on Dec. 30 and 31 because his wife, Lindsay, went into labour on Friday evening. .@conmonitornews follow to the story of Dad fired for attending baby's birth (h/t @SaraPersechino): https://t.co/CPOljI1F42 Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) January 5, 2017 Advertisement The couple welcomed their son, Cainan, early on Jan. 1, but an hour into the new year, Austin received a text from his employer informing him he had been terminated. According to the Concord Monitor, Salerno Protective Services was within their legal right to do this since New Hampshire is an at-will employment state, which means an employer can fire an employee for any reason. Speaking to the newspaper about losing his job, Austin said: It was hard, but if I have to choose between work and family, Im always going to pick my family. After the Concord Monitor first reported Austins story, it hit home for Sara Persechino, a Massachusetts mom-of-two and an advocate of paid family leave. As a result, Persechino started a Go Fund Me page to help raise funds for Austin and his family. Advertisement No one should have to choose between their family and their job, the mom wrote on the fundraising site. Welcoming a new baby to a family should be a joyous time. Support is flowing from all over for Cainan Austin's family, including Scotland & Australia. Thank you all! https://t.co/CEy7e7CmmM Sara Persechino (@SaraPersechino) January 6, 2017 Since then, Austins story has spread even further and he has now received three job offers, as well as an apprenticeship from a business manager at Concords International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, The Telegraph reports. Austin previously told the Concord Monitor, Sometimes you lose something and you get something even better. It looks like he was right! Also on HuffPost Top 10 Countries For Parental Leave Benefits See Gallery In response to the news that Carrie Fisher had died, Steve Martin shared on Facebook the vivid memory of the impact Ms. Fisher had had on him nearly forty years before (presumably when he'd seen her portraying Princess Leia in the first Star Wars movie). "When I was a young man, Carrie Fisher was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen," Martin began. As has been widely reported, Steve Martin's tribute was publicly attacked by some as "sexist." "Remember Carrie Fisher for her talent, her feminism, her commentary on mental health," New York Magazine wrote, "-- not for the way she looked." A Twitter user's comment captured the essence of these attacks: ""Seriously @SteveMartinToGo quit being such a jerk for thinking Carrie Fisher was beautiful and saying so on the occasion of her death." Advertisement Although Steve Martin had his defenders, nonetheless, in the face of the attacks, he retreated and deleted his posting. More needs to be said about how wrong-headed are those attacks. Let me begin by acknowledging that women have much to complain about the manner in which men relate to them regarding their looks and their bodies. And they have much to complain about how men fail to relate to them-- as full human beings worthy of respect. Particularly in the aftermath of an election to the presidency of a man we have heard boasting of sexually assaulting women, the injured feelings of women whose humanity has been denied and abused warrants acknowledgment and consideration. So the following is not intended as a counter-attack on those women who, triggered perhaps by his rhapsodic comment about Carrie Fisher's beauty, attacked Steve Martin. It is, rather, an attempt to clarify what there is in men's response to womanly beauty that deserves to be honored, not condemned. "Carrie Fisher was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen." One can hear a fullness of heart in Steve Martin's statement. He is recalling an experience of inspiration--a breathing in of spirit in response to something that touched him deeply, a pleasurable recollection of being moved by beauty. Advertisement I imagine most men can identify with that appreciation of womanly beauty. And it's a good thing that we are that way. That response is deeply wired into our nature. It is a response that has for eons been life-serving, and life-enhancing. The evolutionary process that has shaped us has seen to it that, by nature, we feel the feelings that help keep us alive and serve to pass our form of life forward into the future. It is good that the male human is moved, as Steve Martin was, by the perception of female beauty. That is no small part of how it has come to pass that there are people on this earth. It has been well-established scientifically that what the human male finds beautiful in the human female is correlated with health, fertility, and advantageous genetic endowment. The perpetuation of life is vital business, and it is life-serving for us to appreciate what will help us continue our kind. Appreciation of this sort connects with our fundamental being at a level way deeper than our liking someone's "commentary on mental health." That sort of thing can be real, but it is most unlikely to produce a memory that is still resonant forty years later. Steve Martin was accused of responding to Carrie Fisher purely in physical terms. But I doubt that's true at all. We humans do not just mate, we also form relationships as lovers. We are wired not just to produce offspring, but also to form families that can nurture our offspring through their prolonged period of dependency. Heart and soul are also involved, and when we see one another, we see more than just the purely physical. Advertisement Carrie Fisher was a woman of real spirit, and that quality of her being was entirely visible in her portrayal of the highly spirited character, Princess Leia. I would wager that when Steve Martin found Carrie Fisher beautiful, he was responding also to that spirit. That was certainly the case the moment I first met my own beloved, April, more than thirty years ago. As she walked toward me on that afternoon in Rock Creek Park in Washington (on April 21, 1984), I saw her physical loveliness. (Not beauty-queen beautiful, but certainly pleasing to the eye even at that level.) But what captivated me immediately was a beauty that was both visible and at the level of the spirit. Here's how I put it two and a half years later, in the vow that I'd composed for our wedding. Describing her eyes as "like an open blue sky," I said, "I saw in that first moment that your face is a clear window of your brave and beautiful soul." I continue to be moved by that beauty at moments that are, thankfully, not at all rare. Indeed, the moments that I've been most deeply moved by womanly beauty have been in recent years with April, who is now in her sixties. It is part of what I call "the sacred space of lovers." And the experience of the heightening of my perception of such beauty illustrates the wisdom in the question asked by that old song: "Do I love you because you are beautiful? Or are you beautiful because I love you?" The connections between the perception of beauty and the feeling of the open heart are complex. Steve Martin, I imagine, was not coming from any less-than-human "sexist" place in his perception of Carrie Fisher. I imagine that, back when he was a young man and he saw that beauty, had Steve Martin been given the opportunity to sit across the table from the young woman he had appreciated, he would have treated her as endearingly as he knew how to. If "sexism" implies some sort of lesser treatment, I doubt how he beheld Carrie Fisher would have been sexist in the least. Advertisement Men are supposed to appreciate women, and it all begins with first sight. I am still moved also by the beauty I see in other women. Experiences of beauty - in general - are important to me. I am moved by the beauty of the music of Bach and Mozart. Moved, too, by the sight of the trees' spring leaves emerging in the valley and ascending the slopes toward our house on the ridge. But nothing moves me more profoundly than womanly beauty, and the way movie stars are cast suggests that looking at such beauty is a pleasure that is pretty nigh universal. I'm sure Steve Martin would affirm that his memory of seeing that "most beautiful creature" is a pleasurable one. Beholding womanly beauty is pleasurable for the men I know, and thus this response is life-enhancing as well as life-serving. It does not diminish in the least that sacred space between April and me that I appreciate womanly beauty wherever I see it. As I see it, our being lovers is more than just a connection between her as a specific human woman and me as a specific human man. It is also a representation of that ancient reality of woman and man coming together in love, as lovers. As Leonard Cohen put it in his song, "That's No Way to Say Good-bye": Yes many loved before us I know we are not new In city and in forest They smile like me and you I love April not only for being her, but also for being the embodiment of Woman in my life. Did I not appreciate "woman," I'd appreciate April the less. That a man should respond to the beauty of woman is a sign of life's flowering in him. Just as I would wish for every man to see in his beloved some substantial piece of the beauty that Steve Martin saw in Carrie Fisher, so would I wish for every man the capacity to see representatives of such beauty in the world around him. Advertisement The love of womanly beauty, and of the beautiful qualities that can be conveyed in that visible beauty, partakes of the sacred in the human realm. Steve Martin's recollection of Carrie Fisher's beauty deserves to be celebrated, not silenced.. I've been getting ready for a book talk Jan. 10 at one of my favorite book shops, Kramerbooks in Washington. Booklovers in DC tend to be very sharp, so I'm keeping up on what Pope Francis has been up to, just to be prepared for any questions. I continue to admire Pope Francis, but with reservations. Nothing has changed my opinion that he has a blind spot when it comes to women. True, he has convened a commission to consider ordaining women as deacons. That would give them more participation in the liturgy and allow them to preach at Mass. But in the 21st century, when virtually no other profession is restricted to one gender, he's insisted that the priesthood is and always will be for men only. He says he's for feminism, provided it doesn't "demand uniformity" or "negate motherhood," whatever that means. Advertisement Indeed, his regard for the maternal would qualify him for writing Hallmark cards. Recently he described us mothers as "testifying to tenderness" and praised us for our "unconditional selflessness." I'm all for motherhood, but motherhood doesn't define us. That's too limiting. On other fronts - social justice, care for the environment, and his righteous anger at capitalist greed - I've admired him. What's not to like about a man who washes the feet of prisoners, installs showers for the homeless in Vatican City and treats them to pizzas, and lives modestly, advising members of the clergy that they should do likewise? I just didn't think he could convince a very rigid hierarchy to go along. But I forgot one power that Popes have that makes their job easier than the presidency. They can name cardinals - the princes of the church - and bishops - who oversee hundreds of parishes in each of their dioceses. And unlike the president, pontiffs don't need anyone to "advise and consent" first. Popes also can demote prelates who disagree with them. And Pope Francis has been using that power energetically. I am particularly impressed with new Cardinal Joseph Tobin. Tobin was uncomfortable with Pope Benedict's Vatican and its investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which scolded U.S. nuns for their "radical feminist" agenda. Advertisement Tobin also has confronted president-elect Donald Trump and vice president-elect Mike Pence on their anti-immigration positions. Where Tobin will serve is also important: Newark, New Jersey, a city that no previous Pope felt merited a cardinal. Prelates holding that position had been ensconced in major cities like Boston, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles. Vatican observers note that this move ensures that the New York media market has more than conservative Cardinal Timothy Dolan to turn to for comment. Of course, the church has lots of bishops and cardinals, and many of them are not in sync with Pope Francis's agenda. Just last fall, after a traumatic presidential election that challenged the church to pursue social justice vigorously, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops remained tethered to the old days. In his trenchant assessment of the bishops' annual conference last November, columnist Michael Sean Winters skewered the US Bishops for not speaking out strongly enough in defense of immigrants, and for ignoring the crisis of climate change, the threat of nuclear proliferation,and the evil of hate speech. Pope Francis doesn't have to worry about another election. He has the power, through papal appointments, to reshape the church. But here's the worry: the Pope just turned 80. We should all pray for his continued good health, and his desire to keep on making good appointments. Sometimes your true legacy is the followers you leave behind. Advertisement In 1992, Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in the passenger seat of her grandson's car when she was severely burned by a cup of coffee purchased at a local McDonalds' drivethrough window. This case received a great deal of publicity and became a prime example for frivolous lawsuits which garnered large monetary damages. A closer look at the facts of the case and the law reveal that the judge and jury probably made a good decision. Liebeck, 79 years old at the time of the incident, was injured when her grandson stopped so that she could add cream and sugar to the coffee. She placed the cup of coffee between her legs and attempted to remove the lid. Unfortunately, she spilled the entire liquid contents onto her lap. The sweatpants that Liebeck was wearing absorbed the hot liquid and held it next to the skin of her thighs. She suffered full thickness burns to her thighs, buttocks, groin and genital area amounting to what the surgeons described as six percent of her total body surface area. Ms. Liebeck was hospitalized for eight days for treatment of the burns. She had to have debridement and local wound care. The areas which had full thickness injury had to have skin grafts for coverage. Ms. Liebeck brought a suit against McDonalds and was apparently willing to settle for $20,000 but McDonalds made a strategic decision to fight the claim. This turned out to be a bad business decision for McDonalds but a good decision for the rest of the public. Advertisement During the discovery phase of the litigation, several interesting facts came out that, through the years, were not discussed by the main stream media. For one, McDonalds had faced over 700 claims by people who had suffered burns from the coffee from 1982-1992. Some of these claims involved full-thickness burns similar to those suffered by Ms. Liebeck. These previous claims showed that McDonalds knew, or should have known, about the danger associated with the high temperatures of the coffee. McDonalds admitted that they kept their coffee temperature between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit. They used this temperature based on a consultant's advice that this was the range needed for the best taste. McDonalds originally claimed that customers intended to consume the coffee after they got to work or home at which time the coffee would have cooled down. However, McDonalds' own internal research showed that most of the customers drank the coffee while still in their car. McDonalds admitted that they had not studied the dangers associated with these high temperatures. It was found that other fast food restaurants sold their coffee at significantly lower temperatures. Coffee served by people in their homes was in the 135-140 degree range. Plaintiff's had an expert on thermodynamics related to skin burns. He testified that liquids at 180 degrees would cause a full-thickness burn to human skin in two to seven seconds. As the temperature of the liquid fell to 155 degrees the likelihood of a burn injury would fall exponentially. If the coffee served to Ms. Liebeck was 155 degrees it would have cooled enough to avoid a significant injury when she spilled it. Advertisement McDonalds argued that their customers knew the coffee was hot and the customers wanted it that way. There was a statement on the side of the cup but McDonalds agreed that it was only a "reminder" that the coffee was hot. The writing on the cup was not located in a position to serve as an actual warning and McDonalds admitted to this fact. McDonalds also admitted that the customers were not aware that the coffee being served could cause full-thickness burn injuries if contacting the skin. The most damaging testimony against McDonalds actually came from its own quality assurance manager who testified that McDonalds required their restaurants to keep the coffee pot temperature at 185 degrees. He admitted that a burn risk existed for any food (or drink) served at over 140 degrees and that the coffee poured into the cups was not yet fit for consumption since it was well above that temperature. Burns to the mouth and throat would occur if the consumer would drink the coffee at that temperature. He also stated that McDonalds had no plans to reduce the temperature of its coffee. After a jury trial, Liebeck was awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The compensatory damages were reduced to $160,000 because the jury found that Liebeck was at fault for 20 percent of the spill. Even though the punitive damages award seemed high, it only amounted to about two days' worth of national coffee sales for McDonalds at that time. The high punitive damages award got quite a lot of press. The states have all been concerned about high punitive damages awards as these awards seem to undermine a core value of our justice system, i.e., a sense of fairness. The states have tried different methods to regulate punitive damages awards including (1) barring punitive damages altogether, (2) allowing punitive damages only when they are allowed by statute, (3) imposing a statutory limit in the form of an absolute monetary cap, and (4) imposing a maximum ratio of punitive to compensatory damages. Even the United States Supreme Court has opted to limit punitive damages to single digit ratios to compensatory damages for several tort and contract cases. The trial court, probably believing that the punitive damages award was too high, reduced that part of the award to $480,000 which was about three times the compensatory damages. This was more in line with the single digit ratio of punitive to compensatory damages which was discussed in previous Supreme Court jurisprudence. However, even though the judge reduced the punitive damages award, he did conclude that McDonalds' conduct was "reckless, callous, and willful." Advertisement Ms. Liebeck, rather than having the award overturned on appeal, entered into a settlement with McDonalds where she probably agreed to some lesser amount. This settlement which the parties agreed would remain secret, has never been revealed to the public despite the fact that the case received extensive public reporting. Such secret settlements are common and are allowed under the laws of contracts but it does prevent the public from ever learning the final results of a public trial. This is one of the frustrations of our legal system. One of the main benefits emanating from the trial was revealed when a post-verdict investigation showed that that temperature of the coffee at the local Albuquerque McDonalds had been reduced to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, a level still dangerous but less likely to cause injury if spilled. Perhaps the system worked after all. A products liability case with a high monetary award resulted in a much safer product. The case was not so "frivolous" after all. Its estimated that about 150 companies file for commercial bankruptcy each day according to the American Bankruptcy Institute. Companies of all sizes fail due to lack of or misuse of capital. We hear stories all the time about new tech companies failing even after raising huge funding rounds. These companies often fail to turn a profit and most likely took a bigger bite than they could chew. Because of this we are seeing new startups use the lean startup methodology. The basic premise being: what's the cheapest and quickest way we can get to market with our minimum viable product. If you're just starting out here are three ways to keep your startup lean and mean. 1. Utilize the Share Economy Your team will have their core competencies and you should delegate any work you can to your core team first. Then you'll want to look for outside help. Whether its software development, design, marketing, financial consulting, or even just advice you should look to the share economy. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr give you access to hundreds of thousands of talented freelancers across the globe. Advertisement Instead of paying a design team in the United States a couple thousand dollars to design your home page, you could get by with a couple hundred dollars for the same quality of work using this outsourced talent. Freelancer's carry dramatically less overhead than dev shops and other service providers. Because of this they'll typically be way less expensive. Some freelancer's even allow you to pay a fixed price upon completion. I highly recommend using this strategy since it ensures you get what you pay for. Be transparent and upfront with your freelancer and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with their work. 2. Optimize Your Payments The world of payments is a tricky one. The quicker you're able to find a proper payments solution for your business the better. There are plenty of payment platforms out there that offer a wide variety of value-added features. Start by looking at the most popular payment solutions and decide what core features your business will need to utilize. Regardless if you're building a SaaS product or plan on selling online, you should definitely look to utilize a completely digital payment solution. A huge plus is that you won't have to worry about sifting through all your paperwork when it comes to any basic accounting tasks. Electronic payment systems are great for keeping all your documents in one place. Some platform's even offer features such as tax filing and preparation, white-labeled support, and extensive reporting. As a start-up, utilizing these features will save you tons of time and money when it comes to your finances. Advertisement 3. Co-Working Space I know its fun working out of the garage, but it comes time in every start-ups life where they'll need to find some legitimate office space. From a cost perspective, co-working spaces are a great way to get the most bang for your buck. Typically these space's have all the amenities of a regular office and allow you and your team to essentially pay-per-use. Companies like WeWork offer a tiered pricing structure where you can basically pick and choose your amenities as you need them. Another great aspect about a co-working space is that you're able to access a great network of like minded entrepreneurs. Even if they can't offer you any help with your business it's always good to make connections. If you're still in the early stages, it's probably best to leverage a co-working space before moving to your own office. Final Thoughts NATO headquarters in Brussels Belgium Founded in 1949, the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is now 67 years old. Originally it was a political association. Following the onset of the Korean War it rapidly transformed itself into an alliance for mutual defense. Pursuant to Article 5 of the NATO charter, any member country attacked by a foreign entity could request assistance from the other members. The nature of that assistance was left to the discretion of each party. It did not necessarily need to be direct military assistance, although NATO's force structure was organized to facilitate a joint military response. NATO's strategic objective, in the words of Lord Ismay, its first Secretary General, was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down." Those goals largely defined NATO's mission over its first 40 years. In 1955, West Germany was incorporated into the Alliance. That decision was largely prompted by the need to integrate German military forces into NATO to ensure that the Alliance's manpower would be sufficient to blunt a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. In response, the Soviet Union organized the Warsaw Pact as its own collective security organization consisting of itself and the communist countries in Eastern Europe. For the next 35-odd years, the two organizations defined the two-opposing sides of the Cold War in Europe. NATO's operational doctrines were designed to promote the standardization and interoperability of each nation's armaments as well as operating procedures. Its tactical and strategic doctrines, including a tacit agreement for the first use of theater nuclear weapons, were designed to counter the threat of a Soviet invasion by massed, highly mechanized infantry, spearheaded by rapidly moving armored divisions. Advertisement Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, NATO's primary purpose has become largely obsolete. The Warsaw Pact has disintegrated. Indeed, many of its former members are now part of NATO. The prospect of a Russian invasion of Western Europe has largely vanished. Even if it wanted to, Russia simply lacks the force structure to execute such an invasion much less successfully occupy Western Europe. On the other hand, while Western Europe has little to fear from an armed Russian attack, NATO's newest members in Eastern Europe, especially those states that were once part of the Soviet Union, are particularly concerned about the Kremlin's attempts to intimidate and subvert them. US President Harry Truman signing the treaty creating NATO Judging by Russia's actions in Ukraine, and to a lesser extent Georgia, Russian security threats in the future are likely to consist of a combination of cyberwarfare, subversion and insurgency, especially among ethnic Russians living in targeted countries, and ongoing attempts at political and economic manipulation. By producing domestic chaos and instability, the Kremlin has a pretext to intervene with Russian military forces either in the guise of peace keepers to protect ethnic Russians or in an unofficial capacity as volunteers of unspecified origins. The latter also gives the Kremlin plausible deniability for its actions. This type of threat is very real and is completely different from the mission that NATO was originally designed to serve. Since 1989, NATO has been steadily expanding its membership across Eastern Europe, while at the same time accepting responsibilities well outside of its original mandate. These new responsibilities have ranged from directing the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan to "training missions" in Iraq, to operating no-fly zones over Libya to antipiracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden. At the same time, it has also expanded its deployment in Eastern Europe. The immediate consequences have been a significant mismatch between its military capabilities and many of its current activities with the external threats, either directly or indirectly, that its members now face. Advertisement NATO's member expansion has taken two forms. In the Balkans, it has incorporated or put on a membership track many of the nations that emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbia, who has longstanding religious, ethnic and political ties to Russia, is the sole exception. Nonetheless, Serbia has been quietly inching toward NATO, expanding its cooperation while still officially maintaining its neutrality. Lately, however, the Kremlin has taken advantage of Belgrade's current dispute with the EU over the availability of Croatian language school textbooks for Serbia's Croatian minority to strengthen its relationship with that Balkan country. Serbia is a candidate for membership in the EU and relies on the economic bloc for the bulk of its foreign investment, external markets and foreign aid. Albania and Croatia joined NATO in 2009. The former Warsaw Pact members of Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia joined in 2004. Poland, who has been repeatedly invaded by Russia over its long history, Hungry, and the Czech Republic all joined in 1999. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro are all candidate members pending their satisfying the required preconditions for membership. The Kremlin poses less of a security threat to the Balkan nations then it does to its immediate neighbors in Eastern Europe. Russia has historically claimed that it had longstanding interests in the Balkans because of ethnic and religious ties. It was Russian support of Serbia in 1914, in its dispute with Austria-Hungary, after all, that triggered the chain of events that ultimately precipitated World War I. NATO's objectives in the area were, instead, motivated by two other concerns. First, a recognition that the economic wellbeing of the Balkan nations was contingent on closer integration with the EU and access to the bloc's markets and capital. Secondly, that integration of the region's military forces into NATO, along with EU membership, would make local outbreaks of violence less likely. NATO's eastern expansion was, in part, also motivated by the corresponding eastern expansion of the EU and the desire to incorporate those countries into a European-wide system of collective defense. There was also an element of atonement for the decision made at Yalta two generations ago to abandon the region to Soviet hegemony. NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe, and especially into some of the former states of the Soviet Union, was seen by the Kremlin as a provocation and ran counter to what Russia claimed was an unofficial agreement reached with the United States in 1990 to forego NATO's eastern expansion in return for Soviet acquiescence to German reunification. Of late, Russia has become increasingly provocative toward the nations that make up what the Kremlin calls the "near abroad." These are countries that were previously either part of the USSR or under Soviet control and which geographically Russia sees as essential to Russia's defense. Their participation in NATO is deemed by the Kremlin as threatening to Russia. These provocations have taken the form of frequent overflights of armed Russian fighter-bombers operating with their transponders turned off, numerous instances of cyber warfare, blackmail threats to interrupt Russian supplies of natural gas or electrical power, attempts to stir up organized dissent among ethnic Russian citizens in those countries, military intimidation and heavy handed attempts at political and economic manipulation. NATO's expansion since 1990 Photo courtesy of NATO In the case of Georgia, once a candidate member to join NATO, but since shelved, this also involved an invasion by Russian special forces. In Ukraine's case, similar actions, including Russian seizure of the Crimea and portions of the Donbass Basin whose population was predominantly ethnic Russians, was organized to forestall any moves by Kiev to pursue NATO membership. Particularly worrisome is the fact that all three of the Baltic Republics, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, have been seeing an intensifying pattern of Russian provocation and attempts at political intimidation. In June 2016, NATO added cyberwarfare as an "operational domain of war," no different than land, naval or aerial warfare. While cyberwarfare now qualifies as a form of attack that can trigger the Article V mutual defense provision, the nature of cyberattacks makes it difficult to always know who the antagonist is. These new types of Russian tactics, while no less threatening, are a lot more diffuse than an armed attack. Advertisement More importantly, NATO doesn't have an offensive cyberwarfare capability, although there are persistent rumors that it is working on developing one. In the event of a cyberattack, even if its Russian origins were indisputable, NATO response options would be limited. There is little likelihood, that under such conditions there would be a consensus within NATO to respond militarily. The most likely response from NATO would be to do nothing while its member governments would respond with diplomatic and economic sanctions against Moscow. The Kremlin's new playbook includes provocations that do not explicitly come under the provisions of what constitutes an attack under Article V. They are a lot more subjective and open to interpretation or dispute. Ethnic unrest, for example, may result from legitimate domestic grievances as well as foreign manipulation or subversion. Many NATO members are reluctant to make what appear to be purely domestic issues a pretext for triggering the mutual defense clause. The Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's center of fine wine production. The Mexican wine industry is simultaneously the birthplace of North American wine and its newest frontier. It boasts the oldest winery in the New World and it is one of the largest growers of grapes in the Americas, but paradoxically makes only a tiny 20 million liters of wine a year. By comparison, the United States produces three billion liters. Mexico has over 100,000 acres of vineyards, but most of these are devoted to brandy production. Mexico, incidentally, is the third largest producer of brandy in the world. The origins of Mexico's wine industry go back to 1521 and the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. Legend has it that one of Hernan Cortez's first orders in 1524, as governor of New Spain, was that each colonist was to plant 1,000 grapevines, for each 100 native employees, each year for five years. This was several decades before the planting of grapes in Chile (1548) and Argentina (1551). Early attempts to grow grapes in the more tropical areas of Mexico failed. Grapes were planted in the Parras Valley of Coahuila in 1593, followed by Puebla and Zacatecas. Lorenzo Garcia founded Casa Madero, the first Mexican winery, in Santa Maria de las Parras in Coahuila in 1597. It is today one of Mexico's largest wine producers and the oldest winery in the Americas. Ironically, vines from the Parras Valley were later exported to California's Napa Valley, as well as to Chile and Argentina. Advertisement Generally speaking, grapes in the northern hemisphere are grown between 30 degrees and 50 degrees of latitude. Mexico is unusual in that most of the country lies south of the 30th parallel. The combination of high altitude vineyards and the cooling effects of winds and fogs from the Pacific, however, have allowed grapes to thrive. Initially, the Mexican wine industry flourished. Grapevines adapted readily to Mexico's Mediterranean climate. The Spanish emperor, Charles I, even ordered that all ships traveling to New Spain bring a quota of grapevines for cultivation. The first grape variety grown was the ubiquitous Mission grape of California known locally as Listan Prieto; the same variety is called Criolla in Argentina and Pais in Chile. The situation took a turn for the worse at the end of the 17th century, however. Rising French wine production began to cut in on European demand for Spanish wines. In an effort to protect the domestic wine industry, Charles II banned the production of wine in Spain's foreign colonies in 1699, and required them to import Spanish wine instead. The Catholic missions were exempt from the ban and allowed to make small quantities of wine for religious purposes. It was a Jesuit priest, Juan Jugarte, who established, in 1701, the first vineyards in Baja California at Loreto Mission. Jugarte, along with Father Juan Maria Salvatierra, were moving north to California, establishing missions along the way. The Santo Tomas Mission, founded by Jesuits in 1791, became Mexico's largest wine producer. Advertisement The Dominicans followed in 1843, and established the first vineyards in Baja's Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe del Norte Valley. Today the Guadalupe Valley is the center of Mexico's fine wine production and the region boasts over 50 wineries. Despite being restricted to making only small quantities of wine for sacramental purposes, the Catholic missions became significant wine producers. Between 1699 and 1857, the various Catholic missions produced virtually all wine in Mexico. The industry remained small, but otherwise healthy. The Mexican government, following the War of Reform in 1857, seized all the land holdings of the Catholic Church. Some of the vineyards, like San Tomaso, were sold to Mexican investors. That winery has continued to operate to this day. Many of the mission vineyards, however, were simply abandoned. A winery in Mexico's Guadalupe Valley The arrival of the Molokans, pacifist Russian Christian refugees, in the late 19th century to the Guadalupe Valley, gave the Mexican wine industry a fresh start. The Molokans were farmers who were escaping persecution at the hands of the Czar's army. They purchased 100 acres of land and began growing wine grapes. They also introduced modern farming and winemaking practices to the region. The wine industry lost a huge part of its vineyards to Phylloxera at the turn of the century. The industry was further disrupted by the violence and domestic turmoil that accompanied the Mexican revolution of 1910. Many wine estates were destroyed or abandoned by their owners. The growth of the Mexican beer industry following the revolution also slowed the recovery of the wine industry as beer became more popular than wine. Mexicans also have the distinction of having the highest per capita consumption of Coca Cola. Advertisement The wine industry recovered somewhat in the 1920s. In 1949 the National Association of Wine Producers was created with an initial membership of fifteen wineries. Fourteen more producers joined during the 1950s. During the 1970s production tripled through a combination of expanded vineyards and an increase in wine production capacity. High-end wine production in Mexico began in the 1970s. Casa Pedro Domecq began operations in the Guadalupe valley in 1972. Shortly after, Hugo D'Acosta organized La Escuelita to teach local growers modern methods for processing their grapes into wine. The school also functioned as a cooperative, providing the necessary equipment to growers for wine production. By the end of the decade, Mexican wine producers were selling four million cases a year. The decision of the Mexican government to open up its wine market to foreign producers, however, resulted in a significant drop in domestic production. Today Baja California, which is the epicenter of Mexico's fine wine industry, and responsible for 90 percent of production, only sells 1.6 million cases of wine a year. It is widely accepted, however, that the quality of Mexican wine has increased significantly over the last 40 years. There are approximately 100 wineries in Mexico, with over 50 of them headquartered in the Guadalupe Valley. Mexico is the 25th largest wine producer in the world, but ranks only 66th in wine consumption. In 2015, Mexican wine consumption was about four million cases. Roughly a third was from domestic production and the balance was from foreign imports. About two-thirds of those imports were from Europe and the balance from other wine producing regions, especially Chile, Argentina and Australia. Per capita wine consumption in Mexico is about .4 gallons per year compared to two gallons in the United States and 15 gallons in France. Per capita wine consumption has doubled in the last decade and has become the aspirational beverage of Mexico's growing middle class. Today, Mexico boasts two major grape growing areas. The northern area includes Baja and Sonora, as well as the Parras Valley in the La Laguna area astride Coahuila and Durango. These are the principal production zones for fine wines, with the overwhelming majority in Baja. Much of Sonora's wine production is slated for distillation into brandy. Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Queretaro in central Mexico mostly produce grapes for brandy and sherry production, although there is also significant production of sparkling wines. Advertisement Generally speaking these regions have climates ranging from Mediterranean to desert-like. Annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 12 inches to as little as three to four. Irrigation is unavoidable and relies on a combination of natural springs and ground water. Sparkling wine production at Cavas Freixenet in Quertaro Baja's vineyards have humid winters, dry warm summers, and cooling morning fogs and sea breezes. Average summer temperatures are 86 degrees Fahrenheit and winter temperatures are 42 degrees Fahrenheit. The climate and many of the varietals grown are similar to California's Napa Valley, a similarity that has led many to label the region the next Napa Valley. Similarities notwithstanding, it is generally warmer and drier than Napa. This region produces around 90 percent of Mexico's fine wines from four principal areas in the San Antonio de las Minas zone around the port city of Ensenada: Valley of Guadalupe, Calafia Valley, San Vicente Valley, Santo Tomas Valley and, to a lesser extent, the San Rafael Valley. These valleys have a complex soil geology consisting of areas of decomposed granitic soils and others that are predominantly alluvial sands, gravels, sandy loam and some red clay. The principal wine producers here are L.A. Cetto, Vinos Pedro Domecq and Bodega de Santo Tomas. All three produce wines that have medaled in international competitions. L. A. Cetto and Pedro Domecq account for 80 percent of Mexico's wine production. The Ruta del Vino (Wine Route) connects approximately 50 wineries in the area between Ensenada and Tecate. It runs from the U.S. border city of Tijuana, about two hours to the north. The Parras Valley is the oldest wine making region of Mexico. The valley sits at an altitude of 4,500 feet in an otherwise desert area. Annual precipitation is between three and four inches a year. The low humidity inhibits fungal and insect damage, while the pronounced diurnal temperature variation, some 22 degrees Fahrenheit between day and night, promotes ripening while maintaining acidity. The valley produces Bordeaux blends as well as single varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Tempranillo. Advertisement In central Mexico, most vineyards are at altitudes of 6,500 feet. In addition to sparkling wines, "vinos espumosos," the region also produces Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and surprisingly Pinot Noir. Much of the regions grape production, however, is earmarked for brandy production. The area's soils are mostly clay and loam and retain moisture well. Climate wise, both summers and winters tend to be cool, and the high altitude produces a pronounced diurnal variation in temperatures. Spain's Freixenet is the largest producer in this region. Mexico grows a variety of grapes in the approximately 6,200 acres of vineyards earmarked for fine wine production. It lacks, however, a signature or defining grape variety or wine style. The principal grapes grown are the better-known international varieties. Whites include Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Palomino, Chasselas, Macabeo, Muscatel, Riesling, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Reds include the principal Bordeaux varieties, Grenache, Tempranillo, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Some of these varieties, like Chasselas, typically grown in Switzerland, and Italian varieties like Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera, seem wholly unsuited for Mexico's arid wine country. The three most widely planted varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Chardonnay. Vertical shoot positioning is the most common trellis system. Vineyard spacing varies from 3 x 3 feet to 6 x 9 feet, with vine density ranging from a low of around 2,500 vines per acre to a high of around 4,000 vines. Yields vary from two to three tons per acre. Many growers have started to restrict yields by green pruning to no more than two clusters per shoot and limiting each vine to between six and eight shoots. Harvest is generally from late July to early October. Cellar at the Adobe Quadalupe winery in Ensenada, Valle de Guadalupe Most wines are fermented in stainless steel with the length of maceration and fermentation varying depending on a producer's style. Red wines are typically aged in either French or American oak for periods ranging from a few months to as much as 24 months. One of the interesting features of Mexican wine production is that the arid climate tends to produce grapes with unusually thick skins. Baja Nebbiolo, for example, produce a dark, inky wine that is unlike any other Nebbiolo in the world and has more in common with Petite Sirah or warm climate Cabernet Sauvignon's than it does with its Italian Piedmont cousins. The origins of Baja's Nebbiolo remains something of a mystery. The vines arrived after World War II and are believed to be a number of different Nebbiolo clones, but the identification tags were lost in transit and no one is certain what those varieties might be. Advertisement Specific wine appellations are only now beginning to be delineated. The first official Mexican wine appellation is the Parras Valley. Beyond imposing a 25 percent tax on wine sales, the Mexican government has given the wine industry a free rein.The result has been some unusual wines, including blends of vinifera and table grapes like Thompson, as well as blends consisting of Mexican and foreign grapes. The Casa di Piedra winery for example, produces a wine, Contraste, made from a blend of grape juice from the Valle de Guadalupe and juice imported from France. There are also some unusual blends like Cabernet Sauvignon blended with either Grenache or Nebbiolo. Baja wines tend to be deeply colored and full bodied-these are big, powerful, heavily extracted wines with a substantial weight and mouth feel and a propensity to taste jammy. Grapes here tend to be thicker skinned than normal, creating more intense flavors and aromas. One particular feature of Baja wines is a tendency for wines that are irrigated with ground water to occasionally have a noticeable saline element. This is sometimes described as minerality, stoniness or steeliness, as well as saltiness. Salinity is unusual but not unheard of in wines. Vineyards close to the sea often exhibit some saline notes. Soils or ground waters that have high levels of metallic salts, like Langhorne Creek in Australia, for example, can also impart a saline element to wines. Mexico's growing reputation as a wine producer has been attracting international wine companies. In addition to Freixenet and Pedro Domecq, new foreign investors include Chuck Wagner of Napa's Caymus Vineyards and Henri Lurton of Bordeaux's Chateau Brane-Cantenac. The Chalone Group and Wente Vineyards are also becoming more involved in the Mexican wine industry. Advertisement Mexican wines are becoming more prevalent in the United States, especially in the larger urban wine markets. Below is a selection of Mexican wines worth trying. A. L. Cetto, Private Reserve Nebbiolo, 2009, 13.8% ABV (Average price $18) This is a deep ruby wine with hints of purple throughout. On the nose there are dried fruit aromas of dark cherry, prune and some indistinct tropical fruit elements, followed by notes of bittersweet chocolate and espresso. With a little time, some tobacco notes, followed by hints of wood smoke and old leather emerge. On the palate there are flavors of cooked/jammy red and black fruit, with a distinct dark cherry flavor and even a bit of cranberry. There are hints of smoke, but none of the tar typical of Piedmont's powerful Barolos. There is a pronounced acidity with well-integrated fine tannins and moderate alcohol. The body is medium weight with a supple, almost silky texture. The finish is mid-length with dried fruit flavors and notes of blood and red meat and a hint of a savory, saline note, at the end. This is an outstanding Nebbiolo, one unlike its Italian cousins. It tastes almost like a cross between the lighter Nebbiolo of the Valtellina and their more robust Piedmontese brethren; but one that combines very ripe fruit with moderate alcohol and fine well-integrated tannins, along with some uniquely Mexican characteristics. The L.A. Cetto winery in Ensenada in the Valle de Guadalupe A.L. Cetto, Sauvignon Blanc, 2014, 12% ABV (Average price $12) This wine received a commendation at the Decanter 2014 World Wine Awards. The color is a very pale lemon green; reminiscent of those almost clear and eminently forgettable, bulk produced Italian Pinot Grigios. On the nose, however, there is a veritable explosion of aromas. You can pick out citrus notes of lime, lemon zest and a bit of orange peel, followed by indistinct floral aromas and spicy fresh herbs like cilantro, lemon grass and ginger. As it warms up notes of stone fruit, tropical fruit and lychees emerge. Advertisement On the palate there is a pronounced lime zest note followed by sweet mandarins, more stone fruit and tropical melon. The acidity is bright and crisp and is a perfect counterpoint for highlighting the fruit. It imparts a sensation of sweetness to what is otherwise a dry wine. The finish is long, featuring tropical fruit notes and a hint of ginger pepperiness. This is an interesting Sauvignon Blanc. It lacks the minerality and vegetal notes of its French counterparts but stops short of the over the top semi-dry, tropical fruit cocktail typical of many of New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc's. Definitely worth a try, especially if you hanker for a drier version of Cloudy Bay's SBs while retaining their fruity complexity. Bodega de San Tomas, Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013, 14% ABV (Average price $18) Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo blends are unusual but not unheard of. The combination is becoming increasingly popular among Spanish winemakers and many consider it Spain's answer to France's ubiquitous Bordeaux blend. The color is a deep ruby, bordering on opaque, and is typical of Cabernet-Tempranillo blends for warm climates. On the nose, there are pronounced ripe red and black fruit aromas of dark cherry, prune and cooked strawberry. There are hints of tobacco leaf, some dried herbs, some spice notes and a bit of bittersweet chocolate. On the palate the fruit tastes more cooked and jammy, especially on the mid-palate where pronounced cooked strawberry notes emerge. There are notes of dark chocolate, some cola and just a hint of licorice. The alcohol is high, typical of warm climate Cabernet, with fine well-integrated tannins and medium acidity. This is a substantial wine, with a pronounced body and a smooth seamless texture that makes it eminently quaffable. The finish is long, with pronounced ripe red and black fruit notes highlighted by notes of spice and dry tobacco leaf. Advertisement Like most Cabernet Sauvignon blends, the Cab provides structure while the blending partner adds more complex aromas and tastes. Tempranillo, unlike Merlot and Shiraz, the other usual blending partners, adds more pronounced red fruit notes, a slight sensation of sweetness and adds a voluptuousness to what is otherwise an often dark, brooding, warm climate Cab. A Mexican wine brand that is growing rapidly in the U.S. is Pavo Real. Produced by Pedro Domecq, a division of Pernod Ricard, for U.S. wine distributor Turquoise Life. Pavo Real offers an entry-level red and white wine. The red is an unusual blend of 50 percent Grenache, 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Ruby Cabernet and 10 percent Barbera. The white is a blend of 45 percent Sauvignon Blanc, 45 percent Chenin Blanc and 10 percent Chardonnay. Master Sommelier Ian Cauble blended both wines. Neither wine got any oak. (Average price $10.00) The Pavo Real red shows a deep ruby color. On the nose, it offers distinctive dried red and black fruit notes of cherry, plum with a bit of strawberry and raspberry, and a hint of black current and prune. Surprisingly, the fruit is dry rather than having the jamminess one would expect from a warm climate offering. There is a noticeable herbal note in the background, more dry herbs than green. On the palate, it is extremely smooth, with fine, well-integrated tannins and medium acidity. The alcohol is 13.6 percent. Dried fruit flavors dominate on the palate. The finish is short but satisfying. This is an eminently quaffable wine. The Pavo Real white shows a yellow color with a bit of a green tinge to it. On the nose, there is a pronounced green fruit aroma of apple and pear with hints of tropical fruit and dried grapefruit peel. There is a bit of a grassy/herbal note in the background reminiscent of cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc. Advertisement On the palate there is a distinct creaminess punctuated by green apple and slightly bitter citric notes as well as some melon and indistinct tropical fruits. There is a notable acidity that sets off the fruit notes quite nicely. The alcohol is 12.8 percent. The finish is short with a slight bitter note. Properly chilled, on a hot summer day this is a very drinkable wine. Fajitas anyone? Working for a bad boss may actually be killing you slowly. Hard to believe? In a massive 10-year study of 3,122 men, Swedish researchers found that working for a bad manager was linked to an increase in incidents of unstable angina and heart attacks, resulting in hospitalization or death. This correlation between a bad boss and ischemic heart disease held firm even with adjustments made for smoking, exercise, BMI, cholesterol, diabetes, physical workload, education, and income. Using language that is typically reserved for pharmaceutical trials, researcher Anna Nyberg of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said, "This is the first study to provide evidence of a dose-response relationship between concrete managerial behaviors and objectively assessed heart disease among employees." In other words, there was a direct correlation: the longer you work for a bad boss, the higher your risk of hospitalization or death. 5 Questions To Rate Your Boss So the big question is, "what makes for a bad manager"? Or to put it another way, is your boss slowly killing you? Advertisement The Swedish researchers used a 10-question employee questionnaire to determine the quality of the managers in question. The five statements below, when answered in the negative, were shown to be the most predictive of the increased cardiovascular risk from poor management: My boss gives me the information I need. My boss is good at pushing through and carrying out changes. My boss explains goals for our work so that I understand what they mean for my particular part of the task. I have sufficient power in relation to my responsibilities. I am praised by my boss if I have done something good. Note that these questions reveal the true power of leadership in the areas of communication, expectations and alignment, autonomy and recognition. All drivers of employee engagement which I refer to often. Having Low Control In Your Job Increases Risk of Death by 15.4% More recently, researchers at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and the University of Iowa found that working in a high stress job where you have little control can shorten your life. Advertisement In 2004, researchers surveyed 2,400 people in Wisconsin about their jobs and then tracked their health into the year 2011. Half of the study participants were women. Assistant Professor Erik Gonzalez-Mule shared the findings in an interview with Health Day, "Having low control over a stressful job was associated with a 15.4 percent increase in the likelihood of death compared to having low control over a low-stress job." But what would be the cause of this? According to Gonzalez-Mule, "The idea is that people find ways to cope with stress, like engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, having a sedentary lifestyle or eating unhealthy foods." Study Shows Dissatisfied Workers 2.4 Times More Likely To Die In another study, six researchers in Finland wanted to see if your job can kill you. Of course they wouldn't describe their study that way. They would say they wanted to investigate the links between certain work elements and cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and cardiovascular mortality (i.e., death from heart attack, stroke or other heart disease). Like I said, they want to know if your job could kill you. They began the study in 1973 and surveyed 812 employees and conducted health checks after five and ten years. Then they watched the participants until 2001--27 years from the start of the study--to see who died from a cardiac event. In results published in the esteemed British Medical Journal, they revealed that employees who were dissatisfied with their compensation, recognition, and career opportunities had a BMI that was 0.6 higher than those who were satisfied with their rewards. This equates to about an extra five pounds on a person of average height. More significant was the finding that workers who were dissatisfied were also 2.4 times more likely to die from a cardiac event. Advertisement What Can You Do? As the New Year approaches it's a time when we think about our aspirations and our goals. How does your boss score on the five questions above? How much control do you have in your job? Is 2017 the year you will find a new boss? How do I explain climate change to my teenager? originally appeared on Quora: the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. The best way to explain climate change to your teenager is to let him know that there is strong evidence that the average surface temperature of the Earth has warmed by about 1.5C, ever since the thermometer was invented. That's not much, but it is enough to have caused the sea level to rise by about 8 inches (mostly because warmer water expands). Advertisement We know this warming is due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, mostly from burning fossil fuels. That's called the "Greenhouse effect". Carbon dioxide increases the effectiveness of the atmosphere at trapping heat, so when carbon dioxide increases, it gets warmer. Also tell him that he will hear a lot of exaggerations from people who are genuinely worried about future temperature rise. We do expect that the temperature will rise another 1.5C in the next 50 years, from continued carbon dioxide releases predominantly from China, India, and the developing world. They need more energy to improve the standard of living of their people, so we need to help them produce energy with low carbon emissions. That means nuclear, energy conservation, and natural gas. He should know that the 1.5 C rise in 250 years is too slow a rate to be noticed by any humans. People who claim that they can see climate change are actually disagreeing with science, which measures the change as quite small, so far. But another 1.5C rise in 50 years could cause hardship. Sea level is expected, in that period, to rise another 4 to 12 inches. That won't be enough to have disastrous consequences (not even in Bangladesh), but some alarmists claim (incorrectly) that a 4 to 8 foot rise is likely. They are exaggerating, possibly out of conviction, but they are not accepting the science of climate change. Advertisement There are many exaggerated claims, about increased storms, floods, and droughts, but none of them are scientifically established. Indeed, they are not even universal predictions of the models; some models predict increased storms, others predict decreases, and others predict no change. Climate change has many alarmists and exaggerators. He should watch out for them and ask them for the evidence. Then he should check with people who disagree (Quora is a good way to do that) and find out if the "facts" he was presented are true. Doing this will be good practice for evaluating facts in everything else he encounters in his life. (I recall, in 6th grade, when my sister showed me that I should not necessarily trust advertisements!) There is no need to panic over climate change, but there is value in acting. Ironically, our next president, Donald Trump, has expressed skepticism over whether the world is really warming or not. But his beliefs hardly matter; if he supports additional nuclear power, natural gas, and energy conservation (and he clearly supports at least the first two) then his actions might actually be effective in slowing global warming. He also needs to beware of the strong convictions of his fellow students and possibly those of teachers, who may be passing on what others have told them without carefully checking the facts. Some people believe that any questioning of facts of climate change suggests that you are anti-science. Indeed, it is the opposite that is true. Those who tell you to accept authority, and not be skeptical about what you are told, are the ones who are acting against the principles of science. Global warming offers not only a lesson in physics and geology, but also a lesson in human behavior. originally appeared on Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on , , and . More questions: During my first year of college, I went on a trip with a group of other classmates to New York City to network with alumni. At the end of the day, after spending hours going from one company to the next, several of the students talked about hanging out in the city for a while before getting dinner. "It'll be so much fun," they said. "You should totally come with us!" I said I would be happy to tag along, and I followed the group onto a train headed towards another part of town. When we finally reached our stop and climbed out onto the street, I suddenly found myself surrounded by clothing stores and restaurants as far as the eye could see. Feeling a pit in my stomach, I followed the group into a store they decided to enter at random, and walked idly around the interior as I gazed at the golden lights, the shiny surfaces, the hard edges, and the beautiful clothes. Advertisement I saw a lovely jacket and checked the price tag. $530. "That would look so cute on you!" One of the girls in the group, Melanie, was suddenly standing beside me, taking the jacket from the hanger and holding it up against my chest. "It totally goes with your hair color." "I think I'm good, thanks." "Are you sure? It's totally cute." "Honestly, I'm okay." I paused, noticing the piles of clothes Melanie held clutched against her chest. "Did you find anything you like?" "Oh my gosh, yes! It totally sucks living in a college town because there are, like, no clothing stores. I honestly try to come to NYC as much as possible just to shop." I almost laughed, thinking she was joking, but when Melanie turned away to inspect a $1,000 dress hanging from the wall, I realized she was serious. Advertisement The other students in the group ended up spending thousands of dollars at the store, their purchases being folded carefully and tucked away into colorful paper bags. After they had finished their purchases, they decided to eat dinner at a place across the street. In the nicest restaurant I had ever been to that year, I ordered the cheapest appetizer I could find, and sat in silence as the students around me reminisced about the private schools they had gone to, their most recent vacations to Europe, the silly things they had made their housekeepers do growing up. When the dinner was over, a student suggested seeing a Broadway play, and one of the guys pulled out his phone and told the group Cabaret was playing for only $250 a ticket. "What a steal!" Melanie, wearing her brand-new jacket, cried. "We have to go!" She turned to look at me and gave me a big smile. "Do you want to come?" I knew I wasn't going to be spending $250 for a show. "I have a lot of homework," I said. "But thanks anyway." Melanie shrugged, and after paying for our dinner, the group walked out of the restaurant into the chilly New York City air to head towards the show. I walked back to the hotel alone, and spent the night studying for my upcoming Sociology exam. Advertisement When I had finished studying, I lay back in the starched sheets of the bed and wondered what it was like for those classmates of mine. They had grown up with the ability to spend thousands of dollars on clothing, to go on trips to the major cities to see expensive shows and blow even more money on fancy restaurants and stores. Who went to summer camp, private schools, who lived in big houses with maids and housekeepers, who went on vacation to foreign countries, staying in beautiful hotels. To be very honest, I find it fascinating to be surrounded by classmates who come from wealth like I have never experienced. I'm not embarrassed for being unable to afford the things some of my classmates buy dozens of through online shopping. I'm not embarrassed for growing up being told "no" again and again because my family simply didn't have enough money. I'm proud of who I am, and where I've come from. And that's enough for me. 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+. More questions: Recently at the TED Headquarters in New York, I interviewed Kunal Sood, founder of X Fellows and Novus, who is a visionary and extraordinary entrepreneur and humanitarian at heart. He's also a TED Speaker/Resident and an expert in Social Impact Strategy, who has set out to disrupt the pursuit of happiness and transform the world. As a curator of the future, Sood sees his life's purpose as to positively impact a billion lives in the next decade, a motto he adopted from his time at Singularity University as part of their flagship Global Solutions Program, which is based out of NASA AMES in Silicon Valley. In 2013, Sood curated TEDxUNPlaza to bring TED to the United Nations as an idea's platform to inspire humanity to unite in action for positive impact, after which he went on to start X Fellows and Novus. Advertisement Kunal Sood speaking at the United Nations in 2015 during Women's Entrepreneurship Day On July 17, 2016, at the UN General Assembly Hall, he curated and organized the first ever Summit of its kind that championed transformational leaders and innovators, who shared their stories and work to solve our global grand challenges. Pioneers like Peter Diamandis, founder of X Prize, Maye Musk, Elon Musk's Mother and style icon, Wendy Diamond, Founder of Women's Entrepreneurship Day, and Martin Seligman Founding Father of Positive Psychology, all took to the stage at the UN General Assembly to inspire an intergenerational group of social entrepreneurs, celebrities, and diplomats to unite humanity using science, innovation and technology. However most recently, Sood has been thinking a lot about how we can find true and lasting happiness in these uncertain times. Interestingly, he's doing it by boldly reimagining the pursuit of happiness for a better future. He just gave his first TED talk on the subject and currently he is writing his first book ever titled Exponential Happiness, which comes out in 2017. According to Sood, "Happiness is not just an individual pursuit, but a collective one in this day and age. It's about developing an exponential mindset of solving problems and being of service to each other. True happiness via success can be measured by the number of lives we impact in our lifetime, and given the technological innovation nowadays, even beyond our lifetimes." Two years ago when Sood founded Novus, he saw that traditional pathways were disappearing internationally for both the young and old, but the drive and ability to turn their dreams into reality was stronger than ever. Sood views this as the core reason why we need to reimagine the pursuit of happiness. Here are the three steps Sood suggests are the best way to create an abundant future that will stand the test of time. They are bold and unconventional, but I feel he is on to something given the times we currently live in here and now. Step 1: Being Exponential Sood feels for true long term happiness we need to be exponential: Which means that we have to have the ability to fight for what is right, like eradicating poverty and hunger in our world, as well as create the conditions for humankind to flourish into an abundant future. "How can I change the world if I cannot even change myself? How can I change the way I am? I always meditate on these two questions when starting a venture or supporting a cause and then pursue my task . In order to have real outward impact in other people's lives, you have to have inner transformation. That's what I believe separates the exponential leaders from the rest of the pack," Sood said. According to Sood these are the necessary steps towards being exponential. Sood is also a huge supporter of Women's Empowerment world-wide through his work at WEDO, where he serves on the board as the Chairman of WED Fellows Program for Women's Entrepreneurship Day at the United Nations, which was founded by Wendy Diamond in 2014. Advertisement Sood says, "Women Entrepreneurs are the key towards this shift as they are not only concerned with just doing well in business, but also doing good." Kunal Sood pictured with women leaders at Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2016 So, for the first time, we are finding this next generation of entrepreneurs and newly minted graduates who are primarily women that are founding socially responsible ventures in a variety of industry sectors that usually have a double or sometimes even triple bottom line. Step 2: Disrupting Happiness There has never been a time like the present to really rethink the idea of what it means to be happy in our lives. Sood has a different take on the idea of what the future is going to feel like given the recent changes on a geo-political and socio-economic level. "I believe the future of happiness rests on a whole new paradigm that embraces happiness from the inside out. This new paradigm will help us shift from a place of an individual's pursuit of happiness to one where it is a shared and collective pursuit," Sood explained. "Building moral courage and effective altruism as a global society will be critical given how technology is becoming such an integral part of our lives - and in many cases - our sense of personal identity which affects our happiness," Sood added. We see this everyday with social media for instance, and how one tweet can send half the nation into disarray. This is just phase one of what is to come in terms of how social media can disrupt other people's lives. But Sood is very optimistic about the future and how if we cultivate empathy and compassion, we can bring into focus the fact that happiness need not be just being positive all the time or a smiley face, but about embracing the full range of human emotions and experience. Advertisement Step 3: Beyond Happiness Sood has coined up a term called the 8C's of living into the best possible future as: courage, compassion, creativity, confidence, capabilities, commitment, community and culture. He believes that all the technological innovation in the world will be for nothing unless are proud of who we are when we arrive at that destination called the singularity where technology and humanity becomes one. "Technology is just a tool that allows us to accelerate change, however the more important aspect is how we act through our lives by using these tools that give us great power with an equal measure of responsibility." Says Sood. He sees the building blocks of an abundant future being likened to the Heroes journey. He also believes that in order to have the right kind of social impact moving into the future, one needs to form a Super Organism. Overall, Sood believes that we must have each other's backs and work together if we want to see humanity flourish into the best future for all of humankind. If you're in online marketing, you've likely heard the news... More than 50% of your visitors are now coming from mobile. That's half of all of your visitors. Meaning that they are browsing your site from their phones. And that trend is only going to increase. So, it makes sense that Google has recently announced some big changes. Changes related to making the mobile SEO experience in 2017 more favorable. For example, Google is penalizing websites that have "interstitials". Meaning any website that has a user-obstructing pop-up or distracting window that blocks the content of the site. Advertisement And a few loud internet marketers have declared this the death of email marketing. But they're wrong. If anything, this is the year of email marketing. Sure, there might be some 2017 email marketing trends that arise to respond to announcements like Google's, but it's not going anywhere anytime soon. Email marketing still drives a disproportionately large amount of sales. In fact, just two years ago email marketing brought in 25.1% of all Black Friday sales online which was more than any other single marketing channel, like social media marketing or paid. In 2015, email marketing performed equally as well on the biggest shopping day of the year, bringing in another 25%+ of sales. And that makes sense, because... Email marketing gives you direct access to your audience. Think about it. You check your email every day - likely far more than once per day. Let's try once per hour. When you're in your inbox, you're being communicated with directly (and privately), without the distractions of Facebook, other search engine listings, or notifications. Advertisement It's just you and that email. As a marketer, the direct access to your audience's attention -- whenever you need it the most -- is not only smart for engagement, but also smart for sales. Humans have the attention span of a goldfish, so you don't want to compete with a million distractions for your audience's attention. Email marketing helps with that. It's perhaps because of this that... Email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment. You get more bang for your buck with email marketing than almost any other type of marketing. In fact, stats show that email marketing has return of 44.25x. For every $100 you sink into email marketing for your business you can expect an average of $4,425 back. Not bad, right? Chalk it up to the relationship you've built with your audience that even made getting their email addresses possible. Your email list is your biggest asset because of these reasons, as well as others. Your email list is one of the only things you can control. Like I demonstrated above when I told you about Google's updates, you can't control your search engine rankings. You don't own them. You're not entitled to them. And while you can influence your rankings, you can't control whether Google wants to penalize you for something. Advertisement Google's main goal is to make money -- like any company's. And the way Google makes money from it's search function is through display ads. Google doesn't want you to rely on your email list to make money. It wants you to have to rely on paying them for ads. No matter how amazing having a strong email list is for you, it's bad for Google for you to be independent of them. And that's not even mentioning social. Social platforms are turning to algorithmic feeds, meaning you can no longer control who sees your posts on your Facebook page or even Instagram marketing. If anyone tries to tell you that email marketing is dead in 2017, they're wrong. ***PLEASE POST IN HUFFINGTON POST CANADA. THANKS!!*** 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: Hulu 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). Advertisement 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! Advertisement 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!" "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." Advertisement 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. 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! Hutchinson contracts with a collection agency for unpaid utility bills Contract with Topeka-based collector could double collections on unpaid city bills, but it will significantly increase cost for debtors Kimberly Roberts-Morandi explains the changes in the new tests and how the schools are preparing for them. A comparison of the testing requirements of MCAS, PARCC and MCAS 2.0. PreviousNext North Adams Schools Preparing for Standardized Testing Roberts-Morandi walks the School Committee through sample questions on Tuesday. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The state Department of Education doesn't know what the new standardized tests will be called. MCAS 2.0? MCAS the "New Generation?" The "Next Generation?" While they might not know the name, educators are preparing for a version of the 20-year-old Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System that will be more in-depth and more complex than ever before. "Sometimes the upgrades are really minor, and you as a user might not even notice what has actually changed," Superintendent Barbara Malkas told the School Committee on Tuesday. "This is not one of those situations." MCAS 2.0 is expected to be a very different assessment from the original MCAS, and while being described as PARRC-like, she said, "it is not PARCC-lite." Schools had been offered the option over the last couple years to participate in pilot testing of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers standardized tests. The state has been a founding leader in the consortium developing PARCC. Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester said in November 2015 that the state would transition to a next-generation MCAS heavily influenced by PARCC. The first pilot testing for the MCAS 2.0 is this coming spring with implementation of the online testing statewide in 2019. Grades 3-8 and 10 will all be tested on the new English and math; Grades 5, 8 and 10 will continue with the older science, technology and engineering this year. Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said districtwide preparation is taking a two-pronged approach - preparing students for both the complexity of the testing and the technological needs. "The test is reflective now of this increased level of complexity and standards and what the students are being asked to do, so the teaching needs to also focus on this level of complexity on these standard-based questions," she said. "So we really have to make sure we have alignment between what's happening every day in the classroom because that's where the magic is happening." Participating grades will have practice sessions prior to the implementation of the test in May and instructional packets are being prepared for leadership teams and teachers. The summary for Grade 3 alone is seven pages, she said. Where MCAS focused on single multiple choice selections and short answers, along with some essays, the new test will take off from the PARCC standards of multiple choice questions that have more than one answer, more in-depth problem-solving and more demanding essays at all levels. "One of the big things we saw was the increased level of complexity ... depth of knowledge was also something you really had to be concerned with," Roberts-Morandi explained. "PARCC took the 'what' that we had in MCAS and really started to ask the 'why.'' Students will not only be asked to solve problems but also to show how they came to their conclusions, which is going to be a focus of MCAS 2.0. An estimated 1,500 people marched down North Street on a cold Saturday. Rev. Sheila Sholes-Ross. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, James Roosevelt, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, Mayor Linda Tyer, Eleanore Valez, Peter Marchetti. Mayor Linda Tyer. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. Ethan Zuckerman. Ayla Wallace. Tahirah Amatul-Wadud. James Roosevelt. Eleanore Velez. Peter Marchetti. Elizabeth Recko Morrison. PreviousNext Berkshire Residents Rally in Pittsfield Against Bigotry & Prejudice Mayor Linda Tyer, one of many elected officials to join the march, leads a chant of 'Four Freedoms Strong.' See more photos here. PITTSFIELD, Mass. It is a different world today that James Roosevelt lives in compared to his grandfather, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But the fight for four basic human freedoms remains the same. It was on Jan. 6, 1941, when FDR delivered what is known as the Four Freedoms address in which he called for a world founded on the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of every person to worship in his own way, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Seventy-six years later, James Roosevelt was standing at the podium at First Church of Christ in Pittsfield calling for the same freedoms. "The challenges we face at the beginning of 2017 have different specifics but the same essences. Today we face unprecedented assaults on each of the four freedoms," Roosevelt said. "On freedom of speech, we've seen the banning of the Washington Post and Buzzfeed from presidential campaign events. We've seen fake news from Breitbart to Alex Jones to RT, the Russian propaganda television network that is carried on many of our cable systems. On freedom of worship, we've seen attacked, for the first time in 75 years, an attempt to ban people of a particular religion from this country and create a registry of those people. We've seen an attack on the things that protect us from freedom from want. An attack on the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, they all face serious efforts to repeal, privatize, and cut back benefits and shift responsibility to local governments where it was 100 years ago." "We've seen a serious attack on freedom from fear. From Oklahoma City to chants of 'go back to where you came' from to 'string her up' to Orlando to Fort Lauderdale [referencing recent gun violence]. We are confronted by a culture of weapons and verbal assault. It is essential that all Americans rally, as you are doing today, to defend our democracy." Roosevelt was addressing an estimated 1,500 people who overflowed the church proper and packed into its second floor, all of whom were taking a stand against those attacks. A Four Freedoms Coalition, formed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Berkshire Central Labor Council, and the Berkshire Brigades, organized the rally in support of those four freedoms and against bigotry and prejudice. Shortly after noon, people began gathering at St. Joseph's Church on North Street and at 1, carrying signs and banners, the chanting crowd of more than a thousand marched down to Park Square. Among them was U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, who delivered a speech at the church that earned standing ovations and repeated applause. The Democrat drew a link from the Four Freedoms speech to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a Dream speech, saying King had built on the FDR's vision. But now, Markey said, there is a group in America that is trying to destroy those ideals. "There are others out there who also have a dream. Their dream is that one day our nation will be surrounded by a wall built with bigotry and hate. They have a dream that one day our nation will judge by your race, by your religion, by your country of origin. They have a dream that one day our nation will have no more Muslims or mosques or Planned Parenthood or Social Security. These people do not want the dream of Dr. King, of President Roosevelt to be realized. They want to see it crushed," Markey said. He said Massachusetts has already fought for universal health care, gay marriage, and the highest minimum wage. Massachusetts is not just any state, he said, but a state that "starts revolutions." "The Revolution began here in Lexington and the Berkshires. The abolitionist movement started here in the Berkshires, in Massachusetts. The movement for women's suffrage started here in Massachusetts. The movement against the war in Vietnam started here in Massachusetts. That is who we are. We matter. We are not just any state: We are the start the begins these revolutions," Markey said. There is still more work to be done, he said, and called for those in attendance to fight against the National Rifle Association, work to overturn the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United, and march to ensure immigrants don't live in fear and children have the right to education. "We must now, for the next four years, work together in order to protect this vision of Martin Luther King and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. President Roosevelt said that the true check on our progress as a nation is not whether we do more for those who already have much but whether we do enough for those who have too little," Markey said. Markey was just one of a dozen speakers Saturday, all of whom echoed similar sentiments about fighting to ensure all people are entitled to those four freedoms. The freedom from fear was a particular focus. Eleanore Velez, director of Berkshire Community College's multicultural center, told stories of immigrants being verbally assaulted right here in Berkshire County. She said when people hear her accent many often assume she is a criminal. But she reminded the crowd that everyone here descended from immigrants and beneath skin tones and accents, all people are the same. "We believe the American dream is not dead. It is alive. I see it every year at graduation. Dreams are possible in America," Velez said. "Sometimes dreams turn into nightmares. Many, many of us are afraid our dreams will turn into a nightmare." City Council President Peter Marchetti is gay and said when a gunman opened fire in Orlando, Fla.'s Pulse Nightclub last June, it "reignited fear in many of us." But, shortly after hundreds rallied in Park Square standing up for "equality and justice for all." U.S. Sen. Edward Markey elicts loud cheers with his speech. "Freedom from fear. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I understand the fear many of us feel at times because some people's opinions and values are not the same as ours and they express it. But I also understand that prejudice and bigotry are not something that just affects members of the gay community but also affects people of color, immigrants, people who disabilities, people with different religious beliefs, and the list goes on and on," Marchetti said. "Today, I stand with all of you to make a statement that hatred, prejudice, and bigotry must be overcome." Attorney Tahirah Amatul-Wadud is Muslim, a religion that is "under attack" in the current world. But the religion isn't that far from Christianity or Judaism, she said and encouraged people to be involved with their own religious organization more and to understand others. She called for religious literacy and awareness of others. "We have to bridge these gaps of lack of awareness," she said. "This is our global community and these are the rights that are owed." Elizabeth Recko Morrison made no bones about it she is a union member and an "unapologetic liberal." When it comes to the freedom from want that means providing workers with affordable health care, child care, education, and a living wage. She called for unions to unite to help push for progressive values. "Everyone needs and deserves a job that pays minimally a living wage," she said, later adding, "nothing is more liberating than knowing you can pay your bills." U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, used his three minutes to make a case to preserve Social Security. He said without it, his family would never have made it. He wants to protect Social Security and Medicare, which he says make America a better place. But all of those things the speakers and the crowd were calling for cannot come from the federal government alone, said Ethan Zukerman, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Civic Media. He said there are "scary trends" happening not only in America but all over the world. He called on people to be united in the fight to preserve freedoms. "The way we achieve freedom from fear is through solidarity," Zukerman said. NAACP branch President Dennis Powell rounded off the afternoon, before the crowd browsed "action tables" at which they could sign up to work with a number of organizations serving the community, and encapsulated the event by citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a 30-article document adopted by the United Nations. He said every single person has the right to work, to have their children educated, to have a standard of living that provides food, housing, and health care. "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. We are endowed with the reasons and ethics and should act for one another in a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood," Powell said. "Everyone is entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration without distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religious, political or other opinions, national or social orders, property, birth or other status. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person. The Rev. Sheila Sholes-Ross, from First Baptist Church, was the emcee and the Rev. James Lumsden welcomed the crowd into his church as well as leading a brief sing-along, Miss Hall's student Ayla Wallace read a poem she wrote that was fitting for the occasion. iciHaiti - France : The diaspora congratulates the election of Jovenel Moise Jean-Pierre Roy, President of the Federation of the Haitian Diaspora in Europe "FEDHE" in a message addressed to the newly elected President of Haiti Jovenel Moise, "presents his most warm congratulations on your election and takes the opportunity to express his wishes to you for the new year 2017. The Federation remains convinced that these long-awaited results will finally pave the way for political stability in Haiti, a prerequisite for placing the country on the path of development and progress. We, the members of the FEDHE, are convinced that your team and you will make every effort to strengthen republican institutions, establish a rule of law, that obeys the laws and recommendations of the constitution, establish a society based on justice which will apply to all citizens. We also hope to see the general states of the nation realized in order to guarantee true social cohesion and unprecedented national unity. Mr President, may this new year 2017 enable the Diaspora to renew its commitment to participate in the process of reconstruction and sustainable development in Haiti and to continue working for the integration of Haitians living abroad into the social, political and economic life of Haiti." IH/ iciHaiti Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rings was supposed to be released in cinemas in October, but was quietly pushed back and has now been rescheduled for a 3 February in the US. To remind people of that fact, Paramount has released a shorter version of the full trailer showing that Samara is back, and has apparently learned how to send emails. The film is set 13 years after the events of the first story in the horror franchise. Julia (Matilda Lutz) worries about her boyfriend Holt (Alex Roe) who becomes fascinated in the dark urban legend of a mysterious videotape, which was said to kill the viewer after seven says. We're past the days of VHS tapes, however, and Samara's video has gone viral online. Julia sacrifices herself so she can save her boyfriend but doing so leads her to make a horrific discovery - there is a "movie within the movie" that no one has ever seen before. It was reported that Rings was pushed back in order to avoid competition with Ouija: Origin of Evil, which was the only horror film to debut around Halloween 2016. Rings is directed by F. Javier Gutierrez, with The Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki and Vincent D'Onofrio also appearing in the film. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tom Hardy has responded to speculation that he may have a cameo in an upcoming Star Wars film. Hollywood stars have made a few sneaky appearances in recent films; Simon Pegg donned a giant suit to play scrap dealer Unkar Platt, while James Bond actor Daniel Craig had a stint as a mind-controlled stormtrooper in The Force Awakens. Rumours over Hardy appearing in the franchise have been going on for some time, and now he has addressed them in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. "I don't know if I can even say that," he said when asked if he had a cameo. "Where did you hear that?... Ah, the internet is a glorious web of deceit and information, isn't it? "It could be [misinformation] couldn't it?" he added. Keep an ear out for a gruff voice mumbling from under a stormtrooper helmet in the next Star Wars film. Hardy is currently starring in the new BBC series Taboo, a historical series that sees the actor as adventurer James Delaney, who uncovers a dark family conspiracy upon returning home from Africa. Hardy devised the story with his father Chips, and collaborated with Peaky Blinders producer Steven Knight, after appearing in the series as gangster baker Alfie Solomons. Taboo airs on 7 January on BBC One at 9.15pm Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A UK ban on toxic plastic microbeads in cosmetic products could be unenforceable, as it breaches EU law, a new report has warned. Last month, environment secretary Andrea Leadsom vowed to ban the sales of products containing the dangerous microscopic plastic particles by the end of the year, following pressure from environmentalist campaigners. But a detailed report published by the House of Commons Library has warned that any attempt to impose a unilateral ban could break EU free trade laws. Recommended Tesco bans microbeads from all products As a national ban on microbeads could be considered to restrict the free movement of goods, a Member State would have to show that the ban was justified, the report stated. Researchers have noted that so far no EU country has successfully banned microbeads and warned that a ruling against them could contravene the EU Treaties that prohibit member states from measures that restrict the free movement of goods. The report, which provides impartial research publications for members of parliaments, said EU regulations do allow for product restrictions for non-economic environmental reasons, but warned that ministers would have to prove such a ban was proportionate, backed by scientific evidence and did not discriminate against producers in any EU state. It also advises the proposed legislation could be open to legal challenge by cosmetics companies affected by the ban. An estimated 16-86 tons of the plastic microbeads, which are commonly found in cosmetics such as exfoliating scrubs and some toothpastes, are washed into the sea each year from the UK, previous research papers have shown. In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Plastic trashes drifting on the sea surface in Marseille's islands In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution The Bishnumati river running through Kathmandu in Nepal. The river is full of litter and raw sewage which is emptied into the river. The local people see the river as a rubbish collection service In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Garbage in the harbour of Tripoli, Libya In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Plastic and other undissolvable wastes float over the polluted Vrishabhavathi River, which a few years back use to supply drinking water to Bangalore 48 km to the north, in Kundanahalli village, Ramnagaram district, India In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Children collect plastic to be sold and recycled at a polluted river in suburban Manila In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Plastic bags and other rubbish are collected from the waters of Manila Bay during a campaign by environmental activists earlier this year Getty Images In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution A man collects plastic bags and other rubbish from the waters of Manila Bay In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution A woman throws out a doll while she selects recyclable plastic bottles, along Tiete river where floating foam blocks emit harmful gasses, in Pirapora de Bom Jesus, 60 Km north of Sao Paulo, Brazil In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Baby sea otter pup chews on a plastic cookie wrapper In pictures: Plastic pollution around the world Plastic pollution Bin overflowing with plastic rubbish, central London These microplastics are in ingested by marine life and have been found in zooplankton, mussels, oysters, seals and whales, along with several other species. Last year the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee warned that increasing amounts of damage was being done to marine life in this way, which could, in turn, provide a health risk to humans. Officials from the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association have called the proposed ban unnecessary, as it is predicted that the majority of microbeads will be removed from cosmetics by 2020 under voluntary agreements. But Mary Creagh, Labour chairman of the Commons environment audit committee, said: Consumers want to see these harmful plastics removed and many of the big players are doing it it would fly in the face of consumer wishes for the industry to take legal action. Government ministers in Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have also called for an EU-wide ban on use of the particles. Following Ms Leadsomes promise to enforce a UK ban, the Government is said to be exploring an extension of the ban to other household products such as washing powder and household cleaners. A coalition of environmental groups the Environmental Investigation Agency, Fauna & Flora International, Greenpeace UK and the Marine Conservation Society have welcomed the cosmetics ban, but agreed it needed to be broader in order to have a worthwhile impact. [The ban] must cover all microplastics as marine life doesnt distinguish between plastic from a face wash and plastic from a washing detergent, the groups said in a statement. The microbeads ban must cover all plastics in all household and industrial products that can go down our drains. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} He had spent his latest 45-hour working week 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, pay day, 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 or so workers from their stations in the unmarked brick building and passed out pay-slips. For the week, he said, he had been paid $225 (183). Or $5 (4) per hour. There's nothing to do but take it, Pedro said. While immigrants often face criticism for stealing jobs, they are the ones being increasingly undercut in Americas clothing industry, forced to accept wages below the legal minimum as retailers fight to pass on bargain prices to consumers. Recommended Thousands of retailers are facing Christmas collapse Federal regulators have uncovered a widespread practise of garment workers, most of them undocumented, being paid below the legal minimum wage, according to a recent Department of Labour report. Those findings were echoed in interviews with workers and workers activists here. Its almost been a perfect storm for the garment industry, said Ruben Rosalez, a regional administrator at the Department of Labours wage and hour division, based in San Francisco. Not only do [the employers] have the pricing pressure, but they have a labour 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 US to avoid transportation time and costs and to benefit from higher quality manufacturing processes. But immigrants who once moved from poorer countries to the US for economic opportunity are now watching their prospects falter as they compete against lower-cost hubs such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Mexico. As the number of US-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 Labour Department report, clothing prices at many retailers would have to rise nearly 40 per cent 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 Labour 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 neighbour to join him at a nearby taco truck with handmade tortillas. Clothes for sale on the street in Los Angeles (Pablo Unzueta) 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 pay-cheque that did not reflect the work he actually did: it said he had been on the clock that week for 21 hours, and other pay-slips similarly understated his work. Lawyers and activists say it's a common practise 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 organising coordinator the Garment Worker Centre, 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 practise 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 Labour Department's enforcement efforts, but it does not control or influence what vendors pay their employees, contractors or subcontractors. Federal labour investigators and employers draw a direct connection between the meagre 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 past two decades, consumer prices in real terms have risen more than 50 per cent in the US, according to government data, but clothing costs less today than it did 20 years ago. As part of its investigation, the Department of Labour in 2016 visited at random 77 garment companies throughout southern California. At 85 per cent of those places, they reported finding labour violations mostly failures to pay minimum wage. The sewing companies cluster in several dilapidated neighbourhoods around downtown Los Angeles. Inside block after block of one- and two-storey 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 labour 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 labour 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. Mariela Martinez, 24, is an organiser for the Garment Worker Centre (Pablo Unzueta) 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. In th 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 appeared. 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 Labour 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 past 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 per cent 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. The Garment District in Los Angeles (Pablo Unzueta) Su, the California labour 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 Labour Commission to appear for the conference, only two showed up. Recommended UK retail sales surge over Black Friday and early December 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 low-balling 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. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Brunching out Tapas is not your usual brunch affair. But the modern British tapas style menu at The Set Cafe, is innovative, fresh and exciting where art is as much in the decor as it is in the presentation. Found inside the townhouse Artist Residence hotel on Brightons historic Regency Square, brunch is served on Sundays from 11.30am to 3.30pm. Youre advised to pick two dishes each which is actually quite a hard feat to do from the nine on offer that range between 6 and 8. Dishes come out as soon as theyre ready in true tapas style which is a good idea so dishes dont get cold as you munch through. The cafe opened its doors this time last year. The previous spring the restaurant was launched by Semone Bonner Bonner, formerly head chef at The Ginger Pig, and Dan Kenny, former head chef at The Gingerman. Without a doubt, the highlight of the menu is the partridge hash. As one of the bigger plates, the pulled meat is covered in a light-crisped batter, sitting atop red onions which balance the richness of the meat. Piled on top, is fried egg with a light Marmite hollandaise drizzled over but if youre a hater of the black stuff, as I am, dont be put off, as its only a hint. Veggies dont have to miss out on this one, as the chef has rekindled an old British classic, using bubble and squeak in place of the partridge. Cured mackerel, parsnip, beetroot Next in line for me is the cured mackerel. This dish alone is a work of art, with thinly cut slices of beetroot bringing it to life, and a pureed parsnip, it forms a lighter option. The rest of the menu uses smaller dishes of traditional main dishes with breakfast twists, like pork belly with black pudding presented beautifully. And if youve room, go for the fried banana bread for pudding but you might need to share it. Its sweet and totally indulgent with malt ice cream and smoked fudge sauce. Partridge hash, red cabbage ketchup, fried egg and Marmite hollandaise Without missing a trick, theres also a bottomless brunch menu for 30 you get two dishes and unlimited bloody marys or orange prosecco mimosas. Other cocktails include a breakfast Martini, or iced tea, with rum and peach for 7.50 and 7. Food and drink news Show all 35 1 /35 Food and drink news Food and drink news Healthy living makes us more inclined to binge, research suggests Gluten-free breads, dairy-free milks and other plant-based products have been some of the most favoured foods in British supermarkets this year. However, while were busy filling our shopping trolleys with gluten-free goodness, were also jamming it with junk food and alcohol, new research suggests Getty/iStock Food and drink news Growing list of Vegan celebs Making the switch to veganism is a major lifestyle choice, one that many claim can improve energy levels, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and clear up any skin issues. Beyonce, Natalie Portman and Jessica Chastain are among the growing list of Hollywood stars who have eschewed animal products from their diets in recent years. Theres also been an increasing number of professional athletes who have gone vegan, such as boxing champions Mike Tyson and David Haye, thus debunking the myth that following a plant-based diet will leave you feeling weak and malnourished. AFP/Getty/NARAS/iHeartMedia Food and drink news McDonald's has announced the launch of a new vegan burger on its menu in Germany This will mark the first time the German franchise of the fast food chain has offered a vegan burger to its customers. The Big Vegan TS burger consists of a patty made from soy and wheat. It is served in a classic sesame seed bun, and contains salad, tomato, pickles and red onion. McDonald's Germany Food and drink news Drinking too many protein shakes could lead to an increased risk of obesity and a reduced lifespan, a new study has claimed Researchers from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre carried out an investigation to determine the impact excessive consumption of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) has on the body. BCAA supplements are often consumed in the form of powder, which is then added to water to make a shake. Published in journal Nature Metabolism, the study found that while BCAAs help to build muscle, they can also negatively impact an individual's temperament, cause weight gain and lead to a shortened lifespan Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Britain consumes more chocolate than any other country Most people love chocolate but it turns out no one does more than the Brits with the average Brit found to have consumed 8.4 kg of chocolate in 2017, according to new data. Chocolate consumption around the world is on the rise, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), which found that in the past year alone, Easter chocolate production has risen by 23 per cent Food and drink news 'Easter eggs should be banned for children under four' Dr Becky Spelman, chief psychologist at Harley Streets Private Therapy Clinic, is calling for Easter eggs to be banned for consumption for children under the age of four, claiming that giving them the opportunity to binge on chocolate so young will give them an unhealthy relationship with food later on. "This is a nightmare situation for parents of this generation as they have no idea how to teach their children to delay their response to cravings, she said, explaining that too many young kids binge on these chocolates because their parents dont know how to stop them. "Once a child starts overeating behaviour at a young age its very hard to turn things around for them in terms of food and their eating habits moving forward, leading to obesity from at very young age," she added PA Food and drink news Pineapple overtakes avocado as the UK's fastest-selling fruit According to Tesco, pineapple has overtaken avocado as the UKs fastest-selling fruit, with sales increasing by 15 per cent in 2017. In comparison, avocado sales rose by just under 10 per cent last year. The popular supermarket says the surge in popularity comes as shoppers buying the versatile fruit are beginning to use it as a main ingredient in everything from curries and barbecues, to juices and cocktails Getty Food and drink news Marks & Spencers launches stoneless avocados Rather than the result of genetic modification, the avocados are formed by an unpollinated avocado blossom. The fruit develops without a seed which in turns stops the growth, creating a small, seedless fruit. Whats more, the skin is actually edible, unlike a regular avocado. The flesh is much like that of a normal avocado - smooth and creamy, pale in colour and rich in flavour M&S Food and drink news Office teabags contain 17 times more germs than a toilet seat, reveals study The average bacterial reading of an office teabag was 3,785, in comparison to only 220 for a toilet seat. Other pieces of kitchen equipment also stacked up highly in their findings, with the bacterial readings averaging at 2,483 on kettle handles, 1,746 on the rim of a used mug and 1,592 on a fridge door handle Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New study shows drinking more coffee leads to a longer life There is good news and a final hope for coffee addicts and lovers. You will now be able to drink coffee for longer as new study shows its can lead to a prolonged life. Scientists showed that those who drank between two and four cups of coffee a day had 18% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. PA Food and drink news Coke Zero is replaced with Coke Zero Sugar Coca-Cola is pulling the plug on its Coke Zero. The much loved drink will be replaced with a new improved taste. The move, backed with a 10 million campaign, is said to come from Coca-Cola supporting people to reduce their sugar intake. Coca-Cola want people make this move while not sacrificing sugary taste of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Food and drink news Starbucks introduce new avocado spread The avocado craze has grown from hipster brunch restaurants to Starbucks. Starbucks have introduced their new avocado spread earlier this year and it has the internet in debate. Some argue that it not a spread but guacamole while others question if there is any avocado in there at all. When buying the new spread you can also buy an optional toasted bagel. It is a must try for all avocado connoisseurs. Starbucks Food and drink news New Mars chocolate bar The iconic British chocolate bar is about to get its partner in crime. The new bar, named Goodness Knows, will replace the gooey caramel goodness of the mars bar with oats. It is said to be more like a Florentine biscuit with a thin dark chocolate bottom. While being moderately healthy Mars says that is has good intentions. One pack has 154 calories and will sell for about 90p. Mars Food and drink news Wine prices could increase because of Brexit Wine lovers across the UK might soon have to shell out close to a quarter more for their favourite tipple after Brexit, as a weaker pound and sluggish economy takes its toll, a new study shows Rex Food and drink news Chocolate may be good for the heart A new study, published in the British Medical Journal: Heart, found that moderate chocolate intake can be positively associated with lessening the risk of the heart arrhythmia condition Atrial Fibrillation Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Brits throw away 1.4 million bananas each year British families are throwing away 1.4 million bananas that are perfectly good to eat every day at cost of 80m a year, new figures have shown PA/Armin Weigel Food and drink news Rosemary sales spike over exam time There has been a surge a surge in sales of the herb rosemary after a recent study found it helps improve memory. According to high street health food chain Holland & Barrett, sales of the herb have increased by 187 per cent compared to the same time last year Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Gluten-free diets 'not recommended' for people without coeliac disease Avoiding wheat, barley and rye in the belief that a gluten-free diet brings health benefits may do more harm than good, according to a team of US nutrition and medicine experts Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Starbucks launches two new coffee-based drinks Starbucks is launching two new coffee-based drinks in the UK, as it strives to tap into consumers growing appetite for healthy beverages. The Cold Brew Vanilla sweet cream and the Cappuccino Freddo, will both be available in stores throughout the UK from the start of May Twitter/@SbuxCountyHall Food and drink news Cadburys Dairy Milk Tiffin is making a permanent comeback after 80 years The Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin, first produced in 1937, is making a permanent comeback to the UK. The raisin and biscuit-filled chocolate bar is being launched after a successful trial last summer saw 3 million chocolate treats at the cost of 1.49 for each 95g bar- purchased by nostalgic customers Cadburys Food and drink news Pizza restaurant makes worlds cheesiest 'Scottie's Pizza Parlor' in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Facebook/Scottie's Pizza Parlor Food and drink news A pizza joint in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Why not eating before a workout could be better for your health A study published in the American Journal of Physiology by researchers at the University of Bath found you might be likely to burn more fat if you have not eaten first Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New York restaurant named best in the world A New York restaurant where an average meal for two will cost $700 has been named the best in the world. Eleven Madison Park won the accolade for the first time after debuting on the list at number 50 in 2010. The restaurant was praised for a fun sense of fine-dining, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room Getty Images Food and drink news Why you crave bad food when youre tired Researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago recently presented their results of a study looking into the effects of sleep deprivation upon high-calorific food consumption. Researchers found that those who were sleep-deprived had specifically enhanced brain activity to the food smells compared to when they had a good nights sleep Shutterstock Food and drink news Drinking wine engages more of your brain than solving maths problems Drinking wine is the ideal workout for your brain, engaging more parts of our grey matter than any other human behaviour, according to a leading neuroscientist. Dr Gordon Shepherd, from the Yale School of Medicine, said sniffing and analysing a wine before drinking it requires exquisite control of one of the biggest muscles in the body Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news British dessert eating surges after people ditch healthy eating in February : In heartening news for anyone feeling guilty about quitting their New Year diet, it seems lots of us have given in to our sweet tooths once again. New data from nationwide food-delivery service Deliveroo reveals there was a surge in Brits ordering desserts in February compared to the first month of 2017 Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news US congress debates definition of milk alternatives A new bill has been created that seeks to ban dairy alternatives from using the term milk. Titled the DAIRY PRIDE Act, the name is a tenuous acronym for defending against imitations and replacements of yogurt, milk, and cheese to promote regular intake of dairy every day. It argues that the dairy industry is struggling as a result of all the dairy-free alternatives on the market and the public are being duped too Getty Images Food and drink news Cadburys launches two new chocolate bars UK confectionary giant Cadbury has launched two new chocolate bars, hoping to lure those with a sweet tooth and perhaps help combat some of the challenges it faces from rising commodity prices and a post-Brexit slump in the value of the pound.The companys new products will be peanut butter and mint flavoured. They will be available in most major super markets as 120g bars, priced at 1.49, according to the company Cadburys Food and drink news You can now get a job as a professional chocolate eater The company responsible for some of your favourite chocolate brands think Cadbury, Milks, Prince and Oreo have officially announced an opening to join their team as a professional chocolate taster. The successful candidate will help them to test, perfect and launch new products all over the world. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news MSG additive used in Chinese food is actually good for you, scientist claims For years, weve been told MSG (the sodium salt of glutamic acid) - often associated with cheap Chinese takeaways - is awful for our health and to be avoided at all costs. But one scientist argues it should be used as a supersalt and encourages adding it to food. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Lettuce prices are rising Not only are lettuces becoming an increasingly rare commodity in supermarkets, but prices for the leafy vegetables seem to be rising too. According to the weekly report from the Governments Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a pair of Little Gem lettuces had an average market price of 0.86 in the week that ended on Friday, up from an average of 0.56 in the previous week thats an almost 54 per cent increase. Getty Images Food and drink news Do-It-Yourself restaurant To encourage more people to cook and eat together, IKEA has launched The Dining Club in Shoreditch a fully immersive Do-It-Yourself restaurant . Members of the public can book to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family. Supported by their very own sous chef and maitre de, the host and their guests will orchestrate an intimate dining experience where cooking together is celebrated and eating together is inspirational Mikael Buck / IKEA Food and drink news Ping Pong menu with a twist Gatwick Airport has teamed up with London dim sum restaurant Ping Pong to create a limited edition menu with a distinctly British twist; including a Full English Bao and Beef Wellington Puff, to celebrate the launch of the airports new route to Hong Kong Food and drink news Zizzi unveil the Maamgharita Unique pizza art has been created by Zizzi in celebration of the Queens 90th birthday. The pizza features the queen in an iconic pose illustrated with fresh and tasty Italian ingredients on a backdrop of the Union Jack Food and drink news Blue potatoes make a comeback Blue potatoes, once a staple part of British potato crops, are back on the menu thanks to a Cambridge scientist turned-organic farmer and Farmdrop, an online marketplace that lets people buy direct from local farms. Cambridge PhD graduate-turned farmer, Adrian Izzard has used traditional growing techniques at Wild Country Organics to produce the colourful spuds, packed with healthy cell-protecting anthocyanin, which had previously disappeared from UK plates when post-war farmers were pushed towards higher-yielding varieties The interior has been given just as much thought as the food. Its stripped back in industrial chic with reclaimed floorboards and exposed bricks, mid-century school chairs and scaffold-pipe style table legs while the walls have an eclectic mix of modern art. Its a relaxed environment, with newspapers on the front bar which youre encouraged to help yourself to so says the menu for Sunday relaxing. Juice and water are also on a help-yourself basis, where the water is brightened with fresh fruit. For the best views, book a table at the front of the cafe to overlook the sea. The Set, 33 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2GG; 01273 855 572; thesetrestauant.com Brunching in... Cinnamon millet porridge with fresh figs, cranberries and roasted nuts A delicious hit of cinnamon. Whether you enjoy this heartwarming breakfast on a cold winter morning or in the middle of summer, its perfect to start the day off right. Not only filling, this porridge (oatmeal) will keep you energised throughout the day and make your tummy happy and satisfied. Youve never had millet for breakfast before? Then its about time you try it! Millet is one of my favourite wholegrains to make porridge with. And its delicious, nutty taste goes so well with cinnamon and figs. Serves 1 Porridge 200 ml water pinch of salt 4 tbsp millet 100ml milk or soy, almond, rice equivalent 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 2-3 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice 1 tbsp almond butter Toppings 2 fresh figs 1 tbsp dried unsweetened cranberries 2-3 tbsp crushed pistachios, roasted 2-3 tbsp crushed pecans, roasted Maple syrup or sweetener of choice Recommended Why the globe should go vegetarian Bring the water and salt to a boil, add the millet and cook in a saucepan over a medium heat for about 12-14 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, turn down the heat a bit and cook for another 4-5 minutes. For the topping, put the crushed pistachios and pecans into a frying pan or skillet, drizzle some maple syrup on top and toast over a medium heat for a couple of minutes or until golden brown. Take off the heat and let them cool. Add another dash of milk to the porridge if desired and pour into your breakfast bowl. Cut the figs into quarters and arrange them on top of the porridge. Sprinkle over the cranberries and roasted nuts. If you like you can drizzle more maple syrup on top. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Sweet toast three ways Whenever youre in a hurry in the morning but still want to eat something filling and nutritious without losing too much time, these toasts are exactly what youre looking for. The choice of bread is yours, simply make sure its wholewheat and has no added sugar. To make a lighter version, replace the bread with brown rice cakes or wholewheat crackers. Serves 1 Almond and raspberry 2-3tsp almond butter 2tsp sugar-free or home-made berry jam 1tbsp raspberries Food and drink news Show all 35 1 /35 Food and drink news Food and drink news Healthy living makes us more inclined to binge, research suggests Gluten-free breads, dairy-free milks and other plant-based products have been some of the most favoured foods in British supermarkets this year. However, while were busy filling our shopping trolleys with gluten-free goodness, were also jamming it with junk food and alcohol, new research suggests Getty/iStock Food and drink news Growing list of Vegan celebs Making the switch to veganism is a major lifestyle choice, one that many claim can improve energy levels, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and clear up any skin issues. Beyonce, Natalie Portman and Jessica Chastain are among the growing list of Hollywood stars who have eschewed animal products from their diets in recent years. Theres also been an increasing number of professional athletes who have gone vegan, such as boxing champions Mike Tyson and David Haye, thus debunking the myth that following a plant-based diet will leave you feeling weak and malnourished. AFP/Getty/NARAS/iHeartMedia Food and drink news McDonald's has announced the launch of a new vegan burger on its menu in Germany This will mark the first time the German franchise of the fast food chain has offered a vegan burger to its customers. The Big Vegan TS burger consists of a patty made from soy and wheat. It is served in a classic sesame seed bun, and contains salad, tomato, pickles and red onion. McDonald's Germany Food and drink news Drinking too many protein shakes could lead to an increased risk of obesity and a reduced lifespan, a new study has claimed Researchers from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre carried out an investigation to determine the impact excessive consumption of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) has on the body. BCAA supplements are often consumed in the form of powder, which is then added to water to make a shake. Published in journal Nature Metabolism, the study found that while BCAAs help to build muscle, they can also negatively impact an individual's temperament, cause weight gain and lead to a shortened lifespan Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Britain consumes more chocolate than any other country Most people love chocolate but it turns out no one does more than the Brits with the average Brit found to have consumed 8.4 kg of chocolate in 2017, according to new data. Chocolate consumption around the world is on the rise, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), which found that in the past year alone, Easter chocolate production has risen by 23 per cent Food and drink news 'Easter eggs should be banned for children under four' Dr Becky Spelman, chief psychologist at Harley Streets Private Therapy Clinic, is calling for Easter eggs to be banned for consumption for children under the age of four, claiming that giving them the opportunity to binge on chocolate so young will give them an unhealthy relationship with food later on. "This is a nightmare situation for parents of this generation as they have no idea how to teach their children to delay their response to cravings, she said, explaining that too many young kids binge on these chocolates because their parents dont know how to stop them. "Once a child starts overeating behaviour at a young age its very hard to turn things around for them in terms of food and their eating habits moving forward, leading to obesity from at very young age," she added PA Food and drink news Pineapple overtakes avocado as the UK's fastest-selling fruit According to Tesco, pineapple has overtaken avocado as the UKs fastest-selling fruit, with sales increasing by 15 per cent in 2017. In comparison, avocado sales rose by just under 10 per cent last year. The popular supermarket says the surge in popularity comes as shoppers buying the versatile fruit are beginning to use it as a main ingredient in everything from curries and barbecues, to juices and cocktails Getty Food and drink news Marks & Spencers launches stoneless avocados Rather than the result of genetic modification, the avocados are formed by an unpollinated avocado blossom. The fruit develops without a seed which in turns stops the growth, creating a small, seedless fruit. Whats more, the skin is actually edible, unlike a regular avocado. The flesh is much like that of a normal avocado - smooth and creamy, pale in colour and rich in flavour M&S Food and drink news Office teabags contain 17 times more germs than a toilet seat, reveals study The average bacterial reading of an office teabag was 3,785, in comparison to only 220 for a toilet seat. Other pieces of kitchen equipment also stacked up highly in their findings, with the bacterial readings averaging at 2,483 on kettle handles, 1,746 on the rim of a used mug and 1,592 on a fridge door handle Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New study shows drinking more coffee leads to a longer life There is good news and a final hope for coffee addicts and lovers. You will now be able to drink coffee for longer as new study shows its can lead to a prolonged life. Scientists showed that those who drank between two and four cups of coffee a day had 18% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. PA Food and drink news Coke Zero is replaced with Coke Zero Sugar Coca-Cola is pulling the plug on its Coke Zero. The much loved drink will be replaced with a new improved taste. The move, backed with a 10 million campaign, is said to come from Coca-Cola supporting people to reduce their sugar intake. Coca-Cola want people make this move while not sacrificing sugary taste of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Food and drink news Starbucks introduce new avocado spread The avocado craze has grown from hipster brunch restaurants to Starbucks. Starbucks have introduced their new avocado spread earlier this year and it has the internet in debate. Some argue that it not a spread but guacamole while others question if there is any avocado in there at all. When buying the new spread you can also buy an optional toasted bagel. It is a must try for all avocado connoisseurs. Starbucks Food and drink news New Mars chocolate bar The iconic British chocolate bar is about to get its partner in crime. The new bar, named Goodness Knows, will replace the gooey caramel goodness of the mars bar with oats. It is said to be more like a Florentine biscuit with a thin dark chocolate bottom. While being moderately healthy Mars says that is has good intentions. One pack has 154 calories and will sell for about 90p. Mars Food and drink news Wine prices could increase because of Brexit Wine lovers across the UK might soon have to shell out close to a quarter more for their favourite tipple after Brexit, as a weaker pound and sluggish economy takes its toll, a new study shows Rex Food and drink news Chocolate may be good for the heart A new study, published in the British Medical Journal: Heart, found that moderate chocolate intake can be positively associated with lessening the risk of the heart arrhythmia condition Atrial Fibrillation Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Brits throw away 1.4 million bananas each year British families are throwing away 1.4 million bananas that are perfectly good to eat every day at cost of 80m a year, new figures have shown PA/Armin Weigel Food and drink news Rosemary sales spike over exam time There has been a surge a surge in sales of the herb rosemary after a recent study found it helps improve memory. According to high street health food chain Holland & Barrett, sales of the herb have increased by 187 per cent compared to the same time last year Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Gluten-free diets 'not recommended' for people without coeliac disease Avoiding wheat, barley and rye in the belief that a gluten-free diet brings health benefits may do more harm than good, according to a team of US nutrition and medicine experts Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Starbucks launches two new coffee-based drinks Starbucks is launching two new coffee-based drinks in the UK, as it strives to tap into consumers growing appetite for healthy beverages. The Cold Brew Vanilla sweet cream and the Cappuccino Freddo, will both be available in stores throughout the UK from the start of May Twitter/@SbuxCountyHall Food and drink news Cadburys Dairy Milk Tiffin is making a permanent comeback after 80 years The Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin, first produced in 1937, is making a permanent comeback to the UK. The raisin and biscuit-filled chocolate bar is being launched after a successful trial last summer saw 3 million chocolate treats at the cost of 1.49 for each 95g bar- purchased by nostalgic customers Cadburys Food and drink news Pizza restaurant makes worlds cheesiest 'Scottie's Pizza Parlor' in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Facebook/Scottie's Pizza Parlor Food and drink news A pizza joint in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Why not eating before a workout could be better for your health A study published in the American Journal of Physiology by researchers at the University of Bath found you might be likely to burn more fat if you have not eaten first Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New York restaurant named best in the world A New York restaurant where an average meal for two will cost $700 has been named the best in the world. Eleven Madison Park won the accolade for the first time after debuting on the list at number 50 in 2010. The restaurant was praised for a fun sense of fine-dining, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room Getty Images Food and drink news Why you crave bad food when youre tired Researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago recently presented their results of a study looking into the effects of sleep deprivation upon high-calorific food consumption. Researchers found that those who were sleep-deprived had specifically enhanced brain activity to the food smells compared to when they had a good nights sleep Shutterstock Food and drink news Drinking wine engages more of your brain than solving maths problems Drinking wine is the ideal workout for your brain, engaging more parts of our grey matter than any other human behaviour, according to a leading neuroscientist. Dr Gordon Shepherd, from the Yale School of Medicine, said sniffing and analysing a wine before drinking it requires exquisite control of one of the biggest muscles in the body Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news British dessert eating surges after people ditch healthy eating in February : In heartening news for anyone feeling guilty about quitting their New Year diet, it seems lots of us have given in to our sweet tooths once again. New data from nationwide food-delivery service Deliveroo reveals there was a surge in Brits ordering desserts in February compared to the first month of 2017 Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news US congress debates definition of milk alternatives A new bill has been created that seeks to ban dairy alternatives from using the term milk. Titled the DAIRY PRIDE Act, the name is a tenuous acronym for defending against imitations and replacements of yogurt, milk, and cheese to promote regular intake of dairy every day. It argues that the dairy industry is struggling as a result of all the dairy-free alternatives on the market and the public are being duped too Getty Images Food and drink news Cadburys launches two new chocolate bars UK confectionary giant Cadbury has launched two new chocolate bars, hoping to lure those with a sweet tooth and perhaps help combat some of the challenges it faces from rising commodity prices and a post-Brexit slump in the value of the pound.The companys new products will be peanut butter and mint flavoured. They will be available in most major super markets as 120g bars, priced at 1.49, according to the company Cadburys Food and drink news You can now get a job as a professional chocolate eater The company responsible for some of your favourite chocolate brands think Cadbury, Milks, Prince and Oreo have officially announced an opening to join their team as a professional chocolate taster. The successful candidate will help them to test, perfect and launch new products all over the world. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news MSG additive used in Chinese food is actually good for you, scientist claims For years, weve been told MSG (the sodium salt of glutamic acid) - often associated with cheap Chinese takeaways - is awful for our health and to be avoided at all costs. But one scientist argues it should be used as a supersalt and encourages adding it to food. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Lettuce prices are rising Not only are lettuces becoming an increasingly rare commodity in supermarkets, but prices for the leafy vegetables seem to be rising too. According to the weekly report from the Governments Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a pair of Little Gem lettuces had an average market price of 0.86 in the week that ended on Friday, up from an average of 0.56 in the previous week thats an almost 54 per cent increase. Getty Images Food and drink news Do-It-Yourself restaurant To encourage more people to cook and eat together, IKEA has launched The Dining Club in Shoreditch a fully immersive Do-It-Yourself restaurant . Members of the public can book to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family. Supported by their very own sous chef and maitre de, the host and their guests will orchestrate an intimate dining experience where cooking together is celebrated and eating together is inspirational Mikael Buck / IKEA Food and drink news Ping Pong menu with a twist Gatwick Airport has teamed up with London dim sum restaurant Ping Pong to create a limited edition menu with a distinctly British twist; including a Full English Bao and Beef Wellington Puff, to celebrate the launch of the airports new route to Hong Kong Food and drink news Zizzi unveil the Maamgharita Unique pizza art has been created by Zizzi in celebration of the Queens 90th birthday. The pizza features the queen in an iconic pose illustrated with fresh and tasty Italian ingredients on a backdrop of the Union Jack Food and drink news Blue potatoes make a comeback Blue potatoes, once a staple part of British potato crops, are back on the menu thanks to a Cambridge scientist turned-organic farmer and Farmdrop, an online marketplace that lets people buy direct from local farms. Cambridge PhD graduate-turned farmer, Adrian Izzard has used traditional growing techniques at Wild Country Organics to produce the colourful spuds, packed with healthy cell-protecting anthocyanin, which had previously disappeared from UK plates when post-war farmers were pushed towards higher-yielding varieties Greek yoghurt and honey 1tbsp Greek yoghurt 2tsp honey 2-3tsp crushed pistachios 1tbsp blueberries Peanut butter and banana 2-3tsp peanut butter 1tsp honey ripe banana 2-3tsp crushed nuts of choice 3 slices wholewheat bread or brown rice cakes If you use bread for the base, toast the slices until golden brown and lay them out on a kitchen board. Spread each slice of toast or rice cake with the nut butter or yoghurt. Then drizzle over the jam or honey, and sprinkle the different fruits and nuts on top. TIP: Two of these toasts are perfect for a simple, quick and nutritious breakfast. If you are really hungry, three toasts should be enough. As a snack one toast is ample. Let your creativity run wild try out new combinations and find out what you like best. Warm banana squash dream Discovered in Thailand, reinvented in Switzerland. When I was in Thailand, I went to a night food market in Chiang Mai. It was full of delicious curries and traditional Thai dishes, but I wasnt too keen on trying any of the desserts. However, I decided to give the cooked banana and squash in coconut milk a try. And I think I had it almost every night after that as well. Such a simple and delightful dessert, made with only a few nourishing and wholesome ingredients. They also make the same dessert with banana and sweet potato, durian or mango. I personally like the banana and squash combination the best. Serves 2 Banana and squash 6-8 baby bananas or 2 large bananas 400g butternut squash 250ml coconut water 250ml coconut milk 1tbsp almond or coconut butter 1-2tbsp coconut sugar, coconut nectar or rice syrup pinch of salt 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped Toppings almonds, crushed Sesame coconut chips unsweetened cranberries drizzle of coconut nectar (optional) Peel the bananas and squash, and cut into 2-3cm chunks. In a large saucepan, bring the coconut water and coconut milk to the boil. Add the banana and butternut squash, reduce the heat, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir carefully from time to time to avoid it burning at the bottom of the pan. If the mixture gets too thick, add another splash of coconut water or coconut milk and turn down the heat a bit. The banana and squash should soften to the point where they almost melt in your mouth when you eat them. Spoon the mixture into bowls, top with nuts, coconut chips and cranberries, and drizzle a bit of coconut nectar on top if desired. Serve and enjoy. TIP: Dont forget to add the pinch of salt as it enhances the sweetness as well as other flavours. Wholewheat spaghetti with lemony goats cheese sauce If you like goats cheese and spaghetti, this dish is made just for you. Being Swiss and growing up with cheese, I prefer full-fat over low-fat, but you can also use low-fat goats cheese for this recipe. The lemon balances out the different flavours really well and gives this spaghetti dish, together with the grilled vegetables, a fresh taste. Serves 4-5 400g wholewheat spaghetti 4tbsp flaked (slivered) almonds, roasted lemon juice, to serve fresh chives, to garnish For the vegetables 2 courgettes 10-14 artichoke hearts in salted water 2tsp lemon juice 1tbsp olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper 1tsp onion powder 1 large broccoli 1tsp vegetable stock (broth) powder or 1 stock cube Goats cheese sauce 4tbsp fresh goats cheese zest and juice of 1 lemon 2tsp garlic powder tsp sea salt tsp ground pepper 1tsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice 250-300ml milk of choice, e.g. soy, almond, rice milk 1 spring onion, chopped bunch of fresh chives, chopped 6-8 kaffir lime leaves, crumbled Heat up a griddle pan or preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4). Slice the courgettes diagonally and drain and quarter the artichoke hearts. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and onion powder, and drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice on top. Place the vegetables onto the griddle and cook until you can see the grill marks. If you dont have a griddle pan, spread out the vegetables in a single layer on the baking tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. Make up the stock according to the packet instructions. Cut the stem off the broccoli and tear it into florets. Cook in the stock for 3-4 minutes so that the broccoli keeps a slight crunch. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the goats cheese sauce. Add the cheese, lemon, garlic powder, salt and pepper, maple syrup and milk to a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes, reduce the heat and add the spring onion, chives and kaffir lime leaves. Stir again and turn off the heat. Put the almonds into a dry frying pan (skillet) and toast over a medium heat until golden brown. Take off the heat and let them cool completely. Drain the spaghetti, transfer it back into the pan and pour the sauce over the pasta. Stir well over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Serve into bowls, top with the vegetables and roasted almond slices and if desired, add another splash of lemon juice for some extra freshness. Garnish with chives. Eat better, Not Less by Nadia Damaso (Hardie Grant 15) Photography by Nadia Damaso For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A bicycle courier has won an employment rights case in a ruling which could have far-reaching implications for self-employed people working in the so-called gig economy. A tribunal found that Maggie Dewhurst, a courier with the firm City Sprint, should be classed as an employee rather than self-employed, entitling her to basic rights such as the minimum wage and holiday and sick pay. The decision will only apply to Ms Dewhurst, but is the first of four legal challenges being taken against courier companies, including Addison Lee, Excel and eCourier. It indicates the legal tide may be turning against big firms in the service sector classifying their full-time workers as self-employed, and follows a similar ruling against Uber last July. Fridays decision highlights the practices of the gig economy, where people are employed by companies supposedly on a job-by-job basis but in practice, are often subject to the same terms and conditions as employees. Ms Dewhurst, 29, from South London, who has worked for the firm for two years making healthcare deliveries, argued her role was not like that of a genuinely self-employed person because she could not pick and choose which jobs to accept. We spend all day being told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. We're under their control. We're not a mosaic of small businesses and that's why we deserve basic employment rights like the national minimum wage, Ms Dewhurst said. She said after the judgement: I'm delighted that the tribunal ruled in our favour as it has set a legal and moral precedent which others can use to make similar claims. This wasnt just about me. It was about people who have been working here for 20 years without any of these rights. They argued that we werent part of the company, but you cannot run a 14.5 million courier business without employing a single courier. The tribunal found that City Sprint had unlawfully failed to pay Ms Dewhurst for two days holiday to which she was entitled. The judge, Joanna Wade, described City Sprints contractual arrangements as contorted, indecipherable and window-dressing. City Sprint said it was disappointed with the ruling, which it would review in detail before deciding whether or not to appeal. The firm, which has 3,500 couriers nationwide, claimed it enjoyed a good relationship with our fleet and said that evidence given at the tribunal highlighted that it is a good company that pays its couriers some of the best rates in the industry. The company called on the government to clarify the terms and conditions of self-employment in light of this and similar rulings. It said: This case has demonstrated that there is still widespread confusion regarding this area of law, which is why we are calling on the government to provide better support and help for businesses across the UK who could be similarly affected, Uber is currently appealing a tribunal ruling which found workers were entitled to the same rights as full-time employees because it claims it is a technology company rather than a taxi firm. Paul Jennings, a partner at law firm Bates Wells Braithwaite, which represented Ms Dewhurst, described the ruling as legally and ethically the right outcome. He said: Until now couriers have occupied a vulnerable position. They carry out physically demanding work, in dangerous conditions, but cannot take paid leave. In the wake of this judgement, we expect to that thousands of couriers across the capital will look to assert their rights and seek back pay. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which campaigns for better rights for self-employed people, organised a campaign of protests against City Sprint in 2015, including picketing, contacting their clients and publicity stunts. It welcomed the judgement, and said: The unacceptable pay and treatment of couriers is an industry wide problem, and we are committed to affecting industry-wide change. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Word spread quickly through text messages and shouts between co-workers that Ford Motor Company had cancelled its new $1.6 billion (1.3 billion) car plant at its sprawling 700-acre high desert site in north-central Mexico. "When I saw it on the phone, (I thought), 'Well, no, it can't be,"' said Higinio Salazar, a security guard who spent the past five months logging traffic into and out of the site. He had hoped to have steady work for months to come. "It was on orders of Mr. Trump," he added bitterly. That was not the case, Ford insists, but the perception in Mexico's burgeoning auto assembly region was largely that President-elect Donald Trump, who had promised for months to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US while at the same time disparaging Mexicans, had made good before even settling into the White House. Trump also took a shot at Toyota over its move to make Corollas in this region, though the Japanese company defended its plan. Ford's announcement sent shockwaves across Mexico, which has become tightly meshed with the US economy since the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), sending 80 percent of its $532 billion (433 billion) in exports across the border in 2015. The US government says $100 billion (81 billion) of that was in vehicles and parts, making Mexico the biggest exporter of automotive products to the United States. Mexico's auto plants now account for 20 percent of all light vehicles built in North America, industry figures say. State officials in San Luis Potosi did not find out much earlier than Salazar that plans had been scrapped for the long-awaited plant, which promised 2,800 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect ones through Ford's supply chain. The region's Economic Development Secretary, Gustavo Puente Orozco, said Ford told state officials about an hour before CEO Mark Fields made the announcement. Mr Puente said Ford made very clear it was a "definitive cancellation," citing supply and demand rather than politics. The structure for the car plant had been built when Ford decided not to proceed (AP) A sign welcoming Ford to the Mexican region of San Luis Potosi (AP) "They told us that it was a market issue the issue that the Ford Focus that was the vehicle they thought to build, this light vehicle they planned to build in San Luis Potosi, they say the demand had dropped," Mr Puente said. Low gas prices have Americans turning again to larger vehicles and Focus sales have fallen victim to that trend. Mr Fields said Ford will produce the Focus at an existing plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, and use some of the savings to invest $700 million (570 million) in an existing Michigan plant to make hybrid, electric and autonomous vehicles. The San Luis Potosi plant was well past the theoretical stage and there were high hopes the state would see further economic growth from the opening of its third auto plant General Motors Corp. has been producing the small Aveo and Trax vehicles up the road since 2008 and a BMW plant nearby is scheduled to begin production in early 2019. The steel bones of Ford's plant had begun to rise and signs designated the future spots for each part of the operation, from "stamping" to "final warehouse." 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Show all 17 1 /17 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Dia de los Muertos is a festival to remember friends and family members who have died and is celebrated throughout Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage living in the United States AP 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico AP 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Reuters 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Reuters 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico AP 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico AP 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Reuters 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Getty 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico EPA 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Getty 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Getty 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico EPA 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico AP 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico EPA 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Reuters 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Reuters 'Dia de los Muertos' - Day of the dead festival in Mexico Famers harvest cempasuchilt and velvet flowers to celebrate the Day of the Dead in Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico. The flowers will be sold at the 'Market of the flower EPA Fernando Rosales Ortuno, who deals in hydraulic hoses for Parker Hannifin Corp. was pacing the site's perimeter with mobile phone pressed to his ear trying to arrange for a trailer to get hauled away. It's essentially a portable store that had been set up to service the big machines preparing the site. He had hoped that once Ford was up and running, the plant might become a long-term client. "It hit us like a bucket of cold water," Rosales said. "Everyone here was hoping for a lot of growth in the state and this region, too." Four clustered states in central Mexico San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato have seven auto assembly plants that are operating or will be within the next two years. Around them are nearly 800 auto parts suppliers, Puente said. In San Luis Potosi alone, between 50,000 and 60,000 jobs depend on the auto industry. An average worker in Mexico costs automakers $8 (6.50) an hour, including wages and benefits, compared to the $60 (48) an hour that Ford said it was spending on an auto worker in the US at the end of 2015. In Villa de Reyes' town square, residents said the younger generation would be hurt most by the cancellation. Retiree Ignacio Segura Rocha said fewer people from town are migrating to the U.S. now because the crossing has gotten harder than when he went in 1977 and 1978. He said the auto industry offers good alternatives for kids growing up on the region's isolated ranches. Mexico City: Capital of Latin America Show all 4 1 /4 Mexico City: Capital of Latin America Mexico City: Capital of Latin America Eduardo Verdugo/AP Mexico City: Capital of Latin America Alexandre Meneghini/AP Mexico City: Capital of Latin America Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP Mexico City: Capital of Latin America Jorge Gutierrez/EPA "They were already dreaming of going there (to Ford), and at the last minute there's nothing," he said. Construction worker J. Refugio Waldo Contreras feels Trump is putting Mexicans in an impossible situation. "This Trump, he doesn't want people there, so where is he going to send them?" Contreras asked. "And he doesn't want work to open here? So then he's going to close the doors." Trump also sent tweets this week threatening to impose heavy tariffs on General Motors and Toyota cars produced in Mexico for the US market. GM said it exports only a small number of Cruze hatchbacks it makes in Mexico. Toyota stood by its plan to produce Corollas in Guanajuato, while stressing that its production and employment in the US will not be affected. There were some notes of optimism among Mexicans. As security guard Juan Gonzalez watched contractors haul away giant earth movers on flatbed trailers, he said he didn't expect the site to stay vacant for long. "If it's not the United States it could be Japan, China," he said. "This is going to continue." Jorge Alvarez, who spent five months at the site working on perimeter roads, said his company had already told him his next project will be at the airport, so work would continue for him at least. Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Show all 4 1 /4 Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Pictures reveal how the Mexican drug lord had been living since his escape Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout The inside of a house searched by marine special forces where Guzman was hiding Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Inside a house searched by marine special forces during the military operation to recapture Guzman Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout El Chapo's attempted escape A marine stands guard next to a manhole of the sewer system through which drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman tried to escape Getty Another option could be that Mexico turns inward and focuses more on developing its internal market, said Roy Campos, president of the Mexico City-based Mitofsky consulting group. According to industry figures, 82 per cent of vehicles manufactured in Mexico are exported now. "Sooner or later, because of the nearness and the border, the personal relationships, the human relationships, the Mexico-United States relationship is going to return to what it was or even better than before," Campos said. "So meanwhile, develop the other markets that could be very beneficial to Mexico." Billboards welcoming Ford had been sprinkled around San Luis Potosi in recent months. But only a day after the company's announcement, the welcome sign across the highway from the plant was already down. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} He is a symbol of humanity's scientific achievements, famous for his book A Brief History of Time and his work on schemes like the $100m Starshot interstellar travel project. But Stephen Hawking has often also displayed a wry and acute sense of humour. As he prepares to celebrate his 75th birthday on Sunday we remember his best jab against now-President-elect Donald Trump. At the launch of the Starshot project, designed to send a craft to our nearest stellar neighbours and perhaps send back images of habitable planets, he was asked what intelligent life might look like on other worlds. The physicist quipped: "Judging from the election campaign, definitely not like us." Researchers recently claims Mr Trump's dramatic success among white voters without a college education could be attributed largely to racism and sexism and not the economic difficulties of those "left behind". Political scientists from the University of Massachusetts said that even though Mr Trump's "explicit racist and sexist appeals" might have cost him the votes of educated whites, they "may have won him even more support" among those without degrees. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May's failure to clarify the position of EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit has left many too scared to report hate crimes, the head of the Polish Social and Cultural Association has claimed. Joanna Mludzinska is expected to tell a home affairs select committee inquiry on Tuesday that Poles living in Britain are too concerned about whether or not they will be allowed to remain in the country to inform police when they are verbally or physically attacked. She slammed the Governments failure to clarify the standing of the 2.9 million EU citizens currently living in the UK as immoral, saying it put Poles and other migrants in an impossible position. Very few people are reporting hate crimes at the moment," she told the Guardian. "People are very scared, because often this occurs in the workplace and they are scared they might lose their job. Or its from a neighbour and they dont want to cause more problems. She added: They cant turn around and say: No, I dont have to go home because your Government has said I am allowed to stay. That puts you in a weaker position, doesnt it? It makes people vulnerable. It makes them scared to stand up for themselves, to properly report things. Ms Mludzinska, who was born in London to Polish parents, said EU nationals were fed up with being used as "pawns" in Brexit negotiations, and would rather keep a low profile than contact authorities. The problem has reportedly become so bad that the London-based East European Resource Centre (EERC) is launching a pilot scheme to encourage EU nationals to report hate crimes. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell Home Office figures released in October suggest that hate crimes soared by 41 per cent after the EU referendum vote. Recommended Student stabbed in neck for speaking Polish describes brutal assault An analysis of local figures drawn from police databases conducted by The Independent found that increases in such crimes were particularly steep in many areas that voted strongly to leave the European Union. On Friday, a 15-year-old boy appeared in Chelmsford youth court charged with the manslaughter of a Polish man who was attacked in Harlow, Essex weeks after the UK voted to leave the EU. Arkadiusz Jozwik, 40, was beaten to death in August in an incident initially reported as a possible hate crime, although it is understood that prosecutors are no longer treating it as such. In 2016, the number of Polish-born UK residents was estimated at 831,000, making Poles the largest overseas-born group in the country and Polish the second most spoken language in England. But the government has so far failed to confirm what will happen to them, and to other EU nationals, when Britain becomes independent from the European Union. Polish NHS worker racially abused by passers-by during an interview Several recent high profile cases have added to public confusion, with people who have been born or lived decades in the UK allegedly being told to leave or take citizenship tests when they enquired about their status in the country. Other groups have also reported an increase in racist attacks since the EU referendum, and the home affairs select committee previously heard evidence in December from representatives of the Muslim community in Britain. Bharath Ganesh, from anti-Muslim hate crime monitor group Tell Mama, told the committee he believed the increase in reported hate crime could have resulted from both a greater number of perpetrators, and those who were already Islamophobic gaining confidence and becoming more vocal and more active. "I think we are seeing a mix of the two," he told the chair. "It is hard to count how many perpetrators because we have changed some of our data-collection procedures to better record the number of perpetrators we have had, so I cannot comment on whether there has been an increase since 2012, for example. However, I can say that the number of people who are exposed to Islamophobic and anti-Muslim rhetoric has definitely increased." He added: "When we look at the incidents qualitativelywhat is said to people and that kind of thingwe see that it frequently references the sorts of things you hear in the media. For example, after Brexit there were numerous incidents of a Muslim being told, 'Were out of the EU now. What are you still doing here?'" Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A British great-grandmother was one of five people gunned down by a former US soldier at Fort Lauderdale airport, it has been confirmed. Olga Woltering, who was in her eighties, was originally from Ipswich in Suffolk but lived in Atlanta with her husband Ralph, a former US Air Force serviceman. The couple are believed to have travelled to the airport in Florida from their home in Georgia to go on a cruise. The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Cobb County, which Mr Woltering had been a member of since 1978, said she was so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent. Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo said: Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met. This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved. Fort Lauderdale shooting: 'Multiple people killed' in attack Olga and Ralph have been members of our Transfiguration Family since October 1978. May God give consolation to all of the victims of this tragedy and may God give eternal rest to those who died. Especially to our beloved Olga. Peace. Esteban Santiago, 26, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska and an Iraq War veteran, is accused of carrying out the massacre, which also left six people injured. Additional reporting by PA Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One of the UK's biggest landlords has instructed agents acting on his behalf not to let his properties to "battered wives", single parents, low income workers, people on zero-hour contracts, or plumbers. Fergus Wilson, along with his wife Judith, is among the UK's most prolific buy-to-let investors, owning a Kent property empire believed to consist of around 1,000 homes in the Ashford and Maidstone areas. The 69-year-old defended his "latest criteria" for tenants, telling local media he does not want to risk "bully" ex-husbands or boyfriends returning to destroy his houses, and he dislikes plumbers because they "always rip him off". When asked about the eleven stringent rules, which were distributed to agents in December and quickly leaked online, Mr Wilson told Kent Online he "wasn't worried" about the backlash. As a businessman, he said it was fair enough for him to be concerned about protecting his properties from abusive partners who might smash his doors down. He admitted that the system was stacked against single people on average or lower incomes but said poor people were not his concern. It is just economics, he told the Telegraph. I live in the big bad world of reality, if I do not let properties and do not get the rent then I do not eat, I starve to death... it is the Government's job to help poor people. Fergus Wilson, a Kent Landlord, reportedly sent this email to estate agents managing his properties (Facebook/ Spotted in Ashford) He added, in an interview with Kent Online: "The long and short of it is, every year between New Year and Christmas we update our criteria for letting, and like four out of five other landlords we don't accept those on housing benefit or with low incomes. "The problem is this, the average rent for one of my properties is 1,000 per month and this makes the rent guarantee 30,000 a year, while the average income in Ashford is only 23,000. "So, if you're a single parent you're really up against it. They cannot afford one of my houses on their own. However, a couple of single people could afford a four bedroom detached house with money to spare." In 2016, Mr Wilson, who is estimated to own properties totaling 250 million and has been included in the Sunday Times rich list, campaigned to become Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner, vowing to take on "bullies who batter their girlfriends, wives or partners". Finding housing is a particular problem for people fleeing violent partners, with cuts to social housing and refuges leaving many with nowhere to go. According to activist group Sisters Uncut, 87 per cent of women experiencing domestic violence will have to move home in order to be free from abuse, and domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women. But Mr Wilson said his list of criteria was just a matter of "fine tuning his business" and was not prejudiced. Nightmare landlord gives tenant list of ridiculous rules Show all 4 1 /4 Nightmare landlord gives tenant list of ridiculous rules Nightmare landlord gives tenant list of ridiculous rules roomsdf.jpg Nightmare landlord gives tenant list of ridiculous rules list2.jpg Nightmare landlord gives tenant list of ridiculous rules list4.jpg Nightmare landlord gives tenant list of ridiculous rules list5.jpg We have said nothing against lesbians and homosexuals or coloureds," he said. "As long as they can pay the rent. We are in business to make money so we make a selection based on a sensible business plan," he said. If ever a person came in wearing pink socks and defaulted on rent, and it became a regular problem, then we would stop renting to people who wear pink socks. Mr and Ms Wilson are currently in the process of selling off their empire, because they say buy-to-let is becoming less profitable, but they are still believed to own hundreds of properties in the south of England. Their business endeavours have seen the couple in court several times. In 2014, Mr Wilson was found guilty of punching an estate agent after a dispute involving a boiler and in 2009, Ms Wilson had a case against a tenant thrown by a judge who said her claims were "exaggerated". But Mr Wilson said it was plumbers who rented his properties that tried to defraud him, claiming whenever they offered to do a job for him they claimed to find other more expensive work that they said also needed doing. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The British Red Cross has said its staff and volunteers will step in to transport hospital patients home again as NHS emergency departments struggle with the "humanitarian crisis" to keep up with a rush of patients over winter. And the charity called on Theresa May's government to provide more funds for health and social care. Care beds or home arrangements for patients who have been treated in hospital and are awaiting discharge are in short supply around the UK, causing a backlog of beds. The group said 14 health trusts had issued warnings of overcrowding in A&E. It added: "In the current crisis, the Red Cross has already provided support to staff at the East Midlands Ambulance Service across Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln, Kettering and Northampton. "Elsewhere we have boosted our existing support at home services to help alleviate some of the pressure." Its chief executive Mike Adamson said: "The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country. "We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much-needed beds. "This means deploying our team of emergency volunteers and even calling on our partner Land Rover to lend vehicles to transport patients and get the system moving. "Weve seen people sent home without clothes, some suffer falls and are not found for days, while others are not washed because there is no carer there to help them. "If people dont receive the care they need and deserve, they will simply end up returning to A&E, and the cycle begins again." At the end of last year former Health Secretary Andy Burnham claimed a third of councils in England were facing cuts in Government funding for social care and would have to make cuts of their own. A number of local authorities have already hiked council tax with an extra precept designed specifically to fund social care. The Red Cross' announcement comes after two people died in the same A&E department in one week, one who suffered an aneurysm while on a trolley in a corridor and another who had a cardiac arrest, also while on a trolley after waiting 35 hours for a bed. Both deaths happened at Worcestershire Royal Hospitals A&E department in Worcester. Overflowing A&E departments shut their doors to patients more than 140 times in December. Data from NHS England for 1 December to 1 January this year showed there were 143 A&E diverts across England, a 63 per cent rise on the 88 recorded for the same period last year. The Daily Telegraph reported that hospital chiefs had been urged to avoid using certain language to describe the crisis in a memo from NHS England. "Most important thing is to say yes to under sustained pressure, advice [sic] alternatives and avoid language such as 'black alert,'" managers were allegedly told by NHS England in the west Midlands. Dr Mark Holland of the Society for Acute Medicine told BBC Breakfast that the term humanitarian crisis probably has some validity. In recent weeks people who should be in a speciality bed are ending up in a non-speciality bed or there are beds being created in the hospital that we call contingency beds. He said the system has struggled over the last year or two years due to a build-up in the people who are medically fit for hospital discharge. Dr Holland said: We have got lots of people in our acute hospitals who do not need to be in those beds because they need social care. We then have a winter stress which we will face every year, but this year it has come to a point where we have got so few beds in the system to bring people in to acutely that it has got to that tipping point which we have been predicting for a long time. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A transgender woman remanded in a male prison on an attempted murder charge has been found dead in her cell. Jenny Swift was found hanged at HMP Doncaster, South Yorkshire, amid reports she had been asked to be placed in a womens prison. The Prison Service confirmed Ms Swift, charged under the name Jonathan Swift, was found unresponsive at 12.40am on 30 December, and despite efforts by prison staff and paramedics, she was declared dead 30 minutes later. Prior to her arrest, she had been taking hormones to help her transition but her medication was stopped when she entered custody, the Sheffield Star reported. The 49-year-old from Seaforth, Merseyside, was charged with attempted murder and criminal damage after Eric Flanagan, 26, was found stabbed in November. He later died. At the time of her death, police were consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether to upgrade her attempted murder charge to murder, it was reported. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice confirmed an independent investigation would be launched into her death by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Doncaster Coroners Court also confirmed an inquest into her death would follow, according to the Sheffield Star. Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Short, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "On Friday 30 December, we were made aware that the person charged in this investigation had died. "However, the inquiry into Mr Flanagan's death remains ongoing at this time and his family continue to be supported by officers." HMP Doncaster is classified as a category B prison, for offenders who do not require maximum security but would still pose a risk to the public. It houses more than 900 inmates and has been operated by Serco since 2003. In 2015, a Government review into the handling of transgender prisoners in England and Wales found that one in four prisons holds at least one transgender inmate. The review said: "It is apparent that the treatment of transgender people in courts, probation and prison services has not kept pace with the development of a more general understanding of the issues surrounding gender in society." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May must come to the House of Commons on Monday to explain how she will fix the crisis in the National Health Service, Jeremy Corbyn has said. The Labour leader issued the call to the Prime Minister after the British Red Cross was brought in to assist with what the charity called a "humanitarian crisis" at some overstretched hospitals. He described the situation as a "national scandal" and said Ms May and Jeremy Hunt had to take responsibility. Neither Mr Hunt nor Ms May has yet commented on the crisis, with the Health Secretary accused of "hiding" from the situation and the Department for Health referring enquires to NHS England. British Red Cross Land Rovers have been deployed to the UKs streets to help ferry patients home from overstretched hospitals and free up beds, after reports of deaths and patients waiting on trolleys in corridors. Figures show overstretched A&E departments shut their doors to patients more than 140 times in December, while a third of NHS trusts in England have issued alerts that they are overstretched, according to the Nuffield Trust. Mr Corbyn said on Saturday afternoon: "The crisis in our NHS is unprecedented. People are lying on trolleys in corridors waiting to be seen. Hospitals have had to close their doors, unable to admit patients. The health service is at breaking point. "But this crisis is not due to an outbreak of disease. It is a crisis made in Downing Street by this government a crisis we warned them about. "The Red Cross yesterday announced it is providing humanitarian assistance to NHS trusts that simply do not have the resources to cope. "This is a national scandal and Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt have to take both responsibility and urgent action to tackle it. "Im grateful to the Red Cross volunteers who have stepped in during this emergency, as well as the hard working NHS staff who are being let down and undermined by this government. But we should not have to rely on the Red Cross to provide the basic care the people of this country need. "The fact is this government have repeatedly failed to put the necessary resources into our health service, while they have cut social care and wasted billions on a top-down reorganisation to accelerate privatisation. And despite finding billions of tax giveaways for big business and the richest, Theresa Mays Conservatives failed to find a single penny for the NHS in their autumn statement. "Our NHS cannot survive if this government does not change course. Labour is calling on the government to cancel their tax breaks for the wealthiest and fund our NHS instead. "The people of this country need an explanation for the state of emergency in our hospitals, and an account of what action will be taken to end it. The only person who can do that is the Prime Minister. So I am demanding that the Prime Minister comes to the House of Commons on Monday and sets out to the British people how she plans to fix her failure on the NHS." Theresa May has yet to comment on the unfolding NHS crisis (Getty) Parliament returns from its Christmas recess on Monday, the first sitting of 2017. The Prime Minister is due to give her first broadcast interview of the year on Sunday morning. British Red Cross chief executive, Mike Adamson, said extra cash was needed to make the system sustainable, but NHS England has denied the characterisation as a humanitarian crisis. Keith Willett, the director of acute care at the health service body, said that on the international scale of a humanitarian crisis, I do not think the NHS is at that point. Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty Mr Adamson however said extra cash was needed to make the system sustainable. The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country, he said. We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds. An NHS England spokesman said: Plans remain in place to deal with additional demands during the winter period, and the public can still play their part using local pharmacy and NHS 111 for medical advice, alongside other services. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Hunt has been accused of hiding from the public eye after the British Red Cross was called in to deal with a humanitarian crisis in overstretched NHS hospitals. At the time of publication the Health Secretary had issued no comment on the unfolding health service crisis, following calls by the charity for an emergency cash injection to deal with unprecedented pressures on the under-funded health service. When contacted by The Independent on Saturday the Department of Health said it was leaving it to NHS England, a non-departmental public body that oversees the NHS day-to-day, to comment on the response to the unfolding winter crisis. The last press release issued on the Department of Healths website dates from last year, and refers to the New Years Honours list. The Government and Mr Hunts Department would have to sanction any additional spending on the NHS as requested by the British Red Cross. The Liberal Democrats shadow health secretary Norman Lamb said Mr Hunt should stop hiding while Labours shadow health minister Justin Madders said the Mr Hunt was refusing to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. This Government should be ashamed. It ignored calls for extra cash to support health and care services through the winter, and now it is patients who are paying the price, Mr Lamb said. Jeremy Hunt must stop hiding and announce immediate measures to alleviate this crisis, including emergency funding to plug gaps across services that are putting patient safety at risk. The truth is that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are failing to provide the investment needed to deliver an effective, modern health and care system. The Government must also finally agree to work cross-party to secure the future of the NHS and social care in our country, so we dont keep just going from crisis to crisis but find a long-term and sustainable settlement. Labours shadow health minister Justin Madders told The Independent: For the Health Secretary to remain silent as this crisis unfolds represents either a complete denial of reality or utter embarrassment that this has happened on his watch. Jeremy Hunt cannot say that he wasnt warned that this crisis was coming. Every major health organisation has been warning for months that the NHS was heading for disaster unless it got more funding. He has decided to ignore those warnings and we are now seeing a meltdown in our NHS that he is refusing to acknowledge. Patients, the staff and the public deserve better. Jeremy Hunt should urgently come up with a plan and resources to match to end the crisis. Hospitals are overstretched (PA) British Red Cross Land Rovers have been deployed to the UKs streets to help ferry patients home from overstretched hospitals and free up beds. Figures show overstretched A&E departments shut their doors to patients more than 140 times in December, while a third of NHS trusts in England have issued alerts that they are overstretched, according to the Nuffield Trust. British Red Cross chief executive, Mike Adamson, said extra cash was needed to make the system sustainable. Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country, he warned. We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds. NHS England today played down the comparison to a humanitarian crisis. Keith Willett, the director of acute care, said that on the international scale of a humanitarian crisis, I do not think the NHS is at that point. An NHS England spokesman said: Plans remain in place to deal with additional demands during the winter period, and the public can still play their part using local pharmacy and NHS 111 for medical advice, alongside other services. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The senior British diplomat who resigned as the UK's ambassador to the EU has quit the civil service entirely, it has emerged. Sir Ivan Rogers warned against "muddled thinking" by Government ministers over Brexit in his resignation letter. In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon the Foreign Office confirmed that Sir Ivan had not sought any further civil service job. Sir Ivan resigned as the UK's permanent representative to the European Union on January 3. He was reportedly frustrated at top Brexit ministers' inability to properly understand briefings about the EU. Yesterday eurosceptic Tory MP and chair of the Public Administration Select Committee Bernard Jenkin said it would be "honourable" for civil servants who could not back Brexit to resign. The FDA, the trade union that represents the senior civil service, said civil servants were already well aware of their duty to be impartial and had been subjected to a stream of "ill-informed commentary" by politicians since the referendum. The permanent representative to the EU explains British policy to the arms of the European Union, including MEPs, the Commission, and other European heads of state and government on the European Council. Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said civil servants unable to implement Brexit should resign (PA) The role also involves setting the agenda for EU summits by means of its seat on an influential committee of Brussels diplomats. Sir Ivan has been replaced by Sir Tim Barrow, a former UK ambassador to Moscow. 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 A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "Sir Ivan Rogers resigned as UK Permanent Representative to Brussels on 3 January. "He did not seek any further civil service appointment and has therefore resigned from the civil service with immediate effect. "We are grateful for Sir Ivan's work in Brussels and across a number of other senior positions in the civil service." Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A major Conservative party donor has warned that he will stop finding the party if Theresa May pulls Britain out of the single market as part of Brexit. Sir Andrew Cook, who has donated over 1.2 million to the party, told The Times newspaper that such a policy, characteristic of a hard Brexit, would see Britain sleepwalk to disaster. It is very difficult to make a political donation to a party when, although I support it ideologically, I do not believe that my interests and my ideology are ad idem with the principal Brexiteers, he said. The engineering firm chairman said parts of his business were almost entirely dependent on the single market to operate. Ms May is expected to put withdrawal from the European Court of Justice and the end of the right to free movement as red lines in her negotiation. She will outline details in a speech later this month. She has said she wants Britain to get the best deal and maximum trading access to European markets. However, restricting movement and ending ECJ enforcement of regulations would by definition almost certainly bring Britain out of the single market. Government 'would consider paying for single market access post-Brexit' The Government was warned against muddled thinking by its outgoing chief diplomat to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, this week. He quit his post early, catching the Government by surprise. He was reportedly frustrated at the inability of Brexit Secretary David Davis and Trade Secretary Liam Fox to understand briefings about the European Union. 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 Prime Minister has said she will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of March this year. The process will take up to two years; if the UK does not reach a deal by that time it will by default crash out of the EU and be forced to trade on World Trade Organisation rules. The negotiation period can only be prolonged by a unanimous vote of all European Union member states. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Young people from better-off families are taking up most of the new apprenticeships under the Governments flagship 2bn-a-year scheme. New figures show that low-income families are underrepresented on the programme, even though it is seen by ministers as the main alternative to university. Theresa May has made social mobility a top priority for her government. Alan Milburn, chair of the Governments Social Mobility Commission, is urging ministers to intervene to ensure people from disadvantaged backgrounds are not squeezed out of the scheme by middle class youngsters. Cameron and apprentices The watchdog found that school-leaver apprentices were dominated by pupils with relatively low GCSE results who were not eligible for free school meals. Youngsters from poor families took up only 10 per cent of apprenticeships, even though they accounted for 13 per cent of those completing GCSEs. Poorer children were also less likely to take up higher level apprenticeships equivalent to A-levels. Mr Milburn cast doubt on whether the Governments drive to create three million apprenticeships in England by 2020 will boost skills levels seen as vital as the UK prepares for the post-Brexit era. He told The Independent: Apprenticeship numbers are growing but the focus so far has been on quantity, not quality. Almost all of the young people who start an apprentice do so at qualification levels which are the same as their previous level of study. Although apprenticeships are open to those aged 16 and over, the majority of recent ones have been taken up by people aged 24 and above. Mr Milburn believes that employers are rebadging existing training programmes as apprenticeships rather than providing new qualifications to aid upward mobility. The former Labour cabinet minister said: Low-quality apprenticeships which do not lead to good careers should be prevented from using the trademarked term and no longer be advertised on the Government website. The 10 most deprived cities in the UK Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 most deprived cities in the UK The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 10. Rochdale The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 9. Birkenhead The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 8. Salford The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 7. Middlesbrough The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 6. Nottingham The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 5. Birmingham The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 4. Walsall The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 3. Liverpool The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 2. West Bromwich The 10 most deprived cities in the UK 1. Oldham Mr Milburn added: Improving social mobility means tackling the stark inequity in who gets the best apprenticeship opportunities. More affluent children are twice as likely to start a Level 3 apprenticeship [equivalent to 2 A-levels] in some parts of the country than the less-off. The Government needs to step in to create a more level playing field to ensure that young people from all backgrounds are able to access high-quality apprenticeships. The areas with the biggest class gap included Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and the South West. Mr Milburn is worried that apprenticeships are predominantly in lower-pay, lower-skill sectors rather than matched to the nations skills demands. The 10 most popular in 2014-15 included health and social care, catering, retail and customer service, which have endemic poor pay. His commission found that completing some apprenticeships yielded no or low wage increases. While one in construction brought a 32 per cent premium, secretarial training resulted in only a 7 per cent uplift. Some 97 per cent of 19-24 year-olds starting apprenticeships did so at the same qualification level as their previous studies, so their training would not necessarily boost their job prospects. The commission found some evidence that apprenticeships were not open to all, with employers setting a minimum level of qualifications such as five good GCSEs in order to hire the best candidates. That risked excluding candidates who needed vital qualifications to progress in the workplace. Robert Halfon, the apprenticeships and skills minister, said: We are determined to build a world-class apprenticeships scheme which will give millions of people, regardless of background, the opportunity to secure the job they want and deliver the skills our economy needs. As part of this, we are investing more than 60m to support the training of apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds, and already more than one quarter of apprentices come from the poorest households in the country. Apprenticeships must be of the highest quality and all standards are now developed by employers themselves and rigorously checked before being introduced. A record number of people participated in higher apprenticeships in the last academic year almost 900,000 in total with over 90 per cent going into work or further training, and our new Get In Go Far campaign aims to inspire more young people to follow their example. From April a new Institute for Apprenticeships will be charged with approving standards to ensure they are high-quality. In the past year, the Government rejected 142 out of 238 proposals (60 per cent) because they did not meet its criteria. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} She was found wandering in a forest, the first of the nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram to escape on her own and reach freedom. That was in May. Since then, Amina Ali Nkeki has been sequestered by Nigerias intelligence agency, embraced just once by her family months ago. Some say Nigerias government is keeping the young woman silent because it doesnt want her telling the world about military blunders in the fight against the Islamic extremist group, and about her desire to be reunited with the father of her child a detained former Boko Haram commander. I worry, sometimes, that I dont know if she is alive or dead, her mother, Binta Ali Nkeki, sobbed during an exclusive telephone interview with The Associated Press from her remote north-eastern village of Mbalala. She said she hasnt seen her daughter since July. Sunday marks 1,000 days since the mass kidnapping in the town of Chibok, and most of the schoolgirls remain in captivity. The few who have been freed, like Amina, have found themselves not completely free. The mass abduction horrified the world and brought Boko Haram to international attention. The failure of Nigerias former government to quickly act to free the schoolgirls sparked a global Bring Back Our Girls movement, with even US first lady Michelle Obama posting a photo with the logo on social media. Amina was the first to escape on her own. Months later, in October, the government negotiated the release of 21 Chibok girls. Another girl was freed in November in an army raid on an extremist camp in the Sambisa Forest. On Thursday, yet another girl was found during military interrogations of Boko Haram suspects, along with her baby. In December, when Aminas mother heard that freed Chibok girls would be allowed to come home for Christmas, she borrowed money for transport to reach the town where the girls were kidnapped from a government boarding school in April 2014. When Binta reached Chibok, she was welcomed by the 21 girls, who tried to reassure her that her daughter was fine, in good health, even though she had not been allowed to accompany them. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Human rights groups and lawyers have criticised Nigerias treatment of the freed girls, who are held in Abuja, the capital, nearly 560 miles from Chibok. The government says the girls are getting medical attention, trauma counselling and rehabilitation. Officials in the government and the presidency did not respond to requests for comment, following a familiar pattern. People who have spoken to the freed girls say they have stories that the government does not want told, including that three Chibok girls were killed last year in Nigerian Air Force bombings of Boko Haram camps. Amina has said she wants to be home with her mother, and she has insisted that the father of her child is a victim, like herself, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram and forced to fight for the insurgents. Her mother says that when her daughter was rescued hunters found her, the father of her child, and their four-month-old baby in a forest she said she didnt want to go back to school. But her mother and brother, Noah, persuaded her to take up Nigerian President Muhammadu Buharis promise to give her the best education possible. They told her that soon she will be starting school, Noah Ali Nkeki said. He got the news in a rare phone call from his sister on Thursday, the first time he had heard from her in three months. He cannot call her. Officials call him using a blocked number and then put his sister on the line. The girls mother doesnt get to speak to her because she doesnt own a mobile phone and reception in her village is poor. I dont know what the government is trying to do. They have had her now for seven months, Noah said. Binta, a gaunt woman whose eyes mirror the pain of a hard life and whose hands are rough from farming, was widowed five years ago. Eleven of her children have died, in childbirth or soon afterward. The only survivors are her son and daughter. I wonder how my only grandchild is doing, she said of Aminas daughter, Safia. Do you think she's walking by now? Binta was suicidal following her daughters kidnapping, community leaders have told the AP, after hearing reports of Boko Harams threats to sell the kidnapped girls into slavery, marry them off to fighters and force them to convert to Islam. Chibok is a Christian enclave in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria. Binta rallied after she got a message from Amina in 2015, when Boko Haram attacked Chibok again. Two male fighters accompanied by a girl carrying ammunition came across an elderly woman too feeble to flee. The girl, speaking the Chibok language that the fighters could not understand, asked the woman: Do you know who I am? I am Amina. My mothers name is Binta in the village of Mbalala. Please tell her you saw me. The elderly woman described the encounter to community leaders, who deliberated, worrying that the proof of life message might be too much for her mother to bear. Then human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogede stepped in. I suggested that they pass on the message. If I had a daughter who was missing, and she tried to send a message to me, ld be very upset if someone withheld it. Amina tried to reach out, lets help her complete the effort, he counselled. Ogede is upset about the politicisation of the freed Chibok girls. When Amina was found, she and her family were flown to Abuja, where TV cameras and photographers documented Buhari welcoming her at the presidential mansion. That happened again with the 21 freed girls. The girls needed trauma counselling and medical care, not exposure to the media, Human Rights Watch said at the time. On Christmas Day, the freed girls visiting Chibok did not get to see their parents. They were kept in the house of a local legislator until Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima arrived to present them to their parents the next day. Witnesses said the girls were angry that they were kept from going to their homes and to their churchs Christmas Day service. Shettimas spokesman, Isa Gusau, denied that version, which came from some of the parents. I am not sure they were denied access to their parents because that was the essence of them being taken to Chibok in the first place, he told the AP. If you say their movements were restricted for security reasons and for their safety, I think that makes sense. Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Chibok association of parents of the kidnapped girls and who is not related to Amina, said the Department of State Security intelligence agents who accompanied the girls deemed it unsafe for them to visit parents in outlying villages. But those with homes in Chibok town were not allowed to stay with their parents, either. Aminas mother, despite her tears, still has some faith in Nigerias actions. Anything that the government wants to do with Amina, I have no problem with that, she said. But I just want to see my daughter with my own eyes. Associated Press For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Soldiers in Ivory Coast's second largest city have reportedly opened fire, trapping the defence minister in a local official's house despite a deal to end two-day mutiny. The dramatic turn of events came just an hour and a half after President Alassane Ouattara announced he had agreed to the soldiers' demands for bonus payments and improved living standards. In addition to defence minister Alain-Richard Donwahi, the deputy commander of the elite Republican Guard, the mayor of Bouake and other local officials as well as journalists were trapped inside the sub-prefect's residence. Recommended Disgruntled soldiers mutiny in three Ivory Coast cities over pay Mr Donwahi called for calm on Friday and said the government was prepared to listen to the soldiers grievances after the uprising spread to cities including Daloa, Daoukro and Odienne. Calling the revolt understandable but deplorable for the image of the country, he said he was due to travel to Bouake on Saturday to speak directly with the mutineers. A crowd of angry soldiers massed outside the house on Saturday evening, when a Reuters reporter said he heard some shouting that they wanted their bonuses paid immediately, not next week. Speaking to his government ministers and reporters before the incident, Mr Ouattara said he had agreed to some of the soldiers' grievances but chastised them for sparking the unrest. I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy, the President added before calling upon the soldiers to return to barracks. A member of the uprising close to the negotiations said the mutineers were satisfied with the deal and were preparing to leave the streets. It's over, Sergeant Mamadou Kone told Reuters. Some of our soldiers will remain in place to manage the security of shops and banks, but the majority of soldiers will return to barracks beginning tonight. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The two-day mutiny spread to the countrys commercial capital of Abidjan, following demands made by military personnel for higher wages. It began early on Friday when the soldiers seized Bouake, the second-largest city in the west-African nations, before spreading to at least four other towns and cities. The defence minister is said to have travelled to Bouake to discuss the groups demands, while loyalist troops have sought to reinforce security in Abidjan. An Ivory Coast MP said that soldiers involved in the clash had made demands of $8,000 (6,500) and a house each, according to the BBC. Heavy gunfire was heard during the night in the northern city of Korhogo and early on Saturday in Bouake. Residents and soldiers later reported shooting in Man, Toulepleu and at a major military camp in Abidjan, where the president, administration and parliament are based. Shooting has started in our camp too now, said one soldier at the Akouedo military base, located in a residential section of Abidjan. The gunfire was confirmed by a local resident. A diplomatic source said armed dissident soldiers some of whom blackened their faces with ashes or wore scarves around their heads blocked a main road near the camp and threatened people in passing cars. Ivory Coast's empty beaches: Tourism collapses after hotel attack Abidjan residents, meanwhile, rushed to supermarkets to buy up bottled water and other provisions, fearing violence could eventually paralyse the city. Ivory Coast, which emerged from a 10-year civil war in 2011, now has West Africa's largest economy. However, years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly military force stunted by internal divisions. A Reuters reporter in Bouake, who met some of the mutineers, said they were composed of low-ranking soldiers but also included some demobilised combatants. Nearly all appeared to be former members of the New Forces rebellion, which had used Bouake as its de facto capital and controlled the northern half of Ivory Coast from 2002 until the country was reunited following a 2011 civil war. The rogue soldiers remained on the streets of the city on Saturday despite pledges made to local officials that they would return to barracks. They are maintaining their positions. They are still at the entrances to the city and at the central roundabout, a local journalist told Reuters Troop reinforcements were sent towards Bouake after word of the revolt reached the army headquarters in Abidjan, creating a standoff with renegade soldiers holding positions at the entrance to the city. Soldiers from the countrys UN peacekeeping mission were also blocked on the outskirts of Bouake on Saturday after mutineers refused to allow them to enter. During a similar uprising in 2014, when hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay, the government agreed a financial settlement. Additional reporting by Reuters Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Argentinian prisoner serving time for killing his wife on a conjugal visit has murdered his new girlfriend when she went to visit him in prison. Gabriel Chirete Herrera stabbed his girlfriend Andrea Neri, 20, in front of her two-month-old baby, during a private visit in a prison in Villa de las Rosas, Argentina. The 39-year-old allegedly emerged from the room holding the baby and confessed to a guard that he had killed Ms Neri. The baby was unharmed in the incident and is now thought to be in the care of the victims mother. Herrera was arrested in 2003 on robbery and murder charges and strangled his wife Veronica Castro, 29, during a conjugal visit in Metan Prison in 2006. Herrera allegedly emerged from the room after the incident and told the victims mother: I have just killed your daughter. Her mother reportedly attended Villa de las Rosas prison to support Ms Neris family. Recommended The major UK city set to close all its domestic violence refuges She told local media: I told Andrea when she was about to give birth that she should be careful of him because he is a murderer. Prisons director Cesar Rodriguez said all prisoners had the right to private visits with their spouse. However, the Governor of Salta province, Juan Manuel Urtubey, said he would suspend Mr Rodriguez and the prison's governor. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Nobel Prize winning economist has compared Donald Trumps bullying of businesses to the monetary policies of the fascist governments of 1930s Europe. Edmund Phelps told a meeting of the American Economic Association that the President-elects corporatist stance was potentially dangerous for the economy. Mr Phelps argued that innovation was key to stimulating the US economy, rather than imposing controls on companies. Recommended What Theresa May and Donald Trump need to talk about next month The President-elect has frequently expressed his belief that businesses selling within the US should locate facilities - and therefore employment - within the country. He has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on those which dont and has even disparaged some companies, such as General Motors, on Twitter, for allegedly planning to move work abroad. General Motors lost nearly a quarter of a billion dollars of its stock market value after Mr Trump's online message. However, Mr Phelps said bullying and intervening in companies was an expansion of corporatist policy of a kind not previously seen since the German and Italian economies of the 1930s, Market Watch reported. Instead of boosting output and employment as Mr Trump intended, Mr Phelps said, If history is a guide, by expanding protection and interference in the business sector, the Trump administration may very well block the innovation of outsiders and newcomers more than it would stimulate the innovation among the innovators. President Donald Trump life in pictures Show all 16 1 /16 President Donald Trump life in pictures President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump poses in a rocking chair once used by President John F. Kennedy at his New York City residence Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump with his new bride Marla Maples after their wedding at the Plaza hotel in New York Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Celina Midelfart watch the match between Conchita Martinez and Amanda Coetzer during U.S. Open. She was the date whom Donald Trump was with when he met his current wife Melania at a party in 1996 Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas serving as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500, speaks to Donald Trump and Melania Knauss on the starting grid at the Daytona International Speedwa Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump talks with his former wife Ivana Trump during the men's final at the U.S. Open Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and his friend Melania Knauss pose for photographers as they arrive at the New York premiere of Star Wars Episode : 'The Phantom Menace,' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump talks with host Larry King. Trump told King that he was moving toward a possible bid for the United States presidency with the formation of a presidential exploratory committee Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump answers questions as Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura looks on in Brooklyn Park. Trump said on Friday he 'very well might' make a run for president under the Reform Party banner but had not made a final decision Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump makes a face at a friend as he sits next to Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso before the start of the 2003 Miss Universe pageant in Panama City Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Entrepreneur Donald Trump is greeted by a Marilyn Monroe character look-a-alike, as he arrives at Universal Studios Hollywood to attend the an open casting call for his NBC television network reality series 'The Apprentice.' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Simon Cowell present an Emmy during the 56th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Megan Mullally perform at the 57th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump, poses with his children, son Donald Trump, Jr., and daughters Tiffany and Ivanka Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump told Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner on Tuesday she would be given a second chance after reported misbehavior Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump holds a replica of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as his wife Melania holds their son Barron in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. property mogul Donald Trump stands next to a bagpiper during a media event on the sand dunes of the Menie estate, the site for Trump's proposed golf resort, near Aberdeen, north east Scotland Reuters Mr Phelps added that the Trump administration threatened to drive a silver spike through innovation. He continued: Hitler, I cant refrain from mentioning, by controlling the economy, caused productivity growth to stagnate in the second half of the 1930s. The meetings panel also included Joseph Stiglitz, another Nobel Prize winning economist, who said: There is a broad consensus [on the panel] that the kind of policies that our President-elect has proposed are among the polices that will not work, Bloomberg reported. Mr Stigletz added that US interaction with other countries had to be based on confidence and trust but this was being eroded. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trumps transition team have lost contact with the US Office of Government Ethics, according to emails from its director, Walter Shaub. Founded in 1978, the office is designed to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest in the government's executive branch, while providing leadership and oversight, its website says. But in a November email to the President-elect's aides, Mr Shaub said that despite repeated attempts to reach out, "we seem to have lost contact with the Trump-Pence transition since the election." The message was one of a number obtained with a Freedom of Information Request from the US broadcaster MSNBC and the James Madison Project an organisation created to hold the government to account. Mr Shaub also warned that any attempt by Trump to create a blind trust of his assets without the involvement of his office would be unacceptable. A blind trust independently administers the private business interests of a person in public office to prevent conflict of interest. Mr Shaub added that his office only considers a trust blind if its underlying assets have "been sold off", a sharp contrast to many of the suggestions given so far by the Trump transition team. Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY He also warned that the President-elect could be embarrassed if he announced his cabinet choices without letting the ethics office review their financial information in advance. White House staff also run the risk of having inadvertently violated the criminal conflicts of interest laws because they have not received crucial ethics guidance from his office, he said. "If we don't get involved early to prevent problems," he added, "we won't be able to help them after the fact." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President-elect Donald Trump said that Russia will respect the United States far more than they do now once he takes office, in a series of morning tweets following the release of an intelligence report on Vladimir Putins role in the hacking of US systems. Throughout his campaign, Mr Trump repeatedly praised the Russian president for his strong control over the country, as well as Mr Putins apparently favourable opinion of the New York businessman. But Mr Trump's Saturday morning tweets appear to advocate for an alliance with Russia, despite the intelligence communitys high confidence that Mr Putin ordered the hacking campaign with the intention to influence the election. Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing, he wrote. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We have enough problems around the world without yet another one, he continued. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! Much earlier in the morning, Mr Trump commented on the report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that revealed federal intelligence agencies assessment that Russia had been involved in a multifaceted cyber attack against the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chair John Podesta. The publicly released report does not reveal the intelligence agents sources or methodologies for their findings which they say were included in the highly classified versions delivered to President Barack Obama and the President-elect. Mr Trump echoed his statement after receiving a full intelligence briefing regarding the highly classified report on Friday, and maintained the falsehood that US agencies found absolutely no evidence that hacking affected the election results. DNI Chief describes current Russian cyber threat Of course, the report discloses that the agencies did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election. The report only evaluated the intent behind the hacks, and had no way of gauging the effect it had on voters opinions and ultimate choice on Election Day. Mr Trump went on to blame the DNC hacks on gross negligence by Democrats. Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed, he wrote, despite his relatively narrow Electoral College win and popular vote loss by almost three million. The conclusions delivered in the report raise concerns that US allies will now be the targets of possible Russian cyber attacks in the future. We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts in the United States and worldwide, the report reads, including against US allies and their election processes. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It may seem there is a never-ending barrage of negative stories about Donald Trump, but a leading commentator has accused the US press of ignoring the most glaringly obvious problem with the President-elect his abysmal approval ratings. Eric Boehlert, who wrote Lapdogs: How the Press Rolled over for Bush, claims the media is doing the same for Mr Trump as he says they did with George W Bush and giving him an easy ride by focusing on personality politics particularly his tweets. Mr Boehlert, a senior fellow at US research centre, Media Matters, claims: Theres a glaring Trump transition story hiding in plain sight: Hes historically unpopular. The press ought to start telling that tale on a daily basis. Donald Trump's inauguration: All you need to know Recommended Mike Pence is now the only thing standing between madness and sanity In terms of polling data, Mr Boehlert said there is virtually no good news for Trump. The results generally point in the same direction: Hes widely disliked and inspires little confidence in his presidential abilities. When President Obama entered the White House in January 2009, his approval ratings stood at 68 per cent compared to Mr Trumps current Gallop poll rating of 43 per cent a contrast Mr Boehlert describes as stunning. Historically, approval ratings for Presidents tend to go down rather than up. The majority of Americans believe that Mr Trump will make a poor or terrible President, and 68 per cent describe him as hard to like, while his picks for cabinet also receive little backing in the polls. 54 per cent of adults say theyre either uncertain (25 per cent) or pessimistic and worried (29 per cent) about how Trump will perform during his presidency. Mr Behlert calls these numbers off-the-charts awful for an American President-elect. On average, 71 per cent of Americans were confident that Presidents Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton could handle an international crisis as they were entering the Whitehouse while just 46 per cent are confident about Trumps ability to handle such a crisis. Other commentators have agreed that Mr Trump is being treated with kid gloves by a media who collectively seem more interested in what he says particularly on Twitter than in what he might actually do. Writer John Deen claimed in Newsweek that with the exception of a few outspoken commentators, the "gutless" American press is "standing idly by to watch Trump destroy the country so they can report the fall of America. Although Mr Trump has repeatedly accused the media of lying about him and giving him unfair coverage, Mr Deen claims: Watching the formation of Donald Trumps presidency, the press coverage is disappointingly weak and thin. The news coverage of the transition of the most unqualified man ever elected to the White House is as weak and wishy-washy as it was at the outset of his campaign. Mr Deen believes this is because: The news media is so fixated with Trump himself, along with his endless need to consume all the oxygen in any room where they are all together, that they are totally ignoring how he is preparing for his presidency. This (reporting his personality) is what sells. Mr Trump made history by losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by a landslide of almost 2.9 million, but winning the presidency because of the electoral college-based voting system. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The New York Police Department and City Hall have apologised for an insensitive comment by a precinct captain that only rapes committed by strangers are the troubling ones. Captain Peter Rose said he was not too worried about a 62 per cent uptick in rape cases in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in 2016 as only two of the rapes were by strangers. Every rape should be investigated. I wish we could do more, he said, as reported by DNAinfo. It really becomes a balancing act for the investigators. Some of them were Tinder, some of them were hookup sites, some of them were actually coworkers. It's not a trend that we're too worried about because out of 13 [sex attacks], only two were true stranger rapes. Recommended Donald Trump is directly contributing to rape culture If there's a true stranger rape, a random guy picks up a stranger off the street, those are the troubling ones. That person has, like, no moral standards. He added that the rapes in Greenpoint were not total-abomination rapes where strangers are being dragged off the streets. His comments quickly prompted a backlash on social media, with users on twitter and Facebook calling for Mr Rose to be fired. His views were called an abomination, shameful and disturbing. Womens rights group UltraViolet said Mr Rose had dangerous and unacceptable views on rape. NYPD spokesman Stephen Davis said Mr Rose did not properly explain the complexity of issues involved with investigating rape complaints. Every report of rape is thoroughly investigated by specially trained detectives in the NYPDs Special Victims Unit. All complaints of rape and other types of sexual crimes are taken seriously whether they are committed by domestic partners, acquaintances, or strangers. New Yorks City Hall said in a statement that Mr Roses comments did not represent the views of the mayor Bill de Blasio or his administration. Rape is rape, in New York City and everywhere else, said press secretary Eric Phillips. Mr De Blasio himself came under fire last year when he supported former police commissioner Bill Bratton's suggestion that women "buddy up" to prevent being raped. He supported the idea in January 2016, shortly after a woman was gang raped by five men in a park in Brooklyn. Most of the rape cases reported in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn last year did not result in arrests. The cases included a handyman who attacked a woman in her home, and another man breaking into a womans apartment while she was sleeping and raped her. A total of 10 of the 13 reported cases remain unsolved. According to a 2012 report from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only around 14 per cent of rapes are committed by strangers. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to investigate an alleged intelligence leak to NBC, after he claimed the American broadcaster was able to access top secret information before him. I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top-secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it, he wrote on Twitter. NBC reported on Thursday the US had identified Russian actors as being responsible for passing stolen Democratic material to WikiLeaks. It also cited a senior intelligence official as confirming senior Russian officials celebrating Mr Trumps victory. However, the real-estate mogul reacted angrily to the report saying: How did NBC get an exclusive look into the top secret report he (Obama) was presented? Who gave them this report and why? Politics! The Republican leader said on Friday the likelihood of Russia-backed attempts at interference in the presidential election. However, he claimed any attempt to sway the result had absolutely no effect on the outcome. I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this community to our great nation, he said in a statement following an intelligence agency briefing on the issue. While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democratic National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. Russia has consistently denied any involvement and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said Moscow was not the source. On Saturday, Mr Trump took aim at the Democratic National Committee for allowing hacking to take place. Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place.The Republican National Committee had strong defense! he wrote on Twitter. Recommended What Theresa May and Donald Trump need to talk about next month Responding to Mr Trump's tweet non NBC, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was confident that no information was leaked by the White House. Jack Langer, a spokesman for the Republican majority of the House Intelligence Committee, said he had no comment on the tweet because the congressional panel had not received an official request for an investigation. Adam Schiff, the committee's top Democrat, responded to Trump on Twitter, suggesting his request was a sideshow: Of all issues implicated by Russian active measures, this is what you want to investigate? This is your top priority for intel committees? For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Chiaki Kodama blows her deer whistle and soon a male deer wanders into sight. She slowly takes aim and squeezes the trigger. Moments later, Kodama and a friend on her first hunt are tracking the wounded animal through the forest. Look for the trail of blood, advised Kodama as they set off on a mountainside in Japans Fukui prefecture. The 28-year-old hairdresser and city councillor is among a small but growing number of Japanese women entering the male-dominated world of hunting, where it was once taboo for men to even speak to a woman before going on a hunt. As the hunting fraternity shrinks due to age and rural depopulation, women are recruited to help protect farms against rising numbers of wild deer and boar viewed as pests by farmers. Farmer Manabu Ushiyachi said he welcomed any hunter, male or female, to help fend off the wild boar that feast on vegetable crops. There are farms that have been completely devastated, he said, adding that attempts to trap the animals had failed. Japanese farmers have lost up to 23 billion yen (160m) annually since 2008 because of rising numbers of deer, boar, monkeys and birds, the Ministry of Agriculture said last month. Weve tried methods such as building fences or chasing animals away to minimise their deaths, but it wasnt enough, said Kazuhiro Akiba, head of the ministrys Wildlife Management Office in Tokyo. Japan's female hunters Show all 16 1 /16 Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Fujiko Nagata carries her son Ryo as she removes the hide of a boar at her gutting station in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefectur Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Boar sausages are seen in a pan in the restaurant of hunter Fujiko Nagata in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Yasuyo Kitagawa drives into a forest to hunt for deer outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters A deer lies in a forest after being shot by a hunter outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Fujiko Nagata and her husband Izumi stand with their son Ryo in the kitchen of their restaurant in Hakusan, Ishikawa Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Fujiko Nagata and her husband Izumi walk in a forest looking for bear in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters A deer carcass hangs in a shed to drain in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunters Chiaki Kodama and Aoi Fukuno eat breakfast before their hunting trip in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunters Chiaki Kodama (R) and Aoi Fukuno drag a deer that Kodama shot through a forest outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Morning mist rises behind a hunting lodge in a forest outside Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Chiaki Kodama blows a deer whistle to attract animals in a forest outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Yasuyo Kitagawa holds her rifle as she waits for deer in a forest outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Yasuyo Kitagawa holds Chiro, the offspring of her hunting dog at her farm in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters The head of a boar lies in a bowl at hunter Fujiko Nagata's gutting station in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Chiaki Kodama guts a deer in a shed in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Masami Hata shoots at a duck Reuters Since the late 1990s, the number of deer in Japan has jumped from less than 400,000 to more than 3 million, according to the Ministry of Environment. The boar population doubled to 1 million over the same period. Akiba said hunting was necessary to keep the numbers under control to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Of Japans 105,000 registered hunters, two-thirds are 60 or older, and only 1,169 are female, according to the National Hunting Association, which counted 500,000 hunters in the 1970s. Hunting groups and local governments are trying to recruit women through social media. The national associations website has a blog page titled Aspire to be a Female Hunter!, where women write about their hunting experiences. One writer noted the kind gesture when she found portable toilets for female hunters in rest huts. In some prefectures, women can sign up for hunting courses or join a hunting tour. Others, like Kodama, provide on-the-hunt training. After shooting the deer, Kodama and her 28-year-old friend, Aoi Fukuno, followed the blood trail and found the dead animal lying on a fallen tree. Kodama then showed Aoi how to gut the deer and lay it in a river to drain the blood. Its exciting to finally see with my own eyes what I read in textbooks to get my licence, said Aoi. Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Taiwans president has vowed to boost the countrys presence on the world stage as she sets off to visit four Central American allies, in move that is likely to anger Beijing. President Tsai Ing-wen said the trip to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador would show the international society that Taiwan is a capable and responsible partner for co-operation. She will take connecting flights through Houston, Texas and San Francisco, California, for her state visits. China has urged Washington to prevent the government of the island, which has been self-governing since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, from stopping in the US and refrain from sending any wrong signal to the Taiwanese independence forces. Both Taiwan and China officially follow a One China policy where they believe both the island and the mainland form a single nation. The Kuomintang party, under leader Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan and set up a military dictatorship which eventually turned into a democracy after being defeated by the Communists at the end of the 1940s, but always vowed to return to the mainland. The party gained control of China during the 1920s but were forced into a protracted war with the Japanese when they invaded in 1931 and later the Communists between 1945 and 1949. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The diplomatic stalemate between the two countries has come under strain over the past year after the election of Ms Tsai whose Democratic Progressive Party ousted the Kuomintang from government because her party advocates for formally declaring independence from China. The election of Donald Trump in the US has created further tension after he breached diplomatic protocol by speaking to Ms Tsai over the phone. It is the first time a US president or president-elect has spoken to the Taiwanese leadership since President Jimmy Carter switched the diplomatic recognition to the Beijing government as the rulers of China rather than the Taipei government in 1979. Beijing has recently ratcheted up efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan, intervening to prevent the island's participation in international forums and establishing diplomatic relations with its former allies Gambia and Sao Tome and Principe. The moves have been seen as effectively abandoning the unspoken diplomatic truce that lasted eight years under Ms Tsai's China-friendly predecessor. It is currently unclear about whether Ms Tsai will met with Mr Trump or anyone in his transition team but she is likely to meet with other US politicians as she has done in the past. In June, Ms Tsai met with former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio in Miami. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Bangladeshi man who made news around the world because of a rare skin condition has been "cured", doctors have said. Abul Bajandar was dubbed "tree man" because of the large, wood-like warts on his body, caused by the rare genetic condition epidermodysplasia verruciformis. Doctors at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital believe if the warts do not grow back, Mr Bajandar would be the first person ever to recover from the disease. Abul Bajandar relaxes after surgery (Sam JAHANSAM JAHAN/AFP/Getty Images) And after 16 operations, he was finally able to embrace his daughter. I never thought I would ever be able to hold my kid with my hands, Mr Bajandar told AFP news agency. Now I feel so much better. I can hold my daughter in my lap and play with her. I cant wait to go back home. He received free treatment at the hospital after his condition came to the attention of doctors. Mr Bajandar and his wife and daughter have been living in the facility for the past year. Plastic surgery coordinator Samanta Lal Sen said "Bajandars cure was a remarkable milestone in the history of medical science and added that his hands and feet were almost fine. Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty Mr Sen expected just two more minor surgeries would need to be performed on Mr Bajandar before he could be discharged. Mr Bajandar, from the eastern district of Khulna, was not always afflicted with the warts and met his wife before they became problematic. He also worked as a rickshaw driver but as the condition deteriorated he was forced to stop. He told AFP he plans to set up a small business with donations he has received from well-wishers. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Scores of tanks were among hundreds of US vehicles have arrived in Germany as part of the biggest transfer of American armour to the region since the fall of the Soviet Union. Self-propelled howitzers and hundreds of other vehicles were also unloaded in the north German port of Bremerhaven, They will eventually be moved into Eastern Europe where they will bolster a Nato operation to deter Russian aggression. Some 3,500 troops from the 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colorado, will join up with the equipment, which includes 87 tanks and 144 Bradley fighting vehicles, over the next two weeks. Recommended Russian aircraft carrier heading for English Channel again The deployment marks the start of a new phase of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which foresees the continuous presence of an American armoured brigade combat team in Europe on a nine-month rotational basis. The mission is meant to help allay concerns held by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and other Nato allies about Russia. It coincided with a stream of Russia-related tweets by President-elect Donald Trump. He said on Saturday: Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! The new forces will gather first in Poland, then fan out across seven countries from Estonia to Bulgaria. They will be headquartered in Germany where the US has maintained a presence since the end of the Second World War. Announcing the move last year, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the forces would take part in regular military exercises across the region with Nato allies. At that time, US Army Europe Commander, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, called the deployment the embodiment of the United States commitment to deterring aggression and defending our European allies and partners. The US also plans to move in a combat aviation brigade with about 10 Chinook and 50 Black Hawk helicopters and 1,800 personnel from Fort Drum, New York, and a battalion with 24 Apache attack helicopters and 400 personnel from Fort Bliss, Texas. They will be headquartered in Germany with some aircraft positioned in Latvia, Romania and Poland. Other Nato members are also increasing their presence, with Britain sending fighter jets to the Black Sea area, while a battalion of troops, tanks and light armour will deploy in Estonia in the spring, backed by French and Danish troops. Germany also plans to send troops and tanks to Lithuania. Albania, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia are also playing roles in what Nato has dubbed its Enhanced Forward Presence. The US plans to relocate a Stryker unit from Germany to Poland as part of that group. Nato has already started positioning equipment and ammunition in Eastern Europe to reduce the time it would take additional units to deploy if needed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} German police shook their heads in disbelief at the way the events of New Years Eve in the city of Dortmund were reported by right wing outlet Breitbart News, it has been reported. Officials have joined the chorus of condemnation to a Breitbart story strongly disputed by local journalists which greatly exaggerated and distorted events on 31 December involving Syrian refugees. Condemned as "fake news" by some media pundits, the Breitbart article was headlined: Revealed: 1,000-man mob attack police, set Germanys oldest church alight on New Years Eve. However, according to local journalists, there was no mob and the St Reinold Church which is not Germanys oldest did not catch fire. Local police said the night was rather average to quiet and the number of incidents in Dortmund on New Years Eve had decreased to 185, down from 421 in 2015/16. The brief fire on scaffold netting near the church was reportedly caused accidently by a wayward firework. We shook our heads in disbelief when we saw how this operation was politicised [by Breitbart], said Dortmund police spokesman Gunnar Wortmann, according to The Washington Post. Despite Breitbarts exaggerations and lack of a reporter at the scene, the story was shared many thousands of times online, causing anger among some readers. Milo Yiannopoulos defends Breitbart headlines as 'satire' In response, Justice Minister of Hesse state, Eva Kuhne-Hormann, said: The danger is that these stories spread with incredible speed and take on lives of their own, AFP reported. The comments follow stinging criticism of the story by the German media, especially from the local newspaper which Breitbart based its own provocative piece on. Ruhr Nachrichten editor Peter Bandermann said: Foreign media and users of social networks on the internet used our online reports for fake news, hatred and propaganda. He claimed that separate, minor incidents which occurred in the Leeds Square area in the crowd of 1,000 strong revellers which included families and children were falsely connected by Breitbart to make them appear to all be part of a disorderly mob. They were not all men chanting "Allahu Akhbar" as claimed by Breitbart, Mr Bandermann said, adding that the phrase was normal. A flag briefly appearing in a video of Mr Bandermanns embedded in the Breitbart story, showing a group of Syrians celebrating a truce announced in their home country, was depicted by the outlet as being connected to Isis and al-Qaeda. Debunked myths and fake news stories Show all 25 1 /25 Debunked myths and fake news stories Debunked myths and fake news stories Nasa releases statement over rumours that asteroid will destroy Earth Nasa has just debunked a recent rumour of a giant asteroid due to crash into the Earth in September. Internet conspiracy theorists have been saying that an asteroid will hit our planet sometime between September 15 and 28, destroying the American continents. Acting in its role as space-news fact-checker, Nasa has issued a statement refuting the lot of it. "Thats the rumor that has gone viral now here are the facts," it said in a press release entitled 'NASA: There is No Asteroid Threatening Earth' Alamy Debunked myths and fake news stories Video of scorned lover who cut ex's belongings in half was actually an advert for a law firm Revenge is a dish best served cold, or viral on YouTube as seemed to be the case for one German ex-husband who uploaded a video of himself using power tools to saw his possessions in half so he could literally give his former wife half of everything owned. The video, titled For Laura, quickly went viral reaching nearly 5.8 million views with the description Thank you for 12 'beautiful' years, Laura! You've really earned half. Although the course of true love never did run smooth, it did seem that the jilted lover was taking revenge to a whole new level with the angst-ridden video. Now, however, all has been explained. The video was not created by a jealous ex, but filmed by a media-savvy legal company looking to expand its customer base Youtube Debunked myths and fake news stories McDonald's claims the 'secret menu' is fake The rebuttal comes following an amusing spoof article, published by the Lucky Peach, seemingly offering a smorgasbord of hidden options for the discerning customer. Among the delights apparently on offer are the Mommie Dearest (five burgers speared through with coat hangers) and the Burmese Python (complete with sock). Other options include the the Derrida a postmodern confection consisting of a raw potato and the remains of a few chips and a partially eaten bun PA Debunked myths and fake news stories Dead shark pictures might be fake Photographs of an enormous Tiger shark fished off the eastern Australian coast have emerged on social media. NSW newspaper The Northern Star claims the four metre catch was made by a local fisherman known only as Matthew. The images first emerged after Byron Bay resident Geoff Brooks posted them to his Facebook timeline. However, Mr Brooks has subsequently admitted he did not take the images but continued to claim that the photographs are real. Social media users have criticised the images, with some claiming they are fake Geoff Brooks, via Facebook Debunked myths and fake news stories A fried rat had been served in KFC Facebook went into full "wtfffffffffffff" mode after a man posted a picture of what he claims was a fried rat he had been served in KFC. As news of the supposed Kentucky Fried rat was reported and spread, the incident took a dramatic turn with Dixon sealing it in a bag and freezing it as evidence. KFC has denied it is in the business of plunging rats into boiling hot oil however, and claims the whole thing is a 'hoax'. A DNA test followed, and shows that the nugget, although distinctly rodent-shaped, was just chicken all along. Devorise Dixon/Facebook Debunked myths and fake news stories British scientists clone dinosaur An extraordinary story of the worlds first cloned dinosaur got a lot of traction on Twitter and inspired alarmist comparisons to Jurassic Park in March this year. It was also, not unexpectedly, a complete fake, including completely fabricated quotations from 'experts' and a picture that is actually of a very young kangaroo. Debunked myths and fake news stories Mohammed Islam - A boy who 'made $72m' in his lunch break A New York schoolboy who reportedly made $72 million (46 million) by trading stocks during his lunch breaks has admitted making the whole story up. Mohammed Islam, from Queens, originally told the New York Magazine he started dabbling in penny stocks aged just nine and developed a life-long passion for trading that was paying off. But in a later interview with the New York Observer, he said the whole story was fake and he had not made any money at all. Debunked myths and fake news stories Worlds oldest tree has been accidentally chopped down by loggers in Peru Several websites carried the news, seemingly without realising the entire story appears to be a hoax. It first appeared on the World News Daily Report a fake news website carrying articles including Isis launches satellite and Pterodactyl sighting in New Guinea terrorises villagers. Debunked myths and fake news stories Alex from Target has teenage girls swooning Alex from Target went from being a cute, Bieber-esque cashier to an Internet sensation in less than 24 hours with a little help from social media. The internet memes featuring the Texas teenager in his Target uniform flooded Twitter and the hashtag #AlexFromTarget, a reference to his employee tag, began trending as teen girls swooned over the 16-year old. The "cute checkout guy" photograph earned him 500,000 new Twitter followers and landed him an interview with the popular talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Alex from Target, his full name is actually Alex Laboeuf, said he was overwhelmed and was surprised by his new found fame. But a Los Angeles start-up known as Breakr has claimed responsibility for the Alex from Target phenomenon that has taken the internet by storm - insisting it was part of an intricate marketing experiment. Debunked myths and fake news stories Ryan Gosling adopted a baby A Father's Day Facebook post from "Ryan Gosling" detailing how he adopted an orphaned baby for a year attracted Likes from almost one million users. This was despite it having all the hallmarks of a hoax, including a link for users to "save thousands of children and meet me while doing it" actually redirecting to the purchase page for a Gosling t-shirt. Facebook Debunked myths and fake news stories Macaulay Culkin dead hoax How to reassure the world youre still alive after the internet reports that youre dead? Fake your own murder on Instagram, like Macaulay Culkin. The actor posted the above image via his band Pizza Undergrounds account yesterday, following several false rumours that hed passed away. One particularly misleading story, originally posted on MSNBC.website (not to be confused with the real MSNBC), read: Sources are reporting that Macaulay Culkin, best known for his role as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, has been found dead at the age of 34. Debunked myths and fake news stories 'Crabzilla' - A fifty-foot crab dwelling somewhere off the English coast A satellite picture of the so-called crab, aptly dubbed Crabzilla, has gone viral after first surfacing on Weird Whitstable, a website for the supernatural curated by illustrator Quinton Winter, which deals in phantoms, mysteries, tall tales, and artefacts. The shadowy figure of a colossal crustacean, apparently spotted in the murky waters of Whistable, in Kent, dwarfs boats and cars on the pier it lurks besides. The invertebrate expert Paul Clark at the Natural History Museum in London has branded the photo a hoax. Photo courtesy of Weird Whitstable http://www.weirdwhitstable.co.uk Debunked myths and fake news stories Ebola 'risen from the dead' zombie story The story of dead Ebola victims rising from the dead, with the first "picture" of one of the zombies that has gone viral, (if it weren't glaringly obvious) is a hoax. The image on the article, while impressive, is in fact doctored picture of a zombie from the film World War Z. It appears to have taken an image of one of the films lab-zombies, and merged it with this picture of a realistic movie sculpture from Schell Studios, which the messageboard 8chan pointed out. Debunked myths and fake news stories 'Nasa Confirms Six Days of Darkness in December 2014' Satirical news site Huzlers.com has been spreading fake story about upcoming six days of darkness, far and wide on the web, taking in numerous Facebook and Twitter users and encouraging them to post about what theyre going to be up to during the six days of darkness. The story on the vaguely official looking website titled Nasa Confirms Earth Will Experience 6 Days of Total Darkness in December 2014! claims that an incoming solar storm is to blame, causing "dust and space debris to become plentiful and thus block 90% sunlight. This is false. Although solar storms certainly are real phenomena (they occur due to fluctuations in the Suns magnetic field) theyre not like terrestrial storms that can blow up dust and dirt. Reuters Debunked myths and fake news stories Meet Thea, Norway's 12-year-old child bride A Norwegian campaign highlighting the issue of child marriage has gained global attention after a blog seemingly written by a child bride-to-be went viral. The blog, apparently written by 12-year-old girl 'Thea', charts her thoughts and feelings towards her impending marriage to 37-year-old Geir. However, the blog was carefully created by Plan, an international aid organisation working on strengthening the girls rights, to bring home the issue of child brides. Courtesy of Plan Debunked myths and fake news stories Obsessive selfie-taking classified as a mental disorder An article claimed that the American Psychiatric Association (a real body) had classified new mental disorder selfitis as the obsessive compulsive desire to take photos of ones self and post them on social media. The origin of the article should have tipped off readers, however - it first appeared on a site whose owners admit that when writing [...] we spice it up with figments of our imagination. Debunked myths and fake news stories Shipwrecked British woman saved by Google Earth The extraordinary story of Gemma Sheridan, a woman from Liverpool saved by Google Earth after seven years stranded on a desert island, whipped up a storm among social media users. Aside from the fairly incredible details involved in the story, a wide range of issues showed it is quite clearly a hoax - including pictures and whole swathes of text borrowed from other (real) reports. Digital Globe via Waffles at Noon Debunked myths and fake news stories Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is dead The Rock became the latest victim of a death hoax this month after rumours circulated that the action star had died while filming a dangerous stunt for the upcoming Fast and Furious 7 on Thursday. The bogus report was created by Global Associated News, a website responsible for some of the most outlandish recent fake celebrity deaths, and went viral on Twitter and Facebook. Getty Images Debunked myths and fake news stories Vaccines can cause autism A serious myth, this, and one which has repeatedly been rejected by scientific studies. The latest of these came earlier this year when a study that examined brain tissue samples donated by children who had died showed autism may actually develop in the womb during pregnancy. One scientist said the findings 'call sharply into questions other popular notions about autism'. Rex Features Debunked myths and fake news stories Homeopathic remedies have medicinal properties Proponents of homeopathy claim that it stimulates the body to heal itself, and is based on the principle of like cures like. But an Australian scientific body became the latest earlier this year to carry out a study showing that it actually works no better than a placebo. That story came after a homeopathic 'remedy' was actually recalled in the US because it contained traces of real medicine. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Debunked myths and fake news stories Chinese child ruined father's passport This picture of a Chinese passport apparently defaced by a four-year-old boy went viral around the world, despite the fact that it seems to clearly be a hoax. The picture was originally posted on Chinese social networking site Weibo by a person claiming to be the father, known as Chen, with a plea for help. But from the uniform thickness of the lines (which actually go off the page to the right) to the covering-up of identifying details, the 'drawing' looks a lot like an adults handiwork on Photoshop or MS Paint Weibo Debunked myths and fake news stories MH370 was caused by aliens/Snowden/the Bermuda Triangle Since the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished on 8 March with 239 people on board, the story has sparked a host of myths and conspiracy theories. While some of these theories as to how the flight could have just disappeared have not been discounted by authorities, others have tended towards the unusual, bizarre and downright ridiculous. One Malaysian politician claimed the Bermuda Triangle must have moved to Vietnam. A 'citizen reporter' said radar picked up a UFO. Another said there was a complicated link to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. None are likely to be true. Reuters Debunked myths and fake news stories Chayson Basinio, 2, snatched from French supermarket Police in France investigated a report in April that a two-year-old boy had been kidnapped in the French town of Moulins. But they later called off their search operation after they discovered he only existed on social media. The 'aunt' who reported the disappearance of 'Chayson Basinio' was arrested for 'reporting an imaginary crime or offence'. AFP/Getty Images Debunked myths and fake news stories Morrissey joined Twitter Morrissey fans rejoiced earlier this week when the verified Twitter account @itsmorrissey posted its first tweet since joining in 2009, saying: 'Hello. Testing, 1, 2, 3. Planet Earth, are you there? One can only hope...' It seems that the Twitter blue tick seal of approval doesnt mean as much as it used to, after Morrissey confirmed in a statement that he does not have an account on the social media site. Getty Images Debunked myths and fake news stories Chinese people ate doves at wedding, sued ugly wives and only sing numbers from takeaway menus In November last year, the western media was bombarded by a host of stories involving Chinese misrepresentations. One involved a Chinese man suing his wife 'because he was ugly' and winning - but was later debunked by an expat magazine in Shanghai. Here, Nyima Pratten writes about how our media depict Chinese people in an unreasonably negative way Getty Images However, it was actually a flag commonly used by those opposed to the Assad regime and dates back to the days Syrian independence from colonial France in the 1940s. Another newspaper to condemn the Breitbart story was the Allgemeine Zeitung of Frankfurt, who said the outlet distorted true events to create an image of chaotic civil war-like conditions in Germany, caused by Islamist aggressors. Breitbart has already run into trouble in Germany because of its content. In early December, a number of German companies, including BMW, pulled their advertising from the website because of ethical differences. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures have led to multiple deaths and disrupted travel in countries across Europe. At least 10 people have died of the cold in Poland in recent days, officials said, with temperatures plummeting below minus 20C on Saturday. In Belgium a man died after his lorry slid off a highway, while the deaths of half a dozen homeless people in Italy have been blamed on freezing conditions. Planes have been grounded and ferry services disrupted in several places across the continent. Heavy snow in Istanbul forced Turkish Airlines to cancel more than 650 flights. The Bosphorus Strait was also closed and ferries stopped completely, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. Parts of southern Italy were reportedly buried beneath a metre of snow and in Rome the fountains in St Peter's Square froze overnight. It has also been the coldest Orthodox Christmas in Russia for 120 years, with thermometers reading minus 30C overnight in Moscow, and minus 24C in St Petersburg. In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A man works in the snow in the Yorkshire Dales near Hawes In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A man jogs past the partially frozen Sefton Park Lake in Liverpool PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A jogger runs through the snow under the Angel of the North in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A man walks through the snow close to the Angel of the North in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Temperatures drop as night time falls and snow blankets moors in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Temperatures drop, as night time falls, and snow enhances the complex pattern of fields on the moors in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A van waits to be recovered after sliding into a ditch on an icy road in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snow blankets the countryside in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Farmers on the Richmondshire and Cumbria border take feed for the sheep on the Pennine tops with the A66 trans Pennine route in the background as snow falls across many parts of the UK PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A tractor with a snow plough parked outside the Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale, North Yorkshire as snow falls in the Pennines PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Cars make their way through the snow on the A1 northbound in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, as the UK braced for a new wave of bad weather after forecasters issued warnings of heavy snow in parts of England and Scotland PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snowfalls over high ground of the Pennines at Tan Hill PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Sue and Chris Betts take their dog for a walk in the snow near Beamish, Tyne and Wear after heavy snow in the area PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Clyde Wind Farm near Abington in Scotland PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Sheep near Abington in Scotland PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snow in Abington in Scotland as the cold weather hits parts of the UK PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snow blankets the countryside in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, temperatures fell to minus 7C, and in Athens they reached 0C. Several Greek islands, including Lesbos, experienced heavy snowfall. In the former Olympic ski resort of Sarajevo, in Bosnia, many skiers stayed away from the slopes as temperatures dipped to minus 27C, Sky News reported. In Switzerland, the lowest temperature in western Europe was recorded in the village of La Brevine, which reached minus 29.9C on Friday. The village also holds the record for the coldest-ever recorded temperature in Switzerland, of minus 41.8C on 12 January, 1987. Additional reporting by AP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Germanys vice-chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, has called for Salafist mosques to be banned and their preachers expelled following the Berlin terror attack. The leader of the Social Democrats said those who encourage violence do not enjoy the protection of religious freedom, stressing he had a zero tolerance attitude towards combating Islamism. The country is on edge following a terror attack where Amis Amri ploughed a lorry in a Berlin Christmas market killing 12 people last month and a year of attempted lone wolf attacks. Salafism, an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam. Mr Gabriel told German weekly Der Spiegel that half the followers of Isis who travel to Syria are German, often with German parents. He said: Salafist mosques must be banned, communities dissolved, and the preachers should be expelled as soon as possible. If we are serious about the fight against Islamism and terrorism, then it must also be a cultural fight. 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 The vice-chancellor, whose party is currently in a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democrats, said this meant they needed to strengthen societal ties and make sure urban areas are not neglected, villages do not fall into disrepair and people do not become more and more radicalised. His intervention comes as his party prepares itself for a federal election later this year where anti-immigration parties such as Alternative for Germany (AfD) are expected to do well by exploiting fears over the influx of refugees. Following the Berlin attack an AfD MEP, Marcus Pretzell, tweeted that the victims were Merkels dead as she had allowed more than a million refugees to come from Iraq and Syria. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Madrid's mayor, Manuela Carmena, is serious about kicking personal cars off the road in the city center. On a November 5 show on Spanish radio networkCadena Ser, she confirmed that Madrid's main avenue, the Gran Via, will only allow access to bikes, buses, and taxis before she leaves office in May 2019, as noted by CityLab. Carmena said she has every intention to "pedestrianize the Gran Via in this legislature." The effort is part of a larger plan to ban all diesel cars in Madrid by 2025. Established in 1910, the Gran Via is a busy, six-lane road that cuts through the city's center -- making the upcoming car ban highly ambitious. In December, around holiday shopping time, Madrid blocked personal cars from the Gran Via for nine days. Carmena's rival and leader of the right-wing Popular Party in Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, later threatened to sue the city for the temporary ban. Aguirre argued that it hurt businesses along road, since car-driving customers couldn't access it. However, in the interview with Cadena Ser, Carmena said businesses along the avenue told her that their profits increased 15% during those nine days compared to last year. The main goal of the ban is to fight Madrid's rising pollution, the city's government has said. Madrid is already enforcing temporary driving restrictions in the city center when smog levels reach harmful peaks. Carmena's move is part of a growing global trend to make city streets more pedestrian-friendly. Copenhagen is building a bike superhighway radiating out from its city center, which will be ready by 2019. Oslo, Hamburg, Paris, and Mexico City are also working toward similar car bans, though not at Madrid's scale. Read more: I switched from Android to iPhone 7 Pls - and I regret it wholeheartedly The 27 best startups that launched this year I tried cryotherapy, the crazy treatment that plunges you to -90C and makes your body think it's dying Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2017. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Where is Siberia? You know the place: bears, vodka, oil, very big, awfully remote, once filled with political prisoners (and now home to some of Russias cutting-edge computer geniuses). But where does it start? Encyclopaedia Britannica, for one, describes it as that vast region of Russia that extends from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Thats not quite right. At least not from the point of view of the 1.3 million residents of Yekaterinburg, Russias fourth-largest city, which sits just to the east of the range that divides Europe and Asia. Yekaterinburgers will tell you with tightly clenched teeth that they are in the Urals. Not. Siberia. Yekaterinburg's central shopping street (Getty) The Washington Post ran into this when it published a blog post about a Siberian bar in Yekaterinburg that had come up with humorous Russian translations for American cocktails. Facebook shuddered with the umbrage of Uralites (and the Post corrected the wording). But no one could say for sure where Siberia does start. So the Post travelled to Yekaterinburg to find out, and this became a local news story. A camera crew from Malina.am, a Yekaterinburg television and news website, followed a Post reporter around, trying to help explain the difference between Siberian and Ural culture. Siberia gets way more news coverage because its huge, comprising 74 per cent of Russias land mass, according to Olga Guryevskikh, who teaches geography at the Ural State Pedagogical University. The Urals make up just six per cent, but the region is also a famous brand check the price of oil futures. With that in mind, the Post made its first stop at a restaurant called Pelmeni Club, whose co-owner, Yelena Makusheva, served tasty samples of dumplings from Siberia and the Urals. The Siberian ones had exotic, frontier-sounding names such as Yamal wild deer (with real deer meat) and Grandmother in a kerchief (beef, pork and mutton). The Ural pelmeni were called Duck and goose and Turnips with mushrooms. They all tasted good. Which ones did Makusheva prefer? And what did they say about regional cultures? Yekaterinburg's central shopping street (Getty) There is no better or worse, she said, smiling. Siberian, Ural, were all Russians. The pelmeni are the best wherever we are. This last could have been a philosophical statement, or it could have been a plug for the restaurant she and her partner have opened in the Siberian city of Tyumen. It was time to do an interview at the Malina.am TV studio. The host, Olga Chebykina, brought in Guryevskikh, who took out a topographical map of Russia and, as the cameras rolled, pointed at the yellow section that indicated the Ural Mountains. On the map, that yellow yields to a sea of green that stretches east. Even though you cant see the mountains in Yekaterinburg, the city is on the yellow part of the map. The green sea is Siberia. Maddeningly, that boundary did not match modern regional borders. The Post resolved to find that magical spot. You might be able to find the physical border, Chebykina said. But the border in the soul is hard to define. More mystery! Marina Tchebotaeva, the down-to-earth general director of the Yekaterinburg office of a German water treatment company, tried to explain. The Urals, generally speaking, are populated by descendants of peasants who toiled at factories in the 18th century, when Peter the Great needed iron and copper to fight his wars, she said. Yekaterinburg's business district (Getty) The main characteristic of Uralites is the love of work, Tchebotaeva said. We have a lot of large factories, good engineers, and we really love to work and get good results. Siberia, on the other hand, was populated by explorers and pioneers, she said Cossacks who built forts, and the traders and farmers who settled near them. Siberians have always been brave, freedom-loving and enterprising people, she said. Theyll never leave you by the side of the road. If your car breaks down, theyll help you. Because if youre stuck on the side of the road when its 22 below youll never survive. As she said this, the temperature outside was descending along with the weak, winter sun. It would hit 22 degrees below zero that night. Urals people wouldnt leave you, either, Tchebotaeva added. Tchebotaeva posted on her Facebook page about this reporters quest, prompting reactions that aptly describe the state of US-Russian relations. Why does he need to know? read one post. Maybe hes trying to divide the country! Another poster elaborated on this theory. The United States is going to try to separate Siberia from Russia. It sounds overwrought, but try to imagine an expedition of Russian reporters venturing into Colorado, purportedly to find where the Rockies end and the Midwest begins. Those would have to be spies looking for our missile silos, right? OK, maybe not. The next morning, it was a dare-we-call-it-Siberian 13 below as we headed east from Yekaterinburg. We passed fields and snow, and snowy fields. The sun rose and the temperature actually went down. The road was ploughed, and Russia has excellent gas stations with well-stocked convenience stores. And then, on a wooded upgrade about 200 miles east of Yekaterinburg, we found that mystical border, marked by a faded, primitive sign with the word Siberia scrawled on it, just past a bridge over the trickle of a brook fed by an underground spring. At the waters edge, an inscription on a stone described this as the accepted border of Siberia in the 18th century. Nearby, a boarded-up cafe was surrounded by knee-deep, untouched snow, and a large, cinder block outhouse loomed. The magic of this place was faint, but the cold was not: this reporters iPhone froze, as did the Malina.am crews drone. A few miles into Siberia lay the town of Ust-Nitsinskoye, a settlement of a thousand souls founded in 1622 on the spot where the Nitsa River flows into the Tura River. The appearance of TV cameras sent townspeople scurrying. The first who was willing to talk was a retired bauxite miner who gave only his name and patronymic, Boris Mikhailovich, 65. He was wearing military fatigues and feeding chickadees out of his bare hand, seemingly oblivious to the chill. An advertisement for Ahmad Tea painted on the side of an apartment block, in Yekaterinburg, Russia (Getty) How very Siberian! What is the difference between people from the Urals and Siberians, asked Svetlana Smirnova, the Malina.am producer. Is there any? I dont think so, Boris Mikhailovich said. Not too helpful. The next person willing to speak to us gave only his nickname, Tolik. Whats the difference between people from the Urals and people from Siberia? Smirnova asked. Uhm, I dont know, Tolik said. You dont notice a difference? Smirnova persisted. Nope, said Tolik. Smirnova is a good journalist. She didnt give up. So are you closer to a Siberian or a Uralite? she asked. Im a little bit of both, Tolik shrugged. Here, the search ended. It was dark, and freezing, and 200 miles back to Yekaterinburg. Some of it in Siberia, the rest in the Urals. Whatever that meant. Washington Post For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Russian aircraft carrier who reportedly destroyed over 1,000 targets in Syria is set to head to Britain. Following a ceasefire deal between the Syrian government and opposition groups on 29 December, Moscow has agreed to scale back its military operations in the country. The Russian armed forces chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, said the countrys only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, would be the first to return to Severomorsk on Russia's Arctic coast, near the border with Finland. Donald Trump brands Russian hacking claims 'ridiculous' But in doing so it will retrace its trip to the Syrian port of Tartous when it crossed in British waters back in October escorted by the Royal Navys Type 45 destroyers HMS Duncan and Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond as it sailed down through the North Sea and crossed the English Channel. The 55,000-tonne vessel facilitated 420 sorties in two months of operation in Syria as Russian air strikes repeatedly bombarded rebel groups and Isis in Syria as Russian President Vladimir Putin propped up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Russian intervention in September 2015 is believed to have turned the tide of the war as Assad looked close to being toppled despite Nato dismissing it as posturing at the time. Gen Gerasimov said: The successes of the Syrian armed forces in the liberation of Aleppo have created the necessary conditions for the peaceful settlement of the conflict. I'm confident that it will lay the basis for the political settlement of the conflict. Air strikes from the Admiral Kuznetsov on rebel targets marked the first time the carrier had been used in combat despite having been commissioned by the Soviet Union during the 1980s. It lost two aircraft after an Su-33 and MiG-29 fighter jet crashed landed due to problems with the carriers landing systems. 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 current ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, which backs the Syrian opposition groups, has largely been upheld despite accusations of violations on both sides. Peace negotiations are due to be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan later this month though several rebel groups have already withdrawn. Other than the departure of the Admiral Kuznetsov it is currently unclear how far Russias demilitarisation of Syria will go. Gen Gerasimov declined to give further details on the departure of Russian forces from the region but Moscow continues to control two army bases in government-controlled Syria. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least 48 people were killed when a tanker bomb ripped through the centre of a rebel-held Syrian city along the Turkish border, damaging buildings and leaving rescue workers searching for survivors amid the wreckage. The explosion went off early on Saturday afternoon outside a local court house and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town. It hit the busiest part of the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi said. The scene of a bombing in the rebel-held Syrian city of Azaz, near the Turkish border, on 7 January (AP) Azaz, only a couple of miles away from the Turkish border, is a hub for anti-government activists and opposition fighters, as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkey-backed opposition groups to the east. Isis militants have been pushed back farther east by the Turkey-backed fighters. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, although Isis has been accused of carrying out attacks there before and was suspected of being behind Saturday's bombing as it continues to battle rebels based in the city. Footage of the aftermath of the explosion showed a gutted area. Activists shared photos of bodies lying in the street as large clouds of black smoke lingered overhead. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said those killed included six opposition fighters. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explains the large blast and high death toll. In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: Children play underground in Syria In pictures: Children play underground in Syria A child plays in the ball pit at the 'Land of Childhood,' an underground playground in a besieged town in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Abdulaziz, 10, plays in the 'Land of Childhood' underground playground in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Boys look through a show window inside the tunnel that provides a safe passage for children between the two basements that form the 'Land of Childhood' in a besieged town in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Children play at the underground 'Land of Childhood' in a besieged town in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Two girls play at the 'Land of Childhood' underground playground in a besieged town in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Children on the ride on a ferris wheel at the 'Land of Childhood', an underground playground in a besieged town in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Seven-year-old Massa at the "Land of Childhood" underground playground in a besieged town in Syria Unicef In pictures: Children play underground in Syria Children wait in line to buy sweets at the 'Land of Childhood,' an underground playground in a besieged town in Syria Unicef The activist-operated local Azaz Media Centre put the death toll at 60, adding that search and rescue operations continued for hours after the explosion. The Observatory said the explosion took place near the local courthouse operated by rebel groups. Mr Alnajdi said rescue workers were still working to identify those killed and ensure bodies were removed from the area, suggesting that the death toll was not final. He said some of the severely wounded were transported across the border into the Turkish town of Kilis for treatment. The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said 53 wounded Syrians were brought to Kilis local hospital for treatment, including five in critical condition, transferred to Gaziantep. The agency said one later died. Mr Alnajdi said some witnesses saw the vehicle which he described as a tanker drive into the town's centre. Residents of Syrias Azaz caught in the crossfire The court house and the security headquarters were damaged, as well as the Red Crescent and municipality offices, according to activists in the area. Media activist Bahaa al-Halabi said witnesses reported many unidentified bodies because of the strength of the explosion. Footage shared online showed a large plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic street and the sound of gunfire in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. In one instance, a father ran away from the scene, carrying his child to safety. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year have resettled in Azaz. Syrian Kurdish forces control territory to the west of Azaz, and have often tried advancing toward the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back Isis extremists, gaining territory and advancing on the Isis stronghold of al-Bab, further east. Turkey considers Syria Kurdish factions there terrorists, linked to a local group it is battling at home. A nationwide cease-fire has gone into effect across most of Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides of the conflict, reached an agreement late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Assads government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. Isis group and al-Qaeda-linked group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham are not included in the deal, according to the Syrian government. Associated Press For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A secret underground network operating in Iraq and Syria has reportedly freed more than 3,000 Yazidi women held captive in sexual slavery by Isis. Kurdish and Christian civilians make up the group, along with other ethnic minorities and families of the victims, NGO Yazda has claimed. According to the charity, rescues are carried out through word of mouth, driven by Yazidis who have escaped capture or whose loved ones are still being held in Isis territory. This is a group made up of all ethnicities working together on the ground. I know of more than five different groups collaborating, some are rescuing from Mosul, some from Raqqa, every group is working in different places, Yazda director Ahmed Burjus told The Independent. If one person hears of a girl who is trapped in Raqqa, then they will call a friend on the ground who might know someone who will be able to try and rescue them, these are local people trying to free these women. Mr Burjus said little is known about the civilian humanitarian effort to free captive Yazidis due to the dangerous nature of the groups work. These rescue missions happen very secretly, no information is shared with anyone. These are local people, local Yazidi families who carry out the rescues so they remain in danger. They cant post anything about their whereabouts or their plans for fear of Isis capture, he said. The Yazidi people are an ethnic minority whose ancient religion is considered a form of devil worship by Isis. According to the UN, more than 3,500 are still being held captive, however Mr Burjus fears the real number could be even higher. Entire families have been killed or kidnapped. People didnt know the correct information about them at the start, so everything is an estimation, he said. In July 2016, the UN recognised Isiss persecution of the Yazidis as genocide. Kurdistan Regional Government officials (KRG) allegedly closed Yazdas Kurdish headquarters last week without giving a specific reason or due warning, according to the group. Staff told Human Rights Watch: Officers provided no reason, no paperwork and no information on how long it was being closed. The officers put locks on the doors to prevent staff from coming back. The KRG allegedly accused the group of being illegally involved in political activities, a claim Yazda describes as baseless. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tourists are being paid to visit the US Virgin Islands this year, as the region celebrates being 100 years of being part of the United States. The US territory is giving visitors $300 (240) in spending credit, which can be used on a range of tours and activities including kayaking and diving. The promotion celebrates the centennial of Denmark selling the islands to the US and those who visit the islands on 31 March will also receive a souvenir in honour of transfer day. To be eligible for the promotion the trip has to be booked through the islands tourism website before 1 October and visitors must stay at a participating hotel on one of the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas, CNBC reported. The Caribbean islands are located to the south east of Florida, have a population of just over 100,000 and are classified as a Non-Self-Governing Territory by the United Nations. December, January and February tends to be peak season for tourists and flights are offered from the east coast. Culture news in pictures Show all 33 1 /33 Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures 30 September 2016 An employee hangs works of art with "Grand Teatro" by Marino Marini (R) and bronze sculpture "Sfera N.3" by Arnaldo Pomodoro seen ahead of a Contemporary Art auction on 7 October, at Sotheby's in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 29 September 2016 Street art by Portuguese artist Odeith is seen in Dresden, during an exhibition "Magic City - art of the streets" AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 Dancers attend a photocall for the new "THE ONE Grand Show" at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, Germany REUTERS Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 With an array of thrift store china, humorous souvenirs and handmade tile adorning its walls and floors, the Mosaic Tile House in Venice stands as a monument to two decades of artistic collaboration between Cheri Pann and husband Gonzalo Duran REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A gallery assistant poses amongst work by Anthea Hamilton from her nominated show "Lichen! Libido!(London!) Chastity!" at a preview of the Turner Prize in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A technician wearing virtual reality glasses checks his installation in three British public telephone booths, set up outside the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The installation allows visitors a 3-D look into the museum which has twenty-two paintings belonging to the British Royal Collection, on loan for an exhibit from 29 September 2016 till 8 January 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 An Indian artist dressed as Hindu god Shiva performs on a chariot as he participates in a religious procession 'Ravan ki Barat' held to mark the forthcoming Dussehra festival in Allahabad AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Air Power', 1984, is displayed at the Bowie/Collector media preview at Sotheby's in New York AFP/Getty Culture news in pictures 25 September 2016 A woman looks at an untitled painting by Albert Oehlen during the opening of an exhibition of works by German artists Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen in Reutlingen, Germany. The exhibition runs at the Kunstverein (art society) Reutlingen until 15 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 24 September 2016 Fan BingBing (C) attends the closing ceremony of the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival at Kursaal in San Sebastian, Spain Getty Images Culture news in pictures 23 September 2016 A view of the artwork 'You Are Metamorphosing' (1964) as part of the exhibition 'Retrospektive' of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo at Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany. The exhibition runs from 25 September 2016 to 1 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 22 September 2016 Jo Applin from the Courtauld Institute of Art looks at Green Tilework in Live Flesh by Adriana Vareja, which features in a new exhibition, Flesh, at York Art Gallery. The new exhibition features works by Degas, Chardin, Francis Bacon and Sarah Lucas, showing how flesh has been portrayed by artists over the last 600 years PA Culture news in pictures 21 September 2016 Performers Sean Atkins and Sally Miller standing in for the characters played by Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell during a photocall for Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children" at Potters Field Park in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A detail from the blanket 'Alpine Cattle Drive' from 1926 by artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is displayed at the 'Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum for Contemporary Arts' in Berlin. The exhibition named 'Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Hieroglyphen' showing the complete collection of Berlin's Nationalgallerie works of the German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and will run from 23 September 2016 until 26 February 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A man looks at portrait photos by US photographer Bruce Gilden in the exhibition 'Masters of Photography' at the photokina in Cologne, Germany. The trade fair on photography, photokina, schowcases some 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and runs from 20 to 25 September. The event also features various photo exhibitions EPA Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A woman looks at 'Blue Poles', 1952 by Jackson Pollock during a photocall at the Royal Academy of Arts, London PA Culture news in pictures 19 September 2016 Art installation The Refusal of Time, a collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison, which features as part of the William Kentridge exhibition Thick Time, showing from 21 September to 15 January at the Whitechapel Gallery in London PA Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Artists creating one off designs at the Mm6 Maison Margiela presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Bethenny Frankel attends the special screening of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Edition release on Blu-Ray and DVD in New York City Getty Images for Walt Disney Stu Culture news in pictures 17 September 2016 Visitors attend the 2016 Oktoberfest beer festival at Theresienwiese in Munich, Germany Getty Images Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Visitors looks at British artist Damien Hirst work of art 'The Incomplete Truth', during the 13th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled 'The World, Europe and Ukraine: storms of changes', organised by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev AP Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Tracey Emin's "My Bed" is exhibited at the Tate Liverpool as part of the exhibition Tracey Emin And William Blake In Focus, which highlights surprising links between the two artists Getty Images Culture news in pictures 15 September 2016 Musician Dave Grohl (L) joins musician Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage onstage at the Forum in Inglewood, California Getty Images Culture news in pictures 14 September 2016 Model feebee poses as part of art installation "Narcissism : Dazzle room" made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at rooms33 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo. Matsuyama's installation features a strong contrast of black and white, which he learned from dazzle camouflage used mainly in World War I AP Culture news in pictures 13 September 2016 Visitors look at artworks by Chinese painter Cui Ruzhuo during the exhibition 'Glossiness of Uncarved Jade' held at the exhibition hall 'Manezh' in St. Petersburg, Russia. More than 200 paintings by the Chinese artist are presented until 25 September EPA Culture news in pictures 12 September 2016 A visitor looks at Raphael's painting 'Extase de Sainte Cecile', 1515, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence during the opening of a Raphael exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The first Russian exhibition of the works of the Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino includes eight paintings and three drawings which come from Italy. Th exhibit opens to the public from 13 September to 11 December EPA Culture news in pictures 11 September 2016 Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd perform during Otis Redding 75th Birthday Celebration - Rehearsals at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia Getty Images for Otis Redding 75 Culture news in pictures 10 September 2016 Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers at the Last Night of the Proms 2016 at the Royal Albert Hall in London PA Culture news in pictures 9 September 2016 A visitor walks past a piece entitled "Fruitcake" by Joana Vasconcelo, during the Beyond Limits selling exhibition at Chatsworth House near Bakewell REUTERS Culture news in pictures 8 September 2016 A sculpture of a crescent standing on the 2,140 meters high mountain 'Freiheit' (German for 'freedom'), in the Alpstein region of the Appenzell alps, eastern Switzerland. The sculpture is lighted during the nights by means of solar panels. The 38-year-old Swiss artist and atheist Christian Meier set the crescent on the peak to start a debate on the meaning of religious symbols - as summit crosses - on mountains. 'Because so many peaks have crosses on them, it struck me as a great idea to put up an equally absurd contrast'. 'Naturally I wanted to provoke in a fun way. But it goes beyond that. The actions of an artist should be food for thought, both visually and in content' EPA Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures It should be noted the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel notice for the area to anyone who is pregnant or expecting to become pregnant due to the Zika virus. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} This morning The Independent tells us about the Health Secretarys collusion with the independent Health Education England about bullying the junior doctors, then this evening the TV news is telling us that A&E services are in crisis. Now, I may not be a politician, but anyone can see that a health minister who starves the system (to which we all contribute as soon as we start to work), so that he can introduce privatisation as a way of solving the crisis that he created, is not really suitable for the role he has been given. Bearing in mind that our unelected Prime Minister is doing nothing to intervene, then it must be assumed that she is happy with what he is doing. I can see why, as should any of them be taken ill there will be a flying squad escorting the ambulance to a private hospital where a consultant or two will be hovering around their beds to attend to them. Therell be no long waits in A&E, no trolleys in a corridor for several hours, and a wait for a bed. In other words, not the service we may experience should we be taken ill. Ministers are quick to condemn the actions of rail workers, but seem not to realise that what they are doing is in utter contempt of every person in the country who doesnt want the NHS privatised. I think that apart from ministers and private medical company directors, that would be everyone else. If funding is a problem then maybe international aid (Mr Cameron's attempt at being a world player) should be de-ring-fenced and the NHS ring-fenced and protected from privatisation for ever. These ministers who aspire to know better than the people they represent should start listening to them. Ken Twiss, Yarm, Cleveland Remainers lost a battle, not the war The Brexiteers think the 16 million who voted to remain are losers who can glibly be ignored if they dont knuckle under. The intransigent Remainers, and those who may join them as the economic situation degrades as it may well, have a right to be heard and could be organised into a potent force. Since in Parliament only the SNP feels able to oppose Brexit, it is time for a new centrist party that would boldly campaign at parliamentary elections for a return to and reform of the EU. We get back in there and clean it up. I propose that this new party be called the Moderates which abbreviates pleasingly to the Mods. We Remainers or Mods should take heart from the words of de Gaulle in another dark time: We have lost a battle but we have not lost the war. Patrick Vidaud, London Ben Chu argues that economists were not wrong to predict a downturn after the Brexit vote because they are now forecasting a downturn next year. Isnt the flaw in this argument rather obvious? Hugh Murray, Newmarket Welcome to the real world that the rest of us are living in. Civil servants do not like how the public voted in the referendum. Tough. I do not like top civil servants getting gongs for (a) doing their job and (b) doing the job badly. Not much I can do about it. I do not like civil servants continuing to enjoy expensive final salary pensions when most in the private sector have to make do with defined-contribution pensions. Again, not much I can do about it. If civil servants are not happy, do what the rest of us do. Leave, and do something else. Philip Pound, Sydenham, London Political strike Yesterday I watched an interview with Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, about the rail industrial action. As usual he said the action was political. Well, so is his use of this word to try and demonise these staff. He must think we're all stupid if he thinks we cant see through his game playing. At least those staff are actually qualified to do their job, unlike him, with no background whatsoever in this area. R Kimble, Hawksworth Barack Obama's legacy President Obama's record of partisan politics at home allied to diplomatic blunders abroad leave a weakened, divided nation, a controversial health service and a Democratic Party in meltdown. An unfocused $1tn stimulus left unsafe roads and bridges, old school buildings, no nationwide smart grid to prevent blackouts and no real defence against cyber-terrorist attacks. Hijacked by radical greens he over-hyped global warming, demonised fossil fuel, blocked pipelines, delayed drilling platforms and held back the Midwestern economic recovery. His actions in Libya, Egypt, Iran and Syria were disastrous while his bickering with President Putin and weakness before Chinese and North Korean aggression was lamentable. John Cameron, St Andrews Is the end nigh? Im totally bewildered. An obnoxious braggart and bully is about to become President of the United States. A kind, thoroughly decent man, Jeremy Corbyn, who wants (among many other laudable aims) to see a fairer society, is rubbished by his own party and consequently the electorate. It has been proved that Russian hackers interfered with the US election to the detriment of Hillary Clinton, but still the result seems to stand. Why isn't the election being pronounced invalid, and re-run? The world is sinking under the weight of the huge and destructive human population. Species as visible and developed as elephants, lemurs, orangutans, giraffes and rhino are on the edge of extinction, great sheets of ice are breaking away in Antarctica, global warming is increasing, and yet people continue to produce large families with pride. I feel as though the prophesies in the Book of Revelation are coming true. Can somebody please explain why everything is so violently out of control? Is there any hope? Penny Little, Great Haseley, Oxfordshire Universities cannot make up for poor schools The Editorial on 7 January (Despite social mobility initiatives, Britain is going backwards) emphasises again that while politicians may make mistakes, being wrong is not normally one of them. Expecting universities to make up the ground lost by schools in poorer areas both in terms of academic achievement and ambition is just typical. It is an admission that the state is failing to provide many of our children with the education to which they and the nation as a whole expect. If this were not so, universities would have no problem achieving a balanced intake of students from all backgrounds. As it is, of course, the logical way for a university to meet Alan Milburns demands and retain its 9,000 per year is to dumb down its courses. Not the solution I assume he is looking for. Instead of beating up the universities for their admissions, the Government should address the root causes of this problem, the low standards and ambition in many state schools, and stop wasting time and effort looking for someone else to blame. Jerry Wallwork, Leicester Devolved immigration control I can only shake my head in disbelief at the recommendation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration that a commission should be set up to examine how a devolved immigration system might work. Control of immigration is a core state function. The architects of the European Union knew this, which is why Eurocrats have always been so obsessed with undermining national borders. Indeed, it was this issue more than any other that led to the vote for Brexit in last summer's referendum. Great Britain is an island, surrounded by seas and the Atlantic Ocean. It is in the best interests of everyone on this island that it has a single immigration system, a single security policy and indeed a single integrated defence. If immigration policy were devolved to Holyrood, the SNP would simply use it as another method to promote their separatist agenda. They would take great pleasure in running an ultra-liberal policy, calculating that nothing could be more guaranteed to provoke English and Welsh voters who want immigration strictly limited. Otto Inglis, Edinburgh Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War chose the red cross on a white background as its symbol in 1870 because it was easy to see on the battlefield. It was also an inversion of the Swiss flag, a white cross on a red background, as a reference to the original Geneva Convention. So when the British Red Cross says there is a humanitarian crisis in the NHS, the subliminal impression of death and destruction in a war-torn hell-hole is a powerful one. Thus the nation divides. Some of us leap on the high horses of indignation and ride off into the arena to tilt at exaggeration, scare-mongering and shroud-waving. It is outrageous attention-seeking for a charity to imply that our A&E departments are comparable to Syria or South Sudan. Others of us are confirmed in our belief that the NHS is going to the dogs and the situation is so bad that we welcome a strident call to arms by an association of the well-intentioned. Good for the Red Cross if it puts the NHS funding crisis on the front pages and forces the Government to do something about it. Theresa May's New Year Message Soon there will be opinion polls telling us in which proportions the nation divides more for the second point of view, I would guess but actually both views are valid. The Red Cross has long been part of the lobby for more spending on the NHS. Indeed, its news release on Friday says that the charity is repeating its call for more funding at the time of the Autumn Statement in November. It used the humanitarian crisis phrase then, too, but we journalists dont seem to have noticed. Nor is this the first time there has been media hoo-hah about the Red Cross stepping in to help rescue an NHS in crisis. At this time of year two years ago there was exactly the same fuss some people thought the Red Cross was being melodramatic; others welcomed its attempt to shame the Government into action. That was when the Red Cross explained, calmly and un-dramatically, that it and other charities had worked for decades with parts of the NHS in providing services to NHS patients, especially by supporting old people so that they dont need to be admitted or, if they have to be admitted, when they are discharged. The Red Cross is so integrated into the NHS that it receives funding from the Government for some of its work, and after the fuss two years ago the Health Department announced an extra 1.2m funding for a project, including the Red Cross, to support A&E departments. Incidentally, the Red Cross is a good advertisement for the benefits of a range of providers of NHS services. Charities, companies and not-for-profit organisations all ought to have a role to play. The cynics may be right that the Red Crosss intrusion into the politics of NHS funding is partly a way of rattling its tin at ministers, but the non-cynics are also right that the NHS is in trouble and anything that can keep the pressure on Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt to deal with it is a good thing. Most of the NHSs indicators are heading in the wrong direction and have been for some years. From the highest levels of patient satisfaction ever recorded when Labour handed the NHS to Conservative care in 2010, the ratings have fallen. Not by much, but as more and more targets are missed, things can only get worse. Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, has done a remarkable job in calming the tensions of the junior doctors dispute. I use the word remarkable as neutrally as I can. For those who havent followed it closely, the British Medical Association, the doctors trade union, called off its strikes in September. It secured changes to the new contract, which the junior doctors themselves refused to accept, but now the contract is going to be imposed anyway. The effect on NHS morale can hardly be great, but what is remarkable is the way the dispute has slipped out of the headlines. Yet none of the underlying problems of the NHS have been solved. The core service has been given just enough money to keep it going and to keep its chief executive, Simon Stevens, in post. But everyone now realises that much of the strain is being passed on to the social care services run by local councils on squeezed budgets. And everyone knows that the ideal of giving mental health care the same importance as physical care is still as far away as ever. The Prime Minister is giving one of her rare speeches on Monday, on the subject of social reform, and we are told that social care and mental health will be part of it, but we shouldnt expect too much from this cautious and incremental politician. That is why, although the Red Cross is guilty of exaggeration, we should welcome it keeping up the pressure for a better NHS. Outgoing US president Barack Obama will return to the Republic of Ireland once he has left the White House, Washington's ambassador in Dublin said. Kevin O'Malley said Mr Obama had asked him to tell the people of Ireland he would return to the country once he had left office. Like millions of Americans, Mr Obama has Irish roots - something he celebrated on a visit in 2011 when he supped a pint of Guinness at a pub in his ancestral homeland Moneygall. Mr Obama's great-great-great-great-grandfather was a shoemaker in the rural village and his son, Falmouth Kearney, left for New York in 1850. Mr O'Malley, whose tenure as ambassador will also end when Donald Trump enters the White House, said Mr Obama told him he would be coming back to Ireland - possibly later this year. "The last sentence that the president said to me on Wednesday of this week when we were saying goodbye was 'please tell them I'm coming'," he told RTE Radio 1. "So I think that's the president's way of saying informally that you will probably see him again and my guess is in the coming year or so." The ambassador refused to be drawn on reports that the president-elect has appointed his friend, businessman Brian Burns, for the Dublin post. "I read the same reports that you read," he told the Marian Finucane Show. "The president-elect hasn't consulted me on this issue, nor probably should he. "All I would say is that there are always a lot of names floating around. This is a very sought-after post. People, especially Irish-Americans, are thrilled to come here." Amazon has acquired an additional site in Tallaght Internet giant Amazon is set to build another multi-million euro data centre in Ireland, having acquired an additional site in Tallaght, south Dublin. It will confirm its position as the biggest data centre operator in the country. The company has invested well over 1bn in its Irish assets. The company bought a site last year in Tallaght that was previously the base of warehousing and distribution firm Barretts. Amazon has already begun the planning process that will eventually see a data centre built on the premises. One of the first stages involves demolishing the existing buildings there, and it has applied for planning permission to do so. It will be Amazon's fourth data centre in Tallaght. It acquired a former Tesco distribution centre in the suburb in 2010, and converted it to a 22,300sq m data centre. Last year, it began preparing the former Jacobs biscuits site in Tallaght for a data centre project. It bought that site in 2014. It was granted planning permission in May 2016 for a huge 22,000sq m data centre at the location. Up to 50 full-time staff will be employed at that site. It also converted a site formerly home to Shinko Microelectronics in Tallaght to a data centre. Amazon also has other data centres in the capital. Last year, it embarked on the construction of a project on a huge site close to Dublin Airport, at the Clonshaugh Business and Technology Park. The site was formerly home to GE Superabrasives. The former GE factory and associated offices extends over 18,441sq m, or almost 200,000sq ft, on a total site of 9.3 hectares. GE put the site up for sale at the end of 2013 with a 5m price tag. In 2015, Amazon secured planning permission for another vast data centre, in Blanchardstown. It already has two data centres there. Amazon also has offices in Cork, where it has around 840 customer service and other staff. It employs around 900 people in its data services operations there. While Amazon uses its data centres for its own operations, they're also used for its web services business, where it offers data hosting to other companies. Its global clients include firms such as Airbnb, Unilever and Angry Birds maker Rovio. The company's web services business is expected to have contributed about $11.8bn (11.19bn) in revenue to the group during 2016, representing about 8.6pc of its total. But the unit is also Amazon's most profitable. It's been speculated that the division could be worth as much as $180bn as a standalone business. Amazon has a total market capitalisation of $376bn. Amazon has described the latest Christmas period as its best ever. The retailer's sales rose as customers snapped up items such as its voice-recognition Alexa speaker system, which allows users to select music, place Amazon orders and even buy takeaways. Its fastest 'Prime Now' delivery on Christmas Eve took just 13 minutes. When Johnny Lynch came up with his idea of setting up a buffalo farm eyebrows were raised in the Department of Agriculture. One official suggested that it might be prudent to erect a big fence around his Macroom farm just in case the animals mistook their surroundings for the North American prairies. "We had to get an import license for the buffalo and someone in the Department said we should think about building a seven or eight foot fence around the farm to keep the buffalo in. I don't know where he got that idea from - he probably Googled it - though, in fairness, I have to say today that the Department and other state agencies like Udaras na Gaeltachta have been very helpful since we first put the idea to them in 2009," says Johnny, a native of the West Cork Gaeltacht. The idea of setting up the buffalo farm and then making mozzarella cheese from their milk came to John because his Friesian herd was producing "good milk for bad prices". He says he had a choice of letting the family's dairy farming teeter on the edges of commercial viability or branch out into a more viable artisan cheese venture. He could see there was a market for artisan mozzarella cheese. Together with his friend and noted cheesemaker Sean Ferry, he set about creating the Macroom Buffalo cheese brand which now sells in most of the national supermarket chains in the country. Seven years on, 70 tonnes of the product is being produced from the milk of the 200 head of buffalo now roaming John's 150-acre farm near Macroom. And the numbers are set to go higher this year (2017) with plans to expand herd numbers and up the mozzarella production to 90 tonnes It's a long way from being told to build a fence to employing 10 people and producing an artisan cheese product which was previously imported for the Irish market. "We decided on the conversation from a Friesian dairy farm to the buffalo at the beginning of 2009 and had the first 31 buffalo on the farm within months. I went to Cremona in North Italy for the stock early in 2009 and they were on the farm within three months. I sold my milk quota at the time to finance the conversation and bought the buffalo for 2,000 each and 1,000 each for the calves "We had to get an import license from the Department of Agriculture who were sceptical at the time and had to deal with restrictions in Britain because of a blue tongue outbreak there at the time. "But I have to say that the Department and the food authorities have been very helpful to us," says Johnny. The herd conversion began more or less immediately and was completed within a couple of years through a buffalo breeding programme on the farm. In parallel, the investment programme to build a cheese plant on the farm - which cost the guts of 500,000 - commenced, as did the development of the actual cheese brand for which he gives much of the credit to cheesemaker John Ferry. Today 10 people - John Ferry and two other cheese makers together with commercial and office staff - work on the product in Macroom and not a pint of cow's milk is produced on the farm. It has been a remarkable journey for Johnny, all the more so given that three years into the venture he was struck by bowel cancer which has thankfully cleared after treatment in Cork University Hospital (CUH). "I can't say enough good things about CUH," says Johnny. "They were brilliant." Next on the agenda are expansion plans and these will involve leasing another 150 acres so that the cheese company can have the space to up herd numbers and provide an area for the buffalo who are being dried off. Johnny, who is in his late forties, is married to Geraldine who runs a play school on the family farm. The couple have three sons - Kieran (16) and Jack (20) who are both pursuing their academic studies and Peter (24), a marine engineer who has just returned from an Antarctic expedition. For the West Cork Gaelgeoir, who was a monoglot speaker of Gaelann Mhuscrai up to four years of age, the buffalo have been career and farm savers. The animals may produce less milk that the Friesians, but they have turned his Macroom farm into a profitable enterprise which does not depend on the endless vagaries of the co-op milk price. 'They are like a wife - they are with you for life, but I love them' Buffalo are very stubborn animals who take a great deal of coaxing and cajoling when they are in a bad mood, explains Johnny Lynch. "If they don't want to do something they will dig their feet in and that's the way it will be. If they don't want to be milked they will do everything to stop you milking them." This degree of stubborness is not an everyday occurrence with the herd but it shows the difference between the Buffalo and Friesians which Johnny previously milked. "But I love them, they are like a wife - they are with you for life, and it doesn't take a big fence to keep them in. An ordinary line of electric wire will do that," says Johnny. Their feeding regime is also different from the Friesians in that they prefer haylage to silage. "They don't like silage or any wet feed. Nothing stringy. They prefer the drier stuff so we give them the haylage. It works out the same cost wise." The buffalo milk production levels are two thirds less than that from a dairy herd. "You'd get 10 litres a day from a buffalo and they would milk for between 230 and 250 days a year which would be about a third of the milk you would get from a Friesian. But the fats (7.8pc) and proteins (4.6pc) would be better," says Johnny. However, it is the add-on value of the buffalo milk which makes the Macroom artisan cheese enterprise profitable - and a lot more profitable than simply milking a Friesian herd for the co-op. The milking regime at Macroom would also differ from the normal dairy routine in that the milking is linked to the cheese production which in turn is linked to the market demands for Macroom Buffalo cheese. "There's no alarm clock here on the farm. We could be milking at 3am if we had a cheese order to get out the door but normally we start milking at 7am," says Johnny. He has no regrets about going down the buffalo route and points out that the enterprise has given a great buzz to the area. "When I was milking the Friesians loneliness was a way of life. You'd be lucky to see one person around the area on any day. Now the place is buzzing," he adds. Retailers are leaving farmers out of pocket by rejecting good quality vegetables that have a wonky appearance, a food science expert has warned. As the EU vows to ramp up efforts to curb food waste in agriculture, Professor Nick Holden, School of Biosystems and Food Engineering at UCD, says relaxing retailer quality criterion for the domestic market is a logical first step. The Irish Farmer's Association are also calling on retailers to show "more understanding" towards growers particularly during periods of turbulent weather which may damage the quality of their crops. Meanwhile, a Bia Food Initiative, known as FoodCloud Hubs, is now offering farmers a solution for "ugly" surplus food that doesn't make the supermarket grade. Speaking to the Farming Independent, Professor Holden said the criteria for unprocessed foods are "too strict". "We have been miseducated into believing that minor, unimportant flaws should cause us to reject a product. That is far too strict," he said. "It's unsustainable. I don't think it's possible to have a system where you get a high enough proportion of the product to a quality standard for a reasonable amount of investment of inputs," he said. Although Professor Holden couldn't definitively say whether this proportion of waste is having a significant impact on the country's food waste levels as a whole, he says farmers on the ground are taking a financial hit. Recent figures from the Environmental Protection Agency show that an estimated 509,900 tonnes of food waste (251,000t household plus 258,900t food services) is generated in Ireland every year. "At the end of the day the farmer is the one who usually picks up the tab on that discount. The farmer isn't paid the same amount per kilo for the wonky veg as the other veg even though they had to put in exactly the same amount to produce it," he said. "The quality criteria should be on the nutrition, not the aesthetics," he said. Professor Holden, who recently co-authored a paper on food waste in Ireland, says the consumer's understanding of waste is misconstrued. "We use the word waste to describe all sorts of different things in the food chain, some of which are genuinely waste but most of which are not, they are only waste in terms of the very open and subjective definition that the European Union uses," he said. The waste directive definition is that if the owner or stakeholder no longer wants something it can be regarded as waste. "Just because I don't want it doesn't mean that it's waste, it could be very useful," he said. Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety recently made an emotive plea to EU farmers to join the battle against food waste. Farmers were responsible for around nine million tonnes (10pc) of all food wasted in the EU in 2015. In order to truly tackle the issue, Professor Holden says all stakeholders in the value chain, from farm field to supermarket, need to educate the consumer to recalibrate their expectations. "I don't think the retailer should be forcing the consumer to only see the perfect product and they shouldn't be requiring the farmer to produce only a perfect product and as consumers we should be educated to understand what should be acceptable," he said. Last month, IFA President Joe Healy expressed concern at the discounting of potatoes by a number of retailers in the run up to Christmas. "This illustrates the scant disregard which some retailers have for the primary producer of Quality Assured Irish grown product. Their sole aim is to drive footfall with no appreciation of the impact which these retail practices have further down the supply chain," he said. Pat Farrell, IFA Horticulture Chairman, said if retailers kept pushing standards so high they would need to pay more to cover the cost of production. "We'd be asking the supermarkets to relax a bit on their criteria in times of bad weather when growers are faced with natural events outside their control that causes their product to be less than perfect, we would ask them to be more tolerant," he said. Farm-to-fork Meanwhile, FoodCloud Hubs are spearheading a farm-to-fork solution for wasted food. Over the last two months, the successful operator of three food redistribution hubs in Cork, Galway and Dublin have been working with two primary producers on farms in Meath and Dublin to help them redistribute wasted food to charities. Aoibheann O'Brien, CEO of FoodCloud Hubs said they now have the infrastructure to deal with large quantities of surplus waste from growers. "We can deal with potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and other fruits and veg quite quickly and make sure it gets to the people that need it most as fast, efficiently and safely as possible," she said. The head of the non-profit food-sharing service, which works with producers, manufacturers, and wholesalers and distributes to 80 charities nationwide, believes their latest venture with Meade Potato Company and Kilbush Nurseries is another step in the right direction. "We encourage any growers struggling with surplus to give us a call, tell us what you have and we'll work through a process to ensure it's used for human consumption not animal waste or ending up in landfills," she said. Q - I am a young trained farmer who completed a level 6 course a few years ago. I would like to start farming but I will not be able to take over the home farm yet as my father is still actively farming and is planning on continuing farming for the next few years. The only option open to me right now is to lease a farm and start farming in my own right. As the margins in the suckler to beef enterprise are very low, I am wondering what supports are available under the Basic Payment Scheme and other schemes for young trained farmers? A This question has come up many times and so I have put together a guide to assist those in your position. National Reserve While there have been more supports in the past for young trained farmers starting out, there are currently slightly fewer available. Leasing land with entitlements This is probably the most relevant issue for you as you propose leasing land. If you are leasing land from a land owner that has been actively farming, there is a high probability that you will be able to lease the farm with entitlements. This can be done by filling out an entitlement transfer form. Completed applications for the transfer of entitlements must be submitted to the Transfer of Entitlements Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Knockmay Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois along with any other relevant documentation. Buying or leasing entitlements without land If the land is leased without entitlements, then it may be possible to buy or lease entitlements. While the purchase of entitlements was common under the Single Farm Payment Scheme, the number of entitlements which have been sold and bought under the BPS has been quite low due to a 50pc clawback rule. The sale of entitlements without land will be subject to a clawback of 50pc of the number of entitlements sold. This means the seller sells 50 entitlements at 100 each and the buyer receives 25 entitlements at 100 each. This is not the case where land is sold with entitlements; in this case, as long as there is one hectare of land sold per entitlement, then there is no clawback due. It is possible to lease entitlements with or without land. Make sure to keep in mind that a transfer of entitlements form must be returned to the Department. While there is no requirement to provide details of the land farmed when entitlements are leased without land, the onus is on the farmer to ensure that the entitlements being leased are used. One eligible hectare of land should be declared for each hectare farmed. A Private Contract Clause (PCC) will need to be filled out and returned to the Department in respect of entitlement leases and purchases. Leased/rented entitlements will revert to the transferor at the end of the relevant scheme year. Also keep in mind that where the expiry date of a rental agreement or lease end date as recorded on the 2015 PCC application is on or prior to May 30, 2016, entitlements shall revert to the owner of the entitlements for the 2016 scheme year. Young Farmer Scheme If you are a new entrant, and under 40 then you may be eligible for the Young Farmer Scheme. Under this scheme, if you are successful, you will be eligible to receive a top-up on your Basic Payment for up to five years. The Young Farmers Scheme Payment will be calculated as 25pc of the national average payment per hectare (based on the national ceiling) multiplied by the number of entitlements activated by the successful applicant, to a maximum of 50. A young trained farmer must hold entitlements on which the top up will be paid. If 40 hectares are farmed with just 20 entitlements submitted in the year of application under the Young Farmer Scheme, then the top-up will only be paid on the 20 entitlements claimed. A successful applicant will receive the payment for up to five years from the date of setting up the holding (registration of a herd number in ones name). This is just a brief summary of the factors which you should bear in mind when deciding what enterprise to begin. You should always consult your agricultural consultant and financial advisors about your individual circumstances before making any big decisions. This article is intended as a general guide only. Theresa Murphy is a barrister based in Ardrahan, Co Galway Fianna Fail is urging farmers to consider planting land with forestry and says that returns from the sector are strong. Its spokesperson on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Timmy Dooley, has urged farmers and landowners to consider forestry as a means of diversifying their activities and income streams. Returns from forestry are strongly competitive compared with many other farm enterprises, and there are many farm schemes to assist farmers interested in forestry. Since 1980, nearly 20,000 private forest owners have received grant aid to establish forests. While the current government has been unfortunately slow in promoting forestry as an economic activity, Fianna Fail recognises the important role forestry has to play in Irelands economic and environmental future. In addition, increasing afforestation will likely play a crucial role in helping Ireland meet its climate change commitments, as forests act as important carbon sinks, added Dooley. Engaging in forestry can be both economically and environmentally beneficial, and I would urge farmers with spare land to consider it. Government Departments must be more creative in how they encourage land owners to plant forestry. There is a unique opportunity for us all to increase our carbon sinking levels as well as provide a sustainable income stream to farmers. They must be bold and creative in how they engage with land holders." Dooley also said that there is a need for government to tackle the under planting of forestry in Ireland by introducing additional schemes to encourage land owners to consider forestry as a viable enterprise. As of January 2017, Teagasc is undertaking a campaign promoting forestry as a sustainable and rewarding agricultural activity and advising interested parties on how they can best engage with forestry." The Punt hears that Trinity College has poached Jillian Wilson from the Convention Centre where she has worked since it opened seven years ago. The move into the groves of academe is not as peculiar as it might first appear. In straitened times Trinity has built up a thriving conference and events business to help replace lost State funding. Indeed, we hear the university now makes as much money from selling T-shirts and tickets to see the Book of Kells as it does from the Exchequer. Conference facilities are another money spinner. Trinity famously hosted talks between Fine Gael and the Independents that led to the formation of the current Government. Its most popular venues for companies hosting big events are the iconic dining hall, but businesses are also hiring lecture theatres during the holidays and even student digs on campus. Wilson, who is herself a alumnus of the university's law department, is now tasked with using her skills to find new ways of generating commercial revenue. Expect to see more invitations to Trinity in future. Homeowners have until Wednesday to pay their property tax. People who opt to pay by debit card, cheque or credit card need to have made the payment by January 11, Revenue warned. Those who want to pay the tax by electronic cheque - what Revenue calls an annual debit authority - must inform tax officials by Wednesday, and the funds will be taken out of their bank account in March. Property tax bills fall due at a time when many homeowners are being hit with credit card bills, due to the Christmas spending splurge, and many face the cost of renewing health insurance. A spokeswoman for the tax authority said people can have the tax withdrawn incrementally by opting to have it taken out of their wages or pension. Alternatively, they could pay monthly through a direct debit, rather than paying a lump sum. The tax authority said it collected 463m from the tax last year, with a large number of property owners having already paid for 2017. Some 97pc of owners paid the tax last year. This was after 300,000 warning letters were issued, prompting most to pay up. Revenue said the overall figures represented a "continuing high compliance rate". Collector-general Michael Gladney said that since Revenue assumed responsibility for collection of arrears of household charges in July 2013, more than 64m has been collected, bringing 360,000 additional properties into compliance. "The vast majority of property owners fully comply with their local property tax payment obligations, either in a single payment or with phased payments," he said. "As long as payment obligations are being met, Revenue will automatically roll over existing payment methods for property owners who pay by direct debit or by deduction at source from pay/pension." Close to six-out-of-10 people in the Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown local authority area live in a home worth over 300,000. Fewer than 10pc of homeowners nationally live in a house worth more than that. Property tax has been dogged in the past by the argument it is generated mainly from the capital. Laois and south Dublin were the regions with the highest compliance rate, while Donegal is the county with the lowest level of payment. Revenue said it had applied a mandatory deduction at source for 80,000 properties, with Dublin city having the highest percentage where this applies. The number of mandatory deductions has jumped by close to 24,000 in the last year. The Citizens' Assembly meets again today we look at what you need to know about it. What is it? The assembly was convened by the Dail in order to tackle key issues in the constitution, including the possibility of a referendum on the 8th amendment. Justice Mary Laffoy was selected as chairperson and 99 citizens were randomly selected to sit on the assembly. They are broadly representative of the population of Ireland. Whats the purpose of it? It will address a number of issues including the constitutional ban on abortion, the 8th amendment along with other issues such as how referenda are carried out, how Ireland can become a leader in tackling climate change. How Ireland can best respond to the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population and fixed term parliaments will also be addressed by the assembly. Reports on these topics will be sent to the Oireachtas for further discussion. It may also consider other issues that are referred to it. Why do we need one? The Programme for Partnership Government determined that the incoming Government would set up a Citizens' Assembly within six months of forming, in order to address a number of issues. There is no political involvement in the Assembly as per the agreement. How does it work? Each meeting consists of a mixture of representations, Q and A sessions and round table discussions. A number of experts have been asked to address the Assembly. The agenda of each meeting is published in advance and proceedings are live streamed. How often do meetings take place? This weekend marks the third meeting. The inaugural meeting took place in Dublin Castle last October. A meeting is scheduled for every month between January and July in the Grand Hotel Malahide. Can I have my say? Yes. Irish citizens living at home and abroad can have their say on the topics being discussed. All submissions will be published on the Assembly website and will include the name and organisation of each person who makes a submission. Already the assembly has received dozens of submissions. Several of the submissions on the 8th amendment were sent with the title abortion is murder, while other people have penned submissions appealing for t 8th Amendment to be repealed. What will happen this weekend? This weekend members of the CA will hear presentations on medical and legal issues relating to foetal abnormalities. There will also be an ethics discussion and a presentation on how laws are made and changed. A substantial investment has seen TV personality and hotelier Francis Brennan give up complete ownership of his luxury five-star Park Hotel. The popular businessman has ceded part of his shareholding in the business following a cash injection by Fergal Naughton, chief executive of manufacturing giant Glen Dimplex. Prior to the deal, Francis Brennan, the star of RTE's 'At Your Service', had enjoyed 100pc control of the hotel business since 1986. The deal also allows Mr Brennan's brother, John Brennan, to take a shareholding for the first time. John Brennan told the Irish Independent the Brennans "will remain in control of the hotel" in Kenmare, Co Kerry. Mr Brennan said: "There are no losers in this deal. The loss of the percentage ownership of the Park Hotel for Francis was a small price to pay for the position we are in now. "We have eliminated all our debt with the bank and the future is very bright. We have strengthened our financial base. We have protected our future and given ourselves the ability to reinvest in a way we wouldn't have been able to before the deal." He added: "We have weathered the rough years and now we have turned the corner and 2016 was even better than 2015." New accounts show the Park Hotel recorded profits of 211,155 in 2015, resulting in accumulated profits of 2.23m at the end of December 2015. The hotel's loans at the end of 2015 totalled 5.3m. However, Mr Brennan said it was getting harder to make "real money" in the hotel business and the firm would not have been able to reinvest in the hotel from operational profits alone. Wonderful Mr Brennan declined to state what exact percentage Mr Naughton has of the hotel business or what value the deal puts on the hotel enterprise. He stated that "it is a very substantial investment". On the deal, Francis Brennan said: "I have spent my whole professional life in the Park Hotel Kenmare. It is very personal to me and it is not everyone I would share it with but to bring a new partner on board, to understand the Park, its wonderful staff, its many regular guests and, most important, to understand our vision, we are very pleased to welcome Fergal." Mr Naughton said yesterday: "For many years I have been a customer, guest and admirer of the Park Hotel Kenmare, its people and ethos. As an investor, this will only blossom." Picture shows speakers L-R Dr Noelle Higgins Maynooth University,Eileen Barrington S.C. and Dr.Adrienne Foran-Rotunda and Temple St.Childrens Hospital. The Assembly is meeting in the Grand Hotel Malahide Photo: Maxwells The Citizens Assembly will continue to use the contentious term fatal foetal abnormality - with a National Maternity Hospital doctor admitting medics cant predict 100pc a foetus will die. Irelands Catholic bishops and the Pro Life Campaign, criticised the use of the phrase in the Assemblys agenda with the bishops spokesman stating the terminology depersonalised the foetus and sought to normalise abortion. And the Pro-Life lobby stated the term life-limiting conditions should be used instead. Chair Ms Justice Mary Laffoy opened the Assembly telling the 99 volunteers: The correct use of terminology in this debate is an issue which has been causing both myself and the secretariat some difficulty in settling our minds to. It is a contentious aspect to the arguments around the topic we are discussing. It is argued, for example, that the term fatal foetal abnormalities de-sensitises what is a very difficult and traumatic diagnosis for a woman and her baby. Expand Close Dr Peter McParland -National Maternity Hospital addressing the room Photo: Maxwells / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Peter McParland -National Maternity Hospital addressing the room Photo: Maxwells This is something that we see born through in that many medical practitioners tell us that this is a term that they do not use when speaking to a woman about a diagnosis. Nonetheless, the term is widely used and is very much in common parlance...to exclude its usage at the Assembly would therefore, in my view, be inappropriate. It will therefore be used and will continue to be used by the Assembly throughout the remaining weekend as appropriate. Ms Laffoy instructed the Assembly to be conscious of the language they used during the debate given the sensitive nature of the issue of the Eighth Amendment. Dr Peter McParland, from the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, said: We tend not to use the term fatal or lethal in our practises. We tell the mother this is the condition we think will result in your baby having a short life. I dont know what fatal is. Is it minutes, or if your baby dies in a short time? Dr McParland described the limitations of technology, including ultrasound in predicting fully how a pregnancy would end. Ultrasound isnt perfect, it can be fuzzy, he said, It has limitations. Weve predicted cases that turn out to be worse than they are..but with regards to life limiting cases, we can be sure but not always. Dr McPartland said the vast majority of women with life-limiting pregnancies continued their pregnancies and they are offered specialist care including bereavement and counselling services. He said that while most hospitals provided an anatomy scan, which can forecast whether a foetus will be born with an illness or a life-limiting condition, that this test was not available everywhere. Not all mothers can avail of this, its not available in all units, he said. And ultrasound might not have all the bells and whistles. The doctor described how a mother is referred to specialist care when its found the foetus has a severe condition. And she is offered information on a termination - though legally the medical teams in Ireland cannot promote or make calls to any UK abortion centres. There are those that decide this is not for me, he said, referring to those who wish to discontinue a pregnancy. Theres a small percentage of patients whove thought this through, they know what theyre going to do, they know about travelling over to the UK...and they move on to their next pregnancy, he said. Theres those that get very upset about the words not continuing or termination of pregnancy. Some people say they are against termination but this is me, this is my family, I never thought Id be in this position but ill go and think about it. They spend days, hours, weeks, agonising about it The doctor said the National Maternity Hospital carried out between 150 to 180 tests on pregnant women which gave an indication of if a foetus would have down syndrome. Now by doing a blood test on the mother, you can take out the foetal DNA, you can tell with virtual accuracy if the baby has down syndrome.and indeed other chromosome problems. The impact of this testing in other countries is huge. In Iceland, no babies have been born with down syndrome in the last five years. All mothers are offered and avail of this test...but in this country, this is not paid for by the state. The UK are about to roll this out on the NHS. This is the way the rest of the world is going. You might ask should we be asking for this test? But patients have the right to be offered all treatment options. You must give patients information to exercise their rights and make informed decisions in their care. 185,824 abortions were carried out in the UK in 2015. Of these 3,451 women gave addresses in Ireland - but the figure is thought to be higher in reality. Around 4 per cent have a termination where the foetus is deemed to have a serious mental or physical risk of mental handicap, Dr McParland said Many of these patients who have later terminations...69 go over because of chromosome problems and the biggest group, 40, is down syndrome. This isnt a fatal condition. Many live even into their 80s now but if you think about the figures of Iceland, we would have about 100 babies a year born with down syndrome - a third will die in the womb. Youre left with 30 babies with down syndrome, who could be born in Ireland and are not. We are not Iceland or Greenland but theres a trend there. Fee-paying schools are expected to enjoy a Brexit bounce, as well as benefit from a new drive to recruit international second-level students to Ireland. Major financial corporations, such as banks and insurance companies, are turning their eyes to Dublin as an EU base in anticipation of the UK's departure from the EU. Children's education is high on the list of priorities for executives who are being asked to relocate with their families, with school fees a typical part of the remuneration package. "This is happening anyway, but a lot more is expected post-Brexit," said one source in the financial world who is already dealing with such queries. Typically, HR personnel from the companies involved come to check out what's available, with a focus on the fee-paying sector. Meanwhile, there is a growing international market in second-level students, similar to what happens at third-level, from families in central and south-east Asia who want an English-speaking education for their children. While it is not uncommon for students from other countries to come to both fee-paying and non-fee-paying schools in Ireland for a term or one or two years, there is a step up in this activity. Dublin-based consultancy Godsil Education, headed by the former principal of St Andrew's College Dublin Arthur Godsil, acts as a recruitment agent for international students. Spokesperson Emma Godsil said Ireland was becoming a more attractive destination, especially after the Brexit decision. At international recruitment fairs, Ms Godsil presents figures showing that fees and boarding rates in Ireland are significantly cheaper than in the UK or US. There is an increasing trend for such students to stay in family homes rather than boarding, with the agent acting as guardian and looking after the family's needs outside school. Guardianship Ms Godsil said they had registered with Aegis, the governing body for guardianship services in the UK, "as we plan to be the first accredited guardianship service in Ireland". One school with a tradition of international students is Sutton Park, on Dublin's northside, which this year has replaced the traditional boarding model with a home-stay arrangement. Principal Ronan Walsh said about 30 to 40 of their 320 students are international. There is capacity in the sector to take more students but they will soon face new competition from a proposed international school in Leopardstown, south Dublin, in September 2018. The brainchild of businessman Barry O'Callaghan, it will offer the international baccalaureate, but the Sutton Park principal said the Leaving Certificate was just as acceptable, and said he had students who entered prestigious universities, such as Princeton in the US, with it. "We would see ourselves as an international school - an Irish school with an international dimension," added Mr Walsh. Fee increases across the sector this year range from 40 to 300, although some schools have held steady (Stock picture) Pupil numbers and fees in private schools are continuing to rise as the economy recovers. Most fee-charging schools have raised their fees this year, reflecting a growing confidence about the willingness and ability of families to pay for their children's education. However, against the trend, the high-profile St Columba's, Rathfarnham, has cut its fees sharply because they were out of step with the rest of the market in the south Dublin private school heartland. While the typical increases in both fees and enrolments across the 51-school sector are modest, there is a definite upward swing since the depths of the downturn. Government budget cuts, linked to the recession, took their toll on the sector, and the overall number of private schools fell from 55 to 51. Many private schools have big financial stockpiles, but others do not and could not withstand the reduction in State-paid teachers, implemented between 2011 and 2013 to save money after the financial crash. However, those in a sufficiently healthy financial state to weather the economic storm are now enjoying a bounce. The most up-to-date pupil numbers refer to 2015/16, when total enrolments in the 51 schools stood at 24,706, up almost 1,000 since 2011/12. There will be a further drop in the number of fee-paying schools in June 2019, when Notre Dame des Missions, Churchtown, south Dublin closes its doors. Enrolments there currently stand at about 150. Notre Dame struggled for a number of years and the school trust attributed the decision to close to insufficient income to repay loans/mortgage, increasing operating costs and the need for significant investment in infrastructure. Fee increases across the sector this year range from 40 to 300, although some schools have held steady. In the current year, annual fees for day pupils in the sector tend to be in the region of 4,000-7,000. Read More: Most expensive school cuts fees by a third to compete Some also charge what is known as a day-boarder rate, which covers extras such as after-school study and evening meals. For instance, in Midleton College, Cork, where the day pupil fees are 4,800, the day boarder rate is 7,000. While the figures on the tables on these pages represent enrolments in the last school year, there is strong anecdotal evidence of a further boost in pupil numbers in the current school year, the official figures for which will not be available for some months. As reported elsewhere on these pages, the sector is preparing itself for a Brexit spin-off and a growing international business in the recruitment of students for English-speaking second-level education. The funding certainty coming from such business will be welcomed by many schools. In some cases, multinational companies actually pay a retainer to schools to hold places for children of executives, whether they take them up or not. Fee-paying schools represent 7pc of the 730 second-level schools in the country, and are a source of much contention because of the high concentration of their past pupils dominating entry to university and some of the most in-demand courses in third-level, such as medicine. From a State-funding point of view, the difference between fee-paying schools and those in the Free Education scheme is that the former do not receive grants for day-to-day running costs, or for building works. The Department of Education now pays for one teacher for every 23 pupils in schools that charge fees, compared with one teacher for 19 pupils in the Free Education scheme. But with the income from fees, the private schools can offer smaller classes and other benefits, which are seen to give their pupils further advantages in the "points race" for college entry. The policy of both the Teachers' Union of Ireland and the Labour Party is for the scrapping of all State aid to fee-paying schools. Most of this subsidy - around 80m - is in the form of payment of teachers' salaries. Comment: Private schools have an obligation they don't always meet Labour's policy caused tensions in the previous Coalition government, as did proposals for a new law governing enrolment of students in all 4,000 primary and second-level schools. Initially, the then-education minister Ruairi Quinn proposed to ban the reserving of places for children of past pupils, but this was strongly opposed by fee-paying schools. They said it would hamper their fundraising efforts as past pupils would be discouraged from making donations to their old schools if there was no guaranteed place for their sons or daughters. Many in Fine Gael supported their stand. Eventually, Mr Quinn agreed to allow the schools to keep up to 25pc of places for past pupils. But his successor Jan O'Sullivan, also a Labour minister, suggested a lower cap of only 10pc - which sparked a new row within the government. The General Election intervened before the draft bill was passed into law. The current Education Minister Richard Bruton has promised to enact it this year and has spoken about setting the cap on enrolments of children of past pupils at 25pc, similar to what Mr Quinn proposed. The Jesuits hope that their students become men and women for others, and that their education puts them at the service of the world Stock photo: Getty Most of the fee-paying secondary schools in this country have a Christian value base. The Catholic schools are mostly run by religious congregations while the Protestant schools are also faith based. So why are the main churches involved in elite schools that reinforce and amplify social inequalities when their religious mission is really about promoting social justice for the poor, especially in a society that is becoming more unequal by the day? Public discussion about these schools is usually in the context of their 'success' in sending students to college and in particular to so-called prestige courses. Three-out-of-four medical and dental students come from professional, managerial or employer backgrounds, as do more than half the students studying law or veterinary medicine. We can take it for granted that many of these students attended fee-paying schools. Yet, until now there has been little questioning of how supporting the existing social order fits with the call by Pope Francis to all Christians to fight against "an economy that kills" and to address "the structural causes of inequality". The Pope was Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in his native Argentina. His words therefore have particular meaning for the Jesuits in Ireland who run three of the best fee-paying schools in the country - Clongowes Wood, situated around a refurbished medieval castle on over 500 acres in Co Kildare; Gonzaga College in Dublin's leafy suburbia; and Belvedere College in the city centre. In addition they run Limerick's Crescent College, which used to be fee paying, and Colaiste Iognaid in Galway City which is also in the Free Education scheme. The glimmerings of a real debate are, however, seen in a thoughtful contribution by Brian Flannery, a former teacher in Belvedere who now works with the Jesuits' education office. In the latest issue of 'Working Notes' published by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice (www.working notes.ie), he asks how in their school structures and policies in Ireland the society is helping to alleviate the suffering of poorer communities. "For many, fee-paying schools equate with elitism and are at odds with the Christian values that these same schools endeavour to espouse. The charge is that fee-paying schools confer further advantage on those who already enjoy a considerable amount of privilege in our society." He adds that there is a tension between "serving the most privileged and the call for the congregation's schools to be institutions that champion the cause of people who are living in poverty". The article will be of particular interest to one of Clongowes' former pupils - Richard Bruton, who is the first Fine Gael minister to hold the education portfolio since Paddy Cooney 30 years ago, a past pupil of another fee-paying school, Castleknock College. The party, which has always been a supporter of the sector, was very uneasy with the decision to worsen the pupil-teacher ratio in fee-paying schools taken by former coalition minister Ruairi Quinn when he was minister for education and skills. A study commissioned by Mr Quinn showed that the fee-paying schools had more than 80m extra a year to invest in additional support and facilities for their pupils, thanks to the income from fees. This money was on top of the taxpayers' subsidy of 80m through the payment of teachers' salaries. He defended his decision to hit the sector on the basis that fee-paying schools were in a position to take a greater share of cuts than other sectors. This caused tensions within the coalition at the time. It was one of the reasons why a handful of schools joined the Free Education Scheme and explained why, at one stage, a dozen others were kicking the tyres to see what doing so would mean for them. They took heart from a promise in the Fine Gael general election manifesto last year which read that "there will be no further discrimination in taxpayer support for fee-charging schools", which was a direct rebuke to its Labour colleagues in government at the time. The reality now is that no government is likely to take any further action against them for the foreseeable future. The only change that could come about is one internally generated following rigorous questioning of the churches' involvement in the fee-paying sector. Mr Flannery asks a number of hard questions such as "do our schools reinforce structural inequalities across wider society, who is being served and what values are ultimately transmitted?" But he deftly defends the same schools by arguing that part of the problem is that society measures the success of a school by its academic results. Jesuit schools want to nurture critical thinkers "who understand that with privilege comes responsibility", he says. The Jesuits hope that their students become men and women for others, and that their education puts them at the service of the world. "We need to evaluate whether or not we are creating leaders of positive change - and if not, why not?" he writes. Mr Flannery used to sport a fine beard and taught religion in Belvedere, thus earning the nickname Moses. He may not lead the congregations out of the fee-paying sector, but he might get them to acknowledge that their involvement in fee-paying schools creates its own tensions and that there is a greater need than ever to challenge and respond to injustice in society. Perhaps more important is that the students realise their privileged position as well. Police officers of the Counter Terrorism Centre with sub-machine guns stand guard at Nyugati Railway Station in central Budapest, Hungary Photo: AP Worrying deficiencies in the international fight against terrorism have been laid at Ireland's door. The Government has been criticised by the European Commission for failing to introduce information-sharing systems aimed at combating international terrorism and organised crime. Formal infringement proceedings have been launched by the Commission after Ireland failed to put in place systems for sharing DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data. The case, which could ultimately end up in the European Court of Justice, is deeply embarrassing for the Government at a time of heightened concern over Islamic extremist attacks on the continent. The systems should have been put in place by 2011, but the Commission's migration and home affairs spokesperson Tove Ernst bluntly told the Irish Independent that Ireland was failing to comply on all three categories of data sharing. The Commission's action will fuel fears that Ireland could be a weak link in Europe-wide efforts to combat terrorism and crime. Justice officials have blamed a lack of resources as a result of the financial crisis for the failings and admit it could be another year before the anti-terror systems are operational. But the deficiencies can be traced back much further, with decades of underinvestment leaving our security services lagging far behind many of their European counterparts in terms of technology. A key concern is Ireland's inability to exchange DNA data with other EU member states due to inadequate facilities. Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald informed Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe last September that the State Laboratory had "reached crisis point" and "an infringement letter from the Commission" was "imminent". Mr Donohoe subsequently gave the green light for work on a new laboratory to begin during 2017, but it is still likely to be some time before Forensic Science Ireland is able to share DNA information with authorities in other EU countries. Systems for sharing fingerprint and vehicle registration data have also been delayed due to underinvestment and the need for new legislation. The anti-terrorism measures are contained in EU laws, known collectively as the Prum Decisions, which were due to come into force in August 2011. These set out a framework of rules allowing EU member states to search each others' DNA analysis files, fingerprint identification systems and vehicle registration databases. The framework was widely adopted across the EU and has been heralded as a faster and more technologically advanced method for the sharing of vital information. Under the framework, DNA and fingerprint searches can be conducted using a 'hit/no-hit' approach, which means profiles can be compared with profiles held in the databases of other EU member states. An automated reply reveals whether this profile exists in the requested member state. Additional personal information can then be requested separately if there is a match. Hurdles The Commission said Ireland was among five countries issued with formal notifications in late September for failing to comply with Prum. The others were Croatia, Greece, Italy and Portugal. The Department of Justice responded to the Commission pledging to have the systems ready by the end of 2017. But it admitted significant hurdles had to be jumped. Forensic Science Ireland is to be given additional temporary facilities, pending the construction of a new complex, and more staff so it can share DNA data. However, testing of the data-sharing system will not begin until late autumn. Meanwhile, the Garda automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) will require upgrades over the next nine months before it can be used to exchange information. The department admitted it could also be autumn before a system for sharing vehicle registration data is ready because legislation is needed to deal with data protection rules. Separately, a recent European Council report said more terminals would have to be installed at garda stations to generate outgoing requests for vehicle registration data. The report indicated how far Ireland is lagging behind most of its EU counterparts. DNA data exchange is taking place in 22 of the 28 member states, while fingerprint data exchange is occurring in 18 countries and vehicle registration data exchange in 19. Despite the failings, the department said other systems were being used by gardai to co-operate with foreign police forces. These include ECRIS, a system allowing for the interconnection of EU states' criminal records databases. Immigration officers at the country's international airports have been able to check passports via Interpol's stolen and lost travel documents database since last November. Plans are also being put in place this year for the collection of advance passenger information for flights originating outside the EU. IRISH hospitals are struggling with a shortage of counsellors to deal with women whove had abortions and suffered psychological issues afterwards, the Citizens Assembly has heard. Dr Peter McParland, of the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, told the 99 members of the Assembly, that though Irish hospitals do their best to deal with women whove had terminations, there were gaps in counselling services. Its imperative patients are not judged. They get an appointment and card (post abortions) and we go to considerable efforts to get that patient back for physical checks. But maternity hospitals do not have enough counsellors and are sometimes struggling, so we need more. Theres a gap there. We will do the best we can to get them through the process. Dr McParland said the larger maternity hospitals, including the National Maternity Hospital, the Rotunda and Coombe hospitals in Dublin and maternity units in Cork, all offered good counselling services. But he could not be sure of the situation regionally across Ireland and there was no guaranteed longevity to this care. Im not sure what level the smaller hospitals work but Id hope they all offer to see the patients back (post abortion). We can see them back once or twice but we cant continue to see them if someone is seriously psychologically affected. There is a resource issue. From his own experience, Dr McParland said if a woman didnt turn up for post termination care in Ireland, attempts would be made to liaise with her GP. Dr Helen Watt, senior research fellow, from the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford, spoke to the Assembly from a pro-life perspective. Very sadly, foetuses can be found to be terminally ill, just like born children and adults. That does not, however, affect the status and basic rights of either the born or the unborn human being. Babies in the Sudan, do not lose their human rights just because they may be doomed to die. Nor does your elderly father lose his human rights when he becomes terminally ill. Certainly, it would be wrong to take his life - even if he is now unconscious or semi-conscious - just because he will die in the coming months and you will find it distressing to wait for that because of his possible suffering or your own. We take seriously the rights of all our fellow humans - able-bodied or disabled, healthy or terminally ill, young or old, in or outside the womb. Professor of clinical and biomedical ethics at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Bobbie Farsides, spoke from a pro-choice perspective, telling the Assembly the debate centred on a complex moral jigsaw. I use the example of a magnificent oak tree hundreds of years old which people want to cherish because all thats gone into develop it, Prof Farsides said. Its not to say wed completely disregard a tiny sapling that fell from that tree but if there were difficult choices to be made wed possibly feel different about sacrificing the sapling rather than the oak tree. We do need a way to treat the foetus. It has an unavoidable impact on how we treat the woman carrying it. Currently the legal status reflects the most morally conservative position on the status of the foetus. This is something that many people would fail to see as a divisive factor in the abortion debate. However until the law changes women who hold a different view have no such freedom and I suggest to you its possible to hold a whole range of views, some which are more on the moral status of the foetus. We many not approve of all the choices but we can protect their (womens) right to make them. A question and answer session at the end of proceedings saw a heated debate take place between Prof Farsides and Dr Watt. This is not just a challenging choice, its a devastating affect on women, Dr Watt said regarding the psychological affect on women post abortion. This debate is not about giving people what they want its about giving people what is good for them. Thats a very old fashioned view, Prof Farsides said. We have reports from some women who say they made the right choice and what made the difference was the compassion showed to them. Private hospitals in cities including Cork and Dublin have been asked to accept patients on a case-by-case basis (Stock photo) Simon Harris and health service unions are at loggerheads over whether there is enough staff to cater for 63 beds being made available to allay the hospital trolley crisis. The Health Minister announced that 28 extra beds opened in Galway on Thursday and the rest were to be rolled out over the coming weeks. Mr Harris said that the HSE was taking a number of immediate steps to address the crisis and welcomed the fall in trolley figures to 395 yesterday, but criticised the health service for being inadequate. However, the Irish Nurse and Midwives Organisation (INMO) chief Liam Doran said that further beds could only become available if enough staff were there to cater for them. "Without those nurses we can't increase the beds, we can't increase the services," he said. Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association reiterated this and said the timeline for the beds could be weeks, or months. "We can only hope that the campaign they have will actually deliver the nurses in a more timely way," he said. Private hospitals in cities including Cork and Dublin have been asked to accept patients on a case-by-case basis. The Mater Private is among them, and confirmed it had been taking patients primarily with respiratory problems for an average three-day stay. The HSE is in dialogue with other hospitals including St Francis's in Mullingar, Aut Even in Kilkenny and Mater Private, Cork. However, the chaos could get worse in February with nurses poised for strike action. Mr Doran said the INMO had a 90pc mandate for strike action, and that discussions would begin next week. Siptu also balloted its 25,000 health worker members over pay and work issues. A man in his 20s has been arrested by Gardai investigating the alleged sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman who had just exited a Nitelink bus. Gardai from Blanchardstown are investigating the alleged incident, which occurred at approximately 4am in the Littlepace area of Dublin 15 in the early hours of the 18th of December. While walking home she was approached, threatened and assaulted by a lone male. The woman managed to fend off her attacker and raise the alarm by flagging down a passing Taxi before alerting Gardai. Her phone was also taken during the incident. A man was arrested in the west Dublin area yesterday by investigating Gardai and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Blanchardstown Garda Station. The investigation is ongoing. A growhouse discovered by gardai in Drumcondra Photo: An Garda Siochana Facebook A growhouse discovered by gardai in Drumcondra Photo: An Garda Siochana Facebook Gardai in Carrick on Shannon have arrested one man after discovering a "highly sophisticated" cannabis grow house. More than 250 plants were discovered in the house, near Carrigallen village. The plants, which were in the mature stage of growth, have an estimated street value of around 200,000. One man in his early 50s was arrested and is being detained at Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. The house is sealed off for an ongoing forensic technical examination according to gardai. It is the second significant growhouse discovered by gardai in recent days. On Friday gardai in north Dublin discovered a growhouse in Drumcondra and arrested one man in connection with the discovery "As part of an intelligence lead operation, Gardai carried out a search at a house in the Drumcondra area on 2nd January 2017 and discovered a 'grow house'. "120 cannabis plants (analysis pending) with an estimated value of 96,000 were recovered. "A man in his 30s was arrested and detained at Mountjoy Garda Station under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. He was later charged and is currently before the courts in connection with the case," gardai said in a statement. A young Cork boy has defied his doctors by taking his first steps , four years after they feared he wouldn't be able to do anything for himself. Michael Barry (4) was born with a rare genetic condition, called Aqueduct Stenosis, which has left him with global developmental delays. Despite concern from his doctors that Michael would never be able to walk he has completed a round of therapy at the First Steps clinic in Limerick and is able to walk with the aid of a walker. However, he spends much of his time in a wheelchair buggy and will graduate to a wheelchair when he gets older and his family are appealing for help to cover the costs of a wheelchair accessible van. The doctors told us that he wouldnt walk, he wouldnt talk. They said he would be able to very little for himself. Hes proved them wrong because he is walking with the aid of a walker, his mum Orla Christian told Independent.ie Michael had his first surgery at just five days old, to drain the fluid from his brain. "The night before his surgery I made a promise to him - if he showed me signs that he wanted to walk or talk I would do anything and everything for him, Orla said. Now her only child has made huge progress which she hopes to continue this year, Hes allowed use the walker and will be getting assessed by the physiotherapist next month. I started putting him in it off my own bat and he has come on great. He knows what he needs to do but there are delays in the message getting to his brain. We travel a lot. Im from Dublin and we live in Cork. With Michaels walker now and everything else that comes with him like his pump, his feeding tube, it just doesnt fit, The family also travel to Fermanagh for respite care for Michael, which they access through The Order of Malta. Michaels GoFundMe page can be found here. More than 150 unaccompanied learner drivers have been involved in fatal or serious road accidents in the past five years. Figures released by Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald show that 42 learner drivers were involved in fatal accidents in the period from the start of 2012 to November 29, 2016. During the same period 112 unlicenced drivers were behind the wheel on their own when they were part of a serious road traffic collision. The figures were released by the Tanaiste in response to a parliamentary question by Independent TD Tommy Broughan. Deputy Broughan said there are a number of areas of road safety that can be improved in this country. Road Safety Authority figures show there was a 15pc rise in road deaths last year compared to 2015. Deputy Broughan said unaccompanied learner drivers on our roads is one area in particular where action is required. "The current spotlight on road safety and the need to improve it is very welcome," he said. "Myself and civil society organisations such as PARC (Promoting Awareness, Responsibility and Care on our Roads) have been calling for such focus and prioritisation for some time now. "There are many areas of the enforcement of our road traffic legislation that must be scrutinised and improved and the involvement of unaccompanied learner drivers is certainly one such area." Meanwhile, Transport Minister Shane Ross last night hit out at drivers who have been banned from the roads who continue to drive while disqualified. It has been reported that are almost 8,000 drivers on the country's roads who have disqualifications on their licences but are still driving. Minister Ross told RTE News: "Those figures this morning are absolutely shocking, what we see here is a lawlessness, which a lot of people are not aware of that, those who are disqualified are simply flouting the law and driving willy nilly whether they have a licence or not or whether they are disqualified." Mr Ross has vowed to bring forward legislation to "name and shame people" who have been banned from the road. "It is not just a token measure because a lot of those who are disqualified are in employment, some of them are professional drivers, their employers don't know, their spouses don't know. That would mean they are outed and they won't be able to do it nearly so easily." Norwegian Air International is now offering launch fares on Edinburgh-US routes from 68 one-way (Stock picture) Irish holidaymakers are set to benefit from a looming air fare price war as traditional airlines are challenged by budget carriers on money-spinning transatlantic routes. Low-cost airlines, Norwegian Air International (NAI) and Wow, are promising to slash fares on key Irish-US routes from next summer. Return fares could plummet to below 300 in route launch promotions by the budget carriers. Aer Lingus and United Airlines, the two traditionally dominant transatlantic carriers from Dublin and Shannon, are now set to increase seat capacity this year as Ireland targets tourism growth in the US and Canadian markets to offset likely falls in UK visitor numbers due to Brexit and currency factors. Aer Lingus will now offer a whopping 2.5 million seats to the US this year - and will increase its US route schedule from 12 to 13 destinations. This is part of Failte Ireland's drive to target major tourism growth in the US market for 2017. Under its summer sale, Aer Lingus offers fully inclusive direct return fares to the US from 498 out of both Shannon and Dublin. United Airlines fares also start at around 500. Wow, which offers connections to the US from Ireland via Iceland, are now offering return fares out of Cork from 298. Norwegian, meanwhile, is hoping to use a new generation of high-efficiency aircraft such as the Boeing 737-MAX to offer exceptionally low fares on its direct Irish-US routes. The airline is now offering launch fares on Edinburgh-US routes from 68 one-way. Airline boss Bjorn Kjos said that pricing structures on their new Irish routes have yet to be set. However, Cork and Shannon airport officials expect the fare structures to closely reflect those of Norwegian's new Edinburgh operation. This could mean that mid-range inclusive transatlantic return tickets could cost substantially less than 300. Norwegian has yet to confirm where the Cork and Shannon services will operate to Boston and New York. The airline last month won a two-year battle to get an operating licence from US authorities for its planned Irish routes. There is now growing speculation that, like Ryanair, Norwegian will opt for secondary airport hubs rather than prime facilities like JFK and Newark in New York/New Jersey or Logan Airport in Boston. Tourism Ireland boss Niall Gibbons said the North American market will be very important for Ireland this year. "The best prospects for growth next year are across North America," he said. "We will see a growth of at least 10pc in seat numbers so that offers great prospects. "We are also expanding advertising across Germany and France next year." A Syrian child looks on, moments after arriving on a raft with other Syrian refugees on a beach on the Greek island of Lesbos Picture: Reuters As rain pelted down on one of the unfinished estates that dot the Roscommon landscape, a small rural community was hot with debate. The majority of Ballaghaderreen's population only became aware of the planned intake of refugees following media reports. That alone has aggrieved many of the 2,000 people living here. And this, they say, is the predominant issue. The decision to locate the 80 refugees, the majority of whom are Syrian, in the disused Abbeyfield Hotel for the next two years was being discussed at a special meeting of Roscommon County Council. Just a day earlier, the councillors had learned of the Department of Justice's plans. It is expected that the first refugees will begin arriving at the 40-bedroom hotel within a matter of weeks. All the refugees will arrive in Ireland from camps in Greece and comprise family groups including a substantial number of children. However, all will be subjected to security screening by gardai and will be finger-printed. Rosaleen Coleman (54) said that despite living in close proximity to the planned emergency accommodation, she was not informed of plans to locate at least 80 refugees there. "We live across from the hotel and we only found out on Friday morning when it was in the news. We weren't told what was happening." The hotel itself, a modern marbled building which lies on a large site along the Sligo Road, has not been in use for four years, according to locals. Before that it was the "pride" of the community, a sign of more prosperous times for the area. Its facilities include a leisure centre and a swimming pool. Many hoped that work being carried out at the Abbeyfield in recent months signalled that the hotel would reopen. "We weren't told what was happening. Work has been going on for some time at the hotel, and they could have told us what their plans were. We hoped that the hotel was opening back up, because it would have brought great business back to the town," Ms Coleman added. Locals say other potential sites could have been used for emergency accommodation - including the option of developing ghost estates. The choice of a hotel to house asylum seekers will bring back grim memories of the episode at Vee Valley Hotel in Clogheen, Co Tipperary. There were two suspected arson attacks in the space of weeks, after the hotel was earmarked for accommodating 30 or more asylum seekers in 2000. Nearly 20 years later, the world is greatly changed. Ballaghaderreen itself pledges a welcome for the Syrians - even if the locals are furious at the lack of communication so far. Leo Boland (75), a long-time resident of Ballaghaderreen, said he expected more refugees to be taken in at the Abbeyfield Hotel than was being officially stated. "Whatever number they say are coming in, you can treble that," he predicted. "The main problem is people weren't even told what was happening." But he added: "If they arrive and stay quiet, then I don't see why the people of Ballaghaderreen should have a problem with them." It is already a multi-cultural town, with a diverse range of foreign stores and restaurants. One Pakistani man living near the Abbeyfield, arrived six months ago. "I have no problem that people looking for refugee status are going to live here. It's a quiet place, with no problems," he said. The Irish Refugee and Reception Agency officials John Roycroft and Eugene Banks have now briefed councillors and said that Ballaghaderreen was the most suitable centre identified from 90 properties proposed nationwide. Ballaghaderreen was chosen from a number of Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) established around Ireland by the Department of Justice in the wake of the Mediterranean refugee crisis. Ireland expects to accept more than 4,000 refugees by late 2018. The Ballaghaderreen relocation emerged when Roscommon County Council chief executive Eugene Cummins was informed a local hotel had been contracted as an accommodation centre. But those frustrated at the lack of communication included Fine Gael Senator Maura Hopkins, who is originally from Ballaghaderreen. "We have a situation where we've only been informed that 80 refugees are coming through Greece from Syria in about 15 days time," she said. In response, the Department of Justice said that the accommodation would house refugees for a period of roughly 12 weeks before rehousing them elsewhere in Ireland. Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald warned a Cabinet colleague that the State's forensic science laboratory was at "crisis point" due to inadequate facilities and a "chronic" shortage of space. The Justice Minister also voiced fears about the potential contamination of DNA samples. She made the comments in a letter to Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe last September after he had initially refused to fast-track the building of a new facility planned for Backweston, Co Kildare. Some 6m was subsequently made available in the Budget, with building work set to begin this year. Construction had originally been earmarked for 2019 and documents revealed Mr Donohoe initially rebuffed a request from Ms Fitzgerald last May for funding so the project could be brought forward by two years. In the letter, released under the Freedom of Information Act, Ms Fitzgerald said the chronic shortage of space at Forensic Science Ireland's facility at Garda Headquarters was greatly hampering its work. "In short, the potential risk of contamination of DNA samples has led to a greater amount of staff being devoted to checking and double-checking that no contamination has taken place," the Tanaiste wrote. This, she said, had "greatly impacted on service delivery". The letter outlined how the laboratory was so stuck for space it was using areas on the stairwell and near elevators, but was being forced to vacate these due to fire safety regulations. Ms Fitzgerald also said the laboratory lacked the facilities for the sharing of DNA information under EU anti-terrorism laws. In a separate letter prior to the Budget, Forensic Science Ireland director Sheila Willis told a senior Department of Justice official the drawbacks of the existing facility had been well documented. "This has become more acute in recent times because the increased sensitivity of the DNA chemistry used means that we can detect lower and lower levels of DNA. "It allows better case results but also calls for increased precautions in avoiding inadvertent contamination," she wrote. In a statement, the Department said extra accommodation would be found for Forensic Science Ireland while construction takes place on the Backweston facility. Wing woman: Enda and Fionnuala arrive onstage at College Green before US President Barack Obama speaks on May 23, 2011. US President Barack Obama Visits Ireland...DUBLIN, IRELAND - MAY 23: US President Barack Obama makes a speech at College Green with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, on May 23, 2011 in Dublin, Ireland. U.S. President Obama is visiting Ireland for one day. Earlier he met with Irish President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland Enda Kenny and visited his ancestral home in Moneygall, County Offaly. (Photo by Irish Government - Pool/Getty Images)...I Barack Obama enjoying a pint of Guinness in Ollie Hayes Bar in Moneygall, Co Offaly during his 2011 visit "PRESIDENTIAL WELCOME" President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama arrive to address the crowd in College Green, Dublin, during their visit to Ireland. 1st News Julian Behal Press Association Ireland OUTGOING US President Barack Obama is planning a return trip to Ireland, and it is expected to be within 12 months. Mr Obama, who visited Ireland in 2011 with his family, announced his intention to return during his last meeting with the US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin OMalley The lasts sentence that the president said to me on Wednesday of this week when we were saying goodbye was please tell em Im coming, Mr OMalley told Marian Finucane on RTE Radio. So I think thats the Presidents way of saying informally that youll probably see him again. The ambassador predicted that Mr Obama would visit Ireland in the near future. My guess is in the coming year or so, he said. Mr Obama will officially step down from his post towards the end of this month, to be replaced by Donald Trump. During his 2011 visit Mr Obama and the First Lady, Michelle, visited Moneygall in Co Offaly, his ancestral home, and also appeared before huge crowds at College Green in Dublin. Gerry Adams has made clear Sinn Fein will not back down from its demand for Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to allow a probe into her role in a botched green energy scheme. Gerry Adams has made clear Sinn Fein will not back down from its demand for Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to allow a probe into her role in a botched green energy scheme. The Sinn Fein president warned the Democratic Unionist leader that she is not a "Prime Minister" and her position in one of the two leading roles in the power-sharing administration depended on his party's agreement. Addressing party faithful in west Belfast, Mr Adams left little doubt that Sinn Fein will pull the plug on the institutions - likely prompting a snap election - if Mrs Foster does not temporarily step down. Mrs Foster, who presided over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) when economy minister, has steadfastly refused to leave the stage to facilitate a probe into a scandal that has left Stormont facing a 490 million bill. Mr Adams said: "If the First Minister does not take the actions that society desires and deserves and which a sustainable process of change requires, then Sinn Fein will bring this ongoing and totally unacceptable state of affairs to an end." The fate of the current administration now hangs on the pivotal issue of whether or not Mrs Foster will stand down. On Friday she voiced support for a judge-led probe into RHI outlined by her Sinn Fein partners in government, but she again emphatically rejected the republican party's prerequisite that she step aside to facilitate it. "It is clear there are many in the political class who do not believe in due process or natural justice," said the DUP leader. "They just want me to go regardless of the fact that there is not a scintilla of evidence of wrongdoing against me. I don't roll over to my political opponents." The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out 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 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 lack of consensus over the form of an investigation comes amid similar disagreement on DUP proposals to reduce the overspend. The DUP has claimed its proposals could wipe out the bill, but Sinn Fein have rubbished them. In his speech on Saturday, Mr Adams said: "The DUP leader has thus far refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report by an independent investigation into the RHI scandal. "She repeated that refusal yesterday. "That is not good enough. Arlene Foster has been First Minister for almost a year." He added: "Arlene Foster is not a Prime Minister. She is a co-equal partner in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister. She can continue in that office but only for as long as Sinn Fein allows it." In a strongly-worded speech he also branded DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan an "ignoramus" for cutting funding for an Irish language initiative just before Christmas. He said during ten years of partnership government together, the DUP had shown Sinn Fein "deliberate provocation, arrogance and disrespect". NOx pollution, much of it from diesel engines, is blamed for thousands of early deaths across Europe (Stock picture) Diesel cars spit out twice the level of dangerous emissions as trucks and buses because they are subjected to more lenient testing, a new report reveals. The findings have prompted calls for much stricter measures to be applied to cars as soon as possible. New-diesel car registrations came to 102,771 last year in Ireland, a 70.07pc share of the market and up from 88,810 in 2015 (71.16pc). The report is published by the independent research organisation International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The council played a pivotal role in the Volkswagen emissions saga. Its authors say the latest findings highlight the importance of upcoming EU decisions on "strengthening the real- driving emissions (RDE) test for passenger cars". On average, NOx emissions of the heavy-duty bus and truck vehicles tested were approximately 210mg/km. Currently, NOx emissions of Euro-6 diesel passenger cars under real-world driving conditions are around 500mg/km, it claimed. "This means that NOx emissions of diesel cars are more than double those of trucks and buses," the report concluded. But because buses and trucks burn more diesel per kilometre in much larger engines, it is claimed that cars could produce up to 10 times more NOx per litre of fuel. NOx pollution, much of it from diesel engines, is blamed for thousands of early deaths across Europe and has come under intense scrutiny for its effects on public health. As of now, official EU emission tests for cars are conducted in laboratories on measurements for prototype vehicles. However, real-world testing of NOx emissions for trucks and buses has been mandatory since 2013. Changes to how cars are tested are due to start in September within the EU. Mobile devices, called 'portable emissions measurement systems' (PEMS), will be attached to cars while they are driven on public roads. But critics say this is not enough as manufacturers will still be able to select special prototype cars for the tests. Faking it: Leonardo DiCaprio as conman Frank Abagnale Jr in Catch Me If You Can (2002). From high earnings to emergency landings, we asked airline pilots to reveal the secrets of flying. The autopilot pretty much does everything Theres no point denying that the autopilot does most of the work, Sam Bray, a Monarch pilot, told Telegraph Travel earlier this year. On a regular flight the autopilot does around 90 per cent of the flying. Pilots usually handle the landing, but many modern aircraft and airports even possess an Autoland system, which is sometimes deployed in thick fog. Pilots do not even have to see the runway before we touch down at airports such as Heathrow where the facilities are advanced, said Steve Allright, a BA captain. They earn just as much as youd imagine If youre imagining 140,000/165k a year, that is. The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has said that, while a typical starting salary is around 36,000/42,300, that has the potential to rise to a whopping 140,000/165,000. Given that aspiring aviators must cough up around 80,000/94,000 (Aer Lingus says "approximately 100,000") to attend flying school, and that theyre responsible for the lives of hundreds of people every day, we think thats fair. And get some good travel benefits... Expand Close Bangkok's Grand palace at twilight. Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bangkok's Grand palace at twilight. Photo: Deposit Normally, all full-time workers and their immediate family are entitled to complimentary, space-available transportation throughout their carriers network, with upgrades to first or business class if empty seats permit, says Patrick Smith, a US pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential. In addition, reciprocal agreements between carriers allow employees of one airline, plus their eligible family members, to fly on another subject to what are called ZED fares. Its a fantastic deal. If I want to fly from Bangkok (above) to Seoul on Korean Air or Thai Airways, itll cost around $70. New York to Amsterdam on KLM, about $100. CB anyone? A photo posted by Santiago Borja (@santiagoborja) on Jun 16, 2016 at 7:20pm PDT They spend the flight taking photos for Instagram Well, not all of them, and not the whole flight. But there is a large contingency of commercial airline pilots to be found on the photo sharing website, such as Santiago Borja, who took this dazzling shot in the summer: Is it legal? That depends on when the photo is taken. Both UK and US regulators say pilots should refrain from all non-essential activities during critical phases of flight, normally below 10,000 feet. Using you phone will NOT make the plane crash Expand Close Phones on planes. Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Phones on planes. Photo: Deposit Were still told to turn off our phones, or put them in flight mode, during take-off and landing. The general assumption is that their signal interferes with navigation instruments, and could even cause a crash. No chance, said BAs Steve Allright, in our Q&A for nervous fliers. Patrick Smith adds: Aircraft electronics are designed with interference in mind. To date there are no proven cases of a phone adversely affecting the outcome of a flight. At least half of all phones, whether inadvertently or out of laziness, are left on during flights. If mobiles were that great a concern, the policy would be more actively enforced. They sometimes nod off... After the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) proposed changes to pilots' working hours, passengers were treated to the revelation that nearly half of pilots have fallen asleep in the cockpit, according to research by the BALPA. The truth is, were exhausted, an anonymous pilot told Readers Digest in 2013. Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break. "Thats many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we cant pull over at the next cloud. They love a tricky landing Expand Close A commercial jet approaches Princess Juliana airport in Saint Maarten (2013). Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A commercial jet approaches Princess Juliana airport in Saint Maarten (2013). Photo: Deposit Telegraph Travel recently quizzed a clutch of pilots about their favourite airports to touch down at earlier this month. Naples, Madeira, Innsbruck and Gibraltar cropped up frequently, and they all have one thing in common: they are among the trickiest in Europe, with pilots often needing special training before theyre allowed to tackle them. Read More You might not be told when theres a problem with the plane... "We tell passengers what they need to know, Jim Tilmon, a retired American Airlines pilot, told Readers Digest in 2013. We dont tell them things that are going to scare the pants off them. So youll never hear me say, Ladies and gentlemen, we just had an engine failure, even if thats true. Patrick Smith adds: Being blunt about every little problem invites unnecessary worry, not to mention embellishment. But with even an outside chance of an evacuation in mind, you have to be kept in the loop. Expand Close Small plane against a stormy sky. Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Small plane against a stormy sky. Photo: Deposit But dont be surprised if you hear a terrifying announcement While pilots do their best not to cause panic, they occasionally fail. Miserably. In 2014 a pilot told fliers that a technical problem could have led them to "a quick, watery grave". And readers have heard their fair share of thoughtless announcements, including the following: Ladies and gentlemen we shall be making an unscheduled landing and steep approach to Tampere airport, the plane is on fire, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we were just struck by lightning. Good afternoon. You will have noticed that it's a bit hairy in the skies and the wind is against us. We require a steep take off out of here and it will be tricky but hold on to your seats, it's Friday night and I've got a wedding reception to go to. Over and out. Emergency landings happen all the time Rather than being the rarity you might presume, figures released last month revealed that Heathrow Airport alone experiences around one emergency landing a week. Fifty-one occurred in 2013, 40 in 2012, 54 in 2011, 66 in 2010, and 55 in 2009 - a total of 266 in five years. Lightning strikes are common, too (but don't worry about it) According to Patrick Smith: "Planes are hit by lightning more frequently than you might expect - an individual jetliner is struck about once every two or three years on average - and are designed accordingly. "The energy does not travel through the cabin electrocuting the passengers; it is discharged overboard through the plane's aluminium skin, which is an excellent electrical conductor. "Once in a while there's exterior damage - a superficial entry or exit wound - or minor injury to the plane's electrical systems, but a strike typically leaves little or no evidence." God bless the Faraday cage. Read more: Read More Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Easily one of the biggest nights of the year is New Year's Eve and one place that is always worth a visit is Brubakers which was packed to capacity for this festive night. I wasn't too long in the door when I met up with a group who included Sean McLoughlan and James Treanor both from Creggan, Neil McCann from Glassdrummond and Jim Luckie from Anamar who were ready for a major night of celebration. Not too long later I caught up with Gary Lynch from Ardee and Joseph Field from Slane who told me that Gary is a regular in Bru's and certainly wasn't going to miss the big night for anything. Spreading themselves well were Emma O'Connor from Manydown close and Scott Gray from Jonesboro who were managing to hold down two settees and were awaiting the arrival of the rest of their mates for the big night. I then headed for a table where I caught up with Moira Boyle, Orla Donaldson Colleen McCabe and Michael and Sinead Bellew all from Crossmaglen who told me they were definitely there for the night and couldn't wait for the crack to get going. Next I caught up with Lisa Kelly from Donaghmoyne and Darren Courtney from Inniskeen who wanted to wish all their mates a very happy New Year. After this I got talking to Emma McCartney from Haggardstown and Mark McDonnell from avenue Road who were just getting in form when I met them and they told me it was definitely going to be an epic night. Making my way through the crowds I then got a word with John Duffy from Ashbrook and Avril Finnegan from Mountpleasant who were up for making it best night of the year ever. I then headed upstairs where I caught up with Nicola Harper from Park 1 who was with Roman Prokopjen from Bay Estate and Dimo Swarts from Maple Close who were looking forward to a major night of fun together. Seated close by were Sorcha Lundy from Blackrock and Cathal McCarthy from the Mullaharlin Mafia who were taking a break from the festivities and were looking forward to a major fun filled evening. Beside them I then met up with Jason Lee and Alannah Conroy from Muirhevnamor who wanted a big shout out for David Byrne from Ashling Park and they were going to have a wild and crazy night "within reason". Finally, before I departed I headed for a table where I had the pleasure of talking to Niamh Farrelly from Ashling Park, Sarah Gaskin from Bay Estate, Sarah Sherry from Quay Street, Anna Farrelly from Ashling Park, Uliya Kozlov and Sarah Kerr from Mount Avenue, David Taaffe from College Heights and Stephen Neacy from Seatown who got all their seats together and were ready for a major session. The Dundalk writer and historian Dorothy MacArdle will be remembered as part of the 'Illuminate Herstory', a new cultural movement created to celebrate the lost life stories of thousands of Irish women from history and today. Over the weekend of Nollaig na mBan, the Women's Christmas, when the Christmas lights are turned off, the project will light up the country with the faces of hundreds of Irish women projected onto public buildings and national landmarks. The objective is to start a new annual event where Ireland inspires the world to celebrate women. Here in Dundalk, An Tain Arts Centre in collaboration with Louth County Council and supported by Kearney Mcardle Mceneaney & Co have chosen Dundalk writer Dorothy Macardle to feature in the projection. An image of Macardle will be projected onto An Tain Arts Centre, Town Hall, Crown Street. Macardle was born just a few doors down from where the projection will happen at An Tain Arts Centre, she was one of the brewing family famous for Macardle's ale. She was an Irish writer, novelist, playwright, and non-academic historian. Her book, The Irish Republic, is one of the more frequently cited narrative accounts of the Irish War of Independence and its aftermath. Now that the dog has snaffled the last of the turkey and the Brussel sprouts are wizening nicely at the bottom of the vegetable basket, this week's return to work has been peppered with finding out how friends and colleagues got on over the Christmas. Most people tell you it was quiet, that the kids had a good time and they're glad it's over really, delighted to get back to normal. But it's always secretly good to hear how Christmas for others was a 'total disaster', 'a nightmare' and a 'never again' event, especially if it's the Posh Sister and her tale of how it ended up with two random Hindus turning up for lunch. The Posh Sister lives in a posh area of Dublin in a house that is so small that when she told me she received a yoga mat as a Christmas gift from the Husband, I said she could use it to carpet her living room, right? So, when the maw in law offered a Christmas lunch, which the Posh Sister's husband would have to cook but no matter, at her big, posh old pile, our lassie jumped at the chance for more space. Unfortunately for all concerned, at the work party before the festive season, the Posh Sister, in a gin-induced expression of seasonal goodwill, invited a newly arrived Hindu colleague along to the maw in law's for the dinner at Christmas. Well, invited is the wrong phrase. 'Strongly insisted' and 'wouldn't take no for an answer' would be nearer the mark. The lady was somewhat surprised by the invite and asked if she could bring her cousin, also a Hindu, along too. The sister, who is generous when it comes to offering other people's efforts, said: 'The more the merrier'. There was nothing merrier, however, the following day when she rose from her gin soaked slumber and remembered to tell the husband who was in charge of all catering matters. He was none too happy with her, but is a well-bred man and wouldn't withdraw the invitation. He then had to presume that his guests were vegetarians. They were, but that was not the end of his problems. Because it turned out that the colleague was actually a Jain, part of the Hindu religion, but 'ultra' for want of a better word. Ultra pacifist and ultra vegetarian. They don't eat anything that has not fallen off a tree and certainly not the big 14lb turkey the maw in law had responsibly sourced from an organic, local farm. Sure what else do the poshoes do in this situation? Away to Marks and Spencers with the Posh Husband to source a nut roast, all the while cursing my sister under his breath for her gin-addled grand ideas and her generosity with other people's time and effort. There were tight smiles as the guests turned up, waiting for their vegetarian Christmas surprise. The Husband had to cater, of course, for other people who were not so fussy as to where their greens come from. The sister was not helping too much, preferring to make 'small talk' which, without the gin, was a lot harder than she expected. And the pressure was getting to the Husband as the guests stood around chit-chatting in the kitchen, as he tried to ram everything, including the nut roast, into the oven. But disaster struck when the nut roast fell out of the oven and onto the floor, in front of those who were meant to be eating it, so he didn't even have the opportunity that, let's face it, everyone would have taken to scrape it off the floor and served it up no bother, without a word of warning. The guests looked forlorn as the Posh Sister avoided the killer glares emanating from the Husband. The guests may have got some bread and a lock of Brussel sprouts in the end. But it was posh bread and posh sprouts and in the finish up, that's probably all that matters. Cooley Kickhams Juveniles in association with Rob and Dave Kearney are running a fundraiser in aid of Cooley Juveniles and Aoibheann's Pink Tie. The prizes include: 1. A VIP trip to the Ireland v England 6 nations match. This includes 2 match tickets, overnight accommodation, chauffeur driven to/from the match. Signed jerseys from Rob and Dave will be presented to the winner after the 6 nations tournament. 2. Weekend for 2 in the Presidential Suite in the Westport Plaza. 3. Weekend for 2 in the Penthouse suite in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone. 4. Weekend for 2 in the Four Seasons Hotel, Carlingford. 5. A set of club Juvenile jerseys sponsored by CX Sport. Aoibheann's Pink Tie is a fantastic charity which helps children diagnosed with cancer. To purchase a ticket please contact all the clubs Committee members and juvenile members. Tickets are on sale from all committee members and juvenile mentors from next week. Tickets will also be available online. A book about the rabbit industry in Ireland has been 20 years in the making, according to its author, Michael Conry, who has just made the publication available to the public in Dundalk through Carrolls Bookshop in Park Street. Michael spoke to the Argus while he was in Dundalk and said the book is aimed at anyone who has an interest in the countryside and the history of the rabbit industry. He said: 'The rabbit, which was first recorded in Ireland in the 9th Century, spread to every townland in the four provinces and to all the islands by the end of the 18th Century. 'The population of rabbits was so great that it gave its name in Gaelic or anglicised form, to hundreds of townlands and islands in Ireland. The rabbit was an important source of meat for thousands of Irish families in poverty-stricken Ireland throughout the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. 'Catching rabbits supplemented the meagre incomes of urban workers, farm labourers and small farmers alike. It provides the livelihood for the unemployed and thousands of professional trappers, snarers and ferreting men. 'At the same time, they were an unmitigated pest on the farming community, decimating grassland, arable crops and forestry plantations'. The rabbit was unique among small mammals as they formed the basis of an important industry in the 20th Century. Millions of rabbits were exported to Britain especially during the two world wards when Britain was on the verge of starvation and needed all the un-rationed meat and food that Ireland could supply. Michael said: 'The export of millions of rabbit skins to Britain and elsewhere was a very important spin-off of the rabbit industry. The introduction of myxomatosis disease decimated the rabbit industry, at least temporarily, creating havoc in all sectors of the business. 'Now, rabbit has practically disappeared off the menu in Ireland'. 'The Rabbit Industry in Ireland - 20th Century Snapshots' by Michael Conry is available at Carrolls Bookshop or by emailing the author at conrymj@gmail.com. The Louth Hunt in conjunction with Piperstown Equestrian and Termonfeckin Macra Na Feirme are hosting a Fun Run around the parish of Monasterboice , starting at Piperstown Equestrian Centre at 1pm on January 8, 2017. Adults are 30 euro and kids 20. Three groups will be leaving at 10 min intervals . Open ,Intermediate and Happy Hackers. Details from Brian on 086 3315678. Night at the Opera A Night At The Opera takes place at the Glyde Inn on Saturday, January 28 at 7pm. There's 5 Course Fine Dining combined with light Opera music, featuring internationally renowned baritone Gavan Ring and Soprano Nicola Ring. Tickets for the event are priced at 50. Were any of your ancestors involved in the discovery of a woman's body in a Louth bog back in October 1849? She was buried there by her lover, a man from Ardee who married another. Or perhaps you have relatives who lived through the War of Independence - in particular, November, 1920, when two IRA volunteers were murdered in Ardee by British forces. You may be surprised at the times in which your recent ancestors lived, according to a new company which aims to make the past a present for future generations with a revolutionary new way of compiling family histories, which will prove a boon for those planning upcoming celebrations. A unique new service, Histories In The Making, presents people's family research in a readable and informative way, putting that information into a wider historical context and delivering it in a way that is readable for all the family. They also deliver that research in more tech-friendly way by offering their clients updatable, interactive web pages that can be sent to family members all around the globe. Most families have an amateur historian - the one person who provides information on the family tree if a milestone celebration or gathering is planned. However, with the oral tradition dying, and many families now connected digitally around the world, there is a fear that this information will become stagnant or lost. David Lawlor, of Histories In The Making said: 'We want to package the past for families. Very often, people will either have scraps of information about an ancestor or they might have a vast tome of genealogical research that is difficult to read. 'We knit their stories together and package what people have discovered, putting it into a broader historical context. 'We produce printed posters and brochures, and also offer clients a secure digital file, which is easily updated to the entire family network in real time, allowing the family history to grow organically as time moves on. David a journalist and history blogger who has written six novels, likes nothing more than to tell a story. He said: 'As the country starts to wind down its centenary celebrations for 1916, one thing is for sure - the past has never felt so present in all our lives. 'An industry has grown up around people's search to understand who they are and where their ancestors came from. "With more and more families migrating to far-flung lands, the bonds that tie relatives together are being stretched to breaking point. 'The oral history that was once passed down from generation to generation about our ancestors is being lost. 'Thankfully, there are family members who will step forward and try to retrieve their pasts through genealogical research. 'The downside to that lies in the dry, uninspiring report that is usually the product of such work - which is where we come in'. For further information on this company, go to www.historiesinthemaking.ie or email: historiesinthemaking@gmail.com. Michael Gaynor (centre), Dundalk Chamber of Commerce president with the Shop Local reps and sponsors including AIB, The Argus, BIDS and Oriel Hub Dundalk Chamber of Commerce's idea to issue town business-based vouchers to keep cash in Dundalk has surpassed all expectations by selling over 650,000 in Shop Local vouchers, it has been announced. The final figure for 2016 will not be known until returns from outlets are collated early in the New Year, but it is clear the initiative has been a major success. Michael Gaynor, President of Dundalk Chamber praised the hard work done by Chamber staff, the members, other employers and retailers in engaging in this 'in a very positive and constructive manner'. He said that it was an achievement which kept jobs at home this year and demonstrated the pride local people had in their area. Every euro kept in the local economy would be spent locally again. The impact of this initiative was therefore worth more than two million euro to the local economy. Paddy Malone PRO commented that employers had seen the value of the scheme due both because of the tax advantages and the fact that all costs were being borne by the Chamber. When members of the public were asked why they bought the vouchers the main reasons given were protecting jobs and the fact that there was no expiry date. The vouchers will be available throughout 2017 and can be used for birthdays, communions and other occasions. Paddy Malone PRO of Dundalk Chamber said the recipient gets gift of choice as they can be spent in toy shops, restaurants, hair salons, gift stores, gyms, beauticians, clothes shops, book stores and much more. The vouchers now come in a 5 denomination as well as 10, 20 and 50s. He said: 'The 650,000 in sales means that at least two million euro will be retained in Dundalk over Christmas. Every euro spent will mean extra jobs in Dundalk which in turn means extra payroll which in turn means a further round of spending. 'This also created a buzz and a positive feel good factor for the holiday period'. Under the Small Benefits Exemption Scheme, company directors and employees can receive a non-cash bonus of up to 500 in value on a completely tax free basis each year and he would encourage all employers to buy this voucher for the town'. The beauty of these vouchers is that they do not expire and the shops get the full amount back. Members of the public can buy the vouchers in Grants Dublin Street, McCuskers in Earl Street, Central News Clanbrassil Street, Centra Blackrock, Sheelans in Riverstown, Finnegan's in Louth Village and Victory's Centra in Dunleer. You can also purchase them online on www.dundalk.ie/vouchers - there is no charge for delivery - and directly from the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce Office by calling Brenda on 042 9336343 or email accounts@dundalk.ie The full list of outlets redeeming the Shop Local gift vouchers is at shoplocal.dundalk.ie. In addition, Mr Gaynor congratulated BIDS on the magnificent energy efficient new Christmas street lights and the atmosphere of the town centre. He said that with the additional success of the Dundalk FC on the European stage 'the town definitely had a good 2016 and should be looking forward to 2017 with a degree of confidence. The interesting history of shipping incidents in Carlingford Lough has been researched and collated into a book for the first time, by local man Patrick Finegan and the proceeds are going to the RNLI. The publication - 'Shipping Incidents of Carlingford Lough 1707-1962' - is now available from Carrolls Bookshop priced 20 and would make a perfect gift to anyone who is interested in the marine and local history of the lough. Mr Finegan said the book is the result of meticulous research conducted 'on and off' over a ten year period and his interest in shipping on the lough was prompted by seeing other books that focused on Ireland as a whole or on specific areas of the country, none of which detailed the incidents in Carlingford Lough. He said: 'I felt it was a shame the history of shipping incidents in this lough had not been written about in great detail, so I wanted to do something about it. 'I am from Carlingford and when I retired from work, I found I had little to do. I don't come from a seafaring background, but I was in a bookshop one day and I picked up a book about shipwrecks of Ireland and while there were references to Cork, Kerry and a little on Louth, I saw there was a reference to a ship going down in Carlingford Lough, which set me thinking whether there might be more'. Mr Finegan took his research quest to the National Library in Dublin and was able to look at old newspaper articles that formed the basis of more sleuthing. In addition, he was able to draw on the considerable resources at the County Library in Dundalk for additional research and was assisted throughout the process by his wife, Anne. He said: 'I did the research over time, bit by bit and I was able to piece the incidents together chronologically to create an overall narrative. It's an interesting history after all, and the book covers quite a lot'. The first incident covered in the book is the sinking of the 'Loyalty' which was sailing from Liverpool and a report of the sinking first appeared on October 31 1707. And while it was stated the cargo ship had sunk, there was no mention of what lives were lost. Mr Finegan said: 'It can only be hoped the crew reached shore safely'. The book includes around 40 pictures of the various vessels whose stories form the backbone of the book, some of which were very difficult to acquire. Some of the ships' captains are buried in Carlingford, he reveals. The last incident covered in the book is the sinking of the 'Seagull', a yacht which sank near Greenore on June 23 1962, with, thankfully, no loss of life. Shipping Incidents of Carlinford Lough is available at Carrolls Bookshop priced 20. Garda intelligence about that the gang who carried out the Kingsmill massacre and who are believed to have fled to County Louth in the wake of the 1976 attack has not been handed over to the coroner in Belfast, despite a promise of 'full disclosure' made in 2015 by Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The IRA shot ten Protestant workmen near Kingsmills in south Armagh in 1976. The Historical Enquiries Team (HET) said the IRA fled 'back to Louth' afterwards. After several years of pressure for disclosure, Mr Kenny met the Kingsmills families in Bessbrook in March 2015 and said that his most sensitive files may not be released but that he would allow the Belfast coroner to view them in Dublin for the legacy inquest. The Coroners Service said it could not comment on the matter as it was not present at the meeting, however it is understood it was unaware of the until last week. The sole survivor of the atrocity, Alan Black, told the News Letter in Belfast: 'Enda Kenny told us in Bessbrook - 'I am looking you in the eye and I am promising full disclosure'.' Mr Black said that four weapons used at Kingsmills, later recovered by Garda, have not been mentioned in Dublin's disclosure to date - nor has any intelligence about the IRA suspects. 'The Taoiseach was standing there with three or four advisors at the time. He spoke with them and said there could be problems sending some papers out of his jurisdiction and if so he would facilitate the Belfast coroner to travel to Dublin to look at them. But now it seems they must have just decided not to do it. It is cruel in the extreme'. At least one member of the gang that murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was involved in a cross-border cocaine smuggling operation that left six PSNI officers and two Gardai injured last month, it has been claimed. The Sunday Independent's Jim Cusack claimed that three decoy cars driven by young criminals, working for south Armagh-based smugglers, were involved in a series of incidents in which police cars on both sides of the border were rammed to distract attention from the car believed to be moving the drugs. Gardai and the PSNI have identified a key smuggler who is believed to have been driving the saloon car which was involved in moving the cocaine across the border during the early hours of December 18. Two cousins of the cocaine smuggler are believed to have been involved in the robbery of cash from the Lordship Credit Union in January 2013, during which Detective Garda Donohoe (41) was murdered. No charges have been brought in the case despite a lengthy investigation. Another associate of the gang, Adrian Crevan Mackin (24), shot dead Garda Tony Golden (36), a father-of-three, in Omeath, in October 2015. The two cousins who shot Detective Garda Donohoe have continued to work for the smugglers in south Armagh and police believe they were involved in the cocaine smuggling operation that led to the Garda and PSNI injuries. It is understood a decoy car driven by the gang was used to ram a Garda car close to the border at Carrickmacross. Two gardai were injured. Gardai notified the PSNI, who stopped a stolen van at Lismore outside Crossmaglen. The PSNI were about to speak to the driver when another car came on the scene and crashed into the police car. Two officers were injured. A short time later the PSNI said two further police vehicles were targeted. James Lambert returned home to his family in Kilkerley thanks to the Aer Lingus #teachtabhaile campaign. Pictured with his family at home, walking up his driveway and getting a welcome home hug from mum, Madonna A Dundalk-born ex-pat who hadn't been home for more than a year surprised his parents at Christmas by appearing in their home 'out of thin aer' thanks to free return flights from the national carrier. Aer Lingus was delighted to bring James Lambert home to his Kilkerley parents, Michael and Madonna, just in time for the festive season. And the whole remarkable homecoming was captured by a film crew who used the pretext of parents using technology to stay in touch with children to be there when James came through the door on December 20. The video of the homecoming captured James's and two other people's surprise returns back to their parents and was posted on the Aer Lingus twitter account with the hastag teachtabhaile where it has received a great reception. Speaking to the Argus just before his return to New York last Friday, James, a former Dundalk Grammar School student who works as the product team at a tech start-up in Manhattan, explained how the emotional reunion came about. He said: 'I wasn't home for Christmas in 2015 but a friend of mine tagged me in a post as an ex-pat that year. I hadn't been away that long at that stage, but the airline emailed me at the end of November this year and asked if I would be interested in going forward for the competition this year. 'I had to send in a biog and a small video to them and then the production team had to come up with an idea to tell my parents about why they wanted to film them, without giving the surprise away. So they told them that they were doing a documentary for TV about parents using technology to stay in touch with their kids abroad'. James said that his dad 'was a little suspicious' about why the cameras were in the house, but the production crew were able to capture the magical moment that James returns to his home and is greeted by his delighted sister who runs to him and throws her arms around him before he is embraced by his surprised mum and dad. 'They were genuinely surprised and my sister was really shocked. It was great and I was really pleased to get home for Christmas'. Staff, students and parents of Dundalk's Colasiti Chu Chulainn and Lu got an early Christmas present when contractors moved onto the site at the Marshes to commence work at the site. Hoarding and cabins went onto the site just before Christmas Day and groundwork is expected to get underway shortly. It is a major boost for the often-delayed project, which faced a number of hurdles over the past two years. But, it is hoped, that the new 1000 student state of the art school will be open for the new term in September 2018. On his appointment as CEO of the Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB), Martin O'Brien said the colaiste contract was his 'top priority' and a new sense of purpose was brought to the issue, and a number of meetings took place in October and November between the education board and the Department of Education in order to progress the start of the work. Mr O'Brien said he was supported in the meetings by Louth County Council chief executive, Joan Martin and officials from the council. He said: 'I'm very grateful to the department and council staff for their efforts and it is expected that by New Year's Day next year, the construction work will be finished, with the roof on and the windows in, and it is envisaged that the rest of contract time, from then to June 2018 will be taken up with fitting out the inside of the school to the very highest standards. 'I think this time next year the site will look very different. It's all systems go now on the contract and it was great that people were able to see the work starting here before they sat down to their Christmas dinner'. Mr O'Brien paid tribute to the staff of the colaisti for their dedication to the project. He said: 'The principal and staff have been working extremely hard in a difficult situation where they are operating across a split campus and they have done a terrific job over the past few years'. A multi-agency initiative aimed at cutting down the havoc caused by repeat offenders is to be extended to Dundalk this year, Justice Minister Francis Fitzgerald has announced. The initiative, known as the Joint Agency Response to Crime (J-ARC) involves inter-agency co-operation between the Department of Justice, the Gardai, the Prison Service, the Probation Service as well as voluntary and community organisations. It has been trialled in four initiatives in Dublin and Minister Fitzgerald revealed to Fianna Fail TD for Dublin Bay South, Jim O'Callaghan, that it is to be extended to Dundalk, along with Waterford and Limerick. Minister Fitzgerald said: 'In an effort to strengthen the overall management of prolific offenders a Joint Agency Response to Crime (J-ARC) was developed. J-ARC is a strategic response to the management of prolific offenders. As part of this strategy a number of pilot initiatives have been developed to address the offenders' behaviour and reduce crime. 'In November 2015 I formally launched J-ARC which four inter-agency initiatives in Dublin. This is now being extended to three additional areas; Dundalk, Waterford and Limerick. On 22 September this year I launched the first Joint Strategy between the Department of Justice and Equality, An Garda Siochana, The Probation Service and the Irish Prison Service. 'The Joint Strategy, drawn up by the three agencies and with the full support of my Department recognises that in order to protect the public and reduce victimisation in Irish society, a joint approach to the management of offenders is essential. 'It sets out a range of agreed key objectives and supporting actions for the enhanced management of offenders, to be advanced on an inter-agency basis in the period 2016-2018. 'It places particular emphasis on the management of high-volume offenders, sex offenders, perpetrators of domestic violence, combined with a strong focus on the rights and protection of crime victims'. Two men have been charged in connection with the discovery of a cannabis growhouse operation at Castle Road on New Year's Eve, one of two uncovered by Gardai in Dundalk in 24 hours, that netted hash worth an estimated 230,000. A second property, a house at Dublin Street, was raided on January 1 as part of a follow-up operation and while no plants were found, cannabis herb, estimated to be worth 20,000, was discovered. The men, both aged 33, originally from Eastern Europe but with addresses in Dundalk and Drogheda, were brought before a sitting of the CCJ in Dublin charged with the Castle Road find and were refused bail. On December 31, Gardai from Dundalk's Detective Unit, who were on patrol as part of Operation Scale, observed a car and individuals acting suspiciously at Castle Road. They stopped and searched the car and got a warrant to search a house at Castle Road. During the search of the premises and outbuildings Gardai discovered a sophisticated cannabis growhouse with around 200 plants in various stages of growth. The 200 plants discovered at Castle Road have an approximate street value of 160,000, subject to analysis. Officers also discovered cannabis herb with an approximate street value of 50,000, also subject to analysis. Two men, both aged 33 were arrested were detained at Dundalk Garda station under the provisions of section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 before being brought to Dublin where they were refused bail. The men were remanded in custody to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on Friday. In a follow-up operation on New Years Day, Dundalk Gardai raided a house at Dublin Street and discovered what they believe was a second grow house. No plants were found, but cannabis herb estimated to be worth around 20,000 was found. Gardai said the bedrooms of the property had been converted to provide growing facilities for cannabis plants, with foil used to line the walls of the bedrooms, specially constructed pipes to move warm air around the upstairs part of the house, as well as heating lamps and other items associated with cannabis growing discovered. No arrests were made at this locations and all the material discovered in the raids is now being forensically examined as part of the Garda investigation. Siofra Ni Dhubhghaill receives her cheque from Eamon Sheridan and Noel Geragherty of Wicklow Male Voice Choir Harpist Siofra Ni Dhubhghaill is the recipient of the 2016 Wicklow Male Voice Choir bursary. For the second year in a row the choir decided to award a bursary of 1,000 to an outstanding young up and coming artist. The bursary was sponsored by Sheridan Colohan Insurance Brokers and the choir would like to thank the company and their managing director Eamon Sheridan for this very generous award. Siofra received her reward prior to the Wicklow Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert held in the Grand Hotel. Siofra was also a special guest of honour on the night and proved a sensation with the large audience who lapped up her performance. Members of An Bothan enjoying the groups Christmas party at the Pigeon House in Delgany Members of 'An Bothan' met at the Pigeon House in Delgany recently for their Christmas celebration. Jim Flynn of An Bothan said that the event went very, very well, with an attendance of around 14 people. He said they were very well looked after in Delgany. The men's group is based in Bray and meets each Thursday at Sparktech, St Kevin's Square, in the heart of the town. The owner of the premises is very much involved with the group. 'It's thriving very nicely and working out very well,' said Jim. He said that the morning begins with vigorous chair exercises, with can also be done through Bray Active Retirement at Vila Pacis at the Queen of Peace. Jim said that one of the An Bothan highlights of 2016 is the library that started there with a great selection of books and magazines. He said the other is companionship. While there are a range of activities, including woodwork and upholstery, you don't have to do anything and can just have a cup of coffee and a chat. The group was founded in 2011 by four members of the Bray Active Retirement Walking Group. They meet each Thursday from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Members of the fire service, the Coast Guard and Greystones Municipal District gathered at the last meeting of the year to honour two distinguished members of the organisations on the occasion of their retirement. Anthony Byrne of the fire service and John Ferns of the Coast Guard were presented with plaques to commemorate their years of exemplary service to the community. Cathaoirleach Jennifer Whitmore presented the men with their awards, and all of the councillors congratulated both Anthony and John. John Ferns took over from his brother Niall as officer in charge at the Greystones Coastguard unit in recent years, with Dermot Macauley his successor. This marks the end of an era at Greystones Coast Guard, with the Ferns family having been represented there since 1952. Anthony retired from the fire service in September, after 20 years. They were heartily congratulated by everyone at Greystones Municipal District. The ceremony took place at Council buildings in Greystones just before the Christmas break. Crews from both organisations were delighted to honour their esteemed colleagues and wish them every happiness in the future as they retire, The Bray Head Hotel is 'sale agreed', three months after it went on the market. The identity of the buyer remains a mystery for the moment, with auctioneers Lisney declining to make a comment at this stage. According to their website, the sale is under way. Progress is expected to be made by the end of this month. Until the identity of the buyer is known, it remains unclear whether the Bray Head will be developed as residential accommodation, or remain a hotel. A previous planning permission, now expired, allowed for a boutique hotel and a number of apartments on the site. The facade is registered as protected. Owner Ena Regan Cummins announced in September that she had decided to sell the iconic building, 55 years after her parents Pat and Nancy Regan purchased the property. Ena's late husband Johnny passed away in 2015. After running the hotel alone for some time, she decided the time was right to sell. The hotel is 140 years old and boasts a rich history in the film industry. Films shot there include The Commitments, Breakfast on Pluto, My Left Foot and others, together with TV series such as Love Hate, Bachelor's Walk and Ballykissangel. Stars who filmed there include Vanessa Redgrave, John Hurt, Pierce Brosnan, Neil Jordan, Colin Farrell and Daniel Day-Lewis. The most striking of all of course is the regular visits to the property by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor while Burton was filming The Spy Who Came in From the Cold at Ardmore and again while filming Wagner in 1981. Many will also have enjoyed some happy years of attending the weekly disco that took place in the Bray Head during the 1980s and part of the 1990s. At that time, a nightclub had to serve food to comply with licensing laws, so a plate of curry was the dish of choice for revellers on Bray seafront in those days. Also known as the Crofton Bray Head Hotel, the 40,000 square foot premises was built in the 1880s and is on the Record of Protected Structures. The building originally had 80 guest bedrooms although today has 60 bedrooms of which 48 are en-suite. The accommodation includes the Bray Head Cocktail Lounge together with a large ballroom, further function room and many other features. Berrings Macra Club members Caroline O'Regan, Mairead O'Connell and Norma Hurley, who rang in the New Year at Carrigaline Macra's New Year's Eve ball in the Rochestown Park Hotel Laurie and Ciara O'Connor from Newmarket who were ringing in the New Year at The Failte, Killarney Mercy Fundraiser - Banteer Lyre GAA Clubs in conjunction with Eileen Murphy and the family of the late Pat Murphy RIP held a Sponsored Family Fun walk in aid of the Mercy University Hospital ICU unit, Cork at Banteer Sportsfield/Park on the Bank Holiday Mon last (to mark the occasion of Pats birthday). Many thanks to all who supported this charity event and the cheque will be presented to the Mercy Hospital later in the month. To date over 14,500 has been lodged and Eileen Murphy and family wish to sincerely thank all for this very generous fundraising effort. On a perfect day for walking over 500 people turned out with their families to take part and were welcomed by Lyre Club chairman Tommy Mannix with refreshments provided after at the White Country Inn. Banteer camogie The AGM of Banteer camogie club will be held on this Thursday, January 5, at 8pm in Banteer Community Centre every one welcome. Drama Group The Glen Theatre Drama Group look forward to the continued support for 2017 which is already proving to be a very busy year. The Chastitute Written by John B Keane and directed by Tadhg O'Keeffe continues in Jan with a Charity Night for St Joseph's Foundation Charleville also on at the Glen Theatre on Friday, January 13, the Everyman Theatre Cork on Saturday, January 14, the Civic Theatre Tallaght Dublin on Sunday, January 15. Please tell all your family and friends we would love them to come along and support us. Comedy is coming on Saturday, February 18, Pat Shortt - booking via Ticket master or 087 7558752. Banteer Macra Banteer Macra presents their Capers show in the all-Ireland semi-final next Saturday night, January 14, in Ovens at 8 p.m. All support would be greatly appreciated. Croke Park Clubs draw Banteer Lyre GAA Club is promoting the Croke Park Clubs draw at 10 per ticket with cars, holidays and cash prizes. The GAA National Club Draw has raised over 6 million for clubs over the past three years. The sole purpose of the Draw is to assist clubs in their drive to raise much needed funds to aid in the development and the promotion of Gaelic games. The benefits of taking part: This is an opportunity for your club to raise much needed funds, Your club will retain all the proceeds raised through the sale of tickets, All prizes are provided by Croke Park. Identification log books Muintir na Tire have launched a crime prevention programme using your own personal property register log book to record all details of equipment you own in your house, car or farm. This will record all details of your property and is to reduce theft and facilitate recovery of stolen property. Muintir na Tire has long been associated with community development and is well known for the operation of the Community Alert and Text Alert programmes. This programme is different to anything else out there in that it is community led and will ensure that entire areas will with your help have all their property recorded on their own register. Communities will in the near future also have signage erected to this effect. This will give notice to would-be criminals that it is not worth operating in that area. Property Identification register books are available at nominal cost of 5 from local Banteer Lyre and Districts Community Council members and Banteer PO. Bingo Banteer Bingo jackpot is 5,500. Local Area Plans Draft Local Area Plans (hard-copy or electronic format) together with Volume (s) two and three in electronic format only, may be inspected by the public, each working day, (exclusive of public holidays), between the hours of 9.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. till Friday, January 6, at the following locations: Planning Department, Floor one County Hall, Cork; Cork County Council Divisional Office at Annabella, Mallow; County Library and Branch Libraries. Please check your local library regarding opening times and availability of PCs for accessing electronic format. Alternatively, the draft plans may be inspected online at corkcoco.ie at all times. Unlike other African wars in Somalia and Ethiopia the mid 1980s civil war in Mozambique garnered little international attention but, according to newly released state papers, one Kerryman became caught up in the worsening conflict in 1985. The latest batch of state papers - for 1986 - released under the 30-year-rule contain details of the kidnapping of an Irish engineer in Mozambique in 1985 and the behind the scenes efforts that went into securing his release. After wining independence from Portugal in 1975 Mozambique's Government - led by the Frelimo freedom movement - set about developing and modernising the country. As part of this effort Frelimo aligned itself with the USSR and China with the ultimate aim of building a socialist state in the large southern African nation. Frelimo also began providing support to freedom fighters in Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe - and South Africa and it was this action that sowed the seeds of civil war in Mozambique. In a major effort at destabilization, the White minority regime in Rhodesia trained and armed conservative Mozambicans to begin a guerrilla war against Frelimo. Rhodesia's aim was to tie down Frelimo and prevent it from offering any substantial support to the rebels in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. The civil war started in 1977 when the Rhodesian backed rebels - officially referred to as the Mozambican National Resistance (MNR) but more commonly known as Renamo - launched a vicious terrorist campaign against Frelimo and its supporters. Renamo's tactic's were vicious and seemingly no target was off limits. Renamo soldiers are known to have regularly committed mass civilian killings; raped and mutilated countless women and forced thousands of child soldiers into battle. Kidnapping was another tool often employed by Renamo and this was how 26-year-old Rathmore native John O'Connell came to be involved in the conflict. Having worked at Liebherr's plant in Killarney for a number of years O'Connell and his wife moved to South Africa in the early 1980's where he took up a job with Durban based plant equipment firm Tech Serv. His work with Tech Serv would see O'Connell and a British colleague dispatched to Mozambique in mid 1985 to carry out technical repairs and upgrades on equipment at a sugar plantation factory on the banks of the Zambezi River in an isolated area close to the east coast in central Mozambique. In late July 1985 - not long after O'Connell had arrived in the area - Renamo troops descended on the plantation and took all of its workers and all inhabitants of the nearby village of Luabo hostage. Communication in the region was difficult and it was several days before the Irish Government learned that an Irish citizen had been reported kidnapped in Mozambique. The report from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) came on August 1. A press source was able to give Irish diplomats a phone number for Mr O'Connell's wife in Durban and she was contacted within a day. Mr O'Connell asked that she be allowed notify Mr O'Connell's parents - who were living in Headford - about what had happened. She was concerned that it would be too shocking for Mr O'Connell's family back home to learn of the situation from gardai or a Government source and it would be better if she could tell them. Unfortunately - as there was no phone in Mr O'Connell's parent's home - the news had to be sent by telegram and by the time the message reached Headford from South Africa the family had already been contacted and told about the situation by a member of the press. As the days wore on more information slowly began to emerge about the situation facing John O'Connell and his colleagues. It transpired that while the plantation and town were in rebel hands Mr O'Connell and his British colleague were in good heath, were being treated well and were able to move freely around Luabo, though not out of the village. By mid August the British Government made informal contact with Renamo. The FCO told Irish diplomats that the conditions for O'Connell and his British co-worker Mr Blakey's release were expected soon after. This led to some debate at the Department of Foreign Affairs as to how any discussions could or should be handled. First Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs Anne Barrington - who Irish Ambassador to Japan - said that initially it might be more prudent to let the British handle the negotiations. "As things stand I feel we should not become directly involved. To put Renamo in the position of negotiating with two government's would add to the political capital they may gain from the event and might also lead to attempts by them to play one against the other," she wrote in a briefing memo. Barrington also felt holding back while Britain negotiated could allow further opportunities to rescue Mr O'Connell if the British talks failed. "Should there be a difficulty with regard to the kind of acknowledgement required at the hand over we might have to intervene. It is possible that elements unacceptable to UK could be less so for us," Barrington wrote. The British FCO were also of the opinion that the Irish Government should remain behind the scenes as the negotiations continued. The FCO said it had made no reference to Ireland in its talks with Renamo agents and according to Barrington had told the Irish that "it might be wiser at this stage for us (Ireland) not to be involved." The FCA had added that it would also be politically prudent as Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Peter Barry "would be in a position to say he had not negotiated with or been in contact with Renamo." This view was not entirely shared by Art Agnew of the Irish Government's Consula Section. Writing to Ms Barrington he said that while Ireland wasn't in a position to negotiate Ireland should at least talk to Renamo. "In my view (but in Consular it is not my function to decide) we cannot 'negotiate' as we have e.g. no prisoners here or or [an]other bargaining tool; we should however 'talk' with the devil himself if necessary to have our citizen released." he wrote. Discussions continued for weeks - with Kerry Labour TD Michael Moynihan keeping O'Connell family informed of all developments - with Renamo demanding that the British would give them legitimacy by signing a document verifying a formal agreement to secure the kidnapped men's release. John O'Connell's ordeal finally ended on September 7, 1985 over a month after the rebels had arrived at the sugar plantation. In Lisbon Renamo's agents announced that a large group of the rebels' prisoners - including O'Connell and Blakey - had been released in near the Malawian border in the Tete district of north-western Mozambique. The location was over 360 kilometres from where John O'Connell and his colleague had been captured. The group - which reportedly included O'Connell, Blakey, two Italians Priests and 25 or 26 Portuguese citizens - wasn't actually found for three more days. Soldiers from Mozambique and Malawi aided by British FCO staff searched the Tete region for two days but no sign of the group could be found. By September 10 - according to a memo from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs' Africa Section - the Portuguese Government were "beginning to feel apprehensive about the fate of the many Portuguese nationals who were stated to have been released The drama finally came to an end that evening when a dispatch from the British FCO arrived in the Irish embassy in London confirming that all the hostages - including John O'Connell - had been found and rescued in Malawi. This year has started as much as the last one ended with blood, tears, violence and scores of innocent people brutally cut down in their prime. What should have been a night of joy turned to horror in Istanbul on New Year's Eve as a fanatical gunman opened fire in one of the city's most popular nightclubs, mowing down over 100 people, killing 39 of them. The attack - the latest in a seemingly endless list of atrocities carried out by the savages of ISIS - caused shock across the world but, compared to similar attacks in the 'West', the reaction on social media was curiously muted. Recent terrorist atrocities in Paris, Nice, Brussels, Munich, Florida and most recently Berlin have typically led to mass outpourings of grief and sympathy online, usually accompanied by a relevant Twitter hashtag. Yet that hasn't been the case with the attacks in Turkey. Many thousands of messages of sympathy for the victims and the Turkish people have been posted online, but we haven't seen anything like the 'Je Suis Paris' or 'Ich bin ein Berliner' social media trends that followed such massacres in mainland Europe. Last June after a lone gunman slaughtered 49 people and shot 53 more at a LGBT nightclub in Orlando Florida there were candlelit vigils across Ireland. Despite the fact that the carnage in Istanbul was remarkably similar - in its motive, method and horrific outcome - there have been no such public expressions of sympathy and solidarity. It is entirely understandable that people will usually be more moved by tragedies in countries that they are familiar with or which share their culture and values. However it is also clear that many people - perhaps down to the failings of the media, both traditional and new - simply are not aware of all that is happening in the world. How many readers knew that in the last month alone - in addition to the innocents butchered on New Year's Eve - some 269 people were killed in three separate car bomb attacks in Turkey? What about the death toll in Iraq, where close to 300 people were killed by numerous car bombs in December? Then there are the 566 men women and children who were burned to death, crucified, electrocuted, beheaded or shot by ISIS thugs in Mosul in the last four weeks alone? How many people took to social media to sympathise with the people of Nigeria on December 9 after Boko Haram suicide bombers - two teenage schoolgirls - blew 234 people to smithereens in a village vegetable market? All that is without even mentioning the ongoing horror in Syria where 50,000 people - including 13,617 civilians - died last year. We live in a global world and - despite what extremists and the growing far right would have us believe - far more unites us than divides us. In 2017, in the face of terror, oppression and tyranny, let's remember that we are all in this together and it is only by staying united that we can win. In 2016 Mallow people were to the forefront, through social media, against the plans to convert the grounds of St. Mary's Church into a public leisure space and rename it St. Mary's Square. This issue was met with widespread criticism from the general public. Eventually, it was revealed that the controversial plans were shelved. This week the issue has erupted once again with people once again making their feelings and views known to the planners. Church representatives have stressed that the ground is liturgical space and not a leisure space, it is a designated burial area and the forecourt of St. Mary's Church with its walls, piers, gates and railings are a historical feature of Mallow town centre and should be respected as such. The area is also a protected heritage structure by law and may not be interfered with and the forecourt of St. Mary's is private property and belonging to the Catholic Parish of Mallow. Petitions cards are available to sign in the porch of St. Mary's Church with the deadline being January 16. Meanwhile, under Mallow Town Improvement Proposals, Mallow Development Partnership (MDP) say these proposals were presented to them in mid 2016 by the commissioned architect and followed a period of intensive consultation with community and public interests. This consultation process had identified issues such as the need for more open spaces, a more pedestrian and cycle friendly environment, refurbishment of derelict buildings, parking and traffic problems and other measures designed to improve the overall quality of life for the Town citizens. Regarding open spaces, two of the possible areas identified in the report were the area adjacent to and including the frontage of St Mary's Church and the area near St James Church to the rear of the Town Hall. Following a second widespread public consultation significant amendments were made to the original proposals, including the Church areas. MDP is aware that the Draft Kanturk Mallow Municipal District Local Area Plan is open for consultation until January 16 2017 and a response will be submitted prior to that date having regard for current comments/observations, including those from the Church authorities. At going to press, a member of the MDP said there were no plans to develop a leisure space or cafe in the grounds of St. Mary's but are asking Church authorities to leave the main gates of the church open to facilitate those visitors to have a proper view of the church and the grounds. Tip ONeill exhibition in Cork Mallow man Michael O'Neill is very instrumental in organising many events in association with the late Tip O'Neill over the past few years. Michael, who now lives in Dublin, travels to his native Mallow many times during the year to promote the work of his relation and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, who has close bonds with Mallow. The late American politician's grandparents, Patrick and Julie O'Neill, were married in Mallow and lived at St. Joseph's Road. Tip O'Neill visited Mallow in 1986 and 1987 and always called Mallow his home. Michael O'Neill told Around Mallow that a Tip O'Neill Exhibition will open at 3pm on Monday, March 13 in the Central Library, Grand Parade in Cork, and will run until mid April. The event is being supported by Tip O'Neill's daughter, Rosemary, who has visited Mallow on a couple of occasions. Also backing the event is Christian Dupont from the John J. Burns library. John J. Burns' son, Brian, is now expected as the next United States ambassador to Ireland, and who also made a brief visit to Mallow last year. Both Rosemary and Christian will fly in to attend the launch. The Sullane Players will this year mark a decade of staging lavish theatrical productions in Macroom with a number of productions during 2017. The celebrations to mark the groups 10th anniversary will kick off next month with their production of John B Keane's acclaimed masterpiece 'The Field'. Established by Pat Melia, the Players first took to the stage of the Briery Gap in 2007 with their have been packing out the auditorium at the Briery Gap each year, with their reworking of John Fraher's 'Barndance' setting the tone for what was to follow. Over the intervening years they have staged a wide variety of productions crossing all aspects of drama from comedy to serious plays. These have included John B Keane's 'Sive' and 'Big Maggie', JM Synge's 'Playboy of the Western World' and such as 'Sive' and Michael J Ginnelly's delightful farce 'A Wake in the West', all of which were staged to great critical acclaim. Due to the Briery Gap being out of commission following last summer's fire, 'The Field' will be staged a two local venues. The first outing will be a matinee performance at the Halla in Baile Mhuirne on Saturday, February 4 with two performances at Macroom's Riverside Park Hotel on Thursday and Friday, February 16/17. Speaking to the Corkman Pat said the Sullane Players have had numerous cast members over the years and it was his hope that many of them will feature in the productions planned for the year ahead. "For example, Robert O'Riordan is returning after a number of years to play the role of Bird O'Donnell in 'the Field' - and he is relishing the part," grinned Pat. He will be joined on the stage by Sullane stalwarts Treasa O'Riordan, Adrianna Dineen and Jim Leahy, Pat Brady, Gerard Collins, Conor O'Leary and Connie Foley. "Each year we try to introduce a couple of new faces and are delighted to welcome Louise Leahy from Crookstown and Pat Twomey from Ballinagree into the fold," said Pat. He paid tribute to the local community, including traders from the area, for their support over the past 10-years. "For example, Jack Cotter of TP Cotters had housed our sets and equipment free of charge. Without that kind of support we could not have existed or had so much success. This something that we will always be truly grateful for," said Pat. He pointed out that the Sullane Players had also given back to the community, donating more than 20,000 to local charities since it was founded. "This was only made possible thanks to the support of cast members, crew and public from Macroom and the surrounding areas," said Pat. "As a group we are looking forward to more of the same as we celebrate 10-years of treading the boards in Macroom." Tickets for 'The Field' are available from Pat Melia on 087 352 0351 or Mulcahy Insurance, Macroom on 026 41424. Country Music Lovers, Are You Ready for The Honky Tonk Angels? "The Honky Tonk Angels" are made up of Bernie Heaney, CC Cooper and Lorraine McDonald. This amazing music trio consists of some of Ireland's finest vocalists and is a sure treat for all the country music lovers out there. They bring their show to the TLT on February 22 (tickets 20). CC Cooper is not shy of success either as she has picked up many awards during her successful career to date including, "Best Female Newcomer Award," "Best New Country Artist(Female)" and "Country &Irish Female Artist of the Year." Bernie Heaney has also had a glittering career to date garnering huge interested after recording her first album with producer Jonathan Owens at Spout Studios. Lorraine McDonald's family are no strangers to national musical success as her father Frankie was the trumpet player for Joe Dolan for 40 years, right up until his death. Lorraine has also been part of the very successful band, The Conquerors. This collaboration brings together three unique voices blending raw country, deep tones and amazing harmonies. Special Guests on the night include: Matt Leavy with Charlie Arkin & Band, Eimear Furlong, Steve Callan, John Flood and more. Celebrating women A new light festival celebrating women and girls will light up Irish homes and towns this January, and the organisers are inviting the public to get involved. As the Christmas lights go out over the weekend of Nollaig na mBan (Women's Little Christmas) on Thursday, 5th January to Sunday, 8th January 2017, Illuminate Herstory will light up the country with images of women, bringing them out of the shadows and into the light. Just as St. Patrick's Day inspires the world to go green, Illuminate Herstory invites the world to celebrate women. 2017 is the first year of this new festival and in Louth, the Tain Arts Centre will host an illumination of Dundalk writer, Dorothy McArdle. Newgrange, the Black Bull, Knowth, Dowth, Monasterboice, Mellifont, the Battle of the Boyne, and a knitting shop near Donore all got a well merited comment in New York! Writer Jane Smiley, author of "Golden Age," visited the region for the New York Times and wasn't disappointed with what she saw. 'About a half-mile past the entrance to Newgrange, in the Valley of the Boyne, County Meath, Ireland, is a handmade sign with an arrow that reads "Irish crafts for sale." I am, of course, fascinated by Newgrange, a Neolithic site that predates Stonehenge by a thousand years, but I can never pass up yarn, so I turned into a modest farm, damp, green, full of sheep, well-used equipment and warning signs - "This is not a playground." 'In the shop, Allison, the owner, was at the spinning machine, and of course I did buy a sweater, hand-knit, pale green cable, for my granddaughter, and also a Christmas tree ornament that looks like a sheep. We chatted about Allison's flock (170 of them), their breed (hornless Irish Belclare), the problem with horned sheep (Daisy, for example, though hornless, is inconveniently dominating, always trying to give the other ewes a poke),' she wrote. After Newgrange came Drogheda. 'One of the special pleasures of Newgrange and the Valley of the Boyne is the sense of history, deep history, as something rural rather than urban. Drogheda was founded by the Normans toward the end of the 12th century. I stayed at a bed-and-breakfast south of town, near the giant tanks of a local dairy, and drove through the countryside from one site to another.' She clearly enjoyed the experience, adding 'There are plenty of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in Drogheda and the Valley of the Boyne. Everyone's favourite restaurant is the Black Bull Inn - we ate there five nights in a row, and were never disappointed. (blackbullinn.ie) But the real pleasure of the Valley of the Boyne is that there are many, many pleasures to be discovered.' Unleash that story within you and get feedback on your writing in a course in Creative Writing for adults being run in Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan. There are beginners and Improvers courses starting on Thurs 12th and Fri 13th January. They both run for 10 weeks from 10.30am-12.30 with tutor Ross Campbell Students will have the chance to learn and discuss the art of writing in the beautiful surroundings of Ardgillan Castle. For more details or to book your place please contact Ross at 085 1395 320 or Email: ros1_@hotmail.com. For further info see Ross Campbell/facebook/creative writing. A Holy Hour with music and reflections is to be held in St. Mary's Church, James Street, Drogheda on Wednesday January 11th 2017 at 8pm. All Welcome. Big Fellow coming to Droichead The Big Fellow is coming to the Droichead Arts Centre on February 2. Written by Declan Gorman, based on Frank O'Connor's biography of Michael Collins, it is a non-stop, edge-of-your-seat theatrical adventure, laced with scenes of daring, intrigue and humour. With original music by ex-Waterboys' Colin Blakey, this is the compelling story of Michael Collins' rise from unknown volunteer to military leader who brought down an empire only to meet his death at the hands of former comrades. More than a straight dramatisation of the life of a hero, however, Gorman's drama captures the turmoil of Collins' biographer, literary genius Frank O'Connor, who witnessed traumatic scenes as a timid adolescent soldier fighting against Collins, and is now seeking to make reparation. Gerard Adlum is Frank O'Connor and Cillian O'Gairbhi plays Michael Collins. This play was originally commissioned by Drogheda Arts Festival in 2016. Youth group The St Marys Parish Youth Group meet every Wednesday at 7pm in the Pastoral Centre. For more information contact Sr. Veronica on 041-9830441. Aisteoiri show Aisteoiri na Boinne are all set to stage their next big show, My Wife's Family, by Fred Duprez at the Droichead Centre from Tuesday February 7th until February 11th. This Farcical Comedy is based on the Loves and Lives of the Nagg Family, and the mayhem which ensues when the mother-in-law from hell arrives unannounced in the quiet household of "Peacehaven". A great laugh. 'The Wizard of Drog' in the TLT Drogheda Pantomime presents Clive Fitzpatrick's production of "The Wizard of Drog" at the TLT in January. This is going to be a show that you won't want to miss. Tickets on sale now. 11 child, 16 Adult, family of 4 49. It runs from January 15 until January 22. The recent UK referendum has left more questions than answers. The biggest question facing local businesses is what Brexit will look like. Only when answers to that begin to emerge, will we have any degree of certainty. So What Do We Know So Far? Following the 'leave' vote there was an immediate market response which resulted in large shifts in the value of sterling and global financial markets - like the rest of us, the markets too are uncertain! Brexit's impact on the economy Brexit will have an effect at many levels of the local economy: trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), retail, tourism, energy, the labour market, EU funding, financial services, immigration and border controls to name a few. However, in Louth we have been living with a border for nearly 100 years which has distorted trade, commercial and community life, so the challenges posed by Brexit are not new to us. And despite this, local businesses have had a strong track record in succeeding when challenged. Outlook? Some parts of the economy will be affected more than others, particularly retail, tourism and small indigenous businesses in border areas which rely on Northern Ireland and British markets. But there will be opportunities too. The economic risks in the short term are centred around exchange rates. In the past year there has been an 18% fall in the value of sterling against the euro, making it difficult for local retailers and those trading into Northern Ireland and Britain. Very few businesses have the margin to cope with swings of such magnitude and the only way to cope is to build certainty through hedging. This could be achieved by purchasing in sterling to off-set sterling revenues, or availing of forward exchange rates or sterling accounts from banks to help provide currency certainty. It's critical, however, that businesses should not rely on currency as a profit-centre. The Medium Term - Trade with the UK In recent years cross-border trade has steadily increased and today over 3Bn of goods are traded annually between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Notwithstanding the knock backs during the recent financial crisis and the collapse in construction, cross border trade has bounced back, and evidence from InterTrade Ireland suggests businesses will continue trading across the border and into the UK post-Brexit. While a recent survey indicates that 97 per cent of businesses have no Brexit plan in place - the next two years will see that number change as businesses start to prepare. In the absence of other indicators, it is advisable for firms to take prevailing World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs as a worst-case scenario, and at least crunch those numbers to see if they can make it work. The UK market is worth 15.5bn to Irish goods exporters, equivalent to 1 in every 7 of our exports. But for Louth businesses, the cross border and British markets are even more important. The sector most likely to be vulnerable is Agri-Food, typically hit by WTO tariffs of up to 50 per cent. With approximately half of all cross-border trade on the island accounted for by Agri-Food, such levies will be hard to digest. FDI - The Long Term Encouragingly, there are likely to be opportunities for Louth from FDI companies as overseas investors seek access to the EU's Single Market, especially in the financial services and FinTech areas. Responding To The Challenges Part of the solution is for companies to build margin and value into their products to help insulate them from cost pressures. Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office Louth are offering LEAN programmes to their clients, with the aim of increasing their profit margins. And by introducing innovation to their products and processes, businesses can differentiate themselves and make it more difficult for others who can only compete on price. In March 2017, the County Councils in the border counties, through their Local Enterprise Offices will launch a 'Co-Innovate' programme offering support to local businesses looking to become more innovative. Enterprise Ireland has increased the number of foreign trade missions, set up a UK export helpline, run information seminars on Brexit and has published a Brexit guide promoting market diversification and supports. They've also organised a number of useful webinars on exchange rate management. The Next Step The vast majority of businesses haven't commenced planning for Brexit yet. Now is a good time to start that process. A useful and very practical first step is to avail of InterTrade Ireland's Brexit Voucher. This allows companies engage a professional, to the value of 1,250 to assess its exposure to Brexit and to highlight recommendations. Any support that helps companies manage what they can control against the backdrop of Brexit is welcome. Thomas McEvoy is Head of Enterprise in Louth. He and his team in the Local Enterprise Office in Dundalk and Drogheda provide support to pre-start, start-up and established businesses across the county. To find out more about Brexit Vouchers, the Co-Innovate and LEAN programmes mentioned above visit www.LocalEnterprise.ie/Louth or call the Local Enterprise Office on 042-9324185. Calls have been made for the speed van that's often located in Gormanston to be stationed in Julianstown to help reduce speed in the blocked up village. The R132 carries about 22,000 vehicles per day through the village and this produces a situation where traffic speeds range from walking pace at commuting times and school starting and let out times, to race track speeds at off peak times and at night. 'The speed limits are rarely observed by motorists at off peak times. Recently a bus was clocked at 72K/hr in the 50k limit and a truck at 83k/hr,' the Julianstown and District Community Association have informed Supt James Cannon. 'Pedestrians are unable to cross the R 132 in safety in the village as there is no pedestrian crossing in the centre of the village. There are however, two pedestrian crossings, one north of the village and the other south of the village which are about 1km apart. A pedestrian wishing to cross the R 132 in the village needs to do a round trip of about 1km to get to a safe place to cross. 'Commuting drivers suffer enormous frustration at peak times with up to 2 or 3 kilometre tailbacks north of the village in the mornings and south of the village in the evenings,' they added. In a letter to the superintendent, they continued: 'Traffic going to and from Duleek via the R 150 is dependent on the goodwill of motorists on the R 132 to enter or exit this junction. The constant use of this junction by huge bulk carrier trucks and other vehicles makes crossing the R 150 itself at this point, risky. 'There is traffic chaos at Whitecross National School during the school year at starting and finishing times. 'Residents of the Mosney road have difficulty exiting the junction with the R 132 in the face of the dense high speed traffic travelling in both directions. The speed limit here is 80k/hour. You will recall that a lady was killed near this spot some years ago. 'We now understand that about 1,000 new houses are to be built in East Meath the traffic from which will have to pass through the village to gain access to their homes. We also understand that Meath County Council (MCC) have given planning permission for a new Aldi store in Laytown. This new store will attract traffic from a wide catchment area south and west of the village which will have no access to it other than through Julianstown. 'Seven or eight years ago the village was selected to be a pilot of the the Heritage Council's Village Design Statement (VDS) programme. This initiative was heavily supported by the local community and by MCC. One of the most important recommendations produced in the published report (no. 5 of 30) was that the Council should "Implement concentrated traffic calming in the village centre". In the meantime traffic volumes have now reached or exceeded, pre M1 levels and now exceed M1 levels at peak time. 'Since the publication of the VDS the Julianstown & District Community Association (JDCA) has been requesting MCC to honour its traffic calming commitments under this report by constructing raised platforms at the pedestrian lights north and south of the village and by installing pedestrian lights with a raised platform at the R 150 (Duleek) junction. Such arrangements would not slow traffic at commuting times as they are generally down to about 10k/hr anyhow at such times, but would slow the race track speeds of traffic at non peak times and at night. Such arrangements would greatly enhance public safety in the village.' They add that Meath CC say that the 'reasonable requests' in relation to traffic calming have not been met by the council. 'An immediate step, pending the construction of the raised platforms and the R 150 lights at the Duleek junction would be for the installation of pole mounted radar speed displays on the hills at both sides of the village. We understand these are effective at slowing traffic to speed limits. 'In addition we would wish to see the frequent deployment of the local GATSO van in and around the village. This van can be often seem on the R 132 between the Gormanston interchange and the Delvin bridge, a stretch of road where there is relatively little traffic. We do not understand why this resource is being deployed in such a non-productive way. 'The community here is now at its wits end over these matters and is at a loss about what to do next,' they explained. Tributes have flooded in for Enniscorthy-born writer and poet Anthony Cronin who died last week. Anthony who was born in Enniscorthy on December 23, 1928, died last Tuesday at his Ranelagh home just four days after his 88th birthday. Poet, novelist, memoirist, biographer, critic and cultural activist, Anthony Cronin was described by the Arts Council as an iconic figure in Irish letters, an impassioned and incisive commentator on politics and culture, one of the most influential of Irish writers during a long and varied life. His father was a reporter on the Enniscorthy Echo and his mother was a homemaker. His parents also ran a small shop, which his mother managed. Cronin first took an interest in poetry when sent as a boarder to Blackrock College. Having joined the chess club, which got him off the school grounds unsupervised, he picked up a copy of The Centurys Poetry in a local newsagent. Cronin was already a noted poet and critic while still a student in UCD. While there he was very active in the Literary and Historical Society (L&H). After college he was called to the bar but he declined. He went on to publish 14 volumes of poetry, acclaimed biographies of Flann OBrien and Samuel Beckett, the novels The Life of Riley and Identity Papers, a number of books of essays, and the classic memoir of literary Dublin in the mid 20th century, Dead As Doornails. He was editor of The Bell magazine when that journal occupied a central place in Irish letters, and was also literary editor of the London journal, Time and Tide. His Irish Times column, Viewpoint, published between 1973 and 1980, was typical of his journalism, dealing with political, literary and social topics with a style as distinctive as it was engaging. And, as time has shown, he was often prophetic. He was also hired by the then Taoiseach Charlie Haughey as a cultural adviser having met and become friends with him in UCD. He often defended Haughey in print, saying he was the first head of government to make the arts an integral part of state policy. Speaking before his death about the role he said: Going into the taoiseachs office as an adviser, I saw the opportunity of doing things and bringing things into being: the [Irish] Museum of Modern Art, the Heritage Council, Aosdana in particular. Speaking last Wednesday after his death, Sheila Pratschke, Chair of the Arts Council said: Tony Cronin was a rare example of the public intellectual in Irish life committed, fearless, rigorous in his thought, and unashamedly forthright in his advocacy of what he thought right and good. Appalled by the penury faced by so many senior Irish artists in their later years, he persuaded then Taoiseach Charles Haughey, to whom he was cultural advisor, to establish Aosdana, an independent affiliation of artists which recognises significant achievement by artists in all disciplines. He served from its inception on the Toscaireacht, the steering committee, of the organisation. He was conferred with the high honour of Saoi by that body in 1993, joining among other luminaries Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney, Sean O Faolain, Mary Lavin, Tony OMalley and Brian Friel. Unfailingly courteous and generous in his dealings with others, and particularly kind to emerging younger writers, Cronin held himself to the highest standard in his literary production. The poems were ever and always at the heart of his work, being unashamedly modernist in their rigour, sometimes bleak, but always forgiving and always passionately humane. He believed in a Republic worthy of the Irish people, and was unstinting in his contributions to the public life of a country that often infuriated him but never lost either his love or his allegiance. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, the Toscaireacht of Aosdana said: Anthony Cronin was a poet. That is how he wanted to be remembered primarily. But as the moving spirit in the foundation of Aosdana, he was also one of the most significant figures in Irelands cultural history. He raised the public standing of the arts and, most especially, of the artist, to a level that no one of his generation would have thought possible. In part this was due to his understanding of history - in the 19th century a poet of genius like James Clarence Mangan lived and died beyond the notice of the state. In part it was due to his indignation that another poet of genius, Patrick Kavanagh, as well as many of Kavanaghs contemporaries in other arts, such as the composer Frederick May, were reduced to poverty and treated as little better than outlaws. As Anthony Cronin dies there are many artists today in Ireland who can live and work in their native land because of what he did for them. President Michael D. Higgins also paid homage to Mr Cronin. I have learned with great sorrow of the passing of Anthony Cronin, poet, novelist, biographer of Samuel Beckett, essayist and critic. A master of the long poem and faithful to the scholarly tradition of understanding the poem, the poet and history, Anthony Cronin made an immense contribution to Irish life and sensibility. Mr Cronin also worked as a columnist with the Sunday Independent and on Sunday the paper printed his final selection of poetry as a mark of respect. Cormac Bourke, Sunday Independent editor said: Anthony Cronin was a poet and philosopher; he was an intellectual powerhouse of the 20th century, One of the most influential culture figures in modern Ireland, he was a regular contributor to the Sunday Independent across three decades, including his popular weekly poetry column. Arts Minister Heather Humphries commended Cronins cultural activism in Ireland and his representation of artists. Anthony loomed large in Irelands cultural life, both as a prolific poet and an acclaimed author. Fellow Enniscorthy man and writer Colm Toibin said Cronin was wonderful company. Anthony Cronin was a brilliant thinker and critic and wonderful company. His analysis of the world around him was sharp and acute. His journalism was rational, thoughtful; his style as a broadcaster could be wry and funny, as were his novels and his classic memoir Dead as Doornails. Before he was anything else, however, he was a poet. His poetry too could have a rational edge, using logic and statement of fact, coming to tentative conclusions as though everything stated had to be tested and proved. It was clear in his poetry that he loved reason until you went to one of his readings when he showed that he loved language just as much. He allowed his sense of the magic and mystery of words to rub against his refusal to deal in twilights or easy emotions or what is called the natural world. Anthony Cronin was an Enniscorthy man who made himself into a Dubliner, although in later years he came to view his origins with fondness. Toibin visited Cronin at his home shortly before his death. He lived his old age with grace and style. Sitting by the fire in his house in Ranelagh a few days before Christmas, he offered me a most acute analysis of Donald Trumps victory. He took an immense pleasure in being alive. He lived the life of the mind, following the news with care and close attention. He was so totally alive and involved in the moment, and so generous and daring in the way he lived, that it is impossible to believe his sparkling presence in the world has now come to an end. Anthony was married to Therese Campbell, from whom he separated in the mid-1980s. She died in 1999. They had two daughters, Iseult and Sarah; Iseult was killed in a road accident in Spain. He is survived by his second wife, author Anne Haverty, daughter Sarah, son-in- law Owen, grandchildren Marcus, Clara and Nicholas, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, his extended family and a wide circle of friends and admirers. His remains were removed from his home on Saturday to the Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook followed by cremation at the Victorian Chapel, Harolds Cross. The year 2016 has drawn to a close and already, we are in the first flush of a new phase. A clean slate, a full new year ahead and with it, the unknown. There are lots of events that many would rather had not happened, or simply that they could forget, the atrocities carried out in Syria, terrorist attacks, the election of Trump... the list goes on. However, these are important historical milestones that need to be documented and debated and while they were, to some extent the unfathomable over-riding theme of 2016 was celebrity deaths. The death of a popular culture icon, actor, musician, comedian - whatever, is always going to be of interest but the reaction of the world over the last 12 months has just been bizarre. Many of these 'stars' had well-documented addiction issues so in truth it was rather surprising that they made it past the age of 30. The manner in which social media has been awash with meaningless tributes and over the top faux-grief is sickening. The loss of any human being is of course tragic for their loved ones and family and while it is sad to see any 'icon' pass away, I just can't understand how fans think they have the same right to grieve in such a vulgar way. There is a certain delusion about celebrity culture that fools people into thinking they know the person and it is unhealthy for them to treat the death of a famous person like a personal tragedy. If I see one more '2016, how could you?' tweet I may just faint. It's just ridiculous. While I recognise that any of these celebrities who brought joy to their fans, are going to be missed, it's as if social media has created some sort of parallel universe where such delusion is encouraged and supported. It's like a support group for the deluded. The year 2016 didn't kill a bunch of famous people, it was simply coincidence, yet the grief stricken super-fans keep jumping on that bandwagon. As we close the door on what has been a very tumultuous year internationally, I really hope the important things that happened in 2016 are acknowledged more than strange social media trends and that those who are plunged into grief by the death of a celebrity they never even knew wake up and realise what is truly important. Residents of Beresford estate have expressed concern about the use of their estate entrance to access a proposed new housing development Residents of a Donabate estate have written to councillors to express their concern over plans to access a new neighbouring development of almost 300 homes through their estate. Concerned residents from Beresford Estate in Donabate are worried that a planning application for some 286 homes on a site adjacent to their estate plans to provide access to that new estate through Beresford. Selene Alford and Thomas Kearns are two of those concerned Beresford residents who wrote to councillors recently, drawing their attention to the issue. Selene and Thomas wrote: 'As residents of Beresford our primary concern is related to the proposed access point to the site which is specified as 'via the Beresford development'.' Beresford itself is still under construction, and residents believe that if this new application is granted permission in its current format, it will mean that 'both development sites would be under construction simultaneously'. The residents explained: 'There is only one site entrance planned for this new development and this is through Beresford, resulting in at least double the amount of construction traffic. We believe this is a safety hazard to the residents of Beresford and our children. Not only that but as we mentioned above, the new creche will soon open and will be located on Beresford Road, the most likely road for construction traffic to use. This creates an additional danger. 'Aside from the safety concerns, our roads will be under significant pressure from the additional construction vehicles and there will also be an increased visual impact. Again, given the size of the development and the timeline for the build, this would likely continue for a few years to come. 'Then, if the development were to be completed, a rough estimate of the number of residents and vehicles could result in between 500 and 600 cars passing through Beresford, again, most likely using Beresford Road. If each car was to make one trip per day then you are looking at upwards of 1,000 times for vehicles passing through the single Beresford entrance, on top of Beresford residential traffic.' The concerned residents says this situation is 'simply not sustainable'. The Beresford residents told councillors: 'From an infrastructure perspective, as residents of Donabate we are already dependent on overwhelmed public transport routes. Bus routes are limited and trains are extremely busy, particularly at rush-hour. Our main roads to the peninsula are already heavily trafficked. 'While we recognise the need for additional housing, not just in North County Dublin but across the country, it should not be without the proper planning and infrastructure. You only have to look to other planning decisions in places such as Lucan and Tallaght to see the impacts of sprawling developments with no infrastructure.' A father-of-one who threatened to stab a garda's family and to bite another garda's nose after he was found drunk lying on a footpath only calmed down when his mother arrived at the garda station, a court has heard. Tariq Stowe (28), who has 58 previous convictions, including 36 for public order offences, claims he has 'no memory' of the incidents such was the level of his intoxication after he took to the drink following the death of his grandfather. He was found drunk, lying on a footpath in Balbriggan by gardai and when he was arrested he became violent and abusive, Balbriggan District Court heard. Sergeant Tony Tighe said Stowe started to threaten gardai telling one garda he would bite his nose off and that he would stab the family of another garda. 'He only calmed down when his mother arrived at the garda station,' said Sgt Tighe. Stowe, of St Laurence's Drive in Drogheda pleaded guilty to being intoxicated at Moylaragh Walk in Balbriggan on September 14 and to violent behaviour at Balbriggan Garda Station on the same date. Stowe's solicitor said the 28-year-old, who has a young son, is ashamed and has no memory of the night . 'His grandfather passed away and he took to the drink. He let himself and his family down and accepts he should have apologised to the gardai the following day,' the solicitor said. The solicitor said Stowe had a 'shaky start in life' and left school at the age of 15. 'He got in with the wrong crowd and this isn't a life he wants anymore,' the solicitor said, adding that Stowe is attending Alcoholics Anonymous three times a week and no longer drinks. The solicitor said the defendant is due to start work as a plasterer in the New Year and is 'looking forward' to using his time wisely. 'He is in contact with the Probation Services in Drogheda and wants to shake off his demons,' the solicitor added. Judge Dermot Dempsey ordered Stowe to apologise to the gardai and wants proof he is attending AA and proof he has work before he considers what sentence to hand down next month. The Wexford-based Community Training and Education Centre has been awarded an 85,000 government grant to provide basic digital skills to 1,000 local people. The skills training will be free. The award was one of 15, worth a total of 2.2 million, for community- and not-for-profit organisations nationally announced by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten. 'For those already online, the benefits of the internet are clear. A few simple steps and a digital world opens before you - one where old friends can catch up, businesses and customers can find each other and access to information is easy. 'In a 'connected' society, digital skills for everyone are absolutely essential if we're going to realise the full social and economic potential of this digital world. But many people have never had a chance to learn these skills. Helping these individuals, communities and businesses acquire them is a significant policy priority for me,' said Minister Naughten. 'There are tremendous benefits to be gained from getting online. At this time of year with so many Irish people living abroad and far away at Christmas, connecting with family and friends via the Internet is just one of the many benefits that digital literacy can bring,' said CTEC training manager Rachel Tucker. 'CTEC is delighted to have been selected as one of the 15 organisations providing training through the Digital Skills for Citizens Grant Scheme and we are looking forward to rolling out these free training programmes starting early in 2017.' Training courses are aimed to get people started online and include an introduction to the internet, using email, accessing government online services as well as social media and online security. Details of all free courses will be available on the CTEC website early in the New Year. Minister Naughten said the Department's Digital Skills for Citizens Scheme aims to give people the confidence, motivation and the skills to take their first steps online, so that they can play their part in an increasingly digital world. Training in basic internet skills will be delivered free of charge to more than 26,000 people during 2017. A full geographic spread of classes, engaging deeply with communities across every county, will be ensured and monitored under the Scheme. Wexford wildlife expert Jim Hurely has warned that vigilance is needed after a duck was found with a strain of avian bird flu in County Wexford on Wednesday. The Department of Agriculture confirmed the influenza subtype H5N8 was found in a wild duck known as a wigeon on Wednesday in Wexford town. The bird was found alive but unable to fly. Further tests are being carried out to determine whether the virus is the same highly pathogenic strain that is currently present in Great Britain and mainland Europe, the Department of Agriculture said of the first Irish-based find. The results of these tests are due back this week. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has said although the H5N8 subtype can cause serious disease in poultry and other birds, no human infections of the virus have been reported anywhere. The risk to humans is considered to be very low, it said. The discovery comes days following an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 in a turkey flock near the coast in Lincolnshire, England and in a dead wild duck in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Other cases have been detected in Europe, including Poland and France, since the end of October. Mr Hurley said he was not surprised to learn of the case in Wexford town. 'I'm not surprised because there was a case in Wales the previous week.' Mr Hurley said the last outbreak of avain bird flu in the county was in 1983. 'It's early days yet so it's a matter of vigilance and people reporting any signs of disease in their flocks to the Department of Agriculture. It's an unfolding situation.' The discovery comes after the Department of Agriculture took the unprecedented step last month of ordering farmers to move their poultry indoors. Regulations under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 require 'flock keepers to confine all poultry and captive birds in their possession or under their control in a secure building to which wild birds, or other animals do not have access and to apply particular bio-security measures', it said. The Irish Farmers' Association's poultry committee chairman Nigel Renaghan recently said there were concerns for the poultry industry's reputation should there be an outbreak in Ireland. Gorey councillors are to write to the Minister for Housing Simon Coveney to put forward the case for Gorey to be deemed a 'Rent Pressure Zone.' Cllr Fionntan O Suilleabhain put a motion to the recent Municipal District meeting stating 'Gorey Municipal District Council notes that the Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney has stated that he may consider extending the "Rent Pressure Zone" to some counties in the Dublin commuter zone in the new year. This council calls on Minster Coveney to include North Wexford within any expanded zone.' 'Rental prices are crazy,' he stated. 'I would hate to think the new scheme wouldn't be extended to here.' Cllr Malcolm Byrne pointed out that the issue in Gorey was one of supply, in both the public and private sector. He felt that rent control measures might perhaps make the problem worse, drive people out of the market, and exacerbate the problem. 'The only way to solve it is to increase supply,' he said. 'I worry about a rent pressure control zone. It may work as a short term measure but it may make people reluctant to put their property on the market,' he said. Cllr Joe Sullivan felt the motion had its merits, but felt the chances of getting North Wexford included 'are quite slim.' Cllr Mary Farrell supported the motion but worried about current tenants, as landlords might evict them and get new tenants to cover the four per cent increase. Cllr John Hegarty felt they should see details of the measure first, as Gorey may not be able to get priority over Arklow and Wicklow. Cllr Pip Breen felt the Minister wouldn't give different treatment for Gorey from the rest of Wexford. 'I'm not saying it's a panacea,' said Cllr O Suilleabhain. 'I'm seeing this as a compromise motion that everyone can support. I'm just saying it may help. Supply is also a problem in Cork and Dublin. I would just like the Minister to see North Wexford as a high pressure zone.' They agreed to write to the Minister informing him of the pressure in Gorey, and requesting the area to be included in some way. Seven animal welfare organisations across Wexford received funding of 111,500 last week. The largest award went to Wexford SPCA, Distillery Road, Wexford which received 42,500. This was followed by North Wexford SPCA, Gorey which received 21,000, New Ross SPCA, which received 14,000 Enniscorthy SCPA which received 13,000 and Seal Rescue Ireland in Gorey which received 12,000. An award of 6,000 was made to Chippers Sanctuary in Gorey while the Sunset Appeal based in New Ross received 3,000 Nationally 2,460,500 was awarded to 137 animal welfare organisations throughout the country involved in protecting animal welfare. An Bord Pleanala has granted retention planning permission for boarding kennels in Bree. Wexford County Council granted retention permission for the kennels at Ballybrennan, Bree to William and Breda Kennedy on July 29. Attached to the planning permission were six conditions one of which limited noise while the second stipulated that between 9pm and 8am all doors, hatches and windows to the kennels are closed to keep the dogs in the building. The structure consists of four separate kennels with a roofed area with and external roofless area. There are also two separate outdoor areas attached to the kennels. However an appeal against the decision has been lodged with An Bord Pleanala by Brian Kennedy also of Ballybrennan, Bree. The grounds for the appeal relate to noise levels and how it has an impact on his wife's health, disposal of waste, noise pollution and nobody to enforce the conditions of the planning permission. An Bord Pleanala found that the kennels are small in size and have no significant impact on the adjoining areas. In terms of noise it found that the kennels 'provides secure accommodation for dogs including fully enclosed kennels that would mitigate against noise impact. In addition, the kennels have a significant degree of defined boundary treatment around its outer perimeter and the two external dog runs.' The inspector who visited the site found that 'despite being occupied by a number of dogs there was not a significant degree of noise.' He went on to say he was 'satisfied that based on the small scale of the activity, the extent of structures and boundary treatment on site and its proximity relative to adjoining properties and subject to conditions that the proposed development proposed development will not unduly impact on the amenities of the area'. An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the kennels subject to a number of conditions including limiting the dogs housed at any one time to four, keeping the dogs indoors between 8pm and 8am and limiting noise. A solar farm in Davidstown has been given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanala despite objections. Wexford County Council had granted permission for the farm in mid 2016 but this decision was appealed to An Bord Plealana by Stephen Crean, Edward Denton and others, C/O EMK Design Limited of Monamolin, Gorey. Davidstown Renewables Ltd had applied for planning permission for a 10.28 solar PV farm comprising approximately 24,200 photovoltaic panels on ground mounted frames with an export capacity of 5MW which is enough to power 1,280 typical homes. The application also looked for permission to erect five single storey inverter/transformer stations, one single storey substation compound, security fencing, CCTV, associated electrical cabling and ducting, alteration to existing entrance to include access gates, access road and all ancillary development works on land at Davidstown (The Leap). The main grounds of the appeal centred around concerns regarding the impact on traffic safety, noise, impact on property, glint and glare, lack of formal consultation with neighbouring homes, absence of balanced health and safety information in relation to radiation and electromagnetic and the fact that the laneway serving the site is in private ownership. An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the farm saying it was satisfied 'the proposed development would not be likely to have significant effects on European Sites, either by itself or in combination with other plans or projects. The Board had regard to the limited scale of excavation arising, the low potential to generate effects accordingly and their localised nature, and the poor drainage connectivity involved. 'Having regard to the nature, characteristics, scale and location of the proposed development, and to the characteristics of its potential impacts, the Board is satisfied that the proposed development would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment, and concurred with the overall analysis set out in the Inspector's report in this regard. The Board, therefore, concluded that the submission of an environmental impact statement was not required.' The Board also felt the proposed development would have 'acceptable impacts on visual amenity, would not seriously injure the residential amenities of property in the vicinity, and would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area'. The planning permission is for 25 years while the inverters will be green. The external walls of the proposed substation will be finished in a neutral colour such as grey or off-white and the roof will be black tiles. Gorey Municipal District councillors are to write to former Enniscorthy Superintendent Liam White to thank him for his contribution to the area. Cllr John Hegarty suggested doing so at last week's District meeting, saying he found him 'very approachable'. He also suggested writing to his successor Supt John Gordon to wish him well. Cllr Malcolm Byrne said Supt White pushed to make Gorey Garda Station accessible. 'He will be missed,' he stated. He suggested they also write to the Garda Commissioner calling for Gorey Station to be upgraded. 'It's welcome that it will be a training station, but no-one will accept it until it is upgraded to full status,' he said. Cllr Joe Sullivan also wished Supt White well. 'The fact that Gorey is now a designated training station means we will be getting probationers from Templemore,' he said. 'They might even end up staying here.' 'And eventually become a councillor?' suggested Cllr Byrne. 'We might unearth another gem!' replied the retired-detective, Cllr Sullivan. Katie never learned to drive but was adept on the High Nelly and the more modern bicycles which followed it A County Wexford woman has died at the age of 108, four days before she would have become Ireland's oldest citizen. Katie Nolan, from Dungeer and late of Camross, Taghmon, who was born on September 29, 1908, died on Friday, December 23, four days before the death of Connemara woman Sarah Clancy, who was born on May 2, 1908, and who was officially Ireland's oldest person. 'She was almost the oldest person in Ireland,' said a relative, who attributed Katie's long life to her hard-working ethos, although the fact that like Sarah Clancy she never married may have been a factor. Katie was born to Margaret (Marget) nee Gorman and Denis Nolan of Oldtown, Camross and was one of seven children and sister of Paddy, Martin, Mary (Polly), Robert, Andy and Denis. Martin died aged 21 in 1936 after being kicked by her horse, while her only surviving sibling, her youngster brother Denis, now aged 88, lives in London. Her godson Denny Nolan, of The Lane, Camross, died a little over a year ago, aged 91. Her brother Paddy was born in 1910 and died in 2001, aged 91; Polly was born in 1916 and died in 1981; Robert was born in 1919 and died in 2000 at the age of 81; and Andy, born in 1920, died in 2012. Katie was educated at Carroreigh National School and after leaving school went to work in her Uncle Mike's drapery shop in Mountrath, County Laois, and it was here that she probably developed her love and expertise in sewing and knitting. Some years later, she returned to help on the family farm in Camrosss, where she was known as a hard working woman who looked after the horses and was always in demand when it came time to do the threshing in the fields. She never learned to drive, but was adept on a High Nelly and the more modern bicycles which followed it. Katie took up a job at Hadden's Department store in Wexford town before opting for a career change to work as a housekeeper for a Mrs Nancy O'Connor, at Springfarm, Enniscorthy, followed by time as a housekeeper for Blackwater PP Fr Cummins. She was obviously highly regarded and got the prestigious job as housekeeper to Dutch Baroness Van Zuylen van Nyevelt at Park House before moving on to work at Mena House in Killiney. When she retired in 1984 she went to live with her niece Peg Brady (nee McEvoy) in Dublin, before returning to Enniscorthy to become a carer and companion to her former employer Mrs O'Connor. In 2000, she moved back to Dungeer to live with her nephew Mick McEvoy and while there, and at 97 years of age, suffered a fracture that led her to seek fulltime nursing care. Her nephew Paddy Nolan said his aunt was well known for her green fingers, which extended to both growing flowers and crops and was often to be seen out digging sets for potatoes. 'She was never down and worked incredibly hard all her life. She was a great woman for hard work. She didn't like waste of any kind and when people came over to visit in Camross and were offered a cup of tea she would say "what do they want tea for",' said Paddy. In her latter years she became deaf and totally blind, yet her mind was sharp, almost to the end of her life. Speaking at Katie's well attended Requiem Mass at St Garvan's Church, Carroreigh, Fr Robert McGuire said he never had the pleasure of meeting her and, commenting on her long life, he said she would have been 42 when he was born. Katie is sadly missed by her family, nephews, nieces, relatives and all her friends and staff at Oakfield nursing home in Courtown. She was buried at Kilgarvan Cemetery following the Mass. The third annual Wexford's Got Talent gets under way this weekend with a weekend of auditions. The auditions take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Clayton Whites Hotel under the watchful eye of judges Tony Carty, George Lawlor, Pat Lawlor, Catherine 'Biddy' Walsh, Anita Cullen and Yvette Walsh. Event organiser Chairman Killian Duignan said: 'The last two years have seen some incredible performances showcased right from the very beginning, with the first year's winners the band 'Fit For Kings' going on to release hit singles and last year's winner Tara Doyle-Robinson ranking in the world's top 20 in acrobatic gymnastics. We know the 2017 competition which is sponsored by the Wexford People is going to be an incredible one.' Competitors are now invited to pre-book their free audition spot online at www.wexfordhastalent.com. Alternatively anyone wishing to take part can also attend the audition weekend without a pre-booking and take a place in the queue during the audition weekend. A panel of at least three independent judges will judge the auditions. Qualifiers will be notified of a place at either the first semi final which takes place on January 14 or the second semi final which takes place on January 21. At the semi finals the successful candidates will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. The finalists from each of these events will qualify for the 'Wexford Has Talent Grand Final', which takes place on February 11. The winners of the Wexford Has Talent competition 2017 will walk away with a 2,000 prize fund and, for the first time, two new additional prizes of 500 have been added to the prize pot. Tickets to the semi finals and final event are now on sale. For further details and Wexford Has Talent news see www.wexfordhastalent.com. The Bishop of Cloyne, William Crean, is making a headlining return to his home county to give the public talk at the annual Clergy Assembly in the Gleneagle Hotel at 8pm on Tuesday, January 10. Bishop Crean, a native of Tralee and a former parish priest of Castlegregory/Cloghane and Cahersiveen, will deliver a talk entitled 'From What Wells do we Drink Now?' in a personal reflection on the changing patterns of faith and the practice of it amid the great challenges for the Catholic Church in Ireland today. Organisers of the Clergy Assembly invite everyone interested to attend the free event in what they say is sure to prove a very stimulating night. Born in Tralee in 1951 and ordained to the priesthood in 1976, Bishop Crean embarked on a ministry with a keen educational bent, expertise that will no doubt make the talk all the more engaging. The sight of a little girl on Christmas morning playing with a Barbie doll is one that many parents will have taken for granted this Christmas. But for parents, Tim and Georgina O'Shea, it's a sight they hoped, rather than expected, to see just twelve months previous. So far, all's well for 6-year-old Clodagh O'Shea as she enjoyed her first Christmas since undergoing a lifesaving kidney transplant in October when her dad Tim donated one of his kidneys. It's been a tough journey back for the family ever since Clodagh's diagnoses just after her fifth birthday in July, 2015. Clodagh is currently off dialysis and back eating and playing normally again which is the kind of Christmas present mom and dad wished hard for. "We couldn't have foreseen a Christmas together just a year ago and things are good now so we'll just take every day as it comes. It's still early days and the first 12 months are vital but she's in great spirts and a lot of it went over her head; she's very brave that way. Barbie is her favourite doll and it was lovely to see her playing on Christmas morning," said Tim. The O'Shea family were on their way home to Killorglin from Temple Street Hospital in Dublin when Tim took my call on Tuesday afternoon, as Clodagh still attends hospital three times a week. It's still early days since the transplant but the hope is that visits to Temple Street will become less frequent in the weeks and months ahead. "We had a break from Dublin for a few days around Christmas but we usually take a trip there two or three times a week, for now at least. The hope is that it will eventually be whittled down to one visit and, all going well, no more visits there," added Tim. Lastly, Tim wanted to express his thanks to everyone from Killorglin, and beyond, for their support throughout Clodagh's ordeal and he especially praised the hospital staff for helping Clodagh the way they have. "We've had incredible support from everyone at home since Clodagh's illness and they've really helped us get prepared for what we've been through over the last 15 months. And as for the hospital staff, I couldn't thank them enough. We'll take it one day at a time from here on and this Christmas was a big change from what we had and it was special for us. For Clodagh it all seemed normal which is what matters most," concluded Tim. Clodagh had been on dialysis since September, 2015, where she was linked up to the life-saving machine in her home for over 12-hours a day. Clodagh also had to avoid infection which resulted in minimal contact with people. However, she continued to attend Scoil Mhuire, missing only the odd week for treatment. Donald Trump's close friend and supporter Brian Burns is already making plans for an official visit to his ancestral home of Sneem in one of his first major duties as US Ambassador to Ireland. The 80-year-old businessman, attorney and philanthropist spoke as recently as Christmas Day of his desire to visit the parish - in the course of a phone call to Batt Burns, one of his many relatives there. He can expect the royal treatment when he makes that visit, with Sneem overjoyed at the looming appointment of a man so close to its heart. Trump confirmed the choice of Irish ambassador to the New York Times last week, with the position to be formally announced in the coming weeks. Mr Burns has long been a key ally of Trump's, helping his campaign for President from its inception and, with his wife Eileen, spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with the real estate mogul and family at their gilded Florida retreat of Mar-a-Lago. That sprawling mansion is a world away from his grandfather John Burns's humble origins four miles west of Sneem in an area where the townlands of Gleesk and Dereendrislaugh meet. "The first time I met Brian was when he pulled into Sneem in his limo in 1981 while tracing his roots," relative Batt Burns told The Kerryman this week. "He made me off and we traversed the parish, visiting the parish priest and exploring the ancestry together." "We've maintained a great friendship since and he rang me on Christmas Day...the invitation to Sneem is on the cards already, in fact it came from him as he was keen that there would be a celebration of some form in the parish." The clan name is among Sneem's most prominent ones: "All the Burns here are of the same stock with four families or so still living in the area of Gleesk where Brian's grandfather John Burns was from. He emigrated to Boston sometime around the 1870s and worked hard like any other immigrant to get on in the US." His work ethic was to lay the foundations for a classic American dream tale as eldest son John - Brian Burn's father - qualified as an attorney, going on to become a key personal advisor to JFK's father Joe Kennedy. But the Irish tale of hardship and leavetaking remains as important to this ancestral son. "Brian is fiercely proud of his roots and has been a tremendous benefactor to this parish over the years. He played a contributory role in our national Tidy Towns' success in 1987, funded the heating of our church in the 1980s, also making a significant contribution to the church in more recent years. And he supported Sneem Knitwear at a time when it was struggling." Burns' also funded the major renovations of Marsh's Library in Dublin; the Law Library in UCC which is now named after his father and he was one of the leading philanthropists behind the Ireland fund. "I would think Brian would make a great ambassador. He is a very genuine person, not brash in any way but quiet and unassuming and a great champion of Irish arts and culture, with one of the largest private collections of Irish art including works by Jack Yeats and Roderic O'Connor," Batt said. Residents who will be moving into the county's new long-term psychiatric health care unit of Deer Lodge in Killarney should be moved in immediately rather than continue living any longer in a building deemed unfit for purpose. That's according to Killarney County Councillor Michael Gleeson who called on the Minister for Health Simon Harris and the HSE to transfer residents into the purpose-built Deer Lodge with 'immediate effect'. His proposal received the unanimous backing of colleagues at a recent meeting of Kerry County Council. The centre, which is now completed on a site by the district hospital in Killarney, is expected to offer those in need of long-term psychiatric care, cutting edge facilities and therapy. "Recent years have seen the development of a new and more modern approach to dealing with psychiatric illness. There has been a welcome emphasis on developing purpose built residences. Deer Lodge is such a building and it is designed to ensure that residents will at all times have proper and dignified care," Cllr Gleeson said. "At present the patients are in a building that is no longer regarded as fit for purpose particularly when a state of the art building lies idle and waiting." Hence, he said, his 'urgent' call 'to open for immediate use the fairly recently built Deer Lodge 40 bed residential unit in Killarney.' 1.15 million was allocated to the facility last month, with the first residents expected to move in by January and the facility to be at capacity no later than March. Over 1,500 people in Kerry are receiving rent supplement payments from the state according to new figures released by the Department of Social Protection. Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar released the figures on foot of a Dail question from Limerick Fianna Fail TD Willie O'Dea before the parliament adjourned for its Christmas break. According to Minister Varadkar as of the end of November 2016 there were 1,555 people in Kerry in receipt of Rent Supplement payments. While an exact county-by-county breakdown of the payment amounts was not provided, Minister Vardakar said recipients across the country were paid an average of 5,493 a year. This would equate to a bill of over 8.5 million in Kerry for the period from January 1 to the end of November last year. In addition Minister Varadkar said that as of December 12 a total of 181 people in Kerry had been approved for increased rent supplement payments - above the standard threshold applied by the Department - in cases where landlords have increased their rental rates above the normal limit. The existing Rent Supplement Payment Scheme is set to be replaced by the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) programme which will see responsibility for long term housing assistance payments transferred from the Department to the respective local authority. The roll out of this programme, which was piloted in Limerick in early 2014, has commenced in all local authority regions outside Dublin. The focus of the inquiry into the kidnap and suspected murder of Charles Brooke Pickard in south Kerry in 1991 has switched to Kilkenny. Mr Pickard - a father of four - has been missing since April 26 1991 when he was last seen being bundled into his van by five masked and armed men at White Strand near his home in Castlecove. Last Wednesday evening Gardai arrested a 67-year-old Belfast man in Killkenny as part of their ongoing investigation into the 25-year-old unsolved case. The man - who is linked to the northern Irish crime gang suspected of kidnapping Mr Pickard - is now based in northern Ireland but had previously lived in the Kilkenny area. A Garda source said the arrest - the first in the case since 1991 - was part of a planned operation launched after they learned the man had recently returned to this jurisdiction after a lengthy absence. According to gardai he was detained in relation to a suspected firearms offence connected with the disappearance. He was detained at Killarney Garda Station and questioned for two day's before being released without charge on Friday evening. A file on the matter is now being prepared for the DPP. The individual arrested in Kilkenny is not the former INLA terrorist who has been the prime suspect in the case since the early 1990s and who is believed to have led the kidnap gang. It is thought the gang targeted Mr Pickard as they mistakenly believed he was in possession of a large amount of money linked to a drug deal that had taken place in the area shortly before. Senior Garda sources said last week's arrest - which they described as a major breakthrough in the investigation - was the result of new information provided following a renewed appeal last May. The public appeal also led to an ultimately unsuccessful three-week search for Mr Pickard's remains at Shronaloughnane Forest near Waterville last September. Last Wednesday's arrest is not the first time Kilkenny has featured in the investigation. A distinctive orange Toyota that the gang used in the kidnapping - which was found with Mr Pickard's burnt out van near Shronaloughnane three weeks after he disappeared - was stolen in Kilkenny a few days before the kidnap. In May 1991 Gardai arrested and questioned a man from the Castlecomer area of Kilkenny in relation to the Pickard case. The northern Irish man - who was linked at the time to paramilitary and criminal activity - was questioned for a number of days and eventually released without charge. The PSNI and several police forces in the UK are assisting gardai, who say they are following a number of significant new leads in the case. An age-old tradition was revived on New Year's Day at the 800 year old Hook Lighthouse when arrows were shot into the sea. Cathaoirleach of New Ross Municipal District Cllr Michael Whelan and the Dunbrody Archers took part in the historic Arrow Ceremony at Hook. The age-old tradition dates back to 1687, when the Mayor and the corporation of New Ross Town Council claimed their authority over the tower and waters by travelling to the point of the Hook Peninsula and shooting an arrow into the seas from Hook Head Lighthouse. Cllr Whelan cast the first arrow into the sea symbolising the Port's authority over the estuary. A large crowd turned out to witness the ceremony and to enjoy a bracing walk along Hook Head. Cllr Whelan said it was great to see such numbers attend the arrow ceremony particularly given the cold weather. 'People really enjoyed the day and it was a lovely event. The Taking of the Waters ceremony is an ancient tradition and I was honoured to be able to fire an arrow with the Dunbrody Archers.' Ann Waters Manager at Hook Lighthouse said: 'We were delighted to host the 'Taking of the Waters' ceremony here at Hook Lighthouse, it is an age old tradition and a wonderful opportunity for an ancient element of history to be relived here in Ireland's Ancient East. 'It was fantastic to see so many people brave the windy weather and cold to witness the historic event. It's a really lovely start to the New Year and it made for spectacular viewing. The Templeudigan St. Stephen's Day fun run and walk was a huge success raising 2,510 for charity. Organisers Templeudigan Parish Council were delighted with the turnout which saw almost 200 people of all ages participating. Many children brought with them the bikes and go-karts they got from Santa the previous day and it was a lovely sight. While most people taking part did a leisurely walk there were also a lot of competitive runners who were attracted to challenging route. The first participant to complete the 8km route was local man Joe Lillis who returned home in 33 minutes. He was followed shortly afterwards by Peter Ryan from Enniscorthy. The 2,510 raised on the day will be donated to the Bone Marrow for Leukaemia Trust. This charity is based in St. James Hospital and provides a range of support services to cancer suffers and their families. Peter Somers, Chairman of Templeudigan Parish Council, thanked everyone who took part on behalf of the organising committee. 'Our St. Stephen's Day Walk and Run was a great success and turned into a wonderful social occasion. Almost 200 people took part and we met participants from a wide area from New Ross town to Graiguenamanagh and Enniscorthy. We would like to thank them all for coming to Templeudigan to take part. 'Everyone joined us in our local hall afterwards and it was a lovely opportunity for our community to celebrate Christmas together. We were delighted to raise 2,510 on the day and we will be donating this to the Bone Marrow for Leukaemia Trust, a worthy charity which provides valuable support to cancer sufferers and their families. 'We would like to thank all of the local community volunteers who gave their time to make this event such a success. 'We would not have been able to organise this social event or raise this money for charity without the support of local volunteers. We hope to hold another St. Stephen's Day walk and run in 2017 to support another charity.' Up to 15 members of the Hook Head Sub Aqua Club took a festive dip in Slade on St Stephen's Day to raise money for the club. PRO of Hook Head Sub Aqua Club Liz O'Donoghue said that the annual swim is to raise money for the club which take part in a number of search and rescue missions throughout the year. 'This year it was confined to members but next year we hope to get members of the public involved too. We haven't tallied all the money yet because some of the sponsorship cards are still outstanding. 'The water was absolutely freezing. It was just six degrees so it was very, very cold but it was good fun on the day. We had a couple of members in the water too in diving gear in case of an accident when people hit the water but fortunately they weren't called into action.' Members of the AbbVie Challenge cycling team are joined by representatives of Move4Parkinsons at a recent presentation event in AbbVie's medical device centre of excellence in Ballytivnan, Sligo More than 70 employees from the biopharmaceutical company AbbVie took part in a three-day, 400 kilometre cycle from Sligo to Cork earlier this year to raise vital funds for the Move4Parkinson's charity. The proceeds were recently presented to the charity the company's medical device centre of excellence in Ballytivnan, Sligo. The company employs close to 600 people at five different sites across the country, including two manufacturing plants in in Sligo and one manufacturing plants in Carrigtwohill, Cork. On their first day, the 70-strong group set out from AbbVie's operations sites in Sligo and made their way across East Sligo and South Roscommon, ending their day 140 kilometres away in Athlone. Day two saw the group make their way across the Slieve Bloom Mountains and arrive at Horse and Jockey, Co. Tipperary - nearly 270 kilometres from Sligo. The third and final day of the challenge was the shortest distance at just over 110 kilometres. One of the event organisers Jim Leahy, Site Engineering Services and EHSE&S Manager, AbbVie Ballytivnan in Sligo, and Cork native, said that the event was a reflection of AbbVie's corporate responsibility ethos and the company's dedicated workforce. "This remarkable project would not have been possible without the efforts of the dedicated employees across the AbbVie organisation. Congratulations and thanks to all the cyclists, organisers and the support teams this arduous challenge," he said . Locals in Mullaghmore are said to be "very excited" about a new monument erected to Lord Louis Mountbatten in the village. The rusted metal structure entitled 'Reaching calmer waters' showcases photos of the Mountbatten family who spent summers in Mullaghmore before Lord Mountbatten was tragically killed by the IRA in 1979. It includes a photo of Prince Charles and Camilla during their visit to Mullaghmore in May 2015. "It only appeared two weeks ago, we would love to know who put it there. I'd say its official, it's not a local thing," said Caroline Devine who lives in the former Mountbatten residence at Classiebawn Castle. "It's in a beautiful spot. It's a glass case around it. It's a brilliant thing and whoever put it there, put it with great intentions," she told this newspaper. "Locals want this positive image of Mullaghmore to continue. You couldn't move with the number of tourists we had here from England last year, all thanks to the Prince's visit. Everything has changed because of it," she said. The display says the Royal visit in 2015 marked a "moment of healing" for the monarchy and Ireland. It is placed next to a Wild Atlantic Way tourism sign. A driver clocked at travelling at 168kph on the approach to Sligo is due to appear at the local District Court later this month. The driver, from Northern Ireland, has been charged with dangerous driving after he was stopped at 7.30pm on December 27th last. He was arrested on the Inner Relief Road at the junction of John Street and Church Hill having been detected by members of the Garda Traffic Unit travelling at 168kph in a 100kph zone moments earlier on the approach to the Summerhill College roundabout. Due to the high speed (equivalent to 104 mph) the driver of the Northern Ireland registered Audi A4 was arrested and brought to Sligo Garda Station where he was subsequently charged with dangerous driving. He was released on cash bail to appear at a sitting of Sligo District Court on January 19th. The speed was one of the highest recorded nationally over the Christmas holiday period and a pic was posted on the Garda's twitter account with advice to drivers to slow down. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, recently announced the launch of an Open Call under the European Innovation Partnerships Initiative (EIP) and is inviting applications for funding. Expressions of Interest should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 27th January 2017. Projects developed under this open call will form part of the Department's new Locally-Led initiative, a measure proposed by Ireland under the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020. "This is a completely new way of responding to local challenges and we look forward to working with, and supporting, groups who are dealing with practical problems in their localities in a new and innovative way." Minister Creed said. "This is also an opportunity for farmers, researchers, advisors and scientists to look at new and traditional practices, develop ideas and research, and promote forms of co-operation in their own areas." The first funding stream will focus on themes such as farm viability, economic performance, sustainable forest management, and innovative technologies. The second stream will be focused on challenges related to environmental, biodiversity and climate change issues. Local councillor Dara Mulvey welcomed the news. Expressions of Interest are invited and should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 27th January 2017 to locallyled@agriculture.gov.ie. The application form and guidelines on this Open Call can be downloaded from the Department website at http://www.agriculture.gov.ie or by contacting the Locally Led Section at Locallyled@agriculture.gov.ie, low call number 076 1064454. A 26 year old man who commits crime as soon as he is released on bail has been described as an absolute disgrace by Judge Kevin Kilrane. Before Sligo District Court was Jimmy Ward of Armada Cottages, Bundoran who faced a number of offences including driving without insurance and while disqualified. He is also charged with entering The Model, The Mall, Sligo on November 3rd last and stealing a ladies purse. The court heard Ward was caught driving while banned for ten years. He told the court he was driving from Letterkenny to Bundoran for his sister. He was before the court in custody having been remanded from a sitting of Ballyshannon District Court. He apologised for the offence but Judge Kilrane called him an absolute disgrace. "Everytime you are in court you say you are sorry but you were out at it again driving within a week of being released." Judge Kilrane jailed Ward for five months and imposed a ten year driving ban. Bail was set at 100 self with one independent surety of 2,100, of which 700 was to be lodged. Ward told the judge he wouldn't be able to come up with the bail. "I've no money in the bank," he said. Judge Kilrane said the defendant wasn't going to get bail from him again unless in unusual circumstances. "I remanded him two weeks ago but in a moment of weakness I granted him bail and he was out a week when he went on a rampage again," said Judge Kilrane. He then indicated that he was refusing bail, telling the defendant that he could go to High Court that he "may get on better there." The Judge added that at a previous sitting when granted bail Ward had gone out the door thanking him as he backed out the door. Ward was remanded in custody to a sitting of Ballyshannon District Court on January 6th. "The question of consecutive sentences will arise in this case. I have in mind a term of up to 24 months," the Judge said. The defendant was represented by Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor. EU legislation allows for people to bring personal injuries proceedings in the State in which they live even when the accident occurred in another member State as was the case in proceedings at Sligo Courthouse Three children who took a personal injury action arising out of a collision in London over a year ago were awarded damages totalling 19,500 at Sligo District Court. The court was told that the children were passengers in their father's car. Mr Keith O'Grady BL with Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor (for the infant plaintiffs) told Judge Kevin Kilrane that the car was stationery at the time. The father opened the driver's door of his car and another car struck it, he said. Mr O'Grady said personal injury actions were taken in respect of the three children and an offer of 6,500 had been made in respect of each of them. He was happy to accept this offer and so were the parents of the plaintiffs, he said. Mr O'Grady added that all three made good recoveries in about four months after the accident with psychological sequelae the main symptom. Judge Kilrane approved the settlements in case with costs. A vigil to remember the Palestinian people took place at Hyde Bridge on New Year's Eve. It was organised by members and supporters of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Sligo. They were supporting the victims of the continued Israeli attacks on Gaza and expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine. The protesters displayed a banner calling for a boycott of Israeli goods and carried placards which read "Freedom and Peace in Palestine" and also called on a stop to USA aid to Israel. Among those participating in the vigil were local public representatives including Cllr Declan Bree, Cllr Sean MacManus and Cllr Gino O'Boyle. Cllr Bree told the Sligo Champion: "2016 was an incredibly difficult year for Palestinians living under the occupation, and unfortunately things look set to get worse in 2017 with the Trump administration's accession to power in the United States. As Governments have failed to hold Israel accountable, it is up to people of conscience in every community worldwide to heed Palestinian calls for justice and the right to self determination." Chris MacManus said: "The recent resolution passed by the UN Security Council demands that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory. In addition it reaffirms the illegality of the settlements and their existence as a barrier to peace. "It is clearly now time for the world to stop talking about Israel's settlements as illegal and to start treating them as such." Cllr Gino O'Boyle said "Expressions of solidarity and the boycotting of Israeli goods can and does make a difference. It lets the Palestinian people know that they are not forgotten and the justice of their cause is recognised internationally." He said that he meets people from different parts of the country regularly, and he is not bothered about their political lenience nor checks their party allegiance. Members of the fire service, the Coast Guard and Greystones Municipal District gathered at the last meeting of the year to honour two distinguished members of the organisations on the occasion of their retirement. Anthony Byrne of the fire service and John Ferns of the Coast Guard were presented with plaques to commemorate their years of exemplary service to the community. Cathaoirleach Jennifer Whitmore presented the men with their awards, and all of the councillors congratulated both Anthony and John. John Ferns took over from his brother Niall as officer in charge at the Greystones Coastguard unit in recent years, with Dermot Macauley his successor. This marks the end of an era at Greystones Coast Guard, with the Ferns family having been represented there since 1952. Anthony retired from the fire service in September, after 20 years. They were heartily congratulated by everyone at Greystones Municipal District. The ceremony took place at Council buildings in Greystones just before the Christmas break. Crews from both organisations were delighted to honour their esteemed colleagues and wish them every happiness in the future as they retire. The Arklow community was dealt a blow last week when one of the public access defibrillators was damaged beyond repair. The town, however, has responded with wonderful community spirit and, in a matter of days, enough money has been donated to replace the machine. The unit, situated at the 7Eleven convenience store on Abbey Street, was smashed off the wall and broken into pieces at some point late Wednesday night or into Thursday morning. The unit was found down a laneway a short time afterwards. Gardai have viewed CCTV footage and have confirmed that they are following a definite line of inquiry. Chairperson of Arklow Community First Responders John Summers has expressed disgust and disappointment over what he described as a 'mindless, senseless and savage attack'. 'This is the third incident of this nature to occur in the past year,' said Mr Summers. 'I received a message from a concerned member of the community at 2.30 a.m. Thursday morning to inform me that someone had attacked the defibrillator at The 7 Eleven on Abbey Street and that gardai had been contacted. I made my way down to assess the damage, hoping that it would be minor. On arriving I found the defibrillator and cabinet cover missing,' he said. Mr Summers said that when he contacted the gardai, he was informed that they had recovered the cabinet cover and lid from the unit. 'I feared the worst and my worst fears were realised after a look around the location, the defibrillator was found damaged beyond repair in a laneway nearby. 'I can't accurately describe my feelings at finding it but it was a mixture of anger, disgust, sadness, nausea and probably a lot more emotions that I can't find the words for right now. I just can't comprehend how someone can destroy a piece of very expensive life saving equipment paid for by the generosity of the local community,' he added, It is understood that gardai are following a definite line of inquiry. 'Hopefully someone will be held accountable for this mindless, senseless and savage attack,' Mr Summers said. However, in the days since the senseless attack, the community of Arklow has rallied round and donations have been flooding in to cover the cost of a replacement unit. Proprietors of The 7 Eleven, Bill and Geraldine Nolan say they have been inundated with people dropping in donations, which it is believed will cover the cost of the vandalised defibrillator and even start the ball rolling for another one. 'We couldn't believe the amount of people who were coming in to donate. The people of Arklow have been wonderful and so supportive. Something good has come out of an awful incident,' said Bill. 'It is important to highlight how important these units are. They are lifesaving and this was simply an act of stupidity,' he added. In a further act of generosity, Arklow company Phonelink, which monitors the 7 Eleven CCTV cameras, has offered to provide a high definition camera, free of charge which will be installed above the new unit once it has been fitted. Mr Summers, on behalf of the Arklow Community First Responders has thanked everyone who made donations and the 7 Eleven shop. 'We are overwhelmed with the amount of coverage this has received and the interest in the story. It shows that the good outweighs the bad and that we have a great community here in Arklow. Hopefully, this will highlight the face that defibrillators are not there to be tampered with, and perhaps help first responders across Ireland.' The search for a man missing from Wicklow town continues into a second week, with the gardai, Coast Guard, RNLI and other agencies all playing a role. William (Bill) Neary was last seen on St Stephen's night at 8.30 p.m. leaving the Mariner pub through the back door. He was wearing navy jeans, a navy V-neck jumper, a black gilded jacket and tanned round-toe shoes at the time of his disappearance. Aged 52, Mr Neary is six foot tall in height and is described as having grey hair. A search involving Wicklow RNLI, the Coast Guard and Wicklow gardai was started on Tuesday, December 27, after concerned family members reported Mr Neary missing. It is also understood that a wallet belonging to Mr Neary was found at the New Pier in Wicklow town. Initially the search focused on the area from Silver Strand to Six Mile Point but was spread out to cover a wider area on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Coast Guard 116 Helicopter carried out a search by air, while both the inshore and offshore RNLI Lifeboats took part in searches of Wicklow Bay and the coastline. The Garda Diving Unit was also involved. The Civil Defence joined in with the operation on Thursday and used a number of drones to try and locate Mr Neary. The multi-agency search also involved Wicklow Sub Aqua Club and the Boyne River Rescue. Superintendent Paul Hogan has thanked everyone involved in the attempts to find Mr Neary. He said: 'I would like to offer my thanks to all the agencies involved, especially the voluntary organisations whose members were more than willing to give up their time and offer their assistance over the holiday period.' The search will continue this week. Gardai have checked CCTV of Mr Neary's last known movements and have also interviewed some of the last people to see him before he went missing. Anyone with information that could help the gardai is urged to contact Wicklow Garda Station at (0404) 67107. Meghan Markle whose father is "pretty happy" about her relationship with Prince Harry Prince Harry has met his girlfriend Meghan Markle's father, who is said to be "proud" of the relationship, according to reports. The actress's older brother revealed the meeting between the 32-year-old royal and Thomas Markle, a 72-year-old former lighting director, took place during one of Harry's visits to Toronto, Canada. Thomas Markle Jr told DailyMail.com: "My dad knew about (the relationship) from the start. "He first met Prince Harry about six months ago out in Toronto. He goes once every couple of months - (Meghan and Thomas Markle Sr) are very close and they stay in close contact. "He's pretty happy about Harry and he's extremely proud of her. They have an amazing relationship, they're very close and they always have been." However Mr Markle said he was not sure whether Harry had met her mother yet. It is thought the Suits star stayed with Harry at his home in the grounds of Kensington Palace when she visited in November. The prince's relationship with the 35-year-old, which began in the summer, was confirmed when his communications secretary, Jason Knauf, issued a strongly-worded statement attacking the media over the "wave of abuse and harassment'' the actress had experienced. Mr Knauf revealed the depth of Harry's feelings for his girlfriend when he said the Prince was ''worried about Ms Markle's safety'' and ''deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her''. News of the couple's relationship broke in the Sunday Express in October with a source saying Harry was "happier than he's been for many years". Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco have returned to Ireland with an informal visit to County Louth. Prince Albert paid his first visit to Ireland as a three-year-old in 1961 for a week-long holiday with his parents, Prince Rainier III and the Irish-American actress Grace Kelly; an event that whipped up such a frenzy that crowds gathered outside the Gresham Hotel in Dublin in their tousands and bunting was displayed on the streets of Cong in County Mayo. And this week the Monaco royal returned for a third time - the second visit took place in 2011 - as he paid an informal visit to Bru na Boinne and Newgrange on Wednesday, alongside his South African wife Princess Charlene. It was a low-key affair compared to his very first visit to this country. After enjoying a morning of sightseeing, the royal couple and their friends stopped off at The Monasterboice Inn for a spot of lunch. Expand Close Prince Albert II of Monaco, right, with his wife Princess Charlene and their twins, Prince Jacques, right, and Princess Gabriella, attend from the Monaco palace to the Monaco's national day ceremony, in Monaco, Friday Nov. 19, 2016. Monaco's Fete Nationale has been celebrated since the reign of Prince Charles III in 1857. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Albert II of Monaco, right, with his wife Princess Charlene and their twins, Prince Jacques, right, and Princess Gabriella, attend from the Monaco palace to the Monaco's national day ceremony, in Monaco, Friday Nov. 19, 2016. Monaco's Fete Nationale has been celebrated since the reign of Prince Charles III in 1857. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) The Monasterboice Inn manager, Roseanne Donegan, told Independent.ie that her team was both surprised and delighted to receive royal visitors. "We had no idea that they were coming. We got a phone call in advance to ask us to keep a seat for 12 celebrity guests, as well as a table for six for their entourage. We prepared the tables as we would for any other visitor but we weren't too excited because we really had no idea who or what to expect." Expand Close Princess Charlene enters The Monasterboice Inn ahead of Prince Albert (in baseball cap) yesterday afternoon. Photo: Fran Caffrey/ Newsfile. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Princess Charlene enters The Monasterboice Inn ahead of Prince Albert (in baseball cap) yesterday afternoon. Photo: Fran Caffrey/ Newsfile. Prince Albert may be one of the wealthiest men in the world but Ms Donegan said that the monarch behaved like a regular visitor and her staff members were charmed by the down-to-earth manner of the entire party. "They were such a lovely family. They were just so down-to-earth. It was just like serving any other family in the restaurant. Expand Close Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene arrive to attend the 68th annual Red Cross Gala / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene arrive to attend the 68th annual Red Cross Gala "Prince Albert requested to sit in the bar but unfortunately we didn't have seats available so they sat in the restaurant. He ordered a seafood chowder and a pint of Hophouse 13." The couple were not accompanied by their children, two-year-old twins Princess Gabrielle and Prince Jacques. They were joined by Princess Charlene's brother, his wife and their toddler son, as well as some close friends. Video of the Day Ms Donegan said that their fellow customers didn't make a fuss over the royal family and they enjoyed their meal without any intrusion. "They were wonderful guests. Princess Charlene is stunning, a really attractive woman. She was just delightful. They all were. They'd such an interest in the area. He [Prince Albert) knew all about Monasterboice. I gave them a gift when they were leaving, two books on local history from Professor Haberson. They seemed really happy with it." Expand Close Princess Grace of Monaco visits Ireland with husband Prince Rainier and children Albert and Caroline / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Princess Grace of Monaco visits Ireland with husband Prince Rainier and children Albert and Caroline During the prince's first visit to Ireland, his mother Grace Kelly visited hospitals, the Sacred Heart Home for Orphans on the Drumcondra Road and an outing for disabled children, while the prince visited a housing scheme in Coolock. At the time, the Irish Independent reported that a crowd of around 5,000 rushed the police cordons outside the Gresham Hotel as the royal's car pulled up ahead of a banquet that was being held in their honour. Men, women and children were crushed in the ensuing melee and others fainted, while there was a report that one woman even had a heart attack. Prince Harry has taken his girlfriend Meghan Markle to Norway for a romantic getaway to see the Northern Lights, it has been reported. The prince and the 35-year-old actress are believed to have travelled to the edge of the Arctic Circle to watch the Aurora Borealis light show. A friend told the Sun: Harry wanted to make this holiday something that Meg will never forget." According to the newspaper, the pair left London secretly on Monday after seeing in the New Year in the capital. Expand Close Prince Harry's girlfriend Megan Markle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Harry's girlfriend Megan Markle The trip to the remote town of Tromso is thought to be the couple's first holiday together since they started dating a few months ago. This relationship has moved at lightning speed and they are mad about each other," the friend told the Sun. Harry is determined to do everything possible to make this work. The prince and his American girlfriend are rumoured to have hired opted for the privacy of a cabin for their week long trip and have spent their time on the lake, whale-watching and enjoying the Norwegian sunsets. Expand Close Meghan Markle, left, and Prince Harry, right / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan Markle, left, and Prince Harry, right Harrys friend and polar explorer Inge Solheim is believed to have helped the prince arrange the holiday. A spokeswoman told the Telegraph Kensington Palace would not be commenting on the trip. Video of the Day The prince does not have any official engagements for the next two weeks, while Ms Markle does not resume filming for her role in the US drama Suits until the spring. Expand Close Meghan Markle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan Markle Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] The modern Dublin landscape is one of the stars of RTE's new drama, 'Striking Out', and so are the clothes which eagle-eyed costume designer, Tiziana Corvisieri selected from the Irish high street. The glossy, contemporary drama is studded with lots of affordable fashion pieces, from Amy Huberman's character, Tara Rafferty, whose traditional solicitor's black suit is not from a high end designer brand but from Marks and Spencer. The navy pinstripe suit worn by her cheating barrister boyfriend Eric (played by Rory Keenan) was a find at the wallet-friendly Zara while the black leather jacket worn by techie private eye, Meg (played by Fiona O'Shaughnessy) was a vintage find sourced from the pre-loved store Siopaella in Temple Bar. Tara's ill-fated hen's outfit in last week's opening episode of the four-part series was both beautiful, and symbolic. "For that scene, we actually looked at a lot of dresses because it was fundamental that she would show her femininity and a little bit of vulnerability, by wearing something so feminine in contrast to what was coming (in the plot line)." Tiziana found the Ghost, peach, silk crepe dress all on its own at House of Fraser and swooped on it. The peach bolero was from Monsoon and Tara's silver star stud earrings came from TK Maxx. Expand Close Tiziana Corvisieri / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tiziana Corvisieri But it is probably the tailored grey, off-the-peg trouser suit by the French brand, The Kooples, exclusive to Brown Thomas, which underlines Tara's change of heart, and job after she discovers her fiance bedding another barrister. "Tara starts out wearing a black suit which is very much in keeping with the legal-wear of female barristers and solicitors, so the grey suit was to depart from that, to illustrate the fact that she's actually leaving a firm, that she's leaving that world and that is why I chose that colour and that suit," said Tiziana, who was costume designer on 'Sing Street' which is up for a Golden Globe tomorrow in LA. The Italian-born designer, who came to live in Ireland aged 14, was costume designer on the Oscar-winning film, Once. Talented Tiziana is also a handbag designer and one of her black leather bags with brass chain is worn by Tara with her casual outfits. Video of the Day Tiziana's creations have attracted something of a cult following and the designer sells her bags in private shows three times a year and also on her Etsy shop. At least 21 people have been injured in violent clashes between Sri Lankan government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Police used tear gas and water cannons to try to break up the clashes, which took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone, near the port city of Hambantota, about 150 miles south east of the capital, Colombo. The clashes began when government supporters started throwing rocks at villagers who were marching to the ceremony site. The protesters, organised by the opposition and led by Buddhist monks, responded by throwing rocks at the government supporters. A group that appeared to have been transported to the area by the government joined in, attacking the protesters with poles. Twenty one people, including three police officers, were taken to a government hospital in Hambantota, a hospital official said. Sri Lanka's government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80% ownership. Officials also plan to set up a nearby industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories. The villagers and monks are opposed to it and demand their residential and farmlands be spared. A court had issued a restraining order on the protest, saying it could lead to unrest, but the protesters defied it. Mr Wickremesinghe inaugurated the industrial zone despite the clashes. Speaking at the ceremony, China's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said that his country hopes to invest the equivalent of 4 billion in the region within the next five years, and that the new industries are expected to generate 100,000 jobs. China invested about 1 billion in the port in what some analysts call its "string of pearls" strategy in countries surrounding its rival India. Although the project has seen losses since 2010, Sri Lanka's government, at first critical of the enterprise, approached China to seek help to make it viable. D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organisers, said he fears the port area will become a "Chinese colony". "We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone," Mr Chanaka said. "When you give away such a vast area of land, you can't stop the area from becoming a Chinese colony." After the lease expires, it can be negotiated for another 99 years, according to the framework agreement, whose terms are still being negotiated. The government also has proposed to lease 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in Hambantota district and adjoining Moneragala district for the industrial zone. Mr Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier in the week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free Sri Lanka from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. AP Azaz is only a couple of miles away from the Turkish border A car bomb has ripped through a busy commercial district in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border, killing nearly 50 in a huge explosion that damaged buildings and left rescuers scrambling to find survivors amid the wreckage, opposition activists said. Rescuers and doctors said the explosion in Azaz was so large there were nearly 100 wounded and burned. More than 50 injured people were transported to the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment as local hospitals could not cope. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Locals said a rigged tanker caused the explosion and blamed Islamic State militants, who have carried out attacks in the town before. The militant group has been increasingly pressed in Syria and Iraq, and has escalated its attacks against Turkey - which backs Syrian opposition fighters in a campaign against the group in northern Syria. Azaz, only a few miles from the Turkish border, is a key town on a route used by opposition fighters moving between Syria and Turkey, and is a hub for anti-government activists as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkey-backed opposition groups to the east. IS militants, who have tried to advance on the key border town before, have been pushed back farther east in recent months in the Turkey-backed offensive. The bomb went off early on Saturday afternoon outside a local courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi said. "It hit the busiest part of the town," Mr Alnajdi said. A medical worker speaking to a local media outfit, al-Jisr, said many charred bodies, and body parts mixed with bones and mud, were piled up in local hospitals. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said at least 48 people were killed, including 14 fighters and guards to the local courthouse. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explained the large blast and high death toll. The activist-operated local Azaz media centre and Shabha Press put the death toll at 60, adding that search and rescue operations continued for hours after the explosion. Mr Alnajdi said rescue workers were still working to identify and remove the bodies from the area, suggesting that the death toll was not final. He said some of the severely wounded were transported across the border into the Turkish town of Kilis for treatment. The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said 53 wounded Syrians were brought to Kilis' local hospital for treatment, including five in critical condition, transferred to Gaziantep. The agency said one later died. Media activist Baha al-Halabi, based in Aleppo province and who gathered information from Azaz residents, said witnesses reported many unidentified bodies. Footage shared online showed a large plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic street with the sound of gunfire in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. In one instance, a father ran away from the scene, carrying his child to safety. The courthouse and the security headquarters were damaged, as well as the Red Crescent and municipality offices, according to activists in the area. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year have resettled in Azaz. Syrian Kurdish forces control territory to the west of Azaz, and have often tried advancing towards the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back IS extremists, gaining territory and advancing on the IS-stronghold town of al-Bab, further east. Turkey considers Syria Kurdish factions there terrorists, linked to a local group it is battling at home. A nationwide week-long ceasefire has mostly held across most of Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides of the conflict, reached an agreement in late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Syrian president Bashar Assad's government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. IS and al Qaida-linked group Fatah al-Sham Front are not included in the deal, according to the Syrian government. AP A 'soft Brexit' could take the prospect of a second referendum on Scottish independence off the table in the short term, Nicola Sturgeon has suggested. The Scottish First Minister said she believed independence was the "direction of travel" for Scotland but was willing to put it aside as her preferred option in order to seek "consensus and compromise" over Brexit. In the days following the vote to leave the European Union, Ms Sturgeon said a second referendum on independence was "highly likely" given the majority support for 'Remain' in Scotland. A consultation on a draft bill that could bring about a second vote on the issue closes next week. A 'soft Brexit' is seen as crucial in achieving Ireland's goals in Brexit negotiations on the peace process, the Border and the common travel area. The first minister told BBC Radio Scotland: "We want to try to work with others across the UK across the political spectrum to try to keep the UK in the single market. "If that can't be done, then we want to explore ways - and we've put forward how we think this can be done - of keeping Scotland in the single market while continuing to protect free trade across the rest of the UK and said very clearly that would require additional powers for the Scottish Parliament." Ms Sturgeon said she believed there was consensus building around some of those additional powers, including immigration. "We've put forward very detailed plans about how we avoid a 'hard Brexit' and the reason it's important to avoid a 'hard Brexit', let's not forget, is because that will have a devastating impact on our economy and on jobs," she said. Asked whether talk of a second independence referendum would come off the table in the event of a 'soft Brexit', Ms Sturgeon said: "I'm never going to stop arguing for independence. "I think Scotland will become independent and I think that's the direction of travel. But we're talking at the moment in the context of the Brexit vote." Journey Pressed on whether it would be put aside in the short term, she added: "In terms of the timescale of Brexit, that's what I've been very clear about. "Am I going to stop arguing for independence or believing in independence? "Am I going to stop believing Scotland is on a journey to independence? No. "But we're talking here in the particular context and timescale of Brexit, and I'm putting these proposals forward in good faith. "I'm deliberately saying 'put my preferred option to one side' and asking people if we can find a consensus and compromise option." Ms Sturgeon later tweeted it was a "reasonable assessment" that a second independence referendum currently appeared more likely than a 'soft Brexit'. But she said the Scottish government proposals had been "put forward in good faith", adding "Ball is in PM court". The Red Cross has stepped in to help the NHS in England cope with winter pressures, warning of a "humanitarian crisis" as it emerged two patients died in the same accident and emergency department in the last week. The latest figures show the NHS is coming under increased pressure, with overflowing A&E departments shut their doors to patients more than 140 times in December. On Friday a national body warned that a third of health trusts in England had issued alerts that they needed urgent action to cope last month, with seven of those unable to provide comprehensive care. Meanwhile it was revealed the London Ambulance Service suffered a computer blackout on New Year's Eve that forced call handlers to revert to pen and paper on the busiest night of the year. NHS England said plans were in place to deal with demand and urged the public to use pharmacies and NHS 111 for medical advice. However shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said it was "staggering" that the Red Cross had been drafted in to help. "For the Red Cross to brand the situation a 'humanitarian crisis' should be a badge of shame for Government ministers," he said. The charity's chief executive, Mike Adamson, said extra cash was needed for health and social care to make the system sustainable. "The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country," he said. "We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds." The charity has already provided support to staff at the East Midlands Ambulance Service across Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln, Kettering and Northampton. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said on Friday that it was investigating two deaths at Worcestershire Royal Hospital's A&E department in Worcester in the last week. In one of the cases a female patient on an emergency trolley on a corridor within A&E suffered an aneurysm and later died in a resuscitation bay, it is understood Another patient died after suffering a cardiac arrest on another A&E trolley within the department after waiting 35 hours for a ward bed elsewhere in the hospital. The trust said it was also investigating the death of a third patient on a separate ward in the same period. All three deaths happened between Saturday and midnight on Tuesday. The trust said accident and emergency departments had been "extremely busy" through Christmas and New Year. News of the deaths came as NHS England data was released showing that, from December 1 to January 1, there were 143 A&E diverts across England, a 63% rise on the 88 recorded for December 1 to January 3 the previous year. NHS officials say A&E diverts should only occur as a "last resort" and are put in place when A&E departments cannot cope with any more patients. Instead, patients are sent to other hospitals for treatment. The latest data show there were 42 diverts over Christmas week (week ending January 1) - the highest on record. This compares with about 20 diverts on average over a typical winter week of the NHS. NHS England guidance says A&E diverts should only occur during exceptional circumstances. Several hospitals have issued pleas on Twitter for people to stay away from A&E unless they have a genuine emergency. These include hospitals in Mid Essex, Ipswich, North Cumbria, Kingston, Bristol, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Other data compiled by the Nuffield Trust shows a third of the 150 English hospital trusts warned they needed urgent action to cope last month. In the worst cases, seven of the 50 trusts that issued alerts announced they were unable to give patients comprehensive care. NHS England data for the week ending January 1 shows there were 372,000 attendances at A&E during the week, 40,000 more than the previous week (332,000). There were 92,000 emergency admissions over the course of the week, up on the previous week (89,000). The busiest day of the week for attendances was December 27 when there were 60,000 A&E attendances. Emergency admissions peaked at 14,600 the following day. Dr Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the emergency care system is "on its knees" and staff are "struggling to cope with the intense demands being put upon them". "The scale of the crisis affecting emergency care systems has reached new heights, as we predicted, mainly due to a lack of investment in both social and acute health care beds, as well as emergency department staffing." An NHS England spokesman, said: "Plans remain in place to deal with additional demands during the winter period, and the public can still play their part using local pharmacy and NHS 111 for medical advice, alongside other services. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) said it had launched an external investigation after technical difficulties in a busy ambulance control room forced staff to log calls by hand. One person died during the computer outage on New Year's Day, the LAS confirmed and issued an apology to anyone who experienced delays. Director of operations at London Ambulance Service, Paul Woodrow, apologised to anyone affected and said the system is now stable. During the incident it is understood staff were forced to record details of calls by pen and paper for nearly five hours on one of the busiest nights of the year. Mr Woodrow said: "As part of our investigation we have identified a patient who sadly died during the time of the computer issues where we would like to look more closely at whether this was potentially a contributory factor. We have launched a separate investigation to establish this." Dr Mark Holland of the Society for Acute Medicine told BBC Breakfast that the term humanitarian crisis probably has "some validity". In recent weeks people "who should be in a speciality bed are ending up in a non-speciality bed or there are beds being created in the hospital that we call contingency beds." He said the system has "struggled" over the last year or two years due to a build-up in the people who are medically fit for hospital discharge. Dr Holland said: "We have got lots of people in our acute hospitals who do not need to be in those beds because they need social care. "We then have a winter stress which we will face every year, but this year it has come to a point where we have got so few beds in the system to bring people in to acutely that it has got to that tipping point which we have been predicting for a long time." Migrants, mostly from Syria, make the dangerous crossing to Greece Picture: PA The number of migrants reaching the European Union by sea fell by two-thirds in 2016 due to a migration deal with Turkey, but arrivals in Italy from north Africa hit an all-time high. The deal concluded in March provides Turkey with billions of euro as long as it keeps refugees on its territory and stops people smugglers from moving them across the Aegean to Greece. It also involved promises to Ankara of financial aid, visa-free travel to much of the EU and accelerated membership talks. Migrants still making the journey across the western Mediterranean mainly came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, the EU's border agency Frontex said. Some 181,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2016 from north Africa through the so-called central Mediterranean route, the highest number ever recorded and 20pc more than last year, it said. The largest group of migrants arriving in Italy were Nigerians, Eritreans and Guineans. The International Organisation for Migration said 2016 was the deadliest year for migration in the Mediterranean with almost 5,000 deaths. Esteban Santiago has been charged with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death, and with two firearms offences (Broward Sheriffs Office/PA) Prosecutors have filed charges against the Florida airport shooting suspect that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted. A criminal complaint filed on Saturday by the Miami US attorney's office accuses 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. The punishment is execution or any prison sentence up to life. Prosecutors also charged Santiago with two firearms offences. Santiago is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others on Friday at a Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport baggage claim. The FBI says Santiago travelled from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale specifically to carry out the shooting. Santiago, an Iraq war veteran, is being held without bail. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday. Guy Philippe pictured in August - the former Haiti rebel has appeared in a Miami court on drugs charges (AP/Dieu Nalio Chery) A paramilitary leader who once led a violent rebellion in Haiti has appeared before a judge in Miami who ordered that he be held without bail on drugs charges. Guy Philippe, 48, was arrested on a decade-old US indictment shortly before he was set to become an official Haitian senator. He was a key figure in the 2004 ousting of Haiti's president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide and later ran for president himself. He was indicted in 2005 on US cocaine trafficking charges but managed to elude capture, including unsuccessful raids involving Drug Enforcement Administration agents and helicopters on his remote home. Despite the outstanding US charges, Philippe gave media interviews and last year won a seat in Haiti's Senate. With his official swearing-in approaching, he appeared on Thursday in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince for a live radio interview - where Haitian police arrested him and he was quickly flown to Miami. At his initial appearance on Friday, a federal magistrate judge ordered Philippe held without bail and set another hearing next week to determine if he has a permanent lawyer. His temporary lawyer, Richard Dansoh, said he needs time to travel to Haiti to obtain documents and other materials. Philippe could claim his extradition to the US is illegitimate because he has immunity as an elected member of Haiti's Parliament, Mr Dansoh said. "I think I would be foolish if I didn't explore that option," he told reporters. "We have to defend this case." Philippe, dressed in a standard prison jumpsuit and chained at the waist and ankles, spoke briefly at the hearing, telling the judge he would "follow whatever my attorney tells me to do". A three-count indictment charges Philippe with cocaine trafficking conspiracy, money laundering and money laundering conspiracy from 1997 to 2003. Few details were provided, although the document cites one 112,000 US dollar cheque (91,000) routed through financial institutions that included money from drug trafficking. Philippe has long maintained his innocence and blamed the accusations on political enemies. He is likely to enter a formal plea to the charges next Friday. US authorities have previously prosecuted numerous former Haitian officials on drug charges, some of whom may be witnesses in the Philippe case. Before the 2004 uprising, Philippe had been a police chief in the city of Cap-Haitien. Accused of plotting a coup, he fled to the Dominican Republic and then returned to help lead the ultimately successful rebellion. Philippe has lived in recent years in a remote, mountainous part of southern Haiti where his extensive family and business connections appeared to protect him from authorities. About 200 protesters took to the streets on Thursday in the southern town of Jeremie to call for Philippe's release. Other pro-Philippe demonstrators gathered outside a heavily guarded police station where he was taken shortly after his arrest. There were reports of protests on Friday as well. A Haitian police spokesman in the southern Haitian department of Grand d'Anse said that a crowd forced its way into a police station and burned a police vehicle. A US missionary, Casey Lumpkin, said in a Facebook video post that an orphanage where he works in Jeremie was looted by a large mob apparently angered by Philippe's arrest. "They're mad at Americans and they are trying to make all Americans get out of Jeremie and Grand d'Anse," he said from the roof of the orphanage as protesters could be heard below. The US Embassy issued a statement recommending that American citizens in the southern peninsula shelter in place and consider leaving the area when the protests have died down. Radio host Gary-Pierre Paul Charles told The Associated Press the police who arrested Philippe were members of the Haitian anti-drug unit and fired shots into the air to disperse a crowd that had gathered. "It was shocking. People were running everywhere," he told the AP. AP Nana Akufo-Addo waves to his supporters during a presidential election rally in Accra. AP Ghana's newly elected President Nana Akufo-Addo was sworn into office on Saturday in a peaceful handover that stood out in a region facing political crises. Thousands of people gathered in Accra's Independence Square - dressed in the red, blue and white colours of the New Patriotic Party - to witness the swearing in of Akufo-Addo as president and Mahamudu Bawumia as vice president. "My government will provide the vision and shine the light for farmers and entrepreneurs to thrive in the country," Akufo-Addo said at the ceremony, promising an improved economy under his leadership. Akufo-Addo, 72, a former attorney general and foreign minister, won the December 7 election on his third run for Ghana's highest office, defeating incumbent John Dramani Mahama with the largest margin of victory for a presidential candidate since 1996. The race was largely seen as a referendum on how the incumbent party had managed the economy in the long-stable democracy. The new president said Ghana had no excuses for remaining impoverished 60 years after gaining independence from Britain. He also provided assurance that the country would deepen its commitment to democracy, noting his peaceful assumption of power was an important step. Ghana stands as a democratic model in West Africa, a region historically plagued by coups and strongman rule. The country has seen peaceful presidential transitions during every change of government since the country moved from military to democratic rule in 1992. Leaders of other African countries attended Akufo-Addo's swearing-in ceremony. Those from the West African regional bloc also met to discuss the political crisis in Gambia. Gambia's long-time ruler, Yahya Jammeh, has called the vote that pushed him from power not credible, raising worries he will not step down on January 19. AP The government used payouts to appease soldiers after similar incidents in 2014 (Schalk van Zuydam/AP) Heavy gunfire has erupted at a military camp in Ivory Coast's largest city Abidjan, witnesses said, in a sign that a mutiny could be escalating despite government efforts to bring it to a swift end. Shooting also took place for a second day in Bouake, Ivory Coast's second-largest city, as well as in the western city of Man, witnesses said. The US embassy advised staff to keep off roads and to stay near their homes, while France advised restricting travel to the country's interior and avoiding military camps in Abidjan. The mutiny started in Bouake on Friday morning. The government said soldiers are demanding salary increases and a quicker promotion schedule. Officials were expected to meet with soldiers in Bouake on Saturday, and a cabinet meeting was scheduled. President Alassane Ouattara had travelled to Ghana for the inauguration of President Nana Akufo-Addo, but was due to return on Saturday evening. The government used payouts to appease soldiers after similar incidents in 2014. The unrest points to lingering security worries in Ivory Coast, which boasts Africa's fastest-growing economy and is eager to move past its history of conflict. The gunfire on Saturday at the Akouedo camp, located in Abidjan's residential Cocody district, began at around 8am and lasted for about two hours, according to Louise Kouame, who lives nearby. "It's calm for the moment, but we are more and more afraid," Ms Kouame said. Security forces blocked off roads heading towards the camp. In Man, civilians stayed indoors as mutinous soldiers cruised through the streets, resident Herve Singo said. A similar scene played out in Bouake, where gunfire began at 3am and continued for several hours, taxi driver Moussa Fofana said. Appearing on state television on Friday night, defence minister Alain-Richard Donwahi said officials were determined to end what he called a "deplorable" situation. AP Russia announced yesterday that it was beginning to scale down its military intervention in Syria, beginning with the withdrawal of its ageing aircraft carrier after a tour of duty marred by crashed jets and technical problems. General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, said that the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, would leave the Syrian coast after orders from Vladimir Putin to start withdrawing Russian forces. "In accordance with the decision by the supreme commander-in-chief Vladimir Putin, the defence ministry is starting to downsize the grouping of armed forces in Syria," said Gen Gerasimov. The announcement came as fierce fighting continued near Damascus as Syrian regime forces tried to recapture a strategic valley that supplies much of the drinking water for the capital. More than five million people in the area are without water, according to the UN. Gen Gerasimov did not say that Russia was bringing a complete end to its intervention in Syria, which began in September 2015 when Russian jets went into action in support of Bashar al-Assad's regime. But the partial withdrawal is a sign of Moscow's confidence after a year of combat that turned the tide of battle in favour of Mr Assad, and several months of diplomatic activity in which it brokered a ceasefire in Syria and effectively sidelined the US. Russia has wrong-footed opponents before with announcements of a withdrawal from Syria that never materialised. In March, Mr Putin said he was ending Russia's intervention and Western powers expressed cautious hope that the decision could lead to a breakthrough in peace talks. Instead, his forces and continued to bomb Aleppo for another nine months. Russian forces are accused of killing thousands of civilians. Analysts said the withdrawal of the Admiral Kuznetsov may be as much to do with the 30-year-old ship's technical issues as the geopolitical situation. ( Daily Telegraph London) Nisa, eight-year old daughter of police officer Fethi Sekin, who was killed in an attack on Izmir courthouse on Thursday, mourns over her fathers coffin during a funeral ceremony in Izmir, Turkey, yesterday. Photo: Reuters/Hakan Akgun Few can resist the spell of Istanbul. Beyond the cliches of it as a bridge between east and west, Istanbul is one of the great cities of the world, its rich history and centuries-old cosmopolitanism a draw for visitors from across the globe. I lived there for a short period and regularly visit to catch up with native Istanbullu friends or expats who, having fallen for its charms, adopted the city as their own. After a string of attacks in Istanbul over the past year, the latest the horrific targeting of a nightclub on the banks of the Bosporus on New Year's Eve, some of the latter are now weighing up whether they should stay, others have already decided to leave. They say the Istanbul they know and love has changed, its air now heavy with fears of another bombing, another shooting, another strike at the heart of what makes the city so special. Last year also opened with terror when a bombing blamed on jihadists targeted Sultanahmet, the historic centre of the city where much of its Ottoman and Byzantine pasts converge, killing 13 people, all foreign tourists. Two months later a suicide bomber struck Istiklal Street - a pedestrianised shopping thoroughfare I used to live close to, where the atmosphere is a little like Dublin's Grafton Street - killing four. Another bombing in June claimed by Kurdish militants devastated Ottoman-era buildings, and was followed by an attack - blamed on Isil militants - on the city's main airport, a key hub for the region. Nerves were already jangled by the time renegade soldiers attempted a coup in July, prompting the increasingly authoritarian government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to respond with a heavy hand, ordering mass arrests and news blackouts. Journalist friends in Turkey - both Turkish and foreign - find it increasingly difficult to work. Many reporters have been detained or had their credentials withdrawn. Last month, Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for a twin bomb attack outside the home grounds of popular Istanbul team Besiktas, which killed over 40 people. And then just weeks later came the attack on December 31, when a gunman targeted dozens of revellers gathered to welcome the new year at Reina, a flashy club whose customers include Turkish celebrities and foreign tourists. Of the 39 dead, 12 were Turkish and 27 of other nationalities, including Lebanese, Jordanian, Indian, Saudi Arabian, French, Israeli, Canadian and Tunisian - testament to Istanbul's place in the global imagination. In a poignant detail, some of the clubbers, desperate to escape the spray of bullets, jumped into the freezing waters of the Bosporus, which separates Europe from Asia. What made the Reina attack different is that it was the first time Isil explicitly crowed that it had carried out the atrocity, describing it as part of a campaign against Turkey which it described as "the protector of the cross". While critics accuse Turkey of contributing to the rise of Isil, by allowing foreign fighters - some of whom later joined Isil - to flow over its border with Syria in the first years of the uprising against president Bashar al-Assad, Turkey has now become a prime target for the militants as the New Year's Eve attack demonstrates. This is partly due to the fact that the Turkish army is currently conducting a major operation inside Syria against Isil, and the extremists seem determined to retaliate. Drawn into Syria's conflict due to its proximity and since a much-criticised decision by Mr Erdogan and his government to support opposition forces seeking to dislodge Mr Assad, Turkey now finds itself haunted by the fallout, whether through attacks by extremists or emboldened Kurdish militants. Less than two weeks before the Istanbul attack, an off-duty Turkish police officer shot dead the Russian ambassador to Turkey at an art gallery in the capital Ankara, claiming he was seeking revenge for Moscow's bombing of the erstwhile rebel enclave in eastern Aleppo. Apart from the threat posed by foreign Isil militants - the Reina attacker appears to have been from Asia, according to Turkish authorities - the assassination of the Russian ambassador triggered worries of a different sort, that Turkey is grappling with its own indigenous extremism. As some Turkish commentators have pointed out that does not always necessarily manifest itself in violence. Before Isil claimed responsibility for the nightclub attack, several, including renowned Turkish novelist Elif Safak, had noted that in the preceding weeks, there had been an uptick in criticism of New Year's celebrations, including some sinister protests in a number of cities and towns. There will be many questions now over how the threat to Istanbul, and Turkey more generally, might grow this year and how the Turkish authorities will respond to that threat. A further drift into authoritarianism by Mr Erdogan and his government is in no one's interest. The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five people and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida appears to have travelled there specifically to carry out the attack, authorities said. They said they do not yet know why he chose his target and have not yet ruled out terrorism. Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the co-operative suspect, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights have resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. Expand Close A shooting victim is taken to hospital (Taimy Alvarez /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A shooting victim is taken to hospital (Taimy Alvarez /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) FBI agent George Piro said Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked in on a flight from Alaska. "Indications are that he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Mr Piro said. Expand Close Law enforcement officers move in to verify the identity of people in this field just outside the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale (Photo: Reuters) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Law enforcement officers move in to verify the identity of people in this field just outside the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale (Photo: Reuters) "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it is too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Mr Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the US government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. Santiago had not been placed on the US no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, Mr Piro said. The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling on to the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in toilet stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in on Friday to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Expand Close People exit the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People exit the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a holiday, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop to the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." Expand Close Police officers help people seeking cover at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida yesterday after a gunman opened fire in the baggage area. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers help people seeking cover at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida yesterday after a gunman opened fire in the baggage area. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Santiago had been discharged from the National Guard last year after being demoted for unsatisfactory performance. His brother, Bryan Santiago, said on Saturday that his brother had requested psychological help but received little assistance. Esteban Santiago said in August that he was hearing voices, Bryan Santiago said in Spanish on Saturday as he stood outside his family's home. He said he told his brother then to seek help. "How is it possible that the federal government knows, they hospitalise him for only four days, and then give him his weapon back?" Bryan Santiago said. His mother declined to comment as she stood inside the screen door, wiping tears from her eyes. The only thing she said was that Esteban Santiago had been tremendously affected by seeing a bomb explode next to two of his friends when he was around 18 years old while serving in Iraq. When Santiago spoke of mind control at the FBI office in November, agents questioned the agitated and disjointed man before calling police, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press. The official said Santiago was then taken for a mental health evaluation. Mr Piro, who is in charge of the Miami field office, said Santiago clearly indicated at the time that he was not intent on hurting anyone. Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court on Monday, Mr Piro said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag - not a carry-on - and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight on Thursday night, checking in only one piece of luggage - his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why", said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The gunman was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spreadeagled on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding", according to Mr Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Mr Lea said. A shooting victim arrives at Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities say a lone shooter opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, international airport Friday, killing "multiple" people before he was taken into custody. The airport suspended operations as law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene. (Taimy Alvarez/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Travelers are evacuated out of the terminal and onto the tarmac after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Zachary Fagenson Travelers are evacuated out of the terminal and onto the tarmac after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Travelers and airport workers are evacuated out of the terminal after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Police waiting to escort employees and passengers walking outside terminal 2 at the scene of a deadly shooting at Fort LauderdaleAiHollywood International Airport (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) Police waiting to escort employees and passengers walking outside terminal 2 at the scene of a deadly shooting at the Fort LauderdaleAiHollywood International Airport (David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald via AP) People exit the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Law enforcement officers move in to verify the identity of people in this field just outside the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale (Photo: Reuters) Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old who had been treated for mental health issues, opened fire inside the baggage area of the busy airport and was taken into custody at the scene At least five people have been killed in an attack at Fort Lauderdale airport by a gunman who had reportedly previously told the FBI he was being forced to fight for Isil. Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old who had been treated for mental health issues, opened fire inside the baggage area of the busy airport and was taken into custody at the scene. He was carrying military ID and was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt. On Friday night law enforcement officials reportedly said that in November last year, Santiago had told the FBI in Anchorage that voices in his head were forcing him to join and fight for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). Officials said he was not on a watchlist of people suspected of Islamist radicalisation. Santiago had a history of mental illness and had voluntarily checked himself into a mental health facility. There were questions on Friday night over how he was able to retain and transport a firearm, given his history of mental illness and contact with the FBI. Officials said the man had checked in his unloaded weapon in when he boarded a flight in Anchorage. There were also reports there had been an "altercation" on board. Upon arrival in Fort Lauderdale , the man went to load the weapon in the lavatory area and then began shooting. The attack happened around 1pm local time, as the busy airport, which is a major hub between the US, Europe and the Caribbean, was packed with tourists. His brother, Bryan Santiago, said the family had moved to Puerto Rico when Santiago was two-years-old. He served with Alaska's National Guard for around two years and in 2010 was deployed to Iraq for a year. Bryan Santiago said his brother had been fighting with his girlfriend in Alaska. His aunt, Maria Ruiz, who lives in Union City, New Jersey, said that Santiago came back from Iraq "changed". But, she said, he had become a father last year and the birth of his child made him happy. FBI Special Agent George Piro said the authorities are looking at leads in several states and have not ruled out terrorism. "We're looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle," he said Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday, Mr Piro said. Tense The airport remained tense in the hours after the shooting, with reports of further shots heard in other parts of the airport. Hundreds of people were seen running for shelter in live television pictures as witnesses claimed there was a second gunman reports later denied by police. Witnesses told NBC Miami that the gunman silently approached the baggage area and started firing. He did not appear to be targeting anyone in particular, popping off bullets at random. Mark Lea, a 53-year-old financial adviser from Minneapolis, who was in the baggage claim area, said: I was dodging bullets and trying to help people get out of the way. At first we thought it was firecrackers. Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary, was in the airport at the time. Everyone is running, he tweeted. Later, he added: All seems calm now, but the police arent letting anyone out of the airport at least, not where I am. Video posted on Instagram appeared to show several people wounded in the baggage claim area of the terminal. One person was lying in a pool of blood with a head wound. Donald Trump, who takes over as president in a fortnight, said he was following events. Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe! President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. The airport, Americas 21st busiest, sees an average of 73,000 people pass through every day. Security is high at US airports as a routine, following terrorist attacks last year on airports in Brussels and Istanbul. The Florida shooting, like those last year, was in the unsecured area of the airport, which does not have screenings. The attack has raised questions about airport security in the US where it is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag - not a carry-on - and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. According to a law enforcement source baggage claim areas are particularly vulnerable areas, with passengers sitting targets for anybody who has reclaimed a gun from a suitcase. The Swiss cheese of our airports is the baggage area, a federal source told the New York Post. Its the place where all the holes are, because those areas lack the robust security you have in other areas of the airport. Additional reporting by Press Association Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] A combination photo shows four people charged with felonies for the beating of a man with mental health issues Four black people filmed taunting and beating a mentally disabled white man have been refused bail, with a judge in Chicago saying they are accused of such "terrible actions" that they are a danger to society. "Where was your sense of decency?" Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked them on Friday during their first court appearance, sounding baffled that the suspects could be charged with such cruelty toward the 18-year-old victim. The beating was captured on a mobile phone by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media. The graphic footage shows the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded 300 dollars (284) from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder. They also said the beating started in a van when the same attacker became angry that the mother had contacted him asking that her son be allowed to go home. A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water, kiss the floor and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt. The four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crime - one because of the victim's race and the other because of his mental disabilities. On the video, the male suspects use knives to cut the victim's hair and his sweatshirt. One of the females can be seen laughing. A female also laughs as she punches the victim. One of the men pulls the cord from the victim's sweatshirt around the victim's neck and holds him up while the victim groans in pain, according to a document read in court. The victim can be heard screaming when one of the men walks up to him with a knife and asks if he should "shank" him. At one point, the prosecutor said, someone on the video can be heard saying that he did not care if the victim was schizophrenic. The four suspects were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covington's 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. They stood quietly as the prosecutor read the allegations. Some of their relatives also listened, including a woman who wiped tears from her eyes. Defence lawyers portrayed the suspects as hard-working, responsible and religious. Cooper, for example, takes care of his twin brother, who is in a wheelchair. Tanishia Covington has two small children. Her sister attends college and has a job. Hill, the judge was told, goes to church with his grandmother. All four have experienced brushes with the law, some for serious and violent crimes. The incident began on New Year's Eve, when the victim and alleged assailant Jordan Hill met at a suburban McDonald's, and then called his parents later to say he was staying with Hill for a sleepover. Instead, Hill drove the victim around in a stolen van for a couple of days, ending up at a home in Chicago, where two of the other suspects lived, police said. The victim's parents reported him missing Monday evening, two days after last hearing from him. The victim eventually escaped and a police officer spotted him wandering down a street, bloodied and confused. President-elect Donald Trump leaves One World Trade Centre in New York after a meeting with editors at Conde Nast yesterday Photo: Timothy Clary/AFP Donald Trump, the US president-elect, has claimed the focus on Russian hacking during the US election was a "witch hunt" by his political foes, as the four top US intelligence officials travelled to Trump Tower to report on the issue. Mr Trump maintained for months that there was no evidence that Russia was behind hacks of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, despite assurances from US intelligence that the Kremlin was responsible. Expand Close Arnold Schwarzenegger (Getty) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Arnold Schwarzenegger (Getty) Hours before the much-anticipated meeting with the director of national intelligence and chiefs of the CIA, FBI and NSA, Mr Trump downplayed the significance of the hacks. "China, relatively recently, hacked 20 million government names," he told the 'New York Times'. "How come nobody even talks about that? This is a political witch hunt." Mr Trump said he did not want the US to be targeted by hackers, but that cyber attacks during the election were being given undue attention because his opponents had been "embarrassed" by the outcome. "They got beaten very badly in the election. I won more counties in the election than Ronald Reagan," Mr Trump said. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." He wrote yesterday that he had been propelled to the White House by a "movement like never before". "Hillary and the Dems were never going to beat the PASSION of my voters. They saw what was happening in the last two weeks before the [election] and knew they were in big trouble." Mr Trump, who has resisted calls for an investigation into Russian hacking, asked congress to probe a leak of the intelligence report prior to his briefing yesterday. "I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it," he wrote on Twitter. NBC reported on Thursday night that the report identified perpetrators in the DNC hack. Before his intelligence briefing, Mr Trump yesterday visited Conde Nast, the magazine publisher, for a meeting with Anna Wintour, the 'Vogue' editor, and other executives. Among them was Graydon Carter, the 'Vanity Fair' editor who has sparred repeatedly with Mr Trump and once described him as a "short-fingered vulgarian". It also emerged that Mr Trump's administration-in-waiting has told all US ambassadors appointed by President Barack Obama to leave their posts by January 20, when Mr Trump takes office. It would mean the US will be temporarily without ambassadors to Britain, China, Germany and other key allies and rivals. It breaks long-standing precedent in which ambassadors are given a grace period to get their affairs in order and prepare for the arrival of the next president's appointees. Mr Trump is also preparing for a political battle over his central election pledge - a wall on the Mexican border. He is urging congress to provide funds for the wall, despite repeatedly claiming during the campaign that Mexico would foot the bill. Mr Trump now says the US will stump up the money, but demand payment from Mexico after construction. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has taunted Arnold Schwarzenegger for bringing in low ratings in a spin-off from the president-elect's old reality television show 'Celebrity Apprentice'. In a tweet, Mr Trump referred to himself as a "ratings machine" and said Schwarzenegger "got swamped" by comparison. He said "so much for being a movie star" and "now compare him to my season one". Mr Trump added: "But who cares, he supported Kasich and Hillary", referring to Ohio Republican governor John Kasich and Democrat Hillary Clinton, who both ran against him. Schwarzenegger is a moderate Republican who said in October that he would not vote for Mr Trump, calling it a choice of "your country over your party". He is hosting 'The New Celebrity Apprentice', in which Mr Trump retains a producing stake. Schwarzenegger responded by saying the president-elect should work as hard to represent all Americans as he did for TV ratings. The California governor also quoted Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address: "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies". Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Tickets are being handed out on Saturday morning at McCormick Place, a convention centre along Lake Michigan for Barack Obama's final speech Thousands of people have lined up in freezing temperatures hoping to get a ticket to President Barack Obama's farewell speech in his hometown of Chicago. Tickets were being handed out on Saturday morning at McCormick Place, a convention centre on Lake Michigan. Mr Obama plans to speak to supporters there on Tuesday night - carrying on a tradition set in 1796 when George Washington addressed the American people for the last time as president. The President has described the event as "a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey". Tickets are free but had to be picked up in-person. AP JMC Projects India secures new orders of Rs2,277 crore; Stock gains 2.6% JMC Projects (India) Limited (JMC), a leading Civil Engineering and EPC Company has secured new orders of Rs2,277 crores. The details are as follows: Water Projects in India of... November 04, 2022 | 2:08 pm Lupin receives USFDA tentative approval for Drospirenone Tablets Global pharma major Lupin Limited (Lupin) has announced that it has received tentative approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug ... November 04, 2022 | 1:26 pm Bloomberg Report: Pegatron Corp starts production of iPhone 14 in India Pegatron Corp., a Taiwanese contract manufacturer for Apple Inc., has begun producing the most recent iPhone 14 model in India. Pegatron is now the second Apple supplier to manufacture th... November 04, 2022 | 12:48 pm JMC Projects India allots NCDs for Rs100 crore; Stock rallies over 3.5% The Management Committee of the Board of Directors of JMC Projects (India) Limited at its meeting held on November 04, 2022 has allotted 1000 Repo Rate, Unsecured, Rated, Listed, Rede... November 04, 2022 | 12:34 pm Nykaa receives shareholders' approval for bonus issue and ESOP; Stock down 1% The Board of the lifestyle retailer FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited (Nykaa), on October 3, 2022, approved Bonus Issue of Equity Shares in the proportion of 5 (Five) fully paid-up Equity Sh... November 04, 2022 | 12:03 pm There's an entire industry dedicated to giving you the most out of your glass and Drinks International, a magazine that follows trends and reviews some of the best wine, beer and spirits in the world, is one such body - spearheading the cause for the perfect sip. They have been doing this since 1972, after all. Their annual competition, The Worlds 50 Best Bars, celebrates the best drinks from around the world, and this list zeroes in on the top 15 bars from around the world. Recognise a favourite? 1. THE DEAD RABBIT GROCERY & GROG, NEW YORK USP: One Irish bar, countless serious cocktails. Coordinates: 30 Water Street, New York, US deadrabbitnyc.com 2. AMERICAN BAR, LONDON USP: It is said to have been the home of the author of The Savoy Cocktail Book Harry Craddock. The 125-year-old bar has a retro vibe and cocktails to match that. Coordinates: The Savoy, The Strand, London, UK LondonTown.com 3. DANDELYAN, LONDON USP: The drinks here are pure products of perfect engineering which makes the formal ambiance sufferable. Coordinates: Mondrian London, 20 Upper Ground, London, UK Time Out 4. CONNAUGHT BAR, LONDON USP: Plush interiors, walls made up of mirrors and warm lighting - this one has a strong The Great Gatsby vibe. Coordinates: Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, UK Forbes 5. ATTABOY, NEW YORK USP: Snug and hidden away in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan, what Attaboy lets go in terms of space, it more than makes up for with its huge array of cocktails. Coordinates: 134 Eldridge Street, Lower East Side, New York, US Time Out 6. THE GIBSON, LONDON USP: For a place that's just a year old, The Gibson has passed with flying colours. Timeout recommends their Electric Earl cocktail and describes it as a 'knock-out mix of gin, earl grey liqueur, grapefruit juice and a whole host of citrusy ingredients.' Coordinates: 44 Old Street, London, UK DesignMyNight.com 7. EMPLOYEES ONLY, NEW YORK USP: As busy as the place may seem, this place takes food seriously, and their cocktails, twice as much. Coordinates: 510 Hudson Street, New York, US A photo posted by Employees Only (@employeesonlyny) on Dec 6, 2016 at 3:09pm PST 8. NOMAD BAR , NEW YORK USP: Head here for a quick trip back to the 19th century - leather chairs, dark wood surfaces and even a fireplace give it a very, what timeout.com calls, 'mob-movie masculinity.' Coordinates: Nomad Hotel, 10 West 28th Street, New York, US Cool Hunting 9. THE CLUMSIES, ATHENS USP: From an early lunch to mid-evening pastries to tantalising cocktails during late evening - The Clumsies is this century's answer to impatient palates. Coordinates: 105, 61 Praxitelous 30, Athens, Greece Tales of the Cocktail 10. HAPPINESS FORGETS, LONDON USP: Minimalist decor, classic cocktails, consistency and one packed bar. Coordinates: 8-9 Hoxton Square, London, UK Hg2 11. MANHATTAN, SINGAPORE USP: The menu's content is based on popular names from the neighbouhood so that's 'relatable' for you. As may be obvious once you've read the name, the place also boasts an all-American menu. Coordinates: Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore The Ranting Panda 12. THE BAXTER INN, SYDNEY USP: This inn is like first class access to some of the most delicious whiskey, rich blends and potent spirits. If every other place in your neighbourhood has singed your taste buds, this is where they get a kick start. Coordinates: 152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia The Urban List 13. LICORERIA LIMANTOUR, MEXICO CITY USP: Celebrated bartenders make frequent trips here and that only begins to explain the scope of excellent cocktails. Time Out Mexico recommends their baffi julep, with mezcal, artichoke liqueur, mint and grapefruit juice. Coordinates:ALVaro ObregoN 106, CuauhteMoc, Roma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico Denizen Navigator 14. 28 HONGKONG STREET, SINGAPORE USP: Their menu gets a makeover every three years and they say at least 25 new drinks appear each time this happens. They may have started in a place with dried-fish merchants for neighbours at one time, now they've reserved their own spot on Michelin guide. Coordinates: 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore World 15. SPEAK LOW, SHANGHAI USP: Each of its three floors is said to offer its own unique experience, with the differences going as far as ambiance, lighting and even the bill. Coordinates: 579 Fuxing Zhong Lu, Near Ruijin Er Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai Food & Wine (Source) What do you mean? Oh, oh! Bless A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justnbieber) on Jan 3, 2017 at 8:31am PST It's time for all Beliebers to rejoice because if reports are to be believed, Justin Bieber might play in Mumbai in May. Yes, you read that right. According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Bieber might play live at the DY Patil Stadium in May. Why isn't he holding my hand like this? @hotpeoplepost A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justnbieber) on Jan 3, 2017 at 12:45pm PST The report further claims that this would be a whistle-stop visit to Mumbai as part of his`Purpose' tour in Asia. After multiple platinum hits, Grammys and American Music Awards to his credit, Justins stardom and fame shot like a rocket and people love him and his music. After Coldplays grand houseful concert, Justin Biebers concert could be the big thing this year. #justinbieber #purposeworldtour #swag A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justtinn_biiebeer) on Jan 7, 2017 at 1:15am PST Shailendra Singh is rumored to have done all the groundwork to bring Bieber to India, but when people tried reaching out for a confirmation, they received a "no comments please". 1. The Film Fraternity Comes Together To Bid A Final Goodbye To Om Puri - A 'Great Friend' They Lost Too Soon Twitter Many from the film fraternity reached his Andheri residence to pay their last respects to the actor. Also present were his son and second ex-wife Nandita Puri, who could not control her emotions. Om Puris very close friend Shabana Azmi also broke down. 2. After Coldplay's Grand India Debut, Justin Bieber May Perform In Mumbai In May, Claim Reports According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Bieber might play live at the DY Patil Stadium in May. The report further claims that this would be a whistle-stop visit to Mumbai as part of his`Purpose' tour in Asia. 3. Om Puri Once Joked About His Obituary Saying He Always Wanted To Be Remembered For His Smile What #OmPuri told me while referring to his 'future obituary' in #AapKiAdalat Telecast Saturday night at 10 on @indiatvnews pic.twitter.com/Ih8P7FmEDT Rajat Sharma (@RajatSharmaLive) January 6, 2017 A long time back, Om Puri was invited as a guest on Rajat Sharma's chat show and he had joked about his own obituary. The clip that was shared by Rajat Sharma himself shows how Om Puri stood up and enthusiastically cracked a joke about his own obituary and how he wanted the world to remember him after he's gone. 4. Fed Up With 'Atarangi Contestants, Salman Khan Plans To Quit Bigg Boss After This Season Colors According to a report, Salman was overheard saying, "I am so busy with my other commitments, I have quite a lot on my own plate, and then handling some of these atarangi contestants in the Bigg Boss house, is a bit too much. They think that creating all this ruckus will give them more footage, its insane behavior, not sure if I want to handle this." 5. Shahid Kapoor Slams Trolls Targeting Him And Calling Him 'Regressive' For Marrying Mira Twitter In his recent interview, Shahid said, "A mainstream star having an arranged marriage is unique. It is not everyday that a Hindi film hero goes and marries someone no one even knows of. I am an actor. Most parts of my life are up for discussion, by default. It won't stop whether I like it or not. If people cross the line, we do get displeased. But the line itself is wide. We can't be touchy and say, bhai mere baare mein koi baat nahin karega." Deepika Padukone celebrated her 31st birthday away from India but her celebrations were grand in every possible way. She rung in her 31st in Mexico where she attended the premiere of her Hollywood debut xXx: The Return of Xander Cage with co-stars Vin Diesel, Nina Dobrev and Ruby Rose. Twitter Vin Diesel and Deepika are really good friends now and like the ideal bestie, Vin made sure Deepika doesnt miss India at all! Instead, he and Deepikas movie gang ensured that she had the best birthday ever! Twitter From Vin Diesel singing the birthday song to making all of Mexico sing for DP, the birthday celebrations were bloody adorable. Happy birthday to a truly amazing soul. So talented, stunning and regal. Blessed to know you and call you a real friend. #xXxThursdays A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jan 5, 2017 at 9:12am PST Here are all the deets of Deepika's grand birthday party with her Hollywood friends! (P.S: Ranveer, where were YOU?) #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 A gay man was thrown off a bridge in Australia's Queensland for rejecting sexual advances of a married man. The victim, a New Zealander, was left with a broken neck, back and ribs. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the victim Joth Wilson, was found in a mangled state by his 33-year-old husband Maioha Tokotaua under a train bridge in Gladstone, Queensland. FB The medical report of the victim revealed that he sustained critical injuries including brain haemorrhage. The report also stated that Wilson was left with a damaged spinal cord due to which it was nearly impossible for him to walk again. Wilson also has burn marks on his body, indicating that some might have tried to burn him. Tokotaua, his husband, later on, told the investigators that he believed his partner was manhandled by a married man who feared that he could tell his family about the sexual favour he sought from him. I found him after two hours, on the train tracks. He looked mangled, said Wilsons husband Tokotaua, who rushed him to a hospital in Brisbane. There were these guys who had been harassing us for some time after one of them, who is married with children, made an advance that Joth rejected, Tokotaua said. FB There's no money involved, no drugs, no debt, there's just no motive for the attack other than they were intimidated that we might tell their families, he added. We are trying to work out the circumstances as to him being at the bottom of the bridge. The investigation of a third party being involved is still being investigated, said investigators. The victim remains on life support system. Facing pressure from tax and enforcement authorities, banks are not taking any chances in reporting "suspicious transactions" with some of the private players reporting an increase of up to 10 times. BCCL/representational image Sources said that a private bank, which used to report around 275-300 transactions a month, saw the number for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) filings with the Financial Intelligence Unit rise to almost 3,000 during December. Another large bank said that it had seen a seven to eight-fold jump in STRs which were typically made for cash deposits of over Rs 1 crore. Also Read: Rs 169 Crore In Old Notes Were Deposited With Banks In Just Five Days An executive at one of the largest banks said that the number of filings had increased as there were several more alerts in the wake of increased surveillance from tax authorities. "We are being extra cautious. The number of cases that we used to report in a month, we are now doing in a week," said the senior bank official, who did not wish to be named. AP/representational image The enforcement directorate and the tax department have been closely tracking the deposit of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes--especially in private banks-and have also arrest five executives on allegations of illegally helping people convert black money . Also Read: With No Cash To Distribute, Bankers Say That Restrictions On Withdrawal Are Likely To Continue Even After 30 December A series of action, which included ED visiting 50 branches of 10 banks, some of the very prominent that see large transactions. Separately, 547 branches have been identified by tax authorities for heightened scrutiny as they saw abnormal activity compared to the average daily business undertaken by them earlier. AFP/representational image The repeated queries and surveys from the agencies prompted the banks to increase the "alerts". A banker said that various parameters were used for generating the alerts with the non-KYC compliant being one of the key triggers. Similarly, banks looked at the transaction history as one of the other criteria. Also Read: Did You Know The RBI Minted JUST 2,473 Million Rs 2000 Notes For Over A Billion Indians On Nov 8? "If there was a dormant account or one where the volume was very low and suddenly it saw a spurt in the form of large deposits, we decided to play it safe and report it to FIU. We are not taking any chances," said an executive. AP/representational image "Basically, any transaction which we think is suspicious is being reported. We do not want to face the blame," said a bank executive. The government is analysing data on bank deposits and tallying it with tax returns in a bid to go after those who may have sought to use demonetisation as an initiative to deposit unexplained cash. Also Read: I-T Department Ready To Send Notices To Those Who Deposited Black Money After Demonetisation After receiving praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over liquor ban, Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar has decided to double up the length of a human chain planned to raise awareness on the issue. BCCL Nitish Kumar had planned a human chain spanning 5,000 kilometres on January 21 to bolster support among common people on liqour ban. The chain will now be spread over a stretch of 11,000 kilometres. Nitish Kumar now seeks to ensure the participation of over two crore people in the event which is going to be world's biggest and largest on any issue. Though the timing of the human chain is yet to be finalised but it will take place within a span of half an hour. In every district there will be several drones and helicopters for aerial photography. Indian space agency ISRO has also been approached by the state government to capture satellite imagery. BCCL The government has calculated that around 2,000 people can hold each other's hand in a radius of one kilometre and based on this calculation, government hopes that nearly two crore people will participate in completing the chain of 11000 kms. According to state government calculations, 2,000 people can hold each other's hands in a radius of a kilometre. With the target of number of people participating raised to two crore, the area required has been raised as well. AP In Bihar, since liquor prohibition policy was enforced in April last year, more than 16,000 people have been arrested on the charges of either consuming or transporting liquor. There are several petitions filed in the Supreme Court challenging the prohibition policy which has several stringent provisions. Now You can bet rewarded with Rs 2000 if you help an accident victim and take him to a hospital. The Delhi government on Friday approved a Good Samaritan policy in which the government will reward those who help accident victims and take them to the hospital with Rs 2000. This scheme will encourage people to take accident victims to the hospital. Along with Rs 2,000, an appreciation certificate issued by the government will also be given, said deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. AFP This scheme can be a game changer as most people play spectators and don't take the accident victims to a hospital. Now the incentive of Rs 2000 would certainly motivate them to help the person in need. A Supreme Court order with regards to helping accident victims needs to be institutionalised better. That can only be done if people are motivated by giving them assurance that there is a law in place that will protect them. The monetary benefit is a great initiative but money is not the only factor when it comes to helping victims. It is the fear of legal hassles, Saji Cherian, director (operations) of the road safety NGO SaveLife Foundation was quoted in HT. He said that Delhi needs a comprehensive state-specific law for the protection of good samaritans similar to the one passed by Karnataka in November 2016. In 2012, SaveLife Foundation had filed a PIL which led to an SC judgement in 2016. The judgment had issued a list of guidelines protecting good samaritans from legal hassles. A bench comprising justices VP Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra directed the Centre to give wide publicity to the guidelines, which clearly stipulated that people who help a victim of road accidents or other calamities would not be harassed in any way. Pakistan's ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif has been appointed to head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military alliance formed last year to combat terrorism. AFP While rumours about his new role was in circulation even before his retirement, the news about his appointment was confirmed by Pakistan's defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a TV talk show on Friday night. Gen Raheel had retired from service last November and was succeeded by the incumbent General Qamar Javed Bajwa. A recent video of the retired general in Medina at Masjid-e-Nabwi, one the holy sites for Muslims, went viral on social media with people of Pakistani origin chanting slogans, "Long live General Raheel Sharif, pride of Pakistan". AFP Khawaja Asif said that General Raheel's appointment as commander-in-chief of Saudi-led military coalition was made a few days ago and the government was taken into confidence about the decision. "Any such appointment requires proper clearance from the government and the army's General Headquarters (GHQ)," the minister replied when asked if the decision was made in Islamabad or Riyadh. He said Prime Minister was part of the deliberations before assigning this role to Gen Raheel. AFP Pakistan's initial reluctance to join the Saudi-led coalition saw an unusual dent in Islamabad's ties with Riyadh. The Saudi government had approached Islamabad last year for Pakistani warplanes, warships and soldiers to assist in the conflict against Houthi forces in Yemen besides joining the Saudi-led military coalition. The demand, however, was rejected in a joint parliamentary resolution proposing that Pakistan should remain neutral. The Saudi government was so upset with the parliament's role that it had to say - "The Kingdom felt betrayed". Being relying on economic aid from the Saudi Arabia, Islamabad soon pacified Riyadh and had agreed to join its military coalition, an alliance of mostly Sunni states viewed with suspicion by Iran. Looks like being the CEO of Apple isn't reason enough for not completing 'targets'. The company cut Cook's pay by 15% last year to $8.7 million, according to a filing released on Friday. Image Credit: mirror Now you might think Cook wouldn't give a hoot about a 15% pay cut, because his pay might double in the next quarter after all. Well, you aren't wrong. Also, he has a vast holding of Apple stock, so it really won't pinch him much. However Apple fans must be concerned that Apple's revenue dropped 8 percent to $216 billion, while its operating profit declined 16 percent to $60 billion. That was mainly because it sold fewer iPhones for the first time since the device came out in 2007. It also marked the first time that Apple's annual revenue decreased since 2001, which was just before the company's late co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPod. That digital music player set the stage for the iPhone and iPad. File image. Image Credit: USA today Investors are a bit concerned that Apple has become too dependent on the iPhone, and it isn't trying to introduce another breakthrough product since Jobs' death in 2011. One piece of good news is that its stock received a boost due to Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle. The company will reveal how much it benefitted from Samsung's Note 7 disaster by disclosing its quarterly numbers on January 31. (With inputs from AP) Peggy Whitson is an astronaut who keeps on breaking records. AFP When she completed a spacewalk for NASA today, Whitson, who is 56, became the oldest woman to perform one, reported culturess.com. That's no mean feat because the spacewalk was six-and-a-half hours long. When she took off for the International Space Station in November, Whitson became the oldest woman to travel to space - ever. AFP When she finishes her current mission, called Expedition 50/51, Whitson will hold the record for the most time spent in space - 377 days - by any American astronaut. This was her seventh spacewalk And more records will tumble when she commands the next scheduled spacewalk, Expedition 51, reported Mashable. We are ready for our launch tomorrow! All #smiles today during our crew press conference in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. pic.twitter.com/1j8ZMLMOsN Peggy Whitson (@AstroPeggy) November 16, 2016 On her current mission, Whitson will spend six months in space - in fact, she will turn 57 up there next month. The purpose of the mission is a power upgrade on the International Space Station. AP Today's was first of two power upgrade spacewalks. During the six-hour-and-thirty-two-minute spacewalk, the two NASA astronauts successfully installed three new adapter plates and hooked up electrical connections for three of the six new lithium-ion batteries on the International Space Station, NASA scientists wrote in a blog post. Earlier this week, Whitson told the Associated Press that she loves being in space. "I sleep like a baby. I mean, it is amazing the great sleep. Nothing hurts when you're lying in bed. You can sleep the whole night through. It's great." Watch the spacewalk below: Themeeting between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers to find more common ground vis-a-vis ongoing negotiations to resolve the long-standing Cyprus issue again proved fruitless, with the Greek minister, Nikos Kotzias, saying the two sides failed to even reach any progress over related issues. Any extension of an automatic spending cuts mechanism, dubbed the "cutter" by the opposition and media , will be considered an extension of the third bailout memorandum, a spokesman for main opposition New Democracy (ND) party was quoted in an interview over the weekend Emails Were Leaked, Not Hacked By William Binney, Ray McGovern January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - It has been several weeks since the New York Times reported that "overwhelming circumstantial evidence" led the CIA to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin "deployed computer hackers" to help Donald Trump win the election. But the evidence released so far has been far from overwhelming. The long anticipated Joint Analysis Report issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI on Dec. 29 met widespread criticism in the technical community. Worse still, some of the advice it offered led to a very alarmist false alarm about supposed Russian hacking into a Vermont electric power station. Advertised in advance as providing proof of Russian hacking, the report fell embarrassingly short of that goal. The thin gruel that it did contain was watered down further by the following unusual warning atop page 1: "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." Also, curiously absent was any clear input from the CIA, NSA or Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Reportedly, Mr. Clapper will get a chance tomorrow to brief an understandably skeptical Donald Trump, who has called the briefing delay "very strange," even suggesting that top intelligence officials "need more time to build a case." Mr. Trump's skepticism is warranted not only by technical realities, but also by human ones, including the dramatis personae involved. Mr. Clapper has admitted giving Congress on March 12, 2013, false testimony regarding the extent of NSA collection of data on Americans. Four months later, after the Edward Snowden revelations, Mr. Clapper apologized to the Senate for testimony he admitted was "clearly erroneous." That he is a survivor was already apparent by the way he landed on his feet after the intelligence debacle on Iraq. Mr. Clapper was a key player in facilitating the fraudulent intelligence. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put Mr. Clapper in charge of the analysis of satellite imagery, the best source for pinpointing the location of weapons of mass destruction if any. When Pentagon favorites like Iraqi emigre Ahmed Chalabi plied U.S. intelligence with spurious "evidence" on WMD in Iraq, Mr. Clapper was in position to suppress the findings of any imagery analyst who might have the temerity to report, for example, that the Iraqi "chemical weapons facility" for which Mr. Chalabi provided the geographic coordinates was nothing of the kind. Mr. Clapper preferred to go by the Rumsfeldian dictum: "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." (It will be interesting to see if he tries that out on the president-elect Friday.) A year after the war began, Mr. Chalabi told the media, "We are heroes in error. As far as we're concerned we've been entirely successful." By that time it was clear there were no WMD in Iraq. When Mr. Clapper was asked to explain, he opined, without adducing any evidence, that they probably were moved into Syria. With respect to the alleged interference by Russia and WikiLeaks in the U.S. election, it is a major mystery why U.S. intelligence feels it must rely on "circumstantial evidence," when it has NSA's vacuum cleaner sucking up hard evidence galore. What we know of NSA's capabilities shows that the email disclosures were from leaking, not hacking. Here's the difference: Hack: When someone in a remote location electronically penetrates operating systems, firewalls or other cyber-protection systems and then extracts data. Our own considerable experience, plus the rich detail revealed by Edward Snowden, persuades us that, with NSA's formidable trace capability, it can identify both sender and recipient of any and all data crossing the network. Leak: When someone physically takes data out of an organization on a thumb drive, for example and gives it to someone else, as Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning did. Leaking is the only way such data can be copied and removed with no electronic trace. Because NSA can trace exactly where and how any "hacked" emails from the Democratic National Committee or other servers were routed through the network, it is puzzling why NSA cannot produce hard evidence implicating the Russian government and WikiLeaks. Unless we are dealing with a leak from an insider, not a hack, as other reporting suggests. From a technical perspective alone, we are convinced that this is what happened. Lastly, the CIA is almost totally dependent on NSA for ground truth in this electronic arena. Given Mr. Clapper's checkered record for accuracy in describing NSA activities, it is to be hoped that the director of NSA will join him for the briefing with Mr. Trump. US House Shamelessly Grovels to Israel AGAIN By Greg Bacon January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Aletho News " - Yesterday, January 5, the US House put on a shameful display of groveling to Israel, a display even more noxious than their usual butt-kissing of the worlds #1 terror state, Israel, voting to pass HR 11. The House measure , which is non-binding, calls for the UN resolution to be repealed or fundamentally altered so that it is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel and allows all final status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct bilateral negotiation. It also demands that the United States ensures that no action be taken at the Paris Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for January 15, that would impose an agreement on the two sides. One after another House poodle scurried to the podium and swore their love and allegiance to Israel. The ass-kissing was on an industrial scale, all due to the UN asking Israel to stop stealing Palestinian land. One, Dana Rohrabacher from California, was so incensed that the UN dare to ask Israel to obey international law and some treaties that he must of went to the ER afterwards, to get his lips set into a cast. It was the Houses first full official day of business. Youd think they might talk about our collapsing infrastructure or the vet suicide problem, created largely from fighting endless wars for Israel, or address the flagging economy, but no, the House did its Masters bidding. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. Officials Who Pushed the Iraq War Are Now Stirring Up Anti-Russia Hysteria By WashingtonsBlog January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " WashingtonsBlog " - The main U.S. intelligence official pushing claims that Russia hacked the Democratic party is James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence. But Clapper was responsible for a lot of the bogus intelligence which led to the Iraq war. Newsweek reported in 2010: President Obamas nomination of Pentagon intelligence chief James Clapper as intelligence czar could reignite the Bush-era debate over how and why agencies overstated Saddam Husseins weapons-of-mass-destruction arsenal before the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. Clapper played an important role in that estimate; from 2001 to 2006 he headed the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon unit responsible for interpreting spy-satellite photos and other technically gathered intelligence like air particles and soil samples. And now the conservative Washington Times is reviving the argument, reporting that in Clappers judgment the Iraqi dictator evaded the post-invasion WMD search by hiding at least part of the arsenal across the border in shortly before the invasion. Clapper himself told Congress yesterday that his fingerprints were all over the Iraq intelligence estimate. The architect of the NSAs global surveillance system (Bill Binney) and a 27-year CIA veteran who chaired National Intelligence Estimates and personally delivered intelligence briefings to both Democratic and Republican presidents and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Ray McGovern) wrote yesterday: Mr. Clapper has admitted giving Congress on March 12, 2013, false testimony regarding the extent of NSA collection of data on Americans. Four months later, after the Edward Snowden revelations, Mr. Clapper apologized to the Senate for testimony he admitted was clearly erroneous. That he is a survivor was already apparent by the way he landed on his feet after the intelligence debacle on Iraq. Mr. Clapper was a key player in facilitating the fraudulent intelligence. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put Mr. Clapper in charge of the analysis of satellite imagery, the best source for pinpointing the location of weapons of mass destruction if any. When Pentagon favorites like Iraqi emigre Ahmed Chalabi plied U.S. intelligence with spurious evidence on WMD in Iraq, Mr. Clapper was in position to suppress the findings of any imagery analyst who might have the temerity to report, for example, that the Iraqi chemical weapons facility for which Mr. Chalabi provided the geographic coordinates was nothing of the kind. Mr. Clapper preferred to go by the Rumsfeldian dictum: The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. *** A year after the war began, Mr. Chalabi told the media, We are heroes in error. As far as were concerned weve been entirely successful. By that time it was clear there were no WMD in Iraq. When Mr. Clapper was asked to explain, he opined, without adducing any evidence, that they probably were moved into Syria. Similarly, Newsweek called Lindsey Graham: One of the biggest cheerleaders for the Iraq War . John McCain was another of the main Iraq war boosters. Now Graham is calling for throwing rocks, not pebbles at Russia. And McCain is alleging that Russia hacked the U.S. and that it constitutes an act of war. The same thing is true of the mainstream media: the same numbskulls who championed the Iraq war are not stirring up anti-Russian hysteria. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. Obamas Propaganda Gift to Trump By Margaret Kimberley Some members of the ruling classes believe that their survival depends on America controlling or crushing the rest of the world. January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " BAR " - Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign the corporate media, Democratic Party operatives and the pundit class all proclaimed that Donald Trump is a fascist. The fascistic nature of our political, law enforcement and economic systems were conveniently omitted from these warnings, but assertions of Trumps untrustworthiness were repeatedly endlessly. If that characterization has any validity at all then Barack Obamas establishment of a de facto Propaganda Department is a terrible blow to democracy. On December 23, 2016 Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a federal law that is passed every year. NDAA authorizes defense appropriations but it is also used as a Trojan horse to hide attacks on civil liberties. In 2011 the NDAA authorized indefinite detention of anyone deemed a terrorism suspect. Tucked inside this years NDAA was the passage of the Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act which establishes the little known or discussed Global Engagement Center. The title seems benign enough until one reads its mission. The purpose of the Center 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. Obamas establishment of a de facto Propaganda Department is a terrible blow to democracy. In plain English, this act establishes an official propaganda arm of the United States government. Of course there has always been governmental coordination used to spread lies about American foreign policy. The government doesnt even have to work very hard because the corporate media usually march in lock step and repeat their every claim uncritically. But these are dangerous times for the American hegemon. Its ability to continue exercising imperial control has been damaged by foreign governments successfully resisting its efforts and by the election of Donald Trump. Trump has questioned the need for NATO, pledged to end regime change, and to improve relations with Russia. These are reasonable policy decisions or rather they would be if the world wide neo-liberal regime didnt feel so threatened. What should be simple disagreements are treated as omens of the end of the world. Perhaps they do signal the end for some members of the ruling classes who believe that their survival depends on America controlling or crushing the rest of the world. The Global Engagement Center makes real the Democratic Party plan to silence dissent and create a network of propaganda partners. The act provides for grant making appropriations to civil society groups, media content providers, nongovernmental organizations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies or academic institutions This act establishes an official propaganda arm of the United States government. The recent Washington Post/Jeff Bezos/Democratic Party effort to name websites such as Black Agenda Report as agents of Moscow will now be official government policy. The anonymous minders of the Is it Propaganda or Not site will no longer have to be invisible. They can come out of the closet and apply for grant money just like a university or an NGO with all the right connections. They can then work hand in hand with the bipartisan war party as it demonizes and silences anyone who refuses to make common cause with their schemes. The head of this Global Engagement Center will be appointed by the president and that means Donald Trump. On the one hand we are told that Trumps presence in the White House is a fundamental danger to democracy. But in true presidential fashion Obama has handed off to Trump what he thinks is most important to continue. That is a consistent pattern from one administration to the next. Despite any differences they may highlight before an election, they all act like made men in the gangster clique after the votes are cast. Presidents pardon one another and their associates, and in so doing let criminals go free. Trump wont lock up Hillary Clinton because he will want his successor to let him off the hook for any crimes he should commit during his term in office. The man whom Obama labeled unfit for the presidency will now be the propaganda commander-in-chief. They all act like made men in the gangster clique after the votes are cast. While Democrats wait for inauguration day in nervous anticipation of Trump policy changes the rulers continue to ignore them. Obama hasnt spoken to the concerns of the rank and file since Election Day. He has, however, repeated warnings about fake news and Russian influence. His legacy is dead, a sham. His signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, will be repealed. All of his foreign policy machinations have come to nothing. His interference in Ukraine and regime change attempt in Syria succeeded in bringing Russia and China closer together to counter American influence. Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran meet to discuss the future and fortunately do so without an American presence. Vladimir Putin no longer bothers with trying to engage the people he used to call our American partners. When Obama expelled Russian diplomats in a fit of impotent pique, Putin declined to do the same. Why bother when he knows he has won. Progressives are being exhorted to protest Trump on January 20th and fight back against Republican policies. That is a good and worthy goal but it will also mean fighting against Democratic Party treachery. There should be no reason for dismay or consternation when Trump appoints the Global Engagement Center chief propagandist. After all, Barack Obama, the darling of many progressives, will have laid the groundwork for his fascist successor. Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well as at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. End of the US Empire: Russian Warships Just Arrived in the Philippines By Darius Shahtahmasebi January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " ANTIMEDIA " - Notable American foreign policy critic and linguist, Professor Noam Chomsky, has stated numerous times that the United States power has steadily been declining since the end of World War II. As Chomsky notes, in 1945, the United States had literally half the worlds wealth, incredible security, controlled the entire Western Hemisphere, both oceans, [and[ the opposite sides of both oceans. In that context and in the context of the United States waging war in multiple countries across the globe with the most advanced military technology in the world it is hard to understand how this has happened. But Chomsky is not wrong. Beginning with what was referred to as the loss of China in the 1940s, the United States slowly began to lose areas of Southeast Asia, which led America to brutally launch the Indochina wars. As Chomsky notes, by destroying South Vietnam in the heavily criticized Vietnam War a move designed to prevent Vietnam from achieving independence and perhaps becoming a Communist state the U.S. sent a message to the rest of Indochina that if a nation attempted to break free of U.S-European control, it would likely be bombed into oblivion. The strategy worked at the time; as Chomsky notes, by 1965, every country in the region had dictatorships that were prepared to rule in a way suitable to Americas foreign policy interests. As recent developments in the Asian region have shown, however, the success of this bully-style strategy has been short-lived indeed. Regardless, the United States has also lost South America. According to Chomsky, the loss of South America is easily observable: One sign is that the United States has been driven out of every single military base in South America. Were trying to restore a few, but right now there are none. Over the course of the last few decades, the United States has begun to lose the Middle East, as well. In Iraq, the United States helped support Saddam Husseins rise to power and went so far to support his war of aggression against neighboring Iran. Then, the U.S. turned its back on Hussein, attacking Iraq in 1991 under the presidency of George H.W. Bush. As a result, the U.S. learned at least one valuable lesson from bombing Iraq in the early nineties: that Russia was not going to intervene in Americas ambitions in the Middle East. The Middle East was, therefore, ripe for the taking, and this continued to be the case up until the Syrian war. What people fail to understand, however, is that the United States is not bombing the Middle East into submission because of its immense power, but because it is losing its power, influence, and control throughout the region. As should be quite clear to anyone following the conflict, Russia has replaced the United States as judge, jury, and executioner (and supposed peace broker) in the five-year Syrian war, successfully retaking the major city of Aleppo from NATO-backed rebel groups. Russias advances in the Middle East have spilled over to the rest of the world. In October of last year, the U.S. officially lost its stranglehold over the Philippines. Though it was previously seen as an integral ally U.S. ally vital to countering Chinas influence in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines openly and proudly boasted about their new ties with Russia and China. As it transpires, the Philippines has put its money where its mouth is. Russian warships arrived in Filipino territory this Tuesday. According to the Philippines Navy, the visit is merely a goodwill visit, but the future of joint exercises is to be discussed. A report from Russias state-run Sputnik News seemed to contradict this, stating the ships were there specifically to conduct joint exercises with Philippine forces for the purposes of fighting maritime piracy and terrorism. You can choose to cooperate with United States of America or to cooperate with Russia, Russian Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov said, speaking at the Manila Harbor. But from our side we can help you in every way that you need. We are sure that in the future well have exercises with you. Maybe just maneuvering or maybe use of combat systems and so on. Mikhailov also seemed to indicate that other players in the region, such as China and Malaysia, would coordinate with the potential training exercises within the next few years. Russia has also offered the Philippines sophisticated weaponry, including aircraft and submarines. The United States has only one move left: surround Russias borders with NATO troops and missiles, which they are doing quite rapidly. Sooner or later, however, the United States will have to admit its very real decline in world standing and will have no choice but to learn to coordinate global affairs with the likes of Russia and China. Lets face it what is the alternative? The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. Mind Manipulations to Influence Election Results By Peter Koenig January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Hacking to influence election results? Ridiculous! That may have been a thing of the past. Or not even. Its an evil invention of the evil losers of the evil Hillary camp, supported by a criminal departing President Obama, who will be leaving office, of course, not with a bang, not even with a whimper, but with a disgrace for his nation and for the truth loving people all around the world. What a legacy the first African-american US President leaves behind the architect of thousands of indiscriminate and illegal drone killings, by starting five new wars, being currently involved in seven unjustified and illegal armed conflicts around the globe, killing millions of people and, finally, as a miserable liar. Already back in August 2016, NSA whistleblower William Binney stated on Aaron Klein Investigative Radio that the Democratic National Committees (DNC) server was not hacked by Russia, but by a disgruntled US intelligence worker. Binney went on to proclaim that the NSA has all of Clintons deleted emails, and the FBI could gain access to them if they so wished. He concluded that there was no need for Trump to ask the Russians for the emails, he could just ask the FBI or NSA to hand them over. So, one of President Obamas last deeds in this illustrious office of the Presidency of the United States, is lying to the American people and lying to the world. Bravo! The truth behind Donald Trumps surprise election may lay somewhere else. Its called Psychometrics, a method based on massive behavioral data collection of people to be targeted by propaganda, or more accurately expressed by mind manipulation. This PR technology has been marketed and applied by a small London-based data analysis firm, called Cambridge Analytica. The research firm first worked for Republican Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator from Texas, who was little known by most Americans. Cambridge Analytica increased his popularity to 40%, but not enough to win the Republican nomination. The data analysis firm was then hired by Trumps campaign team successfully as it appears. In this 11-minute YouTube, Alexander Nix, CEO of Cambridge Analytica, explains the method on the case of Ted Cruz. https://youtu.be/n8Dd5aVXLCc . As reported by the Swiss newspaper, Tagesanzeiger (TA), Psychometrics, or Psychographics, as such is not new. It was developed in the 1980s, as a scientific tool to help determine peoples personalities. Psychologists concluded that every trait of a persons character can be categorized into five personality dimensions. The system is called OCEAN, for Openness, Consciousness, level of Extraversion, Amicability (compatibility) and Neuroticism. In this regard, Cambridge Analyticas CEO claims that based on about 70 Facebook-Likes, they can determine with 95% accuracy whether a person is black or white, with 88% accuracy whether he/she is homosexual and with 85% accuracy whether he /she is a Democrat or Republican. With 150 Likes he knows a person better than his / her parents, and with 300, better than his / her partner. These are impressive claims. But Are they correct? Many critics dispute them, mainly arguing there is no proof that targeted people (i) actually do vote, and (ii) that they vote according to their profile. In any case, it would be difficult to verify to what extent Cambridge Analytica helped Donald Trump to win the elections. Cambridge Analytica also claims credit for the BREXIT vote. Facebook entries are not the only input to Big Data. In addition to tens of thousands of likes collected, data on peoples google browsing, eating and consumer habits, what cosmetics and rock bands they like, whether they are drug, cigarettes and / or alcohol addicts, or just users, what type of alcohol, brand or type of car they prefer, their banking customs, even the speed with which they remove their cell phone from their pockets when it rings and-so-on are also entered into Big Data. We are indeed living in the age of no holds barred as far as disrespect for privacy and universal data collection is concerned. As long as we let it happen, it will only get worse. Hundreds of thousands of people are literally being profiled for targeted and personalized propaganda messages to convince segments of people and individuals of think-alikes to vote for or against a candidate. The TA concludes, thats why Trumps campaign messages were often contradictory and confusing, difficult to establish a clear picture of where he really stands. This is still the case today. According to Cambridge Analytica, in the olden days, social research firms had to get people filling-in cumbersome questionnaires, based on demographics. Today this approach is outdated. We have internet and Facebook. Not all women, blacks, Hispanics, gays, straights vote alike. This false assumption was still used by Hillarys campaign and demonstrated to be deceptive. Even though Hillary had about 2.7 million more popular votes, she lost the election by electorates. Cambridge Analytica worked on swing states. Within these States, they targeted specifically the vulnerable or undecided, or motivated those with no intention to vote to get off their butts and cast their vote for Trump, or against Hillary, depending on their profile. For example, Haitians in Florida, who had no intention to vote, but would have leaned Democratic, i.e. for Hillary, were targeted with propaganda describing the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and how the Clintons ruined Haitis economy. So they went to vote for Trump as an anti-Clinton vote. At least this was the plan and apparently, it worked in sufficient cases to be effective. Although we will never know for sure to what extent Cambridge Analytica has contributed to Trumps election win, we can be certain that the method, inexpensive as compared to demographic profiling, will be used masively in the future, most certainly in the upcoming elections in France and the Netherlands (Spring 2017) and Germany (Fall 2017). Thanks goodness for President Putin (I must have said this many times before) to give Mr. Obama and all the people around him, a lesson on how to behave like a statesman and not like a losing looney what he is. President Putin did not retaliate Obamas flagrant lie-based expelling of 35 Russian diplomats with families just before New Years Eve, in full preparation of year-end festivities. Instead he invited US diplomats in Moscow and their kids to celebrate the year-end festivities with their Russian colleagues. Obamas act of cowardice was framed as sanction for Russian interference in US elections a blatant lie. Mr. Obama, the master puppet of the deep state that pulls the strings on his lips and mind he, (nominally) President Obama, knows its a sham. Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the Resistance . The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. Congress Grovels Before the CIA as it Escalates Russian Hacking Hysteria By Patrick Martin January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " WSWS " - The political firestorm over allegations of Russian hacking in the US presidential election campaign reached a new peak with the hearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, where three top intelligence officials testified for several hours. The three officials refused to provide any evidence to support the claims that the Russian government directed hacking into the email of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Nor is there any such evidence in the 50-page report the intelligence agencies delivered to President Obama Thursday, to be followed by briefings of congressional leaders and President-elect Donald Trump on Friday. According to the Washington Post, US officials said there are no major new bombshell disclosures even in the classified report, let alone the declassified version that is to be made public on Monday. This did not stop the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain, from describing the alleged hacking as an act of war and repeatedly urging the intelligence officials to embrace that terminologylanguage with the most ominous implications, given that the United States and Russia, between them, control more than 95 percent of the worlds nuclear weapons. McCains bellicose comments were echoed by committee Democrats, who attacked Trump for his Twitter comments citing the lack of evidence of any Russian involvement and noting that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has publicly denied that Russia was the source for Democratic Party emails his organization made public. Given the incessant campaign to transform the alleged hacking into a pretext for war with nuclear-armed Russia, let us conduct a reality check. What was actually uncovered by the hacking into the DNC and the Clinton campaign? The material released by WikiLeaks exposed two major facets of the 2016 presidential campaign: the deliberate sabotage of the Bernie Sanders campaign by the DNC leadership, which put its thumb on the scale in favor of Clinton; and the abject subordination of Clinton to the financial aristocracy, documented in the transcripts of her speeches to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms. The term hacking the election has been thrown about, although US intelligence agencies have said there is no evidence that a single ballot was miscast or miscounted as a result of electronic interference with the conduct of the vote. The sole consequence of the alleged hacking was the publication of true information about actions by Democratic Party officials and Clinton herself that discredited her campaign. It is this which the Democrats and their media supporters wish to suppress. Press reports Thursday readily conceded that the crime in question was not the hacking of the material from the DNC and Podesta, but the delivery to WikiLeaks to make it public. The New York Times wrote that the alleged Russian hacking group is blamed not just for taking emails from the DNC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Mr. Podesta, but also making them public, an action which amounted to turning a traditional espionage operation into an attempt to influence the election A Washington Post columnist acknowledged, We will stipulate that governments regularly spy on each other, and the United States also gathers intelligence on governments like Russia, China and India. The difference here is that intelligence operations allegedly led to the release of information to the public, via WikiLeaks and media coverage. Here, to put it plainly, is the real crime, as far as the US ruling elite is concerned: someonethe identity of the actual leaker or hacker is irrelevantgave the American people access to material that documented the conspiracy of Democratic Party leaders against the democratic rights of the members of their own party who supported Sanders, and also demonstrated the class interests served by Hillary Clinton, the favorite of the party establishment. It is remarkable that in the vast media furor over the alleged Russian hacking, there has been almost no reference to the content of the material revealed. The attitude of press organs of big business such as the New York Times and the Washington Post suggests that if one of their reporters had received the DNC emails from an unknown sourceas a Times reporter supposedly received Donald Trumps tax returnthe editors would have suppressed the information. In fact, it is more than likely that this is exactly what happened. No one has asked the Times or the Post when they first learned of the DNC campaign against Sanders or received transcripts of Clintons speeches to Wall Street. It is doubtful that WikiLeaks was the first media outlet to do so. But WikiLeaks conducted themselves as actual journalists, not stenographers for the CIA and Pentagon, and made the secret documents public, damaging the candidate who was the overwhelming favorite of the military-intelligence leadership. For that and other exposures, Julian Assange has earned the undying hatred of American imperialism and its servantsand the thanks of the international working class. And what of Senator Sanders himself, and his liberal ally Senator Elizabeth Warren? As the campaign over alleged Russian hacking has unfolded in the media, these political cowards have prostrated themselves before the intelligence agencies. This fact exposes yet again the absurdity of their pretense to represent an opposition. They share the basic class outlook of the entire political establishment, Democratic and Republican, which regards the military-intelligence apparatus as its last line of defense against the working class, at home and abroad. At Thursdays hearing, Republicans and Democrats took turns urging the spy chiefs to denounce Assange for the publication by WikiLeaks of US military and diplomatic communications that document war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and conspiracies against governments around the worldactivities that make hacking the email of the DNC pale by comparison. The New York Times wrote, The gathering was extraordinary as much for its context as its contenta public, bipartisan display of support for the intelligence community that seemed aimed, at times, at an audience of one (i.e., Trump). Senators from the two partiesmost of whom supported the Iraq war on the basis of lies about weapons of mass destructionseemed to be in competition to demonstrate the most abject loyalty to the intelligence agencies. They were all speaking from talking points supplied by the intelligence agencies and the Pentagon. Senator Joseph Donnelly, an Indiana Democrat, was the most sycophantic, telling the spy chiefs that in a truth-telling competition with Assange and WikiLeaks, Were on your side every time. This theme was elaborated explicitly in an editorial in the Thursday edition of the Washington Post, which berated Trump for dismissing the claims of Russian hacking of the Democrats, which it described as an effort to deny reality. Declaring that Trump would soon have to rely on intelligence pros to help him conduct US foreign policy, the editorial asked, Why does Mr. Trump give Mr. Assange more weight than the U.S. intelligence agencies? Trump seemed to retreat in the face of the media barrage, tweeting his disapproval of Assange and his love for the intelligence agencies. But the Posts question should be turned back on the newspaper itself. Why should anyone believe Assange? Because WikiLeaks has conducted actual journalistic investigation, uncovering evidence of US government crimes and making it public. The intelligence agencies, by contrast, are proven liars. No senator challenged the veracity of the panel of witnesses, who were headed by retired general James Clapper, the director of national intelligence. By rights, Clapper should have been jailed for perjury after his sworn testimony before Congress in March 2013. Asked point-blank, Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans? Clapper responded with the flat denial, No, sir. Three months later, Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA has hundreds of programs to collect the telecommunications and Internet activities not only of every American, but of every human being on the planet. The public, bipartisan display of support for the intelligence community is aimed at delegitimizing any opposition to the numberless crimes committed by the US military-intelligence apparatus against the population of the world, including the American people, on a daily basis. The CIA is an organization dripping with blood, detested by hundreds of millions around the world, including in the United States, as the instigator of countless coups, massacres, assassinations and wars. From Iran in 1953 and Guatemala in 1954, to Indonesia in 1965 and Chile in 1973, to the bloodbaths in Central America in the 1980s, to todays mass repression in Egypt and drone warfare in a dozen countries, the CIA is a byword for criminality. On Thursday, dozens of US senators prostrated themselves before the intelligence agencies. Some 40 years before, in a similar committee room, senators took sworn testimony about how the CIA had been running a Murder Incorporated in Latin America, Africa and Asia. That investigation was a byproduct of the Watergate crisis that forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon. At the time, it was revealed that former CIA personnel had been employed at Nixons Committee for the Re-Election of the President, or CREEP, and were involved in organizing the burglary of the Watergate hotel. The congressional inquiry led to the exposure of illegal spying on the American people and the infiltration of government agents into antiwar, civil rights, labor and socialist organizations. Four decades ago, it was possible for the US ruling elite to conduct a limited reform of the CIA, which amounted to removing a few discredited officials and setting some limits on the agencys operationslimits that were quickly breached in practice. Today, even such a largely cosmetic exercise is impossible. Instead, the intelligence agencies demand unquestioning loyalty, and the Democrats and the media salute. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. Copyright 1998-2017 World Socialist Web Site - A Case Study in the Creation of False News By Paul Craig Roberts January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - For many weeks we have witnessed the extraordinary attack by the CIA and its assets in Congress and the media on Donald Trumps election. In an unprecedented effort to delegitimize Trumps election as the product of Russian interference in the election, the CIA, media, senators and representatives have consistently made wild accusations for which they have no evidence. The CIAs message to Trump is clear: Get in line with our agenda, or we are going to mess you over. It is clear that the CIA is warring against Trump. But the CIAs media assets have turned the facts on their head and are blaming Trump for having a negative view of the CIA. Consider the January 4 Wall Street Journal article by Damian Paletta and Julian E. Barnes, which begins: President-elect Donald Trump, a harsh critic of U.S. intelligence agencies . . . The two presstitutes set up their false news story by putting the shoe on the other foot. It is Trump who is the harsh critic rather than the victim of the CIAs harsh accusations. Set up this way, the story continues: White House officials have been increasingly frustrated by Mr. Trumps confrontations with intelligence officials. Its appalling, the official said. No president has ever taken on the CIA and come out looking good. Now that the story is Trump taking on the CIA and not the CIA taking on Trump, the case can be built against Trump: Analysts accustomed to more cohesion with the White House are jarred by Trumps skepticism of the CIAs assessment that Putin got him elected. Trump is supposed to respond to the allegation by saying: I am not legitimate. Here take back the presidency. WikiLeaks Assange has stated unequivocally that there was no hack. The information came to WikiLeaks as a leak, which suggests that it came from inside the Democratic National Committee. That Trump sees it this way means, according to one unidentified official that Its pretty horrifying to me that hes siding with Assange over the intelligence agencies. You see, Trump is supposed to side with the CIA which is trying to destroy him. Has the CIA shot itself in both feet? How can the agency control policy by manipulating the information fed to the President when the President does not trust the agency? Well, there is the media which can be used to control explanations and to box in the President. In his just published book, The CIA As Organized Crime, Douglas Valentine reports that by the early 1950s the success of the CIAs Operation Mockingbird delivered into CIA hands respected members of the New York Times, Newsweek, CBS, other communication organizations plus stringers, coming to four to six hundred human media assets. And it didnt end there. The CIA established a strategic intelligence network of magazines and publishing houses, as well as student and cultural organizations, and used them as front organizations for covert operations, including political and psychological warfare operations directed against American citizens. In other nations, the program was aimed at what Cord Meyer called the Compatible Left, which in America translates into liberals and pseudo-intellectual status seekers who are easily influenced. All of that is ongoing, despite being exposed in the late 1960s. Various technological advances, including the internet, have spread the network around the world, and many people dont even realize they are part of it, and theyre promoting the CIA line. Assads a butcher, they say, or Putin kills journalists, or China is repressive. They have no idea what theyre talking about, but they spout all this propaganda. And there is Udo Ulfkotte, who drawing on his experience as an editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote a book in which he reports that the CIA has a hand on every significant journalist in Europe. Some who champion truth hope that the shrinking influence of the CIA controlled print and TV media will impair the Deep States ability to control explanations. However, the CIA, State Department, and apparently the Pentagon as well, are already operating in social media, and they use trolls in comment sections to discredit truth-tellers. The New York Times editors have revealed themselves as complete tools of the CIA, endorsing every absurd claim about Russian hacking despite the total absence of any proof or indeed of any evidence of hacking, and denouncing Trump for not believing the unsupported allegations of US intelligence agencies. In the face of John Brennan and James Clappers efforts to delegitimize the presidency of Donald Trump, the NYTimes asks: What plausible reason could Donald Trump have for trying so hard to discredit Americas intelligence agencies and their finding that Russia interfered in the presidential election? http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/opinion/donald-trump-casts-intelligence-aside.html?_r=0 That question prompts a question of its own: What plausible reason could the NYTimes have for trying so hard to discredit the presidency of Donald Trump on the basis of wild unsupported allegations? The fake news is proliferating. Today (January 6) Reuters reported: The CIA has identified Russian officials who fed material hacked from the Democratic National Committee and party leaders to WikiLeaks at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin through third parties, according to a new US intelligence report, (unnamed) senior US officials said on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-cyber-celebrate-idUSKBN14P2NI Perhaps what Reuters meant to say but did not is this: Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that the CIA has identified the Russian officials who fed the hacked emails to WikiLeaks, but the official did not tell Reuters who the Russian officials are or how they identified them. In other words, the Reuters story is just another CIA planted storya favor from a media asset. As Udo Ulfkotte told us, this is how it works. Next Reuters tells us that the report is Top Secret, which, of course, means that we will never see any evidence in behalf of the CIAs allegation. We are supposed to trust that the CIA has the information but cant tell us. The Reuters report doesnt see anything unusual in this. Another favor by an asset. In Reuters favor-laden news report, Reuters tell us that the hacked material reached WikiLeaks from Russias military intelligence agency via a circuitous route so that Assange did not know the origin of the material and thus could say that it was not given to him by a state agency. What could be going on here? Several things come to mind. Perhaps there is an effort to force Assange to reveal his source (which could be that DNC staffer who was mysteriously shot down in the street) as this would be a surefire way of getting rid of WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks has never revealed a source. Once it does, no further leaks will flow to WikiLeaks. Another possibility is that by persistently making wild unsupported accusations that Trump was elected by Putin, the CIA is making it clear to Trump that they are playing for keeps. Trump is a strong man, but dont be surprised if he comes out of the briefing with the CIA accepting their story as he might be brought to the realization that the alternative to compliance with the CIA could be death. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order . The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. Inquiry Points Toward a Pentagon Plot to Subvert Obamas Syria Policy By Gareth Porter January 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Truth Dig " - Airstrikes by the United States and its allies against two Syrian army positions Sept. 17 killed at least 62 Syrian troops and wounded dozens more. The attack was quickly treated as a non-story by the U.S. news media; U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the strikes were carried out in the mistaken belief that Islamic State forces were being targeted, and the story disappeared. The circumstances surrounding the attack, however, suggested it may have been deliberate, its purpose being to sabotage President Obamas policy of coordinating with Russia against Islamic State and Nusra Front forces in Syria as part of a U.S.-Russian cease-fire agreement. Normally the U.S. military can cover up illegal operations and mistakes with a pro forma military investigation that publicly clears those responsible. But the air attack on Syrian troops also involved three foreign allies in the anti-Islamic State campaign named Operation Inherent Resolve: the United Kingdom, Denmark and Australia. So, the Pentagon had to agree to bring a general from one of those allies into the investigation as a co-author of the report. Consequently, the summary of the investigation released by CENTCOM on Nov. 29 reveals far more than the Pentagon and CENTCOM brass would have desired. Thanks to that heavily redacted report, we now have detailed evidence that the commander of CENTCOMs Air Force component attacked the Syrian army deliberately. The Motives Behind a Pentagon Scheme Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and the military establishment had a compelling motive in the attack of Sept. 17namely, interest in maintaining the narrative of a new Cold War with Russia, which is crucial to supporting and expanding the budgets of their institutions. When negotiations on a comprehensive cease-fire agreement with Russia, including provisions for U.S.-Russian cooperation on air operations against Islamic State and Nusra Front, appeared to gain traction last spring, the Pentagon began making leaks to the news media about its opposition to the Obama policy. Those receiving the leaks included neoconservative hawk Josh Rogin, who had just become a columnist at The Washington Post. After Secretary of State John Kerry struck an agreement Sept. 9 that contained a provision to set up a Joint Integration Center (JIC) for U.S.-Russian cooperation in targeting, the Pentagon sought to reverse it. Carter grilled Kerry for hours in an effort to force him to retreat from that provision, according to The New York Times. Lobbying against the JIC continued the following week after Obama approved the full agreement. When the commander of the Central Commands Air Force component, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigan, was asked about the JIC at a press briefing Sept. 13, he seemed to suggest that opponents of the provision were still hoping to avoid cooperating with the Russians on targeting. He told reporters that his readiness to join such a joint operation was going to depend on what the plan ends up being. But the Pentagon also had another motive for hitting Syrian troops in Deir Ezzor. On June 16, Russian planes attacked a remote outpost of a CIA-supported armed group, called the New Syrian Army, in Deir Ezzor province near the confluence of Iraq, Syria and Jordan. The Pentagon demanded an explanation for the attack but never got it. For senior leaders of the Pentagon and others in the military, a strike against Syrian army positions in Deir Ezzor would not only offer the prospect of avoiding the threat of cooperating with Russia militarily, it would also be payback for what many believed was a Russian poke in the U.S. eye. The Evidence in the Investigation Report On Sept. 16, Gen. Harrigan, who also headed the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at al-Udeid airbase in Qatar, set in motion the planning for the attack on the two Syrian army positions. The process began, according to the investigation report, on Sept. 16, when Harrigans command identified two fighting positions near the Deir Ezzor airport as belonging to Islamic State, based on drone images showing that the personnel there were not wearing uniform military garb and, supposedly, displayed no flags. But, as a former intelligence analyst told me, that was not a legitimate basis for a positive identification of the sites as Islamic State-controlled because Syrian army troops in the field frequently wear a wide range of uniforms and civilian clothing. The report contains the incriminating revelation that the authorities at CAOC had plenty of intelligence warning that its identification was flat wrong. Before the strike, the regional station of the Distributed Common Ground System, which is the Air Forces primary intelligence organ for interpreting data from aerial surveillance, contested the original identification of the units, sending its own assessment that they could not possibly be Islamic State. Another pre-strike intelligence report, moreover, pointed to what appeared to be a flag at one of the two sites. And a map of the area that was available to intelligence analysts at CAOC clearly showed that the sites were occupied by the Syrian army. Harrigan and his command apparently claimed, implausibly, that they were unaware of any of this information. Further evidence that Harrigan meant to strike Syrian army targets was the haste with which the strike was carried out, the day after the initial intelligence assessment was made. The investigation summary acknowledges that the decision to go ahead with a strike so soon after the target had been initially assessed was a violation of Air Force regulations. It had started out as a deliberate target development processone that did not require an immediate decision and could therefore allow for a more careful analysis of intelligence. That was because the targets were clearly fixed ground positions, so there was no need for an immediate strike. Nevertheless, the decision was made to change it to a dynamic targeting process, normally reserved for situations in which the target is moving, to justify an immediate strike on Sept. 17. No one in Harrigans command, including the commander himself, would acknowledge having made that decision. That would have been a tacit admission that the attack was far more than an innocent mistake. The Deir Ezzor strike appears to have been timed to provoke a breakdown of the cease-fire before the JIC could be formed, which was originally to be after seven days of effective trucemeaning Sept. 19. Obama added a requirement for the completion of humanitarian shipments from the Turkish border, but the opponents of the JIC could not count on the Syrian government continuing to hold up the truck convoys. That meant that Harrigan would need to move urgently to carry out the strike. Perhaps the single most damaging piece of evidence that the strike was knowingly targeting Syrian army bases is the fact that Harrigans command sent the Russians very specific misleading information on the targets of the operation. It informed its Russian contact under the deconfliction agreement that the two targets were nine kilometers south of Deir Ezzor airfield, but in fact they were only three and six kilometers away, respectively, according to the summary. Accurate information about the locations would have set off alarm bells among the Russians, because they would have known immediately that Syrian army bases were being targeted, as the U.S. co-author of the investigation report, Gen. Richard Coe, acknowledged to reporters. Who is in charge in Washington? Gen. Harrigans strike worked like a charm in terms of the interests of those behind it. The hope of provoking a Syrian-Russian decision to end the cease-fire and thus the plan for the JIC was apparently based on the assumption that it would be perceived by both Russians and Syrians as evidence that Obama was not in control of U.S. policy and therefore could not be trusted as a partner in managing the conflict. That assumption proved correct. When Russias ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, spoke to reporters at a press briefing outside a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on the U.S. attack on Syrian troops, he asked rhetorically, Who is in charge in Washington? The White House or the Pentagon? Seemingly no longer convinced that Obama was in control of his own military in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled the plug on his U.S. strategy. Two days after the attacks, Syria announced, with obvious Russian support, that the cease-fire was no longer in effect. The political-diplomatic consequences for Syrians and for the United States, however, were severe. The Russian and Syrian air forces began a campaign of heavy airstrikes in Aleppo that became the single focus of media attention on Syria. In mid-December, Secretary of State Kerry recalled in an interview with The Boston Globe that he had had an agreement with the Russians that would have given the United States a veto over their flights. He lamented that youd have a different situation there now if wed been able to do that. But it didnt happen, Kerry noted, because we had people in our government who were bitterly opposed to doing that. What he didnt say was that those people had the power and the audacity to frustrate the will of the president of the United States. Gareth Porter is an independent investigative journalist and winner of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for journalism. He is the author of the newly published Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a 16-man committee, headed by Dr. Wale Babalakin, to renegotiate the 2009 Federal Government agreement with the staff unions in the Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Press, Mrs Ihuoma Chinenye of the Federal Ministry of Education on Friday in Abuja. According to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, the President constituted this team with a view to engendering sustainable peace and industrial harmony in tertiary institutions. The 16-member team is chaired by Dr. Wale Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Babalakin, who was adjudged the best pro-chancellor at the time of the negotiations in 2009, headed the agreement implementation committee then, Adamu added. Other members of the team are Prof. M.M. Jibril, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia; Prof. Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja. Also in the team are: Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke; Arc. Lawrence Ngbale, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi; Prince Alex Mbata, Pro-Chancellor, Imo State University, Owerri; Prof. OlufemiBamiro, Pro-Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Representatives of Federal Ministries of Education; Labour and Employment; Finance; Justice; Budget and National Planning; the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). He said that the re-negotiation team would dialogue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). Others to dialogue with include National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non Academic Staff Union of Associated and Allied Institutions (NASU). President Buhari has also approved the reconstitution of the governing councils of University of Port Harcourt and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife respectively. The councils were dissolved in the wake of the recent crises that engulfed the two institutions. He said that the new governing councils would serve for a term of four years, in the first instance, with effect from December 28, 2016. A Chinese firm has secured the contract to rebuild the Ibadan-Eleyele Junction-Akufo JunctionEruwa road at the cost of N10.39 billion. Mr Toye Arulogun, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism,made this known in a statement he issued to newsmen in Ibadan on Friday. Residents had complained about the deplorable state of the 58 Kilometre road that linked the Ido and Ibarapa communities to Ibadan, the state capital. He explained that the executive council of the state gave the approval during its last meeting, saying that the reconstruction of the 58-kilometre road will be executed in phases. Arulogun noted that the road was divided into two sections, Eleyele Junction-Akufo Junction as section `A, and Akufo Junction to Eruwa as section `B. He stated that Eleyele Junction-Akufo junction which is 10km would cost N3.7billion, while the 48km Akufo Junction to Eruwa will cost N6.6 billion. The commissioner stated that the project awarded to Messrs. Chinese Global Development and Construction Company will be funded by the Federal Government Infrastructural Development loan and internally generated revenue(IGR). Arulogun stated that infrastructure was one of the key priorities of the present administration in the state. The present administration under Gov. Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo State will continue to provide physical and social infrastructure to empower our citizenry for productive engagement in their preferred but legitimate economic endeavours. Government is committed to the continued provision and maintenance of a functional network of roads that will enhance socio-economic growth throughout the state. Government successfully constructed and rehabilitated many roads in the past and we will continue to do so, he said. Meanwhile, the Commissioner has said that the government will on Tuesday hold another town hall meeting at Omajid Events Centre, Akinmorin Road, Oyo Town for the people of Oyo and Ogbomoso zones. Arulogun said that the town hall meeting was coming on the heels of earlier public engagements held in Ibadan and Saki recently by the governor to inform the public about government policies, programmes and activities. Source: NAN The Federal Government has paid two out of four months outstanding stipends owed former Niger Delta militants under the Presidential Amnesty Programme. The development came barely a week after the Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme, Phase Two in Bayelsa State, Mr. Salvation Ibina-Rufus, pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to offset their outstanding stipends. Disclosing this to newsmen on Saturday, the leader of the 3rd phase of the amnesty programme, Mr Ramsey Mukoro, said that some former agitators had received two out of four months salary backlog. The Amnesty Office has started paying but my third phase people have yet to get alerts, we are hoping that we in the third phase will benefit as well, he stated. It has really been difficult for us and we spend Christmas and New Year on empty stomach. They should try and make it go round Also confirming the payments, Mr Piriye Kiyaramo, the Liaison Officer at the Bayelsa Office of the Presidential Amnesty Office, the Amnesty office began the payment after the new year holidays. The office commenced payment of the outstanding stipends this week after the new year, precisely on Wednesday. The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brig.- General Paul Boroh is concerned about the welfare of beneficiaries in the programme He would stop at nothing until a sustainable reintegration of the ex-agitators into the society with sustainable source of livelihood, he added. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has confirmed that there is no kerosene in any of the depots in Lagos. The union said the product was not available in both depots belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC) and private operators in Lagos. Mr Rotimi Benjamin, the National Chairman d that Surface Tank Kerosene Peddlers (SUTAKEP) Branch of NUPENG, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Kerosene was last brought to the depots on Dec. 27. Benjamin, who is also the Vice-Chairman of NUPENG, Lagos Zonal Council, said that scarcity of Kerosene had made its price to go up, thus making it unaffordable for the masses. He urged the Federal Government to come to the aid of the masses, who could not afford the price of cooking gas, by making Kerosene available at the depots and filling stations. The NUPENG chief said, It is very sad that things are going on this way; for the past two weeks, there is no supply of Kerosene to any of the depots in Lagos. The two refineries in the country have not been pumping kerosene to the depots. This has forced the marketers that have the product in their stations to increase it by over 60 per cent. This is not the right time for our refineries to stop Kerosene production, as everybody cannot depend on gas. Common man cannot afford the price of cylinder and cooking gas. Our mothers in the village depend on Kerosene, an essential household commodity, to cook. Government should address the issue and alleviate the sufferings of the masses by making the product available, he said. However, NAN Correspondent reports in Lagos that most stations in the metropolis did not have the product in the stock. Few filling stations with the product were selling it at exorbitant prices ranging from N285 to N300 per litre as against the official price of N83 per litre. Some kerosene consumers in Lagos appealed to the Federal Government to assist the masses by making the product available for them at a reduced price. In her comments, Mrs Moradeyo Adisa, a widow, who resides at No 10, Abeokuta St., Ilasamaja area of Lagos, said that she bought a bottle of kerosene for N250. Adisa said that the product was sold for N300 per litre in the filling station against the official price of N83. She urged government to do something about it to make life more bearable for the masses. Another consumer, Mrs Kikelomo Joseph, a 67-year-old food vendor at Agege area, said that she had turned to firewood to cook her food because kerosene was expensive. Instead of spending over N3, 000 on kerosene to prepare food for my customers, I have adjusted to using firewood, because it is a bit cheaper. NAN reports that the official price of Kerosene in all the NNPC and major marketers was N83 per litre. Source: NAN Nigerian newspaper headlines January 7, 2017. Punch The Federal Government is planning to borrow between N340bn and N430bn of local currency bonds during the first quarter, the Debt Management Office has said. Vanguard Four suspects have been arraigned at a Maiduguri High Court for alleged sale of children and child trafficking. Guardian Residents of Ogwashi-Uku/Kwale communities who have their houses along that express road in Delta State have fled their homes following renewed attacks on them by suspected cattle rustlers. Thisday The highly popular High Impact Planet (HIP) presented families a rare opportunity of fun-filled holidays last December, with non-stop shows like the Praise Blast and African Night, among others. Leadership In what would have been the most disastrous domestic accident of this century, a Security personnel at the Buckingham Palace, nearly shot Her Majesty, as she was mistook for one of the several intruders. Premium Times The Cote dIvoire defence minister has explained why some soldiers mutinied in the countrys second largest city of Bouake. The Sun Former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke yesterday temporarily forfeited $153.3 million to the Nigerian government. The Nation The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha , yesterday said she had never abused her privileges at the Nigerian High Commission in London. The Kano State Police Command said it had arraigned 52 youngsters for allegedly engaging in car racing on New Years day. The Public Relations Officer of the state police command, DSP Magaji Majiya said this in Kano on Friday. According to Majiya, the suspects were apprehended on Jan. 1, along Zoo Road for ignoring the police warning against car racing in the state. Despite the earlier warning against car racing aimed at protecting lives and properties of the citizens, some youth defied the warning and engaged themselves in the act. On 01/01/2017 at about 5pm some youths converged on Zoo Road with the intention to engage in the illegal act. However, on sighting the policemen deployed to the area, they started pelting them with stones,the statement said. The statement said 52 suspects were arrested and two cars confiscated while all the suspects were charged to court where they pleaded guilty. They were tried and summarily convicted to six months imprisonment or a fine of N10, 000.00 each by the presiding judge. The statement reiterated the commitment of the command to arrest anyone who violates the law in the state for prosecution. Last year, 17 youths were also arrested for illegal car racing stunts that turned tragic. Two persons died. According to the states Police Public Relations Officer, Magaji Musa Majiya, a Chief Superintendent, the suspects were arrested when they blocked the busy Hadejia Road in the metropolis. The police then confiscated four luxury cars that include a Toyota Prado jeep, Peugeot 306, a Toyota and a Honda used during the stunts. Update 6/11/20 Though their project began more than three years ago and has faced community disapproval throughout its progress, 1784 Capital Holdings and Bethesda Self Storage Partners are seeing renewed opposition to their development on River Road in response to current events. On Monday, protesters gathered at Macedonia Baptist Church and then moved to the self-storage construction site. Its proximity to a historical black cemetery has come under rekindled fire as citizens worldwide demonstrate against racial injustice spurred by the recent police killing of African-American George Floyd, according to the source. The self-storage site has remained controversial, even though the adjacent Westwood Tower apartment building and parking lot are the actual burial-ground location. During the demonstration, protesters called attention to Finan Berhe, Emmanuel Okutuga and Robert White, three black men who were killed by police in Montgomery County, the source reported. The apartment property was acquired by the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission in December 2017, though it has no specific or near-term development plans for the site. A 1.8 million-square-foot project had been proposed for another site across the street, but plans were scaled down significantly in 2018, according to the source. It wasnt clear from the report if that project is expected to continue. 12/18/17 The Montgomery County Planning Board has approved the 1784 Capital Holdings and Bethesda Self Storage Partners project on River Road, but opposition to the development continues. Members of the Macedonia Baptist Church plan to boycott the facility because they believe a portion of it encroaches the Moses African Cemetery, a historical burial site for members of a community built by freed slaves, according to the source. A parking-garage project next to the self-storage site has been suspended indefinitely due to pending legal action. Plans called for the structure to be built on an existing parking lot laid in the 1950s, but historians say the lot covers the cemetery, which dates to the early 1900s. The self-storage developers maintain that the piece of land in dispute is within a portion they already gave back to the county, the source reported. "Hopefully wounds will be healed and [the church members] will be receptive to it because we want them to be a part of it," McKone said. "We are doing the benches and the display cases to celebrate the history of the black community and all the history of Bethesda and the River Road community." Church members protested the project during last weeks meeting, carrying signs that read, Black Lives Matter. The planning board instructed them to turn the signs backward, which prompted some to claim their First Amendment rights were violated. The board has a posted policy indicating that any signs larger than a standard piece of paper arent permitted in the chamber, according to the source. 12/11/17 1784 Capital Holdings and Bethesda Self Storage Partners LLC are facing opposition in their quest to build a multi-story facility, due to the sites proximity to a stream and future greenway corridor. The facility in the Westbard neighborhood is along the stream-valley buffer for the Willett Branch Creek. The plans include four levels below ground and five above, comprising 195,527 square feet of storage space, according to the source. The developer has agreed to offer the parks system .39 acres of land that will feature grass and trees. The dedication would be the first section of the greenway, which city officials and advocates hope will one day border the stream. Still, local environmental groups and some community members claim the developers actions are inadequate and have asked for adjustments. In a letter to the countys planning staff last month, Sarah Morse, executive director for Little Falls Watershed Alliance, expressed the opinion that existing plans wont do enough to revitalize the stream. How the storm water is managed, how the buffer is treated, how the landscaping is done, and how the park is accessed will all have a huge impact on the success of the new park and restoration of the Willett Branch, she wrote. The facilitys design wouldnt allow for enough rainwater to filter into the ground, which is a critical element to improving the areas water quality, Morse added. She also noted that the building would be too large for the site, and asked the developer to reduce the footprint to create more open space and a wider path into the park from River Road. The alliance also requested that the buildings facade facing the park blend with the natural environment via the addition of a plant-covered wall. Patricia Kolesar, a member of Save Westbard, also hopes the developer will revisit the overall design for the project. In an e-mail to 1784 Capital Holdings and the citys planning staff, she wrote, Please know that even if the Westbard Self-Storage plans meet all necessary county requirements and regulations (we presume that they do), the residents collective opinion of your project will not change, and we have no power in this situation other than to refuse to patronize Westbard Self-Storage. In addition, an online petition asking for plan changes had gathered more than 40 signatures as of last week, the source reported. Timothy Dugan, an attorney representing the developer, noted the proposal fully addresses the countys environmental design requirements and meets or exceeds the applicable development standards. The developer has been receptive to the requests and adjusted the building plans. The facility will stand outside the stream buffer, and will include a green roof and planter boxes. In addition, the wall facade facing the park has been redesigned to allow the parks system to erect art along a large area of the buildings pathway-facing side, according to the source. The Montgomery County Planning Board will review the project on Dec. 14. The planning staff has recommended approval of the preliminary and site plans with conditions. 1/6/2017 1784 Capital Holdings LLC intends to develop a self-storage facility on 1.5 acres in Bethesda, Md. The company acquired the property at 5204 River Road for $11 million. It will redevelop the site, which currently houses an automotive body shop, according to Bryn Merrey, senior vice president and division manager of the firms mid-Atlantic and Southeast offices. The Bethesda area has extraordinary demographics and extraordinary market fundamentals, Shane Albers, chairman and CEO of 1784 Capital Holdings, said in a press release. It is a significantly undersupplied market with three times the national average for rent. We chose the site because its one of the last zoned and developable parcels of land for self-storage in Bethesda. We have allocated $250 million for the development of class-A, institutional-quality self-storage as we continue to expand our national portfolio under the direction of executive vice president Kelly McKone. The local market is described as an affluent, high barrier-to-entry community, with historically high occupancies and rental rates, by The Mele Storage Group of Marcus & Millichap, the commercial real estate firm that brokered the deal. Very rarely does a development opportunity of this quality come to market, Robert Bloch, an investment associate in the companys Washington, D.C., office, said in the release. The unprecedented price per acre is a testament to the nature of the opportunity, and the buyer had a clear vision that enabled [it] to compress [its] due diligence and win the deal in a very competitive process. Michael Mele, senior vice president of investments in the Marcus & Millichap Tampa, Fla., office assisted Bloch in representing the seller, a single-asset corporation, and securing 1784 Capital as the buyer. Founded in 1971, Marcus & Millichap is a commercial-property investment firm with more than 1,500 investment professionals in offices throughout Canada and the United States. The firm closed more than 8,700 transactions in 2015 with a value of approximately $37.8 billion. Founded in 2013 and based in Scottsdale, Ariz., 1784 Capital acquires, develops, constructs and owns self-storage facilities. Its subsidiary, 1784 Solar LLC, provides short-term construction financing for solar projects in Canada and the United States. Sources: BisNow, Protesters Oppose Construction Near Historic Black Cemetery In Bethesda Bethesda Magazine, Westbard Self-Storage Plans Rile Some in Bethesda Commercial Property Executive, Self-Storage Development Site Sells for $11M Fox 5, Another Battle Between Bethesda Church and Developers Over Historic Black Cemetery Public Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust, has acquired Broadview Mini Storage in Broadview Heights, Ohio. The property at 9100 Postal Drive comprises 47,650 net rentable square feet of storage space in 319 units as well as 38 outdoor parking spaces. Situated on 5.7 acres, it was built between 1997 and 2000, according to a press release from SkyView Advisors, the real estate firm that brokered the deal. The buyer and the seller were represented in the transaction by Ryan Clark, senior vice president, and Jay Crotty, managing partner, of SkyView. Broadview Mini Storage was a high-quality, family-run asset in a desirable southern suburb of Cleveland. The deal demonstrates the ongoing strength of the market for stabilized self-storage properties in Ohio, Clark said. Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,319 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 152 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 218 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 12 million net rentable square feet. SkyView is a boutique firm specializing in self-storage acquisition, development, facility expansion and renovation, refinancing, and sales. Based in Tampa, Fla., the firm also has offices in Cleveland and Milwaukee. The William Warren Group (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, has named Clark Porter as chief financial officer (CFO), effective this month. Hell replace Kent Christensen, whos retiring but will remain a financial partner and active investor, according to a press release. Porter is also president of WWG, where he manages lending/banking relationships and oversees the capital structure of acquisitions and new developments, according to the company website. Prior to joining WWG, he was employed at WSGP Partners LP, a merchant bank focused on the acquisition of financial institutions. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California - Berkeley and an MBA from the University of California - Los Angeles. Christensen, whos self-storage career spans 17 years, served as senior vice president of Extra Space Storage Inc. since its inception and as CFO from 1998 to 2012. In his 13 years with the real estate investment trust (REIT), he played an instrumental role in its growth, initial public offering and operation as a publicly traded company, the release stated. Christensen joined WWG in 2012, helping to expand its corporate infrastructure and doubling its asset base during his tenure. Kent had a wonderful career both at Extra Space Storage and at The William Warren Group, said WWG CEO Bill Hobin. The company is sad to see Kent go, but happy for him and his good fortune to be able to retire at a young age and take advantage of the opportunity to pursue other interests. Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG acquires, develops and operates more than 100 self-storage facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina and Texas. E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei. Sky: Rafforzata leadership Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018. Sfida Serie A Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia. Gerry Adams has made clear Sinn Fein will not back down from its demand for Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to allow a probe into her role in a botched green energy scheme. The Sinn Fein president warned the Democratic Unionist leader that she is not a "Prime Minister" and her position in one of the two leading roles in the power-sharing administration depended on his party's agreement. Addressing party faithful in west Belfast, Mr Adams left little doubt that Sinn Fein will pull the plug on the institutions - likely prompting a snap election - if Mrs Foster does not temporarily step down. Mrs Foster, who presided over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) when the North's economy minister, has steadfastly refused to leave the stage to facilitate a probe into a scandal that has left Stormont facing a 490m (572m) bill. Mr Adams said: "If the First Minister does not take the actions that society desires and deserves and which a sustainable process of change requires, then Sinn Fein will bring this ongoing and totally unacceptable state of affairs to an end." The fate of the current administration now hangs on the pivotal issue of whether or not Mrs Foster will stand down. On Friday she voiced support for a judge-led probe into RHI outlined by her Sinn Fein partners in government, but she again emphatically rejected the republican party's prerequisite that she step aside to facilitate it. "It is clear there are many in the political class who do not believe in due process or natural justice," said the DUP leader. "They just want me to go regardless of the fact that there is not a scintilla of evidence of wrongdoing against me. I don't roll over to my political opponents." The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out 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 1m (1.16m) in the next two decades for heating an empty shed It was originally envisaged that the British Treasury would foot the bill for the RHI, but the costs spiralled well beyond London's financial commitment. The total RHI spend in the North is estimated at 1,150m (1,343m) over the next 20 years. The lack of consensus over the form of an investigation comes amid similar disagreement on DUP proposals to reduce the overspend. The DUP has claimed its proposals could wipe out the bill, but Sinn Fein have rubbished them. In his speech today, Mr Adams said: "The DUP leader has thus far refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report by an independent investigation into the RHI scandal. "She repeated that refusal yesterday. "That is not good enough. Arlene Foster has been First Minister for almost a year." He added: "Arlene Foster is not a Prime Minister. She is a co-equal partner in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister. She can continue in that office but only for as long as Sinn Fein allows it." In a strongly-worded speech he also branded DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan an "ignoramus" for cutting funding for an Irish language initiative just before Christmas. He said during 10 years of partnership government together, the DUP had shown Sinn Fein "deliberate provocation, arrogance and disrespect". A man is due in court this morning in connection with an alleged sexual assault in Dublin last month. The man, who is aged in his 20s, was arrested by investigating gardai yesterday. A cross-party delegation of Irish politicians will travel to Egypt on Monday to visit jailed Irishman Ibrahim Halawa. The man's family in Dublin said they are worried about his health and claimed that he has gone on hunger strike for at least the third time since he was imprisoned over political protests more than three years. He has not eaten for 15 days and is drinking only two cups of water a day, they said. The Irish delegation expects to meet Mr Halawa on Tuesday. His family claimed he has told them in recent days that he would continue refusing food until he is released. "Ibrahim has recommenced his hunger strike because he has reached the stage where he is giving up and is going to continue this hunger strike until he is freed," his sister Somaia said. "We know that Ibrahim is losing the ability to be able to cope with this." Mr Halawa refused food for prolonged periods at least twice before during his incarceration. From Firhouse in Dublin and the son of prominent Muslim cleric Sheikh Hussein Halawa, Ibrahim Halawa was detained in a mosque near Ramses Square in Cairo as the Muslim Brotherhood held a "day of rage" over the removal of their elected president Mohamed Morsi in August 2013. The student marked his 21st birthday in a Cairo jail in the weeks before Christmas. He is awaiting the start of a mass trial, three years on from his detention during a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for January 17. Eamon Ryan, Green Party TD and member of the delegation, said the ultimate goal of the visit was to help secure Mr Halawa's freedom. "The hope is for Ibrahim's return and that an all-party delegation provides a clear diplomatic message that supports his case for return and helps to make that happen," he said. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail accepted an invitation to lead the delegation. The Halawas said: "We welcome the upcoming visit by Oireachtas members to Cairo to visit Ibrahim in prison and to advocate for his immediate release. "We are of course hopeful that this visit will help secure Ibrahim's release but we remain extremely worried, as does he, that this ordeal will just continue and continue." Police are "extremely concerned" about a four-year-old boy who has gone missing with his mother. Andrew Shorrock and his mother Amy, 34, were last seen in Tameside at around 12.30pm today Greater Manchester Police said. Chief Inspector Chris Downey said: "We are extremely concerned about Amy and Andrew, and I would like to appeal directly to Amy to please get in touch with us to let us know you are both safe and well. "Yours and Andrew's welfare is our priority, so please make contact with us. "Amy's mother Deborah Shorrock wants to appeal directly to Amy to come home safely with Andrew as she is extremely worried about them. "I would also ask the public for their help - if you have seen Amy and Andrew then please call us." Amy is described as white, 5ft 6in tall and of medium build with long dark hair. She was last seen wearing a black hooded top and carrying a blue rucksack. Andrew is described as white and of slim build but tall for his age. He has short brown hair and was last seen wearing a grey and burgundy fleece top and blue jeans. Anyone with any information about their whereabouts is asked to contact police on 101 quoting the incident number 829 06/01/17 or to call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America's presidential election in favour of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, US intelligence agencies have declared. It is the government's first formal allegation in support of the claims of interference that Mr Trump and his supporters have resisted. The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more-detailed classified account given earlier to Mr Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld any evidence to back up its assertions. The president-elect said after his own meeting with the nation's top intelligence officials that it was clear Russian email hacking did not deliver him the presidency. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines, said the unclassified version, which was the most explicit account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the US political process. But the report said Russia's actions included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats including Mrs Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, and using state-funded propaganda and paid "trolls" to make comments on social media services. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it "does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign". But it said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Mr Putin most likely wanted to discredit Mrs Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. It said the Russian effort was the "boldest yet" intended to affect a US election. As Mr Trump met in New York with intelligence officials for his briefing about Russia's campaign, Congress tallied the Electoral College votes, officially confirming Mr Trump's November victory. Mr Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies' claims of Russia's involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information on Friday. After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, he released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election". The top US intelligence official told Congress on Thursday that intelligence agencies had no way of gauging what influence this meddling had on the outcome of the election. It was unclear on Friday what evidence Mr Trump had to support his claims. According to the public report, when it appeared that Mrs Clinton might well win the election, Mr Putin turned his focus to undermining her presidency. Mr Trump acknowledged in his statement that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people" are consistently trying to hack US networks, including the Democratic National Committee's. He said, as did the intelligence report, that "there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines". Mr Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a plan to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks". Before seeing the classified intelligence report on Friday, Mr Trump dismissed the assessment of interference and told The New York Times the focus on Russia's involvement is a "political witch hunt" by adversaries who are embarrassed they lost the election. "They got beaten very badly in the election," Mr Trump said. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." The officials in Friday's meeting with Trump in New York - director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA director John Brennan and FBI director James Comey - also briefed senior politicians on Friday morning. Mr Obama received his classified briefing on Thursday. A senior law enforcement official said the FBI in its investigation had repeatedly stressed to Democratic National Committee officials the importance of obtaining direct access to servers "only to be rebuffed until well after the initial compromise had been mitigated". The official said the FBI had to rely on a "third party" for information, but eventually got access to the material it needed. The move follows Fergal Naughton, chief executive of manufacturing giant Glen Dimplex, investing to take a substantial minority shareholding in the Kenmare hotel. Prior to the deal, Mr Brennan co-presenter of RTEs At Your Service had enjoyed 100% control of the hotel business since 1986. The transaction also allows Mr Brennans brother John to take a shareholding in the business for the first time. He said yesterday that the Brennans will remain in control of the hotel. John Brennan added that the investment will allow the hotel to reinvest to remain in the top echelon of Irelands five-star hotel market. He said the deal also eliminates the hotels bank debt from a development of 18 luxury apartments built at the height of the boom in 2008. There are no losers in this deal, said John Brennan. The loss of the percentage ownership of the Park House Hotel for Francis was a small price to pay for the position we are in now. We have eliminated all our debt with the bank and the future is very bright. We have strengthened our financial base. We have protected our future and given ourselves the ability to reinvest in a way we wouldnt have been able to before the deal. New accounts show the Park Hotel recorded profits of 211,155 in 2015. In 2016, it hosted 4,000 more guests than the previous year. Gardai objected to bail for Jason Murphy, formerly of Ballinure Place, Mahon, and now living at St Vincents hostel, Anglesea Tce, Cork. His solicitor, Frank Buttimer, put it to Murphy that he gave gardai the runaround and that three gardai had to come to court yesterday to give evidence on how he was failing to comply with his bail conditions. Murphy was on bail on a charge of putting his ex-partner Sarah ODonovan in fear by approaching her at Avenue de Rennes, Mahon, on October 20, 2016. Bail conditions required him to live at a Ballinure Place address; stay sober; and keep a curfew to be at home between 10pm-7am each night. Gardai Ray Costello, Sean Kelleher and Martin Harrington said he breached all those conditions on various occasions last month. Jason Murphy re-applied for bail yesterday and said that in the course of December: I was on the streets. I relapsed through drink. Mr Buttimer asked: Did you not realise you were in breach of bail? Murphy replied: The drink would have blocked all that out. However, he said he has been off drink since December 25 and is doing much better: I am in Vincents since Christmas Day. I have to be in every night at 10.30pm. And I have been or Id lose my place. With my key worker we are making a plan to get off drink and drugs. I am clear of all drink and drugs since Christmas Day. Judge Olann Kelleher remanded him on bail for a week to remain sober, reside at St Vincents Hostel, and stay away from his ex. Reece Cullen, 17, died in hospital after a knife attack in a house in Jobstown at approximately 3pm. It understood the arrest was made after the juvenile male presented himself at a Garda station yesterday morning. The male was arrested in the Tallaght area this morning, Friday January 6, 2017, shortly after 7am. He is currently detained at Tallaght Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said yesterday. The young male can be held for up to 24 hours. The fatal stabbing is believed to have taken place in a house in Jobstown and the attacker fled the scene shortly afterwards. Emergency services were notified by a neighbour who discovered the teenager bleeding heavily in the corridor of the house. Reece was taken to Tallaght Hospital but was later pronounced dead. The teenager had recently lost his mother, Ann Marie Cullen, who died last September. Fianna Fail TD in Dublin South West and the partys spokesperson on Dublin, John Lahart described the fatal stabbing as shocking and distressing. This is a deeply frightening incident to have occurred, for all in the locality, in particular the parents of young teenagers. Irrespective of any details, a young boy has very tragically lost his life and a family has been left shattered, said Mr Lahart. Meanwhile, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin yesterday said there is a culture of violence developing in the capital: There is a changing culture of violence going on in the city. We have a situation [in] which knives are becoming the preferred weapon in some conflicts and theyre so easy to obtain. You can go to any large store, you can find them in any kitchen. In the past, if a scuffle broke out, people came away with a bleeding nose, now people get killed and maimed, he said on RTEs Morning Ireland. Any witnesses can contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Based in the University Technology Centre, Curraheen Rd in Cork, 8 West Consulting is working on projects that include a fitness wrist strap-like device that sets off a signal if a person in the sea gets into difficulty. The device would alert rescue services, as well as drones, to a situation. The 200-employee company, which partners with DroneSAR, is simultaneously working with first responders and doctors on wearable technology that would go off when a person wearing it had a cardiac event. First responders providing CPR would not only be alerted to an emergency but would also get feedback in real-time as to how effective the CPR is via audio and data. Remarkably, it may also lead to a drone flying upon the scene in minutes to drop vital equipment. Known as DeCare Systems Ireland (DSI) for 20 years, it became 8 West Consulting on January 1 and is led by joint CEOs Eamonn Franklin and John Murphy, graduates of Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) who bought out the previous management. The pair said 8 West will continue to provide software development services to all its existing clients, including former parent company Anthem Inc one of the USAs largest private heath insurers. Mr Franklin said: Over the years, weve developed for big players like Amazon, Expedia, Macys and Bloomingdales. Weve gone through a lot of clients and developed good relationships. We will be continuing to work with Anthem, but this allows us to also spread our wings. Mr Murphy, meanwhile, said 8 West had a projected revenue of 27m in 2017 and they were always looking to expand with quality graduates from the likes of CIT and UCC. The company also owns and develops SafeTrx, the leading marine Search and Rescue product. Designed in close co-operation with coastguard and sea rescue organisations, SafeTrx helps reduce the risk of maritime accidents and the loss of human lives at sea. It is now in operation in nine countries with more than 500,000 recorded hours of use. It is working on the cardiac event software with the Health Information Systems Research group led by Ciara Fitzgerald of UCC, cardiologist Peter Kearney of Cork University Hospital and the Irish Community Rapid Response group. Working primarily in .Net and Java technologies, 8 West has been lauded for its team of architects, designers, developers and project managers. Crucially, hired graduates get to work on software development on day one. Mr Franklin said: Well continue to grow but very carefully. Were interested in high-calibre hires and weve got a great relationships with UCC and CIT. The graduates coming in are developing their programming from day one. The 200-strong workforce includes 17 different nationalities and a number of staff who work remotely from global locations. The property had previously been on the market in October 2014 when its sale price was pitched at 75,000, indicating this is one property operating outside the cycle of rising house prices. According to realtors Sherry Fitzgerald: No 24 Vicar St is a single-storey two-roomed house in need of complete renovation. This narrow site offers huge potential to some- one with vision and imagination. The location, behind St Finbarrs Cathedral, is very central and has all essential amenities in close proximity, namely, schools, shops, bars and restaurants. This is [a] development opportunity that should not be missed, arrange a viewing today. The property certainly is in need of development, if the simple photograph of its facade is anything to go by. The largest room is the kitchen/living room, at 4.89m x 3.28m, and located to the rear of this is an open plan space. At the front of the property is the bedroom, at 3.18m x 1.49m, while the hall measures 3.17m x 0.81m, and the bathroom to the rear of the house measures 2.18m x 0.90m, complete with tiled floor and a two-piece suite. Last August, a terraced cottage at 109, Dillons Cross in Cork City went on the market, with a guide price of 90,000. At 32sq m it was a little roomier than the Vicar St premises, and had been modernised with double glazing and gas heating. Being bijou is no bad thing, however. For proof, check out a property on Long Lane in central Dublin on Airbnb which has advertised itself as Dublins skinniest house. Despite being just over 2m wide and its most spacious point, the property has four beds and two bedrooms and has attracted rave reviews from people who have stayed there. The owner also has a sense of humour, listing among the house rules no cat-swinging. Further afield, a property with 17.5sq m of living space went on the market in Barnsbury, Islington in London in 2014 for 320,000. Judge Olann Kelleher granted an order returning the cash to Victor Chandlers betting office in Douglas West, Cork, at Cork District Court yesterday. Inspector John Deasy said that the cash was seized during a search at the home of the culprit days after the robbery was carried out. Fingerprints of two members of staff were found on some of the 50 notes in the 2,000 in cash found during the search. Paul OConnor, aged 46, formerly of Fernwood Crescent, Lehenaghmore, Cork, was later sentenced to 10 years in prison with the last 18 months suspended in 2011. The robbery itself was carried out on June 28, 2009. Detective Garda Aonghus Cotter said yesterday that OConnor was notified of the application to have the seized cash returned to the betting office and indicated that he would not be turning up in court to object to that application. Det Garda Cotter said that the accused effectively gave evidence in the course of his own trial that the money represented part of the proceeds of the crime. In 2011, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court a 10-year sentence was imposed on OConnor with the last 18 months suspended for robbing over 10,000 from the premises. During the trial OConnor made up a story that it was a member of staff at a bookies office at the time who had masterminded the crime. In fact, there was evidence that OConnor had threatened this member of staff harm would come to the victims partner and child if the gardai were called within half an hour of the robbery. OConnors defence to the charge of robbery was that it had been a dummy robbery. The late Judge Con Murphy who presided over the trial at the time said of the victim: His reputation is untarnished as is amply proved by the jury verdict. The late Judge Murphy also stated at the time that as well as the false claim against the victim, the defendant also arranged a false alibi and showed himself to be a cool, calculating professional criminal. Sgt Simon Grace testified at the time that nothing in the lengthy garda investigation supported the defendants allegations against the victim. He also believes Ireland can take advantage of Britains exit by trying to poach business, specifically asset-management firms. However, a specific strategy was needed to target firms, he said. In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Bruton said it was preferable that Britain held a second referendum on leaving the EU, as a lot of British had voted thinking nothing serious would change. A post-Brexit Britain-EU trade deal could also take 10 years, Mr Bruton said, agreeing with recent comments by a British envoy to Brussels. Thats going to be so complex it will take years. The Canadian agreement as we know took six or seven years. It was relatively simple. I think thats [10 years] probably the right ball park. However, the best hope was that British may hold a second referendum on whether to stay in the EU, said Mr Bruton. My hope is that when the British people and the British parliament look under the bonnet that has been carrying all of us forward for the last 40 years reasonably successfully and discovers that dismantling this engine is a lot more complicated than they thought and they thought after this dismantlement they thought the car mightnt move at all. They will consider reconsidering their decision. This is something that will only happen once all the evidence is in. My own sense is a lot of people in Britain and certainly more than 4% of the electorate which is what would be needed to change their opinion, more or less, voted for leave on the assumption that they can vote to leave but really nothing serious will change in an adverse way, he said. He agreed it was a protest vote and also a statement of British identity. However, Mr Bruton thinks a hard Brexit, looking more likely now, would have repercussions for the nationalist community in the North. European Parliament Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt recently warned of a return to violence in the North because of Brexit. Mr Bruton said such talk was wrong but a hard Brexit with changes may hurt nationalists. I dont think we should talk about the possibility of violence because that can be a dangerous thing. The harder the Brexit the greater the sense of isolation of the nationalist minority in Northern Ireland, he said. Ireland could capitalise on Brexit by attracting certain businesses, but through targeted strategies, said the former chair of IFSC Ireland, a body promoting financial services here. Advantages for firms moving here included English-speaking workers, common laws, a young and international labour force, good air links and connections to the US, Mr Bruton said. Major issues were detected at St Marys Centre Nursing Home at the St Marys Centre on Merrion Rd in Dublin 4, with the report noting: Inspectors observed that the duration of the medication round adversely affected the ability of nurses to administer medication within the recommended timeframe for medication efficacy and safety. According to the report by the Health Information and Quality Authority: It was found by inspectors that medications which were prescribed for administration at 8am were not being administered until up to 2.5 hours later. Donna Foran, from Wexford, stunned the judges with the picture on todays front page captured at her friends homestead in Wellingtonbridge and realised instantly that she had set a new bar for her photography. However, she said she was stunned to learn she had won first prize in the annual competition. I was floored really, absolutely thrilled. I am a keen photographer but its a hobby really. I entered the competition last year and put two entries in this year. I am just over the moon. My friend Patricia owns a homestead and I called her and asked her to let me know when something was hatching. So she texted me one Sunday to let me know a chicken was hatching and off I went and got the photo. I knew when I saw it that it was a striking image and its so different, she said. It will be presented to a project that comes under the theme of sustainable design and innovation in the built environment from among the entrants at the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. The new award is a joint initiative of the Irish Architecture Foundation and Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The foundation is a not-for-profit organisation whose activities include a national architects in schools initiative working with transition-year students in subjects such as technology, science, art, and design and communication graphics. Architecture specialists visit schools to give young people first-hand experience of how buildings are designed a process in which sustainable design and innovation play a growing role. Laura Kenna, who is homeless, made no application for bail when she was brought to appear before Judge Anthony Halpin at Dublin District Court yesterday morning. She is charged with assault causing harm to the woman, a 35-year-old civil servant, and robbing her of her handbag and her phone, at Lower Drumcondra Road on Tuesday. The victim remains in hospital after suffering serious injuries in the alleged attack. She was stabbed in the neck as she walked home from work. Gardai and locals came to her assistance and she was rushed to hospital. But, instead, you can buy an exact replica, down to the very last bolt. Pur Sang, the French for pure blood, is an old horseracing term to describe a thoroughbred. The phrase also refers to the Argentina-based company that hand-builds Type 35 Bugattis as exact replicas. Pur Sang Argentina produces 20 Bugatti Type 35s a year, among other models. The replicas contain the same components as their now multimillion-euro predecessors. The 236,000 Pur Sang Bugattis are a bargain compared to the originals, which are considered to be the worlds first supercars. At a time when the bumbling Model T Ford was the most prevalent car on the road, Ettore Bugattis sculptural Type 35 could hit 120mph on a racetrack and 60mph in less than 10 seconds. The fact that it came in a chic French blue, with revolutionary alloy wheels and an undefeated racing record from 1925 to 1929, only added to the allure. I recently visited Pur Sangs North American headquarters, in Costa Mesa, California, which is the next best thing to visiting the factory in Parana, Entre Rios, Argentina. Sales manager John Bothwell, met me there, so I could drive one of the open-top Type 35s up and down Highway 1, near a sun-drenched Newport Beach. The drive was incredible: The four-speed, manual gearbox is the same as the one from the 1920s, though a fan has been added to prevent overheating. When you push through turns, you feel the car gather itself under you; the lack of windows, seat belts, and hinged doors makes the car a singular thrill. But its the details that make the Type 35 among the most attention-getting (and respect-earning) cars you can buy. If you want to stand out in Monaco or at the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, forget the Ferraris, Bentleys, and Lamborghinis. Drive this, instead. The honeycomb-shaped front radiator, which Ettore Bugatti refined for his beloved Type 35, became an integral part of Bugatti styling. Following the Type 35, the Type 37, and Type 39 continued the distinctive front look, with dual round headlights, and tires far apart from the main engine cavity. On the Pur Sang Bugattis, the wheels are modern, rather than period, so they can run reliably on todays city streets. Along with the aforementioned cooling fan, the wheels are the only current-era components on the Type 35s. Most of the time, the people who buy these are the people who can also afford the original, Bothwell said. Its the kind of guy who already has a supercar, and this is the gateway drug to him realising he also likes older cars. It doesnt take a lot to push a guy like that over the edge. Indeed, the Type 35 is a supercar, with the winningest racing record of any Bugatti model in history and the kind of handling that, for the time and for most drivers now is considered challenging. Its loud, thick, rough, and smelly inside the cabin of the Type 35. It doesnt come with power steering or power brakes. But it is rewarding: Cruising speeds hover easily around 80mph, and, thanks to a then-advanced handbrake system, Bothwell has even drifted it in the sands of Dubai. The Type 35 Bugatti sits nestled between the bare-bones, much-smaller Type 13 Bugatti and the grand coach, Type 41 Royale Bugatti, which was a handsome touring car. (Others, such as the Type 30 and Type 32, also figured in the mid-1920s and early 1930s as key Bugatti models.) But the Type 35 is the most notable and most collectable. Gooding & Co. is offering a 1925 Type 35 Grand Prix for $2.6m at its Scottsdale auction, in January. RM Sothebys sold a 1930 Type 35B (the final iteration of the Type 35) for far less $638,000 in 2014; the Telegraph reported a 1928 Type 35B that sold for 2.5m in a private sale several years earlier. The first supercar ever conceived was the Type 35 Bugatti, Bothwell said. Ettore Bugatti was Elon Musk times 10. Bothwell means that the famous, Italian-born designer earned many patents in his life, from those for torpedo boats to lightweight airplanes. For the Type 35, Bugatti used a supercharged, 2.0-litre, straight-eight cylinder engine. Early examples had 90 horsepower, but later ones reached 130hp and more. Bothwell declined to say how fast his Pur Sang Bugattis go, but a quick test on the road says theyll hit 60mph in 10 seconds or so. Ettore Bugatti, whose father was a well-known jewellery and furniture designer, founded his company in Molsheim, Alsace (then part of Germany) in 1909. The company made elite cars in the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s, especially the iconic Type 35, Type 41 Royale, Type 55, and Type 57 Atlantic models. The company went out of business in the 1960s, but was revived as a brand in the 1990s and is now owned by Volkswagen AG. Today, its famous models, such as the Bugatti Veyron and the Bugatti Chiron, sell for more than $2m each. Founded more than 20 years ago by Jorge Anadon, Pur Sang creates the details of its Type 35 exactly to the specifications of the original car, from the leather straps holding the spare tire to the brushed metal on the interior and the intricate knobs on the dashboard. The brilliant, round headlights are custom-made. All the parts are handmade, using traditional methods, by craftsmen in Argentina. The Pur Sang factory employs 100 workers, who can produce a built-to-order car in two months; grounds include a design studio, an engineering shop, a body shop, a spare-part division, and a paint shop. Each year, from 20 cars to 30 cars are completed. The original Bugatti Type 53 was the fastest, most powerful car of its day. It debuted in 1924 and fewer than 100 were made, and theyre exceedingly rare and expensive to buy. Pur Sang also makes many other models, from a Bugatti Type 55 and Bugatti Type 51 to Alfa Romeos 8C Monza. There is even talk that Pur Sang could make a Type 57SC Atlantic, the car Ralph Lauren long used as the centrepiece of his extensive car collection. Since each car is made to order, an interested buyer would have to commission the build. Bugattis Type 35 has a right-hand-side drive, with a four-speed, manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. The interior is minimal, with very thin metal walls, and three-foot pedals to shift, brake, and accelerate. Youll want goggles when you drive the Type 35; theres no windscreen, let alone doors and windows. The car is extremely fast on straightaways, and goggles will help protect your eyes from wind, sun glare, and the occasional stray insect. The seats are flat, with little cushioning, but theyre firm and resilient. The beds on which you place your feet are narrow; driving shoes (or small feet) are a must. And the shifter at the centre of the car sits close to both driver and passenger, who must tolerate close proximity. Pur Sang makes each Bugatti Type 35 to a clients specifications, even if that means adjusting to what that owner believes best follows the spirit of the machine. For instance, the original Type 35 B had a roller bearing crank, but some customers choose a plain bearing crank, because it reduces maintenance and the weight of the engine. Its a minute difference, but it matters to aficionados. If you buy a Pur Sang Bugatti, youll be in good company. Jay Leno reportedly owns two. This week saw the numbers of patients on hospital trolleys exceeding 612 for the first time ever. The crisis has now reached breaking-point. The blame game continues between the health minister and the HSE. At 2.6 beds for 1,000 of the population, Ireland has the second lowest number of hospital beds in the OECD after Sweden. Germany, and Austria are highest with eight. Within the EU 27, the average is about five, so Ireland is half this figure. Even allowing for designated rehabilitation beds somewhat inflating the figures in other countries, Ireland still has a low number of hospital beds internationally. So, in the very short term, new beds are required and there have been immediate moves yesterday to bring 120 beds on stream immediately. More than 1,600 hospital beds have been removed from Irish hospitals since 2004. This is despite Census 2016 showing the population of Ireland has risen to 4.75m, from 4.24m in Census 2006. So we have 500,000 more people now with 1,600 fewer beds. Even in the short term, just to clear the hump of the current crisis, at least a further 500 hospital beds are required. However, the gold standard for a sustainable public health solution is to configure services in such a way that far fewer people need to go to an emergency department (ED) in the first instance. The HSEs Tony OBrien pointed to a key aspect of the way forward yesterday on this newspaper, saying he welcomed the call from the Irish Medical Organisation and the National Association of General Practitioners to develop a fundamental shift to GP-led primary care. Primary care is care delivered at the closest proximity to the patient, without having to go to hospitals, in secondary or tertiary care. Primary care is about keeping people healthy, health promotion and also preventing people from getting diseases where possible, through using flu jabs and other vaccines. It is also about preventing patients with chronic illness such as COPD, heart problems, asthma, or diabetes from getting sick, requiring them to have to go to an ED. In Ireland, the OECD evidence suggests that we dont have a problem with people going to an ED instead of their GP when they are sick. However, having seen their GP, many patients with chronic illnesses do need to go to an ED. This is because there are not sufficiently resourced diagnostic and other test services available at the local GP clinic. This is made clear in a HSE report last year which stated that 86% of GPs believed improved access to diagnostics would reduce their referrals to emergency departments and outpatient departments. The same report said that one in five GPs do not have direct access to abdominal or pelvic ultrasound in the public system. Some 70%-80% of GPs have no direct access to CT scans. A quarter of GPs do not have direct access to Dexa scans in the public system. The lack of care in the community is another reason why old patients find themselves on trolleys in an ED. There have been cuts of two million hours to home helps in recent years. Though there has been an increase in home care packages, there is significant unmet need care need at present regarding old people who cannot afford to purchase home care from private providers. The failure to adequately fund mental health in the community is also driving hospital admissions. Consequently, there needs to be a dramatic impetus towards significantly enhanced primary care, community care, health promotion, and disease prevention. In fact, all these elements need to be urgently linked up and integrated into a seamless service delivered in the community. This model is known as integrated care. Integrated care is now the international gold standard for health and social care delivery. Sweden, though having the lowest number of hospital beds in the OECD, has a very good health system, simply because it has a strong integrated care system at the levels of primary and community care which requires for fewer hospital admissions. The HSE has been pushing Integrated Care in its policy documents for the last 10 years. In the last two years, greater urgency has developed. The first HSE integrated care conference was held in 2015. This had hundreds of working examples of best practice on show from health and social care staff all over Ireland, and was replicated again at the end of 2016. In May, the HSE will host the biggest integrated care conference in Europe. The financing of care has to change. A universal social insurance funded model of care has to happen. The USC charge of 6% should be dedicated as a universal social insurance for health insurance purchase for all citizens, as happens in Germany and France and tax revenue to replace it found elsewhere. In the meantime, the rolling out of integrated care, which started only last year, with the creation of primary care networks within community health organisations needs to be hugely prioritised. This requires incentivised payments system for GPs. In addition, the development of primary care centres has been too slow, and is less than a third of the 300 needed. Real planning, without political interference, needs to happen. Right now, direct provision of or grants to GPs to provide diagnostic services is needed to prevent unnecessary referrals to EDs. Cutbacks to GPs need to be reduced and increased capitation fees under the PCRS are needed. It is ludicrous that a GP only gets 55 per annum for a person aged 16 to 45, irrespective of the number of visits. GPs will be the lynchpin of the integrated care preventing people from going to an ED, along with social care workers and social workers in the community. Immediately also, we need a significant increase in nurse-led community intervention teams for discharge planning. We further need the rolling out of more falls-clinics in communities, to prevent old people from breaking hips and bones and finishing up in an ED. There is also a greater need for more urgent care centres in communities to prevent ED admissions. All these are integrated care solutions. Integrated care is the sustainable solution. Dr Tom OConnor Lectures in Health, Economics and Social Care at CIT. His book, Integrated Care for Ireland, was published in 2013. SAY what you like about twittering US President-elect Donald Trump, but he gets things done. This week, he has been claiming credit for the US Congress rolling back on watering down ethics standards in politics. His Twitter finger which will soon hover over the red nuclear button is also believed to have been a factor in the Ford motor company scrapping plans to build a new plant in Mexico. The Donald is chomping at the bit to make America great again. OK, the guy is a narcissistic loose cannon, with apparent attention deficit disorder, who knows nothing of process or diplomacy, and has precious little regard for many of the basic tenets of democracy. But, in the short term, at least, he may get a few things done. A failure to get things done is one of the reasons why liberal democracy is in the doghouse across the western world. Instead of vision or an aptitude to improve the lives of the bulk of citizens, too often initiatives are caught up in tortuous process, fear of vested interests, or fear of discommoding anybody who is deemed to matter. Nowhere is this more evident than in the poor, benighted democracy that passes for a system in this country. Getting things done has never been as difficult as the body politic now makes it out to be. Not so with The Donald; not yet, anyway. On Tuesday last, the new US House of Representatives met, and decided to make hay while the world was still in shock at the election of a reality TV star to the presidency. Some bright spark pushed the idea that an ethics watchdog for Congress should be made up of politicians, rather than anybody outside the bubble. This was a good old-fashioned stroke, reverting to a discredited system of self-policing. The Donald, who has pledged to drain the swamp, was having none of it. He took to Twitter. With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog as unfair as it ismay be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many others things of greater importance! That policy document actually took two tweets to complete, but The Donald is not a man to scrimp. Earlier that day, Trump tweeted about car manufacturers migrating south to Mexico, taking a potshot at General Motors. Make in USA or pay big border tax!. (The use of the exclamation mark is set to be a regular feature of policy documents in the forthcoming US administration. In fact, the importance of the policy may be discerned by the number of exclamation marks in any particular tweet!!!). Within hours, the Ford company was cancelling plans for a big plant in Mexico. Trump took credit for that, and why wouldnt he? Its no way to run a country. But before dismissing the attention deficit disordered Donald, take a look at how things are done in this country. Earlier in the week, when the annual scandal of hundreds of people lying on trolleys raised its head once more, the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, had just the solution. He announced that he would review the acute bed capacity in Irelands hospitals. A review was carried out last year, and another the year before. This will be a review inside a plan, wrapped in a report. Thanks to frontline staff for working so hard this week in very challenging circumstances. Additional actions agreed to support your efforts pic.twitter.com/nN9wjRsSna Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) January 5, 2017 The most pressing issue facing the country is housing. Here, the Government has set out a strategy that is top- heavy with targets. Lets see how that gets on. One aspect of housing policy that came into effect this week was a register for vacant sites. Landowners will have to register sites that are lying idle, while thousands of people are without homes. An incentive to get things moving is the imposition of a financial penalty based on the value of the idle site, which is a good idea, except the fine doesnt kick in for another two years, just in case anybody is discommoded. The future of the Eighth Amendment constitutional ban on abortion has come to the fore over the last few years, following three decades of discussion on its appropriateness or otherwise. Instead of addressing the issue in the national parliament and leaving it up to the general populace, we have a citizens assembly to discuss it and pass it onto parliament, which will hand it over to a committee that may finally give the citizens their say. Perhaps the body politic needs another few decades before facing up to it. The #CitizensAssembly meets tomorrow. You can watch it live on https://t.co/rpC6t7fg06 from 10:15am The Citizens' Assembly (@CitizAssembly) January 6, 2017 Ditto how we are going to pay for, and respect, a precious resource like treated water, not to mention paying for, and respecting, the environmental impact of wastewater. Unlike the rest of the developed world, Ireland has no specific charge for these services. Instead, we had an alleged expert commission examine and report on the issue, before Christmas. That body handed it over to a committee assembled for this specific purpose, which will then pass the matter back to the Oireachtas. It also emerged, during the week, that drink driving is on the rise again, as evidenced by a 35% increase in arrests over Christmas. The Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, told Danny McConnell, in the Irish Examiner, that there had been an increase in road deaths, which is calamitous. If drink-driving continues, we will have to look at dramatic ways of tackling itbecause drunk-driving has been resurrected as a huge problem, he said. Despite the gravity of the situation, he wants to wait for another three months, before deciding whether to lower the blood alcohol limit. Bringing in such a measure immediately might save lives, but it would discommode rural TDs, as Ross acknowledged this week. New law to fight drink driving likely https://t.co/GQvqequYdd pic.twitter.com/3c3yn7s60T Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) January 4, 2017 So its best to hang tough, see what happens, and provide space for the issue to be slid onto the long finger. Then, once the tip of the long finger is reached, the minister will actually make a decision. Unless, of course, he sees a pressing need to commission a report on whether or not he should make a decision, ahead of a proper review of any proposal. This kind of paralysis by analysis in so many areas of politics is adding to cynicism about how the country is run. Everything is parsed, examined, subjected to test runs, raised and flown from the nearest flagpole, to gauge reaction, and then put through a tortuous process or realisation. Finally, there tends to be a decision at Cabinet, which is dispatched to the general public like a lobbed grenade, while all the ministers scurry for cover under the Cabinet table. Is that any way to run a country? Is it any less crazy than The Donald governing by Twitter? Is it any more likely to better the lives of the bulk of citizens? Answers on a tweet to @mickcliff please!!! Business The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (January 7) A Telenor employee services customers at the companys launch in Rangoon on Oct. 26, 2014. / J Paing / The Irrawaddy Telecoms to Grow by 4 Percent Annually Burmas telecoms services sector is expected to generate US$3.1 billion in revenue in 2017, according to a new report. Annual growth in the sector over the next four years is predicted to be 4 percent, driven by expansion of network infrastructure and 4G services, the report by market research firm Wise Guy said. Mobile data is set for significant growth and mobile revenue will account for 94.9 percent of the total telecom revenue by 2021, the report predicts. While 4G is expanding, 3G is set to remain the most adopted mobile technology over the next few years as increasing numbers of customers migrate from 2G to 3G services. Private Investment to Boost Agriculture The agriculture sector is set for a boost with an advanced new rice mill due to begin operation in March, a report by the Nikkei publication said this week. Rice exports will be increased with the opening of a large mill by Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corp (Mapco) in Kyaiklat in Ayeyarwady Division next March, the report said. The US$6.66 million plant will be the largest in the country and will be capable of processing 450 tons of rice per day. Mapco currently operates a mill in Naypyidaw with a daily capacity of 220 tons. Mapco was founded with the backing of the government in 2012. It buys rice from local growers and then wholesales and exports the product. While broken rice currently accounts for a large portion of Burmas low-quality rice exports, the new plant will be able to produce parboiled rice, which has wider export appeal. Mapco expects to be able to export some 100,000 tons of rice a year from the new mill, including to new markets such as the European Union, according to the report. Japans KDDI Announces New CEO for Joint Venture with MPT Japans KDDI has appointed a new CEO for its joint venture in Burma, which it operates with state-owned MPT, Mobile World reported. Toshitake Amamiya was previously head of KDDIs global business division. He replaces Takashi Nagashima, who was CEO of the joint venture since it was established in July 2014. KDDI is Japans second-largest mobile operator. Since rivals Telenor and Ooredoo entered the Burma mobile market in mid-2014, MPT has seen its market share drop from almost 100 percent to 44 percent. The three mobile operators will soon face another rival in Vietnams Viettel which won the fourth mobile license with a local consortium. Assam Seeks Trade Route with Burma In a bid to increase commerce and trade between Indias northeast and Southeast Asia, Assam is looking at developing an industrial corridor between its largest city Guwahati and Mandalay in Burma. Assam State Industries Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the link would benefit Assam and the entire northeast of India, at a meeting on the Council for Trade Development and Promotion in the state, the Assam Tribune reported. Discussion on various measures to promote trade from Assam and the Northeast was held and I emphasized the need to look at Assam as being central to ASEAN and South Asia and the Act East Policy for boosting trade. Focus should be on opening of traditional trade routes and building infrastructure, Patowary said, stressing that the northeast states needed help in infrastructure development. Smartphone Shipments to Burma Rise 26 Percent Shipments of smartphones to Burma increased by 26 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of last year, to 2.5 million units in that quarter, according to global market intelligence firm IDC. The growth was led by 4G-capable devices which expanded 41 per cent quarter-on-quarter during the period, the Mobile World website reported. IDC expects Burmas smartphone market to grow 9 percent in 2017, driven by relatively low smartphone penetration rate and rising disposable income, the report said. Tourism Promotion Event for Rangoon Burmas tourism offerings will be showcased at the first International Tourism Expo Myanmar 2017, which will be held on January 20 to 22 at the Tatmadaw Exhibition Hall in Rangoon. More than a hundred hotels, travel agencies, airlines, insurance companies and others related to the travel industry will have booths at the event under the auspices of the Myanmar Tourism Federation. Outbound and inbound travel will be featured at the event. Dateline Dateline Irrawaddy: Internal Peace and National Reconciliation are Preconditions for Building Democratic Federalism On this weeks Dateline, Irrawaddy reporters discuss the social and political outlooks for Burma as reflected in politicians New Years greetings. Kyaw Zwa Moe: Happy New Year, and welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, leaders of our country including President U Htin Kyaw have extended New Years greetings. It is fair to say that those greetings reflect their resolutions. Our news crew members Ma Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint and Ko Moe Myint join me to discuss the political, social, and economic outlooks for our country as reflected in their greetings. Im Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe. President U Htin Kyaw, Vice-Presidents U Myint Swe and U Henry Van Thio, senior Buddhist monks, army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and other key leaders have extended New Years greetings. But I didnt see Daw Aung San Suu Kyis greetings [in state-run newspapers]. Ma Nan Lwin, whose greetings have caught your attention? Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint: Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. First, he made a wish about national ethnic people. And he said that there was a significant event in 2016the election, and that the army cooperated with the government of the National League for Democracy [NLD] in its work. He also mentioned fierce clashes in November and said that those clashes in Kachin State, the northeast area of Shan State, and the northern area of Arakan State were caused by ethnic armed insurgents. KZM: State-run newspapers Kyemon and Myanma Alinn avoided that choice of words in their publication of his greetings, right? NLHP: Yes, Myanma Alinn and Kyemon chose to use ethnic armed groups. But Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing used the wording ethnic armed insurgents in his greetings posted on Facebook, and in a video aired on [military-run broadcaster] Myawaddy TV. And he said that the army would focus its efforts on peace and stability, national development and work to build a union based on democracy and federalism. He also called on citizens to cooperate. Some ethnic armed group leaders are not happy with their being labeled ethnic armed insurgents. Analysts said that this would negatively impact peace talks between the two sides. KZM: Lower House Speaker U Win Myint, Upper House Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than and others also extended greetings. Ko Moe Myint, whose greetings do you think are particularly interesting and what political messages do they carry? Moe Myint: The leaders talked about three points, for example in the New Years greetings of Lower House Speaker U Win Myint and Upper House Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than. U Win Myint talked about the NLDs election manifestonational reconciliation as the top priority, followed by internal peace and the establishment of a democratic federal union. And he called on citizens to join hands and work shoulder to shoulder in unity to reach these goals. What is interesting is that he also urged citizens to adopt an attitude of caring for the future of the country and to think about what they can do for the union and for future generations. Upper House Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than urged national ethnic people to give up their ego and grudges and move forward together. KZM: He urged all citizens! MM: Yes, all citizens. KZM: Overall, it is a good attitude [to give up ones ego and grudges]. But it is quite difficult for all to act on it and it seems that most of them still cant act on it. As you have pointed out, army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said that the army in 2017 would work for peace and the stability of the country as its top priority, national development as the second priority and the establishment of a Union built on democracy and federalism as its third priority. Their policies seem not different. But, looking at the greetings of Lower House Speaker U Win Myint and President U Htin Kyaw, U Htin Kyaw spoke about internal peace first, national reconciliation second, and democratic federalism third. And U Win Myint spoke national reconciliation first, internal peace, second and democratic federalism third. I think internal peace and national reconciliation are preconditions for building democratic federalism, which is the ultimate goal. Speaking of national reconciliation, it should be tripartite reconciliation between the government, the army, and ethnic groups, as well as the people. Without this, a federal union cant be built. This is the difference between the government and the army in their ideologies about countrys priorities. The military governments since 1988 have prioritized peace and the stability of the country. I found a piece of writing by artist U Win Pe published in Kyemon Daily to be really lovely. He wrote, it is not easy to turn the current that is flowing swiftly northwards to the direction of the south. It needs to first slow down the speed of the current before turning it to the south. By this, he means that change needs time. Generally speaking, the leaders will work based on that three-point policy. KZM: Ma Nan Lwin and Ko Moe Myint, we faced a lot of challenges in 2016. Lets take a look to 2017. What opportunities and challenges do you see? KZM: Military tensions ran high from August to December in 2016. And there was an urgent problem throughout northern [Shan State] areas. Around the end of December, the peace commission met the Wa and Mongla [groups] in their respective areas. Previously, the Wa refused to meet [the governments peace team], as they were increasing military activities [in the Mongla region]. I heard on Jan. 1 that three [of four Wa] battalions had retreated [from the Mongla region]. The two pledged to continue to take part in the peace process. So, this indicates that [the government] is starting to get along with the Wa and Mongla, which are among the most powerful of 21 ethnic armed groups in Burma. But on the other hand, we cant say clashes with the Northern Alliance [which consists of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Arakan Army (AA)] have completely stopped. There are still clashes in Kachin State. And in some cases, displaced persons who were living at camps have even had to relocate after artillery shells fell on them. Last week, the Burma Army relocated some villages in Kutkhaing Township in response to the military situation in the area. And clashes with Palaung troops [the TNLA] continue. KZM: These will remain challenges in 2017. What is your forecast for other arenas, Ko Moe Myint? MM: Rather than talking about the political arena, I would like to assess the performance and plans of divisional governments, which directly engage with people on the ground. Ive found that their plans are poor. KZM: Leaders including the president did not much touch upon those things [in their New Years greetings]. They did not talk about how to improve the daily lives of people, and they only focused on policies. Carry on, Ko Moe Myint. MM: In terms of significant everyday problems in, for example, Rangoon, which is the commercial capital of Burma, Rangoon Division Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein has promised to tackle traffic problems. But far from solving this problem, [it has grown to the extent that] even rule of law seems to be affected. Recently, we have seen reports of bus conductors hitting passengers. Passengers filed complaints and concerned authorities took action, but their actions were not effective and people have therefore started to take [extrajudicial] action against them. KZM: So, this shows that [the government] still cant effectively enforce the rule of law. MM: Yes, it does. KZM: In political and peace processes, conflicts such as in Arakan State are huge challenges. And to bring benefits to citizens, another biggest challenge is making economic policy a success. It would be good if the NLD government can adopt and carry out a good economic policy. Now, among everyday problems, commodity prices and fuel prices are rising. And there are a lot of law-breaking activities. But speaking of opportunities, I hope there will be more opportunities if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burma Army and ethnic leaders can engage and hold talks more frankly. Lastly, Ma Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint, what are your hopes for the country this year as a journalist? NLHP: Since I have covered the peace process from the time of [President] U Thein Sein, I have continuously seen sad sights wherever I have gonescenes on the frontline and people suffering. These things I have seen until the end of 2016. I dont know exactly how they feel, but I have bad dreams whenever I came back from [conflict areas] after covering the clashes. I have never seen good things there, but have seen, rather, that they are short on food, that they have to run for their lives from time to time, that many have lost their relatives, and that they can hardly provide schooling for their children. There are so many problems. I hope I might no longer need to report on such things in 2017. I hope that they can lead a normal life again. KZM: What are your hopes, Ko Moe Myint? MM: I would like to talk about the infamous article, Article 66(d), which concerns not only journalists but also the people, and press freedom, because the number of peopleincluding journalists and citizensfacing charges under Article 66(d) has reached more than 40. KZM: So this law indirectly prohibits freedom of expression, right? MM: Yes, it does. And I would like to get back media rooms [officially known as interpreter booths], which were closed in the time of Lower House Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann. It has now been more than nine months since the [NLD-led] government assumed power. But we still have to cover parliamentary sessions with voice recorders though TV screens. Im really pissed off about it. I hope media rooms will be re-opened this year. KZM: My hopes as a journalist are simple. When I interviewed U Win Tin, a seasoned journalisthe has died now who established the NLD together with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he said it is important to [investigate and] reveal wrongdoings. So, my resolution is to continue exposing wrongdoings so that wrong things will end and right things will happen. This should be the fundamental cause [of journalists]. Another thing is I would like to quote NLD patron U Tin Oos New Years greeting. He said he hoped 2017 would initiate a peaceful year and that he would like to urge all ethnic people, regardless of race and religion, to adopt an attitude that everyone has [human] dignity, and to work in cooperation. It is, I think, easier said than done. If everyone practices it, I think the country will become peaceful. Thank you for your contributions. Burma Appeal Rejected For Jailed Interfaith Activists Muslim interfaith activists Pwint Phyu Latt (L) and Zaw Zaw Latt (R) outside a Mandalay court in April 2016 after their sentencing. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy MANDALAYAn appeal submitted to a Mandalay divisional court for two jailed Muslim interfaith activists has been rejected, said the families of the defendants. Ma Pwint Phyu Latt and Ko Zaw Zaw Latt were sentenced under the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act in April 2016 and under the Immigration Act in February, which placed them behind bars for total of four years. We received news from our lawyer that the appeal to the divisional court was rejected on December 22. Now we are planning to submit another appeal to the central court in Naypyidaw, said Pwint Phyu Latts mother. Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Zaw Latt were arrested for photos shared on Facebook, which were taken during a charity trip to displaced peoples camps in a war-torn area of Kachin State in 2013 and during a visit across the Indo-Burma border to Mizoram State in 2014. In the pictures, Zaw Zaw Latt posed with an M16 rifle as he met with members of the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic armed group engaged in a longstanding struggle against the Burma Army. Both Zaw Zaw Latt and Pwint Phyu Latt once worked for the National League for Democracy, which now heads the civilian-led government, and for which Zaw Zaw Latt was an information officer for the partys youth department. AT&T is almost half way toward its goal of virtualizing 75 percent of its network by 2020. It software-enabled 34 percent of the AT&T network last year, according to Fierce Telecom. Chief Strategy Officer and Group Vice President John Donovan told attendees of the 2017 Internet, Media & Telecommunications Conference that the hardest part is moving from 5 percent to 30 percent. Surpassing 30 percent and, presumably, getting into a rhythm, really bodes well for us for 2017 to get the things done that we want to do, Donovan said. AT&T has been active and vocal in its quest to transition to software-defined networks and network functions virtualization (SDN and NFV). These approaches deemphasize hardware in an effort to make networks more reactive, less expensive, and easier to configure and manage. FTC Offers Reward for IoT Security One of the gnawing fears that the telecommunications and IT industries have is that the Internet of Things (IoT) will prove completely insecure and will melt down into a morass of hacks and cracks. The Mirai malware, for instance, which gains entry to the internet though IoT-connected devices such as surveillance cameras, emerged late in the year. That, of course, did nothing to reassure people. This week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took a step by offering a $25,000 prize to those finding a way to automate software updates for IoT devices. Honorable mentions will each get $3,000. The winning device, Computerworld said, may be a physical device, an app or a cloud-based service. House Bill Could Endanger FCC, FTC Regs In a move that could affect recent telecommunications regulations, members of the new Congress have reintroduced legislation that would ease the overturning of regulations introduced during the last year of a presidential term. The measure passed by a vote of 238 to 184 this week. Broadcasting & Cable says that the bill would apply to the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission (FCC and FTC). For instance, the FCCs broadband privacy regulations and Lifeline subsidy reforms could be rescinded. The bill, named the Midnight Rules Relief Act, was criticized by outside groups and was backed by only a few Democrats. IoT Spending to Soar New technologies grow quickly in terms of percentage figures since they start from zero. Growth, measured in that way, is even more dramatic if the technology is hot from the start. Thats what is happening with the Internet of Things (IoT). IDC says that worldwide spending on the pervasive new technology will have reached $737 billion last year once the figures are tabulated. The compound annual growth rate for IoT spending from 2015 to 2020 will be 15.6 percent, with spending reaching $1.29 trillion in 2020. IDC offers an industry-by-industry spending breakdown: Manufacturing ($178 billion), transportation ($78 billion) and utilities ($69 billion) are the top three categories. The research shows that consumer IoT purchases, which was the fourth largest category last year, will move up to third by 2020. Spending on technology that cuts across industries (the examples in the press release are connected vehicles and smart buildings) will be a top spending item through the study period. The retail, health care, consumer and insurance categories will be the fastest growing, IDC says. HDMI 2.1 Introduced at CES Its important to follow the consumer electronics industry because what it produces ends up, sooner or later, as tools for business. The growth of video is especially important because its requirements potentially could affect distribution requirements. At CES this week, the HDMI Forum announced version 2.1 of its standard. The new version, which the press release says is backward-compatible with earlier versions of HDMI, offers 8,000 pixel resolutions at 60 Hz refresh cycles or 4,000 pixel resolution at 120 Hz cycles. A new 48G cable will be necessary, according to the HDMI Forum. HDMI 2.1 also offers Dynamic Range HDR for extended depth, detail, brightness, contrast and color gamut, game mode VRR and other features. Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected] and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk. A long-running crack in the Larsen C ice shelf grew unexpectedly in December and now just 20km of ice is holding the 5,000-sq. km piece from moving away, read the Swansea University website. Investigators based in Swansea University's College of Science say the toll of a piece of a quarter of the size of Wales will leave the whole shelf helpless to future breakup. Larsen C is roughly 350-m thick and floats on the seas at the edge of West Antarctica, holding back the current of glaciers that feed into it. Researchers have been following the rift in Larsen C for many years, succeeding the collapse of the Larsen A ice shelf in 1995 and the sudden break-up of the Larsen B shelf in 2002. Last year, scientists from the UK's Project Midas reported that the Larsen C rift was increasing fast. Report Shows Of A Rapid Reaction Of The Rift May Have Been Affected Due To Climate Change But in December 2016, the speediness of the rift went into freewheel, growing by an additional 18km in just a couple of weeks. What will become an enormous iceberg now hangs on to the shelf by a strand just 20km long. Project Research Team Leader, Professor Adrian Luckman, was quoted as saying by Swansea University website: "If it doesn't go in the next few months, I'll be amazed. "There haven't been enough cloud-free Landsat imageries but we've managed to combine a pair of Esa Sentinel-1 radar images to notice this expansion, and it's so close to calving that I think it's unavoidable." Per Professor Luckman, the area that will break off. It will be approximately 5,000 sq km, a size he said that would put the iceberg among the top ten biggest ever dated. Professor Luckman added that this is a terrestrial and not a climate change. Although it is allegedly contributed that climate warming has took forward the likely separation of the iceberg. However, the investigators say they have no direct indication to support this. They are worried, though, about how any break-off will influence the rest of the ice shelf, given that its neighbor, Larsen B, crumbled spectacularly in 2002 following a comparable large calving event. "We are persuaded, although others are not, that the lingering ice shelf will be less stable than the current one," said Professor Luckman. "We would expect in the subsequent months to years further calving events, and maybe a final collapse - but it's a very hard thing to foresee, and our models say it will be less steady; not that it will directly collapse or anything like that." This Non-Floating Ice Would Have An Impact On Sea Levels Per estimates, if all the ice that the Larsen C shelf currently holds back pass in the sea, global waters would rise by 10cm. "The eventual significances might be the ice shelf breaking up in years to decades," said Professor Luckman. "Even the sea level involvement of this area is not on anybody's radar; it's just a big geographical event that will change the scenery there." There has been a series of incidents regarding motorcycles that crash due to driver's imbalance. On the other hand, some are struggling with balance when red lights start flashing in. With this, Honda made something that would make you feel a professional biker. Honda Gives Everyone A Chance To Bike, Self-Stabilizing Motorcycle Revealed According to Wired, Honda made a self-stabilizing motorcycle that would help everyone from balancing consistently. The said advancement is presented during CES 2017 in a riderless demonstration. Reports reiterated that it is not like any other as it doesn't depend on massive gyroscopes to be able to balance. Sources showed that Honda used technology that was taken from the balancing system of the famous robot Asimo. To add on this, it also took the idea of the Uni-Cub electric mobility scooter. This made the upcoming Honda vehicle different from the other releases today. The said motorcycle is able to detect lean angles and immediately move the wheels from either side. The action made would automatically counteract the supposed fallout. It could also adjust its front forks' angles, improving its stability. Aside from that, its main parts have distinct motors that would make them capable of moving and controlling a low-speed maneuvering. Honda Admits Plans In The Future, Will The Vehicle Be Released Real Soon? Lee Edmunds, a Honda affiliate, gave out a statement regarding the vehicle: "Most riders can manage their bikes just fine," "This would be for those who want to relax a little bit and not stress out about falling over, if they're older or a little shorter in stature or the bike is heavier. This takes away that anxiety." However, it is admitted that there is still no definite timeline on its release in the market. Consumers are eagerly waiting for it to happen as they are greatly craving for update and news regarding this. Although there was a general consideration about Chinese smartphones, claiming that these were bad-quality mobile devices, over the last years these products has become most incredible alternatives for flagships handsets, considering that it offers almost the same specs and features with a super-affordable price. In fact, the improvement has been so incredible that some Chinese smartphones are even better that some of the most outstanding flagships you can get. This year, many important Chinese smartphone brands are coming to the U.S. market, which seems as the beginning of a new era in the phone business, considering that these mobile devices will become a ferocious competitor for important companies as Samsung or Apple. Give this situation, there were many analysts who believe that these new brands could conquer the market, but the big question is whether this could happen this year or not. Chinese Smartphones Have Conquered The Emerging Markets As many studies reveal, the grow of the Chinese smartphones has been so incredible in recent years that Samsung and Apples share of the worldwide smartphone market had a major decrease from 42 percent to 33 percent amid the rise of brands as Xiaomi and especially Huawei. The main reason of this even has been the way in which the Chinese smartphones silently conquered emerging markets as Latin America, Africa and several nations of Asia and Europe, since many customers preferred to buy a cheap mobile device that offers the latest trends, instead of a flagship that would represent a huge blow to their pockets, considering that in many parts of the world, phones as the iPhone or any Galaxy are extremely expensive for many people. Naturally, this is the reason why so many Chinese smartphones that are not known in the U.S. has the best approval in the rest of the world, which could be a meaningful weapon with which this brand could conquer the market in less than expected, since theres no better thing as a new player with a successful background. Chinese Smartphones Will Conquer The US Market Within 5 Years Although the accusations of copying Apple phones has been said about brands as Xiaomi, it would be almost impossible to compete against a mobile device that offers almost the same as a flagship in a much lower price, even when the brand is not so famous. Of course, extraordinary phones as the Honor 6X or the Huawei P9 represents this particular case, and even when the upcoming iPhone 8 or Galaxy S8 could be better smartphones, having a most expensive price would probably end up being its kryptonite against the Chinese smartphones. Nevertheless, theres always a brief period of customers adaptations to a new brand in a market ruled other players, which mean that even in the best case scenario for the Chinese smartphones, it seems unlikely that they conquer the U.S. market this year. Nevertheless, its literally inevitable that this situation will actually happen within 5 years, in which most of the American customers will have a Huawei, ZTE, Xiaomi, OnePlus, or even an Oppo. Although this scenario seems impossible, just a few years ago, Chinas expansion all over the world is also represented in the phone business, and theres no kind o measure to stop it, even when Apple or Samsung keeps releasing extraordinary mobile devices. This year, the Chinese smartphones will set a turning point in the history for good. Intel's Optane super fast storage device offers a thousand times the switching speed of an SSD. Intel's Optane Storage According to PCWorld, the Optane super fast storage systems will work with Intel's newly announced Kaby Lake CPUs and the Z270 chipset. Intel shared a couple of pictures of its highly anticipated Optane non-volatile memory drives a day before CES officially kicked off. However, the high-tech manufacturer company did not release with the photos capacity, availability and pricing of the Optane drives. The only available information for now is that the initial Optane drives will be 16GB and 32GB in size. In order to cache hard drive performance, they'll be used with Intel's Rapid Storage Technology. At the moment, SSDs are already being used to cache hard drives with RST, so it remains to be seen how much of a difference it'll make if instead of today's SSDs will be used Optane drives. At the moment, the capacity of the Optane drives is certainly far lower than the capacity that is expected to eventually be reached. Since the introduction of the Optane technology Intel has said that it would eventually approach system RAM in performance and offer capacity exceeding today's SSDs. The initial Optane drives will use a 3D memory technology codeveloped with Micron. It is expected that future Optane drive iterations could even go into DDR4 memory slots, and become, therefore, a product ready for consumer use. Intel's super-fast Optane will eventually replace today's SSDs and DRAM. With the upcoming Optane storage devices from Intel PC booting, game play and productivity applications will become much faster. Octane will become a totally new class of memory and storage. When Will Optane Ship? According to Computerworld, the low-capacity Optane storage are expected to ship in the second quarter of this year, but it could take a while before large-capacity Optane SSDs are made available. Before coming to PCs, the large-capacity Optane SSDs will likely be installed in servers. IBM and Facebook are among the tech companies that are already testing large-capacity SSDs in their servers. Optane won't be cheap, of course, like any new storage technology. This new Intel technology is being produced in a factory in Dalian, China, in limited quantities. It is expected that over time production will increase, reducing the cost of making Optane drives. When prices will start dropping, Intel is projecting a quick switch to mass production. Where Will Optane Be Used? This week at CES were announced many PCs that will have the 16GB or 32GB Optane storage installed. Initially, the storage drives will fit into sockets on motherboards. Ultimately, users will be able to install large-capacity Optane storage drives into m.2 or 2.5-inch slots. With a price starting at $909, Lenovo's ThinkPad T570 was the first laptop announced to come with an optional Optane storage drive. However, the laptop's price will go up if you select the 16GB Optane PCIe M.2 2242-S3 storage option. During the spring update to the product, HP's revamped Envy Curved All-in-One 34 with Kaby Lake will also get Optane storage drives. Dell announced its plans to install Optane in some of its OptiPlex desktops and Precision laptops around June. Supermicro also announced support for Optane in its new SuperO motherboards for business and gaming PCs. Tech watchers predict that the Samsung Galaxy S8, the next model in the South Korean conglomerate's flagship smartphone line, will be unveiled sometime next month. But with just a few weeks to go, there's still very little known about the upcoming handset. Reports have indicated that Samsung could launch three variants of the Samsung Galaxy S8. Apart from the regular Galaxy S8, there will also reportedly be a Galaxy S8 edge and a Galaxy S8 Plus. Aside from this, here are the top eight Galaxy S8 features fans are expecting. Larger, almost bezel-less displays Over the past year, reports have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have an all-screen, bezel-less display (the same thing rumored for the next iPhone), but Phone Arena says that this may not be the case. Instead, the outlet theorizes that all three Galaxy S8 variants will have both top and bottom bezels, though these will certainly be slimmer than the ones in previous models. Two models, despite reports of no more flat displays There has been a lot of talk over the possibility of Samsung fixing flat displays for all its upcoming smartphones and phablets. According to reports, streamlining the Galaxy line to just handsets with curved screens will help Samsung's flagship line stand out from the competition. However, Forbes recently suggested that the company will stick with both flat and curved displays for the Galaxy S8. Fingerprint scanner buried in the display According to Phone Arena, the Galaxy S8 could have Qualcomm's Sense ID fingerprint sensor embedded under its display. This fingerprint sensor can reportedly be placed practically anywhere and can scan fingerprints from underneath glass, plastic, and even metal. Selfie camera with autofocus The Galaxy S8 is expected to get a major camera update. The upcoming handset will reportedly have an 8-megapixel front-facing main shooter, a big improvement over the 5-megapixel camera in the Galaxy S7. The new camera may also feature autofocus, allowing Galaxy S8 owners to take clearer selfies from an arm's length. S-Pen The rumored Galaxy S8 Plus is expected to take the place of the disastrous Note 7. As such, the upcoming handset could feature support for Samsung's S-Pen stylus. It is unclear if the stylus will come with the Galaxy S8 Plus or will be sold separately as an accessory. Snapdragon 835, 8GB of RAM, Exynos 8895 Samsung is expected to go all out with the Galaxy S8 in a bid to make consumers forget about the 2016 exploding Note 7 fiasco. As such, the Galaxy S8 models are rumored to sport an octa-core chipset with four Exynos M2 CPU cores and four Cortex A53 CPU cores. The handsets are also said to carry the Snapdragon 835 chipset and feature at least 8 GB of RAM. Stereo speakers Samsung recently acquired the auto and audio giant Harman, which may indicate that the Galaxy S8 phones will feature Harman Kardon stereo speakers. Continuum-like feature A recent "leaked" image from a supposed presentation at Samsung revealed that the company could be working on a Galaxy S8 functionality that will allow owners to use it as a desktop. Based on the image, the Galaxy S8 can be tethered to a monitor and wirelessly connected to a Bluetooth keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse, allowing users to switch between mobile and desktop experiences. Release Date Phone Arena suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S8 phones will be unveiled on Feb. 26. Samsung has not officially announced the launch date for its next handsets. At CES 2017, Samsung introduced the year's Notebook 9 model, which the company claims is the lightest of its size. But despite its light exterior, the South Korean tech giant has definitely not skimped out in terms of specifications. The laptop still has power underneath its unassuming aesthetic. As The Verge notes, the device has a 13-inch screen and weighs in at just 1.8 pounds or 820 grams. And while some companies have sacrificed connectivity for less weight, Samsung did not such thing with the Notebook 9. The device has a full sized HDMI port, two USB A ports and a USB C port as well. The unit allows breathing room for the future without completely disregarding what is still standard with the public. Looking at the unit, it is evident that the ports are almost as thick as the entire base of the Notebook 9. Moreover, the minimized side bezels - as the publication notes - gives the device a futuristic feel. It also has a 180-degree hinge, which allows the unit to lay fully flat. And while this feature may not be used to that extent often, it does provide users with much more options than other competitors. According to Tech Radar, the Samsung Notebook 9 has a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-6200U CPU and an Intel HD Graphic 520 ship. It runs smoothly on 8GB of RAM and has a built-in storage of 256GB. Its camera is 720p HD and the unit has Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. All in all, the unit measures roughly 13.64 x 9.33 x 0.57 inches. The Samsung Note 7, which was only available for demo at CES, are currently available for pre-order and will be released into the market soon enough. The 13-inch variant costs US$999, while the 15-inch variant retails for about US$1,199. The larger option adds a discrete GPU, the Nvidia GTX 940MX, above and beyond the standard variant. An Apple retail store is opening soon in South Korea. Yes, that is right, in South Korea, where the main office of Samsung is located. Apple's First Retail Store In South Korea Is Opening Soon Apple announced on Friday that an official retail store is coming to Samsungs homeland of South Korea. "WWe're excited about opening our first Apple Store in Korea, one of the world's economic centers and a leader in telecommunication and technology, with a vibrant K-culture," Apple told Reuters in a statement on Friday. Tim Cook's company has not divulged too many details on its proposed invasion into South Korea and is staying silent on when the first-ever Apple Store in the country would open its doors to people specifically the South Korean people. However, according to TechTimes, Apple has acknowledged that it has begun hiring people as employees for the Apple Store in the said country. The fist-ever Apple Store would be officially opening in the South Korean capital City, Seoul, as indicated by the company's released statement. Apple Posts Hiring Notices For Their South Korea Store "We're excited about opening our first Apple Store in Korea, one of the world's economic centers and a leader in telecommunication and technology, with a vibrant K-culture," Apple told Reuters in a statement Friday. Apple, the iPhone maker, listed hiring notices for 15 positions dated January 5 on its website, including a store leader and a business manager. The listings did not really specify the exact location of the store or when those who are hired will begin working under Apple. In the mean-time, Apple declined to comment on where exactly in Seoul its retail store would be or when it would officially open. But South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said in a report on Friday that the construction was underway for the Apple store at a location in a southern district of Seoul and that the work will likely be completed by end-November. The U.S. has accused China of rigging the steel, aluminum, and green technology markets, and the semiconductor industry is the latest in the crosshairs. A White House working group has accused China of rigging the global semiconductor market by artificially reducing prices of chips. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) also recommended ways to ward off the China threat and to strengthen the domestic market. China is encroaching on the U.S. semiconductor market through acquisitions and using state-driven policies and interference to hurt innovation, PCAST said in its report. Semiconductors are used in many products with an on and off switch. Semiconductors are used in computers, cars, factory machines, weapons, airplanes, and other products critical to the U.S. economy. Circuits are used in military equipment critical to national security. That's another reason why the U.S. is paying close attention to Chinese actions affecting semiconductors. The report comes two weeks ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as the next U.S. president. The working group hopes the recommendations will carry over to the next administration. All isn't well between the U.S. and China on the technology front. The U.S. has banned the export of key high-technology products to China and has found security flaws in products from Chinese companies. Roadblocks put in place by China have made it difficult for U.S. companies to do business in the country. Companies like HP, Intel, and Qualcomm have had to partner with Chinese companies to expand their businesses. Bolstering innovation is one way to counter the Chinese semiconductor threat, and PCAST recommended private-public partnerships to develop new types of computers and chips. The ideas proposed by PCAST include the development of quantum computers and chips for medicine and biodefense systems. These are radically different chips than ones currently used, and in some cases, impractical, but if achieved, they could put the U.S. leaps ahead and devalue the Chinese semiconductor market. The council also said partnerships and investments would foster the development of talent to drive chip innovation ahead. Stronger security and export controls could limit Chinese access to technologies. The semiconductor clash partly stems from different economic systems and government agendas in China and the U.S. China is pushing semiconductor development through government funding. Its most famous mega-chip powers the world's fastest computer called TaihuLight. The U.S., on the other hand, uses private funding and public-private partnerships to foster computing innovation. Companies like Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and IBM come up with chip and manufacturing technologies that help make computers and mobile devices smaller and faster. China is subsidizing chip development with a US $150 billion investment over a 10-year period, announced in 2014. That has spawned the development of low-cost semiconductors, and China hopes to increase the number of devices in its country using homegrown chips from 9 percent to 70 percent by 2025. But China's dependence on homegrown technology is having an effect on the world semiconductor market. Low-cost Chinese chips, which have inferior technology but are cheaper than the U.S. chips, are being used in more devices than ever, and that threatens the position of U.S. companies in the semiconductor market. "In the short run, Chinese subsidies can benefit U.S. consumers and firms that use semiconductors by reducing costs and lowering product prices. In the long run, however, subsidies to incumbent technologies tend to reduce innovation," PCAST said. After airplanes and cars, semiconductors are the third largest export for the U.S., said the Semiconductor Industry Association, which lauded the PCAST report. The industry employs about 250,000 people and supports an additional 1 million jobs in the U.S. "China is a critical market and an important part of the global value chain, yet it appears a significant number of its policies are not market-based or impose market-access restrictions," John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO, said in a blog entry. But U.S. companies have been feeling the pinch of the high costs of manufacturing in the U.S., and are moving production to fabrication plants in China. One example is Intel, which is getting chips for its latest Optane storage from a plant in Dalian, China. The U.S. had only 13 percent of the worldwide fabrication capacity in 2015, a decline from 42 percent in 1980, when semiconductor manufacturing started taking off. Lexington Home Brands transition from domestic manufacturer to global marketer appeared to have reached full fruition Friday with its sale to two Chinese groups. The Thomasville company said its private-equity owner Sun Capital Partners has sold it for an undisclosed amount to home furnishings retailer Luolai Lifestyle Technology and private-equity firm Yixing Capital. Sun Capital could not be reached for comment about the sale. In April 2002, Sun Capital, based in Boca Raton, Fla., provided the financing for a management-led acquisition of Lexington. At that time, Lexington had about 3,500 employees overall and nine plants in its hometown. The company proceeded to shed thousands of jobs in the Triad and North Carolina as part of shifting the bulk of its production to Asian contract manufacturers. It currently has an unknown number of distribution, headquarters and production employees in Lexington and Hickory. The trade-off for offshoring and the Sun Capital ownership was Lexington gaining the economies of scale to expand its product line to include outdoor living and home office, along with media products from acquiring Sligh Furniture Co. in October 2011, and decorative accents and custom dining with Artistica. Sun Capitals nearly 15-year ownership stake in Lexington was of unusual length for the firm. Its typical pattern has been buying struggling companies at bargain prices and trying to flip them for a profit. Lexington said its management team, led by chief executive Phil Haney, will remain in charge of the company. Haney was not part of the 2002 management buyout. He took over as chief executive in September 2006. The company said it will gain new funding as part of the sale. While the relationship has proven an ideal scenario for both parties, private equity investments involve an exit strategy, and the timing was appropriate for us to identify a new financial partner, Haney said in a statement. Haney said the deal accomplishes two major goals, ensuring a seamless transition for our employees and continuity of the business for our retail partners. From a business perspective, this transaction will allow us to accelerate the expansion of our domestic business through aggressive organic growth and acquisitions, while creating significant international growth opportunities through the association with Luolai Lifestyle Technology. Obviously, I find the study of all religions interesting. Most of the time, I am surprised by the similarities. As promised, I will continue the discussions about religions. Probably the most frequently asked question from students is about Scientology. The first Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. Presently, there are 10,000 churches worldwide. Scientology was founded by L. Ron Hubbard, who was born in 1911 and died in 1986. He became interested in philosophy at a young age, and his travels to Asian countries nurtured this interest. He was particularly interested in Buddhism. Scientologists practice dianetics. The dictionary explains that it is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body. It seeks to alleviate harmful emotions and fears. They believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings, which is the reason that it concentrates on the mind and spirit but not the body. They also believe that humans are by nature good and have unlimited possibilities. It is not a dogmatic, doctrinal, religion, but much like Buddhism strives for spiritual enlightenment. The church does not define or prescribe, but one is led or trained to increase personal spiritual awareness. God is thought to be the urge of existence toward infinity. The individuals spiritual awareness moves toward the full understanding of what is called the Eighth Dynamic or infinity and the relationship to the Supreme Being. Hubbard wrote in Science of Survival, No culture in the history of the world, save the thoroughly depraved and expiring ones, has failed to affirm the existence of a Supreme Being. It is an empirical observation that men without a strong and lasting faith in a Supreme Being are less capable, less ethical and less valuable to themselves and society....A man without an abiding faith is, by observation alone, more of a thing than a man. Additional research will reveal different views of the man and the religion. Scientology is controversial, so I urge readers who have an interest to research and develop their own opinions. Another religion we often hear discussed is the Bahai faith. It was founded by Bahaullah around 1844 in Persia, modern Iran. It has spread to over 5 million followers in 200 countries. The followers believe that all humanity is one family and all religions come from God who is eternal. Other more social/political ideas include gender equality, truth unfettered by tradition or superstition, harmony between science and religion, a world court to solve problems and avoid war, redistribution of wealth and compulsory education. I have only known one person of the Bahai faith, and he was a gentle and kind man whose adherence to his faith was more important than his business success. A quote from Bahaullah gives insight into the religion, Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Since I have mentioned Persia, I might also mention a religion native to the area that has almost died out. The latest census gives the estimate of 124,000-190,000 Zoroastrians worldwide with an estimate of 45,000 in the United States. Zoroastrianism was founded by Zarathustra around the 5th century BC and served as the state religion in pre-Islamic Iranian empires. The sacred text is Avesta, and Ahura Mazda is The Lord Creator. They believe in heaven and hell and free will. The basic beliefs include the following sayings: Good Words, Good Thoughts and Good Deeds, There is only one path and that is the path of Truth. Do the right thing because it is the right thing and rewards will follow. By any measure, it is a fascinating religion. On March 26, a new Zoroastrian Temple, Dar-e-Mehr, opened in New York. The inauguration date paid tribute to the start of the traditional Persian New Year and the birthday of Zarathustra, the prophet and founder of the faith. I believe that Matthews three wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem were likely Zoroastrian astrologers. It is amazing to note the parallels between the life of Zarathustra and the life of Christ. Gov. Roy Cooper made good Friday on his pledge to pursue federal approval for expanding the states Medicaid program. Cooper, on his sixth day as governor, announced his expansion proposal for more than 500,000 North Carolinians at an economic forum Wednesday. This is North Carolina common sense, Cooper said in a statement Friday. We can receive between $3 billion and $4 billion to pay for care that hospitals and other providers now give away. The N.C. Hospital Association has said its members are providing combined about $1 billion in charity care annually, much of it to patients without health insurance coverage. That will create (40,000) jobs, bolster our hospitals, could save some rural hospitals, and work toward more stable private insurance premiums, Cooper said. Medicaid expansion was a hot-button issue throughout Pat McCrorys term as governor. Currently, Medicaid covers about 1.9 million North Carolinians, and is a $14 billion a year program. The federal Affordable Care Act provides resources for states to extend coverage to all non-elderly adults with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, currently $32,253 a year for a family of four and $18,000 for an individual. Coopers first step consisted of submitting a letter and a draft plan to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. His goal is having expansion in place by January 2018. Coopers plan amends the Medicaid reform waiver request submitted June 1 by the McCrory administration. That plan focuses on creating a hybrid oversight solution involving for-profit insurers and not-for-profit health-care systems with no expansion. Analysts have said the Obama administration was more likely to approve a Medicaid waiver request with expansion as the centerpiece. However, it appears the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress may reduce, if not gut, the federal funding that has paid the bulk of the Medicaid expansion administrative cost for 31 states. The state will accept comments for 10 days on the amendment submission before the Cooper administration files its official plan. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, attempted Thursday to puncture Coopers momentum by sending a preemptive letter to CMS expressing their opposition to the amendment request. The letter consisted primarily of citing the 2013 state law that prohibits the executive branch from pursuing state Medicaid expansion. We encourage CMS to decline the governors illegal request for expansion, the GOP leaders said. Three major expansion hurdles Cooper acknowledges his amendment plan has three major hurdles to clear on top of fierce GOP legislative opposition. Those hurdles would be: gaining CMS approval; securing funding for the states 5 percent portion of administrative costs for the expansion; and approval for changing state eligibility requirements. Republican legislative leaders have said consistently since 2013 that expansion is a nonstarter for them primarily because they dont trust the federal government to keep its pledge to pay more than 90 percent of the administrative costs. Expansion states must pick up 5 percent of the administrative costs for 2017-19, and 10 percent for 2020 and beyond. Berger and Moore cited a potential $600 million annual state funding commitment to Medicaid expansion. Cooper is asking the hospital association to rally support among its members to help pay the 5 percent match. Hospitals would receive a significant share of additional Medicaid dollars that would come back to the state, according to the statement. Depending on how many additional residents enroll in the expanded program, the hospitals contribution could be between $100 million and $150 million in the first year. Cooper claims law doesnt apply McCrory signed into law in March 2013 a bill that prohibits the executive branch, particularly the state departments of Health and Human Services and Insurance, from making a Medicaid expansion attempt. However, McCrory said repeatedly he was pursuing federal waiver exceptions with the Obama administration for what he called a North Carolina plan, and not a Washington plan that could have featured expansion. Cooper has said the law infringes on core executive functions of the governors role for negotiating the waiver request with CMS. On Friday, he said he believes the law does not apply to this draft plan. Berger said Wednesday that Cooper is three strikes and out on his attempt to break state law: he does not have the authority to unilaterally expand Obamacare; his administration cannot take steps to increase Medicaid eligibility; and our constitution does not allow him to spend billions of state tax dollars we dont have to expand Obamacare without legislative approval. Cooper counters Berger by saying that right now, North Carolina tax dollars are going to Washington, where they are being redistributed to states that have expanded Medicaid, including several Republican-controlled states, such as Arizona, Indiana, New Jersey and Ohio. Those 31 states received more than $70 billion in federal funds just in 2016. Why should North Carolinians pay for Medicaid expansion in states ... when we dont even expand it to our own people? Cooper asked. The number of flu-related deaths in North Carolina has climbed to seven with the report of three victims last week, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday. The most recent deaths involved individuals age 65 and older. For the flu season that began Oct. 1, five deaths have been individuals age 65 and older, along with one each in the 25-to-54 age group and 55-to-64 age group. There have been no reported flu-related deaths in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina. Some county health directors do not publicly report flu deaths, citing patient privacy policies or state DHHS directives. Flu can be a serious illness not only for the elderly, but also children under age 5, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. By comparison, there were 59 flu-related deaths during the 2015-16 season, along with 218 flu-related deaths in 2014-15, with 180 of the victims being 65 and older. The new year begins with Cone Health of Greensboro and Randolph Hospital of Asheboro announcing visitors restrictions related to the flu season. The Cone Health restrictions also cover Alamance Regional Hospital, Annie Penn Hospital, Wesley Long Hospital and Womens Hospital. Forsyth Medical Center and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have not chosen to restrict visitors at this time. The restrictions, as has been the case for several flu seasons, ban children from visiting patients, and apply to lobbies and waiting areas. The policy, as usual, does not apply to children who need emergency care or hospitalization. People in the hospital are usually recovering from surgery or battling diseases that leave their immune system weakened, said Melissa Morgan, Cone Healths director of infection prevention. During the 2014-15 flu season, most Triad hospitals had visitor restrictions in place from late December to mid-February. Most flu cases run their course in several days, and symptoms can be helped with over-the-counter medications, according to hospital officials. Wake Forest Baptist spokesman Joe McCloskey said the center is watching the influenza rates daily. Well take appropriate steps to restrict visitors if needed, he said. We are asking the public to assist us if theyre ill with the flu or gastrointestinal viruses by not visiting patients in the medical center. A Japanese company did not manufacture the airbag that is alleged to have exploded in a Forsyth County mans face, causing severe injury, the companys subsidiary and General Motors said in new court filings in a lawsuit. Willie Gary, a Florida attorney who won one of the largest punitive damages in U.S. corporate and legal history, and Miguel A. Cuadra, a Durham attorney who has a law office in Winston-Salem, filed the lawsuit in Forsyth Superior Court in October on behalf of David Earl Ebron Jr. and his wife, Deborah Lorean Ebron, who live in Winston-Salem. A similar lawsuit was filed in Guilford County, and Gary has said that between the two lawsuits, he is seeking $250 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages. Takata Corp. of Japan; Parks Chevrolet of Kernersville; General Motors LLC; and TK Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Takata, are named as defendants. The lawsuit filed in Forsyth alleges that Ebron was driving his 2014 Chevrolet Silverado along Murray Road at 9:53 a.m. on Dec. 1, 2014. The cars airbag exploded, striking Ebron in the face and knocking him unconscious. Ebrons foot was still on the accelerator and the car crashed into a utility pole and then into a tree. The lawsuit alleges that the airbag explosion broke bones in Ebrons face, ruptured his right eye and resulted in major brain damage. The lawsuit said that Takata and General Motors knew or should have known that the airbag in Ebrons car was defective and dangerous, and that the two companies have known about defects in the airbags for 10 years before Ebrons accident. But in court papers filed in Forsyth Superior Court on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, 2016, General Motors and TK Holdings both said that Takata did not manufacture or supply the airbag that was in Ebrons car. The companies also deny allegations that the airbag was defective and that Ebron contributed to the accident because he didnt maintain proper control of his car. General Motors said that Ebron was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. Gary was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment. Julia Palmer, an attorney for General Motors, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. A spokesperson for TK Holdings could not be reached for comment on Friday. Parks Chevrolet said in court papers filed Dec. 6 that Ebrons car was not defective and that the car dealership did everything it was supposed to do before giving the car to Ebron. The lawsuit comes at a time when Takata is facing a possible $1 billion penalty if it settles with the U.S. Justice Department over airbags, according to a Dec. 29 story in the New York Times. Takatas airbags have been linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 180 injuries in the United States, the New York Times reports. According to the paper, the Justice Department has been looking at whether the company made misleading statements and hid information about the defective airbags from clients. Takata has already admitted that it manipulated airbag test results, the New York Times reported. The lawsuits in Guilford and Forsyth allege there are 13 incidents between 2009 and 2014 in which drivers were killed or severely injured because of defective airbags. People were hurt or killed when they were struck by metal shrapnel or shards coming from the exploding airbags. In each of those incidents, Takata failed to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the public or consumers, the lawsuit contends. A Winston-Salem health center is the recipient of a $1.4 million federal grant thats aimed at expanding primary and behavioral health care to low-income residents. The new access point grant for United Health Centers comes from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. The center was known previously as Southside United Health Center. The center is one of six in North Carolina, and 79 nationwide, to receive funding from the new access point initiative. The center said it plans to add staff and a third facility as part of expanding services. It has grown from providing care to 1,400 patients in 2012 to more than 8,500 in 2016. In September, United Health Centers was one of five health centers in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina to receive federal funding toward upgrading information technology and electronic health records services. United Health Centers gained $48,924. Among the uses of the IT federal funding will be: accelerating health centers transition to value-based models of care; improving efforts to share and use information to support better decisions; and increasing engagement in delivery system transformation. The funding represents the first significant investment since 2009 directly awarded to health centers to support the purchase of health information technology, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said. The funding comes from the Affordable Care Acts Community Health Center Fund, which was extended with bipartisan support in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. WXII has returned to DirecTV after a new carriage agreement deal was reached Friday night between DirecTV and Hearst Television. Hearst owns and operates WXII and stations in 25 other markets, reaching more than 21 million U.S. television households. "We regret the inconvenience to DirecTV subscribers and are indebted to them and all of our advertisers for their support," said Jordan Wertlieb, president of Hearst Television. The Hearst-owned stations had been off DirecTV since New Year's Day, when a retransmission consent contract expired. Details of the deal were not disclosed. "I can't thank our viewers and clients enough for their patience and understanding as Hearst and DirecTV Worked through this," said Michelle Butt, president and general manager of WXII 12. "WXII is pleased to be back on DirecTV providing viewers the breaking news and weather, sports and entertainment programming they have come to depend on." Former Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro is recovering from encephalitis at a Chapel Hill hospital, her family said Friday. Hagan, 63, was taken to a Washington hospital Dec. 8 after falling seriously ill. Her husband, Chip Hagan, said in an email: While she is not fully responsive, her doctors have not seen anything that precludes her recovery, but recovery will be a long process. The Greensboro attorney also thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We all know how strong Kay is and we know shes made stronger by the community shes got supporting and rooting for her, he said in the statement. Our family is deeply appreciative of every email, phone call and letter weve received. Hagans physician, Dr. William Powers, the chairman of the Department of Neurology at the UNC School of Medicine, said it is not clear how she developed the illness, which was caused by a virus. Tests are still being run to determine what caused the infection, and these tests will provide us with more certainty about where and how she contracted this disease, Powers said in a statement. He said getting encephalitis a sudden inflammation of the brain from viral infection is rare. Even patients with a prolonged period of poor responsiveness early in the disease can slowly recover over a period of months, he said. Before venturing into politics, Hagan worked as both an attorney and in finance, becoming vice president of the estates and trust division and the private banking division at N.C. National Bank, a predecessor of Bank of America, in Greensboro. She served as a county campaign manager for former Gov. Jim Hunt when he ran for the office. Five years later, Hagan was elected to the N.C. Senate and served there for 10 years. In 2007, she began campaigning for U.S. Senate. She triumphed over Republican Elizabeth Dole and took office in Washington in 2009. Hagan served in Washington for six years before being unseated in 2014 by Republican Thom Tillis in what was at the time the nations most expensive Senate race. After her Senate term, Hagan became a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. Since January 2016, she has worked as a consultant for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Field, a lobbying and law firm on Capitol Hill. She splits her time between Washington and North Carolina. We are only a week into the New Year, but two starkly different political styles are already on display in Raleigh. Newly elected Gov. Roy Cooper is beginning his term by methodically announcing his choices for cabinet posts after calling Republican legislative leaders to inform them of his decisions. And they are good ones. Tuesday, Cooper named Michael Regan to head the state Department of Environmental Quality. He was most recently with the Environmental Defense Fund and worked at the EPA in Democratic and Republican administrations. Cooper also named Jim Trogdon to head the state Department of Transportation. Trogdon is an engineer who is currently the National Transportation Director for SAS Institute. He worked at DOT for 25 years, rising to chief operating officer before retiring in 2013. House Republicans immediately took to social media to blast the appointments as a return to the failed administration of Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue who left office in 2012. But Regan never worked for Perdue. And Trogdon is not a politician and will be the most qualified DOT secretary in recent memory with his experience in the department, the military and the private sector. That doesnt matter, of course. Republican officials are criticizing the appointments because Cooper made them. Experience and qualifications have nothing to do with it. Not too long ago, political leaders would leave the attacks to interest groups and judge appointments and new administrations on their merits and actions Not in Raleigh this year. Cooper also announced this week that Charlie Perusse would be the new state budget director, a post he held under Gov. Perdue. That set off a round of protests by Republicans claiming that Perusse was somehow to blame for the states budget problems during the Great Recession. Never mind that every states budget suffered mightily during the worst national economic downturn in 75 years or that the budget director is primarily a numbers person, not a policy advocate. If they are working for Cooper, they are apparently the wrong people for the job even if they are highly qualified and theres nothing tangible to criticize. The premature partisan attacks from Republican leaders havent been limited to Coopers appointees. Last week, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger released an almost 3,000- word diatribe absurdly blaming Cooper for the failure of the General Assembly to repeal HB2 in one of last months many special sessions. The screed includes pictures, social media posts and screen shots of legislative votes but ignores two important points: The Republican General Assembly alone passed HB2 that has cost the state tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. And the Republicans have supermajorities in the House and Senate and can repeal it any time they want. The disastrous HB2 is not Roy Coopers law. Hes repeatedly demanded that legislators repeal it, but legislative leaders arent willing to confront their right-wing base, so the state continues to suffer. The top news three items on Bergers website are all distorted accounts of Coopers role in HB2. Berger seems almost obsessed with shifting blame to the new governor after leading the efforts to brazenly limit his power in an unprecedented special session just before Christmas. Bergers had some help. Outgoing Gov. Pat McCrory signed the legislation taking powers away from Cooper, even though McCrory had fought the legislature to protect the office of governor earlier in his administration. McCrory, taking time away from attacking the news media and left-wing groups for his defeat, also appointed some of his top advisers to key policy boards just before the end of the year, and his outgoing secretary of Environmental Quality even demoted himself so he could stay in the department and be a thorn in Coopers side. Cooper meanwhile is taking it all in stride, filing a lawsuit against a big part of the power grab by the General Assembly. Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the legislation from taking effect. And Coopers making more appointments and putting his administration together calmly and rationally and keeping legislative leaders in the loop despite their bitter partisanship. In other words, Cooper is acting like a governor and a grownup. How refreshing. The event: Congress backs off plan to gut its watchdog group after a tweet from Presi-dent-elect Trump. Jim Monroe: 7. As Winston Churchill once said, Americans will always do the right thing but only after trying everything else. Congress believes that it can get away with anything without the threat of a veto from President Obama. While there seems to be fairly broad support for its stated agenda, it seems to be like a kid in a candy store with its new power. It's hard to believe that the calming force in this drama was President-elect Trump. Linda Hill: 8. President-elect Trump tweeted that he believed that Congress had bigger issues to deal with before redefining and/or reining in the ethics office. I agree, however, the American people are tired of the shenanigans of our elected officials. Whatever is decided, whether the decision is made in a closed session or on the House floor, an ethics committee/department is necessary. We need a watchdog to ensure that everyone be-haves. No argument there. John Harrison: 8. Is the GOP beginning to legislate as it intends to continue? Is this how the swamp will be drained, by removing one of the few measures meant to re-strain political corruption, cronyism and the promotion of self-interest? Donald Trump himself tends to be ethically challenged, and though I may not agree on his political agenda, he deserves credit for admonishing the House of Hypocrites to focus on what they were sent to Washington to do and not on vested interests and nest-feathering. Linda Petrou: The most important power a president has is the ability to persuade Congress and the American people. Sprinkled in with this ability to persuade must be the ability to hurt (especially true of Congress). If Congress feels that the president can hurt them in terms of re-election they tend to work with him. If they don't believe he can hurt them then they tend not to work with him. For the past 6 years Congress has not feared the president. They realized that President Obama's ability to hurt them in an election was almost non-existent. He could get him-self elected, but not down-ballot candidates of his party. However, President-elect Trump ap-pears to have the ability to hurt others by tweeting out his thoughts and having the American people respond. Any self-serving member of Congress or businessman does not want a Trump tweet directed to them. Hence you see Ford announcing they are bringing back jobs and Congress backtracking on a decision to do away with the current ethics committee structure. The optics were extremely bad on this even though a majority of both Republicans and Democrats in the House were in agreement. It just looked bad that the first thing the new Congress was doing was to change the ethics panel structure. The American people did not send them back to Washington to do this and for business as usual. They sent them to drain the swamp, not increase it. This is going to be so much fun to watch. David McMahon: 5 As with too many politicians, GOP lawmakers like transparency and accountability so long as it applies to everyone else. Just not them. To paraphrase an old saying, Hell hath no fury like a lot of voters scorned. Trumps tweet notwithstanding, it is more likely the great deluge of constituent calls and emails that persuaded House Re-publicans to back off a really bad idea. Suzanne Carroll: 0.This proposal is the equivalent of the fox guarding the hen house. Carroll Leggett: 0. Increasingly, legislative branches are showing more interest in ruling than in governing. Thats what Trump was saying. Concentrating power is certainly a step in that direction so there can be no questioning of authority. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The congressional leadership read the tea leaves (public opinion) on this one and backed down. Dont look for that to become a pattern. Absolute power is the ultimate objective. You know what comes next. Tony Gagliardi: 6. I understand that the new president thinks there are more important things to address first. Doesn't mean that something will not happen in this arena, just not the first order on business. Personally, I think all government officials should be subject to each and every law they place on the books, including perjury and slander laws. Mike Walker: 7. In this instance, the usually loose-cannon president-elect has a much better understanding of appearances than most House Republicans. He also appears to understand the usage of warning shots across the bows of both parties. Don Witte: 9. Maybe the North Carolina legislators could learn something from this, but they have blinders on and dont care about us lowly voters. Anne Wilson: There is nothing presidential about using Twitter as a principal way to conduct the nation's business. It appears in his tweet that Trump tossed the American people a bone, knowing full well his and his Cabinet's plans to eviscerate and/or privatize programs (such as health care and education) that mean a great deal to all but the wealthy. This man will have to earn my trust. He gets a 1 for tossing this one bone. #PM-trapped miners PM urges utmost efforts to rescue 2 trapped miners Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday called for utmost efforts to rescue two miners trapped underground for 10 days. They have been isolated in a vertical shaft about 190 mete... Reddit Email 77 Shares TeleSur | On Thursday multiple mainstream media outlets reported that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has picked former Republican Senator Dan Coats, an outspoken advocate of illegal domestic surveillance programs, to be director of national intelligence. While yet to be formally announced, anonymous Trump transition team members told multiple outlets that the pick would be formalized in the coming days. As director of national intelligence, Coats who served as an Indiana senator for a total of 17 years, with stints as U.S. ambassador to Germany and corporate lobbyist for Google and General Electric in between terms would head the umbrella agency in charge of all 16 U.S. intelligence organizations, including the CIA and the National Security Agency. While a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Coats was an outspoken supporter of the NSAs illegal domestic spying programs revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden, writing in an op-ed that the programs were legal, constitutional and used only under strict oversight, claims which were all proven false by multiple federal judges. After the programs were declared illegal by several federal courts, he voted against legislation to rein in domestic surveillance operations. Dan Coats defended the NSAs domestic surveillance programs which violated Americans rights as "legal." Thankfully, courts disagreed. https://t.co/fJNTXTSPPH Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 5, 2017 Coats has also advocated for the continued use of the Guantanamo Bay torture center, calling it a valuable tool in our counter-terrorism efforts, and said a massive 2014 Senate report which condemned the extensive U.S. torture program was unconstructive. He has publicly supported Trumps xenophobic calls for extreme vetting of all migrants coming to the U.S. as well as an extensive review of refugee and asylum policies. The one area where he appears to differ from Trump is on his views on Russia. While Trump has suggested the U.S. needs to strengthen relationships with Vladimir Putin, Coats said he was honored to be on a list of U.S. officials permanently banned from Russia. If confirmed, Coats would replace current Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who notoriously lied under oath about the NSA spying programs while giving testimony to a Senate hearing. Edward Snowden has said that it was Clappers baldfaced lie to democratically-elected officials during televised hearings that prompted him to ultimately reveal the illegal domestic spying program. Via TeleSur - Related video added by Juan Cole: Senator Dan Coats Is Donald Trumps Leading National Intelligence Candidate | MSNBC Reddit Email 1 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | The hysteria about Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee servers and the phishing scam run on Hillary Clintons campaign manager, John Podesta, is short on evidence and high in self-righteousness. Much of the report issued Friday was old boilerplate about the Russia Today cable channel, which proves nothing. My complaint is that American television news reports all this as if it is The First Time in History Anyone has Acted like This. But the head of the Republican Party in the early 1970s hired burglars to do the same thing break into the Watergate building and get access to DNC documents in hopes of throwing an election. Dick Nixon even ordered a second break-in. And it took a long time for Republican members of Congress to come around to the idea that a crime had been committed; if it hadnt been for the Supreme Court, Nixon might have served out his term. In the past decade and a half, the US National Security Agency has been deployed for hacking purposes not, as the cover story would have it, for counter-terrorism (there isnt much evidence that theyre any good at that), but to gain political advantage over allies. So, for instance, George W. Bush had German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeders personal cell phone hacked to monitor his position on the Iraq War that Bush wanted to launch illegally. Then Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had Schoeders successors personal cell phone put under surveillance. Angela Merkels personal cell phone. An ally . It may just have been face-saving for President Obama, but the White House leaked that Obama was surprised and disturbed that her personal phone had been targeted. This leak tells us that Clapper and the NSA were acting without the presidents knowledge. Yet no one was fired over it. It makes you think maybe the US cyberspies are an authority unto themselves and this elected democracy thing is so eighteenth century. But it wasnt just Germany. The NSA hacked into the private and government communications of French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande. Sarkozy even wanted to sign a bilateral US-France intelligence cooperation agreement. (Gee, that might be useful in preventing terrorist attacks in the two countries). But he was frustrated, because the US wouldnt sign if it meant promising to give up spying on . . . France and Sarkozy! The BBC writes, One of the files, dated 2012, is about Mr. Hollande discussing Greeces possible exit from the eurozone. Another one from 2011 alleges that Mr Sarkozy was determined to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, possibly without US involvement. Then there is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and all of his cabinet members and the CEO of Mitsubishi, all of whom US cyber-spies hacked systematically and continuously. And as for the hacking being aimed at influencing Japans direction and policy, IBTimes wrote: Todays publication shows us that the US government targeted sensitive Japanese industry and climate change policy, [Sarah] Harrison [of Wikileaks] said. Would the effectiveness of Japans industry and climate change proposals be different today if its communications had been protected? These stories were above the fold front page news only 18 months ago! Yet the breathless hyperventilating about Russian hacking (from what we can tell, far, far less intrusive and far less effective) neglects to bring up the US hacking of allies at all. French and German troops were part of the NATO military force in Afghanistan. The French fought alongside US troops and took hundreds of casualties. Germans were more in the peacekeeping mode but were often in substantial danger. Japan is an ally with whom the US does joint military exercises. If we started going into the dozens of times the US has casually switched out other peoples governments since WW II, despite the lack of any direct threat to the United States, this would be a very long blog entry. - Related video added by Juan Cole: The Young Turks: Trump On Russian Hacking By Maged Mandour | ( OpenDemocracy.net) | The root of state violence and torture is not poor police training, nor a political decision that can be reversed, it is the nature of the regime and the political order it has created. After the coup of 2013, the practice of torture in Egypt has taken a qualitative shift to the worse. The use of torture and violence by the police is nothing new to Egypt; to the contrary, Mubarak was regularly condemned by various international human rights organizations for the use of torture and violence against political opponents and regular citizens who were unlucky enough to be arrested for petty crimes. However, after the coup of 2013 and the inauguration of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, this practice has taken new forms. There has been a proliferation of sexual violence against detainees including children, as well as an alarming increase in forced disappearances and torture. Some of the kidnapped reappear after a few months, others meet an unknown fate. The most prominent, and international example was the murder of Giulio Regeni, the Cambridge PhD student who was tortured to death and subjected to animal like violence for conducting research on the Egyptian labor movement. It is believed that the Egyptian security services were behind this heinous crime. This rampant use of torture has proven to be a political liability for the regime when compared to the use of a more targeted form that would achieve similar results. For example, most of the victims of forced disappearances are unknown activists, even non-political private citizens, or children as young as 14, who just happen to attract the attention of the security apparatus. Others are arrested randomly as part of a general security sweep. Even a simple Facebook post could land you in the crossfires. One only wonders what the security services hoped to achieve with the torture of Regeni, a registered research scholar whose death sparked a diplomatic crisis with one of the regimes closest European allies. What is the logic of torture in Egypt? What is the rationale used to sanction such activity? Some might argue, correctly in part, that the use of random torture is an effective tool to spread terror among the populace, thus cowing them into submission. However, this logic does not really stand up to scrutiny. Upon closer examination, one could argue that this logic is counter-productive. During a short burst of mass repression, the use of random arrests and torture could act as a deterrent against political opposition. However, if this becomes the modus operandi of the security state, it loses its effect for the simple reason that it equates political opponents and apolitical citizens, even supporters of the regime. As such, the price of engaging in political opposition becomes equal to the price of non-participation, thus creating an incentive for participation since the likelihood of arrest and torture are relatively close. Thus the random nature of this type of violence is counter-productive. Additionally, the increased brutality of torture methods, for example the use of sexual violence, will only act to alienate the citizenry, even those that would have been supporters of the regime. Another argument is that torture is used to extract confessions and information about armed groups, which is then used by the security apparatus to disrupt their operations. However, the random nature of torture counters this argument as it is not reserved for those suspected of affiliation with terror groups. It is inflicted on the mass of the citizenry, some of which are later falsely accused on trumped up charges of belonging to terror organizations. This occurs on a regular basis, especially in cases of forced disappearances. Thus, the use of random torture seems to be irrational even counter-productive. However, upon closer examination, there may be an explanation for this type of state violence. The exercise of power First, the use of political violence is the only feasible way for the regime to show and exercise power, due to the breakdown of hegemony within the Egyptian polity and the inability of the regime to build a clear and coherent ideological framework to exercise control. As the regime becomes unable to exercise power over the minds of the citizenry, it moves to the use of violence over their bodies. Thus, the act of inflicting pain and the battered body of the torture victim become symbols of state power. As such, the use of torture is not simply a rational act to get information or confessions, it is a political act, closely knit in the ritual of power. The failure of the regime to build its ideological hegemony, even though it attempted to revive some aspects of Nasserism, can be attributed to the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions as well as regime policies which are contradicting its discourse. The most notable example is the transfer of two islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia; a move that will destroy the regimes credibility as a nationalist regime that claims to safeguard national integrity and unity. It is interesting to note that the worst excesses of torture have been inflicted on the least valuable prisoners, as opposed to the more prominent ones, such as those belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood or secular activists. These prominent figures were neither forced to recant any ideological beliefs, to sign confessions of treason, nor were they forced to confess any crimes. For example, Alaa Abdel Fattah, a prominent secular activist was beaten, however in Egyptian police standards, this was considered to be light treatment. One only needs to compare his case with that of Magdy Makeen, who was arrested following a minor traffic dispute with a police officer, only to die in custody due to horrific torture. This provides a stark contrast to other cases, most notably during the early years of the Islamic Republic in Iran, where prominent opposition figures, most notably from the left and the communist movement were forced to recant past beliefs and to confess to a myriad of crimes, including espionage and treason. This stems from the ideological nature of the Islamic Republic, which hoped not only to suppress opposition, but also to prove its ideological superiority over those of other competing ideologies. This is very well argued in the study conducted by Ervand Abrahamian. Compared to Egypt, torture was not used to solicit such confessions for the simple reason that, unlike the Islamic Republic, the Egyptian regime does not have a coherent ideology nor does it have an ideological opposition, as I have argued elsewhere, as such the value of these confessions becomes minimal. Binding the coercive apparatuses of the state The second rationale for the use of this type of torture is the binding of the coercive apparatuses of the state in a manner that ensures cohesion against the opposition. This process occurs at the institutional as well as the individual levels. The routine use of state sanctioned violence, where the different coercive apparatuses of the state are involved such as the police, military, and judiciary act to ensure unity and cohesion, since any change in the regime would be followed by calls for prosecution and retribution. The routine use of torture also acts to weed out any individual in these apparatuses who is not fully committed to the regime, ensuring the full loyalty of its members, which creates an intense sense of loyalty and solidarity at the individual as well as institutional level. Thus, one can argue that the rampant use of torture in Egypt is closely tied to the nature of the regime in power and will not subside over the coming years. To the contrary, as the regime becomes less hegemonic, relying more on force, the use of torture is likely to increase as time passes. The root of state violence and torture is not poor police training, nor a political decision that can be reversed, it is rather the nature of the regime and the political order that it has created. Based on this, it becomes clear that the use of torture will be part of the lives of Egyptians for years to come unless there is a fundamental political change that will create a truly hegemonic political order based on consent. Maged Mandour graduated from Cambridge with a Masters in International Relations. He is a political analyst and the columnist of Chronicles of the Arab Revolt on openDemocracy. He is also a writer for Sada, the online journal for Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Follow him @MagedMandour Via OpenDemocracy.net Related video added by Juan Cole: Amnesty International: Egypts Disappeared [JURIST] International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda [official profile] on Friday requested a three-month extension to gather evidence to confirm charges against Dominic Ongwen [BBC profile]. The former Lords Resistance Army (LRA) [State Department backgrounder] commander made his first appearance [JURIST report] before the ICC at the end of January. Ongwen is charged [arrest warrant, PDF] with three counts of crimes against humanity and four counts of war crimes for his alleged role in the extremist militant movement that has plagued central Africa for more than 25 years. Ugandas attorney general assured the ICC earlier this month that the government will cooperate [JURIST report] in Ongwens trial. This support of the ICCs prosecution of Ongwen marks a major shift in policy by the Ugandan government, which had in January expressed opposition to the ICCs involvement and had instead wished to try him in the country after his surrender [JURIST report]. Also in January the chief prosecutor for the ICC urged renewed efforts [JURIST report] to arrest LRA leader and accused war criminal Joseph Kony [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. At the beginning of January Ongwen surrendered himself in the Central African Republic, after which he was put in US custody. [JURIST] Chinas President Xi Jinping [BBC profile] declared on Friday that the nations battle against corruption must go deeper, stressing the need for the Communist Party [official website] to be governed systematically, creatively and efficiently. Upon becoming party chief in 2013, Xi had set in motion a broad campaign to root out corruption [Nikkei report] among high-level officials. Xi has since stated his intention to establish a system that fully monitors all members of the public sector. Instead of utilizing an independent anti-corruption body, the Communist Party has thus far implemented its own watchdog group, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) [official website, in Chinese]. While Xi has stated that the party is capable of policing itself, critics have highlighted [South China Morning Post report] the CCDIs need for external supervision. The CCDI recently acknowledged such criticisms and declared plans to create a stronger checks and balances system amongst its discipline officers. The CCDIs plenary meeting, which began on Friday, will continue [VOA report] for two more days and allow the Communist Party to further address such issues. Following Xis promise to root out corruption, numerous officials, such as Zhou Yongkang, the former head of Chinas domestic security services,and Ling Jihua, a senior aide to former President Hu Jinato, have received [Reuters report] life sentences for their corruption charges. Thus far, Yongkang was the most senior official to be convicted [BBC report] of corruption charges in the history of Chinas Communist regime. Last month, the Chinese government announced [JURIST report] that it will prosecute Ma Jian, a former vice minister of Chinas Ministry of State Security, on bribery charges. Chinas Communist party exerts a strong influence over its courts systems, making it likely [NYT report] that Jian and all other officials that may face prosecution in the future will be convicted. Earlier last month, the Chinese government also arrested [JURIST report] Iat Hong and Chin Hung of Macau, and Bo Zheng of China on cybersecurity allegations. In October 2015, Chinese authorities arrested [JURIST report] individual hackers that allegedly misappropriated commercial secrets from US firms with the intention to sell proprietary information to state-owned entires within the the Peoples Republic of China. [JURIST] Prosecutors in Kosovo on Friday charged a Serbian citizen with war crimes for acts committed during the 1998-99 war. The Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo [official website] released a statement [press release] announcing the indictment of the defendant, identified only as B.S., for actions allegedly committed in Fushe, Kosovo, in 1999. The statement also indicates the indictment was filed by the Special Prosecution after B.S. was extradited from Bosnia. In January 2016 a special court was set up in The Hague to investigate and try alleged war crimes committed during 1998-99 [JURIST report]. In July 2015 11 Kosovo Albanian men were sentenced [JURIST report] to prison for war crimes. In February 2014 Serbias war crimes court convicted [JURIST report] nine former paramilitaries for their involvement in the genocide of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo in 1999. Two former Serbian secret service officials were arrested [JURIST report] under suspicion that they planned the 1999 killing of an anti-government journalist. In 2013 Amnesty International accused [JURIST report] the UN Mission in Kosovo of failing to adequately investigate war crimes committed during the conflict. Kosovo held its first local elections [JURIST report] in November 2013 since it seceded from Serbia in 2008. Serbia still does not recognize the secession. [JURIST] The UN announced [UN News Centre report] on Friday that Yanghee Lee [official profile], the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, will travel to the country to assess the human rights situation following concerns over the safety of refugees in Kachin State and reports of increased violence in Rakhine State. During her 12-day stay, Lee will visit three locations [press release] in the Kachin State where more than 2,000 refugees [RFA report] have recently been forced out of their camps due to mortar shelling by the Myanmar military. Lee will also visit numerous locations in the Rakhine State to investigate allegations of human rights violations against the Rohingya minority group in northern Rakhine State. This trip will mark Lees 5th visit to Myanmar during her tenure as Special Rapporteur. Lees findings will be presented before the UN Human Rights Council in March. Human rights violations have been on the forefront of Myanmars new democratic government since ending a decades-old military rule. In June a UN expert presented [JURIST report] a report on religious, free market, political, and nationalist or cultural fundamentalism, stating that fundamentalist intolerance is growing throughout the globe and is directly contributing to infringements of the rights to association and peaceful assembly. In April UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed [JURIST report] shock at the increasing number of children recruited and killed in armed conflicts in several countries. The government of Myanmar alone released [JURIST report] 46 underage child recruits from the military in March as part of a UN join action plan made in 2012. In May Human Rights Watch urged [JURIST report] the Myanmar Parliament to reconsider a proposed law that they say has the advocacy organization says has the potential to limit free expression and peaceful assembly. Also in May US Secretary of State John Kerry offered support to Myanmars newly democratic government and urged [JURIST report] the country to push more democratic reform and address human rights issues. 2 Shares Share Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 29-year-old man is evaluated during a routine examination. His medical history is significant for ulcerative colitis involving the entire colon, which was diagnosed 4 years ago. His symptoms responded to therapy with mesalamine and have remained in remission on this medication. His family history is significant for a maternal uncle who died of colon cancer at the age of 50 years. Physical examination is unremarkable. Serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels are normal. Which of the following is the most appropriate interval at which to perform colonoscopy with biopsies in this patient? A: Begin now and repeat annually B: Begin in 4 years and repeat every 1 to 2 years C: Begin in 4 years and repeat every 10 years D: Begin at age 40 years and repeat every 5 years MKSAP Answer and Critique The correct answer is B: Begin in 4 years and repeat every 1 to 2 years. The most appropriate colon cancer surveillance strategy is colonoscopy with biopsies beginning in 4 years and repeated every 1 to 2 years. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have health risks related to their disease or its treatment. Patients with long-standing colitis are at increased risk for colon cancer and should undergo surveillance colonoscopy with biopsies every 1 to 2 years beginning after 8 to 10 years of disease. This recommendation applies to patients with ulcerative colitis involving more than the rectum and those with Crohn colitis involving at least one third of the colon. This patient should begin a surveillance program in approximately 4 years, when his ulcerative colitis has been present for 8 years. He has a single second-degree relative with colon cancer, but this does not affect the surveillance recommendation. Four-quadrant surveillance biopsies should be obtained every 10 cm beginning in the cecum, resulting in approximately 32 to 36 biopsies. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease and concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), the risk of colon cancer is particularly high, and it is recommended that such patients begin yearly surveillance as soon as the diagnosis of PSC is made. However, this patient has normal liver chemistry studies, which makes PSC unlikely. For patients with Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer), recommended colorectal cancer screening is colonoscopy every 1 to 2 years beginning at age 20 to 25 years, or 2 to 5 years earlier than the youngest age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer if the affected relative was less than 25 years old. Patients with ulcerative colitis involving the rectum are not at increased risk for colorectal cancer. In these patients, average-risk colorectal cancer screening with colonoscopy is recommended beginning at age 50 years and should be repeated every 10 years. The 2012 American College of Physicians Guidance Statement on colorectal cancer screening recommends initiation of screening in high-risk patients (a first-degree relative with colon cancer or advanced adenoma diagnosed at age <60 years, or two first-degree relatives diagnosed at any age) at age 40 years, or 10 years younger than the earliest colon cancer diagnosis in the family, whichever is earlier. Colonoscopy is repeated every 5 years. Key Point Patients with long-standing colitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease are at increased risk for colon cancer and should undergo surveillance colonoscopy every 1 to 2 years beginning after 8 to 10 years of disease. This content is excerpted from MKSAP 17 with permission from the American College of Physicians (ACP). Use is restricted in the same manner as that defined in the MKSAP 16 Digital license agreement. This material should never be used as a substitute for clinical judgment and does not represent an official position of ACP. All content is licensed to KevinMD.com on an AS IS basis without any warranty of any nature. The publisher, ACP, shall not be liable for any damage or loss of any kind arising out of or resulting from use of content, regardless of whether such liability is based in tort, contract or otherwise. Now that I've convinced you to start saving for your kid's college education as soon as possible, your first question must be: Where? You have a number of options, each with a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Here are your best bets: 529 College Savings Plan Pros This state-sponsored account is available to anyone, regardless of income levels, and mostly come with high contribution limits, up to $300,000 a year. It allows your investments to grow tax-free. Withdrawals to pay for qualified educational expenses, such as college tuition, fees, room and board and textbooks are also tax-free. Plus, depending on which state plan you choose (you don't necessarily have to go with the plan from your own state of residence), you may get a state tax deduction or tax credit for your contributions. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Cons Unqualified withdrawals are taxed and hit with a 10% penalty fee, so you are strongly encouraged to only use the funds for the beneficiary's college education. You can, however, easily change the beneficiary to another family member, such as a sibling. Prepaid Tuition Plan Pros Also state-sponsored, this type of plan lets you buy tuition at a state college or university ahead of time, allowing you to lock in today's tuition rates. If your child decides they want to head elsewhere, the funds can be applied to out-of-state or private schools. Cons Only about a third of states offer these plans and restrict them to state residents. Even among those few choices, several plans are closed to new investors. Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) Pros This type of account allows your money to grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified educational expenses are tax-free also. The definition of qualified expenses is broader than that of a 529 planit includes tuition for private elementary and high school, too. Cons You must have a modified adjusted gross income of less than $110,000 if you're single, and $220,000 if you're married, in order to contribute to a Coverdell. And your contributions are limited to $2,000 per year. Also, unqualified withdrawals are taxed and charged a 10% penaltyas is any money not used by the time the child turns 30. UGMA/UTMA Custodial Accounts Pros These types of accounts allow you to save in your child's name, which can offer some tax savings, and the funds can be used for any reason. Anyone can contribute, regardless of income, and there are no contribution limits. Full-time students under the age of 24 pay no tax on the first $1,000 of investment earnings. For the next $1,000, they pay their own tax ratepresumably a lower rate than yours. Everything else is hit with your marginal tax rate. Cons Since the funds in these accounts are considered assets of your child, it will adversely affect how much financial aid he or she can qualify for. That's because a larger amount would be expected to go towards education costs than if the funds had been left in the parents' name. Roth IRA Pros Though its specified purpose is as a retirement savings vehicle, funds in your Roth may be used to cover college costs. Contributions to a Roth can be withdrawn at any time for any reason, tax- and penalty-free. Earnings can also be withdrawn without incurring the 10% early withdrawal penalty, if you use them to pay for qualified educational costs. If you are under age 59, however, you still have to pay taxes on such a withdrawal. Cons In order to contribute to a Roth, you must have a MAGI of less than $132,000 if you're a single filer, or $194,000 for married couples who file their taxes jointly. Your contribution limit is $5,500 in 2016. Also, let me point out again, this money is typically saved for the purpose of funding your retirementand that should take priority over paying for your child's education. Do not sacrifice your retirement savings. Which of these options would be best for you? Most people likely will find that a 529 is their optimal choice. But it really depends on your unique financial situation. You might even want to consider some combination of the aforementioned accounts. You should consider many factors when making this decision. Some questions you might ask yourself include: What is your tax filing status and your annual gross income? How many children do you have, and how old are they? How old will you be when your eldest child starts going to college? How much do you plan to contribute to your kids college savings? How much control would you like to have over your investments? How likely is it your savings will be used to pay for college? Answering these questions can help you narrow down the right account for you. Working with a financial adviser can help ensure that you pick the right type of account or combination of accounts to maximize your tax advantages, growth potential and the likeliness that you'll be able to achieve this important financial goal. Scott Vance is a fee-only financial planner and enrolled agent serving the greater Raleigh, NC area. He recently retired from the Army and seeks to continue service through financial advising. Previous Next 1/11 Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF Type: Dividend growth Dividend growth Market value: $27.0 billion $27.0 billion Dividend yield: 1.9% 1.9% Expenses: 0.08% The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG (opens in new tab), $100.68) is an ETF thats geared toward dividend growth. The fund tracks the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index, which is a collection of roughly 180 dividend stocks that have improved their annual payments for at least 10 years. Unsurprisingly, that portfolio is chock full of blue chips that have long held top positions in their respective industries, including the likes of Walmart (WMT (opens in new tab)), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ (opens in new tab)) and Microsoft (MSFT (opens in new tab)). A bit more surprising to some investors, however, is the yield. Despite the dividend designation, VIG doles out a yield below 2% at the moment. Many dividend growers do not, in fact, have high yields and thats OK. Investors should think about dividend growth almost like a screen for quality. The ability to raise dividends without interruption for at least a decade demonstrates financial stability and cash generation. Plus, dividend growth often is accompanied by rising share prices, which naturally results in a lower yield. Also remember that as the funds holdings expand their payouts over time, your yield on cost the yield you receive based on the price you purchased the ETF at will go up, too. Note: Vanguard Dividend Appreciation also is available as Admiral Shares (VDADX (opens in new tab)) and Investor Shares (VDAIX (opens in new tab)) index mutual funds. To date, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has dedicated more than $29 million to address the Gold King Mine incident, including more than $2 million in Clean Water Act grants and $3,529,231.10 in reimbursements for emergency response expenses under CERCLA. stating that about 540 tons of metals - mostly iron and aluminum - contaminated the Animas River in Colorado for more than nine hours during the massive wastewater spill. The spill happened when an EPA-led contractor accidentally triggered the 3-million-gallon spill while doing cleanup work at an abandoned gold mine in 2015. The latest report goes on to say the total amount of metals entering the river was comparable to levels during one or two days of high spring runoff. The EPA says it is committed to working with States and Tribes in the areas affected by the Gold King Mine release to ensure the protection of public health and the environment. As Barack Obama will officially be out of a job come January 20th, it's not surprising that he's making plans to keep himself busy over the coming months. In an interview on RTE Radio 1, US Ambassador Kevin O'Malley spoke about his final phonecall with Barack Obama as President of the United States and confirmed that, yes, he'll be returning in the next twelve months. "The last sentence that the president said to me on Wednesday of this week when we were saying goodbye was 'please tell them I'm coming', so I think that's his way of saying informally that you'll be seeing him again." Barack Obama's genealogy was traced back to Moneygall, Co. Offaly, where Obama's ancestors, the Kearneys, hail from. In fact, the Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall even has his distant cousin Henry Healy working there as a manager. Maybe Obama will head back for a Supermacs? It's tasty and tempting food, after all. Via Radio One / RTE Dean-Smith Realty joins Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices JANUARY 6, 2017 at 5:05 p.m. KNOXVILLE Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, part of the HSF Affiliates LLC family of real estate brokerage franchise networks, has announced that independent brokerage Dean-Smith, Inc. joined the network operating as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Dean-Smith Realty. The company, led by brothers Richard Smith and David Smith, operates throughout Knoxville, Farragut and Blount County. It is a perennial market leader respected for expertise and customer care. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is Americas fastest-growing real estate brokerage network with more than 42,350 agents and 1,270 offices admitted to the brand since its founding in September 2013. This transition marks a jumping off point for Dean-Smith Realty, said Richard Smith, president and principal broker. To grow our business and stay ahead of the curve we knew we had to align with a progressive, national brand offering the tools and support our agents need to be their very best. Weve secured these resources, plus a powerful brand presence, with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. David Smith, vice president and broker, said the brand will be warmly accepted in greater Knoxville. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices bears the name of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., one of the worlds most respected and trusted corporations. The combination of this brand and our brokerages strong, local presence will be difficult to beat locally. David Smith said he expects Dean-Smith Realty to double its agent count over the next two years. Longer-term projections are as bright. We are fortunate to operate in greater Knoxville, an area blessed with a vibrant, diverse economy that should continue to grow for many years, he explained. Our brokerage is wonderfully positioned to grow in lock step with the region. With their transition, Dean-Smith Realty agents gain access to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Global Network Platform, a powerful tool suite focusing on lead generation, marketing support, social media, video production/distribution and more. Beyond technology, the brand provides national and international marketing support, professional education and the exclusive Luxury Collection for high-end and resort listings. Agents who want to take their real estate careers to new heights should look no farther than Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Dean-Smith Realty, said Richard Smith. Gino Blefari, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CEO, welcomed Dean-Smith Realty to the network. We are proud that Richard, David and their team will represent Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in greater Knoxville, he said. The brokerage is highly respected locally and will be a strong ambassador of our brand. Dean-Smith Realtys new Cabernet and White yard signs are already appearing in the marketplace. The brokerage will commemorate its brand transition with an open-house celebration in the spring. Dean-Smith Realty, established in 1986, serves the greater Knoxville region specializing in residential and land sales. The brokerage is a leader in high-end and luxury real estate with extensive experience in Sequoyah Hills, Westmoreland, Lyons Bend and the lakefront. Visit www.bhhsdsr.com. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is based in Irvine, CA. The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the real estate market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity. Visit www.berkshirehathawayhs.com. Irvine, CA-based HSF Affiliates LLC operates the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate franchise networks. The company is a joint venture of which HomeServices of America, Inc., the nations second-largest, full-service residential brokerage firm, is a majority owner. HomeServices of America is an affiliate of world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Published January 6, 2017 By Kim Se-jeong A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck near Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, early Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). No casualties were reported. According to the KMA, the quake, which occurred at 5:31 a.m., was centered 11 kilometers southwest of Gyeongju. The city was previously jolted by the magnitude 5.3 tremor, Sept. 12, the strongest quake ever recorded in the city. It damaged residential buildings, and people in the city flocked to hospitals with minor injuries. A second quake with magnitude 2.2 followed two minutes after. The KMA said the quakes were among 560 aftershocks of the September one, and there was nothing serious to worry about. Experts had predicted the aftershocks but people were still alarmed by the event. According to local police and fire stations, they received calls inquiring about the quake early Friday. The tremor was also felt in Ulsan, 37 kilometers southeast of Gyeongju. Ulsan's fire fighters' office said it received 27 telephone inquiries. Gyeongju is surrounded by nuclear power plants. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power which operates the plants said all power sites were operating normally. The September quake prompted environmentalists to criticize the government for failing to come up with preventive measures. Korea's southeastern coast has the most nuclear sites in the world. In the aftermath of the September quake, geologists explained it was due to what was believed to be an old inactive fault. Opinions were divided on how long the aftershocks would last. Some argued they are on the decline, while others said they could potentially trigger another big earthquake. Korea is not in an active earthquake zone, like Japan, but has experienced big earthquakes from time to time. The September quake was felt even in Seoul, almost 300 kilometers away. A thousand yellow balloons float above Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Saturday, where anti-president protesters held their 11th consecutive Saturday rally to demand President Park Geun-hye's immediate impeachment. The balloons were released in commemoration of Jan. 9 that marks the 1,000th day since the Sewol ferry disaster occurred. / Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan On Saturday, the first vigil of 2017 took place as citizens across the country continued to demand the removal of President Park Geun-hye. The nationwide rally was the 11th consecutive Saturday rally, which started on Oct. 29 over the influence-peddling scandal involving Park and her long-time friend Choi Soon-sil. The two allegedly extracted 77.4 billion won ($64.7 million) from conglomerates to set up private foundations controlled by Choi. Some 1,500 civic groups joined this latest rally at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, which focused on the sinking of the Sewol ferry off the country's southwest coast in April 2014 that took the lives of more than 300 people, most of whom were high school students on a field trip. Protesters held yellow ribbons the color symbolizing the ferry victims and demanded the immediate removal of Park and the salvage of the Sewol that has yet to be retrieved from the sea. Organizers said about 600,000 gathered for the rally in central Seoul, while the police estimated the number to be around 24,000 as of 7:45 p.m. Park was impeached by the National Assembly on Dec. 9 for the influence-peddling scandal as well as negligence in saving the passengers of the doomed ferry. Earlier this week, the Constitutional Court began procedures judging whether Park's impeachment should be formalized during the court's first open hearing. The president did not appear at the hearing. Other cities including Ulsan, Busan, Gwangju and Daejeon also saw anti-Park vigils on Saturday. As well, Park's supporters gathered near the office of the independent counsel investigating the presidential scandal in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Saturday. They accused the independent counsel of illegally looking into irrelevant records of Park, including her medical data, and disclosing Park's suspected criminal charges to the media. The pro-Park protesters demanded the counsel drop their investigation and Park's impeachment be reversed. By Park Si-soo A Buddhist monk set himself on fire in an anti-president protest in downtown Seoul on Saturday night, leaving a hand-written memo calling for stern punishment against President Park Geun-hye for the ongoing political scandal. Ven. Jungwon, 64, was taken to Seoul National University Hospital, where he is now in critical condition, according to his aides. "He is in critical condition and remains unconscious," said Kwon Young-gook, a lawyer representing an anti-Park civic group "His organs including heart, lung, kidneys and liver are not functioning normally." The hospital said the monk suffered severe third-degree burns to nearly 70 percent of his body. Police said the incident took place at around 10:30 p.m. near Gwanghwamun Square. An investigation is under way. Police found a memo at the scene, in which the monk claimed President Park should be punished for causing a "rebellion." He also called for a Seoul-Tokyo agreement signed in 2015 to resolve the "comfort women" issue to be nullified "Please don't make my death worthless," the memo said. By Yoon Ja-young Yoo Il-ho, finance minister The government may set up a task force to cope with China's recent retaliatory actions against Korea's decision to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Korea. However, the government is also cautious because such a task force might worsen the issue, the country's finance minister says. Strategy and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said on Thursday the government should persuade China regarding THAAD. "China is officially denying this, but the recent situation seems related to it (THAAD)," he said. Korea plans to introduce the anti-missile defense system from the U.S. amid ongoing threats from North Korea, but China has been taking retaliatory action, including a ban on K-pop and K-drama stars and chartered flights, claiming the U.S. system would threaten its security. The retaliatory action has been worrying Korea, whose economy is closely tied to China. Yoo said the trade ministry should actively persuade China, adding that the finance ministry would also support this. Yoo, who has been in the post for a year, recollected that he had focused on minimizing the risk of an economic downturn during the past year. He also cited the economic growth rate, which is estimated to fall short of the target, as most disappointing. The minister is scheduled to hold an IR session in New York next week. "I am going to explain to investors that the government will minimize the negative impact on the economy incurred by the political turmoil," he said. "Political circles also agree with this," he said, pointing out that the National Assembly approved the budget bill on time despite political confrontation between the ruling and the opposition parties. While some expect that the incoming Donald Trump administration in the U.S. may designate Korea as a currency manipulator, Yoo said this was unlikely. "Korea meets only two of the three U.S. criteria to be designated as such," he said. "Even so, we can't be sure about what will happen. The government will take measures to decrease the current account surplus." He said the Korea Gas Corporation planned to import more shale gas from the U.S. This would not only decrease Korea's trade surplus against the U.S., but also meet Trump's policy of nurturing U.S. energy industries. Regarding demands that a supplementary budget should be set in February, Yoo said this was too early. "We should look at the first-quarter figures," he said. "We will introduce a supplementary budget if economic indices indicate that it is necessary." He also hinted that the government may amend the anti-graft law, which limits meals and gifts that government officials, journalists and school teachers can accept, aims at making a transparent society. But some businesses, such as restaurants and flower shops, have been suffering from plunging sales. The minister said the government would consult diverse parties to come up with complementary measures. Description If you are new to Buddhism and meditation and wish to find out what it is all about, please attend our open house. Well start with a welcome and introduction to the Center with a free public talk explaining the reasons why Kadampa Meditation Center Long Island exists. Well follow with an introduction to the Centers programs and classes, the benefits of meditation, how everyone is welcome (regardless of spiritual background) and can benefit from listening and contemplating Dharma. Well give a short, basic overview of Buddhism in general (developing wisdom, a good heart, and inner peace) and talk about our founder, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Well talk about and the New Kadampa Tradition, our branches, and our close proximity to KMC-NYC, KMC New York, and KMC The Hamptons. Then we will engage together in a guided, relaxation and breathing meditation, and finish with a tour of the Center and a question and answer period. Two people have been accused of making a bomb threat that forced the evacuation of the Phelps County Courthouse on Thursday. Bryan Riden, 34, and Melissa Hannan, 36, both of Rolla, are charged with making a terrorist threat and tampering with a judicial proceeding. Hannon also is charged with tampering with physical evidence. Phelps County Sheriff Richard Lisenbe says a caller to the circuit clerk's office on Thursday afternoon said an explosive device would be set off inside the courthouse, which then was evacuated. A search of the building found no explosives. (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Edited news release On Thursday at approximately 1:30, the Phelps County Circuit Clerk's office received a call of a bomb threat. Law Enforcement was contacted and rushed to the courthouse, 200 N. Main Investigators learned a Circuit Clerk's Office employee received a telephone call from an unidentified caller who disclosed that an explosive device was going to detonate inside the court house. Department heads, courthouse employees, and citizens were evacuated. An extensive search of the court house was conducted by first responders and bomb sniffing dogs but no explosive device was located. Phelps County Sheriffs Department detectives identified a telephone number as the one used by the caller to make the bomb threat. Two people were identified as being responsible. They were questioned and arrested for making a terrorist threat. Both Riden and Hannan are jailed in lieu of $50,000 bonds. PRESS RELEASE Gerasimov Announces First Russian Force Reduction In Syria Jan. 6, 2017 (EIRNS)Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, announced at the Defense Ministry in Moscow this morning that the drawdown of Russian forces in Syria, approved by President Vladimir Putin when the truce was announced on Dec. 29, has begun. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and its accompanying strike group are leaving the Syrian coast today, to head back to their Northern Fleet base of Severomorsk. "I would like to thank the staff of the aircraft carrier group for the success in implementing its tasks. I order the senior officer of the mission Vice-Admiral Viktor Sokolov to begin relocating the group today and move to the main fleet base of Severomorsk as per the plan approved earlier," Gerasimov said. According to Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, the carriers air group conducted 420 sorties, destroying 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria over two months. "The strikes were delivered against terrorists infrastructure, groups of militants and vehicles, firing positions and strongholds of illegal armed formations," Kartapolov said. "The Admiral Grigorovich frigate attacked Daesh targets in Syria with Kalibr cruise missiles. All targets were hit," the commander said. Using a visa loophole to fire well-paid U.S. information technology workers and replace them with low-paid immigrants from India is despicable enough when its done by profit-making companies such as Southern California Edison and Walt Disney Co. But the latest employer to try this stunt sets a new mark in what might be termed job laundering. Its the University of California. Experts in the abuse of so-called H-1B visas say UC is the first public university to send the jobs of American IT staff offshore. Thats not a distinction UC should wear proudly. UC is training software engineers at the same time theyre outsourcing their own software engineers. What message are they sending their own students? Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) Advertisement UC San Francisco, the systems biggest medical center, announced in July that it would lay off 49 career IT staffers and eliminate 48 other IT jobs that were vacant or filled by contract employees. The workers are to be gone as of Feb. 28. In the meantime theyve been ordered to train their own replacements, who are employees of the Indian outsourcing firm HCL Technologies. The training process was described by UCSF managers by the Orwellian term knowledge transfer, according to Audrey Hatten-Milholin, 53, an IT architect with 17 years of experience at UCSF who will be laid off next month. The argument for Disney or Edison is that its executives are driven to maximize profits, says Ron Hira of Howard University, a expert in H-1B visas. But UC is a public institution, not driven by profit. Its qualitatively different from other employers. By sending IT jobs abroad, UC is undermining its own mission, which includes preparing California students to serve the high-tech industry. UC is training software engineers at the same time theyre outsourcing their own software engineers, says Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), whose district includes much of Silicon Valley. What message are they sending their own students? As weve reported before, H-1B visas were created to allow American technology companies to import uniquely talented individuals from abroad; visa holders can work in the U.S. for three years, with the goal of obtaining permanent residency and ultimately citizenship. But the program has been co-opted by outsourcing firms that use the visas to import workers, mostly from India, to replace Americans in middle-level IT jobs. Those firms, including HCL, corral about half of all H-1B visas every year. The workers they import often live here barracks-style and are at the beck and call of supervisors who can revoke their residency at will. Eventually they return home to continue their assignments, without workplace benefits and at wages a fraction of what their American counterparts were paid. UCSF officials say the decision to outsource 97 IT jobs, about 20% to the total IT headcount, was forced on it by daunting economic challenges. The state requires UCSF Health, which encompasses the universitys hospitals, to be fiscally self-sustaining, collecting its revenue entirely from patient fees, Chief Executive Mark R. Laret says. The hospitals recorded a $42-million deficit in the last fiscal year on $3.4 billion in revenue, he told me. The red ink was partially the result of an increased caseload from Medi-Cal, the states Medicaid program, which was expanded under the Affordable Care Act. Medi-Cal reimbursements are so low that UCSF loses 40 cents on every dollar it spends on those patients treatment, he says. In searching for costs to cut, USCF concluded that the most expendable IT employees were systems maintenance staff, whose jobs could be done for so much less by foreign workers going without high salaries and fringe benefits. UCSF officials have convinced themselves that most of the laid-off workers will have little trouble finding new jobs in the vibrant Bay Area technology industry; they say three of the workers already have accepted other positions at UCSF and some have been offered work by HCL. These individuals are not unemployable, Laret says. The university says outsourcing their work to HCL will save $30 million over the five-year term of the HCL contract, which will cost $50 million. Thats a meager savings of 0.1% of the UCSF budget, which was $5.83 billion in 2015-16. But the key question is what the university may be giving up in terms of system security and other important considerations. The work being sent abroad isnt trivial. According to an email sent to the IT staff last July, it includes managing and backing up most of the systems data; management and administration of its data networks; operations related to its telephones, email and video conferencing; and payroll and financial applications. Laret says UCSF expects the security of all these systems to be at least as good under HCL as it is now, though he acknowledges that there are no guarantees. Breaches of medical systems can be exceptionally harmful; a hack attack of UCLA Health Systems network revealed in 2015 may have compromised personal and medical information of 4.5 million patients. Some UCSF workers involved in training their replacements were less than impressed with the process. Kurt Ho, 57, a systems administrator at UCSF since 2015 who is earning about $100,000, says he spent all of two days with his replacement. He told me he would go back to India and train his team, and would be sending me emails with questions. Hatten-Milholin, whose salary has been $127,000, says some of the replacements were on hand for two weeks. What was shocking is that the system is so complex theres no way you can learn it in two weeks, she told me. She and Ho are among nine workers who have filed a complaint against UCSF with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing, asserting that theyve been discriminated against based on national origin, age, sex or race. Disclosure of the layoffs triggered an uproar last fall. Letters went out to UC President Janet Napolitano from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Lofgren, who urged Napolitano to reverse the outsourcing plan and suspend the HCL contract until UC can thoroughly examine the public policy issues raised by the plan. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) pointedly reminded Napolitano that UC received about $8.5 billion in federal funding in 2014-15, and said she was unhappy to hear that the funds would be used to replace Californian IT workers with foreign workers or labor performed abroad. She added, this is not the way to cut costs. UCSF responded by tinkering with the plan a bit. The university told Feinsteins office in November that of 27 HCL employees assigned to UCSF during the transition, eight were H-1B visa holders. UCSF said all had been moved to other locations in the U.S. and would not be working any further on the UCSF program, which raises the question of why they were brought to UCSF for training in the first place. Sending them away allowed UCSF to assert in a public statement that neither the university nor HCL would replace the affected UCSF employees with H-1B visa holders. But thats mostly an optical illusion, says Sara Blackwell, a visa attorney who has sued Disney for discrimination on behalf of Walt Disney World employees whose jobs were outsourced to an Indian H-1B firm. The endgame is not to have foreign workers stay on the job here, she says, but to move the jobs to India. Blame for the outsourcing extends well beyond UCSF. The California Legislature has systematically reduced to pennies the states share of the budgets of UCSF and the rest of UC, which once was proudly supported by Sacramento. Meanwhile, Congress has consistently failed to close a glaring loophole allowing U.S. employers to send good American jobs overseas instead, it has moved to expand the H1-B program at the behest of tech firms claiming, dubiously, that they cant find enough good engineers in the U.S. UC President Janet Napolitano seems to be trying to dodge responsibility for this policy. Although she vowed to crack down on H-1B abuses as secretary of Homeland Security, a job she held from 2009 to 2013, shes been utterly silent about UCs abuse of that very program on her watch. Lets be clear: The outsourcing of IT jobs to India isnt UCSF policy, but emerging UC policy. Napolitanos staff says this is UCSFs deal. But the HCL contract on which UCSF is operating applies system-wide, and its up to individual campuses and schools to opt in; UCSF simply was the first to do so. According to notes from an Aug. 5 meeting of UCs IT Architecture Committee, chief information officers at other campuses are happy to let UCSF act as a guinea pig and will wait for a year before jumping in with HCL in order to gauge UCSFs experience. Of course, if UCSFs initiative blows up in its face, the victims will be its patients, doctors and researchers. In running a university hospital, Laret told me, you have to make some hard choices. Thats indisputable, but the unanswered question is whether UCSFs choice will cost more than it saves. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. ALSO Republicans call Obamacare a failure. These 7 charts show they couldnt be more wrong Its not just politics: 2016 was an epidemic year for fake news in science, too Happy New Year, porno-trolls: Youve been indicted for fraud For Gayle King, being Oprah Winfreys best friend has its privileges and some obligations. One of them was alerting Winfrey, an avid reader, to what was happening on television. For the record: An earlier version of this story stated that King had confirmed details of President-elect Trumps meeting with network anchors in Trump Tower. She did not. They used to call me Gayle King, Eyewitness News because Id call and say, Oprah, turn on the TV, O.J. is on the run, King recalled during a recent lunch in Manhattan. She once said, Theres this show Friends, have you heard of it? Theyre coming to me and asking if I want them on the show. I was always her touchstone for what was going on in the world. Advertisement These days Winfrey is getting her updates from King along with the 3.7 million viewers who watch her on CBS This Morning, which celebrates five years on the air on Monday. At 62, King has reached a new pinnacle in a four-decade career by becoming a morning TV star alongside coanchors Charlie Rose and Norah ODonnell. She recently signed a lucrative long-term deal to remain with the program, which launched with the bold claim that The News Is Back in the Morning. Co-anchor Gayle King on the set of CBS This Morning at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan, NY. (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times) King recalls how some critics believed the positioning of the show as a smarter alternative to NBCs Today and ABCs Good Morning America was ambitious and perhaps a bit audacious. We had a lot of haters and a lot of naysayers, she said. We didnt know what was going to happen. But along with the ratings growth that CBS This Morning has experienced up 45% since its first year King says she knows that the program has lived up to its promise. Her friends who work for the competition tell her so. Theyll say, Its so frustrating to see what youre doing compared to what were doing, King said. Friends from other networks, including executives, have all come to me at different times to say, I like what you guys are doing, I wish we were doing more of it. Such candor is common from King. Morning TV anchors dont normally use the term bad ass to describe an upcoming guest, but King does. She is freewheeling when it comes to talking about her own life. She doesnt shy away from discussing her age. She posts on Instagram about her weight. She admits to having changed the spelling of her name from Gail because she liked the way it looked with a y and an e. (Dont you think Gayle is a prettier spelling? she asks.) There were reports of her being among the most outspoken anchors at a post-election gathering of media heavyweights at Trump Tower with President-elect Donald Trump. Its Kings willingness to speak her mind that adds a what-will-she-say-next tension to CBS This Morning and has people like former Today coanchor Bryant Gumbel watching. You watch her and you can see there is no guile, said Gumbel, now the host of HBOs Real Sports. Her edit button, like mine, doesnt work. My edit button doesnt work in an acerbic way. Her edit button doesnt work in a nice way. Sometimes she says things that make me laugh out loud. Shes a good person, and she has natural curiosity and natural enthusiasm. When CBS This Morning was being conceived, the networks news executives believed Kings ebullient personality and pop culture savvy would balance the gravitas of Rose, well-known to viewers through 60 Minutes and his sober talk show that airs on PBS stations (ODonnell joined CBS This Morning later). Neither Rose nor King had a track record in morning television or working in an ensemble setting, and CBS had never had a real success against Today and GMA. But Chris Licht, who developed and produced CBS This Morning, was sold on King, having used her as a highly prepared and engaging guest on the MSNBC program Morning Joe. There isnt a focus group in America that would have put Charlie Rose and Gayle King together, said Licht, now executive producer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Its not as crazy as it looks on paper. They knew each other. They traveled in the same circles and would see each other at the same events. They are both at the same place in their lives where they are comfortable in their own skin. The show launched with King joining midway at 8 a.m. as Licht believed a three-anchor setup would slow the pace of the news-intensive first hour. But his second in command, Ryan Kadro, now executive producer of CBS This Morning, pushed to have King at the top of the program as it became apparent she was comfortable across all subject areas. Charlie liked it, and Norah liked it, and we never looked back, Licht said. King, who had been hosting a talk show on Winfreys OWN network before joining CBS, did have to make some adjustments. She is so at ease with expressing her opinions that shes had to learn to restrain herself when straight reporting is required. When told there are viewers who sense she is holding back sometimes, she laughs. Yes, Gayle is, she said. That is true. I know that its a news program. I also know Im a human being. Im not a robot. Were not talking to robots. To me, sometimes its OK to have a human emotion or human reaction. People who have worked with King describe her as having a sunny personality even when the camera is not on her. (Yellow is my favorite color, she said, confirming the description.) She is described as a morale booster in the CBS This Morning studio, knowing the names of each staffer and crew member. Every year she brings in a chef and throws a party for them. King says being on television has always made her happy. (I would say Im having the best time of my life, but I was having a great time anchoring local news.) Being on a set that displays the world map used on the CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite, the newscast her father watched, is particularly gratifying for her. My dad died when I was a freshman in college, and I do wish he could have seen that, she said. He would have gotten a kick out of that. The morning TV grind does have its challenges. The fitness tracker on Kings wrist shows she had four hours sleep the night before, which is typical for her. Even with a 3:30 a.m. wakeup time, she still does what she calls drive-bys at galas and premiere parties in New York. While the schedule means she spends weekends exhausted and experiencing some fetal position moments, its worth it for the front-row seat to world events. King, a Maryland native who as a child lived in Turkey, where her father worked as an electronic engineer, has never let the TV business control her life. She was once asked by Winfrey to move to Chicago so she could be groomed to take over The Oprah Winfrey Show as the host toyed with leaving to pursue more acting roles. Then a local anchor for the CBS affiliate in Hartford, Conn., King turned down that opportunity. She was unwilling to uproot her family because she wanted her two children to grow up near their father, whom King divorced in 1993. Oprah said, Listen, I only want to do this another year, Ill pass the baton, King recalled The kids were young and it was important to me that they had a relationship with my ex. He got to see them a lot. At the time I said, I really want to go. Even though she stuck it out in Hartford, Kings long friendship with a powerful media icon such as Winfrey has given her a rarefied existence that made her well known on the celebrity circuit even without being on television every day. She says it has not altered her worldview. I have some fancy friends, but Im still a girl that likes a sale, she said. I dont feel that just because you can afford to buy something doesnt mean you have to do it. Money enhances my life, but it doesnt change the core of who you are. Now King is famous (and wealthy) for being Gayle King. She said its the same Gayle King who took home disciplinary notes from school as a child. She can still recite them. Dear Mr. and Mrs. King, Gayle is a very bright little girl, but she tends to talk a lot in class and is disruptive, she said. Isnt it great that all these years later Im still talking trying not to be too disruptive, but still talking. I got in trouble back then. Im not getting in trouble now. Thats pretty good. Life is good. CBS This Morning Where: CBS When: 7 a.m. Monday through Friday Rating: Not rated stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio Hi is a cannabis brand. Its logo hi in white letters inside an orange circle can be found above the front door of a Portland, Ore., marijuana shop and on a handful of cannabis products, including massage oil and Hi Releaf pain-relief balm. But you wouldnt guess any of that from His trademark filings. In 2015, the brands parent company, Cannabis Sativa Inc., filed a trademark application not for any of His core products, but for hats, T-shirts and a wide array of other apparel. If the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office signs off on the application, Cannabis Sativa would be able to stop other companies from using the Hi brand on clothing, but it might not be able to stop rivals from setting up Hi-brand marijuana shops or selling knockoff Hi-brand products. Advertisement This is the odd state of affairs for trademark protection in the cannabis industry, one of the many byproducts of the gap between state and federal marijuana laws. Though cannabis is legal for recreational or medicinal use in 28 states, it remains illegal under federal law. As a result, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will not register trademarks for marijuana retailers or for products that contain cannabis. You want to protect what youre doing with the brand name, said David Tobias, president of publicly traded Cannabis Sativa, but you have to dance around it. One popular strategy for cannabis companies that cant trademark their core products is to seek protection for a host of ancillary products and services. I call it the circle the wagons approach, said Todd Winter, a Costa Mesa attorney who works with marijuana companies. We get everything trademarked that we can, tangential to the actual cannabis product itself. The idea, one that is largely untested so far, is that if a cannabis company registers its trademark for other products it will scare off would-be copycats and allow the company to be first in line if the federal government eases its stance on pot. Cannabis Sativa applied for an apparel trademark and hopes to put its Hi brand on other products, including lozenges for smokers. Stoner comedian Tommy Chongs brand, Chongs Choice, which sells a line of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, has applied for a trademark for vaporizers and tobacco jars. Altai, a brand of cannabis chocolates, is seeking trademark protection for its name brand as a provider of information about medical cannabis. Mary Shapiro, a San Francisco attorney, said the goal is to get something federally trademarked and the more closely related to marijuana, the better. She is working with Salinas firm Indus Holdings, Altais parent company, on its trademark application. Once a company has even applied to register a trademark, its noted in a federal database. When companies set out to submit trademark applications of their own, they search that database to see if their brand name is already in use and if so, how its being used. The goal of trademark law is to prevent consumer confusion, and different companies can use the same name for products as long as their products are in different categories and wouldnt cause confusion. The Patent and Trademark Office would likely reject a trademark application for a soap brand with a name similar to Unilevers Dove, but it didnt stop candy company Mars from trademarking Dove-brand chocolate. The same rules apply in the cannabis industry, but its tricky. Unilever can make clear in its trademark application that Dove makes soap, which lets other companies know they shouldnt try applying for a similar trademark for soap-related products. Cannabis companies, however, have to be more circumspect, hoping that a trademark for rolling papers or providing cannabis information will be enough of a hint that a company has laid claim to a cannabis-related trademark. It raises a red flag that theres a company already operating in the space, Shapiro said. Basically, its a warning sign that someone else has claimed rights to the name in connection to cannabis. Along with scaring off potential competitors, theres another potential benefit: If the Patent and Trademark Office were to start approving trademarks for cannabis products, companies with cannabis-related marks could be first in line. Going back to that notion of preventing confusion, trademark protection can apply not only to products a company makes now, but to products that a company might reasonably be expected to make later on what trademark lawyers call the zone of natural expansion. Even before Unilever started making Dove-brand shampoo, it would have been hard for another firm to trademark that name, as consumers might reasonably expect Dove soap and shampoo to come from the same company. Thats why Winter is helping one of his clients, Arizona cannabis candy company Baked Bros, apply for a trademark on syrups and gummy candies that contain CBD, a hemp extract thats available nationwide. The Patent and Trademark office has approved trademarks for other products containing CBD. Winter said CBD is about as close to marijuana as the trademark office will go. If the office approves Bake Bros application, Winter said he believes marijuana products would be within the companys zone of expansion. From a legal standpoint, if you have a hemp-based product under your brand, no one will be able to get a cannabis-related trademark for a similar brand, he said. Still, thecircle the wagons strategy isnt foolproof, and it comes with challenges of its own. To get and keep a trademark, companies actually have to use it. To maintain its hi clothing trademark, Cannabis Sativa will actually have to sell some clothes. Theyre not widely available for now, though Hal Lewis, the companys national sales manager, said he plans to launch an online store this year. Chongs Choice will have to keep selling jars and vaporizers, which are available online and at marijuana shops in a few states. That represents a threat for cannabis brands. If customers love a companys weed but not its other products, the company could lose its trademark altogether, said Alison Malsbury, another attorney who specializes in cannabis trademarks. The Patent and Trademark Office is looking for more than just token sales, she said. If youre not continually using the trademark, it can be canceled and you can lose everything. Whats more, she and other attorneys note that the strategy cannabis companies are using remains untested. Unless and until the federal government decides to allow cannabis trademarks, companies cant be sure their cannabis-adjacent trademarks will be able to carry over to pot products. And so far, theres been little legal squabbling between cannabis companies, meaning theres not much precedent for companies to rely on. We dont really have any test cases, Malsbury said. But that could change as the cannabis industry continues to grow. Winter suspects disputes between cannabis companies have been rare in part because the industry is tightknit. As money floods in and competition heats up, he expects companies to develop sharper elbows. Theres a fair amount of peer pressure within the industry to not use someone elses brand, he said. But thats changing a little with the dynamic of multimillionaires and billionaires investing in the industry. james.koren@latimes.com Follow me: @jrkoren MORE ON MARIJUANA Case of Hollyweed prankster will be presented to prosecutors, police say Abcarian: A pot bust against legal growers in Yolo County seems to go too far Skelton: Marijuana is legal in California. Now politicians and pot pushers need to help keep it out of kids hands In the final report before the end of his term in office, President Obamas National Economic Council lashed out against hidden fees charged by airlines, hotels and other businesses. The council, made up of various department and agency heads within Obamas administration, said fees that are not readily disclosed make it hard for consumers to pick the lowest price in airfares, hotel rates and other services. When pricing is unclear, it threatens the competitive process by which consumers make decisions, the report said. Advertisement Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, agreed with the findings of the report, saying consumers are being deliberately fooled by advertised prices that fail to include the full amount theyll have to pay. One example raised in the report is resort fees, which are often mandatory at large resorts but dont show up on online booking sites when travelers are comparing hotel rates. Another example is airline fees, such as charges to check luggage and change flights. The report noted that those two fees alone generated $22.5 billion for the worlds airline industry in 2015. The National Economic Council said baggage and change fees fall into a gray zone between being optional and mandatory for travelers. If they are mandatory, they should be included in the flights total advertised price, the council says. The question of what counts as the entire price has for regulators, proved to be an evolving question, the report said. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. ALSO Are landlords required to install new flooring for disabled tenants? Freewheeling news anchor and Oprah BFF Gayle King celebrates five years with CBS This Morning Meet Arnon Milchan, the Hollywood producer at the center of Netanyahu probe Moonlight, the lush coming-of-age drama of a young black man grappling with his sexuality and a harsh upbringing amid the Miami drug war era, was named best film of 2016 by the National Society of Film Critics on Saturday. Barry Jenkins, who adapted the screenplay from playwright Tarell Alvin McCraneys unproduced drama school project In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, was named best director. The film also won for supporting actor (Mahershala Ali) and cinematography. Moonlight as best picture again outshone La La Land and Manchester by the Sea, its two key rivals on the awards circuit. Both those films were named runners-up for the honor. Advertisement A major frontrunner this awards season, Moonlight dominated the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. awards and earned multiple honors at the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle. The drama is up for six Golden Globes on Sunday, including best motion picture in the drama category. Manchester by the Sea also took multiple awards. Acting honors went to Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams (best actor and best supporting actress, respectively) and the drama was named best screenplay. Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for her roles in Elle and Things to Come. Founded in 1966, the National Society of Film Critics elects its members from publications all over the country. Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang serves as its current chair. See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour >> gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com For more music news follow me on Twitter:@GerrickKennedy The Palm Springs International Film Festival had its opening screening and party on Thursday night with the world premiere of The Sense of an Ending, director Ritesh Batras adaptation of Julian Barnes Man Booker Prize-winning novel starring Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer and Harriet Walter. Broadbent plays a man whose past gets dredged up when he receives a letter saying he is to inherit the diary of an old friend. This causes him to re-engage with a long-lost first love (Rampling), but also to come to terms with how he has possibly misremembered events from decades ago to assuage feelings of responsibility in the death of a friend. Set in London, the film has a low-key, enigmatic tone as it explores the way memories sometimes cast us in a more favorable light. In some of the movies most startling moments, the older Broadbent finds himself wandering in scenes from his younger life, as his memories come flooding back. Advertisement I feel like good stories take you to a certain place and a certain time, the Indian-born Batra said in an interview ahead of the festival. I feel like stories have to be faithful to their place and to their time, so before we were making Sense I had only ever visited London, for meetings and such, but I had never lived there. I tried to make it as local as I could. Of course its my interpretation of London, but I tried to be faithful. The festival in Palm Springs is known to many not as much for its fine program of films from around the globe, but rather for the lavish awards gala that has become a key point in Hollywoods awards season. The gala helps the machinery of awards season get back into gear after the holidays and gives talent a final out-of-town tryout for acceptance speeches that may soon be televised at events like the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards and the Oscars. Harold Matzner, chairman of the festival, at the Thursday opening noted how the Monday awards gala had brought in $2.3 million for the organization, the net of which would be used to fund the ambitious screening program. The festival will use 21 screens to show 190 films from 72 countries, and he called it one of the largest, most respected film events in North America. A few in the audience at the recently renovated Palm Springs High School auditorium burst into cheers when he added that the festivals desert location meant that attendees could also have fun in the sun while the rest of the country is bundling up in the cold. Among the other festival events are two day-long retreats, one for narrative filmmakers and one for documentary filmmakers. For the seventh year, the retreats are on the grounds of Sunnylands, the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage. Thursday afternoon, before the opening-night festivities, narrative filmmakers used a creative writing exercise to get to know one another apart from their work, then they showed trailers for their films and talked about their challenges. Attending the retreat were Batra, Polish director Ryszard Bugajski with Zacma: Blindness, Nepalese director Deepak Rauniyar with White Sun, Dutch filmmaker Paula van der Oest with Tonio, Israeli filmmaker Elite Zexer with Sand Storm, Kenyan filmmaker Mbithi Masya with Kati Kati, and French filmmakers Paul Calori and Kostia Testut with Julie and the Shoe Factory. Filmmakers converged on the opening-night screening after-party at the Palm Springs Art Museum, where Batra accepted congratulations from well-wishers. But it was the retreat earlier in the day that proved to be a special experience for many. We are super excited, Testut said. As filmmakers, we spend so much time in a kind of solitude, and meeting other people with the same problems its refreshing and it gives strength. Plus we knew the festival by its worldwide reputation. We feel lucky. Van der Oest is a veteran of the festival circuit and was an Oscar nominee in 2002 for her film Zus & Zo. Nevertheless some parts of the festival-hopping life never get easier. Theres also a very lonely aspect about it, Van der Oest said, being in faraway cities and your film is shown, but then youre like, Where is everybody? Its a very mixed feeling. But its really also a good thing, that there are so many film festivals around the world, so many film lovers. Here in Palm Springs, the rooms are so full and the audiences are so involved, its really nice. For Rauniyar, his film premiered last fall at festivals in Venice and Toronto, so he already has seen distinctions in how audiences react. He is eager to find out what happens at the films U.S. premiere in Palm Springs. We had a sense that it would be a universal-feeling story, Rauniyar said. And its a co-production between U.S., Netherlands, Qatar and Nepal. Most of the crew was from outside [Nepal]. So we had a sense it would work internationally. Zexer decided not to think about festivals while making Sand Storm, her feature debut. When I was making the movie, everybody kept asking me, Whats your dream, what festival would you want to go to? And I would answer, My dream is to make this movie, Zexer said. So for me everything that has happened since is just amazing, everything thats happened this year, it feels like this journey is just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Its been overwhelming. The film won six prizes at the Ophir awards, Israels Oscars, including best film, and after partying with her crew late into the night, Zexer said she found herself with no money and no ride home. Walking through the late-night streets of Tel Aviv in a gown and heels, clutching her prize for best director, people in passing cars asked what she was holding. When she told them, they burst into applause. It was so surreal, almost a scene out of a film, Zexer said. Filmmakers at the festival are eager to talk about more than their own movies. Theyre curious about one anothers work and its possible impact in world. Julie and the Shoe Factory is a contemporary musical, so Calori and Testut were curious to know more about La La Land, which they have yet to see. Have you seen it? Testut asked. Is it a hit? SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter Mark.Olsen@latimes.com Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus ALSO Palm Springs International Film Festival is an oasis of global discoveries Adam Driver and writer-director Jim Jarmusch find the everyday poetry in Paterson With 20th Century Women, Mike Mills a portrait of people, a time and a place Designer peace reigns. The legal tussle between Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, which shined a spotlight on the inner workings of two of Americas most iconic fashion houses, came to a discreet end Friday. A statement from Oscar de la Renta chief executive officer Alex Bolen on Friday noted: Carolina Herrera, Ltd., Oscar de la Renta, LLC and Laura Kim have reached a settlement of the lawsuit filed by Carolina Herrera, Ltd. The terms of the settlement are confidential, except that Laura Kim has returned to Oscar de La Renta, LLC subject to the conditions agreed upon by the parties. The settlement appears to be a victory of sorts for de la Renta, given that Kim is now allowed to continue in her role as co-creative director with Fernando Garcia. Advertisement Herrera filed its suit late last month in the Supreme Court of the State of New York seeking to block Kim from joining de la Renta. It claimed Kim had a six month non-compete agreement which, according to the lawsuit, barred the designer from working at only one other fashion house: Oscar de la Renta. Kim founded the Monse brand with Garcia and has proven to have knack for bringing a youthful air to established brands. Herrera, the company, maintained that Kim could not work for de la Renta until her non-compete agreement ran out in April. That would have meant that Kim could not have designed de la Rentas fall 2017 collection. Judge Jeffrey K. Oing, who once presided over Macys Inc.s suit against Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and J.C. Penney Co. Inc., granted a preliminary injunction that for a time barred Kim from returning to de la Renta. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for Jan. 10. Oing later lifted the preliminary injunction but the hearing date remained in place. While baring the inner workings of a major fashion house, Herreras suit also didnt obscure the companys plans to transition out the 77-year-old Carolina Herrera herself and replace her with a younger creative director, Kim. The suit said Herreras chief executive officer Francois Kress offered Kim a salary of $1 million to become senior vice president of design of the Carolina Herrera brand. Kim allegedly turned the job down, though, and left to join de la Renta. An affidavit filed with the suit by Kims lawyer Neil Capobianco said Kim started having talks about becoming creative director of the House of Herrera about a year ago with the understanding that Herrera herself would be transitioning out of that role. However, according to the affidavit, Kim realized that nobody had informed Ms. Herrera that she was being transitioned out and that Ms. Herrera intended to run CH as if she were the creative director. The affidavit said Kim tried to work around the tensions inherent in a surreptitious transition plan, but realized the conditions were untenable and unworkable and resigned on July 8. The suit claimed that the Herrera brand has lost business since Kim left and described her as a unique employee who is very adept at creating designs that are what commercial clients are interested in stocking in their stores. Herreras suit said the resort 2016 collection Kim helped design was the most commercially successful ever in its 35-year history. The settlement brings to a close the latest battle in a long-running rivalry between the two fashion houses. The Puig-owned Herrera is substantially larger, but draws heavily on the fragrance category, while de la Rentas operation is focused on ready-to-wear and accessories. Kim worked for the late de la Renta for 12 years before leaving to consult with Herrera. Kim and Garcia consulted for Herrera in fall 2015, and Kim became the companys vice president for design last January with an annual salary of $450,000, or at a semimonthly rate of $18,750. That shows exactly how valuable young talent can be to established brands, which are working to connect with a new generation of consumers that has grown up in the internet age, fast fashion and a relentless digital drip of style on social media. Its a whole different world than the one de la Renta and Herrera once sought to divide between the two of them. ALSO J.C. Penney sales miss mark Retail stocks take holiday hit Macys approach to store closings is not one-size-fits-all I met him on Tinder. Newly single and not ready for another relationship, I was just looking for a friend someone to talk to, go to dinner with, you know, before I left on a month-long trip abroad, where Id planned to clear my mind sans boys and dating drama. He was a charmer; also, Colombian (Im half-Colombian). I told him I didnt like Colombian men, except for my dad. He said something nonsensical about disproving my theories. I waved him away. But I let him spoil me, nonetheless. Fancy dinners, endless bottles of wine and interesting conversations; he was just witty enough to hold my attention on dates from Los Feliz to the Westside. Youre so hard to read, he said to me one day in the car. I cant tell if you like me or not. Advertisement Are you a veteran of L.A.'s current dating scene? We want to publish your story He asked me my feelings on marriage, kids and men with kids. Hed never been married, nor did he have kids, he told me. We were having fun, tons of it, until he pressured me to commit. It isnt the right time for me, I said. But I do enjoy hanging out with you. Before I left on my grand European adventure (Los Angeles to Miami by car, New York to London to Paris to Prague to Berlin by plane and train), he told me he was also leaving for Miami, my hometown to see his family for a month. A long time, I thought, for a working man, but who was I to judge? I tend to run away from things, and just maybe he was doing the same. It wasnt until the day before his flight to Miami, after Id promised to take him to the airport, that he texted he had something to tell me. Then tell me now, I said. More L.A. Affairs columns I dont do well with suspense. Turned out, although he would be seeing his family, relatives werent actually why he was going to Miami. His ex-girlfriend thats what he called her was pregnant and would be giving birth to their son 10 days later. He wasnt running from Los Angeles or a woman or a job, but toward a tiny human who would soon change his life. And then he sent me flowers on my birthday, just two days after his son was born. His son! Suddenly this bit of fun became much more complicated. I was speechless; I wanted nothing more to do with him. He begged me to let him explain. Fine, I said, already knowing that I probably wouldnt believe a word he said. He had the unfair advantage (because hes a dude) of being able to hide something from me that had I been in his shoes, I would not physically have been able to hide. Either way, I let him explain. I drove him to the airport. Ill never see him again, I said. And then he sent me flowers on my birthday, just two days after his son was born. And then, of course, we did see each other again. He continued to try to win me over. Hows your kid? Id ask politely. He showed me pictures, a proud new dad. I wished him well, while pulling away. And then he purchased my return ticket from Berlin. The more I ran, the tighter he grabbed onto something he hadnt had a firm grip on to begin with. I left for Europe; we spoke here and there. I returned to the States a month or so later, and then we never spoke again. Months after losing contact, I got an email from his baby mama. A little boy will not be raised by his father and a new family will not spend Christmas together because of you. I wrote her back. Although it wasnt my duty to clear the air, I felt the need to stand up for myself. I told her that Id met him on a dating site and that he didnt immediately disclose his baggage or baggage-to-be. The unfortunate situation here is that two smart, capable women were lied to. And while I have been able to move on with my day-to-day things, including dating, she has a lifetime ahead of her to share child-rearing responsibilities with a man neither she nor I was able to trust. After this experience, Im not necessarily more guarded, but I am a little more inquisitive and observant when dating new people. Im at a point where I know what I want, so its easier to weed out guys who are a little shady or dont have the criteria Im looking for. Cheesy, but as much as it may be upsetting or eye-opening, the truth should always set you free (when it comes to dating and life in general). The author is a freelance writer who lives in Atwater Village and has written for Marie Claire, Seventeen and Getty Iris, an online magazine. Home@latimes.com The shape of books in 2017 looks to be as riven as our country. THE BIG STORY How did Breitbart tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos land a reported $250,000 book deal? Although some were surprised that a provocateur who had been banned from Twitter could be given a significant book advance, when I talked to his agent and experts in the field, one thing was clear: In publishing, this is business as usual. Advertisement Milo Yiannopoulos (David Ng / Los Angeles Times ) WRITING IN THE TIME OF TRUMP The election of Donald Trump as president has set many creatives back. Critic at Large John Scalzi notes that for many who work in creative fields, some of Trumps possible programs such as the end of the Affordable Care Act can have a major impact, and can be a real source of worry and distraction. So he has some advice: a 10-point plan for getting back to writing and creating. Trumps election put a number of creative people into mental tailspin, Scalzi writes. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images ) POETRY Former California Poet Laureate Carol Muske-Dukes gives us an intimate look at the latest poetry collection by Jane Mead, World of Made and Unmade, in which the poet spends time with her dying mother, while also reviewing The Performance of Being Human by Daniel Borzutzky, which won the 2016 National Book Award in poetry. Philip Levine grew up near Detroit and worked the line in its auto factories. When he became a poet even U.S. Poet Laureate he never forgot those days, which were the texture of his work. Tom Curwen takes a look at two posthumous collections by Levines, one of essays on poets, and one of his own poems. Philip Levine (Gary Kazanjian / AP ) FROM THE ARCHIVES You might have heard that Charles Manson was taken to the hospital this week. The famous hippie-era ringleader was imprisoned after his followers murdered eight people in Southern California. The story of Manson, the crimes and the trial was indelibly recounted in prosecutor Vincent Bugliosis book Helter Skelter. When it was published in 1974, it was reviewed by The Times Robert Kirsch, who observed, If Bugliosi is critical, he does not hesitate to give credit where he believes it due. And if he is bitter, it is understandable: He resents the attempts to elevate Manson to a folk-hero this man who was responsible for killing, whose racist ideas are repugnant (he told his followers: Hitler had the best answer to everything), who abused the hippie mystique, who debased those around him. Charles Manson is seen going to court in 1970. (John Malmin/ Los Angeles Times ) NUMBERS, NUMBERS Cathy ONeil talked about her book Weapons of Math Destruction, which looks at the role of algorithms in our lives, with Christine Zhang, a data journalist at The Times who asked really great questions. And a last thing from me: In last Sundays paper, I suggested that in 2017, publishing needs a big bestseller, an overwhelming No. 1 hit. Its the kind of book that always comes out of nowhere. Thanks for reading! Im carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com Mass murderer Charles Manson, who was hospitalized this week with a serious medical issue, has been returned to the Central Valley prison where he is serving his life sentence, a corrections official confirmed Friday. The Times reported this week that Manson, 82, had been taken to a hospital for treatment of an undisclosed but serious medical problem. Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation have declined to comment on Mansons condition, citing federal and state privacy laws. But Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the department, confirmed Friday that Manson was back behind bars. Advertisement Inmate Manson is at California State Prison-Corcoran, she said in an email, declining to elaborate in a follow-up phone call: He is at the prison. I dont know how much plainer it can be. Manson had been admitted to Mercy Hospital in downtown Bakersfield, according to sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Officials at the hospital, which often treats inmates for life-threatening illnesses or injuries, would not say whether Manson was there. Its unclear exactly what treatment Manson got at the hospital. Manson and members of his family of followers were convicted of killing actress Sharon Tate and six other people during a bloody rampage in the Los Angeles area in August 1969. Prosecutors said Manson and his followers were trying to incite a race war he dubbed Helter Skelter, taken from the Beatles song. Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, was 8 months pregnant when she was killed at her hilltop home in Benedict Canyon on Aug. 9, 1969. Four others were stabbed and shot to death the same night: Jay Sebring, 35; Voytek Frykowski, 32; Abigail Folger, 25, a coffee heiress; and Steven Parent, 18, a friend of Tates caretaker. The word pig was written on the front door in blood. The next night, Manson rode with his followers to the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, then left three members to kill the couple. Manson was initially sentenced to death. But a 1972 ruling by the California Supreme Court found the states death penalty law at the time unconstitutional, and his sentenced was changed to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He has been denied parole 12 times. During his four decades of incarceration, Manson has been anything but a model prisoner. Among other things, Manson has been cited for assault, repeated possession of a weapon, threatening staff and possessing a cellphone, Thornton said this week. kim.christensen@latimes.com On Twitter: @kchristensenLAT ALSO Killer Charles Mansons failing health renews focus on cult murder saga Op-Ed: Why members of the Manson family still dont deserve parole after murdering my sister From the Archives: The famous Manson true crime book, Helter Skelter, reviewed in 1974 UPDATES: 6:10 a.m. This article was updated to note his treatment at hospital was unknown. Originally posted at 10:35 p.m. Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, The Times letters editor, and it is Saturday, Jan. 7, 2016. There are less than two weeks until, well, you know. Lets take a look back at the week in Opinion. Opposing political factions have a nasty habit of pathologizing the behaviors of the other side so their differences are not just a matter of disagreement, but really a problem of one group standing for truth and sanity and the other suffering from some intellectual affliction or prejudice that warps judgment. This election, those of us on the political left have lamented the fake-news problem endemic among Donald Trump voters, as if the only reason a human could have brought himself to vote for the president elect was bad information. Writing on The Times op-ed page, Stephen Marche has some news for liberals: Cut it with the sanctimony, because youve got your own post-truth problem too. Marche takes a critical look at late-night news satire shows: The post-truth condition, in which Trumpism has flourished, has its roots in left-wing satire. 2016 was the year when the line between parody and reality blurred to the point of vanishing. Fake news spread through social media as swiftly as it did thoroughly. By the end of October, a PPP poll found that 40% of Donald Trump supporters in Florida thought Hillary Clinton was an actual demon who could make up anything crazier than that? Post-fact life is funny but not ha-ha funny. Everything has become a joke and so nothing is anymore. In one sense, of course, political satire is the opposite of fake news. Satirists rip away the pretenses of journalism to reveal what they believe to be true. Fake news sites use the pretenses of journalism to spread what they know to be false. Despite intentions, however, the effect is the same. Political satirists, and their audiences, have turned the news itself into a joke. No matter what the content of their politics, they have contributed to the post-factual state of American political discourse. It doesnt matter what Sam Bee or John Oliver say; it matters that their comedy is the source for political information. Satire, like fake news, creates a sense of community through rejection. It delights in tearing down institutions but is useless at constructing them. Jonathan Swift said that satire was a mirror in which viewers discovered everybodys face but their own; its pleasure is the pleasure of othering. The act is inherently tribal as well as political, and social media exacerbates the tribalism. The greatest modern expression of American satire, Spy magazine, mocked Trump for its entire run. (Spy teased Trump for having small hands long before Marco Rubio did.) Their contempt only aided his manic self-promotion. The same is unquestionably true for the current Trump parodies on Saturday Night Live. In the New York Times, Alec Baldwin acknowledged that his performances of Trump run the risk of humanizing him. If only that were nothing more than a risk. Parodying Trump is at best a distraction from his real politics; at worst it converts the whole of politics into a gag. The process has nothing to do with the performers or the writers or their choices. Trump built his candidacy on performing as a comic heel that has been his pop culture persona for decades. It is simply not possible to parody effectively a man who is a conscious self-parody, and who has become president of the United States on the basis of that performance. Click here to read more. Speaking of political camps, research shows theyre not interested in understanding each other. Three psychologists write of an experiment they conducted to determine how receptive liberals and conservatives might be to opposing views, and their findings are not encouraging: Nearly two-thirds of respondents on both sides chose to stay in their own bubbles, even when provided a cash incentive to break out and expose themselves to contrary opinions. Its a scary situation if, in this deeply partisan moment in U.S. history, the one thing both sides have in common is a lack of curiosity about what the other thinks, the authors write. L.A. Times Also on the topic of bubbles: Campuses are breaking apart into safe spaces, writes sociologist Frank Furedi. And by safe spaces, he means places where self-segregation is in full force, such as residence halls that exclude all but one group of students. The growing prevalence of safe-space activism is troubling for academia, Furedi writes: When everyone retreats to their separate corners, that subverts the foundation on which a tolerant and liberal university is constituted. L.A. Times Theres more rain coming faster for California and thats a bad thing. With California getting hit by a potentially drought-busting, nearly statewide storm right now, the states parched denizens might hope for more of such Pineapple Express soakings. Climate change might make that a reality, but with higher temperatures drying up the ground more quickly and resulting in massive wildfires, a greater frequency of extreme rain events would mean more catastrophic mudslides. In short: Global warming will probably give California more storms that completely soak the state while making it less able to handle them. Pacific Standard Besides, more precipitation doesnt mean an end to conservation. Incomprehensible amounts of snow are falling on parts of the Sierra Nevada probably as you read this and much of the state faces flooding. So theres plenty of water for us to go back to the way things were, right? Not so fast: Despite all that December rain and snow, the years first official measurement found that the water in the crucial Sierra snowpack hovers at around two-thirds of the historical average for early January. L.A. Times Repealing Obamacare is a bad goal thats proving hard to achieve. Life was simpler for Republicans when repeal Obamacare was just a slogan and a Democratic president was always standing by to veto whatever bill striking the healthcare law from the books passed out of Congress. But now that Republicans have firm control of the House and Senate and await Donald Trumps inauguration, theyre expected to make good on their promise and apparently they have no idea how to do so without harming millions of Americans. Rather than stampeding ahead with a reckless and inhumane plan to help wealthy Americans at the expense of the sick and the poor, Republicans should focus instead on ways to make Obamacare work better, writes The Times editorial board. L.A. Times Reach me: paul.thornton@latimes.com Jonathan Sanchez, a longtime Los Angeles County community newspaper executive and activist devoted to Latino issues, has died. He was 64. Sanchez passed away Dec. 23 at his home in Highland Park, after a short battle with cancer, relatives said. The associate publisher and chief operating officer of Eastern Group Publications ran a collection of community newspapers serving Los Angeles County, including the Eastside Sun, Northeast Sun, Montebello Comet and Commerce Comet. Advertisement He and his wife, Dolores Sanchez, pioneered the bilingual format, publishing stories in English and Spanish in neighborhoods that often lacked resources and political influence. Hes a huge loss, said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. His reporting through the paper demonstrated his love and concern for the community. He did it with integrity, with objectivity and fairness. Roybal-Allard began reading Eastern Group newspapers at the start of her political career more than three decades ago. When she met Sanchez, she said, her admiration grew. I saw his passion, his commitment, she said. Sanchez came from a big family. He was one of nine children, born to Juanita Beltran Sanchez and Jose Vicente Sanchez in 1952. He lived most of his life in Highland Park and Mt. Washington. He went to UCLA and started off as an art director at an advertising agency that published magazines. At Eastern Group, running the business was a family affair. He and his wife and their grown children, from previous marriages, played different roles, with Sanchez in charge of the business side of things. Dolores is the publisher; daughter Bianca Preciado is the operations manager; stepdaughter Gloria Alvarez is the managing editor. As the lone Republican of the bunch, Sanchez sometimes differed with family on issues, but he always listened, Alvarez said. He never wanted the spotlight on himself, often gushing about his family and his staff, she said. Hed always look at my mother and say, Look how beautiful she is, Alvarez said. Over the years, Sanchez created a vast network of connections: media leaders, business owners, politicians, nonprofit directors and youth advocates. Many knew him for his steadfast support of Latinos and small media. He was eager to lobby on their behalf, to preside over meetings and show up at promotional events. His death, announced by family a week after he died, came as a shock to many. Relatives said Sanchez was a private man who didnt want to burden others with his illness. Jonathan left us too early and will be sorely missed, his family said in a statement. Throughout his career, the news veteran mentored many new to the industry. Gregory Arroyo was among them. He was 23 when he got his start at the Montebello Comet. The English major was fresh out of college, he lived with his parents and had little clue what to do with his life, other than write poetry. Jonathan and Dolores Sanchez took him in and got him hooked on journalism. They taught him to question everything, to demand attention and be a voice for the community. During chats with Jonathan Sanchez, Arroyo learned about all the Latino movers and shakers who worked across Los Angeles and beyond to raise the profile of the community. It was a whole new world I was not aware of, said Arroyo, now 42 and editorial director for a group of automotive retail magazines. In May, Sanchez was honored for his contributions to the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club. Children were an important part of his outreach work. Through the EGP Foundation, he and the Sanchez family held an annual Letters to Santa program that helped more than 90,000 disadvantaged kids and families. They provide internships and encourage high school students to pursue careers in journalism. He wanted kids to learn those journalism skills so they could also become advocates for their community, said Juana Lambert, executive director of the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club. esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com @LATBermudez Cecilia A. Rodriguez planted her feet for what she imagined loomed right around the corner in this tiny Northern California logging town. She had welcomed the chance to raise her children away from the ills of a big city when her husband got a job here 30 years ago. Then it dawned on Rodriguez that her family would be a relative anomaly in this small, sleepy enclave in the foothills of snow-capped Mt. Shasta: Mexican American. Advertisement I was like, Oh my Gosh. None of my people are here, said Rodriguez, 54. It was all white people. But the suspicious stares and vaguely and maybe not so vaguely hostile words never came. Her three sons best friends, like the majority of people in this Siskiyou County town, were white and her family became just another thread woven into the fabric of Weed, population roughly 2,500. I never had the feeling of being an outcast, she said. That feeling didnt change when the majority in Siskiyou County voted for Donald Trump. Latinos have surpassed whites as the largest group in California; but Siskiyou County, like other sparsely populated and mostly rural parts of the state, is mostly white, with a strong conservative streak. Trump won about 55% of the vote in Siskiyou County. Except for Humboldt, which Clinton won, Trump also claimed victories in the other adjoining counties: Modoc, Del Norte, Trinity and Shasta. In Weed, a town that has cleverly marketed its marijuana-associated name to sell shirts, mugs and other merchandise with slogans like Enjoy Weed, about 16% of the residents are Latino. Thats higher than the estimated 10% of Latinos in Siskiyou County as a whole, according to the 2010 census. An estimated 80% of Latinos who voted cast their ballot for Clinton in California, according to survey data from the research firm Latino Decisions. Still, at a time when the country seems split along racial, political and social lines, Weed is one place where people say they generally get along despite and sometimes because of their differences. And one election, however polarizing, wouldnt easily change that. Isabel Z. Quiroz, the owner of a Latino-themed novelty store called De Colores, jokingly speculated that maybe the bitterly cold weather in the fall and winter kept things from getting overheated. Isabel Z. Quiroz, sells paletas, chili-laced Mexican candy and chips. Aside from the local Catholic Church, the store has arguably become the center of Latino life in Weed. (Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times ) You spend a long time having to prepare for winter, Quiroz said. People dont care about politics. If you dont have enough wood, youll freeze. We have different priorities. Perhaps we just dont have time for racism, Rodriguez, her friend, quipped during a visit. Founded by Abner Weed, the town was once had a vibrant lumber industry that became a magnet for Italians and African Americans. Many Italians settled at the turn of the 20th century. A large number of African Americans migrated from the south to work at the local mill. But people were segregated to live in separate parts of town based on their race, said Harold Orcutt, president of the board for the Weed Museum. That began to change in the 1970s when people started to mix and live wherever they wanted to. Laotians migrated to town in the 1980s, as did more Mexicans. Weed Mayor Pro Tem Bob Hall said the town rose above its racially polarized past. I just think its just kind of who we are in California. Were open, he said. We respect each others ethnic backgrounds. Nila Pineda, a native of El Salvador in the country under a temporary protected immigration status, said Weed and its people have been good to her in the 12 years that she has called the town home. After the election, she had trouble reconciling the president-elects harsh rhetoric on immigration with the fact that people in town some of whom she had to know voted for him. I dont know why they would vote for him, she said. The Americans here arent racist. Why would they vote for him? Greg Jeter, the owner of the Sacred Ground Tattoo and Healing Center, said he cast his vote for Trump for the same reason millions of people did. He wanted a political outsider in the White House, someone he thought would rattle cages to create American jobs and who wouldnt be touched by corrupt mainstream politics. He also supported the billionaires call for immigration enforcement, especially for deporting people in the country illegally who have criminal records. On a recent weekday morning, just weeks after the presidential election, Quiroz visited Jeter, greeting her tattoo artist friend with a hug. Jeter helped Quiroz organize the towns first Dia de los Muertos celebration. But when their conversation turned to Trump, they discovered they were on opposite ends of the political aisle. Jeter, 51, said he just wanted people to come to the U.S. legally and for the country to further fortify its Southwest border. Quiroz, a Clinton supporter with cat-eyed-rimmed glasses and a side-braided ponytail, told Jeter she wouldnt be here today if it werent for illegal immigration. You know, my grandparents came here illegally. They were fleeing the war in Mexico, she said of the Mexican Revolution, which started in 1910. I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for them. My mother was born here. Our family has always been hard working and immigrants. Jeter said he understood, but those were different times, he added. Quiroz, 59, told Jeter that she feared that immigrants, including those who have never committed a crime, might be rounded up during Trumps presidency. People are going to get racially profiled. Im Latina and people may just look at me and think Im Mexican from Mexico because of how I look. My family has been here for generations, she said. If I were walking down the street, I could get picked up. Im your friend. How do you feel about that? Jeter told her that wouldnt be right, but he was firm in his defense of Trump on immigration. At the end of their conversation, Jeter and Quiroz embraced, unflinching in their friendship. Its not hard to get angry in a small town. But its unhealthy to remain so for long. In a bigger city you can afford to offend other people and get away with it, Jeter said. Thats a blessing in a small town; you have to be careful of what you say. Quiroz moved to Weed about eight years ago. She invested her retirement savings into the shop she opened in October of last year. De Colores looked like a hipster-like, Latino-themed store with sugar skulls and graffiti art, the kind of business that would melt into the landscape of gentrifying Echo Park more seamlessly than Main Street in Weed. The towns Latinos, a minority of which are living in the U.S. illegally, buy their Mexican sweet bread, tortillas, tamale husks and chiles here. Aside from the local Catholic Church, the store has arguably become the center of Latino life in Weed. But over the years, some of her most loyal customers have been white, particularly boys and girls, who favor fare like Takis tortilla snacks from Mexico commonly sold by immigrant push-cart vendors in places like Los Angeles. On a recent weekday, Cale White, 12, and brothers Shawn Nolan, 12, and Strider Albrecht walked into the store, looking to buy the snacks. These boys are my No. 1 customers, Quiroz said, signaling toward the boys, who sprawled on red velvet chairs with their newly bought stash of Takis Fuego. If I had money for all the bags of Takis, I would buy them all, Cale exclaimed. We bought three large bags yesterday said Strider, 14. Takis are my favorite chip. He said he and his brother acquired a taste for Takis while visiting their grandmother in a heavily Latino neighborhood in Bakersfield. Even when the town was racially segregated, Weeds children all went to the same grade school, said Socorro Sanchez. A teachers aide at Weed Elementary School, Sanchez, 50, was born and raised in the town after her Mexican father moved there to work at the local mill. She raised her children in Weed. Her son Gabriel told her he never experienced any prejudice until he moved to a larger town in the Central Coast for college. You dont understand discrimination because youve never felt it, never been around it, he told his mother. Still, it can be difficult to keep the outside world and its political upheaval from penetrating life at Weed. Rosa Sujey, the mother of two American-born children who attend the school, said her worried daughter asked her a pointed question after the election. Mom are we going to start packing our bags? recalled Sujey, who is in the country illegally and in the process of becoming legalized. Sujey, who cleans homes for a living, reassured her children, confident that the family would be safe, at least in places like Weed. Inside the De Colores store, Rodriguez browsed with her sister Maria Guadalupe Escobar, who was visiting from Los Angeles. Rodriguez, who moved to Weed from San Jose, said she tends to stay away from politics, especially during the last election cycle. Many of her friends are Republicans. Im afraid to bicker and fight, she said. Escobar said she liked to visit Weed regularly because it took her away from L.A., where the punishing election and its divisive rhetoric led to street protests just a short walk from her home. In the beginning, Escobar said her daughters did not like their mother visiting Weed especially after the election. They thought that as a Latina she was bound to have at least one unpleasant episode. Rodriguez and Escobar laughed about their concerns. Nothing here has changed,said Escobar, who voted for Clinton and is hunting for land to move to Weed. Its calm. Its a totally different world. You forget about whats happening in the outside worldthe big city. cindy.carcamo@latimes.com Follow Cindy Carcamo on Twitter @thecindycarcamo ALSO As Inauguration Day nears, Muslims wonder whether Trumps tough talk will turn into action What it means to be a Muslim American in the age of Trump California braces for a Trump presidency by tapping former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder for legal counsel Removing debris from Upper Newport Bay could be aided by a proposal thats been floating around City Hall for several months a trash-collecting barge. At first glance, the so-called water wheel looks like a cross between a steamboat and a conch shell. From its proposed stationary position where the San Diego Creek feeds into the Back Bay near the Jamboree Road bridge, the vessel would funnel incoming creek debris into an on-board bin that would be emptied periodically. The vessel could be powered by a mix of solar and hydraulic energy, said Bob Stein, an engineer with the city of Newport Beach, which is leading the effort. The projects cost is estimated at $750,000 to $1 million, including ongoing maintenance costs. Advertisement City officials are looking to have it funded under Measure M, a countywide sales tax intended for transportation programs. Stein said the water wheel is intended as an interim solution possibly through 2029, if its installed in 2019 to collect trash before it flows into Newport Harbor or the Pacific Ocean. An ideal and permanent solution, he said, would be building a trash collection facility farther up San Diego Creek, possibly near Main Street in Irvine. Newport officials point to the success of a water wheel installed in Baltimores Inner Harbor in 2014. The barge has been nicknamed Mr. Trash Wheel it has two googly eyes attached and has enough of a following that its minute-by-minute progress can be viewed online. It also has a Twitter account. Between its May 2014 debut and October 2016, Mr. Trash Wheel collected 1 million pounds of cigarettes, trash and other debris, the Baltimore Sun reported. A second water wheel, named Professor Trash Wheel, was installed in Baltimore in December, the Sun reported. Billy Dutton, an organizer with Newports Help Your Harbor program, said the water wheel would be a valuable tool in protecting the Back Bay. He noted that Help Your Harbor participants have collected 18,291 pounds of trash and debris since February 2014, but thats a small percentage of whats floating out there. The group realizes what theyre doing is just scratching the surface of all the trash thats coming in, Dutton said. Not everyone is excited about a water wheel in the Back Bay. In October, Newport Bay Conservancy board President Peter Bryant wrote to a city official and then-Mayor Diane Dixon that his group could not support it. We feel it would be inappropriate to carry out this kind of construction in the reserve, which is also a state marine conservation area, Bryant wrote. And we also feel that it would be an unsightly piece of machinery that would be very unpopular with local residents. The water wheel is still in a conceptual stage, Stein said. An environmental study will determine its potential effects on the Back Bay. The project also would require review by the county, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other agencies. We want to study those impacts and make sure were not doing anything that would not be beneficial to the preserve, Stein said. bradley.zint@latimes.com Zint writes for Times Community News. ALSO Massive storm system moves into Northern California; flooding, heavy snow forecast In rural California town where Trump won, Latino minority says goodwill prevails as always California murder convict becomes first U.S. inmate to have state-funded sex reassignment surgery A Los Angeles County judge on Friday cleared the way for prosecutors to begin calling witnesses next month in their murder case against New York real estate heir Robert Durst, saying that the identity of one witness would remain confidential for several more weeks because of concerns over his safety. The unusual decision to temporarily keep the mans name from the defense came after prosecutors argued that Durst who is accused in the execution-style slaying of his friend Susan Berman has access to massive amounts of money and a history of killing people he felt could incriminate him for past crimes. That man kills witnesses. Thats what he does, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin said, looking at Durst. When pushed into a corner, he murders people. Advertisement Durst, dressed in a blue shirt and seated in a wheelchair, laughed to himself and smiled. A few minutes later, the 73-year-old backed up his wheelchair to face a crowd of reporters. His eyes panned the crowd twice. As a bailiff walked toward him, he turned around. Durst was arrested in Bermans killing in March 2015 one day before the last episode of a six-part HBO documentary series about him aired. During the final episode of The Jinx, the real estate scion is captured on a hot microphone muttering: What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course. Many interpreted his whispers as a confession to the separate killings of three people: his first wife, Kathleen, who disappeared in 1982; a neighbor in Texas who was shot in 2001; and Berman, his confidante who was shot in her Benedict Canyon home in 2000. Durst was ultimately acquitted of murder in the Texas case, saying he shot Morris Black in self-defense before chopping up the mans body and throwing the pieces into Galveston Bay. At Fridays hearing, Lewin said the prosecution has evidence from the Galveston killing that either wasnt presented at trial or couldve been presented in a more persuasive manner. It was not self-defense, Lewin said without elaborating. It was murder. Again, Durst smiled. Dick DeGuerin Dursts lead attorney, who also defended him in the Galveston killing bristled at the prosecutors reference to the old case. Theres such a thing as double jeopardy, he said, adding that a jury very clearly decided Durst wasnt guilty. Toward the end of Fridays hearing, Superior Court Judge Mark E. Windham said he would allow the early testimony of two prosecution witnesses at a hearing on Feb. 14. Both witnesses, Windham noted, fit a criterion for allowing someone to testify in a case before a trial or preliminary hearing begins: They are 65 or older. Prosecutors had argued that they wanted to take the testimony now in case the witnesses later died or were killed. The judge said the prosecution had also presented evidence showing a possible danger to the witness whose identity remains a secret. Windham ruled that the district attorneys office must reveal the identity of the secret witness to the defense 10 days before the questioning. The second witness, Albert Kuperman, is expected to testify about a phone call he says he received in the winter of 1982 when he was dean of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where Dursts first wife had been enrolled. Prosecutors say Kuperman got a call from a woman identifying herself as Kathleen Durst despite evidence suggesting she was dead at the time of the call. Evidence will show, prosecutors say, that Susan Berman was the one who made the call. In a recent court filing, prosecutors argue that Durst whom they characterize as a menace to society killed Berman because she knew incriminating information about his wifes disappearance and that he killed his neighbor in Texas because the man knew Dursts true identity. At the time of the Galveston killing, the real estate heir was living under a fake name, prosecutors said, because he feared that authorities investigating his wifes disappearance might find him. Durst has denied anything to do with his first wifes disappearance or Bermans killing. Prosecutors say they plan to question one other secret witness at a later hearing. The security concerns are serious, Lewin argued in court, saying Durst is worth somewhere around $100 million. Asked at a news conference after the hearing whether his client posed any danger, DeGuerin snapped back: Of course not. At an earlier hearing, prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over the legality of Lewins jailhouse interview of Durst on March 15, 2015, which the defense characterizes as improper. The judge said he will hold a hearing on its admissibility on Feb. 15. marisa.gerber@latimes.com For more news from the Los Angeles County courts, follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber ALSO State of panic grips Northern California as atmospheric river approaches the Sierra Nevada Search resumes for missing L.A. man after wrecked car and girlfriends body found off PCH Possible infant remains found buried in Riverside park A woman allegedly stole an ambulance from outside an Arleta home while Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were inside giving medical aid and later crashed into two power poles during a police chase before being arrested early Saturday, authorities said. Desiree Delatorre, 24, was not injured in the collisions and was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto, Los Angeles police Officer Jenny Houser said Saturday. Fire department personnel emerged from the house in the 15500 block of West Rayen Street about 3:45 a.m. to find the ambulance, which they had left with its emergency lights still flashing, gone. Advertisement Police spotted the ambulance and chased it for about five miles on and off the 405 Freeway before it rammed into an electrical pole at Woodman and Osborne avenues but kept going, Houser said. The ambulance stopped after hitting a second utility pole at Woodman and Ventura Canyon avenues, Houser said. At least one of the poles was sheared off in the crash, a fire department spokesman said. Houser said the investigation was too fresh to discuss a motive. Neither Houser nor a fire department spokesman could say whether the keys were left in the ambulance while paramedics were inside the house. Delatorre is being held on $80,000 bail, Houser said. The woman whose medical distress prompted the ambulance call declined to be taken to the hospital. gholland@latimes.com Much of the news out of the Arctic of late has been about efforts to protect the fragile region from new oil and gas development but that may be about to change. Less than a month after the Obama administration announced that it was banning offshore oil and gas production in most of the Arctic, there are new signs that a place many conservationists regard as the crown jewel of the Arctic the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could one day be open for drilling. After decades of unsuccessful attempts to gain access to oil beneath the pristine coastal lowlands, Alaskas Republican congressional delegation this week began yet another effort to open a region experts say may hold one of the nations largest reserves of oil and natural gas. Advertisement This time, however, there may be reason to expect a bill to actually pass and be signed into law. On a practical level, this might be the best opportunity weve had in a couple of decades to do what many people in Alaska thought should have happened years ago, Andy Mack, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, said in an interview Friday. Politically, in Washington, D.C., we have all the right folks in place. One of those folks, of course, is President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to roll back regulations and expand oil and gas production on public lands. Another is U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is now chairwoman of the powerful Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. On Thursday, Murkowski and Alaskas junior senator, Daniel Sullivan, introduced Senate Bill 49, the Alaska Oil and Gas Production Act, which Murkowskis office said would allow limited oil and natural gas development in areas of the coastal plain that are not federally declared wilderness. Her office emphasized that the bill calls for a very small oil and gas footprint in a vast region, and said the legislation would only allow development on 2,000 surface acres within the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain, an area known as the 1002 area. The plan would rely heavily on horizontal drilling from a limited number of platforms. The entire refuge, which is the largest in the nation and extends inland to the Brooks Range, is about 19 million acres, larger than many states, Murkowskis office noted. According to a report by the United States Geological Survey from the late 1990s, beneath the coastal plain area lies between 5 billion and 16 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil. It may also include more than 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Yet the refuge is also home to small Alaska Native villages and an abundance of wildlife, including several rare and endangered species. Polar bears, musk oxen, scores of migratory bird species and more than 170,000 caribou roam the refuge. In 2015, President Obama recommended that Congress declare the area as protected wilderness, something lawmakers have not done. Over time, the fate of the refuge has become one of the most divisive environment issues in the nation, though attention to it has waxed and waned depending on who is in the White House and whether there is industry pressure to develop it. The new effort comes as Alaska, which relies heavily on oil production to fund state spending, has faced a $3-billion budget deficit amid declines in the older oil fields of Prudhoe Bay, which is to the west of the refuge on the North Slope. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which delivers oil from the slope, has only been about one-fourth full in recent years. Mack and others said opening the refuge could help reverse the production slide, though it could take a decade for the area to begin consistent production and there is no assurance the existing surveys are accurate about the level of reserves there. Even if a bill passes, there are questions about whether energy companies will want to invest in a challenging region at a time when oil and gas prices are low, conservation groups are galvanized to fight and concerns about climate change are increasing. Its still high cost, and I think people would expect a lot of legal delays, said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research, an industry consulting group. That would become the next poster child of the climate change keep it in the ground group that fought the Dakota Access pipeline and the Keystone XL pipeline. While the oil industry in Alaska has been generally supportive of opening the refuge, individual companies have focused on squeezing as much as they can out of Prudhoe Bay. After 20-plus years of the Congress fiddling with this issue and various administrations not being supportive, I think theyre going to wait for a clear signal that theres going to be a lease sale, Mack said of the industry. Once they have access, I think people are going to be very excited. Theyre going to want to see whats there. One thing the industry would be sure to find is opposition. Environmental groups in Alaska and beyond, almost uniformly opposed to drilling in the refuge, can be expected to put up a fierce fight in Congress. And while some Alaska Native groups support drilling because it could mean jobs and revenue for their communities, others oppose it, citing concerns about record Arctic heat linked to climate change and threats drilling could pose to their subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering traditions. Hunting our animals for food, clothing and tools is part of our identity as Natives and we cannot risk losing that, Bernadette Demientieff, who represents a group of indigenous Gwichin people from the area, wrote in an email Friday. We must protect what is left and keep our land and animals healthy for future generations. william.yardley@latimes.com @yardleyLAT ALSO Congress begins to search for funds to help Trump build border wall Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect carried weapon in his baggage, law enforcement official says Texas may be in for a fight over transgender bathrooms like the one raging in North Carolina Way up high on the list of priorities of the newly empowered Republican-controlled Congress is the defunding of Planned Parenthood, the well-known and highly competent not-for-profit organization that provides a broad array of reproductive healthcare services to women throughout the country. Undermining or destroying Planned Parenthood has been a GOP obsession for years, but repeated efforts to cut the federal funding the organization receives have been unsuccessful. Last year, for instance, the House and Senate tried again to do so, but President Obama vetoed the bill. This year, however, Obama will no longer be there to do what needs to be done. The first thing to understand is that this plan on the part of the Republicans has nothing to do with improving healthcare services. Members of Congress want to defund Planned Parenthood simply because it also provides abortions which are anathema to many Republicans despite the fact that they are not only legal but are constitutionally protected, as has been affirmed by the Supreme Court in three different landmark decisions. The most recent of those decisions was handed down last summer. Another thing to know is that it is already illegal under what is known as the Hyde amendment for federal dollars to be spent on abortions. So while it is true that part of Planned Parenthoods mission is to provide abortions to women who want them, none of the money it receives from the U.S. government pays for that work. Advertisement [Defunding Planned Parenthood] serves the ideological beliefs of members of Congress, at the expense of working-class and poor women. Finally, and most importantly, forbidding Planned Parenthood clinics to get Medicaid reimbursements for treating patients will cripple the delivery of reproductive healthcare services to millions of people, particularly women, most of them on Medicaid. Planned Parenthood clinics around the country see about 2.5 million people annually. Many are lower-income, and the vast majority come not for abortions but for essential healthcare: breast examinations and cervical cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and infections, contraception and family planning, urinary tract infection treatments, and other primary care services. Planned Parenthoods annual report for the year 2014 estimates that abortions represented only 3% of the care provided by the the organization. In the state of California, alone, Planned Parenthood clinics get nearly 1.5-million patient visits each year. To help pay for those services, the organization in California received about $260 million in Medicaid reimbursements in the fiscal year ending in June 2016. Nationwide, the organization got about half a billion dollars in federal funding, the vast majority of that in Medicaid reimbursements in the year ending in June 2015. Supporters of defunding insist that if Planned Parenthood goes away, other federally qualified community healthcare centers will simply pick up the slack. But health policy experts say that community clinics are already overburdened with patients and cannot, suddenly, expand to pick up the hundreds of thousands of people who would no longer be served at Planned Parenthood clinics. Representatives of many of the community clinics agree with that assessment. Eliminating Planned Parenthood from our states comprehensive network of care would put untenable stress on remaining providers, wrote an official of the California Primary Care Assn., which represents California community clinics, in a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer last year. We do not have the capacity for such an increase in care. The Congressional Budget Office, in a report written last year, estimated that 390,000 people served by Planned Parenthood would lose access to care in the first year after defunding (although many of them would find it elsewhere in later years). The office also predicted that costs for Medicaid beneficiaries previously served by Planned Parenthood would rise if they did not receive contraception to avoid pregnancies and, as a result, gave birth. In its zeal to punish Planned Parenthood for engaging in a perfectly legal activity, anti-abortion members of Congress would take away the Medicaid reimbursements that Planned Parenthood receives for providing essential healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of patients, even though those services are unrelated to abortion. This defunding measure is petty and punitive. It doesnt improve the healthcare system, but makes it worse. It wont save money. It serves the ideological beliefs of members of Congress, but at the expense of working-class and poor women seeking basic healthcare services. Congress should stop grandstanding on the issue of Planned Parenthood and get to work solving the real problems of real people in this country. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook To the editor: The Times editorial board accurately describes the severely deteriorated state of federal judicial selection and suggests that Republican obstruction during President Obamas two terms in office is substantially responsible for the 100-plus current vacancies. (Another judicial dirty trick from Senate Republicans, editorial, Jan. 3) Indeed, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals currently has four openings, all of which have been declared judicial emergencies. The editorial astutely states that Democrats could retaliate by similarly obstructing President-elect Donald Trumps nominees. It also correctly observes that Trump could and should make a significant gesture toward restoring a measure of normality to the selection process by renominating the Obama nominees left stranded by GOP obstruction to be confirmed with bipartisan approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, Obama can and should re-submit those nominees now, and the Senate should confirm them immediately. Advertisement Carl Tobias, Richmond, Va. The writer is a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. .. To the editor: Your article is so true. Sadly, the lack of action on judicial appointments is only one example of the harm the GOP has inflicted on our judicial system, behavior which I believe contributes to the cynicism that seems to permeate our country. But taking your advice one step further: Trump should nominate Garland Merrick to the Supreme Court. He has already been approved by a strong bipartisan group of senators for his current position on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. His prior appointment makes it difficult to argue he isnt eminently qualified for the Supreme Court. Trump would send a clear message he is not an ideologue, thus giving the country a reason to hope for a real change in the war in Congress. Right-wing lawmakers would scream, but so what? They could not legitimately question Garlands qualifications. The country would win by having a full Supreme Court and an appointment that is not ideological. We would also have renewed hope that Trump will really be an independent and refreshing change for the entire country. Jeffrey Wade, San Diego .. To the editor: The Times wastes editorial space with a virtual rehash of similar piece late last year that covered the same ground but specifically urged Trump to end partisan judicial nominee conflict by re-nominating Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court. Let me use poor but powerful English to sum up the possibility of Trump re-nominating Garland and other judges selected by Obama: He aint gonna. Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has played and won a brilliant chess game to shape the very fabric of our culture. The Times should use its bully pulpit for thought-provoking editorials that might have some effect and skip the reruns. Here one for this issue: Lets hold our noses for a few months until the stench of Trumps inauguration passes, then suggest that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and McConnell work together to propose fixed but lengthy terms for the federal judiciary. The lifetime term for federal judges is what scares these pols into this vile gamesmanship. Theres a growing consensus this is the real solution to this problem. Mark Diniakos, Thousand Oaks Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Sometimes, you dont know theres wide disagreement or a debate over something until, suddenly, there is. Such is the case with reader opinions on music encoded digitally or on vinyl. On Tuesday, The Times published an op-ed article exploring millennials embrace of the heretofore obsolete vinyl record; one letter writer responded by asserting that professionals prefer analog formats like vinyl, a statement that touched off further discussion. Several readers weighed in by declaring on which side of the digital-analog divide they stood; a handful of others related their own experiences spinning vinyl. Here are some of their letters. Peter Gaulke of Los Angeles credits a vinyl record for a seminal moment of father-son bonding: Advertisement I am the single dad of a special-needs 10-year-old. A year ago we had to move into a small one-bedroom apartment, and initially my son was having trouble with the adjustment. Digital is more convenient, but if I really want to hear the music, I will play a record every time. Thomas Pawlak, Palos Verdes Estates One night I put an old Buffalo Springfield record on my turntable, turned off the lights, opened the blinds and let the moonlight in. The two of us lay down on the floor next to one another and listened to the music. He was instantly mesmerized. In the dark, we listened to the pop and crackle of the old record without moving, without talking. It was a transcendent moment for both of us. Now, when I pick up my son from school, hell ask me sometimes if we can listen to music in the dark. This bonding, soulful experience would never have happened with a digital delivery system. Theres something about a record that affects him in a way that nothing ever has. God bless the vinyl record. Los Angeles resident Gary Davis questions if professionals truly prefer analog: The claim by a reader that most sound engineers prefer analog over digital is absurd. Sound engineers will occasionally use analog recorders because they like specific flaws in analog recording, such as tape saturation. But I dont think youll find many engineers who would prefer listening to a scratchy LP over a pristine CD. It is true that professional analog equipment sounds very good, but the consumer will never have access to master tapes to play on that equipment. Virtually the same quality is captured, and played back, on an inexpensive CD. On the other hand, the compressed digital music formats that you find on iTunes and streaming services compromise the digital quality. But even these inferior digital formats have no ticks and pops, virtually no hiss and essentially perfect frequency response. Thomas Pawlak of Palos Verdes Estates votes for vinyl: Vinyl records simply sound better. I have songs in both digital (CD) and analog (vinyl). If I play the same song in one format, and then play the song in the other format, the vinyl format produces a bigger sound stage with more depth. Digital is more convenient, but if I really want to hear the music, I will play a record every time. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook In the 2018 governors race, Gavin Newsom leads the pack in fundraising Gavin Newsom, the first major candidate to jump into CA's 2018 governor's race, narrowly lead the pack in 2016 fundraising w/ $4.27 million Phil Willon (@philwillon) February 1, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Schwarzenegger: Were going through some difficult moments ... but I guarantee we will work our way out of this By Seema Mehta (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that the United States had faced trying times and political crises before, and has always persevered. Yes, were going through some difficult moments right now, as we have in the past, but I guarantee we will work our way out of this, Schwarzenegger said, speaking at an electoral reform event at the University of Southern California. He recalled immigrating to the United States and seeing the violent protests at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, Watergate and the economic troubles during President Jimmy Carters tenure. One thing you can count on in America is even though it falls every so often as we all do it dusts itself off, gets up and gets going again, Schwarzenegger said. That is why its the number one country in the world. Although Schwarzenegger did not mention President Donald Trump by name during his remarks, the comments appeared to be a reference to the turbulence since Trump took office less than two weeks ago. Tensions between Schwarzenegger, who replaced Trump as the host of Celebrity Apprentice, and the new president and fellow Republican have been escalating. On Monday, Schwarzenegger called the implementation of Trumps temporary ban on immigration from several Muslim-majority countries crazy. The previous week, Schwarzenegger slammed Trumps pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Scott Pruitt, as a hypocrite. Earlier in January, Trump mocked Schwarzenegger for the first ratings of Celebrity Apprentice after the former governor took over as the host. During the presidential campaign, Schwarzenegger repeatedly made clear his disdain for Trump, pointedly casting his ballot in the California primary for Ohio Gov. John Kasich after he had dropped out. On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger was headlining an event about redistricting reform at his namesake institute at USC. He did not respond to reporters questions after the event. While governor, Schwarzenegger championed electoral reform, including an ultimately successful effort to take the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts away from politicians and give them instead to an independent commission. Both political parties have long tried to use gerrymandering to create districts that favor their politicians. But David Daley, author of The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal Americas Democracy, argued that Republicans were able to make unprecedented changes in the 2010 redistricting that will have long-lasting effects on this nations politics because of a confluence of factors, including unprecedented technology such as mapping software, and a flood of anonymous money due to the Citizens United ruling. In 2010, gerrymandering enters its steroid era, Daley said. The end result, he said, was that while the nation remained relatively closely divided between the two parties, the GOP was able to exponentially expand its hold of statehouses, governors mansions and congressional seats. Speakers urged Californians to take the lessons they had learned through the states redistricting reform and try to help voters apply them in other states, through the initiative, or legislative or legal systems. We are the model for the rest of the nation and that is why we in California have to do everything we can to pull together all the things that happen successfully in California and nationwide, Schwarzenegger said. Because the rest of the states are waiting for us. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Top Democratic donor Tom Steyer is planning a larger role opposing President Trump By Chris Megerian On Sunday, Tom Steyer was holding a cardboard sign saying not on my watch at San Franciscos airport, one of thousands protesting President Trumps order preventing visitors from several predominantly Muslim countries. I went out there to participate, but also to listen, he said. Like other liberal leaders, hes been hunting for the right approach to counter Trump. Now the deep-pocketed Democratic donor is launching a new effort that could expand the scope of NextGen Climate, the San Francisco-based organization he created and funded. Although Steyer expects to stay active on environmental issues the onetime hedge fund manager is best known for advocating stronger steps to fight climate change and support clean energy hes looking to play a more expansive role in opposing Trump. The number of issues that have to be addressed are broader, he said in an interview, pointing to Trumps statements on issues such as voting that he considers to be a broader attack on fundamental American rights. In a video posted on Tuesday night, Steyer says, I promise to do everything in my power to stand up to Trump and asks for the publics thoughts on what next steps should be taken. Steyer spent $74 million in the 2014 midterm election, and then millions more last year to support Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. Although results have been mixed Republicans gained ground in both years Steyer said the experiences have positioned NextGen to educate and mobilize voters across the country. There are very few people who are set up organizationally to do what were trying to do, he said. Steyer has already played a role in opposing Trumps nominees, running advertisements criticizing his choice for secretary of State, former Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson. Besides simply fighting Trump, Steyer also hopes to project an alternative view of the country one that comes with a dose of California sunshine. America can pursue a much more optimistic, a much more prosperous, a much more equitable and a much healthier future, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Former aide is preparing to run for Rep. Grace Napolitanos seat if she retires By Javier Panzar Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk), who turned 80 last year, has not made plans to retire. But one San Gabriel Valley politician is raising funds to run in case Napolitano does decide to bow out after 10 terms in Congress. Mary Ann Lutz, the former mayor of Monrovia and a former aide to Napolitano, reported having $101,000 in the bank to run for Napolitanos 32nd Congressional District seat, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission. But Lutz says she will run only if Napolitano retires. I have enormous respect for my former boss, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, and would never run against her for any office, Lutz said in a statement. In the event that the 32nd Congressional District seat eventually opens up, I plan to run, and run aggressively. Napolitano suffered a minor stroke last February that affected her ability to write and slightly slowed her walk. She continued her reelection campaign and beat state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina), who effectively ended his campaign in August after a judge granted his ex-wifes request for a domestic violence restraining order against him. During an interview with The Times a day before the November election, Napolitano said the health of her 90-year-old husband would be a key factor in her decision on whether to run for an 11th term in 2018. I would love to stay but it depends, she said. I will be ready to hang it up when I am ready. Lutz was elected in 2003 to the City Council in Monrovia, a city of 36,000 in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, and was elected mayor in 2009. She lost her reelection bid in 2015 and went on to work for Napolitano as an advisor on water issues. Lutz raised $26,000 and loaned her campaign committee an additional $75,000. Napolitano has $144,692 in the bank if she wants to run again. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Senate committee votes in favor of funding legal aid for immigrants in California facing deportation By Jazmine Ulloa (John Moore / Getty Images) A state legislative bill seeking to expand legal services for immigrants in the U.S. illegally moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday on a 5-2 vote. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), would create a legal defense program funded with state money that would provide lawyers for immigrants caught in deportation or removal proceedings. It comes roughly three years after the Unaccompanied Undocumented Minors program began providing state-funded legal services for young refugees fleeing gang violence in Central America. Hueso said the measure faced new urgency given President Trumps executive orders last week on immigration. This is a bill protecting Californians, protecting their families, but also protecting Californias economic prominence, Hueso said. I hope we can all stand united on this and say, Yes, we stand by our immigrant community in California. Members of the committee raised concerns about whether it whittled away at defense services available for detainees convicted of certain crimes and over how the state would be able to afford it amid a looming deficit and budget cuts from the federal government. It is well-meaning, but it is a whole different agency that we are setting up in an expedited way, Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California assemblyman wants state to make cleaner purchases By Chris Megerian (Alexis Cuarezma / For The Times) A California lawmaker wants state officials to consider greenhouse gas emissions when making new purchases, a proposal that would add a new wrinkle to the bidding process for government contracts. Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) said the legislation (AB 262) would harness the states enormous buying power to support clean manufacturing. The measure, which includes state agencies and university systems, would affect the purchase of materials such as asphalt, cement, steel and glass for projects such as hospitals, dormitories and roads. Companies bidding on state contracts would be required to report greenhouse gas emissions generated by the manufacturing and transportation of supplies. Officials would then factor that information into their decision. Given Californias goal of slashing emissions, Bonta said he hopes that the legislation puts the states money where its values are. He doesnt expect the requirement to report more information would be a significant burden on companies seeking contracts. This will just be one more piece of information that will need to be added, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print First of several immigrant protection bills clears state Senate Public Safety Committee By Jazmine Ulloa (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) As national debate and protests have taken place over President Donald Trumps executive actions on immigration and refugees, the state Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday passed the first of several bills aimed at protecting immigrants in California. Senate Bill 54, introduced by Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, detain, report or arrest persons for the purposes of immigration enforcement. The proposal, dubbed the California Values Act, also aims to protect immigrants personal data, requiring state agencies to review their confidentiality policies and to ensure that they are only collecting information necessary to their departments. It moved out of committee with a 5-2 vote. Long line of advocates, lawyers in support SB 54, prohibiting law enforcement agencies from using resources for immigrants enforcement. pic.twitter.com/G0IV9ihRjE Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) January 31, 2017 The bill seeks to strengthen immigrant protections threatened under Trumps executive actions. In orders signed last week, the president pledged to cut federal dollars from so-called sanctuary cities, which have policies limiting the cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. At a committee hearing Tuesday, De Leon said the proposal builds on the California Trust Act, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed in October 2013. The state law prevents law enforcement agencies from detaining immigrants longer than necessary for minor crimes so that federal immigration authorities can take them into custody. A long line of immigrant advocates, lawyers and lobbyists rose in support of the bill, saying it would continue to help law enforcement officials build trust within immigrant communities and allow more victims and witnesses to report crime. Democratic members in the committee urged their Republican colleagues to vote for the legislation and move away from Trumps rhetoric, which they said stereotyped immigrants as criminals. They pointed to low crime rates in immigrant communities and stressed that many police chiefs do not want to enforce immigration laws. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), chair of the committee, said people across California were under economic stress that could be manipulated into fear. All of us want hardened criminals prosecuted under the law, she said. All of us. But what we are watching now is a pitting of people against each other, a targeting of immigrants. Opponents were not swayed. They said the bills language was too broad and could prevent communication among police agencies at different levels of government, allowing dangerous criminals to escape prosecution. Im concerned that you are basically making the state of California a de facto sanctuary state, Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Murrieta) told De Leon. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California lawmakers seek stricter enforcement, more transparency at state toxics control agency By Melanie Mason Jose Gomez, at his home on South Hicks Avenue in East Los Angeles, is among thousands whose yards have been tested for contamination from the former Exide plant. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Assembly Democrats unveiled a package of five bills Tuesday aimed at reforming the state agency tasked with regulating toxic substances. The Department of Toxic Substances Control has been roundly criticized for its flat-footed response in regulating and cleaning up pollution from the now-closed Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon. A Los Angeles Times review in 2015 found the department knew for years that the plant was violating environmental regulations but was slow to act on it. Too many communities, including communities I represent, have been harmed by toxic emissions that were released into their neighborhoods emissions that could and should have been stopped, Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said in a statement. The goal of this legislative package is a more transparent, accountable, and responsive Department of Toxic Substances Control and safer and healthier communities throughout California. The proposed legislation includes: AB 245 by Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), which would require hazardous waste facilities to comply with higher financial assurance requirements to make sure there are adequate funds for contamination cleanup. AB 249 (Gomez), which would increase maximum penalties the department can assess to match what the federal government can assess in similar situations. AB 248 by Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-San Bernardino), which would require hazardous waste facilities to submit permit renewals two years prior to the current permits expiration to avoid lapses. AB 246 by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), which would promote the use of fence line monitoring by facilities to better detect leaks. AB 247 by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), which would create a statewide task force focused on reducing lead poisoning in the state. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she will vote no on Jeff Sessions nomination for U.S. attorney general By Sarah D. Wire California Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced this morning that she will vote no on the nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for U.S. attorney general. The statement comes after protestors visited Feinsteins home and office out of concern that she may vote in favor of the nomination. Protesters marched on her home and California offices last night. #CASen https://t.co/U0HhsJxwTB Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) January 31, 2017 JUST NOW: On Sessions attorney general nomination: I must vote no. pic.twitter.com/lfQnX5Khug Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) January 31, 2017 It is very difficult to reconcile for me the independence and objectivity necessary for the position of attorney general with the partisanship this nominee has demonstrated, Feinstein said Tuesday. We are being asked to determine whether this nominees record demonstrates that he will have the objectivity to enforce the law for all Americans and be an independent attorney general and not an arm of the White House. Feinstein is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which votes today on the confirmation of Sessions to be President Trumps attorney general. Feinstein pointed to former acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Sally Yates as an example of what she is looking for. Yates was fired Monday, just hours after she announced that the Justice Department would not defend Trumps controversial executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain countries. Yesterday, early in the evening, we clearly saw what a truly independent attorney general doesI have no confidence that Senator Sessions will do that, Feinstein said. Instead, he has been the fiercest, most dedicated, and most loyal promoter in Congress of the Trump agenda, and has played a critical role as the clearinghouse for policy and philosophy to undergird the implementation of that agenda. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Where do Californias members of Congress stand on President Trumps refugee order? By Sarah D. Wire Noor Hindi, left, and Shah Najjar, middle, join the protest at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) President Trumps executive order Friday, which blocked U.S. entry to refugees and nationals of seven Muslim-majority nations, brought thousands of Americans to the nations airports in protest over the weekend. Several Democrats from Californias 54-member congressional delegation joined constituents at airports, and lobbied customs and Border Patrol officials to release the detained visa holders. Many of the states 14 Republican representatives were initially silent on the executive order. Several have since voiced their support, while others were critical of the orders rollout. Heres a look at what each member of the California congressional delegation has said about the executive order: Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California state Senate passes resolution condemning President Trumps refugee ban By Jazmine Ulloa Protesters are held back by airport police on Sunday at LAX. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) After nearly two hours of debate, the state Senate on Monday passed a resolution that condemned President Trumps executive order banning immigrants and refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries, calling it discriminatory overreach. Democrats introduced the resolution after the presidents order Friday spurred a weekend of protests and chaos at airports across the country. The resolution denounces Trumps actions and urges the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to comply with federal court orders permitting detainees to have timely access to counsel. It cleared the Senate floor with a 26-11 vote largely along party lines, reflecting the national rift over Trumps immigration order. Two Republican members abstained. On the Senate floor, Democrats called the executive order an affront on religious freedom that panders to fear and foments discrimination, and said it would not further public safety. Reaching to members across the aisle, they said the resolution was not about partisanship or opposing Trump, but about protecting American institutions. In a fiery speech, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) said the order is unconstitutional and violates fundamental rights. You see this is how we end up with fascism and totalitarianism, she said. Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said she did not want four more years of executive orders crafted in the cover of darkness. But Republican members said that President Obama had taken similar actions and that they had a duty to their constituents, who were worried about national security and a vetting process they said did not stop terrorists from entering the nations borders. Obama has rejected comparisons of his policy to Trumps. We do not welcome those who have come here to harm us, Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) said, urging a no vote. We cannot ignore contemporary reality. Our enemies do not reside beyond our shores. They are within. The resolution states that 134 million people are temporarily barred from entering or reentering the United States, including nationals with dual citizenship. Hundreds of thousands with visas are also blocked, it says. The resolution also denounces the manner in which the executive order was executed, saying it was not fully vetted by the departments tasked with protecting the nations national security interests. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State attorneys general met in Florida to strategize on how to counter Trump, Becerra says By Patrick McGreevy California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. ((Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) ) A joint statement by 15 attorneys general over the weekend condemning President Trumps refugee order grew out of a meeting in Florida between California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and some of his concerned counterparts, Becerra said Monday. Becerra gathered Thursday in Fort Lauderdale with other attorneys general, including Washington Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson, to strategize about responding to the Trump administration on various issues. The meeting took place at the annual winter conference of the Democratic Attorneys General Assn. Several of the AGs have been in communication, Becerra said in an interview with The Times. We made it very clear in our joint statement that we are going to do everything we can to make sure that the unlawful, unconstitutional executive orders by the Trump administration dont see the light of day. Officials who signed the joint statement included legal representatives from Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia. On Monday, Ferguson announced he was suing Trump over the executive order that suspended refugee entries for 120 days and barred entry to the U.S. for 90 days for those traveling from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Becerra said that he had been in contact with Ferguson and that the option to pursue legal action is under consideration for California. Thats one of many avenues of how we are looking to approach this, Becerra said. As a result of the Florida meeting, Becerra said, the top lawyers from the 15 states are collaborating on how to address various Trump directives. Everyone is doing a little bit of something, he said. Everyones trying to figure out how best to address this. Florida Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, a Republican, did not attend the meeting, Becerra said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California warily watches President Trump while pushing forward on climate change By Chris Megerian (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Its been a decade since California set its first target for slashing greenhouse gas emissions, one of several policies that has made the state an international leader in the fight against global warming. So while President Trump suggests hes going to roll back the countrys environmental regulations, state leaders insist they wont be knocked off track here. This is when you do your best work, said John Laird, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency. We cant worry about pulling back just to sink with everyone else who isnt moving at all. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Duncan Hunter urges Trump to make an executive order exemption for Iraqis who aided U.S. military By Sarah D. Wire Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) are asking President Trump to approve waivers to his executive order for Iraqis who helped the American military. Hunter and Kinzinger, who both served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said in the letter to Trump that they supported a request from Defense Secretary James N. Mattis that visa reviews for some Iraqis be fast-tracked. For the safety of these courageous individuals and their families, and in the interest of our national security, its critical that we make this exception and do so swiftly, the congressmen said in a statement. The executive order Trump signed Friday bars all refugee entries for 120 days, blocks Syrian refugees indefinitely and bars for 90 days the entry of citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. Some of the earliest stories of people caught up in the ban included military interpreters from Iraq who had visas. We respectfully ask that you take this action to ensure these individuals are not put in any further danger. Doing so would send a strong signal to those who show such immense courage to advance U.S. security interests at a risk to their own safety, as well as the many veterans and warfighters whove relied on the service of these individuals for their own protection and to accomplish their objectives, their letter states. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Democrats in the California Legislature move to condemn President Trumps immigration orders Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Assembly Republican leader Chad Mayes voices his misgivings about refugee order By Patrick McGreevy Assembly Minority Leader Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley) speaks in the Capitol on Jan. 11. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley on Monday joined a number of GOP politicians who are voicing misgivings about President Trumps order temporarily barring refugees from some majority-Muslim countries from entering the country. Religious liberty is a core value of our nation. My ancestors immigrated to America to flee religious persecution, Mayes said in a statement. While bolstering our national security is important, when forced to decide between security and liberty, I will always side with liberty. He is concerned about them [the orders], said Matt Mahon, a spokesman for the assemblyman. Trumps directives suspended refugee entries for 120 days and barred entry to the U.S. for 90 days for those traveling from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Zoe Lofgren and other ranking Democrats demand emergency meeting on refugee ban By Sarah D. Wire After two days of protests across the country over President Trumps order Friday banning refugees from seven countries, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) and the ranking Democrats of three committees that oversee immigration issues are demanding a meeting with President Trumps new Homeland Security secretary, John F. Kelly. The move by Trump prevented green card and visa holders from reentering the country, and led to the detention of more than a hundred people landing at U.S. airports with valid entry documents. Late Saturday, a federal judge in New York issued a temporary stay against the deportation of anyone who had arrived with a valid visa. The letter demanding the meeting, signed by Lofgren, Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Homeland Security Committee ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Elliot Engel (D-N.Y.), calls for it be scheduled by the close of business Wednesday. The Democrats also ask for more information about how the order is being implemented, whether the stays placed by federal judges over the weekend are being followed and whether green card holders are affected. Only two days after the order was signed it is clear that it has already led to panic and disorder, not to mention protests, the letter states. This is apparently due in part to the lack of internal administration review prior to its issuance as well as a lack of clarity and guidance provided thereafter. Lofgren, a former immigration attorney and the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committees Immigration Subcommittee, also plans to file legislation today to rescind the executive order. Getting such legislation through the House could be difficult with Speaker Paul Ryan supporting the executive order. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is proposing similar legislation in the Senate. House and Senate Democrats plan to hold a rally against the order outside the Supreme Court Monday evening. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement As California Democrats blast Trumps refugee order, Republicans in the congressional delegation hold their fire By Sarah D. Wire Only a few of the states 14 Republican representatives have publicly commented on an executive order signed by President Trump on Friday that barred refugees and green card holders from seven countries from entering the U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) released a statement Sunday night saying some tweaks are needed, but his background as chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee leads him to support the executive order. In light of attempts by jihadist groups to infiltrate fighters into refugee flows to the West, along with Europes tragic experience coping with this problem, the Trump administrations executive order on refugees is a common-sense security measure to prevent terror attacks on the homeland. While accommodations should be made for green card holders and those whove assisted the U.S. armed forces, this is a useful temporary measure on seven nations of concern until we can verify who is entering the United States, he said. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) told the Washington Post that pausing the intake of refugees from terror hotspots is the right call to keep America safe, but he hopes the cases of people traveling on visas who were prevented from reentering the country are resolved quickly. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) said on Twitter on Sunday that the rollout has created confusion, and that executive orders arent the way to fix the countrys long-term problems. View Twitter post View Twitter post Several of Californias 38 Democratic congressional representatives and the states two senators were out in force over the weekend demanding the release of refugees and green card holders, and an end to the executive order. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced two pieces of legislation shell file in response. One would immediately rescind the presidents order. The second would limit executive authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent a president from unilaterally banning groups of immigrants. Its clear that the president gave little consideration to the chaos and heartbreak that would result from this order, she said in a statement. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) joined protesters outside the White House Sunday afternoon. We will fight against racism. We will fight against anti-Muslim rhetoric. We will fight against those who will marginalize who we are. pic.twitter.com/R54f3MDhvo Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 29, 2017 In Los Angeles, Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) joined protesters at Los Angeles International Airport. On Saturday, Reps. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro) and Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) joined the initial protests at the airport, and worked to get some of those being held released. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) accompanied protesters at San Francisco International Airport Sunday. Congresswoman @MaxineWaters is here at LAX protest leading the crowd in the chant "no ban, no wall, you build it up we'll tear it down" pic.twitter.com/iNEmkVVkmW Javier Panzar (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 2:31 p.m. Jan. 30: This post was updated to clarify Rep. Ed Royces statement about the executive order. It was originally published Jan. 29. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra condemns Trumps refugee order and explores challenge By Patrick McGreevy Assyrian Christians, who fled unrest in Syria and Iraq, attend Mass at St. Georges Assyrian Church in Jdeideh, Lebanon. Trumps directive provides an exception for religious minorities. ( (AFP/Getty Images)) California state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Saturday condemned an executive order by President Donald Trump barring people from some Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. and said he is consulting with legal advisors over a way to challenge the directive. Trump has suspended all refugee entries for 120 days and barred entry to the U.S. for 90 days for those traveling from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Justice in America doesnt live or die on the stroke of one mans pen regardless of how high his office, Becerra said in a statement late Saturday, less than a week after taking office. The Trump Administrations anti-religion, anti-refugee executive order is in so many ways unjust and anti-American He said the order discriminates against people based on their faith and denies entry to those with fears of death and persecution. I have conferred with my team, and we are reaching out to others as well, to find every avenue possible to defend our family members and those who live permanently in our communities who may be barred from re-entry into America, Becerra said. The Trump executive order should not stand and must be confronted as a constitutional overreach, he added. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Politics Podcast: Reactions to President Trumps first week By John Myers Even before the weekend controversy and protests, Californias top elected officials spent much of the last week reacting to the first moves by President Donald Trump. On this weeks California Politics Podcast, we take a closer look at the sharp words offered by Gov. Jerry Brown in his State of the State speech when it comes to the new politics of Washington. We also focus much of this weeks discussion around three big topics that caught the attention of a number of California lawmakers: immigration moves by Trump; the rough week that was for the nations environmental protection enforcers; and rekindled but unproven allegations of widespread voter fraud. Im joined by Marisa Lagos of KQED News and Anthony York of the Grizzly Bear Project. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Jerry Brown will undergo new round of treatment for prostate cancer, but wont miss any work By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown, who first was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, will begin a new round of treatment for the disease, his office reported on Saturday. Brown, 78, will maintain his duties as governor during the treatment, according to his staff. No additional details were provided about how long the treatment will take, or what prompted its timing. Fortunately this is not extensive disease, can be readily treated with a short course of radiotherapy, and there are not expected to be any significant side effects, said Dr. Eric Small, a UC San Francisco oncologist, in an emailed statement provided to reporters. The prognosis for Gov. Brown is excellent. Brown initially learned he had prostate cancer in late 2012 and underwent similar treatment for several weeks. The governor has also been treated for basal cell carcinoma a type of skin cancer twice in the past nine years, with reconstructive surgery on the right side of his nose in 2011. With almost two years remaining on his final term in office, Brown is already the oldest governor in California history. He often made a point of pointing out his physical fitness in his return to the job in 2011, including a 2012 challenge to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie of a 3-mile race, a push-up contest and a chin-up contest. Though hes been treated in San Francisco, the governor and First Lady Anne Gust Brown now live full-time in the historic governors mansion in Sacramento after moving out of Oakland last year. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra takes a jab at the Trump administration when asked about the battles to come Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Proposed law would make penalties for using fake immigration papers the same as those for using fake drivers license By Jazmine Ulloa A proposed California law seeks to ensure that a person who uses false documents to conceal their citizenship status faces the same punishment as a person who uses a fake drivers license. The legislation by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) would amend the penal code to make both crimes wobblers, meaning prosecutors would have the discretion to charge suspects in such cases with either felony offenses or lower-level misdemeanors. Under the proposal, the repercussions for defendants would be the same: If convicted of a misdemeanor, offenders would have to serve up to one year in county jail, while a felony conviction would mean up to 16 months in county jail, or two or three years in prison. A spokesman for Bocangera said the measure was introduced as a proactive response to President Trumps hard-line stance on immigration and would reverse part of Proposition 187, a controversial ballot measure to deny public services, such as education and healthcare, to immigrants in the country illegally. The proposition, approved by voters in 1994, requires any person who uses false immigration records to face felony charges. Bocangeras bill amending those provisions would need a two-thirds vote in the Assembly and the state Senate to pass. Today, if an underage college student uses a fake ID to purchase a six-pack of beer, he or she can be charged with a misdemeanor, Bocanegra said in a statement. However, if an immigrant is caught using that same fake ID, he or she is automatically charged with a felony and is subject to five years in prison. This is fundamentally unfair. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fearing catastrophe, Californias Gov. Jerry Brown wants the worlds leaders to stop goofing off By Chris Megerian Gov. Jerry Brown pointedly criticized world leaders for goofing off instead of addressing looming problems with climate change and nuclear weapons during a radio interview on Friday. Theyre really averting their gaze, he said. And that is dangerous, very dangerous. Brown has become increasingly outspoken about issues he describes as existential threats to humanity, and the election of Donald Trump has only made him more concerned. During the interview, he spoke in sweeping terms about the need to support scientific research in the face of political denial. Darkness cannot totally extinguish the light, Brown said while criticizing Republicans for refusing to accept the scientific consensus around climate change and the need for dramatic changes to confront global warming. @JerryBrownGov in our studio (in fact, in my chair!) as he chats w/ Ira Flatow on @scifri pic.twitter.com/kIyGBFQW9X Beth Ruyak (@CapRadioRuyak) January 27, 2017 At another point, Brown mused that humans have accumulated vast power without a corresponding increase in wisdom. That creates a gap between the power to destroy and the wisdom to control those destructive forces. Brown reiterated his plan to push forward Californias policies on climate change even if Trump follows through on the federal governments plans. Were going to do everything we can to stay on track, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Some California lawmakers say its time to expand how the state defines violent crime By Jazmine Ulloa As California undergoes the largest overhaul of prison parole in a generation, some lawmakers and law enforcement officials say its time to revisit how the state legally defines a violent crime. Gov. Jerry Browns Proposition 57, which voters overwhelmingly approved in November, continues a statewide effort to increase rehabilitation services and decrease the prison population. Among its provisions, the initiative gives the state parole board greater latitude to consider the early release of prisoners who have served their primary sentences, and whose crimes are not designated as violent under the California penal code. But since the early days of the ballot measure campaign, debate has brewed over just who the law will benefit, with prosecutors saying that short and porous list excludes certain rape crimes and other dangerous offenses. This legislative session, the discussion moves to the Capitol. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Fearing deletion, Tom Steyer copies Environmental Protection Agency website on climate change By Chris Megerian (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) With President Trump in the White House, information about climate change has been disappearing from government websites. Some fear the same thing could happen with the Environmental Protection Agency. Now the advocacy organization run by environmentalist and political donor Tom Steyer is taking steps to preserve the information. We will not allow Trump and the oil corporations to push us towards an Orwellian world full of official lies and misinformation. Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) January 27, 2017 NextGen Climate copied the website and made it available at SaveOurEPA.com. As Americans, we will not allow Donald Trump to erase the truth or rewrite history, Steyer said in a statement. This information belongs to the people, and the public has a right to know the truth. Trump has taken other steps that have alarmed environmentalists. For example, he greenlighted two oil pipelines that had been stopped by former President Obama. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For California, a return to center stage in the 2020 presidential contest By Mark Z. Barabak (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) Kamala Harris hadnt even arrived in Washington to take up her job as Californias spanking-new U.S. senator when the chatter began: Kamala for president! Never mind her disavowals Seriously? or the fact that the first balloting of the 2020 race is, at a minimum, 1,000-plus days away. The soul-sapping election of Donald Trump has Democrats desperately looking far, far down the road. Usually the candidates start sending signals, said Jim Demers, a longtime party strategist in New Hampshire, the state that traditionally holds the first presidential primary. This time Im hearing activists begging for the race to begin. With a wide-open contest (read: not a Clinton or Obama in sight), the list of would-be contenders, real and imagined, is lengthy, even by the prodigious standards of this early stage. Whats different in 2020 is that California huge in population, mighty in economic power, desperate to matter in presidential politics figures to be at the center of speculation in a way it hasnt for a generation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Theres a major fight on the way over Trumps plans for sanctuary cities By Liam Dillon Immigrant workers marching in Los Angeles in 2014. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) Cities in California are gearing up for a legal fight against President Trumps plans to take away federal dollars from so-called sanctuary cities. These cities typically are defined as those that dont cooperate with federal immigration officials for deportation purposes, and the new president wants to strip them of funding unless they start doing so. But the language in Trumps executive order on the issue is vague, and San Francisco officials believe their city is already exempt from the mandate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fighting Trumps border wall on environmental grounds probably wont win in court By Liam Dillon A pair of fences separates Mexico, left, and the U.S. south of San Diego. (Bill Wechter / AFP) California political leaders are seeking all sorts of strategies to fight President Trumps plans to build a wall along the border with Mexico. One strategy thats likely to fail is a lawsuit based on state and federal environmental laws, legal experts said. Congress already has given the federal government broad authority to waive environmental laws to build a border fence and the courts have upheld that power. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Calexit organizers can now start collecting signatures to get California secession on the ballot By Christine Mai-Duc Supporters of the campaign for California to secede from the United States can now begin collecting the hundreds of thousands of signatures they need to get a proposed Calexit initiative on the ballot. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla cleared the proposed initiative to begin collecting signatures on Thursday. If the measure gets on the ballot and gains approval by a majority of voters, it would repeal clauses in the California Constitution stating that the state is an inseparable part of the United States and that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, according to the title and summary prepared by the state attorney generals office. The measure would place another question on the ballot in 2019, asking whether California should become a separate country. If at least half of registered voters participate in that vote, with at least 55% of those voting to approve, the results would be treated as Californias declaration of independence. The current measures fiscal effect is dependent on various factors, writes the states nonpartisan legislative analyst, and if it succeeds would result in major, but unknown budgetary impacts. The proposals backers, known as Yes California, have argued that the state is culturally out of step with the rest of the U.S. and that California pays more money to the federal government than it receives in spending. The election of President Trump has only strengthened their argument, they say. California loses [by] being a part of America culturally and financially, said Marcus Ruiz Evans, one of the groups founders. It could be a nation all its own, everybody knows that. The only question is if they want to break off. Its unclear how the group will collect the required 585,407 valid signatures from registered voters over the next 180 days to qualify for the ballot. A campaign committee, Yes California Independence Committee, has raised no funds so far, according to records from the secretary of state. But Evans says that his group has more than 7,000 volunteers (significantly down from a 13,000 estimate in December) ready to gather signatures and that voters can expect to see signature gatherers on the streets in the next couple of days. Yes California says that even if the proposed initiative does land on the ballot and voters approve it, such an unprecedented move to secede would need to receive approval of at least a majority of the states in the union, among other legal hurdles. Evans says hes not fazed. America already hates California, and America votes on emotions, he said. I think wed have the votes today if we held it. UPDATE 7:01 p.m.: This post has been updated to clarify that the proposed initiative would place a future vote on Californias secession on the ballot in 2019. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Ted Lieu is trolling Donald Trump, and he hopes youre watching By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Ted Lieu is now placing an asterisk next to President Trumps name in news releases. Its the Torrance Democrats way of drawing attention to his concerns about the new administration, he said. Sometimes the best way to respond to crazy is with satire, Lieu said. Never before have I had this feeling where our leader is potentially unhinged and has a problem with the truth, and that is highly disturbing for the leader of the free world. So Ive decided Im just going to point that out as much as I can. The asterisk leads readers to the bottom of the email, where a postscript says: ***In addition to losing the popular vote, Trump as of January 20, 2017 is in violation of the Emoluments Clause set forth in Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution due to massive conflicts of interests and his refusal to put his global business holdings in blind trusts. Trump also benefitted from Vladimir Putin ordering a multifaceted and brazen Russian influence and cyber hacking campaign with the goals of undermining faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrating Secretary Clintons electability, and helping Trumps election chances. Trump and his press secretary also routinely make stuff up. The sophomore congressman said he initially planned to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, hoping his rhetoric was a campaign tactic and that he would pivot to uniting the country following the election. Then Lieu listened to the presidents inaugural speech. I was hoping he would govern different than how he campaigned, he said. I came to the conclusion that it would be worse for America to normalize him. Lieu followed the addition to his news releases with a Cloud of Illegitimacy Clock that counts the time since Trumps swearing-in, which is how long Lieu says Trump has been in violation of the Constitution by not divesting from his businesses or putting them in a blind trust. The Constitution bans government officials from receiving gifts or payments from foreign governments. Next he posted a series of tweets mocking White House spokesman Sean Spicer for giving incorrect figures on how many people attended the inauguration, and top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway for using the term alternative facts. Was charged $2.99 for coffee listed at $2.59. That's why I have trust issues. Oh, and the fact that @seanspicer at #WhiteHouse makes shit up Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 23, 2017 Ive decided that the administration using alternative facts is more profane than anything that I could say, he said. When the administration lies, they just need to be called out on that. If they are going to lie about stupid little things, like crowd size, imagine what theyre going to say when they roll out their healthcare plan, whenever that might be. Lieu has needled Trump in responses to several executive orders this week, including by saying he would bet a nice bottle of California wine that the Administration will be unable to find a credible witness to testify under oath to the allegation that 3-5 million people illegally cast votes in 2016, and by mentioning the inauguration crowd while talking about Trumps proposed border wall. Lieu said hes absolutely hoping Trump will respond. I think satire is an effective way to highlight issues, and I want the American people to see who this president really is, because in 22 months they get to vote again on every member of Congress, and that will be a referendum on Donald Trump, Lieu said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Democrats propose adding third, nonbinary gender option for drivers licenses and other official documents By Melanie Mason View Twitter post California drivers licenses and birth certificates could have a third option for gender in addition to male or female under legislation unveiled Thursday by Democratic lawmakers. The bill by state Sens. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would establish a new nonbinary gender marker for official state documents. Lawmakers framed the measure as an expansion of rights for transgender, intersex and other people who do not identify as male or female. It will keep California at the forefront of LGBTQ civil rights, Atkins said at a Capitol news conference. The bill, SB 179, also would streamline the process for people to change their gender on such documents. It would remove the requirement that an individual obtain a sworn statement from a physician certifying medical treatment for gender transition. It also would create a process for people younger than 18 to apply for a change of gender on their birth certificate. Jo Michael, of Equality California, a gay rights advocacy group, said the bill had personal resonance. Michael identifies as transgender and nonbinary. For the first time, Californians like me could have accurate gender markers that truly reflect who we are, Michael said. Wiener said the proposal places California in stark relief to other states in the country, including North Carolina, where a high-profile law regulating transgender peoples use of public bathrooms roiled the state. As the LGBT community but especially the trans community is under assault in this country, California needs to go in the opposite direction and embrace the trans community and support the trans community and modernize these laws, he said. The legislation does not specify what the alternate gender marker would be, but other countries that have implemented such a policy, such as Australia and New Zealand, have used the letter X alongside M for male and F for female, according to Sasha Buchert of the Transgender Law Center. Atkins, who is a lesbian and a member of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, said this proposal marks an evolution for her in better understanding the concerns of the transgender and intersex community. She authored a law in 2014 that ensures death certificates reflect a persons gender identity, an experience she said made her more aware of the bureaucratic hurdles that transgender people often face. This years bill, she said, is moving us forward into a new world, where acceptance is ... letting people be who they tell you they are. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder will visit Sacramento to meet with Democratic legislators next month By Melanie Mason (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) California lawmakers will have a chance to meet the Legislatures new outside counsel on Feb. 7, when former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. travels to the state to address Senate and Assembly Democrats. Holder, leading a team of attorneys from the firm Covington & Burling, has been hired by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) to serve as outside counsel as the state prepares a legal strategy to deal with the administration of President Trump. But Senate and Assembly staff officials said his invitation to meet with lawmakers was extended prior to the contract, which begins in February, and that Holder is making the trip on his own personal time. His travel and accommodations expenses will not be paid with state funds, and his appearances will not be part of his billable hours, they said. Holder will address Senate Democrats at their annual policy retreat, and will speak to the Assembly Democratic caucus. His visit comes soon after state Democratic leaders this week denounced Trumps executive orders on immigration and pledged to take his administration to court should other legislative means of resistance fail. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A guide to the guessing game that is the 2018 California governors race By Phil Willon While the race to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown already has attracted a small cadre of well-known Democrats, the behind-the-scenes strategizing, cajoling and guessing games surrounding a handful of other potential contenders could create havoc in whats expected to be Californias biggest political showdown since 2010. Among those watching closely are the candidates already definitely in the running, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang. Delaine Eastin, who spent eight years as Californias top education official, announced she was running in November and officially launched her campaign and fundraising operation on Thursday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This is not a monarchy: California Senate leader Kevin de Leon bashes Trumps immigration orders By Jazmine Ulloa (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) California Senate leader Kevin de Leon took another shot at President Trump and his executive orders on immigration Wednesday night, calling his threat to withhold federal dollars from so-called sanctuary cities political blackmail and political vengeance. In an interview on the MSNBC show The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell, De Leon said California was working with former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to study all of its legal options to oppose the directives. Under the 10th Amendment, the state Senate leader said, the federal government cannot commandeer and force local municipalities and police agencies from carrying out their work. The appearance came hours after Trump signed orders to temporarily halt the U.S. refugee program, cut funding for cities that offer immigrants protections and order federal officials to construct a U.S.-Mexico border wall. California will not become a cog in the Trump deportation machine, De Leon said. This is not a monarchy, and I know he fancies himself as a king, but this is a republic. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print President Trumps voter fraud allegation is a lie, says Californias top elections officer By John Myers Secretary of State Alex Padilla. (Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press) With President Donald Trump rehashing last years accusation of widespread voter fraud in California and elsewhere, the states top elections official is also restating his take: Its not true. When the president says millions of illegal ballots are cast, thats simply not the case, said Secretary of State Alex Padilla in an interview on CNN Wednesday. Its a lie. As was the case when Trump made the accusation in November, theres no evidence of such a broad attempt to sway the outcome in California. The president lost the Golden State to Democrat Hillary Clinton by almost 4.3 million votes. Trumps announcement on Wednesday of a major investigation into voter fraud reignited the issue, even though there was also Republican skepticism in the wake of the new round of accusations. Is it a question of millions of people? Thats a pretty steep hill to climb, said Assemblyman Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach), the vice chairman of the Assemblys elections committee. Youd have to have a very strong coordinated effort across California to pull that off. Harper said he believes the better discussion is whether new, independent audit capabilities need to be in place to examine election results. Others, though, were sharply critical of the presidents motives. Allegations of widespread voter fraud are not just alternative facts, they are a calculated and sinister attempt at voter suppression that takes a page from this nations bleak history of segregation, said Laphonza Butler, president of the state council of the Service Employees International Union. In the CNN interview, Padilla said he worried the president was sowing doubt in an effort to legitimize efforts such as a purging of voter rolls. I hope that its not a sign of things to come, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Intelligence committee led by Californians investigating Russian influence in 2016 election By Sarah D. Wire The House Select Intelligence Committee is examining allegations that the Russian government tried to influence the 2016 election, Republican Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes and ranking Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff said in a statement Wednesday. The two Californians said the committee is looking at Russian cyber activity and other active measures directed against the U.S. It also will examine links between Russia and people working for political campaigns as well as the federal response to Russia, including leaks of classified assessments from the intelligence community. The statement does not specifically mention President Trump, the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia attempted to intervene in the presidential election to ensure he would win or news that Trumps national security advisor was in frequent contact with the Russian ambassador as President Obama was considering sanctions against Russia. This issue is not about party, but about country. The Committee will continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead, the statement said. The Senate Intelligence Committee, on which Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) serves, also is investigating Russian interference in the election, and the U.S. response. Two Republican senators have joined a number of House and Senate Democrats, including House Select Intelligence Committee member Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) in pushing for a nonpartisan independent commission to examine the issue. Nunes, who served on Trumps transition committee, has previously said he doesnt think an independent commission is necessary. The statement also asked the new, Trump-appointed heads of intelligence agencies to bring documents requested by the committee directly to committee members. It will not be adequate to review these documents, expected to be in the thousands of pages, at the agencies. They should be delivered to the House Intelligence Committee to provide members adequate time to examine their content, it states. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print No stamp, no problem: Lawmaker says postage-paid ballots should be available to all Californians By John Myers (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) California voters would no longer have to scrounge around in search of a stamp to mail in their ballot under new legislation introduced this week at the state Capitol. We want to make sure voters dont have any barriers, said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), the bills author. Ballot envelopes sent by elections officials would be marked as prepaid postage and the postage costs would be paid for by individual counties. A key question will be the cost for mailing in as many as 10 million ballots statewide. Not all ballots will weigh the same, given the numerous city and county measures that also are considered in regularly scheduled elections. The initial language of Assembly Bill 216 doesnt offer specifics on reimbursing counties, though Gonzalez Fletcher said she expects the proposals ultimate cost could be under $2 million, if the law also makes clear that voters can still place a stamp on their ballot. Regardless, postage fees are likely to be deemed a mandated cost that state government must cover. Gonzalez Fletcher said the advent of email and online bill-paying services have meant that fewer voters have stamps readily available, with busy working Californians scrambling just to find the time to exercise their right to vote. It starts to feel like a very small poll tax, she said. The proposal is another example of the steady evolution of elections conducted less by the ballot box than the mailbox in California, as more than half of all registered voters now permanently receive absentee ballots. A number of the states most populous counties are expected to soon embrace a sweeping new law shifting elections away from neighborhood polling places and toward a substantial number of votes being cast by mail. This is welcome legislation, said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. Requiring voters to pay for ballot postage sends a message that the government is putting up obstacles to make it more difficult to vote. In many cases, ballots placed in the mail without proper postage are already being delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Some counties in California have offered prepaid postage in the past, but the vast majority have not. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California improves grades from anti-smoking group with barrage of anti-tobacco laws By Patrick McGreevy California led other states in adopting a flurry of new laws restricting tobacco products last year, resulting in a big improvement in the states grades from the American Lung Assn. In a report released Wednesday, the health group boosted the states grade for the level of tobacco taxes from an F last year to a B, in recognition that California voters in November approved a $2-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax. The Legislature last year also adopted a half-dozen new laws, including an increase in the minimum age for smoking from 18 to 21 and an expansion of a smoking ban in public places, including restaurants and theaters, to also include use of electronic cigarettes. The states grade for smoke-free air policies rose from a B to an A, while California received a B for restricting tobacco to young people. The group gave the state an incomplete for funding of tobacco prevention programs because officials have not yet started collecting money from the tobacco tax increase in Proposition 56. In 2016, Californians fought back against Big Tobaccos grip on our state, said David Pogue, chairman of the American Lung Assn. in Californias governing board. Tobacco-related illnesses remain the single most preventable cause of disease and death in California, and were proud to reaffirm ourselves as a national leader in the effort to reduce smoking rates and exposure to secondhand smoke and to protect our children from a lifetime of addiction. The group cited the lack of significant new tobacco laws passed in Los Angeles for its decision to leave the citys C grade unchanged. El Monte and West Hollywood passed some new tobacco policies and raised their grades. Santa Ana earned a C, but was at top of the list in Orange County, where almost all the other cities received Fs, officials said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Kamala Harris pushes Trumps budget director pick on timely disaster relief By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) pushed President Trumps budget chief pick Tuesday on whether hed advise the new Republican leader to offer timely disaster relief, especially to states like California that face earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural disasters. Can you assure me that when natural disasters hit various parts of the country like California, that you will be willing to put the immediate interests of people in need as the first priority for you, or will you insist that the budget cuts be made before agreeing to provide critical assistance to those victims? Harris asked Rep. Mick Mulvaney during a confirmation hearing Tuesday. The South Carolina Republican asked for spending cuts to offset billions in relief funding after Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast. There is a proper federal role in dealing with natural disaster relief, Mulvaney said in response to Harris questioning. Sandy is a tremendous example of something so large, its simply too large for one state or local government to deal with, it is an appropriate function of the federal government. Harris pushed a second time, So can you assure me that if a natural disaster hits other states, like California for example, that you will not hold up relief for the state, waiting to determine whether there are going to be budget cuts or cuts in order to provide that relief? Or are you going to sit back and crunch the numbers while people are waiting for help? Mulvaney replied, No, I see my role in that particular circumstance as advising the president. Mr. President, heres what weve done it in the past, heres how it worked out, heres how I think we should proceed in this circumstance and heres why. And then whatever the president says to do, I will enforce. Harris is still weighing how to vote on Mulvaneys confirmation, her staff said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump is a hot topic in Californias race for governor, but not in a good way By Phil Willon Donald Trump at the California Republican Party convention in Burlingame in April. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) One of the most talked about politicians in Californias 2018 governors campaign isnt even running. Rarely does a day go by when Republican President Donald Trump isnt used as a political pinata by one of the top Democrats in the race. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom took some jabs Tuesday when he addressed the California Legislature before Gov. Jerry Browns annual State of the State speech. Newsom mocked the Trump administration for its reliance on alternative facts a phrase used by a Trump senior advisor when defending inflated inauguration crowd figures and took a subtle shot at the presidents comment about American carnage in the nations cities. The insecurity of this man is near incomprehensible. These lies damage our democracy & country's reputation-Shameful https://t.co/ib7i6DqfH8 Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 24, 2017 On Monday, state Treasurer John Chiang criticized Trump for doubting the scientific evidence of climate change. President Trump may believe global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive, Chiang said. We Californians stand with the scientific community and the 195 nations that have declared climate change is an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet. When Antonio Villaraigosa announced his bid for governor right after the general election, the former Los Angeles mayor was sure to include a dig at Trump. Im running because I think the answer to the divisiveness we see in the country right now is unity, and the answer to fear is hope, he said. Last May, Villaraigosa compared Trump to segregationist George Wallace. Californias former superintendent of public instruction, Delaine Eastin, last week ripped Trump for nominating Betsy DeVos for Education secretary. Eastin said DeVos, a charter school advocate and Republican fundraiser from Michigan, was a threat to public education in the country. In speeches, in fundraising emails, in tweets and Facebook posts, the Democrats have liberally excoriated Trump while largely avoiding lobbing any criticism at one another. Its a safe and easy tactic that appeals to a sizeable majority of voters in left-leaning California. In the November election, Trump was trounced by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in California losing to her by more than 4.2 million votes. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a Republican being urged to run by fellow party members, has also rebuked Trump in the past. In May, Faulconer said he rejected Trumps divisive rhetoric about women and immigrants. Faulconer was absent at Trumps inauguration and skipped a Trump campaign rally in San Diego last spring. For any Republican to have a legitimate shot in the governors race, or any statewide election, the more distance they put between themselves and Trump the better, said GOP political consultant Rob Stutzman. Its important that youre not on the record gushing about Trump, Stutzman said. 3:30 p.m.: This story was updated to correct the title of Delaine Eastin. She is a former state superintendent of public instruction. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias House members vote along party lines on permanently banning federal funds for abortion By Sarah D. Wire Californias House delegation split along party lines Tuesday on a bill to permanently prohibit the use of certain federal funds for abortions. President Trump promised the anti-abortion community during the campaign that he would make the funding ban commonly called the Hyde Amendment permanent. It passed the House 238-183 and goes next to the Senate. The 52 members who represent California in the House split along party lines, with 36 Democrats against for it, and 14 Republicans voting for it. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and Jim Costa (D-Lieu) did not vote. Their staffs each said the member would have joined Democrats in voting against the measure. If passed by the Senate, it would permanently prohibit federal funding from being used to cover abortion costs except in cases of rape, incest or if the mothers life is in danger. It effects government employees health plans, Medicaid and health insurance plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. The amendment has been added to the annual appropriations bill for the past 40 years and the bill approved by the House Tuesday would make it permanent. During debate on the House floor Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) called the bill a womens health catastrophe that will keep poor women on Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act from having access to insurance. In effect it makes abortion only an option for the wealthy, she said. Previous versions of the bill twice passed the House but were not considered by the Senate while President Obama was in office. 11:09 a.m. Jan. 25: An earlier version of this article reported that Democrats voted for the bill and Republicans voted against the bill. It was the opposite. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers to weigh whether younger children should be allowed to testify in custody cases By Jazmine Ulloa California lawmakers will weigh whether family courts should allow children as young as 10 to testify before judges regarding parent custody or visitation rights. A bill filed by state Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) would lower the current threshold from age 14 to enable more children to express their wishes in court, some of whom she said could find themselves in life-threatening situations. The legislation was co-sponsored by the California Protective Parents Assn. and the Center for Judicial Excellence. Neither current law nor the bill would require children to testify in family cases unless they choose to. In a statement, Levya called the proposal an important child safety measure. As a family court makes critical life decisions for children, it makes sense for them to be granted a greater voice in court proceedings since they can contribute essential information before final decisions are made, she said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Support for California secession is up, one poll says By Phil Willon Students from several high schools rally at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 14 after walking out of class to protest the election of Donald Trump. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press) Californians support for a breakaway California republic has increased, one poll has found. One-third of state residents support peacefully seceding from the United States, up from 20% since Californians were last asked the same question in 2014, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The polls margin of error for the California answers was plus or minus 5 percentage points. Still, half of Californians opposed the idea of succession, though Democrats were more inclined to support it than Republicans. The survey found that 60% of Republicans gave the idea of peacefully seceding a thumbs down compared with 48% of Democrats and 50% of independents. Nationally, 22% of those polled supported having their state break away from the U.S., according to the survey. A Calexit campaign already is underway to make California an independent nation. The effort faces extremely long odds. The poll surveyed 14,000 adults nationwide, and 500 in California, from Dec. 6 to Jan. 19. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Jerry Brown defiantly tells lawmakers California is not turning back in face of Trump and GOP proposals By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown used his State of the State speech on Tuesday to promise a forceful defense of Californias efforts on climate change, healthcare and assistance to those in the country illegally against new proposals by President Donald Trump and national Republican leadership. California is not turning back, Brown said to applause. Not now, not ever. The governors remarks, delivered in front of lawmakers and state elected officials in the Assembly chambers, came just four days after President Trumps forceful inaugural address that signaled a dramatic new course for the federal government. While he never mentioned the president by name during the 16-minute speech, Brown said there are disturbing signs as to whats on the horizon. We have seen the bald assertion of alternative facts, whatever those are, he said, a reference to top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conways weekend comments on NBCs Meet the Press. We have heard the blatant attacks on science. Familiar signposts of our democracy truth, civility, working together have been obscured or swept aside. The annual event in the chamber of the state Assembly was unusual from the outset. Just minutes before beginning his speech, Brown gave the oath of office to Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, the former Los Angeles congressman confirmed to the post on Monday afternoon by the state Senate. Legislators have had a decidedly unusual start to their new two-year session. After a raucous opening day in December that laid bare wounds from the presidential race, lawmakers were presented two weeks ago with Browns projection of a $1.6-billion budget deficit looming on the states fiscal horizon. But the sea change in national politics has been a persistent buzz in the state Capitol, and Brown promised a strong defense of Californias unique view on major policy issues. The governor made a special mention of the issue of illegal immigration, offering perhaps his strongest words to date. Let me be clear, the governor said, his voice rising. We will defend everybody every man, woman and child who has come here for a better life and has contributed to the well-being of our state. Even with those critiques, the governor veered from his prepared remarks to praise Trumps call for a new focus on infrastructure projects. I say, Amen to that, man! he said. And Brown urged members of the Legislature to reject the bitter partisan divisions of this moment in the nations history. Democrats are in the majority, but Republicans represent real Californians, too, he said to bipartisan applause. We have generally been civil to one another and avoided the rancor of Washington. I urge you to go even further and look for new ways to work beyond party and act as Californians first. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Xavier Becerra takes oath of office, is first Latino to become California attorney general By Patrick McGreevy Xavier Becerra ((Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) ) Minutes after resigning his seat in Congress on Tuesday, Xavier Becerra took the oath of office as Californias new attorney general, and he immediately made plans for a sit-down with sheriffs from throughout the state to talk about law enforcement issues. Becerra, 58, was given the oath of office at the Capitol by Gov. Jerry Brown, who predicted earlier that Xavier will be a champion for all Californians. The ceremony was held before Brown was scheduled to deliver his annual State of the State address, and a day after Becerra received final confirmation by the state Senate. I will do my utmost to uphold your faith in me to serve as our great states next chief law enforcement officer and legal advocate, Becerra said in a letter to Brown on Tuesday, letting him know he had resigned from Congress. And while I leave Congress with mixed emotions, I am ready to begin my work as Attorney General. Californias hard-working families are counting on us, and we wont let them down, Becerra said. Becerra was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, physician Carolina Reyes, two of his three daughters, and his parents, both immigrants from Mexico. Brown appointed Becerra to fill a vacancy after former Atty. Gen.l Kamala Harris won election to a seat in the U.S. Senate. Becerra has pledged to challenge any attempts by the new administration of President Trump to roll back state policies on immigration, civil rights and the environment. Brown noted his appointees background during his speech. Like so many others, he is the son of immigrants who saw California as a place where, through grit and determination, they could realize their dreams, Brown said. And they are not alone, millions of Californians have come here from Mexico and a hundred other countries, making our state what it is today: vibrant, even turbulent, and a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. The first Latino to become state attorney general in California spent the last two weeks meeting with dozens of legislators as he went through confirmation hearings in both houses. Governor Brown and state legislators have already shared valuable ideas on our path forward, Becerra said in a statement after his confirmation. And next week I hope to sit down with sheriffs from across our state to begin our work together keeping our families safe and enforcing our laws fairly. The first focus on local law enforcement was welcomed by Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, president of the California State Sheriffs Assn. He wants to start with law enforcement in the San Joaquin Valley, and I think thats a really positive step, Youngblood said. Im impressed with his credentials. Im impressed with his background, and I think hes going to be a good attorney general. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Watch: Gov. Jerry Brown delivers his State of the State address Gov. Jerry Brown will deliver his State of the State address at 10 a.m. PST. Watch live here: Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Xavier Becerras resignation from Congress took effect at 9:15 a.m.; he calls serving a distinct honor Xavier Becerra has submitted letter of resignation from Congress ahead of swearing in for California attorney general today Patrick McGreevy (@mcgreevy99) January 24, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias senators split on CIA director confirmation By Sarah D. Wire Californias senators split Monday night on the confirmation of Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), President Trumps pick to lead the CIA. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who serves on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee and backed Pompeo, said in a statement that Pompeo gave straightforward answers to her questions, and that House colleagues called him smart, hardworking and devoted to protecting our country. Congressman Pompeo has committed to following the law regarding torture, promised to provide objective analysis of Irans compliance with the nuclear agreement and insisted that he would continue to keep the Senate Intelligence Committee fully informed of CIA activities, Feinstein said. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said in a statement that she appreciated that Pompeo was responsive, engaging, and has made a number of positive commitments during the confirmation process, but said she couldnt vote for him after looking at his entire record on issues such as torture, surveillance, and the collection and use of metadata. Pompeo was confirmed 66 to 32 Monday evening. Thirteen Democrats joined Feinstein in voting for him. While House members dont get to vote for confirmation, the leaders of the House Select Intelligence Committee, Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) and ranking Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) joined Feinstein in congratulating Pompeo for his confirmation. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Kamala Harris moves into some familiar digs on Capitol Hill By Sarah D. Wire (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and her staff can begin moving today into her official Senate office, the same space she interned in as a college student. Few offices can hold a staff as large as the ones allocated to the California members and as expected, Harris was assigned an office in the Hart Senate Office Building, the same space occupied by former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Harris can start moving in this morning, her staff said. Back home, Harris plans to have state offices in Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco, her staff said. It is a bit of a change from Boxer, who had additional offices in Oakland and Riverside, but did not have an office in San Francisco. The space in Washington should feel familiar. It was occupied by Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) when Harris interned for him as a mailroom clerk for a summer when she was a Howard University student in the 1980s. Two floors up in the same building is Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Except for states where staff size is a consideration, Senate offices are assigned based on seniority and sitting senators have months to decide if they want to move offices. That means some new senators could spend months working out of temporary space. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Assembly speaker taps former Obama spokesman for communications strategy By Melanie Mason Bill Burton (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) With Californias face-off against Washington, D.C., getting widespread attention, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon has turned to a veteran of national politics to help shape his public image: White House veteran Bill Burton. Burton, who once worked as deputy press secretary in the Obama administration, was hired this month by Rendon, a Democrat from Paramount, for communications strategy. Now a managing partner in the Los Angeles office for SKDKnickerbocker, a prominent liberal public affairs firm, Burton said he relished being involved in California politics, which he said sets a model for liberals nationwide. With President Trump and congressional Republicans controlling the national agenda, Speaker Rendon and his incredible staff are at the center of some of the most important progressive fights in the country and we couldnt be more excited to be helping any way we can, he said. Burton said his services, paid for out of Rendons campaign account, are meant to offer a more intentional approach to how hes been dealing with media a recognition, he said, of Rendons and Californias elevated role in national politics. Rendon is not the only legislative Democrat to be represented by SKDKnickerbocker. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia of Bell Gardens also is a client. The firm also worked with Democratic Reps. Grace Napolitano and Linda Sanchez in their reelection bids, as well as freshman Rep. Nanette Barragan in her heated congressional race against fellow Democrat, former state Sen. Isadore Hall. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement State Senate votes for final confirmation of Xavier Becerra as state attorney general By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown, left, appointed Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) as state attorney general. ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) The state Senate on Monday voted 26-9 in favor of final confirmation of Rep. Xavier Becerra as Californias attorney general, putting on watch a veteran politician who has promised to block efforts by President Trump to roll back state policies on immigration, civil rights and the environment. Becerra, a Los Angeles Democrat and 12-term congressman, is set to take the oath of office on Tuesday before Gov. Jerry Browns State of the State address. As Attorney General, Xavier will be a champion for all Californians, Brown said in a statement after the party-line vote. Brown appointed Becerra as the states first Latino attorney general to fill the vacancy left when former state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said Becerra will be an effective counter force to Trump, who has threatened mass deportations and the repeal of some environmental laws. Many of us know him personally and can attest to his character, to his integrity and to his qualifications, De Leon said of Becerra. He will be a strong partner for our state to help us work with the federal government when we can and to resist when we must. State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) said Becerra understands the challenges ahead. He will indeed vigorously defend the values of our state by taking the fight to the federal government when necessary, said Jackson, who chairs the state Senate Judiciary Committee. Becerra, 58, said during two weeks of confirmation hearings that he would also fight any attempt to weaken environmental protections or adopt stop-and-frisk police policies that allow officers to search anyone on the street. All Republican senators voted against Becerra or withheld their vote. I think when you are the top cop you have to enforce the law to the fullest extent, said state Sen. Joel Anderson (R-San Diego) before he voted against Becerra. Opponents cited Becerras support for sanctuary cities that refuse to have their officers help enforce immigration laws. San Francisco prohibits local authorities from holding immigrants for immigration officials if they have no violent felonies on their records and do not currently face charges. Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) also opposed Becerra, saying he is worried that the antagonistic tone being set by Democratic lawmakers with Becerra could put at risk the $86 billion the state and its cities gets annually from the federal government. I dont want to jeopardize those funds, Moorlach said. Becerra said he was humbled by the vote and ready to get working.He plans to meet soon with county sheriffs to discuss local law enforcement issues. As I embark on this new journey, my compass will be the experiences of hard-working families like the one I grew up in, Becerra said. As the son of immigrants, I know how important it is to protect the rights and dreams of every aspiring American. I will make sure no headwinds from outside our state can knock us down. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Attorney general nominee Becerra questioned on guns, death penalty and pot during confirmation hearings By Patrick McGreevy Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), shown at a gun violence event in June, was selected by Gov. Jerry Brown to be Californias next attorney general. ((Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) ) In two weeks of confirmation hearings, state attorney general nominee Xavier Becerra has been asked for his position on many issues, including new gun control laws, the states death penalty policy and the recent voter approval of an initiative that legalized recreational marijuana use. The 12-term congressman is up for a possible final confirmation vote Monday in the state Senate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California attorney general nominee Xavier Becerra is warned against suing Trump early and often By Patrick McGreevy Rep. Xavier Becerra (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) With Xavier Becerra facing a final confirmation vote Monday for state attorney general, two former high-level officials in the office are warning against drowning President Trump in lawsuits. The pressure to sue Trump early and often is a trap, according to Michael Troncos, former chief counsel in the California attorney generals office, and Debbie Mesloh, a former senior advisor to the California attorney general, writing in an op-ed piece published by the Los Angeles Times. In this right-wing political moment, a major legal case on our climate change laws or our policies benefiting (young immigrant) Dreamers may well lead to a Trump White House victory, establishing precedents that far outlast this presidency, the two write. In fact, the cases Becerra chooses not to bring may be among his most important achievements. Courts cant rule on whats not before them. Troncos and Mesloh said California will be up against a U.S. Supreme Court remade in Trumps image, and that [a]sking a federal court to overturn federal immigration policies could be a fools errand. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California cities would have to make it easier to build houses under new legislation By Liam Dillon California cities that are falling behind on housing production goals set by the state would be forced to remove some of their development restrictions under legislation from a Bay Area state senator. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) released new details in his bill, SB 35, Monday morning that would require cities to approve new housing in areas already zoned for high-density development provided developers set aside some units for low-income residents. The bills provisions would only apply in cities where growth isnt keeping pace with housing production targets developed by the state every eight years that are designed to ensure California has enough homes for its growing population to live affordably. Right now, thats not happening. The states median home price of $485,800 is more than 2 1/2 times the national average, with the states poorest residents the hardest hit. And in the most recent eight-year housing cycle ending in 2014, production was less than half of the state target. Wiener, a former San Francisco supervisor, said Californias affordability crisis requires the state to involve its When NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson asks to join a high-level briefing in the run-up to astronaut John Glenns historic 1962 flight in the film Hidden Figures, an engineer rushes to shut the idea down. Theres no protocol for women attending, he replies an excuse that Johnson quickly bats aside. Theres no protocol for a man circling the Earth either, sir, she says. Advertisement That conversation sketches the two-front battle fought by NASAs black female mathematicians and engineers as they worked toward a Cold War victory: beating the Soviet Union at the space race and overcoming the many layers of prejudice in the Jim Crow South. Hidden Figures, which entered wide release Friday, tells the story of Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson three computers, women who were hired to do calculations from the engineers experiments but were not given the titles of mathematician or engineer. Together with an eponymous book by Margot Lee Shetterly, the film about these three real-life women (played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, respectively) reveals a long-overlooked chapter in a story often depicted as overwhelmingly white and male. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, the first African American to head the agency, said he encouraged his employees to go see it. I say they will laugh their little backsides off, they will cry a lot, theyll get very, very angry and theyll come out of it feeling incredibly proud that theyre a member of the NASA family, he said. In the movie, the women carefully navigate a minefield of moments shaded with varying degrees of prejudice; theyre made to use bathrooms for nonwhites and, in Johnsons case, assumed to be a maid. To Bolden, many of those moments felt very familiar. I think weve all experienced things like that, said Bolden, who grew up in segregated Columbia, S.C. And its still an issue today, he said. If Im in my jeans and T-shirt and I walk into somewhere where nobody knows Im the NASA administrator, even around Washington, D.C., there are some places I can go where the worst is assumed. In the NASA of the 60s, computers were given lower pay than their colleagues, few opportunities to advance and often werent given credit for their work. While it was a foot in the door for many talented black (and white) women, it also was a job that largely prevented them from publishing papers under their own names or giving talks which typically factored heavily into promotions, said Christine Darden, a retired NASA aeronautical engineer featured near the end of the book. Darden, the first black woman promoted to senior executive service at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia, went to school with one of Johnsons daughters and joined Langley as a computer a few years after the films events. She eventually asked a higher-up why she and other women ended up in dead-end jobs. When I asked him that question, he said, Well, nobody complained about that before, said Darden, who then was transferred to an engineering group. Doing the work, and speaking up when necessary, seemed to be essential strategies for the black women working at NASA as depicted in the film. Supreme people skills probably didnt hurt, either. Katherine is a very smart lady, and shes also a very outgoing person, said Darden, 74, who has attended church with Johnson, 98, for 50 years; the two regularly play bridge together. She likes to talk to people. She finds out a lot about people very quickly if shes in a very huge group. Some of the events in the movie are fictionalized or compressed in time. Johnsons high-stakes calculations for Glenns flight took place over a much longer time frame, Bolden pointed out. And Vaughans struggle to be promoted to supervisor occurred many years before the events of the movie took place, NASA chief historian William Barry said. But even with these narrative adaptations, the movie clearly portrays the worlds these women navigated, Barry said. Thats one of the great things that the movie does: how jarring it is to see the day-to-day segregation and day-to-day sexism that happened, that in 1961-62 was perfectly legal, Barry said. Things seemed to improve in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Darden said, as more women and minorities entered engineering schools and their white male counterparts entered the workforce accustomed to the idea of working alongside them. Still, there is a risk that some may see Johnson and her colleagues success as the exception rather than the rule, Bolden said. One of the things that is a sore point for people of color is to be working in a situation where somebody says: You know, youre different. Youre the first black that Ive met that is really caring and diligent, ... and thinking thats a compliment when in fact its an insult, Bolden said. Because what theyre doing is saying that theyve never met the people with whom Ive grown up. NASA, meanwhile, still has room to grow in the diversity department, both Barry and Bolden said. I will never be satisfied until NASA looks like the American public, which means 51% women in technical fields because thats the population of the country [and] until theres an adequate representation of people of color, Bolden said. Ill say were excellent when weve reached those kinds of levels. amina.khan@latimes.com Follow @aminawrite on Twitter for more science news and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. MORE IN SCIENCE Seven science stories we cant wait to follow in 2017 In a first, scientists detect fast radio bursts from beyond the Milky Way galaxy Science explains why humans will never see the world through a hummingbirds eyes Using a visa loophole to fire well-paid U.S. information technology workers and replace them with low-paid immigrants from India is despicable enough when its done by profit-making companies such as Southern California Edison and Walt Disney Co. But the latest employer to try this stunt sets a new mark in what might be termed job laundering. Its the University of California. Experts in the abuse of so-called H-1B visas say UC is the first public university to send the jobs of American IT staff offshore. Thats not a distinction UC should wear proudly. UC is training software engineers at the same time theyre outsourcing their own software engineers. What message are they sending their own students? Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) Anuncio UC San Francisco, the systems biggest medical center, announced in July that it would lay off 49 career IT staffers and eliminate 48 other IT jobs that were vacant or filled by contract employees. The workers are to be gone as of Feb. 28. In the meantime theyve been ordered to train their own replacements, who are employees of the Indian outsourcing firm HCL Technologies. The training process was described by UCSF managers by the Orwellian term knowledge transfer, according to Audrey Hatten-Milholin, 53, an IT architect with 17 years of experience at UCSF who will be laid off next month. The argument for Disney or Edison is that its executives are driven to maximize profits, says Ron Hira of Howard University, a expert in H-1B visas. But UC is a public institution, not driven by profit. Its qualitatively different from other employers. By sending IT jobs abroad, UC is undermining its own mission, which includes preparing California students to serve the high-tech industry. UC is training software engineers at the same time theyre outsourcing their own software engineers, says Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), whose district includes much of Silicon Valley. What message are they sending their own students? As weve reported before, H-1B visas were created to allow American technology companies to import uniquely talented individuals from abroad; visa holders can work in the U.S. for three years, with the goal of obtaining permanent residency and ultimately citizenship. But the program has been co-opted by outsourcing firms that use the visas to import workers, mostly from India, to replace Americans in middle-level IT jobs. Those firms, including HCL, corral about half of all H-1B visas every year. The workers they import often live here barracks-style and are at the beck and call of supervisors who can revoke their residency at will. Eventually they return home to continue their assignments, without workplace benefits and at wages a fraction of what their American counterparts were paid. UCSF officials say the decision to outsource 97 IT jobs, about 20% to the total IT headcount, was forced on it by daunting economic challenges. The state requires UCSF Health, which encompasses the universitys hospitals, to be fiscally self-sustaining, collecting its revenue entirely from patient fees, Chief Executive Mark R. Laret says. The hospitals recorded a $42-million deficit in the last fiscal year on $3.4 billion in revenue, he told me. The red ink was partially the result of an increased caseload from Medi-Cal, the states Medicaid program, which was expanded under the Affordable Care Act. Medi-Cal reimbursements are so low that UCSF loses 40 cents on every dollar it spends on those patients treatment, he says. In searching for costs to cut, USCF concluded that the most expendable IT employees were systems maintenance staff, whose jobs could be done for so much less by foreign workers going without high salaries and fringe benefits. UCSF officials have convinced themselves that most of the laid-off workers will have little trouble finding new jobs in the vibrant Bay Area technology industry; they say three of the workers already have accepted other positions at UCSF and some have been offered work by HCL. These individuals are not unemployable, Laret says. The university says outsourcing their work to HCL will save $30 million over the five-year term of the HCL contract, which will cost $50 million. Thats a meager savings of 0.1% of the UCSF budget, which was $5.83 billion in 2015-16. But the key question is what the university may be giving up in terms of system security and other important considerations. The work being sent abroad isnt trivial. According to an email sent to the IT staff last July, it includes managing and backing up most of the systems data; management and administration of its data networks; operations related to its telephones, email and video conferencing; and payroll and financial applications. Laret says UCSF expects the security of all these systems to be at least as good under HCL as it is now, though he acknowledges that there are no guarantees. Breaches of medical systems can be exceptionally harmful; a hack attack of UCLA Health Systems network revealed in 2015 may have compromised personal and medical information of 4.5 million patients. Some UCSF workers involved in training their replacements were less than impressed with the process. Kurt Ho, 57, a systems administrator at UCSF since 2015 who is earning about $100,000, says he spent all of two days with his replacement. He told me he would go back to India and train his team, and would be sending me emails with questions. Hatten-Milholin, whose salary has been $127,000, says some of the replacements were on hand for two weeks. What was shocking is that the system is so complex theres no way you can learn it in two weeks, she told me. She and Ho are among nine workers who have filed a complaint against UCSF with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing, asserting that theyve been discriminated against based on national origin, age, sex or race. Disclosure of the layoffs triggered an uproar last fall. Letters went out to UC President Janet Napolitano from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Lofgren, who urged Napolitano to reverse the outsourcing plan and suspend the HCL contract until UC can thoroughly examine the public policy issues raised by the plan. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) pointedly reminded Napolitano that UC received about $8.5 billion in federal funding in 2014-15, and said she was unhappy to hear that the funds would be used to replace Californian IT workers with foreign workers or labor performed abroad. She added, this is not the way to cut costs. UCSF responded by tinkering with the plan a bit. The university told Feinsteins office in November that of 27 HCL employees assigned to UCSF during the transition, eight were H-1B visa holders. UCSF said all had been moved to other locations in the U.S. and would not be working any further on the UCSF program, which raises the question of why they were brought to UCSF for training in the first place. Sending them away allowed UCSF to assert in a public statement that neither the university nor HCL would replace the affected UCSF employees with H-1B visa holders. But thats mostly an optical illusion, says Sara Blackwell, a visa attorney who has sued Disney for discrimination on behalf of Walt Disney World employees whose jobs were outsourced to an Indian H-1B firm. The endgame is not to have foreign workers stay on the job here, she says, but to move the jobs to India. Blame for the outsourcing extends well beyond UCSF. The California Legislature has systematically reduced to pennies the states share of the budgets of UCSF and the rest of UC, which once was proudly supported by Sacramento. Meanwhile, Congress has consistently failed to close a glaring loophole allowing U.S. employers to send good American jobs overseas instead, it has moved to expand the H1-B program at the behest of tech firms claiming, dubiously, that they cant find enough good engineers in the U.S. UC President Janet Napolitano seems to be trying to dodge responsibility for this policy. Although she vowed to crack down on H-1B abuses as secretary of Homeland Security, a job she held from 2009 to 2013, shes been utterly silent about UCs abuse of that very program on her watch. Lets be clear: The outsourcing of IT jobs to India isnt UCSF policy, but emerging UC policy. Napolitanos staff says this is UCSFs deal. But the HCL contract on which UCSF is operating applies system-wide, and its up to individual campuses and schools to opt in; UCSF simply was the first to do so. According to notes from an Aug. 5 meeting of UCs IT Architecture Committee, chief information officers at other campuses are happy to let UCSF act as a guinea pig and will wait for a year before jumping in with HCL in order to gauge UCSFs experience. Of course, if UCSFs initiative blows up in its face, the victims will be its patients, doctors and researchers. In running a university hospital, Laret told me, you have to make some hard choices. Thats indisputable, but the unanswered question is whether UCSFs choice will cost more than it saves. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. Burbank High freshmen outperformed their fellow ninth-graders at Burroughs High when state officials tested their abdominal and upper-body strength as well as flexibility last school year. Success in all portions of the states physical fitness test meant students were in the Healthy Fitness Zone, which is described as a level of fitness that offers protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living. About 95% of the Burbank High students who were tested met the states requirement for abdominal strength, according to results released by state officials last month. Join the conversation on Facebook >> For the abdominal portion of the states physical fitness test, male students were required to do at least 24 curl-ups, while their female counterparts needed to complete at least 18. In comparison, 75% of Burroughs students met the abdominal-strength requirement. Burbank High students also proved to be more flexible as about 97% of students met the states mark compared to the 89% of students at Burroughs. The greatest difference in scores between the two schools was in the upper-body strength portion of the test, where students needed to do push-ups, modified pull-ups and the flexed-arm hang. While about 86% of Burbank High students proved to have adequate upper body strength, only 60% of Burroughs students did. For the upper-body strength part of the test, female freshmen were asked to complete at least seven push-ups and four modified pull-ups. They also needed to hold the flexed-arm hang for at least eight seconds. Meanwhile, male freshmen needed to complete at least 14 push-ups, do at least nine modified pull-ups and hold the flexed-arm hang for at least 15 seconds. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan In an upcoming episode of The Bachelor airing 8 p.m. Monday on ABC, Balboa Village will be featured in the first one-on-one date for this seasons bachelor Nick Viall. According to a release, Viall, 36, will take his date around the shops at Balboa Village, a luxury yacht and then to dinner outside the historic Balboa Pavilion. Our sunny beaches, vibrant community, alongside stylish accommodations, eclectic coastal cuisine and upscale shopping create the idyllic seaside destination for budding romance, president and CEO of Newport Beach and Company Gary Sherwin said in a statement. Viall is an entrepreneur from Milwaukee. * Foundation for rare cancer offers first grant and paddle out The Live for Others Foundation dedicated to raising awareness of Synovial Cell Sarcoma announced this week that it raised funds for its first grant of $50,000 for Dr. Bang Hoang at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The grant will allow Hoang and his team to experiment and examine the susceptibility of Synovial Cell Sarcoma, a rare cancer with no cure that affects the soft tissues around joints. Live for Others was founded by Tim Vorenkamp who lost his five-year battle with the rare and aggressive cancer. Hoang performed Vorenkamps first major surgery in 2010. Live for Others will hold a lunch and paddle out in remembrance of Vorenkamp starting at noon on Monday at Oak Street Beach in Laguna Beach. * Five college scholarships awarded to winners in Montage resort competition The Montage resort in Laguna Beach announced five winners for its fourth annual Montage Memory Makers contest Tuesday: Isabel Janavs of Orange County; Corinne Hindes of San Diego; Olivia Wright of Hedersonville, Tenn.; Will Lourcey of Fort Worth, Texas; and Ariana Luterman of Dallas, Texas. The contest for 13- through 17-year-olds awarded each of the five winners with $10,000 scholarships toward an accredited college or university. Isabels project involved her writing a charitable book to raise money to give meals to those in need. Other projects involved gathering shoes, clothes and educational resources for the needy. Contestants were judged on their volunteer efforts, community service achievements and how their service inspires others. * Hydroflight documentary screening coming to Newport A screening of HydroFest: Hydroflight Takes Off, an action-sports movie about an activity similar to water-based jetpacks, will be held Jan. 14 at the Board Club, a surf shop in Newport Beach. The event, which starts at 6 p.m., will benefit the Environmental Nature Centers preschool campaign. The Board Club is at 408 31st St. * H.B. first responders taking part in oyster-eating contest Huntington Beach first responders will test the limits of their stomachs in a charity oyster-eating contest at Ways and Means oyster house on Jan. 17. The public is invited to come watch the event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the restaurant, 21022 Pacific Coast Hwy. Members of the Police Department, Fire Department and local lifeguards will each be given a minute to eat as many oysters as possible. The public can purchase a spectator and lunch ticket for $20 and a bottomless beer ticket for $10 at wmoysters.com/shucking-event. Five dollars from each spectator ticket will be given to local charities. For more information, call (714) 960-4300. * Authors lunch to feature 2 H.B. writers The Friends of the Huntington Beach Library group is planning an authors luncheon at the Central Library Jan. 17 featuring two local authors. The event is being dubbed Journeys Seldom Lead Down a Straight Path to reflect the unexpected direction the characters take in both writers latest books. Dawn McKeen wrote The Hundred Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey, using her grandfathers journals from World War I to retrace his steps across Turkey and Syria and growing closer to the man she barely knew as a child. Lisa Napoli wrote Ray and Joan, about the relationship of the Krocs: Ray, who made his fortune creating McDonalds, and his wife, Joan, who gave much of it away after his death. The event starts at noon in Rooms C and D, but doors open at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $25, and reservations must be made by Jan. 12. The library is at 7111 Talbert Ave. * Costa Mesa resident named Womens Policy Institute state fellow The Womens Foundation of California recently chose Costa Mesa resident Sara Behmerwohld as a member of the 2016-17 class of Womens Policy Institute state fellows. State fellows like Behmerwohld will be trained to be policy advocates and champions for gender justice, according to the foundations website. The most recent class of state fellows is made up of five teams working in child care, criminal justice, environmental justice, interpersonal violence and reproductive justice. Behmerwohld is legal advocacy program supervisor at Human Options, an Orange County organization that works to break the cycle of domestic violence, and assist abused women and their children. For more information on the state fellows program, visit womensfoundca.org/wpi. * Skosh Monahans to host schools fundraiser Skosh Monahans restaurant in Costa Mesa is planning a fundraiser Jan. 18 for Kaiser and Woodland elementary schools. From 4 to 10 p.m., kids may eat free and 20% of all sales will benefit the two campuses, according to a news release. Skosh Monahans is at 2000 Newport Blvd. * Costa Mesa library group to host author The Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries group is hosting author Drew Chapman, the author of The King of Fear, at 7 p.m. Jan. 19. The event is at the Mesa Verde Country Club, 3000 Clubhouse Road, Costa Mesa. Tickets are available for $10 by calling (714) 545-9613. * Newport Dunes to host barbecue competition, expo The Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort is hosting a barbecue competition from noon to 6 p.m. Jan. 28. Attendees can taste barbecue, beers and wine and vote for their top choices. The event, which benefits various causes, also includes barbecue classes and a kids barbecue competition. Tickets are $10; children up to age 12 are admitted free. For more information, visit NewportBeachBBQCompetition.com. * Applications for Orange County grand jurors open Orange County residents can apply to become a grand juror until Feb. 1. The Orange County Superior Court is seeking grand jury applicants for their one-year term beginning on June 30. The grand jurys primary responsibilities include receiving evidence of serious crimes and investigating county and local governments and agencies. Those applying must be an Orange County resident of at least one year, a U.S. citizen, age 18 or older and understand English sufficiently. Grand jurors will receive a stipend of $50 per day, reimbursement for mileage and reserved parking at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. For more information, visit ocgrandjury.org or call (657) 622-6747 for an application. * H.B. wine-tasting fundraiser to benefit local youth shelter A wine-tasting fundraiser will be held Feb. 10 at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach to benefit the citys emergency youth shelter. The seventh annual Love Grows By Giving event will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the grand ballroom at the resort, 21500 Pacific Coast Hwy., according to a news release. The event will feature unique wines and food from local restaurants as well as live and silent auctions. The public can purchase early-bird tickets for $65 until Jan. 15, and then tickets will be $75. Last year, the event raised more than $100,000, according to the release. For more information, visit cspinc.org. * Mothers Market donates to Surfrider Costa Mesa-based Mothers Market and Kitchen has donated $5,000 to the Surfrider Foundation. The money was raised from grocery bags sold at seven Orange County Mothers locations. Lt. Jeff Brouwer, a 17-year veteran of the Newport Beach Police Department, will be promoted next month to deputy chief. Police Chief Jon Lewis announced during Tuesdays Wake Up Newport meeting, hosted by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, that he had selected Brouwer to take over for former Deputy Chief David McGill. McGill, who most recently oversaw the departments detectives division, started his new job this week as chief of the Sedona Police Department in Arizona. Newport Beach has two deputy chiefs who report to the chief of police. Deputy Chief Dennis Birch was promoted to oversee the patrol and traffic division in May 2016 after Lewis was selected to become chief. Brouwer will head up the departments detective division, including overseeing the budget, training and overall management. Jeff Brouwer is a highly experienced and capable law enforcement executive who I am proud to promote to the rank of deputy chief, Lewis said. Jeffs knowledge, longstanding community ties, and leadership skills will be an excellent complement to our detective division, and to our department as a whole. Brouwer, 55, started his career in law enforcement with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996 where he worked as a patrol officer and gang unit investigator. In 2000, Brouwer joined the Newport Beach department as an patrol officer and steadily rose through the ranks. He worked as a motorcycle officer, a recruitment officer, a background investigator, a polygraph examiner and a personnel and training sergeant. When Brouwer was promoted to lieutenant, he was a patrol watch commander and a detective lieutenant. His current role is executive officer in the Office of the Chief of Police, where he oversees community relations, crime prevention, press information, professional standards, the departments volunteer program and the citizens and teen police academy. Its both humbling and a huge honor to get this position, Brouwer said. When youre fortunate enough to get a position like this its not something you take for granted. I think we have a great group of super motivated people and theres a lot of good things ahead for the Newport Beach Police Department under Chief Lewis direction. Brouwer holds a bachelors of science degree in occupational studies from Cal State Long Beach and a masters in business administration from Trident University. He also graduated from the Supervisory Leadership Institute and the FBI National Academy. Brouwer lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Robin, and has two grown children, Amber, an ultrasound technician at UCLA Medical Center, and Justin, an officer with the Irvine Police Department. Brouwer said he was motivated to make the transition from LAPD, where the focus is on more violent crime, to Newport Beach, where quality-of-life issues often take center stage, after several of his colleagues spoke highly of the culture and personnel in the department. To be able to work in a city like Newport Beach where the community has high expectations it makes it fun and it makes coming to work not a chore, he said. Its actually exciting to come up with creative ways to address problems that affect the community. Brouwer will officially be installed during a promotion ceremony Feb. 6. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Plans that would bring a new restaurant to the Newport Pier are scheduled to go to the Newport Beach City Council for review Tuesday. In March, the council approved an agreement for James Ulcickas and Richard Staunton, owners of the Bluewater Grill on the Lido Peninsula, to develop a conceptual design for a new restaurant at the end of the city-owned pier. Since then, Los Angeles-based Kelly Architects has designed a new facility that would replace the vacant, 1940s-era restaurant building on the pier. The project would involve demolishing the deteriorating 4,000-square-foot building last occupied by Newport Pier Grill and Sushi and building a slightly larger one in its place. The replacement is proposed to be 4,500 square feet and have two stories, indoor and outdoor seating, a roof deck and a takeout window. City officials say the existing building, though it was expanded and renovated in the late 1980s, is beyond its useful life and its removal and replacement is the best economic option. Additionally, the restaurant demolition will allow for renovation of the pier directly beneath the building. For the restaurant to be built, the council will need to allow city staff to submit a development application to the California Coastal Commission. The commissions permitting process could take nine months to a year, staff said. In other business, city officials are proposing to dissolve the Tidelands Management Committee and merge its duties with the Harbor Commission to reduce duplication and better manage costs. The 10-member committee hasnt met since May, according to city records. Its goals include making recommendations to the council on tidelands-related capital projects. Tuesdays City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive. bradley.zint@latimes.com Twitter: @BradleyZint This week, two Glendale hospitals collaborated with local religious leaders to again celebrate Armenian Christmas with two separate ceremonies. Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital were able to honor the large area Armenian community at their respective Christmas ceremonies with the help of local Armenian churches. Hospital employees, medical staff, hospital executives, city officials and the public attended the blessings this week ahead of Armenian Christmas, which falls on Jan. 6 every year. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Glendale Adventist Medical Center is a faith-based hospital and has been hosting a celebration for almost a decade. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, leader of the Western Diocese Armenian Church, led the ceremony with prayers and a blessing of water, meant to symbolize the baptism of Jesus Christ. This is also a very special time to thank ... Glendale Adventist the administration, the doctors, the staff members and all of the family here because together you bring joy in the hearts of the people, Derderian said. 1 / 6 Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of Western Diocese, performs the annual Glendale Adventist Medical Center Armenian Christmas ceremony at the hospital in Glendale on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 2 / 6 Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of Western Diocese, center, blesses water at the annual Glendale Adventist Medical Center Armenian Christmas ceremony at the hospital in Glendale on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 3 / 6 Glendale councilmember Ara Najarian, right, holds blessed water and Christmas Gata bread, after the annual Glendale Adventist Medical Center Armenian Christmas ceremony at the hospital in Glendale on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 4 / 6 Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America leaders perform the annual Glendale Adventist Medical Center Armenian Christmas ceremony at the hospital in Glendale on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 5 / 6 Attendees were given Christmas Gata bread after the annual Glendale Adventist Medical Center Armenian Christmas ceremony at the hospital in Glendale on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 6 / 6 Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America protocol officer Peter Darakjian hands out blessed water to Vigen Zargarian, M.D., after the annual Glendale Adventist Medical Center Armenian Christmas ceremony at the hospital in Glendale on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) Before the end of the ceremony, Glendale Mayor Paula Devine called the celebration a symbol of hope. Also, Raffi Tachdjian, president of the Armenian Medical Society, donated $5,000 to the hospital. Our message is unity and serving in our community and bringing Christmas to them, said Ramella Markarian, vice president of business development at Glendale Adventist. Many of them are working on the 6th and cant attend church ceremonies. At a similar event, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, prelate of the western United States, and members of his clergy led a ceremony on Thursday at Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital, where blessings were read in both Armenian and English. Following the ceremony, Mardirossian and clergy visited the hospital room of Tigran and Anahit Simonyan, the parents of Aram Simonyan, who was born on Wednesday afternoon. There they gave a traditional blessing of health and prosperity to a sleepy Aram. The Armenian Orthodox Church maintains an old tradition of celebrating Christmas on Jan. 6, which is 12 days after the Dec. 25 date other denominations connect with the religious holiday. The January date is referred to as the Epiphany or the Holy Nativity of Christ. -- Jeff Landa, jeff.landa@latimes.com Twitter: @JeffLanda Two doctors who today make Glendale and La Canada their homes were part of the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles 300th pediatric liver transplant that was performed late last year. Glendale resident Dr. Daniel Thomas, medical director of the liver and intestinal transplant program, and surgeon Dr. Yuri Genyk living in La Canada by way of Ukraine are the duo responsible for not only the 300th pediatric liver transplant at the childrens hospital but also the first one performed at the institution back in 1998. By chance, they again came together in November to help parents Dejon Daniels and Jessica Valdepena, whose 7-month-old son, Donovan Daniels, was diagnosed with a life-threatening liver disease called biliary atresia. Join the conversation on Facebook >> That same disease, which prevents ducts in the liver from removing bile, afflicted Lydia Hand nearly 20 years ago when Thomas and Genyk helped transplant part of her grandmothers liver into her and marked the first pediatric liver transplant at CHLA. For infant Donovan Daniels, it was his fathers liver that saved his life. For the 300th procedure, patient No. 1, Hand now an 18-year-old college freshman connected with Donovan and his parents as a way to show what life can be like after a transplant. Three-hundred is quite a significant number, Genyk said. The number of the children that weve helped I wouldnt say that weve saved lives, Id rather say weve given their life back to them. --------------------- FOR THE RECORD 1/9, 10:19 a.m.: A previous photo caption for this story misidentified the doctors roles. Dr. Daniel Thomas was Lydia Hands hepatologist and Dr. Yuri Genyk performed her surgery. --------------------- In October, Donovans parents came to CHLA, where they were told by doctors that their son would need a new liver. On Nov. 18, Genyk performed Dejons surgery at Keck Medicine of USC and, only hours later, his son Donovans transplant at the childrens hospital. Hand met with the family in Donovans hospital on Dec. 1. CHLA doctors have since that date performed four pediatric liver transplants, one as recently as Friday. I think that because of our experience that [these types of procedures] are done more routinely, Thomas said. We just have so much more experience that we are able to test things early and modify and know what to expect ... as the number and the years go on. Donovans immediate future will include frequent follow-up visits for the next three months while he undergoes the most stringent phase of immunosuppressant drugs. These drugs normally aid the patients immune system so that their body is less likely to reject a transplanted organ. Donovan Daniels and his mother came in this week for a visit and let Thomas know that Dejon Daniels is doing well and resting at home. The success of the liver transplantation really depends on so many things to make it successful Genyk said. The liver transplant program affects the quality and execution of the institution that makes the success of liver transplants possible. -- Jeff Landa, jeff.landa@latimes.com Twitter: @JeffLanda Alcohol, drugs and an argument during a night of partying were allegedly a prelude to a fatal shooting in Glendale last June, according to court testimony. Suisun City resident Laquan Dontae Parker, 25, and 26-year-old Brandon Jamal Perkins of Stockton were in court Thursday afternoon for the first day of preliminary hearings stemming from the June 25 shooting death of Phillip Niles Jr. The shooting occurred near an apartment complex in the 1700 block of North Verdugo Road around 3:30 a.m. after Niles allegedly got into an argument with Parkers girlfriend, 18-year-old Dezerae Lyons, and another 18-year-old woman named Daniela Elaine Love. Both Lyons and Love testified Thursday that the argument occurred after Niles found out the two were pornographic actors. Dezerae and Philip got into a fight because [he] was calling her a whore, and I was telling his friend to calm him down because we were having fun, Love said. Join the conversation on Facebook >> 1 / 6 Glendale police investigate the scene where a man was found shot to death on a front yard on the 1600 block of The Midway St. in Glendale on Saturday morning, June 25, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 2 / 6 Glendale police investigate the scene where a man was found shot to death on a front yard on the 1600 block of The Midway St. in Glendale on Saturday morning, June 25, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 3 / 6 Glendale police investigate the scene where a man was found shot to death on a front yard on the 1600 block of The Midway St. in Glendale on Saturday morning, June 25, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 4 / 6 Glendale police investigate the scene where a man was found shot to death on a front yard on the 1600 block of The Midway St. in Glendale on Saturday morning, June 25, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 5 / 6 Glendale police investigate the scene where a man was found shot to death on a front yard on the 1600 block of The Midway St. in Glendale on Saturday morning, June 25, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 6 / 6 Glendale police investigate the scene where a man was found shot to death on a front yard on the 1600 block of The Midway St. in Glendale on Saturday morning, June 25, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) The women separately testified that all three had met for the first time that Friday at the Argyle nightclub in Hollywood. Lyons and Love had only communicated on social media beforehand, while Niles encountered them for the first time at the club while out with friends. Love testified that she, Lyons, Niles and his friends were drinking heavily that night. She said Lyons and Niles were also making out with one another which was corroborated by Lyons. The group then moved from the club to an apartment in Glendale where a friend of Niles was living. First, when we got there, everything was cool Lyons said. We were just chilling, drinking and then [Niles] whipped out coke We did a lot of coke that night. Lyons said the night spiraled out once Love mentioned the two women worked in the pornography industry, which led to Niles throwing insults at them. After arguing for 45 minutes, Lyons said she called Parker to pick her and Love up at the apartment. The women then left the complex with Niles following behind, continuing the argument, Lyons said. When they came to the street, they found an empty car belonging to Lyons parked near the apartment. After Lyons and Love got into the car Lyons said in court that Parker and Perkins emerged from some nearby bushes with guns drawn. Niles then confronted the two men. First, they were just talking, but Phillip was just the word Im going to use is turnt up. He was really coked out, Lyons testified. Right away, he was being really racist, acting crazy and just really making bad comments. Police first received reports of gunfire in the neighborhood around 4 a.m. Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William previously said Niles was shot multiple times and ran a short distance before collapsing in front of a home in the 1600 block of the Midway Street. Parker and Perkins were apprehended later that day and were each charged with one count of murder, possession of a firearm by a felon with prior convictions and carrying a loaded stolen firearm, according to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. The two had been picked up at a hotel in Monrovia where they were staying with Lyons. Two handguns were recovered from the scene, police said. While Love couldnt recall what happened during the confrontation between the men and who did the shooting, Lyons said Parker was the only one who fired a gun while Perkins watched. I heard five gunshots [Parker] just got in the car like nothing and we literally just drove away, Lyons said. I feel like me and Daniela were the only ones in shock Nobody else seemed to care that that just happened. Nicholas Tucker, an acquaintance of Niles who was at the club and whose apartment the group went to, disputed parts of the womens testimonies. He said in court Friday that Niles and Lyons were not intimate with one another and denied anyone was doing drugs in his apartment. Tucker admitted that people were drinking heavily and smoking from a hookah but there was no cocaine involved. He also said the argument between Niles and one of the girls, he couldnt recall which one, was just bickering back and forth that lasted only a few minutes. During his testimony, Tucker repeatedly said Niles was confused and frustrated that night but couldnt say the exact reason why. He also said he didnt know why Niles left the apartment. Several more witnesses testified over the two days, including police officers who responded to the shooting and a nearby bystander. Parker and Perkins are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 28 for a pretrial conference. If convicted, the pair face 50 years to life in prison, and each is being held in lieu of $3-million bail. -- To read the article in Spanish, click here Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc A car bomb ripped through a busy commercial district in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border Saturday, killing nearly 50 people in a huge explosion that damaged buildings and left rescuers scrambling to find survivors amid the wreckage, opposition activists said. Rescuers and doctors said the explosion left nearly 100 wounded and burned. At least 50 were transported to the Turkish border town of Kilis after local hospitals were overwhelmed. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Locals said a rigged tanker truck was the source of the explosion and blamed Islamic State militants, who have carried out attacks in the town before. The militant group has been increasingly pressed in Syria and Iraq, and has escalated its attacks against Turkey which backs Syrian opposition fighters in a campaign against the group in northern Syria. Advertisement Azaz, only a couple of miles from the Turkish border, is a key town on a route used by opposition fighters moving between Syria and Turkey, and is a hub for antigovernment activists as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkish-backed opposition groups to the east. Islamic State militants, who have tried to advance on the key border town before, have been pushed back farther east in recent months in the Turkish-backed offensive. The bomb went off early Saturday afternoon outside a local courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi told the Associated Press from Azaz. It hit the busiest part of the town, Alnajdi said. A nationwide weeklong cease-fire has mostly held across most of Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides of the conflict, reached an agreement late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Assads government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. The Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked group Fatah al-Sham Front are not included in the deal, according to the Syrian government. ALSO Russia begins to draw down its forces in Syria Hundreds of migrants plucked from a hazardous journey across the Mediterranean The Krispy Kreme Familia and the black market doughnuts of Juarez UPDATES: 10:35 a.m.: Updates death toll and adds details about the explosion 4:20 a.m.: Updated to raise death toll from 15 to 43. This article was first published at 3:35 a.m. Mexican authorities are searching for a gunman who shot and wounded a U.S. consular official in the western city of Guadalajara. Surveillance video of Fridays attack shows the man trailing the American official into a city parking lot, then firing at him after he got into his vehicle. The official, who has not been publicly identified, was shot in the chest and is in stable condition, according to a statement from the Mexican attorney generals office. The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the suspect, according to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Advertisement Guadalajara, Mexicos second largest city, is considered largely safe and is not associated with the levels of drug cartel violence that have plagued other parts of the country. But the U.S. State Department has issued travel warnings for the city and other parts of the state of Jalisco because it borders Michoacan and Zacatecas, states that have seen high levels of insecurity. Although the video of the attack suggests that the shooter deliberately targeted the victim, previous attacks on U.S. officials in Mexico have turned out to be mistakes. In 2010, a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee were shot and killed in Juarez as they left a childrens birthday party. The group was riding in a white SUV that was similar to a vehicle belonging to members of a local drug cartel. A Mexican gang leader was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the slayings, which he and others claimed were a case of mistaken identity. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced. 19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc. President Pedro Pablo Kuczysnki says the company, which has admitted to paying $29m in bribes in Peru, could potentially pay an even higher amount in fines Jan 7, 2017, 9:57am ET China's GAC to introduce four cars in Detroit State-owned GAC plans to break into the U.S. market before the end of the decade. China-based GAC will travel to next week's Detroit Auto Show to introduce four new cars. Owned by the Chinese government, GAC primarily sells its cars under the Trumpchi brand. The first model the company will show in Detroit this year is a crossover named GS7. French website LeBlogAuto has learned it will be a short-wheelbase version of the GS8 (pictured) that debuted last year in China. Power is expected to come from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Brian Kline left a job that offered health insurance in 2006, and went without coverage for nine years. Community clinics sufficed when he needed care, but he called it substandard. He became eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010 and widely known as Obamacare, in 2015. "And thank God that happened because in January of 2016, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer, so my life was turned upside down," the 45-year-old from Quakertown said Friday in Allentown. Kline joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and others in denouncing Republicans' commitment to repeal Obamacare without a clear alternative plan to replace it. Speaking inside the Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley facility at 218 N. Second St. in Allentown, Casey said Republicans in control of the U.S. House and Senate are threatening the health-care coverage secured by 20 million Americans thanks to Obamacare. "The biggest question I have for them is where is this great ... replacement program?" Casey asked. "This whiz-bang program that's going to be perfect for everybody? They're going to rip away health care from everybody, but then they're going to replace it with something much better." President-elect Donald Trump has said repeal is the first order of business, and leaders in Congress hope to deliver a bill voiding much of the law by late February. U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., called repeal one of his legislative priorities for the 115th Congress that began its work Tuesday. His office said Friday he supported the Obamacare repeal bill that failed to pass in December 2015, which provided for a two-year transition before phasing out the law's Medicaid expansion and health-care premium tax credits. "Sen. Toomey has said repeatedly that taxpayer subsidies should be maintained for a period of time as we transition to a better health care system that gives families and individuals affordable choices in coverage, and takes Washington bureaucrats out of the doctor's office," his spokeswoman, Elizabeth "E.R." Anderson, said in a statement Friday. Democrats agree the Affordable Care Act isn't perfect. President Barack Obama on Friday said he supports repeal if Republicans come up with something better. "They can call it whatever they want," Obama said. "They can call it Trumpcare or McConnellcare or Ryancare," he continued, also referring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. "If it actually works, I will be the first one to say, 'Great.'" In Allentown, Casey said Republicans are "not serious" in their push to repeal before identifying a way for Americans to keep their coverage. "They go around saying, 'Well we're going to preserve the protection for pre-existing conditions, and we're going to preserve the provision that allows a young person to stay on their parents' plan until they hit the age of 26, and we're going to preserve some other protections so don't worry. But we're also going to get rid of the individual mandate.' That's a lie," he said during a news conference attended by a few dozen Lehigh County residents. "There's no other way to describe it. I'm not going to candy-coat this. "If you say you're going to keep those protections, you have to be able to pay for them. We have to be able to make the math work." For Kline, the math works out to about $100,000 spent so far battling colon cancer, which he said he would have had no shot at covering with his part-time job at the big box home improvement store where he earns $11.66 an hour. Without Obamacare, he would have faced bankruptcy. "Or you do nothing and you eventually go to Stage 4 colon cancer, which the rate of survival then is pretty low," he said. "So it was absolutely scary for me." He's cancer-free now after surgery and six months of chemotherapy last year, but he's looking at five more years at least of testing and surveillance for the disease's return. Casey said repeal is not a done deal, with committee votes looming before final decisions are made, and he promised "to fight like hell against anyone who's trying to repeal this law." "This is about real life," he said. "Human lives are at stake here. It's not about some Washington debate about some health-care theory or some policy. This is about whether people are going to live or whether they're going to die." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A man wanted for a New York City shooting fled as officers tried to arrest him Friday in Allentown, and the chase left the suspect shot and three officers injured, according to police. The suspect, who was not identified by police, was shot twice in the leg and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township for treatment, police said. The injuries are not life-threatening, and the man is in stable condition. The suspect struck two officers with a car, and a third officer was injured in the pursuit, police said. It started to unfold just after 12:10 p.m. as Allentown police assisted New York City police with serving a warrant. New York City police detectives and Allentown officers learned the suspect was in a vehicle in the 100 block of Chew Street, and both uniformed and plain-clothed officers tried to arrest him, police said. The suspect drove off, hitting two officers and several vehicles, and officers opened fire, police said. The car, a silver sedan, was found on Sycamore Street, an alley off of Front Street, police said. The suspect was found hiding a short distance away; Allentown officers could be seen searching a parking pad off the alley. The sedan on Sycamore Street had a broken rear window, heavy front-end damage and what appeared to be a bullet hole in the driver's side door. A man at the scene was taken away by Allentown police in handcuffs. A witness who lives in an apartment building along the alley, right next to where the car was stopped, said she heard a loud bang and then about six gunshots. When she came out, there was a crowd of officers, some with assault rifles, said the woman who declined to give her name. The car was smoking and police were talking about looking for a gun, the woman said. Police said there will be an internal review of the incident. District Attorney Jim Martin, who was seen at both crime scenes, gave a preliminary opinion that the discharge of weapons by the officers was justified. A final ruling will be made when the investigation is complete. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. santiago-baby.jpg Esteban Santiago with his newborn son. (Family photo) UNION CITY -- The suspect in the Fort Lauderdale shooting was a U.S. military veteran who "lost his mind" after a tour of duty in Iraq, his aunt said Friday. Maria Ruiz Rivera, of Union City, said she was told by relatives in Florida that the suspected shooter who killed at least five people at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday was her nephew, Esteban Santiago-Ruiz. Agents who identified themselves as being from the FBI arrived at the family's Union City apartment Friday afternoon to question the aunt and uncle about their nephew, the family said. Ruiz Rivera said relatives in Florida were contacted by law enforcement officials Friday afternoon. Santiago-Ruiz, who was born in New Jersey, was living in Alaska and has a newborn baby boy, his aunt told NJ Advance Media. He appeared to be doing well and working a security job in recent months, she said. But he was hospitalized for mental health issues after returning from a year-long tour in Iraq about five years ago, his aunt said. "He lost his mind," Ruiz Rivera said in Spanish. Her husband, Hernan Rivera, said he was unsure why Santiago-Ruiz might have opened fire in the baggage claim area of the Florida airport. "No idea. Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good," Hernan Rivera said. Authorities in Florida have not identified the suspect arrested after shooting five and injuring eight at the Fort Lauderdale airport. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and appeared to act alone. A tweet from Broward Commisioner Chip LaMarca said he was told the shooter arrived in Fort Lauderdale as a passenger on a flight from Canada with a gun checked in his bag. He retrieved the checked bag at baggage claim, went to the bathroom to take out the gun, then opened fire in the baggage claim area, LaMarca said. CBS News reported Santiago-Ruiz was known to the FBI. In November, he walked into the FBI office in Anchorage and told agents he was being forced to fight for ISIS, sources told CBS. NEW: In Nov. 2016, FLL suspect walked into FBI office in Anchorage, claiming he was being forced to fight for ISIS, sources tell CBS News. CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2017 Santiago-Ruiz, 26, was born in New Jersey to parents who were originally from Puerto Rico, his aunt and uncle said. He lived in New Jersey until age 3, when his family moved back to Puerto Rico. People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside a terminal of the airport, killing several people and wounding others before being taken into custody (Al Diaz | Miami Herald via AP) As an adult, Santiago-Ruiz joined the National Guard and was sent to Iraq, his aunt said. After his tour, he was hospitalized for mental problems, then went back to Puerto Rico, where his father was ill and eventually died, she said. While in Puerto Rico, Santiago-Ruiz was in therapy for his mental problems, his uncle said. The Iraq War veteran eventually made his way to Alaska, where he fathered a baby born in September. Ruiz Rivera said the last time she saw her nephew was about four years ago when he spent a week with his family in Union City over Christmas. She last spoke to her nephew was after his son's birth. He seemed fine, she said. However, when she texted him on Christmas Eve, he did not return the message, Ruiz Rivera said. A delay by a State company has led to money earmarked for a road safety scheme at Ballybrophy Train Station being spent on other projects. Laois County Council received 13,000 last year to spend on the project but Irish Rail/CIE failed to give the green light. The council needs to be able to run cables across a railway bridge for lighting on the Borris-in-Ossory Road. CIE had to agree to the project for it to go ahead last year. We got no co-operation from CIE, said Cllr Brendan Phelan who put down a motion on the project at the recent Borris-in-Ossory meeting. It is most unreasonable, he said after being told that a new application for funds would have to be made for 2017. Here we are and we have to go back again and make another application, he said. Laois County Councils roads department is overseeing the project but Brenda Cuddy, area engineer, made the reply on the councils behalf. We wont be able to spend the money this year. We will have to reapply next year. The money would have gone elsewhere. That is the same for all low cost accident schemes, she said. She told councillors that the chances of getting it were quite positive but she said the matter is with CIE. She also told the meeting that no further information had come back from the transport company on the supply of more car parking spaces at the train station. The crunch time is coming as regards the future of Portlaoise Hospital. The Minister for Health, Simon Harris is now not due to visit the hospital until next week. Notwithstanding this, it is clear that the phoney war, which has been waged throughout all of 2016, will soon come to a conclusion. And on the basis of the most recent Hiqa report, one cannot be optimistic about what the future plans for the facility may entail. The uncertainty surrounding the hospital has been bad for everyone, not least for staff who have had to maintain their morale under very difficult circumstances. This situation cannot continue indefinetly. In the first year of its term, this government has managed to avoid some of the tricker issues and has held off on many hard decisions. 2017 will be a different year in this respect as a whole range of matters are filling up the governments in tray. Somewhere in here will be the future of Portlaoise Hospital and Dr Susan OReillys blueprint for its future. There are few illusions out there about a looming decision which will see the hospital downgraded. Many are resigned in their belief it will come to pass. The only factor that seems to have been in doubt is the exact timetable. This does not mean, however, that the public should adopt a fatalistic approach on the matter. It should never be viewed as a fait accompli. The retention of A & E services at this hospital is worth fighting for. And as was seen at the public meeting in St. Marys hall last summer, people care and are passionate about the hospital. It has occupied a special place in the psyche of Laois and Portlaoise people thoughout its history. Yes, it has had its difficulties, but no more than any other hospital throughout the country. It is by no means unique in this regard. Over the past year it has been placed in a veritable no mans land, where uncertainty over its future is the order of the day. This has to stop. The Government, Department of Health and HSE have to outline what the position is and what their ultimate intentions are as regards the future of services at the hospital. Once that is done, the chips will duly fall where they will. Lets hear what the plan is, and then assert our own opinions and positions on it President Michael D. Higgins opened the month by apologising to the Gralton family for the abuse of the law which led to the deportation of Jimmy Gralton in 1933. The President of Ireland addressed the crowd at Effrinagh for the unveiling of a memorial to Jimmy Gralton. In an unprecedented speech, President Higgins said Jimmy Graltons treatment at the hands of the Irish State and its agencies was wrong and indefensible. As a Head of State, I acknowledge that the States authority was abused under undemocratic pressure. Leitrim councillors took on a national issue this month when they debated a motion calling for the council to stand opposed to any attempts to water down the 8th Amendment to the Constitution and thereby open the door to abortion on demand in Ireland. It sparked a heated debate inside the chamber while a small group of abortion rights campaigners picketed the council prior to the meeting. The motions proposed by Independent Cllr Des Guckian was passed by two votes with six councillors opting to abstain. There continued to be calls this month from political representatives to have the Shannon dredged. Leitrim GAA Senior Team announced their new management team as Brendan Guckian, John OMahony and Michael Moyles. The County board asked for all the clubs in Leitrim to unite behind the new management. The proposal to introduce by-laws which prohibit consumption of alcohol in public places in Carrick-on-Shannon was first debated in mid September. At the JPC meeting Superintendent Kevin English said there were serious policing issues it be addressed and there is significant issues with public order in the county town. A serious road traffic accident close to Ballinamore left two men seriously injured on September 17. One of the young man who was in the car accident died later on this year. The issue over An Post moving the Post Office in Ballinamore to another location in the town resulted in a local protest. At the end of September three companies based in Carrick-on-Shannon went on a trade mission to America to highlight Ireland as a key hub for innovative life sciences solutions. Prior PLM Medical, Vistamed and Cora Systems made the trip. And Dromod won it's 37th tidy towns title in a row. It was just five marks behind the overall SuperValu National Tidy Towns winner, Skerries in Dublin. Dromod and Carrick-on-Shannon also both won gold Medals, securing 900 each. The man who won the 250,000 in the New Years Eve lotto draw with a ticket from Bundoran collected his prize in Dublin yesterday and revealed he would be putting his cheque in the bank and paying off his mortgage. The winner's identity has not been revealed but according to Lotto Headquarters he couldn't hide his delight as he claimed a cheque for a quarter of a million euro. The owner of the lucky Millionaire Raffle ticket, won the second highest prize of 250,000 in the New Years Eve draw on Saturday 31 December 2016. "First thing first, I will be putting the cheque into the bank and paying off my mortgage," grinned the delighted Donegal man. The winning ticket was sold on the day of the draw at the American House shop in Bundoran, just hours before the draw deadline. The most recent winner told staff at Lottery HQ today that he was a regular Lotto and EuroMillions player but added that he hadn't intended buying a ticket for the draw. "I hadnt planned on buying a ticket for the draw. I was in the shop buying my usual bits and pieces when my attention was drawn to the raffle tickets. Its definitely one of my better impulse purchases," he laughed. The Donegal winner found out about his windfall the following morning after news of the big win reached the locality, "The morning after the draw, I was on Facebook and there was a lot of news about a big lotto win in the town. I didnt take any notice of it and it was only when I heard the local radio station mention the Millionaire Raffle number that I remembered to check my ticket. As I had one of the last tickets, I knew my number was high. When I heard the number, I just knew,"he said. Party planning is already underway in the Donegal household with a holiday for all of the family on the horizon, "We will be taking the kids and their grandparents away on holiday so we can celebrate properly as a family. I might be the ticket holder but we all won as a family," he said. After a number of searches in Leitrim this week for missing Monaghan dog Finn, it is now believed he was shot dead a month ago by a farmer. 'Bring Finn Home' was a huge online campaign that had 31,000 Facebook likes and generated thousands of shares online as people across the 32 counties searched for the pet. Owners Joy and Bernard Borchart from Ballybay, Monaghan had set up a huge campaign to find their beloved boxer dog who went missing on the 7th of December. The pair hired a private detective Liam Brady. According to the Facebook page the detective now believes that the 2-year-old boxer was shot dead by a farmer. "Liam Brady the PD has informed me that he has reliable information from a local source that Finn has been shot in a field. This incident apparently occurred on December 7 - the same day the dog was discovered missing. "As you are all aware Finn went missing on 7th Dec and the FB page was set up on 16 th December. "During that week there was sufficient time for that farmer to inform us of these circumstances to be informed that this had occurred. "This is in direct violation of current Irish legislation and both ethically and morally unsustainable. "In simple terms a cowardly act." Two searches for the dog were completed by locals in the Ballinamore area on January 4 and 5. The detective had previously held the belief that the dog was stolen and could have been used as bait in dog fighting. The owners had been raising money to try and bring Finn home but they will now donate that to dog charities. I am frequently told that, as a Remoaner I must respect the result of the referendum. It seems to me that I am not being asked to respect it so much as to fetishise it. Actually, I do respect it. I respect it for what it was an advisory vote won by a wafer thin majority based on a mountain of lies. Then, because I say that, I am criticised (virulently quite often) for being undemocratic and for not respecting the will of the people. And many people who did not vote Leave, and do not want to leave, seem to have accepted the line that the vote has happened and they must respect it. But democracy is so much more than a single vote. Generally speaking electoral votes stand, even if the majority is unsatisfactory. But that is premised on two conditions. The first is that the voters get a chance regularly to change their minds. The second is that the voters were at least relatively well informed about the subject of their vote. All sides make their offers clear, and the media do a proper job of examining their claims. Neither of these conditions applies to the referendum vote. There will not be a chance to change our minds about this one. Once we leave the EU, we will not be in a position to get back in for a considerable time. And if we do decide that rejoining might be nice, the conditions to rejoin will be the same as a new joiner, including having to join the Euro, which I do not see happening. So effectively, leaving the EU sets Britains course for at least a couple of generations. This vote is not sufficient basis for such a momentous and long term decision. And the voters were seriously misinformed about what leaving meant. I blame both campaigns and the media for this. The Remain campaign was feeble, the most disorganised and ineffective campaign I have seen in British politics. Even Labours 1983 election campaign did not plumb the depths of this one. The Leave campaign was based on deliberate and sustained mendacity from start to finish. The media failed completely to do the job they are required to do in a democracy. We do not have a free press in this country. We have a commercial press, which conforms to the requirements of its overseas owners, not the needs of the British public. Half the press amplified the Leave campaigns lies; the other half failed to hold them up to scrutiny. In addition to that half the press has spent around the last twenty years softening the public up for this vote with an even longer sustained campaign of lies about the EU (in which Boris Johnson was a prime, and utterly dishonest, mover). That is why I claim to be completely democratic in regarding this vote as inconclusive and this fight as unfinished (just as Nigel Farage was going to). To do anything differently would be undemocratic. * Rob Parsons is a Lib Dem member in Lewes. He blogs at http://acomfortableplace.blogspot.co.uk A LIMERICK woman who was awarded 7.5m in the High Court after contracting a rare disease which has left her paralysed has seen her plans of building her dream home appealed to An Bord Pleanala. Patricia Ingle, 28, spent over 1,000 days in hospital when she was left paralysed and brain-damaged when she contracted an extremely rare disease, commonly known as 'parrot fever', in 2008. She remains dependent on a ventilator, has to be tube fed, is in a wheelchair, and requires constant care. Ms Ingle, of Murroe, county Limerick, allegedly contracted the disease as a result of inhaling dust from the faeces of parrots suffering from chlamydia psittacosis - an airborne infection which can be transmitted from birds to humans while working in the Petmania store on the Ennis Road in Limerick a decade ago. Those acting on behalf of the family said that between 50 and 60 potential sites for a purpose-built home have been examined in recent years - since she received the 2011 settlement - but this site represents the most suitable location for Patricia given her "unique and self-evident needs." Plans for a six-bedroom home for Ms Ingle and her family on a 3.7 hectare site at Five Cross Road, Farnane, Murroe, were recently granted planning permission by Limerick City and County Council, but have been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by a sole objector. Her father Pat Ingle previously outlined that upon her release from hospital Patricia had three wishes - to write a book about her journey to recovery, to have a party and to build a house. She has now fulfilled two of those wishes, after her book, entitled I am Free, and written with the help of a ghostwriter, was launched by broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan last year. Now, representatives for the family are appealing to the planning authority that these are truly extraordinary circumstances, and that if passed, this development could positively contribute to her long-term health and well-being. Cork-based CBA Architecture, on behalf of Ms Ingle, stated to the planning office: Patricias home will be her most important asset. Patricia will spend more time in her home than the average person and this is one of the reasons why this site is suitable for Patricia. It has been advised by medical professionals that Patricia will benefit greatly from this [proposed home] psychologically and this may have a positive knock-on affect physically. We have analysed Patricias existing home and the site is not capable of supporting her needs moving forward. We accept that under normal circumstances one off housing in the countryside has to be discouraged, but we cant emphasise enough that these are truly extraordinary circumstances. Unfortunately our planning policies do not appear to support situations such as Patricias, which are difficult to anticipate and do not comply with the usual requirements. A house catering to her special needs is not catered for in a rural context by any development, stated the architects. They outlined that it is Patricia's wish to keep dogs at her proposed new home, which "are widely recognised for people with disabilities or in need of a particular type of assistance". Patricia does not require or desire to live alone in sheltered accommodation. It is the desire of her and her family that they share a family home supporting each other. This is a particular case of a housing need that cannot be accommodated in a town centre and therefore must be acknowledged as a genuine housing need. As the needs and issues are very specific there should be no concern that a precedent would be created, they state. We believe given her unique circumstances that this justifies the applicants housing need. They outlined that while Patricia is cared for by her parents, Pat and Annette, and her sisters, there are also two nurses and a carer required for her care, some of whom stay overnight depending on her condition on any given day. They also argue that the proposed development could not be considered as contributing to urban sprawl as it is well outside the village, on a large site, without any houses adjacent. The owner of the land in Murroe has entered into a contract with Ms Ingle to sell the landholding to her subject to her obtaining permission for a suitable dwelling. An Bord Pleanala is due to make a decision on the case by April 28 next. The objector states that the current proposed development is in the same field previously found to be unsuitable for housing on two separate occasions by An Bord Pleanala, in February 2000 and in August 2001. The objector also states in her documentation submitted that there was inadequate site notice, that the planning authority failed to notify her that significant new information and revised plans had been submitted, that urban sprawl should be prevented, and that the site is unsuitable for the proposed development. SINN Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan has said that the HSEs failure to recruit sufficient staff levels for University Hospital Limerick is delaying the opening of the new emergency department. He said that the recent high trolley numbers at UHL and a failure to confirm a date for the opening of the new A&E are clear evidence of inaction on the Health Ministers [Simon Harris] part. We now have impending industrial action, and a staffing crisis as clear examples of how the Minister is failing abysmally to deal with the crisis in health, particularly during this turbulent winter period. He urged Minister Harris to confirm an exact opening date for the new A&E. The Minister needs to deal with these issues aggressively and that means addressing working conditions, training, career pathways and pay; it means reopening beds; it means investing in the public system, as opposed to diverting funds to the private sector. Following a HSE funding report in December, the UL Hospitals Group has been unable to confirm a date for the opening of the new emergency department. It is hoped to be open by May. This latest recruitment drive will have just as little impact as previous efforts if the underlying causes of the failure to recruit and retain staff are not addressed, Deputy Quinlivan said in a statement. He criticised the HSEs recent recruitment drive which, he said, saw 8% uptake of a target of 1,200 new frontline staff. He described the recruitment of 92 new staff is a sign of abject failure. Yet another recruitment drive is launched - but recent evidence shows that without tackling the real reasons behind the failure to recruit and retain staff this will be just another press release with little or no impact. We know from talking to the unions and staff on the ground that recruiting sufficient levels of staff is delaying the opening of the emergency department in Dooradoyle. Our health system is in a state of crisis. Our public health services are being starved of resources. Trolley numbers have spiked, waiting lists stretch into years, we are in the grips of the winter crisis period and medical staff trained at home are leaving in droves due to poor working conditions. "University hospitals are struggling to recruit the staff necessary and meanwhile Minister Harris is doing nothing, Deputy Quinlivan said. A YOUNG Limerick man is giving up a year of his life to work in a childrens home in the Ukraine but he doesnt see it that way. Noel Maher, from Gurtavalla, Doon, said he is privileged to be there. I am indeed lucky to be here, firstly because I arrived when they needed an extra pair of hands, and secondly because I recently walked out of a pretty dramatic car crash. It taught me the value of all my plans and worries and preoccupations because for a time nothing else mattered except being. It was good preparation for my stay here, and that is my hope, that by simply being with these boys in their home that some great things will grow from it, said Noel, who has a background in engineering and social science. Before Christmas he set off from Ireland with a years visa and a selection of Cadburys chocolate for the boys. But he still has Christmas to look forward to as it is on January 7 in the Ukraine. We'll have a big supper together and then the boys will go around singing carols for the people who have helped us during the year, he said. Noel is volunteering as a teacher and working on various projects in the home in Bortniky, two hours outside western Ukraines main city, Lviv. A lot of the funding for the home has come from Limerick and Ireland through the fundraising efforts of a group in Doon called the Mustard Seed. Noel said the boys live in the home for many complicated and tragic reasons, that are personal to them. Their parents havent been present or able to care for them in a healthy manner. The boys journeys have found them here, in a new place that is home. Most of the boys would have been in State care until they were six, at which point they leave those homes and go to other homes. The boys are aged six to 18 but once the boys reach 18 they continue to come back at weekends and for the holidays, so there are probably 26 boys under 18 and then six to eight students who come back regularly, explained Noel, who is 35. He is glad to be in Bortniky despite the winter climate being very different to home! I remember listening to the radio in Ireland as a child hoping to hear that the few centimetres of snow that had fallen overnight would close the school for the day. Theres no such luck here as life seems to carry on in spite of the snow and ice. The school is on the grounds of the boys home and altogether is part of a territory with orchards, farmyard and sheds. Despite the cold, Noels welcome was warm It can only be accepted with humility. My experience of social work was a tricky balancing act between being a soft edge to the power of the State and being the exacting eyes and hands of the law. You can have all the systems imaginable in place, but if a person doesnt belong then they risk never belonging, and any help is only a poor addition to their previous ordeal. It can be noisy, and a bit chaotic at times, but the sense of togetherness is always apparent. This is something I think Ruslan, the director, is rightly proud of. He has mentioned several times how much emphasis he has put on creating and keeping a sense of family. Its reassuring to hear how important that specific goal is, because, after all, many of the boys havent had that chance in their families prior to coming here. Some older boys are attending college in the city and they return here at weekends and during the summer. It is their home, and that is perhaps the truest reflection of what this house offers, a place that is home. I think its something that the care industry risks forgetting as it doesnt need care to be personal if it relies on indicators and measurements to know how care is delivered. Its something unscientific that is extremely simple, and yet difficult to arrive at, and is something highly personal between a caregiver and the person being cared for. This sense of family is treasured by those in charge and they are aware of how valuable it is for the thirty two boys who live here, said Noel. The Mustard Seed group, based in Doon, are made up of people from different parts of Ireland trying to help the children of Russia/Ukraine. In 1992, while visiting Ukraine they witnessed the poverty. From 1994 to 2004 containers of aid were sent. Since 2004 they have been mainly involved with fundraising events for the children's home like coffee mornings, cake sales, carol singing, said Noel, who is giving the greatest gift of all his time. U.S. Seashells stamps: When and where they will be issued Jan 7, 2017, 3 AM Four nondenominated stamps fulfilling the 34 postcard rate will be issued Jan. 28 in San Diego, Calif. The illustrations by artist Sergio Baradat show North American seashells: the queen conch, the Pacific calico scallop, the alphabet cone, and the zebra By Michael Baadke United States stamps depicting four different seashells will be issued Jan. 28 in San Diego, Calif. The stamps will be sold in panes of 20 and coil rolls of 100. The nondenominated (34) stamps are each inscribed with the word Postcard and will fulfill the postcard rate regardless of future rate increases, much like a forever stamp is always valid for the current 1-ounce letter rate. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter While letter rates are scheduled to increase from 47 to 49 on Jan. 22, the 34 postcard rate is not slated to change. The Sandical Expo stamp show and exhibition is taking place Jan. 27-29 at the Al Bahr Shrine Center, 5440 Kearny Mesa Road in San Diego, but there has been no announcement from either the stamp show or the Postal Service that a ceremony will take place when the stamps are issued. Both varieties of the Seashells stamps are offset-printed by Ashton Potter USA Ltd., of Williamsville, N.Y. The shells depicted are all native to North American waters. The designs show the queen conch (also known as the pink conch), the Pacific calico scallop, the alphabet cone, and the zebra nerite, as rendered by artist Sergio Baradat, art director for the United Nations Postal Administration. USPS art director Greg Breeding also served as designer and typographer for the issue. The highly stylized stamp art expresses a lighthearted, artistic view of shells, the U.S. Postal Service said in its Stamp Announcement 17-04. The horizontal swaths of white and blue in the background suggest waves washing the shells onto a beach. The Seashells stamps are the third assignment Baradat has completed for the U.S. Postal Service. His first published stamp illustration was the 37 Mambo stamp issued in 2005 (Scott 3942) as part of the four-stamp Lets Dance set. In 2008, Baradat illustrated five designs for the 27 Tropical Fruit postcard-rate stamps, issued in a pane of 20 and a coil of 100 (Scott 4253-4262). He began working with the UNPA just a few years after that. Baradat, who earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Parsons School of Design in New York, told Linns that he researched the various species that are depicted on the stamps with reference books and photographs. To create the designs, he began with sketches using pencil and paper, and noted that he prefers to do most of the artwork by hand. Its fully designed and executed, everything is done in pencil, Baradat said. Then I scan it in, and I build everything digitally. He added that he does numerous sketches and tracings, refining the art with each step. Color is added on the computer. Baradat said that his work on stamp designs stems in part from his enjoyment of stamp collecting as a youngster. The new set is the second to be issued with four designs and bearing the nondenominated postcard-rate designation. The first is the Coastal Birds set of four, issued June 1, 2015 (Scott 4991-4998). The Coastal Birds set, which is still on sale, was also issued in panes of 20 and coils of 100, and presumably will be replaced eventually by the new Seashells issue. Technical details and first-day cancel ordering information for the new Seashells postcard-rate stamps can be found below. Nondenominated (34) Seashells postcard-rate stamps, four designs FIRST DAY Jan. 28, 2017; city San Diego, Calif., and nationwide. DESIGN: illustrator Sergio Baradat, New York, N.Y.; designer, art director and typographer Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, Va.; modeler Joseph Sheeran. PRINTING: process offset with microprinting; printer and processor Ashton Potter USA Ltd., Williamsville, N.Y.; press Muller A76; inks cyan, magenta, yellow, black, Pantone Matching System 7471C turquoise, PMS 5C cool gray; paper nonphosphored type III, block tagging; gum self-adhesive. Pane of 20 Issue quantity 150 million stamps; format pane of 20, from 400-subject cylinders; size 0.73 inches by 0.84 inches (image); 0.87 inches by 0.98 inches (overall); 5.35 inches by 4.93 inches (full pane); plate numbers P followed by six single digits; marginal markings plate numbers in four corners of pane (front); 2016 USPS, USPS logo, promotional text, bar code 119600 in two locations, plate position diagram (back); USPS item No. 119604. Coil of 100 Issue quantity 500 million stamps; format coil of 100, from 768-subject cylinders; size 0.7037 inches by 0.84 inches (image); 0.8437 inches by 0.98 inches (overall); plate numbers P followed by six single digits on every 32nd stamp; USPS item No. 749904. First-day cancel ordering information Standard ordering instructions apply. Collectors requesting first-day cancels are encouraged to purchase their own stamps and affix them to envelopes. Envelopes must be franked with at least 47 postage. The first-day cover envelopes should be addressed for return (a removable label may be used), and mailed in a larger envelope addressed to FDOI Seashells, Stamp Fulfillment Services, Cancellation Services, 8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64144-9900. Requests for first-day cancels must be postmarked by March 28. The Postal Services uncacheted first-day cover sets for the Seashells stamps are item 119616 at $4.48 for a set of four covers from the stamp pane, with two stamps per envelope; and 749916 at $4.48 for a set of four from the coil, with two stamps per envelope. USPS order numbers for stamps and FDCs also appear in Linns 2017 U.S. Stamp Program. Catholic Social Services says it continues to strengthen and empower families through its diverse programs and social services through strong community support. Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Laredo, through its humanitarian component, is currently serving immigrants who find themselves in the city, either for a few hours or a few days. The nonprofit organization is asking the community for donations, which can be dropped off at 1919 Cedar. "We as Catholics have a responsibility to respond and help in any way we can," a news release states. "They are our brothers and sisters in need and we must not turn our backs on them. The Catholic Church just celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. "We need to remember that Mary and Joseph experienced the reality of being refugees. They were not welcomed, had doors shut to them and Jesus was born in the lowliest of places, a stable, and all because He, his mother Mary and Joseph were fleeing from danger. They experienced what hundreds and thousands of immigrants are experiencing today as they flee from hunger, war, extortion and exploitation. Immigrants are looking for a place that can bring safety and security for themselves as well as their families." Catholic Social Services is providing a care package backpack that includes a personal hygiene package, water, snacks and a throw blanket. To assist immigrants, CSS is asking the community for assistance by donating: Throw blankets Cases of bottled water Cases of Gatorade Boxes of granola bars Ramen, maruchan cup noodles/soups Travel-size toiletries Catholic Social Services' programs are serving the families who are in crisis and most in need of assistance to ensure families do not become homeless as well as serving the immigrants and elderly in the Laredo and surrounding communities. Catholic Social Services of Laredo's mission is committed to serving the emergency needs of the indigent and believes that all persons have the right to live in an environment that is free from violence, fear, abuse and oppression. A music teacher in The Woodlands has been accused of sexually assaulting a child under 14, and police are looking for more possible victims. Bernardo Placencia, 22, gave private lessons for two years at the School of Rock at 30420 FM 2978 in the suburb north of Houston. Check out our latest E-Edition Accessible anytime and anywhere on your desktop, tablet and smart phone devices. The Lodi News e-Edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools, including RSS feeds, social networking and much more. Check out our latest E-edition! In late 2015, in a new initiative by the airport,Ireland West Airport staff voted to select 3 Irish charities for the inaugural Ireland West Airport Charity of The Year programme for 2016. Over the course of 2016 events took place with Ireland West Airport employees getting involved to support the three charities. The most successful fundraiser in 2016 was the inaugural Bank of Ireland 5km Runway Run, which saw over 1,500 people take to the airports runway in glorious sunshine in late May the first time in the airports 30 year history that the airports runway was open to the public for a charity run. In addition the airport hosted a gala night attended by 500 guests, to mark the 30th anniversary of the official opening of the airport. Both events generated significant funds all of which went towards the fundraising efforts for the three charities. Speaking at the cheque presentation, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, Ireland West Airport, said, "2016 has been a memorable year at the airport as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the official opening of the airport. This year was the first year of our charities of the year initiative and we are delighted to be presenting a cheque to the three charities for over 30,000 which will support the fantastic work been done by these charity organisations. "The fantastic work that these charities all undertake really does make such a difference to the people that they support in our community. This new initiative is part of the on-going support and social responsibility activities that help the airport build bridges with the local community and we look forward to a successful year of fundraising with three new charities in 2017." Mike Crowe, Fundraising Manager, MS Ireland, said, "MS Ireland were delighted and privileged to have been selected as one of the Charities for 2016 at Ireland West Airport. Throughout the year, the staff raised more than 10,000 for MS Ireland of which we are very appreciative as are the people who rely on our services. On behalf of MS Ireland, I would like to sincerely thank all the staff at the airport and assure all the employees that every cent they have raised will be used wisely and prudently." Richard Flaherty, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Care West, said, "I would like to sincerely thank Ireland West Airport and all of its staff members for their dedication, generosity and wonderful fundraising efforts on behalf of Cancer Care West this year. The funds you have raised will support many Cancer patients throughout the West of Ireland." Brian Higgins, Chief Executive Officer, Pieta House, said, "We are so incredibly grateful to Ireland West Airport for their immense support and their fundraising efforts over the course of the past year. Because of this kind of commendable support, we at Pieta House are in a position to continue to offer our services for free to those who need them those in suicidal crisis, those who self-harm and anyone who has been bereaved by suicide. We have always had a huge level of backing in the West and this is just another example of this at work. So thank you to everyone involved." The US Ambassador to Ireland Kevin OMalley was in Longford recently where he received a guided tour of St Mels Cathedral. The Ambassador, who was on his way to Carrick-on-Shannon, made a courtesy call to Longford Co Council, where he was welcomed by Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr PJ Reilly (FF). The Ambassador was on his way to Carrick and stopped off in Longford to meet with local authority members, added Cllr Reilly who then pointed out that Mr OMalley was subsequently given a guided tour of St Mels Cathedral by a former member of An Garda Siochana. He was very impressed with St Mels Cathedral. Meanwhile, the US Ambassador engaged in a meet and greet with local VIPs and was then presented with a piece of Bog Oak by Cllr Reilly. It was great honour for me to welcome Kevin OMalley to Longford, said the local area representative in the Granard Electoral Area. I found him to be very friendly and genuine. Kevin OMalley was sworn in as US Ambassador to Ireland on September 30, 2014 and presented his credentials to President Michael D Higgins on October 8, 2014. He is an attorney in St Louis, Missouri and has been an adjunct professor both at Washington University School of Law and St Louis University School of Law. He is also a nationally recognised author of a treatise on jury instructions that is used in federal jury trials throughout the United States. His Irish credentials are impeccable. Both of his parents were Irish and his paternal grandparents emigrated from Westport in Co Mayo. They left Ireland in the early years of the last century; their pockets were empty but they had hope in their hearts, courage galore, and a shared vision for the future. It seems that they would need it all as they trundled their seven children onto a boat in Cobh and then to Queenstown in 1907 and set sail for a new life in America. Fianna Fail TD Eugene Murphy has highlighted the fact that the Roscommon/Longford Garda division has the second lowest number of Garda reservists in the country and he is hopeful that plans to recruit 300 new reserves annually will have a direct impact on the region. He has also highlighted the fact that the number of Garda reservists in the Galway area has almost halved over the last two years. Deputy Murphy raised the issue of the alarmingly low numbers of Garda reserves through an oral question to the Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald. The Fianna Fail TD noted that there were only 11 Garda reserves in the Roscommon/Longford Garda division in September of 2016 which was the second lowest rate in the country. This figure is down 7 from 18 in 2014 and is deeply alarming- Concerns have been expressed for some time that we are not maximising the potential of the Garda reserve. The Garda Inspectorate report Changing Policing in Ireland, published just before Christmas, pointed out that despite receiving considerable training, reserves are not consistently or strategically utilised for operational purposes, said Deputy Murphy. Figures also show that there were a total of 24 Garda reservists in the Sligo/Leitrim division in September 2016 which is only a marginal drop of one since 2014. However Galway has seen a drop of 48% in the number of Garda reservists since 2014 going from 70 down to 36 in September 2016 which represents a decrease of 48.6%. The Fianna Fail Deputy welcomed the fact that in response to his query to the Tanaiste and Minister for Justice it emerged that work has begun on the development of a recruitment plan with the objective of recruiting and training 300 new reserves annually, starting in 2017, to bring the strength of the Reserve up from its current strength of 789 members to 2,000. Deputy Murphy also welcomed the Tanaistes comments that her office is currently examining the possibility of recruitment at a regional or divisional level, rather than centrally and also the manner in which the training is delivered. It is very important that the alarmingly low numbers of Garda reservists in the Roscommon/Longford Garda division is addressed and I am calling for a particular regional focus which would benefit more rural areas which have suffered from the withdrawal of services and reductions in Garda numbers over the past number of years. By expanding the reserve it will also free up Gardai to more front-line policing activities, said Deputy Murphy. Nature & Weather, Local News, Seasonal & Current Events By Brian Re Published: January 07 2017 6-12 inches of snow will fall on Long Island today, with portions of eastern Long Island experiencing the highest accumulation. Before the first full week of 2017 comes to a close, Long Islanders will be preparing for snowfall that will range from 6 to 12 inches today. Yesterday morning's accumulation was more of a dusting, but the National Weather Service expects that today's snowfall will be significantly greater. Nassau County and Suffolk County are both included in the Winter Storm Warning, with New York City maintaining a Winter Weather Advisory. The snow if expected to begin falling this morning, with the late morning and afternoon seeing the heaviest rate of snowfall. The storm will lessen by this evening and all accumulation is expected to stop during the final hours of Saturday. Though 3-6 inches are expected for the boroughs, Nassau County should expect higher accumulation of around 6-8 inches. Suffolk County will be experiencing the worst of the storm, however, and accumulation is forecast to increase for eastern communities, totaling 8-12 inches. Individuals who will be traveling are urged to exercise extreme caution as visibility will be reduced to one-quarter mile or less throughout the late morning and afternoon. Temperatures in the lower 20s and wind gusts of up to 30 mph will add to the hazardous conditions. For the most up to date weather information, head over to the LongIsland.com Weather Center, where you can find the latest weather forecasts, advisories and more. To get the latest traffic & road conditions before traveling, visit the LongIsland.com Traffic Center, and be sure to check out the live traffic feeds on our Traffic Cam Page. Please visit our Long Island School Closures Page for regular updates of school closings in your district. [Source: NWS] Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases According to data compiled by FDDs Long War Journal, al Qaeda and its many allies and affiliates launched at least 257 attacks in Mali and the wider West Africa region in 2016, nearly a staggering 150 percent uptick from the groups 106 assaults in the 2015 calendar year. The number is the combination of attacks claimed by, or attributed to, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), AQIMs Katibat Murabitoon, Ansar Dine (a front group for AQIM), and two battalions of Ansar Dine, named Katibat Macina and Katibat Khalid bin Walid (also referred to as Ansar Dine South of the River). Aside from Mali, assaults in nearby Burkina Faso, Niger and the Ivory Coast were included in the Long War Journals figures. Of the 257 attacks, 93 came as a result of improvised explosive devices. Another 27 were from mortar or rocket barrages aimed at French, Malian, or UN military bases in northern Mali. There were 11 kidnappings, with nine occurring in Mali and one each in Burkina Faso and Niger. Six were suicide bombings. The remaining 120 attacks were a variation of assaults, ambushes, or assassinations. The northern region of Kidal continued to be the most volatile region of Mali, with 88 attacks occurring with the region. Timbuktu reported at least 57 assaults, while Gao was relatively less volatile with just 41 attacks. In the southern half of the country, there were at least 51 attacks. The final 20 occurred in Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, with just one in Algeria. Surprisingly, only 14 percent of al Qaedas claimed attacks (37) were directed at civilians. Rather, Malian security forces (military, national guard, gendarmerie, and police) were the prime target for jihadists, with those security forces being the target in 84 instances. The UNs forces were targeted 75 times, second-most frequently. Another 35 were directed at French forces. Tuareg forces were targeted at least six times. The last 20 was the aforementioned number in neighboring countries. Ansar Dine claimed responsibility for 84 total attacks while AQIM claimed 21. Three separate attacks, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger, have been claimed by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Additionally, a group calling itself Ansaroul Islam, claimed an assault on a Burkinabe military post in northern Burkina Faso on Dec. 16. Ansaroul Islam is allegedly led by an ally of Amadou Kouffa, the leader of Ansar Dines Katibat Macina and is possibly a Burkinabe branch of the jihadist group, according to risk consultancy firm Menastream. Every region of Mali saw an uptick in al Qaeda-linked violence, including the southern half of the country which is generally regarded as the safer side of Mali. The Malian military was also targeted more than any other faction, which is a significant increase from 2015. However, this is to be expected as the Malian security forces take more responsibility. The large number of attacks also represents a resurgent al Qaeda-led insurgency in northern Mali, which has been able to penetrate into southern Mali with greater frequency than in previous years. Ansar Dine and its branches appear to have regrouped in the face of the French-led counterterrorism mission, while the reintegration of Al Murabitoon, led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, into AQIM appears to have helped breathe new life into the regional al Qaeda branch. Ansar Dines ethnic Fulani branch, Katibat Macina (also known as the Macina Liberation Front), has enabled the jihadist group to tap into local ties and connections in southern Mali which has made assaults easier there. Additionally, since the Fula ethnic group is one of the largest in West Africa, this could help in transnational recruitment of Fulani fighters. If it is confirmed that the Burkinabe group Ansaroul Islam, which is predominately Fulani, is connected to Ansar Dine this could be the culmination of that possibility. Despite a French-led counterterrorism mission and a United Nations peacekeeping force, Al Qaeda still retains the ability to operate openly in Mali. And unlike previous years, Al Qaeda has been able to strike throughout West Africa. The attack frequency and scale is expected to continue in 2017. Since the UN mandate began in 2013, more than 80 peacekeepers and six other employees have been killed in Mali, making it the deadliest UN peacekeeping force in the world. Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Culture / Events Jan 07, 2017 | By Vimi Haridasan For 16 years Asia pacific Superyachts has been organising the annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous. 2016 saw Mai Khao at SALA Phuket Resort & Spa host the three-day event that featured parties, competitions and gala events that propelled this into an exceptional event. A dose of friendly competition never hurt anyone and the participants at the event embraced the atmosphere when they went head to head for the Benetti Challenge and the Winners Cup. All work and no play was certainly not the motto for the participants and organisers. The crew and owner Mark Robba of the S/Y Dunia Baru welcomed guests on board for an unforgettable cocktail party while the SALA Restaurant was the venue for an elegant Gala Dinner. Over the first race day, participants such as the S/Y Bliss, S/Y Dallinghoo, S/Y Aphrodite and S/Y Tiara took to the calm seas thanks to the light wind and clear skies to take on a sausage course. The day ended with three yachts crossing the finish lines within a minute of each other, making it an adrenaline-pumping end. The next day was met with stiff winds and lovely weather that was a welcome to those racing out at sea. Showing off their skills and workmanship, the four finalists put on an impressive performance that thrilled spectators. Clinching the top spot was S/Y Aphrodite who became the champions of the inaugural ASR Winners Cup. Aphrodites Captain Simon Blundell who seems to have had a wonderful experience and expressed his interest in returning for the next Asia Superyacht Rendezvous upon accepting the award at the Gala Dinner. Sharing the same sentiment, SALA Resort Phuket General Manager Jon Ashenden said It was the best thing we did, it really was. Its brought exposure to the brand, and brought great recognition to the destination on Mai Khao. After experiencing this, we would love to be re-involved in this completely unique experience to our customers and our guests. Lifestyle / Travel With just over a month to go until Valentines Day, National Geographic has published its guide to the worlds 50 most romantic destinations for couples Jan 07, 2017 | By Staff Writer For a Valentines Day getaway, a wedding destination or an anniversary trip from Singapore, there are plenty of romantic destinations out there for lovers. National Geographic has picked 50 particularly romantic places for a new visual guidebook, packed with stunning photos offering travel inspiration before you even book an air ticket. More than 200 photos give star-crossed travelers food for thought, with a taste of what to expect from each destination. The American publication has included classic lovers haunts such as Paris and Venice, as well as paradise destinations that are the stuff of dreams, such as the Bahamas and Bali. The guide also features a selection of lesser known romantic destinations to discover, taking lovers off the beaten track to the picturesque canals in the old town of Liijang, in the Chinese province of Yunnan, for example. Romantic vacationers can even choose destinations by season, for a festive trip amid snow-filled scenery or cozying up in an igloo in Iceland. National Geographic lists a host of great places to watch sunsets and sunrises. While there are thousands of places in the world to enjoy this ultimate romantic experience, certain places stand out with spectacular views, or outstanding locations. In California, for example, the guide recommends Pacific Grove, and, more precisely, Lovers Point, where lovebirds can watch the sun rise up over the sea. Machu Picchu in Peru promises another stunning sunrise. In fact, Peru looks like a prime destination for lovers, since National Geographic also recommends Limas Parque de Amor, home to a competition for couples who sustain the longest kiss. The Worlds Most Romantic Destinations: 50 Dreamy Getaways, Private Retreats, and Enchanting Places to Celebrate Love National Geographic $25 At least five people were killed and eight others injured today when a gunman opened fire at US' Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, the latest mass shooting incident to rock the country. Florida's Broward County Sheriff's office confirmed the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The sheriff also said that a suspect was in custody at the airport. The Sheriff's office said five people were dead and eight had been taken to a hospital. The shooting took place in Terminal 2 in the baggage claim area, outside the TSA checkpoint, police said. Air Canada and Delta Airlines operate out of Terminal 2. People were corralled onto the tarmac and paramedics were at the scene, police said. All services at the airport have been temporarily suspended, the airport tweeted. Hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene. Police received a call just before 1300 local time (2330 IST) about shots fired at Terminal Drive. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said in a tweet, "I'm at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running." A Miami TV station tweeted footage claiming to be from inside the baggage terminal. The video shows several injured people lying on the floor as witnesses shout for medical help. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that the shooter acted alone and that there is no evidence of a partner. "At this time we do not have a motive, but we are actively investigating that," she said. Florida Governor Rick Scott wrote on social media, "I am on my way to Fort Lauderdale International Airport to be briefed by law enforcement." "The shooter was very skinny. He seemed to be very young... He was just letting himself be dragged by the police. It was scary," an eyewitness said. More than 325 departure and 325 arrival flights come in and out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in a day, according to the airport's website. Over 73,000 travellers are at the airport on a daily basis. PTI Hollywood star Vin Diesel says he is blessed to know his "xXx: Return of the Xander Cage" co-star Deepika Padukone. The 49-year-old-actor, who was in Mexico along with the film's entire cast and crew for its promotions, posted special message on Instagram for the actress as she turned 31. "Happy birthday to a truly amazing soul. So talented, stunning and regal. Blessed to know you and call you a real friend," Diesel wrote alongside Deepika's poster from "xXx: Return of the Xander Cage". The action-thriller, which is set to hit the Indian theatres on January 14, will mark Deepika's Hollywood debut. In fact, Diesel will visit India two days before the film's release to promote it along with "Bajirao Mastaani" star. D J Caruso, who has helmed the movie, also took to the social media to wish Deepika. "Happy Birthday @deepikapadukone. You embody Lana Turner w/the grace of Audrey Hepburn and u can kick some ass too," he wrote on Twitter. Thanking all her fans and friends for their wishes, Deepika, who was also in Mexico for the film's promotion, said, "Mexico City+ One of xXx promotions+ Its My Birthday= What A Truly Amazing Day. Thank you all so much for all the love and wishes." PTI Sell those Euros. Sell'em How do you know a real FX opportunity from a fake one? Late last Thursday night (Dec. 29), I got an insistent email from a colleague. Jim Martens, long-time editor of our forex-focused Currency Pro Service sent me this message with only a subject line: -------- Original message -------- From: Jim Martens Date: 12/29/16 9:16 PM (GMT-05:00) To: Vadim Pokhlebkin Subject: Sell those euros. Sell'em It was around 9:30 PM when I read Jim's email, glanced at a EURUSD chart and saw that it had spiked about 300 pips higher in after-hours trading: At the time, news stories included some head-scratching. As our next-day Short Term Update put it, "The [Euro] surged to 1.0654 in overnight trading. Several financial stories were at a loss for the sharp rise. "No 'particular' news seems to be driving the euro's jump," says the head of forex sales at an Asian bank. Bloomberg called the jump a "Mystery Move." Even if the reasons behind it weren't clear, without a doubt many forex traders saw the 300-pip jump as the start of a bigger rally. But to our Currency Pro Service team it was clear it wasn't the start of anything. Here's the same chart with Elliott wave labels shown: "Sell those euros," as the subject line said. You can see why: We saw the rally as the last gasp of a wave 2 correction. In fact, for days leading towards that spike EURUSD's wave patterns called for the decline to resume: When last Thursday's "mystery" rally came up to within pips of a .618 Fibonacci resistance area, it warned us that the bottom was ready to fall out. Which it did. On Tuesday (Jan. 3), the U.S. dollar index hit a fresh 14-year high against the euro and other competitor currencies. This Currency Pro Service chart shows you the extent of EURUSD's decline: In a Tuesday morning intraday update, Jim Martens wrote: EURUSD [Posted On:] January 03, 2017 09:38 AM (Last Price 1.0393): Good morning and welcome to our intraday coverage of the first New York session of 2017. We ended 2016 suggesting the euro might experience a rough start to the new year. It's down 1.10% since Friday. Also on Tuesday, a Reuters headline said: "Dollar hits 14-year highs after strong U.S. manufacturing data." If only the news could really explain everything. Trading Forex: How the Elliott Wave Principle Can Boost Your Forex Success Learn how to put the power of the Wave Principle to work in your forex trading with this free, 14-page eBook. EWI Senior Currency Strategist Jim Martens shares actionable trading lessons and tips to help you find the best opportunities in the FX markets you trade. Download your free eBook now This article was syndicated by Elliott Wave International and was originally published under the headline "Sell those euros. Sell'em.". EWI is the world's largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts led by Chartered Market Technician Robert Prechter provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world. About the Publisher, Elliott Wave International Founded in 1979 by Robert R. Prechter Jr., Elliott Wave International (EWI) is the world's largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. GEORGETOWN A 77-year-old man was killed Friday morning when the car he was driving spun into the opposing lane and was struck by another car, WickedLocal.com reported. Georgetown police said the unidentified man had to be extricated from the wreckage of his vehicle before he was transported to a Newburyport hospital. He was pronounced dead not long after arrival. A passenger in the dead man's vehicle was not injured in the crash. The 39-year-old driver of the second car was transported to a hospital in Haverhill where he was treated for minor injuries and released. Georgetown police and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section are investigating the incident. DARTMOUTH A 14-year-old Dartmouth high school freshman remains in critical condition in a Rhode Island hospital after she was struck by a car Thursday afternoon. The Standard-Times reported that Skyla Luk-Romano had just left a Dartmouth Street dance studio and was crossing the street to her father's car when she was struck by a Nissan Setra just after 5 p.m. Witnesses told police the car that hit Lynk-Romano fled the scene. Emergency medical personnel transported the girl to Crapo Field in Dartmouth where she was placed on a medical helicopter and flown to the Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. The driver of the car later turned herself into police. Jessica Skaggs, 34, of New Bedford surrendered to police at Dartmouth Police headquarters. She was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, was released on $500 cash bail following her arraignment in New Bedford District Court Friday. SPRINGFIELD A car was somehow flipped upside down during a four vehicle collision in Springfield's Bay neighborhood on Friday night. Police responded to Roosevelt Avenue near its intersection with Bay Street at approximately 4:45 p.m., after a call came in for an accident involving multiple vehicles. The crash occurred in the southbound lane of Roosevelt Avenue. The details of how the accident occurred or how one of the vehicles was flipped upside down during the collision has not been made public at this time. Capt. Robert Strempek of the Springfield Police Department said that there were injuries as a result of the crash, but a police officer at the scene said that no one had been hospitalized so far. Multiple police cruisers and an ambulance could be seen at the site of the incident, and traffic was heavily slowed as a result of the congestion. At approximately 5:30 p.m., a tow truck appeared and police blocked off the traffic in the southbound lane so that workers could remove the vehicle from the road. storm 2915-6.jpg A motorist shovels his car out of a snow bank on Belmont Avenue in Springfield in 2015. (MARK M. MURRAY / THE REPUBLICAN ) (Mark Murray) CHICOPEE With much of Western Massachusetts under a winter weather advisory, city officials have issued a winter parking ban that will remain in effect through Sunday. The ban, which will run from noon on Saturday until midnight on Sunday, limits where motorists can park cars during the 12-hour period, according to the Chicopee Department of Public Works. Drivers will not be allowed to park their vehicles on main roads, one-way streets or on the even side of side streets, city officials announced. Chicopee could get up to eight inches of snowfall Saturday as part of a winter storm that's expected to bring blizzard-like conditions and up to two feet of snow to state's southeastern shore, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. The eastern part of Massachusetts is expected to see the brunt of the storm with more than a foot of snow possible in communities east of Worcester and Fitchburg, according to National Weather Service data. Weather officials, meanwhile, predict between zero and six inches to fall in the Berkshires Saturday and between four and eight inches to fall in Springfield. Update: Connecticut State Police reported the highway was re-opened around 7 p.m. Saturday, although they warned of heavy delays for travelers using the highway. ROCKY HILL, Conn. - A snowstorm that could bring up to 8 inches of snow to a wide swath of the state began to move in Saturday afternoon, causing a nearly 30-vehicle pileup in the southbound lanes of I-91. No one was seriously injured in the crash involving at least 20 cars, three tractor trailers and a tanker, according to Connecticut State Police. The 1 p.m. crash at exit 21 is one of several that have clogged up the highway in that area. I-91 is closed in both directions from exit 20 to exit 25. State police advise all drivers to check road conditions before traveling in the storm. The Hartford Courant reports light snow started falling in the city at around 11 a.m. The storm could last until midnight in some parts of the state. cow says hi.jpg Dairy farms in Hadley and Leyden are among those to receive the latest round of state infrastructure grants. (Mary Serreze photo) LEYDEN -- Without successful farms, the New England landscape would be more developed, the region would be importing more food, and the six-state economy would be less resilient. With that in mind, Massachusetts Department of Agriculture awards annual infrastructure grants to farms that are not only committed to economic success, but to land conservation. The Baker administration on Friday announced $375,000 in such grants. The grants will fund diverse projects, including orchard development, hay barn construction, farm stands, and improved milking operations -- all capital investments designed to improve viability. Cook Farm in Hadley won a $100,000 dairy infrastructure grant. The money will improve the calf barn and farm store, which is popular for its homemade ice cream, lunch restaurant, and raw milk, said Bess Cook. "It's all about diversifying our operation," she said. Cook Farm owns about 150 acres, about two-thirds protected under the state's Agricultural Protection Restriction program. Bree-Z-Knoll Farm in Leyden, with its 350 acres, was awarded $100,000 to improve its dairy infrastructure. The Facey family in 1997 helped found the Our Family Farms dairy cooperative. Owner Warren Facey, 73, has long been committed to land conservation. Facey recently helped protect hundreds of contiguous acres in Leyden, gaining the cooperation of a dozen neighbors, marshaling a state grant, and working with a coalition of stakeholders and conservation experts. Small Ones Farm on Bay Road in Amherst will build a new farm stand with its $25,000 grant. The 63-acre farm grows over 40 varieties of apples as well as pumpkins and garlic. The hilltop farm is well-known for its delicious pies. Walker Farm in New Braintree won $25,000 for a farmstand; Kip's Christmas Tree Farm in New Braintree gained $25,000 for a livestock barn, Stasinos Farm in Haverhill will use $25,000 to improve its orchard, and Ayrhill Farm in Adams won $50,000 for a hay barn. The grants are reserved for farms with land permanently protected through the state's Agricultural Preservation Restriction program. The farmers must also take part in technical and business consultation. According to the American Farmland Trust, there are about 4 million acres of farmland in New England, but around 16 million would be needed for the region to become food self-sufficient. The region still imports around 90 percent of its food. New England farm operations are challenged by high land prices, development pressures, aging farmers, and federal agricultural policies that favor large operations in the midwestern, western, and southern states. "This isn't Iowa," said U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Worcester) during a recent tour of local farms. "The needs and concerns of New England farmers are very different." SPRINGFIELD-- A Native American partnership has decided Hartford, East Hartford and South Windsor are not good locations to build a casino it wants to compete with an MGM resort/casino under construction in downtown Springfield. MMCT Venture, a Mashantucket Pequot-Mohegan partnership, created to build a casino in the northern tier of Connecticut, announced its decision Friday afternoon, The Day reported. Two sites remain in contention. Both East Windsor and Windsor Locks offer easy access to I-91, the group said. The Windsor Locks location has the added advantage of being close to Bradley International Airport, although the state Airport Authority has withdrawn sites at the airport itself from consideration. The state's third approved casino is designed to blunt competition from the Springfield complex now under construction in the south end of the city's downtown. The partnership is made up of the two tribal groups who own the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos operating in Mashantucket and Uncasville in the southeastern corner of the state. MGM Resorts International, meanwhile, called the selection process "a sham" in a statement to The Day. Alan Feldman, an executive vice president for MGM, said allowing the tribes to make the decision among themselves where to build the casino leaves city and state governments out of the process. The third casino is the first in the state not built on Native American tribally owned reservation land, and is the result of a state law passed by the Connecticut legislature. The two locations offer easy access from Springfield and northern Connecticut cities and towns, the tribes say they need to compete. The Windsor Locks location includes sites at Bradley International Airport, while the East Windsor site is a parcel off I-91 currently occupied by a former Showcase Cinema, a vacant Wal-Mart and a Big Y supermarket. MGM Springfield is on track for a 2018 grand opening on 14.5 acres in downtown Springfield, adjacent to I-91, and is expected to create at least 3,000 casino, hotel and other jobs, of which at least 2,200 will be employed on a full-time equivalent basis with benefits. Le HRD a publie le programme de la journee du 5 novembre 2022 au Champ de Mars qui sera organisee par le Peoples Turf PLC Ltd a partir du 12 h 30. 31e journee hippique de 2022 Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Error 404 Not Found You may have mis-typed the URL. Or the page has been removed. Actually, there is nothing to see here... Click on the links below to do something, Thanks! Take Me our of here by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, January 6, 2017 One of the hottest topics at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) drove the most search traffic for manufacturers during this past year. Branded terms for manufacturers of wearable devices -- mostly smartwatches -- generated the highest amount of search Web traffic, but when analyzing the change in traffic, connected-home Web sites improved the most with 242% more visits generated from branded keywords in November 2016. SimilarWeb analyzed searches for connected homes, wearables, virtual reality and augmented reality, and drones and robots. The company compared a year's worth of data from November 2015 to 2016, analyzing the desktop search traffic related to these categories or brands/product for both generic and branded keywords. Smart Home gadget companies like Nest, Ecobee, Belkin and Google Home saw their Web site traffic increase drastically, but one of the biggest winners was Amazon with its smart speaker Echo. SimilarWeb reported that three times more users reached the top connected home manufacturers' Web sites during November 2016 compared with the year-ago month, after searching for specific brands and products 1.69 million versus 550,000. advertisement advertisement The number of branded terms used also jumped significantly to 941 in November 2016, up from 483 November 2015. When searching for generic terms like thermostat or cam, 71% more visits were made to the top connected home manufacturers Web sites compared to November 2015. Some 138% more traffic was redirected to the Amazon Web site from "Echo" brand search terms 340,000 in November 2015, compared with 810,000 in 2016. In addition to connected homes, wearables became a keyword that was tossed around. Branded keywords terms related to wearables drove 31% more desktop search traffic to manufacturers Web sites, compared with the year-ago month. VR/AR rose 50% and drones rose 67%, respectively. Facebook Oculus, Samsung, Sony, HTC and Microsoft drove searches in the VR/AR market. SimilarWeb tracked a 43% increase in category search traffic from generic keywords like "VR." The number of generic keyword variations have also risen by 119% from 901 to 1,972. The number of branded search terms in the category increased by 50% -- from 840,000 visits in November 2015 to 1.26 million in November 2016 -- indicating increased familiarity with the leading products and companies in the space. by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, January 6, 2017 Four people are being charged with hate crimes in addition to a number of other offenses after they tortured a mentally disabled man while live streaming the incident on Facebook. The video, which was removed from Facebook but is still viewable on other sites, has been watched millions of times and quickly became a social and political flashpoint, encapsulating Americas fraught race relations. According to the states attorney for Cook County, Illinois, Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, and Brittany Covington, all 18 years old, and Tanishia Covington, 24 years old, are being charged with felonies, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, residential burglary and hate crime following the incident. (A previous blog post mistakenly stated that all the individuals were 18 years old.) Hill is also being charged with robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in connection with the theft of a van. advertisement advertisement The four were arrested on Wednesday after they live streamed themselves tying up and physically and verbally abusing an 18-year-old man, whom most news outlets are choosing not to identify by name. The assault included kicking, punching, cutting with a knife, and making him drink out of a toilet. The attackers, who are African-American, also utter obscenities including Fuck white people. After being held for around five hours on Tuesday, the victim escaped when a neighbor called the police, and was later found by police wandering the neighborhood on Chicagos west side, disoriented, bleeding and partly undressed, despite the frigid temperature. His parents had reported him missing from his home in a Chicago suburb on Sunday, two days after he met Hill, an acquaintance from high school, for a sleepover. President Obama, who began his political career in Chicago, condemned the incident as despicable and a hate crime in an interview with a reporter from a local Chicago area CBS station. However, he also emphasized he did not think racial tensions were worsening, but simply becoming more visible, due to technology like mobile phones and Facebook. by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, January 6, 2017 Trade groups representing Internet service providers are doing their best to convince the Federal Communications Commission to repeal its new privacy rules. But at least one provider said this week that the new regulations won't prevent the company from moving forward with its plans for targeted ads. "We believe we can successfully execute our plan and we are on an aggressive path to do that," Verizon executive vice president Marni Walden said this week at an industry event. The new rules, which took effect this week, prohibit Internet service providers from drawing on information about subscribers' Web activity and app usage for ad targeting, without their opt-in consent. The regulations only apply to companies that provide consumers with access to broadband, like Verizon and Comcast. Online publishers, search engines, social networks and other so-called "edge providers" aren't required to follow the FCC rules. Instead, those companies generally adhere to an industry code that allows consumers to opt out of receiving targeted ads based on Web-surfing data. (The self-regulatory code also requires companies to seek opt-in consent from consumers before drawing on a narrow category of "sensitive" data, including financial account information, geolocation data and certain types of healthcare information.) advertisement advertisement This week, Citigroup analyst Mike Rollins asked Walden whether the privacy regulations harmed Verizon by subjecting it to tougher standards than edge providers. She answered that Verizon needs to obtain opt-in consent for "targeted one-to-one kind of advertising" -- and that the situation is different for "others that we compete with." Nonetheless, she added, Verizon remains "on an aggressive path" to move forward with targeted ads. Despite its stance now, Verizon lobbied heavily against the privacy rules last year. The company argued to the FCC that opt-in consent should only be required for "the most sensitive use cases." Walden also said this week that the company has moved more slowly than she wanted to bring Verizon data to AOL due to privacy concerns, but plans to accelerate the data-merging this year. She said the company doesn't want to "compromise the relationship we have with our consumer," and will combine data "in a very responsible way." The company's record on that point is questionable. Verizon recently came under fire for its use of a controversial technology that involved inserting unique tracking headers -- 50-character alphanumeric strings -- into all unencrypted traffic on the mobile network. Last March, the FCC fined Verizon $1.35 million for using the tracking headers without fully disclosing them to consumers. The FCC also extracted promises from Verizon to obtain subscribers' opt-in consent before sharing tracking headers with a third party for targeted ad purposes, to opt out of having headers inserted into mobile traffic, and to opt out of having the headers used for ad purposes by companies affiliated with Verizon. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 6, 2017 The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) said Friday the Tech Lab will take responsibility for governance of the Mobile Verification Open-Source Software Development Kit (SDK) initiative, formerly managed by Integral Ad Science (IAS). The goal is to "simplify mobile viewability measurement for app publishers and establish better user experience for consumers," the IAB said. This marks the first acquisition for the new IAB Tech Lab Tool Repository, which will host tech tools that benefit the industry. The Mobile Verification Open-Source SDK was introduced late last year. It allows app publishers to measure their mobile inventory without integrating multiple SDKs from various partners. "The open-source solution will also improve user experience by reducing the load time necessary to run verifications against numerous SDKs," Alanna Gombert, SVP, technology and ad operations, IAB, and GM, IAB Tech Lab, wrote in a blog post. The IAB Tech Lab will work with IAS, alongside representatives of Ansible, Conversant, Google, InMobi, Lenovo, Mediametrie, Moat, MoPub, OpenX and The Trade Desk, as well as the 4As and the Media Rating Council. Other member companies are welcome to take part in the initiative by joining the IAB Tech Lab Coalition for Open Measurement, Gombert added. The IAB Tech Lab expects to release the initial version of the SDK in the first half of 2017. by Barbara Lippert , Featured Columnist, January 6, 2017 At an otherwise fractious and unpredictable time in American politics and media culture, former Fox anchor Megyn Kelly might be the only person around whose career planets are all aligned brilliantly, at this very moment. The 45-year-old-host of the Kelly File, whose new deal with NBC was announced this week, streaked onto the mainstream stage like a comet last August during the first Republican debate, when she had the (big league!) cojones to ask the now President-elect about his references to women as pigs and dogs. I dont respect her as a journalist. I dont think shes very good, Trump said, keeping the fight alive for days. He even turned it into a literal below-the-belt blood feud later on, telling an interviewer it was as if the red stuff were coming out of Kellys eyes and out of her wherever on debate night. Some took that term to mean her hoo-ha, which was a strange way of countering her original question about his treatment of women. advertisement advertisement Still, the continuing counter-punching with the president-to-be provided felicitous timing for the November publication of Kellys book, Settle for More. More great timing: Trump friend and Fox head Roger Ailes had been suddenly sacked in early fall after Gretchen Carlson sued him for sexual harassment. This allowed Kelly to tack on a chapter in the book about her own skirmishes with the serial groper, while never getting too specific. This appears to be Kellys greatest talent she seems to be tackling issues when she's really not. She and Trump made up later and her follow-up on-air interview with him came off as dull and bloodless. Yet all the attention to her unstoppable toughness added polish to the general Megyn Kelly brand, capped by the announcement that NBC hired her this week. For the (younger) population living in the alternative digital universe, however, this mega-part Megyn announcement might be met quizzically. Some of their questions could include: Whats a book? Whats a brand? Whats a network? And most crucially, What is news? Those are obviously complicated, cosmic questions. (Can we go with When a rich and powerful old male media titan loves a creative female publishing entity very much, and they want to make a baby, but then theres no ad money because of the infinite space on the Internet) Well, I hope great minds somewhere are working on redefining (or giving new meaning to) all these ancient terms. For now, most pundits agree that while the jury may be out about whether Kelly will be a good fit for NBC, the loss to Fox is more immediately measurable. (The network reportedly offered her a four-year, $20 million-a-year deal to stay.) This week, the liberal media universe was also thrown off its axis by the announcement that Greta Van Susteren would join MSNBC. That night, lefty goddess Rachel Maddow welcomed Greta aboard with a lengthy, gushy, compliment-filled on-air interview and said jollily they were old friends. It looks like ideas about media and identity will be malleable in the new age of Trump. The earliest word about Kellys hire: She would host a daily daytime show and a Sunday newsmagazine program. Both descriptors seem odd. Afternoon talk shows are where former anchors go to die Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira both had that experience. (And so did Anderson Cooper, but he kept his night job.) These shows start out smart and edgy, but by the time the second or third executive producer is brought in, they end up doing desperate segments on Fashion tips for looking thinner. The idea that Kelly would take over the 9 a.m. hour of The Today Show, however, makes much more sense, now that it has been hollowed out by the Billy Bush fiasco, again, involving female harassment and Trump. Isnt it ironic that Kelly would take Bush's place? Certainly, NBC has been through numerous scandals and upsets think about the way the network handled Ann Currys exit. But if NBC allows Kelly to bring on the people she wants to interview (and she gets the gets and stays tough), she might reinvent the hour. Women seem as ambivalent about Kelly as they are about Trump. Shes hard to categorize: a fearless interviewer of older white men, she also defended white Santa and rejects the term feminist. Sheila Weller, author of "The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour and the (Ongoing, Imperfect, Complicated) Triumph of Women in TV News," says of Kelly: "Shes a complete new thing. Shes a mixed bag, and she keeps it that way. She wears those silly cocktail dresses on TV, and keeps her views on choice private. Shes mysterious. She played the Fox game until she didnt. "She has found her own way, some faster way, to do this, that the women I wrote about didnt. They had to pay their dues. This seems to be similar to the way that Jennifer Lawrence as an actress found a way to vault past the crap every other woman in the category takes. She has some secret sauce that enables her to cut through. There are just certain people who make their own rules." Clearly, Kelly played the gorgeous-prom-queen-broadcaster game at Fox well, but after a dramatic photo shoot with Vanity Fair, chopped the Real Housewife-style hair extensions and went with a sleeker, tougher, Hitchcock-blonde look. Added to the mystery of how this post-Fox incarnation will work, consider this anomaly: NBC is paying her megabucks, while willingly acknowledging shes looking for more scheduling flexibility and time with her three small children. Emmyaward-winning producer Kim Kennedy, who has worked at CNN and CBS, says Kelly has some of the same qualities on television that other blonde, Trump, has shes provocative and buzzy. Kellys contract with Fox News runs through July, though, so she may not be able to join NBC News officially for months. Until then, shell play it close to the vest. My money is on her morphing into a more conventional liberal type on NBC, just as sister network MSNBC goes less left. Thats because one way or the other, Kelly knows its about building her own brand, her own way of remaining a star. Never mind identity politics, feminism, conservatism or leaning in. Shes finding a way to dance around it that seems oddly gender-free. I don't know if that's progress. But for now, she is sui generis and in her own orbit. Advertisement Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy - (http://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-disease-pregnancy/) Thyroid Nodules and Cancer During Pregnancy - (http://www.hormone.org/patient-guides/2012/thyroid-nodules-cancer-and-pregnancy) Erik K. Alexande et al.2017 Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the Diagnosis and Management of Thyroid Disease during Pregnancy and the Postpartum. Thyroid; (2017) doi:10.1089/thy.2016.0457 A normal pregnancy results in a number of important physiological and hormonal changes that alter thyroid function.During pregnancy, two main hormones influence thyroid functions:, the hormone that is measured in the pregnancy test and, the main female hormone.The high levels of HCG during pregnancy may result in a slightly low thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH . When this occurs, the TSH will be slightly decreased in the first trimester and then return to normal throughout the duration of pregnancy.Estrogen increases the amount of thyroid hormone binding proteins in the serum which increases the total thyroid hormone levels in the blood.The growing fetus is completely dependent on the mother during the first trimester of pregnancy. After that though the baby's thyroid gland starts to produce thyroid hormones, it still remains dependent on the mother for ingestion of adequate amounts of iodine, which is essential to make the thyroid hormones.Theto maintain adequate thyroid hormone production.The new Guidelines include 97 updated, evidence-based recommendations.It helps define current best practices for thyroid function testing, iodine nutrition, pregnancy complications, and treatment of thyroid disease during pregnancy and lactation.In pregnant women, the Guidelines provides information on the assessment and treatment of thyroid disease during pregnancy, preconception, and the postpartum period.The Guidelines also prompt thyroid considerations among infertile women and in fetus and neonates.The Guidelines include recommendations related to the diagnosis and management of various thyroid conditions like:- Underactivity of the thyroid gland causes hypothyroidism. In hypothyroidism the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone to keep the body running normally.If not treated, hypothyroidism can cause maternal anemia, muscle pain, weakness, congestive heart failure, pre-eclampsia, placental abnormalities, low birth weight infants, and postpartum hemorrhage.In the baby, Thyroid hormone is critical for brain development. If not managed well, children born with congenital hypothyroidism (no thyroid function at birth) can have severe cognitive, neurological and developmental abnormalities.- It is also known as thyrotoxicosis. It is caused by overactivity of the thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism may present during the first trimester or may aggravate during this period when a woman already has the condition.If adequate care is not give, hyperthyroidism can result in early labor and a serious complication known as pre-eclampsia.Uncontrolled maternal hyperthyroidism has been associated with fast fetal heart rate, small for gestational age babies, prematurity, stillbirths and congenital malformations.- Thyroid nodules are common lumps in the thyroid gland.These lumps can be solid growths of thyroid tissue or fluid-filled cysts. Most nodules that occur during pregnancy do not cause problems.Some thyroid nodules can trigger hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism which in turn can affect the health of a pregnant woman and her baby. Though most nodules are benign, appropriate treatment is required as some of these nodules can become malignant.- Certain risk factors for thyroid cancer among pregnant women are older age and low iodine intake."These guidelines provide a superb overview on the pathophysiology and the clinical management of thyroid disorders during and after pregnancy. In addition, they also define areas where additional research is needed; this will allow keeping the document living with further updates in the coming years," says Peter A. Kopp, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Thyroid and Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago."Produced by an international panel of recognized experts, these updated guidelines add to the library of similar documents on thyroid disease that serve as the gold standard for diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders and identify critical areas where more research and knowledge is needed," says, John C. Morris, III, MD, President of the ATA, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN."With an estimated 300,000 pregnancies impacted by thyroid disease in the United States annually, these guidelines coalesce the best available evidence into clear clinical recommendations, and will improve the health of many, many mothers and newborns alike," say Dr. Alexander and Dr. Pearce.Thewas led by Erik K. Alexander MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA and Elizabeth N. Pearce, MD, MSc, Boston University School of Medicine.The Guidelines are published in, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers and the official journal of the ATA.Source: Medindia Advertisement The charity has been running a pilot programme in eight areas where Age UK groups were actively trying to identify lonely older people and offer them companionship.Caroline Abrahams, Age UK's charity director, said: "This new analysis shows that about a million older people in our country (Britain) are profoundly alone, many of whom are likely to be enduring the pain and suffering of loneliness.""That's why the early results of our pilot programme into tackling loneliness in later life are so important: nine in 10 older people who were often lonely when they started the programme were less lonely six to 12 weeks later," she said.Many even said that they felt generally happier, more confident and more independent as a result, the poll showed. "Unfortunately, there is no simple solution for loneliness, but our pilot programme shows we really can make a difference and provide crucial insights into how the problem can be successfully overcome," Abrahams said.The Age UK groups worked with local people such as hairdressers, shopkeepers and faith groups to help identify older people experiencing or at risk of loneliness. They developed networks with professionals in voluntary and statutory services, such as community nurses, social workers and police community support officers, and others.Age UK has also developed a loneliness heat-mapping tool, which assesses risk factors such as age, marital status and number of household members. People identified as lonely by Age UK groups were provided with telephone support and short-term, face-to-face companionship.The results of the poll would feed into Age UK's submissions to the 'commission on loneliness', devised by late Labour MP Jo Cox, before she was murdered in 2016. The research agency TNS polled British residents aged over 60, asking them how many days a week they usually spent alone with no visits or telephone calls.Out of 2,241 people, 498 said they spent seven days on their own and 464 said five or six days. The results were then extrapolated to reach the national figures.Source: IANS Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. My one-day visit to New York can be considered a success on many fronts. A number of meetings took place with Greek American and Cypriot American organizations as well as with the Jewish lobby. My meeting with Mevlut Cavusoglu took place this morning, and we discussed Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issues, without our being able converge in our thinking on these issues. I met with the president of the UN General Assembly and, later, the UN Secretary-General, with whom we discussed mainly the Cyprus issues and the Greek views and positions, because the system of guarantees must be eliminated, there cannot be rights of intervention for any country in Cyprus, and foreign armed forces must be removed -- first of all the Turkish occupation forces. I also saw a large portion of president Trump's new administration team. I met with the National Security Advisor, Mr. Flynn, and his deputy. I saw the president's Chief of Staff and a number of Greek Americans who are close to his team. JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, would you like to comment on Aknc's letter to the UN Secretary-General? N. KOTZIAS: I think all of this concerns the problems of the non-acceptance by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot community of the fact that President Anastasiades -- in accordance with international law and the recognition he has from the UN and all of the international organizations -- is the President of the Republic of Cyprus and is participating in the Geneva conference in the double capacity of President of the Republic of Cyprus and representative of the Greek Cypriot community. JOURNALIST: What sense did you get from the meetings you had with the Trump team, not just on the Cyprus issue, but regarding Greek issues in general? N. KOTZIAS: A large portion of Mr. Trump's team are also Greek Americans who have a full knowledge of and insight into Greek problems. I didn't talk with the Trump team so much about matters concerning the Cyprus issue as about Middle East issues, the stability and security policy the Greek government is following, the trilateral cooperation configurations we are forming in the Middle East, the Rhodes security structure and spirit, as well as the cooperation we are creating on protection of religious and cultural communities of the Middle East. JOURNALIST: Did you discuss the economy issue with Mr. Flynn. N. KOTZIAS: No. What I discussed with Mr. Flynn is that, in the coming time, as soon as the new Trump administration is sworn in, there will be invitations for a visit from me, on foreign and international policy issues, and from the finance minister, on issues having to do with the IMF, the debt crisis and the handling of these issues. JOURNALIST: What is your assessment of the reaction of your colleague the Turkish Foreign Minister? What direction do you see us moving in next week and -- depending on your assessment -- do you see Turkey as being prepared to move ahead on the guarantees? N. KOTZIAS: That is a decision that will be made by President Erdogan regarding how he will handle it. What my colleague Mr. Cavusoglu and I agreed on is that we have to come up with even more thoughts. We didn't approach any convergence during the discussion, and, moreover, we also need to seek the criteria to be used in dealing with such issues. JOURNALIST: To what extent can Greece support Cyprus until the very end? It has its own problems. N. KOTZIAS: Greece always supports and will support Cyprus until the end, with the criteria of the interest of Cyprus itself and of the Cypriot people. On the issues that have to do with Security, namely guarantees, rights of intervention and the presence of the occupation army, we are opposed, and this is a policy we have followed consistently since taking office. I remind you that the first time we talked about this was my first visit to the UN, in April 2015. What I want to say is that, while in the past negotiations of 2004 and 2008, 2009 there was never systematic work on the elimination of the guarantees, the rights of intervention and the complete departure of the Turkish army, thanks to the fact that we opened up this issue in a timely manner, as soon as we took office, today it is considered a given that we at least need to discuss these matters and consider -- each of us -- whether we are in favour of or against their elimination. It is now an issue that cannot be taken off the agenda. I consider this a Greek foreign policy success. Thank you very much. Grab some popcorn because the next three years just got interesting. Every year the Disney fan club, D23 hosts the bi-annual D23 EXPO where Walt Disney Studios makes all kinds of announcements, shows exclusive sneak peeks, and hosts incredible presentations. BAD AXE The Huron County chapter of Right to Life (RTL) of Michigan will host a memorial service at 1:30 p.m on Jan. 22 on the steps of the Huron County Court House in Bad Axe. Rep. Edward Canfield, R-Sebewaing, will be the keynote speaker. Following the service, refreshments will be served at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1038 S. Van Dyke, Bad Axe. In case of inclement weather, the service will be at the Knights of Columbus Hall. This memorial service is one of the many projects that Huron RTL a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization of diverse and caring people united to peacefully protect the precious gift of life brings to the Huron County community. It is the goal of RTL to work so that women facing untimely pregnancies will come to know that abortion isn't the only option for them and their unborn child, according to information submitted to the Tribune. For more information about the service or the Huron Chapter of RTL, visit www.huronrtl.org and/or the group's Facebook page, or call Marilyn Stacer at 989-269-7024 or Jeanne Gusa at 989-658-8701. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Huron County Senior Center. In numerous events around the state, Michigan citizens will actively commemorate the 44th memorial of two U.S. Supreme Court decisions, which have legalized abortion since 1973. The pro-life people of Michigan will remember the 44th memorial of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton through various activities, including memorial services, candle light prayer vigil, educational rallies, marches and signature ads. BAD AXE A motion to change venue in the upcoming City of Bad Axe vs. Pamar Enterprises trial was denied Friday in Huron County Circuit Court. The Jan. 31 trial will address liability surrounding several sewage-flooded basements on streets near West Huron Avenue in the summer of 2013. Huron County Circuit Court Judge Gerald M. Prill told attorneys for the City of Bad Axe, Pamar and more than 20 plaintiffs to first try to seat an impartial jury. Pamar attorney Errick Miles blamed news reports, mostly by the Huron Daily Tribune, for the need to change venue to Bay County or Tuscola County. This was the second time that Pamar has requested a venue change. Miles cited several statements by former State Rep. Terry Brown, D-Pigeon, in an Oct. 31, 2013, Tribune article. He said Brown was publicly chastising Pamar, effectively pointing the finger at Pamar, saying that they were ... the cause of the City of Bad Axes sewer system and the residents damage. Ive asked MDOT not to have any more contracts with Pamar, Brown told the Tribune then. He also relayed a quote from Bad Axe City Manager Dale VanDeVusse from the same article. My personal opinion here, and Im not a suing person, but I would file suit against the construction company, VanDeVusse said. This is just one example of the City of Bad Axe blaming Pamar, Miles said. He said the fact that Bad Axe is a small community would hamper the objectivity of the jury pool. It is a small community, Prill said. I dont deny that. However, if you were to take that approach, there would be a number of cases I wouldnt be able to hear as well. Regarding media coverage, Prill said, Most (potential jurors) dont read it, or dont notice it, Citing the introduction of raw sewage into their houses, the loss and destruction of property, humiliation, emotional loss and pain and suffering, the plaintiffs are seeking compensation for the more than $600,000 in damages they collectively lost. But Pamar, according to court documents, denies liability. ... The sanitary sewer system had been stressed long before the events of July 2013 in ways unrelated to the conduct of the defendant, states court documents Pamar previously filed. The plaintiffs claim Pamar was at fault because it removed the concrete/asphalt road material from the project area, reducing it to a dirt/stone base which created a trenched area that could fill with water and overwhelm the sanitary sewer system. Pamar then left the site without proper monitoring or otherwise securing the site on July 6 and 8, during which the city experienced large amounts of rainfall. By that time, Pamar had cut openings for the sanitary system flush with new dirt/stone gravel. It did not take steps to ensure the sanitary sewer entrance was covered so as to not be accessed by water or other materials, the lawsuit alleges. Former Huron County Circuit Court Judge Richard M. Knoblock ruled similarly to Prill in September 2014. ... Id rather wait until we have a chance to try and seat a jury, stated Knoblock. If theres so much publicity we cant do it, then we can visit the idea of changing venue then, but until then, I think we ought to hang onto it. That trial had been scheduled for March 10, 2015. This matter needs to go to trial ... Jan. 31. Prill said Friday. This has got to be done. But it will not go if its prejudicial to any of the parties regarding jury selection. ... The motion is denied. However, it can be addressed again in the event that we cant seat a jury on the 31st. Prill also ordered a settlement conference scheduled for Jan. 17. Bad Axe residents listed as plaintiffs in the case are: Robert Tschirhart, Misty A, Prill, Cecil Pratt, Leland Pratt, Madalyn OConnor, Christopher A. Natzel, Shirley A. Murray, Marilyn R. McAllister, Janel Mayworm, Dustin R, Maurer, Ann Minnick Massey, Dolores Leonard, Michael J. Kohler, Kenneth A Hacker Sr., Esther Evans, Samuel M. Gage, Ruth Ann Etzler, Leonard J. Etzler, William H. Eppenbrock, Peter B. Capling, Sue Capling. Robert R. Brechhtel, Todd A Kloska, A. James Braun. The suit was originally filed on April 4, 2014. HURON COUNTY State Rep. Rep. Edward J. Canfield, R-Sebewaing, will meet with residents during office hours at two locations throughout the 84th House District this month. "I always look forward to the opportunity to sit down with people from our community and address their questions and concerns," Canfield said. "Gathering input from residents is an essential part of my job representing our district in Lansing." Office hours will be held at the following times and locations: Friday, Jan. 20, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Harbor Beach City Hall, 766 State St. in Harbor Beach. Monday, Jan. 30, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Columbia Township Library, 6456 Center St. in Unionville. No appointment is necessary. Residents unable to attend office hours are encouraged to contact Canfield by phone at 517-373-0476, or by email at EdwardCanfield@house.mi.gov. The new year is off and running; no more Clinton whiners, no more searching for hidden emails. Its time to stop crying about the past and what might have been and watch out for what many of us think is the impossible. I for one cannot believe the list of tasks President-elect Donald Trump hopes to accomplish in his first 100 days. The first 365 days would not be enough to deal with all the promises he has made. Seems to me, our president-elect should set aside some of those promises and quit adding more work to his pile. Our incoming president will not be the first to fail to accomplish all that was promised in the first 100 days. Many past presidents failed to deliver on promises. After two terms, and eight years in office, President Obamas score was not good. On the 500 promises made, according to Politifact, 48 percent were kept, 38 percent compromised and 24 percent broken. It seemed our president spent more time traveling around the world visiting other countries to discuss their needs than he spent on our countrys issues. One promise Obama kept was to provide $2.5 billion to help Iraqi refugees. Another was to get rid of all earmarks. The affordability of Obamacare is still in question and it will, at the least, need an overhaul. Promises of no cost of living increases were set aside as were the expected success with Veterans issues. I dont know about anyone else, but my Social Security report I just received announced the increase in the cost of living. It said I would, as a result, receive 3 percent more in my Social Security check. However, because I am on Medicare and enrolled in the governments Part D drug program, I will be receiving less in my check than I did four years ago. We could review many past presidents score on promises and probably arrive at numbers less favorable than President Obamas. We need to be aware, the promises being made by our president-elect will be very difficult to achieve. As the 115th Congress convened this week and everyone glad-handed, it was obvious Trump will have an uphill battle. Perhaps instead of worrying about who hacked a past activity or what will get hacked next, we should start addressing our countrys most urgent problems. Children being shot in their yards by roving gangs target practicing. I have advocated in the past that those carrying weapons need to face stiffer penalties. If a person is arrested for carrying a butcher knife, they should not be excused because they claim they were on their way to the meat market to apply for a job. If a person is arrested and is carrying a gun without a permit, they should be jailed for a long term with no plea bargains. If a vehicle is driving down a street and someone is shooting out of it, the shooter, driver and everyone else in the vehicle, armed or un-armed, should be charged with the same crime and jailed. What possible defense could be offered by the other people in the vehicle? They should be punished as accomplices to the shooting. If a teenager is arrested with a weapon, the parents should also be arrested. Parents need to be held accountable and punished for not controlling their teens. It is their responsibility to know what their children are doing. If someone is on an FBI watch list how about watching them? If they are thought to be a threat, arrest them and hold them until they can be totally cleared without question. Our president-elect has made promises that may be hard to keep. His strong support regarding backing law enforcement throughout the urban areas will be one I believe he will keep. He needs to confront this issue before being concerned with what is going on in other countries. Besides, he has enough friends, there is no need for him to make more. As for my family, we have been conflicted over what to expect in the coming year with the newly elected people who will be taking office. There are apprehensions expressed and even fear for our future. We have however been blessed with numerous additions to our tribe, which assures we will continue on. The latest arrival was born New Years Day: Rayland Joseph Scott sounds like a good name for a future president. He has years to set a plan of how to run our country and perhaps make promises that can be kept. Capt. Fred Davis is a retired charter captain and nationally published author of boating articles. As I See It columns appear Saturday in the Huron Daily Tribune and his Boat Smart articles are published online at www.captainfredsboattips.com. The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! 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Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut. Read More The US military said it lost a Navy SEAL during the land and air strike in the Yakla region of Baida province that had killed 14 members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AFP Photo/Mohammed HUWAIS) (AFP) Aden (AFP) - Yemeni government forces attacked rebel positions on the Red Sea coast on Saturday sparking clashes in which seven soldiers, including a general, and 11 rebels were killed, loyalist military sources said. The assault on the coastal district of Dhubab, just 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the Bab al-Mandab strait linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, came after the government sent reinforcements from its headquarters in Aden. The general was killed by rebel sniper fire, the military sources said. The government and its allies in a Saudi-led coalition recaptured the strait in October 2015. But the rebels still control nearly all of Yemen's Red Sea coast to the north, posing what the coalition says is a threat to international shipping. In September and October, two US warships and a United Arab Emirates vessel contracted to the coalition were targeted by missile fire from rebel-held territory. The loyalist offensive failed to dislodge the rebels from their positions as they put up fierce resistance, leaving many wounded on both sides, the commander said. The Yemeni conflict has killed more than 7,000 people since the coalition's military intervention began in March 2015, according to the United Nations. Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. provides software-as-a-service core systems to the property and casualty insurance industry in the United States and internationally. The company provides Duck Creek Policy, a solution that enables insurers to develop and launch new insurance products and manage various aspects of policy administration ranging from product definition to quoting, binding, and servicing; Duck Creek Billing that provides payment and invoicing capabilities, such as billing and collections, commission processing, disbursement management, and general ledger capabilities for insurance lines and bill types; and Duck Creek Claims that supports entire claims lifecycle from first notice of loss through investigation, payments, negotiations, reporting, and closure. It also offers Duck Creek Rating that allows carriers to develop new rates and models and deliver quotes in real-time based on the complex rating algorithms; Duck Creek Insights, an insurance analytics solution that allows carriers to gather and analyze data from internal and external sources and facilitate analysis and reporting on a single system; Duck Creek Digital Engagement that offer digital interactions between property and casualty insurers and their agents, brokers, and policyholders; and Duck Creek Distribution Management that automates sales channel activities for agents and brokers, including producer onboarding, compliance, and compensation management. In addition, the company provides Duck Creek Reinsurance Management that automates financial and administrative functions; and Duck Creek Industry Content that provides pre-built content, including base business rules, product designs, rating algorithms, data capture screens, and workflows for insurance lines of business, such as commercial auto, inland marine, and workers compensation. It has a partnership with Shift Technologies, Inc. to implement AI fraud detection. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is possible to save money at Whole Foods, especially if you implement these six tips. If you love the quality of food and other items you can pick up at your local Whole Foods, but aren't a fan of the expense of shopping there, you aren't alone. That said, wouldn't you like to know that you could actually save money by grocery shopping at Whole Foods? Here are six tips on how you can do exactly that. 1. Get Digital "First and easiest way to find coupons is to download the app which has all digital coupons in one place and lists weekly sales," Kate Neu, the global sales and supplier marketing manager for Whole Foods Market, said. Neu also pointed out that "notices of sales and specials change weekly on the app," and that the "newsletter will tell you of sales coming up in the next three to five days so you can plan your shopping accordingly." McKinzey Crossland, a spokesperson for Whole Foods Market, also suggested following Whole Foods on social media. "Some sales are only advertised on our social accounts," she said. You can follow the brand as a whole, or even consider following your local shop. You can see if the one near you has their own accounts by searching the Find a Store section on the Whole Foods website. 2. Pick up the Coupon Sheet On Your Way Into the Store In addition to the coupons and deals you know about from the app, you can get daily deals and coupons from the fliers located at the front of most stores. Neu pointed out that, if you use the store's digital coupons, there is only one barcode to scan for these coupons, so "everything in your basket with an applicable coupon gets appropriately discounted." 3. Bring Your Reusable Bags & Jars Saving $0.10 may not sound like much, but if you bring your own sacks and containers for bulk foods, Whole Foods will take this amount off your bill for each container used to pack up your groceries. If you shop weekly, and use five bags or jars each time, that's a $26 savings for the year. Story continues 4. Only Buy What You Need Americans typically throw out $900 in wasted food or leftovers annually, according to a 2015 TNS Global survey. Buying something at a good price can make you feel victorious, but that feeling can be negated by the fact that you're just tossing out a product purchased cheaply. Whole Foods lets you buy portions of their packaged fresh or prepared items. Think you only need one of those steaks in the pre-wrapped steak packet? You can ask the meat department to separate a single piece out of the package. The cheese department operates in the same way. "Whole Foods will custom cut cheese for anyone if you only want a quarter cut of cheese in the cellophane-wrapped package, we'll cut it up for you," Neu said. She also says the produce market will honor custom quantities. "You can get half a head of cabbage if you want." Neu also says that in the prepared foods section, like meals or soups, customers can request a portion that more closely meets their immediate needs. "If you're just doing a dinner for two and don't want to freeze the rest or eat it more than once, smaller quantities can really save you money." 5. Buy By the Case If you buy any packaged item by the case, you will receive a 10% discount. Should you have questions about the case purchase discount, the grocery team can answer your questions about the number of items in a case, Neu said. If a case isn't on the shelf, a team member can go get one for you from the back, she added. 6. Consider the Salad Bar Whole Foods has a very extensive salad bar with a wide variety of chopped and sliced vegetables. If your recipe only calls for a small amount of veggies, you can get them at the salad bar, saving you time and money. A trip to the salad bar can be expensive if you load up on the heavier items like beans and bulky vegetables, but it can offer great convenience and savings if used correctly. Keeping an Eye on Your Spending While doing your best to save money, it's a good idea to keep an eye on your credit as bad credit can cost you a lot of money. You can access free copies of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus Experian, Equifax and TransUnion every 12 months by going to AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also see two of your credit scores, updated every 14 days, for free on Credit.com. More Money-Saving Reads: An Army National Guard veteran of Iraq was being held Friday as the sole suspect in the Fort Lauderdale airport shootings that killed five, the Pentagon said. The suspect, identified by police as Esteban Santiago, is a 26-year-old combat veteran who received a general discharge under honorable conditions in August for "continuous and willful absence" from his duties with the Alaska National Guard, a Pentagon spokesman said. His rank was reduced from specialist to private first class upon discharge. Santiago served with the Puerto Rico National Guard in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011 as a combat engineer with the 21B military occupational specialty. He was a recipient of the Combat Action Badge, the spokesman said. Santiago left the Puerto Rico National Guard in 2013 and later re-entered service with the Alaska National Guard, the spokesman said. Santiago allegedly retrieved a weapon he had put in checked baggage and opened fire in a terminal at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring eight. He was quickly taken into custody. Police did not give a motive for the shootings but said Santiago is believed to have acted alone. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. 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... NEW YORK (Reuters) - China's Anbang Insurance Group is in talks to invest in a project to redevelop a flagship New York City building owned by Kushner Companies, the family real estate business run by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to a person familiar with the discussions. The talks to revitalize the 41-floor building located at 666 Fifth Avenue, were first reported by the New York Times on Saturday in an extensive article about Jared Kushner that detailed a November meeting between him and Anbang Chairman Wu Xiaohui days after Trump won the presidential election. The deal has not been completed and key points remain in discussion, the newspaper reported, citing representatives for Jared Kushner. A source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the talks to Reuters but did not elaborate. Representatives for Kushner and Trump did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment, while Anbang declined to comment. Kushner is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka and is the chief executive of Kushner Companies. He is believed to be in consideration for a senior White House role as a trusted confidant to his father-in-law, who takes office Jan. 20. Kushner is studying with lawyers how we would have to divest and distance himself from the family business if he were to take a role in the Trump administration, the New York Times reported. Kushner will also have to determine whether federal anti-conflict of interest laws, which prohibit the hiring of a family member including a son-in-law, would preclude him working in a government run by Trump. Privately-owned Anbang, established in 2004 as an auto insurer, has emerged as one of China's most aggressive acquirers of overseas assets in the past two years, spending more than $30 billion buying luxury hotels, insurers and other property assets. It owns the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The Fifth Avenue building was purchased by Kushner Companies in 2006 for $1.8 billion, which at the time was the highest sales price for a single building in Manhattan. (Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York and Ginger Gibson in Washington; Writing by Mary Milliken; Editing by Carmel Crimmins and Chris Reese) Drawing on free help from Grand Valley State University, the Jamestown Patmos Library Board was able to conduct a survey of patron preferences at no cost to the township. Marcia Frobish, president of the board, said Lee Beveridge and Haly Gaede, undergraduate students from the statistical consulting class at GVSU, helped design and analyze the Survey Monkey online survey conducted in December. The project was part of the students' required class work for the semester. A total of 132 responses were received to questions about library materials, programs, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the community. Frobish said questions were suggested by former library director Christina Golm. The library board and student consultants fine-tuned the questions. Most respondents indicated "Hudsonville" when asked for their residence, probably based on their mailing address, Frobish said. A few other indicated they were from Dorr, Grandville, Jenison, Kentwood, Jamestown, Wyoming, Byron Center or Zeeland. According to survey results, patrons like the library and the books, magazines and DVDs that are available, but they are hoping for more of everything, especially e-books and some older titles. Other suggestions were for more furniture, more programs for all age groups (especially teens), and more community involvement. Patrons especially wanted to see more open hours at Patmos Library. Frobish said that need will most likely be the first to be addressed after consultation with Library Director Stephanie Rogers. IMG_0075.JPG The reduced speed zone outside Huron High School in Ann Arbor is now in effect from 6:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. school days. (Lindsay Knake | MLive.com) ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor has adjusted the reduced speed limit time frame near Huron High School to match the school's start and dismissal times. Thursday, Jan. 5, the city and Ann Arbor Police Department installed a 25-mile-per-hour zone on Fuller Road and Huron Parkway at the start and end of the school day as a safety measure. The reduced-speed zone is now in effect from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. school days. The speed limit on Fuller and Huron Parkway is 40 miles per hour the remainder of the time. Initially, the speed limitation was from 6:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Huron High School starts at 7:45 a.m. and the dismissal time is 2:26 p.m. Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Bill Clock said the department installed the corrected signs Friday. The reduced speed limit is in effect on Fuller Road from Huron Parkway to 2,500 feet west of the intersection and on Huron Parkway from Fuller Road to 2,500 feet north of that intersection. Huron High School school is located at 2727 Fuller Road. Qi-Xuan "Justin" Tang The change is in response to the death of 16-year-old Community High School student Qi-Xuan "Justin" Tang, who was killed in October while crossing Fuller Road from Gallup Park in the dark before school. The driver, 26-year-old Ypsilanti woman, told police she didn't see Tang until the last minute. Ann Arbor Police concluded she didn't have enough time to stop, and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office did not press charges against her. The accident spurred parents, residents, Ann Arbor Public Schools leaders and city officials to make changes at the crosswalk. The city also improved lighting in the area. MILAN, MI - Milan Area Fire Department is responding to a structure fire on the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 6. The fire is at a house and attached business in the 400 block of Wabash Street near Redman Road. Flames were visible at the roof of the structure. Wabash Street is closed between Redman Road and Division Street. Dundee Township, Pittsfield Township and Saline fire departments are assisting at the scene. No further information was immediately available. Ann Arbor News Photographer Melanie Maxwell contributed to this report. BELLEVILLE, MI - The Yankee Air Museum is gearing up to host its sixth annual gala and fundraising event Saturday, Jan. 14, during which it will honor the CEO of Roush Fenway Racing, Jack Roush, who, aside from his interests in NASCAR, is a known aviator. The event, which will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Willow Run Airport, will see proceeds go toward the renovation of the historic Willow Run Bomber Plant -- the aviation museum's future home -- and thus is aptly named "The Blast that Builds." Kevin Walsh, executive director of the museum, said the planning of this year's gala deviated from the format followed in previous years. "For the first time, we are holding our signature event outside of our museum, because, with recent major acquisitions, we are out of space," Walsh said. "And we want to make sure we honor Jack Roush by having his plane and historic cars on display." Roush, for his work in engineering and various other feats, is set to be honored with the museum's Visionary Award, which is bestowed upon individuals who help propel flight operations forward and otherwise provide support to the museum that help it glide into the future. Walsh described Roush as a natural recipient of the award. "He is a past board member, ardent supporter of our flyable aircraft and the Save the Bomber Plant campaign." On top of a cocktail reception, dinner and the presentation of the Visionary Award, comedians Dwayne L. Gill, of Detroit, and Mike Green, of Clinton Township, Michigan, are scheduled to close out the evening with some laughs. "The Blast that Builds" will take place beginning inside the Active Aero Group's hangar space on the east side of Willow Run Airport. For tickets and further information, visit the Yankee Air Museum's website. DETROIT, MI - The alleged wheelman in a Detroit gas station homicide has been charged with first-degree murder, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's office announced. Joseph Lucas, 26, is accused of driving other suspects on Thursday, Jan. 5, to and from the business in the 15000 block of Gratiot Avenue, where the 24-year-old victim was pumping gas, according to the prosecutor's office. Two people approached the man, who was not named. There was an argument and the 24-year-old ran. He went only a short distance before he was shot and killed, the Worthy's office reported. Lucas was to be arraigned Saturday in Wayne County District Court in Romulus. He also is accused of using a firearm to commit a felony. If convicted of first-degree murder, he will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole. A warrant request for the two other suspects "has been returned to the Detroit Police Department for further investigation," the prosecutor's office reported. Detroit police earlier reported they were looking for Kyrell Raymond Alonzo, 23, and Derrick Quintin Everson Jr., 22, as men wanted in the homicide. Both were considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who knows of their whereabouts was asked to contact Detroit Police at 313-596-2260 or by calling 911. you are here: business Sebi seeks explanation from 3 Tata Group companies First time after ouster of Cyrus Mistry from Tata sons as chairman capital market regulator formally sought explanation from Tata companies. SEBI sought explanation from Tata Power, Tata Steel and Tata Global Beverages on the basis of internal audit committee report. budget Model code prohibits new schemes for poll-bound states: Ex-CEC According to Former Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy, the model code of the conduct does not interfere with ongoing schemes. It only restricts fresh announcements and particularly those which might favour poll-bound states. Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, When the Morganton City Council convenes for its regularly scheduled meeting today, it will hold two public hearings. The meeting is set to begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Morganton City Hall. According to information from the city, the first public hearing will be for the consideration of voluntary annexation of three separate tracts on or near North Green Street, all owned by Crescent Communities. The second public hearing will be for consideration of a resolution authorizing an application for a Main Street Solutions Fund Grant. The city says Crescent Communities owns the property located on the north side of Independence Boulevard just west of North Green Street/N.C. Highway 181 behind Firehouse Subs, CBS Sports, Oiishi Japanese Restaurant, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and Dollar General. According to the city, this property totals 37 acres and directly adjoins the present city limits. In addition, Crescent Communities owns a narrow tract of land at 1015 N. Green St. that totals about 0.279 acres and partially lies outside the city limits and Crescent owns another nearby 12-acre tract along the east side of North Green Street just past the intersection with St. Marys Church Road which bounds the present city limits, the city says. All three tracts already are within the citys extraterrestrial jurisdiction, according to information from the city. Crescent, along with 1015 N. Green Street Partners LLC, which will soon become the owner of the tract at 1015 N. Green St., have petitioned the city to annex all three properties. According to the city, all tracts for which annexation is sought already are served adequately by city water and sewer. Necessary council action after the public hearing includes the adoption of an ordinance to extend the corporate limits of the city of Morganton to annex the three properties in question, the city says. The second public hearing concerns the consideration of an Economic Development Grant Agreement with Molded Fiber Glass Company of North Carolina, according to information from the city. The city says it has worked with Burke County and Burke Development Inc. to support expansion plans for Molded Fiber Glass, which owns and operates an existing facility at 213 Reep Drive in Morganton. According to information from the city, the company projects making new capital investments of up to $8,000, maintaining its current workforce of more than 180 employees and adding up to 23 new jobs. All of the goals are set to occur over a three-year period, the city says. The city says it and the county each anticipate providing an economic development incentive of 50 percent of new taxable investment over three consecutive calendar years. According to the city, while both the city and county would be parties to the grant agreement and both would offer the same percentage incentive, any annual grants provided would have to come as a result of separate actions of each board. The Burke County Board of Commissioners held a similar public hearing at its Dec. 20 meeting and approved the incentive agreement, according to information from the city. Necessary council action at tonights meeting includes a motion to approve and enter into an Economic Development Agreement Grant with Molded Fiber Glass Company of North Carolina, the city says. In other new business tonight, the city council will consider a resolution to apply for a $200,000 Main Street Solutions Fund Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce for the Morganton Main Street Department. The purpose of this grant would be to assist in the development of a downtown hotel location, according to information from the city. The city says it believes downtown hotel would be a major driver of economic development and help continue revitalization of the downtown area. Necessary council action would include a motion to approve a resolution authorizing an application for a Main Street Solutions Fund Grant, according to information from the city. Additionally in new business, the council will address a 30-day notice for a vacancy on the Morganton Housing Authority. Justin Epley can be reached at jepley@morganton.com or 828-432-8943. What a "jerk"! The U.S. Labor Department sued a beef jerky company and its owner over allegations that the owner fired a worker for trying to call 911 when a co-worker of hers cut off part of his thumb in a workplace accident. John Bachman, owner of Lone Star Western Beef, also is accused in the federal court complaint of doing "little to clean or sanitize the areas where [the injured worker's] blood had spurted all over his work area and on the floor and sink in the processing area." Bachman threw out only the meat that the worker was cutting during the accident, but did not discard "other meat present in the area" where he bled, the complaint alleges. Lone Star Western Beef's website indicates the company has facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. "Lone Star has broken the mold when it comes to beef jerky!" the website proclaims. "This ain't no wimpy city slicker beef jerky!" The incident at the center of the lawsuit which seeks back wages and punitive damages for the terminated worker occurred July 7, 2014, in Lone Star's plant in Fairmont, West Virginia. The complaint says that food processor Michele Butler-Savage that morning heard her co-worker Chris Crane say he had cut his finger, and saw "blood running down" his hand and arm. Crane had severed part of his thumb while operating a band saw used to cut beef, and Butler-Savage "believed that he sustained a serious injury," the complaint says. Butler-Savage helped Crane, putting his hand under cold water and putting a paper towel over his hand, while another worker went to get Bachman. When Bachman arrived of the accident, Butler-Savage had dialed 911, the complaint says. But before the call was connected "Bachman told Buter-Savage not to call 911 and instructed her to hang up the phone," according to the suit. When she told Bachman that Crane needed an ambulance, "Bachman responded that he would decide whether to call an ambulance and instructed Butler-Savage to get back to work." Story continues Bachman then "collected the severed piece of Crane's thumb" and had a supervisor drive Crane to an urgent clinic, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of West Virginia. That clinic then transferred Crane, via ambulance, to a hospital emergency room, but doctors there were unable to reattach the severed part to his thumb, according to the suit. Later that day, Butler-Savage spoke to an inspector from the U.S. Agriculture Department and voiced "concerns about the accident, the cleanup," as well as "the lack of appropriate personal protective equipment," the complaint said. She "also told the inspector that she had tried to call 911." Two days later, on July 9, "Bachman fired Savage," the complaint said. "Bachman initially told Butler-Savage that production was slow, but further complained that he had lawsuits pending against him, that there were too many government rules to follow, and that the government always had its hand in his business," the complaint alleges. Messages left by CNBC at the company's phone number and email address seeking comment from Lone Star and Bachman were not immediately returned. Labor Department records show that Lone Star Western Beef was cited for multiple "serious" violations of workplace regulations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in November 2013. One of those violations related to "medical services and first aid," and the others related to hazard communications and other rules. Those violations, which initially led to $4,800 in penalties, were later settled, with Lone Star Western Beef agreeing to pay $2,400. A balance of $1,146.01 from the company was sent to debt collections after OSHA determined it was uncollectable, according to the agency. In a statement about the new lawsuit, an OSHA official said, "Lone Star Western Beef punished an employee for seeking emergency medical care for a seriously injured co-worker." "Her efforts were protected under the [federal Occupational Safety and Health Act] and showed basic human decency," said Richard Mendelson, regional administrator of OSHA, which is a division of the Labor Department. "No worker should have to fear retaliation from their employer for calling 911 in an emergency, or taking other action to report a workplace safety or health incident," said Mendelson. OSHA received a complaint from Butler-Savage against Lone Star Western Beef and Bachman a day after she was fired. The agency's investigation later found that the company "violated the anti-discrimination provision" of the OSHA law by firing Butler-Savage for trying to call 911, according to Mendelson's office. More From CNBC The Cable Television industry in the U.S. seems to be having an exciting beginning to the New Year with fresh deals and updated product offerings. On Jan 1, Comcast Corp. CMCSA, a leading cable multi-service operator (MSO) in the U.S., inked a new pact with Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. FOXA after resolving their 13-month old battle over carriage of the YES Network in the New York City area. And now, DISH Network Corp. DISH, the second largest satellite TV operator in the U.S. has begun the year with a bang. According to a recent report by The Business Journal, DISH Networks subsidiary, AirTV launched its latest streaming device, AirTV Player. Air TV Player is a 4K Android-based streaming device which supports ultra HD (high definition) and is pre-loaded with Netflix Inc. NFLX, SlingTV and YouTube apps and that work with an over-the-air antenna for broadcast TV. Hence, AirTV marks a single unified platform for on-demand streaming, internet TV, and over-the-air (OTA) local channels. The AirTV Player allows Sling TV customers add free, live local broadcast stations into their guide using an external antenna. The media streamer is featured with dual-band WiFi networks and a Bluetooth voice-enabled remote that can be paired with an AirTV OTA Adapter and OTA antenna. The remote features dedicated buttons for Sling TV, Netflix and Google Play Store, provides voice capabilities and can control power and volume on any connected TV or sound system using infrared signals. As far as pricing is concerned, DISH Newtorks has priced the AirTV Player with the OTA AirTV Adapter for $129.99 while a streaming-only version of the AirTV Player is available for $99.99. A standalone AirTV Adapter will be available for $39.99 if consumers choose to add OTA integration at a later date. As an add on, the purchase of any AirTV Player will include a $50 Sling TV credit, available to new and existing Sling TV users. The cable company simultaneously announced the AirTV Pro Install service. The service offers professional installation of the AirTV Player with a TV antenna for $100 (for an indoor antenna) to $150 (outdoor), depending on the type of antenna used. Story continues Winding Up Shares of DISH Network have underperformed the Zacks-categorized Cable TV industry, due to multiple headwinds that hurt the stock in the past one year. The stock gained 1.12% but lagged the industrys growth of 18.35% over the same period. However, DISH Networks efforts to diversify its business model from a pure-play satellite-TV operator to an Internet TV operator look innovative and impressive. We believe such strategic steps should help the company to counter competitive threats from low-cost video streaming operators. We also expect the company to get back its lost subscribers reported in the third quarter earnings release. Notably, DISH Networks lost 116,000 pay-TV subscribers in the quarter compared with a loss of 23,000 in the year-ago quarter. Such mixed outcomes and business strategies might have been the reason behind DISH Networks current Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2017 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2017? Who wouldn't? As of early December, the 2016 Top 10 produced 5 double-digit winners including oil and natural gas giant Pioneer Natural Resources which racked up a stellar +50% gain. The new list is painstakingly hand-picked from 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Be among the very first to see it>> 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 NETFLIX INC (NFLX): Free Stock Analysis Report DISH NETWORK CP (DISH): Free Stock Analysis Report COMCAST CORP A (CMCSA): Free Stock Analysis Report TWENTY-FST CF-A (FOXA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today A mix of clouds and sun. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 77F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 67F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. MPD file Midland and Odessa police departments have received several reports of motor vehicle burglaries that occur shortly after someone visits a bank. Detectives believe that the suspect is waiting in his vehicle in the parking lot of various banks and follows victims who have just withdrawn money. If someone parks at another business, the suspect burglarizes their vehicle in the parking lot and attempts to steal the money envelope, according to a joint press release from MPD and OPD. The suspect has not followed the victim back to his or her residence in any of the burglaries reported so far. Michigan Technological University is working with Bay College to educate a highly skilled workforce in industrial robotics, a field in growing need of well-trained workers. A new agreement between the community college and the university will enable students who earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in Mechatronics and Robotics Systems to transfer their credits into the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology program at Michigan Tech. Such agreements are known as articulation agreements. They are partnerships between colleges that identify course equivalents. They are designed to ensure that credits taken at one institution will transfer to the other. The new articulation agreement is part of a $702,000 National Science Foundation grant to revamp robotics education to meet 21st century workforce needs. The project includes developing, testing and disseminating a model curriculum, laboratory resources and a simulation software package that can be used in both two- and four-year programs. Industry Needs Robotics Workers The main idea is to revamp and promote robotics education via collaboration between Michigan Tech, Bay College and industry, said Aleksandr Sergeyev, an associate professor in Michigan Techs School of Technology and principal investigator on the NSF grant. Mark Kinney, executive dean for business, technology and workforce development at Bay College, said that the partnership will solve two major challenges facing the region. The first is that this degree pathway will provide qualified graduates in the area of mechatronics and robotic systems to a variety of industries that often struggle to find employees with the skill sets they require, he explained. The second is that prospective students living in the southern UP now have a way to get started on a degree at Michigan Tech without immediately traveling to Houghton. I am extremely excited by the possibilities this partnership holds for our communities and look forward to some of the student success stories that are sure to result from it, Kinney went on to say. Mark Highum, mechatronics instructor at Bay College, said, The Mechatronics and Robotics Associate in Applied Science program at Bay College is primarily aimed at preparing entry-level technicians for the workforce. It is exciting to offer the opportunity for students to continue their studies in electrical engineering technology, especially with a respected university such as Michigan Tech. Educational Partnership The new articulation agreement strengthens the existing relationship between the schools and provides the basis for a formal educational partnership, said Jim Frendewey, dean of Michigan Techs School of Technology. We are excited to have a pathway for students to earn an associate degree at Bay College, andwith proper advisingtransfer to Michigan Tech and earn a bachelor's degree after two additional years of study, Frendewey added. Our experience working with the staff at Bay College has been very positive, and we look forward to a successful collaboration. Michigan Techs electrical engineering technology program already has articulation agreements with Macomb Community College in Michigan, College of Lake County in Illinois and Northcentral Technical College in Wisconsin. The curriculum development at Michigan Tech will assist those three community colleges in updating their curriculum in robotic automation and in teaching topics that are in line with industry expectations, Sergeyev said. Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigans flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. (Adds confirmation of subpoena received by American Kidney Fund in paragraph 2. Adds additional comments from the fund in paragraphs 5 and 11) By Emma Thomasson and Christian Plumb BERLIN/NEW YORK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - German's Fresenius Medical Care and U.S. rival DaVita Inc said they had both received subpoenas from federal prosecutors investigating their ties with a charity that helps patients pay for kidney dialysis. The charity, the American Kidney Fund, said it had also been subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Both companies and the charity said they were cooperating with the probe, whose existence U.S. Attorney's office spokeswoman Christina Sterling declined to confirm. The subpoenas were issued amid growing controversy over a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule aimed at preventing dialysis providers from using premium assistance from outside charities to steer patients into Obamacare individual insurance plans instead of Medicare or Medicaid to receive higher payments for medical services. FMC and DaVita said in separate statements that they had sued on Friday to challenge the rulemaking process and seeking an injunction delaying the rule from taking effect, as scheduled, on Jan. 13. The Kidney Fund said it supported the suit, which was filed in U.S. federal court for the Eastern District of Texas. Under Obamacare, individual plans offered by the insurers generally pay doctors and other medical groups more than Medicare and Medicaid for their medical services and may cover different drugs and procedures. In a related case, insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc filed a lawsuit against American Renal Associates Holdings Inc last year that has to do with payments for dialysis through its exchange plans. FMC described the new HHS rule as a move to end assistance to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that could have a "material adverse affect" on its business. DaVita alleged the rule violates federal law and could cause "irreparable harm" to dialysis patients, noting that it was due to take effect days before the inauguration of a new administration. Story continues FMC said the new regulation could put an end to assistance programmes that help fund health insurance premiums, with between 700 and 2,000 of its patients potentially affected. The Kidney Fund said in a statement the rule would relegate "an entire class of disabled individuals who are poor and disproportionately minority to dependence on taxpayer-funded health care - even if they have determined it is not the best choice for them." HHS officials could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Emma Thomasson and Christian Plumb; editing by John Stonestreet and Chizu Nomiyama) 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 [] People walk during snowfalls in Istanbul on January 7, 2017 (AFP Photo/Ozan Kose) (AFP) Istanbul (AFP) - A heavy snowstorm paralysed life in Istanbul on Saturday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and the Bosphorus closed to shipping traffic. Almost 65 centimetres (25 inches) of snow fell on parts of the Turkish metropolis overnight and during the day, causing havoc on roads as travellers sought to leave the city for the weekend. For those not travelling, the snow provided a rare chance to see Istanbul's famous minaret and dome-studded skyline cloaked in white. Flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) cancelled some 610 flights from the main Ataturk International Airport as well as from Sabiha Gokcen airport, with the snow causing poor visibility and high winds. Rival carrier Pegasus cancelled 192 flights out of Istanbul. Turkish Airlines also cancelled 62 flights scheduled for Sunday. Four THY intercontinental flights -- from India, the Maldives, South Africa and Vietnam -- bound for Istanbul were diverted to the southern city of Gaziantep north of Syria, the Dogan news agency said. Some 76 incoming flights were diverted to other airports. Almost 6,000 travellers are being accommodated in hotels in Istanbul after their flights were cancelled, reports said. Coastguards also ordered a halt to shipping traffic in both directions through the Bosphorus Strait -- one of the world's busiest sea thoroughfares. The municipal ferry company Sehir Hatlari which handles the regular passenger crossings between the European and Asian sides of the city announced that all its routes had been suspended for the day. The metro in Istanbul will meanwhile operate all night to compensate for the difficulties on the city's roads. Forecasters predicted that the snowstorm would continue throughout the day before dwindling in the evening. Temperatures were expected to stay well below freezing in the days to come. New members inducted into Institute of ... Joe Biden and Paul Ryan Vice President Joe Biden, presiding over the official Electoral College vote tally on the House floor Friday, had three words for Democratic lawmakers attempting to object to the results of the election. "It is over," the vice president said, eliciting laughs from House Speaker Paul Ryan, seated behind him, and applause from lawmakers in the chamber. More than a half-dozen Democratic members of Congress rose to speak at different points, protesting the results. The representatives cited Russian hacking, the legitimacy of the election and electors, alleged voter-suppression laws, and the voting machines themselves as reasons to object the results. Biden said any objection to the results needed to be in writing and signed by a House member and a senator. The Democratic representatives had not fulfilled both requirements. "In that case the objection cannot be entertained," Biden said to one lawmaker. As NPR reported, the proceeding was similar to what played out in January 2001 following President George W. Bush's closely contested election, which included the Florida recount and a Supreme Court decision to stop it. In Biden's shoes that day was Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee who went up against Bush. Watch Biden's comment below: NOW WATCH: Here's how much the presidency ages you More From Business Insider Mario Soares was the founder of Portugal's Socialist party and spent decades in politics, serving as foreign minister, prime minister and president as well as European lawmaker (AFP Photo/Miguel Riopa) Lisbon (AFP) - Mario Soares, widely seen as the father of Portugal's modern-day democracy, was a towering figure in the country's political scene who spearheaded its entry into the European Union. Soares, the founder of Portugal's Socialist party who died on Saturday at the age of 92, spent decades in politics, serving as foreign minister, prime minister and president as well as a European lawmaker. Known for his flourishing speeches and close contact with the public, Soares was an avid reader with a fondness for the good life who was mockingly dubbed "chubby cheeks" by the rightwing opposition. Reassuringly portly, he was both a charmer and a humanist known for being "emotional, spontaneous and warm." A self-defined agnostic, Soares said he believed in "humanity and its improvement", and described himself as being driven by "a great desire to live and by immense curiosity." "I am a poor man who has been fortunate to have taken stands and to have been right," he told the "i" daily in February 2015, rejecting the idea he was an "immortal" figure. In mid-December, just a week after his 92nd birthday, Soares was taken ill and transferred to the Red Cross hospital in the capital Lisbon where he was placed in intensive care. On Christmas Eve, his condition deteriorated, with the hospital saying he was in a deep coma and listing him as "critical". He never recovered. Born in Lisbon on December 7, 1924, Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares was raised in a family opposed to the dictatorship of Antonio Oliveira Salazar. - Arrest, exile - His father Joao Soares, a defrocked priest, struggled against the regime for decades, suffering long periods of imprisonment and exile. Soares took up the cause as a student leader at Lisbon's Classical University. After repeated interruptions to his studies due to being arrested, he earned degrees in philosophy and law in 1957, and then set up a practice which defended opposition activists. Story continues He was arrested again by the regime's political police in 1968 and banished to the archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe off the coast of west Africa, a Portuguese colony at the time, then exiled in 1970. Soares settled in France where he taught at several universities and it was while in exile in 1973 that he and a group of friends founded the Socialist Party at a meeting in Germany, with him becoming its first secretary general. - Triumphant return - When an army-led revolution toppled Portugal's dictatorship on April 25, 1974, Soares took the first train to Lisbon, where he was mobbed by thousands of waiting admirers and marched through the Portuguese capital's streets. He served as foreign minister in the military-controlled provisional government that took power after the revolution and oversaw the granting of independence to Portugal's African colonies. A moderate military faction backed by Soares headed off a Communist-backed coup attempt in 1975 and called elections the following year which he won, making him the first constitutionally elected prime minister after the revolution. He served as premier until 1978, and then again from 1983 to 1985, imposing reforms and austerity required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for financial aid. His biggest achievement as premier was negotiating Portugal's entry in 1986 into the European Economic Community, the precursor to the European Union. - 'Savage capitalism' - Soares was elected Portugal's president, a largely ceremonial and advisory post, later that year. He was comfortably re-elected to another five-year term in 1991 with over 70 percent of the vote. He served as a lawmaker in the European Parliament between 1999 and 2004 before running for a third term as president in 2006 at the age of 80. He suffered a crushing defeat, coming in third place with just over 14 percent of the vote behind former conservative prime minister Anibal Cavaco Silva and fellow Socialist Manuel Alegre. Soares retired from public life for several months after the election but then reappeared regularly in the media to comment on current affairs. He emerged as a fierce critic of the steep spending cuts Portugal was forced to implement under a 78-billion-euro bailout deal reached in 2011 with the EU and IMF to avert bankruptcy. Soares accused big European nations at the time of being guided by "savage capitalism". He married one of Portugal's leading actresses, Maria Barroso, in 1949 in Aljube prison in Lisbon in what was seen as an act of defiance against the Salazar regime. His public appearances became less frequent after she died in July 2015. A visibly weak Soares attended a ceremony in his honour staged by Portugal's Socialist government in July but did not speak. The couple had two children, Isabel and a son, Joao, a former mayor of Lisbon. On Friday, Pulse survivors placed a banner at Pulse to support the victims of the New Years mass shooting at a nightclub in Istanbul. Pulse survivor came up with idea for banner Local artist came up with design Banner read: "From Orlando to Istanbul. One Love. One Pulse. One Human Race" Brandon Wolf, who came up with the idea for the banner, managed to escape the Pulse nightclub with his life, but just barely. I lost two of my very best friends that day, and it will go down as the worst day of my life, said Wolf. As he was ringing in a new year, Wolf told us he realized terror was striking once again, this time halfway around the world. And for the first thing you turn on for New Years Eve coverage is to see this, the same thing happening somewhere else, is sad, and hits too close to home, said Wolf. So my first thought was heartbreak, and then my second thought was 'what can I do to show them they are not alone?' Wolf called up a friend and local artist, who designed the banner. And then on Friday afternoon, he invited several other Pulse survivors to hang it outside the building where their lives changed forever. The banner reads, From Orlando to Istanbul. One Love, One Pulse, One Human Race. I know how much better it made me feel to know how the world was on my side, and I wanted to do the same for other people, said Wolf. Among those Pulse survivors who came to hang the banner was Angel Santiago, who was injured in the mayhem that night in June. It hit me really hard, harder than anything thats happened since here in Orlando," said Santiago. "So being able to come out here and show my support is very important to me." Wolf said hes going to send the banner to the owner of the nightclub in Istanbul. But first, hes giving Orlando a chance to show their support. This was my opportunity to show my support for both Istanbul and the people who were affected by Pulse, and my home, said Anya Wise, an Orlando native visiting from Virginia. Wolf plans to leave the banner up at Pulse for at least a couple of weeks. But as fast as the space on the banner is filling up, he says he may have to make a second one. I really hope that all of the City of Orlando that wants to can get out and write a little message, said Wolf. It might not seem like a lot, but I promise you, it will be very important to people. A total of 11 flights are leaving from Orlando International Airport to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. No flight cancellations out of Orlando 11 delays Saturday morning On Friday, 13 flights to Orlando from FLL had to be diverted Check your flights There have been no cancellations so far Saturday after yesterday's deadly shooting. Saturday morning, one JetBlue flight leaving was delayed about 25 minutes. Airport officials in Orlando said there will be more security inside and outside of the main terminal building. All agencies including federal, local law enforcement and airport security representatives will be monitoring airport activity closely. Around 5 p.m. Friday, a total of 13 flights had to be diverted to Orlando because of the shooting. News 13 spoke to one woman who was flying from Boston to Fort Lauderdale on Friday. She said JetBlue told her the only airport she could fly to was Orlando. She has been sitting at the airport ever since. We need better security, especially in baggage claim. Its scary its definitely scary, said Sarah Lopez A total of five flights were canceled at Orlando Friday. Airport officials dont want to make travelers concerned. They want to make sure everyone stays safe. Tax relief seems to be a popular topic in Austin with support growing for Senate Bill 2 which would lower the threshold to trigger property tax rollback elections. But County Judge Bill Coleman sees the proposal as another intrusion on local governments and their ability to pay for the growing list of unfunded mandates. I intend to speak against this every chance I get, Coleman told county commissioners Friday during their work session. In fact, he plans to ask them at Mondays regular session to review a lengthy analysis of SB 2 by Jim Allison and provided by the Texas Association of Governments. Its one thing for state officials to campaign on property tax relief by setting appraisal caps and lowering rollback rates, but then they fail to provide adequate funds to make up for what they take away, Coleman said. Instead, state officials have a bad habit of shifting an increasing share of funding responsibilities on local governments without giving them adequate means to raise the needed additional funds. Now the automatic rollback rate to trigger an election is an increase of 8 percent or more, he said. Senate Bill 2 will lower that to 4 percent. During the recent drought, Coleman pointed out, Hale Countys ad valorem tax base fell about 5 percent due to lower agricultural productivity values. Some Texas counties heavily dependent on oil and gas production can see a 40 percent drop in property tax values as prices drop, he added. Even though this proposal looks like might pass, I intend to write our senator and representative to let them know Im against it, Coleman said. Other items reviewed Friday for action Monday include: --Approve the hiring of Lupe Canales as county court bailiff on a part-time 20-hour per week basis. The retired deputy sheriff currently serves as bailiff on a contract basis. --Review and approve Golden Spread Electric Cooperatives certificates of compliance with tax abatements on Phase 1 and 2 of its Antelope Station. Coleman said Phase 1 was completed in 2013 and Phase 2 is complete and under budget. Originally projected at $285 million, actual cost is $248,667,383. --Consider repairs to the fiberglass cow on the north side of the courthouse. It was found recently on its side after being dislodged from its base. Repairs will cost about $475. --Consider a new lease with Albert and Anna Perez for offices used by the City-County Health Department. --Review a request to offer a county-owned tract in Petersburg at public auction. --Adopt resolutions for grant management and engineering services to facilitate a grant request by the Halfway Water Supply Corp. for drilling a new water well for the rural community. --Allow the District and County Clerks offices to stop collecting fees to support a county law library due to lack of use. Similar resources are available online. --Approve current accounts payable. Mondays meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the courthouse, 500 Broadway, and is open to the public. I always knew what I wanted to be, said Kendra Guerra with a sincere smile as she sat behind the desk of her emergency room office at Covenant Health Plainview. I wanted to be a nurse. Ever since I was a little girl, Ive always wanted to take care of people. With a nostalgic laugh, Guerra brought up a recent conversation with her brother who painted a memory of young Kendra sewing her stuffed animals back together after implanting straws into their limbs. With the straws serving as make-believe bones, young Guerra then used the tubing and machines from her asthma breathing treatments to create her own pretend hospital in her bedroom where she nursed her stuffed companions back to health. Needless to say, it wasnt a surprise when Guerra chose a career path in the medical field; a path that would lead her from working as a junior high Candy Striper to eventually managing the level IV trauma center at Covenant Health Plainview. But after a fulfilling 20-year career as a licensed nurse, Guerra is on the cusp of a new chapter in her life, as starting this spring; she will wrap up her final semester of nurse practitioner school at West Texas A&M University. Im really excited, Guerra said. Ive loved being in the leadership role for the past three years, but this is going to bring me back to the bedside. This brings me back to the patient. And its been that devotion to her patients that has propelled Guerras successful nursing career; a virtue that she has developed from the start. I enrolled at South Plains College and became (Certified Nursing Assistant) when I was 20, explained Guerra. After a stint at a local nursing home, Guerra eventually was hired at Covenant Health Plainview as a CNA on the Med-Surg floor in 1997. Guerra worked her way through school, eventually becoming an LVN the following year. Guerra floated between the Med-Surg, ICU and postpartum units for several years before going to work for Covenant cardiologist, Dr. Donald Heine and later in family practice with Dr. Larry Karrh. In 2002, Karrhs departure from Plainview gave Guerra an opportunity to return to the hospital. But her move back into the hospital setting would bring on new and exciting challenges for Guerra who jumped at the chance to join the emergency department. I had never worked in the emergency department before, Guerra explained. Guerra said it was tough and a little overwhelming, especially when her first traumas were wheeled through the emergency doors. I remember being a little scared and having to take a few steps back at first, explained Guerra. On top of this, Guerra was also working on achieving her Registered Nurse degree and later became certified as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The emergency room is a different world. And a different kind of nursing, said Violet Borron, who then managed the ER and originally hired Guerra to the department. But she never gave up and we wouldnt let her quit. So she kept on going. She is a very driven person. Guerra eventually fell in love with the rush of the emergency room, but more so, she found her calling in helping patients get through the very hard and traumatic times. And being raised in the small-town community of Plainview, Guerra said it was even more rewarding providing compassionate care for her friends, family and neighbors. Thats what made it so good. I wasnt just taking care of strangers; I was taking care of my family and people I went to school with. I have bonds with these people. And thats why I feel the need to go above and beyond for them, Guerra said. In 2014, Guerra was named the new manager of Emergency Services at Covenant Plainview. Around this time, Guerra also earned a Masters in Nursing Administration/Education from West Texas A&M. Guerra said she enjoyed the management position; however, in her new role, her time interacting with patients was limited. It was an aspect of nursing Guerra said she missed dearly and ultimately prompted her decision to become a nurse practitioner. I wanted to return to patient care, to return to the one-and-one interaction with patients. For more than a year, Guerra has worked on earning her Family Nurse Practitioner degree, while also managing the emergency department, completing her clinical rounds and juggling the responsibilities of being a wife to husband Dion and mother to their four children. To complete her final semester of school, Guerra said she made the painful decision to leave her role at Covenant Health Plainview in order to concentrate more on her family and school. Her last day on the Covenant Plainview staff was Jan. 6 Though she knows it was the right decision, Guerra said her last few weeks at the Plainview hospital have been bittersweet. Ive been very sad to the point I feel a little sick. Just a lot of emotions, Guerra said with a small smile. I started here as a CNA, and this has been all Ive ever known. I grew up here, this is my family. This is my home and I hold the people here very near and dear to my heart. I tell people all time, Im so dedicated to this place not just because its my job, but because I know all the nurses here and I know their skill sets. I can take any of the nurses in this building and take them to a bigger facility and they would run circles around those other nurses. We have the best, and I truly believe that. Guerra says she doesnt have any plans set in stone after she becomes an FNP. But my goal is to stay in Plainview, Guerra said. WASHINGTON Freshman U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington and his wife recently made an unusual choice: The couple and their three young children are moving to Washington. "This was a family decision, and its going to be a family journey and adventure, the Lubbock Republican told The Texas Tribune last month. Arrington is an outlier in this life choice, both in the Texas delegation and in the rest of Congress. Most members opt for a different lifestyle, racing to Washington at the beginning of every week and returning home three days later. That's the life a handful of Texas members currently endure as they raise children back in Texas. They are all men, as there are currently no mothers with children that are younger than 18 in the delegation. Texas has not elected a freshman woman to a full term in Congress since 1996. Of the several members interviewed by the Tribune, nearly all used the word sacrifice to describe the constant Texas-to-Washington commute. Arrington is well aware that his familys choice is different from most of his colleagues. And so while nearly everyone in Congress runs as far as they can from the U.S. Capitol as often as possible, his aim is to live as close to the building as he can so that I can go home and occasionally have dinner and tuck them into bed and come back to work if I need to," he said. Arrington said he will commute back to Lubbock every weekend and imagines his young children will spend their summers back home to instill "West Texas values." They could possibly return to the state for college, too, he said. It all sounds ideal. So why dont more members opt for the same lifestyle? The reasons are financial and political. U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat, described conversations with former U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright about a previous era in politics when members of Congress bonded over attending balls and softball games together. That lack of off-hours friendships formed over weekends is frequently blamed for the polarized nature of Capitol Hill. I do think you lose something by not being up here all the time, Veasey said. But, Veasey said, that is not financially realistic to him or many other members. Veasey said that finding adequate housing for a family near the Capitol was cost prohibitive and he was unwilling to commute in from the Virginia or Maryland suburbs. Many members abide in apartments and in shared townhouses while in town, some with roommates. "One bathroom, three men," said U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, describing his living situation in D.C. with two other House members. While he misses his wife and three kids, he said he prefers the current situation to moving them to Washington. "So much of my identity, who I am, who I want my kids to be, is El Paso. Its very, very important to us that our home is in El Paso, that we raise our children there and that I maintain a very strong connection to the community," O'Rourke said. If a member of Congress is viewed as too comfortable in Washington, D.C., it can foster political trouble over the long term. Few things make for better opposition research than enrolling children in Washington private schools or owning property in the district. Frequent trips home also allow a member to be more aware of potential primary or general election threats. Given the pros and cons, many members opt to put up with a weekly plane commute home. "I have not spent a single weekend in Washington, D.C., and so Im one of those folks thats on the last plane in and the first plane out," said U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, a Heath Republican. "And Michele, my wife, really has to operate often as a single parent during the week." For Ratcliffe, though, his daughters age was a major factor in his decision to challenge former U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall in the 4th Districts 2014 GOP primary. "I dont know that I would have run for Congress if my daughters were 10 and 7 as opposed to what they were at the time, 15 and 12," he said, adding that their maturity helped them understand the sacrifice of serving in office. "I will say, teenaged girls care less about whether or not their father is around than girls that are, for instance, 10 or 7." Even with teenaged girls, Ratcliffe clears his schedule for family time on Sundays. Veasey concurred that the key is to hire protective staff. There is little doubt though, that the commuting grind can wear on some Congressional families. Veasey recounted conversations with regretful, more senior members of Congress who could not recall a single Halloween spent with their children. "You dont want that theres nothing more important than your family, he said. Its real easy for your family to slip away from you. Arrington similarly took cues from the Congressional bulls, saying that U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith of San Antonio and Mac Thornberry of Clarendon, both Republicans, encouraged him to make the move to Washington. "They assured me that while it was a sacrifice, I dont have to sacrifice my family," he said. Monsanto logo is displayed on a screen where the stock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S. on May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo By P.J. Huffstutter Chicago (Reuters) - U.S. seeds and agrochemicals company Monsanto Co (MON.N), which is in the process of being bought by Germany's Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE) for $66 billion, swung to a quarterly profit, helped by higher demand from South America. Sales of soybean seeds and traits jumped 37 percent as more farmers in South America sowed the company's genetically modified soybean seed Intacta RR2 Pro. But how Monsanto is navigating through a souring U.S. agricultural market has been closely watched by Bayer's investors, who have backed the German pharmaceutical conglomerates bid to acquire the worlds largest seed company. Monsanto shareholders voted in December to approve a sweetened $128-per-share offer from Bayer that, if approved by regulators, would create a company commanding more than a quarter of the world market for seeds and pesticides and be the largest-ever cash takeover of a U.S. company. Both companies have filed notice of the merger plan to U.S. antitrust officials and plan to submit similar documents to the European Union by the end of March, Chief Executive Officer Hugh Grant told analysts on a conference call on Thursday for Monsanto's first fiscal 2017 quarterly results. Bayer and Monsanto executives have repeatedly said they are confident the deal will pass regulatory muster, a necessary step in order to close the sale as expected in late 2017. Bayer has said it is committed to divest up to $1.6 billion of its portfolio to win approval. Still, some farm groups, rival seed companies and U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about the Monsanto-Bayer deal, saying it could raise prices and reduce choices for farmers. While Grant did not discuss what business units or assets might be sold off to appease regulators, he did tell analysts on Thursday that "where overlaps do exist, Bayer anticipates and is committed to undertake a certain level of divestitures as required by regulatory agencies." Increased research and development spending by the combined companies and plans to develop a global seeds and biotechnology hub in St. Louis fuel hopes regulators will not block the deal, which was agreed in September, Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant told Reuters. Story continues Grant also told analysts that he and Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley have been taking an active role in talking to farmers about the proposed deal, as well as talking to "key policymakers and politicians" to assuage concerns. Monsanto announced Thursday it had recently signed an agreement with Japanese trading firm Mitsui & Co. to sell its Latitude wheat and barley fungicide seed treatment business for $140 million - and expects to receive an EBIT benefit of approximately $85 million in that business segment in the second quarter. Monsanto told Reuters that the agreement is part of ongoing restructuring efforts, and not tied to the Bayer deal. Net profit attributable to Monsanto was $29 million, or 7 cents per share, in the first quarter ended Nov. 30, compared with a loss of $253 million, or 56 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned 21 cents per share. Net sales rose more than 19 percent to $2.65 billion. Monsanto shares were up 51 cents at $105.57 per share in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. (Additional reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru.; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Bernadette Baum) WALLINGFORD Local student Jessica Pereira is the first generation of her family to attend college, and in a couple weeks, shell achieve another first when she attends the presidential inauguration. Pereira, who graduated from Sheehan High School in 2013 and is currently a senior at Quinnipiac University, is participating in a political science seminar called Inauguration 2017, which begins Monday and concludes with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20 We all signed up and agreed to everything before we knew which candidate would win, she said on Friday, while riding in the car on her way to Washington. Students had to commit to the trip by Oct. 21. Thirty-eight other Quinnipiac students also are attending the seminar at the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars in the nations capital. She said the seminar is about the transition of power and uniting a nation, not politics or policy. This election was so divisive, I was interested in going, whichever candidate won, she said. The English major said her interest in politics was piqued by her internship at the Connecticut General Assembly last year. I learned so much, I started thinking about doing something related to politics, she said. She heard about the inauguration seminar from Quinnipiac professor of political science Scott McLean, the liaison who facilitated her internship at the state Capitol. McLean has brought groups of students to the last four presidential inaugurations. Quinnipiac professors Jennifer Sacco and Kathy Cooke also will accompany McLean this year, given the large number of students attending. Our students have a good reputation down in Washington, he said, and a lot of recognition when we say were Quinnipiac people. McLean said another 15 students had wanted to participate, and that he had never seen this much interest in the inaugural seminar. The previous record was 25 students. The students are an eclectic mix of majors, ages and political leanings. I noticed students were very much disillusioned by the especially nasty nature of the political discourse during the election campaign, he said. The insults, the insinuations, the personal attacks really turned students off. Quinnipiac makes up the largest university group in program, he said. More than 340 students are expected to attend, according to the Washington Center. Thats a real presence, McLean said Friday. They can really set the tone and try to elevate the discussion, and really make this a thoughtful reflection on the coming political agenda in Washington. Going to the seminar is one thing, but tickets to the inauguration ceremony are not easily obtainable. McLean said some students get tickets from Connecticut congressional representatives, and if theyre lucky they may make it into the VIP area, which is seated. If they dont get into secured area, the public area runs from the bottom of Capitol Hill down to the Lincoln Memorial. Many students opt to watch the ceremony remotely, instead of standing for several hours in the cold. Pereira said shes planning to watch the inauguration on the National Mall. I feel excited, she said. My dad (who is from Brazil) was just so proud, talking about how many more opportunities Ive had compared to him. Theres always a significant number of students who said it was the best thing they did during their college career, McLean said. LTakores@record-journal.com 203-317-2212 Twitter: @LCTakores fort lauderdale airport shooting A total of 13 people shot, five people killed. FBI has taken over the investigation. Suspected shooter is in federal custody. Suspect walked into Anchorage, Alaska, FBI office in November, was taken into custody by local police at the time and taken to a medical facility. Investigation spans several states connected to the suspect. Airport operations expected to resume at 5 a.m. Saturday. Five people were killed in a mass shooting in the baggage-claim area of Terminal 2 at Florida's Fort Lauderdale International Airport just before 1 p.m. on Friday. At least seven others were injured and taken to area hospitals, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said in a Friday night news conference. The suspected attacker, identified as 26-year-0ld Esteban Santiago, was shot by police and taken into custody. Santiago is now in federal custody and is expected to appear in court on Monday. NBC's Pete Williams reported that Santiago had signed up to serve in the National Guard in August 2016 and had been living in Alaska. He was born in New Jersey, Williams reported, and his family was originally from Puerto Rico. The suspect is in federal custody. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel confirmed that there were no additional incidents in any of the other terminals. "At this point it looks like he acted alone," he said of the suspect. Investigators said terrorism has not been ruled out as a possible motive. BREAKING: Photos of alleged Fort Lauderdale Airport shooter Esteban Santiago, law enforcement sources tell CBS https://t.co/eE2vxuwNJG pic.twitter.com/oPYf34Y32L CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 6, 2017 The suspect was apparently receiving some form of psychological treatment while in Alaska, according to The Associated Press, which cited the suspect's brother, Bryan Santiago. FBI spokesman George Piro said in a news conference Friday night that Santiago walked into an FBI field office in Anchorage last November and spoke to detectives. Story continues After the conversation, Santiago was taken into custody by local police and admitted to a medical facility for an evaluation, Piro said. It is unclear what type of treatment the suspect may have received. Santiago, who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Puerto Rico, served in Puerto Rico's National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2010. His aunt, who lives in New Jersey, told reporters that Santiago had started acting strangely when he returned from Iraq, and about a month ago "lost his mind." "He said he saw things," she said. Santiago served in the Alaska National Guard when he moved to Anchorage in 2014, but received a "general discharge" from in August for "unsatisfactory performance." Shooter traveled from Alaska ft lauderdale Santiago flew Delta from Anchorage, Alaska to Fort Lauderdale via Minneapolis-St. Paul on Thursday night, NBC reported. He arrived in Fort Lauderdale late Friday morning, which is when he apparently he used a gun he had checked into his luggage to carry out the massacre in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2. The Transportation Security Administration allows passengers to transport unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container "as checked baggage only," according to its website. "Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock" on the container, the guidelines state, and the firearm must be declared "each time you present it for transport as checked baggage." All services at the airport have temporarily been suspended until 5 a.m. Saturday morning. 'Execution-style' murder Video released from inside the baggage claim area appears to show the aftermath of the shooting at Terminal 2. A witness told CBC that the gunman shot several people "execution-style" as they waited for their bags. The attacker was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and was silent as he opened fire with a handgun, witnesses told MSNBC. He had time to reload as he shot people in the head, one witness said, but "threw down his gun and laid on the ground spread eagle" after he ran out of ammunition. Video released from inside Fort Lauderdale airport baggage claim area pic.twitter.com/QVfWnhhNiE WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 6, 2017 A witness to the shooting shared a graphic photo on Twitter that showed a man bleeding on the lower level of the airport. Shots fired at FLL airport. Guy is bleeding profusely. Supposedly others are shot on the lower level at Delta Term 2. pic.twitter.com/UcL73Y8yGx Maxwill Solutions (@MxWllSolutions) January 6, 2017 Florida Gov. Rick Scott traveled to the airport to be briefed on the attack. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted that he is "praying for the victims and everyone at the #FortLauderdale airport. #FLL." President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that he is "monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting, the White House said. The Federal Aviation Authority issued a ground stop for all flights at Fort Lauderdale airport, one of the country's busiest transport hubs. The airport is in South Florida's Broward County, about 30 miles north of Miami. ft lauderdale Bryan Logan contributed reporting. More From Business Insider In San Francisco, for too many years now, when it has rained, it has trickled. But, there have been times in the city's history when the skies opened up with a vengeance. Once such incident - captured in photos above - happened on March 13, 1971. A Weather Bureau spokesman said at the time "in less than half an hour between one half and three quarters of an inch of rain fell with such violence that an old brick sewer, lying next to the [BART] subway excavation at Market Street at Franklin, gave way." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 San Francisco Police Department / San Francisco Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 HANDOUT Show More Show Less 5 of 5 An accomplished San Francisco comic book and nonfiction author, who has been published in Marvel and a slew of other publications, was arrested on suspicion of possessing more than 600 child pornography files and uploading the graphic videos to YouTube, police said Friday. Gerard Jones, 59, was arrested after a police investigation and ensuing search warrant at his residence in the 600 block of Long Bridge Street in San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood turned up a host of electronic devices storing more than 600 images and videos depicting child pornography, police said. HARTFORD State employee unions say they have given enough to help Connecticuts fiscal picture, but Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wants more concessions. While Malloy has the hammer of more potential layoffs in addition to the more than 1,000 state employees terminated last year, union leaders this year will again push for higher taxes on the states wealthiest, a tactic that failed last year. Malloy, whose labor team has been involved in on-again, off-again negotiations with the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, wants to again use public employee unions as part of an attempt at long-term fiscal stability that can give business the predictability and stability they need for planning. Joe Brennan, president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said he was heartened by Malloys road map last week, when the second-term Democrat asked lawmakers to slash spending, and called for labor concessions and major changes to the way the state supports public education. The governors top priorities resonate well in the business community, Brennan said in a statement. First, reduce budget deficits by making state government more productive and efficient. Second, make state employee wages and benefits more affordable for taxpayers. We believe this, along with leaning government, are important steps in closing budget gaps while maintaining essential services and avoiding further harmful tax increases. Business and labor But Jennifer Schneider, spokesperson for SEIU Local 1199, which represents about 26,000 health care workers, said the employees are important members of their communities. One of the main priorities of this legislative session needs to be how we can provide core services for our state while producing quality middle-class jobs, she said. A third of our states $1.5 billion budget deficit is spent on low-wage workers accessing public assistance. By raising the minimum wage to $15 and holding large corporations like Wal-Mart and McDonalds accountable, we can be begin to make meaningful change in our state and in workers lives. Last year, a bill that would have penalized big-box retailers and chain restaurants failed. Sal Luciano, executive director of 35,000-member AFSCME Council 4, said Malloys speech may give some the impression that the governor expects a small minority of the population to resolve Connecticuts fiscal challenges. The reality is that the scope of the problems facing us all requires a broader, far more comprehensive approach. He said that SEBAC unions are already providing $1 billion a year in savings, under the 2011 agreement with Malloy. Over the past eight years they have ratified two separate agreements to sacrifice wages and benefits in exchange for protecting the vital services they provide for residents, Luciano said. If millionaires and billionaires contributed a percentage of their income in taxes equivalent to that which working families already pay, lawmakers would have a $1 billion surplus at their disposal. No appetite for concessions Lori Pelletier, president of the state AFL-CIO, said last week that she spoke with the governor before his speech, and while a conversation on pensions is ongoing between unions and Malloy, the talks are not substantial. There is not an appetite for it, Pelletier told reporters. They see the concessions they voted for in 2011 and there has been no flattening of the management structure. I dont know what his reasoning is. She said that between union givebacks and cuts in town and city aid, unionized workers could get penalized twice. But House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said a new audit shows Connecticut has the most under-funded pension plan in the nation at 35.5 percent, and that worker benefits must be scaled back. Republicans want measures including and end the use of overtime in calculating pension benefits, a new defined-contribution plan for new hires that limits the states contribution to 4 percent, an increase in worker contributions to 6 percent of salaries and a three-year wage freeze. The valuation of state employee pensions has hit an all-time low, and the unfunded liability grows every day, Klarides said. This is not a question of the state putting more money into the account; we must overhaul the entire system before it goes broke. kdixon@ctpost.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Neil Zobler never shies away from an adventure, especially if he knows he can capture it on film. I like to travel, said Zobler, a resident of New Fairfield and Manhattan. My life is all about adventures - the camera is just my companion. Growing up as a traveler, then working for a multinational corporation and living overseas for 11 years in Venezuela, Colombia, and Spain, opened the photographer's eyes to facets of many different cultures. My mother was from Iceland and my first trip to Reykjavik was when I was 2 years old, Zobler said. I spent many summer vacations there. His wife, Ana, is from Chile and the couple visits there often, too. Every year is an exploration of a new location, from China, Vietnam and Thailand to Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic The World is My Backyard, Zoblers photographic exhibit, is being presented at the Danbury Library in conjunction with the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut. The show runs through February 3. I selected images I thought the patrons would like to see: Cuba, Iceland, New York City, and New Fairfield, Zobler said. Cuba is the hot place to go these days and Iceland is very otherworldly places that most people might never have the opportunity to see. The other half of the images I wanted to be more familiar to the viewers: Manhattan and New Fairfield. Lisa Scails, Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, appreciates Zobler's artistic portfolio. "It's wonderful to give voice to his travels through his photography, she said. His show is interesting, a pleasure to see, and there's a lot to learn from it. It begs for conversation. Zobler's main subjects vary. I tend to see life in photographic terms, he said. I see pictures everywhere. I particularly like travel photography, which lends itself to landscapes and environmental portraits. However, to the opposite extreme, I also like formal studio portraits. Recently hes been intrigued by street photography. Its challenging, because in order for it to look real, not posed, the photographer has to stay pretty much invisible, he said. In all cases, I hope people who view my work see it as fine art photography based on my eye for composition. Zobler uses various industry software applications to create a unique look a far cry from the small darkroom he helped his brother set up in their parents closet when he was a youngster. Today, my digital darkroom is Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, he said. I like working in these programs because, for me, post-production is just as much fun as actually taking the images. In fact, working in them allows me to improve the image to the point of turning a snapshot into art. To rekindle his enthusiasm when he lacks vision, Zobler attends free presentations by well-known photographers at B&H or Adorama, two of the largest photography stores in NYC. Also, he's a member of the Washington Art Association and the Connecticut Association of Photographers, and his work has received numerous honorable mentions from the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) and Photographic Society of America (PSA). Wherever he goes, Zobler is always on the lookout for his next photo opportunity and will continue to explore the world through his lens. Ive always had an artist mindset and photography helps me satisfy the creative need in me, he said. For more information on Neil Zobler, visit his website at www.zobler.photos or follow him on Instagram #neilzoblerphotography. Taxes and education continue to be two of the hot-button issues to be debated during the 85th legislative session, and local leaders will be watching. With Republicans in charge of the White House, Sen. Brandon Creighton has hopes Texas will gain a federal partner that will help the state succeed. Creighton, whose district stretches from Montgomery to Jefferson counties, told members of the Kingwood Tea Party on Thursday night Texas had fallen behind in some areas over the past eight years. Creighton has toured Texas ports with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and is on a subcommittee in charge of reviewing port infrastructure and how it affects Texas. Creighton will present the committee's findings to the Senate during the session. "We want to encourage the ships coming through the Panama Canal expansion, the big megaships, to come straight to Texas and not to Long Beach, California, or South Carolina," Creighton said, adding Texas' ports were left behind when it lost its federal partner and other states jumped ahead when it came to infrastructure and dredging canals. "We need a bigger voice in Texas. In a meeting with the Kingwood Tea Party, Creighton, whose district 4 includes most of Montgomery County, said one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's top priorities is property tax reform. Creighton said it doesn't make sense that Texas, which tries to keep its taxes low, continues to see increasing property values. "We're going to make some critical changes there," Creighton said. "How much will it save you? I don't know. Will it be a substantial amount? Maybe not. But we need some structural change in the way that you're getting the increases on your property." According to Patton Village Mayor Leah Tarrant, with the infrastructure projects planned for Patton Village, the city will be keeping an eye on legislation that could affect cities' property tax rate increases. Property Tax Reform & Relief Act of 2017, or Senate Bill 2, was coauthored by Creighton and proposes a four percent revenue cap, down from the current eight percent rollback rate. That means an increase of more than four percent would require a mandatory election. "Citizens currently have the right to request an election if you go over the rollback rate," Tarrant said. "It's an option they have now, so I don't see the need for the cap and a mandatory election in order to raise more than 4 percent." Funding, accountability and assessment are on the list of legislative priorities for New Caney ISD. New Caney ISD released a list of priorities that outlines the district's focus in the upcoming legislative session. The district's first listed priority calls for an update to school funding that would more accurately reflect the cost of serving students, stating: "aside from recognizing there are different costs of living across the state, every child should receive a similar level of funding for their education." Regarding local control, New Caney ISD is opposed to "state voucher plans, tax credits, tuition reimbursements, or any program that diverts public tax dollars to private entities with little or no academic or financial accountability to the state, taxpayers, or to local communities." Texas House member Will Metcalf, who represents district 16, extending across Montgomery County, said he's willing to listen. "It's still early in the process for me to commit to a specific bill or solution that I haven't had a chance to review yet," Metcalf said. "I will happily meet with and listen to our local school officials to get their opinions on some of these proposals. They know that my door is always open." He stated that the same open-door policy applies for suggestions regarding the accountability rating system, but that he is a firm proponent of having an accountability system in place. "Some form of accountability is always necessary," Metcalf said. "Spending taxpayer dollars with no accountability is never an option. I'm always open to any suggested changes in our rating system, but I have to be certain that any change is actually an improvement and not simply change for the sake of it." Also in terms of education, Metcalf filed House Bill 77 to remove the Sept. 1 expiration date of individual graduation committees. "House Bill 77 would make alternative graduation committees, which were created in the last session, a permanent feature in our schools," Metcalf said. "We need to maintain a viable alternative for kids who are intelligent and more than qualified to graduate, but who may struggle with standardized tests." Julie Silva contributed to this article. Christmas Tree at Neiman Marcus The luxury retailer Neiman Marcus has requested to withdraw its initial public offering. The company, which filed for its flotation in August 2015, said in a statement Friday it had "determined that it is not in its best interests to proceed with the initial public offering." The private-equity firms TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus in 2013 sold Neiman Marcus to the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board and Ares Management. The retailer in October 2015 said it would delay its offering until 2016 because of stock market "jitters." Then markets got even testier in the first quarter of 2016, which saw the fewest IPOs since 2009. While equity capital markets picked up in the second and third quarters, many private companies held off on going public for the year. As Business Insider's Hayley Peterson reported in December, Neiman Marcus CEO Karen Katz attributed the retailer's pain to wealthy shoppers who've started comparing prices between retailers on everything they buy. "There's no question that our core customer is visiting us a little less frequently," Katz told analysts on an earnings call at the time. "Customers in general are less loyal to any one retailer and I think a lot of that is because of the price transparency of online. I think that's here to stay. I don't think that's going to change." Neiman Marcus in December reported its fifth straight quarter of declining sales at stores open at least a year. Its total sales dropped to $1.08 billion from $1.16 billion one year earlier, and net losses widened to $23.5 million from $10.5 million in the period. NOW WATCH: Here's the massive gap in average income between the top 1% and the bottom 99% in every state More From Business Insider Some year, that 2016. Donald Trump elected President of the United States, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series. The highlight of the year for the Daly family, though, saved itself for the very last hours of Dec. 31 in the beautiful confines of the 156-year-old Provincetown, Mass., public library. It is a stately building, built in 1860 as a Methodist church, and its bell tower stands grandly over the downtown Commercial Street landscape. There, amid the books and art work, and in the shadow of a half-scale model of a locally famous gaff-rigged fishing schooner, the Rose Dorothea, our oldest daughter, Tara, 39, married her partner of some years, Laura Mele, 40, in a simple but moving civil ceremony. They met five years ago in Northampton. Mass., where Laura works as an arborist and where Tara lived while teaching at Mount Holyoke College. They fell in love. I can see it whenever I am with them. Our headquarters for the weekend, and the location of the bridal dinner, was the Sage Inn and Lounge, just a block away from the library on Commercial Street. When the ceremony concluded, a violinist and the keyboard player for the Connecticut Post newsroom band, The Bad Slugs, played the Beach Boys God Only Knows, while those gathered sang along. We repaired to the Sage Inn for a cocktail hour and bridal dinner in a private second-floor room. When those festivities were over, out party of 30 or so descended into the lobby around 8:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after a DJ had started a thumping set. It turned into a joyous revelry, a boisterous blending of the crowd in the lobby and the wedding party. On a side note, when they were first graders at Fairfields Assumption school, Tara Daly and a little boy named Gerald Goode shared a first kiss. Gerald went on to many successes in life and disappointments, Id imagine including a successful music career. Tara, likewise, now a professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee, has seen her share of both. A week or two before the wedding, Tara called the Snip Salon, a hair styling salon, to make an appointment for herself, mother and sisters. Tara Daly from Fairfield, Connecticut? the voice on the other end inquired. Yes, she replied. Gerald is a stylist at Snip. He still plays music and performs, and accompanies on keyboard a drag queen performer. They play Provincetown regularly and have performed around the country. Its a rugged place, Provincetown, in the winter. Some of the locals speak of it as an island. Its not, of course, but its as close as you can get, this tip at lands end, water on three sides. And although the summer population is somewhere north of 70,000 people, its winter full-time population is closer to 700. The town has 1,700 registered voters. In the winter, in particular, they watch out for each other. Whether its a drag queen, a bartender, an inn manager, hair stylist, fisherman and that doesnt come close to capturing the various categories of population when winters sinews wrap themselves around the the beaches and wharves and the wind scours the land, they are a blended family. They help each other in hard times... and they party like swabbies on shore leave in good times. With the marriage of Tara and Laura, the Dalys and Meles have now blended in similar fashion. The Connecticut Post newsroom band, The Bad Slugs, perform at The Windmill, 400 Hollister Street, Stratford on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. This is an eye-popping band. Michael J. Daly is editor of the editorial page of the Connecticut Post. Email: mdaly@ctpost.com. STAMFORD People in Hubbard Heights were the first in the city to fight back when a neighbor tried to use his house as a hotel. Consider the residents of Grandview Avenue pioneers, because house-sharing is here to stay, and they flagged the problems it can bring. Now there is another complaint from Whitmore Lane, where a man leases a multifamily house and advertises six rooms on Airbnb, the bed and breakfast website that connects travelers with people who want to rent their rooms. Ken Cosentino has lived on Whitmore Lane on the West Side for 64 years. It shouldnt be OK for a house in a residential neighborhood to operate like a hotel, Cosentino said. Its zoned as a two-family, he said. Its on a steep hill. The street already couldnt handle the parking from those two apartments and now, with Airbnb, there are five or six cars. Theyre taking all the available space. Cosentino said he contacted City Hall. I asked a zoning officer if an Airbnb is legal on my street, and he said he didnt know anything about it, Cosentino said. I called the Corporation Counsels office and spoke to three different attorneys. They said its legal. Then I asked my attorney and he said its completely illegal. The whole thing is really weird. One reason for this is that cities have not figured out how to regulate the Internet business of house sharing, even as it grows all over the world. Airbnb is the predominant website offering the service. After The Advocate published a story about problems that neighbors were having on Grandview Avenue, Airbnb contacted Mayor David Martin, according to his spokeswoman, Libby Carlson. Airbnb took that posting down after the city found the owner was not compliant with zoning regulations, Carlson said. Grandview Avenue residents began to complain about the house in September, a month after it was purchased by a man they knew only as Richard. Though Richard never moved in, people and cars were coming and going all hours of the day and night, neighbors said. An Airbnb guest told The Advocate that people who booked space in the house were sleeping in the laundry room, living room and kitchen, and the bathroom was unsanitary. After neighbors spotted a photo of Richards house on the Airbnb website advertising rooms for about $40 a night city inspectors paid a visit and found illegal key locks on bedroom doors, makeshift bedrooms, and other violations. They gave Richard 30 days to convert the house back to a single-family residence. Grandview Avenue resident Terri Rich said activity at the house has slowed considerably. From time to time, there are various cars parked in front and people weve never seen before, but its not to the degree it was a few weeks back, Rich said in an email. Airbnb hotspot According to a Nov. 18 note to Martin from an Airbnb public-policy executive, Andrew Kalloch, Stamford has many hosts and guests. Stamford had 94 active hosts last year with 146 listings on Airbnb, Kalloch wrote. The average host was 43 years old and earned $6,800 from rentals. Most hosts, 62 percent, were women. About 2,000 Airbnb guests stayed in the city last year, and 57 percent booked an entire house for a typical stay of five nights, the note states. The remaining 43 percent stayed in shared space such as spare bedrooms. Last May, Airbnb created a page on its website, airbnb.com/neighbors, to address neighborhood complaints about listings. The company treats each case seriously, Kalloch states. The Stamford man who leases the house on Whitmore Lane said Airbnb, which earns a profit by charging user fees, does a good job of regulating itself. Its why he began renting rooms to Airbnb guests nearly three years ago, said the man, who wishes to remain anonymous since he has not been found to have done anything wrong. Renting with Airbnb offers security because you have to become a member, and guests and hosts are rated, the man said. Airbnb will pull the listing and ban the host who doesnt provide what he says he will. And Airbnb has an insurance policy with every booking. He said he started with one bed and worked up to six, offering a unique amenity he cooked and served dinner for the guests. He charges $145 a night, with discounts for longer stays. To date, hes had more than 100 guests, the man said. The money he earns covers his expenses plus some extra, but he still does other things to generate income, he said. Work, not fun About 95 percent of my guests are business travelers from all over the world, he said. They are here for training, or to set up a business. Theyre on work visas, or they just took a job here and theyre looking for a place to live. I have hedge-fund guys, interns, corporate people. I would say at least 80 percent stay for more than a month. I had one person stay for nine months she had just transferred from Ohio and it took her that long to find the condo she wanted to buy. But the government is creeping into house-sharing. Last year, for example, the Connecticut tax commissioner and Airbnb reached an agreement that requires hosts to collect a 15 percent hotel tax from guests. Though the Stamford mans ratings from guests on Whitmore Lane are consistently positive, that is not always the case. Some hosts go too far in trying to maximize their profits and, because of it, Airbnb is under fire in cities around the world. In October, for example, New York imposed fines of up to $7,500 on Airbnb hosts who violated municipal regulations. I am heading off in a different direction in my life because, even though I believe in the sharing economy, I dont believe in the tax, the man said. Its a shame for the Stamford economy, because I buy all my sheets and towels, all my groceries, locally. I dont get all this regulation. Look at all the people in Stamford who are living illegally in garages and basements, some of them death traps. But I am doing things right and the government comes after me. Ron Miller, director of environmental inspection for the city health department, said he will check on the Whitmore Lane house. City watching Carlson said short-term rentals are allowed as long as the person doing the renting complies with zoning, health, fire and building codes. We will see what else comes up, Carlson said. If it becomes a more persistent issue, we may look at some sort of ordinance. In the meantime, residents who have complaints can visit the Airbnb website and call Miller in the health department at 203-977-4363; Zoning Enforcement Officer Jim Lunney at 203-977-5944; or the Citizens Service Center at 203-977-4140. Cosentino said he wants the city to define the rules. Maybe an Airbnb works in the South End, where they put up all the high-rises. But not here. It shouldnt be allowed to ruin neighborhoods, Cosentino said. I have no problem with people making money. This is America. But there has to be some kind of sense to it. acarella@scni.com; Obama says he'd back Obamacare repeal if GOP has better plan WASHINGTON (AP) -- Putting pressure on Republicans, President Barack Obama pledged Friday to publicly support repealing "Obamacare" if Republicans come up with something better, but cast doubt on the GOP's ability to develop a viable alternative. As Republicans prepare to gut his biggest legislative achievement, Obama implored his opponents not to pursue a two-step approach where the Affordable Care Act is repealed first and replaced after perhaps years later. He sought to lay the groundwork for Democrats to pile on Republicans for taking health care away from millions of people if the replacement never materializes. "I am saying to every Republican right now: If you, in fact, can put a plan together that is demonstrably better than what Obamacare is doing, I will publicly support repealing Obamacare and replacing it with your plan," Obama said in a live-streamed interview with online news site Vox. "But I want to see it first." Obama appeared to be betting on the possibility that Republicans won't be able to unify behind an Obamacare replacement or that if they do, it won't be one that will pass muster for Democrats. Though Republicans are in agreement that the law should be repealed and replaced, they're at odds over what the replacement should look like, and particularly over how to pay for popular elements they hope to preserve, including coverage for pre-existing conditions and the ability for parents to keep children on their plans until age 26. Most alarming to Obama and Democrats is the possibility of no replacement at all, given the fact that Republicans have been unable to settle on their own health care vision in the nearly seven years since the Affordable Care Act became law. Hoping to give themselves more time while also fulfilling campaign pledges to quickly abolish the law, Republicans are discussing a repeal that wouldn't take effect for 18 months or longer, during which they'd ostensibly agree on a replacement. Story continues Related: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. "What you don't want is a situation where they make a promise they can't keep," Obama said. "I've worked on this a long time. If we had had a better way to do this, we would have done it. It would have been in my interest to do it, because I knew I was going to be judged on whether or not it worked." The president argued he had no "pride of authorship" over the law that colloquially bears his name, adding that it wasn't he who had dubbed it "Obamacare." He tried to dispel the notion he was trying to prevent a repeal in hopes of preserving his own legacy. "They can call it whatever they want," Obama said. "They can call it Trumpcare or McConnellcare or Ryancare," Obama said, referring to President-elect Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. "If it actually works, I will be the first one to say, 'Great.'" Signed into law in 2010, Obama's overhaul has extended insurance coverage to 20 million more people and brought the uninsured rate to a historic low of about 9 percent, reshaping the $3 trillion-per-year health system in the process. Still, the law has failed to win broad public approval, amid persistent concerns about rising premium rates through the insurance marketplaces the law created. Republicans have set a goal to offer "universal access," but their replacement may cover fewer people than Obama's overhaul. A key GOP focus is to do away with the individual mandate requirement that all Americans have insurance or pay a fine. Absent that requirement, insurers have warned it's not financially viable to force them to accept people regardless of pre-existing health issues. In his final days in office, Obama has been ramping up a public push to pressure Republicans over their repeal plans and unite Democrats behind a strategy to try to protect the law. He traveled Wednesday to Capitol Hill to strategize with Democratic lawmakers, and penned an opinion piece published Friday in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. In the article, Obama said the uncertainty of a repeal with no replacement could lead insurance companies to bail on the health care marketplaces during the phase-out years, leaving millions without insurance. He said it would set up a "cliff" with harmful consequences if lawmakers fail to approve a replacement in time. Yet Trump's team has said repeal is the first order of business, and leaders in Congress hope to deliver a bill voiding much of the law by late February. Although Ryan said this week that lawmakers will vote on a replacement this year as well, it's unclear how Republicans could move that quickly to replace a law that took more than a year to craft. ___ Lucey reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writers Ken Thomas and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report. As expected, Midland ISD showed the need for improvement as the Texas Education Agency unveiled preliminary ratings for public school districts and campuses across the state. Midlands 37 campuses recorded Ds or Fs on 68 percent of the possible areas. The TEA provided grades for four domains -- student achievement, student progress, closing of the performance gaps and postsecondary readiness -- for basically all campuses and the district as a whole. The district scored a D on student achievement, a C on student progress and an F on both its ability to close performance gaps and the measurement of postsecondary readiness. MISD campuses collectively posted 11 Fs and 13 Ds on student achievement, 14 Fs and nine Ds on student progress, 24 Fs and 10 Ds on closing the performance gaps and nine Fs and 12 Ds on postsecondary readiness. The report didnt come as a surprise to district officials because nine schools in 2016 rated improvement required, and other data showed MISD trailing comparable school districts and the state average. This was the first time letter grades were used as ratings for campuses and the districts as a whole. The next round of ratings is expected in August 2018. The report provides MISD with new data, but represents old news. In 2016, community and education leaders used other data points to show Midland ISDs nearly decade-long slide. It started with the Educate Midland rollout in the spring, and continued in the fall with the arrival of interim Superintendent Rod Schroder. Schroder told the Reporter-Telegram on Friday that Midland ISD will be ahead of other districts that are receiving this type of data for the first time. This is not our wake-up call, Schroder said. We know where we are. The scores are not new. This report did not provide a letter grade for the entire district or the individual campuses, something Schroder said mischaracterizes what is taking place inside classrooms every day. And while Schroder embraces data and what it can do in academic reform efforts, he said summarizing domain performance with letter grades is problematic. This is just a certain set of data that needs to be looked at, but not a full evaluation of the school, Schroder said. We will focus on what is happening with the domains. It is important to focus on that. That tells us what we have to work on. Schroder, Chief Academic Officer Patrick Jones and Elise Kail, director of Accountability/PEIMS & Research, said not much has changed with the reform effort since the start of the academic year. Reform focuses on having a growth mindset, a no-excuses policy for the learning taking place in the classroom and good instructional processes. Jones said the priority continues to be improving that instruction process through professional learning communities, which have been implemented for the second year. Schroder said he has discovered a top-down approach to improvement and not as much of a empowering mentality since his arrival in Midland, something he said has to change. We are trying to allow the campuses (principals and teachers) more freedom to design instruction and schedule instruction that meets needs of the kids, Schroder said. The TEA in its rating report showed the district is 46.4 percent economically disadvantaged, and 12.3 percent of the students were listed as English Language Learners. ---- The following is a list of district/schools, the percentage of economically disadvantaged students, the percentage of English Language Learners and letter grades for the domains. Domain I is student achievement, Domain II is student progress, Domain III represents the closing of the performance gaps, and Domain IV measures postsecondary readiness. District/CampusEcoELLDIDIIDIIIDIV Midland ISD46.446.412.3DCFF Lee HS28.510.2DDFF Midland HS28.23.1DDFF Coleman HS42.24.8DDDD Early College37/91.5AAAA Lee Freshman43.36.5CFD- Midland Freshman42.57.0CDD Alamo JH51.47.7DCFD San Jacinto JH47.89.5DFFD Goddard JH49.57.5CCDF Abell JH41.110.5CBFD Bonham54.532.8DCFD Burnet70.338.6FDFF Crockett83.90.5FFFF De Zavala83.430.9FDFB Fannin28.40.0DDFD Henderson51.20.4DBDC Houston53.40.6FDFF Jones 56.00.3FCFD Lamar75.625.1FFFD Long69.035.5FFFD Milam75.625.1FFFC Emerson41.12.0DFFD Rusk49.026.9CCCB South82.239.3FFFD Travis74.732.0FFFF Parker37.99.3BCDC Santa Rita25.65.2CFDF Scharbauer25.65.2CFFF Carver9.43.6AAAB Bush43.314.0DCFD Greathouse27.16.5CCFC Washington29.71.7DFFC Pease52.624.3DCDB Bowie31.70.0CDDB Yarbrough44.10.8DFFF Fasken25.92.0BADC Bunche71.826.8FFFD Source: Midland ISD When pollsters interrupt people's dinners to ask about their New Year's resolutions, very often the top three responses are "get in shape," "lose weight" and "save money." Find a deal on a gym membership, and you can do all three. Here's how. --- Basic strategies: Time it right: The end of the year is a great time to join a gym at a discount, as people spend more time lifting a glass than lifting weights. Another timing tip, according to Consumer Reports, is to sign up late in the month - any month - when health club sales teams are trying to meet their monthly quotas. Look for daily deals: Never, ever join a gym without quickly searching daily-deal sites such as Groupon and Living Social. Gym memberships and other exercise classes are one of their most common offers. There were 534 exercise deals on Groupon when I checked. Ask work about your workout: Many employers have negotiated discounts with nearby gyms. If yours hasn't, why not band together with co-workers and do it yourself? Negotiate a custom deal: Speaking of negotiating, it pays to play hard ball. Make sure the gym you want to join knows that you're talking to other gyms, too, and ask for a price match. Then, see if it will waive the initiation fee. Planning to use just one location in a chain? Request a discount for that. Don't need included services like child care? Ditto. If you can't get the gym to give you a lower price for less stuff, try to get more stuff for the quoted price, such as free personal training or massages. Pay as you go: Better yet, don't join at all. Sometimes it makes more economic sense to get an exercise "class card" or pay daily rates as you go, especially if you're unsure how committed you are. Paying daily or month to month may cost more, but it will save you money if you decide to bail out. I'm not a fan of long-term "future services contracts" that you can get out of only if you can document that you moved away or got injured. --- Advanced strategies: Head to the hospital: You know that failing to exercise can land you in the hospital, but did you know that you can exercise at the hospital? That's right, many hospitals have fully equipped fitness facilities that welcome the public. Best of all, most do not require ironclad long-term contracts. For example, Sibley Memorial Hospital in Northwest Washington offers memberships for $80 a month. And Providence Hospital in Northeast runs all sorts of fitness series, from aqua aerobics to Zumba, for about $8.50 a class. Go to college: Colleges and universities are another often-overlooked resource. Most now have elaborate exercise facilities to attract students, and many offer memberships to the community. In the D.C. area, one example is Trinity Washington University, which charges Brookland neighbors $520 a year to join its Trinity Center gym. Compare that with the roughly $600 to $1,200 a year some of the big D.C. gym chains charge, according to Consumers' Checkbook. Exercise your health insurance: Insurance companies have caught on that keeping people healthy saves them money, so many now include some sort of gym benefit as part of their plans. For example, Aetna says it offers discounted rates at more than 10,000 gyms. And United Healthcare will reimburse you $20 each month that you visit one of its participating fitness centers at least 12 times. Additionally, if you are exercising to overcome an illness or injury, gyms such as Medical Fitness Pros in Texas will work with you to submit claims to your insurance company. Try apps that pay for wellness: Mobile apps such as Pact and Wellcoin will actually pay you to exercise. Pact rewards you with cash - paid by other members who didn't meet their goals. When you use Wellcoin, you earn points you can use to buy products on the site, including gym classes. The payments aren't huge, but there's an intangible motivational value that some consider priceless. Ask for fitness financial aid: Not sure you can afford a commercial gym? The YMCA offers financial assistance and says it never turns away members who can't pay. There are 2,700 YMCAs in the United States and 15 in the D.C. area. A Houston firefighter who was stabbed in the eye by a man he was trying to save Friday has been released from the hospital and recovering from surgery, according to the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association. Police and firefighters responded to reports of a fire in a business Friday and noticed what appeared to be an unresponsive man inside the building. A police officer forced entry using a sledgehammer and Houston Fire Department Capt. Kenneth Willingham entered and attempted to rescue the man. A rash of house fires happened late Friday and early Saturday morning as the Houston area was draped by below-freezing temperatures. Four units caught fire just after 8 p.m. Friday, displacing four southeast Houston families at the Cabo San Lucas apartments in the 10800 block of Nathaniel. "Everybody's OK," said Neal Hardin with the American Red Cross. "There's no injuries to any of those four families and we are working with those four families to make sure that they have a safe, warm place to stay." Houston firefighters responded around 1 a.m. to flames leaping from the roof and hallway of a southside home in the 4900 block of Enyart at Weston. A father and his adult daughter escaped the home safely. A heating unit in the attic is the suspected cause of the fire. The Harris County Fire Marshal's office is investigating multiple fires that damaged vacant units at an apartment complex near MacArthur High School. Eastex and Aldine fire department firefighters quickly doused a blaze in the 4500 block of Aldine Mail Route around 3 a.m. Saturday. Authorities responded to a similar situation on Friday at the same apartments. Around 5 a.m., Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department firefighters fought smoke and flames that burned through the roof of a home on Kite Hill near Flagstone. After daybreak, a pool pump caught fire and set a stand-alone garage ablaze at a home on Cedar Creek Court in west Houston's Briar Forest neighborhood. Both vehicles in the garage also burned. Houston firefighters stopped the blaze from traveling on an awning that stretches from the garage to the home. The fire is believed to be related to the cold temperatures, which remained below freezing in an otherwise sunny Houston at noon Saturday. Sheriff Javier Salazar announced the newest members of his executive command staff in a Friday night press conference that included a prayer and a pinning ceremony. Salazar named eight staff picks out of 10 in front of about 75 people gathered in Commissioners Court at the Bexar County Courthouse. The other two announcements will be made within the next few weeks, he said. While several of his picks have had longtime careers with the sheriffs office, Salazar chose a few outsiders, including a colleague from the San Antonio Police Department and a former field agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency to oversee criminal investigations. His command staff will look different than his predecessor Susan Pamerleaus, as Salazar is adding three assistant chiefs under his new Chief Deputy Don Tijerina, to break up the division between law enforcement and detention, Salazar said. After filing a temporary restraining order that was ultimately dismissed against Pamerleau for making what he called improper personnel changes last week, Salazar ended up choosing one member of her staff for his own team. Former chief financial officer Ottis Hutchinson will now be the director of budget and support. Tijerina has been with the sheriffs office since 1992, working in detention, followed by stints in patrol, criminal investigations and criminal warrants. Salazars assistant chief over law enforcement, Dale Bennett, served as patrol chief under Sheriff Rolando Tafolla and is currently an administrative sergeant with the city of Bee Cave. Salazar will appear in Commissioners Court on Tuesday to ask county commissioners to approve his hiring out of retirement from the county. James Serrato from SAPD will be Salazars second assistant chief and chief of staff, overseeing the training academy, budget, public information office and facilities. Salazar plans to appoint either a sergeant or lieutenant from within the sheriffs office to serve as his public information officer within the next week. Salazar still plans to appoint a third assistant chief overseeing detention and another position focused on narco-terrorism and crime interdiction beyond Bexar County. He also announced a full-time SWAT team in the sheriffs office, to enhance the current part-time volunteer version that exists today. He also named Dennis Casillas as deputy chief of tactical support; Nancy Sanford as deputy chief of criminal investigations; Roy Fletcher as deputy chief of patrol; and Laura Balditt as deputy chief of detention Command staff members will also be expected to complete mandatory overtime shifts in the Bexar County Jail, he said. Verlon J. Sparks had many jobs throughout his life. Picking crops, working construction and in a steel mill, and managing a tractor supply company enabled him to support his wife and children, but something was missing. His whole life he liked helping people, especially those who were sick, or down and out, or just had special needs, his granddaughter Krista Gilreath said. That was always a gift of his. Seeing that attribute in her husband, his wife suggested he become a nurse. Enrolling at St. Philips College at 50, Sparks became a licensed vocational nurse, working at a hospital and later, with hospice patients. He realized he should have been doing that his whole life, Gilreath said. Sparks, 80, died Dec. 18. One of six children raised on an Oklahoma farm, Sparks was doted upon by his sisters. He was the baby and had three older sisters who were like mother hens, Gilreath said. Even as adults, they fawned over Popo hand and foot, taking care of him. He had just graduated from high school and was visiting a sister in Colorado when he met his future wife, who lived in the neighborhood. Marrying in 1956, the couple went to California to visit another relative when Sparks was offered a job. More Information Verlon J. Sparks Born: May 6, 1936, Buffalo Mountain, Oklahoma Died: Dec. 18, 2016, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Manley F. and Beulah McDougal Sparks; two brothers; and two sisters. Survived by: Wife Jo Sparks; sons Ken V. Sparks and daughter-in-law Tracy, and David W. Sparks and daughter-in-law Mary; 10 grandchildren: granddaughters Krista Gilreath, Katy Taylor, Kaitlin Sparks, Emily Sparks; grandsons Caleb Sparks, Joshua Sparks, David Michael Sparks, Benjamin Sparks, Jonathan Sparks, and Eli Sparks; five great-grandchildren; and a brother. Services: Memorial at 11 a.m. today at New Vision Community Church, 14515 O'Connor Road. See More Collapse The manager of a tractor supply company, Sparks moved his family from Northern California, back to Colorado and to Missouri opening new stores. It was when they were transferred to Corpus Christi that his wife fell in love with Texas. The way my grandmother describes it, she thought shed moved to paradise because it was warm, Gilreath said. Moving to San Antonio in 1966, Sparks continued to work a variety of jobs, and volunteer at nursing homes and the Church of the Nazarene, where he attended church. He especially enjoyed working with children, teaching them Bible lessons with puppet shows using puppets and a theater hed built. He was very creative, taught himself how to do a lot of things, Gilreath said. He always liked to paint; I remember him sitting in front of the TV and watching Bob Ross, the host of the PBS show The Joy of Painting. Sparks continued to work with hospice patients until his health began to decline. He retired at about 70, only because he wasnt strong enough to lift the patients, Gilreath said. mheidbrink@express-news.net Donald Trumps resistance to cut ties with his personal businesses suggests that he is unconcerned by the appearance that he may benefit financially from being president of the United States. His appeal as a billionaire, and his ability to use his wealth as an asset with voters of vastly different economic means, helps explain his lack of concern. One key to understanding Trumps allure is his experience in the wildly popular financial self-help circuit. As a book author and a well-paid speaker, Trump learned about the common folk who aspire to financial freedom and revere the rich. It was in this world that Trump perfected his charismatic performance in front of live audiences who were unhappy with their financial lives and sought change. Two of Trumps books were co-authored with Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best-selling Rich Dad Poor Dad. For two years, I studied fans of financial self-help and the people who read Kiyosakis books. I attended their meetings, played a financial board game with them called Cashflow, and interviewed them. Fans of financial self-help are told that financial success should not be the result of studying and working hard at a job but instead can be based on profiting from the work and time of others, and on having money work for you. People who dont do this can only fault themselves. In his campaign, Trump mobilized voters discontent with the economy, surgically avoiding questioning the role of the rich in furthering income inequality. This is a prevalent theme of financial self-help. The rich, including those selling books and seminars to those who aspire to wealth, are seen as deserving because they are financially intelligent and know how to recognize opportunities. In their first debate, Hillary Clinton attacked Trump for not having paid income tax in years. Trump interrupted Clintons accusation not by denying it but by stating that avoiding income tax made him smart. While many were outraged, this kind of talk is common in financial self-help circles: The rich benefit from tax loopholes because they are financially intelligent. Trumps comfortable admission shows us something about him and the language of financial self-help he cultivated. Financial self-help readers admire the rich and are not bothered by guru authors who profit from them, because that success shows that the gurus walk their talk and are truly smart. Readers do not find it troubling that a major part of authors income comes from fans, or that stories in financial best-sellers are probably made up, as long as the advice works for them. In Why We Want You to Be Rich, Trump and Kiyosaki argued that because they were already rich, they had no need to make more money, all the while cashing in on the very books that said so. Fans responded to this kind of contradiction by praising both the authors earlier financial success and their shrewdness in taking advantage of the new opportunity to sell. Similarly, Trump operates on the notion that being already rich protects him from special interests. But he also campaigned on his alleged deal-making abilities, as long as his actions and message still work for those who support him. Conflicts of interest are far from new in American politics, but the dimension of the problem for the president-elect and his dismissal of its seriousness are new. Never before has a president had ongoing stakes in businesses around the world on such a scale. Americans need to be more vigilant of the president-elects conflicts and do everything possible to protect democracy, but to do so successfully we must also understand why many Americans tolerate and even admire Trumps behavior. Trumps dismissive reaction toward these concerns is rooted in how he appealed to his audience as a star in the financial self-help world. Trumps personality and dubious ethics have been the center of attention for good reason but so far have not hurt him electorally. Therefore, we should also examine larger cultural representations at play. The widespread impression in the United States that having achieved wealth is a reflection of a certain kind of smarts, regardless of its ethical implications for the common good, has served Trump well but is simply wrong. Daniel Fridman is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Freedom from Work: Embracing Financial Self-Help in the United States and Argentina (Stanford University Press, 2016). State Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth has the early lead in the competition for the worst bill of the 2017 legislative session. The conservative Republican wants to end no-fault divorce and force couples to live separately for three years before filing for divorce unless issues like abuse or adultery are involved. That's ridiculous. Krause wants to reinforce the sanctity of marriage, but denying divorces to couples for three long years is just punishing them. It makes it harder for them to rebuild their lives and possibly start new families, which of course is a key reason we have marriages. Jared Kushner Mike Coppola Getty President-elect Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, may be headed for a job in the White House. Kushner is in the process of filing financial disclosure documents in preparation for taking a formal role as an adviser to the president, sources close to the process told The New York Times on Saturday. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is the CEO of his family's real-estate business. He also owns the New York Observer, along with other media properties. He has hired WilmerHale, a Washington-based law firm, to help him navigate and comply with federal ethics laws, The New York Times reported. Kushner leased a 7,000 square foot home in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, just blocks away from the Obama family's new home, in preparation for his move. At the same time, Kushner is working to close a deal with a major Chinese financial company, Anbang, to redevelop a property that Kushner's company owns in Manhattan, according to the Times. Anbang, which owns the Waldorf Astoria hotel and controls an estimated $285 billion in assets, is owned by a tangled web of shell companies and reportedly has ties to the Chinese government. In order to avoid conflicts, Kushner will likely step down from the CEO position at his family's company, and divest "substantial assets," Jamie S. Gorelick, a partner at WilmerHale, told the Times. "Mr. Kushner is committed to complying with federal ethics laws, and we have been consulting with the Office of Government Ethics regarding the steps he would take," Gorelick said. jared kushner donald trump ivanka Incoming Cabinet members must disclose their finances to the nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics to avoid conflicts-of-interest before their Senate confirmation hearings. Members of Trump's proposed Cabinet composed of many centimillionaires and billionaires hold complicated assets, like buildings and equity stakes in companies, which makes the OGE's job especially difficult. Story continues The OGE's director, Walter Shaub, said he was "concerned" that his office would not have enough time to complete the ethics reviews before Senate Republicans begin confirmation hearings next week, according to Politico. Shaub said that his office would have to "rush through" the reviews, adding that he was unaware of any instance of confirmation hearings occurring before an ethics review was completed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democrat from New York, said in a statement on Saturday that Trump's transition team is colluding with Senate Republicans to "jam through" cabinet nominees without them being "thoroughly vetted." The Senate will hold six confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet on Wednesday. NOW WATCH: This is what it's really like at Trump Tower which is disrupting life in New York More From Business Insider An International Development Organization is seeking applications from qualified Nigerian nationals for the following position:Six (6) Months (Renewable)The STTA Operations Support Coordinator (for Intellectual Entrepreneurship) will contribute to the overall success of a Cluster of Activities being developed by NERI with primary focus on coordinating and providing operational support for 35 Fellows, service providers, Faculty, NERI and OTI/USAID in the delivery of the various activities under the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Cluster which includes social media and book clubs activities and training and mentoring efforts.Reporting & Supervision:This position will report directly to the Deputy Chief of Party based in Abuja.Primary Responsibilities:Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:Liaising between Grants, Procurement, Operations and Programs units of NERI and Service Providers, Firms and Fellows to ensure that scheduled activities are properly resourcedMaintaining updated register of contact details for all fellows and faculty and service providers involved in the Fellowships Cluster of Activities and make them available for programming purposes from time to time and sharing with other NERI units and OTI/USAID.Providing, ideally real-time, or at a minimum monthly, written reports on individual Fellows participation in activities and stipend payment and other operational status.Liaise with Faculty, Service Providers and Consultants regularly on operational issues that may arise in the execution of assignments.Maintain a NERI Library of individual Fellows outputs including submitted assignments and addresses of individual blogs and social media platforms maintained by each Fellow.Other tasks, of a reasonable nature, based on capacity of the Operations Support Coordinator, not explicitly incorporated herein but integral to meeting the objectives of the position and needs of the Cluster of activities and NERI.2 years of practical work experience (including NYSC year where applicable),Practical experience of writing reports and other communications, in English language, in a clear, concise and coherent mannerSelf-motivated and willing and able to work independently, providing timely deliverables in a quality-oriented manner based on agreed upon formats and templatesExperience working/or willingness to work a conflict environment is a plusInterested applicants for this position MUST submit the following documents to nigeria_recruitment@neri-nigeria.com A current resume or curriculum vitae (CV) listing all job responsibilities;A cover letter; ANDPlease reference the job title and location on the subject line, your cover letter and resume/CV.Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.12 January, 2017 Yves here. An additional comment on Kamala Harris failure to go after One West, which even by the low standards of subprime servicers, was a particularly bad actor. Admittedly, courage was notably wanting among attorneys general even in states with a high rate of foreclosures, like California; the one who took the biggest steps was Catherine Cortez Masto, but she went quickly into reverse once the get out of liability almost free 49 state National Mortgage Settlement was signed in early 2012. But why did Kamala Harris, who had a reputation in California for being an unusually political attorney general, not go after a servicer with such a terrible track record, when she could presumably keep feeding the press horror stories about its misdeeds? Let us not forget that Harris former boyfriend and mentor was the California Democratic party icon Willie Brown. A former California elected official told me that it would be a classic Willie Brown move not to pursue One West, and he would have advised Harris to stand pat if asked. The Willie Brown logic would be that Harris would have far more to gain by having a group of such powerful people owe her that she would scoring a win for California homeowners. By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. GP article archive here. Originally published at DownWithTyranny Sam Seder once wisely said that during the Bush era, almost every Democrat and Democratic supporter looked like a solid progressive. Its only when Obama becomes president that you can see the difference between the Ezra Kleins of the world and the Elizabeth Warrens (my paraphrase). But the recent Democratic primary widened those rifts between the austerity-loving corporate enablers and the actual populists and they may not close this time under the next Republican president. After all, in the face of real defeat yes, I know, she won the popular vote, but still, defeat pretty much up and down the line the battle still rages in the Democratic Party. And it should. Whats this battle about? The same thing the primary battle was about Will corporate-funded and corporate-loyal Democrats continue to lead the Party as they have since Clinton and the DLC took it over? Or will anti-corporate populists be in control? By populists I dont mean just progressives in that vague, feel-good sense. I mean true anti-corporatists, FDR Democrats, true and aggressive enemies of rule by the rich. In the primary, Sanders and the candidates he backed (and several he didnt) opposed corporate rule of the country, and were prepared to implement policies that removed Big Moneys hand from the wheel of government. Its that simple. Does what people want rule government policy, or does Money stay in charge? Their marriage to Big Money did institutional Democratic Party no favors as a party. But it kept its pro-corporate leaders in power within the Party, which I strongly suspect was the primary goal. After all, how many of the Chuck Schumers and, yes, Nancy Pelosis of the world would ever back a person as much an enemy of their donors and the donor class as Bernie Sanders is? How many of them would prefer instead to roll the dice with Clinton ten times out of ten starting once more even tomorrow and risk losing electoral power once more even tomorrow just to maintain party power? In other words, how many Democratic leaders wish they had run the general election with Sanders in the lead? Not one. Just listen; you wont hear a single regret. Theres no point in controlling the country, as they see it, if they dont control the party as well. Without control of the party, which of their donors would back them? With Sanders jailing Wall Street bankers, where who would pay Chuck Schumer to stay in office? With Sanders in the White House, the current class of Democratic leadership would have to find new donors actual humans perhaps, as Sanders did or retire from public life on their previous gains and lobby for a living. Kamala Harris, a Rising Star in the Party Which brings us back to my central point. This time around, with Trump in office instead of Bush, will Seder be proven right again, or will the left-leaning public still distinguish the corporate-beholden from the populists? Were about to find out. Democrats just elected former California Attorney General Kamala Harris to the U.S. Senate, and praise for her as a progressive has been voluminous. For example, The Guardian months before the election, wrote, The attorney general is the odds-on favourite to become the next senator from California and perhaps the nations next progressive star in the making. On her swearing-in day, the San Jose Mercury News was happy to quote Barbara Boxer saying that Harris will continue the tradition of having a strong, progressive woman in this seat. And the blurb for a recent CNN interview between Jake Tapper and Van Jones makes just two points: Jones says the Democratic Party needs more progressive leaders and He adds that incoming Sen. Kamala Harris will be a star in the party. It couldnt be more plain Kamala Harris has been tapped (sorry) as one of the next progressive Democratic great ones. The Guardianeven tabbed her the female Obama. Kamala Harris, Steve Mnuchin & the California Mortgage Crisis Thus it continued on the praising Kamala Harris front until recently. Then David Dayen, author of the well regarded book about fraud and the mortgage crisis Chain of Title, released this story at The Intercept: Treasury Nominee Steve Mnuchins Bank Accused of Widespread Misconduct in Leaked Memo OneWest Bank, which Donald Trumps nominee for treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, ran from 2009 to 2015, repeatedly broke Californias foreclosure laws during that period, according to a previously undisclosed 2013 memo from top prosecutors in the state attorney generals office. The memo obtained by The Intercept alleges that OneWest rushed delinquent homeowners out of their homes by violating notice and waiting period statutes, illegally backdated key documents, and effectively gamed foreclosure auctions. In the memo, the leaders of the state attorney generals Consumer Law Section said they had uncovered evidence suggestive of widespread misconduct in a yearlong investigation. In a detailed 22-page request, they identified over a thousand legal violations in the small subsection of OneWest loans they were able to examine, and they recommended that Attorney General Kamala Harris file a civil enforcement action against the Pasadena-based bank. They even wrote up a sample legal complaint, seeking injunctive relief and millions of dollars in penalties. Note that his piece is primarily about Steve Mnuchin, as a Trump nominee a safe target of progressive ire. Of course, his company, OneWest, was also caught committing what looked to investigators like over a thousand legal violation in just one small subsection of OneWests loans, so that ire was well deserved. So a piece punching a Trump nominee, and thus a safe (uncontentious) story in this anti-Trump (resist) environment. What institutional Democrat could object? But Dayen, true to his calling, reported the whole Mnuchin-OneWest story. Notice the name Kamala Harris above? Heres how Dayens piece continues: But Harriss office, without any explanation, declined to prosecute the case. Is this still a safe story for the rest of the left-leaning media to follow? More from Dayen (my emphasis): The consistent violations of California foreclosure processes outlined in the memo would indicate that Mnuchins bank didnt merely act callously, but did so with blatant disregard for the law. According to the memo, OneWest also obstructed the investigation by ordering third parties to refuse to comply with state subpoenas. Whether Mnuchin directed efforts to prevent scrutiny of his banks practices could be a focus of the confirmation hearings. The memo also raises questions about then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who was sworn in as a U.S. senator on Tuesday, and who will soon have to vote on Mnuchins appointment. Why did her office close the case, deciding not to conduct a full investigation of a national banks misconduct and provide a public accounting of what happened, as her own investigators had urged? State and federal law enforcement have been severely criticized for failing to hold accountable those responsible for the financial crisis and its aftermath. The OneWest case provides another example, and this time, the failure to prosecute could help the nations next treasury secretary get confirmed. To give you a sense of the full extent of OneWests, and possible Mnuchins, crimes, consider this: Though the state investigators could not subpoena OneWest and were obstructed from obtaining more documents, they extrapolated that a full and unencumbered inquiry would yield at least 5,600 violations of foreclosure sale auctions, and turn up instances of backdating in nearly all of the 35,000 foreclosures OneWest had completed in California from 2009 to 2012. That a ton of criminal activity, if true. And based on the small percentage of documents investigators were not obstructed from obtaining, they considered this estimate of the extent of OneWests total criminal activity in California between 2009 and 2012 a fair one. And yet, as Dayen also notes, the Kamala Harriss failure to prosecute could help Mnuchin get confirmed as the next Treasury Secretary. Why didnt Harris prosecute OneWest? The piece offers a number of admittedly speculative explanations, which you should read. Among them, though, is this: Harriss prodigious fundraising also raises questions about how attentive she is to the needs of campaign contributors. Prior to signing on with Trump, Mnuchin donated to members of both parties. He gave $2,000 to Harris Senate campaign in February 2016. Among the investors in OneWest Bank was major Democratic donor George Soros, who maxed out to Harris campaign in 2015. Oops. The Elephant in the Room Is a Donkey So who is Kamala Harris going to be in the Age of Trump, a peoples champion in the Bernie Sanders mold, or someone just praised as one? And more importantly, will that praise continue in light of Dayens revelations? I suggest that a look at the treatment of Kamala Harriss history with OneWest and Mnuchin, especially in the lead-up to his confirmation, will provide an important and instructive test of who the mainstream Democrats and their supporting ecosystem plan to be. Will left-leaning media, especially broadcast media, pick up on the Harris-Mnuchin backstory, thus calling into question her progressive credibility? Or will they stay silent on that part? (Looking at you, MSNBC and CNN.) Will left-leaning opinion makers in the pundit-sphere fold what they learn from The Intercepts investigation into their public treatment of Harris? Or will they too stay silent, in effect confirming what Van Jones earlier proclaimed, that Harris is a rising star in the Party? The elephant in the room is a donkey. What youre reading is not an piece about Kamala Harris. Its a piece about the Democratic Party and the so-called left-leaning media ecosystem. Observing their treatment of Kamala Harris going forward is one more way you, the reader, will know who and what the Party itself wants to be in the Age of Trump. What is the Democratic Party and its ecosystem going to be, a peoples champion in the Bernie Sanders mold, or something just praised as one? If the latter, especially if Harriss failure to prosecute OneWest gets Steve Mnuchin confirmed, and they treat her as a star nonetheless (consider the consequences of that!), the Party will likely be out of power for a generation or, as I always add, until climate chaosmakes every other conversation moot. The elephant in the room is a donkey. And out in the electorate, even if the pundits ignore it, people are watching. After all, thats how Trump got elected in the first place. Stay tuned. AMBALANTOTA, Sri Lanka (AP) At least 21 people were injured Saturday in violent clashes between Sri Lankan government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Police used tear gas and water cannons to try to break up the clashes, which took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone, located near the port city of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of the capital, Colombo. The clashes began when government supporters started throwing rocks at villagers who were marching to the ceremony site. The protesters, organized by the opposition and led by Buddhist monks, responded by throwing rocks at the government supporters. A group that appeared to have been transported to the area by the government joined in attacking the protesters with poles. Twenty-one people, including three police officers, were taken to a government hospital in Hambantota, a hospital official said. Sri Lanka's government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80 percent ownership. Officials also plan to set up a nearby industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories. The villagers and monks are opposed to it and demand their residential and farmlands be spared. A court had issued a restraining order on the protest, saying it could lead to unrest, but the protesters defied it. Wickremesinghe inaugurated the industrial zone despite the clashes. Speaking at the ceremony, China's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said that his country hopes to invest $5 billion in the region within the next five years, and that the new industries are expected to generate 100,000 jobs. China invested over $1.2 billion in the port in what some analysts call its "string of pearls" strategy in countries surrounding its rival India. Although the project has seen losses since 2010, Sri Lanka's government, at first critical of the enterprise, approached China to seek help to make it viable. Story continues Lawmaker D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a "Chinese colony." "We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone," Chanaka said. "When you give away such a vast area of land, you can't stop the area from becoming a Chinese colony." After the lease expires, it can be negotiated for another 99 years, according to the framework agreement, whose terms are still being negotiated. The government also has proposed to lease 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in Hambantota district and adjoining Moneragala district for the industrial zone. The Rev. Magama Mahanama, from a group calling itself the Monks' Organization to Protect National Assets, said that the clergy, following an ancient tradition, would issue a decree to the government to stop the leasing. Historically, kings in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka are said to have abided by decrees issued by Buddhist monks. "It's a way of conveying the message that the monks are not for it," Mahanama said. "Ninety-nine years means at least two generations. When they (the Chinese) take root here, what's the guarantee that we will have it back? There is a major threat of cultural erosion and demographic change." Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier in the week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free Sri Lanka from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. Wickremesinghe said the industrial zone was necessary to make the port and the nearby Chinese-financed airport, also running at a heavy loss, viable. "The port can't be taken away," he said, adding that his country's former British colonial rulers did not take away the Trincomalee harbor or the Colombo port. ___ Associated Press writer Krishan Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, contributed to this report. Boston Scientific Clonmels Employee Charity hosted the first Bostons Got Rhythm event at Hotel Minella. Twenty eight dancers, all Boston Scientific employees, performed in front of an audience of over 500 people and raised 18,269 for their chosen local charity Friends of Bridgewater House and Knocklofty Rural Day Service. Bronagh Fleming, a member of the event organising committee, thanked everybody who participated. A big thank you goes to all our performers, whose hours of practice under the guidance of Ruth Quinn resulted in a hugely entertaining night. We had no idea that our colleagues were so talented and they put on a great show, she said. Laura Jacob, who also helped to organise the event added All the dancers got a brilliant reaction. On behalf of the organising committee I would like to thank everybody who attended, to our judges and to anybody who supported in any way. Bostons Got Rhythm was this years flagship charity event for the employees of Boston Scientific. Fundraising from the night, and from other events throughout the year will be used to purchase a new wheelchair-fitted minibus that will allow the Bridgewater House and Knocklofty groups to be far more mobile. JP Fitzpatrick, chairman of Boston Scientific Clonmels Employee Charity, explained how employees chose the charity. Our Employee Charity is employee-led and operated. We give one local charity our official support every year. Any employee can nominate a charity to support. From the shortlist of names all employees get to vote to select the charity that we will work with for the rest of the year. The process is fully democratic and the charity with the most votes is supported for the next 12 months. Boston Scientific employs 900 people in Clonmel where it designs, develops and manufactures pacemakers, defibrillators, spinal cord stimulators and deep brain stimulators. These devices transform the lives of millions around the world and employees impact the lives of thousands closer to home through the Employee Charity. Since Boston Scientific began operating in Clonmel in 1999 the team has volunteered thousands of hours and raised thousands more to fund, support and facilitate local programmes. Boston Scientific employees have raised approximately 500,000 for a variety of local groups in the past 10 years. There were great celebrations at Monard National School as the teachers, former and present pupils and their families celebrated its 150th anniversary. The school was built in 1866 when Ireland was still recovering from the Great Famine. The population had fallen dramatically through death from hunger, disease and mass emigration and therefore the establishment of the school must have been a truly wonderful event for the people of Monard and Solohead. Lord Stanly of Derby Court, Ballykisteen, paid for the education of his tenants' children and introduced a bill to parliament that began the national school system in Ireland. He first built a school for boys that is now the Hideout pub and subsequently built a school for girls, which was situated in the building where the Quirke family now lives. In 1866, as part of Lord Stanleys extensive building programme, he organised and oversaw the construction of the two teacher residences in Monard and the new Monard N.S that is there today. When Monard N.S. opened its doors for the first time in 1866, Ireland was a very different place, said Dan Finnan, Chairperson of the Board of Management. The human misery wrought from the Great Famine was still a vivid memory. Ireland is a very different country today, thanks in no small way to the contribution that schools like Monard made and continue to make, to the betterment of the lives of children and to the community in general. Retired Principal Caitriona OConnor revealed the new plaque to mark the occasion before Deputy Principal Julie Duffy invited everyone inside to look at the many photographs of pupils and events on display and discover more about the history of the school. Many former pupils turned up for the occasion, including 96 year old Kitty Withero who attended Monard N.S towards the end of the 1920s. There was huge interest in the schools old Roll Books and many people were delighted to find the names of their ancestors in the registers of yesteryear. To touch and feel these old books and turn their pages truly transported you into the past. Beautifully scripted handwriting, listing hundreds and hundreds of names, lifted from the pages calling you to imagine who were these pupils. What were their lives like, what kind of a life did they pursue and when they left? "This is a wonderful day for the whole school community and we are delighted with the huge turnout, said Deputy Principal Julie Duffy. All ages are present from our newest 4 year-old junior infant pupils to our most senior 96 year-old past pupil. Stories were shared and old friends were reunited during a lovely, warm, relaxed day. Our wonderful extension, so carefully designed to complement the beautiful 150 year-old original school, was admired by all. We felt honoured to be part of this special historic occasion for Monard NS." The school looks forward to the next 150 years and welcoming incoming Principal Ms. Mary ODwyer. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has charged Bank of America with discriminating against prospective Hispanic mortgage borrowers at a branch in Charleston, S.C. The charges announced Friday came about as a result of a complaint filed in 2014 by the National Fair Housing Alliance. The case will now move to federal court. "Today's charge reflects our nation's promise of fair housing and equal access to credit for qualified families, regardless of their national origin," Gustavo Velasquez, HUD's assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said in a news release. "HUD will continue working to ensure that lenders fulfill their obligation under the law to treat all applicants equally." NFHA claimed in its complaint that Bank of America and two of its employees in South Carolina discriminated against would-be Hispanic mortgage borrowers by not providing them with information about loan products or by offering them products with less attractive terms as compared with non-Hispanic consumers. Before the complaint, NFHA conducted tests with Hispanic and non-Hispanic testers posing as prospective borrowers at a Bank of America branch in Charleston, allegedly indicating that non-Hispanic consumers were treated more favorably than Hispanic ones. If found guilty, Bank of America could face a fine or be ordered to provide relief to prevent future discrimination. A spokesman for Bank of America said the company "rejects the charges in the HUD complaint." "We are committed to fair lending principles and are proud to be one of the country's largest mortgage lenders to Hispanic borrowers," the spokesman said. NFHA has previously accused Bank of America and other large banks of discrimination based on their arguably poor maintenance of foreclosures in predominately minority neighborhoods. A two-part series from National Mortgage News called those claims into question; HUD rejected those claims against U.S. Bank last year. (Natural News) We really have reached the point where everything thats run by the political left has devolved into a parade of delusional paranoia. Whether its man-made climate change, the purely imagined KKK hate crimes epidemic, or the hilarious delusional conspiracy theory about Russians hacking the election, everything the left has come up with in recent memory is rooted in sheer fiction (if not slobbering mental illness). The latest laughable attempt at creating a Russian boogeyman to scare all the little leftist snowflake children has arrived in the form of a US intel report released Friday. Titled, Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections, the report is so laughably devoid of a single shred of credible evidence that actual journalists all across the world are rolling on the floor with hysterical laughter. Every time IC repackages its same assertions in a new form, media acts like its been proven, even though it again includes no evidence, Tweeted one of the few remaining independent journalists on the planet, Glenn Greenwald. Every time IC repackages its same assertions in a new form, media acts like it's been proven, even though it again includes no evidence: https://t.co/C5yRsZsJbS Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 6, 2017 In another tweet, Greenwald followed up with, Its shocking how much this report was hyped and how literally no effort was made to include *any* evidence at all. In response, left-wing trolls on Twitter accused Greenwald himself of working for the Russians. (Thats now the excuse the everything the left doesnt like. Must be the Russians!) A circle jerk of rehashed left-wing paranoia In essence, a tiny number of Obama puppets inside the CIA and FBI just made s##t up and then tried to pass it off as legitimate intelligence. The laughably hysterical document widely and blindly repeated everywhere in the obedient but mindless left-wing media is nothing more than a circle jerk rehash of delusional conspiracy theories. Notably, there isnt a single piece of actual evidence found in the entire report. The report spends much of its time covering RT, a media organization funded by the Kremlin: RTs coverage of Secretary Clinton throughout the US presidential campaign was consistently negative and focused on her leaked e-mails and accused her of corruption, poor physical and mental health, and ties to Islamic extremism, says the report. In other words, anyone who was critical of Hillary Clinton was obviously working with the Russians, right? Never mind that she was an unlikable, deeply corrupt, criminal-minded mob boss with an obvious neurological disorder who pre-sold the White House to foreign interests. Opponents of fracking are also working for the Russians, you see It gets even better. The report also implies that environmentalists and opponents of fracking are working for the Russians, too. (Yes, I know. Its just beyond hilarious.) RT runs anti-fracking programming, highlighting environmental issues and the impacts on public health. Noooooo! Say it isnt so! You mean to tell me that people who are concerned about the environmental impact of fracking are really working for the Russians? For the record, thats about 90% of all leftists, by the way. Apparently, not only are all the people on the right working for the Russians (because they hate Hillary), but also all the people on the left are working for the Russians, too (because they hate fracking). According to the CIA, then, everyone is working for the Russians. Except, not Hillary Clinton, were told, even though she was the U.S. Secretary of State who approved the Russian takeover of U.S. strategic uranium mines a convenient fact the lying left-wing media refuses to report. A Tour de Farce of intelligence bullsh#ttery If you can stop laughing, consider the fact that the left-wing media takes this bogus intelligence report as fact even though it is completely devoid of any evidence. The entire thing is nothing more than Obama sycophants ginning up scary bedtime stories to tell each other, then labeling it all intelligence. In truth, theres no intelligence to be found in the report at all. Its so devoid of facts, evidence and sources but rife with opinions, conclusions and analysis of opinions that the whole thing should probably be renamed Tour de Farce: The CIAs Drug-Induced Assessment of Make-Believe Threats to the Kingdom of F##ktardia. In conclusion, the report wildly discredits the CIA, FBI and NSA with its cringe-worthy (and obviously politically biased) analysis that reads more like twisted, drug-induced paranoid delusions than meaningful intelligence. The very first thing President Trump should do after being sworn in, obviously, is to drain the swamp at the CIA and remove every single analyst churning out this paranoid hogwash. Bay Area residents are hunkering down this weekend as a powerful storm is expected to wallop the region with gusty wind, heavy rain and possible flooding. Steady rain blanketed most of the Bay Area Saturday, but the heaviest rain and flood potential is expected to come Sunday. A flash flood watch for most of the Bay Area went into effect at 4 p.m. on Saturday and will continue Sunday. The weather already proved to be deadly on Saturday, where one woman died in a freak accident after she was hit by a falling tree in Contra Costa County. The latest forecast calls for rain totals likely around two to four inches for lower elevations, NBC Bay Area Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri said. Higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which already accumulated two inches of rain late Saturday, could see more than six inches of rain this weekend. Rivers, creeks and streams could rise to near flood stage, Ranieri said. Flash flood watches are in effect for every Bay Area county excluding Solano County. The San Lorenzo River in Felton late Saturday was at eight feet. The river in Santa Cruz County on Sunday afternoon is projected to be running 21 feet -- well above flood stage. NBC Bay Area meteorologist Rob Mayeda breaks down when most of the intense rain from a powerful storm is expected to touchdown in the Bay Area. In Boulder Creek, homeowners living alongside the San Lorenzo River are keeping an anxious eye on the quickly rising waters. Residents in the area have also stocked up on emergency supplies. In Sonoma County, all eyes are on the Russian River, which is already projected to flood on Sunday. Residents and officials in the North Bay city of Fairfax are also preparing for the worst. Fairfax Creek, which runs right through town, could flood if the predicted forecast proves to be true. "If all roads lead to what the predictions are, I think the creek is going to over exceed its banks," Fairfax police chief Christopher Morin said. "How bad that is, we don't know." Powerful Storm Uproots Trees Across Bay Area In San Francisco, flood barriers have been set in the area of 17th and Folsom streets to move water away from properties when the big storm moves in. High wind warnings and wind advisories are also in effect across much of the Bay Area. Among a number of other fallen trees around the Bay Area, one such piece of lumber crashed in Oakland Saturday afternoon and blocked all southbound lanes of Highway 13. The combination of blustery conditions and wet weather also put a damper on Bay Area air travel. A total of 226 delays and 72 cancellations were reported at San Francisco International Airport as of 2:45 p.m. Oakland International Airport reported 20 delays and one cancellation. The heavy rains come as California enters a sixth year of drought, starting in October with more rain falling than in three decades, mostly in Northern California. Los Angeles is experiencing the wettest winter in six years, forecasters said. Packing a Punch: Mighty Storm Douses Bay Area with Rain The Associated Press contributed to this report. The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the city of San Francisco $11 million to develop innovative transportation technology aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the city, transportation officials announced Friday morning. During a news conference at the Federal Office Building at 50 United Nations Plaza, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx made an appearance alongside San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other transportation officials to announce the grant. "This is part of the 21 century challenge of transportation in America. You're in one the fastest growing regions in the county, if not the fastest. You've got a dynamic economy, people want to be here and the problems of transportation are just related to the lack of attention in trying to move things along," Foxx said. The grant will go toward funding six specific pilot programs focused on reducing the city's traffic congestion. Those programs include creating more high-occupancy vehicle lanes for buses and carpools, creating curb space for pickup and drop offs for carpools, smart traffic signal systems to help improve flow and safety, connected corridors in line with the Vision Zero policy for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as creating a connected electronic toll system for the congestion pricing program on Treasure Island and the deployment and testing of electronic, autonomous shuttles within the island, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. "Bringing this kind of innovation through this kind of grant is really groundbreaking stuff and I think it fits well with the DNA of this city, after all this is where they cable car was invented, so we've been doing this kind of innovation for more than 150 years here," SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin said. The grant was the result of the Smart City Challenge launched by the USDOT back in December 2015. The challenge had tasked cities across the country to come up with ideas for an integrated and unique smart transportation system that would use data, applications and technology to help people and goods move faster and more efficiently, all while being cost effective. San Francisco was picked as one of the finalists out of 78 cities that applied for the challenge. "San Francisco was hugely competitive and that's why we've rewarded the money for the project here," Foxx said. "We've been exploring ways to empower cities and communities like San Francisco to reap the benefits of new technologies. Frankly, you were doing this on your own anyways." "It shouldn't surprise you that were a finalist in the Smart City grant, but it also shouldn't surprise you that we are not dependent on a singular grant. We actually are committed to making sure that our city and our region continues to be answering the challenge of congestion," Lee said. The six initiatives will be implemented and operated by the SFMTA in a private-public partnership with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, as well as with support from researchers at the University of California at Berkeley in collaboration with San Francisco's newly created smart city incubator Superpublic, according to the SFMTA. "There is a dramatic movement of people who want jobs and better lives and want to move to cities. And they are coming, regardless of whether you want to put out the welcome mat or not, people are looking for that better life and that's happening not just in San Francisco, in all the major cities in the Bay Area, and in all the major cities across the country," Lee said. Police in Southern California located a man suspected of a homicide and the stabbing of another individual in Berkeley on Friday. The Berkeley Police Department on Saturday reported that authorities found 24-year-old Pablo Gomez, the primary suspect of the homicide and the stabbing, in Burbank. Gomez is a resident of North Hollywood. At about 11:42 a.m. Friday, police responded to a call about a stabbing in the 2600 block of Ridge Road in Berkeley. Upon arrival, officers found a woman seriously wounded, as well as the person who called police on her behalf, police said. Officers provided medical attention until the Berkeley Fire Department arrived and transported her to a hospital, where she is receiving treatment and was listed in stable condition Friday night. During the investigation, officers were lead to an address in the 2400 block of Ashby Avenue. According to police, evidence at the scene clearly indicated a violent crime had occurred there. Much later, the body of an unidentified person was discovered, police said. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Ilhan Omar took the oath as the nation's first Somali-American lawmaker this week, just days after an 8,500-mile journey that retraced her path from her war-torn homeland to Kenya to the Minnesota Capitol. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Democrat said the trip gave her essential perspective as she embarks on her new career as a state representative. "To walk the same streets I walked as a kid, as a refugee, to think about the other kids who now are adults raising kids in Somalia, who are still living in a refugee camp ... it's hard not to believe there's a bigger purpose," said Omar, 34. Between her trip to Africa and a whirlwind of national TV appearances since her November election victory, Omar hasn't had a moment to decorate her new Capitol office. It's currently adorned only with two wooden Somali milk containers one painted with the blue background and white star of the Somali flag. Omar said she considers her election to be a "counter-narrative" to President-elect Donald Trump, who has proposed a temporary ban on allowing Muslim immigrants into the country. During his lone campaign stop in Minnesota, he said the state had suffered from the influx of refugees. As a devout Muslim, a refugee and a mother of three, Omar says her politics are influenced by far more than her Somali heritage. Omar and her family fled Somalia when she was just 8 as civil war tore apart their country, spending four years in a Mombasa, Kenya, camp with tens of thousands of other refugees. At age 12, the family finally got sponsored to move to the United States, eventually settling in Minnesota. That story is familiar in Minneapolis, home to the largest population of Somalis outside of the country and a neighborhood dubbed "Little Mogadishu," where massive high-rise apartment buildings cast shadows over dozens of east African coffee shops, eateries and markets. More than 40,000 Somalis live in Minnesota, according to the latest census figures, wooed by generous social services and beckoned by the sense of community among the diaspora. Story continues But none of her neighbors had risen to the level Omar reached when she was sworn in on Tuesday. "Oftentimes when people think about the second chance they may get in a new home, they don't think of all the doors being open for them," she said. "It is something they can all point to and say: 'Look at Ilhan,'" she said. No stranger to politics after working for a city councilor and running campaigns, Omar never asked for permission to run; she said she's never felt she had to. She took on one of the Legislature's longest-serving members, a 44-year incumbent in the Democratic primary and won. But it wasn't just fellow Somalis who powered her into her seat. While a third Democratic candidate, another Somali-American immigrant, overwhelmingly won the district's Somali-heavy neighborhoods, Omar also built up support among college students at the nearby University of Minnesota, young professionals, retirees and more. Her November victory in the heavily liberal district was all but assured even before a Republican dropped from the race. Mohamud Noor, a local nonprofit director whom Omar defeated in the primary, said her victory gives Omar a greater responsibility than the average lawmaker, both as a liaison for issues affecting the immigrant community and as a symbol for them. "She is the reassurance that there is inspiration, there is hope," Noor said. "The divisiveness, the hate that dissipates because of her being at that level." But Omar will face the political reality of power in Minnesota's Legislature, where Republicans are in control. Her legislative wish list goes well beyond the issues impacting her community, from streamlining some business regulations to restoring voting rights for released felons and police reforms in the wake of the tide of officer-involved shootings. Still, Omar said she understands the historic significance of her election as does her eldest daughter. "She thinks about the kinds of history she can make," she said. A crab fishers' association on strike over the wholesale price per pound of Dungeness crab in Northern California reached a compromise with Pacific Seafood, a spokesman for the company said Friday. Dan Occhipinti, general counsel at Pacific Seafood Group, said the strike ended after the parties involved agreed on a price of $2.875 per pound. "It's great to see the fishing community come together and find a solution that recognizes the market challenges we all face," Occhipinti said. "Today is a good result that gets the fishermen back on the water and fresh Dungeness crab on dinner tables." The strike began last Friday when Pacific Seafood attempted to lower the price to $2.75 after crabbers in the area had been getting $3, according to Ken Bates, a spokesman for the Humboldt Fishermen's Marketing Association. Bates was not immediately available for comment Friday, but the association issued statements earlier this week indicating that fishing crews were concerned the price-drop could depress crab prices for years. "Pacific Group may have believed that the fishermen in the ports of Fort Bragg, Eureka, and the minor ports of Shelter Cove and Point Arena would just roll over and accept the lowered price offered by Pacific Group," the fishers association said, but instead they went on strike - eventually securing today's 12.5-cent increase. As the nation comes to grips with the deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday afternoon, some people are looking into the rules behind carrying a firearm onto an airplane. The truth is passengers are allowed to travel with unloaded firearms and ammunition as long as they pack the belongings in locked, hard-sided containers and check the baggage so that it sits in an airplane's unreachable luggage compartment during a flight. A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday afternoon, killing at least five people and wounding eight others. Ian Cull reports. The illegal act is to bring a firearm directly onboard in a carry-on bag. But people break that law more than some may think. The Transportation Security Administration reported that thousands of guns are found in bags at airport security checkpoints every year. A total of 3,306 guns some of them loaded were seized in 2016 alone compared to 2,653 in 2015 and 2,212 in 2014. NBC Bay Area aviation analyst Mike McCarron addresses the deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and what potential travel changes could come about following the tragedy. Security experts say removing guns from checkpoints and securing public areas remains a chief priority. Passenger John Payne from Florida is wishing for even more protection. He said that armed security personnel are needed to prevent another Fort Lauderdale tragedy from costing more innocent lives. "Someone who is having a mental episode is possibly going to think twice if someone is armed next to him who is going to stop what he's trying to do," Payne said. A deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday prompted a heightened security presence at the Bay Area's busiest airport. Security and police officers at San Francisco International Airport patrolled the facility with heavy firearms after five people were killed when a gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area. NBC Bay Area aviation analyst Mike McCarron addresses the deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and what potential travel changes could come about following the tragedy. San Francisco-bound passengers who departed from South Florida before the violence began were rattled to learn about the tragedy mid-flight. "I was freaked out the entire time because we were watching it on the news on the plane and we were shocked that it happened," passenger Audrey Utschig said. Fellow passenger Zanne Utschig was equally stunned. "It's horrifying," she said. "We were in Terminal 1 and it happened in Terminal 2." A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday afternoon, killing at least five people and wounding eight others. Ian Cull reports. A flight from San Francisco Friday morning that was scheduled to land in Fort Lauderdale later in the day was rerouted to Orlando. Passengers from that flight were shuttled to Fort Lauderdale while officials kept that airport shut down. Passengers sitting on other planes at Fort Lauderdale during and after the attack were required to stay put on the tarmac hours as officials gained control of the scene. NBC Bay Area's Bob Redell contributed to this report. Police arrested a 59-year-old man last week after confirming that he had uploaded child pornography to YouTube from his San Francisco apartment, police said Friday. The Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began an investigation in September after they learned someone was uploading child pornography to the internet sharing video website from an address in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood, according to police. The material being uploaded allegedly involved a prepubescent child performing sex acts on an adult. After a months-long investigation, police were able to confirm the videos were being uploaded by a resident at an apartment in the 600 block of Long Bridge Street, police said. On Dec. 29, officers executed a search warrant at the residence and found several media devices belonging to a resident at the apartment, identified as Gerard Jones, all of which contained hundreds of videos and images depicting prepubescent children engaging in sexual acts. Among the illegal material, investigators found videos involving children as young as one years old having sexual acts performed on them by adults, according to police. Officers were able to track Jones to a nearby coffee shop and detained him. He was later arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography, possession of over 600 files of child pornography, production of child pornography, sending harmful material to a minor and distribution of child pornography, police said. In addition to the pornography discovery, investigators also learned Jones had allegedly traveled to London several years before to have sex with a minor. Police are continuing to investigate that claim. Police are asking anyone who thinks they may have had any suspicious contact with Jones to call the department's Special Victim's Unit at 415-558-5500. Patti Blagojevich told her Facebook friends she's "keeping up the prayers" following President Barack Obama's vague answer to NBC 5 political editor Carol Marin's inquiry this week about whether he would pardon former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "He didn't say no," Patti Blagojevich wrote. "Keeping up the prayers." Marin's final question for Obama during the president's first interview with a Chicago news reporter in eight years asked if he would commutate the former governor's prison sentence. While he didn't say no, as Patti Blagojevich notes, he didn't confirm plans ether. "As a general matter I dont comment on the commutation pardon process," Obama told Marin. "We have steps to go through the Justice Department and White House counsel's office, then I study these cases on an individual basis. "As you know, I have exercised my commutation powers very aggressively to make sure that we are not over-sentencing, people particularly with low-level drug crimes. Some of these higher profile cases well see what gets to my desk." Blagojevich is serving 14 years in prison sentence in Colorado. Two months after suspending a half dozen students for their roles in sending racially charged text messages, four of those students were welcomed back to Marist High School Friday morning. We needed to do some healing in this community, said Marist Principal Larry Tucker. And it has taken about two months to work through that process. The saga began in early November, when 25 year old Joshua Beal was shot and killed in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood by Chicago Police. The shooting led to protests by the organization Black Lives Matter and pro-police demonstrators. In the ensuing days, in a text message exchange among over 30 Marist students, racially insensitive messages were transmitted, attributed to six Marist seniors. All six were suspended. We needed to heal as a community, said Marist President Hank Hammer. And we needed to figure out how to do that. As the girls did schoolwork from home, Marist officials engaged the services of a consultant who staged a series of focus groups with students, faculty, and parents. I think we have a responsibility as a Catholic school to help our kids deal with some of these societal issues that walk through the door, Hammer said. Its not just about disciplining somebody; you know as a Catholic school weve got to teach kids, how do you deal with this in the future. In the end, officials said, after a lot of work, consultation with the girls and their families, and perhaps even more prayer, a decision was made to welcome four of the students back to the Marist community during a service of forgiveness and reconciliation Friday morning. Its our hope that our student body will learn what it means to be accountable, said Marist Principal Larry Tucker. But also to be compassionate and forgiving. Tensions had run high. At one point in the days after the shooting, when a Black Lives Matter group announced plans to stage a demonstration outside the school, classes were canceled. In the following weeks, school officials said they felt it was important to find a way to return the girls to school if possible, but to make certain that it was done in a way where important lessons were delivered. We have to redefine what does dialogue mean, Hammer said. What does civil conversation mean? School officials would not say which two girls had not returned. It is known that the families of two of the students had filed a lawsuit against Marist. The attorney for those families said last month that the controversial text message had been edited to make it look more incriminating than it was. He did not return calls seeking comment. Marist administrators say the effort to move past the controversy is very much a work in progress. There are those who are probably going to look and see how genuine this action today was, Hammer said. There are others who genuinely miss them. The four girls who returned reportedly apologized to their fellow students. Hammer said he hoped all left with an important message. You know to give forgiveness, we have to realize that we all at one time or another have needed to be forgiven, or will need to be forgiven. Bound, gagged with a sock, stabbed in the arm and bleeding from the scalp, the victim could be heard on Facebook Live screaming no in fear, prosecutors say, as a man off screen threatens more violence. Nightmarish details were released Friday by prosecutors laying out their case before a judge denied bail for the two men and two women charged with the ghastly intersection of social media and barbarism. Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; and sisters Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, also of Chicago, were charged with hate crimes, kidnapping and battery Thursday after Cook County prosecutors identified them as four black suspects seen in a racially charged attack on a white teenager that was broadcast live on social media. Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked where was your sense of decency? as the grandmother of the Covingtons wept and others applauded the denial of bail. Court records show that one of the alleged torturers at one point demanded a $300 ransom from the 18-year-old victims mother over Facebook for his return. Video of the incident shows the victim being choked with a belt around his neck while he groans in pain, bleeding, his clothes slashed and ripped, and mans foot on his head. A man can be heard in the recording yelling I dont give a f--- if hes schizophrenic. Male voices repeatedly make threats to kill the 18-year-old. The victim, who prosecutors say suffers from schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder and lives with his parents in suburban Streamwood, was dropped off at a McDonalds to meet a friend. He contacted his mother on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 to spend the night at a friends house, prosecutors say, before communication stopped on Jan. 2. The victims brother on Jan. 2 used Facebook to determine which friend he was withJordan Hill, prosecutors say. The victim knew Hill from an alternative high school the two had attended together, court records show. The victims mother then used Facebook to contact Hill to speak with her son and wanted him returned home, prosecutors said. According to court records, Hill, the victim and a third unidentified person left the McDonalds to buy and smoke cannabis. Prosecutors allege that Hill stole a van from Streamwood and drove with Hill and a second unidentified person to an unknown location in Chicago. Hill and the unidentified person left the victim in the van for what he said was about two hours. During that time, court records show, the victims mother was in contact with Hill wanting to know about her sons whereaboutswhich was angering to Hill. Hill began beating the victim with his fists in the back of the van and took his cellphone and SIM card, prosecutors allege. The trio then drove to an apartment in the 3300 block of West Lexington Avenue where the alleged torture and Facebook Live broadcasting took place, according to court documents. In the third-floor apartment, where Hill and the victim were met by Cooper and both Covingtons, Hill began to harass and slap the victim, according to court documents. Hill and Cooper then ordered the victim to a corner of the apartment and made him face the wall, prosecutors said. The victim was then made to say I love black people, F--- Donald Trump, while kissing the floor, authorities say, before Brittany Covington began livestreaming the brutal and torturous treatment on social media. Prosecutors noted in court documents that all four of the accused can be seen in the Facebook Live stream in which the victim is seen being forced to drink from a toilet bowl and being punched in the head and continue to espouse vulgarities about President-elect Trump. The victim could then be seen in the video being bound and gagged, a sock stuffed in his mouth which was then covered by tape, while one of the men accused of the crime can be heard screaming profanities about Trump and white people. Hill, prosecutors say, can then be seen cutting a chunk of hair from the victims head, causing a laceratingbefore stabbing the victim in the forearm and cutting his clothes. The Covingtons are charged with slapping the victim in the face and on his body as he bleeds. At was at this point, on Jan. 3, prosecutors and police say neighbors on the second floor unwittingly interrupted the alleged torture by requesting their neighbors keep the noise down, court records showwhich lead to a confrontation. Cooper and both Covingtons chased the witnesses back down to their second-floor apartment, prosecutors say, after Hill said he would come back with a gun while running out for the front of the building. Cooper then kicked in the door of the neighbors unit and entered with both Covingtons in tow, court records allege, prompting the neighbors to run out the back door and into the first-floor apartment where they called 911. The neighbors told prosecutors they could hear the defendants running around in the apartment above them while they waited for police. The neighbors then saw the victim, who had escaped from the third-floor apartment, outside wearing sandals with visible injuries before police arrived on the scene. Tanishia Covington was arrested in 2007 on attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. Police records do not show any convictions as a juvenile. As an adult, she was arrested on charges of battery and aggravated assault, but those charges were dropped. The grandmother of Brittany Covington said the granddaughter she raised from infancy is "not this person." "I'm so upset, my head is about to bust open," said Priscilla Covington of Chicago. "I don't know if someone influenced her. ... She had her ups and down. (She) was a good person. I'm so confused." She sobbed openly in bond court Friday after the judge denied bail and shook her head as each charge was detailed. A murder suspect is dead following a shootout with police on a Metra train in north suburban Deerfield Friday night, authorities said. While investigating a homicide that occurred Thursday in Evergreen Park, agents with the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force arrived at the Lake Cook Road Station around 10:30 p.m., according to police. Three to five agents tracking the suspect boarded the train on the Milwaukee District-North line, officials said, and found the suspect armed with a handgun in the upper deck. As the officers approached, authorities said the suspect fired multiple rounds at police, who returned fire as they retreated. The suspect was struck, then taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead, officials said. A weapon was recovered from the scene, according to police. The suspect was later identified as 32-year-old Jamal Parks, of north suburban Gurnee, according to a release from Illinois State Police. An autopsy is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, according to the Lake County Coroners office. No officers were shot, police said, but two officers were taken to area hospitals and treated for minor injuries sustained in the incident. Both have since been released. Around 40 passengers on the train at the time of the shooting were evacuated and taken to a nearby Home Depot store to stay warm while waiting to gather their belongings from the train. "I fell several times, and then I just got back up and I ran to a restaurant," passenger Simone Koetaan said, detailing the chaos. The train had just stopped at the station, according to Koetaan, when she heard two shots, then screaming followed by several more gunshots. "You never expect to get on a train and you know, hear gunshots all of a sudden," Koetaan added. "I thought a train is supposed to make you feel safe, or it's a place where you least expect it. I didn't expect this at all." Nearly six hours later, around 4:30 a.m., the passengers were released from the scene. According to police, Parks was sought in connection with a murder that happened Thursday evening in south suburban Evergreen Park. 34-year-old David T. Murrell was shot and killed inside a vehicle in a Walgreens parking lot in the 8700 block of South Kedzie Avenue, authorities said. Illinois State Police are leading the investigation into Fridays shooting, and the Public Integrity Task Force responded in accordance with procedure in all officer-involved shootings. Thousands of people lined up first thing Saturday morning to get tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell speech in Chicago on Tuesday - so many that officials said tickets were no longer available to newcomers before distribution even began. Distribution of the free tickets began around 8 a.m. at McCormick Place, with one ticket per person given on a first-come-first-serve basis. People were not allowed to line up before 6 a.m., but shortly thereafter, officials said they had reached 7,000 people and anyone not in line by around 6:30 a.m. would not get a ticket. [[409969705, C]] "This feels amazing. First in line!" exclaimed Kenita Christmas, who was first in line to get her ticket. "It's monumental, and to have my daughter here with me - it's going to be amazing." [[409969725, C]] Doors open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday for the 8 p.m. speech and attendees are encouraged to arrive at or before that time. Those arriving late may not be permitted to attend. All attendees will be subject to "airport-like security" and should bring as few personal iterms as possible. Bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liguids, and signs will not be allowed in the venue. For those who did not get tickets or are unable to attend, the speech will air on NBC 5 News beginning at 8 p.m. CST and streaming on NBCChicago.com. Obama, in a written statement released Monday, explained that the American people have helped him lead during his presidency, a theme he plans to highlight in his speech. "I'm thinking about [my remarks] as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thought on where we all go from here," he wrote. The sitting president offered encouragement to his fellow Americans, who he said have hit obstacles since he took office. "Since 2009, we've faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger," he said. "That's because we have never let go of a belief that has guided us ever since our founding our conviction that, together, we can change this country for the better. The U.S. president's farewell address, Obama noted, is a tradition that dates back to 1796, when George Washington said goodbye to Americans before transferring power to his successor, John Adams. Inside Bradley International Airport, authorities stepped up security Friday evening following the horror that unfolded inside Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. Flights set to arrive and depart from the area were canceled, but one flight that made it from Bradley to Ft. Lauderdale sat on the tarmac for hours. "It's very chaotic almost, just looking out and seeing all the stuff going around and then not being able to tell us anything," said Hannah Ment. Hannah and her mom, Wendy, posted a picture of them on social media to let family and friends know they're okay. The two from Glastonbury spontaneously decided to take a weekend trip away. They left Bradley at 9 on Friday morning and were on one of the few planes allowed to land in Ft. Lauderdale after the shooting began inside the baggage claim area. "If we were any earlier, obviously, we would have been in the baggage claim area," said Wendy. "It was literally just half an hour before we got there, and it's crazy to think that we could have been in there at the time," said Hannah. For hours, hundreds of passengers stayed inside the plane. Many of them kept a close eye on the news reports. At one point, they noticed police stop someone next to the tarmac, check the vehicle and take an individual away. "We can see police cars and helicopters," said Wendy. "We can see outside. All the planes are just sitting here," said Hannah. After more than 6 hours, all the passengers were finally allowed to leave. As they walked inside the airport, Hannah said what they saw hit them hard: bags were strewn everywhere. They said they know the people who owned them dropped them as they ran for their lives. Inside the airport, armed police stood guard with long guns and outside emergency vehicles were everywhere. It was all a reminder of the horror they just missed. "We are very fortunate to be safe," said Hannah. "It was frightening. We were lucky. It's horrible for those poor people that were there," said Wendy. ISTANBUL (AP) The once bustling Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is astonishingly quiet. The shops and restaurants in the city's trendy Istiklal Street are all but empty of foreign customers and the hotels in the upscale Nisantasi district are nearly deserted. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks including the nightclub massacre of New Year's revelers, most of them foreigners and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. Tourism, a key component of the economy as well as a substantial foreign currency earner, has taken a hit not least because Russian visitors have stayed away in the wake of a diplomatic spat over Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in November 2015. "2016 was a lost year for Turkish tourism," said Cetin Gurcun, secretary general of Turkey's travel agency association, TURSAB. "It is impossible for Turkey to give up on tourism, but the most important priority of the sector is security," Gurcun added. "The first thing a tourist looks for when choosing a destination is peace and safety. Only then do they research service quality and price." There was a time when tourism in Turkey was red hot, climbing from 10.5 million visitors in 2000 to 36.2 million people in 2015, making it the sixth-most visited destination in the world. The sector earned $31.5 billion in 2015. But that all came to a halt last year, with a 30 percent drop in visitors, from 34.8 million in the January-November period in 2015 to a little over 24 million for the same period in 2016. Yasemin Pirinccioglu, general manager of the VIP Event travel agency, said that foreigners who had visited before were still returning. "But the people who are planning to come for the first time to Turkey, they're postponing their trips," she said. Natalia Dubaltsava from war-ravaged eastern Ukraine is among those who come to Istanbul regularly. Story continues "We make trips here anyway," she said. "There is unrest in the world. It's a fact. People say the same about our city, Dnepropetrovsk. We are close to the front line, but it is calm there. Life is life. We decided to go anyway." Because of the economic downturn, the Turkish Lira hit a record low in the first week of 2017, trading around 3.60 per U.S. dollar. Analysts expect it to weaken further in coming months. While the weaker currency could have some beneficial economic effects making it cheaper to visit or invest in Turkey and helping the country's exports the drop makes the country poorer overall and less able to pay its debts. The security concerns are obvious in the economic data. In the third quarter of last year, the drop in tourism was the main cause for a 7 percent year-on-year decrease in the sale of goods and services. Consumer spending and investment have also plummeted since the summer. Istanbul, the country's most popular tourist destination for foreigners, has been the biggest target for extremists. Ten German tourists were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of Istanbul's historic district on January 12, 2016. Other attacks in Istanbul include one in the central Beyoglu neighborhood in March, as well as at the city's main airport in June, where dozens died. Hundreds of people eager to wave goodbye to a tumultuous 2016 gathered at the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul for New Year's celebrations only to become the first victims of 2017 when an Islamic State gunman stormed the premises and killed 39 people, mostly foreigners. One statistic stood out in the wake of the tragedy most of the victims were from the Middle East. "Before, there were a lot of customers from America and Europe," said the club co-owner, Mehmet Kocarslan said. "Once the Westerners decreased, Middle Easterners became a majority." "2016 was a very unfortunate year for Turkey," added Kocarslan, who said he was contemplating closing the club after the massacre. "There hasn't been a hardship our country didn't encounter." In the sprawling Grand Bazaar officially the first ever roofed shopping mall when it was built in the 15th century vendors stood in front of their jewelry, clothing and souvenir shops, desperately looking for foreign customers. "Business is quite different than before," shop owner Muslim Besenk said. "There are bombs going off everywhere, why should tourists come? Only Arabs come. The rest cannot come and it's not certain that they will." Basel Trablesei, a tourist from Lebanon, did not seem worried by the security in Istanbul despite the nightclub attack. "What happened here happens anywhere in the world, so this is something we can't avoid," he said. "I tell everyone to come to Istanbul." Pinar Kartal Timer, general manager of Istanbul's historic Pera Palas hotel in the lively Beyoglu neighborhood, said the rise in tourists from the Middle East was because of Turkey's greater ties to the region. "It's because already the strategy of the Turkish government has been to make a rapprochement with Middle Eastern countries," she said, referring to the conservative leadership that has shifted from its pro-Western policies. Barcin Yinanc, a columnist at the English-language Daily News, said that all the strategic advantages Turkey offered in the mid-2000s have now turned against it. "Ironically, all the triggers that helped Turkey fly high in the global market in the mid-2000s safety, security, stability and predictability have now become big barriers," she wrote. There are new developments surrounding the arrest of a former school bus driver arrested for falling asleep at the wheel. "Everyone started yelling and screaming wake up and he started yelling back at us that he's not sleeping," a 12-year-old girl riding the school bus Dec. 16 told NBC Connecticut. Shelton police wont release additional information, except to say there is an open internal affairs investigation into the "details" of that terrifying December bus ride, as described by one of the little girls on board. Former driver, 55-year-old Paul Pixley, according to police, was asleep at the wheel with as many as 30 Shelton Intermediate Students on board. The childs mother wants answers. "If he was on a methadone program, why was he hired? After the bus was pulled over, they definitely should've done a tox screening, Vienna DiPave told NBC Connecticut late last month. According to the arrest warrant, Pixley admits he took methadone and also says he may have taken Nyquil instead of Dayquil. Greg Walter, the vice president at Ontario-based Landmark transportation, has been in Connecticut the entire week looking for answers as to what happened with Pixley, telling the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters he did not drive a school bus after the incident in question. "I told my employees, I wanted to contact the officer that was at the scene because I needed to know why he was not breathalyzed or drug tested and they said to me that the Officer said he was, based on his experience, he was pretty sure that it was a medical condition and I questioned if it was medical why wasn't 911 called." DCF and the DMV are also investigating. I want to make sure every page is turned. That we are taking a look at everything to make sure something like this doesn't happen again, but I want to tell you the person responsible is Paul Pixley." At this week's Board of Education meeting, Shelton's superintendent told parents he met with Greg Walter, and the district has lost confidence in Landmark. After a frank discussion, according to Dr. Chris Clouet, The result was, not only is the driver no longer working for the company and will have no association with our children in any way but the local manager is also going to be removed. And we are going to monitor very closely how their hiring practices, are implemented and our team will be doing random checks." The school district will now be doing spot checks on Landmark hiring records and responses to documented accidents. Landmark will also randomly check bus videos too. Walter said video the company reviewed shows Pixley coherent when he checked in before his run that December day, but when he turned the bus on he says Pixley fell asleep. "Paul Pixley either made some bad decisions or had some sort of medical problem, or both," Walter added. Both the bus company and the superintendent say Paul Pixley was fired and never got behind the wheel again after the incident. The Department of Motor Vehicles paid a visit Tuesday to landmark, results of what they found could be available late next week. A 10-year-old Manchester boy who was reported missing on Friday afternoon was found unharmed later that night. Jaiden Colon, a fifth grader, was reported missing after being seen at Robertson School on 45 North Street at 3 p.m. and police said just before 10 p.m. that he was found safe but was transported to the hospital as a precaution. Connecticut State police arrested three people after finding 170 bags of heroin during a traffic stop Friday, according to state police. Police said they pulled over a vehicle on the Tolland Turnpike (Route 74) in Willington for an equipment violation. During the course of the stop, police found 170 bags divided between the driver and two passengers in the vehicle, police said. Anthony Falzone, 24, of Norwich, and Ryan LaFountain, 27, of Danielson, were arrested and charged with possession of heroin. They were each issued a $10,000 bond and scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 24. David McKnight, 53, of Danielson, who police said had 100 bags in his possession, was charged with possession of heroin with intent to sell, possession of heroin, and a brake light violation. He was issued a $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 9. Decorated war hero and longtime conservative U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX 3rd District) says he will not seek re-election to a 10th term. Johnson, who is 86 and resides in Plano, has served the 3rd District, which covers most of Collin County, since 1992. "After much prayer, I have decided I will not seek re-election to serve the Third District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. This will be my final term in the appropriately named 'Peoples House,'" Johnson said in a statement on his website. "It has been a distinct honor and privilege to work on your behalf all these years. From passing laws, to helping constituents with problems like obtaining their military service medals, making a difference is what motivated my service from my very first day." Johnson, who grew up in Dallas and graduated from Southern Methodist University, is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and serves as the chairman of the Social Security subcommittee. Among his notable legislative accomplishments, Johnson and U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX 5th District) introduced legislation to repeal the Wright Amendment -- giving consumers more options out of Dallas' Love Field airport and has made veterans issues and Social Security legislation the focus of his record. Before joining congress, Johnson spent 29 years in the Air Force where he flew combat missions over Korea and Vietnam. He was shot down while flying a combat mission in 1966 over Vietnam and was held captive for seven years at the "Hanoi Hilton," half of which he spent in solitary confinement. He wrote at length about the experience in his autobiography, "Captive Warriors." "The celebratory homecoming parade thrown in my hometown of Plano upon my return from Hanoi will always rank among one of my most treasured memories, encapsulating all that I love about America faith, family, and freedom," Johnson said in his letter to constituents Friday. According to his house.gov biography, Johnson was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards for his service. Shirley, Johnson's wife of 65 years, died last winter. In his letter, Johnson again thanked his supporters for their unwavering support. "Just as I have stood for you, you have stood by me and for that I sincerely thank you," Johnson said. Read Johnson's complete statement about his future plans here. Johnson was well respected in Texas and on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers were quick to comment after the announcement. "Congressman Sam Johnson is a Texan, born in Dallas, Texas. He serves among not only the finest of the men and women because of his military service, but he brought that same tenacity to Congress. He has brought balance and teamwork and he was always admired, not only as a Texan but a man who showed up doing his homework and he has been a huge part of our success," said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas. Congressman Sam Johnsons unwavering service to this country will be remembered long after he leaves Washington. While many will remember Rep. Johnson for his tireless work on the Ways and Means Committee and his time in the House of Representatives, Texans will also remember him for his military service to our nation, his sacrifice as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam and his commitment to helping our veterans. Cecilia and I wish him the best in his retirement and thank him for his selfless service to the State of Texas," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The family of a World War II veteran celebrated his life Friday at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, and accomplished their heros final wish. Harry Neil Adams died on Nov. 21, 2016 at the age of 96. He was a big fan of television and, before he passed, he wished for one last thing: to be on TV. Harrys family sent photos of him to NBC 7 including vintage snapshots from his U.S. military service and, per his wish, Harrys face aired on TV. Courty of Adams Family According to the veterans grandson, Sheldon Neil Adams, Harry was born on Oct. 13, 1920. Harry worked in communications for the U.S. Navy in the first major offensive against Japan in the Pacific Ocean known as the Guadalcanal Campaign. When Harry heard the military was short on men, he volunteered to fight on land. Courty of Adams Family He shot a Japanese soldier out of a tree, then took the soldiers weapon, brought it back to the United States and took a gunsmith course so he could put it back together with his own two hands, Sheldon told NBC 7. To this day, the veterans family still owns the artifact, which has become a family heirloom. Sheldon said Harry fought in WWII in Germany as well, where he was captured as a Prison of War. Seven months later, once the war was over, Harry was released, Sheldon said. But his military career wasnt over just yet. Harry then fought in the Korean War. After his years in the battlefield, Sheldon said his grandfather lived off and on in Latin America for 70 years. Courty of Adams Family He gathered intelligence for the CIA on Russian submarines travelling around Patagonia during the Cold War and he also collected intelligence for many decades on German Nazis who were hiding in Latin America, Sheldon explained. Harrys family held a ceremony for him Friday at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego. Sheldon said his grandfathers dream was to be mentioned on TV for his contribution to the U.S. military, and to the country that he loved so much. Rangers at Yosemite National Park are standing watch along the Merced River flowing through the scenic valley on alert for weekend flooding as a strong storm system heads to California. A combination of heavy rain and snow above 9,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada are expected over the weekend to trigger runoff, overflow foothill streams and rivers. Wind gusts could knock down power lines from falling trees. On the coast, forecasters anticipate the storm surge from the Pacific -- called an atmospheric river -- to dump up to eight inches of rain from Sonoma to Monterey counties, and up to a foot in isolated places in the Santa Cruz mountains. Forecasters warn of mudslides on the Central Coast hard hit this summer by scarring wildfires. The heavy rains come as California enters a sixth year of drought, starting in October with more rain falling than in three decades, mostly in Northern California. Los Angeles is experiencing the wettest winter in six years, forecasters say. Yosemite spokeswoman Jamie Richards said that rangers are urging park visitors to stay alert to changing weather conditions. She says, however, that the park remains open this weekend with some areas potentially being closed. "We're prepared," said Richards, adding that they're accustomed to life in a giant canyon with frequent, rain, snow, ice and rock falls. "We have a lot of things we deal with on a frequent basis." Rangers are keeping an especially close eye on Pohono Bridge, which crosses the Merced River deep in Yosemite Valley. Richards said that flooding there starts when the water level reaches 10 feet, but on Thursday the watermark hit just four feet. A large storm in 1997 flooded Yosemite Valley, closing the park for two months and washing out roads, lodging and campgrounds. Rangers don't expect damaging conditions like those 20 years ago, officials said. Officials in Santa Cruz told residents to stay off the roads this weekend and hunker down by stocking up on groceries and batteries. They've set up sand bag stations for residents. "We're giving them a shovel and the sand and showing them how to fill them up," said Jason Hoppin, a Santa Cruz County spokesman. "We haven't seen rain like this in a long time." The Truckee River, which flows from Lake Tahoe and through Reno, is forecast to rise to its highest point in more than a decade, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a flood warning. Southbound traffic on Interstate 5 and Interstate 805 has reopened at the San Ysidro port of entry after closing for several hours Saturday evening. The nationwide protests in Mexico over rising gas prices have spread to Tijuana and other parts of Baja California after prices went up 20 percent in one day. Protesters, angry about the hike in gas prices, blocked off the port of entry on the Mexico side, causing southbound I-5 and I-805 to close, according to the California Highway Patrol. The freeways closed around 6 p.m., and traffic was being rerouted to Interstate 905. A protester slammed his pickup truck into dozens of police in tactical gear during a protest Saturday at the PEMEX refinery in Rosarito. At least 15 people were injured. Right now the prices went up and this whole crisis going on is like, crazy, said Irving Garcia. He rides a motorcycle to save money and still, hes facing spending more for gas. Dozens of gas stations closed this week in Tijuana and Rosarito, after demonstrators blocked trucks from transporting gas out of a fuel depot in Baja California. Some Mexican drivers are now filling up their gas tanks in San Diego to avoid the long lines at gas stations south of the border. Overnight, police were able to break the human blockade, and escort fuel trucks out of the distribution facility in Rosarito. Gas stations throughout Baja California were rushing to re-supply their reserves and re-open their businesses on Friday. Customers were still reporting long lines. Protests over rising gas prices have also taken place in Tecate, and several cities throughout Mexico. The demonstrations started after the Mexican government announced on January 1 that fuel prices would be rise by 20 percent. The government says the increase is needed to cover shortfalls in the federal budget. Demonstrators have remained peaceful in Baja California, but in other parts of Mexico, there have been violence and looting. Protesters have also blocked highways and gas stations to show their anger. On Saturday, a protest at the PEMEX refinery in Rosarito, Baja California, turned violent when a pickup truck slammed into dozens of Mexican police officers in tactical gear. Tijuana-based photo journalist Eligio Hernandez captured the terrifying moment on video obtained by NBC 7. At this point, details of the incident are unknown, including how many officers were injured. Where will you welcome The Year of the Rooster? New Year celebrations will flower, like so many auspicious azaleas and cherry blossoms, around Southern California in the weeks ahead. It's The Year of the Rooster, and parades, parties, and ceremonies will bring the joy and fun to the momentous doorway. It's a doorway that's opening now, at least around the Japanese American National Museum. The Little Tokyo-based cultural and art institution is ready to celebrate the sweetness of a new start at the Oshogatsu Family Festival, which is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 8. "New Year-themed activities, performances, and crafts" are on the roster, and admission to all of the bright-of-future festivities is completely free. Also free during the day? A special time capsule workshop with artist Sebastian Masuda. Yes, you can contribute, but know that the Hello Kitty- and Domo-shaped vaults will remain closed through 2035. Anticipation is, of course, always a part of a good New Year's party. A Nerdbot Photo Booth (think whimsical props), rice cake-cool crafts, the art of Omikuji (a "Japanese fortune-telling method"), and origami will play roles in the gratis, good-time-having day. As will rooster- and chicken-sweet happenings, from the chance to pet a chicken (Bantams and Giant Cochins will call upon the museum) to rooster-y sculptures made out of sweets. Other luck-focused to-dos, from eats to purchase-ready gifts, are on the docket. Can't wait for The Year of the Rooster to arrive? Start the celebration now at this come-together, activity-rich celebration, one that's perfect for kids and grown-ups and New Year's revelers and visiting fowl, too. A school bus driver who left an autistic 19-year-old man alone in the locked vehicle on a warm summer day pleaded guilty Friday to a felony count stemming from his death, which triggered a new state law aimed at preventing such tragedies. Armando Abel Ramirez, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of dependent adult abuse resulting in death and admitted an allegation of proximately causing death to the victim, Hun Joon "Paul" Lee, according to Shiara Davila-Morales of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Ramirez -- who was ordered to be taken into custody -- is facing two years in state prison when sentenced Jan. 30 at the Norwalk courthouse, according to Davila-Morales. Lee was found on the floor of a parked bus in a Whittier bus yard on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2015. All of the windows on the bus were closed and the temperature that day was near 90 degrees, prosecutors said. According to Whittier police, Lee rode the bus to a transition program at the Sierra Education Center near Sierra Vista High School about 8:30 that morning and should have boarded it to return home by 4 p.m. When he didn't get home on time, his mother called the school district, which contacted the Pupil Transportation Cooperative, leading to his discovery by the driver. Investigators said Lee had not been able to verbally communicate and needed special care. Ramirez -- a substitute driver for Lee's bus who was working a split shift -- apparently believed Lee had gotten off the bus to go to school that morning. But the driver did not walk to the back of the bus or look over his shoulder to check if anyone was left in the vehicle at the end of his morning shift, according to prosecutors. He returned the bus to the bus yard, filled out paperwork, left for home and returned for work that afternoon, when he was notified by a dispatcher that Lee was missing. Ramirez went back to the bus, found Lee unresponsive and called for help. Paramedics performed CPR, but Lee was pronounced dead at the scene. In a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Pupil Transportation Cooperative, Lee's parents said their son never got off the bus at school and the driver returned the bus to the depot, "locked it and left" with Lee still inside. The lawsuit alleges the company employees failed "to do a mandatory and routine sweep of the subject bus prior to exiting, especially considering that there were only three children on the subject bus who were of special needs." The bus operator also failed "to document or confirm (Lee's) arrival at school," failed to escort him off the bus and "neglected to pay attention to (Lee) for an extended period of time during the bus ride and failed to recognize, respond to or assist (Lee) in any manner," the lawsuit alleges. Last September, the young man's parents thanked Gov. Jerry Brown for signing legislation requiring school buses to be equipped with an alarm system to ensure passengers are not forgotten. "Although we tragically lost our son Paul last year after he was left behind on a school bus for seven hours, we know that the signing of this bill is a warm hug from heaven that will enable all children who ride a school bus to arrive at their destination safely," Eun Ha Lee, the young man's mother, said then. The bill, authored by Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, requires school buses in California to be outfitted with child-safety alarms. The alarm system generates a noise when the bus is turned off, and the driver must walk to the rear of the bus to turn it off, ensuring that the vehicle is checked to determine if any children are still on board. The bill also requires bus drivers to receive training in child-safety check procedures every year when they renew their bus driver safety certificate. "The Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law will protect every child who rides a school bus to and from school every day," Mendoza said previously. "... No parent should fear that their child will not return home safely at the end of the day." Los Angeles paramedics were in for a shock when they discovered their ambulance had been stolen by a woman who ended up crashing it into a power pole, authorities said. Personnel with Station 7 of the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid request at 3:16 a.m. at a residence in the 15500 block of West Rayen Street in Arleta. The person declined to be taken to the hospital after paramedics evaluation, according to the LAFD. When the paramedics left the residence, they discovered their ambulance had been stolen. A woman had driven away with it, its emergency lights still flashing. Los Angeles Police Department officers pursued the woman through the neighborhood. She eventually crashed near Lassen Street and Woodman Avenue, shearing a power pole in the process. The woman was later identified as 24-year-old Desiree Delatorre, said Officer Jenny Houser of the Los Angeles Police Department. Delatorre was taken to the hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries, according to the LAFD. She was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto, and was booked at 9:23 a.m. at the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Jail Section. Delatorre is being held on $80,000 bail. Editor's Note: A version of this story erroneously stated the person who paramedics were first called to aid stole the ambulance. We apologize for the error. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The CIA has identified Russian officials who fed material hacked from the Democratic National Committee and party leaders to WikiLeaks at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin through third parties, according to a new U.S. intelligence report, senior U.S. officials said on Thursday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Central Intelligence Agency and others have concluded that the Russian government escalated its efforts from discrediting the U.S. election process to assisting President-elect Donald Trump's campaign. The intelligence assessment was presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and will be briefed to Trump on Friday. Trump has rejected the broad intelligence community's assessment that Russia staged cyber attacks during the election campaign to undermine Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Russia has rejected the hacking allegations. "By October, it had become clear that the Russians were trying to help the Trump campaign, said one official familiar with the full report speaking on the condition of anonymity because the complete version is Top Secret. In some cases, one official said, the material followed what was called a circuitous route from the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency, to WikiLeaks in an apparent attempt to make the origins of the material harder to trace, a common practice used by all intelligence agencies, including U.S. ones. These handoffs, the officials said, enabled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to say the Russian government or state agencies were not the source of the material published on his website. In an interview with Fox News this week, Assange said he did not receive emails stolen from the DNC and Clinton aide John Podesta from "a state party." Assange did not rule out the possibility that he got the material from a third party. Details of the report emerged as the top U.S. intelligence official, James Clapper, said on Thursday he was "even more resolute" in his belief that Russia staged cyber attacks on Democrats during the 2016 election campaign. Story continues Not all 17 intelligence agencies participated in preparing the assessment. An unclassified version of the report is expected to be released on Friday morning, two officials said. The report contains some of what the officials called minor footnotes about open questions and other uncertainties, in part because some of the evidence supporting the conclusion is inferential. One such example, the officials said, was that intercepted messages and conversations among senior Russian officials in Putins inner circle indicated they were aware of the hacking campaign and celebrated Trumps election as a victorious end to the campaign. The officials declined to discuss the nature of the communications, including whether they were domestic, international, or both. "People who knew what this was about were celebrating a victory over the United States, said one official. Another example of inferential evidence, the officials said, was that as time passed and the early leaks attracted media attention that undermined or eclipsed Clintons campaign, the Russians increasingly focused their hacking almost exclusively on Democratic rather than Republican targets. There was also strong resemblance -- including the use of the same computer malware -- the Russians have used against targets in Europe and the marriage of traditional espionage tactics used by Soviet and Russian intelligence such as bribery, blackmail and internet vulnerabilities, which they said Putin has devoted increasing resources and attention to exploiting. For example, one official said, the Democratic databases and email servers the Russians hacked also contained personal information that WikiLeaks has not published. Such information could be used to search for financial, medical, browsing history and other records that can be used to target individuals for recruiting efforts by Russian spies. (Reporting by Washington newsroom; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Carrie Fisher made quite an entrance at her own funeral. Carrie Fisher always made people crack a smile in life and she made sure she got one more out of them in death: https://t.co/3TkwUTH4gu pic.twitter.com/21rNILHbeT Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) January 6, 2017 The 60-year-old "Star Wars" star and her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, 84, were laid to rest together Friday at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. The two died within one day of each other in December --Fisher from a cardiac event and Reynolds from a suspected stroke. Fisher was cremated soon after her death. Todd Fisher, her 58-year-old brother and Reynolds' only surviving child, arrived at the funeral carrying a green-and-white urn that resembled a Prozac pill. Some of Fisher's ashes were buried with Reynolds. Carrie Fisher's Most Memorable TV Appearances Prozac, an antidepressant medication, is often used to treat bipolar disorder. Fisher was open about her battle with the disorder. She was also known for her dry sense of humor; New York magazine reported in 2009 that her Beverly Hills home's kitchen floor contained tiles shaped and labeled like enormous Prozac tablets. Fisher told WebMD magazine in 2010 she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 24, adding, "The diagnosis when I accepted it? I was 29. But I was still loaded [then]; if you're on drugs, you look bipolar anyway." Fisher had also battled substance abuse throughout her life and had undergone rehab. She told USA Today in 2002 she tried lithium to combat bipolar disorder and had also been on other medications. "I outlasted my problems," Fisher told Diane Sawyer in 2001. "I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I'm still surviving it, but bring it on. Better me than you." Humor, Fisher agreed, is essential for good health. "Yes! I laugh a lot, actually. A lot," she told WebMD magazine. "I've gotten to an age where I enjoy my life. I've spent enough time struggling with it, and at this point it's living on one side of the magnifying glass; I stay on the side of making big things appear small. I enjoy myself and I have a lot of good friends, good relationships. You learn to get there." "Having gone through a lot of stuff I've gone through--I don't want to do that stuff anymore," she said. "I take care of myself best as I can. I do the best imitation of maturity I can possibly muster." The accused gunman who shot more than a dozen people at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport pulled his firearm out at baggage claim, officials said. The shooting killed 5 people and injured six others. Friday's shooting raises concern about the safety of baggage claim areas at airports. Airline passengers are allowed to travel with unloaded firearms and ammunition as long as they are declared as checked bags. Transportation Security Administration requires unloaded guns to be stored in locked hard-sided containers. "Once the individual is off the plane and retrieves his baggage and if he intends to use that weapon in an airport environment then the weapon is immediately available to him or her, as was potentially the case in this incident," said Bill Bratton, former NYPD commissioner. If a firearm is loaded and is not declared, the passenger carrying the gun will be arrested. In 2015, more than 2,653 firearms were confiscated by TSA agents at checkpoints. Numbers for 2016 are not yet available. Investigators are working to determine if the suspect checked his weapon legally. In Florida, it is illegal to openly carry firearms in public. However, a new bill repealing that law is scheduled to be introduced to the state Judiciary Committee Tuesday. It's unclear how Friday's shooting might impact the measure. The brother of a man accused of shooting five people at Fort Laudedale-Hollywood Airport questioned Saturday why his brother was allowed to keep his gun after U.S. authorities knew he'd become increasingly paranoid and was hearing voices. After serving in the National Guard in Iraq, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago had trouble controlling his anger and told his brother Bryan Santiago that he felt he was being chased and being controlled by the CIA through secret online messages. But when he told agents at an FBI field office his paranoid thoughts in November, he was evaluated for four days, then released without any follow-up medication or therapy. "The FBI failed there. ... We're not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this,'' Bryan Santiago told The Associated Press, speaking in Spanish outside his family's pale yellow house nestled in the lush mountains of the southern town of Penuelas. "The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didn't do anything.'' In recent years, the 26-year-old Estaban Santiago a new dad, family said had been living in Anchorage, Alaska. But there were signs of trouble. Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said Friday. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. The FBI office in Alaska, which declined to comment on Bryan Santiago's comments ahead of a planned Saturday news conference, interviewed Esteban Santiago and then notified police, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. Also, he was charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, choked her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. A month later, municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Bryan Santiago said his brother had requested psychological help but barely received any. "I told him to go to church or to seek professional help,'' he said. Family members have said Esteban Santiago changed after serving a yearlong tour in Iraq. He was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. He deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. Esteban Santiago's mother wiped tears from her eyes as she stood inside a screen door Saturday. The only thing she said was that Esteban Santiago had been tremendously affected by seeing a bomb explode next to two of his friends when he was around 18 years old while serving in Iraq. Former neighbor Ursula Candelario in Penuelas recalled seeing Esteban Santiago grow up and said people used to salute him after he joined the Guard. "He was very peaceful, very educated, very serious,'' she said. "We're in shock. I couldn't believe it.'' Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage, Olmstead told the AP. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for "unsatisfactory performance,'' said Olmstead. His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. She would not elaborate on his discharge, but the Pentagon said he went AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. Still, he'd been awarded a number of other medals and commendations including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them on Friday, and reporters swarmed around. Maria Ruiz told The Record newspaper that her nephew had recently become a father to a son and was struggling. "It was like he lost his mind,'' she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things.'' Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. Sen.-elect Nelson Cruz, who knew the family and represents the town where they live in Puerto Rico, said he had been talking regularly with Bryan Santiago since the shooting. "They're very humble and very Christian people,'' Cruz said of Esteban Santiago's brother and mother. "They want to tell the families of the victims that they're extremely saddened and extremely upset by what happened.'' Just before he was set to become an official Haitian senator, a paramilitary leader who once led a violent rebellion was arrested on decade-old U.S. drug charges and brought before a federal judge in Miami who ordered him held without bail. Guy Philippe, 48, was a key figure in the 2004 ouster of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and later ran for president himself. He was indicted in 2005 on U.S. cocaine trafficking charges but managed to elude capture, including unsuccessful raids involving Drug Enforcement Administration agents and helicopters on his remote residence. Despite the outstanding U.S. charges, Philippe gave media interviews and last year won a seat in Haiti's Senate. With his official swearing-in upcoming, Philippe appeared Thursday in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince for a live radio interview -- where Haitian police arrested him and he was quickly flown to Miami. At his initial appearance Friday, a federal magistrate judge ordered Philippe held without bail and set another hearing next week to determine if he has a permanent lawyer. His temporary attorney, Richard Dansoh, said he needs time to travel to Haiti to obtain documents and other materials. Philippe could claim his extradition to the U.S. is illegitimate because he has immunity as an elected member of Haiti's Parliament, Dansoh said. "I think I would be foolish if I didn't explore that option," he told reporters. "We have to defend this case." Philippe, dressed in a standard tan prison jumpsuit and chained at the waist and ankles, spoke briefly at the hearing, telling the judge he would "follow whatever my attorney tells me to do." A three-count indictment unsealed Friday charges Philippe with cocaine trafficking conspiracy, money laundering and money laundering conspiracy from 1997 through 2003. Few details were provided, although the indictment cites one $112,000 check routed through financial institutions that included money from drug trafficking. Philippe has long maintained his innocence and blamed the accusations on political enemies. He is likely to enter a formal plea to the charges next Friday. U.S. authorities have previously prosecuted numerous former Haitian officials on drug charges, some of whom may be witnesses in the Philippe case. Before the 2004 uprising, Philippe had been a police chief in the city of Cap-Haitien. Accused of plotting a coup, Philippe fled to the Dominican Republic and then returned to help lead the ultimately successful rebellion. Philippe has lived in recent years in a remote, mountainous part of southern Haiti where his extensive family and business connections appeared to protect him from authorities. About 200 protesters took to the streets Thursday in the southern town of Jeremie to call for Philippe's release. Other pro-Philippe demonstrators gathered outside a heavily guarded police station where he was taken shortly after his arrest. There were reports of protests Friday as well. A Haitian police spokesman in the southern Haitian department of Grand d'Anse said that a crowd forced its way into a police station and burned a police vehicle. A U.S. missionary, Casey Lumpkin, said in a Facebook video post that an orphanage where he works in Jeremie was looted by a large mob apparently angered by Philippe's arrest. "They're mad at Americans and they are trying to make all Americans get out of Jeremie and Grand d'Anse," he said from the roof of the orphanage as protesters could be heard below. The U.S. Embassy issued a statement recommending that American citizens in the southern peninsula shelter in place and consider leaving the area when the protests have died down. Radio host Gary-Pierre Paul Charles told The Associated Press the police who arrested Philippe were members of the Haitian anti-drug unit and fired shots into the air to disperse a crowd that had gathered. Her voice breaking and eyes filling with tears, an unusually emotional Michelle Obama said Friday that being first lady "has been the greatest honor of my life" as she bid an early farewell to the White House. An East Room ceremony honoring the 2017 school counselor of the year, and the work of all school counselors, marked her final event as first lady. Before the tearful goodbye, there were words of encouragement for young people. Mrs. Obama, as she has done many times in eight years in the White House, urged kids to get the best education they can and then use it to "lead by example with hope, never fear." "Don't be afraid," she said. The first lady also praised the "glorious diversity" of people of all faiths, colors and creeds in America as "not a threat to who we are" but as what "makes us who we are." The comment seemed a rebuke of President-elect Donald Trump, who criticized Mexicans, Muslims and others throughout his presidential campaign. "To the young people out there, do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don't matter or like you don't have a place in our American story, because you do," Mrs. Obama said. "And you have a right to be exactly who you are." She urged them to get ready to add their voices to the national conversation and "stand up for our proud American values." Mrs. Obama asked them to remember, when they encounter obstacles and feel like giving up, what she said she and President Barack Obama have talked about since first starting their journey to the White House nearly a decade ago, "and that is the power of hope." She said hope has allowed the couple to "rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear, that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country." Mrs. Obama ended the appearance by thanking the school counselors standing behind her, including Terri Tchorzynski, the 2017 honoree from the Calhoun Area Career Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, for their hard work and dedication. She has said school counselors often are the "deciding factor" in whether a student decides to attend college. "Being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope I've made you proud," Mrs. Obama said. The first lady has said she will continue, after she and her husband leave on Jan. 20, to work on issues she championed as first lady. They include education, fighting childhood obesity and support for military families. On Jan. 8th The Golden Globes will recognize the best of the best in film and television. But even 74 years into the tradition, there may be a few fun-filled facts about the awards show that you're unaware of. 1. The Golden Globe Awards began in 1944, but ran without a host for the first 14 years of its existence. It wasnt until 1958 that Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. took over the stage and were the unofficial hosts. 2. A single Golden Globe statuette costs about $800 to make, and is plated in 24-karat gold. 3. The awards show waits for no one--on two occasions, women were in the restroom when they were announced as winners (Renee Zellweger in 2001 and Christine Lahti in 1998). 4. In 1973, Marlon Brando rejected his award for The Godfather as a protest to U.S. imperialism and racism during the Vietnam War. 5. The Golden Globe Awards ceremony has been held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel every year since 1961. 6. Award recipient Jack Nicholson mooned the audience instead of giving a traditional acceptance speech in 1999. 7. The youngest Globe winner was nine-year-old Rick Schroeder for The Champ. The oldest Globe winner was 80-year-old Jessica Tandy for Driving Miss Daisy. Tune in on Jan. 8 to watch the Golden Globe Awards on NBC at 8 p.m. EST. Snow and sleet pounded a large swath of the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, coating roads with ice and causing hundreds of crashes. Thousands of people lost power and forecasters warned of blizzard-like conditions from Virginia to parts of the Northeast. Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the South's biggest cities Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh appeared to avoid the worst of the storm. Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped. "If I tell you anything it would be stay home," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. "Do not go out and drive on the roads unless you absolutely have to." The storm lingered in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, where blizzard conditions were reported. The weather was believed to be responsible for a 20-vehicle pileup on a Connecticut highway, although initial reports indicated there were no serious injuries. A National Weather Service map showed the snowfall seemed to follow the Interstate 85 corridor through the state, with locations along and north of the highway receiving snow, and areas to the south getting rain and sleet. Snowfall totals reached up to 10 inches in at least seven North Carolina locations, including Greensboro and High Point, Lewisville in Forsyth County, and Lenoir and Rhodhiss in Caldwell County, according to preliminary figures from the National Weather Service. A foot of snow fell in parts of eastern Virginia, according to the National Weather Service, and a blizzard warning was issued for the cities along the coast. North Carolina reported more than 700 crashes, while Virginia State Police said they responded to 500 crashes. Parts of three interstates in Mississippi were gridlocked by icy conditions. Hundreds of flights were canceled, from Atlanta to airports farther north. At least three deaths are being blamed on the weather. In Kentucky, a man was killed when his pickup truck went off a snow-slickened Kentucky road Thursday. In Georgia, a 20-year-old Georgia State University student was killed after his SUV crashed on Interstate 75 in Monroe County. Virginia State Police say slick roads caused a man's SUV to run off the road and overturn in a creek, killing him. Motorist deaths in North Carolina and Maryland as the storm blew in were also being investigated to see if they were caused by the weather. North Carolina power outages peaked around 25,000, according to the governor, but power company figures indicate the number had dropped to several thousand by late Saturday. In Cornelius, north of Charlotte, Matt Thomas said he used a ruler to measure nearly 6 inches of snow and sleet that had piled up on the back of his pickup truck. He planned to spend the weekend enjoying the snow and watching television. A plow passed through his neighborhood, but the road still looked slippery. "The sleet started first, so there's definitely a layer of ice under the snow," he said by phone. "I'm staying home." The unpredictable storm left some areas with much different outcomes than neighboring counties. Unofficial totals from the National Weather Service showed that much of Raleigh and Charlotte had 2 inches or less of precipitation much of it sleet while areas to the north of both cities got several inches of snow. In Atlanta and parts of Georgia, people who were expecting a couple of inches of snow instead woke up to a thin coat of ice. The National Weather Service was issuing an advisory warning northern Georgia to brace for bitterly cold air and strong wind. Along the Outer Banks in North Carolina, snow wasn't a problem, but high winds including 60 mph gusts forced the cancellation of ferry service. "There are quite a few disappointed residents here who were hoping to see a few inches of snow on the sand, maybe take a ride on their bodyboards down Jockey's Ridge," said Sam Walker III, news director for Max Radio and the Outer Banks Voice. "Instead, it's just been another typical, windy, wet and cold nor'easter on the Outer Banks." Some took to social media to complain that they didn't have anything to sled in, prompting an apologetic Tweet from one well-known Raleigh weatherman. "To all my detractors, more than 24 hours ago I began talking about how this snow event could go up in smoke. I try to be honest-all I can do," WRAL-TV chief meteorologist Greg Fishel said early Saturday. The men's basketball game between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. State University was postponed until Sunday because of concerns about hazardous driving conditions. In Portland, Oregon, an NBA game between the Trail Blazers and the Detroit Pistons scheduled for Saturday was postponed until Sunday because of the potential for severe winter weather. Even with snow coating Virginia Beach roads, diners and staff made it to the popular breakfast spot Citrus. "When there's bad weather, people come out," manager Tara Junke said. "I've worked in restaurants for 20 years in Hampton Roads and we've never shut down for snow." Chris Turner, 58, a health care analyst sitting at the counter with a mug of tea, said he drove 7 miles to his usual breakfast spot, aided by four-wheel drive. "I'd rather be out," he said. "I can't stay at home." Out west, rain on top of heavy snowpack led to flooding in Nevada. Rains in California raised the prospect of mudslides, while snow, freezing rain and strong winds plagued Utah. A 20-year-old pizza deliveryman man mistakenly shot numerous times by two police officers in West Philadelphia in 2014 has been given $4.4 million by the City of Philadelphia. Philippe Holland made his last delivery of the night, a cheeseburger order to a rowhouse near Kingsessing, when two plainclothes officers opened fire on his vehicle. Police Commissioner Richard Ross, first deputy commissioner in 2014, told NBC10 at the time that the officers were responding to a shooting. "They're surveying the area and they see this male walking with a hoodie," Ross said at the time. "He's got his hands in his pocket and at that time, they order him to stop, and identify themselves." Holland either didn't hear them or thought they were fake cops trying to rob him, according to reports from 2014. When he got in his car and started to drive, the officers opened fire. Holland suffered bullet wounds to his head and body. The settlement between Holland and the city closes two lawsuits: one for claims of assault and battery against the police officers in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court and a federal civil rights action. "This settlement will not only compensate an innocent citizen who suffered devastating injuries but also served as a catalyst for significant reforms in the way our communities are policed by plainclothes officers, said attorney Tom Kline, of Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter. Kline said the settlement is one of the largest ever for a police shooting. Holland suffers from a permanent seizure disorder and other permanent injuries after extensive surgeries, according to a press release Friday. Bullet fragments remain lodged in his brain, the release noted. Family Photo The city said in an accompanying statement that the shooting was an impetus for implementing sweeping changes and enhancements to the way Philadelphia police officers are trained to interact with the public. The police department also reformed its use-of-force policy after a spike in police shootings and a Department of Justice review throughout 2014 and 2015. "The Philadelphia Police Department has agreed under the settlement to implement a new training protocol for all current and new plainclothes police officers," City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante said in the statement. That is only a piece of what has been substantial change in use-of-force under the DOJ review and a March 2015 report that recommended 91 changes or enhancements by city police. Of those, the city said in the release that 61 have been completed, including instituting training for "unconscious bias"; establishment of a single investigative unit devoted to criminal investigations of all deadly force incidents; and a requirement that all officers who discharge their firearms be interviewed within 72 hours of a shooting. "Significantly, the city also agreed to produce a training video that all new plainclothes officers will be required to watch before new assignments and as part of roll call," Kline said. That new training protocol will begin July 1. A man who drove the wrong-way down a one-way street in Philadelphia Friday night is nursing gunshot wounds in a Center City hospital after a pedestrian shot him, police said. The 61-year-old pickup truck driver was traveling in the wrong direction along N. 12th Street near Fairmount Avenue in North Philadelphia around 5:30 p.m., police said. As he tried to make a turn onto Fairmount Avenue, the truck nearly hit a man walking across the street, police said. Enraged over the near-miss, police said the pedestrian then pulled out a handgun and fired on the driver, who was hit with bullets four times in the right leg. The driver fled the area and drove to the emergency room at nearby Hahnemann University Hospital. He remains hospitalized in stable condition. The pickup truck, pocked with bullet holes and several broken windows, remains parked along Vine Street outside the hospital. Police said the vehicle is being treated as a crime scene. Police characterized the shooting victim's wrong-way driving as a mistake. The shooter remains at large. He is described as a 25-year-old man with a heavy build standing about 5-feet-11-inches tall. Julian Assange A US intelligence report on Russian hacking concluded that Russian military intelligence relayed material to WikiLeaks and other websites that published emails hacked from Democratic Party organizations. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange insisted earlier this week that the hacked material his site published was not provided by the Russian government or a state party. WikiLeaks published hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The emails showed DNC officials seeming to favor Clinton over her Democratic primary challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders. They also contained excerpts of Clinton's controversial speeches to the financial firm Goldman Sachs and showed campaign officials speaking candidly about the election. "We assess with high confidence that Russian military intelligence (General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate or GRU) used the Guccifer 2.0 persona and DCLeaks.com to release US victim data obtained in cyber operations publicly and in exclusives to media outlets and relayed material to WikiLeaks," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence report stated. The report said the GRU "relayed material it acquired from the DNC and senior Democratic officials to WikiLeaks." The Kremlin is thought to have chosen WikiLeaks "because of its self-proclaimed reputation for authenticity," according to the report. Assange has often stated that all of the leaked material WikiLeaks published is authentic, and the report concluded that emails WikiLeaks posted from Podesta and the DNC don't appear to contain any forgeries. The report also noted that the Russian state-sponsored news agency RT "has actively collaborated with WikiLeaks." "RT's editor-in-chief visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in August 2013, where they discussed renewing his broadcast contract with RT, according to Russian and Western media," the report noted. Story continues "Russian media subsequently announced that RT had become 'the only Russian media company' to partner with WikiLeaks and had received access to 'new leaks of secret information.' RT routinely gives Assange sympathetic coverage and provides him a platform to denounce the United States." As for how Assange could insist the hacked material WikiLeaks published wasn't provided by the Russian government, a US official familiar with the full version of the US intelligence report told Reuters that the material followed a "circuitous route" from the GRU to WikiLeaks in order to obscure the origins of the material. A declassified version of the US intelligence report was released Friday. It concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the US presidential election with the aim of hurting Clinton's chance of winning. President-elect Donald Trump has refused to pin blame on Russia for the Democratic Party hacks, repeatedly casting doubt on the intelligence community's assessments. The Obama administration, however, has strongly condemned the hacks and increased sanctions on Russia in response. Assange, in turn, accused the Obama administration of trying to undermine the incoming Trump administration. "They're trying to delegitimize the Trump administration as it goes into the White House," Assange told Fox News earlier this week. "They are trying to say that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president." The US intelligence report did not assess "the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election." NOW WATCH: 11 facts that show how different Russia is from the rest of the world More From Business Insider With political relations warming between the United States and Cuba, Alaska Airlines flew the first regularly scheduled commercial flight between Los Angeles and Havana Thursday. Flight 286 was scheduled to depart Los Angeles International Airport at 8:50 a.m., carrying a 50-person delegation of governmental, business and tourism dignitaries on a trade mission, along with more than 100 other passengers, many of whom are returning to Cuba for the first time in decades, according to Alaska Airlines. A pre-flight ceremony was held to mark the historic flight, with attendees including Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' senior vice president of external relations; Los Angeles World Airports CEO Deborah Flint; and University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce, the first Cuban-born leader of a major American academic institution. "We at the university believe that travel is very important in bringing people together, and for me it's really special because these are the two countries and the two groups of people that I love the most," Cauce said. "And it's just remarkable for me to be able to be on this inaugural flight that will make it much more possible for our countries and our people to get to know each other." Alaska officials estimated last year that Cuba flights from Los Angeles could serve an estimated 190,000 passengers per year, serving a U.S. city with one of the largest Cuban American populations outside of Florida. "This is not about governments, this is about people," Cauce said. "We have so much in common, and this will give us an opportunity to get to know each other better, and to learn from each other." A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, accused of accepting cash and sexual favors in exchange for allowing undocumented immigrants through his border lane, faced a federal court judge in San Diego Friday. Officer Jose Luis Cota did not want to comment on the charges as he walked into the federal courthouse downtown. However, his attorney said he accepted several terms of a possible plea deal in court and plans to plead guilty. Cota is accused of accepting cash and sexual favors from a woman who has pleaded guilty to smuggling at least 10 people from Mexico into the U.S. between November 2015 and September 2016. Miriam Juarez-Herrera, 35, of Mexico pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official and bringing in unlawful aliens for financial gain, according to federal officials. Juarez-Herrera said she would use false paperwork to bring people into the U.S. through Cotas vehicle lane at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Once the group was inside the U.S., a second defendant would transport them to family members and retrieve the $15,000 fee. That defendant, 31-year-old Gilberto Aguilar-Martinez, also pleaded guilty to federal charges. Cota has pleaded not guilty. In a statement, CBP said Cota first began with the agency in August 2001. He is on unpaid administrative leave. "When there's criminal activity going on such as this and you have law enforcement officials who are engaging in criminal activity and permitting individuals to enter the U.S. you actually don't know who is entering the United States", said Lara Stingle, Assistant U.S. Attorney. Cota's next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, January 10. The three defendants were arrested in September 2016 after an investigation by the Border Corruption Task Force (BCTF). FBI investigators say following smuggling events on Nov. 3, 2015, Nov. 16, 2015, March 15 and Sept. 7, large sums of cash were deposited into Cotas bank accounts. Juarez-Herrera and Aguilar-Martinez, both of Mexico, will be sentenced April 7. The fact that the alleged Fort Lauderdale shooter, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, grabbed a gun from his checked bag is raising a whole new set of concerns about airport security. Among them: what are the restrictions on checking a weapon? What about security outside the checkpoint? Could it happen here? The answer is yes, it could happen at Lindbergh Field and at any airport in the country. Anyone permitted to own a gun is allowed to transport it through commercial airlines. The Transportation Security Administration makes the rules, airline personnel secure the weapons in flight and Harbor Police are responsible for patrolling the airport. Guns and ammunition, like other checked baggage, flow in and out of airports mostly unnoticed by the majority of the traveling public. Firearms are transported safely and securely everyday through just about every airport in the country, Harbor Police Chief John Bolduc says. Chief Bolduc says the tragedy in the baggage claim at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport is a new kind of security concern. Every airport in the country will collaborate on this and see if there are vulnerabilities that we can identify and improve or increase security posture as needed, Chief Bolduc says. The Transportation Security Administration allows passengers to check unloaded firearms and some ammunition in locked, hard-sided containers. TSA even offers a how-to video online. The mass shooting in Fort Lauderdale suggests the baggage claim area might be unsafe. Chief Bolduc says security is prioritized where crowds gather at the airport. "We certainly will focus on those areas where a lot of people are congregated. We'll try to provide the best security posture that we can, Chief Bolduc says. Whether there is a loophole in TSA's procedures or this was another mass shooting in an unexpected location is a debate that has already begun. Right now it is too premature to say whether those procedures are adequate and effective, in every single possible circumstance. It's very difficult to put in procedures that account for every possible scenario, Chief Bolduc tells NBC 7. Chief Bolduc says travelers this weekend might notice an increased police presence. NBC 7 noticed Harbor Police patrolling with assault style rifles across their chest, a posture they don't always take. Democratic congressman Scott Peters (San Diego) issued a statement Friday on the declassified report issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. It reads: This report is unambiguous in its assessment that Russian interference in our election was directed by Vladimir Putin, enabled by Wikileaks, and sought to undermine the legitimacy of our electoral process in order to tip the scales in favor of Mr. Putins preferred candidate. These actions are without precedent, and should alarm every American. We dont know if Russian interference affected the outcome of the election. I am not seeking to overturn the Electoral College results certified by Congress today. However, we do know that our freedom and democracy have been attacked, and that these actions warrant a formidable response that imposes tremendous costs on those responsible. The best and brightest of our intelligence community many who risk their lives in defense of our nation and deserve our respect and trust have done their duty and provided us with this assessment. Now is the time to stand together as patriots in a bipartisan defense of our democracy to ensure that this never happens again. The report, a declassified version of a more detailed classified one, asserts that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a secret campaign to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Despite consensus in the intelligence community of Russias involvement in the hacking, President-elect Donald Trump has been resistant in accepting officials allegations. Trump was given the classified report Friday, and although he said he learned a lot he declined to say whether he agrees with the assessment in a brief interview with the Associated Press. I learned a lot and I think they did also, he said. Trump has challenged the intelligence community since winning the election. Congressman Peters is an original co-sponsor of the Protect Our Democracy Act, introduced Friday, that would create a National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election to allow for a full congressional investigation unimpeded by partisanship. Peters is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Judiciary Committee. More than six decades after his death, a U.S. military veteran who served in the Korean War finally made his way home to San Diego. On Saturday, the body of U.S. Army Major Jack Griffith arrived at Lindbergh Field in a coffin draped with the American Flag. A military funeral honors team helped move the coffin from the plane. The dignified transfer and emotional, long overdue homecoming brought the airport tarmac to a brief, solemn standstill as people paid their respects to the military veteran. Griffiths family waited at the tarmac, taking part in the touching tribute. They hugged and gazed at their loved ones coffin. After a lifetime of waiting for Griffith, he was home. The veteran died 65 years ago while in captivity as a Prisoner of War in Korea. Surviving POWs reported Griffiths death but his death certificate showed there were no remains to prove it. For his family, his death was a painful mystery for decades. Thanks to modern DNA analysis and dental records, family members recently learned of his body buried inside a grave in Hawaii. Now, his family and friends will be able to hold a proper burial for the veteran. Sgt. 1st Class Lee Carranza, with the NCIOC Military Funeral Honors Team, was part of the team that helped in Griffiths ceremony at Lindbergh Field. He said Griffiths homecoming was important to both the vets family and the military no matter how much time had passed since his death. It doesn't matter if it was 60 years or 50, or whether it was last week, what's important is our goal to take care of soldiers, Carranza told NBC 7. We don't want to leave anyone behind, but God forbid if it does occur, we certainly want to bring them back. And it doesn't matter how long it takes. A former Maryland delegate and a current Maryland delegate are connected to an FBI investigation into wrongdoing on the Prince Georges County liquor board. FBI agents raided the Prince Georges County liquor board offices Thursday in connection to a bribery and corruption investigation. Four arrests were made including liquor board Commissioner Anuj Sud and board Director David Son. Two liquor store owners also were arrested, their businesses raided. The federal affidavit for the investigation refers to an unnamed elected official who will be criminally prosecuted for accepting money in exchange for voting for the county's Sunday liquor sales bill in 2015. The chair of the Prince Georges County delegation for the Maryland House confirmed someone presently serving in the House and a former delegate are both involved in the corruption case. Warrants show someone on the House Economic Matters Committee who voted yes on the Sunday liquor sales bill is under investigation. Delegate Michael Vaughn was the only Prince Georges County delegate on the committee to vote that way. He has not been charged or named in the investigation. The affidavit also refers to an unnamed elected official who accepted bribes from Son. In the affidavit, the elected official bragged about having access to the Prince George's County Economic Development Incentive Fund -- grant money used to attract businesses to the county. County Executive Rushern Baker called the alleged activity deplorable and said his administration is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. A man is facing additional charges in connection to a house fire that killed a teenager, a man and four dogs in Manassas, Virginia, police say. Prince William County police said 35-year-old Noe Antonio Nolasco Amaya intentionally set fire to a house in the 10300 block of Lomond Drive on July 31, 2016. Jose Javier Avalos, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene. Willian Alexander Molina-Rivas, 36, was taken to a hospital, where he died, police said. Four dogs also were found dead inside the burned home. On Jan. 3, a grand jury indicted Amaya with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder. After the fire was discovered, Amaya was found walking nearby suffering from burn injuries, police said. Amaya was arrested on Aug. 11, police said. According to a release from police, Amaya lived at the home on Lomond Drive. Amaya was previously charged with arson to an occupied dwelling and he will remain in jail without bond. He is due in court on May 1. A Virginia man smuggled more than 100 guns to Bolivia, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Joan Manuel Ramirez Lema, 41, of Sterling hid firearms in the door panels of used vehicles and shipped the vehicles to Bolivia, prosecutors said. He smuggled 115 guns from January 2010 to August 2015, prosecutors said. He usually purchased two or three guns a month -- most from Leesburg and Sterling -- and shipped merchandise and vehicles from freight companies in Baltimore and Newark, New Jersey, prosecutors said. Ramirez Lema pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced to 20 months in prison Friday. Four people accused of violently beating a suburban Chicago teenager with mental disabilities in a Facebook Live video will be held without bond, a judge ruled during a hearing Friday. People in the courtroom cheered when they heard Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil's decision. The State's Attorney also added an additional hate crime charge to all four of the accused, saying the charges were based on the victim's race and mental disability. The victim suffers from schizophrenia and ADD, prosecutors said. Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; and sisters Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, also of Chicago, were charged with hate crimes, kidnapping and battery Thursday after Cook County prosecutors identified them as four black suspects seen in a racially charged attack on a white teenager that was broadcast live on social media. Ciesil said all of the charged are a threat to themselves and society. "Where was your sense of decency?" the judge asked the accused. In the video, now seen by millions, police say the four black assailants assaulted the white suburban teenager, threatening him with a knife and taunting him with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. The victim, who is not being identified, is an 18-year-old with "mental health challenges," police said. A GoFundMe page aimed at raising money for the teen and his family had more than $34,700 in donations by Friday morning. A spokesperson for GoFundMe confirmed the funds would be donated to the family. Neal Strom, a family spokesman, said the victim has had "profound emotional and physical disabilities throughout his life." He did not elaborate. "This should never have happened," David Boyd, the victim's brother-in-law, said at a brief news conference in suburban Chicago. He said the victim was traumatized but doing as well as could be expected. Police said drug use may have been involved in the incident. The video shows the two female suspects smoking what authorities "presume to be blunts," a term often used for a marijuana-filled cigar. While the victim was tied up, his attackers used racial slurs and made references "to his mental capacity," ChicagoPolice Commander Kevin Duffin said. The uproar over the beating intensified the glare on Chicago after a bloody year of violent crime and protests against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a police department that has been accused of using excessive force and hushing-up wrongdoing. The department has also been the subject of a long civil-rights investigation by the Justice Department, which is expected to report its findings soon. The incident also stirred emotions still raw after a presidential election campaign that split the nation. The case heightened political tensions on social media, with some conservatives suggesting it was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement. Police said there was no indication of any connection. The cruelty of the attack and the intense social media exposure prompted President Barack Obama to respond, calling it "despicable." "I take these things very seriously," he said Thursday. But he said the assault does not mean that race relations have gotten worse. "We see visuals of racial tensions, violence and so forth because of smartphones and the internet and media ... a lot of the problems that have been there a long time," he said. Chicago police initially said the youth was singled out because he has "special needs," not because he was white. But authorities later said the charges resulted from both the suspects' use of racial slurs and their references to the victim's disability. Cook County prosecutors identified the suspects as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covington's 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. Tanishaia Covington is a mother of two. Two of the suspects were arrested as juveniles on armed robbery and other serious charges. Hill was arrested in 2015 on allegations of armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and residential burglary. Chicago police said they did not know the disposition of those arrests by suburban officers. Tanishia Covington was arrested in 2007 on attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. Police records do not show any convictions as a juvenile. As an adult, she was arrested on charges of battery and aggravated assault, but those charges were dropped. Excerpts of the video posted by Chicago media outlets show the victim with his mouth taped shut and slumped in a corner of a room. At least two assailants are seen cutting off his sweatshirt, and others taunt him off camera. The video shows a wound on the top of the man's head. One person pushes the man's head with his or her foot. A red band also appears to be around the victim's hands. He was tied up for four to five hours, authorities said. The incident began New Year's Eve, when the victim and alleged assailant Jordan Hill met at a suburban McDonald's to begin what both the victim and his parents believed would be a sleepover, police said. Instead, Hill drove the victim around in a stolen van for a couple of days, ending up at a home in Chicago, where two of the other suspects lived, Detective Commander Kevin Duffin said. The victim told police what began as playful fighting escalated. A downstairs neighbor who heard noises threatened to call police. When two of the suspects left and kicked down the neighbor's door, the victim escaped. A police officer later spotted the bloodied and obviously disoriented man wandering down a street. The victim's parents reported him missing Monday evening, two days after last hearing from him. The police report said the victim's mother knew the first name of her son's friend Jordan but wasn't clear on his last name. The report also noted that the victim "does not like telling his parents who he's with." The parents later received text messages "from persons claiming to be holding him captive," police said. While investigating the messages, police discovered the Facebook video. The grandmother of Brittany Covington said the granddaughter she raised from infancy is "not this person." "I'm so upset, my head is about to bust open," said Priscilla Covington of Chicago. "I don't know if someone influenced her. ... She had her ups and down. (She) was a good person. I'm so confused." She sobbed openly in bond court Friday after the judge denied bail and shook her head as each charge was detailed. By Kwasi Kpodo ACCRA (Reuters) - West African leaders are still pursuing mediation to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in Gambia where President Yahya Jammeh refused to accept defeat in an election last month, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said on Saturday. Sirleaf told reporters after a meeting among regional leaders in Ghana's capital Accra that regional bloc ECOWAS did not yet intend to deploy its standby military force in Gambia. "We are committed to a peaceful mediation and a peaceful transfer of power in the Gambia ... we will continue to pursue that for now," Sirleaf, who chairs the 15-member body, said. Asked if the regional group would deploy a standby force soon, she said "no", adding that ECOWAS was closely monitoring proceedings in Gambia's Supreme Court where Jammeh is challenging the poll result. Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said ECOWAS would hold a meeting on Monday in Abuja to discuss further steps. "There are some disturbing information the (Nigerian) president (Muhammadu Buhari) is hearing which he needs to verify and the Abuja meeting will take a final decision," he said, without elaborating. Buhari has been appointed by ECOWAS as mediator. Jammeh, a former coup leader who has ruled Gambia for 22 years, initially accepted his defeat by opposition figure Adama Barrow in the Dec. 1 election. But a week later reversed his position, vowing to hang onto power despite a wave of regional and international condemnation. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the top U.N. official in West Africa, also attended the closed-door meeting, which was the first official engagement by Ghana's new President Nana Akufo-Addo who was sworn in on Saturday. [nL5N1EX0BP] Diplomats are concerned the impasse over the poll could escalate quickly into violence. The United States warned its citizens on Saturday against visiting Gambia, whose white beaches are a draw for tourists, and told those there to considering leaving. [nL5N1EX0HL] "The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to The Gambia because of the potential for civil unrest and violence in the near future," the statement said. (Additional reporting by Felix Fnuah in Abuja; Editing by Joe Bavier, Tim Cocks and Alison Williams) What to Know At least 5 were dead and 8 wounded after a shooting at Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida on Friday Law enforcement sources identified the shooter as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago He was born in New Jersey, the sources said, and had military ID on him when he was arrested The 26-year-old New Jersey-born man identified by law enforcement sources as the man who opened fire at Fort Lauderale Airport, killing 5 people, had served for years in the National Guard and was recently treated in Alaska after "something got to him," family members said. Federal sources told NBC News the shootings did not appear to be an act of terrorism, and that the gunman, identified as Esteban Santiago, appears to have acted alone. While the motive remains under investigation, both federal and family sources said Santiago had some mental health issues. Federal law enforcement officials told NBC News that Santiago was undergoing treatment for mental health problems, complaining that he was hearing voices. They say last November, he walked into the FBI's office in Anchorage, Alaska, claiming that his mind was being controlled by the CIA and that it was forcing him to join ISIS. He appeared agitated and incoherent, and made disjointed statements -- and although he said he didn't wish to hurt anyone, agents were concerned by his erratic behavior and decided to call local authorities, a senior federal law enforcement official said. Local police took him to a local medical facility for evaulation, and the FBI closed its assessment of Santiago after conducting database reviews, interagency checks and interviews with family members, the official said. Officials say that on Thursday night, Santiago took Delta Flight 1088 from Anchorage to Minneapolis-St. Paul. He landed Friday morning, and then took Delta Flight 2182 from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Fort Lauderdale. A firearm was his only piece of checked luggage, said Jesse Davis, chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. A senior federal law enforcement official told NBC 4 New York that Santiago made several other air reservations around the same time he booked the one-way ticket from Alaska through Minneapolis to Florida -- including one that would have departed Alaska on New Year's Eve to go to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a stop-over in New York City. But he never wound up purchasing those tickets, and as the official pointed out, his checked bag would have gone on to Puerto Rico. After arriving at Fort Lauderdale, he picked up his gun at baggage claim in the airport's Terminal 2 and began firing, sources said. He was taken into custody unharmed. Santiago had military ID on him when he was arrested, multiple senior law enforcement sources told NBC. Santiago's brother, Bryan Santiago, spoke with NBC News over the phone from Puerto Rico Friday afternoon. He said Esteban was born in March 1990 in New Jersey but moved to Penuela, Puerto Rico, where Bryan and their mother still live. Esteban served in the National Guard in Puerto Rico for six years, and went to Iraq for about a year, Bryan said. "He was pro-America," Bryan said. Esteban has five siblings and he's the youngest, according to Santiago's aunt, Maria Luisa Ruiz, who spoke to NBC 4 sister station Telemundo-47 from her Union City home in New Jersey Friday evening. Two of Esteban's siblings are in Florida and another two are in Puerto Rico, Ruiz said. One of his brothers, who was in Naples on vacation at the time of the shooting, had been a police officer in Puerto Rico for about 20 years. Ruiz said she was able to reach him quickly over the phone on Friday. "He is in a state of desperation," Ruiz said of the brother in Naples. "We've been trying to communicate with what we have back and forth, and he said, 'Ti-ti, I will call you at night because I think I may need to go over there." Ruiz said that Esteban's father died while he was in Iraq. When he returned to Puerto Rico, he studied but struggled to find a job. He then moved to Alaska for work opportunities. "I know that right now he was working in security [in Alaska]," she said in Spanish. "But about two months ago, he was in the hospital." "Something got to him," she said. "It looks like he lost his mind. He would say that he would see things. I don't know. So he went to the hospital. That's what I know. That's what the mother told me, who lives in Puerto Rico." The aunt -- the sister of Esteban's mother -- said Esteban was in the hospital for about two weeks. "Before that, he met a girl. He has a recently born baby with her," she said, adding the baby was born in September, and that's when she last heard from him. "I talked to him after the baby was born. Everything was fine. He was happy with his baby," she said. "He sent me a photo and then I didn't hear anything more." Ruiz last saw her nephew in person years ago, when he visited New Jersey for a week upon returning from Iraq. "My entire family is in shock," she said, calling him " a good kid." During Telemundo-47's interview with Santiago's aunt, federal officials showed up at the home and ordered everyone to leave. Bryan Santinago told NBC News that Esteban was "fighting with a lot of people" during his time in Alaska, saying he was having relationship issues and arguing with his girlfriend and others. The girlfriend told Bryan that his brother was "receiving psychological counseling in Anchorage." Esteban did have a handgun, his brother said. Bryan said he could not imagine his brother committing the crime, and speculated that perhaps he had a "flashback" from his military experience, although he said there was no PTSD diagnosis or other post-Iraq issues. Bryan said he had not heard from Esteban for several weeks, which is unusual, and that the family was worried about him. "He is a regular person, spiritual, a good person," he said. A spokeswoman for the Alaska National Guard confirmed to NBC News that Esteban Santiago joined the Puerto Rico National Guard on Dec. 14, 2007, and was deployed to Iraq from April 23, 2010 to Feb. 19, 2011. He was then in the Army Reserves before joining the Alaska Army National Guard on Nov. 21, 2014. He received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard on Aug. 16, 2016, for unsatisfactory performance, the spokeswoman said. Esteban Santiago was a combat engineer and his rank was private first class when he was discharged. Alaskan court records show an Esteban Santiago with the same date of birth was charged with two misdemeanors last year; one count was dismissed and Santiago was due back in court on the second this coming March. The Broward Sheriff's Office said they received a call about the shooting around 12:55 p.m. Live video more than an hour after the attack showed people running across the tarmac between terminals while others took cover behind car. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted, "Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" Florida Gov. Rick Scott was traveling to Fort Lauderdale to be briefed by law enforcement, his office said. For the first time in more than six years, Vermonts chief executive is a Republican. Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont, took the oath of office at a ceremony in the Statehouse in Montpelier Thursday afternoon. Vermonts House of Representatives and Senate, meanwhile, remain firmly in control of Democrats, sparking calls for bipartisanship. "This transition comes at a time when the political divide, across the country, feels as deep, and as personal as it ever has," Gov. Scott noted in his inaugural address. Scott called on state lawmakers to rise above partisanship and work together to solve real and diverse problems facing Vermonters. The new governor outlined four main policy goals: combating opiate addiction, revitalizing economic development, improving education across all age levels, and building sustainable state budgets. Rep. Kiah Morris, D-Bennington, said the kind of cooperation needed to achieve those goals is possible in Vermont. "Deep down, we all have a deep love, care, and passion for our state," Morris told necn. "I dont know that a change in leadership, just because of a particular party designation, is going to make us lose focus of what needs to be done for Vermonters right now." Former Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, did not seek reelection in November. In his farewell address to the legislature, Shumlin said this week that under President Donald Trump, the nation will need Vermonts brand of togetherness and respect now more than ever. In his inaugural speech, Scott thanked Shumlin for his service to the state, and called his new job an "incredible privilege." The Boston Bruins' plane was diverted to Miami International Airport on Friday because of a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport. An arriving airline passenger with a gun in his luggage opened fire in the baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale airport, killing five people and wounding eight before surrendering to authorities. The Bruins' planed landed in Miami shortly after 5 p.m. They are scheduled to play the Florida Panthers on Saturday. In a statement, the team said "the thoughts and prayers of the Bruins organization are with the victims of today's shooting and the entire Fort Lauderdale community." Life or death that's what a jury of seven men and five women are weighing for admitted murderer Gary Lee Sampson. Sampson confessed to carjacking and killing 19-year-old Jonathan Rizzo and 69-year-old Philip McCloskey in Massachusetts, before killing a third man in New Hampshire on a week-long rampage in July 2001. A jury sentenced Sampson to death in 2003, but that was tossed out for juror misconduct in 2011. Now this new jury will decide his fate once again. "Well, you have 12 different people deciding the case, they are able to consider his behavior over the years since he was sentenced," said NBC Boston Legal Editor Randy Chapman. "And the defendant's behavior over the past several years has not been exemplary." And it's not a simple yes or no decision. Jurors are faced with a complex verdict form, nearly 30 pages and with more than 250 decisions they may have to make some of them unanimous before they have officially reached a verdict in this case. "The only benchmark that we really have is the Tsarnaev case which was a very complicated jury slip, they are deciding issues about whether or not somebody's going to be put to death, which is nothing that should ever be taken lightly." Massachusetts police are searching for the man who attempted to break into a Quincy home on New Year's Day. Police said the Brackett Street homeowner was not there at the time, but was alerted via smart phone at 2:50 a.m. that someone was trying to break in. Within minutes, police were on scene but the suspect had already fled. The homeowner told police that 6 hours earlier, another man was seen on the home's surveillance system approaching the front door. That man approached the door, looked around and immediately left. It's unclear if he was involved in the attempted break in that occurred hours later. Anyone with information is urged to contact Quincy Police Detective John McIsaac at 617-745-5771 or by email at jmacisaac@quincyma.gov. A jewelry thief whose crimes date back more than two decades won't serve jail time for charges he stole a diamond ring from a Westerly shop. The Westerly Sun reports that 59-year-old Robert Petrino Sr., of Boston, turned himself in to Westerly police Wednesday on one count of larceny over $1,500. Court records show Petrino pleaded no contest to the charge on Thursday and received a suspended two-year prison sentence. Police say Petrino walked out of the store with the ring on Sept. 16. Petrino has been convicted of a jewelry theft in Connecticut in 1991. He was also convicted of stealing two large diamonds worth nearly $80,000 in Kansas. Records indicate he has been connected to thefts in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey. An off-duty detour and gut instinct led two Somerville, Massachusetts, police detectives to provide backup for the takedown of a dangerous fugitive on Thursday. One of them was armed with nothing more than a shovel from a backyard. "Truth be told, we were actually finishing up our day," Detective Derrick Dottin said. But really, their day was just beginning. "I'm like, really? Wow. This can't be true," Dottin said. As police searched for escaped fugitive James Walker Morales, the man they were looking for crossed the street right in front of Dottin and Detective Kilsarys Leguisamon's car in Somerville. "It was my personal vehicle," Dottin said. "I told dispatch, 'Forget about it - it's him. I've got a trooper in a foot pursuit." That's when the detectives - who were off-duty and on their way to a funeral - decided to make a bit of a detour. "I was like, OK, OK now, we're really going and just a lot of things running through my head," Leguisamon said. Before they knew it, the two detectives were running after a man they only knew at the time might have tried to rob two banks. His outfit in a bank surveillance video is what tipped them off. "At that point, to be honest with you, i thought I was just dealing with a bank robber," Leguisamon said. " I didn't know we were dealing with Mr. Morales." But in fact, they were dealing with an escaped prisoner who was considered armed and dangerous. Leguisamon wasn't armed at all, other than a shovel that she grabbed from a backyard. "It's better than nothing," she said. "It's a weapon of opportunity and better for me to have that than nothing if he's armed." Fortunately, the takedown was quick - no more than 20 seconds - before they helped corner Morales with Massachusetts State Police Trooper Joseph Merrick. "It was a good ending to a very long day," Leguisamon said. Detectives Dottin and Leguisamon were even able to make it to the funeral where they were originally headed. Role at St Mark's still vacant after five months THE clock is ticking to find a lollipop person to keep children safe at Cold Ash St Marks. The Cold Ash Hill school was awarded funding for a lollipop person to start patrolling the road, with the aim to have someone start in September. Both the headteacher at St Marks, Sue Ball, and the chairman of governors, Neil Ralph, said that the role was needed to improve safety outside the school, as there had been a number of close calls. Cold Ash Parish Council also supported the scheme, but, speaking at a parish council meeting last month, parish councillor Katie Cameron said that no one had come forward in five months. And she said that the funding would run out on January 31. Speaking to the earlier this year, Mrs Ball said the applicant would need to be reliable, friendly and be able to start as soon as possible. St Marks was one of 20 schools to receive funding out of more than 6,000 primary schools that applied. The campaign is run by Churchill Insurance, launched alongside PTA UK and supported by Road Safety GB. Those looking to apply should contact the school office on (01635) 862600. By Express News Service MUMBAI/CHENNAI : The final act of the Tata-Mistry battle, at least the part waged inside the boardrooms of Indias most iconic conglomerate, is coming to a close. Tata Sons, on Friday, confirmed that some shareholders have requisitioned an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on February 6 to remove Cyrus Mistry from its board. Mistrys Shapooriji Pallonji Group holds nearly 18.5 per cent of Tata Sons total shareholding. While Tata Sons spokespersons confirmed that the reason for the EGM was to vote on a resolution to remove Mistry and stated that shareholders who had requisitioned the EGM were confident that they had the locus standi to do so, they did not reveal the reasons why these shareholders wanted to do so. However, reports by PTI on Friday said that the requisition note made clear that they wanted to scuttle his access to confidential documents. ... of the view that the integrity of the board proceedings is being jeopardised by Mistrys continuation as a Director and the confidentiality of the board decisions and proceedings cannot be ensured as the documents presented to the board have been leaked and made public in a distorted and untruthful manner, PTI quoted the resolution as saying. The concern is one that cropped up in Tata Sons notice to Mistry last month. Tata Sons had served a notice to Mistry demanding that he return all documents he had gained access to as a director of the board. It also alleged that he had divulged confidential information that had harmed the company and had violated his fiduciary responsibilities. On whether Mistry, with his substantial shareholding, could be removed from the board, S Santhanakrishnan, expert on company law and governance, pointed out that shareholding only bestow the right on a person to become a director. It does not protect him/her from removal. There is a process and framework for removal of a director and as long as that is followed, it can be done, he said. MUMBAI/CHENNAI : The final act of the Tata-Mistry battle, at least the part waged inside the boardrooms of Indias most iconic conglomerate, is coming to a close. Tata Sons, on Friday, confirmed that some shareholders have requisitioned an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on February 6 to remove Cyrus Mistry from its board. Mistrys Shapooriji Pallonji Group holds nearly 18.5 per cent of Tata Sons total shareholding. While Tata Sons spokespersons confirmed that the reason for the EGM was to vote on a resolution to remove Mistry and stated that shareholders who had requisitioned the EGM were confident that they had the locus standi to do so, they did not reveal the reasons why these shareholders wanted to do so. However, reports by PTI on Friday said that the requisition note made clear that they wanted to scuttle his access to confidential documents. ... of the view that the integrity of the board proceedings is being jeopardised by Mistrys continuation as a Director and the confidentiality of the board decisions and proceedings cannot be ensured as the documents presented to the board have been leaked and made public in a distorted and untruthful manner, PTI quoted the resolution as saying. The concern is one that cropped up in Tata Sons notice to Mistry last month. Tata Sons had served a notice to Mistry demanding that he return all documents he had gained access to as a director of the board. It also alleged that he had divulged confidential information that had harmed the company and had violated his fiduciary responsibilities. On whether Mistry, with his substantial shareholding, could be removed from the board, S Santhanakrishnan, expert on company law and governance, pointed out that shareholding only bestow the right on a person to become a director. It does not protect him/her from removal. There is a process and framework for removal of a director and as long as that is followed, it can be done, he said. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) started in Bengaluru on Saturday morning marking the beginning of the three day convention that aims to provide platform to overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people in India. Speaking at the inaugural session, vice-president of Suriname Michael Ashwin Adhin said India has the potential to be 'Vishwa Guru' or super power by leveraging its traditional strengths and achievements in modern science. Adhin, 36-year-old leader whose ancestors were from India, said Indian diaspora, especially the youth can play an important role to enable India don more influential role in geopolitics. 'A strong India is good for the world as it leads to balance of power," he added. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the PBD. Prime minister of Portugal Dr Antonio Costa will be the chief guest at the inaugural event. Over 1700 NRIs from 72 countries are attending the event. BENGALURU: Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) started in Bengaluru on Saturday morning marking the beginning of the three day convention that aims to provide platform to overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people in India. Speaking at the inaugural session, vice-president of Suriname Michael Ashwin Adhin said India has the potential to be 'Vishwa Guru' or super power by leveraging its traditional strengths and achievements in modern science. Adhin, 36-year-old leader whose ancestors were from India, said Indian diaspora, especially the youth can play an important role to enable India don more influential role in geopolitics. 'A strong India is good for the world as it leads to balance of power," he added. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the PBD. Prime minister of Portugal Dr Antonio Costa will be the chief guest at the inaugural event. Over 1700 NRIs from 72 countries are attending the event. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Saturday started investigation to identify and arrest the man who allegedly shot a video of a boy trying to kiss girls on roads of Delhi. The step was taken by the police after a video emerged in social media websites where a "prank" video showed a youth trying to kiss girls randomly in the streets in Delhi and thenrunning away. The video was apparently shot in the popular Connaught Place area and was uploaded on the video-sharing website by the young man via his Youtube channel 'The Crazy Sumit'. "The video has come to Delhi Police's notice through media. We have started the initial technical inquiry. This obscene video is available on Facebook and Youtube links and we are probing this," said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and joint commissioner of police. The video has been taken down after widespread criticism on social media and its technical aspects such as details of service providers and criminal liability are being examined. Police said they were "looking forward" to the women who were seen in the prank video to give a complaint, he said. "I see this kind of sexual perversion on social media in the name of getting likes, online publicity and maybe even some money is involved in it," he said. The youth who made the videos has been active on Youtube since 2015 and keeps posting "prank" videos. Following the backlash on the social media over his "kissing and running" video, he has issued an apology through another video post. We are analysing the contents of the apology. Every aspect is being looked into," the officer added. Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has slammed the "prank" video on her Twitter handle. "Its perversion not humour. FIR should be filed immediately and strict action should be taken by Police. His apology is of no consequence, for its an act of violence (sic)," Maliwal tweeted. NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Saturday started investigation to identify and arrest the man who allegedly shot a video of a boy trying to kiss girls on roads of Delhi. The step was taken by the police after a video emerged in social media websites where a "prank" video showed a youth trying to kiss girls randomly in the streets in Delhi and thenrunning away. The video was apparently shot in the popular Connaught Place area and was uploaded on the video-sharing website by the young man via his Youtube channel 'The Crazy Sumit'. "The video has come to Delhi Police's notice through media. We have started the initial technical inquiry. This obscene video is available on Facebook and Youtube links and we are probing this," said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and joint commissioner of police. The video has been taken down after widespread criticism on social media and its technical aspects such as details of service providers and criminal liability are being examined. Police said they were "looking forward" to the women who were seen in the prank video to give a complaint, he said. "I see this kind of sexual perversion on social media in the name of getting likes, online publicity and maybe even some money is involved in it," he said. The youth who made the videos has been active on Youtube since 2015 and keeps posting "prank" videos. Following the backlash on the social media over his "kissing and running" video, he has issued an apology through another video post. We are analysing the contents of the apology. Every aspect is being looked into," the officer added. Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has slammed the "prank" video on her Twitter handle. "Its perversion not humour. FIR should be filed immediately and strict action should be taken by Police. His apology is of no consequence, for its an act of violence (sic)," Maliwal tweeted. Rajesh Abraham By Express News Service KOCHI: Thomas Augustine (name changed), in his mid-50s, had a short break in his mind when he returned two years ago to Kerala from Qatar, where he was working for CCC Oil & Gas. He was expecting his employer to offer him a fresh contract. Except it was not. The company told Augustine not to wait for a contract as it stopped hiring people over 40, a strategy to slash jobs in the wake of slump in global crude prices and decline in new investments in the oil and gas sector in West Asia. Ive attended an interview with another company in the Gulf and completed the medical procedures. I have been waiting for their call for the last six months, said Thomas - his voice barely concealing his deep anxiety. If Augustine still harbours hopes of returning to West Asia, Jaison Abraham from Kanjiramattom near Chottanikkara, Ernakulam, is trying his luck here. Two years ago, Jaison had returned from the Gulf, where he worked as an electrical supervisor for over a decade. He was employed with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, drawing around Rs 70,000 per month. Ive waited for nearly one-and-a-half years for a call from Hyundai. But I was later told that they have no major contracts, hence stopped hiring, he said. He has now signed up with online taxi operator Uber and runs a cab service in Kochi. Augustine and Jaison are just two signboards. Theres a dark underbelly to their story - large number of Keralites who have lost their jobs in the Gulf during the last two years. The Gulf region is heading for a major slowdown and possibly a recession as crude prices, the mainstay of the West Asia economies, have slumped more than 70 per cent since June 2014. Remittances from NRKs, estimated at Rs 1 lakh crore per annum, have been the major fuel for Kerala economy. The relentless return of people from Gulf could pose a big headache for the state unless the crude prices move up. The latest figures, released on December 30, show the declining rate of growth of remittances. The NRK deposits for September 2016 touched Rs 1,43721.35 crore - a growth of six per cent from June 2016. In the June 2015-September 2015 window, the deposits grew by nearly 11 per cent. According to Augustine, the CCC Oil & Gas which used to employ one lakh workers -- 35,000 from Kerala-- has resorted to massive job cuts. I reckon that over 20,000 Malayalees have lost their jobs with CCC Oil & Gas alone and are back in Kerala, he said. The situation is similar at Hyundai Engineering. Going by Jaisons account, several hundred Malayalees, who were contracted with the company, have returned home after losing their jobs. A friend of mine, who was a foreman with a construction firm in Saudi Arabia, is now working with a cable operator in Kuttanad for a daily wage of Rs 500, he said. He said many people have returned to West Asia, accepting lesser salaries. Bachelors can afford to work for a lower salary but not for people like me who have a family to support. Besides, Ive begun the construction of my house. There are opportunities if people are ready to work for Rs 30,000 per month, said Jaison. I have a heavy vehicle licence which helped me to survive during the initial months as I drove trucks. For the last six months, Im with Uber, he said. Jaison, whos in regular touch with his friends in West Asia through WhatsApp and Facebook, said many youngsters who returned to the region were hoping to make up for the lost income by working overtime. But Im told that they are not getting overtime work and are struggling with the low pay, he said. KOCHI: Thomas Augustine (name changed), in his mid-50s, had a short break in his mind when he returned two years ago to Kerala from Qatar, where he was working for CCC Oil & Gas. He was expecting his employer to offer him a fresh contract. Except it was not. The company told Augustine not to wait for a contract as it stopped hiring people over 40, a strategy to slash jobs in the wake of slump in global crude prices and decline in new investments in the oil and gas sector in West Asia. Ive attended an interview with another company in the Gulf and completed the medical procedures. I have been waiting for their call for the last six months, said Thomas - his voice barely concealing his deep anxiety. If Augustine still harbours hopes of returning to West Asia, Jaison Abraham from Kanjiramattom near Chottanikkara, Ernakulam, is trying his luck here. Two years ago, Jaison had returned from the Gulf, where he worked as an electrical supervisor for over a decade. He was employed with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, drawing around Rs 70,000 per month. Ive waited for nearly one-and-a-half years for a call from Hyundai. But I was later told that they have no major contracts, hence stopped hiring, he said. He has now signed up with online taxi operator Uber and runs a cab service in Kochi. Augustine and Jaison are just two signboards. Theres a dark underbelly to their story - large number of Keralites who have lost their jobs in the Gulf during the last two years. The Gulf region is heading for a major slowdown and possibly a recession as crude prices, the mainstay of the West Asia economies, have slumped more than 70 per cent since June 2014. Remittances from NRKs, estimated at Rs 1 lakh crore per annum, have been the major fuel for Kerala economy. The relentless return of people from Gulf could pose a big headache for the state unless the crude prices move up. The latest figures, released on December 30, show the declining rate of growth of remittances. The NRK deposits for September 2016 touched Rs 1,43721.35 crore - a growth of six per cent from June 2016. In the June 2015-September 2015 window, the deposits grew by nearly 11 per cent. According to Augustine, the CCC Oil & Gas which used to employ one lakh workers -- 35,000 from Kerala-- has resorted to massive job cuts. I reckon that over 20,000 Malayalees have lost their jobs with CCC Oil & Gas alone and are back in Kerala, he said. The situation is similar at Hyundai Engineering. Going by Jaisons account, several hundred Malayalees, who were contracted with the company, have returned home after losing their jobs. A friend of mine, who was a foreman with a construction firm in Saudi Arabia, is now working with a cable operator in Kuttanad for a daily wage of Rs 500, he said. He said many people have returned to West Asia, accepting lesser salaries. Bachelors can afford to work for a lower salary but not for people like me who have a family to support. Besides, Ive begun the construction of my house. There are opportunities if people are ready to work for Rs 30,000 per month, said Jaison. I have a heavy vehicle licence which helped me to survive during the initial months as I drove trucks. For the last six months, Im with Uber, he said. Jaison, whos in regular touch with his friends in West Asia through WhatsApp and Facebook, said many youngsters who returned to the region were hoping to make up for the lost income by working overtime. But Im told that they are not getting overtime work and are struggling with the low pay, he said. Sovi Vidyadharan By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hes been in the culinary business for over six decades and seafood is his forte. So, its only natural that you would ask for more once you taste the famed fish delicacies of Sri Lankan Master Chef Publis De Silva. Currently at the Leela, Kovalam, where he is organising a Sri Lankan food festival, 80-year-old Publis tells Express about his tryst with food, his literary ventures and the fund of knowledge he has gained from travel across the globe. So, isnt Sri Lankan cuisine very similar to the Kerala fare? Publis begs to differ. The spices are more or less the same but the cooking styles are different, the sweet and sour combination is different and the amount of spices used is also different, he says. There are around nine communities in Sri Lanka, most of whom have migrated and settled in the island nation centuries ago. Apart from Sinhalese, there are Tamils, Moors, Malays, Portugese Burghers and the aboriginal Vedda community. Each have their distinct flavours and Sri Lankan cuisine is a blend of all these, adds Roy Satheesan, executive chief, Leela Kovalam. Chef-Cum-Literary Figure Publis, who is the director - Culinary Affairs and Promotions at the famous Mout Lavinia Hotel in Sri Lanka, is known equally for his literary pursuits. He has authored 23 books and has also found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest and longest Kiribath, a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice. Publis also entered the record books for bringing out the worlds smallest recipe book titled The Royal Meals of the Last King of Sri Lanka. The book measuring 1 cm x 1 cm contains recipes of the cuisine that was reportedly served to Sri Vikrama Rajasinha who ruled the country from the highland city of Kandy. The chefs next book History of World Cooking is slated to be released in Colombo on April 24, which also happens to be his birthday. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hes been in the culinary business for over six decades and seafood is his forte. So, its only natural that you would ask for more once you taste the famed fish delicacies of Sri Lankan Master Chef Publis De Silva. Currently at the Leela, Kovalam, where he is organising a Sri Lankan food festival, 80-year-old Publis tells Express about his tryst with food, his literary ventures and the fund of knowledge he has gained from travel across the globe. So, isnt Sri Lankan cuisine very similar to the Kerala fare? Publis begs to differ. The spices are more or less the same but the cooking styles are different, the sweet and sour combination is different and the amount of spices used is also different, he says. There are around nine communities in Sri Lanka, most of whom have migrated and settled in the island nation centuries ago. Apart from Sinhalese, there are Tamils, Moors, Malays, Portugese Burghers and the aboriginal Vedda community. Each have their distinct flavours and Sri Lankan cuisine is a blend of all these, adds Roy Satheesan, executive chief, Leela Kovalam. Chef-Cum-Literary Figure Publis, who is the director - Culinary Affairs and Promotions at the famous Mout Lavinia Hotel in Sri Lanka, is known equally for his literary pursuits. He has authored 23 books and has also found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest and longest Kiribath, a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice. Publis also entered the record books for bringing out the worlds smallest recipe book titled The Royal Meals of the Last King of Sri Lanka. The book measuring 1 cm x 1 cm contains recipes of the cuisine that was reportedly served to Sri Vikrama Rajasinha who ruled the country from the highland city of Kandy. The chefs next book History of World Cooking is slated to be released in Colombo on April 24, which also happens to be his birthday. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation (HSSF) will organise Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair from February 2 to 5 at the Poojappura maidan here. The fair will be preceded by a host of pre-fair events. The fair and pre-fair programmes will connect Hindu spirituality to its contemporary challenges. Ahead of the fair, the Swami Vivekananda Ratha Puja for two chariots in front of Yakshiamma Althara temple and Swami Vivekananda Walkathon will be held on January 12 wherein 154 students dressed as Swami Vivekananda and 1,000 students in school uniforms will participate. Vivekananda ratha yathra One of the major events to be held ahead of the fair will be the Swami Vivekananda Ratha Yathra, carrying the statue of Swami Vivekananda mounted on two decorated vehicles which will visit 100 schools from January 12 to 21. Sreekrishna Yogathon will be held on January 21 in which 1,000 students will participate in thematic yoga. Bharatheeya Ganathon to be held on January 27, will witness 1,000 girls singing songs related to moral and cultural themes. A thematic painting competition will be held on January 29. The fair to be held from February 2 to 5 will focus on themes like inculcating family and human values, fostering womens honour, conserving ecology, sustaining environment and conserving forests and instilling patriotism. Kanya Vandanam and Suvaasini Vandanam to honour women, and paying tribute to 21 Param Veer Chakra awardees by students dressed up in military fatigue will also be the attractions. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation (HSSF) will organise Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair from February 2 to 5 at the Poojappura maidan here. The fair will be preceded by a host of pre-fair events. The fair and pre-fair programmes will connect Hindu spirituality to its contemporary challenges. Ahead of the fair, the Swami Vivekananda Ratha Puja for two chariots in front of Yakshiamma Althara temple and Swami Vivekananda Walkathon will be held on January 12 wherein 154 students dressed as Swami Vivekananda and 1,000 students in school uniforms will participate. Vivekananda ratha yathra One of the major events to be held ahead of the fair will be the Swami Vivekananda Ratha Yathra, carrying the statue of Swami Vivekananda mounted on two decorated vehicles which will visit 100 schools from January 12 to 21. Sreekrishna Yogathon will be held on January 21 in which 1,000 students will participate in thematic yoga. Bharatheeya Ganathon to be held on January 27, will witness 1,000 girls singing songs related to moral and cultural themes. A thematic painting competition will be held on January 29. The fair to be held from February 2 to 5 will focus on themes like inculcating family and human values, fostering womens honour, conserving ecology, sustaining environment and conserving forests and instilling patriotism. Kanya Vandanam and Suvaasini Vandanam to honour women, and paying tribute to 21 Param Veer Chakra awardees by students dressed up in military fatigue will also be the attractions. By IANS MUMBAI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan mourned the death of veteran actor and theatre personality Om Puri, saying that he remains with his "ever-infectious smile". Om Puri was found dead at his residence on Friday morning. He suffered a cardiac attack. "Om Puri, if in soul you be, may you remain with your ever infectious smile," Amitabh blogged. The 74-year-old thespian also stated that "death, that darkest moment of humanity". "Took away another soul into its boundless fold and left us all in disbelief," he added. Big B called Om "a friend, an affable loving colleague and a dynamic talent". Amitabh, along with his son and actor Abhishek, attended the actor's cremation, which took place at the Oshiwara crematorium here. He said that the only thing that he could do is to hold his "friend's son in an embrace and transfer strength to him in his young world." "'Be strong'.. is all I can muster ... what else can I say .. what else can anyone say .. they that have lost personally and in relation, shall bear the end, with greater sorrow .. who knows," Amitabh added. The last rites of Om Puri were carried out by his son Ishaan in the presence of his divorced wife Nandita Puri and close friends Ashoke Pandit and Anupam Kher along with iconic filmmakers like Ketan Mehta, Prakash Jha and Govind Nihlani. Actors Shabana Azmi, Shakti Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, Manoj Bajpayee and Ranbir Shorey, Farhan Akhtar and veterans Gulzar, Javed Akhtar and Sonu Nigam were also present. MUMBAI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan mourned the death of veteran actor and theatre personality Om Puri, saying that he remains with his "ever-infectious smile". Om Puri was found dead at his residence on Friday morning. He suffered a cardiac attack. "Om Puri, if in soul you be, may you remain with your ever infectious smile," Amitabh blogged. The 74-year-old thespian also stated that "death, that darkest moment of humanity". "Took away another soul into its boundless fold and left us all in disbelief," he added. Big B called Om "a friend, an affable loving colleague and a dynamic talent". Amitabh, along with his son and actor Abhishek, attended the actor's cremation, which took place at the Oshiwara crematorium here. He said that the only thing that he could do is to hold his "friend's son in an embrace and transfer strength to him in his young world." "'Be strong'.. is all I can muster ... what else can I say .. what else can anyone say .. they that have lost personally and in relation, shall bear the end, with greater sorrow .. who knows," Amitabh added. The last rites of Om Puri were carried out by his son Ishaan in the presence of his divorced wife Nandita Puri and close friends Ashoke Pandit and Anupam Kher along with iconic filmmakers like Ketan Mehta, Prakash Jha and Govind Nihlani. Actors Shabana Azmi, Shakti Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, Manoj Bajpayee and Ranbir Shorey, Farhan Akhtar and veterans Gulzar, Javed Akhtar and Sonu Nigam were also present. By Express News Service KOLKATA: The New Year seems to have started off on a bad note for Trinamool Congress ministers accused in various scams. After the arrest of the partys Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandopadhyay for his alleged involvement in the `15,000 crore Rose Valley scam, the Calcutta High Court on Friday, while hearing the Narada sting case in which several top Trinamool ministers were caught on hidden camera accepting money, called for an investigation by Central agencies into the case. A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty said if any offence was found to have been committed in the preliminary inquiry, then a formal criminal investigation could be initiated. The evidence available in the Narada sting case calls for a thorough investigation into the case, said the acting Chief Justice, adding that the investigation should not be carried out by State police authorities and called for an investigation by independent Central authorities, hinting that the case may be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sources revealed that when Advocate General Jayanta Mitra said there was no evidence that the individuals accepting the money had in fact demanded it, the acting chief justice said the case of acceptance of bribe was also not proved in the defence deal corruption case involving former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, but still the case was investigated, he was tried and awarded jail term. Claiming that the court has no jurisdiction to pass such an order, Jayanta Mitra submitted that the recordings had been made public in 2016, two years after the videotapes were made in 2014 showing TMC leaders purportedly accepting money. The Narada sting case by a Kerala-based media outlet, showing several top Trinamool ministers accepting bribe, had sent shockwaves in the party camp just before the 2016 Assembly elections. However, the party sailed through it and second-time Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a probe into the case on June 17 last year. The authenticity of the sting videotapes was ascertained by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh, in August. KOLKATA: The New Year seems to have started off on a bad note for Trinamool Congress ministers accused in various scams. After the arrest of the partys Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandopadhyay for his alleged involvement in the `15,000 crore Rose Valley scam, the Calcutta High Court on Friday, while hearing the Narada sting case in which several top Trinamool ministers were caught on hidden camera accepting money, called for an investigation by Central agencies into the case. A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty said if any offence was found to have been committed in the preliminary inquiry, then a formal criminal investigation could be initiated. The evidence available in the Narada sting case calls for a thorough investigation into the case, said the acting Chief Justice, adding that the investigation should not be carried out by State police authorities and called for an investigation by independent Central authorities, hinting that the case may be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sources revealed that when Advocate General Jayanta Mitra said there was no evidence that the individuals accepting the money had in fact demanded it, the acting chief justice said the case of acceptance of bribe was also not proved in the defence deal corruption case involving former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, but still the case was investigated, he was tried and awarded jail term. Claiming that the court has no jurisdiction to pass such an order, Jayanta Mitra submitted that the recordings had been made public in 2016, two years after the videotapes were made in 2014 showing TMC leaders purportedly accepting money. The Narada sting case by a Kerala-based media outlet, showing several top Trinamool ministers accepting bribe, had sent shockwaves in the party camp just before the 2016 Assembly elections. However, the party sailed through it and second-time Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a probe into the case on June 17 last year. The authenticity of the sting videotapes was ascertained by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh, in August. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: While the supporters of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav were busy collecting affidavits of pledge from MLAs andMLCs to be produced before the Election Commission to claim the bicycle symbol, the support for him came from an unexpected quarter. Striking an emotional connect with ongoing fierce family feud, a brother-sister duo of Ghaziabad have shot off a letter, written in their blood, to Election Commission appealing it to allocate the party symbol bicycle to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Sana (15), a student of Class X and her younger brother Azeem, student of class II also threatened the EC to end life if Akhilesh failed to get the party symbol. The duo went to post the letter on Friday but were stopped by their father. It is believed that the children took out the blood through a syringe to write the letter. Samajwadi Party is witnessing one of the most bitter battles of nerves between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav with uncle Shivpal siding with Mulayam. The infighting has reached the Election Commission with both the warring factions staking claim to the party symbol at a time when the poll dates have already been announced. According to their father, the children write poems on the CM and SP and recite them at public functions. Both seem to have drawn the inspiration from a news report about a person to wrote such a letter to draw authorities attention over any issue, says the father adding that Sana and Azeem like Akhilesh Yadav because of his free laptop distribution scheme. The letter is also addressed to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who has been requested by the two children to hand over the party responsibility to Akhilesh. LUCKNOW: While the supporters of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav were busy collecting affidavits of pledge from MLAs andMLCs to be produced before the Election Commission to claim the bicycle symbol, the support for him came from an unexpected quarter. Striking an emotional connect with ongoing fierce family feud, a brother-sister duo of Ghaziabad have shot off a letter, written in their blood, to Election Commission appealing it to allocate the party symbol bicycle to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Sana (15), a student of Class X and her younger brother Azeem, student of class II also threatened the EC to end life if Akhilesh failed to get the party symbol. The duo went to post the letter on Friday but were stopped by their father. It is believed that the children took out the blood through a syringe to write the letter. Samajwadi Party is witnessing one of the most bitter battles of nerves between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav with uncle Shivpal siding with Mulayam. The infighting has reached the Election Commission with both the warring factions staking claim to the party symbol at a time when the poll dates have already been announced. According to their father, the children write poems on the CM and SP and recite them at public functions. Both seem to have drawn the inspiration from a news report about a person to wrote such a letter to draw authorities attention over any issue, says the father adding that Sana and Azeem like Akhilesh Yadav because of his free laptop distribution scheme. The letter is also addressed to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who has been requested by the two children to hand over the party responsibility to Akhilesh. By ANI NEW DELHI: The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant against British national Christian Michel James and re-issued summons against a company and two other accused in the Rs. 3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal scam. The summons were issued as all the accused failed to appear before the court. Next date for hearing has been scheduled for February 22. The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh chargesheet against James and three others, including the company in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam. The ED counsel told the court that there was enough evidence against the accused to initiate proceedings. According to the Enforcement Directorate, Media Exim is a shell company of James and incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks. The Enforcement Directorate found that of the alleged kickbacks received by James, Rs. 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. James allegedly received around Rs. 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. NEW DELHI: The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant against British national Christian Michel James and re-issued summons against a company and two other accused in the Rs. 3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal scam. The summons were issued as all the accused failed to appear before the court. Next date for hearing has been scheduled for February 22. The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh chargesheet against James and three others, including the company in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam. The ED counsel told the court that there was enough evidence against the accused to initiate proceedings. According to the Enforcement Directorate, Media Exim is a shell company of James and incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks. The Enforcement Directorate found that of the alleged kickbacks received by James, Rs. 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. James allegedly received around Rs. 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. By Express News Service BENGALURU: In two and half years, the concept of debit, credit cards and ATMs will be redundant in India, predicted Amitabh Kant, chief executive officer of NITI Ayog while chairing a session on "Startups and Innovations which had Social Impact in India" in the city. He said almost all the Indians will be doing bank transactions in less than 30 seconds with the help of their thumb impressions in the near future. "People in rural areas can adapt more quickly to such technology than the literate individuals in urban areas," he said. Speaking at the session held as part of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he said that development of disruptive financial technology solutions and social innovation will "allow India to leapfrog into the future." Per capita Stating that the Centre had a growth target from seven to 10 per cent, he detailed how it would translate to improvement in standards of life among the population. "If we grow at 7 per cent, per capita income will increase to 4,000 dollars, while a growth at 10 per cent will push our per capita income to 7,000 dollars," he said. He also highlighted some of the significant startups that have developed disruptive tech, to aid the growth and development of India. Venture captial Venkatesh Shukla, general partner at Monta Vista Capital, said that 90 per cent of the venture capital for startups came from outside India. Maintaining that such skewed investment pattern for startups should change completely, he said that the situation was already changing. "In the last few years, India has reached a tipping point, where entrepreneurs and others have got involved in pushing for social causes. This is one of the most gratifying developments in the country over the past two to three years," he said. Professor Anil Kumar Gupta, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, said that India should concentrate on 'crowdsourcing ideas to solve its problems'. Moreover, investment in startups should become a sport, he added. BENGALURU: In two and half years, the concept of debit, credit cards and ATMs will be redundant in India, predicted Amitabh Kant, chief executive officer of NITI Ayog while chairing a session on "Startups and Innovations which had Social Impact in India" in the city. He said almost all the Indians will be doing bank transactions in less than 30 seconds with the help of their thumb impressions in the near future. "People in rural areas can adapt more quickly to such technology than the literate individuals in urban areas," he said. Speaking at the session held as part of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he said that development of disruptive financial technology solutions and social innovation will "allow India to leapfrog into the future." Per capita Stating that the Centre had a growth target from seven to 10 per cent, he detailed how it would translate to improvement in standards of life among the population. "If we grow at 7 per cent, per capita income will increase to 4,000 dollars, while a growth at 10 per cent will push our per capita income to 7,000 dollars," he said. He also highlighted some of the significant startups that have developed disruptive tech, to aid the growth and development of India. Venture captial Venkatesh Shukla, general partner at Monta Vista Capital, said that 90 per cent of the venture capital for startups came from outside India. Maintaining that such skewed investment pattern for startups should change completely, he said that the situation was already changing. "In the last few years, India has reached a tipping point, where entrepreneurs and others have got involved in pushing for social causes. This is one of the most gratifying developments in the country over the past two to three years," he said. Professor Anil Kumar Gupta, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, said that India should concentrate on 'crowdsourcing ideas to solve its problems'. Moreover, investment in startups should become a sport, he added. By PTI MUMBAI: A 12-year-old student from Marathwada region has become the talk of his village for 'erasing' the mention of his caste from the school attendance record. Rohan Bhosle, a seventh standard student of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) school at Pargaon village in Ashti tehsil of Beed district deleted the mention of his caste from the school attendance sheet recently, winning praise from classmates and teachers. Prateeksha Shirole, Rohan's classmate, said he took the muster sheet, pulled out a pen and rubbed the blue ink on the column which mentioned his caste. Somnath Walke, Rohan's teacher said, "I was shocked and wondered as to why he did that. When I asked him why he erased his caste, he said, 'Sir, you regularly teach us in the classroom about equality. Everybody has only one caste: humanity. Nobody should ask the other as to what his caste is'," said Walke. Rohan's parents Suresh and Manda, who are farmers, said they were surprised that Rohan had taken such a "revolutionary" step. MUMBAI: A 12-year-old student from Marathwada region has become the talk of his village for 'erasing' the mention of his caste from the school attendance record. Rohan Bhosle, a seventh standard student of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) school at Pargaon village in Ashti tehsil of Beed district deleted the mention of his caste from the school attendance sheet recently, winning praise from classmates and teachers. Prateeksha Shirole, Rohan's classmate, said he took the muster sheet, pulled out a pen and rubbed the blue ink on the column which mentioned his caste. Somnath Walke, Rohan's teacher said, "I was shocked and wondered as to why he did that. When I asked him why he erased his caste, he said, 'Sir, you regularly teach us in the classroom about equality. Everybody has only one caste: humanity. Nobody should ask the other as to what his caste is'," said Walke. Rohan's parents Suresh and Manda, who are farmers, said they were surprised that Rohan had taken such a "revolutionary" step. Harpreeet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: It is official former army chief Gen JJ Singh (Retd) will contest against Former Chief Minister and Punjab Congress President Capt Amarinder Singh from Patiala (Urban) constituency. It will be General versus the Capt. Shiromani Akali Dal President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced candidature of General J J Singh (Retd) from Patiala (Urban) after his formal induction in the party today evening. Announcing the Singhs candidature, Sukhbir Badal said J J Singh had approached the SAD and evinced an interest to give back to the city where he had lived and grown up as a child. "We immediately agreed given the Gen Singh's stupendous contribution to the nation. Badal said the former army chief's candidature from Patiala was most befitting. "Both Gen Sahab and Capt Amarinder Singh started together in the Indian army as course mates. However Amarinder chose to opt out after three years while Gen Sahab reached the very top," he said. Singh said he would take the battle to his opponent Capt Amarinder Singh's camp and attain victory. "I believe in reaching out and winning hearts. The people of Patiala are my own. Amarinder Singh is a scion of the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala and thinks he can win elections without even stepping out of his house. But now he will realize whom he is facing. He is facing the son of the solider whose three generations have served in the armed forces. He will face the heat soon, he said. The former army chief, who was accompanied by a number of army officers including Lt Gen (Retd) Bachittar Singh and noted Punjabi writer Gulzaar Singh Sandhu, also castigated Capt Amarinder Singh for trying to belittle me. "Amarinder has said he will make me remember my naani. This kind of remark is testament of his arrogant nature". He also said he would work in Patiala as per the guidance of the party as well as its manifesto. He was invited by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the inaugural function of the war memorial in Amritsar and also at Heritage Street inauguration besides other events concerning ex-servicemen. For last around a year Singh has been in touch with Sukhbir and other leaders. CHANDIGARH: It is official former army chief Gen JJ Singh (Retd) will contest against Former Chief Minister and Punjab Congress President Capt Amarinder Singh from Patiala (Urban) constituency. It will be General versus the Capt. Shiromani Akali Dal President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced candidature of General J J Singh (Retd) from Patiala (Urban) after his formal induction in the party today evening. Announcing the Singhs candidature, Sukhbir Badal said J J Singh had approached the SAD and evinced an interest to give back to the city where he had lived and grown up as a child. "We immediately agreed given the Gen Singh's stupendous contribution to the nation. Badal said the former army chief's candidature from Patiala was most befitting. "Both Gen Sahab and Capt Amarinder Singh started together in the Indian army as course mates. However Amarinder chose to opt out after three years while Gen Sahab reached the very top," he said. Singh said he would take the battle to his opponent Capt Amarinder Singh's camp and attain victory. "I believe in reaching out and winning hearts. The people of Patiala are my own. Amarinder Singh is a scion of the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala and thinks he can win elections without even stepping out of his house. But now he will realize whom he is facing. He is facing the son of the solider whose three generations have served in the armed forces. He will face the heat soon, he said. The former army chief, who was accompanied by a number of army officers including Lt Gen (Retd) Bachittar Singh and noted Punjabi writer Gulzaar Singh Sandhu, also castigated Capt Amarinder Singh for trying to belittle me. "Amarinder has said he will make me remember my naani. This kind of remark is testament of his arrogant nature". He also said he would work in Patiala as per the guidance of the party as well as its manifesto. He was invited by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the inaugural function of the war memorial in Amritsar and also at Heritage Street inauguration besides other events concerning ex-servicemen. For last around a year Singh has been in touch with Sukhbir and other leaders. By PTI PANAJI: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal today asked the voters of Goa to "accept money" if offered by Congress or BJP candidates, but vote only for his party. "If Congress or BJP candidates offer money, do not refuse it. Accept it as it is your own money and there is nothing wrong in getting it back. If they do not offer money, go to their offices and ask for it. But, when it comes to voting, press the button against the name of the AAP candidate," he told an election rally in Benaulim constituency. Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in five states, the Delhi Chief Minister trashed the pre-poll surveys of television news channels saying "they have no credibility". "Yeh jo TV channel wale camera lage hai na, yeh jhoote survey dikhayenge aapko. Abhi shuru bhi kiya hai unhone...(the TV cameras you see belong to channels which will show false surveys. They have already started it)," he said. "Aap sabko colony me jake bata dena ki TV channel pe bharosa mat karo, yeh sab jhoot mooth idhar udhar dikhate hai, sab bakwas dikhate hai (tell everyone not to trust these TV channels, they show lies and nonsense)," he added. Kejriwal, who arrived in Goa today, toured south Goa before addressing the public meeting in Benaulim. Claiming that television channels had shown "false" survey reports against the Aam Aadmi Party even in the past, he said, "When our government was formed in 2013, the TV channels were showing that AAP will win one-two seats, but we got 28." "(Again) when we formed the government in 2015, the TV channels showed we will get 18 seats, but we got 67 (in Delhi). Yesterday, I was watching a TV channel which said we will get two seats in Goa which means, we will get 28," Kejriwal added. PANAJI: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal today asked the voters of Goa to "accept money" if offered by Congress or BJP candidates, but vote only for his party. "If Congress or BJP candidates offer money, do not refuse it. Accept it as it is your own money and there is nothing wrong in getting it back. If they do not offer money, go to their offices and ask for it. But, when it comes to voting, press the button against the name of the AAP candidate," he told an election rally in Benaulim constituency. Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in five states, the Delhi Chief Minister trashed the pre-poll surveys of television news channels saying "they have no credibility". "Yeh jo TV channel wale camera lage hai na, yeh jhoote survey dikhayenge aapko. Abhi shuru bhi kiya hai unhone...(the TV cameras you see belong to channels which will show false surveys. They have already started it)," he said. "Aap sabko colony me jake bata dena ki TV channel pe bharosa mat karo, yeh sab jhoot mooth idhar udhar dikhate hai, sab bakwas dikhate hai (tell everyone not to trust these TV channels, they show lies and nonsense)," he added. Kejriwal, who arrived in Goa today, toured south Goa before addressing the public meeting in Benaulim. Claiming that television channels had shown "false" survey reports against the Aam Aadmi Party even in the past, he said, "When our government was formed in 2013, the TV channels were showing that AAP will win one-two seats, but we got 28." "(Again) when we formed the government in 2015, the TV channels showed we will get 18 seats, but we got 67 (in Delhi). Yesterday, I was watching a TV channel which said we will get two seats in Goa which means, we will get 28," Kejriwal added. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: While releasing the third list of 100 party candidates here on Saturday, BSP chief Mayawati exhorted her partymen and campaign managers to target Modi government on one hand over non-performance and demonetisation, on the other the ongoing family feud in Samajwadi Party and poor law and order under Akhilesh government. The third list of Bahujan Samaj Party released on Saturday has a dominance of Muslims and dalits, who comprise 49 out of 100 names. In all, over 80 Muslim candidates have already got the party tickets with the last list expected on Sunday. As per the caste-wise break up of candidates revealed by party chief Mayawati last Tuesday, BSP has decided to field 97 Muslims and 87 Dalits of 403 allocating the rest 113 to upper castes (66 brahmins and 36 kshatriyas) and 106 to OBCs. The first list announced on Thursday had 37 Muslim candidates followed by 21 in the second and 27 in the current list. Muslims constitute almost 19% of the total population of UP and enjoy a decisive vote in almost 125 of 403 seats across the state. Similarly, the party is contemplating to filed 87 Dalit candidates. While 16 dalits were given tickets in the first list for western UP, 27 made it to the second list for Rohilkhand and Central UP regions. However, the party has decide to filed as many as 22 Dalits on the remaining Central UP including Unnao, Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh and Allahabad besides Bundelkhand seats including Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot, etc. The most prominent name in the third list released on Saturday was that of partys state unit chief Ram Achal Rajbhar who will contest election from Akbarpur seat in Ambedkarnagar district. Meanwhile, ahead of sharing the third list of 100 party candidates, the BSP chief convened a high-level meeting of senior party leaders and all the 403 party candidates in the state capital on Saturday. Taking a lead over other parties, BSP had decided tickets to all the 403 party candidates much in advance. The names of the final candidates were already spelt out to district level party units and those, who got the ticket, had started working in their respective constituencies. Addressing the state unit party workers, the BSP chief took the update of party's poll preparedness and also directed the party cadre to follow the code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission. Discussing the details of the model code of conduct, the BSP chief asked the partymen to follow it in letter and spirit without exception in order to keep the partys image as a disciplined party intact. Spelling out party's campaign strategy to those present in the meeting, Mayawati exhorted the party workers to continue organising small district level meetings to strike a direct connect with the voters. She also shared broader points on which with party's chief campaigners were expected to focus pushing them to target Modi government over non-fulfillment of promises during last two and half years. She also asked them to raise the issue of proposed Parliament session from January 31 and union budget presentation on February 1, 2017 with the motive to woo the voters in poll bound states with populist schemes. The BSP cadre was also asked to focus on the ongoing family feud in SP apart from the alleged failure of Akhilesh government on all the fronts including law and order. Mayawati asked her partymen to convince the voter that it was high time to get rid of this inert dispensation. LUCKNOW: While releasing the third list of 100 party candidates here on Saturday, BSP chief Mayawati exhorted her partymen and campaign managers to target Modi government on one hand over non-performance and demonetisation, on the other the ongoing family feud in Samajwadi Party and poor law and order under Akhilesh government. The third list of Bahujan Samaj Party released on Saturday has a dominance of Muslims and dalits, who comprise 49 out of 100 names. In all, over 80 Muslim candidates have already got the party tickets with the last list expected on Sunday. As per the caste-wise break up of candidates revealed by party chief Mayawati last Tuesday, BSP has decided to field 97 Muslims and 87 Dalits of 403 allocating the rest 113 to upper castes (66 brahmins and 36 kshatriyas) and 106 to OBCs. The first list announced on Thursday had 37 Muslim candidates followed by 21 in the second and 27 in the current list. Muslims constitute almost 19% of the total population of UP and enjoy a decisive vote in almost 125 of 403 seats across the state. Similarly, the party is contemplating to filed 87 Dalit candidates. While 16 dalits were given tickets in the first list for western UP, 27 made it to the second list for Rohilkhand and Central UP regions. However, the party has decide to filed as many as 22 Dalits on the remaining Central UP including Unnao, Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh and Allahabad besides Bundelkhand seats including Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot, etc. The most prominent name in the third list released on Saturday was that of partys state unit chief Ram Achal Rajbhar who will contest election from Akbarpur seat in Ambedkarnagar district. Meanwhile, ahead of sharing the third list of 100 party candidates, the BSP chief convened a high-level meeting of senior party leaders and all the 403 party candidates in the state capital on Saturday. Taking a lead over other parties, BSP had decided tickets to all the 403 party candidates much in advance. The names of the final candidates were already spelt out to district level party units and those, who got the ticket, had started working in their respective constituencies. Addressing the state unit party workers, the BSP chief took the update of party's poll preparedness and also directed the party cadre to follow the code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission. Discussing the details of the model code of conduct, the BSP chief asked the partymen to follow it in letter and spirit without exception in order to keep the partys image as a disciplined party intact. Spelling out party's campaign strategy to those present in the meeting, Mayawati exhorted the party workers to continue organising small district level meetings to strike a direct connect with the voters. She also shared broader points on which with party's chief campaigners were expected to focus pushing them to target Modi government over non-fulfillment of promises during last two and half years. She also asked them to raise the issue of proposed Parliament session from January 31 and union budget presentation on February 1, 2017 with the motive to woo the voters in poll bound states with populist schemes. The BSP cadre was also asked to focus on the ongoing family feud in SP apart from the alleged failure of Akhilesh government on all the fronts including law and order. Mayawati asked her partymen to convince the voter that it was high time to get rid of this inert dispensation. By ANI NEW DELHI: Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is on a seven-day visit to India, was on Saturday morning accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here in the presence of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. "The visit has a strong emotional side and a personal motivation. As a person of Indian origin I am honoured by invitation of Prime Minister Modi. I hope my visit will lay foundation for a robust and forward looking 21st century partnership between India and Portugal," said Costa. The two leaders will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations. Agreements in different fields are also expected to be inked after the talks. Later in the day, he would also be holding official talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari. The visiting dignitary will attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas as the chief guest in Bengaluru, and will also participate in few business events. He will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. In the last leg of his visit to India, he will be in Goa on 11-12 January. In Goa, he would be meeting the Governor and the Chief Minister. Costa, who traces his roots to Goa, will also spend some time at his ancestral place. NEW DELHI: Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is on a seven-day visit to India, was on Saturday morning accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here in the presence of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. "The visit has a strong emotional side and a personal motivation. As a person of Indian origin I am honoured by invitation of Prime Minister Modi. I hope my visit will lay foundation for a robust and forward looking 21st century partnership between India and Portugal," said Costa. The two leaders will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations. Agreements in different fields are also expected to be inked after the talks. Later in the day, he would also be holding official talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari. The visiting dignitary will attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas as the chief guest in Bengaluru, and will also participate in few business events. He will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. In the last leg of his visit to India, he will be in Goa on 11-12 January. In Goa, he would be meeting the Governor and the Chief Minister. Costa, who traces his roots to Goa, will also spend some time at his ancestral place. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday restrained Maxis group from selling or trading the licences of 2G spectrum, while warning those who use the countrys natural resources without obeying the law. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar directed Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan and other foreigners accused in the Aircel-Maxis deal case who have been evading court summons and warrants to appear before the special 2G court in two weeks. We cannot tolerate a person using the national resources such as spectrum of India and not honouring the court notice. You (Krishnan) cannot evade the process of law. You must come here from Malaysia and face the law if you want to use the spectrum, the bench said. Ananda Krishnan Krishnan along with former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and five others were chargesheeted by the CBI in a probe related to the money trail of around `600 crore allegedly used as bribe in the Aircel-Maxis deal. Maran brothers have been accused of pressuring and coercing Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran, who got 2G licences in 2006, to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group. During the hearing, BJP leader, Subramaniam Swamy drew the benchs attention towards giving of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearances by the then finance minister P Chidambaram. The bench assured Swamy that his averments would be taken up at the next hearing on February 3. Now, Karthi Chidambaram might find it difficult to seek any relief from the apex court as he too has been evading summons in the case by the Enforcement Directorate for many months. On Thursday, he failed to get any relief from the Madras High Court as well. The bench asked Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and two accused companies Malaysias Maxis Communication Berhad and Astro All Asia Network PLC to make an appearance before the apex court within two weeks. The bench asked the Telecom Ministry to devise ways and means to avoid any adverse consequences following the courts order to millions of Aircel subscribers by provisionally transferring them to some other service providers, in case the necessity to pass the proposed order arises. It directed the Centre to publish its instant order in two leading newspapers in Malaysia. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday restrained Maxis group from selling or trading the licences of 2G spectrum, while warning those who use the countrys natural resources without obeying the law. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar directed Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan and other foreigners accused in the Aircel-Maxis deal case who have been evading court summons and warrants to appear before the special 2G court in two weeks. We cannot tolerate a person using the national resources such as spectrum of India and not honouring the court notice. You (Krishnan) cannot evade the process of law. You must come here from Malaysia and face the law if you want to use the spectrum, the bench said. Ananda KrishnanKrishnan along with former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and five others were chargesheeted by the CBI in a probe related to the money trail of around `600 crore allegedly used as bribe in the Aircel-Maxis deal. Maran brothers have been accused of pressuring and coercing Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran, who got 2G licences in 2006, to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group. During the hearing, BJP leader, Subramaniam Swamy drew the benchs attention towards giving of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearances by the then finance minister P Chidambaram. The bench assured Swamy that his averments would be taken up at the next hearing on February 3. Now, Karthi Chidambaram might find it difficult to seek any relief from the apex court as he too has been evading summons in the case by the Enforcement Directorate for many months. On Thursday, he failed to get any relief from the Madras High Court as well. The bench asked Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and two accused companies Malaysias Maxis Communication Berhad and Astro All Asia Network PLC to make an appearance before the apex court within two weeks. The bench asked the Telecom Ministry to devise ways and means to avoid any adverse consequences following the courts order to millions of Aircel subscribers by provisionally transferring them to some other service providers, in case the necessity to pass the proposed order arises. It directed the Centre to publish its instant order in two leading newspapers in Malaysia. By Express News Service PUDUCHERRY: In the midst of a simmering power struggle with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi announced that she would relinquish office on May 29, 2018, when she completes two years in the union territory. I have given myself a tenure here, said Bedi in her first open letter to fellow Puducherrians, adding that she has already informed the seniors about the decision. But for this surprise declaration, the first open letter there would be one a month from hereafter, she has promised reads like a statement of facts and purpose. That, however, is only half the story in the drama unfolding at the little UT. For the rest, one needs to listen to the little birdies on her social media account. The latest flash point was Narayanasamy asking officials not to be part of the WhatsApp groups that she had formed citing security concerns. Bedi hit back by nullifying the order. While the chief minister remained silent since then, Bedi, the former top cop, did not stop there. A well-knit officers network painstakingly nurtured disbanded in violation of GOI social network policy, she complained from her personal twitter account, attaching the video of a byte given to TV media. This was duly retweeted by her official account. It was only one among a series of tweets she sent out, protesting the gagging. As Express had reported on Saturday, some of the key welfare schemes are pending with her, which has irked the territorial government. Am in Puducherry to ensure financial prudence. Public money will be spent where most needed. Every bit will b open for scrutiny (SIC), she tweeted, apparently in response to the pain points. For those who were unaware of the background, Bedi herself highlighted this clipping in the next tweet, with the comment some more. In her letter, she then reminded that while the elected territorial assembly has the powers to legislate, On several other matters, final powers in areas of finance or service matters, or policy matters as per the Law the final responsibility rests with me I have exercised financial prudence and not allowed any diversion of funds. A war between Narayanasamy and Bedi was expected since the day she took charge May 29, 2015. But except sporadic instances, there has not been an all-out squabble as was seen in Delhi. But that may be a thing of the past going by the tweets that came from Bedi since January 4 when she nullified the CMs order against WhatsApp groups. Prosperous Puducherry WhatsApp groups+of key officers were networking,sharing achievements & redressing public complaints immed. Why gag it? Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 5, 2017 When a leader wants things done he will promote shared info. When he wants control & dependence he will ensure they r kept divided/deprived Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 6, 2017 Confident & Secure PUDUCHERRY: In the midst of a simmering power struggle with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi announced that she would relinquish office on May 29, 2018, when she completes two years in the union territory. I have given myself a tenure here, said Bedi in her first open letter to fellow Puducherrians, adding that she has already informed the seniors about the decision. But for this surprise declaration, the first open letter there would be one a month from hereafter, she has promised reads like a statement of facts and purpose. That, however, is only half the story in the drama unfolding at the little UT. For the rest, one needs to listen to the little birdies on her social media account. The latest flash point was Narayanasamy asking officials not to be part of the WhatsApp groups that she had formed citing security concerns. Bedi hit back by nullifying the order. While the chief minister remained silent since then, Bedi, the former top cop, did not stop there. A well-knit officers network painstakingly nurtured disbanded in violation of GOI social network policy, she complained from her personal twitter account, attaching the video of a byte given to TV media. This was duly retweeted by her official account. It was only one among a series of tweets she sent out, protesting the gagging. As Express had reported on Saturday, some of the key welfare schemes are pending with her, which has irked the territorial government. Am in Puducherry to ensure financial prudence. Public money will be spent where most needed. Every bit will b open for scrutiny (SIC), she tweeted, apparently in response to the pain points. For those who were unaware of the background, Bedi herself highlighted this clipping in the next tweet, with the comment some more. In her letter, she then reminded that while the elected territorial assembly has the powers to legislate, On several other matters, final powers in areas of finance or service matters, or policy matters as per the Law the final responsibility rests with me I have exercised financial prudence and not allowed any diversion of funds. A war between Narayanasamy and Bedi was expected since the day she took charge May 29, 2015. But except sporadic instances, there has not been an all-out squabble as was seen in Delhi. But that may be a thing of the past going by the tweets that came from Bedi since January 4 when she nullified the CMs order against WhatsApp groups. Prosperous Puducherry WhatsApp groups+of key officers were networking,sharing achievements & redressing public complaints immed. Why gag it? Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 5, 2017 When a leader wants things done he will promote shared info. When he wants control & dependence he will ensure they r kept divided/deprived Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) January 6, 2017 Confident & Secure G Parthasarathy By On August 20, 1998, American cruise missiles pounded six sites in Khost in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. There was intelligence information that Osama bin Laden and his supporters were housed in Khost. Osama escaped the raid, but the American missiles destroyed ISI camps of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, being trained for jihad in Kashmir. Taliban rule in Afghanistan enabled the ISI to use Afghan territory for its jihad across India. The Taliban were to prove an asset to the ISI barely a year later, when they colluded with the Pakistani intelligence agency in the hijacking of IC 814 to Kandahar. Even after the Taliban was ousted after 9/11, they have been used by the ISI to target Indian nationals and projects in Afghanistan. It took the Americans 15 years to acknowledge that despite being designated a major US non-NATO ally, Pakistan was providing safe haven to the Taliban, who killed 2,500 American soldiers in Afghanistan. Restrictions and preconditions on the economic and military aid the US was providing to Pakistan were imposed only last year. In the meantime, after receiving massive assistance from Pakistan, the Taliban have emerged as a formidable force across Afghanistan. With only a residual force of 9,800 soldiers in Afghanistan, the US is now concentrating on providing training, intelligence, air power and logistical help to Afghanistan Armed Forces, who have taken around 30,000 casualties in 2016. India should have no doubt that its security challenges will increase if the Taliban overthrow the present elected government in Afghanistan. For over three years now, Presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani have been appealing to Delhi for military aid. After much procrastination, we have provided them with four attack helicopters. Mercifully, the Narendra Modi government appears to be more forthcoming in providing Afghanistan more military assistance. But, for this, we need to make the Chabahar Port fully operational. In a remarkable turnaround in American policy, US Commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson visited India, seeking our cooperation on this. Attempts to promote a dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government by the US and China drew a blank because of unacceptable preconditions by the Taliban. The Obama administration publicly acknowledged that Pakistan was playing a double game of calling for peace while providing support to the Taliban. President Ghanis tirade against Pakistan in Amritsar and his decision to boycott the SAARC Summit in Islamabad clearly reflected Afghan anger and frustration at Pakistani duplicity. China, which predictably backs Pakistans desire to give a predominant role for the Taliban in ruling Afghanistan, has been joined by Russia in seeking legitimacy and even tacit recognition of the Taliban for a major role in Afghanistans national life. Russia is facing growing problems by the radicalisation of its Muslim Chechen population, who are joining the ISIS, also known as Daesh, for jihad across the Islamic world. Central Asian republics bordering Russia and Afghanistan are witnessing similar developments. This has led to calls that it is the Daesh and not the Taliban that is the greatest threat to their security. Iran is meanwhile keeping its links with the Taliban open. The greatest challenge to Indian diplomacy in 2017 lies in persuading Russia, Iran and the Central Asian republics that it would be dangerous to underestimate the threat the Taliban poses to their security. All these countries, like India, are waiting to see how the incoming Donald Trump administration deals with the ISI-backed Taliban challenge in Afghanistan. G Parthasarathy Former diplomat dadpartha@gmail.com On August 20, 1998, American cruise missiles pounded six sites in Khost in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. There was intelligence information that Osama bin Laden and his supporters were housed in Khost. Osama escaped the raid, but the American missiles destroyed ISI camps of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, being trained for jihad in Kashmir. Taliban rule in Afghanistan enabled the ISI to use Afghan territory for its jihad across India. The Taliban were to prove an asset to the ISI barely a year later, when they colluded with the Pakistani intelligence agency in the hijacking of IC 814 to Kandahar. Even after the Taliban was ousted after 9/11, they have been used by the ISI to target Indian nationals and projects in Afghanistan. It took the Americans 15 years to acknowledge that despite being designated a major US non-NATO ally, Pakistan was providing safe haven to the Taliban, who killed 2,500 American soldiers in Afghanistan. Restrictions and preconditions on the economic and military aid the US was providing to Pakistan were imposed only last year. In the meantime, after receiving massive assistance from Pakistan, the Taliban have emerged as a formidable force across Afghanistan. With only a residual force of 9,800 soldiers in Afghanistan, the US is now concentrating on providing training, intelligence, air power and logistical help to Afghanistan Armed Forces, who have taken around 30,000 casualties in 2016. India should have no doubt that its security challenges will increase if the Taliban overthrow the present elected government in Afghanistan. For over three years now, Presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani have been appealing to Delhi for military aid. After much procrastination, we have provided them with four attack helicopters. Mercifully, the Narendra Modi government appears to be more forthcoming in providing Afghanistan more military assistance. But, for this, we need to make the Chabahar Port fully operational. In a remarkable turnaround in American policy, US Commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson visited India, seeking our cooperation on this. Attempts to promote a dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government by the US and China drew a blank because of unacceptable preconditions by the Taliban. The Obama administration publicly acknowledged that Pakistan was playing a double game of calling for peace while providing support to the Taliban. President Ghanis tirade against Pakistan in Amritsar and his decision to boycott the SAARC Summit in Islamabad clearly reflected Afghan anger and frustration at Pakistani duplicity. China, which predictably backs Pakistans desire to give a predominant role for the Taliban in ruling Afghanistan, has been joined by Russia in seeking legitimacy and even tacit recognition of the Taliban for a major role in Afghanistans national life. Russia is facing growing problems by the radicalisation of its Muslim Chechen population, who are joining the ISIS, also known as Daesh, for jihad across the Islamic world. Central Asian republics bordering Russia and Afghanistan are witnessing similar developments. This has led to calls that it is the Daesh and not the Taliban that is the greatest threat to their security. Iran is meanwhile keeping its links with the Taliban open. The greatest challenge to Indian diplomacy in 2017 lies in persuading Russia, Iran and the Central Asian republics that it would be dangerous to underestimate the threat the Taliban poses to their security. All these countries, like India, are waiting to see how the incoming Donald Trump administration deals with the ISI-backed Taliban challenge in Afghanistan. G Parthasarathy Former diplomat dadpartha@gmail.com Mohan Das Menon By While motivations that lie hidden behind certain foreign policy postures adopted by Beijing may not always be decipherable, there are binding strategic lines that rarely vanish from that terrain. One of them is Chinas psychotic fear of democracies, lest their perverse influences subvert fragile outlines of the vulnerable market-oriented Chinese state capitalism. Ironically, though Beijings economic and foreign policy manoeuvres are integrally oriented to address Chinese military and national security priorities, they have their own inner contradictions. While the worlds democracies are signal objects of hatred, they invariably provide the largest of market spaces for China-made products and exports. The US, India and France are among those markets systemically exploited by China for returns. As broadly revealed, while China trades with a big smile on its face, there is often that hidden sword concealed at the back that can also hurt and haunt even a major trading partner when required. Chinas national character pervasively reveals that obsessive national security granules take precedence over all else in dealing with the outside world. This is where Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) discreetly enters the global arena to exercise control. Much like a super-state that takes charge of all molecules of governance and policy, including policy postulates connected to Chinas actions as a Peoples Republic as a constituent of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council, the PLA obliquely dominates the turf. The potential for lack of any congruence within the overall system often leads to self-imagined apprehensions that draw world attention. The actual pace and tenor of counter-reactions depend on the extent to which distortions play out to destabilise balances, and any major thrust is majorly linked to self-inspired assessments of possible signs of implosion arising out of the republics turbulent regions. The core regions for such interventions to defend China happen to be Tibet or Xinjiang Province. The latter is occupied by Chinese Muslims, who are generally kept out of the national narrative. China seems more inclined to build up the future of Pakistani Muslims than of their own, adding strength to Sino-Pak synergy. Beijing also monitors the democratic current in the world order with a keen eye. As Nepal strives to strengthen its inchoate democratic credentials, China is trying to sink its military boots there. The initial stages of that strategy were revealed recently with a proposal from Beijing for a major Sino-Nepalese joint military exercise, which Kathmandu accepted. Nepals proposed first joint military exercise with China has understandably triggered unease in New Delhi. Indias defence ties are so inextricably intertwined that over 32,000 Nepalese Gorkhas continue to serve in the Indian Army, and Nepal is home to over 1.2 lakh ex-servicemenand their dependantswho draw pension from India. As far as Tibet is concerned, there is hardly any rationale that justifies Beijings perception of pacifist Tibetan leader Dalai Lama. He is projected as a potential terrorist in Chinese security estimations. The repressive and regressive nature of Chinese governance in Tibet since the mid-50s bears testimony to Chinese hardline positions in not giving Tibetans their due. According to sources in the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Chinese government has imposed travel restrictions on Tibetans in Tibet to block their travel to India to attend the Kalachakra teachings. On the contrary, as a constituent of the UN P5, China has vociferously pronounced Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Maulana Azhar, a proven international criminal, as innocent. Given Chinas stubborn defence of Pakistan-based terrorists targeting India, the message for New Delhi is loud and clear. In tandem with Pakistans military establishment, Beijing considers them to be its strategic assets. The dynamics of Sino-Indian relationships makes it imperative that New Delhi should rebalance its strategy by adopting a threefold strategy. India needs to fix the increasingly asymmetrical trade relationship with China and reclaim its leverage on the Tibet issuea leverage it remains very reluctant to exercise. New Delhi must initiate specific steps against Chinese dumping and currency manipulation and other illegal strategies being adopted by Beijing to exploit the Indian market. Secondly, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Councillor Yang Jiechi should introspect in the next Special Representative-level talks whether its mechanism need continue at all. These exchanges have been exploited by Beijing to prolong the border issue indefinitely and not resolve it maturely. Thirdly, India must express its categorical opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. It must also examine whether sensitive territorial issues can be raised through an international tribunal as the Philippines did. Mohan Das Menon Former additional secretary, Cabinet Secretariat mdmenonconsulting@gmail.com While motivations that lie hidden behind certain foreign policy postures adopted by Beijing may not always be decipherable, there are binding strategic lines that rarely vanish from that terrain. One of them is Chinas psychotic fear of democracies, lest their perverse influences subvert fragile outlines of the vulnerable market-oriented Chinese state capitalism. Ironically, though Beijings economic and foreign policy manoeuvres are integrally oriented to address Chinese military and national security priorities, they have their own inner contradictions. While the worlds democracies are signal objects of hatred, they invariably provide the largest of market spaces for China-made products and exports. The US, India and France are among those markets systemically exploited by China for returns. As broadly revealed, while China trades with a big smile on its face, there is often that hidden sword concealed at the back that can also hurt and haunt even a major trading partner when required. Chinas national character pervasively reveals that obsessive national security granules take precedence over all else in dealing with the outside world. This is where Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) discreetly enters the global arena to exercise control. Much like a super-state that takes charge of all molecules of governance and policy, including policy postulates connected to Chinas actions as a Peoples Republic as a constituent of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council, the PLA obliquely dominates the turf. The potential for lack of any congruence within the overall system often leads to self-imagined apprehensions that draw world attention. The actual pace and tenor of counter-reactions depend on the extent to which distortions play out to destabilise balances, and any major thrust is majorly linked to self-inspired assessments of possible signs of implosion arising out of the republics turbulent regions. The core regions for such interventions to defend China happen to be Tibet or Xinjiang Province. The latter is occupied by Chinese Muslims, who are generally kept out of the national narrative. China seems more inclined to build up the future of Pakistani Muslims than of their own, adding strength to Sino-Pak synergy. Beijing also monitors the democratic current in the world order with a keen eye. As Nepal strives to strengthen its inchoate democratic credentials, China is trying to sink its military boots there. The initial stages of that strategy were revealed recently with a proposal from Beijing for a major Sino-Nepalese joint military exercise, which Kathmandu accepted. Nepals proposed first joint military exercise with China has understandably triggered unease in New Delhi. Indias defence ties are so inextricably intertwined that over 32,000 Nepalese Gorkhas continue to serve in the Indian Army, and Nepal is home to over 1.2 lakh ex-servicemenand their dependantswho draw pension from India. As far as Tibet is concerned, there is hardly any rationale that justifies Beijings perception of pacifist Tibetan leader Dalai Lama. He is projected as a potential terrorist in Chinese security estimations. The repressive and regressive nature of Chinese governance in Tibet since the mid-50s bears testimony to Chinese hardline positions in not giving Tibetans their due. According to sources in the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Chinese government has imposed travel restrictions on Tibetans in Tibet to block their travel to India to attend the Kalachakra teachings. On the contrary, as a constituent of the UN P5, China has vociferously pronounced Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Maulana Azhar, a proven international criminal, as innocent. Given Chinas stubborn defence of Pakistan-based terrorists targeting India, the message for New Delhi is loud and clear. In tandem with Pakistans military establishment, Beijing considers them to be its strategic assets. The dynamics of Sino-Indian relationships makes it imperative that New Delhi should rebalance its strategy by adopting a threefold strategy. India needs to fix the increasingly asymmetrical trade relationship with China and reclaim its leverage on the Tibet issuea leverage it remains very reluctant to exercise. New Delhi must initiate specific steps against Chinese dumping and currency manipulation and other illegal strategies being adopted by Beijing to exploit the Indian market. Secondly, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Councillor Yang Jiechi should introspect in the next Special Representative-level talks whether its mechanism need continue at all. These exchanges have been exploited by Beijing to prolong the border issue indefinitely and not resolve it maturely. Thirdly, India must express its categorical opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. It must also examine whether sensitive territorial issues can be raised through an international tribunal as the Philippines did. Mohan Das Menon Former additional secretary, Cabinet Secretariat mdmenonconsulting@gmail.com Balbir Punj By It appears that one of the big issues in the five state poll exercise beginning February 4 for which the Election Commission raised the curtain on the first Wednesday of the new year, would be what is communal and what is secular. And accordingly, who will qualify (or condemned depending on which side of the fence you are on) to be declared corrupt under our election laws. The issue has returned to the centre stage as the seven-member Constitution Benchs verdict on certain aspects of the Representation of Peoples Act also coincidentally came just a day before. If this issue of what is communal and what is secular gets thrashed out once and for all at least in the poll context, the storm that is set to blow in the next 610 weeks would still have done some good. So the verdict is welcome. There is confusion because the full text of the Supreme Courts verdict has not yet been made available. Notwithstanding this lag, the commentators have gone ahead, on the basis of newspaper reports, on what the verdict cup holds. Briefly, the issue before the Constitution Bench was with regard to the interpretation of a specific reference to acts of corruption that would disqualify candidates in an election. Section 123(3) of the Act forbids the appeal by a candidate to vote or refrain from voting for any person on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language or the use of, or appeal to religious symbols for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate. The emphasis on the word his is to specify that this word in the law can have multiple interpretations and is the cause for the issue being referred to the Constitution Bench. The traditional interpretation so far was that his refers to the candidates religion, race, caste, etc. But four judges belonging to the seven member Constitution Bench said the word his also refers to those of the voter. Two of themJustices Madan B Lokur and L Nageshwara Raosaid that the broader interpretation was needed in the interests of the purity of the electoral process. It is stated that the reading of a wider meaning to his religion, race, etc. to include not just those of the candidate concerned but that of the voter as well, is also in the context of Parliament making the use of religion impermissible. The broader view was supposedly in line with the intent behind the enactment of the Act. Another view, that of the (then) Chief Justice T S Thakur, was that the purposive interpretation would prevent removing religion, race, etc. from the impermissibles list and thereby enable them to get into election campaigns and affect the basic secular nature of the polity. The minority view of Justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Uday U Lalit and Adarsh Kumar Goel questioned the contention that the Parliament also wanted the exclusion of religious preferences of the voter from the impermissibles list. A blanket ban could shut out all discussions on issues related to religion, caste, etc. permanently from any democratic discussion. The nuances in the arguments justifying the different views that the judges arrived at being so delicate, our own understanding of the verdicts would have to wait a full and comprehensive reading of the full text of the various judgments. Meanwhile, there could be an apprehension that the verdict as a whole would not settle the issue raised originally and that the core question of what constitutes religion will only be raised again and again. It underlines the demand that the issue of secularism versus theocracy needs to be clarified beyond all doubt. One school of thought has been contending that political slavery in the context of Indian history does include the 800 years of Islamic subjugation and rule over the local Hindus subjecting them to discriminatory taxation, compulsory conversion and interference in their religious affairs apart from wanton destruction of temples. Explaining this view and calling for restitution of property is at once objected to by the secularists who see these events merely as what historic and most ethnic conquerors do to demonstrate their power. One political party, when in power, distributes regular salaries from government revenues to clerics of places where the minorities worship but objects to similar treatment to poor pujaris of hundreds of temples as communal. All reforms to secure womens rights are hailed by self-declared secularists as progressive. But when it comes to the same reforms being extended to women belonging to a minority community, it is condemned as interference in the religious rights of minorities. The demolition of a masjid that was constructed on the spot where a temple was destroyed to build that very masjid is a black deed. But the original destruction of the temple is to be ignored as unproven, religious frenzy that is best forgotten and so on. Even polygamy is illegal for the large majority of people here. But one community insists that their religion permits multiple wives and that this demand be respected. In the name of secularism, groups of people are subjected to denial of secular and modern education. If the Supreme Court verdict in the case helps initiate a soul-searching on true secularism, which would enable all communities to agree on the basics of secularism, it should do a great deal of good to the concept of secular India. Balbir Punj Former Rajya Sabha member and Delhi-based commentator on social and political issues Email: punjbalbir@gmail.com It appears that one of the big issues in the five state poll exercise beginning February 4 for which the Election Commission raised the curtain on the first Wednesday of the new year, would be what is communal and what is secular. And accordingly, who will qualify (or condemned depending on which side of the fence you are on) to be declared corrupt under our election laws. The issue has returned to the centre stage as the seven-member Constitution Benchs verdict on certain aspects of the Representation of Peoples Act also coincidentally came just a day before. If this issue of what is communal and what is secular gets thrashed out once and for all at least in the poll context, the storm that is set to blow in the next 610 weeks would still have done some good. So the verdict is welcome. There is confusion because the full text of the Supreme Courts verdict has not yet been made available. Notwithstanding this lag, the commentators have gone ahead, on the basis of newspaper reports, on what the verdict cup holds. Briefly, the issue before the Constitution Bench was with regard to the interpretation of a specific reference to acts of corruption that would disqualify candidates in an election. Section 123(3) of the Act forbids the appeal by a candidate to vote or refrain from voting for any person on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language or the use of, or appeal to religious symbols for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate. The emphasis on the word his is to specify that this word in the law can have multiple interpretations and is the cause for the issue being referred to the Constitution Bench. The traditional interpretation so far was that his refers to the candidates religion, race, caste, etc. But four judges belonging to the seven member Constitution Bench said the word his also refers to those of the voter. Two of themJustices Madan B Lokur and L Nageshwara Raosaid that the broader interpretation was needed in the interests of the purity of the electoral process. It is stated that the reading of a wider meaning to his religion, race, etc. to include not just those of the candidate concerned but that of the voter as well, is also in the context of Parliament making the use of religion impermissible. The broader view was supposedly in line with the intent behind the enactment of the Act. Another view, that of the (then) Chief Justice T S Thakur, was that the purposive interpretation would prevent removing religion, race, etc. from the impermissibles list and thereby enable them to get into election campaigns and affect the basic secular nature of the polity. The minority view of Justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Uday U Lalit and Adarsh Kumar Goel questioned the contention that the Parliament also wanted the exclusion of religious preferences of the voter from the impermissibles list. A blanket ban could shut out all discussions on issues related to religion, caste, etc. permanently from any democratic discussion. The nuances in the arguments justifying the different views that the judges arrived at being so delicate, our own understanding of the verdicts would have to wait a full and comprehensive reading of the full text of the various judgments. Meanwhile, there could be an apprehension that the verdict as a whole would not settle the issue raised originally and that the core question of what constitutes religion will only be raised again and again. It underlines the demand that the issue of secularism versus theocracy needs to be clarified beyond all doubt. One school of thought has been contending that political slavery in the context of Indian history does include the 800 years of Islamic subjugation and rule over the local Hindus subjecting them to discriminatory taxation, compulsory conversion and interference in their religious affairs apart from wanton destruction of temples. Explaining this view and calling for restitution of property is at once objected to by the secularists who see these events merely as what historic and most ethnic conquerors do to demonstrate their power. One political party, when in power, distributes regular salaries from government revenues to clerics of places where the minorities worship but objects to similar treatment to poor pujaris of hundreds of temples as communal. All reforms to secure womens rights are hailed by self-declared secularists as progressive. But when it comes to the same reforms being extended to women belonging to a minority community, it is condemned as interference in the religious rights of minorities. The demolition of a masjid that was constructed on the spot where a temple was destroyed to build that very masjid is a black deed. But the original destruction of the temple is to be ignored as unproven, religious frenzy that is best forgotten and so on. Even polygamy is illegal for the large majority of people here. But one community insists that their religion permits multiple wives and that this demand be respected. In the name of secularism, groups of people are subjected to denial of secular and modern education. If the Supreme Court verdict in the case helps initiate a soul-searching on true secularism, which would enable all communities to agree on the basics of secularism, it should do a great deal of good to the concept of secular India. Balbir Punj Former Rajya Sabha member and Delhi-based commentator on social and political issues Email: punjbalbir@gmail.com By Express News Service BENGALURU: Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries R V Deshpande talked up Karnatakas prowess as an ideal ecosystem for conducting business. He was the chief guest at the PIOCCI (People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry) conclave held on Friday to highlight the rise in business opportunities in India to the diaspora. The conclave was held in conjunction with Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2017. Delegates from Nepal, UAE, Malaysia, the US, the UK, Australia, Norway, West Indies, Mauritius and South Africa were present at the conclave. Throughout the day, sessions were held on various aspects of doing business in India. The objective of the conclave was to provide an opportunity to the diaspora to interact with officials of various ministries and departments of the Union Government, state governments, local authorities, legal bodies, NGOs that are engaged in socio-economic initiatives and Indian businesses, especially SMEs, for business tie-ups. Deshpande said, Karnataka is a favourite destination for MNCs. We have ease of doing business and transparency. It has good infrastructure too. Yes, traffic is a concern but we are here to support you. I would call Bangalore not Silicon Valley, but Silicon Hill as weve gone far ahead of them. BENGALURU: Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries R V Deshpande talked up Karnatakas prowess as an ideal ecosystem for conducting business. He was the chief guest at the PIOCCI (People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry) conclave held on Friday to highlight the rise in business opportunities in India to the diaspora. The conclave was held in conjunction with Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2017. Delegates from Nepal, UAE, Malaysia, the US, the UK, Australia, Norway, West Indies, Mauritius and South Africa were present at the conclave. Throughout the day, sessions were held on various aspects of doing business in India. The objective of the conclave was to provide an opportunity to the diaspora to interact with officials of various ministries and departments of the Union Government, state governments, local authorities, legal bodies, NGOs that are engaged in socio-economic initiatives and Indian businesses, especially SMEs, for business tie-ups. Deshpande said, Karnataka is a favourite destination for MNCs. We have ease of doing business and transparency. It has good infrastructure too. Yes, traffic is a concern but we are here to support you. I would call Bangalore not Silicon Valley, but Silicon Hill as weve gone far ahead of them. Akram Mohammed By Express News Service On the bus to Srirangapatna, it didnt take long for me to discover whats the issue uppermost in peoples minds. My conversation with the passenger next to me, an auditor, was distracted by an angry exchange between the conductor and a woman. It was the Rs 2,000 argument. She had given him the pink note and he didnt have change. You ought to have change. If not you, who will have it? she said. I am not from the bank! he said. In the first days of demonetisation, such exchanges had been sweet and full of fellow feeling because everyone was in the same boat. But now after the post Dec 30 period, tempers were beginning to bubble. The auditor B M Sudhakar proved to be demonetisation positive. He said he helped out with an NGO called Prathibe in Mysuru. They make substantial contributions in the form of houses and livestock for tribal people near Gundlupet. I got the drift of things when he said, a bit after the conductors row, If we consider the nation as a whole, some brave decisions have been taken by the government too. The exchange over change had now provided the context for our conversation and Sudhakar supplied me his view. He said the corrupt are being exposed, and soon when the Rs 2,000 notes too will cease to be valid currency, things will only improve in the coming days. The prices are rising though. We have to bear it, he said. On the bridge to Srirangapatna, it was immediately apparent to me that the town would be worried about something equally elemental as money, water or both which is only natural since the town is almost completely enveloped by the Kaveri as it flows by on both its northern and southern flanks. From the window of the bus I could see that the riverbed was covered with vegetation. The river itself has shrunk to a stream and its pollution was evident. Long before it reaches the Thanjavur delta, the Kaveri is an exhausted river, suckled dry by Bengaluru and Mysuru and a score more towns, reservoirs and farms, leaving just the dregs to fight over. In the historic town, conversations about the new years new hopes were difficult to get going and tended to end with the regulation shrug of the shoulder. I stopped at a cobbler named Shivu on Irwin Road to have my shoe mended and heres how in went. 2016 was a difficult year. I dont know how 2017 will turn out, he said. The Cauvery crisis? Normal. Rains? Has been the same for a few years. Demonetisation? People who have money are not affected by anything. Only the poor who suffer. It wasnt until I got back on a bus to Chikkamagaluru that I met someone to whom something new had happened. And it was a happy story. The boy was a second year B Com student from Belur, Sachin T D. He was travelling back after taking acting classes in Hassan. He beamed when I asked how the past year had turned out. He had just landed a role in a Kannada TV serial, Varasdara. But the year hasnt been all good for my family as a whole, he qualified. His father, who owns a five-acre coffee and pepper plantation was staring at losses because the Malnad region had poor rains. It did not rain at all, Sachin said. Hopefully next year the rains will be better and I will land a role in the movies, he added. The ravages of drought were clearly in evidence on the second day of my journey. As the bus hurtled from Shivamogga towards Harihar in Davanagere district, the landscape was a scene of yellowing paddy save the banks of the Bhadra and some rare areca nut plantations. A land that cultivated two cycles of paddy every year was down to just one. I met a young man named Vinay who runs a small eatery in a village called Gondi Chatnahalli in Shivamogga district. Ille malnadalli kaleda thinglalli eradu borewell kett hodvu (in our village, two borewells failed in the past month), he said. All the fields around his eatery are fallow. We have had one drought after another. Labourers will not be able to find work until the monsoon. All conversations I had on buses throughout the countryside beyond Bengaluru were down to money and water and the stories people told me about themselves were small personal joys such as that budding actor on the bus to Shivamogga who landed a role in a serial. Demonetisations privations were common enough, always leavened with the notion that this was deserved comeuppance for the rich and that these difficulties were just the penance for something good in the new year. Water was the more serious consideration. Travelling to Lingasugur in Raichur district, I met Shankar, the panchayat development officer of a gram panchayat. By now there was a marked difference in the Kannada we spoke. Money was not hana here, but rokka. He pointed to the fields by the road side and said farmers were reduced to falling back upon the moisture contained in the winter mist to cultivate crops such as tur dal. It was not until I get a view of the Krishna and the Bheema rivers in the north that the water narrative changed a bit. Along the banks of the Krishna, farmers were making the most of a river that is in a better condition than they have seen in the past few years thanks to heavy showers in Maharashtra in the last monsoon. But wait. I stopped to ask Suresh Hiremath, an agent of a pygmy deposit scheme in Jevargi, How was 2016? One of the worst I have had, he told me. On the bus to Srirangapatna, it didnt take long for me to discover whats the issue uppermost in peoples minds. My conversation with the passenger next to me, an auditor, was distracted by an angry exchange between the conductor and a woman. It was the Rs 2,000 argument. She had given him the pink note and he didnt have change. You ought to have change. If not you, who will have it? she said. I am not from the bank! he said. In the first days of demonetisation, such exchanges had been sweet and full of fellow feeling because everyone was in the same boat. But now after the post Dec 30 period, tempers were beginning to bubble. The auditor B M Sudhakar proved to be demonetisation positive. He said he helped out with an NGO called Prathibe in Mysuru. They make substantial contributions in the form of houses and livestock for tribal people near Gundlupet. I got the drift of things when he said, a bit after the conductors row, If we consider the nation as a whole, some brave decisions have been taken by the government too. The exchange over change had now provided the context for our conversation and Sudhakar supplied me his view. He said the corrupt are being exposed, and soon when the Rs 2,000 notes too will cease to be valid currency, things will only improve in the coming days. The prices are rising though. We have to bear it, he said. On the bridge to Srirangapatna, it was immediately apparent to me that the town would be worried about something equally elemental as money, water or both which is only natural since the town is almost completely enveloped by the Kaveri as it flows by on both its northern and southern flanks. From the window of the bus I could see that the riverbed was covered with vegetation. The river itself has shrunk to a stream and its pollution was evident. Long before it reaches the Thanjavur delta, the Kaveri is an exhausted river, suckled dry by Bengaluru and Mysuru and a score more towns, reservoirs and farms, leaving just the dregs to fight over. In the historic town, conversations about the new years new hopes were difficult to get going and tended to end with the regulation shrug of the shoulder. I stopped at a cobbler named Shivu on Irwin Road to have my shoe mended and heres how in went. 2016 was a difficult year. I dont know how 2017 will turn out, he said. The Cauvery crisis? Normal. Rains? Has been the same for a few years. Demonetisation? People who have money are not affected by anything. Only the poor who suffer. It wasnt until I got back on a bus to Chikkamagaluru that I met someone to whom something new had happened. And it was a happy story. The boy was a second year B Com student from Belur, Sachin T D. He was travelling back after taking acting classes in Hassan. He beamed when I asked how the past year had turned out. He had just landed a role in a Kannada TV serial, Varasdara. But the year hasnt been all good for my family as a whole, he qualified. His father, who owns a five-acre coffee and pepper plantation was staring at losses because the Malnad region had poor rains. It did not rain at all, Sachin said. Hopefully next year the rains will be better and I will land a role in the movies, he added. The ravages of drought were clearly in evidence on the second day of my journey. As the bus hurtled from Shivamogga towards Harihar in Davanagere district, the landscape was a scene of yellowing paddy save the banks of the Bhadra and some rare areca nut plantations. A land that cultivated two cycles of paddy every year was down to just one. I met a young man named Vinay who runs a small eatery in a village called Gondi Chatnahalli in Shivamogga district. Ille malnadalli kaleda thinglalli eradu borewell kett hodvu (in our village, two borewells failed in the past month), he said. All the fields around his eatery are fallow. We have had one drought after another. Labourers will not be able to find work until the monsoon. All conversations I had on buses throughout the countryside beyond Bengaluru were down to money and water and the stories people told me about themselves were small personal joys such as that budding actor on the bus to Shivamogga who landed a role in a serial. Demonetisations privations were common enough, always leavened with the notion that this was deserved comeuppance for the rich and that these difficulties were just the penance for something good in the new year. Water was the more serious consideration. Travelling to Lingasugur in Raichur district, I met Shankar, the panchayat development officer of a gram panchayat. By now there was a marked difference in the Kannada we spoke. Money was not hana here, but rokka. He pointed to the fields by the road side and said farmers were reduced to falling back upon the moisture contained in the winter mist to cultivate crops such as tur dal. It was not until I get a view of the Krishna and the Bheema rivers in the north that the water narrative changed a bit. Along the banks of the Krishna, farmers were making the most of a river that is in a better condition than they have seen in the past few years thanks to heavy showers in Maharashtra in the last monsoon. But wait. I stopped to ask Suresh Hiremath, an agent of a pygmy deposit scheme in Jevargi, How was 2016? One of the worst I have had, he told me. Hemanth Kumar By Express News Service BENGALURU: Kannadigas living in the Gulf countries have turned up in huge numbers for the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas being held for the first time in Karnataka. But the mega show for strengthening the bonds with the Indian diaspora could mean nothing for them if state government fails to remove hurdles in strengthening their roots with their motherland. Non-Resident Kannadigas or people of Karnataka origin have a big presence in Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and other Gulf countries. But there is no direct flight from Bahrain to Bengaluru. Our repeated requests for direct connectivity with Bengaluru has not fructified so far. Our only connectivity is with Mangaluru, laments R Kiran Upadhyay, Generel Secretary of Bahrain Kannada Sangha. They have been meted out a raw deal in air fares too, Kiran feels, as he says there is about 15-20 per cent higher air fare for flights from Bahrain to Mangaluru compared to air fare from Bahrain to Kochi. We are keen to send our children to Karnataka or any other state for higher education. But we are faced with exorbitant fee structure as our children have to apply under the 15 per cent NRI quota. Not every NRI can afford to bear such a huge cost to educate their children. With hurdles like these in our path, how can you expect to strengthen the bonds with our motherland? asks Upadhyay. BENGALURU: Kannadigas living in the Gulf countries have turned up in huge numbers for the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas being held for the first time in Karnataka. But the mega show for strengthening the bonds with the Indian diaspora could mean nothing for them if state government fails to remove hurdles in strengthening their roots with their motherland. Non-Resident Kannadigas or people of Karnataka origin have a big presence in Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and other Gulf countries. But there is no direct flight from Bahrain to Bengaluru. Our repeated requests for direct connectivity with Bengaluru has not fructified so far. Our only connectivity is with Mangaluru, laments R Kiran Upadhyay, Generel Secretary of Bahrain Kannada Sangha. They have been meted out a raw deal in air fares too, Kiran feels, as he says there is about 15-20 per cent higher air fare for flights from Bahrain to Mangaluru compared to air fare from Bahrain to Kochi. We are keen to send our children to Karnataka or any other state for higher education. But we are faced with exorbitant fee structure as our children have to apply under the 15 per cent NRI quota. Not every NRI can afford to bear such a huge cost to educate their children. With hurdles like these in our path, how can you expect to strengthen the bonds with our motherland? asks Upadhyay. By Express News Service MYSURU: The Director of Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals and zoo authorities have ruled out re-opening of Mysuru zoo for public before February 2. Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University director S M Byregowda said they need one month to review the situation. Two samples must be sent with a gap of 15 days for suspected H1N8 tests as per the guidelines of Union government and Central Zoo Authority of India. The Zoo Authority of India would permit re-opening of zoo if both the tests are negative, he added. He said two consecutive samples should come negative, for the zoo to reopen. Byre Gowda feared that spread of H1N8 virus would pose a threat to poultry industry affecting the livelihood of thousands. Clarifying that the H1N8 is less pathogenic and would not effect human beings, he defended the closure of the zoo by the authorities who have deployed 68 rapid response teams that are actively working in Mysuru district and are collecting samples on a monthly basis to keep track of health of birds or suspected outbreak of bird flu. He recalled that the Delhi zoo had been closed for public for three months while Gwalior and Odisha zoos were shut for a month over the scare of H1N8. MYSURU: The Director of Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals and zoo authorities have ruled out re-opening of Mysuru zoo for public before February 2. Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University director S M Byregowda said they need one month to review the situation. Two samples must be sent with a gap of 15 days for suspected H1N8 tests as per the guidelines of Union government and Central Zoo Authority of India. The Zoo Authority of India would permit re-opening of zoo if both the tests are negative, he added. He said two consecutive samples should come negative, for the zoo to reopen. Byre Gowda feared that spread of H1N8 virus would pose a threat to poultry industry affecting the livelihood of thousands. Clarifying that the H1N8 is less pathogenic and would not effect human beings, he defended the closure of the zoo by the authorities who have deployed 68 rapid response teams that are actively working in Mysuru district and are collecting samples on a monthly basis to keep track of health of birds or suspected outbreak of bird flu. He recalled that the Delhi zoo had been closed for public for three months while Gwalior and Odisha zoos were shut for a month over the scare of H1N8. Hemant Kumar Rout By Express News Service We discover a feeling of a loss of El Dorado on board the Chakradharpur-Barbil-Puri Intercity Express chugging out of Barbil, the centre of Odishas mining hinterland that has gone quiet since a scam doused the boom in 2009. Its a pleasant Monday morning at Barbil, the first railway station in Odisha if one is travelling from Jharkhand down to Bhubaneswar via Keonjhar. My train is the 18415 Up Chakradharpur-Barbil-Puri Intercity Express. Its a familiar blue train, the railway grime deposited on its window sills, bars and awnings giving this the feel of a familiar Indian journey. There are only a handful of passengers on the platform, including a couple of teenagers. The youngsters are a surprise. This is not the backpack trail. Barbil is the heart of Odishas mine country. Its the centre of a hinterland that is reputed to have the fifth largest deposits of iron ore and manganese ore in the world. It used to be a major source of revenue for both the central and state governments. However, this morning, theres no evidence of boom town prosperity around the railway station. Barring a couple of tea stalls and betel leaf kiosks, theres nothing to buy or sell here. This has been the scene for the last few years since they cracked down on illegal mining in 2009, Biswamitra Giri tells me. Hes the quintessential railway man -- Grade-1 Fitter, he tells mm having been at this post for 32 years. Once upon a time, this station used to be crowded throughout the day since 18415 Up was the only train connecting Barbil with Odishas capital, Bhubaneswar. People from Jharkhand got off here to work in the mines. And local workers would board the train upto Bansapani and Sukinda Road to work in the ore processing plants. So where are they now? Then the mines were closed and thousands of them lost their jobs, Giri tells me. Trades that had flourished dwindled. His voice trails off in the manner of railway raconteurs finishing a sad story. The train enters the station and the Grade I Fitter moves on. He has work to do on the locomotive. You dont have to rush, he tells me. The train halts for 10 minutes and will not leave before 9.25 am. On the train, I chatted up a man in his mid-40s perhaps. He had come rushing as the train began to move -- at the very time decreed by Mr Giri -- carrying a blanket in the crook of his arm. He appeared to me a daily-wager. But really how can we tell? Turns out, hes a cook in the kitchen of a mining company. As is polite among Indian railway travelers, I did not ask his name before asking him what he did. Not much of crowd, I said, to break the ice. He took me up and told me the mining story that Mr Giri had already told me. Two of his mates had lost their jobs. We used to cook for 150-200 drivers, helpers and supervisors of a mining company. Now only 18 persons are having food in the mess. I cook three times a day and get Rs 7,000 per month with food. I was not thrown out because I am good with non-veg and biryani, said the man whose name I did not know. Earlier, he used to earn Rs 15,000 a month with tips from the guests. Now no guests ever come. After what I thought was a polite interval, I asked him his name. He said he was Mahendra Gope, a native of Dangoaposi. He was going back home to attend the final rites of a relative. The decline of a mining town is a good conversation ice-breaker, I discover. Bijay Ram, an autorickshaw driver, takes up the story. The number of businessmen frequenting the town has come down considerably. I am one of the worst hit, he says, his voice acquiring an emphasis. I used to ferry people from Keonjhar to Joda, Barbil and Balani but the business is gone. Bijay Ram earned earned Rs 11 lakh between 2005 and 2008. Sensing from my face the question how he had kept count, he explains, You may not believe it but it is a fact. One night I picked up a Jharkhand trader from Keonjhar and dropped at Balani. He gave me Rs 1,500. I used to earn at least Rs 25,000 a month. But now it is difficult to get Rs 5,000. That period was a golden era. And then the sad-tale diminuendo. The mood on the train changed after hundreds of passengers boarded the 18415 Up at Bansapani and Jurudi. By the time we arrived at Keonjhar, my compartment was fully packed. Most of the newcomers were headed towards Sukinda Road, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Wedged tight between two portly gentlemen, I could only converse with the passenger opposite me. This too was a mining story. The fifty-fivish man told me he was from Duburi in Jajpur district. He used to be what is called a helper of a truck before becoming the driver of a 12-wheeler that transported iron ore to Paradip Port. After the closure of the mines, he was unemployed for two years. Thanks to an official, I now drive a truck engaged by a PSU. He said his name is Dinabandhu Bindhani. And he added, But my son is jobless now. He too used to work in a mine. I looked around the packed compartment for a sense of the gloom. All around me I saw the familiar bustle of passengers making themselves as comfortable as the confines would allow, two sharing the seat of one, seat seekers squeezing past people in the aisles and sharing a quick lunch. Who among these were the ejects of a boom gone bust, the workers and managers and owners of dhabas, petrol pumps, spare-parts shops, repair workshops that used to be ancillary to a gold rush town? Barbils economy, I had learnt before boarding 18415 Up, went south after the Rs 68,000 crore mining scam was unearthed in 2009. It led to the closure of 200 mines. Over 25,000 trucks went off the roads. Hundreds of migrant workers from Jharkhand and Bihar fled. One of the young men who got on the train at Jurudi joined the conversation. He came here from Raipura in Banaras district of UP and grew to own a popular roadside eatery. It is now reduced to a make-shift tea and snacks stall on the Tiria bypass. It is now difficult to make Rs 150 a day. I cant go back home because I bought a house here, he said. His name was Manoj Jaiswal and he was 34 years old. I got off the train at Tiria and went in search of a hotel and found one not far from the rail tracks. As he signed me in, I asked the manager how business has been. Bookings have come down drastically, he began. There used to be 16 good hotels here, six have shut down. The rest are struggling to stay afloat. Getting 20 guests a month is a dream now. Here again is the story Ive been hearing all morning, I thought as I picked up the keys from Abhay Mohantys desk. We discover a feeling of a loss of El Dorado on board the Chakradharpur-Barbil-Puri Intercity Express chugging out of Barbil, the centre of Odishas mining hinterland that has gone quiet since a scam doused the boom in 2009. Its a pleasant Monday morning at Barbil, the first railway station in Odisha if one is travelling from Jharkhand down to Bhubaneswar via Keonjhar. My train is the 18415 Up Chakradharpur-Barbil-Puri Intercity Express. Its a familiar blue train, the railway grime deposited on its window sills, bars and awnings giving this the feel of a familiar Indian journey. There are only a handful of passengers on the platform, including a couple of teenagers. The youngsters are a surprise. This is not the backpack trail. Barbil is the heart of Odishas mine country. Its the centre of a hinterland that is reputed to have the fifth largest deposits of iron ore and manganese ore in the world. It used to be a major source of revenue for both the central and state governments. However, this morning, theres no evidence of boom town prosperity around the railway station. Barring a couple of tea stalls and betel leaf kiosks, theres nothing to buy or sell here. This has been the scene for the last few years since they cracked down on illegal mining in 2009, Biswamitra Giri tells me. Hes the quintessential railway man -- Grade-1 Fitter, he tells mm having been at this post for 32 years. Once upon a time, this station used to be crowded throughout the day since 18415 Up was the only train connecting Barbil with Odishas capital, Bhubaneswar. People from Jharkhand got off here to work in the mines. And local workers would board the train upto Bansapani and Sukinda Road to work in the ore processing plants. So where are they now? Then the mines were closed and thousands of them lost their jobs, Giri tells me. Trades that had flourished dwindled. His voice trails off in the manner of railway raconteurs finishing a sad story. The train enters the station and the Grade I Fitter moves on. He has work to do on the locomotive. You dont have to rush, he tells me. The train halts for 10 minutes and will not leave before 9.25 am. On the train, I chatted up a man in his mid-40s perhaps. He had come rushing as the train began to move -- at the very time decreed by Mr Giri -- carrying a blanket in the crook of his arm. He appeared to me a daily-wager. But really how can we tell? Turns out, hes a cook in the kitchen of a mining company. As is polite among Indian railway travelers, I did not ask his name before asking him what he did. Not much of crowd, I said, to break the ice. He took me up and told me the mining story that Mr Giri had already told me. Two of his mates had lost their jobs. We used to cook for 150-200 drivers, helpers and supervisors of a mining company. Now only 18 persons are having food in the mess. I cook three times a day and get Rs 7,000 per month with food. I was not thrown out because I am good with non-veg and biryani, said the man whose name I did not know. Earlier, he used to earn Rs 15,000 a month with tips from the guests. Now no guests ever come. After what I thought was a polite interval, I asked him his name. He said he was Mahendra Gope, a native of Dangoaposi. He was going back home to attend the final rites of a relative. The decline of a mining town is a good conversation ice-breaker, I discover. Bijay Ram, an autorickshaw driver, takes up the story. The number of businessmen frequenting the town has come down considerably. I am one of the worst hit, he says, his voice acquiring an emphasis. I used to ferry people from Keonjhar to Joda, Barbil and Balani but the business is gone. Bijay Ram earned earned Rs 11 lakh between 2005 and 2008. Sensing from my face the question how he had kept count, he explains, You may not believe it but it is a fact. One night I picked up a Jharkhand trader from Keonjhar and dropped at Balani. He gave me Rs 1,500. I used to earn at least Rs 25,000 a month. But now it is difficult to get Rs 5,000. That period was a golden era. And then the sad-tale diminuendo. The mood on the train changed after hundreds of passengers boarded the 18415 Up at Bansapani and Jurudi. By the time we arrived at Keonjhar, my compartment was fully packed. Most of the newcomers were headed towards Sukinda Road, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Wedged tight between two portly gentlemen, I could only converse with the passenger opposite me. This too was a mining story. The fifty-fivish man told me he was from Duburi in Jajpur district. He used to be what is called a helper of a truck before becoming the driver of a 12-wheeler that transported iron ore to Paradip Port. After the closure of the mines, he was unemployed for two years. Thanks to an official, I now drive a truck engaged by a PSU. He said his name is Dinabandhu Bindhani. And he added, But my son is jobless now. He too used to work in a mine. I looked around the packed compartment for a sense of the gloom. All around me I saw the familiar bustle of passengers making themselves as comfortable as the confines would allow, two sharing the seat of one, seat seekers squeezing past people in the aisles and sharing a quick lunch. Who among these were the ejects of a boom gone bust, the workers and managers and owners of dhabas, petrol pumps, spare-parts shops, repair workshops that used to be ancillary to a gold rush town? Barbils economy, I had learnt before boarding 18415 Up, went south after the Rs 68,000 crore mining scam was unearthed in 2009. It led to the closure of 200 mines. Over 25,000 trucks went off the roads. Hundreds of migrant workers from Jharkhand and Bihar fled. One of the young men who got on the train at Jurudi joined the conversation. He came here from Raipura in Banaras district of UP and grew to own a popular roadside eatery. It is now reduced to a make-shift tea and snacks stall on the Tiria bypass. It is now difficult to make Rs 150 a day. I cant go back home because I bought a house here, he said. His name was Manoj Jaiswal and he was 34 years old. I got off the train at Tiria and went in search of a hotel and found one not far from the rail tracks. As he signed me in, I asked the manager how business has been. Bookings have come down drastically, he began. There used to be 16 good hotels here, six have shut down. The rest are struggling to stay afloat. Getting 20 guests a month is a dream now. Here again is the story Ive been hearing all morning, I thought as I picked up the keys from Abhay Mohantys desk. By Express News Service ANGUL: A man carrying the body of his seven-year-old niece in Pallahara town of the district reminded people of Dana Majhi, who walked for 10 km with his wifes body on his shoulder. On Tuesday, a middle-aged man walking with body of a child in Pallahara drew the attention of the district administration which swung into action and terminated the contract of hospital manager of Pallahara Sub-Divisional Hospital and suspended security guard from service for not following Government guidelines. Rathi with body of his niece | Express Sources said Sima, the seven-year-old daughter of Gati Dhibar of Peachamundi village, 15 km from Pallahara town, was suffering from fever for nearly three days. As Simas condition deteriorated, her uncle Rathi, mother Padmini and grandmother Bijulai rushed her to the hospital at about 4.30 am on Tuesday. Though the doctors in the hospital immediately attended to Sima, she died two hours later. Rathis request for arranging conveyance to transport the body to their village went unheard by the hospital staff. With no option in sight and the girls father away from home, Rathi carried the body on his shoulder. After walking for a kilometre, some locals arranged a vehicle for the bereaved family. After learning about the incident, Collector Anil Kumar Samal had ordered an inquiry by Sub-Collector Tapan Kumar Satpathy. Acting on the report, the Collector took action. The Collector has also sought an explanation from Sub-Divisional Medical Officer Dr PC Mohanty in this connection. Meanwhile, the district administration has released Rs 2,000 to the family under Harishchandra Yojana and Rs 10,000 from district Red Cross Fund on the Collectors direction. Despite the direction of the district administration to dispose of bodies in a dignified manner after deaths in hospital, this was not followed in Pallahara, Samal said. The incident comes at a time when the image of Dana Majhi walking with the body of his wife for 10 km continues to haunt Odisha more than four months of the tragic incident. Though the State Government launched Mahaprayan scheme for dignified disposal of bodies after the Kalahandi incident, the scenario seems to have remained unchanged in smaller towns and cities. ANGUL: A man carrying the body of his seven-year-old niece in Pallahara town of the district reminded people of Dana Majhi, who walked for 10 km with his wifes body on his shoulder. On Tuesday, a middle-aged man walking with body of a child in Pallahara drew the attention of the district administration which swung into action and terminated the contract of hospital manager of Pallahara Sub-Divisional Hospital and suspended security guard from service for not following Government guidelines. Rathi with body of his niece | Express Sources said Sima, the seven-year-old daughter of Gati Dhibar of Peachamundi village, 15 km from Pallahara town, was suffering from fever for nearly three days. As Simas condition deteriorated, her uncle Rathi, mother Padmini and grandmother Bijulai rushed her to the hospital at about 4.30 am on Tuesday. Though the doctors in the hospital immediately attended to Sima, she died two hours later. Rathis request for arranging conveyance to transport the body to their village went unheard by the hospital staff. With no option in sight and the girls father away from home, Rathi carried the body on his shoulder. After walking for a kilometre, some locals arranged a vehicle for the bereaved family. After learning about the incident, Collector Anil Kumar Samal had ordered an inquiry by Sub-Collector Tapan Kumar Satpathy. Acting on the report, the Collector took action. The Collector has also sought an explanation from Sub-Divisional Medical Officer Dr PC Mohanty in this connection. Meanwhile, the district administration has released Rs 2,000 to the family under Harishchandra Yojana and Rs 10,000 from district Red Cross Fund on the Collectors direction. Despite the direction of the district administration to dispose of bodies in a dignified manner after deaths in hospital, this was not followed in Pallahara, Samal said. The incident comes at a time when the image of Dana Majhi walking with the body of his wife for 10 km continues to haunt Odisha more than four months of the tragic incident. Though the State Government launched Mahaprayan scheme for dignified disposal of bodies after the Kalahandi incident, the scenario seems to have remained unchanged in smaller towns and cities. By Express News Service CUTTACK: Villagers of Subarnapur under Banki police limits on Saturday caught hold of one of the two miscreants who were trying to flee on their motorcycle after looting `17,000 from a vehicle which was parked in front of Odisha Gramya Bank near the village. Later, they handed him over to the police. Sources said Minaketan Behera of Subarnapur, who had withdrawn the cash from State Bank of India, Banki branch, parked his motorcycle in front of Odisha Gramya Bank at Subarnapur and went to a nearby shop. Meanwhile, the miscreants who were following him on a motorcycle reached there and one of them took out the money breaking the MC box of the vehicle. Locals tried to intercept them by throwing stones at them. As a result, one of the miscreants with cash fell down and the locals nabbed him. Later, they handed him over to police who admitted the miscreant at Banki sub-divisional hospital. The injured thief has been identified as Ahul Ashis (27) of Aska in Ganjam district. Search is on to nab the other accused, police said. CUTTACK: Villagers of Subarnapur under Banki police limits on Saturday caught hold of one of the two miscreants who were trying to flee on their motorcycle after looting `17,000 from a vehicle which was parked in front of Odisha Gramya Bank near the village. Later, they handed him over to the police. Sources said Minaketan Behera of Subarnapur, who had withdrawn the cash from State Bank of India, Banki branch, parked his motorcycle in front of Odisha Gramya Bank at Subarnapur and went to a nearby shop. Meanwhile, the miscreants who were following him on a motorcycle reached there and one of them took out the money breaking the MC box of the vehicle. Locals tried to intercept them by throwing stones at them. As a result, one of the miscreants with cash fell down and the locals nabbed him. Later, they handed him over to police who admitted the miscreant at Banki sub-divisional hospital. The injured thief has been identified as Ahul Ashis (27) of Aska in Ganjam district. Search is on to nab the other accused, police said. By IANS OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington. Instead of going to Washington to participate in the ceremony, Trudeau will be on a tour in Canada, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday. Instead of Trudeau, the Canadian government will send a top-level delegation from Ottawa to attend the ceremony, Efe news reported. The Canada tour will also prevent Trudeau from attending the Davos World Economic Forum, which takes place every year in Switzerland. OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington. Instead of going to Washington to participate in the ceremony, Trudeau will be on a tour in Canada, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday. Instead of Trudeau, the Canadian government will send a top-level delegation from Ottawa to attend the ceremony, Efe news reported. The Canada tour will also prevent Trudeau from attending the Davos World Economic Forum, which takes place every year in Switzerland. Express News Service COLOMBO: In the midst of rioting against the Sino-Sri Lankan deal over the Hambantota port, China on Saturday categorically stated that it is committed to executing its projects in the island despite hostile propaganda by the local opposition parties. Speaking at the launch of the China-backed Southern Economic Development Zone in the southern port town of Hambantota, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said that no negative force can stop Chinas development assistance to Sri Lanka, and no one can stop the strong friendship between the two countries. This is a great opportunity for Sri Lanka, as more than 50 Chinese investors are interested in investing in the Southern Development Project. If everything goes well, at least US$ 5 billion might be invested in the next three to five years, providing 100,000 jobs to Sri Lankans, Yi said. Sri Lanka is the most friendly country for China, which is why it has been Chinas highest priority to invest in Sri Lanka, he added. In 2014, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Sri Lanka, we decided to make Sri Lanka our first priority for investments. Then in 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena visited China and we confirmed and decided to support each other. Last April, Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe visited China. It is quite clear that the Chinese President and Prime Minister reached a consensus. Now, China will join Sri Lanka to help it establish its basic industrial system, Yi said. According to the envoy, the Southern Development Zone would be the most important economic activity for Sri Lanka, its government and the people of Hambanota. Sri Lanka is not a small country but a great country with a 20 million population. Its a a big country with big potential. That is why today we have gathered here and I stand here to share with you my feelings. I will do my best to help develop Sri Lanka, Yi said. He assured that all Chinese projects would follow the Environmental Impact Assessment and also the laws of Sri Lanka. This is my promise and a promise from all Chinese business people. We will respect decisions made by the Sri Lankan government and people. We will corporate with you, government ministers and the people, to make this area, within the next 30 years, a developed area, Yi said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked China for showing interest in investing US$ 5 billion in the next 3 to 5 years and said this would pave way for Sri Lanka to be a developed nation. No one can stop us from establishing a new Sri Lanka for the benefit of the youth. Like Malaysia, Singapore, and China, we will also be a developed country, the Prime Minister said. Protesters throw stones Protesters against the controversial Chinese projects in Sri Lanka, who were egged on by loyalists of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, were dispersed by police using water cannons. Clashes erupted after protesters pelted stones at the area where the ceremony was being held. Sri Lanka has allocated 15,000 acres for Chinese investments in South Sri Lanka and will give an 80 percent stake in the Hambantota Port to China Merchants Port Holdings in a debt equity swap as Sri Lanka finds itself unable to pay the total debt of US$ 1.4 billion dollars incurred in building the port. But the opposition and the media describe this as a sell out of national strategic asset. But the Sri Lankan government has blamed former President Mahinda Rajapakse for taking hefty loans to build the Hambantota Port, highways and Mattala Airport during the previous regime, without any repayment plans. The debt-equity swap is being touted as an FDI which is better than being indebted. COLOMBO: In the midst of rioting against the Sino-Sri Lankan deal over the Hambantota port, China on Saturday categorically stated that it is committed to executing its projects in the island despite hostile propaganda by the local opposition parties. Speaking at the launch of the China-backed Southern Economic Development Zone in the southern port town of Hambantota, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said that no negative force can stop Chinas development assistance to Sri Lanka, and no one can stop the strong friendship between the two countries. This is a great opportunity for Sri Lanka, as more than 50 Chinese investors are interested in investing in the Southern Development Project. If everything goes well, at least US$ 5 billion might be invested in the next three to five years, providing 100,000 jobs to Sri Lankans, Yi said. Sri Lanka is the most friendly country for China, which is why it has been Chinas highest priority to invest in Sri Lanka, he added. In 2014, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Sri Lanka, we decided to make Sri Lanka our first priority for investments. Then in 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena visited China and we confirmed and decided to support each other. Last April, Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe visited China. It is quite clear that the Chinese President and Prime Minister reached a consensus. Now, China will join Sri Lanka to help it establish its basic industrial system, Yi said. According to the envoy, the Southern Development Zone would be the most important economic activity for Sri Lanka, its government and the people of Hambanota. Sri Lanka is not a small country but a great country with a 20 million population. Its a a big country with big potential. That is why today we have gathered here and I stand here to share with you my feelings. I will do my best to help develop Sri Lanka, Yi said. He assured that all Chinese projects would follow the Environmental Impact Assessment and also the laws of Sri Lanka. This is my promise and a promise from all Chinese business people. We will respect decisions made by the Sri Lankan government and people. We will corporate with you, government ministers and the people, to make this area, within the next 30 years, a developed area, Yi said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked China for showing interest in investing US$ 5 billion in the next 3 to 5 years and said this would pave way for Sri Lanka to be a developed nation. No one can stop us from establishing a new Sri Lanka for the benefit of the youth. Like Malaysia, Singapore, and China, we will also be a developed country, the Prime Minister said. Protesters throw stones Protesters against the controversial Chinese projects in Sri Lanka, who were egged on by loyalists of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, were dispersed by police using water cannons. Clashes erupted after protesters pelted stones at the area where the ceremony was being held. Sri Lanka has allocated 15,000 acres for Chinese investments in South Sri Lanka and will give an 80 percent stake in the Hambantota Port to China Merchants Port Holdings in a debt equity swap as Sri Lanka finds itself unable to pay the total debt of US$ 1.4 billion dollars incurred in building the port. But the opposition and the media describe this as a sell out of national strategic asset. But the Sri Lankan government has blamed former President Mahinda Rajapakse for taking hefty loans to build the Hambantota Port, highways and Mattala Airport during the previous regime, without any repayment plans. The debt-equity swap is being touted as an FDI which is better than being indebted. By AFP FLORIDA: Florida's Fort Lauderdale International Airport was open again Saturday after a shooting rampage by an Iraq war veteran that killed five people, wounded eight, and sent thousands scrambling for safety. Police identified the suspect as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who was in custody and being questioned by the FBI over the shooting that shut down the airport, a major gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America. Santiago, who earlier complained that the CIA was forcing him to watch Islamic State jihadist videos, allegedly opened fire randomly with a semi-automatic handgun Friday shortly before 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2. The Fort Lauderdale airport announced at 5:00 am (1000 GMT) Saturday via Twitter that they were again open for business, but urged passengers to check with their airlines. Witness John Schlicher told Fox News that he was picking up his first bag as he "heard the first shot. As I did, the person right next to me fell to the ground... It was very surreal." The shooter "was holding a handgun. He was firing into the crowd. Everyone was standing there waiting for the luggage," he said. Santiago had traveled from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale, with a stopover in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the special agent in charge of Miami's FBI field office, George Piro, told reporters late Friday. "We're looking at several investigative leads not only in Alaska but other states that we have determined that he's either traveled to or has connections there," Piro said. The suspect had a gun inside his checked luggage, after declaring the weapon with airport authorities, and then used it in the shooting rampage, law enforcement sources told US media. Santiago was detained without law enforcement firing any shots, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters. Piro said authorities were "looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle," but that it would take time to determine the nature of the attack. 'Lone shooter' In November, Santiago had walked into the FBI's Anchorage office exhibiting "erratic behavior" that led agents to contact local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. Santiago claimed he was being forced to fight for the Islamic State group and that the CIA was controlling his mind to make him watch IS videos, several US outlets reported, citing unnamed law enforcement officials. Santiago, who was born in New Jersey and raised in Puerto Rico, is a former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard. He served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011, and ended his service in August. Santiago only reached the rank of private first class and was given a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance, ABC News reported. An aunt, Maria Luisa Ruiz, told the NorthJersey.com news site that Santiago became a father to a baby boy in September -- and that he was having mental problems. "Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind," Ruiz said. "He said he saw things." She added: "My family and I are in shock right now... It's sad but we have to confront the situation." FBI agents later interviewed Ruiz, CNN reported. Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that the gunman "was a lone shooter, and we have no evidence at this time that he was acting with anyone else." Run and hide In addition to those killed and wounded, up to 40 people went to the hospital for various other injuries such as falling and sprains, Israel said. US President Barack Obama expressed "how heartbroken we are for the families who've been affected" during excerpts of an interview with ABC News. Florida Governor Rick Scott, who rushed to the airport to be briefed, told reporters that those responsible would be "held accountable to the full extent of the law." Scott said that he had contacted President-elect Donald Trump, who said that he was "monitoring the terrible situation in Florida." "Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" Trump tweeted. Airport personnel were also busy in the complicated task of returning nearly 20,000 pieces of luggage and other personal items abandoned by passengers fleeing at the time of the shooting, officials said. FLORIDA: Florida's Fort Lauderdale International Airport was open again Saturday after a shooting rampage by an Iraq war veteran that killed five people, wounded eight, and sent thousands scrambling for safety. Police identified the suspect as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who was in custody and being questioned by the FBI over the shooting that shut down the airport, a major gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America. Santiago, who earlier complained that the CIA was forcing him to watch Islamic State jihadist videos, allegedly opened fire randomly with a semi-automatic handgun Friday shortly before 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2. The Fort Lauderdale airport announced at 5:00 am (1000 GMT) Saturday via Twitter that they were again open for business, but urged passengers to check with their airlines. Witness John Schlicher told Fox News that he was picking up his first bag as he "heard the first shot. As I did, the person right next to me fell to the ground... It was very surreal." The shooter "was holding a handgun. He was firing into the crowd. Everyone was standing there waiting for the luggage," he said. Santiago had traveled from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale, with a stopover in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the special agent in charge of Miami's FBI field office, George Piro, told reporters late Friday. "We're looking at several investigative leads not only in Alaska but other states that we have determined that he's either traveled to or has connections there," Piro said. The suspect had a gun inside his checked luggage, after declaring the weapon with airport authorities, and then used it in the shooting rampage, law enforcement sources told US media. Santiago was detained without law enforcement firing any shots, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters. Piro said authorities were "looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle," but that it would take time to determine the nature of the attack. 'Lone shooter' In November, Santiago had walked into the FBI's Anchorage office exhibiting "erratic behavior" that led agents to contact local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. Santiago claimed he was being forced to fight for the Islamic State group and that the CIA was controlling his mind to make him watch IS videos, several US outlets reported, citing unnamed law enforcement officials. Santiago, who was born in New Jersey and raised in Puerto Rico, is a former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard. He served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011, and ended his service in August. Santiago only reached the rank of private first class and was given a general discharge for unsatisfactory performance, ABC News reported. An aunt, Maria Luisa Ruiz, told the NorthJersey.com news site that Santiago became a father to a baby boy in September -- and that he was having mental problems. "Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind," Ruiz said. "He said he saw things." She added: "My family and I are in shock right now... It's sad but we have to confront the situation." FBI agents later interviewed Ruiz, CNN reported. Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that the gunman "was a lone shooter, and we have no evidence at this time that he was acting with anyone else." Run and hide In addition to those killed and wounded, up to 40 people went to the hospital for various other injuries such as falling and sprains, Israel said. US President Barack Obama expressed "how heartbroken we are for the families who've been affected" during excerpts of an interview with ABC News. Florida Governor Rick Scott, who rushed to the airport to be briefed, told reporters that those responsible would be "held accountable to the full extent of the law." Scott said that he had contacted President-elect Donald Trump, who said that he was "monitoring the terrible situation in Florida." "Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" Trump tweeted. Airport personnel were also busy in the complicated task of returning nearly 20,000 pieces of luggage and other personal items abandoned by passengers fleeing at the time of the shooting, officials said. Express News Service COLOMBO: Negotiations between India and Sri Lanka on an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) hit the hard road at an officials-level meeting held here on January 4 and 5. Informed sources told Express that the Sri Lankan side was pressing the Indians to make certain concessions explicitly to enable it sell the pact to the Sri Lankan masses who tend to imagine that ETCA would be a rank give away to the Big Brother across the Palk Strait. The Indian side resisted these moves on the grounds that trade pacts are too serious, too far reaching and wide-ranging in their impact to be tailored to suit short-term political requirements. However, the Sri Lankan side had good reasons to pursue a political goal. Even as the talks were on in the city, posters against ETCA, describing it as aggression, appeared in parts of Central Colombo. At any rate the Sinhalese language slogan ETCA EPA (No to ETCA) has caught the imagination of the people. With the opposition, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, backing the anti-ETCA campaign, the pact is expected to be an issue in the forthcoming local bodies and provincial elections scheduled for June-July and September respectively, unless it is tailored to suit the electoral agenda of the ruling coalition. But tailoring it to an electoral agenda might mean Indias giving in to Sri Lanka in ways which could adversely affect the interests of its own private sector. This aspect has to be borne in mind as the primary driving force in the liberalized Indian economy is the private sector. There were differences over priorities. The Sri Lankan side lay great stress on correcting the flaws or removing the irritants in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which became operational in 2000. The Sri Lankan side has been seeking the removal of a plethora of Non Tariff Barriers (NBTs) which impede the entry of Sri Lankan goods into the Indian market. Sri Lankans feel that if the NTBs are not there, the trade gap would not be as big as it is now. But the Indians have had difficulty in removing many of the NTBs. Or, as the Sri Lankans allege, they have been tardy and reluctant. At any rate, Indians think that pegging the signing of ETCA to removing the flaws in the FTA is neither warranted nor practical because the two are different kettles of fish. FTA is about trade in goods while ETCA is about investment, services and economic cooperation. It is to be a re-designed reincarnation of the now abandoned Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CEPA). At official level trade talks, the minutiae tend to get a lot of attention. Discussions take place over every sentence and paragraph and the order in which they are written. It is said that the Sri Lankans wanted some things to be stated not only in the introductory statement but also in the main body of the agreement as a clause which the Indians resisted. Above all, there were differences over the time period to end the negotiations and sign the pact. Not having been able to sign it by December 2016 to time with the second anniversary of the Sirisena regime, the Sri Lankans wanted the talks to be wrapped up fast by mid 2017 before the local bodies and provincial elections. But the Indians would not be hustled as trade talks are complicated affairs and take years to conclude internationally. India was not averse to holding meetings often, say once in a month, but it was against rushing through as both sides have vital interests to be safeguarded or pursued. As the Indian Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her visit to Colombo last year, both India and Sri Lanka have concerns, interests and issues to address, and that India is not in favor having a strict timeframe to wrap up the talks. While no date was fixed for the next round of talks, it is likely that the next round could be held in February. COLOMBO: Negotiations between India and Sri Lanka on an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) hit the hard road at an officials-level meeting held here on January 4 and 5. Informed sources told Express that the Sri Lankan side was pressing the Indians to make certain concessions explicitly to enable it sell the pact to the Sri Lankan masses who tend to imagine that ETCA would be a rank give away to the Big Brother across the Palk Strait. The Indian side resisted these moves on the grounds that trade pacts are too serious, too far reaching and wide-ranging in their impact to be tailored to suit short-term political requirements. However, the Sri Lankan side had good reasons to pursue a political goal. Even as the talks were on in the city, posters against ETCA, describing it as aggression, appeared in parts of Central Colombo. At any rate the Sinhalese language slogan ETCA EPA (No to ETCA) has caught the imagination of the people. With the opposition, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, backing the anti-ETCA campaign, the pact is expected to be an issue in the forthcoming local bodies and provincial elections scheduled for June-July and September respectively, unless it is tailored to suit the electoral agenda of the ruling coalition. But tailoring it to an electoral agenda might mean Indias giving in to Sri Lanka in ways which could adversely affect the interests of its own private sector. This aspect has to be borne in mind as the primary driving force in the liberalized Indian economy is the private sector. There were differences over priorities. The Sri Lankan side lay great stress on correcting the flaws or removing the irritants in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which became operational in 2000. The Sri Lankan side has been seeking the removal of a plethora of Non Tariff Barriers (NBTs) which impede the entry of Sri Lankan goods into the Indian market. Sri Lankans feel that if the NTBs are not there, the trade gap would not be as big as it is now. But the Indians have had difficulty in removing many of the NTBs. Or, as the Sri Lankans allege, they have been tardy and reluctant. At any rate, Indians think that pegging the signing of ETCA to removing the flaws in the FTA is neither warranted nor practical because the two are different kettles of fish. FTA is about trade in goods while ETCA is about investment, services and economic cooperation. It is to be a re-designed reincarnation of the now abandoned Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CEPA). At official level trade talks, the minutiae tend to get a lot of attention. Discussions take place over every sentence and paragraph and the order in which they are written. It is said that the Sri Lankans wanted some things to be stated not only in the introductory statement but also in the main body of the agreement as a clause which the Indians resisted. Above all, there were differences over the time period to end the negotiations and sign the pact. Not having been able to sign it by December 2016 to time with the second anniversary of the Sirisena regime, the Sri Lankans wanted the talks to be wrapped up fast by mid 2017 before the local bodies and provincial elections. But the Indians would not be hustled as trade talks are complicated affairs and take years to conclude internationally. India was not averse to holding meetings often, say once in a month, but it was against rushing through as both sides have vital interests to be safeguarded or pursued. As the Indian Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her visit to Colombo last year, both India and Sri Lanka have concerns, interests and issues to address, and that India is not in favor having a strict timeframe to wrap up the talks. While no date was fixed for the next round of talks, it is likely that the next round could be held in February. By AFP WASHINGTON: NASA is sending an African-American astronaut to the International Space Station for the first time. The traveller is Jeanette Epps, a physics and science whiz who used to work for the CIA as a technical intelligence officer. Epps will head to the ISS as a flight engineer in 2018. Her commander will be Andrew Feustel, a veteran astronaut. "Each space station crew brings something different to the table, and Drew and Jeanette both have a lot to offer," said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The space station will benefit from having them on board," said Cassidy. A dozen or so African-American astronauts have travelled on US space shuttle missions but Epps will be the first African American on the space station. She was selected in July 2009 as one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. Her training included Russian language, so as to be able to talk to cosmonauts on the ISS. Epps holds a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland. WASHINGTON: NASA is sending an African-American astronaut to the International Space Station for the first time. The traveller is Jeanette Epps, a physics and science whiz who used to work for the CIA as a technical intelligence officer. Epps will head to the ISS as a flight engineer in 2018. Her commander will be Andrew Feustel, a veteran astronaut. "Each space station crew brings something different to the table, and Drew and Jeanette both have a lot to offer," said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The space station will benefit from having them on board," said Cassidy. A dozen or so African-American astronauts have travelled on US space shuttle missions but Epps will be the first African American on the space station. She was selected in July 2009 as one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. Her training included Russian language, so as to be able to talk to cosmonauts on the ISS. Epps holds a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland. By AFP FORT LAUDERDALE: The Latest on the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport (all times local): 7:45 p.m. A law enforcement official says the Florida airport gunman told the FBI in November that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The official says agents in Anchorage completed their interview with 26-year-old Esteban Santiago and called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The FBI's Anchorage field office said in a statement that it was aware Santiago was an Anchorage resident and that it was assisting in the investigation, but it declined to comment further. __ 6:45 p.m. An authority says the suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport flew out of Anchorage, Alaska. Jesse Davis is chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. He told The Associated Press that 26-year-old Esteban Santiago flew out of Anchorage, Alaska, on a 9:52 p.m. Delta flight Thursday, and that a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. He says Santiago flew from Anchorage to Minneapolis-St. Paul and on to Fort Lauderdale. Davis said Santiago didn't call attention to himself and "as far as we can tell" traveled alone, but he said the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are trying to track Santiago's movements through Alaska's largest commercial airport using video footage. Davis noted that it's not usual for travelers at the Alaska airport to check firearms because many people hunt. ___ 5:45 p.m. A military spokeswoman says the suspect in a deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard last year for unsatisfactory performance. Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead did not release details about 26-year-old Esteban Santiago's discharge in August 2016. Olmstead said that he joined the Guard in November 2014. Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen said that Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla. Olmstead also said that Santiago had served in the Army Reserves prior to joining the Alaska Army National Guard. __ 5:45 p.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport and is asking people to pray for the families of those slain and wounded in a mass shooting at a baggage claim area. Scott said Friday during a news conference that he had reached out and spoken several times to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and they promised to help with whatever resources the state needs. Trump doesn't officially take over the White until later this month, so it's not clear what sort of federal resources he could authorize. Scott, a Republican like Trump and Pence, said he didn't call President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and he hadn't spoken with him. White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price says Obama was briefed about the shooting and will be kept updated. Scott did not answer questions about gun rights, instead saying it was not the time to be political. ___ 5:30 p.m. The brother of the man who has been tentatively named as the suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport says the suspect had been receiving psychological treatment while living in Alaska. Bryan Santiago tells The Associated Press that his family got a call in recent months from 26-year-old Esteban Santiago's girlfriend alerting them to the situation. Bryan Santiago said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the phone. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico when he was 2 years old. He said Esteban Santiago grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas and served with the island's National Guard for a couple of years. Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen said that Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that the gunman was carrying a military ID that identified him as Esteban Santiago, but that it was unclear whether the ID was his. Nelson gave no further information on the suspect. ___ 5 p.m. A spokeswoman from the Canadian Embassy says the suspect in the shooting at the international airport in Fort Lauderdale has no connection to the country and did not fly to Florida from there. Embassy spokeswoman Christine Constantin said in an email to The Associated Press that the suspect did not travel from Canada and was not on an Air Canada flight. She says the suspect has no connection to Canada. The shooting happened at the airport's terminal 2, where Air Canada and Delta operate flights. Five were killed and eight wounded. Constantin's email says, "We understand from officials he was on a flight originating in Anchorage, transiting through Minneapolis and landing in Ft. Lauderdale." ___ 3:35 p.m. A county official says the Fort Lauderdale airport shooter pulled a gun out of a checked bag, loaded in a bathroom and started shooting, killing five people and wounding at least eight. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner, was briefed on the airport shooting by Broward Sheriff's office. He told The Associated Press by phone that the shooter was a passenger on a Canadian flight and had checked a gun. LaMarca says the shooter pulled out the gun in the bathroom after claiming his bag. Sheriff Scott Israel says the gunman was not harmed and that law enforcement did not fire any shots. He says it is not yet known if the shooting was an act of terror. Israel also says there was nothing to substantiate reports of a second shooting at the airport. ___ 3:15 p.m. A passenger says he heard the first gunshots as he picked up his luggage from a baggage claim carousel in a shooting at a Florida airport that left five dead and eight wounded. John Schilcher told Fox News the person next to him fell to the ground Friday. He says other people started falling, and he then dropped to the ground with his wife and mother-in-law. Schilcher says "the firing just went on and on." He says the shooter emptied his weapon and reloaded during an eerily quiet lull in the gunfire. Schilcher says he didn't assume it was safe until he saw a police officer standing over him at the Fort Lauderdale international airport. He says he remained on the ground and was told not to move as authorities investigated unconfirmed reports of a second shooting. ___ 3 p.m. Officials say there have been unconfirmed reports of additional shots fired at the international airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a gunman killed five people and wounded eight there. On Friday afternoon, the Broward County sheriff's office said on its Twitter account: "Active search: Unconfirmed reports of addt'l shots fired on airport property." Earlier in the afternoon, the shooting stopped all traffic at the airport. Passengers were evacuated from the terminal 2 baggage claim area. Passengers returned to the airport as officials said the lone gunman was in custody. But TV reports showed some passengers evacuating again, several looking panicked and ducking behind cars or hiding. Witness Judah Fernandez told CNN he heard what he believes were the first shots, re-entered the airport, but then rushed out again shortly later to the tarmac. He said: "Everyone's running now." He said both security officials and passengers were running. ___ 2:50 p.m. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says the Fort Lauderdale airport gunman was carrying a military ID with the name Esteban Santiago, though it's not clear if it belonged to him or to someone else. Nelson did not spell the name for reporters during a news conference Friday. Nelson says the baggage claim area is a "soft target." The airport had initially reported an "incident" in the baggage claim area. Authorities say five people were killed and eight wounded in the shooting. Nelson says a motive still hasn't been determined. ___ 2:30 p.m. Authorities say five people were killed and eight were wounded after a lone suspect opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, international airport. The Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted the information following Friday afternoon's shooting. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that authorities "have an active crime scene investigation involving terminal 2." News stations showed video of medics taking care of a bleeding victim outside the airport. Helicopters hovering over the scene showed hundreds of people standing on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by and numerous law enforcement officers, including tactical units, rushed to the scene. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that he was at the airport when shots were fired and "everyone is running." ___ 1:50 p.m. Authorities say multiple people have died after a lone suspect opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, international airport. The Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted the information following Friday afternoon's shooting. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that authorities "have an active crime scene investigation involving terminal 2." Miami area television stations reported that at least six people were shot. News stations showed video of medics taking care of a bleeding victim outside the airport. News helicopters hovering over the scene showed hundreds of people standing on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by and numerous law enforcement officers, including tactical units, rushed to the scene. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that he was at the airport when shots were fired and "everyone is running." FORT LAUDERDALE: The Latest on the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport (all times local): 7:45 p.m. A law enforcement official says the Florida airport gunman told the FBI in November that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The official says agents in Anchorage completed their interview with 26-year-old Esteban Santiago and called the police, who took him for a mental health evaluation. The FBI's Anchorage field office said in a statement that it was aware Santiago was an Anchorage resident and that it was assisting in the investigation, but it declined to comment further. __ 6:45 p.m. An authority says the suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport flew out of Anchorage, Alaska. Jesse Davis is chief of police at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. He told The Associated Press that 26-year-old Esteban Santiago flew out of Anchorage, Alaska, on a 9:52 p.m. Delta flight Thursday, and that a firearm was his only piece of checked luggage. He says Santiago flew from Anchorage to Minneapolis-St. Paul and on to Fort Lauderdale. Davis said Santiago didn't call attention to himself and "as far as we can tell" traveled alone, but he said the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are trying to track Santiago's movements through Alaska's largest commercial airport using video footage. Davis noted that it's not usual for travelers at the Alaska airport to check firearms because many people hunt. ___ 5:45 p.m. A military spokeswoman says the suspect in a deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard last year for unsatisfactory performance. Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead did not release details about 26-year-old Esteban Santiago's discharge in August 2016. Olmstead said that he joined the Guard in November 2014. Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen said that Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla. Olmstead also said that Santiago had served in the Army Reserves prior to joining the Alaska Army National Guard. __ 5:45 p.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport and is asking people to pray for the families of those slain and wounded in a mass shooting at a baggage claim area. Scott said Friday during a news conference that he had reached out and spoken several times to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and they promised to help with whatever resources the state needs. Trump doesn't officially take over the White until later this month, so it's not clear what sort of federal resources he could authorize. Scott, a Republican like Trump and Pence, said he didn't call President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and he hadn't spoken with him. White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price says Obama was briefed about the shooting and will be kept updated. Scott did not answer questions about gun rights, instead saying it was not the time to be political. ___ 5:30 p.m. The brother of the man who has been tentatively named as the suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport says the suspect had been receiving psychological treatment while living in Alaska. Bryan Santiago tells The Associated Press that his family got a call in recent months from 26-year-old Esteban Santiago's girlfriend alerting them to the situation. Bryan Santiago said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the phone. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico when he was 2 years old. He said Esteban Santiago grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas and served with the island's National Guard for a couple of years. Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen said that Santiago was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, the 1013th engineer company out of Aguadilla. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that the gunman was carrying a military ID that identified him as Esteban Santiago, but that it was unclear whether the ID was his. Nelson gave no further information on the suspect. ___ 5 p.m. A spokeswoman from the Canadian Embassy says the suspect in the shooting at the international airport in Fort Lauderdale has no connection to the country and did not fly to Florida from there. Embassy spokeswoman Christine Constantin said in an email to The Associated Press that the suspect did not travel from Canada and was not on an Air Canada flight. She says the suspect has no connection to Canada. The shooting happened at the airport's terminal 2, where Air Canada and Delta operate flights. Five were killed and eight wounded. Constantin's email says, "We understand from officials he was on a flight originating in Anchorage, transiting through Minneapolis and landing in Ft. Lauderdale." ___ 3:35 p.m. A county official says the Fort Lauderdale airport shooter pulled a gun out of a checked bag, loaded in a bathroom and started shooting, killing five people and wounding at least eight. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner, was briefed on the airport shooting by Broward Sheriff's office. He told The Associated Press by phone that the shooter was a passenger on a Canadian flight and had checked a gun. LaMarca says the shooter pulled out the gun in the bathroom after claiming his bag. Sheriff Scott Israel says the gunman was not harmed and that law enforcement did not fire any shots. He says it is not yet known if the shooting was an act of terror. Israel also says there was nothing to substantiate reports of a second shooting at the airport. ___ 3:15 p.m. A passenger says he heard the first gunshots as he picked up his luggage from a baggage claim carousel in a shooting at a Florida airport that left five dead and eight wounded. John Schilcher told Fox News the person next to him fell to the ground Friday. He says other people started falling, and he then dropped to the ground with his wife and mother-in-law. Schilcher says "the firing just went on and on." He says the shooter emptied his weapon and reloaded during an eerily quiet lull in the gunfire. Schilcher says he didn't assume it was safe until he saw a police officer standing over him at the Fort Lauderdale international airport. He says he remained on the ground and was told not to move as authorities investigated unconfirmed reports of a second shooting. ___ 3 p.m. Officials say there have been unconfirmed reports of additional shots fired at the international airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a gunman killed five people and wounded eight there. On Friday afternoon, the Broward County sheriff's office said on its Twitter account: "Active search: Unconfirmed reports of addt'l shots fired on airport property." Earlier in the afternoon, the shooting stopped all traffic at the airport. Passengers were evacuated from the terminal 2 baggage claim area. Passengers returned to the airport as officials said the lone gunman was in custody. But TV reports showed some passengers evacuating again, several looking panicked and ducking behind cars or hiding. Witness Judah Fernandez told CNN he heard what he believes were the first shots, re-entered the airport, but then rushed out again shortly later to the tarmac. He said: "Everyone's running now." He said both security officials and passengers were running. ___ 2:50 p.m. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says the Fort Lauderdale airport gunman was carrying a military ID with the name Esteban Santiago, though it's not clear if it belonged to him or to someone else. Nelson did not spell the name for reporters during a news conference Friday. Nelson says the baggage claim area is a "soft target." The airport had initially reported an "incident" in the baggage claim area. Authorities say five people were killed and eight wounded in the shooting. Nelson says a motive still hasn't been determined. ___ 2:30 p.m. Authorities say five people were killed and eight were wounded after a lone suspect opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, international airport. The Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted the information following Friday afternoon's shooting. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that authorities "have an active crime scene investigation involving terminal 2." News stations showed video of medics taking care of a bleeding victim outside the airport. Helicopters hovering over the scene showed hundreds of people standing on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by and numerous law enforcement officers, including tactical units, rushed to the scene. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that he was at the airport when shots were fired and "everyone is running." ___ 1:50 p.m. Authorities say multiple people have died after a lone suspect opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, international airport. The Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted the information following Friday afternoon's shooting. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that authorities "have an active crime scene investigation involving terminal 2." Miami area television stations reported that at least six people were shot. News stations showed video of medics taking care of a bleeding victim outside the airport. News helicopters hovering over the scene showed hundreds of people standing on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by and numerous law enforcement officers, including tactical units, rushed to the scene. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that he was at the airport when shots were fired and "everyone is running." By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will wind up its special military courts from today, two years after they were set up for speedy trial of hardcore militants following the deadly Taliban attack on an army school that killed nearly 150 children. The courts were established through an amendment in the Constitution after the horrendous attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The move generated heated debate as the courts were billed by rights activists as violation of basic human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the country and international charters. However, they were allowed to function after the Supreme Court upheld as valid the 21st constitutional amendment and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2015, enacted by Parliament in 2015. The amendment ensured that the courts will end after two years through insertion of the "sunset clause". There was no formal statement either from the government or the military announcing the end of the extraordinary powers for trial of civilians by the military, as they are deemed to end after a fixed time period of two years. The first convictions under the military court were in April, 2015 and the last ones were pronounced on December 28, 2016. The courts were given 275 cases during two-year and they sentenced 161 terrorists to death, whereas another 116 were given varying jail terms, mostly life sentences. Only 12 convicts have been executed so far, according to the army. The trials resulted in convictions, imprisonment of and death sentences against terrorists belonging to al-Qaeda, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Jamaatul Ahrar, Toheedwal Jihad Group, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi Al-Alami, Lashkar-i-Islami, and Sipah-i-Sahaba. The perpetrators of the Peshawar school attack were among the militants hanged after conviction in the military courts. The terrorism cases which were sent to military courts from now onward will be heard in the anti-terrorism courts already functional in the country. The special court system ended after another anti-terror law known as Protection of Pakistan Act expired last year. It allowed for detention of militants for 90 days without permission of the courts. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will wind up its special military courts from today, two years after they were set up for speedy trial of hardcore militants following the deadly Taliban attack on an army school that killed nearly 150 children. The courts were established through an amendment in the Constitution after the horrendous attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The move generated heated debate as the courts were billed by rights activists as violation of basic human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the country and international charters. However, they were allowed to function after the Supreme Court upheld as valid the 21st constitutional amendment and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2015, enacted by Parliament in 2015. The amendment ensured that the courts will end after two years through insertion of the "sunset clause". There was no formal statement either from the government or the military announcing the end of the extraordinary powers for trial of civilians by the military, as they are deemed to end after a fixed time period of two years. The first convictions under the military court were in April, 2015 and the last ones were pronounced on December 28, 2016. The courts were given 275 cases during two-year and they sentenced 161 terrorists to death, whereas another 116 were given varying jail terms, mostly life sentences. Only 12 convicts have been executed so far, according to the army. The trials resulted in convictions, imprisonment of and death sentences against terrorists belonging to al-Qaeda, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Jamaatul Ahrar, Toheedwal Jihad Group, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi Al-Alami, Lashkar-i-Islami, and Sipah-i-Sahaba. The perpetrators of the Peshawar school attack were among the militants hanged after conviction in the military courts. The terrorism cases which were sent to military courts from now onward will be heard in the anti-terrorism courts already functional in the country. The special court system ended after another anti-terror law known as Protection of Pakistan Act expired last year. It allowed for detention of militants for 90 days without permission of the courts. By AFP TAIPEI: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan's Central American allies, Tsai's US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation that she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. - Seeking to meet Congress members - Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office and the foreign ministry declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. Deputy foreign minister Javier Hou told a legislative committee last month the ministry was seeking to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to the Central News Agency. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador -- among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. It is also an opportunity to interact with leaders of other countries "to show the international community that Taiwan is a competent and responsible partner," Tsai told reporters Saturday before her departure. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwan's highest-profile supporter, but the Holy See's recently improving relations with Beijing are casting doubt over ties with the island. Analyst Liao said Beijing would continue to woo the island's allies as a pressure tactic on Tsai, who refuses to acknowledge the concept that there is only "one China". Taiwan's defence ministry has declined to comment on speculation that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait on its return journey after its first exercise in the Pacific. The ministry is "monitoring at all times" the position of the Liaoning, spokesman Chen Chung-chi said. The vessel and five other warships passed south of the island outside Taiwan's air defence identification zone last month, before heading to the South China Sea. TAIPEI: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan's Central American allies, Tsai's US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation that she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. - Seeking to meet Congress members - Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office and the foreign ministry declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. Deputy foreign minister Javier Hou told a legislative committee last month the ministry was seeking to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to the Central News Agency. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador -- among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. It is also an opportunity to interact with leaders of other countries "to show the international community that Taiwan is a competent and responsible partner," Tsai told reporters Saturday before her departure. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwan's highest-profile supporter, but the Holy See's recently improving relations with Beijing are casting doubt over ties with the island. Analyst Liao said Beijing would continue to woo the island's allies as a pressure tactic on Tsai, who refuses to acknowledge the concept that there is only "one China". Taiwan's defence ministry has declined to comment on speculation that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait on its return journey after its first exercise in the Pacific. The ministry is "monitoring at all times" the position of the Liaoning, spokesman Chen Chung-chi said. The vessel and five other warships passed south of the island outside Taiwan's air defence identification zone last month, before heading to the South China Sea. By Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE: An Army veteran who landed at the Fort Lauderdale airport with a gun in his checked luggage opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight before throwing his weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, authorities and witnesses said. The gunman identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance was immediately taken into custody. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. "We don't know a motive at this point," said Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism." One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others crouched behind cars or anything else they could find to shield themselves as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. The airport was shut down. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. In 2013, a gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agency's screeners and wounded three others during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. Last November, an airline worker was shot and killed near an employee parking lot at Oklahoma City's airport, and in 2015 a machete-wielding man was shot to death after he attacked federal security officers at the New Orleans airport. "While we have authorized doubling the number of TSA canine teams to try to prevent tragedies like this, the fact is that wherever there are crowds, such as at our airports, we remain vulnerable to these types of attacks," Nelson said. In the Fort Lauderdale attack, Lea said the gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding." The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. "He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him," Lea said. Sheriff Scott Israel said five people were killed and eight were wounded. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, and was being questioned by the FBI, the sheriff said. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. Fort Lauderdale-bound flights already in the air were delayed or diverted, and those that had yet to take off from the airport were held on the ground, as police and paramedics rushed in. At least one person appeared to be lying in a pool of blood with a head wound. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told The Associated Press that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the telephone. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. At the Fort Lauderdale airport, John Schilcher told Fox News said he came up to the baggage claim and heard the first gunshot as he picked up his bag off a carousel. "The person next to me fell to the ground and then I started hearing other pops. And as this happened, other people started falling and you could hear it and smell it, and people on either side of me were going down and I just dropped to the ground," said Schilcher, who was there with his wife and mother-in-law. "The firing just went on and on." "I was down on the floor. When we finally looked up there was a policeman standing over me," he said. "That's when I assumed it was safe." FORT LAUDERDALE: An Army veteran who landed at the Fort Lauderdale airport with a gun in his checked luggage opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight before throwing his weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, authorities and witnesses said. The gunman identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance was immediately taken into custody. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. "We don't know a motive at this point," said Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism." One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others crouched behind cars or anything else they could find to shield themselves as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. The airport was shut down. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. In 2013, a gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agency's screeners and wounded three others during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. Last November, an airline worker was shot and killed near an employee parking lot at Oklahoma City's airport, and in 2015 a machete-wielding man was shot to death after he attacked federal security officers at the New Orleans airport. "While we have authorized doubling the number of TSA canine teams to try to prevent tragedies like this, the fact is that wherever there are crowds, such as at our airports, we remain vulnerable to these types of attacks," Nelson said. In the Fort Lauderdale attack, Lea said the gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding." The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. "He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him," Lea said. Sheriff Scott Israel said five people were killed and eight were wounded. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, and was being questioned by the FBI, the sheriff said. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. Fort Lauderdale-bound flights already in the air were delayed or diverted, and those that had yet to take off from the airport were held on the ground, as police and paramedics rushed in. At least one person appeared to be lying in a pool of blood with a head wound. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told The Associated Press that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it over the telephone. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. At the Fort Lauderdale airport, John Schilcher told Fox News said he came up to the baggage claim and heard the first gunshot as he picked up his bag off a carousel. "The person next to me fell to the ground and then I started hearing other pops. And as this happened, other people started falling and you could hear it and smell it, and people on either side of me were going down and I just dropped to the ground," said Schilcher, who was there with his wife and mother-in-law. "The firing just went on and on." "I was down on the floor. When we finally looked up there was a policeman standing over me," he said. "That's when I assumed it was safe." By AFP WASHINGTON D.C: President-elect Donald Trump condemned Russia critics on Saturday, calling those who oppose better relations with Moscow "stupid" people and "fools" in his latest Twitter tirade. His attack comes a day after the Republican president-elect met the country's leading intelligence agency chiefs -- including the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and CIA chief John Brennan -- who told him that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a vast cyberattack and leaking campaign aimed at helping install Trump in the White House. "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing," he tweeted on Saturday. "Only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" "When I am President," he added, "Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" But the formal announcement of former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Trump's pick for US director of national intelligence, also on Saturday, may go at least a little toward reassuring those critical of Trump's praise for Putin and desire to improve relations with Moscow. A mild-mannered former ambassador to Germany who also served on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Coats, 73, has been a vocal critic of Russia's annexation of Crimea. He was widely tipped for the job coordinating 16 intelligence and security agencies -- a position Trump may slim down. "Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community," Trump said in a statement. "If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm." - Trump accuses Democrats - After their meeting with Trump on Friday about findings that undermine the legitimacy of his election, intelligence officials released a declassified report describing an unprecedented Russian cyberattack as part of an ongoing effort to subvert American democratic institutions. Although Trump accepted the possibility that Moscow was involved in hacking US targets including the Democratic National Committee, the president-elect held fast to his rejection of the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election. He told the New York Times before the meeting that the accusations are part of a "political witch-hunt" against him. He blamed Democrats for the hacking, accusing the Democratic National Committee of "gross negligence" in another series of tweets on Saturday. "Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed!" Trump, who has ridiculed the country's intelligence agencies, repeated his view that the findings show "absolutely no evidence" any hacking affected the election results. "Voting machines not touched!" Moscow denies the hacking accusations. On Saturday, a top Russian lawmaker accused US President Barack Obama's administration of undermining US democracy instead. "The Democratic process in the United States is undermined not by Russia, but by the Obama administration and the media which supported (Democratic nominee Hillary) Clinton against Trump, Alexei Pushkov, former parliamentary foreign relations committee chairman, tweeted." The threat to democracy is the United States." - Blacklisted by Moscow - Coats -- who served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1989 to 1999, and then from 2011 to the end of his term on Tuesday -- was one of six US legislators and three White House aides blacklisted by Moscow in 2014 in reprisal for US sanctions placed on the country for its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. The former senator, who had advocated tough sanctions against Moscow, has called the ban an honor. He was US ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005 under the George W. Bush administration, and served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as economy-related committees during the past six years. He welcomed his nomination on Saturday. "There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen," he said in a statement. His nomination must pass Senate confirmation. Created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the DNI oversees coordination between disparate agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and others, acting as the president's principal adviser on their work. US media reported earlier this week that Trump's transition team is working on a plan to scale down the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. However, the incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has called the reports "false." WASHINGTON D.C: President-elect Donald Trump condemned Russia critics on Saturday, calling those who oppose better relations with Moscow "stupid" people and "fools" in his latest Twitter tirade. His attack comes a day after the Republican president-elect met the country's leading intelligence agency chiefs -- including the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and CIA chief John Brennan -- who told him that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a vast cyberattack and leaking campaign aimed at helping install Trump in the White House. "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing," he tweeted on Saturday. "Only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" "When I am President," he added, "Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" But the formal announcement of former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Trump's pick for US director of national intelligence, also on Saturday, may go at least a little toward reassuring those critical of Trump's praise for Putin and desire to improve relations with Moscow. A mild-mannered former ambassador to Germany who also served on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Coats, 73, has been a vocal critic of Russia's annexation of Crimea. He was widely tipped for the job coordinating 16 intelligence and security agencies -- a position Trump may slim down. "Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community," Trump said in a statement. "If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm." - Trump accuses Democrats - After their meeting with Trump on Friday about findings that undermine the legitimacy of his election, intelligence officials released a declassified report describing an unprecedented Russian cyberattack as part of an ongoing effort to subvert American democratic institutions. Although Trump accepted the possibility that Moscow was involved in hacking US targets including the Democratic National Committee, the president-elect held fast to his rejection of the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election. He told the New York Times before the meeting that the accusations are part of a "political witch-hunt" against him. He blamed Democrats for the hacking, accusing the Democratic National Committee of "gross negligence" in another series of tweets on Saturday. "Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed!" Trump, who has ridiculed the country's intelligence agencies, repeated his view that the findings show "absolutely no evidence" any hacking affected the election results. "Voting machines not touched!" Moscow denies the hacking accusations. On Saturday, a top Russian lawmaker accused US President Barack Obama's administration of undermining US democracy instead. "The Democratic process in the United States is undermined not by Russia, but by the Obama administration and the media which supported (Democratic nominee Hillary) Clinton against Trump, Alexei Pushkov, former parliamentary foreign relations committee chairman, tweeted." The threat to democracy is the United States." - Blacklisted by Moscow - Coats -- who served as a Republican senator from Indiana from 1989 to 1999, and then from 2011 to the end of his term on Tuesday -- was one of six US legislators and three White House aides blacklisted by Moscow in 2014 in reprisal for US sanctions placed on the country for its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. The former senator, who had advocated tough sanctions against Moscow, has called the ban an honor. He was US ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005 under the George W. Bush administration, and served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as economy-related committees during the past six years. He welcomed his nomination on Saturday. "There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen," he said in a statement. His nomination must pass Senate confirmation. Created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the DNI oversees coordination between disparate agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and others, acting as the president's principal adviser on their work. US media reported earlier this week that Trump's transition team is working on a plan to scale down the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. However, the incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has called the reports "false." Sorry, that page not found! Please visit our Home Page for latest updates Not cash crunch, Assam Congress leaders face security cover crunch: Seeks Union Home Minister intervention Guwahati, Jan 6 : : Not cash crunch, Assam Congress leaders now faced security cover crunch. (Posted on 06 January 2017, 1667561759 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 06 January 2017, 1667561759 173O212O198O32) After Union home ministry withdrawn NSG security cover to former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the BJP led Assam government had recently withdrawn security cover of at least 150 congress leaders of the state.Following the security cover crunch, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday had expressed their angers against the saffron party.After NSG security cover withdrawn of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the state government had withdrawn security cover of several Congress leaders of the state, APCC president and Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora said.The state Congress unit sent a memorandum to the Union home minister through the Assam governor and urged to restore the security cover.In the memorandum sent to the Union home minister, the state Congress unit said that, Tarun Gogoi had headed the helm of affairs of the state for 15 years at a stretch and was largely successful in containing militancy and insurgency in the state, but at the cost of rendering his life immediately vulnerable at the hands of such militant elements still active in Assam.Gogoi is out of the office of Chief Minister only 7 months back. During such short period, his threat perception never can come to such a point where it is fit for withdrawal of his NSG security cover. The Union home ministry so far not withdrawn the years long NSG coverage to some other former Chief Ministers of different states including former Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, said in the memorandum.The Assam Congress unit also submitted a memorandum to the Assam governor in various issues including eviction drives in Kaziranga, Bardowa, Mayong, Sipajhar and Barkhetri and demanded governors intervention to stop the on-going eviction drive to avoid disintegration of the social fabric on the lines of religious and linguistic divide.(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) NRIs can deposit demonetised bank notes till 30 June 2017: MEA New Delhi , Jan. 6 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday announced that Non Resident Indians can now deposit demonetised notes of Rupees 500 and 1000 till 30 June 2017. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561760 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/bank-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561760 173O212O198O32) The MEA further announced that all Indian citizens who were outside India from 9th November 2016 to 30th December 2016 can also tender the old notes at the specified Issue Offices of RBI until 31 March 2017."Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance, Government of India through a gazette notification S.O. 4251(E) dated 30 December 2016, in exercise of the powers conferred by relevant provisions of the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance 2016, has announced that this facility would be available to all Indian citizens who were outside India from 9 November 2016 to 30 December 2016, to tender these SBNs at the specified Issue Offices of RBI until 31 March 2017. For those citizens of India, who are not resident in India, this facility would be available till 30th June 2017 in order to allow them adequate time to plan a visit as per their convenience," the statement read.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. With temperatures dropping, asylum-seekers on Greek islands need to be moved to the mainland - UN refugee agency New York, Jan 6 : Drawing attention to situation of hundreds of asylum-seekers on the Greek Aegean islands, facing further vulnerability as temperatures are expected to drop in the coming days, the United Nations refugee agency underlined the urgent need to accelerate their transfer to the mainland. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561227 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561227 173O212O198O32) According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), transfers of asylum-seekers from the islands to the mainland are allowed only after people have completed a registration process or in cases of particular vulnerability.Slowness in registration or identifying vulnerable individuals and, previously, a shortage of suitable spaces on the mainland have been factors delaying moves, Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for UNHCR told the media at a regular bi-weekly briefing in Geneva on Friday.Among other things this has contributed to serious overcrowding of facilities built for far fewer people, and increased protection risks, he added.The situation is particularly concerning on the islands of Samos, Chios and Lesvos.The UN agency and its partners have distributed thermal blankets, sleeping bags, winter protection kits and heating fuel, installed electric heaters and insulation, and set up heated Rubb halls large, relocatable tent-like structures often used in situations of emergency.[However] its clear that people would be better off on the mainland and should be moved there more quickly and in larger numbers, noted the UNHCR spokesperson.He further explained that over the Christmas to New Year period in 2016, the agency completed winter preparations for all sites assigned to it by Greek authorities and is finishing additional infrastructure upgrades elsewhere.In total it has created some 21,000 accommodation places in apartments, with host families, or in other buildings. 700 places have been also found for unaccompanied children in dedicated structures.Urgency of relocating asylum-seekers to other countriesAlso at the briefing on Friday, the UN refugee agency reminded European Union (EU) countries of the continued need to help resolve the situation in Greece through relocating asylum-seekers to other countries.It noted that as of 4 January, only 7,760 asylum-seekers had left Greece or were scheduled to leave under the EU Relocation Mechanism agreed in late 2015.This represents around 12 per cent of the 66,400 agreed and is unacceptably low, said Edwards, adding:UNHCR appeals to EU Member states to respect their previous commitments and offer additional spaces without further delay.Photo: UNICEF/Tomislav GeorgievSource: www.justearthnews.com PM Modi to address BJP's national executive meet today New Delhi, Jan 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday is scheduled to address the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)'s national executive meeting, which is underway for the second day. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561228 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561228 173O212O198O32) The executive is being held at NDMC convention centre here.On the first day, the meet was attended by senior party leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah among others.Shah on Friday addressed the party office-bearers.Delivering his speech, Shah said demonetisation and surgical strikes are two historic decisions taken by the Modi government. Google pays tribute to Sandford Fleming on his 190th birthday New Delhi, Jan 7 : Popular search Google on Saturday paid tribute to Scottish Canadian engineer and inventor Sandford Fleming on his 190th birthday with a doodle. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561229 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561229 173O212O198O32) The Doodle depicts Sandfords legacy as an inventor of worldwide standard time and his contributions in engineering Intercolonial Railway as well as the Canadian Pacific Railway.Sanford proposed worldwide standard time zones, designed Canadas first postage stamp, left a huge body of surveying and map making, engineered much of the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway.He was a founding member of the Royal Society of Canada and founder of the Royal Canadian Institute, a science organization in Toronto. Web portal for religious services launched in India New Delhi, Jan 7 : VedicBrahman.com, a web portal to cater to the religious services, has recently been launched to address the need for genuine practitioners of vedic rituals. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561230 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561230 173O212O198O32) With the aim to providing people seeking such services, a doorstep service of certified Vedic Brahmans from the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi) with secured payment gateway is being offered.Around 70 highly experienced Vedic Brahmans are onboard with them who are thoroughly trained to perform all the rituals and Yagyas from birth ceremony to Shraddha.Broadly, the services have been divided under 9 categories.Home and Griha Pravesh Puja;Commercial Puja, Kids and New Born Babies, Wedding and Engagement Puja, Festival Puja Devta Puja, Paath, Homa/Havan Puja, Astronomical Navgrah Puja.According to the Founder and CEO, Piyush K Srivastav: We are living in the age where a lot of things are compromised, our devotion towards the almighty shouldnt be one of them. Not just our food but most of things around us have become junk and that is why people are looking for Organic Lifestyle. VedicBrahman.com separates junk from the real.Now, the first objective was to bring the actual Vedic Brahman and their actual seekers on one platform. Second, was to make this possible within the comfort of your home, office or commercial establishment. So, the eportal was launched wherein the payment and bookings can be convenient. Though not known before, the PMs demonitisation drive shall also make people to use digitised services. Further, VedicBrahman.com shall make people aware and re-connect with our Vedic Science and help them get the maximum value, added Piyush.The portal aims to reconnect users with Vedic Sciences. It will also spread information on various other aspects of vedic culture. UN secretary general to play role of 'honest broker' between India, Pakistan: Maleeha Lodhi Washington D.C. [United States], Jan. 7 : Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi has said that the new United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has agreed to play the role of an honest broker to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561231 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561231 173O212O198O32) Lodhi, in an interview to Geo News on Saturday after her meeting with the UN secretary general, said that Pakistan welcomed the decision of the UN secretary general.She said the UN secretary general appreciated Islamabad's war against terrorism, adding that Pakistan is one of three biggest countries helping the UN in its peace missions.Pakistan had announced on Friday that it has submitted a dossier to the new United Nations' Secretary General over Indian interference in Islamabad, which was aimed at "destabilising" the nation.Lodhi had delivered the dossier on India's "interference and terrorism" in Pakistan, along with a letter from Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz."The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015," read a statement on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government of Pakistan website. J and K CM Mehbooba Mufti pays homage to father and former CM on his first death anniversary Srinagar, Jan 7 : Chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, on Saturday, visited her father and former state chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's grave to offer prayers on his first death anniversary, according to media reports. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561234 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561234 173O212O198O32) Meanwhile, The Hindu, on Friday reported that the late chief minister is likely to be honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, the highest category of Padma or civilian honours given away on Republic Day.The late CM had struck an alliance with the BJP to form a government in the state after the 2015 elections yielded a fractured mandate and his daughter continued with the alliance, media reported.Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was twice chief minister of JK, the first time between 2002 and 2005 and the second time between March 2015 and January 2016.Image: AIRNews Twitter Declassified US intelligence reports points to Russian cyber campaign to sabotage US Presidential election Washington, Jan 7 : President of Russia, Putin 'sought to help Trump win election', the US Intelligence said in a declassified report released on Friday, according to media sources. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561234 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561234 173O212O198O32) Russia carried out a comprehensive cyber campaign to sabotage the US presidential election, an operation that was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and ultimately sought to help elect Donald Trump, according to US intelligence agencies, reported the Chicago Tribune.The report released to the public is an abbreviated version of a highly classified multi-agency assessment requested by President Barack Obama, it said.The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said, that the report Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections is a declassified version of a highly classified assessment that has been provided to the President [Barack Obama] and to recipients approved by the President.Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, media reported quoting the intelligence report.The report said, Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscows longstanding desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order, but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effortcompared to previous operations.We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trumps election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgment. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgment; NSA has moderate confidence.Moscows approach evolved over the course of the campaign based on Russias understanding of the electoral prospects of the two main candidates. When it appeared to Moscow that Secretary Clinton was likely to win the election, the Russian influence campaign began to focus more on undermining her future presidency.Further information has come to light since Election Day that, when combined with Russian behavior since early November 2016, increases our confidence in our assessments of Russian motivations and goals.Image: Wikimedia Commons Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister pays homage to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Srinagar, Jan 7 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, along with her party-men and family members, on Saturday visited her father's grave in Bijbehara area of Anantnag in south Kashmir to offer prayers and commemorate the first death anniversary of Former CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561235 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561235 173O212O198O32) Mehbooba drove to Anantnag along with several cabinet ministers and family members to offer prayers and also put flowers on his fathers grave.Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died on this day last year due to multiple organ failure at AIIMS hospital in New Delhi.Peoples Democratic Party marked his death anniversary across parts of the Valley.However, due to heavy snowfall many programs were called off.To commemorate the first death anniversary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) founder and former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a function is being organised at Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Stadium Srinagar today, said party a communiqu.There have been reports that the late leader, who also served as a union minister in early 90s will be posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan award on this Republic Day eve.(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri. Image: PDP website) CSIR lab develops the most advanced reading machine for visually challenged By N.B. Nair, Chandigarh [India], Jan.7 : Good news for visually challenged persons this New Year - tens of thousands of them can get the most advanced reading machine, at an affordable cost. The machine would bring to an end dependence on others to read and learn. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561235 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/technology-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561235 173O212O198O32) Chandigarh-based Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO), under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed a reading machine for visually challenged, the most advanced so far. The sleek scanner named "Divya Nayan" scans any script and read it aloud for visually challenged to understand.The portable device is based on the principle of contact scanning of a printed document and converting it into speech."The device is standalone, portable, completely wireless and uses open source hardware and software. The device can analyse a multicolumn document and provide seamless reading," Principal Scientist at CSIO Dr. Ashish Gaurav was quoted by the Indian Science Journal."It is capable of page, text and word level navigation while reading," he added.Currently it supports Hindi and English languages. Progressively it will be programmed for other Indian and foreign languages. "It is one of the fast track projects to be translated into a product. We could achieve this within a year. The device has been enabled for other vernacular languages besides Hindi. We can also program the speed of reading the text as desired by the readers," said Dr RK Sinha, Director of CSIO.'Divya Nayan' has an internal storage of 32 GB with run time of upto 3 hours and weighs 410 grams. The device is equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth interface that helps to connect with Internet. It also can be connected to a monitor and use as a mini computer with screen reader utility.The device's trial was run at the Institute for the Blind, a voluntary body in Chandigarh. "We have taken the feedback from the visually challenged and factored it according to their needs," said Dr. Ashish Gaurav.Dr. Gaurav said, once commercially manufactured, the reader would be affordable to every common visually challenged person.India has a population of 15 million visually challenged, of the 39 million across the world, who have long been unable to access printed documents like books, newspaper, magazines, etc. Braille is the primary source of reading for such people. But converting text into Braille is time consuming, and thus limits their access. Divya Nayan would bridge the gap of available technology for visually challenged. Uttarakhand: Tourists frolic in snow but residents in trouble after heavily snowfall Dehradun, (Uttarakhand), , Jan. 7 : The heavy rains and subsequent snowfall in Uttarakhand have definitely brightened the mood of tourists who were waiting for the weather to take a flurry turn, but it has also made daily life an uphill task for the locals who are facing the herculean task of battling blocked roads and frequent power cuts. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561237 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561237 173O212O198O32) Most of the roads have been blocked, electricity supply is hampered and the sudden climatic change has put a dent in normal life.Director of regional Met department, Vikram Singh referring to the climatic change on Saturday said that in hilly regions temperature will be in minus and rainfall along with snowfall will also be experienced."The western disturbance seemed to approach around January 6 and this time it is strong and active. Because of that for the next two days in most of the places in the state there will be snowfall with rain and its intensity will also increase simultaneously. Since last night itself, the weather started to change in Uttarakhand," Singh said.The rainfall is said to continue for the next 24 hours. Those places which are above 2000 meters will experience snowfall while in other places rainfall is to be noticed.Internal districts such as Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Bageshwar may experience heavy snowfall in some parts, especially those places which are at a height of 3, 000 metres and above, statement by Singh read.Entire state has been experiencing drastic climatic change. It is said to slow down by tomorrow noon. Last year there wasn't enough rainfall in the region, which was for recorded as 16 mm. The average rainfall has gone up to 90 mm."As you can see our agricultural is mostly depended on the rainfall only, and because of last year's rainfall most of the processes were not carried out further. But this rainfall will benefit the farmers in compensating the previous year's loss. This rainfall was favorable for them," Singh added. Modi thanks Portugese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as his nation supported for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council New Delhi, Jan 7 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday thanked Portugese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as his nation supported for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561238 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561238 173O212O198O32) I thanked PM @antoniocostapm for Portugals consistent support for Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council, the Prime Minister said.{image_1}Partnership being forged between Start-up Portugal and Start-up India will help us in our mutual quest to innovate and progress, Modi said.{image_2}He said India and Portugal have built a modern bilateral partnership on the foundation of a shared historical connect.{image_3}Costa is currently visitng India.{image_4} Akhilesh Yadav is the 'real' SP: Ram Gopal Yadav New Delhi , Jan. 7 : Submitting notarized affidavits of support of over 200 MLAs and MLCs to the Election Commission in a massive show of strength, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's close aide and uncle Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday asserted that the party symbol of the Cycle should be allotted to them- the 'real' Samajwadi Party. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561239 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667561239 173O212O198O32) Speaking to the media after submitting the documents, Yadav said that seven cartons worth of documents had been submitted to the Election Commission."We have done what is needed on our part, now the future course of action will be decided by the Election Commission. We have taken seven cartons filled with documents and submitted. The Election Commission had given time till 9th January but we have finished all formalities before time," he said.Asserting that prime facie the 'real' SP is that which is led by Akhilesh, Yadav said that it their right to claim the party cycle symbol."This is an overwhelming majority as more than 90 percent majority is with Akhilesh. We have asked the Election Commission to recognise Akhilesh Yadav's party as the real Samajwadi Party," Yadav added.Copies of the notarised affidavits have also been sent to Mulayam Yadav.Polls will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh on February 11 (73 constituencies), February 15 (67), February 19 (69), February 23 (53), February 27 (52), March 3 (49) and March 8 (40).The Election Commission had demanded that for either Mulayam Singh Yadav or Akhilesh Yadav to claim the party along with its iconic symbol the 'cycle', each side would have to prove the number of MLAs, MPs and MLCs supporting them through signed affidavits by January 9.Yesterday, Shivpal Yadav today, met with Akhilesh Yadav at his residence on 5, Kalidas Marg today in a bid to forge some kind of truce between the two sides who are showing no signs of backing down.The months-long feud within Samajwadi party's Yadav family hit a high note when last week Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years.However, the young Yadav was soon re-inducted by party workers as the Samajwadi Party president. We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. Football media poll: Rogers, Middletown move up ahead of postseason As we head into the opening week of the postseason, Aquidneck Island teams have to be feeling pretty good. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy with gusty winds. High around 75F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Windy with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Higher wind gusts possible. More people are dying from eating disorders than any other psychiatric disorder, and one Cornell College professor has discovered a way to help women by significantly reducing eating disorder symptoms in those who are struggling. Professor of Psychology Melinda Green and her team recently examined 47 women in Eastern Iowa who suffered from eating disorder symptoms, recruiting women through social media, fliers posted in practitioners' offices, local schools, and announcements in local media. The researchers used what's called a dissonance-based eating disorder program. "Our intervention encourages women to criticize media messages which teach women and girls that we must be thin to be considered beautiful," said Green. "We also teach women and girls how to combat societal messages which teach us to define our worth in terms of our appearances." The results from the four-week program reveal the importance of this type of treatment to help women. "Women who took part in the program showed fewer eating disorder symptoms. Women also showed lower levels of anxiety and fewer negative emotions," Green said. "Women showed higher self-esteem and greater satisfaction with their bodies. They were less likely to idealize a thin body-type and less likely to define their self worth in terms of their appearance. They were also less likely to show several cardiac risk factors associated with eating disorders." Green has worked for nearly a decade to research eating disorders. In her work, she has discovered a connection between eating disorders and cardiac risks, identifying markers of cardiac risk which worsen with eating disorder symptoms and improve with treatment. Her research has important implications for learning how to prevent and treat cardiac-related deaths in eating disorder patients. The results of this new study go even further to improve treatment and prevention options. "Our work has a direct impact on the lives of women in Eastern Iowa since the program improves the lives of women who are struggling," Green said. "On a national and an international level, our results help to inform the best practices in eating disorder treatment and prevention. We are working alongside leading scientists across the world to improve this treatment and prevention paradigm to make it as effective as possible." The psychology professor is currently conducting a treatment and prevention study and plans to pursue funding for another project to begin in the summer of 2017 to continue to refine this program. She consistently works with undergraduate students at Cornell College, who are involved in all phases of the research from revising the treatment programs to co-authoring manuscripts. The Cornell College professor is also putting her own work into practice as she treats patients through a new online eating disorder prevention and treatment program. Green is working with Tanager Place in nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to continue her work. The group is currently fundraising to create a new, much-needed eating disorder treatment center for patients. What if you could design an adaptable, biomaterials-based model of an organ to track its immune response to any number of maladies, including cancer, transplant rejection and the Zika virus? The lab of Ankur Singh, assistant professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has asked - and begun to answer - that very question. Singh and a team of researchers from the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a modular immune organoid that can replicate the anatomical structures found within lymph nodes. The organoid mimics the early stages of a germinal center, where B cell differentiation and initiation of immunological responses take place during infection. By manipulating the components of the organoid, the researchers are able to dictate the action of the immune-cell response and demonstrate, for the first time in a controlled manner, the role of the lymph node's environment in immune cell activation. And as opposed to two-dimensional models, the 3-D organoid enables much quicker and more plentiful replication of B cells, which are antibody-producing lymphocytes. "This method presents the first lab-made 3-D immune tissue that allows you to change things found in immune organs once you get infected - the altered extracellular matrix, cell-cell interactions - and control the pace at which immune cell respond," Singh said. Their paper, "Modular immune organoids with integrin ligand specificity differentially regulate ex vivo B cell activation," was published Dec. 13 in the American Chemical Society journal Biomaterials Science & Engineering. Co-lead authors were doctoral students Alberto Purwada and Shivem B. Shah of the Meinig School. Also contributing were Dr. Ari Melnick, the Gebroe Family Professor of Hematology/Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Wendy Beguelin, an instructor in the Melnick Lab. A related paper, "Immuno-engineered organoids for regulating the kinetics of B-cell development and antibody production," was published Dec. 22 in Nature Protocols, a journal geared to bench researchers. Singh and Purwada authored that work. Germinal centers (GCs) are dynamic structures within lymphoid tissues that develop once B cells receive activation signals from surrounding immune cells in the presence of infection. During the GC process, naive B cells (unexposed to antigens) differentiate into a specific immune marker (GL7) and then rearrange into high-affinity B cell receptors, but the underlying mechanisms of this progression aren't understood. Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Gaining a full understanding of those mechanisms, through the use of a "plug-and-play" system like the organoid that can be tailored to a specific disease, could provide better understanding of B cell biology and responses to a wide range of maladies, including cancer, asthma, arthritis and transplant rejection, along with faster responses to emerging infections such as H1N1 and Zika. "Up to now, we have not been able to study the earliest steps of malignant transformation of cells in the immune system," said Melnick, who is also a member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Now we can design experiments that will give us unprecedented understanding of how these tumors form, which will in turn provide critical insights into how to treat these diseases." Singh says the organoid - in either a synthetic polyethylene glycol or semi-synthetic gelatin-based platform - offers a quick and robust method for mimicking the GC microenvironment. That eliminates the need to implant the model inside a living creature. "It's living tissue that allows you to model certain parameters that you cannot do in vivo," said Singh, who last week was selected to receive the top young investigator award from the Society for Biomaterials. Singh said his group published its findings in Nature Protocols because they want the greater scientific community to know about it. "Our goal was to make this technology available to scientists who can use this to understand immunology in a much better way," he said. "I have a role and responsibility in advancing the science by putting this forward." More work in this area is ongoing, said Singh, who earlier this year was one of five Cornell recipients of a National Science Foundation CAREER award, which helped support this work. But he noted that the ability to drive immune reactions through the use of organoids will "grant us the ability to reproduce immunological events for more rapid development and better understanding of B cells." African Americans may be less responsive to asthma treatment and more likely to die from the condition, in part, because they have a unique type of airway inflammation, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. Airway inflammation is a key component of asthma, and innovations in treatment are becoming more personalized based on the specific type of airway inflammation in a patient, says Dr. Sharmilee Nyenhuis, assistant professor of medicine at UIC and corresponding author on the study. "Emerging evidence suggests that differences in airway inflammation can affect a patient's response to treatment, but whether the patterns of airway inflammation vary across race has, until now, been very unclear," said Nyenhuis, of UIC's division of pulmonary, critical care, sleep and allergy. Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Black men and women are two to three times more likely than whites to be hospitalized or die from asthma. And while many factors contribute to the burden of asthma in African Americanssuch as access to health care and environmental exposuresrates are disproportionate even when social and environmental elements are taken into account. Nyenhuis and her colleagues performed a secondary analysis of more than 1,000 sputum samples obtained from AsthmaNet, a nationwide clinical research network created by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, and the Asthma Clinical Research Network. Samples of the coughed-up fluids were from past clinical trial participants over the age of 12 with mild or moderate persistent asthma and who had not smoked within the last year. The samples were tested for the presence of eosinophilsa type of white blood cell. The study is one of the largest and most diverse trials conducted in the U.S. on race and asthma, with 26 percent of the patients self-identifying as African American. Researchers found that black patients were more likely to exhibit eosinophilic airway inflammation than whites, despite taking comparable doses of asthma medication, such as inhaled corticosteroids. The results are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. "Our findings of higher numbers of African Americans with this type of airway inflammatory pattern suggests a mechanism that may account for more severe and difficult to control asthma in African Americans," said Nyenhuis. "It follows that the persistence of eosinophilic airway inflammation in African Americans may be associated with asthma exacerbations and an impaired response to corticosteroids." The findings suggest that black patients with eosinophilic airway inflammation may not benefit from increasingly strong corticosteroid treatmentinstead, other targeted therapies may need to be considered and researched as a treatment option for those black patients with difficult to control eosinophilic asthma. Bengaluru- a cosmopolitan city that until New Year's Eve enjoyed the reputation of being relatively safe for women. Clearly not.First, the mass molestation incident came to light and then a woman was molested right outside her house by at least 6 stalkers.But this is not where the travesty ends. NCRB data suggests that in Karnataka only 1 in 100 cases of sexual assault ends in conviction.As the landscape of the city changed over the years so did the concept of womens safety. In 2015, NCRB data found Bengaluru to be the third-most unsafe city for women in India- outranked only by Delhi and Mumbai.But the shame isnt Bengalurus alone. In 2015, 82,422 cases of sexual assault were registered, of which only 10% ended in convictions.We speak of the need for better laws every time a sexual assault case is reported, we speak of changing mindsets but in India, the problem is more complex. Are our systems sensitized to dealing with the complex issue of womens rights and safety? Do we limit our outrage and sense of injustice only to the most gruesome incidents? Is the Indian culture of boys will be boys and casual everyday misogyny tacitly encouraging crimes against women?Zambia has now introduced the concept of allowing women employees the opportunity to take one day off per month - an idea that is being referred to as Mother's Day in the country. This entitlement applies to all women - young or old, women need no prior permission to avail of the day off and employers can be prosecuted for denying their women employees this leave. Most Zambian women seem to be in favour of the concept - arguing that when women can take leave for childbirth, why not for their menses especially if their period brings with it immense pain and cramps?Three provinces in China introduced the idea of menstrual leave for women employees in 2016 so Zambia is not the first country to think of this measure. CNN reports that Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan already have laws guaranteeing women days off during their periods.But is period leave really what women need in the workplace? Leave aside the fact that regular sick leave can be used by those women who have to deal with debilitating pain every month for me the idea of period leave reinforces the concept of taboo associated with menstruation. Treat a womans period like a disability that requires her to stay at home, unable to concentrate on her work thereby once again reinforcing the assumed biological superiority of men (we dont need period leave, they will say, hence we are more productive) is just wrong. It may be the womans discretion to avail of the day off but the concept is also a problematic one because of what it represents. After having fought for generations to get an equal footing at work, do we really want to relinquish that?The concept of period leave also allows organizations to reach for the low hanging fruit. Instead of giving me a day off every month, give me equal pay instead and thats another fight that will take a huge hit. Women are already being paid less for the work they do when compared to the same work done by a male colleague. One day off every month will only compound that problem while giving employers an excuse to brush away the gender pay gap.And finally this week, this empowering video by a group of Saudi Arabian women can be the soundtrack to which you beat patriarchy black and blue all the while having some fun.The video has racked up over 3 million views since being uploaded two weeks ago and its message is simple- if only God would rid us of men.In a country where women still need permission from their male relatives to do basic things like travel or work or even access health care, this is the start of a movement. More power to these burqa-clad skateboarding and dancing pioneers of change. Former winner and leading contender Carlos Sainz has withdrawn from the Dakar Rally after rolling his Peugeot into a ravine on Thursday's fourth stage in Bolivia, his team said.Spain's twice world rally champion, whose son and namesake races in Formula One, had feared after reaching the overnight bivouac in Tupiza that his car was too badly damaged to be repaired.Peugeot confirmed that mechanics would be unable to complete the job in the allotted time."It is obviously devastating to have to retire. We had been running at a good pace since the start of the rally," said Sainz, who had been in second place overall at the start of the stage, in a statement."I am so disappointed that I wont be able to reap the benefit of its potential," the 2010 winner said of his Peugeot 3008 car.This year's Dakar, one of the world's toughest endurance challenges which ends in Buenos Aires on Jan. 14 after stages in Paraguay and Bolivia, has seen a spate of high-profile retirements already.Twice winner Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar retired after ripping a wheel off his Toyota in the third stage while reigning motorcycle champion Toby Price of Australia was flown to hospital on Thursday with a broken leg.Five-times bike champion Cyril Despres of France is leading the car standings for Peugeot after winning Thursday's high-altitude stage.The Dakar Rally started out as a gruelling race from Paris across the Sahara to the Senegalese capital but switched to South America in 2009 for security reasons. A view of the construction site where Ford Motor Co cancelled a $1.6 billion plant in Villa de Reyes (Image: Reuters) Workers chat at the construction site (Image: Reuters) A view of the construction site where Ford Motor Co cancelled a $1.6 billion plant (Image: Reuters) Ford Motor Co's abrupt move to scrap a planned $1.6 billion car plant in central Mexico has spooked a network of suppliers who bet on a growing customer base and dramatized the risk that Donald Trump's agenda poses to the country's broader economy.Many auto parts makers had started to expand in anticipation of Ford's plant in the state of San Luis Potosi, where industry is "easily 70 percent" dependent on the auto sector, said Julian Eaves, managing director of Preferred Compounding de Mexico, a U.S.-owned maker of rubber compounds operating here."It's going to have a huge impact on the local community," said Eaves.The loss to the economy, Eaves calculates, could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and maybe even into the billions, over the next five years, as manufacturing, contracting and indirect jobs all fall short of plans. Officials say they are still analysing the economic impact of the Ford decision.The hemorrhaging may be just the beginning of Mexico's pain from Trump's vows to shake up trade and bring manufacturing jobs back north when he takes office on Jan. 20.Ford ascribed its move to a decline in North American demand for small cars like the ones it planned to make in San Luis Potosi. But Trump had been lambasting Ford for its Mexico operations, months before he was elected president in November.Trump upped the ante on Thursday, threatening to slap a "border tax" on Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp for cars it sells to the United States from a new plant in Mexico, fuelling fears of an all-out offensive by his government on Mexican industry.Mexico's government on Friday "categorically" rejected any attempt to use threats to influence investment decisions in Mexico, saying it wanted to boost the competitiveness of North America. It did not mention Trump or Toyota in its brief statement.In a matter of days, Ford's retreat has turned the factory site into a barren plain bereft of its economic promise."It now looks like a cemetery," said Fernando Rosales, 28, a hydraulic hoses contractor preparing to abandon the site. "(There is) only death here, we are all leaving."Ford's decision also puts the brakes on Detroit automakers' push to build small cars in Mexico to reduce labour costs, while using higher-paid U.S. workers for larger, more expensive vehicles.Not far from the doomed Ford site, other major players from the global automotive industry are in the midst of multi-million dollar investments, including General Motors Co, which Trump has also repeatedly berated for investing in Mexico.German carmaker BMW is assembling a $1 billion plant, and a few miles from the Ford site, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co is busy building a $550 million tire facility.The U.S. president-elect's broadsides against Mexico have shown how exposed companies in the supply chain are to the whims of U.S. automakers under pressure not to offshore production.Shares in Kansas City Southern, one of the main railroad operators in Mexico, fell following news of the Ford cancellation and have lost 3.3 percent since Tuesday morning.Between 40 and 50, mostly foreign-owned, suppliers were ready to come and supply the San Luis Potosi plant, said Sergio Resendez of real estate broker Colliers International."This was going to catapult us," Gustavo Puente, the state economy minister of San Luis Potosi, said of the plant Ford originally announced in April of last year. Ford told him the plan was off about an hour before it went public with the news, he said.Around 12 to 14 of the suppliers had already invested money buying land or signed a contract with developers, said Resendez of Colliers, though Puente suggested the number was fewer."It's a very, very complicated hole," Resendez said. "The suppliers, depending on their level of advancement, will lose money. They had already made big investments."'KICK IN THE TEETH'At the Ford premises, shocked and dejected workers packed up construction materials and prepared to leave."This is a massive kick in the teeth," Rosalio Rocha, 52, a construction worker on the site from a nearby town said."It looks like he is going to keep going on about it," he added, referring to Trump.Some of the ground at the 280-hectare site had already been levelled and the skeletons of two large, white buildings stood out against a rusty brown and green backdrop.Workers said they had heard plans for an industrial park opposite the site for suppliers had also been suspended. The park's developers were not immediately available to comment.The auto sector is at the heart of a Mexican industrial boom since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between it, the United States and Canada, a deal Trump has threatened to renegotiate in favour of the United States or scrap entirely."It hurts because we're partners in trade, culture, sports, we're partners in everything," said Puente, the San Luis Potosi economy minister. "It hurts because they - he - is pushing a policy that wants to break those ties."About half of the foreign direct investment (FDI) to Mexico since the start of the century has come from the United States, where it sends around 80 percent of its goods exports. Carmaking is no exception.Mexico produced 3.22 million autos in the first 11 months of last year, and exported 2.55 million, local industry group AMIA said. Fully 77 percent of the exports went to the United States.Some Mexican states have come to depend on autos almost entirely for growth. In San Luis Potosi, 15,000-17,000 new direct jobs are expected to be created in 2017, all in the auto sector, according to federal labour delegate Edgar Duron. The total does not include the Ford plant, which had been expected to create thousands of additional jobs in coming years.The San Luis Potosi state government had already paid part of the 1 billion pesos ($47 million) it owed under a contract to support the Ford plant, Puente said, without specifying how much. The federal government said Ford would reimburse the sum.Projects, both private and public, are underway to spend hundreds of millions of pesos to expand the city's airport and build a new bus line in expectation of a busier future.But the real fear in Mexico is that, as Trump himself tweeted after the Ford decision, "This is just the beginning."Outside the Goodyear plant in San Luis Potosi, 46-year-old Marcos Rodriguez, an engineer working on the facility, said that Mexico should assume that other sites are at risk."Here there's a lot of equipment inside, so I think it would be a little more difficult," he said. "(But) can they cancel it? I think they can." Mumbai: Denying any breach of confidentiality, ousted Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry has asked the company to withdraw its legal notice of December 27. Through a communication from his law firm Maneksha & Sethna, Mistry denied that he has breached any of his legal duties as a Director or has acted with any intent to cause harm or less to the company as is alleged or otherwise. "You are therefore called upon to immediately withdraw the said letter. "Our client is well-aware of his rights and duties in law and categorically denies that he has acted in breach of any confidentiality obligations, contractual or otherwise, or acted in breach of any of his legal duties as a director," the communication said. "In fact, our client (Mistry) has, in his fiduciary capacity as a director of the company provided the appropriate response to DCIT (Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax) as there was no response forthcoming from the company despite repeated reminders from DCIT," it said, adding Mistry also denies any liability to "any claims from third parties that may arise out of sharing of information with a statutory authority". In the communication sent on Thursday to Tata Sons' law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, Mistry's law firm said that Tata Sons' concern for an alleged breach of confidentiality on Mistry's part was "a mere smokescreen". "The utter recklessness of your (Tata Sons' law firm) requisitions cannot but lead to the irresistible inference that your clients concern for an alleged breach of confidentiality on our client's part is a mere smokescreen for your actual concern i.e the grave consequences which must necessarily ensue from the information supplied by our client," said the communication which was also sent to Tata Sons. All over France this month millions of children will excitedly bite into a flaky pastry cake hoping to come upon a tiny toy or trinket. Even in these play-safe times, when you might think parents would be reluctant to expose their child to a choking risk, the post-Christmas Twelfth Night tradition of sharing a "Galette des Rois" (Pancake of the Kings) shows no signs of flagging. More than 30 million cakes will be devoured in France in January, and millions more in neighbouring Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, usually washed down with a bottle of fizzy cider. Whoever comes upon the "feve" -- a token or figurine hidden in the frangipane filling -- is proclaimed the king or queen of the feast, and crowned with a cardboard diadem that comes with each cake. The lucky monarch is supposed to be blessed with good luck for the New Year, but a recent survey found most French people cheat to make sure a child gets the honour. "Feve" (pronounced "fev") literally means a dried bean which was historically baked into the cake. But by the late 19th-century the beans were replaced by porcelain figurines, some of which have become highly collectable. To the horror of purists, more and more plastic charms are being used for the celebration, which traditionally marked the Christian feast of the Epiphany on January 6, when the three Magi were supposed to have visited the Christ child. But in a small village in the Vosges region of Lorraine in eastern France two middle-aged sisters are doggedly holding out against the tsunami of plastic knick-knacks. Christel and Muriel Nex are among the very last to make the "feves" by hand. Tiny treasures The pair turn out between 40,000 and 50,000 charms a year between them, with Christel telling AFP that "no two are ever exactly the same". "We don't have any machines, and we want to keep up the quality, so we can't increase our production any more than that," the 51-year-old added. Each clay "feve" takes several days to make from the moulding and sculpting to the painting and final firing. In the past these tiny treasures were often passed down through families to be baked into the cake each year. These days, however, the galettes are rarely homemade. The sisters took over from their parents in 2005 supplying bakeries across the country with a range of traditional and child-orientated figurines, many carrying company logos. They range from little animals to the baby Jesus and a Kama Sutra collection for the more daring. With collectors always on the lookout for rareties, they introduce new designs every year. Twelfth Night traditions The custom of hiding trinkets or coins in Twelfth Night cakes is not confined to France. Similar traditions exist across Europe from the ringed Spanish "roscon de reyes", to the Portuguese "bolo rei" and the Provencal "gateau des Rois" eaten in the South of France. These brioche-style cakes decorated with dried fruit were clearly the inspiration for the "king cakes" of the American Deep South and the Latin American "rosca de reyes". Historian Nadine Cretin believes the practice dates back to the Roman mid-winter Saturnalian feasts when a "king was elected by the throwing of dice to preside over domestic banquets". Parallel customs exist across Eastern Europe and the Balkans with the Greeks ushering in the New Year with the "vassilopita" (or king pie) which often contained a gold sovereign. However, the tradition can leave a bitter taste in the mouth in Spain, where the feast of the three kings is still bigger than Christmas. If you are unlucky enough to get the "feve" there you are supposed to pay for the cake, while the king or queen is the person who finds the accompanying trinket. In Ireland the Epiphany was known as "Women's Christmas" and is remembered more for its gastronomic horrors rather its treats, with men left at home to cook while women went to the pub. An hour-long nap after lunch may help older adults to preserve their memories, improve their ability to think clearly as well as to make decisions, a study has found. Sleep plays a key role in helping older adults maintain their healthy mental function, necessary for people as they age, the researchers said. In the study, led by Junxin Li from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, the team examined nearly 3,000 Chinese adults aged 65 and older to learn whether taking an afternoon nap had any effect on their mental health. The researchers found that nearly 60 per cent of the people took an afternoon nap after lunch. Their nap time was between about 30 minutes to more than 90 minutes, with most people taking naps lasting about 63 minutes. The results showed that people who took an hour-long nap after lunch had better health condition compared to people who did not take a nap -- neither shorter nor longer. Conversely, those who took no naps at all had four-to-six times more decrease in their mental ability. In addition, people who did not take a nap at all, and those who took shorter or longer naps, experienced about the same decline in their mental abilities that a five-year increase in age would be expected to cause, Li stated. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. New Delhi: US Ambassador Richard Rahul Verma, a political appointee by Obama Administration and the first Indian-American to hold the post, is set to demit office before January 20 when Republican Donald Trump takes over as American President. 48-year-old Verma, who played a quiet but key role in deepening Indo-US ties, will quit before the President-elect assumes charge as his team said the envoys, who are political appointees, will not be given any "grace period" beyond Trump's inauguration day. However, there is a possibility that Verma may stay on here in private capacity for few more months so that his children can complete their courses in school in the current academic year. Sources said Verma will quit the post before Trump's inauguration on January 20. Verma had played a key role in the Congressional passage of the civil nuclear deal and is a strong advocate of closer Indo-US ties. Breaking from tradition, Trump's transition team has decided not to give any grace period beyond inauguration day to US envoys who are political appointees of President Barack Obama. The unusual decision by the transition team could also mean that some of the top US embassies around the world will be left without an ambassador for months, as Trump replaces them with new appointments. In January, 2015, Verma had assumed charge as the 25th American Ambassador to India where the US has one of its largest missions in the world. Verma had succeeded Nancy Powell, who resigned in March 2014 in the backdrop of a diplomatic row over the treatment meted out to Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in the US. Verma, a former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, is the first ever Indian-American to be appointed as US envoy to India and his tenure saw an upward swing in Indo-US ties which were somehow marred by the Khobragade issue that had escalated into a full-blown diplomatic spat between the two contries. Verma is a veteran of the US Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate. In the midst of the growing hype on traditional medicines and science, Dr. Govindarajan Padmanabhan of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has researched on circumin, a compound of turmeric, as a cure for malaria and possibly cancer. He speaks to News18s Aradhna Wal about his work, the need for clinical trials, and dangers of unfounded claims of Ayurvedic properties of cow urine. Q. With AYUSH now a separate ministry to supervise traditional medicines, is there support from the government for such work? A. I havent seen much support from the government. My worry is that many claims of cures will get through without evidence or patient data. People are now claiming to cure diabetes and they publish their discoveries in journals only they read. Thats not going to work in the international community. We understand the need for clinical trial and to generate hard-core data and then publish it in something like the Lancet or the National Medical Journal of India. Q. IIT-Delhi just held a conference on the ayurvedic properties of cow urine and there are claims that it cures cancer A. I dont want to criticise something that Im not very familiar with. However, where is the hardcore data that this cow urine distillate has generated? Do we know the distillates composition, or what makes it so unique? Blind faith can push things through that are not scientifically valid. Q. Tell us about your research on circumin A. Circumin is a compound in tumeric. Normal varieties of the plant have about three to five percent circumin, though there are varieties from the northeast that have 10 percent circumin. We work with pure circumin and have built animal models to see how it works against simple malaria and cerebral malaria. I wanted to see if it was possible to kill the malaria parasite completely in culture with drugs. In simple malaria, either the mice die of infection in seven to eight days, or after initial treatment, the parasite comes in 25 days. This is called recrudescence. In our initial study we used a combination of RT-Ether, which is a derivative of the malaria drug artemisinin, and circumin. With this combination the parasite did not come back at all. Though traces of circumin disappeared from the mice after a day, the effects carried on. Its probably a immunological mechanism, where circumin has created a memory in the body to fight the parasite. With cerebral malaria, too, with the combination of RT-Ether and circumin, the parasite did not come back, and 95 percent of the mice survived. In the past two to three years resistance has grown to artemisinin, which had reduced malaria by 50 percent globally. Circumin could work as a co-drug to delay this resistance. Traditionally, circumin is known to be non-toxic. IIT Guwahati has developed a database on it, and globally over 100 trials have been done on its effects on cancer. Q. Then why has it taken so long for clinical trials on your work to start? A. For decades, every study on circumin has concluded that circumin is beneficial in many cases yet further studies have to be done. It is not yet a drug for any one disease. There is also a certain suspicion of natural molecules in western science. I wanted to establish a disease where circumin can be taken all the way, which is why the research on malaria. I am not a clinician, and according to our rules, only a clinician can apply for clinical trials. However, now were going ahead with Indian Institute of Science, the National Institute of Malaria Research, as partners and the pharmaceutical company IPCA, in Mumbai, to make formulations. Phase one is complete, and it proved that the combination of circumin and RT-Ether in normal human volunteers is non-toxic, and now were on to the efficacy trial. Circumin is not a synthetic molecule [i.e manufactured in a laboratory] but a phytochemical. The drug authorities have now established a separate channel to monitor its testing. Circumin has shown to reduce toxicity from, the resistance to and the amount of dose required of primary drugs in cancer and in malaria. My theory is that it could prevent drug resistance. Q. Is there a trend of scientists in India now researching on plants mentioned in traditional medicine? A. States such as Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have herbs with such wonderful properties that are being used locally. However, nothing has been scientifically validated. Different states then have different herbal extracts, and there is a resistance to testing them in laboratories. Dr. Naveen Khanna [who is developing a dengue drug from a plant mentioned in ayurveda] and I say that we should test these extracts for specific diseases, especially autoimmune diseases. Then, we should compare the results with another group being treated with allopathic medicine, to establish the results. The plants can be used in two ways, isolated molecules or herbal extracts that have been more efficient as theyre a combination of molecules. However, we need to standardise these preparations, go through proper clinical trials New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) has asked the Narendra Modi-led government to respond to the demand of the Opposition to postpone the Union Budget in view of upcoming polls in five states. Earlier, the Opposition leaders had met Election Commission in New Delhi on Thursday to demand announcement of Budget after Assembly elections in the five states. The Opposition has objected to the fact that the polls will be held three days after the Budget announcement on February 1. Five states - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand - will go to polls between February-March. Voting starts on February 4, just days after the budget is to be revealed, and ends on March 8. Counting for all five states will be held on March 11. Gurgaon: A 50-year-old ex-serviceman was on Saturday shot dead by an unidentified bike-borne assailant near his residence in Gurgaon. Police said the incident took place at around 9 AM when the ex-serviceman Subhash was at his under-construction plot near his residence in Badshahpur village. According to police, Subhash daily offered prayers at the temple built on his under-construction plot.He was coming back after prayers when the bike-borne assailant fired six to seven rounds at him. "Subhash received six to seven bullet wounds. Prima facie it appears to be a case of old enmity. We are investigating all possible angles," ACP-Manish Sehgal (PRO) Gurgaon Police said. Subhash was taken to a nearby private hospital by locals where he was declared dead on arrival. The body has been sent for postmortem. Vadodara: A six-member team of Gujarat Fisheries department on Saturday took custody of the 218 Indian fishermen, who were by the Pakistan government as a 'goodwill gesture' at the Wagah border, a government official said. The team, headed by K R Patni, has been camping in Amritsar since January 5 to receive the freed fishermen and bringing them to Gujarat. "We have received the 218 fishermen early this morning today at the Wagah border. Most of them belong to different places like Jamnagar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Verawal, Navsari of Gujarat, Daman and Diu, while few hail from other states," Patni told PTI from Amritsar over phone. The first batch of fishermen will leave for Vadodara by train this evening, he said, adding that they have also requested the Railway department to make necessary arrangements for fishermen to reach Vadodara from Amritsar. The fishermen were freed from Malir jail in Karachi on January 5. This was the second batch of Indian fishermen released from Pakistan jails since relations between the two countries became tense after the terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri. The first batch of 220 fishermen was released on December 25 last. These fishermen had allegedly strayed into Pakistan's territorial waters, bringing the total number of Indian fishermen freed from Pakistani jails as "goodwill gesture" in the last 10 days to 438, despite the chill in bilateral ties. According to Patni, fisherman Jeeva Bhagwan from Gir Somnath district, who was also lodged in the Karachi jail, died of a cardiac arrest just a day before the release of his compatriots. Poor fishermen from both countries routinely find themselves arrested for illegal fishing as there is no clear demarcation of the boundaries between the two countries in the Arabian sea near Sir Creek. Mumbai: A 12-year-old student from Marathwada region has become talk of his village for 'erasing' the mention of his caste from the school attendance record. Rohan Bhosle, a seventh standard student of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) school at Pargaon village in Ashti tehsil of Beed district, deleted the mention of his caste from the school attendance sheet recently, which won praise from classmates and teachers. Prateeksha Shirole, Rohan's classmate, said he took the muster sheet, pulled out a pen and rubbed the blue ink on the column which had mention of his caste. Somnath Walke, Rohan's teacher said, "I was shocked and wondered as to why Rohan did that." "When I asked him why he erased his caste, he said, 'Sir, you regularly teach us in classroom about equality. Everybody has only one caste: humanity. Nobody should ask the other as to what his caste is'," the teacher said. Rohan's parents are farmers. His father Suresh and mother Manda said, they were surprised that Rohan had taken such a "revolutionary" step. New Delhi: Pakistan has done evil things in Kashmir but ultimately the "evil forces would be defeated by the 'khudai taqat' (divine power)", senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar told a gathering of Kashmiri youth. Kumar said "Kashmir, Kashmiri and Kashmiriyat is an 'ilm' (knowledge) and no one can denigrate that. "I have seen Kashmir from Jammu to Ladakh, from Doda to Rajouri, and I can tell you that guns don't give lives but take lives. It doesn't educate you but snatches your education. It doesn't give you comfort but fear," he said at the conference of Kashmiri students organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an RSS affiliate. "Pakistan has bedeviled its own soil and has done evil things in Kashmir. But, ultimately evil forces would be defeated by the divine power ('khudayi taqat'), which the Kashmiris are followers of," Kumar said. Violent protests for months last year had hit hard normal life and resulted in shutdown of schools and death of 86 people in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The manch, set up in 2012 with Kumar as 'marg darshak', seeks to bring the Kashmiri youth "to the mainstream", with the RSS leader asserting that "Kashmir is for all Indians and rest of India for all Kashmiris." "The tricolour was there in Kashmir and it will be there in Kashmir... Also, Indians go to Kashmir and bring tourism and prosperity there, and Kashmiris should go to any part of India, get skilled and contribute to the growth of the state and the country," Kumar added. The RSS leader said the conference would be a beginning for a new chapter, and people would "script a new Kashmir and a new India". Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who could not attend the programme, sent a message which was read out by a senior official at the conference. "Programmes like this conference would enhance interaction of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India and promote brotherhood among people. We are committed to development of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Rs 80,000-crore package announced by the Centre last year, is being implemented and monitored duly. "But, development cannot take place when we are amid separatist and destructive forces. I urge people there to not be misled by those, but walk with us," Singh said in his message. Like many who were celebrated for their extraordinary talent, Om Puri had his fair share of controversies. His ugly separation from his wife, journalist and author Nandita C Puri, made headlines a few years ago.The actors biography, Unlikely Hero: Om Puri written by Nandita had explicitly mentioned his sexual encounters at the age of 14. When the book came out in 2009, the veteran actor claimed he had not given his consent for the content that was published by his wife. The book had mentioned how a 14-year-old Om had his first sexual encounter with a much older Shanti - who was his caretaker of sorts. The book also narrated Om's long standing relationship with a lady called Laxmi."This lady whom Nandita talks about in such an undignified manner was Laxmi, who raised me and my brother's orphaned children. My relationship with this wonderful woman was a homage to her loyalty for looking after me unconditionally, the actor had lashed out in an interview to Times Of India soon after the book was out.People close to the couple talked about how the biography led to the estrangement between the two. Om had claimed that Nandita refused to show him the manuscript of the book before it went for printing.Om was initially married to Seema Kapoor, actor Annu Kapoor's sister, in 1991 but they parted ways eight months later. In 1993, he got married to Nandita and they have a son together, Ishaan.Nanditas description of Om being a "chauvinist" and as someone who used explicit words in casual conversations didnt go down well with the actor either. Om has not always been very conducive to opinions which were not very flattering to him. Om loves to be honest but at times his honesty is selective. says a chapter in the biography. A few years later, Nandita filed a case of domestic violence against her husband who by then had moved in with his first wife Seema Kapoor. Eventually, in 2003, the couple decided to separate legally .On Friday morning, when CNN-News18 called up Nandita, she confirmed the news of Om Puri's death and requested privacy for the family. The couple's son Ishaan performed the last rites on late Friday evening and Nandita was present all throughout during the cremation. Jansakhya badh rahi hai,zameen utni hi hai. Maine kaha aurat machine nahi;4 biwi,40 bache,3 talaq nahi chalenge-Sakshi Maharaj on his stmnt pic.twitter.com/LTNjGZhfbD ANI (@ANI_news) January 7, 2017 Hume to inaam milna chahye hum 4 bhai hain or chaaro sanyasi hain toh bache karne ka koi sawal hi nahi hai: Sakshi Maharaj on his statement pic.twitter.com/ji5JabZ90G ANI (@ANI_news) January 7, 2017 Meerut Police registered an FIR against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday, a day after the parliamentarian indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country."Population is increased by those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children. Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country," the BJP MP from Unnao had said in Meerut, sparking a controversy barely four days after Supreme Court made it illegal to seek votes in the name of religion or caste.The FIR was registered under IPC sections 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 153b (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) among others.The BJP has distanced itself from party MP Maharaj's controversial comment, saying it is not the view of the ruling party nor that of the NDA government at the Centre.As the comments by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation from the opposition parties, the Election Commission sought a report from Meerut district administration, while the Congress said it will file a complaint against the MP before the election watchdog."The commission has sought a report from the Meerut administration in connection with the statement issued by Sakshi Maharaj on Friday," the Chief Electoral Office said.Speaking to CNN-News18, Maharaj sought to defend his statement, saying he did not target any particular community. "I have not commented on any community. I have been misquoted and am ready to face Election Commission," he said."I had said that the population of India is approx 132 crore. India's landmass is not increasing but our population keeps on increasing. We need to control this menace. We should respect women and I had said that she is not a machine, that is why 40 wives, 40 kids and triple talaq are no longer tolerable. We need to take a decision whether we should have one, two, three or four kids. But we need to take a decision on this," PTI quoted him as saying later.The controversial remarks comes close on the heels of the Supreme Court making it clear that no person can seek votes in the name of religion and caste.Flaying the comments, JD-U leader KC Tyagi termed them as the first major violation of the Supreme Court guidelines on use of religion in politics."Recently the Supreme Court and the Chief Election Commission laid down some guidelines for model code of conduct, including not to use religion, caste and language. This is the first major violation by a major political party that is BJP, by its MP. Now action must be taken by the party as well as the Election Commission against Sakshi Maharaj."They are making derogatory comments against one section of the society. This is violation of Model Code of Conduct to incite one section against another. And this is a criminal act," he said.Congress leader KC Mittal said Sakshi Maharaj's speech is "offensive" as it is based on caste and religion and goes against the recent Supreme Court judgment. "It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and Congress is officially filing a complaint against him in the Election Commission," he said.Asked about the comments, BJP leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "I haven't seen his statement, but we believe in taking everyone along...Country runs on law, on Constitution, it does not run with stick."Such statements or views...are not of either BJP or government. We have nothing to do with such statements, he said.Asked about Congress reportedly planning to take up the issue with Election Commission given model code of conduct is in effect in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, Naqvi said "It is wrong to perceive his statement as that of the BJP."(With PTI inputs) The leaders of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) deliberated at partys national executive meeting for the second day on Saturday. The party adopted an economic resolution hailing the governments demonetisation move, following which Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed a press conference where she said old notes deposited in the bank will be used for welfare and development schemes. The main focus of the two-day National Executive meet, kicked off on Friday in the national capital, was poll strategy in assembly elections in five states, especially UP. Heres a recap of the days developments: Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. New Delhi: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that the BJP would succeed in forming the government in Manipur, which will go to polls in March. "I am sure that BJP will form a government in Manipur," Khandu told IANS on the sidelines of BJP's National Executive meet in the city. He noted that there was not a single BJP-ruled state in the region before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014. "Due to Prime Minister, who is visionary and dynamic leader, people of Asom decided to go with BJP. In Arunachal Pradesh, people are with BJP. So people of Manipur are making up their mind to go with BJP," Khandu added. He said he supported the idea of simultaneous elections, which may help huge spending on frequent elections to be used for development instead. He declined to comment on activist Irom Sharmila's political debut. Khandu added that issues such as demonetisation and recent political developments were discussed in the National Executive meet. New Delhi: Acting on Opposition complaint, the Election Commission has sought the Centre's response on their objection to presenting the budget on February 1 before the Assembly polls to five states. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha who is likely to consult the the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry before framing his response on the government's plans to advance the budget presentation to February 1, sources said. The Commission had on Friday forwarded a letter of the opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BSP and SP, asking the government to postpone the presentation of the budget to at least till March 8, when the last of the votes will be cast for the polls to UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. The Cabinet Secretary has been asked to respond by January 10. Sources said the government is on a firm wicket on the issue and as per rules and procedures, there is no infirmity in preponing the session which usually begins in the third week of February. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recently recommended that the Budget session will commence on January 31 and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1 so that the new provisions come into force from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal. "When the opposition had objected in 2012 during the Assembly polls to these five states, Congress had accepted their stand and postponed presentation of the Union Budget from February 28 to March 16. We want that there should be no presentation of the Budget till the elections are over," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had said after meeting EC on January 5. Azad said electoral laws make it clear that the ruling party should have no advantage during elections and both the opposition and the ruling side should be on an equal footing. He said the Budget on February 1 will tilt the balance in favour of BJP as it would use the exercise to influence voters by doling out sops. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended the move asking why the opposition parties are afraid of it when they have claimed that demonetisation is an unpopular decision. Sixteen parties had written to the President and EC opposing the decision to have an early Budget session beginning January 31. Panaji: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said there would be "bipolar" fight in Punjab and Goa in the Legislative Assembly polls. "It is not a four-cornered contest, it is a bi-polar contest in Punjab and Goa. On one side all the parties and against them is AAP. This is a dharma-yuddha," Kejriwal said, addressing a rally in Benaulim Assembly constituency near. Congress and BJP were playing a "friendly match", he said. "BJP had promised to take action against corrupt Congressmen during 2012 Goa polls, but after they won the election, they did nothing. "Congress too sat at home and didn't act like opposition for five years. This is the time to spoil their friendly match," said the national convener of AAP. "They have got together to stop AAP from winning because if we win, the corrupt leaders from BJP and Congress will go to jail. The two parties are fighting the elections in sync. This is not just happening in Goa, this is also happening in Punjab," Kejriwal said. AAP will revoke the ticket of any of its 36 candidates in Goa if he or she was found guilty of corruption, crime, communal behaviour or tainted character, he said. "If any of our candidates is found guilty on these four parameters and if there is any strong prima facie evidence, we will cancel their ticket even 24 hours before the poll. We will keep seat empty but won't let a wrong candidate contest on our ticket," he said. In Goa, AAP had offered a clean face as Chief Ministerial candidate in Elvis Gomes against the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Kejriwal said. BJP government was trying to harass Gomes by filing fake cases with Anti Corruption Bureau against him, he alleged. "I was told yesterday that Elvis Gomes would be arrested before I land here. I said if that happens I will meet Elvis in jail," Kejriwal said. PM said our government's priority is to transform the quality of life of the poor and the underprivileged : Shri @rsprasad pic.twitter.com/g1TIJjR5CB BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) January 7, 2017 Playing the pro-poor card, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said they are the focus of his government and projected demonetisation as a long-term tool to fight black money and corruption to improve their lives.Serving the poor is serving the god, he said in his concluding address at the two-day BJP National Executive meeting in which he invoked a Sanskrit shloka to say that he does not covet power, heaven or second life but longs to end the people's sufferings.Modi again pitched for electoral reforms and sought a consensus among political parties, asserting that BJP will play a lead role in making political funding transparent as demonetisation and digital economy have ushered in a more transparent era."BJP will be at the forefront of pushing transparency in political funding. People have a right to know where our funds are coming from," he said.With opposition parties levelling corruption charges at BJP leadership following the note ban, he asked party leaders to welcome criticism but they should remain unfazed by accusations even as he underlined his humble origins and had lived poverty.Referring to coming assembly elections in five states, including the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls, Modi expressed confidence that the party will win there.He referred to the impressive Lucknow rally he had addressed a few days ago and his interactions with workers in his constituency Varanasi to make the point. The Prime Minister asked worked to focus effectively on booths, saying the more they work there the more fruits the party will harvest.The situation is in our favour in the elections," he said.It was the poor and his government to empower them which was the central theme of his 50-minute long speech."The poor of our country have accepted this historic decision (demonetisation). They have accepted that it is an effective step to end social ills including corruption."Accepting the hardships which came with the decision, they have welcome this historic step toward a great change," Modi said, adding that the country has seen society's strength in the last two months.Some people were concerned about improvement in their life style but priority of our government was to change the quality of the life of the poor, Modi said.Briefing the reporters, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Prime Minister asserted that the poor and poverty are not a tool for winning elections BJP and that it does not look at them through vote-bank glasses. Modi cited a string of government's measures, including Jan Dhan accounts, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, and said the poor have inner strength to overcome poverty and his government has been working to empower them.Sources said he also asked party leaders to not seek poll tickets for their kin, saying organisation will take care of the exercise. Srinagar: Marking the 'son rise' in the ruling PDP, Tasaduq Mufti on Saturday joined the party on the first death anniversary of his father and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, saying he dreams of cleaning up politics in Kashmir. A famed cinematographer, Tasaduq joined the PDP at a function in Srinagar in the presence of his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti besides other ministers and party leaders. His entry comes at a time when PDP is looking at filling two Lok Sabha seats -- Anantnag and Srinagar. Anantnag, the traditional base of the ruling PDP, fell vacant last year after incumbent Mehbooba became the Chief Minister and was elected as an MLA, following death of her father, the then Chief Minister. Srinagar seat fell vacant in September last year when PDP member Tariq Hamid Karra resigned in protest against handling of the Kashmir unrest by his party's government. The party may field Tasaduq from Anantnag constituency in a bid to retain the seat, for which elections could be announced any time. In his brief acceptance speech, Tasaduq thanked the party workers for their love and affection towards PDP. "I have remained aloof from politics all my life. But today I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along," he told the party cadres. He said his dream was to clean up politics in Kashmir. "I have felt the pace of government work. The speed with which work happens here, what dream can be realised?" Welcoming her brother into the party fold, Mehbooba said Tasaduq, like his father, has a dream to do something for Jammu and Kashmir. "Tasaduq has his own identity and his own work. No one in Mumbai knew him as Mufti Sayeed's son till his second term (as chief minister). Like his father, he wants to do something for Jammu and Kashmir," she said in her address. Known for his cinematography in movies like Omkara and Kaminey, Tasaduq is an American Film Institute graduate. He is known in Bollywood as Tassaduq Hussain and does not use the famous Mufti surname. EC gave time till 9 Jan but we have submitted all relevant documents, brought 7 cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages: Ramgopal Yadav pic.twitter.com/iLXAa6MXqb ANI (@ANI_news) January 7, 2017 The Akhilesh Yadav faction of the Samajwadi Party moved a step closer to claiming the partys cycle symbol on Saturday when Ram Gopal Yadav submitted signed affidavits of over 4,000 party delegates to the Election Commission.Ram Gopal submitted the affidavits of 4,716 delegates out of a total of 5,731.This is overwhelming majority... Over 90% of the Samajwadi Party is led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal said.These delegates include majority of the partys elected legislators, parliamentarians, councilors and members of its National Convention.The Election Commission gave us time till January 9 but we have submitted all relevant documents, Ram Gopal said. The documents were brought to the poll panels office in seven cartons and run into more than 1.5 lakh pages.Claiming the partys cycle symbol, Ram Gopal said: Prima facie the SP led by Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi Party.While Ram Gopal was on his way to the Election Commission office, back in Lucknow Shivpal Yadav and Azam Khan reached Mulayam Singh Yadavs residence to hold their third meeting of the day.A copy of the affidavits was also sent to Mulayam.Polls will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh on February 11 (73 constituencies), February 15 (67), February 19 (69), February 23 (53), February 27 (52), March 3 (49) and March 8 (40).The announcement of poll schedule has hastened efforts by the two camps to bag the 'cycle' symbol.After deposing Mulayam as SP boss, Akhilesh appeared to be consolidating his position further by appointing presidents of several district units in his capacity as the "new SP chief".The presidents in Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh and Mirzapur had been removed by Shivpal.Hectic back channel moves to broker peace were witnessed in the state capital during the past few days, but all efforts failed to salvage the ruling party from a split.(With agency inputs) Ahmedabad: Congress on Friday rubbished the claims made by the state government about the success of Vibrant Gujarat Summits in attracting investment and creation of jobs, and said the reality was different and that the event was used for "self-marketing" by Narendra Modi when he started it as the chief minister of the state. BJP hit back, saying Congress leaders were showing narrow-mindedness by opposing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela today said the states which do not organise such grand events were actually ahead of Gujarat in attracting investment. Modi as the Gujarat Chief Minister started this initiative in 2003 for "self-marketing", Vaghela said. "All the Vibrant Summits held till now were meant for his self-marketing, not for attracting any investment. Even today, Gujarat is very poor. We are not at all developed. We are behind even states like Bihar in some sectors. Each child in Gujarat is born with a debt of Rs 35,000," he said. "States such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra which do not organise such events are way ahead of us in attracting investment. After the tall claims of creation of millions of jobs due to Summits, over 60 lakh youths in Gujarat are still unemployed," said the Leader of Opposition in Assembly. Vaghela said as a protest he would not attend the inaugural session on January 10 when the Prime Minister would launch the 8th edition of the Summit in Gandhinagar. State Congress president Bharatinh Solanki said these Summits never helped Gujarat in attracting investment or creating jobs as claimed by the BJP government. . Canada's Competition Bureau on Friday said it had not found sufficient evidence that Apple Inc had engaged in anti-competitive conduct, closing a two-year investigation into the iPhone maker.Read more: Newly Launched BHIM App is Not Free; Here is Why The watchdog launched a probe into Apple's business practices in December 2014 to investigate allegations the company's Canadian unit had used anti-competitive clauses to force domestic operators to sell rival devices at higher prices than they otherwise would have and restricting how they could market and sell iPhones."The Bureau did not find evidence to suggest that the Apple terms resulted in a significant effect on competition," the antitrust watchdog said in a statement. Google on Saturday paid tribute to Sandford Fleming - the Scottish-Canadian inventor who invented the worldwide standard time concept to be used across the world, on his 190th birthday."Today's Doodle reflects Fleming's legacy on this, the 190th anniversary of his birth," Google said in a statement on Saturday.It is widely believed that Fleming missing a train in Ireland due to a mistake printed in a timetable ultimately led to his brilliant idea that altered time as we know it.Fleming was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in 1827. This was a period when regions used solar time to set their own clocks.Solar time worked well enough until trains came along and the need for standardised time arose.Following his missed train in 1876, Fleming proposed a worldwide standard time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute on February, 8, 1879.He advocated for dividing the world into 24 time zones beginning at the Greenwich Meridian and spaced at 15 degree intervals.His proposal gave way to the International Prime Meridian Conference which convened in 1884 and was attended by 25 nations.It was here that Fleming's system of international standard time was adopted.Fleming was also known for helping build the Intercontinental Railway, serving as chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and designing Canada's first postage stamp. Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE (000063.SZ), which is facing U.S. trade sanctions that could severely disrupt its supply chain, is slashing about 3,000 jobs, including a fifth of positions in its struggling handset business in China, company sources said. The sources said the Shenzhen-based company, one of the world's biggest telecoms gear makers, is axing about 5 percent of its 60,000 global workforce. Its global handset operations will shed 600 jobs, or 10 percent of the total, with the cuts concentrated in China, where it has been losing market share. "Cuts in the handset business in China will be beyond 20 percent," said a senior executive who has been briefed on the lay-offs, which are scheduled to be completed within the first quarter. A local manager in one of the company's overseas branches said a 10 percent quota was given to shed staff in his department by the end of January. "I was also given names that must go because they had tried to apply for jobs at (rival) Huawei [HWT.UL] and are therefore branded as 'unstable factors'," said the manager, who is not in the handset unit and asked not to be identified. The company declined to comment. ZTE is the only Chinese smartphone vendor with a meaningful presence in the United States, where its 10 percent market share makes it the fourth-largest vendor. The U.S. Commerce Department first announced in March that it would impose a ban on exports by U.S. companies to ZTE for allegedly breaking Washington's sanctions on sales to Iran. The ban has not yet come into effect following a series of reprieves, the last of which expires on Feb. 27, but if it does go ahead, the company's supply chain could be severely handicapped. It relies on U.S. companies including Qualcomm (QCOM.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Intel (INTC.O) for about a third of its components. The uncertainty hanging over the company weighed heavily on its business last year, with its worldwide smartphone shipments tumbling 36.5 percent compared with 2015, according to industry database IDC. ZTE chairman Zhao Xianming said in his New Year speech to staff that the company, which has annual sales of more than $15 billion, had "encountered its biggest crisis in its 31 year history", according to a transcript on the companys official WeChat account. He vowed to enhance internal auditing and said the company was streamlining its management structure. In 2017 ... businesses that don't fit our strategic direction or with low output performance will be shut, suspended, merged or reconfigured, improving the companys core competitiveness, Zhao said. Internal memos seen by Reuters show the company also created four new senior vice president positions in charge of investment, internal audit, compliance, and tax, respectively. Revenues for infrastructure vendors like ZTE are also being squeezed as Chinese telecom operators' 4G networks near completion and revenues from 5G development remain some years off. Kerala figures at number eight in the "12 destinations to watch in 2017" by Britain's largest and prominent travel and tours operators association. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has ranked Kerala higher than premier destinations like the US, Sardinia (island of Italy), South Africa and Vietnam. The list also features Andalucia (Spain), the Azores islands (of Portugal), Bermuda, Chile, Croatia and Denmark. The rankings consist of locations that are expected to capture traveller's imaginations over the next year. "This latest recognition of Kerala's stature as a must visit destination is a matter of pride for us and bodes well for the year ahead," said state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran. Among the not to miss experiences of the state mentioned in the report is a journey through the placid backwaters in the traditional houseboat, the life of the local people, spice plantations and forests. There is also a special mention of the rejuvenating touch of Kerala's traditional ayurveda therapies. "Making the list signifies an excellent start to the year and will add momentum to our ongoing efforts to promote and showcase Kerala around the world. This is especially important in Britain, which is our primary source market for tourists," said Principal Secretary, Tourism, V. Venu. In 2015, Kerala received 1,66,792 tourists from Britain, which accounted for a 17.06 per cent share of the total foreign tourist arrivals to the state. The predictive ranking by ABTA, whose members reportedly sell 32 billion euros worth of holidays and other travel arrangements every year, suggests the outlook for the state will remain bright. "Kerala's prominent ranking in the ABTA list suggests that the trend of higher tourist footfalls from Britain to continue this year," said Kerala Tourism Director U.V. Jose. Sri Lanka earned a record $3.5 billion from tourism in 2016, seven years after the end of a devastating civil war, a government minister said. But sources in the industry warned that the post-war boom could be short-lived as planned airport closures forced the cancellation of international flights. Tourism on the Indian Ocean island suffered heavily during a decades-long civil war that ended in 2009, but has been recovering in recent years. Tourism minister John Amaratunga said Sri Lanka had 2.05 million arrivals in 2016, short of its target of 2.2 million but still the best the island has ever recorded. The minister said he hoped for a further rise in 2017, but industry figures warned tourism could fall by 30 percent, hit by the daytime closure of the Colombo international airport for three months for a runway upgrade. "The drop will be because of the partial airport closure and (national carrier) Sri Lankan stopping direct flights to France and Germany," a senior tourism official said. International airlines have reduced flights to Colombo during the airport refurbishment that is expected to continue until April. Sri Lanka's loss-making national carrier Sri Lankan has said it will lose $50 million as a result of flight cancellations. Tourists have long been attracted to Sri Lanka for its golden beaches, cultural sites and picturesque tea plantations. Authorities say tourism has also been boosted by improvements in the island's international reputation for human rights following the ousting two years ago of former president Mahinda Rajapakse, widely criticised for suppressing dissent. Cairo:At least nine terrorists were killed and 16 others injured as Egypt's army foiled an attack on number of security checkpoints in North Sinai, military officials said. The attack, which took place yesterday, targeted different army checkpoints at the same time. The attackers used cars carrying explosives, motorcycles and electronic weapons, military spokesperson colonel Tamer el-Refa'e said in a statement. The armed forces exchanged fire with the attackers killing nine and injuring 16 others. They also destroyed six of their vehicles, he added. North Sinai has been the stage for many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak. The attacks mainly targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. Islamabad: Pakistan will wind up its special military courts from Saturday, two years after they were set up for speedy trial of hardcore militants following the deadly Taliban attack on an army school that killed nearly 150 children. The courts were established through an amendment in the Constitution after the horrendous attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. The move generated heated debate as the courts were billed by rights activists as violation of basic human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the country and international charters. However, they were allowed to function after the Supreme Court upheld as valid the 21st constitutional amendment and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2015, enacted by Parliament in 2015. The amendment ensured that the courts will end after two years through insertion of the "sunset clause". There was no formal statement either from the government or the military announcing the end of the extraordinary powers for trial of civilians by the military, as they are deemed to end after a fixed time period of two years. The first convictions under the military court were in April, 2015 and the last ones were pronounced on December 28, 2016. The courts were given 275 cases during two-year and they sentenced 161 terrorists to death, whereas another 116 were given varying jail terms, mostly life sentences. Only 12 convicts have been executed so far, according to the army. The trials resulted in convictions, imprisonment of and death sentences against terrorists belonging to al-Qaeda, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Jamaatul Ahrar, Toheedwal Jihad Group, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi Al-Alami, Lashkar-i-Islami, and Sipah-i-Sahaba. The perpetrators of the Peshawar school attack were among the militants hanged after conviction in the military courts. The terrorism cases which were sent to military courts from now onward will be heard in the anti-terrorism courts already functional in the country. The special court system ended after another anti-terror law known as Protection of Pakistan Act expired last year. It allowed for detention of militants for 90 days without permission of the courts. Taipei: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the US on Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan's Central American allies, Tsai's US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office and the foreign ministry declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. Deputy foreign minister Javier Hou told a legislative committee last month the ministry was seeking to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to the Central News Agency. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. Oslo: A vast iceberg, expected to be one of the biggest ever recorded with an area almost the size of the US state of Delaware or the Caribbean island state of Trinidad and Tobago, is poised to break off Antarctica. A rift, slowly developing across the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula in recent years, expanded abruptly last month, growing by about 18 km. It is now more than 80 km long with just 20 km left before it snaps, scientists said. "The Larsen C Ice shelf in Antarctica is primed to shed an area of more than 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) following further substantial rift growth," scientists at Project Midas at the University of Swansea in Wales said in a statement. The iceberg "will fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula" and could herald a wider break-up of the Larsen C ice shelf, the statement said. Ice shelves are areas of ice floating on the sea, several hundred metres thick, at the end of glaciers. Scientists fear the loss of ice shelves around the frozen continent will allow glaciers inland to slide faster towards the sea as temperatures rise because of global warming, raising world sea levels. Several ice shelves have cracked up around northern parts of Antarctica in recent years, including the Larsen B that disintegrated in 2002. Andrew Fleming, remote sensing manager at the British Antarctic Survey who also tracks the Larsen C, said the ice was being thawed both by warmer air above and by warmer waters below. In some cases, big icebergs simply float around Antarctica for years, causing little threat to shipping lanes as they melt. More rarely, icebergs drift as far north as South America. "The Larsen B shattered like car safety glass into thousands and thousands of pieces. It disappeared in the space of about a week," he told Reuters. Last year was the warmest on record by a wide margin, stoked by greenhouse gases and an El Nino weather event that released heat from the Pacific Ocean, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Thursday. In November, almost 200 nations reaffirmed plans to combat climate change as an "urgent duty", worried that US President-elect Donald Trump will try to undo a hard-won global accord for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. In November, Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage at a Florida airport had a history of mental health problems some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said Friday after the deadly shooting."Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good," his uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper.Esteban Santiago, 26, deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen.In recent years, Santiago had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. Bryan Santiago said his brother's girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment.The official was not authorised to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity.The FBI agents notified the police after the interview with Esteban Santiago, who took him in for a mental health evaluation.Bryan Santiago said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues.This booking photo provided by the Broward Sheriff's Office shows suspect Esteban Ruiz Santiago, 26 on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo)"We have not talked for the past three weeks," Bryan Santiago said. "That's a bit unusual ... I'm in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person."Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007.Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for "unsatisfactory performance," said Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman. His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said.She would not elaborate on his discharge, but the Pentagon said he went AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged.Still, he'd had some successes during his military career, being awarded a number of medals and commendations, including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago after his arrest at the Fort Lauderdale airport. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them, and reporters swarmed around.Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father and was struggling.Esteban Santiago, 26, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, is transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authorities on Saturday. (AP Photo)"It was like he lost his mind," she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things."Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun.Santiago was charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, strangled her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents.A month later municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client.Law enforcement officers were at the girlfriend's home Friday afternoon, and officers guarding the property outside told a reporter who approached the home to step away. On the last day of December, this was Donald Trumps greeting for America via Twitter, of course: Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just dont know what to do. Love! My immediate response to this infantile tweet from the future president of the United States was to donate to a diaper charity. See? I do know what to do. Lets talk about those diapers for a moment. I first wrote about this issue in 2015, after learning that parents particularly single mothers who cannot afford enough diapers for their babies are likelier to struggle with depression. The need is great, so please consider donating to one of the diaper charities in your community. Theyre growing in number, including at some food banks. Now, lets address this unparalleled dysfunction about to take over the White House. Its a remarkable thing, really, for our future president to identify as an enemy to anyone who didnt vote for him or who dares to challenge him now. Lets all sit with that for a moment. Once again, I am reminded of the late Rev. William Sloane Coffins definition of true patriotism: There are three kinds of patriots, two bad, one good. The bad ones are the uncritical lovers and the loveless critics. Good patriots carry on a lovers quarrel with their country, a reflection of Gods lovers quarrel with all the world. Mr. Trump, we are not the enemy. We are the popular majority of voters Democrats, Republicans and independents who wanted a leader, someone who understands that theres no such thing as a whisper when one is president-elect and that airing ones many insecurities through petty, thin-skinned tweets and hashtags is as dangerous for this country as it is pathetic. We are not the enemy. We are the women who wanted someone other than an admitted sexual predator to be our president, a person who doesnt celebrate misogyny. Your attacks against an anchorwoman inspired so many death threats against her that security guards became part of her daily life for the rest of the campaign. You are that guy. We are not the enemy. We are the people of color who wanted a president not prone to trafficking in racist stereotypes about immigrants and black and Latino Americans, someone who doesnt relish working supporters into mobs with coded language that goads them into seeing anyone who isnt white as the other. We are not the enemy. We are the people with disabilities, which makes us different, not discardable. We are also their loved ones. We all saw the video of you mocking a New York Times reporter with a congenital joint condition. After the newspaper defended him, you didnt apologize. Instead, you said, He should stop using his disability to grandstand and get back to reporting for a paper that is rapidly going down the tubes. If you were our child, you would be grounded. We are not the enemy. We are the media the real ones, the journalists, not the propagandists and Russian hackers who helped to make you president. We are the reporters and editors demanding accountability. We are the fact-checkers chronicling your disregard for truth. We are the opinion writers you cannot silence. In recent weeks, your brigade and too many citizens who are worn-out from the presidential campaign insist its time to move on. We should accept that you will be our president, they say. We should give you a chance. As one reader told me earlier this week, it is time to give up the grudge. Calling out a continued pattern and practice of lies and propaganda is not a grudge match. Resentment does not drive our vigilance in continuing to oppose what we rejected in you as a candidate. We are patriots, in all our forms. We are committed to championing what already made America great, which includes our First Amendment rights to pursue the truth and say whats on our minds. We will challenge you as president, as true patriots often do. We are moving on. This is where we land. Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and professional in residence at Kent State Universitys school of journalism. Email her at con.schultz@yahoo.com. Thumbs up to Peggy Whitehead, the CEO of the Blue Ridge Medical Center in Nelson County who announced recently she would be retiring from the center where shes worked for a quarter of a century. The center is located on U.S. 29 in Arrington and was a pioneer in rural health care before health care reform was on the publics radar. BRMC was founded by a number of county civic leaders who looked at the demographics of the county and realized there was a great need for affordable health care for everyone. Whitehead started work at BRMC in 1991 as a community organizer on the Rural Health Outreach team, which literally took health care to the people. Team members would go door to door through the county, checking in on residents and offering blood sugar and blood pressure screenings on the spot. After working in community outreach for 13 years, Whitehead was named interim administrator in 2004, taking over the top job a year later. Over time, the position morphed into that of a chief executive officer. Over the years, Whitehead has had her hands on just about every administrative task required to operate the facility, from grant writing to program development to building design. BRMC opened a state-of-the-art facility in 2011, supplanting its vintage 1985 building. And over the years since, theyve added behaviorial health, dental and patient education programs. Whitehead will officially step down from her post in October with a replacement set to be on the job in mid-September. Congratulations on a well-deserved retirement, but know that Nelson County will miss you, maam. * * * Thumbs up to a group of local knitters from across the area who make up the local contingent of Chase the Chill, known as Styx and String. Their task: to help those in need stay warm in the depths of winter. Chase the Chill began several years ago in Easton, Pa., and has since spread to 38 cities across the country. Local participants knit a number of items hats, gloves, scarves and the like for distribution to the homeless or those living in poverty to help them stay warm during winter. The Lynchburg chapter, the only one in Virginia, began just recently, but kicked off with a bang. Knitters created more than 300 items for distribution, with yarn donations solicited through Miriams House, a local shelter for women and children. Knitters from across Central Virginia answered the call for help. Kate Goodman, the director for development and marketing for Rush Homes, was the person who got the ball rolling on the local chapter. We all owe her and her knitters a huge debt of gratitude for showing us all how to care. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () began her second overseas visit since taking office in May 2016, a trip that will take her to four of Taiwan's Central American allies, as well as two U.S. cities, where she will have stopovers. JEERS FOR ACCUSED CHILD KILLER Little Jenice sustained injuries to her head and stomach at her home in Morocoy Extension Road, Whiteland on November 24. The child was rushed to San Fernando General Hospital where she died. An autopsy on the victim, a student of the Whiteland Early Childhood Learning Centre revealed death was due to blunt force trauma and was ruled a homicide. Female police officers handcuffed McLean and escorted her from the San Fernando Police Station to the nearby courthouse. The woman, however, was subjected to verbal abuse by onlookers. McClean, who has two children aged five and eight, stood before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John who read the charge to her that on November 24, at Corosal Road, Gasparillo, she murdered Jenice Figaro. As the charge is a capital offence, the accused was not called upon to plead. Attorney Subhas Panday announced that he, together with attorneys Frank Gittens and Chanthal Paul would be representing McClean. Panday said there was widespread social media publicity on his client in relation to the alleged incident and expressed concern about pre-trial publicity and how it would affect McCleans incarceration at the Womens Prison in Golden Grove, Arouca. Magistrate Forde-John advised Panday that he can send a letter to the Commissioner of Prisons explaining his concerns and request intervention in ensuring Mc- Cleans stay in prison is safe. Panday said that he is willing to start the case at the earliest possible time and would like disclosure from the police. Court prosecutor Ramnath Phillip said a file would be prepared and sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a State attorney to be appointed to prosecute McLean. The magistrate then remanded McClean into custody and adjourned the matter to February 23. Several of the accused womans relatives were present in court for the hearing and followed behind her while police officers escorted a handcuffed McClean out of the court. As she stepped onto the pavement to be taken back to a prisoners holding bay at the nearby High Court to await transport to prison, onlookers resumed their jeers and taunts. Smile for the media. Look at you, a man shouted as the accused womans relatives placed a white piece of cloth over her head. McLean raised her hands to try and shield her face from media photographers causing the piece of cloth to fall from her head. A stout policewoman held on to the handcuffs which secured McLeans hands as they walked towards the High Courts holding bay. Outside the courthouse, attorney Panday reiterated his concern for his clients safety in prison and said he would immediately write the Prisons Commissioner. Tobago records 1st murder of 2017 According to reports Kurt Clarke and Angela Burgess were sitting in a car at Orange Hill in Prospect when they were fired upon by an unknown assailant. Clarke was shot several times while Burgess suffered a single gunshot wound while the four-year-old child was unharmed. Following the ambush and shooting attack, residents of Prospect who were alerted to the gunshots found Clarke slumped in the drivers seat and Burgess bleeding but alive in the vehicle. Police officers were alerted as well as a District Medical officer and the body of Clarke was viewed and ordered removed to the Scarborough mortuary. Burgess was taken to the Scarborough General Hospital where she remained warded in serious but stable condition. The child is with relatives and officers of the Tobago Homicide Investigations Bureau are continuing investigations. MORVANT MURDER Meanwhile, a 34-year-old Morvant man was shot dead while asleep at the ground floor apartment of his parents home shortly after 7.30 am yesterday in what is the countrys tenth murder for this year. According to reports, Chris Dyer was at the ground floor of his parents home when relatives heard several gunshots. Thinking the noise to be fire crackers, the relative paid no attention. However, when a check was made for Dyer at 8 am, relatives found him dead at the side of Plover Road in Morvant near the family home. He had been shot several times in the head. Morvant police were contacted and officers along with the District Medical Officer visited the scene and the body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre for autopsy. Dyer was not known to the police and investigators are yet to establish a motive for his killing. Govt bows to Opposition Finance Minister Colm Imbert declared the Opposition now has no excuse not to pass legislation when the JSC reports back to the House on February 3. However, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar maintained that Government had reneged on its promise to send the Tax Information Exchange Agreement Bill 2016 to a JSC. She reiterated that all special majority provisions in the bill should be removed so it could be passed with a simple majority. Imbert, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young, Port-of- Spain South MP Marlene McDonald, Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh and Caroni Central Dr Bhoe Tewarie are the MPs selected to be members of the FATCA JSC. The Senate is expected to nominate its six members for the JSC when it sits next week. Opposition MPs thumped their desks as Imbert invoked Standing Order 68 (3) to remove the bill from the Committee of the House, which was deliberating on it on December 12, 2016. On that date, Opposition MPs blanked the sitting. Opposition MPs previously walked out on the FATCA debate on September 23 and December 9, 2016. As he reminded MPs the JSC will report to the House on February 3, Imbert declared, I want to signal to the members opposite... it still has to go to the Senate afterwards.. so in order to meet our February deadline...we will be taking the vote when the report of the JSC returns to this Parliament. As Government MPs thumped their desks, Imbert quipped, We are not playing. You (Opposition) want a joint select (committee)? There is absolutely no reason for it. They want it...They are blackmailing the country and holding the country to ransom...that is how they play politics... You want your joint select... Youre getting your joint select! He added, We will come back here in the public interest...in the national interest within 21 days...by the 3rd of February and putting the matter to the vote! IMBERT SLAMS OPP Imbert said the behavior of the Opposition since last September was the reason why the bill was going to a JSC. Referring to a statement issued on Thursday by his ministry explaining all of the amendments to the bill done by the Government in the absence of any offered by the Opposition, Imbert declared, Every single matter that they have raised has been addressed...comprehensively addressed. The minister said the only issues needing to be addressed relate to sovereignty and operation of the Executive of TT. Imbert slammed Persad-Bissessars timerity to write Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to ask incoming United States President Donald Trump repeal the US FATCA legislation. Saying Persad- Bissessar did not understand that FATCA was passed by the Republican controlled Senate and Congress. Did you ever hear more absurdity? Imbert asked. He continued, You really think that the President of the United States has time with this? What they have time with is to see whether we are going to be compliant. Whether TT is a serious country. He said if Government acts on this suggestion by Persad-Bissessar, correspondent banks in the US will, just dump us and sever all communications with TT and plunge our financial situation into chaos. Declaring the removal of special majority provisions in the bill is not an option for TT, Imbert explained, The reason why we need a special majority is that FATCA requires automatic transmission to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) in the United States. Imbert said the Opposition was well aware that, if we take that out...were right back to square one...we would have achieved nothing... we would be in breach.Reminding MPs that both the bill and the inter-governmental agreement (IGA) are the same ones which the former Persad-Bissessar administration had, Imbert said it was an absurdity for Persad-Bissessar to be unable to confirm this after three months of both documents being available for the Opposition to scrutinise. Reminding MPs that the Global Forum is also seeking similar tax information sharing arrangements with TT, Imbert said he had to ensure TT dodged that bullet because the former government failed to comply with the Global Forum. He declared that all stakeholders with an interest in FATCA such as the Bankers Association and the American Chamber of Commerce have spoken loudly that the bill did not require a JSC. The Association yesterday said it was pleased to see a middle ground has been reached between Government and Opposition. However it reminded Government and Opposition that, time is not on our side and the JSC must meet its February 3 reporting deadline, in order to have the Bill passed to meet the countrys FATCA obligations. The Association said it is available to assist the JSC with any information in its deliberations. Schoolgirl, 14, goes missing In a media release issued yesterday by the TT Police Service Public Affairs Unit, it was reported that Modeste was last seen at Salvia Lane in Pleasantville. Her mother Diana Saroop of Purcell Street, Vistabella Road in San Fernando, lodged a Missing Persons report at about 12.45 pm on Tuesday at the Mon Repos Police Station. The press release stated that Modeste is of mixed descent, five feet, five-inches in height and of slim build. Persons with information about the where about of Modest are asked to contact any police station, 800-TIPS, 555, 999 or 911. PanTrinbago head suffers heart attack A Pan Trinbago release yesterday stated this meeting is now scheduled for January 10 at City Hall, Port-of-Spain to discuss Panorama 2017, as well as deliver a report to its membership. Contacted yesterday for comment, ace pannist Dane Gulston, who has led the charge against the Diaz administration, for the handling of Pan Trinbagos affairs, said he was saddened by the news of Diazs medical condition saying he had nothing personal against the Pan Trinbago head. He said that while he remains firm that change must take place in the management of Pan Trinbago, his prayers and thoughts are with Diaz. A persons health is a whole other different thing, Gulston said. He maintained however that the entire Pan Trinbago executive must go over its handling of the organisation. To date, panmen and women have not been paid their $1,000 stipend for performing in the 2016 Panorama competition. A second press release sent last evening by Pan Trinbago revealed that Aquil Arrindell, elected as Education Officer and member of the Pan Trinbago Central Executive, had tendered his resignation via email on January 5, at 8.05 pm. 7 hurt in South accident Initial reports are that at about 9 am, the driver of a black Toyota SUV suffered a blackout while proceeding west along the Golconda Connector Road in Retrench Village close to the traffic lights. The vehicle crossed the lane and crashed into a Toyota Royal Saloon taxi (HBL 6213) which was proceeding in the opposite direction. At the time the taxi-driver had five other occupants in his vehicle. All occupants, among them three woman, sustained injuries on impact. Following the accident, scores of passers-by flocked to the scene and offered assistance until ambulance personnel arrived. Passers-by were seen offering water as well as words of comfort to the victims along the roadside. Ambulance personnel rushed the victims to the San Fernando General Hospital where they were receiving medical attention up to last evening. FIU blocks US tax evasion So said the FIU Annual Report 2016 laid in the Lower House yester- day. In her Directors Statement, FIU head, Susan Francois, said the conviction won in the case of United States versus Trenton S Somerville had involved the FIU, IRS, US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Florida Office of Financial Regulation. The FIU had also shared information to its foreign counterparts in 38 other instances. The report said intelligence from the FIU led to the designation of TT national, the late Kareem Ibrahim, as a terrorist after his conviction in the United States for conspiracy to commit a terrorist act at JFK Airport and to the freezing of his assets. Thereafter the FIU provided intelligence to successfully list 77 other individuals and entities as terrorists and to freeze their assets including the group known as Al Qaeda in Iraq also known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Otherwise the report said the most prevalent type of suspicious transaction reported to the FIU was money laundering (174 cases), followed by fraud/forgery (142 cases), suspicious activity (126 cases), drug trafficking (116 cases), financing of terrorism (68 cases), tax evasion (67 cases), human trafficking (15 cases), misbehaviour in public office (12 cases), other (11 cases) and breach of Exchange Control Act (eight cases). Overall some 739 suspicious transactions were reported worth some $805 million in sum, a doubling in value from the year before. Of this were $456 million in 617 cases of successful money-laundering, and $6.8 million in 68 successful cases of financing of terrorism. There were 53 attempted (failed) cases of money laundering worth $341 million, and one attempted (failed) case of Financing of terrorism worth $24,018. The total number of dubious deals linked to terrorism was 69 cases, triple that of the year before. The main source of reports of suspicious deals were banks (284 reports) and money transfer (217 reports), out of 739 reports in all. The report in its glossary revealed that terrorist financing can come from legitimate sources (such as charitable donations) and criminal activities (such as the drug trade, weapons smuggling, fraud, kidnapping and extortion). Citizens grill Dillon over rising crime Dillon was one of the speakers at the Side by Side We Stand for a Safe Trinidad and Tobago anti- crime rally at the Waterfront, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. Several civil organisations came together to highlight the escalating crime epidemic surging through the land. After he spoke, several people began shouting at him demanding to know what he intended to do about crime. What you doing about crime in this country, Minister? You answer me that. What you going to do, Mr Minister? one young man asked. Another chimed in, Go back to the podium and answer the question, Minister, and tell us what you doing. However, Dillon just shook his head and said, There will always be a minority who have their own agenda. When you ask what the minister is doing, you have to ask yourself, what are you doing? What are we doing as citizens of TT? What are we doing to assist law enforcement in the fight against crime and criminality? That is what we need to ask ourselves, he said. During his speech, Dillon said he did not see yesterdays rally as a protest, but rather a coming together of people of TT who wanted to make a difference, people who wanted to stand up and make a difference for each and everyone against crime and criminality in TT. We have a number of bystanders who stand up, who criticise and talk, but where are they today? Where are they today to come and take a stand as you are doing to take a stand against crime and criminality in TT? he asked. Dillon said in todays world of interdependence, no one entity could treat with the issues that confronted us. He said with the issue of crime and criminality, law enforcement was at the end of the spectrum. They are not at the beginning that shape the minds and change the behaviour of the individual. They are at the end where the minds are already shaped and we deal with that so far law enforcement and national security is concerned. What is required is a wider application, wider intervention and that is why I compliment you all in taking this initiative. We have to encourage the coming together of a wider society, the minister said. Dillon said his neither he nor his ministry could fight crime alone, but it must be based on a collective effort from a wider TT. He said there are things being put in place, and they are developing new strategies and plans for 2017. There were 463 murders in 2016; there have been ten so far for this year, 2017. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Washington, Jan. 6 (CNA) Allowing Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen () to make stopovers in the United States is part of a "longstanding practice" to provide comfort to the traveler, and there is nothing unusual about her upcoming transits in the U.S. during her visit to Central America, a U.S. Department of State spokesman said Friday. Longest serving PNM general secretary lauded at funeral This is according to PNM founding member, Ferdie Ferreira, who eulogised his friend and colleague yesterday at his funeral held at the Church of the Nativity, Diego Martin. Ferreira said that Simonettes contribution to the PNM, and by extension the development of the country, has been conspicuous due to the absence of any accurate records by those who were responsible for the transition from colonialism to independence and onto republicanism in the 1970s. Among those present at the funeral service were Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis. Officiating priest was Father Harold Imamshah. Today our party members shout from the roof tops, great is the PNM and it shall prevail, without a clue as to who was responsible for maintaining and strengthening the 60-year-old fortunes of the enduring balisier estate, Ferreira said. Credited as the PNMs longest serving general secretary, Ferreira said that Simonette took over the position in 1962 after the party had used the services of six members as general secretaries during a period of chaos and confusion which included the misappropriation of party funds. It was at that stage, he said, that former prime minister, Dr Eric Williams, persuaded Simonette, then a senior teacher in Cedros who was known for his organisational skills and unlimited capacity for work, to move north to take up the position. Ferreira credited Simonette for reorganising and restructuring the party, as well as the promotion of Buy Local through Buy Local Jamborees in the 1970s which produced three calypso monarchs. In tributes Simonettes daughters Helene Anne Lewis and Laura Nicole Simonette described their father as shaping their lives according to their dreams and aspirations. They both noted his love for the arts including poetry which he taught them, and in Lewis words, teaching them also politics, prayer and propriety. Lewis said that on her fathers 90th birthday, celebrated in December last, he described himself as the oldest Simonette who ever lived. As one who encouraged his children to build relationships based on character and not race, she said, Long before Dr Williams admonished against the use of the words nigger and coolie, Daddy had forbidden us to use those words so often heard and spoken at school. As a cultural promoter, Lewis said that her father promoted as fund raising efforts for the PNM, concert tours to Trinidad by the Jamaica National Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Senegalese Dance Company - Les Ballet Africaines, Millie Jackson and a US variety concert called Around the World in 60 Minutes. C-SAFE app by PLOTT being utilised This was revealed by PLOTT co-founder, Gillian Wall, during an interview with Newsday at the groups monthly meeting, held yesterday at Kam Wah Chinese Restaurant, Maraval Road, Portof- Spain. C-SAFE has been downloaded about 3,500 times since its December 22 (2016) launch. The app is being accessed at least two to eight times a day, which means its being frequently utilised. So the usage is probably close to 30,000 in terms of the amount of times individuals are going on. Theyre looking at tips, police alerts on theft, missing persons et cetera. People are also utilising the app to submit reports on electricity issues, water shortages, representation type issues, because theres also that element, Wall shared. Users have the option to submit reports without including their personal information, such as sex, age and location. Regarding what the app is most frequently used to do, Wall told Newsday the majority of the reports so far have been crime-related (as well as) water and electricity related. Those reports are all going to the relevant bodies; TTPS, WASA, TTEC. PCA recommends disciplinary action against constable Smiths body was found floating in waters off Trinidads west coast on November 21, 2015. His family did not believe he drowned. They believed he was killed by a group of soldiers. The PCA has also recommended that further investigation be conducted by the Homicide Bureau relevant to the identities of the soldiers and their reports/ statements, reports from the district medical officer and first responders to the scene of the incident etc, and confirmation that the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force is investigating the alleged involvement of their officers in Smiths death. In a letter dated December 1, 2016 to one of Smiths relatives who filed a complaint, PCA Director, David West said that the PCA has concluded its investigations into the complaint which contained allegations of neglect of duty against (officer named) for the failure to efficiently and thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding (Smiths) death. After careful perusal of the evidence gathered in the matter, West said, the PCA has found merit in the allegations made, and has forwarded its investigative file to the office of the Commissioner of Police to consider disciplinary action against the officer. On November 23, 2015, Smiths mother Gloria had told Newsday that her son had an altercation with a group of soldiers two days before in the Carenage area where they were repairing a house which was damaged by a TTDF helicopter a few weeks before. During the altercation, she said, her son was struck with a shovel in his stomach. She said he had told her that some soldiers had beaten him because he was talking, and he was not taking that. She also said she told him that that when it comes to military people, as a poor man you dont get justice, so I told him, the most you could do is take a little rest, and when you done tell the police. She said he had also related to relatives in the area what had happened but no one had come to his defence. She had claimed that the soldiers were drinking alcohol while they worked. Some 20 minutes after speaking to Brian, she said she got a phone call in which she was informed that he had drowned. She claimed he was a very good swimmer and could not understand how he drowned. Gloria said someone from the area claimed they had seen the soldiers hit Brian in his face with a shovel and then throw him in the sea. A first autopsy performed by Government forensic pathologist Dr Eslyn McDonald-Burris at the Forensic Science Centre declared that Smith had drowned. A second autopsy done by Dr Hughvon des Vignes at the request of the family showed that Smith died from blunt force trauma to the head and was possibly already dead when he entered the water. The autopsy revealed blunt force trauma, a cracked skull, and several other visible signs of violence to the body. Trump: 'I'll Very, Very, Very Probably Do It Again' (Newser) Japan announced Friday that it would recall its ambassador to South Korea and suspend economic talks in response to the placing of a "comfort woman" statue representing wartime sex slaves in front of its consulate in the Korean port city of Busan, the AP reports. Both Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine in Seoul and the consul-general in Busan will be temporarily recalled, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. Many Koreans were among the estimated 200,000 women forced into sexual slavery in front-line brothels for the Japanese military during World War II in what was called the "comfort woman" system. Suga called the placing of the statue "extremely regrettable," since Japan and South Korea had reached what was supposed to be a final agreement to resolve long-standing differences over the issue in late 2015. He said that Japan would suspend some ongoing negotiations with South Korea, including a proposed currency swap arrangement for times of financial crisis. South Korean activists opposed to the 2015 agreement installed the statue in Busan late last month, one year after the pact was reached. A similar statue by the same sculptor has stood in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul since 2011. The South Korean Foreign Ministry called Japan's decision to recall its ambassador "very regrettable." (Read more comfort women stories.) (Newser) It appears Carrie Fisher's final resting place will be...a giant Prozac pill. A photo tweeted from Friday's private memorial service for Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, shows Fisher's brother Todd carrying what appears to be an urn in the shape of a Prozac pill. The Hollywood Reporter says it's further evidence of Fisher's "kooky sense of humor" and her honesty about her "battles with drugs and mental illness." "Carrie Fisher...has a better sense of humor as a dead woman than do most people who are currently alive," Jezebel adds. According to Vulture, the urn isn't Fisher's first Prozac-related gag; she reportedly had her kitchen tiles made to look like the drug. "May you have all the Prozac you could ever want in heaven, Carrie," the website states. Paper reports some of Fisher's ashes were buried with Reynolds. A public memorial for both will be held in the future. (Read more Carrie Fisher stories.) (Newser) Thirty-one inmates were slain Friday in Brazil, some with their hearts and intestines ripped out, during a prison killing spree led by the country's largest gang, authorities said. The AP reports the bloodshed comes just days after 60 inmates were killed during rioting at two prisons in a neighboring state and it increases fears that violence could spread, including to the streets of major cities, as gangs vie for influence and territory both inside prisons and in slums where trafficking operations are often based. It's also becoming a flashpoint for the government of President Michel Temer, whose administration is already struggling with an economic crisis and mounting corruption allegations. "This is a national crisis," said Uziel Castro, security secretary of the state where the latest massacre happened. Castro said the slaying spree began around 2:30am at the Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo in the town of Boa Vista. He said it was led by members of Sao Paulo-based First Command, Brazil's biggest criminal organization. He said First Command members did not attack members of a rival gang, but rather other prisoners, for motives that were not yet clear. "There was no confrontation, this was a killing spree," said Castro. "It was barbaric. Some were beheaded, others had their hearts or intestines ripped out." Castro said firearms were not involved, and none of the 1,500 inmates in the prison built for about 700 had escaped. (Read more Brazil stories.) (Newser) The FBI hasn't ruled out any motiveincluding terrorismin Friday's mass shooting at a Florida airport. George L. Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami office, says the agency will track the movements of alleged gunman Esteban Santiago, 26, in what is expected toe be "a long-term, very difficult, complex investigation," the Sun-Sentinel reports. Santiago, an Iraq veteran who reportedly told the FBI's Anchorage field office in November that the government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch ISIS videos, was taken into custody after five people were killed and eight others injured at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. A round-up of developments: Officials tell the New York Times that it is too early to tell whether Santiago's actions were inspired by terrorist groups, though he is believed to have viewed extremist material online. Florida Gov. Rick Scott visited the airport Friday evening and condemned what he called a "senseless act of evil." "Whoever is responsible will be held accountable to the full extent of the law," Scott said, per the Guardian. "The state of Florida, the citizens of Florida, law enforcement, will not tolerate evil acts." When asked why he had contacted Donald Trump instead of President Obama for help from the federal government, Scott said this "isn't time to be political." CNN looks at the background of Santiago, who allegedly starting firing after he picked up the gun he had declared in his checked baggage on his flight from Alaska to Florida. He was deployed to Iraq with the Puerto Rico National Guard from April 23, 2010, to Feb. 19, 2011, authorities say. He later joined the Alaska Army National Guard, but was discharged on Aug. 16, 2016 for unsatisfactory performance. An aunt who lives in New Jersey tells NorthJersey.com that Santiago was happy after his son was born in September last year but his mental condition deteriorated afterward. "Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind," the aunt says. "He said he saw things." The aunt tells CNN that Santiago returned from Iraq a changed man who sometimes seemed lost. He "talked about all the destruction and the killing of children. He had visions all the time," she says. The Times reports that he served with the 130th Engineer Battalion, which cleared roads of IEDs in Iraq. His record suggests he wasn't in combat, though two soldiers from his company were killed in insurgent attacks. Santiago was charged with assault in an incident involving his girlfriend last January, the Los Angeles Times reports. The case was dismissed under a deferred prosecution agreement two months later. FBI agents searched the Anchorage home Santiago shared with his girlfriend and child Friday night, and also evacuated a nearby hotel for reasons that they did not disclose, reports Alaska Dispatch News. The shooting left thousands of people stranded at the airport, some of them stuck on planes for hours while the facility was locked down, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Some 10,000 passengers were taken by bus to Port Everglades, where they were assisted by Red Cross staff. The chief of police at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage tells the Washington Post that the gun was the only baggage that Santiago checked in. He says passengers routinely check in their weapons. " Were a big hunting state, so we get quite a lot of that," he says, adding that Santiago did nothing unusual at the airport, apart from checking in more than four hours early. (Read more Esteban Santiago stories.) (Newser) A 37-year-old man says his school-issued laptop may have saved his life during Friday's deadly shooting at a Florida airport, the Miami Herald reports. Steve Frappier, a school counselor from Atlanta, flew into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for an education conference. After shoving his laptop in his backpack, he debarked the plane and headed for baggage claim, according to CNN. When a gunman opened fire, Frappier hit the deck like everyone else. He says he was "like a tortoise with the backpack on me." While on the ground, Frappier says he felt something hit his back. He figured it was a piece of luggage falling on him, but when everything was all over, he checked his backpack and found a bullet hole in his Macbook Pro. FBI agents later found the bullet in one of his backpack's pockets. If I didnt have that backpack on, the bullet would have shot me between the shoulders, Frappier tells the Herald.. It still doesnt feel real. (Read more shooting stories.) (Newser) Who's going to pay for Donald Trump's border wall, which is either "great" or "stupid," depending on who you ask? The answer is getting a little more complicated. The New York Times reports Republican lawmakers are looking into funding the border wall with taxpayer money. That led to the following Trump tweet: "The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!" He reiterated that point to the Times: "We're going to get reimbursed. But I don't want to wait that long. But you start, and then you get reimbursed." He says reimbursement from Mexico will probably be part of a NAFTA renegotiation. Mexican leaders, like they did when Trump originally claimed the country would pay for the wall, say not so fast, the Washington Post reports. "I believe I speak for most Mexicans that I would just as soon break with USA, and assume the consequences, than pay for Trump's stupid wall," one former diplomat tweets. Former president Vicente Fox Quesada adds: "Trump, when will you understand that I am not paying for that [expletive] wall. Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it." It's also unclear how excited Republicans as a whole will be toshould Mexican reimbursement not materializespend a whole bunch of taxpayer money. According to Reuters, US Customs and Border Protection estimates a border fencefar from Trump's "great wall"would cost more than $11.3 billion. (Read more border wall stories.) (Newser) A Chicago judge has refused to allow four black people caught on cellphone footage taunting and beating a mentally disabled white man to post bail and leave jail, saying they are accused of such "terrible actions" that they are a danger to society. "Where was your sense of decency?" Cook County Circuit Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked them on Friday during their first court appearance, sounding baffled that the suspects could be charged with such cruelty toward the 18-year-old victim, the AP reports. The beating was captured on cellphone video by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media. The graphic footage shows the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. All four suspectsJordan Hill and Tesfaye Cooper, both 18, and sisters Tanishia and Brittany Covington, ages 18 and 24have experienced previous brushes with the law. Prosecutors offered new details of the assault in Friday's hearing, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder. A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt. The four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crimeone because of the victim's race and the other because of his mental disabilities. (The victim and his parents thought he was going to a sleepover with Hill, a former classmate.) (Newser) Charles Manson is back behind bars, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Friday. "He is at the prison," Terry Thornton says. "I don't know how much plainer it can be." Manson, currently serving a life sentence, was transported from Corcoran State Prison to a hospital in Bakersfield on Tuesday for a serious medical issue. Officials aren't giving out details, but the New York Daily News reports the 82-year-old Manson had gastrointestinal bleeding but was too weak for surgery. His current condition is unclear. Hospital visits are likely the only time Manson will get beyond prison walls; he's already been denied parole 12 times. (Read more Charles Manson stories.) (Newser) German police say they're "in disbelief" over a false story published by Breitbart, which a local publication claims was trying to create "an image of chaotic civil war-like conditions in Germany, caused by Islamist aggressors." The AFP reports Breitbart ran a story titled "1,000-man mob attack police, set Germany's oldest church alight on New Year's Eve." The article claimed a mob gathered "around the flag of al-Qaida and Islamic State collaborators the Free Syrian Army" while chanting "Allahu akbar." The story also claimed people threw fireworks at families, children, and police, heavily suggesting Muslim migrants were the culprits, according to the Washington Post. It was a strange report considering police in Dortmund, where the events supposedly took place, say it was an "average to quiet" New Year's Eve. A local newspaper says Breitbart created its story by twisting and combining unrelated events in its coverage to create "fake news, hate, and propaganda." A firework started a small fire on netting covering some scaffolding on the church. The fire was put out in 12 minutes and caused no damage to the church, which is not Germany's oldest. The people gathering around the flag, which is used by various groups opposed to the Syrian government, were celebrating the cease-fire in that country, Deutsche Welle reports. "Allahu akbar" is common in Muslim celebrations and prayers. Police say two people threw a single firework each at the feet of police in separate incidents; one was a migrant, the other was German. German authorities are increasing warnings about fake news impacting the country's elections similarly to what happened in the US. (These were the 5 biggest fake news stories of 2016.) The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested a woman on charge of allegedly luring a woman under the pretext of getting her a job in Delhi, who later died due to physical assault by her employer. Police said one Mariyam surrendered herself at the Mukherjee Nagar police station. "She got to know that several police teams are looking for her and thought that she won't be able to escape. She surrendered at the police station and was arrested," police said. According to the sources, Mariyam allegedly trafficked the girl from West Bengal and she is not sharing details about other girls trafficked from the state and Nepal on the pretext of providing lucrative jobs in Delhi. Read | Delhi Police arrests man for assaulting domestic help in Mukherjee Nagar Mariyam used to convince poor families of these girls and tell them that their daughters will earn good money in the range of Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000 in Delhi and brought them here, police said. The maid died at a private hospital on January 4 allegedly due to physical assault. Meanwhile, the medical board of Safdarjung Hospital that was supposed to conduct the autopsy of the maid, couldn't conduct the post-mortem on Friday and it will be carried out on Saturday, the officer said. Following the autopsy, the body will be handed over to her mother for the last rites. The accused employer, Atul Kr Lohia, was arrested on December 24 but was later released on bail. Earlier, a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide) was also added. The placement agency owner, Ganesh Burman, and a woman agent were also arrested in this connection. It was found that Barman used to lure women through agents like Mariyam from areas like West Bengal on the pretext of providing jobs in Delhi. Jammu: A pilgrim going to Vaishnodevi died near Ban Ganga area of Katra town in Reasi district on Saturday. The pilgrim was identified as Vishno Sonaba and was a resident of Maharashtra. The pilgrim was found dead under mysterious circumstances, a police officer said. The body has been brought to Community Health Centre in Katra and a case has been registered. The body will be handed over to the relatives after conducting all the legal and medical formalities, the officer said. New Delhi: Dev Patel who is one of the nominees at this year's Golden Globes but British-Indian star says he does not enjoy walking the red carpet as it makes him nervous. Patel, however, is looking forward to celebrating the acclaim that his film "Lion" has received. It is one of themost talked about movies this award season in Hollywood. "Red carpets make me very nervous. Also Read: Frank Sinatra not to relive through biopic, Martin Scorsese scraps project It's a big source of anxiety for me but it is a necessary part of the job," Patel told PTI over a phone from Los Angeles. The 26-year-old actor is nominated in the best supportingactor category at the Globes this Sunday for playing thetrue-life inspired role of Saroo Brierley. Patel, who shot to global fame with 2008 movie "Slumdog Millionaire", and has starred in films like "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "The Man Who Knew Infinity", says he never imagined that "Lion" will touch so many people with its story of a man in search of his roots. Also Read: Chucky teaser out, get ready to be spooked! "I am looking forward to celebrating our movie at theGlobes. It is a very small film. We never imagined being on theinternational stage. We just made it with a lot of heart and then it resonated with so many people. "Sharing stage with such legends for an Indian guy who grew up in London, it is really an honour for me." "Lion", also starring Rooney Mara, David Wenham and NicoleKidman, releases in India on February 24. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha seeking central governments stance on the oppositions demand to postpone the Budget presentation ahead of Assembly election in five states. Oppositions demanded that Budget must be postponed to a day after March 8, the last date of polling in Uttar Pradesh. Taking a note of the oppositions request, the Election Commission on Saturday asked union government to clarify its stand by January 10 on oppositions' demand. Recently, opposition parties including Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Janata Dal United (JDU) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) urged the election commission to ask government to postpone the budget till the assembly elections in five states are over. The Union budget for the fiscal 2016-17 will be presented on February 1. The opposition parties have earlier sought President Pranab Mukherjees intervention on the issue. Opposition on many instances was seeing quoting BJPs 2012 stance when UPA II had to postpone the budget presentation midst of the election campaign in these same five states. The UPA accepted the Oppositions demand and the Budget was presented on March 16 instead of February 28, said Congresss Ghulam Nabi Azad. However, the Centre also cleared its stance and had said that union government is committed to present the Budget as per the schedule. Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called said the Oppositions demand anti-people and said that the Budget is for the country and would not be state specific. Opposition said BJP could gain extra votes by presentation Budget on February 1 as many sops could be announced to woo voters in these five states and also Budget midst assembly elections is a direct violation of Model code of conduct. Also Read: Union Budget not subject to schedule of various elections: BJP Youth Congress activists on Friday tried to stage a march towards Election Commission's office in central Delhi to protest the government's decision to present the Union Budget on February 1, three days ahead of voting in Punjab and Goa. They began their march from their party office but were detained by police before they could reach the EC's office. The activists charged that the government move to present the budget just days ahead of voting in five states was aimed at benefiting the ruling BJP in the states going to polls. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Meerut : An FIR has been lodged in Meerut on Saturday against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his remark on population control. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 153b (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) among others. Meerut Polices action came a day after MP indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country. Also read: Sakshi Maharaj stirs controversy, says Muslims responsible for rising population Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population, Maharaj told a sant sammelan in Meerut on Firday. Strict laws are required in this country if we really want to curb population. Parties need to rise above politics and take decision for the sake of the country, he added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Puducherry: Due to growing differences between her and the Congress government in Puducherry, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday said she would quit the post in May 2017 on completion of two years in office. I have given myself a tenure here. I shall relinquish my office on May 29, 2018 when I complete two years in Puducherry, she told. Bedi said that she has already informed her seniors about this. Her statement comes a day after Congress MLAs shot off a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh complaining about Bedis style of functioning in the backdrop of her cancelling an order of Chief Minister V Narayanasamy banning officials from using social media for official communication. The former IPS officer, who was sworn in as the Lt Governor of the Union Territory on May 29, 2016, had initiated several measures including steps to check crimes and corruption and for a garbage-free Puducherry. There had been differences between her and the government on occasions, though Narayanasamy maintained the ties were cordial. In an apparent reference to Bedis direct interactions with government officials, Narayanasamy had in the past said the elected ministry should not be overlooked. In August 2016, Bedi had allegedly threatened to quit her post and leave Puducherry over alleged lack of cooperation (from officials) for her clean Puducherry Mission. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: A 12-year-old student from Marathwada region has become talk of his village for erasing the mention of his caste from the school attendance record. Rohan Bhosle, a seventh standard student of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) school at Pargaon village in Ashti tehsil of Beed district, deleted the mention of his caste from the school attendance sheet recently, which won praise from classmates and teachers. Prateeksha Shirole, Rohans classmate, said he took the muster sheet, pulled out a pen and rubbed the blue ink on the column which had mention of his caste. Somnath Walke, Rohans teacher said, I was shocked and wondered as to why Rohan did that. When I asked him why he erased his caste, he said, Sir, you regularly teach us in classroom about equality. Everybody has only one caste: humanity. Nobody should ask the other as to what his caste is, the teacher said. Rohans parents are farmers. His father Suresh and mother Manda said, they were surprised that Rohan had taken such a revolutionary step. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The nine-day New Delhi World Book Fair kicks off at the Pragati Maidan on Saturday. The theme for 2017 book fair is Manushi, and it will focus on writing on and by women. Minister of State for Human Resources Development Mahendra Nath Pandey will inaugurate the fair on Saturday. The theme will be inaugurated by Human Resource and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday. 2017 World Book fair will witness the participation of nearly 800 publishers from across the country and abroad. More than 20 countries including China, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan and Iran will participate in 2017 book fair. Also, a number of seminars, panel discussions, storytelling sessions and workshops on creative writing will be organised at the Children's Pavilion. To mark its 60 years of foundation, The National Book Trust (NBT) will also showcase its journey in promoting books and reading at a special exhibit called 'This is no looking back'. Eminent Odia writer and Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray will be Guest of Honour and Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to India will be the Special Guest on the occasion. There has been the tradition of women writers as well as scholars since ancient times in India. Many of them have set examples of morality through their literary works and have played a vital role in promoting modern thoughts. Therefore, we wanted to provide a special space to them at the fair. Since writings on women are as much a part of this exhibition as those by women, hence the theme presentation does not intend to project writings by women as a special genre in themselves, Baldeo Sharma, Chairman, National Book Trust(NBT) said. While books on different genres will form the main ingredients of this exhibition, posters and panels of some of the eminent representative women scholars of ancient and medieval India, and women pioneers of modern Indian literature, will be on display. The fair will also celebrate 60 years of National Book Trust (NBT) at the Special Pavillion, that will feature an exhibit titled, This is No Looking Back!. It will be exciting for youngsters to see the exhibit that will showcase NBTs journey of promoting the culture of reading in last six decades, Sharma said. Archival Photos/ Materials will offer a glimpse of noted personalities including Presidents and Prime Ministers of India, writers, readers, publishers, and artists who have patronised NBTs mandate of creating a culture of reading. There will also be a display of NBTs bestsellers, besides an Illustrators Wall showcasing works of eminent Indian Illustrators like Mickey Patel, Pulak Biswas, Mario, Miranda, Ravi Paranjpe, Jagdish Joshi among others. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Vadodara: A six-member team of Gujarat Fisheries department on Saturday took custody of the 218 Indian fishermen, who were released by the Pakistan government as a goodwill gesture at the Wagah border, a government official said. The team, headed by K R Patni, has been camping in Amritsar since January 5 to receive the freed fishermen and bringing them to Gujarat. We have received the 218 fishermen early this morning today at the Wagah border. Most of them belong to different places like Jamnagar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Verawal, Navsari of Gujarat, Daman and Diu, while few hail from other states, Patni told PTI from Amritsar over phone. The first batch of fishermen will leave for Vadodara by train this evening, he said, adding that they have also requested the Railway department to make necessary arrangements for fishermen to reach Vadodara from Amritsar. The fishermen were freed from Malir jail in Karachi on January 5. This was the second batch of Indian fishermen released from Pakistan jails since relations between the two countries became tense after the terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri. The first batch of 220 fishermen was released on December 25 last. These fishermen had allegedly strayed into Pakistans territorial waters, bringing the total number of Indian fishermen freed from Pakistani jails as goodwill gesture in the last 10 days to 438, despite the chill in bilateral ties. According to Patni, fisherman Jeeva Bhagwan from Gir Somnath district, who was also lodged in the Karachi jail, died of a cardiac arrest just a day before the release of his compatriots. Poor fishermen from both countries routinely find themselves arrested for illegal fishing as there is no clear demarcation of the boundaries between the two countries in the Arabian sea near Sir Creek. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has once again sparked a row with his controversial statement on Muslims. Ahead of the crucial polls in Uttar Pradesh, Sakshi Maharaj has said that Muslims and not Hindus are responsible for the sharp rise in population in the country. "Population is increased by those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children." Meanwhile, the Elections Commission has sought report on Sakshi Maharaj's speech from the Meerut District Magistrate. Clearly speaking against the Muslim community, Sakshi Maharaj also spoke against the practice of triple talaq. Asking the government to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as soon as possible, reports said. He also said that Hindus were not having enough children."Hindu ghataa aur desh bataa," he said. "Whether Hindu or Muslim, mothers are not machines," he added. The BJP has distanced itself from the controversy. Reacting to Maharaj's remarks, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that such remarks could not be BJP's position. Jansakhya badh rahi hai,zameen utni hi hai. Maine kaha aurat machine nahi;4 biwi,40 bache,3 talaq nahi chalenge-Sakshi Maharaj on his stmnt pic.twitter.com/LTNjGZhfbD a ANI (@ANI_news) January 7, 2017 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll: #12:13 PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Bengaluru for the inauguration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas- ANI #10:49 PM Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao attended a show organised to promote handlooms in Hyderabad- ANI #10:32 PM Mario Soares, former Prime Minister and President of Portugal, dies at age 92- ANI #10:22 PM US President-elect Donald Trump selects Dan Coats for intelligence director - AFP #9:39 PM Gunman wounds US consular official in western Mexico- AFP #9:10 PM Whatever role Rahul Gandhi and Amrinder Singh assigns, he will accept it: Navjot Kaur Sindhu on Navjot Singh Sidhu- ANI #8:59 PM Mumbai Police registers Accidental Death Report (ADR) in Om Puri's death; probe underway- ANI #8:58 PM Gurugram: FIR registered against 4 builders of Sec-52's Shanti Niketan Co-op Group Housing Soc. after complainants alleged irregularities- ANI #8:38 PM Former PM Manmohan Singh to release Congress manifesto for upcoming Punjab polls on January 9 in Delhi- ANI #8:26 PM 2 CRPF jawans injured in an IED blast at around 1830 hrs, near CRPF camp in Imphal- ANI #8:09 PM People in Bengaluru protest against recent incidents of women molestation in the city- ANI #7:54 PM Prima facie SP led by Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi party hence we have right over the cycle symbol: Ram Gopal Yadav #7:54 PM EC gave time till 9 Jan but we have submitted all relevant documents, brought 7 cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages: Ramgopal Yadav- ANI #7:53 PM Will submit affidavits of 4716 delegates out of 5731.This is overwhelming majority, over 90% with SP led by Akhilesh: Ramgopal Yadav #7:52 PM India, Portugal sign 6 agreements, including one on defence cooperation #7:31 PM In my extensive discussion with Portugal PM we reviewed the full range of India-Portugal ties: PM Modi #7:30 PM Delhi: Portugal PM AntAnio Costa presents PM Modi with Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey - ANI #7:29 PM Ramgopal Yadav reaches the Election Commission of India, Delhi #7:28 PM We are deeply honoured that you accepted our invitation to be the Chief Guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: PM Modi #7:20 PM Delhi: Ramgopal Yadav leaves his residence to visit Election Commission- ANI #7:15 PM Huge discrepancies detected by Ahmedabad Investigation unit of IT Dept during a survey conducted on Co-op Bank of Rajkot Ltd: Sources - ANI Huge discrepancies detected by #Ahmedabad Investigation unit of #IT Dept during a survey conducted on Co-op #Bank of Rajkot Ltd: Sources ANI pic.twitter.com/z4Xy2efjNH a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) January 7, 2017 #7:00 PM Uttarakhand: Nainital witnesses fresh snowfall (ANI)A #6:42 PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Portugal Prime Minister AntAnio Costa hold delegation level talks in Delhi- ANI #6:22 PM At least 43 killed after a car bomb went off in a busy market in a rebel-held Syrian town along Turkish border- ANI #6:17 PM Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Portugal Prime Minister AntAnio Costa- ANI #6:10 PM Case registered in Meerut against Sakshi Maharaj over his controversial comment on population control, under section 298 of IPC among others- ANI #6:07 PM President-elect Donald Trump says he'll nominate former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats as national intelligence director.- AP #6:05 PM We are proud of the fact that the first Sikh Ex-Army Chief has joined SAD; he will be contesting from Patiala: Sukhbir Singh Badal- ANI #6:03 PM Chandigarh: Former Army chief JJ Singh joins SAD in presence of Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal- ANI #5:54 PM I am preparing myself to join politics as this is what the people want, says Deepa Jayakumar, Former TN CM Jayalalithaa's niece- ANI #4:54 PM Congress Election Committee meeting scheduled for Jan 10. Navjot Singh Sidhu likely to join Congress on January 9- ANI #4:11 PM Thankful to Dept of Telecommunications for appointing me as the Chairman of the telephone advisory committee: Former TMC MP Kunal Ghosh (ANI)A #3:55 PM Uttarakhand: Dehradun receives rainfall and consequent dip in temperature after snowfall in higher reaches- ANI #3:45 PM Bihar: 12-year old dies on the spot after being hit by a dumper truck in Rohtas district; locals torch truck in protest- ANI #3:37 PM Car bomb kills at least 14 in Syria's Azaz A (AFP)A #3:20 PM Chhattisgarh: A woman from Thailand found dead at a nursing home in Bhilai- ANI #3:18 PM Rain in Chandigarh brings a fall in temperature; trees uprooted at a few places- ANI #3:17 PM CBI arrests 7 persons for illegal possession of around 427 kg cannabis- ANI #3:15 PM Received complaint from Delhi Commission for Women. Victim has been contacted, investigation underway: Deependra Pathak- ANI #3:12 PM Meghalaya's independent MLA Julius K Dorphang, accused of raping minor girl, arrested in Guwahati on January 6, 2017 ,taken to Shillong Police Station #3:10 PMA Nainital High Court has posted Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat's sting CD case for hearing on 13 February- ANI #3:06 PM Bangalore: Woman allegedly molested by 2 men while going to gym on 4 Jan; case registered under Sec 354 of IPC in Banaswadi Police Station-ANI #2:54 PM Punjab counter-intelligence team arrested Ex Assistant Commandant of BSF in connection with huge haul of contraband-ANI #2:42 PM Fire breaks out at Indian Ordnance Factory Board Head Office in Kolkata-ANI #2:35 PM Youth are going astray due to local elements & in their innocence they can't understand it: Jitendra Singh at Kashmiri students' conference-ANI #2:33 PM Will provide initial venture fund if someone wants to begin startups in J&K: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh at conference for Kashmiri students-ANI #2:30 PM MoS PMO Jitendra Singh at conference for Kashmiri students, in Delhi-ANI #2:21 PM Over 200 tourists stranded in Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh due to blockade of NH5 after heavy snowfall; all tourists safe-ANI #2:10 PM Delhi: 10 accused, who were involved in a number of night burglaries in South East District arrested by Police-ANI #1:39 PM Patiala House court issued summons as all the accused failed to appear in front of the Court. Next date of hearing 22 Feb inA Agusta Westland-ANI #1:37 PM Agusta Westland-Court issues non-bailable warrant against British national James Christian Michel and re-issues summons against a company alongwith 2 accused #1:31 PM Election commission seeks report on Sakshi Maharaj's controversial speech from Meerut District Magistrate-ANI #1:22 PM One wanted accused, earlier charge-sheeted in an FICN case and absconding for last 6 months, has been arrested by NIA team-ANI #1:18 PM 8 Indian fishermen detained by Sri Lankan navy along with one boat near Neduntheevu in Palk Strait-ANI #1:16 PM Amnesty scheme was really no scheme, it undervalued properties: Nirmala Sitharaman-ANI #1:15 PM FM explained difference between 1997 Amnesty scheme by the then Govt, and the IDS scheme now: Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman-ANI #1:13 PM Uttar Pradesh: Azam Khan reaches Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence-ANI #1:07 PM Economic resolution was presented in National Executive meet by FM Jaitley,focused primarily on #DeMonetisation:Commerce & industry minister-ANI #12:58 PM Beat poet and musician David Meltzer dies at 79-ANI #12:23 PM This shouldn't be seen as BJP's stand: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sakshi Maharaj's speech/Congress to move EC-ANI #12:20 PM Harda (Madhya Pradesh) Municipal Elections: BJP win 30 wards, Congress 4 and Independent 1 (ANI)A #12:14 PM WB: New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani express stopped by TMC workers at Cooch Behar railway station against the arrest of Sudip Bandyopadhyay-ANI #11:50 AM Mumbai: Fire that broke out in Ganesh Murti Nagar area (Cuffe Parade) has been brought under control-ANI #11:47 AM BSP releases third list of 100 candidates, total 300 seats declared till now-ANI #11:46 AM Action has to be taken, will move to the Election commission on this: KC Mittal,Congress on Sakshi Maharaj's speech-ANI #11:45 AM Sakshi Maharaj's speech based on caste and religion is very offensive, its a violation of the MCC and recent SC judgement:KC Mittal,Congress-ANI #11:07 AM Delhi Police arrest notorious criminal Yogender Sharma, wanted in a number of cases of robbery and attempt to murder-ANI #11:06 AM Delhi: German woman alleges molestation by landlord, police registered case-sections 354 and 509 of IPC. Incident happened on November 30th-ANI #10:57 AM BSP Chief Mayawati meets party coordinators, candidates, MPs, MLAs and office bearers in Lucknow #10:25 AM Gurugram: Ex-serviceman shot dead after unknown assailants fired 5 rounds outside his residence. Police investigating the matter-ANI #10:09 AM Independent MLA from Meghalaya Julius K Dorphang has now been brought to a Shillong police station-ANI #9:28 AM Meghalaya MLA Julius K Dorphang, accused of raping a minor girl, arrested in Guwahati-ANI #8:51 AM ECI has sought Cabinet Secretary's reply on opposition plea to postpone budget presentation date, as per normal procedure say ECI sources-ANI #8:33 AM Kathmandu: Massive protest by Nepal's main opp alliance led by CPN UML to force Govt to withdraw Constitution amendment bill-ANI #8:22 AM Fire that broke out in Kurla's Kapadia Bazar in Mumbai is now under control- ANI #8:03 AM Mumbai: Fire breaks out in Kurla's Kapadia Bazar, four fire tenders and water tankers rushed to the spot- ANI #7:32 AM 70 trains delayed (arriving late in Delhi area), 16 rescheduled and 7 cancelled due to fog/operational reasons-ANI For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Cairo: At least nine terrorists were killed and 16 others injured as Egypt's army foiled an attack on number of security checkpoints in North Sinai, military officials said. The attack, which took place on Friday, targeted different army checkpoints at the same time. The attackers used cars carrying explosives, motorcycles and electronic weapons, military spokesperson colonel Tamer el-Refa'e said in a statement. The armed forces exchanged fire with the attackers killing nine and injuring 16 others. They also destroyed six of their vehicles, he added. North Sinai has been the stage for many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak. The attacks mainly targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Eminent Indian-Americans from across America are gearing to celebrate inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the US with a presidential ball along with other Asian American community on January 19. The only presidential inaugural ball of its kind, among others, would also felicitate Indian-Americans who have been nominated by Trump to key positions in his administration. Prominent among them being South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has been nominated to the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations, which is a Cabinet level post. Asian Pacific American Presidential Inaugural Gala 2017 being organised by Trump-Pence Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee (APAAC) and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans has several top Indian-Americans on its leadership team, including Puneet Ahuwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California, Shalabh Kumar from Illinois, and Harry Walia from Florida. The Asian Pacific American Gala is defining statement of our nations diverse strength and huge intellectual capital amongst the Asian American Communities. Indian-Americans should be leading the Presidential inaugural celebration as we have the most to benefit with strong US-India relations, Puneet Ahluwalia, Finance Chairman of the gala, told PTI. We are leading in numerous fields and it is time we lead in mainstream political activities, he said. The presidential inaugural gala will be held in the historic ball room of Mayflower hotel on the eve of Trumps swearing in on January 20. The Asian American Gala as part of President Trumps Inaugural symbolises the success achieved by Indian and Asian Americans, said Vivek Lall, who has been a leading US corporate figure working with many governments globally. Under the Trump Presidency we can foresee a stronger America with enhanced substantial partnerships in trade and active diplomacy across the globe, he said, asserting that US-India cooperation will further deepen on multiple fronts during the incoming administration. In a statement, APAAC and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans said the inaugural ball will include celebration with prominent dignitaries and presidential appointees. 70-year-old Trump, Vice president-elect Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Marco Rubio, incoming White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus have been invited to the event. The event among other things would include performances from Asian Pacific American communities proudly sharing their rich cultures, a media release said.This will be an excellent event that features our national Asian Pacific American leaders who have worked so hard to elect and represent Trump, said Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam and APAAC co-chair said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. United Nations: Souring the bilateral relationship with India, Pakistan on Friday handed over a dossier in United Nations on Indias alleged interference in the country. The dossier was handed over to new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Pakistan has also asked the world body to play a role in restraining India from such activities. Pakistans Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi delivered the dossier on Indias interference and terrorism in Pakistan in a meeting with the UN chief in Geneva on Friday along with a letter from the Prime Ministers Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Guterres spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the meeting was held at the request of the Pakistani envoy. When asked about what was discussed in the meeting, which took place at around noon, he said he did not have any indication of what was discussed in the meeting. The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow-up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015, the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement in Islamabad. Also Read: Pakistan asks UN to play role in resolving Kashmir Issue In the covering letter sent with the dossier, Aziz claimed that the arrest of Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan and his confessional statement admitting involvement in activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, and support to terrorist elements vindicated Pakistans long-standing position about Indias involvement in such activities. He also claimed that India was carrying out these activities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism and international conventions on terrorism. Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning subversive activities in the country. India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government. Indias hostile intentions towards Pakistan were also borne out by recent statements of its political and military leadership, Aziz was quoted as saying in the letter. He claimed Pakistan had made a major contribution to global counter-terrorism efforts and secured significant gains in its domestic fight against terrorism. Aziz urged the Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies to seriously consider the matter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play a role in restraining India from these activities, which were in clear violation of international law and posed a threat to regional and international peace and security. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Taipei: Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Friday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be closely watched by Beijing, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to visit Taiwans ally nations in Central America, Beijing-sceptic Tsais transit stops in Houston this weekend and San Francisco next weekend will be under scrutiny as cross-strait tensions rise. Tsais conversation with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsais trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. A transit is a transit, the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trumps administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is a little bit inappropriate to meet anybody until he takes office January 20.Taiwans presidential office declined to provide details of Tsais itinerary during her US stays. What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet, political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US, added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvadoramong the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwans highest-profile supporter, but the Holy Sees recently improving relations with Beijing is casting doubt over ties with the island. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Islamabad: Pakistan's Prime Minister NawazSharif on Friday condoled Om Puri's demise and hailed the veteran actor for his contribution to Indo-Pak cultural ties. "The Prime Minister said that late Om Puri made the significant contribution in linking the cultural ties between India and Pakistan and refused to succumb to the pressure of anti-peace lobbies," state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported. It said that Sharif paid rich tributes to the acclaimed actor. "Om Puri delivered some stellar performances in mainstream commercial Pakistani, Indian movies and elevated the status ofIndian cinema through his natural talent," said Sharif. Also Read: Om Puri passes away: Top Bollywood movies in which he proved his acting prowess The Prime Minister also prayed on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan for Puri's family to bear this"irreparable loss". Puri, known for his unforgettable performances in cinema classics like "Ardh Satya", "Aakrosh" and "City of Joy" massive heart, passed away at his residence here this morn massive heart attack. The 66-year-old actor is survived by estranged wifeNandita and son Ishsan. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Integrity is of the utmost importance with any profession. Its the unwritten understanding between a client and business that the company is going to do everything in its power to act professionally, go out of its way to benefit the customer and not cut any corners in regard to its responsibilities. On Nov. 2, NP Dodge Company received the Better Business Bureau Integrity Award during an award ceremony in the Embassy Suites Omaha-La Vista Conference Center for its 161 years of diligent business operations. NP Dodge Company is the first real estate firm in the area to ever receive this prestigious award, information released by NP Dodge says. The integrity awards focus on demonstrated ethical business practices with key stakeholders; including customers, employees and the community at large, rather than a companys growth, profitability or popularity. The Integrity Award winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges consisting of metropolitan Omaha business leaders and members of the academic community. NP Dodge has more than 1,000 employees and sales associates in seven divisions, consisting of: NP Dodge Residential, NP Dodge Insurance, TitleCore National, NAI NP Dodge Commercial, NP Dodge Land Development, NP Dodge Property Management and NEI Global Relocation. Amy Lemmers, office manager of Fremonts NP Dodge, explained why receiving the Integrity Award is such a big deal for her company. In all businesses but I would say especially real estate, its all about honesty, Lemmers said. Its about trust, its about having compassion for the person who is buying or selling. I just feel like in this business we are helping people with one of the biggest decisions they face in their life and that is buying a home or selling a home. Its a really big decision, and for us to receive this Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau shows that we really are doing things the way they should be done. Nate Dodge, president of the NP Dodge Company, said through a released statement that conducting business in the manner it should be done is why NP Dodge Company is Americas oldest, family-owned, full-service real estate firm. Its no secret that ethics and integrity are core values of our company, Dodge said. From the first Nathan who started the company over 161 years ago to today, these are our guiding principles. We are honored alongside an elite group of organizations in the metro that realize dealing fairly and honestly with customers and partners are critical to all business relationships. This award is a direct reflection of the work our employees and sales associates are doing every day. The Lewis-Clark Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, met Jan. 3 at Keene Memorial Library with Regent Dixie Lambert presiding. The President General's message was read by Jane Dugan. Pam Hancock gave the Indian Minutes telling the 30-year long effort of Paul Brill who came to the Omaha Indian Reservation to document who qualified, by the percentage of their blood that is Native American for a government payment. What began as a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Brill became a valued friend of the tribe after hundreds of interviews with Omaha tribal members, sometimes through a translator, to document the genealogy of the Omahas. The family trees are long, handwritten documents so long that they are rolled up and stored in cardboard tubes. The dozens of cardboard boxes that hold the tubes bear labels indicating the Omaha families whose genealogies are inside names like Webster, Grant, Blackbird and Thomas. He retired 30 years ago, and at age 85, said it is time to turn over his life's work to the Omaha. Judy Ekeler gave the minutes of wives of the signers of the Constitution. This month's subject was Mary Stead Pinckney. She was born in 1751 in Charleston, S.C., and died and was buried in Charleston in 1812. Mary was one of four children of a wealthy South Carolina merchant. Her mother was the daughter of a South Carolina Governor. Her father kept a residence in London as well as Charleston. The family was living in London when her father died, leaving most of his property to his wife and children. Under the Banishment Act of 1782, his property in Georgia was confiscated and sold. The family returned to Charleston to try and regain it. In 1786, Mary married Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Mary brought to the marriage 14,000 pounds, which helped to replenish the fortune Pinckney had lost in the Revolution. They settled down in Charleston where their house typified Charlestonian taste for gilded painted furniture of the English Regency design. The Pinckney House was built in 1741, is privately owned and not open to the public. Ekeler gave the Lewis-Clark Chapter history minutes from Dec. 2, 1903. It was moved by Miss Doane, seconded by Mrs. Foot, that the chapter give a party. Each member was to invite four guests who may give 10 cents for the flag fund. Carol Verbeek gave the flag minutes on the use of flag decals. They are to be treated with the same respect as a real flag. Discussion was held on the making of the heart centerpieces to be used at the state conference to be held in March. Each DAR chapter is asked to decorate these hearts with a theme depicting life in Nebraska. Everyone is to use their imagination and have fun with this project. Members are asked to bring their finished hearts to the February meeting. There was no new business and the business meeting was adjourned so members could work on filling out the master questionnaire. Regent Lambert will electronically file this report so the chapter receives credit for their work this past year. The next meeting will be held Feb. 7 at Keene Memorial Library. DANBURY Plans for a $214 million clean-energy technology campus near the New York border have advanced to the point where Stefan Amraly can picture plants growing from the walls and sunlight streaming from fiber-optic cables. Its taken a long time, but the picture is finally coming together for the site, Amraly said of the 22-acre Danbury Lotus Technology Center on the citys west side. When you progress from conceptualizing a vision to the point where you are ready to put shovels in the ground, it makes it that much more exciting. Amraly, the CEO of Lotus Energy Group, really does plan to install walls with living plants that add oxygen to the work environment, and he really does plan to install ceiling fixtures that pipe sunlight through fiber-optic cables into windowless places. The green building features are part of his holistic workplace philosophy for what would be the largest energy technology campus of its kind in the region. With state air quality permits expected to be issued within weeks, Amraly hopes to submit blueprints for Danburys final review as soon as February. The campus is meant to attract light industries, pharmaceutical companies and high-technology firms, but some of its amenities will be open to the public as well, including an organic food restaurant and a wellness center with massage therapists, a fitness gym, and quiet rooms for meditation. Economically it supports the project, but we want to be part of the community as well, Amraly explained. Most of the people working here are going to be coming from the local community, so it makes perfect sense. So far, public attention has focused on the power plant portion of the proposal three natural gas-burning generators that are expected to emit 32 tons of air pollutants annually. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which has already determined that plant emissions would not violate the federal Clean Air Act, held a final public hearing in December. The state expects to issue project permits as soon as February, a DEEP engineer said this week. That would clear the way for Danbury to begin its review of the project, which was first touted by Mayor Mark Boughton in his 2015 State of the City speech. We are going to have an environmental impact review and a site plan review, so there will be a ton of due process as a part of this, Boughton said Friday. One of the things that we are going to take a look at is the power-generation piece, Boughton said. This is one of the cleanest forms of power that we have, but we are anxious to take a look at it. The campus sits on a ridge at 100 Saw Mill Road, just south of the Matrix Corporate Center. The lone office building on the site which is being retrofitted with green-building features such as solar roof panels, rainwater-collection gutters and electric vehicle charging stations could begin attracting tenants by the spring, Amraly said. Plans call for two more buildings to be built by 2018, and a power-generating plant to come online by mid-2019. The power plant will include two gas-burning turbine generators that would be used as a supplemental regional power source during peak use periods and a gas-burning engine that would power the Lotus campus year-round. Lotus has plans for a similar technology center in England and on Long Island, where Amraly lives. But Amraly, during an interview in Danbury last week, said his primary focus is on the Hat City. That is why he recently moved Lotus headquarters from Melville, N.Y., to Danbury, and why he is looking for housing in the city for himself and key employees. His plan is to fly his twin-engine Seneca into the city and live here up to three days a week to oversee project details. He said Danburys skilled work force was one of the main reasons he chose the city for his $214 million investment. In order to get the tenants we need, our tenants need access to people who can make their company work, Amraly said. We found there are enough resources here with all the pharmaceutical industries and the other big industries for new companies and existing companies to come work under a new umbrella. rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BROOKFIELD - Fred Busch, 88, has been running the Brookfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10201 essentially by himself for the past three years, ever since the previous commander passed away. When the Post formed in 1970, there were 80 members, Busch said, and at one point it had more than 100. But now it has just 35, many of whom are incapacitated or live out of town. Most of the people have passed on, Busch said. The posts drop in membership was so dramatic that the VFWs Connecticut umbrella group warned that unless it elected a full slate of officers, it would be disbanded. Busch and other members managed to recruit enough new members to elect a slate of eight officers last week, saving the post from dissolution. But the experience of Post 10201 perfectly illustrates a challenge faced by traditional veterans organizations like the VFW and the American Legion. The population of veterans that are eligible (for membership) are getting on in years, and they just dont have the time or capacity to participate, said Joe Beal, the newly elected commander of Post 10201. John Schmidt, commander of the Connecticut VFW, said four posts around the state lost their charters in the past year because older members have died and younger veterans have not replaced them. The state lost 500 VFW members in each of the last two years, he said. These figures mirror a national trend. The VFW has lost 400,000 members in the last decade, said Randi Law, spokesperson for the groups national headquarters. National membership now stands around 1.3 million, she said. The average age of VFW members 68 has held fairly steady in recent years, she added. Most are veterans of wars in Korea and Vietnam. Schmidt said the decline in membership has pushed the VFW to aggressive recruitment efforts, but so far success has been limited. Were working on the younger members, but theyre going to school, trying to get a job, Schmidt said. The mother and father both work now and they have to take care of the kids, and they just dont have the extra time for volunteering. Whats more, Schmidt said, the pool of younger veterans is much smaller than it used to be. Roughly 1.5 million men and women served in the era of the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011, compared to 9 million who served in the Vietnam era, according to the Democratic Policy and Communications Center. Post 10201 Junior Commander Gene Roberts said the organization hopes to attract younger veterans by targeting programming toward them. Its harder to get the really young folks coming back to recognize the value of this organization, because a lot of the members are from a different generation, Roberts said. So were trying to gear this up to appeal to all ages and conduct programs that are more family-oriented and related to issues that those veterans are dealing with right now. Louie Robinson, commander of the Connecticut American Legion, said it will take time for the young men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to recover from their experiences and develop and interest in veterans groups. Once they come home, they need time to relax in their home, Robinson said. They need time to get out of the war mode and get back in the mode of being with family and get back in the mode of being safe again. Schmidt said some VFW posts have had success in recruiting younger members, including one in New Haven whose members volunteer and recruit at schools. Ninety percent of that posts members served after 9/11, he said. Focusing on family-oriented activities and community service has been an effective strategy for recruiting young members, Law said. Success comes with making the VFW more visible in the community and establishing a viable presence online, she said in an email. Its about educating veterans, service members and their families about the importance of our organization. Many are surprised to learn of the impact the VFW has already had on their lives. Ron Rusakiewicz, the quartermaster at the Connecticut VFW, said the lack of awareness about what the VFW does hurts membership. One of the largest problems that weve had over the years is that veteran organizations, especially the VFW, has the stigma of a bunch of veterans sitting around the bar with a cigarette telling war stories, he said. In reality, he said, the VFW supports troops overseas, provides scholarships for students and advocates for veterans and their families, he said. Focusing on the good the VFW does will help Brookfields Post 10201 recruit new members, Beal said. People are looking for places to make a difference, and so we need to communicate our value as an organization to all veterans, he said. Beal plans to start a VFW auxiliary in town that all residents, not just veterans who served overseas during wartime, can join. There are so many people in the Brookfield community who want to participate in veteran support organizations, Beal said. They just dont know where or how and were going to give [them] that opportunity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate While 2016 will be remembered as the year with no winter and almost no water its a pretty good bet this years weather will be different. Just give it a day. Significant rainfall in late December and over the first few days of 2017 upgraded lower Fairfield Countys drought condition from severe to moderate, according to the U.S. Drought Monitors latest report. Although short-term forecasts call for warmer than average temperatures this month, the day-to-day changes may leave residents with whiplash. It was nearly 50 degrees on Wednesday and more than 10 degrees colder Thursday. Add Friday mornings snowfall and more snow expected Saturday and the fickle finger of Mother Nature is in full effect. The sad part about this (recent) rain is that its not going into the ground, said Bill Jacquemin, director of the Connecticut Weather Center in Danbury. The ground is frozen solid. Last years weather was influenced by a strong El Nino phenomenon that kept conditions here generally warmer and drier than normal, forecasters said. That weather pattern has been replaced this year by its much-less-predictable counterpart, La Nina. For the first time in Connecticut history, officials declared a drought watch last year to encourage residents, businesses and local governments to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent. Bridgeport-based Aquarion Water Co., which serves much of Fairfield County, asked its customers to reduce water consumption by 20 percent. The 30-month drought, which began in June 2014, is the most severe the state has seen since the mid-1960s, officials said. Because our temperatures are a little warmer than normal, that speeds up our evaporation, which doesnt help our dry spell and gives the drought a little extra kick, Jacquemin said. Paired with historically warm temperatures, state precipitation levels ranged from just 60 percent to 73 percent of normal from June to September. The states drinking water reservoirs also continued to decline, with average levels under 80 percent of normal capacity by the end of September with some reservoirs less than half full. Last winters below-average snowfall in most areas meant the ground did not have the melted snowpack to get through the dry summer months, Jacquemin said. Bridgeport bucked that trend, however, with 32.6 inches of snow last winter, most of it coming from two large storms. The citys snowfall average is 27.6 inches. But a run of unseasonably warm temperatures, including a 70-degree reading on Christmas Day in 2015, left many feeling like Bridgeport did not have a typical winter. Staff writer Julia Perkins contributed to this report. Cambodia celebrates fall of Khmer Rouge on Victory Day Cambodia,Politics, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Phnom Penh, Jan 7 (IANS) Supporters of Cambodia's ruling party gathered on Saturday to celebrate the country's Victory Day, marking the 38th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Prime Minister Hun Sen led celebrations at the headquarters of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), which were joined by thousands of supporters, government officials and diplomats, Efe news reported. The annual Victory Over Genocide Day marks the anniversary of the fall of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime, which was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people during its rule from April 1975 to January 1979. The event on Saturday included a blessing ceremony performed by Buddhist monks, traditional dance performances and a speech from the prime minister in which he recalled the challenges with rebuilding the country after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Following the event, Hun Sen continued to discuss the importance of the day on his Facebook page. January 7 "is the second life of all Cambodian people in Cambodia, living again from the Khmer Rouge regime... (It) gave life and freedom to the people", he wrote in his native Khmer language. However, while the CPP holds large-scale events each year to mark the national holiday, others are less keen to celebrate the day that Vietnamese forces and members of Hun Sen's government toppled the regime. Taking to his own Facebook page, Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, described the day as a "military and political show organised by the communist Vietnamese", whom he accused of helping the Khmer Rouge take power in 1975. "They say they came to liberate us from the Khmer Rouge. But if there were no communist Vietnamese in the first place there would be no Khmer Rouge either," he argued. --IANS ksk/vm Iraq, Turkey agree on withdrawing troops from Bashiqa Iraq,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS Baghdad, Jan 7 (IANS) Turkey and Iraq on Saturday agreed on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from a military base in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa near the stronghold of the Islamic State in Mosul. "We have discussed the Iraqi demand of withdrawing Turkish forces from Bashiqa, and the Turkish side confirmed that they will solve the issue of their troops' presence in Bashiqa soon," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters at a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim, Xinhua reported. "We have agreed on non-interference in internal affairs of each country and vowed to respect the sovereignty of both countries," Abadi said after meeting Yildirim. For his part, Yildirim explained that the presence of Turkish troops in Bashiqa was to train and arm local forces to fight the IS group, saying "the withdrawal of Turkish forces will be achieved later." "We will not accept any action to threaten Iraq's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Turkey is exerting effort to fight terrorist groups and seeking to impose security in the whole region," Yildirim said. He said that at the meeting with Iraqi officials it was also agreed to boost the level of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries on the reconstruction of areas affected by terrorism. Yildirim, accompanied by a delegation of Turkish ministers and top officials, arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for a two-day visit to end the diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Yildirim is also expected to visit Arbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan to meet Kurdish leaders, including the region's President Masoud Barzani. Since 2015, hundreds of Turkish soldiers have been deployed in Bashiqa camp, some 30 km northeast of Mosul. The presence of the Turkish troops led to a dispute between Iraq and Turkey, as Baghdad repeatedly said Turkish forces violated Iraq's sovereignty by entering the country without permission. However, Ankara said that Turkish soldiers were sent to Bashiqa at the request of Abadi, and that their presence was aimed at training both Peshmerga fighters and local tribal volunteers to combat IS militants in Mosul. --IANS ahm/bg Google Doodle honours inventor of worldwide standard time Delhi,National,Science/Tech,Technology, Sat, 07 Jan 2017 IANS New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Google has honoured Sandford Fleming, a Canadian inventor and engineer of Scottish birth known for his invention of worldwide standard time, with a Doodle. "Today's Doodle reflects Fleming's legacy on this, the 190th anniversary of his birth," Google said in a statement on Saturday. It is widely believed that Fleming missing a train in Ireland due to a mistake printed in a timetable ultimately led to his brilliant idea that altered time as we know it. Fleming was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in 1827. This was a period when regions used solar time to set their own clocks. Solar time worked well enough until trains came along and the need for standardised time arose. Following his missed train in 1876, Fleming proposed a worldwide standard time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute on February, 8, 1879. He advocated for dividing the world into 24 time zones beginning at the Greenwich Meridian and spaced at 15 degree intervals. His proposal gave way to the International Prime Meridian Conference which convened in 1884 and was attended by 25 nations. It was here that Fleming's system of international standard time was adopted. Fleming was also known for helping build the Intercontinental Railway, serving as chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and designing Canada's first postage stamp. --IANS gb/vm The Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program passed its Milestone B decision review and can move into detail design, an official told USNI News. The potential USD128 billion ORP has entered the engineering and manufacturing development phase. These SSBNs should cost about $8 billion apiece, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), whose district includes the prime contractor, told USNI News today after reading the acquisition review documents. That figure that is higher than the Navys previously cost estimate but is calculated differently. Most recently the Navy said it expected the lead ship to cost $10.4 billion including $4.2 billion in detail design and non-recurring engineering work, as well as $6.2 billion for ship construction and follow-on ships to cost $5.2 billion, all in 2010 dollars. The $8 billion per boat figure spreads the design and engineering cost evenly across the 12 boats in the class instead of consolidating it in the cost of the lead ship, and it is also calculated in 2017 dollars, which complicates the comparison. It is a future United States Navy nuclear submarine class designed to replace the Trident missile-armed Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. The first submarine is scheduled to begin construction in 2021 and enter service in 2031 (some 50 years after its immediate predecessor, the Ohio class, entered service). From there, the submarine class will serve through 2085 Electric Boat is designing the Ohio replacement submarines with assistance from Newport News Shipbuilding. A total of 12 boats are planned to be built, with construction of the first boat planned to begin in 2021. Each submarine will have 16 missile tubes and each tube will be capable of carrying a Trident II D5LE missile. The submarines will be 560 feet long and 43 feet in diameter. That is the same length as the Ohio-class submarine design, and one foot larger in diameter In April 2014, the Navy completed ship specification documents for the Ohio Replacement Program submarines. The technical details consist of three 100-page volumes of documents detailing its configuration, design, and technical requirements. There are 159 ship specifications including weapons systems, escape routes, fluid systems, hatches, doors, sea water systems, and a set ship length of 560 feet, partly to allow for more volume inside the pressure hull Electric drive is a propulsion system that uses an electric motor which turns the propeller of a ship/submarine. It is part of a wider (Integrated electric power) concept whose aim is to create an all electric ship. Electric drive should reduce the life cycle cost of submarines while at the same time improving acoustic performance China is expected to own a third aircraft carrier in the near future, the Peoples Daily online, the flagship of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is reporting, quoting a leading naval expert. The website quoted Liang Fang: At present, Chinas second aircraft carrier is under construction. In the near future, the Chinese navy is expected to own a third aircraft carrier battle group, capable of safeguarding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, said Liang. Other sources had indicated that the third carrier was already under construction. It is likely that the third carrier will have more capable catapult launchers instead of a ramp. This will enable the fighter planes to have longer range. If China gets to catapult launchers and nuclear powered carriers in the 65,000 ton class they will be at about the level of the French or British carriers. The US has 100,000 ton class nuclear, catapult launch carriers. It will likely take until the 2040s for China to start matching the US in terms of the ten or eleven 100,000 ton nuclear carriers with catapult launchers. The U.S. Navy operates 19 ships that could be called aircraft carriers, but only considers 10 to be actual carriers. Currently, Chinas carrier ability is still catching up to Indias. If there was a future big war between the US and China, they both would likely quickly sink aircraft carriers. The utility of aircraft carriers is for pushing around smaller militaries around the world without having to depend upon basing of fighters at another country. Currently China is able to project power within the South China Sea and local waters. President Muhammadu Buhari will today attend the inauguration ceremony of Ghanas President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, in Accra. President Muhammadu Buhari will today attend the inauguration ceremony of Ghanas President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, in Accra.Buhari, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, will join other Heads of State and Government to witness the swearing-in of the President-elect and Vice Presidentelect, Mahamudu Bawumia.President Buhari once again congratulates Ghanaians on the peaceful elections and orderly transfer of power from an incumbent to an opposition candidate, and commends outgoing President John Dramani Mahama for his maturity and statesmanship, it said.President Buhari will return to Abuja at the end of the inauguration ceremonies. Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte has sent a message to departing midfielder, John Obi Mikel.The Nigerian has completed a permanent transfer to Tianjin TEDA on Friday, after spending over a decade at Stamford Bridge.Mikel Obi, who never featured under Conte, has signed a four-year deal with the Chinese Super League club worth 140,000-a-week.Conte said during his Friday press conference: I want to say thanks to Obi, for this period when he worked with me.He showed great attitude and I wish for him and his family the best.I hope that these offers from China finish with Mikel and Oscar.Mikel Obi had penned an emotional farewell to Chelsea fans earlier today, in which he thanked everyone at the club. Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has kicked against the decision to divert Abuja-bound flights to Kaduna over repairs of the runwa... Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has kicked against the decision to divert Abuja-bound flights to Kaduna over repairs of the runway in the airport at the nations capital.Highlighting instances of insecurity in Kaduna, Fayose recalled the clash between soldiers and members of the Shiia sect over the obstruction of the convoy of Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff.The federal government had announced Kaduna international airport as the alternative within the six weeks that Abuja airport would be closed.But in a statement issued by Idowu Adelusi, Fayoses chief press secretary, the governor said it is too risky and dangerous to divert local and international flights from Abuja to Kaduna.He accused the government of President Muhammadu Buhari of using a knee-jerk approach to the situation, and also lamented about the state of the Kaduna-Abuja road, which he described as a death-trap.They act before they think and they take decisions before consulting critical stakeholders. That way, they always end up putting the cart before the horse. That is how they have messed up the economy and now have brought unprecedented grief, misery, poverty and suffering on Nigerians, he said.This same Kaduna is where Shiites waylaid a whole chief of army staff; the crisis created is yet to abate as the Shiites continue to defy the authorities to mount public protests. This is the same Kaduna where over a thousand citizens have been slaughtered like rams and the federal government has not brought a single of the murderers to book. The situation in southern Kaduna and in other parts remains as tense as ever.This is the same Kaduna-Abuja death-trap of a road where a sitting minister of the Federal Republic, his wife and son lost their lives in a road mishap. This is the same Kaduna-Abuja road where a minister and her husband were kidnapped in broad daylight.It is also on this same road that an army officer was butchered; where herdsmen parade their herds in broad daylight causing avoidable accidents and other inconveniences to travellers. This is the same road where Boko Haram and other criminally-minded hoodlums operate at will.Fayose said the closure of Abuja airport would worsen the economic crisis in the country.The decision to close down the Abuja airport will further worsen the countrys economic recession, he said.We will lose business to neighbouring countries; a government that is parroting diversification of the economy will lose non-oil revenue. An aviation sector that is in crisis before will have its situation worsened. Expect more jobs to be lost in that sector, further worsening the alarming unemployment problem in the country.He advised the government to immediately constitute a high-powered team composed of Nigerians with the requisite expertise to handle this very critical national assignment.In Nigeria under the APC\Buhari administration, we seem to value cows more than human lives but this is not the case with foreign governments which place premium on the lives of their citizens. They are not likely to allow our government gamble with the lives of their citizens, he said.But by their nature, they are usually nonchalant. They believe everything starts and ends with political power, which is very sad. They must change this attitude because it is responsible for the untold suffering that our people are going through today. A former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison Madueke, allegedly diverted $153,310,000 (about N46.6billion) from the Nigerian National Pe... A former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison Madueke, allegedly diverted $153,310,000 (about N46.6billion) from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged.The commission, in a bid to recover the money, applied to the Federal High Court for its temporary forfeiture.Justice Muslim Hassan, before whom the application was brought, yesterday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money.EFCC said the money is stashed in three banks in Nigeria.The banks have been directed to supply proof that the money was not stolen or risk losing it permanently to the Federal Government.The three banks allegedly hiding the money are Access Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc, EFCC said.The former minister is said to have connived with the bank executives to hide the loot.EFCC said the banks aided and abetted the massive fraud perpetrated by the minister.According to the commission, Access Bank is holding $5million out of the total sum.Sterling Bank has the largest chunk of it, as it is currently hiding N23,446, 300,000 for Mrs Allison-Madueke, EFCC saidThe sum of N9,080,000,000 is in First Bank Plc, EFCC added.On how Mrs Allison-Madueke diverted the money, EFCC told the court that in December 2014, Diezani invited former Fidelity Bank Managing Director, Nnamdi Okonkwo, to her office.There, they allegedly hatched a plan on how $153,310,000 would be moved from NNPC to Okonkwo to be saved for Diezani.EFCC said Diezani instructed Okonkwo to ensure that the money was not easily traced.She asked him to guarantee that the money would neither be credited into any known account nor captured in any transaction platforms of Fidelity Bank.The commission said Okonkwo accepted and implemented the deal.The result was the movement of $153,310,000 from NNPC to Fidelity Bank.EFCC said two former Group Executive Directors of Finance and Account of NNPC, B.O.N. Otti and Stanley Lawson, helped Diezani to move the cash from NNPC, Abuja to the banks Lagos headquarters.The commission said in a desperate bid to conceal the source of the money, Okonkwo instructed the Country Head of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Martin Izuogbe, to take $113,310,000 out of the money to the Executive Director, Commercial and Institutional Bank, Sterling Bank, Lanre Adesanya, to hide.He said the remaining $40million was taken in cash to the Executive Director, Public Sector Accountant, First Bank, Dauda Lawal.EFCC said out of the $113,310,000 handed over to Adesanya, $108,310,000 was invested in an off balance sheet investment using Sterling Asset Management Trustees Limited.The commission said the $108,310,000 was subsequently changed to N23,446, 300,000 and saved in Sterling Bank.EFCC said it had recovered the N23.4billion in draft and had registered it as an exhibit marked EFCC 01.It also recovered another $5million out of the money kept with Access Bank Managing Director, Mr. Herbert Wigwe.The $5million was recovered in draft and had been registered as an exhibit marked EFCC 02.EFCC said First Banks Executive Director, Lawal, had converted the $40million kept with him to N9,080,000,000.Justice Hassan yesterday ordered the temporary forfeiture of all the monies to the Federal Government.He gave Sterling Bank and any other interested party 14 days to appear before him to prove the legitimacy of the monies.Should they fail to prove the monies source, they would be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government, the judge added.The order was based on an ex-parte application by EFCC seeking the temporary forfeiture of the funds.In a nine-paragraph supporting affidavit, an EFCC investigator, Moses Awolusi, claimed that the anti-graft agency discovered the monumental fraud after a high-powered investigation.Moving the ex-parte application yesterday, EFCCs lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, urged Justice Hassan to order the temporary forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.He also prayed the court to order Sterling Bank and Lawal, who were joined as defendants in the application, as well as any other interested parties, to appear in court within two weeks to explain why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.Oyedepo said the application was brought pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.It was also based on Section 44(2) of the 1999 Constitution.Oyedepo, who is EFCCs leading prosecutor in Lagos and who is passionately handling all the high profile cases, said granting the application was in the interest of justice.Justice Hassan granted the order and adjourned until January 24. The Catholic ArchBishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has faulted the one-day national prayer directed by the Christian Assoc... The Catholic ArchBishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has faulted the one-day national prayer directed by the Christian Association of Nigeria in honour of victims of the massacre in Southern Kaduna, saying Catholics do not take orders and instructions from CAN.He questioned the rationale behind such orders by CAN and how they arrived at the decision, because I dont believe in praying on a particular day. I will say, pray that God will deliver us from this, not particularly on January 8, 2017.The General Secretary of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake, had declared Sunday, January 8, 2017, as national day of mourning for all Christians at home and in the Diaspora, and that Christians should dress in mourning attire; black clothes or dresses, on the said date to pray fervently for victims of the killings in Southern Kaduna.But speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Onaiyekan said whoever gave that instruction should have known that there is a limit to how they could issue orders to Christians using the name of CAN.He said, I do not know what to say about the present leadership of CAN because our (Catholic) church is not fully involved now in CAN. We were not even party to the election that brought in the new leadership of CAN. So, the only position that I can take now is to sit down and watch.I cannot tell all my members to come to church next Sunday in black dresses. We dont get instructions from CAN; every church has its own rules.Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic archdiocese in Imo State, Anthony Obinna, has alleged that the continued killings in Southern Kaduna were to intimidate Christians and wipe out Christianity from the country.Speaking at a thanksgiving service in Okwu community recently, Obinna urged the Federal Government not to allow the crisis to degenerate into a full-scale national crisis, which he said could lead to a collapse of the country.He also advised Christians to be vigilant and pray for their counterparts in the crisis-ridden Southern Kaduna, while calling on former governors of Imo and Abia States, Ikedi Ohakim and Oji Uzor Kalu respectively, who were present at the service and other Igbo leaders to work closely for the growth and development of the South East zone. On preparation for its expected return on January 14, the Ponzi scheme Mavordi Mondial Movement (MMM) promoters have issued instructions... On preparation for its expected return on January 14, the Ponzi scheme Mavordi Mondial Movement (MMM) promoters have issued instructions to its participants whose accounts were frozen, to perform Promo Tasks: A New Tool for MMM Community Development.The MMM message to subscribers said the tasks, which should be done both online and offline, will promote the scheme and drive traffic and participation by the time the restriction on the account is lifted.Being an MMM member implies not only opportunities, but also a responsibility for the state and development of the MMM Community, the message said.The information raises hopes of the almost three million Nigerians who invested in the scheme, following the ban on withdrawals on December 3, 2016.On January 2, the scheme on its official Twitter handle, @MMMNigeriaHelp disclosed that participants accounts will be unfrozen on January 14.Some of the participants have taken to social media to give reasons why the scheme should return.III was a Russian company that perpetrated one of the worlds largest Ponzi schemes of all time, in the 1990s. By different estimates from five to 40 million people lost up to $10 billion. The exact figures are not known even to the founders THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has condemned an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove Governo... THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has condemned an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove Governor Ayo Fayose through the Judiciary.The party said the alleged plot to oust Fayose would trigger a crisis of monumental proportion that would be difficult for the Army to curtail if it is eventually carried out.In a chat with reporters in Ado-Ekiti yestersday, State PDP Chairman Gboyega Oguntuase warned that the alleged plot could lead to the collapse of the APC-led Federal Government.Oguntuase defended Fayoses petition to the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.According to him, it was wrong to believe that Fayose was playing to the gallery by raising alarm in his letter.He said it was illegal, unconstitutional and against the rule of law to attempt to reopen a case that had been resolved from the Lower Tribunal to the Supreme Court.The PDP boss argued that it was not in doubt that Fayose won the June 21, 2014 governorship election.Oguntuase described Fayose as a man of the people and the opposition leader in the country.He said: Governor Fayose is not just the Ekiti State Governor but the opposition voice in Nigeria. He speaks for all oppressed Nigerians.Oguntuase appealed to Justice Onnoghen to do the needful by making the judiciary apolitical. Some plain-clothes policemen on Friday arrested and whisked to Abuja a journalist based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Jerry Edoho. Some plain-clothes policemen on Friday arrested and whisked to Abuja a journalist based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Jerry Edoho.The young journalist, who is the Deputy Editor of Ibom Nation Newspaper, a local publication, was arrested by the security operatives and forcibly taken to the Federal Capital over a post he allegedly put up on his Facebook page involving Dana Air.Edoho, had while reacting to a photograph of a purported crash involving a Dana flight heading to Lagos from Abuja in which he was tagged, sought clarification from friends on his list to confirm the authenticity of the story.He had written, Rumor via social media (Facebook) has it that Dana Air enroute Abj-Lag with 153 passengers crashed killing all on board. Please could someone help verify the authenticity of this shocking report? Below is (the) pix from the scene as uploaded on my wall.But following a petition by Dana Air to the police authorities in Abuja after the said photograph became a hot topic of discussion among a section of Facebook users; Edoho was arrested in Uyo on Friday and taken to the FCT on a Dana flight scheduled to leave by 4pm.Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who confirmed the incident to Saturday PUNCH around 8pm on Friday shortly before leaving Uyo for Lagos, said he saw three plain-clothes security officers forcibly taking Edoho away while still at the Ibom International Airport, Uyo.He said, Jerry Edoho sighted me at the Ibom International Airport, Uyo, and alerted me that he was being taken forcibly to Abuja by a team of plain-clothes security men over a publication on Facebook.He told me that he was tagged in a post about the recent rumoured crash of a Dana plane, which was false. That, upon being tagged, he made a post like several other Nigerians asking whether the crash report was true. The security men were to convey him to Abuja via a Dana flight that was scheduled to depart by 4pm.The security men confronted me for speaking with him without their permission. I retorted that Mr. Edoho is a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that his right to freedom of expression cannot be taken away. This resulted in an altercation between me and the security men whose identity I cannot immediately ascertain. I understand that his arrest followed a petition by Dana Air to the Nigeria Police Force.I am using this platform to urge both the police and the management of Dana Air to respect the fundamental rights of Mr. Edoho. He should be released on bail pending the conclusion of investigation into whatever allegations that have been made against him. This is a democracy, not a dictatorship.When contacted, Spokesperson for Dana Air, Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa, said he wasnt aware of the issue but that he would get back to our correspondent as soon as he was able to confirm the matter. His response was still being expected as of the time the paper went to press. The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has described the dismissal of six innocent police officers by the authorities of the Niger... The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has described the dismissal of six innocent police officers by the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force as a sad day for Nigeria.Wike, who spoke through the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, also demanded immediate reinstatement of the dismissed policemen.In an online press statement titled Wrongful Dismissal of Governor Wikes Six Police Details: Tragic Day for Professionalism in the Nigerian Police, the governor said: The Rivers State Government notes with infinite sadness the decision of the Nigeria Police to dismiss the six police officers attached to Governor Nyesom Wike.The police officers were subjected to a secret and unfair trial on totally fictitious charges of professional misconduct during the rerun elections in Rivers State on December 10, 2016.This is a tragic day for professionalism and the respect for human rights in the Nigeria Police Force.The dismissed officers committed no crime other than foil a carefully-orchestrated electoral heist by officials of INEC in collusion with the APC and the Nigeria Police Force.The claim by the police that the affected officers misused their firearms while in the convoy of Governor Wike on December 10, 2016 is a wrong and cruel fabrication.Governor Wike did not depart from his official premises on the day of the elections and therefore had no use for an armed convoy.Two days after the elections, on December 12, 2016, thousands of Rivers people, led by Governor Wike, resisted an invasion by the police on the premises of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, in a brazen attempt to rig the elections in favour of the APC.The Port Harcourt City Council was the election collation centre for the RiversEast Senatorial District.Throughout the period of the stand off between the invading police officersand the thousands of citizens who resisted them, Governor Wike and the officers around him conducted themselves with utmost restraint.The dismissed officers are therefore the latest victims of the medieval dictatorship of the APC government. A government that seems to lurch blindly in the miasma of its own incompetence and intolerance.Governor Wike also urged Nigerians to demand the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed officers and for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to allow an independent inquiry.Wike alleged that the APC government had never hidden its desperation to overrun Rivers State, colonise its people and loot the treasury of the state, adding that Rivers people would continue to resist all attempts to enslave them.However, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) described the dismissal of six policemen for unethical conduct during the December 10 legislative rerun in the state as a clear indictment of Governor Wike.Speaking through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, in Port Harcourt yesterday, the party maintained that the decision of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to dismiss the six errant policemen who flouted his directive not to support politicians to rig elections was a step that would ensure sanity in the Nigeria Police Force.APC in Rivers said: The dismissal of the six policemen is a clear indictment on Wike over his violation of electoral regulations in the December 10 rerun elections in Rivers State.We believe that it is just a tip of the iceberg of what will be unravelled that were perpetrated by the Rivers State governor during the rerun.Nigerians are waiting for the IGPs panel report that will seal the fate of Wike and his accomplices within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). THE Nigerian military has vowed not to reveal the whereabouts of the remaining Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram members. THE Nigerian military has vowed not to reveal the whereabouts of the remaining Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram members.Acting Director of Defence Information, Defence Headquarters, Abuja Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar yesterday gave the militarys position.Over 200 pupils of Chibok Secondary School were abducted from their school in Borno State in April 2014.Thirty of them have regained freedom since last year. But the remaining are still in captivity.Camp Zero in Sambisa Forest, where it was believed the girls were kept, was recently seized and destroyed by troops.Brig.-Gen. Abubarkar, who spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt yesterday, said: Neither the military nor any security agency will give information on the Chibok girls in order not to jeopardise their safety.The acting director, who promised that the military would rescue the girls, insisted that information on strategy to rescue them will never be disclosed.On Boko Haram, he said the terrorist group has been destroyed and its members in disarray.He said the pockets of attacks being witnessed were carried out by escapees, stressing that Boko Haram can never regroup as they did in Sambisa Forest.He said female suicide bombers were being drugged before being sent on suicide missions.Brig.-Gen. Abubakar exonerated the military from partisanship, saying that any soldier found to be partisan would be ejected and if found wanting, he would be dismissed.He urged the media to be cautious of national security in their reportage, advising that the media should always be guided by national interest.The acting Director of Defence Information also spoke yesterday at the Press Centre, Yenagoa, while visiting the leadership of the Bayelsa State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).He said the military was determined to ensure peace and unity.He declared that the era of secrecy in the military was over.Brig.-Gen. Abubakar sought the cooperation of journalists in the Niger Delta region to help the military succeed in its operations.The acting director added that the military needed the support of all stakeholders while carrying out its mandate of protecting life and property as well as critical national assets across the country.He said: We need ourselves for this great country to move forward. We have responsibility to protect the lives of innocent citizens. It is only when we do that that we can move the country away from crisis.Our duty as military is to ensure total peace not only in the Niger Delta, but in all areas where we have operations.Brig.-Gen. Abubakar noted that the Operation Delta Safe (ODS) was established to protect oil and gas facilities in the region.He explained that the openness of the military was behind the reason he embarked on tours to media houses to relate with relevant stakeholders in the countrys six geo-political zones, including the Niger Delta.The essence is: there is a policy shift in the military now. The issue of secrecy is now gone. We are now open. And because of this openness, we decided that we should extend a hand of fellowship to stakeholders, especially the media.The Chairman of NUJ, John Angese, hailed Abubakar for the visit.He lauded the armed forces for the sacrifice they paid to ensure Nigeria remained a united country. WATERFORD TWP. -- Like thousands of others, Austin Freni came to South Philly on New Year's Day to see the Mummers. While taking in the sights and sounds, he took the time to thank every single city police officer on duty that day -- and there were plenty of them. It was around 11 p.m when 19-year-old Freni, his girlfriend, his mother and his 15-year-old brother were approached by a group of about 10 young men who apparently took umbrage with the fact that Freni was a member of the U.S. Army. "The Army bashing continued throughout the whole thing," Lori Freni, mother of the soldier who just completed airborne training and is due back at Fort Benning, Georgia by the end of this weekend, said of the fight that left her son hospitalized. In the wake of the scuffle at 3rd Street and Oregon Avenue, a dozen members of the local Rolling Thunder veterans support chapter paid the Freni family a visit at their Atco home Friday evening to comfort and swap war stories with a brother in arms. "They shouldn't disrespect anybody," chapter Vice President and Upper Township resident Rickey Pramov said of the attackers who've yet to be identified. According to Lori Freni, the group were working on hailing a taxi at the time of the altercation and Austin Freni -- home for the holidays for a few more days -- was on the phone with a nearby hotel to coordinate booking a room. He apparently mentioned that he was in the U.S. Army and the group of alleged attackers in their late teens to early 20s overheard, prompting some "derogatory comment about the Army in general," according to Philadelphia police. Austin Freni went to confront the man who'd insulted him and was punched in the face, forcing him to the ground. Lori Freni stressed that the Army-issue jacket her son was wearing at the time was black and gold in color, not camouflage -- something she hopes some of the officers her son thanked that day remember. She added that detectives have told her a Tommy Hilfiger hat was recovered from the scene and is undergoing forensics testing, but video footage of the brawl remains to be seen. Last Sunday's fight was quite literally insult to injury. Lori Freni, whose husband died recently from brain cancer, said she was laid off two weeks ago and both she and her 15-year-old son sustained serious injuries in the scuffle. The military is covering Austin Freni's medical costs, but approximately $11,000 raised via a GoFundMe page established by a family friend will help her pay for mounting personal medical bills. Dressed in a camo T-shirt and socks while recovering from oral surgery that left a metal plate in his mouth to hold his jaw together, Austin Freni stood out of respect for the Rolling Thunder members. "I miss all my brothers over there," he said of fellow soldiers he'd completed basic and airborne training with, adding that he may join a unit bound for Iraq upon his return to home base. "If anyone has seen anything, contact Philadelphia police," Freni said through a severely swollen mouth. "It's not just for me -- for my family." Tips can be submitted to Philadelphia police by calling 215-686-TIPS, texting PPD TIP or 773847, or with an online form. Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook. MAPLEWOOD -- Whatever is hidden inside might just be New Jersey's best kept secret. File photo of Maplewood township hall. (Jessica Mazzola | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) A time capsule that is likely to be about 150 years old is set to be opened in Maplewood Saturday. According to Mayor Vic DeLuca, construction workers found the capsule in the cornerstone of the former Hilton United Methodist Church. The church, which was built in the 1800s, was demolished last year as part of an apartment complex construction project, he said. The relic was discovered during demolition. The township is planning an unveiling of whatever is inside the capsule Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hilton Branch of the Maplewood Library on Springfield Avenue. The event is open to the public. "We are not sure when the capsule was placed there, and we are excited to see what it contains," DeLuca told NJ Advance Media. The capsule was apparently buried at an interesting time in the area's history. The town was only first incorporated in 1861. It was known as the "South Orange township" until its name was changed to Maplewood in the 1920s. Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Quote: This is an odd question in that choices both A and E can be correct, while of course other things can be easily dumped for obvious reasons. A. that government officials agree to have the area razed. . Perfect fit of subjunctive mood; can be a choice. B. that government officials agree for to have the area razed.=== agree for is wrong idiom C. the agreeing by government officials to have the area razed. ----r equiring the agreeing? Awkward D. government officials agreeing to have the area razed. ---- Government officials agreeing? awkward E. government officials to agree to have the area razed. Uses simple idiom requires X to Y where X is the object and Y the subjunctive verb, exposing the intended meaning precisely ; another good choice. I wonder whether a topic with two potential choices as correct ones will ever appear in a GMAT. But as per the norm that between equal choices, better stick to the original, A will be more prudent to choose than E. But E is more crisp and clear. It is any bodys guess now. Sir please let me know when to use "that" and when to use "to".Also, are both the forms are subjunctive.Can you please explain a bit more about this "to" form.Is it necessary that in "to" form, i.e require X (object) to Y (Subjunctive)??Thanks in advance. WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all. A Morrill County District Court jury has found a Bridgeport man guilty in the shooting death of a Greeley, Colorado, man. The jury returned a verdict finding Zachary Mueller guilty of first-degree murder, a Class IA felony; use of a weapon to commit a felony, a Class IC felony; and possession of weapon by a felon, a Class ID felony. The jury deliberated for almost 4 1/2 hours. Sentencing was set for 3 p.m. on Feb. 27. The jury received the case at 3:30 p.m. after lengthy closing arguments. In closing arguments, Prosecutor Doug Warner urged the jury to return a guilty verdict against Zachary Mueller, while defense attorney Sarah Newell pointed the finger at Felicia Talley, Muellers former girlfriend. Mueller is charged in the shooting death of Pedro Adrian Dominguez, 33, believed to have occurred sometime between Nov. 21, 2015, and Nov. 24, 2015. A farmer found Dominguezs body in a barrel floating in a creek near Bayard. The jury will considered the case into the evening. During closing arguments, Warner told the jury to look at the bigger picture and that all the evidence added up against Mueller to convict him on the charge of first-degree murder and the weapons charges. He reminded the jury that the witnesses, such as Talley, live in a different world than most people, with different values. A lot of people in this case did things that dont make sense to us intitutively, he said, discussing how Talley fled after her boyfriend was murdered. Warner also talked about two women, Dallas Schnell and Holly Heine, who helped to destroy Dominguezs car. However, Warner said the two women burned the car at Muellers direction, after he fled after driving Dominguezs body around for a week. Mueller fled to Wyoming the day that Dominguezs body was found. He pointed to evidence that had significance and said it showed that Mueller acted deliberately to destroy the evidence of the murder he had committed burning belongings that Talley and Dominguez had in the car, the seat and carpet in the car. Text messages between Schnell and Mueller also demonstrate that they panicked after the body was found, he said. Mueller killed Dominguez with intent and premeditation, two essential elements of first-degree murder, Warner said. He acted purposefully in raising the gun, had to position it to fire into his head and then pulled the trigger. He knows what he has done. He did what he planned to do, he said. In presenting her closing arguments, Newell read text messages to Muellers mother, Michelle Litke and others to cast doubt on Talleys testimony. Newell told the jury that Talley was the one who murdered Dominguez. In her actions after the murder, she said that Talley was setting up a defense in telling Litkes mother that he was acting crazy, but she had also texted Mueller that she loved him and wanted things to be good between them in the days after the murder. She also texted people that she and Dominguez had broken up and did not act like a woman grieving the love of her life. The physical evidence shows that Mueller got rid of Dominguezs body, but that is all, she said. She alleged that Talley murdered Dominguez because he was involved with someone else or to get access to Dominguezs drugs. After the murder, she alleged that text messages showed the woman trying to sell drugs to people associated with Dominguez. Newell also cast doubt on the witnesses against Mueller, noting that they were given immunity agreements for their testimony. Talley was given an immunity agreement, however, Warner clarified in closing arguments that Talley was not given immunity on the charge of homicide. Schnell and another witness, Holly Heine, were also given immunity for destroying evidence to garner their testimony. If the jury believes Felicias story, then Newell urged them to find Mueller guilty of the lesser offense of second-degree murder. She said that evidence introduced showed that he was clearly under the influence of methamphetamine and that his state of mind at that time would not have allowed him to act with premeditation. The state and the defense rested after a morning of testimony. Evidence Warner presented on Friday morning centered around statements made by Mueller to friends and relatives during jailhouse phone calls and visits. In phone calls with his sister, Mueller is heard asking about a safe where the authorities found .380 caliber bullets during a search of his home in December 2015. In another conversation regarding the safe, Mueller tells Dallas Schnell, a woman he was involved with, that there is damning evidence in the safe. Its not no gun or nothing. Its not the weapon, but its pretty damn close, Mueller tells Schnell. In another conversation, Mueller tells his mother that authorities wont locate the weapon used in the homicide. In a jail visit with his mother, Mueller tells his mother that it would benefit him if Felicia Talley, who was jailed on drug charges at the time, could be bonded out. He says that a woman, who is not named, is going to locate Talley and assist her. Talley can then take care of disappearing on her own. If she remains in custody, he says, Talley would be made to testify and Im screwed. Talley was later taken into custody and held as a material witness to testify in the case. The defense presented two witnesses: Tiffany Sprey and Alexandria Montoya. Both women were called to the stand and described Talley as an intimidating and domineering woman. Sprey testified that she had seen Talley and Dominguez at Muellers home on the weekend before Thanksgiving. She alleged that Talley assaulted her and had a longstanding feud with the woman. She said Talley did not want Sprey involved with Mueller or Muellers brother, whom Sprey had dated. She testified that Dominguez and Talley were in Morrill County, wanting to make money off of selling drugs. She said she stayed at the home with Dominguez for about two hours and the two of them talked and did methamphetamine together. Dominguez and Talley argued, Sprey said, about Talley assaulting the woman and other things during the visit to Muellers home. Alexandria Montoya, a woman who was temporarily jailed with Talley as she was being held as a material witness, testified that Talley told her about the homicide. She alleged that Talley told her that Mueller shot her boyfriend in the head, but that she finished him off by suffocating him. She said that the admission came as the woman attempted to add a teardrop tattoo to her face using a staple and pencil. Montoya also testified that Talley had told her that she and Dominguez had been fighting about money, that he owed her money and would not give it to her for her daughter prior to the murder.. The defense also introduced a cell phone identified as Talleys. The woman had disposed of the cell phone in a tree line at Muellers residence. Text messages from that phone were from a woman saying that she was in a relationship with Dominguez and that they were having a baby. Talley apparently read the messages, from replies to the woman in the exchange that occurred on Nov. 19, just a couple days before Dominguez is believed to have been killed. During his closing arguments, Warner praised the work of the Morrill County Sheriffs Department in a successful case that allowed the state to bring it to trial. Mueller faces a life imprisonment. The Class IC firearm charge is punishable by up to 50 years imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of five years imprisonment. The Class ID felony is punishable by up to fifty years imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of three years imprisonment. VILLA DE REYES, Mexico Word spread quickly through cellphone messages and shouts between co-workers that Ford Motor Co. had canceled its new $1.6 billion car plant at its sprawling 700-acre high desert site in north-central Mexico. "When I saw it on the phone, (I thought), 'Well, no, it can't be,'" said Higinio Salazar, a security guard who spent the past five months logging traffic into and out of the site and hoped to have steady work for months to come. "It was on orders of Mr. Trump," he said bitterly. That was not the case, Ford insists, but the perception here in Mexico's burgeoning auto assembly region was largely that President-elect Donald Trump, who had promised for months to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. while at the same time disparaging Mexicans, had made good before even settling into the White House. Trump took a shot at Toyota on Thursday over its move to make Corollas in this region, though the Japanese company defended its plan. Ford's announcement sent shockwaves across Mexico, which has become tightly meshed with the U.S. economy since the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement, sending 80 percent of its $532 billion in exports across the border in 2015. The U.S. government says $100 billion of that was in vehicles and parts, making Mexico the biggest exporter of automotive products to the United States. Mexico's auto plants now account for 20 percent of all light vehicles built in North America, industry figures say. State officials in San Luis Potosi did not find out much earlier than Salazar that plans had been scrapped for the long-awaited plant, which promised 2,800 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect ones through Ford's supply chain. State Economic Development Secretary Gustavo Puente Orozco said Ford told state officials about an hour before CEO Mark Fields made the announcement Tuesday. Puente said Ford made very clear it was a "definitive cancellation," citing supply and demand rather than politics. "They told us that it was a market issue the issue that the Ford Focus that was the vehicle they thought to build, this light vehicle they planned to build in San Luis Potosi, they say the demand had dropped," Puente said. Low gas prices have Americans turning again to larger vehicles and Focus sales have fallen victim to that trend. Fields said Ford will produce the Focus at an existing plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, and use some of the savings to invest $700 million in an existing Michigan plant to make hybrid, electric and autonomous vehicles. The San Luis Potosi plant was well past the theoretical stage and there were high hopes the state would see further economic growth from the opening of its third auto plant General Motors Corp. has been producing the small Aveo and Trax vehicles up the road since 2008 and a BMW plant nearby is scheduled to begin production in early 2019. The steel bones of Ford's plant had begun to rise and signs designated the future spots for each part of the operation, from "stamping" to "final warehouse." On Wednesday, Fernando Rosales Ortuno, who deals in hydraulic hoses for Parker Hannifin Corp. was pacing the site's perimeter with cellphone pressed to his ear trying to arrange for a trailer to get hauled away. It's essentially a portable store that had been set up to service the big machines preparing the site. He had hoped that once Ford was up and running, the plant might become a long-term client. "It hit us like a bucket of cold water," Rosales said. "Everyone here was hoping for a lot of growth in the state and this region, too." Four clustered states in central Mexico San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato have seven auto assembly plants that are operating or will be within the next two years. Around them are nearly 800 auto parts suppliers, Puente said. In San Luis Potosi alone, between 50,000 and 60,000 jobs depend on the auto industry. An average worker in Mexico costs automakers $8 an hour, including wages and benefits, compared to the $60 an hour that Ford said it was spending on an auto worker in the U.S. at the end of 2015. In Villa de Reyes' town square, residents said the younger generation would be hurt most by the cancellation. Retiree Ignacio Segura Rocha said fewer people from town are migrating to the U.S. now because the crossing has gotten harder than when he went in 1977 and 1978. He said the auto industry offers good alternatives for kids growing up on the region's isolated ranches. "They were already dreaming of going there (to Ford), and at the last minute there's nothing," he said. Construction worker J. Refugio Waldo Contreras feels Trump is putting Mexicans in an impossible situation. "This Trump, he doesn't want people there, so where is he going to send them?" Contreras asked. "And he doesn't want work to open here? So then he's going to close the doors." Trump also sent tweets this week threatening to impose heavy tariffs on General Motors and Toyota cars produced in Mexico for the U.S. market. GM said it exports only a small number of Cruze hatchbacks it makes in Mexico. Toyota stood by its plan to produce Corollas in Guanajuato, while stressing that its production and employment in the U.S. will not be affected. There were some notes of optimism among Mexicans. As security guard Juan Gonzalez watched contractors haul away giant earth movers on flatbed trailers, he said he didn't expect the site to stay vacant for long. "If it's not the United States it could be Japan, China," he said. "This is going to continue." Billboards welcoming Ford had been sprinkled around San Luis Potosi in recent months. But only a day after the company's announcement, the welcome sign across the highway from the plant was already down. Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to make the state's public colleges free for hundreds of thousands of middle-class students is seen as one of the nation's most ambitious efforts to tackle skyrocketing higher education debt. But many questions remain about how much it will cost, how it will affect one of the country's largest public college systems and whether other states will follow suit. Q: What's the plan? A: Full-time New York students whose families earn less than $125,000 a year would pay no tuition to attend two- or four-year colleges in the State University of New York or City University of New York systems. The plan, if approved by state lawmakers, would be phased in over three years, beginning this fall for residents making up to $100,000 a year. The income threshold would increase to $110,000 in 2018 and $125,000 in 2019. Q: Will this idea spread? A: "If New York state does it this year, mark my words, state after state will follow," independent Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said when Cuomo announced the program this week. Sanders made tuition-free public higher education a key proposal of his Democratic campaign for president, and Hillary Clinton picked up on it as the Democratic nominee, but Republican nominee Donald Trump had different ideas about how to make college affordable. Trump, who won the election, said he wants to work with Congress to make sure colleges only get access to certain federal tax breaks and other benefits if they "make good-faith efforts to reduce the cost of college and student debt." Q: So college would be free at campuses of the State University of New York and City University of New York? A: No. Students wouldn't have to pay the $6,470 yearly cost of tuition ($4,350 for two-year programs), but they'd still have to pick up the cost of room and board if they live on campus ($12,590), along with fees ($1,590) and books. They would also have to graduate on time, meaning in two years for an associate degree and four years for a bachelor's, if they want to avoid tuition bills. Q: How much will this cost? A: Cuomo's office estimates the state's cost at $163 million a year once the program is fully phased in, a figure that's seen by some critics as too low. "If it costs so little, why haven't we done it before?" asked Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, a Manhattan Democrat who chairs the Higher Education Committee. More financial detail may come when the governor releases his budget proposal later this month, but his administration says the program will leverage the state's existing aid programs, particularly the Tuition Assistance Program, which provides nearly $1 billion in grants to students with taxable incomes of up to $80,000 a year. Under Cuomo's program, students would still receive TAP, along with any federal grants, and the state would pay the tuition difference. Q: Won't this create a rush on SUNY/CUNY schools, possibly making it more difficult to get accepted? A: SUNY leaders say it's too soon to estimate the impact on applications and enrollment, but the Cuomo administration says it's confident the 64-campus, 440,000-student system can absorb what it projects will be a 10 percent enrollment increase. The system remains selective, though, and SUNY said its academic standards aren't expected to change. The state's 29 four-year schools received 309,408 applications for the fall of 2015 and accepted 162,673 students, according to the state. Q: Will this program affect private colleges? A: Yes and no. The program doesn't cover tuition for colleges outside SUNY and CUNY. Operators of those schools, though, say leaving them out of the college affordability discussion could leave them at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting applicants in a highly competitive landscape. "There will be a real pull that SUNY and CUNY have on students that our not-for-profit privates will not always be able to match," said Mary Beth Labate, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. More than 490,000 students are enrolled in the state's more than 100 private, not-for-profit colleges. The schools provided $5.1 billion in financial aid to their students in 2014-15 and directly employ 196,300 people, Labate said. The middle class has been losing ground in the Chicago metro and across Indiana, a new study found. The Pew Research Center found the number of adults in middle-income households declined in 203 of the 229 U.S. metropolitan areas, including the Chicago metro that includes most of Northwest Indiana and the Michigan City-LaPorte metro that encompasses LaPorte County. The middle-class fell by 4 percent nationally between 2000 and 2014, a period when the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the United States lost 5 million good-paying manufacturing jobs. "The shrinking of the middle class at the national level, to the point where it may no longer be the economic majority in the U.S., was documented in an earlier analysis by the Pew Research Center," Pew said in the study titled "America's Shrinking Middle Class: A Close Look at Changes Within Metropolitan Areas." "The changes at the metropolitan level, the subject of this in-depth look at the American middle class, demonstrate that the national trend is the result of widespread declines in localities all around the country," it went on to say. Pew defines middle income as being between $41,641 and $124,924, depending on the size of the family. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Community Survey found the median income was $47,529 in Indiana and $56,210 in neighboring Illinois. Some of the steepest losses in middle class share of the general population over the last 15 years were in Indiana, according to the Pew study. The Michigan City-LaPorte and Fort Wayne metros both posted an 11 percent decline in the economic status of its adult population, tied for the fifth steepest drop in the country. The percentage of middle-income households in the Michigan City metro dropped to 57 percent in 2014, down from from 63.2 percent in 2000, while the number of lower-income households skyrocketed to 27.1 percent, up from 18.3 percent at the turn of the century. High-income households also fell to 15.9 percent of the overall population in LaPorte County in 2014, down from 18.6 percent in 2000. A similar pattern played out in the Chicago metro, which includes Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Northwest Indiana. Middle-income households fell to 51.1 percent of the population in 2014, down from 56.3 percent in 2000. Lower-income households rose to 27.4 percent of the population in 2014, up from 23.6 percent in 2000. The Indianapolis, Muncie, Louisville/Southern Indiana and Cincinnati/Southeast Indiana metros also all have seen declines in the share of middle-income households and increases in the share of lower-income households since the start of the 21st century. Increasing violence plagued Chicago again last year, but the overall number of homicides in Northwest Indiana declined. The news may be little comfort to families who lost loved ones, but could come as a surprise after a year of headlines about rising crime rates in cities across the nation. Lake County recorded a total of 71 homicides in 2016, down from 75 in 2015. LaPorte County logged three, compared with five a year earlier. In Porter County, police didn't investigate a single homicide last year. The county recorded five in 2015, records show. Gary, which each year records the most homicides in the Region, logged 46 in 2016, police Lt. Dawn Westerfield said. That's down from 50 in 2015. Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson has attributed decreases in crime to the Gary for Life initiative, which takes a targeted approach to fighting crime and relies on local, state and federal partnerships. The Police Department's Multi-Agency Gang Unit has increased visibility but focuses specifically on high-crime areas and individuals believed to be involved in criminal activity, police said. East Chicago recorded six homicides, compared to eight the year before, police Lt. Marguerite Wilder said. In Hammond, homicides rose slightly to eight from six in 2015. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said in a recent statement that two of the eight homicides were in self-defense. He characterized crime in the city as overflow from Chicago, and said the city plans to invest nearly $500,000 in "license plate reader" cameras to monitor traffic flowing in and out of the city. Homicides also were up in Merrillville, which logged at least five in 2016 compared with one the year before, according to records from the Lake County coroner's office. The Merrillville Police Department was still reviewing its 2016 data and planned to release it soon, Police Chief Joseph Petruch said. The Lake County Sheriff's Department recorded three homicides, up from zero the year before. Lake Station, Lowell and Schererville each recorded one homicide in 2016. In LaPorte County, all three homicides in 2016 occurred in Michigan City. In 2015, Michigan City logged three homicides, while the city of LaPorte and the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department each recorded one. Michigan City police next week plan to launch a new initiative aimed at shining a spotlight on cold case homicides. The city has 17 such cases dating back to 1970. INDIANAPOLIS Should a jury be told that a person on trial possessed a gun while allegedly committing a crime, if the gun was not used in the incident and is not directly connected to the charges? That question, of the potentially prejudicial effect of legally carrying a gun, recently resulted in a sharply divided opinion by a three-judge panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals. The case began around 5 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2014, when Summer Snow called Gary police to report that her boyfriend, Reginald Harris, had commandeered the back seat of her car parked in her driveway and refused to leave. According to court records, Officer Terry Peck responded to Snow's call and told Harris to exit the vehicle. When Harris refused and became argumentative, Peck put his hand on Harris' arm to encourage him to get out of the car. Harris then grabbed Peck's wrist, pulled him halfway into the car and struck him in the face, head, torso and arms, while Snow stood nearby cheering: "F--- that white boy up" and "beat his a--," among other epithets directed at Peck. Peck eventually managed to subdue and handcuff Harris. At which point Snow briefly went into her house only to come out again to yell at the officer some more, according to court records. He warned her three times that he'd arrest her for disorderly conduct if she did not quiet down. She instead dared Peck to arrest her and screamed that someone should videotape what she claimed was police abuse. When Peck attempted to handcuff Snow, she struck him on the shoulders and head, scratched his chin, kicked his thigh and eventually climbed on his back and tried to bite his shoulder before he was able to get her under control, records show. During the struggle, an item later discovered to be a handgun fell from Snow's pants pocket onto the ground. Both Snow and Harris were charged with Level 5 felony battery against a public safety officer. Snow additionally was charged with Level 6 felony resisting arrest. Neither was charged with a gun-related offense. In their joint trial, prosecutors emphasized the presence of the gun, which repeatedly was described as "unregistered" even though Indiana does not require gun registration, to suggest that Snow and Harris were the aggressors in the incident. They both were convicted by a Lake County jury. Snow was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, with all but six months suspended to probation. Harris got two-and-a-half years probation. In their appeals, Snow and Harris argued that the decision by Lake Superior Judge Salvador Vasquez to admit the gun into evidence prejudiced the jury, since the gun did not prove or disprove a material fact in the case. Appellate Judges Elaine Brown and Cale Bradford disagreed. They concluded the gun was relevant in showing that Snow and Harris acted in an aggressive manner relative to the underlying charges, and Vasquez was within his rights to allow it to be admitted. In a dissent, Chief Judge Nancy Vaidik, a Porter County native, said in a case that largely relied on he-said, she-said evidence, the admission of the gun and the prosecutor's "inflammatory" claim that it was unregistered unfairly influenced the jury. She said Snow and Harris should receive new trials. "The fact that Snow legally possessed a handgun on her own property that she did not use or brandish during her altercation with Officer Peck was not relevant to any issue in this case," Vaidik said. Snow and Harris still can request the Indiana Supreme Court review the appellate decision affirming their convictions. Alexa Donsbach has been riding horses since she was 8, and now at 17 will be a part of history participating in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on Jan. 20. Donsbach, 17, a junior at Culver Girls Academy, will be among 80 students at Culver Academies riding in the parade. "Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she said. "And its going to be super cool. Its cool to be part of history." Donsbach said much of the preparation for the parade includes desensitizing the horses to what they might experience during a parade in Washington, D.C., including loud noises, people and traffic. "I think its going to be a really amazing memory with fellow Equestriennes and really good friends," she said. "It's something Ill look back on and be able to say, 'I rode in the inaugural parade.'" Donsbach will be riding with the Culver Girls Academy Equestriennes. Donsbach is the daughter of Jennifer and Marc Donsbach, of Schererville. Marc Yanez, a sophomore, the son of Eduardo Yanez of Chicago and Guadalupe Alvarez-Cerda of Crown Point, will also be in the parade. He is a member of the Culver Military Academy Black Horse Troop. This will be the 17th inaugural parade for the Black Horse Troop and the eighth for the Equestriennes. The 2017 inaugural parade will mark the 104th anniversary of the Black Horse Troops first ride down Pennsylvania Avenue. The mounted unit served as the official escort for Vice President Thomas Marshall during Woodrow Wilsons inaugural parades in 1913 and 1917. Ed Little, director of horsemanship and operations at Culver Academies, said the invitation to the inaugural parade is a great honor, and planning and practicing for the parade begins months before school officials even know if they're invited. Planning begins in February, Little said, and students begin practicing in October with hopes of being invited back. While Culver has been represented in many of the inaugural parades during the last half century, they were not invited to participate in President Bill Clinton's first inaugural parade. While the actual parade lasts just longer than an hour, the 80 students and 30 other students and staff members will be away from home for about five days, Little said. "Its a real challenge," Little said. "They work really hard and we prepare them the best we can." 'Amazing opportunity' Denise Yoder, 31, of The Pines, also will ride in the parade. Yoder just last year joined the Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team based in Three Oaks, Michigan. She regularly makes the half-hour drive especially when events are coming up to train and practice. Eighteen of the drill team's 25 members are making the trip to the nation's capital to participate. Yoder has been around horses ever since she was a small child and was already a polished rider from taking part in barrel jumping and other competitions. She also owns a stable near Buchanan, Michigan, where she has offered riding instruction for the past 10 years. However, she had never been on a drill team, which involves a dozen riders or more moving in sequence together to music. She picked up the skill quickly after former students coaxed her into joining the team. "It's a lot different. It's pretty amazing," said Yoder, whose husband, Pete, and their 1-year old daughter, Brooke, along with other family members are joining her on the trip. The troop was founded in 2007 by Debbie Dunphy, a flight attendant for American Airlines who grew up on a beef cattle farm outside Three Oaks. Members range in age from 7 to over 50. One member, Sharon Nalezny, of Chicago, will be riding in the parade with her daughter, Dawn Nalezny, 40, of Knox. Dunphy said she applied to appear in the 2009 inaugural parade but was turned down. Ever since, her squad has become more established and decorated from participating in parades for major events like the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500. The troop also rode horseback in the recent Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago. Sharon Nalezny said the inaugural parade will rank the highest despite the bitter political divide remaining from the negative presidential campaign. "It's not a political thing. We're doing this for our country," she said. According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, about 40 groups consisting of more than 8,000 performers will be in the parade and they range from equestrian corps, to high school and university marching bands, first responders and veterans groups. MERRILLVILLE St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church parishioner Mike Djordjevic today will open a Christmas present given to him by his 8-year-old grandson. The delay opening it on Jan. 7 instead of Dec. 25 is deliberate and no mistake. Today is when many Orthodox Christian faithful celebrate Christmas. "It's one of the most important holidays in our tradition," Djordjevic said. Djordjevic and his wife, who live in Portage, were among those who traveled to St. Sava, 9191 Mississippi St. on Friday night to brave the frigid temperatures and to take part in the Christmas Eve Great Vespers service followed by the blessing and burning of the badnjak or yule log, a symbol of the tree of happiness. Christmas Day Divine Liturgy services take place at 10 a.m. today. Some Eastern Orthodox churches, including those attended by Macedonians and Serbians, celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7 instead of Dec. 25, said the Rev. Marko Matic, priest at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville. "We celebrate Christmas today because we follow the old calendar, or the Julian calendar, instead of the newer Gregorian calendar," Matic said. Still other Eastern Orthodox churches, including those attended by most Greeks and Romanians and some Russians, celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, Matic said. "There is no person who can be indifferent at this time of the year. There is no Christian who does not feel the joy when we celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ. Every year the same service is repeated, singing the same hymns and songs, and yet each celebration of Christmas seems new, and always brings new joy and happiness into our hearts and our homes," Matic said. "God has descended from heaven on this holy day so that he may lift us up above every heaven and above every earthly mystery. This is our joy, our celebration and our consolation granted to us by Christmas." Celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25 and on Jan. 7 is significant for Djordjevic, who immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia in the 1970s while his father came here in the 1950s. "He fought against the communists," Djordjevic said. It was because of the communist takeover that Christmas services in the old country had to be kept low key and secretive. "Later on things loosened up but even then it was not a big celebration; just family and close friends," Djordjevic said. St. Sava parishioner Donna Erceg, who was born in Yugoslavia and raised Macedonian, said she assisted other church women with fixing Lenten-affiliated sandwiches, fruits and nuts that were served to members following church services on Christmas Eve. Today, on Orthodox Christmas, most families will traditionally dine on roast pig, or pecenica, and lamb and other dishes. Another tradition that is followed is the baking of cesnica, a special Christmas bread in which a coin is placed and never cut with a knife, Erceg said. When the cesnica is broken, whoever finds the coin in his or her piece of bread will have a good fortune all through the coming year, Erceg said. Erceg and her husband, Ted Erceg, were anticipating they would host around 14 to 16 family members today at their Valparaiso home, following attendance at the Christmas Eve services. "It's a nice gathering with everyone. With us it's just beautiful," Erceg said. HOBART Airport manager Don Niemeyer Sr. was sitting in his office Friday afternoon at the Hobart Sky Ranch Airport when he heard what sounded like the screeching of tires on the runway and an airplane nose-diving through a wooded area off U.S. 6. It sounded just like when you take your lawnmower through (shrubbery), that grinding noise, said Niemeyer, the longtime manager of the small, privately owned airport just north of U.S. 6 and Lake Park Avenue. Niemeyer Sr. said he immediately called for his son, also named Don Niemeyer, to run to the pilots aid. The airplane a Cessna 172 model, according to the Niemeyers skidded off the runway at 1:06 p.m., and landed in a wooded area north of U.S. 6, said Hobart Fire Chief Brian Kerr. A pilot was trapped inside the plane, but made it out with minor injuries, Kerr said. Its always a good ending when you walk away from a plane crash, Kerr said. The younger Don Niemeyer said his father pulled him out of the office to tell him to go the crash site. The damaged airplane, visible from U.S. 6, appeared to have nosedived into the wooden area north of the roadway. The planes front-end was planted into the ground while the body of the plane rested against trees and shrubbery. The pilot, who Niemeyer said was traveling from the Griffith-Merrillville Airport, is lucky to be alive. From the condition of the airplane, hes very lucky. With the size of the trees that he came in contact with, hes lucky, Niemeyer said. Niemeyer said Fridays rescue was unfortunately not the first time hes helped out at the scene of plane crash. I was basically born and raised here on this airport. I've been around aviation my whole life. So things happen when youve been around long enough, he said. The pilots name and age were not available Friday afternoon. U.S. 6, or East 37th Avenue, remained shut down as of 2:45 p.m. between Wisconsin Street and Lake Park Avenue because of the accident. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said Federal Aviation Administration officials will be going to the crash site to investigate. When they go to the scene, they often do an assessment of the damage, take photos and provide that to investigators, Knudson said. It is undetermined if NTSB will open its own investigation, he said, noting there are many factors to take into consideration including the seriousness of injuries or plane damage. A spokesperson with the FAA was unable to be reached for comment Friday. Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart police officers and Hobart fire officials responded to the scene. Times Staff writer Sarah Reese contributed to this report. WASHINGTON It was the signature promise of his campaign: Donald Trump vowed to build an impenetrable, concrete wall along the southern border. And Mexico was going to pay for it. Now as he nears inauguration, that wall is sounding increasingly like it could end up a fence. And his team and Congressional Republicans are hatching a plan in which taxpayers at least initially would foot the bill. Trump and his aides insisted Friday the president-elect wasn't breaking with his campaign vow. "Nothing has changed from our perspective," said top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway in an interview with CBS. She said Congress was "taking it on themselves to explore different options to pay for the wall," and voiced no objections. Trump was more direct: "The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!" he tweeted. Under the plan being discussed, the new construction would be pushed through without any new border legislation, relying on a 2006 law that authorized more fencing along the southern border. Congress would pay for it in its annual spending bills. Trump told the New York Times in an interview Friday that the spending plan would help "speed up the process," and insisted that even if taxpayers pay upfront, "We're going to, get reimbursed." The money, he told the paper, would likely be recouped through a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he had criticized often in the past. Trump's vow to build an impenetrable, concrete wall along the southern border was the signature issue of his campaign. Trump often described a wall made of hardened concrete, rebar and steel that would stand as tall as his rally venues' ceilings. "Build the wall!" supporters would chant at his rallies. "Who's going to pay for it?" Trump would ask them. "Mexico!" Mexican officials repeatedly said the plan was a no-go. But Trump said he knew better. "Mexico will pay for the wall, 100 percent," he insisted during a major immigration speech. "They don't know it yet, but they're going to pay for the wall." Trump never settled on a mechanism for how that would come about. He floated various options, including compelling the country to cover the cost with higher visa and border crossing fees and threatening to target billions of dollars in remittances sent home by immigrants living in the U.S. The approach under discussion could stave off a legislative fight the president-elect might lose if he tried to get Congress to pass a measure authorizing the kind of border wall he promised during the campaign. "We have a funding vehicle coming up in April and that could be a way to get started, and I don't see anything particularly partisan or controversial about funding an existing law," said GOP Rep. Luke Messer of Indiana. "I think it will be difficult to stand against funding existing law." "Some people have sort of talked about the question of whether it's backtracking if Mexico somehow doesn't fill out a giant check and mail it to the U.S. Treasury," Messer added. "There are multiple ways to fund this where, in effect, Mexico is paying for it." Some lawmakers and others argued Congress has wide latitude to fund additional construction along the 2,000-mile border even without new authorizing legislation. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 allowed 700 miles, most of which has already been built, but some areas are in much better shape than others and long stretches are made up of fencing that stops vehicles but not pedestrians. But that legislation also describes layers of "reinforced fencing" not the kind of wall Trump had described. Trump aides did not respond to questions about whether building a fence instead of a wall would represent a broken campaign promise. During a post-election interview on "60 Minutes," Trump said he would be open to a fence, at least along some stretches. "For certain areas I would, but certain areas, a wall is more appropriate," he said then. "I'm very good at this, it's called construction." Current government funding expires in April, setting the stage for a skirmish then over spending on the border, and a potential showdown if the administration does try to include major new funding for a wall. If Senate Democrats try to block the move, it could threaten a government shutdown. Leon Fresco, a former top aide to now-Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that while Congress could have wide latitude in funding border construction through the appropriations process, GOP attempts to do so could run into trouble. "They're trying to use the April funding deadline to jam the funding of the border," Fresco said, arguing that it amounts to a GOP gambit to get the 60 votes they need in the Senate by forcing a government shutdown showdown. If Mexico were really going to pay for the wall, he added, a funding fight on Capitol Hill would be unnecessary. "You can't shut down the government because you lied in your campaign promise," Fresco said. "There is no way to get Mexico to pay for the wall." Former Mexican President Vicente Fox also weighed in on Twitter, insisting his country would never pay for what he dubbed a "racist monument." "Be clear with US tax payers," he wrote. "They will pay for it." __ Follow Werner and Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/ericawerner FORT WAYNE, Ind. The attorney for a Fort Wayne man accused of killing three people, including a pregnant woman, said Friday he needs more time to prepare for trial now that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against his client. Marcus Dansby, 20, was formally notified during Friday's hearing in Allen Superior Court that prosecutors would seek the death penalty if he's convicted in the September killings. Dansby's trial was scheduled for later this month, but his attorney, Nikos Nakos, sought a delay because the death penalty filing makes the case much more complicated, The Journal Gazette reported. Superior Court Judge Fran Gull said the request would be taken up at a pretrial hearing next Wednesday. Prosecutors said they had no objections to delaying the trial. Dansby is charged with killing Consuela Arrington, 37; Traeven Harris, 18; and Dajahiona Arrington, 18. Prosecutors have filed four murder charges because Arrington, Danby's former girlfriend, was 8 1/2 months pregnant. Dansby maintains his innocence in the slayings and has refused to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without parole, Nakos said. He described his client as one of the most polite people he's ever met and said Dansby's teachers and others who knew him can't believe he's charged in the killings. "He has no record," Nakos said. "When my client maintains his innocence and professes it to me, I have to believe him." A beloved NYPD detective who was paralyzed in an infamous shooting more than 30 years ago was on life support Saturday, a day after suffering a major heart attack, NY1 has learned. Steven McDonald was being treated at a hospital on Long Island, sources said. In an interview Friday evening with NY1's Dean Meminger, McDonald's son, NYPD Sergeant Connor McDonald, asked the city to pray for his dad. In 1986, Steven McDonald was on patrol in Central Park when he was shot by a 15-year-old. The bullet left McDonald paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors expected that he would survive no more than five years. But he defied their prognosis, living on on a ventilator. Just last month NY1 profiled McDonald, an inspiration to many for his faith, his determination to carry on, and his decision to forgive his shooter. He's still an active member of the NYPD, counseling fellow officers to follow proper procedures. McDonald also spends a lot of time visiting schools, using the shooting as a tool to teach children the dangers of violence. One of his messages is for people to work together and forgive one another. Robert Boyce, the NYPD's chief of detectives, tweeted on Friday, "My thoughts & prayers for Det. Steven McDonald who was hospitalized earlier today after suffering a heart attack. #hero" Last year, after several NY1 reports on violence in homeless shelters, the city vowed to make them safer. Now, the NYPD will be taking a much more active role in shelter security. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report. Homeless people have long complained that city shelters are often violent and dangerous. The police department now says it will oversee security at the shelters, taking over that responsibility from the Department of Homeless Services. "Given the tremendous success that NYPD has had in addressing crime in New York City overall, we consider this a very significant step forward," said Steven Banks, commissioner of the Human Resources Administration. Homeless services officers, who do not carry guns, will still patrol and secure the facilities, but they will now report directly to NYPD managers. This follows the city's decision last March to have the NYPD retrain those peace officers in how to deal with violent people, as well as those suffering from drug use and mental illness. "To date, we have trained over 700 of the peace officers," said NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker. Last year, in a series of reports on shelter violence, NY1 obtained records that revealed 416 reported cases of domestic violence in family shelters in 2015 and 153 assaults in shelters for single people. There were 90 reported sexual assaults, rapes and attempted rapes, and plenty of illegal drug use. The NYPD moved in to assess the problems. Police say arrests have gone up. "The more illegal items, or controlled substances, we apprehend or we capture before they get into the system," said NYPD Deputy Chief Edward Thompson. "The better environment the clients are in, the less likely there are for violence or physical incidents." In the past, the NYPD has faced complaints about its alleged mistreatment of the homeless. Advocates will be watching to see how the NYPD adapts to its new role overseeing shelter safety. At this point, the NYPD says it doesn't plan to place its officers inside the shelters. But some shelter offficers will have police radios for immediate communication with the NYPD. "As NY1 reported, we revamped the way we report critical incidents," Banks said. The city has not yet disclosed how many crimes occurred in shelters last year, but the NYPD says it will regularly require the shelters to provide crime statistics, just like police precincts do. Security at New York City-area airports was stepped up after a gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday, killing five people and wounding eight before being taken into custody. NY1's Lyndsay Christian filed the following report. Hours before Denise Alasar and her daughter boarded a flight to their home in Miami, there was tragic news of a deadly shooting Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale International Airport just hours away. "I just said, 'Somebody snapped,'" she said. "You never know. Everybody's under a lot of stress all of the world. You don't know who snaps for what reason and why, but it happens." The Port Authority police ramped up security efforts at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty airports to make travelers like Denise feel safe. The agency deployed more officers equipped with tactical weapons and K-9 explosive detection teams, and mandated random bag checks on air trains. "I think its a lot more safer now because it's more police officers, and they're more cautious," said one traveler. Those measures were highly visible to travelers in LaGuardia's Terminal B. "We've got a very large, not just police, but also a military presence at LaGuardia. He wouldn't make it very far here," said one traveler. Others remained on edge. "I think all of these places where people are crowded are targeted makes us concerned about malls, airports, hospitals, makes me think twice," said one traveler. The Port Authority Police Department says it will be working with the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD, in addition to New Jersey law enforcement agencies, to help ensure safe travels, proactive work to protect people in our area from any danger or threats. "I hope for the best and really pray every day that people will find peace within themselves," said one traveler. "I believe in God, I'm alright, everything's going to be alright," said another. At least one carrier, Delta Airlines, canceled all incoming flights to Fort Lauderdale Friday. Broadway theaters around the city dimmed their lights Friday in honor of Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher, who died just a day apart last month. They turned off the lights for one minute, starting at 7:45 p.m. The two actresses made their Broadway debuts in the 1973 production "Irene." Reynolds picked up a Tony nomination for her performance. Friends and family gathered Thursday for a private memorial at Fisher's Beverly Hills home. Mourners included Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan, Gwyneth Paltrow and "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. Fisher died December 27 at the age of 60. She suffered a heart attack on a plane a few days earlier. Reynolds died the next day from a suspected stroke. She was 84. The two were buried together Thursday in a private funeral in Hollywood Hills. The rapper and actor Tip Harris, better known as T. I., has never hesitated to speak his mind or wade into controversy. But even by his standards, he has had something of an awakening in the past year, which has culminated in a planned series of open letters to President Obama, President-elect Donald J. Trump and America as a whole. Pained by the high-profile killings of African-Americans at the hands of the police, Mr. Harris began to think about taking action. The tipping point may have come last summer when, within a day of each other, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were fatally shot by police officers. He met with several activists, including Harry Belafonte and the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, to ask for advice. The main thing is educating ourselves on the issues and just remaining aware, Mr. Harris said of the lessons from those meetings. In addition to speaking on panels, marching in protests and sharing political views on late-night talk shows, Mr. Harris released an EP, Us or Else, followed by a full album, Us or Else: Letter to the System, that bluntly addresses police harassment. Before releasing his first letter, a reflection on President Obamas impact, on Friday, he spoke about his hopes for his writing, and the next president. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. What do you hope to accomplish through these letters? My first purpose is to communicate and share my thoughts and try to be a voice for the people who may be thinking of something to say but, for some reason, may not be able to say it or not have the platform to say it. Using my platform to be a voice for those who cant speak for themselves. The nations two largest dialysis chains, Fresenius and DaVita, said on Friday that they had received subpoenas from the Justice Department for information about their relationship to a charity that provides assistance paying the insurance premiums of needy patients. A spokeswoman for the charity, the American Kidney Fund, also said it had been subpoenaed. The fund was the subject of an article last month in The New York Times that highlighted concerns over whether the fund favored patients of its largest donors, Fresenius and DaVita, over those from smaller dialysis clinics that did not donate money. The Kidney Funds agreement with the federal government forbids it from choosing patients on the basis of which clinic they are using for dialysis, an expensive treatment for patients with kidney failure. A spokeswoman for the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, which issued the subpoenas, declined to comment. DaVita said in a statement that the subpoena sought the production of information related to charitable premium assistance, and that the company looks forward to working with the government to allow for clarity on these complex issues. President-elect Donald J. Trump arrived at 1 World Trade Center a little before 10 a.m. on Friday to face some of his harshest critics in New York: top editors and digital directors of Conde Nasts stable of magazines, among them Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Vogue. According to a tweet by Mr. Trump, he had been invited by Anna Wintour, Conde Nasts artistic director and the editor of Vogue. Also in attendance were Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, who has sparred with Mr. Trump since his days as an editor at Spy magazine in the 1980s, and David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, who is an expert on Russia. They have been among Mr. Trumps most vocal detractors, along with the writers at Teen Vogue. The meeting, held in a conference room on the 42nd floor with a view of New Jersey, lasted barely an hour. In answering questions from editors, Mr. Trump addressed health care, climate change, relations with Russia, womens issues and abortion rights. Mr. Trump mostly reiterated plans or policies he has discussed publicly for months, according to two people who were apprised of the meeting but spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been authorized to talk. When asked about health care, for instance, he told the group that he did not want to get rid of the Affordable Care Act until he had another plan in place, one of the people said. Several editors contacted declined to discuss the meeting, which was off the record. Not my preference, Mr. Carter wrote in an email. But I will abide by that. A Conde Nast spokesman declined to comment. Robert P. Astorino, the county executive and a vocal supporter of Indian Point, which is in the village of Buchanan, said more than $4 million enters the countys coffers every year from the plant, representing nearly 1 percent of the tax base. No one from the governors office had the common courtesy to call the county affected by this, Mr. Astorino, a Republican, said. So were all trying to figure out what will happen in the future and the costs of this potential closure. There are enormous economic consequences to something like this. Perhaps no single entity will suffer the financial effects of the shutdown more than Hendrick Hudson schools, a district with 2,400 students that draws from parts of a half-dozen towns and villages near the plant. The superintendent, Joseph E. Hochreiter, said taxes from the company that owns Indian Point, Entergy, made up one-third of the districts $75.8 million operating budget annually. Weve enjoyed some of the lowest property tax increases of any school district in Westchester County and that has made this a very appealing community to move to and stay in, he said. Entergy plays a major, major role in keeping taxes down. If they are not operating at the capacity that were accustomed to, we are going to have budget deficits. Converting Indian Points property to another use whether residential or commercial may not be possible, given the environmental history of the 240-acre site. Still, after years of hand-wringing over the potential for a catastrophe, many residents said they would be happy to have a nuclear-free county. Opponents of the plant had seized on the Sept. 11 terror attacks and, later, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan to galvanize support for shutting Indian Point. Donald Trumps transition team and Senate Republicans are determined to railroad several nominees to his cabinet of billionaires and moguls through to confirmation without fully revealing business interests that could disqualify them, say people both inside and outside government who are working on the transition process. This is unprecedented, potentially illegal, and the clearest sign yet of Mr. Trumps cavalier attitude toward criminal laws preventing federal officials from profiting from public service. Mr. Trumps Senate allies are shirking their constitutional duty, attempting to rubber-stamp nominees without information that would help determine whether they merit the publics confidence. The law doesnt require Mr. Trump to shed his business interests, but the failure of his cabinet officials to do so could land them in jail. But many Koreans, including some of the surviving women, felt the deal fell far short of their demand that Japan accept legal responsibility and offer formal reparations. On Dec. 28, the first anniversary of the agreement, Korean activists installed another statue, this one in front of the Japanese Consulate in Busan, South Koreas second-largest city. The local government immediately removed it, but then relented under acute public pressure. On Friday, Japan recalled its ambassador to South Korea and suspended negotiations over an arrangement to help Seoul stabilize its currency, along with other high-level economic talks. The Japanese are right to argue that the statue violates the spirit of the 2015 agreement. But the Koreans can also argue that the recent visit by Japans defense minister, Tomomi Inada, to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where a number of convicted war criminals are commemorated, is evidence that the Japanese do not fully acknowledge the crimes of their militarist past. What is needed is recognition on both sides, and in Washington, that the December 2015 agreement cannot be allowed to collapse, along with a concerted effort to calm the waters. Alas, that is a tall order at this juncture: Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president who signed the agreement with Japan, has been suspended from office over a corruption scandal, and Washington awaits a president whose policies on Asia are far from clear. On this issue, however, the risks of inaction should be clear enough. WASHINGTON Smartphone users in Russia can no longer download the LinkedIn app on iPhone or Android devices, following a similar move in China to block The New York Times app on iPhones. The demand by Russian authorities to remove LinkedIn in Apple and Google app stores comes weeks after a court blocked the professional networking service for flouting local laws that require internet firms to store data on Russian citizens within the nations borders. The action is the equivalent of a nation banning Catcher in The Rye and then forcing booksellers to remove the title from their shelves. It puts Apple and Google in a difficult position. The companies are strong proponents of open internet policies and free speech but are now being asked to be agents for governments that censor its citizens. When LinkedIns website was blocked, the apps stopped functioning properly. Removing them from the Google Play store and Apples App Store may not have cut off access to content, but it sent a signal that countries can push the tech giants to remove the apps. WASHINGTON As a political underdog and now as president-elect, Donald J. Trump has employed the same brutal but effective go-to move when hes tweeted or talked himself into an impasse: Attack the attacker. That aggressiveness served him well in the presidential campaign, and allowed him to muscle through scandals and self-inflicted management mistakes that would have scuttled a lesser politician. But Mr. Trumps postelection effort to minimize intelligence assessments about Russias actions came to an abrupt end Friday after a detailed classified briefing from the nations top intelligence officials at Trump Tower and the release of an unclassified report concluding that the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, had a clear preference for Mr. Trump. By the end of the day, it was clear that the strategy of intimidation and bluster that served Mr. Trump so well in the presidential campaign would not prove nearly as effective in Washington. Here was a reminder, should Mr. Trump heed it, that a presidents critics, especially the lords of Washingtons national security establishment, cant always be cowed by a flash-grenade tweet or a withering quip about the possibility that a 400-lb. hacker might have breached Democratic servers. I dont think what worked in a campaign against Jeb Bush is really going to work when you are dealing, you know, with the combined power of the C.I.A., N.S.A. and the F.B.I., said John Weaver, a frequent critic of Mr. Trump who worked on Ohio Gov. John Kasichs unsuccessful primary campaign against him. Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who has a good working relationship with Mr. Trump, warned him recently that it was really dumb to take on the intelligence services. He followed up with a warning on Wednesday that the president-elect needed to calm down his Twitter usage. WASHINGTON Michelle Obama fought back tears on Friday during her last public remarks as first lady, overcome with emotion as she reflected on her eight years in the White House and delivered an intensely personal message of empowerment through education, one of her cherished causes. Being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life, Mrs. Obama told an audience of educators in the East Room, her voice catching as her eyes shone with tears. "And I hope Ive made you proud. Her 21-minute speech, an appeal for hope and inclusiveness as the salves to the forces of fear and division, carried an implicit rebuke to President-elect Donald J. Trump, whom she did not name, delivered with the quiet intensity and aspirational language that came to mark her appearances on the campaign trail last year. Our glorious diversity our diversities of faiths, and colors, and creeds that is not a threat to who we are; it makes us who we are, Mrs. Obama said. The office of the director of national intelligence on Friday released a long-awaited unclassified version of its report for President Obama on what the intelligence agencies said was a multifaceted attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. The report included only the agencies conclusions, not the actual intelligence or technical information on which they were based. Here are some major findings, with comments by The New York Times. The full report is available here. A strong statement from three intelligence agencies. WASHINGTON Rex W. Tillerson owns more than $50 million of Exxon Mobil stock, has earned an annual salary of $10 million and holds a range of positions from director at the Boy Scouts of America to the managing director of a Texas horse and cattle ranch. But Mr. Tillerson is prepared to resign from all those posts, sell all his stock and put much of his money into bland investments like Treasury bonds if he becomes secretary of state, according to an ethics undertakings memo he filed this week with the State Department. And, if he returns to the oil industry in the next decade, he could lose as much as $180 million. The nine-page ethics letter detailing Mr. Tillersons commitments is the first of hundreds that will be made public in the coming weeks by members of President-elect Donald J. Trumps cabinet and other top political appointees, presenting a historic test of the federal governments ability to identify conflicts of interest and figure out ways to avoid them. If you take the downsizing part seriously and have been doing this for a while, you might have sussed out that you were going to be required to shrink down famous peoples names (or N. Ames, from Nathaniel Ames) to make something else. Maybe its a familiar phrase that you never realized could begin with a word that can also be a famous persons first initial and surname. For example, at 31A, we have a mysterious clue that rhymes and calls up memories of an athlete banned from the Hall of Fame: Charlie Hustle is my name / I am banned from Hall of Fame, e.g.? You might have guessed that the clue referred to Pete Rose, but how to turn it into an acceptable entry? The answer is in the downsizing of the name: PETE ROSE = P. ROSE = the phrase PROSE POETRY Thats pretty clever and, for the most part, all of the theme entries worked really well for me. MALI EMPIRE was outside my wheelhouse, or perhaps I just need to brush up on my African history. Here is the explanation of the entire theme set. And bonus points for the whopping 18 debut entries today, as well as for the exceptional fill. Tricky Clues 26A: If there are two things necessary for having a good time, I say its sharp projectiles and alcohol, which turns out to be BEER DARTS, a game that makes its New York Times Crossword debut. At some point, someone will incorporate crossword puzzle solving by pinning a puzzle up on the wall, and then it will really be a party. 83A: I am old enough to remember when these were mix tapes on cassette, but MIX CDS are also a thing. I suppose you can also have mix mp3s, but where is the romance in a playlist that you cant physically give to someone? I might have finally reached the age of curmudgeonery, but I wanted to ask you out, so I downloaded a special playlist of songs for you and shared it on social media does not have the same ring to it as a physical tape or CD that you can slip to that special someone. Please debate and discuss in the comments. 10D: I happen to love anteaters, and I love them even more now that I know that they are also called ANTBEARS. #TIL He is a son of the late Rosemae Kuba Yamaura, who lived in Honolulu. His mother was a secretary at the University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management. The couple met in January 1989 at Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu, where Dr. Dann was living and working in a private dermatology practice. Dr. Yamaura, who was living in Los Angeles at the time, was visiting his mother and two sisters, who lived there. He was reading on a bench as I walked by, and we just kind of made eye contact and started talking, Dr. Yamaura said. It turned out we had a lot of things in common, and we ended up going out together every night during my five-day vacation there. They embarked on a long-distance relationship that lasted a year before each agreed to make a major sacrifice to be closer together. Dr. Dann, who had been planning to leave Honolulu for San Diego, told Dr. Yamaura, who had been planning to move to Honolulu to be closer to his family, that he would move to Los Angeles if Dr. Yamaura would agree to stay there. By that time, I already knew that he was someone who looked at life the way I did and was ready to have a serious relationship, like I was, Dr. Yamaura said. So I decided to stay in Los Angeles and wait for him. There is only speculation, ranging from a Native American word to a Dutch slur, as to how Cos Cob, a centuries-old enclave in Greenwich, Conn., came by its name. But the stories told at the Bush-Holley House, a saltbox dating back to 1728 and a museum since 1958, reveal tidbits of the villages place in American history including roles in the Revolutionary War, the practice of slavery and the American Impressionist movement. Records show a Dutch colonist, Justus Bush no relation to the American presidents bought the Mianus River property in 1738. His son David expanded the house to accommodate his 15 children (by two wives) and as many as 10 slaves. Before every semester, Felix Abreu, a senior at the University at Albany, talks nervously with his mother, a caretaker in the Bronx, about how to come up with the $1,000 he needs to continue his studies. One of 11 siblings and the first who would graduate from college, Mr. Abreu, 22, already gets financial aid. But it is never enough, so he has worked as a student assistant. He has tutored students. He has sold clothing at Forever 21 at the Crossgates Mall. But he never takes anything for granted. We are always trying to see how much I need to fill the gap, said Mr. Abreu, a computer science major, who is president of the student association. Mr. Abreu is one of thousands of people who could benefit from a proposal unveiled this past week by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to cover tuition costs at the states public colleges for low- and middle-income New Yorkers. The program would meet the difference for students who are already getting federal and state aid but still cannot fully meet their tuition obligations. The crime rate keeps falling in New York City, and falling. The trend has held for many years, and not even 2016 so terrible in so many other ways broke the pattern. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James ONeill hit the high points at a news conference on Wednesday: The year ended with fewer than 1,000 shootings, a record low. There were fewer murders (335) than in 2015 (352), fewer rapes, fewer burglaries, fewer robberies. Over all, 101,606 major-category crimes were reported in 2016, compared with 105,921 in 2015. Just 25 years ago there were over 5,000 shootings in a single year in the city, Mr. de Blasio said. Look how far we have all come together. Far, indeed. What is striking, too, is how crime has fallen even as policing and criminal justice polices have drastically shifted. Crime fell when New York City officers were logging hundreds of thousands of stop-and-frisk encounters every year, and it fell when the department all but abandoned the unjust policy there were only about 10,000 stopped-and-frisked New Yorkers in all of 2016. Crime fell even as New York backed away from old tough-on-crime policies, sharply reducing the population of its prisons and jails. A research paper issued in October by the Harvard Kennedy School Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management noted that between 1996 and 2014, the citys jail and prison incarceration rate fell by 55 percent and serious crime by 58 percent: New York is now not only the safest big city in the United States, but also one with the fewest incarcerations for its size. There are small signs that this is changing. In June 2016, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, a quasi-state agency set up to preserve open spaces, awarded East End and Evergreen a $400,000 grant. Most of the funds will go toward purchasing the properties and legal costs, so other money must be found to sustain the restoration. Bills introduced in the General Assembly to provide any funds to save historic African-American cemeteries in Virginia have died or been killed in committee. Later this month, when the Legislature opens its 45-day session, Virginias lawmakers will have another chance to get on the right side of history. On Dec. 29, Delores McQuinn, a Democratic state delegate from Richmond, introduced House Bill 1547, drafted in collaboration with the administration of Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Beginning in 2018, it would allot roughly $35,000 a year to preserve historical graves and cemeteries of African-Americans who lived at any time between January 1, 1800, and January 1, 1900. The appropriation would become part of the Code of Virginia, just like the Confederate graves provision. These cemeteries hold some of the iconic leaders of the past who in many ways have never been given their due honor, Ms. McQuinn told me. Funds have been earmarked for Revolutionary War and Confederate graves, which deserve that honor and attention, she said. This is just extending it to sites that have been left out of the equation. The amount of the appropriation is quite small. The symbolism, however, is huge. East End and Evergreen are the only cemeteries identified so far as potential recipients of this aid, which would go to vetted nonprofits. Nobody has ever really looked at how many African-American cemeteries there are in Virginia or across the South, Dr. Michael Trinkley, an archaeologist who works with the Chicora Foundation, told me. But you cant have the history of the South without having the history of African-Americans. You might blame this in part on robots. According to the research firm eMarketer, American companies are now spending more than $22 billion a year on programmatic ads, the kind of advertising that is bought with little human oversight. Joshua Zeitz, vice president of corporate communications at the ad-tech company AppNexus, explained to me how this automated ad buying works. When you click on a link, in less than a second, a call goes out, and algorithms and automated software bid in an auction to put their advertisement up on your page, he said. So maybe the Nabisco algorithm wants to put an ad up there; so does Macys and so does Honda. The algorithm that places the highest bid wins the chance to appear on your screen. Programmatic ads can also follow individuals around the internet, based on their browsing history, as happened with Mr. Philips. A single targeted ad could cost just a fraction of a penny, but the pennies add up to a billion-dollar industry. Even when ad placements are automated, companies still have the power to control whether neo-Nazis or fake news hucksters profit. In fact, its actually rather simple for companies to impose ethical policies, according to Mr. Zeitz. Indeed, his own company (which handles programmatic advertising for other organizations) recently decided to get out ahead of the issue by removing Breitbart News from its advertising marketplace. Were not banning them because theyre alt-right or conservative. We banned them from our marketplace because they violate our hate speech policy, which prohibits ad serving on sites that incite violence and discrimination against minority groups. (Breitbart has said that it condemns racism and bigotry in any form.) He pointed out that brand-name companies had already figured out how to keep their ads from flowing onto porn sites, because you really dont want your ad for a breakfast cereal next to a hard-core pornographic video, and so there are tools in place that allow companies to control where their ads go. A company can block a specific site like Breitbart News from its ad buy. Or it might pick a white list of sites that align with its values. But to do that, companies would have to forgo the sites designed to deliver exactly what they want a big audience for little cost. In November, NPR reporters interviewed Jestin Coler about his fake-news empire. Mr. Coler and his team stage-crafted their sites to look like local newspapers and then planted fantastical headlines and fictional stories that attracted more than a million views. Though the news was fake, the ads were real. Mr. Coler wouldnt tell the reporters exactly how much he made off advertising, but he intimated that his revenues ranged between $10,000 and $30,000 a month. Such entrepreneurs have an outsize influence on our political sphere. BuzzFeed News reported that, during the last three months of the election, hoax stories outperformed real ones on social media. Thanks to people enthusiastically sharing pro-Trump headlines cooked up by clickbait farms, in the bizarro-world of online advertising, the fake can be more profitable than the real. Ezra Englebardt, an advertising strategist, joined the Sleeping Giants campaign because he believes it creates much-needed transparency in the online advertising world. When lots of people share photos of the ads that theyre seeing on their own screens, it becomes possible to get some sense of where the ad dollars go, he said. President Putins aggressive election meddling, like his broader foreign policy, has at least two motivating factors. The first is his conviction that the surest path to restoring Russia as a great power comes at the expense of an American-led order. He wants Russia unconstrained by Western values and institutions, free to pursue a sphere of influence. The second motivating factor is closely connected to the first. The legitimacy of Mr. Putins system of repressive domestic control depends on the existence of external threats. Surfing on high oil prices, he used to be able to bolster his social contract with the Russian people through rising standards of living. That was clear in the boomtown Moscow I knew as the American ambassador a decade ago, full of the promise of a rising middle class and the consumption of an elite convinced that anything worth doing was worth overdoing. But Mr. Putin has lost that card in a world of lower energy prices and Western sanctions, and with a one-dimensional economy in which real reform is trumped by the imperative of political control and the corruption that lubricates it. The ultimate realist, Mr. Putin understands Russias relative weakness, but regularly demonstrates that declining powers can be at least as disruptive as rising powers. He sees a target-rich environment all around him. If he cant easily build Russia up, he can take the United States down a few pegs, with his characteristic tactical agility and willingness to play rough and take risks. If he cant have a deferential government in Kiev, he can grab Crimea and try to engineer the next best thing, a dysfunctional Ukraine. If he cant abide the risk of regime upheaval in Syria, he can flex Russias military muscle, emasculate the West, and preserve Bashar al-Assad atop the rubble of Aleppo. If he cant directly intimidate the European Union, he can accelerate its unraveling by supporting anti-Union nationalists and exploiting the wave of migration spawned in part by his own brutality. Wherever he can, he exposes the seeming hypocrisy and fecklessness of Western democracies, blurring the line between fact and fiction. So what to do? Russia is still too big, proud and influential to ignore and still the only nuclear power comparable to the United States. It remains a major player on problems from the Arctic to Iran and North Korea. We need to focus on the critical before we test the desirable. The first step is to sustain, and if necessary amplify, the actions taken by the Obama administration in response to Russian hacking. Russia challenged the integrity of our democratic system, and Europes 2017 electoral landscape is the next battlefield. Yours wont be my first gay divorce, the lawyer told me, and I guarantee you, it wont be my last. I asked how long it would take, and what it would cost. He couldnt give me even a ballpark estimate. The laws were in such flux, he said, that both gay people who wanted to marry and gay people who wanted to divorce were twisting in the shifting winds. When the lawyer and I had our first, $350-an-hour conversation, same-sex marriage was outlawed in 37 states and legal in 13 (and the District of Columbia). Change was the only constant, and each change increased the time (his) and money (mine) it cost to research its implications. My case had a bonus complication. In 1999, before real marriage was available to us, my wife and I had registered as California domestic partners. Did we need a separate legal process to end that partnership? No one was sure. I mailed the lawyer a big deposit. He emailed me a big stack of documents. On the first page, there it was: my wifes name, right next to mine. The thrill of that triumph, of being a gay person with the legal recognition of a straight person, ran through me as it always had. Then I remembered that I was seeing it for the last time. As the process unfolded over the next several months, I couldnt help comparing my second divorce with my first, in 1983, from the father of my kids. Thats the one that should have been complicated. Like most straight married couples, my husband and I owned our stuff jointly one bank account, two cars, one ranch house and everything in it. Most wrenchingly, we had two little boys whom neither of us could imagine living without for even a day. Yet our divorce, our property division and our custody agreement were all ironed out in a few meetings with a paralegal, whose services cost less than $1,000. Like most early same-sex-marriage adopters, my wife and I had intermingled our hearts and lives but kept our finances and property separate. And yet I was in for a much longer, costlier contest. Lieutenant, Ray finally said. You take the corn husk off. I was from a logging town on the Oregon coast. Id heard of tamales, but Id never seen one. Until I joined my company of Marines in Vietnam, Id never even talked to a Mexican. Yes, people like me called people like Ray Mexicans, even though they were as American as apple pie and tamales. Racial tension where I grew up was the Swedes and Norwegians squaring off against the Finns every Saturday night in the parking lot outside the dance at the Labor Temple. President Harry Truman ordered the integration of the military in 1948. By the time of the Vietnam War, the races were serving together. But putting everyone in the same units is very different than having them work together as a unit. Our national memory of integration is mostly about the brave people of the civil rights movement. Imagine arming all those high school students from Birmingham, Ala. white and black with automatic weapons in an environment where using these weapons was as common as having lunch and they are all jacked up on testosterone. Thats racial tension. During the war there were over 200 fraggings in the American military murders carried out by fragmentation grenades, which made it impossible to identify the killer. Almost all fraggings, at least when the perpetrator was caught, were found to be racially motivated. And yet the more common experience in combat was cooperation and respect. If I was pinned down by enemy fire and I needed an M-79 man, Id scream for Thompson, because he was the best. I didnt even think about what color Thompson was. White guys had to listen to soul music and black guys had to listen to country music. We didnt fear one another. And the experience stuck with us. Hundreds of thousands of young men came home from Vietnam with different ideas about race some for the worse, but most for the better. Racism wasnt solved in Vietnam, but I believe it was where our country finally learned that it just might be possible for us all to get along. WASHINGTON President Donald J. Trump will walk into the Oval Office and be stunned. First, it will be a shock to work in an office decorated with images of men other than himself. Second, he is bound to be suffused with awe as he looks around at the Remington bronze bronco, the Rockwell Statue of Liberty, the portraits of Washington and Lincoln, the Swedish ivy on the mantel that has eavesdropped and leavesdropped on so much history. The new president will suddenly realize that Joe Biden is right. He needs to grow up. Chuck Schumer is right. He has to stop nonsense-tweeting and name-calling. John McCain is right. He needs to stop fawning over Vladimir Putin, his B.F.F. whose eyes flash K.G.B. Donald Trump will, at long last, assume a mantle of dignity. NOT! The capital has never been more anxious about its own government. The town is suffering pre-traumatic stress disorder. This guy is really going to be president. Finally, there is bipartisan consensus: Its time to flip out. Decades after duck-and-cover was a way of life, people here are once more in duck-and-cover mode. No one knows what is going to happen, but they know it will be utter chaos and that the old familiar ways have vaporized. President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, Walter J. Clayton, differs in an encouraging way from several of Mr. Trumps other choices for top jobs in the executive branch. As a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell the go-to law firm for Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street banks Mr. Clayton, known as Jay, has undoubtedly mastered the nations securities laws and related regulations, and applied them in real-world circumstances. Presumably, he is also equipped with a mastery of the history and workings of the agency he has been named to lead. The same cannot be said of Mr. Trumps nominees to head, say, the departments of labor and housing. The unanswered question is whether Mr. Clayton would use his knowledge and experience to protect investors from abuse and undue risk in the public markets, or to shield Wall Street from scrutiny. In announcing Mr. Claytons nomination, Mr. Trump emphasized the need to deregulate financial markets because, he said, overregulation is harming American workers. Similarly, Mr. Clayton issued a statement that S.E.C. policy should help foster job creation. But the last financial crisis revealed how a lack of regulation can harm the economy far more than regulation. And an S.E.C. that gives priority to job creation is likely to focus more on making it easier for firms to raise money in the public markets than on investor protections. With all the talk of the white working class having catapulted our incoming president to power, Ive been pondering my own status, past and present, on the socioeconomic ladder. Admittedly now a card-carrying member of the liberal and coastal elite so despised by Donald J. Trumps core constituency, I didnt always see myself this way. But then, whether you consider yourself lower, middle or upper has a good deal to do with whom youre standing next to. Attending public school in the late 70s and early 80s in suburban New Jersey, I dont think the subject of social class ever really occurred to me, except in the context of the BBC productions (Upstairs Downstairs, Brideshead Revisited) that my mother liked to watch on PBS. The town I grew up in was made up of what was once known as White Ethnics (Irish-, Italian- and Jewish Americans), and pretty much everyone I knew was middle class. There were a handful of families who were less than that, and I remember classmates whispering in the hall that so-and-sos family was on welfare. But even the poor kids hung out at the same recreation center as we did, played on the same softball teams and appeared at the same roller-disco and pizza birthday parties. That all changed when, in the mid-80s, I began attending a private high school in a nearby town, with the help of financial aid. On the event of their 17th birthdays, my classmates would appear in the school parking lot in brand-new Audis and Mercedes coups, Yazs Upstairs at Erics blasting from their state-of-the-art sound systems. Though my best friend at the time drove a black Chrysler LeBaron convertible with a butterscotch leather interior, she also lived in a beautiful limestone mansion from the 1920s that, not unlike Castle Howard the real-life setting for the Brideshead adaptation sat at the end of a long white-gravel driveway behind elaborately rococo iron gates. Ill never forget the time I struggled to back out of her cul-de-sac in my parents beat-up Ford Fairmont station wagon, nearly knocking over one of the giant topiary-filled urns that flanked the entrance. The incident didnt simply make me feel incompetent; on some more primal level, it confirmed for me some confused sense of myself as a hapless intruder and perpetual outsider who would never be fully embraced by the people who mattered. Albert P. Brewer, who became the governor of Alabama after the death of Lurleen B. Wallace but lost his bid for a full term in 1970 during a nasty primary runoff against her husband, the segregationist former Gov. George C. Wallace, died on Jan 2 in Birmingham, Ala. He was 88. The office of Gov. Robert Bentley confirmed the death without specifying a cause. Because Mr. Wallace was forbidden by the state Constitution to serve successive four-year terms, his wife ran to succeed him in 1966 and won overwhelmingly. Mr. Brewer was elected lieutenant governor. Mrs. Wallace, a political novice, was viewed largely as a proxy for her fiery husband, who had used his single term as governor as a springboard for an independent presidential campaign in 1968. He finished a distant third behind Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey. When Mrs. Wallace died of cancer 16 months into her term, Mr. Brewer became the acting governor. Mr. Brewer regarded Mr. Wallace as a supporter and was planning to run for a full term. But as the former governor looked toward the 1972 presidential election, he determined that regaining office was critical to sustaining his national ambitions. SACRAMENTO A 57-year-old convicted killer serving a life sentence in California is the first inmate in the United States to receive state-financed sex-reassignment surgery, the prisoners lawyers said. California prison officials agreed in August 2015 to pay for the surgery for the inmate, Shiloh Heavenly Quine, who was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery for ransom and has no possibility of parole. Ms. Quines case led the state to become the first to set standards that will allow other transgender inmates to apply to receive state-financed sex-reassignment surgery. It also prompted a federal magistrate to require California to provide transgender female inmates housed in mens facilities with more female-oriented items like nightgowns, scarves and necklaces. ST. LOUIS A school district that includes students from Ferguson, Mo., will continue for now its longstanding method of electing board members at large, despite a lawsuit claiming that the process is racially biased. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2014 on behalf of the Missouri N.A.A.C.P., seeks what is known as a cumulative-voting process for the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Such a process would allow people to vote multiple times for an individual candidate, depending on how many seats were being contested. Judge Rodney W. Sippel, of Federal District Court in St. Louis, ruled in favor of the N.A.A.C.P. in August. But in December, he allowed the district to delay adopting cumulative voting while it appealed his ruling. A three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals declined on Thursday to overturn that decision. Cindy Ormsby, a lawyer for the school district, said that, with the court case unresolved, the board election in April would rely on the at-large voting process. The gunman who opened fire Friday in a deadly attack at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pulled his weapon out from an unlikely place in this post-9/11 era of tightened airport security and pat-downs by the Transportation Security Administration his checked luggage. The shooting unfolded in a crowded baggage claim area of the airport, after the gunmans flight had arrived in Fort Lauderdale and he had retrieved his checked bags, officials said. The suspect, Esteban Santiago, was accused of killing at least five people and wounding at least eight others, the authorities said. According to the T.S.A., passengers at the nations airports are allowed to transport unloaded guns in their checked baggage. The firearms must be kept in a locked hard-sided container, and gun owners must declare firearms and any ammunition to airline representatives when checking the bags at ticket counters, according to the agencys firearm regulations. Guns, real ones as well as replicas and toys, are allowed to be transported only in checked baggage, not in carry-on luggage. The same is true for clips, firing pins and other firearm parts. For years, Russia has been anything but a willing partner of the United States. Relations became strained well before the election-related cyberattacks began nearly a year and a half ago, despite the Obama administrations early effort to reset relations. After Russias intrusion into Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea in 2014, the United States and its allies levied broad sanctions against the Russian economy and blacklisted dozens of its citizens, including some close to the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. President Obama added to those measures last month in retaliation for the hacking, expelling 35 suspected Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on two Russian intelligence services. Russia and the United States have also often been at odds over Moscows involvement in the war in Syria. Senior intelligence officials briefed Mr. Trump on their findings on Russian election interference on Friday, before releasing a declassified report that concluded that Mr. Putin had ordered a sprawling campaign intended to denigrate Hillary Clinton and aid Mr. Trump. The hearings are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, with testimony from Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the nominee for attorney general, and Gen. John F. Kelly, the pick for homeland security secretary. On Wednesday, the parade of nominees is expected to include Rex W. Tillerson, the choice for secretary of state; Betsy DeVos, the pick for education secretary; and Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas, the nominee to lead the C.I.A. Later in the week, the billionaire investor Wilbur L. Ross Jr., chosen as commerce secretary, and Andrew F. Puzder, the labor secretary pick, are scheduled to come before congressional panels. While some of Mr. Trumps nominees, notably Representative Tom Price of Georgia, the choice for health secretary and an ardent opponent of the Affordable Care Act, are certain to receive hostile receptions, large numbers of Democrats will probably vote for many others. Still, Democrats are preparing a furious assault against the nominees by going after the president-elect himself and trying to drive a wedge between them over his most incendiary promises, like banning Muslim immigrants and bringing back torture. Where will they come down? Mr. Schumer, the new Democratic leader, asked in an interview. Will they try to persuade the president thats the wrong way to take America? Democrats plan to keep the focus on the president-elect to a degree with few historical parallels. New presidents usually serve as a backdrop; this year, by contrast, Mr. Trumps words will loom over the hearings as Democrats press the nominees to take a position on them. Democrats have little chance of blocking any of the nominees, having given up the use of the filibuster in such cases when they were in the majority, but they say Mr. Trump has handed them ample political ammunition. Mr. Sessions is certain to be asked whether he, as attorney general, would make good on Mr. Trumps pledges to get a special counsel to jail Hillary Clinton over her email server. Whether the first ladys power will survive her husbands death is unclear. She is reported to head one of the two competing factions inside ZANU-PF, but is she its leader, or just a useful puppet for veteran survivors of Zimbabwean politics? After her husband dies, will she hop on a plane for Dubai or elsewhere in Asia, where she and her children have established homes? The Mugabes are thought to have more than $1 billion invested outside Zimbabwe, according to an American diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks. But if she succeeds in grabbing power, it would most likely be a continuation of her husbands government. Changes critical to reviving Zimbabwes crumpled economy, including land reform, are thought politically impossible under Mr. Mugabe and would remain so under Ms. Mugabe, whose legitimacy derives from her husbands legacy. Her elevation could also intensify tensions in Zimbabwes small political class by upsetting Mr. Mugabes lieutenants, many of whom have been waiting decades to take over. Confident of their grip on power, the Mugabes flew out of Zimbabwe a few days after the end of the congress in mid-December for their annual extended holiday in Asia, where Mr. Mugabe is thought to have received medical care in Singapore and Malaysia, and where the first family owns real estate in Hong Kong. Ms. Mugabe left for her latest holiday even though she was embroiled in a dispute with a Lebanese diamond dealer over a $1.35 million ring. According to a court document, Ms. Mugabe ordered the diamond from the dealer; issued the payment from a bank in Harare, the Zimbabwean capital; then canceled her purchase after the diamond had already been prepared. Ms. Mugabe demanded that the dealer refund the money to a bank account in Dubai, according to the court document. The dealer, Jamal Ahmed, said he had refused to transfer the money to Dubai because it would be considered money laundering, but agreed to reimburse the first lady in installments, according to an affidavit submitted to the High Court of Zimbabwe. Men associated with Ms. Mugabe and her son from a previous marriage subsequently seized and occupied three of the dealers properties in Harare. Wilson Manase, Ms. Mugabes lawyer, did not return calls and messages to his cellphone. Ms. Mugabe had picked the diamond as her husbands 20th wedding anniversary present to her. ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast Negotiations on Saturday appeared to have averted a protracted standoff between soldiers and the government in a military revolt in Ivory Coast, a country that has prided itself on political and economic stability in recent years. President Alassane Ouattara said late in the day that the government had reached an agreement with disgruntled soldiers who had demanded higher salaries and better living conditions. But Mr. Ouattara criticized the soldiers for the way they had protested. I want to say that this way of making demands is not appropriate, Mr. Ouattara said. In fact, it tarnished the image of our country after all our economic development efforts. According to witnesses, gunfire erupted early on Saturday at a military camp known as old Akouedo in a residential area of Abidjan, Ivory Coasts largest city and its economic capital. Dont get me started on the Amazon, Mr. Lima said, referring to the vast river basin where, the authorities say, the expansion of Brazils ranching frontier has illegally destroyed large tracts of the rain forest. Ive flown over the Amazon in a small plane, and all I saw for hours was trees. Trust me, we can deforest a lot more if we have to. Mr. Limas readiness to voice publicly what many Brazilians say in private reflects, perhaps, a yearning for the spotlight. As he roams the backlands rodeo circuit in his Mitsubishi Titan pickup, the competitions where Mr. Lima works are often as much about him as they are about bull-riding buckaroos. At a rodeo here in Goiania on a recent Friday night, scantily clad female dancers warmed up the arena before Mr. Lima burst onto the scene around midnight, his arrival heralded by fireworks, a nightclub smoke machine, cannons discharging confetti into the air and a dance involving a good deal of strutting by Mr. Lima himself. After singing Brazils national anthem, he led competitors in a lengthy prayer before getting on with the event. He often cracks jokes, exudes pride in Brazils ranching culture and bursts into song while describing the technical aspects of the cowpokes competing for prize money. I love the United States and recognize how much we owe to the rodeo scene up there, but the folks in Brazil expect a little more from their rodeo announcers, he explained. What am I, essentially? A storyteller. Mr. Lima got into radio announcing after studying three things: law, journalism and how to be a clown. He said it was during his time at clown school in Rio, when he was trying to find a way into show business, that I learned the valuable lesson of laughing at my own failures. The mass implantation of IUDs amounted to involuntary, forced acts of mutilation, Han Haoyue, a popular columnist, wrote in a post shared nearly 3,000 times on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter. And now, to say they are offering free removal as a service to these tens of millions of women repeatedly broadcasting this on state television as a kind of state benefit they have no shame, second to none. Over the years, many Chinese women have come to hate the IUD, which is inserted into the uterus to block fertilization. In the novel Frog, by Mo Yan, the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, the main character imposes a reign of terror involving the compulsory implantation of IUDs and tries to catch women who surreptitiously remove them. In mainland China, being fitted with an IUD is called shang huan, a phrase that literally means installing a loop, referring to the low-cost, stainless steel ring that was the states preferred device for more than a decade despite higher rates of complications. The rings were replaced in the mid-1990s by safer and more effective IUDs. According to gynecologists in China, IUDs used for Chinese women were meant to be left indefinitely, with surgery necessary to take them out. Dr. Gloria Korta, a gynecologist at Winchester Physician Associates in Massachusetts, who toured Chinese hospitals as part of a cultural exchange in 2001, said that while there was a risk of infection from having an IUD implanted for many years, it was small. Perhaps because of the problems associated with the early model, there remains widespread concern in China about the IUDs impact on womens health. In 2012, the online portal Tencent published a lengthy report arguing that many Chinese women had experienced serious damage to their mental and physical health from the IUD campaign because of rough surgeries and poor hygiene conditions. Ai Xiaoming, 63, a prominent documentary filmmaker, said many women, herself included, had never been advised of potential complications and the need for regular checkups after getting an IUD. She had to have a hysterectomy when surgery to remove her IUD was botched. Instead of retreating, Mr. Soares continued his crusade against the dictatorship and its colonial wars, and within a year he was sent into exile again, this time in Europe. In France, he secured part-time teaching jobs at the Sorbonne and the University of Rennes. He kept a modest apartment on the Left Bank in Paris, where he wrote about his struggles against fascism and bolstered the opposition among immigrants and other exiles. He also consolidated his ties with other Socialist leaders and announced the creation of the Portuguese Socialist Party during a conference in West Germany in 1973. By the time the dictatorship fell in the bloodless Carnation Revolution of 1974, Mr. Soares had been jailed 12 times serving a total of three years and had lived in exile for almost five years. (A former inmate was quoted as saying that even in prison the ebullient Mr. Soares was always in a splendid mood and made us laugh.) When he arrived by train in Lisbon from Paris after the revolt, he was mobbed by thousands of supporters. He first served as foreign minister under the military-controlled civilian government and led the decolonization in Africa, ending years of war in Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Mozambique and other territories. But the government grew more radical under the influence of the Moscow-aligned Communist Party, prompting Mr. Soares to pull his party out of the coalition in 1975. He organized street rallies and, with the help of a moderate military faction, ousted the pro-Communist prime minister, Vasco Goncalves. Elections were called in 1976, and Mr. Soares won, making him the first constitutionally elected prime minister after the revolution. What we believe in, he said after his victory, is a socialism in liberty, neither dictatorship of the left nor dictatorship of the right. He served during a politically tumultuous period that saw coalitions form and dissolve. He was the head of two governments until 1979, and then of a third from 1983 to 1985. RT, a state-run Russian television network that broadcasts around the world in English, was implicated in a recently declassified United States intelligence report that accused the Russia government of meddling in the American presidential election to tip the vote in favor of Donald J. Trump. The Russians are accused of hacking the email systems of the Democratic National Committee and conducting a widespread disinformation campaign that included the propagation of fake news stories on the internet and the airwaves. RTs coverage of Hillary Clinton throughout the U.S. presidential campaign was consistently negative and focused on her leaked emails and accused her of corruption, poor physical and mental health and ties to Islamic extremism, the declassified intelligence report said. What is RT? RT, formerly called Russia Today, was founded in 2005 as part of the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. The network describes itself on its website as the first Russian 24/7 English-language news channel which brings the Russian view on global news. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said the network was created to break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams. KABUL, Afghanistan Approximately 300 United States Marines will return this spring to help fight a resurgent Taliban in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the site of a yearslong bloody campaign, American officials in Afghanistan said on Saturday. An American military spokesman in Kabul said the Marines would replace an Army unit stationed in Helmand, and would offer training and advice to members of the Afghan military and the national police. The Marine rotation is to replace soldiers currently here conducting the train, advise and assist mission, said Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cleveland, a spokesman for United States forces in Afghanistan. Were very pleased that the Marines will rotate in, as they have tremendous institutional history in the region. The Marines were last in Helmand, a hotbed of Taliban fighters and poppy cultivation, in October 2014. Since then, Afghan forces, suffering from leadership woes and plagued by corruption, have struggled to hold territory, with district after district falling to the Taliban. For months now, the insurgents have been at the gates of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. BEIRUT, Lebanon At least 43 people were killed on Saturday when a truck bomb ripped through the center of a busy commercial district in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border, activists and rescue workers said. The explosion occurred outside a local courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, Azaz, said Saif Alnajdi, a resident and activist. It hit the busiest part of the town, Mr. Alnajdi said, referring to its administrative section. Azaz, a couple of miles away from the Turkish border, is a hub for antigovernment activists and opposition fighters, as well as many displaced people from the recent fighting in Aleppo. Activists say its prewar population of 30,000 has swelled. The town is sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and opposition groups backed by Turkey to the east. Militants of the Islamic State have been pushed back farther east by the Turkish-backed fighters. While most visitors to Marrakesh head straight for the medina and its souks, Gueliz, or the New Town, is living up to its moniker as the neighborhood known for meshing the ancient with the new. Its really a crossroads of modern and traditional Morocco, said Arnaud Foltran, an owner of Kechmara restaurant. The fall 2017 opening of an Yves Saint Laurent museum designed by the Paris-based architecture firm Studio KO will further cement the districts reputation for desert wares gone chic and couscous gone artisanal. A chess table is tucked in between the carrot cakes and sugar cookies at the Seal Beach Ralphs. Thats where youll find Albert Chavez several days a week. The genial grandmaster of the grocery store takes on all comers child prodigies, seniors from nearby Leisure World and college kids from Cal State Long Beach up the road. Chavez, 82, joined the Navy in 1951. He learned this battle of wits during battles of the Korean War. His ship was stationed off Pusan. When the crew wasnt busy launching missiles, there was plenty of downtime. One of his fellow sailors taught Chavez to play chess to stave off the boredom. Chavez said his shipmate showed no mercy and whipped him soundly every game. A few years after the war, I traveled down to Phoenix to meet up with my old Navy buddy. After all those years I finally beat him one time, Chavez said. That was a big Hooyah for me. SANTA ANA As executive director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency for a dozen years, Gerardo Mouet felt it necessary to sit in the City Council chambers control room last week through a special meeting called to evaluate City Manager David Cavazos. Mouet did so because one of his responsibilities heading the agency was to oversee the video recording of the meeting, with the lead digital technician on vacation. From his secluded room, Mouet watched as City Attorney Sonia Carvalho reported out of closed session that the Council majority had voted 4-0 to place Cavazos on indefinite paid administrative leave a controversial move that prompted some community activists to shout in protest. After the meeting ended, Mouet was making his way to the parking structure when he got a text from Deputy City Manager Robert Cortez calling him back inside. Mouet said he thought there had been some technical difficulties, but instead, Cortez told him to think about assuming the acting city manager role. Mouet was officially offered the position the next day. I didnt blink. I said, Yes, when I was asked if I would help out right now, Mouet, 59, told the Register on Thursday. Have I dreamed about helping the city in this way? Yes. Mouet said he was surprised by the appointment and admitted that he had been interested in serving as city manager, but had never applied. Over 26 years of service to Santa Ana including a stint as a senior management assistant in the City Managers Office Mouet has worked with four different top employees. As he holds the reins through Cavazos leave, Mouet said, he has three priorities: preparing the 2017-18 fiscal year budget; negotiating labor contracts by June; and helping to manage the OC Streetcar project. His remaining five goals, in no particular order, he said, are to ensure city services are delivered and that public safety be a high priority; economic development; partnering with the business community; collaborating with schools and colleges; and updating the citys general plan. Im open to getting feedback from anybody, stuff from the community, but the most influential, of course, is the elected seven (City Council) officials, Mouet said. As I get feedback from them, the number (of priorities) might grow. The acting city manager said hes making changes right away and has been meeting with department heads, but doesnt plan to micromanage. A salary bump for Mouet hasnt been discussed, he said. There hasnt been an opportunity; it happened so fast, he said. When its time to talk, Ill talk, but Im not anxious. Im at the disposal of the seven elected officials. Mouet said his annual salary leading parks, recreation and Santa Ana Main Library, where his office was located, was about $184,000. Cavazos is the citys highest paid city manager ever, with a $372,165 annual salary and an additional $107,450 in benefits. Cavazos-supporting Council members Sal Tinajero, Vincent Sarmiento and David Benavides were out of town for the holidays when Mayor Miguel Pulido, who opposed Cavazos, called the special meeting with 24 hours public notice. Pulido and newly elected councilmen Juan Villegas and Jose Solorio were endorsed by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the slate during the November election. Those three Council members, along with Michele Martinez, who was considered the swing vote, unanimously voted to place Cavazos on leave. Five votes are required to fire the city manager. Tinajero who for weeks publicly accused Pulido of a political deal with the police union to elect Council members who would fire Cavazos, in return for terminating the police chief told Mouet after his appointment to stay ethical. Ive been around for a long time and this isnt the first time that democracy sometimes feels a little messy, Mouet said. Every day I wake up, if Im acting city manager, Im going to get an A for effort, I believe, because people are saying, Hes working hard. Hes ethical. He has a lot of integrity. Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong When Jenna Gerstner took her two young sons to the park about a mile from her Mission Viejo home the afternoon of Dec. 14, she did not expect to see those images. Two Nazi swastikas. One was scratched on a wall and another on a tree stump in the kids play area at Pavion Park. It made me sick to my stomach, said Gerstner, whose family attends Temple Beth El in Aliso Viejo. This is where I brought my kids to play. This is where I had my sons birthday party. I took my sons and left right away because I didnt feel safe. But she talked to Rabbi Rachel Kort at Temple Beth El, which started a conversation between the synagogue, the Orange County Islamic Foundation mosque and Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Rancho Santa Margarita. Together, the three houses of worship on Monday will host an event titled A Place for Every Family, to send out the message that hate cannot permeate this diverse, yet united, community, Temple Beth El Rabbi Kvod Wieder said. We want to be clear and more vocal about the world we want to be in, he said. Police are investigating the incident as vandalism, said Orange County Sheriffs Lt. Mark Stichter. He said there is no known victim at this time, and therefore, no hate crime investigation. If the swastikas had been painted on to a synagogue, for example, then it would lead to a hate crime investigation, Stichter said. Assistant City Manager Keith Rattay said an earlier incident was reported Dec. 5, after a swastika was drawn with a glitter pen on the ground near the parks restrooms. City workers washed it off, but the symbols reappeared in the kids play area Dec. 14, when Gerstner brought her children. We take these incidents seriously, Rattay said. This is a very popular park among our families and on any given day, 150 children play there. This should bother all of us. Last month, Rusty Kennedy, executive director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, said the number of hate incidents and hate crimes increased substantially in the days after the November election. As of Dec. 15, 33 hate incidents and six hate crimes were reported in the county in the 34 days prior, he said. On Dec. 10, a Korean Presbyterian church in Buena Park was vandalized with swastikas paired German writing. On Dec. 9, racial and homophobic graffiti was discovered spray-painted in red on two stone walls in a gated community in Coto de Caza. The graffiti denigrated African Americans and LGBT communities. Around Thanksgiving, a number of area mosques and affiliated schools received threatening letters stating that President-elect Donald Trump was going to cleanse America just as Hitler did to the Jews. Leaders of the Mission Viejo mosque will join Mondays event not just in solidarity with the Jewish community, but also because the Muslim community knows what it feels like to be targeted, said Mahboob Akhter, a board member at the mosque. We need to address the ignorance and fear that generates this kind of bigotry, he said. When we bring that fear level down and educate people, we will be a better community and a better country. Response to hateful incidents is critical in any community, said Jon Waterson, site pastor at Shepherd of the Hills. My immediate reaction was anger, he said. I thought we were past this, but were not and we need to be vigilant and let people know that this community is for everybody. Liz Burger, who attends the church, says these incidents have changed the way she is raising her children. It used to be that we told our children to be nice, be kind, she said. But now, its be kind and be brave. When you see injustice, when you see a bully, dont just watch. Do something. Stand with the person who is being bullied. As a Caucasian woman, Burger says, she feels privileged and aware that she is being treated differently than others such as those in the Muslim community. We need to do what we can do to use this privilege to lift up others, she said. When we see someone victimized, instead of raising walls or doubting them, we need to become curious and offer our support. Contact the writer: 714-796-7909 or dbharath@scng.com SANTA ANA A man who had his first conviction overturned on a legal technicality was again sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Friday for bludgeoned his sleeping wife to death in their Santa Ana home. Agustin Armaraz Espinoza was convicted of first-degree murder in 2013 for killing his wife of 37 years, Marisela Espinoza, by bludgeoning her in the head with a tripod shortly after an argument in which she had asked him to move out, prosecutors said. In 2015, an appellate court overturned his conviction when it found that Superior Court Judge John Conley erred when he modified a jury instruction on possession of stolen property to include murder. The court, however, noted Espinoza had admitted to the killing and there was substantial evidence in the case. The Orange County District Attorneys Office re-tried the case and a jury in December again convicted Espinoza of first-degree murder. Espinozas life spiraled out of control when he lost his job in 2008 and he began drinking, gambling and stealing from his family, according to court records. His wife had asked for a divorce after she discovered his secret cellphone with sexually explicit text messages from other women, the records said. Marisela Espinoza was sleeping on the floor in a spare bedroom when her husband attacked her. Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com WASHINGTON Russia carried out a comprehensive cybercampaign to upend the U.S. presidential election, an operation that was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and aspired to help elect Donald Trump by discrediting his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a report released Friday. The report depicts Russian interference as unprecedented in scale, saying that Moscows assault represented a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort beyond previous election-related espionage. The campaign was ordered by Putin himself and initially sought primarily to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electoral prospects. But as the campaign proceeded, Russia developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump and repeatedly sought to elevate him by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. The document represents an extraordinarily direct and detailed account of a long-standing U.S. adversarys multi-pronged intervention in a fundamental pillar of American democracy. Trump emerged from a briefing on the report by the nations top intelligence officials Friday seeming to acknowledge for the first time at least the possibility that Russia was behind election-related hacks. But he offered no indication that he was prepared to accept U.S. spy agencies conclusion that Moscow sought to help him win. Instead, Trump said in a statement issued just minutes after the high-level meeting ended that whatever hacking had occurred, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election. Trumps statement seemed designed to create the impression that this was the view of the intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan. But weighing whether Russias intervention altered the outcome of the 2016 race was beyond the scope of the review that the nations spy agencies completed this week. And Clapper testified in a Senate hearing Thursday that U.S. intelligence services have no way of gauging the impact . . . it had on the choices the electorate made. Trumps statement came after his first face-to-face encounter with the leaders of intelligence agencies whose work he has repeatedly disparaged. Others who took part in the meeting included FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency chief Adm. Mike Rogers. All four of the spy chiefs have endorsed a classified report that was briefed to Trump and circulated in Washington this week that concludes that Russia used a combination of aggressive hacking, propaganda and fake news to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Trumps meeting Friday with intelligence officials comes on the heels of a series of revelations about Russias role and motivations in last years campaign. The Washington Post reported in December that the CIA and other agencies had concluded that Russia sought not only to disrupt the election and sow doubt about the legitimacy of American democratic institutions but also to help Trump win. U.S. intelligence agencies based that determination on an array of interlocking intelligence pieces, including the identification of known actors with ties to Russian intelligence services who helped deliver troves of stolen Democratic email files to the WikiLeaks website. U.S. spy agencies also monitored communications in Moscow after the election that showed that senior officials in the Russian government, including those believed to have had knowledge of the hacking campaign, celebrated Trumps win and congratulated one another on the outcome. Trump has rejected intelligence agencies conclusions about Russia, saying it could just as easily have been China or some guy in New Jersey. Trump has seemed to court conflict with U.S. intelligence agencies on several fronts. During his campaign, he vowed to order the CIA to return to the use of waterboarding and other brutal interrogation measures. Since his surprise victory, Trump has skipped the majority of the daily intelligence briefings made available to him, saying that he has no need for sessions that he finds repetitive. SEOUL, South Korea Japan recalled its envoy to South Korea on Friday to protest a statue commemorating Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, in the latest sign that ties between the United States two key Asian allies were again deteriorating over the bitter historical issue. The Japanese government finds this situation extremely regrettable, Yoshihide Suga, chief Cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said during a news conference in Tokyo, referring to the placement of the statue outside the Japanese Consulate in Busan, South Koreas second-largest city, last week. A spokesman for Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yasuhisa Kawamura, said the ambassador, Yasumasa Nagamine, as well as the consul general in Busan, Yasuhiro Morimoto, had been recalled temporarily, declining to say when they would return. Japan also said it would suspend negotiations over a currency swap meant to help South Korea stabilize its currency, the won, in times of financial crisis. It also suspended high-level economic talks and said staff at the consulate in Busan would not attend events organized by the city government. South Korea showed no sign of acquiescing to Japans demand that it immediately remove the statue in Busan, a port city in the countrys southeast. We want to stress again that despite difficult issues facing us, both governments must strive to develop bilateral relations based on mutual trust, said Cho June-hyuck, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, who called Japans announcement regrettable. South Koreas Finance Ministry urged Tokyo to keep diplomatic disputes out of economic and financial relations. Washington has repeatedly appealed to South Korea and Japan to overcome the persistent, bitter legacies of Japans brutal colonial rule over Korea in the first half of the 20th century and to work more closely together to better address North Koreas advancing threat of nuclear weapons and Chinas expanding influence. But the issue of the comfort women, as the former sex slaves were euphemistically called in Japan and South Korea, remains seemingly intractable, despite a 2015 agreement between the countries that was meant to put the dispute behind them. Surviving former sex slaves and their advocates angered Japan in 2011 when they installed the first in a series of comfort-woman statues, in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. The bronze, life-size statue of a barefoot girl in traditional Korean dress sitting in a chair was placed so that diplomats would see it as they left the office. It is still there, with Korean activists guarding it around the clock to ensure that it is not removed. Since then, activists have put up dozens more such statues, in South Korea and abroad. But the one in Busan was only the second to be installed near a Japanese diplomatic mission. Kawamura said that statue violated the spirit of the deal the countries struck in December 2015 to resolve their dispute over the extent of Tokyos responsibility for what the women had to endure. In that agreement, which both sides called a final and irreversible resolution, Japan apologized and promised $8.3 million to care for the surviving women, in return for South Koreas promise not to press any future claims. South Korea also promised to discuss Japans complaint about the Seoul statue with activists and survivors. Each side, Japan and South Korea respectively, should implement the agreement with a sense of responsibility, Kawamura said, specifying that the deal should extend to the statue in Busan. South Korea also reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement, though it has proved to be one of the most unpopular decisions made by President Park Geun-hye, whose powers have been suspended since the National Assembly voted to impeach her last month over a corruption scandal. The agreement fell short of the survivors demand that Japan pay formal reparations and accept legal responsibility for what happened to them. On Dec. 28, the first anniversary of the agreement, civic groups in Busan installed the statue on a sidewalk near the Japanese Consulate, despite repeated protests from Tokyo and the consulate. The local government immediately removed it, saying it had been placed there without permission, but bowed to public pressure two days later and allowed it to be put back. A visit that week by Japans defense minister, Tomomi Inada, to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which commemorates a number of convicted war criminals along with Japans other war dead, had deepened resentments in South Korea. Shinsuke Sugiyama, Japans vice minister for foreign affairs, who is in Washington attending talks with his American and South Korean counterparts to discuss North Korea and other security issues, lodged an official complaint with his South Korean counterpart, Lim Sung-nam, over the Busan statue on Thursday. For his part, Lim strongly protested Inadas visit to the shrine, officials here said Friday. Japan last recalled its envoy to Seoul in 2012, after South Koreas president at the time, Lee Myung-bak, flew to a set of islets that both countries claim as their territory. The ambassador returned after 12 days. South Korea temporarily recalled its own ambassador to Tokyo in 2008, to protest new guidelines for Japanese textbooks that asserted Japans claim to those islets. The online ad for Green Light District a pot shop in a brick office building 5 miles from Disneyland was clear: Anyone 21 years and older was welcome to buy weed with only a valid ID. During a visit to the unlicensed Anaheim dispensary Tuesday, a worker behind tinted glass in the lobby did ask to see a doctors recommendation for medical marijuana. But when I told him I didnt have one, he said my drivers license verifying I was over 21 was fine so long as I still signed a form stating under penalty of perjury that I was a legitimate medical marijuana patient. I declined, reminding him I was not in fact a patient. So he declined to let me into the locked shop, where a steady stream of visitors was greeted by dance music and a distinct herbal smell. Green Light District in Anaheim. Mr Nice Guy in Downtown Los Angeles. Smoking Loud Society in Highland. Theyre among the dozens of pot shops throughout California advertising that, since voters legalized recreational marijuana under Proposition 64 two months ago, theyll now sell cannabis without the doctors recommendations that have been required under the states medical marijuana law for 20 years. Many of these shops are billing themselves as being compliant or friendly with Prop. 64, which made it legal as of Nov. 9 for Californians 21 and older to consume marijuana in private, carry an ounce of weed and grow six pot plants per home. However, Prop. 64 also makes it clear that businesses cant start selling recreational cannabis until the state establishes a licensing system, which is expected to take until Jan. 1, 2018. Of course, some dispensaries sold weed to just about anyone long before Prop. 64 passed. But the legalization law seems to have made these shady players even more brazen. A search on Weedmaps.com turned up many shops that now openly state theyll sell everything from infused gummy candies to concentrated waxes after verifying only the buyers age, not his or her medical status. I think that theyve gotten more emboldened, said James Wolak, captain of the Narcotics Bureau for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. People feel like now that its legal, anything goes. And thats just not the case. Despite a spike in reports of illegal sales since the legalization measure passed in November, Wolak acknowledged its been tough for law enforcement to encourage prosecutions against people who are quick to note the broad protections afforded to medical marijuana providers under California law. Thats angering above-board marijuana retailers and others in the industry who are paying taxes, licensing fees, security and more to legally sell medical marijuana while they wait for the state to permit legal recreational sales. Are we going through this licensing process as a charade? asked Aaron Herzberg, who hopes to one day expand the clientele at two licensed medical dispensaries owned by his company, Calcann Holdings, in Santa Ana. (The illegal retailers) are making a mockery of the entire effort the state is going through to try to legalize cannabis. Weve got to make it possible for licensed businesses to have a fighting chance or the whole things going to fail. RISKY BUSINESS Ever since Californians approved the first, largest and most relaxed medical marijuana program in the nation two decades ago, people looking to make money in the industry have grown accustomed to testing the waters. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, these entrepreneurs always face raids that can crush their business or land them in prison. But protections for collectives in Californias medical marijuana law mean cities are often stuck taking unlicensed pot retailers to civil court to shut them down if they can even tell whos actually running them. Often, by the time that process has played out, savvy owners have moved on, opening in a different location or under a new name so the city is forced to start all over again. Wolak said its a bit like playing a game of whack-a-mole, with new shops popping up every time authorities manage to shut one down. Dispensaries have always been operating in a legal gray area, so they are probably comfortable taking a risk, said David Pullman, a Bay Area criminal defense attorney who specializes in representing people accused of drug crimes. Stoners sure do love to push the envelope, though. Owners of Cannaclub 30 dispensary in Compton didnt respond to phone calls or emails to discuss their policy. But a handwritten sign on the shops door features pictures of dancing cannabis flowers and the news that only shoppers 18 to 20 years old need a valid doctors recommendation. Worker Justin Perez acknowledged that his shop, Elevated Dreams Collective in Santa Ana, is trying to tap into the new buzz from Prop. 64 that says anyone 21 and over is allowed to smoke. But he said the rules for shops are hard to explain. He initially said anyone 21 and over could come into the unlicensed 17th Street shop, but only if they were with someone who had a doctors recommendation. Moments later, he added that if a potential customer arrives without a referral, they send them to a doctor they work with who helps patients. When reminded that his shops Weedmaps ad stated at the time that a recommendation wasnt needed for anyone 21 and older, he said, Does it? Maybe Weedmaps changed that. Well have to look into that. A spokesman for Weedmaps confirmed that only dispensaries can update their pages. A woman who identified herself as a volunteer for Dankology 35 Cap in San Bernardino blamed confusion over her shops policy on a Weedmaps page that needed updates. Though the dispensarys online ad said, Dank is now Prop 64 friendly! 21+ just ID required, the volunteer insisted everyone needs a valid doctors recommendation to shop at the San Bernardino spot before quickly hanging up the phone. ENFORCEMENT IN LIMBO Legal operators, among others, wonder if police will go after the illegal sellers. While operating an unlicensed medical marijuana dispensary has been a civil issue, selling cannabis to people who dont have a doctors recommendations is a criminal act albeit a less risky one than it was two months ago. Prop. 64 reduced penalties for just about every marijuana-related crime, including downgrading selling cannabis without a license from a felony, which carried up to a four-year prison sentence, to a misdemeanor, with a possible maximum sentence of six months in jail, a $500 fine or both. Sgt. Daron Wyatt with the Anaheim Police Department said they sent undercover officers into a local shop on two recent occasions to see if workers would sell cannabis without a recommendation, but both times the shop passed the test. Since even medical marijuana dispensaries arent allowed in Anaheim, Wyatt said police are still working to shut that shop down, though he declined to name the store due to the ongoing investigation. Shops caught breaking the law could disqualify themselves from actually getting a permit when they do become available, Pullman pointed out. But theres also a paragraph in the legalization measure that ensures entrepreneurs in the recreational market cant be turned down for business licenses simply because they have even felony convictions for controlled substances. I doubt many law enforcement agencies would care to risk the bad PR and bust these dispensaries over what will soon be legal, Pullman predicted. Then again, consider a liquor store or bar selling alcohol without a permit. Wolak said they do plan to run operations where they send minors in to try to buy cannabis and catch bad players, the way they do at liquor stores and bars. But he said those compliance checks will likely pick up once shops are licensed and all regulations are in place. If the state hopes to get any sort of handle on the industry before recreational sales are rolled out next year, Herzberg said he thinks they need to be drawing a line in the sand now. Californias 20-year-old medical marijuana market is already so massive that Herzberg said the scenario isnt the same as what Colorado, Washington and other states that previously legalized recreational cannabis have faced. The problem is that we have a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprises here, he said. Sophisticated entrepreneurs own multiple shops throughout the state and grow their own supply in defiance of local bans, Herzberg said. Many, he added, even have a designated fall guy who will take the rap if authorities do crack down so that the business can still continue. Though cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the Obama Administration has said it would let states carry out their own legalization plans so long as they enforce regulations aimed at preventing sales to minors, money laundering and other criminal offenses. But that all could change after Jan. 20, when President-elect Donald Trump takes office and aims to bring Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions who has been a staunch marijuana opponent along with him. With the new Trump Administration coming in with Jeff Sessions, my feeling is that marijuana is going to be under greater scrutiny, Herzberg said. California is not in compliance and is absolutely at risk of being raided. The states new Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation is well aware that eliminating unlicensed retailers is one of biggest challenges it faces over the coming years, spokeswoman Veronica Harms. Once a licensing structure is in place, she said her agency will work with local authorities to enforce cannabis laws. But until then, Harms noted the state doesnt have jurisdiction over rogue shops, with that responsibility still squarely on local law enforcement. SHOPPERS BEWARE As for adults who buy weed from these unscrupulous shops, Pullman said they have very little to worry about. Buying marijuana was never illegal and possession of up to an ounce is now totally legal for those over 21, he said. But if customers who dont have doctors recommendations for marijuana sign forms like the one I was handed at Green Light District in Anaheim swearing that they do, Pullman said they could face prosecution for fraud and perjury. They would have to prove that you knew somehow that there was a legal connotation to what you were signing and most people can just play dumb about that, Pullman said. The words under penalty of perjury are a bit of a giveaway, he noted, giving more zealous prosecutors something to work with. Still, he said, I think it would be very difficult to prosecute and very unlikely that they would go after the buyer. For those who arent willing to take that gamble, the only ways to legally get cannabis in California now without a doctors recommendation are to either wait until their homegrown supply is ready or to be given an ounce (or less) from another adult. Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.comTwitter: @JournoBrooke LOS ANGELES San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer pledged to finish his four-year term as he campaigned for re-election last year, a decision that would deny Republicans a potentially attractive candidate for governor in 2018. Hes apparently rethinking that plan. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan said Friday that he discussed the race with the mayor last year and that his fellow Republican wants to run. Faulconers political adviser, Jason Roe, acknowledged that the mayor has privately discussed the 2018 contest but the idea that he is planning to run is not accurate. People have been encouraging him up and down the state to enter the contest, Roe said. Ive never heard him say, Im planning to run. Faulconers office did not respond to a request for comment. He has long been viewed as a potential candidate for the 2018 race, in which Democrats will be favored to hold the seat occupied by Gov. Jerry Brown. Its already attracted prominent Democratic candidates, including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Treasurer John Chiang, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin. Democrats hold every statewide office in California, control both chambers of the Legislature and count a voter registration edge of 3.7 million. With the state firmly in Democratic hands, Republicans have struggled in recent elections to field competitive candidates in high-profile races. In last years U.S. Senate contest, little-known Republicans failed to advance from the primary election, leaving only two Democrats on the November ballot in a race won by former state Attorney General Kamala Harris. Faulconer would come to the race with cross-over appeal: Hes a Republican in a city where Democrats heavily outnumber GOP voters. However, the mayor told The Associated Press in May that he was committed to serving a full, four-year term if re-elected. He easily won a second term. Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel said its widely known Faulconer is examining the race, though he has not spoken to him about it. He predicted Faulconer, as a GOP mayor in a Democratic city, would have statewide appeal. We know that mayor Faulconer is examining, checking and looking at this, Steel said. Hes really very methodical. Former Newport Beach mayor Dennis ONeil, who was elected to two terms on the City Council and served as the city attorney, died Friday. He was 78. ONeil, or Denny, as he was known, passed away after a lengthy battle with pulmonary fibrosis, his family said in a statement. He was an amazing man and he helped so many people in the community, said Molly Proul, ONeils daughter. ONeil served as assistant city attorney and city attorney for Newport Beach from 1969-79. From 1994 to 2002, he served on the council, representing the Corona del Mar area, and in 1999 was appointed mayor. For over 40 years, ONeil ran a law practice in Irvine, specializing in land-use law representing municipalities and public agencies in obtaining project permits and entitlement approvals. Former city manager Homer Bludau was hired during ONeils tenure as mayor. Bludau said he remembers ONeil being the chief negotiator on the council, helping to find common ground between Newport Coast residents and city leaders that led to the annexation of the land into Newport Beach. ONeil also worked to preserve rules limiting flights at John Wayne Airport at certain times of the day and helped bring the council together to hire Bludau after disagreements over the firing of the previous city manager. He was the kind of person that was rock solid, Bludau said. He was so smooth in terms of the way he handled issues and his leadership and being so open with everyone. That made him such an effective mayor and councilman. The two became best friends, getting together for lunch every three weeks after ONeil left the council, Bludau said. After leaving public service, ONeil continued to stay involved in Newport Beach issues. He opposed Measure X, a follow-up to the Greenlight initiative that forced a public vote on certain developments. It places an undue burden on the voters to try to understand complicated development proposals, he told the Register in a 2006 interview. That same year, he was named the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. He also served as the chairman of the Newport Beach Foundation, a nonprofit subsidiary of Newport Beach & Company, the citys tourism and marketing arm, as counsel for the Hoag Hospital board of directors and was appointed from 2003-08 to the board of the Orange County Public Law Library. This is a sad day for the countless people in Newport Beach and beyond who had the privilege of knowing Denny, said Mayor Kevin Muldoon. Denny brought wisdom and gentility to every role and relationship and we will miss him very much. On behalf of the City Council and staff, I extend our condolences to his wife, Thais, and their loved ones. Born on Jan. 27, 1938 in Oakland, ONeil attend the University of Southern California. After graduation and a trip to Tahiti, he enrolled at UC Hastings Law School, where his met his wife Thais. Upon passing the bar exam, he worked as a deputy city attorney in Los Angeles before accepting the assistant city attorney job in Newport Beach. He leaves behind his wife, daughter Proul, a granddaughter and a sister. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, 2046 Mar Vista Drive. Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@scng.com The head of the NYPD's 94th Precinct downplayed the severity of date rape in an interview and a Community Council meeting this week, while he was discussing an uptick in sex assaults in Greenpoint. During a conversation with DNAinfo, Captain Peter Rose, the head of the 94th Precinct, appeared to try to downplay the severity of the rise in sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults from 8 in 2015 to 13 in 2016. While admitting the rise did take place, Rose also said that "Some of them were Tinder, some of them were hookup sites, some of them were actually coworkers. It's not a trend that we're too worried about because out of 13 [sex attacks], only two were true stranger rapes," according to the site. Later, during a Community Council meeting on Wednesday night, Rose said that the reported assaults weren't "total abomination rapes where strangers are being dragged off the streets. If there's a true stranger rape, a random guy picks up a stranger off the street, those are the troubling ones. That person has, like, no moral standards." Rose also blamed women who stopped cooperating with investigators for the fact that arrests weren't made in 10 of the 13 rape cases. "One of the hardest things we face is getting victims to report their attack to police so we can put more rapists in prison. Comments like this are incredibly unhelpful," said Scott Berkowitz, the president of RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network). "20 years ago it was a common attitude, but these days most of the law enforcement folks I know know that rape is rape, and they take it a lot more seriously. It's really unfortunate to have someone come out and talk like this." Regarding Tinder and dating sites, Berkowitz pointed out that "rapists are often serial criminals, so someone who's preying on people they meet on Tinder, when they find they can get away with it that just emboldens them to commit more rapes and keep following the same pattern. So you really want the police to make it clear that they're not going to stand for that and they'll pursue people committing rape after rape." Berkowitz agreed that it was difficult to investigate rape, like most serious crimes are, but also said that "there are lots of law enforcement agencies doing it right and putting rapists in jail." The NYPD didn't answer a request for comment on Captain Rose's remarks, but Berkowtiz said that "if the department makes it clear that's not the way they approach this crime then one person's comment won't do a lot of damage" in terms of making women feel unsafe about reporting their rapes. "It's going to require a strong statement from NYPD leadership to make sure people see [Rose] wasn't speaking for the department." Berkowitz said the comments were "inconsistent" with how he's seen the NYPD treat sexual violence previously. "The NYPD in a lot of ways has been one of the better departments when it comes to sexual violence. They were one of the first to have specially trained detectives. New York was one of the first cities to eliminate its backlog of untested rape kits." Public Advocate Letitia James blasted Rose's comments in a press release, saying she was "extremely disturbed and concerned by comments suggesting that stranger rapes are 'the troubling ones.'" James also called on the NYPD to "ensure that all officers are properly trained on how to handle sex crimes and how to engage with victims." In a statement to the Village Voice, the mayor's office issued a statement saying, "The comments by the Captain do not represent the views of the Mayor, our administration, or of an NYPD that is deeply committed to fighting for survivors of sexual assault. Rape is rape, in New York City and everywhere else. The crime merits no moral qualification and does not involve shades of criminality or degrees of danger. In New York City, rape is aggressively investigated and prosecuted blind to the nature of the underlying relationship, and with an absolute focus on obtaining justice for the survivor and safety for our neighborhoods." This isn't the first instance of the 94th Precinct coming under fire for their attitude towards sexual assault. Last fall, the precinct was criticized for the way officers responded to a rash of rape claims by Greenpoint residents. "What I am getting from a lot of people, and it's a lot of females, is that the 94th Precinct doesn't do anything. Now, if this is the impression they are getting, maybe that's why people aren't reporting what's happening," one Greenpoint resident said at a public meeting about assaults on women in the neighborhood. BEIRUT At least 43 people were killed when a car bomb ripped through the center of a busy commercial district of a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border, damaging buildings and leaving rescue workers searching for survivors amid the wreckage, activists and rescue workers said. The explosion went off early Saturday afternoon outside a local court house and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi told The Associated Press from Azaz. It hit the busiest part of the town, Alnajdi said, referring to the administrative part of town. Azaz, only a couple of miles away from the Turkish border, is a hub for anti-government activists and opposition fighters, as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkey-backed opposition groups to the east. Islamic State militants have been pushed back farther east by the Turkey-backed fighters. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamic State group has been accused of carrying out attacks there before. Footage of the aftermath of the explosion showed a gutted area. Activists shared photos of bodies lying on the sidewalks and in the middle of the street as large clouds of black smoke lingered overhead. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said those killed included six opposition fighters. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explains the large blast and high death toll. The activist-operated local Azaz Media center put the death toll at 60, adding that search and rescue operations continued for hours after the explosion. The Observatory said the explosion took place near the local courthouse operated by rebel groups. Alnajdi said rescue workers were still working to identify those killed and ensure bodies were removed from the area, suggesting that the death toll was not final. He said some of the severely wounded were transported across the border into the Turkish town of Kilis for treatment. The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said 53 wounded Syrians were brought to Kilis local hospital for treatment, including five in critical condition, transferred to Gaziantep. The agency said one later died. Alnajdi said some witnesses saw the vehicle which he described as a tankerc drive into the towns center. The court house and the security headquarters were damaged, as well as the Red Crescent and municipality offices, according to activists in the area. Media activist Baha al-Halabi, based in Aleppo province and who gathered information from people in Azaz, said witnesses reported many unidentified bodies because of the strength of the explosion. Footage shared online showed a large plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic street and the sound of gunfire in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. In one instance, a father ran away from the scene, carrying his child to safety. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year have resettled in Azaz. Syrian Kurdish forces control territory to the west of Azaz, and have often tried advancing toward the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back Islamic State extremists, gaining territory and advancing on the IS-stronghold town of al-Bab, further east. Turkey considers Syria Kurdish factions there terrorists, linked to a local group it is battling at home. A nationwide cease-fire has gone into effect across most of Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides of the conflict, reached an agreement late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Assads government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. The Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked group Fatah al-Sham Front are not included in the deal, according to the Syrian government. Zeynep Bilginsoy contributed to this report from Istanbul. MOSCOW Russia has ordered its only aircraft carrier to return home, part of a general drawdown of forces involved in the Syria conflict, a senior general announced Friday. The carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, was sent to the eastern Mediterranean in the fall to mount airstrikes and other missions in support of forces loyal to President Bashar Assad of Syria. But the voyage became more of a show of force than an extension of it. The trip was the first combat mission for the Soviet-era ship, and it apparently was used to work out some teething problems for Russian naval aviation, which has never been a primary focus of the countrys military. The black-smoke-spewing Admiral Kuznetsov has an air wing of just 15 planes, much smaller than Western fleet carriers, which have about 60, and it experienced problems on the voyage. Two of its 15 aircraft crashed while trying to land on the carrier. In both cases, the pilots ejected and survived. The remaining planes operated for a time from the Russian air base at Latakia, on land in western Syria, rather than from the carrier. The mission was only the eighth long-distance voyage the mechanically troubled ship has undertaken since it was commissioned in 1990. During a military exercise in the Mediterranean in 1996, its distillation equipment broke down, leaving the crew of 2,000 short of potable water; the U.S. Navy came to its aid. On Friday, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, ordered the Admiral Kuznetsov and several accompanying ships, including the missile cruiser Peter the Great, to return to their home port, Murmansk, in the Arctic, Russian news agencies reported. The general was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that the Kremlin was starting to downsize the grouping of armed forces in Syria at the direction of President Vladimir Putin. The drawdown order was the second since Russias military operation began in Syria in September 2015. The first came last spring and was followed by some well-publicized homecomings for Russian pilots, but it resulted in little change in the Russian militarys stance in Syria. Putin ordered the latest drawdown after a nationwide cease-fire in Syria took effect Dec. 30. The truce has not halted all fighting in the country, and it does not apply to actions against the Islamic State or other terrorist groups. The carriers return trip to Murmansk is expected to take about 10 days, the Russian military said. Southern California airports beefed up security Friday following a deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale, Floridas international airport an attack that renewed concerns about security weaknesses at airports nationwide. Rifle-toting officers, canine teams and motorcycle and undercover officers patrolled Los Angeles International Airport terminal areas Friday, and security staff monitored 2,500 surveillance cameras. But officials stressed they had no indications of an immediate threat at LAX. We have been in constant communication with our federal partners, Airport Police Chief David Maggard said during an afternoon news conference. Fort Lauderdale flights to and from LAX were delayed, and airliners en route to the Florida city during the shooting were diverted to nearby airports. Other Southern California airports also went on heightened alert. Fridays shooting, by an arriving passenger who authorities said retrieved a firearm from a bag hed checked on a trip that originated in Alaska, prompted security consultants across the country to urge security upgrades at the nations airports. Some warned that airports remain especially vulnerable between entrances to the properties and TSA checkpoints areas containing large public spaces that include ticketing counters and baggage claim areas. Others said tarmacs are too exposed and subject to weaker security and less monitoring than fronts of passenger terminals, which constantly undergo upgrades. Its almost like changing the locks on your front door four times and leaving the back door unlocked, said John Romanowich, a leading expert on airport security based in New Jersey. The tarmac is almost wide open at every airport. TSA rules allow passengers to check unloaded firearms kept in a locked box inside their baggage. Ammunition can be checked in a separate, locked box. In the aftermath of Fridays shooting, some expert suggested that rules for firearms need to be re-examined. Sergio Robleto, a Monterey Park security consultant, said rules should perhaps require passengers, except for law enforcement, to send their firearms ahead to their destinations a few days before they travel. Whats the point in carrying a weapon if youre just going to visit Grandma? Robleto said. Other consultants said the Second Amendment right to bear arms would not allow major increases to current TSA restrictions on firearms. Tom Conley, a security expert from Des Moines, Iowa, said there is a tremendous lack of security around property perimeters and terminal entrances at many airports. You cant have this lack of security and expect to mitigate things when they occur, Conley said. He said more police are needed at airports to monitor crowds and watch for suspicious travelers. But Conley and others agreed attacks on baggage claim areas and other so-called soft targets will always be difficult to prevent. Theres no efficient, effective way to screen peoples intentions and catch all hidden firearms and other weapons, they said. How do you police somebody who has bad intent and ammunition? said Romanowich, chief executive of Sightlogix consulting, which provides intruder-detection equipment to airports and other government facilities. But there are still things that can be done to decrease risks, experts say, including increased monitoring of crowds for visible and verbal clues that someone means harm. You have to keep your eyes open, Romanowich said. There were probably cues to the (shooters) behavior. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Chief Scott Edson called the Fort Lauderdale shooting unique because the suspect was following federal laws and proved that his gun was unloaded, but was able to load his gun in a bathroom. Such a scenario requires help from an observant public. Nowadays, you cant just throw up technology, Edson said. While attacks on soft targets cant be entirely prevented, security experts said, the losses can be minimized. Church staffs, supermarket employees and workers at other soft targets can train for the aftermath, including how to administer aid to the wounded and respond before help arrives. You dont have to walk around paranoid, but you do have to have a plan, Robleto said. There isnt enough law enforcement to cover every location. But law enforcement can play a role in training people. Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said any location deemed to be a potential target is given extra patrols. And events are thoroughly evaluated by city, police and fire officials to ensure our community members can have the safest time. Staff writer Brian Rokos contributed to this report. You can buy an Orange County timeshare this month without the torture of attending a high-pressure sales presentation. But you need to act quickly: The deadline to register and post a refundable $1,000 deposit is 5 p.m. Monday. Orange County is holding its first online tax auction Jan. 18-19, selling 382 timeshares to recover almost $1.2 million in unpaid back taxes, penalties and sales costs. All of the timeshares are in coastal resorts in four cities: Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente. Most of the units are in older, smaller properties, while about 30 are in the ritzy Marriotts Newport Coast Villas. Whether bidders end up finding a deal or a disappointment, however, boils down to how much research they do before the sale, brokers and county officials say. A myriad of details such as what time of year the timeshares are available, their annual tax and maintenance fees, unit size, and purchase terms and conditions arent disclosed by the county. Its a buyer-beware sale, said Shari Freidenrich, Orange Countys treasurer-tax collector, whose office is overseeing the auction. Theres nothing provided. You buy at your own risk. (Bidders) need to do their own due diligence. Bidders also may end up competing with investors and with the resorts themselves, which could profit by reselling the timeshares at a higher price. People who know what theyre doing will get a deal at that auction, said Mario Collura of TRI West Real Estate, a timeshare brokerage in Oceanside. But, he added, youve really got to understand what youre buying. A VACATION HOME A timeshare is a property thats essentially split among multiple owners, each getting the right to use the unit for a set time each year, usually a week. An estimated 8 million U.S. residents own timeshares, about half of them owning more than one, said Jeff Weir, chief correspondent for Redweek.com, a leading timeshare resale site. People invest in timeshares to get a homelike unit with a kitchen and bedrooms, but they must pay annual maintenance fees and taxes. If they buy right, the costs per night will be less than equivalent hotel rooms, and the savings eventually can be enough to pay off the purchase price after a decade or more, Collura said. Timeshare values are up recently, just as with the overall housing market, said Collura and Karen Phelan, founder of La Quinta-based Preferred Timeshare and former president of the Licensed Timeshare Resale Broker Association. But Redweeks Weir disagreed, saying the market has been flat because the pool of sellers has been increasing as owners either become too old to use their timeshares or die. Those who buy a timeshare directly from a developer pay a premium, often getting points equivalent to a free week in a timeshare. But sale prices typically fall by 50 percent to 75 percent or more on the resale market, brokers said. Typical timeshare resales in Orange County range from zero to $20,000. DEADBEAT PROPERTIES In some cases, values of older, out-of-fashion timeshares fall substantially or the units fail to find a buyer, causing some sellers to abandon their properties or to find a legal way to unload them for nothing. Counties hold tax sales each year, auctioning off real estate that has had property taxes due for at least five years. The proceeds of the sales cover the unpaid taxes, while the property owners have a year to claim any excess proceeds. More than 100 parcels went on sale during a county auction at the height of the recession in 2010. But the number of properties auctioned off in the latest tax sale, last May, dwindled to three as the housing market recovered and collection procedures improved. Orange Countys property tax collection rate hit a record 99.3 percent last year, up from 96 percent eight years earlier, county records show. That 3 percentage-point gain may seem small, but its equivalent to at least $165 million in added tax revenue. Until the past few years, the county treated timeshares as personal property, similar to a boat or plane, Freidenrich said. But the county gradually began treating them as real estate, which allows it to auction them to collect unpaid taxes. The county started out with 1,800 delinquent timeshares two years ago, but employees contacted all but 382 of the owners and got them to pay their overdue taxes, she said. GOING ONCE, TWICE Increasingly, clicking keyboards are replacing the auctioneers patter. Rather than hearing, Going once, going twice, gone! bidders will see the auction clock wind down and a display showing the winning bid. While this is Orange Countys first online sale, neighboring jurisdictions such as Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Imperial counties have been doing them for years. The sales provide a more efficient way to increase the number of bidders without having to find an auditorium for an open outcry auction, said John McCarthy, executive director of Grant Street Group, the firm conducting the online sale. As of Friday, 200 people had registered for this months sale, Freidenrich said. While the majority are from California, those who registered are from at least 14 other states, from Arizona to New York, with one Canadian and one Brazilian also signing up, according to Grant Street. Interested bidders can find a link to the auction site at ocgov.com/gov/ttc/ or by Googling octaxauction. The 382 timeshares will be sold in 39 batches, McCarthy said, with bidding on all units starting at 9 a.m. Jan. 18. Bidding on the first batch will close at 9 a.m. Jan. 19, with subsequent batches closing every 10 minutes until 3:20 p.m. Buyers can bid on one property or multiple properties. If they lose, they can bid on later sales. Once the bidding stops, all sales are final. Minimum bids ranging from $800 to $11,300 and averaging $3,100 are based on the unpaid taxes, penalties and sales costs, not on the value of the timeshares, Freidenrich said. OUT OF TOUCH? The two units with $11,300 minimum bids are at the San Clemente Inn, where timeshares typically sell for a fraction of that amount, said Vicci Mac, sales and rental manager at Tri West. The $11,000 sales price is so out of touch, Mac said. They wont sell at $11,000. They wont sell at $1,000. Units that dont sell can be offered at a lower amount at later sales, Freidenrich said. Marriotts Newport Coast Villas is Orange Countys premier timeshare site, brokers said, and the 30 units on sale there likely will draw the most bidding. Minimum bids there range from $1,000 to $5,500 and average $3,600. When originally sold, those timeshares fetched $29,700 to $33,250 per week, with the premium units, available the week of July 4, selling for $40,300, Phelan said. Timeshares there now sell for $9,000 to $10,500, with July 4 units fetching up to $20,000 apiece. We cant keep enough Marriott Newport Coast in our inventory. That flies out the door, Phelan said. Nonetheless, the sale can be risky. Theres no escrow, Freidenrich said. The properties may not have title insurance. Theres no estoppel letter, which spells out an owners right to sell. Collura said he met one investor who bought eight Big Bear timeshares at a county auction without fully understanding what he was getting. His goal was to resell them at a profit, but there were some issues where he really couldnt sell them. The caveat is write down what youre going to bid on and bid on what you know about, Collura said. Dont get caught up in the excitement of the bidding. Contact the writer: 714-796-7734 or jcollins@ocregister.com Wagner Figueiredo de Lima and his horse, Sereno, were best friends, until the Brazilian man's sudden death in a traffic accident in 2017. Knowing that the horse meant a world to him, Lima's brother Wando decided to take Sereno to his owner's funeral. It was as if the horse knew what was happening and wanted to say goodbye, Wando explained. [Sereno] began to walk around the coffin, smelling it. Then he neighed, said funeral attendee Kyioshi Abreu. The horse then stopped and placed his head against the coffin, bidding his owner a final farewell. Many folks ushered in 2017 watching the ball drop in Times Square or fireworks exploding with great fanfare. For Japanese people, the new year is more like a long-term event rather than a holiday, with preparations getting underway near the end of December and lasting into January. Most companies give their employees the last few days off of the year, and people clean their entire house, said Reiko Take-Loukota, instructor of Japanese at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This custom, known as ousouji, means that Japanese people get out brooms, mops and buckets and clean their houses, workplaces and even schools so that they can start the year with a clean slate. In the days when homes were constructed of wood and paper (washi), people took off all the paper and replaced it, Take-Loukota said. Everyone cleans their houses really well so that a good spirit can come in for the New Year, said Yumeka Matsushita, a Japanese student attending UNO. I already cleaned my dorm room the other day. Rikuyu Niwata, also a Japanese student at UNO, said he planned on cleaning his apartment, too. Once the dwelling is cleaned, people put up decorations inside and out. For instance, a pine and bamboo decoration called a kadomatsu is placed at the front door or gate. Pine is used because its always green, representing longevity; bamboo represents hardiness and prosperity. A kadomatsu is left up until Jan. 7. A decoration made with a twisted rope (shimenawa), paper streamers and a tangerine is hung up, usually over the door, to bring good luck. Kagami mochi, which contains round mochi balls, or rice cakes a smaller one placed on top of a larger one, a tangerine, and a leaf are placed around the house until Jan. 11. These are supposed to bring a good harvest and the blessing of ancestors. Another New Years custom for the Japanese is cooking and eating certain symbolic foods, such as long soba noodles, mochi rice cakes and an osechi ryori assortment. Consumed at midnight on Dec. 31 and made from buckwheat, the passing the year noodles, or toshikoshi soba, symbolize long life. Housewives used to spend a lot of time making osechi ryori, but that tradition is becoming less common. People are losing their traditions, Take-Loukota said. My parents always placed an order at a restaurant for it. Even though she has lived in the U.S. for several decades, Take-Loukota makes osechi ryori every year and shares it with her Japanese students who might be missing home. Making these preparations helps Take-Loukota keep her countrys tradition alive for her daughter, she said. Another New Years tradition thats popular, especially with younger Japanese people, is otoshidama, which is the practice of getting money in a special decorated envelope. How much one receives depends on several factors. Matsushita said she used to receive $600 or $700. It depends on how many relatives you have ... Family members get together on New Years Day, and adults drink alcohol while children get money from parents and relatives, Matsushita said. I used to do kakizome, too. Its New Years resolutions. Because Yukari Moravec of Omaha and her two brothers were the only younger children in her extended family, she said that during her best year she received the equivalent of $1,000. Half that money she put in the bank, the other half she used for shopping. Its not normal, though, she said. I think $300 and $700 is more typical. Those newly flush with money in Japan go shopping on New Years to take advantage of the widespread sales. Some department stores sell mystery items, and customers will stand in long lines to get them. They might spend $1,000 for something, Take-Loukota said. They dont actually know what they are getting. Because most Japanese people follow both Buddhist and Shinto rituals, both religions have a role in New Years celebrations. For example, before midnight on New Years Eve, across the country Buddhist temple bells toll 108 times. This represents the destruction of the 108 worldly desires, and its beneficial for people to listen to the bells and be purified by the ringing. Matsushita said the shrine that she and her family visited last year was crowded. We had to stand in line for a couple of hours. Platinum and palladium had a searing start to 2017, each gaining over $70 per ounce in the first four days. The two metals are tied closely to the auto market, as they are predominantly used in catalytic converters to reduce pollution from trucks and cars. This week, news broke that U.S. auto sales revved higher again in 2016, climbing for a record seven straight years. Americans flocked toward new vehicles as gasoline prices stayed low again last year, often selecting larger SUVs and trucks over more fuel-efficient models. This sign of demand helped boost platinum prices to a two-month high at $980 per ounce, while palladium has rocketed near an 18-month high at $750 per ounce. Wheat rises but beans fall Reports of trouble on the Great Plains served as a leavening agent for wheat prices this week, sending the market to new monthly highs. Oklahoma and Kansas are both major wheat-producing states and their hard red winter wheat crop is suffering from too-dry conditions, which make the crop especially susceptible to the cold temperatures that hammered the states recently. This may result in a lower-quality crop this spring when winter wheat emerges from dormancy across the Midwest. Hard red winter wheat, traded in Kansas City, fell to a 10-year low in 2016, which makes it the dark-horse favorite among commodity traders for a big move in 2017 if weather conditions worsen. Meanwhile, soybean prices have been tumbling. Soybeans were one of the few agricultural commodities to climb in 2016, which has encouraged many Midwestern farmers to increase soybean acreage this upcoming spring. While prices near $10 per bushel are still profitable for most producers, there is concern that prices could fall further if even more acres are committed to soy. One prominent analyst is expecting prices to drop below $7, a ruinous price if his prognosis comes true. Walt and Alex Breitinger are commodity futures brokers in Silver Lake, Kansas. They can be reached at 800-411-3888 or paragoninvestments.com. Iowa-based Hy-Vee is one of seven retailers chosen to test a new program that would allow Americans who receive food stamps to use those benefits to buy groceries online. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the goal is to expand access to healthy foods for people who receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday. The two-year pilot program, starting this summer, will develop a way for Americans to use Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to buy food online without technical problems, fraud or security breaches. The cards now can be used only at the point of purchase and require a personal identification number. Food stamp recipients would not be able to use the benefits to pay for service or delivery charges. The benefits can be used only for the same grocery items that recipients already are allowed to buy. Food stamps can be used for most food and beverages, but not alcohol or hot, prepared foods. Online shopping is an increasingly popular way for Americans to buy groceries, but food stamp users so far have largely been excluded from shopping online with their benefits because of technical limitations and concerns about security and fraud. USDA said it has authorized online ordering for food stamp users in a few locations, but this pilot will test both online ordering and payment. The agencys goal is to eventually roll out access to online shopping nationally. A Hy-Vee spokeswoman said the company is pleased to be selected to participate. The first step is to determine what infrastructure and system enhancements are required to meet the USDAs requirements and timeline, she said. The test program would run only in Iowa, not other states where Hy-Vee operates stores. Hy-Vee did not respond to questions about the details of how a SNAP recipient would place an order, whether the store will charge a delivery fee, what Hy-Vee hopes to learn from the test and the challenges that have prevented supermarkets from allowing EBT transactions online in the past. Hy-Vee has expanded its Aisles Online ordering and delivery service in the past few years, as some of its competitors rolled out similar programs. The opportunity to market to food stamp users could be lucrative for these retailers and could extend their reach into food deserts without requiring them to build new stores. The government authorized $67 billion in benefits in the 2016 fiscal year ending in September, down from a high of $76 billion in 2013. More than 43 million people receive benefits, including 381,000 Iowans on average each month in the fiscal year ending in September 2016. Slightly more than half of all SNAP dollars are spent at superstores like Walmart, which is not part of the pilot program. Supermarkets like Hy-Vee take in another 30 percent, while convenience stores and neighborhood grocery stores see a smaller share of spending. SNAP users can, of course, use other sources of income to shop for groceries online; food stamps arent intended to be a users sole source of food dollars. And some stores may find ways to create exceptions. Safeway has already made its home delivery services available to people with disabilities who use food stamp benefits, but not to food stamp recipients universally. The other retailers participating in the test program with Hy-Vee represent different store types and settings. They include online giant Amazon, testing the program in New York, New Jersey and Maryland; national supermarket Safeway, testing it in Maryland, Oregon and Washington; delivery service FreshDirect, testing in New York; and other regional and local grocers testing the program in New York and other East Coast states. FreshDirect said it will waive delivery fees and tax for deliveries to ZIP codes in the Bronx, where it is testing the program. High-end retailer Neiman Marcus has backed out of an initial public offering. The Dallas chain initially filed in 2015 to go public but later said it would delay its plans until 2016. On Friday, Neiman Marcus said it has abandoned an IPO altogether after deciding that it is not in its best interests. Los Angeles-based investment firm Ares Management and the Canadian Pension Fund acquired Neiman Marcus from private equity firms TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus in 2013 for $6 billion. Proceeds from an IPO were intended to pay down nearly $5 billion in long-term debt. But like other luxury department stores, Neiman Marcus is facing heightened competition from online retailers. It has reported several quarters of declines in same-store sales. In its first fiscal quarter, which ended Oct. 29, Neiman Marcus reported a net loss of $23.5 million. Last year, Karen Katz, chief executive of Neiman Marcus, raised some eyebrows after partially blaming bloggers for the companys poor performance. Today, fashion shows are now blogged and broadcast all over the world via social media, Katz said in September. By the time the merchandise ships many months later, the newness and excitement has worn off and in many cases, the customer has moved on. Some industry watchers say the company suffered from its own missteps, including problems with its e-commerce site. We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today The sister of an Iowa man says he was among the five people killed in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport shooting. Elizabeth Oehme-Miller told The Associated Press by phone Saturday that her brother, 57-year-old Michael Oehme, was killed in Friday's attack and that her brother's wife, 52-year-old Kari Oehme, was shot in the shoulder and is expected to recover. Oehme-Miller says her brother and sister-in-law were in Fort Lauderdale getting ready for a Caribbean cruise that was supposed to start Saturday. She says they were frequent travelers who loved cruises and were happy to be headed on another one. Oehme-Miller says another family member is flying to Fort Lauderdale to be with her sister-in-law and help her return home to Council Bluffs. A 40-year-old man who had been injured by another person died early Saturday after authorities were called to a parking lot outside a northwest Omaha gas station, police said. The cause of Seth Hansens death, however, was not clear. Witnesses near the station, a Speedee Mart just north of 138th Street and West Maple Road, believed that Hansen had been shot, and police were dispatched for a shots fired call. But about two hours after the victim was found, police Lt. Melissa Gillick said that were not finding anything to suggest that Hansen suffered a gunshot wound. The killing was, she said, a puzzle. We dont know how or under what circumstances Hansen was slain, Gillick said. Asked Saturday evening whether the nature of Hansens injury had become clear, the homicide unit declined to answer and said its investigation was ongoing. Hansens death is the first homicide in Omaha in 2017. Hansen was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died. Police were called about 12:30 a.m. to the gas station at 13804 Manderson Circle. It had closed at midnight. Police sought information on a white 2001 to 2003 Ford F-150 Super Crew pickup truck that drove away from the station on West Maple Road that they said was possibly involved in the killing. Witnesses reported yelling before the victim was found but said they did not see who was yelling, Gillick said. Police were to review video from the store and called a manager to the station early Saturday to help them view it. Anyone with information on the killing should call the homicide unit at 402-444-5656, police said. To offer information anonymously, contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-7867 or omahacrimestoppers.org. A tip leading to an arrest in a homicide case could receive a reward of $25,000. Guest preacher: St. Paul United Methodist Church, 5410 Corby St., will host the Rev. Karen Jeffcoat as guest preacher for worship at 5 p.m. Saturday and again at 9:15 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Jeffcoat, who serves as the registrar for the Board of Ordained Ministry of the Great Plains Conference, will speak on the topic of radical hospitality in the mission of the United Methodist Church. Taize service: First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St, will hold a taize worship service at 5 p.m. Saturday in the churchs Mead Chapel. The service is open to the public. The service, about 40 minutes long, includes a period of silence, the use of candles and the meditative weaving together of readings, prayer and music. Open forum: First Central Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, located at 36th and Harney Streets, will hold an open forum at 9:10 a.m. Sunday. This months forum which will be repeated on Jan. 15 and 22 will examine questions such as: Why did Jesus happen when he happened? Why the tiny confrontations in Jerusalem? The forums are free and open to the public. For more information, call 402-345-1533. Womens retreat: The St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska, will hold a retreat for women from 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 15. The schedule includes silence, Mass, confession, fellowship, brief conferences and spiritual direction. Teresa Monaghen, the Rev. Thomas Leitner and a team of consecrated and lay women will present various aspects of discernment and share life stories; there also will be opportunities for personal input and reflection. For more information, call 402-352-8819 or go online to christthekingpriory.com. Celebration: St. Cecilia Cathedral, 701 N. 40th St., will celebrate Santo Nino de Cebu the infant Jesus of Cebu Sunday. Mass will be held at 11:30 a.m. with a banquet following at 1 p.m. The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, will open The Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists on Jan. 14. Developed by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the 2,500-square-foot exhibit consists of 13 interactive components that increase participants understanding of physical science, including gravity and light, the tools and techniques of astronomers, and the nature of theory and evidence in science. Visitors will be able to take an immersive interactive journey to the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, explore gravity and the effects of unseen forces, and collect and weigh evidence for black holes. The exhibit will remain open until June 4. It is available as part of general admission. General admission applies to non-museum members: Adults are $12; members of the military and seniors are $11; children ages 4-12 are $6; and children ages 3 and younger are free. For more information, go online to sacmuseum.org. Nature program for kids to examine snow Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek, Iowa, will focus on Snow Science as part of its ongoing KinderNature programming on Jan. 14 from 10 to 11 a.m. Learn about the science of snowflakes at this program designed for children ages 3 to 5 years accompanied by an adult. The program will last an hour and will be held, weather permitting. Cost is $5 per child. No pre-registration is required. For more information, call 712-545-3283. Free program for caregivers of dementia patients Registration is underway for a free educational series that will help caregivers understand how to provide the best possible care for their loved ones with dementia. Learning to Live with Dementia focuses on the various types of dementia and how to manage symptoms. The workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 25 and March 25 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 330 W. Halleck in Papillion. Participants are asked to attend both sessions. The four components of the program are: Dementia basics Focuses on four types of dementia.Mystery and reality of living with different dementias Covers the symptoms, behaviors and preserved skills of the four types of dementia. Person-centered care Discusses the importance of short-term and long-term individual planning for both the caregiver and the care receiver.Compassionate care Outlines resources available for support and talks about the Compassionate Journey. To register, call Nancy Flaherty at 402-312-9324 or email her at flahertyconsulting@cox.net. Go online to flahertyconsulting.net for more information. Planning for the future of the cranes, Platte River The public is invited to meet Wachiska Audubon and Rowe Sanctuary staff at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 to learn about a 50-year vision and plan for the Platte River and Audubons Rowe Sanctuary. Audubons Rowe Sanctuary was established in 1975 and is now a destination for people from around the world to witness the annual crane migration along the Platte River in Nebraska. This free public presentation will take place at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A St. in Lincoln. Generational transitions focus of meetings for farm families Several Nebraska ranchers and farmers will share their experiences with generational transitions transferring a family ranching or farming operation to the next generation or to a new family at three meetings across Nebraska. Pamela Olson, an estate planner, plans to share some advice with the group at each location. The meetings also will have a question and answer session. The meetings will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the following dates: Monday, January 9, 2017 at the Panhandle Research Extension Center in Scottsbluff; Jan. 23 at the West Central Research Extension Center in North Platte; and Jan. 30 at the Peppermill Restaurant in Valentine. The registration fee is $15 and includes lunch. Walk-ins are welcome, but registrations are requested one week in advance for meal counts. Register by contacting Shelly Kelly at shelly@sandhillstaskforce.org or call 308-214-0065. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding six, authorities said. The Broward Sheriff's Office had originally reported eight wounded, but clarified the number during a press conference on Saturday morning. Among his victims were a couple from Council Bluffs, according to a neighbor. Kari Oehme and Michael Oehme were on their way to a cruise vacation, neighbor Vickie Dennis said. The two are in their mid-50s. Dennis said she talked with the Oehmes daughter Friday afternoon. Dennis said Andrea Oehme told her that shed spoken with her mother, who was shot at the airport. Its just so shocking, Dennis said. Elizabeth Oehme-Miller told The Associated Press by phone Saturday that her brother, Michael, was killed in Friday's attack and that her brother's wife, Kari, was shot in the shoulder and is expected to recover. Mark Lea of Elk River, Minnesota, said he helped a woman from Council Bluffs named Kari after the shooting. Her husband was killed, Lea said. The FBI said Friday night that it was still in the process of informing families of the victims and was not releasing identifications. CommScope, a telecommunications company, confirmed Saturday that Kari Oehme is employed with the company in their northeast Omaha facility. The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. Federal prosecutors filed charges Saturday against Santiago that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted. A criminal complaint by the Miami U.S. attorney's office accuses him of an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. The punishment is execution or any prison sentence up to life. Prosecutors also charged Santiago with two firearms offenses. FBI Special Agent George Piro said Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. He said Santiago clearly indicated that he was not intent on hurting anyone. Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. Piro said authorities are looking at leads in several states and have not ruled out terrorism. Were looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle, he said. One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Lea said he and his wife were in the baggage claim area when the shooting began. All of a sudden we kind of heard three quick cracks, he said. He thought they were firecrackers, then he realized a shooting was in progress. Lea got his wife out of the building and then went back to see if he could help. He started checking on people and came upon a woman. By the time he got to her, the suspect was already in custody. She was the second lady I came to she was basically shot in the right shoulder through and through, bleeding profusely, Lea said. Lea said he tried to keep the woman from going into shock. He asked her name and where she was from. She told him her name was Kari and said she was from Council Bluffs and worked in Omaha. She and her husband were going on vacation, he said. They were supposed to leave on a cruise that day. Dennis said the couple took yearly cruises and always left from Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Lea said he tried to keep the woman calm. She pointed out her husband nearby, Lea said. She was in a lot of pain, Lea said. He remained by her side for about 10 minutes, he said, until paramedics got to her. The womans husband was not moving, Lea said, and was eventually covered with a sheet. Michael Oehme was a surveyor and owned his own business, Dennis said. Lea said the gunman said nothing as he went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding. The killer had a handgun and went through about three magazines of ammunition, Lea said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put into a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, with a connection in Minneapolis. He checked only one piece of luggage his gun said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We dont know why, said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said it is a disgraceful situation thats happening in our country and throughout the world and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. Santiagos brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiagos girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said he didnt know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, said Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. Santiagos aunt, Maria Ruiz, who lives in Union City, New Jersey, told reporters for NorthJersey.com that he had served two years in Iraq and came back acting strangely. But she said he was happy about the birth of his child last year. I dont know why this happened, she said during an interview at her home Friday afternoon. As she spoke to reporters, FBI agents arrived at her home. Staff writers Andrew J. Nelson, Emerson Clarridge and Erin Duffy, the Associated Press and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel contributed to this report. Correction: A previous version of this story attributed news of Michael Oehme's death to neighbor Vickie Dennis. Recommendations for enhanced transit services in Sarpy County will be presented to the public in two meetings next week. The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency will present the recommendations after a yearlong study and previous public input. Sarpy County has the fastest-growing population in the State of Nebraska, a press release from MAPA said. Enhanced transit services are being studied as a way to deal with congestion and increase mobility of residents and access to jobs. The first meeting is Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the La Vista Public Library, 9110 Giles Road. The second is Wednesday from 7 to 9 a.m. in Gretna at The Beanery, 11849 S. 216th St. Those who cannot attend the meetings can still submit written comments by email at mapa@mapacog.org or by mail to Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, 2222 Cuming St., Omaha, NE 68102. FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida A gunman opened fire in the baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday, killing five people and wounding eight before being taken into custody in an attack that sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, authorities said. Authorities gave no details on a possible motive for the shooting. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." Then the attacker threw down his weapon and lay spread-eagle on the ground until he was taken into custody, Lea said. The University of Nebraska at Omaha's swimming and diving team was at the airport when the shooting occurred, but UNO officials said all are safe. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner, was briefed on the airport shooting by Broward Sheriff's office. He told The Associated Press that the shooter had arrived in Fort Lauderdale aboard a Canadian flight with a gun in a checked bag. "After he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," LaMarca said. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida identified the gunman as Esteban Santiago and said that he was carrying a military ID, but that it was unclear whether it was his. "We don't know a motive at this point," Nelson said. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism. We can't conclude that." President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. The attack took place at Terminal 2, which serves Delta Air Lines and Air Canada. Lea said the gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding." The killer had a handgun and went through about three magazines of ammunition, Lea said. Sheriff Scott Israel said five people were killed and eight were wounded. Their condition was not disclosed. He said the gunman was arrested unharmed, with no law enforcement officers firing any shots, and was being questioned by the FBI. The airport suspended operations as law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene and emergency medical workers treated at least one bleeding victim on the tarmac. People spilled onto the tarmac, some carrying luggage, and some ran from both Terminals 1 and 2, hiding behind cars or anything else they could find to shield themselves. Video posted on Instagram appeared to show several people wounded in the baggage claim area of the terminal. One person appeared to be lying in a pool of blood with a head wound. Paramedics could also be seen treating a bleeding victim outside the airport. Hundreds of people stood on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by. Flights already in the air and headed for the airport were delayed or diverted, and those that had yet to take off for Fort Lauderdale were held on the ground. John Schilcher told Fox News said he came up to the baggage claim and heard the first gunshot as he picked up his bag off a carousel. "The person next to me fell to the ground and then I started hearing other pops. And as this happened, other people started falling and you could hear it and smell it, and people on either side of me were going down and I just dropped to the ground," said Schilcher, who was there with his wife and mother-in-law. "The firing just went on and on," he said. He said the gunman emptied his weapon and reloaded, and "it was eerily quiet." "I was down on the floor, when we finally looked up there was a policeman standing over me," Schilcher said. "That's when I assumed it was safe." World-Herald staff writer Alia Conley contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America's presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies declared Friday in the government's first formal allegation in support of sensational claims that Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted. The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more-detailed classified account given earlier to Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld any evidence to back up its assertions. The president-elect said after his own meeting with the nation's top intelligence officials that it was clear Russian email hacking did not deliver him the presidency. The unclassified version was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the U.S. political process, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid "trolls" to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines. The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Putin to the hackings, called it the "boldest effort yet" to influence a U.S. election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks something the website's founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied. The intelligence agencies also said Russia will continue to try to influence future events in the U.S. and worldwide, particularly among U.S. allies. Since Election Day, the intelligence agencies said, Russia has launched a spear-phishing campaign, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy. The report lacked details about how the U.S. learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret, since revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it "does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign." It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. It said the Russian effort was the "boldest yet" intended to affect a U.S. election. The report was released shortly after intelligence officials finished briefing Trump a move probably intended to bolster the intelligence findings against pushback from the president-elect. Trump could use the lack of supporting details in the public version to fuel his dismissiveness of the findings, even though he has now been briefed on the classified portion. Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies' claims of Russia's involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information Friday. Just hours before he was briefed, Trump dismissed the assessment and told The New York Times the focus on Russia's involvement is a "political witch hunt" by adversaries who are embarrassed they lost the election. "They got beaten very badly in the election," Trump said. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election." Clapper told Congress on Thursday that intelligence agencies had no way of gauging what influence this meddling had in the outcome of the election. It was unclear Friday what evidence Trump had to support his claims. As Trump met in New York with intelligence officials for his briefing about Russia's campaign, Congress tallied the Electoral College votes, officially confirming Trump's November victory. Trump acknowledged in his statement that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people" are consistently trying to hack U.S. networks, including the Democratic National Committee's. He said, as did the intelligence report, that "there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines." Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a plan to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks." Pravasi Bharathiya Divas gives much for NRIs to look up to Bengaluru oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Bengaluru, Jan 7: With over 7,100 delegates and more registrations, the first day of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was a hit with Non Resident Indians. With representation from over 72 countries, the largest contingents were from USA, Malaysia and Qatar. Concerns of NRIs including demonetisation, voting during Indian elections and ease of business in India found space in the debates and addresses on the first day. The inaugural session of the Pravasi Bharathiya Divas being hosted in Bengaluru was filled with praises for achievements by NRIs across the globe. Youth being the focus of the first day's events, Union Ministers Vijay Goel and Gen V K Singh and Prakash Javdekar applauded NRIs for their work while entrusting them with the responsibility of taking India's legacy forward in the world stage. "Be it the Silicon Valley or Everest's pinnacle, our youth have contributed to strengthening India. Over 30 men and women of Indian origin have made it to the Forbes list of 'Super Achievers'. I urge the dispora to carry forward the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and make India a world leader," Vijay Goel said. He invited NRIs to invest in social causes in India and assured that his ministry would ensure a hasslefree clearance. One of the highlights of the event was Dnyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, External Affairs Ministry stating that the election commission is working out a mechanism to allow voting facilities to Indians living abroad. "The issue of allowing NRI voting during Indian elections and simplifying the same is on. Means of Internet voting are being worked out. The election commission has made some suggestions in this regard to the government," he said. Minister of State Gen V K Singh highlighted 4 Ts, Talent, technology, Training and teamwork that need to be optimised by the youth as part of the inaugural session. The BJP ministers didn't miss the opportunity to hail Narendra Modi's demonetisation move that was already being looked at as a masterstroke by many NRIs. They also took the opportunity to urge the Indian youth across the world to take India's history and culture to the rest of the world. Special guest for the inaugural event, Michael Ashwin Adhin, the vice president of Suriname invoked India's spiritual and cultural inheritance that gives it a unique status and urged for it to be a stronger and super power. Karnataka Ministers R V Deshpande and Priyank Kharge were part of the inaugural team. The event is being held biennially instead of the regular annual affair. Prime Minister Modi is expected to address the largest congregation of Non resident Indians on Sunday as he delivers the keynote. The event is an attempt to connect with 3.12 crore strong diaspora from across the globe in various fields of tourism, social work, entrepreneurship, education and technology. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 20:49 [IST] Shame doesn't die: More molestation cases reported in Bengaluru Bengaluru oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Bengaluru, Jan 7: The shame refuses to end as more cases of molestation are being reported in various parts of Bengaluru. The Banaswadi police registered a case under section 354A after a woman alleged that she was harassed and molested by a gang while returning from a gym. The incident is said to have taken place earlier this week. In her complaint, the woman alleged that her clothes were pulled by the perpetrators who were seated on a bike near her gym. Commissioner of police Praveen Sood visited the Banaswadi police station on Saturday to take stock of the situation. This takes the total number of molestation cases to six since January 1. Yet another instance of alleged molestation was also reported from the KG Halli police station limits on Friday. Also read: Bengaluru mass molestation: Outraged? No, not any more, just numb A CCTV camera had captured the victim as well as the alleged perpetrator. CCTV footage recovered from a private property showed the man following the victim while she was on her way to the bus stop early on Friday morning. The victim in her complaint alleged that she was groped by the perpetrator who followed her. He is said to have assaulted her and fled from the spot after she raised an alarm. The police registered a case after the victim's complaint but her constantly changing statements have come as a challenge to the investigating authorities. These incidents have come to light after the mass molestation allegations during New Year's eve and another case that was caught on camera at Kammanahalli locality. The city police have arrested 5 of the 6 accused in the Kammanahalli molestation case on Thursday. Such incidents have once again raised questions of women safety in Bengaluru. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 18:22 [IST] That's embarrassing: BJP leaders at loggerheads on Twitter Bengaluru oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Bengaluru, Jan 7: Pratap Simha, a BJP MP from Karnataka put the party in a spot after taking to social media to pull up Union Minister Vijay Goel's office. The MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency aired his disappointment over not being informed of Vijay Goel's proposed visit to Kodagu. It didn't take too long for the tweet to embarrass the BJP with twitterati taking sides and mocking at the party leaders' public spat. Sir, @VijayGoelBJP r u coming2 Coorg tmrw? If so, atleast your office must have d courtesy2 inform d local MP. @AmitShah ji @narendramodi ji Pratap Simha (@mepratap) January 7, 2017 The tweet ultimately was noticed by Vijay Goel who replied on the same platform. The union minister conveyed to the BJP MP that his visit was yet to be finalised and the same would be conveyed to him after confirmation. Dear Pratap, the programme hasn't been finalised, once it's done we will surely meet. https://t.co/iTxLXzeGAW Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) January 7, 2017 The exchange of tweets took only minutes but the public forum that the BJP leaders chose to complain came under criticism. Another Karnataka BJP leader C T Ravi had earlier taken to social media to take a dig at Union Minister Smriti Irani over exclusion of Kannada for a mobile app that her ministry launched. The tweet slugfest had come under criticism earlier as well. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 23:29 [IST] 218 fishermen freed from Pak prison arrive in India India oi-PTI Attari (Amritsar) Jan 7: Pakistan government today repatriated 218 Indian fishermen through the border here, two days after their release from jails as a goodwill gesture. All the prisoners crossed over to India around 1.00 AM through the land transit route of Attari (Indian side) - Wagah (Pakistan side) border on the basis of 'Emergency Travel Certificates' issued by the Indian High Commission at Islamabad, a BSF spokesman said. Pakistan had announced their release on Thursday bringing the total number of Indian fishermen freed from Pakistani jails as "goodwill gesture" in the last 12 days to 439, despite the chill in bilateral ties. They were arrested a year ago when their boasts slipped into Pakistan through territorial waters in Arabian Sea. They were caught by the Pakistani coast guards on the charge of illegal fishing while violating its territorial waters. Immediately after the repatriation, the medical examination of all the prisoners was conducted by a team of doctors. The moment, fishermen crossed over to India, they humbly bowed down their forehead and kissed the motherland with passion. At that time many fishermen were seen with moist eyes. The fishermen were also worried about their future as they would not be able to join their profession once again as their boats were seized by the Pakistani coast guards. This is the second batch of Indian fishermen released from Pakistan jails since relations between the two countries became tense after the terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri in September last for which India has blamed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit. On December 25, the Pakistan government had freed 220 Indian fishermen who were in jail for more than a year as goodwill gesture after Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. Last March, the Pakistan government had released 87 Indian fishermen who had been languishing in jail in Karachi for the last two-and-half years. Pakistan and India frequently arrest each others' fishermen for violating the territorial boundary. Poor fishermen from both countries routinely find themselves arrested for illegal fishing as there is no clear demarcation of the boundaries between the two countries in the Arabian sea near Sir Creek, and lack of technology has made life difficult for the fishermen. On December 30, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency arrested 66 Indian fishermen for illegally fishing in Pakistan's territorial waters. Fishermen from both countries end up languishing in jails for years even after serving their sentences and their only hope of getting released is when the governments decide to take goodwill steps. PTI Bengaluru mass molestation: Outraged? No, not any more, just numb India oi-Maitreyee By Maitreyee Bengaluru, Jan 7: In India's tech hub Bengaluru, as politicians and police refuse to admit violation of women's dignity and rights over their bodies on a daily basis, CCTV cameras installed in random corners, secretly filmed the true nature of an upwardly mobile city. On the night of New Year's Eve, as we were drowning our demonetisation-induced sorrows in whiskey, several of our fellow Bengalurean women were running for cover from their assaulters in city's most vibrant space, Brigade Road. And, then there was also the case of one lone woman walking on a street close to her house in Kammanahalli, in the other side of the city, when two motorcycle-borne molesters attacked her. Perhaps on the same night, many more women faced similar situations (like the aforesaid episodes). Mayhap those incidents were not captured by cameras. Yes, in Bengaluru, like in any other corner of India, men dictate terms and women either silently follow the set rules or, if they dare to act courageous, turn martyrs. If you are a woman and dare to wear what you really want to wear and venture out on the streets in the dark nights to celebrate or even for work-related purpose, in all likelihood you will be attacked and mauled, not by animals, but by fellow men. And why limit ourselves to night-time? During the days, in buses, streets and homes, many a times a saree or burqa-clad woman (if at all one believes that ones attire decides ones safety) too silently suffer sexual assaults. Crimes against women, especially sexual assaults, are so common in India, that even journalists find it 'mundane' to report and write about them. However, once in a while episodes like the Nirbhaya case or the Bengaluru mass molestation become the rallying point of public anger against a problem that is so deeply entrenched in our society. After a few days of public protests and continuous media coverage, even such high-profile cases are relegated to the background. "Statistics related to rape and crime against women is just the tip of an iceberg," Shakun Mohini, women's rights activist from Vimochana, a city-based non-profit organisation, told OneIndia. "Our experience tells us that most of the cases go unreported or police refuse to file cases against them," Shakun added. As per the National Crime Records Bureau data released last year, nearly 3.27 lakh cases of crimes against women were reported across the country in 2015. Of these over 1.3 lakh were sexual offences. Over 34,600 cases of rape have been reported across the country in 2015, with Madhya Pradesh and Delhi topping the infamous list of states and union territories respectively. We have to wait for a few more months to know the statistics from 2016. If these numbers don't send a chill down the spine, what else will? OneIndia News Budget session of Parliament to begin from Jan 31 India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jan 7: The Budget session of Parliament was on Saturday convened to start from January 31, a day before the Union Budget is likely to be presented. President Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on January 31, an official notification said. A similar notification is also expected from the Lok Sabha secretariat. While the session will begin with the President's address to the joint sitting of the two Houses, the same day the pre-budget economic survey will be tabled. The practice of separate railway budget presentation is being scrapped from this year. The railway estimates will be part of the Union budget. The announcement comes even as opposition parties have raised objections to the presentation of the budget on February 1 before Assembly polls in five states on the ground that it will tilt the balance in government's favour because it can woo voters with sops. They have petitioned the Election Commission, which has asked the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha to give the government's response. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recently recommended that the Budget session will commence on January 31 and the Union Budget will be presented the next day so that the new financial provisions come into force from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal. PTI Death of militant Muz Molvi: A MAJOR victory for the Indian Army India oi-Vicky By Vicky On the night of January 31 2011, two sisters were dragged out of their homes in Sopore, taken to a nearby mohalla and shot dead at point blank range. People watched in horror as one was shot in the eye while the other in the chest. For the family of Akthara, 20 and Arifa, 17 justice was done on Friday when the killer of these girls was shot dead in an encounter. Muzzafar Ahmad Naikoo, alias Muz Molvi, was a resident of Sopore and had been evading arrest for the past eight years. He had a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, and was earlier associated with the Lashkar-e-Tayiba as 'chief assassin', but later switched his loyalties to the Al-Badr. Finally, on Friday, Molvi, the man security forces had categorised as an A+++ militant and described as a brutal killer met his end. His killing comes as a relief for the security agencies. He was responsible for attacks on several police stations and would often terrorise people. He was also involved in the killing of four civilians. The intelligence worked on leads regarding this dreaded militant for several years. Finally last week confirmation about him being at the Machwa area of central Kashmir was received. Security forces immediately surrounded his hideout and after a brief engagement, Molvi was shot dead. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 12:19 [IST] The Indian Point nuclear power plant, which has been temporarily shut down by bird crap, has malfunctioned every now and again, has leaked radioactive material into groundwater and once paid Rudy Giuliani to try to convince New Yorkers there was nothing wrong with living 30 miles from a nuclear plant with a history of safety problems will be shut down by 2021 according to multiple reports. The AP reports that Governor Cuomo has reached a deal with Indian Point's operator, Entergy Corp., to shut down both of the reactors at the Westchester County plant by April 2021. Shutting the plant down, because "the reward doesn't justify the risk," has been a goal of Cuomo's for some time. Under the terms of the agreement to shut down the plant, one reactor will be turned off by 2020 and the second reactor will be shut down by 2021, the Times reports. Before the shutdown, Entergy will allow safety inspections, and make repairs and safety upgrades, which the governor, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and environmental group Riverkeeper have been asking the company to do for a number of years. While New Yorkers will no longer have to live in fear of a nuclear plant once the shutdown occurs, there is the problem of replacing the energy from the plant. Indian Point supplies 25 percent of the power New York City uses, and according to a 2012 study (that an advocacy group Entergy is a part of commissioned), the loss of power from the plant could raise energy bills in the city by 6.3 percent. However, a source familiar with the deal told the Times that officials think the shutdown "will help convince renewable energy providers that the state is serious about looking for new sources of energy" and that the power could be replaced with wind farms around New York and hydroelectric power from Quebec. The Times reports that the attorney general's office and Entergy have already signed off on the agreement, but that Governor Cuomo isn't expected to sign it until Monday. In the mean time, Cuomo's spokesman Rich Azzopardi hasn't confirmed the shutdown as a fact. "There is no agreementGovernor Cuomo has been working on a possible agreement for 15 years and until its done, its not done. Close only counts for horseshoes, not for nuclear plants," Azzopardi told reporters in a statement. Voting for MCD elections in Delhi to be held on December 04, results on December 07 Delhi: AAP dismisses money laundering charge against minister; BJP cries foul India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Jan 7: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday dismissed allegations of money laundering against him as rumours to malign his image ahead of the Punjab elections even as the BJP on Friday dubbed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government as corrupt and non-performing. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanded Kejriwal speak on the issue. The issue arose amid reports that the Income Tax Department issued a fresh notice to Jain in a money laundering case. In September last year, the department had issued him notice regarding his alleged role in three companies which were allegedly used for money laundering. "There is no substance to these allegations. In 2013 when I joined politics, I resigned from all three companies in which I was the director," Jain told reporters. "From 2007 to 2012, my family and I invested around Rs 52 lakh in a few companies. I was a minor shareholder. In my income tax returns, I gave account of every single penny," he said, adding he declared all his investments to the Election Commission in his affidavits for 2013 and 2015 assembly elections. "I can give account of only my money and not all the money (invested in those companies)," he said. "When I appeared before the Income Tax department three months ago, I answered all their questions. The issue is being raised again now because of Punjab elections where the party has made me the star campaigner," Jain said, adding that the Aam Aadmi Party will not be intimidated by these tactics of the central government. But the BJP did not buy the arguments. "It now seems that this government is corrupt and non-performing. Nepotism and misrule are synonymous with this government and one after another their ministers are being caught for all bad reasons," party's Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari told IANS. "One after another Kejriwal's Ministers have been accused of corruption and malpractice," Tiwari alleged. IANS Demonetisation: Protest breaks out in Puducherry India oi-PTI Puducherry, Jan 7: Several Congress workers in Puducherry on Saturday staged a demonstration outside central government offices, to protest the "hasty and faulty" decision of the Centre to demonetise high value currency notes. Addressing agitators outside a nationalised bank in the heart of the town, Puducherry PWD Minister A Namassivayam claimed that the demonetisation scheme had caused "inexplicable havoc to all sections of people and more particularly the workers and the poorer sections." The demonstration by party volunteers was in keeping with the decision taken recently at the executive committee meeting of the Puducherry Congress Committee, he said. Industries Minister MOHF Shahjahan led the agitation in front of the Pondicherry university in neighbouring Kalapet. Condemning the move, he said, "The scheme was implemented without any forethought and alternative arrangements by the Prime Minister." Functionaries of the PCC and office bearers of the youth wing held demonstrations at different points to register their protest against the Centre's "anti-poor policies including demonetisation of the currencies." PTI Do not trust pre-poll surveys on TV news channels: Arvind Kejriwal India oi-IANS By Ians English Benaulim (Goa), Jan 7: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asked AAP voters in Goa not to trust pre-poll surveys on TV news channels and urged people to ensure that anti-BJP votes are not split in the forthcoming state legislative assembly elections. "Yesterday, I was watching a TV channel which said, in Goa, we will win two seats, which means how many seats will we really get? 28. Tell your friends and neighbours not to trust TV channels. They show lies and 'bakwas' (nonsense)," Kejriwal told a public meeting at Benaulim assembly constituency in South Goa. "When our government was formed in 2013 (in Delhi), TV channels said the AAP will get two seats. We eventually got 28 seats. In 2015, TV channels said the AAP will win 18 seats we got 67 seats," the AAP co-founder said. Kejriwal said that the important thing for poll-bound Goa was to ensure that there is no split in the anti-BJP vote. "Don't let the votes split. Congress people will also come to you. There is nothing left of the Congress (in Goa)," he said, adding that people should vote for the AAP to vent their ire against the ruling BJP, its leaders and policies. Also read: It's AAP vs all others in Goa, Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal "Don't let the vote split. If you vote for the Congress, the BJP will win. Your anger against the BJP, against demonetisation, against (Chief Minister Laxmikant) Parsekar, against (Defence Minister Manohar) Parrikar, it will not be of any help (if the votes split)," he said. A keen contest is on the cards during the February 4 state assembly elections in Goa, with the key players being the BJP, Congress, AAP and other regional political outfits. Kejriwal criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, claiming the policy had resulted in loss of jobs and a big jolt to small businesses. "PM with notebandi has created large-scale unemployment. Businesses and stores are closed. Hotels closed during peak time. People do not have food at home. People are frustrated with the BJP," Kejriwal said. The Delhi Chief Minister also reiterated the party's promise to provide 50,000 jobs as well as doubling of existing doles for unemployed youth and housewives if elected to power. IANS New IT rules will make sure no unlawful content is posted online: Minister Black money is getting forced back to system: Nirmala Sitharaman India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Jan 07: The Bharatiya Janata Party adopted an economic resolution hailing the government's demonetisation move, following which Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed a press conference where she said old notes deposited in the bank will be used for welfare and development schemes. Sitharaman said demonetisation has affected black money hoarders, Maoists and also led to a marked decline in stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. While addressing a press conference on demonetisation, Sitharaman said that government had offered relief to the poor, middle class, small businesses, farmers, senior citizens and pregnant women. "We are constantly taking steps to ease hardships faced by farmers," she said. Sitharaman further said that the demonetisation decision was an election promise made in 2015 to wipe off black money. Old notes which have been deposited in the bank will be used by the government in developmental activities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address party workers today at the meeting, which is being attended by former BJP presidents, party Chief Ministers and around 350 party members. The main focus of the two-day National Executive meet, kicked off on Friday in the national capital, is poll strategy in assembly elections in five states, especially UP. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 14:15 [IST] Is the Al-Badr still relevant in Kashmir? India oi-Vicky By Vicky In a successful operation, the Indian Army on Saturday gunned down an Al-Badr militant Muzzafar Ahmed. The encounter is considered to be an important one considering the organisation the slain terrorist hailed from. The Al-Badr, an Islamic militant group which was established in 1998 was proscribed by the Indian government in 2002. The organisation is active only in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and has been looking to strengthen its base in the Valley. Military intelligence officials had indicated about the presence of Ahmed at Budgam. Ahmed was plotting a strike and was trying to signal the arrival or presence of the Al-Badr an officer with the intelligence informed. Is the Al-Badr relevant? The group operated as the HIzb-e-Islami back in 1971, and focused its strikes on Bengalis in what was known as East Pakistan. Over a period of time it began focusing on Kashmir and also called the Valley as the 'Gateway to India'. The liberation of Muslims in the rest of India after occupying Kashmir has been the outfit's motive. The Al-Badr was formed in June 1998 with to strengthen the freedom struggle in Kashmir through violent means. It has been critical of moderate factions in Kashmir such as the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. Ahmed's motive was to get the outfit back in reckoning. The outfit which was designated a terrorist outfit by the United States of America has made several attempts to strike in the Valley. The outfit, which operates alone in the Valley has however not got the traction it expected. Its modules have been busted and finances have been squeezed. In the Kashmir battle, the outfit at first operated under the Hizbul Mujahideen. However, it was the Inter-Services Intelligence which directed the outfit to operate independently in 1998. The outfit, in its rebranded format tapped foreign fighters to help in its Kashmir battle. However over a period of time, the ISI gave more preference to outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammad. Today there are a handful of operatives in the Al-Badr and as Intelligence Bureau officials would say, the outfit is struggling to survive and be heard. On Friday yet another attempt was made by the outfit to mark its presence in the Valley. However, timely intelligence and a very quick operation led to the killing of Ahmed which thwarted yet another attempt by the outfit to revive itself. OneIndia News Kiran Bedi's war of words with Congress: BJP supports the former IPS officer India oi-PTI Puducherry, Jan 7: The Puducherry unit of BJP on Saturday scoffed at the criticisms made against the functioning of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, by the ruling Congress. President of the local BJP, V Saminathan told PTI that he had apprised the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the "excellent work" Kiran Bedi has been doing in Puducherry to ensure a clean administration and to achieve "prosperous Puducherry." He also said the Congress' demand to the Centre to rein in the Lt Governor "is only an infructuous exercise." Maintaining that Bedi would not be replaced, Saminathan declined to be drawn into any discussion on the memorandum sent to the Union Home Minister, by the ruling Congress MLAs, seeking his intervention to direct Bedi to function in tandem with the administration here. "I do not want to discuss the issue but would only say that Bedi was keen about providing a clean administration to the people," he said. The latest friction in the ties between Bedi and the Puducherry government came after the former cancelled the Chief Minister's January 2 order banning use of WhatsApp for official communication even as she (Bedi) was pushing with her plan to promote WhatsApp communication by officials. PTI He fulfilled BJP's political agenda at cost of Constitution: Mehbooba Mufti criticises Kovind Fact Check: Mehbooba Muftis claim that J&K students are forced to sing bhajans is misleading PDP president Mehbooba Mufti claims she is under house arrest Mehbooba Mufti gets notice to vacate official bungalow 'meant for J&K CMs' Mehbooba offers prayers on Sayeed's first death anniversary India oi-IANS By Ians English Srinagar, Jan 7: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday offered prayers at her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's grave on his first death anniversary. Mehbooba visited the grave in Bijbehara town in Anantnag district. The former Chief Minister passed away this day last year following a brief illness in New Delhi. The ruling People's Democratic Party has planned an elaborate programme of remembrance for its founder on his first death anniversary, including blood donation camp events, across the state. Mehbooba arrived here two days back in connection with her scheduled programme to visit her father's mausoleum. IANS In a case of bad karma Taliban outs Pakistan on what India had always said on Azhar Modi ji, stop complaining about China and strike Maulana Azhar out instead India oi-Vicky By Vicky New Delhi, Jan 7: On Friday, top officials in the Indian government went into a huddle to discuss a fresh strategy to seek a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, in the United Nations. [Also Read: Will China block India's move against Maulana Masood Azhar again?] It is unlikely that the Chinese will change their mind and support India and lift the technical hold at the UN to ban the man responsible for various terror attacks on Indian soil including the one on the Indian Parliament. The question is should a great nation like India continue complaining before the UN? The Americans did not go before the UN before placing Osama Bin Laden's son Hamza Bin Laden in America's terror blacklist. Would an Israel have waited for the UN's nod before surgically striking at a terrorist? India has shown that it is capable of carrying out a surgical strike across the Line of Control. In this context one would need to ask, why not a strike on Masood Azhar? Strike out the Maulana: After General Bipin Rawat took over as the Army Chief he had said that India has several options including carrying out surgical strikes. He said that there would be more surgical strikes to take out terrorists across the border. Top security experts are of the view that India needs to stop going before the UN all the time and instead act against the likes of Azhar who brazenly order strikes and continue to stay protected. The government at the centre has a full-majority and hence taking decisions is easier. There are a good number of officers in both India's internal and external spy agencies to plot a strike on the Maualana and take him down. Azhar is housed in Pakistan's Muzzafarabad and he had in fact addressed a large gathering after coming out of hibernation in October 2016. After the Pathankot attack in 2015, he went into hiding. India made several requests to hand the man over or at least investigate him. Pakistan did not oblige to any of the requests. India then decided to take the matter to the Security Council, but was blocked by China. In the midst of all the complaining, Azhar ordered hits at Uri and Nagrota in which several brave Indian soldiers were killed. India did carry out a surgical strike after Uri, but a few weeks later, Azhar ordered an attack at Nagrota. India was back at the UN seeking a ban on the man. Ban or no ban, Azhar will continue to get the protection in Pakistan. There is a ban on the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Has that prevented them from striking at India. The answer is no and the reason is Pakistan considers them strategic assets and continues to protect them. A ban at the UN is nothing but a mere formality. If India thinks it would hamper Azhar's operations, then it should study the Saeed case deeply. India had once complained before the UN that Saeed continues to get access to funds despite a ban. The discussion was however blocked by China. Experts are of the view that this constant complaining to UN and blaming China is not going to help. It may show that we follow the Gandhian policy, but the fact of the matter is that Azhar will continue to strike at India. In this context, the better option would be to take the Maulana out or at least weaken his network to such an extent that he become irrelevant. OneIndia News Social media companies free to do business, but should be accountable to Indian laws: Ravi Shankar Prasad Big step towards transparency: Prasad on first compliance report by Google, FB under new IT rules If over 45 countries use Pegasus, why target just India?, asks Ravi Shankar Prasad Need to transform the lives of the poor: RS Prasad India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Jan 07: IT and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that Prime Minister observed clearly stated in the BJP National executive meet that transparency in political funding is what BJP firmly supports. Addressing the press conference, Ravi Shankar said that some people worry about lifestyle but our priority is to make quality of life better for the poor and underprivileged. Poor and poverty are not mere vote banks for the BJP, says Ravi Shankar Prasad quoting PM Modi. Ravi Shankar also said that in the National Executive meet Modi mentioned about 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', 'Swachh Bharat'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today addressed party workers today at the meeting, which is being attended by former BJP presidents, party Chief Ministers and around 350 party members. The main focus of the two-day National Executive meet, kicked off on Friday in the national capital, is poll strategy in assembly elections in five states, especially UP. The next BJP National Executive meeting scheduled to take place on April 15th and 16th. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, January 7, 2017, 18:15 [IST] Man rapes 8-year-old to use her blood for removing obstacles to his marriage Planning new varsity on lines of Visva Bharati: Mamata India oi-IANS By Ians English Kolkata, Jan 7: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the state government is planning to set up a new varsity near the centrally-funded Visva Bharati University (VBU) in Shantiniketan. "We are planning to set up a new national standard university named 'Biswa-Bangla Biswabidyalaya' within three minute's distance from the VBU in Shantiniketan," Banerjee said at the State Level Teacher's Convention here. "We have already identified the land for the new university. It would be built on the pattern of Shantiniketan (VBU)," she added. Banerjee also suggested that the age of retirement for education professionals be extended by two years. "How about extending the retirement age for the educationists from 60 years to 62 years," she asked teachers present at the conversion. IANS Rose Valley scam: 9 influential TMC leaders under CBI scanner India oi-Vicky By Vicky Kolkata, Jan 7: The worries for the Trinamool Congress is far from over in the Rose Valley scam. The CBI has on its radar at least nine more very influential members of the TMC who will be questioned soon and might be arrested if needed, CBI officials say. [Also Read: All about the Rs 15,000 cr Rose Valley scam that has rattled TMC leaders] A list of 11 persons from the TMC had been prepared by the CBI. It is said that these persons had allegedly helped key accused in the scam, Gautam Kundu. The CBI has already arrested two TMC lawmakers, Tapas Pal and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, in connection with the case. TMC leaders in the dock: When Kundu was questioned by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate he revealed the names of several politicians who had benefited from the Rose Valley ponzi scam. Kundu was arrested in March 2015 in connection with the Rs 15,483 crore ponzi scam. Two chargesheets have been filed against him after he failed to return Rs 9,000 crore to investors. In all, the investigators found the names of 11 very influential politicians. While two have already been arrested, there are nine others against whom investigations are on, investigating officers say. We will probe the role of each of these persons, an officer said. On the radar of the investigation agency is a leader from North Bengal. This leader had helped suppress the complaints against Rose Valley. The leader is also alleged to have sought the help of Kundu to set up his daughter's interior business. Investigators have learnt that he was one of the general secretaries of the party and he had assured Kundu that he would handle the complaints that were piling up against Rose Valley. OneIndia News Is the 2019 election the last one ever? This is what Sakshi Maharaj has to say Sakshi Maharaj defends controversial remarks, BJP distances itself India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Jan 7: Facing severe criticism, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday defended his controversial speech in which he blamed Muslims for India's population boom, saying he did not name any community but rather expressed concern. While the opposition has called for action against him, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday distanced itself from the remarks. A day after making the communally laced speech at a gathering in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Unnao MP blamed the media for quoting him "out of context". "I did not make any communal speech. It was a gathering of saints during which I expressed concern about population explosion. My speech has been videographed and no where I have named any community," Sakshi Maharaj told IANS. [Also read: 'Those with 4 wives, 40 children responsible for population rise'] Speaking at the event in Meerut on Friday, the controversial leader called for implementing the Uniform Civil Code and indirectly held Muslims responsible for population explosion. "Population is rising rapidly, and so are the country's problems. But Hindus are not responsible for this. Those who talk about four wives and forty children are responsible," Sakshi Maharaj said in his address which was telecast by the media and widely shared on social media. "Remember, if Hindus number decreases, the country will be divided," said the MP, days after the Supreme Court declared that appealing for votes in the name of religion was "illegal". "I said four wives and forty children will not be allowed, cannot be allowed. Mothers are not machines," he said, calling for equal laws for all irrespective of number of children a person has. While the opposition Congress and the state's ruling Samajwadi Party expressed strong reservation over the remarks and termed it a violation of the election Model Code of Conduct, the BJP distanced itself. "This shouldn't be seen as the BJP's stand," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here when asked by the media to react to the controversial remarks. Calling the remarks offensive and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Congress leader K. C. Mittal said the party was approaching the Election Commission of India to seek action against Sakshi Maharaj. The SP as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party also demanded stringent action against the BJP leader notorious for making controversial statements. In January 2015, he had asked Hindu women to produce at least four children each to "protect the religion". Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought a report from Meerut district administration regarding a controversial statement by BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who indirectly blamed Muslims for the population boom in the country. IANS Sex racket case: Meghalaya MLA remanded in police custody India oi-PTI Shillong, Jan 7: Meghalaya legislator Julius Dorphang, who was wanted for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, was arrested from his hideout in neighbouring Assam and remanded today in police custody for 5 days. Dorphang was arrested past 11 o'clock last night from the Inter State Bus Terminus on the outskirts of Guwahati in a joint operation with the Guwahati Metro police and was brought here early in the morning, SP (City) Vivek Syiem told, adding that he had been remanded in custody. He had been booked under the POCSO Act in connection with the sex-racket involving the minor girl last month, besides Section 366 (A) of the IPC and section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA), following which he had gone into hiding. District and Session Judge E Kharumnuid sent the Independent legislator, who is supporting the ruling Congress in the state, to police custody for five days after he was produced before the court in the afternoon. Police have also intimated Speaker Abu Taher Mondal about the arrest and the details of the cases pending against the legislator which he will be chargesheeted with, the SP (City) said. The state police first booked the legislator on December 24 at Laitumkhrah Police Station in Shillong. On January 4, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dorphang, after which the manhunt began. Following his arrest, police have so far picked up seven of the eight people named by the girl in her statement to the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Yesterday the police arrested Sandip Biswa, the driver, who ferried the minor girl to the guest houses owned by Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh's son and other guest houses in the city. PTI Tamil Nadu asks Andhra to release water for Chennai India oi-IANS By Ians English Chennai, Jan 7: With drinking water scarcity here, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Saturday requested his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu to release Krishna river water. In a letter to Naidu, Panneerselvam said: "I write seeking your urgent personal intervention for the release of Krishna water to meet the drinking water supply to Chennai City which is facing an acute shortage in the reservoirs." Panneerselvam said Chennai and Tamil Nadu are primarily dependent on the North-East monsoon for the bulk of rainfall. "This year (2016), the North-East monsoon has been highly deficient in Tamil Nadu. Rainfall in Chennai City is deficient by nearly 57 per cent," Panneerselvam said. "The water level in Chennai City's drinking water reservoirs is very low and the meagre storage currently available needs to be augmented to meet the drinking water supply requirements of Chennai City over the next few months," he added. According to Panneerselvam, Chennai is critically dependent on the release of Krishna water in order to manage the difficult situation this year. "I am given to understand that as on 5.1.2017, Kandaleru Reservoir has a storage of 13.53 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft.). Therefore, Andhra Pradesh appears to be in a position to release water from Kandaleru Reservoir for Chennai City," Panneerselvam told Naidu. In 1983 Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh signed an agreement whereby annually 12 TMC ft. (excluding evaporation loss) of water from Kandaleru Reservoir in Andhra would be realised at the Tamil Nadu border to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai. Normally, 8 TMC ft. of water is to be supplied between July to October and another 4 TMC ft. from January to April. "However, a quantum of only 0.99 TMC ft. has been released at the Tamil Nadu border in the period from October to December, 2016," Panneerselvam pointed out to Naidu. IANS VVIP chopper deal: Court issues fresh summons against accused India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jan 7: A special court today issued fresh summons against three accused in a money laundering case related to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in which it had earlier issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James. Special Judge Arvind Kumar re-issued the summons against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors R K Nanda and J B Subramaniyam while asking them to be present in court on February 22. The firm was set up by James, Nanda and Subramaniyam. The court passed the order after advocate N K Matta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, informed it that the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. It had on November 31 last year issued an open-ended NBW against James and summons against other three accused in the case, saying, "There is prima facie evidence against the accused." The NBW was issued against James after ED had told the court that the alleged middleman was out of India and pressed for an arrest warrant against him to bring him here to face the trial. An open-ended NBW (arrest warrant) does not carry a time limit for its execution. In June last year, ED had filed a 1,300-page prosecution complaint (equivalent for charge sheet) in connection with its money laundering probe in the case. It had said the agency's investigation into the case had found that James allegedly received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from M/s AgustaWestland which was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the deal for sale of 12 helicopters to India in favour of the firm in "guise" of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. PTI China evaluates emergency response to fight urban pollution International oi-PTI Beijing, Jan 7: China is evaluating emergency plans of its 20 cities, including Beijing, in dealing with heavy air pollution amid criticism that officials shun putting out high alerts to avoid taking action against erring factories. China's environmental ministry said it is evaluating 20 cities' emergency plans hoping to improve their response ability, Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, made the remarks at a press conference, noting that the cities include Beijing, Tianjin and 18 other cities in Hebei and surrounding provinces. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said yesterday that inspections had found some cities failing to take effective measures following alerts or their measures were impracticable. Though pollution in Beijing exceeded hazardous levels for the past several days, the city has not issued the red alert, the maximum warning which would warrant enforcement of odd and even number car system, closure of schools factories emitting pollution as construction sites. Instead the city officials stuck to orange alert below the red which drew criticism from netizens. Critics say besides use of coal for heating during winter, the pollution levels shot up in the last few weeks as factories ramped up their production ahead of the Chinese New Year later this month during which they have to shut down for prolonged period as workers would to their villages. China has a four-tier colour-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The minister said the government will enhance supervision on whether local governments have implemented the precautions. Chen vowed to take concrete steps and employ more stringent and effective measures to deal with outstanding environmental problems and improve environment quality. On Monday, the ministry announced that 10 of its inspection teams had found companies resuming production despite a government ban and not complying with emission reduction measures. When authorities issue red alerts, some manufacturing companies are required to cut production and heavily polluting vehicles are banned from the roads. The ministry had given out punishments after finding that more than 500 construction sites and enterprises and 10,000 vehicles had breached pollution response plans, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Many regions in northern China, including Beijing, have experienced heavy smog since last Friday which is still continuing. PTI Gunman wounds US consular official in western Mexico International oi-PTI Mexico City, Jan 8: Mexican police hunted on Saturday for a gunman who shot and wounded a US consulate official who was driving out of a parking garage in the western city of Guadalajara. The consulate posted a video on Facebook showing the shooter, dressed in blue, waiting outside a shopping center's garage on Friday, raising his gun and firing at the car before fleeing. The shooting left a bullet impact on the car window while the official is seen opening his door. Moments before the shooting, the official, who was wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, paid his parking ticket at an automated machine, according to another video. After the official walks away, the gunman is seen following him. The FBI offered a USD 20,000 reward for information about the shooter. "An official from the US consulate was wounded by a shot from a firearm. ... According to the medical report, he is in stable condition," the Mexican attorney general's office said in a statement. The motive was not immediately known. The statement said Mexican authorities are in contact with the US embassy and consulate in efforts to locate the shooter. The US embassy declined to give more detail about the shooting or the official's title and identity. US officials have faced attacks in Mexico in the past. In 2010, a consular official, her husband and the spouse of another consular official were killed in two simultaneous attacks in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez, which at the time was considered the world's murder capital amid an ultra-violent drug war. A year later, gunmen from the Zetas drug cartel opened fire on a vehicle of two US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the northern state of San Luis Potosi, killing one of the officers. In 2012, two US government officials -- widely reported to be CIA agents -- and a Mexican marine where wounded in 2012 when they were shot at by federal police officers as they were driving in the central state of Morelos. Fourteen officers were initially accused of attempted murder but they were later put on trial on charges of using excessive force, with officials saying it was a case of mistaken identity. In a case that caused friction between the US and Mexican governments in 1985, undercover US agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was tortured and killed by the Guadalajara drug cartel. PTI US intelligence report: Know how Putin 'ordered' operation to get Trump elected International oi-PTI Washington, Jan 7: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at undermining the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald Trump, US intelligence has said in a report. The campaign first aimed at damaging a potential Clinton presidency, and then turned to supporting Trump after a victory by the Republican businessman appeared possible, said the report from the Director of National Intelligence on Friday. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. The report said that Putin acted on grudges against the United States after being embarrassed by the Panama Papers on secret offshore banking and the Olympic doping scandal, and that he also blamed Clinton for ostensibly inciting mass protests against his regime in 2011-2012. The report warned US allies that Russia will likely attempt to influence their elections, making use of its experience with the US vote. "We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes," it said. The 25-page public report, which was half the length of the classified version presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided little in the way of detailed evidence to link Putin and Russian intelligence to the hacking and release via WikiLeaks of Democratic Party files that hurt Clinton's campaign. Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence community's conclusions on the issue. Speaking after he was briefed on Friday, Trump acknowledged that cyber-attacks by Russia, China and other countries threaten US institutions, political parties, and businesses. But he declined to single out Russia over cyber-interference in the US election, and said the election's outcome was not affected by hacking. PTI OK! Magazine 04 Nov 2022 Queen Mother 'would have been absolutely horrified' at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah interview, an expert said. In Berlin, the German chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on the nations of the Western Balkans to resolve their conflicts in order.. euronews (in English) 03 Nov 2022 I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission. A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it. Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy. by Graham Pierrepoint For many of us, the first week of January means its time to put away the tree and the tinsel and to leave any worry regarding gift-buying and overindulgence for another year. While some of us may leave our decorations up for an extended period there are some that even have them up all year round its generally thought that Christmas traditionally ends around January 5th or 6th but for one British island, tradition says something rather different indeed, and that means continuing to celebrate the festive season long after the rest of the world has finished. That place in question is the island of Foula, considered to be the most remote island in the UK that is inhabited by citizens where over thirty people continue to thrive in a tiny community that is more than a stones throw away from the British mainland. Ten of these inhabitants, according to The Independent, are children and all residents gather in one house to celebrate Christmas two weeks after the rest of the country (and indeed the majority of the world) but why is this? According to Foula legacy and tradition, Christmas and New Year is celebrated on the island twelve days after the dating exhibited on the Gregorian calendar, meaning that their New Year will not technically start or be celebrated until January 13th and that Christmas Day for the residents fell on January 6th. This is all due to their observation of the Julian Calendar, which was replaced by the Gregorian model back in 1752 since this time, the rest of the UK have moved to the new calendar system however, Foula has chosen to stay firm with the Julian system of old. This means that their Christmases have in fact been twelve days later than our own since the leap year of 1900! Therefore, anyone feeling rather sad about Christmas and the festive season already being over neednt worry all you need to do is make sure you visit Foula once New Year rolls around, and you can celebrate all over again! You may want to look into travel, however, as the island is situated some two hundred miles north of John OGroats, the furthest northern point on the UK mainland. Why settle for one Christmas when you can have two or, at the very least, stagger the dates so that you can buy presents and food when they are on sale in early January? Rumble 23 Sep 2022 Known as counter-culture legends of the 1960s and beyond, The Grateful Dead were at the center of it all. Learn about their.. New Zealand Herald 30 Oct 2021 A declassified US intelligence report has reignited debate over whether China bears responsibility for the origins of the Covid-19.. CBS4 Miami 09 Oct 2019 In a letter to the commission dated in early September, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony made his initial plea for an earlier.. Eurasia Review 11 Oct 2022 UKs economic decline and mounting pressure on public services make it impossible to allow more immigrants and asylum seekers.. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Rumble 09 Oct 2022 JUST IN: KANYE SAYS JARED KUSHNER A FAKE PHONY FRAUD AND THAT Q WAS RIGHT AGAIN !!! Mashable 30 Oct 2022 The rumor mill about Apple launching M2-powered Macs this November was churning, but now it seems we'll have to wait until next.. Any Doubt is Erased, US Foreign Nations Relations and Intel Community Purged! President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition staff has issued a blanket edict requiring politically appointed ambassadors to leave their overseas posts by Inauguration Day. Any doubt about purging the current US Administration's foreign affairs and intel community relations around the Globe is a dead horse! It is well known that Intel operations are operated from embassies and their staffing. Internal Intel is being purged at home and abroad and will be held accountable to the incoming President and Staff as December 23rd, a mandate with no exceptions was issued to the State Department recalling all appointed ambassadors, they must vacate their posts by Inauguration Day, January 20th. Is there any doubt now of the insurrection of the existing criminal cabal across the globe being dismantled? It is my humble opinion that a Special Investigative Prosecutor will be assigned to look into actions taken against the incoming President, his Administration and the American people. This is the war we wanted not the one the neocons and the MIC wanted but the one of purge of unwanted endless wars of murder for profit and their creators. Has Hillary's "If Trump is elected we all go to jail" coming to fruition? The war parties are screaming that many of Trump's Senate-confirmed envoys will not be confirmed in time and the posts could be vacant for months. There is no grace period on this directive. Trump appears to be grabbing the bull by the balls, forget the horns and possibly circumventing any assignation attempt/s or other shenanigans from the ousted regime. Trump is cleaning house fast. Many of the ambassadors are long time diplomats and lifelong politicians as well as heavy donors of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Trump leaves no doubt he wants them gone yesterday! A senior Trump transition official said "there was no ill will in the move, describing it as a simple matter of ensuring that Mr. Obama's overseas appointees leave the government on schedule, just as thousands of political aides at the White House and in federal agencies must do". The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal deliberations, said "the ambassadors should not be surprised about being held to a hard end date, this is what a businessman does as president" he makes the trains run on time". As Terresa Monroe-Hamilton of the Right Wing News reported: YOU'RE FIRED! Trump pink slips these MAJOR Obama appointments! "Trump is shaking up every aspect of the government it would seem and these people just got a rude wake-up call. Opponents are saying this will signal an abrupt change in US policy internationally. Good. The State Department informed all politically appointed ambassadors in a letter the day after the election that they were to submit letters of resignation effective Jan. 20th. It instructed those who wanted to seek extensions to submit formal requests explaining their justifications. And I would bet none of those so-called justifications will be approved. There is a new sheriff in town and he's coming in taking names and kicking butt. Diplomats just got the memo in the form of a pink slip." From Truthdig Airstrikes by the United States and its allies against two Syrian army positions Sept. 17 killed at least 62 Syrian troops and wounded dozens more. The attack was quickly treated as a non-story by the U.S. news media; U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the strikes were carried out in the mistaken belief that Islamic State forces were being targeted, and the story disappeared. The circumstances surrounding the attack, however, suggested it may have been deliberate, its purpose being to sabotage President Obama's policy of coordinating with Russia against Islamic State and Nusra Front forces in Syria as part of a U.S.-Russian cease-fire agreement. Normally the U.S. military can cover up illegal operations and mistakes with a pro forma military investigation that publicly clears those responsible. But the air attack on Syrian troops also involved three foreign allies in the anti-Islamic State campaign named Operation Inherent Resolve: the United Kingdom, Denmark and Australia. So, the Pentagon had to agree to bring a general from one of those allies into the investigation as a co-author of the report. Consequently, the summary of the investigation released by CENTCOM on Nov. 29 reveals far more than the Pentagon and CENTCOM brass would have desired. Thanks to that heavily redacted report, we now have detailed evidence that the commander of CENTCOM's Air Force component attacked the Syrian army deliberately. The Motives Behind a Pentagon Scheme Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and the military establishment had a compelling motive in the attack of Sept. 17 -- namely, interest in maintaining the narrative of a "new Cold War" with Russia, which is crucial to supporting and expanding the budgets of their institutions. When negotiations on a comprehensive cease-fire agreement with Russia, including provisions for U.S.-Russian cooperation on air operations against Islamic State and Nusra Front, appeared to gain traction last spring, the Pentagon began making leaks to the news media about its opposition to the Obama policy. Those receiving the leaks included neoconservative hawk Josh Rogin, who had just become a columnist at The Washington Post. After Secretary of State John Kerry struck an agreement Sept. 9 that contained a provision to set up a "Joint Integration Center" (JIC) for U.S.-Russian cooperation in targeting, the Pentagon sought to reverse it. Carter grilled Kerry for hours in an effort to force him to retreat from that provision, according to The New York Times. Lobbying against the JIC continued the following week after Obama approved the full agreement. When the commander of the Central Command's Air Force component, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigan, was asked about the JIC at a press briefing Sept. 13, he seemed to suggest that opponents of the provision were still hoping to avoid cooperating with the Russians on targeting. He told reporters that his readiness to join such a joint operation was "going to depend on what the plan ends up being." But the Pentagon also had another motive for hitting Syrian troops in Deir Ezzor. On June 16, Russian planes attacked a remote outpost of a CIA-supported armed group, called the New Syrian Army, in Deir Ezzor province near the confluence of Iraq, Syria and Jordan. The Pentagon demanded an explanation for the attack but never got it. For senior leaders of the Pentagon and others in the military, a strike against Syrian army positions in Deir Ezzor would not only offer the prospect of avoiding the threat of cooperating with Russia militarily, it would also be payback for what many believed was a Russian poke in the U.S. eye. The Evidence in the Investigation Report On Sept. 16, Gen. Harrigan, who also headed the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at al-Udeid airbase in Qatar, set in motion the planning for the attack on the two Syrian army positions. The process began, according to the investigation report, on Sept. 16, when Harrigan's command identified two fighting positions near the Deir Ezzor airport as belonging to Islamic State, based on drone images showing that the personnel there were not wearing uniform military garb and, supposedly, displayed no flags. But, as a former intelligence analyst told me, that was not a legitimate basis for a positive identification of the sites as Islamic State-controlled because Syrian army troops in the field frequently wear a wide range of uniforms and civilian clothing. The report contains the incriminating revelation that the authorities at CAOC had plenty of intelligence warning that its identification was flat wrong. Before the strike, the regional station of the Distributed Common Ground System, which is the Air Force's primary intelligence organ for interpreting data from aerial surveillance, contested the original identification of the units, sending its own assessment that they could not possibly be Islamic State. Another pre-strike intelligence report, moreover, pointed to what appeared to be a flag at one of the two sites. And a map of the area that was available to intelligence analysts at CAOC clearly showed that the sites were occupied by the Syrian army. Harrigan and his command apparently claimed, implausibly, that they were unaware of any of this information. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Empire Burlesque Various factors have kept long-form writing at a minimum lately, but shorter blasts on Facebook have been possible from time to time. Below is an edited selection of a few rants from a month of madness: Progressives Convert to Langley Literalism "The CIA said it. I believe it. That settles it." This is apparently the new progressive version of the old Bible Belt bumper sticker. Below, the Washington Post, after five days, walks back its Friday fake news scare story, which was wrong on virtually every assertion of "fact" in the original. Meanwhile, Trump hobnobs with mobsters and his business partners (a tautology, I know) to little notice, while the extremists in Congress prepare their neofeudal blitzkreig. But by all means, let's keep looking for reds under the bed while homegrown, all-American brigands set the house on fire in broad daylight. Cloud Cover Almost half of the nefarious IP addresses in the government's Russian hacking report are actually Tor nodes that are open to anyone to use. (Yes, Russians included. And your little brother.) Another fun fact: the Tor network was developed by the US government so its agents could hide in its giant haystack while collecting intelligence and conducting cyber-espionage. Another fun (and weird) fact: Wikileaks and other dissidents encourage whistleblowers and leakers to use Tor, despite its connection to the US military and intelligence services. So who is watching whom leak to whom and from where and why? In how many layers and on how many levels are we being gamed? The "cloud of unknowing" cultivated by spies at home and abroad leaves us all in the dark -- and that's the way the Great Gamers like it. The Apotheosis of Economic Brutalism After appointing yet another Goldman-Sachs man as head of the SEC (fox in charge of hen house), Trump is preparing an "unpresidented" tax "holiday" that will allow the biggest corporations to bring home billions of dollars they've been stashing off-shore to avoid supporting the infrastructure, education, security, opportunity and well-being of American communities. Like the last such "holiday," it will be used by the super-rich to stuff their own gobs and game the markets -- not create jobs. By the way, this "holiday" was the main concern of the super-cool, progressive techno-barons from Facebook, Google, Apple, etc., who eagerly joined Trump's "technology summit" in his golden tower after the election. Like the railroad tycoons and oil barons of old, we are all reliant on their products and services, but let's be clear about one thing, and keep it always in mind: today's techlords -- Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google and the rest -- are one huge stinking basket of deplorables. And they will cozy up to Trump just as quickly and ardently as the most cretinous neo-nazi or Fox News zombie out there. Exile on Main Street This brief, factual story is a harsh indictment of a society that has needlessly condemned huge swathes of its people to lives of hardship, decay, fear and division. Millions have been sacrificed on the altar of the extremist cult of market fundamentalism: the fanatical belief, fervently embraced by both parties, that the bloated profits of a privileged few far outweigh any and all consideration of the common good. Future generations will look back in astonished horror at how a country could degrade its own people in this way. Office Party Why wasn't Trump's Treasury pick prosecuted for more than 1,000 foreclosure violations, illegally kicking families out of their homes? Apparently the desk -- or maybe it was a chair -- in the California attorney general's office decided to let Trump's crook go free. That's what the state's former AG -- now a new "progressive" US senator -- tells us. Letting the Trump crook loose was "a decision my office made." Not her, apparently; the office. Hey, maybe it was her computer that made the decision! I'll bet Putin got hold of it and told it to tell her to shut down the investigation. Bipartisan Bomb Berserkery A deliberate attempt by Congressional Republicans to re-stoke the nuclear arms race and weaponize space has been overwhelmingly approved with virtually no opposition from Democrats. According to a top expert from an actual manufacturer of actual missile systems, the proposal "defies the laws of physics and is not based on science of any kind. [It is] insanity, pure and simple." But the GOP extremist behind the proposal says his fantasy is "worth any price" for the (non-existent) "security" it will (not) give us. Apparently, our staunch progressive Democrats agree: and so a new nuclear arms race will begin. We seem to be living in a civilization that, for whatever reason or reasons, has decided to eat itself alive. Putin-crazed Progressives Ignore Genuine Vote Rigging Scandal (Dec. 22) Like everyone else, I don't know the truth about the charges of Russian interference in the election. I do know that the overwhelming focus on this issue has led to a near-total neglect of the scandal that ACTUALLY cost Clinton the Electoral College vote: the hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters in key swing states who were disenfranchised by the vote-suppression laws that GOP-controlled states have passed. (Along with the deliberate neglect of voting machines in minority precincts, leading to breakdowns and "lost" votes, not to mention the arbitrary closing of hundreds of polling stations in minority precincts.) This is a blazing smoking gun, lying there in plain sight, a wanton act of "interference" carried out in broad daylight by red-blooded Americans, over the course of many years. Now it may be that Putin somehow took over the Republican Party 20 years ago and began passing all these laws, and that he also took over the Democratic Party at the same time and stopped them from fighting these laws with all their might. Maybe the CIA has a "swell of circumstantial evidence" to prove this. Otherwise, I find it remarkable and frightening how the media/political class is ignoring this glaring, roaring, years-long scandal of the systematic disenfranchisement of millions of American citizens across the country. Even the Democrats are ignoring it, although it cost them the presidency (and perhaps some state offices as well) and is clearly aimed at people who overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party. It's true that those being disenfranchised can never be major donors to the party, or provide officials and office-holders with cushy jobs after or in between their government service. But it's odd that even now -- or especially now -- the Democrats are ignoring this plain, provable, indisputable fact that led to Trump's Electoral College victory, and are instead focusing on an issue that they know will never be conclusively proved one way or another. Meanwhile, GOP-controlled states are putting in even MORE restrictions on voting, as in Michigan just a few days ago. The work of restricting the vote goes on and on, without any outcry, any scandal, any opposition. Full Circle: Obama Ends Term by Protecting CIA Torturers Gutless to the very end. He began his presidency with a visit to CIA headquarters and a public pledge not to prosecute anyone there for the torture they carried out; and now, in his last weeks in office, he has buried a Senate report detailing horrific CIA tortures. (Last year, the CIA confessed to hacking the computers of the US Senate in an attempt to derail the report.) I have never seen any of Obama's admirers explain why he has protected the CIA's torturers so diligently, but it is a shameful blot on his record, one he might have redeemed, in part, at the end, when it would have cost him nothing politically and would have made it more difficult for Trump to follow through with his plan to bring back torture as a core policy. Now, the torturers will go unpunished, their evil deeds will remain hidden and they can get back to work under Trump. Obama knows this, but he deliberately chose not to do anything about it. Art Becomes Life I don't think anyone who's read Dostoevsky -- particularly "Demons" and "Notes From Underground" -- can be too surprised at the eruption of the irrational we are seeing in political systems and societies across the world. He laid out vividly the particular nature of this irrationality: frenzied, fevered, self-destructive -- and even gleeful in its self-destruction, its self-laceration (as well as in its rabid lashing-out at demonized "others"). Odd that this intrinsic element of our human nature could have been forgotten or dismissed for so long; even odder when you consider that some of history's most savage and unbridled eruptions of this nature have occurred within living memory, during the course of the god-awful twentieth century. -- I was just jotting down these thoughts when I ran across the article by Pankaj Mishra, who makes some of these same points and many more, much better than I can, in an excellent piece of analysis. Worth a read. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). President Ronald Reagan "Tear Down This Wall" Speech at Berlin Wall President Ronald Reagan delivers this memorable speech at the Brandenburg Gate. What would revered Republican Ronald Reagan have to say about the Trump Mexican Border Wall? After all, Reagan's most famous utterance was his command and plea in a speech in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate, directed to Mr. Gorbachev: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYdjbpBk6A That context in time and in history was of course very different from today and from Trump's Wall against Mexico, the first wall between nations in the Western Hemisphere to be considered. Berlin Wall (Mauer) (Image by jobelina) Details DMCA In retrospect, even though it was a cleverly designed public relations effort for Reagan's speech at the Brandenburg Gate, Reagan makes a lot more sense 33 years later, even to a die-hard yellow dog Democrat like me. If we are tossing about historical analogies akin to many of those in the following text of this article, one must call to mind the famous Maginot Line built by France to keep the Germans from invading. It was a system of fortifications, weapons bunkers, and physical obstacles built in the 1930's on the borders with Switzerland, Luxembourg and Germany (but not Belgium so as not to offend Belgium's neutrality in their diplomatic focus. The entire thing failed because it was based on static concepts of war, and the Germans simply went around it, like Mexican criminals and ISIS terrorists would enter the US through Montreal, Lake Champlain in rowboats, or maybe Los Angeles International Airport in chartered jets. What Trump has recently proposed is that now the US should pay for the Wall against Mexico by congressional allocation. Then maybe Mexico would then reimburse us? This defies any kind of logic and seems at best like a curious form of wishful thinking, to think that Mexico would now pay for it, especially since two Mexican Presidents, one current and one former, are vehemently saying "absolutely not." I live in Santa Fe New Mexico which is a "Sanctuary City," as also New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Boston are sanctuary cities. New York actually had sanctuary policies even under former mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, now an adviser to Trump's campaign! Despite threats to cut off Federal funding to these cities, unless they capitulate to Trump and turn over the ostensibly millions of Mexican "criminals," most of these cities won't give up their status as sanctuary cities, for many reasons which are too vast and which go beyond the scope of this article. Most of these cities are in the Northeast, the Northwest, and around Chicago and Denver. There are some entire states that are in varying degrees "Sanctuary States." These include: Oregon, California, North Dakota, Colorado, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. The cities include some surprises like Portland, Maine; Montpelier, Vermont; all of Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas); South Tucson, Arizona; Bloomington, Minnesota; Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; Dallas County and Travis County (Austin) in Texas; at least 20 counties in Iowa, and several counties in stalwart Republican enclaves in Kentucky and Kansas, plus seven large counties in Florida. It would be a political disaster for Trump's Administration to even start to cut off all Federal funding to these governmental entities, although, in all fairness to Donald Trump, this idea has come up before within the Obama Administration. The Department of Justice's Inspector General not long ago determined that some sanctuary jurisdictions are violating federal law, and could face debarment from certain federal funding or other consequences. It might have originated from his advisers, but I won't even get into the curious shift from the campaign speeches demanding that Mexico pay for the wall, to now asking Congress to instead allocate the monies. Both the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada, and the present President of Mexico have decried this idea. Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, have on many occasions clarified that Mexico would not entertain any requests to foot the bill, and Fox flatly saying Mexico would NEVER pay for such a wall. Mr. Fox, who has been a regular critic of Trump, spoke in sharper terms about the border wall last February when he said Mexico was "not going to pay for that f-----g wall." Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 4th January 1960 -- the Death of Albert Camus | Dorian Cope ... (Image by onthisdeity.com) Details DMCA On January 4, 1960, Albert Camus died in a car crash at a point when he thought his true work had not even begun. He was 46 years old. He had already written The Stranger, The Fall, and The Plague, among other works. He had won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet he felt that in his writing he had to hide behind a mask that stifled him. After all these successes, as well as criticism from the left and right French intelligentsia, he was looking forward to a time when he would be able to speak his own truth without the mask of depersonalization -- to enter a period of creation en liberte. He was finding a new voice beyond the prison of a classical form he felt he needed to escape. In his briefcase was the uncompleted manuscript of that effort, the autobiographical and posthumously published novel, The First Man, written in a new lyrical and powerfully emotional style. It is a beautiful book. A true artist, Camus tried to serve both beauty and suffering. Quintessentially a man of his era, he was haunted by the image of the world as a prison, exemplified in his novel, The Plague, the tale of a town cut off from the world by a pestilence, whose residents lack the imagination to foresee. Even as it happens, they remain oblivious, for they "work hard, but solely with the object of getting rich." Bored by their habits, heavily drugging themselves with drink, and watching many movies to distract themselves, they fail to grasp the significance of "the squelchy roundness of a still-warm body" of the plague-bearing rats that emerge from their underworld to die in their streets. "It was as if the earth on which our houses stood were being purged of their secret humors; thrusting up to the surface the abscesses and pus-clots that had been forming in its entrails." To them the plague is "unthinkable," an abstraction, until all their denials are swept aside as the truth emerges from the sewers and their neighbors and families die from the disease. "Stupidity has a way of getting its way;" the narrator, Dr. Rieux, tells us, "as we should see if we were not always so wrapped up in ourselves... plagues and wars take people equally by surprise." The Plague is often read as a metaphorical depiction of the German occupation of France during World War II. While this is true to the extent that Camus had lived through that experience as a member of the French Resistance and writer and editor of the underground newspaper Combat, his artistry makes it a revelatory read for today, especially for citizens of the United States, the greatest purveyor of the plague of violence in the world. We are all infected with the soul-destroying evil that our leaders have loosed upon the world. For we live in plague time, and the plague lives in us. Like the inhabitants of the novel's French-Algerian city of Oran, the United States is "peopled with sleep walkers," pseudo-innocents, who are "chiefly aware of what ruffled the normal tenor of their lives or affected their interests." That their own government, no matter what political party is in power (both working for deep-state, elite interests led by the organized criminals of the CIA), is the disseminator of a world-wide plague of virulent violence, must be denied and divorced from consensus reality. These plague-stricken deaths visited on millions around the world -- by Clinton, by the Bushes, by Obama, and potentially by Trump -- must be denied by diverting attention to partisan politics that elicit outrage after outrage by the various factions and their minions. The true plague, the bedrock of a nation continually waging wars against the world, is avoided. Presently, it is the liberals that are "shocked" that Trump was elected President. These are the same people who went silent for the last eight years as Obama ravaged the world and lied about his cruel policies. Their shock over the Trump victory reeks of bad faith, with most of them supporting Hillary Clinton, Obama's presumed heir apparent and a neo-liberal war-monger par excellence. Further "shocks" will follow when Trump leaves office and the latest neo-liberal avatar succeeds him; conservatives will resume their harangues and protestations, just as they have done during Obama's reign. The two war parties will exchange insults as their followers are outraged and the American Empire, built on the disease of violence, will roll along. The plague will rage on and the main-stream corporate media will play along. For "decent folks must be allowed to sleep at night," says the character Tarrou sarcastically; he is a man who has lost his ability to "sleep well" since he witnessed a man's execution where the "bullets make a hole into which you could thrust your fist." He awakens to the realization that he "had an indirect hand in the deaths of thousands of people." He loses any peace he had and vows to resist the plague in every way he can. "For many years I've been ashamed," he says, "mortally ashamed, of having been, even with the best intentions, even at many removes, a murderer in my turn." The rats are dying in the streets. They are our rats, diseased by us. They have emerged from the underworld of a nation plagued by its denial. Unconscious evil bubbles up. We are an infected people. Worry and irritation -- "these are not feelings with which to confront plague." But we don't seem ashamed of our complicity in our government's crimes around the world. Camus knew better. He warned us, "It's a wearying business being plague-stricken. But it's still more wearying to refuse to be it. That's why everybody in the world looks so tired; everyone is more or less sick of plague. But that is why some of us, those who want to get the plague out of their systems, feel such desperate weariness." Yet the fight against the plague must go on. Tarrou puts it thus, "All I maintain is that on this earth there are pestilences and there are victims, and it's up to us, so far as possible, not to join forces with the pestilences. That may sound simple to the point of childishness; I can't judge if it's simple, but I know it's true. You see, I'd heard such quantities of arguments, which very nearly turned my head, and turned other people's heads enough to make them approve of murder; and I'd come to realize that all our troubles spring from our failure to use plain, clear-cut language. So I resolved always to speak -- and to act -- quite clearly, as this was the only way of setting myself on the right track." Camus, although his life and work were cut short by an absurd automobile accident with an unused train ticket in his pocket, stood with the victims. He was on the right track. He left us a living lesson in integrity in the face of violence. Refuse it always. If not, you will be destroyed by your own complicity in evil. You will be plagued by your own hand, was his message to us. On this date of his death, I wish to celebrate such a man, a great artist who tried to heal and "bear witness in favor of those plague-stricken people; so that some memorial of the injustice and outrage done them might endure; and to state quite simply what we learn in time of pestilence: that there are more things to admire in men than to despise." That is surely true of the victims. Let us hope the supporters of the executioners cure themselves. (Article changed on January 10, 2017 at 16:00) Exclusive to OpEd News: OpEdNews Op Eds 1/7/2017 at 8:33 AM EST H2'ed 1/7/17 The two most gun free zones in the world are the UK and Japan. Both have 99.9% lower gun murder rates than the US (and 80% lower overall murder rates). In 2006, the US had over 12,000 gun murders; the UK had 40; Japan had 2. More than 15 cities have higher murder rates than Chicago. In the past 20 yrs, the gun murder rate is down 50%in Chicago. Local gun laws are easily ignored by going to a nearby town or state. Almost all the most violent cities have lax gun laws, most in the South, which is the region with the highest gun murder rate. 6% of gun murders are by gangs (mostly of each other); 1% are by home invaders; 54% are by family and friends. Toy guns teach chiildren that killing is fun. Dodge City had a low murder rate because guns were confiscated on entry. 50% of the 300 million guns in the US are owned by 3%; only 1/3 of households have guns. Homes with guns have 270% more gun deaths than homes without. " states with higher rates of gun ownership had disproportionately large numbers of deaths from firearm-related homicides." "States with the Five Highest Gun Death Rates (Rank State Household Gun Ownership Gun Death Rate Per 100,000) Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The US Coalition reportedly carried out a lethal series of airstrikes over the Idlib countryside, killing and wounding dozens of civilians near the Turkish border-crossing in Syrian Province of Idlib. On Tuesday's midday at 03:55 PM the B52 warplane have bombarded Sarmada town's outskirts over a prison followed to Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham (JFS), which led to dozens of casualties and injuries amid the civilians and prisoners in addition to mass destruction. Moreover, the US warplanes have bombarded Sarmada square and killed 12 civilians while carrying out an airstrike over a vehicle followed to JFS. According to local activists and reports of the Syrian government, the US-led coalition regularly carries out strikes to support ground anti-terror operations in Iraq and Syria, some of which results in civilian casualties. At the same time, media sources of JFS denied the circulating data talking about the international coalition targeting a prison belonging to JFS, saying that the bombing targeted the major headquarters of the region and contains several branch offices as well as a new-formed police station, which caused the killing of all who were in the headqurters, about 25 members. Meanwhile, the US military has acknowledged that at least 188 civilians have been killed in US-led strikes in Iraq and Syria since its campaign began against the Islamic State in August 2014. The coalition airstrikes against Daesh targets, which together resulted in the unintended death of 15 civilians, occurred in the Iraqi cities of Shahid-Yunis As Sab on November 6, Mosul on November 26 and 29, and in Syrian Salahiyah on November 21 and Raqqa on November 26, according to the statement. To date, based on information available, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve has assessed that, it is more likely than not, at least 188 civilians have been unintentionally killed by coalition strikes since the start of Operation Inherent Resolve. CJTF-OIR regrets the unintentional loss of civilian lives resulting from coalition efforts to defeat ISIL [Daesh] in Iraq and Syria and express our deepest sympathies to the families and others affected by these strikes. However, the military's overall estimate is far below that of groups monitoring the civilian casualties. Airwars puts the number at 2,100. The majority of the reports labelled "non-credible" shows an alarming lack of intelligence available to the US-led coalition, believes former Pentagon official Michael Maloof. According to his statement, "the United States is supposed to double check and triple check, make sure that there's no such thing as civilians in harm's way. But, given the reality on the ground there, it's the case." John McCain, Lindsey Graham promise Russian sanctions (Full CNN Interview) Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham talk to CNN's Jim Sciutto about President-elect Donald Trump's ties to Russia and the United States' relationship ... (Image by YouTube, Channel: CNN) Details DMCA US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham Senators John McCain (R. AZ.)and Lindsey Graham (R.S.C.) traveled to Ukraine during the recent Congressional holiday break and proclaimed to Ukrainian government marines, "2017 will be the year of offense." [1] A must see video of McCain and Graham is attached to Patrick Christy's article, "US Senators Vow To CRUSH Russia". It is filled with vitriol against Russian President Vladimir Putin that boggles the mind. Make no mistake these two war mongers are pushing for war against Russia though they qualify it with, "Our fight is not with the Russian people but with Putin". How nice. Considering over 80% of the Russian people support Putin any war against Putin is a war with Russia. In contrast President elect Trump has vowed to work with Putin so a clash between him and these two supposed senate Republican "leaders" over US policy toward Putin and Russia seems inevitable. The disconnect from reality by these two Senate stooges staggers the imagination what with their over the top "Enough of Russian aggression" and " because we cannot allow Vladimir Putin to succeed here (Ukraine) because if he succeeds here, he will succeed in other countries". Of course McCain and Graham make no reference to the February 2014 coup in Kiev brought about by behind the scenes machinations of Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland that resulted in the overthrow of legitimately elected Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych and the coming to power of a US backed neo-Nazi post coup regime to Kiev particularly against the Russian speaking Ukrainian's in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. In Crimea the people having witnessed the coup in Kiev chose to hold a referendum and voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. All the fiction of a supposed Russian invasion of Crimea we heard from Washington and their European NATO vassals was merely Russian soldiers already legitimately stationed in Crimea as part of a long term lease agreement with the Ukraine government that housed the Russian Black Sea Fleet. And all they did was help keep the peace in Crimea during the vote on the people's referendum. So now with reality of Ukraine already twisted and misrepresented by the Obama administration, their NATO sycophants in Europe, the US corporate MSM and most of the Congress these past three years comes McCain and Graham upping the ante beating the drums for a war against Putin and Russia. Trumps inauguration is in two weeks. Attempts of hemming him in or heading him off (with regards to his avowed stance of wanting to work with Putin) by two obsessed Putin haters McCain and Graham seems in high gear. How this turns out is anyone's guess. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). See original here By David Nir It wouldn't be a story about Donald Trump if it didn't start with "in a break with precedent." In this case, it's a break with decades of precedent: Trump has told all politically appointed U.S. ambassadors around the world that they must return home by Inauguration Day, full stop, end of story, consequences be damned. And the consequences are plenty. For starters, it means that America won't have diplomats in place in many countries by the time Trump is sworn in. That's a situation that would endure for months, since the Senate has to actually confirm each new ambassador, one by one. It's also liable to frighten our allies and embolden our not-so-allies, though if anything, that's probably to Trump's liking. But it's for exactly these reasons that past presidents have always made exceptions, even for political appointees from the other party, to ensure continuity in our diplomatic relations, and also just not to be raging dicks to people who've gone overseas to serve our country. Lots of them, for instance, have families and young children abroad with them -- children who are in the middle of their school year. Without visas, these people can't remain in their host countries and are scrambling to either find a way to stay, or to uproot their kids and place them in new schools back home. It's f*cking obnoxious, is what it is: "In Costa Rica, Ambassador Stafford Fitzgerald Haney is hunting for a house or an apartment as his family -- which includes four school-age children and his wife, who has been battling breast cancer--struggles to figure out how to avoid a move back to the United States with five months left in the school year, according to the diplomats." Some anonymous Trump apparatchik claimed "there was no ill will in the move," so of course that means there was. And you can be doubly sure, because you know who didn't have to uproot her child in the middle of his school year when her husband suddenly had to leave town? Oh right! "At a White House farewell reception that Mr. Obama held on Wednesday night for non-career ambassadors, many of them commiserated, attendees said, comparing notes about how to handle the situation. "Some expressed dismay that Mr. Trump, whose wife, Melania, has chosen to stay in New York to avoid moving the couple's 10-year-old son, Barron, to a new school midyear, would not ensure that such allowances were made for American ambassadors." Yeah, her. But none of Obama's ambassadors. Who needs ambassadors, right? Not Donald Trump. He has a very good brain, uses the best words, and knows more than the generals, so he definitely knows more than our ambassadors do--I mean, he's obviously terrific at diplomacy. This is yet another reason why Senate Democrats need to grill the living daylights out of Rex Tillerson, the oilman who's Trump's nominee for secretary of state and would be in charge of our diplomatic corps. Does Tillerson think it's a good idea to leave our embassies leaderless for an indefinite length of time, and to send a message to future diplomats that you'll be treated like sh*t once your term is over? And if not, what does he plan to do about it? If he doesn't have good answers -- and he won't -- Chuck Schumer & Co. need to do everything in their power to thwart Tillerson's nomination. We'll be watching. Two face vase (Image by Edward L) Details DMCA All the people that have the hashtag "Not my president", are deluding themselves because guess what: he will your president because on January 20, 2017, Donald Trump will be sworn in as be the president of the United States. I know this pains many progresses but this is the deal we got. Now that we have a Republican house and Senate, and a Republican president, it's up to us and everyone with any common sense to watch these people and make sure they don't destroy what we have left of a Republic. I just want to illustrate that this election showed many people in the United States that they really don't have a choice of who runs for president. We have two parties in the United States that are totally off the rails. The Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans. Most people that read this article will probably agree with me. I'd like to talk about the nomination of Sen. Jeff sessions as Atty. Gen. of the United States. If this is an example of Donald Trump "draining the swamp" in Washington, it is also something that I can't get my head around. This is in the right wing or left wing debate, this isn't about conservatism or liberalism,this is about right and wrong. This is man couldn't even get a federal judgeship back in the 1980's. This is a man who has stood against almost everything in the American Constitution. He is repeatedly called the NAACP a communist organization. He said he was for the Ku Klux Klan until he found out they smoke pot. This is a man who will do more to harm to American democracy than anyone could possibly imagine. The head of the NAACP said this was never about left or right this is about authoritarianism versus freedom and I completely agree with them. We must stand up as a people and tell our elected representatives that we will not accept or condone a nominee like Sen. Jeff sessions as Atty. Gen. If you think that writing your Congressman or your Sen. will not do any good look what happened when the Republicans tried to gut the Senate Ethics Committee last week, and the American people sent a flood of letters to the Congressman telling them to back off. You know what? They backed off. These are people who face election every two years and they can be manipulated by the American people which is the way our democracy is supposed to work. The same thing can be done against hare-brained and irresponsible nominations of people against the very agencies that are called on to head. I'm talking about the EPA and HUD and the Department of Education. If you look at the nominees closely you will see that they are against the very agencies there called on to represent. If this is draining the swamp the maybe we a should just let the water stand. You don't fix your democracy by destroying it. Democrats and Republicans are both at fault and they have been for years. The appointment of Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee almost destroyed the Democratic Party. This is because of people who support the corporations run the Democratic Party and people noticed and will not put up with it anymore. Donald Trump didn't get elected because people like him. Donald Trump got elected because people hated Hillary Clinton more than him. This is a time of great change, and we need to understand that it is the people of the United States that called for great change. This doesn't mean that everybody who voted for Donald Trump is a right-wing fanatic and Donald Trump need to realize this too. Donald Trump need to understand that people in United States don't want authoritarian government they want a government that works for the people. This is not a left or right question or conservative or liberal question this is a question of whether or not the people of the United States are represented by the government. Now the Republicans love Wikileaks and Julianne Assange because he released all of the emails from the DNC to the public, ruining Hillary Clinton's chance of the presidency. In 2010 they hated Wikileaks, they hated Edward Snowden, and they called for imprisonment or execution. Now, there are the heroes of the Republicans and the Democrats who used to support whistle-blowers are now trying to put them in jail. Is this not something that is just incredible? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy MISSOULA Tim Meikle of Hamilton was returning from an 18-day excursion to Cuba when his trip home was shattered by a shooting Friday that left five dead in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I had literally just got on my flight (in Fort Lauderdale) and sat down when I looked out the window and saw people running out across the tarmac,'' Meikle said. There were hundreds of people running. The flight attendant appeared and informed the passengers that there was a code red and everyone needed to get off the airplane immediately. As soon as we got out there on the tarmac, we saw people crying and talking about a shooting, he said. The people gathered on the tarmac were very much afraid. Someone would hear a noise and people would start running in one direction, he said. There would be another noise and they would start running in a different direction. It was difficult to understand. Eventually, everyone on the tarmac was gathered together against a large concrete wall among several luggage carts. Meikle said they all sat there for about an hour as they gathered information about the shooting from news sources on their cell phones. There were a lot of rumors floating around, he said. At first, we heard that one person had been shot, but that turned out not be true. We also heard there were two shooters. That wasnt true, either. It was a pretty confused situation. Meikle said that as of 7:30 p.m. Mountain time, he and an estimated 2,000 people were still being held at the airport, more than eight hours after the shooting, with no access to their baggage and no idea where they would spend the night. There are no concessions open at this point, he said. They wont let us leave. Theres no real staff here that I can see. The airplane that he had boarded just before the shooting had arrived earlier from Minneapolis. Meikle believed the airplane may have carried the shooter to Fort Lauderdale. The Associated Press said the gunman was identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard. The veteran from Anchorage, Alaska, had told the FBI there that the U.S. was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. They called our plane a crime scene, Meikle said. I think the plane is officially grounded. At this point, Meikle said it will be at least Monday before he can return home. It is my birthday today, he said. Unfortunately bad things happen, but we move on. Wendy Thompson, CPA, was recently honored with the most prestigious award bestowed by Yeo & Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants, the Spirit of Yeo award. The Spirit of Yeo award recognizes an individual within the firm who exemplifies the attributes of the firms mission and core values. Thompson is Yeo & Yeos training manager and was recently recognized for 10 years of service to the firm. She researches and teaches all aspects of accounting, compilations, reviews, audits and nonprofit tax returns. She assists staff in nine Yeo & Yeo offices throughout Michigan with software used in these areas, and creates and updates best practices. She is a member of the firms Audit Services Group, the Not-for-Profit Services Group and the Compilation and Review team. Thompson also conducts training seminars for the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) and serves on the MICPAs Nonprofit Task Force. Local businesses need individuals with the talent and skills required to effectively compete and grow. Finding new employees who possess the required skills can be a real challenge. To help employers get the skilled workers they need, a group of workforce and economic development agencies partnered together for a Skilled Trades Training Fund grant from the Michigan Workforce Development Agency. This grant provides funds to companies who demonstrate a need for a particular talent. Short-term training is offered on-site or off to meet their specific needs for in-demand skills. Mid Michigan Community College was able to partner with numerous companies in Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Gratiot and Arenac counties to support their training needs. With the help of each countys Michigan Works! Agency, manufacturing associations and other local economic and workforce development corporations, the region had great success in leveraging State training funds. These training dollars will make a big impact for local manufacturers, said Scott Govitz, executive director of MMCCs talent and business solutions division. This collaborative effort will provide vital training all across mid-Michigan. Over the past several months, MMCC and its partners reached out to over 30 local companies, many of which had previously utilized the training resources at the college. Twelve companies in six counties worked with the partnership to submit applications to support a variety of training needs. Ten of the 12 companies that applied received funding, which will be used to train nearly 400 individuals in 36 training courses. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $240,000 per company and over $425,000 is being utilized by MMCC and partnering agencies to assist in training local employees. The variety of the trainings is very broad, Govitz said. Thats what makes customized training so valuable each company gets the skills and instruction they specifically need. Grant-funded trainings began last month and will continue over the next several months. Depending on the needs of the company, employees will learn more about blueprint reading, statistical process control, quality control, welding processes and much more. Future STTF grant plans include providing certificates to employees, evaluating the trainings and planning future training topics as needed by local employers. For more information about the STTF grant or MMCCs talent and business solutions, contact Scott Govitz at sgovitz@midmich.edu or at (989) 386-6614. Congressman John Moolenaar, R-Midland, has been named to the House Appropriations Committee. He is the first member from Michigan to be a member of the committee since 2011 and the first Michigan Republican to serve on the committee since 2009. The committee and its 12 subcommittees are responsible for writing the 12 funding bills that formally set the spending levels for every department, agency and program in the federal budget. Oversight of government spending is an important responsibility and one that I take very seriously. I will fight to make sure government uses taxpayer dollars wisely, stays within its means, and is accountable to the needs of Michigans hardworking families. I look forward to working with the members of the committee on addressing the priorities of our country, Moolenaar said. We have a historic opportunity to change the size and scope of our government and I look forward to working with Congressman Moolenaar on rigorous oversight that will make every dollar count, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen said. Moolenaar previously served as the vice-chair of the appropriations committee in the Michigan Senate, where he was chairman of the subcommittee on community health. He was also chairman of the house appropriations subcommittee on K-12 education in the Michigan House. To the editor: Once again, I find myself both amazed and exceedingly grateful to the people of our wonderful Midland community who truly understand the importance of giving in ways that impact the lives of others. During these past six weeks, we here at The Salvation Army Midland Corps have been collecting donations of toys, coats and money that will serve our own Midland County neighbors this coming year. This year, we set a goal to raise $108,000 during our annual Red Kettle Campaign, and as of Dec. 16, we had raised a little less than $65,000, leaving us just one week to raise $43,000. Just as we were beginning to consider what kind of funding cuts we might need to make, our community came through in an astonishing way with an incredible display of generosity. In those final seven days leading up to Christmas, we received donations totaling $46,340, exceeding our goal by more than $3,000! This was in large part thanks to a very generous matching day challenge on Dec. 17 sponsored by Dr. Jack Pfenninger, Dr. Randy Sosolik and Dr. Chris Hough, which brought in a record-breaking $15,675 in just one day. Simply put, we couldnt have done it without the support of so many volunteers and donors, and we would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who gave from the heart. The Salvation Army would certainly like to thank the 11 area businesses that hosted to our bell ringers again this year, without whose partnership this fundraiser would not be possible. In addition, another 14 businesses allowed us to have one of our small countertop kettles in their stores. Aside from these businesses, another 10 served as coat collection sites, and 41 more hosted a toy collection box. Additionally, we are grateful to the 82 families and organizations who met the needs of 100 families through our Adopt-A-Family program this Christmas. This year, The Salvation Army in Midland had 43 different groups of volunteers helping ring the bell for a combined 439 hours of service. Among those many groups, there are a few that deserve some special recognition as well for going above and beyond what most would do. So while we here at The Salvation Army are appreciative of all who helped and contributed this Christmas season, we want to particularly recognize the following groups who contributed significantly to our work these last two months: The Midland High School Key Club volunteered more hours than any other organization, spending 62 hours bell ringing, helping to raise $1,485. The Kiwassee Kiwanis Club helped to raise more funds than any other volunteer group, collecting $8,263 in our Red Kettles. We also offer our thanks to the Elks Club, who helped provide food baskets to more than 40 families that had registered to receive Christmas assistance from us. We are grateful to Family Fare for not just allowing us to ring outside of their store, but also for their on-going food drives for our Food Pantry and the use of carts in our toy shop. We also want to show our appreciation to Meijer and all of the various members of law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs who helped provide an amazing shopping experience for 20 children during the annual Shop With A Hero event. We would like to thank Midland Center for the Arts for once again helping us collect toys during the Center Stage Choirs Jingle Holiday Extravaganza. This year, the toy collection during this phenomenal concert brought in more toys than previous years and we appreciate all those who gave, along with the centers efforts to help us in collecting these toys for needy children in our community. Finally, we have one last word of thanks to the anonymous donor who placed a gold commemorative coin in one of our kettles on Christmas Eve worth more than $1,000. This gift was a wonderful way to wrap up the Christmas season. Clearly, I could go on and on thanking everyone who gave or donated in some way (and I would still likely forget someone), but the point is simply this: when we work together as a community, we can accomplish great things for the sake of everyone, helping those in the most need. CAPT. BRIAN GOODWILL Corps Officer The Salvation Army Midland Corps Amazon I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Before Laura Cornille-Cannady and her father left Decatur Airport on Friday afternoon on a flight to St. Louis, her phone began to ring with calls and messages from her family asking if they were still in town. The two, along with her mother-in-law, planned a two-week trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. starting today. We are feeling blessed that we weren't there today, she said. An Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. He was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. Cornille-Canaday's family flight from St. Louis is scheduled for this morning. The family will arrive in the same airport the shooting took place. Cornille-Cannady worried about the people who were hurt in the massacre but isn't changing her plans. I really think tomorrow will be the safest day for us to fly after all that, she said. There will be a lot more security around, no doubt. Jennifer Williams was waiting for her flight to St. Louis when she learned of the shooting. She will be returning home to Colorado on another flight Tuesday morning. Although she isn't fond of flying, her worry is with her country and security issues. It doesn't affect my decision to fly, she said. I just think, what else are we going to do to each other. Andrew Tokarz also voiced concern about the future while waiting for his flight home to Chicago. It heightens my vigilance, that's all, he said. It's sad people have to let out some type of very weird emotional state by inflicting irreversible harm to other people. Tokarz reminisced about the era when he needed to arrive at an airport only 30 minutes before a flight. And you could just get on the plane, he said. Tokarz arrived at the Decatur airport 2 hours before his flight on Friday. The early arrival has become part of the airline travel routine. I just wanted to make sure everything went smoothly, he said. Many local travelers have voiced a concern the airlines will add safety procedures, complicating the process further. It's not OK, but it is a condition of our times, Cornille-Cannady said. I hate that we are at this place in our world and the United States. The family will accept whatever security measures are implemented before its flight. If they need to, they will stay an extra night in St. Louis. Cornille-Cannady has learned through other travel experiences to be adaptable. If I want to travel and see the world, I have to put up with it, she said. There is a price we have to pay that we didn't before, and I'm not talking about the ticket. Joni Zachary, who leads Franklin Travel in Decatur, received an alert notification of the shooting soon after it occurred, but no phone calls from her traveling clientele. That could change as more details become available, but she figured the isolated nature of the incident would prevent any widespread panic. Americans aren't going to let terrorists dictate their lives, Zachary said. Travel agents routinely get alerts sent to them providing information that could impact their clients, which they, in turn, use during the planning of trips or to alter travel plans when something, like Friday's shooting, causes problems with connecting flights or hotel stays. We try to use whatever context we have to assist our clients if they're trying to change their flight plans or hotel plans, car rentals or whatever. We try to help them where ever possible, said Cheryl Oglesby, travel consultant at Ticket-N-Trips Travel. Zachary said those traveling in the near future could take solace in the fact the incident will likely heighten security. The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Santiago did not appear intent on hurting anyone. Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. Shortly after the shooting, and before details of Santiago's mental health became public, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that it remained to be seen whether it was terrorism or the work of "someone who is mentally deranged." One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop down on the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding," according to Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. "He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him," Lea said. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers and was being questioned by the FBI, Sheriff Scott Israel said. The Broward County Sheriff's Office said on social media Friday night that 37 people were injured during the shooting but didn't give details about how. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. At least one of the victims was seen lying in a pool of blood with what appeared to be a head wound. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a "disgraceful situation that's happening in our country and throughout the world" and that it was too soon to say whether it was a terrorist attack. Santiago's brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said that he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. H&R Managing Editor Scott Perry and H&R Staff Writer Ryan Voyles contributed to this story. BLOOMINGTON A Twin City man's therapy at a state mental facility where he is receiving court-ordered treatment related to the 2009 murder of his 14-month-old daughter has been delayed by the refusal of the McLean County State's Attorney's office to confirm that the man is not a sex offender, his lawyer told a judge on Friday. Thomas Meece was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2010 in the killing of Erika Meece. The child died of head injuries she suffered after a beating by her father at his Bloomington home. During a hearing on Meece's petition for discharge on conditional release from state custody, defense lawyer Hal Jennings complained that Meece has been unable to participate in certain therapy programs off limits to sex offenders. He said he has asked the state's attorney's office several times to sign a document required by the facility in Elgin where Meece is housed. "He is a violent offender there's no doubt about that but he has never been a sex offender," said Jennings. Jennings said he will file paperwork in federal court to compel the state to provide the information if the issue is not resolved soon by State's Attorney Jason Chambers. Assistant State's Attorney Jacob Harlow said the request is under review and the state will work with Jennings to resolve the matter. Noting that the court has no authority to order any action by the state on the issue, Judge Robert Freitag requested that the issue be resolved "hopefully in a timely manner." Dressed in a gray suit, Meece was escorted to court by staff from the state Department of Human Services. Doctors at the Elgin facility have recommended that Meece continue his mental health treatment, but Jennings said he is seeking an independent opinion on Meece's condition. A Feb. 17 hearing is scheduled to review the status of Meece's case. HEYWORTH Lisa Taylor has been named new superintendent of the Heyworth school district. She replaced Ty Wolf, who left the McLean County district after the school board voted against extending his contract in September. School board President Chuck Brannock said Wolf's separation was "amicable from both parties." Taylor first entered the district in July as the junior/senior high school principal. Before coming to Heyworth, she served 15 years in the Decatur school district as teacher, building level administrator, central office administrator and superintendent. Im from a smaller town and Heyworth has the same family feel to the community. The district has great parent participation, not just at events but for anything you ask for, said Taylor. People are always willing to help and it greatly benefits the district as a whole." In her role as principal, Taylor helped expand curriculum offerings, especially dual-credit courses and work-based learning experiences. Taylor said that she hopes to build relationships with businesses in the community to expand the work-based curriculum for students. "Mrs. Taylor has demonstrated she can be a catalyst for moving our district forward as we not only strive to prepare students to be college and career ready, but ready for life in general," said Brannock. He said Taylor also has a "tremendous rapport" with Heyworth staff. "She is very knowledgeable but she can communicate with people on any level. That's a huge conducive change and will serve the district very well," said Brannock. From her experience as superintendent in Decatur, Taylor said she learned the importance of establishing a good working relationship with staff, students, family members and the community. Thats something I worked hard to do in Decatur and I plan to continue here, she said. Taylor lives in Heyworth with her husband, Rich, and three children. DECATUR Among the new laws going into effect this year is one aimed at adding more protection to anyone pulled over on the highway. In 2001, Illinois passed Scott's Law, also called the "Move Over" law, that requires motorists to slow down or change lanes when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated. An update to the law means the rule applies to any vehicle on the side of the road that has its hazard lights flashing. Illinois State Police District 10 Safety Education Officer Tracy Lillard said the law requires drivers to change lanes if possible, but to slow down if changing lanes isn't possible. Lillard said there's no exact speed to drive when encountering a car with its flashers on the side of the road, but said the National Safety Council recommends slowing to 20 miles under the speed limit. "Speed can really depend on the conditions there's no hard and fast rule, but we recommend using common sense depending on the situation," Lillard said. "Being parked on the side of the road with a flat tire can be terrifying when cars are flying by at 70. If you were parked on the side of the road with a flat tire, how fast would you want people driving past you? "Or, if it was your 87-year-old grandma out there stranded on the side of the road wouldn't you want people to slow down for her?" Lillard said cars unable to change lanes when approaching a vehicle with flashing lights should turn their hazard lights on to alert the cars behind them they're slowing down and to use caution. Scott's Law was enacted in memory of Lt. Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department, who was killed in 2000 by an intoxicated driver. The law has made it safer for first responders on the highway, and Lillard said the new addition to the law will extend that safety to all motorists in emergency situations on the highway. "We can write a citation if we observe a violation where no attempt to get over or slow down is made," Lillard said. "We're hoping it will eliminate the crashes we're having with motorists being struck in emergency situations on the side of the road." Lillard said some state troopers have noticed an increase of people pulling over on the side of the interstate and turning their hazard lights on to make calls, or send texts or emails on their cell phones. "The side of the road on an interstate isn't the safest location to make phone calls, texts or emails that aren't emergency situations," Lillard said. "If you do want to use your phone, we suggest pulling off to the side on an exit ramp." BLOOMINGTON Evelyn Sanguinetti, Illinois' first Latina lieutenant governor, spoke at a Hispanic festival Friday about her own life as the daughter of immigrants and how education is the key to a better life. "The American dream is alive and it is incumbent upon all of us to create the environment to make it happen," she told reporters at the celebration of Three Kings' Day at Western Avenue Community Center, Bloomington. Blending Spanish and English in brief remarks to the audience of about 70 children and adults, Sanguinetti spoke of her mother, a 15-year-old Cuban refugee, and her Ecuadorian immigrant father. They worked hard to give her a good life but money was tight in her native Hialeah, Fla., she said. She said her mother, whom she described as her "shero," told her, "In this country, you'll always be able to rise like the foam." She said she was an "uninspired" student in grade school, but her love and talent for the piano won her a place at The New World School of the Arts in Miami. "That's when all the lights in my life turned on," said Sanguinetti, who eventually earned a law degree. She said she and Gov. Bruce Rauner believe all Illinois children deserve the opportunity that comes from a first-class education. To help make that possible, Illinois must have a "complete, comprehensive, balanced budget" and a business environment free of "punitive" regulations that spurs growth and keeps jobs in the state, she told reporters. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Over a career that began four decades ago at the Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa's student newspaper, I have been asked many times by readers to put them in touch with the subject of one of my articles. I respond by getting permission to give their contact information to the person featured and letting him or her decide whether or not to get in touch. Most of the time, I never hear anything more. A recent exception involved a piece I wrote for Veteran's Day, a special story for reasons of its own. It was the first time Army pilot Bruce Leonard, then 21 but who will be 94 Monday, had given an interview about how he eluded capture by Nazi soldiers in 1944 after he was forced to land his crippled B-17 at an emergency airstrip in Yugoslavia. Leonard tells me the story appeared in several other newspapers besides the Herald & Review through its cooperative arrangement with the Associated Press. Among them was the Northwest Herald in Illinois, which carried it Nov. 29. From that, I received a most unusual call that resulted in an even more unlikely connection, however brief, between Leonard and someone whose house may have been damaged by one or more of the bombs the Decatur man and his crew dropped near Vienna, Austria, in late 1943 and early 1944. Leonard telephoned Joseph Blazic, 82, of Crystal Lake on Dec. 6 and spoke with him for about 15 minutes. They spent most of the time comparing notes to determine of their lives had somehow intersected more than 70 years ago and more than 4,500 miles away from Illinois, even though they had never come much closer to one another than 36,000 feet. There's no way to know for sure, Leonard said, stressing that his targets were always factories producing war materials and rail lines transporting them and never residential areas. He was just overly appreciative I took the time to call him, and he spoke beautiful English. There's a reason for that. Blazic has lived in the Chicago area since he was 13, the bombing near his home in Atzgersdorf, Austria, accelerating his family's plans to emigrate to America. His mother, stepfather and half-sister left in 1945, and Blazic stayed with his mother's relatives until the United States granted him a visa to follow them to Chicago two years later. Blazic was but 10 years old when his dad built a crude bomb shelter in the yard. It was just a dugout with a roof over the top and wouldn't have done any good in a direct hit, but it kept us from being struck by shrapnel, he said. Yet he harbors no hard feelings about the attacks. I am very happy to be where I'm at, Blazic said. I just find it ironic to think we live in a world so small, the two of us were able to connect. I feel honored to have facilitated that, for my part, and more than a little awestruck at the healing power time can have. Last year Samsung pulled off a strategic win by acquiring Viv. The original inventors of Siri had spun off to create Viv and had invented a next-gen AI engine that was far more advanced than the original Siri. The Viv team demoed their new AI at the TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2016. The AI is able to understand incredibly sophisticated queries that Siri would never be able to respond to as witnessed in a Disrupt NY video here. Next, Samsung then acquired Harman which has an AI engine for an infotainment system that could challenge or compete with Siri on CarPlay. Samsung then announced their very aggressive move that Viv was going to debut on their next Galaxy S8 smartphone which was an in-your-face move to counter Google's arrogant move to introduce their new Pixel smartphone that exclusively offered Google Assistant. No other Android OEM was given the opportunity to sell this feature for Christmas sales 2016. That was a slap in their partner's faces; that was Google showing them who was boss. Yet that show of arrogance may have cost Google, with Samsung rushing to acquire Viv so as to have it ready in record time for the next-gen Galaxy S8. And Huawei has already introduced AI on their Mate 9 smartphone in China specifically for the Chinese consumer that they claim is more advanced than Apple's Siri. Then a rumor surfaced in late December that Google was demanding that Samsung not use their Viv-based AI for the Galaxy S8. But it was too late at that point in time and with Samsung being the biggest Android smartphone vendor Google has, how far could they really push their number one vendor? To top it off, this week Google was shot in the head point blank by Huawei. Not only did they not introduce Google Assistant for their first U.S. smartphone or even their own home grown AI that they use in China, they formally announced the adoption of Amazon's Alexa for their North American smartphone: Ouch! Reuters reported on this surprising shift yesterday. "Amazon.com Inc's digital assistant appeared almost everywhere at the CES technology show this week in Las Vegas, even making an unexpected appearance on rival Google's Android system. Companies ranging from appliance maker Whirlpool Corp to Ford Motor Co unveiled products featuring Alexa, the digital assistant from Amazon that responds to voice commands. Most strikingly, Chinese firm Huawei Technologies, which manufactures smartphones running on the Android operating system produced by Alphabet Inc's Google, announced that its flagship handset will come with an app that gives users' access to Alexa in the United States. Many in the technology industry believe that such voice-powered digital assistants will supplant keyboards and touch screens as a primary way consumers interact with devices. While the shift is only in the early stages, Google must establish a strong presence quickly, particularly on Android devices, to maintain its dominance in internet search, said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. "To the extent that voice becomes more important and something other than Google's voice assistant becomes the most popular voice interface on Android phones, that's a huge loss for Google in terms of data gathering, training its AI (artificial intelligence), and ultimately the ability to drive advertising revenue," he said. While Google may try to downplay these moves from two very important Android partners by saying Android is an open OS and they give their partners choice to provide custom solutions blah-blah-blah, that would be empty whiz-bang marketing mumbo-jumbo. The fact is that their partners are rebelling against Google and that is likely to encourage others to adopt Amazon's Alexa. And who knows, perhaps Microsoft may be behind the scenes drumming up business for Cortana on future Android smartphones. Once that door is open, it could mean Google loses control over a vital future feature and money generator. Who knows where this could lead but as the Reuter's report framed it, "that's a huge loss for Google," and it may only mark the beginning. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Moses Appoints Joshua: illustration from Henry Davenport Northrops 1894 Treasures of the Bible [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** I just finished last night a forthcoming article for National Catholic Register in which I argued for apostolic succession based on the joint authority in the Jerusalem council of elders (Gk., presbuteros = priest / pastor) and apostles. It was an expansion of one argument from a longer series of dialogues from yesterday. If they exercised more or less equal authority in such a sublimely authoritative council, then it stands to reason that bishops are the successors of the apostles (witnesses of Christ). Im still seeking to expand upon that argument today by pondering the biblical relationship of all these offices. I have long noted (following many biblical scholars) that early Christian offices were somewhat fluid. We would fully expect that, because all Christian doctrines develop over time. If we trace elders we find that it is in places used interchangeably with bishops. For example: Titus 1:5-7 (RSV) This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you, [6] if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate. [7] For a bishop, as Gods steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, Note elders in v. 5 and bishop in v. 7. They are used to describe the same office. Thus we can deduce that the elders at the Jerusalem council were bishops, working jointly with apostles. This implies a succession of one office to the other, as apostles eventually die out. Indeed, it is plain common sense that if the early Church had apostles to guide it, that some sort of similar office must be established to fill the same sort of role once all the apostles are dead. The same equivalency occurs in Acts 20: Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. Acts 20:28 [Paul talking to these elders] Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos = bishop], to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. Moreover, St. Peter the apostle calls himself an elder: 1 Peter 5:1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. (cf. 1:1: apostle) We know from history that Peter was the first bishop of Rome. Thus, he exhibits apostolic succession in his own person. And that gets into the papacy as well. Likewise, St. Paul the apostle calls himself a diakonos [deacon] at least seven times (1 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6; 6:4; 11:23; Eph 3:7; Col 1:23, 25: minister in KJV; minister or servant in RSV: Strongs word #1249). If Paul calls himself a deacon: an even lower office, then an apostle can certainly be an elder or bishop. And he wrote: 2 Timothy 1:11 For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, All of this suggests or is at the very least perfectly consistent with, apostolic succession. St. John was an apostle or eyewitness of Christ (1 John 1:1), yet he calls himself an elder twice (2 Jn 1:1; 3 Jn 1:1). St. James was an apostle, yet he, too, calls himself a servant (Gk., doulos: lit. slave or bondservant) in James 1:1. History indicates that he was the bishop of Jerusalem, and we see him displaying that authority in his prominent role (Acts 15:13 ff.) in the Jerusalem council. In my paper yesterday I included an argument from Jesus that is highly analogous to apostolic succession: Jesus Himself recognized succession of teachers, even among the non-Christian Pharisees (an early form or type of apostolic succession): Matthew 23:2-3 The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat; [3] so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They had authority even when hypocrites, and even over Christians and they did because they were in an office of succession that went back to Moses (implied by so in the text). Moreover, the notion of Moses seat is not found in the Old Testament, but we know it must have existed, because Jesus said it. If even Pharisees, then, have a succession of teaching office going all the way back to Moses, so Christians can and ought to have apostolic succession. We see succession or transfer of religious authority in the old covenant as well. In Numbers 17:18-23, Moses passes on his authority to Joshua, as his successor. Moses had extraordinary and singular powers, very much like the later apostles, yet he had a successor. He was the lawgiver and supreme teacher of Israel (as Peter and Paul and other apostles would be for the early Christians). We see both of these elements in the following passage: Deuteronomy 34:9-12 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him; so the people of Israel obeyed him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. [10] And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, [11] none like him for all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, [12] and for all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel. Additionally, the Levites were a priestly and teaching class in the old covenant (2 Chr 35:3; Neh 8:9). They obviously had succession, by the very fact that it was one tribe that had these duties. This went on for many hundreds of years. Its not just in the Old Testament that this occurs. It certainly appears as if Paul is passing on his office to Timothy (his true child in the faith: 1 Tim 1:2), also: 2 Timothy 1:6 Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 2 Timothy 1:13-14 Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; [14] guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, [2] and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it * 2 Timothy 4:1-6 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: [2] preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. [3] For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, [4] and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. [5] As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. [6] For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. Saturday Link Love is a new feature where I collect and post links to various articles Ive come upon over the past week. Feel free to share any interesting articles youve come along as well! The more the merrier. Why Men Dont Want the Jobs Done Mostly by Women, on the New York TimesWomen have always entered male-dominated fields usually well-paid, professional ones more than men enter female-dominated ones. An OB/GYN in Alabama treated a miscarriage. Shes getting sued for wrongful death. on Dr. Jen GunterAllowing this lawsuit to go forward is frightening. The ruling also sets a chilling precedent regarding viability and fetal personhood. Every State, Ranked by How Miserable Its Winters Are, on ThrillistIn most of America, winter sucks. It is cold out. You dont feel like doing anything, so you get fat. Pipes freeze. Lips, noses, and cheeks get chapped and raw. Black ice kills. Snow hats look cool until you have to take them off indoors and then your hair looks shitty. Its horrible. On the Collective Personification of a Year and the Devil in Our Current Politics, on JK JonesIn the days leading up to the election, he called his daughter for a serious conversation. I believe this is whats best for me, but youre my child, and you have a lot more time left than I do, so what do you think is best for you? he asked. She told him she thought Hillary Clinton was the better choice for her future. And thats how he voted. Automated book-culling software drives librarians to create fake patrons to check out endangered titles, on Boing BoingTwo employees at the East Lake County Library created a fictional patron called Chuck Finley entering fake drivers license and address details into the library system and then used the account to check out 2,361 books over nine months in 2016, in order to trick the system into believing that the books they loved were being circulated to the librarys patrons, thus rescuing the books from automated purges of low-popularity titles. I have a Patreon! Please support my writing! Rohani Corruption Spat Could Herald Rough-And-Tumble Iranian Presidential Campaign 01/06/17 By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL President Hassan Rohani has traded barbs with hard-line officials from Iran's judiciary in a highly public spat in which each side appears determined to tar the other with accusations of corruption in an election year. The feud appears to have been smoldering since the president's rise to power in 2013 on calls for reform and the arrest of one of Iran's wealthiest men, Babak Zanjani, months after Rohani took office. No truce in sight Left: Iranian President Hassan Rohani, Right: Judiciary chief Sadegh Larijani (source: front page of Nasle Farda daily) The feud was reignited last month, when Rohani obliquely attacked the judiciary's competence, and elicited seemingly unprecedented challenges this week when hard-liners urged Rohani to disclose past fundraising and to help bring his brother in for questioning. Rohani tweeted on January 3 that his government was "ready to create a website and clarify all of its spending and accounts" but demanded that "in return, the judiciary is expected to clarify all of its accounts." A spokesman for the powerful judiciary countered by intimating that the president was "using the debate about transparency as a tool" in the face of a reelection bid, and dozens of parliament deputies the same day demanded that Rohani's brother face "financial corruption charges." President Rouhani with his brother Hossein Fereydoun (source: front page of Aftab Yazd daily) Where's The Money? In December, Rohani questioned the judiciary's handling of the case against Zanjani, who has been sentenced to death for stealing more than $2 billion from the government through crooked oil sales during the administration of former hard-line President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Even though the judiciary had already issued a sentence, Rohani said, "people still want to know where is the money and who has helped him." The case is particularly sensitive because the thefts occurred during tough economic times made more difficult by international sanctions, some of which were lifted as part of a deeply divisive nuclear agreement struck in 2015 between Tehran and world powers. Conservatives and hard-liners have yet to commit to a challenger to face Rohani in the May election, but many of them staunchly opposed the nuclear deal, on which Rohani has staked considerable political capital. Rohani suggested that a lack of transparency and a failure to answer the public's questions in the Zanjani case risk losing "a more important thing than $3 billion, and that is public trust as social capital." He said the Intelligence Ministry should have investigated the case before sending it to a court. "People expect the matter to become clear," Rohani said, according to the transcript of his comments posted on his website. Left to Right: Iranian President Hassan Rohani, Parliament speaker Ali Larijani Judiciary chief Sadegh Larijani Where's YOUR Money? The head of the judiciary, an appointed post independent of the Justice Ministry, was quick to hit back. Speaking on January 2, Sadegh Larijani said Zanjani claimed that he had contributed to Rohani's election campaign. "Babak Zanjani has said that he has helped the election of the president with millions of tomans," Larijani said, a reference to a superunit of Iran's national currency, the rial. But, he added, "We don't consider all his comments fully true; he talks a lot and makes many allegations. President Rouhani brother Hossein Fereydoun (source: front page of Vatan Emrooz daily) Larijani said the judiciary could summon all the individuals against whom Zanjani has leveled accusations and arrest them, if need be. "They say people should know where the money has been spent," Larijani said. "By the way, we're also after the same thing: finding out where the money has been spent. Where is the presidential office's money spent?" That's when Rohani fired back on Twitter, expressing willingness to create a system for transparency in all its spending and accounts, and that the judiciary should, too. # #_ . (@Rouhani_ir) January 3, 2017 "Every institution must act within the scope of its own powers and responsibilities and respond to public opinion," Rohani told his Twitter followers. Unconfirmed reports have claimed in recent weeks that Larijani -- part of a powerful political family that includes brothers who are parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and a senior official on human rights within the judiciary -- controls more than 60 private bank accounts filled with public funds. Iran's state prosecutor has said that all of the judiciary's accounts are in order and that some of the fund transfers have been done with the knowledge of the country's supreme leader. # . # # . (@Rouhani_ir) January 3, 2017 Transparent Or Secretive? Rohani's tweets prompted a reaction by a spokesman for the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, who said on January 4 that the judiciary's accounts were "transparent" and that lawmakers had seen "documents" proving it. Mohseni-Ejei then suggested that the government was not forthright in all its dealings and that Rohani's call for transparency was a campaign tactic ahead of May's presidential election. He cited the 2015 nuclear agreement as an example, saying some details of the deal were only "leaked" later. Mohseni-Ejei urged the government to disclose Rohani's campaign spending from 2013 and where the money came from. The ultra-hard-line daily Kayhan seemed to side with Mohseni-Ejei, suggesting that Rohani talks loudly about the need for transparency despite heading what it said is a "government of secrets." The pro-reform daily Etemad said Rohani's tweets demonstrated the government's "serious determination" and argued that his readiness to show transparency was "unprecedented." Meanwhile, on January 4, more than 46 lawmakers called on Rohani to present his brother, Hossein Fereydoun, to the judiciary to face "financial corruption charges." That demand echoed recent statements by Rohani's rivals in which they accused Fereydoun -- a member of the president's inner circle who has been called his "eyes and ears" -- of corruption. About the author: Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She can be reached at esfandiarig@rferl.org Copyright (c) 2017 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 story of an Iranian soldier who lost a limb saving a dog trapped in minefield 01/07/17 Source: Tehran Times Mohammad Bakhtar, a 19-year-old Iranian soldier, has been highly lauded after losing his leg while trying to save a dog trapped in a barbed wire fence around a minefield. Mohammad's story, has gone viral in the country since the incident which happened in a garrison in Ajabshir, northwestern East Azarbaijan province, the Department of Environment official website reported. Iranian soldier Mohammad Bakhtar who was injured saving a dog On the cold afternoon on December 17, Mohammad heard a dog's painful howl, so he hurried to free the injured animal and seconds later after freeing the dog, a mine exploded resulted in massive injuries in his right leg. "I was standing at my post that day I heard the dog yowling for an hour and a half but I wasn't allowed to leave my post so I waited," Mohammad said, "As soon as I finished I ran towards the dog, I knew that there was a minefield on the other side of the fence, but I had no choice so in order to reach the dog I put my right foot to the other side of the barbed fence to release the dog; right when the dog was freed and ran for some 50 meters the mine exploded." Many residents came out to greet Bakhtar upon his arrival in his hometown Doctors in a hospital in Tabriz inevitably amputated his right leg below the knee. Despite all the pains he bore and hardships he has to go through in the future he insists that he would do the same things if he sees the dog in that condition again. "What soothe me is that how people and officials reacted to what I did," Mohammad explains. "That people didn't forget me and welcomed me after discharging from the hospital make me to come to the same decision again." Masoumeh Ebtekar, chief of Department of Environment called Mohammad and praised him as "a source of honor and pride for every Iranian". Ebtekar has also offered Mohammad a job in the department, which he accepted enthusiastically as he has always been fond of nature and wildlife. Mohammad is also determined to go to the university and study environmental related fields now that he is exempted from military services. I have never really stopped to ask myself whether or not I enjoy driving, but user enjoyment is one of the main goals of Toyotas Concept-i car. To demonstrate what it might feel like to drive the Concept-i, Toyota has set up a simulator at CES in Las Vegas. I tried it out myself and found the experience really enjoyable. Before entering the car, you have to type in your name, age, gender, and hobbies. This information is later used by the car to suggest enjoyable routes and measure your vitals, since the car is meant to pick up on drivers emotions. Martyn Williams Before entering Toyotas Concept-i simulator, participants are asked to enter their name, age, and hobbies. Inside the cabin, Yui, Concept-is AI agent greeted me and gave me three route options: San Francisco, Carmel, and Muir Woods. Having taken a very pleasant trip to Carmel over Thanksgiving, I chose the charming city as my destination. As we progressed through a neighborhood, Yui took over control of the car to avoid some straying pedestrians and bicyclists. At one point, my seat slid down, and to my pleasant surprise, started massaging my lower back. The Toyota representative standing beside me explained that the car had entered autonomous mode. Throughout the ride, the car was picking up on my vitals and facial expressions and creating a happiness map, which showed how I felt at each stage of the journey. My favorite part of the experience was driving along a oceanside road and feeling the wind in my hair, which was artificially created by a fan in the car as Yui triggered some soothing animations on the dashboard. The Concept-i is definitely a unique car. To find out what inspired the design, we spoke to Concept-is chief designer Ian Cartabiano. Check out the interview below. The popular boardwalk at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve west of Murrieta has been rebuilt, almost two years after heavy storms broke it up. Construction began Oct. 18 on the walkway over the nature parks large vernal pool area and was completed in a couple weeks. Everyone, staff and visitors alike, missed the boardwalk, Carole Bell, the reserve manager, said in an email. It has become the most popular destination on the Ecological Reserve. It not only provides an excellent viewing area for our visitors on the edge of our largest vernal pool, it also kept foot traffic away from the sensitive habitat of threatened and endangered plants and animals. This time of year, the vernal pools on the Santa Rosa Plateau are just an expanse of dry grasses. But when the water from winter rains accumulates in the pools, dormant species spring to life. The pools are home to the threatened Santa Rosa fairy shrimp and other species. Rare plants, such as the Santa Rosa Brodiaea, can be found along the shoreline. The Nature Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that manages the reserve, used a grant from the Army Corps of Engineers to build the boardwalk in the mid-90s. The grant, for public education and access to a vernal pool on the plateau, was provided to offset the loss of a vernal pool in San Diego County, Bell said. Though the original boardwalk was not anchored to the ground and sometimes flooded during extreme weather, it had stayed in place until December 2010, Bell said. The plateau was battered by strong winds and received 16 inches of rain in four days, breaking the boardwalk in half and pushing it about 40 feet north of its original location, she said. The California Department of Fish and Game, which is the landowner, obtained Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to repair the damage, Bell said. Because the vernal pool area is home to threatened species, officials had to research a biological opinion to come up with the best way to reconstruct the boardwalk and minimize harm to plants and animals. That took some time, Bell said. Reconstruction on the $45,000 project was delayed further when the project was opened for bidding and no local companies were interested, she said. After the search was expanded, a bid from Faris Construction in Oceanside was accepted, she said. Workers used a small off-road vehicle to haul their equipment from the gravel parking lot along Via Volcano Road near Avocado Mesa Road down the half-mile trail to the large vernal pool. They installed concrete footings in the pool bed and anchored the boardwalk to them, raising the walkway several inches. Rob Hicks, the park interpreter, said there wasnt enough rain this past season to fill the pools. But during the 2010-11 season they had to put up fences to keep visitors away from the pools. Otherwise, shoreline plants and animals would have been trampled, he said. Reserve officials said they are excited to have the boardwalk back so visitors will again have an up-close view. Now, they are just waiting for rain to fill the pools. An event to celebrate the reopening of the boardwalk is planned for 1 p.m. Nov. 16. The public is invited to attend. Follow Sarah Burge on Twitter: @sarahkburge Before last years presidential election, a number of Chinese-language media outlets in Southern California were abuzz with news and commentary voicing support for Republican nominee Donald Trump. Now, those voices often are silent. A December phone call from the president of Taiwan that was accepted by Trump, plus the president-elects choice of a China hawk to head a new foreign trade council and lots of post-election tweets disparaging the communist government regarding trade are casting a pall on the relationship Southern California has with with China. That, in turn, could sting financially and culturally. Any big change with China has the potential to alter everything from commercial projects in downtown Los Angeles to new neighborhoods in places like Irvine and Moreno Valley to enrollment at UCLA, UC Riverside and USC. For now, the mood for many Chinese-Americans including some who supported Trump is cautious. We try to block the bad stuff Trump says about China, said David Wang, a 33-year-old Diamond Bar resident who founded Chinese Americans for Trump and serves on Trumps Asian-American advisory board. To be honest, I think hes just testing the waters. That last idea was widely held just a few weeks ago. Before the election, while polling showed Asian-Americans generally favored Democrat Hillary Clinton and as Trump used China as a foil in his stump speeches and in national debates his brash style and positions on issues like education and immigration nevertheless galvanized support from some in the Chinese and Taiwanese enclaves of places like the San Gabriel Valley and Orange County. His Chinese-American fans were small in numbers but often loud. They offered public support at his rallies and flooded the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat with pro-Trump discourse. That, in turn, captured attention in Southern Californias vibrant Chinese-language media, which include several newspapers and websites. Before the election there were newspaper articles saying that he would be good for China. There were groups of Chinese people for Trump who bought billboards, said Long Liu, a San Gabriel lawyer whose firm primarily serves clients in Southern Californias ethnic Chinese community. It had an impact, Liu added. There were a lot of Chinese people who ended up voting for Trump. But since Trumps surprise victory and more specifically, since he accepted a congratulatory phone call from the president of Taiwan in early December many of the president-elects Chinese-American supporters have largely gone silent. After the phone call, it was like all of those people, all of those articles, magically disappeared, Liu said. No one talks about him anymore. The silence is not surprising. In addition to taking the phone call from Taiwan, the president-elect has doubled down on the anti-Chinese rhetoric he campaigned on, making it clear his administration might take aggressive steps to curtail Chinese-U.S. trade. Trump has so frequently provoked the Chinese government on Twitter that Chinas state news agency demanded this week that the president-elect stop using the microblogging platform to conduct foreign policy. And last month, Trump appointed UC Irvine economist Peter Navarro, a fierce critic of Chinas economic policies, to head a newly created White House council tasked with overseeing global trade. For Trumps Chinese-American supporters, many of whom are first-generation immigrants from mainland China, the president-elects aggressive posturing toward China has come as a surprise and injected a degree of uncertainty about the candidate whom they rallied around during the campaign. Being Chinese-American, you are always in the awkward position of deciding who you are loyal to, said Wang. Trump also is inspiring unprecedented engagement in a community that has often seemed indifferent to American politics. This is an issue that will impact everyone in every community, said Yulan Chung, who runs the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School in Orange County. Everyone is trying to figure out whats going on and what (the Trump administration) stands for. This is a country of immigrants, Chung added. But everyone wants to protect their own interests. Ly Kou of Ontario, who describes herself as ethnically Chinese, is a staunch Trump supporter. He will bring about global prosperity not just for us, she said. When people see theres a future, it gives them hope. Hes someone whos successful. Hes the epitome of success he can see the big picture. Increasingly, the interests of Chinese-Americans, Chinese investors and Southern Californias economy are entwined. China has replaced Mexico as the country sending the most immigrants to California including 33,000 in 2015, according to federal data. China also is the leading source of foreign students at Californias public colleges. California is a top destination for Chinese foreign investment, taking in $25.5 billion between 2000 and 2016, according to the Rhodium Group, which tracks global economic trends. Theres a lot at stake when it comes to Californias engagement with China, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a public policy professor at UC Riverside who directs the National Asian American Survey. Everyone is in a state of uncertainty now, waiting to see what Trump will do on trade, on immigration, on foreign policy. Trumps recent remarks on China, Ramakrishnan added, have heightened that policy uncertainty. A lot of people who didnt take Trumps anti-China rhetoric seriously during the campaign have been sort of rudely awakened. Any policies the Trump administration pursues are likely to have an outsize effect in Southern California, and particularly in Los Angeles County. The county is home to the largest ethnic Chinese population in the country 421,665, according to census data much of which is centered in the San Gabriel Valley. Chinese communities are also growing in Orange County and the Inland region, according to U.S. census data. (Based in part on immigration from China, Irvine recently became the largest city in the mainland United States with a plurality of Asians.) Chinese investment and tourism also are a major driver of economic growth, specifically in Los Angeles, with Chinese investors spearheading several downtown real estate development projects. There are lots of people in California who are making money off of our relationship with China, said Jerrold Green, president of the Pacific Council on International Policy. Chinese tourism to California is absolutely enormous. There are lots of Chinese students here; there are lots of Chinese businesses interested in being here. Trumps administration could put that relationship in jeopardy, Green added, particularly in light of his hard-line stance on issues like immigration and trade. Still, for now at least, many others believe changes in U.S.-China relations under Trump arent likely to affect the flow of people and money from China to California. Theres a fundamental confidence among Chinese-Americans that the U.S. is stable, politically and socially, said Yong Chen, a history professor at UC Irvine. The road to a better relationship between the two countries will be more bumpy, because its so uncertain. But it wont stop people from wanting to live and study here. Contact the writer: gwyler@scng.com Hemet welcomed its newest police officer in a big way. In the past, when an officer joined the force or was promoted, a small ceremony took place outside the chiefs office, with a few family members and city officials present. But when Travis Hamby joined the Hemet Police Department on Wednesday the same time three current officers were promoted it was in front of 100-some residents and business leaders in the City Council chambers. And besides receiving a new badge, Hamby and the other officers were given gift baskets from the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce. Chamber CEO Andy Anderson said public safety is the priority among chamber members and the gifts symbolize the partnership between businesses and the Police Department. We thought this would be a great way to welcome in the new officer and and congratulate the promoted officers, he said. Anderson said he hopes the program grows and the baskets which included gift certificates and other items from chamber members get bigger. Police Chief Dave Brown appreciates the effort. The symbolism of having new officers and promoted officers surrounded by the business community shows the community supports them, Brown said. The visual of that is the best thing that happened this morning. Hiring Hamby and promoting Glen Brock from sergeant to lieutenant, Gabriel Gomez from corporal to sergeant and Bryan Cunningham from officer to corporal are the first moves under Measure U, a sales tax increase approved by Hemet voters in November that will pay for enhanced public safety. They are going to preserve our future as a community where we all want to raise our families, Mayor Linda Krupa said. Brock, Gomez and Cunningham will be part of the new Special Operations Bureau. These three individuals represent the first wave of progress in the effort to revitalize our community, Brown told the gathering. These promotions give us the ability to establish a Special Operations Bureau that will be tasked with aggressively attacking the quality-of-life issues that have plagued our community in recent years, which will focus on public nuisance crimes. Under Measure U, the sales tax will rise by 1 percentage point starting April 1, with the expected revenue of $10 million per year going to public safety. The city probably wont see any of that money until summer, but the council approved using money from the reserve account to avoid a delay in implementation of the program. Jump-starting the Measure U process has been a priority since day one, Brown said. Being able to get the process started is really going to give us a head start. The Fire Department also is kicking off its Measure U program and soon will be unveiling a peak-demand unit that will handle medical calls. The paramedics will work during the times when there is the most demand for service. Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@scng.com DECATUR The Decatur Police Department undertook a special operation during the holiday season aiming to save lives by keeping drunk drivers off the streets. Officers arrested 20 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics from Dec. 16 to Jan. 1. Of the 20 arrests, seven were performed by DPD officer working hire back patrols funded by an Illinois Department of Transportation grant, said a department news release. To help Illinois drive zero fatalities to reality, we warned partygoers to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs or face the consequences if they did and we kept our word, said patrol Sgt. Chris Peters. These offenders now realize their actions have serious and potentially fatal consequences, and we hope they will never put themselves or others at risk by driving impaired. A similar operation one year earlier also resulted in 20 arrests, with three of those arrests made by hire back officers, patrol officers who were working during their off duty hours. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, was the only Inland member of Congress to vote against a House measure rebuking the United Nations Security Council for its resolution opposing Israeli settlements on land that could be part of a future Palestinian state. The measure passed 342-80. In a statement, Takano said: Throughout my career Ive been an unwavering advocate for the security and sovereignty of Israel as a Jewish state. The UN resolution was imperfect, to say the least, but I found the House resolution to be factually inaccurate with the potential to undermine Americas long held goal of a two-state solution. I will never endorse any action that would endanger Israels safety, nor will I support a resolution that takes us further away from the true and lasting peace we all seek for Israelis and Palestinians. Those voting for the House resolution included Reps. Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands; Ken Calvert, R-Corona; Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley; Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine; Raul Ruiz, D-La Quinta and Norma Torres, D-Pomona. In 2013, Takano was part of a group of 37 House Democrats who visited Israel. A foundation with ties to a pro-Israeli lobbying group paid for the trip. A California Highway Patrol officer asked medical personnel to draw blood samples of a Fontana woman accused of killing six people in a 2014 wrong-way crash on the 60 freeway after learning she would soon be undergoing surgery, he testified in court Friday. Defense attorneys are trying to convince a judge the blood evidence should not be part of the states case against Olivia Carolee Culbreath, whos facing six counts of murder. The motion to suppress the blood evidence continues next week. In court on Friday, CHP Officer David Crislip, the officer in charge of the crash investigation, said following the collision, he went to the hospital where Culbreath was being treated. After speaking with a nurse, who described surgery as imminent, he ordered a blood sample be taken to aid in the investigation. Did you feel you had enough time to get a (search) warrant? Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Padilla asked Crislip. Absolutely not, he responded. Crislips testimony came more than a year after Culbreaths lawyers filed a motion seeking to suppress her blood samples and their analysis. They argue it should be thrown out because the unconscious suspect couldnt give consent and the CHP failed to get a required warrant. Prosecutors accuse Culbreath of driving a Chevrolet Camaro east on the westbound 60 at about 4:45 a.m Feb. 9, 2014, at speeds near 100 mph. The Camaro crashed head-on into a sport utility vehicle, then another vehicle subsequently crashed into the SUV, the CHP said at the time. Six people died in the crash, two in Culbreaths car: Culbreaths sister, Maya, 24, of Rialto and Chino resident Kristin Melissa Young, 21. Four Huntington Park residents Gregorio Mejia-Martinez, 47; Leticia Ibarra, 42; Jessica Jasmine Mejia, 20; and Ester Delgado, 80 were traveling in the SUV. All four were thrown from the vehicle and died. In the course of his investigation, Crislip spotted an open container of alcohol in a Chevrolet Camero, which smelled of alcohol, he testified. The officer testified he arrived at the scene at about 5:50 a.m. and was there for about an hour before heading to the hospital. He arrived about 7:28 a.m. and found Culbreath undergoing a computed tomography, or CT, scan. Crislip said he stood about 2 feet away. I smelled an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from her, he said. The number of doctors and nurses tending to Culbreath indicated she was seriously injured, Crislip said, and he believed it was necessary to draw blood samples before she was taken to surgery. Securing a warrant would have required a number steps, including writing up the document, having all the facts of the case, having it signed by a supervisor and then taking to a judge, he said. That would have taken more than an hour. During cross-examination, Culbreath attorney Robert Sheahen asked Crislip: Did you advise Ms. Culbreath she was under arrest? Yes, Crislip replied. Sheahen said Crislip had testified Culbreath was unconscious. Crislip said she was, but doctors, nurses and others were also in the room. The hearing on the matter will continue next Friday. Then, attorneys will be back in court Feb. 8, when medical personnel involved in the collection of the blood samples are expected to testify. A juvenile who was critically injured in a multi-car crash last month died and the drunken driving suspect who authorities say caused it was arrested, police said Saturday, Jan. 7. The 14-year-old male victim was one of the passengers in a Nissan SUV that was struck by a Ford Explorer at around 6:45 p.m. Dec. 26. He died Tuesday afternoon at Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital, where he had been transferred from Desert Regional Medical Center due to the extent of his injuries and his age, according to Indio police. The driver of the Ford Explorer, Juan Gomez, of Indio, 48, is suspected of driving while intoxicated and hitting multiple vehicles. He is suspected of side-swiping a Toyota Camry as he approached Monroe Street and Avenue 48 at a high rate of speed, police said. He then rear-ended the stationary Nissan SUV in which the juvenile was riding, Sgt. Dan Marshall said, causing it to be pushed into the rear of a stationary Honda SUV. Fourteen people suffered minor injuries and four people were critically hurt, including the teenager who subsequently died. Gomez was arrested without incident on Friday at the Indio police station at 46800 Jackson St., police said. He was booked into Indio Jail on suspicion of DUI and homicide and is being held without bail. A Republican lawmaker removed a high school students painting from a Capitol Hill display Friday because it shows a pig in a police uniform, aiming a gun at African-American protesters. The image was inspired by the shooting and protests in Ferguson, Missouri. California Rep. Duncan Hunter unscrewed the painting from a hallway display that includes hundreds of works of art and returned it to the office of Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay, who sponsored the work and represents a St. Louis congressional district. Joe Kasper, a spokesman for Hunter, said theres nothing appropriate about the painting. He said the artwork was the subject of discussion when GOP lawmakers gathered for a morning caucus meeting. When Hunter left the meeting, he walked to the display and took it off the wall. Hunter did not speak with Clay about the portrait. Kasper said it was Clays prerogative to return the painting to the display. A spokesman for Clay says the congressman was unavailable for comment. The painting showed a police officer taking aim at protesters with signs saying history and stop kill. The police officer has an elongated face with tusks, much like a razorback pig. The background includes the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, a young black man looking out from prison bars. One of the figures also appears to show a protester as a wolf. Clays website gives the following description of the artwork: The painting 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. In August 2014, a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, in Ferguson, setting off weeks of protests. Clays office said Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School Senior David Pulphus won the lawmakers 16th Annual Congressional Art Competition, and his visually stunning acrylic painting on canvas entitled, Untitled (hash)1 will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol Complex. Speaker Paul Ryans office did not return a call seeking comment on whether he condoned Hunters actions. Drew Hammill, a spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Hunter will soon realize that hes fallen down more than one rabbit hole. Hunter recently charged his campaign $600 to fly his childrens pet rabbit. Hunter paid back the money as part of more than $60,000 in other questionable charges, all self-identified and self-reported. A tunnel leading to the Capitol is filled with paintings and other artwork done by students who enter them in the annual Congressional Art Competition. The nationwide competition began in 1982 and students around the country submit entries to their representatives office. Panels of district artists select the winner from each district, and the winning works are displayed for one year. Correctly predicting that California voters would approve the legal use of marijuana, San Jacinto has been aggressive in setting up ordinances to regulate how recreational pot will be grown and sold in the city. The latest piece of its plan was designating an area where marijuana could be grown outdoors as west of Sanderson Avenue and north of Cottonwood Avenue in the citys northwestern area. Outdoor cultivation is banned everywhere else in San Jacinto. State law allows for up to six marijuana plants to be grown inside a home for personal use, but most other issues related to marijuana can be regulated by local municipalities. San Jacinto voters already approved taxing marijuana businesses. Also, the council has voted to keep other bans in place as it studies the ramifications of the new law. Russ Utz, who joined the council last month, praised his colleagues and city officials for their foresight. Doing it now gives us the possibility of getting some of those fees, he said. Were out ahead of most of the cities in the county. Utz mentioned that neighboring municipalities could allow cultivation and sales, so San Jacinto needs to make sure its not squeezed out of potential revenue. The four other council members vehemently opposed marijuana use before the election. Utz said he is not a fan of pot but realizes the city cant close its eyes to the impacts of the new law. The fact is, the use at home is legal now; it doesnt matter what we like, Utz said. I dont know that the attitude of a teetotaler regarding the retail issues is going to be the way to quote-unquote protect the community. The City Councils unanimous vote Tuesday clarified that commercial marijuana cultivation is an agricultural use and limited it to the designated area. Deputy City Attorney Mike Maurer said the clarification was important because the city allows some agricultural businesses to operate in areas no longer zoned for such activities. Those operations are designated as legal nonconforming. This is a mechanism that provides some clarity that is consistent with state law, Maurer said. Providing the clarification for marijuana ensures existing agricultural property owners will not lose their legal status. The ordinance makes it mandatory that outdoor marijuana growers get a permit from the city and comply with land use restrictions. San Jacinto also is pondering allowing marijuana-related businesses in industrial zones. Anthony Wagner, a San Diego planning commissioner who runs an environmental consulting service that works with medical marijuana businesses, urged the council to allow the manufacturing and extraction of cannabis oils in its industrial zone. Utz said such businesses could bring high-tech jobs to the city. Im hoping we can get some of those jobs and the related income, he said. A decision on such uses is expected in the future. Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 orcshultz@scng.com The scheduled arraignment for two people accused of murdering two Guatemalan immigrants in Riverside in 2015 has been postponed for a second time. Antoine Deshawn James and Abiance Linece Turner were due to be arraigned Friday, Jan. 6. They are now due to appear in Superior Court in Riverside County to enter pleas on Jan. 12. The pair are also accused of committing a crime to benefit a gang. A third suspect, Anthony Lovell Eddington II, was shot to death by Fresno County sheriffs deputies as they tried to arrest him. Southern California airports beefed up security Friday, Jan. 6, following a deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.s, international airport an attack that renewed concerns about security weaknesses at airports nationwide. Rifle-toting officers, canine teams and motorcycle and undercover officers patrolled Los Angeles International Airport terminal areas Friday, and security staff monitored 2,500 surveillance cameras. But officials stressed they had no indications of an immediate threat at LAX. We have been in constant communication with our federal partners, Airport Police Chief David Maggard said during an afternoon news conference. Fort Lauderdale flights to and from LAX were delayed, and airliners en route to the Florida city during the shooting were diverted to nearby airports. Other Southern California airports, including Ontario International Airport, also went on heightened alert. Fridays shooting, by an arriving passenger who authorities said retrieved a firearm from a bag hed checked on a trip that originated in Alaska prompted security consultants across the country to urge security upgrades at the nations airports. Some warned that airports remain especially vulnerable between entrances to the properties and TSA checkpoints areas containing large public spaces that include ticketing counters and baggage claim areas. Others said tarmacs are too exposed and subject to weaker security and less monitoring than fronts of passenger terminals, which constantly undergo upgrades. Its almost like changing the locks on your front door four times and leaving the back door unlocked, said John Romanowich, a leading expert on airport security based in New Jersey. The tarmac is almost wide open at every airport. TSA rules allow passengers to check unloaded firearms kept in a locked box inside their baggage. Ammunition can be checked in a separate locked box. In the aftermath of Fridays shooting, some expert suggested that rules for firearms need to be re-examined. Sergio Robleto, a Monterey Park security consultant, said rules should perhaps require passengers, except for law enforcement, to send their firearms ahead to their destinations a few days before they travel. Other consultants said the Second Amendment right to bear arms would not allow major increases to current TSA restrictions on firearms. Tom Conley, a security expert from Des Moines, Iowa, said there is a tremendous lack of security around property perimeters and terminal entrances at many airports. You cant have this lack of security and expect to mitigate things when they occur, Conley said. He said more police are needed at airports to monitor crowds and watch for suspicious travelers. But Conley and others agreed attacks on baggage claim areas and other so-called soft targets will always be difficult to prevent. Theres no efficient, effective way to screen peoples intentions and catch all hidden firearms and other weapons, they said. How do you police somebody who has bad intent and ammunition? said Romanowich, chief executive of Sightlogix consulting, which provides intruder-detection equipment to airports and other government facilities. But there are still things that can be done to decrease risks, experts say, including increased monitoring of crowds for visible and verbal clues that someone means harm. You have to keep your eyes open, Romanowich said. There were probably cues to the (shooters) behavior. Los Angeles County sheriffs Chief Scott Edson called the Fort Lauderdale shooting unique because the suspect was following federal laws and proved that his gun was unloaded, but was able to load his gun in a bathroom. Such a scenario requires help from an observant public. While attacks on soft targets cant be entirely prevented, security experts said, the losses can be minimized. Church staffs, supermarket employees and workers at other soft targets can train for the aftermath, including how to administer aid to the wounded and respond before help arrives. You dont have to walk around paranoid, but you do have to have a plan, Robleto said. There isnt enough law enforcement to cover every location. But law enforcement can play a role in training people. Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said, Any location deemed to be a potential target is given extra patrols. And events are thoroughly evaluated by city, police and fire officials to ensure our community members can have the safest time. Staff writer Brian Rokos contributed to this report. The Jurupa Valley couple who complained about explosions at a nearby Riverside County sheriffs facility cracking their ceiling and wracking their nerves said they have met with department officials since they first told their story publicly in November but remain dissatisfied. We have made very little progress, Wirt Shellman, 61, said recently. They are still detonating bombs at that location and are telling us its perfectly fine, with little concern for damage it can or will create. And zero concern for loss of property value. A lieutenant at the Special Investigations Bureau, which sets off explosions as part of its secretive probes in the Rubidoux neighborhood, declined to discuss the Shellmans concerns in November. The Sheriffs Department did not respond to a recent request for comment. PREVIOUSLY: Frequent explosions at sheriffs facility have neighbors on edge Shellman said he and his wife, Virginia, 58, met with Lt. Dean Agnoletto and a second deputy late in 2016. Shellman said that when he brought up the prospect of a reduced property value, one of them said, We are not here to cause any harm and then the pair left. Shellman said he consulted a real estate agent who said he would have to reveal that he lives next door to a facility that blows things up. Im trying to figure out why are they choosing to detonate explosives in a residential community when they have thousands and thousands and thousands of acres in county land with nothing around it, he said. And that ceiling crack has grown a little since November. Shellman said a structural engineer told him that he could not conclusively link the crack with the explosions but that the crack did not occur naturally. Shellman back in November also complained about a fire hazard near his property. The sheriffs property line extends beyond its fence, almost to his fence. Between the fences, tall pines lean toward his home, and dead branches have piled up. Shellman said he recently has contacted the county but did not get results, so he has notified his insurance company. If they continue to blast, I have to gather the entire neighborhood and file a lawsuit for lost property value and damage, he said. Contact the writer: brokos@scng.com or 951-368-9569 There may be fewer empty stomachs on the Cal State San Bernardino campus in coming years thanks, in part, to a $1 million endowment from a local philanthropic couple. Chuck Obershaw, former owner of the Toyota dealership in San Bernardino that bears his name, and his wife, Shelby, have been donating to the Cal State campus since 1990. Their newly established endowment, which was announced Wednesday, is targeted to benefit the schools food pantry which helps students lacking resources to adequately feed themselves an educational opportunity program focused on assisting former foster children and the school of business entrepreneurship program. Shelby Obershaw said she and her husband have been donating to the university scholarship programs since 1990. This is the second $1 million donation the couple has made to Cal State San Bernardino, she said. Cal State is designated in our will, Shelby said. We got to thinking about it and said, If we can help people now, we should. She said she and Chuck discussed the universitys needs with Ron Fremont, vice president of university advancement, and settled on the three programs. Shes hoping funds from the endowment will start benefiting students this year. Veronica Ramirez Amerson is director of the campus educational opportunity program. She said the endowment will make a big difference in the foster youth program, one of several that fall under the EOP umbrella. Its a great way to start the year, she said. I couldnt be more excited, Amerson said. When it was announced, she said, We all teared up in the office. When foster children reach 18, they no longer receive support from the state. Many dont have the resources to find adequate employment. Many dont consider college to be an option. Amerson said the Cal State program, which started in 2003, reaches out to foster children when they are still in high school to help those who are interested enroll in college. The program often provides additional support that these students may need, such as funds for housing and school supplies. We work with these students on a daily basis and we hear their stories and see how resilient they are, Amerson said. What prevents them from succeeding is financial struggles. This (endowment money) allows for them to focus on what theyre really here to do, which is to study. Until now, Amerson said, the program has been sustained by grants, community donations and fundraising events, meaning that there is no stable year-to-year funding. Such money raising efforts will continue, she said, but the endowment helps us sustain our programs commitment. It will allow us to expand the program and hopefully help more foster students in our community. Obershaw, a former junior high school teacher, said she is pleased to be able to support the program. Were very happy to help the foster students, she said. A lot of them dont have anything when theyre cut loose. Obershaw said she could relate to students who might be struggling. She needed help in her senior year when she was completing her degree at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. I was putting myself through school and I kind of ran out of money, she said. I received an alumni scholarship, which allowed her to complete the year. She likes the idea there is a food pantry on campus to help starving students, and said she hopes to meet some of the students who will be helped by the endowment. Because of her husbands entrepreneurship, she said, they wanted to encourage business students taking a similar path. Chuck called it a way to invest in the future. California College Payoff A new study released by PayScale, which gathers data on worker incomes, shows that Californias community colleges are performing well at turning out students who earn better pay. Of the top 20 two-year colleges on PayScales list which is culled from data provided by 54 million respondents and based on mid-career pay 10 are California colleges. San Bernardino Valley College tied for 15th in the nation with Santa Claritas College of the Canyons. Graduates of both schools reported earning an average of $64,600 after more than 10 years of experience in their fields. Contact the writer: mmuckenfuss@scng.com or 951-368-9595 For many Inland panaderias or Mexican bakeries a popular oval sweetbread that flew out the doors Friday brought in royal sales. This is our busiest week of the year, said Teresa Yepez, 40, co-owner of Lolas Mexican Bakery in the Food 4 Less complex on Chicago Avenue in Riverside. Since Monday, her husband, Mario Yepez, and another baker have worked around the clock slapping together 1,000 of the crown-shaped confections in three sizes, ranging in price from $9 to $30, to sell on or before Friday. Friday was a religious holiday, the Day of the Epiphany also known as El Dia de Los Reyes or Three Kings Day when celebrants share the wreath or circle of bread called la rosca de reyes, or the kings ring. The pastry symbolizes the visit of the three wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem to see the Christ child. They came bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh. During their 14 years of owning the 1,000-square-foot panaderia, the demand for rosca de reyes has steadily increased, said Teresa Yepez, of Moreno Valley. Lolas is one of best bakeries around, Christine Camacho said as she bought a small rosca de reyes for her family. To enhance the metaphor of a tiara, each round loaf is bejeweled with colorful candied or crystallized fruit. At Lolas, dried figs are dotted among the jellied yellow, green and red baubles, images of the gifts the three kings brought to the Christ child. Hidden inside the the dough are small, plastic, 11/4-inch babies, representing Joseph and Marys concealment of Jesus from King Herod. Recipes vary from bakery to bakery, but the breads basic ingredients include flour, water, milk, eggs, yeast, sugar and butter. Every year, I buy a medium rosca de reyes for my family, said Lourdes Flores, 47, of Riverside as she picked up a box at Lolas. She was taking it home for breakfast Friday to serve to her boys, 10 and 12. Good stuff, she said. We do this every year. As tradition goes, if you find Jesus in your slice, you must host a party on Feb. 2, known as Candlemas Day, Presentation of the Lord, or Dia de la Candelaria. Its exactly 40 days after Christs birth, when Mary visited the temple in Jerusalem. In Mexico, Catholics feast, eating tamales with friends and family and bringing dolls or lifesize figures of the baby Jesus to church to be blessed. Three kings bread tastes like a concha, only moister and fluffier, with an orange citrus flavor, said Arturo Jimenez, referring to a pan dulce breakfast pastry. He works at the Jimenez Mexican Bakery on Orange Street in Redlands owned by his brother, Nicolas Jimenez. The three sizes of rosca de reyes they bake contain three, five and six baby figurines, respectively. Its good luck if you get one, Arturo Jimenez said. Its a way of remembering Jesus. CARBONDALE A new law is aimed at alleviating the states teacher shortage by making it easier for out-of-state educators to transfer their licenses to Illinois. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the measure into law Friday at Carbondale Community High School. He was joined by outgoing state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, a co-sponsor of the bill, and state Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphsyboro. Rauner hailed the bipartisan Senate Bill 2192, which passed unanimously in both chambers of the General Assembly, as a great step in the right direction for teachers in Illinois. Everything we do in public service, we focus on our young people and building a better future for the children and our grandchildren in Illinois, Rauner said. The law allows the Illinois State Board of Education to grant Illinois licenses to teachers with comparable out-of-state licenses, and it also reduces the fees associated with obtaining a teaching license or substitute teaching license. In addition, the law lifts burdens for retired teachers who want to return to the classroom as substitute teachers. Carbondale Community High School Superintendent Steve Murphy said schools in the Carbondale district struggle to find substitute teachers. All of us superintendents in Southern Illinois, when we interview new teachers, we get great candidates from Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and our state government should really facilitate those teachers that want to move to Illinois, rather than put up a bunch of red tape to stop them from moving to Illinois, Murphy said. Jeff Vose, Illinois Association of School Administrators regional superintendent, said his office has seen the impact of the teacher shortage problem firsthand. A district in Peoria had 60 unfilled teacher positions earlier this year, he said. Thats just unacceptable. From being in education as long as I have been, this bill will help, hopefully, rectify that situation, and it will stop the unnecessary roadblocks to get a license to be a teacher, Vose said. Rauner called the states lack of support for schools immoral and a fundamental failure. Weve got a bipartisan task force working right now, in fact I think theyre meeting again today, to come up with a new funding formula so we can support our more rural districts, our smaller school districts, our low-income districts and get more equitable school funding along with more school funding for all schools, Rauner said. Meeting with media after the bill-signing, Rauner was asked about the possibility of a stopgap for K-12 categorical funding for the remainder of the academic year. Im pushing every day to get a balanced budget with more resources for education. For me, education is the No. 1 priority. Nothing should come ahead of education, funding our teachers, our schools, he said. In regard to reports of budget talks between Democratic Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago and Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont, Rauner said it would be premature to comment on specifics but that he was briefed on a possible deal by Radogno earlier in the week. Im not familiar with all the details. I think theyre still being worked out. I think some legislation is being drafted, but Im heartened by that, Im optimistic that Democrats and Republicans are negotiating in good faith to come up with changes to our system so its not broken anymore, Rauner said. Reached by phone on Friday, Jim Reed, Illinois Education Association director of government relations, said the union supports the new law, but that it took issue with an early draft that would have allowed individuals with 60 hours of college coursework to teach under a short-term substitute teachers license. The current requirement is 120 hours. That provision was taken out of the bill, thanks to the IEAs negotiations throughout the fall session and into the veto session. We think its a good first step. We understand and know that there is still a shortage and that we probably have to find other ways to help address the shortage, but we applaud both the sponsors and the governor for signing the bill, Reed said. Though he has not been confirmed and approved by the Parliament of Ghana as the Minister responsible for Finance and Economic Planning, former Data Bank boss, Ken Ofori-Atta and his team of financial experts are preparing the 2017 Budget document which will soon be presented to the legislature for consideration and approval. Ken is working with the Hon. Kwaku Kwarteng, MP for Obuasi West and one Charles Adu Boahene. Mr. Kwarteng and Adu Boahene have both been shortlisted to deputize Mr. Ofori-Atta at the Finance Ministry. The team, this website is further told, is currently analyzing all the data submitted to it by the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to enable them plan well for the 2017 fiscal year. The team will put into consideration the mini budget which was presented to Parliament in October 2016 by the outgoing National Dmocratic Congress (NDC) government to cover government expenditure for the first quarter of 2017. Inside sources say, the team is considering the reintroduction of the Teachers and Nurses training allowances as well as other promises made by the party during the 2016 electioneering campaign. The Zongo Development Fund which was promised by the NPP during the electioneering campaign is also expected to feature in the budget. It is however, not clear when the team will finish its work and submit it to Cabinet for approval and onward submission to Parliament for consideration and subsequent approval. Nonetheless, the Budget is expected to be presented in the middle of March, 2017. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Prices of some petroleum products have gone up by 11 percent for the first pricing window in January. According to Citi FM, checks indicated that the price of a litre of petrol has gone up between 8 and 11 percent while the same quantity for a litre of diesel has gone up between 9 and 11 percent. A litre of petrol at some major Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is now selling between GH4 and GH4, 15p. Also, the price of a litre of diesel could be sold to you at GH4 and GH4, 15. At Total filling stations, petrol has been increased by GH31p, with a litre selling at GH4, 10 p as against GH3, 79p in December. Also, the price of a litre of diesel has gone up by GH36p, currently selling at GH4, 15p from GH3, 79p. Shells price per litre of petrol has shot up by GH31p; from GH3, 78 p to GH4, 10p. Diesel has also increased by GH36p as a litre is now selling at GH4, 15p as against the earlier GH3, 79p. GOIL has also recorded a price jump as their products are now selling at petrol GH4, 8p and diesel also at GH3, 99p. Meanwhile, SO energy is selling both a litre of petrol and diesel at a new price of GH4. Other filling stations also equally increased their prices as at the time Citi Business News visited the pumps. The OMCs have however dismissed reports that the increases had been made ahead of the two week pricing window. According to them, the adjustments are within the pricing window frame. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers has expressed dissatisfaction at the development. The Chambers Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah told Citi Business News the persistent increases are worrying. I dont think Ghanaians are happy with the sort of increases that we have seen in recent times; before this window, we saw 4-6% increases in prices. Earlier than that there had been some 3-11% increases that was even contested but eventually reflected at the pumps. What we are not happy about is the persistence with which fuel prices are going up in the country. He believes government can take up the mandate to ensure prices are reduced. We believe that the government and the incoming government would have to reconsider the taxes we have on petroleum products in Ghana. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Isaac Osei, the outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin, is set to assume the position of the Managing Director (MD) of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the legislator has been holding meetings with the outgoing MD, Kingsley Kwame Awuah Darko at the facility located in Tema as part of the transition process. The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) is expected to start work on January 9, 2017. The lawmaker has worked with the World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), among others. He has been holding transition meetings with Mr Kwame Awuah Darko to stay abreast with the operations of the company, a source at the facility told DAILY GUIDE. President John Dramani Mahama appointed Mr. Awuah-Darko as MD of Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) and Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) in June 2015 after the CEO, Dr. Alphone Kwao Dorcoo, a petrochemical engineer, was relieved of his duty. Some workers wonder whether Mr. Osei would steer the affairs of the two strategic state institutions. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A family in Accra is contesting the death of their daughter who died under what they have described as bizarre circumstances. The 16-year-old final year student of Achimota Senior High School, Lily Dzigbordi Asigbetse, reportedly left home to go pay her school fees at the bank but ended up at her friends house, only to be hit by a stray firecracker according to claims by the victims friend. She was rushed to hospital but did not survive. Relatives of Asigbetse are disputing the story as told by her friend, whose name has been withheld. The deceaseds family believes their daughter was hit by a stray bullet and not firecrackers. A member of the bereaved family, Peggy Ama Donkor, narrating the incident on 12Live on Class91.3FM on Friday, 6 January said: She (Asigbetse) left home to go pay her fees at the bank and ended up at a friends house in Tema. I had just closed from work and had a call to come to the 37 Military Hospital because she had been rushed to the theatre. When I got there, I met the guys parents and [his] mother told us that our daughter was hit by a stray firecracker. But after thorough investigation, it came out that it was rather a gunshot. According to Ms Donkor the autopsy and reports from the police point to the fact that Asigbetse died from a bullet from a pump action gun and not from injuries from a firecracker. She narrated that when the family conducted further investigations of its own, the accuseds mother argued that the gun was registered. What we are saying is that how did your son get the gun and if the gun was registered does it guarantee that if it is used to shoot somebody the person should go scot-free? she quizzed. They cooked up a story because they wanted us to believe it was a firecracker. According to her, the family will follow up on the case to its logical conclusion. We are going to take this case to whatever extent we can. We will not let it go, we want the logical conclusion to this story. We want it to serve as a deterrent to parents who have guns at home and dont hide it out of the reach of their children. And for some parents who think they have connections and money so they can buy their way through, we are not going to let this story go, she assured. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was on Saturday sworn in as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. Nana Addo received the sword of office from President John Dramani Mahama and along with his Vice President took the oath of office like four former Presidents did before him in the Fourth Republic. To have an idea as to how today's proceedings went, watch the video of the inauguration ceremony of Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama below; Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An unidentified woman made a scene Thursday morning on live TV when she hugged and prevented Ghanas president, John Dramani Mahama, from entering his vehicle after delivering his last State of the Nation Address. The President was exchanging pleasantries with scores of people who surrounded his vehicle at the forecourt of Parliament House when the woman hugged him for some two seconds. She then had tete-a-tete with him but just when the President gave the people his last wave before entering his vehicle, the woman held President Mahamas shirt from behind for a second. For inexplicable reasons, just when President Mahama decided to sit in his car, the woman again grabbed his right hand and pulled him from entering the car while she appeared to be crying. Sensing an apparent security threat, the Presidents security detail quickly shove the woman from President Mahama before he managed to enter his car and driven away. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Gambias First lady, Zineb Jammeh, has expressed firm love and support and love for her husband, President Jammeh. In an interview with the Daily Observer, the first lady described President Yahya Jammeh as a very devoted leader who is able to ensure peace and stability in a country. "It is never perfect, but it is very important to acknowledge the positive. It is important to say what is negative but never forget to acknowledge what is positive as well," she stated. Zineb Jammeh said this while on her traditional visit to Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in the capital of Gambia, Banjul to meet the new born babies of 2017 to present them with her gifts for her foundation Operation Save the Children Foundation (OSCF). This is her first interview since President Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the December 1 election to Adama Barrow. Jammeh initially accepted the results of the election but on December 9, he reversed his position and said he would challenge in the country's Supreme Court as the poll was riddled with irregularities. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The appointments by President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo are unlawful, private legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has said. Mr Anyenini argued that the president-elect may have breached portions of the Presidential Office Act, indicating that Mr Akufo-Addo had to make the appointments in consultation with the Council of State. If you designate someone as a National Security Coordinator, you ought to know very clearly that what the law provides is that you appoint that person with the advice of the National Security Council. You will also need additionally, to consult with the Public Services Commission. The Public Services Commission ordinarily will take that person through an interview process and vet them. You dont tell me that you put those people forward, announce them to the whole world, and then you go and seek consultation. That is not the proper way to go about it, he said on Friday, January 6, 2017 on Joy FM. But another private legal practitioner, Ace Anan Ankomah, has a different interpretation of the Presidential Office Act. For him, the announcement by the president-elect was to inform the public about appointee-designates. Mr Ankomah, a member of pressure group Occupy Ghana, indicated that the procedure for making appointments official has not been exhausted, hence there cannot be said to have been any formal appointments yet. Meanwhile, former Chief of Staff Nana Ato Dadzie has also argued that the president-elect has done no wrong. The announcement is only a preparatory announcement like a pre-incorporation contract where you announce how you want to do something before doing it. Announcing the names before the consultation [with the Council of State] is only an indication. There is really nothing wrong with it, but their appointments shall take effect from the date that they would have had the assent from the president after consultation with the Council of State, the international transition consultant said. Source: Class FM Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video With just a day for a change in government, 41 brand new V8 engine Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles have arrived at the Tema Habour scheduled to be cleared by the outgoing Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. The vehicles arrived at the Tema Habour four days ago, raising concerns about who may have imported them into the country at this time and for what purpose they were brought in. Checks by DAILY GUIDE indicate that they were brought into the country by the outgoing NDC administration and a letter from the presidency, the Flagstaff House, had been issued for them to be cleared. According to sources, Customs officers were confused as to whether the vehicles should be released or not since they are exempted from duty. The officer-in-charge at the Port with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Assistant Commissioner, Confidence Nyadzi, told DAILY GUIDE that he was acting on instructions from the outgoing government until there is a counter directive. What is not clear is the final destination of these vehicles, except the fact that an 'order from above' has been issued for them to be cleared. It is also not certain whether the acquisition and subsequent importation of these high-powered V8 vehicles were included in the handing over notes of the outgoing government to the Transition Team of the incoming administration. But there are talks of some government officials trying to convert ownership of certain state vehicles in their names, including utility vehicles like four-wheel drives. Source: Dailyguideafrica.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Twenty-seven buses have been provided by the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea to convey about 1,500 people from the hometown of the President-elect Nana Akufo Addo to witness his inauguration on Saturday. The Abuakwa South constituency communication officer of the NPP, Julius Okyere, disclosed this to Starr News Eastern regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah on Friday when he visited Kibi the hometown of the President-elect ahead of his swearing-in at the Independence Square. We are busing most of the constituents to the inauguration ground with 27 buses. We are expecting to transport at least 1,500 constituents. We are expecting the buses this evening to dispatch to the various towns so by 3:3am we will converge at Apedwa Junction and move in a long convoy to Accra. The MP Samuel Atta Akyea has made provision for everybody. Ansah reports that the entire township is being decorated with NPP colours. Both commercial and private vehicles have NPP flags hoisted on their vehicles while some traders are cashing in on the sale of party paraphernalia. Residents are highly spirited and excited that one of their own has become President of the Republic of Ghana. The Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin also President of the Eastern regional House of Chiefs will delegate some chiefs to the ceremony in Accra on Saturday. Source: Starrfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye was today [Saturday], January 7, 2017, sworn-in as the speaker of the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic by the Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood. His nomination as speaker was met with no opposition from both sides of the divide. In his acceptance speech, he pledged to create and maximize opportunities for all members of Parliament (MP) and called on old MPs to mentor the new ones. He also bemoaned the low figures of female representation in Parliament. Find the full speech below: INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY RT. HON. PROF. MICHAEL AARON OQUAYE SPEAKER OF THE 7TH PARLIAMENT OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC. Introduction Your Ladyship the Chief Justice, My Lords Spiritual and temporal, Hon. Members of Parliament-Elect, Your Excellencies, Nananom, Niimei, Naamei, Political Parties Representatives, Press Corp, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. In the first place I thank the Almighty God for the great favour He has reposed in me. I thank the entire leadership of my Party including the President-elect, the Vice President-elect and the MPs for their support. I also have to thank the Clerk of Parliament for guiding the House up to this time. His priceless guidance will further be valued in future. It is a great honour to be nominated and elected as Speaker of this Honourable House. I see my presence here as a home-coming albeit with a greater responsibility. I am grateful to all who reposed resounding trust in me to make this possible. I pray to the Almighty God that I shall successfully travel the path pursued by various Speakers and begun by the legal luminary Rt. Hon. C.E. Quist also from my hometown Osu, Accra. I wish to congratulate all of you Hon. Members for winning your seats. It is a unique opportunity to serve our dear nation. I look forward to maximizing the opportunities for every member to contribute. I trust the experienced ones will mentor the up-coming. Those who sit in front should please learn to look behind them to allow others to contribute and remember that whereas they cannot normally see from the back of their heads I have been placed on this platform so that everyone can catch my eye. I intend to be fair to all and therefore seek your understanding in advance. I encourage new entrants to prepare and present statements on any issue of interest. Apply the Question Time well. Your brilliant visibility will affect your re-election. I will meet with leadership on this and seek support of the leading Think Tanks in Ghana to help you deliver. A comprehensive mentoring process is vital for improved performance. I need to remind the new MPs that the highly procedural nature of Parliament calls for an equally high level of commitment to the rules and procedures of the institution. Serious learning will therefore have to be undertaken to sharpen your competencies in order to function optimally. To the majority, let me remind you that we have a two-party Parliament heavily dominated by you. There is however the need to be guided by high ethical consideration so that we do not relapse into ultra majoritarianism, a symptom of the tyranny of the majority. We will encourage healthy debates. To the minority, even though most parliamentary business is organized on majoritarian principle, the time-honored rights of minority to open, frank, fair and honest debate so as to make your case and offer constructive alternatives will be respected under my stewardship. Both the majority and the minority must be guided by the mandate given to the government to build a vibrant society anchored on the principles of fairness and equality of opportunities. The promotion of good governance requires a parliament that can effectively perform the three cardinal functions of representation, oversight regarding the executive and law making. Our ability to control public expenditure will be good service to our people. Ghanaians everywhere are looking up to Parliament and government for the solutions to the problems that confront them on daily basis. It cannot be business as usual. Our people expect us to help fix the economy, provide jobs for the unemployed, improve access and quality of education, health care and generally give them hope. This Parliament is for the people of Ghana and they want us to be honest accountable and responsive to their needs. I ask for cooperation from all and sundry to make our stewardship a success. Challenges The Fourth Republic Parliament has been seeking to re-establish its role as a key public institution. The challenges have been myriad. During the dark days after independence anytime a coup occurred, Parliament was dissolved while the Executive continued, even if in a different shape. This instability has affected the development of Parliament. When Parliament reconvened in 1993 after several years of military rule, for example, only one member had been an MP before. Hence institutional memory was negligible. Strides have since been made and we congratulate all those who have helped the process of restoration of the ideals, beliefs and values of Parliamentary democracy in the Fourth Republic. Nevertheless, a huge task still remains ahead of us and I trust we shall rise to the occasion. Standing Orders Parliament operates by Rules and Procedures called the Standing Orders. Incidentally, in Parliament itself, it is generally agreed that there is the need to revise the rules as a whole. Committees have been set up to revise these rules but for over a decade, the process has stalled. Sometimes proceedings become jerky in the House as leaders and members recall conflicting experiences from memory. I am committed to completing this lingering exercise and I will take this up with the leadership soon. In this connection, there is another issue to tackle rulings of Speakers in the past will be captured to serve as guidance and precedents for smooth operation of the House. The Indian example, is thorough, published together as Rulings from the Chair. I will make copies of the full series available so that we should have Ghanaian precedents well recorded for posterity. This is how institutions grow scientifically, systematically and with responsibility. Private Members Bills The controversy relating to private members bills should be resolved. It is tragic that currently, it appears to us that Members of Parliament cannot initiate legislation independent of the Executive. Article 108 of the Constitution provides that once a bill has financial implications, it can only be introduced by the Executive. The narrow view has been taken that every bill has financial implications including the paper on which it is printed and the Clerks who work on it who are paid by government. Hence only governments can initiate legislation. This should change. We learnt the practice from the UK Parliament. The principle was that the Commons would not give to the King/Queen, monies that the Crown had not asked for. But over the years the British Parliament has developed means of allowing private members to introduce legislation. Recent studies I have made show that there are a number of procedures whereby Private Members may initiate bills. Certainly, the Executive cannot sit aside while Parliament alone passes laws which impose obligations which the Executive cannot meet. We shall broaden our horizon in the lawmaking process to benefit our people. If a Private Members Bill seeks to make a law that will tighten the strangle-hold on corruption, how can that per se be a charge on the public purse? How will a law that protects our women, children and persons with disability better per se be a charge on public funds? I do not see how laws which protect our environment, improve upon our tax collection be inimical to the public purse? Indeed if Parliament should introduce a law which will enhance the collection of revenue by the GRA, we shall be contributing to the public purse not a liability regarding same. The introduction of Private Members Bills will release the best of the innermost capacities of Hon. Members, broaden the horizons of the Members and gain the respect of the populace. Hon. Members, I challenge you to help improve our laws on elections. We have a lot to learn from others, including Kenya who learnt the hard way after brutal post-election civil war. To sanitize the system, they enacted The Electoral Offences Act. We should copy and improve upon it. Let me give you few examples. Why should our law allow any two adults who are registered to vote, to stand in for a person whose age or nationality is in doubt? Why should just any two people be allowed to do this? If you do not stand in loco parentis, how do you tell the age of a person you hardly know? We shall define only a small category of persons who can give guarantee. They should swear to an affidavit verifying the truth and should be jailed for 5 years if caught in falsehood. Will this not be a deterrent? Those who steal ballot boxes, those found with ballot papers and who commit other electoral offences should be jailed for 5 years. This House can introduce such law to help save this Republic and that will not be a charge on the consolidated fund. Committee System The capacity and scope of the Committees of Parliament deserve attention. The Committee is the workshop of Parliament. When Committees are weak, Parliament is seriously dented. Bi-partisanship is the hallmark. Not only should Committees be sharp in their routine tasks, but also, they should exercise singular initiative in enquiring into all matters of public interest from Archaeology to Zoology. This inquisitorial power of Parliament will be applied to its logical conclusion. The Committees should be fully equipped to work. The Committees are closely related to the powers of Parliament as a House of Inquisition. In England, in 2012, the Committee on Education in the House of Commons quickly sprang into action when poor Advanced level examination results rocked the nation. It was a pleasure to read the entire proceedings and the effect it had on the British System. Parliament can act proactively, responsively and with appropriate capacity on issues relating to health, education, agriculture, oil etc. This development should take place to enhance the capacity of the institution and good governance as a whole. It will enable Parliament to help in the fight against corruption and thereby protect the public purse. I urge Honourable Members that no work of CHRAJ, a Presidential Commission or others should estop Parliament in the exercise of its inquisitorial powers. Deference may only be given to cases pending before Courts of competent jurisdiction. We should look forward to the day when Parliament as a House of Inquisition will develop capacity akin to a Senatorial Enquiry in the USA where every topmost state official can be summoned and questioned in the interest of the state. We can enhance our system and serve our people better. Boycotts and Walkouts These have become too fashionable in our system. I trust this House will develop systems of accommodation, tolerance and openness that will minimize this practice to the barest minimum. We should commission a study to document all such boycotts and walkouts; how long each lasted; reasons for staging them; and make an assessment of their impact on the growth and development of democracy in Ghana. Some recommendations on how to forestall such boycotts and walkouts as well as their management when they do occur, I believe would be sponsored by our partners in due course. Record Keeping Our library, record keeping process and related activities need modernization. Parliament today does not keep any record whatsoever of how individuals vote. This is in sharp contrast with the US system and other jurisdictions which have detailed record of all Senate voting. President Obamas Voting Record became an issue and an asset in his victory. Both President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo and President Mahama, though very successful former MPs, had no such record to show in their presidential bid of 2012 and 2016. It would have been interesting and most useful to have such record. How did they vote on issues relating to gender, children, environment, rights of persons with disability etc? Such matters enhance the politics of issues and devalue the politics of vituperation. The record-keeping system has several advantages: Sharpens the responsibilities of individual members as they build a record for their future political career; Makes legislators aware that they are being critically watched; It highlights issues and makes MPs respond to specific issues; It is an avenue towards promoting Private Members Bills in the Legislature; It helps the assessment of MPs generally through specific data collection; This is the Parliament that Ghanaians want to see as we enhance the parameters of democracy in our dear nation. Parliamentarians and Their Constituents A question worth asking is: what do constituents expect from MPs? There is also growing evidence that, public opinion is divided as to the role of MPs in Ghana. A significant majority of Ghanaians are of the view that Parliamentarians should undertake development projects within their constituencies. To others, MPs exist to pay school fees, give funeral donations, attend weddings and other social events. Debating, passing legislation and holding the Executive branch of government to account rank low in the public perception of the role of MPs. This also accounts for the high attrition rate of MPs. A programme dubbed Parliament/Citizen Encounter is envisaged and will be pursued with the assistance of Think Tanks. Women Representation One of the main problems facing Ghanas democratization process is the role of women in politics. Article 17(1) of the 1992 Constitution provides that All persons shall be equal before the law. Furthermore under Article 17(2) No person shall be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status. The Constitution provides an instructive meaning of discrimination to give different treatments to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another description are not made subject to or are granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description- Article 17(3). A very disturbing aspect of Ghanas Parliamentary democracy is the abysmal low representation of women in Parliament. There is a compelling need for a comprehensive study of the factors which militate against the effective representation of women in Parliament. An Affirmative Action law could be the only way of using the law as an instrument of social engineering and mischief correction to ensure equality. Hon. Members, our democratic development is not impressive at all in this regard. The Inter-Parliamentary Union in their latest publication on 1st December 2016 classified nations in a descending order by the percentage of women representation in Parliament. Out of 193 nations Ghana was number 150. Very sad. Rwanda, was first, Bolivia, second, Cuba, third, Iceland, fourth, Nicaragua, fifth, Sweden, sixth. U.K, Germany, Switzerland were all listed. Algeria, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Lesotho, Morocco, Zambia, Liberia all beat us to it. I have added the Report as an Appendix to my speech to show all Members how deeply I feel about this tragedy. The methodology to ensure equality is available. This Parliament must do it for Ghana. In the previous Parliament we had 30 women MPs. Today we have 35 women MPs-elect. But there is really no cause for rejoicing. We are far behind the world. The women who are in Parliament should be assisted to become effective role models in qualitative governance. I have some ideas I will share with leadership on both sides very soon to promote a programme. Conclusion Hon. Members, we have a need for a New Chamber, good library, books, mimeographs, researchers which go beyond National Service Personnel. I believe I can help in seeking the needed assistance for Parliament to improve the salaries and condition of work for MPs. I want to use this opportunity to convey to our country men and women we should seriously better the lot of our MPs. Why cant MPs be given official vehicles for their work as pertain in other places? Then they can get loans for other vehicles for other uses. The dignity of this House is crucial and with your cooperation that dignity shall not be compromised. We owe this to all Ghanaians. You have Parliamentary immunity and immerse privileges which cannot be toyed with by any person, body or authority. I shall help to maintain this without fail. Hon. Members, to whom much is given, much is expected. This is the motto of Legon Hall, University of Ghana. Though I belong to Akuafo Hall, this dictum must guide us all. You will be issued with Diplomatic Passports for example. There are privileges and responsibilities. If you abuse the trust, you will be dealt with. No charge of corruption or abuse of office should come nigh thee. If you fall foul of the law the Special Prosecutor will not be expected to spare you. A law maker cannot be a lawbreaker. Our attitudes in militate against our development. Hon Members, our attendance and punctuality in the House should change to set an example to all Ghanaian workers. A Google search will inform you that the Kenya Parliament has been digitized through a new biometric system to record attendance in Parliament with time and movement etc. a machine will in future register the attendance of MPs automatically. This will be arranged and I trust MPs will embrace it to set a good example to all Ghanaian workers. Ghanaians have said in a research that when parliament is in session half of the room should not be empty. Hon. Members, let us resolve to do something different in the lifetime of this Parliament. I will conclude in the words of Lord Alfred Tennyson which I learnt in Presec: The Lights begin to twinkle from the rocks; The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; The deep Moans round with many voices. Come my friends, Tis not too late to seek a newer world Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die. I thank you once again for this high trust you have so dutifully reposed in me. I know with God on our side we will deliver. Thank you. Source: Citifmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President John Mahama has acknowledged that his title as head of state will expire at midnight [Friday, 6 January 2017]. I just remembered a joke I told yesterday, I was at the Korle-Bu Hospital to launch a new equipment that they bought for the Cardiothoracic department. After we finished commissioning the piece of equipment, of course the nurses and other health personnel came around and were asking to take photographs with me, some of them took selfies all kinds of photos and just when I was walking away, I reminded them that the photographs will expire on Saturday, on the 7th January. Yea, so the title will expire at midnight tonight actually, Mr Mahama said on Friday when he inaugurated an office complex for the West African Examination Council. Mr Mahama will be handing over the presidency to president-elect Nana Akufo-Addo, who, will, in turn be sworn in on Saturday 7 January (today). Mr Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party beat Mr Mahama at five others in last Decembers elections. In his last State of the Nation Address to parliament, Mr Mahama said it was a rare privilege for him to have served Ghana as president and urged the country to cheer on Mr Akufo-Addo. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Thousands of people from all walks of life have converged on the Independence Square in Accra to witness the momentous swearing-in of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the fifth President of the Fourth Republic. Millions of people, mostly sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) across the country, are glued to their television sets, while other enthusiastic supporters and well-wishers of Ghana are watching the historic ceremony live on various social media platforms. 10 a.m. is the moment when handing over power from one democratic President to another will commence. President John Dramani Mahama, the first to serve for one term in the history of the Fourth Republic, will hand over the sword of office to Nana Akufo-Addo, while Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will take the oath of office as the Vice-President of the republic. January 7, has been designated to be the constitutionally recognised day on which an elected President is officially sworn in as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The formalities As part of the well-planned ceremony, Nana Akufo-Addo, who won the presidential election with more than 53 per cent of the total votes cast on December 7, will swear two oaths. The first will be the Presidential Oath and the second, the Oath of Allegiance; both of which will be administered by Her Ladyship Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, in the presence of the new Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, who was himself sworn into office early this morning. After reciting both oaths, a thunderous applause and shouts of Nana oo, Nana oo, is expected to greet the first man to break the presidential jinx of the Johns, who have led this country since the commencement of the Fourth Republic. Presidential speech After that is done, the new President, Nana Akufo-Addo, a man born into an influential family but who has managed to develop strong social ties with the ordinary man, will be expected to deliver his first speech to the nation in which he is expected to reassure the people of Ghana of his commitment to turn the fortunes of the country around for the betterment of all Ghanaians. Nana Akufo-Addo, a product of top Ghanaian and British schools, will also use the occasion to assure the countrys neighbours and the rest of the world of his resolve to make Ghana the most attractive destination for business and a safe haven for investment. During his campaign to win the hearts and minds of Ghanaians to vote for him, Nana Akufo-Addo, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs in the John Kufuor administration, made a number of mouth-watering promises to the people, including his resolve to create the conducive environment for the establishment of one factory in each district of the country, the building of one dam in each village and the release of one million United States dollars to each constituency of the country to accelerate development. Nana Akufo-Addo will also re-emphasise his commitment to fix the ailing economy which is expected to lead to job recreation, a major expectation of the many who voted for him during his third bid to accede to the highest throne of office as President of the Republic. Another major expectation of the new President will be how he will quickly tackle corruption and restore discipline which have destroyed the moral fibre of society and are threatening to destroy the knowledge and intelligence of the future leaders of the country. What to look out for The police administration has announced a number of arrangements for the smooth swearing-in ceremony of the President-elect today. First on the list is the parking arrangements made for individuals with specific invitation cards, especially designed in different colours for easy identification. The move is to ensure that the parking of cars and movement of people are controlled to avoid any stampede or anything which can mar the beauty of the well-planned ceremony. Dignitaries Expected at the colourful ceremony will be Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, the first President in the Fourth Republic and the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party on whose ticket President Mahama stood and lost the crucial election last month. The second John, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the second President of the republic, will also be in attendance to see the crowning of the man he has, since 2008, campaigned rigorously for to take over the mantle of leadership of the country after his successful reign as President between 2001 and 2008. Foreign visitors The well-planned ceremony is being witnessed by a host of heads of state and Government from Togo, Gabon, Liberia, Cote dIvoire, Zambia, Benin, Nigeria, Equitorial Guinea, Guinea and Ethiopia. Thirteen other countries are expected to send representatives who will be joined by about 6,000 foreign dignitaries at the event where Ivorian President Alhassan Outtarra is the special guest of honour. Know this The father of Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr Justice Edward Akufo-Addo, and his uncle, Mr William Ofori-Attah, were members of the Big Six, the political activists who pushed for Ghanas independence from British colonial rule in 1957, making it the first country, south of the Sahara, to attain independence. Mr Akufo-Addo, a one-time Chief Justice, was also the ceremonial President in the Second Republic. Source: Graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Founder of the Salt and Light Ministries says the successes President John Mahama claims to have chalked in the education sector during his tenure is quite tenuous. According to Dr Joyce Aryee, it was unfortunate for the president to beat his chest and say more teachers have been trained when some teachers have consistently complained about not being posted. Speaking on Joy FM a day after president Mahama delivered his final state of the Nation Address, Dr Aryee said For me, it was almost like a slap in the face because teachers have been complaining that they have not been posted. So to say that youve trained so many when they have not been posted to do their work, it is almost like doing a campaign. President Mahama in his final address to Parliament on Thursday said Ghanas educational sector had witnessed a significant improvement under his stewardship. Apart from the improvement in infrastructure, the president said Teachers are more available and are more evenly distributed than in the past. Teacher absenteeism is down from 27% to below 9%. This has led to more engagement hours between teachers and students. But the former CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines believes Ghana has more serious issues that need to be considered in the education sector. For her, the entire nations future depends on how it is able to raise our children, qualitatively and quantitatively. How we need to raise them in terms of critical thinking. So even the quality of teachers is so important, she added. For the textbooks President Mahama says the schools have been provided with, Dr Aryee said the provision of books is one thing, but the content is what matters. He did say that people have textbooks, which is fine, but again one would need to go through the textbooks and see whether they are relevant for our time. Dr Aryee, however, commended the president for his bravery. She described the presidents defeat as a very big blow, adding, this loss of election has been a big blow. Other presidents as we have known from Jerry John Rawlings to Kufuor have left after serving the eight years where they couldnt have come to serve anymore. It is not easy to be remembered as the one-term president. I think he was brave, he spoke well under the circumstances. Dr Aryee also praised the Minority in Parliament for not heckling the president as is the norm during his presentations in the House. Every victor has to be magnanimous, you dont beat someone who has already fallen so I think parliament behaved well, she said. Source: myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Just after he was sworn in as the President of the republic of Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has promised to protect the purse of the state to project businesses. He had earlier promised to curb corruption in government which many believed was rampant in the former administration led by Ex-President John Dramani Mahama. I will protect public purse he said during his inauguration ceremony at the independent square on Saturday. Quoting one of his mentors Kofi Abrefia Busia, former president in the second Republic, president Nana Akufo-Addo charged all to "regard politics as an avenue of service to our fellow human being; our success or failure should be judged by the quality of knowledge of the ordinary man and the standard of living he enjoys". Clad in his rich Kente, the elegant looking president says - "I am humbled by the exceptional mandate and the confidence shown in the NPP and in my person. I will do all in my power to justify that confidence. I will not let you down" Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commended Ghana for a peaceful transition of power and government. Addressing the gathering at the Black Star Square on Saturday, Madam Sirleaf was pleased with the remarkable feat chalked by Ghana and celebrated the victory of the nation together with Ghanaians. Speaking on behalf of ECOWAS at the swearing-in ceremony of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Accra, she stated that "today we witness a completion of a democratic process of peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another. You Ghanaians make us proud after a hard fought campaign. You have put differences aside and come together as one people to celebrate this victory. We must remember that, this event is a fruit of many years of hard labour. She also lauded the Electoral Commission (EC) and the various political parties for upholding the laws of the State and ensuring peace in the past elections. Madam Sirleaf further congratulated Ex-President John Dramani Mahama for playing key role in Ghana's democracy. Where there is peace, every child gets the chance to grow his or her potential in an environment of tranquility.We are proud of the people of Ghana today.. Ghana has been the bastion of democracy for many decades after years of turbulence. John as you leave the state house, please remember and cherish the fact that you have many roles to play in the future, in Ghana, in Africa and the world. We all need your talent. I am thankful for the cordial relationship that has developed between our two countries in finding solutions to the problems of our nations and sub-region, She stated. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video For the second time this week, gormless fuckwits have smashed the windows of a Melbourne burger joint for no apparent reason. 8Bit, which slings patties in Footscray, was targeted overnight in an attack reminiscent of the one perpetrated very early on New Years Day. That time around, the brains trust responsible for the smashing left a tag reading fuck off hipster scum. We can infer that may have been a dumb and misguided attempt to defend the traditionally working-class suburb from the alleged gentrification of *gasp* a burger joint, but it doesnt seem theres anything so poetic nor political this time around just disintegrated glass. Co-owner Shayne McCallum posted a photo of the most recent damage to Facebook, with a caption that fairly accurately sums up the brainless vandalism: McCallum was slightly more circumspect when speaking to the Herald Sun about the incident, but is still quite confused as to why 8Bit has become a target. He told the paper its a bit of a pain in the arse, which seems like a gentle way of putting it. Its a bit shocking; Ill be keen to chat to police later this week to see what they can do about the escalating situation. Maybe someones just gotten the wrong burger order and theyre not happy. Alternative theory: But seriously, whoever you are, quit it, yeah? Source: Herald Sun. Photo: Shayne McCallum / Facebook. Animal rights activists interrupted Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's opening speech Saturday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Several members of Direct Action Everywhere yelled "It's not food" and held posters reading "It's Not Food. It's Violence" and "Animals Are Not Ours to Use" inside the complex's Weis Expo Hall. They were located off the side of a stage where dignitaries including Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding were sitting. "Animal agriculture is this powerful industry that is based off exploiting the most vulnerable, the most docile and innocent living beings on the planet. What better place to talk about it than right where it's being celebrated?" said Rachel Ziegler, founder of the group's Harrisburg chapter. Members including Ziegler were escorted out of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center by Pennsylvania State Police. Outside they were frisked by police and some members were detained. Ziegler said 12 members of the group were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing. It marked the second year in a row the group protested at the Farm Show's opening ceremony. At the 2016 Farm Show, members unfurled a banner inside the Large Arena with an image of a pig and carried signs with pictures of what appeared to be abused animals during Wolf's speech before they were escorted out of the facility. The Farm Show runs today through Jan. 14. It is advertised as the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the nation. Ziegler, who now lives in New York, said the group chooses to protest at the Farm Show because it is a weeklong event where animals are exploited. She said animals are displayed, bred and their body parts sold. "The question isn't how can we exploit animals better and give them better lives. You should not be exploiting them at all," Ziegler said. Those within the agricultural community including Amy Bradford, assistant vice president of PennAg Industries Association said the protesters come to the Farm Show for the same reasons as the farmers - for the captive audience. "Unfortunately their message doesn't match the message that we are trying to portray but this is a friendly agricultural atmosphere and the great thing is people come to these exhibits and we can educate people," Bradford said. For a lot of people the Farm Show is an opportunity to meet the farmers and the people behind agriculture, she said. Displays by PennAg Industries and the Pennsylvania Pork Producers in the Weis Expo Hall show visitors how food goes from the farm to people's tables. "If you don't agree with that that's fine, but allow us to have the conversation with you in a positive non-emotional manner," Bradford said. Visitors like Elias Buhl, who is visiting the Farm Show from Erie County, said those in the agricultural community should listen more to the activist's message. "Their starting point is different. They look at animals as equals rather than as something put here to help us. Until we address that, this is always going to happen," said Elias Buhl from Erie County. "What we all should do is see if we can convince them of what is right," he added. Direct Action Everywhere has protested at other events around the country including political rallies for Bernie Sanders, Chris Christie and Hillary Clinton as well as the Fourth of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York. This story was updated to include information about members of Direct Action Everywhere being arrested. Videotaped Beating Chicago These booking photos provided by the Chicago Police Department show, from left, Tesfaye Cooper, Brittany Covington, Tanishia Covington and Jordan Hill, four people charged, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, with aggravated kidnapping and taking part in a hate crime after allegedly beating and taunting a man in a video broadcast live on Facebook. (Chicago Police Department via AP) CHICAGO (AP) -- A Chicago judge refused to allow four black people caught on cellphone footage taunting and beating a mentally disabled white man to post bail and leave jail, saying they are accused of such "terrible actions" that they are a danger to society. "Where was your sense of decency?" Cook County Circuit Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked them on Friday during their first court appearance, sounding baffled that the suspects could be charged with such cruelty toward the 18-year-old victim. The beating was captured on cellphone video by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media. The graphic footage shows the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder. They also said the beating started in a van when the same attacker became angry that the mother had contacted him asking that her son be allowed to come home. A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water, kiss the floor and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt. The four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crime -- one because of the victim's race and the other because of his mental disabilities. On the video, the male suspects use knives to cut the victim's hair and his sweatshirt. One of the females can be seen laughing. A female also laughs as she punches the victim. One of the men pulls the cord from the victim's sweatshirt around the victim's neck and holds him up while the victim groans in pain, according to a document read in court. The victim can be heard screaming when one of the men walks up to him with a knife and asks if he should "shank" him. At one point, the prosecutor said, someone on the video can be heard saying that he did not care if the victim was schizophrenic. The four suspects were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covington's 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. They stood quietly as the prosecutor read the allegations. Some of their relatives also listened, including a woman who wiped tears from her eyes. Defense attorneys portrayed the suspects as hardworking, responsible and religious. Cooper, for example, takes care of his twin brother, who is in a wheelchair. Tanishia Covington has two small children. Her sister attends college and has a job. Hill, the judge was told, goes to church with his grandmother. All four have experienced brushes with the law, some for serious and violent crimes. Hill, for example, was arrested as a juvenile in 2015 on allegations of armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and residential burglary. Chicago police said they did not know the disposition of those arrests by suburban officers. Tanishia Covington was arrested in 2007 on attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. Police records do not show any convictions as a juvenile. As an adult, she was arrested on charges of battery and aggravated assault, but those charges were dropped. The uproar over the beating intensified the glare on Chicago after a bloody year of violent crime and protests against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a police department that has been accused of using excessive force and hushing-up wrongdoing. The department has also been the subject of a long civil-rights investigation by the Justice Department, which is expected to report its findings soon. The incident also stirred emotions still raw after a presidential campaign that split the nation. Some conservatives suggested it was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement. Police said there was no indication of any connection. The incident began New Year's Eve, when the victim and alleged assailant Jordan Hill met at a suburban McDonald's, and then called his parents later to say he was staying with Hill for a sleepover. Instead, Hill drove the victim around in a stolen van for a couple of days, ending up at a home in Chicago, where two of the other suspects lived, police said. The victim's parents reported him missing Monday evening, two days after last hearing from him. The victim eventually escaped and a police officer spotted him wandering down a street, bloodied and disoriented. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 51F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Traffic around the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg is currently manageable, but that should not last too much longer as the 2017 Pennsylvania Farm Show get underway Saturday morning. The show officially opens to the public today at 10 a.m. As of 9 a.m., the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was reporting only minor delays in the area of the complex along Cameron Street, Elmerton Avenue and Arsenal Blvd. LOT CLOSED: The Main Farm Show Lot is closed. All traffic is being directed to HACC and Elmerton Lot #PAFS17 pic.twitter.com/3bmqVt9Sym PA Farm Show Complex (@FarmShowComplex) January 7, 2017 PennDOT has developed a special site for this year's show where drivers can receive information on drive times along five major roads, including Interstates 81, 83, and 283, as well as Routes 15 and 22/322. Drivers can also view alternate routes on those roads to the Elmerton Avenue parking lot. For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources. Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here. Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. SCI Camp Hill is currently among the least crowded prisons in Pennsylvania. In July, after roughly 1,000 inmates arrive from two prisons being mothballed due to the state's budget tailspin, it will be among the most. Most of the state's 26 prisons are already housing more prisoners than they were originally designed to accommodate. Friday's announcement by the Department of Corrections, however, was met with anxiety by many of those who work within and outside of that system. "You can't continue to pile people and stack them like cordwood inside institutions and expect them to all get along," said Jason Bloom, who has served 25 years in state corrections. "The more people you put inside a crowded, intense situation, the more chance there is for a violent outcome. It's that simple." Bloom, president of the state corrections officers union, said consolidating an already overcrowded system will make the work of the 9,500 officers he represents far more dangerous. "It's a recipe for disaster," he said. And the union wasn't the only group to express concern. Advocates who work with prisoners and their families said the closing of two prisons -- each likely to house well over 1,000 inmates -- will have far-reaching impacts. "This is big," said Ann Schwartzman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society. "It's really restructuring the entire criminal justice system." And it could reverse some of the progress made in recent years: Reform efforts led to a gradual decrease in the prison population, down nearly 2 percent in 2015. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice closed its investigation into the state's use of solitary confinement to warehouse prisoners with mental illness and intellectual disabilities, citing the progress made. On Friday, state Corrections Secretary John Wetzel worked to try to assuage those fears. As of November, the department's 26 prisons housed nearly 48,000 inmates and were 3.9 percent over the total operational bed capacity, or the number of inmates that the prisons were originally designed to house. Although the closing of two prisons is expected to bring that figure to 9 percent, Wetzel noted that the federal consent decree handed down to address California's prison overcrowding problem allowed it to reach 137 percent of operational capacity. "Being below 137 percent capacity isn't much of a goal, as much as I respect the secretary," said Andy Hoover, a spokesman for the ACLU of Pennsylvania. "Ideally, you don't want to be at capacity at all." The potential for worse conditions increases as prisons reach higher capacity, Hoover said, citing a 2009 case at SCI Coal Township, he said, where state prison inmates were housed in a day room and, at night, were locked in with no access to a bathroom. Wetzel said under a different measure--that of "emergency capacity" or how many actual beds can be made available inside the physical space--the consolidated prison system would only reach 92 percent. "No, it's not ideal," Wetzel said, when asked whether it's appropriate for Pennsylvania to be filling its prisons based on "emergency" capacity levels for potentially months or years at a time. And there's no relief in sight. There's still no firm completion date for the new SCI Phoenix, the $350-million-plus facility designed to replace the 87-year-old SCI Graterford in Montgomery County. Even when that prison is completed, it might only house about 3,900 prisoners, several hundred more than its predecessor. Schwartzman said she's not concerned about numbers. She worries about people, and overcrowded prisons are bad for everyone. "My first thought was that it means there's going to be more people in a smaller place," she said. "You impact all aspects of daily life in that prison." It could mean longer wait times at infirmaries and other prison medical facilities; fewer and shorter classes as rooms are converted over to bed space; fewer opportunities for recreation; and more restrictions on visitation as more family members try to see more loved ones in the same prison. John Hargreaves, who organizes prison volunteers for the society, said the recent decline in prison population has freed up more space for drug and alcohol treatment, group and individual therapy and vocational skill training. All of that could disappear if the prisons are filled past capacity, he said. "When they run out of space, the dayrooms and the gyms are filled up with beds," he said. "Those are the places the inmates go to get out and let out steam." That factor is also troubling for corrections officers and not simply because that lack of recreation could make some inmates more prone to act out. "Our job isn't as it's portrayed in movies," Bloom said. "We don't have a catwalk, a billy club, a gun. We're down on the floor. We walk amongst them." When larger dayrooms and gyms that were designed for recreation are converted to housing, there's a lot more room for officers to cover and many more opportunities for danger. "There are no doors to separate them off from each other," he said. It's also likely that the newly consolidated prison system will require more double cells. "Perhaps you have a cell mate you don't get along with and you're forced to live with that person," Hargreaves said. "It's inevitable that double cell-ing will increase, and that makes for a volatile situation." Ignoring the prison system's status as the mental health facility of last resort, Bloom said some prisoners simply aren't good at conflict resolution. Simply forcing them together won't work. "They don't just say 'leave me alone,' " he said. "They punch each other in the face, attack each other or attack staff. You take a prison when it's 110 degrees out, 120 inside. Tempers are short. It's a recipe for disaster." Reuben Jones, who operates the Philadelphia-based Frontline Dads, said the sudden dislocation of prisoners from one facility to another could stir up tensions among inmates and lead to territorial fights. The distance can also strain the inmate's connections outside of the prison. "It puts a hardship on the family in terms of seeing their loved ones, particularly if you're coming from Philadelphia and you have to drive across the state," said Jones, whose organization assists families of the incarcerated and newly released prisoners adjust to life outside. He said that same problem exists for lawyers helping inmates with their appeals. On another level, Bloom said Friday's announcement that the department would be closing two of five facilities left many officers in limbo after they built their lives around their work. Until the state makes a final decision, he said, decisions about mortgages or schooling will be fraught. "It's unfair treatment of individuals who signed on to work at a very stressful job," he said. The prisons being considered include SCI Frackville in Schuylkill County, SCI Mercer in Mercer County, SCI Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, SCI Retreat in Luzerne County and SCI Waymart in Wayne County. The final decision will be made later this month. If there's one positive development out of Friday's announcement, Schwartzman said it's the fact that it shines a spotlight on the question of overcrowding. "We, as a society and a state, need to think through why we are punishing and incarcerating so many people," she said. "Some of these things just don't make sense when there are other ways to work with folks to ensure they are productive citizens." Bloom said he generally agrees. "If an individual has done what he's needed to do or fulfilled the prerequisites for parole, he should be paroled," he said, although the prisons shouldn't simply release inmates for the sake of thinning the population and saving money. By necessity, some of the possible solutions--such as changes to parole law and sentencing guidelines--will have to be considered by lawmakers. "This is going to force that discussion," Schwartzman said, "although it'll be in an emergency situation when you don't have the time to think through these strategies." An email account and toll-free number (1-888-316-8950) has been set up for staff, inmate families and others seeking information about the planned closings. LOCK HAVEN - The state has offered First Quality Enterprises $1.25 million to help finance expansion of its First Quality Tissue plant in Lock Haven. First Quality in November had announced it would add state-of-the-art paper machines at Lock Haven and Anderson, S.C. This will be the third paper machine at Lock Haven. Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday the Department of Community and Economic Development has offered First Quality a $1 million Pennsylvania First program grant and $250,000 in funding for employee training. The company, whose headquarters are in Great Neck, N.Y., would have to apply for the funding. First Quality also has been encouraged to apply for a $2 million low-interest loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, the governor said. The expansion, scheduled for completion in the first half of 2019, is expected to create 184 jobs. First Quality is Clinton County's largest employer, with 420 in Lock Haven and nearly 1,300 in nearby McElhattan, according to Michael Flanagan, executive director of the Clinton County Economic Partnership. The First Quality Tissue facility is on the site of the former International Paper mill the company purchased in 2003. It demolished all but one of the 47 buildings, leaving only the water filter structure that it is using. Two 900,000 square-foot buildings were constructed, each housing a paper machine. Flanagan said he expects the building to house the new machine to be similar in size. First Quality Tissue, one of 15 First Quality companies, manufactures ultra-premium towel and tissue products. The Governor's Action Team has been working with First Quality on the project, Wolf said. The financial initiative was offered to insure the expansion occurred in Lock Haven because the company has plants outside Pennsylvania, he said. "We sincerely appreciate the company's latest investment and providing new employment opportunities for our area," Flanagan said. "First Quality is a first class operation." First Quality was founded in 1988 by the Damaghi family, which came to the United State from Iran. Its companies employ 3,000 in the commonwealth, with other facilities in Lewistown, King of Prussia and near Hazleton. In addition to towels and tissues, the privately-owned company manufactures a variety of products for adult care (incontinence & wipes), infant care (diapers & wipes), feminine care (tampons & sanitary pads), bottled water and engineered non-woven roll goods. DirecTV subscribers once again have access to WGAL-TV on their televisions. Hearst Television announced early Saturday morning that WGAL and its other 29 stations around the country had been restored on satellite service. DirecTV dropped the stations from its lineup during an impasse in contract negotiations on New Year's Eve. "We regret the inconvenience to DirecTV subscribers and are indebted to them and all of our advertisers for their support," according to a statement from the company. Donald Trump In this Dec. 9, 2016 file photo, President-elect Donald Trump speaks in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) By Natalie Duffy and Nate Sibley Every country suffers from corruption, but not every country is a kleptocracy. Kleptocracy, or "rule by thieves," arises when a country's elite begin to systematically steal from public funds on a vast scale. They do so by undermining democracy and the legal system, gaining control over vital economic assets (usually the banking and natural-resource sectors), and ultimately amassing unimaginable wealth. As political science professor Karen Dawisha recently put it, kleptocrats manage to nationalize risk while privatizing profits. Examples are as diverse as Russia's oligarchs under President Vladimir Putin, China's sprawling Communist Party and South Sudan's violently failed state. Could the United States join these ranks? To answer that question, we need to dispel some common myths. Myth No. 1 Kleptocracies exist mostly in the developing world. The word "kleptocracy" often conjures Cold War imagery of despotic tyrants in poor, faraway places. And it is true that many of the world's most corrupt countries are in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. But a kleptocracy is no longer a corrupt political system in a few poor nations: It is a sophisticated global network whose members include world leaders and powerful business people. Kleptocrats send money around the world with the click of a button, aided by unscrupulous professionals with the expertise to launder it through anonymous offshore companies and secure it in luxury assets in the West. According to the International Monetary Fund, as much as 5 percent of the world's gross domestic product is laundered money, and only 1 percent of it is ever spotted. Illicit cross-border financial flows have been estimated at $1 trillion to $1.6 trillion per year. A 2012 study put the total private wealth held offshore at up to $32 trillion and suggested that, since the 1970s, elites from 139 low-to-middle-income countries had parked as much as $9.3 trillion in offshore accounts. Some of the money is hidden right here. As the driving force behind global economic reform for the past three decades, the United States has played an important role in the rise of the globalized kleptocrat. America has become one of the leading secrecy jurisdictions. Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming and other states do not require disclosure of corporate ownership, meaning that kleptocrats aren't parking their assets just in exotic locations like the Cayman Islands or the British Virgin Islands anymore. U.S. real estate then provides an attractive conduit for securing and legitimizing the laundered funds. A New York Times investigation revealed that, of the properties purchased for more than $5 million in Manhattan in 2014, more than half were bought by anonymous companies that disguised the buyers' identities. Myth No. 2 Kleptocracies are strong. Today, some of the most powerful countries in the world are kleptocracies. Russia, for example, currently seems to be dictating global affairs. China, another classic, is the second-largest economy in the world. Kleptocracy doesn't necessarily make governments weak. But the skewed priorities of greedy autocratic rulers and the looting of resources that should be used for public services mean that the countries are much weaker than they should be. Russia, for instance, can't afford to honor its obligations to impoverished pensioners, but there is apparently plenty of money available for Putin's former judo partner to build a bridge to occupied Crimea and for a new Kremlin propaganda channel in France. A 2016 report showed that developing countries collectively had lost $16.3 trillion to illicit leakages since 1980. While their people struggled, starved and died, exported corruption effectively made these governments net creditors to the world economy. In such circumstances, it is hardly surprising that people begin to see government as a criminal racket instead of a legitimate provider of public services. In extreme cases where elites have given up any pretense of government, this includes security: It is no coincidence that the world's most corrupt countries are also the most internally divided and violent. In the long run, then, kleptocracy doesn't just weaken governments. It destroys them. Myth No. 3 The United States is already a kleptocracy. "We're living in a kleptocracy," Salon claimed in 2015. "America robs from its poor - while its infrastructure crumbles." It's not the only one who thinks so. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, 75 percent of Americans believed corruption to be widespread in their government, a sentiment Donald Trump capitalized on with his promise to "drain the swamp." Few would argue that corruption doesn't exist in the United States, but fewer seriously believe that it is the sole purpose of their government. Unlike the average Russian, Americans haven't watched their president's friends loot 5 percent of GDP in the past decade. Unlike one-quarter of Ukrainians, the average American hasn't had to pay a bribe to get officials to do their jobs. And unlike the Chinese, Americans don't feel impelled to send trillions of dollars overseas illegally. The United States has strong constitutional safeguards that guarantee democratic participation, free speech and, most important, rule of law. Prosecutors wield a robust set of mechanisms to address official corruption when it does occur. The United States is far from perfect, but despite the uproar on alternative and social media, it is not a kleptocracy. Myth No. 4 American institutions will shield us from kleptocracy. In the wake of Trump's election, major news outlets ran pieces on what U.S. institutions could do to protect the country from collapse. Vox told readers, "It's now on America's institutions - and the Republican Party - to check Donald Trump." Slate argued that professional bureaucrats could slow Trump's progress. Writing in the New York Times, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt reassured that "no democracy as rich or as established as America's ever has" collapsed (though they said there's reason to worry). Unfortunately, key political, financial and cultural institutions have yet to be firewalled against new methods of interference and infiltration by bad actors. In Washington, well-remunerated K Street firms exploit weaknesses in foreign-lobbying laws to advance the interests of violent kleptocracies on Capitol Hill (the Kremlin is currently hiring for $30 million to $50 million per year). In the financial world, major U.S. banks are routinely implicated in money laundering scandals and fined huge sums. Even Hollywood is not immune: "The Wolf of Wall Street" was allegedly produced partly with cash stolen from Malaysia's 1MDB development fund. We are making some progress. The Justice Department's Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative has frozen $2.8 billion in 28 cases since 2010. In July, the Treasury Department announced geographic targeting orders that make it impossible to complete anonymous all-cash purchases of high-value real estate in New York, Miami and four other key jurisdictions. And through the Magnitsky Act and other sanctions regimes, the U.S. government has made life so difficult for some kleptocrats that relief is consistently cited as a major Kremlin priority. At the moment, the United States is simultaneously the world's leading enabler and opponent of kleptocracy. Myth No. 5 Donald Trump is setting himself up to rule as a kleptocrat. Alarm bells on this subject began ringing soon after Trump was elected. The Washington Post's Plum Line blog warned of "the coming Trump kleptocracy." New York magazine wrote that "Trump's kleptocracy is so astounding it already feels like old news." There are reasons for concern. Trump's personality-based populism, his refusal to release his tax returns or place his assets in a blind trust, the prominent roles played by his family during the transition, financial ties between some members of his inner circle and Russia, and his own stance toward the Kremlin have all raised questions about how he intends to conduct himself in office. On the other hand, Trump campaigned on the principle that his enormous personal wealth would insulate him from financial temptations, which made sense to the millions of Americans who voted for him to "drain the swamp." Ultimately, only Trump knows what his plans for the highest office are. But U.S. constitutional safeguards and institutions are significantly more robust than those in countries where corruption has taken over. If Trump really wants to establish a kleptocracy, there are easier countries to do it in. Natalie Duffy and Nate Sibley are researchers at Hudson Institute's Kleptocracy Initiative. They wrote this piece for The Washington Post, where it first appeared. By Jim T. Ryan Staff Writer A Dauphin County company working in the medical marijuana pharmaceutical industry is proposing one of the first processing facilities in the south central region be placed in Business Campus One in Penn Twp., Perry County. PA Options for Wellness has approached the business park operators and township officials about the facility that would employ more than 60 people, Supervisor Brian Peters said at the Dec. 28 meeting. Peters also serves on the business park board. The manufacturing facility would process the cannabis oils for use in medicines under the state's new medical marijuana laws. "I think it's a good thing. I've been listening to the health benefits. One that strikes me is that it helps out with seizures for little children," said Perry County Commissioner Paul Rudy, a proponent of economic development in the business park. "It will sustain us well, generating jobs. I've heard that the salaries will range between $30,000 and $100,000 and that's significant." Thomas Trite, the company's president and CEO, said economics helped him decide on Perry County. "I know the workforce up there," he said in a phone call last week. "They have a great work ethic. And the area up there needs some industry." The facility would start with 25 employees and add more as its business grows, he said. The company would locate the facility -- potentially employing up to 80 people in coming years -- in the mixed-use business park on Route 274 that also houses Rite Aid, Holy Spirit, and Mutzabaugh's Market. The prospect of a pharmaceutical facility there is huge economic development news for the township, Peters said. If it goes forward, the facility would be a top-five employer along with Mutzabaugh's, Rohrer Bus and Susquenita School District. The economic activity could be good for the township beyond employment. "For our township, that's revenue," Peters said. The township struggled to keep tax increases smaller in its 2017 budget, suspending its police department beginning Jan. 1 in a cost-cutting move. The township will be covered by state police. Residents have lodged concerns that economic activity is stagnant and few people are moving to the township. Commercial stagnation puts more tax burden on an aging population, making it more difficult to pay for even basic township operations. The company PA Options for Wellness was started in 2015 by Trite, a pharmacist and businessman with more than 40 years of education and business experience in pharmacy services. Trite lives in Harrisburg and has worked for some large pharmacy companies, according to his Linkedin and other social media accounts. From 1996 to 2013, Trite was the CEO and President of Continuing Care RX (CCRX), a Harrisburg pharmacy provider for long-term care facilities. That pharmacy started in Newport serving one nursing home with 179 patients and grew to serve 300 facilities with 3,200 patients, Trite said. When the larger Omnicare acquired it in 2010, CCRX had revenue of $170 million under Trite's leadership, according to an Omnicare press release. Over the next three years, Trite remained with the company as Omnicare's vice president of national operations. Omnicare was sold to CVS in 2015 for $12.7 billion. Trite will draw on his experience for the new venture, which he said isn't much different from other pharmacy operations. "We have a team that's familiar with it all from the human resources to the medical and the security," Trite said. Clarity "There's a lot of misunderstanding about what they're doing with the medical cannabis," Peters said. That's why PA Options for Wellness has requested to hold a public meeting to outline its proposal for the facility with the local community. That meeting will be 7 p.m. in the township building on Monday, Jan. 23. Trite said he and his executive team members will be there to discuss the proposal and offer clarity. A common misconception, Peters said, is that fields of marijuana will sprout up in Perry County. Not so. The state law requires grow operations to be done indoors with strict security measures. Trite said his security team has years of experience in law enforcement and state government security. "We intend to build on the best practices and improve them," he said. "That's how we did long-term care pharmacy." Last year, Pennsylvania became one of 28 states and the District of Columbia to pass a medical marijuana law. The law permits companies to grow, process and distribute medical cannabis in pharmaceutical forms, such as pills and oils, according to the state Department of Health. The plant can't be used in its raw form by ingestion or smoking under the law. It's only available to patients with chronic and serious conditions, such as epilepsy, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and HIV-AIDS. "Most opposition is from people who have a misunderstanding and a stigma toward what medical cannabis is," Trite said. He's spoken with patients in other states where medical marijuana has been legal for years, including children with epilepsy and veterans suffering from PTSD. He's seen the benefits and said he knows the legislature did the right thing. "It's a mission of serving these people and making sure they get the care they deserve," he said. The state only last month released draft regulations for growers, processors, dispensaries and doctors. Companies can begin applying for licenses this year but permits may take time and facilities are unlikely to begin operating until 2018. In addition, the construction of such a facility at the business park would require planning commission review and approval from the supervisors. Those plans and permits can take up to a year, or longer. The township has not received any official plans yet from the company, and likely wouldn't until the company has a license from the state. Applications for licenses will not be available until at least Jan. 17, according to the Department of Health. Trite said his company is prepared to file its paperwork as soon as it can. He's been preparing this business plan for nearly four years and the specifics relating to Pennsylvania for at least the last year. Between licensing, inspections, facility construction and hiring, the plan is to finish and be open in early 2018. "We'd like to be open as soon as possible," Trite said. Jim T. Ryan can be reached via e-mail at jtryan@perrycountytimes.com We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form FILE - In this June 20, 2014, file photo, lobsters are processed at the Sea Hag Seafood plant in St. George, Maine. Lobster lovers are shelling out even more in January 2017 for the cherished crustaceans because of a lack of catch off of New England and Canada and heavy exports to China. It has become increasingly popular to celebrate the Chinese New Year holiday with lobster, which falls on Jan. 28 this yeare. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File) Iraqi president Fuad Masum, right, meets with Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim, left, at the presidential palace in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. (Khalid al Mousily, Pool via AP) Orca whale Tilikum, right, watches as SeaWorld Orlando trainers take a break during a training session at the theme park's Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Fla. on March 7, 2011. Tilikum, an orca who killed a trainer at an aquarium near Victoria before being linked to the deaths of two more people at a Florida facility, has died in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Phelan M. Ebenhack Chatime Malaysia Franchise Contract Terminated and Bryan Loo Seeks Legal Advice There is a big news among the franchise and food industry in Malaysia. According to theedgemarkets.com, Chatimes Taiwanese franchisor seizes control from Malaysian sole franchisee. This is the news report from theedgemarkets.com. Chatimes Taiwanese franchisor seizes control from Malaysian sole franchisee Taiwan-based La Kaffa International Ltd, the franchisor of Chatime beverage outlets, will terminate its contract with its sole Malaysian franchisee due to disagreement on royalty and ingredient sources. La Kaffa chairman Henry Wang said the company would terminate its contract with Loob Holdings Sdn Bhd with immediate effect. Wang said La Kaffa would assume management of all Chatime stores in Malaysia. Food and beverage products can easily be substituted. Businesses must continue to reinvent themselves by introducing new brands and products based on market demand to attract customers, he said at a press conference here today. La Kaffa executive vice president Teresa Wang said: Due to disagreements with Loob Holdings, we have no choice but to make this painful decision. Chatime entered the Malaysian market in 2010. According to Chatimes website, the franchise was founded in 2005. Today, there are over 800 Chatime outlets across countries, including China, Australia and the U.S., the website indicated. There were no other media reports about this and Bryan Loo, CEO of Loob Holding and also the master franchisee of all Chatime outlets in Malaysia responded in his Facebook Page. Im just wanted to take a moment to thank you everyone for being in my life when times is bad. Let me assure our Malaysian customers that all Chatime outlets resume its business operation as usual offering similar quality of products n dedicated services that weve built up over the past 6 years no one would ever deserved to claim anything out of the blood and sweat of #Loobies ! Yessss Chatime was a brand born in Taiwan but it was purely raised in Malaysia by Malaysians. You might think you will be able to get away with the brand, but you will never belittled our spirits behind the brand. There is always a light at the end of every tunnel. See you there! #bornintaiwanraisedinmalaysia #greater2017 Then, an official statement from Chatime Malaysia on this matter. All Malaysian Chatime outlets operating as usual CHATIME MALAYSIAFRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 Kuala Lumpur, Fri. All 165 Chatime outlets in Malaysia are operating as usual under master franchisee Loob Holding Sdn Bhd (the Company). Bryan Loo, CEO of Loob Holding, said this in response to news of a purported termination of the franchise agreement between Loob Holding and La Kaffa International of Taiwan (La Kaffa) by La Kaffa which was released in the media today. Loo said the company will respond to the matter upon seeking legal advice. During this process, all Chatime outlets will operate as usual. Let me clarify that although the franchisor owns the brand, all Chatime outlets in Malaysia are owned and operated by the company, either through direct ownership, by sub-franchisees or in joint-venture with sub-franchisees. Let me assure our Malaysian customers that all our outlets continue to offer the same quality products and excellent service that the Company has built up over the past six years. In fact, many of our customers refer to Chatime as a brand born in Taiwan but raised in Malaysia, he added. The Company is currently seeking legal advice on the purported termination and will keep all stakeholders updated accordingly. We always knew Chatime as a Malaysian brand and little did we know it is from Taiwan. Bryan Loo built the brand in Malaysia from scratch to 165 outlets now. Chatime Malaysia outlets will operate as usual for now. 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 Emergency vehicles on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where five people were killed Friday by an active shooter. (Photo: Screen shot from live NBC Video) An active shooter attacked Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FL) International Airport Friday Afternoon, killing five people and wounding eight before he was taken into custody, the Broward County sheriff said. The suspected gunman appeared to be shooting randomly into a crowd as panicked travelers took cover behind chairs and he only stopped when his bullets ran out, according to witnesses. Multiple senior law enforcement sources identified the suspect as New Jersey born Esteban Santiago, 26, and said he had a military ID on him. Law enforcement officials told NBC News they believe Santiago arrived on a flight from Canada, picked up his firearm at baggage claim and then began the shooting spree. Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said at a news conference the shooter was apprehended without incident, and the situation was "fluid and active" while the airport remained closed. Federal authorities declined to give details about the shooter or his weapon, and said he was being interviewed to determine a motive. Airports across the country stepped up security measures Friday in the wake of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport shooting that left 5 dead and 8 injured. Officials in New York added extra police patrols as well as officers armed with heavy tactical weapons at the regions major airports. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark-Liberty International Airport, told USA Today heightened security included deployment of armored vehicles and K-9 explosives detection teams. In Chicago, the police department said they upped security at O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport "to ensure the safety of the traveling public." Airport Police are deploying additional resources into our terminals and an increased presence in the Central Terminal Area, LAX officials said on Twitter. Airport Police are monitoring the situation in Florida closely. Our thoughts and prayers are with those involved. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Both advocates and members of Congress are calling for a Select Committee investigation after top US intelligence agencies released a report that finds that Russia influenced the presidential election to support Donald Trump. Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn said in a statement: The newly declassified intelligence report clearly shows that Congress must act swiftly to create a Select Committee to review the findings of this report in a nonpartisan manner and make recommendations moving forward. The integrity of our elections and national security were attacked and the issue has become too partisan to proceed through normal committee channels on Capitol Hill. The information in the report provides evidence that Vladimir Putin ordered and the Russian government was directly involved in hacking both Democratic and Republican groups and attempted to influence the outcome of the election in favor of President-elect Trump. Russias activities are a serious affront to our free nation, our democratic values, and our sovereignty. To fully protect our democracy and ensure this intrusion is not repeated, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell must immediately follow the recommendation of Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Jack Reed, and Chuck Schumer to create a bipartisan Select Committee. The findings of this report demand a Select Committee to review and make recommendations and ensure that American voters know the full extent of Russias involvement in the 2016 election. Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, That any foreign power could influence an American election should send shivers down the spines of both political parties, regardless of which party benefited this time around. The Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees have been tasked with fully investigating Russian interference in our election, but if those committees do not have access to all of the relevant intelligence, operate in a truly bipartisan way, and make their findings public to the maximum extent practicable, we will need to establish a Select Committee to get to the bottom of this. We need to confront this interference head on, in an aggressive and bipartisan manner. If we dont, itll be open season for any foreign power who wants to cause trouble in our elections. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said, It is one thing to say that there was no tampering with vote tallying which is true it is another thing to say that the daily dumping of documents disparaging to Secretary Clinton that was made possible by Russian cyber operations had no effect on the campaigns Whether [Russia] had a decisive impact on the outcome will never be known and was certainly not the subject of the intelligence communitys analysis, but that they were of great consequence is undeniable. Republicans are trying to bury this story because they are afraid that it will cripple the already wounded Trump presidency. What is undeniable is that the intelligence communitys consensus findings that Russian meddled in the election to assist Donald Trump. The report could not have come at a worse time for Trump and the Republicans. The GOP is already mired in an Obamacare repeal mess of their own creation that suddenly looks like it is going to consume Trumps first one hundred days in office. The questions about the Trump/Russia connection are not going to go away. A president who was already facing legitimacy questions due to losing the popular vote is facing a scandal that is one smoking gun away from devastating his presidency before it even begins. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print 2017 opens on a high note for Friday Fox Follies. Now that shes NBC bound, Tucker Carlson, the personality I take the most delight in skewering, has been given Megyn Kellys show on the Fox News Channel. Heres the GRAND announcement from the whiny man/boy himself, with my [partial] transcription: We began this show at 7 two months ago we told you [sic] that people in power tend to lie. We told you that they abuse their power not because they want to [not] because theyre bad people but because human nature makes it inevitable. It is the job of the press to call out those abuses. Instead, though, the press often grovels at the feet of the powerful. We promised you we wouldnt do that. We promised twee [sic] would hold the powerful to account. We would pierce pomposity. We would translate doublespeak. Wed mock smugness, and wed barbecue nonsense. Well try to continue to do all of that, but thanks this new opportunity [sic] from Rbert [sic . . . River? Err-ber? WTF is he saying?] Murdoch and Fox, well do it 2 hours later at 9PM. Yet, Fryer Tuck doesnt go after the powerful. Nor does he pierce any pomposity on the Right. Rather, Smug Tucker delights in eviscerating hapless outliers he can pretend represents regular folk on the Left. They are invited merely to be attacked so that he can appear smarter than those stupid enough to accept. The New Republic article The glorious Tucker Carlson comeback no one asked for is now complete includes a glorious paragraph I wish I had written: This is undoubtedly a step down for the network from Kelly, who despite her race-baiting was a genuine star. What theyll get instead in Carlson is a smarmier and younger (though admittedly less angry) OReilly. Though Carlson was once a gifted magazine writer, his TV work is notable only for its profound disingenuousness, as Carlsons interview of Teen Vogue writer Lauren Duca will testify. But the Carlson move also says that Fox News in the Trump era may not be so different than the old Fox Newswhich is to say very white and very disingenuous. In researching todays FFF I happened across Susan Andrews, Tucker Carlsons Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know and my first thought was, Who cares? Until I read it. Especially 1 & 4. As Fox News says goodbye to Megyn Kelly tonight or is that the other way around? Media Matters reminds us that Megyn Kelly, New Face Of NBC News, Spent Election Withholding News From The Public. Yet, MMfA was wrong when it predicted that Fox News Insiders Agree: Megyn Kellys Replacement Will Be A Pro-Trump Woman. On the other hand, its right on when it reports that NBC Is Building A Trump Normalization Machine as MSNBC gives weekday time slot to Fox News reject Greta Van Susteren over Joy-Ann Reid. Time Mag notes in What Megyn Kelly Loses by Leaving Fox News: Kellys unsuccessful one-night newsmagazine on Fox made clear she has wide-ranging interests beyond politics, and pursuing those in a venue in which shes set up to succeed (with more resources, more time to work, and the question of her future settled) will provide her a chance to develop her viewership. But presumably shell remain engaged with the world of politics. And now she has room to maneuver. The funny thing about her infamous debate question that set off her feud with Trump and seemed to presage her difficulties with colleagues was that it wasnt actually that harsh. It was just, as Kelly so often found to be the case, harsh by the standards of Fox News. Kelly will no longer be the most aggressive interviewer in the room, which may indeed seem like a comedown for her. But leaving seemed, to any viewer tracking Fox News positioning itself as safe haven for the deplorables, was the only real option she had. That could be its new slogan: FOX NEWS: A SAFE HAVEN FOR DEPLORABLES. Speaking of Time: Gretchen Carlson Named Columnist for Time Magazines Motto. Lets not forget that these dominoes started falling when Gretchen that other Carlson sued Roger Ailes, former CEO of the sexist, xenophobic, and racist network, for sexual harassment. Now Former Fox News Anchor Gretchen Carlson to Guest Host Today Show, Teases Announcements. RACE RELATIONS: Regular viewers of the Fox News Channel will not be surprised by how many times it appears on this list: Here Are The Most Racially Bigoted Right-Wing Media Segments Of 2016 EMPEROR TRUMP OVER COUNTRY: Fox News is conflating several important stories to misdirect its brain-dead audience and defend Trumps Treason. Fox created the straw man that the Democratic Party and President Obama have blamed Hillary Clintons loss on Russian Hacking. Then it debunks something that no one alleges, by correctly reporting that the election polls were not hacked. Then, Fox claims John Podesta wasnt hacked at all. Still trying to have it every which way, Fox News Figures Pretend Julian Assange Completely Denied Russian Involvement In 2016 Campaign Wikileaks and, alternately, President Obama should have been more forceful with President-In-Waiting Vlad Putin than his tepid, Knock it off. The more things change, the more Fox News stays the same. THE HAPPIEST MAN AT FOX: Celebrating hardest that shes on her way out the door is none other than Bill OReilly [who] hated Megyn Kelly, claims Fox News anchor. No wonder. She was nipping at his heels in the ratings. Breaking the irony meter: Bill OReilly Blames Reverse McCarthyism For Entertainers Refusing To Participate In Trump Inauguration. KRAUTHAMMER: They dont want to play for Donald Trump. OREILLY: Bull. KRAUTHAMMER: This is a republic. OREILLY: Bull. KRAUTHAMMER: You are not summoned to perform for the king or for the dictator. In some places, if Kim Jong-un calls you to sing, you better show up, because otherwise youre not gonna make it to the morning. OREILLY: Youyou dont know anything about the Hollywood industries. They will perform for Joseph Stalin, okay, if they think it is going to help their career. Okay? Fox News regularly attacks Hollywood as being a colony of the loony left (read: communists). Now thats McCarthyism. Meanwhile, The View erupts when Whoopi refuses to let co-host blast Hollywood for left-wing version of McCarthyism. Yes, Loofahs name came up. STILL WATTERS: In another Fox schedule change, OReillys gift to the world goes weakly. [Geddit?] Fox Gives Jesse Watters A Weekly Show As the Media Matters subhead notes: Fox Will Now Feature Watters Poor-Shaming, Sexism, And Transphobia For An Hour Every Week and gives numerous examples of Watters poor-shaming, sexism, and transphobia. This change was obviously in the works longer than Megyns Move, as he hints in You may be seeing a bit more of me: Jesse Watters discusses past controversies and his future at Fox News: Watters also serves as an extension of OReilly during ambush interview segments, unafraid to get into his interview subjects face with aggressive questions, unrelenting particularly when his questions are unwelcome. When the cause is just and theres been injustice, then its easy to kind of galvanize your emotions and confront a guy, Watters told Business Insider in an interview in December. And its intense and theres a lot of adrenaline involved, but those usually make a big splash. OReilly 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, OReilly generates many of the ideas for the segments himself and often has visuals and locations in mind. Usually hell say, like, This is kind of how I want you to approach it, and then hell 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, hes very interested in aesthetics behind the Watters World, where its being shot, why its being shot there. Shorter Watters: Blame OReilly for how despicable I am. FOXY FRIENDS: This happy hate morning yak fest is when the venom enters the Fox bloodstream daily, especially on stories like this: Newt Gingrich Blames Obama for Chicago Attack: Only Heightened Racial Tension I dont remember anything like this before Barack Obama was inaugurated eight years ago, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy replied, hammering home his guests thesis and putting a wide smile on Gingrichs face. Steve Doocy: White Men Are Punching Bags For The Liberal Left Conservative Black Chick Agrees! Fox & Friends Homage To Christian Coach Includes Persecuted Christian Whine Fox News hate: Its not just for breakfast anymore. Its 24/7 Fruit Loops in The Emperor Trump Era. Headly Westerfield launched the NEW! IMPROVED!! Not Now Silly Newsroom on the New Year with Not My President; Not Even My Country A Manifesto. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Sens. Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer along with Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi are rallying and leading a national day of action on January 15 to save healthcare. Sanders and Schumer will speak at a rally at the UAW Hall in Warren, Michigan. Pelosi will speak in San Francisco. Other rallies are being organized in Philadelphia, Chicago, and other cities around the country. More rallies will be announced this week, and you can follow the list here. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, Democrats are united in fighting back against Republicans who want to make America sick again by cutting Medicare, Medicaid and repealing the Affordable Care Act. We are going to link arm in arm and stand together as we fight to protect health care for millions of Americans. Leader Pelosi added that Republicans are declaring all out war on healthcare, After years of the GOPs fevered, fact-free crusade against the Affordable Care Act, Republicans repeal plan will have cold, hard consequences for millions of Americans. The Republican Congress is declaring all-out war on affordable health care in our country, and we must not allow them to Make America Sick Again. Democrats will not stand by and allow Republicans to dismantle the health and economic security of hard-working Americans. Sen. Sanders (I-VT) said, The American people will not allow Republicans to throw 30 million Americans off of health insurance, privatize Medicare, make massive cuts in Medicaid, raise the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and, at the same time, provide massive tax breaks to the top 1 percent. A very different and more grassroots Democratic resistance is taking shape. Democrats are transforming from a top-down party to a grassroots movement. Without President Obama to lead them from the White House, Democrats are taking the movement directly to the people, and if they are going to save healthcare in this country for nearly 30 million Americans, they will need your help. Democrats are leading the charge. The left has moved from resistance to action, and it is time for you to get involved. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print You have to wonder at what point Republicans, who claimed repeatedly and without evidence that President Obama was embarrassing the United States, will recognize that Donald Trumps Twitter obsession is doing just that. Former Guantanamo chief prosecutor Col. Morris Davis draws attention to that fact, and to an image many of us here and abroad no doubt have, but wish we didnt: I @realDonaldTrump's "Man on the Can" musings composed as he sits, pants around ankles, w/ gentle hum of the fart-fan, banging it out. pic.twitter.com/tQ3edbNHDj Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) January 7, 2017 If these are not, in fact, man on the can musings, we have a right to wonder why, seated at his desk, Donald Trump is not directing his attention to more important work. Certainly, there is something he could be doing, like informing himself. It was terribly awkward for all Americans to see Chinas mature response to Trumps childishness in employing Twitter diplomacy, and this is from Chinas official news agency, Xinhua, in other words, state run media: The obsession with Twitter diplomacy is undesirable, was Chinas message. It is a commonly accepted that diplomacy is not a childs game and even less is it business dealing. As former United States Secretary of State [Madeleine] Albright said, Twitter should not be a tool for foreign policy. Yes, it is left to China to quote our sober-minded former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright back at us. Kellyanne Conway says we have to get a hold of ourselves here but the only person who seems to lack a firm grasp of things is Donald Trump and his coterie of inexperienced advisers. Another Twitter diplomacy fiasco, and one much closer to home than the South China Sea was Trumps revelation that taxpayers would indeed pay for the wall but that they will be paid back by Mexico later! Usually, diplomats, and sometimes the leaders of the countries involved, get together and talk about important issues of concern to them both. Trump simply tweets his diktat and expects the world to abide. This led Vicente Fox Quesada, Mexicos president from 2000-2006 to tweet in response: Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he can't keep. Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 6, 2017 TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that fucken wall. Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it. Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 6, 2017 This will all become much more embarrassing once Trump is ensconced in the Oval Office (or White House bathroom), smartphone in hand, tweeting with wild abandon while the world laughs and mocks. The only country Trump might be right about is Russia, and that is simply because here Donald trump is doing what he is told, whether out of greed, indebtedness to Russian oligarchs, or Russian blackmail. Not that this will help with other countries when they hear Putins words coming out of Trumps mouth. Thats more than a little embarrassing for an American president, somehow losing the Cold War in a single tweet after we spent decades winning it. National embarrassment is actually the least of our worries. As Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander told MSNBCs Joy Reid, PEOTUSs tweets are now policies of the USA and that puts all of us in danger. If CNNs Anderson Cooper was stunned by this weeks collection of Trump tweets, saying He called himself a ratings machine or something like that, in one of the tweets. I dont think it matters, but it is a mirror to who this person is, imagine how world leaders feel about being dictated to by a guy who is obsessed with the idea that he is a ratings machine and talks about himself in the third person. Cooper called Trump a raw nerve of emotion. There is likely going to be a lot of that going around in foreign capitals after January 20. President Obama worked hard for years to restore Americas reputation around the world. Trump, if he hasnt already, could destroy that in a single days on the can musings. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Michele Bachmann has repeatedly demonstrated over the years that she does not understand the United States Constitution, which not only has an article forbidding religious tests but an amendment forbidding the establishment of religion. Needless to say, Bachmann thinks the Constitution not only establishes religion, but that it establishes her religion, and that President Obama has failed an imaginary religious test. Appearing on Family Research Council President Tony Perkins Washington Watch radio show to spew anti-LGBT hate is certainly the right venue for Bachmann, as the FRC is a recognized hate group. That doesnt make any more palatable (or accurate) her claim that under President Obama our government has been perverted to be used to advance an ungodly agenda and undermine American values both abroad and here at home. Obviously, the secular United States government was never intended to advance a godly agenda, to the extent Bachmanns hate-filled agenda is in any way godly, either here or abroad. The fact that it did, at times, do precisely that in the bad old days, does not mean that it was right or that it should do so again. Listen courtesy of Right Wing Watch: How does the State Department, how does the United States government bless or curse? You brought it up yourself with the State Department, where weve seen such evil come out of our State Department, unfortunately, where financial incentives are withheld from countries unless they advance, for instance, the gay agenda. In a country that doesnt believe in the gay agenda but the Obama State Department has said, You have to have a gay pride parade. You have to make sure that you can show us that ministers are marching in these gay pride parades. What? The U.S. government is telling another government that you have to have gay pride parades? Thats unbelievable. You wont get your PEPFAR money, you wont get your USAID money unless you follow our radical social agenda? You know, we laughed about this earlier. We conservatives are always blamed that we want to talk about social issues too much. Thats all the left will talk about, social issues. And yet they are willing to use U.S. tax money, in other words, your listeners hard-earned tax money, to beat over the head other nations to come into conformity with lifestyles and behaviors that we know can be detrimental to people and that dont advance the American cause. Most remarkable of all is her claim that Donald Trump, the most profane candidate in many a long year is going to somehow advance a godly agenda. And only an Evangelical could claim that persecuting everyone who isnt a Christian is somehow not a radical agenda. Remember that last summer Bachmann announced that God had lifted up Trump to defeat Hillary Clinton, and that she was advising him clearly not on constitutional matters Trump put her on his religious advisory board instead. That doesnt appear to have worked out any better for the president-elect, as Bachmann is as ignorant of her own religion as she is the Constitution. All the proof you need is her reaction to Trumps victory: The Lord did this. No, Vladimir Putin and the FBI and the Trump-normalizing mainstream media did this. There is no doubt that Trump is getting lousy advance from the former Minnesota congresswoman. There must be a saying somewhere that says you get the advice, like the government, you deserve. After waging a taxpayer-funded decades-long culture war on anything that lifts us above the Middle Ages, Bachmann hasnt misplaced her hypocrisy. In the end, the idea of Michele Bachmann advising Donald Trump is the ignorant advising the uninformed. There is no good that can come of such a union, and Bachmann has provided living proof. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The Obama farewell has begun, but some of us just arent ready to deal. And by some of us, I mean yours truly. The long lines of thousands to get tickets to see one of the best modern presidents say farewell this Tuesday are indicative of the feelings of a majority of this country: The news says since we're in the building we're getting Obama tickets, but wow. This line is long. #ObamaFarewell pic.twitter.com/eNrZZLmUhl Elliott Smith (@ElliottJSmith) January 7, 2017 Some of us have been counting down the days to terror with a grief too heavy to be overcome by sheer duty to report the news. Not only is this great man leaving office and taking with him the First Lady, who has inspired so many of us to be better people, but he is being replaced by a man so personally horrific that he engenders nightmares for vulnerable citizens. To make matters even worse, Trumps fickle, petty, greedy policies offer no redemption for his personal sins. Instead, we are heading straight to the gutter, as Putins pawns. One of the most effective ways Russians have found to make a country vulnerable to their infiltration is to demoralize it and to cause the people to give up. There truly couldnt be a better agent of rampant demoralization than Donald Trump. I have no words of wisdom to offer in these days of dimming hope and darkening skies, except we must never give in or give up. So even when our hearts and minds are overcome with grief as we watch one of the best modern day presidents leave office only to be replaced by a man who is not fit to shine his shoes and is set to destroy the very tenets of democracy, we must not dishonor all that the American voters demanded by a landslide when they twice elected President Barack Obama. For eight years Barack Obama, whose worst fault might be thinking too highly of his opponents and our media, never gave up even when he was being obstructed at every turn. He continued to fight for the everyday American who needed him. President Obama always stayed focused on hope, because hope is the very foundation of democracy and progressive change. Republicans mocked Obamas Hope slogan for a reason hope is powerful, it is sustaining, and it is capable of changing the world. Without hope, there can be no movement to make better policies for the people. A government of the people, by the people and for the people hinges on the hopes of the people; their belief in possibility. Hope. Hope and work for the change you want to see, like President Obama has done. And never ever give up. Even when it hurts like it does right now, even when there seems to be no reason for hope. This is the time when hope is most needed. No, these arent the sentiments of a sore loser who just cant handle a lost election. These are the sentiments of an American patriot, watching one of the best presidents leave office and hand the keys to a man Putin worked aggressively to install in our White House. A man who lies so much and gaslights America so much that its impossible to give context to the magnitude of his lies. This isnt an ideological grief; its a deep, foreboding grief about the incoming perilous threat to the United States, made especially bitter because its following a man whose commitment to the people and process has been so stabilizing, crystallizing into a moral presidency of the highest order. From the remarkable heights of the ethical family leader and brilliant, deep thinking Barack Obama we will plunge into the dark abyss of the inept, incompetent, willfully ignorant, cruel, conspiracy-oriented and easily manipulated Donald Trump. And we will have no checks and balances to save us, given that they have been systematically undermined by Republicans whose only goal was obstruction of a real President, elected by real Americans, for real reasons, unlike the incoming President-elect. Its painful to watch the country I love fall in on itself, cratering under the weight of the perfect storm of cracks in what used to be a reliable system. But this pain is part of the process whereby Putin wins, and that cant happen. So hope. Stay engaged, and refuse to be silenced. President Obama will always be our president, even when he hands the keys over to Putins pick. A man and his girlfriend suspected of killing five people in three states last year have pleaded guilty to two of the killings in South Carolina and been sentenced to life in prison without parole, authorities said. Read moreCouple, suspected in 5 killings in 3 states last year, get life in prison in 2 SC slayings Charleston, SC (29403) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 67F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. The pandemic stressed us all, but its impact was compounded among pregnant women and those who had just given birth; their rates of mood and anxiety problems doubled during that time. That should not come as a major surprise, given how the stresses around this life-giving, life-changing even Read moreEditorial: Important outreach to SC's expectant and new mothers 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. Some numbers matter more than others. How much you make is important, for example, but your financial health depends far more on how much you keep. Knowing certain numbers can help you understand how well you're converting income into wealth, as well as the impact of your spending and tax situation on that process. The following calculations can help you make better decisions. 1. YOUR WEALTH RATIO A wealth ratio is a measure of how effectively you've converted your lifetime income into wealth. Calculating the ratio is a key exercise in "Your Money or Your Life," a guidebook for simple living and early retirement movements, first published in 1992. Authors Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin suggested adding up the annual earnings over your entire life, as reported in Social Security statements or old tax returns. To that total, you can add in other money received that wasn't reported to Social Security, such as investment and interest income, inheritances, gifts and gambling winnings. ADVERTISEMENT The next step is to calculate your net worth what you own (the value of your assets) minus what you owe (your debts). Your net worth divided by your lifetime income, expressed as a percentage, is your wealth ratio or what you have to show for all the money flowing into your life. If you've earned $500,000 and your net worth is $125,000, your wealth ratio is 25 percent. If you've earned $1 million and your net worth is $2 million, your wealth ratio is 200 percent. There's no pass/fail here. Younger people likely will have lower ratios than older people who've been saving and investing for decades. Knowing your number can motivate you to look for ways to save and invest more so your ratio grows. 2. YOUR OVERHEAD RATIO How much of your after-tax income is eaten up by basic, must-have expenses? If you're having trouble making ends meet, calculating your overhead ratio can help explain why. It also can be handy to know when you're determining if you can afford new loan payments or how much to save in an emergency fund. A must-have expense is one that can't be delayed or skipped without serious consequences. They include shelter costs, transportation, groceries, utilities, insurance, minimum loan payments and child care. In their book "All Your Worth," bankruptcy expert (and current Massachusetts senator) Elizabeth Warren and her daughter, Amelia Warren Tyagi, recommend limiting must-haves to 50 percent of after-tax income. A 50 percent limit isn't easy to achieve, but it frees up money for "wants" (30 percent) and savings or debt repayment (20 percent). Sticking to a 50/30/20 budget also helps people better survive job loss and other economic setbacks by limiting their overhead. Having an emergency fund equal to three months' worth of must-have expenses is a good goal after you get on track with retirement savings and have paid off troublesome debt such as credit cards. Any loans may be affordable if the payments don't push your must-have expenses over the 50 percent mark. 3. YOUR TAX RATES ADVERTISEMENT Your tax bracket doesn't reveal the amount of taxes paid on your total income. Instead, the bracket (also called the marginal tax rate) reflects how much Uncle Sam claimed of the last dollar you earned. If you're a single filer in the 25 percent federal tax bracket, the first $9,275 of your 2016 taxable income is taxed at the 10 percent rate, the next $28,375 at 15 percent and the amount above $37,650 at 25 percent. Your bracket determines the value of your itemized deductions and tax-advantaged investments. Someone in a low tax bracket, for example, doesn't get much value from write-offs, such as mortgage interest deductions or investments such as municipal bonds or variable annuities, that can benefit people in higher brackets. Your future tax bracket matters, as well. If you anticipate your bracket will drop in retirement which happens for most people, according to experts making deductible contributions to individual retirement accounts now is a good plan because the tax breaks from those contributions likely will outweigh any taxes you'll pay on future withdrawals of the IRAs. If you expect your marginal tax rate to be higher in retirement, making nondeductible contributions to a Roth IRA, which offers tax-free withdrawals in retirement, could be the better plan. Your tax bracket, similar to your overhead and wealth ratios, can change with time. Check these numbers regularly to stay on track with your financial life. AUSTIN A man accused of possessing hundreds of images of child pornography pleaded not guilty Thursday in Mower County District Court. Aaron Manuel Jimenez Murphy, 29, of 1311 Seventh St. NW in Austin, was charged Dec. 21 with 10 felony counts of possessing child porn. He's been released in lieu of $10,000 conditional bail and is due back in court April 13. The investigation began in October with a tip to a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent from Internet Crimes Against Children about an internet service being used to upload child pornography. The internet provider indicated it was assigned to the address where Murphy lives, the complaint says. A search warrant executed Dec. 20 revealed a desktop computer in Murphy's bedroom; flash drives in the room contained hundreds of images and videos of children engaged in sexual acts and conduct, court documents say. ADVERTISEMENT Each count is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both. Sometimes, Jennifer Finch-Mitchell, a Gibbs Elementary school counselor will catch kids crying upon arriving at school. It happens, she said, but if something like that becomes more frequent, it's often an indicator of anxiety. This can manifest in tears and frustration, calling attention to the underlying issue, but it's not always so obvious. While off days are normal from time to time, more frequent anxiety may require a counselor to step in. Sometimes, there are no physical markers that someone's dealing with a mental health concern, which is why mental health can be so difficult to diagnose and treat, Finch-Mitchell said. The problem: Identifying those students has become increasingly more difficult because there are fewer school counselors to work with students, especially at the elementary level. Minnesota has fallen behind and ranks 47th in the nation for access to school counselors. ADVERTISEMENT Elementary-level counselors, such as Finch-Mitchell, focus largely on prevention and teaching students proactive skills to help students learn to deal with anxiety and other mental health concerns. Now, some are worried the lack of mental health resources at the elementary school level is having a further-reaching impact on student behavior. This is concerning for mental health staff because if students aren't taught how to proactively deal with their problems at a young age, bigger emotional challenges later in school and life could be devastating. What's more troubling, said Denise Moody, the district's mental health services coordinator, is that mental health issues are becoming not only more frequent but more complex than what was seen previously. Even though there's been funding set aside for additional school counselors, some are worried students aren't getting enough support early on in their life to learn how to deal with mental health issues. In November, Minnesota schools got some relief with a grant from the governor's office , providing funding for school counselors across the state. The $12 million state investment will partially fund support staff at 77 schools throughout the state. But area administrators, teachers and counselors say the assistance was long overdue Minnesota has one of the worst student-to-counselor ratios in the nation. The state average is one counselor to every 792 students, Moody said. At Rochester Public Schools it gets better, with a ratio of one to 400 at the high school level and one counselor to every 350 students at the middle school level, she said. But that's still far from ideal the American School Counselor Association recommends one school counselor to every 250 students. "It's quite disheartening to know that Minnesota does so well academically ... the ratio is just disheartening," said Tina Barness, the president of the Southeast Minnesota School Counselors Association . ADVERTISEMENT While awareness of mental health issues has increased, recognizing problems has remained somewhat elusive, as there aren't always obvious physical symptoms, Moody said. "It could be related to the fact that these kids weren't really getting those interventions in the elementary years," she said. It's just like dealing with any disease of the body, she said. "It's easier to treat the earlier we catch it." Finch-Mitchell said occasionally teachers will catch glimpses of mental health issues, but too often it's a silent struggle. "Kids feel it, and sometimes when it's severe enough, when it's to the point where it's getting in the way of the kid being able to function, we see it," she said. "But there's a lot that goes on, sort of in the more of a middle or lower range of mental health issues, where kids are struggling but we don't always see it." Two days of events are planned Jan 15-16 in Rochester for the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Highlights include a commemorative service Jan. 15, and a breakfast, rally, march and program on Jan. 16. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Commemorative Service, "Servanthood: Service to the Community," is from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at Rochester Community Baptist Church , 1048 Sixth Ave SE. The service will include reflections on King's life as well as music, and recognition of recently retired Rochester City Council member Sandra Means. Organizations reflecting the spirit of King will be honored, including Black Data Processing Associates, Friendship Place, Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association, Rochester Branch of the NAACP, Rochester for Justice and Why You Matter. The service is open to all. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We Have a Dream Breakfast , will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. Jan. 16 in the Mayo Civic Center Exhibit Hall. The keynote speaker is Louis Alemayehu, an award-winning poet, musician and educator who teaches at the Multicultural Indigenous Academy in St. Paul. Admission is $10. A limited number of free event tickets are available at 507-288-1122. ADVERTISEMENT Free bus transportation is provided from the Best Buy/Hobby Lobby parking lot and from the Mayo High School parking lot. Buses depart at 7:30 a.m. Following music in the civic center's north lobby at 10 a.m., the march and rally starts at 10:30 a.m., from Mayo Civic Center through downtown and back to the civic center at 11:15 a.m. A commemorative program will be held in the Rochester Civic Theatre lobby at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday party in the civic theatre lobby at 1 p.m. ST. CHARLES With the new year comes a new approach at funding upgrades and needed fixes to school buildings in St. Charles. After the defeat of two referendums in 2016 an $18 million ballot question in May and a $12.4 million, scaled-down version of the same referendum on Nov. 8 the school board decided to put the issue on hold until the new board took place in 2017. "We wanted to wait until after the first of the year," said board member Mena Kaehler. According to public input after the first referendum was defeated in May, the main reason voters rejected the $18.3 million project was the proposed $8 million expansion to the high school gym. Of 451 voters surveyed after the first referendum, only 29 percent supported the gym expansion. The scaled-down referendum in November was a carbon copy of the earlier ballot question with a two-station gym instead of a three-station gym. While the vote at the ballot box was closer, it was still defeated. And while the gym expansion still seems to be a sticking point, St. Charles Superintendent Mark Roubinek said there are plenty of other items that were part of both proposals that still need to be funded. ADVERTISEMENT Among the biggest projects, Roubinek said, are changes to the elementary school that are needed due to the addition of early childhood education offered by the district. "We had private preschools until last year," he said. However, when those preschools closed, the district decided to meet the community's need, adding preschool classes at the elementary school. "We plugged it in for the current year thinking (the referendum) would pass." The problem, he said, is that the building needs upgrades to several classrooms to make them better suited for kindergarten, and an expansion is needed to get the School Age Child Care out of the basement. "That's not ideal," he said. Built in 1966 While the elementary upgrades are more a result of adding a needed program for the community, work at the high school is largely a result of the age of the building and how the 1966 design does not meet current requirements or styles of education, he said. Most of the high school was built in 1966, and the rooms do not always meet the needs of education in the 21st century. For example, most of the science rooms do not have enough working components to properly teach chemistry, biology or physics. The biology room has one working sink for washing hands, an important part of doing experiments in the class. In the chemistry room, not all gas jets or sinks work at the lab stations, said Principal Ben Bernard. The room's fume hood is small and located in a corner of the room, making it difficult for the teacher to demonstrate experiments for the students. Jerry Schweitzer, the district's director of building and grounds, said, "(The fume hood) passes the inspections, but not with flying colors." ADVERTISEMENT However, fixing plumbing and gas lines is only part of the problem. "We're trying to modernize and make things more functional," Roubinek said. The science rooms are set up for the 1960s way of teaching science. "It's like a block of wood under the accelerator. We're going along efficiently at 40 miles an hour. But if we take that out, we could do 50 or 60 or more." Today, Bernard said, the move is more toward modular labs where teachers and students can move more freely. "We just want the access to tools for kids to explore more," he said. That means work spaces that actually work and have room for both experiments, books and taking notes. "You look at the job the teachers do with what little we have, and it's very good." How to pay The science room upgrades would cost more than a million dollars, Roubinek said. However, if the district does not get a referendum to pay for the remodeling, the project would have to be done one science room at a time. "We might be able to do a room every two or three years," he said. The state has helped districts with a new, long-term facilities maintenance fund, Roubinek said, but that money cannot be used for remodeling or upgrades. So any project funded outside the referendum would need to use a mixture of LTFM money, local optional revenue and general fund levy money. Roubinek said that if the school board decided to move, say, $50,000 in capital improvement funds to move some plumbing for upgrades on a science room, it could combine that with other funds. However, Bernard said, that would mean $50,000 less for industrial arts education. That, he said, is an area where employers are looking for graduates who have experience with modern technology. And by doing a room every couple of years, you end up with mismatched rooms. "You'd lose the continuity and flow of construction," Schweitzer said. "You'd like to have the same materials in each room, but they're probably not available six years apart." ADVERTISEMENT Bathrooms and showers The same piecemeal approach could be taken for upgrading bathrooms at the high school. Like the science rooms, most of the bathrooms function, but they do not meet modern standards. Most bathrooms, while they have passed inspection, Roubinek said, would be hard-pressed to accommodate anyone in a motorized wheelchair. "There's a bathroom in the 2003 addition that works," Bernard said. "It's the only one that really does." Roubinek said the bathrooms could be fixed to better meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility at about $10,000 per bathroom, but those would be quick fixes that do not meet the overall needs of students. A bigger issue, he said, are the boys and girls locker rooms. Some shower stalls do not work. The water stream from the showers is inconsistent from one stall to the next. And the bathrooms within the locker rooms are again a poor fit for any handicapped student currently, the high school has no student who uses a wheelchair. And none of this, Bernard said, addresses the gym space problem that seems to have caused the voters to reject the two referendums last year. "I think everything is a priority, or we would not have put them on the referendum," Kaehler said. "We need to address our shortfalls. I want to stay optimistic." ST. PAUL It's been a quarter century since the Minnesota Senate last had a doctor among its members. This week, two came aboard one Democrat and one Republican and their real-world experience could come in handy with health care shaping up as a dominant issue before the Legislature. Republican Scott Jensen, 62, comes from a conservative district in Chaska and is a family practice doctor with his own clinic. DFLer Matt Klein, 49, lives in Mendota Heights and works at a big city hospital. Both won open Senate seats last fall. Freshman lawmakers often hang back in the early going to get a better sense of how the Legislature works, but these two say they'll dive right in given the session's spotlight on health care. Jensen will be vice chairman of a key Senate health policy committee. ADVERTISEMENT "I absolutely expect to have a seat at the table," he said. Jensen said he's witnessed the negative consequences on his patients stemming from state and federal laws. A year ago, he published a book with 33 stories about patients he's taken care of in his 33-year career. It stresses the importance of doctor-patient connections. "As a physician, I don't think I work for Blue Cross or Medicare or Medical Assistance. I work for the patients," Jensen said. "If I'm not doing a good enough job, I would hope they would fire me." Issues of doctor choice and access are likely to be key subjects of debate at the Capitol this year, along with the cost of health insurance. The clinic Jensen founded is in Watertown, and he said he'll still see patients on a daily basis before coming into St. Paul and on weekends. Medicine runs in the family for Jensen. His daughter is an anesthesiologist at Hennepin County Medical Center. That's where Matt Klein makes his rounds. He sees patients who are being admitted for acute illnesses. Klein also is on committees that deal with health care issues. He says he doesn't profess to be an expert in insurance policy, but he knows medicine. ADVERTISEMENT "What other people maybe know out of facts or briefing papers, I know from my night shifts three times a week in a very personal way," he said. "I think I'll bring some passion to the discussion." Klein works at the state's biggest safety net hospital. That experience at HCMC exposed him to patients who are as worried about their medical bills as they are about their condition, he said. He noted the story of a drywaller who had put off care despite coughing up blood for months. Then a chest X-ray revealed a large tumor. "The first thing he asked me was whether he could get back to work on Friday because he couldn't pay for the chest X-ray I had ordered," Klein recalled, "and he couldn't pay for the hospital stay that he had incurred, and he certainly couldn't pay for any treatments that I was planning to order." That stuck with Klein as a vivid example of why expansions of Medicaid and access to affordable insurance are important, he said. But that's not to say he doesn't see a need for change. Klein said he wants to look at incentives to hospitals and clinics inherent in the health system that emphasize the number of people seen over whether they get better. Similar to Jensen, Klein says he'll keep working at the hospital a couple nights per week, in part because it keeps him grounded, and he has five children to put through college. ADVERTISEMENT There are nurses who are in the Legislature. There have been dentists and pharmacists, too. There's a a practicing chiropractor in the Senate: Jim Abeler, R-Anoka. The last doctor to serve in the Senate was a psychiatrist who left office in 1991. The House saw its last doctor depart in 2003. Everyone called him "Doc." As for Klein, he says he prefers "Matt." Jensen and Klein say they've already met several times and plan to get together weekly during the session to chew over ideas. "If we can build bridges and really listen to each other and hear the value in the other's ideas, then hopefully we can serve as some sort of a model for the Republicans and Democrats to make sure they're listening to one another," Jensen said. "Not all this stuff is partisan." Said Klein: "The fact that both of us are both in the Senate at the same time is fortuitous, and hopefully, we can find some common ground." DULUTH A group of businesses and community groups in Duluth is urging the city to dispose of plastic bags and plastic foam food containers in favor of more environmentally friendly options. The "Bag It, Duluth For the Love of Place" campaign is calling for a city-wide ordinance that would phase in a ban on single-use, plastic carry-out bags and polystyrene containers used for take-out food. The proposal calls for a ban to be enacted over a one-year period. The model ordinance the campaign has developed calls for retailers to institute a small charge of at least five cents for paper bags. Campaign coordinator Jamie Harvie said in other cities that's helped increase the reusable bag rate by 80 percent or more. "This effort is really geared at changing behavior," he said. "Humans are creatures of habit, and we don't change behaviors easily." ADVERTISEMENT The group proposes several exemptions, including a waiver of the minimum bag charge for people receiving public assistance. The campaign is motivated in part by recent studies that have shown large amounts of plastic pollution in Lake Superior and the Great Lakes. Minneapolis is currently the only city in the state that bans plastic bags. St. Louis Park prohibits polystyrene food containers, and St. Paul is considering a similar rule. Harvie said some 160 communities around the U.S. have taken similar measures. "What we're suggesting isn't cutting edge, actually, what we're suggesting is really coming up to speed to where the more environmentally conscious outdoor cities already are," Harvie said. A man speaks with police in a park in Milwaukee Aug. 15 following the fatal shooting by a police officer Aug. 13 of Sylville Smith. WASHINGTON Coming from a presidential candidate, Donald Trump's misty-eyed admiration of Russia and its autocratic leader was weird. Coming from a president-elect, it's nothing short of alarming. I repeat the questions I asked back in September: What's the deal with Trump and Russia? Does he have financial entanglements with Russian banks, businesses or billionaires that color his views? If not, as he claims, then why won't he release the personal and business tax returns that could put the matter to rest? The latest sign of Trump's infatuation is his refusal to accept the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community that Russian state-sponsored hackers meddled in our election -- a risky and provocative operation that could only have been authorized by Vladimir Putin. "It could be somebody else," Trump told reporters on New Year's Eve. "And I also know things that other people don't know, and so they cannot be sure of the situation." The president-elect added that "I know a lot about hacking, and hacking is a very hard thing to prove." It is unclear how Trump could know even a little about hacking, since he rarely uses computers. Aides reportedly must print out news articles for him to read. In my experience, experts on cybersecurity know how to use a web browser. ADVERTISEMENT Trump is scheduled to receive a full briefing on the issue Friday from senior officials including FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. President Obama has seen the evidence and was convinced enough to impose new sanctions against Russia as punishment. When Putin decided not to reciprocate, given that Obama will soon leave office, Trump offered this glowing comment on Twitter: "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) I always knew he was very smart!" Trump has argued that since the CIA was in error about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it may well be wrong about Russian hacking. That's ridiculous. It's like saying that since Trump was wrong when he claimed early in the campaign to have seen thousands of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey on 9/11, everything he has said since may well be exaggerated, half-baked or a flat-out lie. On second thought, maybe I should choose a different analogy. One possible reason for Trump's stubbornness is that intelligence officials believe the intent of the hacking was not merely to shake public confidence in the U.S. electoral process, but to help Trump win the election. The hacked material that was allowed to surface, mostly through WikiLeaks, contained embarrassing information about Democratic institutions and individuals, including the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. Republicans were almost completely spared. Perhaps believing that the legitimacy of his victory is being impugned, Trump is willing to take the founder of WikiLeaks a fugitive from justice on sexual assault allegations at his word. Trump tweeted Wednesday: "Julian Assange said 'a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta' why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!" Another possible explanation is that Trump is deliberately making a huge shift in U.S. foreign policy regarding the other two global superpowers. Not only has he been much more indulgent of Russia than recent presidents, he has also taken a much tougher and more confrontational line toward China. This smacks of 18th- and 19th-century balance-of-power statecraft, which became obsolete with the advent of modern weapons. Such machinations cannot be advisable in the nuclear age. On New Year's Eve, as Trump prepared to host a black-tie gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, two members of the Senate Armed Services Committee John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. joined Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in meeting with front-line Ukrainian troops who are defending their country against Russian-backed military aggression. In 2014, Putin annexed Crimea by force. A few years earlier, he sent troops into the sovereign nation of Georgia. ADVERTISEMENT Perhaps Trump doesn't believe all of this is really happening. Maybe he doesn't care. The senators made clear they want tougher sanctions against Russia to punish its territorial ambitions and its outrageous attempt to influence our election. How to deal with Putin could be the first big foreign policy fight between the new president and the Republican-controlled Congress. Perhaps McCain and his colleagues will get to the bottom of why Trump, who sounds like such a tough guy with regard to the rest of the world, is such a pussycat when it comes to Russia. Senate committees can issue wide-reaching subpoenas, and should. Eugene Robinson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post. Last month I visited Taiwan, off the coast of China, to check out the repercussions of a historic phone call between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Donald Trump. Initially, the Taiwanese were elated by the Dec. 2 call the first such contact between leaders in Taipei and the United States since 1979. That's when Washington switched its recognition from the government of Taiwan to the government of mainland China. Most other countries followed suit. However, the United States retained warm, informal relations with Taipei, whose leaders hoped the congratulatory call would intensify those ties. Then came Donald Trump's follow-up tweets and interviews, which turned the brief exchange into a challenge to U.S.-China policy as a whole. This worried Taiwanese leaders, who never intended to provoke a major U.S.-China confrontation. As I heard from government officials, legislators, think-tankers and journalists in Taipei, many fear Trump sees them simply as a bargaining chip in a trade war with China. They also fear that China will make Taiwan pay for Trump's provocations. The whole episode illustrates how careless words or tweets from Trump can undermine valid efforts to upgrade policy and harm the allies the changes are meant to help. ADVERTISEMENT A bit of history is needed to understand why the China-Taiwan issue could become the first big foreign policy crisis of the Trump presidency. After the nationalist Chinese lost the civil war to the Communists, their leader, Chiang Kai-shek, fled in 1949 with thousands of followers to Taiwan. He set up an authoritarian state that he claimed was the rightful government of all of China; China, on the other hand, said Taiwan was a renegade province of the government in Beijing. Despite these tensions, Chiang Kai-shek's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, gradually introduced democratic elections to the island in the 1980s. With its population of 24 million mostly ethnic Chinese citizens, Taiwan has become a vibrant democracy and hi-tech giant that is one of America's closest trading partners. So the question remains: How to reconcile Taiwan's desire to remain an independent democracy with Beijing's insistence that it will eventually reclaim the island? The answer has been for Taiwan and the United States with Chinese acquiescence to maintain a careful ambiguity over the island's status. But all that could now change. The key has been a diplomatic formula known as the "One China" policy. In 1992, Beijing and Taipei agreed there was only "one China" encompassing the mainland and Taiwan but disagreed over what the term meant. However, the principle signified that Taiwan would not declare independence. As the years passed, though, the Taiwanese people, especially the youth who have grown up and been educated in a democracy, have begun to view themselves as wholly Taiwanese. President Tsai, elected last year, leads the Democratic Progressive party, which considers Taiwan an independent country. In response to her victory, Beijing froze ongoing contacts with Taiwan and sharply reduced the lucrative flow of mainland tourists to Taiwan. However, Tsai has stressed that she will maintain the status quo in relations with China and officials told me the call did not represent a policy shift. But Beijing is already retaliating, sending an aircraft carrier to conduct drills near the island, and making efforts to peel off some of the 21 small countries that recognize Taiwan. ADVERTISEMENT So how do Taiwanese leaders regard the aftermath of the call, and how did it come about? "Whenever there was a new U.S. president our (representation) in the United States tries to reach out," I was told by Chih-Cheng Lo, a leading legislator from Tsai's party. Taipei conveyed a request for Trump to accept a brief congratulatory call from the Taiwanese leader through contacts in Trump's transition team (who had reportedly already been discussing ways to change policy toward Taiwan and China) and also through former Sen. Bob Dole, a lobbyist for Taiwan. "We put out feelers right after the election." The hope was that a call would lead to closer trade ties with the United States, including sales of defensive weapons or military technology that Taiwan needs but Washington has been reluctant to provide. Vincent Chao, a spokesman for the Taiwanese National Security Council, said the expectation was that news of the call would be kept low key. "'One China' was not in the phone call," he told me. Taiwanese officials communicated with the Trump team on media strategy and were asked to send a draft press release. "Before we heard back, a press release went out from their side, and then came the tweets." Those follow-up tweets blared the news of Trump's call to the "President of Taiwan," implying that he recognized her as a sovereign leader, and blasted China's policy on trade, North Korea and the South China Sea. Then he went on Fox News and asked why he should adhere to the "One China" policy unless China made concessions on those issues. "China was more upset about the raising of the 'One China' principle than the phone call," said legislator Lo. "We were really surprised the president-elect himself would tweet. If big powers are going to engage in confrontation we have to be careful not to get entangled. Sometimes we become the scapegoat. It is easier for China to hit at us than at the Trump administration. "We hope Taiwan can be treated for its own sake, not put on the table between great powers." Tsai will pass through Houston on Jan. 7 on her way to visit four Central American countries that still recognize Taiwan, and, hopefully, Trump won't turn her transit stop into another Twitter provocation. ADVERTISEMENT If the president-elect really wants to warm relations with Taiwan, he shouldn't make the island part of a frontal attack on China, with the implication that Washington will support Taiwanese independence. That could provoke a Chinese military retaliation against Taiwan that nobody wants. Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "To live in the process is absolutely not to notice it please try to believe me unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us ever had occasion to develop. Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, 'regretted.'" A German professor, speaking to American author Milton Mayer for his landmark 1951 book, "They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1939-45." I've been trying to notice all the "inconsequential" things in America, lately, during this so-called time of transition into Donald Trump's unprecedented (not "unpresidented") presidency that begins in about two weeks. By that, I mean all the news items which, viewed in isolation, seem a little weird or even off, but not necessarily earth-shattering. Until you start adding them up and doing the math. Item: Trump continues to rely on his occasionally over-the-top private security force at rallies and events since his Nov. 8 election, and is bringing at least some of that into the White House. Just today, he announced that Keith Schiller, a former door-battering NYPD detective who's headed Trump's security since the turn of the millennium, is having a plum White House job created for him, Director of Oval Office Operations. This for a man best known for manhandling journalist Jorge Ramos, pummeling a Latino demonstrator and running a force that Politico noted has triggered lawsuits amid allegations of "alleged racial profiling, undue force or aggression." Other members of Trump's private security team may join Schiller in the White House. ADVERTISEMENT Item: The president-elect took to Twitter this week to bemoan Chicago's rising murder rate so far, so good; everyone should be alarmed at murder rates that are too high in major cities but then hinted that his administration might be forced to get involved. "If Mayor can't do it he must ask for Federal help!" Trump wrote. It's not clear what he meant; a powerful American tradition has been to oppose the idea of federal policing, at least on the street-crime level. But Trump has made "law-and-order" a centerpiece of his political rise, endorsing the discredited policy of "stop-and-frisk" and remarking last summer that Chicago could solve its crime problem if cops were "very much tougher." (Despite that department's unfortunate history of brutality.) No wonder that Trump begins his presidency with support bordering on adulation from the nation's largest police union. Item: You may have heard that Trump is having trouble attracting well-known celebrities to perform at the Jan. 20 inauguration. Shocking, isn't it, that folks in creative fields built around free expression would oppose such a man? We still have the inaugural parade and the line-up which will stop me if you've heard this one before "spotlight military and police units," according to the Washington Post. (At least there won't be Pershing missiles rolling down the street; well, I hope not.) OK, you're probably saying a little more militarism around Trump's inauguration is nothing to get worked up about, and maybe you're right. But what about? Item: Trump who once pompously stated during the campaign that he "knows more than the generals" has pulled a 180 since his election and named an unprecedented number of recently retired generals to his administration. That includes possibly his scariest pick former Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser, who won't have to face a confirmation hearing to defend his bizarre conspiracy tweeting or his recent hookup with Vladimir Putin and the more down-to-earth former Marine Gen. John Kelly to run Homeland Security. Then there's the curious case of the man that Trump has tapped to run the Defense Department, recently retired General James Mattis. I say "curious" because Mattis is arguably Trump's best cabinet selection a fierce warrior but with mature, sensible positions on hot-button issues like torture and the Iran nuclear deal yet also one of the most troublesome. Troublesome, because the post-war architects of the modern Pentagon were determined to see civilian control of the military, following in the founding tradition established by George Washington when he resigned his military commission to become the first president. The job of defense secretary was created with a restriction that appointees must be out of the military for at least 10 years, later knocked down to seven. The only way Mattis can get the job is for Congress to pass a waiver (which happened once previously), and the 48 Democrats technically have the votes to filibuster and force Trump to name a true civilian. That probably won't happen; Mattis is popular with Democrats, who even asked him to address their convention before he spoke at Trump's RNC instead. Mattis should be defeated, however. The growing presence of military men running key civilian agencies, the influence of shadowy security men inside the coming Trump White House, the idea that we'll get used to seeing more soldiers and more cops around, whether in the streets of Chicago or at something as innocuous as the inaugural parade each of these, alone, isn't a seismic shift. But the slow militarization of American society here in "the homeland" is a creeping danger that should alarm all of us. And to be clear, I'm focusing on a few of the more "inconsequential" aspects of a very #NotNormal Trump transition. I haven't dwelled on some of the bigger violations of long-standing norms, like the president-elect's unwillingness to address his massive business-related conflicts of interests, and the likely enrichment of his children in schemes that reek of central Asian dictatorships (or "the -stans," as Paul Krugman wrote this week.) Or his desire to use Twitter for daily agitprop while restricting an actual free press. Or his naming of Big Oil or Wall Street execs to positions that were created to act in the name of citizens, not corporations. But these constant, seemingly small alterations in the American body politic also matter, a lot. They have all the hallmarks of a slow creep toward what? Fascism? Some critics insist it's both wrong and counterproductive to label Trump's brave new world as "fascism" and thus beg inevitable comparisons to Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy, that what we're seeing here is just a radical and sometimes troubling form of American "populism." ADVERTISEMENT But fine don't call it "fascism" if that bothers or distracts you. When a new leader offers us a vision of a more militaristic America, centered on a cult of personality, intensely nationalistic and xenophobic, and a kleptocracy to boot, it shouldn't need a fancy name or a label to scare the living bejeezus out of us. And force us to act. Easier said than done. That's what author Milton Mayer found when he interviewed everyday Germans roughly five years after the fall of Hitler and Nazism. Here's a longer excerpt of how that college professor explained the slow and gradual acceptance of authoritarianism: "What happened was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to be governed by surprise, to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believe that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if people could understand it, it could not be released because of national security." The anonymous German prof went on to say: "Each act, each occasion is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next, and the next. You wait for one shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join you in resisting somehow. "Suddenly it all comes down, all at once. You see what you are, what you have done, or, more accurately, what you haven't done (for that was all that was required of most of us: that we did nothing) You remember everything now, and your heart breaks. Too late. You are compromised beyond repair." It's easy to not sweat the small stuff with Trump, until you realize that none of it is small stuff. Because when the tipping point comes for American democracy, you may not even feel it, until it is, as our professor friend lamented, "too late." That's why the moment for resistance is right now when we know we are free. ADVERTISEMENT Will Bunch is a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. In other words In the summer of 1858, Abraham Lincoln stood before his state convention and warned, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." The apt re Read moreThe danger of an island divided Sue Bell Cobb, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, has endorsed Sen. Jeff Sessions in a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Montgomery Advertiser describes Cobb as one of Alabamas most prominent Democrats. She served on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals before being elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2006. She resigned in 2011. Describing her relations with Sessions when both were working in Alabama, Cobb states: We were then as we are now, members of different parties, but always willing to assist each other as we attempted to constantly do the right thing for the people of our beloved state. Cobb applauds Sessions work in Congress to reduce the backlogs in state forensics labs. She also notes the Senators support for alternative programs to sentence non-violent drug offenders with something other than prison time. To the extent that Blacks constitute a disproportionate number of non-violent drug offenders, these programs that Sessions has promoted are of particular benefit to the African-American community. Cobb adds: Sen. Sessions has continually demonstrated his understanding of the need for and his support for these data driven sentencing options which save lives and tax dollars. He has always responded when I called; party boundaries were never a consideration or factor in his decision. Cobb joins at least two other prominent Alabama Democrats who have endorsed Sessions: Quinton Ross, Democratic minority leader in the Alabama Senate (and an African American) and Albert Turner Jr. of the Perry County Commission (also an African-American), whose father Sessions prosecuted unsuccessfully for voter fraud. These endorsements pose an obvious problem for Democrats attempting to block Sessions confirmation. Another big problem is the high personal regard in which the Alabama man is held by Senators from both parties. The Washington Post describes this problem in article called Jeff Sessions should have been a tough sell in the Senate, but hes too nice. Post reporter Paul Kane notes that despite consistent disagreement with Sessions on important issues, Sen. Susan Collins is a leading advocate for his confirmation. She says of Sessions: Hes a decent individual with a strong commitment to the rule of law. Hes a leader of integrity. I think the attacks against him are not well-founded and are unfair. Kane also cites the very liberal Chris Coons of Delaware. He and Sessions have spent hours during the past six years talking at the Senates weekly Bible study and working out together in the gym. They are friends. Coons says, I genuinely like him. Coons probably will vote against Sessions because of huge differences between the two on important issues, which is okay. But those attacking Sessions as a racist have an almost impossible sell, given the way he is regarded by those who know him in Washington, D.C. and in Alabama. Whats clear, but what the Posts Kane doesnt want to say, is that being too nice is inconsistent with being a racist. Chris Coons, Susan Collins, Sue Bell Cobb, Quinton Ross, and Albert Turner Jr. wouldnt like Jeff Sessions much less endorse him in all but the case of Coons if he were a racist. Todd Kendhammers arrest came 81 days after he told authorities an airborne pipe pierced his car's windshield and struck his wife of 25 years. What? he asked while being handcuffed outside the Onalaska Menards. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He was shaking in the back of a squad car, where he repeated, Oh, my God. Oh, my God, according to newly released case records. Interviews, crime lab reports, photographs and 911 tapes released through state open-records laws highlight discrepancies in Kendhammers account of the events that led to his wifes death, including 20 minutes during which the two were alone just before he reported she had been injured in a freak traffic accident. Investigators concluded the crash never happened. Kendhammer, 46, has stood mute to first-degree intentional homicide in his wife Barbaras Sept. 17 death. He is under house arrest with GPS monitoring as conditions of his $250,000 cash bond while awaiting trial. He returns to La Crosse County Circuit Court on Feb. 2 for a status conference. His Madison attorneys have refused to respond to repeated requests for comment. According to the records: Sept. 16 Kendhammer told authorities the couple left their home at N6617 E. Scotch Coulee Road in West Salem between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. Sept. 16 for Holmen, where he planned to pick up a truck to replace its windshield. GPS information retrieved from Google show the couples cellphones at a neighbors house from 7:30 to 7:50 a.m., according to a La Crosse County Sheriff's Department report. The neighbor, who lives in Seattle, said Kendhammer cared for the 80-acre property that he planned to purchase in September. Barbara was scheduled to work at 8 a.m. at West Salem Middle School the opposite direction from Holmen. The owner of the truck said he did not arrange for Kendhammer to repair the damaged windshield, according to a sheriff's department report. A car matching the couples Toyota Camry was captured on surveillance video at 7:57 a.m. traveling north on Hwy. M about one mile south of Bergum Coulee Road in the town of Hamilton. In his initial statement, Kendhammer said they were driving north on a straight and flat stretch of the highway just south of Bergum Coulee Road when a 53-inch pipe fell from an oncoming flatbed truck, bounced off the pavement and passed through the passenger side of the windshield, hitting his 46-year-old wife, according to the criminal complaint. En route to the hospital with an investigator, he said the pipe that fell from the oncoming truck did not hit the pavement before breaking through the windshield, according to the complaint. Kendhammer said he punched the windshield trying to block the pipe, then tried to remove the 10-pound galvanized pipe from his flailing wife while turning onto Bergum Coulee Road, where he accidentally put the car in reverse and rolled backward into a grassy embankment. He said he then got out of the car and removed the pipe from the windshield, pulled Barbara from the passenger seat and tried CPR for three to five minutes before calling 911 at 8:06 a.m., according to the complaint. A passerby told investigators he saw the Camry half in the ditch, its windshield intact, the passenger door open and no one around the car, according to a sheriff's department report. On the phone with 911 dispatchers, Kendhammer was frantic and at times inaudible. He reported blood coming from his wifes nose and mouth and pleaded for paramedics to rush as he said he continued efforts to save her life. A pipe or something came through the windshield, he told dispatchers. It got her and shes hit in the head and the throat I think. Minutes later, Youre going to be OK, Barb, he said on the recording. Barbara was unresponsive when medical help arrived. She never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead at 5:02 p.m. the next day. The first paramedic at the scene found Kendhammer kneeling at his wifes feet. Her head was toward the road and her blood was on the rear passenger tire. Emergency responders did not find glass shards on Barbara, according to a sheriff's department report. Authorities found the pipe in weeds behind the passenger side of the car, where Kendhammer said he threw it before trying to save his wife, according to a sheriff's department report. Pressed between the trunk lid and the rubber seal they found a blade of grass. It appeared as if the trunk had been opened at the scene, reports stated. Kendhammer was unsteady on his feet and concerned about his wife. He had injures to his knuckles and scratches on his neck and chest. He blamed his injuries on working with glass, according to a sheriff's department report. The same video that showed a vehicle matching the Kendhammers' car on Hwy. M did not show a flatbed truck traveling south around the time of the incident, according to a sheriff's department report. Authorities later returned to the site to reconstruct the crash as described by Kendhammer, dropping an identical pipe from a truck traveling at 40 and 50 mph in nine scenarios. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, broken glass found in the rear part of the Camrys gear shift housing would only land in that spot if the windshield was damaged while the car was in park. The autopsy Barbara suffered extensive blunt impact injuries to her head and neck inconsistent with her husbands account, Dane County Deputy Medical Examiner Kathleen McCubbin wrote in the autopsy report. She had three bone-deep cuts to the back of her head, a fracture to the back of her skull, a broken nose, bruises and bleeding on the interior of her lips and bruises on her biceps. Barbara also had a fractured bone and muscle hemorrhaging in her neck consistent with strangulation, according to the autopsy report. She had possible fingernail scratches on her neck and two torn fingernails. It is 46 quadrillion times more likely that DNA recovered from one of Barbaras fingernail clippings is a mixture of Barbara and her husband than Barbara and a random person, according to the State Crime Laboratory. Very forceful that the casket would not be opened Kendhammer was jittery and emotional while making arrangements with the couples grown children at Jandt-Fredrickson Funeral Homes. He stated he wanted his wife cremated, not buried as he had said during an initial phone call, the funeral director told investigators. He then was adamant his wifes casket remain sealed. Todd stated that no one will see her from this point forward and he was very forceful that the casket would not be opened and that no one would ever see her after they left the funeral home, the funeral director told investigators, according to a report. The couples family and friends did not identify problems in their marriage or mention a history of domestic abuse during interviews with investigators, but several of Kendhammers former colleagues described him as snake in the grass and a chauvinist pig from hell capable of violence, according to sheriff's department reports. Kendhammer was scheduled to work at 6:30 p.m. the day of the incident and the next three nights at Crown Cork and Seal Co. in La Crosse, although the couple was planning their annual camping trip during that time period. One of his colleagues told investigators he believed the couples daughter and son-in-law were replacing plumbing pipes during a kitchen remodel, according to a sheriff's department report. Crime lab findings Evidence recovered from the car indicate Barbara was assaulted and the windshield smashed when she was not in the car, prosecutors said in court. Bloodstains around the passenger seat and on the inside of the windshield indicate Barbara was inside the car when force was applied, according to a crime lab report. The patterns are consistent with a beating. Blood drip and flow patterns revealed Barbara was bleeding for a period of time in the passenger seat and that her body was at one time over the center console and passenger-side floor, according to the crime lab. A crime lab analyst determined the pipe hit the passenger side of the windshield at least once before it broke through. The spread of glass particles on the passenger seat indicated it was empty when the pipe penetrated the windshield. The analyst also concluded the passenger door was likely open, because there were no glass pieces in the door pocket. The analyst found sand and an orange soil-like material on one end of the 53-inch galvanized steel pipe. There was no blood on the pipe, according to the crime lab. The analyst also found what appears to be the same material inside the trunk and on a rolled pad and cloth bag on the floor of the trunk. The pipe and items from the trunk will be analyzed at an FBI lab, according to the crime lab report. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Content Editing Specialist with French wygaso z dniem 2017-01-08 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez EY Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to: oferta zamieszczona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z naszych zasobow rekruter zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc CV rekruter zmodyfikowa tresc ogoszenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem url dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych zy adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Ksiegowosc / Audyt, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Ksiegowosc / Audyt Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Content Editing Specialist with French, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Content Editing Specialist with French Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Wrocaw, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Wrocaw Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Content Editing Specialist with German wygaso z dniem 2017-01-08 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez EY Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia ogoszenia to: oferta zozona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z naszych zasobow ogoszeniodawca zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc pracownikow firma zmodyfikowaa tresc ogoszenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem url dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych bedny adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Ksiegowosc / Audyt, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Ksiegowosc / Audyt Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Content Editing Specialist with German, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Content Editing Specialist with German Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Wrocaw, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Wrocaw Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: The head, Town Planning Department, of the Uyo City Capital Development Authority, Effiong Akpan, has blamed the government of Akwa Ibom for not releasing funds for the demolition of Reigners Bible Church, Uyo. The Church building collapsed on December 10, 2016 during the ordination of its founder, Akan Weeks, killing at least 26 worshippers and injuring several others. Mr. Akpan made the disclosure on Friday in Uyo while testifying before the Commission of Inquiry set up by the state government to investigate the cause of the collapse of the structure. Mr. Akpan told the commission that the church building had been marked for demolition five different times. He said that UCCDA had once demolished the structure at foundation level and warned the developer to desist from erecting any structure on the site. He added that the land and the entire area where the church was built had since 2002 been mapped out by the government as conservation area. Mr. Akpan said the area lies on the hilly side of Uyo ravine which is prone to landslide. He said all the churches and event centres built along that axis of the road were illegal, as the soil could not hold any structure. He said that on May 4, 2015, UCCDA applied for funds from the government to procure cranes, excavators, bulldozers and security coverage to demolish the structure. He explained that though the governor approved the money, the then Accountant-General of the state refused to release the funds. Mr. Akpan said: We marked X on the structure on March 6, 2013; it was covered by paint; we did the same on July 16, 2014; March 1, 2016; July 20, 2016, and Aug 16, 2016. The developer ignored all the markings by covering them with paint. We later issued 21 days ultimatum to remove the property failing which the authority will remove the structure and cost born by the developer. The developer used heavy pillars for the construction. After the expiration of the notice, we did not have the capacity to remove the heavy pillars and roofing used for the construction. We needed cranes, excavators, bulldozers, money, security coverage and vehicles to carry out the demolition. On May 4, 2015, we requested for funds and security coverage for the demolition; the money was approved by His Excellency but we never access the money. The then Accountant-General did not release the money for us to embark on the demolition. He said that UCCDA needed the security coverage, as its employees were molested when they came to the site earlier to demolish the structure. He added that the owners of the Church threatened to liaise with the government to dismiss any of the authoritys employees who made attempt to embarass workers on the church site. Reacting to Mr. Akpans testimony, Ini Ekpo, counsel to Mr. Weeks, the founder of Reigners Bible Church, accused the Akwa Ibom government of not releasing the funds needed by UCCDA to demolish the church. He told journalists that if the government had released the funds, the building would have been demolished and lives would have been saved. UCCDA gave the developer of Reigners Bible Church 21 days to demolish the building, but after 21 days, government did not facilitate the demolition. UCCDA has clearly said if it had the money, the building would have been demolished and lives would have been saved. Since the government did not provide the funds to facilitate the demolition, if negligence is found anywhere, then government will not go scot-free, Mr. Ekpo added. The commission adjourned sitting to reconvene on January 9 for further hearing. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Niger Delta Avengers said on Friday that it had launched two simultaneous operations to restart its disruption of Nigerias oil and gas production this year. In a statement signed by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, and posted on its website, the group expressed its frustration with President Muhammadu Buharis deaf approach towards the ongoing dialogue with leaders of the region. It has been evidently clear that the Nigerian state is not ready for any form of dialogue and negotiation, the Avengers said while accusing the Buhari administration of turning deaf ears to the plight of the Niger Delta. Consequently, the Avengers said it had activated its combatants and bases for a wholesale obstruction of Nigerias oil production in 2017. On this note, we are declaring Operations Walls of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua simultaneously to reclaim our motherland, Mr. Agbinibo said. All fighters and commands are hereby placed on high readiness in your webs of operations to hit and knock the enemy very hard. The group said it would ensure that Nigerias 2017 national budget is not funded with the crude oil production output from the Niger Delta but on the newly found oil deposits in the North and the new pipelines construction from the Niger Republic, in reference to Mr. Buharis policies of prospecting crude oil in the North East and constructing cross-border pipelines with the Republic of Niger. The Niger Delta Avengers gained worldwide notoriety when its fighters launched a string of devastating attacks on oil and gas installations across the oil-rich region last year, forcing major oil companies including Shell, Agip and Chevron to cease operations and withdraw their staff. Between mid-January and mid-November 2016, the Avengers claimed responsibility for some 50 attacks on oil installations, hitting mostly in Delta State with Bayelsa coming in a distant second. The group said it would bring Nigerias oil production to zero in its quest to end widespread poverty and environmental degradation across the Niger Delta. The hostilities also compelled Shell to shut down its export terminal in Forcados, Delta State, significantly decreasing governments major source of revenue while depriving the economy of much-needed foreign exchange. The government said the groups activities contributed to the countrys economic woes. In the third quarter of 2016, Mr. Buhari ordered a military offensive as his administrations response to the sabotage by the NDA and other similar groups that had emerged in different communities across the region. The government also adopted a peace talk with leaders of the region as an alternative means of ending the crisis, but did not cancel the military operations. The dialogue, which was formally launched in November 2016, was rumoured as the reason behind Avengers minimal attacks on pipelines since September. But little progress has been made despite repeated promises by the parties involved that the talks would lead to a lasting peace and economic development of the region. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, reportedly blamed a lack of credible leadership in the region as a major hindrance to governments efforts. Edwin Clark, a former minister and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum which is the umbrella body of South-South leaders involved in the negotiations, slammed Mr. Adesina on Thursday and said his statement was capable of undermining the peace process. Contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday afternoon, Mr. Adesina declined to confirm or deny whether he actually made the controversial statement. He also declined comments on the latest threats by the Avengers, saying it was not in his place to do so. Nigerian Army spokesman, Sani Usman, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES requests for comment. The Buhari administration said about 40 per cent of the N7.29 total appropriation for 2017 would be funded from oil earnings. Share this: Twitter Facebook The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, on Saturday appointed a new head of the churchs branch in Nigeria. The new overseer in charge of the Redeemed Church in Nigeria is Joshua Obayemi. Mr. Adeboye announced he was stepping down from the position, and will now be the general overseer of the churchs international arm. Mr. Adeboye was born on March 2, 1942, in Ifewara, Osun State. He had his B.Sc. in Mathematics at University of Nigeria Nsukka, and subsequently got his PhD in applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos, and worked as a lecturer in Mathematics at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin, before going into full time priesthood in 1984. After joining the RCCG in 1973, he began working to translate the sermons of its then Pastor and founder, Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English. In 1981, Mr. Adeboye was appointed General Overseer of the church. He took over from Rev. Akindayomi, who died the previous year. For three years he performed the role part-time, still lecturing at Ilorin. He finally gave up his university position to preach full-time. The church, which was not well known prior to Mr. Adeboyes ascendance, has grown phenomenally, to become Nigerias biggest, with branches in about 190 countries, including more than 14,000 in Nigeria. Mr. Adeboye has said that his aim is to put a church within five minutes of every person on earth. He married Adenike, 68, in 1967. NAN reports that Mr. Obayemi was appointed the new Nigeria overseer at the Annual Ministers Thanksgiving at Shimawa, in Ogun State. Mr. Obayemi was the Special Assistant to the General Overseer (SATGO) on Finance. Mr. Adeboye also appointed Johnson Odesola, who was the Special Assistant on Administration and Personnel, as the church Secretary. (NAN) Editors Note: This post has been updated to reflect that Mr. Adeboye has not retired, as he now oversees the RCCGs global arm. Share this: Twitter Facebook In an early prelude to a potential 2018 budget spat, Mayor Paul Soglin and the Madison Police Department are voicing sharp differences over staffing levels for what is already the citys biggest and most costly agency. Soglin and top police officials this week offered contrasting memos on the size of the force, with the department asserting staff needs that could cost an additional $1 million or more annually. Both sides maintained their positions in interviews Friday, with Soglin contending there is no emergency, the department has appropriate staff and that police are continuing a campaign for more resources that peaked with recent budget battles over a new Midtown District police station. We certainly have adequate personnel for 2017, he said. What we have to do is figure out how to reduce the demand for services. Assistant Police Chief Vic Wahl said, This is not an emergency, but we are behind where we should be. City Council President Mike Verveer said, The dueling memos are a precursor to a likely campaign issue in the upcoming City Council elections as well as the 2018 budget deliberations. Staffing levels lagging On Tuesday, Police Chief Mike Koval posted a memo authored by Wahl on his blog that summarized a 73-page city study completed in late fall that explores multiple methodologies showing the department should have more sworn personnel. The study, conducted by the citys police and finance departments under a requirement in the 2016 budget, offers no recommendations but indicates police need 13 more patrol officers alone based on workload and somewhere between 37 and 361 officers depending on population comparisons. The department now has authorization for 461 sworn personnel, about 1.9 officers for every 1,000 residents. By any relevant comparison, MPD staffing levels seem to be lagging behind the levels they should be, the blog post states. In fact, the 2003 staffing committee report recommended that MPD be staffed to a level of 2.0 officers per thousand residents ... by 2010. It would take 37 more officers to reach the ratio of 2.0 per 1,000 residents. Each extra officer costs about $71,700 annually, plus a one-time cost of $9,350 for equipment and uniforms. It would cost $932,400 annually for 13 more officers and $2.65 million annually to add 37 officers. The recently approved police department budget stands at $69.8 million for 2017. The departments total personnel has increased 48.8 percent to 579 employees from 1994 to 2016, easily the biggest rise among the citys biggest agencies, the study says. By contrast, the Fire Department increased 31.1 percent, Metro Transit 31.9 percent, the Parks Division 16.6 percent and the Streets Division 1.7 percent. Where we should be On Thursday, Soglin countered with a two-page memo to the City Council with a series of charts that said we are right about where we should be on Police Department staffing. The mayor had prepared the memo last fall but never released it, Verveer said. Will we need to add more police staff as we grow? Yes, Soglin wrote. Do we need to leap from 1.9 to 2.0 officers per thousand residents? No. Are we in a dire situation? Certainly not. Is there an emergency that requires the Midtown station to be built in 2017 rather than 2018? No. To argue that there is an emergency ignores reason and relies on emotion and fear. Soglin had wanted to start construction of the $10.8 million Midtown station in 2018. But in the budget process, the City Council moved up construction to mid-2017 and delivered funds for seven new recruits in the departments 2017 fall training class to address staffing needs when the station opens in 2018. The mayor on Friday blamed Koval for the gap between his office and the Police Department on staffing. Weve never had a police chief whos so adamant on building the infrastructure and population of the department, Soglin said. Wahl had no explanation for the differences. I dont have an answer to that question, he said. I feel the data supports our position. It really does. Verveer said the council will likely be amenable to further required staffing for the Midtown Station, but beyond that, its anyones guess. The reality is, we cant write a blank check for the police department. Methodology matters The study, Kovals blog post says, examined several methods for evaluating staffing needs. By workload for Madisons department, the study showed a need for the 13 additional patrol officers. By population, Madisons force needs 87 officers to match the average ratios for benchmark cities, 211 more to match ratios for the five largest Wisconsin cities, and 37 to 361 more to match average ratios for various large cities as compiled by the FBI. Madison would need 2.2 officers per 1,000 residents to match five similar cities and 2.7 per 1,000 to match the states five largest cities, it says. But the blog post adds, These comparisons are not the results of formulas or precise methodology. They should be viewed simply as providing context when discussing/evaluating MPD staffing levels. Soglin said the city has historically used a method based on population and crime rate, and that given the level of crime over the decades, its evident that the metric is reasonable and that it works. A ratio of about 1.8 officers per 1,000 residents seems about right at this time, he said. The city, he said, is dealing with some extraordinary circumstances, including police overtime caused by alcohol abuse, challenges of dealing with behaviors in areas of State Street and officer-related shootings. But such issues can be addressed without adding staff. For example, Soglin said he intends to oppose a liquor license for a restaurant proposed for the prominent space at 502 State St., formerly American Apparel. I will veto it if its approved, he said. The mayor said its too early to know how many police officers should be added in 2018, but said, youre certainly not going to see anything significant. Im looking at the whole budget debate. The city has critical services that go way beyond the police department, he said, citing clearing snow, fighting the emerald ash borer and equity, employment and social justice. The department, Wahl said, will be asking for extra personnel with data to support our request. The Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, has sent a Freedom of Information, FOI, request to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, for an update on the bureaus investigations of allegations of corruption against some public office holders in Nigeria. In a statement signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraj, CSNAC said the request was in respect of revelations in the #Panama Papers published by PREMIUM TIMES, which raised grave allegations of dubious wealth by past and present leaders of Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES had reported its findings from a series of investigations, following massive leak of files belonging to Mossack Fonseca, a law firm in Panama, Central America. In line with the revelations of the present and past Nigerian officials exposed in the Panama Papers scandal of illegally operating secret companies in tax havens, you, the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, confirmed the Presidencys directive, forwarding names of certain persons mentioned in the Panama Papers leak to your agency for necessary investigation. Premium Times had revealed Senate President, Bukola Saraki, having four assets listed in the secret offshore accounts carrying his name, but the embattled senate president had allegedly failed to disclose them in his assets declaration forms, in violation of Nigerias Code of Conduct law. One of the companies in his wifes name, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, in Seychelles Island is Sandon Development Limited, a vehicle used in acquiring a property on 8 Whittaker Street, Belgravia, London, in 2012. Another shareholder listed for that company is Babatunde Morakinyo, a long-term personal aide and friend of Mr. Saraki. Premium Times confirmed that the assets actually belong to Mr. Saraki, and not his wife, as Mrs. Saraki and Mr. Morakinyo were mere fronts and nominee directors holding assets in trust for the Senate President. Similarly, it was disclosed how former Senate President, David Mark, has links with eight offshore companies in British Virgin Island as shown by the leaked database of Mossack Fonseca. The database showed Mr. Mark as one of Nigerias most extensive users of offshore shell companies, while serving as a public official. These companies includes Sikera Overseas S.A, Colsan Enterprises Limited, Goldwin Transworld Limited, Hartland Estates Limited, Marlin Holdings Limited, Medley Holdings Limited, Quetta Properties Limited, and Centenary Holdings Limited, CSNAC said in its statement. The Panama Papers also revealed Mr. Mark had to send documents across to Mossack Fonseca to prove that he was clean. CSNAC cited further revelations from the publication of PREMIUM TIMES findings in the Panama Papers and requested details of the investigation plans of the bureau. Also, in the same view, the former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Funso Kupolokun, incorporated secret company in tax haven to partly own Ghanas top hotel. Details obtained by Premium Times from the leaked Mossac Fonsecas database allegedly showed Mr. Kupolokun as director of Gold Coast Resorts from August 11, 2008 and personally held 17.23 per cent shares in the company. Correspondence between Mossac Fonseca and a London-based law firm representing Mr. Kupolokun, Kennedys Law LLP, revealed that the former aide to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, authorized the transfer of his shares in Gold Coast to Blue Chapel, a company registered in Mauritius (another tax haven), in January 2013. It was revealed that at a point, Mossac Fonseca raised concern about Mr. Kupolokun, after its compliance unit identified press reports accusing the former NNPC chief of corruption but in his response, on September 7, 2014, Mr. Kupolokun wrote, Thanks so much, I now know what is being referred to. Interestingly, it was also disclosed how the former Group Managing Director NNPC, Mr Abubakar YarAdua, operated secret account to buy posh property while in office. Additional documents scooped from the Mossack Fonseca files exposed how Mr. YarAdua utilized his Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited to secure a loan from Dexia Private Bank Limited in Jersey which he allegedly used to purchase a property worth 890,000 in London. Dexia Private Jersey Limited, Hydrocarbon Assets Investment Limited and Mr. YarAdua signed the loan agreement on November 18, 2008 and was effected on December 2, 2008. Similarly, it was disclosed, while holding public office, Andy Uba (senator, Anambra state) illegally holds asset in tax haven. It was revealed that Mr. Ubas offshore structure in the Seychelles was erected with the help of two women, Marta Edghill and Vianca Scott, believed to be his fronts. Minutes of the first meeting of the board of directors of Wentworth Properties Ltd showed that the said meeting was held on November 3, 2004. The minutes said the two women constituted the totality of the board of directors. Marta Edghill and Vianca Scott elected themselves President and Secretary of the company respectively. CSNAC said its request was based on sections (1), (2) and (3) of the FOI Act, adding that information provided by the CCB would enhance the ongoing war against corruption. In the light of the above, CSNAC in pursuant to Sections 1, 2 & 3 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 is requesting for a comprehensive information on status of CCBs promised investigation on the aforementioned matter. This information will enable us carry out our mandate of fighting corruption by naming and shaming public office holders involved in corrupt practice. Share this: Twitter Facebook 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 ( Read 30050 Times) Source : JAIPUR. Pink City of Jaipur, the International destination for acclaimed filmmakers, bold new directors and lovers of cinema, will come alive with the gala opening of the 9th Jaipur International Film festival (JIFF) today in the evening 5;30 pm at Golcha Cinema.The Festival which has been scaling new heights since its inception will have variety of add-on features this time when as many as 134 films from across the globe will be screened at two screens at Golcha from January 7 till 11. Films would also be screened at the Rajasthan Adult Education Association (RAEA) and the Manipal University Jaipur.Ever since its inception, the JIFF has continuously been drawing international attention to its efforts in raising profile of films for the development of cinema worldwide and boosting the film industry. Celebrating cinema too.In addition to the screening of films the festival will have 17 Workshops and Seminars on various aspects of Cinema this year. Film Makers would also be interacting with the audiences under a new theme Master Strokes.South Indian Film Industry would be getting importance this year with several super stars and directors from the region attending the annual event this time.A large number of film makers from other countries would also be attending the five day Festival.LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO RAMESH PRASADThis years Life Time Achievement Award would be presented to internationally acclaimed cine-visionary Ramesh Prasad hailed as creator of specialised post production facilities.Born at Mumbai in 1930 he established Prasad Film Laboratory with advanced equipments.The chairman of the committee that selected Mr. Prasad for Life Time Achievement Award was headed by noted Indian film director Shaji N. Karun, recipient of several national and international awards including the civil honour of Padma Shree.SOUTH INDIAN STARS IN THE OPENING CEREMONYThe celebrity guests of honour to attend the opening ceremony of JIFF-2017 will include noted director Hariharan (former chairman of an Oscar Committee), Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (director of silent movie Pushpak) and brilliant actress Rachana, winner of national award twice.Another Southern super star Ashok Selvan would also be present before the cine audience of the Festival.Bollywood actress Aarti Chhabria of Shootout at Lokhandwala fame would also be attending the JIFF-2017.FILM MAKERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIESFILM DIRECTORS-Christina Kallas, Robert Richards, Justyna Mytnik, Konstantina Kotzamani, Ahmed Boulane, Diana Frankovic, Sada Rajiah, Katarzyna Plazinska,Robert Popa from RomaniaBRUNO OBINNA, VETERAN NIGERIAN ACTOR, ACTORS GUILD OF NIGERIAActor FILIP PAWEL KOSIOR from PolandMILOS RADOVIC, FILM DIRECTOR, TRAIN DRIVERS DIARY (DNEVNIK MASINOVOE), SERBIATOMASZ STANKIEWICZ , FILM DIRECTOR, BRAVE BUNCH, POLANDMS. PHILIPPA MARY HANKINSON, PRODUCER, BLOOD LINES, DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM, SOUTH AFRICAMR. PIOTR WACLAW CHRZAN, DIRECTOR, KLEZMER, FEATURE FILM, POLANDMR. FILIP PAWEL KOSIOR, ACTOR, KLEZMER, FEATURE FILM, POLANDMICHA MODLINGER, FILM CINEMATOGRAPHER, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I LOVE YOU, POLANDMR. THOMAS LUECHINGER, FILMMAKER/PRODUCER, BEING THERE, OCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM, SWITZERLANDMR. ANSGAR AHLERS, DIRECTOR OF THE FILM BACH IN BRAZILMR. JUSTIN LAMIE CONNOR, THE GOLDEN AGE, THE GOLDEN AGE, FEATURE FILM, USAMR. ALAN MC LANE ALEJOS, FILM MAKER, MEXICOMR. ALI ASHOORI, FILM DISTRIBUTOR- BEYOND THE END (SHORT FILM), IRANMR. ARSHA AGHDASI, FILM DIRECTOR AND WRITER- JAMSHID ARIA (SHORT FILM)IRANDANIELLE FERRAZ, EXECUTIVE PRODUCERR FOR FILM APACHETA, BRASILMR. SADAM WAHIDI, DIRECTOR, MARY MOTHER-SHORT FILM, AFGHANISTANA total of 250 film makers, artistes and others connected with the cine industry would be attending the Festival.OPENING & CLOSING FILMS:The opening films of the Festival will be Sila Samayangalil and Dana Dana and the closing films would be Survivor and Neruda.OPENING FILMS:The first opening film SILA SAMAYANGALIL (SOMETIMES) from India has been directed by ace director Priyadarshan and Noted actor Prakash Raj and South Indias emerging new superstar Ashok Selvan are in the lead role.Ashok Selvan will be attending the JIFF 2017 and meet the audience.SILA SAMAYANGALIL, a 101 minutes Tamil film, is a story of seven strangers who spend a day at a lab in South India, impatiently waiting for their AIDS test results. They reluctantly share how they fear they may have contracted the disease and band together to sneakily obtain their results sooner.The film has been nominated in main competition category and also for special Green Rose Award (for global message).The film will be screened on Tivoli screen of the Golecha Cinema at 6:00PM in the evening on January 7, 2017.The second opening film Dana Dana (Pearl Pearl) is an Iraqi film directed by Mutana Al-Rubaye. Made in English and Arabian the 52 minutes film boasts of having casts from 25 countries. In the lead roles are Houda Echouafni, Mutana Al-Rubaye, Lily Philips, Geoff Cotton, Abbas Noori, Wayne Gidden and Kerry Owen.The story revolves around an Iraqi musician who receives death threats and is forced to leave his country and the love of his life, his destiny turns around and he is forced to choose between a big break in his musical career and his refugee status.Film will be screened on Nile screen of the Golecha Cinema at 6:00PM evening on January 7, 2017.CLOSING FILMS:The first closing film Survivor is a 87 minute long Chinese crime thriller and action drama directed by Linzi Zhang . XUAN Yan is in the lead roles.The film tells the story of Yan, hospitalized after a car accident. From an old scar on his shoulder, doctors recognized him as the survivor of a well-known conjoined twin separation surgery that took place at the same hospital years ago. As Yan was being treated for his injuries, a series of terrifying incidents happened at the hospital, causing hospital-wide panic. GaoHai, the administrator of the hospital, accused Yan as the person behind the incidents, because a piece of evidence was left behind at the scenes - evidence tracing back to Yans separation operation.The film will be screened on Tivoli screen of the Golecha Cinema at 6:30PM evening of January 11, 2017.The second closing film will be Neruda from Chile, a 107 minute feature in Spanish and French, directed by Pablo Larrain. The casts are Gael Garcia Bernal, Luis Gnecco, Alfredo Castro, Pablo Derqui, Mercedes Moran, Emilio Gutierrez Caba and Hector Noguera.The story focuses on the political persecution the poet and Communist Senator Pablo Neruda and the manhunt for his arrest.The film has been nominated in Golden Camel and other competitive categories. The film is a Chilean entry to Oscar.The film will be screened on Nile screen of the Golecha Cinema at 6:30PM in the evening of January 11, 2017.The film had debut screening at Cannes in May this year. It has also been screened in film festivals like Toronto, New York, Zurich and San Sebastian.THE INTERNATIONAL FILM INDUSTRY IS LOOKING AT THE TWO CO-PRODUCTION MEETFilm producers and directors meet and interact with each other to discuss their next ventures and explore the possibilities of co-production sharing costs. JIFF co-production meets have been emerging as a successful forum for them. More than 250 delegates are arriving at Jaipur to participate in the co-production meet this time.This year two scripts have been selected for these meets. One is Fault Lines of IRENE ZOE ALAMEDA from America and Spain. The dream casts of the proposed feature film areSPANISH STAR - Ruben Cortada, TEENAGE IDOL IN THE USA - Maddie ZieglerBOLLYWOOD AND HOLLYWOOD STAR - Irrfan Khan, SPANISH STAR - Ariadna Gil. The budget of the film has been estimated to be around Rs.28 Crores.Another script Eucalyptus You is in Bengali from India.The first co-production meet will be held at Manipal University on January 9 at 6.00PM while the second meet will be held at Golcha Cinema on January 10 at 4.00PM.These meets have aroused international interest. India could get Marc Baschet as co-producer for film Lunch Box in JIFFs meet. Scores of film makers arrives at Jaipur for these meets during the Festival giving a fillip to tourism and also promoting location shootings in the colourful State.More than 33 Youth Ambassadors have been involved in the promotion efforts to attract young film lovers to the Festival.JIFF-2017 HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO FILM LOVERS THIS YEAR.Separate film shows have been arranged for children during morning hours from 9.00Am to 11.00AM from January 9 to 11 at Golcha CInema.Except these morning shows for children all other screenings would be for above 18 years of age viewers.Registration of delegates is open at the JIFF website. Registration can also be made at the venue of Golcha Cinema.Attached are the lists of films to be screened at the festival and programme of discussions.PLEASE FIND THE ATTACHED HINDI AND ENGLISH PRESS RELEASE, FESTIVAL SCHEDULE WITH SOME PHOTOGRAPHS.For more information visit www.jiffindia.org Blog Archive November 2022 (1) October 2022 (2) September 2022 (4) August 2022 (5) July 2022 (4) June 2022 (5) May 2022 (5) April 2022 (6) March 2022 (3) February 2022 (4) January 2022 (4) December 2021 (7) November 2021 (4) October 2021 (5) September 2021 (4) August 2021 (6) July 2021 (2) June 2021 (4) May 2021 (3) April 2021 (5) March 2021 (6) February 2021 (3) January 2021 (6) December 2020 (4) November 2020 (8) October 2020 (7) September 2020 (3) August 2020 (7) July 2020 (6) June 2020 (4) May 2020 (8) April 2020 (9) March 2020 (6) February 2020 (4) January 2020 (2) December 2019 (3) November 2019 (2) October 2019 (3) September 2019 (3) August 2019 (3) July 2019 (3) June 2019 (1) May 2019 (1) April 2019 (2) March 2019 (1) February 2019 (1) January 2019 (2) December 2018 (1) November 2018 (5) October 2018 (7) September 2018 (6) August 2018 (5) July 2018 (2) June 2018 (5) May 2018 (4) April 2018 (3) March 2018 (5) February 2018 (6) January 2018 (9) December 2017 (7) November 2017 (5) October 2017 (7) September 2017 (9) August 2017 (6) July 2017 (9) June 2017 (6) May 2017 (8) April 2017 (8) March 2017 (12) February 2017 (8) January 2017 (12) December 2016 (10) November 2016 (8) October 2016 (4) September 2016 (2) August 2016 (5) July 2016 (6) June 2016 (4) May 2016 (5) April 2016 (3) March 2016 (9) February 2016 (5) January 2016 (7) December 2015 (8) November 2015 (5) October 2015 (6) September 2015 (4) August 2015 (7) July 2015 (3) June 2015 (5) May 2015 (9) April 2015 (5) March 2015 (5) February 2015 (8) January 2015 (7) December 2014 (8) November 2014 (9) October 2014 (13) September 2014 (10) August 2014 (7) July 2014 (10) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (12) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (14) February 2014 (10) January 2014 (14) December 2013 (14) November 2013 (9) October 2013 (17) September 2013 (14) August 2013 (23) July 2013 (19) June 2013 (16) May 2013 (23) April 2013 (23) March 2013 (29) February 2013 (31) January 2013 (31) December 2012 (31) November 2012 (49) October 2012 (60) September 2012 (48) August 2012 (40) July 2012 (20) June 2012 (32) May 2012 (18) April 2012 (47) March 2012 (61) February 2012 (59) January 2012 (44) December 2011 (57) November 2011 (58) October 2011 (54) September 2011 (51) August 2011 (53) July 2011 (57) June 2011 (46) May 2011 (34) April 2011 (36) March 2011 (43) February 2011 (48) January 2011 (36) December 2010 (23) November 2010 (31) October 2010 (30) September 2010 (29) August 2010 (20) July 2010 (24) June 2010 (21) May 2010 (23) April 2010 (38) March 2010 (39) February 2010 (35) January 2010 (40) December 2009 (29) November 2009 (33) October 2009 (33) September 2009 (43) August 2009 (49) July 2009 (34) June 2009 (29) May 2009 (33) April 2009 (48) March 2009 (32) February 2009 (25) January 2009 (37) December 2008 (19) November 2008 (35) October 2008 (90) September 2008 (77) August 2008 (67) July 2008 (37) June 2008 (36) May 2008 (33) April 2008 (28) March 2008 (34) February 2008 (33) January 2008 (31) December 2007 (18) November 2007 (23) October 2007 (23) September 2007 (23) August 2007 (26) July 2007 (29) June 2007 (26) May 2007 (30) April 2007 (30) March 2007 (25) February 2007 (20) January 2007 (14) December 2006 (20) November 2006 (18) October 2006 (20) September 2006 (20) November 2005 (1) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. An arriving airline passenger pulled a gun from his luggage and opened fire in the baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday, killing five people and wounding eight before throwing his weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, authorities and witnesses said. The gunman was immediately taken into custody. Tracie Cicchitti, president of the Greater Cape May Chamber of Commerce, was having lunch with her mother at a restaurant in the airport when the shooting occurred. It came up on the TV saying theres been a shooting in terminal two, said Cicchitti, who owns Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center. At first, there wasnt much panic, Cicchitti said, but then, as she approached a desk to change her flight, she saw police officers heading her way. I started running toward my mom, and they were yelling get down, get down, get down, Cicchitti said. It was chaos. Everybody was hysterical. Cicchitti, her mother and about a dozen others hid behind the restaurants bar. Its the scariest thing Ive ever been through, she said. After thing calmed down a bit, Cicchitti said authorities led them out from behind the bar and onto the tarmac, where she remained into Friday evening. Authorities gave no details on a possible motive for the shooting, which sent panicked passengers running out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, baggage in hand, and forced the shutdown of the entire airport. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that the gunman was carrying a military ID that identified him as Esteban Santiago, but that it was unclear whether the ID was his. Nelson gave no further information on the suspect. Santiago was born in New Jersey, according to multiple media reports. "We don't know a motive at this point," he said. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism. We can't conclude that." President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed on the attack by the sheriff's office, told The Associated Press that the shooter had arrived aboard a Canadian flight with a gun in a checked bag. "After he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," LaMarca said. However, the Canadian Embassy said the suspect did not arrive from Canada and was not on an Air Canada flight, but instead appeared to have flown from Anchorage, Alaska. The attack took place at Terminal 2, which serves Delta Air Lines and Air Canada. Lea said the gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding." The killer had a handgun and went through about three magazines of ammunition, Lea said. People traveling through and buying tickets to Florida at Atlantic City International Airport were shaken but still determined to fly later Friday afternoon. Josh Bennett took the 7:40 a.m. flight from Fort Lauderdale on Friday to visit his mother and sister in the area. "But for the grace of God, we came in this morning, and it could have very well been later in the day when we decided to fly into Atlantic City, said Bennett, 55, of Fort Lauderdale. We are in shock like the rest of the country is. Bennett was back at the airport Friday afternoon to change his plane ticket to Sunday to fly back into Fort Lauderdale. I will try to put it out of my mind the best that I can," he said. John Truchel, 70, Ocean City, was buying plane tickets for an upcoming trip in March to West Palm Beach, Florida. He said he does fly into Fort Lauderdale during the wintertime and will continue to do so. You cant change your lifestyle, said Truchel. Brian Hartley, 39, of Ocean City, was traveling Friday through the Atlantic City airport to take a business trip to Orlando. Hartley heard about the fatal shooting on the radio during his drive to the airport. He also received a call from one of the guys he was supposed to be meeting with in Orlando. He last flew into Fort Lauderdale four years ago. Its scary. My family is coming down Thursday. They are flying down to meet me in Orlando, so it makes you worry about that it, especially the fact that I wont be with them to fly down. I will be with them on the way back, Hartley said. Its troublesome. It is a good thing that they got the person in custody, so that hopefully, they will be able to get some answers out of him, rather than the usual outcome of him taking his own life or suicide by cop, Hartley said. Donna Bridge, 48, of Monmouth County, had her 6:54 p.m. Friday flight from the Atlantic City airport to Tampa, Florida, delayed until 11:48 p.m. She speculated that maybe her plane was coming from the shutdown Fort Lauderdale airport to Atlantic City before heading to Tampa. She was making her once a year visit to see her mother, sister and the rest of her family. Bridge doesnt like to fly. She received a phone call from someone who knew her who didnt want her to freak out. It scared the crap out of me. There is crazy stuff going on in the world today. You cant take any chances, Bridge said. ___ Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro and Adriana Gomez-Licon in Miami contributed to this report. For 20 years, crime in Atlantic City has been declining overall, according to a review of decades of state crime data by The Press of Atlantic City. But that overall improving trend which had mirrored a national decline in crime reversed itself in 2015, as crime rose in nearly every major category, including homicides, rapes and aggravated assaults. In terms of homicides, the spike extended into 2016, with 12, compared with seven the year before. Last week, state representatives managing the city alerted the citys police and fire unions that they would push both to accept drastic cuts, including reduced staffing and longer shifts. I dont see how that cant have an effect on the (crime) numbers if you have far less police and overworked police, Atlantic City police union President Matt Rogers said when asked about the potential effects of downsizing the department. Atlantic City's public safety unions brace for deep cuts ATLANTIC CITY State officials overseeing the citys government have called on the police a City officials, including Mayor Don Guardian, did not respond to a request for comment. Guardian has made public safety a frequent talking point during his tenure. As recently as Wednesday, the mayor was touting an aggressive police response to nuisance issues in neighborhoods as a 2017 initiative. Last month, an email from Rogers to his union members summarizing initial negotiations with the state about the departments future under the state takeover was leaked. A copy of the email, obtained by The Press of Atlantic City, discussed some of the states demands for a restructured department, including salary cuts, increased health care contributions and 12-hour shifts for officers. Rogers said those cuts would be detrimental to what had been an improving situation in the resort. Part of the reason Atlantic Citys numbers have improved over the years is that crime as a whole has fallen across the country. Rogers said he couldnt identify a reason for the 2015 increase without a chance to look deeper at the numbers. As far as hes concerned, Atlantic City is still a safe town. The visitors are still here. The Boardwalk is packed, he said. Anthony Marino, a retired executive with the South Jersey Transportation Authority who has studied Atlantic Citys crime figures, agreed with that assessment. Marino said crime statistics have been on the wane since a high in 1989 and that the trend shows Atlantic City is, for the most part, a reasonably safe city. He pointed out that in 1977, before the city had casinos, its crime index, or the total number of the seven categories tracked by State Police, was 4,391. In 1989, it peaked at over 16,000 before declining almost annually. The only years the citys crime stats have gone up from the previous year were 1997, 2009 and 2010. Atlantic City workers to return to bi-weekly pay ATLANTIC CITY City Hall workers will return to a biweekly pay schedule next year after get Marino said he couldnt pinpoint what would have caused the spike last year but said the 2014 casino closings and general economic struggles in the city likely contributed. It just seems strange to me that you would want to cut, he said. Leo Rehani agrees. Rehani owns Joe Food Market on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In the first three years he owned the store, it was never robbed. Last year, it was robbed twice in three months amid a rash of armed robberies across the city. Rehani said hes frustrated with the citys Police Department as it is. If the state decides to mandate cuts, people like him will suffer, he said. My question to the state is, who pays the price? he said. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Physicians and other medical experts in New Jersey are teaming up to bring more specialized care to people living in rural areas on Medicaid who lack comprehensive health insurance coverage. Robert Wood Johnson Partners launched the New Jersey Project ECHO Academic Medical Center Hub in the fall with three remote-access tele-mentoring clinics. The program has picked up speed as participating primary-care physicians and specialists work in hepatitis C treatment, pediatric mental health and endocrinology. The hub project aims to educate and train local primary care physicians with help from specialists so they can treat more complex cases without referring patients to those specialists. Organizers say this will expand access to specialized care for underserved patient populations and save people money. It saves the patient trips and allows primary-care physicians to take more complete care of patients, said Dr. Vinod Rustgi, Clinical Director of Gastroenterology and Director of Hepatology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. What it allows is the point of contact for care to happen earlier. About 2.8 million New Jersey residents were living in true poverty, or at 250 percent of the federal poverty level, in 2014, according to a recent Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey report. The Rutgers Council of Teaching Hospitals found, however, that the state has a low percentage of doctors who accept Medicaid patients. With limited options, Rustgi said paying to go see a specialist had become unrealistic for many, resulting in a group of people who could not afford to get preventative or early care for conditions and diseases that would get worse without treatment. If they go see a specialist, there are often higher co-pays and costs in addition to having to make extra trips, Rustgi said. This program saves them money, time and travel distance. Now, if they are in Atlantic City, they dont have to travel all the way to me, but they still get quality specialty care through their primary doctor. Primary care physicians can sign up for Project ECHO and attend free weekly education remote clinics from their offices, homes and other locations. New Jerseys program offers clinics in three areas of treatment: hepatitis C; autism, ADHD and pediatric mental health; and advanced endocrinology. Sessions are 90 minutes and include case presentations followed by a 15-minute problem solving session with specialists and other participating physicians. Primary care physicians stay in contact and work with specialists through Project ECHOs hub as they see specialty cases. The program does not entirely eliminate the practice of patient referrals as experts say some people may be too far advanced in a disease and will still need to see a specialist in person. The Newark-based Nicholson Foundation funded New Jerseys Project ECHO hub with a $1.9 million, two-year grant. Laura Montenegro, licensed social worker with Robert Wood Johnson Partners, traveled to New Mexico to meet with founders of Project ECHO, which launched in 2003 and has since grown to include 94 hubs in 30 states and 15 countries outside the United States. She said uninsured and low income people have difficulty accessing healthcare, including people who are in the U.S. without documentation. She hopes the hub will allow those people to get quality specialized care if all they can afford is a visit to their primary care doctor. Montenegro said she hopes New Jerseys hub will expand to include clinics for other diseases in the future, but the current ones are a good start. Isabelle Mosca, executive director of FACES 4 Autism, a support organization based in Atlantic and Cape May counties, knew she had to seek medical help for her 17-year-old son as he began to experience some developmental regression due to a seizure disorder. Before Project ECHO was brought to New Jersey, Mosca went to her family pediatrician, who had connections to autism specialists through a similar medical hub program at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. She was able to get help for her son through a familiar local physician without making trips to Camden. Mosca said families, especially ones in need of autism specialists in South Jersey, may benefit from hub networks like the one at Cooper and New Jerseys Project ECHO, especially as they grow to include more diseases and age groups. One of the most frequent questions asked (at FACES 4 Autism) is about local experts in various fields, she said. But physicians who work with Autism Spectrum Disorder adults are very rare in South Jersey. It is a field sorely in need of trained professionals. Lots for state officials, none to curb smoking I read that the outgoing head of the CRDA is to be paid $225,000 severance, then that the lawyer who is Atlantic Citys takeover chief is to be paid $400 per hour. Finally, I read that New Jersey spends none of its tobacco settlement money on anti-smoking programs. Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture and taxpayer-funded spending. New Jersey ranks last in the nation in curbing smoking. As an oncologist, I have been caring for folks with tobacco-related cancers since 1980, and it pains me to see the misguided state priorities and where the states dollars are going. Dr. Robert M. Goldberg Somers Point Value of votes unequal Without getting into the argument about the validity of the Electoral College one way or the other, let me just point out that anyone who thinks that we should retain this hundreds-years-old concept is conceding that, mathematically, the vote of someone from, say, Wyoming is worth more than his. Thomas Maher Galloway Township Bias claims unfounded Funny, if the people didnt vote progressives way in the recent, they were biased or bigots. When the same people voted for Barack Obama previously, they werent bigots. Abortion was a big issue in the election, and now because a man wants to make America strong again, its bias? John Lombardo Williamstown Book-and-raises bills would cost taxpayers lots Regarding the Legislature pushing through a bill to allow the governor to write a book, I cannot understand why there was such a rush other than to keep the people of New Jersey out of the loop. The law has been on the books for years and why is it so important for the governor to be able to write a book while in office unless it is a book on travel, as he has spent so much time out of the state in the last several years. It cannot be about accounting, as his budgets never pass the economic test. Even the new gas tax was pushed through quickly without anyone really looking at the bottom numbers. It appeared the book and raises bill would cost the taxpayers of New Jersey over $7.5 million, plus millions more that the Bridgegate mess has cost the taxpayers. By the latest polls, many people do not believe that Gov. Christie did not know about that. The members of the Assembly and Senate really need to remember they are representing the people of New Jersey and not the Governor, or his cronies. This money will come from the people of New Jersey. If they let this bill come up again and pass, they may be on the unemployment line shortly after the next election. The governor will have plenty of time to write his book after he leaves office. Joseph A. Brophy South Seaville Lots for state officials, none to curb smoking I read that the outgoing head of the CRDA is to be paid $225,000 severance, then that the lawyer who is Atlantic Citys takeover chief is to be paid $400 per hour. Finally, I read that New Jersey spends none of its tobacco settlement money on anti-smoking programs. Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture and taxpayer-funded spending. New Jersey ranks last in the nation in curbing smoking. As an oncologist, I have been caring for folks with tobacco-related cancers since 1980, and it pains me to see the misguided state priorities and where the states dollars are going. Dr. Robert M. Goldberg Somers Point Value of votes unequal Without getting into the argument about the validity of the Electoral College one way or the other, let me just point out that anyone who thinks that we should retain this hundreds-years-old concept is conceding that, mathematically, the vote of someone from, say, Wyoming is worth more than his. Thomas Maher Galloway Township Bias claims unfounded Funny, if the people didnt vote progressives way in the recent election, they were biased or bigots. When the same people voted for Barack Obama previously, they werent bigots. Abortion was a big issue in the election, and now because a man wants to make America strong again, its bias? John Lombardo Williamstown Book-and-raises bills would cost taxpayers lots Regarding the Legislature pushing through a bill to allow the governor to write a book, I cannot understand why there was such a rush other than to keep the people of New Jersey out of the loop. The law has been on the books for years and why is it so important for the governor to be able to write a book while in office unless it is a book on travel, as he has spent so much time out of the state in the last several years. It cannot be about accounting, as his budgets never pass the economic test. Even the new gas tax was pushed through quickly without anyone really looking at the bottom numbers. It appeared the book and raises bill would cost the taxpayers of New Jersey over $7.5 million, plus millions more that the Bridgegate mess has cost the taxpayers. By the latest polls, many people do not believe that Gov. Christie did not know about that. The members of the Assembly and Senate really need to remember they are representing the people of New Jersey and not the governor, or his cronies. This money will come from the people of New Jersey. If they let this bill come up again and pass, they may be on the unemployment line shortly after the next election. The governor will have plenty of time to write his book after he leaves office. Joseph A. Brophy South Seaville But Trump critics didn't focus just on Chicago's South Shore Drill Team. They also turned up the heat on the Olivet Nazarene University , whose world-renowned marching band was listed among the Inaugural Parade Committee's participant list December 30th , as first reported by Illinois Review . Underwood told ABC7 that they received angry emails, phone calls and voice mails after the notice was sent out. They said people were upset with Trump and his "comments about the African-American community." The South Shore Drill Team , led by Dr. Clifton Underwood, announced his group would not be celebrating Donald J. Trump's inauguration on January 20th, although they marched in President Obama's 2009 parade. Underwood said they weren't attending because they were notified at the last minute, although on January 2 the group sent out a press release that 35 of their group would be going to D.C. for the parade. CHICAGO - Two musical groups from the Chicago area that were anticipating being a part of the 58th Presidential Inaugural Parade have responded to public pressure to drop out in two different ways - one is canceling the planned trip, and the other is asking Trump supporters to bolster their efforts. The university's president John Bowling is asking those that support the Marching Tigers going to the Trump Inauguration sign onto a petition on the Change.org website. Thus far, less than 600 have signed on in support. Bowling's letter was in response to a petition set up on the same website, calling on Olivet Nazarene to withdraw. "As word spread that we accepted the Inaugural Parade invitation, individuals began expressing personal thoughts, some asking that we not participate and many others cheering us on," Bowling writes in a letter accompanying the petition request. "I understand the varying opinions, and I respect those who have shared their objections as well as support. The band asked to participate before they knew who the next president would be, the president said. "Several have asked if Olivet would have participated in the Inaugural Parade had the outcome of the election been different. The answer is an emphatic 'yes,'" he wrote. "Had Secretary Clinton been elected president, Olivet would have been just as honored to participate. In fact, the parade application process started several weeks before the election." The trip expenses are being paid for by private donations, the president said. "I also ask you to congratulate our students on their hard work. This invitation opens a door for them to step into a chapter of history that is afforded to only a few. Please join me also in praying for the work and reach of Olivet, for our country, and for all of our leaders, past, present and future." The petition supporting Olivet Nazarene University's participation in the parade is available HERE. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. BANGALORE, India, January 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TO ALL STOCK EXCHANGES BSE LIMITED NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE OF INDIA LIMITED NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE EURONEXT LONDON EURONEXT PARIS January 7, 2017 Dear Sir/Madam, Sub: Press release Infosys press release titled "Infosys Prize Awards Six Top Researchers in Science and Humanities". The same will be made available on the Company's website at the following weblink https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/infosys-prize-2016-awards.aspx This is for your information and records. Yours sincerely, For Infosys Limited AGS Manikantha Company Secretary This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire. SOURCE Infosys Limited NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Alere Inc. (NYSE: ALR). In February 1, 2016, Alere announced that it had agreed to be bought by Abbott Laboratories for about $5.8 billion. Four weeks later, Alere disclosed that it would be delaying the filing of its annual report while it analyzed how it recognized revenue in Africa and China. When the report was submitted five months later, Alere admitted to internal control failures that required it to restate its 2013-15 financials. Then, on March 11, 2016, Alere announced that it had received a grand jury subpoena from the DOJ requiring it to produce documents relating to its sales practices in Africa, Asia, Latin America and other Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues. In November, Alere lost Medicare reimbursement privileges for its diabetes division subsidiary for seeking reimbursement for 211 deceased people. Then, on December 7, 2016, Abbott sued Alere, seeking to terminate the buyout. Alere and certain of its executives have also been sued in a securities class action lawsuit, which charged them with failing to disclose material information to shareholders, violating federal securities laws. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Alere's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Alere's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Alere shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]). About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 206 Covington St. Madisonville, LA 70447 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 5, 2017, Las Vegas witnessed the grand opening of the 50th International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). On Jan. 6th, the Awards Ceremony for 2016-2017 Global Top Brands hosted by International Data Group (IDG) was held in Wynn Hotel Las Vegas. Mr. Patrick Kenealy, Managing Director of IDG Ventures USA unveiled the lists of 2016-2017 Global Top 20Smart Connected Devices Brands and Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands. Chinese smart phone brands such as Huawei, Lenovo, Xiaomi, ZTE, Coolpad, etc., together with Apple and Samsung, etc. were granted this honor. Since 2007, Apple and Google released the first smart phone successively, smart connected devices and smart phones have entered a fast-growing golden decade. According to relevant statistics, the annual growth rate of smart connected devices was not less than 25% from 2009 to 2014. While due to the constant market saturation, consumers slowed down their demand for new mobile phones. Consequently, smart phone growth rate came to an inflection point in 2015 and declined to single digits in 2016. However, smart connected devices have achieved rapid technological development in during past decade, a series of innovations such as Touch Screen, Metal Chassis, Fingerprint Recognition, Type-C Interface and Force Touch. Meanwhile, transformation and development of smart connected devices have been constantly promoted by the mobile Internet and intelligent applications. Therefore, in the new era of intelligence, smart connected devices and smart phone brands can effectively improve their second growth only by continuous technical adjustments and active transformation to the Internet and intellectualization. Although Apple and Samsung still remain the top two in the global smart connected devices and smart phones market, these well-known brands are gradually losing their strong appeal to users with the occurrence of Samsung Note 7 battery explosion accident and iPhone innovation ability decline. Coolpad, Huawei, ZTE, OPPO, vivo and other domestic high-end smart phones begin to dominate the market gradually and are accepted by more users. Thus, there are still opportunities for smart connected devices and smart phones market in the future. Only by continuous development of innovative technology and products, making hardware design panders to consumers' habits and conforms to the kinesiology principles, software applications with more humanization and operating comfortableness, can manufacturers give more vitality and competitiveness to their brands. Campaigns like 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands are carried out to encourage intelligent terminal device enterprises and smart phone companies to conduct technological innovation actively, foster innovative products and promote industrial innovation and upgrading of intelligence. It is reported that the lists of Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands are the fruition of the IDG and IDC's co-operation. According to authoritative survey data from IDC, lists gave the comprehensive collation and evaluation to the industrial development of global smart connected devices and smart phones in 2016. Eventually, Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Lenovo, OPPO, Vivo, LG, HP, Xiaomi, ZTE, Dell, Asus, TCL-Alcatel, Gionee, Letv, Acer, Motorola, Coolpad, HTC and Micromax topped the list of 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands. Samsung, Apple, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, LG, Xiaomi, ZTE, TCL-Alcatel, Gionee, Lenovo, Letv, Motorola, Coolpad and HTC had their names on the list of 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands. In the Individual Award aspect, Cool Changer S1 won the award of The Best Overall Performing Smartphone of 2016, ROBOO won the Annual Global "A.I. Robot for Kids" Gold Award. Mr. Patrick Kenealy said at the awards ceremony, "The year of 2017 will usher in the first decade of the development of smart connected devices and smart phones. Under the stimulus of innovative technology, smart phone and terminal industry now are undergoing drastic changes. The global smart phone market is basically captured by Apple, Samsung and a number of Chinese brands. We can see that with the trend of intellectualization, smart connected devices manufacturers headed by Chinese brands are constantly accelerating transformation and upgrading and striving for innovation. Based on the innovation of smart connected devices and smart phone manufacturers in terms of technology, design, interaction and user experience, these selection activities comprehensively analyzed and evaluated the development of global smart connected devices and smart phone industry in 2016, thus creating a better future for smart connected devices and smart phone companies." "It is a great honor for Coolpad to be named again on the lists of 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands, and Cool Changer S1 won the award of The Best Overall Performing Smartphone of 2016," Coolpad Group said, "The explosive development of mobile Internet and intelligent technology in recent years has created an unprecedented opportunity for Coolpad. Last year, it took us a whole year for strategic transformation, from product R&D to top-quality products, as well as more emphasis placed on brand influence. In the future, Coolpad will be more dedicated and professional to strive for excellence and provide products with more elegant appearance and better performance. Meanwhile, we will continue to focus on superior product strategy to introduce more ecological hardware platforms and intelligent hardware related products. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. remarked, "We are happy that Huawei has been included into the list of 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands. It indicates that the smart & connected industry and users have recognized Huawei's efforts over the years. Now Huawei Mate 9 and other flagship phones of Huawei with a series of new technologies like Leica dual camera, topnotch security solutions, and EMUI 5.0 OS can provide a more intuitive user experience. In the future, Huawei, by virtue of its advantages in 5G technology, will continue to reform and innovate to further develop information and communications technology, strengthen its industry leading position, strive to build itself into a smartphone brand winning more extensive recognition from consumers worldwide, and build a better connected world in an all-round way." Samsung Group noted, "Despite the fact that Samsung develops virtual reality and produces screens and processors for VR headsets based on its hardware manufacturing background, Chinese manufacturers offering low prices might pose a threat to it in price in a year or two. Samsung hopes to build a whole ecosystem through various ways where ordinary consumers can make their own content easily and communicate with friends via VR. Samsung is trying to provide the best user experience for customers, based on which it will make necessary improvements and innovations." Driven by innovative technology in the era of intelligence, global smart connected devices and smart phone industry will usher in a new leap once again, bringing a new round of development opportunities to brands and enterprises. Let's bear witness to the birth of the 2016-2017 Global Top 20 Smart Connected Devices Brands and 2016-2017 Global Top 15 Smart Phones Brands, make a comprehensive understanding on the development process and pattern evolution of global smart connected devices and smart phone brands in the past ten years, and experience the power of technological innovation together. SOURCE IDG China LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LogoGrab, the world's best technology to identify brands in images and videos, today announced a strategic partnership with Brandwatch, the global leader in social intelligence. Named to Deloitte's Fast 50 (2016), the UK enterprise provides smart solutions that empower marketers to capture, analyze, and share insights from social data to better prove the value of marketing in social. In 2016, LogoGrab has already integrated its technology into solutions for companies as diverse as Heineken, Coca-Cola, and Vodafone. This allows those major brands to capture brand insights in the Visual Age and drive engagement on mobile. LogoGrab is now consolidating its position as the No. 1 supplier of Brand Detection technology to best-in-breed social listening and analytics leaders including Brandwatch. LogoGrab originated from the Computer Vision Laboratory of ETH, the prestigious Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, from which Albert Einstein is the most famous graduate. In spring 2014, LogoGrab relocated its headquarters to Dublin, Ireland with the assistance of Enterprise Ireland. The expanding LogoGrab team includes experts such as Dr. Alessandro Prest, Co-Founder and Google-funded researcher in Computer Vision. Speaking ahead of the CES 2017, LogoGrab Co-Founder and CEO Luca Boschin said, "We're very excited to be at CES again this year. The demand for this type of solution is driven by the exponential growth in images on social media including selfies. In 2012, people shared 200 million images a day today the figure is four billion. That plays to our strengths. LogoGrab technology is built for massive scale." LogoGrab Brand Detection can be built into any project, from social media monitoring and intelligence to brand protection and compliance. It allows detection of logos at scale right down to identification of individual product types. It works on images and video via a unique dual input capability. The proprietary LogoGrab Adaptive Learning Engine has been independently benchmarked to provide a hit rate, precision, and speed ten times higher than the closest competitor. LogoGrab is already trusted by the world's most innovative tech companies, brands and agencies. Customers include Brandwatch, Earshot, Nestle, Heineken, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, KFC/Yum! Brands, Vodafone, Ogilvy (part of WPP), Starcom Mediavest Group (Publicis Groupe), MEC Global (GroupM), and Tribal DDB (Omnicom Group) plus the world's largest e-commerce sites. For more information, please contact: Collette Doyle Marketing Director LogoGrab [email protected] +353 87 149 8046 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/. SOURCE LogoGrab LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "We're showing a slightly modified ubisys G1 acting as bridge between a ZigBee network and Apple HomeKit at this year's ZigBee Alliance booth. The bridge seamlessly integrates ubisys smart home deployments into Apple's popular smart home framework. You can use Siri to dim lights, set a cozy temperature, close window shades, recall scenes, or do the same using iOS 10's built-in Home app. At the core, the ubisys Smart Facility Service manages the whole ZigBee network. On top of this rock-solid foundation, we provide an adapter for Apple HomeKit, a piece of software running in addition to the other services hosted on G1," Dr. Arasch Honarbacht, founder, co-owner and managing director of ubisys stated. The ubisys Smart Facility Service controls IoT equipment in a facility, e.g. a consumer's home, and is capable of managing ZigBee networks using its embedded radio and other IP-enabled smart home equipment. It runs on the ubisys Gateway G1. The new solution covers everything from smart bulbs, dimmers, switches, window coverings, thermostats, temperature and motion sensors, to door/window contacts. It also extends to energy-harvesting flavors of environmental sensors made using ZigBee Green Power technology, for example. A similar adapter for IoTivity is already available and ubisys will add an Amazon Smart Home Skill adapter later this year to complement its offering. All these adapters can run in parallel on the same ubisys gateway, accessing the same ZigBee network, making this gateway a fluent speaker of all major IoT languages. The mature, fit-for-purpose technology to which ZigBee has evolved over the past 15 years is the workhorse at the core of ubisys' solutions. The various adapters mentioned above bring ZigBee's unique advantages under the umbrella of those other high-level frameworks. ZigBee products and solutions made by ubisys are synonymous for mature, reliable, robust, secure, interoperable, ultra-low power mesh networking, including support for self-powered, energy-harvesting, maintenance-free switches and sensors. "Don't expect to see ultra-low power, energy-harvesting products to talk IP natively anytime soon. The overhead of IP is significant and prohibitive for battery-less ultra-low power solutions," Honarbacht explained. "With our bridging technologies, IP-based frameworks can nevertheless take full advantage of true low-power products while remaining easy to integrate." As IoT standards emerge, evolve, and consolidate, there is still no single, universal IP protocol to "rule them all". While former competitors Open Interconnect Consortium and AllJoyn/AllSeen Alliance have dissolved and merged into the Open Connectivity Foundation driving the IoTivity open-source reference implementation, the ZigBee Alliance has just introduced dotdot, extending its proven application layer to operate over IP networks. Despite all these standardization efforts, some of the biggest players will continue to use their market power to promote their proprietary high-level frameworks to de-facto industry standards. A tiny low-power IoT device might be able to support one of these protocols, but cannot reasonably support them all at the same time. In contrast, the gateway G1 is more than powerful enough to achieve this kind of seamless integration in a heterogeneous IoT landscape on behalf of all the devices it manages. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide HomeKit support as a firmware upgrade to existing G1 models; a new generation of ubisys G1 including support for HomeKit is planned to launch late 2017. Nevertheless, existing models will continue to receive other upgrades including the new IoTivity and Amazon Smart Home Skill adapters. Visit ubisys at the ZigBee Alliance Booth, #40920, Tech West/Sands Expo. About ubisys Promoting the ubiquitous deployment of smart wireless systems, ubisys technologies GmbH is a leading Smart Home and Internet-of-Things company based in Dusseldorf, Germany. Its broad portfolio includes core technologies like certified ZigBee Golden Unit stacks, cloud services, advanced products including roller shade controllers, dimmers, smart power outlets and heating controllers as well as complete, consumer-facing solutions with gateways and apps for iOS and Android. The company is member of the ZigBee Alliance, and the Open Connectivity Foundation. Contact Marcel Apfel ubisys technologies GmbH [email protected] ubisys technologies GmbH Am Wehrhahn 45 40211 Dusseldorf Germany T: +49. 211. 54 21 55 00 F: +49. 211. 54 21 55 99 [email protected] www.ubisys.de Heather Chesterman (for the ZigBee Alliance) Magnet PR Group [email protected] +1-714-389-5588 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/. SOURCE ubisys technologies GmbH Related Links http://www.ubisys.de If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 : A Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo meeting began on Thursday in the state capital to discuss various issues, including demonetisation. The top brass of the CPI-M is attending the meeting, which will also finalise a strategy for the coming assembly polls in five states to be held from February 4 to March 8. It is for the first time that the CPI-M politburo and Central Committee are holding meetings in the Kerala capital. In the past, the event has been held as part of the Party Congress. The second session of the politburo meeting was scheduled later in the day. On the agenda is a report on alleged indiscipline by party veteran and former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan who stormed out of a CPI-M conference in 2015. Despite pleas by the present General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and others, he did not return for the meeting in Alappuzha. Informed sources said the CPI-M, in power in Kerala as part of the Left Democratic Front, will take no step to ruffle the feathers of the veteran communist leader who is lying low. Achuthanandan on Thursday handed over a letter to the politburo, before it met, demanding the CPI-M launch a nationwide protest against the November 8 demonetisation. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday returned to Lucknow after meeting his lawyers, who are understood to have met Election Commission of India officials over the party's symbol issue. According to party sources, Mulayam Singh, who was accompanied by his younger brother and loyalist Shivpal Singh Yadav, held a meeting with his two lawyers, who on his instructions went to the EC to claim that he was still the chief of the party and the election symbol 'cycle' belonged to him. However, the lawyers didn't interact with the media persons here. Mulayam Singh also held a meeting with senior party leaders Amar Singh and Jaya Prada here for over two hours. Shivpal Yadav was also present. This is Mulayam Singh's second visit to the city within four days after he was "ousted" as National President of the party by his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in an emergency national convention of the party in Lucknow on Sunday. The Akhilesh Yadav-led faction also removed Shivpal Yadav as the state president of the party. On Monday, Mulayam Singh had met the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi to stake his claim over the party's symbol 'cycle'. However on Tuesday, Ram Gopal Yadav, close confidante of Akhilesh Yadav, also met the CEC over the party's symbol. New Delhi : Mohamed Bouazizi was a Tunisian fruit vendor. Six years ago, in Decemebr 2010, he set himself ablaze at a market in the town of Sid Bouzi. He was protesting because the police authorities confiscated his fruit, and he could not grease their hands to get it released. The blaze triggered an inferno of protests that sucked in almost all of the Middle East in the following spring. The lava of unrest and terrorism has reached far since then. The world has submerged in the transformative process that has been defining and redefining the new pattern of the global fabric with political weft and social warp. Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the Arab Spring, the world is hibernating in dangerous isolation. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait and Morocco withstood tremors but have significantly weakened. Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are in long and bruising civil wars, witnessed almost helplessly by the United Nations and powerful world leaders. These countries are on the brink of devastation due to massive ruptures in their political and social landscape, giving rise to incessant seismic demands for regime change. Many research studies, the most well-received being from Washington's Centre for Climate and Security, have shown that though climate change was not the direct cause for the Arab Spring, it hastened its occurrence. The Arab region is a major importer of food. The droughts in 2010 in exporting countries like Russia, Ukraine, China and Argentina, and the extreme weather events at the same time in major wheat and grain producers like Canada and Australia, created global food shortages. The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) says these climate change-related events around 2010 drove up commodity prices globally. For the Arab regimes, already dealing with internal socio-political and suppression and reeling under the cover-up of inequalities among rich and poor, the steep rise in global food prices heightened the tensions. The Sidi Bouzi event was the proverbial last straw. Switch to September 2015. Alan Kurdi was a three-year-old Syrian boy; he drowned in Mediterranean Sea while his parents were fleeing to escape the violence back home. Kurdi's body drifted and was found on a Turkish beach. That image of Kurdi, lying with his head in the sand, as if imitating the Ostrich-like behaviour of the international community, made global headlines. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, or Daesh in Arabic) is the violent and terrifying off-shoot of the Arab Spring. It has sent shivers up the world's spine. Indeed, history books will be replete with the root causes of the Islamic State's rise and subsequent terror acts, leading to the refugee crisis in Europe. The US invasion of Iraq is now well-recognised by expert analysts as one of the root causes of the Daesh's creation. The real fuel for the inferno was provided by the brutal inequality and climate change. A new study published last month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says drought in Syria, exacerbated to record levels by global warming, pushed social unrest there across a societal line into an open uprising in 2011. The drought in Syria from 2006 to 2011 -- the worst on record there -- destroyed agriculture, causing many farm families to migrate to cities. The influx added to social stresses already created by refugees pouring in from the war in Iraq. The ISIS-led terror attacks have triggered Europe's unprecedented migrants' crisis with millions entering every year over the last two years -- an agonising wave of displacement not seen since World War II. Most arrive in the summer due to the obvious weather advantage. Europe had its Summer of 2016 that also saw the unexpected Brexit and number of political upheavals and violent events in countries like France, Germany, Hungary and Italy. The spiral of terror and devastating social disruption is threatening to be a new norm and new world order. It is ironic that Europe has to go through its own "regime change" while pursuing its -- and Washington's -- dogmatic regime-change policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. The telling chronicles of the US presidential election and Donald Trump's win are as astonishing as storylines of the European Summer. More stunning stories that are now coming are about the American Winter that has brought change in the climate around Trump. His proposed appointments, including that of Rex Tillerson, the Exxon CEO, as Secretary of State, have frozen the minds of environmental warriors. Some of them have seen this appointment as a proposal to paint the White House with the black colour fossil fuels represent. Less published news in the American Winter is about the meeting of Al Gore, the former US Vice President and one of the passionately scientific advocates of fighting climate change, with Trump. As per Al Gore they had a lengthy and very productive session and it was a sincere search for areas of common ground. Earlier in November, after his election, Trump had said in an interview with the New York Times that he is looking at the Paris climate agreement closely and that he has an "open mind to it". These turnarounds have signs of yet another new world order -- disruptive controversies radiating hope of change. The 16 years of this millennium have seen a record number of hottest years ever in recorded human history. New evidence of the receding snow line in the Arctic and the recently-reported polar vortex there are the obvious signs of climate change. At the same time, the world is waking up in 2017 to disruptive controversies. Such disruption may prove to be positive and may finally break the ice on the fight against climate change. After all, the "talk without walk" of the world leaders over the last over 25 years on climate change has kept the people in a "feel good" state after every international event on climate change but brought the planet to the brink of disasters by accelerating Arab Spring and the European Summer. Maybe the hibernating controversies in the American Winter will give rise to new action on climate change. Indeed, climate change needs a business solution and revenue models that a businessman like Trump is familiar with. (Rajendra Shende, an IIT-alumni, is Chairman of TERRE Policy Centre, a former Director of UNEP and currently serves as an Senior Expert on its Technology and Economic Assessment Panel. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at shende.rajendra@gmail.com) Washington, Jan 6 : US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has decided not to let American ambassadors who are political appointees of President Barack Obama stay on for a grace period beyond Inauguration Day, a source has confirmed. The decision has left some of the diplomats, who represent the US in countries such as Britain, Saudi Arabia and Japan, scrambling to figure out new living arrangements, visa rules and what options they have for their children's schooling. It also could mean some top US embassies are left without an ambassador for months as Trump finds his footing, the source said on Thursday. In typical presidential transitions, politically appointed ambassadors have at times been allowed to stay on the job for weeks or months after the new President has taken office, Politico reported. Following tradition, President Obama has directed all political appointees in his Democratic administration to submit their resignations effective on Inauguration Day, January 20, making room for Trump's appointees. When asked about ambassadors requesting extensions, the Trump transition team informed the State Department that it was not making any exceptions, an official told Politico. The department began sending cables at least as early as December 21, 2016, to individual ambassadors telling them that they would have to quit their posts on time. During his two terms, Obama named hundreds of people to the posts, roughly 30 per cent of whom are political appointees, which generally require Senate confirmation. That figure is roughly in line with other Presidents in recent decades. In the absence of the ambassadors who now must leave by January 20, the affected US embassies will likely be run by the highest-ranking career employee until Trump nominates someone new and that person is confirmed by the Senate. The process could take months. Toronto, Jan 7 : The Canadian Prime Minister will not attend the inauguration of the US President-elect on January 20 in Washington. Instead of going to Washington to participate in Trump's inauguration ceremony, Justin Trudeau will be on a tour of Canada, holding meetings with the population of the country, EFE news quoted the Prime Minister's Office as saying on Friday. Instead of Trudeau, the Canadian government will send a top-level delegation from Ottawa to attend the ceremony. The tour will also prevent Trudeau from attending the Davos World Economic Forum, which takes place every year in Switzerland. US Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, has presented his resignation and will officially leave the country on the day Trump is sworn in. Heyman's resignation comes after Trump demanded that all ambassadors appointed by outgoing President Barack Obama leave their posts on January 20. Miami, Jan 7 : A suspect is in custody in Florida after a man opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, killing five people and wounding eight others. The man identified as Esteban Santiago, upon arriving at the airport, started firing at baggage claim on Friday, CNN news quoted Broward county Sheriff Scott Israel as saying. The 26-year-old suspect has been taken into custody. The motive behind the attack is yet to be known, according to law enforcement officials. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has not ruled out terrorism, officials said. The shooter, who acted alone, will likely appear in Broward county court on Monday, officials said. Santiago, who was stationed in Iraq between 2010 and 2011, used a semiautomatic pistol during the shooting after which he surrendered to authorities without any resistance. The suspect was not on the radar for possible terrorism ties, according to a law enforcement official and a Department of Homeland Security official. He had no significant foreign travel that was ever flagged, but visited the FBI office in Alaska and told the officials that an intelligence agency was telling him to watch Islamic State videos. US President Barack Obama said he was heartbroken over the shooting and did not wish to comment further before knowing the motive behind the incident. "I don't want to comment on it other than just to say how heartbroken we are for the families who've been affected. The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous," Obama said. The outgoing President also refrained from labelling the shooting a terrorist act, but said authorities would "find out over the next 24 hours exactly how this happened and what motivated this individual", EFE news reported. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence tweeted about the situation. "Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe!" he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and our first responders in Fort Lauderdale, FL," Pence wrote on Twitter. All flights were grounded and additional areas of the airport were being evacuated. Hundreds of passengers and airport workers could be seen gathering and evacuating via the tarmac. The airport has four terminals and serves more than 73,000 travellers every day. It ranks 21st in the US in total passenger traffic, with more than 650 commercial flights a day. Washington, Jan 7 : The Donald would not buy it! All of Uncle Sam's spymasters could not convince PEOTUS who would soon be POTUS that Vladimir Putin's spooks helped him pull off his stunning victory in the presidential race. While Russia, China and others may be consistently trying to hack into US institutions, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election," Donald Trump declared after a "constructive" briefing from the intelligence chiefs. The President-elect also announced plans to appoint a team within 90 days to figure out ways to stop foreign hacking. But hours before four spymasters came down to New York's Trump Tower, dubbed the White House North, to report to their boss to be, he dismissed the storm over alleged Russian hacking as a political "witch hunt." "They got beaten very badly in the election," he told the New York Times referring to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." Noting that previous hacks of the White House and Congress did not receive the same kind of attention, Trump told the Times: "They've hacked the White House. They've hacked Congress. We're like the hacking capital of the world." The spooks also released a declassified report essentially repeating what they had been leaking for days to suggest Putin himself 'ordered' the campaign to "denigrate Secretary Clinton" as Russia "developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Pundits, press and many of Trump's own party men were aghast that Trump would give more credence to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, who has denied receiving any information from the Russians or any other "state actors," than his spooks. "The dishonest media likes saying that I am in agreement with Julian Assange - wrong," he tweeted earlier. "The media lies to make it look like I am against 'Intelligence' when in fact I am a big fan." A day earlier top spymaster James Clapper had told a Senate panel chaired by Republican Party's 2008 presidential candidate, John McCain that they were "more resolute" in their conviction about the Russian hack first voiced in October. Even as hiding behind the cloak of secrecy, Clapper offered no concrete evidence about what the Russians did, he was not shy about declaring Russia an "existential threat." But he declined to take a "very heavy policy call" to declare Russian actions an "act of war" as suggested by McCain, who had first endorsed and then unendorsed Trump. The spymasters stuck to their story that the Russians hacked the Democratic Party and Clinton's campaign chief and passed on their "stolen" emails to WikiLeaks to release "drip, drip, drip" in the run up to the November 8 election. But there was no way for the spy agencies to "gauge the impact" of Russian hacking "on the choices the electorate made," Clapper said while acknowledging that it "did not change any vote-tallies." By way of proof, unnamed US officials offered "new information" about intercepted conversations of Russian officials expressing happiness at Trump's win and congratulating each other. Meanwhile, amid last ditch efforts by several Democratic lawmakers citing Russian influence, a joint session of Congress formally certified Trump's Electoral College victory with Vice President Joe Biden, declaring, "It is over." But another battle loomed ahead: confirmation of Trump's choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson with McCain and a couple of other Republican senators having concerns about "a friend of Russia." Asked if he would vote for the oil tycoon's confirmation, McCain quipped: "Sure ? there's also a realistic scenario that pigs fly." Yet his spokesperson later clarified that her boss was only joking. Protests are also brewing with some historically black schools declining to join Trump's January 20 inauguration parade and more than 150,000 people supporting women's rights signing for a rally in Washington the next day. But the marching band of Talladega College that bills itself as Alabama's oldest private, historically black liberal arts college will play at the parade despite days of criticism on social media. Among all things potty, another group advocating marijuana legalisation plans to hand over 4200 joints to participants in a march to National Mall. They would light up as Trump begins to speak braving risk of arrest for smoking on federal land. (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) Washington, Jan 7 : NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered exocomets -- comets outside our solar system -- plunging onto a young star that resides 95 light-years from Earth. This star, called HD 172555, represents the third extrasolar system where astronomers have detected doomed, wayward comets. All of the systems are young, under 40 million years old, NASA said in a statement on Saturday. The exocomets were not directly seen around the star, but their presence was inferred by detecting gas that is likely the vaporised remnants of their icy nuclei. Astronomers have found similar plunges in our own solar system. Sun-grazing comets routinely fall into our sun. "Seeing these sun-grazing comets in our solar system and in three extrasolar systems means that this activity may be common in young star systems," said study leader Carol Grady from NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The presence of these doomed comets provides circumstantial evidence for "gravitational stirring" by an unseen Jupiter-size planet, where comets deflected by its gravity are catapulted into the star, the scientists said. These events also provide new insights into the past and present activity of comets in our solar system. "This activity at its peak represents a star's active teenage years. Watching these events gives us insight into what probably went on in the early days of our solar system, when comets were pelting the inner solar system bodies, including Earth," Grady said. The scientists even believe that infalling comets could have transported water to Earth and the other inner planets of our solar system. "In fact, these star-grazing comets may make life possible, because they carry water and other life-forming elements, such as carbon, to terrestrial planets," Grady noted. The findings were presented at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. Dhaka, Jan 7 : Law enforcers on Saturday cordoned off the headquarters of Bangladesh's largest opposition party here ahead of a demonstration on Sunday. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced the countrywide demonstration after it was not allowed to hold a rally here to protest against the general election on January 5, 2014, which the party dubbed as "democracy killing day". However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League observes January 5 as a "victory day of democracy", Xinhua news agency reported. Anti-riot policemen surrounded the headquarters here since morning. Tensions are running high across Bangladesh as the country's political situation is once again heating up centering on the third anniversary of January 5 elections which 21 parties, including Zia's BNP, boycotted. BNP, which has no representation in the parliament, has been demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government. But the ruling party has said there will be no general election before 2019. Political analysts said there was no alternative but to reach consensus over the next election issues to avoid further serious confrontation. Scores of people were killed in violence over the elections. Gurugram, Jan 7 : A 50-year-old former soldier was shot dead on Saturday by two unidentified assailants, police said. Subhash Yadav was shot dead while he was standing outside his house in Badshapur town. "Yadav received five gunshots and the reason behind the killing was not known immediately," a police official said. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but he was declared dead. In another incident in Patel Nagar area, retired Army official Jagdish shot at his son Mordhawaj (32) four times. "Accused was allegedly fed up of his son consuming alcohol... Probe is on to find the actual cause," said a senior police officer. The critically injured Mordhawaj has been hospitalised. New Delhi, Jan 7 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday termed the November 8 demonetisation as a "historic" and "bold" move towards welfare of the poor, while serving as crippling blow to terror, fake currency note racket, and insurgency. Jaitley, who presented the party's economic resolution in the BJP national executive meet, also said that the demonetisation decision was taken because the Narendra Modi government "is visionary and committed about its promises made before coming to power", according to Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "The demonetisation move of the government on November 8 closed the lifeline of terror funding and fake currency. Demonetisation was a crippling blow to terror, fake currency note racket, and insurgency," she quoted Jaitley as saying. The economic resolution was focused primarily on demonetisation. Jaitley also hailed number of government's initiatives that were taken in the last two years to curb black money and fake currency. "He (Jaitley) informed the party leaders how and why this demonetisation was different than the earlier ones. "The entire executive unanimously agreed that it is a historic step," Sitharaman told media persons, adding that such a decision required visionary leadership, which the BJP had now provided. Sitharaman said that measures announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi post-demonetisation were due to the fact that he fully recognised the hardships faced by the Dalits, tribals and women and took steps accordingly to allay them. "Being a sensitive government it reached to people who were affected due to demonetisation steps," she said, adding: "Prime Minister on December 31 in his address to the nation mentioned about the number of steps for the senior citizens, farmers, pregnant women and many more." She also cited Jaitley as saying how the government set up a Special Investigation Team to probe accounts holding black money, and "rewrote treaties with many nations and signed them all over again, for exchange of information as to who's holding how much". Sitharaman said: "Jaitley ji informed the party leaders that the income and revenue of most of the big states in the country has increased after November 8 decision of demonetisation, except West Bengal." The minister spoke of a 'Benami Properties Confiscation Act, 1988' which "was never notified by the previous governments" as well as explaining the difference between 1997 Amnesty scheme by the then government, and the recent Income Declaration Scheme during the meet. "The old amnesty scheme was not effective one, thus we brought Benaami Properties Confestication act, in which there are provisions of punishment and penalty and it is more stricter than the earlier older one. "We brought that bill before a parliamentary Standing Committee in 2014 and notified it... so that the government can confiscate benami properties," he said, according to Sitharaman. Sitharaman also said that Jaitley informed the party here that the formal economy of the country is growing. "The Finance Minister also said that with the huge amounts returning to banks now the government now can take several developmental measures and the same amount can be used by the banks too," she said. New Delhi, Jan 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been pitching the need for electoral reforms, on Saturday said the BJP will play a proactive role towards bringing in transparency in political funding. Addressing the Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJP) two-day National Executive meeting here, Modi also called upon party workers to reach out to the people at the grassroots with information about the central government's various "pro-poor" schemes. "An important thing that the Prime Minister talked in the meeting was the need to bring in transparency in the political process. When the country is embracing a culture of transparency, there is also a need for transparency in funding of political parties," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said briefing the media about Modi's address. "He talked at lengths about political funding and said the BJP will play an important role in ensuring there is transparency in funding received by political parties," said Prasad. Modi also asserted his government's commitment towards improving the quality of life of the poor. "Modi said that poor and poverty were not a medium for the BJP to win polls and said the government will work towards empowering the poor. "He also stressed on the importance of reaching out to the people at booth level and called on party workers to educate the poor and marginalised sections of the society about the various pro-poor schemes. "The Prime Minister told party workers that more is the effort at booth level, better is the result of the polls," added Prasad. New Delhi, Jan 7 : The sudden change in weather may have been a setback for those with elaborate plans over the weekend but it did not deter visitors from thronging in large numbers to the World Book Fair that kickstarted here on Saturday afternoon. The nine day-long literary extravaganza was inaugurated by Minister of State for Human Resources Development Mahendra Nath Pandey. Pratibha Ray, noted Odia Author and Jnanpith Awardee was the guest of honour and Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to India was the special guest on the occasion. Natasha Bhatia (23), a student of Delhi University said: "All my friends were looking forward to the book fair for a couple of days and damn! You have the weather gods playing spoilsport. Thankfully, it did not rain much in the morning and so we did not miss the opportunity," she said. Trotting around with a baggage of books purchased from the fair, including several titles by evergreen author Ruskin Bond, Bhatia and her group of friends also expressed their happiness at the arrangements made at the festival. "We did not carry much cash with us but it was a good relief to see that almost all the stalls are accepting cards. We also saw a mobile ATM van and I think sufficient arrangements have been made for a hassle-free book fair," said Santosh from the same group. A host of activities, ranging from seminars and panel discussions to storytelling sessions and workshops on creative writing are underway at the Children's Pavilion. "New Delhi World Book Fair will have 'Manushi' as the Theme of this year, which will focus on writings on and by women; and will exhibit the rich tradition of women writings from ancient times till present," the organiser, National Book Trust, said in a statement. NBT is celebrating 60 years of its foundation by showcasing its journey in promoting books and reading at a special exhibit "This is no looking back!" The exhibit displays the varied activities that NBT has undertaken in promoting books including fairs organised across India, participation in international book fairs and its publishing programme, among others. Like every year, this time too several well known as well as emerging writers, including the likes of Dr. Karan Singh, V.K. Cherian, Mridula Koshy, Parvindar Bali and Samir Dua will engage in lively banters with the visitors. "Coming together of both the author and the audience makes conversations at the fair livelier", the organisers said. Another attraction at this year's book fair is the Children's Pavilion. The venue is all set to host a series of activities like drawing competitions, storytelling sessions, skits, author meetings and discussions. The Pavilion also showcases some of the best of recent publications for children from across the country. This year, about 20 countries along with their delegates are participating in the fortnight-long celebration of literature. One of the most appealing among all international participations at the fair this year is an exhibition of photographs titled "New Homelands: The Indian Diaspora in the European Union," organised by the delegation of European Union to India. The exhibition attempts to chronicle the lives of Indians who have settld in different parts of Europe. Three Indian photographers -- Kounteya Sinha, Paroma Mukherjee and Shome Basu -- travelled through 21 European countries to capture the essence that finds a display at the book fair. The exhibition provides fresh insights into the links between the people of EU and India. The cultural department of Embassy of China has also put together an impressive exhibition called "Happy Chinese New Year", which is "emblematic of the cultural tradition, heritage and aesthetic aspirations" of Chinese people. Meanwhile, MBD Group, one of the leading education companies in India, launched a new line of Virtual Reality based content and device at the fair. The stall remained one of the most attractive centres at the fair on the first day and was also visited by Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Higher Education) Mahendra Nath Pandey, who inaugurated the fair earlier in the day. For first time writers, Hall number 18 is offering a special treat as Notion Press, India's largest self-publishing platform, is offering a free book publishing and marketing consultation for first time writers at its stall. "A manuscript goes through several critical processes before it is called a published book and most writers are not aware of these. As publishing becomes more democratic, we have often found that the difference between a successful writer and one who struggles is the understanding of the business side of books," said Bhargava Adepalley, Co-Founder of Notion Press. Nearly 800 publishers from across the country and abroad are participated in the Fair, making it a grand celebration of books and writers. The book fair concludes on January 15. Damascus, Jan 7 : At least 43 people were killed and dozens injured on Saturday when a car bomb was detonated in Syria. Rami Abdulrahman from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) told Efe news the explosion occurred near the courthouse in the city of Azaz, located in north Aleppo province, just seven kilometres south of the Turkish border. At least six of the victims were soldiers, the SOHR director said. The blast caused considerable damage to the surrounding infrastructure. Azaz is situated in the swathe of northern Syria recently captured from the Islamic State terror group by Turkish-backed legions of the Free Syrian Army rebel group. New Delhi, Jan 7 : In the wake of violent protests in West Bengal following the arrest of Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for failing to maintain law and order in the state. With the CBI arresting two of her party MPs -- Tapas Paul and Sudip Bandyopadhyay -- in a chit fund scam, Banerjee has been attacking the Centre for "being vindictive" and has demanded the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Banerjee, who has locked horns with the Central government over demonetisation, even proposed establishing a "national government" and replacing Modi with BJP veteran L.K. Advani or Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Reacting to her remarks Rijiju accused Banerjee of trying to destroy the constitution. "She is incapable of maintaining law and order in West Bengal. Being the Chief Minister when she makes such provocative statements, it appears she herself wants to destroy the constitution," he said. "BJP activists are being attacked, her party workers are indulging in 'goondaism' (hooliganism). And to top that she keeps on making provocative statements. We haven't seen such a Chief Minister before," said Rijiju referring to the attack on the Bengal BJP headquarter, allegedly by Trinmaool activists, post Bandyopadhyay's arrest. During one of the protests, the Kolkata residence of Union Minister Babul Supriyo was also attacked allegedly by Trinamool activists. "She should work within the limits of the constitution. "We all hold constitutional posts and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect the constitution. If the Chief Minister cannot ensure law and order, what answers will she give to the people of her state. The Bengal Chief Minister needs to realise this," added Rijiju. Kolkata, Jan 7 : The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday nabbed the kingpin of a fake Indian currency note (FICN) racket from Malda district in West Bengal, a senior official said. Later, he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). "Ripon Seikh alias Litan, the mastermind in several cases of fake currency trafficking, was apprehended by the BSF from Bapchera village in Malda's Baishnab Nagar area on Saturday morning," a BSF official said. According to BSF sources, they were notified about Seikh's activities by the NIA. "Seikh was on warrant of arrest from the NIA for masterminding a case of fake currency trafficking of the face value of Rs 8 lakh. He was handed over to the agency on Saturday after his detention," he added. Lucknow, Jan 7 : Attempts for a peace deal between warring factions in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) of Uttar Pradesh have come to a naught as both sides on Saturday signalled that chances of any truce were now almost over. According to party sources, both factions -- led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav -- will now be contesting the forthcoming state assembly polls on different party symbols, irrespective of who gets the official symbol of the party, the cycle. On Saturday, senior SP leaders including Shivpal Singh Yadav, Azam Khan, Om Prakash Singh and Narad Rai met SP chief Mulayam Singh and held discussions on the possible way out. It was not to be so and by evening it emerged that the chances of a rapprochement were over, the sources said. The sources privy to the discussions told IANS that while both Shivpal and Mulayam Singh's aide Amar Singh had told the party chief that they were "ready to be the sacrificial lambs" if it brought the father-son together, the truce offer was turned down by Mulayam himself. Mulayam Singh, the sources said, stressed on his demand that Akhilesh Yadav step down as the national chief, after which his demand of a larger say in ticket distribution will be considered. The Akhilesh camp has declined the offer. The Chief Minister wanted a "three-month free hand to win the polls" and then sit for his father. Meanwhile, Mulayam Singh has once again written to the Election Commission claiming the cycle symbol and has sent some documents along with relevant parts of the constitution of the party to buttress his case. In a related development, Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, who is mentoring the Akhilesh Yadav camp, has sent sworn affidavits of some 5,761 party leaders, including MLAs and MPs, to the poll panel. A copy of the same was sent to Mulayam Singh's residence in Delhi but the staff there refused to accept it, the sources said. Late evening Amar Singh left for New Delhi and Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav are set to join him on Sunday as they prepare to put up their case before the poll panel on Monday, the deadline set for views from both factions before it takes a call on the claim over the party symbol. The symbol being frozen by the Election Commission is also a likelihood. New Delhi, Jan 7 : The Election Commission on Saturday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh administration while police registered a case against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his speech in which he allegedly blamed the Muslims for India's population boom. The Unnao MP's speech at a religious gathering at Meerut in the poll-bound state attracted widespread condemnation while his own party distanced itself from his remarks. "Cognisance has been taken about the remarks made by him at Augarnath temple. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has sought a report," Meerut District Magistrate B. Chandrakala said adding that police have also registered a case against the leader. Addressing a gathering of seers on Friday, the controversial Bharatiya Janata Party leader called for implementing the Uniform Civil Code and indirectly held the Muslims responsible for the population explosion. "Population is rising rapidly, and so are the country's problems. But Hindus are not responsible for this. Those who talk about four wives and 40 children are responsible," he said. "Remember, if Hindus number decreases, the country will be divided," said the MP, days after the Supreme Court declared that appealing for votes in the name of religion was "illegal". "I said four wives and 40 children will not be allowed, cannot be allowed. Mothers are not machines," he said, calling for equal laws for all, irrespective of the number of children a person has. While the opposition Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and the state's ruling Samajwadi Party demanded stringent action, Sakshi Maharaj appeared unfazed and sought to defend the remarks. "I did not make any communal speech. It was a gathering of saints, during which I expressed concern about population explosion. My speech has been videotaped and nowhere have I named any community," Sakshi Maharaj told IANS. "I said mothers -- irrespective of their community -- should be respected and not treated like a child-producing machine," he said and blamed the media for quoting him "out of context". Courting controversy in the past for making inflammatory speeches, Sakshi Maharaj failed to find endorsement from his own party. "This shouldn't be seen as the party's (BJP) stand," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here when asked by the media to react to the controversial remarks. In January 2015, the self-proclaimed saint had asked Hindu women to produce at least four children each to "protect the religion". Ranchi, Jan 7 : A Maoist guerrilla carrying a reward Rs 15 lakh on his head surrendered before the police in Jharkhand's Khuti district on Saturday. According to police, Dimba Pahan surrendered before Khuti district police on Saturday. He was given cash and a cheque as per the surrender policy of the state. In another development, police seized weapons from a Maoist hideout in Khuti district. According to police, three carbine guns, two double barrel guns, one country-made pistol, three carbine magazines and live cartridges were seized during an operation in Qusar jungle of Khuti district. New Delhi, Jan 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday exhorted BJP workers to be the ambassadors of the government and reach out to the people at the grassroots with his "pro-poor" schemes ahead of the February-March assembly polls in five states, including in politically significant Uttar Pradesh. Addressing the BJP National Executive meet here, Modi said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) doesn't see poor and underprivileged as vote banks because for the party "service to poor is like serving God", according to Law and Justice and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed the media on the Prime Minister's closed door address. "The poor aren't means for the BJP to win elections, and the party doesn't see them through prism of vote bank politics. My government's priority is to change their quality of life," Modi said. Prasad said Modi emphasised on the importance of reaching out to the people at the booth level and called on party workers to educate the poor and marginalised sections of the society about the various welfare schemes launched by the union government. "Modi said he himself comes from a poor family, has seen poverty. So, his government is committed to work for the development of the poor and underprivileged," the minister said. "The Prime Minister told party workers that more the effort at booth level, better is the result of the polls." The Prime Minister also asked party leaders not to seek poll tickets for their family members. Modi hailed the poor for their support to the government's note ban that has created an unprecedented cash crunch in the country and also caused an economic upheaval. "Modi...has seen the strength of the people of India during demonetisation, which the people supported (despite) facing hardships," Prasad said. The minister said that the Prime Minister lauded the people's "determination to fight against the ills of the society from their inner heart". "Modiji said he himself appealed to the nation to support demonetisation and they supported it." The Prime Minister also urged his party workers not to get disheartened by the anti-demonetisation campaign and allegations by the opposition. He told them that "they should welcome criticism...Our inner strength will help us in moving on the path of truth." The Prime Minister also talked at length about financing of political parties and said the BJP would play an important role in ensuring that there was transparency in identifying the sources funding them. "An important thing that the Prime Minister talked in the meeting was the need to bring in transparency in the political process. When the country is embracing a culture of transparency, there is also a need for transparency in funding of political parties," Prasad said. He said the Prime Minister also lauded the Election Commission and Supreme Court's observations on bringing transparency in election funding. Speaking at the meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed the November 8 demonetisation as a "historic" and "bold" move towards the welfare of the poor that also dealt a crippling blow to terror funding and fake currency note racket. Jaitley, who presented the party's economic resolution, said the demonetisation decision was taken because the Modi government "is visionary and committed about its promises made before coming to power", Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. "The demonetisation move closed the lifeline of terror funding and fake currency. Demonetisation was a crippling blow to terror, fake currency note racket and insurgency." Benaulim (Goa), Jan 7 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asked AAP voters in Goa not to trust pre-poll surveys on TV news channels and urged people to ensure that anti-BJP votes are not split in the forthcoming state legislative assembly elections. "Yesterday, I was watching a TV channel which said, in Goa, we will win two seats, which means how many seats will we really get? 28. Tell your friends and neighbours not to trust TV channels. They show lies and 'bakwas' (nonsense)," Kejriwal told a public meeting at Benaulim assembly constituency in South Goa. "When our government was formed in 2013 (in Delhi), TV channels said the AAP will get two seats. We eventually got 28 seats. In 2015, TV channels said the AAP will win 18 seats we got 67 seats," the AAP co-founder said. Kejriwal said that the important thing for poll-bound Goa was to ensure that there is no split in the anti-BJP vote. "Don't let the votes split. Congress people will also come to you. There is nothing left of the Congress (in Goa)," he said, adding that people should vote for the AAP to vent their ire against the ruling BJP, its leaders and policies. "Don't let the vote split. If you vote for the Congress, the BJP will win. Your anger against the BJP, against demonetisation, against (Chief Minister Laxmikant) Parsekar, against (Defence Minister Manohar) Parrikar, it will not be of any help (if the votes split)," he said. A keen contest is on the cards during the February 4 state assembly elections in Goa, with the key players being the BJP, Congress, AAP and other regional political outfits. Kejriwal criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, claiming the policy had resulted in loss of jobs and a big jolt to small businesses. "PM with notebandi has created large-scale unemployment. Businesses and stores are closed. Hotels closed during peak time. People do not have food at home. People are frustrated with the BJP," Kejriwal said. The Delhi Chief Minister also reiterated the party's promise to provide 50,000 jobs as well as doubling of existing doles for unemployed youth and housewives if elected to power. Baghdad, Jan 7 : Turkey and Iraq on Saturday agreed on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from a military base in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa near the stronghold of the Islamic State in Mosul. "We have discussed the Iraqi demand of withdrawing Turkish forces from Bashiqa, and the Turkish side confirmed that they will solve the issue of their troops' presence in Bashiqa soon," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters at a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim, Xinhua reported. "We have agreed on non-interference in internal affairs of each country and vowed to respect the sovereignty of both countries," Abadi said after meeting Yildirim. For his part, Yildirim explained that the presence of Turkish troops in Bashiqa was to train and arm local forces to fight the IS group, saying "the withdrawal of Turkish forces will be achieved later." "We will not accept any action to threaten Iraq's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Turkey is exerting effort to fight terrorist groups and seeking to impose security in the whole region," Yildirim said. He said that at the meeting with Iraqi officials it was also agreed to boost the level of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries on the reconstruction of areas affected by terrorism. Yildirim, accompanied by a delegation of Turkish ministers and top officials, arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for a two-day visit to end the diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Yildirim is also expected to visit Arbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan to meet Kurdish leaders, including the region's President Masoud Barzani. Since 2015, hundreds of Turkish soldiers have been deployed in Bashiqa camp, some 30 km northeast of Mosul. The presence of the Turkish troops led to a dispute between Iraq and Turkey, as Baghdad repeatedly said Turkish forces violated Iraq's sovereignty by entering the country without permission. However, Ankara said that Turkish soldiers were sent to Bashiqa at the request of Abadi, and that their presence was aimed at training both Peshmerga fighters and local tribal volunteers to combat IS militants in Mosul. Lucknow/New Delhi, Jan 7 : As attempts to call a truce between warring factions of the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh again came to naught on Saturday, the faction led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met Election Commissioner Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi. Party sources said the leaders of the Akhilesh camp -- led by his uncle Ram Gopal Yadav and including Surendra Nagar and Sunil Sajan -- submitted an affidavit regarding the SP leaders supporting the faction. However, the number of signatories to the affidavit submitted to the poll panel was not known. The sources said both factions -- led by Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav -- will now contest the state assembly polls on different party symbols, irrespective of who gets the official party symbol -- cycle. The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases between February 11 and March 8. On Saturday, senior SP leaders including Shivpal Singh Yadav, Azam Khan, Om Prakash Singh and Narad Rai met Mulayam Singh and held discussions on the possible way out of the infighting. It was not to be so, and by evening, it emerged that the chances of a rapprochement were over, the sources said. The sources privy to the confabulations told IANS that while both Shivpal and Mulayam Singh's aide Amar Singh told the party chief that they were "ready to be the sacrificial lambs" if it brought the warring father-son together, the truce offer was turned down by Mulayam himself. Mulayam Singh, the sources said, stressed on his stand that Akhilesh Yadav first step down as the SP National President, after which his demand for a larger say in ticket distribution will be considered. The Akhilesh camp declined the offer. The Chief Minister wanted a "three-month free hand to win the polls" and then back off in favour of his father. Meanwhile, Mulayam has once again written to the Election Commission to claim the 'cycle' poll symbol and sent some documents along with relevant parts of the party constitution to buttress his case. In a related development, Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, who is mentoring the Akhilesh Yadav camp, has sent sworn affidavits of some 5,761 Samajwadi Party leaders, including MLAs and MPs, to the Election Commission. A copy of the same was sent to Mulayam Singh's residence in Delhi but the staff there refused to accept it, the sources said. By late evening, Amar Singh left for New Delhi. Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav are set to join him on Sunday as they prepare to put up their case before the poll panel on Monday, the deadline set for taking views of both the factions before the EC takes a call on the claim to the party symbol. There is also a likelihood of a freeze on the poll symbol by the Election Commission. Shillong, Jan 7 : Meghalaya legislator Julius Kitbok Dorphang, who had been hiding for 11 days after being accused of raping 14-year-old girl but was eventually arrested late on Friday from Assam's Guwahati, was set to five days police custody by a court here on Saturday. The Court of District and Session Judge, Ehboklang Kharumnuid on Saturday sent the 53-year-old Independent legislator to police remand. Police have already intimated Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal about the arrest. Dorphang, a chairman of the outlawed secessionist outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council had surrendered in 2007. He had successfully contested the Assembly elections in 2013 and was supporting the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government. In fact, he is the first sitting legislator in Meghalaya to be arrested for his involvement in such heinous crime. "After a gap of nearly 11 days, we finally nabbed him (Dorphang) from an Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Guwahati at around 11:00 pm in connection with the alleged rape case against a minor girl," Shillong city police chief Vivek Syiem told journalists here. Meghalaya Police have registered a case against the Independent legislator under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act. Syiem said that police had requested to the court to add a more rigorous section of the Pocso Act against Dorphang. He said police registered a case against Dorphang at the Laitumkhrah police station here on December 24, but the legislator was found to be "absconding" since December 27. On Thursday, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has lodged a four fresh FIRs against Dorhphang in the sexual assault case and one of the FIRs pertaining to allegation of rape by Dorphang in a place in a resort in Ri Bhoi district, has been forwarded to police there. On January 4, a local court issued non-bailable warrant against Dorphang after he failed to appear before the investigating officer, probing the case. Two civil society groups, including the powerful women's group Civil Society Women's Organisation, had demanded for the resignation of Home Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh after his son's guest house was used for sexual exploitation, while asking the Speaker to take action against Dorphang. Police have already arrested six persons, including three women pimps and a waitress at the guest house. New Delhi, Jan 7 : A man was arrested here for robbing a woman co-passenger during a flight from Amritsar to here, police said on Saturday. Police said the accused identified as Rajesh Kapoor, 34, was arrested on Friday night after police raided his residence in Paharganj area of central Delhi. According to police, the incident took place on Thursday when Komal Sood, a resident of Gurugram, filed a complaint that three different credit cards kept in her cabin luggage had been stolen during her journey on Air India Flight AI462. She also said that later she received a message about shopping worth US $2,016 on her credit cards, a senior officer said. "During investigating the case, we found that the accused shopped from a Duty Free shop at the departure wing, purchasing 16 bottles of 'Chanel' Perfume'," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Bhatia said. The identity of Kapoor was ascertained after police studied the details of passengers. He had been earlier been arrested by police in connection with a robbery case, Bhatia said. "Raids were conducted at Kapoors' house but it was found that he had changed his address. He was later arrested after police raided his new residence at Paharganj with the help of local sources," he added. During interrogation, Kapoor told police that he had stolen earlier a Canadian $5,800 from the baggage of a co-passenger at IGI Airport. He had recently lost a lot of money in betting and was under pressure to pay the debt, Bhatia added. Kapoor came to know about Sood would travel from Amritsar to Delhi by air and planned to rob her. Panaji, Jan 7 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that if his Aam Aadmi Party is elected to power in Goa, it would reverse the controversial order, officially withdrawing tree status to the coconut palm within three days. "I have told (AAP's chief ministerial candidate) Elvis (Gomes) when the AAP government is formed, the law which changed the status of the coconut palm from tree to grass has to be reversed in three days," he said at a public rally in South Goa's Mormugao legislative assembly constituency. In January last year, the Goa assembly had passed a controversial amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Protection of Trees Act, formally de-recognizing the coconut palm as a tree. It was formally accorded assent by Governor Mridula Sinha subsequently. The amendment was severely critiqued by civil society groups and opposition in Goa. Larry showed the crowd how socialpreneur could donate to a program in Japan, from anywhere, anytime, around the world. Gomif Partners (Gomif) Cyber Startup Workshop is coming to Tokyo, Japan. Socialpreneur and investor Tey Por Yee took part in the sponsorship to Restore 100 Hectares of the Miyagi Coastal Forest, Japan, as part of the Socialpreneurship corporate social responsibility (CSR) demonstration on the workshop. The program co-advisor, Tey Por Yee (Larry), demonstrated the ease to contribute back to society by using Internet. Larry showed the crowd how socialpreneur could donate to a program in Japan, from anywhere, anytime, around the world. The project will restore 100 hectares of the Coast Forest in Miyagi Prefecture, which was uprooted by the March 11 Tohoku Tsunami. 30 Natori City agricultural victims are given job opportunities to learn how to raise 500,000 Black Pine seedlings to reforest the coast to create a natural shield from destructive salty winds and sand storms. 3,600 hectare coastal forests in Tohoku Region were uprooted and wiped out during the March 11 disaster. More than half of it was in Miyagi Prefecture including the 400 year-old forest in Natori City. Without the forest, the locals became vulnerable and exposed to strong winds, salt damage and wind-blown sand. The farmers cannot produce good quality of vegetables, hence, affecting their income. Still recovering from the disaster, they do not have the means to reforest the five km coastal area. The project will work with the local victims, government officials, forest experts and private and public companies to reforest the 100 hectare damaged coastal area in Natori City in 10 years. It will provide 30 tsunami agricultural victims jobs in raising 500,000 black pine and broad leaf seedlings as reforestation materials. It will mobilize people through on-site project tours and symposiums to be the core volunteer leaders of the project. The program is organized by OISCA International, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Gomif Partners, co-lead by philanthropist and investor Tey Por Yee (Larry) is raising a $200 million VC fund, called Socialpreneur Growth Fund, to invest in social business concept startups and growth stage financing for innovation and technology-related companies in Europe, as well as within the Asia-Pacific region. The fund-raising and road shows started from London, Singapore, New York, Beijing and now in Tokyo. Startups can apply to be part of the program from January 2017 until March 2017. Gomif and its advisors will mentor the winning companies and help them enhance their business plans and products. As a part of the partnership, Gomif will also pick up an equity stake in these companies. Interested candidate can visit http://www.gomif.com and submit business concept online. About Gomif Partners Gomif Partners (GP) is an early stage investment advisory network joint lead by socialpreneur Larry Tey Por Yee and several private venture partners. GPs investors invest in and work with information technology companies at any stage but they are primarily focused on seed and early stage investments. GP is interested in socially responsible business models, especially renewable, retail, manufacturing, software, and services surrounding this concept. Visit http://www.gomif.com The Atlanta Divorce Law Group (ADLG) is pleased to welcome to its legal team one of Atlantas strongest child custody advocates, Attorney Jeanette Soltys. Jeanette will be taking on the role of Managing Attorney for the firm. Jeanette has dedicated her entire legal career to protecting the well-being of families with minor children. Earlier in her career, Jeanette represented the Georgia Department of Family and Childrens Services in litigating child abuse cases. From there, she went on to represent hundreds of families through complicated divorce and child custody battles. Jeanette has a real passion for family law that stems from her own personal background of being a single parent to her adored son, Logan, who she adopted as an infant together with her ex-husband. Jeanettes passion for the law and her extensive courtroom experience enables her to litigate the most complex child custody cases. She has now worked over a decade focusing on divorce and custody cases, handling hundreds of family law matters throughout metro-Atlanta. The Atlanta Divorce Law Group focuses on easing the transition from one stage of life to another, whether its during divorce, adoption, or child custody and/or modification. Their mission is Happily Ever After DivorceTM, and now with Jeanette Soltys, they will be able to further this mission for the firm. Jeanette truly brings the kind of experience and compassion to the ADLG team that will be an asset to the firm. Owner and Attorney Sara Khaki stated, Bringing Jeanette in as the head of our legal team is a major step that gets us closer to our mission of protecting families and securing their future as they are going through times of transition. Jeanettes legal experience and philosophy on divorce and child custody matters is perfectly in line with the firms mission of Happily Ever After DivorceTM, meaning at times a divorce is necessary to turn a dysfunctional family situation into a healthier and happier one that benefits all parties involved, including (and most importantly) the children. We are thrilled that Jeanette chose our firm to expand her legal career with; and we are excited about the good work we will be doing together for our clients. Jeanette commented, I am excited to join ADLG because of their commitment to client satisfaction. Combining my legal expertise with ADLGs team allows us to give clients the best experience possible, with excellent legal results and personal attention along the way. To learn more about the Atlanta Divorce Law Group, visit their website at AtlantaDivorceLawGroup.com. LunchboxWax franchisees Rosie and Chris Keller started buildout for a 1,500-square foot, five-suite salon located in high-end retail district The Plant (4041 South Gilbert Road, Suite 3). Focusing on our new business and enriching the Chandler community are our goals for the coming year. Of all the places I could live, theres no other place Id like to call home. I love the people here and cant wait to welcome them to LunchboxWax. LunchboxWax, known for its expertly trained waxologists, chic vibe and emotive brand that happily encourages all to Bare Your Beauty, announced today its third Arizona location will open in early 2017 in Chandler, Arizona, to serve men and women who are mindful about the places they go and people they choose for personal services. Franchisees Rosie and Chris Keller signed a lease and have started buildout for a 1,500-square foot, five-suite salon located in high-end retail district The Plant (4041 South Gilbert Road, Suite 3), which marks the body-waxing franchises third Arizona location and 28th location nationwide. This is the first franchise for the Kellers, who are longtime Arizona residents. Rosie Keller has more than 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, and Chris Keller is and continues to be in the high-tech industry. Focusing on our new business and enriching the Chandler community are our goals for the coming year, Rosie Keller said. Chandler is truly a one-of-a-kind city. Of all the places I could live, theres no other place Id like to call home. I love the people here and cant wait to welcome them to LunchboxWax. In addition to Arizona, LunchBOX also operates in California, Colorado, Idaho, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah. Were as intentional about the locations we choose as we are the teams we build, the products and salons we design, and the franchisees we bring on board to grow our business and support our culture of community empowerment, LunchboxWax Founder + CEO Debi Lane said. Were excited to welcome the Kellers into the LunchboxWax franchise family, and were eager, too, to become part of the Chandler community. Named in Entrepreneur Magazines top 10 categories in franchising since December 2013, LunchboxWax launched its national franchise program in late 2013 to answer growing consumer demand for expertly trained estheticians trained for the sole purpose of speed waxing in an environment that is dedicated to each guests comfort. For more on LunchboxWax services, products and locations, visit http://www.lunchboxwax.com. For franchise information, including investment details and application information, visit http://www.lunchboxfranchise.com. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy. Offers are only made in states where we have complied with applicable law and an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy a franchise shall be made solely by a Franchise Disclosure Document. David Harper and Mike Fuljenz I thank the Ambassadors for naming me as a 2017 recipient of this valued award, and I pledge to continue to vigorously promote numismatic education and hobby enjoyment. Michael Fuljenz, an award-winning numismatic author, educator and President of Universal Coin & Bullion in Beaumont, Texas (http://www.UniversalCoin.com), was honored with a prestigious Numismatic Ambassador Award during an induction at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) convention in Ft. Lauderdale on January 6, 2017. Created in 1974 by Krause Publications President Clifford Mishler and sponsored for decades by Numismatic News, the esteemed Numismatic Ambassador awards now are sponsored by FUN and honorees are selected each year by previous award winners. The 2017 awards were announced and presented by the FUN Numismatic Ambassador Award Administrator Tony Swicer at an awards breakfast at the convention, one of the countrys largest collector events. I thank the Ambassadors for naming me as a 2017 recipient of this valued award, and I pledge to continue to vigorously promote numismatic education and hobby enjoyment, said Fuljenz. Known as America's Gold Expert, Fuljenz has won more than 60 prestigious national and regional awards and honors for his consumer education and protection work in rare coins and precious metals. He is a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association, and sponsors the annual ANA Farran Zerbe Award, the associations highest honor. He also is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and the PNG Accredited Precious Metals Dealer program. The PNG honored him in 2016 with its important Sol Kaplan Award for helping to fight numismatic-related crimes. A respected community leader in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, Fuljenz also has served with distinction as a consultant to the Federal Trade Commission, United States Mint and Royal Canadian Mint, and is on the Boards of Directors of the influential Industry Council For Tangible Assets and Crime Stoppers of Beaumont, Texas. McNeese State University recognized Mikes literary, business and civic achievements by presenting him with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. A native of Louisiana, Fuljenz was elected four times as President of the Southwest Louisiana Coin Club and served as Chairman of the Louisiana State Numismatic Association coin show. The Numismatic Ambassador is a person who has earned the respect of his peers by his quest for knowledge. He wants to know the whys and wherefores of coins, tokens, medals and paper money. He wants to know much more than their values and whether theyre in demand in the marketplace. He searches out the little-known facts and passes this information on to others, explained Numismatic News Editor Dave Haprer in a May 2015 story about the award. Fuljenz award-winning weekly Metals Market Report is available free online at http://www.UniversalCoin.com. Leigh Ann Pusey, President and CEO of the American Insurance Association (AIA), issued the following statement in response to Federal Insurance Office (FIO) Director Michael McRaiths announcement that he will step down effective January 20. Appointed in 2011 by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, McRaith was FIOs inaugural director. Prior to his appointment, he served as Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance. Ms. Puseys statement follows: AIA thanks Director McRaith for his service. As the nations first Director of the Federal Insurance Office, he has been a steadfast advocate for our industry. Established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, FIO provides a centralized national resource to help represent U.S. interests abroad on prudential insurance matters, as well as a platform for dialogue with the state regulatory community to advance an effective and efficient state-based insurance regulatory system. The Director has propelled FIO forward in these roles during his time there and this is a credit to his leadership. Pugmire, Locked Room Internationals editor, is making available to American readers for the first time Stacey Bishops classic impossible crime novel, Death in the Dark. Why are you publishing this novel now? Why did Captain Ahab hunt Moby Dick? Because it has been, up until now, one of the rarest books in detective fiction, fetching 1,800 at its most recent sighting in 2006. It practically vanished without trace after Faber and Faber published it in 1930 in London, and has never been published in the U.S., despite T.S. Eliot, Fabers editor at the time, having described it as a very good detective story. Faber only notified me this summer that they no longer held the rights. Fortunately, the rights holder, Art McTighe, when I located him, was delighted to help and provided a wealth of background information, which greatly enhances the U.S. version. Whats special about the book apart from its several impossible murders? George Antheil, to use the authors real name, was an expatriate American avant-garde composer whose Ballet Mecanique for 16 pianos, an aircraft propeller, and an electric drill was very much admired in Europe in the 1920s. In 1927 he attempted a triumphant return home with a concert in Carnegie Hall, which turned into a debacle that ruined his career. In revenge, he retired to Italy and wrote Death in the Dark, in which he murdered, figuratively speaking, all the people he held responsible for the disaster. There is a detective story within a detective story in identifying the real identities of the protagonists. Antheil was aided in his work by two winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature, W.B. Yeats and Gerhart Hauptmann. Death in the Dark is probably the only literary work of any kind in history to have had three Nobel Prize winners involved in its creation, Eliot being the third. How does the book stack up against other golden age mysteries? Julian Symons, in his highly influential Bloody Murder, called it an extraordinary performance, and Antheil certainly had his own particular style. I think it would be fair to call it unique, both in its style and its motivation. How does publishing Death in the Dark fit into LRIs mission? While its true that, at the beginning, we started with translations of French locked room novels, notably those of contemporary French master Paul Halter, the word International doesnt exclude British or American authors. One of our most successful books has been The Derek Smith Omnibus, which includes a novel thats an acknowledged locked room masterpiece, Whistle Up the Devil. In The Blood of Emmett Till, Tyson draws on rediscovered court transcripts and an extensive interview with a key player in the tragedy to reexamine the notorious 1955 lynching that helped set off the civil rights movement. What prompted you to write this book? I got a phone call nine years ago from a woman who wanted to tell me how much she liked my previous book, Blood Done Sign My Name [which recounts the killing of a black man in Tysons hometown when he was nine]. She said she gave the book to her mother-in-law, Carolyn Bryant. Of course, I knew who [Carolyn Bryant] was. She was the white woman at the counter in Mississippi in whose name Emmett Till was lynched. I knew she never gave an interview or talked to reporters. But her daughter-in-law said she wanted tell her side of the story. She testified in court that Till tried to sexually assault her. In the book, you write that she told her lawyer that Till only touched her hand at the counter and made a sarcastic remark about dating her as he was leaving the store. Why did she decide to tell that story now? She was getting old. Her husband and brothers-in-law who participated in the lynching were dead. And she said that she felt terrible about what happened to Emmett Till. She was an uneducated, 20-year-old white woman from rural Mississippi. Im not making excuses for her. What she did was horrible. But she was a product of her time. Its been over 60 years since Emmett Tills murder. Why is his case so well-known? Black Chicago is an important character in this story. Its the capital of Black America. Its full of black Mississippians. The Chicago Defender was the largest black newspaper in the country. And there was the Johnson publishing empire, with Jet and Ebony magazines. There were black unions like the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. And then there was Emmett Tills courageous mother, Mamie Till Bradley, who made her private pain public and showed her sons disfigured corpse to the world. So Black Chicagos involvement turned Emmett Tills murder into a major civil rights issue. How do you see Emmett Tills legacy in todays struggles for civil rights? You hear Black Lives Matter activists chanting, Michael Brown, Emmett Till. How many black boys will you kill? My hope and expectation is that his story will say to America, and particularly young people, that out of the most brutal and bitter tragedy can emerge a struggle for justice that can transform the nation and change Emmett Tills tragedy from a story of crucifixion to a story of resurrection. Readers Respond Outrage at Milo Yiannopoulos Book Deal We recently reported that Milo Yiannopoulos, a far-right pundit and editor at Breitbart, was offered a hefty book deal by Threshold Editions, the conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster. Many of our readers were outraged by the idea of a major house publishing the book, but also felt conflicted due to their commitment to the right to free speech. Here is a selection their comments. I dont begrudge Threshold Editions right to offer Milo Yiannopoulos a book deal.... However, as an Atria Books author [Atria is an S&S imprint] I feel deeply betrayed by Simon & Schuster championing a preening hate-peddler. In doing so they have shamed me and tainted my book. I am livid and nauseated in equal measure, and I know that many other Simon & Schuster authors feel exactly the same way.Bradley Trevor Greive I certainly have no intention of reading this book. I do, though, embrace S&Ss prerogative to publish it. If we want a free press, it has to be free to publish for all opinions. Mark Voigt S&S is cashing in on sensationalism, on hate speech, and on the rising tide of fascism in America. Sarah Kimmel From the Newsletters Tip Sheet A reading list for parents of transgender children (or anyone, really), assembled by Laurie Frankel, author of This Is Always How It Is (Flatiron). Childrens Bookshelf Remembering pioneering middle grade author Marilyn Sachs, who died in late December at age 89. PW Preview for Librarians Librarians: did you know you can get a sneak peek at each weeks starred reviews? Just sign up for PW Preview for Librarians and well email you highlights of the upcoming weeks stars every Friday. Sign up for these and other great, free newsletters. Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh (Penguin Press) was the most-read review on publishersweekly.com last week. Podcasts More to Come Irish artist Luke Healy talks about his new graphic novel, How to Survive in the North (Nobrow); his studies at the Center for Cartoon Studies; and the rocky career path for indie cartoonists. Week Ahead PW senior writer Andrew Albanese looks back at holiday book sales and what they mean for publishers as well as for Barnes & Noble, and looks ahead to how Donald Trumps presidency could make waves in 2017. Blogs ShelfTalker An independent bookseller talks with Stacy Mitchell, coauthor of a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance titled Amazons Stranglehold. PW Radio Returning guest Daniel Jose Older discusses his new book, Battle Hill Bolero (Roc). And PW bookselling editor Judith Rosen summarizes 2016 holiday sales at independent bookstores. Andrews McMeel Picks Up Collaborative Poetry Book Andrews McMeels Patty Rice acquired world rights for Typewriter Rodeo, a collaborative multimedia work by four poets, in a deal negotiated by Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. According to Paquette, the book, which is authored by Jodi Egerton, David Fruchter, Kari Anne Holt, and Sean Petrie, is a journey in photos and poems following the group as they compose spontaneous poetry on manual typewriters all across the country, and spotlighting stories of those they meet along their way. The book is set to be published in spring 2018. Kensington Signs Domestic Thriller by Souza In a deal brokered by Evan Marshall of the Evan Marshall Literary Agency, John Scognamiglio, editor-in-chief at Kensington, bought world and audio rights, in a preempt, for Bring Me Closer by Joseph Souza. According to the publisher, the novel operates in the vein of Shari Lapenas The Couple Next Door, telling the story of a suburban woman, Leah, whose obsession with her next-door neighbor drives her to kleptomania, and her husband, Clay, whose connection to a missing college girl is closer than hes letting on. Souza, who once worked as an intelligence analyst in the Drug Enforcement Agency, has received accolades for his short crime fiction, including an honorable mention for the Al Blanchard Award in 2010. Porinchak Takes True Crime Title to Simon Pulse Fiona Simpson of Simon & Schuster acquired world rights for Eve Porinchaks One Cut, a nonfiction book aimed at readers 14 and up, in a deal that Porinchak, an agent with the Jill Corcoran Literary Agency, brokered herself. According to Porinchak, the book tells the story of how, after a backyard fistfight ends in an accidental death, four teenage friends are tried for murder, convicted, and sent to prison for life. Porinchak adds that the book is one of two inaugural titles in a new line of nonfiction crime books for young adults from Simon Pulse called Simon True. The book is set to be published in May 2017. Berkley Nabs Two Books by Debut Novelist Cindy Hwang, editorial director at Berkley, acquired world English rights for The Wedding Date, a debut novel by Jasmine Guillory, in a two-book deal arranged by Holly Root of Waxman Leavell Literary. According to the publisher, the book is an interracial romantic comedy that follows a lawyer and a doctor trapped together in an elevator who then become accidental wedding dates. Berkley plans to publish the book in spring 2018. A sequel, The Proposal, will follow in summer 2018. Simon & Schuster Buys Brain Bloggers Book on Personality Amar Deol of Simon & Schuster acquired world rights (excluding the U.K.) for Personology by Christian Jarrett, in a deal negotiated by Nathaniel Jacks of Inkwell Management. According to Jacks, the book argues against the misunderstanding that personality is static and shows instead how malleable personality can be. Jarrett has previously written on brain science for New York magazine, Wired, and Psychology Today and currently edits Research Digest, a blog published by the British Psychological Society. His previous titles include 30-Second Psychology (Icon, 2011). Simon & Schuster plans to publish Personology sometime in 2019. It should not prove too surprising to anyone familiar with the publishing industry that, in a year that saw two new Harry Potter titles published, one of them would top the print bestseller list. The only surprise here is that, unlike previous titles, the latest from author J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 and 2, is not a novel but a play and was penned in conjunction with coauthorsthe theater director John Tiffany and the screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne. The script, published on July 31 last year, moved nearly 4.5 million units by years end at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScanjust shy of four times the number of copies sold of the #2 on the print bestseller list, Double Down, the 11th installment in Jeff Kinneys Diary of the Wimpy Kid series. (Rowlings other major Potter entry this year was the screenplay for the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which has moved 659,172 units since its publication on November 18.) Kinney, like Rowling, is no stranger to this list; his 10th Wimpy Kid volume, Old School, hit #2 on last years list. At #3 was Bill OReilly and Martin Dugards Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan, the latest in their bestselling Killing seriesthe first to focus on a country rather than a singular historical figure. Last years powerhouse The Girl on the Train continued to sell well throughout the year, earning it the #4 slot on the print bestsellers list. Easily the most surprising title to crack the top five was Swedish author Fredrik Backmans A Man Called Ove, published by Atria Books imprint Washington Square Press in July 2014. The book was a favorite among indie booksellers, in spite of its meager first printing of 6,500 copies. In 2016a year that saw the U.S. publication of Backmans latest novel, Britt-Marie Was Here, and the U.S. release of Oves Swedish-language film adaptationOve pushed 712,283 units, putting it in the fifth slot on Nielsens list. In the Amazon Kindle e-book store, Hawkinss Girl on the Train found even more traction, hitting the top of the list for the second year running; her sophomore effort, Into the Water, will also be published by Riverhead and is due to release in May. Following one Girl was another, Robert Bryndzas The Girl in the Ice, the first in a series of serial killer thrillers published by English digital publisher Bookouture. The book had sold more than a million copies by late September, according to Bookouture publisher Oliver Rhodes. Rowlings Cursed Child proved blessed in the digital market as well, landing at #3 on Amazons Kindle bestseller list for the year. Kristin Hannahs sweeping work of WWII-era historical fiction, The Nightingale, hit #4 this year. The novel was published in February 2015 but crept up the list this year in comparison to last years list, on which it landed at #5. The fifth slot on the 2016 list went to Nancy Star and her novel Sisters One, Two, Three. Top 10 Print Bestsellers, 2016 Rank Title Author Imprint Total Units 1 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 and 2 J.K. Rowling et al Scholastic/Levine 4,453,382 2 Double Down (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #11) Jeff Kinney Amulet 1,135,249 3 Killing the Rising Sun OReilly/Dugard Holt 1,104,389 4 The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins Riverhead 954,735 5 A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman Washington Square 712,283 6 Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs Quirk 663,040 7 The Whistler John Grisham Doubleday 662,919 8 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them J.K. Rowling Scholastic/Levine 659,172 9 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Marie Kondo Ten Speed 638,148 10 The Magnolia Story Gaines/Gaines Thomas Nelson 630,558 Source: Nielsen Bookscan Top 10 Kindle Bestsellers, 2016 Rank Title Author Imprint 1 The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins Riverhead 2 The Girl in the Ice Robert Bryndza Bookouture 3 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 and 2 J.K. Rowling et al. Pottermore 4 The Nightingale Kristin Hannah St. Martins 5 Sisters One, Two, Three Nancy Star Lake Union 6 Me Before You Jojo Moyes Penguin 7 Walk Into Silence Susan McBride Thomas & Mercer 8 A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman Atria 9 The Whistler John Grisham Doubleday 10 Follow You Home Mark Edwards Thomas & Mercer Source: Amazon. Sales are through Dec. 31, 2016 When Penguin Press published Amy Chuas Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in 2011 and Pamela Druckermans Bringing Up Bebe the next year, the publisher tapped into an American parenting anxietyor at least, curiosityabout the best way to raise a child. Were kids raised the Chinese or French way really more accomplished and self-reliant? Chuas strict methods sparked debate among parents and educators, but her book went on to sell 178,000 print copies, per Nielsen BookScanDruckermans sold 181,000and opened the floodgates for a potentially evergreen genre. Five years later, several forthcoming titles could be filed under They Parent Better over There. These books speak to the stresses American parents feel about their kids always having to excel, rather than being the happiest and most well-adjusted, Batya Rosenblum, associate editor at the Experiment, says. In April, the publisher is releasing The Happiest Kids in the World by Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison, expats from the U.S. and U.K., respectively, who now live in the Netherlands. Its based on a 2013 post from the authors Finding Dutchland blog that to date has more than two million page views, according to the publisher. Italian cartoonist Matteo Bussolas Sleepless Nights and Kisses for Breakfast (TarcherPerigree, May) started off as an online venture, toowith heartfelt and humorous posts the author shares with his 59,000 Facebook followers about the joys and surprises of raising three daughters. The original Italian-language edition struck a chord with readers in a society not known for its hands-on dads, hitting the number one spot on Italian Amazon the day it pubbed, according to Marian Lizzi, editorial director at TarcherPerigree. Sara Zaske makes the case for a return to what she calls rational parenting in Achtung Baby (Regan Arts, Apr.). The concept of a more hands-off approach to parenting is certainly not newit formed the backbone of Bebe and has gone in and out of fashion throughout this decadebut its been garnering renewed press. In October 2016, a New York Times Magazine article about an anti-helicopter father in Silicon Valley stoked strong sentiments on both sides of that parenting divide. Zaske, an American who relocated to Berlin with her husband and toddler, frames rational parenting as a philosophy thats less method, more common sense, as she watches the self-reliant German children around her walk themselves to school and use sharp objects without supervision. Say Bonjour to the Lady by Florence Mars and Pauline Leveque (Clarkson Potter, Mar.) contrasts two parenting cultures, searching for the beneficial in both the more traditional French style and what the authors call the looser U.S. style. Written by French women who are bringing up their children in New York City, the book calls out the benefits and relevance of both ways of raising kids. Its also part of a mounting body of evidence that American moms and dads arent the only ones curious about other cultures parenting styles. The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, for example, has been translated into 30 languages. More recently, rights to The Danish Way of Parenting, by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Sandahl (TarcherPerigee, 2016), have been picked up in 17 international markets, including Germany, Italy, Franceand even ground zero for the Tiger Moms methods, China. Return to the main feature. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) A Springfield man has appeared in court on allegations he cheated Medicaid by filing false claims through a company that supplies incontinence products. The State Journal-Register says 51-year-old Kevin Schaul pleaded not guilty to five counts of health-care fraud on Thursday in Springfield federal court. A conviction on just one count carries a maximum 10-year prison term. The indictment says Schaul ran Springfield-based Childrite Medical Supply and submitted false claims that defrauded Medicaid out of more than $500,000 over four years. He's accused of spending some of the money on travel and mortgage payments. His attorney, D. Peter Wise, said Friday that his client would fight the charges and "looked forward to his day in court." Schaul was released pending trial. The judge set a March 7 trial date. According to Callow, the group has not followed through on the threat and has not yet released any installments of Davenport's data on its multiple platforms. Today is Saturday, Jan. 7, the 7th day of 2017. There are 358 days left in the year. 1867 -- 150 years ago: George Sitterly sold the Valley City flour mills to Church & Berregan for $15,000. 1892 -- 125 years ago: Rock Island and Davenport Streetcar Co. motormen again revolted against company policy requiring drivers to furnish their own change. 1917 -- 100 years ago: Supervisor William Trefz announced the opening of a Rock Island Town Hall on the second floor of the State Bank Building. 1942 -- 75 years ago: Reuben Bollman, of Rock Island, celebrated his 90th birthday with family and friends. 1967 -- 50 years ago: Bernard Weindruch, 45-year-old Rock Island businessman, was among four public members appointed today by Gov. Otto Kerner to the Board of Banks and Trust Companies created under the recently adopted Illinois Banking Act. 1992 -- 25 years ago: After years in development and then another year of delays, Milans industrial park is finally ready for construction. The 50-acre plot, south of Andalusia Road on West 7th Street and bordering Rock Island, will be carved into 17 parcels. Village officials hope it will attract light industry and manufacturing companies each employing between 10 and 100 workers. WASHINGTON (AP) Congress certified Donald Trump's presidential victory Friday over the objections of a handful of House Democrats, with Vice President Joe Biden pronouncing, "It is over." House Democrats objected to the votes from at least 10 states, raising issues of voter suppression as well as American intelligence showing that Russia tried to sway the election in favor of Trump. In each case, their objections were denied because they didn't have the support of any senators. All 538 electors met in their respective state capitals in December to cast their votes. Friday's vote count made it official. Biden presided over the count in his role as president of the Senate. Trump finished with 304 electoral votes and Democrat Hillary Clinton got 227. There were seven protest votes for other candidates. It takes 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency. As expected, Mike Pence was elected vice president. Trump and Pence are to be sworn in on Jan. 20. As the votes were announced for state after state, Democratic members of the House stood up to object. But in each case, no Democratic senator would join them, and Biden cut them off. "There can be no debate," Biden said repeatedly. Under federal law, if at least one senator and one House member object to the vote from any state, the House and Senate will meet separately to debate the merits of the objection. Toward the end of the count, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., pleaded for a senator to join her in objecting. "Is there one United States senator who will join me in this letter of objection?" Waters said to boos from Republicans. None did. After the vote, Biden told some of the House Democrats who tried to object why he had cut them off. "Basically, it was the rules and we understand that," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who led the effort to object to Trump's election. Lee and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus wanted to bring attention to strict voter ID laws in some states that they say suppress voters. "The real question was about the principles of Democracy and the sacredness of the vote and the very high calling of a presidential election," Lee said. The objections added a bit of acrimony to the end of a nasty presidential election. Not surprisingly, several protesters were ejected from the public gallery as the vote count concluded. Trump won even though Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes. His election has generated much angst among Democrats and others who oppose the billionaire businessman. But they have been powerless to change the outcome. Despite rumblings of a revolt, only two Republican electors both from Texas cast protest votes for someone other than Trump. Clinton lost four Democratic electors in Washington state and one in Hawaii. On Friday morning, Trump went on Twitter to provide another assessment of the election. "Hillary and the Dems were never going to beat the PASSION of my voters. They saw what was happening in the last two weeks before the (election) and knew they were in big trouble which is why they cancelled their big fireworks at the last minute. THEY SAW A MOVEMENT LIKE NEVER BEFORE," Trump wrote. ROCK ISLAND Getting hired as a Community Caring Conference organizer was an answer to Ametra Carrol-Castaneda's prayers. But she said it will take plenty more prayers, especially for funding, to complete the mission. Ms. Carrol-Castaneda's long relationship with the Community Caring Conference dates back to 2002, when she started as a volunteer. She later served on its board and was hired by it to organize city block groups. Recently, CCC was able to rehire her again "after years of reorganizing and finding new funding," board chairman Paul Fessler wrote in a media release. "Even if they had decided not to rehire me, I told them I would remain a volunteer and stay on the board if that's what they wanted," she said. Ms. Carrol-Castaneda, 64, will be "its main staff person working to expand the mission of the organization," Mr. Fessler said. "She not only brings experience but a new enthusiasm for community organizing," he wrote. "We have been looking for the right person to get us restarted. Ametra is that individual and she is committed to our mission 100 percent." The agency was created by five Rock Island churches to address common issues. Twelve Rock Island churches now support the organization: Church of Peace U.C.C.,15th Avenue, First Lutheran, Olivet Baptist, St. Mary's, Sacred Heart, Good Shepherd Presbyterian, Second Baptist, St. John's Lutheran, First United Methodist, Broadway Presbyterian and South Park Presbyterian. "Over the last 40 years, CCC has been actively organizing block clubs who watch out for their neighbors and provide a link with city staff, police and service providers," Ms. Carrol-Castaneda said. "More importantly, block clubs provide an avenue for neighbors to get to know their neighbors," she said. "Rebuilding these efforts will make our city a better place to live and work. "Strong neighborhoods improve the quality of life for all residents," she said. "We need to get to work on building these relationships." She's hitting the ground running, and praying to succeed. "I'm excited to go back to where my passion is to help the under-served and help neighbors get to know each other," she said. Her community activism includes working with the NAACP Religious Affairs and outreach committees and serving on the Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation board since 2008. She was a driving force behind Douglas Park Place, a housing complex and rehabilitation center for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction in the Old Chicago neighborhood. A pivotal figure in the bill to raise the state's dropout age to 17, she's won multiple local and state awards for her service. Ms. Carrol-Castaneda credits the CCC for helping her recover from the deaths of two sons, move to the Quad-Cities from Chicago and get her life back together after battling drug abuse. "I wanted to prove to the world that my credibility was still there ... and the Community Caring Conference was there to help me do that," she said. Ametra Carrol-Castaneda Address: Rock Island. Hometown: Chicago. Birth date: Nov. 14, 1952. Education: Graduate of Taylor Business Institute, Chicago; certified in Illinois as an alcohol and drug counselor. Family: Husband, Salvador Castaneda, and a daughter, stepdaughter and two stepsons. Favorite Scripture: John 13:34. Favorite Biblical character I'd like to meet: Moses. Hobbies: Fishing, listening to personal testimonies . One thing I feel strongly about: Letting people see Christ in me. I wish I knew how to: Play the piano. Free meals served Saturdays ROCK ISLAND -- Two Rivers United Methodist Church, 1820 5th Ave., provides a free meal at noon every Saturday. Church breakfast buffet beckons with bacon SILVIS -- Our Lady of Guadalupe, 750 17th St., will serve a breakfast buffet from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, Jan 8. Menu items will include, eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo and eggs, chorizo and beans, biscuits and gravy, fruit and beverages. It will cost $8 per person, $4 for children younger than 12, or $25 per family, consisting of parents and children 18 and younger. GriefShare group meeting in Hillsdale HILLSDALE -- Hillsdale United Methodist Church, 124 Butzer St., will host GriefShare support group meetings at 9 a.m. each Friday from January 13 to April 7, sponsored by Gibson-Bode Funeral Home. Each meeting will include a video featuring more than a dozen speakers sharing their experiences with grief, offering understanding and hope. Anyone experiencing grief over the loss of a loved one is welcome to attend. For information, call 309-256-9685. Nonprofit announces grand-opening event EAST MOLINE -- Local nonprofit ribbonsforkellsey, at 485 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 2, East Moline, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27, to celebrate the grand opening of its new resource center. The center provides direct services to families in Illinois that are living with epilepsy. They assist families with everything from accommodations for hospital stays to USB medical alert bracelets to service-dog grants and everything in between. It is 100 percent funded by local donors and does not receive any state or federal funding. It has raised more than $100,000. Center announces upcoming retreats ROCK ISLAND -- The Benet House Retreat Center, at St. Mary Monastery, 2200 88th Ave. W., will hold the following February events and acitvities: -- Centering prayer: 1-2:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Feb. 1, 8, 14 and 22. -- Gratitude and Trust Book Study: applying 12-step guiding principles to life and addictions; 6-7:30 p.,m., Thursday Feb. 2, -- Read, Think, Pray: vocation program for 21-45-year-old single women; 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 1st Saturdays Oct. through May; -- 11th Step Prayer and Meditation: for 12 Step practitioners at any stage of recovery; 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays. -- Taize Prayer: 6:30-7:30 p.m.Thursday, Feb. 9. -- Coffee, Tea and Conversation: 9-10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at St. Mary Monastery. -- Valentines Evening for Married Couples: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. -- The Word Among Us: 2-3:30 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 13 and 27. -- Break-A-Way Day of Prayer and Quiet: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. -- Mens Retreat: Look Beyond the Horizon: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, to noon Sunday, Feb. 19. -- Young Adult Awe and Wonder Morning: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 18. -- Girls Be a Catholic Sister for a Day: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. For more information and pricing, call 309-283-2108 or 309-283-2300; email retreats@smmsisters.org or vocation@smmsisters.org, or visit smmsisters.org/retreats/retreats-and-programs. MILAN Women attending a Jan. 10 retreat will hear how the Rev. Peg Emmert, of Hampton, developed her creative connection to God. Also known as "Pastor Peggy, Rev. Emmert is the featured speaker at the Rock Island/Milan Church Women United's annual Winter Retreat, starting at 9:30 a.m. at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 124 W. 3rd Ave. The event includes lunch and runs until 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per person; contact Barbara Mallder at 309-787-5966. Rev. Emmert was pastor at United Methodist churches in Chrisman and Hume when she retired in June 2014. She continues to serve as a pulpit supply pastor at area churches. Previously, she was a radiology technologist at the Moline and Rock Island campuses of Unity Point Health, formerly Trinity Medical Center. She also owned and operated a massage therapy business. She said her interest in healing led her to study alternatives to help de-stress peoples lives. She said in the 1990s, she felt God calling her to become a lay speaker and decided to attend school. I was serving as a lay speaker and I felt God calling me to serve as a pastor, she said. She received an invitation to visit the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and decided to begin her seminary studies. During her eight years as a pastor, she was introduced to the Five Day Academy of Spiritual Formation and the Two Year Academy of Spiritual Formation. "During the first session of my two-year academy experience, I had an awakening that encompassed a new artistic level of my faith journey, she said. Her academy experience included silence, time spent pondering a focused question from speakers. I started putting together collages that expressed what came to my mind and heart, she said. This was a new way to express myself. Rev. Emmert said she continues to seek other avenues to connect to God. "I keep my mind and my heart open to how God is leading me," she said. "Prayer can be fun, peaceful and centered. REV. PEG EMMERT Hometown: Duluth, Minn. Education: Associate degree from Black Hawk College, Moline; bachelors degree from College of St. Francis, Joliet; Master of Divinity degree from University of Dubuque. She also attended the former Moline Public Hospital School of Radiology and the Shock Center for Health for massage therapy and reflexology. Favorite scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is called the Shema; it includes loving God with your whole heart. Biblical character Id like to meet: Moses, because he got his calling late in life and so did I. Also, his commitment; he kept going forward as he felt God leading him, and I can relate to him. Hobbies and activities: Reading and gardening. One thing I feel strongly about: In preparing a sermon based on the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi and other books, I believe we can change. By our choices, we can live a peaceful life. I wish I knew how to: Since retiring, I would like to learn how to play the piano and I have thought about exploring how to make pottery. Was the 2016 election unfair? Void? On Dec. 14, 2016, NBC News, quoting unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, reported that Russian President Putin "became personally involved in the covert Russian campaign" to elect Donald Trump U.S. president. President Putin's spokesman immediately dismissed NBC's report as "laughable nonsense." So, why should this matter now? Didn't Hillary Clinton publicly concede the election on Nov. 9? "Last night I congratulated Donald Trump ... I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. ... I'm sorry we did not win this election... "We must accept the result and then look to the future ... "Donald Trump is going to be our president. ... Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transition of power. We don't just respect that; we cherish it." Is Mrs. Clinton's concession no longer operable? Is the peaceful transition of power no longer enshrined? Cherished? On Dec. 14, Josh Earnest, President Obama's official spokesman -- who says only what the president wants said -- claimed, "Theres ample evidence that was known long before the election and in most cases long before October about the Trump campaign and Russia -- everything from the Republican nominee himself calling on Russia to hack his opponent. What was Earnest's factual basis for that claim that Mr. Trump called on Russia to hack his opponent? Perhaps this! On the stump, Mr. Trump said, "Russia has no respect for our country. ... If it is Russia, nobody even knows it's Russia ... It shows how weak we are. ... how disrespected .... "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 (Clinton) emails that are missing. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Let's see if that happens. That'll be nice." Trump's sarcasm was obvious. But Earnest heard only a confession of guilt and let his imagination run wild: It MIGHT be an indication that (Trump) was obviously aware and concluded, based on whatever facts or sources he had available to him, that Russia was involved and their involvement was having a negative impact on his opponents campaign. But if Mr. Trump was aware, wasn't President Obama also aware? Did candidate Trump have better intelligence than President Obama? Was the CIA reporting to Mr. Trump, but not to President Obama? If the Russians were hacking, why didn't President Obama do something then and there? Whose permission did he need? His mother's? The president's spokesman is now implying that Russia unfairly interfered in our election to assist Mr. Trump: It was obvious to those who were covering the race that the hack-and-leak strategy that had been operationalized was not being equally applied to the two parties and to the two campaigns." The election was "unfair." Earnest's unspoken, but logical conclusion, is clear: That "unfairness" rendered the election void. We need a new election! Bizarre? Perhaps. But watch CNN's interview with former CIA agent Bob Baer, who said, I'm deeply disturbed by the fact that the Russians interfered, and I would like to see the evidence, 'cause IF the evidence is there, I dont see any other way than to vote again (cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/12/10/robert-baer-new-election-russia-hacking-nr.cnn). Who does Mr. Baer suggest should decide if America should vote again? Mr. Baer's proposal would require President Obama to declare the 2016 election "illegal and void." But where in the Constitution is a president -- or anyone else -- given power to cancel election results, cling to power, and require a do-over? There, of course, are leftist precedents for that. Fidel Castro (1961) announced an end to democratic elections in Cuba, and made himself president-for-life. Would Mr. Baer have President Obama stage a Castro-like coup d'etat? The left decries our "national divide." Would a coup be likely to heal that? Our Constitution limits President Obama to two, four-year terms, and provides his term ends at noon on Jan. 20. If the Russians hacked John Podesta's emails, Obama had his at-bat and whiffed. Now, Trump's the batter; it's his job to deal with Russian spit balls -- past and future. On January 4, 2017, the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) announced this years entrants into the NRC Hall of Fame: John Zuspan, Rick Ebersold, and Ronald Brown have been unanimously selected by the Executive Committee. NRC provides these bios: John Zuspan has worked in the rail industry for more than 40 years, starting as a track laborer at Atlas Railroad Construction while attending Clemson & Drexel. In 1978, John left Atlas to go to Delta Railroad Construction (Delta) as a switch foreman. In 1980, John left Delta to accept a superintendent of track position at Slattery/Skanska. In 2001, John joined Balfour Beatty Rail as Vice President. In 2004, John left Balfour Beatty Rail to launch his own business, Track Guy Consultants, after seeing a need in the construction industry for training in track construction and maintenance, including Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Track Safety Standards. John has written 11 handbooks on track construction, maintenance, and management. Without Johns help, many individuals and small businesses may not have succeeded, said Stanley Beaver, Balfour Beatty Rails safety and environmental director. Very often his help comes without charge in the form of advice and encouragement. John is never too busy to take time to help individuals working through complex issues. John serves on the NRC Board and the NRC Safety Committee. John has been instrumental in producing numerous Safety Training DVDs that have become a staple of the NRCs efforts to promote railroad construction safety. He also led efforts to create the Part 243 Minimum Training Standards template for NRC members. He has participated in Railroad Day on the Hill and is an active member of American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association committees. Rick Ebersold has 45 years of experience in the rail industry beginning in 1969 as a laborer for the Chicago and North Western Railway. Herzogs management team recognized Ricks drive, and he was hired in 1973 as a foreman. He progressed through the ranks from general superintendent to project manager, overseeing numerous highly successful railroad construction projects from coast to coast. In 1992, he was promoted to President of Herzogs rail testing group. Today, Herzog Services, Inc. continues Ricks forward momentum and growth by providing testing services for Class I and short line railroads throughout North America. As an industry leader, Rick has promoted legislative priorities on behalf of Herzog and the NRC. In one effort, Rick developed Hours of Service reform that he successfully presented to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials and the Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, which resulted in its inclusion in the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act five-year transportation infrastructure bill signed into law by President Obama on December 4, 2015. Rick has been a true father figure and mentor to his employees, said Scott Norman, Senior Vice President at Herzog Contracting Corp. Alan Landes, President and COO of Herzog said that Rick epitomizes all the good things in our company and is a team player[who] never hesitates when accepting a task for Herzog. Rick joined the NRC board in 1999, holding several positions including Chairman and Executive Director, during which time he trained and imparted wisdom on the incoming President and CEO of the NRC, Chuck Baker, who continues to serve in this role. Under Ricks leadership, NRC membership rose from 150 member companies to more than 200, and conference attendance spiked by 75 percent. He spearheaded a partnership with the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), including a joint trade show and concurrent meetings, which has helped solidify the annual NRC Conference as one of the premier railroad events in North America. Rick has also served on the Board of Directors for REMSA, and has been a member of AREMA, the Northwest Maintenance of Way (NAMRC) Rail Club, and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Ronald Brown founded Annex Railroad Builders (Annex) in 1961 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Annexs geographical customer base grew to include most of the Midwest. By the 1980s, Annex was considered one of the larger, more highly respected railroad contractors in the Midwest, and employed over 100 people. In 1986, Annex purchased a small short line railroad, and the Central Indiana & Western Railroad was formed and is still in operation today. In 1998, Annex, along with 13 other companies, joined to form a new contracting company: RailWorks. After working for RailWorks for three years, Ronald retired in 2001. Ron was truly a pioneer in our industrya true advocate for [the NRC] said NRC Hall of Fame Member James J. Daloisio of the Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey. Ron was one of the founding members of the NRC, and was instrumental to its success during its infancy. He was also a member of the Union Negotiating Committee and was a Management Trustee, and played a significant role in the evolution of the Trust Funds under the Railroad Transportation and Operation Agreement. They will be recognized at the 2017 NRC Conference in Boca Raton, Fla. on Wednesday, January 11. The Greenbrier Companies Inc. on Jan. 6 reported financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended Nov. 30, 2016. The company said it is off to a strong start, with net earnings of $25.0 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, on revenue of $552.3 million. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $85.7 million, or 15.5% of revenue. Cash provided by operating activities totaled $29.0 million for the quarter. Diversified orders for 2,400 new railcars were received during this quarter, valued at more than $230 million, or an average price of approximately $98,000 per railcar. The new railcar backlog as of Nov.r 30, 2016 was 25,800 units with an estimated value of $2.97 billion (average unit sale price of $115,000). Included in backlog are 3,800 covered hopper railcars for use in energy related sand transportation, of which 2,500 units, scheduled for production in 2018, are for a customer who is negotiating with Greenbrier to modify the order. New railcar deliveries totaled 4,000 units for the quarter, compared to 4,600 units for the quarter ended Aug. 31, 2016. The Marine backlog as of Nov. 30, 2016 was approximately $103 million. The companys Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share, payable on Feb. 16, 2017 to shareholders as of Jan. 26, 2017. Greenbrier is also negotiating to exercise its option to increase its equity position in Brazilian railcar manufacturing joint venture, Greenbrier-Maxion, to 60%. William A. Furman, Chairman and CEO, said, Greenbriers fiscal 2017 is off to a strong start with solid financial performance delivered during a demanding first quarter. We had healthy manufacturing margins on lower deliveries, a testament to the strength of our manufacturing and leasing operations. We continue to execute on our strategy of focusing on our core North American operations while pursuing targeted investments in international markets. Brazils economic, business and political conditions have improved and forecasts indicate continued GDP improvement in 2017. Greenbriers operations in Brazil and our relationship with our partners continue to grow. For the quarter ended Nov. 30, 2016, our Brazilian railcar manufacturing joint venture Greenbrier-Maxion received orders and awards for more than 2,000 railcars, which are not included in Greenbriers reported orders. We have accelerated discussions to increase our interest in the Brazil operations with an incremental investment of nearly $24 million, which will be used to pay down high cost debt. Our facilities in Brazil include the largest railcar assembly plant in South America along with a castings facility. The need for high quality transportation equipment is poised to grow based in part on railcar fleet demographics with a high percentage of the fleet being older or obsolete. As we pursue investments in growth opportunities, our solid financial returns in our core business in North America and internationally along with our strong balance sheet remain critical. These provide us the flexibility to compete effectively today while continuing to invest domestically and internationally for tomorrow. In addition, changes in the global trade environment will require robust risk management. Based on our first quarter results, regular communications with customers and current production schedules in North America, we are reaffirming our guidance for the year. We will continue to seek opportunities to diversify by accessing new global markets, while streamlining our cost structures to maximize profitability in North America. Based on current business trends, industry forecasts and production schedules for fiscal 2017, Greenbrier believes that deliveries will be approximately 14,000-16,000 units. Revenue will be $2.0-$2.4 billion. Diluted EPS will be in the range of $3.25 to $3.75. Greenbriers adjusted EBITDA was largely in line with our estimate and well above consensus, said Cowen and Company analyst Matt Elkott. Deliveries were just above our estimate, and orders of 2,400 railcars exceeded our 2,100-unit forecast. The ending backlog was just slightly above our estimate, and the backlog value and ASP were largely in line with our projections. The backlog includes 2,500 frac sand cars under order modification negotiations. The companys maintained $3.50 FY17 EPS guidance midpoint is in line with our estimate (established July 7), which is above the street estimate of $3.37. The consensus estimate has fluctuated quite a bit in the last couple of quarters, going from above our aforementioned estimate to well below it recently. The companys affirmed guidance midpoint for FY17 railcar deliveries is also in line with our model projection of 15,000 units. The revenue guidance midpoint of $2.20 billion is also in line with our estimate and above consensus of $2.06 billion. We view these results fairly favorably as the company beat consensus on revenue, gross margin, operating income, and EBITDA. It also received solid orders and maintained its guidance. The EPS miss appears to be largely attributable to a loss from unconsolidated affiliates. What is likely to concern investors is more questions regarding the remaining frac sand cars in the backlog. GBX noted that its backlog includes 3,800 frac sand cars, of which 2,500 units, scheduled for production in 2018, are for a customer who is negotiating with the company to modify the order. In fiscal 4Q16, GBX removed 1,200 frac sand cars from its backlog but received a negotiated payment from a customer. GBX received orders for 2,400 railcars in fiscal 1Q17, compared to our estimate of 2,100 units and 2,300 units in fiscal 4Q16. Deliveries were 4,000 units, compared to our 3,900-unit estimate and 4,600 units in fiscal 4Q16. This puts the railcar backlog at the end of November at 25,800 units, compared to our estimate of 25,500 units and 27,500 units at the end of 4Q16. For fiscal 1Q17, GBX reported Adjusted EBITDA of $85.7 million, vs. our and consensus estimates of $85 million and $71 million, respectively. Fiscal 4Q16 EBITDA was $104.3 million. Revenue came in at $552.3 million, compared to our and street projections of $547.4 million and $489.4 million, respectively. Fiscal 4Q16 revenue was $595.1 million. Operating income was $72.7 million, vs. our and consensus estimates of $67.9 million and $56.9 million, respectively. Fiscal 4Q16 operating income was $83.5 million. The gross margin was 20.4%, compared to our 19.6% estimate and the 18.1% consensus forecast. The fiscal 4Q16 gross margin was 20.1%. Salvador light rail consultation under way Written by Keith The Secretariat for Urban Development in the Brazilian state of Bahia has launched a public consultation on a PPP project to build, operate and maintain an 18.5km (11.5-mile) light rail line in the state capital of Salvador. The state government has also invited proposals for private sector financing of the project, which is expected to cost $470 million. The line will partially utilize the alignment of the suburban rail line from Calcada to Paripe, and construction will be carried out in two phases: Comercio-Plataforma (6 miles) and Plataforma-Sao Luiz (5.6 miles). According to the reference design documents for the project, services will be operated by a fleet of 750VDC bi-directional LRVs, which will be 70-100% low-floor with a maximum capacity of 600 passengers. Twenty vehicles will be required to operate the timetable. The line will have a commercial speed of 15 mph and a maximum operating speed of 45 mph. Services will operate at 10-minute intervals between Comercio and Paripe, with 20-minute headways between Paripe and Sao Luis and a 40-minute journey time between the terminus stations. Forecast daily ridership is 92,800 passengers. Construction will begin within 90 days of contract signing and the project is due to be completed within 36 months. They could be found on the outskirts of Sirte, Libya, supporting local militia fighters, and in Mukalla, Yemen, backing troops from the United Arab Emirates. At Saakow, a remote outpost in southern Somalia, they assisted local commandos in killing several members of the terror group al-Shabab. Around the cities of Jarabulus and Al-Rai in northern Syria, they partnered with both Turkish soldiers and Syrian militias, while also embedding with Kurdish YPG fighters and the Syrian Democratic Forces. Across the border in Iraq, still others joined the fight to liberate the city of Mosul. And in Afghanistan, they assisted indigenous forces in various missions, just as they have every year since 2001. Property details: 1 Acre RANCH MODOC COUNTY NO MINIMUM / NO RESERVE --- HIGH BID OWNS THE LOT This Property is located in the vicinity of Alturas; south west about 18 miles-drive; is a city in and the county seat of Modoc County, Ca. The population was 2,827 at the 2010 census. It is also only 14 minutes-drive from California Pines. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet. As the county seat, the town is a home to regional government offices, including... Price: $ 802 Seller State of Residence: California State/Province: California Location: 928**, Orange, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California In the midst of a heated political election and the many challenges and changes of 2016, UGAs student involvement has been at one of its all-time highs. Female students in particular have consistently appeared in the news for reasons varying from leading protests, to organizing voter registration, to philanthropic projects. Tasaduq Mufti, the son of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, on Saturday joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party at a function to commemorate his fathers first death anniversary. Tasaduq, a famed cinematographer, joined the party in the presence of his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who was there along with her cabinet and party colleagues. In his brief speech at the function, Tasaduq thanked the party workers for their love and affection towards PDP. I have remained aloof from politics all my life. But today I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along, he told the party men. He said his dream was to clean up politics in Kashmir. I have felt the pace of government work. The speed with which work happens here, what dream can be realised? he asked. Welcoming her brother into the party fold, Mehbooba said Tasaduq -- like his father, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed -- has a dream to do something for Jammu and Kashmir. Tasaduq has his own identity and his own work. No one in Mumbai knew him as Mufti Sayeeds son till his second term (as chief minister). Like his father, he wants to do something for Jammu and Kashmir, she said in her address. Known for his cinematography in movies like Omkara and Kaminey, Tasaduq is an American Film Institute graduate. He is known in Bollywood as Tassaduq Hussain and does not use the famous Mufti surname. General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and combat terrorism. The decision to appoint Gen Raheel Sharif, who retired in November 2016, was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday. Speaking during a talk show on Geo TV, Asif admitted that an agreement in this regard was finalised a few days back. No, definitely our governments consent must have been part of this, he replied when asked if the decision was taken in Riyadh or Islamabad. Asif said that both the governments and army were on board regarding the decision to let Raheel take charge of the alliance. He, however, refused to share the details of agreement under which Raheel has been appointed the chief of the Saudi-led alliance. Raheel retired as the army chief in November and has been succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa. According to Saudi Arabia, the alliance is formed to fight 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. The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh. Pakistani leaders were initially taken aback when Saudi Arabia, without proper consultation with them, had announced in 2015 that Islamabad was also part of the new alliance to combat militancy. Iran was not included in the grouping which appeared as a vague attempt to forge a Sunni Muslim alliance against Shiite Iran to curtail its influence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and rest of the Middle East. Pakistan was in an unenviable position as it has good ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. It was also not ready to be dragged into the politics of Middle East. Hence, the government had announced that a decision about joining the group would be taken once its details were known. Later, Pakistan confirmed its participation in the alliance, but had said that the scope of its participation would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling. After remaining dormant for months, the group is trying to reassemble. The Saudi-led coalition is also engaged in a military operation in Yemen since March 2015 when Houthis drove out the government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is believed to be in exile in Saudi Arabia. The United States intelligence community in a new declassified file has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering an "influence campaign" to help Donald Trump win the White House and denigrate his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in a bid to undermine public faith in the American democratic process. US President-elect Donald Trump was quick to refute the conclusion, saying hacking did not impact the November 8 presidential polls outcome. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election," the Director of National Intelligence said in a report. The 31-page report alleges that Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgements," the US intelligence community said in the report which was submitted to outgoing US President Barack Obama on Thursday. Obama had ordered a comprehensive probe into allegations of Russian hacking the Democratic party's email system. A team of intelligence officials briefed Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence on the report in New York. "While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organisations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines," Trump said in a statement after the meeting. "There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defences and the hackers were unsuccessful. "I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office. The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm. Two weeks from today I will take the oath of office and America's safety and security will be my number one priority," Trump said, adding that there is a need to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks. Pence said Trump has made it very clear that the US is going to take aggressive action in the early days of the new administration to combat cyberattacks and protect the security of its citizens from this type of intrusion in the future. The report alleged that Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential poll represent the most recent expression of Moscow's longstanding desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order, but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity and scope of effort compared to previous operations. "We also assess Putin and the Russian government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavourably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgement. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgement; NSA has moderate confidence," the report said. It said Moscow's approach evolved over the course of the campaign based on Russia's understanding of the electoral prospects of the two main candidates. "When it appeared to Moscow that secretary Clinton was likely to win the election, the Russian influence campaign began to focus more on undermining her future presidency. "Further information has come to light since election day that, when combined with Russian behaviour since early November 2016, increases our confidence in our assessments of Russian motivations and goals," it alleged. Moscow's influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operations such as cyber activity with overt efforts by Russian government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries and paid social media users or "trolls", the report said. "Russia, like its Soviet predecessor, has a history of conducting covert influence campaigns focused on US presidential elections that have used intelligence officers and agents and press placements to disparage candidates perceived as hostile to the Kremlin. "We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes," the report said. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce said this report confirms what is already know, Putin's acts of aggression pose serious threats to vital US interests. "The Obama administration's response to Putin's propaganda machine was weak and ineffective in Eastern Europe, and now we are paying the price here at home," Royce said. Describing the intelligence community report on Russian hacking as stunning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wished that American people could have access to more details. "The American people have a right to know what a foreign power did to disrupt our election, regardless of the election's outcome. Putin's assault on American democracy was political thuggery in support of Trump and there must be consequences," Pelosi said. Jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Mohammad Shahabuddin has created yet another controversy with his purported selfie showing his changed look inside Siwan prison going viral on the social media. In the wake of the controversy, the Siwan district administration has conducted raids inside the jail. Officer in-charge of Muffasil police station Vinay Pratap Singh on Saturday confirmed the raids inside Siwan jail and said three mobile phones, four sim cards and two mobile batteries were seized. He, however, did not divulge if anything was seized from the cell of the controversial RJD leader. Siwan jail officials denied that a selfie was clicked by Shahabuddin and said some well-wisher who might have come to meet him could have taken the photo and posted it on the social media. Shahabuddin, a four-time RJD MP from Siwan, is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by the Patna high court in connection with the killing of the prime witness in the murder of two brothers by pouring acid on them. Notorious and known for muscle-flexing, Shahabuddin is facing over 36 cases, including of murder and kidnapping. Meanwhile, RJD spokesman Ashok Sinha said that he could not confirm the veracity of the information. The Grand Alliance government in Bihar, in which the RJD is a major constituent, does not compromise on any law-and-order issue, he claimed. A special court on Saturday issued fresh summons against three accused in a money laundering case related to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in which it had earlier issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant against British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James. Special Judge Arvind Kumar re-issued the summons against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors R K Nanda and J B Subramaniyam while asking them to be present in court on February 22. The firm was set up by James, Nanda and Subramaniyam. The court passed the order after advocate N K Matta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, informed it that the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. It had on November 31 last year issued an open-ended NBW against James and summons against other three accused in the case, saying, There is prima facie evidence against the accused. The NBW was issued against James after ED had told the court that the alleged middleman was out of India and pressed for an arrest warrant against him to bring him here to face the trial. An open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for its execution. In June last year, ED had filed a 1,300-page prosecution complaint (equivalent for chargesheet) in connection with its money laundering probe in the case. It had said the agencys investigation into the case had found that James allegedly received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from M/s AgustaWestland which was nothing but kickbacks paid by the firm to execute the deal for sale of 12 helicopters to India in favour of the firm in guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. James is one of the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case, apart from Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by ED and CBI. Both the agencies have also notified an Interpol Red Corner Notice or the global arrest warrant against James after a court had earlier also issued an NBW against him. The present complaint delved into the alleged detailed role of James in the deal, his multiple visits to India and his transactions. The first complaint in the case was filed in November 2014. According to sources, ED has already sought James extradition from the United Kingdom. In the this complaint, the agency has also claimed that the three middlemen managed to make inroads into the Indian Air Force in order to influence and subvert the stand of the force regarding reducing the service ceiling -- the altitude at which a helicopter can fly -- from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres in 2005 after which AgustaWestland became eligible to supply the choppers for VVIP flying duties. It said that remittances made by James through his Dubai-based firm Ms Global Services, FZE to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from Ms AgustaWestland SpA through criminal activity and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. Former IAF chief S P Tyagi was granted bail on December 26 last year while his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were granted the relief on January 4 by the court in a separate case filed by CBI in connection to the same deal. The agency had arrested all the three accused on December 9 last year. A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017 Authorities in southern China have sentenced a pastor of an unofficial Protestant "house church" to two-and-a-half years in jail on spying charges, his lawyer said. Pastor Yang Hua of the Huoshi church in the southern province of Guizhou was handed the jail term by the Nanming District People's Court in the provincial capital Guiyang on Wednesday. Yang Hua, who is also known as Li Guozhi, was initially detained during a raid on Huoshi Church on Dec. 9, 2015, by police who searched his apartment, confiscating computers, disks, and other devices. His lawyers have accused local prosecutors of torturing Yang in prison and have filed a lawsuit against the officers. Defense attorney Chen said the sentence was undeserved, and that his client is innocent. "Even a day in jail is too much for an innocent person," he told RFA. "I have only one thing to say about this. This isn't a judgement: it's persecution." "This is a political case that has nothing to do with the law or the truth," Chen said. "This is political persecution pure and simple." Church dispersed Fellow Huoshi pastor Su Tianfu said the sentence was outrageous and disproportionate, and that the church is now basically dispersed amid an ongoing government crackdown targeting its pastors and followers. "I think Yang Hua is innocent, and yet they have locked him up for such a long time," said Su, who was himself detained on similar charges but later released on "bail." "From a legal point of view, the charges against pastor Yang just don't stand up," he said. "How could he have revealed any state secrets?" "But there's very little we can do about it," he said. "This is a case of political interference, and I think we can say that the law isn't being followed here." Huoshi accountant Zhang Xiuhong is also being held and is currently awaiting trial, he said. Yang's wife Wang Hongwu said she learned about the sentencing on Thursday, saying that her husband will likely appeal the sentence, but that he has yet to be allowed a visit from his lawyer. "They tell me that a meeting isn't possible right now, according to the lawyer," Wang said. "If he is appealing after a sentence, then they can't meet with a lawyer." "The lawyer may be able to meet with him in about 10 days' time," she said. Wang told RFA after her husband's Dec. 27 trial that he could only walk with assistance from detention center guards when he was visited by his lawyer. "I asked why his feet hurt and they said it was to do with the weather, but we don't know the reason," she said. Religious persecution Bob Fu, founder of the U.S.-based Christian rights group ChinaAid, hit out at the sentence. "This is nothing but purely barbaric religious persecution," Fu said in a statement on the group's website. "We urge President Obama and president-elect Trump to unequivocally condemn this brutal act," he said. China is home to an estimated 68 million Protestants, of whom 23 million worship in state-affiliated churches, and some nine million Catholics, 5.7 million of whom are in state-sponsored organizations. But the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which embraces atheism, exercises tight controls over any form of religious practice among its citizens. And the administration of President Xi Jinping regards Christianity as a dangerous foreign import, with officials warning last year against the "infiltration of Western hostile forces" in the form of religion. A crackdown on Protestant churches in the eastern province of Zhejiang widened and intensified to other regions of China during 2016, church members have told RFA. Reported by Hai Nan for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Russia launched more kamikaze drones on infrastructure and civilian targets in southeastern Ukraine, officials said on November 4, as extensive damage to the power grid left millions of Ukrainians without electricity, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accuse Moscow of "energy terrorism." 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. Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovskov region, said the Ukrainian military destroyed eight Iranian Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones in the region's southern Nikopol district. "Our air defense did a great job this night. Eight enemy Shaheds downed," Reznichenko wrote on Telegram. It was the second day in a row that Nikopol was targeted by Russian drones. Reznichenko said Russian troops also pounded four settlements in the same district -- Myrivska, Chervonogrigorivska, Marganetska, and Nikopolska -- with Grad rockets and artillery fire, damaging a gas pipeline and a power line and destroying residential buildings. Russian troops regularly bombard the Dnipropetrovsk region, one of Ukraine's steelmaking hubs, with various types of weapons. Moscow denies its attacks on civilians in Ukraine. Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on November 3 that millions of Ukrainians were temporarily without power due to the Russian attacks. "Tonight, about 4.5 million consumers have been temporarily disconnected from energy consumption," Zelenskiy said. "The very fact that Russia is resorting to energy terrorism shows the weakness of our enemy. They cannot beat Ukraine on the battlefield, so they try to break our people this way." Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other civilian buildings with missile, drone, and artillery attacks for several weeks amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has driven Russian troops out of the northeast and pushed them back in the east and southeast. Over the past days, however, despite heavy fighting, there has been no significant change on the ground on the eastern and southern Ukraine fronts, with preparations building for a fight over the southern city of Kherson. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Moscow of forcibly deporting Ukrainian citizens from Kherson to Russia. "The Russian occupation administration has begun mass forced relocation of residents of the left bank [of the Dnieper River] of the Kherson regionto 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. Russia in September proclaimed to have seized the partially occupied Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, and Donetsk following referendums condemned by Kyiv and the West as shams. Volodymyr Saldo, the Russia-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, the 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 to circulate about the alleged mining of the Nova Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant by Russian troops. Zelenskiy previously said that Ukraine suspects Russia has mined the dam and units of the power plant on the Dnieper River, and that 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. Russian forces also removed roadblocks in Kherson. The head of the Kherson regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich, believes that they did this to create the illusion that Russian forces have left the city. WATCH: Near Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces often rely on artillery from the 1970s and '80s. The front line there is one of the most hotly contested areas. The soldiers say that although the Soviet-era weaponry is old, it is still very effective. 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. The loss of Kherson, which Russian troops captured in March in the early days of the war, would signal a significant retreat. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asked to comment on the battlefield situation in southern Ukraine, said he believes 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. With reporting by Reuters Macedonia's main ethnic Albanian political parties have demanded more say in the country's political affairs, including changing the constitution to make Albanian an official language. The three Albanian minority parties made the demand amid negotiations to form a new coalition government following last month's parliamentary elections. The ruling VMRO-DPMNE party won 51 seats in the 120-member parliament, but not enough for an outright victory. The opposition Social Democrats netted 49. The Albanian parties say they'll consider joining a coalition government but only if their language is given the same language protection as Macedonian. Ethnic Albanians make up about 25 percent of the population. With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service and AP While politicians in Washington were raging over a U.S. intelligence report that said Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered meddling in last year's presidential election, Putin was in church. In the only news to come out on Putin from Russian news services on January 6, the day Russia and other Eastern Orthodox countries celebrate Christmas, Putin was reported to be attending a Christmas service at St. Georges Monastery in the western city of Veliky Novgorod. The midnight Mass was held at the monasterys Spassky Cathedral. After the service, Putin went to see the St. George's Cathedral of the Yuriev Monastery, which was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1030. For Christmas, Putin usually goes to different regions of Russia. Last year, Putin attended a midnight Christmas service at the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in the village of Turginovo, located about 150 kilometers northwest of Moscow. Meanwhile, Moscow has had no official comment on the public release on January 6 of a declassified U.S. intelligence report that said Putin directed a campaign of interference in the U.S. election last year with the goal of helping to elect Republican Donald Trump. With reporting by TASS and Sputnik News The Taliban has denied responsibility for the killing of eight coal miners in northern Afghanistan. Faiz Mohammad Amiri, the district governor of Tala wa Barfak, in Baghlan Province, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that unidentified gunmen killed eight miners and wounded three others on January 6. Amiri said the miners, who all came from Bamiyan Province in central Afghanistan and were members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority, had been pulled out of a vehicle and shot. Tala wa Barfak is controlled by the Taliban, but the militants denied responsibility for the attack. "The people working in this mine had our permission and we had good relations," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. "They hadn't created any problems." He blamed pro-government militias in the area for the killings. Amiri said the attack was likely carried out by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which has carried out a string of deadly attacks on Shi'ite Muslims in the country. IS militants were largely confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, one year ago, but the government says they have greatly expanded their presence since then. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is requiring politically appointed ambassadors to leave their overseas posts by Inauguration Day on January 20, though in the past many envoys have been given more time to close out their personal affairs. According to U.S. media reports on January 6, the mandate was issued "without exceptions" in a terse State Department cable sent on December 23. Besides forcing many diplomats and their families to scramble to make living arrangements on short notice, the move threatens to leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada, and Britain. In the past, administrations of both parties have often granted extensions on a case-by-case basis to allow a handful of ambassadors, particularly those with school-age children, to remain in place for weeks or months. Trump, by contrast, has taken a hard line against leaving any of President Barack Obamas political appointees in place as he prepares to carry out his pledges to dismantle, change, or abandon signature Obama achievements ranging from the Paris climate change agreement to the Iran nuclear deal and the Obamacare health-insurance law. Politically appointed ambassadors often are major campaign donors who were nominated because of their close ties and support for the president. They almost always depart when the president leaves office, while ambassadors who are career diplomats often remain in their posts. A senior Trump transition official told The New York Times that there was no ill will in ordering them out, describing it as a simple matter of ensuring that Obamas overseas appointees leave the government on schedule, just as thousands of political aides at the White House and in federal agencies must do. The official said the ambassadors should not be surprised about being held to a hard end date. Nevertheless, diplomats said the directive has upended the personal lives of many ambassadors, who are scrambling to secure living arrangements and acquire visas allowing them to remain in their countries so their children can remain in school. In the Czech Republic, Ambassador Andrew H. Schapiro is said to be seeking housing in Prague as well as lobbying his childrens Chicago-based school to break with policy and accept them back midyear. In Brussels and Geneva, Denise Bauer, the United States ambassador to Belgium, and Pamela Hamamoto, the permanent representative to the United Nations, are both trying to find a way to keep daughters from having to move just months before their high school graduations. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said it was "common" procedure for all politically appointed ambassadors to step down as a new U.S. administration comes in. "All political appointees for the Obama administration were directed to submit their resignation and the due date was December 7, and the resignations are to take effect on January 20," Kirby told reporters in Washington. "That is common, typical practice...That's the way it works," Kirby said. Kirby said no career diplomats serving as ambassadors had been asked to resign by the Trump transition team. He acknowledged, however, that in the past there had been exceptions made for a small number of political appointees to stay on for a short time for personal reasons. "But that is totally in the prerogative of the incoming administration," he said. With reporting by Reuters and The New York Times Turkey's prime minister held talks with his Iraqi counterpart as the two sides sought to resolve the dispute over Turkish troops operating near the Iraqi city of Mosul. There were conflicting reports on January 7 whether an agreement had been reached after Binali Yildirim of Turkey and Haidar al-Abadi of Iraq met in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone. Abadi told a joint press conference that the Turkish delegation "stressed that this issue will be resolved in a proper way within the [coming] short period." Yildirim tried to emphasize the importance of Iraq's sovereignty. "We will not allow or be involved in any attempt or move to hurt its sovereignty," he said. Roughly 500 Turkish troops arrived in the Bashiqa region, northeast of Mosul last year, without Baghdad's permission. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are in "blatant violation" of Iraqi sovereignty. Mosul is the focus on an intense campaign by Iraqi troops, backed by U.S. airpower and Kurdish and Shi'ite militias, to retake the city from Islamic State militants. Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and most fellow Republicans in Congress have concluded that while Russia may have hacked the November election, it had no influence on the outcome. But Democrats who have seen all the evidence collected by U.S. intelligence agencies on Russia's extensive efforts to influence the election last year on orders from President Vladimir Putin beg to differ. "The president-elect's statement that the Russian hacking had 'absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election' is not supported by the briefing, report, or common sense," said Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "It is one thing to say that there was no tampering with vote tallying, which is true. It is another thing to say that the daily dumping of documents disparaging to [Democratic presidential candidate Hillary] Clinton that was made possible by Russian cyberoperations had no effect on the campaigns," he said. "The consequence of these disclosures was hugely beneficial to the president-elect and damaging to the Clinton campaign, just as the Russians intended," Schiff said. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Russia's "political thuggery" hurt Clinton's campaign and amounted to an "assault on American democracy." Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP The U.S. Marine Corps has announced it will deploy some 300 troops to southern Afghanistan this spring as part of a NATO-led mission to train Afghan forces. The troops will be deployed to the volatile southern province of Helmand, the scene of fierce clashes between the Taliban and Afghan forces in recent months. The majority of the strategic, opium-producing province is under the control of the militants, with only the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, fully under government control. Nearly 10,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan since the withdrawal of most NATO forces in 2014. Since the pullout, Afghan forces have struggled to fend off the Taliban, which has gained control of more territory than any time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Based on reporting by AFP and dpa Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Care Advantage Inc., one of Virginias largest privately held home health care providers, is about to get bigger and provide more services. The Chesterfield County-based company has been bought by BelHealth Investment Partners LLC, a New York-based health care-focused private equity firm. Terms of the deal and the acquisition price were not disclosed. The transaction closed Wednesday. The company will retain its name and its signature pink and green colors, said Deborah J. Johnston, a registered nurse who founded the company in 1988. They are fantastic partners, Johnston said about the private equity firm. They will add more products, more expertise and, of course, capital and they will grow the geographic base. With the acquisition, Johnston steps down as CEO and now serves as vice chairwoman. I am the face of the company, the marketing and the public relations and that is the part I love, she said, adding that she is a nurse forever and ever. Care Advantage operates 12 locations in Virginia and employs about 3,000 people. The acquisition will not result in any job losses, Johnston said. We will be acquiring other businesses to join us and we will be the experts and they will come under us, she said. Karen Britt, chief operating officer of Care Advantage, said the partnership with BelHealth will allow Care Advantage to expand beyond Virginia and into contiguous states. BelHealth said in a statement released Friday that it plans to increase referral volume and add services such as hospice care. It also said home health care is a fragmented industry that presents acquisition opportunities throughout the country, so it will aggressively pursue acquisitions in Virginia and bordering states. As part of the acquisition, BelHealth appointed of William Mayes, a home health care industry executive, as CEO, replacing Johnston. Mayes most recently was executive vice president of sales and operations at Intrepid Healthcare USA, a Dallas-based provider of home care, hospice and private-duty services with 84 locations. Previously, he was senior vice president of business development at Amedisys Inc., one of the countrys largest providers of home health care services. He led business development across 46 states. Harold Blue, founder and managing partner of BelHealth, said he is pleased to invest in Care Advantage and enter the home health care market. The private equity firm has $500 million of assets under management. Home health care will continue to be the site of the lowest cost of care while providing the highest convenience and quality of care, Blue said. William is the perfect person to build upon the terrific foundation that Debbie Johnston has created at Care Advantage. We are excited to partner with Debbie, as she remains with the company as vice chairwoman. Johnston said BelHealth is the perfect partner. Care Advantage is an entrepreneurial business that will benefit greatly from BelHealths governance and experience in driving exponential growth, she said. Johnston was featured in 2013 on ABCs Secret Millionaire reality show about millionaires who leave the comfort of their homes to spend a week with the poor and, at the end, reveal their identities and donate thousands of dollars to local unsung heroes. Three months after Natural Bridge turned a financial corner by becoming a state park, a hotel that is part of the Rockbridge County landmark has paid off a $1 million debt it owed to a Roanoke construction firm. With the bill for renovating the Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center no longer overdue, a lawsuit filed by Lionberger Construction to collect its money was dismissed Dec. 20, according to court records. The resolution is the latest indication that Natural Bridge is back on track, after what appeared to be a fiscal train wreck following its purchase by a nonprofit conservation group that struggled to keep the attraction profitable. It was a very unfortunate situation, but we all feel good that everyone has been paid, and paid with interest, said Tom Clarke, who formed the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund to purchase Natural Bridge and its surrounding 1,500 acres in 2014. The VCLF purchased the 215-foot-tall limestone arch to prevent it from being sold at an auction, with plans to eventually donate it to Virginia for use as a state park. The nonprofit fund hired Lionberger to renovate a hotel, which sits along U.S. 11 at Natural Bridge in hopes of drawing more tourists to the attraction. In December 2015, Lionberger sued the hotel and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund in Rockbridge County Circuit Court, saying it had not been paid for about $1 million worth of work it did on the three-story brick building. At about the same time, Clarkes organization was also having trouble making annual payments on a $9.1 million loan from the Virginia Resources Authority, which enabled it to purchase the property. Clarke said this week that after obtaining a loan from Bay Point Capital Partners in Atlanta, he was able to pay the Lionberger debt plus interest, which amounted to about $1.3 million. Lionberger is very pleased with the outcome, said Stan Barnhill, a Roanoke attorney who represented the construction firm. Clarke said the refinancing also allowed him to pay the remaining balance on a loan from Cornerstone Bank, which was the original lender for the renovation work. The recent developments follow a decision last year by the Virginia Resources Authority to extend its $9.1 million loan for another 10 years, significantly lowering the annual payments. Although members of the authoritys board expressed frustrations with the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund default, threatening at one point to foreclose on the property, they agreed to restructure the loan after being told that the property would be managed as a state park by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Under an unusual agreement, the VCLF will continue to own the property until the loan is retired. Ownership will then transfer to the state, which began operating Natural Bridge and most of the surrounding land as a state park in September. The hotel and a nearby caverns attraction will not be part of the state park, with the VCLF continuing to own and operate those ventures. Meanwhile, numbers released by Clarke this week show an uptick in business since the state took over operations of the park and reduced the price of admission by more than half. A Caroline County deputy who suffered several fractures to his lower body after a head-on collision with a suspected drunken driver on Saturday morning is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said. The crash occurred around 5 a.m. on Ladysmith Road, west of Balty Road, when a 2011 Dodge pickup truck traveling west crossed the double yellow line and hit the deputys vehicle head-on. State police are investigating the crash at the request of Caroline Sheriff Tony Lippa. Deputy H.S. McGhee, 25, was transported to Mary Washington Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, state police said. McGhee suffered fractures to his left femur, right lower leg and foot, along with some soft tissue injuries, according to the Caroline County Sheriffs Office, which posted updates on his condition to its official Facebook page. He underwent surgery Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery, the latest post said. He will remain in the hospital for a week and then begin rehabilitation. Both Deputy McGhee and the entire CCSO family are overwhelmed by the calls, emails, texts and other supportive communications we have received and continue to receive, Lippa said in the social media post. It means a great deal to all of us to know the level of concern and caring this community and our law enforcement brethren have displayed. I will continue to pass along your well wishes to Deputy McGhee. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney says he doesnt have the authority to stop the payment of $166,000 in severance his predecessor granted to four political appointees. Stoneys press secretary, Jim Nolan, cited advice he received from City Attorney Allen Jackson. The severance payouts were authorized by the 2004 ordinance and were paid according to guidelines established by the City Council, Nolan said. The previous administration entered into this arrangement legally, so our hands are tied. Stoney said the payments, which will come out of his offices budget for the remaining six months of the fiscal year, have hampered his ability to hire staff in the near term. Former Mayor Dwight C. Jones had the authority under city code to provide the payments, which went to his executive assistant, press secretary, chief of staff and deputy chief of staff. At the state level, appointees of the governor are entitled to severance payments capped at six weeks for four years of service. But under the new strong-mayor form of government, Jones is the first mayor to use the authority to offer payouts to departing appointees. His predecessor, former governor and mayor Doug Wilder, said he never considered providing severance to his appointees when left office. Hell no, he said. Because they were not severed. When did we become so rich as a city that we could just throw money away publicly. Wilder called on Stoney and the City Council to take action to avoid a repeat. He also said the council should take action on the $1.9 million in thank you bonuses Jones issued to city employees at the end of his term an action the city attorney has said he lacked the legal authority to take. If it was illegal, then what are the remedies, and what is to stop this from occurring again? Wilder said. Several council members said Friday that they are open to revisiting the issue. In many cases, political appointees are coming from more stable job environments and you want to be able to recruit the best and brightest, said 2nd District Councilwoman Kimberly Gray. However if you juxtapose someone leaving with an extreme payout to we cant pick up your leaves or snow, then it doesnt sit well with the public at all. I think we need to make sure that were meeting our obligation to the public for transparency and accountability with respect to how that was done. Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District, said he remains concerned about the bonuses. Doug Harris wants to open up a new area of the Montpelier community for development. The retired pharmacist recalls growing up in the western Hanover County community and eating lunches with his family at Ground Squirrel Park near the South Anna River. Back then, the park along with nearby local businesses helped make Montpelier a quaint, thriving community that had values that attracted young families, Harris said. Today, Ground Squirrel Park is gone, and so too, Harris said, is the lifestyle of his youth. Harris application to change the land-use designation for 39 acres that partially front Mountain Road U.S. 33 aims to bring back some of the community he so fondly remembers. The name of the development, south of the Montpelier Village District, would be Ground Squirrel Park. I think it would be nice to bring back those historical memories, Harris said. Our vision is to provide a park-like atmosphere where families can once again get together and create memories and strong family ties. Harris, 62, said he has the land under contract to purchase from Fred Pryor, who grew up on the property. His plans call for a commercial development Harris first that would cost between $5 million and $10 million. The first phase of development would include a gas station, convenience store and restaurant that would cost about $4 million to build, Harris said. Later phases could see a drive-in movie theater, storage facility or a fast-food restaurant. Its all going to be based on what the people want and what the county approves, Harris said. The land where Harris wants to realize his vision would need to change from an agricultural designation to a commercial one to allow him to move forward with his plans. To get the commercial designation, Harris has applied to change Hanovers land-use plan to create what county planners have dubbed a commercial node that spans Mountain Road from around Wild Cherry Lane to Locust Run Drive. In support of his application, Harris, who believes he has the backing of the Board of Supervisors, has scheduled the first of two public meetings at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Montpelier Community Center to present and field questions about his plans. Hanover planner Lee Garman said the application then will be considered by the Planning Commission before the supervisors have a final vote on changing the land-use plan. Garman said that if Harris gets the land-use change he seeks, a zoning application would still have to be applied for the specifics of the commercial development. Harris cited the loss of banks and a local doctor as signs that Montpelier needs to do more to support commercial ventures that serve the area, especially as residential development and the population of the county continues to increase. There are a few other commercial ventures nearby, including Precision Plumbing and Wright's Garage. If youre not growing, youre dying, Harris said. Harris stresses that his goal is for a development that would have a rustic feel and cater to families. The restaurant would have specials each night, and the convenience store tentatively dubbed Lone Oak Express and the Lunchbox would have made-to-order sandwiches. Harris hopes to expand the pond that sits on the property and install picnic benches nearby. Im interested in keeping this quaint, Harris said. Im not interested in developing every square foot. His proposal has raised a chorus of opposition among some area residents. Jeanne Ford lives about a quarter-mile from the site where Harris hopes to build a new Ground Squirrel Park. The retired microbiologist lab manager, who has lived in her one-story home on Wild Cherry Lane for 17 years, is skeptical of Harris plans. A drive-in movie theater is passe, said Ford, who would prefer a residential development on the property. I just want to be able to see the stars at night. Ford worries that Harris plans would bring a host of problems like unwanted trash, light and noise to the area, along with an increase in drunken driving. She has a personal concern that a gas station might negatively impact her drinking water, which comes from a well. Despite her worries, Ford thinks the development will come to fruition. Supervisor Wayne Hazzard represents the South Anna District that includes the area Harris hopes to develop. Hazzard said the conversation about Harris plans needs to go through the public process. Im always for commercial development, but its not in my backyard, Hazzard said. This is one where the citizens need to decide whether they want it or not. Harris knows he cant win everyone over. Facebook and Twitter have blown everything out of proportion, Harris said. Im a local boy. Im not some outside corporation thats not going to consider the wants and needs of the community. Harris plans to eventually work with a combination of a bank and investors to fuel his plans. Harris is passionate about his ties to the community. While still a student at Patrick Henry High School, Harris cut his teeth as a clerk working shifts at the Montpelier Pharmacy. After more than 30 years as a pharmacist, Harris was looking for something different when he got the idea for his commercial development. Asked what gives him the confidence to attempt his first commercial development in the face of peeved county residents, Harris didnt mince words. According to advice as ancient as the church, Live your life so the pastor doesnt have to lie at your funeral. Charles Colgan reached the pinnacle. The longest-serving state senator in Virginia history, he earned respect from both sides of the aisle. He was a Democrat who impressed Republicans. Colgan represented a Northern Virginia District that began as a rural swath but later joined suburbia. The districts demographics may have changed but his principles and sensibilities did not. Colgan championed transportation and budgetary sanity. He displayed a pleasing manner. His shoulder did not bear a chip. He was the antithesis of the angry white male. State and national waves did not weaken his bonds with the electorate. Colgan died recently at 90. The praise from Democrat and Republican alike was effusive. No one lied. Levar Stoney has opened his tenure as Richmonds mayor with positive steps. He spent his first day visiting schools. Education remains one of the citys greatest challenges. Stoneys commitment is just what the doctor ordered. Petersburg looks at its neighbor with envy. The beleaguered city has elected a new a mayor, Samuel Parham, in a split vote among members of the City Council. The process did not inspire confidence. A jurisdiction confronting financial catastrophe must conduct its business in the open and must seek to maximize public participation. Richmond sets preferred precedents. The new Richmond School Board did not wait, either. After swearing in its members, the panel addressed budgetary issues. We like it. State Sen. Bryce Reeves is mad at his friend and fellow state Sen. Jill Vogel. Theyre both running for lieutenant governor. Emails to Reeves supporters recently accused him of infidelity. They seem to trace back to Vogel, her husband and her neighbor. Her campaign insists she had nothing to do with the emails and she might have been hacked. Vladimir Putin denies any involvement but then he would, wouldnt he? That would be just like him. Inauguration Day looks like it will be a doozy. Scads of groups have asked the National Park Service for demonstration permits, and as many as 1 million people opposed to Donald Trump could show up to protest his inauguration as president. But hey, lets be fair there were protests at Barack Obamas 2009 inauguration, too. As The New York Times reported (in Few Protests at Inauguration): In the streets surrounding the parade route, an occasional anti-Bush sign could be seen, protesting his treatment of the Kurds in Iraq or just urging him to get out of town. Some along the parade route held signs demanding that Mr. Bush be indicted. . . . A number of groups seeking to Give Bush the boot set up a 15-foot-tall inflatable doll of Mr. Bush in a flight suit in Dupont Circle and threw shoes at him. How are things in higher education these days? Lets see: (1) The University of Wisconsin-Madisons division of health services is hosting a program for those who identify as men so they can engage in critical self-reflection to prevent future violence and create a sense of security in vulnerability. (2) The same school is also offering a course on the problem of whiteness. (3) Georgetowns philosophy and anthropology courses are holding a teach-in for DC activists/organizers and academics from across disciplines to discuss the nature of the relationship of Trumpism to racism, bigotry, and oppression in all its multifaceted forms and the urgent question of how the left should move forward. (4) Students enrolled in a Georgetown course about AIDS could get class credit for attending another Georgetown teach-in meant to channel all the anti-Trump rage into a pro-Liberation rhetoric that moves people into action. Scientists are working on a cure for all of this. In the meantime, an outfit called Heterodox Academy has come up with a brilliant, if partial, solution: ranking the top 150 colleges based on their support for viewpoint diversity. Based on its criteria, the most ideologically diverse schools are the University of Chicago and Purdue. The least? The University of Missouri and Columbia. Congrats to the College of William and Mary, which has the third-highest score. George Mason comes in sixth and U.Va. 14th. WASHINGTON You can kick the can down the road, but when Kim Jong Un announces, as he did last Sunday, that we have reached the final stage in preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic rocket, you are reaching the end of that road. Since the early 1990s, we have offered every kind of inducement to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program. All failed miserably. Pyongyang managed to extort money, food, oil and commercial nuclear reactors in exchange. But it was all a swindle. North Korea was never going to give up its nukes because it sees them as the ultimate guarantee of regime survival. The North Koreans believe that nukes confer inviolability. Saddam Hussein was invaded and deposed before he could acquire them. Kim wont let that happen to him. Thats why Thae Yong Ho, a recent high-level defector, insisted that 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. Meanwhile, they have advanced. Theyve already exploded a handful of nuclear bombs. And theyve twice successfully launched satellites, which means they have the ICBM essentials. If they can miniaturize their weapons to fit on top of the rocket and control re-entry, theyll be able to push a button in Pyongyang and wipe out an American city. What to do? The options are stark: (1) Pre-emptive attack on its missile-launching facilities. Doable but reckless. It is the option most likely to trigger an actual war. The North Koreans enjoy both conventional superiority and proximity: a vast army poised at the Demilitarized Zone only 30 miles from Seoul. Americans are not going to fight another land war in Asia. (2) Shoot down the test ICBM, as advocated by The Wall Street Journal. Assuming we can. Democrats have done their best to abort or slow down anti-missile defenses since Ronald Reagan proposed them in the early 1980s. Even so, we should be able to intercept a single, relatively primitive ICBM of the sort North Korea might be capable of. Though such a shoot-down would occur nowhere near North Korean soil, it could still very well provoke a military response. Which is why the new administration should issue a clear warning that if such a test missile is launched, we will bring it down. Barack Obama is gone. Such a red line could be a powerful deterrent. (3) Return tactical U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea. They were withdrawn in 1991 by George H.W. Bush in the waning days of the Cold War. Gorbachevs Soviet Union responded in kind. A good idea in general, but not on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang had railed constantly against their presence, but they did act as a deterrent to any contemplated North Korean aggression. Which might make them a useful bargaining chip. (4) Economic leverage on China, upon which Pyongyang depends for its survival. Donald Trump seems to suggest using trade to pressure China to get North Korea to desist. The problem is that China has shown no evidence of being willing to yield a priceless strategic asset a wholly dependent client state that acts as a permanent thorn and distraction to U.S. power in the Pacific Rim because of mere economic pressure. (5) Strategic leverage on China. Weve been begging China for decades to halt the North Korean nuclear program. Beijing plays along with sanctions and offers occasional expressions of dismay. Nothing more. Theres one way guaranteed to get its attention. Declare that we would no longer oppose Japan acquiring a nuclear deterrent. This is a radical step that goes against our general policy of nonproliferation. But the point is to halt proliferation to the infinitely more dangerous regime in North Korea. China is the key. The Chinese have many nightmares, none worse than a nuclear-armed Japan. The principal strategic challenge facing the United States is the rise of revisionist powers Russia, China and Iran striving to expel American influence from their regions. In comparison, the Korean problem is minor, an idiosyncratic relic of the Cold War. North Korea should be a strategic afterthought, like Cuba. And it would be if not for its nukes. Thats a big if. A wholly unpredictable, highly erratic and often irrational regime is acquiring the capacity to destroy an American city by missile. Thats an urgent problem. North Korea may be just an unexploded ordnance of a long-concluded Cold War. But we cannot keep assuming it will never go off. Get ready for a few frigid days with high temperatures below freezing and the coldest lows so far this season. And get used to whatever amount of snow has fallen in your yard - for a couple of days, at least. The next chance for above-freezing temperatures in the Richmond area wont arrive till Tuesday. Clearing skies tonight will allow temperatures to drop into the single digits over snow-covered ground. Even a faint northwest breeze on Sunday morning will make for a wind chill in the low single digits. Sunday will bring abundant sunshine to central Virginia, but the high temperature will fail to climb out of the mid and upper 20s. That high would be about 20 degrees lower than average for this time of year. The coldest temperatures will occur Sunday night and Monday morning with a strong area of high pressure overhead. Expect lows to bottom out below 10 degrees in metro Richmond, but calm conditions will make the wind chill negligible on Monday morning. Monday will be another sunny but freezing day, with a high near 30. By Tuesday afternoon, the temperature in the Richmond area finally will climb above 32. On Wednesday, the high could reach a relatively balmy 53. Winter weather patterns see-saw from one extreme to the other, so it should come as no surprise and perhaps a relief that above-average temperatures are on the horizon. Theres a good chance for high temperatures to climb into the 50s and 60s in the second half of next week or next weekend. After this brush with winter, it may be many days before the next chance for snowflakes in Richmond. The Climate Prediction Center anticipates a strong chance for an above-normal temperature pattern in Virginia from Jan. 12 to Jan. 20. Virginia State Police responded to more than 500 traffic crashes through 6 p.m. Saturday, including one fatal wreck and one that sent a Caroline County deputy to the hospital. The Virginia Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay off the roads. At 5:30 p.m., VDOT said most roads in the Richmond area including Henrico and Chesterfield counties were in moderate to severe condition, meaning that icy patches or snow cover major portions of the road. The interstates were passable and improving, but conditions are expected to remain slick with plummeting temperatures tonight. In a news release, Corine Geller with the State Police said troopers had responded to 527 traffic crashes and 686 disabled vehicles between the hours of midnight and 6 p.m. Saturday. They have received 2,082 calls for service during this period. As of 6:15 p.m., State Police were still on the scene of 23 disabled vehicles and 16 crashes. Slick road conditions were a causative factor for a fatal crash in Greene County Saturday afternoon, Geller said. The single-vehicle crash occurred shortly after noon, when an SUV ran off Preddy Creek Road, struck another vehicle, ran off the road again and overturned in a creek. The male driver of the SUV died at UVA Hospital in Charlottesville. State police are still in the process of notifying next of kin. Here's a breakdown of where the incidents between midnight and noon occurred: Division IRichmond (Metro Richmond/Northern Neck/Tri-Cities) Traffic Crashes= 170 Disabled vehicles=148 Division IICulpeper (Fredericksburg/Culpeper/Warrenton/Harrisonburg/Winchester) Traffic Crashes=19 Disabled Vehicles=17 Division III-Appomattox (Charlottesville/Waynesboro/Staunton/Lynchburg/South Boston/South Hill) Traffic Crashes=38 Disabled Vehicles=29 Division IV-Wytheville (Wytheville/Dublin/Galax/Bristol/Vansant/Wise) Traffic Crashes: 35 Disabled Vehicles=33 Division V-Chesapeake (Hampton Roads/Tidewater/Eastern Shore/Williamsburg/Franklin/Emporia) Traffic Crashes=84 Disabled Vehicles: 103 Division VI-Salem (Lexington/Clifton Forge/Roanoke/Blacksburg/Bedford/Martinsville/Danville) Traffic Crashes: 60 Disabled Vehicles: 41 Division VII-Fairfax (Prince William/Loudoun/Arlington/Alexandria/Fairfax) Traffic Crashes: 3 Disabled Vehicles: 23 A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The money from donations will be used towards purchases for the blog. Not a single dime will go into our pockets :) Help us bring you better content/pictures by donating. Every little bit helps! Vice President of SPC meets Moral Guidance Department director SANA'A, Jan. 04 (Saba) - Vice President of the Supreme Political Council Dr. Qasim Labuza stressed on Wednesday the importance of the Moral Guidance Department of the Armed Forces' role in mobilizing members of armed and security forces and popular committees to strongly continue to confront the Saudi brutal aggression that breaching all norms of the international laws. During his meeting with the director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Armed forces the brigadier Yahya al-Mahdi, Labuza pointed out that the Moral Guidance is based on the bedrock to boost the national morale and create course national consciousness towards personnel of the armed forces and security. He noted that the Moral Guidance Department must play its role in clarifying the facts for Yemeni people that receives fake media by the US-Saudi aggression that mislead the domestic and international public opinion. He praised the role of Moral Guidance Department to highlight the momentum of victories achieved by the army and popular forces in the fields of military confrontation and at the level of the steadfastness of the Yemeni people and raise their morale. HA Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [04/January/2017] By SA Commercial Prop News The Nedbank/BOE building in the clocktower precinct of the ever popular V & A Waterfront, which has again bucked the trend for office vacancies in Cape Town, by showing a decline in vacancies for the first quarter of 2012. The first quarter of 2012 has seen a continuation of flat market conditions in Cape Town for the office sector with vacancies in certain nodes showing increases on the previous quarters figures. Dave Russell, a director of Baker Street Properties, says, We have seen a steady increase in office vacancies since 2009 as confirmed in the quarterly SAPOA Office Vacancy Survey, however, with few new buildings coming on stream in the short term there is every possibility that vacancies may be reaching their peak. Russell adds that significant change has been recorded in the CBD, where combined vacancies are now reaching 12% and are at levels last seen in 2003. Of greater concern is that in Claremont combined vacancies are heading towards 20%. This is up from 13.7% in the previous quarter. The Rondebosch/Newlands node has experienced a substantial increase from 7.3% last quarter to 13% now. Bellville and Century City have shown more resilience and currently have similar vacancy levels of 8,6% and 8,4% respectively. The ever popular V&A Waterfront is one of the exceptions to the trend, as it is down to a combined vacancy of only 2,7%. On another positive note, office vacancies in the Pinelands node remain low and are presently at 3.6%, says Russell. Russell continues, Until we see a significant decrease in vacancies we will continue to experience flat rentals which are well off their peak in 2008, when the global economic recession set in. Good economic growth and a return of business confidence are required before any change will be seen. It is difficult to predict when this will happen, so we could see the current trend continuing for at least the next 12 months. Baker Street is a well established property company marketing virtually all of the vacant office space in Cape Town, both leasing and sales. Current market conditions are good for tenants who are encouraged to take advantage of this soft market and the concessions currently offered by landlords. They are advised to use this opportunity to take a long term position on favorable lease terms, concludes Russell. Salina Central's Katelyn Rupe sets new course record in 5A state win Sophomore Katelyn Rupe came in first and set the new course record at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence last weekend. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The scripture from Philippians 4:13 was the theme of Reverend Elder Palemia Tauiliili Reupenas sermon during a special gathering yesterday. Held at the National Universitys Samoan Fale, the event hosted by the government was to congratulate the scholarship recipients from N.U.S and also to wish them the very best for their new journey. Rev. Palemia reminded the students that as they set sails on their new journey, it is a must for them to always rely on the Lord. He warned that there will be challenges and obstacles along the way, but they can do anything if they lean on God. Use this opportunity wisely. A lot of students vied for these opportunities so dont waste it. We will always follow you with our prayers and support. For this year, 66 students have been awarded with scholarships to further their studies in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. And the N.U.S Fale was crowded by all the students with their parents and relatives to celebrate the special occasion. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi addressed the audiences talking about the importance of the gathering. Firstly, he congratulated the scholarship recipients for this year. You have reaped what you have sown and no doubt that you are rightly feeling that every sacrifice has been worth it, Tuilaepa said. However Tuilaepa reminded them that this is not the end of their journey. This is just beginning of your journey to fulfill all your dreams. He encouraged the students to never give up when the going gets tough. Tuilaepa added that the occasion was also an opportunity to acknowledge and reflect on the scholarship scheme and its noteworthy contribution to education in Samoa. He thanked the governments of New Zealand and Australia for their continuous support in providing funding and scholarship opportunities for Samoan students. They have not only provided tertiary educational opportunities for the N.U.S Foundation students, but also for those who work in private and public sectors through the open category scheme. This particular scheme targets those who have been in the work force for a minimum of two years and are keen for the opportunity, he said. He also extended his gratitude to the Commonwealth Secretariat, World Health Organisation, Japan and China for also providing bilateral scholarships and trainings for the people of Samoa. Turning to the parents, Tuilaepa encouraged them to continue on doing their part of supporting and encouraging their children to do their best. Lastly, he gave the students his well wishes for their next journey. Give your studies your utmost and undivided commitment. Your scholarship is a privilege so use the opportunity wisely in order to be successful, both in your studies and in your personal life. You will leave the comfort and security of your familys surroundings and be exposed to different environments with countless distractions. Remember that you are also ambassadors for Samoa, go with the knowledge that what you do now and how you carry yourself, will reflect on your family and country. Always remember and be proud of who you are, where you come from, and that you are sons and daughters of Samoa. Australian High Commissioner, Sue Langford said Australia provides around A$4.5 million each year for scholarships in Samoa. This is our commitment to supporting you, the students on your educational journey and the future of Samoa, she said. Under the Australian Aid Programme, education is a key priority. Having a well-educated workforce and enabling young Samoans such as the students who are here today to obtain tertiary and technical qualifications, will contribute to the future economic and social development of Samoa. This is a great achievement. You are all indeed a source of great pride for your families and for your country. Make most of these opportunities. Mike Walsh, the Acting High Commissioner of New Zealand, also congratulated the students. This is a result of your hard work and commitment, he said. And it is our hope that by investing in your higher education, we are not only investing in you, but also in the Samoa social and economic development. We expect that you will continue to apply the same determination and hard work that has got you this far wherever you will be studying. The first few months to the universities you will study will be tough, and it will take time to adjust to the new learning environments and different cultures. Take time to engage with others and to meet new people from the country you will be studying in. Dont be afraid to ask questions; lots of questions. We wish you the very best with your studies. Everyone loves them. The problem for Samoa is that if you want a watermelon, the chances are you will have to buy one that has been imported from Tonga. Yet with many saying that Samoas soil is rich with nutrients, it begs the question of why Samoa cannot produce watermelons en masse. Thats the view of Mutaaga Samau, from the village of Levili, who sells imported watermelons from Tonga. Mutaaga explains that Samoa is just scraping the surface of what we can do in terms of agriculture. She explains that if Samoa were to explore new crop varieties like watermelon then it will benefit the people so much as well as the country. Mutaaga says that she makes quite a bit from selling watermelons and it has motivated her to start up her own watermelon plantation. Ok so what you see in front of me are imported watermelons from Tonga during the Christmas holidays, she told the Village Voice. I have been doing good selling this fruit, I think I have made about $30,000 so far from the batch I received during Christmas container. One of my Tongan friends brought the container over and now I am just selling them for a bit of money, a few hotels come and purchase from me. On a single day, selling watermelons can make a possible $1000 because of its high demand from hotels and people who have to deal with gatherings. Last week Monday, I was able to make about $1000 a day and other days I would make $700, Mutaaga said. But right now, I am looking into using our land in Fagalii to start a watermelon plantation because they sell fast. Selling watermelons not only gives really good money, but its also fast cash compared to the other crops we Samoans usually grow. I mean, just looking at the money I make from selling these Tongan watermelons makes me realize how great it would be for Samoa to start growing them. Mutaaga urges the government and the people to start looking at new fruits and crops to grow because Samoa has a lot of potential with agriculture. Actually, I have started storing some watermelon seeds so that I can start up my own plantation, she said. I have had quite a few people who showed interest in developing their own watermelon plantation; this is something that Samoa should focus on. I mean just look at the sales, its still early in the day and I have made over $100 already. So many people come to me because they have to cater a function or a family gathering. I sell my watermelons as low as $10 and there are many people who love to buy from me. The one thing I know is that we need to start getting some seeds to grow this fruit. Exploring new possible farming crops like watermelon will really benefit the country and the people. Many are quick to say life in Samoa is great and that we can make a pretty decent living with our farms. That might be the case for some but the majority of people, its a tough life. One full of hardships, struggles and to an extent poverty. Thats how Daiz Daiz, from the village of Aleisa, sees things. He is adamant that there is poverty in Samoa. Surviving from the fruits of the plantation may get you by but thats just about it. Daiz said another thing to consider is the money people make from employment compared to the cost of living we currently face. Compared to New Zealand and other developed nations, Samoa has a true imbalance. You simply cannot say that there is no poverty in Samoa because there is, Daiz told the Village Voice. There are so many people who really struggle and live under the poverty line and its not hard to notice. I mean just do the math and you will see. People are paid very little money for their hard work and if you compare that to the high cost of living; that makes no sense at all. I mean, our minimum wage is so small yet if you go to the bigger shops, everything is very expensive. We cant afford to live off the money we get paid. No matter what people say, realistically speaking, there is poverty in Samoa. He says that people in Samoa need to be more realistic and honest about life and how much they actually struggle on a daily basis. The way things are right now in this country, there is a true imbalance, Daiz said. So many people can agree with me that the high cost of living is very high and it affects so many people. I mean, we can go through $100 in just one day and that is what many make throughout the week. I hear and see a lot of people saying that they get so much from what they make from their plantation but I dont believe thats true. Reality is that people cant make enough just from their plantations because we can only make money during harvest and that leaves months without any sales. He continued on to say that yes, laziness will get you nowhere, but the kind of reality we live in is far from easy. The only thing we have is food from the land that the family can use but its not easy living that way, he said. Its easy to say this and that but it doesnt cancel out the fact that life is actually not easy. Yes there are many people who say that hard work and not being lazy is how we can make a good living and I bet that many of them dont actually have a plantation. I mean, even with seasonal fruits like mangoes, you dont make a lot of money from that and its only once a year. You can survive on that. And when it comes to plantations, there is a waiting period for harvest so you cant say that its easy. You cant really save up for the future with what you make in a plantation. The government has been urged to review its decision to limit the age of vehicles imported into Samoa from twelve to eight years. New Zealand-based lawyer, Haseeb Ashraf, who spoke on behalf of his familys business, Apia Motors, says the decision will not only negatively affect members of the public who will not be able to afford vehicles, it will also discourage potential investors from coming to Samoa. He says more thought should have been given to the change of law before it was passed. The change in question is to come into play on 17 January 2017. This will mean imported vehicles will now have had to be manufactured in 2009. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is standing by his decision, saying the times are changing and there is a need to bring in newer vehicles. It doesnt mean that we import cars and continue on with (importing) rubbish, he said. In this life we move forward. When you start bringing in cars, the next thing you want is a brand new car. But Mr. Ashraf says the impact of the decision is enormous. For instance, after 17 years of service to the Samoan community in New Zealand through Tarnica Cars, and four years of service here in Samoa with Apia Motors, Mr. Ashraf says they are reviewing their options. One of them is packing up and leaving. He says the government is showing the world they arent business-friendly. Its going to be very difficult for not only us, but many members in the industry to survive, Mr. Ashraf told the Sunday Samoan. We are reviewing our options and one of those options is packing up. Thats very unfortunate because we employ locals, we give a lot business, and we pay taxes and everything." For us in particular, we have a very special connection with the Samoan people in New Zealand and here. We are a family business and our family has been working with the Samoan community for the last 17 years so its going to be very sad if we have to leave. But as I said, the government has made it very difficult. Mr. Ashraf says the way the law came about is odd. The public, as well as members of the industry, were not given a chance to voice any concerns. As a lawyer, its very interesting to see how this law has come into play. We found out through someone who has connections through the P.Ms office and thats not the way it should have been." In New Zealand when a bill is brought to Parliament, theres an opportunity for the public to make submissions, theres a select committee that sits down and reviews how much the damage is going to be." When the submissions come in, people like us can go, lobby and discuss this with the P.M. I mean we found out that this law will come into play in a month or two and thats not how this is supposed to be. Going forward, I think its very important that if a law comes into play, theres an opportunity for everyone to have a say. And then everyone; the public, the businesses, the government, the Parliament, the Ministers can all sit down and have a discussion as to how (much) the losses are going to be; how the government can protect the businesses, and how the government is going to ensure that the cars are still going to be affordable for the Samoan people. The P.M. says that people want new cars but you and I both know that not everyone can afford a brand new car worth $45,000. Mr. Ashraf says that once the law is in place later this month, starting prices for used vehicles will jump from $12,000 to $27,000. I had a look at an article on the Prime Minister where his concern is that Samoa will be a dumping ground for the cheap vehicles and the fact that times are changing and new vehicles are needed, he said. He says that we are importing rubbish and that a lot of people are purchasing new cars even before the coming of this law. Thats what he said but there are two groups of people who are going to be affected. Firstly, this is going to have a huge impact on the Samoan people in purchasing cars. Just to throw figures out there, right now, cars in the market can start from $12,000, thats a starting car, not what everyone wants to get. Thats a starting rate, once through the coming of this law, cars wont be able to come into the country below 2009 and whats going to happen is that the starting price will increase from $12,000 to a minimum of $27,000. Thats a huge difference and people need to understand that Samoa is a developing country and in a developing country it is very important that the law of a country caters for the need of the people. Furthermore, Mr. Ashraf says that this $15,000 jump will be a huge blow to the everyday Samoan and that the government is just taking a shortcut from what they should actually do to stop rubbish vehicles from entering the country. A car in Samoa is not a luxury; it is a necessity for a lot of people, he began. Theres a difference. And due to the price of used vehicles, a lot of people were able to purchase vehicles and now its going to be very difficult for the average Samoan family to purchase a car. They will have to make a lot of sacrifices to purchase a car. The government needs to understand that this is not a developed country. Looking at a developed country like New Zealand, even there, 2004 cars are accepted into the country and what I, as an observer, can see is that the government is taking a shortcut. Because the L.T.A. wants high quality cars from what I understand, they dont want rubbish coming into the country, but instead of just saying that nothing below 2009 should come, there should be a process where vehicles can be accepted after passing a few tests. For example the frontal impact assessment test which takes into account the airbags, safety and that. Mr. Ashraf went on to mention a few different processes that the government can take in order to still prevent rubbish vehicles from entering the country while maintaining a business friendly atmosphere with the used vehicle industry. This (law) is not the solution, he began. There could be a car that is 2009 that has been driven 200,000km. Thats not the issue, the issue is that the government can import under other regulations such as cars over 120,000km driven should not be allowed into the country. Thats understandable. Or cars which dont pass the frontal impact test should not be allowed into the country; thats understandable. This government is taking a shortcut and in taking that shortcut, it is not putting on the responsibility of the L.T.A. that there should be. This is not any solution, in saying that, whats happened happened and we cant do anything about it. Another major issue will be the increased pressure on Samoans both based New Zealand and here in Samoa to purchase vehicles for themselves or their families. The major concern that people need to understand is affordability, Mr. Ashraf said. Now, Apia Motors is a family business and we have been here for four years. We have another family business in New Zealand called Tarnica Cars. We have an arrangement whereby Samoan families can finance the cars in Auckland and they can pick up the cars here. Weve been working with the Samoan community in Auckland for over 17 years. Because we worked with the Samoan community in Auckland, a lot of Samoan people in Auckland really love their family and their parents and want to purchase cars for them. Especially in Samoa because a lot of the population lives in the village and its very difficult for them to come to the market or go to the church. A car is a necessity, its not a luxury but unfortunately the public transport system in Samoa is not up there yet. And although the government may have a good motive for this law, Mr. Ashraf says that this is not the way to do it. In saying that, it is very important that the government understands the needs of the people, he said. The government may have a good motive, but this is not the way to achieve it, its going to cause more harm than good. Its also good to understand that a lot of the people have the misconception that their family overseas will buy them a car but I have a few friends in New Zealand who work extremely hard to put food on the table and they go out of their way to purchase vehicles and provide for their families in Samoa. So if the difference is going to be $10,000- $15,000, its going to put a huge burden on their family, its going to be very unjust on them as well. The Prime Minister says that people can afford new cars. Most of the new vehicles are purchase by the government or the government officers and the local people are out of reach. I mean, we are talking about cars that are $45,000, its out of the range for most people and if they want to purchase those cars then they will have to make a lot of sacrifices. Aside from the increased pressure on the public due to the increase in starting prices for used vehicles, Mr. Ashraf explains how the industry will suffer from the new law. We are a business and we are going to get affected as well, he said. The industry is going to suffer a lot. Its a small industry but we provide a lot of revenue and tax for the government, we employ a lot of the locals and apart from that, we provide a lot of business to the industry such as mechanics. Thats going to suffer as well. Unfortunately it is going to be very difficult, according to our analysis, for businesses like ours to continue to operate in Samoa. The government has made it very difficult for us. Samoa is changing year by year and we want to be part of that but like I said; its going to be very difficult. This sends a very bad message for investors and business people, who want to invest in Samoa, that government isnt business friendly. So everything which happens, there should be a win win situation but the government is making it so that its not a win situation for the people, and not a win situation for the businesses. Yes, they want to modernize Samoa but they arent as developed as New Zealand and they have 2004 cars coming in. If you have that idea, that rubbish is coming into Samoa, then improve your safety regulations, improve the assessments that L.T.A. conducts on the ground, and limit the mileage meter. Thats understandable and the industry can cater to that. Furthermore, Mr. Ashraf says that with all the negative impacts, the government might have to review this law after a few months. At the end of the day, its guess work, he said. The government has conducted an assessment, however theyve done that, and its guess work as to whats going to happen. Our analysis in the industry is that its going to have a huge impact for the people as well as us. If that is true and it comes in the next couple of months, the government is going to have to review their position. The law is what it is, but I think on a practical level, its important for people to understand the types of impacts its going to have. As I mentioned two figures, right now the starting price on a used Japanese vehicle is about $12,000 but once all those cars run out in the market, which will be in a few months, were going to look at a $27,000 starting rate which will be difficult for a lot of local people to afford. When it comes to life, Sefo Filipo, from the village of Tuanai, goes by only two rules. Work hard and maintain a relationship with the Lord. He explains that if you follow those two things then you will live a good life no matter what. Sefo sells everything he grows at a roadside stall which he says gets him enough money to provide for everything his family needs. As I live in Samoa, I make sure I live the most honest life possible, he told the Village Voice. I do my best in whatever I do for the sake of my family, especially the children. You know, I strongly believe that the reason people suffer in Samoa is because they are lazy. People who say that theres poverty in Samoa are wrong, there is no such thing as poverty in this nation. Just look around you, the Lord has blessed us with all this great land for us to cultivate. We can grow koko, Samoan taro, bananas and many other crops. I do all the work myself; thats because I would rather get money my own way than rely on any other person to take care of my family. Sefo says that theres no point in relying on others when you have the strength to do everything yourself. I know so many people, who live their lives and rely on others, he said. Thats not me, I dont want to be the kind of person who always goes to his sister or brother and ask for help all the time; I have the strength in my body so might as well use it. Thats why I say I want to live an honest life. Asked about selling by the roadside compared to at a market place, he says he prefers the roadside much more. I have been selling at this little market stall for a while now, he said. But I dont own the stall, whoever wants to sell here can come and do so but we have to pay the owner $5 a day to rent and sell here. Its all part of a system here and I love it. I can earn quite a bit especially during the holiday season so I dont see why many people wont do the same; just look at all the money I can make. And with the money he makes from selling his crops, Sefo says it has done wonders for his family. I dont know where my family would be without this market stall, he said. The money I make has helped so much in terms of taking care of my family. Everything I have in front here will be sold by the end of the day. The money I make here has given us a decent house and it has put all the children through school. I can make over $100 a day from this. Another thing that helps quite a bit is your faith in the Lord. Just pray every day to thank him for what you gotten that day and you will be blessed. I prefer selling on the side of the road because if I take everything to town then theres an additional cost because we have to pay a car to take everything. Changes in societies are unavoidable. Some changes we go through are small and some changes are big. That is the opinion of Lanu Ponifasio from the village of Levi Saleimoa. Speaking to the Village Voice yesterday, the 34-year-old said there have been many positive and negative changes in Samoa. The positive changes are all the developments by our governments we now see not only in Apia but also in the villages as well, she said. And I take my hat off to the government for all the good projects and developments for the benefit of our people. However, Lanu believes that underneath all those beautiful and flash developments, lies the real issues that need solutions. Lanu said one negative development in Samoa is the increasing number of children selling goods in the town of Apia. I blame no one but the parents of these children for this issue, said Lanu. I am a parent as well, I have children and I cant picture my children walking around selling things on the streets. I would never do that to my children. We dont have a lot of money as well, but to me, all that matters is that we are happy and that my children are healthy and happy. Even if we only have some boiled taro or banana with tea for dinner, thats fine with me. As long as I look at my children and see them grow up healthy. If you look at these street vendors, some of them are only 7 and 9 years old. They are too young to be doing things like that. That is the responsibility of the parents. To find way to get money and to look after the children because they are gifts from God. If we take good care of them and push them hard to achieve great things in life, they will take care of us when we grow old. But sending them on the streets to look for money is not the best way to raise our children. Because at this young age, they are exposed to a lot of things. Especially for the young girls, I feel sorry for them every time I see them on the streets of Apia. Their mothers should be very careful with sending them on the streets. Needless to say, most of these children are now causing a lot of troubles in public places and some of them are involved with crimes as well. And I blame the parents for this, for not doing their job and not taking care of their children. Nevertheless another negative change she raised is the increasing number of crimes involving the youths in Samoa. This is a very bad thing because weve seen the number of youths roaming around town causing troubles here and there affecting the lives of other people. My advice to the government is that they should come with different programmes for these youths so that they can use their time and energy wisely instead of causing troubles in public places. We can send them to prison as well but most of them dont learn their lessons after spending their times in prison. So we need to come up with something to avoid all of these bad behaviors. Because this is creating a bad image for Samoa. We are trying to attract more tourist to Samoa and if tourists and visitors come to Samoa and be greeted with these behaviors then that will be very bad for us. We all know that tourism is contributing a lot to our economy and its helping out with the development of our country. So if we are serious about promoting tourism in Samoa, we need to do something about the behaviors of our youths. An effort by Taumeasina Island Resort to offer a different dining experience received the thumbs up from satisfied diners on Friday night. As something different for the new year, Romain Bapst, Chef and Owner of Luctece Bistro and Wine Bar, a top-notch French restaurant was brought over to provide a taste of French and German cuisine during a five course meal. A live band helped to set the right atmosphere for pleasant dinner conversations and an evening of relaxation. Apart from reservations about a snail dish, the diners seemed reasonably happy. So far, Im enjoying the meal, Papalii Ida-Tifitifi Fuimaono told the Sunday Samoan. The food that was already served was delicious and I love the vibe. Businessman Nicholas Cafferelli echoed similar sentiments. The food is delicious and hopefully the other courses will be just as good, he said. Surprisingly enough, the snails were quite nice too. For Mr. Barpst, he said the evening couldnt have gone any smoother. The dinner was exactly how he imagined it to be and all the guests seemed satisfied with the quality of food. Everything was good, flowed well and we got all the products done on time so that was excellent, Mr. Bapst told the Sunday Samoan. During the dinner, Chef Romain Bapst greeted the customers with a light conversation about their night and if they had any queries they wanted to run by him in reference to the food. Ive spoken to majority of the guests here with us tonight, and they said they were happy with the meal so far. Some didnt try the snails but overall they really enjoyed the meal. Mr. Bapst worked with the Resorts local chefs and he praised their work. No problems arose during tonights dinner and everything went according to plan. So Im happy, the people are happy, and in my book thats extremely good. Have you ever found yourself stuck in Vaitele, in dire need of good coffee, but theres no cafe anywhere in the area? With so many developments happening in Vaitele, the one thing that has always been missing is a good place to sit with friends or family, chat and enjoy a good home made meal with that beautiful roasted coffee bean aroma dangling in the air. Well you dont have to look any further or settle with that awful three in one coffee mix anymore. Just along the Maota Samoa Road in Vaitele sits Kofe Haus, a newly opened cafe that unlike your usual coffee joint, will give you a coffee experience like no other. With a unique retro theme, you will feel as if youre going back in time with every sip of that homegrown and home-roasted cup of joe. Managed by Beatrice Ott, 22, from the village of Leone, your coffee experience will be like no other with the only problem being, not wanting to leave or not having anymore room for another cup. And we havent even gotten to the best part yet, you can now say goodbye to your usual $10 coffees and prepare to indulge an amazing cup for just $7 at Kofe Haus and save that extra $3. Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, Beatrice explains that the cafe was opened by her parents, Tanya and Sulamanaia Montini Ott last week simply because there was that passion for coffee. Its called Kofe Haus and my mom and dad wanted to open it because we grow our own coffee and my dad roasts it as well, she said. I guess his (dad) passion for coffee made him want to finally open a cafe so he gave it to me to manage. We just started this week and we will start advertising next week. If you are wondering what sets Kofe Haus apart from the many other cafes in Samoa, as mentioned earlier, you wont find a more affordable price anywhere for good cup of coffee. Probably our price, Beatrice said. We are very reasonable and we cater for the middle class to the higher class. A lot of our stuff is organic and we try to use a lot of local ingredients on our menus. Asked about the idea behind the cafe and what makes the establishment special, Beatrice says its that unique homie and yet foreign atmosphere they have created. Just the atmosphere, she said. If you come here we have friendly customer service. Outside when you come to the exterior we kind of aim to have a German kind of background look." Thats why the walls arent painted and inside is kind of contrasting. So in the interior we have a retro theme like the American diners overseas." So you will walk in and see Elvis, Marilyn Monroe along the walls and we will be playing olden days music like from the 60s and 70s; so yeah, that kind of atmosphere and that kind of vibe. And when it comes to the food, Kofe Haus aims to impress. For breakfast we have eggs benedict, bacon and eggs, short stack, and for lunch we will be serving meatballs and gravy, chicken and chips, fish and chips, supo povi and Thai chicken salad, Beatrice said. Just for a starter and for our specials we are going to have every Wednesday, chicken curry and then probably Friday well have barbeque but we will have to finalise that. So dont worry anymore when youre in Vaitele, far away from any other cafe, because Kofe Hause welcomes you with open arms. Please come, Beatrice said. We would like to see all your friendly faces. You can even purchase your own 1kg pack of locally grown and locally roasted coffee for just $80 there. Kofe Haus is open from 7am 2pm on weekdays and 8am 1pm on Saturdays. Call Beatrice on 8424924 for more details. The journey of a humble mother who defied the odds to raise a very successful family was celebrated at Hotel Tanoa Tusitala on Friday night. The occasion to do this was her 80th birthday. Born on 6 January 1937, Leotina Semua Mala, is from the village of Lepa. The occasion was well attended by family and friends. Among the guests were the Associate Minister of M.C.I.T, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi and the Consul General of Samoa in Auckland, Faaolotoi Reupena Pogi. Galumalemana Motugaafa Semua paid tribute to a hard working and God-fearing mother who loves unconditionally. Our mother is a very hard working person, she said. She loves her family very much and especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren we are who are and what we have become because of her hard work. For her to reach her 80th birthday is sign of blessings from God. God made our mother live this long because He wants her to see the fruits of her work that she had been doing for all these years through us. This is the least we as her children can do for her compared to all the years that she looked after and took good care of us. So this is a milestone for her and us because some people they dont live to get to the years that she has reached and so we thank God for bringing our mother this far. Leotina was married to the late Semua Mala and they have eight children. She has 33 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Carlsbads Ionis Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiary Akcea Therapeutics will get $225 million in near-term payments, and a total of up to $1.6 billion and royalties under a pharmaceutical deal with Swiss drug giant Novartis announced Friday. Under the agreement, Novartis gets the option to license and commercialize two experimental heart drugs now in clinical development. The drugs reduce levels of substances that carry LDL cholesterol and tryglycerides through the blood. They are intended for those with high levels of these lipids, making them at risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition, Ionis separately announced its 2016 financial results should be significantly better than its previous guidance. Minus one-time expenses, Ionis said it expects to earn net operating income before interest and taxes in the low- to mid- $20 million range. The company previously said it expected a net operating loss in the low $60 million range. Advertisement Ionis and Akcea said Friday they are eligible to get $225 million in near-term payments, including $75 million up-front, and $100 million in an equity investment in Ionis at a 25% premium. That works out to about 1,631,435 shares at $61.30 per share. Ionis closed Thursday at $47.09. An additional $50 million investment will be made in 18 months in either Ionis or Akcea Ionis and Akcea said Friday they are eligible to get a total of $75 million of the near-term payments up-front, and $100 million in an equity investment in Ionis. That works out to about 1,631,435 shares at $61.30 per share. Ionis closed Thursday at $47.09. An additional $50 million investment will be made in 18 months in either Ionis or Akcea. After each drug finishes a Phase 2 trial, and before a Phase 3 trial begins, Novartis can exercise an option to license and commercialize the drug. For each drug, Novartis will pay Ionis $150 million. In addition, Ionis is eligible to get payments for meeting development milestones and royalties on net sales for each drug. The royalties will range from the mid-teens to low 20 percent range Ionis said. The drugs are AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx. The first is meant to lower levels of a substance called lipoprotein a, or Lp(a), that carries LDL-cholesterol. The second is meant to lower levels of ApoC-III, which regulates triglyceride levels. By combining with Novartis, Ionis and Akcea can speed up testing and commercializing the drugs, Ionis Chairman and CEO Stanley T. Crooke said in a Friday conference call. Shares of Ionis closed Friday after the announcement at $47.83, up $0.74 or 1.6 percent for the day. The deal gives Ionis a lift a day after it announced a failure in a trial in another drug being developed in partnership with Biogen. The drug, IONIS-DMPK-2.5Rx treats a muscle wasting disease called myotonic dystrophy Type 1. Ionis said the drug didnt show sufficient efficacy. However, the company said it had plans to develop a more potent drug for the disease. The Biogen-Ionis partnership received good news December when their drug Spinraza received U.S. marketing approval. Spinraza treats another muscle wasting disease called spinal muscular atrophy. Spinraza is the first drug proven effective to treat this disease, which has no cure and can be fatal. Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1020 When Ricardo and Catherine Soto were looking to buy a home in Chula Vista, they knew that even after selling their old house in El Cajon they would be able to afford a down payment of only about 10%. But when buying a home, 20% is the magic number. It means not only borrowing less but also avoiding mortgage insurance, which can cost hundreds of dollars a month. Some cash-strapped home buyers might have opted to tap a relative or retirement savings, but the Sotos tried something new. When they bought their home for $650,000 in September, the couple came up with the 20% after all thanks to an unusual arrangement with a newcomer to the mass mortgage market. Advertisement Unison, a 12-year-old San Francisco company, offered to match the $65,000 that the Sotos brought to the table in exchange for what amounts to an ownership stake in their house. The Sotos dont have to pay anything back not for a while, at least. But when the couple sell their house they will owe Unison the $65,000 it invested, plus 35% of the value their home gains. Should the market suffer a setback, Unison will share in the loss. The company, formerly called FirstREX, is one of a handful of firms developing novel financial products aimed at helping buyers afford increasingly expensive homes now that the market has recovered from last decades housing bust. Its harder than ever to buy a house right now. Credit is still very hard to get. Jim Riccitelli, Unison co-chief executive Others, including San Francisco start-up Point, offer similar cash-for-equity arrangements for existing homeowners, but, for now, dont work with home buyers. For the last few years, Unison has offered its down-payment product to buyers of pricey homes who need so-called jumbo mortgages. Now the company is going mass market. Its working directly with mortgage lenders to offers its down-payment program to buyers looking for ordinary home loans. Government-backed mortgage agency Freddie Mac will purchase loans made to Unison customers through what the agency described as a very limited pilot. Unisons program could help some buyers get into homes they otherwise could not afford. But housing finance watchers dont see this as a return to the kind of high-risk lending that sparked last decades financial crisis. Unison customers must have good credit, qualify for a standard mortgage and make at least a 10% down payment much more than whats required for loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, for instance. Still, deals with Unison and other firms are novel and come with a big tradeoff: In exchange for a smaller mortgage, buyers give up a big chunk of the value their homes might gain. Laurie Goodman, co-director of the housing policy finance center at research group Urban Institute, said its important for home buyers to know what theyre getting into. Saving money up front in exchange for a share of the upside is a legitimate decision, but its one the buyer needs to fully understand, she said. For the Sotos, the decision came down not to how much value their home might gain or lose, but the size of the monthly payment. For our personal situation, what was most critical was having access to discretionary income because our kids will be going on to college, said Ricardo Soto, 50, a father of three teenagers. Having that lower payment and knowing I can count on that was really important. Unison is working with four mortgage lenders, including Orange Countys LoanDepot, one of the nations largest mortgage originators, and it has deals with three more. Unison is already available to home buyers in California, New York and 11 other states, and will be available in eight more this year. With tighter mortgage-lending standards, home prices near pre-recession highs and expensive rents making it difficult for would-be home buyers to save for a down payment, Unison co-Chief Executives Jim Riccitelli and Thomas Sponholtz say they think that there will be healthy demand for their down-payment program. Its harder than ever to buy a house right now, Riccitelli said. Credit is still very hard to get. They see demand not only from home buyers but from investors. Before founding Unison, Sponholtz worked for Barclays Global Investors, where he managed investments in bonds for pension funds, endowments and other institutions. Those investors, he said, want to invest in the housing market. For pension funds especially, the cost of housing has a direct impact on how much they need to earn on their investments because housing is one of the biggest costs pensioners have to cover. Housing has an inherent appeal to an institutional investor, said John Kerrigan, chief investment officer for Santa Clara University, which has invested some of its endowment in Unison. If housing declines, it is likely that the obligations of a pension or endowment have declined. And if housing is increasing it is likely that the obligations of a pension or endowment have also increased. There are other ways to invest in the housing market, such as publicly traded companies that own apartments and single-family homes for rent. But those companies have to cover the cost of vacancies, maintenance and property management. What we do is offer pensions and endowments very pure exposure to home prices, Sponholtz said. Heres how it works: Buyers have to qualify for a mortgage and be able to make a down payment of at least 10% on their own. In a typical deal, Unison will match that 10% down payment, but the company will do smaller and larger deals. For example, it might match a 12.5% down payment, or put up as little as 5% if the buyer can put up more. Unison gets that money back, plus gains or losses, when the home is resold. If homeowners havent sold or dont want to sell after 30 years, theyre obligated to get an appraisal of the houses value and cash Unison out, which could require taking out a home equity loan. After the deal closes, the buyer takes possession of the house and is responsible for monthly mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and maintenance. Unisons deals are structured as an option that is, in exchange for help with the down payment, the company is buying the right to acquire a set percentage of the home at a later date. We dont technically own a piece of the house while the homeowner lives there thats really important for the home buyer, Sponholtz said. The home buyer maintains control of their home. That means that, while Unison wont help pay property taxes, it also cant tell homeowners what kind of landscaping to put in or whether they should choose hardwood or carpet. Chris Hart, chief executive of First California Mortgage, estimates that mortgages tied to Unisons down-payment program could eventually account for perhaps 10% of the purchase loans his Petaluma firm originates. Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Assn. of Consumer Advocates, said the program might be a good deal for some sophisticated buyers. But he worries that like reverse mortgages and some specialty home loans that flourished during the housing boom it will be marketed to customers who dont fully understand it. He noted that, though Unison is not a lender, home buyers will eventually owe the company. Its not a bad idea. Its a good idea, as long as its marketed to the small niche of people who it really works for, he said. Its like reverse mortgages they make sense for some people, but theyre not for everybody. Unison, which has assets of about $27 million, has done a few hundred deals, though only a handful through the new down-payment program. Riccitelli and Sponholtz think that the market for their new offering is big, and that millions of home buyers could be interested, but they wont work with just anyone. Before Unison agrees to invest, buyers have to meet with a Unison representative, listen to a presentation and pass an exam that asks 20 questions about how the program works. The test goes over some of the basic math of a Unison transaction how much the home buyer would owe Unison based on the gain or loss in the value of their home as well as rules of the deal. Buyers cant rent out their home, for instance, and are responsible for covering broker fees and other costs of selling their property. We insist on having well-educated partners, Riccitelli said. Ricardo Soto said he and his wife both passed the test with flying colors, and theyre comfortable with the deal they made. If they later sell the house for $750,000, they would owe Unison $100,000 the original $65,000 that the company invested plus $35,000. Southern California home prices keep rising, and sales jump Soto said he was initially skeptical about giving up that much upside. But then he remembered that the home his family sold in El Cajon didnt gain much value at all. Most of the equity we realized in our last home had to do with paying down the mortgage, not with appreciation, he said. And I get to keep all the value I get by paying off the mortgage. He also liked that Unison will share in the downside if home prices should fall 35% of the decrease in value will be subtracted from what the couple owes the company. And regardless of the ups and downs of the housing market, the Sotos are saving about $300 a month on their mortgage payment and an additional $400 because they dont need mortgage insurance. An extra $700 a month is a big deal, he said, as his kids all start college over the next four years. Im not planning 30 years out, he said. Im just hoping to get through the next eight. james.koren@latimes.com Follow me: @jrkoren ALSO Why tariffs on Chinese imports could backfire in California Lazarus: Some Obamacare advice for Republicans: First do no harm Americans dont want to scrap Obamacare without something to replace it, new poll shows Tilikum, the headline-grabbing killer whale that drowned a SeaWorld trainer and forever changed the trajectory of the companys marine parks, died Friday, just two days before San Diego bids farewell to its final Shamu show. While widely known for the 2010 death of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at the Orlando park, the nearly six-ton orca became even more recognizable following the 2013 release of the Blackfish documentary that featured Tilikum and was critical of SeaWorlds treatment of captive whales. The drowning death and subsequent film fueled a torrent of criticism of SeaWorld, leading to sinking revenues and attendance, culminating early last year with the stunning announcement that the company would halt the breeding of its orcas and phase out the iconic Shamu show. Advertisement Ailing on and off from a lung infection since last March, Tilikum, believed to be 36 years old, had been performing before SeaWorld Orlando audiences up until late last year. SeaWorlds statement Friday was part eulogy, part acknowledgement of the cetaceans troubled history. While today is a difficult day for the SeaWorld family, its important to remember that Tilikum lived a long and enriching life while at SeaWorld and inspired millions of people to care about this amazing species, the company said. Tilikums life will always be inextricably connected with the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Dawn Brancheau. While we all experienced profound sadness about that loss, we continued to offer Tilikum the best care possible... Shamu the show and the marine parks collection of orcas from youngsters to geriatrics have been inextricably linked to SeaWorld since the San Diego parks origins more than a half century ago. Come Sunday, the gargantuan, albeit graceful, black and white whales will perform their final spins, somersaults and faux kisses in the 5,500-seat Shamu Stadium. The orcas, though, are not facing forced retirement nor will they fade from public view anytime soon. Just under half of SeaWorld San Diegos 11 orcas are under 20 years of age, while the oldest are 40 and 52 years old. By early summer, San Diego will be the first of SeaWorlds three namesake parks to debut what the company is calling an Orca Encounter, minus the theatrical, Cirque du Soleil-like moves, dancing fountains and soaring soundtrack. The reimagined orca attraction, billed as an educational presentation, will lose the current stage setting, now dominated by four LED screens and a giant depiction of a whale tail. Replacing it will be a new backdrop that incorporates a rugged coastal inlet, artificial Douglas fir trees, cliffs and waterfalls. An infinity high-definition screen will highlight orca movements in the wild, as well as replays of SeaWorld killer whale maneuvers in the stadium pool. In what will still be a pre-produced presentation with designated start times, trainers will cue the orcas through a series of more natural behaviors typical of killer whales in the wild hunting, eating, communicating accompanied by an informative narrative. But that doesnt mean the sort of spine-tingling, goose-bump-inducing moments of the current 23-minute One Ocean show will suddenly disappear. Killer whales will still leap and dive gracefully in the show pool, jump and rotate their bodies onto their sides, and most likely slap their tails on the waters surface as a way of communicating. And splash-loving, Shamu show fans may even still get to experience an occasional dousing when an orca lands heavily in the pool. You will still see a whale leaping out of the water, said Al Garver, a former orca trainer and vice president of zoological operations. We want to be able to demonstrate behaviors people would see in the wild with the killer whales and their abilities as a top predator in the sea. The vast majority of behaviors people have seen in our shows will be very suitable for demonstrating that. While the Orca Encounter backdrop is being constructed, SeaWorld will set up temporary bleacher seating around the killer whale underwater viewing area pool and provide a 15-minute educational presentation. It will likely also include a training session demonstration. In a sense, the mourning of the Shamu shows passing may be a little overblown, Garver acknowledged. Some theme park observers would argue that Tilikum is responsible for what was really the shows biggest transformation nearly seven years earlier when trainers were removed from the water during performances following the Brancheau drowning. In 2014, SeaWorld finally abandoned a nearly four-year effort to reverse safety-related citations by OSHA, which had effectively barred SeaWorld trainers from having close contact with orcas when they were performing. Today, those astonishing images of daredevil-style trainers riding astride mammoth orcas and flying through the air after being catapulted from the tip of a whales head remain seared in the memories of the Shamu shows biggest fans. That was the beginning of the end of the show, said Robert Niles, founder of ThemeParkInsider.com. Every single commercial I ever remember from SeaWorld before the Dawn Brancheau accident was wrapped up with the image of the trainer flying off the nose of the orca, just like every Disney commercial ends with fireworks over the castle. That said, theres still going to be an orca show, theyre just changing the vocabulary. Its not like the orcas are going to stop doing things where people say, Oh wow, I have to post this to Instagram now. That may not mollify SeaWorld loyalists who bemoan the imminent end of the show. If I had the money Id run down and see this show for one last time before its gone forever, reads one post on a SeaWord Facebook fan page. This transition is just sad. Mira Mesa resident Bonnie Harding, whos been going to various iterations of the Shamu shows since she was a young girl and now takes her 4-year-old son, says shes willing to give the Orca Encounter a chance to prove its appeal. Im hoping they find a way to incorporate whats in the show now into the new habitat, she said. You have to give it a shot, because putting the whales back in the ocean is not an option. I have confidence that theyre going to take this to the next level, fingers crossed, because I dont want to have to cancel my pass. While SeaWorlds harshest critics remain displeased with the theme park company for not going far enough by retiring its orcas to seaside sanctuaries, some do say the company has made some positive moves. Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Animal Welfare Institute and a member of the Whale Sanctuary Project board, gives SeaWorld credit for having ended orca breeding and reshaping the Shamu show as an educational presentation. But it isnt enough. As long as the whales remain confined, she says, in concrete tanks, they will still need physical and mental stimulation. But make no mistake, she adds, the new show will do nothing to improve the welfare of the whales themselves. Hopefully, SeaWorld will put these (orca) behaviors into context and stop exaggerating them and having them somersault in the air, which they never do in the wild, Rose said. Trust me, when a whale does a breach, even in the wild on a whale watch, everyone still goes aah. Its a huge, gasping moment. SeaWorlds signature Shamu show has traversed a long odyssey since its earliest performances some hoakier than others when killer whales donned oversize sunglasses in a tribute to old Hollywood, co-starred with a chimpanzee in Doctor Do Little, and ferried trainers dressed as Revolutionary War-era patriots in a bicentennial celebration. Over the decades, the growing population of orcas has expanded its repertoire of behaviors from just 20 in the 1970s to more than 150, explained SeaWorlds Garver. For example, a bow is a simple jump a killer whale does where it jumps up and enters back in the water head first, he said. In the One Ocean show, they can do the bow in a dozen different ways. They can do a bow where theyre shaking their head at the same time or vocalizing at the same time or wiggling their pectoral flippers at the same time. Eric Davis, who runs the Stand with SeaWorld Facebook page, said hes confident the San Diego parks fans will be enthralled by the orca encounter, despite their nostalgia for the good old days. Park loyalists, he said, are more soured by what he calls SeaWorlds capitulation to animal rights advocates than the change-up of the Shamu show. In the end, killer whales do high energy behaviors in the wild so I think people in San Diego will really love it, said Davis, who currently lives in Cambodia but visits San Diego every three months. Thats why I tell people on Stand with SeaWorld to relax and give it a chance. I feel like theyre going to turn it around in San Diego. Schedule of final Shamu shows: Saturday, noon and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Business Researcher Merrie Monteagudo contributed to this report. lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 Twitter: @loriweisberg Rising steel prices and other factors have hiked the cost of a new performing arts center at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad by a third. Originally budgeted for $11 million, the arts center will now cost up to $14.8 million. However, school officials said savings on other projects would allow them to make up the difference. The planned theater will include a stage, orchestra pit and stadium seating, as well as a smaller black box theater that can be configured to accommodate different seating and staging arrangements. Those facilities will be available to Sage Creek High School, other schools in the district, and to community groups planning performances or events. Advertisement The arts center, along with improvements to Valley Middle School, is the last projects planned under the 2006 bond measure, Proposition P. Site preparation began last summer, but the district delayed construction after learning from its contractor, Erickson-Hall Construction, that the arts center would cost more than expected. The Board was very disappointed when the projected costs came in considerably higher than anticipated, Carlsbad School Board President Elisa Williamson said in an e-mail message. The two obvious options appeared to be to scale back either the performing arts center or the work at Valley Middle Schoolneither option was good for students. The higher costs were the price of a recovering economy, along with new regulations and trade restrictions that took place since the project was designed several years ago, said Suzanne OConnell, deputy superintendent administrative services. At that time, you could do a lot with little as far as construction went, she said. When the economy came to a screeching halt, there were construction firms that really wanted work and the cost was great. As the economy improved and demand went up, that drives the cost up. Steep federal tariffs on Chinese steel imports raised the price of building materials starting in May of last year, OConnell said. Concrete costs also rose, and new California labor laws drove up the price of administering the work, she said. The district delayed construction while it deliberated, and in October the oversight committee for Proposition P informed the school board that it would have to pay higher costs, or streamline the project. The district considered eliminating the black box theater, and reducing the depth of the orchestra pit, but was reluctant to make those cuts. Removing those features would have impaied the schools ability to use the theater effectively for arts education, said Monica Hall, the theater teacher at Carlsbad High School and a member of the design committee for Sage Creek. The black box has multiple uses, and expands the options for students and teachers at the school she said. Carlsbad High Schools theater lacked a black box, she said, and went 32 year before the district added one during a recent school remodel. She said design committee members didnt want the new Sage Creek center to be limited by that omission. That black box will be used as classroom space, performing and rehearsal space, and probably a dressing room and green room, she said. And we wanted to make sure that was part of the design. The orchestra pit, she said, was also critical to encourage live student musical performances during theater events. In November, the builder offered a guaranteed maximum price of $14.8 million for the project as originally planned, OConnell said. Scaling back on the theater and orchestra pit could have shaved $1 million off that, she said, but would have required the district to resubmit its revised plans to the Division of State Architect for approval, causing further delay as well as loss of those amenities. Meanwhile, the district had freed up cash by refinancing prior debt, and some funds were left over from a project to install lockers at Valley Middle School, OConnell said. The board was thrilled with the savings from the refinancing, Williamson said, and voted to build the arts center as it was originally envisioned. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed by mid-2018. The performing arts design team spent considerable time identifying what was necessary to meet the needs of our students and community, she wrote. Were confident that the black box and the configuration of the orchestra pit will allow the Center to be used as both a learning space for our students and a performing center for our community for many years to come. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan A controversial plan to build a large recycled water treatment plant at the corner of Washington Avenue and Ash Street will come to a head Wednesday when the Escondido City Council is tasked with making a final decision. A month ago the citys Planning Commission unanimously approved the city utilities departments request to build the plant despite objections from people who live in the area, including many elderly residents of a retirement home next door. The reverse-osmosis plant will take water that has already been partially treated at the citys facility in western Escondido and, using various chemicals, be further desalinated to make it usable for agriculture. The water will then be piped to eastern Escondido and the San Pasqual Valley for use in avocado groves and elsewhere. Farmers have long looked forward to the treated water because the high cost of using potable water on crops makes it difficult to turn a profit. Advertisement Last year the plan was to build the plant a couple miles further east on a city-owned plot in a residential neighborhood close to the intersection of El Norte Parkway and Washington, however those plans were scrapped after residents raised a huge fuss, convinced the planning commission to vote it down, and then convinced the council not to bother hearing an appeal. Instead the council ordered staff to find a new location. Councilwoman Olga Diaz and an attorney representing more than 100 residents of The Springs of Escondido retirement community, next door to the site, requested the decision be appealed to the council. Attorney Everett DeLano has urged the council to deny the project based upon sound principles of land use and in response to services required by the community. He told the council in a letter the plant will cause a deterioration of bordering land uses and will be detrimental to the community and neighborhood plans previously outlined by the city. Some detractors would rather see the plant be built closer to the existing water treatment plant, perhaps on land currently being used as a public works storage yard an area the council has hoped would one day turn into a high-tech business park. Chris McKinney, the director of utilities for the city, has said that while providing water to eastern Escondido farmers is a benefit of the plant, the main reason for constructing it is to diminish the amount of water that must be dumped into the ocean. An outfall pipe that takes Escondidos used water to the sea is nearing capacity. To replace it could cost a billion dollars or more, he told the commission on Dec. 13. The plant will eliminate the need to replace the pipe by diverting great amounts of water for other purposes. It is also possible that a decade or more from now the plant will double in size in order to turn recycled water into drinkable water. As designed now, the plant would occupy only half of the city-owned vacant lot at Washington and Ash, the half closest to Ash Street. The Springs retirement home is located to the east and would be hundreds of feet away. But residents there have said the noise from the construction of the plant will disrupt their lives. Many have health issues and some worry the noise and disruption might kill them. They also worry about the chemicals that will be stored and used in the desalination plant. The city has assured them there will be no smell and no risk to pubic health. Business owners and other residents in the neighborhood have also complained. They would rather see new commercial uses for the lot, or perhaps a mixed residential and commercial development. A water plant, they said, will do nothing to spur economic development in the area. In December, Planning Commission Chairman Jeffrey Weber said he was supporting the project because I think this new facility is an integral part of our water system and for the greater good of the city. He also said a quiet, odorless treatment plant would be a better option and neighbor for the The Springs residents than just about any other use. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers, 201 N. Broadway. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones Republicans in Congress are beginning to grapple with how to help President-elect Donald Trump fulfill one of his biggest campaign promises: to build a wall along the Mexican border to slow illegal immigration. Trump is expected to ask Congress to provide the initial funding for the massive project, estimated to cost between $12 billion and $38 billion. Once construction gets underway, Trump has said he will demand reimbursement from the Mexican government, even though Mexican officials have said they will refuse to cooperate. Advertisement Amid concerns American taxpayers would shoulder the burden, Trump promised Friday that he would force the U.S. neighbor to pony up the money. The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later! he tweeted. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox responded on Twitter, Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he cant keep. Meanwhile Republicans were scrambling Friday to figure out how to provide initial support for the wall, despite opposition from Democrats and resistance from budget conservatives in their own party. Im not sure anyone believed the government of Mexico was going to write a giant check to the federal registry, but there are other ways to ensure Mexico does pay for the border buildout, said Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.), chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. There are broad conversations about fulfilling all of Mr. Trumps campaign promises. An aide to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said no new talks are underway with the Trump transition team on the border issue. But Trumps transition team acknowledged that they would seek help from lawmakers. Obviously a centerpiece of Donald Trumps successful campaign was, Im going to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it, said advisor Kellyanne Conway on Fox and Friends. That hasnt changed, but Congress is examining ways to have the wall paid for through their auspices and Mr. Trump is making the point that he will have Mexico pay it back. During the campaign, Trump suggested that if Mexico did not agree to pay for the wall, the U.S. might impose a fee on financial remittances sent home by Mexicans working in the U.S. illegally. Such a move would surely provoke opposition from the financial services industry. Messer said another possibility would be raising some of the funds, about $4 billion, by cutting a child tax break for immigrants here illegally. The president-elect has also suggested the U.S. could try to pressure Mexico by reducing or slowing down the process by which Mexicans get travel cards and visitors visas. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, parent for the Border Patrol, has already budgeted $175 million for procurement, construction and improvements. But even if that money is diverted to the wall, it wouldnt be nearly enough. On Capitol Hill, Republicans noted that President George W. Bush signed a 2006 law that authorizes construction of a wall along the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico. It was passed by a Republican-led Congress, with support from now Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York and other Democrats. But it did not provide the needed funding. Trump has estimated a wall would cost up to $12 billion to build. But it could be more than triple that, $38 billion, according to an analysis published by MIT Technology Review. Thats equal to the entire annual budget for the Department of Homeland Security. The difference depends on the type of the fencing double versus single layer, for example and how much of the border the wall covers. Republicans said one scenario would be to link new border funds to a must-pass bill to keep the government running past April 28. Such a legislative maneuver would force Democrats, who mostly oppose border funding absent broader immigration law changes, to join the vote or run the risk of a springtime government shutdown. They would have a hard time going home and explaining why they voted against it, said one Republican leadership aide, granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. But the strategy could backfire if Republican deficit hawks raise concerns about adding to the debt load. It is unclear if Trump will propose offsetting any wall construction costs with spending cuts elsewhere. A spokeswoman for the House Appropriations Committee said the Trump team has not submitted a funding request for the wall. The chairman and the committee have no interest in threatening a shutdown, the spokeswoman said. The committee has not received any request from the Trump team or leadership on this issue. If and when a proposal is received, we will take a careful look at it. This is not the first time Trump has indicated that U.S. taxpayers would front the costs. During an October speech in Gettysburg, Pa., in which he outlined promises for his first 100 days in office, Trump said he would ask Congress to approve legislation that fully funds a wall. Dont worry about it, he said at the time. Remember, I said Mexico is paying for the wall, with the full understand[ing] that the country of Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such a wall, OK? lisa.mascaro@latimes.com @LisaMascaro brian.bennett@latimes.com @ByBrianBennett noah.bierman@latimes.com @noahbierman ALSO U.S. intelligence report says Putin targeted presidential election to harm Hillary Clintons chances Trump derides new Apprentice while Schwarzenegger takes the high road Democrats want fast-food workers to testify at Trump Labor secretary pick Andy Puzders confirmation hearing Gene Panes computer abruptly stopped working, save for a jarring message that appeared on his screen. It was a warning that said I had downloaded a virus and had to pay $199 to get rid of it, Pane, a retired business executive who lives in Carlsbad, said of the recent incident. I needed the files on my computer, so I paid. The money wont break me, but still ... Pane had accidentally downloaded ransomware, a rapidly growing form of extortion in which hackers slyly load malicious software onto peoples computers via emails, decoy ads, bogus news stories and code embedded in all manner of websites. Advertisement Its entirely possible that well have far in excess of $1 billion in losses worldwide related to ransomware, said Special Agent Chris Christopherson, who investigates cyber crimes out of the FBIs field office in San Diego. He was referring to the projected tally for 2016, which will take awhile to finalize. The figure for this year could turn out to be twice as much. Slideshow: Five things to know about ransomware At least 190 types of ransomware currently exist, experts said. Once a malicious link is clicked, the virus encrypts the files on a persons computer and freezes the home screen. Victims then receive a message saying they have to pay a fee to regain control of their hijacked computers. In most cases, the ransom must be paid in bitcoins, a comparatively new international form of digital currency thats hard for banks and law enforcement to trace. The FBI said every hour, about 4,000 computers around the world become infected with ransomware. Thats just an estimate. For a variety of reasons, the exact depth and breadth of the problem arent known. Cyber experts said many ransomware victims never report such extortion because they feel ashamed for getting duped, are worried that people will know they visited a pornography website or some other questionable page, or just want to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Other people dont know where to report an attack or doubt whether law-enforcement authorities would investigate this type of ransom demand, which experts said generally doesnt exceed $700 per incident. And many businesses particularly in the health-care industry are loathe to acknowledge that they were attacked for fear of undermining the publics confidence in their ability to protect data. The challenge that we must overcome is the shame of being a victim, said Todd OBoyle, chief technology officer for Percipient Networks, a security firm based in Wakefield, Mass. Until people are OK saying that theyve been victimized, there will be no way to measure the size of the problem. Its OK to talk. This is like being robbed. Youre a victim. Related: How to fend off ransomware attacks Hardly anyone is being spared the grief these days. Ransomware is one of the few cyber-criminal business models where the same attack could harm a Fortune 500 company, a local restaurant and your grandmother, the company Palo Alto Networks of Santa Clara said in a report. OBoyle has seen the attacks evolve. In the bad old days, the same person who attacked you would write the software and send you the malicious email. Now, there are professional software developers who build the solicits that trick you, he said. They sell the software to hackers, who also buy email lists and operate the servers needed to handle the traffic, he added. They can buy the software and lists on the underground the (alternate online network known as the) dark web. These franchisees hire young, energetic, persistent sales and support people to do the rest of the work. Theres particular concern about a recent innovation in ransomware, said Reg Harnish, chief executive of GreyCastle Security, a firm based in Troy, N.Y. There are new variants that offer to decrypt infected victims computers as long as they are willing to infect someone else on their list of contacts, Harnish said. That can create a moral dilemma for the affected consumers and businesses. In some cases, the malicious software called malware launches a countdown clock on the computer screen, giving victims a specific length of time to pay up. If they dont comply, the hackers sometimes delete files on the hijacked computer. Of course, in all instances of ransomware, theres no guarantee that a hacker will free up the affected computer once a payment is made. The anger and anxiety caused by ransomware were clearly evident in the more than 50 responses The San Diego Union-Tribune received when it asked readers whether they had been hit by this crime. Rick Schloss, a publicist in San Diego, said he received an email that appeared to be from FedEx. He was expecting a package, so he clicked on the message, inadvertently launching ransomware. Im panicking, wondering whats going on, he said. They wanted $300 in bitcoins. I didnt know how to transfer money that way, and didnt know anyone who does. Schloss computer was crucial to running his business, so he ignored the hackers and bought a new machine for $1,500. Fortunately, he was able to upload his lost files from another device. On a pissed number-scale of 1 to 10, it was an 11!, Schloss said. Lou Cumming, a retiree in La Jolla, also got scammed. The hackers were so polite, he initially didnt know he was being attacked. The problem began in March 2015 when he downloaded an email attachment. The next thing I know, my computer screen turned all blue with loud bells going off, lights blinking and in the screen center there appeared a box saying it was Microsoft (and the company was) aware of my problem and gave me a phone number to call ASAP to get it fixed, Cumming said. All during this process, (the guy who took his call) was very polite and courteous, like there was nothing wrong, he recounted. Claiming to be from Microsoft at the very inception of this problem really put my mind at ease. Following the mans instructions, Cumming paid $308 to an unknown party. In actuality, Microsoft doesnt place such messages on peoples screens or demand such payments. Then Cumming experienced a similar attack last month. About three days later, he received a call asking for another payment. This time, he sought help from a friend who subsequently discovered and removed the malware that had been placed on his computer. Ransomware is an exponentially larger problem for the city of San Diego, which faces a daily onslaught of ransomware attacks against its 14,000 desktop and laptop computers. It has become the malware of choice, said Gary Hayslip, the citys chief information security officer. Some days I truly wish for just basic good-old email spam, the type that annoys you but doesnt try to destroy your organizations assets or interrupt business operations. With that said, here at the city, we have a strict policy that we dont pay ransom. The FBI also advises people not to pay ransom. Obviously, we dont want to see criminals make money from their criminal activity, Special Agent Christopherson said. It funds further illicit activity, and it kind of emboldens them. However, we do understand that businesses or even individuals might have a lot of money invested in files (on their computers). There are going to be business decisions that arise where people pay the ransom. Even some law-enforcement agencies have decided to pay the hackers. Last year, for example, the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office in Maine and four towns in that area together paid $300 to end a ransomware attack. Experts warn that if people use their credit card to make a ransom payment, they wont be able to get relief later by calling their credit card company to request a cancellation or refund. Overall, cyber analysts said hackers, which include so-called cyber gangs and criminal syndicates, currently have the upper hand. Tracking the attacker or crime group back to their offices because yes, ransomware is a business can be difficult if not impossible, said James Carder, vice president of LogRhythm Labs, a security company in Boulder, Colorado. You combine that with the sheer number of attackers or crime groups and you almost dont know where to start. If youre a law-enforcement agency, that makes it extremely difficult to do your job. REFLECTIONS OF AN FBI CYBER CRIME EXPERT The San Diego Union-Tribune recently interviewed Special Agent Chris Christopherson, who investigates cyber crimes out of the FBI field office in San Diego. Here are some of his comments about ransomware; the remarks were edited for space and continuity. What happens in a ransomware attack? Its dark and seedy. Its a form of malware that infects your computer. The hacker or someone trying to extort money from you takes control of your computer. With that control, they go out and download the ransomware. The ransomware has specialized instructions for decrypting the files on your computer and displaying some sort of ransom message. Even if you have (those) encrypted files decrypted, you still have the initial infection. How big is the problem? Every hour of every day, we believe that 4,000 computers (worldwide) are being infected with ransomware. All the data files are being encrypted. And at the end of the day, theyre trying to extort a ransom. The more computers they infect, the more likely someone is to pay the ransom. Ive got a list, which Im sure is not exhaustive, of almost 200 forms of ransomware. Who are these hackers? What we see a lot of the time in cyber crime and ransomware is not different (are) people who are very talented, who have a gift for math programming, science, things of that nature, but dont have an outlet for employment. You see economies, like in eastern Europe or even potentially Russia, where there are not a lot of jobs in that area, but there are a lot of people who are educated. It becomes a problem where they turn to the black market, to the dark side, in order to get some sort of employment or money. What they resort to is making money for criminal groups or writing software and selling it to criminal groups. Can you understand why some people agree to pay a ransom to hackers? There are often really good business reasons to pay the ransom. Our only fear is that the more money the criminals make by writing and distributing ransomware, the more they will do it. So our concern is two-fold: It is for the victims, of course. But (also) for stopping the criminal activity in the future. Were kind of caught in a hard place where we dont want people to pay the ransom, but we have seen certain instances where it makes sense. gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com ABOARD THE SUPERCARRIER CARL VINSON Strolling through Third Fleets headquarters in San Diego, Vice Adm. Nora Tyson walks by walls lined with photos of William Bull Halsey, the legendary World War II commander who witnessed the 1945 surrender of Imperial Japan aboard his flagship ship Missouri. She passes through a conference room named after him. Halseys six crystal snifters for downing boilermakers are mounted in a case there. Nearly an entire wall in her adjoining office is draped in Halseys five-star admiral flag. Often outnumbered by more powerful Japanese forces, Halsey turned the Third Fleet sailors into daring, nimble and ruthless exponents of his motto hit hard, hit fast, hit often. Advertisement Deactivated at the end of the war, the Third Fleet was resurrected in 1973. Although it controlled all Navy forces on the West Coast, whenever one of its aircraft carrier groups crossed the International Date Line, it was turned over to the Navys Seventh Fleet. Until now. Steaming west since Thursday, Third Fleets Carrier Strike Group One will remain under Tysons command when it enters the Western Pacific, once Halseys hunting grounds. The brainchild of Adm. Scott H. Swift, the current commander of all Navy forces in the Pacific, Third Fleet Forward is supposed to spark synergy between Tysons command and the Seventh Fleet. The Navys goal is to make both more efficient by allowing them to conduct operations independently, Tyson said. Echoing World War IIs Third Fleet, the strike group promises to give commanders all the way up to the president more options either in the rare event of waging war against an enemy or by responding to humanitarian crises such as the 2004 earthquake and tsunami near Indonesia that wreaked havoc on 14 coastal nations. The vision is that Tyson can quickly reach out to a strike group thousands of miles away and offer not only the expertise of Third Fleets 260 staffers in San Diego headquarters plus all other available assets along the West Coast under her command including four other strike groups, if Swift orders it. Youve got another fleet, another fleet staff, that has the capability to command and control, really, globally, Tyson said in an interview Thursday aboard the San Diego-based supercarrier Carl Vinson, the strike groups flagship. Carrier Strike Group One commander Rear Adm. James Kilby said that answering to Tyson in San Diego instead of Seventh Fleet near Tokyo isnt a big change. Im going to be reporting to a boss and communicating to a boss. And that boss is now (Vice) Adm. Tyson, he said. The first female fleet commander in American history, Tyson said that after nearly 1 years at her post shes taken a careful crawl, walk, run approach to Third Fleet operating forward. In April, she deployed a trio of warships to the Western Pacific. On Oct. 21, one of them the destroyer Decatur steamed near the Paracel Islands, a sprawl of shoals and rocks in the South China Sea claimed by Beijing, Vietnam and Taiwan. The San Diego-based guided-missile warship was under Third Fleet command during the entire operation. It received little coverage in the United States, but Tysons freedom of navigation demonstration signaled to a rising China that American fleets in the Pacific can and will operate independently and without warning to keep seaways open to international shipping, naval warfare experts told the Union-Tribune. I was in China when the Decatur transited near the Paracel Islands in late October 2016, said Toshi Yoshihara, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and a top global expert on Chinese maritime strategy. It was headline news in China. It did not escape Chinese audiences that it was the first time that a destroyer under Third Fleet command challenged Chinas excessive maritime claims. The blogosphere in China was abuzz. The Chinese are under no illusions: They know that this administrative (and) operational innovation is directed at them. The Chinese read our moves very carefully. Thus, our force posture is a very important signaling mechanism. Fellow Naval War College strategy professor James Holmes said when Tyson orchestrates future operations in places like the South China Sea, Beijing will absorb a worthwhile message at the margins. We should calibrate all of our words and deeds to send messages to China, our allies and the home audience on a 24/7/365 basis. Beijing is always communicating; we need to as well. This is sound diplomacy that will shape opinion in our favor, he said. Carrier Strike Group One is slated to return to San Diego in about five months. Tyson wants to visit Kilby and his sailors often in the Western Pacific, she said, but most of the time shell oversee his warships from her Point Loma headquarters issuing orders from an office and conference room dedicated to Bull Halsey. 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 Two San Diego County congressmen are asking the San Diego VA for an explanation of why it was one of five VAs nationally that saw health care scores decline last year. U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter, both Republicans and military veterans, dispatched a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in La Jolla on Friday. These results are unacceptable and signify that your branch of the VA has substantial room for improvement, it said. Advertisement Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day The letter asks the VA San Diego Healthcare System director to respond with a list of changes made in response to the decline in scores. The list of year-over-year scores for all VA medical centers was published by the VA last month. 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. The scores are based on a long list of measures of medical care and access issues, such as call center performance and wait times for appointments. The director of San Diegos VA medical system has said a change in the way access issues are included in the calculation is what prompted the San Diego networks scores to fall -- including its overall ranking dropping from a four to a three about a year ago. On the VAs internal rating scale, five is the best; one is the worst. A San Diego Union-Tribune 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. Dr. Robert Smith, director of the VA San Diego Healthcare System, has said downgraded scores have already prompted change, including 14 additional people hired for the centralized call center in the past year. Smith has also said there are issues with how the VA calculates its scores. He said technical matters, such as the criteria for categories changing over time, skewed some comparisons that showed declines on the medical side. In response to the letter from Issa and Hunter, Smith released a statement to the Union-Tribune on Friday, saying: It is correct that the VA San Diego Health Care System fell from a four-star to a three-star ranking among all VA facilities in the fall of 2015. However, there has been no further decline in our overall ranking. The major reasons for that fall were our relative performance in measures of mental health and specialty care access, our call center performance, and our mental health experience of care. Over the last year, we have made significant improvement in these areas and are deeply committed to continuing that improvement while continuing our historically strong performance in measure of inpatient care such as overall hospital mortality and length of stay where our scores are among the best in the VA. These are pivotal months for the national veterans agency. RELATED: 4 biggest issues facing the next VA secretary President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a major overhaul of the $182 billion department, particularly its medical system. Hunter, whose district includes East County, is on record saying get rid of the current VA structure and replace it with speciality care for combat injuries only, with other care being delivered by the private sector. On the other hand, several prominent veterans groups have voiced concern about the possible dismantling of the current system. They said it will lead to worse care for the nations veterans. Issas spokesman said the North County congressman supports measures that would increase flexibility and options available, but acknowledges that our veterans face unique health care challenges that the VA is uniquely qualified to treat and wants to reform it so that the VA can do a better job in those areas. 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 jen.steele@sduniontribune.com Facebook: U-T Military Twitter: @jensteeley A controversial painting that depicts police officers as animals was removed Friday from a Capitol Hill wall by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) following complaints that it was offensive. Joe Kasper, chief of staff for the congressman, said Hunter personally took down the painting and delivered it to the Washington office of Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), who had sponsored the student competition won by the paintings creator. It made a very strong statement today, and theres been an outpouring of support, Kasper said of his boss action. Advertisement Law enforcement agencies had called for the paintings removal, and several officers came to Hunters office Friday to thank him, Kasper said. The Peace Officers Research Assn. of California and the Fraternal Order of Police also put out statements in support of Hunter, he said. Steven Engelhardt, a spokesman for Clay, said the congressman may make a statement next week about the issue and whether the painting would be reinstalled. The spot where the controversial painting hung on a Capitol Hill wall. (Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times ) Kasper said Hunter would not take the painting down again if Clay put it back up. He gets along really well with Lacy Clay, whos four doors down from us, Kasper said. This isnt anything personal. Its not about him or Hunter. The painting was part of the national Congressional Art Competition. Lawmakers sponsor the student competition in their states, but they do not select winners. The controversial 2016 work was created by David Pulphus, who at the time was a senior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School in St. Louis. Named Untitled #1, the painting depicts a clash between police and protesters on the street. In it, gun-wielding officers have heads that resemble that of a boar, while one protester appears to be a panther or wolf, and people on the street hold signs that read History, Justice Now and Racism Kills. The painting was selected as the Missouri winner in May and had hung for months in a tunnel that connects House office buildings to the U.S. Capitol. Its presence became controversial over the last two weeks when conservative bloggers wrote about it and a Fox News commentator called for its removal. Law enforcement agencies also had called for it to be taken down. I cant believe it was up there in the first place, said Gary Moore, president of the Deputy Sheriffs Assn. of San Diego County. Moore said he had no problem with Hunter taking down the painting, which he saw as not helpful after a year when many police officers had been killed in the line of duty. Its certainly not part of the solution, he said. As the controversy grew, Clay issued a statement that defended freedom of expression. I would never attempt to approve or disapprove artistic expression, he said. The U.S. Capitol is a symbol of freedom, not censorship. In a May news release from Clays office, the painting was described as a colorful landscape of symbolic characters representing social injustice, the tragic events in Ferguson, Mo., and the lingering elements of inequality in modern American society. Clays district includes Ferguson, where in 2014, riots broke out after a white officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black man. Kasper said the painting was discussed Friday morning in the House Republican Conference, where several representatives said they objected to it. When it rises to this level of controversy, somebody should make a move to take it down, Kasper said. The funny thing about this is, nobody was sure who had the authority to take it down, so Hunter said, Ill do it. Hunter, who served as a Marine in Iraq, couldnt be reached for comment Friday. But he previously had expressed anger over the painting and said he wanted it removed. Im in the Marine Corps, he told FoxNews.com. If you want it done, just call us. Kasper said the paintings location was especially troubling because it was next to an entrance where police officers usually are stationed. gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT Warth writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. ALSO Northbound Interstate 15 remains closed near Nevada state line after motorist fires at officers Heroin overdoses in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks including teen boy prompt crackdown; 17 arrested More than 1,200 homeless veterans living on Los Angeles streets still need housing UPDATES: 4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from Hunters office and additional details throughout. This article originally was published at 1:20 p.m. Investigators recovered the remains, possibly of an infant, late Thursday in a Riverside park after a homeless woman told them she had buried her baby there shortly after birth a year ago. The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroners Office will examine the remains to determine if they are the womans infant, said Officer Ryan Railsback, a spokesman for the Riverside Police Department. Burying human remains, he said, is illegal. It is unclear if the woman will face any charges, but police are investigating the incident. You cant bury human remains unless you have some type of license, he said. You cant just bury it on your own. Advertisement Police began investigating the case after workers from the Department of Child Protective Services talked to the woman and her husband at a hospital on Wednesday, he said. The couple had taken their small child to the hospital for treatment, Railsback said. When hospital staff learned the couple was homeless, they contacted Child Protective Services. The woman told workers she had had a baby who was either a stillborn or died shortly after birth, he said. The couple did not know what to do with the infants remains, so they buried them in McLean-Anza Narrows park, according to Railsback. The park rests on the banks of the Santa Ana River and is often the site of homeless encampments, he said. Child Protective Services notified police detectives, who talked to the woman. She directed detectives to an area where she believed the infant was buried. Then on Thursday, detectives dug up the ground for two to three hours, but didnt find the infant and briefly stopped searching. Later that night, coroners investigators and detectives found the remains. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. ALSO A big mess: Mammoth prepares for a monster snowstorm Northbound Interstate 15 remains closed near Nevada state line after motorist fires at officers Pedestrian struck and killed by Metro Blue Line train in Compton The passenger of a helicopter that crashed into the Port of Los Angeles on Wednesday night was a veteran freelance photographer on assignment to capture photos of a rare trio of cruise ships inside the harbor. Michael Justice, 61, of San Pedro, and pilot Christopher Reed, 41, of Hermosa Beach, were aboard the black Robinson R-22 helicopter when it crashed near the breakwater that juts out from Cabrillo Beach, killing them. Their bodies were recovered from the aircrafts wreckage Thursday morning. Justice was a port photographer and had commissioned a flight on Wednesday after three cruise ships made a rare stopover at the harbor, said port spokesman Phillip Sanfield. The port, he said, doesnt usually get a visit from three cruises at one time. Advertisement He wanted to capture the vessels in the fading sunlight, Sanfield said. Reed and Justice took off from Zamperini Field in Torrance in one of the copters registered to JJ Helicopters Inc. and flew over the harbor. Several passengers aboard a cruise ship told authorities that the helicopter circled one of the ships three times before it went down about 5:45 p.m., Sanfield said. Several other people in the area called 911 notifying dispatchers of the aircraft, which was believed to have crashed near the Angels Gate Lighthouse. The lighthouse sits at the end of the breakwater. The U.S. Coast Guard and Los Angeles Port Police searched for the wreckage of the helicopter, but did not find it. Justice and Reed never reported back to the Torrance airbase, Sanfield said. Then on Thursday, police used sonar equipment to locate the aircraft. Justice worked with the port since 2010 and has shot for several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, National Geographic Adventurer and Time magazine. He photographed Mother Teresa in Calcutta. He was really an extended member of the harbor family, Sanfield said. He lived and breathed on the docks. Former Daily Breeze newspaper photojournalist Branimir Kvartuc said he often worked with the freelance photographer in the Torrance area. He had a million stories to tell, but never forced them on you, Kvartuc said. When Kvartuc left the newspaper for a job at Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscainos office, he knew he would see Justice again. Kvartuc often ran into Justice at the harbor, an area that Buscaino represents. During a recent conversation, the friends talked about their separate trips next month to Cuba and how they planned to meet up. Its almost in a way ... an accomplishment as a photographer to go out doing your job, he said. Reed was an accomplished pilot, Los Angeles Port Police Chief Thomas Gazsi said at a news conference Thursday, adding that he will be greatly missed. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. UPDATES: 4:00 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Branimir Kvartuc. This article was originally published at 2:50 p.m. Theres a core belief of Zen Buddhism that shapes Japanese responses when bad really bad things happen. Its called gaman, and it guides believers to respond to suffering with forbearance and dignity. Westerners might call that stoicism, after the ancient Greeks. Close, but its more than that. Stoicism is acceptance of what the gods want. Gaman is patience with what the world demands. (Im sure a half-dozen scholars who study 500-page books on Eastern religions are already sputtering their fine points.) Advertisement Patience and forbearance were required on Feb. 19, 1942 with a decree that made the government bend a knee to hysteria. It was Executive Order 9066 that interned about 120,000 U.S. citizens and residents of Japanese descent on the West Coast. It was sold as protection against sabotage and spying. Takeo Tak Sugimoto was there, and was swept away. The press generally supported the decree with heavy black headlines and go-along coverage. However, many citizens found it disquieting. Some didnt turn their backs on their Asian friends, including residents of Taks hometown of Encinitas. He doesnt recall a single unkind word, and that may be why he still makes his home there. * Tak is 89. He is a quiet, small person who walks with a cane, but does so resolutely, as a man certain of his path. His words are clear and brief; his thoughts, careful. Hes a successful retired pharmacist, a former business owner with a doctorate from the University of Southern California and the father of five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The gaman doctrine is still part of his makeup. He cocoons bad experience with a wrapping of quietude. His memories are forgiving. In his youth, Encinitas was two or three thousand residents surrounded by scrub brush in remote North County. When invited to our house in Cardiff, Tak was offered directions. Not needed, he said. I know the area. I hunted rabbits up there as a kid. I told him, bring your gun. I saw one run under a bush yesterday. He took a seat in front of my computer and viewed some black and white photographs. They were by the great Dorothea Lange, and were of the removal of the victims a fair word of the internment order. (anchoreditions.com/blog/dorothea-lange-censored-photographs) Tak looked at the old photos, which showed little girls clinging to dolls as though giving protection, kids pledging allegiance to the flag, men with suitcases and haunted eyes contemplating loss of career and property, and women holding babies while awaiting the train that would take them where? He stared impassively. I know these scenes. What he thought more deeply, he didnt share. * Tak was 14 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He had no idea where that was, and he had only a vague notion of Hawaii. But he remembers his mother, Yoshie, turning quiet at the news as she went about her chores of running a home in the absence of a hospitalized husband. Tak says, She knew it was bad. We kids didnt know how bad it would be for us, but she did. She sensed it. Dec. 7, 1941 was on the radio and somewhere far away, but what happened on subsequent days to them was real and right outside the door. We got up in the morning and went out to the fields, and all of sudden all these black automobiles came: FBI, immigration and local police. They got out and plucked a lot of men right out of the field, put them in cars and took them away. The men didnt even get a chance to say goodbye to their families, Tak says. Where did they take them? Who knows. I never saw most of them again. I found out that the government had a dossier on all the immigrants. His father was in Mercy Hospital in San Diego at the time of Pearl Harbor, suffering from tuberculosis. Tak says Japanese considered TB particularly loathsome, so none of their traditional clergy would call on him. But local Christians did. His father told his family members that henceforth, they would be Christian. Tak was baptized at Blacks Beach. After Dec. 7, his father was transferred from Mercy to the L.A. area and the rest of the family lost touch with him after its relocation. Late in the war, when his older brother was drafted into the Army, he asked for a pass to visit his father in California. It was denied because the West Coast was still off-limits, even for a Nisei (born in the U.S.) like him in uniform. The family was told of the fathers death in 1944, and his ashes (it was presumed) were mailed to them in a package. The Lange photos are in accord with Taks memories of the time of departure and internment. Seen through her lens, the Japanese-Americans at the time were almost passive, lining up quietly when told to. Thats gaman. However, Tak says there was also a mood of trusting. They believed that these United States, in which they were born or had chosen to live, would not abuse them or cause them danger, wherever they were taken. They were, after all, loyal Americans. If the irony of that was apparent to those in charge, it didnt prevent the trains being loaded and departing on time in early April 1942. When the call came to leave for the camps, my mother, as always, was reassuring: Things will work out, she said. She also told us, Dont be bitter because bitterness will kill you. Tak says prewar, there were about 13 Japanese-American families from Del Mar to south Carlsbad. All were farmers, he recalls. They leased land on which to grow their crops. The machinery and large equipment belonged to them, and when they had to leave, they couldnt just abandon it in the fields. Opportunistic buyers lurked watchfully in the weeds like coyotes, eager to take it off their hands. In Encinitas, civic benefactor and wealthy landowner Paul Ecke came to their rescue and rented a large warehouse and offered it to the farmers to store their equipment and household goods for the duration and for free, Tak says. The Sugimotos stored what they could and sold the rest cheap, really cheap. The name Ecke is still prominent in Encinitas, but not more venerated than in the memories of those internees to whom that paterfamilias reached out. Tak remembers a poignant but distressing moment as his train departed. All the internees had been told to bring only what they could carry in two suitcases, but some came loaded with excess baggage, not believing they would have to leave their hard-earned belongings behind. Tak can still look back down the tracks as the train pulled out of the Oceanside station and see the heaped clothing and valuables stacked on the platform getting smaller in the distance. One has no doubt that new clothes were sported on Hill Street that weekend. * The train rolled on with windows closed and blinds drawn to no one aboard had any idea. Soldiers with bayoneted rifles stood sentry at either end of each stifling car. The crowded evacuees were finally disgorged amid the Arizona desert, with sand dunes stretching and shimmering in the heat. Welcome to Poston, Ariz., with a population that quickly grew to 20,000 housed in raw-wood shacks thrown together like a chicken coop. Broiling in summer, freezing in winter. The three adjacent camps were promptly named Roasten, Toastin and Dustin. Part of the complex was on an Indian reservation. The Indians would have nothing to do with it; perhaps tribal memory told them theyd seen this type of thing before. If youre looking for stories of brutality and inhumane conditions, Tak makes clear that he didnt see it or hear about it in his camp. The residents settled into a routine not dissimilar to the towns they left. It is indicative of the organization and self-regulation of the camp that the guards probably dozed in the Arizona heat. Internees were taken advantage of, as you would expect. Pay was a pittance for jobs such as maintenance, teaching and health care. Everything was orderly, but the orderliness became punitive as it extended to fences and curfews and gates that closed at night abuse that left no outward marks. Tak, on the other hand, had a ball. No farm chores, just ball games, buddies all around and daily flirting with more girls than hed meet in several years back home. * In January 1945, Tak acquired a sponsor to enable him to return and graduate at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. The sponsor was a teacher at the school who took Tak into his Vista home, and they commuted to school together. When I rejoined my classmates at San Dieguito, the injustice was made personal for the first time because kids that I knew who had nothing, I mean absolutely nothing when we left, when I got back, they all had their own cars and were doing all these social things because they were working part-time (at wartime industries) and were drawing really good pay. When we left, my family was not rich, but we were not poor. We made a better than average living on the farm. But when we returned nothing. However, in Encinitas, the same people who had been friendly to his family before the war were still friendly in the midst of it. The Sugimotos were remembered as neighbors of industry and respect. There were incidents, of course, but not traumatic, except for one trip to downtown San Diego. There, he remembers staring at store windows and seeing scrawled graffiti: Japs this, and Japs that, and damn the Japs. It was the only time he looked around nervously. In our entire interview, the only time I saw Tak show visible emotion was when he described walking to the stage to get his high school diploma that day in mid-1945. His voice broke as he described how the entire assemblage students, teachers, parents stood and applauded. Almost three-quarters of a century later and an old man chokes up at a distant memory. How intense must have been the emotion that day? * The year after the war ended, Tak joined the Army and served in Korea and Japan. He came back with a memory that never left. After telling me his father was a fisherman before turning to farming, Tak relates his story. One day (in Japan), I went to a lake and there was this old man renting skiffs to go out on the water. So were talking, and he asks where Im from. I says, San Diego. He says, Yeah, I used to be in San Diego. I says, Oh? He says, But I came back here before the war and I got trapped. I says, Never went back? He says no, but then asks my name. I tell him, and he asks my dads name. I tell him, and he says, I used to work for him as a fisherman. I ask Tak if his five children show much interest in the internment. No, not much. How about grandchildren and great-grandchildren? No, not at all. His childrens kids and grandkids are all Eurasian and thoroughly American. So who has time for all that old stuff? Thoroughly American. Thats exactly what Tak was long before they were born. * In retrospect, its understandable that society might act rashly in a time of panic. However, the rash act (internment) persisted for more than three years, long after eventual victory was apparent. That is less forgivable. Clarence Darrow once said, True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else. With all of todays trivializing of the word hate, we need to protect its sting by avoiding overuse. Lets save it for hating injustices like Executive Order 9066. Issei, nisei and sansei Americans who were ensnared in hysterias trap fought back with dignity and faith that all would be made right by their fellow Americans when they came to their senses. It never could be, not totally, but the quality of their citizenship, like that of Tak Sugimoto, shamed those who imprisoned them. That very act of social grace did its part to make sure the injustice would never happen again. Fred Dickeys home page is freddickey.net. He believes every life is an adventure and welcomes ideas at freddickey1@gmail.com. A 28-year-old man at a Mission Hills nightclub was stabbed during an argument early Saturday, San Diego police said. The victim was at Spin Nightclub on Hancock Street about 2:15 a.m. when his group of friends got into an argument with another group of men over being bumped, police said. The victim was stabbed twice in the left side of his chest and once in the leg with an unknown weapon, police said. He was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive. Advertisement Witnesses did not provide police a detailed description of the assailant. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis Judge Ronald Prager, a longtime Superior Court judge who has presided over several high-profile civil cases, has retired, court officials announced this week. Pragers official retirement date was Friday. Advertisement The judge spent 29 years on the bench in San Diego County. He was appointed to the Municipal Court in 1988, then elevated to the Superior Court in 1989 by Republican Gov. George Deukmejian. For much of his career, Prager has presided over civil cases in downtown San Diego, including major class-action lawsuits involving tobacco companies accused of advertising to minors and natural gas anti-trust cases. In an agreement Prager approved in 2004, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. agreed to limit tobacco advertising in teen magazines, settling a lawsuit filed in 2001 by then-state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. The company agreed to pay $11.4 million in civil penalties and $5.9 million for legal costs. Before becoming a judge, Prager worked in the state Attorney Generals Office and the San Diego County District Attorneys Office. He also served a stint as legal counsel for the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Most recently, the Superior Court judge had been assigned to the 4th District Court of Appeal, where he helped appellate court justices with their caseload. Prager is a graduate of Crawford High School in San Diego. He received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College in Claremont and his law degree from the University of Southern California. After leaving the bench, he plans to work in private dispute resolution as a mediator and arbitrator, according to a news release from the Superior Court. dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield As always, the San Diego Superior Court is expected to be busy this year, even as it wrestles with moving the downtown courthouse to a new building. Here are some cases to watch in 2017: A man accused of drunkenly driving off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge last month, killing four, was denied bail reduction Wednesday. Advertisement Chicano Park fatal DUI case A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for this month for Richard Anthony Sepolio, 25, who is accused of driving drunk and plunging off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, killing four people. A judge will decide at the end of the hearing whether enough evidence exists for the case to go to trial. Sepolio is accused of losing control of his pickup while transitioning from northbound Interstate 5 onto the bridge. The truck crashed through a barrier wall and landed in Chicano Park. The victims in the Oct. 15 crash were: Cruz Contreras, 52, and his wife, Annamarie Contreras, 50, of Chandler, Ariz., and Andre Banks, 49, and his wife, Francine Jimenez, 46, of Hacienda Heights. Sepolio faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI. Sunset Cliffs slayings An April 5 trial is scheduled for Peter David Haynes, 24, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting deaths of his parents the day after Thanksgiving 2014. Emergency physician Dr. David Haynes, 62, and Lissa Haynes, 61, were shot in their home in the Sunset Cliffs neighborhood. The doctor, who was alive when a police officer arrived at the house, said he had been shot by his son, who has schizophrenia. If convicted of murder, Peter Haynes faces life in prison without parole. But if a jury finds he was legally insane at the time of the killings, he would be sent to a state hospital. The disappearance of Jahi Turner A trial is set for April 3 in the case involving Tieray Jones, 38, who is charged with murder and felony child abuse in the 2002 disappearance of toddler Jahi Turner. But the trial date is likely to change now that Jones private attorneys are no longer on the case and the Public Defenders Office has been appointed to represent him. Jahi was 2 when Jones, his stepfather, reported him missing in San Diego. He told authorities he walked away from the boy at a playground in Golden Hill to get him a drink from a vending machine. When he returned, Jahi was gone. His body was never found. 2013 Christmas Eve killings A June 6 trial is set for Carlo Mercado, 31, who is charged in three shooting deaths, two of which occurred in a parking lot outside a Mission Valley shopping mall on Dec. 24, 2013. The victims were brothers Salvatore and Gianni Belvedere of San Diego and Giannis fiancee, Ilona Flint. Salvatore Belvedere and Flint were both 22 years. Gianni Belvedere, 24, was considered missing until his body was found three weeks later in the trunk of a car in Riverside. The District Attorneys Office is seeking the death penalty. The killing of Diana Gonzalez A new trial date will likely be set this month, when accused murderer Armando Perez appears before the judge assigned to preside over the case. Perez, 43, is accused of fatally stabbing his 19-year-old estranged wife Diana Gonzalez, whose body was found in a mens restroom at San Diego City College in 2010. Moments before opening statements were to begin in his 2014 trial, Perez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and lying in wait. A state appeals court reversed the conviction last year, saying Perez who was representing himself should have had a lawyer when he admitted to charges that could put him in prison for life without parole. Perez is still acting as his own attorney. The shootings of two San Diego police officers The case involving Jesse Michael Gomez, who is accused of shooting two San Diego police officers, one of whom died, remains in its early stages. Although there have been a few court appearances since Gomez, 56, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder, no hearing has been held yet to determine whether the case will go to trial. Officer Jonathan J.D. De Guzman was fatally shot July 28 in Southcrest. His partner, Officer Wade Irwin, was wounded. The case is set for another status conference in March. dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield A civil trial against Manuel Paul, the former San Ysdiro School District superintendent who served time in federal prison on a corruption charge, has been postponed until summer. He is being sued by the school district to recover severance pay. A motion to continue the civil jury trial that was scheduled to start Jan. 20 was granted last month by San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard Strauss. Advertisement Lawyers for both sides agree more time is needed to file motions in the case, which dates back to Feb. 2, 2015. An upcoming trial readiness conference and the trial were both vacated at a hearing held Thursday in the San Diego Superior Court. A new trial date has been set for Aug. 14. At issue in the case are changes to the lawsuit. William Trejo, the districts lawyer, is seeking to amend the complaint against Paul, and Pauls attorney Dennis Grady is arguing the changes do not conform to those allowed by the judge. Neither attorney returned a call for comment. San Ysidro is suing Paul, 65, in an attempt to recover more than $200,000 paid out to him in severance. Paul stepped down from the job in 2013 amid a pay-to-play scandal that swept through two South County school districts and the Southwestern Community College District. The district is accusing Paul of abuse of office and demanding he repay the money he received when he and San Ysidro parted ways. Paul pleaded guilty to one count each of state and federal corruption charges both were misdemeanors and was sentenced to two months in Taft Correctional Institution in Kern County on the federal offense. The sentence, however, came as a surprise to Paul, whose plea agreement did not include any time in custody. The federal charge of deprivation of benefit for political contribution stemmed from Pauls admission while being deposed in the breach-of-contract lawsuit filed against the district by solar firm EcoBusiness Alliance. Paul said he took $2,500 in cash from a contractor who wanted to do business with the district. PREVIOUS Manuel Paul, superintendent of the San Ysidro School District, admits in this June 20, 2012 deposition that he accepted about $2,500 in cash from a contractor. The FBI is investigating the case as a potential bribery and a federal grand jury has bee Follow me @HuardSDUT A new recommendation that aims to prevent peanut allergies in children is already changing the approach of local pediatricians. Released this week, the set of guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recommends that doctors begin introducing some infants to peanut-containing foods when theyre as young as 4 months of age. This strategy follows a seminal paper published in 2015 that showed early introduction of peanuts can desensitize the immune systems of children who are particularly susceptible to the allergy. Rady Childrens Hospital San Diego has begun putting the new protocol into practice, said Dr. Lawrence Eichenfield, Radys chief of dermatology and part of the national panel of experts who voted to make the recommendation. Advertisement Weve already started to identify those patients who are at highest risk and have already started to change the standards, Eichenfield said. The latest guidelines separate children into three categories of risk based on the presence of certain medical conditions known to be strong signals that a young child has a high chance of developing a peanut allergy. The key markers are eczema, which causes scaly skin rashes, and egg allergies. Parents of babies with either or both of these conditions are urged to give their infants some easily digestible peanut products when the children are between 4 and 6 months old but only after these patients have undergone at least one medical test to make sure theyve not already developed a peanut allergy. For this highest-risk group, Eichenfield stressed that such testing is critical. A pediatrician or allergist must be involved in the process, he said. For children who have mild eczema or none of the risk factors, experts advise their parents to begin giving them appropriate snacks that contain peanut protein at 6 months or older. Dr. Michael Welch, co-director of Radys Allergy and Asthma Medical Group, said the latest approach can sometimes create a little friction, or at least a little extra work, for families that already have one child with a known peanut allergy and are told they should start a new baby on peanut protein halfway through his or her first year of life. A lot of these families dont want peanuts in the house. I had a mom who would go to the park to give peanut protein to the infant because the older child had a peanut allergy, Welch said. He noted that the biggest change will be for front-line pediatricians, who now have a formal, evidence-based foundation to recommend that even babies with no risk factors be given some snacks with peanut protein. Putting this revamped standard into practice in a broad-based way, he added, has the biggest potential to significantly reduce the overall numbers of children who develop peanut allergies. It is clear, he noted, that many children will develop peanut allergies even if they dont have risk factors such as severe eczema and egg allergies. I think the bigger implication here, and the potential for making a difference, is in that wider group of children who arent necessarily at risk. (They) can make a big difference in reducing the amount of peanut allergy we are seeing, Welch said. The Israelis have a big head start in giving peanut protein in a form that can be consumed by youngsters who may still be working on their first tooth. Several years ago, researchers noticed that children in the United Kingdom have peanut-allergy rates 10 times higher than those in Israel. When they looked closer, they found that Israeli kids were often given Bamba snacks, a light but crunchy treat made from peanut butter and puffed corn, starting at about 7 months of age. A formal clinical trial involving 530 children showed that among those who ate Bamba, only 1.9 percent developed peanut allergies, compared with 13.7 percent who didnt. Welch said Bamba can be found in supermarkets across the San Diego region, typically in the specialty foods aisle. Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life paul.sisson@sduniountribune.com (619) 293-1850 Twitter: @paulsisson Miriam Medina set out alone at age 20 from her hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico, in 1992 for the United States, paying a smuggler to help her cross the San Ysidro mountains, in hopes of better opportunities for her life. In San Diego, she met the man who would become the father of her two children, a man who she said abused her physically and emotionally for more than a decade. He bruised her, raped her, turned her family against her and did everything in his power to control her life, she said. The violence and manipulation left Medina mentally scarred. She still tears up talking about that time in her life as she recalls the fear and helplessness she felt about being separated from her sons when the man threatened to get her deported as part of the abuse. Advertisement Just because I was illegal, he had the power over me, she said. Anne Bautista, an attorney with Access Inc., has worked on immigration cases for domestic violence victims for about 20 years. She said its common for victims who are unauthorized immigrants to go through years of abuse because their partners hold their immigration status over them. We all should care about victims of domestic violence, documented or not, because they are all people who do not deserve such treatment, Bautista said. Domestic violence is against the law and all victims, regardless of their legal status, deserve protection. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will ramp up local law enforcements partnership with immigration enforcement. Some believe that police doing the work of federal immigration officers would keep crime victims in immigrant communities from coming forward for fear of immigration-related repercussions. Trumps supporters tend to favor the partnership for the sake of increased enforcement. A 2013 study from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that 44 percent of Latinos surveyed in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Phoenix reported they were less likely to contact police if they were victims of crimes because they were worried about exposing their immigration status or that of people they knew. In 2013, President Barack Obama had not yet ended an immigration enforcement policy that led to some cities declaring themselves sanctuaries to keep their police from getting involved. Bautista remembered as a law student in family court that often women who were victims of domestic violence would file for restraining orders and then not show up to the hearing because they were afraid of getting deported. Its hard enough already to come forward, especially if your significant other has convinced you that the protections that are here for U.S. citizens are not available to you, including law enforcement, Bautista said via telephone. Adding the layer of law enforcement working with those who do immigration enforcement makes it that much harder for victims to come forward. Bautista said any victim of domestic violence, regardless of immigration status or home country, can struggle to come forward for many reasons including feelings of shame or fear of retaliation. It takes a huge amount of courage and trust to come forward to make that step of filing that report for anybody but especially if you have concerns about your status, Bautista said. Not all victims with status concerns are unauthorized. Immigrants who have recently married a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident are normally put on conditional legal status for two years before getting permanent residence, or a full green card. The spouse must apply with the immigrant in order to get the green card. That allows abusive spouses leverage over the victim. As part of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, Congress created several protections for non-citizen domestic violence victims. Those who were married to U.S. citizens or green card holders can petition on their own for a green card if they can show proof of abuse. If the couple was never married, those who can prove they cooperated with law enforcement in reporting abuse can apply for a U-visa, which gives four-year visas to crime victims and allows them to apply for green cards after three years. Miriam Medina (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Medina said she didnt know about the protection options as she endured abuse. I didnt want to make the situation worse than what it was, Medina explained. I got used to the routine all those years. I figured it was normal. The violence culminated on New Years Eve in 2009 when Medina, defending herself in a fight, left a scratch on his arm, she said. He called the police. Medina said he gouged his arm deeper himself to make it look like shed really hurt him while he was waiting for police to arrive. The man did not respond to attempts by The San Diego Union-Tribune to contact him. In court filings, he accused Medina of being the abuser and of cheating on him with a female coworker. He denied hurting her and accused her of lying about bruises that she reported to police. Medina was arrested and spent the first four days of 2010 in jail before being deported. She was never charged, according to her later court filings. Unable to stand the idea of being separated from her two young sons and worried for their safety with their father, she crossed again through the mountains in San Ysidro about a month after she was deported, she said. She moved back in with the man, not knowing what else to do. Shortly after, she said, Child Protective Services showed up and interviewed her and her sons. The agency staff told her that she had to get rid of the man who was abusing her, she said. I got a lot of help, Medina said. Without them, I couldnt have done it. In April 2010, Medina called police to report that the man raped her and bruised her arm a few days before. Police photographed her bruise, she said. She filed for a restraining order, which was granted in early May 2010, according to court documents. Medina said charges werent brought against the man. Early one morning in August 2010, around 7 a.m., Medina was getting ready for work when someone came to the door, she said. It was Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Medina suspected that her ex had reported her. The officers took her to an immigration detention facility. On the way, Medina told one of them about the abuse, her sons, her fears. She said the officer was understanding and helped her get released from the detention facility with an ankle monitor instead of having to remain locked up while she fought the case. The officers warned her that this was temporary, that she would have to leave the U.S. by November. Medina found a lawyer who helped her apply for a U-visa and avoid deportation. He thought he was going to harm me, but at the end, whatever happened to me happened for a reason, Medina said. I just missed all my good years. I feel like my life is starting now. Everything else was taken by him. Medina lives in Point Loma with her sons, 17 and 12. She was promoted in April to general manager of a fast-food restaurant in Clairemont. She now has full custody of her sons. She said she still doesnt trust men enough to try dating again. She said she hopes her story will encourage other victims to come forward, knowing they have options for protection. Its hard to take action to do it, she said. You have to have the courage. kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate The addicts pull up just after nightfall near a sedan parked along a busy street in this border city best known for murder. One by one, they fork over fistfuls of cash to Sonia Garcia, who reaches into the trunk of her car and hands over the trafficked goods. The original glazed are the most popular, Garcia explains. But, honestly, everybody has their own favorite doughnut. Advertisement In Juarez, Garcia, 51, and her two sons are the undisputed kings of the Krispy Kreme black market. Several times a week, one son crosses the border to El Paso and drives to the Krispy Kreme shop there, where the bulk purchase price is about $5 a dozen. He returns to Mexico with around 40 boxes of doughnuts so habit-forming that comedian Chris Rock once suggested they might be laced with crack. In Juarez, Garcia and another son sell the doughnuts nightly from two locations for $8 a dozen, or a 60% markup. Need doughnuts right now? The Krispy Kreme Familia, as they are known on their Facebook page, is here to help. They offer a doughnut hotline and will do special deliveries if the order is big enough. The business, whose name calls to mind notorious Mexican drug cartels such as La Familia Michoacana, survives because of the obsession many Mexicans have developed with Krispy Kremes signature recipes. The company opened its first franchise in Mexico in 2004 and now boasts dozens of locations. Board a flight from Mexico City, where Krispy Kreme shops are plentiful, to a part of the country where they are not, and dozens of passengers may be toting boxes of doughnuts for friends and family members. For a time, Juarez had its own Krispy Kreme shop. But a few years ago, amid a drug war that engulfed the city, making it among the most dangerous places in the world, that location shut down. Krispy Kreme officials didnt return requests for comment. The Garcias saw the closure as a business opportunity and launched the Krispy Kreme Familia. Garcia didnt discuss potential violations of the law like her familys use of the Krispy Kreme trademark or whether she pays import taxes on the doughnuts. She did say the modest profits the family has earned in the doughnut trade have helped put one son through engineering school. He used to sell the doughnuts in Juarez, but she took over when he started taking classes at night. The Garcias are among thousands of Mexicans who enter the U.S. regularly thanks to special visitor and work visas issued to people who live in border communities. Thousands of Americans make the reverse migration daily, crossing into Juarez to work or spend time with family there. The cities are so tightly entwined in matters of commerce, family and geography that theres a saying in these parts: When El Paso sneezes, Juarez gets sick. Although many here are wary of U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps vows to ramp up border security and his threats to start a trade war with Mexico, the constant movement of humans and goods across the border continues for now, doughnuts included. Its not that Mexico lacks options when it comes to fried, sugary dough. The country has several signature treats that are similar to doughnuts, including the fritter-like bunuelo and its sister pastry, the sopaipilla. Who doesnt love the churro, a long, thin piece of dough deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar? Still, American-style doughnuts have a distinct flavor and consistency not to mention cultural cachet and Mexican-style imitations for some reason tend to be too hard or too dry. I dont know why, but these are just softer and better, Garcia said as she manned the business on a recent chilly night. She had her trunk open, filled with about a dozen boxes, and had hung a big banner that read Krispy Kreme Donas the Spanish word for doughnut. After a self-described overdose on Krispy Kremes in the months after she began selling them, Garcia now allows herself just one doughnut a week. She prefers the jelly-filled variety. Some customers visit regularly, including three employees of a gym across the street. Once they pulled up and ordered a dozen doughnuts, she said. A few minutes later one of them emerged from the car and sheepishly asked for another dozen. On the recent night, as rush-hour gridlock had slowed traffic to a standstill on a main Juarez street, Juanita Gabriela Gaytan hopped out of her car and made a beeline for Garcias sedan. Garcia let Gaytan pick the doughnuts she wanted in her box, which the customer did artfully, selecting some with sprinkles, others filled with cream. When asked her favorite flavor, Gaytan seemed stumped: I really like them all. Gaytan said was bringing the doughnuts home for her family. I dont come here that often, she said, and then paused. Well, maybe two or three times a week. This story was reported with the support of a fellowship from the International Womens Media Foundation. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum ALSO An unlikely opponent emerges against the Philippine presidents brutal drug war: the vice president To cross the front lines in the battle for Mosul, you just hail a cab Beavers imported from Canada are threatening the primeval forests of Patagonia A 26-year-old man was fatally stabbed early Saturday in the courtyard of a City Heights apartment complex, San Diego police said. A woman called police to the complex on 42nd Street near Polk Avenue just before 3 a.m. to say her boyfriend had been stabbed, said Officer Tony Martinez. Officers found the victim, Juan Young Jr. of San Diego, bleeding from a stab wound to the chest, said homicide Lt. Mike Holden. The victim died at a hospital. Advertisement Witnesses told officers the victim had been arguing with a neighbor, police said. The suspect, Cesar Guerrero, 22, returned to the complex about 4:20 a.m. and was arrested, Holden said. Young left behind 2-year-old twins, according to a GoFundMe account to solicit funds for his funeral. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl If the community of San Ysidro feels neglected by San Diego City Hall, no one should be surprised. But the blue-collar area with 29,000 residents on the U.S.-Mexico border has always had promise, and now city leaders are moving to realize its potential. The recently approved San Ysidro Community Plan lays out a 30-year framework for smart growth involving multistory condos and apartments adjacent to the trolley line as well as the establishment of a San Ysidro Historic Village and a Mexican Village tourist area close to the border. Ambitious development plans usually bring out NIMBYs in California. But community leaders appear enthusiastic about a plan with a potential to make San Ysidro a more attractive place to live, visit and work. Given that some elements of the community plan require state Coastal Commission approval, the NIMBYs could still get in the way. But otherwise, the citys proposal feels like good news for a part of San Diego that could use it. Advertisement Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: UTOpinion The San Diego Union-Tribune encourages community dialogue on important public matters and welcomes letters to the editor of 150 words or less. Please fill in your full name, mailing address, the San Diego neighborhood or city where you live, your phone number and e-mail address in the form below. Submissions that do not include this information cannot be published. This information is seen only by the letters editors and is not used for any commercial purpose. We generally do not publish more than one letter from a single person within any 30-day period. 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COMMENTARY: See latest commentaries >> Please note: Letters and commentaries submitted may be used in print or in digital form in any publication or services offered by The San Diego Union-Tribune. A massive iceberg that is considered one of the largest icebergs ever recorded is about to break away from Larsen C shelf in Antarctica. About only 20 km of ice is preventing the 5,000 sq km piece from crashing and floating away from the shelf. Professor Adrian Luckman, the project leader from Swansea University, said that he will be amazed if it does not go in the next few months. He further said that there haven't been enough cloud-free Landsat images. On the other hand, they have managed to combine a pair of ESA Sentinel-1 radar images to notice this extension, and it is so close to calving that he thinks it is inevitable. The rift in the shelf has suddenly grown in December 2017. It is growing by about 18 km in just a few weeks. A piece, which is about the size of Kangaroo Island, will risk the whole shelf breaking up. Larsen C shelf is considered the most northern major ice shelf in Antarctica. It is about 350 meters thick and drifts on the seas at the edge of West Antarctica. Professor Luckman said that the area that will collapse will be about 5,000 sq km. The team also said that this is geographical and not a climate event. It is theorized that the global warming triggers the separation of the iceberg. On the other hand, the scientists said they have no evidence to substantiate this, according to BBC News. They are also concerned how another break-off will influence the rest of the ice shelf. In 2002, Larsen B was disintegrated following the same big calving event. Professor Luckman said that they are convinced, although others are not, that the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one. He further said that they expect in the ensuing months to years further calving events, and maybe an eventual collapse. On the other hand, he said it is very hard thing to predict and their models say it will be less stable -- not that it will immediately collapse or anything like that. Stuart Wilson, an archaeologist, discovered a medieval city or also referred to as the Lost City of Trellech under the ground of the field he bought for 32,000 (~US$39,344). It is on the border of England and Wales. The lot is about the 4.6 acre plot of land and Stuart Wilson bought it in 2004. He was convinced that one of the largest medieval towns in Wales called Trellech might be buried under the ground. He noticed that the land did not look like an agricultural with large square fields. He thought that a "footprint" had been developed by a structure underneath, according to Telegraph. Stuart Wilson said that people thought he was mad, and really, he should have bought a house rather than a field. He further said that it turned out to be the best decision of his life and he does not regret it at all. About 1,000 people have joined him on the dig for years. Some are archaeology students and others are intrigued about the land. Stuart Wilson said that he had pinpointed eight buildings. He added that they are finding building after building after building. They had found a manor house with two halls and a courtyard. Wilson described this find as the most spectacular. Other findings include a well that contained pieces of wood, bone and leather. They also found parts of jugs, fireplaces, cooking vessels and drains. The best finds they considered was a flint knapping kit dated back to the Neolithic era. Stuart Wilson theorized that the city had a population of about 10,000 people, which could be a quarter of the size of London. He further said that the settlement was established by De Clare family in the 13th century to develop armor, weapons and other military equipment. On the other hand, the city did not last long because it was attacked by the enemies of the De Clare family and might probably ravage by disease. In later centuries, Owain Glyndwr, the Welsh leader, attacked Trellech and it was destroyed, according to tThe Guardian. Stuart Wilson said that he thinks they have only found 0.1 percent of it. He invited students and volunteers to join the excavations in July and August. The United Arab Emirates has outlawed owning wild animals as pets. The Gulf News reported that while having cheetahs, leopards, tigers and lions as pets are considered as status symbols in the UAE, the government has imposed huge fines and penalties of imprisonment to those caught owning them. According to the new law, these big cats should only be kept in wildlife parks, circuses, zoos and research and breeding centers. People caught taking these dangerous animals out in public will be jailed for six months or be fined ranging from Dh10,000 (about $2,700) to Dh500,000 (about $136,000). Moreover, using these wild species for trading purposes will pay a fine of Dh50,000 (about $13,600) to Dh500,000, may be imprisoned or both. Those who are caught using their wild pets to attack and disable other people will be detained in jail from three to seven years. If a person dies, the owner of the animal shall face life imprisonment. Minor injuries will be subjected to imprisonment of less than a year or a fine of Dh400,000 (about $108,900). Meanwhile, using these wild animals to threaten people will be fined from Dh100,000 (about $27,000) to Dh700,000 (about $190,500). Furthermore, the UAE government also imposed stricter regulations in owning domestic animals. Starting this June, dog owners should present a license for their pets. When in public, these dogs should be kept on a leash as well. For imported animals, permits should be attained from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) and other vet offices in the UAE. Time Magazine reported that photos of dangerous wild animals displayed in public have been posted on social media prior to the law. Cheetahs were found on the hoods of Bentleys while lions are placed on passenger seats. In Qatar, a video of a tiger running along the road in heavy traffic was posted on Twitter. President Obama has denied all pending permits to conduct seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Friday. The blasts are used to detect oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean's surface, and they can injure or kill marine animals. The blasting ban is just one of many pro-environmental actions from Obama made in his final weeks as president. Another recent decision includes the removal of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans from a five-year program for oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf, as well as protecting parts of these oceans from future offshore drilling. The proposal would cover an area twice the size of California, extending from Delaware to Florida. Oceana campaign director, Claire Douglas said in a statement that with offshore drilling no longer an option in this region, there would been no reason to use airgun blasting there. "Seismic airguns create one of the loudest man-made sounds in the ocean, firing intense blasts of compressed air every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, for weeks to months on end," the statement reads. "The noise from these blasts is so loud that it can be heard up to 2,500 miles from the source, which is approximately the distance from Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas." RELATED: Obama to Create Atlantic Ocean Marine Monument Research suggests that underwater noise pollution could negatively affect at least 55 different marine species, including several that are endangered. The blasts "create a shock wave or pressure wave ... that wreaks havoc on anything that is 'squeezable,'" said Sean Anderson, professor of environmental science and resource management at California State University Channel Islands. "That pressure wave hits critters and essentially pops them. It's analogous to taking a sledgehammer to a tube of toothpaste. The bigger the organism is, and the more internal spaces or layers of differential tissue, the greater the damage," he told Seeker. Anderson also stressed that the hearing damage to marine mammals from seismic blasts is often life-threatening. "On the minimal impact end [of the blast] is short term noise which makes hearing or finding a mate impossible while the testing is going on," he explained. "But as we get closer to the blast, organisms risk damaging their hearing. The bang generally doesn't mess with fish hearing, but can easily mess with marine mammal hearing, and damage their ability to hear for either a long time to come or possibly permanently. Not good for an animal that may rely on echolocation for finding food or long-distance communication." President Obama was initially presented with information on the threat of of seismic airgun blasting when he received a letter in 2015 from 75 marine scientists urging him to consider the widespread damage to ocean species and ecosystems. RELATED: Russian Fisherman Catches the Most Bizarre Deep-Sea Creatures We've Ever Seen "Opening the U.S. East Coast to seismic airgun exploration poses an unacceptable risk of serious harm to marine life at the species and population levels, the full extent of which will not be understood until long after the harm occurs," the letter reads. Obama's ban on airgun blasting may have some unintended environmental benefits as well. "Not allowing the use of these super loud "air bombs" means lessening our immediate impact of mammals and fish in the survey area," Anderson said. "But it also amounts to a another hurdle for oil companies seeking to find new oil and gas deposits, and so indirectly helps to decarbonize our economy." WATCH: What's Hiding Deep Within The Ocean? Like a book and a cover, you can't always judge a tree by how it looks. Fungus can rot a living tree from the inside, leaving behind a healthy-looking but hollow trunk. Typically the rot is only seen when the tree is cut down. When a tree decays, it releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. And the tropics are home to 96 percent of the world's tree diversity, according to researchers, and those trees store a quarter of the world's terrestrial carbon. To get a better read on the health of tropical forests, researchers are now using sound to measure decay in trees. The research, published in the journal Applications in Plant Sciences, was conducted collectively by a group of college professors, grad students and high school teachers and students, who used a new way to examine 1,800 live trees in the Republic of Panama. RELATED: Oldest Pine Tree Fossils Discovered The group used a method for sending a sound wave through a tree and measuring how fast the sound wave travels - a process called sonic tomography. Sounds waves travel faster through solid trees, a measure of their health. In a decayed tree or one with cavities, where molecules are packed less tightly, sound waves travel more slowly. The process provides insights into how rotting affects tree mortality overall in a forest, said Greg Gilbert, lead author of the article and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in a statement. "Most of the decay is hidden," Gilbert said. "The tomography now allows us to see how many apparently healthy trees are actually decayed inside." And while the method won't work with some trees - including palms or any species that uses internal tissue to store water - it has benefits outside of the forest. The team used sonic tomography to perform a checkup on trees in Panama City, in part to highlight which ones might snap off in storms or heavy winds and cause injury or damage to property. WATCH: How Astronauts Grow Plants in Space This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A series of powerful storms was on track to unleash its full fury on the Golden State on Saturday night, threatening to push rivers in Wine Country above their banks, trigger mudslides in the Santa Cruz Mountains and drop several feet of snow on the Sierra crest. The giant plume of moisture over the Pacific Ocean that forecasters have been closely monitoring described as one of the biggest in years was expected to move within a few hundred miles of the coast Friday night, according to the National Weather Service. Known as an atmospheric river, the system was heading directly toward the southern San Mateo County shoreline, though little or none of the state was expected to be spared its bluster. As much as 10 inches of rain was forecast for Santa Cruz Mountains high spots such as Ben Lomond between late Saturday and Sunday. San Francisco could see 3.5 inches during the same period while hills in the North Bay could log 10 inches, forecasters said. The best thing to do is stay home this weekend, if you have a choice, said weather service meteorologist Carolina Walbrun. We will see flooding in a lot of our streams. ... This storm is going to be carrying winds, and well see a lot of downed trees and power lines. The weather service issued high-wind warnings for much of the Bay Area on Friday, with gusts of up to 60 mph expected. Flash flood watches are in effect for the weekend, with the North Bays Russian River and Napa River forecast to crest above flood stage Sunday. Several smaller waterways in Santa Cruz County and along the Big Sur coast also were expected to flood. Throughout California, cities and towns were rushing Friday to prepare for the worst. Many Bay Area communities were giving away sandbags in anticipation of high water while fire and police departments were reinforcing their weekend staffs. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. also planned to redouble its efforts. In Morgan Hill, one campground closed as a precaution for flooding, sending more than 500 campers packing. Its mainly an access issue, said Battalion Chief Paul Provence, with the Morgan Hill Fire Department, explaining that bridges to the Thousand Trails campground often become submerged when the Uvas Creek nears flood stage. The Pacifica Pier was also closed in anticipation of hazardous conditions, while farther south, residents in and around the burn scars left by the Loma Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Soberanes Fire around Big Sur were warned of landslides. In the Sierra, the National Park Service announced that it was taking the extraordinary step of closing Yosemite Valley to visitors at 5 p.m. Friday. Haunted by memories of the Merced Rivers damaging floods in 1997, park officials said they would be shutting down roads and public services in the Valley through at least Monday morning. The Sierra foothills are expected to see as much as 10 inches of rain over the weekend. While 2 feet of snow or more is forecast for the peaks, snow levels are likely to remain relatively high around 8,500 feet because of mostly warm moisture in the atmospheric river. 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. The weather system will taper off late Sunday, according to weather service meteorologist Matt Mehle, but two more wet fronts are due for Northern California on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is not a one and done, he said. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander Animal shelter volunteers and workers in Contra Costa County got a whole new understanding this week of the old cliche, Its raining cats and dogs. A storm Monday with wind gusts that toppled fences resulted in an unusually high number of lost pets brought in this week to the Contra Costa County Animal Services shelter in Martinez. And shelter workers are advising people to bring their pets indoors this weekend as forecasters call for a series of even more powerful storms. The shelter was bombarded with 41 animals on Tuesday alone, none of them identifiable through microchips. More came in as the week went on: Siamese cats and pit bulls, shih tzu mixes and Labrador retrievers and short-haired cats. So far, seven have been reunited with owners, with several more reunions possibly in the works, according to shelter staff. Luckily, many members of the public have expressed interest in helping the newest residents of the shelter find permanent homes, and 13 adoptions took place Thursday. D. ROSS CAMERON/Special to The Chronicle Our phones have been ringing off the hook all morning with people interested in those animals, said Steve Burdo, a spokesman for Contra Costa County Animal Services. Winter is generally a busy time for shelters, especially in the months after the holidays, when some pet owners have second thoughts about animals impulse-purchased as gifts. The squat beige building that houses the shelter animals in Martinez was approaching capacity Friday afternoon, with 404 animals, but not yet busting at the seams, Burdo said. D. ROSS CAMERON/Special to The Chronicle Were tight, and with a big, big storm coming this weekend, we know we need to be prepared for a larger amount of intakes. Thats why were putting the call out to the community right now to come down and adopt, he said. While its early to say for sure, adoption prospects look bright for many of the animals, especially after media attention on Tuesdays influx of cats and dogs. Weve only been open for an hour, but I will say this, as a result of the reporting, weve been flooded with calls for all the animals that were featured in your story, Burdo said Friday morning, referring to a story that appeared this week on SFGate.com. Thats good news for the shelter, which strives not to euthanize adoptable animals. The live release rate for Contra Costa County Animal Services has increased significantly in recent years, at 75 percent in 2015 and 79.4 percent from the beginning of 2016 through the spring, up from 46 percent in 2011; the number of animals theyve taken in has also decreased in that period. With forecasters predicting a return of stormy weather with possible flooding this weekend, Burdo had some simple tips for owners hoping to keep their animals safe, with more available on the Animal Services website. Since we know there are storms coming, I think people are going to make sure their doors are not going to blow in. We dont recommend leaving animals outside, but if theres any situation where they have to be left, make sure they have extra food, water and blankets, that your gates are properly secured, and that fences are not subject to blowing over, he said. Some experts also warn not to let pets roam loose after severe storms, because many of their familiar markers may be washed away, disorienting them and making it easier for them to get lost. The best advice we can give is to keep pets indoors for inclement weather and especially, to make sure they are licensed, microchipped and have an identification collar, Burdo said. For pets that become frightened and anxious during storms, veterinarians may prescribe anxiety medication to help the storm pass more comfortably, and the Humane Society suggests creating a storm bunker, a cozy, familiar space in the home where pets know they can go to feel safe. Filipa A. Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, recently advocated creating a new version of the House Un-American Activities Committee to combat Islamic supremacists. If Congress does indeed restore HUAC, as the Red-baiting committee was commonly known, dissent-friendly San Francisco would be a logical place for it to hold hearings. But lawmakers might want to think twice about coming here. The committees last visit inflicted the gravest damage to its reputation in its history. On May 13, 1960, 300 protesters, most of them students from UC Berkeley, gathered at San Francisco City Hall to protest hearings that HUAC had decided to hold here. Many of the protesters gathered outside the hearing room on the second floor were clean-cut youths, and their most confrontational action was singing The Star-Spangled Banner and staging a sit-down protest. None of them could have imagined that their peaceful sit-in would end with San Francisco police blasting them with fire hoses and clubbing them or that their protest would be one of the seminal events of what would come to be called the 60s. Congress created HUAC in 1938 to investigate allegedly disloyal citizens and organizations. It initially targeted Nazis, but it soon turned its attention to communists and communist sympathizers which quickly came to mean anyone who was perceived to be a dissenter. Working closely with the FBI, which under J. Edgar Hoover routinely conducted illegal actions justified on the grounds of national security, the committee carried out highly publicized hearings into alleged communist influence in government, education and Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s. More than 300 writers, screenwriters, actors and directors were blacklisted or jailed because of HUAC hearings. After the 1954 downfall of Sen. Joe McCarthy, who had led his own fanatical crusade against communists, HUACs influence began to decline. But in 1960 anti-Red paranoia was still running high, and the committee was still a force to be reckoned with. As Seth Rosenfeld writes in his meticulously researched 2012 book, Subversives: The FBIs War on Student Radicals, and Reagans Rise to Power, the seemingly innocuous trigger for the HUAC hearings in San Francisco was an English essay question put to applicants to the University of California: What are the dangers to a democracy of a national police organization, like the FBI, which operates secretly and is unresponsive to public criticism? Hoover, who regarded any criticism of his organization as evidence of subversion, was outraged. He unleashed the full power of the FBI on the university, ordering agents to search the bureaus files for derogatory information on every one of UCs 6,000 faculty members and staff. In early May 1960, HUAC decided to hold hearings in San Francisco. The committees West Coast investigator, William Wheeler, told an FBI agent that San Francisco had been chosen because of the essay question. But the committee also routinely used its hearings to punish dissenters by smearing them. As Rosenfeld notes, during earlier visits to California, HUAC had subpoenaed more than 100 teachers, leaked their names to newspapers, and returned to Washington, D.C., without holding a hearing or otherwise offering them a chance to respond. For the San Francisco hearings, HUAC subpoenaed 48 people, including two Berkeley schoolteachers and crucially a UC Berkeley sophomore named Douglas Wachter. He was one of a small but growing group of UC Berkeley students who had begun to engage in political activism. An activist UC student organization called SLATE, formed in 1958, urged students to picket the three-day HUAC hearings, in part because the committee had subpoenaed Wachter. On the morning of May 12, scores of students filed into City Hall and lined up to enter the hearing chamber. They were unpleasantly surprised to realize the police were bypassing them in favor of a line of older people holding white passes. They were members of conservative organizations such as Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Legion. Wheeler later told reporters, I issued (the passes) to individuals to keep the commies from stacking the meeting. We wanted some decent people in here. The few students who were finally allowed in had to stand in the back or crouch in the aisles. HUAC Chairman Rep. Edwin Willis, D-La., called the hearing to order. Committee staff director Richard Arens summoned the first witness, a customs inspector who testified that an increasing amount of communist propaganda entering America was aimed at conditioning the minds of the youth of this country. Arens chimed in, noting that there was picketing going on outside City Hall by people who have been enlisted by the communists. Arens then called Wachter. The 18-year-old Berkeley High School graduate, wearing a gray suit and red tie, was a member of SLATE who had picketed with the civil rights group Congress of Racial Equality and marched against capital punishment. His parents were longtime members of the Communist Party; he was part of the partys youth group. Wachter refused to answer Arens questions, citing his First and Fifth amendment rights. After the lunch break, more students arrived from a rally at Union Square, where Assemblyman Phil Burton had told them, People should be tried in a legal court of law on the basis of their actions. No legislative committee has the right to tell a man what he thinks and what he doesnt! When the hearing reconvened, even fewer students were let in. Some of those outside banged on the door and chanted, Open the doors! When some witnesses in the chamber began to shout along with them, Chairman Willis directed the police to remove them. As the protesters were dragged out, the white card holders swatted them and yelled, Send them back to Russia! After they were ejected, students in the back stood up and began to sing the national anthem, as the white card holders scowled and hissed. This congressional committee will not be taken over by communists or those under communist discipline, Willis said. When the hearing adjourned, the locked-out crowd outside was in an ugly mood, according to undercover San Francisco police officers disguised as reporters. The students left without further incident, but vowed to return the next day, Friday the 13th. The events of that day would convulse the city, stain the reputation of the San Francisco police, and send J. Edgar Hoover into high rage. They will be the subject of the next Portals. 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. Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com Trivia time Previous trivia question: Who were the Sydney Ducks? Answer: A group of Australian ruffians who ran riot in Gold Rush San Francisco. This weeks trivia question: In the 1940s and 50s, visiting black performers like Oscar Peterson and Sammy Davis Jr. were required to lodge west of what street? Editors note Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiyas Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Franciscos extraordinary history from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaubs OurSF. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Snow is one thing all of the campers were prepared for that but nobody had told Will Anderson he would need a raft to stay in Yosemite Valley this weekend. If he could even get permission. Which by Friday was impossible. I figured it was just going to be snow, Anderson, 32, of San Marcos (San Diego County) said as he shook out a tent next to a campfire while his two snow-camping buddies folded tarps and packed up their car. I didn't know there was going to be a flood. Anderson and his friends were ordered out of the Upper Pines campground a day earlier than they had planned as Yosemite officials prepared for a potentially damaging flood that meteorologists are predicting along with monsoon-like rains over the weekend. They were among hundreds of visitors being evacuated from Yosemite National Park so federal officials could prepare to do battle with the mighty Merced River, which is expected to leap its banks and hit peak level Sunday. The storm, dubbed the Pineapple Express because of the warm air moving in from the Pacific, will likely cause the river to rise nearly 7 feet above flood stage at its worst, an event that could, depending on a variety of factors, approach the severity of the devastating flood that inundated the valley in 1997. RUSSELL YIP This is a significant storm that we are anticipating, said Scott Gediman, spokesman for the park, which evacuated all hotels and campgrounds and ordered all non-essential employees out of the valley by 5 p.m. Friday. We fully understand that this is impacting peoples vacations, so we are not taking this lightly. But Yosemite National Park is by definition a wild place, and storms like this are natural events. Owen OGara, 8, was helping his parents and grandparents pack the car at Yosemite Valley Lodge, upset that their wintry vacation was being cut. Since we were on the top floor, I think we should stay because the flood wont get that high, Owen said. His grandmother, Kathy Wallace-Phelps, 66, said she was told by phone just before the family made the long drive from their Orange County home that they would only be allowed to stay one night in the park instead of the several they had planned. I screamed, nooo! because this is our family time, but we just couldnt not come, said Wallace-Phelps. And it was worth it, even for one night. Its so beautiful. As vacationers packed their bags Friday, park workers began laying sandbags between the river and the lodges Hemlock and Juniper buildings, which are believed to be the most vulnerable structures in the valley. The concerns are well founded. The so-called storm of the century, on New Years Day 1997, caused the river to peak above 23 feet flood stage is 10 feet inundating the lodge with as much as 5 feet of water. MICHAEL MACOR That flood, the worst since 1955, took out power lines, sewers, bridges and roads while it flooded many buildings and cut off access to the park. Some 1,400 employees and 875 visitors were trapped for more than two days. After the water receded, Yosemite National Park was a morass of mud and debris that remained closed until March that year. The final estimate of damage was $176 million. Susan Clark, 60, of nearby El Portal was stacking sandbags for the park service at threatened roadways and remembered when the floodwaters came rushing up in the middle of the night, forcing everyone to flee. 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. The power and force of the water was like nothing Ive ever seen, said Clark, who recalls boulders the size of vehicles crashing down the river and shaking her house. Overnight it changed the landscape. It was magnificent. We were all awestruck. Just the day and night of it all was unbelievable. The coming flood is not expected to be as devastating not least because there is less snow for the rain to melt but it could still wreak havoc. Im concerned, of course, but well have to see, Clark said. People are more aware now, and nobody would ignore the warning. From my experience, you have to take heed. The previous flood helped inspire many of the measures in the Merced Wild and Scenic River Plan, which called for the removal of a lot of the riverside development, including campgrounds, as well as the shoring up of roads and restoration of meadows and riparian habitat. Still, Gediman said, having so much rain come down at the same time increases the potential for watery infiltrations of campground structures, roadways, sewage lines and electrical systems. All of these things mean were anticipating less damage to the infrastructure, he said. But ground saturation could also cause rockslides and dead trees to come down. Rusty and Julie Dupray, the hosts at the Upper Pines campground, werent about to wait to find out whether their 35-foot long motor home would be washed down the Merced. Were total veterans at getting out, Julie Dupray said as they loaded the giant vehicle, recalling the time in May 1994 when another flood washed out the camp. It's an adventure. I mean, if everything ran smoothly, it wouldnt be much fun. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Two beautiful blue sky days, the air crisp and fresh, like a new year. And then the rain in the night, the wind rattling the corners of the house. The skylight is leaking again, and the morning is gray and gloomy. Its winter in the Bay Area for sure. Its damp and chilly, but the winter here is not like the East Coast version, or January in the Midwest. I mentioned the cold weather to a friend from Minnesota the other day. Its nothing, he said. Its 10 below in Minneapolis. I pressed on, said it was overcoat weather by the bay, a good day for a warm scarf. Ha, he said with a bitter laugh. Its 20 below in Minneapolis and getting colder. I changed the subject before he called for a snow plow. But it is cold in the Bay Area. Nothing startling, but a damp chill, a saltwater cold, the kind you get in Seattle, or Ireland. If cold were a color, it would be gray. Which is why they perfected strong coffee in rainy Seattle and Irish coffee in dank and dark green Ireland. It gets in your bones. It can get cold in California, no matter what expatriate Midwesterners say. The temperature dropped to 2 degrees below zero Friday morning in Truckee and rose to zero at noon at Tuolumne Meadows in the Sierra, and snow was on the way. Winter weather can not only be depressing but dangerous as well. Cars and trucks skid off the roads. There are lots of small accidents, and sometimes big ones. Every so often, the rivers the Feather, the Russian, the Napa, even the usually tiny San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, jump out of their banks and flood everything in sight. Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle Thats the other side of a rainy day. We leave the serious weather to the weather reporters. The TV weather reporters will be out in force, dressed in parkas like Sherpas to bring us the latest. Traffic and weather together every 10 minutes on the radio. On television, the brave field reporters are backed by Doppler radar and high-tech storm trackers. Not to mention computers to predict the future, like soothsayers. Last year, they predicted an El Nino that would drown us all. This year, La Nina, El Ninos benign sister, was on the menu. This meant a sunny and dry winter; global warming, king tides. Instead meteorologists are warning about a river of moisture bearing down on us over the weekend. Quit worrying about the drought. Worry about floods instead. All hands on deck, said a PG&E spokeswoman, ominously. It all reminds me of a veteran meteorologist who ended his forecasts with a wry note: The official flower of meteorology, he said, was the hedge. Instead I try to see bad weather with the truest vision of all the eyes of a child. I consulted The Cat in the Hat by that true oracle, Dr. Seuss. The sun did not shine / It was too wet to play / So we sat in the house / all that cold, wet day. Thats how I remember things when rainy days were all I had to worry about. If it was a school day, we bundled up like wet bears and splashed through puddles. If not, we stayed home, with a whole day ahead of us. 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. On one great rainy December day in San Francisco two years ago, they canceled school, a surprise bonanza for thousands of kids. I was too old for school by then. Instead, duty called. I had to go look at a flooded coffeehouse and talk to the owner, who was mad as a wet hen. But a rainy weekend can be a treat for those who dont have to go outside. It is pleasant, sometimes, to remember the rainy days when we were small, watching the rain come down in sheets, roar down the hillside like miniature rivers, seeing the last leaves of autumn swept away. The end of the day in winter was always mysterious, with the dim light fading into dark. If there was a break in the weather, the clouds would scud across the moon, like those creepy old ghost movies. The rain would go on sometimes for days, and if we were lucky, the weather might turn cold. It used to happen every so often, usually in January. And then, city kids could climb a hill to see snow on Mission Peak, or Mount Hamilton, or sometimes, Mount Diablo, across the bay, outlined in the clearing sky, like one of the Alps. Snow in the hills. Its pretty ordinary stuff for kids in the Midwest, but here, where even the extraordinary is ordinary, it is a gift, something to hope for on a rainy winters night. Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His column appears every Sunday. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As Steve Heck slowly dismantled his work space at the Factory 510, he lamented all of the things he could have created in the sprawling San Leandro warehouse. Heck, a 56-year-old man who doesnt like to throw out things, envisioned a massive sculpture made of 60 broken pianos. A lazy Susan-style stage rotating on top of bowling balls. Wouldnt that have been cool? he asked as he loaded planks of wood onto a dolly Thursday. After receiving a 30-day notice last month to vacate the Factory co-working space, part of the larger Gate 510 complex housed in a former Plymouth Dodge plant, Heck has put his visions on hold while he struggles to find a new place to create them. Such is the story for many Bay Area artists who said theyve faced sudden crackdowns on their workplaces in the month after a fire killed 36 people at the Ghost Ship, a disheveled Oakland warehouse that was cobbled together with makeshift stairs and jury-rigged creations. What is most frustrating, several artists said, is that their spaces do not even remotely resemble the Ghost Ship, yet a knee-jerk reaction has affected their ability to run their businesses and pay their bills. Affordable artist spaces are hard to come by in the Bay Areas expensive and competitive real-estate market. As a result, artists often flock to shared warehouse spaces, where they can operate their small businesses, free not just from high rents but also from complaints about the noisy, messy business of painting, welding and otherwise making stuff. The fire sent a jolt of alarm to landlords, fire and safety regulators, and elected officials around the Bay Area and across the country, leading to a rash of evictions and inspections. Artists at work spaces such as the Gate 510, Oaklands American Steel Studios, and Bridge Storage and ArtSpace in Richmond said they had to abandon or delay lucrative projects to deal with the dizzying logistics of bringing their spaces up to code or vacating them and finding new digs. Michael Short/Special To The Chronicle For Tyler Kobick, the expenses of moving out of the Factory 510 a neatly kept space that is equipped with sprinklers quickly added up for his small design business. There was the estimated $1,200 he needed to spend to transport all of the heavy materials to a new space; $500 to reinstall all the equipment; $2,500 for a new overhead door; and his employees salaries, $48 to $68 an hour, which they have forgone to help with the move. Maybe its time to just start throwing things out, Kobick said as he looked at the hoard of things for which he needs to find a new home by Saturday evening. Many of the artists enclaves in the Bay Area that have received inspections or eviction notices from legitimate industrial sites to makeshift live-work spaces were already on the radar of city officials and building managers, and were given ample notice that they needed to be brought up to code. At the Factory 510, for example, inspectors and managers visited frequently for permitting reasons before the Ghost Ship fire. But after the fire, Factory co-founder Cheryl Edison, the master lease holder, said officials showed up nearly every day, pointing out code violations. Her temporary lease for the 15,000-square-foot space within the larger 24-acre property was not renewed after Jan. 1, despite an informal agreement she claimed she had with the management to continue there. Greg Scharlemann, the general manager of SKB, the commercial real estate company that owns the Gate 510, said Edisons lease was not renewed because the company wanted to transition to long-term leases. Michael Short/Special To The Chronicle The Factory 510 opened with promises to change the world for new businesses, artists and entrepreneurs, according to a news release announcing the space. It was a place where businesses could rent a temporary space to go from an idea to an established enterprise. Owners can progress at their own pace without the stresses that often come with biting off more than they can chew as they grow, the release said. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Scharlemann said the Factory was a temporary project, designed to incubate short-term users into long-term tenants, that had run its course. Hes now charging $1.30 to $1.75 per square foot per month for long-term leases. The company offered members of the Factory 510 who were already there long-term leases and some accepted, he said. One of the members was a nonprofit, and the company is in talks with at least two more members from the Factory 510, he said. But Edison said the majority of members were given no such offer and were told that they could not stay. Now dozens of members and artists from the Factory 510 are scrambling to find a space that is both affordable and accommodates their needs, she said. The Factory had offered short-term, drop-in memberships as well as larger, dedicated spaces. There is often not a ton of money for artists in the so-called maker movement, an umbrella term for independent inventors, designers and tinkerers who commonly flock to shared work spaces. Although it is difficult to quantify the economic impact of the movement on the Bay Area, Dale Dougherty, the founder of the Maker Faire event series, said its adherents contributions to society are invaluable. They are creating these experiences to make our lives richer; otherwise its a world of malls and those kinds of things, he said. They shouldnt be ignored and if you transition their (artist) space into a completely different space, youre going to lose those people and their contribution to the city. As Heck packed up the last of his things, he spoke of plans to move to a space somewhere in the desert near Reno. Its going to be hard to be an artist in the Bay Area unless you have a lot of money, he said. But if you have a lot of money that doesnt really equate to making art because then youre just focused on the money. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani An accomplished San Francisco comic book and nonfiction author, who has been published in Marvel and a slew of other publications, was arrested on suspicion of possessing more than 600 child pornography files and uploading the graphic videos to YouTube, police said Friday. Gerard Jones, 59, was arrested after a police investigation and ensuing search warrant at his residence in the 600 block of Long Bridge Street in San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood turned up a host of electronic devices storing more than 600 images and videos depicting child pornography, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Walnut Creek Police Department / Walnut Creek Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Walnut Creek Police Department / Walnut Creek Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Walnut Creek Police Department / Walnut Creek Police Department Show More Show Less After investigators pulled over a Pittsburg woman wanted for identity theft and burglary, they not only arrested her, but also found more evidence inside her car than they had bargained for, police said. The wanted woman, Amanda Bruntz, 26, was arrested just after 4 p.m. Thursday a short distance from her home, when officers pulled her over following a stakeout, according to the Walnut Creek Police Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. An arriving airline passenger with a gun in his checked luggage opened fire in the baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday, killing five people and wounding eight before throwing his weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, authorities and witnesses said. The gunman identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, an Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq but was discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance was immediately taken into custody. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently at his home in Anchorage, Alaska. One witness said the gunman apparently opened fire without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others crouched behind cars or anything else they could find to shield themselves as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other attackers. The airport was shut down. People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs, a witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it. Authorities said a motive was under investigation. President Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. The attack took place at Terminal 2, which serves Delta Air Lines and Air Canada. At Fort Lauderdale, after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting, said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed on the attack by the sheriffs office. The attack exposed another weak point in airport security. While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors and full-body scanners to reach the gates, many sections of airports are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. In 2013, a gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agencys screeners and wounded three others during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. At the Fort Lauderdale airport, Lea said the gunman said nothing as he went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding. The killer had a handgun and went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him, Lea said. Sheriff Scott Israel said five people were killed and eight were wounded. Their condition was not disclosed. He said the gunman was arrested unharmed, with no law enforcement officers firing any shots, and was being questioned by the FBI. Santiago, who is in federal custody, will face federal charges and is expected to appear in court Monday, FBI Special Agent George Piro said. The airport suspended operations as law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene and emergency medical workers treated victims. Fort Lauderdale-bound flights already in the air were delayed or diverted, and those that had yet to take off from the airport were held on the ground. About 7:15 p.m., with all flights still grounded, authorities said travelers with vehicles were being allowed to leave the airport and others were being taken in buses to a seaport terminal nearby. In November, a law enforcement official said Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned him before calling police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. Santiagos brother, Bryan, said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was deployed to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. His aunt in New Jersey, Maria Ruiz, told the Record newspaper that her nephew had recently become a father and was struggling. It was like he lost his mind, she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. He said he saw things. As'ad's Bio As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants. Sonja West, a law professor from the University of Georgia whose focus includes the First Amendment, recalls serving on media-law panels at conferences where the speakers outnumbered audience members. Not anymore. With the election of a president openly hostile to the news media and vowing to peel back some of their constitutional protections, a panel on President Trump and Freedom of the Press drew scores of law professors for an 8:30 a.m. session in San Francisco last week at their organizations annual conference. I was there on the panel to provide an in-the-newsroom perspective on the potential threats to the First Amendment from the empowerment of a man who had derided journalists as liars, scum and horrible people. The four law professors around me were there to provide case-law evidence of where Trump could and probably could not undermine the right of Americans to learn, through news reporting, what their government is doing. Overall, its a grim picture. One factor working against a transparent government is the actions of the Obama administration, which went to disturbing lengths at times to prosecute people who leaked government information, secretly seize extensive phone records of the Associated Press and stymie reporters access to fundraisers. Olivier Douliery/TNS If there is one clear takeaway from the history of government-media relations, it is that freedoms taken away from one administration are difficult to restore in the next especially if the successor is as openly leery as President-elect Donald Trump to independent scrutiny. I cant think of anyone in public life, let alone public life at that level, who is so sensitive to criticism, observed Erwin Chemerinsky, a prominent constitutional law scholar from UC Irvine. He added about Trump: He shows little understanding of the Constitution and the First Amendment. Its a dangerous combination indeed. One of Trumps most blustery pronouncements that he would open up libel laws to make it easier to sue news organizations is probably his least plausible, according to the law professors. The 1964 Times vs. Sullivan decision, which set the guidelines for modern libel law, is very clear that truth is an absolute defense and that reporting and criticism of public figures deserves a significantly higher level of protection from claims. Its hard to imagine that even a more conservative court would think otherwise. After all, the strict constructionists who want to interpret the U.S. Constitution at the time of its conception would have to admit that the attacks on American politicians at that time were often far more ruthless and less factually grounded than anything seen in mainstream media today. Here are other areas to watch: Freedom of Information Act: As West reminded, the application of this law, which gives all Americans a right to obtain government documents, is highly contingent on the whims of each attorney general. Under President Bill Clinton, for example, Attorney General Janet Reno directed that the presumption was that government records should be available to the public in the absence of a compelling reason otherwise. Conversely, under President George W. Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft suggested federal agencies should identify reasons to withhold information, assuring them his department would support suppression efforts. How will Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trumps choice for attorney general, handle this issue? Whistle-blower prosecutions: This will be an interesting test for Trump. He has at times praised Julian Assange, editor in chief of Wikileaks, whose revelations about Democratic party emails set back rival Hillary Clintons campaign. Yet Trump chastises any an all revelations about himself. Federal shield law: Congress continues to waffle on whether to create a law that would assure journalists of their ability to protect confidential sources. Trump obviously has no regard for the role of a free press in a democratic society. The wild card here: Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who, as a member of Congress, was a leading proponent of a shield law. He viewed it not as a matter of special privilege for the press, but an assertion of Americans right to know what their government is doing. Thats what all these fights are about. John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com The Obama years: Challenges to press freedom President Obama had vowed to run the most transparent administration in history. But in reality, the Obama White House created unprecedented barriers to journalists seeking information. Crackdowns on whistle-blowers Case in point: The Espionage Act of 1917 had been used just three times against alleged leakers of classified information when Obama took office. His administration has pursued prosecutions against leakers under that act at least eight times, most famously in the instances involving National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and his disclosure of widespread secret surveillance and Army private Bradley Manning. Pursuit of phone records Case in point: A 2012 Associated Press story about a foiled terrorist plot prompted Obamas Justice Department to secretly seize two months of AP phone records, encompassing 20 phone lines of its offices and journalists, including home and cell phones, as part of a leak investigation. AP CEO Greg Pruitt said the records potentially provide a road map to APs newsgathering operations, and disclose information about APs activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know. Federal shield law Case in point: As a senator, Obama had supported a federal shield law, which would assure the right of a journalist to protect the identity of confidential sources. As president, Obama hedged, then ultimately supported the measure but with a national security exception so broad that many news organizations regarded it as meaningless. Legislation remains stalled in Congress. Access limitations Cases in point: The Obama White House has engaged in numerous tug-of-wars with journalists over access. One area of contention was its insistence on giving exclusive access to the White House official photographer at meetings. It also sparred with various news organizations including The Chronicle over limitations on coverage of fundraisers for Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Mayor Ed Lee named HIV/AIDS activist Jeff Sheehy to the District Eight Board of Supervisors seat Friday, ending weeks of speculation about whom he would appoint to fill the vacancy left by Scott Wiener. The mayor made the announcement Friday morning at Noe Valley Town Square, surrounded by Sheehy and his family, several past and present supervisors, and around 100 onlookers. Sheehy will be the first HIV-positive person to serve on the board. District Eight includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Glen Park. Wiener left the board after he was elected to the state Senate to replace the Mark Leno, who was termed out. Lee described Sheehy as a forward-thinking, solution-oriented, pragmatic, practical, yet value-spirited person. Sheehy, 59, towered over Lee. I am honored, humbled and just stunned by his confidence in me, Sheehy said of the mayor. This is going to be an unbelievably challenging job. Sheehy is well known to political insiders for his HIV/AIDS advocacy as well as his participation in local political clubs, but Friday offered his first chance to introduce himself to the residents of the district. He described himself as a family man his husband is a real estate agent, and his 11-year-old daughter attends public school. He said one of his priorities is to work with the Police Department to clamp down on car break-ins. Why I want to serve is not for grandiose purposes, but as the mayor said, to take care of peoples problems, and where there is broader policy that will make things better for the people in my district, then to advance those. Politically, the choice of Sheehy is a bold one for the mayor, who as of Thursday morning was still deciding between Sheehy and Alex Randolph. He met with both candidates. Randolph is a member of the City College of San Franciscos Board of Trustees Lee initially appointed him to fill a vacancy on that board and political insiders considered him more ideologically aligned with Lee. While Randolph has a reputation for being collaborative and well-liked, Sheehy is known for his strong and sometimes combative personality. If you want someone who is a combination of policy smart, fearless and street fighter thats Jeff Sheehy, said former Supervisor Bevan Dufty. Plus hes got instant cred as a public school parent. As a gay man who is a dad of a public school child, he is instantly relatable to 50 percent of the district thats not LGBT. Sheehy, who lives in Glen Park, was not in the initial mix of names floated as possible contenders for the seat. He is the longtime director of communications for UCSFs AIDS Research Institute. While Lee is a moderate, Sheehy has historically positioned himself as a progressive. He served as a past president on the progressive-minded Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and served on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. But Sheehy emerged as the leading candidate in large part because of his bulldog personality and independent streak, said sources close to the decision. Sheehys politics have shifted toward the moderates, and the mayor wanted someone who could go toe-to-toe with the progressives and wouldnt feel threatened by aggressive tactics. Another major factor playing into the mayors decision was who could survive an electoral challenge from Rafael Mandelman, a member of the CCSF board who has strong roots in the progressive community and is widely expected to run for the District Eight seat. Lee did not want to risk another of his appointees to the Board of Supervisors losing an election. Two of his past three appointees have lost their subsequent elections Christina Olague in 2012 and Julie Christensen in 2015. Sheehy could serve as long as 10 years two years filling out the rest of Wieners term plus two full terms. He is not scheduled to run for office until 2018; however, the progressives could force a special election, in which case Sheehy would have to run in that election to fill out the rest of Wieners term. The mayor believed that Sheehys personality combined with his advocacy work and family ties would appeal to residents across District Eight and help him win an election. Sheehy is a long-term survivor of HIV/AIDS he was diagnosed in 1997 and has an extensive history working for better health care and benefits for the gay community. He was HIV/AIDS adviser to former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. He serves on the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which administers the states stem-cell research programs. In the late 1990s, he was an influential proponent of former Supervisor Tom Ammianos equal benefits ordinance. That watershed legislation required companies doing business with San Francisco to provide the same benefits to domestic partners as they do to married couples. Going back to the equal benefits ordinance, he has been there for the LGBT community, said Matt Dorsey, a former spokesman for the city attorney now with Lighthouse Public Affairs. Its enormously significant that San Francisco finally has an HIV-positive member of the Board of Supervisors, especially at a time when we have a getting-to-zero initiative that is a model for cities worldwide. Despite Sheehys history, its unknown how he will position himself on the most contentious political battles in San Francisco: housing and homelessness. Lee and the moderates have been more supportive of market-rate housing alongside affordable housing as a way to alleviate the housing crunch and bring down rental prices. Progressives have aggressively pushed developers to set aside more below-market housing in new developments. One of the earliest legislative battles Sheehy will have to weigh in on is whether to require developers to rent or sell 25 percent of units in new projects at below-market prices a proposal Lee and the moderates dont support. Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen The selection of HIV/AIDS activist Jeff Sheehy as the citys newest supervisor will make life more interesting and volatile at City Hall. Mayor Ed Lee announced his pick Friday morning after weeks of considering candidates to fill the vacancy left by Scott Wiener in District Eight, which includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Glen Park, when Wiener was elected to the state Senate in November. That Lee went with Sheehy, 59, indicated he is willing to ratchet up tensions at City Hall to move his goals forward and make sure progressive Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Jane Kim dont dictate the agenda. But his choice also carries the risk that the independent-minded Sheehy wont always fall in line. Hes wicked smart and a total bully if he doesnt get his way, said one city employee who worked with Sheehy and asked to remain unnamed because they may work together again. On Friday, at a news conference in Noe Valley to announce Sheehys appointment, the mayor described him as a forward-thinking, solution-oriented, pragmatic, practical, yet value-spirited person. In personality, Sheehy stands in vivid contrast to the mild-mannered Lee. And while Lee is a moderate, Sheehy has historically positioned himself as a progressive. Sheehy emerged as the leading candidate in large part because of his bulldog personality and independent streak, sources close to the decision said. Sheehys politics have also shifted toward the moderate, and the mayor reportedly wanted someone who could go toe-to-toe with the progressives and wouldnt feel threatened by aggressive tactics. Amanda Fried, the city treasurers legislative manager who worked with Sheehy when she was an aide at the Board of Supervisors, called him a fighter before other people were on board when it came to issues affecting the gay community. He was impatient in the best way, she said. Sheehy could serve as supervisor for as long as 10 years two years filling out the rest of Wieners term plus two full terms. He is not scheduled to run for office until 2018, but there is a real possibility progressive supervisors could force a special election this year. Rafael Mandelman, a member of the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees, is the leading candidate to take on Sheehy. If there is a special election, Sheehy would have to run to fill out the rest of Wieners term. On Friday, Mandelman said he is seriously looking at running and will make a decision this year. The appointment of Sheehy generated immediate praise he will be the first openly HIV-positive person to serve on the board and criticism. It was a very shrewd choice on the part of the mayor. It was good on the substance and good on the politics, said former Mayor and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Sheehy was Newsoms HIV/AIDS adviser. He is not timid ... he has got grit. He doesnt suffer fools, and he has a record of accomplishment, Newsom said. But outgoing progressive Supervisor David Campos, who, like Sheehy, is gay, criticized the appointment. Thank you Mr. Mayor! Such a divisive choice is a big plus for progressives, Campos tweeted. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote of Sheehy: His political toxicity has nothing to do with HIV status but rather his divisive approach to politics. Campos accused Sheehy, the longtime director of communications for the UCSF AIDS Research Institute, of being behind a story last year suggesting that he and Kim wanted to cut funding for the Getting to Zero initiative to reduce new HIV/AIDS cases. He has had the reputation of being someone who hits below the belt and takes it too far, said Campos who has his own reputation for being truculent. Sheehy has been especially critical of Kim. He told the Bay Area Reporter in June that Kim doesnt seem to understand whats going on with people who have HIV and AIDS. And in the lead-up to the state Senate race between Kim and Wiener, Sheehy dismissed Kim as having a lackluster record on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. On Friday, Kim downplayed the attacks. I really dont know Jeff. I dont think we have ever met each other, she said. When you are done with campaigns, whether you are the candidate or not, everyone has to come back into the room and work together. And for me, thats how I am going to approach the newest member of the Board of Supervisors. Peskin said his immediate response to Sheehys appointment was, Hmmm, thats kind of interesting. He has always struck me as independent, which I think voters like, Peskin said. He has always been his own guy which, in terms of mayoral loyalty, which everyone seems to think is the mayors No. 1 consideration, may be a little more problematic than they envision. Far from being threatened by criticism, Sheehy has ridiculed critics and people he disagreed with. As AIDS czar to Newsom, he colorfully lambasted a city official who wanted to reclassify erectile dysfunction medicines as controlled substances. Jeff Klausner wants the dicks of people with HIV in his back pocket, and he wants us to ask him permission to use it, Sheehy told the Bay Area Reporter. And I am not going to give him my dick. Sheehys early dive into local politics came in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was president of the progressive-leaning Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and served on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. He was an influential proponent of the landmark Equal Benefits Ordinance, which required companies doing business with San Francisco to provide the same benefits to domestic partners as they did to married couples. But many of the issues he fought for greater protections for LGBT couples, same-sex marriage, more treatment for people with HIV/AIDS have become widely supported in San Francisco. Todays divisive issues of the day revolve around housing, how much to restrict short-term rentals and how to deal with the homeless crisis. In the end, moderates, including Wiener and some of the mayors top advisers, encouraged Lee to appoint Sheehy, believing that he would be a strong supervisor, formidable candidate and, for the most part, an ally. At the news conference Friday announcing his appointment, Sheehy emphasized his family values, commitment to neighborhood and desire to work with his colleagues. He said he never expected to live this long he was diagnosed in 1997 much less become a supervisor. I literally would not be here if City Hall had not come together to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he said. I want to again make a plea that we act without rancor, we disagree civilly and we keep our eye on the ball so that we can defend ourselves against threats that are real to everybody in this community. Whether that comity comes about or how long it lasts is anyones guess. Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said Friday that Americans should be concerned that President-elect Donald Trump is dismissive of intelligence reports showing hackers sponsored by Russia sought to influence the U.S. election. It is rare to see the entire intelligence community of one mind on an issue, Napolitano told The Chronicles editorial board, speaking as an individual and not in her current role as University of California president. Napolitano was privy to the nations top secrets when she served as homeland security chief from 2009 to 2013 under President Obama. These are intelligence analysts. They come at things a lot of different ways, they look at a lot of different things, she said. The people I met who are involved in the intelligence community are some of the smartest people I ever met. They are experts. So I guess my question to the president-elect would be: If youre not going to rely on them, who are you going to rely on? Who better? she said. I dont think hes been asked that question directly, or if he has, he hasnt answered it directly. I think we should all have concerns, she said. A declassified report released Friday and written by the nations leading intelligence agencies showed Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hacking program that aspired to help elect Trump by undermining faith in the nations democratic processes. For weeks, Trump has dismissed stories about the hacks as vindictive political attacks against him from the intelligence community. Trump softened his tone slightly Friday, however, after receiving a more in-depth briefing on the cyberattack from top intelligence officials, saying he had tremendous respect for the nations spies. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With one of the biggest storms in years set to hit Northern California this weekend, we headed to The Chronicles archive to find photos and stories from the infamous New Years storm of 1997 that walloped the region 20 years ago. It had been a wet and snowy December to finish off 1996 before a pineapple express-style series of warm, moist storms from Hawaii hit California on New Years Day, delivering rain, raising temperatures above 37 degrees at 10,000 feet, and stoking fears of major flooding. More than 100,000 Central Valley residents fled towns and farms, bracing for a wall of runoff flowing down from the Sierra. The National Weather Service ranks this as one of the five most disastrous weather events to hit California in the 1900s. More than 50,000 people were forced to evacuate Marysville and Yuba City as the fast-rising Feather River threatened to flood nearby towns. A levee along the river broke, flooding 6 square miles of orchards and farmland. Officials advised an additional 22,000 residents in and around Olivehurst to evacuate. Gov. Pete Wilson took a helicopter tour over the fields and roads flooded by the Cosumnes River south of Sacramento and declared a state of emergency in 25 Northern California counties. The Truckee River overflowed its banks in Reno, forcing hotels to evacuate thousands of guests. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport closed when Truckee River spilled over its banks, covering runways in 3 feet of muddy water. Yosemite Valley saw major flooding as well, and more than 2,000 guests and workers were trapped in the valley for two days as the Merced River and landslides closed all roads out of the park. Yosemite Valley would not reopen for 2 months, the longest closure in the parks 107-year history. According to the National Weather Service, 300 square miles were flooded, including Yosemite Valley, which was inundated for the first time since 1861-62. For weeks after the rains stopped rivers continued to break their banks and major roads remained impassable because of flood damage and mudslides. On Jan. 10, Vice President Al Gore toured devastated areas, accompanied by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Federal Emergency Management Agency Director James Lee Witt. Gore announced that Washington would send $29 million in emergency funding to help California repair roads and hold back the waters. The floodings toll came to eight dead, $1.8 billion in economic losses, 23,000 homes destroyed, and 2,000 businesses damaged or decimated. Forty-eight counties were declared disaster areas, including all 46 in Northern California. Bill Van Niekerken is the library director of The San Francisco Chronicle, where he has worked since 1985. In his weekly column, From the Archive, he explores the depths of The Chronicles vast photography archive in search of interesting historical tales related to the city by the bay. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Klay Thompson is listed as questionable for Friday nights game against Memphis with an undisclosed illness, the Warriors have announced. Thompson, a shooting guard, is third on the team with 21.5 points per game and second with 110 three-pointers made. A master at spacing the floor, he leads the league with 10.6 points per game off catch-and-shoot opportunities. On Dec. 5, when Thompson scored a career-high 60 points in 29 minutes, he needed only 88.4 seconds of possession, 52 touches, 33 shots and 11 dribbles. Geary bus line plan moves forward, Jan. 6, A7 An article on plans for a Geary bus rapid transit project misrepresented Scott Wieners eligibility to participate in the San Francisco Transportation Authority vote. He had resigned to join the state Senate before Thursdays meeting. Tech CEOS, say you will not build a Muslim registry, Jan. 6, A10 An Open Forum article on President-elect Donald Trumps comments about creating a Muslim registry did not accurately portray IBMs stance. The company issued a statement in December that it would not work on such a project. IBM also said there is no evidence it actively collaborated with the Nazi regime. IBMs German subsidiary, Dehomag, did sell tabulating machines. Dehomag, along with other foreign-owned countries, came under the control of Nazi authorities before and during World War II. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A string of storms expected to rival the biggest of the decade began to crash down on California Saturday, causing a tree to fall and kill a woman on a Bay Area golf course and putting cities and towns across the state on the defensive against what could be a day or more of threatening floods, mudslides and avalanches. The system, called an atmospheric river because of the enormous amount of water it carries, was forecast to bring 10 or more inches of rain to the Santa Cruz Mountains and North Bay hills through Monday morning and smother the high Sierra in several feet of snow. San Francisco was projected to see between 2 and 4 inches of rain over the weekend. While the wet weather was sure to hasten the states welcome recovery from drought, forecasters warned of potential damage that such a short, strong deluge, with its accompanying winds, could bring. We advise people: If you dont have to be out, dont be out, said Brian Mejia, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. With the winds, its possible trees and power lines could be blown over. Late Saturday morning, a woman walking on the Canyon Lakes Golf Course in San Ramon was struck and killed by a downed tree, according to the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. The tree was in water-logged soil and had borne the brunt of strong winds, authorities said. It wasnt a very big tree in diameter, but the circumstances just kind of lined up to reach an unfortunate end, said Battalion Chief Dan McNamara. The weather service, reporting gusts close to 40 mph at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, issued a high-wind warning through Sunday afternoon for much of the Bay Area. A flash flood watch was also put into effect for most of the region, including San Francisco, through Sunday. While the crux of the system is expected to hit Sunday, rain could linger into Monday, with two additional storm fronts forecast for later in the week. Along the Russian River, where Sonoma County communities have long lived with rising water, residents and business owners were buttressing their low-lying properties with sandbags Saturday. The waterway is expected to reach flood stage in Hopland Sunday afternoon and in Guerneville early Monday. Were monitoring the river, said Rebecca Wachsberg, deputy county administrator. It doesnt take the Russian River a lot of water to fill and cause us to close roads. Similar precautions were taking place in St. Helena, where the Napa River is forecast to spill its banks around noon Sunday. Forecasters also warned of the possibility of high water in Corte Madera Creek which flows through Marin Countys Ross and Kentfield. Farther south, the Carmel River and Pajaro River in Monterey County were being watched. In the Sierra Nevada, the National Park Service took the unusual step Friday of closing Yosemite Valley for the weekend because of flood forecasts. The Merced River, which caused extensive damage to the park during a New Years flood in 1997, is expected to begin overflowing its channel Sunday morning. The Sierras Truckee River is also projected to reach flood stage Sunday, and residents from communities north of Lake Tahoe all the way to Reno were being put on notice. This is not an Ill believe it when I see it forecast, said Scott McGuire, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Reno. This is for sure. People need to pay super close attention. The high water in many mountain rivers, McGuire said, would come not only from precipitation but also from melting snow. The atmospheric river that is blowing off the Pacific Ocean, he noted, is relatively warm and would bring rain over the current Sierra snowpack, washing it downward. We need the water, he said. But this is kind of a worst-case scenario for us. The snow level is expected to be about 8,500 feet, relatively high for the mountains. In the coastal mountains, the concern is mudslides, particularly in areas that saw wildfires last summer. Authorities advised residents in and around the burn scars of the Loma Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Soberanes Fire in Big Sur to watch out for unstable ground. Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said state fire crews had done their best to stabilize areas prone to erosion as part of the fire mop-up. Its not something we walk away from, he said. Back in San Francisco, residents Saturday were taking the storm warnings seriously. A steady stream of drivers was stopping by the citys public works operations yard to pick up sandbags Naturally, were going to be worried because of how theyre dressing this all up. We just want to be prepared, said Craig Stover, 37, of the Marina district, who was grabbing sandbags to protect his garage. By Saturday afternoon, the systems opening wave of wind and rain had already downed scores of trees in the Bay Area. Severed power lines in Oaklands Adam Points neighborhood near Lake Merritt left dozens without power Saturday morning while a fallen tree snarled traffic on Highway 13 in the afternoon. A motorist on Highway 80 in Pinole died around 11:30 a.m. Saturday when he lost control of his car and drove off the road, but authorities have yet to chalk the incident up to inclement weather. On Saturday night, weather contributed to two-hour flight delays at SFO and shorter delays at Oakland International Airport. As a safety precaution, the Pacifica Pier was closed until Monday, and many sites in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area were similarly shut down, including the Point Bonita Lighthouse, Nike Missile Site and Battery Townsley. In San Francisco, the Great Highway was closed. We recommend if you can cancel any nonessential travel, please do, said Officer Andrew Barclay, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol. Its something we dont hear very often in the Bay Area, because we dont get storms like this. Hamed Aleaziz and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz, @kurtisalexander This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for San Francisco starting Saturday at 4 p.m. and running through Sunday. A roaring atmospheric river moving into Northern California will drench the city this weekend with a total of two to four inches falling. The heaviest rains will hit Sunday morning. The soaking could cause flash flooding across the city due to runoff from storm drains becoming overwhelmed. The City of San Francisco sent out text alerts and issued a statement saying, "urban flooding may occur in areas that have historically flooded." Folsom and 17th is one area of the city that has flooded in the past. San Francisco residents may receive up to 10 free sandbags each for pickup at 2323 Cesar Chavez Street (Marin/Kansas street gate), Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents are also recommended to keep catch basins near their homes clear of leaves and debris. If you're unable to sweep the area yourself, you can call 3-1-1 for assitance. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The city of Pacifica moved one step closer this week in their plans to demolish a condemned 20-unit apartment complex perched precariously on an eroding cliffside, officials said Friday. The Pacifica City Council approved a contractor for the razing of 310 Esplanade Ave. in a special meeting on Wednesday, said city spokeswoman Gina Antonini. In the special City Council meeting, officials approved a demolition contract with SV Demolition, a San Jose company, to handle the building take down with a budget of $218,650. This is the first time the city is using SV Demolition, officials said. The exact date and time of the demolition is still being determined, Antonini added. The building, owned by Millard Tong, is filled with asbestos and other hazardous materials, and Tongs neglect prompted city officials to get involved, said Lorie Tinfow, the Pacifica city manager and director of emergency management. Storm-driven waves have accelerated erosion of the adjacent bluffs presenting a clear damage to residents, and demolishing this structure is the only way to prevent it from crumbling to the beach below, Tinfow said in December. Its unclear whether a looming storm expected to strike this weekend will further impact the crumbling cliffside. The city is putting in place plans to respond to the storm, Antonini said. The overall deterioration of the building and the coastline is always a consideration and thats why the city has recommended doing [the demolition] as quickly as possible, Antonini added. The City Council approved a resolution on Jan. 25, 2016 that enforced a state of emergency along Pacificas coast, from Westline Drive to the southern end of Beach Boulevard. City officials yellow-tagged the structure on Esplanade Avenue on the same day. Since, Ted Sayre, a geotechnical consultant for the city, has been watching over the property to assess the erosion. Both ends of the building have rapidly worsened and recent storm-driven waves have accelerated the bluff erosion, Sayre said. We are pursuing all actions available to us to be reimbursed by Mr. Tong for the cost of the demolition, Tinfow said. The city tore down another building owned by Tong at 320 Esplanade Ave. on March 12 using city funds, Tinfow said, adding that the city will seek reimbursement for those costs, as well. Tong filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani At Apple, Brian Latimer was in charge of protecting some of the companys deepest secrets. After an engineer accidentally left a test version of the iPhone 4 at a bar in 2010, Latimer set up a system to track, recover and destroy prototypes of coming products. Later, he taught overseas suppliers how to shield production lines and compartmentalize information to avoid leaks. Under Apples need to know philosophy, he did not even have access to much of the information he helped to secure. And like all Apple employees, he was discouraged from talking about his job with co-workers. His current employer, Pearl Automation, could not be more different. Founded in 2014 by three former senior managers from Apples iPod and iPhone groups, Pearl has tried to replicate what its leaders view as the best parts of Apples culture, like its fanatical dedication to quality and beautiful design. But the founders also consciously rejected some of the less appealing aspects of life at Apple, like its legendary secrecy and top-down management style. The startup, which makes high-tech accessories for cars, holds weekly meetings with its entire staff. Managers brief them on coming products, company finances, technical problems and even the presentations made to the board. Its very liberating to know whats going on, said Latimer, who left Apple in May to join Pearl. Everyone is contributing here, so everyone has a need to know. Best of all, he is working with many of his old Apple colleagues. Pearl, which is led by Bryson Gardner, has recruited heavily from Apple. More than 50 of Pearls 80 or so employees worked for the Cupertino tech giant at some point. Although Apple pays very well, many of the Apple recruits had gotten bored cranking out incremental improvements to the iPhone and the Mac, said Brian Sander, Pearls co-founder and chief operating officer. They were vibrating. It was time for them to do something different, he said. Pearls pitch was appealing: Make the roads safer by giving tens of millions of older autos the same high-tech safety features that the newest models have. We want to help people to modernize their cars without having to buy a new one, Sander said. The companys first product, a backup camera called RearVision, costs $500 and began shipping in September. Sales are off to a slow start. Although the camera has received rave reviews, it is much more expensive than competing models. The online retailers Amazon.com and Crutchfield temporarily cut the price to $400 in December. Gardner declined to disclose specific sales figures but said Pearl had released the product too late to make it into physical retailers before the holidays. The company plans to expand distribution this year. Like Apple, though, Pearl is playing the long game. Engineers are testing self-parking technology and other driver-assistance features for future products. The company has raised $50 million from prominent venture capital firms, including Accel, Shasta Ventures and Venrock, but Gardner said it needs to raise more money in 2017. Pearls headquarters in an office complex between vast redwood groves and Santa Cruzs beaches are a world away from Apple headquarters in the busy technopolis of Silicon Valley. The larger companys influence, however, is clear. Apple, which has about 110,000 employees, breaks big projects down into smaller tasks. Those are assigned to small teams, and each sub-task is given to a specific employee, who must get it done what Apple calls the directly responsible individual. Pearl has copied this system. In leading small teams, thats very effective, Gardner said. Pearl has also imported Apples disciplined approach to engineering. Deadlines are regularly set, and flaws are relentlessly investigated. Why did this fail? Gardner said. You really understand the full bounds of the problem. Another Apple hallmark elegant design is also a core value. Were building something that has an Apple-quality fit and finish, Sander said. Unlike competing models, the RearVision has two high-definition cameras to provide a better view, and one is tuned for night vision. The cameras peek out of a license-plate frame and are powered by a hidden solar panel. They transmit data wirelessly to an adapter that plugs into the cars diagnostic port near the steering wheel. The images are displayed on an app on the drivers smartphone. The setup allows the company to frequently update the software to fix bugs and add new features. Chrissy Meyer, Pearls director of hardware product development and another Apple alumna, said that her team tried 19 variations of the license-plate frame, including testing various shades of black, with and without aluminum flakes in the paint. (They look really different in the sunlight, she said.) Like Apple, Pearl dealt with dozens of suppliers, mostly in Asia, to obtain the 400 components in RearVision. We were used to doing this with the iPhone and iPad, said Joseph Fisher, Pearls co-founder and head of engineering. Indeed, the Pearl team tapped many of the same suppliers they worked with at Apple. But Pearls leaders also consciously rejected Apples view that only the top executives should have a view of the whole company. Apples longtime CEO, Steve Jobs, exercised control over the smallest details about products. When he stepped down in 2011, his power was distributed among more of the companys executives, but decisions remained highly centralized. At Apple, there are a few people in the company that decide what needs to be done, and everyone else is executing, said Rishabh Bhargava, Pearls director of hardware, who formerly worked on the iPod and iPhone. At Pearl, he said, the engineering team has a voice in coming products and features, as well as the product design. Apple, for all of its success creating phones and computers, has spawned very few startups like Pearl in recent years, especially compared with peers like Google and Facebook. Eswar Priyadarshan, who sold his mobile advertising company, Quattro Wireless, to Apple in 2010 and stayed for four years, said he learned about design and aesthetics during his time there. But he noted that Apples high compensation, focused product mission and top-down decision-making tended to dampen the risk-taking necessary to start a company. Priyadarshan, who is chief executive of BotCentral, a six-person startup, compared Apple to a community of warrior monks. Warrior monks dont talk and do whatever is asked, he said. Nest Labs, the most successful company to have been founded by Apple veterans in the last few years, was born in part because its founders, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, were told that Apple had no interest in their smart thermostat. It was a great place to work: super-high growth, great product, lots of innovation, said Rogers, who remained at Nest after its sale to Alphabet for $3.2 billion in 2014. But Apple is very much, How do we ship our next iPhone for Christmas? Nest has had its share of problems since the sale to Google, including management infighting, product delays and disappointing revenue growth before Fadells departure in June. But Rogers, who worked with some of Pearls founders at Apple and serves on its board, said that the startup absorbed many of the positive lessons of Nest: Recruit top Apple people, control your hardware and software, establish a culture of openness and empowerment, and constantly upgrade the product. Apple appears to hold no hard feelings toward Pearl, despite the startups steady recruitment of its workers. Pearl Auto is a great example of the creativity and innovation driving the iPhone ecosystem, said Josh Rosenstock, an Apple spokesman. We wish them great success with their new product. Last month, Federico Viticci, who runs MacStories, a news site devoted to Apple and its products, made a change in how the site publishes articles for mobile gadgets. MacStories, he declared, would no longer support a Google-backed method for faster loading of mobile Web pages. Viticci said MacStories pages loaded quickly without Googles help. He also didnt like the idea of Googles obscuring his sites links in the interest of expediency. Feels good to no longer use the Google standard, Viticci wrote on Twitter. Viticcis experience underscores the ambivalent relationship some Web publishers have developed with what was supposed to be Googles great boon for mobile publishing. When Google introduced Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP, in October 2015, it said the format would help publishers with one of their biggest headaches on smartphones: Browsing mobile websites was so frustratingly slow that many smartphone users abandoned pages before they opened. AMP has since delivered on its promise of faster mobile pages. Even so, publishers of smaller sites, especially, or individual bloggers are beginning to worry about giving too much control to Google in exchange for zippier Web pages. Whats more, Googles approach to AMP has rankled some critics already suspicious of the companys outsize influence on the Internet. Much of the publishers unease is rooted in Googles presentation of AMP stories, which appear as if they are Google articles. Thats because Google, to speed up AMP, stores copies of publishers pages and serves them from its own Internet network. So when a reader clicks an AMP link, the address bar at the top of the page displays www.google.com instead of the publishers Web address. It looks like a Google story, said Danny Sullivan, founding editor of Search Engine Land, a Web search news site. Thats part of the reason why youre getting the nervousness from some of these publishers. Google said that it had designed AMP for speed and that it wants to help not harm publishers, who get full accounting of traffic, data and advertising revenue. Publishers also retain control of their content and design. Google said serving up articles from its Internet network was the best way it knew to achieve the AMP speeds, which are as much as four times faster than a regular mobile Web page. We always try to present the content that is the best experience, said David Besbris, Googles vice president of engineering. Google started AMP in 2015 because it worried that competitors like Facebook were drawing people into their networks with faster-loading articles and keeping them there. For Google, those rival sites were siphoning people away from the open Internet, where the Mountain View company which created the Internets most valuable property by organizing the expanse of the World Wide Web typically operates. The open-source AMP project has won over many big publishers who praise Googles responsiveness. They say readers are engaging more with ads on AMP because they actually get to the stories and its a better experience. There are more than 600 million pages running AMP on more than 700,000 domains, including publishers such as the New York Times and non-media sites like eBay. David Gehring, a former Google employee who is now CEO of Relay Media, a company that works with publishers to convert pages to AMP, said the format had been positive for publishers grappling with shrinking revenue in the shift from print to online advertising. He estimated that up to 10 percent of mobile Web content is on AMP. Yet Gehring also said Google suffers from tone deafness when it came to explaining the benefits of AMP, such as the ability to syndicate articles across the mobile Web without losing advertising or traffic. That tone deafness has rubbed some publishers the wrong way. In October, software developer Alex Kras created a stir when he wrote a post titled Google May Be Stealing Your Mobile Traffic, in which he recounted what had happened when he used AMP on his technology blog. After he enabled AMP on his WordPress publishing software, Kras said, his old posts displayed the Google home page and there was no easy way to redirect readers to his own site. It made me feel like my site wasnt my own, Kras said. He later said the title of his post was inaccurate, but stood by his concerns that AMP could cost publishers mobile traffic, an assertion Google denies. Kras said smaller publishers had more to lose if they used AMP, since big publishers have more name recognition and readers are more likely to remember them as the source of a story. Little guys like myself dont have this luxury, he wrote in a post after meeting with Google officials. Kras decided to keep AMP because it is fast. For that, a lot of little things can be (temporarily) forgotten, he said. Google may be starting to acknowledge some publishers concerns. It told Search Engine Land that it plans to make changes to AMP in 2017 to make it easier for publishers to offer their own links and for readers to be redirected to their sites, but did not elaborate. It hasnt been a great time to be a man without a job. The jobs that have been disappearing, like machine operator, are predominantly those that men do. The occupations that are growing, like health aide, employ mostly women. One solution is for the men who have lost jobs in factories to become health aides. But while more than a fifth of American men arent working, they arent running to these new service-sector jobs. Why? They require very different skills and pay a lot less. Theyre also seen as womens work, which has always been devalued in the U.S. labor market. The two occupations predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to decline most quickly from 2014 to 2024 are locomotive firers, shrinking 70 percent, and vehicle electronics installers and repairers, down 50 percent. They are 96 and 98 percent male. Of the fastest-growing jobs, many are various types of health aides, which are about 90 percent female. When men take these so-called pink-collar jobs, they have more job security and wage growth than in blue-collar work, according to recent research. But they are paid less and feel stigmatized. The jobs being created are very different than the jobs being eliminated, said David Autor, an economist at MIT. Im not worried about whether there will be jobs. Im very worried about whether there will be jobs for low-educated adults, especially the males, who seem very reluctant to take the new jobs. Take Tracy Dawson, 53, a welder in St. Clair, Mo. He lost several jobs, some because his employers took the work to China and Mexico and others because the workers were replaced by robots. He has heard the promises of fast-growing jobs in the health care field: His daughter trained to be a medical technician. But he never considered it. I aint gonna be a nurse; I dont have the tolerance for people, he said. I dont want it to sound bad, but Ive always seen a woman in the position of a nurse or some kind of health care worker. I see it as more of a womans touch. Also, health aides earn a median wage of $10.50 an hour. Dawson used to earn $18 an hour making railroad traction motors. I was a welder thats all I know how to do, said Dawson, who is living on disability insurance because he has rheumatoid arthritis. Women were hit harder than men by the decline in middle-skill jobs, according to Autor. But they have more easily moved into the expanding occupations and earn more college degrees than men. Women have always entered male-dominated fields usually well-paid, professional ones more than men enter female-dominated ones. There are now many female lawyers, but male nurses are still rare. One reason is that jobs done by women, especially caregiving jobs, have always had lower pay and lower status. Yet when men, especially white men, enter female-dominated fields, they are paid more and promoted faster than women, a phenomenon known as the glass escalator. Much of male resistance to pink-collar jobs is tied up in the culture of masculinity, say people who study the issue. Women are assumed to be empathetic and caring; men are supposed to be strong, tough and able to support a family. Traditional masculinity is standing in the way of working-class mens employment, and I think its a problem, said Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist and public policy professor at Johns Hopkins and author of Labors Love Lost: The Rise and Fall of the Working-Class Family in America. We have a cultural lag where our views of masculinity have not caught up to the change in the job market, he said. But telling working-class men to take feminine jobs plays to their anxieties and comes off as condescending, said Joan Williams, a professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, and author of Reshaping the Work-Family Debate: Why Men and Class Matter. White working-class mens wages have plummeted, and what happens to men in that context is anxieties about whether theyre real men, she said. Its no surprise, then, that Donald Trump appealed to men who feel this way not just his promises to bring back factory jobs, but also his machismo. Many unemployed men who did manual labor say they cant take the time and make the effort to train for a new career because they have bills to pay. And they say they chose their original careers because they wanted to build things, not take care of people. Lawrence Katz, an economist at Harvard, has a term for this: retrospective wait unemployment, or looking for the job you used to have. Its not a skill mismatch, but an identity mismatch, he said. Its not that they couldnt become a health worker, its that people have backward views of what their identity is. Jon Ray, 31, of Inez, Ky., was an electrician at a coal mine until it was shuttered a year ago. He applied unsuccessfully for maintenance and repair jobs, and got a job in manufacturing after enrolling in a program to learn how to operate computerized tools. Service-sector jobs werent an option, he said. I couldnt afford to go back to school, he said. And Im used to working with my hands. If more men do pink-collar jobs, they could erase the stigma and turn them into mens jobs, said Janette Dill, a sociologist at the University of Akron, at least for jobs that require less hands-on caregiving. More men will go into care because they dont have a choice, but theyre going to carve out spaces for themselves that feel less like womens work, she said. Dill was a co-author of a study published in April that looked at what happens when men move into pink-collar jobs in the health care field. Men in the lowest-rung health jobs, like the nursing assistants who change patients sheets and help them bathe, earned 10 percent less than men in blue-collar jobs. But they were less likely to be laid off and their wages rose over time, while blue-collar wages were stagnant. Technical health care jobs like ultrasound technician requiring more training but not a college degree paid 22 percent more than other blue-collar jobs, after controlling for things like education. They involve less interaction with patients and more with computers, so they are less stereotypically feminine. For men without college degrees, more technical training that equips them for those jobs could help. And if health aide jobs paid more and offered better benefits, theyd probably attract more men. Some hospitals are trying to make caregiving jobs seem manly like with a recruitment poster comparing the adrenaline rush of being an operating room nurse to mountain climbing. Perhaps then men could take the same pride in their work that Dawson, the unemployed welder, showed when he talked about making pilings for the rebuilt World Trade Center. I had a good life as a welder, he said. It always amused me. Thats one reason I picked the job. Five associates of Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow, the infamous San Francisco crime boss sentenced to life in prison in August, pleaded guilty to reduced charges related to the money-laundering organized crime syndicate they helped run in Chinatown, federal prosecutors said Friday. Under the terms of the plea agreement, announced by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, three men Gary Kwong Yiu Chen, Anthony John Lai, and Xiu Ying Ling Elaine Liang pleaded guilty to money laundering charges. Another man, Tong Zao Zhang, pleaded guilty to dealing in contraband cigarettes, and the fifth, Bryan Tilton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce, prosecutors said. Their boss, Chow, has held out his innocence for his part in orchestrating his former organization, the Ghee Kung Tong, as a complex racketeering enterprise. Chow also ordered the murder of its previous leader, Allen Leung, in 2006 to smooth his ascension to the top of the tong, a jury found in announcing his guilt. Underneath Chow who was the only member of the crime syndicate to contest his case in court San Francisco residents Chen and Lai admitted in their plea agreements that they laundered more than $635,000 from October to December 2013 that was used to disguise the cross-county flow of illicit drug money, prosecutors said. In Brooklyn resident Zhangs plea agreement, he admitted distributing contraband cigarettes on the black market without paying taxes that would have totaled almost $300,000 prosecutors said. Under San Francisco resident Tiltons plea agreement, he said he conspired with Chow to purchase $30,000 worth of purportedly stolen Hennessy XO alcohol, prosecutors said. But the salesman was an undercover FBI agent, one of the first threads that started unraveling Chows crime empire, prosecutors said. All five men are scheduled to be sentenced in San Francisco starting in April, prosecutors said. Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The parents of Kathryn Steinle, who was shot to death on a San Francisco pier in July 2015 by an immigrant with a record of deportations, can sue the federal government for negligence because a ranger allegedly left the gun used in the shooting in his unlocked car, a federal magistrate ruled Friday. U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero dismissed the parents claims against the city of San Francisco, which had released Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez from custody less than three months before the shooting without notifying immigration authorities. But Spero said the parents may be able to prove that the federal government was at fault for Steinles death because its employees apparent carelessness led to the shooting. Leaving a gun loaded makes (its) capability for harm readily accessible in the same way as leaving the key in the ignition of a vehicle, Spero said. He cited past rulings by California courts allowing suits for harm caused by stolen vehicles that had been left unlocked, with the key inside, in high-crime neighborhoods. The gun used to shoot Steinle was stolen from the rangers car on a downtown San Francisco street. Spero added, however, that the suit might be dismissed if there is no evidence that Lopez-Sanchez stole the gun. Its not clear how California courts, whose rulings govern the negligence issue, would decide such a case, Spero said. Lopez-Sanchezs lawyer has denied his client stole the gun. Lopez-Sanchez, charged with murder, has also denied intentionally shooting at Steinle. Spero dismissed the rest of the suit filed by Steinles parents, Jim Steinle and Elizabeth Sullivan. He rejected their claims that the city was legally responsible for releasing Lopez-Sanchez without contacting the federal government and that federal immigration officials, who had known the city was holding him, had a duty to pick him up and deport him. The parents could appeal those rulings. Lopez-Sanchez had been deported to his native Mexico five times and had just spent 46 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry when federal officials turned him over to San Francisco in March 2015 to face an old marijuana charge. City prosecutors dropped the charge, and the office of then-Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi released Lopez-Sanchez, disregarding immigration officials request to hold him until they could pick him up. Mirkarimi cited San Franciscos sanctuary city ordinance, which allows local officers to ignore such requests by federal agencies. Ten weeks later, Steinle, 32, was shot to death as she walked with her father along Pier 14. Her parents sued in May, saying that Mirkarimi had been acting on his own because the ordinance did not prohibit communication with federal officials. They also contended the city violated a federal law that prohibits state and local restrictions on informing the government about someones immigration status. Spero said neither the sanctuary ordinance nor federal law required Mirkarimi to notify the government about Lopez-Sanchez. He also said federal officials had already known that Lopez-Sanchez was undocumented and in San Francisco custody. The parents lawyers also argued that San Francisco had endangered Steinle, and the rest of the public, by releasing Lopez-Sanchez and should be held responsible for her death. But Spero said numerous courts have ruled that a government agency is not responsible for harm caused by a released inmate unless it has reason to know the inmate posed a specific threat to the eventual victim. Nothing in this case distinguished Steinle from the general public when Lopez-Sanchez was released, Spero said. He said a contrary ruling would subject virtually any decision by policymakers in the field of public safety ... to post-hoc second-guessing. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko NEW YORK At the moment, David Gordons life is plastered all over the walls of the Vincent Astor Gallery. The writer, director and choreographer a founding member of the postmodern 1960s collective Judson Dance Theater holds little back in David Gordon: Archiveography Under Construction, a manic and magical installation drawn from his archives. Its like standing in the middle of a collage. (Wear red, black and white to really blend in.) But beyond Gordons visual finesse he spent years designing windows for the now-defunct store Azuma this tactile exhibition is also personal. Its gallery, in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, includes photographs of Gordons early life, which blur into his artistic career. His wife and muse, Valda Setterfield, a British-born dancer and actress, figures prominently. Rugby shirts from Dancing Henry Five, worn by dummies, are draped over a ladder. Red Grooms sets and objects from the Obie-winning play The Mysteries and Whats So Funny? spill out from a corner. And racks of costumes, including blue lame overalls that Gordon wore in a 1970s performance, sprout from the center like a bouquet. In short, Archiveography Under Construction, which runs through April 6, is not a typical exhibition at the performing arts library. Its alive. I did say at some point to the library people, Does anybody actually ever come in here? Gordon, 80, recalled on a recent afternoon in the gallery. Mostly the way this room is set up is boring and tedious, and things are in glass cases. Instead, he said he was determined to try and make a performance happen its like making a dance out of the past. He added: It has also been a little frightening, sort of like one of those black-and-white movies in which death comes to visit. And you know who hes after. When Gordon donated his archives to the library last year, he decided to explore the process of making a living archive in what he has named Archiveography. (His website, Davidgordon.nyc, features an interactive timeline as well as extensive text and photographs for Archiveography, which will also have a performance component later this year.) Gordons annotated approach to his archive is more than a way to keep him actively involved. Its an opportunity to preserve his artistic intention. To do it, he has collaborated with the projects associate producer and archivist, Patsy Gay, and its producer, Alyce Dissette, who has had a long association with Gordons Pick Up Performance Co(s). How do you move an artists archive into a library and have it be a something? Dissette asked. Rather than they die, you move all this stuff in, it sits on a shelf and then somebody who doesnt know anything comes in and tries to unbox all this stuff and bring it to some sort of context. Gay, who began an inventory of the archives in 2011, worked with the librarys catalogers to fill in blanks. And then David simultaneously took it to another level, Dissette said, by writing the scripts that document the stories. Those lively scripts, embellished with photographs (and also on his website), show how art and life bleed into each other. One example is Gordons Chair dances, which came about after Setterfield, who was 40 and had just left the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, was in a car accident. She was shaken; Gordon wanted to invent something that would be utterly new for her yet manageable: a dance with chairs. He borrowed two blue folding chairs from choreographer Lucinda Childs the chairs are part of the installation and in 1974, five months after the accident, choreographed Chair, alternatives 1 through 5. The Archiveography annotations also sketch in Gordons life: He grew up in a Lower East Side tenement, which he said he first left to attend Brooklyn College. He described himself then as a New Yorker who knew nothing about the rest of the city not even how to order in a restaurant. That had been his fathers department. On one occasion, Gordon ordered the most familiar-sounding item he could find a hamburger but when the waiter asked him how he would like it cooked, Gordon was at a loss. I say, On a roll, Gordon recalled. And everybody laughs. I think, oh, OK, if Im stupid enough, I can make people laugh. That will be useful. I could just figure out the timing of getting this laugh. That wry sense of humor is always present in his dance-theater works, as is a sense of dislocation. At Brooklyn College, Gordon was an English major before switching to art. There was also a modern dance club; he followed Barbara Kastle, a visual arts student, there and was soon in demand. Im a boy, he said. I am 6 feet tall and I can stand on one leg. The choreographer James Waring, an important influence on the postmodern generation, approached Gordon in Washington Square Park and asked him to audition for his company, where Gordon also met Setterfield. Gordon performed with him from 1958 to 1962. An enormous amount of this is really about being in the right place at the right time in conditions I didnt make happen or imagine, he said. Who was looking at and talking to and hearing from people who were really thinking in ways that I never would have stumbled upon in my Ludlow Street life. One part of Archiveography is, as Gordon put it, to disabuse the public of the idea that art is some kind of inspirational product that doesnt require a connection to the life that they or the artist leads. And that, for Gordon, is universal. If anybody comes here, I would wish that it allows them to include in their own thinking about their own lives how many ingredients they have not paid attention to actually are the ingredients, he said. Thats sort of it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A strike that has kept the entire West Coast Dungeness crab fleet out of the water for more than a week has ended after Oregon fishers reached a price settlement that everyone agreed to. The entire West Coast fleet will receive $2.87 per pound for their crab, which is a compromise between the price fishers wanted, $3, and what processors were offering, which was $2.75. The 12 cents doesnt sound like much, but it makes a difference, said Christian Cavanaugh, a Sausalito crabber. When you add up thousands of pounds (of crab), thats how guys are paying for their insurance and slip fees. Despite the agreement, a series of storms might keep crab lovers from partaking of their favorite seafood for a while. The strike started Dec. 26 when Pacific Seafood dropped the previously negotiated price of $3 a pound to $2.75 a pound to fishers in Humboldt Bay. Soon, fishers up and down the coast, from Morro Bay to the Canadian border, had joined in and Bay Area stores and restaurants were out of crab. Ken Bates, vice president of the Humboldt Fishermens Marketing Association, said that Oregon fishermen reached the price agreement after negotiating with processors for two days in talks organized by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. More for you Crab Strike Ends With Negotiated Wholesale Price Of $2.875 Per... The new price means that San Francisco fishers, who had been receiving $3 a pound, lost some money in the deal. But everyone seems relieved its over. Holding out for them was the right thing to do without a doubt, Cavanaugh said. Its good to show that the fishermen were able to organize together and make a stand. Larry Collins of the San Francisco Community Fishing Association, a 30-year veteran of the fishing industry, has never seen the entire coast tie up in unity before. In the olden days, it was each port dealing with small local buyers that were owned by local families. The boats were smaller, and traps were smaller, he said. Now were dealing with billion-dollar companies. The only way to deal with entities that are that large is to have unity amongst the whole coast. This strike proved that we could do that. Cavanaugh said that local fishers unfortunately lost a window of fishable weather and may not be able to fish for a few weeks. The San Francisco fleet has been catching crab since mid-November, and the commercial crab season is due to stay open until June 30 south of Mendocino County. Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan A group of around 150 Afghan women, from the remote Jawzjan province have taken up arms to fight the double threat of Taliban and IS. By Arindam De: After years of violence in their lives and provinces, a group of around 150 Afghan women, from the remote Jawzjan province have taken up arms to fight the double threat of Taliban and IS. "They killed three of my sons and burned down our livelihood. Now we have come out to fight IS," said Mumlakat from the Qush Tepa district. advertisement Reportedly Taliban and IS militants killed male members of the families of some of the women, residents of the remote and violence-plagued districts of Qush Tepa and Darz A'ab. The Afghan women, who have been forced to take up arms said they are ready to fight alongside the men from their districts to put an end to the brutalities of the terrorists, even as US decided that it will resend hundreds of marines into the troubled Helmand province. ALSO READ | Christian females in Syria are all set to battle against ISIS "They killed my brother, sister, and a nephew. That is why I took the arms and seek the Afghan government's help in the fight against IS," Nafisa from Darz A'ab district said. The local commander of Afghan national police Hafeez Khashi said that they are trying to support and equip the women. The group is reportedly led by 53 year old Zarmina and has as many as four dozen fighters. Photographs of this group armed with pistols, AK 47s and other weapons have appeared in the social media too. The lawless, remote northern parts of Afghanistan has seen lots of militant activities and regrouping and the writ of the state runs only loosely in these parts, giving a almost free hand to the Taliban and Islamic Sate, who in turn are fighting each other for control of these areas. ALSO READ | ISIS offers USD 1 million for murdering Kurdish woman who fought them --- ENDS --- A 31-year-old man who was pinned between a BART car from a platform he tumbled off in San Franciscos Mission District this week, died from his injuries, officials said Friday. The San Francisco Medical Examiner identified the man as Hayward resident Jeff De La Fuente, who died Wednesday night, shortly after investigators believe he fell from the platform at the 24th Street Mission station. De La Fuente was pinned in a semiconscious state as firefighters rigged up a system of heavy-duty airbags capable of moving 20 tons at a time that were inflated to push the train sideways away from the platform, freeing him, said Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a spokesman for the San Francisco Fire Department. The rescue attempt that took about 20 minutes was believed to be the first of its kind in the fire departments history, Baxter said, adding that it was important for firefighters to move as fast as we can but also be methodical and precise as to not further harm the trapped victim. Baxter said firefighters did all they could to save De La Fuentes life. Unfortunately, as we know, he did succumb to those injuries, Baxter said. De La Fuentes family set up a GoFundMe page that said he is survived by his girlfriend, Dorothy, and his mother, Alice. More than $4,000 had been raised as of Friday afternoon to help pay for De La Fuentes burial. Jim Allison, a spokesman for BART, said theres an emergency space carved out underneath the platform ledge thats designed for if someone falls into the trackway, they could roll out of the way of the train. But De La Fuente apparently never had the chance to reach the safe haven. The only measure that could have prevented such a tragic accident, he said, would be sliding glass doors like the ones employed at San Francisco International Airports AirTrain that separate the platform from the track and only open for arriving trains. Down the line, Allison said, such an alteration would be possible, provided funding was available and it was feasible. But for now, its a reminder that the yellow warning tiles lining the platform are there for a very good reason, he said. (The tiles) let people know theyre getting very close to the edge of the platform and the trackway, Allison said. The trackway itself is a very dangerous environment. Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley The storm bearing down on California this weekend was expected to send several rivers above flood stage, and authorities from the North Coast to the high Sierra on Saturday were advising low-lying communities to brace for high water. In the North Bay, residents and business owners along the Russian River and Napa River, waterways which have been problematic during past storms, were buttressing their properties with sandbags. Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued the fresh warrant against James and fresh summons to Delhi-based Media Exim Pvt. Ltd. By Indo-Asian News Service: A Delhi court today issued a fresh open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national Christian Michel James and summons to a company and two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore ($528 million) AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued the fresh warrant against James and fresh summons to Delhi-based Media Exim Pvt. Ltd. and its Directors RK Nanda and former Director JB Subramaniyam under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after they did not appear in court. advertisement Public Prosecutor Navin Kumar told the court the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. NEXT HEARING ON FEBRUARY 22 The court directed the accused to appear on February 22, the next date of hearing. The company will be represented by an authorised representative. After considering a supplementary charge sheet in the case, the court issued summons against the company and two individuals last month. ALSO READ | AgustaWestland scam: After SP Tyagi's claim, CBI to question ex-PMO officials The court said there is prima facie sufficient evidence against the accused. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in June last year filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe into the helicopter deal. According to the ED, Media Exim is a shell company of James and allegedly incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks paid to James by Finmeccanica, a group firm of AgustaWestland. MICHEL RECEIVED RS 225 CRORE AS KICKBACKS James allegedly received around Rs 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland for the deal inked for the purchase of 12 helicopters in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. The agency is said to have found that of the kickbacks received by James, Rs 6.33 crore was routed to India through his shell company Media Exim from his Dubai-based Global Services FZE. "Nanda and Subramaniyam were appointed Directors of Media Exim Pvt. Ltd., who willingly and knowingly connived with James and helped him in acquiring immovable and movable properties or assets in Delhi, which have already been attached," the ED said. ALSO READ | AgustaWestland scam: Government will spare no one, says Venkaiah Naidu James and other alleged middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa have been named as accused in separate investigations conducted by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Both the agencies have also notified an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against James after a city court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. advertisement Investigators said James is currently staying in Dubai. The first charge sheet was filed in the case in November 2014 against businessman Gautam Khaitan, his wife Ritu, Chandigarh-based firm Aeromatrix and Gerosa and Haschke. ALSO READ | VVIP choppers deal: ED files fresh chargesheet, names middleman Christian Michel --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: It is the huge debt pile that deters Air India from flourishing in the market. ''Take off the debt, Air India will beat everyone hollow," claimed Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani in one of his recent interviews with The Economic Times. Well, believing him or not is your discretion. If one traces the events that have put Air India in the headlines in the past, be it their inadequate service delivery, consistent delay in flights or staff misconduct, one cannot deny that the airline has indeed cut a very poor figure for itself. advertisement This 'sick company', as Lohani calls it, has incurred huge losses for a considerable period now. The faint hint of optimism, however, still lingers somewhere. And this itself is perhaps propelling efforts for image recovery. With the government support to the airline being cut down in the past couple of years, the airline is now looking at several other means of boosting business. What brought it to news of late has been the drop in economy-class fares in line with the private airlines as they enter the last quarter of the fiscal. There are around 48 sectors in which the fares have been reduced. These reduced prices can be availed on tickets booked between January 6 and April 10 for the travel period between January 26 and April 30, 2017. Also Read: Now, travel in Air India at the price of Rajdhani Express If that wasn't enough, the airline is now also offering enhanced free check-in baggage facility. Passengers boarding Air India's Mumbai-Delhi flight, operated with a Boeing 747, will now be allowed to carry 40 kg of check-in baggage in the economy class and 50 kg in the business class, respectively. Besides, as announced by the chief himself, Air India also plans to add 35 new planes as part of its initiative for ''consolidation and expansion'' this year. The airline is also planning to add more number of international and domestic routes. The good news is that the airline has finally managed to record an operational profit of nearly Rs 105 crore, as reported by Hindustan Times, probably for the first time in nearly a decade. We can only hope that the current measures will prove beneficial for the national carrier to regain its age-old status back. --- ENDS --- The recapture of Aleppo by the Assad government in Syria has catapulted the Syrian civil war into every living room in India and elsewhere. The humanitarian horror on TV screens is, however, only the tip of the iceberg of a complex conflict that has deep roots and presents unique dangers to Indian interests, given our geographic proximity and selective dependencies with the region. Unlike many other civil wars with a limited number of factions, Syria is characterised by a mind-numbing array of actors and contests at many levels. Unscrambling their taxonomy is vital if we are to understand their geopolitics, and what it could all mean for India. In fact, Syria is neither an isolated theatre nor a single war. Rather, it is part of a continuous, interlinked spatial terrain of conflict stretching from the Mediterranean coast all the way up to the Iranian border. Within this space, multiple fierce conflicts have been raging since the 'Arab Spring' revolutions in 2011 and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Alongside the conflicts in the Syria-Iraq region, there is also a separate but related conflict underway in Yemen. advertisement First, the actors. Four levels, in increasing scales of power and geography, can be identified. Numerous armed non-state actors form the first and lowest level. These include the extremist Sunni Ahrar al-Sham, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (till recently, Al Qaeda's Syria affiliate) and Jaish al-Islam among many others, the moderate Sunni Free Syrian Army, radical Shia militias such as the Sadrist Kataib al-Imam Ali, the Alawite Shabiha, smaller factions of armed Assyrian Christians and Turkomans, and somewhat separately, the Kurdish nationalist PKK, confined to southern Turkey. These militias are small relative to the other actors, often territorially interspersed in byzantine ways, and are typically allied with one or more of the larger players. At the second level are the quasi-states. These are marked by a more stable territorial identity, and occupy a position between the militias and formal nation-states. The key quasi-states are Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has now projected its fighters deep into Syria, the Kurdish statelet of Rojava comprising of three enclaves on the Syrian-Turkish border with its military arm the YPG, the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, Daesh (better known to the English-speaking world as ISIS), and a rebel zone in Yemen under the control of an alliance of Ansar Allah (also known as the Houthis) and a tribal militia under the powerful ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The quasi-states and militias have seen the maximum influx of foreign fighters, such as Shias from Afghanistan and Pakistan and Sunni volunteers from across the world. At the third level up, we finally get to what are internationally recognised nation-states and regional powers. These include the Assad government in Damascus, now controlling all of Syria's major cities and much of its western heartland, the Iraqi government of Haider al-Abadi, the official Yemeni government now based in Aden and key regional states of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Israel. Finally, at the fourth level, four great powers external to West Asia are militarily involved; namely Russia, the United States, the UK and France. Next the conflicts. Much of the international media has been dominated by a particular narrative of the West Asian wars in which the Assad government and his Russian and Iranian backers are the main perpetrators of civilian casualties. The reality, as always, is much greyer. There is unquestionably a repressive campaign underway by Damascus, hugely aided by Iran and Russia, to destroy all rebel and dissident groups in Syria, with indiscriminate attacks in eastern Aleppo and elsewhere. Iran does seek to create a hegemonic sphere by arming radical Shia militias. And Russia, through its decisive entry in Syria in late 2015, sees an opportunity to neutralise western influence and open a new front in what is already a shadow conflict with NATO in Eastern Europe. This much is true. However, equally true are the unsavoury actions of most opponents of the Iran-Russia alliance. Most prominent are the Sunni extremist groups in Syria, who in ideological terms are little different from Daesh, and have a long history of persecution of Shias, Christians and other minorities. Rebels in Aleppo have also indiscriminately attacked the western part of the city, held civilians hostage and blockaded Shia villages. Restrictions on women in many rebel-controlled areas are much greater than under the secular Assad government. Meanwhile, Daesh, incubated in the disaster of post-2003 Iraq, demonstrates staying power with major infusions of cash from oil sales, but also allegedly from wealthy private donors in the Gulf. Turkey and the Gulf states' backing of some of the non-Daesh Sunni militants is an open secret. The coalition bombing of civilian targets in Yemen has been unconscionable. And the US-UK-French hostility toward Russia matches Moscow's antipathy toward the NATO alliance. advertisement In short, this is no Bangladesh of 1971, or even the Spanish Civil War. The only moral narrative here (possibly apart from the unique Rojava experiment) is that of suffering civilians on all sides and the destruction of ancient architecture and priceless artifacts. Daesh is uniquely toxic and brutal, but it too does not operate in a vacuum. Searching for moral saviours among the combatants themselves would be futile in what are equal-opportunity battles of realpolitik and religion in West Asia. advertisement Essentially, six core geopolitical contests are playing out in the region. Three of these involve Iran-against Saudi Arabia, Israel (which is also focused on Hezbollah) and the US-UK. The Shia-Sunni rivalry, so prominent in the atrocities and media narratives, is in many ways a byproduct of the Saudi-Iranian contest that originated post-1979 (though it is increasingly taking on a life of its own). The fourth contest is the international community's war on Daesh, prosecuted mainly by Iraq and the YPG, with crucial western air support. The fifth is a major Turkish drive to expand its influence in northern Syria and contain Kurdish aspirations for self-rule. To this stubborn set of conflicts has been added a sixth layer-the Russia factor. Russia's 2015 intervention in Syria was a game-changer, as it saved the Assad government and brought all the tensions of the Russian-NATO rivalry into the heart of West Asia. The capture of Aleppo has strongly tilted the balance of power towards the Russia-Iran alliance. Particularly disadvantaged is Saudi Arabia, with its push to dislodge Assad in tatters at a time of budgetary pressures and a level of internal discontent. Recent Turkish and Egyptian realignments also provide an additional setback for Saudi goals in the region. Meanwhile Daesh is steadily losing territory due to gains on the ground by the Iraqi army, Shia militias and the YPG. advertisement This is the regional context as India fashions a response to the West Asian crisis. And respond it must, given its deep ties to the region. Proximity is itself a dependence-geography matters. Then, Saudi Arabia and Iran are among India's top sources of imported oil. Qatar dominates vital gas supplies. There are also 7 million Indian expatriates in West Asia, who send home about $40 billion annually as valuable foreign exchange and provide for their families. Last but not the least, the toxic effects of Daesh (and globalised Sunni extremism generally) on Indian Muslim youth remain a concern, although very few Indians thus far have actually been radicalised by the group. Indian policies toward West Asia must be formulated at two levels. First is the level of strategic calculus. Strategically speaking, India has no favourites in the fights of West Asia (except in support of the widely-backed war on Daesh). Nor does it have the capacity to influence or resolve these conflicts. But India is also not a natural adversary of any of the countries in the region. High dependence combined with low influence constrains India's options. The choices then are either to greatly reduce dependence or expand it in a way that serves Indian interests. The first option is impractical and can be ruled out. It is the second option that must be retooled. Indian dependence is currently selective and skewed towards the Gulf states and Israel. A shift towards omni-directionality will minimise risks no matter which way the wars end. It will also enable wider opportunities if and when peace and high economic growth return. This implies that relations with three states in particular-Turkey, Iran and Iraq-need to be strengthened while maintaining the strong partnership with the Gulf and Israel. Indo-Turkish ties have traditionally been distant, and there is tremendous scope for improvement. Indo-Iranian ties suffered due to western-led sanctions, but Iran now presents opportunities for cooperation in the areas of Afghanistan, natural gas and bilateral trade. Strategic dialogue on a frequent basis with both the US and Russia on developments in West Asia should be given priority. American policy is particularly uncertain. The incoming Trump administration appears to be more willing to use force in West Asia. However, its stated aims to repair ties with Russia and simultaneously take a harder line on Iran are contradictory in terms of their regional implications. Many of the possible scenarios for West Asia in the coming years are not positive. For India, the three most negative scenarios would be an inter-state war between either the US, Saudi Arabia or Israel against Iran, instability in the wake of a fall of the Saudi monarchy and the nuclearisation of Iran and/or Saudi Arabia. Detailed contingency planning is essential to prepare for such dystopic scenarios. This includes plans for bolstering energy security, evacuation of Indian nationals, resolving mass hostage situations, and managing diplomatic fallouts. It requires a faster ramp-up of Indian strategic petroleum reserves and diversifying oil and gas imports to the extent possible. Strengthening intelligence capabilities at home to counter Daesh recruitment, while respecting the human rights of India's Muslim communities, is obviously also needed. Finally, at the second level India should never lose sight of the humanitarian angle in what is at its heart a terrible human tragedy. India must always stand for a negotiated settlement to all disputes and welcome any accords that reduce violence in the region. It must consistently oppose framing the conflict as a clash of civilisations. More concretely, it could offer greater medical assistance to grievously wounded civilians and aid the restoration of valuable cultural treasures which, after all, are the common heritage of all humankind. --- ENDS --- Anti-corruption Bureau today unearthed property and assets worth over Rs 60 crore from a government employee in Vijaywada. By Ashish Pandey: Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today unearthed properties worth over Rs 60 crore from a person serving as a joint director at Government ITI campus in Vijaywada. The raid was conducted at the residence and premises owned by G Muni Venkata Narayana who serves as the Joint Director of Employment & Training, Govt ITI Campus. The ACB sleuths also recovered Rs 22 lakh in the new currency Rs 2,000 currency. advertisement Apart from the cash, the sleuths also recovered 500 grams of gold from Narayana's resident. As part of the operation, the ACB officials conducted raids in Hyderabd, Tirupathi, Vijaywada. During searche operations the ACB also found documents related to four plots at Tirupati and three at Hyderabad worth over Rs 62 lakh, agricultural land spanning 3.5 acres at Rajampet and Tirupathi amounting to over Rs.40 lakhs. Six residential flats and four commercial shops in Hyderabad were also unearthed found during the raids. The estimated market value of the flats and commercial shops are worth Rs.1.50 crore. Over 1 KG Gold Jewellery and promissory notes worth Rs. 2.60 crore also recovered by the ACB during the raid. The total value of assets is over Rs. 6.0 crore (as per document value) however the market value of recovered properties could be over Rs.60 crore. ACB has arrested government officer Narayana and has produced him before the court. Also read: Income tax raids are surgical strikes against black money: Government I-T department raids BJP leader Sushil Waswani for allegedly laundering huge sums of black money --- ENDS --- Weeks before the poll AAP Chief and Delhi CM Arvind kejriwal kick starts his poll campaign in Goa today. Speaking in Goa's Benaulim assembly constituency he invokes his anti corruption and anti communal stand saying he won't tolerate corruption or communal in his party. By Ashutosh Mishra: As Goa heading for assembly poll on February 4 the political parties aping the ante ahead for crucial assembly poll on the state. Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposition Congress and new entity Aam Aadmi party (AAP) makes it triangular battle in Goa. Weeks before the poll AAP Chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind kejriwal kick starts his poll campaign in Goa today. Speaking in Goa's Benaulim assembly constituency, he invokes his anti corruption and anti communal stand saying he won't tolerate corruption or communal in his party. advertisement Kejriwal said, that any of his candidate found guilty of these charges, he won't hesitate to cancel their candidature even 24 hours ahead of the poll no matter seat is vacated. During his poll campaign escalating charges against ruling BJP govt in Goa and the Chief Minister Lakshmikant Parsekar, kejriwal said, Parsekar represents corrupt poltics. Also read: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll on Goa: In key state, AAP eyed, BJP takes the cake Asking Goans to choose honest politics kejriwal appealed to vote his chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes. Kejriwal asked Goans to vote for change and end the friendly match between Congress and BJP have been seen for over the years. Goa to go for poll on February 4 and the Aam Aadmi Party put all his stake in the state batting on most of new and younger faces option out it's Delhi formula. Rebuking the opponents over putting light weight candidates, Kejriwal said AAP candidates are not political light weights because they will defeat established politicians soon in Goa too as they did in delhi. Invoking his governance model counting his several achievements in the National Capital Arvind kejriwal said, Don't underestimate power of the common man. Also read: No issues with same polling date for Punjab, Goa, prepared for elections: AAP Also read: AAP denies rift with leader Kumar Vishwas, poet-cum-politician to campaign for Goa polls --- ENDS --- BEIRUT A car bomb ripped through a busy commercial district in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz along the Turkish border Saturday, killing almost 50 people in a huge explosion that damaged buildings and left rescuers scrambling to find survivors amid the wreckage, opposition activists said. Rescuers and doctors said the explosion was so large there were nearly 100 wounded and burned. More than 50 wounded were transported to the Turkish town of Kilis for treatment, as local hospitals couldnt cope. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Locals said a rigged tanker caused the explosion and blamed Islamic State militants, who have carried out attacks in the town before. The militant group has been increasingly pressed in Syria and Iraq, and has escalated its attacks against Turkey which backs Syrian opposition fighters in a campaign against the group in northern Syria. Azaz, only a couple of miles from the Turkish border, is a key town on a route used by opposition fighters moving between Syria and Turkey, and is a hub for antigovernment activists as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its prewar population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkey-backed opposition groups to the east. Islamic State militants, who have tried to advance on the border town before, have been pushed back farther east in recent months in the Turkey-backed offensive. The bomb went off Saturday outside a courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, said Azaz resident and activist Saif Alnajdi. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said at least 48 people were killed, including 14 fighters and guards to the local courthouse. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explained the large blast and high death toll. The activist-operated local Azaz Media center and Shabha Press put the death toll at 60, adding that search and rescue operations continued for hours after the explosion. A nationwide week-long cease-fire has mostly held across Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides in the conflict, reached an agreement late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Assads government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. STR/AFP/Getty Images COPENHAGEN Heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures continued to sweep the European continent Saturday, causing more than a dozen deaths, grounding airplanes and crippling ferries in Italy and Turkey. At least 10 people have died in the cold that has gripped Poland in recent days, included seven men who died Friday, authorities said. Temperatures in Poland dropped to minus 4 degrees Saturday, and weather forecasts said they would sink more overnight. 1 Gas price protests: The death toll in protests and looting fueled by anger over gasoline price hikes in Mexico rose to six Friday when authorities confirmed that two men died in a confrontation between protesters and police in the central state of Hidalgo. There were four previous deaths in looting-related incidents, and over the course of the week, at least 300 stores were looted and more 1,000 people were detained, officials said. Two people also were found dead near looting in the eastern port city of Veracruz. Earlier, officials said a bystander was run over and killed by a driver fleeing police in another part of Veracruz state, and a police officer was killed trying to stop robberies at a gas station in Mexico City. 2 Miners killed: Gunmen in northern Afghanistan ambushed ethnic Hazara coal miners Friday, shooting at least nine of them dead and seemingly adding to a string of recent attacks singling out ethnic or sectarian minorities. The attack happened in the district of Tala Wa Barfak in Baghlan province, a hub for coal mining in northern Afghanistan. The miners were on a bus returning home to central Daykondi province, according to Faiz Muhammed Amiri, the district governor of Tala Wa Barfak. LISBON, Portugal Mario Soares, a former prime minister and president of Portugal who helped steer his country toward democracy after a 1974 military coup and grew into a global statesman through his work with the Socialist International movement, died Saturday. He was 92. Soares, a moderate Socialist, returned from 12 years of political exile after the Carnation Revolution toppled Portugals four-decade dictatorship in 1974. He was elected Portugals first post-coup prime minister in 1976 and thwarted Portuguese Communist Party attempts to bring the NATO member under Soviet influence during the Cold War. He helped guide his country from dictatorship to parliamentary democracy and a place in the European Union. BAGHDAD Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq on Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, Iraqi government troops made fresh progress in their push against Islamic State inside the northern city of Mosul, dislodging militants from new areas and reaching the nearest point to the Tigris river that divides the city since the operation began in mid-October. The presence of some 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of Mosul, has stirred tension with Baghdad since late last year. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are there without permission and are in blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey says the troops were invited by local Iraqi authorities and has ignored the calls. Shortly after Yildirim arrival, the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Faruk Kaymakci, said on his Twitter accounts that We hope that his visit will open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations. But emerging from an hours-long meeting in Baghdads fortified Green Zone area, both sides seemed still far from resolving the issue. Iraqi Prime Minster Hiader al-Abadi said in a joint press conference the Turkish delegation stressed that this issue will be resolved in a proper way within the (coming) short period. For his part, Yildirim said the presence of the Turkish troops wasnt born out of pleasure but rather out of need. Both sides also said they had discussed the fight against IS, and the Kurdish Turkish separatist group known as the PKK, which has used Iraqi territory to launch attacks inside Turkey and target water supplies to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The issue has led to a war of words between the two nations leaders as Iraqi government troops launched a massive military operation to recapture Mosul on Oct. 17. Ankara has insisted that its forces should take part in retaking the city, but Baghdad has refused. Beyonce and Jay Z are likely to perform at Obama's final farewell party. By India Today Web Desk: It's time for the Obamas to bid farewell. Though the future might be uncertain, the First Family of the United States is ensuring that their goodbye is no less glorious than their tenure. In fact, this 'goodbye party' might outshine President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural party, which is due on January 19 this year. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are throwing their final gala night at the White House, to be attended by some of the top celebrity faces and faithful donors. advertisement While there is no official confirmation on the guest list, Quartz has revealed names of celebs who're likely to grace the spectacular event: Jay Z and Beyonce, Usher, Samuel L Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, David Letterman, JJ Abrams, Oprah Winfrey, George Lucas and Bradley Cooper. A lot of them were also present at Obama's inauguration party eight years ago. Also Read:Michelle Obama's latest Gucci dress makes a hidden political statement Besides, Chance the Rapper, one of Obama's favourites, has already confirmed his presence through Twitter. Obama Going Away Party. I'm charged up. ??????????????????????? Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) January 6, 2017 What the Obamas have called the final 'grown-up' party according to The Washington Post can turn out to be one of the greatest star-studded sensations of the year. The situation on the other side, however, seems to lack lustre with a lot of celebrities refusing to take part in Trump's inaugural ceremony. So far, the list only includes a teenager from America's Got Talent, a dance troupe and a Mormon choir, as reported by Quartz. --- ENDS --- AMBALANTOTA, Sri Lanka At least 21 people were injured Saturday in violent clashes between Sri Lankan government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Police used tear gas and water cannons to try to break up the clashes, which took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone, located near the port city of Hambantota, about 150 miles southeast of the capital, Colombo. The clashes began when government supporters started throwing rocks at villagers who were marching to the ceremony site. The protesters, organized by the opposition and led by Buddhist monks, responded by throwing rocks at the government supporters. A group that appeared to have been transported to the area by the government joined in attacking the protesters with poles. Twenty-one people, including three police officers, were taken to a hospital in Hambantota, a medical official said. Sri Lankas government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80 percent ownership. Officials also plan to set up a nearby industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories. The villagers and monks are opposed to it and demand their residential and farmlands be spared. A court had issued a restraining order against the protest, saying it could lead to unrest, but the protesters defied it. Wickremesinghe inaugurated the industrial zone despite the clashes. Speaking at the ceremony, Chinas ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said his country hopes to invest $5 billion in the region within the next five years, and that the new industries are expected to generate 100,000 jobs. China invested over $1.2 billion in the port. Lawmaker D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a Chinese colony. We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone, Chanaka said. As Bipasha Basu turned a year older, several B-Town celebs took to social media to wish her. Abhishek Bachchan with Bipasha Basu (L) and Karan Singh Grover with Bipasha Basu By India Today Web Desk: In a career that has spanned over one and a half decade, Bipasha Basu has donned many hats, from an actor to a fitness guru. As the Bong beauty turns 38 today, friends and co-stars from B-Town took to social media to wish the birthday girl. ALSO READ | Happy Birthday Bipasha Basu: 10 hottest songs of the Bong beauty advertisement Husband Karan Singh Grover made sure that the first birthday Bips celebrated with him after their marriage was special. The couple are currently celebrating in Australia. In a heartwarming message on Instagram, KSG wrote, "Happy Birthday to the most gorgeous girl in the whole wide world... May your smile get brighter and your laughter get louder with every passing year... All of me loves all of you. Truly." Happy Birthday to the most gorgeous girl in the whole wide world... May your smile get brighter and your laughter get louder with every passing year... All of me loves all of you. Truly. A photo posted by karan singh grover (@iamksgofficial) on Jan 6, 2017 at 6:39am PST My best gift ?? My Baby @iamksgofficial ?????? A video posted by bipashabasusinghgrover (@bipashabasu) on Jan 6, 2017 at 6:41am PST Bipasha's Players co-star Abhishek Bachchan ribbed her about her fit avatar and joked that she should "eat some carbs" on her birthday. Happy birthday to my dearest Bippy @bipsluvurself today you better eat some carbs!!! Lots of love. Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) January 7, 2017 Other B-Town celebs, from Lara Dutta to Govinda also took to Twitter to wish the leggy lass. Happy birthday to the woman that combined fitness and grace flawlessly. @bipsluvurself Govinda (@Govinda_HeroNo1) January 7, 2017 Happy Birthday @bipsluvurself ! Shine bright and stay beautiful as always! ?????? Lara Dutta Bhupathi (@LaraDutta) January 7, 2017 @bipsluvurself HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ???Have a super year. Loads of love and blessings. Neil Nitin Mukesh (@NeilNMukesh) January 7, 2017 Happy bday my darl Bips @bipashabasu ...Have the most beautiful year ahead ???? #girlpower #squad #friends #bday #bipashabasu A photo posted by Sophie C (@sophiechoudry) on Jan 6, 2017 at 8:37pm PST happy happy @bipsluvurself .. wishing you many robindrosongeets on your birthday.. get the man to sing! sujoy ghosh (@sujoy_g) January 7, 2017 ALSO WATCH: Karan and I are very happy for all the love you guys are giving us, says Bipasha Basu --- ENDS --- The surgical strikes by the army in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and demonetisation are going to be the key issues for the BJP as it prepares for the assembly polls in five states. The national executive meet of the BJP is likely to endorse both as part of its political agenda. By India Today Web Desk: BJP's national executive meeting is underway in New Delhi. Today is the second and the final day of the meet, which is being held just ahead of the assembly elections in five states. While the BJP is a key player in four of the five states, the party looks more concerned about its electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh, where it won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seat in the last general elections. The national executive of the BJP will finalise the agenda of the party in the form of two important resolutions- political and economic. Both the resolutions are expected to laud Modi governments policies and decisions. While the party has sought views from the state units for the final resolutions in the view of the upcoming assembly polls, the surgical strikes by the army in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and demonetisation are certain to be the key issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the party leaders and workers after the two resolutions are adopted at the BJP national executive meet. advertisement BJP president Amit Shah addressed the national executive on Friday. Shah hit out at the opposition parties for their 'undemocratic attitude'. Amit Shah said some opposition parties were trying to disrupt government's war against corruption and were not even letting Parliament function. Also read: Opposition trying to disrupt PM Modi's war against corruption: Amit Shah at BJP's office-bearers' meet --- ENDS --- STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The suspects arrested Thursday evening stemming from a police involved shooting earlier that morning in Charleston were arraigned in criminal court Friday evening. Bail was set for both Jonathan Derbyshire, 24, and Patrick Allen, 24, at $150,000. Matthew Mari, Derbyshire's attorney, said that he is "very disappointed" at the amount at which the bail was set. He is expected to post bail, according to Mari. Derbyshire was charged with one count of reckless endangerment in the first degree, felony counts of possession of controlled substances and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the criminal complaint. The top charge against Derbyshire when he was arrested on Thursday was two counts of attempted assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors dropped that charge, according to the criminal complaint. Allen was charged with one count of reckless endangerment in the first degree, felony counts of possession of controlled substances and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of unlawful wearing of a body vest, according to the criminal complaint. Initially, Allen's top charge was two counts of attempted murder, which resulted from Allen allegedly drawing his weapon in the direction of responding officers. The charge was dropped by the prosecution. Liam "Allen" Cox, who was also arrested Thursday evening after a search warrant was executed at his home, where Derbyshire and Allen were allegedly staying, was charged with felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Cox's bail was set at $10,000. He was arraigned with Derbyshire and Allen. He was expected to post bail Friday evening, according to his attorney, Eric Nelson. According to Advance reports, a marked patrol car carrying a sergeant and a police officer responded to a call of shots fired in the vicinity of Androvette Street and Arthur Kill Road at approximately 1:10 a.m. Thursday. Officers noticed Derbyshire, who fled into the woods, and Allen, who turned towards the officers and drew a 9 mm Glock 26. It is unclear if Allen fired at officers. The officers fired several shots at Allen, who was struck four times - three times in the leg and once in the bulletproof vest he was wearing. He was taken to Staten Island University hospital in Ocean Breeze with several non-fatal gunshot wounds. Police followed Derbyshire into the woods and found an AR 15 semi-automatic rifle, evidence of several shells that may have been fired in that area in the woods near the street and a large hunting knife, according to Assistant Chief Edward Delatorre, the borough commander. Derbyshire was later taken into custody around 6:30 a.m., after coming out of a wooded area about a mile from where the shooting took place. Derbyshire, Cox and Allen are expected back in court on January 18. Vito Fossella and John Tabacco discuss politics on a new show, "Table Talk," which premieres Friday, Jan. 6, at midnight. (You Tube) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- While there's an unwritten rule to not discuss politics at the dinner table, former Congressman Vito Fossella and John Tabacco are doing just that on their new weekly political reality show, premiering Friday at midnight. The show, presented by News Max and Fuzz on the Lens Productions, is being promoted as a completely original take on political conversation. "Table Talk is going to be about what you have to say, not what we have to say," says Fossella, who served as congressman from 1997-2009 and as councilman from 1994-1997, in the show trailer. Fossella will act as co-host as well as executive producer on the show. "For too long, the American people have been ignored,'' Fossella says. "For too long, the American people feel like their voice is not being heard. On Table Talk, your voice will be heard." A voiceover during the show's trailer states: "These guys are like us. They talk straight and know the real deal . . . Now Vito and Tabacco are talking to Americans, unfiltered and raw." The show's promo features Fossella and Tabacco riding the Staten Island Ferry, where they interview tourists and ask them for their take on politics, including President-elect Donald Trump. "What do people think in Germany about Trump?" asked Tabacco, a registered Independent who serves as vice chairman of the New York State Reform Party. The tourist replies about Trump, "He is the baddest person in the world." "That's what your media in Germany tells you?" Tabacco asks. The tourists says, "Just like this." Tabacco, who is a former City Council candidate and the founder of locatestock.com, believes he has a lot to bring to the table in his new role as co-host and executive producer. "I've spent 25 years on Wall Street," Tabacco said. "I've been in the backrooms. I've been in the board rooms and I've been in the ballrooms. I've seen it all." Fossella interviews an Indian tourist during the trailer and asks him, "Was there one issue in particular that stood out?" The tourist responds: "He (Trump) was the person who always stood for the people of America." The show's trailer, which states: "Coming soon to a dinner table near you," alludes to its premise that a good part of the show will take place right at the dinner table. At the end of the trailer, a guest invites Tabacco and Fossella into her home to share food, drinks and an open forum for a political discussion. "Alright come on in,'' the guest says. "There's all wine, beer -- whatever you want. If you don't see it, then go f--- off." Friday's premiere episode will follow Fossella and Tabacco in their hometown of Staten Island. The premiere, produced by Fuzz on the Lens Productions, begins the Table Talk journey on the "Road to the Inauguration." The show then heads to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, "comparing the views of Americans in the heartland," Tabacco said. "This show is about the heart and soul of American communities and our shared interests -- food, family, freedom,'' said Tabacco. "That's America. That's Table Talk." During the premiere, the co-hosts visit the home of local Republican Donna Fagan and are joined by local lawyer Richard Luthmann. Councilman Joe Borelli, a Trump campaign co-chair, and Trump Senior Pollster John McLaughlin, are also guests on the first episode. Frank Morano and Derek Tabacco are coordinating producers of the show. Viewers can tune into "Table Talk" on Verizon Fios Channel 115. The show will also be streaming live on its Facebook page, Table Talk on Newsmax. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Matthew Mari, criminal defense attorney for one of the suspects in the weapons incident that sparked Thursday morning's police-involved shooting in Charleston, said that his impression of Staten Island is a lot like the wild west. "The sheriffs like to shoot before they ask any question," Mari, who is representing Jonathan Derbyshire, said standing outside the courtroom Friday night. "It seems that this case is primarily a public interest case because the police were a little bit trigger happy, so I believe the charges are somewhat magnified because of that," he said. Derbyshire, 24, was arraigned on one count of reckless endangerment in the first degree, and felony counts of possession of controlled substances and criminal possession of a weapon, stemming from the incident. Prosecutors declined to pursue the initial top charge of two counts of attempted assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon. "[Derbyshire] was standing there when the shooting started and he ran like a deer to save his dear life," Mari said to the judge. Derbyshire, garbed in a white t-shirt and black running pants with two solid white lines running down the side, did nothing more than look forward while his attorney spoke on his behalf. Derbyshire's father, grandfather, two aunts and a number of other family members seated in the courtroom anxiously looked toward him. He never turned around. Bail was set at $150,000 for both Derbyshire and co-defendant Patrick Allen, also 24. Derbyshire was expected post bail Friday night. ALLEN SMILES AS BAIL IS ANNOUNCED Allen, garbed in a yellow dress shirt, beige dress pants and clean shaved, was wheeled into the courtroom in a wheelchair and placed alongside criminal defense attorney Eric Nelson. Allen also had a splint on his left arm. Nelson represented Allen during the arraignment because his Manhattan-based attorney, Jay Goldberg, was unable to attend. "I'm fine with [the bail amount]; I was kind of expecting it based on the allegations against Mr. Allen. It's something that's manageable that perhaps the family could come up with," Nelson said. Allen was arraigned on one count of reckless endangerment in the first degree, felony counts of possession of controlled substances and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of unlawful wearing of a body vest, according to the criminal complaint. Initially, police hit Allen with two counts of attempted murder, which resulted from Allen allegedly drawing his weapon in the direction of responding officers. Occasionally Allen turned to look at the prosecution while his attorney spoke about the charges against him. According to the criminal complaint, Allen and Derbyshire were in possession of a loaded AR-15, a loaded .38-caliber revolver, a .45-caliber semi-automatic and a loaded Glock 26 semi-automatic. The criminal complaint alleges that defendants Allen and Derbyshire "did act together and in concert to discharge the above mentioned AR-15 and Glock 26 to close proximity to responding officers and occupied residences." According to police, a marked patrol car carrying a sergeant and a police officer responded to a call of shots fired in the vicinity of Androvette Street and Arthur Kill Road at approximately 1:10 a.m. Thursday. Officers noticed Derbyshire, who fled into the woods, and Allen, who turned toward the officers and drew a 9 mm Glock 26, police alleged. However, the criminal complaint does not mention Allen pointing a gun toward cops. The officers fired several shots at Allen, who was struck four times -- three times in the leg and once in the bulletproof vest he was wearing. After bail was announced, Allen looked into the seats to where his sister, mother and other supporters were sitting and nodded with a smile. Allen was not expected to post bail that evening. THOUSANDS OF PILLS FOUND AT THE RESIDENCE Judge Raja Raweswari issued a search warrant for the two-family residence on Kreischer Street, which is the address listed for both Derbyshire and Allen. During the search, officers found more than 16 ounces of marijuana, over 1,000 alprazolam pills and over 1,000 oxycodone pills, according to the complaint. It did not indicate where the drugs were found inside the home. Inside the courtroom, Allen Cox, who was wearing a dark grey sweat suit, stood silently, never changing facial expression, as his attorney Eric Nelson questioned prosecutors about the location of the drugs. "We pressed the prosecutor about where the drugs were found and he had no answer. You can't keep somebody and make serious charges without having at least a little bit of proof," Nelson said. Although Cox was at the home when officers executed the search, Nelson said the drugs were not his clients. His client was arraigned on drug possession charges. "They couldn't tell me if [the drugs] were found upstairs or downstairs, in a closet or in a room. They didn't know," he said. "If the drugs were hidden in a closet or a drawer, how was my client supposed to know where they were," he added. Nelson said that his client was staying at the residence because he was ill and had no other place to go at the time. According to Nelson, Cox's mother is currently undergoing rounds of chemotherapy and cannot be around anybody who is sick due to her health. Cox, who Nelson said is Allen's cousin, was staying at the residence at the time. He could not say how long prior to Thursday he was staying there. "For a cancer patient, catching a cold or something could be deadly," he said, stating that Cox had the flu and a stomach virus. Because the prosecution could not provide information about the location of the drugs and Cox did not have any weapons charges, Nelson asked the court for $5,000 bail. The prosecution asked for $75,000. Bail was set at $10,000 and he was expected to post bail Friday night. Addressing the BJP national executive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned his partymen from lobbying for their relatives for poll tickets. PM Modi also called for transparency in political funding. By Reema Parashar, Brijesh Pandey: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned his partymen against lobbying for their relatives to get tickets for the forthcoming elections in five states. PM Modi said, "Do not seek tickets for relatives. Only potential candidates should contest polls." PM MODI AT BJP NATIONAL EXECUTIVES: THINGS TO KNOW "Do not put pressure on the party for giving tickets to your relatives, brothers, nephews, sons and daughters. If the organisation finds it suitable, it will give ticket to them. All of us have to go into the polls together. Ensure victory in all the five states," Modi told the BJP national executive. Speaking at the BJP national executive, Prime Minister talked underlined the need for greater transparency in political funding. Prime Minister Modi called for consensus among political parties on the issue. Briefing the media on PM Modi's speech, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Prime Minister observed very significantly that we need to make our political process more transparent. He particularly spoke about political funding," "PM saluted inner strength of poor who responded to his appeal, in spite of some difficulties, voluntarily supported demonetisation," Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Prime Minister took a potshot at those opposing demonetisation saying, "Some people worry about lifestyle but our priority is to make quality of life better for the poor and underprivileged." "Prime Minister said that determination to fight against the ills comes from the inner strength of the society," Prasad said. "Prime Minister said that the poor and poverty were not just means for the BJP to win elections. We do not see it through the lens of vote bank," Ravi Shankar Prasad further said. The next BJP National Executive meeting scheduled to take place on April 15 and 16. advertisement ALSO READ | Modi's BJP weathers demonetisation storm, set to win Uttar Pradesh: Key takeaways from India Today-Axis Opinion Poll Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview since demonetisation: Top 10 things he told India Today --- ENDS --- By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree By Press Trust of India: Dhaka, Jan 7 (PTI) Police today cordoned off the headquarters of Bangladeshs largest opposition party BNP on the eve of a planned countrywide demonstration to mark the third anniversary of 2014 general election which it had boycotted. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced the countrywide demonstration for tomorrow after it was denied permission to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan here to protest the January 5, 2014, general election which it had boycotted and dubbed "democracy killing day". advertisement BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed announced the programme at a press briefing at its Nayapaltan central office yesterday. "We will hold demonstration programmes in every district and city and wards of Dhaka," he said. Since today morning, heavy police force has been deployed in front of the partys Nayapaltan central office and armored vehicle and water cannon were also positioned on nearby streets, the Daily Star reported. Asked about the police deployment, Kazi Shahiduzzaman, inspector of Ramna Police Station, said: "BNP yesterday announced about holding a programme here. We have intelligence information that two groups of the party may create chaos in the area. We are here to save people." BNP, along with some other Opposition parties had boycotted the 2014 election. Consequently, it currently holds no representation in the Bangladesh Parliament and has been demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas ruling Bangladesh Awami League, which swept the 2014 election, celebrates January 5 as a "victory day of democracy" and has rejected BNPs demand for fresh elections. PTI SUA AKJ SUA --- ENDS --- Chris Selley; [A year ago] the PMO had refused to divulge that the Trudeaus were in St. Kitts, until TMZ tracked them down. I suspected the same thing was happening again: they were enjoying a fairly conventional vacation, by the standards of people with significant means, and for some reason the PMO just didn't want anyone to know about it. But then a little birdie alighted on my shoulder with some solid intel: the Trudeaus had been guests of the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismailis, on his lavish private island, Bells Cay. The PMO initially refused to confirm this to my colleague David Akin, but eventually came clean. "As you are aware, his Highness and the prime minister have been close family friends for many years," Kate Purchase wrote in a statement Friday. "As is the usual course, the prime minister will be reimbursing the costs of his (and his family's) flights to and from Nassau." Why, I was repeatedly asked, would journalists bother demanding to know where the PM is on vacation? This. This is why. If journalists hadn't asked, we might never have known something that is -- at the very least -- unambiguously in the public interest. Since 2004, as Akin reported, federal taxpayers have handed the Aga Khan Foundation $310 million in foreign aid, including the current government's recent commitment of $55 million over five years for aid work in Afghanistan. New business The Tea House Gold Creek opened its doors and warmed its kettles for the first time on Saturday, re-branding and re-vamping a much-loved Gungahlin institution. The tea house was previously the Adore outlet but the business has been bought by Holly and Geoff Herbig who have made it their own. (Adore has since moved to Mitchell.) Holly Herbig has revamped a much-loved Canberra teahouse, re-opening it as The Tea House Gold Creek in Nicholls. Credit:Elesa Kurtz The Herbigs have put their own stamp on the business, for a start stocking only Australian tea including Canberra labels Real Chai and Endeavour Tea. "In essence, we're still the same, we're still all about tea," Holly said. A finance app has unveiled a special feature that alerts investors when president-elect Donald Trump has tweeted about a public company. The free Trigger app will enable users to set up notifications for Mr Trump's tweets, allowing investors to keep a close eye on stocks in real time. Part of the peculiarity of Mr. Trumps tweets is that he tweets like a celebrity, not a politician or a businessman. Credit:AP The company said it had rolled out the new feature because of the incoming president's potential to "eradicate billions of dollars in market cap from large companies". The impact of Mr Trump's social media activity was made clear last month when he sent the share price of manufacturer Boeing tumbling after posting a tweet that called for a multi-billion dollar order for a new Air Force One plane to be scrapped. A pack of Nobel Prize-winning economists gave Donald Trump and his policy plans the thumbs-down on Friday, with one saying the president-elect's programs could lead to a deep recession. Speaking on a panel during the first day of the annual American Economic Association meeting in Chicago, the Nobel laureates voiced a variety of concerns about the billionaire developer's stance, from his haranguing of US companies about their outsourcing plans to the risk that his tax and spending proposals could lead to run-away budget deficits. Trump's plan for the US to spend itself out of trouble just "won't work", says Nobel laureate and globalisation expert Joseph Stiglitz. Credit:Christopher Goodney "There is a broad consensus that the kind of policies that our president-elect has proposed are among the polices that will not work," said Joseph Stiglitz, summing up the views of the panel that included his fellow Columbia University professor Edmund Phelps and Yale University's Robert Shiller. Such disapproval though is likely to fall on deaf ears. Trump rode to victory on the back of an unconventional campaign that was short on advice from PhD economists -- relying more on a team of wealthy businessmen -- and there's no indication that's about to change. Have we not said more than enough, derisively, about the RNZAF sans fighters, and the porosity of its sea borders due to sparse, under-equipped tramp steamers patrolling the shaky isles? How can you be so dismissive about the Kiwis' legendary contribution three-quarters of a century ago to the Allied victory in WWII? When it comes down to it, they're almost as good as our boys (and girls). What motivated you to discount what the Kiwi can rise to when the good old Haka is exhibited at inconsequential sporting events? It can't be envy, surely! Patrick Jones, Griffith Cutting to the chase In 44 BC, on steps near the Theatre of Pompey, Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by Longinus and Brutus. Some 2000 years later, perhaps the globe's most significant act of terrorism was facilitated by box-cutters. Primitive "weapons" changed the course of history in both instances. Trump promises to expand military spending and modernise nuclear weaponry, which, doubtless, would encourage China and Russia to retaliate correspondingly. Meanwhile, amid the kerfuffle over the presidential campaign hacking, reports emerge of operation Grizzly Steppe, which may be related to the former using phished emails to trick a Vermont utility into revealing its passwords ("Russians hack into US grid", January 1, p14). From knives to keyboards, simple "weapons" have greater potential to influence events much more subtly, and inexpensively, than inordinately costly "shock-and-awe" or multiple-headed nuclear missiles. With cyber warfare already being waged by nations against nations, and governments against citizens why is it thought necessary to donate zillions to prop up the anachronistic military industrial complex, merely to continue "developing" arsenals designed to fight wars of a bygone age? Australia's intent to invest $50billion-plus in submarines, and billions more in Joint Strike Fighters, proves Turnbull's commitment to an agile, innovative, disruptive economy is just lip-service, with arms manufacturers salivating and trembling with excitement, anticipating tax-free dollars flowing to their offshore havens. Instead, were Turnbull not in thrall to his fascist right coterie, he might be committing to investing in a strong, cohesive, educated, proud, independent Australia. Albert M. White, Queanbeyan Toy ships weigh anchor So Gerry Murphy sails toy ships in his bathtub (Letters, January 1). Says it all really! Eric Hunter, Cook Unrealistic ideals Michael McCarthy (Letters, January 6) is absolutely correct. The One Nation and Donald Trump supporters are striving for a future that's unrealistic and unobtainable, and handing power to those who sold them lies. In doing so, they're ultimately delivering a future that nobody wants. James Allan, Narrabundah Gun rhetoric off target So, police are looking for two men with a handgun who committed a home invasion in Canberra ("Police calling for witnesses of Calwell home invasion", January 6). Maybe the AMA's Live Registry could help? Except that illegal guns aren't registered and the users aren't licensed. Or maybe we could just ban guns? Except that criminals are still importing and manufacturing them, or acquiring guns imported before the 1996 buyback, and therefore will still have guns and the capacity to use them. As for the police stating that because this was a targeted attack the public have nothing to fear, I am a little confused. How are two proven violent criminals with a firearm no threat to the wider community? And just because this was a targeted attack, what is to stop them changing target next time? Or getting the wrong address? Apparently new restrictions and regulations on law-abiding firearm owners is of vital importance for community safety. This is a classic example of anti-gun rhetoric creating a political environment where we cannot even acknowledge the true threats our community faces because it does not suit an agenda. At what point are we going to acknowledge that gun control does not equate to crime control? Shane Bennett, Rivett, Firearm Owners United Liberals and semantics Michael McCarthy is spot on with his succinct definitions of "conservative" and "reactionary" (Letters, January 6). But, Michael might have also included "liberal" in his discussion. This word is so varied in its current usage as to be almost meaningless. It ranges from the US style of, "I want to do and say what I like" (also held by some Australians), to the "Liberal" Party which, in reality, is an unproductive mix of both conservatism and reactionism, although there's very little remaining today of Michael's "best" style of conservatism (which was what Menzies envisaged when he founded the party). The explosion ripped through the central market in the town of Azaz in the northern province of Aleppo, damaging a government building and local court house as well. By AP: At least 43 people were killed Saturday when a car bomb went off in a busy market in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border, activists and rescue workers said. The explosion ripped through the central market in the town of Azaz in the northern province of Aleppo, damaging a government building and local court house as well. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said those killed included six opposition fighters. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explains the large blast and high death toll. advertisement Other activist groups, including the Azaz Media center, put the death toll at 50, adding that search and rescue operations continued for at least two hours after the explosion. The Observatory said the explosion took place near the local court house operated by rebel groups. ALSO READ | 20 killed, scores injured in car bomb blast near Syria-Turkey border crossing Media activist Baha al-Halabi, based in Aleppo province and who gathered information from people in Azaz, said witnesses said there were many unidentified bodies because of the strength of the explosion. Images shared online showed a huge plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic market and sounds of gunfire echoing in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. Bodies were strewn on the ground as a father ran away from the scene hugging his child. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year resettled in Azaz. To the west of Azaz, Syrian Kurdish forces have control of a swath of land, and they have often tried to advance toward the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back Islamic State extremists, gaining territory and advancing on the IS-stronghold town of al-Bab, further east. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. ALSO READ | Bomb kills at least 20 at Kurdish wedding in Syria, injures dozens --- ENDS --- There is no sign of Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner's sex scandal disappearing any time soon, with the Sydney law firm Allens appointed to conduct an independent inquiry. The appointment of Allens is understood to have been made directly by the board without any involvement by the media group's executives, and comes as rumours of several board directors becoming increasingly uncomfortable with how the Worner situation has been handled, especially the female directors. Seven West Media's board includes two female non-executive directors, Sheila McGregor, a partner at Sydney law firm Gilbert + Tobin and a former chairman and president of the Royal Women's Hospital Foundation board, and Michelle Deaker, the managing partner of OneVentures, an Australian venture capital firm. The scope of the Allens inquiry has not been disclosed. Seven West commercial director Bruce McWilliam was a partner at the firm until 1992. McWilliam joined Seven as commercial director in 2003. It was previously reported the inquiry would investigate a $10,000 bonus paid to Worner's former lover Amber Harrison, who went public about her affair with Worner, and bonuses paid to other executive assistants at the time. Palm Beach social set has a quieter time Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner. Credit:Louise Kennerley It was once the prerequisite destination for Sydney's glam set to spend the summer, but this year's "season" has been decidedly low key around the silvertail enclave of Palm Beach. Chairman of James Packer's Crown empire, Rob Rankin, and his wife Paula usually host one of the most sought after soirees on "Palmie". Not this year. The couple cancelled, which PS hears was considerate given the Crown employees still languishing in Chinese prison cells since last year's catastrophic arrests. However, Rankin was spotted enjoying the delights of Sydney's New Year's Day parties before jetting off to New York where he is groomsman for Australian banker Philip Schofield's big wedding to Aussie coffee and olive oil heiress Nikki Valmorbida this weekend. A collection of other notable Australians is also due to be there. Karl Stefanovic was sighted briefly in Palm Beach, as was Gretel Packer, who has bunkered down at the family's expansive beach shack. Skye Leckie is also in residence, though PS hears the hardest decision the social set is now facing is whether to go to Polo By The Sea on January 14 or the annual Palm Beach Pacific Club Beach Party, both happening on the same day. Quelle horreur! Tens of thousands of elderly Australians are being denied effective public health treatments because they live in nursing homes, with experts labelling it a "disgrace" and "blatantly discriminatory". A Fairfax Media investigation has revealed the mental health of aged-care residents suffers as a result of widespread neglect that legal and health experts attribute in large part to a "ridiculous" Medicare rule. Under the rule almost all nursing home residents are denied GP mental health treatment plans and associated psychological therapies provided to other Australians under the Better Access Medicare program, because the government deems residents not to be patients "in the community". Despite extreme rates of mental illness in nursing homes with about 82,000 of 176,000 residents estimated to suffer a mental illness (excluding dementia) or significant mental distress the Turnbull government reaffirmed the regulatory exclusion late last year. NSW recorded its worst figures in at least five years for diseases caused by food poisoning and mosquito bites, as doctors warn climate change is looming as a public health emergency. Statistics released last week show 2016 was the worst year on record for diseases including legionnaires' disease, salmonellosis, listeriosis, E. coli and dengue fever, which flourish in warmer conditions. The figures come in an unusual summer for health threats, with months of wet weather causing a fivefold increase in Ross River virus notifications in the Riverina and the migration of the Irukandji jellyfish as far south as Fraser Island. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians [RACP] has released a position paper that described climate change as a "global public health emergency". Rox Subramany was a struggling Sydney mother and proud Catholic Church employee whose lifelong commitment to her faith had never wavered. In her own words: "I live my life with God's help and direction." Rox Subramany, with her 10-year-old daughter: "I felt unsafe. I thought I was going to be physically attacked." Credit:Wolter Peeters Yet when she reached out to church superiors in her own hour of need and complained of how she had fallen victim to violent, workplace bullying, not only was she abruptly terminated by email, she was stripped of her much cherished, voluntary duties as a baptism co-ordinator. In her termination letter, which made no reference to her bullying claims, she was advised the decision was not a reflection of her "individual performance" but more an outcome that addressed "challenges" raised through an internal audit result and the arrival of a new priest. Victim Yehya Amoud. Judge Syme said Dowidar was at Hamzy's house on the day of the shooting but "declined to drive the car himself", possibly because he had already been caught driving while disqualified. Dowidar told police shortly after the shooting that his four-wheel-drive "wasn't being driven" on the day and it was "home all day". Former Brothers For Life senior member Mohammed Hamzy. "This was clearly false and he knew it to be false," Judge Syme said. Months later, Dowidar reported the Lexus stolen and it was found burnt out. A witness told Dowidar's judge-alone trial the 4WD had to be destroyed as the gang was "concerned about it being bugged" by police after it was seized for forensic examination, Judge Syme said. In a scathing assessment, Judge Syme said Dowidar continued to "avoid responsibility" for his crimes and had "little respect" for the court or his own family. His "misguided loyalty to a violent person such as Mr Hamzy is not in his own or the community's best interests", she said. His lack of remorse or "acceptance of even the slightest responsibility" was "immature and self-defeating" and meant his prospects of rehabilitation in prison were "only hopeful". He had "not been offence-free" since the crimes and was caught driving while disqualified again in 2015. Judge Syme said while the replica pistol could not be fired it was "a good imitation, according to evidence before the court" and could be used to threaten people. She said corrective services should try to ensure Dowidar was "not housed with other Brothers for Life members" in jail. A jury found Hamzy guilty of manslaughter last year over the death of Mr Amoud. Judge Syme said there was "no sensible explanation" for Dowidar attending Hamzy's trial when he had been ordered not to associate with Brothers for Life members. Dowidar had already been sentenced for drug possession and driving while disqualified at the time of the shooting. Judge Syme said Dowidar had been "extended considerable leniency by the courts" in the past but had not taken advantage of it and was "not entitled to any leniency for this offence". At the time of his arrest in November 2013, Dowidar's solicitor cast his client as a boy from a middle-class Belmore home, with a clean criminal record save for a few driving offences. He had worked for Google through a contractor for five years, during which time the tech giant regularly topped the list of best places to work and had become known for its beanbag-filled meeting rooms, ping-pong tables and free cafeteria. His contract ended in May 2013. Judge Syme said his employment was "terminated at about the time his criminal offending escalated dramatically". At Dowidar's bail hearing following his November 2013 arrest, Magistrate Elaine Truscott remarked he appeared to be "living a double life". Dowidar was one of 10 senior Brothers For Life members arrested during simultaneous raids across Sydney aimed at breaking up the group and ending a spate of shootings across the city. Picked up with Dowidar was Hamzy, the leader of the group's Bankstown chapter, who was also known as also known as "Little Crazy" of "LC". Throughout Hamzy's three-week trial the jury gained a small insight into the world of the now-defunct but once incredibly violent Brothers for Life gang. The street gang operated outside the law, bound by loyalties to each other. But when the long-time friends fell out, or rivalries arose, there were ways to take the law into their own hands. Hamzy was sentenced last October to 11 and a half years behind bars with a non-parole period of eight and a half years. with Ava Benny-Morrison and Nick Ralston WHO WERE BROTHERS FOR LIFE The violent street gang "Brothers for Life" first came to the attention of the NSW police in 2008, when convicted murderer Bassam Hamzy was caught running a sophisticated drug supply network while in Lithgow jail. Hamzy, who had been in custody since March 1999 for a series of crimes including drug supply, murder and conspiracy to murder, was able to make 19,523 calls using a mobile phone hidden in his cell to direct the drug deals between Sydney and Melbourne. It was during this time that the BFL "banner" as police called it, began to appear. Most of those who associated themselves with it were direct relatives of Hamzy and police believe the name was intended as a "show of support" and "loyalty" to their imprisoned "brother". A violent, internal feud within the gang erupted in 2013 resulting in a string of tit-for-tat shootings between the group's Blacktown and Bankstown chapters. The head of Blacktown chapter was Farhad Qaumi, nicknamed "The Afghan", was appointed as the BFL's "general" in 2012 by Bassam Hamzy. Hamzy's cousin, Mohammed Hamzy who was known as Little Crazy or LC was the head of the Bankstown Chapter. A man and a woman have been charged with a total of 18 offences following a 90 kilometre high-speed chase from Mittagong in NSW's Southern Highlands to Merrylands in western Sydney. Police said that about 6.20am on Saturday, police tried to stop the alleged stolen car travelling at 131km/h on the Hume Motorway at Mittagong but the driver refused and in the ensuing chase it reached speeds of 180km/h. Items were allegedly thrown from the stolen car and the driver drove towards a police officer standing near a police vehicle, narrowly avoiding him, police said. At Merrylands, the driver stopped the vehicle and the pair attempted to flee. They were apprehended nearby, police said. A 33-year-old man was charged with 12 offences, including failing to stop, speeding, driving dangerously, using a weapon to prevent lawful detention, resisting police and possessing suspected stolen items. The Baird government directed 90 per cent of its priority infrastructure fund to urban projects last year, despite promising at least 30 per cent would go to rural and regional areas. The $12.9 billion Restart NSW Fund was set up in 2011 to pay for major projects including public transport and roads, local infrastructure in regional areas affected by mining, hospitals and government workplaces. A target of 30 per cent was set for proceeds to be directed to rural and regional areas. But Auditor-General Margaret Crawford reported in the 2016 Report on State Finances that just 10 per cent of the funds spent in 2015-2016 were directed to the bush. Police are searching for a man armed with a gun after a robbery on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday morning. The man threatened a staff member with a gun at a Currimundi pizza business about 1.30am, before fleeing with cash. Police are investigating an armed robbery at Currimundi and want to speak to this man. Credit:Queensland Police Service Detectives have released an image of a man who could assist with their ongoing investigation into the incident on Nicklin Way. He is described as about 180-185 centimetres tall with a woollen jumper over his head and wearing a navy blue t-shirt and shorts. The man spoke with an Australian accent and a deep voice. But Victoria Police announced in December the trial would not go ahead after an evaluation found the practice time-consuming, confusing for the people they stopped and resulted in the public being more unsatisfied with police as a result. Police didn't record ethnic backgrounds, saying it was a vexed issue that could cause more harm, to the dismay of some community leaders who say it made it impossible to confirm or debunk suspicions of harassment. The force also didn't collect data on the number of receipts that were issued during the trial. Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said this meant it was flawed from the start. "How could you ever determine whether it was (racial profiling) or it wasn't?" he said. The union conducted a separate survey of its members, saying receipting had the opposite affect to its intention. "The only feedback I got from members of the community was negative. They thought it was wasting their time or they were confused and [believed] they were in trouble," one officer wrote. "The whole process is just another softly-softly approach by Victoria Police to try and win political points from the minorities who think we are being racist/discriminatory," said one. "I do not care what colour, religion or sex you are, but if I feel there is a lawful, community and professional need for me to engage with you, I will," another wrote. The evaluation recommended police consider developing a business or contact card that could be requested by the public during interactions with police or Protective Service Officers. "We will continue to work with our stakeholders to identify the best method of collecting data if at all to address any concerns of racial profiling," a Victoria Police spokeswoman said in a statement on Friday. Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said police target behaviour, not skin colour. "My expectation is that police speak to lots of young men and women in the street, that's good police work and it's the way our members do that that should build trust," Mr Crisp said. He said whether it was perception or reality that more young African men were being stopped, if community leaders are saying it, it means police need to do more to build relationships. Mr Crisp said key to this was having a more diverse police force. There are currently 119 employees of African background in Victoria Police, including almost 50 police officers. Even they, he said, have been on the receiving end of prejudice. One young woman of Sudanese background told Mr Crisp of her experience travelling-in on the train to work. "She feels like everyone is looking at her thinking she's Apex," he said. "There's heightened sensitivity." Terrifying home invasions and car-jackings have increased at unprecedented rates across Melbourne, some committed by youths of African backgrounds. Crime Statistics Agency figures obtained by the ABC show youths born in Australia commit the most home invasions, car thefts and aggravated robberies. But Sudanese youths were vastly over-represented in the 2015 data, responsible for 7.44 per cent of home invasions, 5.65 per cent of car thefts and 13.9 per cent of aggravated robberies, despite Sudanese-born citizens making up about 0.11 per cent of Victoria's population. The Apex gang has been blamed for much of it, but police sources have said the gang's responsibility for Melbourne crime has been completely over-blown following last year's Moomba riot. Richard Deng from the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria says given the tensions, there has never been a more important time for police accountability. Ram raiders have smashed a car into a shopping centre at Mill Park, in Melbourne's north, reversing through the front doors of the complex early Saturday to rob a lotto store. Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Webster said the incident happened at 4am. Police are hunting would-be ram raiders. Credit:Georgia Matts "Police are investigating a ram raid at a Mill Park shopping centre this morning," Ms Webster said. "A car has reversed through the front doors of the McDonalds Road store shortly about 4am. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, India is in the midst of huge disruption in the world of both financial technology and in terms of social innovation there is huge innovation and this disruption will enable India to leapfrog. By Press Trust of India: Amid the big push being given to digital transactions post-demonetisation, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today said cards, ATMs and point-of-sale (POS) machines would become redundant in the country by 2020. "India is in the midst of huge disruption in the world of both financial technology and in terms of social innovation there is huge innovation and this disruption will enable India to leapfrog," he said. advertisement "By 2020 my view is that in the next two-and-a-half years, India will make all its debit cards, credit cards, all ATM machines all POS machines totally irrelevant," Kant told a session at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017, a three-day mega event of Indian diaspora. HERE IS WHAT NITI AAYOG CEO AMITABH KANT SAID: They will all become redundant in India, and India will make this jump because every Indian will be doing his transaction just by using his thumb in thirty seconds. Speaking at a session on 'Startups and innovations which have social impact in India at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, he said, "What we are pushing now is digital payment in a very big way and it is a huge disruption with several innovative methods." India has created a back end in terms of biometric which will enable India, he said, highlighting recently launched BHIM app and Aadhar enabled payment system initiatives. Pointing out that India is the only country with a billion mobile and billion biometric, Kant also noted that India is largely a cash driven economy. He said whatever the biggest attempts of demonetisation and push for digital payment, only 2 to 2.5 per cent of Indians pay taxes, so India needs to move from a non-formal to a formal economy. It is impossible for India to become a 10 trillion economy like this two trillion dollar is a formal economy and another one trillion dollar is an informal black economy. It is not possible for India to grow. So you need convert the non-formal economy to a formal economy, thats what the effort is, he added. Noting that ability of people living in rural areas to utilise technology to leapfrog is much quicker and faster than literate people living in urban areas, Kant said in social innovation and financial technology it was the young Indians who were disrupting the world. He said they will enable India's leapfrog and take it to a 10 trillion dollar economy, so the young people of India must have the hunger, ambition and passion to drive India to innovation, to startups and disrupt India in a manner that it has never seen before, he added. Noting that India is growing at about 7.6 per cent per annum, Kant said it is an oasis of growth in the midst of a "very very barren economic landscape" across the world and the challenge for the country was to grow at even higher rates of 9 or 10 per cent for a period of three decades or more. Speaking about India's largest young population, he said it was a huge opportunity for the country. "This is the biggest social and economic phenomenon that is taking place across the world, as the population across Europe and America is getting older, the population in India is getting younger" he added. Listing out various reforms agenda and ease of doing business initiatives taken up by the government and country's FDI growth, Kant stressed on the huge emphasis for the startup movement which helps in job creation and addresses challenges faced by country by finding solutions. Also read: NITI Aayog takes cue from PM Modi, proposes new scheme to incentivise digital transactions --- ENDS --- Jamie Hare was excited about watching the birth of his fourth baby. On a cold day in June 2010, the plasterer put on a gown at Latrobe Regional Hospital and waited to be called into the operating theatre for his partner Linda's caesarean. Linda was glad he was there, too. Cursed by a small pelvis, she had previously been alone when delivering their three daughters by caesarean and wanted Jamie to hold her hand. Jamie Hare lost his partner, Linda Parker, while she was giving birth to her fourth baby in 2010. Credit:Jason South But while hospital staff busily prepared for the surgery, something changed and Jamie was left in a room nearby. He thinks they forgot about him. Over the next half hour or so, he anxiously read the same newspaper twice while waiting to hear more. Then came a "code blue" through the hospital speaker system. It was followed by another one, and another one. Not even the threat of great white sharks could deter some 5000 competitors, and an estimated 30,000 spectators, from the annual Lorne Pier to Pub on Saturday. In blisteringly-hot conditions, and with the smell of coconut oil and saltwater heavy in the air, wave after wave of wet-suited competitors took to the 1.2km course - the largest open-water competition in the world. Dorothy Dickey, 86, with her daughter Janette Dickey and grandaughter Shelley Hogg after competing at the Lorne Pier to Pub race. Credit:Chris Hopkins Shark precautions were evident everywhere, with a great white spotted off Lorne beach less than a day earlier. Helicopters buzzed above, and all but official competition drones were banned from the beach to keep the airspace clear for shark monitoring. At 86, Dorothy Dickey was the oldest competitor, swimming her 31st Pier to Pub race (the event itself is only 37 years old). A man has been charged after he was caught on the Hume Highway on Saturday, driving allegedly more than 200 km/h while more than twice the drink-driving limit. Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Webster said Wangaratta police first spotted the vehicle allegedly travelling south at 199 km/h near Wangaratta just before 4.45am and radioed ahead to other units in Benalla and Seymour. "Benalla police then sighted the vehicle allegedly travelling at 204km/h," Ms Webster said. "The driver pulled into a service station at Euroa about 5am and was promptly arrested by police." After returning a positive preliminary breath test, the 28-year-old NSW man was taken to Benalla police station where he returned a reading of 0.106 per cent, more than double the legal drink-drive limit of 0.05 per cent. Melburnians have been officially warned to brace for an "oppressive" Saturday night with the temperature set to hover around 30 degrees. The Bureau of Meteorology's official forecast states it will be "an oppressive night". Senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said the terminology referred to the high overnight minimum temperature forecast of 28 degrees. "The all-time record is 30.6, which we last had back on January 30, 2010," he said. Frankston and Port Melbourne beaches have been deemed safe for swimming after earlier recording high levels of bacteria. An Environment Protection Authority spokesman said earlier test results had showed Port Melbourne beach was unacceptable for swimming. Port Melbourne beachgoers escape the heat on Saturday and go for a a swim despite warning signs from EPA Victoria. Credit:Daniel Pockett He said the bacteria in the water was due to the December 29 downpour which caused sewage and built-up pollution to stream into Port Phillip Bay. Frankston's beaches received poor water quality forecasts due to a sewer spillage at Kananook Creek on Saturday morning. A father and his two young sons who went missing in regional Western Australia have been found safe and sound. Marcos Flaxman, 38, and his two sons, Phoenix, 7, and Zaedyn, 5, were located safe and well on Saturday night. Zaedyn and Phoenix Flaxman were reported missing on Saturday. Credit:WA Police Police say they left a family residence in Millbridge around 9.15pm on Friday night and were heading for another family residence in Boyanup when they were reported missing. Follow WAtoday on Twitter @WAtoday United States prosecutors have filed charges against the Florida airport shooting suspect that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted. A criminal complaint filed overnight by the Miami US attorney's office accuses 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of an act of violence resulting in death and firearms offences. Santiago is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others on Friday at a Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport baggage claim. Esteban flew to Fort Lauderdale to carry out the rampage, and there are no signs there was any altercation on the flight or at baggage claim prior to the attack, authorities said on Saturday. Controversial Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has now declared he wants Russia to be his country's ally and protector, after months of fiery rhetoric aimed at the United States. "We welcome our Russian friends. Anytime you want to dock here for anything, for play, to replenish supplies or maybe to be our ally to protect us," Mr Duterte said while visiting a Russian anti-submarine vessel docked in Manila. "Friends, long livethat's from the heart," he told top Russian naval officers, thumping his chest. The comments came after Russia's ambassador to the Philippines, Igor Khovaev, said his country is ready to supply the Philippines with sophisticated weapons. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser In July last year, the Patels of Gujarat launched their movement for quotas in educational institutions and public employment. Over the months that followed, millions gathered at rallies, drawn by the charisma and oratory of 23-year-old Hardik Patel of the Patidar Samaj Andolan. The Patels are a force to be reckoned with in Gujarat, making up 15 per cent of the electorate. The chief minister at the time of the protest was a Patel, as are a fifth of all Gujarat MLAs, several members of Parliament and countless motel owners in North America. Hardik knew and drew upon this community strength. He threatened the ruling BJP government at the now famous rally in Ahmedabad on August 25, 2015-" if you do not talk about our interest, the lotus will not bloom if you do not give us our rights, we will snatch it''. His speech was a call to arms, not a cry of deprivation. And yet the Patidars were demanding that they be listed as one of the "other backward classes (OBCs)", eligible for preferential treatment under a clause in the Indian Constitution. The Patidar movement energised others. Over the past year, the topic of reservations has constantly been in the news, with new demands rippling across regions and communities. In January, the Kapus demanded OBC status in Andhra Pradesh. In February, the Jat agitation in Haryana turned violent, and March saw the Rajputs of Uttar Pradesh enter the fray. Victories came in the following months. Gujarat approved quotas for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the upper castes, including the Patidars; Haryana drafted a new reservation bill which compartmentalised the OBC quota to guarantee the Jats and four other castes a minimum share, and the Andhra Pradesh government decided to appoint a new commission to study "the social, educational and economic backwardness of the communities in the state". Since July, most of the action has been in Maharashtra. The Marathas have held many meticulously planned silent marches, often led by young women who speak of their frustration at being turned down for admission in public institutions despite their high marks. When the Marathas take a break, the Lingayats, Muslims and Gujarati communities settled in the state stake claims for OBC status. advertisement Anxious political parties often acquiesce to these types of demands, especially ahead of elections. The Jats have demanded inclusion as one of the OBCs on multiple occasions since 2008. In March 2014, just before the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress government issued a notification including them in the central OBC list after which they withdrew the agitation. The Supreme Court cancelled the notification in March 2015 and threats of disruption surfaced again. The Gujarat government realised that the Patidar threats were real when, in spite of Hardik and his associates being arrested and imprisoned, the BJP lost the panchayat elections to the Congress at the end of 2015. The state government is now reaching out to them to find solutions before the assembly elections next year. Petitions by caste associations for special treatment are not a new phenomenon. Ever since the Indian census started recording caste and relating it to social status, official classifications have been contested. Before the Constitution of 1950, these contests were mostly about shedding the label of disadvantage. After large-scale affirmative action became the norm, powerful caste groups have demanded that they be listed as disadvantaged in the constitutional schedules. Aspirations of a growing population have increased the competition for government jobs and college degrees and the battle for backwardness has intensified. Many groups have staged protracted battles for OBC status and those already within these categories have fought to keep them out. Any observer of these events must realise that caste hierarchies are not traditional and rigid structures of status and power-they are living institutions that change in response to opportunities. This sequence of recent protests makes it apparent that some of the most successful struggles for backwardness are by locally powerful communities. We are clearly in an untenable situation with too many laying claim to too little. Will the difficulty of managing these multiple demands force us to build new institutions for social justice? How do we move towards a meaningful discourse on equality of opportunity in modern India? A reasonable debate on egalitarianism requires an understanding of the historical circumstances in which caste reservations became central to state policy and the types of inequality these reservations generate. India's caste-based affirmative action programme is largely based on information provided by the censuses of British India. For British administrators, caste was both an enigma and a potential problem. They were both fascinated by it and fearful that misunderstandings related to caste may lead to political catastrophe such as it did with the 1857 mutiny. This led to the censuses of British India collecting elaborate data on caste and very little on economic standing. They contained lists of castes using a variety of terms such as depressed, exterior, aboriginal, primitive, dominant, military, professional?. These formed the basis for lists of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) that were part of the Constitution and the reports on Other Backward Classes (OBCs) that followed later. Caste hierarchies differed by region and castes with low status in some areas could be dominant in others. This is why there are separate SC, ST and OBC lists for each Indian state. These were necessarily somewhat arbitrary, arrived at by different sets of Englishmen, who often had difficulty in separating variations in language from those of caste and custom. Early confusion had lasting consequences. For example, the Bhils, Minas and Bhil-Minas all appear in the colonial census in the STs list for Rajasthan. In response to a query by the Rajasthan High Court, the Centre clarified in 2014 that the Minas were a Scheduled Tribe but Meenas were not. The state government, after much back and forth, insists that these are just variations in spelling and both communities should enjoy equal treatment. It is baffling that amidst this controversy nobody seems to have pointed out that the two words would be spelt identically in any Indian language. advertisement We must also realise that no set of concessions granted by the Central and state governments can lead us out of the current conflicts over reservations. This is because placing two castes in the same category does not give them equal status, but rather shifts scarce goods across them. No matter where a caste is placed in the scheme of things, there is always a better place to be. This is best illustrated by the Gujjar demands for reservations in Rajasthan in 2006. The Gujjars were already part of the OBCs but wished to be re-classified as a Scheduled Tribe. The reasons were obvious. There were many literate OBCs who were competing with them for jobs and university seats but relatively few of the tribes had enough education to be rivals. The probability of entering elite institutions was therefore much higher as an ST. The Meenas of Rajasthan were the most influential within the STs and the new Gujjar demands led to violent clashes between these two groups. The Gujjars then pushed for compartmentalising the OBC quota to guarantee them a five per cent share of reservations, but the Jats, who were OBCs in Rajasthan found this unacceptable. Finally, the category of Special Backward Classes was created, consisting of the Gujjars and four other groups and they were given a five per cent quota. This, however, took the fraction of total reserved seats to above one-half and the courts stepped in to strike down the notification. Last September, in a similar move, the Nishads of Bihar petitioned to move from the OBCs to the SCs. advertisement With hundreds of castes already labelled as backward, the most educated within them gain from reservations. This has widened inequalities within scheduled groups. In Bihar, for example, Dhobis and Musahars are both Scheduled Castes, but 14 per cent of Dhobis complete 10 years of schooling, while only one per cent of Musahars do so. It is inconceivable that they will converge in social standing if SC quotas are our only means to equalise opportunities. In 2007, the Nitish Kumar government created a new group, Mahadalits, to help communities like the Musahars, but it was only a matter of time before the Dhobis and Chamars also wanted in. advertisement Caste reservations first emerged to promote equal treatment in a society where untouchability was widely practised. They have now degenerated into a scramble for privilege and a catalyst for communal conflict. Many state elections will be held in 2017, including Punjab, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Punjab has already announced OBC status for the Rajput Sikhs. It remains to be seen whether politics in the other states will also be dominated by lobbies for reservations or whether our leaders can focus on expanding the social and physical infrastructure that we so badly need. Only 15 per cent of children in rural India have easy access to a high school, only four per cent of villages have a primary health centre and income transfers to the poor and the old are negligible for most families. The Indian state now has the capacity and the data needed for modern methods of redistribution-through public goods, social insurance and progressive taxes. It is time to use these to move forward. --- ENDS --- Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening and welcome to this New Years reception. I am pleased to gather here with you in the heart of our Capital City to celebrate the start of 2017. To all present and to the people of Sint Maarten, Marie-Louise and I extend warm heartfelt greetings and best wishes for the year ahead and beyond. These are wishes for health, happiness and prosperity for you individually and for our nation. It is a quality of life wish for a brighter future. In extending these wishes we are cognizant of the challenging external environment characterized by a shifting geopolitical climate, sluggish growth and destabilizing terrorist threats. As a member of the highly interdependent global community, with low growth, crime concerns and financial constraints, we must if we are to create and seize opportunities, address internal issues and position ourselves to respond effectively to global challenges. And we can only do so successfully if we have and share a clear mission. It is on that note that I shall share my thoughts with you this evening on the topic: Our Mission for Our Nation. In that regard I believe that the motto on our Coat of Arms: Semper Pro Grediens which means: Always Progressing, appropriately captures the essence of our mission for our nation. It tells us that our mission is: a continuous responsibility, and even stronger a continuous obligation, to nurture and build an ever improving society, in pursuit of excellence in the quality of life for all. This through (1) Quality Government, (2) Quality Education, (3) Quality Employment, (4) Quality Entrepreneurship, (5) Quality Health and Environmental Care, (6) Quality Law enforcement and Administration of Justice, (7) Quality Infrastructure, (8) Quality Neighborhoods, (9) Quality Cultural Care, and (10) Quality External Relations. This is, as expected in a democratic society, a multidimensional mission, one I trust that you will embrace. It does not mean that we must throw out the old and start over, rethinking and reinventing everything. But rather that we must build on, upgrade and where necessary add to that which we have. For after all is said and done it is my view that Sint Maarten today, though not perfect, is one of the best places in the world to live. It is therefore my intention and it should be yours as well, to work to keep it that way. Inherent in the Coat of Arms motto and thus our mission is the continuous aspiration to keep pace, to progress, to upgrade, to take our nation to the next level. It is against that backdrop, and considering the challenges and opportunities of our 21st century environment, that I called on the new government during its installation ceremony to take steps to upgrade our nations governance operating systems to GoS 21.0. With 2016 behind us and looking ahead the question before us now is: How do we plan to realize our nations mission? I am certain that the answer will vary from person to person, and from organisation to organisation. There will be differences in views and approaches between and within government, the business community and civil society. Noteworthy, in this regard, is that the new government has announced its plan of action through its Governing Program: Stability for Prosperity. Whatever your answer or plan is, I hereby remind you that we, given the multidimensional interdependent nature of our quality of life, are in this together. This as the guardians of our nations mission. We must, as a result recognize, live and act by the guiding principle that our nation - Sint Maarten - is bigger than any of us. This principle must therefore be the primary point of departure in all our actions and decisions. Let us therefore, resolve to not breakdown but to lift each other and thus our nation up. And in so doing, let us reach out to each other to work with each other and tap the full potential of our nations resources. Having said that I hope that you will agree with me that our mission for an ever improving quality of life for all will only be achieved when pursued by us through committed collective action. Action which no one will take for us. Action which only we can take. Ladies and gentlemen, To accomplish our mission in 2017 and beyond I call on you to carry on the work of past and current generations. I call on you to dedicate yourself to bring about a new quality shift to fully move the overall, i.e. public, corporate and social, governance of Sint Maarten on a 21st century platform, GoS 21.0. This can be achieved by making values centered strategic choices, sustainable designs and smart investments. As I make this call and you contemplate your responses allow me to give you some food for thought: Imagine a revitalized Philipsburg, next to our vibrant Simpson bay area, making a statement that tells residents and visitors how we wish to be seen. Our capital city displaying our governance, commercial and cultural aspirations. And anchored in its heart by a transparent, accessible, structured and representative north-south Peoples Avenue. A Peoples Avenue connecting the Government House to the Court House via the Parliament House in its center; Picture realizing the full potential of our nation by actively developing our available human resources to match our needs and by creating an environment to encourage the repatriation of our students and skilled professionals; Envision our law enforcement equipped with a comprehensive camera surveillance network, monitored 24-7 to help detect and combat crime and enhance our safety and security; Imagine Cay Hill as the axis of a regional health care center with a new modern hospital facility offering expanded health care services for residents as well as visitors from neighboring islands; Imagine the clean-up and removal of the dump from the salt pond replaced with sustainable waste management solutions and facilities located outside the Philipsburg area; Envision a national parks and recreational program securing open spaces as national squares in Philipsburg for national events, maintaining national trails and allocating and protecting terrestrial terrain for a national park for residents and visitors to enjoy; Imagine having a well maintained, decongested land transportation network to move people and goods efficiently alongside our world class air transportation and sea transportation facilities; Imagine transforming our information and communication technology infrastructure to an island wide fiber network offering faster and more effective ICT services to keep our businesses competitive and to position us to compete better for the millennium generation of tourists; Picture a national renewable energy park helping power our households, businesses and government at lower cost; and (going for the perfect ten) Imagine a public finance system that encourages effective spending and ensures that everyone pay their fair share to help fund our nations mission. Thus as you imagine these and other features of our GoS 21.0 upgrade, I call on and challenge each of you to take up and give deeper content to your role in our mission for our nation. This by implementing quality upgrades in the expansion of existing and execution of new programs. Ladies and Gentlemen, In closing, as we begin this New Year, let us thank God for watching over and ask for his continued guidance of our nation. At the same time let us as individuals, media, trade unions, businesses and government renew our commitment to an always progressing Sint Maarten in pursuit of excellence in the quality of life for all. That is our commitment to a prosperous Sint Maarten of economic opportunities, social justice, legal protection and safety. A Sint Maarten that is environmentally sustainable, technologically prepared, externally engaged and financially viable. This is a mission which we can only achieve together. We owe this to our community and ourselves. And as your Governor, I shall continue to work with government and other stakeholders to promote the achievement of this mission for our nation, in service of the people of St. Maarten. With that commitment, I hereby on behalf of Marie-Louise and myself, wish you and your family a year of progress with health, happiness and growth. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless Sint Maarten and protect its coast. Toast: To our always progressing quality of life! From January 10-13, 2017 delegations from the Parliaments of the Netherlands, Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten will be meeting in Curacao for the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO). The four parliamentary delegations will be discussing a number of issues that include economic opportunities, energy and climate change, the vision for the ideal Kingdom in 2040, youth, issues with pension (AOV/AWW) of students, double language test, right of initiative for Kingdom laws for the Parliaments of Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten, status of the Kingdom law on Dispute regulation, integrity, Constitutional Court and health care. The program also includes work visits to the new hospital, the harbor and Oostpunt. The Interparliamentary consultations will conclude on Friday, January 13, 2017 with a joint press conference of the four delegations. Contrary to what has become customary, no Agreement list will be drafted and signed this time. Prior to the start of the Interparliamentary consultations, on Janaury 9, 2017, the delegation of Sint Maarten will also be participating in the Tripartite meeting along with delegations from sister islands of Curacao and Aruba. Among the topics to be discussed are sustainable development, education, situation in Venezuela, connection between islands (by air and sea), minimum penalties, consensus Kingdom laws, the appointment procedure of a Governor as well as several IPKO topics The goal of the meeting is to prepare for the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation as well as discuss topics of mutual interest. The Sint Maarten delegation partaking in the IPKO and Tripartite meetings will consist of the following members: Mrs. Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, President of Parliament, Delegation leader; Mr. drs. Rodolophe E. Samuel, Chairman Committee Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations; Mr. Frans G. Richardson; Mr. Franklin A. Meyers; Mrs. Nancy R. Guishard-Joubert, LL.M., Secretary General; Mr. Mr. Ralph R.H. Richardson, Advisor. Justin Omans of Roseville said he was devastated to learn his mothers' body was discovered in the covered bed of a truck. A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017 crime By Press Trust of India: Ahmedabad, Jan 7 (PTI) Experts from the Union health ministry today took stock of the situation at Hathijan village in the district where over 1,400 birds were culled following the death of Guinea fowls brought from Mumbai due to bird flu. "Two experts from Centres health ministry arrived here yesterday and were joined by another expert today. They carried out survey in Hathijan area and talked to locals as well as 52 persons who have been quarantined," Ahmedabad Collector Avantika Singh said. advertisement Singh said the situation was under control and the quarantined persons will remain under observation for at least ten more days as required by Centres bird flu protocol. Fifteen members of the NGO Asha Foundation and 37 members of the animal husbandry department who carried out culling of birds have been quarantined, she said. Over 1,400 birds in the area, including those kept at an animal health care centre run by the Foundation, were culled by the animal husbandry department after avian influenza virus (H5N1) was confirmed to be the reason behind the death of seven birds which were brought here by the NGO. The district administration is also constantly monitoring the area through separate teams formed for the purpose after announcing 1-km area from the centre as an alert zone, and another 10 km area as an affected zone, Singh said. PTI KA PD RMT BSA --- ENDS --- Georgetown, SC (29440) Today A mix of clouds and sun. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 76F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea By Press Trust of India: Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 6 (PTI) Opposition Congress in Kerala today hit the streets as part of its protest against demonetisation with many senior leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, state party chief V M Sudheeran and MP Shashi Tharoor, courting arrest across the state. The agitation targeting central government establishments was part of the country-wide stir called by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) against the Narendra Modi governments "failure" to resolve the problems faced by the common man following cash crunch due to demonetisation. advertisement MLAs, MPs and AICC representatives led the picketing in front of various central government offices, including head post offices, across the state with thousands of workers taking part in the agitation. Chennithala and Tharoor were detained when they picketed outside the Reserve Bank of Indias Regional Office here, while Sudheeran was arrested in Thrissur. AICC Secretary Deepak Babria led the protest in front of the BSNL office in Kochi. Leading the agitation in front the head post office in Kozhikode, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said he stood firm on his allegation that there was a move to hand over the contract for the printing of plastic notes to a UK-based company which has "reportedly been black-listed". He also said he would take the legal course if the Centre refused to respond to his charges. There were reports of a scuffle during the protest when party workers tried to break the police barricade and enter the RBI office premises in the state capital. "We were on a peaceful dharna outside RBI office, but we were arrested by the police and later released," Tharoor said. The protests were organised under the aegis of respective District Congress Committees. PTI LGK JRK VS SMN --- ENDS --- Pretoria, Jan 7, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma affirmed that it is unfathomable that Western Sahara still remains colonized, during his reception to President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, on a working visit to South Africa. 'It is unfathomable that Western Sahara, more than 55 years after the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Granting of the Independence of Colonial Countries, still remains colonised. The right to freedom and human dignity was the basis upon which a democratic South Africa was founded. As such, South Africa has consistently held that any contradiction of this sacred principle would constitute a grave betrayal of our own painful struggle and our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union,' said President Zuma. President Zuma applauded the courage of the people of Western Sahara, in their fearless struggle for freedom and self-determination. He also paid homage to the late President Mohammed Abdelaziz, who passed away last year, without the fight for freedom of his people being realised. President Zuma said South Africa could not deny that the prevailing stalemate also had an impact on the security of the region. 'It is also in this context that the AU rightly continues to appeal for an enhanced and coordinated international action towards the organisation of a referendum for self-determination, in compliance with the OAU/AU decisions and UN resolutions and to bring the project of decolonisation to its final conclusion,' he said. South Africa will continue to support the work of the AU Special Envoy, former President Joaquim Chissano and the country remains convinced that the continuous colonial occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco constitutes a challenge to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the authority and credibility of the world body. The President further appealed to all parties to respect the principles of international law. In addition, South Africa commended the Frente Polisario, representing the people of Western Sahara, for their continued commitment towards the UN-led peace process and called for both parties to resume direct negotiations in good faith and without preconditions to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. President Zuma also called for an end to the illegal exploitation of resources in the Western Sahara occupied territories. 'We further call for an end to human rights abuses against the Saharawi people and for the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include the monitoring of human rights. Increased humanitarian support to the Saharawi refugees who continue to live in the harsh desert conditions due to the non-resolution of the conflict is critical,' added President Zuma. President Zuma added: 'We wish to assure you, Mr President, that we remain committed to continue to walk with the people of Western Sahara until you are free to live in your own land and able to determine your own future.' President Jacob Zuma, on Friday, hosted President Brahim Ghali, President of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic on a Working Visit to South Africa at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria. President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, arrived in Johannesburg Friday morning as part of a working visit to South Africa at the invitation of his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma. The President of the Republic is accompanied during this visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, Minister of Cooperation, Boulahi Sid, Secretary of State for Security and Documentation, Brahim Mohamed Mahmoud, Secretary-General of Nnational Union of Saharawi Women, Fatma Elmehdi, PAP Vice-President, Soueilma Beirouk, and Counselor to the Presidency of the Republic, Abdati Breika. (SPS) 062/090 Pretoria, Jan 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, arrived Friday in Johannesburg, expressed his satisfaction with the "distinguished" relations between Western Sahara and South Africa. As part of a working visit to South Africa at the invitation of his counterpart Jacob Zuma, Mr. Ghali expressed his "satisfaction with the distinguished relations" between the two countries, at the end of his meeting with the President of the Republic of South Africa. The president of the Republic also welcomed the support of South Africa to the Sahrawi people in their struggle against the Moroccan occupation for self-determination in accordance with international legality. The South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, had stressed that the visit of President Brahim Ghali in South Africa "is important because it comes in the wake of celebration of the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of the SADR", founded in 1976, and "at a time where the illegal occupation of Western Sahara by the Kingdom of the Morocco continues". The visit of the President of the Republic in South Africa is intended to "further strengthen and consolidate the relations between the two countries", she added, recalling in this context that, in September 2004, South Africa had decided to recognize the SADR" when Morocco has shown clearly its refusal to hold a referendum of self-determination in Western Sahara in violation of resolution 1495 of the UN Security Council adopted in 2003 ". (SPS) 062/090/TRA Though the CCJEF v. Rell trial, Judge Thomas Moukawsher ruled that the Connecticut provides more than adequate school funding, his actual findings of fact, found in the Appendix to his decision, confirm CCJEFs claims that public schools are woefully under-resourced. The judge found that CCJEF districts had severe deficiencies in special education teachers, interventionists for reading and math, social workers, guidance counselors, school psychologists, and services for English Language Learners. Bridgeport was forced to cut 73.5 teachers, including special education teachers, social workers and psychologists in one year, even as the population grew. New Britain had to make similar cuts. Adequate funding for all means that children who need extra support to learn get it. As the New York court said, the opportunity for an adequate education must be placed within reach of all students. Moukawsher found that CCJEF districts lacked resources to provide their most vulnerable students with the extra help and support they need to access basic educational opportunities. Therefore, his conclusion that the state is providing more than adequate funding is astounding. Because of Moukawshers ruling, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy felt free to cut $20 million in school aid from the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) school funding formula last week. Districts that cannot afford teachers must scramble to fill a quarter-of-a-million-dollar hole halfway through the school year. Simultaneously, the Malloy administration announced plans to expand publicly funded, privately managed charter schools. Austerity is only imposed on district public schools, apparently. Compounding the damage to public school funding, Malloys allies intend to reform Connecticuts school funding formula to drain more public dollars from public schools toward privately run charter schools. As the Malloy administration recently acknowledged, district public schools are the vehicle the state chose to discharge its constitutional responsibility to educate children. Although the state must ensure adequate funding, in reality the state and municipalities share the financial burden. State education funding never covers the full cost of education. The state provides a portion and the local municipality fills in the rest, with the federal government contributing a small amount. When the state fails to pay its fair share, municipalities must to make up the gap. Successful school funding reforms start with an analysis of what it costs to educate children. Once the cost is determined, states find they must increase school spending. Those increases have been proven to improve educational and life outcomes, especially for poor children. To begin serious reform, Connecticut must assess what it costs today to bring an adequate education within the reach of all students. However, Malloys charter allies do not want to discuss the cost of education. Their agenda is to simply to get the legislature to include charter schools in any new school funding formula. Why? So local districts would be required to fund charters from local budgets. State charter schools are considered independent districts. Local districts do not receive state allocations for students attending charter schools nor are they required pay the local contribution for children in charter schools. The host district has no say over the charter schools located within its borders. State law does require local school districts to pay for transportation and special education costs for children attending charter schools. Aside from that, charters are funded by state allocations, federal funds and private donations. Charters are not funded like district public schools because they differ from public schools. They are statutorily created and can be discontinued anytime. They need not serve all grade levels nor provide the same services as public schools, and do not have to hire certified teachers. They are also exempt from other state mandates and accountability. The charter lobbys proposal would require local districts to pay for any costs for charters not covered by the state. Local taxpayers would now pay for charters like they pay for their own schools; without having any voice in charter schools and without charters following the same rules as public schools. As the state decides to expand charters, more local dollars will be drained from public schools toward these independent schools. In Rhode Island, where this system exists, districts lose tens of millions of dollars annually to charters. Draining more money from impoverished school districts will not improve education for Connecticuts neediest children. If our leaders are serious about school funding reform, they must start with assessing the true cost of providing every child with an adequate education. Only then can we have an honest discussion about how we can serve the educational needs of all our children. Wendy Lecker is a columnist for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group and is senior attorney at the Education Law Center. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A winter storm tracking southeast of Long Island dropped a constant flurry across southwestern Connecticut on Saturday starting around 11 a.m. and lasting into the evening. Officials braced for an expected 6-8 inches of snow in some areas, with some municipalities implementing emergency winter protocols, including parking restrictions. Road conditions worsened through the afternoon across the region. In the morning, State Police advised motorists to slow down, increase following distance, avoid distractions, drive in already traveled lanes and turn on your headlights. Before 1 p.m., Interstate 91 south was closed in both directions in Cromwell after a 30-vehicle pileup. Motorists suffered minor injuries in the accident, which included a tanker truck and a two-level car transporter. By the afternoon, the state police advised residents to avoid non-essential travel. Into the evening, accidents continued. A three-car accident blocked the left lane near Stratford on Route 15 southbound between Exits 54 and 53 around 5:30 p.m. Ambulances could be seen responding to the scene, and appear to take away at least one injured person in footage captured by Connecticut Department of Transportation highway cameras. Within an hour, additional lane-blocking accidents were reported in Fairfield and New Haven. Local streets on hilly terrain were at slick in the morning, then blanketed in snow. Five minor accidents were reported in Danbury between 12:30 and 3 p.m., according to police. In Bridgeport, at least three accidents were reported in the same time period, with injuries sustained when a Land Rover struck a tree, according to police dispatch reports. Two unrelated tractor-trailer accidents on opposite sides of Interstate 95 slowed traffic near Milford and Orange, around Exits 40 and 41. No injuries occurred, according to state police. The National Weather Service upgraded its Friday forecast from 3 inches to 5-10 inches due to a shift in the storms trajectory, which brought it closer to the coast. In Fairfield County, 2-5 inches had accumulated by 6 p.m. The NWSs accumulation predictions into the late evening were 6 to 8 inches in Bridgeport, 4 to 6 inches in Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk. Danbury is forecast in the 3-4-inch range. In Litchfield County, in towns like New Milford, there is also a winter advisory with snow totals expected in the 4-6 inch range. The NWS predicted around 2 additional inches overnight. Skiers and sledders will be happy to note that the storm is expected to be an all-snow event with no wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain, or just plain rain. Sundays snow was expected to be light and powdery. The NWS also said higher totals are because of the fluff factor of the powdery snow. On average, 13 inches of snow equals one inch of rain in the U.S., although this ratio can vary from 2 inches for sleet to nearly 50 inches for very dry, powdery snow under certain conditions, especially in drier areas like the Rocky Mountains in Utah and Colorado, the NWS wrote in a brief. Saturdays snow is the second significant snowfall of the winter. The first substanial snow fell Dec. 17 with accumulations ranging from 7 inches in New Fairfield and 5 inches in Bridgeport to around 4 inches in Norwalk, Stamford and New Canaan. On Friday, there were some school delays after areas like Oxford received 1.5 inches of snow. Average annual snowfall ranges from 40.6 inches in the Danbury area to around 25 inches along the Long Island Sound shoreline. Here is the forecast for New Haven County: Sunday: Isolated snow showers after 10 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 27 degrees. Wind chill values between 5 and 15 degrees. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15 degrees. Wind chill values between 5 and 10 degrees. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph. Here is the latest forecast for Fairfield County: Sunday: Isolated snow showers after 10 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 23 degrees. Wind chill values between 5 and 10 degrees. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 10 degrees. Wind chill values between zero and 5 degrees. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. FIVE species of marsupials, an echidna, three bats and several rodents face extinction in Papua New Guinea and have been classified as critically endangered on the red list of threatened species published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). So all these species are on the verge of extinction, and Papua New Guinea has no measures to ensure their survival. Well, of course not, the moneys in Cairns property. Among the marsupials facing extinction are the black-spotted cuscus, the eastern long-beaked echidna, the New Guinea big-eared bat and the lowland brush mouse. The eastern long-beaked echidna is a critically endangered species and is found at altitude between 2,000 and 3,000 metres. Its long snout allows it to scavenge for insects in cracks and hard-to-reach spaces. Like other members of this species, it lays eggs. The black-spotted cuscus has a round head and a short, pointed snout. It is a predominantly solitary creature, feeding and nesting individually. It feeds on small animals, fruits, nuts, and leaves and lives at elevations of no more than 1,200 meters. The New Guinea big-eared bat is classified as a critically endangered species as a result of habitat loss. It prefers regions below 100 meters and lives communally in woodland regions feeding on insects. Not much is known about this species, not even whether it roosts in caves or trees. It may become extinct without us knowing much about it at all. The lowland brush mouse is a critically endangered species from habitat destruction. It depends on tree-holes for survival. Logging and increased human encroachment in its preferred lowland tropical forests are wiping out the species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says PNG wll need to establish more protective areas such as national parks so these critically endangered mammals can benefit from some form of protection. Otherwise, continuous habitat loss result from deforestation and other types of human encroachment will drive these species, and many more, to extinction. By Press Trust of India: (Reopens BCM13) (Reopens BCM13) AI allows 40kg free baggage on Mumbai-Delhi Boeing 747 flights Air India today announced enhanced free check-in baggage on its B747 flights on the Delhi-Mumbai route under which it will offer 40 kg free check-in baggage for the economy class, while the business class passengers get to carry 50 kg of free check-in baggage. advertisement The national carrier deployed the Boeing 747 on the Delhi-Mumbai route in December 2013 and is the only airline to operate the 423-seater, four engine jumbo jet wide-body aircraft on the nations busiest route. It flies twice daily using this plane on the route. At present, Air India allows only 25kg in the economy class and 35kg in the business class of free check-in baggage. ********************************** Vodafone offers unlimited data for Rs 16/h To take on rivals aggressive play, the second biggest telco Vodafone today launched hourly 3G/4G data packs. By paying just Rs 16, a customer can use unlimited 3G/4G data for one hour across a majority of states from tomorrow, the company said in a statement. Customers using the 2G technology phones can avail the same offer at Rs 5 per hour. ********************************** HMSI rolls out new variant of its low-cost bike Navi Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India today rolled out an adventure & chrome editions for its madd-for-India bike Navi, offering lots of customisation. The company also said exports of Navi has crossed 2,000 units within four months, while domestic sales passed the 50,000-unit mark within six months of launch in October. HMSI introduced the Navi at the February 2016 Delhi Auto Expo and it was commercially launched in April that year. Navi is powered by a 109-cc engine. PTI BEN AA BEN RSY BAS --- ENDS --- A man is in a serious condition in hospital after being injured in a crash between a gang of mopeds and a car. Police arrested the 27-year-old man, who is thought to be one of three moped riders who fled from the scene of a crash in south east London on Saturday afternoon. The crash happened on Dorcis Avenue in Bexleyheath at 1.46pm when a car collided with at least one of the three mopeds, police said. The scooter drivers abandoned one of the mopeds at the scene, with one of the riders jumping onto the back of another scooter before speeding off. Injured: An air ambulance was scrambled to a house in Erith, south east London. / Stacey Knight But around 20 minutes later, paramedics were called to a man wounded at a house in Erith. They alerted the police and an air ambulance was scrambled to a house in Holstein Way where they found the injured man, believed to be one of the moped riders. The injured man was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition. He was later arrested by police. Detectives from Bexley are continuing to investigate what happened. The driver of the car, a woman, was not injured in the Bexleyheath crash. A pervert exposed himself on a bus in front of two young sisters, police said. After boarding a Route 159 bus in Brixton, a man sat in front of the two girls, aged 13 and 14, on the top deck. He is then alleged to have moved seats so he was across the aisle from them, before putting his hand down the front of his trousers and exposing himself to the girls. Police said the girls were "extremely traumatised" by the ordeal, which happened as the bus travelled through Streatham High Road. They told other passengers at the front of the bus what had happened before the suspect left the bus using the rear staircase and doors. Detectives have now issued a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to in connection with the incident at about 11.20am on Saturday, October 8. A spokesman for the Met said: "The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his early 20s, with short dark hair. He wore a dark puffa-style jacket over a dark jumper with a white 'D' on its front, blue jeans with a skull on them, and black and white trainers." Anyone with information should contact Detective Constable Caroline Else on 07825 256 524, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The Delhi Commission for Women has sent a notice to the Delhi Police seeking details of CCTV installations at police stations in the national capital in accordance with the Supreme Court order of 2015. By India Today Web Desk: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and Delhi Police are once again on a collision course. The DCW has sent a notice to the Delhi Police seeking answers about non-installation of close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all the police stations. READ| German national files molestation case against landlord in Delhi DCW VERSUS DELHI POLICE OVER CCTV CAMERAS: THINGS TO KNOW Serving notice to the Delhi Police, the DCW has sought list of all police stations with and without CCTV cameras along with the number of cameras, location and working status of each. The DCW also sought communication of the Delhi Police with the Centre and Kejriwal government for installation of CCTV cameras. The DCW notice came as a result of suo-moto cognizance taken by the women's panel on the basis of a newspaper report. The newspaper report said that despite the Supreme Court's order to install CCTV cameras in all police stations, not a single camera has been installed by Delhi Police. The report also said that the CCTV cameras, which were already installed before the apex court ruling, did not have capacity to record footage and most of them were not in proper working condition. The Supreme Court had in 2015 ruled that CCTV cameras should be installed in all police stations in Delhi. The Supreme Court even specified the places of installation which included the reception area, lock-up and interrogation rooms. The apex court ruling came while hearing a matter wherein a woman lawyer was allegedly manhandled by policemen inside a police station in Delhi. The DCW has sought the response from the Delhi Police by January 19. advertisement ALSO READ| ACB chargesheets DCW chief Swati Maliwal in corruption case --- ENDS --- T he doors of Londons world famous Fabric nightclub have finally reopened after a four month closure. Hundreds of clubbers queued for the re-opening of the Farringdon institution on Friday night with new licensing conditions including a raised entry age and tougher security measures. The venue had its licence revoked in September after Islington Council found it had a "culture of drug use". Last year two 18-year-olds died after taking illegal substances in the venue. As the club opened its doors again after a huge campaign for it to be saved, medics walked up and down the length of the queue, announcing: "If any of you or your friends are feeling unwell then please come and see us." Police confirmed on Saturday there were no arrests and "no incidents of concern" on the night of the reopening. Fabric reopening: Clubbers cast doubt on drugs clampdown as venue finally reopens its doors Bouncers asked for identity documents to be out and ready and club staff reminded partygoers about their welfare areas. Travelling all the way from Virginia, America, Justin Watson said it was his first time visiting Fabric: "We came from the States for the opening. Tightened security: the queue for Fabric / Getty Images "We have never been before and are both DJs and are trying to check out places before they close. "I'm definitely excited - it's an institution." Warning: A sign outside Fabric on its reopening night / Getty Images Ricky Payne from Hayes, west London, said its reopening is "brilliant" and "absolutely amazing". The 27-year-old added: "Where else do we have to go? It is the best club in the world - an institution." On the issue of drugs, he said it has "always been strict" but he said "people got them in". Tighter security greeted clubbers at Fabric / Getty Images Luke Peasland, 25, from Colchester, Essex, said the reopening is the "best thing that could happen", while Matt Springeett, 25, from Ipswich added of the club's reputation for drug use: "It is a minority ruining it for everyone." Others said they feared the atmosphere could be ruined by the clampdown on drugs. A couple from London, in their early 20s, said: The amnesty boxes are a nice idea but I doubt they will be used. "You need to understand what you are taking really if you come to a place like this." A 29-year-old Italian woman added: It's about time it reopened. I don't think it was Fabric's fault that led it to be shut. "Instead of a drugs amnesty box there should be testing kits on site so people can check what they are taking is safe. "There could also be more information about drugs and the safe way to enjoy them, rather than pretending people shouldn't bring any in at all." Saved from closure: Nightclub Fabric / Getty Another clubber, Kristof Wasmuht, 24, said: "Whilst the hour-long queue waiting for people to search you from top to bottom was a sobering experience, the atmosphere as you entered into room 1 for the first time in several months made you realise why it was all worth it. "There was no sense of animosity; just a resonating sense of joy that the venue was once again able to cater itself to the needs of London's buzzing underground scene, and that the culture of electronic music was accepted as an important component of London's nightlife." Scotland Yard, which had applied for the licence to be reviewed, said while police usually patrol nightlife in the area officers will be specifically stationed at Fabric "to support the door team who may need our help". Superintendent Nick Davies said: "As things settle down and it becomes business as normal for Fabric they will be subject of the same police and licensing visits as other clubs in the borough." Jack Crossley, from Worcester Park, Surrey, died on the morning of August 6 after becoming unwell at the club. His inquest, held earlier this week, heard he had smuggled drugs into the venue in his boxers before buying more inside. Club deaths: Jack Crossley and Ryan Browne Ryan Browne died in hospital on June 25 after taking ecstasy on a night out at Fabric. He died due to "recreational drug use gone wrong", his inquest was told. A sign at the entrance to the queuing area outside the club greeted punters with a polite request to "respect our zero policy to drugs". It added: "Anyone found with illegal drugs will be banned from the venue and reported to the police." R oads in Knightsbridge were blocked after crowds of chefs and waiters protested outside Harrods in a row over workers tips. One person was arrested after a smoke bomb was set off as demonstrators held banners and chanted demands for a fairer deal from the iconic London store. The protest was led by union the United Voices of the World who claim the high-end department store pockets up to 75 per cent of tips left in its restaurants - working out as 5,000 a year. Harrods had pledged to improve tips for its catering workers after the union threatened strike action but workers are demanding the full 100 per cent share of diners tips. Demo: Part of Brompton Road was blocked to traffic because of the protest. / Richard Hendron A Harrods spokeswoman said the store employs more than 450 workers in its 16 different restaurants - all of whom are paid fairly and above national living wage. Campaigners: Crowds were seen outside the iconic London department store. / Hungry for Justice Dozens of police officers were seen on Brompton Road and part of the road was blocked to traffic on Saturday afternoon. Furious protesters chanted and slipped notes into pockets, bags and boxes of goods being sold in the store. Protest: Campaigners slipped notes such as these into pockets, bags and boxes in store. / Shiri Shalmey Campaigners held up banners which read: Stop stealing our tips and Harrods tips are not for profit. The Harrods spokeswoman said: Like many businesses in the hospitality sector, Harrods operates a Tronc system on behalf of its restaurant employees. Visible: People stopped to photograph the protesters. / Hungry for Justice The Tronc system manages the distribution of the service charge only. Employees are not required to accept any deduction in their salary in order to participate in the Tronc system. Harrods regularly revisits its policies to ensure that we best serve our employees and has been taking steps over recent months to review and improve the current system through which it distributes its service charge. We have been engaging with our staff directly on this issue. A Met Police spokesman told the Standard one person was arrested for discharging a flare. T he developers of a luxury complex in Shoreditch have pledged to allow artists a space to show off their work after fears the building would jeopardise an iconic graffiti wall. Galliard have pledged to retain the wall as part of their 750 million development, which is being built on the site of William Shapespeare's Curtain Theatre. Known as The Stage, the complex will incorportate the remains of Shakepeare's 16th century playhouse, with plans for a visitor's centre and performance space. The development, which is due to be completed in 2019, will also include a 37-storey residential tower with 412 luxury apartments, retail and office space. A spokesman for The Stage said: We are proud to be preserving the history of Shoreditch and the remains of Shakespeares Curtain Theatre at The Stage. The art wall is a unique element of Shoreditch life and we are committed to keeping it as part of the development. Light Bulb: A campaign for BAFTA on the wall / Shoreditch Art Wall The announcement comes after east Londoners and street artists expressed their concerns over the future of the celebrated Shoreditch Art Wall after construction started last year. Situated in the fashionable Great Eastern Street, the council-owned wall has been painted on by prominent graffiti artists such as Ant Carver and Gnasher. It is also used for commercial murals and has reportedly raised over 100, 000 for charity by renting space to brands such as Nike and Facebook. Anonymous London-based street artist Pegasus described the wall as an important space for artists to display their work. Art: Mural by artist Sam King / Shoreditch Art Wall He told the Standard: Its an iconic wall and its sad that these colourful parts of London are quickly disappearing. It takes away from Londons charm. People all over the world come to Shoreditch to see its street art; its a street art mecca and within ten years its all going to be concrete blocks and glass towers. Its important these places exist. One local, who wished to remain anonymous, said the wall was more a commercial space than a place for street art. But he said getting rid of it would have been the next step in the continual march of unfettered development, crowding out local business; part of the on-going culture washing of Shoreditch. T he ex-boyfriend of Ealing vicarage rape victim Jill Saward has spoken out to say he should have died in her place after she passed away aged 51. Jill was raped in front of her father and her boyfriend at the time, David Kerr, after a gang of masked man forced their way into her vicarage home in Ealing in 1986. Her family announced that Jill, a prominent campaigner for rape victims, died in Wolverhampton on Thursday following a stroke. Mr Kerr said he was distraught over news of her death so young and added: She was so brave and strong. I feel I should have died instead of her. Aged just 20 at the time, Mr Kerr was beaten alongside Jills father - a vicar - during the attack, before being left for dead. Jill was raped repeatedly by two of the men and was then tied up with a skipping rope. 'Brave woman': The campaigner died following a stroke / PA Wire Mr Kerr said in an interview with the Daily Mail that witnessing the brutal attack still haunts me to this day. He said: I often wonder what my life would be like if the attack had never happened. Would I be married to Jill? I think so, yes. We could have been happy together. The couple became engaged after the attack but their relationship ended a few months later due to the strain caused by the horrific crime. Jill later became the first rape victim in the UK to waive her right to anonymity and went on to speak publicly about the attack. Mr Kerr said he believes her bravery should have been rewarded with honours. Im surprised she never got anything because I thought with all the good work she did she certainly deserved an award. People like Jill deserve to be recognised a lot more than a lot of the people who do get awards. Speaking out and campaigning for other women cant have been easy, always being reminded of her own rape, and I sometimes wonder what toll that must have taken on her. She was able to forgive and turn something horrific into a positive, but I wasnt. I am amazed that I am still here and Jill isnt. Its impossible to get it out of my head. It never leaves me. It has blighted my entire life. A statement on Jills website from her family announcing her death said: "It is with deep shock and great sadness that we must announce that Jill Saward (Jill Drake) died this morning in New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, following a subarachnoid haemorrhage on Tuesday. "Jill dedicated the past 30 years of her life to helping other people. It gives us great comfort to know that our wonderful wife, mother and sister was able to help other people to the very end. We would like to thank all those who contributed to her medical care in recent days. T he NHS has rejected the claim it is facing a humanitarian crisis as calls mount for action to be taken. The British Red Cross warned the UKs health service is in the midst of a winter crisis as volunteers and staff from the charity were called in to help NHS staff with extra demand. The British Medical Association said the Government should be ashamed while the Labour Party is calling for an emergency cash boost of 700 million into the NHS. But on Saturday NHS England hit out at the claim and said for the past few years the Red Cross has been contracted to help provide services for councils and the NHS locally. Keith Willett, director of acute care for NHS England, said: On the international scale of a humanitarian crisis, I do not think the NHS is at that point, 'Breaking point': Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for an emergency cash injection. / PA "Clearly, demand is at the highest level ever, Mr Willett said. But also our planning is probably more comprehensive than it has ever been. "In many ways this is a level of pressure we have not seen before and the workload that the NHS is being asked to shoulder in terms of medical treatment and personal care is very high. "There are several reasons for that. There is the winter and many more people have breathing and heart problems, but we know it is also very difficult at the moment and social care and community services are not able to react fast enough to free up beds to keep up the flow through hospitals." Latest figures show overflowing A&E departments were forced to shut their doors to patients more than 140 times in December while analysis showed a third of health trusts in England had issued alerts that they needed urgent action to cope last month. Head of the BMA, Dr Mark Porter, said: "This intervention from the Red Cross highlights the enormous pressure the NHS is currently facing as conditions in hospitals across the country are reaching a dangerous level. The head of the BMA said staff are working flat out. / Christopher Furlong/Getty Images "The Government should be ashamed that it has got to the point where volunteers have been necessary to ease the burden. "The devastating consequences of the lack of commitment to funding for health and social care have become all too apparent and patients are enduring one of the worst winters on record. Staff are working flat-out in extremely difficult conditions. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the health service was at breaking point. "This is a national scandal - and Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt have to take both responsibility and urgent action to tackle it, he said. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "Winter is always a very busy time for the NHS and so to support staff working hard on the front line, we have put in place comprehensive plans earlier than ever, supported by an extra 400 million of funding to help the service cope with additional demand." Commons Health Select Committee chairwoman Dr Sarah Wollaston, a Tory MP and former GP, said: "There is a crisis in social care provision but the term 'humanitarian crisis' is too strong. This is not equivalent to Syria or Yemen." P olice in Florida have identified a man suspected of carrying out a deadly airport shooting as an Iraq war veteran who suffered mental health problems. Five people were killed and a further eight injured after a man opened fire in the baggage-claim area of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday. The suspect is 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, from Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was discharged in 2016 for unsatisfactory performance. His family have revealed he has a history of mental health problems - some of which followed his military service - and was receiving psychological treatment. Esteban Santiago: The Iraq veteran has been identified as the suspected gunman / Rex Features He has also claimed in the past that his mind was being taken over and he was being "forced" to watch Islamic State propaganda. Santiago who recently became a father - is believed to have used a gun that he had stored in his checked luggage, raising fresh questions about airport security. Officials said he retrieved his gun from his bag on the carousel, loaded it in a bathroom and then emerged shooting in the baggage-claim area. Fellow travellers fled out of the terminal whilst others hid in bathroom stalls, behind cars or anything else they could find. Airport shooting: Passengers run for cover in Terminal 1 at Fort Lauderdale / AP The gunman was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." Shooting suspect: Esteban Santiago is transported to the Broward County Main Jail by authoritie / AP The gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding," according to Lea. He was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers. Santiago was deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. Deadly attack: Stranded passengers were evacuated from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport / EPA In recent years he had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press news agency. Bryan Santiago said his brother's girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. In November, Esteban had told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos. Deadly attack: Police officers stand on the perimeter road following the shooting / AP The FBI agents notified the police after the interview and he was taken in for a mental health evaluation. Bryan Santiago said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues. "We have not talked for the past three weeks," Bryan Santiago said. "That's a bit unusual ... I'm in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person." Emergency response: Armed personnel arrive at the airport / AP Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for "unsatisfactory performance," said Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago after his arrest at the Fort Lauderdale airport. Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father and was struggling. "It was like he lost his mind," she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things." Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. A loving and caring British great-grandmother has been named as one of the victims gunned down in the Florida airport shooting. Olga Woltering, who was in her eighties, was one of five people shot dead in the Fort Lauderdale massacrre on Friday night. Mrs Woltering, thought to be from Ipswich in Suffolk, lived in Atlanta in Georgia with her husband Ralph, a former US Air Force serviceman. The couple are believed to have travelled from their home in Georgia to go on a cruise. Holiday: The couple were thought to have been at the airport to go on a cruise. / Facebook Mrs Woltering was described as those who knew her as a precious soul and such a sweet lady. The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Cobb County, Georgia, which Mr Woltering had been a member of since 1978, said she was "so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent". Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo said: "Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met. This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved. "Olga and Ralph have been members of our Transfiguration Family since October 1978. Five dead as airport gunman sent panicked passengers fleeing for their lives "May God give consolation to all of the victims of this tragedy and may God give eternal rest to those who died. Especially to our beloved Olga. Peace." Esteban Santiago, 26, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska and an Iraq War veteran, is accused of carrying out the bloody killing, which also left six people injured. B ritish taxpayers' money will no longer be used to fund a pop group dubbed the Ethiopian Spice Girls through aid handouts. The group, called Yegna, had reportedly received 5.2 million in UK aid grants. The International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced a review of how taxpayers money is spent after the revelations. And the Government has now decided to end its partnership with the band but insisted the decision is not a result of a campaign led by the Daily Mail which accused it of wasting British aid money. The band is managed by Ethiopian group Girl Effect which promotes womens rights in the country. The UKs Department for International Development said that, despite ending funding to the band, "empowering women and girls around the world remains a priority". Girl band: The pop group aims to raise awareness for women's issues in Ethiopia / Girl Effect "We judge there are more effective ways to invest UK aid," a spokeswoman said, adding that the government will "deliver even better results for the world's poorest and value for taxpayers' money". The pop group made up of five women aged in their 20s was launched in 2013 to tackle issues including violence against women and forced marriage. Part of the Girl Effect project, they hold talk shows, release songs and run a YouTube channel with the aim of changing the culture of Ethiopia in a good way. British aid: International Development Secretary Priti Patel said the funding would be stopped / PA Girl Effect said the UK had broken "new ground" by investing in Yegna but that "new ideas are often resisted and sometimes wilfully misrepresented". "[The Government] has consistently recognised Yegna's impact," Girl Effect told the BBC. "All too often we treat the symptoms of poverty and overlook the cause." Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor said it was "really unfortunate" the project "was being rubbished", adding that aid is "not just about food parcels. S herlock aside, heres the first major TV treat of 2017 Tom Hardys dark and unconventional period drama Taboo. This eight-part series is far from your typical BBC fodder, and looks set to add a caustic flourish to Saturday night viewing. With an intense lead character, top talent involved, and all kinds of London shooting locations, here are seven things you need to know. 1) Its set in the past but its a fictional story The story is set in 1814, as Tom Hardys character James Keziah Delaney resurfaces in London after disappearing, presumed dead, in Africa. FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Following the death of his father, he has inherited the family shipping empire but familial and political complications spur his vengeful voyage to claim whats his. 2) Its a passion project from Tom Hardy Hardy not only stars in Taboo he devised the series way back in 2007 with his father Chips Hardy while playing Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist, and is an executive producer on the finished show. 3) Its written by Peaky Blinders Steven Knight Seeing as Birmingham gang thriller Peaky Blinders gave us an alternate take on the period drama, its no surprise that Taboo comes from the same writer the hugely talented Steven Knight. This is the third major collaboration between Knight and Hardy, who has appeared regularly in Peaky Blinders and starred in Knights feature film Locke. Taboo - the cast of BBC's period drama with Tom Hardy 1 /12 Taboo - the cast of BBC's period drama with Tom Hardy Taboo The BBC's dark thriller is unlike any period drama you've seen before FX Networks Tom Hardy as James Delaney FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Jonathan Pryce as Sir Stuart Strange FX Networks / Olly Robinson Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow FX Networks / Robert Viglasky David Hayman as Brace FX Networks / Olly Robinson Jefferson Hall as Thorne Geary FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Franka Potente as Helga Scott Free Prods Michael Kelly as Dr. Dumbarton FX Networks / Robert Viglasky 4) Its all about individuals vs. industry [Hardys] quest for revenge in the series involves clashing with powerful international trading giant East India Company and their warring ideals are at the heart of Taboo. The history of Britain has always been written through the prism of class, and thats fine, but the 19th century was driven by money and this story reflects that, Knight told The Guardian. This is a drama about the ships and money and warehouses and docks that formed the engine of the empire. 5) It was filmed around London Various London locations were used in the shoot from Danson House in Bexley, to the replica of Francis Drakes ship Golden Hinde in Southwark. Trinity Church Square between Borough and Elephant & Castle, and Sans Walk in Islington were used for some outdoor scenes. FX Networks / Robert Viglasky 6) Its directed by top Scandi-noir talent There are top directors on board for Taboo, who will be familiar to fans of Scandi-noir dramas. The first four episodes are directed by The Killings Kristoffer Nyholm, while the final four are directed by Jordskotts Anders Engstrom. The biggest and best TV shows of 2017 1 /13 The biggest and best TV shows of 2017 Doctor Who The classic sci-fi show got a new lease of life with new companion Bill Potts BBC Line of Duty The BBC's acclaimed crime drama moved up to BBC One with more twists than ever before World Productions / BBC / Aidan Monaghan Broadchurch Chris Chibnall's mystery drama came to a close with a compelling final series ITV The Moorside Sheridan Smith puts in a stellar performance as she returns to TV in the BBC's Shannon Matthews drama Stuart Wood/ITV/BBC Apple Tree Yard Emily Watson starred in the BBC's gripping psychological thriller BBC/Kudos/Nick Briggs Fortitude, Series 2 Sky Atlantic's original Nordic noir-inspired chiller is back for more bloody mysteries Sky Atlantic Sherlock, Series 4 Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return as Holmes and Watson in the BBC's mega hit PA Taboo Tom Hardy's dark thriller is unlike any period drama you've seen before FX Networks No Offence, Series 2 Paul Abbott's comedy-drama continues to walk a tonal tightrope with total ease Channel 4/Ian Derry The Voice A move to ITV has given singing contest The Voice a new lease of life ITV 7) Its not going to be for everyone The grim tone and boundary-pushing content of Taboo means that it wont be one for the whole family but Hardy likes it that way. People will either like it or hate it, but it won't be middle of the road, he told Digital Spy. Either it's going to go well, or it's going to go really f****** badly. But it was an effort made in the right pursuit, I believe." BBC One, Saturday, 9.15pm Traders complain that while demonetisation took a toll on their business, this will ruin them for sure. By Shalini Lobo: A dark shadow has cast itself over the traders of Connaught Place with many criticizing the new move of pedestrianisation of Connaught Place, popularly known as CP in the national capital. Traders complain that while demonetisation took a toll on their business, this will ruin them for sure. Odeon Cinemas is a board you can see miles away, but tucked in to a corner, almost invisible stands Ram Chander & Sons, one of India's oldest Toy Stores. advertisement Satish Sundra has been working here for almost 80 years now. The CP branch was started by his father in 1935, two years after Connaught Place came into being. In 1954, Satish took over the business after losing his father. READ: Delhi: Connaught Place to be made vehicle-free from February Satish said, "Connaught Place is a business hub. It is not a tourist spot. A move like this will ruin and kill Connaught Place. We have already suffered over the past 2 months with demonetisation, and now this will just make matters worse. People need us to carry things till their car, but now they will just choose to visit a mall than come here using public transport." Satish has been part of the CP Traders Association and said that the current proposed 'Park and Ride' method was introduced before as well, but it failed miserably. His son, Amit Sundra scoffed at the thought of CP being related to a smart city. The main 3 points the UD Ministry has stated is 'Congestion free, Pollution free and Crime free'. Amit says, "They talk about a smart city pilot project but look around you, there are no maps to find your way through CP. People have littered everywhere and scrawled rubbish all over the walls. There is an entire drug mafia operating in Connaught Place. The circle is not even friendly for the disabled and if you talk about the traffic, we are going to choke when all the traffic gets diverted to the outer circle." Connaught Place has the broadest boulevards and was built in 1933. The Central Park in the middle is the epicentre, around it are two concentric circles built with 7 lanes permitting both entry and exit. CP is a hub and also an intersection to find way around the national capital. "I can get from one place to another with my car, I don't know how to use the bus system. And what will I do if I bring a senior citizen along with me. There should be some other alternative." said Sakshi, a young entrepreneur. advertisement Another vendor who has his allocated spot in the CP circle is Sharad. He sells paan for a living and has been doing so for the past 20 years. "The Notebandi brought my business down by 40 per cent and I'm sure this move will bring it down to 60 - 70 per cent. Who will want to leave the comfort of their AC cars and travel on foot. Moreover, can the three allocated parking lots actually accommodate all the cars that come to CP?" Not only are traders unhappy, but so are the visitors. "We can enjoy CP now because of the climate. But what happens once the weather changes in April?" Keeping in mind the rising crime against women, many were of the opinion that the NDMC and Delhi Police would have a hard time in keeping CP crime free as promised. "They can't control traffic and crime during the day, I have no faith anything will change at night. I won't feel safe to use shared shuttles late in the night," said Soumya. --- ENDS --- Rare case of youth tripping on reptile poison admitted in RML hospital and doctors are stumped by extreme substance abuse. By Priyanka Sharma: This man has a ssserious problem. After alcohol and cannabis stopped providing the required kick, 30-yearold Manoj (name changed) started to get high on snake venom. The resident of Shadipur in west Delhi is now trying to get over his addiction at the prestigious RML Hospital where doctors say his blood has turned toxic and even his spit can be fatal to others. advertisement Gets hooked on snake venom a few months ago Manoj, who is a drummer by profession, took to drugs in his early teens and got hooked on snake venom a few months ago. "All my friends use opium, ganja, doda (poppy husk) and heroin. I was consuming all kinds of drugs available in the market and when they stopped having any effect on me, I decided to try snake venom. It keeps me high for at least 24-30 hours," Manoj told Mail Today. Peddlers provide the venom in tiny packets, each one priced at about Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000. READ: The hissing under your cylinder isn't a gas leak, but a snake Delhi doctors stunned Dr Smita Deshpande, who heads the department of psychiatry and de-addiction at RML hospital, told Mail Today, "This is for the first time that we have seen a patient here admitted for drug rehabilitation who has confessed to consuming dangerous snake venom to get high. Such cases are very rare and patients too do not easily reveal what kind of drugs they are taking." Experts say Experts say certain types of addicts share some personality traits and seem to have been born with high-levels of impulsiveness and thrill-seeking- behaviour that is common in poly-substance users or abusers. Such people occasionally get snakebites or venom for their euphoric effect. Manoj was brought to the hospital by family members after he started to threaten them for money to get his fix. "I have only recently started consuming snake venom orally, but some of my friends get snakebites for maximum high," said Manoj. "The serpent bites when it is pressed gently. The bite is administered under the tongue and its effects last for at least one week. This also depends on the species of the snake being used." READ: 144 snakes, 2 bottles of venom recovered from an abandoned flat in Pune However, he did not reveal the source from where he gets the highly expensive drug in the city. Full- fledged racket is active in city RML doctors say that procuring snake venom is illegal and it is very expensive, suggesting that a full- fledged racket is active in the city. There have been reports that some snake catchers trade in venom. "If a person consumes any kind of snake venom drug, his blood too becomes toxic. Such a person cannot donate blood to anybody as it can prove fatal to the recipient," said Dr Lokesh Shekhawat, associate professor of psychiatry at RML Hospital. advertisement "Today's youth is attracted by novel trends. His blood investigations showed high levels of toxicity and the presence of other available drugs. And taking snake venom can be fatal for even an addict, in high dosages." Person's spit too can be fatal for others Health experts say in the initial hours of ingesting snake venom, a person's spit too can be fatal for others. The addiction can result in slow-poisoning and can kill a person in stages- it could first affect the eyes, and lead to total paralysis. Snake venom, collected from farmed reptiles, has been used to make antisera for snakebites for decades by injecting it into mammals such as sheep and horses, and collecting the antibodies thus generated. No diagnostic equipment to quantify level of snake venom in patient's body Dr Shekhawat said there is no diagnostic equipment anywhere in the world to quantify the level of snake venom in Manoj's body. advertisement Cases of people getting hooked on snakebites and venom have been reported in the past from metro cities like Mumbai and Kolkata as well as rural areas. Dr Shipra Singh, psychiatrist and drug rehabilitation expert at RML hospital, told Mail Today she consulted in six cases reported at Grant Medical College in central Mumbai. An expert from AIIMS, requesting anonymity, said, "In the past 10 years, I have seen four cases like this and these are very, very rare. As snake venom contains neurotoxins and cardio-toxins, it can always prove fatal to someone who is consuming it. These patients informed me that they used to go to the jungle for a snake bite and they could easily identify the species fit for the purpose. --- ENDS --- Terror attacks down by 60 per cent: According to government sources, the number of terror related incidents have reduced by almost 60 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir post-demonetisation. They pointed out that only one blast took place in the month of December in the Valley. Hawala business drops by 50 per cent: Demonetisation has affected hawala transactions as per an internal report. The call traffic of hawala agents has dropped by 50 per cent, the sources said. Fake currency notes racket down: Demonetisation has caused an instant setback to the issue of Pakistan printed high value fake currency notes. The changes in design and improved security features of the new notes have effected printing of fake currency notes. Pakistan had been printing fake Indian currency notes in its government printing press at Quetta and security press in Karachi, the sources said. Terror funding: The large amount of cash held by the terrorists has turned into worthless piece of paper. Decline in organised stone pelting: Terrorists used Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes to sponsor organised stone pelting. The government sources said that the terror sponsors gave the old high value currency notes to local area commanders in order to instigate local youths to pelt stones on government establishments. Demonetisation has choked the supply of illegal cash. What does Scotts Bluff National Monument mean to you? Is it simply a backdrop to the everyday scenery? A place you take visitors a couple of times a year to see the view from the top? A part of your daily exercise workout? Monument officials have been putting together a plan to make sure the future of the park fits the history, environment and culture of the community, and theyd like to share details of it with local residents. Theyre soliciting comments on a draft Cultural Landscape Report and Environmental Assessment to establish a philosophy and framework to enhance resource conditions and visitor experiences. An open house meeting is scheduled for Thursday at the Gering Civic Centers Platte River Room, 4 to 7 p.m. to allow the public to learn about alternatives and ask park staff any questions about this project. The park is planning a series of improvements over the next few years. The inch-thick plan looks at how to keep changes from altering the look and feel of the landscape and facilities. But it also addresses issues such as how to keep invasive species under control and make sure the landscape continues to fit the prairie environment. We felt it was important to preserve the cultural landscape and look, to keep it as natural as it can be, said Park Superintendent Dan Morford. Because we are in a historic area, we felt it was important to go ahead with this report. Were very cognizant of the viewshed, what it will look like from the highway and from the top of the bluff. Many of the parks buildings and improvements were built by public works crews during the Depression era. Over the next few years, the park plans to expand the offices and visitor center, bringing public restrooms indoors and expanding and updating many of its exhibits. Itll be a good enhancement for visitors, Morford said. We want to give them as good an experience as possible, whether theyre people from here or a couple visiting from Belgium. Although the document, which includes four alternative proposals for growth and improvements, is nearly complete, the meeting will give the public a chance to study and comment on it and steer some of the final work on the plan. Its complete enough to put out for comment. Its a work in progress, he said. Were hoping to get the information out and educate engage the community with the park. Well address comments. During the open house, officials will provide maps and discuss the alternatives. While there will be no formal presentation, people will be able to ask questions and discuss ideas about the future of the park. One likely topic is the future of the summit trail, which was buried in one section and undermined in another by a massive landslide that has left the trial closed for more than a year. Well probably get more comments on the trail than we will on this document, Morford said. The park plans an in-house meeting with geologists and others to discuss whether repairs are feasible. Some of that discussion will focus on visitor safety. More information on that should be coming out the first part of February, he said. We wanted to wait a year and let it settle. We cant get rid of all the risk. Its outdoors, and stuff happens. Completion of the plan will make it easier to fix, move or abandon the trail or to embark on cooperative ventures such as adding a bike path to Highway 92 past the monument headquarters or expanding trails to connect with existing trails outside park boundaries. Ive been tasked with getting all these moving parts pulled together, and getting everything in place, Morford said. This will expediate a lot of that. Sometimes with the government the compliance part is the slowest. The comment period will run through Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. Comments can be completed on-line at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/scbl, dropped off at the visitor center, or mailed to Superintendent of Scotts Bluff National Monument; PO Box 27; Gering, NE 69341. Morford hopes area residents will learn about the plan and offer suggestions. I dont own it. The government doesnt own it. It belongs to the people, he said. Were stewards of the park. By Indrajit Kundu: Amidst the ongoing political tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress, the BJP has accused the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal of indulging in "appeasement politics" that has resulted in the rise of "communal tension". A political resolution adopted by the BJP national executive during its two-day meeting, which began in New Delhi on Friday, took cognizance of the recent attack on the party's headquarters in Kolkata following the arrest of two TMC MP's by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The resolution terms Banerjee's government as "draconian" and says that it has become difficult to carry out normal political activity in the state. advertisement Making scathing observations about the law and order situation in the state, the resolution says, "The recent attacks on BJP headquarters in Kolkata and scores of other places in Bengal point to the extreme and violent form of political intolerance practiced by the ruling TMC. It is a sad commentary on the bureaucracy and law and order machinery that they too seem to have become mute spectators while lawlessness and crime perpetrates." Taking note of the recent communal flare-up in Howrah's Dhulagarh, the BJP resolution alleges that extreme "appeasement politics" had led to severe communal tension in the state. "Government machinery has been misused to allow the perpetrators of communal violence go scot-free if not clandestinely support them. The failure of the TMC government in Bengal in safeguarding the majority law-abiding community is most glaring in the recent Dhulagarh riots where the rioters went about torching houses and shouting slogans like Pakistan Zindabad while the state police had looked the other way," the resolution states. READ MORE: Rather than protecting, Bengal police gave us 2 minutes to flee our own homes: Dhulagarh riot victims tell India Today Interestingly, the resolution, which comes days after the BJP's state leadership met West Bengal Governor Kesari Nath Tripathi demanding the imposition of President's rule in the state, has been proposed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and seconded by the party's former Bengal president and current national secretary Rahul Sinha. In fact, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also taken cognizance of the recent political violence and incidents of arson on BJP party offices across the West Bengal. ALSO WATCH: TMC-BJP war in West Bengal: Mamata cries conspiracy --- ENDS --- A Morrill County District Court jury is now considering the case against a Bridgeport man accused in the shooting death of a Greeley, Colorado, man. The jury received the case at 3:30 p.m. In closing arguments, Prosecutor Doug Warner urged the jury to return a guilty verdict against Zachary Mueller, while defense attorney Sarah Newell pointed the finger at Felicia Talley, Muellers former girlfriend. Mueller is charged in the shooting death of Pedro Adrian Dominguez, 33, believed to have occurred sometime between Nov. 21, 2015, and Nov. 24, 2015. A farmer found Dominguezs body in a barrel floating in a creek near Bayard. The jury will consider the case into the evening. If they do not reach a verdict tonight, Judge Leo Dobrovolny said he will confer with the jury at that time and decide whether deliberations will be held on Saturday. During closing arguments, Warner told the jury to look at the bigger picture and that all the evidence added up against Mueller to convict him on the charge of first-degree murder and the weapons charges. He reminded the jury that the witnesses, such as Talley, live in a different world than most people, with different values. A lot of people in this case did things that dont make sense to us intitutively, he said, discussing how Talley fled after her boyfriend was murdered. Warner also talked about two women, Dallas Schnell and Holly Heine, who helped to destroy Dominguezs car. However, Warner said the two women burned the car at Muellers direction, after he fled after driving Dominguezs body around for a week. Mueller fled to Wyoming the day that Dominguezs body was found. He pointed to evidence that had significance and said it showed that Mueller acted deliberately to destroy the evidence of the murder he had committed burning belongings that Talley and Dominguez had in the car, the seat and carpet in the car. Text messages between Schnell and Mueller also demonstrate that they panicked after the body was found, he said. Mueller killed Dominguez with intent and premeditation, two essential elements of first-degree murder, Warner said. He acted purposefully in raising the gun, had to position it to fire into his head and then pulled the trigger. He knows what he has done. He did what he planned to do, he said. In presenting her closing arguments, Newell read text messages to Muellers mother, Michelle Litke and others to cast doubt on Talleys testimony. Newell told the jury that Talley was the one who murdered Dominguez. In her actions after the murder, she said that Talley was setting up a defense in telling Litkes mother that he was acting crazy, but she had also texted Mueller that she loved him and wanted things to be good between them in the days after the murder. She also texted people that she and Dominguez had broken up and did not act like a woman grieving the love of her life. The physical evidence shows that Mueller got rid of Dominguezs body, but that is all, she said. She alleged that Talley murdered Dominguez because he was involved with someone else or to get access to Dominguezs drugs. After the murder, she alleged that text messages showed the woman trying to sell drugs to people associated with Dominguez. Newell also cast doubt on the witnesses against Mueller, noting that they were given immunity agreements for their testimony. Talley was given an immunity agreement, however, Warner clarified in closing arguments that Talley was not given immunity on the charge of homicide. Schnell and another witness, Holly Heine, were also given immunity for destroying evidence to garner their testimony. If the jury believes Felicias story, then Newell urged them to find Mueller guilty of the lesser offense of second-degree murder. She said that evidence introduced showed that he was clearly under the influence of methamphetamine and that his state of mind at that time would not have allowed him to act with premeditation. The state and the defense rested after a morning of testimony. Evidence Warner presented on Friday morning centered around statements made by Mueller to friends and relatives during jailhouse phone calls and visits. In phone calls with his sister, Mueller is heard asking about a safe where the authorities found .380 caliber bullets during a search of his home in December 2015. In another conversation regarding the safe, Mueller tells Dallas Schnell, a woman he was involved with, that there is damning evidence in the safe. Its not no gun or nothing. Its not the weapon, but its pretty damn close, Mueller tells Schnell. In another conversation, Mueller tells his mother that authorities wont locate the weapon used in the homicide. In a jail visit with his mother, Mueller tells his mother that it would benefit him if Felicia Talley, who was jailed on drug charges at the time, could be bonded out. He says that a woman, who is not named, is going to locate Talley and assist her. Talley can then take care of disappearing on her own. If she remains in custody, he says, Talley would be made to testify and Im screwed. Talley was later taken into custody and held as a material witness to testify in the case. The defense presented two witnesses: Tiffany Sprey and Alexandria Montoya. Both women were called to the stand and described Talley as an intimidating and domineering woman. Sprey testified that she had seen Talley and Dominguez at Muellers home on the weekend before Thanksgiving. She alleged that Talley assaulted her and had a longstanding feud with the woman. She said Talley did not want Sprey involved with Mueller or Muellers brother, whom Sprey had dated. She testified that Dominguez and Talley were in Morrill County, wanting to make money off of selling drugs. She said she stayed at the home with Dominguez for about two hours and the two of them talked and did methamphetamine together. Dominguez and Talley argued, Sprey said, about Talley assaulting the woman and other things during the visit to Muellers home. Alexandria Montoya, a woman who was temporarily jailed with Talley as she was being held as a material witness, testified that Talley told her about the homicide. She alleged that Talley told her that Mueller shot her boyfriend in the head, but that she finished him off by suffocating him. She said that the admission came as the woman attempted to add a teardrop tattoo to her face using a staple and pencil. Montoya also testified that Talley had told her that she and Dominguez had been fighting about money, that he owed her money and would not give it to her for her daughter prior to the murder.. The defense also introduced a cell phone identified as Talleys. The woman had disposed of the cell phone in a tree line at Muellers residence. Text messages from that phone were from a woman saying that she was in a relationship with Dominguez and that they were having a baby. Talley apparently read the messages, from replies to the woman in the exchange that occurred on Nov. 19, just a couple days before Dominguez is believed to have been killed. During his closing arguments, Warner praised the work of the Morrill County Sheriffs Department in a successful case that allowed the state to bring it to trial. The Rev. Franklin Graham isnt sure which Scripture hell read at the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. The evangelist and head of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Christian international relief organization Samaritans Purse wont get to make remarks at the event, but he will get to pick his own Bible passage, which could say a lot. Will it be something hopeful to heal a divided nation? Something pointed about the importance of praying for leaders? Graham was praying about that on Dec. 29, he told RNS, the day after it was announced he is one of six clergy chosen to offer the invocation, benediction and several readings at the swearing-in ceremony. You want it to be meaningful not only to your president-elect, but you want it to be meaningful also to the nation, Graham said. Im taking time just to pray and ask God to give me wisdom and guidance because its a responsibility that I take very seriously. This is the third inauguration Graham will have attended. The first was to assist his father Billy Graham at the second inaugural of President Bill Clinton in 1997; the second, to offer the invocation at the first inaugural of President George W. Bush in 2001. It follows his Decision America Tour, during which he held rallies in each of the state capitals to urge evangelical Christians to pray about the election and vote for candidates of any party who agree with their values. Weeks before launching the tour, Graham announced he had resigned from the Republican Party and declared himself an independent. And he was careful to note throughout the campaign that he endorsed neither Trump, a Republican, nor Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. But, he said, he got the sense God was going to do something in our country just from the people coming early in the day, standing in hot sun, standing in freezing cold, standing in snow, standing in rain, and they came to pray. They didnt come to hear me. They came to pray for their nation. Graham has had some supportive words for Trump, noting the president-elect has surrounded himself from the start with a number of evangelical Christians in a way he said Clinton didnt. That included Vice President-elect Mike Pence; his choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson; Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.; and former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee. Even though Donald Trump has some rough edges, theres something inside of him that desires the counsel of Christian men and women, and I dont know one Christian on Hillary Clintons team, he said. Clinton has spoken openly about her United Methodist faith. And asked about her choice of running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who volunteered with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras as a young man, Graham said the Democrat had difficulty connecting with evangelical Christians in the same way because he was Catholic and because of his partys support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage. He also pointed to the list of potential Supreme Court justices the Trump campaign had released, saying, as he had before the election, Its not about her emails. Its not about his bad language. Its about the Supreme Court and who do you trust to appoint judges that are going to be in favor of Christian liberty? I think maybe God has allowed Donald Trump to win this election to protect this nation for the next few years by giving maybe an opportunity to have some good judges, he said, referring to nominations for the Supreme Court and others. Its not the first time Graham expressed his belief God had played a role in the results of the November election. He had tweeted earlier this month suggesting it was God, not Russia, that had interfered with the outcome. In an interview Thursday, he said he doesnt know if Russia hacked the election, and he doesnt presume to know how God works. But he knows God answers prayer. And, Graham said, All I know is Donald Trump was supposed to lose the election, according to projections of the results. For these states to go the way they did, in my opinion, I think it was the hand of God, he said. It wasnt hacking. It wasnt Wiki-leaky or whatever. It was God, in my opinion, and I believe his hand was at work, and I think hes given Christians an opportunity. By Adila Matra: Dilli Haat has always been decked up in beautiful colours - colours from different parts of the country. Now, nine craftsmen from Iran have flown in for the 31st Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar. They have collaborated with 200 Indian artisans to produce calligraphy, block printing, pottery and other exciting products. The Meenakari work from Iran is the most beautiful and coveted of all displays. Copper is melted, fused and painted with brilliant hues of blue and green. There are also pendants and earrings in this collection. Prices begin from Rs 500. advertisement Says Jaya Jaitly, president of Dastkari Haat Samiti, "The Samiti's artisan-members have travelled all over and collaborated with local artisans in other developing nations to create utilitybased and market-friendly products. This is what we have tried to do with Iranian artists as well." Gholamreza Emami, the Iranian Meenakari artist, says each piece of utensil takes about a day to finish and he has been doing it for 15 years. "I love the reaction of Indian customers and I hope to come back next year," he says. Also Read:Experience the best of food and music at this 10-year-old festival Abdul Raza, a block printing artist from Gujarat, has collaborated with block print artists from Iran to create beautiful and fascinating designs on cotton, silk and wool fabrics. There are also miniature paintings that flourished during the 13th century in Persia and continue till now. There is also papier mache jewellery from Iran, starting from Rs 500. Ghamarolmolouk Setorg, a beautiful hijab-clad weaver from Shiraz, Iran, sells handloom carpets in her modest stall. Go to Dilli Haat. You will not leave empty-handed. The 31st Annual Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar is on at Dilli Haat, INA, till January 15; 11 am to 9 pm. --- ENDS --- WENTZVILLE A Missouri Department of Transportation employee was accused of driving while intoxicated after his MoDOT pickup truck was involved in a three-vehicle accident Thursday night, police said. Police said Mark David Simon, 41, of Wentzville, was issued a summons for misdemeanor DWI after the crash, which took place about 10 p.m. near West Pearce and Schroeder Creek boulevards. Assistant Police Chief Paul West said he didn't know if Simon was on duty at the time of the incident. A MoDOT spokesperson released a statement Friday night about the incident: "This is a serious matter, but it is a confidential personnel matter that we cannot discuss. It is our policy not to publicly discuss personnel issues. We are working with law enforcement on this matter." The decline of Sino-US ties is an opportunity India must seize, and place itself firmly in the middle to have the best of both worlds. Shakespeare wisely said, "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." Such a window of opportunity has now opened for India to join the 'A' league of powers. The election of Donald Trump has opened this window. A rocky, probably even turbulent, road lies ahead for US-China relations. Even before taking office, Trump has challenged China on many fronts, from trade to Taiwan. In the face of this, India has two choices. It can sit back and smack its lips with satisfaction watching the travails of Beijing as it handles the mercurial Trump. Or it can cunningly exploit this new turbulence in US-China relations to catapult itself into a new 'A' league of great powers, best captured in the acronym: CIA. CIA will now stand for China, India and America. advertisement The big question here is whether India can be cunning. Calm and detached cunning geopolitical calculations are supposed to be the hallmark of strategic thinking. It is therefore puzzling that sometimes petulance seems to trump cunning in Indian strategic thinking. Every time a new 'slight' appears, India responds with great emotional agitation rather than with an effort to see if adversity can be turned into an opportunity. Pakistan is the biggest drag on India's foreign policy. Given the history, a love affair between India and Pakistan is not on the cards. However, many erstwhile adversaries, like France and Germany, China and Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, have achieved normal relations. For example, they conduct 'normal' trade with each other. India and Pakistan do not. This is why India should reconsider its refusal to join the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative of China. Contrary to a few paranoid voices in New Delhi, OBOR is not an evil scheme designed by China to exclude India. Instead, it is China's insurance policy to develop land links in Central Asia to overcome any possible maritime encirclement by America against China. OBOR was a defensive, not offensive, move. If India wants to be truly cunning, it should enthusiastically join OBOR and use it to create a whole new web of trade and energy links with Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. In the middle of the web will be Pakistan. Such a web will also help normalise India-Pakistan trade relations and liberate India from a geopolitical burden. To achieve all this, India will have to look at China with fresh eyes. India and China have had a tumultuous history due to now-dormant border disputes as well as the issue of Tibet. The Indian media ceaselessly beats the drums and says that China is a threat to India. This media hysteria is a perfect example of how emotions often trump cunning in Indian strategic thinking. How is China a threat? Is it going to invade India? Unilaterally change the Line of Control? Send warships to blockade India? To put it simply, China is not a military threat to India because it will gain no geopolitical advantage in changing the status quo on the ground. By contrast, while China is not a real threat to India, America is a real threat to China. The Chinese strategic thinkers have every reason to be paranoid about America. America is still, overall, far more powerful than China. Militarily, America is far more powerful. Economically, it can damage China by restricting Chinese imports (as Trump has threatened to do). Politically, it can stir separatist movements in China (be it in Taiwan, Tibet or Xinjiang). The ultimate Chinese nightmare is a 'colour' revolution triggered by America. If Chinese strategic thinkers were to drop their paranoia about America, they should have their heads examined. advertisement All this provides India a golden opportunity. If China-US relations take a turn for the worse under Trump, both sides will pay India more attention. The choice that India makes in this geopolitical environment will be absolutely critical. Given the current political situation in India, where a nascent love affair is developing between India and America, there will be a strong emotional desire to gang up with America against China. There will be short-term benefits. India will get more arms from America. Trade might grow. But in such a geopolitical arrangement, India will always be the lesser partner, the Tonto to the American lone ranger. It will play the role Japan or UK did in the Cold War: a valuable ally but not an equal partner. The cunning choice for India, therefore, is to position itself as a geopolitical equal to both America and China. This will not be easy. America's GNP is $18 trillion, China's $11 trillion, India's $2.1 trillion. How does the far smaller guy become an equal partner to two bigger giants? This is where Trump has provided the opportunity. By turning adversarial against China, the president elect has effectively put China and America at two opposite ends of a see-saw. India should seize the opportunity by leaping on to the middle of the see-saw. This will give the incentive for both America and China to develop close relations with India, for the person standing in the middle of the see-saw will be the one to determine which side of the see-saw goes up and down. In terms of strategic positioning, India should stand in the middle, not move closer to America or China. Consequently, India's geopolitical weight will also grow in the world as the world will see that the overall global geopolitical directions are now being driven by three powers, China, India and America, the new CIA. advertisement To understand the Trump opportunity, India should do a private cunning calculation of whether it is better-off under an Obama or Trump presidency. Trump will never love India as much as Obama (or George W. Bush) did. Trump is transactional in his approach. But both Obama and Bush also realised that America had more at stake with China. Hence, both the Obama and Bush administrations gave far more priority to China than to India. This kept India locked out of any potential CIA triangle. In contrast, by turning adversarial against China, Trump has opened a window of opportunity for India. Is India cunning enough to take advantage of this brief opportunity to develop equally good ties with China and America? advertisement It will probably be a brief opportunity because after a year or two in office, Trump may redo his calculations and decide that having a good relationship with China makes more geopolitical sense. In so doing, he would only be following his five predecessors-Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. One of the few points the five had in common was the emphasis they gave to maintaining a stable and constructive US-China relationship. If Trump follows in their footsteps, the window of opportunity will close for India. India will then become less useful to both America and China. Shakespeare's greatest plays were his tragedies. In each one, he demonstrated how human beings fail to rise above their human frailties, including their emotional impulses. It would be a real tragedy if India loses its current geopolitical opportunity because of a failure to rise above its emotional impulses in dealing with China. --- ENDS --- The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a dreaded criminal Sajid Chunni, wanted in a sensational kidnapping case of Bhuj in Gujarat. By Tanseem Haider: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a dreaded criminal Sajid Chunni, wanted in a sensational kidnapping case of Bhuj in Gujarat. A resident of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, Sajid along with his associates had kidnapped a Bhuj businessmen in December 2016. Sajid came in contact with criminals who habitually kidnapped people for ransom and took to this way of earning easy money. Extortion cases have become common in Mewat. Criminals give advertisements in newspapers in far flung areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat for sale of vehicles especially cars and scrap materials etc at throw away prices. Gullible people fall easy prey to such advertisements and get trapped in the net of criminals. advertisement HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED Sajid, along with his associates had lured Bhuj businessman Valji Bhai on the pretext of selling him a car at a low price. Valji had received calls from two unknown callers who told them they would arrange a car for him at a cheap price. On finding the offer lucrative, Valji reached Delhi on December 21, 2016 and met an associate of Sajid at the railway station. The associate took him to Palwal on the pretext of showing him the car where Valji sensed trouble after noticing around 6 people there. When he refused to go further, the 6 men forcibly took Valji to a secluded place and started beating him. The extortionists robbed Rs 20,000 from Valji, took his phone and called his son demanding Rs 5 lakh ransom. The next day someone alerted them that Delhi Police is conducting raids in the area hearing which, they fled. After reaching home, Valji filed a complaint against the men and sources were deployed to collect information on the accused. Subsequently, five of the accused Taufiq, Sunny, Mosam, Javed and Saddam were arrested by the Crime Branch. During investigation, Sajid and Hussain's involvement came to light. A reward of Rs 50,000 was declared on each of the accused. On January 5, police received a tip off that Sajid would come from Mathura and would alight from bus at Ashram Chowk bus stop to meet his associates. A team of police personnel nabbed Sajid while he was waiting at the bus stop. ALSO READ | Notorious criminals arrested after brief shootout at Delhi's Bhati Mines area Delhi: Crime Branch arrests 6 people for extorting money through honey traps Dreaded criminal involved in Sitamarhi gangrape, murder nabbed in Delhi --- ENDS --- Travelers are evacuated out of the terminal and onto the tarmac after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Zachary Fagenson By Zachary Fagenson FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Reuters) - Police in Alaska took a handgun from the man accused of killing five people at Fort Lauderdale's airport on Friday, but they returned it to him last month after a medical evaluation found he was not mentally ill, authorities said on Saturday. Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old Iraq war veteran, had a history of acting erratically and investigators are probing whether mental illness played a role in the latest U.S. mass shooting. According to court papers, he told agents he planned the attack and bought a one-way ticket to Florida. Santiago was charged on Saturday in federal court and could potentially face the death penalty if convicted in the case, U.S. prosecutors said. Marlin Ritzman, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Anchorage, told a news conference Santiago walked into the office in November and said his mind was being controlled by a U.S. intelligence agency. He was turned over to local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental evaluation. "Santiago was having terroristic thoughts and believed he was being influenced by ISIS (the Islamic State militant group,)" Anchorage Police Chief Chris Tolley told the news conference. A handgun police took from Santiago during the evaluation was returned to him early last month, Tolley told reporters. The police chief said it was not clear if it was the same weapon used on Friday. Officials in Anchorage said the gun was returned because Santiago had not been adjudicated to be mentally ill. "As far as I know, this is not somebody that would have been prohibited (from having a gun) based on the information they had," U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler told the news conference. Investigators said they have not ruled out terrorism as a motive and that the suspect's recent travel is being reviewed. Federal prosecutors charged Santiago with carrying out violence at an airport, causing serious bodily injury, using a firearm during a crime of violence and causing death to a person through the use of a firearm, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. He will appear in court in Fort Lauderdale on Monday. Five people were killed and six wounded in the rampage, while about three dozen were taken to local hospitals with bruises or broken bones suffered in the chaos as passengers fled the crowded baggage claim area. 'METHODICAL' SHOOTING Authorities say Santiago arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on a connecting flight from Alaska and retrieved a Walther 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his checked luggage before loading it in a bathroom and shooting indiscriminately. According to the criminal complaint, Santiago fired the weapon 10 to 15 times, aiming it at his victims' heads. "He was described as walking while shooting in a methodical manner," the complaint said. Witnesses said the gunman, who was wearing a blue "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired and surrendered to police only after running out of ammunition. The Broward County sheriff has said it took the first deputy about 70 to 80 seconds to contact the suspect after the first shots rang out and that when the deputy confronted him, he dropped the gun and was taken into custody. Authorities said three of the six victims who suffered gunshot wounds are in intensive care. The others are in good condition. Those killed included a volunteer firefighter in his sixties and a retiree on holiday with her husband. Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard, including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year. An aunt said Santiago returned from his deployment "a different person," MSNBC reported. Santiago's brother Bryan, who lives in Puerto Rico, told CNN he believed authorities did not do enough to help his mentally ill sibling. "They had him hospitalized for four days, and then they let him go. How are you going to let someone leave a psychological center after four days when he is saying that he is hearing voices?" Bryan Santiago told CNN. The attack was the latest in a series of U.S. mass shootings, some inspired by Islamist militants, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed. Last June, Florida was the scene of the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at the gay nightclub "Pulse" in Orlando. (Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York, Alex Dobunzinskis in Los Angeles, and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Dan Grebler) Chandler, Arizona (PRWEB) January 06, 2017 LunchboxWax, known for its expertly trained waxologists, chic vibe and emotive brand that happily encourages all to "Bare Your Beauty," announced today its third Arizona location will open in early 2017 in Chandler, Arizona, to serve men and women who are mindful about the places they go and people they choose for personal services. Franchisees Rosie and Chris Keller signed a lease and have started buildout for a 1,500-square foot, five-suite salon located in high-end retail district The Plant (4041 South Gilbert Road, Suite 3), which marks the body-waxing franchise's third Arizona location and 28th location nationwide. This is the first franchise for the Kellers, who are longtime Arizona residents. Rosie Keller has more than 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, and Chris Keller is and continues to be in the high-tech industry. "Focusing on our new business and enriching the Chandler community are our goals for the coming year," Rosie Keller said. "Chandler is truly a one-of-a-kind city. Of all the places I could live, there's no other place I'd like to call home. I love the people here and can't wait to welcome them to LunchboxWax." In addition to Arizona, LunchBOX also operates in California, Colorado, Idaho, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah. "We're as intentional about the locations we choose as we are the teams we build, the products and salons we design, and the franchisees we bring on board to grow our business and support our culture of community empowerment," LunchboxWax Founder + CEO Debi Lane said. "We're excited to welcome the Kellers into the LunchboxWax franchise family, and we're eager, too, to become part of the Chandler community." Named in Entrepreneur Magazine's top 10 categories in franchising since December 2013, LunchboxWax launched its national franchise program in late 2013 to answer growing consumer demand for expertly trained estheticians trained for the sole purpose of speed waxing in an environment that is dedicated to each guest's comfort. For more on LunchboxWax services, products and locations, visit http://www.lunchboxwax.com. For franchise information, including investment details and application information, visit http://www.lunchboxfranchise.com. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy. Offers are only made in states where we have complied with applicable law and an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy a franchise shall be made solely by a Franchise Disclosure Document. Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb13962228.htm SAN DIEGO and AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mast Therapeutics, Inc. (Mast, NYSE MKT: MSTX) and Savara Inc. (Savara), a privately-held emerging specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of rare respiratory diseases, today announced that the two companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement, under which the stockholders of Savara would become the majority owners of Mast, and the operations of Mast and Savara would be combined. Subject to stockholder approval, the combined company will advance a pipeline of novel inhalation therapies for the treatment of diseases with significant unmet medical needs, featuring three product candidates, each in advanced clinical development. The combined company pipeline will include: AeroVanc, an inhaled dry-powder vancomycin to treat chronic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pulmonary infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) in preparation for a pivotal Phase 3 study an inhaled dry-powder vancomycin to treat chronic methicillin-resistant (MRSA) pulmonary infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) in preparation for a pivotal Phase 3 study Molgradex , an inhaled nebulized GM-CSF to treat pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) currently in Phase 2/3 development , an inhaled nebulized GM-CSF to treat pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) currently in Phase 2/3 development AIR001, an inhaled nebulized sodium nitrite solution to treat heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) currently in Phase 2 development "Following an extensive review of strategic alternatives and a thorough process, the Mast Board of Directors chose to combine with Savara because we believe the proposed merger provides an attractive opportunity for our shareholders to obtain value appreciation from a diversified pipeline and positions the company for more rapid short- and long-term growth via a triad of late-stage clinical assets with important forthcoming milestones," stated Brian M. Culley, current Chief Executive Officer and Director of Mast Therapeutics. "We are excited for the prospects of the combined company and believe that Savara's management team is well equipped to advance the pipeline toward regulatory approvals and commercialization in the US and EU." Rob Neville, Chairman and CEO of Savara added, "This merger is transformative for Savara and marks our second transaction in a year, each expanding Savara's pipeline of inhaled therapies for serious and life-threatening diseases. AeroVanc and Molgradex are orphan-designated product candidates in late-stage development, and we see Mast's AIR001 program potentially adding significant value to our pipeline with a modest capital outlay in 2017. We believe the favorable risk profile of our product candidates combined with their market potential provides a unique opportunity for Savara to become the next breakout company in orphan pulmonary diseases." Select Anticipated Upcoming Development Milestones Initiate a pivotal Phase 3 study of AeroVanc for the treatment of MRSA in CF patients in Q3/2017. Announce top-line results from a registration-enabling Phase 2/3 study of Molgradex for the treatment of PAP currently ongoing for Europe and Japan in Q1/2018. Complete negotiations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the requirements for a pivotal clinical study of Molgradex in the U.S. in Q3/2017. Announce results from an ongoing 100-patient Phase 2 study of AIR001 for the treatment of HFpEF being conducted by the Heart Failure Clinical Research Network in Q1/2018. About the Proposed Merger Under the terms of the merger agreement, pending stockholder approval of the transaction, Savara stockholders will receive newly issued shares of Mast common stock in exchange for their Savara stock. The exchange ratio was determined using a pre-transaction valuation of $115 million for Savara's business, based on its latest priced investment round and an acquisition of assets of Serendex Pharmaceuticals A/S, and $36.5 million for Mast's business, a premium to the 20-day volume weighted average share price of Mast. As a result, current Mast stockholders will collectively own approximately 24%, and Savara stockholders will collectively own approximately 76%, of the combined company on a pro-forma basis, subject to adjustment based on Mast's net cash balance and Mast's and Savara's capitalization at closing. The combined company, led by Savara's current management team, is expected to be named Savara Inc. and be headquartered in Austin, TX. Prior to closing, Mast will seek stockholder approval to conduct a reverse split of its outstanding shares to satisfy listing requirements of the NYSE MKT. The combined company is expected to trade on the NYSE MKT under a new ticker symbol. At closing, the combined company's board of directors is expected to consist of seven members, including five members of Savara's current board and two members of Mast's current board. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company. The transaction is expected to close by the second quarter of 2017, subject to approvals by the stockholders of Mast and Savara, and other customary closing conditions. Mast's financial advisor in the transaction is Roth Capital Partners. Canaccord Genuity Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Savara. DLA Piper LLP (US) is serving as legal counsel to Mast and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. is serving as legal counsel to Savara. Conference Call and Webcast Mast and Savara will hold a conference call Monday, January 9, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time / 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss the proposed transaction. Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing (855) 239-3120 from the U.S., (855) 669-9657 from Canada, and (412) 542-4127 from outside the U.S. and should request the Mast-Savara Conference Call. A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the Investors section of Mast's website at http://www.masttherapeutics.com/investors/events/. Replays of the webcast will be available on Mast's website for 30 days. About Savara Savara Inc. is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company developing treatments for rare respiratory diseases. The company has two product candidates in late stage clinical trials including AeroVanc the first dry powder inhaled antibiotic being developed for the treatment of persistent MRSA infection in people with CF and Molgradex a proprietary, nebulized formulation of recombinant human GM-CSF for the treatment of PAP. More information can be found at www.savarapharma.com. Savara acquired the assets of Copenhagen-based Serendex Pharmaceuticals A/S on July 15, 2016. Serendex was established in 2008 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2014. Serendex operated as a public company until their delisting on May 4, 2016, ahead of its acquisition by Savara. About Mast Therapeutics Mast Therapeutics, Inc. is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego, California. Mast's lead product candidate, AIR001, is a sodium nitrite solution for intermittent inhalation via nebulization in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of HFpEF. More information can be found at www.masttherapeutics.com. Safe Harbor Statements Additional Information about the Proposed Merger and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed merger, Mast intends to file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including a registration statement on Form S4 that will contain a prospectus and a joint proxy statement. Investors and security holders of Mast and Savara are urged to read these materials when they become available because they will contain important information about Mast, Savara and the proposed merger. The joint proxy statement, prospectus and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Mast with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Mast by directing a written request to: Mast Therapeutics, Inc. 3611 Valley Centre Drive, Suite 500, San Diego, California 92130, Attn: Investor Relations. Investors and security holders are urged to read the joint proxy statement, prospectus and the other relevant materials when they become available before making any voting or investment decision with respect to the proposed merger. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities in connection with the proposed merger shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Participants in the Solicitation Mast and its directors and executive officers and Savara and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Mast and Savara in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the special interests of these directors and executive officers in the proposed merger will be included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus referred to above. Additional information regarding the directors and executive officers of Mast is also included in Mast Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the proxy statement for Mast's 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. These documents are available free of charge at the SEC web site (www.sec.gov) and from Investor Relations at Mast at the address described above. Forward Looking Statements Mast cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words referencing future events or circumstances such as "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," and "will," among others. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the structure, timing and completion of our proposed merger with Savara; our continued listing on NYSE MKT prior to and after the proposed merger; our expectations regarding the capitalization, resources and ownership structure of the combined organization; our expectations regarding the sufficiency of the combined organization's resources to fund the advancement of any development program or the completion of any clinical trial; the nature, strategy and focus of the combined organization; the safety, efficacy and projected development timeline and commercial potential of any product candidates; the executive officer and board structure of the combined organization; and the expectations regarding voting by Mast and Savara stockholders. Mast and/or Savara may not actually achieve the proposed merger, or any plans or product development goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Mast's and Savara's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with stockholder approval of and the ability to consummate the proposed merger through the process being conducted by Mast and Savara, the ability to project future cash utilization and reserves needed for contingent future liabilities and business operations, the availability of sufficient resources for combined company operations and to conduct or continue planned clinical development programs, the timing and ability of Mast or Savara to raise additional equity capital to fund continued operations; the ability to successfully develop any of Savara's product candidates, and the risks associated with the process of developing, obtaining regulatory approval for and commercializing drug candidates that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics. Risks and uncertainties facing Mast are described more fully in Mast's periodic reports filed with the SEC available at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Mast undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as may be required by law. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mast-therapeutics-and-savara-sign-merger-agreement-300387375.html SOURCE Mast Therapeutics KENNESAW, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/07/17 -- Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, is launching an all-new YXZ Supercross Sweepstakes to kick off the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Contestants can enter from now through April 2 at www.YXZsweeps.com to win a 2017 YXZ1000R SS (Sport Shift) Side-by-Side (SxS), a VIP trip to the 2017 Supercross finals in Las Vegas, a meet and greet with both Chad Reed and Miss Supercross, and more. One lucky entrant, 18 years-of-age and older, will receive a 2017 YXZ1000R SS model, the world's first and only SxS to combine pure-sport performance with an exciting and high-tech paddle shifting experience. Boasting the same industry-first 3-cylinder 998cc engine and unparalleled direct-connection feeling as the original YXZ, the YXZ1000R SS features Yamaha's confidence-inspiring Sport Shift technology. The SS technology is defined by a 5-speed sequential shift transmission with an advanced automatic clutch system and pure-sport inspired paddle shifters -- eliminating the need for a clutch pedal and removing your foot from the accelerator while shifting. The winner will also receive a VIP trip for two to the 2017 Supercross finale in Las Vegas on October 14 with airfare and hotel included. While there, the winner and their guest will receive VIP race tickets, pit passes, track-walk passes, swag bags, a meet and greet autograph session with two-time AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed, as well as Miss Supercross, and a tour of the Yamaha race team semi. Total approximate retail value is $23,299. No purchase necessary. Sweepstakes ends 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on April 2, 2017. Winner will be determined by random drawing. Sweepstakes is limited to one entry per person, per household, and per email address for the entire promotion period. For full schedule, race results, and more information on the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross visit www.SupercrossLive.com. Complete rules, entry details and additional information are available by visiting www.YXZsweeps.com. Follow Yamaha racing at www.Facebook.com/YamahaMotorUSA, www.Twitter.com/YamahaATVRacing and www.Instagram.com/YamahaMotorUSA #Yamaha #YamahaRacing #YXZ1000R About Yamaha Motor Corp., USA Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, (YMUS), a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company's ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States. Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit www.YamahaMotorsports.com SxS Vehicles are recommended for use only by licensed drivers 16 years and older. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/1/6/11G126721/Images/2017_YXZ1000R_SS-b6cde2b47486bf2ab1ff8cade316d051.JPG MEDIA CONTACT: Scott NewbyYamaha Motor Corp., [email protected] Source: Yamaha Motor Corp., USA FILE PHOTO - President of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, a Kosovo Albanian former guerilla commander who served briefly as prime minister, speaks during an interview with Reuters at the AAK headquarters in Pristina December By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Brittle diplomatic ties between Serbia and Kosovo came under further strain on Thursday in a row over international arrest warrants issued by Belgrade for former Kosovar guerrillas, including an ex-premier detained in France. Ramush Haradinaj, a guerrilla commander during the 1998-99 war against Serbian rule who served briefly as prime minister in 2004 and 2005, was arrested on Wednesday and remanded in prison by a French court on Thursday. Kosovo asked the European Union on Thursday to press Serbia to drop the warrants against him and others, and angry government and opposition leaders in Pristina called for a halt to EU-mediated normalization talks between Belgrade and its former, mainly ethnic Albanian province. The talks are a precondition for both countries to make progress toward membership of the bloc. As Serbia - which still formally considers Kosovo part of its territory - confirmed it would seek Haradinaj's extradition, Kosovo canceled a visit by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to a mainly ethnic Serb town in Kosovo scheduled for Friday, the eve of Christian Orthodox Christmas Day. A Serbian government official who asked not to be named said Nikolic's forward team was "harassed" at the border crossing and could not perform necessary security checks. "The visit will not proceed as planned, this is likely related to the Haradinaj arrest," the official said. Serbia has charged him with murders of Serbs in the late 1990s war, while the majority of Kosovo's 1.8 million population are opposed to any trials of ex-guerrillas they see as freedom fighters. A security source in Pristina told Reuters that, in all, there were currently around 20 Kosovo citizens subject to Interpol Red Notice arrest warrants - mainly ex-members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) that fought Serbian security forces. Kosovo's minister in charge of the EU-brokered dialogue with Serbia, Edita Tahiri, said she had written to Brussels asking it to use its leverage to make Serbia withdraw the arrest warrants. "With these primitive acts, Serbia is not only hurting the spirit of the dialogue to have good neighbourly relations, but is proving that it is a destabilizing factor in the whole region, and international partners should be seriously worried," Tahiri told local media. Serbia hopes to complete accession talks with the EU by 2020. Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, has signed a trade and association pact with the EU but remains far from membership due to serious corruption and organized crime. FRANCE TO STUDY EXTRADITION REQUEST Haradinaj appeared late on Thursday at the appeals court in Colmar, eastern France, which ruled he would remain in prison until Serbia made a formal request for his extradition. That would then be studied by the relevant institution, the court said. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that, if France did not extradite Haradinaj, West European states should stop "patronizing" Serbia about judicial reforms it had undertaken to help qualify for EU accession. After his stints as premier, Haradinaj was tried and acquitted twice of war crimes at a U.N. tribunal in The Hague. At the time, Kosovo was a ward of the United Nations. The war ended after NATO bombed Serbia for 11 weeks to compel it to withdraw forces who had killed some 10,000 Albanian civilians in counter-insurgency operations. In June 2015 Haradinaj, now an opposition party leader, was arrested by Slovenian police but freed after two days following diplomatic pressure. Around 130,000 people were killed in a decade of conflict following the break-up of old federal Yugoslavia, and its successor states were loath to prosecute their own ethnic kin. Western governments that believed prosecutions of all sides were needed to bring reconciliation and stability to the region and move it closer to the EU set up two international criminal courts - one for former Yugoslav republics (ICTY) such as Bosnia, and one for Kosovo, both based in The Hague. Set up in 1993, the ICTY is due to complete its work this year, having prosecuted and jailed mainly Bosnian Serbs. The Kosovo court came into being only at the beginning of this year and indictments must wait until judges, none of whom has yet taken office, have drawn up rules of procedure. (Additional reporting by Thomas Escritt in Amsterdam and John Irish in Paris; Editing by Ivana Sekularac and John Stonestreet) By Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker faces renewed claims that he impeded EU moves against corporate tax avoidance when Luxembourg's prime minister, casting a shadow over his political future as a tussle over the bloc's top jobs looms. Juncker has faced criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups in past months over tax deals during his 18-year tenure as Luxembourg premier, including favorable arrangements for multinationals including Amazon and Fiat. Since Juncker took over the top job in Brussels in November 2014, the Commission has launched investigations into those deals. Citing leaks of German diplomats' internal communications, Britain's Guardian newspaper said on Sunday that Juncker had spent years blocking EU attempts to tackle corporate tax avoidance - prompting euro lawmakers to call on him to appear before an EU parliamentary committee of inquiry. Asked on Friday about the allegations, a commission spokesman said Juncker had launched "an unprecedented wave of active fight against tax avoidance" and been "fully transparent" on tax issues while campaigning for the presidency and during his mandate in Brussels. Gianni Pittella, who heads the centre-left grouping in the European Parliament and is running for presidency of the legislature at elections planned this month, said on Friday Juncker should clarify his position at the inquiry and share all relevant documents. "European citizens, the taxpayers, have the right to know the truth about past conduct," said Pittella said. The leftist and green groupings in Parliament, which together account for 102 of the 751 seats, have also urged Juncker to appear before the committee, and the leftists have called on him to step down as commission president. Asked if Juncker would attend the inquiry, the Commission spokesman said: "The President is always ready to cooperate with Parliament... He has nothing to hide." As Commission president, Juncker has pushed ahead ambitious reforms of EU tax rules to curb tax avoidance - which, unlike tax evasion, is not illegal. But with the backing of all 28 EU governments needed for changes to tax legislation, progress has been slow. The parliamentary presidency election may also have a bearing on Juncker's future. The centre-right grouping, the largest in the legislature, is posed to win the vote, a result that would give the conservatives the top three positions in the EU. They already hold the Commission presidency with Juncker and the European Council presidency with Donald Tusk. But the centre-left, the second largest grouping which recently ended a decade-long alliance with the conservatives, wants one of the key posts after the outgoing parliamentary president, socialist Martin Schulz, steps down. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; editing by John Stonestreet) Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim review a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq, January 7, 2017. Hakan Goktepe/Prime Minister's Press Office/Handout via REUTERS BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday an agreement had been reached with Turkey over an Iraqi demand that Turkish forces withdraw from the Bashiqa camp near Mosul in the north of the country, Iraqi state TV reported. However, a joint communique issued after Abadi met his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in Baghdad did not refer to any such deal, but said both sides stressed that Bashiqa was an Iraqi camp. Turkish forces have been stationed in Bashiqa since before a recent offensive against Islamic State in northern Iraq. Iraqi state television said Turkey had pledged to "respect the sovereignty of Iraq" and that Baghdad and Ankara agreed not to interfere in each other's domestic affairs. Iraq and Turkey came to blows in October over the continued presence of Turkish forces in Bashiqa and elsewhere in northern Iraq, with each government summoning the other's ambassador just as the U.S.-backed campaign to drive IS out of Mosul was set to begin. At a news conference with Abadi, Turkish Prime Minister Yildirim said: "We discussed the issue of Bashiqa." "We see that significant progress is being made in cleansing Daesh from the region. In line with this, we will solve this (Bashiqa) subject somehow in a friendly way." (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and John Davison; Editing by Dale Hudson and Susan Thomas) Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, October 22, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Israel said on Friday it would cut $6 million in funding to the United Nations in 2017 in protest against a U.N. Security Council resolution that demanded an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The United States abstained from the Dec. 23 vote, allowing the 15-member Security Council to adopt the resolution with 14 votes in favor. Israel and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had called for Washington to wield its veto. Israel's mission to the United Nations said funding would be cut to U.N. bodies it described as "anti-Israel," including the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for Palestinian Rights. "It is unreasonable for Israel to fund bodies that operate against us at the U.N.," Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement. "The U.N. must end the absurd reality in which it supports bodies whose sole intent is to spread incitement and anti-Israel propaganda." The Israeli mission said it would move ahead with further initiatives aimed at ending anti-Israel activities at the United Nations after Trump takes office on Jan. 20. The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in a 1967 war. Most countries and the United Nations view Israeli West Bank settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel disputes that settlements are illegal and says their final status should be determined in any future talks on Palestinian statehood. The last round of U.S.-led peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians collapsed in 2014. The Security Council last adopted a resolution critical of settlements in 1979, with the United States also abstaining. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Diane Craft) By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) Acting on Opposition complaint, the Election Commission has sought the Centres response on their objection to presenting the budget on February 1 before the Assembly polls to five states. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha who is likely to consult the the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry before framing his response on the governments plans to advance the budget presentation to February 1, sources said. advertisement The Commission had yesterday forwarded a letter of the opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BSP and SP, asking the government to postpone the presentation of the budget to at least till March 8, when the last of the votes will be cast for the polls to UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. The Cabinet Secretary has been asked to respond by January 10. Sources said the government is on a firm wicket on the issue and as per rules and procedures, there is no infirmity in preponing the session which usually begins in the third week of February. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had recently recommended that the Budget session will commence on January 31 and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1 so that the new provisions come into force from April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal. "When the opposition had objected in 2012 during the Assembly polls to these five states, Congress had accepted their stand and postponed presentation of the Union Budget from February 28 to March 16. We want that there should be no presentation of the Budget till the elections are over," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had said after meeting EC on January 5. Azad said electoral laws make it clear that the ruling party should have no advantage during elections and both the opposition and the ruling side should be on an equal footing. He said the Budget on February 1 will tilt the balance in favour of BJP as it would use the exercise to influence voters by doling out sops. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended the move asking why the opposition parties are afraid of it when they have claimed that demonetisation is an unpopular decision. Sixteen parties had written to the President and EC opposing the decision to have an early Budget session beginning January 31. PTI JTR NAB VSC IKA --- ENDS --- Kosovo's Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj speaks during a news conference in Tirana January 13, 2012. Hoxhaj is in Tirana for a one-day official visit. REUTERS/Arben Celi By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said on Friday his country had retaliated against neighboring Serbia and would do so again after an ex-prime minister was arrested in France on a warrant issued by Belgrade. The arrest on Wednesday of Ramush Haradinaj, a guerrilla commander in the 1998-99 war against Serbian rule who served briefly as prime minister in 2004 and 2005, has heightened tensions between the Balkan neighbors. Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008. Both states want to join the European Union membership but Brussels says they must normalize relations before their applications can go ahead. Kosovo opposition parties have called for their EU-mediated dialogue to be halted. "Yesterday we took reciprocal measures with Nikolic (and) we will do that again in the future," Hoxhaj told reporters in Pristina. "There has to be a revision of our relations with Serbia and a revision of the dialogue." Also on Friday, ethnic Albanian protesters in the western town of Gjakova - mostly families of those killed by Serb forces during the 1998-99 conflict - stoned a bus that was carrying ethnic Serb pilgrims marking Orthodox Christmas Eve. Hoxhaj said Serbia had issued more international arrest warrants for Kosovo citizens, limiting their travel abroad. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and together with its ally Russia is blocking Pristina's efforts to join the United Nations and other international institutions. Haradinaj, who appeared before a French court on Thursday, will remain in prison until Serbia makes a formal extradition order, which will then be examined by the court. Serbia has charged Haradinaj with murdering Serbs in the late 1990s war. That conflict ended after NATO bombed Serbia for 11 weeks to compel it to withdraw forces that had killed some 10,000 members of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority in counter-insurgency operations. Thousands of Haradinaj's party supporters gathered in front of the French embassy in Pristina on Friday holding US and Albanian flags under heavy snow. "Do not offend Kosovo" one banner read. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Ivana Sekularac and Tom Heneghan) A still image taken from a video obtained by Reuters, said to be shot on January 4, 2017, shows civilians, who were evacuated from Wadi Barada, sitting inside a shelter in the Damascus suburb of Rawda, Syria. REUTERS TV/via REUTERS AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A senior Syrian rebel official denied a report on Friday that a ceasefire had been reached between rebels and government forces in the Wadi Barada area near Damascus, where bombardments have knocked out the capital's main water source. The government and allied fighters from the Lebanese group Hezbollah launched an attack two weeks ago to take back Wadi Barada where a spring provides supplies to four million people in the capital. A military news outlet run by Hezbollah reported that a ceasefire had been reached for "a number of hours" in the area. But Munir Sayal, head of the political wing of the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group, told Reuters the report was "a lie". He said that the government had on Thursday rejected a ceasefire that would have allowed for repairs to the water pumping station and for people to return to two nearby villages from which they had been displaced. Rebels say the government bombed the water pumping station at the start of the campaign. The United Nations has said it was put of action by "deliberate targeting" but has declined to say which side was responsible. The fighting in Wadi Barada has overshadowed a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey to pave the way to peace talks they hope to convene in Kazakhstan this month. Syrian rebel groups said on Monday they had decided to freeze any talks about their possible participation in the negotiations unless the Syrian government and its Iran-backed allies end what they said were violations of the ceasefire. "Iran and the Assad regime are exploiting the fragile ceasefire to seize liberated areas around the capital before the start of the Astana negotiations," Sayal said. The United Nations said on Friday that children were at risk of waterborne diseases in Damascus where 5.5 million people have had little or no running water for two weeks. (Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Tom Perry in Beirut; Editing by Dominic Evans and Richard Lough) BEIRUT (Reuters) - A temporary ceasefire has been agreed in a rebel-held area near Damascus which Syrian government forces and their allies are trying to recapture from insurgents, a military news service run by the Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Friday. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report with rebel sources. The government and its allies have been trying to seize the Wadi Barada area where a spring provides supplies to four million people in Damascus. The report said the ceasefire was agreed for "a number of hours" and included all the factions in the area. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group, is fighting alongside the Syrian government in the Syrian war. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Dominic Evans) By Jessica DiNapoli (Reuters) - Sun Capital Partners Inc, the private equity owner of Limited Stores LLC, disclosed on Friday it has almost doubled its investment in the troubled U.S. women's apparel retailer, even as it announced that it will shut all approximately 250 The Limited stores amid losses. Sun Capital Partners told investors in a letter that it has made 1.8 times its $50 million investment in Limited Stores, thanks to prior distributions and dividends, according to an email to investors seen by Reuters. Sun Capital also said in the letter that it is writing down the remaining equity value of Limited Stores to zero. The disclosure illustrates how private equity firms can boast a profit from companies whose equity value has been wiped out, having previously recouped their original investment by taking dividends from these companies, often by having them borrow more money to fund the dividends. "We have worked very hard and made significant investments over nine years to improve operations and create a sustainable business at The Limited," Sun Capital told Reuters in an emailed statement. Limited Stores said on Friday that it would close all its brick-and-mortar retail locations effective Sunday. "In an increasingly challenging environment for mall-based retail and women's apparel, we are very disappointed that the company has had to make the difficult decision to close its retail locations," Sun Capital also said. Limited Stores declined to comment. Sun Capital acquired a majority stake in Limited Stores in 2007 and bought the rest of the company in 2010. Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, called Sun Capital's return on its investment "an unusually happy ending for the private equity firm," though he added that the nine-year period during which Sun Capital was an investor in Limited Stores was a "little on the long end." Brick-and-mortar retailers, from smaller chains like The Limited to mall anchors including Macy's Inc (NYSE: M), have been hard hit as shoppers move online and to offprice sellers. Last year, retailers including Aeropostale Inc and Pacific Sunwear of California Inc filed for bankruptcy. With the shutdown of The Limited stores, the positions of 4,000 workers, including 800 full-time permanent employees, would be eliminated, according to people familiar with the company's plans, who were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. In the letter to investors, Sun Capital said Limited Stores is evaluating strategic alternatives for the company's remaining e-commerce business and intellectual property. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Chinese-American nuclear engineer pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring to produce "special nuclear material" in China in violation of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said. Allen Ho, a naturalized U.S. citizen, and a Chinese state-owned nuclear power firm, the China General Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC), were indicted in April last year on charges of conspiracy. The DOJ said Ho had pleaded guilty "to conspiracy to unlawfully engage or participate in the production or development of special nuclear material outside the U.S., without the required authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in violation of the Atomic Energy Act." A DOJ official said Ho and an associate, Ching Ning Guey -- who pleaded guilty to the same charge in 2015 -- were the first to be charged for violation of the 1946 act, a Cold-War era statute aimed at preventing nuclear proliferation. The DOJ statement said Ho had been employed as a consultant by CGNPC and was also the owner of Energy Technology International (ETI), a Delaware corporation. It said Ho assisted CGNPC in procuring U.S.-based nuclear engineers to assist in the design and manufacture of components for nuclear reactors more quickly. It said Ho identified, recruited and executed contracts with U.S.-based experts from the civil nuclear industry who provided technical help for the development and production of special nuclear material for CGNPC. Ho and CGNPC also facilitated travel to China and payments to the U.S.-based experts in exchange for their services, the DOJ said. The United States defines special nuclear material as plutonium, uranium-233, or uranium enriched in the isotopes uranium-233 or uranium-235. It says special nuclear material is only mildly radioactive, but includes fissile isotopes uranium-233, uranium-235, and plutonium-239 that, in concentrated form, could be used as the primary ingredients of nuclear explosives. The Department of Justice did not say what sort of special nuclear material was involved and whether it included such "strategic special nuclear material." The Justice Department said Ho faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It said sentencing had been set for May 17 in the U.S. District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee. Guey has yet to be sentenced. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Sandra Maler) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 3, 2017 New York REIT, Inc. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) Maryland 001-36416 27-1065431 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 405 Park Avenue, 14th Floor New York, New York 10022 (Address, including zip code, of Principal Executive Offices) Registrants telephone number, including area code: (212) 415-6500 Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions: o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders On January 3, 2017, New York REIT, Inc. (the Company) held its special meeting of stockholders (the Special Meeting). At the Special Meeting, the Companys stockholders voted on a proposal to approve a plan of liquidation and dissolution (the Plan of Liquidation Proposal). The Companys stockholders approved the Plan of Liquidation Proposal. The full results of the matter voted on at the Special Meeting are set forth below: Proposal 1 Plan of Liquidation Proposal For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 113,999,368 325,703 337,236 0 Because there were sufficient votes from the Companys stockholders to approve the Plan of Liquidation Proposal, it was not necessary to hold a vote on the proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to solicit additional proxies. Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure. On January 3, 2017, the Company issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, announcing the results of the Special Meeting. The information set forth in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and in the attached Exhibit 99.1 is deemed to be furnished and shall not be deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section. The information set forth in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing. Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits. (d) Exhibits Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release dated January 3, 2017 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. Date: January 4, 2017 NEW YORK REIT, INC. By: /s/ Michael A. Happel Michael A. Happel Chief Executive Officer and President Exhibit 99.1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK REIT ANNOUNCES STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL OF PLAN OF LIQUIDATION NEW YORK, NY, January 3, 2017 New York REIT, Inc. (NYRT or the Company) (NYSE: NYRT), announced that, at the Companys special meeting of stockholders held today, that over 99 percent of the shares of NYRT common stock that voted on the proposal to approve the Plan of Liquidation and Dissolution of the Company (the "Plan of Liquidation" or the "Plan") voted in favor of the proposal, with more than a majority of the outstanding shares approving, and therefore, the Plan was approved. We are pleased with the outcome of todays vote, and I would like to thank all of NYRTs stockholders for their support throughout this process, said Randolph C. Read, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NYRT (the Board). We look forward to executing the plan of liquidation with the goal of maximizing value for all stockholders expeditiously. The Company also noted that, at its annual meeting of stockholders held on December 30, 2016, all nine existing directors were reelected to the Board. About NYRT NYRT is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE that owns income-producing commercial real estate, including office and retail properties, located in New York City. Additional information about NYRT can be found on its website at www.nyrt.com. NYRT may disseminate important information regarding it and its operations, including financial information, through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements NYRT makes. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding stockholder liquidity and investment value and returns. The words anticipates, believes, expects, estimates, projects, plans, intends, may, will, would, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of current and future regulation; the impact of credit rating changes; the effects of competition; the ability to attract, develop and retain executives and other qualified employees; changes in general economic or market conditions; the Companys ability to complete asset sales and realize the results of its plan of liquidation; the timing of and the amount of proceeds of asset sales; and other factors, many of which are beyond NYRTs control, including other factors included in NYRTs reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), particularly in the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of NYRTs latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2016, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 filed with the SEC on November 9, 2016, and the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A with respect to the plan of liquidation filed with the SEC on December 21, 2016, as such Risk Factors may be updated from time to time in subsequent reports. NYRT does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The top executive of number three smartphone maker Huawei on Wednesday laid out an ambitious agenda for the US and global markets, brushing aside political issues that have hampered the Chinese group. Richard Yu, chief executive of Huaweis consumer business group, made a string of appearances at this weeks Consumer Electronics Show, where he maintained the companys goal of becoming the worlds biggest smartphone maker within five years. "We want to be number two in the next two years," Yu told a small group of reporters after a keynote speech at the Las Vegas show. "In five years we want to be number one." Yu said Huawei, which introduced two handsets at the tech gathering, has performed better on many technical tests and consumer surveys than its top two smartphone rivals, Samsung and Apple. But he said it will be important for Huawei to make better inroads in the US market, especially in the premium smartphone segment. And to do that it needs to develop relations with carriers, through which most devices are sold, not only in direct sales of unlocked phones. "In the next two to five years we should do more with carriers," he said. He argued US consumers are looking for something new in smartphones, describing most of the others on the market as "boring." "In the US market consumers need a better product," he said. At CES, Huawei announced the US release of its flagship Mate 9 handset, which was launched in other markets last year, and the global launch of its mid-range Honor 6x. Yu brushed off criticism regarding Huaweis ties to the Beijing government, which was heightened after a US congressional report. He said such concerns are based on "misunderstanding" and possibly fueled by "our competitors" who "are using this to fight us." "We have no relations with any government," Yu said, adding that Huawei is "a private company owned by its employees." He said he Huawei would not collaborate with governments to spy on consumers because "if we do that with one government we would have problems with other countries." Asked about the impact Trumps administration would have on Huaweis business, Yu said, "My feeling is that Trump is a businessman." Despite Trumps harsh rhetoric on China and trade, Yu said he hoped Trump would understand that bilateral trade is beneficial to both countries. "You cant do everything yourself," he said. "The economy is globalized. The US also benefits a lot from China, from Chinese companies." The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan measure to disapprove a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories. The motion, passed 342 to 80 on Thursday, described last months resolution as an obstacle to Israel-Palestinian peace, and was a rebuke to President Barack Obamas approach to the US-Israel relationship. It noted that the Obama administrations decision to abstain and not veto the Security Council resolution undermined Washingtons decades-long policy of shielding Israel at the UN. The congressional measure stated that the US should oppose and veto future United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final status issues, or are one-sided and anti-Israel. In addition to a nearly unanimous Republican caucus, the measure received support from more than 100 Democrats, a significant margin that highlights broad backing for Israel on Capitol Hill. A similar motion is expected to be taken up in the Senate. Despite unprecedented amounts of military aid to Israel, the relations between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been characterized by major clashes largely over Israels settlement activities and the international nuclear agreement with Iran. The relationship was further strained by the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 on December 23 which demanded an immediate end to illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Netanyahu accused Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, of being personally behind the shameful act and summoned the US ambassador over the issue. Many congressional lawmakers also slammed the Obama administration for refusing to veto the measure and allowing it to be adopted. In a statement on Thursday, US House Speaker Paul Ryan condemned the Security Council resolution as a "misguided hit job," and said "It's time to rebuild our partnership" with Israel. "I am stunned at what happened last month. This government - our government - abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most," Ryan told the chamber shortly before the House vote. The US had previously used its veto power at the Security Council to block similar resolutions against Israel, but White House officials said Obama felt that after eight years he had simply failed to convince Netanyahu that settlement building on Palestinian land was sabotaging the two-state solution. Over half a million Israelis live in more than 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem al-Quds. Israel suspended about $6 million in funding to the United Nations against the UNs Security Council resolution asking for ending Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The UN Security Council adopted the resolution last month. The United States, the main backer of the Zionist state, abstained from voting in departure of its usual practice of shielding its Middle East ally. The cut to Israels $40 million annual contribution to the United Nations represented the portion of the UN budget allocated to four committees on Palestinian issues, the Israeli mission said. It is unreasonable for Israel to fund bodies that operate against us at the UN, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement. We seek to stop the practice where the UN is used solely as a forum for unending attacks against Israel. The announcement came a day after the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a measure condemning the UN stance and chastising President Barack Obamas administration for abstaining in the Security Council vote. A statement issued by US Home Department advises American citizens to exercise caution in Turkey. The statement was issued after the blast outside court in Turkish city of Izmir which killed two and injured 10. The statement further saying that the militant outfits are planning to carry out terror attacks in Turkey advised US citizens living in Turkey to avoid traveling unnecessarily and also to exercise caution from going to public places and getting together. My experience, however, does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in the struggle of being a Papua New Guinean, more so a Papua New Guinean woman. A point, where I thought I had done everything expected of me that was within my control but it was still not enough. The expectation of marriage. I cant remember the last time I tried writing creatively. I first attempted writing this several months ago, to look back at and mark a low point in my 30 years. I WRITE in my journal. I write letters to self. I write social media disgruntles and discussions. I write submissions. We Papua New Guineans are always too harsh on ourselves. We imagine we should be years ahead in development, in the state of our economy and in the education of our people. But the reality which dawns on me every 16 September is that it was only in 1930 that first contact was made with the Highlands people of PNG. Only 86 years. Thats one persons lifetime. Its this dilemma that continues to shape the growth, attitudes, understandings and ambitions of us as a people and a country. We are akin to tumbleweed, picking up speed and all kinds of debris, some good, some bad, but constantly in motion and moving where? There seems to be no method to this madness and every day I struggle to make sense of and balance all the contrasting and different pressures, expectations, realisations, goals and visions that make up me. Me, the Papua New Guinean who comes from a very distinct old indigenous culture. Me, the Papua New Guinean who is exposed to the Western world and Western ideas, having lived in a Western culture. Me, the Papua New Guinean who is also exposed to non-Western cultures and ethnicities and sees their struggle in this world centuries after their own first contact. Me, the Papua New Guinean who is passionate about human rights yet, is challenged by living in this country, to question at various moments, are they universal? Me, middle-class Papua New Guinean woman. Its within this context that a seemingly small matter, like the expectation of marriage, throws me off my path, crushes my ego and ambition, and makes me ask myself: will I ever achieve what is required of a young Papua New Guinea meri? And who dictates what that is anyway? I dont believe my experience (and its continuing of course) is unique. I have many girlfriends who are going through the same thing, the same frustrations and the same questions. Every year since I turned 25, the question has been, when are you getting married? When are you getting married? WHEN ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED? When I turned 30, it reached the stage where my mother formed prayer groups. She did this in several locations to dedicate my singleness to God. A couple of years ago she thought maybe there was an ancestral curse that hindered my marriage prospects. At present I do not know her thoughts on the matter because I have decided I do not wish to discuss something beyond my control. This is not an issue particular to Papua New Guinean women, however for us its more confusing because we dont really know our societys stance on it. In one generation, we have gone from traditions that have arranged marriages and clear boy/girl, male/female, husband/wife roles to some level of social anarchy. Many parents have no idea what messages they are sending to their children and our society is still trying to figure out gender roles and expectations. Meanwhile we are progressing by feel, by personal interpretations of what societys expectations are or might be. As a girl-child growing up, my family and communitys expectations of me included assisting with the housework, carrying a billum, sindaun isi, welcoming guests, making tea. When I got too rowdy, I was told yu man ah, or in my mothers tongue, rol kang eh. On the other hand, people also recognised the value of accessing Western culture. We were told to focus on school, achieve a good education, become career women, think independently and be independent. Women who are part of the expanding middle-class in PNG have a voice in the home and in the family but, beyond that, we go by feel, by intuition, by trial and error. We figure out pretty quickly when we can say something and when we cant; like when its a forum just for the men. Even in a professional setting, we have the same challenge. Calculating when we should and should not assert ourselves. Many times we gauge wrong. There are no set rules. It can be very confusing. Because - if you cant discern, if you dont listen to your intuition, if you dont observe your environment - this crazy balancing act (with no tangible weights) becomes impossible. What makes things even more difficult is the fact that what is a successful balancing act in one setting may not be so in another. And that is exactly why the expectation of marriage was a sucker punch to the stomach for me. After everything I thought I had achieved, that achievement was still not sufficient. In my life in Port Moresby and overseas, as an educated career woman I had done well. However, it seemed not as a Papua New Guinean woman whose traditional culture seems to only allow for the roles of small girl, young girl, married woman, old woman, widow and perhaps to a very limited extent, spinster. Where do I fit? I am none of these things. Can I just be a young woman or even a woman without my existence being defined in relation to a man? Culture changes, it shifts, it takes different forms as time progresses and as societys values transform, but I fear we are moving so fast that we are not dictating where we are going but being dictated to by circumstance. Driven by the warped power constructs that develop as a result of this tumbleweed of progress. And we remain confused about the standards and behaviour we expect of our men and women. The expectation of marriage is a mild but personal example of this unregulated change. On the other end of the spectrum, the most pressing issue affecting PNG women right now is violence, and the attitudes of those men and women who condone it. What I wish more than anything is that what women are experiencing today might be a phase, a developmental hiccup and that, in another generation, a young PNG woman can look back and ruminate on how much things have changed for the better. The model and fashion designer has been dropping very heavy hints about the winner of Bigg Boss being pre-decided. By India Today Web Desk: Diandra Soares is known for being a bit hatke. So, even when she appears on reality show Bigg Boss briefly, we are sure to expect something unexpected. As it turns out, Diandra has hinted at Bigg Boss being rigged. While reacting on Twitter to some fans' war over the probable winner of this season of Bigg Boss, Diandra wrote, "Sab idhar fan wars mein lage hue hai, phir paise waste kar rahe hai.... udhar sab set hai andar se! Phaltu ke war. Enjoy the show... bas! (sic)" (Here everyone's involved in fan wars, wasting money yet again, there everything's been set from the inside! Unnecessary war. Enjoy the show... that's it!) advertisement When a fan tweeted saying "@diandrasoares13 lol maybe not the whole show and the behaviour of the housemates but definitely the winner @viacom18 will choose right ? (sic)", Diandra just replied with "Smart !!!!!" Diandra appeared on Bigg Boss last week, and has left us wondering if all the excitement and guessing game is indeed worth it! --- ENDS --- Human rights defenders are urging members of the UN Security Council to adopt sanctions to give teeth to the resolution they passed last month demanding that Israel halt the construction of settlements on occupied Palestinian land. In a letter to their leaders this week, Shawan Jabarin, the director of the legal advocacy and human rights group Al-Haq, commended New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela for sponsoring UN Security Council Resolution 2334. But Jabarin urged them to use the resolution as an opportunity to move beyond mere statements to concrete and effective actions, including the imposition of sanctions against Israel for its continued violations of international law. This would include banning the importation of Israeli settlement products into their territories. Pitfalls While praising the resolution for confirming the illegality of Israeli settlements, Al-Haq notes that it falls short in several respects. Israels violations of international law and Palestinian human rights do not begin or end with the construction and expansion of the illegal settlement enterprise, Jabarin writes, noting decades of Israeli violations including, collective punishment, extrajudicial killing, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and administrative detention. He urges members of the Security Council to cooperate with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which is currently conducting a preliminary examination of numerous war crimes allegations, including during Israels 2014 assault on Gaza. Al-Haq legal staff have faced threats and harassment believed to be related to their work on the preliminary examination. Jabarin also notes that the recent resolution merely reiterates the Security Councils previous demand that Israel cease all settlement activities, but unlike earlier resolutions does not explicitly demand the dismantling of all existing settlements. Echoing a warning given by this writer about the weaknesses of the resolution before it was passed, Jabarin adds: the absence of such a call in the most recent resolution may be interpreted by interested parties as de facto legitimization of the existing settlement enterprise. Similarly, Jabarin writes that Al-Haq is troubled by the resolutions references to various international peace initiatives that equalize the roles and actions of Israel, the occupying power, and Palestinians, the occupied protected population. But regardless of what the text states, any bite the resolution has will come from actions by countries around the world. Declaration of war Israel has lashed out angrily against every member of the UN Security Council, but reserved particular vitriol for the four states that sponsored the resolution. The Tel Aviv daily Haaretz reported that in the hours before the Security Council vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu let loose with sharp threats in a phone call to New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully. If you continue to promote this resolution, from our point of view it will be a declaration of war, Netanyahu reportedly said. It will rupture the relations and there will be consequences. Well recall our ambassador to Jerusalem. McCully refused to back down. These events have continued to reverberate in New Zealand. Earlier this week, McCullys Auckland district office was vandalized with graffiti calling him a traitor and a Jew hater. McCully called the vandalism regrettable, but defended the decision to back the resolution. It is very difficult to get past the fact that it is long-standing New Zealand policy to support the two-state solution, to condemn incitement and violence, and to call for a halt to the settlements process, McCully told The New Zealand Herald. We hope that a normal friendly relationship with Israel will resume soon, the foreign minister stated. Small country, big impact But supporters of Palestinian rights think a normal relationship is precisely what is not needed. Writing this week in the The New Zealand Herald, the countrys biggest daily, Janfrie Wakim urged that New Zealand, as the Western country most identified with UNSC 2334, needs to show Israel there is a cost if it continues to ignore world opinion and violate Palestinian rights. Wakim, spokesperson for the New Zealand Palestine Solidarity Network, proposes that the country could refuse to accept imports or Israeli visitors from the occupied West Bank and could ditch the cooperation agreement signed last year between Israel and the New Zealand Film Commission. We can put a stop to a range of economic and academic collaboration between Israel and New Zealand, Wakim adds. With a population of under five million, New Zealand has a history of standing up to bigger powers. Precisely because it is small, its politicians are more accessible and arguably more receptive to public campaigns. And if New Zealand shifts its policy, that could in turn influence the actions of other governments. So activists in New Zealand may want to preempt any backlash by urging their government now to declare publicly as have Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, the European Union and the United States that boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) activism is a free speech right. In the 1980s, New Zealand angered the United States by declaring itself a nuclear-free zone, effectively banning visits to its ports by US navy ships a policy that came about due to popular pressure on the government. In the 1970s, New Zealand, along with Australia, took France to the International Court of Justice over the latters nuclear bomb tests in the Pacific. New Zealand sued France again after French spies bombed the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbor in 1985, killing photographer and anti-nuclear campaigner Fernando Pereira. And New Zealand campaigners can arguably claim credit for turning the sporting boycott of apartheid South Africa into an international phenomenon with their mass protests and disruptions of the 1981 tour by the Springbok rugby team. In 2004, New Zealand even imposed diplomatic sanctions and jailed two Israeli agents over efforts to steal New Zealand passports, likely for use in clandestine operations or assassinations. Among the measures she proposes, Wakim urges the government of recently appointed Prime Minister Bill English to instruct the New Zealand state pension fund, called the Superannuation Fund, to follow the lead of financial institutions in other countries by divesting from Israeli banks that finance settlements. In 2012, the Superannuation Fund divested from several Israeli firms involved in the construction of settlements. And [Foreign Minister] Murray McCully can tell Netanyahu we dont like countries declaring war on New Zealand for pointing out what international law is, Wakim concludes. He could tell him Netanyahu doesnt need to send his recalled ambassador back to New Zealand until Israel behaves. Given the precedents, Israel has good reason to be worried when the New Zealand public stirs. Being an active member of the Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, he was wanted in at least 14 states in the country. By Indrajit Kundu: A Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative was arrested by the NIA from the Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal's Malda district on Friday night. According to NIA sources, Ripon Sekh alias Liton Sekh was actively involved in an international Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) racket operating out of the area. Being an active member of the JMB, he was wanted in at least 14 states in the country. HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: Son of a farmer in Sabdalpur village in Malda, Ripon was picked up from his village by NIA officials with the help of the local police. He has been brought to Kolkata for interrogation. Ripon has been slapped with section 489B, 489C and 120B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA. A few days back NIA had arrested a key figure of the Malda FICN racket named Tiger. Tiger had given information about the whereabouts of Ripon. The international border at Malda border is currently on a high alert now. advertisement Also read: NIA nails Lashkar terrorist Bahadur Ali over 9-alphabet code, a diary, fake notes Also read: When DM received a threatening call from a fake Bihar minister Also read: Fake coin minting racket busted in Delhi, mastermind, son of ex-navy man, arrested --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Govt to Envoy New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) The External Affairs Ministry has asked Indian Mission in Iran to check the veracity of reports that 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been in Iranian Navys custody since October last year. Official sources said the Ministry is checking with the Indian Mission in Tehran on the issue. advertisement There are reports that 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been in Iranian Navys custody since October. PTI MPB SMN DK --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Delhi New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) A German research scholar has accused her landlord of molesting her at his home in south Delhis Hauz Khas area. According to an email complaint by the woman, the incident took place in November when she had gone to her landlords house to clear outstanding bills before returning home. advertisement The woman, in her 20s, sent an email to the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) on December 5 after she went back. The complaint was forwarded to Delhi Police in mid-December. A case was registered on December 27 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC, a senior police officer said. The woman wrote that she had visited her landlords house on November 30 when he started talking about his personal life and his marital problems, which made her uncomfortable, the officer said. Then the accused tried to force himself on her but she managed to escape after the landlords son returned home, he said. The woman wrote in her complaint that she informed her friends about the incident and even sought help from them when the accused came to meet her, police said. She didnt file a complaint then because she was scared and wasnt aware about the laws here, they added. Police have sent her a couple of emails requesting her to join the probe. "We have written an email to the victim requesting her to come to India and record her statement before the magistrate for further investigation in the case. A reminder mail was also dropped today but the woman has not responded yet. We are hopeful that she will come to India to record her statement," the police officer said. The accused is married with two kids. The incident comes months after a US woman was allegedly raped by five men at a five-star hotel in Connaught Place in April this year. She had come down to India to join the probe last month. PTI SLB SMN --- ENDS --- The last time I stepped ashore at Moutohora Island, its flanks were almost bare of vegetation, other than a few hardy pohutukawa and small stands of bush, and its most abundant wildlife was hundreds, if not thousands, of rabbits. Thirty-seven years later the 143-hectare island off Whakatanes coast is cloaked in lush native bush, its canopy filled with native birds and, theres not a rabbit in sight. The difference three-plus decades and thousands of hours of pest eradication and replanting have made is truly impressive. Back in the late-1970s while working at the Whakatane Beacon I spent a couple of weekends on Moutohora commonly called Whale Island with dolphin researchers Des Crosland and Ramari Stewart who, with the permission of the then island owner Mick Orchard and the wildlife division of Internal Affairs, had erected a small hut near Boulder Bay. From there they made trips in their five-metre catamaran Interlock Two to record and observe the activities of a resident population of dolphins as part of a research project coordinated by Wade and Jan Doak of Tutukaka, Northland. Aboard Interlock Two, I was fortunate to enjoy a very close encounter with the dolphins and their young; and on another occasion an up-close inspection from a bull orca, which swam to the small craft before diving beneath its hull, causing not a ripple but demonstrating he was far longer than the yacht. He may or may not have been attracted by the music of Pink Floyd, which Des was playing through the yachts hull. But whatever the cause of his deviation to check us out he soon rejoined the two females he was accompanying. SEAL COLONY In October this year I made the trip back to Moutohora on a much larger vessel The Moutohora Cat operated by White Island Tours and skippered that day by David Plews with guide Fiona Coulter. Its just a short 10 to 15-minute trip, first across the Whakatanes bar, then to the island where we stopped to view seals resting on rocks on the islands western side. A few minutes later Dave nosed Moutohora Cat onto the beach at Boulder Bay, and we alighted by way of a ladder over the bow. Fiona took our small party on a guided walk of the island, so radically changed from that I had known, it was impossible to identify where Des and Ramaris hut had been. There is, however, a Department of Conservation hut close to the bay where staff and volunteers stay to carry out work or research. Fiona has stayed there as part of a fire watch team in the past. PA SITE She explained the islands original native vegetation and wildlife had been largely destroyed by human activity and by feral animals including goats, rabbits, rats and cats. The island, a remnant volcanic cone that has eroded away to leave its two distinct peaks, has a number of significant archaeological sites including an extensive pa. In the 1830s a shore-based whaling station was established but the venture failed without a single whale being captured. Forty years later sulphur was extracted from the islands still active geothermal area but was of such poor quality the venture was abandoned in 1895. The next phase of industrial activity came in 1915, when quarrying provided rock for the construction of the Whakatane Harbour wall. A total of 26,000 tonnes of rock was removed during five years. In 1965 Moutohora was declared a wildlife refuge and the island was bought by the Crown in 1984. A picnic on Moutohora Island early last century. THREATENED SPECIES The most significant feature of Moutohoras current fauna is the breeding colony of grey-faced petrels. Sooty shearwaters, little blue penguins, the threatened New Zealand dotterel and variable oystercatcher also breed on the island. Threatened species that are occasional visitors are the Caspian tern, the North Island kaka and New Zealand falcon. Almost as soon as we entered the regenerating bush we saw kakariki known as red crowned parakeets tui and fantail. Shortly after I heard, then caught my first ever glimpse of a tieke North Island saddleback it was so quick it was almost impossible to photograph. That these vocal and attractive birds are on the island is a result of local Ngati Awa and the Department of Conservation joining forces in March 1999 to transfer 40 tieke from Repanga (Cuvier Island), off the coast of Coromandel, to Moutohora. Bellbirds and grey warblers also call the island home. Guide Fiona Coulter checks for signals from kiwi transmitters during a tour of Moutohora Island. BROWN KIWI The island also has a population of little brown kiwi, which we didnt see. We know they are there because Fiona located some of the males with an antenna, which picked up the signal from their transmitters. Fiona also lifted the lid of a gecko motel to reveal a number of the lizards in the specially made shelter. There are tuatara on the island too and sometimes we see them resting by the track, she said but not that day. One part of the island I did recognise was the saddle on the ocean side from where I had joined Ramari to watch for dolphins the view is still as spectacular and the drop to the rocks below, just as steep as I remembered. From there we walked back to the landward shore and round to Sulphur Bay, where hot pools that once existed were used by early pioneers as therapy for invalids. After lunch on the beach it was back to Boulder Bay, where Dave brought the cat to shore for us to board, and took us on a circumnavigation of the island to view its rugged ocean face. Landing on the island requires a permit, and White Island Tours is one of the tour operators that has DOC permission to take parties ashore. Strict biosecurity protocols are in place to ensure the decades of restoration and pest eradication work arent undone. Moutohora/Whale Island tours operate daily but are subject to weather and demand. To find out more, visit: www.whiteisland.co.nz A massive crowd lined the streets to witness the annual Sikh Parade, hosted by Gurdwara Sikh Sangat Tauranga. Last years parade drew in a crowd of about 5000, but more people were expected this year as as the 2017 parade marks 350 years since the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, says spokesperson Puran Singh. It is part of a traditional Indian ritual with the crowd marching for a two-hour period, chanting Sikh prayers and hymns while dressed in traditional Indian garb and also featured a Scottish pipe band. The parade left at 11am from Burrow Street, went along 14th Avenue, past Fraser Street to Tauranga Boys College grounds where speeches were held. From there it progressed past Memorial Park on 11th Avenue, back along Fraser Street to 13th Avenue before finishing up at Burrow Street. Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the 10 Gurus, who transformed the Sikh faith. In 1699 the 10th Guru created the Khalsa, a community of the faithful who wore visible symbols of their faith and trained as warriors. January 7 marks the birth of Khalsa, or the 10th Guru, and is regarded as a symbolic day equivalent to Christians celebrating Christmas and the birth of Christ. Guru Gobind Singh introduced the turban and the salwar kameez that Sikhs wear today. Simon Bridges, Puran Singh and Kelvin Clout with two parade-goers. A successful harvest of animal fodder and food for people was vital to early pioneers and bringing in summers bounty meant hours and hours of back-breaking work often using very basic handtools. Those tools and the stories of how they were used feature in the Western Bay Museums latest exhibition Summer Harvest, which runs until March 2017. Museum manager and curator Paula Gaelic says not many museums regularly change their exhibitions but the Western Bay Museum will stage a new one every three months, featuring topical and informative themes. The new exhibits feature alongside the permanent exhibition Taonga Maori which is a collection of stone toki, kete, poi, moa bone and patu pieces. For the first time the museum has focused on multicultural diversity in the district with the display The Spices of India provided by local business Spice Traders. Anu Bhardwaj says spices have been a traditional part of Indian cuisine for centuries, but are also used to treat ailments and shes noticed an increasing interest among Kiwis in not only how to cook with, but also how to use spices medicinally. The display in the museum includes a range of fresh spices together with traditional Indian silk and hand-embroidered fabrics. Summer Harvest occupies the main exhibition room and the museum also features an interactive space with an operating telephone exchange, a dairy, replica 1910 coal range and an operating treadle print press. These hands-on activities are popular with children with 10 schools visiting in the last six weeks to learn butter churning, scone making on the coal range, mowing with a push mower and doing laundry on washboards, all while dressed in period costumes to add a real-life experience. The Western Bay Museum on Katikatis Main St is open 10am-4pm daily. Admission costs adult $5, under-15s $2. For more information, visit: www.westernbaymuseum.nz The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Te Puke at 7:45pm yesterday evening, where a 38 year old male dived into a swimming pool and suffered a serious neck injury. The New Zealand Fire Service cordoned off a nearby local park for the helicopter to land. St John paramedics stabilised the patient and drove the patient from the scene to the park. The seriousness of the injury required the patient to be flown to Aucklands Middlemore spinal unit. A spokesperson says the flight was conducted under night vision goggles. By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Government will sell 26 per cent stake in defence equipment manufacturer BEML, making it the first major PSU to be sold through strategic disinvestment, which may fetch the exchequer over Rs 1,000 crore. In a notification to the stock exchanges, BEML said that the Cabinet has given an in-principal approval for strategic disinvestment of 26 per cent equity shares in BEML Ltd out of governments shareholding of 54.03 per cent. advertisement At the current market pricing of Rs 999.50 a share, 26 per cent stake of BEML could fetch the exchequer over Rs 1,000 crore. After the strategic sale, government stake in the PSU would come down to 28.03 per cent. "The said shareholding would be sold to the strategic buyer/s to be identified by the government of India by following due procedure," BEML said. The strategic sale approval is just the third in over 12 years. In September, the Cabinet had cleared strategic sale of Bharat Pumps and Compressors Ltd, while in December it had approved sale of Indias first pharma company Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd as well as Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. These PSUs will be the first privatisation since sale of Jessop and Co in 2003-04 under the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These are among the public sector units that NITI Aayog has identified for sale of governments majority stake to private companies in order to bring in greater efficiency and professionalism in their functioning. Established in May 1964, BEML operates on three major business verticals for associated equipment manufacturing -- mining and construction, rail and metro and defence and aerospace. Its turnover has risen to more than Rs 3,500 crore. The PSU, under the administrative control of defence ministry, provides equipment support to Indian Army and other defence forces by manufacturing variants of Tatra vehicle for all terrain operation. It also supports the aerospace operations by supplying ground support equipment such as Aircraft Towing Tractor, Multi Purpose Weapon Loader and Crash Fire Tender. The government is targeting Rs 56,500 crore in disinvestment proceeds this fiscal. Of this, Rs 36,000 crore is to come from minority stake sale in PSUs and another Rs 20,500 crore from strategic stake sale. The fiscal target continues to remain far off with total collections of about Rs 24,000 crore in the nine months of the financial year so far. Incidentally, the first strategic sale in a PSU also happened under the NDA rule in 1999-2000 when the government sold 74 per cent equity in Modern Food Industries to Hindustan Lever for Rs 105.45 crore. PTI JD CS MKJ --- ENDS --- advertisement Ecker and Fish (1).JPG Jennifer L. Ecker, left, and Gregory S. Fish, right. (Tompkins County Sheriff's Office) TRUMANSBURG, N.Y. -- A man was killed early Saturday morning during a Tompkins County burglary, deputies said. Patrick R. Mutter, of Brewerton, and two others forced their way into a home on Main Street in Trumansburg, said the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened at 37 West Main Street in an apartment connected to a catering company, reported The Ithaca Voice. Mutter broke into the home with Gregory S. Fish and Jennifer L. Ecker, both of Trumansburg, deputies said. When they entered the apartment, the burglars were confronted by a resident, deputies said. A fight broke out -- ending when Mutter was fatally injured, deputies said. The stabbing was reported at 1:46 a.m. When emergency responders arrived, Ecker was standing outside the residence, while Fish stood inside the apartment with another man, deputies said. Mutter was lying on the floor -- unresponsive and suffering from puncture wounds, deputies. Mutter was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 35 years old. Crime scene tape hangs from a 37 W. Main St. apartment in Trumansburg Saturday morning after a fatal stabbing. Deputies say Patrick R. Mutter was fatally injured after he and two other people broke into the residence. Fish, 32, and Ecker, 27, were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary, a felony. They were arraigned in Trumansburg Village Court and remanded to the Tompkins County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash or a $50,000 bail bond. Fish knew the person who lived in the Trumansburg home where the burglary occurred, while Ecker "vaguely" knew the resident, investigators told The Ithaca Voice. Mutter, the man who died, did not know the resident, reported The Ithaca Voice. The investigation remains open, deputies said. No homicide charges have been filed. In addition to deputies, the New York State Police Forensic Identification Unit, the Trumansburg Police Department, the Trumansburg Fire Department and Bangs Ambulance responded to the scene. Blog_Fort Lauderdale 1.JPG Karen Fratianni, of Liverpool, could see crowds of people on the tarmac from her plane after a shooting forced the evacuation of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. If not for bad weather and a delayed flight, Fratianni said she likely would've been in the baggage claim area when the gunman opened fire. (Provided photo) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Each year Karen Fratianni takes a flight from Syracuse and her best friend from college boards a plane in New York City. They meet in Fort Lauderdale for a cruise ship vacation. If not for bad weather and a delayed flight, Fratianni said she likely would've been in the baggage claim area Friday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when a gunman killed five people and wounded eight others. Karen Fratianni. The shooting was in the baggage claim area at Terminal 2 that her airline shares with Air Canada. The claim area also was just below the gate Fratianni's plane taxied up to. "It's divine intervention," she said in a telephone interview late Friday with Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. "It's unbelievable." Fratianni, 51, of Liverpool, left Syracuse at 6:40 a.m. on a Delta Air Lines flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The plane left Syracuse on time. But Fratianni said her flight was delayed in NYC for close to an hour because crews had to de-ice the plane and flights were backed up by weather. The flight to Fort Lauderdale was uneventful. Passengers started to get off the plane. Fratianni, who was seated at the back of the plane, said only a few dozen people remained when she was about to get off. Suddenly passengers who hadn't made it into the terminal came running back to the plane saying there was a shooter in the airport, Fratianni said. The pilot closed the airplane door, and the passengers sat, waiting more than an hour as the terminal was evacuated and the airport was shut down. "We didn't know what was going on," said Fratianni, who is assistant manager of a thrift shop near Syracuse University which benefits the Rescue Mission and also writes a blog about the New York State Fair. From the plane, she and the other passengers could see people waiting outside the terminal on the tarmac. Fratianni was stuck for hours in the Delta Sky Club, the airline's luxurious lounge for preferred customers. Fratianni said they were finally allowed off the plane and into the terminal. The place had an eerie calm, she said. There were crowds of people waiting, but everything was closed. Suddenly security officers bolted out of an office and told everyone to run, Fratianni said. There was a report of a second shooter. She was knocked down to the floor in the confusion. She spied a bunch of Delta employees ducking into a lounge. They let her in. It turned out to be a Delta Sky Club, the airline's luxurious lounge for preferred customers. Delta employees and passengers were told not to leave the lounge. Stuck there for hours, Fratianni and others used the free WiFi and watched the news. She took advantage of the free buffet. A SWAT team came by several times to check on the people inside. Taxis and Ubers couldn't get to the airport so when people were allowed to leave, around 8:30 p.m., they were given a lift to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center about a mile away where they could be picked up, Fratianni said. But they were given a lift in a Broward County Sheriff's Office prisoner transport bus. Fratianni said she thought she and her friend would still make their cruise Saturday. Her friend's flight was diverted to Jacksonville, Fla. So while Fratianni was stuck at the airport, her friend was taking a five-hour Uber ride to try to get to Fort Lauderdale, Fratianni said. "It's been quite a stressful day." Contact Ken Sturtz: 315-766-7833 | Email | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ 'Mary Poppins' at Syracuse Stage ended our year with smiles To the Editor: Andrew Bowman (right) at the Syracuse Stage "selfie station" with Emily Brockway as "Mary Poppins." My son, Andrew, and I were fortunate enough to see the "Mary Poppins" performance at Syracuse Stage on Dec. 30, 2016. What an amazing group of talent on one stage! Every actor/actress was phenomenal. You could not stop yourself from smiling and tapping your feet throughout the entire show. Each person involved in this production should be so proud! I want to thank them for ending our year with such a happy feeling and huge smiles on our faces. Susan Bowman Andrew Bowman Fairmount VA staff cared for their father with kindness, respect, dignity To the Editor: Recently, our father, Thomas Brady, a World War II veteran, was admitted to the Syracuse Veterans Hospital (VA) Community Living Center(CLC) Hospice wing. We did this with great reluctance and more than a little trepidation. Our father, like many elderly parents, did not want to leave his home and we tried to honor his request. We had concerns about nursing home care and were acutely aware of recent criticism of veterans care as well. After a time, the health and safety concerns became too much for us to manage alone. With help from Dr. Sabrina Plante and the Blue team at the VA, arrangements were made to admit him to the Community Living Center Hospice unit at the VA. Our experience with the medical care and with all the staff at the VA was exceptional. As a family, we cannot say enough positive things about the VA. From the moment of his arrival, our father was greeted and welcomed. The staff of the CLC Hospice wing were phenomenal. Our father was treated with kindness, respect and dignity on every shift, every day, and by every staff member he met. They worked tirelessly, not only with our father, but consistently, and in the same manner, with every veteran on the floor. The staff took the time to talk to our father, to learn about him and his life. They worked to connect him to other vets on the unit with similar service and work records. They encouraged him to attend the events staged by the numerous volunteer groups and to participate when he could. The staff were attentive, patient and responsive to our requests and numerous inquiries for information. They could not have been more helpful or reassuring. It was a difficult decision to have our father move from his house, and away from our care. In the end, we know it was the right decision. Our father passed away on Dec. 26, 2016. He was well cared for and treated as a valued human being who served his country. We want to publicly thank the following staff: Dr. Sabrina Plante and the Blue team; Wilma George, the CLC nurse practitioner,;Jennifer Saloski,the CLC social worker; and Kelly Sheldon, the nurse manager. Our special thanks go to the nursing staff who went above and beyond to care for him every day. To Michael Abbott, Emir Rashidihejad, Steven Vasiliades and Karl McCarthy; we thank you for your professionalism, your care and compassion and your daily kindness toward our father. We sincerely thank you for honoring our father and making our fathers last days respectful, safe and comfortable . William E. Brady, Clay Charles F. Brady, Baldwinsville Marylynne Brady Johnson, Albany Loreen Brady Drumm, Camillus Salvation Army grateful for Christmas Bureau help To the Editor: In recent years the poverty in Onondaga County has been widely publicized. The Salvation Army, along with its partners and volunteers, work to help those in need throughout the year. The Salvation Army relies heavily on the support of the community to help in "Doing the Most Good." We would like to recognize all who helped make Christmas happen for low-income individuals and families in Onondaga County. Many organizations, corporations and schools held food and toy drives, volunteered and contributed in a variety of ways. Thank you to all of those who sponsored and donated to Christmas Bureau - including more than 1,000 people who gave of their time to help distribute stocking stuffers, toys, books and food to more than 2,500 households and more than 6,400 children. Christmas Bureau couldn't be as impactful without the support of its partners, sponsors, donors and volunteers. We would like to say "thank you" to all for helping those in need in our community. Major Karla Clark CEO Onondaga County The Salvation Army Syracuse Thanks to community, Rescue Mission served hundreds in need To the Editor, As the new year begins, we at the Rescue Mission would like to thank the many men, women and children in our community for their tremendous support in so many ways in 2016. Because of your generous gifts - of volunteer time, financial support, donations of clothing and household goods - the Rescue Mission was able to provide 276,976 meals, 141,716 overnight stays, and to give out 93,520 household items and articles of clothing in our 2016 fiscal year. In addition to meeting immediate needs, the Rescue Mission placed 948 individuals and families into permanent housing, and helped hundreds to secure employment. In Syracuse, we completed our first full year of emergency shelter for women, providing a safe place to 531 women who had nowhere else to go, as well as sheltering 1,591 men. At our annual Hope Awards, we recognized individuals and families who have come through Rescue Mission programs for their remarkable personal achievements. Among the award recipients was Arien, who came to the Rescue Mission homeless and struggling. He now has a home and continues to work full time. Arien said he is determined to give back to his community because "someone reached for me and I didn't even see that person." Arien is right that the men, women and children the Rescue Mission serves may never have the opportunity to meet all of the friends who make our services possible, or to personally thank them. So, on behalf of those we serve, thank you so much to our caring community for changing lives right here in Central New York. Alan Thornton Chief Executive Officer Rescue Mission Alliance Syracuse B'ville thanks Jordan-Elbridge for lending performance space To the Editor: On Dec. 16 and 17, 2016, the Baker High School Musical Players presented "White Christmas" at Jordan-Elbridge High School. Because the Baker High School auditorium is under renovation, the Baldwinsville Central School District was in need of a facility to host our students as they rehearsed for and presented the musical. The Jordan-Elbridge School District generously offered us the use of its high school auditorium for our rehearsals and for three presentations of the musical. On behalf of the Baldwinsville Central School District, its students, staff, administrators, and Board of Education members, we would like to say "Thank You!" to everyone in the Jordan-Elbridge School District who made our musical possible. We would especially like to recognize the following individuals for their cooperation and aid in producing a high caliber show: James Froio, Jordan-Elbridge Superintendent of Schools David Zehner, Jordan-Elbridge High School Principal Vinny Smith, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Drew Deapo, Jordan-Elbridge High School Technical Director Denise Deapo, Jordan-Elbridge High School Choral Director Zach Moser, Jordan-Elbridge High School Band Director Last school year the Baldwinsville Central School District began encouraging and emphasizing a spirit of collaboration in order for everyone to achieve their full potential. The Jordan-Elbridge School District's willingness to host such a large project in its newly renovated performing arts space has demonstrated this attitude. Jordan-Elbridge staff and students sacrificed the use of their wonderful facility so that Baldwinsville would not miss a year of producing a musical. Matthew J. McDonald, Acting Superintendent Donald A. Root, Jr., Baker High School Principal Colin Keating, Baker High School Choral Director Baldwinsville Central School District Couple whose dinner was paid for 'pays it forward' To the Editor: I wrote a letter back in September about how angels at a Red Lobster restaurant paid for our dinners. We live on Social Security and this amazing act has been held in our hearts since. I'm writing again to tell you what we did to play it forward. We thought about what should we do to make an impact on someone's life. We decided to give food, socks,hats and scarves to two homeless young kids that stand in the median of Hiawatha Boulevard just before you turn onto Interstate 81 North. I said a little prayer that I could slow down and give them the cash and gifts. Every time I came close to that area, the light turned red and I was able to give them the money and goods. The extra went to our church, Holy Family. So whoever our angels were, their deed went even further and we will continue to do so a long as we can. Frank and Barbara Torzon Syracuse By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, Jan 7 (PTI) The Centre would shortly launch an exclusive scheme for women entrepreneurs, a senior official in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said today. "It will be an exclusive scheme for women entrepreneurs. We have not yet finalised the contours (of the scheme). Hopefully, we will launch it before the end of the financial year," B H Anil Kumar, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry, told reporters here. advertisement Earlier, he launched myloanassocham.com, a portal, industry body ASSOCHAM said, that provides MSMEs online access to funds at an affordable rate from a mix of banks and financial institutions. Kumar said the figures that the MSME sector contributes 8 per cent to the countrys GDP, 45 per cent of the manufacturing output and 40 per cent of the exports are based on survey reports of 2007. Those survey reports have been extrapolated. Its a random survey, and its not clear how much of that figure is based on hardcore data, according to him. In this background, the Ministry is in the process of creating an MSME data bank based on which it can project the actual requirements of the sector, he said and asked these enterprises to register themselves. Reserve Bank of India, Kumar said, has issued guidelines for creation of committees for revival and rehabilitation of MSMEs which are facing stress. Banks are in the process of setting them up at State levels. Noting that 90 per cent of MSMEs in India are either based on proprietorship or partnership model, Kumar pitched for they putting in place a corporate structure so that an enterprise "does not die when entrepreneur passes away". PTI RS RSY --- ENDS --- Russia Hacking Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen in Nagato, western Japan, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. (Toru Hanai/Pool Photo via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America's presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies declared Friday in the government's first formal allegation supporting sensational claims that Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted. The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more-detailed classified account given earlier to Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld the government's evidence to back up its assertions. Trump, in a brief interview with The Associated Press, said he "learned a lot" from his discussions with intelligence officials, but declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had meddled in the election on his behalf. "It was a really great meeting, I really like those people a lot," said Trump, who has challenged the intelligence community since winning the election. "I learned a lot and I think they did also." Trump would not detail what evidence he was presented with, saying only that he learned "a lot of confidential things." Because Trump is not yet president, he is legally constrained from revealing classified information. In an earlier written statement, Trump said it was clear Russian email hacking did not deliver him the presidency. The unclassified version of the intelligence report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the U.S. political process, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid "trolls" to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines. President Barack Obama requested the report last month and wanted it completed before inauguration day. The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Putin to the hackings, called it the "boldest effort yet" to influence a U.S. election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks -- something the website's founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied. The intelligence agencies also said Russia will continue to try to influence future events in the U.S. and worldwide, particularly among U.S. allies. Since Election Day, the intelligence agencies said, Russia has launched a "spear-fishing" campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy. The report lacked details about how the U.S. learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret, since revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it "does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign." It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. It said the Russian effort was the "boldest yet" intended to affect a U.S. election. The report was released shortly after intelligence officials finished briefing Trump -- a move probably intended to bolster the intelligence findings against pushback from the president-elect. Trump could use the lack of supporting details in the public version to fuel his dismissiveness of the findings, even though he has now been briefed on the classified portion. Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies' claims of Russia's involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information Friday. Just hours before he was briefed, Trump dismissed the assessment and told The New York Times the focus on Russia's involvement is a "political witch hunt" by adversaries who are embarrassed they lost the election. "They got beaten very badly in the election," Trump said. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election." The top U.S. intelligence official, James Clapper, told Congress on Thursday that intelligence agencies had no way of gauging what influence this meddling had in the outcome of the election. It was unclear Friday what evidence Trump had to support his claims. As Trump met in New York with intelligence officials for his briefing about Russia's campaign, Congress tallied the Electoral College votes, officially confirming Trump's November victory. Trump acknowledged in his statement that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people" are consistently trying to hack U.S. networks, including the Democratic National Committee's. He said, as did the intelligence report, that "there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines." Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a plan to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks." Before the intelligence agencies completed their assessment, Obama announced sanctions against Russia late last year. Trump has not said whether he will undo them once he takes office. Brinks Heist Rethinking Clemency People gather in front of the Rockland County Courthouse to express their objection to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo commuting the sentence of Judith Clark in New City, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. The decision may test openness to reprieves in New York, a state considered one of the most guarded with clemency. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) NEW YORK (AP) -- Like many governors, New York's Andrew Cuomo wasn't known for granting clemency. Until last week. In a single day, the Democrat pardoned 101 people convicted as teenagers of nonviolent crimes and granted clemency to a dozen other people -- including a chance at parole for a onetime revolutionary involved in a Brinks armored-car holdup that led to the deaths of two police officers and a security guard. Cuomo set out in 2015 to systematize and ramp up consideration of clemency bids, including by enlisting volunteer lawyers to help people apply. The pardon program for former 16- and 17-year-old convicts, in itself, is ultimately expected to aid over 10,000 people. But his controversial decision to commute ex-radical Judith Clark's sentence may test the openness to reprieves in New York, a state experts have considered one of the most guarded with clemency. "The governor wanted to make sure we created a sustainable system, and he also wanted to use his power to grant clemency for good," said his top lawyer, Alphonso David. Clark's case, he said, "shows the governor's commitment to granting clemency to individuals who have shown the possibility of rehabilitation." Cuomo said Clark, the getaway driver in the 1981 heist in suburban Rockland County, became a repentant, "impressive" and community-spirited prisoner. She helped found an HIV/AIDS education program and has done other charitable work behind bars while serving 35 years so far, longer than some co-defendants. Judith Clark in 1981 But to some law enforcement officials and relatives of slain Nyack police officers Waverly Brown and Edward O'Grady and Brinks guard Peter Paige, Clark's prison record doesn't justify a reprieve for a member of a murderous group of radicals aiming for armed revolution, even if the 67-year-old Clark has since disavowed those views. "When the governor of the state speaks about this woman as being impressive, where is the compassion for our side?" says John Hanchar, O'Grady's nephew and now a police officer himself in nearby Clarkstown. Hanchar was among hundreds of people at a protest this week over Cuomo's decision to commute Clark's 75-years-to-life sentence to 35 years to life. The change makes her eligible for a parole board hearing now instead of in 2056. No hearing date has been set. The debate over Clark's case reflects the complexity of granting clemency, a power the nation's founders enshrined in the Constitution. Without pardons, justice would be "too sanguinary and cruel," Alexander Hamilton later wrote in The Federalist Papers. But the power has sometimes proven explosive. Governors and presidents have faced criticism for granting clemency to relatives, political allies and notorious figures. And governors became warier of giving convicts breaks after a powerful 1988 presidential campaign ad spotlighted Willie Horton, a convicted killer who raped a woman while on a weekend furlough program that Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis had supported as Massachusetts' governor. Fears that clemency could backfire were echoed when Maurice Clemmons, an Arkansas inmate paroled after his sentence was commuted by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, went on to kill four police officers near Seattle in 2009. Comprehensive, state-by-state statistics on clemency decisions aren't readily available. But only 15 states both regularly review pardon applications and grant more than 30 percent of them, according to research done by Margaret Love, who served as U.S. pardon attorney under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. States vary in how much clemency discretion the governor has. Regardless, his or her inclinations can play a big role in how often it's granted. Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown, for instance, has pardoned 854 people and commuted two sentences since 2011, while Republican predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger granted 15 pardons and 10 commutations in just over seven years, according to the state's governor's office. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, refuses to grant pardons altogether, saying it undermines jurors' and courts' decisions. Pardons generally restore civil rights and can clear records that keep people from certain jobs or licenses; pardons often come after people have completed their punishments. Clemency can also include commutations, which reduce sentences being served but don't erase convictions. "The cases range from the very easy to the very difficult -- the bar fight when you were 17, and now you're 48 and you need clearance for a federal job, that's very easy," says former Maryland Gov. Bob Erlich, a Republican who estimates he granted hundreds of pardons and dozens of commutations during his four years. "The commutation cases are difficult, by definition," generally involving violent crimes and long sentences, said Erlich, who now leads a clemency project and clinic at Catholic University in Washington. New York's Cuomo, who took office in 2011, granted eight pardons and three commutations before this year. Clemency has generally been rare in New York in the last decade, though former Gov. David Paterson in 2010 pardoned 34 people, many facing deportation because of drug crimes. Bill Thompson, left, chair of the CUNY Board of Trustees, introduces Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday at Laguardia Community College in Queens. The Governor announced a plan to provide free tuition to SUNY and CUNY students whose families make less than $125,000. (Screengrab from announcement livestream) ALBANY, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced a proposal to give free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students statewide at State University of New York and City University of New York colleges. Progressive leaders nationally immediately endorsed the plan, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who stood alongside Cuomo during the announcement. Also, the scholarship received tentative support from state senate Republican leaders. Many specifics of how the scholarship would work were not provided despite requests to the governor's office, but below are details identified so far: How much will it cost? The governor's office estimates the scholarship will cost the state $163 million to cover tuition costs for SUNY and CUNY students. Where will the money come from? It's not yet entirely clear, but an existing state-funded tuition subsidy of nearly $1 billion is already given to students statewide through the Tuition Assistance Program. The plan as proposed would draw from additional state funds to cover the remaining costs for incoming or existing eligible students, according to the governor's office. Is anyone disputing those figures? State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, chair of the assembly's higher education committee, told The New York Times she was skeptical of the low cost Cuomo projected. The Empire Center, a conservative government watchdog group, said the price tag seems way too low. "But if $163 million is all it cost to cover the balance of tuition for hundreds of thousands of families with incomes ranging into low six figures, it would strongly indicate there is no college affordability problem, at least among SUNY and CUNY attendees," the center wrote. Also, the Independent Budget Office of New York City found that a proposal to make tuition free for students just in the CUNY system would cost $232 million. Does the announcement mean free college? No, there are other significant costs associated with attending SUNY or CUNY schools besides tuition. SUNY students receiving current in-state tuition for SUNY students getting a bachelor's degree is $6,470, room and board is $12,590, and student fees are $1,590, for example. At CUNY, current in-state tuition for students getting their bachelor's degree is $6,330, and residence costs are $20,295 for students who live away from home. Students getting their associate's degrees pay $4,350 in tuition at SUNY schools. When would it go into effect? As early as the upcoming fall semester, if it passes. Who is eligible? The scholarship will be awarded based on a family's income. If passed, it would be phased in to include more and more families over three years. In the first year, households making up to $100,000 would qualify. That would increase to $110,000 in 2018 and $125,000 in 2019, according to Cuomo's office. According to statistics from Cuomo's office, an estimated 940,000 households statewide make less than $125,000 a year and have college-aged children. The governor's office estimates that 210,000 students would take advantage of the scholarship. Is that gross or net income? It's not clear yet, but the TAP benefits already provided to SUNY and CUNY students are based on households' net income, if that's any indication. Can the SUNY school handle the extra students? SUNY spokeswoman Holly Liapis said it's too soon to tell what impact the scholarship would have on enrollment or resources. The New York Times speculated that some state schools could see an influx in students and higher demand for resources as a result. Can existing students take advantage of this? A news release said state funds would cover costs for both incoming and existing eligible students. In addition to income criteria, do you still have to qualify academically? Liapis said academic requirements, if there are any, have not been described. Students are, however, eligible for TAP benefits the moment they are accepted to SUNY or CUNY schools. Would it apply to the state's community colleges? Yes, Liapis said. What impact will this have on private colleges? It remains to be seen, but presidents of two Western New York private university presidents told Buffalo Business First they are worried about losing students to schools that offer free tuition. Can students get the scholarship if they attend part-time? No, the program requires students be enrolled full time toward receiving a two-year and four-year degree. Cuomo's office said this requirement is a way to encourage students to finish their degrees quickly and avoid debt. Liapis said it's too soon to say whether students could continue to receive the tuition if they attend university full-time but take longer than two years to complete two-year degrees or four years to complete four-year degrees. What's the next step? The scholarship proposal will have to be introduced as a bill, approved by both houses of the state legislature and accounted for in the state budget passed by April 1. If the bill passes the legislature and Cuomo signs it, it becomes law. By Press Trust of India: Khunti (Jharkhand), Jan 7 (PTI) A hard-core Maoist, who was carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head, today surrendered before the Superintendent of Police, police said. Dibba Pahan surrendered before SP Ashwaini Kumar Sinha, Khunti, in the presence of DIG R K Dhan, Commandant Raj Kumar and other police officers, they said. advertisement Pahan was involved in the gunning down of MLA, Tamar, Ramesh Munda, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pramod Kumar and Inspector Francis Indwar in the past. A cheque of Rs 15 lakh was handed over to him under the governments surrender policy for rehabilitation. Earlier, the district police recovered arms and ammunition following a special campaign launched against Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) in extremist-hit Koenjhar Jungle under Murhu police station of the district last night, Sinha said. The Security forces recovered three carbines, one double barrel gun, one country-made pistol and four loaded magazines, he said. He said the arms and ammunition belonged to the PLFIs self-styled Sub-Zonal Commander Jida Gudia and Area Commander Pattu Nag, who along with aides managed to escape under cover of darkness on seeing the approaching security personnel. PTI COR BS SUS KJ --- ENDS --- Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH. Watchlist and resume progress features have been disabled. ACCEPT Automotive startup Faraday Future has just released results from its CES 2017 announcement. Their much anticipated FF 91 has received a total of 64,124 reservations in the first 36 hours since registration was opened. Despite their success and hype, the company has been plagued by financial and legal problems during months leading up to their big debut. They have also had top level executives and their unofficial CEO leave the company just weeks before as well. Faraday Future's CES 2017 event was largely successful with their car boasting 1,050 horsepower and a range of 378 miles on a single charge as well as a large suite of sensors and cameras. The FF 91, currently the only model they offer, is slated to begin production in 2018. The 64,000 reservations is a good sign for the company struggling to get off the ground. In context, Tesla took 520 reservations in its first week for the Model S back in 2010, but received a whopping 250,000 reservations in 36 hours for its Model 3 last year. There is no word on the breakdown of the reservations since FF offers a free standard reservation as well as a $5,000 priority reservation. It's likely most were of the free type however and this makes it hard to tell how many people are genuinely looking to buy or are just interested in the mailing list and future updates. It's clear Faraday Future is aiming to compete with Tesla's successful top-of-the-line Model S. From what we know so far, a similarly equipped Model S will cost around $100k, but many are expecting the FF 91 to come in at roughly $200k. Modular hardware hasn't exactly resonated with consumers. PC-on-a-stick devices like Intel's Compute Stick and the sea of me-too devices that followed seemingly vanished overnight. Similarly, modular smartphone concepts like Project Ara never made it off the ground while companies like LG that did make it to market with modular products no doubt regret the decision. Nevertheless, the industry isn't willing to give up on the idea just yet as Intel has demonstrated at CES with a new modular compute platform calling the Intel Compute Card. The idea is pretty straightforward. Intel's Compute Card is essentially a full-blown computer with an Intel SoC, memory, storage and wireless connectivity that fits on a card roughly as thick as a few credit cards. Said card then gets plugged into the Compute Card slot of devices like interactive refrigerators, security cameras or IoT gateways. The lure here is the ability to easily upgrade the performance of a connected device without having to replace it entirely. Intel said it is already working with several large partners on the endeavor including HP, Dell, Lenovo and Sharp as well as multiple regional partners. The Compute Card seems like a great idea in theory although I'm not certain it'll take off. Samsung tried essentially this exact same thing - albeit on a much smaller scale - with its HDTVs a few years back through a product called the Smart Evolution upgrade kit. Samsung seemingly discontinued that product line in early 2016. Intel says its Compute Card will be available by mid-2017 in a range of processor options including seventh-gen Intel Core chips. Samsung has begun rolling out the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Android 7.0 Nougat software update to owners of the flagship smartphones. The update has been released to select device owners, preceding what is expected to be an imminent full rollout of the upgrade to all devices. The former flagship Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus, and Note 5 are next in line for an Android Nougat update. New Android 7.0 Nougat Soak Test The move comes after the company officially confirmed the end of its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge Beta testing program for the Android 7.0 Nougat update, and announced that it will be releasing the final approved version of Nougat to users of the smartphones this month. The release to some select users of the devices appears to be an initial soak test prior to the more general release. The number of the new build is G935FXXU1DPLR, and it also includes January's monthly Samsung security patch. The reports of the soak test reflect confirmation made by recipients of the new Android 7.0 Nougat build posted in online forums. While it is common for smartphone manufacturers to release a new software upgrade to a small number of users in a soak test before expanding the release, this time there's a bit of a twist in the form of the actual version of Android Nougat apparently being released. Android Nougat 7.0 Or 7.1.1? While it was first reported that the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge would be receiving Android 7.0 Nougat, a representative of the company later confirmed to one of its beta testers that the upgrade build for the two smartphones once released would actually be Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and that the devices would be skipping Android 7.0 Nougat for a direct release of the newer version. That was thought to be the case until a rep for Vodafone contradicted the earlier guidance, telling an inquiring customer that the build version of Android Nougat released for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge would vary according to model and region, and that in fact Australian users would be receiving the earlier build, Android 7.0. Speculation then ensued as to which models and regions would receive each build. Meanwhile, we recently reported that the Galaxy S7 Active, the more rugged version of the smartphone and an AT&T exclusive in the U.S., was spotted on GFXBench running Android 7.0 Nougat as well. So, it appears that even though Samsung has confirmed that the S7 and S7 Edge would be skipping Android 7.0 Nougat for 7.1.1, the later build is still yet to be received or be seen running on any Samsung Galaxy S7 device. Android 7.0 Nougat Update For Galaxy Note 5 And S6 Variants Owners of Samsung's former flagships have been watching these developments closely, because the sooner the company releases Android 7.0/7.1.1 Nougat to its current flagships, the sooner the older devices can expect to receive theirs. While the company has offered no official guidance for the release of the update to the Galaxy S6 variants, earlier reports have indicated that the company began working on the Android 7.0 Nougat build for the S6 and S6 Edge months ago, so they may not follow far behind the S7 and S7 Edge release, with the Note 5 also expected to be a timely recipient of Nougat once the current flagships are updated. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. CES 2017 witnessed an impressive technical demo from Honda a gravity-defying self-balancing motorcycle the Honda Riding Assist. This motorcycle deploys a novel technology, which ensures a rider's safety in the best possible way. Honda At CES 2017 At CES 2017, Honda demonstrated how its novel technology could help motorcycles maintain their balance even at a low speed, which is a tad tricky even for seasoned riders. Honda's Riding Assist operates on a technology that basically makes tiny adjustments to the bike's front wheel to keep it balanced. Honda is looking forward to applying this amazing technology to keep motorcycles upright. Honda also intends to modify its user-friendly commuter NC750S, which comes with a Liquid-cooling 4-stroke 8-valve engine having a displacement of 295.276 inches. This enabled the motorcycle to reach a maximum torque of 68.0Nm at 4750 rpm. Rather than deploy a gyroscope, the company uses Asimo the robot and its robotic stool UNI-CAB for the motorcycle. UNI-CAB is a moving seat that allows the rider to move in any direction, control its speed, and stop just by shifting body weight. The new motorcycle from Honda may feature a self-driven capability as revealed by Honda spokesperson Sage Marie. Marie also added that this motorcycle may have a self-parking feature. What Prompted Honda To Create A Self-Balancing Motorcycle? Motorcycle accidents occur 27 times more when compared to cars according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Lesser availability of safety technology for motorcycles has always been a drawback for the riders. Honda's new technology may pave the way for a new era for motorcycle buffs all over the world. Self-balancing will provide the riders with the convenience of never having to put down a kickstand. With the Honda Riding Assist, riders will have the comfort and ease to master the twist and turns of the road. This one-of-a-kind motorcycle can keep itself upright, even without a rider. "This technology was created based on our desire to create a motorcycle that gives people the option of riding with total peace of mind by greatly reducing the possibility of falling over," shared Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, President of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Honda has applied its work in robotics across its product areas, for improvements that may attract a broader segment of its customer base. "Through this open innovation, we believe we can create products of substance that make people even happier," Matsumoto added. Honda has not disclosed when the Riding Assist motorcycle with eye-popping features will become available. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Police arrested Khaja Zainulabedin, principal of Ifham Talent School in Hafeezbaba Nagar, after Mirza Salman Baig committed suicide on Wednesday. The student Salman (16) was allegedly humiliated by the school management for non-payment of fees. Disheartened after being humiliated, the class 9 student returned home and killed himself. "The principal humiliated my brother by pulling down his pants and beating him. He was threatened by the school management for three-four days to clear the dues before he took the extreme step," alleged Basheer, brother of Salman. The deceased's parents said that they missed the fee deadline because of demonetisation but were trying hard to clear the dues. However, the school management denied any such incident and said that the boy was in love and could have killed himself because of some issues in the affair. Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, hosted its first ever event on the showroom floor of CES 2017. Aside from the launch of the Mi TV 4, a modular TV that is 30 percent thinner than an iPhone, the company also announced that it will be releasing a second color option for its famed phone: the Mi MIX. Xiaomi is one of the success stories to have emerged in recent years. Although the company remains unheard of outside of Asia, sales of its smartphones remain brisk in India and China, catapulting it to its status as one of the most promising smartphone manufacturers to look forward to in 2017. Mi MIX in white, aesthetically unique pearl-like finish, full display design, ships in China later this year #CES2017 pic.twitter.com/9wF1N1rJVz Hugo Barra (@hbarra) January 5, 2017 Although many in the West have not heard much about the company's phones, one of its handsets is currently making noise at CES 2017: the Mi MIX. The good news is that the company has released a white color option for the Mi MIX for those who prefer visual appeal that is light and airy. Hugo Barra, Xiaomi's VP, announced that the new color has a pearl-like finish. The bad news is that Xiaomi still won't be expanding into "developed" markets such as the U.S. or Europe, so it might take a while before you get your hands on one of Xiaomi's phones. But we've got a slew of experts testing it hands on and providing first impressions on the white Mi MIX. John Anon - Android Headlines Aside from the color, nothing much has changed in Mi MIX, according to John Anon, reviewer for Android Headlines. The biggest selling point of the phone is not the color, but its almost bezel-less 6.4-inch display. "For those unfamiliar with the Mi MIX, while it does come packing some fairly decent specs, the big selling point is the almost complete lack of bezels. That is, lack of a top bezel as well as the side bezels, which largely means that this is a smartphone that is just about as much screen as you can get," says Anon. Joe Maring - PhoneArena For Joe Maring, the white Mi MIX looks better than the black one, and is better at preventing fingerprint smudges on its touchscreen. According to Maring, "the white version does a much better job of hiding fingerprints. It is not perfect in this regard by any means, but the fingerprints it does attract are a bit less noticeable with the new color." Overall, PhoneArena's reviewer gave a favorable response for the phone: "after finally getting to use the phone in person and seeing the new white color option as well, I would definitely like to see Xiaomi continue with this design moving forward." Mike Wehner - Boy Genius Report Mike Wehner of BGR was one of the few people disappointed with the phone's white color because it made the thin bezels of the phone much more noticeable. "It's really hard to call a phone 'bezel-less' when the bezel can literally be seen from fifty feet away. Sure, the bezel is still the same size as it is on the black model, but it's just so much easier to ignore on a dark device." Wehner preferred the black Mi MIX because the color made the bezels disappear, while the white model "sticks out like a sore thumb." Since the Mi MIX is still technically a concept phone, Xiaomi has a limited production capacity, making it hard for the company to bring it to a wider audience for now. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft Cortana seems on track to rival intelligent car systems if its announced integration on a Nissan car at CES 2017 is any indication. Cortana And Nissan Self-Driving Technology Aside from its current capabilities as a smart assistant, buried deep in the Nissan demo were flashes of its power that could lead into its complete takeover of an entire automated vehicle in the same manner it can now take charge of smart homes. In the Nissan demo video, Cortana was asked questions like "What is my schedule?" At some point, it even volunteered to perform some tasks such as changing the route based on real-time traffic conditions. The capabilities are not quite new and rival AIs like Siri and the Google Assistant also provide similar contextual voice assistant service. At one point, however Cortana fired back, "Shall I engage auto park?" This should now showcase what seems to be the ultimate destination of Microsoft's initiatives in the area of automated vehicles. Microsoft Technology In The Background In a recent statement, however, Microsoft did not dwell on this aspect. The company merely touted its so-called Connected Vehicle Platform, based on its Microsoft Azure cloud platform. This seems to largely relegate Microsoft more on the backend, gathering input both from the car and the passenger so that automakers can build on the data to develop proprietary automotive technologies. "Microsoft's cloud will do the heavy lifting by ingesting huge volumes of sensor and usage data from connected vehicles, and then helping automakers apply that data in powerful ways," Microsoft stressed. "It's a living, agile platform that starts with the cloud as the foundation and aims to address five core scenarios that our partners have told us are key priorities: predictive maintenance, improved in-car productivity, advanced navigation, customer insights and help building autonomous driving capabilities." Here, Cortana only forms one of the components of a bundle of products under the Microsoft Connected Vehicle. The company has purportedly shut any suggestion down that it is entering the self-driving car business. Cortana's Potential Regardless of that statement, Cortana's AI capabilities could eventually propel it to an increasingly dominant position in the future to the point that it takes full control of the car or at least serves as the bridge in the car-passenger interaction. At CES, BMW also announced that it will be integrating Cortana into its automated vehicles. The German automaker has so far cited the smart assistant's utility with respect to enhancing user experiences. One key statement, however, revealed that BMW intends to implement all of Cortana's capabilities, complementing its own gesture controls. One should remember that aside from the basic tasks, Cortana at this stage is already able to control hardware. It can turn Wi-Fi or Bluetooth off and it could even set different user modes based on different hardware settings. It takes little imagination to conclude that Cortana could also be doing the same actions in fully automated vehicles in the future. "Microsoft is not building its own connected car," Peggy Johnson, business development executive at Microsoft, said. "Instead, we want to help automakers create connected car solutions that fit seamlessly with their brands." The possibility of Cortana running the show is not entirely inimical to that position. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. There's currently an on-going promotion on Verizon's listing for Google's self-branded flagships, the Pixel and the Pixel XL. But an interesting tidbit has been dug up recently, alluding to the availability of 256 GB Pixel and Pixel XL models in the pipeline from the Big Red. 256 GB Pixel And Pixel Models From Verizon? Users who clicked the "Learn More" button under Verizon's "Our best phones for as low as $10 [per] month" headline were taken to a table that lists 256 GB Pixel and Pixel XL models for $18.33 per month. However, the said models could have simply been a typographical error, since Verizon has seemingly reused the figures from the iPhone page. Simply put, Verizon probably wasn't able to edit the figures in order to fit the specifications of the Pixel and Pixel XL. Tough luck for those who desire for a Pixel handset with much beefier storage. As further proof, Droid Life was able to speak with a representative from Verizon who suggests that the listing may have just been a plain mistake, since there aren't currently 256 GB Pixel and Pixel XL model in the works, as far as the company is concerned. There goes your chance. Google Pixel And Pixel XL Specs The Pixel and the Pixel XL are Google's first phone after dropping the Nexus branding. Google bills it as the first Google-made phone from its roster, although much of its manufacturing was HTC's handiwork. The job order reportedly could have been Huawei's to fulfill, but it had a falling out with Google after encountering some differences. The two devices, boasting top-tier specs for a top-tier price, hold a minor disparities, predominantly with the display size. The base Pixel comes with a 5-inch AMOLED 1080p display, against the Pixel XL's 5.5-inch AMOLED Quad HD display. The two models' batteries also differ: the Pixel has a 2,770 mAh battery under the hood, while the Pixel XL boasts a significantly higher-capacity one at 3,450 mAh. Both of these batteries feature Quick Charge 3.0 support, and are non-removable. Both models use a 2.15 GHz 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip, partnered with an Adreno 530 GPU for graphics performance. Both handsets have 4 GB of DDR4 RAM and may come in 32 or 128 GB configurations, although there's no means to nudge the memory beyond that since the models don't support expandable storage. On the back is a 12.3-megapixel shooter that's scored the highest of any camera phone by DxOMark's standards. Meanwhile, on the front of both phones is an 8-megapixel camera. The rear shooter can record 4K video, while the front shooter can record 1080p video. The Pixel starts at $649 while the Pixel XL starts at a steep price of $769. Prices go up for 128 GB models, logically. The phones come in a few wackily named colors: Quite Black, Very silver, and Really Blue. Judging by their spec sheet alone, the Pixel handsets are quite excellent Android smartphones, although they're both not without their slew of problems. Is 128 GB not enough for the Pixel and the Pixel XL? Do you wish there was a 256 GB model, as well? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A slew of Nokia-branded mid-range smartphones from Finland-based HMD Global are poised to launch this year. Two of the rumored smartphones dubbed the Nokia D1 (or D1C) and the Nokia E1 have been creating quite a stir online and now, a new report sheds light on the specs of one of these handsets. Online publication NPU has managed to lay its hands on the specs of the entry-level Nokia E1 smartphone. The publication, however, does not cite its source of information and merely says "as per the latest information with us." Rumored Specs The publication reveals that the Nokia E1 will sport either a 5.2-inch or 5.3-inch 720p display. The entry-level handset will likely be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz and house 2 GB of RAM. It will deploy Adreno 308 GPU. The on-board storage for the Nokia E1 is expected to be 16 GB and the handset will be powered by the latest Google OS i.e. Android 7.0 Nougat. The smartphone will also reportedly boast a 13-megapixel primary camera and come equipped with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which can be used to click selfies and make video calls. There is no word on the battery size. This is not the first time rumors pertaining to the Nokia E1 have surfaced online. In December 2016, we reported that sketches of the Nokia E1 and the Nokia D1 had leaked, offering a peek into the design of the two alleged smartphones. The sketches suggested that the Nokia E1 would be less curved on the edges when compared with sibling Nokia D1. Moreover, the home button on the Nokia E1 looked like a capacitive circle. The Nokia branding was placed on the top right corner of the handset. Judging by the latest leaked specs of Nokia E1, HMD Global is targeting budget-conscious buyers as the handset boasts basic specs. That the handset will come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box could lead many price-conscious buyers to gravitate toward the device vis-a-vis other entry-level options. Release HMD Global reportedly has six to seven Nokia-branded Android smartphones in the pipeline and previous rumors have pointed to a Q1 2017 release. Previous rumors have suggested that the Nokia E1 would be priced approximately $150. HMD Global is anticipated to take the wraps off the Nokia E1 at the MWC 2017 in Barcelona in February. The Nokia E1 could possibly be one of the cheapest entry-level smartphones to make its way to consumers this year. The affordable pricing is likely an intentional move from the company to push the handset's sales and generate more revenue. Despite its cheap price point, HMD Global's CEO Arto Numella has asserted previously that the company will not compromise on quality and it is "bringing in innovation where it matters the most for consumer, and removing the clutter." With a month to go for the MWC 2017, we will soon be able to see what the Nokia E1 has in store for consumers. Photo: Karlis Dambrans | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For years, scientists have been monitoring a massive crack along the northernmost Antarctic ice shelf, which gradually grows bigger and bigger. It has been discovered to have grown by almost 11 miles now almost the size of Delaware and a dramatic break could occur around winter. This occurrence, reported by British scientists this week, could trigger a much larger breakup and remove an enormous chunk of ice that prevents some of the continents glaciers from flowing into the ocean. The grim results: notably higher global sea levels, or about 4 inches higher. Imminent Calving Event A long-running rift in Larsen C ice shelf suddenly grew in December by 18 kilometers (11 miles) more, with only a final 20 km (12.4 miles) of ice is keeping the 5,000 square-kilometer (1,931 square-miles) section from drifting away. This size larger than Rhode Island and nearly as huge as Delaware would make the iceberg one of the top 10 largest ever recorded. When it calves, [the ice shelf] will lose more than 10 percent of its area to leave the ice front at its most retreated position ever recorded; this event will fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula, warned Project MIDAS in a statement. The 350-meter (1,148 feet) thick Larsen C, floating on seas by West Antarcticas edge and holding back the flow of glaciers feeding into it, has kept researchers on alert for years. The neighboring Larsen B disintegrated in 2002 after a similar event, while Larsen A collapsed back in 1995. Project leader Adrian Luckman, a professor from Swansea University, told BBC News that he would be amazed if the ice shelf does not go in the next couple of months. Its so close to calving that I think its inevitable, he said, citing the Esa Sentinel-1 radar images they used to point to the extending rift. Researcher Daniela Jansen of Germanys Alfred Wegener Institute, which collaborates with Project MIDAS, agreed with the diagnosis. I think the iceberg will calve soon Whether it will be months or maybe next year, I dont know, she said in an email to the Washington Post. Is Global Warming the Culprit? According to the researchers, this is a geographical rather than a climate situation, with the rift existing for decades now. They believe that further proof that warming has brought the ice shelf separation forward is needed. Luckman and his team are expecting further calving events in the following months and years, leading up to an eventual collapse that still remains unpredictable. The resulting iceberg from the ice shelf, floating on the sea, will not necessarily raise sea levels. But if the shelf further breaks up, it could led to glaciers flowing off the land behind it to accelerate their ocean passage non-floating ice that would affect sea levels. Estimates show, for instance, that if the ice that Larsen C is currently holding back suddenly enters the sea, water levels worldwide would increase by 10 centimeters (4 inches). Back in November, an important Antarctic glacier called Pine Island Glacier was detected to be melting from inside out, suggesting the ocean is weakening ice on the continental edges. But this is not the first research to confirm that the West Antarctic ice shelf is undergoing precarious changes. Only in October, two studies from NASA and the University of California suggested that the glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate because of the warm water beneath the ice shelf. Antarctica is the geographical conglomerate that gathers over half of the world's frozen water. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Embattled blood-testing company Theranos Inc. will lay off about 41 percent of its employees after facing months of lawsuits, regulatory setbacks and scrutiny. Setbacks For What Was Once A Very Promising Startup Theranos was once one of the most promising Silicon Valley startups and catapulted its founder Elizabeth Holmes to fame and fortune. In 2015, Holmes was on the top of Forbes' list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, with a net worth of $4.5 billion. Following a series of company setbacks, Holmes' fortune was down to virtually nothing. The company now has difficulty getting back on course after federal regulators discovered a range of compliance issues over the past year and a half. Last year, the company voided two years of test results from its proprietary blood-testing device. It is also being sued by patients and investors. Lost Major Business Partnership With Walgreens In June last year, Theranos' major business partner Walgreens said that it will end its collaboration with the company and decided to close all the blood-draw sites in all of its stores. The pharmacy chain faces lawsuits that patients filed against Theranos. Walgreens representatives said that Theranos misled the company about its technology and that it failed to accomplish the goals that the two companies have established in a contract. Regulators likewise meted out harsh sanctions, even imposing a ban on Holmes to prevent her from owning or operating a clinical laboratory for a period of two years. Two Waves Of Downsizing The Company In October 2016, Theranos said that it will close its labs and wellness centers in different states. It also announced that it will lay off 340 people. Now, the company is having its second wave of layoffs. It will fire 155 employees and leave a core team of 220 individuals in what it described as "further re-engineering." "The company has identified a core team of 220 professionals to execute on its business plans, and informed 155 employees that their positions have been eliminated," the company said in a statement. "These are always the most difficult decisions; however, this move allows Theranos to marshal its resources most efficiently and effectively." Theranos Plans The remaining employees will focus on developing the company's new product, a tabletop blood testing product called the miniLab, and bring it to the market. Holmes presented the blood-testing technology at a scientific conference session in the summer but it disappointed a crowd of scientist expecting that her presentation would reveal what went wrong with Theranos' proprietary and highly secretive blood testing device that was instrumental in making the company one of the hottest startups in recent years. Theranos' MiniLab Theranos' miniLab is a self-contained laboratory that allows a robot to run a number of tests on samples. The miniLab contains different modules that allow it to conduct a series of tasks that traditionally would require multiple and separate machines. "Our ultimate goal is to commercialize miniaturized, automated laboratories capable of small-volume sample testing, with an emphasis on vulnerable patient populations, including oncology, pediatrics, and intensive care," Holmes said. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rumors about Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 codenamed Ferrari are swirling online as consumers gear up for the next-gen handset to launch in September. Analysts are predicting that the arrival of the iPhone 8 could turn around Apple's fortunes drastically. Experts believe that the iPhone 8 will propel the company's revenue and help Apple smartphones notch up record sales of 86 million units in Q4 2017. iPhone 8 Forecasts In a note to investors, Jeffrey Kvaal and Gregory McNiff, analysts with Nomura Securities, shared that the next-gen iPhone from Apple i.e. the iPhone 8 would be instrumental in helping Apple rake in bigger profits. The analysts believe that in Q4 2017, a "supercycle" will be created which will act as a catalyst for making the iPhone 8 a bigger and more successful product than the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus received incredible response from consumers as they were the first Apple smartphones to sport the bigger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens. The analysts also forecast that the increase in the number of iOS subscriber base the number of users deploying iDevices will further fuel the sales of the iPhone 8. "Consensus calls for 80 million iPhones in F1Q18 (Dec '17) ... only modestly above the iPhone 6 supercycle (75 million). However, we estimate the iPhone 8 will launch into an iOS subscriber base 45-50% larger than the iPhone 6 did and model 86 million iPhones in F1Q18 (from 83 million)," noted the analysts. The increase in the iOS subscriber base since 2014 can largely be attributed to the iPhone 6 according to the experts who assert that the smartphone was responsible for driving up the user base by 35 percent. The ensuing devices contributed to a 5 percent to 10 percent increase in the iOS user base. With features like an edgeless display, glass body, elegant design and no physical home button, the iPhone 8 could be a major upgrade in terms of functionality and design. Analysts at Nomura expect that an iPhone 6 buyer is a potential buyer for the iPhone 8, which will likely be released in fall 2017. iPhone 8 Rumors According to reports, the iPhone 8 will feature a new design and novel features. The handset could have a curved screen like that of rival Samsung's Galaxy S7 edge. The successor of the iPhone 7 is also expected to offer wireless battery charging support. Rumors are rife that Apple is possibly revamping its current iPhone design. Amid speculations about the device's hardware being prepared in Israel, rumors suggest that for the first time in the history of Apple, the camera and Touch ID will be incorporated in the device's display. According to a previous Tech Times report, Apple could launch three models of the next-gen iPhone: two 4.7-inch models with TFT-LCD screens and a 5.5-inch iPhone with an OLED screen. The bigger model may also feature a dual-camera setup and Apple could release this variant of the handset with a curved OLED screen. The launch of three iPhones in 2017 will undoubtedly aid Apple in grabbing a substantial chunk of the smartphone market. While Apple is staying mum on its future plans, consumers and tech gurus alike are looking forward to the surprises the company has in store as it will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone this year. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Press Trust of India: The joint statement said the two prime ministers looked The joint statement said the two prime ministers looked forward to the signing of the Protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and to early ratification of the Social Security Agreement by Portugal to enable it to enter into force. Modi and Costa condemned extremism and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations, "irrespective of who the perpetrators are and of their motivations." advertisement "They called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing," the statement said. It further said: "They underlined that States should not support any terror entity including non-State actors on any grounds and that violent extremism fuelled by misuse of Internet and the social media needs to be countered." Costa, who had lived in Goa, said he felt proud for being able to return to India as Portugals Prime Minister. "This may be your first state visit to India, but you are neither a stranger to India, nor is India unfamiliar to you. So, in addition to extending a warm welcome on this chilly evening, I must also say, Welcome Back!," said Modi. On defence cooperation, Modi invited Portuguese companies to participate in the Make in India initiative and set up joint ventures and commercial partnerships based on joint production and technology transfer. Costa, who arrived here today on a 7-day visit, also said Portugal will continue to support Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council along with Brazil and another country from the African continent. The Portuguese PM will attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Bengaluru tomorrow and then will travel to Gandhinagar to attend the Vibrant Gujarat summit on January 10. He will also visit his ancestral home in Goa. Talking about UNs role, he said protection of human rights, rule of law and peaceful resolution of conflicts must be priority for all. Referring to Indias NSG bid, Portugal hoped that India will achieve its early membership. The other MoUs signed provided for cooperation in areas of information technology and electronics, agricultural trade including market access for agricultural products, deeper engagement in renewable energy and marine research. Both sides also agreed to accord priority to boost start- ups and creating a favourable ecosystems for entrepreneurship. "In this context, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on start-ups and the roadmap therein and called for regular exchanges between Start-Up India and Start-Up Portugal to boost business and enterprise," said the statement. A commemorative stamp celebrating two dance forms of the two countries were released. advertisement Recognizing the cultural and commercial significance of Indias film industry and its growing interest in Portugal, Costa agreed to facilitate enhanced collaboration to make Portugal a preferred filming destination for the industry. In this context, the two leaders looked forward to early conclusion of an Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement between the two countries, as a timely initiative to incentivize joint film production and boost cooperation in the vibrant film sector. (MORE) PTI MPB ABH --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) India and Portugal today inked seven pacts to expand bilateral engagement in a wide range of areas including defence and security, IT and renewable energy even as they took a veiled dig at China for blocking New Delhis move at the UN to list JeM Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. advertisement In wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and States harbouring them stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism. Modi, in a statement to the media, said he and Costa discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror. "Recognising the importance of the Central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee," a joint statement issued after the talks said. On December 30, China had blocked Indias move to list Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist, at the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. China was the only member on the 15-nation Committee to have opposed Indias move. The joint statement said both sides called for strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism in a spirit of zero tolerance, underlining that States should not support any terror entity including non-State actors on any grounds. The two leaders also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and sought adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN. The Prime Minister said his talks with Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, covered full range of India?Portugal ties across various sectors. "We agreed that the two countries must focus on action oriented approach to realize the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that," he said. Modi also thanked Costa for Portugals support to Indias membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The MoU on defence envisages cooperation meeting security challenges, including in the maritime domain and defence industries. MORE PTI MPB RG --- ENDS --- Private sector economists projected real GDP growth at just above zero for the next several quarters. | Read More Kareena Kapoor Khan was recently spotted with her sister Karisma, along with Malaika and Amrita Arora, outside a restaurant in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai. By India Today Web Desk: Kareena Kapoor Khan became a mother a little more than two weeks ago but she is already out on the streets, kicking ass. The Veere Di Wedding actor was spotted wearing an elegant red dress outside a restaurant in Pali Hill, Mumbai, along with sister Karisma Kapoor, and Amrita and Malaika Arora. Photo: Yogen Shah Photo: Yogen Shah advertisement Prior to the birth of Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi, Kareena was pretty active; from frequently making public appearances to doing photoshoots or walking the ramp, Kareena's baby bump did not hinder her from doing day-to-day activities. ALSO WATCH: Saif-Kareena become proud parents to a baby boy, Taimur ALSO READ: Kareena wants Taimur to be a cricketer like grandpa Tiger Pataudi Kareena's active lifestyle during her pregnancy earned her a lot of fans among India's women. However, that she and her husband Saif Ali Khan named their son Taimur after the dreaded 14th century conqueror earned her a lot of detractors. On the work front, Kareena will be seen this year in Veere Di Wedding alongside Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar. ALSO WATCH: Saif and Kareena become parents to a baby boy, Taimur --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Pakistan has done evil things in Kashmir but ultimately the "evil forces would be defeated by the khudai taqat (divine power)", senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar told a gathering of Kashmiri youth here. Kumar said "Kashmir, Kashmiri and Kashmiriyat is an ilm (knowledge) and no one can denigrate that. advertisement "I have seen Kashmir from Jammu to Ladakh, from Doda to Rajouri, and I can tell you that guns dont give lives but take lives. It doesnt educate you but snatches your education. It doesnt give you comfort but fear," he said at the conference of Kashmiri students organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an RSS affiliate. "Pakistan has bedeviled its own soil and has done evil things in Kashmir. But, ultimately evil forces would be defeated by the divine power (khudayi taqat), which the Kashmiris are followers of," Kumar said. Violent protests for months last year had hit hard normal life and resulted in shutdown of schools and death of 86 people in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The manch, set up in 2012 with Kumar as marg darshak, seeks to bring the Kashmiri youth "to the mainstream", with the RSS leader asserting that "Kashmir is for all Indians and rest of India for all Kashmiris." "The tricolour was there in Kashmir and it will be there in Kashmir... Also, Indians go to Kashmir and bring tourism and prosperity there, and Kashmiris should go to any part of India, get skilled and contribute to the growth of the state and the country," Kumar added. The RSS leader said the conference would be a beginning for a new chapter, and people would "script a new Kashmir and a new India". Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who could not attend the programme, sent a message which was read out by a senior official at the conference. "Programmes like this conference would enhance interaction of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India and promote brotherhood among people. We are committed to development of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Rs 80,000-crore package announced by the Centre last year, is being implemented and monitored duly. "But, development cannot take place when we are amid separatist and destructive forces. I urge people there to not be misled by those, but walk with us," Singh said in his message. PTI KND AKK --- ENDS --- Officers arrested a second person in a case where a woman was locked in a Baton Rouge hotel room where she was forced to stand and withstand verbal and physical abuse, according to an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office report. Johnnie Eugene Diggs, 59, of 8763 Caliente Ave., Denham Springs was booked on false imprisonment and forcible sexual battery. Denham Springs woman accused of imprisoning person in hotel, beating her while displaced by flood A flood victim from Denham Springs is accused of keeping her sister locked in an East Baton Officials arrested Cheryl Miller, 55, of 8763 Caliente Ave., Denham Springs on Dec. 28. Officials say that Diggs and Miller kept the woman locked in a hotel room between Oct. 30 and Nov. 22 while they were out of their Denham Springs homes due to the flood. The victim's mother drove her to the hotel from Florida so that she could visit. Diggs is now accused of inappropriately touching the victim multiple times while she was forced to stand against a wall in the hotel room, according to the report. While in the hotel room, investigators say that Miller forced the victim to stand up against a wall and did not allow her to use the bathroom, forcing her to urinate and defecate on herself. Miller also allegedly beat the woman when she tried to leave the hotel room. The group moved back into the pair's Denham Springs home on Nov. 22 and the woman was picked up by her mother, who yelled at Miller, on Nov. 29, officials say. The victim initially reported the incident to Denham Springs Police around Nov. 30. The woman was advised to also file a complaint with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. At the end of July, as homicides in the parish continued to surge far ahead of last year's pace and the number of domestic violence killings The cold in Baton Rouge was biting, but was it a record? "Not even close," said a National Weather Service expert. Temperatures reached as low as 22 degrees in Baton Rouge Saturday morning, but didn't set any records despite recent trends. The mark for cold on the same date (Jan. 7) was set as recently as 2014, when temperatures dropped as low as 19 degrees. With temperatures likely to dip back into the 20s Saturday night into Sunday morning, it's still unlikely to touch the record mark of 20 degrees set on the same date (Jan. 8) in 2015. A hard freeze warning remains in effect remains in effect for most of Louisiana. *HARD FREEZE WARNING* for the shaded area. Temperatures are expected to drop below 25. #WBRZwx pic.twitter.com/oA1KIt4tJu WBRZ Weather (@WBRZweather) January 7, 2017 UPDATE, 7:30 a.m., Saturday With temperatures lingering at or below freezing levels, motorists should avoid unnecessary travel due to the potential for hazardous conditions, warns Louisiana State Police. Temperatures were in the low 20s in the Baton Rouge area early Saturday morning, with a hard freeze warning and wind chill advisory both in effect until midday. The high temperature for Saturday was projected to be 38 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, with a low of 20 degrees overnight into Sunday. Wind chill values could reach as low as 12 degrees. 6AM: wind chill data has dropped offline in #BatonRouge, but last update three hours ago was at 12... surrounding areas between 8-15 pic.twitter.com/Rym2DId739 Josh Eachus WBRZ (@Josh_Eachus) January 7, 2017 Audubon Bridge remains closed, said state police early Saturday morning. UPDATE, 10 p.m. Friday Temperatures dropped into the low 30s in the Baton Rouge area late Friday, with a winter weather advisory and hard freeze warning in effect until mid-day Saturday. Temperatures were expected to drop as low as 23 degrees, but most of the precipitation had moved out of the area. Temperatures are expected to remain low through Sunday, with a high of 47 degrees. The weather is expected to improve by Monday, with temperatures rising back into the 60s. ORIGINAL STORY South Louisiana homeowners and businesses braced for an advancing cold front on Friday that was expected to bring frigid weather and some frozen precipitation during the weekend, possibly creating hazards on roadways and bridges as temperatures dipped into the mid to low 20s and winds causing the air to feel much colder. At least one local homeless shelter was busy scouring the streets Friday urging people with no place to go to come out of the cold and into their warm beds because of the hard freeze. Courts, many local government offices and a handful of school districts in East Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes shut down early Friday. Late Friday afternoon, the Department of Transportation and Development reported the Audubon Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River between U.S. 61 near St. Francisville and New Roads, had been closed because of the inclement weather conditions. CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF CLOSINGS (so far, closings only affecting Baton Rogue area) Meanwhile, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development continued to deploy salt and deicing equipment near bridges and thoroughfares throughout the region in anticipation of the freezing temperatures, which could ice roadways that were soaked by heavy rainfall on Friday. Live weather updates below or click here: "We started on Thursday moving salt and deicing equipment to staging areas," DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett said. "Our staff will be on hand for the next 24 hours studying road conditions." "We're mainly concerned with bridges because they'll freeze before the roads do," he added. Similar measures were taking places in outlying parishes as well. For instance, in Tangipahoa, crews were sanding bridges ahead of Friday night's overnight freeze. In addition to the efforts to keep roads ice free, state and local officials encouraged residents to to stay inside until temperatures warm some on Saturday. "The frozen precipitation currently predicted, along with low temperatures, will likely cause icing on roadways that are elevated, and make travel very dangerous," newly-seated Mayor-President Sharon Broome said in a news conference Friday afternoon that she held from the Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The mayor-president urged people to check exposed water pipes and to protect their pets and plants. She also advised special caution when using space heaters or other supplemental heaters, asking them to check their smoke detectors and make sure they are working. On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for East Feliciana, Northern Tangipahoa, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, Washington and West Feliciana parishes. Around 10:30 a.m. Friday, the weather advisory was extended to also include East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston and five other surrounding parishes. A hard freeze warning went into effect from midnight Friday until 11 a.m. Saturday as a wintry mix of freezing rain, light sleet and scattered thunderstorms that could produce hail was expected to move through the region. Advisories predict cold air and strong winds will cause the wind chill to dip to 10 degrees to 15 degrees around sunrise Saturday morning. Wind chill advisories and hard freeze warnings will likely remain in effect Saturday night into Sunday morning. Temperatures are expected to only climb into the lower to mid-40s Saturday and Sunday and dip back into the low 20s Saturday night and low 30s Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service. Those kind of temperatures are usually enough to send the region's homeless population into shelters, but Michael Acaldo, president and CEO of the Society St. Vincent de Paul, said volunteers with the faith-based organization still had to do outreach services Friday to get as many displaced individuals and families off the streets this weekend as possible. "Some people just refuse to do that because of illness or drug addiction. We pretty much beg and plead for them to come off the streets," Acaldo said Friday morning. "But I'm expecting tonight and tomorrow night will be busy. We're preparing an extra 40 beds." The organization has a more than 100 beds in the various shelters it runs throughout the community. St. Vincent de Paul workers also handed out coats, hats and gloves to anyone who didn't accept their invitations to shelter beds, Acaldo said. Concern for residents who may still be living in homes impacted during the historic floods in August also concerned many officials Friday because some of those homeowners are still struggling with repairs and rehab work on homes that are now gutted. A housing specialist this week said gutted homes are especially vulnerable to freezing and bursting pipes because they lack insulation and working heating systems. "If it gets to the point we need to provide warming stations to them, we will," said JoAnne Moreau, director of the East Baton Rouge Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. "But that's going to be based on demand, and right now, there's no demand for it. But we are making preparations in case that is needed." DALLAS (AP) The suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida airport used a gun that he had stored in his checked luggage, raising questions about airport security and whether safety officials need to change the current rules. Esteban Santiago, 26, retrieved his gun from his bag on the carousel, loaded it in a bathroom of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, then emerged shooting in the baggage-claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration rules prohibit guns in carry-on bags, but they allow passengers to ship guns if they are unloaded, put in a hard-sided, locked container that only the owner has the ability to unlock, and placed in a checked bag. Explosive or flammable ammunition such as gun powder is banned, but bullets are legal if carried in checked baggage. That means gun owners can't get to their weapons during a flight but can easily retrieve and load them after claiming their checked bags. Family: Fort Lauderdale shooting suspect 'lost his mind' after tour in Iraq The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage at a Florida airport had "This guy found a way to exploit a weakness in the system," said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst in San Francisco. A ban on shipping guns in luggage would hurt law-abiding hunters, he said, "but I don't think the TSA and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) can ignore what happened. How many airline passengers today are worried that they are vulnerable?" This is not the first shooting using weapons in checked baggage. In 1972, three members of the Japanese Red Army terror group retrieved guns and grenades from their bags after landing in Tel Aviv, Israel, and killed 26 people. "This guy followed the script from 1972," said Jeffrey Price, an aviation-security expert who teaches at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Price said that banning guns in luggage might have prevented Friday's attack but wouldn't stop a determined killer. "What's to stop him from driving to the airport, parking his car, getting his gun and going into the airport and shooting people?" Price said. A TSA spokesman referred The Associated Press to the agency's current rules but declined to comment further, including on whether Friday's shooting would lead to a review of those rules. The TSA does not track the number of guns that passengers place in checked bags, but it is not a rare practice. Most airlines detail their gun-carrying policies on their websites. Santiago had flown out of Anchorage, Alaska. So many hunters from the Lower 48 visit Alaska that the state's Fish and Game Department also describes on its site how to travel with guns. Price noted that passengers wishing to check guns must declare them and show that they are unloaded. He said airlines often have the gun inspected by TSA officers in another part of the airport. It's enough of an inconvenience, he said, that he tells hunters to mail or use a delivery service to ship the gun to their destination. The TSA has been confiscating more guns from carry-on bags. Screeners took away 2,653 guns in 2015, up 20 percent from 2014. The TSA frequently tweets photos of the arsenal that it scoops up at checkpoints. But a wrongly-programmed computer need have no such scruples. Even better, its decisions can be presented as objective, hard to overturn. Data scientist Cathy O'Neil outlines scores of examples in her new book Weapons of Math Destruction, from the systems used by credit rating agencies in the lead up to the global financial crisis, to systems that automatically select teachers for the sack on the basis of secret algorithms that grade performance, to systems that deny people job interviews on the basis of proxies for mental health, even though that's illegal. They are used because they are quick rather than accurate. As an expert told O'Neil, the primary purpose of a workplace hiring system is "not to find the best employee, but to exclude as many people as possible as cheaply as possible". By necessity, they do it unfairly. People who are wise to the systems will mention the right words in job applications to get to the top of the pile. As she says, they are usually not from racial and ethnic minorities. Here, it's the persistent and well-resourced people who get the better of Centrelink. They are unlikely to be the hardest up. Many of the automated systems are malicious, created to do harm in the guise of providing a service. The formula used by Centrelink produces consistently false estimates of debts by dividing by 26 the annual wages employers report paying in order to overestimate income received during the smaller number of fortnights claimants get benefits. Police are hunting for a man and woman who are believed to have used stolen bank cards just hours after they were taken from a Chermside home during a burglary on Tuesday. Detectives believe the pair could assist with their inquiries after a Kelso Street house was broken into and property, including bank cards, were stolen. Police would like to speak to this man over a burglary on January 3, after he, along with a woman, used stolen bank cards just hours after they were taken from the Chermside home. Credit:Queensland Police Service The burglary happened in the early hours of the morning and about 7am a man and woman used one of the cards at businesses in Sandgate and Virginia, in Brisbane's north. Indonesia has condemned a small protest "in the strongest terms" after an activist broke into its consulate in Melbourne on Friday and held up the West Papuan flag. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry has requested Australia take action to prevent a similar incident happening, highlighting the sometimes delicate relationship between the two countries. The West Papuan flag Credit:Reuters Earlier this week, Indonesia temporarily suspended military ties with Australia over material taught at an army base in Perth. The teaching material related to sensitive issues for Indonesia, including West Papua's bid for independence. Indonesia has since backed down on the suspension. However, its military chief Gatot Nurmantyo maintains the curriculum taught at the Perth army barracks is "too painful to explain" because it allegedly discredited Indonesia's military. By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 7 (PTI) A 12-year-old student from Marathwada region has become talk of his village for erasing the mention of his caste from the school attendance record. Rohan Bhosle, a seventh standard student of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) school at Pargaon village in Ashti tehsil of Beed district, deleted the mention of his caste from the school attendance sheet recently, which won praise from classmates and teachers. advertisement Prateeksha Shirole, Rohans classmate, said he took the muster sheet, pulled out a pen and rubbed the blue ink on the column which had mention of his caste. Somnath Walke, Rohans teacher said, "I was shocked and wondered as to why Rohan did that." "When I asked him why he erased his caste, he said, Sir, you regularly teach us in classroom about equality. Everybody has only one caste: humanity. Nobody should ask the other as to what his caste is," the teacher said. Rohans parents are farmers. His father Suresh and mother Manda said, they were surprised that Rohan had taken such a "revolutionary" step. PTI VT NP BAS --- ENDS --- Thought all the shark sightings along Victorian beaches in the past few weeks were just a coincidence? Think again. Large numbers of sharks including the odd great white are being lured to the popular surf coast due to numerous schools of bait fish, and authorities are worried. A helicopter conducts a patrol at Point Lonsdale beach on Friday. Several beaches along the Surf Coast have been closed due to shark sightings in the past week. Credit:Anna Sublet Bait fish numbers have exploded this year thanks to unseasonable rainfall at the end of 2016. The downpours washed more nutrients than usual into the ocean, boosting fish populations. And on Saturday, sharks weren't the only species causing trouble on the state's waterways. Police are looking for a group of teenagers following a fire at Melville Primary School. The suspicious blaze was spotted around 7.25pm on Friday and caused significant damage to the school before firefighters put it out. Police are looking for a group of teenagers following a fire at Melville Primary School on Friday night. Credit:Helene Lembetsos/6PR Police say a group of teens was seen in the area at the time. Investigators from the arson squad and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services will be examining the scene on Saturday. Beirut: At least 48 people were killed on Saturday in the Syrian border town of Azaz after a truck bomb ripped through a busy marketplace. Footage from the rebel-held area showed residents running from the blast site, some holding small children, as black smoke and the din of car alarms filled the air. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group collating reports from Syria, said the explosion came from a fuel or water tanker truck. Six of the dead were rebel fighters, it said. The rest were civilians. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came amid a stuttering nationwide cease-fire backed by Turkey and Russia, now two of the most important diplomatic powers in Syria's five-year-old war. The most worrying aspect of the burgeoning relationship between Russia and the Philippines is the focus on counter-terrorism. For decades, Moscow has unleashed a brutal counter-terrorism campaign in Chechnya, which should not become a model for Rodrigo Duterte's counter-terrorism operations in Mindanao. On January 3 after a four-day visit to the Philippines, Eduard Mikhailov, a senior Russian naval officer, stated the Russian Navy is willing to help the country fight against terrorism. "The problem here is terrorism ... You have the task to fight this problem and we will show you what we can do," he said during a media interview. Russian Ambassador to the Philippines, Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev, reiterated Moscow's support, stating they are willing to provide sophisticated arms to the Philippines, including light weapons, submarines and helicopters. Moscow is no novice when it comes to dealing with terrorism, with Islamic militants continuing to threaten Russia's stability until this day. Most of the terror attacks stem from instability in Chechnya, a region that historically fought for independence from Moscow. The Drive Home II - Another Journey To NAIAS in Vintage Detroit Iron +VIDEO LEARN MORE: 2017 NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show) Press Pass Coverage THE DRIVE HOME II Another Intrepid Journey in Vintage Detroit Iron By Steve Purdy Potos by William Hall and Steve Purdy The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau Why do you suppose this courageous group of vintage car enthusiasts would liberate 3 old cars from a west coast museum and drive them thousands of miles in often-treacherous, dead of winter to bring them home to Detroit where they were all built? The simple answer is: because someone really needs to do it, and because they can. Leader of the team, museum CEO David Madeira, and his co-conspirators believe that these wonderful old cars need to be driven, not just left on static display in a museum. I think he is right. Thats why I joined them for at least part of the drive. The cars are all what is commonly known as Detroit iron from the hay-day of U.S. auto dominance, the 1950s and 1960s. They are: a 1957 Chevy Nomad, the stylish 2-door station wagon that has become an icon of design; a 1961 Chrysler 300G, the high performance version of that big, brash, massively-finned luxury car: and a 1966 Mustang, the first generation of the car that created a whole new segment in the market beginning the pony car trend. They all normally reside at the LeMay - Americas Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington and have been thoroughly prepared for the journey, including being shod with the best Michelin snow treads. The project is to show them off across the country on their way to be put on display at Januarys North American International Auto Show in Detroit an inspired project cooked up by Mr. Madeira, and auto show boss Rod Alberts. Last year the cars went from the museum in Tacoma to Detroit in 11 days with an amazing lack of mechanical problems and only a few weather issues right at the start. That trip resulted in great stories and connections with car lovers all along the way. This reporter joined that drive in Boise, Idaho for three of those days arriving in Denver on New Years Eve. The best part of that journey, I thought, was driving that gracefully wallowing old Chrysler over Loveland Pass at 11,000 feet sliding down the other side without accessing the ditch even once. This year marks the second running of The Drive Home taking the same cars on an entirely different route - down the east coast from Boston to New York City then Washington DC back to Pennsylvania, west to Indianapolis, and up to Northern Michigan before finishing in Detroit. One other old car joined the trip this year - J.D. Rockefellers massive, custom-built 1917 Crane Simplex touring car with body by Brewster that is celebrating its 100th birthday. It spent its road time mostly in a big enclosed trailer towed by the support truck. The Crane only came out for display and a little ceremonial driving, including our final run down Woodward Avenue. More on that later. This year I joined the drive for the last few days here in Michigan, from Grand Rapids north to Traverse City, then back south to Lansing and finally Detroit. While the weather was decent until they got to Michigan our courageous crew of LeMay museum employees, volunteers and a journalist or two, were not so fortunate with the cars mechanically. The Mustang began puking transmission fluid in Times Square, the Nomad suffered a disconnected valve lifter in Pittsburgh and an unexpected oil level scare on the New Jersey Turnpike, then the poor old Chrysler had brake issues off and on and finally a broken axle in Indiana putting it out of commission for the rest of the trip. Bummer! One of the event sponsors, Hagerty Insurance of Traverse City, did a masterful job, Im told, of helping manage some of these problems, particularly the ones requiring a tow. All agree, though, the on-site hero was Dale, the guy in charge of the support truck and trailer, who repeatedly fixed the cars along the way. He had his hands full every day to be sure. They had to flat-bed the Chrysler back to Detroit while parts were ordered and arrangements made to get it repaired by the time the others were scheduled to arrive a few days later. They had no real weather issues until I joined up with them in Grand Rapids, MI for the last few days of the drive. A serious cold front blasted across Lake Michigan just as they arrived bringing low double-digit temps with 30 mph winds and just enough horizontal snow to glaze the roads thoroughly. Wind chill indexes hovered at or below 0-degrees. At an early morning cars-and-coffee reception a TV news interview out on the street had us struggling the old Crane Simplex out of the trailer for the cameras. It felt like frostbite was threatening by the time we got everything packed up and the cars headed north for Traverse City. What would be a two-hour drive in normal conditions took nearly four as the lake-effect snow continued to blow in from the west keeping the roads slicker than snot on a doorknob. But the old cars heaters kept us adequately warm as we skated along for those couple hundred miles without incident, though a big new Ford pickup slid off into the median a rolled onto its side passing our support truck. Dale stopped to call 911 for him. I was at the wheel of the Mustang for that leg of the journey and it handled surprisingly well on the crusty ice and snow covering the road surface. It felt like a heros welcome at Traverse City where the Hagerty Insurance company, largest employer in that touristy northern Michigan town, hosted both an afternoon reception and a luxurious dinner for the group. Dinner was in the building where they keep a large, eclectic collection of classic and collector cars used in part for training employees at all levels. Even phone bank staff members go out there to work on the old stuff. The roads were no better as we headed back south the next morning for an early afternoon reception in the Lansing area then on to the finish in Detroit by evening. We kept the cars out of the ditches, unlike a few other unfortunate cars along the way. About half way through our final days drive the roads cleared up and it was smooth sailing to the finish though still mighty cold. After a richly deserved night of rest the final jaunt, or we could call it a modest parade, along famous Woodward Avenue took the cars including the 1917 Crane Simplex about 15 miles from the northern suburb of Troy downtown to the rapidly redeveloping center of the city where a media event was prepared. We kept the cars together with the help of the Michigan State Police who helped us through many red lights. Museum director Madeira with two hearty passengers led the procession with the Crane. All were well bundled up, of course. The temperature was around 10-degrees and that old girl has no side curtains. Mr. Madeira and both his passengers reported surviving that drive on pure adrenalin. All were still grinning when they arrived at the finish. I rode shotgun downtown in the hastily repaired old Chrysler. She purred like a massive lap cat riding smoothly on her new axle. Before we left Troy all the cars got washed (unlike last year when we intentionally kept them in the patina of the road) and glowed in the intermittent, but still mighty cold, sun. Folks along the route were obviously surprised to see this odd procession. These hearty old cars will remain on display in Cobo Center throughout the full run of the North American International Auto Show. As the others get shipped back to Tacoma after the show the Mustang will stick around Detroit all summer where it will participate in shows, cruises and other events continuing The Drive Home project. And, it now appears the decision has been made that well see The Drive Home III next year. Theyre seriously thinking about starting this one in south Florida. Count me in! Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions, All Rights Reserved Two CRPF jawans were injured in a bomb blast in Imphal West today. By Manogya Loiwal : Two CRPF jawans have been injured in bomb explosion in Imphal today. The incident occurred around 6.20 pm. An IED Planted near a culvert at Naoremthong Khulem Leikai in Imphal West under the Jurisdiction of Lamphel Police Station. The two jawans were staying in a rented room and met with the unfortunate incident while they were riding bicycles to purchase charcoal from nearby market. One is critically injured. advertisement They were rushed to Shija Hospital. A team of high ranking officers of Manipur Police and CRPF rushed to the spot and stock of the situation. A search operation has been conducted in the areas near the blast site. No one has been arrested so far. On the other hand, no underground militant group has claimed responsibility for the explosion till now. With inputs from Jit Ningomba from Imphal, Manipur. Also read: Manipur: Triple blast in Imphal, no injuries reported Curfew imposed in Manipur after protesters opposing Naga economic-blockade burn down buses --- ENDS --- LL Beachwear Help fund TBW for as little as $3 Search This Blog Blog Archive Blog Archive October (17) September (9) August (6) July (8) June (5) May (2) April (7) March (10) February (5) January (7) December (12) November (12) October (16) September (20) August (29) July (18) June (12) May (4) April (14) March (21) February (27) January (56) December (27) November (43) October (43) September (48) August (39) July (37) June (27) May (12) April (41) March (49) February (89) January (106) December (72) November (67) October (21) September (28) August (29) July (45) June (56) May (27) April (28) March (32) February (36) January (45) December (37) November (53) October (45) September (40) August (63) July (54) June (46) May (51) April (54) March (64) February (62) January (94) December (71) November (75) October (87) September (84) August (72) July (82) June (71) May (69) April (103) March (126) February (108) January (80) December (72) November (57) October (3) September (54) August (74) July (107) June (66) In studying Americans, our Residency in Italy identified a number of places visited by Americans working in target installations of interest to our Intelligence Service. It was possible to determine that Americans in Rome systematically frequent the same bars, restaurants, and places of recreation. Americans feel almost at home in these places: they drink a great deal, are very free in their conduct and frequently sing. American women, especially the wives of Americans who are away on temporary assignments, drink and have relations with other men. There is something almost reassuring in this observation, taken as it is from an old KGB manual on recruiting American agents both inside and outside the United States. Quite apart from the unintentional comedy of seeing reproduced such a dime-store psychoanalytic stereotype of the boorish and loud bourgeois abroadwhose repressed housewife of course keeps a secret rendezvous with the decanter and the swarthy Mediterranean neighborwe have in the current age of Cold War 2.0 a helpful reminder that it used to be difficult for Russian spies to envision the lives of others. The American past has become just as much an ideological battleground as contemporary politics. Conservatives hail the enduring wisdom of the Founding Fathers, while liberals and leftists condemn them for protecting slavery. The same New Deal that right-wingers damn as an assault on individual freedom was, for the left, a period when unions grew strong and the federal government helped citizens who could not help themselves. The Trump ascendancy has us arguing whether America was ever great and, if so, when that may have been and why. But when writing about one of the most significant events in the nations history, the combatants lay their weapons aside. Most historians on both the left and right agree that the United States should never have intervened in the First World War. Bankers may have drawn the U.S. into the war, assert Larry Schweikart and Michael Patrick Allen, the conservative authors of A Patriots History of the Modern World, and then President Woodrow Wilson committed egregious violations of civil rights through the Espionage and Sedition Acts. The radical filmmaker Oliver Stone and his co-author of The Untold History of the United States agree: Economic interests clearly placed the United States in the Allied camp and then Congress passed some of the most repressive legislation in the countrys history. What explains this rare concurrence of views? Both sides essentially echo the lament Senator William J. Stone, a Missouri Democrat and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voiced when casting his vote early against declaring war on Imperial Germany in April, 1917: I wont vote for this war because If we go into it, we will never again have the same old Republic. For conservatives, that republic was one in which the powers of the states dwarfed those of the national government. Few Americans paid income tax until World War I, and the U.S. had neither the force nor the will to compel other nations to model themselves on us. But by taking the nation into war and instituting a draft, Wilson equated progressivism with federal might and endless crusading abroad. Leftists, of course, cheer federal power when it is used to defend civil rights and redistribute wealth. But they blast Wilsons decision to jail such dissenters from war as Eugene Debs, the leading Socialist, and Emma Goldman, the great exponent of feminism and free love, as well as hundreds of others. And they charge that the presidents famous declaration that the world must be made safe for democracy paved the way for future interventions in Central America, Vietnam, and the Mideast that killed millions of people and utterly failed to achieve any visionary purpose. A century ago, the Americans who opposed hurling young men into the maelstrom that was destroying Europe were also a remarkably diverse lotdemographically as well as politically. The large anti-war coalition ranged from anarchists like Goldman to progressives like Senator Robert La Follette and William Jennings Bryan to black radicals like A.P. Randolph and white supremacists like Rep. Claude Kitchin of North Carolina, the majority leader of the House. They made two different but complementary arguments against either preparing for war or waging it. One was quite radical; it gestured toward a future world of democratic nations that would have neither a cause nor the will to take up arms again. Joining the Allies, they feared, would extinguish the passion for global amity on which any hope of abolishing war depended. The second argument was largely defensive. It sought to preserve the supposed virtues of the prewar republic against the malignant growth of a state equipped to fight endless wars. Evoking the traditional populist mistrust of concentrated power, politicians like Kitchin hoped to rally ordinary Americans to reject a future in which they would be forced to pay higher taxes to satisfy the hunger of political and economic elites for world domination. They accused Wall Street financiers, munitions manufacturers, and their political allies of hoodwinking Americans into believing in a nonexistent threat to the security of their beloved homeland. After the war ended, the anti-militarists would peel off in opposite directionseither toward utopian ventures for peace and, for some, working-class revolution, or against any ideology, whether Socialist or Wilsonian, that aspired to perfect the world. But until Congress declared war in 1917, they were united in their urgent desire to stop the country from repeating the fateful mistake made by Europeans who believed they could avoid war if only they were strong enough to fight one. *** No such coalition could exist during the next world war and the early years of the Cold War that followed. The battles against fascists and then Communists made so-called isolationists of whatever stripe seem unpatriotic or worse. Then came the debacle of Vietnam. President Lyndon Johnson justified sending over 500,000 troops against a peasant army battling in its own land by explaining, We fight because we must fight if we are to live in a world where every country can shape its own destiny only in such a world will our own freedom be finally secure. But another massive anti-war coalition, including many Republicans, made the case, with increasing success, that this Wilsonian dream, like the original version, was doomed to failure. One of the changes the U.S. defeat in Vietnam helped bring about was a deep reluctance on the part of most Americans to hurl what remains the worlds most potent military machine into world-saving wars. Popular majorities did support the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and of Iraq in 2003. But most did so to revenge the terrorist atrocities of September 11 and prevent new ones, not because President George W. Bush assured U.S. troops that the peace of a troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people now depend on you. Long before those interventions stretched on into a second decade, the public had grown cynical about the mission, while still honoring the men and women in uniform struggling to complete it. Amid persistent economic troubles and political conflict at home, Americans increasingly adopted what the political philosopher Michael Walzer calls the default position of the left on interventions abroad: The best foreign policy is a good domestic policy. As a century ago, that reluctance to go crusading abroad was not merely the province of leftists like Bernie Sanders. Just as small-government populists like Claude Kitchin had railed against intervening in the Great War, so libertarian conservatives like Ron Paul and George Will balked at sending the U.S. military overseas to fight a seemingly endless war on terrorism. The coalition that aimed to stop the United States from entering World War I thus bequeathed a profound, if unappreciated, legacy. It sowed an aversion to military intervention and, at times, the national security state strong enough to persuade some activists, politicians, and historians to put aside their mistrust of one anothers larger goals. We can never return to the same old republic, cherished by Senator William Stone. But that will not stop many Americans from wishing that we could. Michael Kazin is the author of the new book, War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914-1918. He teaches history at Georgetown University and is editor of Dissent magazine. The MLA was absconding and a lookout notice had recently been issued against him. He was nabbed after a raid in Guwahati. Julius Dorphang is a former leader of banned militant outfit HNLC in the state. He has been booked under the new Prevention of Child from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act. The case came to light last month when 14-year-old minor named the lawmaker in her statement before the state commission for protection of child rights. Julius Dorphang has been booked under IPC Section 366A and under POSCO Act Sections 3(A)/4. Editor's Note: This story has been updated throughout with new information. Dramatic changes in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, first reported in The Daily Beast, have continued in the past 24 hours. The vessel scouring the depths of the Indian Ocean made a high-speed dash on Friday northward to an area recently identified as far more likely to contain the remains of the jet. After making a sweep there, it pressed even further north on Saturday into an area where the seabed had not been previously mapped normally searches are conducted only where the underwater terrain has been detailed in three-dimensional charts. The Dutch-owned vessel Equator is using an autonomous underwater vehicle that is capable of navigating in terra incognita using its own sensors. This change of mission was detected by Dr. Richard Cole, of University College, London, who has been following the search operation for many months via satellite tracking. Cole told The Daily Beast that in its run north the Equator went as far as 34.4 degrees south before turning back on Sunday. After its run north Equator has now tracked back southwest at high speed to a point at 35.3 degrees south where it seems that the AUV is deployed again. Cole says that this latest location is inside an area that has been scanned twice before in an initial search and then again, last September, after data from the first search suggested that this should be an area of priority. Dan OMalley, a spokesman for Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which directs the search, told The Daily Beast: Equator is completing its final swing and gathering some sonar data in areas we havent previously completed. Equators search operations are expected to be completed by the end of January. It comes after the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, directing the search operations, admitted that the area of 46,000 square miles that has been searched for 27 months is unlikely to contain the remains of the jet. Equator was making its final sweeps in that area when it was suddenly diverted this weekend. Experts now believe that the most likely site of the wreck is further north of the original area, between latitudes 32 to 36 degrees south. David Griffin, one of the leaders of the scientific team that reassessed the likely location of the wreckage of the Boeing 777, has stressed to The Daily Beast that even though the teams work continues it might strengthen their conclusions but not alter them in any significant way. The last thing we want anyone to think is that the findings presented in our report are just preliminary in any way. The report was based on the analysis of more than 20 pieces of debris believed to be from the 777 that washed up on beaches in the western Indian Ocean analysis that reconstructed the journey of the debris across the ocean and then used this to calculate where it had originated. In 2014 and again late in 2015 searchers were alerted when sonar scans of the seabed indicated large items of debris in the original search area. On the second of those contacts the searchers were so sure they had found the wreck of MH370 at a depth 12,100 feet that they notified Australian politicians to be ready to announce a successful end to the search. On closer examination it turned to be the wreck of a late 19th century iron ship, 260 feet long. (The Malaysian 777 was 209 feet long.) MH370 disappeared in March, 2014, with 239 people on board,and the current search began in October 2014, based on the best scientific analysis then available. But the discovery of more than a score of pieces debris from the Malaysian 777 on beaches in the western Indian Ocean , beginning in the summer of 2015, has provided vital new guidance on where the jet likely spiraled down into the ocean, having run out of fuel. Now the $150 million funding for the search is exhausted and the Australian, Chinese and Malaysian authorities are facing increasing pressure to fund a new search in an area of 9,600 square miles to the north. An international group representing the families of the passengers, Voice 370, said Extending the search to the new area defined by experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety. However, Malaysias transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, has said that the search was at the final lap and indicated that a new search would not begin until results of the current search are published in a final report. He did not say when that would be. A melodramatic mix of half-truths, rants, and innuendoes made Wisconsins junior Senator Joseph P. McCarthy powerful and intimidating. By 1951, he had cowed some of the Senates all time all stars, including Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Estes Kefauver, Robert Taft, J. William Fulbright, and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. The rare senator willing at that time to confront this hit and run propagandist of the Soviet type was a rookie senator from Connecticut. For introducing a resolution to expel this blathering bully, William Benton suffered McCarthyite blowback, including a $2 million libel suit. Many also believe Bentons heroism lost him his Senate seat in 1952. Still, Benton insisted: Somebody had to do this job. Years later, as his legend grew, he would demur: Well of course I like to think I did a lot of things that showed courage in the Senate. But he admitted, it may have been in part because of my political inexperience. This political amateur also had something his other colleagues lacked: a real life awaiting back home. As a millionaire adman, publisher of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and owner of the Muzak Corporation, Benton could afford to be daring. Professional politicians, he would lament, too often underestimate the long-range values of boldness and stubbornness in defense of an ideal. As Americas new leaders take office, they should remember William Bentons courage, deciding what ideals they will champion, no matter what. Born in 1900 in Minneapolis, Benton was a true child of the 20th century who would master the business of mass communication. He was also the kind of preachers kid like Woodrow Wilson and John Foster Dulles who retained their parents puritan moralism even in the dirty world of politics. At Yale, class of 1921, he often felt treated like a Midwestern rube. After learning how to sell at the National Cash Register Company, Benton entered the world of secular American evangelismadvertisingworking for 1920s legendary agency, Lord and Day. In 1929, Benton launched Benton and Bowles with his former assistant Chester Bowles. Among the first to use consumer research surveys and radio advertising intelligently, they gave the world radio soap operasand jingles. Six years later, despite the Great Depression, rags-to-riches Benton sold his share in what was now Americas sixth largest agency for $1 million. Robert Hutchins, the University of Chicagos young, visionary president, recruited his prematurely retired Yale classmate in 1936 to redefine the schools image. Benton neutralized claims that the school schooled students in subversion, produced popular radio programs using faculty experts, and pioneered techniques in marketing universitieslessons Americas universities have learned far too well. Meanwhile, Benton bought Electric Research Products, Inc. (ERPI)an educational filmmaking company; Muzakwhich he turned profitable by shifting to producing background music; and the Encyclopedia Britannica. As Britannicas publisher, Benton made millions for himself and the university, popularizing highbrow culture for middlebrow types. Bentons faith in Hutchins University of Chicago methods would result in the phenomenal 54-volume Great Books of the Western World set, published in 1952. After a string of government jobs, Benton became assistant secretary of State for Public Affairs in 1945, initiating the Voice of America radio broadcasts, United States Information Offices, and Fulbright scholarly exchange programs. Four years later, Connecticuts Senate seat opened. His buddy Chester Bowles, now Connecticuts governor, appointed Benton. In 1950, Benton ran for the seat, despite it having only two years left in the term. Benton beat another Yalie, Prescott Bush, by 1,100 votes. As a Senate rookie and non-politician, Benton lacked the clubby loyalties and political sensibilities that silenced most colleagues when Joe McCarthy soared as the anti-Communist tub-thumper who roared. McCarthys Feb. 9, 1950 speech in Wheeling, Virginia, claiming 205 Communists infiltrated the State Department, made him Americas number one Commie-hunter. Even as his numbers shrank to 81 or 57, even as his tall tales grewhe became more fascinating and frightening. Although McCarthys scattershot libels missed more than they hit, his rhetoric resonated because Communists were trying to subvert Americaand many liberals dismissed the threat. When the Senate reconvened in January 1951, McCarthy was not only known as a reputation-killer but a kingmakerand breaker. Everyone believed his intervention defeated Millard Tydings, a senator since 1927. Tydings had chaired hearings labeling McCarthys crusade a fraud and a hoax. McCarthy claimed Tydings was protecting Communists, and spread a doctored photo falsely placing Tydings next to the American Communist Earl Browder. Protective of the State Department he had served and the Senate and nation he now served, Benton introduced Senate Resolution 187 demanding McCarthys expulsion. Bentons 30,000 word testimony on Sept. 28, 1951 detailed 10 justifications, including McCarthys breach of senatorial etiquette in libeling a colleague, Tydings, during Marylands Senate campaign, his unethical acceptance of $10,000, and his perjury and calculated deceit in falsifying charges against State Department employees and the American icon General George Marshall. McCarthys actions, Benton insisted, were destructive of fundamental American principles. The thin-skinned McCarthy counterattacked against Bentons smear attack so viciously, the Senate Rules committee felt compelled to investigate Benton and McCarthy together. Smearing Benton, McCarthy called the chameleon from Connecticut a mental midget, a clever propagandist worth millions a year to the Reds, with aims and objectives identical to the Communist Party, including shielding a motley Red-tinted crowd when he worked in the State Department. Bentons behavior proved the Democrats to be the party which stands for government of, by and for Communists, crooks and cronies, McCarthy fumed. During the hearings, he accused Benton, when at State, of hiring Communists and distributing lewd and communistic literature worldwide. McCarthy also caught Benton in two minor indiscretions regarding campaign contributions and supposedly nonpolitical but incredibly self-promoting travelogues Benton produced. McCarthy knew how to put critics on the defensive. While barraging Benton with lies, the brazen McCarthy then slapped Benton with a $2 million libel suit. McCarthy admitted to supporters the suit was frivolous. Still, he sneered that every morning as Benton shaved and realized he had to fight this expensive headachehell sweat. Trying to out-demagogue the demagogue, Benton called McCarthy a Joseph-Come-Lately in fighting Communists. Reflecting the consensus of the times, Benton boasted that he and other Democrats hunted Reds in the late 1940s, while McCarthy was a virtual unknown until 1950. Most of Bentons colleagues tut-tutted about the novice who had breached etiquette himself in trying to expel a fellow senator and was now tormented. One colleague jabbed that the Benton-McCarthy duo could make an ideal double murder. Eventually, despite labeling McCarthys assault on Tydings a despicable, back-street type of campaign, the committees final report criticized both and punished neither. When Benton lost his Senate seat in November 1952, many spooked Senators credited McCarthy. Benton would occasionally play the martyr, recalling being defeated on an issue of conscience. But he usually insisted that opposing McCarthy attracted donors and voters, just not enough to survive the Republican tidal wave for Dwight Eisenhower that fall. After his re-election, McCarthy haughtily dropped the libel suit. However, the historian David Oshinsky writes that McCarthy had won no more than a temporary reprieve. The Benton Resolution was not dead. It would live on and ultimately provide the basis for McCarthys censurethree long ugly years later. Eventually, Benton realized that he pounced two years before the timing was right. Still, Benton concluded: The press was astonishingly weak and wishy-washy. So was the Senate. Benton returned to his busy life beyond Washington. In 1958, he transferred his Britannica stock to the Benton Foundation, while remaining Britannicas publisher until his death in 1973. As McCarthyism became one of the great, overused American terms for demonizing your political enemies, the scale of the witch hunt was exaggerated as its underlying justification was overlooked. Those distortions made Benton appear even more gallant. Alas, his contribution has been eclipsed by the adoring stories about Joseph Welchs lawyerly broadsideHave you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?at the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings and Edward R. Murrows attack on McCarthys hysterical disregard for decency on CBS-TVs See It Now. Still, in our politically polarized and go-getting era, we need role models like Bill Benton. No one resigned on principle from Bill Clintons administration because he sexually harassed an intern. Colin Powell didnt resign in disgrace from George W. Bushs administration after presenting faulty information about Saddam Husseins alleged weapons of mass destruction. Even the crusader against genocide Samantha Power didnt resign in protest against Barack Obamas passivity amid the Syrian genocide. It is understandable why someone would serve in a Donald Trump administration. When the president calls, patriotic Americans should respond. But every Trump appointeeand all 535 Members of Congress and Senateshould emulate William Benton, the principled pol who rejected his colleagues groupthink to defend the dignity of their institution and our country, even as others ducked, dallied, and dodged. Additional Reading: David Oshinsky, A Conspiracy so Immense: The World of Joe McCarthy (1983)This masterwork by a master historian, still holds up. Thomas C. Reeves, The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy; A Biography (1982)The definitive biography. The Official U.S. Senate Report on Senators McCarthy and Benton (1953)Tracks these two master propagandists at war, blow-by-blow. Just call him Moscow Don Donald Trumps strange responses to increasingly detailed evidence that Russian intelligence services hacked into the email accounts of both Democratic and state and federal government targets during the 2016 election should cause alarm across party lines. His odd exhortation last week for the country to just move on to bigger and better things got worse this week, with his bland reaction to meeting with top intelligence officials, who went to Trump Tower to tell him in no uncertain terms what the rest of us already know: that Russia actively sought to interfere in the election by deploying hackers to steal Democrats emails, both to undermine Hillary Clinton should she become president, or to elect Donald Trump. For his part, Trump seemed only capable of focusing on reasserting the legitimacy of his election, clinging to the lack of a finding that Russians hacked into actual voting machines. But that was never the point. The point was that Russia deployed cybercriminals, who fed stolen emails to Wikileaks, and deployed trolls who spread made up, damaging news stories, including through the Russian propaganda arm RT and through American conspiracy theory peddlers like Infowars and random sites online, specifically to help him. And while he is not portrayed as an accomplice to the Russian operation in the intelligence report, the fact is, Trump actively pitched and sold the products of the Russian hackers and trolls and Wikileaks. He did so every day of the campaign, sometimes even going beyond the content and exaggerating it to his own benefit. Its left unsaid in the intelligence report, but the truth is, the Russian operation could not have succeeded without the help of Donald J. Trump. He alone among the Republican primary candidates, during the period of active hacking and email theft, was willing no, eager to use the looted material for the benefit of his campaign. Maybe thats why he cant walk away from Vladimir Putin and Julian Assange. But this bizarre coda to the campaign leaves still more questions, which should not cease being asked once the Kremlins candidate, whose victory touched off raucous cheers in the Russian Duma, takes the oath of office on January 20th. For one: when did Trump develop his pro-Russia ideology, and what drove it? Clearly, his affinity predates his good fortune at being the favorite of an adversarial foreign power determined to prevent its adversary from becoming the U.S. president. Journalist Sarah Kendzior has written extensively about Russias authoritarian kleptocracy and Trumps longtime attraction to it. She has dug up lots of documentation from the archives of mainstream and other U.S. media outlets showing Trumps attraction to Russia dating back to 1987, when he visited the then Soviet Union as a businessman, along with fellow political gadfly Ross Perot and their wives (in Donalds case, his first wife, Ivana.) The visit came while the Cold War was still simmering, and Vladimir Putin was active in the KGB. Was there something about that meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev that attracted Trump? Or did it happen before. We know from the public record that Trump once offered himself as Americas nuclear negotiator, and, having been turned down by the Reagan administration, was a vicious critic of the 40th president, under the tutelage of his still-henchman Roger Stone, over Reagans policy toward the then-U.S.S.R. According to Scott Dworkin, who is building up a file on Trumps business entanglements and conflicts of interest, the late 1980s was a period when Trumps crumbling empire, which was mired in bankruptcy found rescue. There are real questions to be asked whether that rescue came at least in part in the form of Russian oligarchs. Trump certainly had a fascination; even getting fooled in 1988 by a fake Gorbachev who Trump thought he had lured to a tour of his gleaming new Manhattan building: Trump Tower. Along the road to his present political success, Trump has faced numerous business failures, and been associated with some pretty shady characters, including one who reportedly ran a crime ring out of Trump Tower. Trumps eldest son and namesake has bragged that a substantial share of the family business is conducted with Russians. When Trump vastly overpaid for a Florida mansion, a Russian oligarch helped him unload it by snapping it up for a cool $95 million. Which leads to question number two: To whom does Donald Trump owe money, how much, and could that explain his fealty to Russia and its leaders? Trump has refused to release his tax returns, and is unlikely to do so, ever. Republicans in Washington, who are completely at his service, and busily scrambling to find U.S. tax dollars to pay for his Great Wall wont ever demand them. So well never know the extent of Trumps financial entanglements, absent some plum finds by investigative journalists. But we do know that Trump owes more than $650 million to foreign banks and entities, based on the reporting of the New York Times, on top of some $1.5 billion in liabilities to various Wall Street Banks. Russian officials claim to have had contact with members of Trumps team during the campaign++ although that is not easy to verify. And the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported finding apparent pings between a Russian bank and servers associated with the Trump campaign. Which leads to question number three: Why has Trump surrounded himself with so many Russian apologists, from Gen. Michael Flynn, his soon-to-be National Security Advisor, who was hired as a paid contributor by Russian propaganda outlet RT after being pushed out of the Defense Intelligence Agency for his recklessness with classified information and poor management skills; to Carter Page, the Trump campaign advisor who allegedly changed the RNC platform to remove a plank condemning Russias annexation of Crimea, to Trumps pick for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil oil man Rex Tillerson; a personal friend of Putins whose company had a $500 billion oil deal with Russia scuttled by U.S. sanctions over Putins invasion of Crimea. Even Trumps ubiquitous TV flack and now the communications director for the inaugural committee, Boris Ephshtein, is a Russian-born investment banker who once served as the moderator of an Invest in Moscow! conference in New York in 2013 before becoming a Republican talking head on cable TV. And theres Paul Manafort, the Trump Tower resident and paid apparatchik of Putinworld, who exited the campaign in the summer, except that he really didnt. Its not just the personnel. Trumps own actions raise the question of why he seems so compelled to make demonstrations of loyalty to Russia and its leader. Which brings us to question four: Were any of Trump's team aware of the plan Russia was executing to upend the presidential election? Stone, for one, has repeatedly boasted that he was in contact with Assange and privy to Wikileaks disclosures before they happened. And Russian officials claimed to have had contact with members of Trumps team during the campaign although that is not easy to verify. And the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported finding apparent pings between a Russian bank and servers associated with the Trump campaign Its not just the odd confluence of connections. Trumps own actions raise the question of why he seems so compelled to make demonstrations of loyalty to Russia and its leader. Which leads us to a final question: on what basis does Trump seem to so thoroughly trust Russia and Wikileaks? And what happens if Russia and Wikileaks someday turn on him? What if, say, his administration is ultimately unwilling to help spring Assange from that Ecuadorian embassy in London where hes hiding from rape charges, or in some other way crosses an organization that frequently takes a threatening tone with those who disagree with their tactics? What might the Russian government, and its cutout, have, or acquire, to use against the American president, or members of his party, or other Democrats who displease them or their friends in Moscow? (Wikileaks is now vowing to build a database of verified Twitter users, including their personal and financial information, which sounds an awful lot like a threat to dox its opponents. Could that threat extend to any opponents of Trump or Putin, too?) For now, Trump has transferred his trust and loyalty to Russia and Wikileaks onto his Republican followers and to his sycophants like Sean Hannity, who like Trump (and an apologetic Sarah Palin) have fallen in line behind Trumps newfound support for the disclosure of stolen material injurious to the United States. Hes even cowed some Republican lawmakers into going along: Alabama congressman Mo Brooks, who wanted to pre-impeach Hillary Clinton before she even got sworn in if shed won, refused this week to say whether he trusted Americas intelligence services more than he does Assange. But things change. Interests change. And while its unlikely that the 70-year-old Russophile in the White House will do much changing, things are bound to happen over the next four years that he, and the country, dont expect. And in life, the friends you make in the mud tend be even dirtier when they become your enemies. During the past few months, Scott Pruitt, Donald Trumps pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Rick Perry, Trumps pick to head the Energy Department, and Donald Trump himself have all said that they dont believe in climate change. The most upsetting part of their statements has been the misuse of the word believe. Religion is a belief system. You have to believe that Moses parted the Red Sea or that Lazarus was raised from the dead. Because these phenomena violate the laws of nature, they are matters of faith. Science, on the other hand, isnt a belief system. Its an evidence-based system. For example, you dont have to believe in the theory of evolution. All you have to do is examine 250,000 years of fossil records to know that humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor. You dont have to believe in the germ theory. All you have to do is recognize that vaccines, antibiotics, and sanitation programs have increased our lifespan by 30 years during the past century. And you dont have to believe in the theory of gravity. All you have to do is drop your pen. None of these concepts are theories any more. Theyre facts supported by evidence. So what about climate change? Where is the evidence? To know whether climate change exists, you need to answer only one question: Have human activities increased the amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the environment? The clearest answer to this question can be found in Michael Manns, The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy (Columbia University Press, 2016). Mann, a Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University, is a leader in the field. CO 2 is released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, all of which are derived from the remains of living organisms (hence the word fossil). Before the Industrial Revolution, scientists detected about 280 parts of CO 2 per million parts of atmosphere (parts per million or ppm). Today, that figure has risen to about 400 ppm. These studies, however, only looked back over the last 200 years or so. To look further back in time, scientists have examined ice cores generated in places like the North Pole, which allowed them to determine CO 2 concentrations thousands of years ago. Examination of these cores showed that we have now reached CO 2 levels in the atmosphere that havent been seen since the dawn of human civilization (about 10,000 years ago) and probably as long as 5 million years ago. The question at this point is who cares. Why does it matter that CO 2 levels in the atmosphere have increased? For this answer we turn to Joseph Fourier, a French mathematician and physicist, who made the single most important observation in all of climate science: CO 2 is a heat-trapping gas. As levels of CO 2 in the atmosphere increase, the temperature on the surface of the Earth will also increase. This is called the greenhouse effect. Sometimes people like Donald Trump, Scott Pruitt, and Rick Perry describe climate change as a controversial new science. In truth, its not new at all. Joseph Fourier made his observations in the early 1800s, well before Charles Darwin advanced his theory of evolution. Because of rising CO 2 levels, the Earths surface temperature has increased 1.5oF (1oC). This might not sound like a lot, but its already having an effect. The most obvious outcome has been a series of devastating heat waves, like those that recently affected Europe, India, and Pakistan. In the United States, record daily high temperatures have doubled during the past 50 years. Indeed, California is experiencing its worst drought in more than a millennium. Increased temperatures have caused a melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets, resulting in a rise in ocean levels of about 10 inches; by the end of the century it will be 3 feet. This 10-inch rise in ocean levels has already caused problems for low-lying island nations like those in the tropical Pacific. Rising oceans also provided for an ironic moment during the 2012 presidential race when Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney mocked President Barack Obama for expressing his concern. A few weeks later, Superstorm Sandy hit the coast of New Jersey. The global sea level rise added another 25 square miles and $2 billion to the devastation, according to Mann. Storms like Superstorm Sandy, once expected to occur every century, are now expected to occur every few years. Increasing numbers of heat waves, melting ice caps, and rising oceans arent the only problems caused by global warming. Warmer air holds more moisture than cooler air, producing more rain, snow, and flooding. Thats why it was possible for Texas (the home of Rick Perry) to experience both a record drought in the summer of 2011 and a record flood in the spring of 2015. Pestilence will also have its day. As the Earths surface warms, mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue, malaria, and Zika will spread beyond tropical regions. At present, about 30 billion tons of CO 2 are released into the atmosphere every year. At this rate, CO 2 concentrations should reach 550 ppm by midcentury. At that point, the earths temperature will have risen about 5.5oF (3oC), beyond the tipping point, when it will be too late to reverse the trend. Typically, geologists divide the Earths history into a series of eras, like Mesozoic or Paleozoic. The current era is called the Anthropocene, meaning that the biggest threat to the planet isnt meteors or tectonic shifts in land masses; its human activity. Its not too late. By turning away from fossil fuels and turning toward renewable sources of energy like those generated by the sun, wind, and rivers, theres still plenty of time to reverse this trend. The Paris climate summit in 2015 and President Obamas Clean Power Plan in the same year were good starts. And while it is reasonable for politicians to argue whether the programs that have been put in place have been the most efficient way to spend limited resources, it is madness to claim that the problem doesnt exist. The simple truth is that it will cost less money to curb CO 2 emissions today than to mitigate the problems created by the greenhouse effect tomorrow. Our politicians owe us that. If they care at all about their legacy, they need to stop denying what is plainly in front of them. Because, as noted by Raymond Aron, The judgment of history is without pity. Paul A. Offit, MD is a professor pediatrics and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. He is the author of Pandoras Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong (National Geographic Press, April 2017). "With a lot of hard work and good education, anything is possible, even becoming President," says Michelle. By India Today Web Desk: She is the new face of hope and courage. She is the voice of aspiration. She is the latest manifestation of the American dream. Breathing hope into youngsters with every word she spoke, Michelle Obama delivered her final speech as the First Lady yesterday at the White House. Michelle was addressing young Americans on the occasion of the 2017 School Counsellor of the Year. advertisement At a time when the entire world is being ripped apart by discrimination and bigotry, Michelle affirmed youngsters that part of the American tradition was to respect diversity. Be it people belonging to different races, creed or religion, be it an immigrant or a poverty-stricken individual, the country belonged to all of them. For ''glorious diversity is not a threat to who we are'' but ''it makes us who we are'', she asserted. Therefore, acknowledging religio-cultural differences is not enough; one has to practise one's values with pride. Also Read:Michelle Obama, US First Lady selects Indian-American girl for education campaign What drives one beyond the hurdles of life is the power of hope--hope that can combat every possible anxiety or fear. And so, Americans should be focused and hopeful, said Michelle. Every young American should passionately pursue the American Dream. And what can better embody the 'rags to riches' theory than the Obamas themselves! America is the melting pot of cultures and for Michelle, every citizen has the right to possess and celebrate their individuality. Freedom is essential but the strife towards it entails freedom of mind, which can only be achieved through education. Throughout her speech, she harped upon the importance of education as a means of critical thought and expression. Michelle's address indeed resonated as the voice of much-needed inspiration for a generation that is witnessing one of the darkest times in the history of civilisation. "Being your First Lady has been the greatest honour of my life; I hope I've made you proud," signed off the First Lady for the last time, visibly emotional, pledging to stand for the right cause all her life. Watch the video here: --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: A reputed international educational institution in Mumbai has been accused by a parent of apathy and following "inhuman rules" after his daughter suffered a serious injury while at school. In a letter addressed to other parents, the father of the senior kindergarten student claims that the school did nothing except provide basic first aid after a small part of his girl's little finger was chopped off following an accident in class. advertisement In the letter, the father says that around an hour after he dropped his daughter off at the school, he received a call from the institution informing him that his child had been hurt and asking him to pick her up. While his wife was on the way to the school, the father claims that the school called again, but did not offer anything more specific on his daughter's injury. The letter goes on to describe the mother's shock when she reached the school and found her daughter bleeding in the school's medical room. The two teachers who were with her, reportedly handed the mother a plastic bag containing a part of the girl's little finger. The father writes that he and his wife learnt that their child was injured after getting her finger caught in a door that was being shut by a teacher. The letter alleges that not only did the school fail to take the girl to a doctor, the institution also avoided informing the parents about the extent of their daughter's injury during the phone calls. Instead, the child was made to sit in a medical room with only basic first aid being provided. According to the father, the school offered a "lame excuse" of not having an undertaking from him as the reason for not rushing the child to a hospital. The delay in providing medical attention and the "excessive" blood loss has damaged the nerves of the girl's hand, the father said. The letter concludes, "I am writing this message [while] waiting outside [the] operation theater [where] doctors are fighting hard to arrest the extent of damage in her hand. I request you to pray for her and raise your voice against such inhuman rules so that in case of any unfortunate incident, our kids get timely medical attention." --- ENDS --- . . .we will only accept students who meet our criteria for admission to the law schoola central feature of such criteria is that the students academic credentials demonstrate that they are highly likely to succeed in law school and pass the bar. This will limit the students who will be able to transfer to Coastal Law. . . . A concern that has been raised by faculty, students, and staff is that too many Charlotte students will apply to transfer here. I do not believe this will be the case. . . .we will only allow students to transfer to Coastal if the students academic credentials (including LSAT, undergraduate GPA, and law school GPA) demonstrate that the student has a high probability of passing the bar. At present, there exists a misconception that Coastal Law is going to effectively allow any Charlotte Law student to transfer to Coastal. Not so fast, says Florida Coastal Dean Scott Devito. In an e-mail sent to all Florida Coastal students on January 5 th , he stated: We hope to have in place by the end of the week a specific process for transferring to Coastal, including for students with fewer or more than 30 credits. We are actively pursuing an arrangement with Florida Coastal School of Law to ensure that regardless of our dispute with ED our students can complete their program of study and receive an ABA-accredited degree. We have been actively working with our regulators respecting this arrangement. In an e-mail from the Charlotte administration to its students sent on January 3, the Dean and President of Charlotte informed students: Dean Devito also announced that at a faculty meeting on January 3rd, "The Faculty also voted that only classes for which a student received a grade of B minus or better would be given transfer credit. So it seems that Florida Coastal has suddenly developed a superiority complex vis-a-vis its neighbor to the north. Students and faculty dont want to be overrun with inferior students from Charlotte Law School who will imperil their already precarious position with the ABA, but they are willing to cherry pick the best students from Charlotte who are likely bar passers. For the rest of the legal profession, that views Infilaw schools as essentially interchangeable, it is interesting to see this sudden sibling rivalry. (It should be noted that Coastal President Dennis Stone was previously Dean and President at Charlotte, and Charlotte President Chidi Ogene was previously Dean at Florida Coastal.) In truth, I cant blame Florida Coastal for taking this position. ABA Standards require that law schools only admit students who are reasonably likely to succeed, so it may be that all they are doing is complying with this rule. And with the new 75% bar pass standard looming, Florida Coastal can ill-afford to admit any students who are likely bar failers. But Dean Devito is not being completely forthright with Florida Coastal students. In his e-mail he stated: We at Coastal Law have worked very hard to improve our bar pass and career placement rates. To do so, we have steadily raised our admission credentials over the last three years and will continue to do so. . . .we will not undermine the work that President Stone began three years ago. TFL readers will recall that I was a finalist to be the Dean at Florida Coastal in the spring of 2014. As part of my preparations for the visit, I was provided with the projected incoming class credentials for the fall of 2014. The night prior to my Dean candidate talk, I had dinner with President Stone, and expressed concern that students of the caliber that they were admitting would have difficulty passing the bar. I pressed him specifically to provide evidence that students with LSATs of 144 and below were likely to pass the bar. He dismissed my concerns and informed me that he expected the bar pass rate to soon exceed 80%. When I challenged these assumptions at my job talk the next day, President Stone threw me out. So, what exactly was the work that President Stone began three years ago? If he set out to destroy the reputation of the school, he has succeeded. If it was to improve the school, as Dean Devitos e-mail suggests, it is not clear that his efforts have borne fruit. Lets take a look at the data: Has Florida Coastal steadily raised its admission credentials over the last three years? As the chart below demonstrates, no. Florida Coastal lowered its standards across the board from 2013 to 2014 and improved them slightly in 2015 and 2016. The 2016 numbers are lower than the 2013 numbers at 50% and 25% UGPA, a tiny bit higher and GPA 75 (.01) and LSAT 75 (1 point) and the same at the 50th and 25th percentile LSAT. In other words, the 2016 class is statistically virtually identical to the 2013 class, which was unconscionably weak. Year GPA75 50 25 LSAT75 50 25 2013 3.26 2.97 2.69 148 144 141 2014 3.20 2.93 2.63 147 143 140 2015 3.29 2.88 2.54 148 144 141 2016 3.27 2.87 2.57 149 144 141 Now it is true that Dean Devito announced a plan to raise admission credentials for the next admissions cycle, but there is no evidence that the announced goal has been realized. So, how about the claim that they have worked very hard to improve their bar pass rate? Well, if they have worked hard, it has not yielded any results, as the following chart demonstrates: Year Bar Pass Rate 2013 68.41* 2014 61.24* 2015 61.56* 2016 47.4** * For these years, Florida Coastal reported between 70 and 75% of its students who took the bar in Florida and Georgia only (as permitted by ABA Standards). Based on reporting from California, the actual bar pass rate, if all students were included, would be lower. For example, Coastal students were 0 for 4 on the July 2015 California bar, 1 for 3 on the Feb 2015 bar, 1 for 12 on the July 2014 bar, 0 for 2 on the February 2014 bar, 1 for 10 on the July 2013 bar, and 1 for 2 on the Feb 2013 bar. ** This figure is for Florida Coastal grads who took the Florida bar in February and July 2016 (99 of 209 passed). Other state results are not yet available. So, what is really going on here? There are some hints in Dean Devitos email that Florida Coastal is itself under scrutiny by regulators right now, as suggested by this cryptic language: Current circumstances indicate that we must stay this course and possibly accelerate it. What current circumstances is Dean Devito referring to? Is he referring to the bar passage rule change, or something else? Inquiring minds want to know. My best guess is that Florida Coastal has received some kind of additional scrutiny from the ABA with respect to their admissions practices, as schools with similar admissions practices (Valparaiso, Charlotte and Ave Maria) have all been subjected to sanctions by the ABA in recent months. This scrutiny by the ABA likely was the cause of Dean Devitos announced plan to raise admissions standards. If Florida Coastal has been informed by the ABA about concerns of non-compliance with ABA standards, then Florida Coastal should make this information known to current and prospective students. Even if ABA rules may allow such communications to remain confidential, the Department of Education has stated that law schools have a fiduciary duty to inform current and prospective students of any relevant information that may affect the accreditation status of the school. Any communication that suggest a school is or may be out of compliance with standards and needs to take corrective action would seem to fall into that category. A lack of transparency at Charlotte may have doomed the school to go out of business. All ABA-accredited law schools, but especially Infilaw schools, should heed this warning, and start erring on the side of full disclosure. From smoked Hyderabadi biryani to smokey woodman pizza, this fest is going to take you on a rollercoaster of flavours. By Indo-Asian News Service: Over 15 restaurants will come up with more than 100 smoked preparations at the Smoked Food Festival, which will commence on January 13 in Mumbai. Taking place at High Street Phoenix, the fest, which will end on January 29, will offer a wide range of smoked food for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, read a statement. Food enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice as the festival will entice them with dishes like smoked cheese and spinach croquette, black forest ham bruschetta, scamorza arrancini, panzanella salad, smokey woodman pizza, sushi and smoked Hyderabadi biryani. advertisement "For the first time, we are hosting a themed food festival and we hope that our customers try different cuisines made in the smoke preparation that will be offered by our restaurants," said Rajendra Kalkar, President West at The Phoenix Mills. --- ENDS --- What Trump told a Sioux City crowd that had everybody abuzz Donald Trump teased the crowd with his expected presidential candidacy at a Sioux City event where he stumped for Chuck Grassley and Kim Reynolds. By Tanseem Haider: With the arrest of Gaurav, resident of Teliwara, Sadar Bazar, the Special staff of Delhi Police have solved an attempt to murder case within four hours. The weapon of offence, a country made pistol, was also recovered from the assailant. On Thursday, at about 9:50 pm, police received a call regarding a man being shot with pistol at Karol Bagh. The victim, Keshav Kumar, was rushed to Lady Harding Hospital, after he tried to intervene in a scuffle between two men and his friend Jadu. The assailants opened fire on Kumar and fled away, causing injuries to him. advertisement READ: Pune techie murder: Police arrest 'spurned' lover Santosh from Bengaluru During investigation, several teams were formed to gather intelligence about the assailants. Meanwhile, an information was received by police that the assailants were criminals of Sadar Bazar area and in the early morning of January 6, one of them would come at Gali Ravi Dass, Sadar Bazar. Acting swiftly on this information, a trap was laid near Gali Ravi Dass, Sadar Bazar by a team and at the instance of informer, the alleged Gaurav was apprehended while he had come to collect some money from his house. He was subjected to sustained interrogation during which, he disclosed that he had lent Rs 5000/- to Jadu of Anand Parbat area. On the night of incident, while he along with his accomplice were beating Jadu, complainant Keshav Kumar started intervening them due to which, they got angry and he took out a pistol and fired upon the complainant. On his personal search, the pistol used in the crime was also recovered from his possession. READ: Delhi police arrests man for murdering wife with stone following altercation --- ENDS --- NORWALK Steven Greenberg, CBS Radio News job expert and host of the CBS Radio daily feature Your Next Job, will be offering an Extended Studies course at Norwalk Community College starting later this month aimed at helping students improve their job search and interviewing skills. The course, Finding Your Next Job! mixes humor, empathy and a healthy dose of reality. Students will be encouraged to share their job search experiences and learn from one another. Guest lecturers from major employers in the area will offer insider advice about todays job search environment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK With construction soon to start on 80 new apartments along Day Street in South Norwalk, the Washington Village Transformation Plan is in motion. When the apartments are completed tentatively by early next year work will proceed on razing and rebuilding the existing public-housing complex, which is among the oldest in Connecticut. We are excited for the imminent start of construction for Phase One of the project and are currently working toward lining up financial resources, in addition to the already committed CNI funds, for the subsequent phases, said Michael Lozano, senior project manager for Trinity Financial, LLC, the Boston-based real-estate development firm chosen by the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency to rebuild Washington Village. In fact, we recently submitted an application to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and Connecticut Department of Housing for Phase Two which if awarded would allow us to commence construction on that phase in early 2018. For all the attention given to Phase One Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was among upward of 170 people to attend the ceremonial groundbreaking on Nov. 28 the bulk of the work lies ahead. The larger Washington Village Transformation project calls for razing Washington Village and its 136 apartments and building 273 apartments in five new buildings. The new complex will be a mixture of workforce, public-housing and market-rate apartments. A $30 million grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments Choice Neighborhood Program is helping fuel the plan. The goal is to build high-quality, mixed-income housing, provide children and families with educational and other services, and to spur public and private investment. More Information Phase One: $44 million $1.5 million of CNI funds $11.8 million of Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief funds $1.3 million of Brownfield Remediation funds $29.6 million in private financing, including Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity Phase Two: approximately $50 million $10.5 million of CNI funds $6 million in State Affordable Housing funds $3.5 million of Brownfield Remediation funds and Federal Home Loan Bank funds $30.2 million in private financing, including Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity currently being sought from Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Phase Three: approximately $50 million $6 million of CNI funds $6 million of State Affordable Housing funds $4 million of Brownfield Remediation funds and Federal Home Loan Bank funds $34 million in private financing Source: Trinity Financial See More Collapse Three phases Thomas J. Ivers, Choice Neighborhoods Initiative director for the NHA, said work on Phase Two will begin immediately after the two new apartment buildings on Day Street are completed. The 10-unit building at 13 Day St. and 70-unit building at 20 Day St. will serve as swing space to accommodate some of the residents who will be displaced during phases two and three. Were really excited and looking forward to working with the residents during the latter phases of development. We will be working with them very closely on the relocation aspect and the re-occupancy, Ivers said. I think they will be very excited. Phase Two will entail construction of a new 85-unit building on the south side of Raymond Street, between Day and Water streets. Phase Three will add two new buildings immediately to the south: a 50-unit building along Day Street and an 85-unit building along Water Street. Officials anticipate work beginning in fall 2019 and taking 18 months to complete. Were working on 18-month cycles, Ivers said. So 2018 for Phase Two and then 18 months after that Phase Three. Tax credits important The financing plan for the larger project includes the already awarded $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant as well as Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Funds and Low Income Housing Tax Credits through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. By far, thats like 50 percent of the costs, Ivers said of the tax credits sought from the CHFA? The program provides equity for developers to acquire, build and/or rebuild low- or moderate-income housing through the allocation of federal tax credits that may be sold to corporations or investor groups to raise capital for a project. In 2014, CHFA awarded $7.7 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits aimed at generating $186.9 million in economic activity. The awardees include Trinity Washington Village Phase One Ltd. Partnership, which received $1.89 million in credits, which translates to $20.1 million in private equity. The tax credit program is competitive, with credits being awarded to applicants whose projects meet the goals spelled out in CHFs Qualified Application Plan. Criteria include enhancing housing mobility and choice across income levels and promoting vibrant, mixed-income neighborhoods through rental opportunities. The application deadline is typically early November. We cant speculate on future applications from Washington Village or any other developers, CHFA spokeswoman Lisa C. Kidder said when asked about the prospects of the Washington Village project receiving additional tax credits. The Qualified Application Plan that governs the awarding of tax credits is updated regularly based on state priorities. File photo / Hearst Connecticut Media file NORWALK The Norwalk Seaport Association has sponsorship and donor opportunities for one of its largest fundraising events, the annual Lightkeepers Gala. The gala will be held from 6-11 p.m March 25 at the Norwalk Inn & Conference Center. It brings together corporate partners and community leaders to raise money to support the NSA mission of lighthouse preservation, education about Long Island Sound and local maritime history. WESTPORT TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey announced that the first of a regular series of discussions regarding issues of concern to the community will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 8, at Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East. Please join us for a post-election conversation concerning race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and sexual identity, Bailey said. As 2017 begins, what concerns you? What do you wonder? Come and respectfully listen to your neighbors and share your own experiences in a community forum on Sunday, Jan. 8. Already infamous for his controversial remarks about women and much spoken about appearance in Bigg Boss 10, Swami Omji Maharaj said, during a show on India Today, that women are sensual beings, and if their bodies are not fully covered, will attract sexual predators like jaggery attracts flies. By India Today Web Desk: Hindu Mahasabha president Swami Omji Maharaj, one of the panelists in Rahul Kanwal's primetime show Newsroom, made controversial remarks about women and held their dressing sensibilities accountable for sexual assaults they face in India. Omji, who described womem as sensual beings, was of the opinion that short skirts invite trouble and that women in burqa are safer. He said women, if not fully clothed, will attract sexual predators the way jaggery attracts flies. advertisement Omji's comments come at a time when millions across India are enraged by the Bengaluru mass molestation incident that happened on the New Year's Eve and the news of a woman groped and robbed in Bengaluru a couple of days before. Many people, including celebrities like Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar, Anushka Sharma, Varun Dhawan, Taapsee Pannu, Malaika Arora Khan and Virat Kohli, condemned the situation in India where women are unsafe regardless of the clothes they wear or where they are at, at any given point of time or whom they are with, but there are also many people who share Omji Maharaj's views. Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi had ignited outrage after he remarked that Indian women are trying to ape the western culture by opting to wear revealing clothes and made a statement similar to Omji, "If there's gasoline, there will be fire. If there's spilt sugar, ants will gravitate towards it for sure," implying that women are responsible for inviting sexual predators. Azmi said, "In these modern times, the more skin women show, the more they are considered fashionable. If my sister or daughter stays out beyond sunset celebrating December 31 with a man who isn't their husband or brother, that's not right." Farhan Akhtar and Varun Dhawan, Bollywood actors, had expressed their contempt to Azmi's statement on Twitter. Women should not dress like westerners b'coz men dressed like westerners are molesters, says the man in the shirt.#oxy(deprived)morons Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 3, 2017 Argggh how this angers me.Sir punish the criminals not the victims. Women can wear what they want it's their choice. https://t.co/HSpRjlRq8A Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) January 3, 2017 When one of the women panelists, senior lawyer Karuna Nundy asked Omji whether he thinks he has the right to touch a girl, standing fully nude in front of him, he said, "many Bollywood actresses have come completely nude in front of me and even tried to seduce me. I am a "sanyasi" who has control over my senses and desires, but not all men can do that". BJP leader Nupur Sharma said that there is no written law in India or in the Constitution that dictates how women should dress or live their lives, just like there are none for men. She also asked Omji to be more responsible with his words. advertisement Columnist Advaita Kala, another woman panelist, had a few good (sarcastic) laughs listening to Omji's regressive remarks and we can't blame her. Senior journalist and achor Rahul Kanwal gave a piece of his mind to Omji Maharaj for saying, "stop aping western culture, I ensure there will be no rapes in India," saying "then what about 6-month-old babies and 80-year-old women getting raped?" In closing comments, Advaita said she doesn't take Omji's remarks seriously and "Governments have to be more responsible, women are more than just statistics when it comes to these kind of problems, and I don't even think we should even explain why women wear what they wear, why they were out at a certain time". She also said, "I take deep objection to someone like Omji coming on national television, and I do laugh at him, and I do mock him, because he is not representative of anything." Rahul, Karuna, Advaita and Nupur, tried their best to put some sense into the man, but to no avail. --- ENDS --- DENVER The Rev. Thomas Martin Dowd, of Denver, formerly of Grand Island, passed away peacefully Monday, Jan. 3, 2017, in Denver, Colo. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at St. Marys Cathedral, with Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt officiating and the Priests of the Grand Island Diocese concelebrating, 112 S. Cedar St., Grand Island. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Grand Island City Cemetery, with full military honors. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, with a vigil service at 7 p.m., at Blessed Sacrament Church, with Bishop William Dendinger officiating, 518 W. State Street, Grand Island. Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.livson.com. The Rev. Thomas Martin Dowd was born March 16, 1927, to Michael J. Dowd and Agatha Pritchard Dowd in Spalding. He was one of seven children. His early education through high school was at St. Marys Cathedral in Grand Island. He proudly enlisted in the Navy in 1945, serving one year. After leaving the military, he was trained in St. Thomas Seminary (now St. John Vianney Theological Seminary) and was ordained May 1, 1954, in Grand Island. Father Dowd spent the beginning of his ministry as a pastor at parishes and a civilian chaplain for the Sioux Army Depot in Sidney. He did missionary work from 1964 to 1970 in Peru, where he became fluent in Spanish and developed a love for all Hispanic culture. After returning for a short stint as a chaplain at a Nebraska hospital, Father Dowd ministered to migrant workers in Wattenberg and Fort Lupton, Colo. Father Tom may be most known for his work at St. Patrick Parish in Denver. Described as a personable Irishman, he was sent to begin restoring the church and its dwindling congregation in 1973. Father Dowd oversaw an interior and exterior restoration of the church and in 1997 the church achieved a landmark designation by the city. It was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since leaving the parish in 1983, Father Dowd served as a facilitator between Latin America and the United States for four years. In 1984, he began work with the National RENEW team. In 1988, he became the director of Hispanic Ministry in Tulsa, Okla., until his retirement in 1993. From 1993 to the present found Father Tom ministering to many. At Stout Street Foundation he served those struggling with addiction, he celebrated mass at Our Lady of the Canyon and reached out to any and all who needed him. The family thanks all those parishioners and friends who lovingly took care of Father Tom in the later years of his life, allowing him to stay in Denver and view, from his window, the mountains he so loved. Father Tom was predeceased by his parents and siblings, Frank, Dick, Jim, Jack, Mike and Eileen Dowd Ganser. He is survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and the enormous amount of friends, parishioners and people he served, who were his lifetime family. He told us to remember his favorite saying from the movie Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Everything works out in the end, so if its not all right, its not the end. We know for Father Tom it is just the beginning. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to: Priests Pensions Fund C/O Bishop of Grand Island, 2708 Old Fair Road, P.O. Box 1531, Grand Island, NE 68802 or Central Catholic High School, 1200 Ruby Ave., Grand Island, NE 68802. By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, Jan 7 (PTI) Tasaduq Mufti, the son of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party at a function to commemorate his fathers first death anniversary. Tasaduq, a famed cinematographer, joined the party in the presence of his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who was there along with her cabinet and party colleagues. advertisement In his brief speech at the function, Tasaduq thanked the party workers for their love and affection towards PDP. "I have remained aloof from politics all my life. But today I have joined the PDP officially and it is a very important day of my life. I will walk with you and take your aspirations along," he told the party men. He said his dream was to clean up politics in Kashmir. "I have felt the pace of government work. The speed with which work happens here, what dream can be realised?" he asked. Welcoming her brother into the party fold, Mehbooba said Tasaduq -- like his father, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed -- has a dream to do something for Jammu and Kashmir. "Tasaduq has his own identity and his own work. No one in Mumbai knew him as Mufti Sayeeds son till his second term (as chief minister). Like his father, he wants to do something for Jammu and Kashmir," she said in her address. Known for his cinematography in movies like Omkara and Kaminey, Tasaduq is an American Film Institute graduate. He is known in Bollywood as Tassaduq Hussain and does not use the famous Mufti surname. PTI SSB MIJ TA BSA --- ENDS --- Edwardsville area leaders are urging state legislators to make a decision and pass a state budget when they reconvene in Springfield early next week. The lack of a state budget has already had significant implications on Edwardsville District 7, SIUE, local businesses and other statewide assets. At a recent board of education meeting, District 7 Director of Finance Dave Courtney said the state of Illinois backlog of bills stood at $11.2 billion when he checked on Dec. 19. Of that total, $1.1 billion is owed to school districts. Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton said its time for the state to make a decision on a budget before its too late. Our current state legislators return to Springfield next week and I hope they heard from plenty of their constituents over the break. For the past 18 months, they have violated the Illinois Constitution by failing to pass a state budget. In fact, they have broken a national record as the state which has gone the longest amount of time without passing a budget. This negative attention and inaction hurts every Illinois resident, Patton said. The states amount of debt increases each year and Patton said the states suffering will continue to get worse if something isnt done. Clearly, the financial problems our state is suffering from have been decades in the making. I liken it to a runaway train, with some representatives thinking that all we need to do is lay down more track and let someone else make the difficult decision on how to slow down the train. Instead of doing nothing, it would make sense to try a few things to change the system: take off a few layers of burdensome regulation, rethink programs that are costly and outdated, and invest in a more fuel efficient engine. It is clear that if the hardline approach of not changing anything continues, the train will fly right off the track, he said. Patton said the issue all began in Springfield and ultimately, that is where the decision needs to be made. I would like to encourage those heading back to Springfield to put everything on the table and dont plan on leaving until a compromise has been madeMany of our state agencies are on financial life support, state workers are going without medical coverage due to unpaid insurance premiums, many businesses are suffering due to unpaid bills, and our youth are looking to leave the state as educational facilities continue to slash their budgets. Enough really is enough. It is time for action in Springfield, he said. Glen Carbon Mayor Rob Jackstadt is also in agreement with Patton, and said the lack of a state budget should be the responsibility of the state, not the local taxpayers. The debacle at the state level impacts all of us locally. The failure to adopt a budget and to properly fund education, for example, can lead to additional local real estate taxes and sales taxes. Shifting the burden to local residents is not the answer, since local taxpayers can only absorb so much, Jackstadt said. District 7 is currently examining three possibilities to decrease its debt in the meantime, one being to not take any action to overcome the growing deficit, the second is to propose a referendum to voters in March, 2018, which would not allow the purchase of new textbooks or curriculum updates until at least 2019, or the third is having the district go back to voters in April. A decision has not yet been made. District 7 Superintendent Lynda Andre said she is also in agreement and that every child in the state deserves a wholesome education. Its time for Illinois legislators to make the children of this state their first priority by resolving this ongoing school funding crisis. Every child in Illinois deserves to have the best educational opportunities possible provided by local school districts who receive sufficient funding support each year from this state to ensure quality educational programs are available to meet all student needs, Andre said. It should be of great concern to all Illinois residents that our educational system continues to face enormous funding challenges that necessitate continued program and staff reductions that impact our youngest citizens each day in classrooms across the state. When one recalls the days of Hurricane Katrina, thoughts of the devastation to New Orleans immediately come to mind. But before the water breached New Orleans levees, Katrina took aim upon the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, leaving the area in complete ruin. The Biloxi devastation impacted SIUE graduate and Western Illinois University Art Professor Timothy Waldrop as he watched his hometown be destroyed. Biloxis devastation also impacted Waldrops art which is currently being featured in the Edwardsville Arts Centers Recollecting exhibit that runs from Jan. 6 through Feb. 3. Waldrop grew up in Biloxi earning his B.F.A. in drawing and painting from Gulfport, Mississippis, William Carey College in 1998. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Waldrop, and his wife, Laura, moved to Edwardsville so that Waldrop could attend SIUE and obtain his M.F.A. in painting. Upon graduating from SIUE in 2001, Waldrop worked as an adjunct instructor at SIUE before accepting a position at Western Illinois University in Macomb in 2002. While Waldrop, Laura and their three children have lived in Macomb since, Waldrop still thinks of Biloxi as home and his art references his connection to this small city in the Deep South. I would consider myself to be a very nostalgic individual by nature. I blame this mostly on the fact that I am a transplant to the Midwest from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Consequently, I am compelled to choose imagery that I connect with on somewhat of a personal level, Waldrop said about his art. The images that I choose are often autobiographical and tend to reference or honor chosen memories in some form. The title of the EAC exhibit, Recollecting, references the various memories Waldrop has used to develop many of the works in the exhibit. Some of the pieces are part of an earlier body of work that I developed after Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the area where I am from - Biloxi, Mississippi, he explained. One particular image, Tullis-Toledano Manor, in Waldrops collection is especially meaningful to him. My wife and I were actually married on the grounds of this historic building in 1998, he said. This building has become somewhat of an icon for me. Unfortunately, this structure as well as hundreds more that were similar in appearance and age were completely swept away by the hurricanes immense tidal surge. Another interesting piece in the exhibit that references Biloxi and the aftermath of Katrina is a piece entitled, Gulf Coast Memorial. Waldrop explained that this piece is a three dimensional wreath, much like a wreath someone would leave at a WWII memorial or at the Arlington National Cemetery. I thought it would be appropriate for me to honor what happened to the coast after the hurricane with a wreath, he noted. As me honoring where Im from. His Gulf Coast Memorial wreath is a sculptural work made from numerous individual parts. For each of the parts I made a mold and then I cast each of the parts in a type of resin. Then I assembled them all together and painted it to look as though it was like a rusted cast iron, Waldrop pointed out. This wreath and another one he made in a copper patina are two of the pieces that he favors in his collection yet wreaths are also bittersweet when he thinks about them. They represent the loss of the Biloxi iconic places Waldrop recalls from his youth yet he favors them because of the time he has invested in them. They both took me forever to make. I had to make so many molds, casts and all the little parts. Then each of the parts had to be connected together. It was like a full summer trying to get those two wreaths complete, he stressed. Waldrop added that he is also particularly fond of a piece in the exhibit entitled, Deluge that features an aerial view of a building being flooded which also has frogs around it. About a third of the Recollecting exhibit is inspired by Katrina through landscape and architecture references. Then theres also images of magnolia flowers and aquatic life like crawfish, blue crab and oyster shells that are familiar images from Waldrops hometown on the Gulf Coast. Some of Waldrops more recent paintings in this exhibit are a bit of a departure from the Katrina series. I have been working on a new series of paintings of roosters which have been inspired by my late uncle, Waldrop noted. He raised roosters as a hobby, and so as sort of a tribute to him, I have been painting images of these animals. I suppose that to a certain degree, I have been attempting to recreate what I was accustomed to seeing in my past - before moving to the Midwest. Another interesting aspect of Waldrops art is the process in which he produces his pieces. Sometimes I like to scrape things away and then repaint them. Sometimes thats just to get the drawing right or get the proportions right, he added. I really like to just beat up the surface and give it some age or some history and then use that to my advantage. Waldrop hopes that people who visit his exhibit will walk away with an awareness that Hurricane Katrina also destroyed Biloxi destruction that got little media attention after the levees in New Orleans broke. He also hopes his exhibit will give visitors the sense of importance to being in tune with their own heritage and the cultural significance of their own lifes path. I keep doing these sort of things I guess to make my kids aware of where Im from and what my wife and I have experienced. Just to pass down information to them, Waldrop pointed out. Recollecting opened Jan. 6 and will run until Feb. 3. Waldrop, along with his family, will attend a special artist reception on Jan. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where he hopes to reconnect with former professors and old friends from his days spent in Edwardsville. I still really speak highly of SIUE. Even though I teach at another school in the state, I still encourage my students that get their undergraduate degree to maybe pursue SIUE for their graduate studies, Waldrop stressed. Because I do think it is really a great program. Theres a lot to offer there, its in a good location, and theres good faculty. The Edwardsville Arts Center, located at 6061 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed Sunday through Tuesday. View more of Waldrops work at www.timwaldrop.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yohanes Sulaiman (The Conversation) Cimahi, West Java Sat, January 7, 2017 The Indonesian government has confirmed that it will not suspend military cooperation with Australia after a top general said earlier in the week that ties between the two nations would be cut. The incident is just the latest episode in a rocky relationship between the neighbors. On January 4, Indonesian Military Chief Gatot Nurmantyo declared the suspension of Indonesia-Australia military cooperation, apparently because an Indonesian special forces commander trainer found materials at an Australian teaching facility that were insulting to both the Indonesian military and the states ideology of Pancasila. Pancasila, from the Sanskrit word for for five, panca, and the Javanese for principles, sila, is the name given to the official founding principles of the Indonesian state. The principles are: The one God system (monotheism), just and civilised humanity, the unity of Indonesia, democracy and social justice for all. The incident is part of the ups and downs of the Indonesia-Australia diplomatic and military relationship that dates back to 1945 when Indonesia first declared independence from both Japan, which had occupied the country in 1942 and the Dutch, who had colonised it in the 18th century. Neighbourhood blues In September 1945, Australian waterside workers imposed a black ban on all Dutch ships destined for Indonesia in Australian ports. Later, Australian government showed sympathy for its northern neighbour in the Dutch-Indonesia conflict, even while officially maintaining impartiality. Since then, however, the relationship between Australia and Indonesia has been rocky at times, depending on what Australia has perceived to be in its national interest. Australian public opinion opposed Indonesias desire to incorporate West Papua into the nation in the 1950s, for instance, and a low-level separatist conflict continues in the province. Australia initially supported Indonesias invasion of East Timor, but after the fall of president Suharto in 1998, then-Australian prime minister John Howard proposed a referendum on the issue of independence for East Timor. This led to the secession of East Timor from Indonesia. And the violence that ensued led Australia to send troops to East Timor under the auspices of the United Nations INTERFET (International Force East Timor). Defence cooperation between Australia and Indonesia has improved drastically since then: both countries need each other. For Australia, Indonesia is an important nation for its security and economic objectives as the country is its gateway to Asia. Indonesia, on the other hand, needs Australia as a strategic partner to modernize and further professionalize its military forces. Every year, Indonesia sends more than a hundred officers to Australia for training and education. Yet the distrust engendered by Australias intervention in East Timor lingers, and remains the root of current problems in the nations relationship. It still hovers in the background despite improvements in economic, military, and diplomatic relationship. Hidden agendas? General Gatot Nurmantyo is the perfect embodiment of this lack of trust. In March 2015, for instance, he suggested that Australias meddling in East Timors secession from Indonesia was part of a proxy war to secure oil. In December 2016, he ominously warned of Australias desire to take over the Masela Oil Block, which is close to Timor-Leste (as East Timor has been called since gaining independence) and Darwin. He also noted that Indonesia is currently surrounded by Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia, which all of which used to have problems with Indonesia. Many Indonesians share similar discomfort, though it might not as extreme as General Nurmantyos. Despite assurances from both US President Obama and Australias then-prime minister Julia Gillard that the goal of stationing 2,500 US troops in Darwin from 2017 was to counter China and not to threaten Indonesia or the Southeast Asian region generally many Indonesians still believe theres a hidden agenda concerning both US and Australian interest in Indonesias abundant natural resources and Papua. Given this background, it should be no surprise that a homework assignment for an Indonesian Special Forces language student to write an essay supporting the argument Papua should have independence because it was part of Melanesia would touch a raw nerve. It confirmed General Nurmantyos worst expectations about Australias intentions, including that Indonesian officers training in Australia would be indoctrinated and recruited as spies. Contradictory messages At the same time, General Nurmantyos reaction caught other Indonesians completely off guard. Indonesian militarys spokesman, Major General Wuryanto, for instance, stated that the reason for the temporary freeze was technical matters (masalah teknis) and not due to insulting Pancasila. Even the normally nationalistic Indonesian Defence Minister, Ryamizard Ryacudu, played down the incident, saying that it was an isolated personal act that the Australian government had regretted. And he noted that Australia had apologised for the incident, which actually happened in mid-December 2016. To add to the confusion, a tweet from the presidential staff office suggested that the temporary halting of the military cooperation between Australia and Indonesia was only on joint training, education, officer exchange, and official visits. Later, however, in a letter that was followed by a press conference by Wiranto, the Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Law, and Security, stressed that the relationship freeze was limited only to language courses. Work to do It seems from the different responses of several government ministers that General Nurmantyos decision to halt the military cooperation was abrupt, and that it came without any warning or coordination with other ministers or even the militarys own spokesman. The relationship between Australia and Indonesia is clearly very important for the Indonesian government, given the response to General Nurmantyos announcement. It would have been simple for President Joko Jokowi Widodo and the rest of the cabinet to simply reaffirm what General Nuryantyo had proclaimed. But they value Indonesian-Australian military ties, and so Jokowi and the rest of the cabinet went into damage control mode to limit the fallout. Finally, the incident shows that trust between Australia and Indonesia remains fragile, since a language class writing assignment could cause such an outrage. Indonesias wounds from East Timors secession are clearly still very raw. Coupled with the uproar over revelations in 2013 that Australia wiretapped then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2009, which led to suspension of cooperation between the two countries, it shouldnt be surprising that Indonesia remains wary of Australias intentions. Clearly, both the Australian and Indonesian governments still have a lot of homework to do to build trust between their nations. Yohanes Sulaiman, Visting Lecturer in International Relations and Political Science at Indonesian Defense University & Lecturer, Universitas Jendral Achmad Yani This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Though 2016 has been a geopolitical annus horribilis all round, it is easy to forget that it was not supposed to be so. "Ab to yahaan aana jaana laga rahega (Now there will be much coming and going)," remarked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, during his 2015 Christmas Day visit to Lahore. "Aap ka ghar hai (This is your house)," replied Sharif, perhaps channelling the heady optimism of another celebrated meeting in that city 16 years beforehand. There was indeed much aana jaana over the year. Unfortunately, most of it was carried on by jihadists and special forces, resulting in the worst period for India-Pakistan relations since the Mumbai attacks of 2008. How did we arrive at this point? A week after Modi's triumphal visit, as the New Year dawned, normal service was resumed. Early on January 2, six heavily armed terrorists breached the Pathankot air force station in Punjab and killed seven members of the security forces. That, however, was far from the end of the story. Never in living memory have India and Pakistan handled such an attack, obviously of Pakistani provenance, with such maturity, calm and pragmatism. The two national security advisors, spy and soldier, spoke to each other within hours of the attack and met in Paris. The Indian government allowed a five-member Pakistani team to visit the air base itself in March. advertisement Pakistan had been handed a golden opportunity, by the most hawkish Indian government in over a decade, to break the familiar cycle of atrocity, denial, obfuscation and misdirection that has bedevilled the relationship. Tragically, this opportunity was spurned. The hapless Sharif, sincere in his efforts to throw India a bone, was undercut by corruption allegations stemming from the leak of the Panama Papers, while the army quashed the investigation and accused India of mounting a false flag attack. Jaish-e-Mohammed, resurgent after a hiatus, and its leader, Masood Azhar-spared blushes by a Chinese veto at the United Nations in April-stood as symbols of the Pakistan Army's commitment to continued covert war. By late spring and early summer, Lahore was a dim memory-and the stage was set for worse. The protests that erupted in Kashmir in July, following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen's Burhan Wani, were local, and inflamed by needless repression. But Kashmir has never been, and never can be, wholly local in its effects. As Pakistan took up the cudgels, India struck back in August with a verbal counter-offensive, delivered by the prime minister from the Red Fort, against Pakistan's record in Balochistan, Gilgit and the rest of Pakistan-held Kashmir. India's intelligence agencies likely stepped up covert action against Pakistan-based jihadists after the Mumbai attacks in 2008-Shiv Shankar Menon's book this year, which I reviewed in these pages in November, hints as much-but Modi's speech was a less-than-subtle indication that there remained room for escalation. Onto this tinder, of Kashmir and Balochistan, a match was thrown in September with the slaying of 19 Indian soldiers in Uri. This was the worst attack on the Indian Army since the darkest days of Kashmir's insurgency. India pulled out of the SAARC summit that had been scheduled for November, and persuaded Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan to follow suit. At the United Nations General Assembly, a perfectly timed global podium, India lashed out at Pakistan with extraordinary language. "The land of Taxila, one of the greatest learning centres of ancient times," noted the Indian diplomat, "is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism." But this was a 10-day phoney war, masking preparations for a real one. On September 29, Indian officials claimed they had conducted "surgical strikes" on terrorists preparing to cross over into Indian-held territory. A flood of leaks and comments followed, documenting everything from the use of drones and satellites to the prime minister's reassuring omniscience (Modi "did not have a drop of water" through the night, reported one especially fulsome story). Modi boasted that India had shown itself "no less" than Israel, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, never one to keep a thought to himself when it might be shared, went one better with a comparison to Hanuman, rediscovering his long-forgotten powers. This was not just deterrence; it was redemption. advertisement It was also political magic, and the Congress party would not leave the crease without protest. An astonishing press release was issued, showing the dates of specific covert raids conducted under the UPA government. More remarkable still was the leaked story of Operation Ginger, a retaliatory raid in August 2011. "Three Pakistani heads? were among the trophies carried back by the Indian soldiers," noted The Hindu, while another Pakistani body was booby-trapped. Such was the national mood that the army of the world's largest democracy found itself boasting proudly of war crimes. The closing months of 2016 saw intense shelling, calling into question the 2003 ceasefire from which India, ultimately, has benefitted the most, and a string of further attacks in Kupwara, Nagrota and Pampore. As Pakistan's new army chief beds in, drawing on his extensive personal experience at the LoC, we are likely to have a turbulent year ahead. One question is how far India is willing to go. For all the machismo, the surgical strikes were carefully crafted to limit escalation. They stuck to the LoC rather than the international border, no mention was made of casualties to Pakistani troops, and the government wisely resisted demands for video footage that would have forced the hands of Pakistan's leaders. India's calculation is that such limited raids are viewed, internationally, as proportionate responses, and place the onus for any further escalation onto Islamabad. Perhaps each side will settle into a new, bloodier equilibrium: more Uris, and more raids. If this is followed by a bargain to de-escalate, Modi could then claim an important success. But if Pakistan decides to escalate further, restarting urban terrorism on the scale of Mumbai, what would follow? Indian airstrikes deeper inside Pakistan, perhaps on Lashkar-e-Taiba's headquarters in Punjab, become a serious possibility. But it is difficult, then, to imagine the United States or China showing the same insouciance-and Pakistan has a respectable air force of its own. If this dilemma were easy to resolve, then Indian bombs would have fallen on Muridke long ago. advertisement Deterrence is a promise to inflict pain in the future. But a second plank of India's emerging strategy is coercion, which is the promise to keep inflicting pain on an adversary in the present, until she changes course. This has taken the form of a diplomatic offensive: collapsing the SAARC summit, emphasising Pakistan's repression in Balochistan, and persuading other states to pay greater attention to terrorism. But India may be swimming against a powerful geopolitical tide. advertisement China is investing heavily in Pakistan as part of its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, hence its willingness to shield Masood Azhar and block Indian membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). But Russia is also in the midst of its own, more surprising, pivot to Pakistan. Russia ignored Indian protests to go ahead with its first-ever joint exercises with Pakistani special forces, just days after the Uri attack. Then, at the Heart of Asia meeting in Amritsar in December, Moscow's envoy to Afghanistan rubbished Indian allegations against Pakistan and rebuked India for using the forum as a bully pulpit. Earlier in the year, he made the eyebrow-raising claim that "Taliban interests objectively coincide with ours". Iran, which nearly went to war with the Taliban in 1998, too, has been similarly hedging its bets, hosting a large meeting for the insurgents in Tehran in mid-December. In one sense, then, it is India that has grown more isolated over the past year in Afghanistan, even as it deepens friendships in the Middle East and East Asia. India's export of attack helicopters to Afghanistan was the first such transfer in its history, and a strong statement of intent. But it is unlikely to be enough to prevent further Taliban gains in the new year. American policy is, of course, in enormous flux. Perhaps Donald Trump's anti-Islamist fervour will incline him favourably to India. An early meeting between Ajit Doval and his prospective US counterpart Michael Flynn will have helped. But in a November phone call with Nawaz Sharif-in which the word "amazing" was used thrice-the president-elect declared himself "ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play". It is not hard to guess what such a role might be. The prognosis for this year is troubling. In Pakistan, a weakened prime minister and confident army, under new command, will have every reason to test Indian resolve. India will hold seven state elections, including the biggest prize in Uttar Pradesh. Every skirmish will have magnified political stakes. Meanwhile, the number of militants in Kashmir has doubled since the summer. As a clownish neophyte enters the Oval Office, American policy will grow more erratic and unpredictable. India and Pakistan have stabilised their relationship after each of the most serious crises in the past 20 years, and they will do so again. But expect things to worsen in the interim. --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Sat, January 7, 2017 Immigration officials have arrested 10 young women from China and Vietnam suspected to have operated as sex workers in Batam, Riau Islands. Batam Immigration Office chief Teguh Prayitno said the arrests were conducted by immigration officers in two separate raids on a boarding house and a club in a business area in Nagoya, Batam, on Wednesday. They entered Batam via Jakarta. They have been operating in Batam for several weeks, accepting orders for sexual services by phone, said Teguh in a press conference on Thursday. Eight out of the 10 foreign citizens arrested are from Vietnam while the two others came from China. They are aged between 20 and 30 years. They claimed they were tourists but they could not show the tourist accommodations where they were staying. They in fact lived in a boarding house, said Teguh. Many young women from various countries are working illegally as sex workers in Batam, the immigration office stated. Busted -- Ten Chinese and Vietnamese citizens netted in an immigration operation appear in a press conference in Batam, Riau Islands, on Jan.5. Suspected to have worked as sex workers, they were arrested in two separate operations on Jan.4(JP/Fadli) Teguh said the arrests were the offices response over reports filed by several parties on the growing number of foreign sex workers in Batam. There are still many foreign sex workers operating here. We are now collecting accurate information to be able to arrest them." The immigration office will charge the 10 foreigners over alleged stay permit violations as stipulated by Law No.6/2011 on immigration. They will all be deported back to their countries, said Teguh. During Wednesday's operation, the immigration officials also arrested Khoo Wei Chyi, 42, a Singaporean citizen, over an alleged stay permit violation. The Singaporean citizen is a convicted criminal in his country. We will deport him also, said Teguh. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sat, January 7 2017 WORDS RICHARD HORSTMAN PHOTOS COURTESY OF GAJAH GALLERY After a wait of six years, Balis most important painter, Agung Mangu Putra, has followed on from Teater Rakyat (Peoples Theater), his landmark 2010 exhibition at the National Gallery in Jakarta. Mangu Putra: Between History and the Quotidian, held recently at Gajah Gallery, Singapore, featured nine paintings made during 2013 to 2016. Spiritual Landscapes, Mangu Putras 2005 exhibition was an offering of gratitude to the landscape of his homeland, and his Balinese Hindu culture, via dramatic monochrome compositions that reflect his deep sense of spirituality. In Teater Rakyat, however, his critical social commentary came to the fore. He focused upon the marginalized within Balinese society, female gender politics and the forgotten veterans of the independence front who confronted the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) in Bali between 1945 and 1949. In Between History and the Quotidian, Mangu Putra continues his research into critical Dutch colonial events that shaped Indonesian and Balinese history. Puputan Badung 1906 (The Fall of Badung Kingdom # 1, 2 &3) have been pieced together from archival accounts and images sourced from the internet into compositions ranging in size up to 190 by 390 centimeters. They reveal the story of the KNILs confrontation with the Kingdom of Badung in Kesiman, Denpasar, in 1906 that resulted in the tragic puputan event (act of ritual suicide) when the Balinese rulers chose to fight to the death rather than surrender. When researching, I found photos and writings from events that I had never seen before that were not only important but also artistically inspiring. The photos contained layers of narratives and within these there are always hidden meanings that I am driven to delve into, Mangu Putra said. I studied then recreated appropriate canvases of understanding and imagination. The results may not coincide with the facts because my works are not historical illustrations or images that describe history, yet works that have arisen from inspiration, he stated. Mangu Putra never translates exact copies of photographs into his works, instead he sometimes manipulates several photos and incorporates them into his paintings, said curator Jim Supangkat, whose exhibition catalog essay is an important documentation of crucial eras of the nations history. He does not reproduce reality as akin to other realistic paintings, but paints his account of the light reflection. The technique adopted by Mangu Putra is not achieved with brushstrokes, yet with palette knife, a time-consuming and highly sensitive process. His color schemes range from monochromes to subdued, darker hues that contrast with dazzling colors that symbolically highlight composition themes. Supangkat adds, The resulting images are textured realistic paintings, with apparent contrasting effects caused by the beam of light on the painted surface. The aesthetic qualities present in his works lines, textures, contrast effects as a result permeate a narrative-filled story on his canvases. The Fall of Badung Kingdom # 2, 2016 reveals officials of the Dutch army seated behind the body of the King of Badung, I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung, in a post-puputan pose, Mangu Putras reconstruction of possible events. He positions the kings throne next to his prostrate body as a symbolic gesture. An alternative perspective is The Fall of Badung Kingdom # 1, 2015 in which the artist plays a central role in the composition as an observer, depicted dressed as a soldier with a rifle slung across his shoulders. Mangu Putra does not adopt this position as a narcissist, yet wishes to add an element of humor into the work. Mangu Putra [b. Sangeh,1963] was trained in Yogyakarta at Indonesias premier art school, ISI, the Institut Seni Indonesia, states professor of Southeast Asian history Adrian Vickers in the exhibition catalog, referring to the Indonesian Fine Arts Institute. Unlike many others who emerged through painting, Mangu Putra was trained in graphic arts and design, and his original career was in advertising. The sensibilities he developed in presenting the mundane to the world meant that he is attuned to the affect power of images. He turned to problems of how such images should be made to work in the world in a more critical fashion. Eksekusi Letda Reta (Execution of Letda Reta), 2014, depicts the execution of Mangu Putras uncle, I Gusti Agung Alit Reta, who along with his brother, Mangu Putras father, fought in the Independence War. He appropriates the style of Francisco Goyas The Third of May (1814), which describes a death sentence served on a rebel farmer by a Spanish firing squad. Mangu Putra imagines the moment of his uncles execution as one of defiance. The universal message in this painting is that the concept of authority is a threat that has never subsided in Indonesia, though the power behind that authority may always change, Supangkat stated in the catalog. Indonesian history still requires examination, so that history doesnt become a myth of the present. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali Sat, January 7, 2017 The newly inaugurated Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Petrus Reinhard Golose, among a handful of Indonesias noted counterterrorism specialists, will focus attention on handling transnational organized crime on the resort island of Bali. A special task force to counter transnational crime will be established. My focus will be on combating transnational organized crime, which includes terrorism, drug and human trafficking, cybercrime, international scale economic crime and money laundering, said Petrus, the former top official at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), on Friday. Given that Bali has the lowest crime rate, in some respects, in Indonesia, Petrus immediate priority will be to combat drug trafficking as Bali has become the hub for an international drug ring. I am concerned that Bali is not only a transit point but also the final destination for drug dealers. That explains why this will be my immediate priority, he said, adding that a rehabilitation program will be implemented for drug users. Petrus, a confidant of National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, added that a counter transnational crime task force was needed because Bali had a unique position in Indonesia. Bali is a window to the rest of the country. There are 35 foreign country representatives here, and it is a destination for millions of foreign tourists. He said Bali should not depend on the National Police headquarters to combat drug-related crime because a specialized response was necessary. Although Bali only has 4 million residents, there are 7 million domestic tourists and 4 million foreign tourists who come to the island every year. So, it means that the number of people on Bali is almost the same as Jakarta, he stressed. I will start to decentralize the transnational crime system. It is important for Bali to minimize such crime from happening, he added. The task force, he said, will involve all divisions of the Bali Police. They will exhibit strong coordination and handle all problems properly. He also ensured that the Bali Police had the necessary equipment. Bali already has adequate equipment, he said. With regard to foreign tourists committing crimes, Petrus emphasized that the police would treat all criminals equally. Local resident or foreign tourist, we will give every criminal equal treatment. Born in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Nov. 27, 1965, Petrus was officially inaugurated as Bali Police chief in Jakarta on Tuesday, replacing Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto, who now serves as a director general at the Manpower Ministry. Despite several high-profile crimes last year, crime records in Bali declined by 10 percent to 3,347 incidents from 3,740 in 2015. However, there was an increase in the number of foreign nationals who were victims to crimes last year. The figure increased to 183 people from 112 in 2015. Many crimes have also been committed by foreign nationals in addition to Indonesians. In 2016, at least 56 foreigners were perpetrators or suspects of various crimes, such as pedophilia, rape and robbery. The figure, however, decreased from 237 foreign national criminals recorded in 2015. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agnes Anya and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 Motorists have raised concerns following fee increases for vehicle documentation, urging the Vehicle Document Registration Center (Samsat) to provide better service. I do not agree with the increases as I do not believe that the additional fees will be used for proper aims. By now, I dont even know which institution triggered the policy and what the aim is, Ali, 51, told The Jakarta Post while extending his cars vehicle registration certificates (STNK) at the Samsats South Jakarta branch. The four-story building was densely packed on Friday with hundreds of motorists waiting to extend their documents. It was a chaotic scene in the Samsats two-wheel section, as there was no line or security officers. Meanwhile, in the four-wheel section, only three of the six counters were open. Look at how many officers are serving us and compare that to the number of visitors. The officials must know how many visitors to expect daily, Ali said, adding that he had to take a day off of work day to extend his documents. With the fee increases, I hope the process [of extending vehicle documents] speeds up. Services should also be improved, not just facilities, he added. Starting on Jan. 6, motorists nationwide must pay double or triple the current fees to obtain new STNK and vehicle ownership documents (BPKB) following the issuance of a government regulation on non-tax revenues on Dec. 6, To obtain or extend an STNK for two-wheel vehicles, motorists now have to pay Rp 100,000 (US$7.48), a 100 percent increase from the previous Rp 50,000. The fee for STNK issuance and extensions for cars has increased from Rp 75,000 to Rp 200,000. Obtaining or extending a BPKB now costs Rp 225,000, from Rp 80,000 previously for two-wheelers, and Rp 375,000 from Rp 100,000 for cars. Misrianto, a resident of Medan, North Sumatra, also complained about the new policy. He submitted his documents one day before the fee increases took effect. I already paid Rp 253,000, but they told me to pay Rp 439,000 when I was about to get my new documents today, Misrianto said. Long lines of visitors were seen at numerous Samsats across the country, including in Semarang, Central Java. Semarang resident Yulianto was up early to take care of his STNK on Thursday before the fee increases became effective. The fee revisions, stipulated in a 2016 government regulation (PP), came after seven years of no adjustments. The government says this is part of its efforts to increase its nontax revenue (PNBP) this year. The rate adjustment is for service improvement because 92 percent of non-tax revenue from the National Police is used for the institution itself. This means that the money will go back to the people, the Finance Ministrys director general of budget, Askolani, said on Friday. He said the fee adjustments were initiated by former National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti in 2015, followed by discussions between the Finance Ministry and the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister. The government is aiming for a 2.04 percent increase to Rp 250 trillion in non-tax revenue in the 2017 state budget from last years target of Rp 245 trillion. The projected Rp 1.7 trillion worth of additional funds in the state coffered from the fee adjustments is part of its aggressive efforts to seek non-tax revenue this year. Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said the fee adjustments were inevitable to ensure better services from the police, following increasing costs of public service in the past years. Non-tax revenue will also be used to provide better service through an online system, Tito said. -- Grace D. Amianti, Suherdjoko and Apriadi Gunawan contributed to this story from Jakarta, Semarang and Medan. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7 2017 State-owned electricity firm PLN has confirmed that its decision to stop the operation of coal-fired power plant (PLTU) Bukit Asam in South Sumatra is temporary. The 4x65 megawatt (MW) power plant stopped operating in November following the operation of PLTU South Sumatra (Sumsel) V, with a capacity of 2x150 MW. The latter power plant is operated by PT DSSP Power Sumsel, a subsidiary of publicly listed firm Dian Swastika Sentosa, part of Sinarmas Group. PLN has an obligation to buy electricity generated by PLTU Sumsel V to boost supply in the region, thus prompting the suspension of PLTU Bukit Asam. South Sumatra currently requires 574 MW of electricity during peak hours, less than the regions supply of 760 MW. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sat, January 7 2017 Its seven days since the end of the annus horribilis, yet I am still talking about 2016. How can I not? Last year was so bad that people looked upon 2016 less as a number and more as a curse that should be avoided at all costs. So, in the hope of avoiding it, lets talk about 2016. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7 2017 Major retailer Trans Retail Indonesia will open dozens of new stores this year in a bid to attract more visits to its physical stores despite the booming online retail industry. We will open 30 new stores under the Transmart Carrefour brand in 2017, Transmart Carrefour corporate communications general manager Satria Hamid told The Jakarta Post on Friday. However, he declined to mention the amount of capital expenditure (capex) that the firm had earmarked to support the expansion. Despite Indonesias surging domestic retail business, Trans Retail Indonesia, part of business tycoon Chairul Tanjungs CT Corp. business group, has decided to step up to the challenge posed by the burgeoning online retail business. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Malang, East Java Sat, January 7, 2017 The Indonesian government wants to export more locally manufactured weapons in an effort to boost the defense industry in the country. In its latest measure, the government has explored the possibility of exporting bombs produced by a manufacturer in Malang, East Java, for Sukhoi jet fighters. If their products cannot be fully used domestically, they should export them. The problem is, exporting weapons is not purely a commercial matter. There are non-trade issues we must also settle, said Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution during a visit to weapons manufacturer PT Sari Baharis factory in Malang on Thursday. Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara, Public Works and Peoples Housing Minister Basoeki Hadimoeljono and East Java Governor Soekarwo were also present. During the visit, Darmin explored Sari Baharis business situation, including its production capacity. With another weapons manufacturer, PT Dahana, PT Sari Bahari is now producing various primary defense systems (alutsista). They include the P-100 and P-250 bombs, which are for practice and to carry live warheads, the P-500 live bomb, 70 and 80 mm warheads for both smoke bombs and real explosives, the Petir missile target drone and the Rocketpod 7 tube launcher. Local products -- A worker inspects bombs produced by weapons manufacturer PT Sari Bahari in Malang, East Java, on Jan. 5. (JP/Wahyoe Boediwardhana) Sari Bahari president director Ricky Hendrik Egam said several parties were interested in buying the bombs produced by the company. They have conveyed their interest in buying bombs [for Sukhoi jet fighters], said Ricky. He said Sari Bahari once exported hundreds of 70 mm smoke warheads to the Chilean Air Force. Currently, Sari Bahari is focusing on producing up to 100 bombs per day to fulfil the needs of the Indonesian Air Forces military exercises. Every year, Indonesian pilots conduct bombing exercises using thousands of P-100 bombs produced by Sari Bahari. The bombs produced by the Malang company for the Sukhoi jet are sold at competitive prices and consist of 90 percent local components. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani and Rendi A. Witular (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7 2017 A recent government regulation draft, the fourth revision of Government Regulation No. 23/2010 on the management of mineral and coal businesses, will replace the underlying divestment prices for foreign mining companies. The draft will cause prices of share divestment of such companies to domestic buyers to skyrocket because the base calculation will be amended for fair market value from the current cost replacement. The existing regulation requires foreign mining companies operating in Indonesia to divest between 25 to 51 percent of their shares, depending on the permit they hold, to local shareholders during the renegotiation of their operating contract extension with the government. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Richard Horstman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7 2017 As Art Stage Singapore, Southeast Asias flagship art fair, prepares itself for its seventh installment on Jan. 12 to 15 at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center, the founder and director, Lorenzo Rudolf, has made some notable observations. Responsible for creating the model of what the majority of art fairs are today Lorenzos decade of innovative leadership at Art Basel transformed it from a minor art fair to the world leader. He introduced VIPs special packaged tours, corporate sponsorship, and supported emerging artists. In 2010 he founded Art Stage Singapore, a key international event with a specific focus on promoting and fostering Asian art. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Carrie Fisher was buried alongside her mother, actor Debbie Reynolds, in a privately held service. Reportedly, Carrie Fisher's ashes were carried in an urn made in the shape of the anti-depressant drug Prozac. By India Today Web Desk: Carrie Fisher, best known as Princess Leia from the Star Wars films, breathed her last on December 27. Exactly a day later, Carrie's mother, the famous Hollywood actor Debbie Reynolds passed away as well. Now, according to recent reports, Carrie has been buried beside Debbie Reynolds at a privately held service where her ashes were carried in a Prozac pill-shaped urn. advertisement ALSO READ: Carrie Fisher dies at the age of 60 ALSO READ: Carrie Fisher's mother Debbie Reynolds dies exactly a day after her daughter passed away MOVIE REVIEW | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "I felt it was where she would want to be," Carrie's brother Todd Fisher was quoted as saying. Todd added that the giant urn was made in the shape of Prozac, an anti-depressant drug, because Prozac was apparently a "favourite possession" of Carrie. "She loved it, and it was in her house, and Billie (Carrie Fisher's daughter) and I felt it was where she would want to be," Todd said. Prozac, which is the trade name for Fluoxetine is a strong anti-depressant drug that was introduced in the US in 1988. Over the years, Prozac has become highly popular among patients and doctors of depression. Carrie Fisher died from a cardiac arrest while she was on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, best known for acting opposite Gene Kelly in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain, died the very next day due to a suspected stroke. INDIA TODAY EXCLUSIVE: Passengers stars Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence in conversation on In Da Club --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 Indonesia has condemned the flying of a Papuan Morning Star flag on the premises of an Indonesian mission in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir called for the immediate arrest of the people responsible for what he called a "criminal act" that must be punished in accordance with the law. "The Indonesian government has conveyed protest to the Australian government and urged for the perpetrators to be strictly dealt with," Arrmanatha told The Jakarta Post late on Friday. The Morning Star, a symbol of the Papuan independence movement, was hoisted by a Caucasian suspect who, according to the ministry spokesman, broke into the Indonesian mission by scaling a wall "more than 2.5 meters-high" from an adjoining apartment building complex. (Read also: Australia must respect Indonesia's home affairs) Another person recorded the incident from outside the gate of the Indonesian office building. The action was carried out at 12:52 p.m. local time, when most Indonesian staffers were away for Friday prayers. Australian authorities are currently looking into the matter. The government also reminded Australia that it was responsible for the protection of every diplomatic and consular mission within its borders, in accordance with the 1961 and 1963 Vienna Conventions. A Facebook post on the incident at the Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 6.(Facebook/File) "It is in this regard that the Indonesian government demands Australia to ensure and increase the protection of all Indonesian diplomatic and consular properties [in the country]," Arrmanatha said. The incident comes off the back of a fresh spat between the two neighboring countries, precipitated by the discovery of offensive teaching materials at an Australian military academy which, among other things, mocked Indonesia's state ideology, Pancasila, and suggested support for Papuan independence. As a result, Indonesia froze its defense cooperation with Australia as the latter's top brass scrambled to rectify the problem. The Papuan independence movement recently met a dead end in its efforts to seek legitimacy through the Melanesian Spearhead Group, as talks about its bid for full membership in the diaspora-based forum floundered. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 The Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry has recorded more than 1.4 million children under five years old who are neglected across Indonesia. The ministrys latest data recorded those in the category of neglected stood at 1,403,048 children under 5 years old, or 5.83 percent of the total 24.07 million children under 5 years old, ministry official Titi Eko Rahayu said as quoted by Antara news agency over the weekend. Titi said that under the category were children between 0 to 4 years old that had received substandard care. There are several criteria for a child to be considered neglected: not receiving breast milk, having an absent parent, receiving less than 14 full meals a week and receiving plant-based protein less than 14 times a week, animal protein less than two times a week or a combination of both. Titi said Indonesia had the 2002 Child Protection Law, which guaranteed childrens rights to grow optimally. Other criteria include a mother who is responsible for a child leaving him or her to work within a week of when the survey was done; if the child ever gets sick but doesnt get any medical treatment; and if a child is taken care of by someone else other than the parents; and when a child is left alone by himself for at least a whole week. By the states definition, child is neglected when he or she fulfills at least three criteria, Titi said. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 Wake up and smell the coffee. After four years of posting lower production volume and shrinking plantation area, Indonesia is finally making a move to reverse the situation. Despite being the worlds fourth largest coffee producer, the country produces mainly Robusta coffee beans that are of lower quality than Arabica, and its own production volume has been falling over the past few years. The fact has prompted the government to rejuvenate 8,850 hectares of unproductive coffee plantations and open 200 ha of new ones in Central Kalimantan. For 2017, Rp 35.51 billion (US$2.66 million) has been allocated for that purpose, said the Agriculture Ministrys plantation director general, Bambang. Our vision is to increase plantation size, supported by programs from the government and various stakeholders. We need support from the latter because the state budget is limited, he said on Friday. Illustration of a cup of coffee.(Good Indonesian Food/File) (Read also: Coffee festival to celebrate Indonesian coffee) Ministry data shows overall plantation size has been steadily shrinking every year since 2013. The figure stood at 1.24 million ha back then and is predicted to have fallen to 1.22 million ha in 2016, with further reduction expected this year. Seasonal changes, combined with frequent volcanic eruptions, have been named as culprits behind the falling plantation size. With diminishing plantations, production volume has declined as well. While the volume reached 675,881 tons in 2013, it is predicted to have dropped 5 percent to 639,305 tons in 2016 and to slump to 637,537 tons in 2017. Bambang acknowledged the rejuvenation program would not yield instant results, as coffee plantations normally take three years to harvest and assured that the government had a few more tricks up its sleeves to improve the situation. It is in the process of registering more coffee products under the geographical indication (GI) scheme and specialty coffee to the Law and Human Rights Ministrys Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights. It is also supporting more farmers to plant Arabica coffee plants, as they only account for 30 percent of total plantations. Arabica coffee and those labeled GI, as well as specialty coffee such as Gayo, Mandailing, Kintamani, Temanggung, Ciwidey, Manglayang, Wamena, Toraja and Gowa are priced higher than Robusta. Arabica is planted on high land of 600 to 2,000 meters above sea surface, while Robusta, with its low acidity and bitterness, is planted on low land of 200 to 800 m above sea surface. Yusriadi, a 37-year-old coffee farmer from Bondowoso, East Java, is among farmers that have enjoyed the benefits of planting Arabica coffee. He has a monthly income of more than Rp 10 million, as Arabica sells higher than Robusta. The central government and regional administration introduced Arabica coffee planting with good SOP [standard operating procedures] in 2011, so we can increase productivity and sell the harvest at a much higher price, he said. (Read also: Tobys Estate expands coffee business in Indonesia) Meanwhile, M. Kirom of the Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industry Association (AEKI) said Indonesia still had room to improve its productivity, which stood at around 700 kg per ha compared to Vietnam with 3 tons per ha. We can increase it to 1.5 tons per hectare and still have better quality than Vietnamese coffee because our soil is just naturally suitable for coffee, he said. Separately, Indonesian Coffee Farmers Association (Apeki) chairman Sumarhum lauded the governments move. In the past, the government was half-hearted toward this commodity, but thats not the case now. Coffee prices are good and global demand is huge, theres no way the government is closing its eyes to it, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 The government is set to revamp its oversight system on foreigners amid growing concern of foreigners exploiting their visas to work in the country illegally. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said on Friday that the government would set up a task force to monitor the movement of foreigners entering the countrys borders. The monitoring [under the task force] will ensure foreigners who enter and move across Indonesia do not have a hidden agenda, such as working illegally, or even committing terror acts and being involved in the illegal drug trade, Wiranto told reporters following a meeting with relevant ministers at his office. The task force would function to fill the gap in the current oversight system, which focused on monitoring foreigners when they entered Indonesian borders, yet gradually lost control when they moved to other areas, Wiranto added. The minister said the task force would empower local administrations, which already have their own monitoring system, to step up oversight of foreigners living in the regions. National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Syafruddin confirmed the function of the task force was similar to the foreigner oversight (POA) team under the auspices of the National Police. The team was set up under the Soeharto regime but disbanded by the 2011 Immigration Law, which curtails the polices authority to oversee foreigners. Syafruddin said the police would now be involved in monitoring foreigners, but they would be under the coordination of the chief security office. The decision to establish such a task force comes following a crackdown on foreigners violating visas in Indonesia in recent months. 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. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has repeatedly rebuffed the rumor, which government officials said was aimed at stoking anti-Chinese sentiment in the country and to discredit the current administration. 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. Manpower Minister M. Hanif Dhakiri asserted that the number of illegal foreign workers in the country was not that significant compared to the official ones, saying that from the crackdown last year, the ministry and relevant authorities had arrested at least 800 foreigners working illegally. He said his ministry would also intensify its oversight system in accordance to the existing scheme, in which inspections of companies employing foreign workers were carried out both periodically and in response to reports of suspicious activities involving foreigners. We will continuously improve our monitoring, but the public should also stop fussing over the matter. Its true that there are problems [related to illegal foreign workers], but dont create a hyperbolic issue over that, Hanif said. (Read also: Indonesia to review free-visa policy) Foreign visitors wait at a visa-on-arrival payment counter at an airport(Antara/Nyoman Budhiana) Meanwhile, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said the significant number of foreign workers in Indonesia, including Chinese, corresponded to the fact that foreign investors in the countrys industrial sector wanted their own citizens to also work on the field, as they had special specifications. Gradually, there will be location training [by foreigners] so that [Indonesian workers] can take over the factory because technology transfer is required, Yasonna said, adding that a regulation on the matter would be further strengthened under the Industry Ministry domain. Yasonna further rebuffed suggestions that President Jokowis signature free-visa policy, which initially aimed to attract 20 million foreign tourists annually by 2019, had contributed to the rising number of illegal foreign workers in the country those who first entered with tourists visa. However, Yasonnas office is also set to review the free-visa policy amid concerns that among the 174 countries enjoying Indonesias visa waiver, there were several small countries that had not contributed to the increasing number of visitors to Indonesia. Wiranto concurred with Yasonna, saying that an evaluation of the list of countries enjoying the free-visa policy was important to ensure the policy had not opened the door for foreigners to work illegally in the country. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 The Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh has secured the release of an Indonesian man who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia for alleged murder, the Foreign Ministry revealed. The man, identified as Syarif Hidayat Anang, was arrested by Saudi authorities in 2013 on allegations of being complicit in the murder of another Indonesian citizen, Enah Nurhasan. He was detained alongside three Saudi citizens in Ahsa in the country's east, according to a statement by the ministry's directorate for the protection of Indonesian nationals and entities abroad. From the outset, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh had provided legal assistance, having appointed Saudi lawyer Abdullah Al Mohaemeed to represent Syarif until 2015. Since May 2016, defense duties were taken over by Muhammad Ahmad al-Qarni, another legal adviser. "From the results of an investigation into the case files by the Indonesian Embassy's protection team, we were certain that Syarif was not involved in the murder, and that's why we went all out to secure his release," Dede Rifai, the embassy's consular attache who coordinated the legal efforts, said on Saturday. Syarif was acquitted on all charges on Dec. 12 last year, while the remaining suspects remained on death row. He arrived in Jakarta late on Friday in the company of his legal adviser, following the issuance of his release earlier this week, the ministry revealed. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 Jakarta General Election Commission (KPU Jakarta) head Sumarno has said the planned gubernatorial debates on Jan. 13, Jan. 27, and Feb. 10, will have a significant impact on the capitals undecided voters. "Several surveys say undecided voters will be greatly influenced [to decide who to vote for] after seeing the debates," Sumarsono said on Friday as quoted by kompas.com. He added that the residents would see the capacity and leadership qualities of the gubernatorial candidates in dealing with several city issues after seeing the debates. "The debates will elaborate three things such as the capability, leadership and integrity of the gubernatorial candidates," he said. Sumarsono added that each debate would be divided into six sessions. In the first session, each candidate will convey their vision, mission and programs. In the second session, the moderator will ask the candidates to elaborate their vision and mission while in the third session the candidates will answer the moderator's questions regarding current problems in the capital. In the fourth session, the candidates will have a chance to ask questions to each other. Meanwhile, in the fifth session they will be able to debate each other before finally giving their closing statements. Sumarsono said the debates, which would take place at Hotel Bidakara, South Jakarta, could accommodate 1,000 visitors. Each campaign team would only be able to bring 100 supporters. (cal/dmr) (Read also: Experts to prepare questions for gubernatorial debate) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Batam Sat, January 7 2017 Amid a crackdown on illegal foreign workers, the Batam Immigration Office arrested 10 women from Vietnam and China who allegedly worked as sex workers in Batam, Riau Islands province. The arrests were made during raids conducted on Wednesday on a rented house and a nightclub in Nagoya business district in Batam. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7 2017 The semi high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Surabaya in East Java may be realized under a government-to-government (G2G) cooperation between Indonesia and Japan. The Transportation Ministrys railway transportation director general, Prasetyo Boeditjahjono, said the possible scheme came about after Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi met with his Japanese counterpart, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii in late December. [Japan] is more interested in G2G. It has a notion that if the project were be to be carried out under a G2B [government-to-business] or B2B [business-to-business] scheme, it would be hard, he said recently. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7, 2017 The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) is encouraging the public to observe the first official debate next week so that they can directly compare the quality and competence of the three gubernatorial hopefuls. KPU Jakarta commissioner Dahliah Umar said the debate would illustrate the actual competence and quality of each candidate. Jakartas citizens are the main stakeholders in this gubernatorial election. The debate offers a chance for the public to assess the quality and competence of each candidate, she said during a discussion on Saturday. She said that apart from delivering their vision and mission, the debate session would also allow the candidates, namely Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno, to show their leadership abilities, including how they control their emotions and manners in presenting their ideas. Dahliah said her commission had scheduled three debates before election day, with the first one slated for Jan. 13. The first debate will be broadcast live on TV One, NET TV and Jawa Pos TV. Dahliah assured those concerned that every candidate would participate in the debate, including Ahok. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Sat, January 7 2017 The suspect in a blasphemy case revolving around a Christmas tree decoration bearing the word Allah [God] in Arabic script at a Jambi hotel may have been a disgruntled worker. RZ, 20, who has been named as a suspect in the case, is an employee of the four-star Novital hotel. A preliminary investigation has found no evidence to prove the suspects action was intended to be blasphemous, Jambi Police chief Brig. Gen. Yazid Fanani said. The suspect may have carried out the action because he had been paid late, Yazid said Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Ghosh, who is out on bail after spending almost three years in jail in connection to the Saradha chit fund scam, demanded that his party must form an internal probe committee over the issue. By Indrajit Kundu: Suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh today demanded that his party must form an internal probe committee over the issue of chit fund scam. Ghosh, who is out on bail after spending almost three years in jail in connection to the Saradha chit fund scam said, "The allegations are very serious, the situation is grave. So instead of disturbing the public, the party should seek an inquiry within." advertisement HERE'S WHAT HE SAID Reacting to the Central Government's offer of a top post with state-run telecom company BSNL, Ghosh said he would not be able to take the job due to personal commitments. "I'm thankful to the department of telecommunications for appointing me as the chairman of the telephone advisory committee," Ghosh said adding, "One must not read any political motives into the appointment," he said. However, speaking out about party chief Mamata Banerjee's crusade against the CBI probe into the Rose Valley chit fund scam, the suspended MP said he wholeheartedly welcomes the central agency's probe even though his own party men were being arrested. "I have faced the situation. I'm fighting my own battle. Let them fight their battle too. No one should not be spared," Kunal told India Today. Rubbishing the vendetta charge against the Centre, as claimed by the TMC supremo, Ghosh said, "Those complaining of political vendetta had used the same against me." "I've seen what political vendetta looks like. I have been its victim. When I had demanded a CBI probe in the Saradha scam, the Bengal police had hounded me," he added. Coming out strongly in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive, Ghosh urged the Centre not to bow down to any pressure from the Opposition even though his own party was vehemently opposing it. "I totally support demonetisation. I request the PM not to roll back the decision. Steps must be taken against black money," he said. Questioning Mamata Banerjee's opposition to the move, Ghosh said "I'm not aware of any discussion within my party on this very issue. One day, one fine morning someone will take a decision and then why should the rest follow?" ALSO READ | Saradha scam: Suspended TMC MP Kunal Ghosh granted interim bail after 3 years Narendra Modi government appoints suspended TMC MP Kunal Ghosh to top telecom panel --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, January 7 2017 The government is set to revamp its oversight system on foreigners amid growing concern of foreigners exploiting their visas to work in the country illegally. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said on Friday that the government would set up a task force to monitor the movement of foreigners entering the countrys borders. The monitoring [under the task force] will ensure foreigners who enter and move across Indonesia do not have a hidden agenda, such as working illegally, or even committing terror acts and being involved in the illegal drug trade, Wiranto told reporters following a meeting with relevant ministers at his office. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Sat, January 7 2017 More commuters will be able to enjoy the capitals bus rapid transit (BRT) system this year, with city-owned bus operator Transjakarta targeting to open new routes and procure some 2,000 new buses. Transjakarta president director Budi Kaliwono said on Thursday that his company currently operated 1,300 buses on more than 70 routes. We now have a 1,300-strong fleet. Its number will increase to 3,300 [this year], he said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Bloomberg) London Sat, January 7, 2017 The promise of production cuts from OPEC and its partners sent oil rallying in 2016. Now traders want proof theyre delivering on those vows. It wont come easy. The challenge: Building a coherent picture from the morass of data that emerges at each step along the process, from the wellheads where the oil is produced, to the tankers that carry it, and the depots that store it. Unlike in the US, where output is published weekly, members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries can take months to disclose their production. Beyond that, their data can be at odds with independent surveys, and countries have been known to cheat on such deals. With a rising US rig count offering a bearish undertone, each new hint on the accords implementation can be expected to swing prices. "The market could be whipsawed more by data and headlines than in the past," said Michael Cohen, head of energy commodities research at Barclays Plc in New York, in a telephone interview. "Data lags will be the primary problem in tracking cuts." Brent crude, the global benchmark, has surged 23 percent since Nov. 29, the day before the deal was sealed among OPECs members. The grade rose 21 cents to US$57.10 a barrel Friday, the highest close since July 2015. Future price increases for crude will depend on a wide variety of signposts. Heres a breakdown on what to look for: 1. Upstream The first indications will come at the start of next month, when media outlets such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and Platts publish surveys of production. Estimates from institutions such as the International Energy Agency and US Energy Information Administration arrive a week or two later. As no ones counting barrels at Abqaiq, the Saudi oil-processing facility, these have to be modeled on computers, Barclays Cohen says. While we consider official production data published by OPEC governments, we come up with our own estimates, said Lejla Villar, an analyst who estimates OPEC output at the EIA, part of the U.S. Energy Department. We look at crude oil loadings, estimated domestic consumption and refinery runs, storage, and whatever else might be relevant. OPEC wont publish production levels until the middle of next month. Even then, the waters will be muddied as the organization provides two sets of data: the one used to monitor the agreement, compiled from the surveys described above, and numbers submitted directly by member governments, which can differ significantly. Monitoring the 11 non-members collaborating in the deal could be even harder, as data for the smaller producers like South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea are very patchy. At the moment its hard to be sure how much announced production cuts have been followed or matched by actual changes, said Damian Kennaby, director in the oil markets team at IHS Markit Ltd, whose estimates are among the external ones used by OPEC. There are very few data on current production numbers and balances. To provide more clarity, OPEC and its partners have established a monitoring committee, to hold its first meeting in Vienna from Jan. 21 to Jan. 22, though the panel hasnt yet said in detail how it will operate. 2. Midstream While the agreement applies to production, changes in exports will be felt more acutely by the international oil market. National producers notify customers months in advance what cargoes are available, which means some details on exports are already known. Iraqs shipping schedules, for instance, show the countrys sales will increase rather than decrease next month, though the country subsequently said buyers should prepare for lower volumes. Once the oil is on the water theres a range of services dedicated to following its flow, from ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg to companies such as Petro-Logistics SA and Oil Movements. Satellite-tracking means these shipments can be estimated almost in real-time. To read about the obscure oil market most affected by the cuts click here. Still, a drop in exports might not guarantee a change in production, according to the EIA. The question of storage is the key unknown when estimating production using export data, said the EIAs Villar. Its difficult to know how much of the lifted crude each month comes from storage and how much from production in that particular month. Furthermore the size of the cuts, at just 4 percent of OPECs total output, is not necessarily enough to have an impact on the number of tankers, said Olivier Jakob, managing director at consultants Petromatrix GmbH. 3. Stockpiles Clearing bloated oil inventories, rather than achieving a particular price, has always been the stated aim of OPECs intervention. The group estimates that the worlds tanks are overstuffed by more than 300 million barrels, or enough to satisfy China for almost a month. Yet if stockpiles are the most important metric, the problem is that they are perhaps the most lagging, with data from the IEA arriving about two months in arrears. The agency previously assumed inventories wouldnt drop until the end of 2017. It now estimates that OPECs cuts could start to deplete inventories as early as the first quarter, which means data from this definitive gauge would arrive in April or May. OPEC, meanwhile, has said that while the deal will speed up the re-balancing of the global oil market, it wont result in demand exceeding supply until the second half of the year. Even if OPEC delivers the cuts promised, theres still the risk of backsliding if their competitors in the U.S. respond by ramping up drilling, said Chip Hodge, who oversees a $12 billion natural-resource bond portfolio as senior managing director at John Hancock in Boston. "If activity picks up dramatically here, it might push other producers into cheating because of what that means for prices," he said. Beautiful and historic landmarks do not come much grander than the Chateau de Versailles in France. When the chateau was built, Versailles was just a small 11th century village. Today, it is a wealthy suburb about 12-miles southwest of Paris. Known simply as Versailles, it was the seat of political power in the Kingdom of France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved the royal court from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. I've been to Versailles several times before, but it was so wonderful to return and explore the enormous Palace and outdoor grounds with my grandchildren, Jude and Truman - they love learning and were amazed with all they saw. Here are more photos from our holiday trip - Versailles and Paris. And be sure to see additional photos on my Instagram page @marthastewart48. (lead article, commentary) Obamas attacks on Israel boost Jew-hatred The decision by the lame-duck administration of President Barack Obama to allow passage of a Dec. 23 United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel weakens both the right of Israel to exist and the fight for the national interests of the Palestinian people. It gives the green light to anti-Semitic currents that call for destruction of the Jewish state including Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions forces and to those like reactionary Hamas in the Palestinian Gaza Strip that organizes terror actions against Jews in Israel and in West Bank settlements. And it encourages aggressive anti-Arab currents in Israel. The U.N. resolution, which Republican President-elect Donald Trump urged Obama to veto, states that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution. Secretary of State John Kerry added insult to injury in a 70-minute lecture Dec. 28 blaming Tel Aviv for sinking the prospect of a negotiated peace settlement and calling the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the most right wing in Israeli history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements. Kerrys critique excoriated Tel Aviv for robbing Obama of his legacy, ignoring his advice and instructions for what they should do. Like the liberals and those on the petty-bourgeois left who are aghast at U.S. workers who rejected Hillary Clinton and voted for Donald Trump, Obama and his meritocratic brethren find it unfathomable that Netanyahu doesnt jump to follow their proscriptions for Israeli policy. The key question here is the Jewish question, the right of Israel to exist as a homeland for Jews, and the right to return to Israel for Jews everywhere in a world where Jew-hatred is on the rise. As the crisis of capitalism and the class struggle deepen, history teaches, the capitalists lose confidence that normal methods will defend their rule, and they turn to fascist terror against the working class. Key to this is fanning Jew-hatred and pogroms to divert the toilers from fighting for power. The need for a refuge for the Jews was etched in the consciousness of workers around the world during the second imperialist world slaughter when the Nazis marched across Europe, annihilating 6 million Jews two-thirds of the Jewish population in Europe. The capitalist rulers in Washington and across Europe closed their borders to Jews who tried to flee the Holocaust. Out of this catastrophe Israel was established. The world Jewish population has still not reached its prewar level. In 1939 there were almost 17 million Jews worldwide, largely in Europe. Today the number is just over 14 million. Over 2,000 years they were subjected to terrible persecution and then to the pogroms, Fidel Castro, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, said of the Jewish people in 2010. I think their culture and religion kept them together as a nation. The fight between Israeli authorities and the lame-duck Obama administration takes place as political alliances among capitalist regimes in the Middle East are undergoing tectonic shifts. Tehran has increased its military presence and political influence from Afghanistan to Lebanon. Shiite and Sunni-led regimes are lining up against each other. As Washingtons influence declines, Moscow attempts to move in. Israel is a Mideast nation. Today Tel Aviv is forced to take another look at who are its allies and its enemies. While most governments in the Mideast do not recognize Israel, many Sunni-led regimes, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, are looking to work with Tel Aviv, sharing common interests in blocking Tehran. Last year the Israeli government resumed diplomatic relations with Turkey after a six-year freeze following a deadly Israeli raid on a Turkish ship delivering aid to Gaza. Tel Aviv is warming up to Moscow and looking to closer relations with the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump. Jew-hatred on the rise Jew-hatred and anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in many parts of the world. Thats why the right of Israel to exist and of Jews anywhere to live there is even more important today. And such a view is the only road to rebuild a movement capable of winning recognition of a Palestinian state today, opening the door to fight for a contiguous, viable homeland for the Palestinian people. The U.N. resolution encourages the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, which has growing support in U.S. and European liberal, academic and governmental milieus. BDS supporters seek to make an international pariah of Israel, treating its Jewish population as one reactionary mass and labeling it an apartheid state. They demand boycotting Israeli goods and shutting down artistic, musical and academic exchanges with Israel. But Israel today bears no resemblance to apartheid South Africa, and the position of Jews there and worldwide has no comparison to the murderous Boer overlords who ruled Pretoria before Nelson Mandela. Hamas and Palestinian Authority leaders welcomed the U.N. resolution and Kerrys speech. This is in line with the course they have followed for decades, including using terror attacks to try to get the attention of Washington and other imperialist powers to pressure Tel Aviv. This course relies on turning the Palestinian masses into passive bystanders. To defend Jews both in Israel and worldwide, and the only road that can open the door to mobilizing Palestinian workers and farmers to fight for their rights, requires recognition of the state of Israel. Related articles: Capitalist rulers in Mideast shift allies while toilers face catastrophe Fidel Castro: Israel has the right to exist as Jewish state Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home (front page) Socialist Workers Party: Prosecute killer cops! SWP takes LA mayor campaign to workers doors Militant/Jonathan Batres LOS ANGELES We call for charging the cop who killed Ryan Joseph, said Dennis Richter, Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor of Los Angeles Jan. 3. He was speaking with grammar school teacher Arlene Washington on her doorstep here, a few blocks from where police shot and killed 20-year-old Joseph Dec. 18. The cops said he ran from them as they were responding to a call about someone with a gun. They chased him near the apartment complex where he lived and shot him. They claim they recovered a gun at the scene. A vigil of over 100 people was held in front of the apartment complex the next day. Richter and other SWP campaigners were visiting with workers in the area, talking about how to fight police brutality, to introduce the SWP and discuss the importance of building a working-class alternative to the two bosses parties, the Democrats and Republicans. The politicians always say they are going to do an investigation, but they just want us to forget and not protest to keep the pressure on, said Richter. There has to be a fundamental change, Washington said. They give the cops too much power. The state, the courts, the judges all work together. We do need fundamental change, Richter agreed. The cops operate as part of a system that defends private property and the bosses. Theyre not here to defend the working class. The capitalist rulers work to keep us divided through unemployment, racism, paying women less, treating immigrants worse. They use these divisions to drive us all down, because they make millions off of us that way. To learn more about the party, Washington got a copy of The Clintons Anti-Working-Class Record: Why Washington Fears Working People by SWP National Secretary Jack Barnes and purchased a Militant. We need to read and study We are building a movement of working people to fight for our class, Richter said. Ive joined marches to raise the minimum wage, and protest police brutality and deportations. At the same time, I think we need to read and study together along with others we meet who want to build a movement. Thats why we introduce the books on working-class politics today and theas we knock on workers doors. Richter and supporters have campaigned in the neighborhood over the past few weeks, meeting several people who knew Joseph. I dont think they had to kill him, said Tatum ONeill, 19, who had gone to school with the slain youth. But the cops always have an excuse. Cops say they felt threatened, and use that to justify whatever brutality they dish out. The courts, the big business media and the city government back them up unless we take to the streets, Richter said. All political questions are ultimately settled on the streets. Even if Joseph did have a gun, the cops dont have the right to execute people on the spot, he said. Join the campaign I want to help reach out to youth, Jonathan Batres, who was campaigning door to door with Richter for the second time, told the. I want to get young people to read more. Were oversaturated with distractions, like apps or videos on our phones. Batres, a tattoo artist, previously worked at Office Depot. Sometimes they would call me in for just a four-hour shift so they didnt have to give me a lunch break, he said. Recently he joined a protest here in solidarity with Native Americans at Standing Rock in North Dakota fighting for sovereignty over tribal land and against the Dakota Access Pipeline. It inspired me to see these people standing up, and I thought, I cant just stand by and do nothing, Batres said. He heard Richter speak at the protest and decided to join in activities with the SWP candidate afterward. Its vital to talk face to face with workers about whats going on, hear the problems they have, the solutions they see, he said about campaigning door to door. People dont get ideas out of thin air. They have to discuss them. They have so many things to talk about, and they like being asked what they think. Batres said he is reading up on the Cuban Revolution. In school I only heard bad stuff about Cuba, he said. But working with the Socialist Workers Party, Ive learned different things, including about when they distributed land to people a monumental thing! Richter said when people hear he is a candidate, they take more seriously what he has to say. Yes, and we have to use that to our advantage, Batres said, and talk to more people. Related articles: Newark protest says, Stop cops killing our children Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home (front page) Washington tells Puerto Rico: Bleed workers dry U.S. imperialism has ordered the colonial regime in Puerto Rico to come up with a plan by Jan. 31 to bleed the U.S. colony dry and pay its $70 billion debt to bondholders and hedge funds. The bipartisan Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, appointed by President Barack Obama, told incoming Gov. Ricardo Rossello that the plan must include more layoffs of government employees, cuts in pensions, wage freezes, reduced medical coverage, slashed welfare rolls and the sell-off of government assets. The board set up under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act has the power to override any financial decisions of the government of Puerto Rico. The laws stated purpose is to bring lawful order to chaos. In reality its just a collection agency for wealthy bondholders, Hector Pesquera, co-president of the Hostosian National Independence Movement, told the Militant by phone from San Juan Dec. 30. The board, or junta as it is called in Spanish, rejected the fiscal plan proposed by outgoing Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla in November. Garcia didnt propose deep enough cuts, what junta President Jose Carrion euphemistically called policy adjustment and structural reforms. Carrion also said that Garcias plan was mistaken in expecting additional funds from Washington for Medicaid. Some 60 percent of the islands population receives Medicare or Medicaid. Unlike the 50 U.S. states, federal spending on Medicaid is capped, generally covering less than 20 percent. As a result, the government of Puerto Rico makes up the shortfall, an estimated $1.4 billion a year. The Puerto Rican economy has been in recession since 2006. The islands gross national product has contracted by 18 percent since then. More than a dozen hospitals have closed floors and curtailed services. A nearly 70 percent cut in infrastructure spending by the government and government-owned utilities has left roads and the electrical grid in bad shape. Official unemployment in November was 11.9 percent, more than twice the U.S. average, and labor force participation is barely 40 percent, compared to 63 percent in the U.S. Median household income is less than $19,000, one-third the U.S., while the cost of living is comparable, if not higher. Successive regimes in Puerto Rico have already cut government spending by 12 percent since 2006, laid off nearly one-quarter of the government workforce the largest source of jobs on the island increased sales taxes by $1.4 billion a year and slashed pensions. Measures will worsen death spiral In a Nov. 29 reply to Carrion, Garcia expressed the fears of Puerto Rican capitalists that a deeper attack on the standard of living of the islands workers and farmers would worsen the death spiral and present a serious risk to the social stability of Puerto Rico. In a 10-page letter to Garcia and Rossello, Carrion gave the governors office a deadline of Jan. 31 to come up with a revised plan and the Puerto Rican legislature a Feb. 15 deadline to approve laws to carry it out. More than one-third of Puerto Ricos budget goes to paying interest on the debt, but Carrion said that stopping payment on the debt is legally and equitably not an option. After all, he wrote, even if the debt were cancelled there would be a shortfall of more than $3.2 billion a year. The best they can hope for, he said, is that negotiations with creditors will lead to a restructuring of the debt. In the meantime, the junta demands comprehensive labor and welfare reform, including reducing or eliminating severance pay, paid vacations, pensions and non-essential services, as well as cutting the welfare rolls. Education and health care two of the largest areas of expenditure, Carrion added, must be reduced substantially and tuition increased. He also demanded energy reform to lower electricity costs. Workers hit the hardest What that really means is they want to privatize the electrical company, Pedro Irene Maymi, president of the CPT union federation, said by phone from Morovis, Puerto Rico, Jan. 1. In all these measures it is the workers who are hit the hardest. Under the impact of the economic and social crisis on the island, Puerto Ricans are leaving for the U.S. in droves. Since 2004 more than 350,000 have emigrated, 9.2 percent of the population. By the end of 2015, some 3.5 million people lived in Puerto Rico, and 5.4 million Puerto Ricans lived in the U.S., including 1.7 million who were born on the island. One-third of the islands doctors have left. When her son had a seizure in February 2016, Karen Garcia was told he couldnt get an appointment with a pediatric neurologist until July 2017, Reuters reported Oct. 11. Family doctors suggested she should move to the U.S. This is not an exception, Yazmin Lopez, a registered nurse in Mayaguez, said by phone Dec. 30. So many doctors have moved to the U.S. At first some people thought the junta would bring some order to the economy, Lopez said. But many people now realize its just to pay the debt and that we are just a colony. The pro-independence weekly Claridad said in a Dec. 29 editorial that the Junta is bringing bitter medicine. It remains to be seen if our people will drink it without resisting. Related articles: End US colonial rule in Puerto Rico! Who is Oscar Lopez? Why should he be free? Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home (front page) Mass march in Cuba demands US end embargo, return Guantanamo Reuters/Desmond Boylan Marking Revolutionary Armed Forces Day in Cuba, hundreds of thousands marched in Havana Jan. 2 in celebration of the 58th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution and in a disciplined display of fighting spirit to honor its central leader, Fidel Castro, who died Nov. 25. What will take place this morning is only possible when there exists a united people, Jennifer Bello, president of the Federation of University Students and a member of the Council of State, told the crowd, the highest expression of a revolution that counts on workers, peasants, soldiers dignified men and women who live proud of their society. The mass mobilization included both a military display and an outpouring of the population. It also marked the 60th anniversary of the landing of the Granma, which opened the revolutionary struggle that toppled the Washington-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Several thousand Young Pioneers, primary school students, marched surrounding a replica of the boat, which brought Fidel Castro and other combatants from Mexico to Cuba. Cuba will not stop demanding the lifting of Washingtons blockade, which causes damage and privation for our people, Bello said. Nor will it stop demanding the return of the territory occupied by the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, against the will of the Cuban people and government. Cuban President and Army General Raul Castro presided over the mass mobilization. The people of Havana, representing all of Cuba, will fill the Plaza of the Revolution with their responsibility to continue to fight for our sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable nation, Bello said. The mobilization took places days after the conclusion of a session of the National Assembly of Peoples Power where Raul Castro spoke about the economic challenges facing Cuba. In the second half of 2016, decreases in oil supplies and other factors resulted in a 0.9 percent decline in the countrys gross domestic product, Castro said Dec. 27. The capitalist crisis wracking Venezuela has led to significant reductions in crude oil shipped to Cuba at subsidized prices. Those shipments dropped from 90,000 barrels daily in recent years to 40,000 in the past few months. Nonetheless, free social services, such as education and public health for the entire population, were preserved, Castro said. We must not forget the negative effects generated by the United States economic, commercial, financial blockade, which remain in effect, Castro said. For example, Washington continues to prevent Cuba from conducting international transactions using the U.S. dollar. The Cuban president projected modest growth in 2017, if the Cuban people increase productivity and limit waste. We must rid ourselves of unfounded fears of foreign capital, Castro said. We are not heading toward, nor will we head toward capitalism. This is totally ruled out. As Fidel Castro requested, the assembly adopted a law prohibiting the construction of monuments to the revolutionary leader or use of his name in designating streets or public squares. Related articles: Raul Castro: Make principles of revolution a reality every day Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home (front page) Capitalist rulers in Mideast shift allies while toilers face catastrophe The Syrian cease-fire brokered by the Russian and Turkish governments marks a new stage in the shifting search by the capitalist rulers in Moscow, Ankara, Tehran, Tel Aviv and other regimes in the region for alliances that will allow them to defend their competing national interests. Washington, responsible for decades of war and devastation in the region, increasingly finds itself on the sidelines. More broadly, these alliances tend to pit Tehran and allied Shiite-led forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen against Sunni-led regimes in Saudi Arabia, the other Gulf monarchies, Jordan and Turkey. Tel Aviv finds itself pushed toward the Sunni-led regimes. And everyone seeks backing from either Moscow or Washington, or both. Workers and farmers in the region continue to face catastrophe. The Syria truce, reached in the wake of the crushing of opposition forces in the city of Aleppo, began Dec. 30. It is projected to lead to political negotiations sponsored by the Russian, Turkish and Iranian governments in Kazakhstan in January. Several of the main armed groups that have been fighting the Syrian regime, especially those aligned with the Turkish government, signed on. However, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assads army, Iranian-led forces and Russian warplanes have renewed attacks near Damascus, in Idlib province and elsewhere. A number of the opposition groups now say they will not participate in talks. Other groups are excluded from the cease-fire, including Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. So is the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG). Washington is not a party to the agreement, registering the relative weakening of U.S. imperialism in the region. The Barack Obama administration had engaged in round after round of futile talks with Moscow attempting to reach a deal to rein in Assad in exchange for military cooperation against Islamic State and the Nusra Front. But Washington could neither decide to intervene directly, nor find substantial opposition groups it was willing to back in order to have leverage in the Syrian civil war. Instead, the Russian and Iranian governments acted decisively to prop up the Assad government, which initiated the civil war when it brutally crushed mass protests for democratic rights in 2011. The estimated death toll from nearly six years of fighting is approaching half a million. At least 11 million people half of Syrias prewar population have been forced from their homes. Major sections of Aleppo and other cities have been leveled. The regime has made indiscriminate bombing and starvation sieges against civilian populations one of its trademarks. Turkish rulers focus on war on Kurds Over the last six months, the Turkish government shifted its priorities from seeking Assads overthrow to blocking efforts by Kurdish nationalist forces to establish an autonomous region in Syria. Ankaras rapprochement with Moscow aims to advance that goal. Turkish officials say Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes around the city of al-Bab for the first time Dec. 28, backing the Turkish-led drive to take that northern Syrian city from Islamic State. At the same time, Ankara complained that Washington has refused to give air support to its operation. Turkish troops and the Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army are trying to take al-Bab, northeast of Aleppo, before the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces can do so. From there they plan to head east to Manbij, and drive Kurdish forces across the Euphrates River. The direct Turkish military intervention in northern Syria began in August, coinciding with an escalation of Ankaras war against the Kurds in southeastern Turkey. It has recently been bolstered by 500 Turkish commandoes and some 1,400 Turkish-backed Syrian rebels who pulled out of Aleppo when it fell. The Kurdish people number some 30 million, divided between Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. They have fought for decades for a homeland and against national oppression by all of the capitalist regimes in the region. Over the last two years the YPG and other Kurdish-led militias have been the most effective force in pushing back the reactionary Islamic State, while strengthening the consolidation of a Kurdish region and inspiring support among Kurds in Turkey in the process. They are the leading force on the ground in the current U.S.-backed campaign to drive Islamic State out of Raqqa, Syria. The Democratic Union Party (PYD) the party associated with the YPG militia and other Kurdish and non-Kurdish parties announced Dec. 28 they had drafted a blueprint for a Democratic Federal System of Northern Syria. The Syrian, Turkish and U.S. governments all oppose a separate Kurdish region in Syria. Tehran extends its influence The battle in Aleppo underscored how the capitalist rulers in Iran are consolidating their dominant role and military presence across a wide swath of the Middle East, from the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east through Iraq and Syria to large sections of Lebanon and in Yemen. The decisive ground force in the battle for Aleppo was not Assads army, but rather Iranian troops and Tehran-backed Shiite militias, especially Hezbollah from Lebanon as well as fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan. Qasem Soleimani, commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, was recently photographed giving orders to combatants in Aleppo. Iranian-trained Shiite militias are also playing a major role in the campaign to retake Mosul, Iraq, from Islamic State, alongside the Iraqi army and forces of the Kurdish regional government there. These developments reflect sharpening divisions between Shiite-dominated forces and Sunni-led regimes in the region. In a press conference in Tehran Jan. 4, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pointed to these divisions, attacking Iraqi Kurds, Saudi Arabia and Israel. He described the Saudi regime as the main source of terrorism in the Middle East, saying they will live to regret it, and thanked Tehran for all its help. I tell you of the threat that surpasses terrorism which is the Zionist enemy, al-Maliki said. And we should all stand on one front against this threat. Related articles: Obamas attacks on Israel boost Jew-hatred Fidel Castro: Israel has the right to exist as Jewish state Changes in Jewish population of select countries since 1933 Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home Fidel Castro: Israel has the right to exist as Jewish state Since the beginning of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro and the Cuban Communist Party have made sharp distinctions between the policies of the capitalist government of Israel, the right of the Jewish state to exist, and the rights of the Jewish people, both there and in Cuba. I dont think anyone has been slandered more than the Jews, Fidel Castro told Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine, in a September 2010 interview. The Jews have lived an existence that is much harder than ours. There is nothing that compares to the Holocaust. In the interview, Goldberg wrote, Castro criticized Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then-president of Iran, for denying the Holocaust and explained why the Iranian government would better serve the cause of peace by acknowledging the unique history of anti-Semitism and trying to understand why Israelis fear for their existence. Over 2,000 years they were subjected to terrible persecution and then to the pogroms, Castro said, referring to waves of bloody anti-Jewish riots in Russia and eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One might have assumed that they would have disappeared; I think their culture and religion kept them together as a nation. Cubas revolutionary government has strongly opposed Tel Avivs assaults and discrimination against Palestinians. But Castro responded, Yes, without a doubt, when Goldberg asked if he thought Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. A few days after the interview appeared, Castro spoke at a presentation of his book The Strategic Counteroffensive at the University of Havana. The Cuban leader responded to criticism he had received for meeting with Goldberg, praising Goldbergs journalism and reconfirming his statements condemning Jew-hatred. Castros position stands on the continuity of Cubas revolutionary leadership. In June 1967, Ricardo Alarcon, Cubas ambassador to the United Nations, condemned Israels military capture of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights at a special General Assembly session. Alarcon opened his remarks by saying that Cuba objects to any political proclamation which advocates the destruction of any people or state. This principle is applicable to the Palestinian people unjustly deprived of its territory, as well as the Jewish people, which for 2,000 years have suffered racial prejudice and persecution, and during the recent Nazi period, one of the most cruel attempts at mass extermination. True revolutionaries never threaten to exterminate a whole country, Castro said a few months later, referring to statements by the Arab regimes in the 1967 war. This kind of propaganda helped the Israeli leadership to mobilize the patriotism of their people, he said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde. Related articles: Obamas attacks on Israel boost Jew-hatred Capitalist rulers in Mideast shift allies while toilers face catastrophe Changes in Jewish population of select countries since 1933 Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home Controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has been booked in Meerut for blaming Muslims for population boom in the country. By India Today Web Desk: A case has been registered against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj over his controversial comment on population growth. Sakshi Maharaj has been booked for hurting religious sentiments by blaming Muslims for exponential population growth in the country. READ| 'Those with 4 wives, 40 children' increased population, says Sakshi Maharaj SAKSHI MAHARAJ POPULATION COMMENT: THINGS TO KNOW The case against Sakshi Maharaj was registered in Meerut under section 298 of IPC besides other provisions of law for hurting religious sentiments of Muslims and violation of model code of conduct. Sakshi Maharaj had said, "This population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children." Sakshi Maharaj was speaking at a function to inaugurate a temple in Meerut, where he urged the government to implement the Uniform Civil Code. Sakshi Maharaj later defended his comment saying, "It was a gathering of 'sadhus and sants', where political workers were not present. I did not seek vote during my speech." Sakshi Maharaj's speech came merely two days after the Election Commission announced the dates for polling in five states including Uttar Pradesh. His comments in the election bound state of Uttar Pradesh are being viewed as a violation of model code of conduct. UP Chief Election Officer has also sought response from Sakshi Maharaj on his controversial comment. The Election Commission also sought a report from District Magistrate of Meerut on Sakshi Maharaj's speech. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled that no politician or political party was allowed to seek vote in the name of religion under the Representation of People Act, 1951. The BJP has distanced itself from the comment made by Sakshi Maharaj. Senior party leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "This should not be seen as the view of the party." advertisement (With inputs from Usman in Meerut Watch: Congress files complaint against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj over anti-Muslim remarks --- ENDS --- The Healthy Downriver Community Team, a local collaborative, will present its annual free resource fair, Mending the Safety Net, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 20 at Wayne County Community College District-Downriver Campus, 21000 North Line Road, Taylor. The event is an opportunity for nonprofit direct service providers to attend and/or have an exhibit table at no cost. The event is designed for family services workers; hospital and school social workers; nurses; case managers; any health, human services, education or early childhood professionals; or volunteers who assist families in need. For exhibitor information and registration or general details about the event,contact Carol Meyers at carolm@theinfocenter.org. Registration is not necessary to attend the event. Mending the Safety Net is sponsored by the Healthy Downriver Community Team, with participation by The Information Center, Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Wayne County Community College District-Downriver Campus, The Guidance Center, the Downriver Community Conference, the Trenton Exchange Club, Community Care Services and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has once again created an uproar with his remarks. He has blamed Muslims for exponential growth of population in the country. By India Today Web Desk: Days after the Supreme Court ruled that no politician or political party was allowed to seek vote in the name of religion, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has created a fresh controversy by blaming Muslims for population boom. Sakshi Maharaj's speech came merely two days after the Election Commission announced the dates for polling in five states including Uttar Pradesh. advertisement SAKSHI MAHARAJ CREATES CONTROVERSY: THINGS TO KNOW Addressing a public meeting at Meerut in election-bound Uttar Pradesh, Sakshi Maharaj said, "This population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children." Sakshi Maharaj was speaking at a function to inaugurate a temple in Meerut, where he urged the government to implement the Uniform Civil Code. While clarifying his remarks, Sakshi Maharaj later denied seeking vote in the name of religion. "It was a gathering of 'sadhus and sants', where political workers were not present. I did not seek vote during my speech." However, the opposition parties have condemned the Sakshi Majaraj's statement saying it a violation of model code of conduct. JD-U leader Pawan Verma said, "The Election Commission should take a suo moto cognizance of Sakshi Maharaj's speech. But, more importantly, it is to be seen, what action the BJP takes against him." Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said that the BJP was trying to disturb the communal harmony in Uttar Pradesh with the objective of polarising the votes in the assembly election. The BJP has distanced itself from the statement of Sakshi Maharaj. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that this shouldn't be seen as BJP's stand. It is his personal view. The Congress is likely to move the Election Commission seeking action against the BJP MP. UP Chief Election Officer is expected to seek report from District Magistrate of Meerut on Sakshi Maharaj's comment. Watch video --- ENDS --- Senior Samajwadi Party leaders and known supporters of Mulayam Singh Yadav gathered at his residence in Lucknow this morning to find a way out of the political crisis. By Kumar Abhishek: As the efforts are on to reach a compromise and save the party from a formal split, the Mulayam Singh Yadav faction of the Samajwadi Party is in a huddle in Lucknow. A number of Mulayam Singh loyalists have gathered at the Samajwadi Party patriarch's residence in the Uttar Pradesh capital to chart out their future course of action. advertisement SAMAJWADI SEARCH FOR TRUCE: THINGS TO KNOW Several senior Samajwadi Party leaders and known supporter of Mulayam Singh Yadav in the ongoing fight between the father and the Chief Minister son thronged to the former's residence in Lucknow this morning. Among the first leaders to reach at Mulayam Singh's home was his brother Shivpal Yadav, who is engaged a bitter tussle with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for the control over Samajwadi Party. Senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, who has emerged as an important mediator between Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav, also reached the SP patriarch's residence for wide scale consulations. Among other leaders present are, Mata Prasad, Narad Rai, Om Prakash, Ambika Chaudhary and Dharmendra Yadav Earlier on Friday, Shivpal Yadav met Akhilesh Yadav at latter's residence in Lucknow. This was the first time since the split in the Samajwadi Party on Sunday that Shivpal held a meeting with Akhilesh. The Chief Minister's camp claimed to have secured 'signed' support of 212 of the 229 Samajwadi Party MLAs. Akhilesh backer SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav also claimed to have the support of 56 of the 68 MLCs, 15 of the 24 MPs and a majority of the 5,000 delegates, "making it crystal clear as to which was the real SP". Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh said that he was in favour of a compromise between Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhielsh Yadav. --- ENDS --- 22 injured when Trang bound Phuket bus crashes in Krabi PHUKET: A Trang bound bus travelling from Phuketcrashed in Krabi last night (Jan 6) leaving all 22 passengers on board injured. accidentspolicetransport By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 7 January 2017, 11:10AM The driver of the bus told police that he hit a rock in the road which caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Photo: Krabi Rescue Team A rescue team from Krabi received information at 9:30pm yesterday where it was reported that a Phuket-Trang bus had crashed into an electricity pylon on Phet Kasem Rd in Ao Luek, Krabi. The bus driver, Jarat Piyawech, 58, told police that he had left Phuket Bus Terminal 2 with 22 passengers onboard and was heading to Trang when he hit a rock in the road which caused him and crash into the pylon. All the injured passengers were taken to Ao Luek Hospital for treatment. Jarat has been charged with causing bodily harm as a result of negligence. Police are continuing with their investigation into the incident to see whether any further charges will be pressed against Jarat. British woman, 26, found dead in room on Phukets Muay Thai street PHUKET: A 26-year-old British woman was found dead in a room on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong this morning (Jan 7). Saturday 7 January 2017, 12:07PM Rescue workers attend to the scene of the incident on Soi Ta-iad. Photo: Ruamjai Rescue Foundation Lt Somkiet Sarasit, an inspector from Chalong Police Station, told The Phuket News today I received information that a British woman had been found dead earlier this morning. Her partner found her dead in the room. I am currently dealing with another incident but will deal with this incident as soon as I become available, he said. Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation Chief Saiyan Thamaphan added, We knew about this death at 6am today when we were informed by the people staying in the next room to the couple. The womans boyfriend asked us to revive her but it was not possible because her irises were not responding to light and her skin was getting dark. When I arrived at the room a man was trying to administer CPR in the room beside the door. We also noticed a rolled up bed sheet on the floor, he said. The body of the woman has been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital and the British Consul in Phuket has been notified of the incident. Phuket donates to southern flood victims PHUKET: Following a request by Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan yesterday (Jan 6) for Phuket to provide assistance to flood victims in other southern provinces, the first batch of donated items is being sent to Nakorn Sri Thammarat at 4:30pm today (Jan 7). weatherdisasters By Tanyaluk Sakoot Saturday 7 January 2017, 05:58PM Donated items include rice, canned food, water, medical equipment and various other items. Gov Chockchai held a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday where he said, We have opened a centre at provincial hall which will receive items to be donated to flood victims in the southern provinces. The donated items will be distributed to the affected areas of Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Surat Thani, Phatthalung and Trang. Busaya Jiapiam, Chief of the Phuket Public Relations Office added, All donated rice, water, canned food and others items will be sent to Nakorn Sri Thammarat today (Saturday, Jan 7) at 4:30pm. However, we want people to know that the centre is still taking donations and if they do wish to donate please come down with your items, she said. Meanwhile, Chief of Phuket Disaster and Prevention Office, Mr Udompon Kan, said We have now received many donated items which are being stored at provincial hall. A number of government officials are already helping to manage the items, but I would like more officials to offer their assistance. he said. In addition to the food and water donations, at 8:30am today, Vachira Phuket Hospital sent a 20-member Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) to Nakorn Sri Thammarat to assist the provinces health office. Along with the MERT, the hospital also sent three rubber dinghy and B100,000. Giving an update on the situation in the Cha-uat district of Nakorn Sri Thammarat today, Dr Praponsri Narinrak, Deputy Chief of Phuket Health Office, and Director of Vachira Hospital, Chalermpon Sukonthapon, said, The Health Ministry has requested all southern hospitals be prepared to help the affected areas and provide pharmaceuticals, transportation and medical equipment. At present there are 37 hospitals in Nakorn Sri Thammarat affected by these floods, and 50 per cent of the staff from these hospitals are also affected. Cha-uat Hospital is badly affected, and eight seriously ill patients and 40 other patients have had to be transferred out to Nakorn Sri Thammarat Hospital which less affected. But those transfers have not been easy as the roads are inundated with water. On Saturday, senior SP leaders including Shivpal Singh Yadav, Azam Khan, Om Prakash Singh and Narad Rai met SP chief Mulayam Singh and held discussions on the possible way out. By Indo-Asian News Service: Attempts for a peace deal between warring factions in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) of Uttar Pradesh have come to a naught as both sides on Saturday signalled that chances of any truce were now almost over. According to party sources, both factions -- led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav -- will now be contesting the forthcoming state assembly polls on different party symbols, irrespective of who gets the official symbol of the party, the cycle. advertisement On Saturday, senior SP leaders including Shivpal Singh Yadav, Azam Khan, Om Prakash Singh and Narad Rai met SP chief Mulayam Singh and held discussions on the possible way out. It was not to be so and by evening it emerged that the chances of a rapprochement were over, the sources said. The sources privy to the discussions said that while both Shivpal and Mulayam Singh's aide Amar Singh had told the party chief that they were "ready to be the sacrificial lambs" if it brought the father-son together, the truce offer was turned down by Mulayam himself. Election Commission has given deadline to both factions of SP to submit their papers. While Ramgopal Yadav has already given all the relevant documents, Shivpal along with Mulayam Singh is likely to go to Delhi on Sunday to prepare their case and submit it before EC. Mulayam Singh, the sources said, stressed on his demand that Akhilesh Yadav step down as the national chief, after which his demand of a larger say in ticket distribution will be considered. AKHILESH CAMP DECLINES OFFER The Akhilesh camp has declined the offer. The Chief Minister wanted a "three-month free hand to win the polls" and then sit for his father. Meanwhile, Mulayam Singh has once again written to the Election Commission claiming the cycle symbol and has sent some documents along with relevant parts of the constitution of the party to buttress his case. In a related development, Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, who is mentoring the Akhilesh Yadav camp, has sent sworn affidavits of some 5,761 party leaders, including MLAs and MPs, to the poll panel. A copy of the same was sent to Mulayam Singh's residence in Delhi but the staff there refused to accept it, the sources said. Late evening Amar Singh left for New Delhi and Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav are set to join him on Sunday as they prepare to put up their case before the poll panel on Monday, the deadline set for views from both factions before it takes a call on the claim over the party symbol. advertisement The symbol being frozen by the Election Commission is also a likelihood. Also read: Samajwadi feud: Akhilesh, Mulayam factions hold hectic parleys after surveys show them trailing 5 issues UP CM Akhilesh Yadav could still be afraid of Akhilesh faction of Samajwadi Party to submit list of 283 supporters to Election Commission today to claim cycle as symbol --- ENDS --- Top brass of Congress leadership chooses to stay away from 'Gherao' organised by Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam. Senior Leaders like Ashok Chavan, Sushil kumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan and others were in 'Gandhi Bhavan' Congress's office near Matralay but non of these leaders attended the rally. By Mayuresh Ganapatye: Mumbai Congress which is aggressively running campaign against PM Narendra Modi's decision of Demonetisation. Today, they had called for 'Gherao' to suburban collector office. Though Congress workers and leaders were in large number but top leadership was missing in this rally. Top brass of Congress leadership choosed to stay away from 'Gherao' organised by Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam. Senior Leaders like Ashok Chavan Sushilkumar Shinde, Narayan Rane, Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat , Harshavardhan Patil and Rohidas Patil were in 'Gandhi Bhavan' Congress's office near Matralay but non of these leaders attended the rally organised by Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam. advertisement This was not the first incident when Sanjay Nirupam was isolated by top leadership of congress. In the beginning of year 2016 when Nirupam organised a rally from Marine Drive to Azad Maidan against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, despite being in Mumbai many leaders of Congress decided to stay at home only. Also read: Mumbai: State government move regarding hawkers is illegal, says Sanjay Nirupam Another incident is of few months back when there was an protest against Nirupam by former MP of Congress Gurudas Kamat's supporter. During that protest many leaders preferred to stay with Kamat. But finally Nirupam got backed by non another than Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi. When Sanjay Nirupam was asked about missing top leaders from his rally he preferred not to comment on this. When rally was happening . The top leaders of congress were busy in meeting with congress Senior leader Kapil Sibal. Mumbai Congress is aggressively running campaign against PM Narendra Modi decision of demonetisation Click here to Enlarge Mumbai Congress is aggressively running campaign against PM Narendra Modi decision of demonetisation "Timing of meeting with Kapil Sibal could have easily changed but don't know why they choose a same time of 1:30 pm when our rally started. This sends negative message in workers when elections are a the corner. ", said a leader of Mumbai Congress on condition of anonymity. Ashok Chavan said, "Today there was meeting to chaired by Sushil kumar Shinde, in this meeting we presented him the protest , agitation and program taken by entire congress. Thus we were in meeting." Congress who will be contesting crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election alone will also have to tackle another in-house problem of top leadership not keen to join hands with Mumbai Congress leaders. If this situation doesn't change then winning BMC election will remain dream for Mumbai Congress. Also read: PM be held responsible for post-demonetisation deaths: Nirupam --- ENDS --- How to watch, what to know about South Dakota State at Northern Iowa Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput partied all night long with the Rangoon team, including director Vishal Bhardwaj. However, Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut were nowhere to be seen. By India Today Web Desk: The Rangoon trailer hit the internet yesterday and the period drama has become, well, the only thing Tinsel Town can talk about. Saif Ali Khan returns to work with his Omkara director Vishal Bhardwaj for Rangoon. Meanwhile, Shahid Kapoor who has given some of his best work (Kaminey, Haider) thanks to Vishal is also starring in Rangoon. Joining them is three-time National Award-winner Kangana Ranaut. advertisement ALSO READ: This is when Shahid-Mira fell in love. 5 revelations from Koffee With Karan 5 ALSO READ: Shahid clarifies about his comment about Mira on Koffee With Karan ALSO WATCH: Shahid and Saif battle for Kangana's love in the Rangoon trailer To celebrate the positive response to Rangoon's trailer, the Rangoon team including director Vishal Bhardwaj, producers Sajid and Warda S Nadiadwala partied with Shahid Kapoor and his wife M i ra Rajput on Friday. And some more love right back at u'l from team #Rangoon ??? #SaifAliKhan #KanganaRanaut u were missed pic.twitter.com/oph11Y5yih Warda S Nadiadwala (@WardaNadiadwala) January 7, 2017 However, strangely enough, Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut were missing from the party. Recently, Shahid Kapoor found himself in a soup where his comments on the latest season of Koffee With Karan were deemed by many to be advocating arranged marriage. He also received flak for constantly pointing out the age-gap between himself and Mira. Shahid finally clarified on the issue. In an interview with Mid-Day, Shahid said, "A mainstream star having an arranged marriage is unique. It is not everyday that a Hindi film hero goes and marries someone no one even knows of. I am an actor. Most parts of my life are up for discussion, by default. It won't stop whether I like it or not. If people cross the line, we do get displeased. But the line itself is wide. We can't be touchy and say, bhai mere baare mein koi baat nahin karega." Rangoon, a love story made in the backdrop of World War II, will release in theatres on February 24, this year. ALSO WATCH: Shahid and Mira Rajput get hitched --- ENDS --- PHOENIX Saying he fears harm to Arizonans, Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday urged Congress not to rush repeal of the Affordable Care Act. "I don't want to see any Arizonan have the rug pulled out from underneath them in terms of changing this law,'' the governor told an audience of business executives, lobbyists and lawmakers. "We can take a little time to get there,'' he explained. "There's no rush, although we should have sense of urgency because it's topical now. Ducey said it's not that he's a fan of the program. "I believe that Obamacare is a monumental failure and a rolling disaster,'' he said. The governor said that has been borne out as the program has matured, with 14 of the state's 15 counties having only a single provider. And he said premiums are increasing by 50 percent or more. "This program is failing under its own weight,'' Ducey said. But the governor sought to dampen the enthusiasm of Republican members of Congress who already are moving to make outright repeal of the program their first order of business. "The skill is in the replacement of what everyone wanted to see, which was a better health care market,'' he said. Ducey said that will require a more measured approach than what occurred in 2010 when it was rushed through so quickly with no Republican votes that some members of Congress quipped that they had to vote for the measure to know what was in it. "This time, how 'bout you read the bill before you sign it?'' Ducey said. More to the point, the governor said this time Congress should have broad input, including patients, doctors, advocates, insurers and the pharmaceutical industry. That statement, however, ignores what did occur. Obama convened a "health summit'' shortly after taking office and brought in all of the interests that Ducey said Friday now need to be part of what comes next. And it took months before the final plan was approved by Congress. Explaining his position after his public comments, Ducey said it's important for the new Congress to see the issue not just in terms of finally having the votes and a signature from the new president to get their way on an issue which not a single Republican supported. "I think the first thing to realize is that we are talking about people and people's lives,'' the governor said. "The problem with Obamacare is that it was rushed and it was hurried and it was partisan,'' he continued, saying he believes federal lawmakers can do better if they take the time. But Ducey was cagey when asked if he had conveyed his views to the Republican members of the congressional delegation, many of whom ran on platforms of making the repeal of the Affordable Care Act their first priority. "I think I'm being recorded right now,'' he quipped, suggesting that his views will get to Washington through the media. There's a potentially more immediate and more direct concern for Ducey if lawmakers repeal the federal law and the funding that goes with it. Ducey predecessor Jan Brewer took advantage of one provision of the Affordable Care Act that said the federal government would pick up pretty much the entire cost if states expanded eligibility for their Medicaid programs. Medicaid already paid about two-thirds of the cost for what Arizona had, which was free care for those below the federal poverty level. But in 2013 Brewer got lawmakers to extend the program to those up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level on the governor's promise it would bring in $1.6 billion a year. Ducey inherited that program. But if the Affordable Care Act goes away, so does the federal money. The governor sidestepped questions of what his backup plan is. "These are all hypotheticals and I'm not going to deal with them,'' he responded. But it was that hypothetical that caused Brewer in 2013 to take a strong stance against Republican members of Congress who already were trying to repeal the law. Brewer said then, like Ducey said Friday, she was never a fan of the program, pointing out she was among several governors who sued unsuccessfully to have it declared unconstitutional. But she told Capitol Media Services at the time that once it was clear the law would take effect, she sought ways to have Arizona take advantage of the provision that rewards states that expand their Medicaid program. And she said that made it worthwhile to fight with state legislators from her own Republican Party and even form an alliance with Democrats to push the plan through. "The bottom line is we need that money in our economy to save rural hospitals and jobs in rural areas,'' Brewer said at the time. By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor may have won hearts with his adorable displays of affection for wife Mira Rajput, but there was also a section of people who were unhappy with him for advocating arranged marriage and constantly bringing up his age difference with Mira. However, the actor himself is cool as a cucumber and unperturbed by the criticism. advertisement ALSO READ: This is when Shahid-Mira fell in love. 5 revelations from Koffee With Karan 5 ALSO WATCH: Shahid and Saif battle for Kangana's love in the Rangoon trailer In an interview with Mid-Day, Shahid said, "A mainstream star having an arranged marriage is unique. It is not everyday that a Hindi film hero goes and marries someone no one even knows of. I am an actor. Most parts of my life are up for discussion, by default. It won't stop whether I like it or not. If people cross the line, we do get displeased. But the line itself is wide. We can't be touchy and say, bhai mere baare mein koi baat nahin karega." Shahid also revealed that his wife is as unfazed as him by the criticism that comes their way. He said, "Mira seems pretty chilled out about what's written. My wife decides what she wants to do, where she wants to go, how she wants to go." On the work front, Shahid is gearing up for the release of Vishal Bharadwaj's period drama Rangoon which releases on February 24, just a day before his birthday. The intense love triangle also stars Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan. ALSO WATCH: Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput get hitched --- ENDS --- In a bid to counter the bill for H1-B visas which has been re-introduced in the US Congress after a failed attempt in July last year, Nasscom will highlight the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions, a top official said. "The US government's statistics said there is shortage of skilled workers. It is question of demand and supply. The current bill and many other such legislative measures are applied on a discriminatory basis. "We continue to share our perceptions about the skill shortages that exist, the kind of contribution the IT industry has made to corporate America. We share our deep concern at the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions," Nasscom's President R. Chandrashekhar told BTVi in an interview. The bill proposes a minimum pay of $100,000 annually to every employee taken to US under the H1-B visa which is an over 66 per cent increase from the current average. He said the bill was a statement of intention at this point of time. "We have to see what route it takes. It does not immediately mean that anything is going to happen in a hurry," said Chandrashekhar. The competitiveness of the industry arises from the value proposition of India, he said. "In the past, there has been reluctance in the US Congress to deal with such issues relating to immigration on a piecemeal basis in preference for a more comprehensive bill which covers all the aspects of immigration," he said. As Jammu and Kashmir returns to normalcy after months of protests and shutdowns called by separatists last year, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that the state government has a big responsibility at hand and is trying to create conducive atmosphere in the state. Government has a big responsibility. We are trying to create a conducive environment in J-K, the chief minister said. Earlier in the day, she offered prayers at her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's grave on his first death anniversary. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had planned rallies across the valley to mark Muftis first death anniversary, snowfall in last four days has played spoilsport. The year 2017 began with a kickstart and the first months first weekend is here. With so many firsts in our bucket, let's throw some light on the firsts of the cinematic world. From still photography to videography, human beings succeeded in inventing and learning the art of film-making. It all started with patching up multiple photographs together to give the illusion of motion. By adding motion to the pictures, motion pictures came into being. Without colours and sounds, the first motion picture of the world, Voyage dans la Lune, (A Trip to the Moon) was made in France, in the year 1902. A science fiction story, it was a 14 minute masterpiece (nearly one reel in length (about 825 feet)), created by imaginative French director Georges Melies.The film's plot was a light-hearted satire criticising the conservative scientific community of that time. It was inspired by Jules Verne's novel From the Earth to the Moon (1865) and HG Wells' First Men in the Moon (1901). The film showcased a troop of astronomers who travel to the moon in a cannon-propelled capsule, to explore the its surface while they escape from an underground group of Selenites (lunar inhabitants) and return to Earth with a captive Selenite. It featured major French theatrical performers, led by Melies in the main role of Professor Barbenfouillis. Filmed in the explicitly theatrical style made Melies famous. After 11 years, when Indians came across the video camera and reels, Dada Sahib Phalke, father of Indian cinema made his first production. Directed, written and produced by him, Raja Harish Chandra was released in 1913 and screened for selected invited audience. Unlike Voyage dans la Lune, which was a scientific film, Raja Harishchandra was based on mythology. It presented the life of Raja who left his kingdom, his wife, his kids and went away to follow the sage Vishwamitra. When gods get to know about his sacrifices, he was blessed with all those things which he had left behind. One thing that about this movie is that all the actors are men. While it was a taboo for women to work in that era, even the role of the queen was played by a man, who was a cook in real life. With the consistent effort of a crew of 500 members, the film took seven months and 21 days to complete. The former is an anti-imperialist satire and the latter is a mythological story made during the British Raj in colonial India. Both these films are milestones of cinema and are worth watching. So this weekend, get ready for some binge watching to travel back in time when technology was as fresh as the ideas and films were made on vintage cameras and saved on a magnetic reel. From material to abstract, from reel to real, from magnetic tape to big screen, the first cinematic breakthrough in the world and India will take you on a tour to the time when it all began, way before the terms Hollywood and Bollywood were coined. A female passenger from Dubai to Mumbai, carrying undeclared jewellery, was arrested at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and gold worth Rs 1.16 crore was seized by the DRI. By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit got a specific intelligence message that a passenger of Emirates Airways from Dubai to Mumbai will arrive at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport with undeclared gold jewellery worth more than one crore rupees. Farida Juzar Hajuri, a resident of Vasai Road (W), was attempting to smuggle assorted gold jewellery without declaring the same to customs authorities. An Indian passport holder, Farida, was intercepted by the DRI officers at Terminal 2 of the CSI Airport after she cleared the Green Channel. advertisement The officers found four bubble-wrapped packets containing assorted gold jewellery, weighing 6.053 kg and worth Rs 1,16,18,854 in Farida's possession. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, to prevent its smuggling into India. Farida admitted she is a member of a smuggling syndicate that routinely send carriers to bring gold jewelry for monetary considerations. She was arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is under progress. --- ENDS --- Amid political drama in the Samajwadi Party over the past few weeks, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs close aide and uncle Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday said that the Samajwadi Partys leadership under the young UP CM is the real SP and that the party symbol Cycle should be allotted to them. Prima facie SP led by Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi party hence we have right over the cycle symbol, the leader said. Ram Gopal Yadav claimed that over 90 per cent leaders are with Akhilesh. Will submit affidavits of 4716 delegates out of total 5731. This is overwhelming majority, over 90% with SP led by Akhilesh, he said. He said, EC gave time till 9 Jan but we have submitted all relevant documents, brought 7 cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages. The upcoming Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election will be held from Februry 11 to March 8 in seven phases. The BJP on Saturday distanced itself from party MP Sakshi Maharaj's comment suggesting Muslims were responsible for the population boom in the country, saying it is not the view of the ruling party nor that of the NDA government at the Centre. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi reiterated that the BJP is for inclusive growth and asserted the country will be governed based on "law, Constitution and not danda (baton)". "I have not read his statement. But when we talk about development of allthis country runs as per law, Constitution and not baton. His statement, I believe, is not the government's view and also not of the BJP," Naqvi told reporters here. Asked about Congress reportedly planning to take up the issue with Election Commission given model code of conduct is in effect in five states including Uttar Pradesh where Maharaj made the statement, Naqvi said "It is wrong to perceive his statement as that of the BJP." Maharaj had stoked controversy by indirectly blaming Muslims for the population boom in the country. Without naming any community, the lawmaker had said the population has gone up due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children. "Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase in the country. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in population," the Unnao MP had said addressing a 'sant sammelan' in Meerut on Friday. Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the Kashmiri youth were going astray because of instigation by local separatist elements. Youth are going astray due to local separatist elements and due to their innocence they can't understand it, the Union minister said while speaking at a conference for Kashmiri students in the national capital. The Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an RSS affiliate, organised the conference for Kashmiri students to connect them with the national mainstream to involve them in nation building and bring them on the right path. Exactly one week before my planned trip to India for an extended vacation, our Prime Minister made the stunning announcement to demonetise all existing Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes. Without any warning 86 per cent of the money supply vanished in no time. The paltry amount one was allowed to withdraw from the ATM machine unnerved us as tourists. The exchange of demonetised notes in the bank by showing some identity card did not bother us, as we neither had any Indian rupee with us, nor some identity card like PAN, Adhaar or voter registration card. We could, of course, open an NRE account as soon as we arrived here by just going to the SBI NRI branch at the heart of the city that I knew intimately. I immediately thought about the problem faced by foreigners at the height of the tourist season in India. Tourists bring hard currency and do not want to face any hassle during their vacation. Any inconvenience faced by them gets widely reported in the press of their countries of origin. Most of them come here to see some exotic places without any complication, and they could easily go to a host of other Third World countries for the same purpose. It seemed to me that the big claims of our present dispensation to bring volumes of foreign tourists to our country ended up in smoke by the demonetisation move of our Prime Minister. It was highly insensitive on my part to think of the plight of foreign tourists and the potential loss of hard currency for our country. Queues in front of ATM machines were proofs of real and immediate hardship of ordinary people. I soon became part of the queue, and ran from one ATM machine to another without success. I had the advantage of going to the NRI branch and get Rs.24,000 each week without standing in a queue. I once witnessed the surreal spectacle of a huge crowd in a local SBI branch seemingly waiting forever to take (limited) cash from their own accounts. The patience was amazing. We must have developed this habit by standing in line for everything for as long as I could remember. Did people really believe, to paraphrase Narendra Modi, that this was the last queue to end all queues? There are ostensibly two main reasons given for the draconian measure of demonetisation announced by our Prime Minister. They are: to counter the black economy, and to stop Pakistan from flooding us with fake currency for financing terrorism. The first reason is an unrealistic one, as most high-end holders of black money have long ago converted their ill-gotten money by investing it in gold, real estate or stashin in a foreign bank by manipulating invoices of imports, among other illegal means. They have even extended their reach now from Switzerland and Cayman Islands to Panama and Lichtenstein. The low-end holders of black money have paid villagers to put the ill-gotten wealth into their Jan Dhan accounts. The aggressive efforts of the current government to encourage the villagers to open those accounts paid off for the electoral base of the BJP. The commission the villagers got for travelling vast distances and standing in queues without end is the best illustration of trickle down economics in India. The other reason put forward by the government, stopping the smuggling of fake currency, must make the ISI laugh. If euro or dollar can be faked despite their using the latest technology, how easy it would be for a foreign government to fake new Indian currencies by using international contacts is not difficult to surmise. The common dictum is that no two economists agree. The demonetisation decision was an exception that brought rare unanimity among top international economists with the verdict that this is an unmitigated disaster for Indians. Only a few local economists with known allegiance to the BJP supported the decision. With the economy running in high gear, this sudden dislocation of economic activities defies logic. The official reasons for the move have been debunked by most experts on black money and fake currency. The real reason seems to be political. The Modi bhakts remain as loyal to the present government as ever. But the Modi wave seems to be waning a bit, with the initial euphoria diminishing as fancy initiatives announced every other day by the government after coming to power are leading to nowhere. To revamp the enthusiasm, particularly with the crucial UP election around the corner, Narendra Modi needed to act. Politically this was a masterstroke that made the opposition confused. The poor and the working class in India are accustomed to accepting their lot as the result of their karma in previous births, but they must envy and resent the better-offs nonetheless. They have been largely ecstatic with the official line that the present government was out to teach the holders of black money a lesson. To criticise the decision was portrayed as tantamount to supporting those corrupt people. The total dislocation of the economy was tolerated for the naive belief that the purpose was a noble one. It was soon apparent that the demonetisation decision was pathetically planned and the execution made me realize that we are still, in essence, just another developing country. There was neither accountability, nor transparency of the whole process. In 43 days, 60 rules were changed. A month after demonetisation our Prime Minister assured us that the hardship would be over at the end of this year. He then added, as an aside, that the difficulties would start easing with the start of New Year. To me it was like Yudhistir telling Drona about the death of a horse bearing the same name as Dronas son. Then the Finance Secretary kept rambling about how many notes of which denomination would be released at different phases. The boring statistics made no sense to me, and soon enough experts calculated that normalcy would return on 8 July of the next year at the earliest. Then the Prime Minister quoted Chanakya about illgotten wealth being invariably lost after ten years. The statement is absurd and unscientific, and must have been quoted out of context. The reason for quoting this from Chanakya was a reminder that the UPA government was in power for ten years. The connection is bizarre, to say the least. Mamata Banerjee, with natural instinct for politics, thought demonetisation to be an opportunity to catapult into the national scene. She has been a relentless critique of the botched attempt at demonetisation of the present government. She did not get much support from other regional leaders, all of whom aspire to be the leader of the anti-BJP alliance if that materialised before the next general election. The only other leader to take a clear stance on demonetisation is Rahul Gandhi. In fact, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty appears to be speaking like a leader for the first time in his long political career. Narendra Modi might have unwittingly given Rahul Gandhi a chance to redeem himself from his earlier pathetic performances as the leader of a political party. Demonetisation led to the greatest hype to date of the Modi government after one month of administrative bungling when we suddenly learnt that another unspoken aim of demonetisation was to change India in one stroke to a digital economy. This is very much like our claim that we skipped the industrial phase and jumped directly from the agricultural economy to the services economy, thereby joining the rich countries without slogging through the painstaking process of developing the manufacturing sector. Anyone going through the last three decades of the development of digital economy in the West would find the whole claim of cashless economy in India ludicrous. The infrastructure is almost non-existent and the security of our digital services is scary. But anything digital excites Indians beyond measure. Narendra Modi knows better than any other politician what sells best in his country. The writer is former Dean and Emeritus Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Twente, The Netherlands Movie: Allied Director: Robert Zemeckis Cast: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris, Lizzy Caplan Genre: Action drama romance Hollywood loves its World War dramas and almost every year, viewers are treated (or made to suffer, depending on the quality!) to a fresh take on the great wars that wreaked havoc to an extent that people shudder at the sheer body count even today. Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future) latest had been much awaited, not least because of its stellar leads, Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Pitt plays the role of Wing Commander Max Vatan, a Canadian Intelligence officer who loses his heart to the lively and vivacious Mariane Beausejour (Cotillard) a French Resistance fighter while the duo are deep behind enemy lines in dusty Africa. As the sandstorms engulf them in Casablanca, they let go of their inhibitions (quite literally). And, while they manage to achieve their objective of a daring assassination without much fuss, it is when Vatan returns to Britain that the real story begins. He wrangles a visa for Mariane and they promptly get married, much to the chagrin of his commanding officer, who writes off their union as something that will not last for long. The two live as idyllic a life as one can in war-torn London even as the Luftwaffe continue to rain death and destruction around them. The real bomb comes from Vatans superiors. However, as they suspect, his spouse Mariane is in reality a German spy. Up until then, Allied is superb, but as Vatan goes against all odds to prove his wifes innocence, the film starts to get silly. Stuff like going to German-occupied France just to get a confirmation from the French Resistance, which includes invading a French jail in the nearby town? The element of suspense isn't really there to hold up the final part, as one pretty much can surmise if Mariane really is a double agent or not. Pitt essays the part of the embattled-husband well, but Cotillard is surprisingly not given enough screen time towards the final act, a perplexing decision by the filmmakers. The French actress kills Nazis and feeds her baby with equal elan, and is tailor-made for her role. The leads share a sizzling onscreen chemistry, which translates to some fun scenes but with a below-par second-half. The sheen comes off Allied by the time your tub of popcorn is nearing empty. Watch it for a blast from the past and a lead pair that manage to dazzle when together, but don't expect Allied to make you gush with praise as you exit the theatre after two hours. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in Baghdad on Saturday to meet Iraqi officials in an attempt to improve bilateral relations, officials said. According to sources, Yildirim arrived on an official visit to Iraq, Efe news reported. The Prime Minister is due to meet his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and other officials from the Iraqi government to enhance bilateral relations and discuss several issues. Relations between Turkey and Iraq are tense due to the existence of a Turkish military base in northern Iraq as well as the presence of anti-Ankara Kurdish guerrillas near the countries' shared border. The US Congress certified on Friday that Donald Trump won the November election to become the nation's 45th president, as lawmakers counted and affirmed the votes by the Electoral College. "Donald Trump of New York has received, for president of the United States, 304 votes," while his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, Vice President Joe Biden declared to assembled lawmakers after the counting was complete. Biden said the official count "shall be deemed sufficient declaration" for Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to take their oaths of office on January 20. "The Electoral College results are in. Donald J. Trump will be the 45th president of the United States," House Speaker Paul Ryan announced in a tweet shortly afterward. The count is normally a rubber-stamp event weeks after the electors formally cast their votes. But it was not without drama, as at least three protesters interrupted Biden's tally announcements before being removed from the chamber. One of them shouted "one person, one vote" from the visitor's gallery, an apparent reference to the US election system in which citizens vote indirectly for their choice for president through the Electoral College. When US voters cast ballots on November 8, they did not directly elect the president but rather 538 electors charged with translating voters' wishes into reality. Trump won a clear majority of those electors: 306. Two Republican electors bucked their state tally and voted for someone other than Trump, although the result was not in doubt. House Democrats interrupted the count multiple times, objecting to electoral vote tallies in different states for several reasons, including "massive voter suppression" and election-related cyber attacks. Such objections are required by House rules to be made in writing, signed by a House member and a Senate member. Biden, banging the gavel and calling for order, asked each interrupting lawmaker whether the objections were signed by a senator. When one congresswoman said her objection had "not yet" been signed by a senator, Biden stood firm. "Well, it is over," the vice president said, to loud cheers and applause from Republican lawmakers. Clifford Linares clears the front entrance to St. John the Evangelist Church on North Main Street in Attleboro in January. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh had approached the noted economist in December 2016 to draft the manifesto. By Supriya Bhardwaj: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is all set to release Congress party's manifesto for Punjab on January 9 in Delhi. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh had approached the noted economist in December 2016 to draft the manifesto. Dr Singh will release the manifesto at Congress headquarter on Monday. Insiders say that Dr Singh has given key inputs to Congress' Punjab unit to chart out the blueprint for party's plan for job creation and increasing investment - domestic and international- in the state. advertisement After the announcement of poll dates, Captain Amrinder Singh while talking to India Today had stated that the main emphasis will be to bring the state back on growth track and main challenge for the next government will be revive the economy and generate employment in the state. DRUGS ERADICATION There will be special emphasis on how to handle drug menace in the state. A special stringent law to punish those involved in drug trade might find a mention in the manifesto. The manifesto will focus on the schemes related to welfare of farmers and defence forces. Captain Amarinder during his campaign had promised loan waiver - which is estimated to be around Rs 37,000 crore - to the farmers. GREEN CLEAN PUNJAB The manifesto will also focus on the environmental concerns. Party sources said that right from increasing green cover, cleaning Sutlej and Beas rivers, management of depleting groundwater to setting up of a separate Punjab State Environment Commission which will be responsible for managing environment related issues, all will find a place in the manifesto. For Jawans (soldiers), the party has included a 21-point agenda for them in the manifesto. This is for the first time when the Rajya Sabha MP will be releasing manifesto for a state assembly poll in recent years. Last time it was in 2014 Lok Sabha elections when Dr Singh had released the manifesto for the party along with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi. ALSO READ | Manmohan Singh to release manifesto of Punjab Congress India Today-Axis Opinion Poll: Captain Amarinder Singh likely to lift Punjab trophy --- ENDS --- A shopper at the Stop and Shop supermarket in Foxboro cleans snow from their car Saturday. 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 ... A picture has emerged on social media that seems to confirm recent reports that rumoured couple Sushant and Kriti rang in the New Year together in London. By India Today Web Desk: Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon may deny being in a relationship till they go blue in the face, but the rumours just won't die down. Ever since Sushant broke up with his long-term Ankita Lokhande, his romance with Kriti has been a hot topic. Buzz is that love blossomed between the two actors on the sets of their upcoming film Raabta. advertisement ALSO READ: Did Sushant Singh Rajput dirty-dance with Kriti Sanon at Manish Malhotra's birthday bash? ALSO READ: Did Sushant Singh Rajput pay a midnight visit to Kriti Sanon's home on her birthday? The rumoured lovebirds even spent New Year together in London, it was being speculated. Now, a photo has emerged on social media that seems to confirm these reports. Kriti and Sushant can be seen enjoying in London. Recently, Kriti refuted stories of her dirty-dancing with Sushant at designer Manish Malhotra's 50th birthday bash. She maintained that Sushant was a "really good friend" and that they were not in a relationship. --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, Jan 7 (PTI) Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh today said he has no time to accept the membership of the Telephone Advisory Committee (TAC) as he is too busy with his pending court cases and concentrating on his life. Talking to reporters at his residence, the Rajya Sabha MP said, "I have received a letter from the Union Ministry of Communications. I am honoured and grateful that my name was considered for the post...But, I am too busy with my court cases and trying to be back in my professional life, that is journalism. So, I will not be able to accept the offer. I do not want to do anything part-time." advertisement A letter from the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications reached Ghosh yesterday offering him the membership of the TAC and the status of Chairman in the committee for Calcutta district. The circular said the nomination would be valid till November 14, 2018 or till the member remained an MP. Asked whether he was contacted by any BJP leader, Ghosh said, "Nobody spoke to me. I am not into any form of politics at the moment." Stating that he supported demonetisation, Ghosh said, "But the harassment of the common people must be stopped." PTI SCH KK RC --- ENDS --- Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat A court on Saturday issued a fresh open-ended Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against British national Christian Michel James and issued summons against a company and two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore ($528 million)AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued the fresh warrant against James and fresh summonses against Delhi-based Media Exim Pvt. Ltd. and its directors R.K. Nanda and former director J.B. Subramaniyam under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after they did not appear in court. The court asked them to appear on February 22, the next date of hearing. The company will be represented by an authorised representative. After considering a supplementary charge sheet in the case, the court issued summons against the company and two individuals on December 1. The court said there was prima facie sufficient evidence against the accused. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in June, filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe into the helicopter deal. Apparently realising that it was losing the protest initiative against demonetisation, Congress called for a meeting of party functionaries, from AICC members to district and lower-level activists, on Wednesday. The meeting, to be held at Delhi's Talkatora Indoor Stadium, will chalk out the party's strategy to counter what it calls the Narendra Modi government's anti-people policies. Party general secretary C.P. Joshi said that vice-president Rahul Gandhi will address the meeting. He is expected to be back from London in a day. Rahul Gandhi, Joshi recalled, had put forth five demands to the Modi government on the eve of the 50th day after demonetisation. Finding that none of the demands were met, the party has decided to launch agitation programmes. Joshi claimed that there were protest demonstrations on Friday and Saturday across the country, organised by Congress workers. On Sunday, there will be thali pradarshans (protests by beating on empty plates) by women, Joshi said. Asked about the delay in spearheading protests, a party leader pointed out that they were waiting for the 50-day period, that the PM had requested, to end. He had asked for 50 days. As a responsible opposition party, we granted that at the same time, watching and assessing whether the government was keeping its word. "My father (author Orlando Costa) wrote in Portuguese. But all his stories were about India. I wasn't born in this country, yet it is my legacy in a continent so far away,'' said Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, at a function organsied by two leading think tanks the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Carnegie India. Costa will be the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, held in Bangalore. Costa's father hailed from Goa. He is the first European head of state of Indian origin. He said that his presence in India at this juncture was significant, not just for the past ties between India and Portugal, but also for the future relations between the two countries. Costa, who visited Raj Ghat earlier on Saturday, will be flying to Bangalore to inaugurate Sunday's events along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His itenerary includes a visit to his ancestral house in Margao, Goa, where he will spend private time with his Indian cousins. This will be his second visit to his roots he first visited the Costa house as a teenager. However, before that, Costa will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. The Portuguese prime minister, who arrived with senior ministers and a business delegation, is keen to strengthen economic ties with India, and spoke of the need to bring about a cohesiveness in the interactions between Portuguese speaking countries. Portugal, one of the first colonisers, has influence in Africa, Asia and South America. He mentioned that Portuguese was the official language of 32 organisations and that he wanted to make it one of the languages in the United Nations. "Portugese has 260 million consumers in the language market. It has a huge economic and social potential. By 2050, there should be 380 million speakers of Portuguese, which is the fifth most used language on the internet and the third most used language on Facebook.'' Over 30 universities in China teach Portuguese as a language. Noting that India and Portugal had business ties since the 1500s, he said that it was time to energise the sector, with tie up in strategic areas as well as in defence and infrastructure industries. Costa noted that the association with India was importance not just for its past links, but also because India was already a major power. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar announced her intention to enter into politics. I am preparing myself to join politics, as this is what the people want, said Deepa, ANI reported on Saturday. I am preparing myself to join politics as this is what the people want-Deepa Jayakumar, Former TN CM Jayalalithaa's niece pic.twitter.com/8CnE51XfBt ANI (@ANI_news) January 7, 2017 Deepa is the daughter of Jayalalithaa's late brother Jayakumar. After Jaya's death, the party had split into two factions one supporting Jaya's aide Sasikala's claim to throne while the other supported Deepa. The past month had also witnessed a poster war between the supporters of two factions, with notices announcing support for the duo cropping up all over Tamil Nadu. Deepa had earlier claimed that she was not allowed to visit Jayalalithaa, while the latter was hospitalised at Apollo in Chennai. An Iraq war veteran took a gun out of his checked luggage and opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale's airport on Friday, killing five people before being taken into custody, authorities said. Eight other people were wounded in the shooting rampage, which sent panicked travelers running for cover inside the terminal and onto the tarmac. The gunman was identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, who was carrying US military identification, according to a spokesman for US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, citing officials at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). An aunt said he came back from his deployment "a different person," MSNBC reported. In November, Santiago told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that his mind was being controlled and agents sent him to a mental hospital, said a federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year. The shooter arrived on a flight to Fort Lauderdale with a checked gun in his bag, and upon claiming the luggage went to the bathroom to load the gun, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. He came out firing, LaMarca said, and witnesses told MSNBC television he only stopped after running out of ammunition, at which point he surrendered to police. Cellphone video posted on social media showed travelers kneeling and treating victims on the floor next to a carousel. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds. Flying with firearms is routine and legal in the United States as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under TSA rules. Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags but is allowed in checked luggage. The suspect was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, adding it was too early to assign a motive. "At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said while police continued to search the airport. The gunman, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside once it was empty, MSNBC reported. "This is a senseless act of evil," Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters. A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama had spoken to Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief and had extended his condolences to the loved ones of the victims. FBI sent shooter to mental hospital The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed. A federal law enforcement official told Reuters that in November Santiago turned up at a FBI office in Anchorage and told agents that his mind was being controlled by a US intelligence agency, which was ordering him to watch Islamic State videos. Santiago was sent by the FBI to a mental hospital and a subsequent investigation turned up no evidence that he had connections to any foreign terrorist organisation, the source said. John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, said the shooter was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags. His wife gave first aid to a victim who had been shot in the head, and his mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said. Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC, "He didn't say anything; he was quiet the whole time." Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway. Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma City's airport in what police called a premeditated act. The deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. By Press Trust of India: row New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today sought a report from the Indian envoy in Qatar on the two Indians who were awarded death penalty by a court in the Gulf country. "I have asked for a report from Indian Ambassador in Qatar," Swaraj tweeted. Her response came after one Balachandar Kanagara sought her intervention in saving Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal who were handed death sentence by Qatars Supreme Court. advertisement Congress MLA from Tamil Nadus Nanguneri Constituency, H Vasanthakumar had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj recently, seeking their urgent intervention in saving the two Indians. The MLA requested Modi and Swaraj to take up the case with the Ruler of Qatar. "If these Indian nationals were not released and send back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy at Delhi and Qatar Consulate at Mumbai," he had said in the letter. The Indian Embassy in Qatar had helped the two Indians in fighting their cases. Responding to help sought by a Pakistani woman in her return to Pakistan, Swaraj tweeted that Pakistan High Commission here should do it. As per reports, the woman Sofia and her husband were caught in November 2011 from Nepal border on charges of spying. She has apparently been acquitted by a court. Replying to a query on reports of 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu in Iranian Navys custody, MEA officials said the matter is being checked with Indian Embassy in Tehran. PTI MPB SMN --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 7 (PTI) A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered at a village in Palus Taluka of Sangli district in western Maharashtra, police said today. The incident came to light on Friday when the body of the victim was recovered from roadside in Malwadi village under Bhilawadi police station limits, police said. Four persons have been detained and are being questioned. advertisement "The victim had left her home on the night of January 5 following a heated argument with her mother. However, her mother did not reveal this to any of her relatives, who stay nearby. The girls father had died a few years back," a police officer said. "Next day, when her body was found, her family members came to the police station," he said. Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Kolhapur range, Vishwas Nangare Patil, told PTI that at least four suspects are being questioned in connection with the case. "We have detained four persons as of now and their interrogation is on. Besides, two more people are being questioned in this case," he said. The girls body was sent to a government-run hospital for post-mortem, which revealed that the victim had been raped and smothered to death, a police official said. "A case of rape and murder was registered against unidentified persons late last night," the official said. Tense situation prevailed in Malwadi village, as local residents gathered outside Bhilawadi police station this morning and held a protest demanding arrest of the accused. The villagers also observed a strike today to condemn the incident. "Police force has been deployed in Bhilawadi considering the possibility of law and order problems," police said. According to police, after the incident came to light, some people circulated messages on social media claiming that the accused belonged to a particular religion and caste. However, police appealed to people not to believe in any such "baseless and provocative" posts on social media. "Since we have not arrested anyone so far, why should one give wrong information on social media. I request all the responsible citizens not to believe in such posts," Datta Shinde, Superintendent of Police, Sangli, said. "We are trying to collect evidence and making all efforts to crack this case and to bring the culprits to book," Shinde said. PTI DC NP BSA SMN --- ENDS --- I am a big believer in investment funds, of all shapes and sizes. For a majority of investors, they represent the most sensible way to accumulate long-term wealth, whether it is through the tax efficient wrapper of a pension or Individual Savings Account, or as part of a broader investment portfolio. Even more so in todays investment world where fund portfolios can be self-managed so easily online. Funds, unlike direct shares, provide investors with diversified exposure to companies, markets and assets. In many (not all) instances, they also offer access to quality investment management. Unlike some commentators or newspapers, I am not an advocate for any particular segment of the diverse funds industry that this country houses. Change is coming: Some investment companies are becoming more consumer focused and more should follow, says Jeff Prestridge Low-cost exchange traded funds which track specific markets, stock market-listed investment trusts and actively managed investment funds all have their particular merits (and drawbacks). Yet it does not mean that all is perfect in the investment funds world. Investors should not have to witness their returns denuded every year by excessive charges, especially when the company managing their money has failed to perform up to expectation. They deserve a fairer deal. Of course, investment companies need to make profits but not at investors expense. This current imbalance between company and investor interests needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency which explains why City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority is currently looking into how the asset management industry can provide investors with better value for money. Greater transparency in charges is one of the issues at the top of its agenda. Slowly but surely, some investment companies are (thankfully) becoming more consumer focused. As we report here, Scottish Investment Trust, a longstanding global fund, has striven to reduce its charges in recent years. The result is that its ongoing charge an amalgam of the regular fees it levies against the trust has reduced from 0.68 per cent two years ago to 0.49 per cent. In other words, if Scottish turns your 10,000 into 11,000 (pre-charges) over the course of a year, it will shave off just short of 54 in charges. Two years ago, it would have reduced your return by nearly 75. Slowly but surely some funds are becoming more consumer focused. Others must follow There are numerous rival investment trusts that manage to keep their ongoing charges down below 0.5 per cent. You can find out which ones by visiting websites such as Trustnet or Morningstar. Interestingly, lower charges do not result in inferior investment performance. In Scottishs case, shareholders have enjoyed a belter of a year. There are loads of investment trusts out there delivering similar stellar returns without charging investors the earth. They are worth searching out. Yet there are still many investment funds and some investment trusts which have ongoing charges in excess of one per cent. They will surely come under pressure over the next year to cut these fees to give investors a bigger slice of the cake. In the funds space, some companies are responding as Scottish has done in the investment trust arena. Baillie Gifford, an excellent investment manager based in Edinburgh, has just cut the annual management fee on its Baillie Gifford American Fund from 0.65 per cent to 0.5 per cent. This follows recent management fee reductions on two of its trusts, Baillie Gifford Japan and Edinburgh Worldwide. Baillie Gifford, owned by its partners, is determined to drive down fees for the end investor. Not just on grounds of fairness but because it believes it gives the company a competitive edge against rivals. Lower fees, it hopes, will attract more investors, thereby increasing the assets under its wing. A virtuous circle. Other investment managers should follow this lead. Pensions: Jeff Prestridge hopes Chancellor Philip Hammond will make pensions easier (and safe) to invest in It was pop band Hot Chocolate who in 1975 encouraged me to believe in miracles. So I hope 2017 is the year when miraculously a government decides to sort out the mess that is pensions. It is a gargantuan task. Most defined benefit company pension schemes are in deficit with a regulator doing little to get employers to plug the black holes. We have a state pension that continues to discriminate against many women and a rulebook for private pensions which a brain the size of Stephen Hawkings would struggle to get to grips with. One of Britains biggest carbon credit investment cheats has been banned from acting as a company director for 12 years. Gavin Manerowski, 36, of Redhill, Surrey, was a director of MH Carbon Limited, which under his management raked in at least 14.3million from investors who were told their certificates allowing industries to emit carbon into the atmosphere would increase in value and could be sold at a profit. Insolvency Service investigators found no secondary market existed and that Manerowski knew, or ought to have known, that investors would be unable to turn their carbon credits back into cash at any price. Carbon credits: Industries are allowed to emit carbon into the atmosphere if they hold certificates, but Insolvency Service investigators found no market to sell them second-hand existed Accurate records were not kept by the company, which went into liquidation with no assets, but the investigation found that while Manerowski was in charge, MH Carbon could have notched up profits of up to 6.5million. I warned twice in 2013 that the company was a rip-off and that Manerowski previously worked for disreputable stockbroker Wills & Co. It collapsed in the face of fines and censures after City watchdogs found it guilty of massive misselling of high-risk shares to investors who believed their money was going into low-risk stocks. Though the Insolvency Service found Manerowski responsible for misrepresenting the value of carbon credits, no further proceedings have been brought against him and it appears he will be allowed to keep the profits he made through MH Carbon. Now Israel starts to crack down on binary options firms operating under its control Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has taken the first steps towards a ban on binary options firms operating from the country. It is already illegal to market binary options to anyone within Israels borders, but regulations still allow these high-risk so-called investments to be sold to clients in other countries, including Britain. Firms typically open an office in Cyprus, where the investment regulator is regarded as weak. Armed with a Cypriot licence, they can then invoke European Union rules to demand admission to every other member country. Action: The Knesset in Israel has taken the first steps towards a ban on binary options firms Knesset member Karin Elharar, who is leading demands for a clampdown, said: It is not acceptable that people are able to operate from Israel and cheat people around the world. Binary options have emerged as a major scandal in Israel since it was found that many firms that claimed to be based in financial centres such as London are actually controlled from Israel. A statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: When someone enters a casino, he knows hes a gambler. But too often innocent people are losing their savings when they are tempted by offers to trade binary options marketed to them over the phone, without having the full extent of the risks to which they are exposed explained to them. Many countries, including the US, Germany, France and Belgium, have taken action to restrict or ban binary options, which are a high-risk bet on stock market or commodity price movements over a particularly short time, often just seconds. In Britain the Financial Conduct Authority refuses to regulate the sector, which it regards as gambling. But the Gambling Commission says it has no powers as bets are regarded legally as being placed offshore. The Treasury has been mulling this over for almost two years without taking any action. Meanwhile, thousands of British investors have been tricked into losing millions of pounds. Most investment trusts are managed by huge global brands, such as Henderson and JP Morgan. But there are exceptions. Step forward The Scottish Investment Trust, a 947million fund that has been self-managed in Edinburgh for nigh on 130 years. All its staff are dedicated to making the trust an investment success. Its roots are reflected in its name, but there is nothing parochial about its investment ambitions. It is a global fund, searching worldwide for firms that will generate a mix of capital return and a growing dividend. Strategy: Boss Alasdair McKinnon looks for stocks no one wants, but which possess potential for turnaround Run by Alasdair McKinnon, the trust has in recent days reported its annual results for the year to the end of October. They make for impressive reading, especially confirmation that the trust has increased its dividend for the 33rd consecutive year. Under the new chairmanship of James Will, it has been given a new lease of life. The board has been freshened up, most support functions have been outsourced to save costs and the investment approach has been made racier. The result is a trust that has comfortably outperformed its global peers over the past year, generating returns of 35 per cent against a 23 per cent sector average. We needed to reinvent ourselves, admits Will. We had to make the investment approach more focused and more dynamic. Part of the revolution was the installation of McKinnon in the hot seat in early 2015, taking over from John Kennedy, who was quietly put out to pasture. McKinnon, part of the investment team for 13 years, describes the new investment approach as contrarian and high conviction. It is primarily about identifying firms that most rivals have given up on but Scottish believes offer an investment opportunity. It will then back its judgment by taking big stakes in the companies. We call them ugly ducklings, says McKinnon. If you asked 100 investors if they would buy the stock, 99 would say no. We are the lone wolf. If we can see evidence of a possible turnaround in fortune, maybe because of new management, we will invest. Australian wine maker Treasury Wine Estates is a case in point. It had a chequered history, but we decided to buy into the stock in August 2015 because of new management. In our last financial year, it was the biggest contributor to performance. McKinnon also likes companies either on the cusp of major change or which he believes have more to offer than maybe everybody else thinks. 'Ugly ducklings': Scottish invests in firms that most rivals have given up on Despite the fact that he runs a tight-knit investment team four, including himself and Scottish does not have the same financial muscle as most rivals, he says they are not disadvantaged. Edinburgh is a great place to be as an investment manager, he argues. Lots of companies and investment brokers come by and we get to see them. We are never short of investment ideas. With enough income in reserve to pay four years of dividends, future dividend rises are almost guaranteed. Shareholders should also welcome the trusts drive to cut costs. Ongoing charges are running at 0.49 per cent against 0.68 per cent two years ago. According to Greek mythology, the phoenix was a mystical bird that came back to life every time it died, effectively living forever. So it is perhaps an apt name for Phoenix Group, which manages closed-life insurance and pension funds; can trace its heritage back to 1782; and was reborn in recent years following a complex series of mergers and acquisitions. Today, the company is valued on the stock market at almost 3billion and it looks after the life and pension policies of more than 6 million people. The shares are 748p and should gain ground as chief executive Clive Bannister delivers his ambitious growth plans. There is also a generous dividend policy stretching out for at least the next five years and almost certainly well beyond that. Longevity: The mythical phoenix - and Phoenix Group can trace its heritage back to 1782 The crucial difference between Phoenix and almost every other life insurance or pension group is that it manages only funds that are closed to new members. That means it does not have to spend money trying to attract new policyholders and it is able to predict with a fair degree of accuracy the amount of cash it will generate for the next 20 to 30 years. Phoenix is the largest closed-life company in the UK and last year, cemented its position with two substantial transactions the purchase of Abbey Life for 935million from Deutsche Bank and the acquisition of Embassy and Sun Life from French insurer Axa for 375million. The deals were financed using a mixture of shares and debt and they were enthusiastically received by the stock market. In the closed-life sector, size matters. First, it confers cost efficiencies. Second, the more customers Phoenix has, the better able it is to make group-wide predictions about longevity. And third, a substantial business is better able to invest very broadly, so reducing financial risk. Phoenix now has 74billion under management and prides itself on prudent investment of that money. Being large also helps the company to pay generous dividends. Phoenix receives cash from customers paying into their policies, it invests that cash in assets such as bonds, gilts, shares and property and pays out those policies when they come due. As such, the group in common with other life insurers has a big responsibility to get its sums right so that it has sufficient cash to pay policyholders what they are owed. To minimise the chance of policyholders being left out of pocket, regulators make sure that life companies are exceptionally strong financially, so they are obliged to set aside significantly more capital than they are likely to need. As policies lapse or policyholders pass away, Phoenix is allowed to bring some of the surplus capital back into its business and each year a proportion of that money goes towards shareholder dividends. For City brokers, this is one of the most important ways to measure Phoenix, as it highlights the companys financial stability and its likely future dividend payments. After the Abbey transaction, which was completed on December 30, Phoenix said it expected to generate at least 2.7billion of cash between now and 2020, which should translate into rising dividends over the coming years. Full-year results for 2016 will be released in March and analysts forecast a dividend of 54.7p, rising to 56p for the current year and equating to a dividend yield of more than 7 per cent. Bannister is actively looking for new deals and there is every chance that they will come his way. Many insurers and banks with life and pension divisions are keen to sell off their closed-life subsidiaries and focus on their core business instead. The overall UK closed-life market is valued at about 250billion and, as the leading player in the sector, Phoenix is well placed to buy any unwanted businesses. The company is disciplined in its approach to acquisitions, however, only buying firms that strengthen its financial position and enhance its ability to pay dividends. Profits have plunged at folding bike manufacturers Brompton Bicycle as the company counts the cost of moving to new premises. During the year the company relocated from Kew Bridge, London, to a new factory in Greenford, Middlesex, doubling capacity but adding exceptional costs of 1.1million. While sales were up 3 per cent to 28.4million for the year to March 31, 2016, pre-tax profit fell from 2.1million to 192,000. Move: During the year Brompton relocated from London to a new factory in Middlesex But directors said profit margins were up and the company now exports to 42 territories, selling 43,859 bicycles last year. The first Brompton bike was designed in 1975 and full-time production began in 1988. Each bike is handmade and folds up. Soaring demand at some of Britains fastest-growing online businesses is piling further pressure on the high street, a slew of figures from major retailers will show this week. The performance of fashion giants Asos and Boohoo is casting a shadow over the popularity of former shopping staples including Marks & Spencer and Debenhams which are struggling to increase sales in an increasingly competitive market. City analysts expect growth at Boohoo to exceed 40 per cent in the four months to the end of December and at Asos to rise 30 per cent as demand rockets at home and abroad. High street woe: Retailers are struggling to increase sales as shoppers increasingly buy online At its current rate of growth, Asos could end its financial year in August with close to 2billion in sales and Boohoo is expected to exceed sales of 250million this year. Boohoo joint chief executive Mahmud Kamani told The Mail on Sunday three years ago that he aims to build a company with worldwide sales of 1billion. The latest rise in the success of online stores has been stimulated by a number of pre-Christmas events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday which have helped draw yet more custom to the internet. David Reynolds, an analyst at investment bank Jefferies, said: The online players continue to benefit from the ongoing online channel shift. We do not think Asos and Boohoo are taking market share from each other but the legacy retailers are ceding share. Next chief executive Lord Wolfson last week missed City forecasts after sales of full-priced products declined 0.4 per cent in the two months to Christmas Eve. Other store bosses are being forced to review their property portfolios as more custom shifts online and some branches become increasingly unprofitable. Booming: At its current rate of growth, Asos could end its financial year in August with close to 2billion in sales Marks & Spencer is this week expected to reveal it performed better than the previous Christmas when clothing sales sank almost 6 per cent. Some forecasters believe new boss Steve Rowe has managed to stem the decline but predictions vary widely. The BBCs new chairman is likely to be appointed by Prime Minister Theresa May within days amid concerns that the selection panel is leaning towards candidates who lack relevant business experience. The new board is due to be up and running by April and will replace the BBCs executive board and the corporations present regulator, the BBC Trust, whose chairman Rona Fairhead said she would not be taking up the 100,000 role after May said she would have to apply for it. BBC regulation in future will be handled by commercial media and telecoms regulator Ofcom. BBC's future: The new board is due to be up and running by April The new so-called unitary board has a broad brief of ensuring the BBCs strategy, activity and output are in the public interest, and is the creation of former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale. Those close to the process said Dame Colette Bowe, chairman of the Banking Standards Board, is the dominant figure on the panel. A person close to the selection process said: Colette Bowe is a 70-year-old professional regulator, a former chairman of media and telecoms regulator Ofcom, and she is determined that the successful candidate will have a regulatory background first rather than a media background and that it will be a woman not a man. That is different to the original brief for the post from the Department for Culture Media & Sport [DCMS], which was looking for someone with a business background who could help develop the BBC as the countrys biggest media business and one of the worlds biggest media brands and lead it into a post-licence fee world. The BBC licence fee is guaranteed until 2028 but long before that the corporation will have to explore new ways of financing itself. One of the two candidates understood to be leading the field is Dame Deirdre Hutton, chairwoman of the Civil Aviation Authority. She is former chairwoman of the Food Standards Agency, as well as former deputy chairwoman of the Financial Services Authority. The other favoured candidate is Sir David Clementi, former deputy governor of the Bank of England and former chairman of Prudential. Candidates: They include John Makinson, chairman of publisher Penguin Random House There are thought to be a number of other candidates still in the running. They include John Makinson, chairman of publisher Penguin Random House; the author and former journalist William Shawcross, who is chairman of the Charities Commission; Roger Parry, the former broadcast journalist who has run numerous media businesses; Sir David Arculus, the former Emap publishing boss who chairs industry trade association Energy UK; and Dame Liz Forgan, head of the Arts Council. The chairmanship is a part-time role, but it is understood that the successful candidate will be expected to work full-time in the post for an initial period. By Press Trust of India: operative part: SC New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) A trial court judge must pronounce a verdict in an open court by reading the whole judgement or the operative part and explain its substance in a language which is understood by the accused or his lawyer, the Supreme Court today said. "The provisions (under law) clearly spell out that it is imperative on the part of the trial judge to pronounce the judgement in the open court by delivering the whole of the judgement or by reading out the whole of the judgement or by reading out the operative part of the judgement and explaining the substance of the judgement in a language which is understood by the accused or his pleader," a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said. advertisement It said, "Non-availability of judgement, needless to say, can never be a judgement because there is no declaration by way of pronouncement in the open court that accused has been convicted or acquitted. A judgment, as has been always understood, is the expression of an opinion after due consideration of the facts which deserve to be determined." The apex court made the observation on an appeal filed by a man and his parents accused in a dowry death case against the decision of the Chhattisgarh High Court which had directed retrial noting that the sessions judge had only provided an order sheet and not delivered a judgement. The trial court had in 2007 acquitted the accused persons by way of just an order without giving any detailed judgement with reasons, the apex court noted. (More) PTI AG PKS RKS SC --- ENDS --- The political outcomes of 2017 will shape the politics of the next decade. Two key elections to state assemblies will bookend all others-Uttar Pradesh in spring and Gujarat in winter. A bad outcome for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in UP would mean a summer of political discontent which could stretch into the monsoon months, dampening economic sentiment and sharpening political divides. On the other hand, a happy outcome for the BJP in the state could see the Congress party melt further in the heat of increased internal frustration born out of the party's Hamletian dilemma-to be or not to be under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. Consider the alternative scenarios. Scenario 1 would see the BJP emerging as the single-largest party in Uttar Pradesh, perhaps even with an absolute majority. Some UP-watchers suggest that the BJP could have secured that outcome in the aftermath of the 'surgical strikes' against Pakistan but that demonetisation has eaten into that support base. As the single-largest party, with or without absolute majority, the BJP could form a government. While the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) will lick their wounds, the 'Sonia Congress', so to speak, would enter a phase of intense soul-searching and hand-wringing, followed by more exits of provincial leaders from the party across the country. It is unlikely that anyone would actually seek a change of leadership. This is the best-case scenario for the BJP. advertisement Scenario 2 would see a hung assembly in UP with either the BSP or SP emerging as the single-largest party, and Congress not having the numbers to back a non-BJP government, forcing the BSP/SP to form a government with implicit support of the BJP. The BJP's aim in supporting such a government would be to keep the non-Congress opposition divided so that a decline in the party vote would not result in the emergence of a 'Third Front'. This is a second-best outcome for the BJP. Scenario 3 would see the BJP performing badly, perhaps miserably, and a non-BJP government taking office in Lucknow. If the BSP or the SP secure an absolute majority, a stable government would be formed. If not, the Congress could stabilise a minority government. This is the worst outcome for the BJP, and the best one for the Congress. Towards securing such an outcome in which it emerges ahead of rivals, the SP has devised an interesting strategy-the father has allowed the son to project himself as a rebel. This was precisely what Rahul Gandhi tried in 2013 when he tore up an ordinance issued by the Manmohan Singh government-to be the insider-outsider. The incumbent rebel, diverting all the anger against the establishment towards an older generation and painting himself in heroic colours as a Mr Clean. Will Akhilesh Yadav succeed where Rahul Gandhi failed? So far, father Mulayam and uncle Shivpal have played this game more cleverly than mother Sonia and uncle Manmohan were able to. Scenario 1 would mean the end of Rahul Gandhi's hopes, a dampening of Third Front spirit and, most importantly, the beginning of a long reign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. From a victory in UP, Mr Modi will lead his party to a victory in New Delhi and national politics will enter a new phase. That is not all. The Scenario 1 outcome will be the final turning point that the BJP has been waiting for in its quest to emerge as the natural and national party of governance, much like the Indian National Congress was during the Nehru-Gandhi era. With the decline of what political scientist Rajni Kothari famously dubbed the 'Congress system', the BJP has yearned to substitute it with its own 'system'-defined by a new nationalist consciousness. advertisement Scenario 3, on the other hand, would begin the process of consolidation of a new Third Front. This outcome is based on the assumption that the BJP would find it difficult to bounce back from a wounding defeat in UP and the Congress would finally come to terms with the growing irrelevance of the Nehru-Gandhis in national politics. The problem with the formation of such a front is that right now there are far too many aspirants for the top job-Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Chandrababu Naidu, K. Chandrasekhara Rao and, perhaps, even Mulayam Singh Yadav, if his health permits. Those who wish to form a Third Front will have toengineer political events thatwould throw up potential primeministerial leadership. An interesting possibility that Scenario 3 throws up is one in which Sonia Gandhi invites all ex-Congress leaders to return to the parent family under a new leadership. Sharad Pawar may not bite that bait, but Mamata could, if she sees the possibility of herself emerging as the Congress's preferred PM for a Third Front government formed with its support. A latter-day Deve Gowda, if you like. The problem with this is that if the Congress moves closer to Mamata Banerjee, the Left may move closer to its old Third Front friends like Mulayam and Chandrababu Naidu. An eventual three-cornered contest in 2019 could well ensure the victory of the BJP. advertisement Scenario 3 would help Rahul Gandhi stabilise himself at the head of the Congress and begin the process of Mr Modi's decline. The first halt after UP, under this scenario, would be Gujarat in December. An enthused Congress would try to unseat the BJP in Gujarat. If that were to happen, the national government in Delhi would enter exactly the same phase that the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government entered in 2012, with the emergence of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. Governance could go into a tailspin. Scenario 2 is neither here nor there and would continue the current impasse in which the BJP, the Congress and a clutch of regional parties constantly jostle for political space seeking to generate political momentum in their favour in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, one important outcome of Scenario 2, in which neither the BJP nor the Congress would do well in UP and the regional parties secure a boost, is that an internal churn for change of leadership may well begin within the BJP. advertisement A political party needs three attributes for electoral success-inspiring leadership, an active and dedicated cadre and a political platform that appeals to a core and loyal constituency. The BJP had all three in 2014. Even if the party leadership's image is dented by five years of power, it still has a cadre and an agenda that appeals to its core. Many of the regional parties also have all three attributes. The Congress presently has none of the three. Even if Rahul's image is sought to be boosted through the media, and the party's many bright sparks come up with an imaginative manifesto with a wide appeal, where is the cadre needed to convert support into votes? That has been the party's biggest problem. Much of the focus has been on the weakness at the top. The real problem for the Congress is the disintegration of its bottom. All this points to the national importance of the elections in UP. No one understands this better than the prime minister himself. His decision to use the demonetisation of high value currency notes as a political gambit in the run-up to the UP elections shows the importance he attaches to winning this battle. Make no mistake, it was a political move, even though it has kept so many economists busy! It remains to be seen if the expected political harvest can be reaped. That both Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee are trying hard to emerge as the leaders of the anti-demonetisation campaign suggests that they understand the politics of the gambit and see an opportunity for their political consolidation. However, so far neither has struck a chord nationally. It was not surprising, therefore, that the Congress had to pull former prime minister Manmohan Singh out of the comfort of his retirement home to make that memorable speech in Parliament, deploying language uncharacteristic of the gentle sardar to grab national attention. The politics of 2017 revolves around who benefits politically from the demonetisation campaign. That in turn would influence electoral outcomes in state assembly elections. The die for 2019 would then be cast. --- ENDS --- The report was produced by Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency. "We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him," it said. The CIA and FBI had high confidence in this judgment and NSA moderate confidence, the report said. The report also indicated that Putin was motivated in part by his personal animus towards Hillary Clinton, who has served as the US secretary of state, the American equivalent of the minister of foreign affairs. US intelligence believes that the Russian military intelligence, GRU, used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks, DCLeaks.com and the Guccifer 2.0 "persona" to release emails acquired from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and top Democrats as part of the effort. The publicly released document, several classified portions of which have been omitted, does not assess "the impact Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election". Nor did it find any Russian actors having targeted American systems involved in tallying votes. The report, however, does not provide information on how the Russians may have relayed the emails to WikiLeaks and others. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has denied receiving the stolen DNC emails from "a state party" but hasn't ruled out getting the material from a third party. President-elect Dondald Trump, whose victory was on Friday confirmed by the US Congress, received a two-hour briefing on the report. Post the intelligence briefing, Trump didn't directly address the issue of Moscow carrying out the cyber campaign, but defended the legitimacy of his election victory. "There was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines," he said. Albany Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday unveiled a package of proposals meant to protect citizens as well as government entities from the growing threat of cybercrime and the related peril of identity theft including the creation of a new "Cyber Incident Response Team" to support state and local government bodies, critical infrastructure and schools. The proposal the fourth broad pitch from the governor's three-day State of the State speaking tour, which kicks off Monday would step up the potential punishment for computer tampering by creating a new Class B felony for those who cause over $1 million in damage through such acts. The plan would similarly increase the potential punishment for those who steal multiple identities, so that punishment for those crimes could vary from an A misdemeanor to a D felony. Other harsher penalties could be imposed on those who target seniors and those living with mental or physical disabilities. The package would also change what the Executive Chamber's release referred to as "obsolete legal definitions" that hinder prosecutions, though it did not specify them. The proposed Cyber Incident Response Team will be formed by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, within its Counter Terrorism unit. The outfit will work with "non-Executive agencies, local governments, and public authorities in how to better protect their information technology assets, critical operating systems and data from cyber-attacks, malware and ransomware." The state Office of Information Technology Services is already charged with the network security of all state agencies and their employees. In addition to Homeland Security and ITS, the unit will draw on the National Guard and other agencies. It will also provide a hotline to report cyber incidents. "Our laws must keep pace in order to combat these increasingly sophisticated criminal acts," Cuomo said in a statement. Previous announcements or releases previewing Cuomo's State of the State tour have touted his proposal for "free tuition" at state higher-learning institutions for students from low- or middle-class households; an expansion of the state child care tax credit; and a $10 billion plan to revitalize JFK International Airport and its transit links to New York City. cseiler@timesunion.com 518-454-5619 @CaseySeiler In the 1980s and '90s, the Lord's Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony terrorized civilians in northern Uganda, abducting children and forcing the boys to be soldiers and girls sex slaves. Kony turned child soldiers into killing machines against their own community. Now a retired Anglican bishop, Macleord Baker Ochola II, 84, is concerned that his country's court system may not deliver justice for the people who suffered in the complex conflict that claimed 100,000 lives. Ochola's wife died after a land mine blast and his daughter was gang-raped by the rebels and committed suicide. But he has chosen to promote peace and forgiveness. "If there is no process of reconciliation, there is no healing, and if there is no healing there is no restoration and justice," said Ochola. The International Criminal Court in The Hague indicted five top leaders of the rebel group in 2005. Last month, it charged Dominic Ongwen, a 41-year-old former rebel commander who was abducted at age 10, with murder, rape, torture, sexual slavery and forced marriage. He is the first former child soldier to appear before court. Ochola has been urging the court to carefully reconsider the circumstances under which children-turned-commanders were trapped in LRA captivity. While he does not deny the charges, he fears the court may not offer restorative justice but is seeking punishment or retribution. He is also concerned it will divide the community, which is in dire need of unity in the aftermath of LRA atrocities. Like many other cultural and religious leaders in Uganda, he stresses a traditional justice system known as "Mato Oput," which is centered on forgiveness. It involves truth-telling, compensation and a ritual in which food is shared and the accused drink bitter herbs. Mato Oput mirrors many of the forgiveness and reconciliation efforts central to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa and the Gacaca courts used in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. The LRA left northern Uganda in 2005 and is now believed to operate along the border region of the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. "The LRA is still at large and they are still fighting ... so we must continue with the work," said Ochola. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. An Army veteran who complained that the government was controlling his mind drew a gun from his checked luggage on arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport and opened fire in the baggage claim area Friday, killing five people and wounding eight, authorities said. He was taken into custody after throwing his empty weapon down and lying spread-eagle on the ground, one witness said. "People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs," the witness, Mark Lea, told MSNBC. "He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it." The gunman was identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, Alaska, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Santiago had walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the U.S. government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos. Agents questioned an agitated and disjointed-sounding Santiago and then called police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Santiago did not appear intent on hurting anyone. Authorities said the motive for the attack was under investigation. Shortly after the shooting, and before details of Santiago's mental health became public, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said that it remained to be seen whether it was terrorism or the work of "someone who is mentally deranged." One witness said the attacker gunned down his victims without a word and kept shooting until he ran out of ammunition for his handgun, sending panicked travelers running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen. Bruce Hugon, who had flown in from Indianapolis for a vacation, was at the baggage carousel when he heard four or five pops and saw everyone drop down on the ground. He said a woman next to him tried to get up and was shot in the head. "The guy must have been standing over me at one point. I could smell the gunpowder," he said. "I thought I was about to feel a piercing pain or nothing at all because I would have been dead." It is legal for airline passengers to travel with guns and ammunition as long as the firearms are put in a checked bag not a carry-on and are unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container. Guns must be declared to the airline at check-in. Santiago arrived in Fort Lauderdale after taking off from Anchorage aboard a Delta flight Thursday night, checking only one piece of luggage his gun, said Jesse Davis, police chief at the Anchorage airport. At Fort Lauderdale, "after he claimed his bag, he went into the bathroom and loaded the gun and started shooting. We don't know why," said Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner who was briefed by investigators. The bloodshed is likely to raise questions of whether aviation safety officials need to change the rules. The attack also exposed another weak point in airport security: While travelers have to take off their shoes, put their carry-on luggage through X-ray machines and pass through metal detectors to reach the gates, many other sections of airports, such as ticket counters and baggage claim areas, are more lightly secured and more vulnerable to attack. In 2013, a gunman with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration shot and killed one of the agency's screeners and wounded three others during a rampage at Los Angeles International Airport. Last November, an airline worker was shot and killed near an employee parking lot at Oklahoma City's airport, and in 2015 a machete-wielding man was shot to death after he attacked federal security officers at the New Orleans airport. "While we have authorized doubling the number of TSA canine teams to try to prevent tragedies like this, the fact is that wherever there are crowds, such as at our airports, we remain vulnerable to these types of attacks," Nelson said. The Fort Lauderdale gunman said nothing as he "went up and down the carousels of the baggage claim, shooting through luggage to get at people that were hiding," according to Lea. The killer went through about three magazines before running out of ammunition, Lea said. "He threw the gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground until the officer came up to him," Lea said. The gunman was arrested unharmed, with no shots fired by law enforcement officers, and was being questioned by the FBI, Sheriff Scott Israel said. The condition of the wounded was not disclosed. The airport was shut down, with incoming flights diverted and outgoing flights held on the ground. President Barack Obama was briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, the White House said. President-elect Donald Trump said that it is a "disgraceful situation that's happening in our country and throughout the world." Santiago's brother, Bryan, told the AP that his brother had been receiving psychological treatment in Alaska. He said Santiago's girlfriend alerted the family to the situation in recent months. Bryan Santiago said he didn't know what his brother was being treated for and that they never talked about it. He said Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2. He was sent to Iraq in 2010 and spent a year there with the 130th Engineer Battalion, according to Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. He later joined the Alaska National Guard. The Pentagon said Santiago had gone AWOL several times during his stint with the Alaska National Guard and was demoted from specialist to private first class and given a general discharge, which is lower than an honorable discharge. The Obama Administration has sent word that it does not plan to create a national monument around the Grand Canyon, according to an Arizona congressman. Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalvas office announced Friday that the U.S. representative met earlier this week with officials at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, who gave him the official word that the monument would not be designated, spokesman Adam Sarvana wrote in an email to the Daily Sun. I can only express my profound disappointment, Grijalva said in a press release. The Grand Canyon is one of the worlds most iconic and popular natural places, not just for its beauty but for its importance to tribal culture and history. Instead of building on former Secretary Salazars work, the Interior and Agriculture departments are apparently willing to leave the future of the Grand Canyon and the health of Arizona tribes up to Donald Trump. Grijalva had introduced legislation in November 2015 that would have created a monument on 1.7 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land north and south of the Grand Canyon. A monument would have prohibited new mining claims in the area and, under Grijalvas bill, promoted the protection of cultural sacred sites. Many saw the legislation as a template for a presidential proclamation under the 1906 Antiquities Act. The monument had the official support of the Hopi, Navajo, Hualapai and Havasupai tribes as well as many environmental groups. This fall, two polls found 82 percent of voters nationwide and 80 percent of Arizona voters supported the concept. Opponents of a monument designation included both of Arizonas senators, the representatives of Legislative District 6, which covers part of the proposed monument area, and the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. For his part, Gov. Doug Ducey last week warned that if Obama were to designate a Grand Canyon-area national monument, Arizona will take every step necessary legally and legislatively to stop it. With many legislators expressing similar hostility toward Obamas monument designations, Grijalva said establishing a Grand Canyon monument could have been an asset in fending off possible congressional moves to take the Antiquities Act power away from the president. "If we're going to have a fight about the Antiquities Act ...then let's have it over the Grand Canyon because I think that would bring huge national attention to that fight," Grijalva told the AP. The White House declined to comment to the AP on Friday when given an opportunity to dispute Grijalva's statements about the monuments fate. Grijalva also said he planned to reintroduce Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument Act on Friday. Focus on uranium mining Grijalvas Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument bill would have included more than 1 million acres that the Obama administration put off-limits to new mining claims until 2032. In announcements Friday, tribal representatives and conservation groups faulted the administration for failing to make the mining ban permanent with a monument considering the environmental contamination that still lingers from past uranium extraction in the region. Today is the first day of an era where the temporary mineral withdrawal around Grand Canyon is officially endangered, Ethan Aumack, conservation director with the Grand Canyon Trust said in a press release. Whether it be through the Trump administration, Congress, Arizona's own attorney general, or the National Mining Association, we expect a continued full court press to deregulate and accelerate uranium mining around Grand Canyon. A challenge by mining and energy groups aimed at overturning the Obama administration's 2012 mineral withdrawal is being considered in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments were taken in December, but a final decision likely wont come out for months. The Associated Press contributed to this story. The gunman, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired. By Reuters: An Iraq war veteran took a gun out of his checked luggage and opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale's airport on Friday, killing five people before being taken into custody, authorities said. Eight other people were wounded in the shooting rampage, which sent panicked travelers running for cover inside the terminal and onto the tarmac. advertisement The gunman was identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, who was carrying US military identification, according to a spokesman for US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, citing officials at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). An aunt said he came back from his deployment "A different person," MSNBC reported. In November, Santiago told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that his mind was being controlled and agents sent him to a mental hospital, said a federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon. DECORATED OFFICER A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year. The shooter arrived on a flight to Fort Lauderdale with a checked gun in his bag, and upon claiming the luggage went to the bathroom to load the gun, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. He came out firing, LaMarca said, and witnesses told MSNBC television he only stopped after running out of ammunition, at which point he surrendered to police. Cellphone video posted on social media showed travelers kneeling and treating victims on the floor next to a carousel. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds. People on the airport ramp area near terminals 1 and 2. Photo: Reuters Flying with firearms is routine and legal in the United States as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under TSA rules. Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags but is allowed in checked luggage. The suspect was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, adding it was too early to assign a motive. Also read: Bangladesh: Gulshan Cafe attack handler Marjan, accomplice killed in Dhaka SHOOTER WORE A STAR WARS T-SHIRT "At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said while police continued to search the airport. advertisement The gunman, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside once it was empty, MSNBC reported. "This is a senseless act of evil," Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters. Also read: Afghanistan: Militant in police uniform opens fire in Kabul shrine, 18 killed A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama had spoken to Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief and had extended his condolences to the loved ones of the victims. FBI SENT SHOOTER TO MENTAL HOSPITAL The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed. A federal law enforcement official told Reuters that in November Santiago turned up at a FBI office in Anchorage and told agents that his mind was being controlled by a US intelligence agency, which was ordering him to watch Islamic State videos. Santiago was sent by the FBI to a mental hospital and a subsequent investigation turned up no evidence that he had connections to any foreign terrorist organization, the source said. advertisement Also read: Trump vows to stay in race amidst calls for him to quit over lewd remarks John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, said the shooter was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags. His wife gave first aid to a victim who had been shot in the head, and his mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said. SHOOTER WAS QUITE THE WHOLE TIME Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC, "He didn't say anything; he was quiet the whole time." Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway. Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma City's airport in what police called a premeditated act. The deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. advertisement Watch the video --- ENDS --- Robins Kaplan LLP Secures Ninth Circuit Victory for Defendants in Civil RICO Action Robins Kaplan LLP secured a victory this week on behalf of three California businessmen who had been accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a federal district court's previous dismissal of the case against the individual defendants, also secured by Robins Kaplan. "We are pleased with the Ninth Circuit's decision, which represents a total victory for our clients and affirms the dismissal of all claims against them," said David Martinez, partner and co-chair of Robins Kaplan's Retail Industry Practice group, who was lead counsel to the individual dfendants at both the trial and appellate levels. The lawsuit, brought by a California resident, asserted several racketeering claims, including allegations that the defendants engaged in a complex identity theft scheme to launder money from the sale of a night club in San Francisco through a phony Wells Fargo (News - Alert) account. The lawsuit asserted two civil RICO claims against the individual defendants and derivative claims against Wells Fargo. In February of 2015, Robins Kaplan won the dismissal of both RICO claims against its clients in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The plaintiff appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit, and the three-judge panel on Jan. 3 unanimously affirmed the lower court's decision. In addition to David Martinez, the Robins Kaplan team included Elan Bloch. The appeal, Millie Ogden v. Wells Fargo Bank, NA., was heard at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by Circuit Judge Consuelo Maria Callahan, Circuit Judge Carlos Bea, and Circuit Judge Sandra Ikuta. About Robins Kaplan LLP Robins Kaplan is among the nation's premier trial law firms, with more than 220 lawyers located in Boston; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Naples, Fla; New York; and Silicon Valley. The firm litigates, mediates, and arbitrates high-stakes, complex disputes, repeatedly earning national recognition. Firm clients include-as both plaintiffs and defendants-numerous Fortune 500 corporations, emerging-markets companies, entrepreneurs, and individuals. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170106005765/en/ [January 06, 2017] Turner Imaging Systems to Attend RESI and BioTech Showcase During the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Turner Imaging Systems, an early stage medical device company developing a battery powered handheld imaging device, announced today that it will be attending the RESI and BioTech Showcase during the 35th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference from January 9, 2017 to January 12, 2017 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco, Calif. The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is one of the largest industry conferences of the year, gathering together innovative businesses and investors. Founder Clark Turner, Ph.D., will be attending the conference with Ginny Rowland, VP of Business Development. Turner Imaging Systems (News - Alert) will be hihlighting the advantages of a battery powered mobile imaging device for clinicians, veterinarians, and military units to potential partners and investors. If you would like to set up a meeting with Turner Imaging Systems while at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, then please call 801-368-8809 or email [email protected]. "We are excited to attend these San Francisco investor conferences to meet prospective investors in Turner Imaging Systems. The right investors will provide not only capital, but also contacts in the life science industry and expertise in start-up operations to make us a more effective company. Our Micro-C-arm product provides unprecedented ergonomics for point-of-care imaging, and we expect there to be very strong interest from investors," said Turner. Turner Imaging Systems is an early stage medical device company developing the first battery powered mobile imaging device that is sophisticated enough for the operating room and rugged enough for the battlefield, allowing users to acquire imaging and image capture wherever and whenever they are needed. Turner Imaging Systems is located in Orem, Utah. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Clark Turner at 801-796-2951 or email at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170106005776/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 06, 2017] Technology Preview: Apple HomeKit Enabled Ubisys ZigBee Gateway on Display at CES LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "We're showing a slightly modified ubisys G1 acting as bridge between a ZigBee network and Apple HomeKit at this year's ZigBee Alliance booth. The bridge seamlessly integrates ubisys smart home deployments into Apple's popular smart home framework. You can use Siri to dim lights, set a cozy temperature, close window shades, recall scenes, or do the same using iOS 10's built-in Home app. At the core, the ubisys Smart Facility Service manages the whole ZigBee network. On top of this rock-solid foundation, we provide an adapter for Apple HomeKit, a piece of software running in addition to the other services hosted on G1," Dr. Arasch Honarbacht, founder, co-owner and managing director of ubisys stated. The ubisys Smart Facility Service controls IoT equipment in a facility, e.g. a consumer's home, and is capable of managing ZigBee networks using its embedded radio and other IP-enabled smart home equipment. It runs on the ubisys Gateway G1. The new solution covers everything from smart bulbs, dimmers, switches, window coverings, thermostats, temperature and motion sensors, to door/window contacts. It also extends to energy-harvesting flavors of environmental sensors made using ZigBee Green Power technology, for example. A similar adapter for IoTivity is already available and ubisys will add an Amazon Smart Home Skill adapter later this year to complement its offering. All these adapters can run in parallel on the same ubisys gateway, accessing the same ZigBee network, making this gateway a fluent speaker of all major IoT languages. The mature, fit-for-purpose technology to which ZigBee has evolved over the past 15 years is the workhorse at the core of ubisys' solutions. The various adapters mentioned above bring ZigBee's unique advantages under the umbrella of those other high-level frameworks. ZigBee products and solutions made by ubisys are synonymous for mature, reliable, robust, secure, interoperable, ultra-low power mesh networking, including supprt for self-powered, energy-harvesting, maintenance-free switches and sensors. "Don't expect to see ultra-low power, energy-harvesting products to talk IP natively anytime soon. The overhead of IP is significant and prohibitive for battery-less ultra-low power solutions," Honarbacht explained. "With our bridging technologies, IP-based frameworks can nevertheless take full advantage of true low-power products while remaining easy to integrate." As IoT standards emerge, evolve, and consolidate, there is still no single, universal IP protocol to "rule them all". While former competitors Open Interconnect Consortium and AllJoyn/AllSeen Alliance have dissolved and merged into the Open Connectivity Foundation driving the IoTivity open-source reference implementation, the ZigBee Alliance has just introduced dotdot, extending its proven application layer to operate over IP networks. Despite all these standardization efforts, some of the biggest players will continue to use their market power to promote their proprietary high-level frameworks to de-facto industry standards. A tiny low-power IoT device might be able to support one of these protocols, but cannot reasonably support them all at the same time. In contrast, the gateway G1 is more than powerful enough to achieve this kind of seamless integration in a heterogeneous IoT landscape on behalf of all the devices it manages. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide HomeKit support as a firmware upgrade to existing G1 models; a new generation of ubisys G1 including support for HomeKit is planned to launch late 2017. Nevertheless, existing models will continue to receive other upgrades including the new IoTivity and Amazon Smart Home Skill adapters. Visit ubisys at the ZigBee Alliance Booth, #40920, Tech West/Sands Expo. About ubisys Promoting the ubiquitous deployment of smart wireless systems, ubisys technologies GmbH is a leading Smart Home and Internet-of-Things company based in Dusseldorf, Germany. Its broad portfolio includes core technologies like certified ZigBee Golden Unit stacks, cloud services, advanced products including roller shade controllers, dimmers, smart power outlets and heating controllers as well as complete, consumer-facing solutions with gateways and apps for iOS and Android. The company is member of the ZigBee Alliance, and the Open Connectivity Foundation. Contact Marcel Apfel ubisys technologies GmbH [email protected] ubisys technologies GmbH Am Wehrhahn 45 40211 Dusseldorf Germany T: +49. 211. 54 21 55 00 F: +49. 211. 54 21 55 99 [email protected] www.ubisys.de Heather Chesterman (for the ZigBee Alliance) Magnet PR Group [email protected] +1-714-389-5588 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/technology-preview-apple-homekit-enabled-ubisys-zigbee-gateway-on-display-at-ces-300387212.html SOURCE ubisys technologies GmbH [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 07, 2017] Optimal+ to Present on Big Data Analytics' Ability to Provide Value Chain Visibility and Brand Protection for Electronics Products in IBM Client Center at CES Optimal+ VP of Business Development Kiki Ohayon will provide insight on how big data product analytics can provide value chain visibility and brand protection for electronics products at CES2017 in the IBM (News - Alert) Client Center at the Venetian Hotel, Level 2, Veronese 2405 on Saturday, January 7 from 5:00-5:45pm PST. WHAT: Kiki Ohayon's presentation, "Cradle to Grave: Value Chain Visibility and Brand Protection for Electronics Products", addresses the growing need for electronics companies to have analytic solutions that combine data collection and analysis with product and component manufacturing data and in-field performance data to identify complex composite product issues that can result in significant brand damage to global OEMs. In this session, Mr. Ohayon will discuss how IBM and Optimal+ are integrating the IBM Watson IoT Platform with the Optimal+ Manufacturing Intelligence IIoT Platform to provide consumer electronics OEM companies with complete value chain visibility for any electronic product from "cradle to grave" and enabling the prevention and detection of composite manufacturing issues before catastrophic brand damage can occur. WHO: Optimal+ VP of Business Development, Kiki Ohayon has over 25 years of experience in technology and business development, including operations and strategic planning. Before joining the company in 2015, Kiki was the Biologic Plants GM at Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, where he led significant restructuring of the company's operation capabilities including the transitioning of its newest start-up site into a certified, full-scale biologic manufacturing plant. Prior to that, he held numerous managerial positions over a 15-year career with Intel (News - Alert) Corp, including the post of GM of Intel FAB-8 at the Jerusalem wafer fabrication plant. Kiki holds a B.S.E. from the Technion Institute of Technology, an M.B.A. from the Hebrew University. WHEN: Saturday, January 7 from 5:00pm to 5:45pm PST WHERE: CES (News - Alert) 2017 - IBM Client Center The Venetian Hotel 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Level 2, Veronese 2405 Las Vegas, NV 89109 About CES The International Consumer Electronics Show (International CES) showcases more than 3,800 exhibiting companies, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more; a conference program with more than 300 conference sessions and more than 165K attendees from 150 countries. About Optimal+ Optimal+ is the only big data analytics software company providing an end-to-end solution that measurably improves quality, yield, and productivity for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. From chip to board to system, our enterprise-grade solutions ensure that all of your global manufacturing data is collected, cleaned and analyzed in real time, enabling decisive actions that enhance, certify and monitor the quality of semiconductor and electronic products over their entire lifetime. With over 50 billion devices processed annually, Optimal + provides Manufacturing Intelligence solutions that enhance yield and productivity, reduce RMAs and usher in an age of robust, long-term quality products. For more information, visit www.optimalplus.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @OptimalPlus. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170107005001/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] FIRST Robotics Competition Global Kickoff Event FIRST Who: FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) will be joined by numerous public figures to launch the 2017 season of the FIRST Robotics Competition - FIRST STEAMWORKSSM - with a worldwide Kickoff event originating from Manchester, N.H. The 2017 season will include over 3,340 teams (83,500 high-school students), grades 9-12, participating in 145 Regional and District events. At Kickoff, teams will be shown the FIRST STEAMWORKS game field and challenge details for the first time, and will receive a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components - with limited instructions. game field and challenge details for the first time, and will receive a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, control system components, construction materials, and a mix of additional automation components - with limited instructions. Teams will have six weeks to design and build a robot to meet this year's engineering challenge. Dignitaries and public figures will deliver remarks on video and in-person, including: Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas Dean Kamen, President, DEKA Research & Development and Founder, FIRST; Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST Distinguished Advisor, and Co-Chair of the FIRST Executive Advisory Board; Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Distinguished Advisor, and Co-Chair of the Executive Advisory Board; Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Donald E. Bossi, President, FIRST ; ; FIRST students & special guests What: Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that challenges high-school students - working alongside professional Mentors - to construct a robot and compete in the ultimate Sport for the Mind that measures the effectiveness of each robot, the power of teamwork and collaboration, and each team's display of Gracious Professionalism. Through their participation, students experience the excitement of science, engineering, technology, and innovation; build well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership; and qualify for $30 million in college scholarships. When: Saturday, January 7, 2017 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Local Remarks (LIVE Manchester, N.H. only) 10:30 a.. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Twitch Livestream Where*: Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), 2500 North River Road, Manchester, N.H. *OPEN (News - Alert) TO ALL MEDIA: If you would like to attend as media, please contact Haley Dunn at [email protected] or Brooke Blew at [email protected]. 123 Kickoffs in cities worldwide: U.S. and international FIRST teams will tune in via Twitch livestream. Access the webcast via http://firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/2017-broadcast teams will tune in via Twitch livestream. Access the webcast via http://firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/2017-broadcast To locate teams in your area, visit http://www.firstinspires.org/team-event-search or contact your FIRST Regional Director http://www.firstinspires.org/find-local-support. 2017 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff Event Locations: For a listing of local Kickoff locations, visit: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/kickoff. Photo Opp.: FIRST will unveil the details of the new 2017 robotics competition game after the speaker program. Students take measurements on the new game field and inspect the challenge in order to develop strategies for robot construction, and to determine if they will play offense, defense, or both. Livestream Link: http://firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/2017-broadcast Media Notes: High resolution photos of previous FIRST competitions are available in the Photo Gallery: http://www.firstinspires.org/node/1961. Photos available day of event after 2 p.m. Eastern Time by contacting [email protected] or [email protected] . Interviews with speakers at the Kickoff event in Manchester, N.H. available by contacting: Haley Dunn at 603-494-5688 or Brooke Blew at 585-315-9045 on the day of the event. competitions are available in the Photo Gallery: http://www.firstinspires.org/node/1961. About FIRST Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $30 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST LEGO League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST LEGO League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170107005002/en/ [January 07, 2017] FiFish grabs the attentions, brings CES innovation award home! BEIJING, Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Jan 5th, 2017, FiFish, Qiyuan Technology 's underwater drone, makes a brilliant appearance at the 50th CES Convention. Among over 3,600 products from 150 countries, FiFish has won the 2017 innovation award, and has become the only winner among its kind. FiFish is an important sponsor project from Taihuoniao technology. CES innovation winner is getting lots of "likes" from Industrial Leaders FiFish is the first underwater drone for consumer market, It fulfills the demands of customers with desires of underwater exploration, and provides a brand new way for photographers, diving and water sport lovers, and underwater explorers. As a convention recognized internationally, CES's awards are considered as " the Olympic awards in consumer electronic industry". After last year's debut, FiFish has another "intimate contact" with this industry this year. The innovation awarding FiFish caught the eyes of leaders in the many fields of industries. Dr. Weicheng Cui, the previous deputy chief designer who has designed one of the world's deepest diving submersible "Jiao Long", gave his full affirmation and praise upon FiFish's design concepts and photographing ability. The first Chinese Hasselblad portrait and marine photographer, Mo Xie, has always paid close attention to the FiFish latest news, from the concept design all the way to product launching. First to begin, setting the trend of popularizing ROV Since the very beginning, mankind has never stopped exploring the Earth because our passion and curiosity for our homeland. On the other hand, exploring the ocean has meaningful purpose since the ocean takes an important role of environmental and climate change, origin of live, earthquake prediction; the list goes on. Nowadays, there are countless drones that can fly in the sky, and yet only few can go under the water. "71% of the earth is covered by ocean but only less than 5% of which has been explored. So far 12 pople have walked on the moon; around 500 people have visited outer space, but there are only 3 people has been to the deepest ocean at Mariana Trench. The underwater world is still mysterious and it is time for us to rediscover the ocean", said Chong Zhang, the founder and CEO of Qiyuan Technology. In July of 2015, the team started the consumer underwater drone project, with the determination of reshaping the traditional ROV industry and the passion of exploring the ocean. And that is the origin of today's Qiyuan Technology and the FiFish. Mastering the core technology, Leading the new trend of ROV field Fifish is the first attempt to bring military and industrial underwater drone into the consumer market; it is also the inspiration for people to explore the mysterious underwater world. It created a new market demand. Fifish has at least one year advance in progress compare to other products in the same field due to the developers' anticipation and judgment for market. With this advantage, we not only accumulated a fully understanding of the industry, but also became a pioneer to leading the market. Qiyuan Technology focuses on the key technology development and breakthrough for underwater drone. We have our own core technologies and algorithms, including state of art component design, robot operating system, video/data collection system, cloud processing and terminal application etc. FiFish equipped with the company's independently researched and developed core components: underwater propeller system, camera and lighting system, control system, underwater communication system and real-time feedback system. It can stream the real-time high resolution video under the water. At the CES Convention, Qiyuan Technology has been working with Xiaomi VR team to provide VR devices for guests to experience mysterious underwater world, and immerse into the incomparable beauty of the deep sea. A new ear of personal underwater exploration At this year's CES, Fifish gets all the attention from the variety of industries and potential partners. Zhang Chong, Founder and CEO of Qiyuan Technology, mentioned that the launch of Fifish has started a brand new way for personal underwater exploration, and lowered down the barrier for ocean explore. At the same time, the innovative technology has brought revolutionary changes to the industry's application and expanding. We are working actively to bring more well-developed technology from consumer market to the marine fields; and establishing partnership with leading organizations all over the world on the key technologies for the marine field. We are convinced that we can bring meaningful revolutions for the world and put its application into widely uses. Reports show that by the year of 2020, China's unmanned submersible market will reach a total of 80 billion RMB every year, and 30 billion RMB for the military unmanned submersible market. And for the civilian unmanned submersible usage, there will be 43 billion for B2B market, with about 6 billion RMB for research and rescue, 13.7 billion for security monitoring , and up to 370 million for research. For personal diving companion unmanned submersible, there is also going to be 6 billion. With this huge market availability, Qiyuan Technology is committed to create a new era for personal ocean exploration. With the usage of virtual reality, live video streaming and social media, we can let more people to understand the ocean, and start the exploration and protection of the ocean, this "last frontier" of our blue planet. And let the beautiful, embracing ocean inspire everyone who has passion of underwater exploration. With a dream like this and the mind of persistent, Qiyuan technology has gathered 10 million RMB investments from Taihuoniao technology, Wanqiang Li, the co-founder of Xiaomi Technology, and Kaifu Li, the founder of Sinnovation Ventures, and Rainbow Fish Technology. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fifish-grabs-the-attentions-brings-ces-innovation-award-home-300387362.html SOURCE Taihuoniao [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, Jan 7 (PTI) Telangana Police has deployed Village Police Officers in 4,137 gram panchayats spread across 12 districts of the state, who will look after maintenance of peace and prevention of crime in villages. The Village Police Officer, of the rank of Police Constable/Head Constable/Assistant Sub-Inspector will be present in the villages and will sit in this office at least three days in a week, an official release said today. advertisement An office consisting a table, a chair along with the name plate of police officer along with his mobile number have been set up in the panchayat offices in these revenue villages, it said. According to the release, Village Police Officers would now ensure access to public. "In the earlier system for every small or big matter, the people especially from rural villages had to travel to the Mandal headquarters. With the Village Police Officer, the access to police would be within reach to all people irrespective of socio-economic status," it added. Village Police Officer will also result in better policing as the policemen/ women would be stationed in the village itself enabling improvement in various aspects of policing directly, it said. In the present system, the centre of the policing system is the Station House Officer with constables and head constables assisting him. Now each constable would have a jurisdiction of own and this would give respect to him, the release said. To ensure that the system works properly, the Sub-Inspector would, at regular intervals interact and take a feedback on functioning of Village Police Officer, it added. With the reorganisation of districts (formation of 21 new districts), the accessibility of Superintendent of Police has increased. Thus, any lacuna/ complaints against the Village Police Officer can be brought to the notice of the SP immediately, the release said. PTI VVK NRB --- ENDS --- Vinny and Dheeraj tied the knot on November 16 last year, after six years of dating each other. By India Today Web Desk: It's a bit delayed, but it's sweet, nevertheless. We're talking about small-screen actors Dheeraj Dhoopar and Vinny Arora's honeymoon. The actor couple got married on November 16 last year after six years of dating each other, so we had been expecting those honeymoon pictures to come in soon! Now, it seems the couple is off to Maldives--a destination that's appearing to a favourite with A-list celebs this holiday season. advertisement The couple was stopped at the airport, all set to go on the beachy vacation: TV heartthrob Dheeraj Dhoopar from the hit Tv show 'Sasural Simar Ka' is off to Maldives with his wife and Tv actress Vinny Arora for their honeymoon. ?? Saroj mehra #dheerajdhoopar #sasuralsimarka #vinnyarora #maldives #honeymoon A photo posted by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) on Jan 4, 2017 at 12:54pm PST Dheeraj took to social media later to post a picture of their business class tickets, passports and a chilled mug of beer: Enroute Maldives ?????? !! #honeythemoon A photo posted by DheerajDhoopar (@dheerajdhoopar) on Jan 4, 2017 at 12:25pm PST Reiterating that they're headed to heavenly beaches, Vinny posted a picture of a sign board that said: Sandy toes & Salty kisses. @dheerajdhoopar let's??? A photo posted by Vinny Arora Dhoopar (@vinnyaroradhoopar) on Jan 3, 2017 at 10:53pm PST Here's hoping the couple makes the best of this well-deserved holiday/honeymoon. Dheeraj Dhoopar is famous for playing Prem in Sasural Simar Ka, and Vinny Arora is known for essaying the character of Tina in Udaan. --- ENDS --- Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us. Do you have aspirations of being the next Jacques Cousteau? Instead of soaring into the air, PowerVision's newest drone, the PowerRay, lets you go exploring the briny deep. The only underwater drone for consumers we've seen here at CES (or anywhere), the PowerRay also has some fun features to help anglers land the big one. Image 1 of 18 Why You Should Care Because the next time you go fishing on your buddy's boat, spend all day in the sun, nearly get seasick and don't catch anything, you'll wish you had one of these. The (not so) deep dive The PowerRay can go down to depths of 30 meters, and is attached to a controller via a 90-meter cable, which you spool out as the drone swims around. In the front is a 4K camera with two powerful LEDs, to illuminate whatever lies in wait. A 1080p video feed is relayed up the cable to either a smartphone or tablet, or to PowerRay's VR goggles (included). Other features include a removable fish-finder sonar, which has a range of 40 meters, and a detachable arm lets you dangle bait right in front of the camera, so you can get a better look at The One That Got Away. Three impellers two in the rear, and one on the underside move the PowerRay through the water. Its onboard battery is good for up to 4 hours. Pricing and Availability PowerVision will make the PowerRay available for pre-sale on February 27, and plans to ship the drone in late April/early May. Pricing has yet to be finalized, but a company rep said it should be in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. Outlook: Murky As it's the first drone of its kind, it's hard to tell how popular the PowerRay will be. At its estimated price, it's not for the mildly curious, but should enable amateur ichthyologists to get an up-close-and-personal look at the creatures lurking beneath the waves. As for landing that big tuna? We'll see. Xiaomi had a busy CES, showing off its nearly bezel-less Mi Mix smartphone, while also unveiling a 4K TV and a router. There's just one catch: None of those products the Mi Mix, the Mi TV 4 or the Mi Router HD are coming to the U.S. Xiaomi Mi Mix (Sam Rutherford/Tom's Guide) To date, the Mi Box, a $69 TV set-top box that offers 4K streaming, is the only Xiaomi product to find its way to the U.S. With the Chinese company hosting its first CES event this week, some expected that to change, but it sounds as if a push into the U.S. market won't happen anytime soon, even though company executives have said the U.S. is very much in Xiaomi's plans. So when can we expect Xiaomi to fully dive into the U.S. market? "The U.S. is a pretty complicated market," Donovan Sung, director of product and marketing for Xiaomi Global told me when I asked him that question. "What we're looking for is the right time and right product." MORE: Xiaomi's U.S. Arrival Could Be a Nightmare for Samsung Instead of serving as Xiaomi's U.S. coming out party, Sung said the company saw its CES appearance and its bustling booth on the show floor as a way to "tell the Xiaomi story." That means emphasizing the company's philosophy of "innovation for everyone," Sung said, which is what the company sought to do not just at its show floor booth, set up to resemble one of the company's Mi Home stores in China, but also in the products it opted to unveil at CES. The Mi Mix launched last year Xiaomi rolled out a white version of the smartphone at the show but this was the first chance for many Americans in attendance to actually see the phone in person. The 6.4-inch display on the Mi Mix takes up nearly all of the phone's face. There's a little bit of a bezel at the bottom to accomodate capacitive touch buttons, but otherwise all you see when you look directly at the phone is screen. It's about as close to an edge-to-edge display that exists on the smartphone market right now. "Seeing the Mix and hearing about the Mix are probably two different things," said Sung, as a few feet away from us, show-goers were gathered around the display area to get a load of the Mix's ceramic design. Xiaomi Mi TV 4 (Sam Rutherford/Tom's Guide) "We try to pack one innovation into every product," Sung said, pointing to the newly announced Mi TV 4 as an option. The 4K set is 4.9 millimeters thin that's thinner than most smartphones. (That's the thinnest TV Xiaomi ever made, though LG could boast an even thinner TV at this year's CES.) Essentially, the TV is just a screen, with its motherboard and other electronics moved to a sound bar that comes with the set. An AI recommendation service looks at your viewing history and predicts what upcoming shows you might want to watch in the future. Xiaomi put all that in a 65-inch TV set that's going to sell for the equivalent of $2,000. "That spec-to-price ratio is not something you commonly see," Sung said. It's something U.S. consumers hope to eventually see though, once Xiaomi settles on its plans for this country. An important note from Kansas City's top ranking politico as we approach the era of Prez Trump . . .The 115th Congress was sworn in this week. With each new Congress there is a chance of a new beginning, a chance to fight once again for the wellbeing of our citizens. As I took the oath to begin my seventh term as a member of the House, representing Missouris 5th District, I thought to myself, there is so much I want to achieve for the American people and I have been graciously given another chance, another opportunity to do so.It is no secret that this might be a difficult transition, but I have tremendous respect for the office of the Presidency and I will conduct business with nothing less. I will not, however, stop fighting for the best future for my constituents. I hope that we can come together, both sides of the aisle and work to create new opportunities for our communities. From creating and sustaining jobs, to improving the education and the welfare of our children, to developing new housing for rural families, and to advancing equal pay for women, it is clear that we have a challenging year ahead of us.I have no doubt the new and returning members of the 115th Congress are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work, as am I.Warmly,Emanuel Cleaver, IIMember of Congress########### BANKRUPTCY AND NEGATIVE CREDIT RATINGS THREATEN KANSAS CITY THANKS TO THE CURRENT TAX AND SPEND LEADERSHIP AT CITY HALL!!! Kansas City Insider: A GO bond, wrapped in a sales tax, encased in an annual budget "...the Fitch credit rating agency put the city on a negative watch. Kansas City already had a high debt load from guaranteeing several hundred million dollars in bonds for projects like the downtown Power & Light District, various hotels and parking garages, and other economic development ventures." KCMO is in financial trouble. The dysfunction has been ongoing for years, and it's now getting harder to hide the shortfall. Residents are already stressed by a heavy tax burden, and now at a time of economic uncertainty, KCMO is gunning for the largest general obligation bond proposal in it's history. City Manager Troy Schulte has been with the city since 1998. If he can get this $800M stream of dollars flowing, it means he'll likely make it to retirement before the SHTF, and then somebody else is sitting in the hot-seat when it all blows up. Keep in mind that the nation's economy never really recovered following the 2008-2009 Great Financial Crisis, but the Federal Reserve and Bush/Obama administrations took unprecedented drastic measures to prevent the system from being purged and reset. Our day of reckoning has not been avoided, only postponed. Huff Post: Chicago Slides Toward Bankruptcy New York Times: Dallas Stares Down a Texas-Size Threat of Bankruptcy This morning we'd like to offer anotherand one of the rare denizens of the metropolitan area who understands theon grand scale.This is in-depth coverage and financial analysis but let's break it down to start off the torrent of valuable public information . . .Whilst financial deets can be cumbersome, this blog post thanks to anmakes the situation plain and offers a terrifying context as this cowtown starts a path toward the economic abyss.Like it or not, the consequences of this looming disaster impact every resident of the metro as much as any other public safety threat or political outrage.Checkit:On November 1, 2015, KCMO City Manager Troy Schulte presented the Mayor and Council with the AdoptedCitywide Business Plan. On page 10 of 76, under the heading Finance and Governance, goal item number 11 states: "Develop a comprehensive funding strategy for maintenance and capital improvements in conjunction with theOn November 1,, KCMO City Manager Troy Schulte presented the Mayor and Council with the AdoptedCitywide Business Plan. The City Charter requires that the annual plan be adopted by November 1 of each year. On page 7 of the original document (PDF page 10), under the heading Council Goals, Departmental Strategic Objectives, Finance and Governance, goal item number 7 states: "Develop a comprehensive funding strategy for maintenance and capital improvements in conjunction with the."So, of course, we're noticing two glaring items which are begging for attention. Let's take a look, shall we?1) KCMO residents, whether they realize it or not, are already paying an additional sales tax for Capital Improvements. That's right folks! City leaders are gearing up to ask residents to tax themselves AGAIN for something that already has an existing dedicated sales tax. Can you say DOUBLE TROUBLE?Let's dig into the archives and retrieve some news headlines from past years on this subject.------------"A 2007 ballot effort that passed overwhelmingly . . .requires that 35 percent of revenues be dedicated to neighborhood improvement projects, a 10 percent increase from the previous tax. It also mandates that 15 percent of the tax revenues go to deferred infrastructure maintenance."The City's capital improvements program is guided by the Public Improvements Advisory Committee, a 13-member volunteer oversight group that receives, analyzes and prioritizes residents' requests for improvements. City neighborhood groups and residents have requested 3,720 improvements through the committee in the past five years . . ."------------Hmm....that seems strange, doesn't it? Besides the customary taxes that are levied on residents (and non-residents; earnings tax,sales tax) for the KCMO annual budget, they also pay an additional sales tax specifically for Capital Improvements. And now, the city is proposing to borrow yet another $800 million dollars for capital improvements in the form of general obligation (GO) bonds. Ok, let's add this up and keep it straight. There's money allocated in the annual budget for KCMO capital improvements; residents already pay an additional 1-percent sales tax for capital improvements and the city is planning to ask you to renew that tax on yourself again; city leaders are now gearing up to push residents into approving an additional $800 million dollar bond issuance for capital improvements. That's a lot of capital improvements! A taxpayer would be excused for asking out loud, "Where's all the money gone?"2) Sometime in the 2016 calendar year, according to the available KCMO Citywide Business Plan documents, a planned General Obligation Bond authorization was increased from $500 million to $800 million dollars. That's a 60 percent increase from the original figure. Hmm....that seems strange, doesn't it? Can anyone explain the history on this sudden desire to take KCMO deeper into debt? Who decided to ask for $300 million additional dollars beyond the original planned ask? And, how is that even possible, given that City Hall hasn't released a definitive listing of prioritized projects? Did the financial consultants report that $800 million was the absolute ceiling (credit limit) and city leadership decided to splurge, maxing out the municipal credit card?Once more, let's dig into the news archives, and pull forth excerpts:--------------"The signature project to build support for the citywide bond package could be a new animal shelter at Swope Park ..."As initially conceived, the bonds would be issued in $40 million increments annually over 20 years and paid off with property tax proceeds. However,.""James says he realized Kansas City had a massive deferred maintenance problem when he first took office in 2011.""The council may also ask next April to renew the citys 1-cent sales tax for infrastructure, set to expire in 2018. That sales tax raises about $70 million per year.."-----------------Let me say for the record that I fully understand that managing a large city is a complicated task. I also understand that many of the surrounding communities in the metro have an excellent reputation for conservative fiscal management. It seems to me that one of the most important functions of city leadership is the ability to prioritize "needs" while deferring "wants", just as a parent provides shelter, food, clothing and education before considering things like toy trains, robot airports, and Barbie hotels.Here's what's going on:Of course it's not just Detroit and California's problem, as major U.S. cities, like Chicago and Dallas, are teetering on the knife's edge.Finally, if KCMO learned anything from it's long history with the troubled KCPS district, it should be this.....throwing more money at a problem, without changing the existing pattern of dysfunctional behavior, is a guaranteed path to ruin.############Developing . . . From The Police Chief's Blog: "This past year, police departments in major cities have changed their policies regarding the so-called 48-hour rule for officers involved in a shooting to make a statement. In some places, these rules held that officers who had used deadly force could not be interviewed by investigators until 48 hours after the incident. Let me first say that is not the case in Kansas City. Officers involved in a shooting here have up to 48 hours after the incident to voluntarily make a statement. Nothing prohibits them from coming in earlier . . . Weve heard criticism such as, Well if I shot somebody, Id be put in custody and taken to Headquarters and asked to give a statement. If there was clear evidence of criminal wrong-doing, yes, you would. So would a police officer. If evidence at the scene indicates a police officer violated the law when using force, that officer also would be taken into custody and questioned. And both you and the officer would have the right to refuse to say anything . . ." GIVEN CONTINUED PROTEST AGAINST AUTHORITIES ACROSS THE NATION FOR DEADLY ALTERCATIONS . . . WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KCPD OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING POLICY??? An important fact check from Kansas City Police Chief Forte takes on the deets of a controversial topic and a point of contention among protesters.Checkit . . .Developing . . . The government and more particularly the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras are working hard to achieve a positive outcome on the Cyprus issue The government and more particularly the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras are working hard to achieve a positive outcome on the Cyprus issue, according to government sources on Saturday. "The Greek government and the prime minister are working hard and will continue to do so ahead of the Geneva conference in order to achieve a positive outcome in the negotiations on the Cyprus issue. The Greek government is ready to respond positively and to be represented at the highest level in Geneva, if so decided by the Turkish side," the same sources said. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Cyprus government Spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides stated today that the Republic of Cyprus travels to Geneva having prepared alternative scenarios to deal with all eventualities, Cyprus government Spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides stated today that the Republic of Cyprus travels to Geneva having prepared alternative scenarios to deal with all eventualities, according to an official Presidential Palace announcement. Christodoulides expressed the governments readiness to find solutions which at the same time should not and cannot go beyond the EU principles and values. The Republics delegation is set to depart for Geneva tomorrow, and Christodoulides, speaking outside the Presidential Palace today, added that President Nicos Anastasiades will speak with UN chief Antonio Guterres on the phone tomorrow. The Government Spokesperson added that UN Security Council members have expressed their interest to be present at the Conference on Cyprus that will begin on January 12. Christodoulides told journalists that we travel to Geneva with solemnity, also expressing a readiness to find solutions which will allow us to be optimistic for a positive result. TURKEY WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST Commenting on speaking directly with Turkey on the negotiating table for the first time since the 1974 invasion and occupation, Christodoulides said: The solemnity of the times forces us to wait and see in practice on January 12 what will happen." Turkey will be put to the test, for the first time we will find ourselves opposite Turkey to discuss this particular matter, referring to the crucial security and guarantee chapters. ERDOGAN PRESENCE When questioned on reports that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will not attend the Conference, instead Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will, Christodoulides replied: No one is in a position to say right now whether Erdogan will be there or not." What is important is the position to be put forward on the negotiating table on January 12 whether by Erdogan or Erdogans representative. IT DOES NOT REFLECT REALITY Referring to a letter Turkish Cypriot chief Mustafa Akinci sent Guterres calling it unacceptable that Anastasiades will also represent the Republic of Cyprus, in addition to the Greek Cypriot community, Christodoulides replied that it does not reflect reality and that it holds no legal weight. The Spokesperson referred to the fact that the EU will be present at the Conference because the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state Christodoulides also referred to relevant European Council conclusions as well as the joint declaration on February 11 2015 where it is very specifically and characteristically mentioned that the Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus, is an EU and UN member state and will continue to be one. Christodoulides added: It is in this context that the Republic of Cyprus will take part at the Conference." The Republic of Cyprus is one of the signatories of the [1960] Treaty of Guarantee, therefore nothing can be discussed and no decision can be taken without the participation of the Republic of Cyprus. BACKGROUND Anastasiades and Akinci decided earlier this month to resume their Swiss-based talks on January 9, 2017. On January 11, they are expected to present their respective maps on the territorial chapter. On January 12, the Conference on Cyprus will be convened with guarantor powers (Greece, the UK, Turkey) and other relevant parties. Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof, following Turkeys 1974 invasion and illegal occupation on the island. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday celebrated Epiphany on the island of Salamina, off the coast of Attica, where he attended the customary ceremony for the blessing of the waters. "As we come into the eighth year of economic crisis and Greece resembles, more and more, a blocked society, our Church's prayer for divine inspiration is today more timely than ever and also more necessary than ever. By itself, however, it is not enough. A great collective effort is needed," the ND president said in a message afterward "United, we Greeks will once again regain our self-confidence as a nation, guided by the values of sincerity, seriousness and responsibility, to begin the great effort for national reconstruction," Mitsotakis added. In an intervew published by the newspaper "Parapolitika" on Friday, which also coincided with the first anniversary since he took over ND's leadership, Mitsotakis again expressed certainty that Greeks could emerge from the crisis if they worked together. He said his party was changing and providing the country with a way forward, saying that all the healthy forces in society had to be mobilised toward this end, without the divisions and exclusions of the past. "I address all Greeks with the certainty that together we can succeed. We have survived much tougher times. The fundamental requirement now is that we speak the language of truth and restore trust between ourselves. To work together for a better present and future for the children of all Greeks," he said. Talking about his party's internal elections on January 10, Mitsotakis said it was the "citizen's mandate" that he proceed with a creative renewal of the country's major centre-right party and that he was now acting on this mandate, promising major changes and new blood within ND. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report British Prime Minister Theresa May called Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the upcoming Geneva-based Conference on Cyprus British Prime Minister Theresa May called Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the upcoming Geneva-based Conference on Cyprus, an official Downing Street press release read today. Citing an unnamed Spokesperson, the press release stated: The Prime Minister called Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan earlier today to discuss the Cyprus peace talks. They agreed on the importance of reaching a successful resolution to the Cyprus peace talks in Geneva, noting that this was a real opportunity to secure a better future for Cyprus and to guarantee stability in the wider region. The PM also expressed that she looked forward to visiting Turkey early this year. CONFERENCE REPRESENTATION The call follows on from reports that Erdogan himself would not be attending the talks, but Prime Minister Binali Yildirim would be representing Turkey on the negotiating table. Yesterday an unnamed British Government source told CNA English that Britains Government will be represented at the Conference at the appropriate level. If we reach that level [Erdogan attending], then I would imagine that the UK would also be represented by the Prime Minister. Nothing has been finalised [on UK representation]. We wait to see what the other two sides will decide. BRITAINS CYPRUS MEETINGS According to Britains Foreign Office yesterday, details on a meeting between Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias are still under discussion. Kotzias said earlier this week that Johnson had invited him to London for talks prior to the Swiss talks. CNA English reported that the Johnson-Kotzias meeting would most likely be Sunday evening, as the Greek Foreign Minister will be returning from his New York meeting with UN chief Antonio Guterres and Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu. Johnsons meeting with Kotzias could possibly be held in Geneva, as long as the Foreign Secretary would be included within the British delegation. We are still working out the details, said the Foreign Office, according to CNA English. Last week UK Minister for Europe, Alan Duncan, concluded a two-day trip to Turkey and Greece where he held talks on the upcoming Conference with officials from both countries. In November, Johnson had visited Cyprus to discuss the negotiations, expressing that the "UK's commitment to Cyprus remains rock solid." In September, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades travelled to London for talks with May, where the UK PM "underlined the UKs steadfast support for the process and said the UK stood ready to help bring this to a successful conclusion. BACKGROUND Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot chief Mustafa Akinci decided earlier this month to resume their Swiss-based talks on January 9, 2017. On January 11, they are expected to present their respective maps on the territorial chapter. On January 12, the Conference on Cyprus will be convened with guarantor powers (Greece, the UK, Turkey) and other relevant parties. Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof, following Turkeys 1974 invasion and illegal occupation on the island. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The Greek government has successfully completed the procedure of overwintering in camps and refugee centers around the country and there are no more refugees or migrants living in the cold The Greek government has successfully completed the procedure of overwintering in camps and refugee centers around the country and there are no more refugees or migrants living in the cold, Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas told journalists on Thursday. There are no refugees or migrants living in the cold anymore. We successfully completed the procedures for overwintering, he said, with the exception of 40 tents left in Vayiohori, near Thessaloniki, and another 100 in Athens. Of course, without the EU-Turkey deal we wouldnt have been able to do what we are doing. We would have had another 100,000 people whom we would have to shelter, he added. Mouzalas also said the European Union must fulfill its responsibility to relocate refugees, noting the procedure is progressing very slowly. We have 2,500 unaccompanied minors, 700 of which are entitled to immediate relocation, but they have only taken 200, he said. He also spoke of the unaccompanied brides minors who were married off in their country of origin but when they came to Greece they lacked the necessary paperwork, which means that they are not treated as a couple with their husband in their relocation application. Asked about the NGOs who are operating in various camps, he said that those that do not register with the ministry by March will not be allowed to work in the camps. He also admitted that without the NGOs the government would not have made it through the first phase of the refugee crisis. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Sixty cattle at a free range cattle farm in the area of Skiti, near Kozani, will be slaughtered after blood tests revealed more than half the animals were infected with brucellosis Sixty cattle at a free range cattle farm in the area of Skiti, near Kozani, will be slaughtered after blood tests revealed more than half the animals were infected with brucellosis, the head of the local veterinary agency told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday. The disease, caused by the Brucella bacterium, was found in more than 30 animals during a check by Kozanis veterinary agency. "Because the percentage of contamination is larger than 50 percent, it was decided to slaughter the entire herd and in the next few days the animals will be brought to the slaughterhouse," Thodoros Katzoglou told ANA. The reappearance of the Brucella bacterium in the Kozani region comes after nine years and veterinarians recommend that farmers adhere religiously to the biosecurity measures proposed by the agency. Brucellosis in humans is usually associated with the consumption of unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses made from the milk of infected animals. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Prankster License: CC-BY-SA Seven months after the opening ceremony for the construction of the TAP natural gas pipeline held in May 2016, the construction project has advanced significantly Seven months after the opening ceremony for the construction of the TAP natural gas pipeline held in May 2016, the construction project has advanced significantly, having already installed 95 km of pipeline. The total length of the pipeline, which will start from the Turkish border and will cross Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to arrive to Southern Italy, is 878 km., 550 of which will be in Greek territory . The pipeline will have a transport capacity of 10 bn cubic meters of gas per year, with the possibility of doubling the amount in the future. It will supply the markets of the Balkans and Europe with natural gas from the Caspian region. The realization of the TAP pipeline paves the way for energy diversification in Europe, as part of the Energy Union energy security axis, providing a new source of supply and a new gas transport route to Europe. The start-up of the pipeline is expected in 2020. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Albania has become a major cannabis growing region while the police seem to have no power over the situation, Deutsche Welle's Lindita Arapi warns from the country in the following article: A bumpy road full of puddles from the last rainfall leads to a row of shacks near the northern Albanian town of Rreshen. The sun is going down. Two women seek refuge in the darkness so they can speak openly. They are afraid because the drug lab they were working for until a few weeks ago was raided by the police. It was a former chicken farm where 4.2 tons of cannabis were harvested, dried and packaged. Mira and Rita (their names have been changed) were unemployed before they began to work in the warehouse for about 10 euros ($10.50) a day. Whether you believe me or not, we were there for our childrens daily bread, says Mira, a 50-year-old woman with very short hair. She is very angry, especially at the government, which allows her to live in poverty. She is angry with the police, who earn more than we do, and the drug lords. We were told it was sage. She swears that in the beginning she did not know that cannabis was being processed. I didnt know anything Rita, a young woman with a bright blonde hat, explains that her husband is in jail. She points at her five-year-old daughter and says that she was very happy to finally have found work. I didnt know anything until I saw the police in there, she insists. If you at all doubt the womens sincerity about their lack of knowledge, you immediately believe their joy of having found a new job. A glance at the shacks is enough. Inside, water is dripping from the ceiling, there is no heating and outside, garbage is piling up. Despite all its promises, the Albanian government under Prime Minister Edi Rama has not managed to significantly reduce poverty in the country. Unemployment is high, welfare benefits are low only 75 euros a month per family. Is that the reason why many Albanian farmers and the unemployed grow cannabis? Thousands of Albanians have no alternative because social and economic measures to help rural regions are lacking, says Lulzim Basha, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Albania. People are faced with the choice to either have no bread for their children or to work on cannabis farms. Many have chosen the second option. The year of cannabis It is easy for drug lords to find workers who can harvest, dry and package the cannabis. But the industry is not only worthwhile for menial labor. According to research conducted by DW, a cannabis farm that has made it meaning, has eluded police inspections earns 200 euros for one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cannabis. Cannabis is often planted on wild plots of land and areas that are hard to reach. Some cannabis farmers have even developed irrigation systems and they protect their fields with weapons. Albania has had problems with cannabis farming in the past, but 2016 deserves to be called the year of cannabis. According to the Albanian police, over 2.5 million cannabis plants were destroyed and 5,204 fields identified. The new element is the geographic spread throughout the entire country. The drug lords have changed their strategy, says the Albanian political analyst Alexander Cipa. The more the police destroyed, the more cannabis was grown. The mass distribution helps the drug lords save many cannabis fields. The opposition blames the flourishing cannabis farms on an alliance of parts of the government and organized crime. There is no Albanian today who believes that all of this can happen without the involvement of certain segments of the police and politics, stresses Basha. Elvis Nabolli, managing director of the television station Rozafa in the city of Shkodra and recent winner of the investigative journalism prize awarded by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), has been observing cannabis cultivation in Albania for a long time now. He points out that the drug trade is dangerous for simple farmers but not for drug lords. The industry is controlled by powerful people who have powerful connections to the authorities, ranging from regular policemen to the higher parts in the chain, Nabolli says. Yes, it is also true that the police do destroy many cannabis fields. But the ones that have special protection remain untouched. Europes Colombia Altin Qato, director the polices security department does not want stand under the bad light that is always cast on Albanian law enforcement. The police are working in a difficult field, he told DW. Yes, there are isolated cases of police involvement but this is not a general tendency. Of 9,000 police offers, only 40 were identified as helpers in drug cultivation and trafficking in 2016. Eight police officers were arrested. Now winter has reached the Balkan country. The media reports less on destroyed cannabis and instead, there are daily reports on the confiscation of drugs. The harvested goods seem to find their way across the Adriatic Sea to Italy or to hidden paths through Montenegro, Serbia and then further north to Western Europe. The Albanian opposition has sounded the alarm: The country is becoming Europes Colombia. Rita and Mira are not interested in the oppositions warnings. They and many other Albanians depend on the cannabis industry for survival. If we had the chance to do work like that again, then we would, they say. The first time they got caught, the police let them go because they supposedly did not know anything. What will be their excuse the second time around? Source: Deutsche Welle Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report About Me I'm a patent lawyer located in central New Jersey. I have a J.D. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, where I studied graphite intercalation compounds at the Center for Materials Research. I worked at Exxon Corporate Research in areas ranging from engine deposits through coal and petroleum to fullerenes. An article that I wrote in The Trademark Reporter, 1994, 84, 379-407 on color trademarks was cited by Supreme Court in Qualitex v. Jacobson, 514 US 159 (1995) and the methodology was adopted in the Capri case in N.D. Ill. An article that I wrote on DNA profiling was cited by the Colorado Supreme Court (Shreck case) and a Florida appellate court (Brim case). I was interviewed by NHK-TV about the Jan-Hendrik Schon affair. I am developing ipABC, an entity that combines rigorous IP analytics with study of business models, to optimize utilization of intellectual property. I can be reached at C8AsF5 at yahoo.com. View my complete profile Leading Kuwaiti lender Gulf Bank said its Al Danah Account (with prize money of KD1 million ($3.2 million) has set new Guinness World Record for The Largest Prize Linked to a Bank Account at its annual millionaire draw event held on January 5 at the Avenues Mall in Kuwait. The award was presented to Salma Al Hajjaj, the general manager (Human Resources) at Gulf Bank by Guinness World Records representatives Hoda Khachab, official adjudicator, and Talal Omar, the country manager for Middle East and North Africa (Mena). Gulf Bank solidly beat the previously established world record of $2.1 million linked to a bank account. On the win, Al Hajjaj said: "Our Al Danah account prize of KD1 million has long been known to be the largest annual prize in Kuwait, but to now know that we are the largest prize linked to a bank account in the world is truly terrific news. Or, as the Guinness officials said, Gulf Bank is now officially amazing." Kuwaits new Al Danah millionaire, Salary and Red cash and car winners, and winners of Catch the Cash money box competition were also announced at the event hosted by famous radio host and media personality Khaled Al Ansari and Gulf Bank team member Mohammad Al Sarraf. It was held in the presence of special guest for the evening - popular Kuwaiti actor/comedian Weld Al Deera - Khaled Al Agrooga. With his signature humour and effusive persona, Weld Al Deera had the audience laughing and enjoying the event, said the bank in a statement. As with all Gulf Bank draws, this entire event was conducted in the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Commerce Abdulaziz Ashkanani, it added. For the first time in Kuwait, Gulf Bank introduced the Catch the Cash competition during Al Danah Millionaire Draw adding even more excitement to the event. The bank offered attendees the chance to win up to KD3,000 in this unique challenge. Attendees signed up to participate in the competition prior to the start of the draw. Names were then selected at random by the event hosts and the competitors entered the box and tried to catch as many flying notes as possible in 10 seconds. These notes were then counted on stage and exchanged on the spot for cash. Halima Waleed Saleh Baroon, holder of a salary account and Huda Hussein Mohammad Mohammad, holder of red account both walked away with the KD1,000 prize money. The draw was open to all Al Danah customers who had a minimum of KD200 in their accounts. They could boost their chances of winning by adding to the amount deposited in Al Danah account. This will also maximize their chances of winning up to KD500,000 quarterly, and one of the two KD1,000 cash prizes which are drawn each working day. Meanwhile, Fahed Mohammad Al Azmi was the proud winner of a brand new Cadillac Escalade. Attendees were also treated to a special musical performance by The Concert. They also enjoyed the photo booth attraction and the social media competition that went along with the photo booth.-TradeArabia News Service The UAE Space Agency has signed MoUs with eight prominent UAE universities in order to support the space sector through collaboration in space science, education, research, technology and applications. These include the University of Sharjah, Zayed University, American University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates University, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. The MoUs provide a formal framework for engagement between the Agency and individual academic institutions. As per the new agreements, the Space Agency and its new partner institutions will develop and activate space research centres and innovative space education programs. The institutions will work with the Space Agency to jointly identify suitable research and education projects of mutual interest. Finally, the MoUs also cover collaboration in regards to the implementation of directives or initiatives emanating from the UAEs National Space Policy. Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, the chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said: "These are in line with the foremost goals of the UAE Space Agency. By collaborating with academic institutions within the UAE we will be supporting the space sector, promoting scientific research and innovation, and directly engaging with students in order to inspire them to think about space, technology, and their role in building the future of our country." "We are extremely pleased to be collaborating with such a wide range of respected entities and look forward to working closely with them," he noted. Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, the director general of the UAE Space Agency, pointed out that these MoUs complement the outstanding relationship between the Agency and institutions of higher education across the UAE. "It will allow academic institutions to not only assume a greater role in supporting the space sector but by collaborating on research and education projects, enhance the opportunities available to students and inspire them to consider a career in space," he noted. On the tieup, Prof Maamar Bettayeb, the vice chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies of University of Sharjah, said: "The university is already engaged with the establishment of various space research labs and research groups working in key areas of space research and technology. We look forward to working with the UAE Space Agency to contribute together to this important area of strategic importance to the UAE." Prof Reyadh Al Mehaideb, VP of Zayed University, said: "We look forward to promoting space subjects within the science and information technology programs at the university to inspire a whole generation of young students who aspire to be astronauts and engineers and be engaged on space issues." "Zayed University has always been committed to promoting space subjects as a motivator for STEM education among its students through innovative projects and research and hosting of lectures by prominent guest speakers and leading astronauts to give a glimpse into future flights and missions," he added. Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, the executive VP of Khalifa University, said: "We have worked hard to establish the aerospace engineering program and develop the aerospace research and innovation centre, so its our pleasure to collaborate with the UAE Space Agency, as they will offer our students a platform to employ their innovations and research skills they acquired during their study at the university." Dr Mohammed Al Baili, the vice chancellor at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), stressed the importance of this agreement in realizing the universitys primary mission of developing research solutions in fields that are of strategic value for the state. The university also engages in active partnerships with stakeholders to enhance the communitys wealth of knowledge, in line with the National Innovation Strategy. Al Baili said UAEU recently launched the National Centre for Space Science and Technology, which is the first of its kind in the region and will be an incubator for research, development and innovation in the field of space. Al Baili praised the efforts of the UAE Space Agency in implementing a national plan for developing human capital in the space sector in order to enrich scientific knowledge of the earth and universe, as well as strengthening national security and emergency services in case of natural disasters. NYU Abu Dhabi Provost Fabio Piano said: "This agreement is an important foundation in building NYU Abu Dhabi's capacity to push the frontier of space science and to inspire the next generation of global leaders about the wonders of space and the importance of exploration." "It will connect the NYU Abu Dhabi academic and research environment to the UAE Space Agency in a meaningful and purposeful way, allowing us to identify opportunities for collaboration and partnership and to positively contribute to the space sector in the UAE and beyond," he stated. Prof Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, welcoming Auraks latest agreement, said: "We pride ourselves on being a government-owned university and are always eager to contribute to the advancement of this country. This cooperation with the UAE Space Agency represents a significant opportunity for mutual benefit, which will ultimately strengthen our nations role in the space sector." "Furthermore, signing a memorandum of understanding with such a prestigious entity underlines the quality of the research going on at AURAK, through our Ras Al Khaimah Research and Innovation Center, as well as our ICT Center for Teaching and Creativity in Informatics Communication and Networking," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Universal Electro-Engineering (Uneeco), the leading manufacturer and supplier of electronic communications and safety equipment in Bahrain, will be taking part in the upcoming Gulf Industry Fair 2017 (GIF). The Northern Gulfs leading annual industrial expo, GIF will be held from February 7 to 9 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said the event organisers Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE). Uneeco is a specialist in medium and low-voltage electrical power protection as well as providing security system solutions, high-tech equipment and services. The prime division of Uneeco Group of Companies represents a number of prestigious and world-renowned manufacturers in the field of electrical, electronics, communication and security equipments, products and services. On the upcoming event, Abdulrahman Juma, the chairman of Uneeco, said: "Gulf Industry Fair 2017 is a major asset to our companys marketing platform. Its reputation is based on its commitment to highlighting Bahrains industrial achievements not only within the country but as exporters to international markets." Uneeco is currently Bahrains representative of international brands such as Schneider Electric, The Saudi Transformers, Al-Ahleia Switchgear, Raychem, Socomec, Stahl, Cembre, El Measure, Eaton, L&T Switchgear, Rishabh, Danfoss, Fuji Electric and Sharp. Group COO Jayshankar said: "At Gulf Industry Fair 2017 we will be displaying our exclusive range of electronic security and communication solutions by demonstrating the business and technology advantages of each system." Welcoming the participation, Jubran Abdulrahman, the managing director of HCE, said: "Uneeco's presence at GIF is praised by industrial specialists who visit the show. Its group of companies plays a pivotal role in Bahrains industrial infrastructure." "Their presence underpins the Made on Bahrain and Made in the GCC campaigns that we run to show the industrial manufacturing and service delivering capabilities available in the GCC and Bahrain. We are always honoured to have their presence at the show," stated Abdulrahman. Gulf Industry Fair 2017 is sponsored by the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) in association with Noga and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba). Naffco will be supporting the Fire and Safety products sector of the event. Supporting organisations for GIF 2017 includes AHK Saudi Arabia, Indias PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the German Saudi Arabian Liaison for Economic Affairs , the Saudi British Economic Offset Programme and Bahrain Industrial Association.-TradeArabia News Service Qatars leading logistics provider GWC has concluded 2016 with one of the healthiest growth rates in the country, achieving a 11 per cent jump in its net profit which soared to QR206 million ($57 million) from QR185.2 million ($51 million) the year before. The company has maintained its growth by increasing its operational efficiency, improving its profit margins, and actively seeking new revenue streams, drawing in gross revenues of QR849.5 million at the end of 2016, representing 8 per cent increase from QR787.9 million in 2015. The companys assets continued to develop, with total assets reaching QR3.741 billion by the end of December, up 26 per cent to hit QR2.98 billion for the same period in 2015, it stated. Commenting on the growth, GWC chairman Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani said: "Every effort has been taken to ensure that the company serves the best needs of the state of Qatar as it diversifies from oil dependency to a diversified and sustainable economy." It is through this lens that we find, in the current climate, a wealth of opportunity to develop, innovate and prosper, thereby recompensing our stakeholders investment and trust in us, and our pursuit of the Qatar National Vision 2030, he stated. Impressed with the results, GWCs board of directors has recommended distribution of 16 per cent dividend to the shareholders. It is however, subject to approval at the companys Assembly General Meeting to be held on January 30. On the 2016 performance, the top GWC official said it has moved forward on its various development initiatives last year, with its resources poured into the completion of the GWC Bu Sulba Warehousing Park. The 517,375-sq-m facility, which is equipped to handle the varying demands of the small and medium enterprise (SME), will be ready for operation in the first quarter of 2017. The company also saw developments in its various current facilities, with the completion of the Phase V expansion in the Logistics Village Qatar (LVQ) adding 45,000 sq m of storage capabilities within the one-million-sq-m fully-integrated logistics hub, in addition to new accommodation and recreational facilities. GWC also added 64,000 sq m of fully-integrated, specialised Hazmat logistics solutions to its Ras Laffan Industrial City hub in the West Side Support Area at the beginning of 2016, said the top official. The companys departments also made significant developments in their respective fields. GWC Contract Logistics expanded on a number of their contracts, completing the roll-out of several programs it had begun for clients in the health, retail and telecom sectors. According to him, GWC Forwarding held on to its position as the No.1 freight forwarder in Qatar, and enhanced value for its clients projects by offering new products that reduce turnaround time for many shipments. GWC Records maintained its 100 per cent client retention record while adding clients among ministries, government authorities and financial institutions. Meanwhile, Its other units GWC Relocations, Fine Art, and Transport expanded on the types of services they offer while making significant contributions to the companys revenues. Beyond Qatar, GWCs Dubai operation too has been contributing to the growth of the company in extending its reach to the UAE market and beyond. This progression has led to the acquisition of two warehousing properties which will meet local demand and help better coordinate GWCs international distribution operations, he stated. In addition to its contributions to the countrys logistical infrastructure, GWC has participated in a number of initiatives to improve Qatars social wellbeing.-TradeArabia News Service German carrier Lufthansa has announced plans to hire more than 3,000 new staff in 2017. It is mostly flight attendants who will join the various airlines of the Lufthansa Group in 2017, said a statement from Lufthansa. Germany's biggest airline will deploy 1,400 flight attendants at the hubs in Frankfurt and Munich alone; overall the Lufthansa Group airlines will hire more than 2200 new staff. Last year, in addition to the conventional application processes, the airline had held six flight attendant castings in Heidelberg, Mainz, Augsburg, Regensburg, Munich and Berlin, which was met with great interest among the target group, said the statement from Lufthansa. More than 2000 applicants went to the castings, and almost 6,000 attended the regular application days in Frankfurt. Almost one in every three applicants was accepted. Sandra Albrecht, for example. "I have always wanted to work at Lufthansa", remarked the Frankfurt-based woman, who, in the summer, successfully completed the Lufthansa flight attendant casting in Mainz. "It has always been my dream to be a flight attendant. I couldn't believe my luck at first", she said, happily. For Sandra Albrecht, the dream of flying is within her grasp. Other divisions are also hiring. Lufthansa Technik, for example, is planning to recruit 450 new staff at different locations, and Austrian Airlines is hiring more than 300 new, cabin, check-in and cockpit staff, and other divisions are also looking. With 37,000 employees, Lufthansa is the largest employer in Frankfurt and Hesse. According to the German airline, training young people is of particular importance for the aviation group. A total of 250 new candidates will start an apprenticeship or a degree in the Lufthansa Group in 2016/17. And there is a lot to choose from: there are nine degree courses and 34 training programmes, including toolmaker, air traffic assistant, system catering professional and forwarding and logistics services expert. Commenting on the growing interest, Carsten Spohr, chairman of the board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: "Lufthansa remains the most attractive employer in Germany and the employer of choice for many applicants. Last year, more than 100,000 applications were submitted to the career portal." "This makes us very proud. We are pleased to hire more than 3000 staff again this year," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Finding the perfect tools are essential for any travel vlogger's success. The flawless portable microphone that will cancel out any unwanted sound and noise, the stable and sturdy tripod that will stick to the same unmoved position throughout the video and the handiest cameras that will give that beautiful HD version of the vlog - these are just some of the major frustrations of vloggers anywhere in the world. Known throughout the world as "Electronic Heaven", Akihabara is one of the most visited places in Japan when it comes to gadgets. There are streets lined with multiple storey buildings that sell almost any kind of gadget thinkable on every floor and it is the largest of all Japan Gadget Centers. According to japan-guide, this district is best known for the Yodobashi Electronics store and the Akihabara Crossfield which are gigantic electronic complexes that can serve any customer for their electronic needs. In fact, it has been quite visited because of their famous Yodobashi camera, a brand quite popular to local vloggers. Some travelers have reported that it would take a total of two days to fully and properly screen Akihabara because of its size and the variety it offers. Another place quite popular for budget vloggers, would be the Yurakucho district near Tokyo. It has been quite notable for a total of eight large BIC Camera electronics stores, a brand of the camera also popular to many local gadget hunters and budget vloggers. Tokyu Hands is also one popular Japan gadget center which is usually frequented by local gadget hunters. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, this particular store sells almost anything! The most amazing aspect about it is the vast collection of smartphones that they sell. For budget vloggers that will visit Japan anytime soon, it would be good to know the districts and places where the best working gadgets can be found. It will surely give any gadget finder numerous options that will allow them to choose their most workable surplus. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Of all the places in the Philippines, no other location has gained so much interest among island-loving tourists than El Nido. This northern first class municipality in the island province of Palawan is currently ranked No. 1 in the "20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World" by Conde Nast Traveler's magazine. Some of the important tips in spending time in El Nido are similar to any other top guidelines for budget travel in the Philippines. However, there are also a few things to take note which only apply exclusively to El Nido's environment. June to November The best time to visit El Nido is within these five off-season months. During these months, hotel prices in the Philippines are usually cheaper. The only setback when it comes to choosing this period is dealing with heavy rains. The wet season can put airline passengers ill at ease. Another potential drag is the unavailability of island-hopping cruises when storm clouds brew unpredictably during these months. From Puerto Princesa to El Nido Upon arriving at the provincial capital of Puerto Princesa via Manila, there are three modes of transportation to go about it. Shuttle vans cost $12.1 but they cover the vast distances within 5 hours, stopping only for one meal break at any station. Buses are cheaper, with air-conditioned types costing only $7.7 to $9.7, although the travel takes roughly 7 hours due to multiple stops. The cheapest mode of transportation is the tricycle, yet the bargain only applies to a group. Choosing a tricycle is complicated and unadvisable for first timers without a savvy local guide who will prevent tourists from getting ripped off beyond $2.4. ATM Withdrawal Although automated teller machines have been made available in El Nido as of 2015, it is still not advisable to use the town's singular bank for two reasons. One of the first causes for concern is that any withdrawal exceeding $100 accrues a penalty of $4. Another reason why withdrawing in El Nido is inadvisable is that the machine quickly runs out of paper cash. It is vital to cash out as much as one can while in Manila or Puerto Princesa. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Nepal is one of the most mystical places on earth, being the site of the planet's highest mountain peak (Mt. Everest) and the birthplace of the first agnostic religion (Buddhism). As a tourist, there are three important things you can do while in Nepal: Eat their exotic meals, pray in your sacred space and love the travel experience this country brings. Eat: Vegan meals Nepal's culture is an off-shoot of its Indian neighbors, much like Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is therefore not surprising that many of the local dishes resemble quasi-vegan cuisine. Although vegetables comprise a huge percentage of their recipe, they also occasionally add chicken, pork or goat's meat as auxiliary ingredients. What makes Nepalese dishes special is that they are twice more nutritious considering that flavors are based on herbs and spices. Staple dishes seldom use oil and rarely use animal fat for flavoring. The cost for breakfast in Nepal does not exceed $2.59. The highest fare for lunch is $3.14 while the best dinner menu is limited to $4.16. The average cost of Local Nepalese food is cheap by international standards. Pray: Buddhist Pilgrimage Prince Siddhartha, also known as Lord Buddha, was born in the province of Lumbini. This part of Nepal has become a sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site since 249 BC when the Indian emperor Ashoka conducted his own sabbatical as a devout Buddhist. With much of Nepal's old monuments damaged during the April 2015 earthquake, a few shrines still remain intact, a testament to the sacredness of the place being spared from periodic tremors. Including among them is the Lumbini shrine, the Boudhanath temple and the Swayambhunath stupa (sacred tower). Any of these places are a perfect site for personal reflection and soul searching. Love: Shopping, Hiking, and Enjoying Life! The biggest test for any hiker is to undertake a steep and arduous climb to Mt. Everest. Such an endeavor is too sacrosanct to be taken lightly. But for anyone of a much light-hearted nature can simply shop at Thamel District for exotic souvenirs and local artworks to take home. Around January to February, everyone is invited to join the festivities hosted by Tibetan Buddhists. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Case in point, the videos choice for the number five slot in its top 10 list was attendance of mixed gender parties. Last summer alone, several raids were conducted on these sorts of parties throughout Iran, leading to hundreds of arrests and flogging punishments. The video notes that the maximum sentence for attending a mixed gender party is 75 torturous lashes, and that higher numbers are legally permitted in the cases of other crimes such as the consumption of alcohol. The other items on the Glazov Gangs list included wearing nail polish, having tattoos of any kind, getting non-traditional haircuts, wearing clothing with Western brand names or slogans visible, driving around without an apparent destination, and owning or walking dogs. The video gives a sense of the punishment for each of these offenses and then concludes by pointing out that the top two items being homosexual or failing a virginity test before entering into marriage are punishable by death. This list of absurd laws is not complete, especially if one considers the sorts of behaviors and activities that are not specifically addressed by the law but are often treated as crimes in practice. As indicated by multitudes of human rights stories, this category of offenses includes various kinds of social activism and the simple fact of possessing citizenship in a Western country or having noteworthy social connections within such a country. The criminalization of these things has been particularly evident in the midst of a security crackdown in the aftermath of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers, at which point the clerical regime apparently saw a need to reassert its domestic power and its status as a bulwark against Western influence in the region. Dual nationals and foreign citizens with business interests in the Islamic Republic are key examples of this influence and have been eagerly targeted by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry and Revolutionary Guard Corps. The persistence and the context of this targeting were highlighted on Wednesday by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, in an article coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the arrest of Kamran Ghaderi. The Iranian-Austrian businessman was sentenced in October to 10 years in prison on unsubstantiated charges of espionage, alongside several other dual nationals including the more prominent Siamak Namazi and Nizar Zakka. The report details how Ghaderis conviction was secured solely on the basis of a coerced confession, obtained by interrogators after they told him, falsely, that his wife was in Iran and would be detained if he did not cooperate. Reports of political imprisonment in Iran are very frequently linked to reports of forced confessions extracted through either physical or psychological torture, including threats to family. Ghaderis case is also representative of these sorts of cases in that he has been subject to additional punitive action, aside from the prison sentence itself. In his case, this means having been kept in solitary confinement for the entirety of his first year in prison. Threats to family are also reported even after convictions are secured, as a means of exerting additional pressure on political detainees. In other instances, family members are implicated in the same vaguely-defined charges that led to sentences for the de facto crimes of dual citizenship and domestic activism. This was apparently the case with Arash Sadeghi and his wife Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, who made prominent headlines this week after Sadeghi surpassed 70 days on a hunger strike and secured temporary release for his wife, with the help of protestors throughout the country. The hunger strike ended immediately thereafter, but a subsequent report by the Associated Press indicated that more than a day afterward, regime authorities had failed to transfer Sadeghi from Evin Prison to a hospital for treatment of his still-life-threatening malnutrition. The International Campaign conveyed the same information in the context of a report on the current outlook for Iraees case. Although the judiciary has reportedly conceded that Iraee was wrongfully convicted, her temporary release is only scheduled to last four days, ending on Saturday. Her advocates say that under the law she should be allowed to go free until a new ruling is made, but instead prosecutors have indicated that she will be returned to prison for an indeterminate length of time while the judiciary reviews the case. Iraees initial conviction was related to an unpublished short story written in a notebook that was confiscated when police raided her home in order to build a case against Sadeghi. The story describes a woman who burns a Quran as an act of outrage after hearing of another woman being stoned for adultery. According to the International Campaign, a previous raid on Sadeghis home in 2010 resulted in his mother suffering a fatal heart attack. In the aftermath of that incident, he was reportedly tortured into signing a letter affirming that there was no connection between the raid and his mothers death. The apparent lack of progress on Iraees case, even after such a dramatic protest by her husband, is indicative of the Iranian regimes continued commitment to its crackdown on human rights activism and other perceived threats to the integrity of the Islamic Republic. The persistence of harsh enforcement and the prevalence of dramatic and life-threatening protests against it recently resulted in the Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi calling for the resignation of Sadeghi Larijani to resign as the head of the nations judiciary. The system is broken and the final responsibility rests with its head, Ebadi said, according to another report by the International Campaign. Mr. Larijani must accept his incompetence and resignIts not enough to wait for people to get arrested and start hunger strikes for us to defend political prisoners. We have to think of something more effective. One of Netflix's most exorbitant projects, "Marco Polo" garnered a total of $180 worth of expenses creating two seasons of the 13th Century Venetian adventurer's saga. It was the second most expensive television show following HBO's "Game of Thrones" in 2012. Unfortunately, Netflix pulled the plug despite the anticipation of the fans for its Season 3 premiere. For better or worse, the creation of "Marco Polo" have made some cultures more visible in the eyes of the mainstream audience. In fact, in 2015 the Mongolian president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdor bestowed an accolade to the "Marco Polo" production team for their positive portrayal of Mongolian history and culture worldwide. But ironically, the series was never filmed in Mongolia. So which countries did the "Marco Polo" production shoot their cameras? Here are the top 5 filming locations that made the show possible: Italy A few scenes were shot in Venice, where young Marco Polo paddled his gondola to flirt with a maiden overlooking three-story apartment room window. However, it was just one scene featuring the protagonist's recollection. Hungary Several topographical scenes were also shot in Hungary. Ironically, it is one of the few Eastern European countries that experienced the atrocities of Genghis Khan's westward expansion. This country helped recreate Renaissance Rome in Season 2. Kazakhstan Of all the global locations that "Marco Polo" team has visited, many of the outdoor scenes depicting Mongolia were accomplished via filming in Kazakhstan. Curiously, Kazakhstan offers a very favorable deal for film-makers. Some of the country's geographical features also resemble the Mongolian steppes. Slovakia The last few episodes in Season 2 of "Marco Polo" were shot in Slovakia. The steep Sulovske Skaly Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for Kublai Khan's vigil. In these highlands, Marco Polo saved the emperor from being nearly devoured by a wolf. Malaysia The majority of the scenes in Marco Polo were filmed in Malaysia. The tropical wilderness provided a realistic backdrop for Southern China, where Marco Polo and a Chinese double agent abducted the last boy emperor of the Song Dynasty. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 You want to go to see the world, but would the world want to see you? Ouch. When traveling, you also want to feel welcomed by a certain country you are visiting. People's openness will leave a mark on you forever, making you want to go back. There are, of course, those who wished you weren't there to bother them with your maps and directions. However, factors like wars, poverty and dictatorship have contributed to why they are so cold to tourists. The Legatum Institute has published the prosperity index that shows which among the nations is the friendliest and otherwise. The top ten most amiable in the world are: (1) New Zealand, (2) Norway, (3) Finland, (4) Switzerland, (5) Canada, (6) Australia, (7) Netherlands, (8) Sweden, (9) Denmark and (10 United Kingdom. New Zealand's tourist spots have been a growing interest by the public to visit one day. Their Hobbit-like lands have turned 15 years old this year and have offered special events or packages to further boost tourism. Disney's Frozen have pumped up visitors to go to Norway and the country is planning to build transatlantic routes to lessen the costs of traveling. The Norwegian people would like to welcome Asians, South Americans as well as those from the North. Switzerland is gradually recovering from their exchange rates that shock the nation and it seemed that the top chocolate makers have reached out to new markets like India for their winter holidays. Finland will be celebrating its 100th Independence Day and Canada will turn 150 this year. Both countries will be celebrating all year-long, further welcoming tourists to their lands. Sorry, not sorry, Montreal will have its 375th birthday and will coincide with the whole events of Canada, making the country a festive nation for 2017. Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and the UK, has expressed the same friendliness to tourists worldwide. People will not be surprised to hear that the least sociable countries are: (1) Yemen, (2) Afghanistan, (3) Central African Republic, (4) Sudan and (5) Congo. Bases for the study includes economic quality, business environment, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom, social capital and environment. Biggest obstacles to reach these factors are wars, diverse economies, and social and economic transitions. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Almost a year and a half had passed since terrorists shot down Metrojet Flight 9268 shortly after taking flight. The incident had killed 219 Russians out of the 224 passengers who died. Due to security concerns and the civil unrest happening during that time, Russia had issued travel warnings against traveling to Egypt. But as the bans possibly lift in the next few months, Egypt's government and Tourism Ministry are eager to win back Russian patrons who make up 40% of their travel economies. According to Sputnik News, Egyptian officials have tasked officials to provide maximum security levels for Russians and even have Russian experts be present in all Egyptian airports. The news website cited Mahmud Abdel Jawad, an Egyptian expert, saying Egypt "sorely misses" Russians as they play a huge role in the country's travel economy. He said Egypt would greatly improve its tourism sector once it receives word that Russia's travel warnings and air restrictions against it are lifted and he speculates that the ban lift "should happen as soon as possible." Egyptian tourism has dipped low in 2016 compared to figures in 2016. According to The Middle East Monitor -- citing information from the Egyptian Government's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the country had 8.1 million tourists in 2015; this year it only had 4.8 million. CAPMAS also attributes the fall towards the decline of Russian travelers into the country. British, German and Italian travelers have also declined in number compared to their travel volumes last 2015. In 2010, Egypt has reached the peak of its travel performance with a record number of 14.7 million visitors. Egyptian travel experts and historians said if the tourism sector continues to do poorly, funds to help maintain its vacation spots, particularly its heritage sites, would be difficult to find. Egyptian heritage sites such as the pyramid and ancient tombs require 38,000 on-site personnel for maintenance alone. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Rocky and the limitless roads, Canada has much more to offer for you to enjoy and see especially the beauty that it offers. Driving gives you a sense of freedom to travel at your own pace and time allowing you to pull over and appreciate the beautiful sceneries you come across along the way or take a camping trail to participate in activities such as hiking in the mountains or try kayaking if your an adrenaline junkie. Wherever you go in Canada, a road trip is one of the best ways to really experience and soak in all the beauty the country has. Here are some of the best routes to take in Canada. The Icefields Parkway, Alberta. Drive along the 232km route of the Icefields Parkway in just about four hours but it would not be an adventure if you would not stop by from time to time to take a snap of the beautiful woodlands, high maginificent waterfalls and rocky mountains you will see from right to left of the highway. The route runs between Banff and Jasper, passing through the Rocky Mountains and skirting through two national treasures, Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. According to Rough Guides, these Parks are the home to the broad Columbia Icefield. Vancouver to Tofino, British Columbia, where a trip would take at least two days. The road trip starts with a ferry crossing. board the boat in Horseshoe Bay and chill and just lay back for a couple of hours while crossing the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island. When you have arrived you will have a 207km drive from Nanaimo to Tofino which gives you an opportunity to stop by MacMillan Provincial Park and walk between the enourmous Douglas fir trees that are said to be atleast 800 years old. The intestine like road course of the Pacific Rim Highway makes it a thrilling woodland drive which is fun. After a long ride, the Kennedy Lake Provincial Park is a popular spot to break for a picnic at rest. Finally after two days take it easy and chill at Tofino, which is making a name as a surfing destination because of its magnificent beaches. Calgary to Lake Louise, Alberta. This trip might be a very tiring and long one for it takes atleast four days to really enjoy the trip. Begin with a city tour of Calgary that includes a visit to the famous Calgary Stampede which is the famouse site of the 1988 Olympic games. Stop by at the Columbia Icefield for a quick snowmobile tour on the way. You should arrive at Lake Louise in the late afternoon, which is the perfect time to take a stroll around the beautiful lake that has crystal clear blue water which is just amazing. If you can wake up early then try to roam around Lake Louise before heading off to Sulphur Mountain, Banff Springs. You must take the gondola all the way up the mountain and bring your swim wear, as might want to spend some time in the hot springs to harm up. Stratford, Ontario. A quick scenic drive from Toronto or London, Stratford make up a great day trip or weekend getaway. The road trip is complete with small town, historic inns, a scenic river perfect for strolling around and a picnic if you want to spend a little bit of time. According to Reader's Digest, Stratford is basically known for its festivals. Other than that it offers an 19th century town with many of its treasures restored which you can explore.The yearly Music Festival in Stratford offer much of everything from classic to pop to jazz which is free to watch plus you can chill while listen to the songs played. The Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia. The trail takes 298km around the north of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia at will approx take five days to complete the roadtrip. Locals say the region's fall color trail is prettiest during autumn season but the amazing landscapes of Cape Breton Highlands National Park look good throughout the year. There you can see a herd of moose roam around the park, while walking trails give you opportunities to hike and breathe sea air which is truly nature at its best. For more travel news 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 Bun Cha is one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes. It is a dish of grilled pork and noodle which originated in Hanoi, Vietnam, served with grilled fatty pork on a plate of white rice noodle, some herbs and a serve of broth or dipping sauce as a side dish. A food enthusiast/blogger, named Jimmy, famous for his website and for traveling the world mostly because of wanting to try different kinds of dishes and cuisines. Explaining how good Bun Cha is and that he couldn't just get enough of it during his one-week stay in Hanoi, He suggested the best places get it in the city. One of them is Dac Kim Bun Cha in which he refers to as by far the best diner that serves Bun Cha that he has ever had. Located at the beginning of Hang Manh Street, right around Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi's most famous lake; Dac Kim Bun Cha is usually where most tourists stop and Hanoi's most visited restaurant. Bun Cha Hanoi at lane 74, Hang Quat street, Hoan Kiem District. The stall has been unsurprisingly existing for 19 years already because they serve one of the best Bun Chan in Hanoi as well. However, diners have to go through a very narrow lane to get to lane 74. Still, it's definitely worth a try for their Bun Chan will only make diners crave for more. Bun Cha Bach Mai grilled on bamboo sticks. This one's located at Lane 213 Bach Mai Street, Hai Ba Trung district, where Bun Cha is served in a unique way. The pork on the bamboo stick is grilled on charcoals, which is why the diner is known to serve people quite slow. Their Bun Cha however, is still so good and perfectly cooked that diners are more than willing to wait. Tune in on Travelers Today for more tips and news. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Vacations are meant to be enjoyed and be memorable, in a good way. While some are looking for thrill, most people just want to relax and have fun. If you belong to thrill-seeker groups, caution is still necessary as some dangers would lurk even at the most scenic spots. Olivier Le Carrer, an author for travel books warned tourists that some destinations are dangerous for different reasons. It is not just about the treachery of the place but the crime and the attitude of locals that tourists must be careful about. Be sure to practice caution when you visit these places. Here are five countries that are both beautiful and dangerous: Iceland is home to more than 30 volcanoes, most of them are active; this is the country where fire meets ice. The combination sounds magical yet the danger is real. An erupting volcano can spew magma and ashes that can burn nearby villages. Earthquakes are felt as the plate underground move. Volcano eruption can cause major damages to properties, transportation and life. It is not certain whether the hot weather in the Caribbean/ Latin America region is responsible for causing too many cases of heart attacks. Some beaches are open to public without a lifeguard thus drowning is common. Car accidents are also observed in most places. Listed as one of the most dangerous places by Esquire magazine, Guatemala is a host to many crimes, corruption and disasters. While it prides to be the home of picture-worthy architecture at El Mirador and Yaxha, tourists are warned to take care of their belongings. Many incidents of lost items by foreigners were reported. Prepare to face a number of inconveniences while you Myanmar/Burma. ATM machines are hard to find. Pollution is almost everywhere. Small anti-government bandits can disrupt your vacation mood while at Shan State. The heat and the high crime rates in Ethiopia and in nearby regions are enough to cause alarm to any tourist. Be sure to think twice before heading here. Be sure to check out this article from Travelers Today. It will warn you of most dangerous cities in the planet. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Most people book their accommodations at pretty hotels with excellent customer service and quality amenities. For some, they're willing to splurge just to sleep in comfy queen-size beds, eat at lavish restaurants or swim in Olympic-size pools. But did you know there are also hotels in the world that sell because of these qualities? These hotels have certain types of peculiarities open-minded travelers will experience. Here are some of the most unusual hotels in the world: The Dog Bark Park Inn, Idaho, USA is an unusual bed and breakfast in Idaho is dog-friendly. Literally. The whole building is shaped like a beagle, where guests can stay inside through the beagle's body. It is owned by chainsaw artists Dennis and Frances, and once you're inside, you'll be treated with several more wooden carvings of dogs scattered all over the guesthouse. It would be nice to say that you've slept inside a dog in your life. So go over to Idaho and check the place out. If you're not claustrophobic, then you can definitely check out the Aydinli Cave House Hotel, Goreme, Turkey, which is located inside a cave. The Aydinli Cave House Hotel will give you a complete cave experience, minus the actual caveman living, of course! All basic amenities are offered here, and all its 14 rooms are decorated naturally to preserve the essence of the cave. This hotel started serving guests in 2008, where tourists can enjoy the Turkish culture whilst inside a natural cave with structures dating back to over 750 years. Located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, guests of Icehotel, Jukkasjarvi, Sweden can come any day of the year to have the ultimate Ice experience, where all amenities are made of ice. This isn't just a normal room chipped out of huge blocks of ice. You can stay at luxury suites and art suites in this place-complete with an ice bar and an ice gallery. Brave the freezing cold and stay at the world's only ice-themed hotel! Treehotel, Harads, Sweden. Another unusual hotel found in Sweden is the Treehotel, where guests can stay in futuristic treehouses. All rooms are ecological-friendly, but all needs are well taken care of and of the highest quality. Each treehouse also has its own theme, whether you want to stay in a bird's nest, flying saucer, and several other choices. If you want to sleep in a high-standard accommodation while perched on top of the trees, make a reservation now. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 For many tourists, food is the first thing in mind when traveling to Abu Dhabi. The city which consists of new luxury hotels typically have at least a few restaurants to match, but there are also opportunities to enjoy low-cost, tasty local snacks if your budget is limited and want to enjoy more partying. Abu Dhabi has it all from desert venues serving traditional food to the best restaurants specializing in international dishes. Here are some of the best restaurants in Abu Dhabi that offer the best cuisines. Li Beirut. This restaurant is for those who love Lebanese food. Considered one of the top restaurants of Abu Dhabi, Li Beirut is an award winning restaurant. Delighting its guests with a spectacular view of the surrounding sea, Li Beirut serves traditional Lebanese cooked up with a fusion of European cuisine. According to The Culture Trip, the menu featuring signature courses such as the zaatar which is a crusted rack of lamb accompanied by sweet potato and truffle,qnd the kebbeh which is the decadent honey fudge dessert. Al Maqam. This restaurant is located in the Abu Dhabi desert. The Arabian style setting with handmade decorations, palm made terrace and live artistic performances create a cultural fusion in the middle of the desert where tourists and locals can enjoy the best local dishes. From the traditional local Emirati and Arabic recipes to classics of international cuisine, Al Maqam offers pretty much everything, including cooking lessons and bread making sessions. Quest. This restaurant in Abu Dhabi located on the Etihad towers is one of the most acclaimed restaurants of the city. Quest provides guests with an creative interpretation of modern fine dining, blends of flavors from all over Asia. Quest serves up unique specialties that fuses traditional Asian dishes while reinterpreting them with ingredients of the highest quality. Tori No Su. According to The Telegraph, this Japanese restaurant at Jumeirah Etihad Towers presents kaiseki chef Takashi Ando, whose food outdoes even the best of restaurant interiors. The restaurant has it all from spicy tuna maki to king crab and tomato millefeuille. Try one of his famous omakase tables for a twist. Hakkasan. This is one of the oldest restaurants found in the city of Abu Dhabi. Hakkasan is hidden away in a forgotten corner of the Emirates Palace, a dark, latticed box with a gleaming bar and intimate tables which is best if you have a date with you. For more of the latest restaurants 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 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey calculated and issued a list of the top countries to go to if a person is planning to start a career abroad. HSBC, together with YouGov, a market research firm, has conducted the survey to over 26,000 migrant workers from more than a hundred countries and thereafter ranked the countries of which among the is the best place to work at in terms of salary, career progression, job security and other aspects a worker must consider. According to The Huffington Post, respondents of the survey reveal that the average of the yearly revenue of expats in Switzerland was 188,275 US Dollars compared to the 97,419 US Dollars global average of immigrants. Germany tops HSBC's rank in terms of job security and economic confidence. Foreign workers also suggest that if one is planning to start a career in Germany, he must first do some language short courses before coming to the country to lessen language barrier. More than seventy percent of the foreign workers in Sweden claim that the culture of work and career in Sweden is far more improved compared to the present work culture in their respective home countries. Despite the small geographical dimensions of the United Arab Emirates, the country is still considered by the expats to be the best place to be when it comes to working abroad. HSBC survey reveals that UAE places third when it comes to wage growth. Respondents of the survey claimed that working in Norway is ideal especially for people who are at the family stage of their life. The balance of work and life in Norway is also incomparable. Singapore tops HSBC's survey when it comes to politics and entrepreneurship. Expats say that working in Singapore is endlessly challenging and endlessly stimulating but wholly worth it. Just like Norway, Austria is also considered by the migrant workers to be the perfect workplace for people who are already working for their own families. Norway also tops the survey in terms of family health. Many of the respondents affirm that Hong Kong is a very good choice if a person decides to improve his individual career outside his native country. The key to succeed in Hong Kong is to just be open and positive, a foreign worker said. More than sixty percent of the migrant workers in United Kingdom reveal that they tend to discover and learn new skills during the duration of their work in the said country compared to their home country. UK ranks third in terms of career progression, according to the survey. The survey reveals that some of the employers in Bahrain provide a yearly allowance to their foreign employees for their vacations back home which likewise attracts more migrant workers choose Bahrain for their careers. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Exclusive All-Inclusive Tips Here are five strategies designed to help you expand your all-inclusive resort business Hotel & Resort Brian Major The deal rewarded Iran with $100 billion of frozen oil revenues however, according to Timmerman, some say, $150 billion, and dismantled international sanctions. Those sanctions cut Irans oil exports and banned it from the international financial system. The economic hardship on the people was beginning to threaten the regime with domestic unrest. President Obama incorporated most of the deals measures into a United Nations Security Council Resolution, which may make its undoing more complicated than a group of American nuclear scientists imply its not just a piece of paper President Trump can tear up. The international sanctions that were destroyed took years to build and cannot be reconstructed in a day. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) received a letter from The Foundation for Democracy in Iran, a group of conservative leaders, on Thursday. It commended him for a resolution he introduced in the final days of the last Congress, regarding restitution or compensation for property wrongly confiscated by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The letter states: Totalitarian regimes historically have confiscated property from individuals whose sole crime consisted of supporting the previous government. When the Islamic regime seized power in 1979, it followed in the footsteps of these earlier totalitarians. The letter from the Foundation, which is chaired by Timmerman, recalled Congressional action against previous cases of unjust expropriation, noting the Helms-Burton Act, which is also known as the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996, that penalized foreign companies trafficking in property stolen from Cuban nationals. Pro-Castro advocates screamed that Helms-Burton would cause irrevocable harm to the United States with friends and allies around the world. Nothing of the sort occurred, the letter states, and adds, We believe the time has come to envisage a similar measure for the victims of the Islamic Republic of Iran, many of whom have become United States citizens, whose properties were unjustly expropriated. Colin A. Hanna, President of Let Freedom Ring; Admiral James Ace Lyons, Jr, former Pacific Fleet commander; Frank Gaffney, President and CEO of the Center for Security Policy; Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation; Amy Ridenour, Chairman of the National Center for Public Policy Research; Ellen Sauerbrey, former Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration; and Timmerman, himself are all signatories to the letter, which also won support and was signed by Iranian-American human rights advocates and journalists, and by leaders of the American Middle East Coalition for Trump. Fifty-one supporters of the previous regime and their families had their assets seized on July 7, 1979, under a decree issued by Iran. A revolutionary Court issued a separate order a few weeks later, and the assets of another 209 individuals and their families were confiscated. Timmerman writes that, according to court documents the claimants provided to him, the seized properties included major factories and industrial conglomerates, hotels, private residences, real estate, land, stock, and other holdings, which today are worth more than $100 billion. Para-state foundations, known as bonyads, owned or controlled by the Supreme Leader or the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), received the assets. In end, thousands of Iranians had property seized, and millions more were terrorized with the threat of confiscations. Many fled to America and became U.S. citizens, but few were American citizens at the time of the revolution, and so they have been unable to seek restitution through the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague, or through U.S. courts. Timmerman writes, Ordinary Iranians understand that the ruling clerics have plundered their country. How else could a village cleric such as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei personally own a commercial empire the U.S. Treasury has estimated to be worth more than $40 billion? A separate 2013 Reuters investigation found that the property confiscations on behalf of Irans clerical leadership were about $95 billion. He suggests that a Congressionally-enacted Iran Assets Recovery Plan would be a powerful weapon against the regime in Iran. A Recovery Plan would not only bring justice to some of the many victims of the confiscations, but it would put the Iranian regimes foreign partners on notice. Traffic in stolen property at your peril. A regime founded on theft will end up bankrupt, in jail, or dead, Timmerman concludes. This cooperation was highlighted in the Fox News article, with specific reference to a number of instances of Iran helping North Korea with its nuclear program. In the view of the author and other critics of recent US foreign policy, this assistance has effectively been further enabled by a conciliatory approach to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. As well as failing to address this alleged cooperation while negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, the Obama administration has also taken very little punitive action against Iran following its post-agreement ballistic missile tests, which were conducted in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions on the matter. This has arguably given North Korea the impression that the United States is presently either unwilling or unable to react to such tests, of which the Fox News article says the east Asian dictatorship conducted 20 in the past year alone. But to whatever extent Obama-era permissiveness encouraged these activities, that permissiveness is all but certain to end when Donald Trump assumes the presidency on January 20. And the Fox News article concludes with recommendations as to what Trump can do to prevent North Koreas nuclear development and missile testing. Those recommendations include bolstering US defensive capabilities along the West Coast, and also constraining enablers of North Korean development, chiefly the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, the appropriate means for such constraint remain a serious topic of dispute. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently accused the Obama administration of handing the Iranians a nuclear agreement that brought little benefit to the West. He also threatened to tear it up a measure that theoretically would have taken the world community back to the drawing board and allowed it to pursue a more comprehensive suite of Iranian concessions. But subsequent to his election, Trump has taken a different tack, promoting renegotiation of the existing deal instead of its cancellation. Even some Republicans who opposed the deal or viewed it as seriously flawed have taken a similar view. As an example, The Guardian featured an article on Friday that detailed the input offered to Trump by Bob Corker, the Republican head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has been insistent that tearing up the nuclear deal would create more problems than it would solve, and that the best way forward is to enforce its existing provisions much more strictly than the Obama administration has done. Iran has at various times been caught in the midst of small violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, including two instances of exceeding the deals defined limits on Iranian stockpiles of heavy water, a nuclear byproduct. The absence of consequences for these violations has gone a long way toward promoting the perception of the outgoing administrations permissiveness. And there has been a great deal of associated speculation and analysis of the reasons for this. The most natural explanations deal with the administrations fear of endangering Iranian participation in the agreement. But the situation may also be more complex than this and include worries about antagonizing Iran at a time when its participation in regional conflicts is occasionally viewed as a positive thing. Real Clear Politics points out that this perspective was explicitly expressed by Obamas Secretary of State John Kerry in an interview with MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell. Together, Iran and Russia had to prop [Assad] up, and save him from the possibility that the extremists might take over the country, Kerry said, apparently deviating from previous US positions calling for Assads ouster and promoting the possibility of a victory by moderate rebel groups led by the Free Syrian Army. Iran and Russia have widely been credited with not only preventing Assads fall to these groups, but also with damaging them so severely as to push the Syrian Civil War toward a situation in which the only choices for the countrys future are the established Assad dictatorship and the militant rebels affiliated with ISIL and the Al Nusra Front. Meanwhile, Iran has done its best to advance the notion that its own interests in the region are adverse to Islamic extremism. But Tehrans pro-democratic opposition the National Council of Resistance of Iran has often referred to the Islamic Republic as the prototype for Islamic extremism throughout the world. On Friday, The Iran Project pointed to recent statements by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of Irans National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, claiming that Iran has always been committed to a political solution in Syria. If taken at face value, those comments can be expected to encourage Kerrys notion that under current circumstances, a victory for Iran in Syria is a defeat for Islamic terrorism. But the trouble with this claim is that it can only be reasonably defended if one takes Islamic terrorism to refer only to Sunni terrorism. As a major part of Irans strategy not only in Syria but also in Iraq and Yemen, it has directed recruitment and deployment of multitudes of Shiite militant groups to those battlefields. Previous reports have confirmed that many of these groups swear allegiance to the Islamic Republic over and above the governments of the countries in which they are operating. In this way, Iran is evidently extending its Hezbollah model of foreign influence into other part of the region. And in Syria, it is a well-known fact that Iran is actually utilizing the Lebanese paramilitary group to strengthen its operations and build a large-scale network that spans several nearby countries. On Thursday, Xinhua News Agency pointed out that the Iranian leadership had fervently disputed rumors that Hezbollah would be withdrawing from the Syrian Civil War. It is not clear what the ultimate source of those rumors was. But they are possibly rooted in Turkeys demands for such a withdrawal as part of a political solution to the crisis, or else in the outgoing US administrations optimism about Iranian moderation and willingness to cooperate over important foreign affairs. But although Boroujerdis comments about a desire for a political solution promote this perception, they are belied by the Iranian leaderships clear unwillingness to withdraw its militant proxies, even as they continue to violate ceasefire agreements negotiated by Turkey, Russia, and others. Nevertheless, Kerrys remarks seem to imply that the Obama administrations early claims about Iranian moderation will continue to be repeated until it departs the office. But the incoming administration cannot be expected to pick up that thread. And articles like the above-mentioned Fox News editorial indicate that on such issues as Irans coordination with Americas enemies, Donald Trump and his advisors will recognize the continuance of Tehrans worst behaviors. Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 6 Activists of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) staged protest and blocked the traffic at Rialto Chowk against demonetisation by the Centre government here today. Led by Wakar Rasool, observer of the Majha region, protesters raised slogans against the Centre government. Earlier, Congress workers gathered outside the office of District Congress Committee (rural) and marched towers Rialto Chowk. Speaking on the occasion, Wakar Rasool said Modi-led government was harassing the public with demonetisation of higher currency notes. He said, They are unable to withdrawal their own money from banks. The trade and industry has been facing tough days. Rasool demanded revision of the decision on demonetisation of higher currency notes. Jugal Kishore, president, District Congress Committee (urban), Gurjit Singh Aujla, president, District Congress Committee (rural), and Inderbir Singh Bolaria addressed activists apart from other senior leaders. The protest by Congress workers disrupted traffic in the area. Heated arguments of party activists and commuters were witnessed during the agitation. PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 7 Despite the cordial relations between India and Pakistan having touched a new low in aftermath of the terrorist attack at the Uri Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir followed by surgical strike by Indian Army, the Pakistan government repatriated another batch of fishermen through the Attari-Wagah land route as a goodwill gesture on the intervening night yesterday. As many as 218 fishermen were released by Pakistan from the Karachi jail on Thursday. This is second group released in the past 10 days taking the total number of fishermen freed to 438. Earlier, a group 220 fishermen had crossed over to India through the land route on December 25. They came to India through the land transit route at 1 am on the basis of emergency travel certificates issued by the Indian High Commission in Pakistan. The district administration had made arrangements at local Red Cross Society for their stay. While returning to their native land, fishermen got emotional and kissed their motherland. They returned home after being imprisoned for six months to a year in Pakistani jail. Officials from the Fisheries Department, Gujarat, and a team of 10 policemen have arrived in the holy city to facilitate their travel back home after verifying their identities. Rahul Lashkari, an official of the Fisheries Department, said as many as 100 fishermen were still languishing in Pakistani jails. He said the government should also make efforts for release of boats. There were 900 boats, which were captured by the Pakistani coast guard. Rayaz, a young fisherman, said he along with six others had strayed into Pakistani waters in the Arabian Sea while fishing when they were held by Pakistani coast guard around nine months ago. He expressed his happiness to return back home. He denied being tortured or harassed by the Pakistani authorities in the jail. Meanwhile, activists of National Human Rights Crime Control Organisation led by Sukhwant Singh Lucky today welcomed the fishermen at Red Cross Society. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 7 Long traffic jams were witnessed in the city as incessant rain lashed the region submerging thoroughfares, clogging streets and throwing life out of gear. The rain once again exposed the lack of preparedness on the part of authorities as water accumulated alongside the roads making it difficult for the commuters to move. The low-lying areas of the city such as the Industrial Area Phase I, Ram Darbar, Mani Majra and Hallo Majra were affected, leading to traffic congestion. At a few junctions the policemen were seen manning the traffic but at most clogged points, there were no policemen to manage the traffic. I was heading towards Mohali from Sector 35 market and had a tough time at the newly demolished Sector 44/43 chowk. It was in total chaos as the vehicles were seen entering from everywhere as there was no traffic light or chowk. I had to spend around 20 minutes before I could make my way from there, said Bhawana Garg, a Mohali resident. One side of the road, separating Sector 45 and 46, has been closed for the commuters for many weeks as work is going on there. Due to rain today, the condition worsened as several vehicles met with accidents as it is a single-lane road. The road must be opened as soon as possible to avoid accidents, lamented Roopam Singh, whose new car collided head-on with another car. Meanwhile, Eish Singhal, SSP (Traffic), Chandigarh, said, All traffic police personnel were deployed to regulate traffic. However, a traffic official said, We have written to the Engineering Department to make changes to help in curbing traffic jams, but they have not done much in this regard. Engineering Department officials said they had already floated tenders for carrying out the task. Tribune Reporters Ambala, January 6 Upping the ante against demonetisation, hundreds of Congress activists held a demonstration against the BJP government in Ambala City today. They were led by Rajya Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh Viplove Thakur, former minister Nirmal Singh and former Haryana Congress chief Phool Chand Mullana. They took out a protest march and reached the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC). They submitted a memorandum for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the ADC. We need to raise our voice against the draconian move of the Prime Minister. Demonetisation was a poor decision and the corrupt have taken advantage of the situation. Corrupt BJP leaders have converted black money into white and helped others in lieu of commission, Viplove said. The Centre must disclose how much black money has been detected through demonetisation. All sections of society have been facing inconvenience due to the move of the Centre. Restrictions on withdrawal of money from banks must be removed, Mullana said. Demonetisation played havoc with the lives of millions of people. Nearly 115 persons have lost their lives while millions have been deprived of their livelihood. The Congress will not allow the BJP to take dictatorial decisions and will protest against the government, Nirmal said. The Prime Minister has been facing corruption charges. As per income tax records, Modi was paid Rs 40 crore by Sahara before he became Prime Minister. Aditya Birla group paid him Rs 25 crore when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he added. The Congress demanded 20 per cent bonus on minimum support price for rabi crops, 50 per cent discount on sales tax and income tax for small businessmen for one year and a stop to commission on cashless transactions. The Congress offloaded nearly 40 quintals of potato outside the DCs office. The potato-laden tractor-trolley remained parked on the premises of DCs office when Congress leaders addressed the workers in the park for nearly an hour. The Congress leaders said farmers had failed to get remunerative prices and they were being forced to dump their crops. ADC RK Singh, who received the memorandum, said, Appropriate action will be taken in this regard. PANIPAT Congress activists protested against demonetisation and corruption at the Mini-Secretariat. They submitted a memorandum for the Prime Minister to Vivek Chaudhary, SDM, Panipat. They burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra near the Mini-Secretariat. Congress workers gathered at the party office and took out a protest march. They were led by Dinesh Gurjar, observer sent by the AICC; Yash Arora, incharge; and Bijender Singh Billu, state vice-president. They reached the Mini-Secretariat raising slogans against the BJP government. Gurjar said the protest was being organised on the direction of national vice-president Rahul Gandhi throughout the country. The party demanded compensation for the people who had been facing loss due to demonetisation and an inquiry against Modi for corruption allegations. Congress leaders Jagdev Malik, Sanjay Chhokkar, Shashi Luthra, Khushi Ram Jaglan and Prem Bajaj were present during the protest. Rewari Congress workers led by Chiranjeev Rao, son of former minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, today protested against demonetisation here. He also submitted a memorandum to the district authorities seeking compensation for the loss suffered by the common man due to demonetisation, removal of restriction over cash withdrawal and 50 per cent rebate in income and sales tax for small shopkeepers and traders. Rao said acute resentment prevailed among the people against demonetisation as it had not only slowed down the economy but also adversely affected farming and business sector. Former minister Narender Nath said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to live up to the peoples expectation and the BJP had to pay the price in the Assembly elections in five states for its faulty policies. SONEPAT Hundreds of Congress activists led by former HPCC president Dharam Pal Malik and accompanied by senior party leaders, including MLAs Jagbir Singh Malik, Jai Tirath Dahiya, Sri Krishan Hooda and Jaiveer Singh and state Mahila wing president Sumitra Chauhan protested against demonetisation outside the Mini-Secretariat here today. The protesters raised slogans against the Centre and blocked the vehicular traffic on the Gohana road. They also handed over a memorandum of their demands to Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang. Speakers alleged that demonetisation was against the interests of the common man and the farming community had suffered the most. The farmers did not get remunerative prices for their produce due to non-availability of new currency notes, they alleged. Karnal Demanding removal of restrictions on withdrawal of cash, scores of Congress workers today took out a procession and staged a dharna outside the Mini-Secretariat here. They raised slogans against the Union government and termed the demonetisation as surgical strike on the poor of the country. Dinesh Gurjar, district in charge for the protest, demanded 18 per cent interest should be given to all bank account holders till the restrictions were in place. Pankaj Punia, accompanied by former minister Bhimsen Mehta and others, said that due to demonetisation, several persons had lost their lives and the Prime Minister should tender an apology and compensate the families which lost their kin due to demonetisation. Kaithal Congress workers led by Sudeep Surjewala and former Guhla MLA Dillu Ram took out a march against demonatisation here today. The party workers raised slogans against the Prime Minister and burnt his effigy. Addressing protesters, Sudeep and Dillu Ram said that even after more than 50 days of demonatisation, the public was still facing problems and inconvenience in withdrawing their money from banks. They said that demonetisation had paralysed the normal life and adversely affected business and industrial activities. Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 7 State khaps (caste councils) have demanded a hike in the amount of special grant given for inter-caste love marriage to promote such marriages in Haryana. Khaps in the state have decided to convene a national mahapanchayat in Jind next month and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek changes in the Hindu Marriage Act to ban same-gotra marriage. The date for the mahapanachayat will be announced during a meeting of khaps next week. We have decided to meet the government authorities to seek an increase in the grant given for inter-caste love marriage. We are not against such love marriages, said Tek Ram Kandela, convener of the sarv khap panchayat. We are painted the villain without any reason as we have never opposed inter-caste love marriages. We only oppose same-gotra, same-village marriage, he said after a meeting of heads of various khaps at Kandela village in Jind today. Some state-level committees had been formed earlier as well to press the government for an amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act to ban same-village marriage, but the committees did not work due to varied reasons. This time around, khaps in the state said they would form a national committee along with khaps in other states and announce their time-bound action plan during the mahapanchayat to take their demands to a logical conclusion. During our national mahapanchayat, we will pass a resolution seeking an amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act and implementation of the Swaminathan report recommendations for the welfare of farmers, said Kandela. We will meet the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister and then launch a nationwide agitation if the authorities fail take action in connection with our demands, he added. To promote inter-caste marriages in the state, the Haryana Government had increased the incentive given for such marriages under the Mukhya Mantri Samajik Samrasta Antarjatiya Vivah Shagun Yojana from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,01,000 last year. Around 120 beneficiaries had been given financial assistance. Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 7 Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala today demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He said Khattar had no right to remain in power since he had failed to safeguard the interests of the state on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. Chautala elicited the support of farmers in Ellenabad, the Assembly segment he represented, for the proposed march to Ismailpur village in Ambala for digging of the SYL from February 23. Farmers assured their participation in large numbers by raising their hands. They presented Chautala a spade and a shallow pan, asking him to lead farmers to the SYL for digging. Chautala had been holding village-level meetings in all Assembly segments of the state after announcing that he would lead farmers from Haryana to Ismailpur village in Ambala to start digging. Addressing public meetings in villages of Ellenabad constituency, Chautala alleged that BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana were indifferent to the SYL issue. The BJP government is merely trying to fool farmers on the issue and has done nothing so far. Our party cannot take things lying down. We will not hesitate to give the supreme sacrifice for our people, he said. He said it was strange that Khattar was preparing to go for canvassing in favour of the SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab though Parkash Singh Badal government had been denying the legitimate rights of Haryana. He said a delegation of the INLD would soon meet Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki to seek dismissal of Khattar-led government. Chautala said the INLD would continue its campaign at the village level till February 10 and then hold meetings at district level from February 15 to 22 before leading a march to the canal on February 23. He claimed that thousands of party workers and farmers would accompany him to Ismailpur on February 23 for digging of the canal. Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, January 7 Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that J&K had to create such an atmosphere so that India and Pakistan are compelled to come together. The relations between India and Pakistan are bad at this point but they cannot remain the same always. Both nations have to live and die together. We have to create such a good atmosphere in the state so that India and Pakistan are compelled to come together, Mehbooba said while addressing an impressive party function to commemorate her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds first death anniversary. This enmity between the two (India and Pakistan) has a direct impact on the J&K situation. However, this enmity is not going to continue. Later, talking to reporters after the function, Mehbooba said that after taking over as CM in 2002, her father had started a political process and it had resulted in good relations between India and Pakistan. But unfortunately, because of the governments here as well as in Delhi, that process could not be taken forward. Then when he took over again in 2015, he had to start from zero but unfortunately he did not get the opportunity, she said. The Chief minister said that they were again trying to create such an atmosphere in J&K. I wrote a letter (to the separatists) but we did not get a desired response. I am trying that we together create such a situation so that a process is started, she said. Mehbooba said she was hopeful that they would succeed. First we should talk within us. Our people are fighting against each other. Our children should be in schools, with pens in their hands. Sometimes, certain elements push stones in their hands in place of balls. It will take time and we are hopeful to succeed, she said. Earlier in the day, Mehbooba visited Bijbehara in Anantnag and paid floral tributes at the mausoleum of her father at Dara Shikoh Park. She offered fatiha and joined Koran Khwani. PDP observes first death anniversary of Mufti Jammu: Rich tributes were paid to former Chief Minister and PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on his first death anniversary at a commemoration function organised at Zorawar Singh Auditorium of here on Saturday. MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig was the chief guest at the function that was also attended by Legislative Council Chairman Haji Inayat Ali, ministers, PDP legislators and leaders. Baig said Mufti was gifted with a charismatic aura and it was with this unique attribute that whosoever, used to meet the great leader felt an immediate connection with him. Even if you had a brief interaction with him, he made you feel like you were his son, or his daughter or his sister or brother, Baig said. TNS He was astute statesman: Harsh Jammu: Describing late CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as an astute statesman, a man of firm resolve, a great visionary and an undisputed leader, Harsh Dev Singh, chairman, J&K National Panthers Party, said his untimely death last year had given a great blow to the Indian polity. He was addressing a meeting of JKNPP convened to pay tributes to the leader on his first death anniversary. TNS Tribune News Service Jammu/Batote, January 6 The winter seasons first rainfall in Jammu today brought normal life to a grinding halt across the state, with heavy snowfall and landslides triggered by continuous rain on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway snapping the Kashmir valleys road connectivity with the rest of the world. According to official sources, around 1,000 trucks and passenger vehicles were stranded at different places on the national highway, while the traffic police have advised the passenger vehicles to return to Jammu in view of inclement weather forecast for tomorrow. Besides, all Srinagar-based flights from the Jammu Airport were cancelled due to inclement weather conditions and heavy snowfall in Srinagar. The highway was blocked at Patnitop and on both ends of the Jawahar Tunnel (JT) following the slippery conditions caused by heavy snowfall. More than 700 trucks and 250 passenger vehicles were stranded in Shahnawas, Banihal, Ramsu, Digdol, Peerah, Udhampur and other areas on the highway, the sources said. The sources said landslides and falling stones also blocked the highway at Marog and Mehar. Though the administration has pressed its men and machinery into service, yet the continuous rain and heavy rainfall hampered the road clearance work. There are bleak chances that the highway will be reopened for traffic tomorrow, the sources said. The vehicular traffic was stopped around the Jawahar Tunnel at 12.30 pm and at Patnitop at 2.45 pm due to the slippery conditions. On the directions of the Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Mohammed Aijaz, all the Disaster Management Committees in the district have been alerted and the members manning the various shelter sheds at Banihal, Ramsu, Ramban and Batote have been assigned their duties to remain ready to reach out to the stranded passengers. The power supply to the areas experiencing snowfall in Ramban district was disrupted, while the telecommunication services, especially of BSNL, troubled the mobile phone users. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, Jammu experienced 23.8 mm rainfall, while the Banihal recorded 47.8 mm rainfall on Friday. There was an accumulation of 7-8 cm snow in Banihal, the officials said, adding that the upper reaches of Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua districts also experienced snowfall. The snowfall on upper reaches and incessant rain have brought chill in the air as the days temperature plummeted by six degrees below normal in Jammu. The day temperature was 12.3C in Jammu, which was six degrees below normal. Widespread rains are predicted to lash the region, the IMD said. Rajesh Bali, Superintendent of Police (SP), Jammu Airport, said all Srinagar-bound flights were cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, while all other flights operated normally. The power supply in many parts of the Jammu region remained affected due to technical snag in two major grid stations. However, senior officials remained tight-lipped over the situation and evaded direct queries on non-availability of power supply. Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 7 Talking of transparency in politics and in political funding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appreciated the comments in this regard by President Pranab Mukherjee and the Election Commission and asked all political parties to join in the issue. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Briefing the media on Modis address at the BJP national executive, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the PM clearly stated that political funding must be transparent. During the meeting, presentations were also made on how the BJP-ruled states were doing well on all parameters; how to increase the income of farmers; the states in which the BJP needs to concentrate on and on the issue of digital economy. The next executive will take place on April 13 and 14. The BJP line going out of the national executive is a pro-poor pitch. The PMs first speech, says Prasad, was on his government's plan for poor. If poverty has to be reduced, the parallel economy has to be demolished, the PM said. The BJP is a party that has the support of lakhs of members ably connected to the ground and able to gauge the mood on the ground, the PM said. He added the meetings like these give lot of moral support to the party and government. Referring to the traditions of India, the unique feature of determination to fight from ills coming from within, Modi said corruption is also a big social evil and uninterrupted flow of money acts as a big stimulant for it. He talked of the way people have supported the demonetisation move. The past two months have proved the inner strength of people. The poor and poverty is not just a methodology to gain power. For the BJP, service to poor is like service to God, he said. Prasad said the PM said some people, small in number, are worried about lifestyle. It is their outlook. But priority of the government is to improve the quality of life of poor. The PM said he has been born in poverty and lived in poverty. We should not be scared of criticism. It is welcome and our inner truth will lead us to success, the PM said. Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 7 Senior Congress leader CP Joshi today said he didnt know the timing of party vice-president Rahul Gandhis long anticipated elevation as party chief and that the media knows it better. You know better, said Joshi, when asked what happened to the Congress Working Committees unanimous resolution asking Gandhi to assume leadership role and when the progression was expected. Joshi, Congress general secretary incharge of Bihar and West Bengal, today announced the Congress national convention on January 11 on the anti-government policies of the BJP government, including demonetisation. Called Jan Vedna Sammelan, the conclave will see Rahul unveil a future protest programme of the Congress against Prime Minister Narendra Modis anti-people policies. All members of the extended Congress Working Committee, all AICC members, Congress state chiefs, legislature party leaders, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, former MPs and even those who lost the 2014 Lok Sabha elections have been invited to the conclave. Joshi said Congress president Sonia Gandhi would attend the conclave, but Rahul would lay down the future strategy to tackle the BJP government and its agenda. Lucknow, January 7 The deadlock in the Samajwadi Party showed no signs of easing on Saturday with warring factions led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav failing to reach any agreement despite fresh talks. Mulayam stayed put in his 5-Vikramaditya Marg residence where he met his younger brother Shivpal Yadav, senior party leaders Azam Khan and Ambika Chowdhury, Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey and some others but nothing concrete came out. For the record, Chowdhury, while emerging from Mulayams residence, said, All will be well. SP will remain one. SP treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth also met Akhilesh as his residence. The parleys had gained momentum yesterday with the Election Commission setting January 9 deadline for the two sides to stake claim to the cycle symbol. Malayams cousin Ramgopal Yadav claimed the Akhilesh camp has collected signatures of 212 of the 229 MLAs, 56 of the 68 MLCs, 15 of the 24 MPs and a majority of the 5,000 delegates, making it crystal clear as to which was the real SP. In Etawah, Mulayams brother Abhayram Yadav hailed Shivpal and blamed stubborn Akhilesh for the ongoing crisis within the family and party. Akhilesh is stubborn. Shivpal used to take him to school and take care of him, he said when reporters asked him about the issue. Meanwhile, Ramgopal Yadav is reportedly going to meet the Election Commission officials in New Delhi at 7 pm this evening. PTI New Delhi, January 7 The central government has decided to begin Parliaments Budget Session on January 31 a day before the Union Budget is likely to be presented despite rival parties demands that it should be put off until after assembly elections. President Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on January 31, an official notification said. A similar notification is also expected from the Lok Sabha secretariat. A pre-budget economic survey will be tabled on the first day, after the Presidents address to the joint sitting of both Houses. The Budget Session has been advanced this year to help enforce its provisions from the beginning of the next fiscal on April 1. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) This Budget will also mark another departure from the previous years: there will no longer be a separate Railway Budget. Railway estimates will be part of the Union Budget this year. The development comes after Opposition appealed to the Election Commission of India to have the session postponed, arguing that having the Budget presented before elections could tip the scales unfairly in favour of the BJP. The central government has been asked to respond to their petition. Elections in five states Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa will begin on February 4 and will go on until March 8. PTI Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 7 Balbir Singh, a former ardasia (priest) at the Golden Temple, has expressed his desire to contest the elections against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from the Lambi Assembly constituency. He uploaded a video on social network, which went viral as well, seeking advice from the Sikh community on the matter. He said he wanted to challenge Badal and his coterie that had failed miserably to curb the repeated incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Through the video, I have sought the opinion of my Sikh brethren on my crusade against the Badals. I will wait for two days to get their response before furnishing requisite formalities to contest the elections, he said, adding that the Badals had already been excommunicated by the Panth for their undue interference in religious matters. Balbir Singh shot into the limelight after he refused to offer a siropa (robe of honour) to both Deputy CM Sukbir Badal and CM Parkash Singh Badal during their visits to the Golden Temple. The SGPC had transferred him to Machhiwara, but he never joined his new assignment. He kept visiting the Golden Temple, but as a devotee. He was reinstated by newly appointed SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar on December 12. New Delhi, January 7 India and Portugal on Saturday inked seven pacts to expand bilateral engagement in a wide range of areas, including defence and security, IT and renewable energy even as they took a veiled dig at China for blocking New Delhi's move at the UN to list JeM Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and States harbouring them stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism. Modi, in a statement to the media, said he and Costa discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror. "Recognising the importance of the Central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanctions Committee," a joint statement issued after the talks said. On December 30, China had blocked India's move to list Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist, at the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. China was the only member on the 15-nation Committee to have opposed India's move. The joint statement said both sides called for strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism in a spirit of 'zero tolerance', underlining that States should not support any terror entity including 'non-State actors' on any grounds. The two leaders also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and sought adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN. The Prime Minister said his talks with Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, covered full range of IndiaPortugal ties across various sectors. "We agreed that the two countries must focus on action oriented approach to realize the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that," he said. Modi also thanked Costa for Portugal's support to India's membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The MoU on defence envisages cooperation meeting security challenges, including in the maritime domain and defence industries. PTI New Delhi, January 7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday hold talks with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, who is on a seven-day visit to India, here in the national capital. The two leaders will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations. Agreements in different fields are also expected to be inked after the talks. Later in the day, he would hold official talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The Portuguese Prime Minister will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the morning. The visiting dignitary will attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas as the chief guest in Bengaluru, and will also participate in a few business events. He will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. In the last leg of his visit to India, he will be in Goa on January 11-12. In Goa, he would meet the Governor and the Chief Minister. Costa, who traces his roots to Goa, will also spend some time at his ancestral place. ANI Calvary Bible Church: 6555 Townsend-Winona Road. Sunday Bible teaching by Duane Gagnon. Sunday sermon: "What does the Bible say about our future? From Alienation to Anticipation." During the evening service we will be watching "The Submerging Church" documentary. Every second Wednesday of the month is a potluck at 6 p.m. before prayer and bible study. calvarybiblechurchflagstaff.com. Center for Spiritual Living: 2384 N. Steves Blvd. Our guest speaker on Sunday will be Steve Dohse who will open our January theme "Science of Mind (SOM) Foundations" with a message titled "The Thing Itself." 522-9103. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon): Sunday services held at four Flagstaff locations: 4165 S. Lake Mary Road, 625 E. Cherry Ave., 2401 E. Linda Vista Dr. and, for young single adults, 239 E. Saunders Dr. Meetings are also held in Williams at 1111 Stockmens Road and at the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Check azdailysun.com or "Locations and Schedules" at LDS.org for meeting times by ward/branch. Sunday services consist of Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and special instruction for various age and interest groups (Priesthood Meeting for men, Relief Society for women, Young Men/Young Women for youth and Primary for children). Church of the Resurrection: 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Sunday morning worship with Patty Gross and a message from Pastor Bob Norton who is beginning a new sermon series on "The Christ on the Mountain." This week's topic is "The Divine Conspiracy" based on Matthew 5:1-12. We are kicking off the new year with small groups. Men's and women's bible studies meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Starting Jan. 31 is Dave Ramsey's popular nine week Financial Peace University class. Learn to live debt free. GriefShare is back on Wednesday nights and DivorceCare is on Mondays starting Jan. 9. We are offering the Bethel Bible Study class on Thursdays at noon for 20 weeks journeying through the Old Testament. Our youth ages middle school to high school have an upcoming retreat on MLK weekend. Sign up now to join the fun for a two-day overnight right here in Flagstaff teaming up with a Tucson PCA youth group. 699-2715. cor-pca.org. Episcopal Church of the Epiphany: 423 N. Beaver St. Priest Marianna Gronek preaches and celebrates at all services. Children and Youth Programs resume Sunday. Children through grade 5 will be invited up to the altar rail early in the service for a quick lesson with Priest Marianna, and then will go downstairs for Chapel. Sunday Night Live resumes from 6-8 p.m. in the parish hall. 774-2911. epiphanyaz.org. Faith Fellowship: Knoles Elementary, 4005 E. Butler Ave. Nondenominational services. Sunday's message will be "Pillars of my faith: My heart." Women's bible study "Lioness Arising" by Lisa Bevere starts Tuesday at 6 p.m. 774-3569. faithfellowshipflagstaff.com. First Congregational Church, UCC: 740 N. Turquoise Dr. The First Sunday after Epiphany, Pastor Kenneth McIntosh speaks on "Jesus, All Grown Up." The Gospel lesson about the Baptism of Jesus is Matthew 3:13-17. There is a potluck lunch following worship, please bring your favorite winter dish to share. 774-0890. fccflagstaff.org. Flagstaff Christian Fellowship: 123 S. Beaver St. "Resurrection Resolution" will be the message on Sunday by Bill Haney. During Adult Sunday School Larry Caines will do a four-week series on prayer. Thursday: 6-8 p.m., Men's Dinner. Get to Know Us/New Member Class on Jan. 15 and 22 at 9 a.m.; Winter Women's Bible Study will begin on the 17th from 9:15-11 a.m. as Candace Smith leads us through her book, "Our Amazing God"; FCF Women's Ministry Coffee Connection on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 9-11 a.m. Baptisms, Jan. 29. 774-3603. fcfonline.org. Flagstaff Federated Community Church: 400 W. Aspen Ave. On Sunday we will offer "The Wired Word" discussion group and Children's Church, and a lecture on church resistance of Nazism during World War II by Dr. Arne Hassing at 11 a.m., in addition to worship. The church will host a United Blood Services blood drive on Sunday, Jan. 15, from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 774-7383. flagstafffederatedchurch.org. Flagstaff Unity Church: 417 W. Santa Fe Ave. Chris Ashe is our speaker. His message is titled "Times, they are a changin." Children's programs are available. Service will be followed by a Town Hall meeting with finger food available. 526-8893. unityofflagstaff.org. Greenlaw Baptist Church: 3400 E. Lockett Road. Pastor Barry Hall will present the message: "Excellence in 2017" from Philippians 1:8-11. Thursday service is followed with dinner. Our Celebrate Recovery program continues on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. If you have an addiction, we can help you in this program. This is a non-judgmental, caring approach to your problem. 526-4939. Harvest Bible Chapel Flagstaff: 2801 N. Izabel St., north entrance. This week, Pastor Jon Albert will be teaching "Seek the person of God rather than the things of God" from Matthew 6:25-34. 773-1615. harvestflagstaff.org. Holy Cross Orthodox Church: 6134 Black Bill Road. Reader's Service will be celebrated. (480) 991-3009. holycrossflagstaff.org/. Hope Community Church: 3700 N. Fanning Dr. Sermon: "If Christianity is true, why are there so many hypocrites?" Study from Mark 2:17. 526-0677. hopeflagstaff.org. Living Christ Lutheran Church: 6401 N. US Highway 89. We worship through music, teaching, prayer and sacraments. Pastor Kurt Fangmeier will be leading worship. 526-8595. livingchristflagstaff.org. Refuge: A Flagstaff Community Church: 4000 Cummings St. A nondenominational church. Meets Sunday's at 10 a.m. to enjoy God's word, fellowship and worship. Sunday school available for children. 607-5728. facebook.com/refugeinflagstaff/. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church: 1601 N. San Francisco St. This weekend Pastor Jim Price will be leading us with a sermon titled "The Beginning..." Trinity Heights United Methodist Church: 3600 N. Fourth St. The Cornell University Glee Club will be joining us this Sunday for a worship service filled with beautiful music. Also, this Sunday, our youth will be cooking up breakfast and feeding all those wanting to help support their mission trip to Alaska. Join our youth for a Pancake breakfast from 9-10 a.m. and again from 11 a.m.-noon this Sunday. Cost is $5 per person and will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Join with other members as we commit to reading through the entire New Testament between Jan. 8 and April 7; "90 Days In The New Testament" will be a church-wide initiative; participants are making different commitments to read daily, to join in online discussion or to join up with others for small group discussion around each week's readings. 526-1397. thumc.com. Vineyard Flagstaff - A Vineyard Community Church: 963 W. Route 66. Vineyard Flagstaff will begin regular weekend services on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 5 p.m. We will come together for worship and a message on the Kingdom of God. All are welcome, all are accepted. 600-3545. vineyardflagstaff.org. TNS and agencies Meerut, January 7 Days after the Supreme Court outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion or caste, BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj was today booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after he indirectly blamed the Muslims for the countrys growing population. The outburst by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation from the Opposition. As the BJP quickly distanced itself from the comments, the Election Commission sought a report from the Meerut administration. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The MP was booked under IPCs Sections 298 (utterances with deliberate intent to hurt the religious feelings of a person), 188 (disobedience of order promulgated by public servant), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 153-b (assertions prejudicial to national integration). The Congress has moved the Election Commission, saying the MPs speech was offensive and a violation of the model code of conduct. Those with four wives and 40 children are responsible for the population increase. Hindus are not responsible for the increase in the population, the MP had said. It is a criminal act, JD-U leader KC Tyagi said. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed the MP's views are neither of the BJP, nor of the government. Unfazed, Maharaj claimed he had been misunderstood. All I said was India's landmass is not increasing, but our population is. We need to control this menace. It is not the first time that the MP has made a provocative remark. But such utterances during electioneering and that too in the sensitive western UP area have created a doubt in the minds of political observers if the BJP's strategy to keep the focus on "good governance and development" would be of any good. New Delhi, January 7 The Election Commission on Saturday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh administration while police registered a case against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his speech in which he allegedly blamed the Muslims for India's population boom. The Unnao MP's speech at a religious gathering at Meerut in the poll-bound state attracted widespread condemnation while his own party distanced itself from his remarks. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) "Cognisance has been taken about the remarks made by him at Augarnath temple. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has sought a report," Meerut District Magistrate B. Chandrakala said adding that police have also registered a case against the leader. Addressing a gathering of seers on Friday, the controversial Bharatiya Janata Party leader called for implementing the Uniform Civil Code and indirectly held the Muslims responsible for the population explosion. "Population is rising rapidly, and so are the country's problems. But Hindus are not responsible for this. Those who talk about four wives and 40 children are responsible," he said. "Remember, if Hindus number decreases, the country will be divided," said the MP, days after the Supreme Court declared that appealing for votes in the name of religion was "illegal". "I said four wives and 40 children will not be allowed, cannot be allowed. Mothers are not machines," he said, calling for equal laws for all, irrespective of the number of children a person has. While the opposition Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and the state's ruling Samajwadi Party demanded stringent action, Sakshi Maharaj appeared unfazed and sought to defend the remarks. "I did not make any communal speech. It was a gathering of saints, during which I expressed concern about population explosion. My speech has been videotaped and nowhere have I named any community," Sakshi Maharaj said. "I said mothers irrespective of their community should be respected and not treated like a child-producing machine," he said and blamed the media for quoting him "out of context". Courting controversy in the past for making inflammatory speeches, Sakshi Maharaj failed to find endorsement from his own party. "This shouldn't be seen as the party's (BJP) stand," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here when asked by the media to react to the controversial remarks. In January 2015, the self-proclaimed saint had asked Hindu women to produce at least four children each to "protect the religion". IANS Chandigarh, January 7 Former Army chief Gen (retd) JJ Singh on Saturday joined the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and is set to take on Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh from Patiala Urban seat in the February 4 state Assembly elections. The 71-year-old, who also served as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, joined the SAD here this evening in the presence of party president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Badal told reporters that Gen Singh had himself shown interest in contesting from Patiala Urban Assembly seat. He exuded confidence that he will pull off a historic win against Amarinder, who is also an ex-Army man. Yesterday, Amarinder had said in a press conference that it would be for the first time in the history of Army that a Captain will defeat the General, when asked about his reaction over SAD fielding Gen Singh against him. A soldiers son will defeat you (Amarinder), uproot you from the palace (taking a dig at Amarinder being from the erstwhile state of Patiala) and will confine you, that will be my historic win, Gen JJ Singh said. PTI Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 7 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will not organise major rallies in the run-up to the Assembly elections. Instead, the party will hold one rally each in about eight constituencies in the coming days. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had recently decided to go micro in the state. The SAD manifesto was discussed at the partys core committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here tonight. It will focus on four sections of voters: youth, economically weaker sections, traders and farmers all of whom are being wooed by AAP. Sources in the party told The Tribune that the manifesto would be released after January 15. The CM, son Sukhbir Badal and daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal will canvass not only for the 94 Akali candidates but also for the 23 BJP nominees. While Badal will hold rallies in two to three constituencies every day, Sukhbir, the SAD president, will conduct three to five rallies on a daily basis. The party will concentrate more on the rural segments. It is learnt that Sukhbir will meet BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi on January 10 to work out a common election strategy. Why Tirath Yatra halted, asks party Chandigarh/Ludhiana: The SAD on Saturday held the Congress and AAP responsible for the ECs decision to put inhuman curbs on the distribution of atta-dal among the poor and halting the state governments Tirath Darshan Yatra. The party has asked the government to take up the issues with the EC and explain that these are planned schemes of the government. Meanwhile, the authorities are awaiting instructions to bring back devotees from Punjab who had gone to Patna to attend the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh in special trains and buses. Ludhiana DC and District Election Officer Ravi Bhagat said, As the model code of conduct is in place, we need clarification. We have brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Electoral Officer. TNS PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 7 The Counter-Intelligence wing of the Punjab Police today arrested a former Assistant Commandant of the Border Security Force identified as Komal Singh for his involvement in drug smuggling from across the border fence. This is in continuation to the probe into the seizure of 5 kg heroin on January 3 from Vadhayee Cheema border and the subsequent arrest of Sukhwinder Singh and his accomplice Twinklejit Singh. IG Counter-Intelligence MF Farooqui said Komal used to conduct a recee of the area where the contraband was to be pumped in by Pakistani smugglers. Komal was produced in court and taken in police remand till January 10. He retired from the BSF in 2010 and later came in contact with Indian and Pakistani smugglers. Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 7 As the New Years Day dawned in 2012, the Congress looked forward to a new dawn in Punjab. Banking on anti-incumbency and positive surveys, the opposition party assumed that a victory in the Assembly elections was a foregone conclusion. Complacency crept in, ticket allotment was messed up, and the Akali-BJP alliance was again voted to power. Over 30 rebels ate into the partys vote share, while Manpreet Badals Peoples Party of Punjab played spoilsport too. Five years down the line, the Congress finds itself in an uncannily similar situation. Barely four weeks are left for polling, but candidates for 40 seats are yet to be announced. The delay in ticket allotment has slowed down the partys campaign at a time when it should have picked up pace. While the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party are going all out in the electoral arena, the Congress is busy dousing the bush fires of rebellion, triggered by the release of its two lists for 77 seats. So, is the party going the 2012 way? The Congress is walking on the crutches of media strategist Prashant Kishor, who is lording it over the leaders as if they have never fought any election, says former senior party leader Bir Devinder Singh, who was expelled for questioning the leadership of PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh. He rues that the party has failed to keep its word on announcing candidates six months before the poll. Ludhiana-based political observer Gurpreet Singh Mandiani says the Congress strength lies in Amarinder, who is known for aggressively taking on the Badals. He doesnt look his belligerent self this time, but the former CM is still the best bet for the party that has been out of power in the state for the past decade. A senior party leader, who doesnt wish to be quoted, says: The PPCC chief needs to take along his predecessors, some of whom have been pushed out of the frame by him. By imposing the one family, one ticket rule, he has targeted stalwarts such as Lal Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Partap Singh Bajwa. He and the partys MPs are not on the same page over preferring turncoats to own leaders. This has made them his adversaries. The outsider versus insider debate has reached a crescendo in recent months after the induction of Akali MLAs Pargat Singh, Inderbir Bolaria and Sarwan Singh Phillaur and BJP legislator Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu. Senior MPs such as Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo have put their foot down, opposing the candidature of defectors, thus holding up the final list. Despite the discord, Akali-turned-PPP chief-turned-Congress leader Manpreet Badal has been fielded, while former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu is set to spice up the proceedings as the party's star campaigner. Amarinder feels theres nothing alarming about dissidence. Everyone cant be given the ticket. We will accommodate the unsuccessful applicants, provided they support the party candidates, he promises. On the so near yet so far story of 2012, he says 37 rebels fought against the party candidates, damaging their prospects. According to him, these nominees were picked without his consent. But he hastens to add that hes firmly in the drivers seat this time. Wary of the rumblings, the partys think tank has made the campaign Amarinder-centric, coming up with Coffee with Captain and Punjab da Captain programmes and promising sops such as loan waiver for farmers and free smartphones. The Congress is again factoring in anti-incumbency to turn the tables on the Akalis. But it cant afford to dream of getting power on a platter. The national party needs to get its act together in the state before its too late. The Peacock Feather is a collection of short stories that will keep the readers totally captivated and engrossed in its interesting storyline replete with twists and unexpected turns. It explores a wide range of genres, each story having its unique characteristics. From a bittersweet love story in The Peacock Feather to a rags-to-riches story in The Gutka King; an engineer in the early part of the 20th century determined to accomplish his mission against all odds in The Accomplisher; to addressing the issue of the dowry system in The Bridal Gift. The stories take the reader through an emotional path, traumatic experiences and fraudulent manoeuvres, which depict the true nature of the human beings with all their strength and nuances. These are based on real-life occurrences, albeit fictionalised and interwoven with several interesting anecdotes. In 1974, one of Indias greatest post-Independence entrepreneurs Raunaq Singh acquired the license to operate a tyre company in Kerala. However, there was no factory. It was a company registered in name only. Apollo Tyres. Thanks to Onkar Singh Kanwar, Raunaqs eldest son, Apollo is today one of Indias most successful automotive companies with a turnover in excess of $2 billion and factories across India and in Europe. This is the story, never told before, of how Onkar Singh Kanwar built Apollo from scratch and took it to the world stage. The Man Behind the Wheel recounts many dramatic events in compelling detail as Onkar Kanwar follows his steadfast vision to build not just a company, but also an industrial institution. For the first time Onkar Kanwars closest friends and colleagues have spoken about the triumphs and the setbacks that have shaped both his and the companys life and times. Fleeing from a troubled past in an orphanage in Patna, a young and destitute boy, Ami, finds himself on Platform No. 10 at Delhis Nizamuddin station, where Shetty Dada rules the platform boys with an iron fist. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Janaki, an affluent young widow, finds herself struggling to hold on to her husbands vast fortunes. Disillusioned by the betrayal of those close to her, Janaki wonders whether shell ever find happiness again, and the strength to move on. When life brings Ami and Janaki face to face on Platform No. 10, their disparate worlds collide, setting off a series of events that will forever change their destiny. Several political commentators have remarked on the epic family feud currently taking place in the Samajwadi Party, recalling incidents from the Ramayana and Mahabharat to make their points, while social media sites have been passing around hilarious one-liners and imaginary scenarios to highlight the comic aspects of this pari-war. What is worth noting in all this banter is the common mythology that evidently binds this countrys disparate social groups together. It is like hearing a secret language that is instantly comprehensible because the sociological images and types that it recalls have been around us for as long as one can remember. Come to think of it, which Indian has not encountered an evil Kaikeyi, Manthra or Kansa in ones own family? One of the great blanks that will mark the growth of the present generation is a growing ignorance of these absorbing tales due to a cleansing of their school curricula. In our wisdom, our generation tried to sanitise education from any taint of religious bias and while no one can have a problem with that, the collateral damage that accompanied it was a gradual phasing out of an ethical framework that left young minds with virtually no moral compass to guide them. Speaking from my own experience, we grew up in a house of faith and went to school in a convent run by Catholic nuns. The benefits of this early exposure to the grandeur of both these faiths did not immediately manifest itself in our lives. In fact, we grumbled about the pages of Acts of the Apostles we had to mug up for our mandatory Bible classes. It was only later that we realized how this double whammy sharpened our memories and above all, branded these aphorisms and epic characters so firmly on our minds that they became a sort of touchstone to judge life by. To somehow make up for the absence of epic tales, clever commercial films started dumbing down these magnificent parables into bite-sized tales of good and evil. Watch the cartoon films now beamed to bring the legend of Hanuman and Ganesha and see for yourself what we have lost. We may have succeeded in dividing good and evil into easily identifiable boxes but have lost the plot where our epics cleverly placed complex moral questions within the simple tales of gods and kings. Down the decades, this has created a world that has only two answers to every dilemma: right or wrong; yes or no; good or bad. Our news anchors, who are also products of this reductionist pedagogy, want simple answers as they have no time or patience with maybe or cant say. And yet, as we all know, problems are not always possible to place within simple and easily ingestible binaries. To listen, pause and reason and then to ask uncomfortable questions -- we have lost the ability to handle such situations. Sociologist Ashish Nandy, who writes compellingly on trends and social behaviour, calls the neo-liberal millennial a laptop Hindu. Another disturbing trend to be noted among the young is their support for political parties that promise to bring about a change in months and weeks. Faith in democracys slow but equitable growth makes little sense to a young man who has a college degree but no job in hand and no godfather to tap. The anger when the leader betrays this hope is also vicious and that is why anti-incumbency has become a household phrase at election time. Punjab is on the brink of a change but who will win the elections will also determine what that change will mean to its people. As I write this column, news of the passing away of a brilliant and perhaps one of the finest film actors ever came to me. Om Puri was just 66 years old and no Brad Pitt in the looks department. In fact, his scarred and rugged face landed him his first few roles in a slew of art films he did with Shyam Benegal. His comic potential, which matched his brooding angry roles, was discovered in Jane bhi do Yaaro, where he played a corrupt Punjabi builder to perfection. His deep baritone, his wonderful Punjabi-Hindi and his arresting screen presence made even B-grade Bombay films into something else. Then there were his Hollywood films, each a memorable role and flawlessly executed. Remember his cameo in Attenboroughs Gandhi as an angry Muslim, hurling abuses at Gandhi doing penance for the post-Partition riots in Calcutta? As I said, each Om Puri role is a work of art. He made it possible for a rank outsider to enter an industry heavily ruled by families and crooked producers. God knows when will we see the like of him and his natural partner, Smita Patil again. So, to the golden age of film noire, to an outstanding stage and film actor and to a voice that throbbed with passion, a salute! Harish Khare Voters in Punjab would be queuing up on February 4 to decide which set of rulers should lord over them for the next five years. Will they feel comfortable and confident enough to make an honest choice? From a citizens point of view, it is vitally important that Punjab witnesses a clean campaign and a scrupulously fair contest. The onus is on the Election Commission of India. Its officials in Punjab need to ensure that at the local level, the administration stands comprehensively de-Badalfied. For the last ten years, the bureaucracy, civil and police, at the panchayat level and below has been compelled to adjust itself to the Akali Dals political priorities and its leaders personal whims and needs. It can be argued that the officials did not have much of a choice. Nonetheless, the charge of Punjab having been reduced to a family fiefdom does stick after ten years. That should now change, with the model code of conduct kicking in. Fortunately, both the two seniormost officers Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal and Director-General of Police Suresh Arora are professionals in the old-fashioned sense of the term. They will be called upon to impress upon their junior colleagues to provide a level playing field for all candidates and political parties. If the officials conduct themselves honourably during this election period, there would not be much need for a witch-hunt later on. The Akalis have all the disadvantages of being in the saddle for ten years. Their record, at best, is a mixed bag, but their reputations stand tarnished. Family politics takes its toll everywhere and Punjab is no exception. Because Punjab has had no experience of comprehensive industrialisation and its modernising impact on social morals and economic behaviour, its political class has remained largely hostage to old calculations and connections. That has ensured that the politicians rent-seeking energy gets focused on using or abusing the local level official to reward his supporter or punish his rival. It is an un-elevating saga of a petty politician engaging in petty corruption in village after village. And the village-level corruption is very ugly and very dehumanising because there is no escape from it, either for the victim or the perpetrator. Punjab remains in thrall of feudal loyalties and resentments. These animosities will play themselves out in the electoral choices. The Aam Aadmi Party had at one stage ignited a massive hope that it would become the harbinger of a new politics, a little more moral, a little bit more ethical than the Akali Dal or the Congress. That hope and the moment is gone. The AAP has lost, as the cliche goes, its sheen and shine though the voters remain enchanted with the idea of change. That puts the BJP in a rather piquant spot. In Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister has invited the voters to experience the joys of parivartan, whereas here in Punjab, he can be relied upon to exhort them to count the blessings of status quo and continuity. As the ruling party at the Centre, the BJP and its leadership would want to continue their theme song of the new normal, but in Punjab they will be making a pitch for the old normal. But again, we will have to rely upon the voter and his sturdy common sense to sort out these leaders and their pretensions and claims. I am simply amazed that a former Chief of the Indian Army, General JJ Singh (retd), has allowed his name to be floated as a possible Akali Dal candidate against Capt Amarinder Singh in Patiala. No one can be sure whether he will finally agree to contest or will be chosen as a candidate from Patiala. Still, somehow this is outlandish. Not because he has a particular political leaning, but because of the total lack of proportion here. A former army chief reducing himself to being a candidate in an assembly constituency! Strange and inexplicable. There could have been some saving grace had he agreed to contest for a Lok Sabha spot, but an assembly seat? To what end? It would have perhaps made some sense if he were projected as the chief-ministerial face of a party like AAP, a party that claims to rewrite the rules of governance and politics in Punjab. But to be an assembly candidate for a political party that is out and out a family outfit! Surely, there is no confusion in anyones mind that the veteran, Parkash Singh Badal, is the chief ministerial face and after him it would be Sukhbir Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister and designated heir to the Akali gaddi. Admittedly, no one had ever accused JJ Singh of being a brilliant general. There is widespread consensus that, at best, he made a good bread-and-butter soldier. But much more than Gen JJ Singhs calculations are at stake. Do generals cease to be custodians of the institutional proprieties associated with their hallowed post the moment they step down? Is it necessary for every general to imitate VK Singh who finds himself saddled with an inconsequential job as a very inconsequential minister of state? I am unable to understand the whole mess. And then, we make all virtue of a chief and his izzat. Sometime in 1923, a few German intellectuals and thinkers came together to set up the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt. Individually, each one of them wanted to understand why Germany failed to undertake the kind of revolution that the Bolsheviks had brought about in Russia in 1919. Collectively, this sturdy band of inquisitive minds came to be known as the famous and extremely influential Frankfurt School. Almost all of them were Jewish and came from affluent families, and most of them found themselves making their escape as Adolf Hitler and his armed militia came to prowl the German streets. They regrouped, first in New York and later in Germany, where new adherents and admirers joined them in their intellectual journey. A British journalist, Stuart Jeffries, has produced a collective biography of this intellectual idea. Grand Hotel Abyss The Lives of the Frankfurt School is not a difficult book, but it is not an easy read either. Persist, and the reader finds himself introduced to theorists Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse, Franz Neumann, Erich Fromm and Jurgen Habermas. With all the tricks and tropes that are part of a journalists repertoire, Jeffries sucks the reader into the complicated world of very complicated minds. To begin with, the Frankfurt School-wallahs assiduously refused to man the barricades of revolution. They chose to remain aloof from party politics and skeptical about political struggle. Their detractors sniped that the School was not so good at changing what they critiqued. Hence, the unflattering sobriquet of the Grand Hotel Abyss where the resident intellectuals meditated on the masses suffering from a safe distance. All this sniping notwithstanding, the Frankfurt School and its critical theory continued to provide the intellectual inspiration and space for questioning capitalism and its child, the consumerist society. The subtext of the argument was that monopoly capitalism was as much a form of totalitarianism as National Socialism or Soviet Marxism. The School forced a rethink about the easy acceptance of anti-Semitism that had scarred much of European history and society. Theodor Adornos path-breaking book, The Authoritarian Personality was the first comprehensive attempt to understand how societies come under the sway of a Hitler-like political goon. Jeffries concludes, chillingly enough, by reminding us that the Frankfurt Schools direst dissections appear to have come true in todays age of digital dictatorship. The online culture industry and its czars Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg develop algorithms the better to chain us to our tastes, and make us desire our own domination. In these times of customized culture, Jeffries reminds us that the Frankfurt School still has much to teach us not least about the impossibility and the necessity of thinking differently. Amen. Last Sunday, on New Years Day, I had the pleasure of sharing coffee with some of the friends of this column. It was a sunny day, the perfect setting for a stimulating morning, full of friendly banter, informed gossip and joyful reminiscences. And, now we are in for a wet, chilly spell still a perfect setting for a piping hot coffee. Feel like it? kaffeeklatsch@tribuneindia.com Top 3 Emerging Trends Impacting the Global Low Voltage Ceramic Capacitor Market From 2017-2021: Technavio Technavio's latest report on the global low voltage ceramic capacitor market provides an analysis on the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2017-2021. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170106005632/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global low-voltage ceramic capacitor market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) The leading application segment of the global low voltage ceramic capacitor market is consumer electronics. This market has been witnessing robust growth since the advent of smartphones, especially in developing markets. Increasing demand for upgrading to high-speed applications such as video applications and developments related to machine to machine (M2M) and the Internet of things (IoT) contribute to the replacement demand for capacitors. The global low voltage capacitor market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of almost 5% through the forecast period, reaching a value of USD 14.75 billion by 2021. APAC is the market leader with a share of over 75% (2016 figures), and more than 85% of the incremental growth over the forecast period will originate from here. Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55486 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. The top three emerging trends driving the global low voltage ceramic capacitor market according to Technavio heavy industry research analysts are: Rise in number of capacitors in smartphones Growing demand for LEDs and need for improved ceramic capacitors Increased sourcing from APAC "The average number of capacitors used in a smartphone has been rising steadily with the increase in the functionality and complexity of smartphones. At present, on an average, 500 capacitors are used in a standard smartphone. The latest addition to the iPhone (News - Alert) series smartphones, the iPhone 6, comprises over 700 capacitors. The increasing use of capacitors in smartphones is expected to impact the market in the forecast period significantly," says Anju Ajaykumar, one of the lead analysts at Technavio for tools and components research. Low-voltage ceramic capacitors are being increasingly adopted in every component of a smartphone due to rising technological complexity, enhanced functionality, and the need for efficiency. This contributes to the growing number of capacitors in smartphones. The trend is expected to contribute significantly to the growth of the market with increasing demand for high-end smartphones Growing demand for LEDs and need for improved ceramic capacitors The need for advanced ceramic capacitors, especially multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) in light emitting diode (LED) lighting, is gaining momentum globally due to the growing need for power conservation, efficient lighting, and advanced lighting features. With the current advances in technology, vendors such as Murata Manufacturing are offering MLCCs with acoustic noise reduction and direct current (DC) smoothing for LED applications. Additionally, the average selling price (ASP) of LED lighting sources is expected to decline substantially during the forecast period, which will lead to increased adoption. With the phase-out of incandescent lamps, governments of different countries are promoting the use and adoption of LEDs owing to their power-saving capabilities. This, in turn, will enable vendors to reduce the ASP of LEDs further during the forecast period. Increased sourcing from APAC Since the last few years, capacitor manufacturers have been slowly setting up their manufacturing hubs in APAC. In 2015, APAC housed the most number of top capacitor manufacturers. The top five vendors of low-voltage ceramic capacitors generate most of their revenue from APAC. This shift is mainly driven by the imports from low-cost countries in APAC such as China and India, which have had a substantial impact on the profit margins of traditional suppliers in Europe and North America. "With the current trend of rising manufacturing costs, existing players are shifting their operations to countries where they can get cheap labor, raw materials, and other facilities. Additionally, several automotive companies in Western Europe outsourced their manufacturing operations to China and India. This trend of outsourcing manufacturing to APAC by original equipment manufacturers is expected to continue during the forecast period, which is further pushed by positive government initiatives," says Anju. Browse Related Reports: Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like engineering tools, test and measurement, and unit operations. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170106005632/en/ Vandana Shukla in Chandigarh Schirkoa, an animation film with a strange sounding name, earned the distinction of being the first Indian animated short film, to qualify for Oscar, in 2016. The honour earned by Ishan Shuklas original film instilled new hope in a burgeoning industry that thrives mostly on outsourced work, for lack of capital and original Indian content. A highly developed, 100-year-old, live action film industry like Bollywood has earned only four Oscar nominations so far. Therefore, the award bears significance on the future of the animation industry that recently witnessed a setback when Dreamworks and Disney decided to phase out their operations in India. People involved with this nascent industry got a boost by this recognition at the juncture; albeit the film could not make it to the final list, it stood among the heavyweight global brands such as Pixar, Disney, Google and Vimeo, to win international accolades. Schirkoa, is a 14-minute short version of the graphic book produced by Shukla in 2012. The film is a reflection on the obsession of the present world for the pursuit of perfection. People of the imaginary dystopian city Schirkoa cracked a way to achieve perfection; by wearing bag-heads, which eliminates any possibility of discrimination on the basis of race, class or creed. But, underlying differences come to the fore when the protagonist, who is also a senator, falls in love with a woman of uncertain origins. His conflict of interest becomes the conflict of the city of bag-heads. Schirkoa premiered in Los Angeles at the Academy Award qualifying - LA Shorts Film Festival, where it won the Best Animated Short award. It also won The Best Of Show award at SIGGRAPH, the highest honour in Computer Graphics and the Best Animated Short Film at the Sydney World Film Festival. The writer, director of the film, Ishan, born and brought up in Pilani, dropped out of the enviable engineering degree course at BITS, Pilani, in favour of his creative, imaginative self. He tried to get admission into one of the fine arts colleges, but failed and landed in Singapore to pursue a course in animation, his passion. After a seven year stint in the highly developed animation industry of Singapore, he returned home to support family. While working for 6-days-a-week job, he worked on this film for four years through the nights and on weekends, at home. Sharad Varma, producer of the film, who also happens to be Shuklas life partner, says, animation is capital intensive, its not just a computer, a number of software is involved, that apart, for this film Shukla had to collaborate with musicians and sound artists across continents. It involved directing animators, actors and musicians residing in various countries, as far away as the US, France, Singapore and Malaysia, she says. The production was also enabled by extensive use of latest technologies such as motion capture solutions, GPU-based rendering software, and cloud-based collaboration tools. A few days before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Mulayam Singh Yadav stoked a lingering controversy following conviction of three boys in a rape case in Mumbai: Ladke, ladke hain. Galti ho jati hai (boys are boys. Mistakes happen sometimes), he had told an election rally in Moradabad. Many in the Samajwadi Party privately said the party patriarch in his late seventies had gone senile. Fast forward to 2016-17: Mulayams party suffered its worst-ever crisis within weeks after celebrating its 25th anniversary on Nov 5, 2016. On Jan 30 last, when he expelled his son-Chief Minister Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav (a relative) from the party, Mulayam said: Ram Gopal is misguiding Akhilesh and is destroying his future. Akhilesh does not understand this For Mulayam loyalists within the SP, Akhileshs mistake is more than just a galti. It is a blatant breach of trust. For a man essentially reared by rude rural realities and crude politics, the present Samajwadi shenanigans are nothing but plain chicanery, something Mulayam had never bargained for ever since he earned his spurs in Safai village of Etawah district. His detractors may condemn him for anything, but Netaji as he is popularly known in his party is very down-to-earth. Maybe naive too. He has liked to trust people. Thats why Amar Singh, his close aide and a notorious insider of many political intrigues, persuaded him to accept Sadhna Gupta as his second wife in 2007 after his first wife died in 2003. Mulayam and Sadhna knew each other since the early nineties and the latter had a son, Prateek. Erstwhile socialists can certify the trustworthiness of Mulayam since the days of Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narayan the heady days of the late sixties when Mulayam entered the UP Assembly in 1967. The Netaji trusted all his brother Shivpal Yadav, his son, his second wife and his partys main brain, Ram Gopal. Today, the entire burden of trust has become so cumbersome for Mulayam that he is unable to see where his faith lies: whether in the ideology of his party or in the son(s), wife, brother(s) or cousin. This crisis of faith reached its climax when he proclaimed Akhilesh as the Chief Minister in 2012 and declared that his son would be the best CM. Then his bravado fluctuated: first he ran his party MLAs and bureaucrats down for lethargy and then, got extremely fidgety over whether to accept or reject son Akhilesh. Things came to a head on Jan 1, 2017. The partys Emergency National Convention unanimously dethroned the founder of the party, Mulayam Singh Yadav. This was even more ironical as the venue for the convention was the same where the erstwhile Janata Parivar had gathered for the grand silver jubilee function of the party in Lucknows sprawling Janeshwar Mishra Park. Netajis estranged cousin Ram Gopal Yadav also announced dislodging Mulayams Laxman-like brother Shivpal Yadav from the post of state president. The patriarchs old time friend and confidante, Amar Singh, too, was shown the door. Much water has flowed down the Gomti and Yamuna since January 1. Dozens of hours have been spent behind closed door s at various venues across cities to bring about a truce. A vertical split in the party around elections is nothing short of a political suicide. Both factions have had more than one round of meeting with Election Commission officials claiming to be the real SP and staking their claim to the party symbol cycle. Whichever way the events unfold, one thing seems beyond doubt: The Samajwadi Party that rode to power in 2012 winning 224 of the 403 Assembly seats, increasing its tally to 229 through by-polls is dead and gone forever. The party was one of the several offshoots that came into its own when the Janata Dal fragmented into several regional entities in 1992. Working on the tested Muslim-Yadav formula, the SP did not hesitate to assume power in 2003 by dislodging Mayawati by breaking her BSP with the help of the BJP. In all likelihood the benefit of a possible split in the SP would be reaped by the BSP as a substantive Muslim vote dreading the BJP may shift to it. Sensing the Muslims dilemma, Mayawati has allotted 97 seats to Muslims, the largest allotted by her party ever. Mulayam Singh Yadav Dhartiputra (son of the soil) Netaji Mulayam Singh Yadav is the Gama Pehalwan of Indian politics who has had a ringside view of the dangal of Indian political arena for more than three decades. Foxed by the intricate daav-pench of none else than his own son Akhilesh Yadav. Would go down in history for his 1999 decision of not backing Sonia Gandhi for the PMs post; sudden U-turn in 2002 on supporting NDA presidential candidate APJ Abdul Kalam; volte-face on the nuclear deal; and walking out of a Mahagatbandhan in Bihar last year. Sadhna Gupta Not much is known about her early life till she formally married Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2007 after Mulayams first wife Malti Devi died n 2003. Reportedly came in contact with Mulayam in the early 90s as a young divorcee. It was Amar Singh who had forced Mulayam to publicly accept the relationship. Has political ambitions. Mulayams second son Prateek born in 1988 is the biological son of Sadhnas first husband but has been adopted by Mulayam. Shivpal Known for his Laxman-like devotion to Netaji, the youngest Yadav brother has fulfilled many of Mulayam s fatherly duties in the early years. Known for his rough ways, Shivpal has good organizational skills. Reportedly kept in touch with Amar Singh even after he had been thrown out of the party Ram Gopal Yadav A cousin of Netaji. Started his career as an associate professor in both Political Science and Physics at the Post Graduate level at an Etawah college. Said to have drafted SPs constitution and has remained an RS member. Finds himself in a spot after a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities involving Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh. The CBI allegedly found the name of his son and daughter-in-law as directors in one of Yadav Singhs companies. With inputs from Prashant Saxena Beirut, January 7 A car bomb attack in the rebel-held town of Azaz in northern Syria on Saturday killed 43, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. The Britain-based group said six rebels were among the dead, but most were believed to be civilians, adding that dozens of people had also been injured in the blast in the town near the Turkish border. In November, rebels said 25 people civilians and opposition fighters were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. The blast comes as a fragile ceasefire is being observed across much of Syria. The truce negotiated by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey does not include the Islamic State group or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. AFP BARTELLA (Iraq), January 7 Iraqi forces closed in on the river that runs through central Mosul on Saturday in advances against Islamic State that have gathered pace thanks to new tactics and better coordination, a counter-terrorism spokesman said. Advances in recent days, including Saturday's push to within several hundred metres of the Tigris, have included an unprecedented nighttime assault by elite forces and driven the militants out of several areas east of the river in what is their last major stronghold in Iraq. Counter-terrorism service (CTS) forces were the closest they had been to the Tigris inside Mosul and closing in on a strategic bridge, the spokesman said. The US-backed operation to recapture the city was launched nearly three months ago. "Counter-terrorism forces have been sent about 500m (yards) from the fourth bridge," Sabah al-Numan told reporters east of Mosul. CTS seized the Ghufran district, previously known as al-Baath, and entered neighbouring Wahda, he said. A separate military statement said Iraqi federal police had recaptured a hospital complex in Wahda in southeastern Mosul, a significant turnaround after army units were forced to withdraw from the site last month. Numan said fresh advances, which have gathered pace after troops were bogged down for several weeks by Islamic State resistance and the presence of large numbers of civilians, were a consequence of new tactics and better coordination between different branches of the military. CTS and federal police "are now moving in parallel on both axes" in southeastern Mosul, he said. "We are proceeding side by side ... and advancing at the same level. This is a very important factor, thanks to which Daesh (Islamic State) has not been able to move its fighters. It has to support one axis (front) at the expense of another. "We have worn down the terrorist organisation with this type of advance." Friday's nighttime operation, launched after a week of planning, had been a particular success, Numan said. CTS forces using night-vision equipment crossed the Khosr river, a tributary that runs perpendicular to the Tigris through eastern Mosul, via makeshift earth bridges after IS had destroyed permanent ones, he said. Air strikes from the US-led coalition sped that advance into Muthanna district. The CTS and federal police are part of a 100,000-strong Iraqi force made up of the military, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias, backed by US-led air power. Reuters Beijing, January 7 Chinese Met department on Saturday warned people in capital Beijing to avoid coming in contact with snow which officials said is "dirty" as it has absorbed pollutants which had enveloped the city since the final day of the last year. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The Beijing weather forecast bureau said snow followed by blasts of cold wind will clean up the air this weekend. Snow fell in many parts of Beijing today morning and is expected to last into the night, bringing a bit of relief from the smog that has persisted since the last day of 2016. The city witnessed slight snow but the smog continued to envelope the city. Meteorologist Guo Jianxing, however, warned the public not to get too close to snow. "Because the snow absorbs pollutants, it is dirty," Guo said. People should carry umbrellas if they walk outside and quickly brush off any snow that falls on their skin, he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency. According to the city's air quality surveillance centre, with the exception of northwestern Beijing, the capital remained "seriously polluted" as of 1 pm today. The density of PM 2.5 tiny pollutant was 178 micrograms per cubic metre. The weather bureau said gusts of wind, a major force to dispel the smog, will start to arrive tomorrow from the north. It said Beijing's heavy air pollution will be eased and finally cleared from north to south. At worst, only very light smog will linger in a small portion of the city, it added. The smog has become north China's biggest environmental issue in recent years, particularly in winter, when coal-fired heating boilers rev up and the wind weakens. Despite drops in pollution indicators, smog still frequently occurs, the report said. Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, told media here yesterday that his ministry is evaluating emergency plans of 20 cities, including Beijing, in dealing with heavy air pollution amid criticism that officials shun putting out high alerts to avoid taking action against erring factories. Chen said inspections had found some cities failing to take effective measures following alerts, or their measures were impracticable. Though pollution in Beijing exceeded hazardous levels for the past several days, the city has not issued the red alert, the maximum warning which would warrant enforcement of odd and even number car system, closure of schools and factories emitting pollution as construction sites. Instead the city officials stuck to orange alert below the red which drew criticism from netizens. Critics say besides use of coal for heating during winter, the pollution levels shot up in the last few weeks as factories ramped up their production ahead of the Chinese New Year later this month during which they had to shut down for prolonged period. China has a four-tier colour-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. PTI Islamabad, January 7 General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and to combat terrorism. The decision to appoint Gen Raheel, who retired in November 2016, was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said yesterday. Asif said that both the governments and the army were on board regarding the decision to let Raheel take charge of the alliance. Raheel retired as the army chief in November and has been succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh. Pakistani leaders were initially taken aback when Saudi Arabia, without proper consultation with them, had announced in 2015 that Islamabad was also part of the new alliance to combat militancy. Iran was not included in the grouping, which appeared as a vague attempt to forge a Sunni Muslim alliance against Shiite Iran to curtail its influence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the rest of the Middle East. Pakistan was in an unenviable position as it has good ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. It was also not ready to be dragged into the politics of Middle East. Hence, the government had announced that a decision about joining the group would be taken once its details were known. Later Pakistan confirmed its participation in the alliance, but said that its scope would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling. After remaining dormant for months, the group is trying to reassemble. The Saudi-led coalition is also engaged in a military operation in Yemen since March 2015 when Houthis drove out the government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is believed to be in exile in Saudi Arabia. PTI Yangon, January 6 The United Nations today said its human rights envoy for Myanmar will probe escalating violence in the country, including a military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, when she visits next week. UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lees 12-day trip, starting on Monday, will also take her to Kachin state, where thousands have been displaced by fighting between ethnic rebels and the army. Intensifying clashes between Myanmars military and ethnic minorities has undercut Aung San Suu Kyis vow to bring peace to the country following her partys elevation to government last March. The Nobel Prize winner has also faced strong international criticism for failing to rein in a months-long military crackdown on Rohingya villagers in northern Rakhine state. Areas of Rakhine have been in lockdown since October, sending tens of thousands of the Rohingya minority fleeing to Bangladesh. Lee has slammed the lockdown as unacceptable and called for an investigation into claims troops have raped, murdered and tortured civilians from the Muslim minority. The army vehemently denies the allegations. Lees criticism of the treatment of the Rohingya has seen her face threats on previous visits. Hardline Buddhist monk Wirathu caused outrage when he called her a whore in our country for criticising controversial legislation considered discriminatory to women and minorities. AFP [January 06, 2017] Waves Blockchain Platform Introduces New Framework for Community-Based Ratings Organizations MOSCOW, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Waves platform has announced the upcoming launch of a new token as a part of its recently introduced Custom Application Token (CAT) facility on the mainnet. The new token distribution will enable Waves to foster community engagement in the next nine months. The new token, aptly called the Waves Community Token (WCT) will be distributed after January 15, 2017. Initially, 20 percent of the WCTs will be distributed across all existing Waves wallet addresses based on their average WAVES balance between 1st and 15th January 2017. The initial distribution will be followed by 8 similar distributions in tranches of 10 percent each time. In order to be able to receive the WCTs, Waves community members should be holding their balance in Waves local wallets. Any WAVES tokens on exchange platforms are not eligible for WCT distribution. Waves Community Token is designed to be much more than an alternative to Ethereum's DAOs, which was compromised earlier in 2016. However, WCTs have better security, reliability and can serve a number of purposes. The DAO like feature on WCT enables members to offer community-based ratings for new projects launched on Waves platform. Asset issuers on Waves platform will also be able to distribute a proportion of their crowdfunded tokens to the WCT and Waves community in return for various services. Waves Community Token (WCT), like any other Waves CAT assts, is freely transferable and tradable. WCT holders are eligible to receive a constant stream of asset rewards, giving the token a meaningful lifetime value. The WCT distribution timeline spread over a period of nine months also incentivises the community to keep WAVES tokens in their local wallets, away from exchanges by encouraging long-term holding. Waves Community Tokens vs Decentralized Autonomous Organizations Ethereum's controversial Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) project was a limited success after a loophole in the DAO smart contract was exploited by a hacker, draining out millions of USD worth of ETH from pooled investment fund. Unlike Ethereum that focuses on smart contracts, Waves is a custom tokens platform where tokens can be easily created, transferred and traded. The straightforward functionality offered by Waves platform makes it easier to use compared to other platforms. This will in turn influence companies seeking to launch their own crypto-tokens choose Waves over other blockchain platforms. Businesses can use Waves to create tokens that represent ownership of any number of different items of real-world value, from fiat currency and stocks to vouchers redeemable for specific goods and services. Waves will use a decentralized voting mechanism for an accurate reflection of community sentiment about new projects without putting funds at direct risk. Learn more about Waves at https://wavesplatform.com More information on WCT available on Waves Blog https://blog.wavesplatform.com/waves-community-tokens-e9e8b5db0b49#.el01kju9n Media Contact Contact Name: Evelina Lavrova Contact Email: [email protected] Contact Phone: +79165775866 Location: Moscow, Russia Waves Platform is the source of this content. Virtual currency is not legal tender, is not backed by the government, and accounts and value balances are not subject to consumer protections. This press release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. Related Links Bitcoin PR Buzz Waves Platform This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waves-blockchain-platform-introduces-new-framework-for-community-based-ratings-organizations-300387169.html SOURCE Waves [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] WASHINGTON Coming from a presidential candidate, Donald Trump's misty-eyed admiration of Russia and its autocratic leader was weird. Coming from a president-elect, it's nothing short of alarming. I repeat the questions I asked back in September: What's the deal with Trump and Russia? Does he have financial entanglements with Russian banks, businesses or billionaires that color his views? If not, as he claims, then why won't he release the personal and business tax returns that could put the matter to rest? The latest sign of Trump's infatuation is his refusal to accept the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community that Russian state-sponsored hackers meddled in our election a risky and provocative operation that could only have been authorized by Vladimir Putin. "It could be somebody else," Trump told reporters on New Year's Eve. "And I also know things that other people don't know, and so they cannot be sure of the situation." The president-elect added that "I know a lot about hacking, and hacking is a very hard thing to prove." It is unclear how Trump could know even a little about hacking, since he rarely uses computers. Aides reportedly must print out news articles for him to read. In my experience, experts on cybersecurity know how to use a web browser. Trump is scheduled to receive a full briefing on the issue Friday from senior officials including FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. President Obama has seen the evidence and was convinced enough to impose new sanctions against Russia as punishment. When Putin decided not to reciprocate, given that Obama will soon leave office, Trump offered this glowing comment on Twitter: "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) I always knew he was very smart!" Trump has argued that since the CIA was in error about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it may well be wrong about Russian hacking. That's ridiculous. It's like saying that since Trump was wrong when he claimed early in the campaign to have seen thousands of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey on 9/11, everything he has said since may well be exaggerated, half-baked or a flat-out lie. On second thought, maybe I should choose a different analogy. One possible reason for Trump's stubbornness is that intelligence officials believe the intent of the hacking was not merely to shake public confidence in the U.S. electoral process, but to help Trump win the election. The hacked material that was allowed to surface, mostly through WikiLeaks, contained embarrassing information about Democratic institutions and individuals, including the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. Republicans were almost completely spared. Perhaps believing that the legitimacy of his victory is being impugned, Trump is willing to take the founder of WikiLeaks a fugitive from justice on sexual assault allegations at his word. Trump tweeted Wednesday: "Julian Assange said 'a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta' why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!" Another possible explanation is that Trump is deliberately making a huge shift in U.S. foreign policy regarding the other two global superpowers. Not only has he been much more indulgent of Russia than recent presidents, he has also taken a much tougher and more confrontational line toward China. This smacks of 18th- and 19th-century balance-of-power statecraft, which became obsolete with the advent of modern weapons. Such machinations cannot be advisable in the nuclear age. On New Year's Eve, as Trump prepared to host a black-tie gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee John McCain, R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. were meeting with front-line Ukrainian troops who are defending their country against Russian-backed military aggression. In 2014, Putin annexed Crimea by force. A few years earlier, he sent troops into the sovereign nation of Georgia. Perhaps Trump doesn't believe all of this is really happening. Maybe he doesn't care. The senators made clear they want tougher sanctions against Russia to punish its territorial ambitions and its outrageous attempt to influence our election. How to deal with Putin could be the first big foreign policy fight between the new president and the Republican-controlled Congress. Perhaps McCain and his colleagues will get to the bottom of why Trump, who sounds like such a tough guy with regard to the rest of the world, is such a pussycat when it comes to Russia. Senate committees can issue wide-reaching subpoenas, and should. Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. WASHINGTON One of the most confusing shifts of the Trump ascendancy is, on reflection, one of the most clarifying. Donald Trumps, Sarah Palins and Sean Hannitys embrace of Julian Assange who has made a career of illegally obtaining and releasing documents damaging to American interests is not just a puzzling policy shift. It is the triumph of ideology over, well, every other principle or commitment. All three leaders of right-wing populism once saw the risk. Not long ago, Trump recommended the death penalty for Assange. Now he publicly sides with him against the American intelligence services. Palin urged America to go after Assange with the same urgency we pursue al-Qaida. Now, we have seen her abject pleading: Julian, I apologize. Hannity once called for Assanges arrest. Now he provides a sympathetic platform for Assanges (and thus Vladimir Putins) views. Lets be clear about what this means. The president-elect of the United States is elevating a man whom the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, holds responsible for putting the lives of operatives in direct danger. The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee is bowing and scraping to the man who materially aided the Taliban. Fox News is now an outlet for the Russian version of events. All this raises practical questions. If I were a prospective intelligence asset an Iranian nuclear scientist, say, or a North Korean general why in the world would I cooperate with a country that cant keep secrets and apparently doesnt care to? How will the CIA and other intelligence agencies deal day to day with a president who distrusts and publicly defames them? But the most illuminating question is this: What changed about Assange between these dramatically evolved judgments? Nothing. Except that Assange hurt John Podesta, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party. It would be difficult to formulate a purer example of motivated reasoning and tribal politics. We are dealing with political and moral argument at this level: Trump is good. Assange helped him. So Assange is good. It does not require Aristotle to understand that this is a childs view of ethics. The enemy of my enemy may be my friend. Or he may be an international fugitive who effectively exposed intelligence sources and methods and gave advantages to Americas enemies. It is Ethics 201 that some principles should be universally applied, even when they conflict with our immediate interests or the interests of our own tribe (however that is defined). Where do those principles come from? There is the Golden Rule, which pops up, in different forms, in many religions. There is the moral example of parents and mentors, imprinted on our souls. There are various philosophic systems that force us to consider the views and interests of others. It needs to be said that loyalty to a tribe is not always a bad thing. Being an American is to belong to a flawed but wonderful tribe. Considering yourself a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or a liberal, the member of a church or club all can be appropriate forms of loyalty. Our views and loves naturally bring us into contact and friendship with those who share our views and loves. The problem comes in the order of the loves (with credit to Augustine). The argument we are seeing on Assange if it hurts liberals, it is good is a disordered and destructive form of service to Trumpism. And it is particularly disturbing in this case, because Assange has purposely and undeniably hurt our country. So it appears that the tribalism of ideology is actually deeper and more profound than the tribalism of being an American. I know this endorsement of politically expedient subversion has happened on the left as well. Those who deny it those who can only identify destructive tribalism in others are part of the problem. Assange was a hero in seedier back streets of the left when he seemed to be an opponent of militarism and imperialism. Now: Trump is bad. Assange is helping Trump. So Assange is bad (and the CIA is suddenly the voice of reason). But this problem is currently more pronounced on the right, since it controls just about everything in Washington. For some right-wing populists, anyone who opposes Trump is the enemy. The same attitude, shifted to the White House, might be applied by the president as: Anyone who opposes me is the enemy. This would be the beginning of a nightmare. Pleasing people is part of Ethorn Bullards personality. It also is his job. As a valet supervisor at the historic Mayo Hotel, Bullard meets, greets and facilitates, taking pains to carry the conversation as skillfully as he does baggage. For me, putting the H in hospitality is not being like everybody else, he says. Its not, Hi, how are you doing? The first thing I do is smile. It lets people know that you are warm and welcoming them. Then you just try to be energetic. You never know what people are going through. Its just fun. You figure out how to make someones day and go from there. Where Bullard and people like him typically go is up. According to a WageWatch survey conducted in 2015 on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, more than half of hotel general managers began their hospitality careers in hourly, entry-level positions. The upwardly mobile also seem to be willing to wait for the opportunity, with 75 percent of the respondents reporting that hourly employees stay with the company more than five years on average. Bullard has spent about five years at the Mayo Hotel, a refurbished 1925 facility that has bedded down the likes of President John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope and Charlie Chaplin. A native of the Bahamas who graduated from Oral Roberts University, he is one of 12 children. I am the oldest one, the 28-year-old said. They are all looking up to me. So I have to set the example. Bullard does just that from his head down to his clothes. On a cold day in December, he donned a polka-dotted blazer with black slacks, gold necktie and necklace. I love to leave a mark, he says. Clothing cant tell you who you are but it introduces you. I want to be introduced as clean-cut and friendly and lovable. A man in an SUV with Florida plates pulls up at the hotel, and Bullard meets him at the vehicle door, taking three Cheesecake Factory bags off his hands. Minutes later, the valet is finding room for the desserts in the guests freezer. To bolster chatter, Bullard emphasizes staying up with current events. He is also good at remembering a face and what made each guests stay special. A frequent Mayo lodger once gave him a $400 tip as a birthday present. If you serve others and dont expect anything in return, he says, you will be blessed beyond measure. Keeping house At the Fairfield Inn and Suites downtown, the spot-free reputation of housekeeper Maria Alvarez precedes her. I can walk into a room and know that shes the one who cleaned it, Fairfield general manager Steve Fischer says. Alvarez, 49, has made her rounds for three years at the Fairfield, vacuuming, changing sheets, scrubbing toilets and wiping fingerprints from mirrors. Occasionally, she gets more than she bargained for. Sometimes when people are drunk, they throw up in the bathroom, in the trash can, on the beds, on the walls, Alvarez says through a Spanish interpreter, Gisela Salgado. Episodes such as these leave the dutiful Alvarez unfazed. Its my job, she says through Salgado. I try to leave the room clean. But it takes more time. Alvarezs inspection of the premises can lead to other surprises. She once found a cash-filled womans purse under a bed and notified a hotel supervisor. As a reward, the customer gave her $100. We grew up honest, she said. I wouldnt have felt right to keep the money. Its about relationships After a 30-year career at the phone company, Gene Jones retired in 2001. He later bounced around at several part-time jobs before landing at the Courtyard by Marriott-Tulsa Downtown 6 years ago. There, hotel reps make sure the valet/shuttle driver works weekdays instead of weekends to maximize his visibility with corporate customers, the Courtyards bread and butter. A lot of people feel like the front desk is the face, says Michelle Hartman, director of human resources for SJS Hospitality, owner/operator of the hotel. But we dont see it that way. Our valet is the very first interaction the guests have. Every time I interview a valet or a doorman, I say, Youre the first impression. If you screw that up, they get to the front desk and they are grumpy. They are upset. They get to the bistro and theyre upset. It just sets the whole stage for the stay. Says Jones: When youre happy on your job, you never work a day in your life. When Jones, 64, isnt toting a bag or giving directions, he is offering suggestions. I try to let them know whats going on in town The Performing Arts (Center), The Brady (District) the Deco (District), he says. They kind of like that. You want them to feel at home if its their first time here in Tulsa. The young ambassador Elijah Nieves is a front desk supervisor at the Ambassador Hotel, 1324 S. Main St., but he is trained to do practically anything, including reprogramming a safe, replacing lights and re-installing a shower door. Basically, as much as you want to learn, they will let you learn, he says. Nieves, 22, has fielded requests such as placing a piano in a room he couldnt and laying rose petals on a bed he did for a couples anniversary. The most important part is passing on that information between the shifts and keeping people up to date with whats going on, he says. Youll have a guest who maybe spoke to the morning crew. And when he comes in for the evening, if that information that he requested wasnt passed on, its all for nothing. You always want to make people feel that their voice is being heard, that their requests are important to you. We want to make people feel like theyre the star, because they are. They are paying big money to stay here and they chose us out of everybody else. Treasured above all else is patience. I try to empathize with the person, try to find out where they are coming from, Nieves says. Typically, if somebodys mad about something, theyre not mad at you. You have to think, well, maybe they had a long flight or havent had anything to eat all day. Youre just kind of their dartboard at the moment. Its very important to keep calm and keep it in perspective. Williams Cos. CEO Alan Armstrong has something everybody wants, and he knows it. Its a gold mine, he says. Its irreplaceable. Some 67 years after the Transco pipeline was laid from the Gulf Coast of Texas to New York City, it remains the crown jewel of the natural gas industry, fed by Americas richest shale patch. In the past year, the allure of this 10,500-mile system has helped trigger two failed takeover bids for Williams, a clash between Armstrong and billionaire pipeline magnate Kelcy Warren and a mass exodus from the companys board. Now, as Transco is re-engineered to flow south as well as north, investors are betting more takeover offers may follow. President-elect Donald Trump has promised a fossil fuel-friendly future, but opposition to energy projects is stronger than ever, adding value to systems already in the ground. And none can match Transco. Its probably the best natural gas pipeline in the U.S., said Rob Thummel, managing director at Tortoise Capital Advisors, a fund with a $572.5 million stake in Williams as of Sept. 30. The company is a very, very attractive candidate. If theres any pipeline company ripe to be bought this year, its Williams, said Jay Hatfield, a New York-based portfolio manager of the InfraCap MLP exchange-traded fund with $175 million in assets. Its cheap with shares that Hatfield estimates are undervalued by about 20 percent compared with peers. Someones going to respond to that you just dont get that many opportunities, he said. Transco is a trophy asset. When asked recently whether hed sell Transco, Williamss Armstrong quoted a previous CEO who faced similar questions: He said, I bring an extra pair of shoes to the office every day, just in case somebody offers me enough for the pair Im wearing. Armstrong went on to lay out a vision for Williams as a standalone company. It probably wont buy new assets since it has enough growth projects, he said in a November telephone interview. That includes Atlantic Sunrise, a nearly $3 billion and 185-mile expansion of Transco in eastern Pennsylvania that Williams expects to place in full service next year. Instead, he said, the companys focus will remain on transporting gas, capitalizing on gas export terminals along the Gulf Coast and gas-fired power plants in the east. Transcos route is what sets it apart. The line starts around Corpus Christi, Texas, feeding plants in the Gulf Coast before reaching Atlanta and Charlotte and ending up in New York. Along the way, it extends into the Utica and Marcellus shale formations that, in just six years, have emerged as Americas biggest gas-producing region. And to think: It almost didnt happen. The builder, Claude Williams (no relation to Williams Cos.), laid Transco after losing a bid on two existing systems. While both of those lines built by the U.S. during World War II to bypass German U-boats sinking tankers snake across the Midwest, Williams sent crews east of Appalachia and up the eastern seaboard to lay Transco. You couldnt have picked a better path, said Brandon Blossman, a Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. energy analyst. When Williams Cos. bought the system in 1995, Armstrong, who joined the company straight out of college, was dispatched from its Tulsa headquarters to expand operations in the region and ensure the system was well-fed. Under his watch, Transco has grown to reach and deliver greater volumes of gas, sending the fuel south for the first time. Between 2008 and 2018, he will have doubled the gas Transco is capable of handling. While expanding its pipeline network remains at the center of Williamss business plan, Armstrong hasnt ruled out a previous proposal to roll its Williams Partners LP master-limited partnership back into the company. Its a move that may make the company an easier target to be acquired, according to Matt Schmid, an analyst at Stephens Inc. Doing so could streamline the corporate structure and eliminate obstacles posed by having an MLP, a tax-advantaged entity thats harder for outsiders to acquire. Lynn Good, CEO of power generator Duke Energy Corp., described Williamss Transco line in a recent interview as an incredibly strategic asset and said her companys one of its biggest customers. When asked if shed like to own the line, she laughed: You know, its owned by Williams today. Kelcy Warren, founder of Energy Transfer Equity LP, walked away from a takeover attempt of Williams in June after oil prices collapsed. The two companies are still battling in court over breakup fees. Within weeks, Jim Teague, CEO of Enterprise Products Partners LP, made his own bid one that was rebuffed, by Enterprises account. That upset investors including activist Keith Meister of Corvex Management LP. Meister was among six directors who left Williamss board in July. In his resignation letter, Meister blasted Armstrong for what he described as operational failures that occurred on his watch and urged the board to hold him accountable for any failure to execute on a business plan. For a look at how an activist crusade against Armstrong ended with board mutiny, click here. Meister then waged a proxy battle that led Williams to add energy veterans to the board, including PPL Corp. CEO William H. Spence, former Pioneer Natural Resources Co. CEO Scott Sheffield and ex-Enterprise Products CEO Michael Creel. Hes urged directors to reconsider Enterprises takeover. In September, Enterprises Teague said a potential deal with Williams appeared dead. A month later, he praised the rivals system. Given the challenges of laying pipelines today, he said, I dont think you build your way into that. ZooLights Come see why we were voted one of the Best Zoo Lights by USA Today's 10Best Reader's Choice travel award! Polar Slide- 200 Feet of Snow Tubing Excitement!* Will be open daily through January 16 and at ZooLights through January 8, 2017. Hours: Daytime 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. It was a short visit to Arizona BUT oodles of fun, putting aside that I kept breaking stuff - have no clue what that was about. Probably will become part of family legend when Nana managed to break something every day. Since this is an art blog I will leave out the details and just share some photos from the neighbourhood Christmas Lights and then the Pheonix Zoo Lights. We had quite a hike from the parking lot to the Zoo because the zoo parking was full. Thankfully it was a fairly pleasant evening and well lit, which made seeing the Saguaro fun to see at night. We were greeted at the entrance with trees covered in lights. Cinematographer Louis Irving ACS, whose credits include, Water Rats, Love My Way & The Doctor Blake Mysteries, has died aged 66. He died peacefully after a long battle with illness on December 31 surrounded by family. In late 1970 Irving was one year into a three year course in Film and Television at Swinburne Institute of Technology when he spotted a notice for a vacancy for a Camera Assistant at Crawford Productions. He got the job where he stayed for a few years before going freelance. He won a Gold Australian Cinematographers Society award for Mushrooms (1989) and nominated for an AFI award for best achievement in Cinematography. But it was TV drama where he has tallied up a massive amount of shooting hours including 124 episodes of Water Rats, plus Spirited, Love My Way, Heartland, Bastard Boys and 20 episodes of The Dr Blake Mysteries. He was inducted into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame in 2016, whose president described him on Facebook as the quintessential quiet achiever, an incredibly gifted cinematographer who believed in nurturing and encouraging all students of film, and life in general. Real Madrid have equalled Barcelona's Spanish record of 39 matches unbeaten in all competitions. Zinedine Zidane's team emulated the feat achieved by their great rivals when they defeated Granada 5-0 in their first Liga fixture of 2017. Coincidentally, it was the Santiago Bernabeu club who ended Barcelona's streak, prevailing 2-1 at the Camp Nou on 2 April 2016 thanks to a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal. Four days later, Madrid succumbed 2-0 to Wolfsburg in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie. The Whites have not come unstuck since and on Thursday will attempt to make it 40 without loss when they visit Sevilla in the Copa del Rey. How Barcelona and Real Madrid's sequences compare: Barcelona: P39 W32 D7 L0 F122 A22 Madrid: P39, W30, D9, L0 F113, A34 Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko together with his wife Maryna Poroshenko and children congratulated Ukrainians on Christmas. This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State. Poroshenko has stressed that Christmas is a great church and family holiday. "On this wonderful day, I suggest first and foremost to pray for soldiers who protect us from the enemy during the New Year and Christmas period," the President stressed, wishing everyone good health, strength of spirit, all dreams come true, and the most important thing - God's blessing. ish This Account has been suspended. Pictures capture a moment in time before and after which a lot could have happened, and its all left to our imagination. They are kind of mysterious and creepy, especially when they are associated with something that defies the imagination we have in our normal everyday lives. It could be the extreme madness of one person, an atrocity committed by many, the unbearable suffering of others or the unbelievable bad luck of someone, and all of which captured in one single picture. These are the creepy pictures that would haunt you through your fears or your conscience with their disturbing backstories. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT, NSFW 1 A Congolese man stares at the severed hand and foot of his five-year-old daughter because he didnt meet his daily rubber quota. She and her mother were killed and then cannibalized. King Leopold II of Belgium had founded the Congo Free State and had ruled the Congo as a privately owned corporate state for 23 years, between 1885 and 1908. During his reign, the state became a source of great international scandals owing to the violation of human rights through forced labor. The militiamen of ABIR (Anglo-Belgian India Rubber) Company, which exploited natural rubber resources in the Congo Free State, imposed severe punishments on those who did not meet their daily rubber quota. They were required to provide the severed hands of anyone they killed or they could be accused of using ammunition, which was imported from Europe at high costs. The photograph taken by Alice Seeley Harris shows a man named Nsala whose daughters hand and foot were cut off, after which she was killed along with her mother. (source) 2 Picture of a shell-shocked soldier in a trench who looks like he was driven to madness after seeing the death and destruction during the WWI in 1916. The photograph was taken during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette during the Somme Offensive in September 1916. The invention of modern weapons gave little chance to the soldiers to actually fight and have honor or a sense of fairness in death. The shell-shocked soldiers often experienced fatigue, tremors, nightmares, confusion or inability to reason, impaired sight and hearing, hysterical paralysis, and a dazed look. Back then shell shock and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) were not something tolerable and John Vereker, a British soldier mostly referred as Lord Gort, even proclaimed in his testimony to the Royal Commission examining the problem that prolonged shell shock was a sign of weakness and not found in good units. (source) 3 A Japanese boy carries his younger brother on the back, waiting for his brothers turn at a funeral pyre and trying hard not to cry in September 1945, after the end of WWII. The photograph was taken as part of an effort to document the aftermath of the air raids and atomic bombs during Second World War in Japan. According to Joe ODonnell, the photographer, when the boys turn came, men in white masks came, quietly took his dead brothers body, and placed it on fire. Biting his lower lip, he was trying hard not to burst out crying, and silently turned and walked away when the cremation was done. (source) 4 A burnt and injured baby cries among the debris of Shanghai South Railway Station after a Japanese air strike in 1937. The Battle of Shanghai was a part of the Second Sino-Japanese War during which the Japanese military forces advanced and attacked Shanghai. The photograph named Bloody Saturday was taken on August 28, 1937, when the Japanese dropped bombs on Shanghai South Railway Station. According to H. S. Wong, the photographer, around 1,800 people, mostly women and children, were waiting at the station, who the Japanese had likely mistaken for a troop. The crying baby was one among many other injured or dead children. (source) 5 An unknown childs burial after Bhopal gas tragedy, an explosion at the Union Carbide that released toxic gas killing over 2000 immediately in December 1984. The explosion occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant releasing methyl isocyanate and other chemicals into the air. Over 500,000 people were exposed to the toxic gas, killing a total of 3,787 among which 2,259 were immediate. The two photographers, Pablo Bartholomew and Raghu Rai, who went to document the aftermath of the tragedy came across a burying ceremony where a man was burying a child. As they did not ask the mans identity and no one claimed to be the childs relative, her identity remains unknown. (1, 2) 6 A man and a woman with cannibalized humans during one of the Russian famines in 1921 that killed as many as 5 million. The famines of 1921 and 22, also known as Povolzhye famine, came after six and a half years of violence and turmoil due to the First World War, the two Russian revolutions in 1917, the Russian Civil War, and even a drought. It started during the early spring of 1921 and lasted through 1922. The famine was so severe that when aid workers arrived, they found corpses strewn on the streets of Moscow and Kiev. The situation was worse in rural regions where many people fled to cities to find work and better access to food while the rest tried to survive with whatever they could find. In one town, the government officials advised the starving residents to grind the bones of dead animals into flour and bake ersatz bread. It is not known to what extent people turned to cannibalism, but it was most common along the Volga River basin, where the famine was too severe. There were accounts of murder or euthanasia of the old or very young, who were eaten by the others. (1, 2) 7 A Buddhist monk burns himself to death to protest the Vietnamese Prime Minster Diems pro-catholic policies and discrimination of Buddhists in 1963. Ngo Dinh Diems regime was a controversial one. In May 1963, during the Vesak celebrations, the Buddhists were prohibited from displaying Buddhist flags citing a regulation that prohibits the display of any non-governmental flags in the city of Hue, where a Catholic flag was displayed in commemoration of Diems elder brothers elevation to bishop. This increased the unrest among Buddhists and civilians, and led to protests and demonstrations for freedom of religion, with many of them being killed. Thich Quang Duc immolating himself by burning himself alive to death in the middle of a busy Saigon intersection was a part of the protests. (source) 8 The photo of Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov after the Soyuz 1 space capsule parachute failed and caused him to crash into the ground. The only thing identifiable was his heel bone. Vladimir Komarov was the first Soviet cosmonaut to have flown into outer space more than once and also the first to die on a space mission. The Soyuz mission was a complex one and he was selected to command Soyuz 1, in 1967, along with Yuri Gagarin as the backup. The first module, Soyuz 1, was to carry Komarov after which Soyuz 2 would be launched with the rest of the crew to rendezvous with the first. Then, the crew would get into the first one and Komarov would get into the second to fly it back to Earth. The mission got difficult due to the technical problems and the first module failed to fully deploy the solar panels on orbital insertion, which prevented it from powering up completely. Komarov was successfully able to reorient the module manually after a long time for re-entry and landing, but again, the parachute failed to deploy causing him to crash to the ground. (source) 9 Hisashi Ouchi received a fatal radiation dose with a mortality rate considered to be 100%. Despite desiring to die, he was kept alive in horrendous pain for 83 days against his will. Hisashi Ouchi was one of the three workers who was preparing a small batch of fuel by adding aqueous uranyl nitrate solution to the precipitation tank. The accident occurred when they added a seventh bucket of the solution and the tank reached criticality. A self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction started and emitted gamma and neutron radiation. Ouchi, who was the nearest one, received 17 sieverts (Sv) of radiation while the permissible annual dose of radiation is considered to be 50 mSv and the fatal dose as 8 Sv. He suffered serious burns, severe internal organ damage, and had a near-zero white blood cell count. The doctors who treated them were under pressure as it was considered a matter of national dignity, and so he was kept alive despite his wishes for 83 days before his heart finally failed. (source) 10 Anneliese Michel, an epileptic, underwent a total of 67 Catholic exorcism sessions through a period of ten months and died of dehydration and malnutrition. At sixteen, Anneliese Michel had epileptic seizures and was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy. She was treated at a psychiatric hospital and was given medications for her condition. By the time she was twenty, she became convinced that the reason for her condition was being possessed by demons. As her condition worsened despite medication, her parents appealed to a Catholic priest for exorcism and received permission from a local bishop. She soon started refusing to eat and her parents, upon her request, stopped seeking medical help. During a period of ten months, in 1975-1976, 67 exorcisms were performed on her, one or two per week lasting up to four hours. She died on July 1, 1976, due to dehydration and semi-starvation for almost a year. When she died, she weighed 30 kg and had broken knees because of continuous kneeling. (source) 11 19-year-old Diana Bryant falls to her death, as the fire escape collapses, along with her 2-year-old goddaughter who survived because she landed on Bryants body. On July 22, 1975, there was a fire in an apartment building on Marlborough Street in Boston. Diana Bryant and her goddaughter Tiare Jones were being rescued from almost 50 feet height by the fireman Robert ONeill. ONeill got onto the fire escape to help and he was moving towards the ladder when the fire escape collapsed. Bryant and Jones both fell off the fire escape. Bryant suffered multiple head and body injuries and died hours later. Jones survived as she landed on Bryants body which softened the impact. (source) 12 A woman being chased by young men and boys with wooden clubs during the Lviv pogroms, the 1941 massacres of Jews by Ukrainians. Lviv pogroms were the two consecutive massacres of Jews living in the city Lwow by Ukrainian nationalists in 1941. According to Richard Breitman, a Holocaust historian, 5,000 Jews died during these pogroms and 3,000 more, mostly Jews, were executed by the Germans. Things got even worse after these pogroms. In November 1941, the Lwow Ghetto was established where 120,000 were held, most of whom were killed there or sent to Belzec extermination camp. It was so severe that the killings and deportations to Nazi concentration camps resulted in the almost complete annihilation of Jewish population locally. (source) 13 A South Vietnamese National Police Chief executes a Viet Cong captain in Saigon during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Nguyen Ngoc Loan was South Vietnams chief of National Police who, on February 1, 1968, shot a handcuffed Viet Cong prisoner named Nguyen Van Lem in front of an NBC cameraman and an Associated Press photographer. The apparent cruelty in the photograph sparked anti-war movement worldwide. In addition to his military career, Loan was also an advocate for hospital construction. Eddie Adams, the photographer, later apologized to Loan saying that photographs do lie even without manipulation and are sometimes only half-truths. He also said that What would you do if you were the general at that time and place on that hot day, and you caught the so-called bad guy after he blew away one, two or three American soldiers? Loan faced a lot of criticism and was forced into retirement during his later life in America from running his pizza restaurant after being publicly identified. (source) 14 Major General Horatio Gordon Robley with his collection of Mokomokai, heads of the dead people preserved by New Zealands Maori tribe which they traded for firearms with European sailors. Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand who tattooed their faces. When someone with tattoos died, their heads are preserved by sealing orifices with flax fiber and gum, then boiled or steamed in an oven, then smoked over an open fire, dried under the sun for several days, and treated with shark oil. These heads are called Mokomokai. In the early 19th century, with the arrival of Europeans, the Maori had to sell them for firearms to defend themselves. Major-General Robley, a British army officer who served in New Zealand during the 1860s, built up a collection of 35 to 40 Mokomokai which he later sold to the American Museum of Natural History. (source) 15 The mummified body of German adventurer who vanished was found inside a drifting yacht. The mummified body of Manfred Fritz Bajorat was discovered in his yacht, most of which was underwater, by two fishermen. He had spent around 20 years cruising the world before meeting his end. The exact cause of his death is not known though the doctors believe that he could have died of natural causes. He was found lying near the radio as if trying to call someone over the radio. Instead of being decomposed, his body was preserved probably by the dry ocean winds, hot temperatures, and salty air. (source) 16 The Elephants Foot of the Chernobyl disaster, 1986 The Elephants Foot is a solid mass of melted nuclear fuel mixed with concrete, sand, and core sealing material that the nuclear fuel rods have melted through. The radiation emitting from it in 1986 was measured at 10,000 roentgens per hour. An exposure to it for 30 seconds would give you dizziness and fatigue within a week, 2-minute exposure would start hemorrhage, 4 minutes for vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, and 5 minutes would kill you within two days. (source) 17 The corpse of Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos (19101931) encased in wax and plaster circa 1940. Carl Tanzler, or Count Carl von Cosel, was a bacteriologist at the United States Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida. He claimed that during his childhood and later life, he had visions of a dead ancestor who revealed to him the face of an exotic dark-haired woman as his true love. On April 22, 1930, Maria Elena Helen Milagro de Hoyos came to him for an examination and he was convinced that she was the woman in his visions. However, Hoyos was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which was fatal back then. Tanzler became obsessed with her and tried to cure her with a variety of medicines, even bringing X-ray and other electrical equipment to her house. He professed his love to her and showered her with gifts, jewelry, and clothing. Nevertheless, she died on October 25, 1931, and he paid for her funeral. Then, with her familys permission, he had a mausoleum constructed, which he visited every night. One evening, he stole her corpse, reconstructed her body by attaching the bones using wire hangers, silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of Paris for skin, filled the insides with rags, and adorned it with clothes and jewelry believing her spirit would come to him. (source) 18 The mask worn by Edward John Louis Paisnel entitled The Beast of Jersey, a notorious sex offender who terrorized the Channel Island of Jersey for a period of eleven years from 1960 to 1971. He entered homes at night dressed in a rubber mask and nail-studded bracelets and attacked children. Paisnel was a builder who also built his own shrine for Satan in a barn to which he would bring his victims, all young girls and boys snatched from their homes. It was revealed during the trial that he was inspired by Gilles de Rais, a notorious 15th-century occultist and child killer. He would clad himself in a womans black wig, a rubber mask, and a long overcoat with nail-studded lapels and shoulders, and was said to have led a Jekyll & Hyde type of existence. He was an exemplary human and took in orphan children along with his wife, but at night he would change into a murderer. (source) 19 This photograph of a man named Brian Peppers, who was a registered sex offender in Ohio, is indeed real. The picture is of a man named Brian Peppers when he was 34 and he was listed in Ohios Electronic Sex Offender Registration and Notification system due to a conviction for Gross Sexual Imposition in 1998, in Lucas County, Ohio. His appearance might have been due to either Apert Syndrome or Crouzon Syndrome. He was wheelchair-bound when the picture was taken, which explains the appearance of short stature. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 5-year probation for unwilling sexual contact with one who is not ones spouse. (source) 20 This photo was taken 2 weeks before the Columbine High school massacre. Look at the top left corner and you will find Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the students responsible for the shooting. Before the incident, Harris and Klebold, aged 18 and 17, made home videos referring to what they were going to do and apologizing to their parents for it. On April 20, 1999, at approximately 11.29 AM, they carried bombs and guns and opened fire inside Columbine High School. They killed 13 people, twelve of them students and one teacher, and wounded 23 others. Then, they killed themselves in the schools library at approximately 12.08 PM by shooting themselves in the head. (source) A few days after New Year's Eve, the TODAY Style Squad was busy looking for someone who needs a makeover. And not just any makeover. During a stormy day in January on the plaza, celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari and TODAY Style Squad personality Jill Martin found someone who needed to welcome 2017 with a gorgeous look. Emma Frazier, a senior who is taking early education and special education at York College of Pennsylvania was on a Spartan Nation Tour. The tour is something Frazier was excited about because she gets to network with alumni and future Spartans. She is a resident assistant and is in the mentor program, and HerCampus program, too, as reported by YCP Alumni. This college student from Lebanon, Maine did not expect a makeover during the Spartan Nation Tour. New York City was the second stop in the three week, seven city tour and this future teacher didn't expect that showing up as an audience on the TODAY show would make her a candidate for "Ambush Makeover" by Hoda & Kathy Lee on their show, as reported by TODAY. Emma Frazier is not only welcoming 2017 with a make over. It also means she is going to her next five stops with a new look. During the big reveal, Frazier exclaimed that the make over was awesome. Her friends cheered for her, too. Celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari changed Emma Frazier's hair from blonde to a soft red. According to him, it brightens her skin. Arsen Gurgov gave her an easy-to-maintain hair cut which is something busy college students appreciate. Jill Martin spruced up her look with a leather jacket and a lace-up top. To make the program even more exciting, "Muppets" Grover and Abby Cadabby joined in on the celebration. Want more style tips? Check out the video from the TODAY style squad below: This isn't the first time a university student was chosen. Last year, Rebecca Narum, a college student from the University of South Carolina also had a makeover. Generations who followed "The Magic School Bus" would know about the elementary school teacher, Miss Frizzle, and her group of students who traveled on a magical school bus. The bus takes them on spectacular field trips. Their destinations are mostly impossible to reach like the clouds, past events in history, the galaxy and even inside the human body. Now, "The Magic School Bus" is making a come back. The focus is to teach the newer generations about STEM. The red-headed teacher and her pet lizard made their last appearance on television on December 6, 1997 and had several reruns on different television networks after that. This time, Netflix and Scholastic Media announced that Ms. Frizzle is coming back to Netflix, as reported by Education Week. Stu Stone, who used to voice Ralphie in the original series and is currently the show's producer said Ms. Frizzle is taking the kids on a confidential field trip. "The Magic School Bus" reboot will return many of the original characters and will also welcome newer and younger voices. Stone teased that there will be potential celebrity cameos, too. Netflix's Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, explained to New York Times that the show teaches science in a way that surpasses generations. "The Magic School Bus" will take viewers on a trip that promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Netflix reboot hopes that the new generation of kids will find the magic of discovery in "The Magic School Bus." Scholastic Media said that in order to make the show much more relate-able and current, the bus is reported to be much more high-tech this time. It will have modern science tools and will include robots and smart space suits. "The Magic School Bus" revival is arriving at a perfect time because of a nationwide push for STEM Education. President Barack Obama himself championed STEM for many years under his administration. The show is expected to be released within 2017. Check out this TMZ video of Stu Stone getting excited about "The Magic School Bus" reboot: Doting mothers like Kate Beckinsale are proud of their kids and their achievements. When news broke out that her daughter, Lily, is going to college, the family was filled with excitement. Even Kate's former partner, Michael Sheen, dropped everything to celebrate his daughter getting into college. The family is currently living in Los Angeles and just because Lily is going to college in New York City, that does not mean that her "Underworld: Blood Wars" actress of a mother is not going to keep an eye on her. After Kate Beckinsale posted on Instagram that her 17 year old daughter is going to college in NYC, she admits that she wants to stalk her, as reported by New! During an interview on "Good Morning America," the "Underworld" star said she will miss having her daughter but admits that she would love to explore the city in her spare time. That gives her an excuse to visit the East Coast where her daughter is going to be, as well as catch up with old friends in the area. The family did not yet reveal what major Lily is going to take or which specific college. Currently, they are just excited that she is going to take her higher education. In other news, Kate Beckinsale was recently on the set of "The Late Show" with TV host Stephen Colbert. This time, she did not talk about her daughter Lily. Instead, Colbert grilled her about the Instagram pictures of her cat and the funny thing she does with it, the corset she wears during the "Underworld" movie series and the "fratty" type party she attended during New Year's Eve, as reported by Yahoo. Colbert also took the opportunity to get Kate to speak in Russian. During her academic years in Oxford University, she studied Russian and French. She taught Colbert how to say "No, I will not give the WiFi password" in Russian. Watch the exchange between Kate Beckinsale and Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show" below. Current Vice President Joe Biden has slipped and told a member of senator Kamala Harris' entourage about his plans after he exits the White House. With about two weeks to go until President-elect Donald Trump takes his seat in the Oval Office, Biden spilled that he would like to continue working on his foreign policy and cancer research. According to reports, Biden and the unidentified woman knew each other and said their pleasantries. After talking more about "The Biden Trust," the unidentified woman asked where he will be operating out of. He said his policy work will continue and will be based at the University of Pennsylvania. Although he is going to base his work at the university, he will not be associating with any particular medical center, as reported by Yahoo. This policy comes from an initiative he wanted to pursue to get cancer therapies to more patients and push researchers to be more open with their studies. Joe Biden lost his son, Beau, to brain cancer two years ago. Because of this, "Cancer Moonshot" was launched to speed progress in cancer research. This helped push cancer into the limelight. Current United States President Barack Obama made the announcement of a similar initiative last year. Obama has signed a $6.3 billion research bill to fund cancer and other diseases in research studies. Biden supports this bill and campaigned hard for it. When it was passed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the cancer initiative will be named after Beau. Biden is setting up a trust called "The Biden Trust." The trust will not just be about raising funds for the cause but it will be a platform where everyone cooperates and changes the culture surrounding cancer. Although reports indicate that he is setting up at the University of Pennsylvania, they have not been confirmed as of yet, as reported by Quartz Media. Watch Joe Biden's commencement address to the University of Pennsylvania graduates below: Scientists have officially classified a new digestive organ in the human body. Apparently, it has been hiding just beside our stomachs and colons for centuries. According to Science Alert, the new organ is named as the mesentery. It has previously been thought as made up of separate structures but, actually, it's a continuous organ. Its reclassification has been published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. J Calvin Coffey, a researcher from the University Hospital Limerick in Ireland, was the one who discovered the new digestive organ. The mesentery is a double fold of peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdominal cavity. It is the one that attaches the intestine to the wall of the abdomen. Leonardo da Vinci drafted one of the earliest descriptions of the organ. However, it was ignored for centuries and deemed insignificant. Coffey and his colleagues made the discovery that the mesentery is a continuous organ. It was made official just this month. Live Science reported that the reclassification of the mesentery is vital in knowing how it works. This can lead to more understanding of abdominal diseases. It was noted that the mesentery's continuous nature possibly plays a major role in making disease spread from one part of the abdomen to another. Aside from being able to study disease, this latest finding may be able to lead to new approaches to surgery. TIME added that the specific function of the mesentery is still unknown. There are still a lot of studies to do on this organ which could help us understand how the digestive system works and why it does not work. Meanwhile, Stanford scientists recently conducted a study focusing on what biological forces are at play in our bodies. They fed nanoparticles to worms through bacteria. These nanoparticles have a specific glow when a near-infrared laser strikes it and changes color when the environment around it changes. This way, these nanoparticles can provide real-time information about the forces affecting them while inside the worm's stomach. Eventually, this is expected to be able to help identify the forces at play for processes such as wound healing and cancer growth. BEIRUT (AP) A large explosion rocked a Syrian government-held coastal town on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens an attack that was a stark remainder of the prevailing insecurity in the war-torn country despite a nearly week-old cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey. The explosion shook a main street in Jableh, in the coastal Latakia province, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad and the heartland of Syria's Alawites, a Shiite offshoot to which Assad's family also belongs. It was the first such large-scale bombing since the cease-fire was agreed on last week, to prepare the way for peace talks between Assad's government and opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. Videos from the scene of the blast, which state media said was a car bomb, show extensive damage to shops lining a commercial street near the town's municipal stadium. Blood pooled on the pavement and several cars lay charred or overturned as fire fighters scrambled to put out fires. Qusay al-Khalil, the head of the local hospital, said the blast also severely wounded at least 30 people. "The explosion shook the town," he told state TV, adding that it prompted a state alert at his hospital. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the civil war, put the death toll at 15, including a son of a leading Syrian military commander. The monitoring group relies on a network of activists on the ground in Syria. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. Although explosions are rare in government-controlled Latakia, Jableh was rocked in May last year by a string of blasts that first hit in a crowded bus station, then outside a hospital receiving the wounded, killing a total of about 120 people. Those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group. IS and the al-Qaida-linked Fatah al-Sham Front are not part of the broad truce that the Syrian government and the opposition agreed on last week. The cease-fire, which came into effect on Dec. 30, has mostly held but not altogether halted fighting in the country. Fierce clashes continue in the Barada Valley, a major source of water for Damascus, and in other isolated regions. Both the government and the rebels have accused the other side of violating the truce. The United Nations said Thursday it has received reports that at least 7,000 people have been displaced by fighting in the Barada Valley. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said an estimated 45,000 people live in the area. Dujarric also said the U.N. has rehabilitated and equipped 120 wells in and around Damascus that cover about one-third of the city's daily water needs. Syria's al-Qaida-linked group in comments published Wednesday called the cease-fire "humiliating" and said that those who agreed to it made a "big mistake." Latakia province police chief Yasser al-Shariti told state TV the explosion hit during rush hour, when government employees and students would have been crowding one of the town's busiest streets. Others said the area was packed with shoppers, many coming from or going to a popular vegetable market nearby. Jableh is also home to thousands of internally displaced Syrians who have sought refuge in the relative calm of the government-controlled town. Under the new cease-fire, Russia and Iran are tasked with ensuring compliance by the Syrian government and its allies, while Turkey is serving as a guarantor for the rebels. On Wednesday, Turkey called on Iran to rein in the pro-government forces. Tehran countered by accusing the opposition of dozens of violations and called Turkey's comments "unconstructive." The government in Damascus says the truce does not apply in the Barada Valley because of the presence of al-Qaida-linked fighters. But activists and rebel groups have challenged the government claim, with some arguing the militants don't operate in the area. The rebels have said all areas not ruled by IS are covered under the agreement. In Geneva, the U.N. envoy for Syria said Thursday he welcomed preparations for the Russia- and Turkey-brokered peace negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, saying the gathering could undergird new U.N.-mediated talks between the warring sides. Staffan de Mistura acknowledged violent "incidents" in Syria the truce began, but added that he believed the powers would "succeed in overcoming them." However, nearly a dozen rebel groups announced on Monday they were suspending talks about the negotiations because of cease-fire violations. A senior Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujaerdi, on a visit to Damascus, stressed on Thursday that as the al-Qaida-linked group and IS are not part of the agreement, "matters are settled with them on the battlefield." Boroujaerdi, who is in charge of foreign policy and national security portfolios in Iran's Shura Council, said that for any truce to hold, all militant groups must leave Syria. The presence of al-Qaida-linked militants, who fight alongside other rebel factions and have been credited with some of their biggest victories, has undermined past truce attempts. The Fatah al-Sham Front, formerly known as the Nusra Front, announced last year that it had severed tied with al-Qaida, but is still widely believed to be linked to the global terror network. Fatah al-Sham spokesman al-Shafei said in an interview published late Wednesday by Al-Jazeera Net that the current truce only protects Assad and allied Iranian-backed militias. "The people of (Syria) didn't offer all these sacrifices to be handed this humiliating agreement," he was quoted as saying. The Syrian rebellion "today needs someone to ... strengthen its political position by battlefield achievements," he said. The rebels demand that any future solution for Syria include Assad's exit from power. But Boroujaerdi said peace talks should not put any conditions on the Syrian leadership. He also chastised Turkey for sending troops into northern Syria as one in a series of Ankara's policy "mistakes." He added that any troops in Syria without the government's approval or permission should leave "immediately." The managing director of the International Monetary Fund urged global policymakers to stop inflation from becoming a runaway train at a time of extraordinary economic turmoil. The IMFs Kristalina Georgieva noted that the world economy has been hit by one shock after another the coronavirus pandemic, Russias invasion of Ukraine and a resurgence of inflation. But reining in rising prices should take priority, she said. If we do not restore price stability, we will undermine prospects for growth, she said. The Federal Reserve and other central banks have been raising interest rates to tame inflation. Georgieva acknowledged that the higher borrowing costs would pinch economic growth, but she urged policymakers to show restraint in spending money to ease the pain. Church News October 20, 2022 LIGHT OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH Needing Answers We want God to be like FedEx and deliver overnight. Things dont happen that way, but in... Church News October 13, 2022 LIGHT OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH Natures Therapy The pine tree with its solemn dignity lifts its branches to the sky as if to give... This month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group (#ItalianFWT) explores coastal regions in Italy. Much of Italy's regions are bordering water so it's easy to find a region to talk about today. That's what makes Italy so unique in that you can travel to many a region, north to south, and be able to experience mountains, beaches and seas and the inland plains. According to wikipedia, Italy has over 4,700 miles of coastline touching the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Puglia, located on the heel of the boot, is one of these regions with a long coastline touching the Adriatic Sea. It seems to have been the hot spot lately in terms of travel. I've seen many of folks venturing there and it has even peaked my interest as well for my next journey overseas to Italy when it happens. One can only wish, but with a 6 month old there are no promises yet. About Leone de Castris Leone de Castris was founded in 1665 when Duke Oronzo discovered the terroir in Salento and sold his property in Spain to get himself grounded in Puglia. The winery had always sold off it's grapes from the beginning of the 19th century until they began to bottle their own in 1925. The winery is actually best known for their rose' known as Five Roses, but they produce an array of wines including the 2013 Maiana Rosso I'm sharing today. The winery produces about 2.5 million bottles annually. I recently tasted a wine from the Leone de Castris winery located in Puglia, specifically a village in Salento known as Salice Salentino.was founded in 1665 when Duke Oronzo discovered the terroir in Salento and sold his property in Spain to get himself grounded in Puglia. The winery had always sold off it's grapes from the beginning of the 19century until they began to bottle their own in 1925. The winery is actually best known for their rose' known as Five Roses, but they produce an array of wines including the 2013 Maiana Rosso I'm sharing today. The winery produces about 2.5 million bottles annually. Piazza Plebiscito in Salice Salentino by Andrea Donato Alemanno Negroamaro is a native grape of Puglia that is deep in color with good weight, rich fruit and can have medium tannins. The name, negroamaro, has origins are tied to both the Latins and Greeks. You'll find this grape primarily produced within the Salice Salentino DOC. There are some great values out there as with many Italian wines, but not all are quality produced wines so ask for assistance when picking out a bottle so you can taste the best. I tasted the 2013 Leone de Castris Maiana Salice Salentino Rosso DOC that is made of 90% negroamaro and 10% malvasia nera. It's fermented in stainless and aged in large oak for 6 months. I loved the ripe dark fruits and found it to be rather well balanced with acidity. Full bodied. A great value. I actually enjoyed it with a slight chill. SRP $12-14. ABV 13.5%. More with our ItalianFWT group Here's a preview of what's to come this Saturday January 7th. Join us for a live Twitter chat at #ItalianFWT 11am Est about Coastal White and Red Wines, Foods and Travel around Italy's long coastline. If you'd like to be part of the group there is still time. Email directly at susannah@vignetocommunications.com. * All pictures and videos copyright of Leone de Castris. Punto Italia has been present on the Vietnamese coffee processing market since 2008. The firm has successfully developed its own coffee brand using local materials and export Vietnamese processed coffee to other countries at the same time. The firm plans to ramp up investments in Vietnam after the EVFTA comes into force. Late last year, a delegation of 30 Italian food and beverage firms paid a working visit to Ho Chi Minh City to research the market and explore opportunities. In the meantime, the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) is collecting information to facilitate the entry of Italian companies into Vietnam. ICE Chairman Paolo Lemma said that Vietnams dairy and meat processing industries have the potential to grow. Italian businesses are keen on these industries due to a large consumer market and the changing taste of Vietnamese customers. Indeed, Italian dairy export to Vietnam continues to grow but it is still below potential. We expect a boost in the export of Italian milk and cheese in the coming time, he noted. Similarly, the Polish government selected Vietnam as one of the five most perspective markets in the world. Poland encourages entrepreneurs to enter the market and helps them make the first step, which in the agricultural sector is getting the necessary licenses. According to the Polish General Statistics Office, in the first eight months of 2016 the export of Polish agri-food products to Vietnam reached $77,8 million, up 10 per cent on-year. Poland expected to have at least $130 million at the end of 2016, which would mean over 12 per cent of the overall European food export to Vietnam. The most dynamic part of the Polish agri-food exports is animal-origin products which grew by 98 per cent in 2015, including an almost 40 per cent growth on the Vietnamese market. In 2016, 15 per cent of European meat on the Vietnamese tables was from Poland. Mariusz Boguszewski, economic counsellor of the Embassy of Poland, said that this growth is driven by the EVFTA, which is a huge step forward for European entrepreneurs. The EVFTA contains a range of solutions facilitating bilateral trade and investment, especially in terms of customs duties, administrative procedures, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. EVFTA is beneficial for Vietnamese companies and consumers alike because the range of high quality, healthy, and safe food products in the market will be wider and the same opportunities will be open for Vietnamese entities entering the EU market, he noted. In addition, Vietnam is the most important economic partner and the biggest trade partner of Poland in the ASEAN. After the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, Vietnam can be considered the gate to all ASEAN markets. It is also one of the most important markets from all non-European countries with a total bilateral trade turnover comparable to India. The giant earned a pre-tax profit of VND923 billion ($41.95 million) and VND1.139 trillion ($51.77 million) in port operation and maritime services and others in 2016, while incurring a loss of VND1.98 trillion ($90 million) from its shipping business line, said acting CEO Nguyen Canh Tinh at last week's year-end review meeting. The Vinalines holding company gained a pre-tax profit of VND340 billion ($15.45 million) during the year, up 4 per cent on-year, he added. With these positive results, the firm was taken off the list of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) operating at a loss in 2016. In 2015, it was also not on this list with a consolidated pre-tax profit of VND66 trillion ($3.14 million). Between 2011 and 2014 Vinalines often topped the list of SOEs in the red. In particular, it suffered a loss of over VND3.4 trillion ($155 million) in 2014. Last year, the firm made an estimated consolidated revenue of VND16.01 trillion ($727.7 million), down 10 per cent on-year and equivalent to 94 per cent of the annual target. Of the sum, over VND4.7 trillion ($213.6 million) came from port operation, VND4.3 trillion ($195.45 million) from the shipping business, and VND7.4 trillion ($336.36 million) from maritime services and others. Tinh blamed the ailing revenue on the strong drop in fees driven by the plunging global shipping market, with the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) falling to nearly 240 points. 2016 was a year of extreme difficulties for the global shipping business. Drewry, a leading international provider of research and consulting services to the maritime and shipping industries, forecast that the global shipping business could suffer a loss of $5 billion. The world's leading shipping lines, including Maersk Lines, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), German Hapag-Lloyd, Israeli Zim, French CMA CGM, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), all incurred big losses. Meanwhile, many others were forced to merge to survive. While the shipping business faced difficulties last year, port operation marked a significant growth milestone. The volume of goods shipped via Vinalines' ports reached over 78 million tonnes, up 17 per cent on-year, of which container throughput amounted to 3.45 million TEUs, up 22 per cent, while pre-tax profit rose by 58 per cent on-year. In 2017, Vinalines will aim to reach a consolidated revenue of VND11.5 trillion ($522.7 million), of which VND4.36 trillion ($198.18 million) would come from port operation, VND2.12 trillion ($96.36 million) from shipping business, and VND5 trillion ($227.27 million) from maritime services and others. The firm also targets to reach at least a break-even profit this year. Fisher Stevens feels like he's in a dream. A strange dream. Ten days after the shocking deaths of Carrie Fisher and, one day later, her mother Debbie Reynolds, the documentary Stevens made about their bond is coming to television. "The beauty is that we caught Carrie and Debbie at that time where they kind of become best friends again. There were moments in their lives where they, you know, they had their ups and downs, didn't speak all the time," Stevens told Reuters. "But by this point, and the reason I think Carrie wanted to do the film, was that she was so grateful and in love with her mother, you know?" "Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds," will be shown on HBO on Saturday (Jan 7). The release date was moved up after 1950s Hollywood musical star Reynolds, 84, died of a stroke a day after her "Star Wars" actress daughter, 60, passed away following a heart attack on an international flight. "I just keep thinking that this is a weird dream. So it hasn't really hit me," said Stevens. "They were such larger than life characters and they lived this incredibly big Hollywood story. And so... it does make sense how it ended in a weird way. But you just never would have expected it." Stevens and co-director Alexis Bloom spent 18 months with the two actresses after Fisher suggested the film. They began by filming Reynolds' stage act. The former MGM star was "doing her vocal warm-ups or movement exercises, getting ready for the show, working out, warming up. And you know, she had energy, but when she hit that stage, wow! She just exploded, she was incredible," Stevens said. The filmmakers also had access to a treasure trove archive of material kept by Reynolds' son Todd. "It wasn't easy to pick, there was so much, it was an embarrassment of riches. Debbie had filmed some of that herself with an old 16 mm camera. And when Debbie saw the film, one of the things that she loved most was seeing that archive," Stevens said. Friends and family gathered on Thursday for a private memorial at the Beverly Hills compound where Fisher and Reynolds lived. Reynolds is expected to be buried in Los Angeles on Friday, along with some of the ashes from Fisher's cremation. The British Red Cross says demands on the country's overcrowded hospitals and ambulances have become a "humanitarian crisis," especially as hospitals are experiencing the extra strain of the winter months. A report in The Guardian newspaper says three patients have died recently after long waits in hospital corridors, including a woman who died of heart attack after waiting 35 hours on trolley in corridor at busy Worcestershire Royal hospital. The Red Cross says it has sent its volunteers to the nation's hospitals to help patients leave so hospital beds can be freed up for other patients. Mike Adamson, the British Red Cross chief executive, said his group has also asked Land Rover to provide vehicles to help transport patients. Dr. Mike Holland, the president of the Society for Acute Medicine, told The Guardian that Britain has been asking the National Health Service, which manages universal free care for all Britons, "to provide a world-class service, but with third world levels of staffing and third world levels of beds." Thousands of people waited for hours in single-digit temperatures on Saturday to try to get a ticket to President Barack Obama's farewell speech in his hometown of Chicago, saying they want to show their appreciation and soak in the final moments of his history-making presidency. People began lining up well before sunrise for the 8 a.m. ticket distribution. The lines stretched for blocks and snarled traffic around McCormick Place, the sprawling convention center along Lake Michigan where Obama will speak on Tuesday night. "You never know when something as huge or as phenomenal like this will happen again, so I was like 'I'm not missing this for nothing,' " said Umar Ibrahim, 28, who took the day off from his job as a city bus driver to snag a ticket, waking up at 3 a.m. to start the trek to the convention center. "Just talking about it makes you beam," he said as he clenched his ticket, grinning from ear-to-ear. Obama's final speech to the public will continue a tradition set in 1796 when George Washington addressed the American people for the last time as president. It will be followed by a "family reunion" for alumni of Obama's former campaigns, according to a save-the-date sent to alumni. Obama has described the event as "a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey," to celebrate the ways the country has changed and "to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here." For many supporters, Obama's decision to give the speech in Chicago rather than Washington added to the significance of the event. It was in Chicago's Grant Park that in 2008 he delivered his victory speech after becoming the nation's first black president. "He's coming home," said Cheryl Bellamy-Bonner, 56, who volunteered on Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign. "It shows he really cares about the people." Bellamy-Bonner said she appreciated Obama's professionalism in office and his support of diversity. If there have been any disappointments, she said, it's that he couldn't accomplish more, which she blamed on a lack of bipartisanship. On Tuesday night, she's hoping to hear what Obama will do next and "what we can do to help." Organizers didn't say how many tickets were available, but many people walked away empty-handed on Saturday. Among them was Stacy Bond. The 28-year-old from suburban Evanston said she's disheartened about President-elect Donald Trump and wanted to be in the room to hear directly from Obama, the first president she voted for after reaching the legal voting age. "You kind of want to hold on to that last bit of him that we've had," she said. The White House says the farewell address also will be streamed live online. Obama will be joined by first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. WATCH: President Obama's weekly address The White House has directed all U.S. ambassadors who are political appointees to resign their posts as of Inauguration Day, January 20. That is common, typical practice, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Friday, and he confirmed that ambassadors who are career members of the U.S. Foreign Service about 70 percent of the top American envoys abroad were not asked to offer their resignations. The politically appointed ambassadors are being pulled back because they are the representatives of the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama, according to the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, Ronald Neumann. When you are a political appointee for this or any other administration, you have no expectation of staying beyond the inauguration of the new administration, Kirby said. Trump ordered all out by Inauguration Day In the background of this weeks developments, however, is the disclosure that President-elect Donald Trumps transition staff issued a blanket order earlier, distributed as a diplomatic cable by the State Department, ordering all political appointees to leave their overseas posts by Inauguration Day. The New York Times said the order appeared to break with decades of precedent by indicating that affected ambassadors would not get even the briefest extension of their appointments, for reasons such as completing a childs school term or dealing with family health issues. A senior member of Trumps transition team told the Times there was no ill will in the move, describing it as a simple matter of ensuring that Obamas overseas envoys leave the government on schedule, just as thousands of political aides at the White House and in federal agencies must do. The only thing that is different is that they are not letting any of them have extensions, Neumann told VOA. That is a little unusual. Very few noncareer ambassadors seek such extensions, and usually only on a short-term basis, Neumann added. The American Academy of Diplomacy that he heads is made up of former career and noncareer U.S. government officials who have served in international affairs. Requests of extensions handled case by case David Eagles, director of the Partnership for Public Services Center for Presidential Transition, agreed it is customary that all noncareer ambassadors submit their resignations when administrations change in Washington. Historically there have been exceptions, he told VOA by email, which have been dealt with on a case-by-case basis due to professional or personal reasons. A former U.S. ambassador to Romania, Jim Rosapepe, was appointed during the Clinton administration and resigned when the administration changed. A number of my colleagues particularly in Europe, those who had children in schools asked to be extended till the end of the school year. And the Bush administration had them stay until May or June, something like that, he told VOA. Veteran diplomats emphasized that the United States will not be left without envoys in charge of critical posts as the government changes hands later this month. All U.S. embassies will also typically have a No. 2 diplomat, known as the deputy chief of mission, who will take over as charge daffaires in essence, an acting ambassador in the absence of a Senate-confirmed replacement. Diplomacy continues and the work of our U.S. embassies goes on, a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, Curtis S. Chin, told VOA Friday. Chin served under presidents from both major U.S. political parties, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama. He is the inaugural Asia Fellow at the Milken Institute. Rosapepe agreed that if a crisis erupts abroad, he is confident that experienced and able career diplomats are on hand to handle any situation. Four years in a government-issued uniform and without your family can make a person do odd things. Just look at Rod Blagojevich, imprisoned for trying to sell President Obama's former Senate seat. Ruminating in federal prison apparently left Illinois' former governor thinking it would be dandy to ask Obama to commute his 14-year sentence before the president leaves office later this month. If stir crazy is that bad, perhaps social justice supporters have a point about making sure sentences are appropriate for the crime. The Blagojevich case, the Chicago Tribune has written, is "regarded as one of the most shocking instances of corruption in U.S. history." For that, 14 years seems just to us, but not to No. 40892-424. Illinois has a long history of sullied politicians, before and after Blagojevich. But even with that history, it's hard to tell, even at this date, what (or if) the former governor was thinking when he offered to fill the Senate seat with a person named by the highest bidder. "I've got this thing, and it's (expletive) golden," he was infamously recorded saying on an FBI wiretap. Now, the public has a golden opportunity to see a convicted felon a former elected official serve a prison sentence in its entirety. Blagojevich as governor, interestingly, had one of the state's lowest number of commutations or pardons, addressing only 25 percent of the requests that came across his desk in six years. The Tribune has reported that Obama's focus on commutations has been on drug cases and that he, too, has granted only a small percentage. Many (us included) think Blagojevich's request should be ignored by the president and any future president, for that matter. The former governor is supposed to stay imprisoned until 2024, his punishment for being convicted of 18 counts of corruption. Five counts later were dismissed but the 14-year sentence remained in place. In recent decades, high-profile presidential pardons/commutations have included names such as Jimmy Hoffa (Richard Nixon); Nixon (Gerald Ford); Peter Yarrow (Jimmy Carter); George Steinbrenner (Ronald Reagan); Caspar Weinberger (George H.W. Bush); and Patty Hearst (Bill Clinton). While the final decision on a pardon/commutation for a federal offense rests solely with the president, we see no overriding reason for Rod Blagojevich to serve a shorter term. Blagojevich was trained as a lawyer and once served as a prosecutor. He was a state lawmaker, a U.S. congressman and, finally, governor. He, more than most, should have realized the illegality of his actions. He, more than most, succumbed to the greed of politics, position, power and money. Maybe, in 10 years, he'll have learned his lesson. -- The Bloomington Pantagraph In a sign of improving cooperation between the U.S. and China to fight the global drug trade, the Drug Enforcement Administration will open a new office there and its top chief will visit next week for the first time in more than a decade. The DEA said acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg will visit Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong Monday through Thursday, at the invitation of China's Ministry of Public Security. The last time the head of the DEA visited the country was 2005. The planned new office in the city of Guangzhou will likely be staffed with two special agents, pending final approvals, said Russell Baer, a DEA special agent in Washington. DEA maintains that China is the top source country for synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its precursors, which have been fueling the deadliest drug abuse epidemic in U.S. history. China is also emerging as a laundering destination for drug money, according to a U.S. Justice Department indictment unsealed in 2015. "Intelligence and investigative information have shown that Guangzhou has strong ties to international drug trafficking organizations operating in China and elsewhere,'' Baer said in an email. "These criminal groups in Guangzhou utilize trade-based money laundering schemes to legitimize drug profits, use the port facilities as a transit point to ship illegal narcotics, and purchase synthetic drugs along with precursor chemicals.'' Chinese officials dispute claims that China is the main source of fentanyl and precursors, noting that the U.S. has produced little supporting data. Nonetheless, Beijing has taken significant steps to crack down on the production and export of synthetic drugs, even though these substances are not widely abused within China. China already controls fentanyl, a painkiller up to 50 times more potent than heroin, along with 18 related compounds and is considering blacklisting four more. U.S. officials have been pressing China to control additional opioids, which can be easily purchased online from vendors in China. China, meanwhile, has been seeking U.S. support to place ketamine, an anesthetic widely abused in China, on a U.N.-maintained list of internationally controlled substances. "We believe Mr. Rosenberg's visit will improve both sides' understanding and trust. It will help to improve cooperation in cracking down on drug crimes,'' China's National Narcotics Control Commission told AP, noting that Hu Minglang, then Director General of China's Narcotics Control Bureau, already visited Washington in September. Members of the U.S. Congress have officially counted Electoral College votes and verified Donald Trump's election as the 45th U.S. president. The electoral vote count is the final step in legitimizing the results of the national vote held on November 8, 2016. It is the responsibility of the vice president to certify the vote of the Electoral College, which meant Vice President Joe Biden presided over Friday's joint session of Congress. During the vote count, Democratic members of the House of Representatives objected to votes reported from at least 10 states, because of complaints about voter suppression and the belief that Russia used online influence to tamper with election results. Federal law mandates that an objection must be supported by a member of the other house of Congress in order to be discussed. When House members raised objections, senators stayed quiet, so in each case Biden was obliged to respond by saying, "There can be no debate." Republicans boo Democrat's objection Toward the end of the count, Representative Maxine Waters, an African-American member of the Democratic Party from California, pleaded for at least one senator to stand up in support of her objection. In answer, Republicans booed. Protesters also attended the joint session, in the public seating area. Several were ejected when their behavior become disruptive. The final electoral count was 304 votes for Trump and 227 for Democrat Hillary Clinton. Seven electors registered "protest votes" for other candidates. Biden made the formal announcement declaring Trump the winner after the count was complete. Critics of the U.S. Electoral College noted that this was the second time in less than two decades that a Democrat won the larger share of the popular vote but lost to a Republican who won a greater number of Electoral College votes. In 2016, Clinton got nearly 3 million more popular votes than Trump, but lost the overall election because the Republican candidate won in enough states to guarantee him a majority in the Electoral College, which has 538 members. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote by a narrower margin, but lost the Electoral College vote to Republican George W. Bush after a prolonged recount in Florida and a series of court challenges. The case ultimately went to the Supreme Court, which halted the Florida recount on a 5-4 ruling that effectively made Bush the 43rd president, just six days before the Electoral College met in mid-December. Electoral College history The Electoral College system of voting, enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, tends to favor the interests of less populous U.S. states. The size of the college is based on the size of each state's congressional delegation. Every state has two senators, accounting for 100 Electoral College members. To that is added a number of electors equal to each state's seats in the House of Representatives 435 in all, ranging from one seat for the smallest states to 53 for the largest, California. With the addition of three electors from the District of Columbia, which is not a state but is home to the nation's capital, the total size of the college rises to 538 members. Caroline Frederickson of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy told VOA the system could be changed either by amending the Constitution a difficult and complicated procedure or alternatively, if enough U.S. states band together to award their electoral votes to to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationwide. At present, 10 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, representing 165 electoral votes, have agreed to pledge their electors to the winner of the nationwide popular vote, but their plan would not take effect until more states have enlisted enough to command at least 270 votes, the majority necessary to guarantee a presidential victory. Even if that threshold is reached, however, other legal challenges could be expected on constitutional grounds. House member Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, Texas, said the 2016 election contained "absolute violations and absolute failures," including local authorities' "suppression" of some votes, and alleged Russian interference in U.S. politics. She had wanted Congress to debate those issues, she said, and she does not plan to drop the issue. Speaking to VOA after the Electoral College vote was counted and certified Friday, Lee said she and her allies respect the college as an institution, but she vowed, "We're not going to let the enormous amount of voter suppression that occurred go silently into the night." Trump and his vice president-elect, Mike Pence, will be sworn into office on January 20. VOA's Katherine Gypson and Marissa Melton contributed to this report. A huge explosion ripped through the center of a rebel-held border town in northern Syria on Saturday, killing more than 40 people, many of them civilians displaced by months of conflict that devastated large parts of the nearby city of Aleppo. Monitors said the blast, most likely from a tanker truck bomb, was detonated in the town of Azaz, outside a courthouse and security offices staffed by opposition fighters seeking to topple the Damascus government. A nearby marketplace lay in ruins. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Video from the scene showed flattened, burning buildings and wounded locals struggling to escape the blast area. Local activists placed the death toll as high as 60, as search-and-rescue teams scrambled to locate survivors hours after the blast. Rebel-controlled Azaz has been targeted repeatedly by bombers in recent months, with anti-government militia accusing Islamic State extremists in two bombings in late 2016 that killed more than 40 people, most of them rebels. Government forces The blast coincided with a fragile, nationwide cease-fire brokered in late December by Syrian government ally Russia and Turkey. That truce excluded jihadists from Islamic State and the al-Qaida affiliate Fateh al-Sham, known previously as al-Nusra Front. In separate developments Saturday, government forces near Damascus pressed forward with an offensive in the Barada Valley aimed at pushing rebels and jihadists from territory that supplies the capital's 5.5 million residents with drinking water. The activist Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors fighting in the nearly six-year conflict, said Saturday that at least nine people, including seven government soldiers, had been killed in fighting on the outskirts of Damascus. At least 20 others were reported wounded. Government forces pounded the area for nearly two weeks, after claims on December 22 that rebels had contaminated the city's water supply. Severe rationing has since crippled daily life in the city and sparked widespread demands from locals for government action to end the crisis. The government of President Bashar al-Assad has accused rebels of contaminating water from the Barada River with diesel fuel. But rebel groups dug in at Barada since 2012 linked the contamination to government airstrikes in December that they say heavily damaged a key water-processing facility that supplies the city. The suspect in the deadly shooting at a Florida airport was charged Saturday with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death, according to a statement by the Miami U.S. attorney's office. Esteban Santiago, 26, an Iraq War veteran, is accused of killing five people and wounding six others in a shooting rampage Friday. The gunshots panicked thousands of people and threw the Fort Lauderdale airport into chaos. If convicted of the charge, Santiago could face the death penalty or any prison sentence up to life. Santiago also was charged with two firearms offenses, officials said. He is being held without bail. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Florida Monday. Traveled to Florida Officials said at a news conference Saturday the suspect in the deadly shooting attack traveled "specifically" to Fort Lauderdale to carry out the attack, but the reason why remained unclear. WATCH: FBI: Still considering terrorism in Florida shooting Police interrogated Santiago for several hours until early Saturday. Authorities said he was cooperating with investigators. George Piro, the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Miami office, told reporters Saturday that Santiago "came here specifically to carry out this horrific attack," but added it was unknown what triggered the shootings. Police "continue to look at the terrorism angle" as a possible motive, Piro said, but its too early in the investigation to suggest a motive for the shooting. The airport, shut down after Friday's attack, reopened slowly Saturday, with reports of security delays and long lines. Mental health evaluation In Alaska, where Santiago lived, the FBI and the Anchorage police chief said Saturday Santiago walked into a local FBI office in November in an agitated state. He made incoherent statements and told agents he had been hearing voices directing to join the terror group Islamic State. Santiago was carrying a pistol magazine loaded with bullets at the time, but said he had left his gun in his vehicle. As is their practice, the FBI agents took his weapon. Santiago was taken for a mental health evaluation and investigated, but authorities found no wrongdoing. They returned his gun to him in December. It is not clear if that pistol was used in the airport shootings. Authorities in Florida said Santiago's weapon was properly stowed in a locked case inside his checked luggage. After landing in Fort Lauderdale, they said he retrieved his luggage, went to a restroom to unlock and load the gun, then walked back into the terminal area and began firing. "There's no question we need to review not only the question of whether people should be able to travel with their firearms even if they're in checked baggage," said U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, whose congressional district includes the airport, "but I think we need to take a hard look at the security around baggage claim areas..." The FBI's Piro, who said mental illness also was being studied as a factor in the attack, told reporters: We have conducted roughly 175 witness interviews, weve recovered video, physical evidence and we continue to pursue every investigative lead." WATCH: News conference on Fort Lauderdale, Florida, shooting Hospitalized after service in Iraq Santiago's brother blames the government for not giving his sibling the help he needed and had requested from the FBI in Anchorage. Bryan Santiago said his brother had asked the government for psychological help, but had received scant assistance, even after he said he was hearing voices and that "the government was writing to him in secret code . . . They already knew about the thoughts he was having. That angers me." In Alaska, authorities defended their interactions with Esteban Santiago, saying the young man broke no laws when he walked into the FBI office "making disjointed comments about mind control." Esteban Santiago's uncle, Hernan Rivera, told the Star-Ledger newspaper in Newark, New Jersey: "Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasnt feeling too good." Santiago was a member of the Army National Guard from 2007 until late 2016 when he was discharged for unsatisfactory performance. Most of his service was either in Puerto Rico or Alaska, but he also served 10 months on active duty in Iraq in 2010-2011. His aunt told the newspaper he was hospitalized after returning from Iraq. It was like he lost his mind, Ruiz Rivera said. The lone suspect in a deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida is reported to be a former National Guard member who was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation last year after hearing voices that urged him to commit acts of violence. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has not ruled out terrorism in the deadly shooting Friday. FBI agent George Piro said at a Friday night news conference the bureau is pursuing every possible lead, including terrorism. Law enforcement officials holding the suspect say he is 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Alaska who arrived at the airport Friday on a flight from Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. He is believed to have opened fire at the airport, killing five people and wounding eight more before being detained. Piro said the gunman had a semi-automatic handgun. At first, police were not certain whether more than one gunman was involved, so they checked everyone closely before allowing people back into the terminal. Airport operations were shut down for hours, and flights bound for Fort Lauderdale from across the country were grounded in distant cities. Watch: Multiple People Shot at Fort Lauderdale, Florida Airport Authorities eventually said there was only one suspect, and that no shots were fired by any of the police agencies at the scene. The suspect was detained after he ran out of ammunition and lay down on the floor of the terminal, spread-eagled. Suspect served in Iraq Santiago is reported to be a former National Guard member serving in Puerto Rico. Last year, he voluntarily checked into a hospital for mental health evaluation. He is reported to have said he was hearing imaginary voices, some of them telling him to join the terrorist group Islamic State. Santiago spent 10 months in Iraq in 2010 and 2011. He later joined the Army National Guard in Alaska, the largest and most remote U.S. state. He is believed to have served in the Guard there from 2014 until August last year when he was discharged for unsatisfactory performance. Law enforcement officials also said Santiago spent some time working for a security company in Anchorage. Other accounts said Santiago was discharged from the National Guard last year for unsatisfactory performance. The young man is reported to have checked into a hospital in Alaska voluntarily for a mental-health evaluation last year after telling authorities he had been hearing voices in his head, some of them urging him to commit acts of violence. He also is said to have told federal agents he received messages that the U.S government was ordering him to join the terrorist group Islamic State, but there was no indication he acted on that in any way. Law-enforcement officials at the scene of the airport shooting said they believed Santiago had traveled with a handgun in a locked case in his checked luggage a normal practice for licensed owners of weapons. They said he retrieved the luggage after arriving in Florida and loaded the gun in a restroom before walking toward travelers waiting for their bags, where he opened fire. Senseless act of evil Floridas governor, Rick Scott, spoke to reporters several hours after the shooting, which he called a senseless act of evil, and asked for prayers for all the victims. Scott said his staff has been in touch with airports around the state since the shooting to find out what resources they need. My imperative is to keep everybody safe, he said. Everybodys working hard to find out exactly what happened and I dont want this to ever happen again. President Barack Obama spoke by telephone with Scott, offering his condolences to the victims of the shooting and their families, and also pledged federal authorities full assistance in investigating the horrific shooting. Scott said he called President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence about the shooting and was assured they would do everything in their power to provide whatever assistance is needed. Obama told ABC News Friday he was heartbroken by the shooting, and added: These kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the years that Ive been president. ... The pain, the grief, the shock that they [victims and witnesses] must be going through is enormous. VOA's Pentagon reporter Carla Babb contributed to this report. Polling strongly ahead of France's presidential elections, far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Friday sketched out foreign policy priorities she'll pursue if she wins the vote, which include backing an alliance with Washington and Moscow to fight Islamist extremism, carving out a new relationship with the European Union and deepening ties with francophone Africa. In a wide-ranging interview with English-speaking reporters in Paris, Le Pen also defended the populism now surging across Europe and the United States, which has toppled mainstream politicians and is closely associated with her National Front party. "Is it those who want to defend the government of, for and on behalf of the people?" she asked. "If that's the case, then I accept being called a populist." She also dipped into domestic politics, lambasting French banks for refusing loans to finance her campaign as "scandalous," and calling for drastic cuts in the number of French Senate and National Assembly seats as part of a broader plan to shrink layers of French governance. France's presidential campaign is among Europe's most closely watched this year, and Le Pen is riding a wave of voter anger about the lackluster economy, rising immigration and militant Islam. So unpopular is incumbent President Francois Hollande that he announced last month he would not run for re-election in April. His ruling Socialists hold primaries this month, but the winner stands little chance of prevailing in the general vote. Runoff, loss seen Many polls and pundits predict Le Pen may end up in a runoff vote in May but lose the presidency an outcome reminiscent of 2002, when her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, lost to incumbent Jacques Chirac in what amounted to a massive vote against extremism. Today, however, the younger Le Pen is far more popular than her father. She has softened the edges of her far-right party, making it more palatable to mainstream voters. A new Elabe survey out Thursday found Le Pen slipping in the polls against center-right candidate Francois Fillon, currently seen as the likeliest next president. Still, she exuded confidence and elegance as she met with reporters and pointed to the unreliability of opinion polls, as shown recently in the U.S. elections. Le Pen was one of the first foreign politicians to congratulate Donald Trump on his shock victory in the U.S. in November, even before the final results were announced. Just days before he assumes office, she hailed potentially warming relations between Washington and Moscow under a Trump presidency. "If Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin can find the path for pacifying relations," she said, "geographically, politically and strategically, as a French citizen, I rejoice in this." She also sketched out a possible alliance between Washington, Paris and Moscow aimed at battling Islamist extremism in Syria and elsewhere. "There are no moderate rebels, there are Islamist fundamentalists ... and the powers must eradicate them," Le Pen said, asserting that French foreign policy helped create the crises in Syria and Libya. Defense of Russia Similarly, she blamed the European Union for tense relations with Moscow and, not for the first time, defended Russia's right to annex Crimea. Like Trump, she also expressed doubt that Russia had meddled in the U.S. elections. "I'm not sure there are really serious elements behind the accusations of cyberattacks," Le Pen said, blaming U.S. Democrats for their loss. "They had to find an excuse, so they found it with the Russians." Le Pen also backed greater French investment in francophone Africa's development "as one way to avoid gigantic migration flows" in the coming decades. On the EU, Le Pen said she would first try to renegotiate a new deal that would see France regaining control over its currency, borders, and economic and political sovereignty as a possible alternative to holding a "frexit" vote six months after entering office. If the EU accedes to her demands, Le Pen said, she will counsel French voters to remain in the bloc. "I think many countries will profit from these negotiations to assert their own preoccupations," she added, predicting the resulting pressure could lead to a "Europe that respects people's sovereignty." Israel says it is withholding about $6 million from its annual United Nations dues, following a U.N. Security Council resolution last month calling for an end to Israels settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory. The United States abstained from voting on the measure, opening the way for the other 14 members of the Council to unanimously pass the resolution. Israels U.N. mission said Friday the $6 million cut from its annual $40 million contribution to the world body represents funds that would be allocated to U.N. committees focused on Palestinian issues. It is unreasonable for Israel to fund bodies that operate against us at the U.N., Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement. The Israeli U.N. mission said it will take other steps aimed at ending anti-Israel activities after Donald Trump is sworn in as U.S. president. House condemns vote On Thursday, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution condemning the U.N. stance and criticizing President Barack Obamas administration for abstaining in the Security Council vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the U.S. abstention on the U.N. resolution a shameful swipe against Washingtons traditional ally. Palestinians support it Palestinians, however, have hailed the vote, with former Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat calling it a clear and unanimous message to Netanyahu that his policies will not lead to peace or security for Israel or Palestinians. More than 500,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank in settlements that most world governments view as illegal. The Obama administration has called them illegitimate. Citing biblical connections to the land and modern-day security concerns, Israel claims all of Jerusalem and the West Bank, territories seized during the Six-Day War of 1967. Word spread quickly through cellphone messages and shouts between co-workers that Ford Motor Co. had canceled its new $1.6 billion car plant at its sprawling 700-acre high desert site in north-central Mexico. When I saw it on the phone, [I thought], Well, no, it can't be, said Higinio Salazar, a security guard who spent the past five months logging traffic into and out of the site and hoped to have steady work for months to come. It was on orders of Mr. Trump, he said bitterly. That was not the case, Ford insists, but the perception here in Mexico's burgeoning auto assembly region was largely that President-elect Donald Trump, who had promised for months to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. while at the same time disparaging Mexicans, had made good before even settling into the White House. Trump took a shot at Toyota on Thursday over its move to make Corollas in this region, though the Japanese company defended its plan. Surprising news Ford's announcement sent shock waves across Mexico, which has become tightly meshed with the U.S. economy since the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement, sending 80 percent of its $532 billion in exports across the border in 2015. The U.S. government says $100 billion of that was in vehicles and parts, making Mexico the biggest exporter of automotive products to the United States. Mexico's auto plants now account for 20 percent of all light vehicles built in North America, industry figures say. State officials in San Luis Potosi did not find out much earlier than Salazar that plans had been scrapped for the long-awaited plant, which promised 2,800 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect ones through Ford's supply chain. State Economic Development Secretary Gustavo Puente Orozco said Ford told state officials about an hour before CEO Mark Fields made the announcement Tuesday. Puente said Ford made very clear it was a definitive cancellation, citing supply and demand rather than politics. They told us that it was a market issue the issue that the Ford Focus that was the vehicle they thought to build, this light vehicle they planned to build in San Luis Potosi, they say the demand had dropped, Puente said. BMW plant to open in 2019 Low gas prices have Americans turning again to larger vehicles, and Focus sales have fallen victim to that trend. Fields said Ford will produce the Focus at an existing plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, and use some of the savings to invest $700 million in an existing Michigan plant to make hybrid, electric and autonomous vehicles. The San Luis Potosi plant was well past the theoretical stage and there were high hopes the state would see further economic growth from the opening of its third auto plant General Motors Corp. has been producing the small Aveo and Trax vehicles up the road since 2008 and a BMW plant nearby is scheduled to begin production in early 2019. The steel bones of Ford's plant had begun to rise and signs designated the future spots for each part of the operation, from stamping to final warehouse. Suppliers move on On Wednesday, Fernando Rosales Ortuno, who deals in hydraulic hoses for Parker Hannifin Corp. was pacing the site's perimeter with a cellphone pressed to his ear, trying to arrange for a trailer to get hauled away. It's essentially a portable store that had been set up to service the big machines preparing the site. He had hoped that once Ford was up and running, the plant might become a long-term client. It hit us like a bucket of cold water, Rosales said. Everyone here was hoping for a lot of growth in the state and this region, too. Four clustered states in central Mexico San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato have seven auto assembly plants that are operating or will be within the next two years. Around them are nearly 800 auto parts suppliers, Puente said. Workers make $8 an hour In San Luis Potosi alone, between 50,000 and 60,000 jobs depend on the auto industry. An average worker in Mexico costs automakers $8 an hour, including wages and benefits, compared to the $60 an hour that Ford said it was spending on an autoworker in the U.S. at the end of 2015. In Villa de Reyes' town square, residents said the younger generation would be hurt most by the cancellation. Retiree Ignacio Segura Rocha said fewer people from town are migrating to the U.S. now because the crossing has gotten harder than when he went in 1977 and 1978. He said the auto industry offers good alternatives for kids growing up on the region's isolated ranches. They were already dreaming of going there [to Ford], and at the last minute there's nothing, he said. Construction worker J. Refugio Waldo Contreras feels Trump is putting Mexicans in an impossible situation. This Trump, he doesn't want people there, so where is he going to send them? Contreras asked. And he doesn't want work to open here? So then he's going to close the doors. On to the next job for some Trump also sent tweets this week threatening to impose heavy tariffs on General Motors and Toyota cars produced in Mexico for the U.S. market. GM said it exports only a small number of Cruze hatchbacks it makes in Mexico. Toyota stood by its plan to produce Corollas in Guanajuato, while stressing that its production and employment in the U.S. will not be affected. There were some notes of optimism among Mexicans. As security guard Juan Gonzalez watched contractors haul away giant earth movers on flatbed trailers, he said he didn't expect the site to stay vacant for long. If it's not the United States it could be Japan, China, he said. This is going to continue. Jorge Alvarez, who spent five months at the site working on perimeter roads, said his company had already told him his next project will be at the airport, so work would continue for him at least. Change of focus Another option could be that Mexico turns inward and focuses more on developing its internal market, said Roy Campos, president of the Mexico City-based Mitofsky consulting group. According to industry figures, 82 percent of vehicles manufactured in Mexico are exported now. Sooner or later, because of the nearness and the border, the personal relationships, the human relationships, the Mexico-United States relationship is going to return to what it was or even better than before, Campos said. So meanwhile, develop the other markets that could be very beneficial to Mexico. Billboards welcoming Ford had been sprinkled around San Luis Potosi in recent months. But only a day after the company's announcement, the welcome sign across the highway from the plant was already down, A Nigerian militant group, which has claimed a wave of attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta, said Friday it had asked its fighters to prepare to fight the enemy because authorities were not ready for dialogue. The Niger Delta Avengers had declared a cease-fire last year to give dialogue with authorities a chance. They had been staging major attacks on oil facilities and crippling the OPEC members oil output in a fight for more oil revenues for the southern region. The government has been holding talks for more than six months with Niger Delta leaders to address grievances of poverty and oil pollution in the southern region, but former militants have complained that no progress has been made. Talks stalled It has been evidently clear that the Nigerian state is not ready for any form of dialogue and negotiation, the Niger Delta Avengers said in a statement posted on their website. All fighters and commands are hereby placed on high readiness in your webs of operations to hit and knock the enemy very hard, the group said. It declared the start of an Operations Walls of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua ... to reclaim our motherland but did not say whether this meant the cease-fire has ended or gave any details. The Avengers, like other militant groups, has split into different factions, which struggle to control their fighters, unemployed young men who work for anybody who pays them. Militant groups lose hope Another former militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which had agreed to lay down arms in 2009, had said a week ago it had lost trust in the government to bring peace to the region. Those behind the pipeline attacks, which began in early 2016, say they want a greater share of Nigerias energy wealth to go to the southern region. The frequency of attacks has diminished since President Muhammadu Buhari held talks with community leaders but there are sporadic attacks, most recently in late November. The attacks cut Nigerias oil production, which stood at 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) at the start of 2016, by more than a third in the summer although the oil minister said in December pipeline repairs lifted output to nearly 1.8 million bpd. Romania has asked the United Nations to make a Transylvanian village boasting 18th century houses and intact Roman mining shafts into a World Heritage site in a surprise 11th hour move that could protect it from a gold mine project. The request to list Rosia Montana was announced as the government of Dacian Ciolos handed over power this week to the incoming Social Democrat Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, who won elections last month. Romanias outgoing culture minister said in a statement late Thursday that a request had been sent to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This was an unexpected move by the government, which last week stated it would not proceed with the UNESCO application that dates back to 2011 and has been caught up in a fight over a gold project. Protection of national treasures is one of the main responsibilities of the Ministry of Culture, said an online statement by the government. Long fight against mine Rosia Montana, which sits atop one of Europes largest gold deposits, has been at the center of a battle between villagers and the Canada-listed mining company Gabriel Resources for more than 15 years. Gabriel Resources said the $1.5 billion project to build Europes largest gold mine would provide a major boost for Romanias economy and create hundreds of jobs for the Transylvania region the legendary home of Dracula. But Rosia Montanas residents feared the mine would destroy their village and surrounding hills and farm lands as well as pollute the local environment. Campaign groups cautiously welcomed the governments application to UNESCO, but said the battle had not yet been won. We have won this battle so many times, but the company just kept coming back with new allies and new governments, Tudor Bradatan, a spokesman for the Save Rosia Montana campaign, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone. No one from Gabriel Resources was immediately available to comment. Protests biggest since 1990s Opposition to the mine ignited a wave of national protests in 2013 described as the biggest since the early 1990s anti-communist marches. Under pressure from locals and global environmentalists, the then government blocked the mine, but last year Gabriel Resources took the fight to the World Banks international arbitration tribunal to seek a reported $4 billion in compensation. The tribunal began hearing the case September 23 but no second hearing is yet set. A U.S. soldier simply wanted to serve the United States while keeping the articles of his Sikh faith a turban and beard. But for Bronze Star recipient Major Kamal Kalsi, it took 50 congressional signatures and 15,000 petitioners in a letter to the defense secretary to obtain a religious accommodation in 2009. "It's been a very, very long road and this is a significant step forward," Kalsi said Friday, just days after the U.S. Army announced a new policy that makes it easier for Sikhs, Muslims and other Americans to serve without having to choose between their faith and their country. Army Secretary Eric Fanning issued the directive this week allowing for religious accommodations such as beards, turbans and hijabs to be granted at the brigade level instead of at the secretary level, which has been the case for years. WATCH: Sikh U.S. Soldier Wins Right to Keep Turban, Beard Long road to change And those who receive religious accommodations will no longer have to keep applying for temporary waivers in order to keep turbans, beards or hijabs while they serve. Instead, Fanning noted the religious accommodations "will continue throughout the soldiers' careers. Such accommodations may not be permanently revoked or modified unless authorized by me or my designee." A Look at Sikhism Here are a few facts about Sikhism and some of its guiding tenets: World's fifth-largest religion with more than 25 million followers. Originated in Punjab, India, more than 500 years ago. Monotheistic religion begun by Guru Nanak, the first prophet; nine gurus (enlighteners) have followed. Articles of faith include unshorn hair (kesh) to symbolize harmony with God, steel bracelet (kara), ceremonial dagger (kirpan), small comb (kanga) and kachera (soldier shorts). Turbans worn as commitment to faith. Belief in working for absolute equality, promoting social welfare and fighting against injustice as sacred duties. Source: Sikh Coalition, Reuters, Religion News Service The decision to change years of existing policy is "based on the successful examples of soldiers currently serving with these accommodations," he said. Kalsi, an emergency physician, is one of those service members. He received a Bronze Star after his deployment in Afghanistan's Helmand province in 2011, where he treated dozens of fellow soldiers and civilians wounded in fighting. "Secretary Fanning has taken a significant step forward for religious freedom and diversity," Kalsi said. "This is not just for Sikhs, this is a fight for all Americans who believe in diversity and religious freedom." The road to inclusion was not a short or easy one for Kalsi and about 12 other U.S. soldiers who received temporary religious accommodations after filing legal claims against the U.S. Department of Defense. Lengthy wait times Eric Baxter of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit group that protects freedom of religion, was co-counsel on some of the cases. He recalled how, in some instances, soldiers who had completed the lengthy application process had to wait a year or more just to get their initial reviews completed. The lengthy wait time put them close to missing their report dates for basic training. "When we got accommodations, it would be an accommodation just through basic training, so you can imagine a young solder thinking, 'OK, I am going to commit my life for this 10-week period to go through basic training and not even know if I am going to be able to serve my country afterward,' " Baxter said. The January 3 memorandum includes language that not only makes accommodations permanent but also strongly encourages brigade commanders to grant religious accommodations unless there are extraordinary circumstances. Attorney Amandeep Sidhu with McDermott Will and Emery, an international law firm based in Chicago, has represented Sikh service members along with co-counsel for the Sikh Coalition and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. "At the most fundamental level, this is the most significant expansion of access to religious accommodation that the Army or any other branch has put forth in over 30 years," Sidhu said Friday. For years, Sikh and other service members had to display "proof of concept" to the Army that keeping their turbans and beards had no effect on unit readiness, cohesion and morale, and met health and safety standards. Sidhu noted the new policy makes this clear for the first time. He added the directive would most likely ease the way for new recruits who otherwise felt they would have to choose between observing the tenets of their faith and serving their country. "I expect we will have a large influx of young individuals who finally feel like they can do this," Sidhu said. "Our message to the community will be loud and clear that the door is now open and we should take every opportunity to serve our country." History of military service Sikhs with turbans and beards served in the American military for decades without issue, prior to grooming standards that went into effect in the 1980s. "During World Wars I and II, 80,000 Sikh soldiers died serving alongside allied forces. Those 80,000 soldiers did not have to get an accommodation to serve.They died, they gave their blood, sweat and tears so that we can be free today," Kalsi said. He and Baxter noted the countless number of Sikhs who serve without restrictions in countries such as Britain, India, Australia and Canada, where Defense Secretary Harjit Sajjan is Sikh and wears a turban. "The day when a Sikh solider or any other religious observer can walk up to a recruiter and be admitted into the Army without any kind of process, that will really be the ultimate victory," Baxter said. For now, the hope is that other branches of the U.S. military follow suit in making it easier for those who may feel torn between their religion and service to their country. Sri Lankan police used water cannons to try to break up violent clashes Saturday between government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. The clashes took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone near the port city of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of capital Colombo. Government supporters armed with clubs first attacked protesters organized by the opposition and led by Buddhist monks in Amabalantota, about 22 kilometers (13 miles) from Hambantota. The protesters responded by throwing rocks. It was not clear how many people were injured, but several people were seen being taken away by ambulances. Agreement with China The government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80 percent ownership. Officials also plan to set up the nearby industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories. The villagers and monks are opposed to it and demand their residential and farmlands be spared. A court had issued a restraining order on the protest, saying it could lead to unrest. China invested more than $1.2 billion in the port in what some analysts call its string of pearls strategy in countries surrounding its rival India. Although the project has lost money since 2010, Sri Lankas government, at first critical of the enterprise, approached China seeking help to make it viable. Lawmaker D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a Chinese colony. We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone, said Chanaka, the district lawmaker. When you give away such a vast area of land you cant stop the area becoming a Chinese colony. 99 year lease After the lease expires, it can be negotiated for another 99 years, according to the framework agreement, whose terms are still not final. The government also has proposed to lease 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in Hambantota district and adjoining Moneragala district for the industrial zone. The Rev. Magama Mahanama, from an organization calling itself the Monks Organization to Protect National Assets, said that the clergy following an ancient tradition would issue a decree to the government to stop the leasing. Historically, kings in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka are said to have abided by decrees issued by Buddhist monks. Its a way of conveying the message that the monks are not for it, Mahanama said. Ninety-nine years means at least two generations. When they (the Chinese) take root here, whats the guarantee that we will have it back? There is a major threat of cultural erosion and demographic change. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier this week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free the country from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. He said the industrial zone was necessary to make the port and the nearby Chinese-financed airport, also running at a heavy loss, viable. The port cant be taken away, he said, adding that the former British colonial rulers did not take away the Trincomalee harbor, Sri Lankas airport or the Colombo port. Taiwan's president landed in Houston Saturday in the southern state of Texas on her way to visit Central America. President Tsai Ing-wen will not be meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump or any of his officials, the transition team said, despite a surprise call between the two leaders last month. Tsai had not said who she might contact while in Houston for about a day on her way to Central America or in San Francisco for about the same length of time enroute home later on. The de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei - the American Institute in Taiwan - says Tsais stopovers, a courtesy Washington normally gives Latin America-bound Taiwan leaders, are for private business only. The trip, viewed in Taiwan as a test of Taiwans stable but fragile foreign relations in the Americas, has drawn attention in Beijing, which already protested the U.S. stopovers and is expected to react if Tsai shows new signs of getting close to Trump. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, not as a state entitled to foreign relations. Tsai is to visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador during her nine-day trip. The number of tourists visiting Tanzania rose 10.4 percent in the 10 months to October compared with the same period last year, the finance and planning ministry said Friday, despite higher prices for some attractions. Tourism is the main source of foreign currency in Tanzania, best known for its beaches, safaris and Mount Kilimanjaro. As part of an initiative to boost revenue, the government lifted an 18 percent value-added-tax exemption in July on some tourist attractions, including wildlife park entry. Tour operators had opposed the tax, saying it would stifle the tourism sector, which employs more than 500,000 people. However, arrivals increased to 1,020,816 in the most recent period, according to the finance ministry. Tanzania made $2.23 billion in 2015 from 1.1 million tourist arrivals, a slight decrease from 1.14 million arrivals in 2014. "Claims that tourists have run away from Tanzania because of the introduction of value added tax on some tourism services are without merit," the ministry said in a report. Last month, Tanzanian President John Magufuli announced plans to revamp the cash-strapped national carrier in a bid to boost the tourism and transport sectors, aiming to double annual foreign visitor arrivals. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in Baghdad Saturday for a two-day visit, according to a report on Iraqi state TV. Its the first such visit since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. The TV didnt give details on Yildirims schedule. On his Twitter account, the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Faruk Kaymakci, said We hope that his visit will open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations. The presence of about 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of the IS-held city of Mosul, has stirred tension with Baghdad since late last year. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are there without permission and are in blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey says the troops were invited by local Iraqi authorities and has ignored the calls. War of words The issue has led to a war of words between the two countrys leaders as Iraqi government troops launched a massive military operation to recapture Mosul October 17. Ankara has insisted that its forces should take part in retaking the city, but Baghdad has refused. The issue of the Turkish forces in Bashiqa grew into a rare and bitter public feud last year between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. At one point, Erdogan gave a speech telling al-Abadi to know his place, adding, you are not at my level, you are not my equivalent, you are not of the same quality as me. Al-Abadi responded by mocking Erdogans use of a video messaging app during Turkeys failed coup last year. Turkish troops in Iraq An Iraqi court later issued an arrest warrant against Atheel al-Nujaifi, the former governor of Ninevah province, of which Mosul is the capital, accusing him of facilitating the entry of the Turkish forces. The troops have trained Sunni fighters loyal to al-Nujaifi and Kurdish forces loyal to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani who both have sought greater power away from the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad. In a press conference Thursday, Erdogans spokesman said that Yildirims discussions in Iraq will include the Bashiqa dispute, the fight against IS, and the Kurdish Turkish separatist group known as the PKK, which has used Iraqi territory to launch attacks inside Turkey. Turkey has also deepened its involvement in the war in neighboring Syria, where its forces and allied Syrian opposition fighters are battling both IS extremists and U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. Last month, Russia, which backs the Syrian government, and Turkey, a strong supporter of Syrias moderate opposition, brokered the current shaky cease-fire, which came into effect December 30. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim began a two-day visit to Iraq on Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. The presence of 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of the IS-held city of Mosul, has stirred tension with Baghdad since late last year. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are in "blatant violation" of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey says local Iraqi authorities invited the troops. Shortly after Yildirim's arrival, the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad, Faruk Kaymakci, said on Twitter that "we hope that his visit will open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations." But after emerging from the hours-long meeting in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area, both sides seemed still far from resolving their dispute. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a joint news conference that the Turkish delegation "stressed that this issue will be resolved in a proper way within the [coming] short period." A matter of 'need' For his part, Yildirim said the presence of the Turkish troops "wasn't born out of pleasure but rather out of need." "Iraq's sovereignty is very important for us. We will not allow or be involved in any attempt or move to hurt its sovereignty," he added. Both sides also said they had discussed the fight against IS, and the Kurdish Turkish separatist group known as the PKK, which has used Iraqi territory to launch attacks inside Turkey and target water supplies to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The issue has led to a war of words between the two nations' leaders as Iraqi government troops launched a massive military operation to recapture Mosul on October 17. Ankara has insisted that its forces should take part in retaking the city, but Baghdad has refused. The issue of the Turkish forces in Bashiqa grew into a rare and bitter public feud last year between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and al-Abadi. At one point, Erdogan gave a speech telling al-Abadi to "know his place," and adding, "You are not at my level, you are not my equivalent, you are not of the same quality as me." Al-Abadi responded by mocking Erdogan's use of a video messaging app during Turkey's failed coup last year. An Iraqi court later issued an arrest warrant against Atheel al-Nujaifi, the former governor of Ninevah province, of which Mosul is the capital. He was accused of facilitating the entry of the Turkish forces. The troops have trained Sunni fighters loyal to al-Nujaifi and Kurdish forces loyal to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani who both have sought greater power away from the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad. Push into Mosul Meanwhile Saturday, Iraqi troops pushed deeper into eastern Mosul, entering four neighborhoods, according to the operation's commander, Lieutenant General Abdul-Amir Rasheed Yar Allah. He said in a statement that the troops had "liberated" the neighborhoods of Rifaq, Atibaa 1st and Atibaa 2nd, as well as Ghufran along the Tigris river, but didn't elaborate on whether pockets of resistance still remained. Yar Allah also announced the capture of the Salam and Shafaa hospitals in the Wahda neighborhood, as well as a 186-building residential complex in the northern Hadbaa neighborhood. Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul fell to IS in the summer of 2014 as the militants swept over much of the country's north and central areas. If successful, the retaking of the city would be the biggest blow yet to IS. Mosul is the largest remaining city in the self-declared IS "caliphate" spanning Iraq and Syria. An official with the U.S. consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico was shot and wounded Friday night. Authorities are trying to identify a suspect. The official identified as 13-year foreign service officer Christopher Ashcraft is said to be in stable condition, according to a statement from the Mexican attorney generals office. A video posted to Facebook by the U.S. consulate shows the shooter waiting outside a parking garage before opening fire on the officials car Friday evening. The gunman had just previously followed the consulate official through the parking garage, but didnt engage him until the official exited the garage in his car. The gunman then fired a shot into the cars windshield in an apparent attempt to kill the official. No motive is known for the shooting. The video shows a man dressed in a blue shirt and wearing sunglasses, but no other information has been released about the shooter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the suspects arrest. Russian President Vladimir Putin set out to undermine the 2016 U.S. election and discredit former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an unprecedented influence campaign, eventually deciding to help the chances of President-elect Donald Trump, according to a declassified report by the U.S. intelligence community. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability, according to the report, released late Friday. We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump, the report continued, adding, Putin and the Russian government aspired to help President-elect Trumps election chances when possible. The release of the report by the top three U.S. intelligence agencies came just hours after intelligence chiefs gave a classified briefing to Trump in New York. Outgoing President Barack Obama, who ordered the report, was briefed on the material Thursday. In the report, both the CIA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation state they have high confidence in their conclusions. A third intelligence branch, the National Security Agency, while in agreement, said it has only moderate confidence in the findings.Late Friday, Trump posted a tweet that blames the Democrats for being hacked. "Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place," Trump tweeted. "The Republican National Committee had strong defense." Trump furthered his criticism in a pair of tweets Saturday morning, pointing out that the hacking didn't change any votes and calling democrats "totally embarrassed" by their election loss. Intelligence stated very strongly there was absolutely no evidence that hacking affected the election results. Voting machines not touched, Trump tweeted. Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed! Team to combat cyberattacks Trump called his briefing Friday "constructive," but maintained in a statement that any efforts by Russia or other countries to interfere with the U.S. election had "absolutely no effect on the outcome." WATCH: National Intelligence Director James Clapper speaks to Senate Armed Services Committee Trump also promised to appoint a team to come up a plan to combat cyberattacks on the U.S. by Russia and China, as well as from other countries and entities, within 90 days of his inauguration. "America's safety and security will be my No. 1 priority," Trump said in the statement. "The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm." Earlier Friday, however, Trump characterized the intelligence community's insistence that Russia interfered in the elections as a "political witch hunt" during an interview with The New York Times, saying it was being carried out by opponents who were still upset about losing to him. His failure to fully endorse the U.S. intelligence community's findings even after the briefing is likely to stir further controversy. White House spokesman Josh Earnest went so far as to question Trump's motives, citing a series of tweets by the president-elect. "His concerns are about something other than protecting classified information," Earnest said Friday. "What those concerns are is something that I'll let him articulate." Lawmakers' conclusions Some U.S. lawmakers who have also been briefed on the classified version of the report have come away with far different determinations. "Suffice to say, it's stunning in its conclusions," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Another Democrat, Representative Bennie Thompson, said the classified report "presents compelling evidence" of Russian interference. The ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee also said it was "stunning and quite shameful that the president-elect has instead put his energy towards impugning the intelligence community he will soon be overseeing." "This is a troubling chapter in an ongoing story," Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement Friday. "The Intelligence Community's report on Russian activities and intentions in recent U.S. elections highlights for the American people the direct and aggressive covert influence campaign conducted against our nation," said Burr, a Republican. "I expect that out our nation's leaders will counter these activities appropriately." Still, some former intelligence officers and Trump supporters maintain there is ample reason to remain skeptical of the intelligence report's findings. Most notably, they argue U.S. intelligence officials have yet to release any information that shows a clear link between the hacks of the Democratic National Committee and other political figures, and Russian operatives. "There's no smoking gun," said Tony Shaffer, a retired intelligence officer who worked with Trump's national security adviser, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn. "Every other president who had to make a strong stand regarding an adversary has been willing to provide detailed information regarding how and why it happened," Shaffer said, citing as one example former President John F. Kennedy's disclosure of spy photos of Russian missile sites during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis as an example. Level of detail Intelligence officials admit that level of detail, which would risk exposing sources and methods, was not included in the declassified report on Russian interference in the U.S. election. And, critically, the report concludes that at no time was Russia able to compromise systems used to tally election results. Instead, the report lays out how the Russian campaign evolved from one seeking simply to undermine faith in U.S. democratic processes conducting cyber operations against both major U.S. political parties and lobbyists to one intent on seeing Trump in the White House. "Putin most likely wanted to discredit Secretary Clinton because he has publicly blamed her since 2011 for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he holds a grudge for comments he almost certainly saw as disparaging him," the report said. "When it appeared to Moscow that Secretary Clinton was likely to win the election, the Russian influence campaign began to focus more on undermining her future presidency." The declassified report also maintains that while unprecedented, Moscow's willingness to share, or disclose, hacked intelligence reflects a pattern of activity seen in Russian information operations against Olympic athletes and other governments. Specifically, U.S. intelligence contends Russia's GRU intelligence agency used several conduits to disseminate hacked emails and other documents. These included DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks, as well as Guccifer 2.0, who claims to be an independent Romanian hacker. but who intelligence officials suspect is really a persona created by Russian intelligence. In one case, content stolen from email accounts targeted by GRU hackers in March 2016 appeared on DCLeaks.com starting in June 2016. Propaganda outlet U.S. intelligence officials also pointed to Russia's use of its propaganda outlet, RT, which according to the report "has actively collaborated with WikiLeaks" dating to a 2013 meeting between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and RT's editor in chief. Russia then amplified these efforts by using professional internet trolls to give more attention to the scandals set off by the WikiLeaks disclosures about the Clinton campaign, according the report, with some trolls beginning to actively advocate for now Trump as early as December 2015. The report said Russian support for the Trump candidacy became bolder as time went on, with Putin supporters and proxies increasingly voicing their support for Trump. The effort culminated with Russian media hailing Trump's victory as "a vindication of Putin's advocacy of global populist movements." Alexandra Vacraux, executive director at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, told VOA she was in Moscow in December, where she said she met with "quite a few Russians" who were happy Trump won the election and optimistic about his coming presidency. "They were convinced Hillary Clinton had regime change in Russia as one of her main objectives," Vacraux said. Now, U.S. intelligence officials fear Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election will be the "new normal," with Russian intelligence agencies gearing up to use similar techniques to target future elections in the U.S. and other Western countries. "The Russians have a long history of interfering in elections, theirs and other people's," National Intelligence Director James Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "But we have never encountered such a direct campaign to interfere with the election process as we have seen in this case." Trump announced a replacement for Clapper Saturday morning, tapping former Senator Dan Coats to head up the intelligence community. Coats is a former ambassador to Germany who served two years in the army before he represented the state of Indiana in the U.S. Senate from 1989 until 1999 and again since 2011. Coats declined to run for another term in last November's election. If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm, Trump said in a statement. A senior American diplomat has assured Afghan leaders that Washingtons commitment to the war-torn country's peace, prosperity and security will only deepen under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon traveled to Kabul Saturday, where he met with President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, and other senior government officials. Shannon later told reporters the purpose of his visit was to underscore the strong partnership the two countries have been able to build during eight years of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama. (But) our commitment to Afghanistan does not end on January 20 (when Trump will take the oath of office), quite the contrary it will only deepen and that the strategic importance of this relationship is evident to all, emphasized Shannon. I can assure you that our purpose and intention here is enduring, is sustainable and its long term, added Shannon. It is unclear how President-elect Trump plans to deal with operations in Afghanistan, which have become Americas longest war. Around 8,500 American troops are in Afghanistan, training, advising and assisting local forces in their battle against the resurgent Taliban. The U.S. military mission is also tasked with conducting anti-terrorism operations against al-Qaida and Islamic State terrorists in the country. Under Secretary Shannon visited Kabul a day after the U.S. Marine Corps announced that it will send a new task force of around 300 military advisors to the southern Afghan province of Helmand later this year. The Taliban has overrun most of the districts of the poppy-producing region after NATO withdrew forces from Afghanistan two years ago. The insurgents have also made battlefield gains elsewhere in the country and there are fears of more violence during 2017. According to the U.S. military, the Afghan government currently is in control of some 64 percent of the population while around 10 percent is controlled by the Taliban and the rest is contested. Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said Friday that she would run for a second term in 2018, signaling again that she plans to be one of her party's fiercest critics of Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress. Warren made the announcement, which had been expected, in a message to supporters. "This isn't the fight we were expecting to fight," Warren wrote. "But this is the fight that's in front of us. And the people of Massachusetts didn't send me to Washington to roll over and play dead while Donald Trump and his team of billionaires, bigots and Wall Street bankers crush the working people of our Commonwealth and this country." Warren, a former Harvard Law School professor, won the Senate seat in 2012 by beating incumbent Republican Scott Brown in her first political contest. Potential GOP opponents in 2018 include former Boston Red Sox pitching star Curt Schilling, a strong Trump backer. Nasty battles expected Warren said she expected both the upcoming fights in the Senate over the next two years and her re-election campaign to be "uglier and nastier than anything we've ever imagined," adding she would take nothing for granted. Warren was among Democrats vetted by Hillary Clinton for the party's vice presidential nomination, which went to Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Warren has also figured in very early speculation about the 2020 presidential race. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Warren did not rule out a future White House run but added that it wasn't something she was thinking about at the moment. She was recently named to the Senate Armed Services Committee, a high-profile assignment that could enhance her foreign policy credentials. "The big banks and giant corporations aren't lining up to give money for my re-election," Warren wrote. "In fact, a lot of them would rather see me pack my bags and go home." Volunteers, small donations She appealed to supporters to make small donations to the campaign and volunteer to knock on doors or make phone calls on her behalf. "We cannot and will not allow the Republicans and the powerful interests to sink our campaign the same way they sank so many campaigns in 2016," she wrote. Warren reported more than $4.1 million in her campaign account as of September 30, according to Federal Election Commission records, and she said previously her political action committee had helped raise more than $5 million for Democratic candidates last year. Warren assailed Trump during the 2016 campaign, calling him "fraudster-in-chief," among other things. Trump responded via Twitter, labeling her "goofy Elizabeth Warren" and referring to her as "Pocahontas," a reference to Warren's claim to have Native American ancestry. Snow, sleet and freezing rain pelted a wide swath of the South overnight, turning roads icy and impassable in spots as children whooped it up on sleds and others braced for up to a foot of snow in parts of the Carolinas and Virginia. New North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper was to have an outdoor inaugural ceremony Saturday attended by thousands. He instead rushed through a 20-minute indoor oath-taking Friday before settling into his first assignment storm preparedness. Consider yourselves the chosen few, Cooper jokingly told those able to attend his swearing-in Friday. Instead of Saturdays daylong ceremonies and parade, he planned to open with a morning storm briefing before addressing the state via television. Much of North Carolina is under a winter storm warning until 7 p.m. Saturday. Its Triad and Research Triangle areas could get up to 9 inches of snow, while a foot could fall on northeastern North Carolina. 'People get really excited' Whenever snow comes people get really excited. Im a little excited, said Donovan Cheatham, who studies music at North Carolina Central University and plays in jazz bands. He and roommate Collin Williams said if they get snowed in, they may miss a paying gig but will jam anyway Collins on alto saxophone and Cheatham on drums. Lauren Rathbone, manager of Public Hardware in Durham, North Carolina, said the store sold out of more than 100 sleds Friday, along with bags and bags of ice melt to treat driveways and walks. At the beginning, its ice melt and sleds. Closer to it when people start realizing its going to be super cold, theyll start working on kerosene heaters, kerosene wicks. ... Probably Saturday somebodys going to be out of electricity, and theyll start working on lamps, she said. Even before the storm hit, shoppers were out in force stocking up on basic foods. But by the time Justin Fetty, 31, of Hampton, Virginia, made it to a Food Lion in that state, every brand of bread that he was familiar with was gone. You had to buy like weird stuff, he said, at a loss to describe exactly what kind of bread he purchased. But my daughter needs her PB&Js. Foot of snow forecast A blizzard warning for southeast Virginia accompanied forecasts of up to a foot of snow there. Winds in the warning area, which includes Norfolk and Virginia Beach, could reach 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. One fatality, a man whose pickup went off a snow-slickened Kentucky road Thursday, has been reported. But the winter road mess caused hundreds of fender benders and other non-injury crashes, some involving school buses, on Nashville, Tennessee, roads by Friday. Nashvilles city school district ordered classes to start as scheduled Friday morning but had to hastily announce early dismissals as police reports of non-injury crashes multiplied. All students made it safely home. We apologize, Nashville Schools Chief Operating Officer Chris Henson said. We realize that its been very frustrating for everyone. Ice forming Friday evening near sunset made driving dangerous on some Mississippi highways. State transportation officials reported ice on roads and bridges in more than half of the states counties. And Alabama was under a winter storm warning until Saturday morning from the wintry mix. By midday, the storm was expected to clear out, but ice would likely remain as highs would only get into the 30s. By Tuesday, temperatures are expected to reach almost balmy 50s and 60s. Flights canceled in Atlanta In Georgia, 2 to 4 inches of snow could cover northern parts of the state by Saturday morning, forecasters said. Though rain and freezing rain fell at times in Atlanta, its workers, schools and companies dismissed early Friday, avoiding the epic snowstorm traffic jam of January 2014 that stranded motorists in cars on interstates. Some took to sledding in snow-coated northern Atlanta suburbs and in Tennessee. In Atlanta, where memories of a catastrophic snow and ice storm in 2014 are still fresh, city leaders organized early departures from schools, companies and other places. The earlier storm brought traffic to a standstill on metro Atlanta freeways, and office workers were forced to spend the night in their cars in gridlock. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the worlds busiest airport, Delta Air Lines announced Friday that 350 flights had been canceled ahead of the storm. California braces Out west, in California, Yosemite Valley braced Saturday for an enormous storm that could be the biggest to slam central California in years. Rangers at Yosemite National Park closed all roads leading to the parks valley floor, a major attraction for visitors from around the world eager to view gushing waterfalls and gaze up at towering granite rock formations such as El Capitan and Half Dome. The closure is expected at least through Sunday. Other parts of the park remain open, but rangers caution visitors to be aware of ice and falling debris on the roads. A group of women in a volatile northern Afghan province has taken up arms, vowing to battle Taliban insurgents and militants fighting in the name of the Islamic State group. Around 150 women, most of whom lost family members in battles with the Taliban in northern Jouzjan province, say they are ready to fight alongside men from their districts. "They [militants] killed three of my sons and burned down our livelihood. Now we have come out to fight IS and Taliban," Mamlakat, a commander of one of the two women groups, told VOA's Afghan service. Like many Afghans, she used only a first name. Afghan women are in the country's army and police forces, but the provincial female militia marks the first time since the collapse of Taliban rule in 2001 that women have vowed to fight alongside men. A female Afghan, Malala of Maiwand, is a national folk hero in Afghanistan for helping in the fight against British troops at the Battle of Maiwand in 1880. She was killed in combat. Taliban fighters have increased their activities in many northern provinces, including restive Jouzjan the birthplace of Abdul Rashid Dostum, the vice president of Afghanistan and a regional strongman. Taliban forces have been engaged in large-scale clashes with Afghan security forces, prompting Dostum to spend a majority of his time in the region leading anti-Taliban operations. The armed women say they have suffered greatly and can no longer tolerate brutalities committed against them by the militants. "They killed my brother, sister, and a nephew. That is why I took up the gun," said Nafisa, a member of the group in Darzaab district. Another woman, whose family members were injured or killed by the Taliban, said joining the female uprising is a way of empowerment. "They killed my cousins, injured my son, and 20 to 30 others," the woman named Khadija said. "We are fed up and took arms to fight them." The women's group is asking for government support and assistance, and local police authorities say the government will equip the groups. "As a representative of the provincial government, I assure you that the women will have our support. We will help them with weapons and ammunitions," said Hafeez Khashi, a local national police commander. IS activity It's likely that most of the fight will be against the Taliban, as IS activities in the province are harder to detect, officials say. The so-called Islamic State's Khorasan branch has been active in eastern parts of Afghanistan for the past two years. Government forces have been engaged in fierce battles with IS militants in several districts of eastern Nangarhar province. In addition to Nangarhar, Afghan officials say, IS has expanded to neighboring Kunar and Nuristan provinces but has "significantly been weakened" by joint Afghan-U.S. forces' counterterrorism offensives. According to the Afghan defense ministry, IS's presence in northern provinces could not be confirmed; however, some militant groups operate under the IS name to obtain fame and money. "They [militant groups] are trying to wage a propaganda campaign for financial gains," Mohammad Radmanesh, a spokesperson for the Afghan defense ministry, told VOA. In an effort to get financial resources, he said, some militant groups use IS's name by raising the IS flag. The IS flag is black and white and decorated with words from an Islamic declaration of faith known as the shahada and a white circle meant to resemble the Muslim Prophet's seal. The Taliban flag is white with the same Arabic phrase in black. IS claimed responsibility for the killing of seven minority Shi'ite Hazara coal miners last week in northeastern Baghlan province. Prayer leaders, known as mullahs, and religious scholars in Baghlan called on people to stand against IS, saying the group causes schisms among communities and does a "disservice to Islam." Several pieces of information are coming to light on the attack that took place on 1 January 2017, in an Istanbul nightclub. Meanwhile the Turkish government has imposed a blanket ban on the local press, prohibiting them from covering this story without first obtaining permission. The attack resulted in 39 dead and 69 injured. The target was the nightclub Reina, the hotspot for the Christian Orthodox bourgeoisie in Europe (that is, on the European side of the Bosphorus). Contrary to what was initially reported, witnesses testify to 2 to 4 gunmen being present. Contrary to what was initially reported, not one of the shooters was dressed as Father Christmas. In contrast, in the days preceding [the attack], some newspapers close to the AKP and some Muslim preachers denounced the pagan festivities for the New Year and the cult of Father Christmas. According to the police, the authors of the attack were well trained in handling weapons. The police declared that they had identified one of the shooters and disseminated his photograph (see above), but they have not revealed his name. It appears that he is of Central Asian origin. His home has been searched and fifteen people among those close to him have been arrested and questioned. Daesh was the only organization to claim responsibility for the attack. The wife of the gunman identified assured the police that she was unaware that her husband had links to Daesh. From these factors, we can infer that this attack, like the one perpetrated against the Russian ambassador at Ankara on 19 December, was aimed at challenging the rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. While the attack may serve the interest of Daesh, these factors allow us to think that it was not, necessarily, the author. The Jihadists, who since 24 December 2016 have been polluting the sources of Barada the river which provides the water supply for the inhabitants (now totalling more than 7 million) of Damascus and the region, - and that have exploded its canalization, have published a declaration laying down their conditions. Currently, 5.6 million civilians have been completely cut off from running water for more than two weeks. The authorities have managed to harness lorries with tanks to supply the population, once or twice a fortnight, with non-potable water, at the rate of 50 litres per family. In addition to the containers that they could fill for washing themselves and their washing up, the inhabitants have to buy mineral water to consume drinking water. Under the Declaration of Barada , the jihadists will not allow engineers to clean and restore the sources of Barada unless the Arab Syrian Army and the Hezbollah stop fighting (that is, if the Arab Syrian Republic surrenders). In a letter addressed to the Security Council, Syria has denounced the planning of this operation by the powers that support and arm the jihadists. The Document features seven jihadist signatory groups and one of these is the White Helmets , called the Syrian Civil Defense . This humanitarian NGO (sic) has been created and is led by an MI6 officer, James Le Mesurier, who had been elevated by Queen Elizabeth, in 2016, to the position of Officer of the British Empire. This organization floods the media with shocking images meant to prove the crimes of the regime. It has often been demonstrated that the images are no more than the acting out of pure propaganda. Testimony has been delivered on the participation of this Humanitarian NGO . The Russian Minister of Defense has described it as close to Al-Qaeda . The White Helmets are funded by Germany, Denmark, the United States, France, Japan, Holland and the United Kingdom. On 19 October, the President of the French Republic, Francois Hollande, his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Marc Ayrault, and the President of Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly, Elisabeth Guigou received at the Elysee, a delegation of White Helmets including the Chair of the Civil committee of Aleppo (sic) the self-proclaimed Mayor of Aleppo (re-sic), Hagi Hasan Brita. France had presented to no avail, the candidature of the White Helmets for the Nobel Peace Prize. In international law, depriving civilians of water is considered a war crime. Government Notes the Comments Made by Unite the Union Her Majestys Government of Gibraltar notes the comments made by Unite the Union and wishes to clarify several points. 'In Decembers parliamentary session, the Government announced its future intention to dissolve the statutory post of CEO at the Gibraltar Health Authority, an intention which would first require appropriate legislation to be brought before the Gibraltar Parliament. As per usual practice, HM Government of Gibraltar will consult with all appropriate parties including GHA Management, staff, and Unite the Union. The matter has already been raised by the Chief Minister with Unite officials and with Unites GHA representatives, all of whom agreed this was the right move. The necessary legislation will be in the Parliaments Agenda for six weeks before it can be debated in Parliament, allowing for any further and necessary discussions. In the meantime, the Ministry of Health and the GHA will consider how to make the best use of the money which would be made available if this post were to be restructured. For example, it may permit the employment of several extra nurses. The Minister has invited Unite the Union to a meeting where he will ask it for its own ideas on this subject.' The Gibraltar Collection - Viewing The John Mackintosh Hall gallery will host a viewing of the Gibraltar Collection from Monday 16th to Friday 20th January 2017. This offers the opportunity to view parts of the Gibraltar Collection for the first time. The Collection is of significant cultural and heritage value and features works by Jacobo Azagury, Gustavo Bacarisas and Leni Mifsud. The viewing is free to access and opening hours are from 9.30am to 6pm. RGP Offers Obituary for the Late Retired Commissioner of Police Joseph Morello It is with great sadness that the Royal Gibraltar Police mourns the passing of Retired Commissioner of Police Joseph (Pepe) Morello after a long illness. Mr Morello joined the then Gibraltar Police in 1951 at the age of 21. He was promoted through the ranks, being made superintendent in 1972. In 1975 he was promoted to Chief Superintendent and appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police in 1980. In 1984 He was promoted to Commissioner of Police, a post he held until 1987 when he retired from service. His promotion marked a major milestone in the History of the Royal Gibraltar Police being the first Gibraltarian to be promoted to the rank of Commissioner. During his Career Mr Morello attended the Metropolitan Police Course at Hendon where he won the Baton of Honour. He also served an attachment period with Police at Portsmouth Dockyard. In 1965 he successfully completed a six month course at Bramshill Police College. Mr Morello was the recipient of the Colonial Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and Clasp, the Colonial Police Medal for meritorious service, the Queens Silver Jubilee Medal and in 1980 he was awarded the Queens Police Medal. In 1987 he was made a member of the most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). He was also awarded multiple Commissioners Commendations during his career ranging from courageous actions to perseverance and initiative in criminal investigations. Mr Morello was well loved by those who served with and under him. He is best remembered for his direct no nonsense, yet personal relationship with his officers. To date many fond anecdotes are still recalled by those who shared their service with him. Retired Commissioner of Police Morello leaves behind his wife, Bendicion, his three children Marilyn, Douglas and Vivian, 10 grandchildren and 2 great grand children. Vox extends its sincere condolences to the family. Commissioner of Police Welcomes New Recruit Intake The Commissioner of Police Eddie Yome welcomed the latest RGP and GDP recruit intake whilst addressing the new recruits at New Mole House. The current recruit class is made up of 18 RGP and 11 GDP recruit constables. The successful candidates had to undergo a selection process and will now be required to complete an intensive and arduous 20 week period of instruction. Once they successfully pass-out on completion of their initial police course, recruits will join mainstream policing as probationary constables. Only once they have completed their probationary period and attained the required standard will they be confirmed as Police Constables. Photo: Neil Rasmus/BFA.com Just two days before Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, she posted an Instagram of herself hanging out with Naomi Campbell. During a Thursday appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, the supermodel explained that she sympathizes with all Kardashian has gone through, as Parisian robbers also threatened to kill Campbell years ago. Campbell told Williams that she had just landed at the airport from Switzerland in 2012, and was on her way to visit her lovely papa Azzedine Alaia. But as soon as she got into the car, she realized something was off. It wasnt my normal driver. It was weird because he had the window rolled down, even though it was late November, Campbell explained. The driver also had the doors unlocked, and there was a weird perfume smell. Once they got to Alaias home, which was near his store, she was confronted by a gang of robbers. They attacked me, they opened up my car door, and they said, Naomi Campbell, were going to kill you, she told Williams. But Campbell refused to give up her bag, and people inside Alaias shop came out at that time, and basically saved her. The supermodel believes that her driver was in on the robbery and that Kardashian was the victim of the same gang of thieves. Its a whole ring thats been happening for a few years now, Campbell said. I very much sympathized with her, and I felt for her right away. I hated hearing those stories that it wasnt true. It was absolutely true, and it happened to me, and it happened to a few other people but its not for me to say. In life, Carrie Fisher was always ready to poke fun at the medications that helped her cope with mental illness, and her humor lives on after her death. Fishers brother, Todd, was seen carrying what appears to be a green-and-white urn shaped like a Prozac pill after the memorial service for the Star Wars star and their mother, Debbie Reynolds, later confirming to The Hollywood Reporter that the pill is indeed Fishers urn. (It was a porcelain antique Prozac pill from the 50s that was one of Carries prized possessions, he said.) By picking Prozac, Fishers final resting place keeps with her lifes advocacy: destigmatizing mental illness. The antidepressant in particular was the source of many of Fishers gags: A 2009 New York Magazine interview with Fisher reported that her kitchen floor had tiles shaped and labeled like enormous tablets of Prozac. May you have all the Prozac you could ever want in heaven, Carrie. Photo: Cross Creek Pictures This week on the Awards Show Show, podcast co-hosts Kyle Buchanan of Vulture and John Horn of KPCCs The Frame offer a few whoppers: What snub or surprising inclusion could we get on Oscar-nomination morning that, till now, no one has seen coming? First, though, John and Kyle break down this weeks guild nominations, which dont paint the most positive picture for contenders like Jackie and 20th Century Women. They also reminisce about last years infamous Golden Globes party pileup. An excerpt from the conversation follows. Listen below, and subscribe to the Awards Show Show on iTunes. Kyle Buchanan: That morning when Oscar nominations are announced, theres always one or two where its like, How did that happen? Its fun, for how obsessive we can be about the race, for something to have slipped our radar and made it through all the way. John Horn: Two thing have to happen. Something has to have been snubbed, and something has to take that snub position. KB: Thats what I want to get into today: Who might get snubbed that people arent really paying attention to, and what might make it through thats going to startle people? JH: Ill start with a true whopper: How many Best Picture nominees do you think there will be? KB: I tend to go with eight. It doesnt feel like a nine year. JH: Were there nine nominees, does Deadpool have a chance? Thats my Oh my God. KB: If Deadpool did have a chance at a shock nomination, it would be Ryan Reynolds. I was doing my Golden Globes predictions, and I think he does have a shot at Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical there. It would be very easy for them to pick Ryan Gosling; thats a fine respectable choice. But given the full-court press that Ryan Reynolds is mounting, it wouldnt shock me if that was the shock winner. And at the Oscars, Best Actor is still very malleable beyond Casey Affleck and Denzel Washington. JH: My whopper pick is Deadpool in Best Picture. Captain Fantastic, a movie I loved, actually has a legitimate shot for Best Picture. Again, thats probably the eighth slot, maybe the ninth. KB: I feel like theres often a Supporting Actor or Actress nomination where people are like, really? It comes from people just loving a movie so much that somebody sneaks in you werent expecting: Jackie Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook, or Rachel McAdams, who didnt do all that much in Spotlight. And Im wondering if the one we just didnt pay attention to, for a movie that has shown surprising awards-season strength, is Vince Vaughn in Hacksaw Ridge. I think Andrew Garfield is going to get nominated for this and not Silence, the film is going to get into the Best Picture race, Mel Gibson may very well have a strong shot at getting into Best Director, and given all those things, Vince Vaughn has a colorful role as a drill sergeant, hes basically the other actor who pops, he has good moments, and he has been out on the town. Hes out there working it. JH: I think the thing thats against him, and this is one of those secret facts about the Academy, is that yes, its a referendum on the performance, but its also a referendum on the person. I think Vince Vaughn is not well-liked. KB: Well, babe, if were talking about a Mel Gibson movie thats showing surprising strength, then down is up, left is right! JH: Heres a guy I would put in a similar category. A guy whos been working really hard, its a great performance in a film that is better than Hacksaw Ridge: Colin Farrell in The Lobster. KB: I would love that. If it makes it into the screenplay race, it would be extremely well-deserved. But boy, Colin Farrell has had a tumultuous Hollywood career. He just does his best work when hes allowed to be interesting and character-y in an indie, and hes never been better and had a better mastery of the films tone than in The Lobster. JH: Its a little bit like what Jake Gyllenhaal went through a few years ago, when he woke up and realized he was in a lot of bad movies, and did a course correction. Hes been doing a lot of interesting work. On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ... Not long after Ryan Holt became a Waco police officer some 21 years ago, he began to command attention, first as a forceful advocate for police raises, then as a technology whiz and a spokesman for the department. Now hes about to command the Waco Police Department itself, and he hopes to move it into a new era with lessons hes learned about developing strategy and building relationships. Holt, 45, an assistant chief since 2008, takes office as police chief on Sunday, with an official swearing-in ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday at Knox Hall at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. In an extensive interview Friday, Holt discussed the challenges of growth and of dealing with mental health and racial tensions, and recounted lessons learned from disasters such as the Twin Peaks shootout and the West Fertilizer Co. explosion. Holt has been known for years for his skills in analyzing crime trends, and he hopes to build on that approach with the recent hire of two new data analysts. But he said effective policing has to come from the heart, not just a spreadsheet. When people talk about community policing, Waco PD has been doing that for 20 years, he said. The key to making it successful is for our police officers to know the people in our community. When people dont know each other, misunderstandings and stereotypes get in the way. Our legitimacy comes from the community, and were not going to be successful very long if we dont establish long-term relationships and be able to talk about hard issues. Holt is the permanent replacement for Chief Brent Stroman, who retired in July 2016 and was his longtime mentor. Theres no one that made more thoughtful decisions than Brent Stroman, Holt said. It was like an eight-year master class working for Brent Stroman. Holt was chosen with the help of a consultant in a nationwide search, and City Manager Dale Fisseler has said he stood out in a field of 83 applicants. Interim Chief Frank Gentsch, who is returning to his role as assistant chief, said he has watched Holt demonstrate leadership in the past two decades. For example, Holt handled the complexities of relocating the police headquarters to Hillcrest Tower a few years ago, he said. Hes very knowledgeable and a confident supervisor who is dedicated to the department and the citizens of Waco. Ryan brings a lot of technical and operational expertise to the position as hes worked in every division of this department. I think the city and department are very fortunate that hell be serving us as the new chief. Early in his career, when he served as spokesman for the Waco Police Association, Holt was unafraid to be a squeaky wheel on behalf of his fellow officers. In July 2000, when City Manager Kathy Rice began to back away from a three-year plan to give an 8 percent raise each year, Holt denounced the decision in the press, then went straight to the council and successfully made a case for the raises. Holt said the raises paid off in recruitment and retention of police officers, though he would have taken a more diplomatic approach in retrospect. We were kind of a bull in a china closet, he said. We probably could have gotten to the same point with a little less confrontation. . . . As an executive officer, it gives me significant insight to have been through that and to have represented the association that many years ago. You try to make decisions based not only on whats good for the agency, but take into account whats good for your officers. Al Melis, who was police chief from 2000 to 2007, saw Holts leadership potential early on. I thought he was going places, Melis said. He impressed me with the ability to talk to a crowd and really connect with them. . . . I think hes going to be a great chief. Melis made Holt his go-to person when it came to modernizing the departments technology. He could cut through to what was necessary, what was a must-have and what was just a bright, shiny thing we didnt need, said Melis, now in his second career as an ordained Episcopal deacon in Waco. Growth of the city In the interview Friday, Holt said one of his challenges is how to keep up with the growth of the city without losing the relationships between officers and communities. He said that means working smarter using data to help prevent crime and guide the deployment of officers. The department has 247 sworn officers, including 135 on patrol, but the force can get stretched thin, especially on certain time-consuming calls. The No. 1 issue we face from an operational standpoint is mental health issues, in terms of what it does to resource allocation, he said. State and federal cutbacks to mental health services over the years have increased the number of incidents involving the mentally ill, including threats of suicide or harm to others. Its not unusual to have one or two mental health crisis calls on a given day, requiring an average of more than seven hours of police time. That deprives a lean staff of time for other investigations and patrols, Holt said. He said he will work with the Texas Police Chiefs Association to seek more state help in handling and preventing mental illness episodes, while continuing to train officers in how to deal with the mentally ill. I think officers in general are more savvy than in the past, he said of the mental health encounters. They try to solve issues now when they can by using non-law enforcement means. I see officers are a lot more apt to extend compassion to mental health consumers. Also in the interview, Holt acknowledged the nationwide tensions between minority communities and police. Holt said he plans to continue Stromans commitment to meet regularly with minority leaders, such as black pastors and NAACP officials, and he will encourage beat officers to get to know their neighborhoods. Holt said hes betting that those relationships can prevent the type of social unrest seen in Baltimore, Baton Rouge and Ferguson, Missouri, after black men died at the hands of police officers. You know, I hope were different, he said. I hope we are establishing the relationships so people know were coming from the right place, a good heart. Humans make mistakes on both sides of the law. Its imperative that in critical incidents people know were going to get to the truth, sometimes we have to have time to get to the truth. At times, the truth is that officers have to use deadly force. Thats always a tragedy. No officer starts the day wanting to use deadly force. It takes a tremendous toll on an officer and their families. . . . On the other side, any family, regardless how hardened the criminal was, they were still someones father, brother or mother, or sister. Theyre still a human being. Holt said he also wants to assure victims and witnesses that they shouldnt hesitate to call police because of their immigration status. Our standpoint at the Waco Police Department has been when theres a victim of crime, we dont care about their status. We are going to investigate the crime and provide resources to victims. Likewise, Holt said crime suspects will continue to be investigated based on their violation of state laws, not their federal immigration status. What happens after the local arrest is really on the judicial system, he said. We prefer to address crimes in our own community. The Waco Police Department has not been involved in the program, formerly known as Secure Communities, in which police automatically alert federal officials to possible immigration cases. Holt said relationships are also key to preparing for major disasters that are beyond the capacity of any one agency to handle. That was driven home in the West Fertilizer Co. explosion that killed 15 people. Holt said Waco police sent a SWAT team to help evacuate the surrounding neighborhood. The deadly shootout at Twin Peaks restaurant on May 17, 2015, was another incident that stretched police officials thinking about preparing for the worst, Holt said. You had a lawlessness that manifested itself into a shootout in a crowded shopping center in a mid-sized city in America, and police saved a lot of lives that day, Holt said. Paradigm shift We did everything we could, given the information we had and the environment we were operating in at the time. What you have to understand is, that was a paradigm shift for law enforcement in America. Just like the Branch Davidian standoff was a paradigm shift in how law enforcement negotiates. There had never been two organized groups who were willing to have a shootout in a public place and put as many lives in danger as happened at Twin Peaks. . . . If you had said youre going to have 250 people start shooting at each other, people would have said, That will never happen. Now we can say, that may really happen. So our planning for any major event has changed because of that. Holt said hes prepared to weather criticism and take hard questions as police chief. But he said the public should never doubt that the police are ready and able to service and protect. Our community gets a fantastic value for their money, he said. We have really good people working for us, and they belong to our community. Buckle up. The next 100 days in Washington will be tumultuous. Donald Trump and leading Republicans plan to overwhelm the 115th Congress with a mind-numbing array of changes. By the end of April, they hope to have confirmed a new Supreme Court justice, cleared a huge infrastructure measure and be well on the way to enacting big and permanent tax cuts along with sharp cutbacks in spending on domestic programs affecting the poor. They may throw in some education reform and immigration crackdowns. On his first day in office, Trump is expected to issue sweeping executive orders that undo many of the actions taken by President Obama on issues such as the environment and immigration. Thats just the formal agenda. Trump, who already has weighed in more than any other president-elect in recent memory with tweets praising Vladimir Putin or changing nuclear policy predictably will create new controversies on his own. Congress is preparing for this enormous workload. Abandoning the leisurely schedule of recent years, lawmakers are slating four or five day workweeks for the next three months, except for a week off in February. Despite the Republicans total control there are possible fissures that could create complications. Trumps priority is to quickly enact the biggest infrastructure measure since the Interstate Highway System. That could get support from Democrats if it doesnt include anti-union provisions and isnt funded by cutting other programs. Trump wouldnt care if it blows a big hole in the deficit, though that would be a problem for many conservative Republicans. Conflict in priorities Congressional Republicans say Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence claim theyll essentially delegate the substantive agenda to House Speaker Paul Ryan and other leaders on Capitol Hill, though the president-elect already has had several screaming phone calls with top Republican members of Congress. Speaker Ryans top priorities are permanent tax cuts, skewed to the wealthy and investment, accompanied by cutbacks to domestic programs. If that proves unpopular, will Trump, who doesnt like to be associated with unpopular things, pull the rug out? Republicans remain tied in knots over Obamacare. They are going to repeal it quickly with gaping questions and loopholes when it comes to how and when it will be replaced. But the real possibility is this could create chaos and cause the health insurance market to crater. And that scares them. Of course, the initial battles in the next few weeks will be over confirming Trumps appointments. Most will make it through unless they stumble badly in hearings or a new controversy or scandal is uncovered. But Democrats and a few Republicans will put many of them through a grilling. The secretary of state-designate, Rex Tillerson, chief executive officer of Exxon-Mobil, will face scrutiny and opposition from most Democrats because of his closeness to the autocratic Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Tillerson is very likely to be confirmed. If the national security activist John Bolton is nominated as deputy secretary of state, he might be rejected, which is why Trump probably will bow to the campaign against him. Many of the domestic cabinet appointments, almost uniformly staunch conservatives, will be questioned not only about their views but, in some cases, about their qualifications. One or two could go under. But these will only be a warm-up for the likely battle in the next few months over Trumps pick to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Democrats are bitter that Republicans refused for more than nine months to even consider Obamas nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. Although Trump released the names of possible appointees during the campaign, no one believes he has given any thought to this issue or knows much about it. Given this void, its anyones guess whether hed select a hard-right jurist, which would please the partys base. But unless Republican leaders change the rules, it will take 60 votes, or at least eight Democrats, to win Senate confirmation. A more moderate conservative nominee, though perhaps easily confirmable, would alienate right-wing activists. Threading the needle The big economic issues will dominate the legislative calendar as Republicans calculate they have to enact sweeping changes by July 4. Trump will enter the White House less popular than any recent predecessor; if history is any guide, a presidents clout, ability to apply political pressure and galvanize public support, usually diminishes over time. If they achieve their goals, and work together, consumer and business confidence could be soaring, the economy humming, adding jobs and Republicans wont have much to worry about. That entails threading delicate political needles and enjoying a lot of luck clearly absent in the Houses political misstep of trying to scrap its own ethics office this week. The zeal to make supply-side tax cuts permanent means that, under the budget resolutions, they cant add to the deficit in the second decade. Even with the gimmicks Ryan and others will employ, thats not anywhere close to achievable. To do so, they might then accompany these tax cuts with sharp cutbacks in federal spending on programs such as Medicaid and food stamps. That juxtaposition makes a few Republicans uncomfortable. But nothing worries this new majority more than health care. Attacking Obamacare for the past seven years has been low-hanging fruit. But devising their own health plan, which theyve never done, without millions of people losing coverage and hospitals and insurance companies getting clobbered, is beyond daunting. They would do well to remember the admonition years ago of the late Bob Teeter, one of Americas great pollsters, who foresaw that education is a winning issue politically but health care is a loser for whoever owns it. Soon that will be Republicans. Albert Hunt is a longtime political reporter and columnist who writes for Bloomberg View. Crock of bull GOP House members decided that gutting the Office of Congressional Ethics on their first day would be a great idea! Our local representative Bill Flores agrees and says he and his colleagues were trying ...to reform it, to fix it, then blames that standard old Republican boogieman of the news media for its collapse. What a crock of bull, Bill! Since this vote was cast in a closed-door meeting without public debate or warning, it appears that Mr. Flores would prefer an in-house committee that runs interference for accused colleagues instead of having a true watchdog serving the public interest. Turning an independent ethics office into a toothless complaint box may be to your advantage, sir, but some of your constituents arent hoodwinked by your partisan rhetoric! When America decided to drain the swamp we apparently overlooked more than a few snakes holed up in Congress. If the skin fits, Mr. Flores, then wear it. William Howard, McGregor Waiver-o-mania Here is a good method for the president-elect to start off the Obamacare repeal effort. Just after being sworn in, he could remove all the unions, companies, organizations and Congress itself from the exemption waivers they received. Just remove them all and see what happens then for bipartisanship to repeal this entire piece of junk legislation. Or he could start by granting a waiver to all United States citizens. There are some 2,000 waivers approved by President Obama. Many are to unions and a nest of organizations and companies in Democratic leader Nancy Pelosis district. Also included is a substantial group in Nevada, payback for the now-gone Harry Reid. I recall President Obama telling Republican lawmakers at the joint meeting for Obamacare, Elections have consequences, I won. Trump could use the same line and then say, Now, lets move forward with complete repeal. Stephen Williams, Hewitt Buy America Politicians and most manufacturers are not going to stop shipping American jobs out of this country. You are the only one who can stop it. As you see our jobs disappear and the future of your younger family members going with them, dont just shake your head and whine. Quit buying anything not made in this nation. We can force them to either return the jobs or we wont buy from them. We the citizens of America control matters. We just saw what the new presidents system will be. Carrier, a multi-billion-dollar air conditioning and refrigeration corporation, says it will not send 800 of 2,100 American workers jobs to Mexico thanks to cutting $7 million off their taxes but theyre still sending 1,300 jobs. Patronize businesses that make their products here. Go online and look at the list below of American products. Spread the word: www.cnn.com/2012/07/13/living/made-in-america/ Jim Denton, Gatesville Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark announced Tuesday he will expand Puget Sounds Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve north of Bellingham, adding 45 acres previously considered for a large coal export terminal. At the same time, he will reject a proposal from Millennium Bulk Terminals to sublease state-owned aquatic lands on the Columbia River west of Longview for another coal export terminal. These decisions are in the best long-term interest of Puget Sound, the Columbia River and the people of Washington," Goldmark said in a news release. "They are informed by years of study and consideration, and represent the best way to protect and conserve our states waterways. At Cherry Point, the Lummi Indian Business Council cited its treaty rights last fall when they asked to add the area originally proposed for the terminal to the reserves boundaries. DNR then convened a committee of scientists and conducted a public State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review to evaluate the boundary change. The technical review committee unanimously recommended incorporating the additional 45 acres, citing important herring and eelgrass habitat vital to local salmon runs. Any projects proposed in the future for this site would have to be compatible with DNRs 2010 Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve management plan, which precludes activities likely to have detrimental impacts on the aquatic reserve. In rejecting the Millennium proposal, Goldmark noted a chronic pattern of failure by the company to provide essential and accurate information. The state had asked for details about the structure of the agreement between Millennium and the primary leaseholder of the state aquatic property, Northwest Alloys. In the wake of last years bankruptcy of Millenniums parent company Arch Coal, the state had also requested information about the viability and financial integrity of Millennium and the international coal export business. To date, none of this information has been provided, the news release stated. WAHOO Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) is looking at over $20 million in proposals put before them by counties across Nebraska as part of the County Bridge Match Program. The match program, as part of the Transportation Innovation Act, will dispense $40 million to counties until the year 2023, but the DOR has not yet decided how the funds will be allocated and at what pace, said Saunders County Public Works Director Steve Mika. There are five Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) districts. And Saunders County is in the southeast district, where 40 to 45 percent of bridges are structurally deficient and are apt to get nearly half of the funds allocated across the districts. The second largest district is the northeast district and could potentially receive 30 percent of the funds allocated. The percentage of funds is based on the percentage of structurally deficient bridges and number of bridge feet, Mika said. Mika, who is on the bridge match working group, said NDORs first proposal for fund allocation was closer to $4 million, but the state might increase that number in the first amount doled out due to the $20 million in requests presented. NDOR has the say on which proposals are approved, Mika said. Saunders County made seven proposals and is collaborating with Cass and Otoe counties on some of the proposals. Mika said that if counties have similar bridge sizes and issues, they could work together and bundle the purchase of items, like culvert pipes and engineering costs. One of the countys pro- posals includes two bridges that would replace the bridge with culvert pipes. Not all of the bridges on the proposals submitted are on the one and six year plan, but with the potential for help now, Mika said theyll do what they can, when they can. Of the countys 435 total bridges, 115 are structurally deficient, Mika said. The biggest thing is to help the farming economy. To make sure the farmers get to and from the field with their product, Mika said. NDOR should have the list of approved project proposals in January, Mika said. Two F-4 Phantom IIs flew in a triangular pattern behind a Douglass B-66 Destroyer, escorting the slow-moving light bomber on a radar jamming mission. During the operation, the skies were clear with a few scattered clouds 35 miles north of Hanoi, Vietnam on Nov. 5, 1966.The F-4 pilots nervously scanned the skies ahead of them a mile apart, armed with sidewinder missiles and the knowledge that MiG-21s were in the area. We got attacked from 6 oclock, and instead of trying to take us out first, they went right for the B-66, said, then a 1st Lt., Joe Latham, an F-4 Phantom pilot from the 366th Wing, deployed from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. They launched a missile, which missed, and the B-66 broke off and spiraled down from 30,000 feet to 10,000, and ducked into a little cloud.Latham had a front row seat for the action and, then a 1st Lt., Klaus Klause was in the back of the two-seater. The other F-4, the flight leader, was piloted by Capt. Jim Tuck and 1st Lt. John Rabeni, also from the 366th Wing. As the MiGs tried to re-attack, we became daisy chained; it was the B-66 with the MiG-21 behind it, said Latham. Jim Tuck was chasing that MiG, on his tail was the second MiG, and right behind him was me. The Russian MiG-21 behind Tuck was too close and out of missile range. The enemy pilot had to maneuver to create some distance. As the MiG started rolling in to get some space, I was able to get a lock on him and fire a side-winder that blew off part of his tail, and he immediately ejected, said Latham. Tuck chased the lead MiG-21 and fired three Sparrow Missiles that didnt hit him. But, at the very last moment, the lead MiG pilot ejected. It was later surmised that he had a compressor stall or something like that. After the mission, Latham discovered that two other MiG-21s were on their way to the dogfight but were misdirected. The scary part for me was if the other two MiGs found us five minutes later, we wouldve been shot down, run out of fuel and either captured or killed, said Latham. Now retired Col. Latham describes this dogfight and reminisces about his other 119 Vietnam F-4 missions, with veterans and enthusiasts during his visits to Holloman AFB as part of the annual Phantom Society Tour on Sept. 13 -15. Last years tour, consisted of 160 aircraft enthusiasts including veterans and non-veterans with aviation backgrounds.Ive been here for three of these tours at Holloman and talking with Latham is electrifying, said Alan Clish, an F-4 Phantom enthusiast. These stories are our history, and its important to know; they fought for us, and I owe everyone in uniform a debt of gratitude. The tour also included an F-16 Fighting Falcon static display and briefing, travel to Hollomans High Speed Test Track, the opportunity to view QF-4 Phantom IIs and F-16s in flight, and a visit to the bases heritage park to view static displays of various aircraft historically stationed at Holloman AFB. One aircraft, specifically, means a lot to Latham the F-4 with white letters that spell out 1st Lt. Joe Latham under the canopy. Latham stopped to reminisce next this aircraft, parked in his honor and adorned with his name. As he shared his story with his fellow veterans, the skies were clear with a few scattered clouds like the day over Hanoi a half-century ago Latham will never forget the proud service of the F-4 Phantom and the Airmen he served with. The man who opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has been identified as New Jersey-born Esteban Santiago. Law enforcement sources said the 26-year-old acted alone when he opened fire in the baggage claim area of the airport, killing five people and injuring eight. Federal sources told NBC News the shootings did not appear to be an act of terrorism, and both federal and family sources said Santiago had some mental health issues. Santiago was carrying a military ID when he was arrested, uninjured, at the airport. US intelligence agencies believe Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered "an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election", according to an unclassified report released on Friday. The goals were "to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," the report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence concludes. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." The report combines conclusions from investigations of the FBI, the CIA and the NSA. Last year an attempt failed in the Legislature to end a lifetime ban on food stamps for people convicted of drug offenses. This year, a Nebraska state senator has proposed allowing those offenders to receive assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, but with conditions. Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte introduced a bill (LB128) Friday that would allow people with one or more felony convictions for possession or use of controlled drugs, or people with one or two convictions for selling or distributing those drugs, to receive food stamps if they get drug abuse treatment after the most recent conviction. Short of that, they could voluntarily take drug tests, and must test negative for illegal drugs and then be tested randomly at least every six months to qualify. With the bill, a person convicted of three or more felonies involving the sale or distribution of illegal drugs would still be banned from getting food stamps. Last year, Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld introduced a food stamp bill (LB690) to eliminate the ban altogether, which eventually was attached to another bill that failed to pass. Groene tried to amend the drug treatment requirement on to the bill at that time, but that attempt failed. Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz said at the time the amendment was not practical. "We have long waiting lists for drug treatment. Drug tests paid out of pocket can be expensive. It would have been administratively burdensome," she said during debate on the bill. Morfeld had made the argument that benefits such as food stamps are critical for people getting out of prison and trying to keep from going back in. If a parolee can't get a job and can't pay for food, the temptation to commit crimes to get money for basic needs is greater, Morfeld and supporters of the change said. Groene has said his idea would require accountability, and would not be throwing people out into society without any help. This is the best thing to do, he said, to allow a person to turn down those opportunities to go out with their peers and party and take drugs, and to go to counseling and treatment and put their families first. Two former Nebraska state senators died this week. Former Sen. John Wightman, who served two terms in the Legislature beginning in 2007, died Thursday in Lexington. Wightman, 78, served as chairman of the Legislative Council's executive board for six years, and was on the Appropriations Committee for eight years. "If I have a talent, its working with numbers. Statistics intrigue me. Thats why the Appropriations Committee intrigued me and interested me," he once said. He began practicing law in Lexington in 1963 and was on the Lexington Planning Commission for a couple of years and on the City Council for 20. He was also mayor of Lexington for a couple of years and served on a countywide economic development group and the Lexington Foundation. Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, who served as his vice chairman on Appropriations for a time, said Wightman was dedicated. During his time in the Legislature he had his knee removed for a period of time to allow an infection to heal, and he continued to function as the Executive Board chairman. Former Lincoln Sen. Amanda McGill Johnson, who came into the Legislature at the same time as Wightman, posted on Facebook that he "had such a big heart and a great sense of humor. His leadership and wit were respected by all. He wasn't political and always did what he felt was right." Funeral services will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Lexington. On Wednesday, 85-year-old Donald L. Eret of Dorchester died in Crete. He was a senator from 1983 to 1987. Eret worked as a mechanical aerospace engineer providing support to NASA and was a longtime Nebraska farmer and supporter of the Nebraska Tractor Testing Laboratory. He received the Nebraska Democratic Party Hall of Fame Award in 2011. In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for Nebraska secretary of state. His funeral is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday at Dorchester United Methodist Church. Glen Canyon Dam is a National Resource Last Fridays editorial ("Lots to unwind if Glen Canyon Dam shuttered too soon") discussed the newly signed management plan for Glen Canyon Dam, but incorrectly attributed its 20-year focus to a possible end to federal management by 2036. Glen Canyon Dam is a crucial national resource and the federal government remains fully committed to its long-term successful management well into the future. This new plan enhances certainty and predictability for water and power users, while protecting downstream environmental and cultural resources. The plans 20-year focus simply provides a timeline for regularly adjusting dam operations as ongoing science and other factors inform future planning. Several other assertions merit correction as well. There are no mounting bills for dredging or structural upkeep. Silt buildup hasnt yet reached the dam and sediment deltas are more than 100 miles upstream in the reservoir. Estimates predict silt wont fill behind the dam for 700 to 1,000 years. Sediment buildup poses no threat to the dams integrity--it is completely structurally sound. Claims of lost water through seepage are also overstated. Some groups advocate decommissioning the dam based in part on outdated water loss studies. However, a recent assessment by the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University found seepage rates are much lower than those groups claim and that rates are actually declining over time. Seepage water enters the ground water system and eventually returns to the reservoir or river channel. Without both Lake Powell and Lake Mead, basin-wide drought impacts would have been even more severe. In fact, seven of the past 17 drought years saw less than 8 million acre feet (maf) of unregulated inflow into Lake Powellthats the amount that would flow to Lake Mead without Glen Canyon Dam. Four years saw less than 6 maf and 2002s inflow was only 2.64 maf. However, during even the driest years, storage in Lake Powell allowed full water deliveries with average annual releases of 8.71 maf throughout the drought. Examining total water storage and use further highlights Lake Powells continued importance. Storage capacity at Lakes Mead and Powell is finiteLake Meads maximum capacity is 28.9 maf and Lake Powells is 26.2 maf, for a total combined capacity of 55.1 maf. Both reservoirs were at or near full when the drought began in 2000. By the end of water year 2016, regular water deliveries had depleted combined reservoir storage by 30.7 mafmore than either Lake Mead or Lake Powell could support on its own. Without Lake Powells storage, those obligated water deliveries would have completely drained Lake Mead before 2016. Far from being an underachiever, Glen Canyon Dam is doing precisely what is was intended to do storing water in wet years to ensure predictable, full deliveries across the basin every year. Populations in Arizona and the west continue to grow, as do the challenges and complexities of efficiently managing limited water resources. Glen Canyon Dam has been integral to meeting those challenges for more than 50 years and will continue its role for many decades to come. Christian minister talks Holy Envy The truth of other religions is a hotly contested topic among Christians. Some believe Jesus is the only way to God and that other religions are false. Other Christians believe there are multiple paths to God. Which one is right? Jim Keck, senior minister at First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D St., launches this weekend his three-week sermon series, Holy Envy: What a Christian Minister Loves About Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Rather than over-worrying a theological solution, Keck proposes that a faithful Christian can learn from, and appreciate the beauty, of certain aspects of different religions. This three-part series continuing through Jan. 22 will look at Buddhist meditation, Hindu notions of the soul, and Islamic prayer. Americans, for the most part, are very tolerant towards non-Christian religions. However, the majority of Americans know very little about these other faiths, Keck said. Holy Envy highlights what Keck calls some of the most delightful aspects of these other religions. Keck will present the sermon series during this weekends 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sunday worship services. The weekends of Jan. 14-15 and 21-22, the sermon will be presented at the 5:30 p.m., 9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. services. For information call 402-476-7565 or go to firstplymouth.org. '12th Night' revel is Sunday St. Davids Welsh Society of Nebraska presents the annual "A Tudor 12th Night" from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Grace Lutheran Church, 2225 Washington St. Carole Levin, professor of medieval and renaissance studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will present the Welsh background of the Tudor family leading up to Henry VII becoming King of England in 1485. The Grapevine Players return with another original mummers play, The Revenge of Wee Wise Welsh Women or How a Tall Hat Saved the British Isles. Written by Greg Weinert, the folk plays are traditionally performed by mummers or guisers and share a common framework: a villain, a hero (who is killed in an epic battle with the villain) and a quack doctor (who remarkably brings the hero back to life). As no Welsh gathering is complete without music and song, Omaha's James Wilson will perform seasonal melodies on his violin. Everyone attending will be invited to join in on Fast Away the Old Year Passes, Deck the Halls and Auld Lang Syne. The 12th Night revel is a free family-friendly event. Donations are welcome. A Welsh tea reception will follow. The St. Davids Welsh Society of Nebraska was established in 1910 to preserve and celebrate Nebraskas Welsh heritage and influences. For information call 402-742-0477; email NebraskaWelsh@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/NebraskaWelsh. Start 2017 with Financial Peace Dave Ramseys nine-week Financial Peace University will be offered at several Lincoln-area churches beginning this month. The course offers families practical tools to gain control of their finances will be at these churches. * Faith Lutheran Church, 8701 Adams St. Beginning 9 a.m. Sunday; call 402-466-6861. * Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2001 S. 11th St. Beginning 3 p.m. Sunday; call 402-474-6275. * College View Seventh-day Adventist Church, 4801 Prescott Ave. Beginning 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; call 402-486-2880. * First Evangelical Free Church, 3280 S. 84th St. Begins 4 p.m. Jan. 22; call 402-483-7635. * Horizons Community Church, 3200 Grainger Parkway. 6 p.m. Jan. 24; call 402-420-6600. Classes meet weekly. Lessons are taught by Ramsey via DVD, followed by small-group discussions. Lessons include budgeting, relationships and money, getting out of debt, saving for emergencies and investing. S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss A Potential Fintech Unicorn (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years A Potential Fintech Unicorn (Ad) Mid-Caps CommScope, Dycom Outperform Broader Telecom Industry Today's Stock Market News & Events: 11/3/2022 S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss A Potential Fintech Unicorn (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years A Potential Fintech Unicorn (Ad) Mid-Caps CommScope, Dycom Outperform Broader Telecom Industry Today's Stock Market News & Events: 11/3/2022 S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss A Potential Fintech Unicorn (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years A Potential Fintech Unicorn (Ad) Mid-Caps CommScope, Dycom Outperform Broader Telecom Industry Today's Stock Market News & Events: 11/3/2022 Book Review by Richard Coulson Sir Orville Turnquests recently published book, What Manner of Man is This? is becoming a best-seller in The Bahamasas well it should be. The title refers to the Duke of Windsor, our Royal Governor from 1940-1945, when we were a dependent Crown Colony, and its special appeal arises from Sir Orville having also served in a later era, 1994-2001, as Governor General of the now sovereign Commonwealth of The Bahamas , both ruling from Government House on Mount Fitz William. The book should be must reading for all Bahamians, not just scholars of our history. It proceeds on two tracks. The first outlines Sir Orvilles impressive rise from humble beginnings at 1929 birth in Grants Town to a brilliant legal career in partnership with Eugene Dupuch and his late wife, followed by election to a PLP seat in the House of Assembly, Cabinet appointments and eventually to the non-political pinnacle as the respected impartial head of state for all Bahamians. The foreword by his contemporary Sir Sidney Poitier emphasizes the abject social conditions of their early years, when most black Bahamians were oppressed by the white minority from any chances of advancement, overcome by only a few whose strong parentage, sacrificing for the best education then available, gave them a start up the ladder to use their natural abilities and tenacity. Any young Bahamians who may feel restricted under todays social structure should consider the far tougher obstacles that Sir Orville faced, and successfully conquered. They should be grateful that at age 87 he remained motivated to produce such an inspirational message. The second track of his book, as indicated by its title, is a review of the Duke of Windsors character and policies as Governor, and here Sir Orvilles success is more problematical. When the Duke arrived in Nassau in August 1940, with all the publicized fame, or infamy, of having abdicated the British throne, Sir Orville at age 11 was far too young to have any direct insight into the intense internal political battles within the Colony over the next five years, often profoundly influenced by external pressures from London and Washington as the stresses of World War II impacted local life. Probably the most quoted portion of his book will be his blunt, unqualified conclusions that the Duke was weak, prejudiced, racist and disloyala pretty damning indictment. The keynote of Sir Orvilles book is struck by an eloquent speech delivered in 1942 to the Duke and his staff by Dr. C.R. Walker, one of the few black Bahamians who had received a professional degree and a cultured education. He gave an impassioned account of the oppressed, poverty-stricken life which most Bahamians were compelled to live. He went further, suggesting that the Duke of Windsor, with his wide international training to be become King, had arrived in The Bahamas as a sort of Messiah to lead Bahamians out of the wilderness. His peroration directly to the Duke asked him, in the words of John the Baptist to Jesus, Art thou he who cometh? Sir Orville provides his own answer A resounding NO. In which he is entirely correct. The Duke of Windsor clearly failed to wreak a total transformation of our dominant society, a task that even our Lord himself would have had trouble achieving in a five-year term. But Sir Orville is on doubtful ground when he goes on to declare that the Duke as Governor never pushed for much needed reforms whenever such measures were opposed by the Bay Street power base and that he failed to . . . to address the appalling political, social and economic conditions of the masses. His failure, we are told, arose from his racial aversions. There is no doubt that the Duke, and even more strongly the Duchess, did not enjoy or seek out in their private lives the company of blacks, or coloured peopleas they were then called. It is on record in Philip Zieglers authoritative biography King Edward VIII that he disparaged the abilities of respected Bahamian blacks like musician Bert Cambridge and shop-owner Milo Butler (later knighted as our first native Governor General) to have any aptitude for political leadership, and blacks were unknown as invitees to social functions at Government House. This bias was of course shared not only with virtually all members of the English aristocracy of that time, but also with the white working classes in England, the USA, and The Bahamas itself. But his personal racial antipathy was not reflected in his official policies. Michael Blochs carefully researched The Duke of Windsors War (not cited in Sir Orvilles bibliography) gives an almost monthly review of the Dukes term as governor. Many pages are devoted to his wrangles with the all-white cabal of Bay Street Boys running the House of Assembly, led by the Honourable A.K. Solomon, the implacably reactionary champion of the status quo, rigidly opposed to even modestly progressive measures. It was only with great difficulty that the Duke got his Executive Council (Exco)to propose any projects that required the House to approve budgetary commitments , such as creating a Labour Bureau and an Out Island Development Fund to raise the level of worker employment. Despite forceful backing of the liberal Colonial Office in London, the Duke was unable to get House approval of the secret ballot in Out Island elections. For this bitterly opposed change, his only recourse would have been to order the dissolution of the House, suspension of the Constitution, and impose himself as an all powerful Supremo. He may be called weak for not doing this, but it would have risked real political turmoil and instability, precisely when the UK and the US were in delicate negotiations to operate military air bases here. The Duke had to rush back from meeting President Roosevelt in Washington when Nassau exploded in the famous Burma Road riot in June 1942 resulting from unequal pay to Bahamian laborers on The Project building Windsor Field. He was praised on all sides for taking the initiative to reverse previous policy by pushing through a modest increase in daily wages. An even more significant benefit to impoverished Bahamians arose from his negotiating The Contract which by 1945 saw some 5,000 agricultural workers move from the destitute Out Islands to full employment in the southern USA to replace war-time labor shortages. They were required to send a quarter of their pay back to their grateful families. Exercising his right to choose appointive officials, the Duke managed to remove a furious Mr. Solomon from Exco, continuing his stubborn resistance to change as the elected Leader of the House. Also, he established an influential new Board of all talents called the Economic Investigation Committee, developing new investment plans and including two men of mixed blood, Roland Symonette, later our first Prime Minister and Etienne Dupuch, the feisty owner/editor of the Nassau Tribune (both subsequently knighted). The Duke of Windsors single greatest failing as Governor was his handling of the eventually unsolved murder of Sir Harry Oakes in 1943, in a series of errors that had nothing to do with race but blighted the last two years of his term. First, in the autocratic fashion of a former monarch, he tried (unsuccessfully) to embargo the hot news from leaving the Colony, then without waiting for advice from calmer heads, he transferred his Police Chief and imported a cop from the Miami Police Department to lead the criminal investigation, purely because this flatfoot had once fawned over him and the Duchess. The charge of disloyalty made by Sir Orville lacks factual support. In pre-war years and up to 1940 the Duke clearly publicized his strong doubts about fighting Nazi Germany, as did many Britons and the iconic American flyer-hero Charles Lindbergh. He also made known his guarded respect for Hitler as a national leader. But once war was declared in September1939 the Duke sought every opportunity to serve the Crown. The vague claim that the Duke used illegal financial dealings to evade war-time currency controls of the pound sterling is not supported by any hard evidence provided by Sir Orville or by the many previous purveyors of this sensationalist myth. His constant surveillance by the FBI produced nothing. Perhaps the clearest words on Windsors Bahamian adventure were written by Etienne Dupuch in the Tribune as the Duke departed in May !945. Etienne had objected to his original appointment and had often been hostile his policies, but nevertheless wrote (as quoted in Zieglers biography) that the Duke was generally trying to do his best for the islands and the people, especially for sections of the Colony that had long been neglected by the selfish political interests centred in Nassau. . . he has always been strong, definite and unswerving in his purposes. Etiennes first-hand observations over five years put a different light on Sir Orvilles negative conclusions about the Windsor governorship. Despite presenting just one point of view, his book will remain a valuable contribution to our history. It is regrettable that the editors and researchers named in his acknowledgements did not correct three glaring factual errors obvious to a careful reader, but these should not detract from the sincerity of his message. Historical Note: The Duke replaced Mr. Solomon on Exco by appointing the authors father Sidney Farrington, a white Bahamian executive not linked to the lawyer/merchant group that dominated the House of Assembly. Mr. Coulson has had a long career in law, investment banking and private banking in New York, London, and Nassau, and now serves as director of several financial concerns and as a corporate financial consultant. He has recently released his autobiography, A Corkscrew Life: Adventures of a Travelling Financier. Governor: Kentucky on course for record budget surplus again Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. The Nebraska state education commissioner asked the Board of Education on Friday to freeze his salary in light of a $900 million state budget shortfall and looming budget cuts to his department. In December, the board approved a contract that included a 2.95 percent increase that would have boosted Matt Blomstedts salary to $227,236. On Friday, board members agreed unanimously to keep his salary at the 2016 level -- a $6,511 savings -- saying he was a role model in times of tight budgets. It made me admire you, said Molly OHolleran. With the budget shortfall it sends a message that you care about (other Education Department employee) salary increases. Board members said they may revisit the issue later this year and consider an increase when recently approved salary increases for other state employees go into effect. Blomstedt said he didn't want his percentage increase to be higher than the one for other employees. He had told the board earlier he wanted to hold off on a salary increase because the state hadnt reached agreements with the bargaining unit that represents Education Department employees or the one that represents the bulk of other state employees. On Friday, the board approved an agreement that includes a 1 percent increase for 2017-18 and a 1.5 percent increase for 2018-19. The agreement also includes a provision to give employees longevity pay after theyve been with the department for five years. The agreement mirrors the one approved a day earlier for other state employees, Blomstedt said. This week, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced a plan to reduce $276 million of the states budget gap and balance the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. That proposal includes 4 percent cuts to most agencies, including the Education Dpartment. Blomstedt said that amounts to about $600,000 for his department, and officials there are considering a number of possibilities including not filling some vacancies. The governors plan also proposes eliminating funding for some programs including one that paid for teachers to get a prestigious teaching certification. It also proposed cutting about $3.6 million in money carried over from the previous budget that state education officials were planning to use for assessment and accountability. The department planned to use part of that money to help pay to contract with a company to administer statewide tests. The board has issued a request for proposals for a testing company after a series of problems with statewide tests under Data Recognition Corp. The carry-over money also would have helped pay for the $1.4 million to administer the ACT college entrance exam to all high school juniors -- a requirement in a law passed in the last legislative session. If we can accept cuts well take them, but we also have to carry out the law, Blomstedt said. In other business Friday, the board elected Pat Timm of Beatrice president and John Witzel of Papillion vice president. OHolleran, of North Platte, also was nominated for both posts. Mark Andersen Follow Mark Andersen Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Gravestones appeared more numerous than stars the first time I wandered into Wyuka Cemetery, hoping to stumble upon the marker for Anna Catherine Andersen, 1883-1955. Back then, just before the turn of the century, my grandmother meant little to me -- one more unfamiliar and silent face in a large crowd of Nebraska strangers. She died before I was born. Living here these past 18 years, Ive pieced together her story, which I now realize is a small but representative chapter about the very best in this state. Anna Nielsen left Denmark with her mother at 3, arriving in tiny Kronborg, in Hamilton County. There, at age 5, she caught sight of her future husband among the boys in church. She saw him, but she didnt speak to him until she returned there for a visit many years later. The young and beautiful Anna stepped off a train with her father during a brief visit en route to the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair. Herman Andersen, a carpenter and farmer, escorted the young beauty among the villages sparse white houses and oaks, and then he pursued her through the U.S. mail. My dear girl, his letters all began. They bought a dry-land farm near Cambridge. Five years later, she was still there, pregnant with their third child, when Herman insisted on fetching a load of hay in the wagon despite freezing late-April winds. Coughing, he needed her assistance to make it into bed upon his return. A notice in the Cambridge Clarion said pneumonia did its deadly work quickly, taking a Dane and a carpenter of good reputation, a hale man of 31. Anna moved in with her in-laws that summer, and two of Hermans brothers brought in their crops. She returned to the farm with her three young children a year later, easing her weary bones onto the dented bed where her husband had died. At 26, she was determined to make it there with her three young kids. She refused to remarry, would not subject her children to the abuses of a stepfather like she had endured. Anna rented out the land but kept the animals, milking cows and selling butter and eggs in town. She lifted lanterns high in the early morning before sneaking out to the barn, running back to the house frequently to check on her brood. She dreamed that all three of her children would graduate from Nebraska University, even though she herself had never gone beyond sixth grade. When her youngest was halfway through high school, Anna sold the farm. My dad rode with the furniture in a box car during the train trip to Lincoln. She soon opened a boarding house on 27th Street a few blocks north of O Street on what is now a church parking lot. There, she scrubbed floors, cared for children, cooked meals -- anything to help pay her kids tuition. She was gray and old-looking now, but all three kids succeeded. Dad took up journalism with hopes of becoming a sportswriter. In 1932, he joined the Lincoln Star, covering courts and cops. At the end of 1936, exactly 80 years ago, he quit and was waiting for an opening at the Chicago office of The Associated Press when a bit of trouble occurred up north in South Dakota. On New Years Eve, as two AP staffers in the Sioux Falls bureau started into celebratory cups, a gang of thieves hammered on a lock to the dynamite warehouse just outside of town. They needed some of the sticks inside for a planned Minnesota jewelry heist. One crook had brought his new girlfriend, who awkwardly beat at the lock. Angry about the noise, a second crook called her a nasty name. Her boyfriend charged him with a hammer. The second man shot him through the heart, then hit the girl with his hammer after she charged. The victorious crook and two others then shot the girl eight times before lighting a long fuse to the dynamite and kegs of black powder inside. The explosion moved a seismograph needle on the West Coast. It blew out windows 15 miles away and left a crater 15 feet deep. The girl, however, somehow survived and crawled far enough away from the blast to later testify. Afterward, she joined a sideshow -- The Girl with 10 Lives. The two drunken AP reporters missed the big story and lost their jobs. Go up north for a while, an AP boss in Chicago told my dad, and well get you out of there. Instead, he met a bossy brunette behind a lunch counter, and she told him what to order, and then she did it again every day thereafter for nearly 40 years. They had 10 kids, including me. Funny the way strange winds blow us all around. As I leave Lincoln and journalism forever on Saturday -- after 18 years at the Journal Star covering city hall, business, medicine, plus filling a bunch of editing roles -- I plan to stop in at Wyuka and finally pay my respects to the woman whose spirit of hopeful self-sacrifice made this country what it is, gave my father an education, set the path that made me who I am. This time, Ill take along a detailed Wyuka map to find the stone. It has been an honor to tell and help craft thousands of stories like this one about the people who make up this state, which is no longer a land full of strangers. It looks like the enormous Costco chicken plant in Dodge County (" Chicken plant raises environmental concerns ," Jan. 2) is forging ahead with visions of dollar signs floating in the heads of local public officials. My concern is less with the day-to-day operations and more with the unintended consequences. As a public health professional for over thirty years, I am concerned, if youll excuse my fowl comparison, with a black swan event an occurrence beyond what is normally expected. There have been many animal processing plants in the U.S. where the waste lagoons have been breached and the results have been devastating. The UNL climate change report indicated that Nebraska is experiencing increasing heavy precipitation events. This puts the lagoons at greater risk of sending its toxic contents to who knows where? An environmental impact study should be done, including a exhaustive hydraulic floodplain analysis, both of which should include the increasing risk of black swan events. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 06/01/2017 (2128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. For fans of classic rock, theatre pieces along the lines of Million Dollar Quartet or Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story have the whiff of religious spectacle, like a high mass or a passion play. They feel more like calls to worship than straightforward musicals. But at least Royal MTCs 2017 kickoff Million Dollar Quartet comes through with a decent dramatic arc courtesy of its co-writers, music historian Colin Escott and filmmaker Floyd Mutrux (American Hot Wax). At its centre is a fanciful, largely invented re-creation of a recording session in December 1956 that saw a collaboration of current and future stars: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. The figure at the fulcrum of these talents is the guy who brought the men together and, indeed, midwifed their careers into the world. Sam Phillips (Andrew Cecon) was a southern boy who promoted himself from radio DJ to record producer out of a belief in his own ear for talent. His company, Sun Records, became a Memphis success story in 1954 when Phillips took a chance on then-teenage truck driver Elvis Presley. ROBERT TINKER PHOTO From left: Elliot Loran, Greg Gale, Kris Ulrich and Matt Cage. As the musical begins, Presley has already jumped ship to RCA Victor, the result of Phillips having sold Presleys contract to save Sun Records viability. But the grateful Elvis (played by Presley tribute artist Matt Cage) returns to Suns modest headquarters with a request to entice his mentor into the RCA fold. He is accompanied by his lollapalooza girlfriend Dyanne (Laura Olafson). (Presley really did bring a girlfriend along, but Dyanne is a fictional creation included in the musical mix, apparently to offset all the onstage masculine energy.) Two other participants are struggling in their commitment to Sun Records. Johnny Cash (Greg Gale) is guilt-ridden by a decision to leave the label, partly due to Phillips stubborn refusal to let him record a gospel album. Carl Perkins (Kris Ulrich) bears a grudge over a decision to let Presley cover his signature song, Blue Suede Shoes. The fourth participant, the wild card, is young, arrogant Jerry Lee Lewis (Elliot Loran) from Ferriday, La. as he never fails to remind people. A font of energy and sass, hes a guy whose penchant for bad choices includes freely insulting his more famous bandmates (although he does primp his hair when he realizes Elvis is coming in the room, a sweet bit of business from Mr. Loran). The songs recorded during the actual session largely consisted of gospel tunes, but the musical is stocked with outright hits that werent actually on the playlist: Blue Suede Shoes, Who Do You Love?, Folsom Prison Blues, Great Balls of Fire and Hound Dog. At least this makes the most of the opportunity to showcase a superb musical unit, with Loran ripping it up on piano and Ulrich a virtuoso on guitar, backed by bass player/music supervisor Kraig Waye and Ryan Voth on drums. Director Steven Schipper adeptly balances the shows dramatic scenes with its concert elements. Its not always a smooth ride, even when the cylinders are firing. As pleasurable as it is to hear Olafson authoritatively belt her way through the songs Fever and I Hear You Knocking, the character isnt really integrated into the action beyond the requirements of supportive girlfriend/sympathetic ear/feminine eye candy. Sam Phillips is a pivotal role here really, the musical is his story but Cecon holds back on it as if nervous about drawing attention away from the other guys. Loran is a scene-stealing dynamo in what is arguably the most difficult role in the piece, but his Jerry Lee lacks the harder edge required. As Elvis, Matt Cage nails Presleys performance choreography like the expert tribute artist he is. But in dialogue, Cage is more tentative, relying on thank-you-very-much notes of parody more than authentic performance. Greg Gales Johnny Cash, on the other hand, feels more emotionally true to the man who would be The Man in Black, and his voice is excellent, even if his physical resemblance is lacking. (If you saw Tom Hiddleston portray Hank Williams in the movie I Saw the Light, Gale will make you think about what Johnny Cash would look like if he was portrayed by Michael Fassbender.) Kris Ulrichs performance as Carl Perkins is also a standout, even if Ulrich primarily credits himself as a guitar player. Maybe its a function of the hours hes put in as a working musician, but whether hes expertly riffing guitar or grousing about the credit denied him, Ulrich feels like the real deal. randall.king@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @FreepKing If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 06/01/2017 (2128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. For years, Manitobas cabinet ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats and staffers have been armed with smartphones all day, every day for sending and receiving the emails and texts vital to modern-day political communication. Except for Premier Brian Pallister. Pallister, who took the reins at the legislature nearly nine months ago, has never used his personal government email account anywhere. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister in his office Friday with a sample of the reading material he had with him in Costa Rica. I dont like using email; thats going to be abhorrent to anyone under 40, Pallister said Friday following the publication of a Free Press story that raised questions about how much work he gets done and how he does it while enjoying the tropical sun at his Costa Rica vacation home. Pallister said any communications relating to government business while he is away are conducted on the phone, and hed only use email in an emergency. The premier was back at the legislature this week after celebrating Christmas in Costa Rica, and will head south again shortly for much of January. He previously said he intends to spend about two months in the Central America country this year, quickly offering assurances that while he might be wearing shorts, hes on the job. Im available. Im available as needed, he said Friday. Prior to the interview, Pallister covered his desk in government reports, books and notepads to illustrate the amount of material he packs along with sunscreen. And he said he has an Internet connection there to keep up with current events in the province. His office has maintained that he is in regular contact with cabinet members and staff when he is away, although details remained a mystery until Friday. He said he covers any long-distance charges from Costa Rica, although some people might consider it a cost of conducting the affairs of government. I pay for it. Were not billing taxpayers for where I am, he said. The premier said hes not worried about his emails being released to the public at some point through access to information legislation, citing his commitment to being open and transparent. But he has concerns about the security of government information, he said. An email address pally@leg.gov.mb.ca is linked to his office, but a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act co-ordinator said it has never been used. The Free Press contacted the offices of Canadas other premiers to find out about their email use and how they conduct government business while on vacation. Only Alberta Premier Rachel Notleys office responded. Premier Notley has a government email account she uses it daily, said press secretary Cheryl Oates. We try to let her enjoy her time with her family, Oates said, adding Notley is available when the need arises. Notley hasnt taken holiday time outside Canada, she said. Notley communicates with staff via email, texts, phone calls or face-to-face contact when shes away, depending on the urgency of the issue. nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. While some activists are planning to give away marijuana on Inauguration Day, other entrepreneurs are taking a different approach: making a ton of money from it. According to Governing.com, 29 states and the District of Columbia have or will soon have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Use of recreational marijuana is legal in eight states. As its popularity has grown, so have profits. In 2016, sales of legal marijuana in North America totalled US$6.7 billion an increase of more than 30 per cent according to a report from Arcview Market Research. That number is projected to rise to US$20.2 billion by 2021. In Canada, the Liberal government is expected to table legislation legalizing recreational marijuana use this spring. Debra Borchardt, who covers retail and cannabis for Forbes, contends that the growth is larger and faster than even the dot-com era. Growth is being fuelled by the rising popularity of marijuana-infused concentrates and edibles. But whats not included in these numbers is the billions being generated by indirect industries that are also profiting from the cannabis boom, including those that sell accessories, machinery and equipment, pesticides and real state. For entrepreneurs, investors and opportunists, the marijuana industry could be a new dot-com boom. Washington Post Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. RACELAND, LA. Far from the economy-versus-the-environment public policy debate, there is the climate change reality measured each year where the shores of Louisiana meet the Gulf of Mexico. Without fail for decades now, the homeland of the United Houma Nation has watched as their traditional way of life has been stolen from them. First, as the United States started to build its empire. Then, by the degradation of its coastline as a result of climate change and oil and gas development. The United Houma Nation along with the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe are living at ground zero in the climate change debate the residents along the coast in Louisiana. In fact, along the Louisiana bayou, indigenous people are considered the United States first climate refugees. They are being forced to leave their homes on Isle de Jean Charles as the water from the Gulf takes over the land. The erosion of the coastline means 98 per cent of the island has now been lost. Only 32 acres remain. This is where you can see the effects of climate change first-hand. In early November, during an unseasonably warm morning, I met with United Houma Nation activists just outside New Orleans to talk about the political uncertainty ahead in a Trump-led universe. This was one of many stops in a 10-day program in which I participated along with nine other people, travelling as guests of the U.S. State Department under its international visitor leadership program. New Orleans had just experienced its hottest October on record, setting new record highs on eight days. On that warm day in November, the temperatures were in the high 20s C, with locals commenting on just how unseasonably warm it was. Josh Haner / The New York Times Amiya Brunet, 3, on the bridge that leads to her home that frequently floods in Isle de Jean Charles, La. We drove south out of New Orleans for about a half-hour, stopping finally in Raceland, La., at Chez Felicite. The family home has been turned into a homey venue for community events as well as a bed and breakfast, filled with the relics of the United Houma Nations traditional life, including fishing and basket weaving. The United Houma Nations represent approximately 18,000 people who live along the southeastern coast of Louisiana, in six parishes (or counties) of Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Mary, St. Bernard and Plaquemines. For centuries, they relied on traditional hunting and fishing along the southeastern coast of Louisiana as a way of earning a livelihood. Unfortunately, the Houma Nation was never formally recognized federally by the U.S. government, and as a result, it has been stuck in land-claims litigation and not very successfully, either. As Mike Dardar explains it, the land was taken from his people through legal theft. Land deals were made with the Houma people who didnt speak English or couldnt understand the complicated legal language. Dardar is a former vice-principle chief of the United Homa Nation and the tribes historian. He writes under his fathers traditional name, T. Mayheart Dardar, and has long had an interest in his cultures complicated history. Listening to former principle chief Brenda Dardar Robichaux speak of the history of the Houma Nation, there were so many similarities to the whats faced First Nations in Canada. Issues of colonialism and neo-colonialism; economic development trumping traditional aboriginal land use for hunting and fishing; the loss of culture through language; the guarantee of poverty through the lack of education and punishment. In fact, up until 1940, it was against the law to educate a Houma child. After that until the mid-1960s Indian schools, or settlement schools, as they were referred to, offered up to a Grade 7 education and were staffed by uncertified instructors. The United Houma story in so many ways reflects the story heard all over Canada poverty, poor education, loss of culture. The intersections dont end there, however. Like many aboriginal people in Canada, the Houma Nation along with other First Nations in the United States have a love-hate relationship with the oil and gas industry. Bill Haber / Associated Press files Debris left from storms in Sept. 2009 on Isle de Jean Charles. Holdouts in the hurricane-damaged Indian village refuse to give in to urges from a tribal chief, scientists and public officials to relocate inland, despite frequent floods and disappearing marshland that brings the Gulf of Mexico closer every year. The coastline of Louisiana is vanishing. Since the 1950s, Louisiana has lost on average 34 square miles of land annually. This makes it much more vulnerable to storm systems. At the same time, coastal Louisiana provides nearly 30 per cent of the United States energy production and transports nearly 40 per cent of its oil and gas through pipelines, transfer stations and refineries. Starting in the 1930s, with the exploration of oil and gas, the industry began digging a network of canals to facilitate access to its drilling equipment. This resulted in the loss of fresh water and sediment and introduced salt water, which killed the marshes. It allowed the water form the Gulf to eat away at the estuaries and combined with the industry pulling billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of gas from those estuaries, destroying the ecosystem. The changes wrought by the oil and gas industry are exacerbated by rising sea levels, stronger storms, increased flooding, harsher droughts and dwindling freshwater supplies brought about by climate change. According to Dardar, four major hurricanes in recent years have hit the Houma Nation, including Katrina in 2005. The hurricanes are made worse when unchecked development has swallowed the natural defences that once protected us. Then in 2010, the BP oil spill off the Gulf Coast, considered one of the worst in U.S. history, dumped 3.19 million barrels of oil just off the coast of Louisiana. Again, a disaster that further eroded the traditional fishing and hunting on which indigenous people rely. Streams of oil slid into the bayous, threatening the livelihood of the Houma tribe. Because the Houma people were not recognized by the federal government, BP did not compensate the tribe for the damages to the land they live on. The oil and gas company stated it wasnt mandated to help the tribe. Gerald Herbert / Associated Press files A worker picks up blobs of oil with absorbent snare on Queen Bess Island at the mouth of Barataria Bay near the Gulf of Mexico in Plaquemines Parish in June 2010. BP and five Gulf states announced a record $18.7-billion settlement in 2015. A day after our meeting at Chez Felicite, our group met with both Republican and Democrat party leaders in New Orleans. I asked Roger Villere, the chairman of the Louisiana Republican party, about his partys concerns about the environment. He told me there was no such thing as climate change and that the coastal erosion had nothing to do with the oil and gas industry. Dardar is fairly matter-of-fact in response to this denial: They can deny its happening. But were going underwater, and the government in power in the United States cant change that reality. And the denial should come as no surprise. The oil and gas industry has long had its fingers in American politics. Dardar suggests Louisiana politicians have long relied on its corporate sponsorship to support their political causes. As a result, political leaders focus only on the economic benefits of oil and gas rather than on its economic impact. However, Dardar acknowledges his people do rely on oil and gas for jobs. But the money the oil and gas companies made off the Louisiana coast never seems to get put put back into the region. The money that came out of southern Louisiana didnt stay in Louisiana, he said. We are the largest producing oil and gas field in the United States, and yet our congressional district is ranked at the bottom in terms of the Human Development Index in a study conducted in 2010. The index looks at the life expectancy, education and income of individuals. The 3rd Congressional District, which incorporates the major Houma settlements, is near the very bottom of the 436 U.S. Congressional Districts. For Dardar, it is now likely too late to save places such as Isle de Jean Charles: Its now so degraded, its probably too late. But he does say we need to start thinking about alternatives to our reliance on oil and gas. He says the U.S. government should now work at retraining people currently working in the industry to move toward an industry that is more ecologically viable. But hes not holding his breath as president-elect Donald Trump is about to take over the reins of power. The orange-haired carnival barker, as Dardar refers to Trump, has put together a cabinet of imbeciles. The only positive spin? With the Republicans controlling all three levels of government, they cant blame the Democrats if it all fails. SHANNON SAMPERT / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mike Dardar and Brenda Dardar Robichaux at Chez Felicite speak about the history of the United Houma Nation, which reflects the story of First Nations in Canada. In Canada, it has been nerve-wracking to balance the economy and the environment. In November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the controversial decision to approve two major pipelines that will pump nearly a million more barrels of oil a day from Albertas oilsands to global markets once constructed. Enbridges Line 3 and Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain Pipeline were given the go-ahead, while the Northern Gateway pipeline was rejected. The Line 3 project replaces the Canadian segments of its line from Alberta to Wisconsin, part of which goes through southern Manitoba. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court over the decision. The AMC wants the court to quash the federal approval, or at the very least send it back to Ottawa with strict conditions that the federal cabinet take indigenous perspectives into account and review the decision again. Meanwhile, Kinder Morgans project is also facing opposition from indigenous groups. The project will move a mix of oil products from Edmonton to a terminal in Burnaby, B.C., near Vancouver, for export to Asia. Some First Nations, environmentalists and politicians were upset about the move, concerned that the effect of increased tanker traffic and the potential of an oil spill would negatively effect the ecosystem off the coast of Vancouver as well as along the pipeline trail. However, there are other First Nations who are seeking economic benefit from the pipeline project, with hopes it will lead to money and jobs for their reserves. Perhaps the indigenous people in Canada can look south to the Houma to build its resistance to the expansion of the oil and gas industry. The problematic reliance we continue to have on oil and gas could eventually mean our ecosystems are compromised while our economy remains mired in boom-and-bust cycles. But just who has the courage to take these bold steps to look for alternatives? Shannon Sampert is the perspectives and politics editor of the Winnipeg Free Press. shannon.sampert@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @Paulysigh Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 06/01/2017 (2128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Crime doesnt pay, as the saying goes, but every year in Manitoba, it results in multimillion-dollar compensation for victims and witnesses. The province has paid $2.8 million in compensation to people who were hurt or suffered personal hardships because of crime so far this fiscal year, according to statistics provided to the Free Press from the Justice Department. In the first nine months of the 2016-17 fiscal year, people seeking compensation sent 768 applications to the provincial compensation program. Newscom photo Roughly $3.5 million in compensation is paid out each year. That amount has stayed about the same during the past five years, a Justice Department spokeswoman said. The number of applications the program received increased by five per cent in the 2015-16 fiscal year. There were 975 new compensation applications submitted that year, compared with 925 a year earlier. Each year, $500,000 from a victim trust fund, which is paid for by court fees imposed on criminals, is put toward paying compensation to victims, including those who have suffered or incurred expenses by witnessing crimes or those who were hurt while trying to help a police officer prevent a crime. Families of those who have been killed in violent crimes are also eligible for compensation, but its not paid to victims or relatives of victims who have themselves been convicted of a serious crime. This policy, implemented as an amendment to victims rights legislation in 2011, reduced compensation for victims who were convicted of more than one less serious crime within the previous five years. These rules were highlighted during the recent sentencing of a convicted killer who admitted to beating 23-year-old Jamie Nicholas Cook to death in October 2013 because he was too quiet. Cooks grieving family said his three young children are not entitled to compensation despite the vicious attack on their father, whom the judge described as a gentle man, because Cook had spent time in jail. In a victim impact statement filed in court last month, Cooks father called for change to the system. We want compensation to go to innocent victims who are genuinely deserving of assistance, then-justice minister Andrew Swan said in a statement at the time the rules came into effect more than five years ago. staff Nebraska is one of the leading states in terms of agricultural output. It ranks fourth in total agricultural receipts. Only California, Texas, and Iowa outproduce Nebraska farmers. Manufacturers add value to raw products by creating manufactured items. Food processing, such as meat products, breakfast cereal, livestock feed, baked goods, dairy product and soft drinks, is the leading manufacturing activity in Nebraska by a wide margin. The state is one of the world's major meatpacking centers. The production of chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides and fertilizer, ranks as Nebraska's second most important manufacturing enterprise. Machinery, namely farm equipment, telecommunications equipment, scientific, medical and surgical instruments, ranks third. Agriculture forms the backbone of Nebraska and today I see that neither one of our senators volunteered to be on the Agricultural Committee ("Sasse moves to Judiciary, Armed Services," Jan. 4). I find this to be alarming that Nebraska has both senators on the Armed Forces Committee but does not have a voice in something so important to the state's economy. Are our ranchers, farmers and food manufactures being represented? Are Nebraskans being represented? I think not. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Offer made to buy Port of Churchill That headline appeared in the Free Press on Jan. 9, 2016. The offer came from what was said to be a group of northern First Nations led by the chief of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, Arlen Dumas, called the Missinippi Rail Consortium. ALEX DE VRIES-MAGNIFICO FILES Almost a year after an offer to purchase the Port of Churchill was made, there has been little progress toward an actual sale. A month before that, officials from Omnitrax said they wanted to leave the Manitoba market and sell the roughly 1,000-kilometre-long Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill, both of which Denver-based Omnitrax acquired in 1997 with plenty of federal and provincial government support. In late July, before the start of the eight-week shipping season, port staff was laid off, effectively cancelling ocean-going shipments for 2016 (trans-shipment to Nunavut communities continued). After starting 2016 off with such a bang, the Omnitrax story was both surprisingly enduring and, at the same time, absent of any progress. The announced intention to sell the Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill to a Dumas-led consortium at the beginning of the year never advanced much, even though officials had been saying throughout much of 2016 that a deal was imminent. But in late December, Omnitrax put out a news release saying it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dumas group as a prelude to the sale of its Manitoba assets. This is a big step, an historic step, Omnitrax Canada president Merv Tweed said. The signing of an MOU is a way to create the appearance of activity and, at the same time, alleviate the signatories responsibility to do anything. On at least a couple of occasions early in the year Tweed had said the deal with Dumas was proceeding well. After the release of the MOU in late December, he said, We hope it happens very, very quickly once all the Is and Ts are dotted and crossed. We want this to happen as quickly as possible. Dumas has made it clear in the past that federal government support would be necessary to accomplish the takeover. But what form that support will take still remains to be seen. There has been a series of different meetings and discussions (with federal government officials) they are mindful of what it is we are wanting to do, Dumas said in late December. Details of the discussions continue to be vague and there has been no confirmation from the federal government of support for whatever proposal Dumas has brought forward. After fairly intense media focus through the summer, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains visited Churchill and committed $4.6 million for economic development projects in Churchill. None of that funding has been dispersed. In the meantime, another group of northern Manitoba community leaders has organized an effort, called the Northern Delegation, to produce some kind of counter proposal to acquire the assets, led by Churchill Mayor Mike Spence and Christian Sinclair, chief of Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Sinclair claims to have the support of every community along the rail line, including every First Nation and Metis community as well as Thompson, The Pas, Flin Flon and Churchill. He said some First Nations that had originally supported Dumass proposal have rescinded that support and now back the Northern Delegation. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Chief Arlen Dumas (middle), MKO Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson and Merv Tweed, president of Omnitrax Canada, are front and centre at a news conference to update details on an agreement to purchase the Hudson Bay Railway from Omnitrax. Both groups claim not to know what the other is doing, but Tweed is unequivocal about who Omnitrax is talking with. In late November, he said, Things are progressing with the Missinippi Rail Consortium led by Chief Dumas. We are currently in an exclusive arrangement with them and encourage all northern First Nations to work directly with that group. After cutting its port staff, Omnitrax seems to have deployed more resources to its legal department in 2016 it has filed two lawsuits against the province throughout the course of the year than it has to its on-the-ground operations. In late July, rail freight service to Churchill was cut in half, from two trains per week to one after having threatened to do so earlier in the year. The 2016 shipping season was forfeited, but even if the company had not laid off its staff and had continued to market the port, it still might not have attracted any ships. After a few public remarks early in 2016, Omnitrax officials went dark until mid-August, when the companys Denver-based CEO, its Canadian president and other senior officials met with the Free Press. Rumour and speculation filled the void left by the companys refusal to discuss its plan. Lost in that misguided strategy was the fact that shippers did not book a single bushel of grain out of the port for 2016. Knowing that, it makes the staff layoffs and the cuts in freight trains more understandable. But the reason the story endured with little action moving it along is the fact that the rail line provides a lifeline as the only all-season ground transportation for much of Manitoba north of Thompson. It is a singular transportation infrastructure that would likely costs billions of dollars to construct were it to be built today. Churchill has the only Canadian deep water port in the Arctic Ocean and the rail line through northern Manitoba is the only rail line anywhere in the country connecting to any Arctic Ocean port, irrespective of the depth of the harbour. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A growing number of fictional readers are approaching me in public and asking the following hard-hitting question: Hey, Doug, how do you come up with all those entertaining yet educational column ideas? Most of the time I just shriek like a little girl and run away because they have startled me as I stand mesmerized in the frozen-food aisle trying to decide which flavour of Haagen-Dazs ice cream to buy for lunch. But the more I think about it, the real answer is that I come up with ideas by relying on old-fashioned journalism techniques, such as going to my office cubicle, sitting down and staring at my computer. Doug uses the worlds smallest magnifying glass to study a letter from a concerned reader. Thats exactly what I did the other day, which is when I noticed a letter propped up on my keyboard. It was addressed to our audience development department, but, scrawled on the envelope, was the following message: Story suggestion for Doug Speirs. Inside the envelope was a shocking letter from Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man. Normally I would not identify the sender, but I am confident Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man., will not mind because at the end of his note was this P.S.: If my name was mentioned it wouldnt bother me. Well, let me just say, thank you, Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man., for taking that courageous stand. And thank you for taking the time to write to me about a troubling issue that is threatening the very fibre of modern democracy. But I do not wish to taint your opinions on this burning issue, so I will allow Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man., to present his concerns in his own words. The last few years I have noticed on television news when they show someone in the news and their name and title appears under them, its ridiculous how short a time they allow the viewer to read their name and title about two seconds, Donalds letter pointed out. They all do it CTV, CBC, Global, NBC, CBC, ABC. Im 72 and I dont believe that younger people today are setting the pace by reading such titles and names in a second-and-a-half. Donald said he does not experience this problem when reading the prologues on old movies, such as Gone With The Wind, but it is a different story with TV news. I have a 19-inch TV so many names and titles are shown too small for me to read well (my eyesight is good). Whats with all the tiny letters and then to add insult to injury having them appear on screen no more than a couple of seconds? To see someone on the news and wonder about their name and title its very frustrating to put up with this nonsense on all channels. Well, I have to tell you, Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man., I have been wondering for years when someone would finally have the courage to raise the issue of TV stations making it (bad word) impossible to read the names and titles of people on the news. If I am going to be blunt, I believe Donald Taylor has stumbled on a massive conspiracy. There are many reasons why the TV news giants do not want viewers to be able to read the names and titles of interviewees. For starters, they do not want us to know that they have no clue how to spell the names and titles of the people they feature on the news. I can forgive this. When I interview someone, they will carefully spell their name and title, but all I hear is this: Hi, Im Carlos blah blah the vice-consul of blah blah in the Latvian republic of blah blah blah. But there is a deeper and more sinister reason that TV news displays names in such tiny letters and for such brief periods of time. The truth is, the people in TV news hate you, by which I mean us, the millions of dorky viewers who would never in a million years be cool enough to appear on TV because and you know this is true we have hideously awful hairstyles, whereas the hip people on TV news programs have professionally styled haircuts coated in so many layers of hairspray they can deflect bullets. The real tragedy, Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man., is that TV news programs are not the only ones taking part in this massive and largely unreported conspiracy. It is like an iceberg, underneath which is a bunch of really tiny frozen letters. Recently, for example, I have begun to notice that, when I visit a restaurant and attempt to order food, I am unable to read the menu. Why? Because the words on menus are written in letters smaller than the single-cell organisms we used to study in high school biology. I will have the cheeseburger, is what I always tell the waiter, even if I am in a Chinese restaurant, because I have forgotten to bring a magnifying glass to read the menu. Young people do not have the same problem. This is because they spend all of their time staring down at their smartphones, reading secret texts written in letters smaller than the hearts of Canadian senators, then tapping out hip replies with their youthful fingers, which are the size and shape of parrot beaks. Clearly, the time has come for brave older Canadians yes, I am talking to you, Donald Taylor of Minnedosa, Man. to take a stand on this burgeoning controversy. We are going to have to come up with an action plan, which we can send to one another via email. If this plan is going to work, we will have to write our emails in huge typefaces, because otherwise I will just end up ordering the cheeseburger again. Thank you again, Donald Taylor. Next week well bravely tackle another cultural crisis all those random hairs sprouting from our ears. doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Growing up in the East End of London with a Jewish father, I discovered the meaning of anti-Semitism at a fairly young age. Not that it was common in Britain in the 1960s and 70s far from it but when the malodorous old ghoul did rise from the grave, it was entirely obvious. Generally we had a suitable, if not genteel, way of dealing with it. They were earthier times. The point is, however, that while anti-Semitism is obscene, so are empty, baseless and politically manipulative accusations of Jew-hatred. By the way, anti-Semitism is precisely that; the term was coined in the 19th century to exclusively describe hatred of Jews. Because it is such a repugnant charge, wed better get it right when we use it. Yet in the past two weeks, numerous right-wing supporters of Israel have accused U.S. President Barack Obama and his team of anti-Semitism because they dared to abstain from a United Nations vote calling on Israel to leave the occupied territories. DAVID VAAKNIN / THE WASHINGTON POST FILES Jewish settlers visit the commercial centre of the West Bank Jewish settlement of Eli earlier this month. The UN Security Council decision needs to be analyzed, of course, but I can assure you that millions of Israelis and diaspora Jews support it, are vehemently opposed to settlements in the West Bank and would even debate the future of East Jerusalem. Whatever the case, an informed, balanced and moderate criticism of certain Israeli government policies is not anti-Semitism. More than this, it is a disgusting libel that insults the leadership of the United States and important, this diminishes and devalues the authentic nature and meaning of anti-Semitism. Yet social media, blogs, television pundits and even newspaper columnists in this country have implied racism influenced Obamas decision. They also throw countries that supported the motion, such as Britain and New Zealand, into the racist pot. New Zealand has had three prime ministers of Jewish heritage in its fairly brief history. Obviously, it is a bastion of anti-Semitism. The British writer G.K. Chesterton alas, a man with his own anti-Semitic demons once wrote that, My country, right or wrong, is a thing that no patriot would think of saying. It is like saying, My mother, drunk or sober. In other words, blind support for a nation, whatever it does, is not friendship but dangerous obsession. This, surely, is how we should consider the UN vote and Obamas approach. This is a man who has approved the giving of billions of dollars to Israel, who was formed politically and socially by Jewish people, who numbers Jewish people among his closest friends and who we know from diaries is appalled that any Jewish person should consider him anything other than a comrade. On the other hand, it was Egypt and Russia that were prepared to back Israel in postponing the vote, and neither country has a shining example of treating Jews with respect and equality. Its simply crass and chilling to mingle sensible foreign policy with gutter racism, and if it doesnt stop soon, Israel will lose many more allies. One of the ironies of all this is that insisting all Jewish people have to think in an identical way about Israel is in itself anti-Semitic; it assumes a Jewish persons race or religion dictates their views about Middle Eastern politics. Jewish people think whatever they want; they can even be anti-Zionist if they like. Its up to them, and thank God they and all of us have that fundamental freedom. Anti-Semitism does certainly exist and some critics of Israel are undeniably motivated by a dark dislike of Jews. But thats a small minority. Most Palestinians hardly knew who or what a Jew was until the 1930s, and while Arab governments may often be hypocritical, they are generally far more hostile to their own people and to other Arabs than they are to Jews. Motives are seldom pure, politics rarely clean, the Middle East always confused, racism never rational. But those of us who care about peace and justice for Jew and Arab alike and who know that the Israeli right speaks for only a segment of the Jewish state, are sick and tired of abuse replacing discussion on such a delicate and vital issue. And no, Im not a self-loathing Jew. Not even a self-loathing half-Jew. Mind you, I dont like myself very much half the time. Michael Corens latest book is Epiphany: A Christians Change of Heart and Mind over Same-Sex Marriage (Random House). Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It is a fundamental, inescapable aspect of human nature that we are unwilling to accept certain things as true until we have experienced them for ourselves. Were all guilty of it. Children do not take advice from parents. Business leaders often reject the front-line advice of the people they lead. And opposition politicians simply cannot accept the claims of the government until they get their chance to experience governing for themselves. And so it is for Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen, who is charged with finding a path to greater efficiency in our health-care system. Goertzen will get the first major ammunition in his battle against inefficiency before the end of this month, when the interim results from a review of health services land on his desk. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Nurse Jennifer Field gives the flu vaccine to Jessica Chan. The Progressive Conservative government is looking for efficiencies in health care. The Tory government is hoping this review, conducted by accounting firm KPMG, will reveal low-hanging fruit in the struggle to find the methods to help contain and slow the rate of health-care spending. The health-care review the final report of which is expected in late March is accompanied by a value-for-money audit that will attempt to find similar efficiencies in other departments. These audits are critically important to the future of not only the provincial treasury, but also the Progressive Conservative government. Premier Brian Pallister anchored his 2016 election campaign on an assertion that only he could restore fiscal sanity to government. Specifically, he dangled before voters the holy trinity of fiscal accomplishments: lower taxes, an end to deficit financing and no erosion of government services. Voters bought into his promises, awarding him an enormous majority. There was always a healthy dose of naivete in those fiscal pledges. No government in this country has been able to overcome a deficit solely through efficiencies; those that have been successful, such as British Columbia and Quebec, have required a combination of austerity and tax increases, both of which Pallister has rejected. A cynic might wager that despite assurances to the contrary, there are reductions in services coming, at least for the short term. And if the Tories did choose that option, they would not be alone. Other provinces, Ontario in particular, have rationed or cut certain health services or fees paid to doctors, capped the number of elective procedures and even reduced the number of nurses working in some facilities. This harkens back to the early 1990s, when provinces were forced to make significant reductions in health spending after the federal government cut back on health transfers. Could Manitoba be headed back down that road? Again, Goertzen will only talk in generalities, but he is clear that his government is going to have to do some pretty unpopular things. I understand fully that the mandate of government is to move us back into a proper financial position, Goertzen said in a recent interview. With health accounting for nearly half (of all government expenditures), we clearly cant do it without health being a significant part of that. The decisions that are going to be made are not going to be easy and may not always be popular. I do think there is an understanding in the public that the discussion has to happen, because it hasnt happened really in Manitoba. Goertzens last assertion is not entirely correct. Although there is a lot of waste in the health-care system large, complex organizations are almost always hotbeds of waste and duplication it is wrong to suggest that no one in Manitobas health system has been talking about efficiencies. The overall capacity of the system has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 20 years, ever since Ottawa and the provinces started restoring the funding cut in the early 1990s. The fact is that increases in capacity and improvements in overall efficiency have not slowed or mitigated the increase in demand for services. Although more dramatic fiscal measures will be needed to eliminate Manitobas $1-billion deficit, Goertzen and the Tory government should continue to look for efficiencies. In fact, we should expect that the fresh eyes that come from the installation of a new government will create improvements. Getting rid of a long-serving government that may have lost its ability to find the most efficient, effective way of doing things is one of the best reasons for voters to elect a new government. And there are signs that Goertzen is the right man to provide those fresh eyes. It should be noted that Goertzen was a surprise pick for health minister. Many felt that longtime health critic Myrna Driedger would be given the job, one she had long coveted. Goertzen seemed destined to be justice minister, the portfolio he followed most while in opposition. Instead, Pallister decided to make Driedger Speaker, putting Goertzen into the most demanding, stressful job in all of cabinet. Even though he likely never imagined himself as a health minister, Goertzen has the chops to do the job. Talking to him now, just eight months into the job, he demonstrates a capacity for practical analysis that could help improve service delivery. For example, late last year, Goertzen lashed out at the former NDP government for the underwhelming results produced by the establishment of QuickCare clinics around Winnipeg. Established as a convenient option to divert less-urgent cases away from hospital emergency rooms, the clinics have not attracted the volume of patients predicted by the former government. Goertzen said he has discovered that most of the clinics have limited hours, which prevent them from being a legitimate option for the patients flooding emergency rooms. He suggested a smaller number of QuickCare clinics with longer hours could be more effective. As well, the minister said he thinks it makes sense to locate the clinics closer to hospital ERs, so that less-urgent patients could be diverted without significant delay. These are very much the kinds of suggestions that could improve the delivery of service and squeeze a bit more value out of the publics investment in health care. Will they be enough to curb the relentless increase in health spending? Goertzen will only know that for sure after hes experienced for himself more of what the health portfolio is all about. dan.lett@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @danlett Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/01/2017 (2127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. I dont like using email; thats going to be abhorrent to anyone under 40. That admission came Friday from Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister, who was being asked to explain how he communicates with his staff during his long periods away from Manitoba. Mr. Pallister vacations in Costa Rica and has come under fire by some for his plans to go off the grid for as long as eight weeks. He was in the tropical climes over Christmas and plans on returning there for much of January. While Mr. Pallister tried to make this an issue of millennials versus baby boomers, his failure to use emails also allows him to obfuscate responsibility on government decisions. In fact, its a practice thats been used by government officials for many years, as long as emails have been used as a form of communication in government. Its called a read-and-delete culture, and it has been embraced by government officials at all levels under 40 or not. This means that public officials, aware their emails may be targeted by opposition members or the media, are adept at deleting them and/or defaulting to telephone conversations or text messages. This is how they then can skirt access-to-information laws. Access-to-information requests cannot reveal what no longer exists in the physical realm, and information that should be made available to the public is then hidden. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister By not using email, Mr. Pallister insulates himself from potential scandal or culpability. It was something the federal Liberals under Jean Chretien were heavily criticized for when the sponsorship scandal broke. It was something that the federal Conservatives under Stephen Harper campaigned on when they attempted to win power in Ottawa. It was also something the federal Tories themselves were pilloried for, winning the Canadian Association of Journalists Code of Silence award multiple times for consistently refusing to provide basic information to journalists. This is a far cry from what the Manitoba Tories campaigned on, extolling the importance of open and accountable government. Trust and accountability go hand in hand. We will lead by example, commit to the principles and back it up with the legislative teeth required to show Manitobans there will be repercussions for elected officials who take their trust for granted, Mr. Pallister said in a news release while stumping for our votes just one year ago. Part of the open-government initiative was the pledge to ensure access to information, chiding the NDP government for hiding important information behind the Freedom of Information Act. Fridays theatrics, with Mr. Pallister meeting one on one with each reporter, with a vast array of books at his fingertips to demonstrate just how hard he works while enjoying Central American sunshine, was a deliberate attempt to allay taxpayers concerns that he may not be working hard for Manitobans. But while Mr. Pallister may be suggesting that hes old-school, relying on the telephone to relay information and to keep in touch with his staff, his tactics on dodging accountability are old-school as well. Theyre not fooling anyone. Bathroom mats. Toilet seats. Shoes. Dog tags. All of these items have, in recent years, gone on sale adorned with images of Hindu deities, particularly that of Ganesha, known most commonly in the West for his elephant face. It is inappropriate, and it is offensive to devotees, said Rajan Zed, a Reno-based Hindu activist who protests against such commercial products. I havent seen Christ on toilet seat covers. Or any symbol of Islam, said Vasudha Narayanan, a professor of religion at the University of Florida. If you wouldnt do it with one, why do you want to do it with something else? Or at least wouldnt it behoove you to check? Every few months, Zed said, he receives a message about some insensitive commercial use of a Hindu image. Most recently, Zed called on Amazon to pull deity-decorated skateboards and bedding from its online shelves. (This was not the first time the retailer got itself into hot water over such practices. In June, the hashtag #boycottAmazon trended on Twitter in India after users discovered doormats with images of Hindu deities available for sale. Amazon removed the items within days.) Earlier this month, Zed asked online retailers Wayfair and Kess In House to stop selling bathmats, doormats, dog beds, leggings and rugs with images of Ganesha, who often is invoked in prayers for prosperity and success at the beginning of new ventures. Another time, there was the Burger King commercial in Spain that featured Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, sitting atop a hamburger with the caption, The snack is sacred in Spanish. (Many Hindus are vegetarian, with beef considered especially off-limits because cows are considered sacred.) The use of these images in a secular context, and particularly in a context that is in direct opposition to the basic tenets of the Hindu religion, displays a lack of respect, Narayanan said. In Hinduism, myriad deities and their representation through images, sounds (like the chanting of om) and expressive forms like dance or music are an attempt to capture the many facets of a supreme being whose existence is difficult to grasp, Narayanan said. As such, depictions of the sacred are themselves considered to be sacred, she said. Consider that time in 2013 when Urban Outfitters drew criticism for selling socks with depictions of Ganesha around the ankles. Feet are considered the lowest form of a being, Narayanan said. Pointing ones feet at another person is considered to be extremely disrespectful, while bowing at someones feet is a mark of veneration. When you have your foot not just pointing to but touching a god on footwear, its a double-whammy, Narayanan said. Even the most liberal Hindus that I know would find [this] particularly jarring. Its not that Hindus categorically reject the use of religious images on artistic or commercial products. In India, for example, images of Lakshmi are commonly used to sell lottery tickets. In another well-known advertisement, Hanuman, a monkey-faced deity known in Hindu mythology as an efficient, swift emissary, promises fast delivery for ABT Parcel Service, a transportation and post service in south India. Context shapes whether something is a misappropriation or appropriation or appreciation, said Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group for Hindu Americans. Someone whos doing it out of appreciation or reverence would never put it on a toilet. That automatically becomes the filter, she said. Most of the time, when Zed reaches out to companies to ask them to stop selling an item or displaying an advertisement, he said, they apologize and comply. Its ignorance, basically, Zed said. People dont know our traditions and our deities. Indians are a relatively new immigrant group in the U.S., with many having arrived after immigration laws changed in 1965 to abolish national-origins quotas and establish a preference for skilled workers and families. Indians make up only about 1 percent of the U.S. population, and Hindus are a fraction of that, as Indians practice a variety of faiths. There also are Hindu immigrants from other countries, albeit in even smaller numbers. Knowing someone from a religious group is linked with having more positive views of that group, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey. Only 22 percent of respondents in the survey said they knew someone who was Hindu, and when asked to rate their attitudes toward various religious groups on a feelings thermometer (where 0 degrees meant viewing a group as coldly and negatively as possible), they rated Hindus somewhat neutrally, at 50 degrees. By contrast, a majority of Americans said they knew someone who was Catholic or Jewish; those groups received ratings of 63 and 62 degrees, respectively. Susan Scafidi, a law professor at Fordham University in New York and author of Who Owns Culture?, a book about cultural appropriation and American law, said people commonly borrow religious symbols from other cultures because they are the clearest expression of those cultures. People reach for things that are accessible and dont stop to think necessarily what those pieces of culture might mean, Scafidi said. Instead, they infuse the symbol with their own, usually inchoate, meaning, she said. It doesnt typically come from a place of racism or hatred. Its more thoughtlessness, Scafidi added. Radon Action Month is back in Minnesota, continuing to raise awareness of the presence of the naturally occurring and potentially deadly gas in homes and buildings throughout the state. While laws and regulations have increased three years ago, laws were created requiring more stringent disclosure of radon testing in home sales about two of every five homes are estimated to have potentially dangerous levels of the gas. Radon, present naturally in soil, is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, and exacerbates the risk of cancer in smokers and those with other risk factors. It enters a home by rising through walls or foundations, and its odorless, colorless, and tasteless, so the only way to know of its presence is to test. Winona County is among the 80 percent of Minnesota counties that are in high radon zones. thats in large part because of the porous karst topography of the bluff region, characterized by soft limestone with abundant fissures. That can result in elevated radon levels, though levels vary from home to home depending on how the home is built and ventilated. Jill Johnson with Winona County environmental services said the county encourage everyone to test their homes, because a neighbor having radon, or not, is no indication of how your own home will be. Individual testing is key, Johnson said. The countys community services department has been offering inexpensive tests for about 15 years to raise awareness and educate the public to the gas, which kills around 21,000 people annually. It is considered a significant health risk, Johnson said. The tests, available for as little as $5 from the county, can indicate the presence of radon in a home. Tests take three to seven days of exposure inside of an area of the house before being sent to a lab. Test kits are also available in most home improvement stores. The county tested over 1,400 homes from 2010 to 2014, 50 percent of which had at least the actionable levels of radon, and 79 percent had lower levels. If homeowners discover the presence of radon, there are steps to remove it. Mike Ellefson is the owner of Ellefson Builders in Winona, which offers certified radon testing. He said installing radon mitigation systems is the most effective way to ensure it is not a health risk. In 2009 that qualification was added to Minnesotas building code, requiring that at least a mitigation system was in place, though it did not require it to be actively powered with a fan to draw the radon out of the home. Ellefson said his company has installed more than 1,500 mitigation systems over the past decade, and emphasized that even if homeowners try to seal out radon, it can penetrate through cement. There are several misconceptions about radon, Ellefson said, including that radon cant penetrate or be present in patio homes and other buildings that dont have basements. No matter what house is there, radon can come in, Ellefson said. I would test no matter where you are. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 4 picocuries per liter is the level where homes become unsafe. And, 10 picocuries per liter is not an uncommon measurement in the area. Even at that level, the Minnesota Department of Health says it will still cause cancer at a rate of about seven of every 1,000 nonsmokers, and 62 of every 1,000 smokers. It also causes the same adverse effects on children and animals. Installation of mitigation systems vary from around $1,200 to $2,000 and above. A list of certified radon measurement providers and people who are licensed to install mitigation systems can be found on the Minnesota Department of Healths website. About two of every five homes are estimated to have potentially dangerous levels of the gas. The Baraboo Community Scholarship Corporation is poised to dish out over $140,000 in scholarship awards to past and present Baraboo High School students this spring. More than 75 donors comprised of organizations, companies and individuals have teamed with BCSC this year to provide students with funding to study anything from cosmetology to trade work in college. After submitting an application to BCSC, students become eligible for dozens of monetary awards offered through the nonprofits scholarship program. Last year, BCSC gave away 115 scholarships from 67 donors totaling $142,000. Its such a generous thing that our community does, said BCSC Board member Cindy McVenes, who has had three children receive scholarships through the program. Awards are available to students attending trade and technical schools as well as those planning to attend two- and four-year colleges. While some reward academic achievement, others recognize personal characteristics, specific fields of study, outstanding accomplishments, work history and special interests. BCSC Board President David Haseley said the organization strives to provide scholarships to as many applicants as possible. It really is across the spectrum, he said. Its not just academic the top 50 students dont just show up and get a lot of money. Haseley said the corporation generally receives about 250 scholarship applications from students, but the number of applicants has declined in recent years, leaving a considerable amount of award money unused. To become eligible for scholarships, students must submit an application which can be found at barabooscholarships.com to BCSC by the end of February. The application asks students to submit a brief essay along with two references one academic source and one nonacademic source. When the application is completed, it can be mailed to BCSC or placed in the BCSC box located in the high schools Student Services Office. After they are submitted, the applications are put into a database, where they are sorted based on students scholarship eligibility. Donors are then given the opportunity to decide which student will receive the award. Its like one-stop shopping, Haseley said. Haseley said students generally receive a letter near the end of April that states whether they will receive awards. Scholarships are distributed in May during the high schools Honors Night. While the national economy has righted itself after the Great Recession of 2008 and wages are finally showing some improvement, along with a falling unemployment rate, the state of Wisconsin isnt keeping up. Gov. Scott Walker and his leaders in the Legislature will tell you everything is just fine the state is booming thanks to their leadership and theyre ready to do more. To this, I say, spare us. Of course Wisconsins economy is doing better than it was in 2010. If it wasnt, then some government leaders ought to be thrown in jail for malfeasance. If you cant show improvements in your states economy when the nations is reaching new heights, than something is seriously wrong. Yet still, the Badger State ranks in the bottom half in job growth, and a United Way of Wisconsin report issued in September found that two-thirds of Wisconsins jobs pay under $20 an hour, below the poverty rate for families of four. This isnt anything to write home about, despite the spin put on the states economy by Walker and his legislative cheerleaders. Wisconsin continues to lag because the governor and too many of state representatives and senators in the Legislature would rather concentrate on piddly issues that make news media headlines than actually hunker down and get serious about the states economy. Thats why in this state we seldom hear a serious discussion of helping the working poor by increasing the minimum wage, a move that could bolster wages up through the working ranks. Instead of targeting relief to low-income families, which in turn would help their spending power, money is funneled into already-lavish tax breaks for the wealthy and big businesses, many of which accept the largess but dont return jobs. When it comes to programs that could create jobs with federal money, no less, the Walker administration has seen fit to spurn the money and the well-paying jobs that come with it. The rancor over the state Department of Transportations funding problems is a perfect example. Rather than consider new funding resources for the budget that could be used to restore the states deteriorating roads and bridges and create thousands of jobs, the short-sighted governor and a few Senate allies dig in their heels. But alas, these politicians find plenty of time to take on or, better yet, create issues that have nothing to do with making the economy better. One of the first things at least two Republicans think ought to be done is get the University of Wisconsin to fire a professor with the audacity to offer an elective course in the problems of whiteness in our society. And if UW officials dont, then they better expect some more cuts in their next budget. Cant you imagine corporate execs rushing to invest in a state whose politicians think its fine to play racial politics? But GOPers like state Sen. Steve Nash and state Rep. Dave Murphy long have been doing their best to denigrate the biggest job creator in the state. And then we have the burning issue that private and public college students should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. Since no one has singled it out as being a major priority among college kids, no ones quite sure where state Rep. Jesse Kremer came up with that one, except, of course to keep his name in the papers. However, I suppose it would help employment in out-of-state gun factories if somehow students rush to arm themselves for the long trek up Bascom Hill. And then lets not forget about Scott Walkers job-creating priorities. No sooner had the ink dried on the 2016 election than our governor fired off a wish list to Donald Trump, asking that the federal government give Wisconsin the OK to drug test able-bodied men who get food stamps (probably some of those $7.25-an-hour guys he refuses to help), allow us to set our own rules on which refugees can settle in Wisconsin, and give us permission to decide when and how to shoot wolves. Lots of job growth in those priorities. Imagine the drug-testing jobs that will be created. Unfortunately, they, too, will probably pay $7.25 an hour. Then we wonder why Wisconsin has become a national laggard. Photos dont do it justice, and yet photos are often what inspires the art of Robin Wallenfang. Other inspirations include travel and the work of her late mentor, Sister Thomasita Fessler. Beaver Dam Area Arts Association hosts a solo display of Wallenfangs work at the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts. The exhibit opens Jan. 13 and runs through Feb. 19. It includes examples of her work, artifacts and art work from native villages in Panama, photographs and more. Due to a her most recent mission trip her 12th visit to Panama BDAAA will host an artist reception with Wallenfang as the exhibit closes Sunday, Feb. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. Wallenfang said her mission trips to Panama to help Father Wally Kasuboski have influenced the direction of her work. She will be discussing her longtime mission work in Panama and art-making at BDAAAs annual meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. at the Seippel Center. A freelance artist with more than 30 years of experience in oil painting, calligraphy and sculpture, she has a gallery and studio at Wallenfangs of Green Lake. Her work includes murals at the Berlin and Ripon libraries, the Green Lake Conference Center, Bellissimo Ristorante Italiano, and at Wallenfangs. An exterior mural she painted of the four seasons on Wautoma Public Library lasted 17 years and was a collaborative effort between her and the community. It measured 100 feet long and 20 feet tall. Wallenfang majored in fine art at Cardinal Stritch, where she met Sister Thomasita, who challenged and inspired her. Her work also reflects a study of cubism. It was very influential, Wallenfang said. She said while many are not encouraged to pursue an arts degree, both she and her brother did, because their mother was an art teacher. Her brothers art interest led to woodworking. I am a mural painter, Wallenfang said. She said learning how to paint murals seemed overwhelming. Her solo exhibit at BDAAA includes several examples of her mural work, including her interpretation of The Last Supper, created to celebrate Holy Week, a piece that had her working 8 to 12 hour days for several months. Its the most intense Ive ever painted, Wallenfang said. She works with the Walldogs, a group of painters and artists from around the globe. She has served as a project lead for them, and looks forward to spending a week with the group this summer in Beaver Dam. The whole team will descend on the town, she said. It is going to blow away the local community. Wallenfang said art students need to learn the value of having someone appraise their work. Critique is not criticism. An upstairs room at the Seippel Center features examples of Wallenfangs calligraphy work, along with original poetry. She shared a lesson learned when someone critiqued her calligraphy. Simple does not mean easy, she said. It means the more you can show with the least amount of effort. Years ago a school project that required my son to work on a family tree sparked my interest in digging into my familys history. Using genealogy resources available online, a family Bible, photographs and conversations with a paternal great aunt and my maternal grandmother, I traced my way back through the past and learned what once removed means when talking about cousins. Social media played a role in my search. I met distant cousins on both sides of my family, including one from my mothers side of the family still living in Finland and one on my fathers side who lives in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. I discovered a distant cousin who lives in Wisconsin, but is also a Yooper. We both attended Michigan Tech, where her daughter and my son are now in their third year as students. She is a descendant of Sam, a younger brother of my great-great-grandfather Henry. Two five-generation photos printed in newspapers one featuring me as an infant, and the other with my paternal grandmother as the baby helped me trace back that branch of the family tree to the names of my great-great-great-great-grandparents on the maternal side of my fathers family. The Lutey family Bible, passed down to my father and now my son, helped me discover the names of my great-great-great-grandparents, which led to the discovery of my great-great-great-great-grandfather John Lutey, born in Cornwall in 1795. His brother is a great-grandparent for my distant cousin in Cornwall, but I did not need that research to tell me he was family. He looks too much like my grandpa Jim and great uncle Hans for me to have any doubt. Given what I learned about my familys origins, I could tell you I was part Finnish, Swedish, Cornish, Danish, Slovakian and possibly French Canadian and Austrian. One birth certificate suggested I might even have traces of First Nation Canadian in my blood. My cousin in Finland set me a digital copy of a hand-drawn family tree that also helped me in my research. I printed copies to share with my grandmother, who shared closer roots to that side of the family. Ive traced my family back to great-great-great-grandparents through that tree and conversations with Grandma Ethel. Last year, I tried another method of climbing my family tree using my DNA to tell me more. What I learned fascinated me, and suggested inaccuracies in old birth records (or the scandalous possibility that a person I thought was a distant great-grandfather might not be). The DNA test revealed my ancestry origins as being approximately 56 percent from Finland/Northwest Russia, 14 percent from Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway and Denmark), 12 percent eastern Europe, 10 percent from Ireland (which includes Scotland, Wales and Cornwall), 6 percent western Europe, 1 percent from the Iberian Peninsula and less than 1 percent from Great Britain. The mystery of the Iberian Peninsula percentage puzzled me, until I remembered my history lessons and the story of the Spanish Armada during the reign of Elizabeth I of England. In 1588, a fleet of 130 ships set sail from Spain, intent on invading England. They failed, and one-third of those ships did not return to Spain. Some sailors washed up on the shores of Ireland. Mystery possibly solved. I found it fascinating that my Cornish ancestry is considered as being from Ireland and not Great Britain. Having Scotland included in that bloodline lends credence to research that suggests the Lutey family name originated there. I usually pay more attention to St. Urhos Day a March 16 celebration of a fictional Finnish saint but this year I plan to enjoy St. Patricks Day, since I can now legitimately claim I am 10 percent Irish. I bought another DNA testing kit as a Christmas gift for my son and look forward to him sharing his results. A cousin on my mothers side used a DNA test from the same source, so it helpfully revealed our family connection as highly likely to be first cousins. The site, Ancestry.com, also reveals many potential fourth to sixth cousins, but will only allow me to connect with them if I sign up as a member. While I initially used a site called Family Echo to build and store my genealogy research and family tree, I am slowly importing that information into Ancestry.com in hopes of connecting with more family. If you are interested in tracing your familys roots, I recommend starting at a local library to utilize genealogy tools available there. Digging into your familys past serves as a great way to find distant relatives and offers a personal look back at history. Advocates for survivors of sexual and domestic abuse are calling on state Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, to retract his condemnation of a University of Wisconsin-Madison program that challenges men to reevaluate ideas of masculine identity. The Mens Project, a six-week, discussion-based optional program, looks at how social ideas of masculinity promote such behaviors as violence, hook-up culture, and alcohol abuse. "A goal for the Mens Project is to ultimately prevent future violence by teaching participants to recognize warning signs of unhealthy interactions, according to a UW-Madison website. Senator Nass should be praising the efforts of young men to be part of the solution to lead healthier lives and to create a more peaceful state, Patti Seger, executive director of End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin. It is extremely troubling that he is instead threatening the university and trying to score political points. Efforts to prevent men's violence against women are far too important for this kind of political rhetoric." "We intend to reach out to Senator Nass to explain why programs like the Mens Project, which promote UW students' work to reduce violence, are so vital, especially to the safety of women and girls in Wisconsin. We will be asking him to retract his statement, Seger said. Nass, R-Whitewater, a long-time critic of the UW and vice-chair of the legislatures Committee on Universities and Colleges, on Wednesday said the UW-Madison offering declares war on men. Nass was recently joined by state Rep. David Murphy, R-Greenville, chair of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, in blasting an African Studies course set to begin later this month called The Problem of Whiteness. They suggest that legislators use their control over funding for the university in the budget-writing process now underway to force UW System schools to reform. Thats a good way to respond to the ideological excess displayed in offering the program on masculinity, Nass said Wednesday. Nass comments illustrate why educational efforts like The Problem with Whiteness and the Mens Project are needed, said Pennie Meyers, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA). "Senator Nass' recent, concerning comments regarding race, privilege and masculinity illustrate the clear need for greater public understanding of the social norms attitudes, values and beliefs in our culture that contribute to sexual violence, Meyers said. WCASA has developed its own programs to address cultural attitudes that promote violence, a series of Social Norms Toolkits. We encourage everyone to examine their beliefs and address the norms that support oppression and violence, Meyers said. Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairwoman Martha Laning will likely face a challenge from Glendale mayor and former union president Bryan Kennedy at the partys convention in June. Kennedy, former president of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, said in an interview he plans to make an announcement Tuesday. He stopped short of declaring his candidacy in the interview, but said he is likely to run. Dane County Democratic Party chairman Mike Basford, who has been considering a run, said he will not seek the position, which Kennedy said was a factor that makes it more likely he will challenge Laning. Basford said he has not decided whom to endorse, but said the question for the party is whether it is in the best position to support candidates interested in running for office. Laning, a Sheboygan businesswoman and community activist, announced last month that she would seek a second two-year term. She won 53 percent of the vote in a five-way race in 2015. She faces criticism for the partys poor showing in the November election when Republicans won the presidential race for the first time since 1984, the U.S. Senate race and an additional Assembly and Senate seat. More recently, no candidate emerged to challenge conservative Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler, though the position is nonpartisan. Kennedy said in an interview last month that if he were to run he would focus on connecting with both Democrats and citizens outside the traditional Democratic strongholds of Janesville, Madison and Milwaukee. There are obviously vast portions of the state where we arent connecting with voters, Kennedy said. The Democrats have to have a message about how were going to create jobs and make government effective again. Laning noted that unlike Kennedy she lives outside the Milwaukee area. She said she ran two years ago on a platform of building a grassroots party across the state and has held meetings all over the state to reach that goal. It takes time, she said. Ive been out there talking to people and know what we need to do. Having to start over doesnt help us as a party. It was almost nine years ago when Pat Beghins fishing vacation in northern Wisconsin was interrupted by catastrophic flooding in Columbia County. When Beghin looks back on his stint as the countys emergency management coordinator, it is the flooding in 2008, and its multi-million-dollar damage, that stands out in his memory. The Midwestern flooding of 1993 made all the national headlines, he said, but it doesnt compare to 2008. Between the public and private sectors, there was over $10 million in damage. Whole houses were washed down the Wisconsin River. An interstate highway was out of commission during Fathers Day weekend, and bumper-to-bumper traffic was routed through Portage. An artificial river, made of sandbags and heavy-duty plastic, diverted water from Park Lake in Pardeeville and kept the Fox River levee from breaching, but a big chunk of Highway 22 near downtown Pardeeville was still washed away. And just before that, Beghin noted, there were tornadoes that uprooted trees and damaged houses in the town of Springvale, and interrupted Pardeeville High Schools 2008 graduation exercises with two tornado warnings. Beghins work during the 2008 catastrophes didnt begin and end with filling sandbags. For months, even years, after the event, he was working with homeowners and business owners to get aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and federal Community Development Block Grants offered through what was then the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Beghin said hell be 52 when he steps down next month. (Retirement in the early 50s is not at all unusual for people in public safety professions.) I decided it was time to move on to something different but I dont know what that is yet, he said. Beghin said hed worked in law enforcement for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and for the village of New Glarus before he joined the Columbia County Sheriffs Office where he marked his 25th anniversary of employment last August. He started by working in the jail and dispatch center, then became a patrol deputy in 1992. He started working in emergency management in 2004, and gave up his deputy duties when he took the job full time in 2007. Columbia County, with its numerous rivers and low-lying areas like Blackhawk Park in the town of Caledonia, is a flood-prone county, Beghin said. Responders and residents alike learn not to panic when the Wisconsin River reaches flood stage at 17 feet, though the September 2010 record level of 20.7 feet was cause for concern and caution. But tornados and floods arent the only types of disasters. Beghin has dealt with incidents of life-threatening hot weather, life-threatening cold weather, fires and hazardous material leaks. The catastrophe that concerns him the most, however, is one that hasnt happened yet, at least not on a large scale an ice storm that knocks out electrical power for a large area, and for an extended period of time. The potential for our Katrina is a winter storm that knocks power out, Beghin said, alluding to Hurricane Katrina, which wreaked untold havoc on the Gulf Coast in 2005. The parting advice he would give to Columbia County officials, he said, is to encourage disaster training to the fullest extent possible, and not just for county employees. Municipal workers police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, even public works employees need to learn and practice disaster response procedures, he said. People dont rise to the occasion, he said. They rise to their level of training. In the likely event that Sheriff Dennis Richards appoints current Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Johnson to succeed Beghin, Columbia County will be uncommonly prepared and well served, Beghin said. Not only does Johnson have the highest level of certification available from the states Division of Emergency Management, shes also worked for the county for more than two decades, and knows every town road and low-lying flood plain in the county. A lot of this job, Beghin said, is keeping relationships built up with EMS, fire departments and even power plant managers. Shes on a first-name basis with all these people. Jan. 20 poses a problem for some of us. What to do instead of watching the media circus of a Trump inauguration? My aversion is not simply a matter of disliking the president-elect; it is much bigger than that. I fear that his rise to power will spell the end of the America of which I am so proud. Im afraid it means a loss of environmental protections and more exploitation of our natural resources for private gain; I dread the rollback of human rights and the endorsement of bigotry and intolerance. So I cannot participate in the crowning of the King of Greed, even as a television viewer. I will not watch the spectacle and I will try to do something positive instead. Maybe Ill make a donation to the Natural Resources Defense Fund and then watch a good British series like Poldark. Or perhaps recruit a few friends to support the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. I could have an anti-inauguration party; I could serve compassionate hors doeurves, play music by Joan Baez and Pete Seeger and hold a raffle to raise money for Planned Parenthood. Or I could spend the day writing letters to all my representatives urging them not to gut the Environmental Protection Agency and asking, once again, for universal health insurance, health care for all Americans. I could visit the sick. I could collect food for the food pantry. I could order trees from the Sauk County Conservation, Planning and Zoning office and give some to all of my students at Madison College this spring. Or I could find a way to support one of the relief organizations that is helping Syrian immigrants. I could do something, anything, to in some small way counteract the tide of xenophobia and prejudice that is rising in America. I could fly a rainbow flag to show my support for marriage equality and gay rights. Or I could spend the hours of the inauguration making signs for the Womens March in Madison the next day, signs that might say, Womens Rights are Human Rights or All Lives Matter! All Species Matter! or Protect the Earth It is Mother to us All! One suggestion I have heard is to buy nothing on Jan. 20, to totally boycott the commercial world that day. Thats easy; I can do that. Maybe Ill just stay home, listen to music and bake chocolate chip cookies and eat most of them. That sounds pretty good right now. A Morrill County jury found 25-year-old Zachary Mueller guilty Friday for the first-degree murder of Pedro Adrian Dominguez. Mueller also was found guilty of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, according to a press release from Nebraska Attorney General Doug Petersons office. Prosecutors had accused Mueller of killing 33-year-old Dominguez of Greeley, Colorado, and stuffing his body in a barrel. A farmer found Dominguez's body in the barrel floating in a creek near Bayard, southeast of Scottsbluff. Dominguez had been shot in the back of the head while riding in a car headed south of Bridgeport on Nov. 22, 2015, the attorney generals office said. New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company for New York Community Bank. New York Community Bank is the nations 47th-largest financial institution and its largest thrift. As a thrift, the bank specializes in real estate and consumer accounts specifically real estate loans and savings accounts and has limited exposure to other forms of business banking. Among the benefits to consumers are interest-bearing checking and saving accounts that come with higher-than-average interest rates. New York Community Bank was founded in 1859 to serve Queens County, New York. It operated under that name, growing all the while, until 2000 when it changed its name to better reflect the business. The company IPOd in 1993 and has made multiple acquisitions in the time since. As of 6/30/2022, the bank had $63.1 billion in assets and $41.2 billion in deposits. New York Community Bank operates in greater New York City, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. The company provides deposit products ranging from interest-bearing checking and money market accounts to savings accounts, IRAs, and CDs. Brands under the companys umbrella include AmTrust in Florida and Arizona, Ohio Savings Bank, Garden State Savings Bank, and Atlantic Bank. The bank offers a wide range of real-estate-related loans including but not limited to multi-family loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and consumer loans and mortgages. Investment products include annuities, mutual funds, and life insurance. Customers include individuals, small businesses, and organizations and are served through a network of more than 230 branches, and 300 ATMs, online, mobile, and by phone. Many of the locations are open 24 hours and 6 days a week although those hours are not available at all branches. Clients can access their accounts digitally 24/7. New York Community Bancorp and its underlying business carry investment-grade credit ratings from all the major rating agencies. The credit outlook in the 4th quarter of 2022 was stable as it had been for some time. In New York, it is a leader in the multi-family market specializing in lower-cost housing in rent-controlled areas. As of June 30, 2022, the multi-family loan portfolio accounted for more than 75% of all investments. The company has a stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan that help to sustain a high level of ownership. AbbVie Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals in the worldwide. The company offers HUMIRA, a therapy administered as an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behcet's diseases; SKYRIZI to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults; RINVOQ, a JAK inhibitor for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients; IMBRUVICA to treat adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), and VENCLEXTA, a BCL-2 inhibitor used to treat adults with CLL or SLL; and MAVYRET to treat patients with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection. It also provides CREON, a pancreatic enzyme therapy for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; Synthroid used in the treatment of hypothyroidism; Linzess/Constella to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation; Lupron for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and patients with anemia caused by uterine fibroids; and Botox therapeutic. In addition, the company offers ORILISSA, a nonpeptide small molecule gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for women with moderate to severe endometriosis pain; Duopa and Duodopa, a levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel to treat Parkinson's disease; Lumigan/Ganfort, a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension; Ubrelvy to treat migraine with or without aura in adults; Alphagan/ Combigan, an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist for the reduction of IOP in patients with OAG; and Restasis, a calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant to increase tear production, as well as other eye care products. AbbVie Inc. has a research collaboration with Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. Lincoln Lutheran Choir welcomes new and returning members to its spring concert season. Rehearsals begin next weekend with a retreat from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1800 S. 84th St. Brett Epperson, the choirs artistic director and conductor, has prepared a musical program which shares the importance of peace in our world. A guest soloist and choir will join the choir. The following editorial is to appear in the Miami Herald on Saturday, Jan. 7: And the carnage continues. The feared active shooter arrived in South Florida on Friday afternoon. He made his appearance at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just a stones throw from Miami. The scenario was familiar: People, basically, living their lives, this time at baggage claim. Out of nowhere, theres a gunman. He shoots, indiscriminately. Florida was not spared in 2016, and has started out the new year with yet another tragedy. The shootings massacre, really were the horrific end to what might have been a wonderful holiday getaway, a return from college break. We know that at least five people are dead. We know that number could rise and fervently hope that it doesnt. We know hands will be wrung, fingers will be pointed, security tightened and so many tears shed. And we also know that the first-responders, as usual, are the heroes. We know this because weve been here before. Here and across the country. The shooter is in custody, alive, authorities say. One small bit of solace in that its possible that this person will fill in some of the unfathomable blanks as to why. But already we know something else there is never a credible reason for such a hateful act. 175th anniversary celebration Bishop Steven Miller of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee will preach and celebrate the Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, at St. Lukes Episcopal Church, 614 Main St., marking the parishs 175th year of worship and community service. Miller and priest-in-charge, the Rev. Bob Lambert, will be joined by former clergy in supporting parishioners renewal of their baptismal vows and reaffirmation of their commitment to be part of Gods reconciling of the world. A reception in Simpson Hall will follow the service. Renew Baptismal vows A special time to renew Baptismal vows on Baptism of the Lord Sunday will be held during the 10 a.m. worship service on Sunday, Jan. 8, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 40 Ohio St. Sunday School for children ages 3 years old through sixth grade will begin a new unit focusing on the story of the Good Samaritan. Celebrate the Baptism of our Lord Celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord during the 5 p.m. vespers service on Saturday, Jan. 7 and the 9:15 a.m. traditional service on Sunday, Jan. 8, at Living Faith Lutheran Church, 2915 Wright Ave. Special music on Sunday will be provided by the Living Faith Choir. A contemporary worship service begins at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, at the west site at the new location of 8700 Durand Ave., Sturtevant. The praise band Selah will lead the music. Yorkville UMC resumes two services The 8 a.m. service on Sunday, Jan. 8, will include a baptism and a special song Seeds, sung by vocalist Jodi Klug, at Yorkville United Methodist Church, 17645 Old Yorkville Road. Following the Star will be the Epiphany Sunday message by the Rev. Sue Leih, based on the scripture reading from Matthew 2: 1-12. The second Sunday is Mission Sunday when an additional offering will be accepted to support the churchs commitment to the Union Grove Area Food Bank and the agricultural ministry of the Rev. Paul Webster in Zambia, Africa. Members are asked to stay for the annual removing of the greens following the 10:15 a.m. service. A special banner will be hung in the narthex to commemorate the upcoming 175th anniversary of the church during 2017. Dealing with the culture of fear Are Americans living in a culture of fear? With confirmation by psychologists, journalists and researchers, Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Churchs worship service members Suzanne Landis and Andrea Bumpurs will describe Fear Itself at a personal level and as a culture, look at the manipulative ways fear is used and suggest options on how individuals can deal most effectively with cultural fear. A guest presenter will describe the goals of the Bethany Apartments, the churchs January Offertory Outreach recipient, during the 9 and 11 a.m. services on Sunday, Jan. 8, at Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, 625 College Ave. Siena Retreat Center programs These following programs are offered at the Siena Retreat Center, 5637 Erie St.: Rural Roots Sustaining Spirit, 9:15 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. Many of us have been formed in heart and soul by growing up rural our intimate connection with the land, strong relationships of family and community, deep sense of vocation and stewardship. On this day of reflection, let us share our stories of living faith, trustful spirit, and giving hearts. The $20 fee includes a noon meal. Compassionate Presence, Jan. 27-29, 7 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Sunday. This retreat will offer useful ways of living our life with mindful compassion. We will seek our path toward greater calm, peace, compassion, and discernment by letting go of emotions and fears. Presenter Thomas Roberts is the author of The Mindfulness Workbook. Cost to attend is $225 including $50 non-refundable deposit, accommodations, and meals. For more information or to register for a program, go to www.SienaRetreatCenter.org or call 262-898-2590. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page RACINE Girl Scout Troop 5822 is paying tribute to a former member of their troop by conducting a community service project in her memory every year. They are honoring Taylor Skendziel, who died at age 17 in an automobile accident June 16. This year, the girls in grades 6-12 chose to make full-size tie blankets for the veterans who will reside at James A. Peterson Veterans Village, 1624 Yout St. the tiny house property for homeless veterans planned by Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin. The property will have a community building with showers, toilets, a food pantry and a meeting room where veteran residents can meet with counselors and financial planners. David Smith (and his service dog Angel), Veterans Outreach warehouse manager and former corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, accepted the blankets Dec. 1 with Marc Pigeon, Americorps communications coordinator for Veterans Outreach and a former U.S. Marine Corps lance corporal. Troop 5822 members also taught girls in Troop 31524, their sister troop, how to make the blankets. Members of Troop 31524 from grades kindergarten through five also made cards and ornaments for the veterans. Troop leaders are Sabrina Liberty, Shelby King, Stephanie Krueger, Dona Turner, Bob Daher and Deb Redell. The mission of Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin is to assist homeless and at-risk veterans in striving for normalcy in life by providing food, clothing, shelter and other basic human needs. RACINE Kurtis Webster, son of Keith and Catherine Webster of Mount Pleasant, will receive his Eagle Scout badge today during a court of honor ceremony at Bethania Lutheran Church. Webster, 18, is a member of Boy Scout Troop 242 at Bethania Lutheran Church. He started scouting as a Cub Scout with Pack 215 at Atonement Lutheran Church where he earned his Arrow of Light to crossover into Boy Scouting. While a member of Troop 242, Webster completed the requirements for Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle advancements. Besides the required 21 merit badges for advancement, Webster has earned an additional 19 merit badges in a variety of areas. He has also completed the requirements for the Freeze Out Award twice, the World Conservation Award, the National Outdoor Award for camping with three special devices, the National Outdoor Award in Conservation and the Paul Bunyan Award. Webster has served in leadership roles of scribe, quartermaster, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader. In 2014, he attended the National Youth Leadership Training at Indian Mounds Scout Reservation. He was elected by his peers to membership in the Order of the Arrow. In the Order of the Arrow he completed his Ordeal during summer camp at R.S Lyle in August of 2013. He sealed his membership by becoming a Brotherhood member in 2015. Webster has completed 116 nights of camping including six long summer camp trips. He has completed 156 hours of community service including his Eagle project which consisted of redesign and reconstruction of a pair of flower beds around the entry at Living Faith Lutheran Church. He has been involved in his church serving various worship assistant capacities, and earned the God and Church Award. Webster is a senior at Wisconsin Virtual Learning. He would like to pursue a college education in computers. Two-and-a-half weeks after the horrific Christmas market attack in Berlin, which left 12 people dead and 56 injured, it is increasingly clear that the suspected perpetrator, Anis Amri, prepared and carried out his operation December 19 under the noses of the intelligence agencies. There is much to suggest that he was even actively facilitated by them. Amri was known to German authorities under 14 different identities. This information was contained in a report presented by the state criminal director for North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to the interior affairs committee of the state parliament in Dusseldorf. In an emergency sitting of the committee on Wednesday, North Rhine-Westphalias Interior Minister, Ralph Jager, confirmed that the attack was carried out by one man, about whom a lot was known by the intelligence agencies nationwide. In fact, if the various facts made public so far are taken together, the intelligence agencies apparently knew virtually everything there was to know about Amri. Here are some of the most important facts, as they have been presented in various media outlets. According to research by Der Spiegel, Amri registered in summer 2015 for asylum under different names in Oberhausen, Dortmund, Karlsruhe and Freiburg. Police in North Rhine-Westphalia had already been informed that Amri allegedly had contact with the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) and had been integrated into the network of the hate preacher Abu Walaa as a messenger. As early as February 2016, the NRW state criminal office categorised Amri as a danger who could be expected to carry out an attack at any time. He was described as the perpetrator type and his file asserted that he plans to carry out an Islamist attack. In early 2016, a court order authorised the tapping of Amris phone. This was done by the state criminal office in NRW. In the process, investigators found out that Amri had searched online for instructions how to build pipe bombs and that he had called upon other people to carry out attacks with him in Germany. Then in April 2016, the state prosecutor in Duisburg opened an investigation into Amri. In November 2016, just weeks before the attack, the investigation was halted, supposedly because the location of Amris residence was not known to authorities. This official version lacks credibility. Interior Minister Jager even acknowledged this week that the case had been dealt with seven times by the joint terrorism prevention centre (GTAZ) in Berlin. According to a previous report by Hans Leyendecker and Georg Mascolo in the Suddeutsche Zeitung, on December 14just five days prior to the attackthe GTAZ produced the latest version of a personal profile with all of the intelligence material about Amri. One individual described it by saying, His career exhibited many similarities with those of previous attackers in the service of the Islamic State. In addition, it is known that Amri was in close contact with the intelligence agencies in Berlin and these were informed about his plans for an attack. The ARD Brennpunkt television programme has cited an intelligence file, according to which an informant from the state criminal office in NRW made contact with Amri as early as late 2015. Over the course of subsequent days, Amri explained that he wanted to carry out attacks in Germany by using weapons of war (AK47s, explosives). Between February and March, a domestic intelligence agency informant, who had been informed by Amri about his attack plans, drove him from Dortmund to Berlin. He was driven by the informant and indicated that it was his duty to kill on behalf of Allah, the file cited by Brennpunkt stated. Despite these damning facts, Jager defended the actions of the authorities. They had done absolutely everything possible under the law. This is obviously not the case. Peter Wiesenbacher, deputy parliamentary group chair for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in NRW, stated on the Tagesschau news program, Why was there no deportation order for Mr. Amri, who was among the most dangerous threats? He could have been confined him to his residential area; he could have been issued with contacting bans; he could even in my opinion have been taken into deportation custody. But all of this had not even been attempted. What were the reasons for this? Why are the glaring contradictions of the investigations dismissed as errors or disputes over jurisdiction, followed by demands for better coordination of the police and intelligence agencies? It is known that the security apparatus can work extraordinarily efficiently when spying on the population and monitoring large events. Two things are already clear: the police and intelligence agencies had close contact with the alleged attackers, and the attack has been used to carry out a restructuring of the security authorities bound up with wide-ranging attacks on democratic rights. This raises the question: are there elements in the security apparatus who were informed in greater detail about the planned attack and allowed it to happen, or possibly even facilitated it, so as to justify the huge build-up of the state now being implemented by the government and supported by the opposition parties? German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) gave her backing to the reactionary plans of her Interior Minister, Thomas de Maiziere. In the view of the Federal Chancellor it is important that the Interior Minister make his views clear, and particularly in a situation which everyone judges to be difficult [] The Chancellor therefore explicitly supports the Interior Minister de Maiziere in principle, stated deputy government spokesman Georg Streiter. On 3 January, de Maiziere presented a paper in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung calling, among other things, for an expansion of deportation detention for threats, mass deportations of refugees, the construction of a European surveillance apparatus, intelligent video surveillance, temporary data storage and more weapons for the police. But above all, de Maizierethe son of former Wehrmacht General and close Hitler ally, Ulrich de Maizierewants to do away with the restrictions contained in the Basic Law following the horrific experience of Nazism: these include the ban on centralising the intelligence agencies and police, and the deployment of the German army domestically. The opposition parties in Germany are supporting the governments drive for the construction of a police state. In an interview on Deutschlandfunk on Thursday, Cem Ozdemir of the Greens reassured the ruling elite: I have already said once that we will not exclude ourselves from the debate over the Interior Ministers proposals. The leader of the Left Party parliamentary group, Sahra Wagenknecht, attacked the federal government in the style of the AFD (Alternative for Germany), i.e., from the right. She stated in an interview with the Stern magazine that the Merkel government bore joint responsibility for the attack in Berlin. Along with the uncontrolled opening of the borders the police [had] been cut to breaking point and is neither in terms of personnel or technology equipped appropriately to deal with the situation. A gunman opened fire early Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in southeastern Florida, killing five people and injuring at least eight others before being detained by Broward County police. The incident began in the crowded baggage claim area of Terminal 2. The shooter then moved through a corridor until he ran out of bullets, at which point he placed himself on the ground spread eagle until apprehended by authorities. No shots were fired by the police. The shooter has been identified as 26-year-old New Jersey native Esteban Santiago. Reports indicate that Santiago was carrying a concealed carry permit for his gun as well as a military identification for the US Army reserves. Military officials have confirmed that Santiago served in the Puerto Rico National Guard beginning in 2007 and was deployed to Iraq in 2010 for at least 10 months, earning a combat action badge for his service. In 2014, he moved to Alaska, serving in the Alaska National Guard as a combat engineer. Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, an official from the Alaska National Guard, reported that Santiago was discharged in August 2016 for unsatisfactory performance. Law enforcement officials believe Santiago had arrived on a flight from Anchorage, Alaska, catching a connection in Minneapolis-St. Paul before flying on to Fort Lauderdale. Upon arrival, the suspect picked up his firearm at baggage claim, went into the mens bathroom to unpack and load his weapon with ammunition, and began the shooting spree. Authorities are looking into witness reports that the suspect got into an altercation onboard his flight to Florida, law enforcement officials said. According to multiple media reports, Santiago fired openly into the crowd, stopping only to reload his weapon, and did not appear to be targeting anyone specifically. One witness from Minneapolis, who was nearby when the shooting began, described the scene to NBC, Everyone started screaming and running. The shooter made his way down through baggage claim. He had what looked like a 9mm and emptied his entire clip. People were trying to run. Videos on social media show a chaotic scene of large crowds running across the tarmac between terminals, some taking cover behind vehicles. Many who were left unharmed in the wake of the shooting stayed on the scene to help those who had been shot, using items from their luggage to stop the bleeding from gunshot wounds. Santiago is currently being questioned by the police to determine his motive. However, much information has surfaced regarding his mental state prior to the attack. According to media outlets, Santiago was being treated for mental health problems in Alaska, including hearing voices. According to law enforcement officials, Santiago entered an FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska in November last year claiming that the CIA, in the form of voices in his head, was forcing him to join ISIS. Officials say local police were promptly called and he went voluntarily to a mental health facility for treatment. In response to the shooting, Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters: "The citizens of Florida will not tolerate senseless acts of evil. Whoever is responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law." Scotts statement is a clear indication that the response of the ruling establishment to the shooting will be no different from the countless others that have plagued American society. No political figure or media newscaster has broached the subject of the social roots of this evil. While a certain level of personal responsibility for the senseless killing of the five individuals on Friday afternoon lies with Santiago, the more fundamental cause of this act of violence is found not in the personal failings of one deranged individual but in the type of society from which he emerged. One need not delve deep to see that this incident is one of many devastating effects of the United States quarter century of bloody imperialist wars abroad, coming home. While it is not clear whether or not Santiagos mental health issues were present before serving in the military, it is likely that his experience in training and in combat played a role in providing him with the technical know-how to carry out such an attack, and, more profoundly, inflicting the kind of psychological damage that would compel someone to murder innocent people. Also significant is that fact that the suspect, who seems to be himself a victim of US imperialism, sought help from the same institution that placed him in the situation that likely caused his disorder, the US military establishment. The dismal state of health care, particularly psychological care, available to the population at large, let alone veterans, appears to have been inadequate to assist Santiago. The details of Santiagos treatment and mental state are still being released and verified. However, if the current facts released are confirmed, it would appear that Santiago was a double victim of the capitalist system, both in suffering the effects of serving as a soldier in its imperialist wars abroad and suffering from the depleted state of social services at home. As of this writing none of the victims has been identified, but as is the case with all such outbursts of violence, the devastation inflicted on the victims, their families and bystanders will be significant and irrevocable. As more details emerge, the establishments response to this latest shooting will predictably seek to channel the publics anxiety and anger toward support of a host of reactionary initiatives--intensification of the phony war on terror, the militarization of the police, the need to revive traditional family values, and more. In his New Year message, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn sought to re-launch himself as a populist leader. The most striking refutation of efforts to cast him as a principled politician standing up for people and taking on the establishment is provided by the discussion over Labour championing immigration controls against European Union citizens. The demands for a political makeover for Corbyn centre on enabling Labour to compete on the terrain of right-wing movements such as the UK Independence Party (UKIP) by abandoning his declared support for the free movement of EU labour. Britains exit from the European Union (Brexit) has provoked a major crisis for the bourgeoisie and all its institutions, including the Labour Party. Corbyns position, which he shares with big business and the Labour right, is that business must have continued access to the EUs Single Market. Free movement of EU citizens to other EU countries is enshrined in the constitution of the EU along with the movement of goods, services and capital. However, pushed by its anti-EU wing and seeking to win back support it has lost to UKIP, the Conservative government of Theresa May is demanding that an end to the free movement of EU citizens is at the core of Brexit negotiations. Citing the same considerations of supposedly representing the will of the people as expressed in the June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU, senior Labour figures have stepped up their own demands that an end to free movement must be made central to the terms of Brexit. Keir Starmer, whom Corbyn appointed as Labours Shadow Brexit Secretary, stated last month that the partys support for free movement is no longer sustainable and the rules must change. Speaking to the Sunday Times January 1, he reiterated that there must be a fundamental rethink of immigration rules from start to finish. Andy Burnham, the former shadow Home Secretary and the partys candidate for mayor of Greater Manchester, has said he is no longer willing to be complicit in Corbyns support for free movement. This, he claimed, was inherently discriminatory against working class areas of the country and was undermining the cohesion of our communities and the safety of our streets. Others Labourites including Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper have called for tighter controls, with Cooper telling the House of Commons magazine last month that Labour can make a progressive argument to say that free movement hasnt been working for the British economy in a way thats fair. The Financial Times ran an article headlined, Councillors tell Labour to take tougher line on immigration, featuring a series of interviews with Labour councillors in 20 constituencies where there had been a clear vote to leave the European Union in last Junes referendum on membership and where UKIP is presently in second, or a close third place, behind the sitting Labour Member of Parliament. The piece was a barely disguised call for the removal of Corbyn on the basis that he is out of touch with Labour voters. The conflict between the Tories and Labour over which is more stridently opposed to immigration, whether or not the politicians involved supported Brexit last summer, demonstrates the extent to which political designations of what is left and right in capitalist politics have no genuine content. What is being played out post-Brexit is which party best articulates the national interests of British imperialism. Anti-migrant rhetoric is a key platform for the promotion of the type of nationalism and xenophobia needed to justify policies of trade war and stepped-up militarism. Corbyn and his supporters, as always, have signalled their readiness to change tack with the prevailing political winds. Speaking to the Independent, a source close to the leadership said that Corbyns shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and self-styled left has never called for open borders... all Diane has proposed is sensible and progressive immigration policies that benefit Britain and its economy. It should be noted that Corbyn is a political bedfellow of the Stalinist Communist Party of Britain (CPB) and has written regularly for its daily Morning Star. The CPB is a long-time opponent of freedom of movement and a purveyor of nationalism. It was a vital component of the Left Leave group in the Brexit campaign along with the pseudo-left Socialist Workers Party, Counterfire and others. More fundamentally, Corbyn is politically and financially beholden to sections of the trade union bureaucracy that are actively championing an end to free movement. Britains largest union, Unite, is currently holding its leadership election with incumbent Len McCluskeya Corbyn supporterand challenger Gerard Coyne fighting primarily over how best to respond to the threat both agree is represented by immigration. Coyne stated, My many conversations with Unite members leave me in no doubt that those who voted for Brexit expect that promise of an end to uncontrolled immigration from the EU to be kept, and will feel betrayed if it is not. He added, Theresa May and other ministers should not wait until Article 50 has been triggered to set out a negotiating position on free movement of labour. They should be saying now, without equivocation, that the issue is non-negotiable. There can be no compromise on the principle of taking back control of our borders. McCluskey said that Labour could lose electorally to UKIP if it did not get its narrative right on free movement and immigration. Launching his bid to be re-elected as general secretary, he declared workers have always done best when the labour supply is controlled and communities are stable. He presently argues that this should be achieved by extending trade union organisation and collective bargaining protections, rather than ending EU free movement. Workers must oppose all attempts to divide them against one another, including calls for taking back control of borders and for the reassertion of national sovereignty. However, this implies no support for either the Remain faction of the British bourgeoisie or any claim that support for the EU somehow represents a means of opposing the spread of nationalist and xenophobic sentiment. The EU is an instrument of the European bourgeoisie and the Single Market is a trade bloc developed so as to compete more effectively against its global rivalsto which free movement of labour is a subordinate aspect to secure the interests of Europes corporate elite. The EU already operates as a Fortress Europe when it comes to keeping out immigrants. Moreover, it is teetering on the brink of collapse as a result of the spread of nationalist tensions, protectionist sentiment and the emergence of right-wing movements across the continent. In opposition to this, British workers must understand that they are part of an international class, one whose interests are diametrically opposed to the nationalism spewed out by the bosses and their political representatives. This means consciously asserting their own independent class interests in opposition to all sections of the British ruling class and in a common struggle with workers across Europe against capitalism. The Socialist Equality Party called for an active boycott of the Brexit referendum and our warning that the Remain and Leave camps were equally reactionary has been entirely confirmed by events. We said in our statement, Against the national chauvinism and xenophobia promoted by both sides in the referendum campaign, the working class must advance its own internationalist programme to unify the struggles of workers throughout Europe in defence of living standards and democratic rights. The alternative for workers to the Europe of the transnational corporations is the struggle for the United Socialist States of Europe. The author also recommends: For an active boycott of the Brexit referendum! [29 February 2016] Janitors and IT staff at Glasgow City Council (GCC) are involved in hard fought and bitter disputes with the Labour Party-run authority. Janitors employed by Cordia, an arms length organisation of GCC set up to run support and caring services, have been taking industrial action since January 2016. Over the course of 2016, they have taken around 28 days of strike action of between one to five days in length along with work to rules. The yearlong dispute was initially regarding Working Context and Demand Payments--annual payments of between 500 and 1,000, for heavy lifting and removing dangerous materials from playgrounds. The strike is also now about pay and threatened job losses. Cordia announced a pilot scheme in November last year that would reduce from six to four the number of janitors covering six pilot schools. The scheme will begin next month, with a view to cutting 25 percent of janitors across the city. In November last year, specialist IT workers employed by GCC voted by 95 percent for a strike against privatisation plans. The IT workers have been involved in staggered strike action through November and December, with the dispute predicted to continue throughout the winter. The strike was provoked when GCCs Executive Committee voted in favour of a proposal to privatise the councils Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services. Both groups of workers are members of the Unison trade union, which is working to ensure that they remain divided. To date only one poorly-advertised joint protest has been called outside Glasgow City Chambers--headquarters of Glasgow City Council. Unison is working to ensure that both the janitors' and IT workers' disputes are restricted to stunts and campaigns, based on exerting the mildest pressure on the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP) government. More broadly, Unison aims to keep the Glasgow disputes separate from the identical threats facing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of council workers and fellow Unison members in every single local authority in Britain. Unison's aim, like countless previous similar disputes, is to run them into the sand as soon as possible. In Unisons December 2016 issue of Scotland in Unison--Scottish councils activists bulletin, the IT workers strike is given front-page coverage, but not a word is printed in the whole edition on the janitors' strike. The effect is to isolate the workers under conditions of severe attacks on pay and conditions and a worsening jobs crisis facing all local authority workers. In October, the union gave evidence to the Local Government Committee of the Scottish parliament saying, While the Scottish budget has been cut by 5 percent local government budget have been cut by 11 percent. Of the 31,000 jobs cut (allowing for transfers) in the devolved public sector, a staggering 87 per cent have been in local government. Unison report that the councils have said that 7,000 jobs have been lost as a direct result of the 350 million cuts to their budgets by the Scottish government last year alone. Unisons refusal to make the slightest effort to use its enormous resources to mobilise the broad support that exists for both groups of workers within the working class is opening up the janitors and IT staff to new assaults. GCC appears intent on turning to strike breaking in the IT workers' dispute. According to Unison, striking workers began receiving emails from recruitment agencies, which were advertising their own jobs, with identical job specifications. In December, GCC Chief Executive Annemarie ODonnell is reported to have sent an email to council staff saying that just 39 workers striking could have a severe impact on our ability to deliver our services, pointing to the crisis the strike had the potential to create for GCC. The IT staff deliver highly specialised services, supporting areas of GCCs critical business and their roles cannot be covered by other non-specialist local authority workers. Scottish National Party MPs in Westminster submitted an early day motion for GCC to desist from hiring agency workers to replace their own workforce on strike. The SNP motion is pure hypocrisy, entirely bound up with their ever-closer relations with the trade union bureaucracy and their aspirations to replace the Labour Party at GCC in this year's local authority elections. In Edinburgh City Council (ECC), which the SNP runs jointly with the Labour Party, the council has come to the very same privatisation arrangement GCC is seeking. ECC outsourced its IT services to the CGI Group, Inc. back in August for 186 million over seven years. GCC are currently seeking to reach terms with CGI Group. Currently, GCC has a partly outsourced deal with Serco, the private conglomerate that specialises in providing services to councils and other public sector bodies. If GCC has advertised the jobs of striking workers, they are breaking a law created in 1973, now contained in Regulation 7 of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. Successive UK governments, in pursuing ever more restrictive anti-trade union and anti-strike laws, have sought to abolish this regulation over the course of decades. However, resistance from workers has so far prevented this. For their part the trade unions and their SNP and Labour allies insist they can be relied on to suppress workers' interests and that additional, punitive, anti-union laws are unnecessary. The strikes at Glasgow City Council reveal again the role of the trade unions and Labour as tools of the corporate elite, while the SNP are coming to be understood by broader layers of workers as the pro-big business party they are. There can be no illusion in the ability of these bankrupt organisations to in any way represent workers in the face of ongoing and increasingly vicious attacks on their lives and the lives of the most vulnerable in Glasgow. Workers must turn to the building of new workplace committees, independent of the trade unions, to launch a bold and energetic campaign to defend jobs, working conditions and communities from the ravages of austerity. This fight must be centred on uniting with workers throughout Britain who face the same attacks. The US intelligence report released Friday provides no evidence that Russia was responsible for hacking into the email of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The report consists of unsupported conclusions by the CIA, FBI and NSA, using the phrase we assess 19 times without a single fact to demonstrate Russian involvement. The document made public late Friday afternoon was an unclassified version of a 50-page top secret report delivered to President Obama Thursday and shown to congressional leaders and President-elect Trump on Friday morning. But according to two intelligence officials who spoke with NBC News and the Washington Post Thursday, the classified version, like the public one, contained no bombshells. The unclassified text does not even claim there is evidence to support its conclusions withheld in the public document in the interests of security but supplied in the un-redacted version. One is left with the bare assertion: we, the intelligence community, have made a judgment, and you, the American people, must take it on faith. The 25-page declassified version does, however, contain one revelation. Nearly half of this document is a reprint of a CIA report from December 2012, detailing the coverage provided by the Russian government-supported English-language broadcaster RT, which reported extensively on the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests and third-party campaigns in the 2012 US presidential election. This appendix essentially suggests that anyone who questions the two-party system or opposes corporate greed is acting as an agent of the Russian government, an assertion that would make the witch-hunting Senator Joseph McCarthy blush. The intelligence report is completely silent about the actual content of what was leaked by those who hacked into the DNC and Podesta emails: true information about the DNCs efforts to sabotage the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, and the transcripts of Clintons sycophantic speeches to Wall Street bankers, including Goldman Sachs. The longer, classified version of the report was presented to President-elect Trump at a briefing Friday morning delivered by the four top officials of the US intelligence establishment: Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey, and Admiral Michael Rogers, director of the NSA. Even before the briefing, Trump indicated his doubts in a series of tweets citing press reports that the FBI never conducted a forensic investigation into the DNCs email server because the DNC refused to cooperate. He also demanded a congressional investigation into the leaking of details of the classified report to NBC and the Washington Post, even before the report was delivered to himself or to Congress. After the closed-door briefing, Trump issued a perfunctory three-paragraph statement that described the meeting as constructive, declared his tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of the intelligence agencies, and called for continued vigilance against efforts by Russia, China, other countries, outside groups that might attempt to break into the US cyber infrastructure. He concluded by rejecting any public discussion of the methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe, since this would only aid those who seek to do us harm. For nearly four months, the US media has raised a hue and cry over alleged Russian hacking directed against the US election campaign. On October 7, DNI Director Clapper, speaking for 17 intelligence agencies, effectively declared Russian President Vladimir Putin personally responsible for the hacking. But the factual content of this smear campaign, it is now clear, was zero. The report released Friday actually clears Russia of any interference in the functioning of the US electoral system, making the assessment that there was no discernible impact on the technical processes of the election, where the votes are counted by local and state officials. The Department of Homeland Security, which was in contact with election officials in every state, found that that hacking was not involved in vote tallying. The complete lack of factual substance has not halted the media campaign in the slightest. It continued Friday with a lead editorial by the New York Times headlined, Donald Trump Casts Intelligence Aside. Like previous effusions from the Times, this editorial declared absolutely uncritical confidence in the proven liars and cut-throats who run the US intelligence apparatus. The editorial declared that Trump is effectively working to delegitimize institutions whose jobs involve reporting on risks, threats and facts that a president needs to keep the nation safe. It denounced him for his supposed endorsement of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has insisted that the Russian government was not the source of the DNC and Podesta emails made public by WikiLeaks. The Times concluded that Trump was creating problems for himself as the future commander-in-chief: Having worked so hard to convince the American people that the intelligence community cannot be trusted, what will he tell the country when agents inform him of a clear and present danger? Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who has the closest ties to the military-intelligence apparatus, posed the issue as Trump siding with Russia instead of with the US intelligence agencies. Ignatius hailed the performance of DNI Director Clapper before the Senate Armed Services Committee, not mentioning that Clapper is a proven perjurer, having delivered sworn testimony to Congress denying widespread NSA spying only three months before the Snowden revelations. The very fact that the incoming Trump administration has largely rejected the Russian hacking claims, despite the universal support for them in the media, is an indication that behind the scenes a furious struggle is raging within the ruling elite over foreign and military policy. Trump aides have sought to deflect the claims of Russian hacking with suggestions that China may have been responsible, or is in any case an equally dangerous cyber-warfare foe. This reflects the orientation of the Trump administration to targeting China rather than Russia as the principal antagonist of American imperialism, at least for the immediate future. What is the logical outcome of the campaign over Russian hacking in the elections? What are the implications of the incessant charges, by the Obama administration, congressional Democrats and many congressional Republicans, that Russia has committed an act of war against the United States? Are those leading this campaign prepared to go to war with Russia? Given that Russia and the US possess, between them, 95 percent of the worlds nuclear weapons, how far would such a war go? How many hundreds of millions of people would die? The American media and the political establishment refuse to pose these questions publicly, but there is little doubt that in specialized think tanks where the ruling elite and its military-intelligence apparatus work out their strategy, these questions are under intense discussion. The American people are in danger of being dragged into a mounting confrontation that leads step-by-step to war with a nuclear-armed Russia. On Tuesday, January 4 more than 60 students and young workers attended the second meeting organized by the IYSSE group at Berlins Humboldt University as part of its campaign for this year's elections to the university student parliament. On December 14 several hundred students had attended a lecture given by David North. On Wednesday the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) invited Johannes Stern as speaker. Stern is a member of the IYSSE and of the World Socialist Web Site editorial board in Germany. He regularly writes on issues of militarism and state rearmament. Stern began his contribution with a characterization of the Trump government, due to enter office on January 20. This will be the most right-wing government the United States has ever seen, he said, adding that the incoming cabinet was composed of right-wing extremists, generals, and politicians notorious for their hostility to social programs. The new president is intent on destroying all social achievements and plans to lead the US into new wars. The new American government is the product of profound social and political processes. The crisis of the capitalist system has become increasingly acute since the end of the Soviet Union. Unprecedented levels of social inequality, ceaseless wars with millions of victims and the growth of totalitarian state measures were the hallmarks of this development. The same issues and conflicts that led to the Russian revolution in 1917 are back on the agenda at the beginning of 2017, Stern said. Developments in Europe are characterized by the same contradictions as those in the US, Stern stressed. The ruling elite in Germany has reacted to the election of Trump with a massive lurch to the right and growing nationalism. In a PowerPoint presentation, Stern showed how German militarism had already been systematically advanced in recent years. In January 2014, leading German politicians announced the end of the countrys post-World War II policy of military restraint and then implemented the new line. Now German troops are stationed on the Russian border and the issue of nuclear weapons for Germany is openly discussed. The return of German militarism was closely linked to the expansion of the police and surveillance state, Stern emphasized. The attack on the Berlin Christmas market was being exploited to dismantle basic democratic rights. The campaign following the 2016 New Year events in the city of Cologne Silvesternacht had whipped up racism and justified the arming of the police. Stern drew attention to the important role Humboldt University plays in the ideological preparation of militarism and right wing ideology. HU professors such as Herfried Munkler and Jorg Baberowski used every form of the media to rail against refugees, campaign for a police state or demand new wars. The lurch to the right would not be possible if it were not for the support provided by nominally left parties, Stern declared. He cited a series of comments by representatives of the Greens and the Left Party in support of an aggressive foreign policy and the strengthening of the state. Many representatives of the Left Party and other pseudo-left organizations have gone so far as to defend Trump, Stern said, citing statements by Sahra Wagenknecht and the political scientist Chantal Mouffe. US Democratic Party presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has made similar comments. The rhetoric of these tendencies makes clear that the working class cannot rely on former left representatives of the establishment, but needs its own party to overthrow capitalism and establish a socialist society. Otherwise, new wars, dictatorship and the growth of social inequality are inevitable. The lecture was followed by a lively discussion focusing on the assessment of pseudo-left tendencies such as the Left Party, Syriza and similar groups supporting Sanders in the US. Some participants had raised the question as to what extent Sanders could be regarded as an alternative to Trump and Clinton. Sanders, with his support for Clinton, had made it clear that he ultimately also represented the interests of Wall Street, Stern explained. In the discussion other members of the IYSSE also spoke of the importance of an independent party of the working class. The claim that it would be possible to stop Trump by supporting Clinton, as Sanders asserted, has been disproved by the election. In fact the pseudo-lefts who try to herd workers behind the establishment are largely responsible for the rise of the right, said one IYSSE member. One can only stop the turn to the right with a broad and independent movement of workers. Syriza epitomised the role of these tendencies, which employ leftist phrases while carrying out right-wing policies in the interest of the upper middle class. Syriza is now implementing the austerity measures more brutally than any other Greek government, said another member. Sven Wurm, who chaired the event and is the lead candidate of the IYSSE for the StuPa election, ended the meeting by calling upon all the participants to draw the appropriate conclusions from the discussion and build the IYSSE. Discussion continued for some time after the official end of the meeting in corridors and at the book stall. Many students attending an IYSSE meeting for the first time declared they were impressed by the lecture and interested in the socialist perspectives of the IYSSE. David, who has just begun studying political science at Humboldt University, found the meeting very rewarding. I will certainly look more closely into the discussion about professors Munkler and Baberowski, he said. A bioinformatics student from the Free University in Berlin also enjoyed the discussion and agreed to support the IYSSE by distributing flyers. Moni is studying agricultural sciences in the fourth semester. It was her first attendance at a political meeting and she had been politicized by the election of Trump. I was not aware of the developments towards militarism outlined in the meeting report, she said. In any event she declared she wanted to attend the next meeting on January 11, on the subject, The Universities as a Bulwark for Right-wing and Militarist Ideology. Indias new Army Chief of Staff, General Bipin Rawat, has made a series of belligerent remarks since assuming his new command on Jan. 1. Most ominously, in an exclusive interview with the Times of India published Wednesday, Rawat boasted about the Indian militarys preparations to fight a simultaneous or two-front war against its main, nuclear-armed, strategic rivals: China and Pakistan. Rawat has also issued repeated warnings to Islamabad that, if provoked, India can and will strike inside Pakistan to suppress anti-Indian Kashmiri insurgents. Only such action, vows the Indian Army Chief, will not simply be a repeat of the cross-border raids that Indian Special Forces carried out inside Pakistan-held Kashmir in late Septemberthe first attack New Delhi has publicly admitted mounting inside Pakistan in more than four decades. Any further military strikes against Pakistan will be of a different manner and different style said Rawat, when embarking Thursday on a three-day tour of the Indian Armys Jammu and Kashmir-based Northern Command. We will surprise the enemy. The two-front (war) is a real scenario, Rawat told the Times of India. The Army, Navy and IAF (Indian Air Force) are now jointly very much prepared for such an eventuality. Rawat claimed that India has been able to significantly strengthen its military posture against China in recent years, transforming it from simple dissuasion into deterrence. Moreover, as the result of changes now underway, including the development of Indias nuclear arsenal and the strengthening of its military might along the Chinese border, New Delhi will soon achieve credible deterrence vis-a-vis Beijing. Rawat was particularly enthused about the progress the Indian Army has made in creating a new 90,000-strong Mountain Strike Corps to be deployed on Indias disputed border with China. He said the corps will give India quick-reaction ground offensive capabilities on its northern borders for the first time. All adversaries, said Rawat, respect strength, which comes from having the ability to strike across the border. According to Indias Army Chief, the raising, arming and equipping of the new mountain corps is well underway. The government has also given its full support to a massive strategic infrastructure program. This involves building facilities to house the new border force and strengthen fortifications near Indias disputed, 4,000 kilometer-long, border with China. However, far and away the biggest part of the strategic infrastructure program is the building of 73 all-weather roads and 14 strategic railway lines for ferrying troops and materiel to the Himalayan border regions in Indias northwest and northeast. Rawat reportedly owes his appointment over more senior officers to his willingness to use force and countenance strategic risk. Senior figures in India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, beginning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are said to have been impressed by Rawat's role in overseeing both last September's Special Forces attack on Pakistan and a May 2015 cross-border raid directed against anti-Indian insurgents in Myanmar (Burma). Scroll.In reporter Saikat Datta says a senior insider told him that Modi wanted an Army Chief in line with his aggressive Pakistan policy- an officer steeped in the art of counter insurgency, and also with considerable experience on the Line of Control (that divides Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir). Under the two-and-a-half year-old government of Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP, tensions between India and both Pakistan and China have surged. This is inextricably linked with the Modi government's push to integrate India ever more fully into US imperialism's anti-China Pivot to Asia and Washingtons reciprocal showering of strategic favours on New Delhi. Emboldened by Washingtons embrace of New Delhi as a global strategic partner and Major Defense Partner, Modi has aggressively asserted India's claim to be South Asia's dominant power, demanding Pakistan change its behaviour and pushing back against China's growing regional economic influence. In response, Beijing and Islamabad have enhanced their own longstanding military-strategic ties, including through the joint development of the Arabian Sea port Gwadar and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Relations between India and its principal rivals have grown even more fractious over the past four months, Following India's much trumpeted surgical military strikes inside Pakistan, their armies bombarded each other across the Line of for Control in disputed Kashmir almost every day for close to ten weeks This resulted in scores of fatalities on both sides. The cross-border artillery and gun-fire exchanges have now abated, but not the threat of war. The Modi government is continuing to ratchet up pressure on Pakistan, including by announcing emergency purchases of munitions and armaments to improve its war-readiness and by instructing Indian authorities to maximize India's water usage under the terms of the increasingly contested Indus Water Treaty. Even more significantly, Indian government and military leaders from Modi on down have proclaimed their determination to enforce their demand that Pakistan prevent its territory from being used to provide logistical support to the anti-Indian insurgency in Kashmir even if this results in all-out war. India-China relations have also become increasingly embittered. The Indian elite is angered and frustrated that during the recent war crisis with Pakistan, Beijing has repeatedly come to Islamabad's aid. According to all reports, China has counseled Pakistan to work to restore the truce along the Line of Control and otherwise dampen down tensions with India. But under conditions where New Delhi has thrown open its military bases to US warplanes and battleships, consistently parroted Washington's provocative stance on the South China Sea dispute, and expanded strategic ties with America's chief Pacific allies, Japan and Australia, China calculates it has no choice but to stand by its traditional regional ally, Pakistan. In a show of strength directed against both Beijing and Islamabad, but particularly the former, India has staged tests of ballistic missiles capable of striking targets throughout China in the past two weeks. On Dec. 26, India tested its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, the Agni-V, which can strike a target up to 5,000 kilometers away with a 1,500 kilogram nuclear warhead. This week it was the turn of the Agni-IV, which has a 4,000 kilometer range. Explaining to Defense News the significance of the Agni-V, retired Indian Army Brigadier and military analyst Rahul Bhonsle boasted that it will give India the means to threaten major Chinese counter value targets such as large cities. This, he continued, will certainly place the country at par with the Chinese as well as other major missile powers such as the United States and Russia. China has responded angrily to the missile tests, charging that India is violating a UN resolution passed after New Delhi carried out nuclear tests in May 1998. It forbids India from developing nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles. But Washington, determined to build up India as a strategic counterweight to China, long ago voided in practice the limits the UN sought to place on India's nuclear program. In 2008, the US created a unique status for India in the world nuclear regime, giving it access to advanced civilian nuclear technology and fuel, even though it has refused to sign the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty. Now the US is similarly trying to gain India admittance to the Nuclear Suppliers Group by bending the rules. Following this week's Agni-IV test, the Chinese state-run Global Times ran a column accusing India of missile fever and suggesting that if the UN fails to act China could help Pakistan expand its missile program. RACINE A year ago, Tricia Hanson said, she never expected to be leading the Racine County District Attorneys Office. But on Friday afternoon, in a room packed full of family members, supporters, state lawmakers, current and retired judges, courthouse and District Attorney Office support staff and local law enforcement personnel, the longtime prosecutor made it clear just what an honor it is represent what she called the hardest-working group of people she has ever met. After nearly 22 years with the office, the Marquette University Law School alumna and Wind Lake resident officially stepped into her post as Racine County district attorney during a swearing-in ceremony Friday afternoon at the Racine County Courthouse, 730 Wisconsin Ave. Those of you who know me well, know that I never thought I would be standing here, speaking to you like this today, Hanson said. The circumstances that brought about the opportunity for me to run for DA were, obviously, not the best. But when (former Racine County District Attorney Rich Chiapete) came to me, I didnt hesitate. I knew that this was exactly where I needed to be. Hanson, a Republican, won election to the seat in November after beating Tom Binger, a local Democrat and assistant district attorney for Kenosha County. Chiapete did not seek re-election. Although there are woman who have been appointed to the office, Hanson is the first woman to be elected Racine County district attorney. Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, were just a few of the dignitaries in attendance. Racine Police Chief Art Howell, Mount Pleasant Police Chief Tim Zarzecki and Sturtevant Police Chief Sean Marschke were present, as was Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, who served as the master of ceremonies. Officers from the Mount Pleasant, Caledonia and Sturtevant police departments also attended. Improving public safety During her remarks, Hanson pledged to serve those law enforcement officers and the public they are sworn to protect. What does public safety mean? It means keeping our neighborhoods safe and our citizens protected from those people and behaviors that are truly dangerous and frightening, she said. I want to support our brothers and sisters in blue, black or brown uniforms, and all that they do. Noting the recent passing of former Racine Police Chief Richard Polzin, Hanson said she would work hard to promote and expand community policing efforts. To promote transparency within the D.A.s office and the exchange of ideas and information between it and community leaders, Hanson announced the formation of the Racine County District Attorney Advisory Counsel. The 10-member group includes church leaders from across the community, as well as representatives from Racine Countys chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Racine Vocational Ministries. It is spelled c-o-u-n-s-e-l, because I am seeking the counsel of these community leaders, Hanson said. (The 10 members) are going to be my counsel outside of local government on what is happening in our community. Hanson will begin work in her new position on Monday. Wednesdays conviction of 20-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Elor Azaria of manslaughter for the March 2016 killing of severely wounded Palestinian Abdel Fattah al-Sharif has only emboldened a right-wing campaign calling for his pardon. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu leant his backing to Azaria following the verdict. Joining the campaign to portray Azaria as an ordinary young Israeli, Netanyahu declared, This is a difficult and painful day for all of usand first and foremost for Elor and his family, for IDF soldiers, for many soldiers and for the parents of our soldiers, and me among them. The shooting occurred in Hebron following an attempted attack on Israeli soldiers by Sharif and a second assailant, who was killed instantly. Sharif was lying on the ground after being seriously wounded when Azaria approached, drew his weapon and shot Sharif in the head. The killing gained international attention after Israeli human rights group BTselem posted a video of the incident online. Conscious of the stark evidence contained in the video, which prompted widespread international condemnation from the United Nations and human rights groups, the Israeli armys top brass pressed for a prosecution of Azaria. Even Netanyahu initially criticised the sergeants behaviour as not complying with the armys rules of engagement and morals. But long before the trial had even begun, the prosecution was already in retreat. It downgraded the initial murder charge to one of manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Nobody expects Azaria will receive this when he is sentenced later this month. Sharifs family described the downgrading of Azarias charge as an injustice. The court decisively rejected the arguments advanced by Azaria and his defence team. Chief judge of the military tribunal Colonel Maya Heller described the shooting as a revenge killing. We found there was no room to accept his arguments, she said during a two-hour reading of the judgement. His motive for shooting was that he felt the terrorist deserved to die. Azarias lawyers first tried to argue that Sharif was already dead when Azaria fired, before claiming that the soldier felt threatened when he opened fire. Heller declared, You cant have it both ways, and accepted the prosecutions contention that Azarias statement that Sharif deserved to die was highly significant. This has not stopped Azarias supporters in the political and media establishment from going into overdrive to exonerate him. Naftali Bennett, education minister in the Netanyahu government and member of the far-right Jewish Home Party, dismissed the trial as politically contaminated from the outset and called for a pardon, while Culture Minister Miri Regev of Likud said she would work to bring about a pardon by Israeli President Rubin Rivlin. Right-wing politicians and media outlets have whipped up a febrile atmosphere over the case. The three-judge panel that ruled unanimously against Azaria and the military prosecutors have been provided with bodyguards in the wake of the judgement. The Azaria case provoked infighting within the political establishment from the outset. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon was compelled to resign in May after he explicitly criticised Azarias actions. By then, Netanyahu had retreated from his initial condemnation of the shooting. Yaalon was replaced by the virulently nationalist Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the ultra-right Yisrael Beytenu Party. The appointment of Liberman, a notorious fascistic figure with anti-Arab views, to the second most senior position in the government marked a sharp shift to the right by Netanyahus government. Liberman initially indicated sympathy for Azaria, but after taking up his post he has defended the line of the army establishment. Following the verdict, he released a statement saying that while many did not like it, it was necessary to respect the ruling. An opinion piece in the Times of Israel summed up the considerations in ruling circles. Noting the importance of trying Azaria for public consumption and to demonstrate Israels supposed human rights credentials to its international allies, the Times noted that an immediate pardon of Azaria would represent a mockery of the legal process. The piece then stated that a reduced sentence later, if Azaria expressed responsibility and remorse, would be very different. The portrayal of Azaria as just another Israeli conscript into the army has been systematically promoted in the press, with two magazines nominating him as their man of the year. The attempts by Azarias supporters among the political right to portray him as an ordinary Israeli who could have been the son of any parent is patently absurd. Posts from Azarias social media pages indicate that the soldier bitterly hated Arabs and was a follower of Meir Kahane and his pro-settler Kach Party, which was outlawed in 1994 after a Kach member killed 29 Palestinians in a shooting in Hebron. While deployed in the town, Azaria and other army personnel reportedly befriended former Kach members and met with them regularly. That being said, Azarias brutal action cannot be ascribed solely to his personal characteristics. The efforts by the army establishment and supporters of the conviction to present Azarias trial as an example of Israels recognition of the rule of law and respect for human rights is thoroughly dishonest. As BTselem put it in a statement to Al Jazeera on the conviction, the vast majority of cases in which soldiers kill civilians are routinely whitewashed by the army. Azarias brutality was the product of the Israeli governments policy towards the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the Arab minority within Israel itself. Sari Bashi, director of advocacy for Human Rights Watch in Israel, remarked, Azarias actions didnt take place in a vacuum. Senior politicians and security officials effectively egged him on. Netanyahus right-wing Likud-led government relies on support from pro-settler parties and has overseen a vast expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Between 2009 and 2014, the Jewish population in east Jerusalem rose from 194,000 to 208,000. In the West Bank, it shot up from 297,000 to 386,000. Taken together, this amounts to an increase of 21 percent over five ears. Less than two weeks prior to Azarias conviction, the Israeli government vehemently attacked a toothless UN Security Council resolution containing a criticism of Tel Avivs policy of expanding settlements. Netanyahu responded by appealing to incoming US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, which would signify the abandonment of any commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Trumps imminent inauguration has strengthened the hand of the right-wing campaign to overturn Azarias conviction. These forces are also encouraging Netanyahu to annex Palestinian territory. Although differences exist within Israeli ruling circles over the advisability of openly ditching a two-state solution, with a faction fearing the destabilising impact such a decision would have on the region, the attitude taken by the entire ruling elite to the Palestinian population is openly hostile. The Palestinian population is routinely described en masse as terrorists or supporters of terrorism who must be dealt with by resorting to ruthless repression. Those responsible for inflicting death and destruction on a largely defenceless population have gone unpunished for the most part. Azarias is the first conviction in over 12 years of an Israeli soldier for manslaughter. The last was of a Bedouin sniper in 2004 for the shooting death of Tom Hurndall, a British Palestinian activist. Since then, thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been maimed, wounded and killed by successive Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip and shootings at the vast numbers of checkpoints set up to police the occupied territories and facilitate the expansion of settlements. Last April, less than a month after the Hebron shooting, Israeli soldiers shot dead a young brother and sister at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Jerusalem. When the decision was taken in October to press no charges against the soldiers involved, even though the siblings were found to have posed no threat, liberal daily Haaretz labelled the move an official license to kill. This week, Israeli human rights group Yesh Din released a report denouncing the failure to carry out any investigations into the deaths of 76 Palestinians at the hands of IDF soldiers in the occupied West Bank during 2016. There has similarly been no legal action taken against soldiers responsible for the deaths of Palestinian civilians during the 2014 assault on Gaza. Asia India: Contract workers at government information centres maintain protest Contract workers from the Punjab governments Suwidha (Single User-friendly Window Disposal & Helpline for Applicants) centres in Bathinda demonstrated with other government contract employees outside the Governance Reforms directors office in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Punjab State Suwidha Centre Contractual Employees Union members have been protesting for over 120 days for permanency and an end to contracts and the same pay rates as other civil servants. Workers said that a government assurance that 27,000 contract workers would be made permanent was an election stunt. They ended a mass protest last September after the government falsely claimed it would consider their demands. A union spokesman said the workers have been on contracts since 2003 and were hired on the assurance that their jobs would be made permanent after a few years. The protest was part of an ongoing state-wide campaign by Punjab government contract workers for permanent jobs. The campaign is coordinated by a coalition of 21 different contract employees organisations. Police used water cannon and batons to break up a demonstration in Bathinda on October 13 and forcefully stopped a protest march in Lambi on October 24. Jammu and Kashmir government workers strike As part of their two-day strike from January 3 to 4, Jammu and Kashmir government employees, including regular, contract and casual workers, demonstrated outside the divisional commissioners office in Jammu on Tuesday. Organised by the J&K Government Employees, Casual Labours, Workers & Pensioners United Platform, the workers want payment of outstanding wages, job permanency and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission. Protesters said that the government had done nothing about promises to improve the conditions of about 60,000 daily rated, casual and need base workers. Simultaneous protests were held throughout the state, with more planned. Gujarat fertiliser factory workers walk out Contract workers from the state-run Gujarat State Fertilisers and Chemicals (GSFC) plant in Vadodara downed tools on Tuesday and walked out to protest recent sackings. Workers said that GSFC had laid off 1,165 contract employees without issuing a show-cause notice. The strikers demanded all terminated workers be reinstated immediately. The fertiliser manufacturing workers said they would continue their protest at the factory gate until their demand was met. Most of the sacked employees had worked at the factory for 15 to 20 years. Tamil Nadu: Bank employees in Tiruchi protest All India Bank Employees Association and All India Bank Officers Association members demonstrated in Tiruchi on Tuesday in protest against the governments de-monetisation policies and what they claimed was political favouritism in the supply of cash to certain banks. They demanded the Modi government ensure supply of sufficient money to all banks. Banks across India are suffering cash shortages since the Indian government declared all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes illegal. The law is aimed at forcing people to open bank accounts and deposit these notes into these accounts. The governments demonetisation program has led to thousands of workers, particularly in rural areas, not being paid until they open a bank account. Most rural areas do not have banking facilities because workers were always paid in cash. Telangana government contract lecturers protest State government contract lecturers from various government junior and degree colleges in the Khammam district demonstrated in Khammam on Wednesday over the governments delay in resolving their long-outstanding grievances. Organised by the Joint Action Committee of the Telangana State Government Colleges Contract Lecturers Association, the lecturers want job permanency and basic pay and dearness allowances as per the tenth pay revision commission recommendations. They said they would maintain their protest until their grievances are resolved. Pakistan: Sindh school teachers protest arbitrary transfers Government teachers at the Mirour Khas high school have been on a hunger strike since December 24 to protest arbitrary transfers of teachers to remote areas. The Teachers Action Committee said the protest would continue until the government withdraws all transfer orders. Karachi dock workers union closes down strike The Karachi Dock Labour Board (KDLB) ordered its members at the Karachi Port to end four days of go-slow industrial action on December 30 claiming it had an assurance from government authorities that their concerns would be addressed once the dockers resumed regular work. The dock workers had decided to take action to demand job security, accusing port authorities of using new technology to slash jobs. This and other outstanding issues have not been resolved. Bangladeshi government continues witch-hunt against garment workers Apparel factory authorities, in collaboration with the police, are witch-hunting garment workers in the Ashulia industrial belt in Dhaka who participated in a two-week mass protest for a wage rise. At least 3,500 workers have been sacked while factory owners have filed several cases against 1,500 employees. Police have arrested 30 workers, including seven union leaders and a television reporter. The Ashulia industrial belt contains about 4,500 garment factories employing a total of more 3.6 million workers who produce 77 percent of the countrys export earnings. The garment workers want their poverty wage of 5,300 taka ($US67) a month increased to 16,000 taka. Taiwan teachers protest over changes to pension scheme National Federation of Teachers Unions members demonstrated outside the Parliament Office building in Taipei on December 30 over proposed changes to the civil servants pension scheme. Protesters accused the government of attempting to shift the responsibility for preventing the scheme from going bankrupt to public employees and challenged President Tsai Ing-wens administration to a public debate on pension reform. The governments proposed changes include increasing the civil servant insurance premium, cutting pensions and lifting the age that public school teachers can start receiving pensions to 60, and forcing older teachers to delay retirement. Under current rules, a public school teacher can retire after 25 years of service. Burma: Yangoon government orders lockout at plastic factory The Yangoon regional government has ordered management of the strike-hit Shwe Mi plastic factory in West Yangoon to temporarily close the factory after inspectors reported that the premises reeked of chemicals and some sections of the manufacturing floor lacked proper lighting and ventilation. The government claimed the lockout was a response to complaints from striking workers and that the factory should remained closed until workers complaints were resolved. Around 300 workers walked out on November 30 over several demands. While five of the seven points of dispute were resolved only 130 employees returned to work. The remaining workers, who maintained a picket line, demanded a wage increase of 40,000 kyat ($US30) and compensation for exposure to dangerous chemicals. Workers allege that many of their former colleagues suffer from tuberculosis, blood cancer and miscarriages, which they attribute to the chemicals used in plastic production and for printing on plastic bags. They also claim that the company had reduced the workforce from 420 to 310 but kept the same production targets. Workers want their wages lifted in line with the increased workload. Australia and the Pacific Victorian professional firefighters to march on parliament The United Firefighters Union (UFU) announced this week that off duty firefighters would march on Victorias state parliament later this month to protest the more than 1,360 days of constant litigation and vilification against its members in their dispute with the Country Fire Association (CFA) over a new enterprise agreement (EA). While the state Labor government has approved the proposed EA advanced by the UFU, this has been rejected by CFA, which wants major changes. The CFA, which is mostly manned by volunteers in rural and country areas, claims that a tentative agreement with the UFU has been reached and has asked the Fair Work Commission to intervene in the dispute. The UFU counter-claimed that there was no tentative agreement and that long-running negotiations over the wages of career firefighters, working conditions and safety measures should continue outside the commission. The union is demanding clauses that would affect the relationship between the union and the CFA, and between career and volunteer firefighters. The CFA wants to retain full control over the states 60,000 volunteers and has rejected the UFU proposed agreement, claiming some of the proposed clauses are unlawful. South Australia: Mount Gambier medical staff protest Doctors and nurses at Mount Gambier Hospital, South Australias largest regional health facility, have lodged cases in the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) over critically low staffing levels and the stressful working environment. A spokesperson from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation claimed that conditions at Mt Gambier Hospital have become untenable and unworkable. The federation lodged complaints against Country Health SA in the IRC on December 21, while the SA Salaried Medical Officers Association (SASMOA), representing overworked doctors met with the state Labor government in the IRC on the same day. A representative for the nurses said the hospital was failing to fill 14 nursing shifts, or an eight-hour shift every day, over a fortnight period, which was ultimately putting patients lives at risk, she said, adding: An SASMOA officer told the media that junior and senior doctors were experiencing untenable and unworkable workloads to the point where theyve felt theyve had to leave hospital and no longer work there. The hospital made headlines in July after reports that junior doctors were working unsupervised in the emergency department and several senior locum doctors quit amid safety concerns. Emergency Physician Group, which provides the locum doctors, will end its contract with Country Health SA from June 2017 following a growing list of doctors refusing to work at the hospital. New Zealand hospital doctors to strike again Following a 48-hour strike action in October, junior doctors at government hospitals of 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand have voted for strike action after negotiations for safer rosters and safer hours in a new collective agreement failed. Members of the NZ Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA), which represents 3,200 resident doctors, voted on December 30 for a three-day strike starting on January 17. Negotiations were focused on 140 rosters, which include seven consecutive nights and 12 consecutive days. Doctors say the work schedules contribute to staff fatigue and dangerous levels of exhaustion. Doctors rejected a revised offer in November saying that the DHBs expectation that safer rosters could be implemented within six months after negotiations, provided all DHBs were in agreement, was unacceptable. The open-ended commitment would be implemented only if doctors accepted annual pay cuts of between $5,000 and $7,000 in their new contract. The doctors association wants the seven consecutive nights roster changed to a maximum of four nights, followed by three days off, and the 12 consecutive days roster, followed by two days off, changed to a maximum of 10 days in a row and four days off. The government has confirmed that resident doctors work an average of 53 hours a week but claimed that safer working hours would cost $60 million and require the recruitment of another 160 junior doctors. Amid bitter political infighting in Washington over the foreign policy of the incoming Trump administration, sections of the US intelligence community have moved aggressively to cut across French neo-fascist presidential candidate Marine Le Pens ties to Russia. The American media and the intelligence apparatus are whipping up a hysterical campaign accusing Moscow of intervening in the US presidential elections to secure a Donald Trump victory. As these same forces intervene in an effort to cut off financing to Le Pens National Front (FN) party and denounce Le Pens ties to Russia, the explosive geo-strategic rivalries underlying the campaign against Russia in the United States and Europe are emerging into view. On December 18, the satirical Canard Enchaine weekly revealed that Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner of the House Intelligence Committee had written a November 28 letter to US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, warning of the FNs ties to Russia. Turner noted that the FN publicly acknowledged that it had received a $9.8 million loan from a Russian bank with links to the Kremlin, allegedly brokered by a sanctioned Russian Duma deputy, according to French press reporting. In February 2016, the FN asked Russia for a $30 million loan to fund the FN leader Marine Le Pens 2017 campaign. Turner also noted Marine Le Pens support for Russian control of Crimeaafter which the Washington-backed regime in Ukraine declared Le Pen persona non grata, banned from travel to Ukraine. Finally, Turner urged Clapper to find more details on this vast campaign of information war against the United States and other countries whose interests go against those of Russia. Le Penwho hailed Trumps election and his protectionist policies as a victory of liberty, and also praised Trumps selection of white supremacist Stephen Bannon as a top advisorinitially responded aggressively to Turners letter. Without referring to US intelligences moves against her or to Russia, Le Pen sharply attacked the NATO military alliance and the European Union (EU).This was in line with the FNs long-standing criticisms of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and FN calls for a referendum on a French exit from the EU and the euro currency. Speaking to the Greek daily Dimokratia, she echoed Trumps hostility to NATO. NATO was created when the Warsaw Pact threatened the expansion of communism from the Soviet Union, she added. But the USSR no longer exists, nor does the Warsaw Pact: Washington only maintains NATOs presence to serve its interests in Europe. For good measure, she again denounced the EU in her Dimokratia interview, declaring: Frexit [Frances exit from the EU] is in my program. The people must have the opportunity to vote for the liberation from the slavery and blackmail imposed by Brussels technocrats, in order to regain the countrys sovereignty. Le Pen also stated that the FN is not currently linked to Golden Dawn, the pro-Nazi party infamous for its often murderous street attacks on immigrants, homosexuals and left-wing figures in Greece. After Le Pens interview, however, it emerged that the Russian bank that loaned the FN its campaign money, the First Czech Russian Bank (FCRB), had gone bankrupt, and that Russian financial authorities had suspended the loan to the FN. On December 31, a sudden announcement revealed that Le Pen had been forced to turn to a $6 million loan from Cotelec, a company tied to her father, former FN boss Jean-Marie Le Pen. When on January 3, Marine Le Pen appeared on BFM-TV for an interview with Jean-Jacques Bourdin, she had clearly shifted her line. She proclaimed herself not anti-European and called for a renegotiation of, rather than an exit from the EU. Apparently stepping back from FN calls for a return to the French franc and a break with the German-led European Central Bank, she suggested that a French national currency could be compatible with the 19-country euro currency. This portion of the interview proceeded as follows: Q: Do you want France to leave the European Union? I want things to be clear, I am asking you the question directly. Yes or no? MLP: I would like, uh, no, I think we have to renegotiate with the European Union, because I want sovereignty to come back to France ... Q: Renegotiate? MLP: I definitely want borders to come back, monetary, economic, and budgetary sovereignty ... Q: So, no more euro? MLP: A national currency [together] with a euro, common currency it doesnt cause problems. I want a national currency. I am not anti-European, I am against the European Union. Q: How will you reinforce Europe? MLP: I will reinforce it with bilateral relations with a certain number of countries. After having distanced herself from the FNs most strident anti-EU positions, however, Marine Le Pen again defended Trump and downplayed US accusations of Russian hacking in a meeting Thursday with the Anglo-American Press Association. I dont think there is any serious proof behind these allegations of cyber-attacks. We should only consider real revelations. In any case, we cant say that it was [Moscow] that was behind this cyber-attack, she said, adding: I supported Donald Trumps presidential candidacy because it seems to me that his international policies are good for France. The only question that interests me is will Donald Trumps international policies hurt France? So far that is not the case, quite the contrary. The intervention by US intelligence to whip the FN into line points to the explosive conflicts underlying the unsubstantiated campaign of denunciations of Russian hacking of the US elections. These are driven not by any meaningful evidence of hacking, of which none has been produced, but by economic and geo-strategic tensions inside the NATO alliance. The conflict between Trump and the Democratic Party, the CIA and sections of the US media over Russia has inevitably become linked with conflicts inside the EU. Trump has indicated that he may consider pivoting away from a highly aggressive strategy against Russia, and instead focus on a confrontation with China, based on repudiating Washingtons traditional One China policy. This has become not only a subject of commentary by geopolitical strategists, but of calculations by leading bourgeois politicians in Europe. Last month, European Council on Foreign Relations Asia specialist Francois Godement noted that a more aggressive US pivot to Asia could have drastic consequences in Europe. Europe, he noted, lacks a coherent foreign and security policy, and has terrible relations with the two regional powers of Russia and Turkey. In this context, engineering an alliance with the likes of Russia, India and Japan in order to cap Chinas ambitions could well be more valuable to Trumps United States than imposing sanctions for eternity on Russia as a favour to Europe. In this context, a certain alignment is emerging between those sections of the US foreign policy establishment calling for a pivot away from Russia towards China, and most of the leading candidates in this years French presidential election. The latter are adopting a pro-Russian, nationalist, and protectionist orientation, often harshly critical of Germany, the EUs leading economic power. These include Le Pen; conservative candidate Francois Fillon, a pro-Russian and personal friend of Vladimir Putin, and who voted against the Maastricht Treaty that founded the EU; and former Left Front leader Jean-Luc Melenchon. Yesterday, asked about her relations with Putin by the daily Paris-Normandie, Le Pen noted that she shared an international geopolitical vision with Fillon, adding: I would never have allowed France to return to NATOs integrated command structure. Beyond that, I am not bound by any foreign power, I think only of the interests of France. The Mexican government on Thursday declared that it would not rescind its gasoline subsidy cut, as clashes at protests against the measure in recent days left four dead, dozens hurt and over 1,000 arrested. The cut, known as the gasolinazo, will result in a 20 percent gas price hike in the coming year. Although Mexico is a leading oil producer, it imports over half its refined oil and domestic consumers pay just under $4 per gallon, more than in the United States. The gas price hike is already increasing the cost of basic consumer goods such as tortillas, further squeezing the impoverished working class and peasantry. Not one step back, Interior Secretary Jose Antonio Meade said in an interview with Radio Formula yesterday. Speaking at a separate event, President Enrique Pena Nieto said, Protesting and looting will not bring about a change in reality. In an official video released Thursday night, Pena made the absurd claim that to artificially maintain lower prices would mean cutting resources from the poorest Mexicans and giving resources to those who have the most. He said the government would have slashed funding for education and other social programs if it had decided against the cut in the gas subsidy. His challenge to the Mexican peopleWhat would you have done?was widely denounced on social media. On Thursday, two protesters were killed in clashes with police in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo during a demonstration of several thousand people. That night, over 20,000 marched through the northern industrial city of Monterrey, Nueva Leon in one of the largest protests to date. A demonstration scheduled for Monday afternoon in Mexico City will serve as a major test of the protest movements strength. Roadblocks were set up on highways leading to Mexico and a strike by transit workers broadened to include the city of San Juan Del Rio in Quintana Roo. The strike was also joined by some 3,000 truckers in Monterrey. Demonstrations continued along Mexicos northern border, where protestors blocked railroad crossings to the United States at Nogales. Protests also took place near the border with Guatemala. Overall, the demonstrations appeared to have been more limited Thursday, in part due to the Three Kings Day holiday. Recent days have seen a significant increase in the police presence, with 9,000 police occupying commercial centers in Mexico City and 18,000 deployed to the State of Mexico, where looting is widespread. Federal police were also deployed to Veracruz. As of Thursday afternoon, 300 people had been arrested in Veracruz, 139 in Chiapas, 537 in the State of Mexico, 182 in Nuevo Leon, 106 in Mexico City, and dozens more elsewhere. In Chiapas, relatives of the detained clashed with Navy sailors guarding a prison and demanded medical attention for those beaten by the police. The gasolinazo protests have begun to attract the attention of the ruling class in the United States, which until now has largely blacked out press coverage for fear the protests will generate sympathy among American workers. The intelligence-linked web site Stratfor wrote that the demonstrations were spontaneous and had largely remained regional and not yet coalesced into a coordinated national movement. Stratfor noted that taxi, truck and bus drivers had called strikes in several states, lending weight to the demonstrations. There is a risk, the web site warned, of violent demonstrations spiraling out of control and sparking further protests. Supply disruptions could also occur as looters attempt to hijack gasoline trucks. Fears in the American and Mexican ruling classes of supply disruptions underscore the strategic necessity of uniting Mexican and American workers. An increasingly prominent section of the Mexican ruling class, led by National Regeneration Movement (Morena) leader and former mayor of Mexico City Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), is attempting to undermine the protest movement with the twin poisons of nationalism and class collaboration. AMLO issued another Youtube appeal yesterday afternoon in which he called for all Mexicans to come together in the great task of national transformation. A rebirth of Mexico would take place only through electing him president in the 2018 election. There will be opportunity for change in 2018, he said, calling for a new national project to be achieved not through class division, but agreement. The Mexican pseudo-left operates in the orbit of Morena, propping it up with left phraseology. While criticizing AMLOs attempts to limit strikes and protests, the Pabolite Socialist Workers Movement (MTS) issued a statement Wednesday calling for a defense of national sovereignty and a break with the dependence of the country on the government of Trump. The statement calls for various trade unions and student groups to gather to discuss a plan for national struggle to address the present situation in our country. It is impossible to address the poverty and inequality that dominates Mexican society on the basis of a nationalist perspective. It is not due simply to its leaders cowardice that Mexico remains even more subservient to American banks and corporations today than in the years preceding the Mexican Revolution of 1910-20. The Stalinists and trade unions--both corporatist and independista paved the way for the current social catastrophe by disarming the working class with nationalist demagogy and subordinating the workers to the Mexican state in the name of supporting the progressive section of the bourgeoisie. This nationalist program is all the more bankrupt today under conditions where technology and transportation have bound the Mexican and American economies together more closely than ever. A November 2016 report by the US Congressional Research Service reads: The expansion of trade has resulted in the creation of vertical supply relationships the flow of intermediate inputs produced in the United States and exported to Mexico and the return flow of finished products greatly increased the importance of the US-Mexico border region as a production site. US manufacturing industries, including automotive, electronics, appliances, and machinery, all rely on the assistance of Mexican manufacturers. United objectively in the productive process, increasingly facing the same transnational exploiters, confronting right-wing oligarchic governments on both sides of the border, the Mexican and American workers fates are inextricably linked. Workers on both sides of the border must emphatically reject all attempts to sow divisions and instead unite in a common struggle against Yankee imperialism and the Mexican capitalist class. The banner of this struggle is the fight for the United Socialist States of the Americas. Reports released in December on four New Zealand prisons reveal that inmates have been subjected to inhumane treatment. The reports are written annually by the Ombudsmans office under provisions of the Crimes of Torture Act (COTA). The four adult Corrections Department facilities are Arohata, Manawatu, Invercargill and Otago. The information was released to the New Zealand Herald during an investigation into the solitary confinement of Ashley Peacock, a compulsory mental health patient. Peacock has been kept in a small, concrete room in the Tawhirimatea mental health unit for five years and only allowed outside for 90 minutes a day. The reports reveal a wide range of degrading and abusive treatment. Sleeping conditions are described as deplorable and drinking water as discoloured. In most cases, there was an almost 17-hour gap between evening meals and breakfast. Prisoners are filmed, in varying stages of undress, during strip searches or while using the toilet, either directly or by security cameras. Inspectors found a pervasive culture of bullying and victimisation amongst the prisoners. Nineteen inmates told of sexual abuse. Only two of these cases were officially reported because the prisoners feared reprisals. Prisoner suicides rose from four in 2015 to 10 in 2016. There were also 26 attempts at suicide or self-harm last year. One prisoner at Otago Corrections Facility was handcuffed behind his back for 21 hours a day for 10 weeks after several attempts at self-harm. New Zealand has the seventh-highest level of incarceration in the OECD, at 261 per 100,000, just below Mexico. Prisoner numbers rose to a record high of over 10,000 in November, and prisons were unable to manage the increase. This resulted in double-bunking in cells designed for only one inmate, and longer lockdown times of up to 15 hours a day (from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.) so staff could be used to relieve shortages in other prisons. The COTA reports highlight the lack of adequate staffing. In one example, staff who were on leave or were no longer employed at one prison were incorrectly rostered, resulting in prisoners being unattended for up to two-and-a-half hours at a time. According to Fairfax Media on December 5, the Department of Corrections said 600 prison officers were required by September 2017, yet 194 Corrections jobs were eliminated in 2015. Incarceration rates have sharply increased over the past three decades, in line with the assault by successive governments on jobs, living standards and social services. During the Lange Labour governments big-business reform agenda of the 1980s, the daily average number of prisoners rose 30 percent, from 90 per 100,000 of total population in 1984 to 117 per 100,000 in 1990. New Zealands prison population has ballooned by 41 percent under the current National government, which has implemented a severe austerity program in response to the 2008 global economic crisis including attacks on education, wages, welfare and labour rights. In November, the first inmate to be charged under the three-strike legislation, enacted in 2010, received a compulsory sentence of seven years imprisonment, subject to parole, after pinching the backside of a female prison guard. David Seymour, leader of the far-right ACT Party which introduced the legislation, said parliament had passed the law because judges were not taking crime seriously enough. The courts have so far issued 7,647 first strike warnings and 175 second strike warnings, for offences from a list of 40 crimes. The victims of the harsh imprisonment regime are the most impoverished and oppressed sections of the working class. Maori, who constitute 15 percent of the general population, make up more than half the 8,000-plus male prison muster. Around 34 percent of all prisoners are aged between 20 and 29 years. An investigation by Al Jazeera in June identified a litany of familiar themes applying to Maori inmates in particular. The majority had problems with literacy and numeracy, histories of drug or alcohol abuse or came from so-called dysfunctional families. Contributing social factors included inter-generational unemployment, inter-generational lack of education, adoption and being raised in the social welfare system. Labour and National have both promoted hard-line law and order policies, including tougher jail sentences and increased police powers, to deal with deepening social tensions produced by the crisis of capitalism. Helen Clarks 19992008 Labour government opened four new prisons to accommodate a 36 percent increase in prisoners, from 4,917 in 1999 to 7,771 in 2007. Labour also launched the countrys first privately-run prison, Auckland Central Remand Prison, initially operated by Australasian Correctional Management. In 2010, the National government engaged the international conglomerate Serco to run Auckland Central Remand. The results of privately-operated, for-profit prisons are disastrous. Reports have emerged of the inhumane treatment of the Serco-run Mt Eden Correctional Facility prisoners, including 1619 year-olds confined to cells for up to 23 hours, and fight clubs between inmates condoned by guards. The Serco-run Wiri Prison in South Auckland has been ranked worst by the Corrections Department, who based their ranking on the level of assaults, positive drug tests and complaints by inmates. Due to widespread media attention surrounding the Mt Eden fight clubs, the contract will not be renewed when it expires in 2017. Yet former Prime Minister John Key and Corrections Minister Judith Collins refused to end arrangements between Serco and the Wiri prison, and the government has considered renewing the contract between Serco and Mt Eden in future. Sercos management is promoted as a model for the publicly owned prisons to follow. Key told the Herald on October 6: I think theres a place both for private and public prisons and they hold each other to account. In response to Nationals proposal to spend an estimated $1 billion on 1,800 extra prison beds, Labours corrections spokesman Kelvin Davis declared in a December 13 press statement: The government is clearly comfortable with pouring more money into a bottomless prison pit because its easier to provide a pop-up prison than to rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners in order to reduce offending. Labours history, however, proves that it is committed to the same punitive measures as National. In discussing a Salvation Army report on prisons with Fairfax on December 7, Davis admitted that successive governments have vied for who can be toughest on crime. Campaigns by Labour MPs for recent local body elections demonstrate that if Labour is elected to govern in 2017, it will continue this trend. Former Labour leader, now Auckland mayor, Phil Goff, and his successor in the Mt Roskill electorate, Michael Wood, have both promised to increase police recruitment and to open more police stations. President Barack Obama on Friday called on Republicans to spell out their plan for replacing his signature health care law. The president said in an interview with Vox, If it works, Im for it, referring to a potential replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare. Obama said he would support a Republican plan only if it retained certain provisions in the current law such as barring insurance companies from withholding coverage for Americans with preexisting conditions and allowing children to remain on their parents policies up to age 26. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to take steps to repeal the ACA on his first day in office. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 51 to 48 on Wednesday to take a first step toward repealing the ACA by agreeing to take up a budget resolution that would clear the way for ending major provisions of the health care law. House Speaker Paul Ryan (Republican of Wisconsin) announced Thursday that Republicans would move to strip all funding for Planned Parenthood as part of the process of dismantling Obamacare. Leading Congressional Republicans have been unclear on the form and timeline for the repeal. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas said Thursday that Republicans would try to enact individual health care measures instead of offering a comprehensive bill to replace Obamacare. Concerned that it will be difficult to attract support for a full-scale bill, top Republicans are reportedly looking at a mix of smaller bills that could attract bipartisan support. These could be combined with executive actions pursued by Trump and Rep. Tom Price, an avowed opponent of the ACA and proponent of Medicare privatization, if he is confirmed as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary. Were not going to do a comprehensive bill, Cornyn told CNN. Were going to do it in a step-by-step basis. He said it had not been decided which aspects of the health care bill Republicans would deal with first. On Thursday, House Speaker Ryan told reporters, Our legislation on Obamacare, our repealing and replacing and transitioning--you know, the legislating will occur this year. Other Republicans have spoken about a six-month timeframe. Some Senate Democrats are appealing to Republicans to slow down the repeal efforts, making clear they are willing to offer and agree to changes to make the existing legislation supposedly work better. Such proposals have everything to do with saving face and protecting Obamas legacy and nothing to do with the health needs of working class and most middle class Americans. From the beginning, the legislation has been crafted to cut costs for the government and corporations and increase the profits of the insurance industry. The ACAs central component, the individual mandate, requires those without insurance from their employer or a government program to purchase coverage from private insurers or pay a tax penalty. Modest subsidies are provided to some low- and middle-income consumers. The heart of the Obamacare overhaul of the health care system is a shift away from the long-standing system of employer-sponsored insurance, which is deemed too generous and expensive for corporations, toward a system in which people are forced to purchase insurance on an individual or household basis from the private insurance conglomerates. This is accompanied by a shift from the existing so-called fee for service system to a new model of health care delivery in which health care providers are reimbursed according to the value and quality of the care they provide. The latter terms are euphemisms for cost-cutting, to be achieved by rationing care on a class basis and denying more expensive drugs, procedures and tests to low- and middle-income patients. The real focus of the horse-trading between Democrats and Republicans over Obamacare repeal will be working out the best means to retain these socially regressive aspects of Obamas reform while slashing or eliminating the already inadequate government subsidies for the purchase of insurance plans on the private market. As early as 2014, moderate Democrats and Republicans in the Senate had begun looking into ways to change the law, including mitigating its effects on small businesses, examining lower-cost options on the Obamacare health care exchanges, and lowering the income levels to qualify for subsidies. All such proposals would have a negative impact on the ability of ordinary Americans to obtain coverage. One proposal in 2014 by Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Mark Warner of Virginia proposed adding an inferior lower-cost, high-deductible copper plan through Obamacare in addition to the current platinum, gold, silver and bronze options. Most of the least expensive bronze plans already come with deductibles in excess of $5,000, which must be paid out of pocket before any coverage kicks in for services, except those deemed essential. Senate Republicans plan to push through a budget blueprint next week that would clear the way for the repeal of parts of the ACA, and the House plans to take up the blueprint as soon as it is approved by the Senate. House and Senate committees would then have until January 27 to produce legislation. They would, however, need Democratic help to produce a replacement, because the Republicans narrow Senate majority means they face the possibility of a Democratic filibuster. Three Senate Republicans have already indicated they are not committed to the ACA repeal. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have said they will not commit to an Obamacare repeal if it includes defunding Planned Parenthood. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, announced this week that he plans to vote against the repeal legislation because the underlying budget to which it is attached adds to the deficit. Health insurers, hospitals, medical device manufactures and wealthy taxpayers are already demanding that a repeal of Obamacare include a repeal of the various revenue provisions that pay for the laws premium subsidies, Medicaid expansion, extension of solvency for Medicares hospital trust fund, and other measures. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that eliminating these financing provisions would reduce federal revenue by nearly $1.2 trillion over a decade. Another scenario being floated, under a provision of Section 1332 of the ACA, would be to preserve the financing and hand the funds over to the states to set up their own coverage plans. Under this scenario, states, with federal permission, could shut down the ACAs insurance exchanges, eliminate the individual and employer mandates and minimize essential benefits. States could then conceivably replace their Obamacare plans with models including vouchers, health savings accounts and shifting Medicaid beneficiaries into private insurance. A top goal of Republicans is to repeal the ACAs payroll tax on high-income individuals, along with its surtax on net investment income. The CBO projects that eliminating these taxes would slash federal revenue by $346 billion over the next decade. Repeal of the investment tax would provide a $154,000 average annual tax cut to people in the top 0.1 percent of income, according to the Tax Policy Center. Eliminating the ACAs taxes on medical device makers and on manufacturers and importers of branded drugs would cost the government $196 billion over the next decade. Ending the so-called Cadillac tax on high-cost employer plans would cost $209 billion over this same period. While aiming their fire against Obamacare, the Republicans ultimate targets are Medicare, the government insurance program for seniors and the disabled, and Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor. Those promoting the Obamacare repeal say the lost revenue from the ACA taxes could be recouped by restructuring Medicare into a defined-contribution, premium-support model, i.e., voucher system, and turning Medicaid into a capped federal block-grant program to the states. Speaker Ryan and HHS secretary nominee Price have both proposed such measures. A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as Punishment for the Poor, Alexes Harris, Russell Sage, 2016 Many poor persons have been taken and imprisoned a long time, for very small sums of money, to the utter ruin of their families, and without any real benefit to the creditors; and forasmuch as it will be a very great hardship and charge upon a poor prisoner, confined for a small debtLaws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1729-1730 Throughout the United States there exists today a shockingly punitive system of financial control that targets those falling afoul of the criminal justice system, overwhelmingly affecting the poor. Largely hidden from polite society, legal financial obligations (LFOs)fees, fines and sanctionscan be imposed for almost any encounter on the wrong side of the law. They may be costly burdens for those who have financial resources, but for the very poor they routinely cause devastation, homelessness and even loss of their freedom. LFOs are the subject of the 2016 book, A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as Punishment for the Poor by Alexes Harris. The Shakespearean metaphor for a draconian, if not life-threatening, legal penalty is appropriately applied. Harris, a Washington State University sociology professor, combines on-the-ground research, interviews and case studies in the northwestern state of Washington with national statistical analyses on LFOs. She concludes that this brutal underbelly of the legal system constitutes a class-based punishment scheme imposed by the criminal justice system [to] create and sustain inequality. While referencing the disproportionate effect of this practice upon minorities and marginalized populations, Harris provides examples across all racial groups. The issue of class predominates throughout her analysis. A Pound of Flesh paints a revealing picture of how LFOs penalize the poorest in society, including children. Harris shows how the most vulnerable can often be made to pay for a system that criminalizes them. Among her most important findings, the author shows the erosion of democratic rights in the day-to-day functioning of the court system. Lack of money often means an utter lack of rights. There is no fair or equal in the setting, monitoring and supervision of LFOs. Harris graphically reveals how decades of law-and-order policies embraced by Democrats and Republicans at many levels of government have created a class-based system of justice and obliterated the possibility of a second chance for many Americans. Why would individuals be sentenced to debt? It is almost unknown in America, except for those unlucky enough to already be in the system, that the majority of people convicted of misdemeanors or felonies are billed for fees or fines. In fact, in most jurisdictions these fees and fines are levied in addition to community service, probation or incarceration. Defendants are now charged for a long list of government services that once were free, including the constitutional right to legal representation. While Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) established a defendants right to counsel in a criminal trial, the Supreme Court failed to identify a source of income to pay for that attorney. As a result, burdening indigent defendants with the cost of representation has been repeatedly ruled legal. Defendants in at least 43 states and the District of Columbia can be billed for a public defender, according to a NPRs yearlong investigation Guilty and Charged, which dovetails with Harriss research. However, the cost of a lawyer is just the beginning of the Kafkaesque series of possible fines, fees and sanctions. Defendants are forced to pay for every conceivable aspect of the correctional system: booking fees, drug and alcohol tests, witness fees, a fee for asking for a jury trial (double for a full 12-person jury in the state of Washington), court services and filing fees. Even those found innocent are forced to pay LFOs. Some jurisdictions charge an accused person the full cost of housing in jail while they await trial. The sheriff in Polk County, Iowa charges all defendants a onetime fee of $75 for pretrial detention. In Louisiana, even if defendants are found not guilty, they must come up with $100 to have their arrest removed from their record. If they are sent to jail, defendants often are forced to pay restitution to the victim, per diem costs (pay to stay) or a la carte fees for food, medical care, toilet paper, etc. As they complete their sentence, new fees can be imposed for GPS monitoring, privatized probation, interest and collection charges. In at least 44 states, offenders can be billed for probation and parole supervision. In the state of Washington, there is a whopping 12 percent interest charge on felony cases that accrues from the moment of judgment until all fees are paid in full. In Pennsylvania there are 2,629 types of monetary sanctions. Most defendants are unable to start payments while they are in jail or prison, so that when they emerge, they face an extremely precarious financial situation, alongside the often insurmountable difficulty of finding a moderately good job with a conviction on ones record. A missed payment is considered a parole violation and a warrant will be issued by most US states, leading to garnishment of any income and, in many cases, re-imprisonment of the debtor. The well-established process of imprisoning individuals for nonpayment of LFOs is commonly referred to as auto-jail or pay and sit. Defendants pay a certain amount toward their delinquent accounts or go to jail in exchange for a daily credit toward monetary sanctions. Often defendants will waive representation at such hearings because that will only increase their overall debt. Clerks will set a certain number of days and determine the credit. The stories related by Harris are wrenching. Individuals who struggle mightily to come up with sums beyond their reach are told by the court to collect bottles or get loans from relatives. The author relates that difficulties like homelessness or stage-four cancer are often not taken into account by clerks and judges who demand either money or auto-jail. Never-ending debt As a result of the steady rise in the use of monetary sanctions, Harris explains, indigent defendants who comprise the vast majority of criminal defendants in the United States, remain under criminal justice supervision, paying per-payment and collection costs and interest on the initial sentence for the remainder of their lives (emphasis added). The challenge of paying off ones LFOs is truly Sisyphean, as fees and costs are steadily rising. Forty-eight of 50 states have hiked costs since 2010. Our twenty-first-century criminal justice system stains peoples lives forever, Harris writes. The permanent stain results not just from a criminal conviction and the related societal stigma but also from the financial debt, constant surveillance, and related punishment incurred by monetary sanctions. Many people make mistakes, the author editorializes, but the poor alone can never atone. These penalties are not just financial. Debtors cannot regain rights lost upon conviction, including the right to vote, carry a weapon, serve on juries or run for office until their account is paid in full. Furthermore, debtors may not have their records sealed, receive pardons or request deferred prosecutionsoptions better-off defendants utilize widely. Here it can be noted that pay to stay programs are not all created equal, as Harris puts it. In Beverly Hills, California those violators who can prepay $110 a day can serve their sentences in a safe, clean and secure environment of the Beverly Hills Police Departments Jail facility. But, of course, those finding themselves in the clutches of the criminal justice system are overwhelmingly not of the select Beverly Hills type, but are poor. Harriss study indicates that between 30 and 36 percent of inmates were unemployed prior to their arrest. Of those working, 26 percent had part-time jobs and one-quarter reported monthly earnings of $600 or less, which placed them in the category of deep poverty. Harris sympathetically relates the overwhelming financial burdens of those she interviewed, of varying ages and races. Reuben, 24, had lived in six different correctional facilities in the states of Washington, Colorado and Minnesota since he was 12. When he was 16, the juvenile courts declined jurisdiction and he was sentenced in the adult system for assault, robbery and possession of stolen property. Harris met Reuben in a work release program at a community college. He was both attending school and working, but anxious because he could see no way to pay off the $6,000 in LFOs he had accumulated. Vilma, 34, a victim of domestic abuse, had shot the father of her son. She was working in a two-year construction apprenticeship program and making regular payments on her legal debt. But the LFO, initially $33,000, had mushroomed 13 years later to an overwhelming $72,000. One interviewee explained the vicious circle to the author, I understand you have to pay your way, and the court has to pay its way, and they got to collect off somebody. But it seems to me like the way our criminal justice system works, you know, theres too many people making money out of corrections, and the corrections isnt correcting anything. Its more creating people who are unable to get jobs, who are unable to deal in society in ways that are, um, conforming, conform to the normal standards. So they work outside the block, and those kinds of things that they do, which are illegal, it just kind of compounds it. The Clinton counterrevolution Monetary sanctions have a long history in the US. They were first enacted in Michigan in 1846 when counties began to charge inmates for medical care. But their scope and nature dramatically changed in the 1990s under Democratic President Bill Clinton. In a series of right-wing attacks on social and democratic rights, Clinton authorized the three strikes omnibus crime bill in 1994, expanded death penalty statues, and ended welfare as we know it in 1996. Byproducts of his law-and-order campaign were the doubling of the US prison population, the growth of the for-profit prison industry and the proliferation of LFOs. The right-wing nostrum of personal responsibility was used by courts and politicians across the US to enact a vast expansion of punitive feessometimes to increase the salaries of judges or sometimes simply to increase local revenues. By 2004, more than 50 percent of state correctional systems had instituted pay-to-stay fees charging inmates for their incarceration. Today, after 40 years of expanding conviction and incarceration rates, 2.25 million Americans are in jail or prison and 7.1 million under criminal justice supervision. Harris correctly emphasizes the dramatic growth of the prison population as a corollary of growing social inequality. Estimates suggest that in 1976 1.17 million US adults had received a felony conviction in their lifetime; in 1996 the number had grown by 285 percent, to 3.34 million, and in 2010 the number of adults living with a felony conviction had increased by 500 percent, to 5.85 million. These numbers, she concludes, show one out of every 40 adults has been convicted of a felony. Among African-American adultsdisproportionally affected by povertyone out of 13 has experienced a felony conviction. Over 2.6 million minor children (one in 28) now have a parent in jail or prison. For black children, it is one out of four. The experience is so prevalent that even Sesame Street, the popular childrens TV program, has created a character that has a father in prison. Meanwhile between 1986 and 2013, states have increased their spending on the corrections system by more than double their increase on K-12 education. Per inmate costs nationally were $31,286 in 2010. By contrast, per-pupil spending on education averaged $21,608 throughout the US. Monetary sanctions have also become an overt fund-raising technique in impoverished communities. Polk County, Iowa raised $718,728 in just one year from its pay and stay jail fees. But the most notorious example came to light after protests over the police murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. An independent investigation found that the small suburban enclave west of St. Louis had generated $2.2 million in municipal fines in 2012 alone, amounting to $272 per household. To force the payment of these fines, the city had issued 24,500 warrants in one year, averaging 1.6 warrants per adult. Similar police practices were also uncovered in Baltimore in the aftermath of protests over the police killing of Freddie Gray in 2015. Inability to pay among juveniles As horrifying as the ongoing criminalization of the poor is, it is even more heartbreaking to chronicle its effects on children. Harriss work has been complemented by a series of additional studies, including the above-mentioned NPR report and Debtors Prison For Kids? The High Cost of Fines and Fees in the Juvenile Justice System, a 2016 study sponsored by the Juvenile Law Center. The Juvenile Law Center report demonstrates how the inability to pay can push young people deep into the juvenile justice system, prevent the use of diversion programs and rehabilitation options, prevent expungement of a juvenile record or force parents to be held in contempt, incarcerated or have their drivers licenses suspended. Tragically, youth who would otherwise remain at home with their families may be incarcerated because they cant afford fees, the study shows. And these are not small numbers of children and families being affected. One million youth appear in juvenile court each year and in almost every case, face the fines and fees. The Juvenile Law Center report states that in Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Washington statutes permit at least seven different categories of costs to be imposed on youth or their families. The total fees to families for juvenile involvement in Alameda County, California average $2,000, including those for investigations, GPS monitoring, placement and public defenders. In her work, Harris cites the case of a minor, NST, who was convicted at age 14 of residential burglary and malicious mischief. She fought with another youth over an iPod and threw a rock through a window. NST was assessed $2,630.40 in legal financial obligations, including restitution. She and her mother paid the minimum $10 per month. However, because the entire obligation was not paid when she turned 18, her deferred disposition was revoked and the charges will remain on her record for life. A Pound of Flesh correctly points to the vast recent expansion of legal monetary sanctions during a period of virtually unprecedented social polarization. Unfortunately, the near-ubiquitous prevalence of identity politics in academia has had its effect on Harriss work. The weakest part of the book is her concluding claim that the system of monetary sanctions amounts to a natural extension of prior systems of social control, including Jim Crow racial segregation and the post-Civil War Black Codes. This ahistorical racialized approach discounts the complexities of class exploitation in order to shoehorn the findings into a popular academic postmodernist framework. Despite its weaknesses the compelling strength of the bookits detailed exposure of the reactionary and brutal legal and financial policies directed against the poortakes center stage. Harriss failure to address the political origins and trajectory of these class war policiesas part of a more thoroughgoing social counterrevolution aimed against all the gains of the working classdoes not prevent the critical reader from learning a great deal about the state of American society from her work. A Pound of Flesh provides a sober look at the terrible social cost paid by millions of Americans for the persistence of capitalism and its ever-more repressive state apparatus. It is an eye-opener, and well worth reading. On December 28, US District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered a complete copy of the Senate Intelligence Committees 2014 report on the Central Intelligence Agencys torture program during the Bush administration to be delivered to a federal courthouse, where it is to be preserved in a safe by a judicial security officer. Lawyers for torture victim Abd al-Rahim Al-Nashiri requested this extraordinary measure on the grounds that efforts were underway within the other branches of the US government to destroy and erase every copy of the full report. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report, titled Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agencys Detention and Interrogation Program, was finalized in December 2014 after protracted efforts by the Obama administration and the CIA to obstruct and delay the investigation. At that time, a heavily redacted 525 page executive summary was released to the public. The full report, which apparently numbers some 6,700 pages, has been kept secret. The redacted copy of the executive summary establishes unequivocally that CIA personnel perpetrated war crimes, including torture and murder. Among the more depraved and sadistic torture methods exposed by the report was the practice of so-called rectal feeding, which involved forcibly pumping pureed food into the victims rectum without evidence of medical necessity, in the dry language of the report. These war crimes were carried out systematically with the knowledge of senior figures in the Bush administration from 2001 to 2006, and were followed by an extensive high-level cover-up. (See What is in the Senate Intelligence Committee Report on CIA torture .) Republican Senator Richard Burr, a vocal Trump supporter, who replaced Democrat Diane Feinstein as Senate Intelligence Committee chairperson following the 2014 midterm elections, has demanded the return of every copy of the report from the Obama administration. The CIAs copies of the report were inadvertently and accidentally destroyed by the CIA inspector generals office in the summer of 2015. Virtually no one has been allowed to read the full report, and a concerted effort is underway to make sure that nobody is able to read it in the future. No one has been criminally prosecuted for gross violations of international law, American statutes and the US Constitution, and the moves to make the report disappear are aimed at, in addition to censoring history, making sure that none of the criminals involved in the program are ever brought to justice. It would be hard to find more damning evidence of the utterly rotten state of American democracy than the fate of this report. The fact that neither the CIA nor the Bush officials who sanctioned the torture program have suffered any negative consequences, despite the presentation by the United States Senate of detailed evidence of war crimes, points to the degree to which authoritarian tendencies have asserted and entrenched themselves in the American state. The only CIA employee who has suffered negative consequences in connection with torture is analyst John Kiriakou, who was prosecuted by the Obama Justice Department and sentenced to 30 months in prison for the crime of revealing to the public the CIAs use of waterboarding. In America, certain democratic rituals continue to be observed, but the reality is that the military, the intelligence agencies, and the largest business and financial institutions dictate policy to what would once have been called the civilian branches of government, including both official political parties. In order to shield the CIA from accountability for its crimes, President Obama has refused to declassify the report, which he has the power to order unilaterally. He has also refused to incorporate the report into the records of federal agencies, as requested by several lawmakers, a procedural maneuver that would facilitate its preservation and future declassification. In a token measure, he has ordered a copy retained in his official presidential records. This might save a single copy from destruction for the moment, but it would delay its release to the public until at least 2028. The case of Al-Nashiri was the subject of particular scrutiny in the Senate investigation. Before being transferred to the Guantanamo Bay torture camp, Al-Nashiri was abducted and rendered to a series of secret CIA black sites in Afghanistan, Thailand, Poland, Morocco and Romania. He was waterboarded, shackled naked and hooded, and threatened with guns and power drills, among other abuses. To prevent evidence of war crimes from coming to light, the CIA destroyed the tapes of Al-Nashiris waterboarding in 2005. Al-Nashiri, a Saudi citizen and alleged Al Qaeda leader, is the subject of ongoing proceedings before a US military commission, in which the Obama administration is seeking the death penalty. Underscoring the absurd character of these supposedly legal proceedings, Al-Nashiri will not be released even if he is found to be not guilty. In July 2014, the European Court of Human Rights found Poland to be in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights for its complicity in the detention and torture of Al-Nashiri, ordering Poland to pay him 100,000 in damages. The story of the CIA enhanced interrogation program is one of crimes compounded by crimes, lies told upon lies, implicating higher and higher levels of the state, eventually metastasizing into a full-blown constitutional crisis. A full recitation of the scandals long development would require several books. During the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, CIA Director John Brennan ordered agents to break into Senate staffers computers in an effort to delete incriminating information. Then the CIA provocatively demanded that the staffers be prosecuted for stealing confidential information, which prompted reciprocal demands for the CIA burglars themselves to be prosecuted, as well as an extraordinary speech on the Senate floor by Feinstein in March 2014. (See Senate Intelligence head accuses CIA of undermining US constitutional framework ) During the Senate investigation, the CIA took the position that it could keep information secret from the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is charged with overseeing the CIA. The Obama administration purported to resolve the crisis with the announcement that nobody on either side would be prosecuted. At the end of 2014, the administration colluded with congressional Republicans in an effort to block the release of the report until the Republicans could obtain control of both houses. As part of these efforts, Secretary of State John Kerry placed a call to Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein to urge her to consider further delaying the release of the report. After the reports release, the Obama administration continued to do everything it could to block and suppress the report. While Obama made transparency a plank of his election platform, his administration vigorously opposed efforts to secure the release of the report under the Freedom of Information Act, as in the case of ACLU v. CIA . The administrations efforts to cover up torture and shield torturers from accountability have been a significant factor in the legitimization of torture in the US, paving the way for an escalation of the practice under Trump. A particularly menacing article appeared in the Wall Street Journal last month titled, Sorry, Mad Dog, Waterboarding Works. The author, James E. Mitchell, boasts of having been authorized to conduct enhanced interrogation by the CIA. He proudly describes having personally waterboarded three men while working as a CIA contractor. The Senate report identifies Mitchell as one of the chief architects of the torture program. In at least one lawsuit, he has been charged with engaging in a joint criminal enterprise with the US government that involved torture; cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment; non-consensual human experimentation; and war crimes. In the article, Mitchell lashes out at the Senate report, calling it partisan, and he denounces retired Marine Corps General James Mad Dog Mathis, Trumps appointee for secretary of defense, for his pragmatic statements that torture does not work. Mitchell argues that harsh interrogation methods are justified in a ticking-time-bomb scenario. However, underscoring the fraud of that oft-cited argument, Mitchell does not allege that any time bombs were ticking when he tortured his victims. Mitchell is a war criminal and he should have been arrested and prosecuted a long time ago. The fact that he can openly boast of his conduct in the press is the product of the Obama administrations dogged efforts to cover up torture and shield perpetrators such as Mitchell from accountability. If all of the Bush-era torturers had been sentenced to lengthy jail termstogether with those who authorized the program, lied about it, and tried to cover it upit goes without saying that conditions would not be as favorable for such an article to appear in the Wall Street Journal, or for Trump to shout about how he will bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. The fact that the Senate report on CIA torture is now in danger of being destroyed or locked away for more than a decade is a fitting symbol of the legacy of the Obama administration. Obama was elected based on popular illusions that he would reverse the hated policies of the Bush administration. Instead, by any objective standard, the Obama administration was among the most reactionary in American history. Over a period of eight years, Obama oversaw a broad assault on basic democratic rights, the strengthening of the apparatus of a police state, and a massive transfer of wealth to the super-rich. These policies helped lay the foundations for the rise of an authoritarian populist like Trump. Without presenting a complete list, the Obama administrations legacy as it pertains to democratic rights includes carrying out and justifying assassinations of US citizens, codifying military commissions and indefinite detention without judicial due process, persecuting whistleblowers and journalists, further expanding the illegal regime of domestic spying, blocking efforts at transparency, deporting immigrants en masse, cracking down on protests and prosecuting political activists on the basis of anti-terror laws, abetting the epidemic of police brutality, further militarizing local police, and asserting immunity on behalf of killer cops in proceedings before the Supreme Court. When Obama first took office, he made it a priority to shield Bush-era criminals. Bush administration officials, war criminals who carried out torture, and Wall Street financial criminals who crashed the economy all got a free pass under Obama, who pledged to look forward, not backward. While he was elected on promises to close the infamous Guantanamo Bay facility, Obama ends his eight years in office with the torture camp still in operation. Trump, for his part, has declared that torture works, and has promised to keep Guantanamo open. I watched President Obama talking about Gitmo, right, Guantanamo Bay, which by the way, which by the way, we are keeping open, Trump declared in November. Which we are keeping open and were gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, were gonna load it up. Given the boundless sadism and depravity of the CIA torture that has already been exposed, the mind boggles at Trumps proposal to implement practices that are a hell of a lot worse. Trump has also declared that American citizens who are accused of terrorism can be transferred to Guantanamo Bay. On January 2, rapper/vocalist/musician Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def, born Dante Terrell Smith in Brooklyn, New York in 1973) performed his third and final show at Washington, D.C.s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center shows (December 31-January 2), and a December 21 engagement at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, were collectively billed as the artists retirement performances in the US. Since first gaining recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s hip hop scene, the talented Smith/Mos Def/Bey (who changed his legal and performing name in 2011) has gone on to success in both music and films and television (Be Kind Rewind, Cadillac Records, etc.). Bey has the unusual distinction of having been nominated for Emmy, Golden Globes and Grammy awards. In addition, Bey has taken principled stances opposing police violence, nuclear weapons, the war on terror and the US-led wars in the Middle East. There is a widely viewed YouTube video in which Bey, in a 2013 protest against the barbaric conditions prevailing at the US militarys Guantanamo Bay internment camp, submitted voluntarily to force feeding to highlight the plight of the detainees. In late summer 2016, Bey announced that he planned to retire from film and music effective immediately, although the performer later announced he would release a trio of albums before doing so. The first of the three, Dec 99th, a joint project with producer/journalist Ferrari Sheppard, was released December 9 on Tidal. The return to music marks Beys first studio release since 2009s The Ecstatic (Downtown Records). Beys humane and charismatic personality was on display at his Washington, D.C. performances; with the artist rapping, crooning, drumming and at times breaking into dance on stage. Bey, who has been living in South Africa since 2013, was clearly overwhelmed at times by the enthusiastic reception he received from the audience of several thousand mostly young people. The artist paused on numerous occasions to both thank the audience and joke with it, at one point humorously thanking vocal members of the crowd for their uninvited suggestions to the shows set list. The artist appeared to be the most engagedand received the strongest reaction from the audiencewhen he performed work from early in his career. Numerous songs from the years 1998-2000 received strong applause. In addition, various groups and past collaborators joined Bey on stage to perform old numbers. An energetic reunion took place between Bey and rapper Talib Kweli, the two of whom formed Black Star and released the critically acclaimed Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star on Rawkus Records in 1998. Despite the passage of nearly two decades since their last album together, one could feel the camaraderie and friendship on stage. The show ended with Bey tearing up while singing the lyrics of Umi Says, a jazz-inspired introspective work from his first album, to the tune of Burt Bacharachs memorable hit The Look of Love. Bey clearly was alive in the moment. As a rapper, Bey has a penchant for humility and self-deprecation which never becomes caricature. The rapper stood out from his musical peers of the late 1990s and early 2000s by his ability to combine technically dense, clever lyricism with a musical personality that seemed to test the hip hop genres boundaries. On his debut solo album Black on Both Sides (released by the rapper as Mos Def in 1999 on Rawkus also), Bey offered songs like the aforementioned Umi Says, alongside pieces such as Ms. Fat Booty, a misleadingly titled single that offers a more nuanced version of the typical club-song/anthem. That being said, Bey is an artist whose best performances are over a decade old. His early pieces possess an exuberance largely missing in his more recent work, despite the latter having perhaps more musical influences and breadth. Listening to Bey-Sheppards Dec 99th, for instance, one notices the generally bare and sparse character of the effortabsent are the triumphant choruses sung by the rapper in earlier works. Bey appears tired, almost lacking direction. What was once Beys soft-spoken tendency to murmur words has taken on a lethargic quality, while the instrumentation has become minimal and grey in texture. There are, of course, pressures bound up with an artist simply achieving a certain level of success in the U.S., and, furthermore, the recent period has been politically and socially difficult. In a May 2015 interview on YouTube, Bey explained, somewhat vaguely, his reasons for leaving the U.S. for South Africa: Americas a very challenging place for me. Sure, theres great business opportunities, familiarity and all that. But given the current social, political, economic climate, its very difficult To create to the degree of fullness, the type of robust, type of creativity that I like to have, its very difficult for me to produce that here. Major media commentators have lamented Beys apparent inability, despite his immense talent, to fit into the current music and film industry. Miles Marshall Lewis of the Village Voice, for example, remarks, With his political consciousness, lyrical dexterity, and acting chops [Bey] could easily have been more Kanye-ubiquitous on the pop landscape. Without endorsing Beys decision to retire, one can only express relief that he has not taken that dreadful path. As is the case with every rap artist, big artistic and ideological questions come up in regard to Mos Def/Beys career. Even his strongest efforts are marked by considerable unevenness: touching compositions exist alongside less-inspired braggadocio, and worse. Again, almost inevitably, the somewhat vague humanism co-exists with identity politics and racialism. (During the January 2 show, one was pleased to note that Bey altered many of the lyrics in these earlier songs; reflecting not only the multiracial composition of his audience, but also the recognition that many of those listening, whatever their ethnicity, had profound interests in common.) With the coming to office of Barack Obama, the conflict between Beys art and the demands of retrograde racial politics seemed to pull him in different directions and perhaps even paralyze him. (No albums between 2009 and 2017!) For many in his circles, and many in the broader liberal-left, the election of Obama represented the fulfillment of their wildest dreams. Although the 2013 anti-Guantanamo protest was implicitly an attack on Obamas policy, Bey never addressed the character of the administration head-on and has never seemed to recover from this inability. It doesnt seem out of place to suggest that an element of pessimism and bewilderment, perhaps heightened by the campaign and election of Donald Trump, has played a role in Beys apparent departure. If his retirement is final, it is a sad commentary on the present state of American culture and the music industry in particular. Music will have lost an authentic and deeply talented voice. If it is not finaland one hopes it is notBey will find that his art will grow in depth as he draws inspiration from the inevitable upsurge in the struggles of the working class, as they oppose many of the same conditions the artist himself has responded to. The author recommends these songs by Yasiin Bey/Mos Def: DJ Honda featuring Mos DefTravelin Man Mos Def & Talib Kweli (as Black Star)Respiration Mos Def featuring Slick RickAuditorium The author also recommends: Ten years since the death of hip hop artist James J Dilla Yancey [21 March 2016] A tribute to James Yancey: Volumes 5 and 6 of Madlibs Beat Konducta series [12 May 2009] The hardcore composer: Gang Starrs Guru dies at 48 [2010 April 28] KENOSHA Six Racine County residents have been selected as this years Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarians by Gateway Technical College and will be honored at the The King in You event set for Monday, Jan. 16, in the Madrigrano Auditorium in the Conference Center of the colleges Kenosha Campus, 3520 30th Ave. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. These individuals will be recognized for their contributions to society, their school, business or profession, as well as their dedication to volunteerism or philanthropic lifes work: Rev. Lawrence Terry The Rev. Lawrence Terry of Racine has long served education, his faith and community. He is a retired as a principal from the Racine Unified School District, a position he served for 27 years after serving as a principal in Georgia for 14 years. Terry is an ordained African Methodist Episcopal Church minister and currently serves in the Wayman AME Church. He is the past president of the Racine Branch NAACP, served on area homeless shelter committees, volunteered at RUSD schools through the Homework First program, served on the RUSD Desegregation and District Concerns Committee from 1975-98 and participated in civil rights marches and demonstrations in the 1960s. An award nominator says: He is a champion for others and, just like Dr. King, is selfless in his efforts to be a beacon of light to the world. Alex Hart-Upendo Alex Hart-Upendo of Racine, a student at Gifford Elementary School, is known nationally for his Build-A-Bow company and anti-bullying efforts. The company provides a way for customers to build their own unique and custom bow ties. In addition, the business also serves as a catalyst for a nonprofit organization focused on promoting an anti-bullying message to youth and adults alike. Hart-Upendo was bullied himself and sought to find a way to prevent others from being bullied. Build-a-Bow was formed because of his fondness for the clothing item. Hart-Upendo hosts community workshops where bow ties are made and sent to key groups to help them in their own awareness campaigns, such as childhood cancer and for those suffering from incurable diseases. His for-profit business funds the workshops. He delivers inspirational messages to other youth, as well as the elderly and those fighting disease. His work has garnered national accolades in the media. An award nominator says: The connection between Alex and the community is amazing. He gives people a platform to give back and impact the lives of others. Jeffrey and Nicole Urquhart Jeffrey and Nicole Urquhart of Racine own and operate the Racine business Baby Express, which they opened to assist expecting mothers in the area in an effort to reduce the citys high infant mortality rate. Nicole, a Desert Storm veteran, provides programs to young families to increase their knowledge on healthy living with information such as safe sleep, breastfeeding and nutrition. She co-chairs the Greater Racine Healthy Birth Initiative and, as a nominator says, her love and care for the families and wellbeing for the next generation captures the spirit, and embodies the philosophy of, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jeff is chairman of deacons at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church and coordinates the churchs Tuesday community meal program, which serves meals to 200 to 300 people. An award nominator says Jeffrey and Nicole have worked tirelessly to reduce infant mortality in the City of Racine. Warren and Joannie Williams Warren Williams is the senior pastor at Living Faith Lutheran Church in Racine, and Joannie Williams is a retired longtime hospice nurse and currently serves as a parish nurse. The two Mount Pleasant residents have helped with the churchs Faith Works Food Pantry, which has become the largest food pantry in Racine. The two also helped found the Mount Meru Tumania Health Clinic, which brings health care to a remote area of Tanzania. Joannie also contributed money to purchase land for the construction of a birthing center next to the clinic. The Williams worked to create a homeless shelter for those who didnt qualify for other shelters in the area. Joanie in particular works with and advocates for the homeless in many different ways, including driving them to medical and other appointments. Warren moved to make the church he pastors more missional and became the catalyst for such efforts as a day care for dementia patients and a transitional service for developmentally-disabled recent high school graduates. Joannie also serves on the Racine Interfaith Coalition; Warren is a former member of the group. A nominator says the Williams exemplify the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. not only in their own continuous leadership and service, but in the many ways they call others to follow in the line of compassionate service, creating programs that require paid staff and volunteers. Keynote speaker The keynote speaker for this years King Day program is state Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee. Bowen was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2014 and represents District 10. He serves on the Assemblys committees on corrections, small business development, transportation, workforce development and the Assembly Speakers Task Force on Urban Education. Before being elected to the Assembly, Bowen served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, becoming the youngest member of the board. Bowen served on several county board committees including Finance and Personnel, Health and Human Needs, and Economic and Community Development as vice chairperson. Bowen is a first-generation American and son of Jamaican immigrants. He attended Milwaukee Public Schools and was an honors graduate of Bradley Tech High School before studying education policy and community studies at UW-Milwaukee. He has also served as program director for Urban Undergrounds youth leadership program, is a National Americorps Service alum and is a nationally recognized trainer for intergenerational community improvement strategies. For more information, contact Zina Haywood at 262-564-3104 or go to www.gtc.edu/mlk. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is keeping mum when asked if she would take a position in President-elect Donald Trump's administration, saying she would "not discuss anything confidential." Bondi spoke to reporters at the Tampa International Airport on Friday during a news conference about human trafficking. She said she is happy as Florida's attorney general. She added that she's spoken to Trump and other members of the transition team about the issue of human trafficking and that Trump is "committed to fighting human trafficking in our country." Most of Bondi's news conference focused on the issue, which she's been vocal about since taking office in 2011. (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - After the Florida Supreme Court ruled that a new death-penalty law was unconstitutional, the chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice committee Friday proposed requiring unanimous jury recommendations before defendants could be sentenced to death. The proposal (SB 280), filed by Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando, was an opening move as lawmakers prepare to grapple with the death-penalty sentencing system during the legislative session that starts March 7. T he U.S. Supreme Court last January ruled that the sentencing system was unconstitutional because it gave too much power to judges, instead of juries, in determining whether inmates should be put to death. The Legislature quickly passed a law to try to address that ruling. As part of that law, the Legislature required at least 10 of 12 jurors to recommend the death penalty, a departure from a longstanding law that required a simple majority. But the Florida Supreme Court in October ruled that jury recommendations must be unanimous for the death penalty to be imposed. Bracy's bill would match that requirement. Senators last year backed requiring unanimous jury recommendations but ran into opposition in the House and from prosecutors. That led to a compromise to require recommendations by at least 10 jurors. TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- A long time Tallahassee restaurant has re-opened its doors after state officials shut the business down due to several violations. Hobbit American Grill on West Pensacola Street said it was the first time in its 38-year history that it was ever shut down for violations. The restaurant says it's thrilled to be back serving the community. Management says the doors were reopened Thursday morning after a health inspector took a final tour and determined the business had addressed all violations. Sherri Capece, assistant to the owner, said she's learned a valuable lesson. "I will read health inspections differently, personally, because now that I've been through it, you don't understand the pressure," Capece said. "It could be a small thing -- as small as putting a baseboard up to putting a tile up in your kitchen -- but it's on the health inspection." The restaurant admits it's been difficult reading comments on social media after the closure, but urges the community to give the business another chance. Hobbit is reaching out to customers who've stood by the restaurant. The owner has offered special deals on a personal basis to thank loyal patrons for their service. WAKULLA COUNTY, FL (WTXL) -- Friday was the deadline for applications for the Tourism Grants in Wakulla County. These grants go to local individuals, businesses, and organizations, providing up to $1,000 to be used to reimburse event marketing expenses. Wakulla officials sat that it's a huge benefit to the county. Diane Bardhi of the Wakulla County Tourism Development Council says "These events bring in thousands of visitors to the community and they're a vital part of our economic growth in the county. Our goal at the TDC is to continue growing the tourism to our beautiful county." In the past, the grants have been used to reimburse the marketing for events like the Stone Crab Festival, the Blue Crab Festival, Rock the Dock Tournaments and many more. SOMERS Firefighters endured single-digit temperatures late Friday night and early Saturday morning as they battled a three-alarm barn fire just south of the Racine County line. At 11:44 p.m. Friday, Somers Fire and Rescue was dispatched to a report of a barn fire at 240 Highway H, just south of Highway KR. As our staff pulled out of the station within two minutes of dispatch, they could see the flames in the air even though it was a few miles away, Somers Fire Chief Carson Wilkinson said. Immediately a MABAS box alarm was called, which was upgraded to a second alarm when units arrived on scene and a third alarm shortly after. MABAS, which stands for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, is the multi-state agency that coordinates fire department assistance. Wilkinson said first-arriving units encountered the east end of the barn with flames showing and the fire quickly spreading to the whole barn, two nearby buildings and a tractor. There were no reported injuries and no animals lost, the chief said. The Kenosha County Fire Investigation Task force was activated to assist in determining cause and origin, which was still undetermined as of late Saturday morning. Fire units were on scene until slightly after 6 a.m. Saturday, Wilkinson said. Among Racine County fire agencies called to assist Somers were: Union Grove-Yorkville, Kansasville, Caledonia, Raymond, South Shore, Town of Burlington, Rochester, Wind Lake and the Racine Fire Bells. Kenosha County, Milwaukee County and Illinois fire agencies were also called to assist. As for the cold, Wilkinson said measures were taken to have firefighters rotate crews so that they could rest and warm up, one reason for the large mututal aid response. Personnel from the Fire Bells and the Kenosha-based Scout Leaders Rescue Squad played a key role in the rest and rehab process. The cold temperatures also caused mechanical issues. Wilkinson said a tender, a vehicle that shuttles water, broke a valve, and pumpers belonging to Somers and Pleasant Prairie also had mechanical issues. Other agencies assisting at the scene were the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, Kenosha County Public Works and the Wisconsin State Patrol. Since the State of Israels establishment, a key condition for its survival has been leaning on a global world power to guarantee military support, financial aid and international cover. This was a necessary rule in the existence rules that were set and fixed by Israels first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Now, for the first time in its history, instead of leaning on a world power, Israel is leaning on a marital relationship: The relationship between a businesswoman and model named Ivanka Trump and her Jewish husband, a real estate investor named Jared Kushner. Their family has become the insurance policy of the State of Israel and its policy. The Kushner family. An insurance policy for the new US administrations commitment to the State of Israel Ivanka, a convert whose Hebrew name is Yael, is the daughter of US President-elect Donald Trump. The young high society couple has three small children. This family, Israelis believe, is an insurance policy for the new American administrations commitment to the State of Israel and its policy. We should hope and pray, therefore, that Ivanka and Jareds marriage lasts many good years, or at least until the end of the presidents term. Because if it doesnt, Heaven forbid, if the relationship starts going downhill, we will see plenty of slurs and financial lawsuits flying around. Then the president, or his associates, will say that the Jewish real estate investor was only interested in money. From the very beginning, all he wanted was money. General Evelyn Hugh Barker was the commander of the British forces in the Land of Israel before the states establishment. He was known for opposing our independence and doing everything in his power to prevent the development of Zionist development in Israel. Barker ordered the British army to boycott the Jews and their businesses and produce. He entered the anti-Semitic lexicon and the Land of Israel mythology when he said that the Jews should be punished in a way the race dislikes as much as any, by striking at their pockets. For years, right-wing leaders, and mostly the late Menachem Begin, used to condemn this statement and present it as a laughing stock of ancient anti-Semitism and hatred. At the beginning of the Republican presidential campaign, Trump turned to Americas Jews and teased them: Youre not going to support me because I dont want your money! Such a comment about Jews and money had not been made for many years, particularly not by an American president. He also said that Israel, like any other country, would have to pay for the aid it received. If he is a man of his wordand lets hope that he isntwe are in deep trouble. Where are we going to get $38 billion from? Even if we stop funneling money to the settlers and to the Haredim and even if we cancel the Public Broadcasting Corporation, we will still be tens of billions of shekels short. Before the last strait, Trump changed his tone and declared his great love for Israel since the day he was born. Its true that he was born in 1946, two years before the states establishment, but lets ignore mathematical errors for now. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He should end his political career for the right reasons, not for the criminal one (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) Investigators from the Israel Polices National Fraud Investigation Unit met Sunday night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , the man who had already overcome four previous police investigations. The man who managed to outsmart the Book of Proverbs and King Solomon by disproving the old saying, he who hates bribes will live. I dont know about you, but I hope he will overcome his fifth investigation as well. We have already had a president, a prime minister, senior ministers, mayors, police and army officers who ended their public service in court, and thats really quite enough. Netanyahu has lost it, as former Prime Minister Ehud Barak tweeted. He is leading to the states deterioration to bi-nationality or apartheid abyss. He is unstitching the thin seams of Israeli coexistence between Jews and Arabs, the right wing and the left, religious Jews and secular Jews. He is demonstrating rude ingratitude towards US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. He has miserably failed in handling the cost of living and the housing crisis. He is making an effort to downsize the law and legal system, human rights organizations and the free press. He has brought about a disgraceful defeat at the United Nations. (Ben-Gurion is often quoted as saying Um Shmum to show contempt for the UN, but he was deeply afraid of the world powers and obeyed them, as did Begin). In short, this may be an exaggerated, hypocritical and self-righteous demand, but its important that Netanyahu end his political career for the right reasons, not for the criminal one. Amnon Abramovich is a Channel 2 News commentator. Heres the issue that the worlds residents find most boring at the start of the new year: the terrorist attack in Turkey . Another terrorist attack in Turkey? Didnt something similar happen there the previous week? "How many reports of terror attacks in Turkey will we have to endure in 2017?' the average citizen across the globe asks himself. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Even the international media were more interested in the death of the mother and daughter, actresses Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, than in the 39 people who died and the dozens who were wounded in a terrorist attack in an Istanbul club. Scene of stabbing attack in Jerusalems Old City last month. We will have to adjust our life here to generations of terror attacks (Photo: Reuters) Thats the truth and there is no other: The world is fed up with the Middle East in general, and with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular. And, lets admit, so are we. Unfortunately, as far as were concerned, its a matter of life and death whether were fed up with it or not. But in the eyes of many people in the world, any act of terror, any bloodshed, in any corner of the universe, is related to the ongoing conflict in our neighborhood, even when we Israelis have nothing to do with it. ISIS, the murderous Islamist organization, is responsible for the two recent attacks in Berlin and in Istanbul. What does that have to do with us? But the citizens of China or New Zealand have no time or patience to delve into reasons and processes. As far as theyre concerned, its once again that thing with the Jews and the Arabs thats the reference point to terror, not the bloody conflicts in the Muslim world. And while were discussing that thing, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will likely not end before a reconciliation is reached between the rival camps in the populations of the two people. There will always be someone among them to spoil the party. Here it will likely be a very large group that believes and will continue to believe in the beginning of the growth of our salvation and in our right to the Greater Land of Israel, and will warn the present or future leadership against making any far-reaching moves. After the evacuation of Gush Katif and Prime Minister Ariel Sharons difficult experience, it appears that there are no Israeli leaders today who will dare follow in his footsteps. Among the Palestinians, like a mirror image, it will be Hamas that will target anyone who tries to reach a peaceful solution with Israel. The radical forces on both sides are dictating and will dictate the reality map. Unfortunately, there is only one conclusion from the situation: We will continue to live (and die) for many more years in the shadow of terrorism, and occasionally war. We will have to adjust our life here to generations of terrorist attacks unless a way is found to convince large parts of Israels population that almost the entire world is against us and that the Arab worlds population is growing and will cover all of us in the next generation, which is why any solution that is reached now will be better than a future solution. There is a reason why Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is delaying his meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He likely believes that time is on his side and on his peoples side. He is seeing that for himself these days, as 40 families in Amona are driving the Israeli government crazy. And there is one more conclusion: There will be a need for a major effort in the coming years to reach an internal understanding among ourselves. We will need peace within us before we reach peace with our biggest enemies. At the same time, Abbas or his successors will have to make an effort to deal a serious blow to the opponents of peace on their side and bring about a national Palestinian agreement. Until then, we will probably have to live without peace. Taiwan's leader pledged to bolster her self-ruled island's presence on the international stage as she set off Saturday to visit four Central American allies on a trip that includes US transits and looks set to raise China's ire. President Tsai Ing-wen said the visits to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador would "show the international society that Taiwan is a capable and responsible partner for cooperation." Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of China and officials complained after US President-elect Donald Trump last month breached diplomatic protocol by speaking by phone with the Taiwanese leader. Trump raised further concerns in Beijing when he questioned a US policy that since 1979 has recognized Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. It was not clear if Tsai would meet President-elect Donald Trump or anyone from his transition team, though analysts say she is likely to meet with U.S. politicians. US lawmakers often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the USmost recently in June, when Tsai met in Miami with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. A federal law enforcement official reported that Esteban Santiagothe shooter who opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring eighttold agents at the Anchorage office in November that his mind was being controlled by a US intelligence agency, which was ordering him to watch ISIS videos. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Santiago, 26, was an Iraq war veteran. According to reports, he took a gun out of his checked luggage and opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale's airport, months after he showed up at an FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska behaving erratically. George Piro, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Miami, said that following his behavior in the FBI office, Santiago was turned over to local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental evaluation. The killer, Esteban Santiago Santiago was taken into custody immediately following the shooting and questioned at length. He is expected to face federal charges in the shooting rampage, said Piro. Piro said investigators had not ruled out terrorism as a possible motive in the rampage and were reviewing the suspect's recent travel. People fleeing the attack (Photo: AP) Santiago had arrived in Ft. Lauderdale shortly before 1 pm local time (1800 GMT) on a connecting flight from Alaska, authorities said, when he retrieved a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his checked luggage and began firing indiscriminately. Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter that the gunman went into a restroom to load his weapon and came out firing. Witnesses told television reporters that he only stopped after running out of ammunition, at which point he surrendered to police. Photo: MCT A cellphone video posted on social media showed travelers kneeling and treating victims on the floor next to a carousel. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds. The gunman, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired. Santiago "This is a senseless act of evil," Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters. A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama had spoken to Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief and had extended his condolences to the loved ones of the victims. In addition to those killed and more sreiously wounded by gunfire, some three dozen people were taken to local hospitals with bruises or broken bones suffered in the chaos surrounding the shooting massacre. Security forcestake hold of situation (Photo: AP) Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year. An aunt told reporters he came back from his deployment "a different person." Legal to fly with guns Flying with firearms is routine and legal in the United States as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under TSA rules. Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags but is allowed in checked luggage. Photo: MCT The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed. John Schlicher, who said he saw the attack, relayed that the shooter was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags. His wife gave first aid to a victim who had been shot in the head, and his mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said. Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told reporters that "He didn't say anything; he was quiet the whole time." Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway. The deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by ISIS killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Unidentified gunmen killed eight members of Afghanistan's Hazara minority who were working as miners in the northern province of Baghlan, a local government official said. Faiz Mohammad Amiri, governor of Taleh va Barfak district, said the eight dead and three other wounded, who all came from Daykundi province in central Afghanistan, had been pulled out of a vehicle and shot on Friday. He blamed the Taliban, which controls the district where the incident occurred but the insurgent movement denied any involvement. Hazaras are a Persian-speaking, largely Shia minority, who have faced a long history of discrimination and violence in mainly Sunni Afghanistan. The Palestinian Authority has stepped up its combative rhetoric against US President-elect Donald Trump's stated mission to transfer the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which was repeated by one of his top aides. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The sentiment was expressed by Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas's close advisor Mahmoud al-Habash, who on Friday called it "a declaration of war on Muslims." The description was significant not only for its content, but also for the fact that it echoed a similar sentiment voiced by former Jerusalem Mufi Achrama Sabri, whose extreme views are normally not shared by the PA. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas "Everything can collapse if the embassy will be moved to Jerusalem," said al-Habash. "It can open a wide door to possibilities that no one wants." He added that they will not be able to sit idly by if such a move occurs. US President-elect Donald Trump Another official in the Palestinian Fatah party stated that if the embassy will be moved to Jerusalem, the PA will demand that that Arab and Muslim countries remove their embassies from Washington. The officials stressed that is not merely a Palestinian issue, but an Arab and Muslim one as well. Abbas himself also commented on the possible scenario of the US Embassy moving to the Israeli capital. Abbas took a less militant tone, voicing his hope that Trump will not seek to implement his past statements, as it would cause irrevocable damage to the peace process. "We heard a lot of statements relating to moving the US embassy, which we hope are not correct and will not be implemented, but if implemented then the peace process in the Middle East, and even peace in the world, will be in a crisis we will not be able to come out from," stated Abbas. The Palestinian campaign against transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem comes less than two weeks before Trump's inauguration and days before the international peace conference that is set to be held next week in Paris. The conference will focus on trying to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Turkey has dismissed more than 8,000 civil servants for alleged ties to terror organizations, in the latest purge under a state of emergency imposed following the failed July 15 coup attempt. The latest dismissals were announced on the Turkish government's Official Gazette late Friday. They include 2,687 police officers, 1,699 Justice Ministry employees and 631 academics. They join more than 100,000 people already suspended or dismissed. Turkey's crackdown through dismissals and the arrest of some 41,000 people was begun to root out followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government claims he orchestrated the coup attempt; Gulen denies involvement. Ministry of Educations Head of the Arab Education System in the Central Region, Taraq Abu Hajla, was lightly injured on Friday after he was shot in the Arab village of Jaljulia. He was hit by two bullets in his leg and was taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva for treatment. At present, the motive for the incident remains unknown. Hajla is known for mediating truces between local families. Andrew Anglin, the founder of neo-Nazi and white supremacist website the Daily Stormer, has issued a statement announcing that neo-Nazi activists will march through the small town of Whitefish, Montana while heavily armed on January 15. The occasion, chosen to take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is presented by Anglin as a reaction to a story published by the Daily Stormer that claims Jewish residents in Whitefish have been harassing the mother of another neo-Nazi leader, named Richard Spencer, due to her son's outspoken beliefs. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "Montana has extremely liberal open carry laws, so my lawyer is telling me we can easily march through the center of the town carrying high-powered rifles," wrote Anglin. "Currently, my guys say we are going to be able to put together about 200 people to participate in the march, which will be against Jews, Jewish businesses and everyone who supports either. We will be busing in skinheads from the Bay Area." Daily Stormer founder Andrew Anglin The controversial rally has already been condemned by legislators and officials with various political affiliations, with top Montana Democratic and Republican lawmakers warning neo-Nazis on Tuesday that they would find no refuge in Whitefish. Among those opposing the rally is US Representative Ryan Zinke, recently picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be Interior secretary. "We say to those few who seek to publicize anti-Semitic views that they shall find no safe haven here," Zinke wrote in an open letter also signed by Democratic Montana Governor Steve Bullock, US senators Republican Steve Daines and Democrat Jon Tester, and Republican Attorney General Tim Fox. Neo-Nazi-alt right leader Richard Spencer (Photo: AP) Richard Spencer, whose mother Sherry is at the center of the Daily Stormer march, is the president of the National Policy Institute, a think tank within the alt-right movement that includes neo-Nazis and white supremacists. He made headlines following the presidential elections after a video posted online showed him addressing his followers in celebration of Trump's win, with several crowd members hailing Trump's election victory with a Nazi salute Spencer the son has said on Twitter he might pursue Zinke's House of Representatives seat if Zinke is confirmed as Trump's Interior secretary. Meanwhile, it is reported that Spencer's mother Sherry is facing pressure from community members to sell a building she owns in Whitefish because of its ties to her son, while also disavowing her son's beliefs. The building has been the subject of protests in the community. The house owned by Sherry Spencer (Photo: AP) As pressure began to mount against the building, the Daily Stormer urged its readers in an article to "take action" against Jews in the Whitefish area. In the article, the Daily Stormer called for an "old fashioned Troll Storm" against community members and published their names and phone numbers along with a yellow Star of David superimposed over their photographs. The website, in general, contains many anti-Semitic descriptions and images of Jews, but claims it does not endorse violence. Whitefish Police Chief Bill Dial said to the press last week that his department has assigned extra patrols to the homes and businesses of the residents identified in the Daily Stormer article. However, Dial said there had been no reports of harassment or intimidation of the Jewish community that rose to the level of a crime. Dial also said Federal Bureau of Investigation officials told him they interviewed Spencer and that he denounced the Daily Stormer postings. While Dial has promised that the march will not materializebasing this on a conversation he had with SpencerAnglin remains adamant that it will take place unless Sherry Spencer receives an apology from the Jewish residents he claims have been harassing her. Anglin stressed that Richard Spencer is not involved in the rally's planning, while Spencer said that though they have not been acquainted, Anglin sounds like a reasonable person. Spencer addresses the press (Photo: AP) In a statement to Reuters, Spencer's father said he and his wife "love our son, but do not agree with his polemics, societal desires or his extreme political leanings." The National Policy Institute, which Spencer heads, describes itself as an organization "dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world." Spencer had originated the term "alt-right" as a reincarnation of racist Nazi rhetoric, and he believes that he and Trump share the same worldview. Trump, for his part, denounced Spencer and his ilk just as soon as he won the elections. Among the policies that the National Policy Institute promotes is having the US into the country stop all immigration for the next 50 years, in an effort to maintain a white majority in America. Spencer hopes that his organization will be instrumental in helping Trump implement this idea. US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that President-elect Donald Trump's realizing his promise to relocate the American embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would cause "an absolute explosion in the region, not just in the West Bank, and perhaps even in Israel itself, but throughout the region," in an interview with CBS News on Friday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Kerry's response when asked about the issue by the network's National Security Correspondent David Martin continued, "If all of a sudden, Jerusalem is declared to be the location of our embassy, that has issues of sovereignty, issues of law that would deem to be affected by that move and by the United States acquiescing in that move and that would have profound impact on the readiness of Jordan and Egypt to be able to be supportive and engaged with Israel as they are today." Kerry's speech to the State Department angered Netanyahu. (Photo: EPA) In his farewell speech to the State Department at the end of December , Kerry spoke at length about President Barack Obama's administration's parameters for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The six-part outline insisted adamantly on a two-state solution, for which Kerry claimed there was "no alternative." Kerry's speech was swiftly condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who said that America's top diplomat had "attacked the only democracy in the Middle East." Netanyahu held that direct negotiations were the only way to achieve peace, as Israel had successfully managed in the past in forging accords with both Egypt and Jordan. In his interview with CBS, Kerry repeated his conviction that his country must continue to support the peace process towards a two-state solution and warned of repercussions if it did not. "I think that would be extraordinarily dangerous for Israel, our friend," he said. "The simple reality is you cannot be unitaryone statewith more non-Jews than Jews and remain a democracy or a Jewish state. Its impossible. You cant do it." Also on Friday, the Palestinian Authority dubbed Trump's plan to relocate the embassy "a declaration of war on Muslims." Under a month ago, Counselor to the President-designate Kellyanne Conway stated that the embassy move was "a top priority" for the incoming US administration. At 8pm on Saturday night, a demonstration is to take place against incitement to violent against the IDF chief of staff and the panel of judges who convicted Sgt. Elor Azaria of manslaughter in the killing of the incapacitated Palestinian terrorist, Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, in March. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Amongst those expected to participate are Capt. (res.) Ziv Shilon , who was critically wounded in a 2012 terror attack on the Gaza border fence and lost his hand, and the families of the three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered in the West Bank in 2014 Both before and after the verdict was announced on Wednesday, some 400 protestors rioted and clashed with police outside the IDF's Tel Aviv headquarters . At least four of the protesters were arrested for disrupting the peace, with one also being suspected of attacking a police officer. Channel 2 aired footage of some protesters chanting "Gadi, Gadi beware, Rabin's looking for a friend," referring to the Israeli prime minister who was assassinated. Police clashed with protesters on Wednesday when Azaria was convicted. (Photo: Reuters) The three judges on the panel of the military court that convicted Azaria (Central Command Chief Justice Col. Maya Heller, Col. Carmel Wahabi and Lt. Col Yaron Sitbon) and the chief military prosecutor in the case (Lt. Col. (res.) Nadav Weissman) have all been assigned security details from the IDF amid fears of violent reprisals of angry supporters of the soldier. The Israel Police arrested two persons on suspicion violent incitement online against the judges on Thursday. Further such incitement has been rife on social media. The families of the three kidnapped and murdered teenagers are to attend on Saturday. L-R: Eyal Yifrach, Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel (Photo: Shaul Golan) The incitement to violent against IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot resulted in public letters of support from dozens of reservist battalion commanders, Eisenkot's predecessor, Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz, and the Association for Former Members of Sayeret Matkal. Eisenkot (L) called to respect the IDF's court system during Azaria's (R) trial. (Photos: Motti Kimchi and Yair Sagi) Shilon, the officer who was wounded in Gaza, explained his decision to participate in the demonstration in a long post to his Facebook page overnight Thursday. He wrote in part that he felt that "our nation is divided, pained, hating, disappointed, discouraged." He quoted his 70-year-old father as saying, "I've not seen hatred in the country like this in my life." Shilon shared that he retreated to his room and began to weep. "I cried for the nation of Israel that is tearing itself to pieces with unprecedented hate," Shilon wrote. "I cried for the hands that I left in Gaza, and I asked myself, perhaps for the first time in my life, if it was worth it to fight for a people who hates itself? I cried for the reality that my daughter Shira will grow up in, for the friends in her class whose parents 'won't send (them) to the army." Oh, how it hurt me to hear the statements today, unrelated to the political agenda, everything is simply full of hate! What happened to us, the nation of Israel?" The officer concluded that he would be present at the demonstration on Saturday night "with a huge sign that calls for solidarity and mutual love and for returning the center of our power that is crumbling: our unity. I call on all of you, right, left, religious, secular, those who aren't Jewish, politicians, artists, regular people, citizens of Israel: Come help me write the sign, come embrace our countryshe's bleeding!" Ziv Shilon asked, 'What happened to us, the nation of Israel?' (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Bat Galim Shaer, the mother of Gil-Ad Shaer, one of the three teenagers murdered in 2014, joined in Shilon's call to the public: "At moments of weakness, we must remember that that which we have in common is larger than the things that divide us. This is an opportunity to prove that we have the potential to be united, even when the days are tough, and perhaps particularly when we go through the not-easy days." Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit instructed the Israel Police to investigate incitement to violence against the IDF chief of staff this past week. Supreme Court President Miriam Naor also condemned the wave of incitement against the military judges, writing that it "endangers the rule of law and democracy." Channel 10 reported on Saturday evening that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke thrice with US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014 to ask him to sort out a problem with the visa of Israeli businessman Arnon Milchan. Netanyahu is under investigation for, inter alia, accepting illicit gifts from the Hollywood mogul. According to Channel 10, the visa issue was indeed handled. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The prime minister is under investigation for two separate issues. The central line of inquiry has not yet been made public, but the secondary one features Milchan prominently. Channel 2 journalist Amnon Abramovitch reported on Thursday that Netanyahu has received hundreds of thousands of shekels worth of cigars and pink champagne from the businessman. Abramovitch stated that Milchan had been providing the cigars to Netanyahu for 7 to 8 years, though those close to the prime minister claim that the gifts were not intended as bribes. Netanyahu was questioned twice last week by the Israel Police. PM Netanyahu is under investigation for two different matters. (Photo: Reuters) Netanyahu's lawyer, Yaakov Weinroth, speaking to the press from his home's yard in Ramat Gan on Friday, said that there is "no scrap of crime" in someone giving his friend cigars as a gift. Opposition MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) commented on the investigation at a cultural event in Tel Aviv on Saturday that the prime minister will soon have to suspend himself from his duties. "This is abhorrent corruption," she said. Referring to Netanyahu's predecessor in the premiership, the parliamentarian continued, "Netanyahu had a 'sugar daddy' who regularly provided him with valuable perks, just like the Talansky envelopes in the Olmert affair ." Ehud Olmert was sentenced to eight months in prison last year for accepting cash bribes in envelopes from businessman Moshe Talansky MK Yachimovich dubs Arnon Milchan (C) Netanyahu's 'sugar daddy.' (Photo: Itzik Biran) Yachimovich added on her Facebook page that the ruling in Olmert's case stated that in determining if a bribe had taken place, "the court wanted to clearly now whether money or something worth money exchanged hands. It did. Olmert's in prison." Netanyahu's right-wing political party Likud responded, "We suggest to our friends on the left not to sink into fantasies and delusions and look for more creative ways to replace the right-wing government. Since this time as well, nothing came of it because there is nothing, we suggest that our friends in the opposition seek the redemption of the Left elsewhere." Ynet has not yet managed to reach Milchan for comment. ISTANBUL The once bustling Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is astonishingly quiet. The shops and restaurants in the city's trendy Istiklal Street are all but empty of foreign customers and the hotels in the upscale Nisantasi district are nearly deserted. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacksincluding the nightclub massacre of New Year's revelers , most of them foreignersand uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. Tourism, a key component of the economy as well as a substantial foreign currency earner, has taken a hitnot least because Russian visitors have stayed away in the wake of a diplomatic spat over Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in November 2015. A Turkish police officer patrols the area by the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia. (Photo: AP) "It is impossible for Turkey to give up on tourism, but the most important priority of the sector is security," Gurcun added. "The first thing a tourist looks for when choosing a destination is peace and safety. Only then do they research service quality and price." A shop owner holds cups of tea outside his shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar. (Photo: AP) There was a time when tourism in Turkey was red hot, climbing from 10.5 million visitors in 2000 to 36.2 million people in 2015, making it the sixth-most visited destination in the world. The sector earned $31.5 billion in 2015. But that all came to a halt last year, with a 30-percent drop in visitors, from 34.8 million in the January-November period in 2015 to a little over 24 million for the same period in 2016. Yasemin Pirinccioglu, general manager of the VIP Event travel agency, said that foreigners who had visited before were still returning. "But the people who are planning to come for the first time to Turkey, they're postponing their trips," she said. A Turkish flag flies backdropped by the Suleymaniye Mosque. (Photo: AP) Natalia Dubaltsava from war-ravaged eastern Ukraine is among those who come to Istanbul regularly. "We make trips here anyway," she said. "There is unrest in the world. It's a fact. People say the same about our city, Dnepropetrovsk. We are close to the front line, but it is calm there. Life is life. We decided to go anyway." A vendor waits for customers in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions. (Photo: AP) Because of the economic downturn, the Turkish lira hit a record low in the first week of 2017, trading around 3.60 per US dollar. Analysts expect it to weaken further in coming months. While the weaker currency could have some beneficial economic effectsmaking it cheaper to visit or invest in Turkey and helping the country's exportsthe drop makes the country poorer overall and less able to pay its debts. People sit in a coffee shop in Istanbul's Eminonu district by the Golden Horn. (Photo: AP) The security concerns are obvious in the economic data. In the third quarter of last year, the drop in tourism was the main cause for a 7 percent year-on-year decrease in the sale of goods and services. Consumer spending and investment have also plummeted since the summer. Istanbul, the country's most popular tourist destination for foreigners, has been the biggest target for extremists. Turkish flags decorate Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions. (Photo: AP) Ten German tourists were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of Istanbul's historic district on January 12, 2016. Other attacks in Istanbul include one in the central Beyoglu neighborhood in March, as well as at the city's main airport in June , where dozens died. Hundreds of people eager to wave goodbye to a tumultuous 2016 gathered at the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul for New Year's celebrations only to become the first victims of 2017 when an ISIS gunman stormed the premises and killed 39 people, mostly foreigners. Tourists visit the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia. (Photo: AP) One statistic stood out in the wake of the tragedymost of the victims were from the Middle East, including Israeli Layan Nasser. "Before, there were a lot of customers from America and Europe," said the club co-owner, Mehmet Kocarslan said. "Once the Westerners decreased, Middle Easterners became a majority." A woman takes pictures on a boat crossing the Bosporus in Istanbul. (Photo: AP) "2016 was a very unfortunate year for Turkey," added Kocarslan, who said he was contemplating closing the club after the massacre. "There hasn't been a hardship our country didn't encounter." In the sprawling Grand Bazaarofficially the first ever roofed shopping mall when it was built in the 15th centuryvendors stood in front of their jewelry, clothing and souvenir shops, desperately looking for foreign customers. People walk at the Arasta Bazaar in the historic Sultanahmet district in Istanbul. (Photo: AP) "Business is quite different than before," shop owner Muslim Besenk said. "There are bombs going off everywhere, why should tourists come? Only Arabs come. The rest cannot come and it's not certain that they will." Basel Trablesei, a tourist from Lebanon, did not seem worried by the security in Istanbul despite the nightclub attack. People walk over the Golden Horn Bridge in Istanbul. (Photo: AP) "What happened here happens anywhere in the world, so this is something we can't avoid," he said. "I tell everyone to come to Istanbul." Pinar Kartal Timer, general manager of Istanbul's historic Pera Palas hotel in the lively Beyoglu neighborhood, said the rise in tourists from the Middle East was because of Turkey's greater ties to the region. A tram is driven past as a Turkish police officer secures central Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue, the main shopping road of Istanbul.(Photo: AP) "It's because already the strategy of the Turkish government has been to make a rapprochement with Middle Eastern countries," she said, referring to the conservative leadership that has shifted from its pro-Western policies. Barcin Yinanc, a columnist at the English-language Daily News, said that all the strategic advantages Turkey offered in the mid-2000s have now turned against it. "Ironically, all the triggers that helped Turkey fly high in the global market in the mid-2000ssafety, security, stability and predictabilityhave now become big barriers," she wrote. Several thousand Israelis came on Saturday night to Tel Aviv's Rabin Square in a rally against incitement to violence and in a call for solidarity following the sharp divisions that have resounded in the country since the conviction of Sgt. Elor Azaria for manslaughter in the killing of the incapacitated Palestinian terrorist, Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, in March. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Ziv Shilon sings with demonstrators (: ) X In addition to Shilon, the families of the three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered in the West Bank in 2014 Eyal YIfrach, Gil-Ad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkelwere in attendance. Thousands descend on Rabin Square for the rally. The rally was interrupted when Ran Karmi Buzaglo, the director of a group committed to the "struggle" for Azaria, forced his way onstage and refused to leave until he was forcibly taken away by police. He yelled inaudibly at the crowd, as the organizers quickly turned up the music to drown him out. Shilon (C) amongst demonstrators (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Additional pro-Azaria protestors came to yell at the demonstrators, even though the rally was ostensibly against incitement to violence and not aimed at commenting on the case. One of those protesting the rally told Ynet, "The family doesn't have any spokesman. The family strongly condemns any violence, physical or verbal." Clashes at the rally (: ) X Attempts to remove Karmi Buzaglo from the stage Police removing Karmi Buzaglo Police escorting Karmi Buzaglo out of the area (Photo: Asaf Zagrizak) At the rally, the amputee Shilon said, "I am a whole person because of the unity of the nation. You can think and say everything; each one of us supports something else. There's a way to say things, and it is gently and with love, not with cursing and swearing."Asked about those who had come to protest the solidarity rally, he replied, "Why must we always address the bad? Look at how many people came. I'm sorry that it happened, and it would have been better had it now. It's important that there be unity. People came from far away. I'm leaving with a good feeling about unity, solidarity and a nation that is flourishing." Shilon addresses the crowd from the stage (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Bat Galim Shaer, the mother of Gil-Ad Shaer, one of the three teenagers murdered in 2014, said, "We're here to strengthen unity and the values of tolerance. We won't permit ourselves to fall into disagreements that tear us apart. Difference is a blessed thing, and we need to learn how to disagree. I think that today it's Elor's trial, and tomorrow it'll be something else. When the enemy wants to cause damage, they don't care about our opinions, and we must be united as the chosen people and be an example of human morality." Danny, a man who lives in center of the country and who came to the rally, came up to Shilon and told him, "During the time of Begin and Rabin, I didn't come to demonstrations. This is the first time that I've been here. If we don't come to our senses, we'll end up in oblivion. And I say this as a man of the right-wing." Itai Levi, one of the representatives of the country's youth organizations who came to the rally, said, "Violence and incitement don't have a place hereWe don't have to agree; we only have to care." His colleague Pnina Nahum added, "Let's fight against baseless hatred. I'm afraid of conceding the country. We need to fight so that our country won't burn. Whoever hurts the IDF harms democracy." Shilon talks with some of those who came in support. Ilan Galdor, the executive director of the Gesher Foundation that helped to organize the rally, said in the square, "Our message is that there is one army and one nation, and we have to do everything to keep it a legitimate quarrel (that only takes place) at home. Incitement is dangerous, and we have to maintain a respectful dialogue. Every word of contempt and incitement endangers society." SKOPJE, Macedonia - Three ethnic Albanian political parties in Macedonia have adopted a joint platform demanding a larger say in the country's affairs in return for their support in forming a coalition government. Elections held last month gave the ruling conservative VMRO-DPMNE party 51 seats in the 120-member Parliament and 49 to the opposition Social Democrats. Albanian minority parties won the remaining seats; the largest, the Democratic Union for Integration, a coalition partner of the conservatives over the past decade, won 10. The three parties are demanding that the Constitution define Macedonia as a bilingual country where both Albanian and Macedonian are recognized as official languages. They also are calling for a parliamentary resolution condemning past persecution of the Albanian minority. Ethnic Albanians comprise a quarter of Macedonia's population of 2.1 million. Israel Police arrested on Saturday night a 33-year-old man from Jerusalem who is suspected of having incited to violence against IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot at a demonstration in support of Sgt. Elor Azaria on Wednesday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The suspect allegedly was present at the demonstration outside the military courthouse when Azaria was convicted of manslaughter in the killing of the incapacitated Palestinian terrorist , Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, in March. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had instructed the police this week to investigate calls to violence against Eisenkot. Protestors had been heard chanting, "Gadi, Gadi beware, Rabin's looking for a friend," referring to the prime minister who was assassinated in 1994. One protestor was recorded yelling into a microphone, "This night, you're going to die!" The day of Azaria's conviction, many protestors demonstrated in Tel Aviv. (Photo: Yariv Katz) The incitement to violence drew public letters of support from dozens of reservist battalion commanders, Eisenkot's predecessor, Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz, and the Association for Former Members of Sayeret Matkal. On Saturday night, several thousand Israelis participated in a rally against incitement. The suspect's lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir said, "The suspect was summoned on Sunday for questioning and intended to arrive, but following the rally and the media's unfair criticism, the young man was arrested in a showcase of police action." He insisted that there was no reason to arrest his client. He added, "The guy is disabled. His condition isn't good. He came to the rally in support of the soldier Elor Azaria and protested the fact that Elor, the child of us all, was abandoned. The things that were said were said during emotional turmoil, and the suspect regrets them and expressed remorse in his questioning. "However, when Israeli Arabs wished death on IDF soldiers or expressed joy at the death of soldiers, nobody arrested them. The young man came to the rally for the army, for the nation, for a combat soldier who was abandoned on the battlefield. There's no rationale for his arrestI'm sorry that the police are acting out of political motivations." MONDAY 1/9 >> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Monday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. >> Alcoholics Anonymous - How It Works meets Monday at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. >> Diabetes Support Group meets Monday, Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. in the lower level of the Medical Office building. For more information call Brenda Kowalski at 402.362.0462. TUESDAY 1/10 >> Sexaholics Anonymous, a 12 Step recovery group for those dealing with addiction to pornography, sex, and other forms of lust, meets Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m. For more information please call our toll free number 1-877-889-8071 or visit sanebraska.org. >> Alzheimers/Dementia Support Group will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 4 p.m. in the Hearthstone Great Room. For more information call Dawana Bolton, Hearthstone Social Work Director at 402.363.0239. WEDNESDAY 1/11 >> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Wednesday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. THURSDAY 1/12 >> Weight Watchers meets in the basement of the York Towne House, 5th & Grant Ave., each Thursday. Weigh in 5:15 - 5:45 p.m.; Member meeting 5:45 - 6:15 p.m. >> AL-ANON meets Thursday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. >> Narcotics Anonymous meets Thursday at 8 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in the Annex building. FRIDAY 1/13 >> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Friday at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. >> Alcoholics Anonymous - AWOL Group meets Friday at 8 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. SATURDAY 1/14 >> Alcoholics Anonymous - Fresh Start Group meets Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church located at 414 Delaware Ave. in York. YORK David Drozd, research coordinator for the Center for Public Affairs, notified the York News-Times this week to report that York County has had a sizeable rise in the percentage of the age 25-plus population that has a bachelors degree or more education, since 2000. Drozd takes an extensive look at all releases of census data, as it becomes available, to evaluate trends in Nebraska and in each of the 93 counties. The rise over the course of 17 years, in York County, has been at such a rate that Drozd says the increase places York County as sixth highest among the states 93 counties . . . meaning the rate of increase/positive change was sixth highest. And what makes that ranking even more impressive, Drozd says, is that the counties that exceed it are all very low populated counties (except Wayne) that tend to have wild swings in their data. Drozd says the positive trend is being seen in rural areas in the state, as levels of higher education are increasing. Higher education has increased across the board as youd expect, its higher in the states metro areas, but its increased from 17 percent to 21 percent now in the states 80 non-metro counties combined. Drozd specifically pointed out the increase of educated individuals over 25 in York County. He said the percentage of such people (over 25) in this county was 17 percent in 2000, which increased to 21.5 percent in the timeframe of 2006-2010 . . . and is now 26.1 percent. Education is a key indicator as those with higher education have a very low unemployment rate, and tend to have better jobs with higher pay, which reduces poverty and increases the likeliness of home ownership, Drozd said. So this is a positive development for the state and York County. That said, Nebraska does continue to struggle with brain drain as people leave to go to other states, Drozd said, while still acknowledging this is a very positive trend. >> CENTENNIAL Monday, Jan. 9: Bunza on a whole grain bun, celery sticks, carrot sticks Tuesday, Jan. 10: Chicken fried steak on whole wheat bread with gravy, corn, mixed vegetables Wednesday, Jan. 11: Scrambled eggs, assorted breakfast meats, hashbrown patty, cornbread Thursday, Jan. 12: Homemade chicken and dumplings over whole grain biscuit, creamed corn, French style green beans Friday, Jan. 13: Cheesy croissant, homemade potato soup, fresh cauliflower * Milk served daily. A fruit and vegetable bar is available every day. Alternative of chef salad offered daily >> CROSS COUNTY Monday, Jan. 9: Ham and scalloped potatoes, bread sticks Tuesday, Jan. 10: Sloppy joe on a bun, winterblend vegetables, tater tots Wednesday, Jan. 11: Chicken fajita, rice and vegetables Thursday, Jan. 12: Chili, cinnamon rolls, green beans Friday, Jan. 13: Hot dog on a bun, baked beans, tater tots >> EMMANUEL-FAITH LUTHERAN Monday, Jan. 9: Runza Tuesday, Jan. 10: Chicken tater tot casserole Wednesday, Jan. 11: Chili Thursday, Jan. 12: Pork sandwich Friday, Jan. 13: Fiestada * Fruit and vegetable bar, bread and milk served each day >> EXETER-MILLIGAN Monday, Jan. 9: Hot ham and cheese sandwich, seasoned wedges, vegetables, fruit Tuesday, Jan. 10: Chicken strips, potatoes, California blend vegetables, fruit, dinner roll Wednesday, Jan. 11: Tacos with shredded lettuce and cheese, topping choices, potato coins, fruit, cookies Thursday, Jan. 12: Creamed chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, fruit, biscuits Friday, Jan. 13: Hamburger deluxe, crinkle cut fries, baked beans, fruit * White, strawberry and chocolate milk, and fruit and veggie bar, served daily. * Choice of main entree or turkey deli sandwich (includes salad bar) >> FILLMORE CENTRAL Monday, Jan. 9: Taco bar, pears, cookies Tuesday, Jan. 10: Goulash, garlic bread, mixed vegetables, peaches Wednesday, Jan. 11: Shredded barbecued sandwich, tri-taters, carrots, mixed fruit Thursday, Jan. 12: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, apple Friday, Jan. 13: Hot dog, curly fries, baked beans, pineapple * Salad Bar at High School and Middle School every day. All schools serve fruit, vegetables and milk daily. >> HEARTLAND Thursday, Jan. 5: GMonday, Jan. 9: Chicken patty on a bun, French fries, steamed peas Tuesday, Jan. 10: Pizza, corn, slushies Wednesday, Jan. 11: Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh baked roll Thursday, Jan. 12: Tacos, steamed corn, Long Johns Friday, Jan. 13: Chicken alfredo, steamed broccoli, fresh baked bread stick * Milk and fruit/veggie bar served daily. >> McCOOL Monday, Jan. 9: Corndog on a stick, mini corndogs (K-5), corn, cookies, fruit Tuesday, Jan. 10: Deli turkey on a bun, peas, fruit Wednesday, Jan. 11: Goulash, green beans, garlic bread stick, fruit Thursday, Jan. 12: Pork patty, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, fruit, dinner roll Friday, Jan. 13: Hamburger on a bun, baked beans, fruit * Milk and salad bar choices offered daily. >> NEBRASKA LUTHERAN Lunch menu Monday, Jan. 9: Sloppy joes, baked beans, carrots, applesauce Tuesday, Jan. 10: Turkey, bread, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed fruit Wednesday, Jan. 11: Chicken alfredo casserole, bread, corn, peaches Thursday, Jan. 12: Pork roast, bread, baked beans, apricots Friday, Jan. 13: Hamburger pizza, broccoli, pears Supper menu Monday, Jan. 9: Pancakes, sausage patty, cherry bars Tuesday, Jan. 10: Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, green beans Wednesday, Jan. 11: Taco salad, rice, cookies Thursday, Jan. 12: Goulash, bread, fruit Friday, Jan. 13: Cooks choice * Salad bar is served with all lunches and suppers. Milk and bread are served with all meals. >> ST. JOSEPHS CATHOLIC SCHOOL Monday, Jan. 9: Italian crescents Tuesday, Jan. 10: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes Wednesday, Jan. 11: Hot ham and cheese sandwich Thursday, Jan. 12: Chili and cinnamon rolls Friday, Jan. 13: Cheese nachos * Students in grades 1-8 have choices daily of the entree, yogurt and a side, or chef salad. Fruits and vegetables are offered daily. White, chocolate and strawberry milk are offered daily. Breakfast is also being offered each morning. >> ST. PAUL LUTHERAN, UTICA Monday, Jan. 9: Ham and cheese sandwich on whole grain buns Tuesday, Jan. 10: Potato buffet Wednesday, Jan. 11: Chicken, whole grain rolls Thursday, Jan. 12: Lasagna, whole grain garlic bread Friday, Jan. 13: Sloppy joes on whole grain buns * Fruit and vegetable bar, along with milk, served daily >> YORK ELEMENTARY Monday, Jan. 9: Chicken fajitas or baked corndogs, refried beans Tuesday, Jan. 10: Homestyle chili and crackers or crispy chicken nuggets, green beans, frosted cinnamon roll Wednesday, Jan. 11: Homestyle chicken and noodles or breaded beef patty, mashed potatoes and gravy Thursday, Jan. 12: Spaghetti with meat sauce or crispy chicken sandwich, peas, gelatin Friday, Jan. 13: Pizza or beef and bean burrito, steamed carrots * Unlimited fruit/vegetable choices, milk offered daily. There are also sandwich choices on Mondays, sub sandwiches choices Tuesdays and Thursdays, entree salad choices on Wednesdays and wrap/sub sandwich choices on Fridays. >> YORK MIDDLE Monday, Jan. 9: Chicken fajitas or baked corndog, refried beans Tuesday, Jan. 10: Pizza or beef and bean burrito, steamed carrots Wednesday, Jan. 11: Homestyle chicken and noodles or breaded beef patty, mashed potatoes with gravy Thursday, Jan. 12: Spaghetti with meat sauce or crispy chicken sandwich, peas, gelatin Friday, Jan. 13: Homestyle chili and crackers or crispy chicken nuggets, green beans, frosted cinnamon roll * Unlimited fruits, vegetables, and milk offered daily. Other daily entree choices include sandwich, wrap and vegetarian selections. >> YORK HIGH SCHOOL Monday, Jan. 9: Chicken fajita, refried beans Tuesday, Jan. 10: Beef chili and crackers, green beans, cinnamon rolls Wednesday, Jan. 11: Chicken and noodles, dinner roll, mashed potatoes and gravy Thursday, Jan. 12: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread stick, peas, gelatin dessert Friday, Jan. 13: Beef and bean burrito, steamed carrots * Unlimited fruits, vegetables, and milk offered daily. * Hot grill sandwich choices every day: Cheeseburger, hot dog, crispy chicken sandwich, spicy chicken sandwich * Pizza every day: Mondays, pepperoni or hamburger; Tuesdays, taco pizza available; Wednesdays, sausage or beef; Thursdays, barbecued chicken or breakfast pizza; Fridays, supreme or buffalo ranch * Sub station available with choice of toppings * Deli style wraps: Mondays, combo; Tuesday, fajita chicken; Wednesdays, turkey; Thursdays, ham; Fridays, grilled chicken * Salad choices: Mondays, grilled chicken salad; Tuesdays, southwest salad; Wednesdays, chef salads; Thursdays, taco salad; Fridays, crispy chicken salad * Vegetarian choices: Mondays and Wednesdays, vegetarian salad with breadsticks; Tuesdays and Thursdays, fruit, yogurt and cheese plates with graham cookies LINCOLN A new state report said ride services havent hurt taxi businesses across Nebraska. An estimated 500 people drove for either Uber or Lyft the only two carriers authorized in the state last year, with most in Omaha or Lincoln, the Omaha World-Herald reported. The Nebraska Public Service Commission issued the report as part of its regulation of ride-hailing and cab companies. The state passed a bill in 2015 legalizing ride services, and gave the commission authority to license and regulate them. Statewide data gathered from cab companies shows the total number of rides given has generally been on an upward trend over the past five years, Commission Executive Director Jeff Pursley said. But the report also noted that Lincoln has seen a decline in the number of cabs and cab drivers employed. Pursley said its not clear whats causing the decline but also said the reduction in numbers occurred before the ride services began operating. Both the heads of Omaha-based City Taxi Inc. and Happy Cab, headquartered in Omaha and Lincoln, said they had not yet seen the report and declined to comment. Ride service companies are required to carry insurance, conduct criminal background checks on drivers and inspect vehicles. As of 2017, the companies must also pay the commission an $80 fee for every personal vehicle operated by a driver. The commission then uses that money to monitor, audit and regulate the companies. The report said that state law does not currently require vehicles used for ride services to display identification to show it is operating legally. The commission is suggesting for the upcoming session a new requirement for drivers to display a sign or placard located in the lower passenger side of the vehicles dashboard so passengers can safely and easily identify vehicles. The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline: Q: The weather on Christmas Day was so weird. Have there been tornadoes on Christmas before in Nebraska? A: According to the National Weather Service, the Christmas tornadoes in Nebraska are the latest confirmed Nebraska occurrences in a calendar year since 1950 and the first December tornadoes since Dec. 13, 1975. Q: I am curious to know if there are certain requirements for York Public School board members? I would think the members should be required to attend York activities, and there are some members that do not go to any York events and I am curious how they can know what is best for York district students and the town when they never attend any events? A: York Superintendent Mike Lucas says, there are no set requirements for YPS board members to attend a certain number of school activities. Our board members have always been very active in supporting all of our school activities in various ways. Due to the nature of personal travel, business and family needs, and being in various stages of life, some members attend more activities than others. Rest assured, however, that all of our board members are extremely supportive of our students and all of their pursuits. Q: Will the citys biking/hiking trails ever be extended out to Recharge Lake? A: That will likely not happen because without the construction of a hiking/biking bridge over the Highway 81 bypass there would be no safe way to cross the four lanes of fast traffic. The cost of such a project would likely be quite expensive . . . and there hasnt been any discussion of that happening, at least that we are aware of. Q: How much are the mayor and city council members in York paid each year? And how often are they given raises? And how does the pay here compare to that of other cities the size of York? A: The last pay adjustment for the mayor and city council was in 2012. That last adjustment was made after nine years of the rates not changing. Currently, the mayor is paid $5,720 a year. The council members are paid $2,860 a year. There were some comparisons made before the last increase. For example, Alliance (at the time) paid its mayor and council members $3,600 a year. Beatrice paid its mayor $9,750 and council members $6,500. In Blair, the pay was $9,000 and $7,000, respectively. Wayne paid its mayor $4,500 and its council members $3,000. And Seward paid its mayor $4,800 and council members $2,400 on an annual basis. The comparisons show that the mean (average) pay was $4,944 for mayors and $3,467 for council members. The median was $4,500 for mayors and $3,000 for council members. Q: I found it incredible that Debbie Reynolds died so soon after her daughter, Carrie Fisher. You know, weve seen this happen before, when someone dies shortly after a loved one and people say they died of a broken heart. I wonder, is that possible? Is there a medical situation that can come grief that can actually kill someone? A: The Associated Press did a story about this very issue shortly after the death of Debbie Reynolds. And yes, it said, there is such a thing of dying of a broken heart. The story says the emotional distress of losing a loved one can trigger broken-heart syndrome, a recognized medical condition that disproportionately affects women and can be fatal. They cited Dr. Mark Creager, director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Heart and Vascular Center in New Hampshire and past president of the American Heart Association. He was quoted: A broken heart really is an event where the heart ceases to function normally and is prone to heart rhythm abnormalities. That term is used to explain a very real phenomenon that does occur in patients who have been exposed to sudden emotional stress or extremely devastating circumstances. Known medically as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo syndrome, it can strike anyone, even those in good health with no previous heart problems. Broken heart syndrome is when a surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, cause arteries to seize, limiting blood flow to the heart. The experience and diagnosis is often confused with heart attack, Creager said. The AP reported that scientists dont know exactly why takotsubo syndrome primarily affects women, but they think it has something to do with the female stress response and the way womens brains and bodies process emotions. Q: Who donated the tree that was put up in the Nebraska Capitol rotunda for Christmas this year? A: The tree this year belonged to a man named Tim Steiner from Lincoln. This has always been done with a Nebraska resident donating the tree. The 24-foot-tall Blue Spruce was decorated with hundreds of lights and the ornaments represented each of Nebraskas 93 counties. Steiner said the tree had been growing in his yard. It is a great tree, Steiner told the Omaha World Herald. But it was getting a little bit too big where it was. Q: I read that handmade ornaments, with the names of every county in the state, are hung on the official Nebraska Christmas tree. Do you have any idea of what York Countys ornament looks like? A: Yes. The handmade ornament representing York County is a cloth angel. She has blondish curly hair, is wearing a blue ruffled skirt and blue wings with yellow stars. She is also holding yellow stars with letters that spell out YORK. The word believe is also embroidered on her, in blue thread. Some of the tree ornaments are from the 1980s, 1990s, or older. Then-Gov. Mike Johanns sent out a request for new ones in 2000, but many counties did not respond. Q: How far is it from the coast of California to Hawaii? How long would it take for a cruise ship? A: The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between California and Hawaii is 2,471 miles. If you travel on an airplane, from California to Hawaii, it takes 4.41 hours to arrive. Regarding a cruise ship, there are some lines that do these cruises. They schedule four to five full sea days between California and Hawaii one way. All the worlds a stage When veteran actor Bishnu Bhakta Phuyal suddenly collapsed on stage on Tuesday, many of the other artists and the plays producers thought that he was just improvising, like he had done so many times before. Behind the silver screen While watching a film, how often do we think about the crew that works behind the screen, working as hard as, if not harder than the actors who we see on screen? Broadcasters loyal to ruling parties field common picks Community radio broadcasters close to the ruling Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Madhesi Morcha have joined forces against the CPN-UML-affiliated members at the ongoing convention of the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters. Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice. Cuba signs first exports to US in half a century Cuba announced a landmark deal on Thursday to sell charcoal to a US company, the first legal Cuban export to the United States in five decades, as part of the fragile rapprochement between the former Cold War foes. LOS ANGELESAVN has received the following statement from Adult Performers Actors Guild Vice-President Alana Evans: "The Adult Performers Actors Guild (APAG) would like to address some disparaging issues regarding IEAUs Founder Phyllisha Anne. "The Board Members of the APAG have been made aware that Ms. Phyllisha Anne has violated the law by illegally recording (without permission) private in-person conversations, as well as telephone calls, with other Guild members, as well as IEAU members, industry agents, other associations members, and private parties. "Ms. Anne was warned about such cantankerous conduct and how it could reflect on the Union and the Guilds standing. In spite of the stern warnings from the APAG, Ms. Anne decided not only to continue the illegal recordings; with absolute contempt she has spurned the warnings and has boldly published some of those illegally recorded private conversations on various broadcasts. "Ms. Anne has also replied in various e-mails that she is not concerned about her (aforementioned) actions. "The Guild (APAG) thus, brought these actions to the attention of the President and Vice-President of the IEAU, to Ms. Anne herself, and to the IEAU Board; unfortunately, the IEAU Board has turned a blind eye to these illegal activities. The Guild (APAG) cannot and will not follow suit. We cannot be disdainful on such an important matter. "One of the Guilds primary purposes is to uphold the rights of performers, as well as the integrity of the Guild itself. "Therefore, due to the consistent unsupported actions of Ms. Phyllisha Anne, the Guild unanimously renounces any relationship with her. "Additionally, as a result of the IEAUs Boards inactivity, lack of attention and/or response, and its deep lack of willingness to take any steps to rectify the actions of Ms. Anne (on behalf of the IEAU), the Guild would also like to make it known that a separation from the IEAU has become imminent." For all additional inquiries regarding these matters, contact Ms. Alana Evans, APAG 1st Vice President, by email at [email protected]. DoC idles 29 TIA customs officials The Department of Customs (DoC) has idled as many as 29 officials of the airport customs, suspecting their involvement in abetting a man in sneaking out of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) with 33kg gold. 5 Causes of Nursing Home Resident Anxiety Unfortunately, for many reasons anxiety happens more often by long-term care residents than by those who live in By Zachary Fagenson FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Reuters) - Police in Alaska last year took a handgun from the man accused of killing five people at Fort Lauderdale's airport on Friday, but returned it to him last month after a medical evaluation found he was not mentally ill, authorities said. Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old Iraq war veteran, had a history of acting erratically and investigators are probing whether mental illness played a role in America's latest mass shooting. Marlin Ritzman, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Anchorage, told a news conference on Saturday that Santiago walked into the office in November and told agents his mind was being controlled by a U.S. intelligence agency. He was turned over to local police who took him to a medical facility for a mental evaluation. "Santiago was having terroristic thoughts and believed he was being influenced by ISIS (the Islamic State militant group,)" Anchorage Police Chief Chris Tolley told the news conference. A handgun that was taken from Santiago by police during the evaluation was returned to him early last month, Tolley told the news conference. The police chief said it was not clear if it was the same weapon used on Friday. Officials in Anchorage said the gun was returned because Santiago had not been adjudicated to be mentally ill. "As far as I know, this is not somebody that would have been prohibited (from having a gun) based on the information they had," U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler told the news conference. Investigators have not ruled out terrorism as a motive and say the suspect's recent travel is being reviewed. SIX SUFFERED GUNSHOT WOUNDS Five people were killed and six wounded in Friday's rampage, while some three dozen were taken to local hospitals with bruises or broken bones suffered in the chaos as passengers fled the crowded baggage claim area. Authorities say Santiago arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on a connecting flight from Alaska, and that he retrieved a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his checked luggage before loading it in a bathroom and then shooting indiscriminately. Story continues Witnesses said the gunman, who was wearing a blue "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, and that he surrendered to police only after running out of ammunition. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told a separate news conference it took the first deputy about 70 to 80 seconds to contact the suspect after the first shots rang out. Authorities say three of the six victims who suffered gunshot wounds are in intensive care. The others are in good condition. Those killed included a volunteer firefighter in his sixties and a retiree on holiday with her husband. Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon. A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year. An aunt said he came back from his deployment "a different person," MSNBC reported. The attack was the latest in a series of U.S. mass shootings, some inspired by Islamist militants, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed. Last June, Florida was the scene of the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at the gay nightclub "Pulse" in Orlando. (Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York, Alex Dobunzinskis in Los Angeles, and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Chris Reese and Chizu Nomiyama) FRIDAY, Jan. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Reduced blood flow in a part of the brain that's linked to speech may put people at risk for stuttering, a small study suggests. There are also signs that the lower the blood flow in regions of the brain tied to speech and language, the more severe the stuttering, the researchers added. "When other portions of the brain circuit related to speech were also affected according to our blood flow measurements, we saw more severe stuttering in both children and adults," said study first author Dr. Jay Desai. He is a clinical neurologist at Children's Hospital, Los Angeles. For the study, the investigators used MRI scans to look at the blood flow in the brains of 26 participants with stuttering and 36 participants without the speech disorder. The researchers found evidence among those who stuttered of reduced blood flow to the Broca's area of the brain, which sits in the frontal lobe. And the study authors linked more severe stuttering to higher levels of abnormal blood flow in a brain region that handles word processing. "The more severe the stuttering, the less blood flow to this part of the brain," Desai said in a hospital news release. The study could not prove cause and effect. But, the authors said they believe stuttering is tied to something going wrong in a neural brain "loop" that's devoted to language. The study was published online recently in the journal Human Brain Mapping. An estimated 3 million Americans stutter. It occurs most often between the ages of 2 and 6, but stuttering affects people of all ages. Most children outgrow it, but for 25 percent of those affected, stuttering becomes a lifelong disorder, according to the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. More information Visit the Stuttering Foundation for more about the disorder. According to a testimony shared on the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) website, a 4-year-old boy who fell from the balcony of a house, received his healing after using Prophet TB Joshua's 'morning water'. 4-year-old boy fell from the balcony The boy was said to have lost consciousness after falling on his face, he lost a lot of blood and even suffered injury to the brain. He was rushed to the hospital where two specialists argued about which form of treatment would be effective in saving his life. This was where they started praying and decided to use the morning water. PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest gossips on NAIJ Gossip App Sharing the testimony, someone from the boy's family said: "On August 25, 2016, a neighbours son pushed my four-year-old nephew from a balcony. The boy fell and hit his face on a concrete platform. Immediately, he became unconscious. My sister rushed to the scene and he was was taken to a hospital. By the time he arrived, he had lost a lot of blood. His life was in danger. He was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where nurses struggled to stabilise him. When I received the news, I sent a prayer request to The SCOAN. Scans revealed he had a fractured skull. The situation looked very bad. The oxygen level in the brain was low; there was a danger of brain death. But we kept praying and believing God. As a result of the bleeding in his brain, he could not breathe and had to be assisted by a machine. Four-year-old boy recovering after falling from balcony READ ALSO: Possessed teenager delivered at the Synagogue church in South Africa (photo/video) He was to be transferred to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, for specialised care. The doctor that was treating him consulted a neurosurgeon in the city on the way forward. But they could not agree on the step to take. One said there was a need to wait for the boys condition to stabilise; the other said the case required urgency and wanted an incision made in his trachea, to aid breathing. The neurosurgeon would not agree; he argued that the procedure would only worsen the boys suffering. We were frustrated by their differences. God, however, was working out things for good. Every morning, when the Man of God, Prophet T. B. Joshua, prays for viewers around the world, I would fetch the boys picture, sent to me by my sister, and place it on the TV screen as a point of contact. I would also sprinkle the Morning Water on his picture on my phone, as I prayed. READ ALSO: TB Joshua releases his prophetic message for 2017 His eyes were swollen shut. His face was deformed. But we continued to pray with the Prophet. And to the glory of God, my nephew stabilised! Three days after the incident, August 28, 2016, he was removed from ICU to HDU (High Dependency Unit), even while plans to transfer him to Nairobi for surgery were still ongoing. On September 3, nine days after the fall, he was discharged! Two days later, he was taken to the specialist for a check up. The doctor simply said, God saved him. He said that the boy wouldnt need any surgery and that the bones would heal as he grew. The God of Prophet T.B. Joshua set the boy free without surgery! Glory be to God!" Awesome! Source: Legit.ng Lancet Study: These findings firmly counter those of a Cochrane review of direct-acting antiviral treatment trials that could neither confirm nor reject if direct-acting antivirals had an effect on long-term HCV-related morbidity and mortality. They also provide the best evidence to date to support guidance documents that recommend direct-acting antiviral treatment for all patients with chronic HCV infection. Latest Update Feb 12, 2019A systematic review published by the Cochrane Collaboration suggested achieving SVR (cure) for patients using hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) doesn't correlate with any long term benefits. View each rebuttal and all ongoing media coverage. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Five litterbugs dumping trash in Bagmati booked, Rs20,000 fined Authorities have arrested five persons for throwing trashes into the Bagmati River at Til Ganga on Saturday. They have been fined Rs5,000 each for their untoward action, according to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Town Police. Fort Lauderdale airport shooting: Suspect in custody Police in Florida have questioned a suspected gunman after five people were killed and eight injured in a shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport. Four arrested for timber smuggling Authorities here on Saturday morning arrested four people on the charge of smuggling timber. Holi city Janakpur on the cusp of new era Janakpur, one of the major Nepali cities having significant religious and cultural essence, is in the cusp of a new era, as development works are moving ahead at a rapid pace with implementation of several infrastructure projects. I hope not. Ben is a friend and someone who I respect a ton. We just disagree here. I am 100% in favor of transparency in reporting. But, when we publish something that we have NO idea whether it is true or not, I think we get into very murky ground. The very act of publishing something gives it validation for many readers. And I don't think we should do that for something dealing in total unproven rumor regarding the president of the United States. India slaps anti-dumping duty on Nepali jute items India has imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from $6.30 to $351.72 per tonne on the import of jute and jute products from Nepal. Mauritania and Saudi Arabia have sealed a military agreement providing for intelligence and experience sharing and logistical support. The accord, signed Wednesday by Mauritanian Defense Minister Mamadou Bathia Diallo and Saudi deputy Defense Minister Mohammed ben Abdallah al-Ayech, marks the beginning of a greater and deeper cooperation between the two countries, al-Ayech told Mauritanian state-run news agency, AMI. The agreement provides for intelligence and experience sharing between the two allies, AMI reported, adding that besides logistical support, Mauritanian soldiers will receive training in the Saudi kingdom. Mauritania is member of the Saudi-led international coalition in Yemen battling the Houthi rebels reportedly supported by Iran. However, Nouakchott has not sent any boots yet but Diallo underlined Mauritanias readiness to take up the challenges and protect the sacred shrines of Islam in the Middle East country. The people of Mauritania greatly hail Saudi Arabias efforts to protect sacred places of Islam that all Muslims are proud of, Diallo added. Moroccan authorities Thursday demanded the closure of all Turkish schools sponsored by the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen accused by Ankara to be the mastermind of the July failed military coup against President Erdogan. Turkish authorities deem Gulen movement a terrorist group. Ankara believes that the movement utilizes schools to spread the ideology of the 75-year old man, settled in Pennsylvania. The Moroccan interior ministry issued a statement calling Gulen-sponsored schools in the kingdom to shut down. Investigations on schools of Mohamed al-Fatih, linked to Turkish Fethullah Gulen, have shown they utilize the education sector to spread the groups ideology and these ideas are against Moroccos education and religious principles, the statement said. As they failed to abide by warnings from the ministry of national education () in order to resolve the malfunctions noted, all schools connected of this group are called to shut down within one month. The ministry did not say how many schools are linked to Gulen. The students enrolled in these schools will be transferred to other public or private institutions to pursue their education, the ministry said. Ankara reportedly informed Rabat of the support and financial endorsement enjoyed by the Gulen movement in the kingdom. The decision to close the schools comes four months after a team of Turkish lawmakers visited Rabat to prove to Moroccan authorities the evil nature of the Gulen movement and its associated schools, Jeune Afrique reports. In August, seven schools connected to the movement in Morocco, including three in Casablanca, were accused of disseminating the ideology of the US-based cleric. The movement made of schools, companies, NGOs has been accused by President Erdogan of supporting the July 15 failed military coup in Ankara. President Erdogan called on the US to extradite the Turkish cleric for investigation. AMD recently released the preliminary details of its upcoming Vega GPU architecture, outlining its design and improvements. AMD plans to launch its latest high-end desktop graphics card range this year, and these cards will be based on the Vega GPU architecture. Current Radeon RX-series graphics cards are aimed at the mid-range performance market and do not compete with Nvidias high-end Pascal cards: the GeForce GTX 1080 or Titan X. The company has not revealed details of specific Vega cards, but it has outlined some big changes which could shake up the desktop GPU market. Architecture AMDs Vega graphics cards will be a departure from traditional GPU design, using new technology to provide solutions not yet offered by Nvidias desktop cards. It is important to note that the Vega architecture is aimed at high-end gamers and hardware enthusiasts and will have additional uses in professional and machine-intelligence fields. Memory While Nvidias high-end Pascal cards use enhanced GDDR5X VRAM, AMD has opted to use a new type of memory for its Vega cards: HBM2. HBM was used on several Fiji cards, although they were constrained to a maximum of 4GB due to the limitations of the first generation of the technology. With HBM2, graphics cards can sport up to 32GB of VRAM, while having a smaller PCB footprint than GDDR5. Another advantage of HBM2 is an increased bandwidth-per-pin, double that of the first iteration of HBM. This means that Vega graphics cards could have higher memory bandwidth in addition to larger amounts of VRAM. GCN vs NCU AMDs Polaris graphics cards used traditional GCN compute units, which Vega will forgo in favour of AMDs new NCU microarchitecture. This means the graphics cards will no longer be limited by traditional issues associated with GCN and will be built to handle any operation from gaming to professional workloads. It is unknown how these changes will affect performance, but Vegas deviation from traditional GPU design means it could have the potential to outperform Nvidias Pascal lineup. Radeon AMD said Vega graphics cards will launch under various Radeon brands, depending on their operation. The company will release Vega GPUs geared towards gaming, professional, and deep learning under the brands Radeon RX, Radeon Pro, and Radeon Instinct respectively. It is incredible to see GPUs being used to solve gigabyte-scale data problems in gaming to exabyte-scale data problems in machine intelligence, said AMD senior vice president Raja Koduri. We designed the Vega architecture to build on this ability, with the flexibility to address the extraordinary breadth of problems GPUs will be solving not only today, but also five years from now. Graphics cards based on the Vega architecture are expected to ship in the first half of 2017. YEREVAN. - The criminal case launched into the death of Gor Tumoyan, 21, in a garage on Yerevans Baghramyan Avenue on the night of 16 June 2015 has been suspended, the press-service of the Investigative Committee of Armenian informed Armenian News NEWS.am. According to the Investigative Committee, on 16 June 2015, No 1 Hospital informed them that the body of a young man with a lacerated wound on his face was brought to them. The young man was identified as Gor Tumoyan, 21. He had suffered the fatal injury as a result of the blast after his Nissan caught fire in the garage. Criminal case was launched under Articles 185 (1) and (2) (3) of the Criminal Code of Armenia. Various expert examinations were commissioned. According to the results, an open source of firea match, lighter, etc.caused the car to burn in the garage. Considering the fact that there were highly flammable matters in the car, the car caught fire and blasted. As per the expert examination, the point of origin was in the rear part of the car. However, the case was suspended, the possible criminal not having been identified. Earlier, the victims mother stated that she suspects her brother-in-law and his son of committing the crime. Girl with Armenian roots ends up in Vladimir orphanage Erdogan says he has agreed with Putin to supply grain to needy countries for free Armenia President, UK envoy agree to continue cooperation, close contacts Money withdrawn from Wildberries buyers cards in Russia under name of fraudulent purchases Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia Elton John to hold virtual concert in Roblox game Japan says North Korea may go ahead with nuclear test Armenia government to allocate about $5M to Karabakh refugees support program Belarusian border service: Border guards intercepts Ukrainian training drone President appoints Ruben Vardanyan as Karabakh Minister of State US embassy expresses concern about human rights violation in Azerbaijan Azerbaijan continues muscle play on Iran border Ibrahim Kalin says Turkey will become an important gas center one way or another Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra Concept Machine with external Leica lens: What image quality does it provide? UK woman eats only marmalade, oatmeal for one year Biden: We're gonna free Iran Reuters: G7 countries and Australia agrees on fixed price for Russian oil World oil prices dropping Wizz Air to launch new flights between Venice, Yerevan EU assesses Armenia, Azerbaijan border commissions meeting in Brussels as constructive Artsakh President convenes enlarged working consultation Envoy: China supports Armenians Azerbaijan MOD disseminates disinformation, Armenia army did not fire It will soon be possible to issue, sell NFTs on Instagram Cher, 76, sparks surprise romance rumors with music producer Alexander Edwards, 36 Quake jolts Turkey Haaland becomes worlds most expensive footballer Newspaper: Armenia PM once again manipulates topic of negotiations, Karabakh conflict Newspaper: Studies underway on Armenia MPs business involvement Europa League: Match results of the day Paris Masters: Khachanov loses to Djokovic US wants to prevent Germany, other allies from working together with China Protests turn violent in Iran's Alborz Province 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 Gerard Pique announces end of his career 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 iPhone 15 Pro may not have buttons: Is that good idea? Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense spreads another disinformation Nutritionist advises eating cottage cheese and lentils to lose weight Timo Werner will miss World Cup 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 Conference League: Pyunik's starting lineup named WP: Man who attacked Pelosi's husband was in the U.S. illegally New Netflix show reveals behind-the-scenes life of Dubai's billionaires At Upper Lars, 30 cars are allowed through per day instead of previous 300: What are authorities doing? Alashkert stronger than Shirak New wireless pacemaker does not cause pain 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 Cast of Princess Diana's hand to be sold for almost three million rubles 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 Waterproof, AMOLED screen, low price, battery lasting up to 14 days on a single charge: Huawei introduces new smartwatch Ararat-Armenia beat Van Former employees of Kanye West say rapper 'praised Hitler' at meetings 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 Palmeiras win Brazilian championship for 11th time US becomes 2nd largest gas supplier to EU Russian Defense Ministry reports release of 107 Russian servicemen from Ukrainian captivity Study: Sleep deprivation can cause blindness Puma to release collection of sneakers with Pokemon 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 Communities, surveys, video calls for 32 people: WhatsApp announces major update 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 Garnik Harutyunyan, the Armenian driver of the bus travelling from Moscow to Yerevan, does not wish to be extradited to Armenia to serve his 4.5-year sentence for the crash in Tula Oblast (province). His attorney, Ruben Kirakosyan, told the aforementioned to Armenian News NEWS.am. The decision in regard to Harutyunyan has not yet taken effect, since the attorneys have appealed the courts ruling. Nevertheless, the driver told his attorneys that he wishes to serve his sentence in Russia. The passenger bus, which was traveling from Moscow to Yerevan, had the accident on 3 November 2015, in the Uzlovsky District in Tula Oblast, Russia. There were over 60 passengers on the bus, all of them Armenian citizens. Consequently, 9 people died and 46 sustained injuries. 32 people were hospitalized. A criminal case was opened against the driver under the article of ''violation of traffic rules, negligently resulting in the deaths of two or more persons,'' which stipulates until seven years in prison. Custody was chosen as a preventive measure against the driver. An analogous criminal case was launched in Armenia. YEREVAN. - 60,000 people left Armenia in 2016, this figure being higher than the indexes for last year. Secretary of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) parliamentary faction, Aram Manukyan, told the aforementioned to Armenian News NEWS.am. According to him, those 60,000 people, who left Armenia, are the greatest loss of the year 2016. ''The April 2 events also became a painful page, from which the authorities unfortunately learnt no lessons. As to the seizure of the Armenian police station, it turned into the scream of a powerless man and a wave of dissatisfaction. Although this was an unreasonable step, it anyway turned into a wave of national protest. In 2016, new Government was also formed, which first engendered 'sprouts' of hope but also disappointed very quickly. This very Government introduced an absolutely unpromising budget. This is the worst budget for the last 25 years. Neither the pensions nor the salaries were increased,'' the opposition MP said. In his words, this was a year of regress in terms of economy. ''The Government-reformer increased our debt by another 180 million AMD. During the year, the state debt of Armenia per capita grew from $1800 to $2100,'' Manukyan said. Referring to the positive steps in the year 2016, he noted the adoption of the new Electoral Code, which came to include several promising provisions as a result of the struggle between the parliamentary and non-parliamentary forces, as well as civil society. ''Publishing of the voter lists and installment of cameras are promising steps. They give some hope for recording certain positive progress during the upcoming elections,'' the Secretary concluded. The civil peacekeeping was in a passive state prior to the April events. Political analyst Masis Mailyan (upon the decree of the Nagorno-KAtabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) President he has been appointed Ambassador-at-Large, and conferred with the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the NKR) writes the aforementioned in a long analytical article published in the journal Analiticon. In his words, the main driving force of the peacekeeping projects in the regionthe EPNK consortiumceased its activity in May 2015, planning to start new projects by fall 2016. April brought with itself certain restrictions on holding discussions with the participation of a large scope of experts and civil society activists from three conflicting countries, although two expert meetings on strategic planning were organized, Mayilyan noted. According to him, the April war served as a test for the public figures of Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have been dealing with civil peacekeeping in the framework of different international projects for many years. A unique screening of peacekeepers took place. Most of the officials preferred not making statements in favor of peace, while a certain part activated only after oral agreements on ceasefire had been reached. There were also those who were for the continuation of the broken out war and who began to publicly withdraw from the honorable and responsible mission of a peacekeeper. Only a small number of public figures consistently continue fulfilling their functions, the analyst writes. According to him, the resources spent by the international donors on the Karabakh conflict settlement didnt overall yield the expected results. The analytic also notes that in the article Approaching prospect for peace: 20 years of civil peacekeeping in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict published in International Alert by authors from Karabakh, includes recommendations, which stress the need for coordinating all the peacekeeping initiatives and efforts, creating a network of peacekeeping organizations and forming the collective responsibility of the peacekeeping project participants for the fate of the peacekeeping process. ''The dispersion of peacekeeping projects is one of the reasons of the insufficient effectiveness of peacekeeping in general,'' the article reads. YEREVAN. - Iran has serious future ambitions in our region, which stem from Armenia's interests, but Armenia undermines them serving Moscow's interests, economist Ashot Yeghiazaryan told Armenian News NEWS.am. ''What does Russia have to do here? There are Armenia-Iran power transmission lines, a new one being built. The Armenia-Georgia transmission lines are also in place. It is natural that the neighboring states are linked by power transmission lines. Power is the sphere which implies linking of the power networks of neighboring countries. Why should the factor of Russia be necessarily mentioned? This is due to the fact that Armenia is actually conducting the policy of Moscow. The policy of Armenia can at best be considered as residual: whatever doesn't suppose a ban from Russia can enable development of relations but such relations do not actually exist,'' he said. According to him, the visit of Iranian President Rouhani didn't cause positive advancement in the Armenian-Iranian relations, Armenia's membership to the EAEU harming the relations between the countries. ''I think there has been no turning point in the Armenian-Iranian relations. Moreover, before Armenia became an EAEU member or before lifting the sanctions against Iran, the Armenian-Iranian relations were more promising at the level of statements than now. Currently, they are restricted to educational, cultural, humanitarian and at best tourism spheres of cooperation. There has been no significant progress in terms of regional economic projects,'' he said. In Yeghiazaryan's words, the statements regarding the creation of another free trade zone in Syunik don't suppose real actions and will stay at the level of talks. ''These are abstract ideas, like other abstract projects, which have appeared recently, one of which was the project of enabling Armenia to reach Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries via Iran. If the free trade zone is realistic, let it be created now, why in a year?'' The Armenia-Iran railroad also remains at the level of talks, since the concessions of the Armenian railroads belong to the Russian railroads, the economist noted, adding that in order to raise interest to the transportation corridor, the Russian side should be deprived of concession. ''They should be deprived of concession. In that case, stakeholders will emerge, who will make relevant investments. Why is a port with 100 million ton capacity currently being built in Georgia by the US investments? This is not done without reason. It is apparently designed for Iranian cargo to be sent to Europe and European cargo directed to Iran and the Near East. We are told it is within our national interests to get involved in that transportation corridor but we fail to do this,'' the economist said. He added that if Iran wants to pave a way to EU or US, it will do so via Georgia. Nepal expects fillip from tourism promo in China Nepal expects to grab a larger share of the Chinese outbound travel market as China has announced Nepal Tourism Promotion Year 2017 in a bid to encourage its citizens to visit the Himalayan republic, the Nepal Embassy in Beijing said. YEREVAN. - Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan has sent a congratulatory letter to his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on the occasion of Christmas. The letter reads as follows: ''Dear Dmitry Anatolyevich, I warmly congratulate you on Christmas, wishing success and prosperity to you and the friendly Russian people. Our peoples are linked not only by traditionally built ally and strategic relations but [also] by simple and sincere human ties. I am sure that our joint efforts, which are aimed at the further deepening of the economies of Armenia and Russia, will yield tangible results, giving new impetus to our cooperation.'' In this artist's conception, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has a bird's-eye view of the solar system. The circles represent the orbits of the major outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 visited the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The spacecraft is now 13 billion miles from Earth, making it the farthest and fastest-moving human-made object ever built. In fact, Voyager 1 is now zooming through interstellar space, the region between the stars that is filled with gas, dust, and material recycled from dying stars. Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) NASA's two Voyager spacecraft are hurtling through unexplored territory on their road trip beyond our solar system. Along the way, they are measuring the interstellar medium, the mysterious environment between stars. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is providing the road map - by measuring the material along the probes' future trajectories. Even after the Voyagers run out of electrical power and are unable to send back new data, which may happen in about a decade, astronomers can use Hubble observations to characterize the environment of through which these silent ambassadors will glide. A preliminary analysis of the Hubble observations reveals a rich, complex interstellar ecology, containing multiple clouds of hydrogen laced with other elements. Hubble data, combined with the Voyagers, have also provided new insights into how our sun travels through interstellar space. "This is a great opportunity to compare data from in situ measurements of the space environment by the Voyager spacecraft and telescopic measurements by Hubble," said study leader Seth Redfield of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. "The Voyagers are sampling tiny regions as they plow through space at roughly 38,000 miles per hour. But we have no idea if these small areas are typical or rare. The Hubble observations give us a broader view because the telescope is looking along a longer and wider path. So Hubble gives context to what each Voyager is passing through." The astronomers hope that the Hubble observations will help them characterize the physical properties of the local interstellar medium. "Ideally, synthesizing these insights with in situ measurements from Voyager would provide an unprecedented overview of the local interstellar environment," said Hubble team member Julia Zachary of Wesleyan University. The team's results will be presented Jan. 6 at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. NASA launched the twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft in 1977. Both explored the outer planets Jupiter and Saturn. Voyager 2 went on to visit Uranus and Neptune. The pioneering Voyager spacecraft are currently exploring the outermost edge of the sun's domain . Voyager 1 is now zooming through interstellar space, the region between the stars that is filled with gas, dust, and material recycled from dying stars. In this illustration oriented along the ecliptic plane, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope looks along the paths of NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft as they journey through the solar system and into interstellar space. Hubble is gazing at two sight lines (the twin cone-shaped features) along each spacecraft's path. The telescope's goal is to help astronomers map interstellar structure along each spacecraft's star-bound route. Each sight line stretches several light-years to nearby stars. Credit: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI) Voyager 1 is 13 billion miles from Earth, making it the farthest human-made object ever built. In about 40,000 years, after the spacecraft will no longer be operational and will not be able to gather new data, it will pass within 1.6 light-years of the star Gliese 445, in the constellation Camelopardalis. Its twin, Voyager 2, is 10.5 billion miles from Earth, and will pass 1.7 light-years from the star Ross 248 in about 40,000 years. For the next 10 years, the Voyagers will be making measurements of interstellar material, magnetic fields and cosmic rays along their trajectories. Hubble complements the Voyagers' observations by gazing at two sight lines along each spacecraft's path to map interstellar structure along their star-boundroutes. Each sight line stretched several light-years to nearby stars. Sampling the light from those stars, Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph measures how interstellar material absorbs some of the starlight, leaving telltale spectral fingerprints. Hubble found that Voyager 2 will move out of the interstellar cloud that surrounds the solar system in a couple thousand years. The astronomers, based on Hubble data, predict that the spacecraft will spend 90,000 years in a second cloud and pass into a third interstellar cloud. An inventory of the clouds' composition reveals slight variations in the abundances of the chemical elements contained in the structures. "These variations could mean the clouds formed in different ways, or from different areas, and then came together," Redfield said. An initial look at the Hubble data also suggests that the sun is passing through clumpier material in nearby space, which may affect the heliosphere, the large bubble containing our solar system that is produced by our sun's powerful solar wind. At its boundary, called the heliopause, the solar wind pushes outward against the interstellar medium. Hubble and Voyager 1 made measurements of the interstellar environment beyond this boundary, where the wind comes from stars other than our sun. "I'm really intrigued by the interaction between stars and the interstellar environment," Redfield said. "These kinds of interactions are happening around most stars, and it is a dynamic process." The heliosphere is compressed when the sun moves through dense material, but it expands back out when the star passes through low-density matter. This expansion and contraction is caused by the interaction between the outward pressure of the stellar wind, composed of a stream of charged particles, and the pressure of the interstellar material surrounding a star. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C. The Voyagers were built by JPL, which continues to operate both spacecraft. JPL is a division of Caltech. Singapore is the third leading financial centre of the world after London and New York, as per the Global Financial Centres Index. Singapore is known for its low tax rates, minimum bureaucracy, flexible immigration laws, skilled human resources, and of course, an extremely strategic location in the region. It makes a lot of commercial sense to consider Singapore for incorporating a new company. But first, it is important to understand the rules involved. 1. Any individual (foreign or local) above 18 years of age can get a company incorporated in Singapore. 2. The name of the company to be incorporated in Singapore must be approved prior to incorporation. This approval must be from the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority, Singapore (ACRA). All you have to do is fill in the required application form and pay a fee of S$15. It normally takes about an hour for the naming approval process to be completed. The necessary checks are done to ensure that the proposed name is neither identical nor too similar to any pre-existing entitys name, does not violate any trademarks, is not obscene and is not already reserved by someone else. Upon getting the green light, this approval remains valid for 60 days before incorporation. 3. It is mandatory that there is at least one Singaporean or Singapore permanent resident as a director in the companys Board of Directors. None of the directors must have ever been bankrupt or convicted. Even a non-shareholder can be a director. 4. A privately limited company incorporated in Singapore must have a minimum of one shareholder and a maximum of 50. 100% foreign or local shareholding is allowed. 5. Within six months of incorporation, it is mandatory that the company appoints a qualified Company Secretary who is a Singapore resident. In the event that the company has only one shareholder/sole director he/she cannot be appointed as Company Secretary. Story continues 6. The minimum share capital required is S$1. There is no maximum limit imposed shares can be issued or transferred any time after incorporation. 7. The company must have a Singapore address as its registered office address. However, it must NOT be a Post Office Box Number. 8. Singapore law forbids a foreign person or company to carry out the incorporation process; only a Singapore-based professional firm is allowed to do it. 9. There is no need for a Special Singapore Visa to incorporate or run the company in Singapore. In fact, you can even operate it from outside Singapore and visit the company any time on a visitor visa. 10. If you decide to stay in Singapore on a permanent basis, then there is a need to obtain a work permit or employment pass. 11. In the absence of the people who are incorporating the company, all paperwork formalities can be completed by the professional firm that has been hired. Even the opening of a corporate bank account is possible without the need for you to be physically present. Source: PIxabay 12. ACRA would require the following information for incorporation: Approved Name of the Company Brief Description of Business Activities & Copy of Companys Memorandum and Articles of Association Particulars of Directors and Shareholders Registered Address Company Secretary Particulars Foreigners to Singapore must also enclose a copy of passport, permanent overseas residential address proof, and other Know-Your-Client information. Singaporean or permanent resident to submit a copy of his/her Singapore identity card. If a shareholder happens to be a company, then a copy of its incorporation certificate and constitution is also to be submitted. In the event that an educational institute is to be set up, prior approval of the Ministry of Education is also required. 13. After completion of statutory formalities and payment of registration charges of S$300, it normally takes one business day for ACRA to issue the Incorporation Certificate. The Incorporation Certificate is issued through email to the given email address. And for a hard copy of the Incorporation Certificate, a fee of S$50 must be paid. The Government of Singapore has created an organized structure for incorporating a company. It has ensured that entrepreneurs have a hassle-free experience. This is why the tiny island nation is a favorite of businesses and investors across the globe. (By Heena Dhir) Related Articles - New Zealand overtakes Singapore as easiest place to do business - Managing cash flow for your business - Setting up a business in Singapore No justice, no peace The mandate of transitional justice commissions, formed two years ago to investigate incidents from the insurgency, expires on February 10. When considering how to allocate the funds in your investment portfolio you will typically want to place some of your portfolio into relatively mature blue chip stocks. Typically these established companies will deliver steady results and will deliver less of the boom or bust returns that can be seen in newer and less mature companies. Below are the top 10 companies listed on the SGX by market capitalisation (market cap), as of 31 December 2016, representing some of the blue chip investment options that exist. Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGX:Z74) Source: Singtel Market cap: S$59bil Commonly referred to as Singtel, this Singapore-based telecommunications company actually operates in 25 countries and has over 600 million subscribers to their mobile and fixed line phone services worldwide. The company is not only the dominant telephone network provider in Singapore but also has a significant presence in both India and Australia. DBS Group Holdings Ltd. (SGX:D05) Source: DBS Market cap: S$44bil Previously known as The Development Bank of Singapore and established by the Government of Singapore, DBS is now the largest bank in South East Asia with a dominant market position in not only Singapore but Hong Kong as well. With credit ratings among the highest of banks in Asia, it is one of the safest banks to place funds with in the 17 markets it operates in. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. (SGX:039) Source: OCBC Market cap: S$37bil Unsurprisingly, OCBC is another bank on the list. OCBC is the oldest established bank in the Singapore market, having opened for business in 1932 and still being run by the son of the original founder. Considered another safe bank within the broader Asian banking industry, they have established their position as a lower risk safe investment house. United Overseas Bank Ltd. (SGX:U11) Source: UOB Market cap: S$33bil Story continues Opening just three years after OCBC this bank is another long established Singaporean based bank with an extensive presence in the South East Asian market. With 68 branches in Singapore and 500 more in the rest of the region they have a broad foot print in 19 countries. They are also keeping themselves relevant by being involved with fintech startups in partnership with The FinLab. Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SGX:C6L) Source: Star Alliance Market cap: S$14bil The flag airline carrier of Singapore is one of the top ranked airlines in the world in terms of revenues, capitalisation and international passengers carried. Aside from the core brand the company also has investments in 27 joint ventures in the industry, including low cost carriers Tigerair, Scoot, and SilkAir. The company also invests outside of passenger airline travel, with development ventures with Boeing and Rolls-Royce, as well as a freight fleet. CapitaLand Ltd. (SGX:C31) Source: Capitaland Market cap: S$13bil One of Asias largest real estate companies CapitaLand Ltd. was formed in 2000 as a merger between DBS Land (see DBS Group above) and Pidemco Land. With investments in Singapore and China being their core focus they also have projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The company is fairly broad in their real estate focus with extensive residential and commercial portfolios. Global Logistic Properties Ltd. (SGX:MC0) Source: Global Logistic Properties Market cap: S$11bil A leading provider of logistics facilities not only in Singapore but also in China, Japan and Brazil, this established company has a wide global presence. With over 2500 properties completed in 113 cities, they have built significant infrastructure on which global trade and manufacturing is based. In addition to constructing and designing properties, they also maintain a significant asset base of facilities they manage and rent to customers. Keppel Corporation Limited (SGX:BN4) Source: Keppel Corporation Limited Market cap: S$11bil This Singapore based company specializes in marine construction as well as the development and management of marine properties and infrastructure. Founded in 1968 initially as a shipyard, the company later moved into the local property market and later into banking and financial services as well. Keppel Corporation is a fairly broad holding to invest in with exposure to multiple investment sectors. Diversification of sectors is something good to have in your investment portfolio. Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (SGX:S63) Source: Singapore Technologies Engineering Market cap: S$10bil ST Engineering is an engineering group that provides services to a broad range of sectors, from aerospace to land systems and electronics. The company is one of the largest defence and engineering groups in Asia with more than 23,000 employees spread across 24 countries. Great Eastern Holding Limited (SGX:G07) Source: Great Eastern Market cap: S$10bil Great Eastern is the oldest insurance company in Asia, having been founded in Singapore in 1908. While the company is focused in Singapore and Malaysia, where it is the largest insurer in those markets, it has operations throughout South East Asia and offices in 15 countries. The company has also focused on expanding in to the Chinese market with a joint venture established with Chongqing Land Properties Group. In terms of assets and market capitalization Great Eastern is the largest listed insurance company in Asia. (By Jeffrey Glen) Related Articles - Delisting Woes on SGX is there a silver lining? - Part 2: Investing in Singapore equities comparing the SGX to other regional exchanges - Investing in Singapore equities: comparing the SGX to other global exchanges AFP News Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was recovering in hospital Friday after a gunman shot him in the leg, with his supporters vowing the assassination attempt will not derail his "long march" bid to return to power. The attack on his convoy, apparently by a lone gunman, killed one man and wounded at least 10, significantly raising the stakes in a political crisis that has gripped the South Asian nation since Khan's ousting in April. Khan "was stable and he was doing fine" at Shaukat Khanum hospital in the eastern city of Lahore, his doctor Faisal Sultan told AFP Friday. Seemi Bokhari, a lawmaker with Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said after visiting Khan the former premier was in high spirits. "The doctors are allowing him to move ... He is feeling perfectly well and he will soon be discharged," she told AFP. The 70-year-old former international cricket star had been leading a campaign convoy of thousands since last week from Lahore to the capital Islamabad when he was attacked. Khan suffered at least one bullet wound to his right leg when a gunmen sprayed pistol fire at his modified container truck as it drove slowly through a thick crowd in Wazirabad, around 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Islamabad. "Everyone who was standing in the very front row got hit," former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, who was standing behind Khan, told AFP. Senior aide Raoof Hasan said it was "an attempt to kill him, to assassinate him". Chaudhry said party officials would meet later Friday to discuss the immediate fate of Khan's campaign march. "The real freedom long march will continue and the movement for people's rights will remain until an announcement on the general elections," he tweeted. - Threats - Party officials also called for supporters to stage rallies and marches across the country after Friday afternoon prayers, the most important of the week. Protesters lit fires and blocked roads in several cities late Thursday as news of Khan's shooting spread. His campaign truck has become a crime scene for now, cordoned off and guarded by commandos as forensic experts comb the area. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Thursday the attacker had been taken into custody. Officials shared an apparent confession video that was circulating online. "I did it because (Khan) was misleading the public," says a dishevelled man in the leaked video, shown with his hands tied behind his back in what appears to be a police station. He says he was angry with the procession for making a racket during the call to prayer that summons Muslims to the mosque five times a day. Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister of Punjab, said officers who leaked the video would be disciplined. Pakistan has been grappling with Islamist militancy for decades, with right-wing religious groups having huge sway over the population. It has been no stranger to assassination attempts during decades of political instability, and the powerful military has led the country several times. Pakistan's first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was shot dead at a rally in Rawalpindi in 1951. Another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was killed in 2007 when a huge bomb detonated near her vehicle as she greeted supporters in the city of Rawalpindi. - Kicked from power - Khan was booted from office in April by a no-confidence vote after defections by some of his coalition partners, but he retains huge support. He was voted into power in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform by an electorate tired of dynastic politics, but his mishandling of the economy -- and falling out with a military accused of helping his rise -- sealed his fate. Since then, he has railed against the establishment and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, which he says was imposed on Pakistan by a "conspiracy" involving the United States. Khan and Shehbaz have for months traded bitter accusations of corruption and incompetence, raising the political temperature in a nation that is frequently at boiling point. Khan has repeatedly told supporters he was prepared to die for the country, and aides have long warned of unspecified threats made on his life. The attack drew international condemnation including from the United States, which had uneasy relations with Khan when he was in power. "Violence has no place in politics, and we call on all parties to refrain from violence, harassment and intimidation," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. sjd/fox/ecl/pbt/dhc Youve looked at your options for financing your new business and youve decided that your best bet is to find an angel investor an individual who invests his or her own money in your company. Now you have to find one. How do you do that? If you are looking for an accredited angel investor a person whose income or net worth exceeds thresholds that lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to view them as financially sophisticated and therefore exempt from certain disclosure requirements and other forms of government protection you have three choices of where to go: Angel groups Online platforms Individuals The process of finding each of these is different. How To Find An Angel Investor Finding an Angel Group Angel groups are organizations of individual investors who have invest together. According to the Angel Capital Association (ACA),the industry trade association, there are nearly 250 angel groups in the United States. Some of these are set up as funds and others as more loosely structured networks, but because they are organized groups, most of them have websites and a mechanism to submit funding requests to them. In fact, the ACA conveniently provides a directory that lists most U.S.-based angel groups on their website. Finding an Online Platform Online platforms are websites that provide information on businesses seeking funding. Angel investors use these portals identify businesses in which they would like to invest. Some of these platforms focus exclusively on accredited investors, while others will begin to allow non-accredited investors invest, beginning in late May when the SECs rules for non-accredited investor crowdfunding go into effect. In addition, some of these platforms are curated, and select only a small fraction of submissions for posting, while others are open and merely make the information about startups seeking financing available to potential investors. The ACA lists many of the platforms focused on accredited investors on their website. Some other online sources identify a variety of crowdfunding platforms, including non-accredited investor equity crowdfunding sites. Finding Individual Angels Most accredited angel investors are not part of an angel group or online platform. The ACA reports that the membership in angel groups is approximately 13,000 people, while SeedInvest, one of the larger accredited investor platforms, and one that I have invested through, reports roughly 17,000 investors. By contrast, the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire indicates that there were just under 150,000 active angel investors in the United States in the middle of 2015. Identifying appropriate individual angel investors is much more difficult than finding online platforms or angel groups. One strategy is to conduct an online search. AngelList is a website that matches investors and entrepreneurs and includes about 25,000 investors. Moreover, a search of the term angel investor on LinkedIn brought up just over 30,000 profiles at the time I was writing this column. Examining profiles on these two sites can help find entrepreneurs to identify and find an angel investor. Once entrepreneurs know which investors they want to reach, they can network to get a warm introduction to the financiers. A couple of my portfolio companies have used this approach to find me. Another strategy is to approach people you know who have connections to angels in your community. Promising targets are lawyers and accountants that do a lot of work with young companies, venture capitalists and angel investors, and directors of accelerators and incubators in your area. All of these people should know the angel investors in your area. The small business community online shared everything important websites to technical and motivational advice this week. The goal was to provide more resources and knowledge to help grow your small business during the early days of 2017. See a collection of these resources and other information below and leave a comment to share what has worked for you. Follow These Top 100 Small Business Blogs If you want to build a successful business, you need to be able to access the best information. Small business blogs, like the ones included on this list from Anuj Agarwal of Feedspot, can be a great resource. And Small Business Trends was honored to be included. Learn How Highly Specialized CRMs Are Transforming the Way Small Businesses Work CRM is an essential tool for growing businesses in 2017. And highly specialized systems are having an even bigger impact on small businesses than ever before. This post by Seth Prince on Smallbiztechnology.com details more on the impact of CRM on small businesses. Ignite Your Business With These New Years Resolutions The start of a new year means its a perfect time for businesses to reflect and choose a new direction going forward. The new years resolutions listed in this CorpNet post by Eric Greenspan could help you ignite your business in the new year. Or Resolve to Stop Making New Years Resolutions Entirely New years resolutions might work well for some business owners. But for others, making changes at other points of the year can make a lot more sense. This Strella Social Media post by Rachel Strella dives deeper into this concept. And the BizSugar community discusses as well. Build Your Blog and Add Automation If you plan on using a blog as part of your content strategy in the new year, then you need the right tools to properly grow your blog. And that often means adding some kind of automation to save time. This Basic Blog Tips post by Deborah Anderson features some further insights on the topic. Learn From This Blogging Case Study You can also learn quite a bit about using blogging effectively by looking at case studies, like this one by Kevin Muldoon on the Web Hosting Secrets Revealed blog. See more commentary on the post over on BizSugar. Increase Employee Activities With These Tips Creating activities for your employees can be a great way to improve your work environment and even make your team more effective in the long run. For more on how to increase employee activities, check out the tips in this SMB CEO post by Ivan Widjaya. Use These Technologies for eCommerce Marketers If you want to improve your eCommerce marketing going forward, then there are plenty of different tech tools you can use to make your life easier. This Search Engine Journal post by Kunjal Panchal includes some technologies that can benefit eCommerce marketers in the new year. Jump Start Your Social Ads in 2017 Social media advertising is becoming increasingly relevant for businesses that want to attract online consumers. But there are some methods you can use to make those social ads even more effective in the new year, like the ones in this Marketing Land post by Brad OBrien. Increase Your Street Smarts in Business Street smarts can be a helpful and sometimes even necessary tool for business owners. In this post on the Startup Professionals Musings blog, Martin Zwilling includes a nine step approach to increasing your street smarts in business. And BizSugar members share thoughts on the post too. If youd like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com. Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now... Oppn parties take to the streets Nine opposition parties led by the CPN-UML on Friday took to the streets, literally, as they took out a rally and organised a mass meeting in the middle of the road in the Capital to protest against the government move of registering a constitution amendment bill, which they say is against national interest and endangers national integrity and nationalism. This site focuses on Republican politicians and conservatives that rip off their constituency. We have the Tea Party, fundamentalist churches, the corruption of ALEC and other special interests groups. But the site also supports progressive Democrats and the local Democratic Socialist of America. We must have ideas on how to replace regressive and corrupt politicians with something better. For comments steveotto2001@yahoo.com or ottozero2001@yahoo.com. By Michele Kambas ATHENS (Reuters) - It is a dispute that has brought NATO partners Greece and Turkey to the brink of war and confounded generations of diplomats; but Geneva negotiations next week offer the best chance in decades of reuniting the ethnically divided island of Cyprus. On the face of it, the omens are indeed good. Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are both moderates on an island where emotions are still raw after past intercommunal violence. Discovery of offshore gas fields and a need to secure revenues also should give impetus. Many Cyprus experts jaded by disappointments over half a century are sceptical, if open to being surprised. Even if a settlement hove into view, the tight deadline is unrealistic. "Anything can happen," said political analyst Hubert Faustman. "They hope to make progress on as many issues as possible but there may be a need for other meetings because they have left so many outstanding issues till the last moment. "I dont see them spectacularly failing, that is a possibility, but unlikely, because nobody wants to lose the blame game," he told Reuters. If all goes according to plan, the talks will culminate in an exchange of maps on Jan. 11 defining future boundaries in a united federal system comprised of two states. 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. But that would leave negotiators still far from a settlement for an east Miditerranean island split into separate zones since Turkish troops invaded in 1974 in response to a short-lived coup by Greek Cupriot militants seeking union with Greece. Resolving the status of those security 'guarantees' is a central issue and a source of long-standing mutual mistrust. "I am not sure the sides will be ready to make the compromises this time in Geneva," Ahmet Sozen, a Turkish Cypriot academic who has researched extensively on the subject, told Reuters. "I truly hope so, but the signs we are getting so far are not very encouraging. But I dont know, especially at such conferences where there is high level participation.. things can change." Under a 1960 treaty, Britain, Turkey and Greece can intervene in Cyprus in the event of a breakdown of constitutional order. Publicly, the views of the two sides are diametrically opposed. Fearful of a repeat of the 1974 Turkish invasion, the Greek Cypriots see such guarantees as undesirable. Turkish Cypriots, who withdrew into scattered enclaves in the violence of the 1960s and were targeted by Greek Cypriot nationalists, say they need a system of protection. LAST CHANCE? About 30,000 Turkish troops are stationed in breakaway northern Cyprus, a Turkish Cypriot state backed financially and politically by Turkey, the only country to recognise it. The south is run by a government which represents the whole island in the European Union. "Cyprus is one of the few areas to offer tremendous hope in 2017, said Espen Barth Eide, a UN envoy facilitating the process. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavuslogu was equally upbeat. "I am more optimistic than ever...It is not easy but we are determined about reaching a solution," he was quoted as telling Anatolian news agency. Should the sides come up with a peace blueprint, several more weeks would be required to write a constitution that will among other things set out the powers of the two federal states. But like everything in the Cyprus conundrum, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. A previous peace bid collapsed in 2004, when Turkish Cypriots accepted but Greek Cypriots rejected a blueprint. "We are heading to the end-game, but we are not there yet, said a senior EU official. (Additional reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Francesco Guarascio; editing by Ralph Boulton) By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said on Friday his country had retaliated against neighboring Serbia and would do so again after an ex-prime minister was arrested in France on a warrant issued by Belgrade. The arrest on Wednesday of Ramush Haradinaj, a guerrilla commander in the 1998-99 war against Serbian rule who served briefly as prime minister in 2004 and 2005, has heightened tensions between the Balkan neighbors. Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008. Both states want to join the European Union membership but Brussels says they must normalize relations before their applications can go ahead. Kosovo opposition parties have called for their EU-mediated dialogue to be halted. "Yesterday we took reciprocal measures with Nikolic (and) we will do that again in the future," Hoxhaj told reporters in Pristina. "There has to be a revision of our relations with Serbia and a revision of the dialogue." Also on Friday, ethnic Albanian protesters in the western town of Gjakova - mostly families of those killed by Serb forces during the 1998-99 conflict - stoned a bus that was carrying ethnic Serb pilgrims marking Orthodox Christmas Eve. Hoxhaj said Serbia had issued more international arrest warrants for Kosovo citizens, limiting their travel abroad. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and together with its ally Russia is blocking Pristina's efforts to join the United Nations and other international institutions. Haradinaj, who appeared before a French court on Thursday, will remain in prison until Serbia makes a formal extradition order, which will then be examined by the court. Serbia has charged Haradinaj with murdering Serbs in the late 1990s war. That conflict ended after NATO bombed Serbia for 11 weeks to compel it to withdraw forces that had killed some 10,000 members of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority in counter-insurgency operations. Thousands of Haradinaj's party supporters gathered in front of the French embassy in Pristina on Friday holding US and Albanian flags under heavy snow. "Do not offend Kosovo" one banner read. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Ivana Sekularac and Tom Heneghan) Opposition rally throws city traffic out of gear Traffic in core areas of the Capital city was thrown out of gear throughout the day on Friday due to a rally and mass meeting organised by the opposition front led by the CPN-UML. Jeremy Corbyn is demanding Prime Minister Theresa May comes to the Commons on Monday to set out how she plans to "fix her failure on the NHS". It comes after the head of the British Red Cross claimed the National Health Service was facing a "humanitarian crisis" due to Government cuts. Mike Adamson told Sky News he was "not trying to embarrass anyone" but hospitals are "feeling the pressure" amid "increasingly chaotic situations". The chief executive said the phrase "humanitarian crisis" was justified because those the charity had spoken to feel like they are in crisis as they are not able to get the assistance they need. Mr Adamson said: "We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much-needed beds." Labour leader Mr Corbyn said "this is a national scandal" and the NHS "crisis" was "unprecedented". He went on: "People are lying on trolleys in corridors waiting to be seen. Hospitals have had to close their doors, unable to admit patients. "The health service is at breaking point. But this crisis is not due to an outbreak of disease. It is a crisis made in Downing Street by this government - a crisis we warned them about." :: Should NHS be likened to war zones and famines? Hundreds of thousands who used to get assistance from social care are no longer doing so because of billions of pounds of cuts, according to Mr Adamson. He claimed the charity was helping people leaving hospital who do not have friends and family for assistance, to get back on their feet. He said his Red Cross volunteers were working with more than 100 hospitals across the country and were "picking up some of the slack". They have already helped staff at the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) across Nottingham, Leicester, Kettering, Northampton and Lincoln. Sky's Frazer Maude said about a third of NHS trusts in England and Wales are on black alert, meaning they are encouraging anyone who needs A&E treatment to try and find help elsewhere. Story continues Meanwhile, he said, EMAS has for the first time had to implement a level four 'capacity management plan', which is what prompted it to call on partners like the Red Cross to help transfer patients. Professor Keith Willett, director for acute care at NHS England, praised the Red Cross' "great service at home" and its ambulance work but said the "humanitarian crisis" claim was an "overstatement". A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Winter is always a very busy time for the NHS, and so to support staff working hard on the frontline we have put in place comprehensive plans earlier than ever, supported by an extra 400m of funding to help the service cope with additional demand." It comes as new figures show that between 1 December and 1 January, there were 143 A&E diverts across England - a 63% rise on the 88 recorded for 1 December to 3 January the previous year. Diverts occur when an A&E department cannot cope with any more patients so people are sent to a different A&E. Data from the Nuffield Trust shows that a third of England's 150 hospitals trusts warned last month that they needed urgent action to cope. Seven of those admitted they were unable to provide comprehensive care. Worcestershire Royal Hospital is investigating three deaths, two of them in A&E, within the space of four days in the last week. :: The Prime Minister will give her first broadcast interview of the year to Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday. Watch live on Sky News from 10am. Severe flooding continued to hit southern Thailand on Friday, January 6, following last weeks torrential rain. The islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, popular with tourists, were also affected. Local residents were evacuated from their flooded homes, while overflowing main canals in Nakhon Si Thammarat swamped majors roads on Friday, the Bangkok Post reported. Bus and rail services in the region were disrupted while several schools were closed. Forecasters expect rain to ease off on Saturday. This video shows flooded streets in Phatthalung. Credit: Facebook/Krizpahknot Nickelz Buranavitsmith via Storyful BEIJING (AP) An official with President-elect Donald Trump's transition team said Saturday that neither Trump nor transition officials would be meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who stopped in the U.S. during her trip to the Americas. Still, Tsai's trip will be scrutinized by Beijing for any signs that Trump's team will risk its ire by further engaging with the self-ruled island that China considers its territory. Tsai, who departed Taipei on Saturday, pledged to bolster Taiwan's international profile as she set off on a trip to reinforce relations with diplomatic allies in Central America, a task that has taken on new urgency as Beijing ramps up efforts to diplomatically isolate Taipei. Speaking to reporters before her departure, Tsai said the visits to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador would "show the international society that Taiwan is a capable and responsible partner for cooperation." She transited through Houston, a stop that will irk Beijing, which has urged Washington to prevent Tsai from landing in the U.S. to "refrain from sending any wrong signal to the Taiwanese independence forces." Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of China and officials complained after Trump last month breached diplomatic protocol by speaking by phone with the Taiwanese leader. Trump raised further concerns in Beijing when he questioned a U.S. policy that since 1979 has recognized Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. 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. Trump transition spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said in an email Saturday that the president-elect would not be meeting with the Taiwanese leader while she is in the U.S., nor will members of his transition team. Trump sounded unaware of the potential trip when he was asked about it on New Year's Eve. Story continues "Nobody's ever mentioned that to me," he told reporters. "I'm not meeting with anybody until after Jan. 20, because it's a little bit inappropriate from a protocol standpoint. But we'll see." Tsai is likely to keep the U.S. stops low-key to avoid further inflaming tensions with China, which has been angered by her refusal to endorse Beijing's concept that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation. Beijing says failing to endorse the one-China principle would destabilize relations and hurt peace in the region. In late December, in what Beijing called routine exercises, China's first and only aircraft carrier and a fleet of warships sailed past Taiwan's south, prompting Taipei to deploy fighter jets to monitor the fleet. "I'm confident that both Taiwan and the U.S. want this transit to be low profile," said Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "There is nothing to be gained by irritating Beijing." In Central America, Tsai will focus on strengthening ties with allies to fend off Beijing's efforts to draw governments away from Taipei and further diminish its global presence. Beijing and Taipei have competed for allies for much of the nearly seven decades since the end of China's civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalist government fled across the Taiwan Strait. Tsai, who is leading a delegation of 120 people, will meet with most of the four countries' leaders and attend the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. She said she would also interact with the heads of state of other countries at the inauguration. Beijing has intervened to prevent the island's participation in international forums and established diplomatic relations with former Taipei allies Gambia and Sao Tome and Principe. The moves have been seen as effectively abandoning the unspoken diplomatic truce that lasted eight years under Tsai's China-friendly predecessor. Just 21 countries and governments, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean, now have official ties with Taipei. Observers were watching to see if any of the four Central American nations might defect despite Tsai's efforts, but say stronger U.S. support under Trump's administration would help balance future diplomatic losses. "We should expect that in the Trump administration the U.S. would be more vociferous and emphatic about Taiwan's participation in international organizations," said Ross Feingold, a Taipei-based senior adviser at D.C. International Advisory, a consulting firm whose chief executive has been consulted by the Trump transition team. Although the U.S. does not challenge China's claim to sovereignty over Taiwan, Washington remains Taiwan's main source of weapons, with $14 billion in approved arms sales since 2009, and is bound by law to consider threats to the island's security a matter of "grave concern." If Beijing aggressively pursues existing Taipei allies, leveraging its growing economic, military and political clout, the competition could prove too expensive for Taipei and prompt Tsai to seek even deeper ties with the U.S. "She may think now that it's America or bust," said Sean King, a Taipei-based senior vice president at consulting firm Park Strategies. "She's probably going to lose these peripheral countries eventually anyway, so why not go for the gusto and get as close to the U.S. while she can?" ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. By Jonathan Stempel REUTERS - The leader of a 2004 coup that toppled Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and who had been wanted for more than a decade by U.S. authorities, was charged on Friday in the United States with engaging in drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Guy Philippe, 48, faces a three-count indictment including conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, conspiring to launder money, and engaging in monetary transactions stemming from unlawful activity, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Philippe was ordered held without bond at a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Garber in Miami, the Justice Department said. The hearing came one day after Philippe was arrested in Haiti and extradited to the United States. An arraignment is scheduled for January 13. The indictment dates from November 2005, and was made public on Friday. "The indictment speaks for itself," Richard Dansoh, a lawyer for Philippe, said in a phone interview. "Be that as it may, there are some jurisdictional hurdles that we have to cross." As to the accusations against Philippe, Dansoh said: "Clearly, he's not guilty." Philippe's arrest came four days before he had been expected to join Haiti's parliament as a senator, following his Nov. 20 election from the country's southwestern Grand Anse region. The defendant was arrested after he had given a radio interview in Petionville, near the capital of Port-au-Prince. He was then taken to a police station, where U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents were waiting. According to the indictment, Philippe conspired with others from 1997 to March 2001 to import more than five kilograms (11 lbs) of cocaine into the United States, and from June 1999 to April 2003 to launder money to conceal illegal activity. Philippe was also accused of having in late 2000 transferred a $112,000 check that included sums from drug trafficking, the Justice Department said. Joris Mergelus, head of Haiti's anti-drug unit, said Philippe was arrested after an international drug trafficking warrant. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) ABUJA (Reuters) - West African leaders will take a "major decision" on the political impasse in Gambia at a meeting in Ghana on Saturday, a spokesman for the Nigerian presidency said on Friday. The West African ECOWAS bloc said last month it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of a Dec. 1 election in Gambia, where veteran President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to Adama Barrow. ECOWAS has placed standby forces on alert in case Jammeh attempts to stay in power after his mandate ends on Jan. 19. Jammeh has called the bloc's stance "a declaration of war", and said he will defend himself. "A major decision on the impasse is expected to be taken at that all-important meeting," said Garba Shehu, spokesman for Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari. "President Buhari is the chief mediator of the crisis and he is committed to ensuring that the logjam is resolved." Jammeh initially accepted his loss in the Dec. 1 election, shocking Gambians who have lived through his repressive rule since he took power in a 1994 coup, and triggering celebrations in the streets. But a week later changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased by "foreign influences" and vowing to hang on despite regional and international condemnation. Jammed says ECOWAS has no right to interfere in Gambia's internal affairs, and that Gambians should await the outcome of a legal challenge that his APRC party has lodged at the Supreme Court. (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Ulf Laessing and Tim Cocks; Editing by Tom Heneghan) Paddy production sees significant rise Paddy, the major crop of the country, witnessed a significant rise in production by 29.6 per cent this season. Major department stores may be shrinking and shutting around Albuquerque, but the off-price brands keep on coming. A sign posted outside La Cueva Town Center at Wyoming and Paseo del Norte teases that a new Ross store is on its way. The center already home to Smiths and Big 5 has had a big-box vacancy since Office Max closed its doors there in late 2015. A Ross spokesman did not respond to Journal questions about the store, including when it might open or whether it would replace an existing location elsewhere in Albuquerque. Ross already operates six stores around the metro, but has been in expansion mode. The company opened 25 new Ross Dress for Less stores over just two months last fall, and another nine of its lower-priced dds Discounts. The companys president said at the time he was confident that the Ross brand which then had 1,342 locations had potential to hit 2,000 stores. It is not the only off-price chain flourishing. The last six months have brought new Albuquerque locations of T.J. Maxx and its sister store, HomeGoods, plus the market entry of Burkes Outlet, which opened three local stores. Off-price apparel sales are growing at a faster clip than the overall apparel market, and off-price retailers could represent 10 percent of apparel sales by 2018, according to projections from Moodys Investors Service. NEW YORK Keurig, the maker of single-cup coffee machines, says it is teaming up with beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev to build an at-home booze maker. The companies said Friday that they hope to create a product that could whip up beer, cocktails and spirits. AB InBev, based in Belgium, makes Budweiser, Stella Artois and other beers. Waterbury, Vermont-based Keurig Green Mountain tried to grow beyond coffee makers before, but its Keurig Kold at-home soda makers sold poorly and were discontinued in June after less than a year on the market. Keurig says it will use technology from the Kold machine to develop the alcohol maker with AB InBev. Students in Missouri who bully others at school could face criminal charges under a new state law that considers the infliction of emotional distress a felony. Educators worry that the new definition of harassment as a crime part of a broader overhaul of Missouris criminal code could draw police and the courts into situations that are commonly considered school disciplinary matters. That, in turn, could lead to more students facing serious legal repercussions, and even jail time, for school misconduct. This crime was not written with children in mind, said Susan Goldammer, a lawyer with the Missouri School Boards Association. The mandatory reporting laws have forced school districts to apply this to children, which is going to be really hard. The nations public schools have worked for years to reduce police involvement in student misbehavior because many educators believe that children who face legal jeopardy for classroom incidents are less likely to learn from their mistakes and are far more likely to be incarcerated later on in life what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. The Obama administration has focused on reducing the criminalization of school-based incidents and has urged schools to cut back on suspensions and expulsions in an effort to keep students on a path toward graduation. In Missouri, schools are required to report certain crimes to police. That doesnt mean all children who violate the law will be charged as adults, but it can trigger a response from the juvenile justice system. A change in state law, which went into effect this week, elevates harassment from a misdemeanor offense to a felony. Harassment previously was defined in six specific ways, including making threats or repeated unwanted communication. Under the new law, harassment is broadly defined as any act that causes emotional distress. While schools take bullying and other misbehavior seriously, Goldammer said it is worrisome that educators now must call police when a child is in emotional distress. Thats part of school, Goldammer said. Part of growing up is knowing how to deal with stressful situations. Under the new law, if a student inflicts an injury on another student, that now can be considered felony assault. That change has received the most attention in Missouri because two school districts sent out warning messages to parents about it. Amy Fite, president of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, said the new laws actually make it less likely that school altercations will be considered felonies because the changes eliminated a provision that made any assault on school property a felony. The prosecutors association pushed for the criminal code revisions, and the changes to the harassment language were not aimed at addressing school bullying, Fite said. While prosecutors could use the law against school bullies, she said it would be rare. We are most likely to see this in settings of domestic violence, Fite said. Tina Meiers 13-year-old daughter Megan committed suicide in 2006 after she endured cyberbullying from adults, and Meier has since become a staunch anti-bullying advocate in Missouri. Meier said it is appropriate to characterize harassment as repeatedly trying to cause someone emotional harm, but she believes schools should be trying to address why students bully others through social and emotional supports, not through the legal system. If thats the case, then, yes, we want to make sure there are consequences, Meier said. But a felony? I dont think a felony is the answer. The state revisions also changed the definition of assault, which led to at least two school districts warning parents that school fights can also lead to felony charges. Missouris Hazelwood School District which serves north St. Louis County, including portions of Ferguson, Mo. sent a notice to parents warning that the new law could have a dramatic impact. School officials gave an example of a school fight that leads to an injury: The student who caused the injury may be charged with a felony, the letter read, noting that it can apply no matter the age or grade level. In a YouTube video, Ferguson-Florissant Schools Superintendent Joseph Davis warned students that fighting in schools can now cause students to have criminal records. Let me be clear, the consequences of poor choices and bad decisions, a simple fight, may follow you for the rest of your life, Davis said. The school system later published a clarification on its website saying the intent of our video message was to keep students and parents informed. We are working with law enforcement and attorneys to be certain that we all understand the changes to the law. Neither district mentioned harassment or bullying in their warnings. Hazelwood officials did not return requests for comment. In a written statement to The Washington Post, Ferguson-Florissant School District officials said there is still a lack of consensus and clarity regarding the new laws and the implications for students and schools. In a statement, the ACLU of Missouri said school fights were already considered felony offenses, but it was rare for juveniles to be charged as adults. But the ACLU criticized the state lawmakers for attempting to address student behavior problems by outsourcing discipline management strategies to law enforcement. Video: Bullying, fights could prompt criminal charges at Missouri schools A new state law in Missouri elevates harassment from a misdemeanor offense to a felony. Joseph Davis, the superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant School District, delivered a video message to parents about the new law. (YouTube/FFSDTV) Embed code: HUBBARD, Ore. Authorities say the scene of a fire in rural western Oregon appears to have been a murder-suicide. Three children were shot to death, a woman was beaten to death, and a man died from a gunshot wound to the head. The Marion County Sheriffs Office said Friday an autopsy determined how the five died. Their bodies were pulled from a home near Hubbard after it and two other buildings on the property were set on fire on Tuesday. The Oregon State Medical Examiners Office determined that all three children and the man died of a gunshot wound to the head. The woman died from blunt force trauma to the head. The residence belonged to Erin Kroeker, 39 and Keith Kroeker, 42, and their three children. SANTA FE, N.M. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez plans to attend the presidential inauguration as campaign-season clashes between the nations only Latina governor and Donald Trump fade. Michael Lonergan, a spokesman for New Mexicos second-term GOP governor, said Friday in an email that Martinez would attend the Jan. 20 inaugural in Washington. Martinez was critical of Trump throughout the presidential campaign and never endorsed him, but offered congratulations after his victory. She publicly denounced Trumps remarks about Mexican immigrants, his criticism of a bereaved military family and his lewd talk about women from a leaked 2005 videotape. Trump in turn harshly criticized Martinez for her handling of the states economy at an Albuquerque rally that turned violent. Sharp divisions over Trumps election have politicians, celebrities and others debating whether participating in the inauguration is a tribute to democratic traditions or an endorsement of his agenda. Lonergan did not respond to questions about who may accompany Martinez, related events the governor might attend and financing of the trip. Hillary Clinton won 48.6 percent of the statewide vote to Trumps 40 percent in a state where registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans. Libertarian Gary Johnson took 9.3 percent of ballots. Martinez did not attend barnstorming rallies in New Mexico by Trump and running mate Mike Pence during the final days of the presidential campaign. Rio Ranchos two high schools are near the top of the state for growth in the rigorous Advanced Placement program, which allows students to get a jump on higher education by earning college credits before they graduate. Overall, Rio Rancho High ranked second and Cleveland High third for boosting AP tests, with a total of 966 kids completing 1,472 exams across both schools in 2016, up from 1,276 exams the year before. Half of Rio Ranchos students passed in the latest round of testing, well above the 35 percent rate statewide. During a news conference held at district headquarters Thursday, Gov. Susana Martinez said she brags about Rio Ranchos performance around the state. To have second and third right here in Rio Rancho pretty good, she said. Congratulations to you. Its amazing that you have all accomplished this together, and were all watching to see what you do next. Keep aiming high. New Mexico as a whole has seen a dramatic increase in AP participation, placing it second in the nation for year-over-year percentage growth in the number of students taking an AP exam and the total number of AP exams taken. More than 10,000 New Mexico students tackled at least one AP test in 2016, a 17-percent boost from the previous year. In total, roughly 15,700 exams were taken and 35 percent were passed, adding up to nearly 17,000 in potential college credits and $3.55 million saved on tuition costs. Hobbs High, which receives grant funding for AP classes, came in number one for AP growth statewide. These courses are some of the most challenging our students can take, Martinez said. This just confirms everything Ive always said over and over that every child can learn. And I believe that from the bottom of my heart, that every single child, no matter your circumstances, no matter where you come from, and no matter what language you speak, every single child can learn. In addition, the state came in fourth nationally for providing AP access to low-income students thanks to a state program that helps cover the $93 exam fee. Cleveland High School senior Ethan Sena said he was grateful for the financial support, which helped him pass seven AP classes in the past few years. The aspiring mechanical engineer also recently became the first Cleveland student to win an internship at Sandia National Laboratories. With three other brothers and the many AP exams I take every year, the reduced prices that I get greatly help everything that I do, he said. AP courses have really changed my life. I am better prepared for the next six to seven years throughout college pursuing a very vigorous education in mechanical engineering. Rio Rancho Public Schools has worked hard to offer AP classes to many students while also maintaining high passing rates, according to LaJuana Coleman, executive director of secondary curriculum and instruction. Coleman said she is very proud to have seen RRPS AP program grow from a handful of classes in 2003 to 25 today, ranging from geography to French, statistics and environmental science. There have been so many in this district who have been really persistent and diligent in their work for Rio Rancho to become a lighthouse district on AP, she added. The good news came a day after New Mexico received a dismal 49th place ranking in Education Weeks latest Quality Counts study a review of various measures from pre-K enrollment to graduation rates. Education Secretary Hanna Skandera noted that the report didnt factor in more positive data from this year, including the recent AP growth. Associated Press Wildlife officials say it might be time for a toast now that a once-rare bat important to the pollination of plants used to produce tequila is making a comeback. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday proposed removing the lesser long-nosed bat from the endangered species list. Mexico delisted the bat in 2015 and, if approved in the U.S., this would be the first bat ever removed from the nations list of threatened and endangered species. The flying mammal ranges from Mexico to southern Arizona and New Mexico. It depends on the nectar of agaves, cactuses and other flowering plants in the desert region. Federal officials said it has taken 30 years of conservation efforts by biologists and volunteers in Mexico and the U.S., as well as tequila producers in Mexico, to rebuild a healthy population. There were once thought to be fewer than 1,000 lesser long-nosed bats in 14 known roosts throughout the region. Now, there are about 200,000 of the nectar-feeding animals and dozens of roost sites. Jim deVos, assistant director of wildlife management at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, called the proposed delisting a great achievement. Many entities in both the U.S. and Mexico have worked tirelessly toward recovery and this announcement stands as testimony that dedicated efforts and sound management practices can lead to recovery of endangered species, he said in a statement. In Mexico, tequila producers who rely on agaves are integrating more harvest and cultivation practices in recognition that the bats are key pollinators. Some are even marketing bat-friendly tequila. In southern Arizona, residents for a decade have monitored night-time bat use of hummingbird feeders. This provided biologists with a clearer understanding of migration timing, and allowed for the opportunity to capture bats and affix radio transmitters that aided in finding roost sites. Federal land managers in New Mexico and Arizona, including at the U.S. Armys Fort Huachuca, are including forage plants, such as agaves, saguaros and other cactuses, in their resource management plans to help the species. Limiting human access to caves with roost sites and abandoned mines in the U.S. also has benefited bat populations, officials said. Recovery efforts also have included education aimed at changing attitudes about bats and improving identification of different species. Historically, the lesser long-nosed bat was a victim of early campaigns to control vampire bats over rabies concerns and their effects on livestock. According to a recent assessment, the Fish and Wildlife Service says the threats to the lesser long-nosed bat have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the bat has recovered and no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species. Biologists also considered the potential effects that climate change may have on the nectar trail that the bats follow as they migrate. They say the bat is flexible and adaptive enough to remain viable under changing conditions. The Fish and Wildlife Service is taking comments on the proposal through March 7. A final decision will follow. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. The late afternoon sun highlights the leaves of an agave plant in Alamogordo in this 2014 file photo. US wildlife officials say it might be time for a toast now that a once-rare bat important to the pollination of the Mexican plants used to produce tequila is making a comeback. A winter storm that swept through New Mexico early Friday caused hazardous driving conditions and road closures, brought bitter cold across much of the state, and added snow accumulations that should make skiers smile this weekend. Some areas racked up some impressive snow totals since Thursday morning, when moist Pacific air collided with a bitterly cold arctic front over New Mexico. Forecasters predict clear skies and a warming trend this weekend and into next week. A high near 42 is forecast today in Albuquerque, cooling to a frosty 24 degrees tonight. A cold front Friday plunged much of the state into the deep freeze. Lows in the teens and single digits were forecast for early this morning for most of the state, rising to highs in the 30s and 40s today. Santa Fe was expected to have a low of 9 this morning, with a high in the mid 30s. Fridays storm dumped snow across a broad swath of northern and eastern New Mexico. Eagle Nest in Colfax County received 28 inches of snow, the states highest total. Raton got 13 inches, Los Alamos 8 inches and Santa Fe 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The states ski areas received some healthy snow totals. They included: Taos Ski Area, 13 inches; Enchanted Forest Ski Area in Red River, 13 inches; Sipapu Ski Area, 9 inches; Santa Fe Ski Area, 8 inches. Some areas of Albuquerque received more than an inch of snow Friday morning, causing school and government office closures, some morning flight delays, and at least 98 crashes on ice-slicked streets. Michael Chavez, 47, of Albuquerque was killed and a passenger critically injured Friday when he lost control of a pickup on ice-slicked U.S. 550 near in rural Sandoval County and skidded into the path of a semi tractor-trailer, Sandoval County sheriffs deputies said. The passenger, Michael Rodriguez, 29, of Albuquerque was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital. No other injuries were reported. Albuquerque officials said 288 people stayed at the citys winter homeless shelter Thursday night, including 69 women and nine children. Around New Mexico Eagle Nest 28 inches Raton 14 inches Pecos 9 inches Los Alamos 8 inches Vaughn 8 inches Clines Corners 6 inches Santa Rosa 6 inches Las Vegas 4 inches Santa Fe 3 inches Jemez Springs 3 inches Rio Rancho 2.2 inches Bernalillo County Sandia Park 2.4 inches Sedillo 2 inches Griegos and Rio Grande NW 2.2 inchesTijeras 1.5 inches Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal Federal agents searching the home of an Albuquerque pediatrician charged with possession of child porn found a secret room with more images of naked children including some apparently taken at a hospital and other evidence against him, according to a court filing. Dr. Guy Rosenschein is in federal custody and is seeking to be released into his sisters custody in California to await trail. Mention of the secret room and its contents were included in a motion filed by federal prosecutors this week opposing Rosencheins request. Chief U.S. District Judge M. Christina Armijo has not ruled on the matter. U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez said in a letter to Presbyterian Hospital officials on Friday that there was no evidence that the photos taken at a hospital were taken at a Presbyterian facility, or even criminal. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the taking of the photographs was not clinically appropriate, Martinez said of the hospital photos. However, federal and state court charging documents against Rosenschein allege that some other photographs found in Rosenscheins possession were of children engaged in sex acts with adult men. Rosenschein, 63, was a pediatric urologist a specialty that includes male reproductive organs at Presbyterian Hospital from 2013 until he was fired immediately after his arrest on suspicion of possession of child pornography on Nov. 8, said Dr. Jason Mitchell, the chief medical officer at Presbyterian, in an interview. We were as shocked as the community, he said. These allegations are terrible. Rosenschein has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. Peter Schoenburg, Rosenscheins attorney, said the allegations are the result of baseless hysteria. Hes a pediatric surgeon, Schoenburg said. The photographs are for medical purposes only. Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputies originally executed a search warrant on Nov. 8 and arrested Rosenschein on child pornography charges, which were filed in state District Court. During that search, deputies found a thumb drive on Rosenshcein key chain that contained dozens of images of young boys and girls having sex with men, according to a criminal complaint. He was released from custody the next day after posting a $10,000 cash or surety bond. When he returned to his home on Archuleta NE, an FBI agent immediately arrested him on federal charges of suspicion of possession and distribution of child pornography, according to a criminal complaint. After his second arrest, federal agents executed a second search of Rosenscheins home. During that search, agents found what they described as a secret room that contained two safes. Schoenburg said the room was attached to a closet and was built by the homeowner decades before Rosenchein moved to Albuquerque. Inside one of the safes were pictures of a naked boy, time stamped April 1994, and flight logs detailing a trip to Cambodia in 1994, according to the prosecutors motion. Investigators also found a cellphone that contained a dozen pictures of male genitalia that appeared to have been taken at a hospital. Investigators learned that it is against Presbyterian Hospital policy for physicians to take medical photographs on their personal phones, the motion states. Agents also found a cellphone that contained Yahoo Messenger conversations between a user account of Cambodia1994, who claimed to be a teenage male in the United States, and others in which they talked graphically about sex between adult males and boys, according to the motion. Schoenburg said that, in the mid-1990s, Rosenschein, who is a pilot, flew to Cambodia several times as part of his volunteer work for Evasions Sans Frontieres, an organization similar to Doctors Without Borders. He was delivering medical supplies and medical personnel to Cambodia at a time when Cambodia was in ruins, Schoenburg said, referring to a civil struggle between opposing government groups in the country. Prosecutors filed their motion on Wednesday in response to the filing by Rosenscheins attorneys asking that he be released from federal custody and be allowed to stay with his sister in Arcadia, Calif., where he would wear an ankle monitor until trial. They also asked that Rosenschein be allowed to use the internet. At the time of his original arrest by sheriffs deputies, Rosenschein was at his home alone with a 16-year-old boy who was found in the master bedroom wearing only underwear, according to the criminal complaint filed against him. He denied having a sexual relationship with the boy. Rosenschein said the boy was a former patient who occasionally stayed with him and that Rosenschein had flown the boy around the country in the doctors planes or his helicopter. He said he also had provided flights to another former patient of his from Presbyterian, according to the complaint. In the wake of Rosencheins arrest, Mitchell said that hospital officials created a hotline for parents of Rosenscheins former patients in case they had concerns or questions. He said hospital officials also have started a review to determine if there were any signs that Rosenschein had acted inappropriately while employed there. We have no information that leads us to believe that anything inappropriate happened at our facilities, Mitchell said. We havent found anything that could have helped predict this. For questions and concerns about Dr. Guy Rosenschein, Presbyterian Hospital has created a hotline. Call 923-8100 during regular business hours. SANTA FE After years of Roundhouse debate, theres still no clear consensus on how New Mexicos Land Grant Permanent Fund and the $15 billion it contains should be properly used. Backers of a plan to take more money from the permanent fund and earmark those dollars for home visiting and other early childhood programs say a cash infusion in those programs is needed now, with the state struggling with poverty and a string of high-profile child-abuse cases. Opponents of the proposal say diverting more dollars from the fund, which gets income primarily from oil and natural gas taxes and investment gains, would stunt the funds growth and lead to less money being available for future generations to fund public schools and other basic programs. Several proposed constitutional changes calling for larger permanent fund distributions have been filed in advance of the legislative session that starts Jan. 17, and proponents are feeling more confident with Democrats having retaken control of the state House and expanded their majority in the Senate. I think this is the best chance weve had for a long time, said Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, a primary sponsor on one of the proposals. I think our ask is very responsible. But House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, said a 2003 change to the permanent funds distribution rate pushed by then-Gov. Bill Richarsdon the rate dropped back down to 5 percent for the current year after being temporarily bumped up to fund a new teacher salary structure has come back to bite the cash-strapped state in recent lean budget years. If we had left it alone several years ago, we wouldnt be in the trouble were in now, Montoya told the Journal, implying the state would have more revenue available now and in the future if the rate had not been raised. He also predicted that increased distribution rates for home visiting and other early childhood programs, even if approved, would not lead to immediate improvement in poverty or other child wellbeing measures. Literally any benefit to this would be 20 years out, Montoya said. Any change to the permanent funds distribution rate would have to be approved by a majority of elected members in both the House and Senate and by voters statewide, likely in the 2018 general election, to take effect. However, the legislation would not have to be approved by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, since governors dont have veto power on constitutional amendments. Some Democrats balk While Democrats largely support the proposal to increase the annual distribution rate and Republicans largely oppose it, the issue does not break down along strict party lines. Some moderate Senate Democrats played a pivotal role in stifling similar legislation in previous legislative sessions, and once again are expressing misgivings in the run-up to this years 60-day session. Thats going to be a hard sell, said Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, whose committee could play a key role in the fate of this years proposals. Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, the panels vice chairman, sounded a similar tone, saying lawmakers primary focus should be a projected $69 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year and more difficult budget decisions on tap for next year. Were going to take a very close look at those propositions, Cisneros said of the permanent fund proposals. But I think we need to deal with the crisis at hand. He also said the Land Grant Permanent Fund the larger of two state saving funds was primarily created to provide a funding stream for New Mexicans when the states natural and extractive resources run dry. But it already provides a significant chunk of the states budget. The Land Grant Permanent Fund currently makes annual distributions to public schools, hospitals and other specified beneficiaries. The total payout from the fund for the budget year that starts in July is projected to be a record-high $688 million or more than 11 percent of the state budget even at the lower distribution rate. Without the fund and another state permanent fund that also makes annual distributions, the average New Mexico household would have to chip in an additional $1,100 annually in taxes or current state services would have to be curtailed, according to the State Investment Council, which oversees the investment of the funds. Meanwhile, general-fund state spending on pre-kindergarten, early literacy, home visiting and other early childhood programs has already increased in recent years, even as the state has struggled with plummeting revenue levels. The state is spending $238 million on such programs in the current fiscal year, up from less than $140 million in the 2012 fiscal year. Different approaches The two permanent fund proposals that have been filed so far more are expected to be introduced in the coming weeks call for slightly different approaches. One being pushed by Reps. Martinez and Antonio Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, calls for an additional 1 percentage-point distribution or 6 percent total from the Land Grant Permanent Fund, with the additional funding initially being split between general education spending and early childhood programs. After a three-year phase-in, the entire amount would eventually be funneled to early childhood programs, though it would flow through the states 89 school districts. The other proposal would increase the yearly distribution rate by 1.5 percentage points. That would amount to roughly $200 million more per year for early childhood programs, based on current distribution levels. Its sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, who also proposed similar legislation in previous years and who said Friday hed be willing to lower the rate to 1 percent in this years legislation in order to make it more palatable. Padilla said the permanent fund has continued to grow in recent years despite a sharp downturn in oil and natural gas prices, and said a modest increase in the distribution rate would not jeopardize its future health. He also said targeting more money at early childhood programs could eventually lead to a more qualified state workforce, saying, It is one of the most proactive economic development tools that we could have. In addition, Padilla said he is planning to introduce separate legislation in advance of the 60-day session that would create a new Cabinet-level agency focusing on early education. It would call for existing early childhood duties in the Public Education Department, Children Youth and Families Department and other agencies to be transferred into the new agency. Funding for the agency would be provided by a tax increase on energy-related sectors and an increase in the yearly distribution rate from the Land Grant Permanent Fund. Padilla said the proposal is intended to give lawmakers a new, alternative approach to addressing early childhood issues, and said he believes it would help focus the states efforts and resources. I dont want to lose another generation of New Mexico children squabbling about how to properly fund early education, he said. Parliament business to resume from Sunday: PM Dahal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday said the long-stalled Parliamentary affairs would resume from Sunday and all important bills like the constitution amendment, impeachment motion and election-related ones would be taken forward thereafter. Americas war on drugs has resulted in a substantial increase in many crimes because it has made illegal drugs expensive. Burglaries, embezzlements and other crimes are committed to finance drug habits. Homicides, particularly in inner cities, result from drug-gang wars and failed drug transactions. In some inner cities, drug criminals are the most visible models of financial success. In foreign countries there are drug conflicts between rival gangs and between governments and gangs. Innocent people become victims in all of these cases. Our anti-drug war is principally an effort to save drug users and potential users from themselves. It poses as a tough on crime measure, but it creates crime and crime victims and is tough on taxpayers. We should consider how many innocent victims we will sacrifice, how much crime we will endure and how much taxpayer money we will spend to try to save people from making bad choices. Declared over 40 years ago and preceded by years of lower-profile prohibition, our national war on drugs shows no signs of any significant success. No alternative national solution is seriously discussed. Congress, therefore, should let individual states experiment with possible alternatives. For example, some states might try providing some free drugs to addicts. This would instantly reduce the demand for illegal drugs and should reduce the number of burglaries and other crimes committed to obtain drugs. There should be fewer drug-gang murders and collateral deaths. Overdoses and diseases of drug users arising from impure drugs and infected needles, which result in substantial public health expenditures, would be decreased. Any state program providing drugs to users should exclude minors and should require on-site administration of drugs in a clean clinical setting. Users should be barred from leaving the facility while under the influence of drugs. However, other details of such programs, such as what drugs are provided and who can receive them, might vary among the states. Intensive rehabilitation efforts could be a part of such a program. Participating addicts could be confronted regularly with alternatives to drug use and with support for changing their behavior, which might not be occurring currently. Ideally, some of these rehabilitation efforts will prove successful. Even if rehabilitation efforts are unsuccessful, users will be less likely to burden our law enforcement, prosecution, judicial and corrections resources and less likely to drive vehicles or otherwise appear in public under the influence of drugs. Their impositions on the public health system will be less than if they consumed unregulated drugs through unsterile needles, and notably less than if they were imprisoned and entitled to very expensive medical care. States interested in pursuing alternatives to our current unsuccessful policy would not have to follow the above outline or create a different model from scratch. Many countries in Europe and elsewhere have policies different from ours that are less expensive and considerably more effective. States might choose to implement, or be able to improve upon, some of those policies. A Republican Congress should prefer experimental locally-controlled state programs to a policy imposed by Washington. Such programs might save taxpayer money and reduce crime. They would also reduce our current big government effort to protect people from themselves, which comes at the expense of their neighbors and other taxpayers. A business-oriented Trump administration should see that our present policy is not cost-effective. Democrats representing inner city neighborhoods plagued by drug gangs and drug violence should also support changes in the national policy that contributes to the destruction of those neighborhoods. A major benefit of our federal system is that states can be laboratories seeking solutions to problems not well addressed by Washington. The national war on drugs has been a long-lasting, big government program that shows neither signs of success nor signs of much progress. Congress should let states try something different. Donald Trump will soon sweep into the office of the U.S. presidency, buttressed by both houses of Congress firmly in Republican control. A wave of regressive executive orders and legislation are already being prepared to ensure that Trumps first 100 days effectively erase the Obama presidency. Where Trump was once the most prominent birther, attempting to deny President Barack Obamas legitimacy with a racist campaign accusing him of being born in Kenya, Trump now will wield a pen to legally undermine Obamas legacy. But Barack Obama is still the president of the United States until Jan. 20, and retains the enormous executive powers that the office bestows. That is why a swelling grass-roots movement is now urging Obama to use executive clemency and the presidential pardon to protect the nations millions of undocumented immigrants from the mass deportations Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail. In case some think Trumps deportation pledge is mere bluster, the Reuters news agency reported Tuesday on an internal Department of Homeland Security memo that summarized a December meeting between the Trump transition team and the agency. According to Reuters, the Trump transition team asked for details on border wall construction, the capacity for increased immigrant detention, and about the ability to restore aggressive aerial surveillance of the southern border (which was scaled back by the Obama administration). Chillingly, they also asked if any DHS staff had altered biographic information kept by the department about immigrants out of concern for their civil liberties. This last question betrays a likely Trump transition team concern that federal employees may be purging databases of identifying information from the more than 740,000 young people who registered with the government under DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program initiated in June 2012. On Dec. 5, a group of 106 members of Congress wrote to President Obama, urging him to protect such information: Countless community advocates, organizers, and public servants have promoted the DACA program to Dreamers on the premise that the information they supply to DHS would not be used to deport them in the future. We cannot stand by and allow the Trump Administration to exploit the trust these young Americans placed in us and the government, the letter read in part. The Obama administration has already taken similar action after Trumps election, formally shutting down the NSEER program, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System created in 2002 as part of the Global War on Terror. The program targeted people from specific countries with majority Muslim populations, and was shut down by Obama to prevent its use as part of a Muslim registry. Locally, cities like New York also are preparing to push back. Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to protect the information of more than 850,000 immigrants who hold the citys municipal identification card. Numerous cities are becoming immigrant-protective sanctuary cities, or are reaffirming their status as such, in response to Trumps threatened mass deportations. A number of members of Congress, along with groups like the Hispanic Coalition NY and the Dream Action Coalition, are asking President Obama to go further than protecting the DACA data, and to extend a presidential pardon to all who applied for DACA. And political dissident Noam Chomsky has taken this idea further, saying Obama should proceed to what is in fact an urgent necessity: to grant a general pardon to 11 million people who are living and working here, productive citizens in all but name, threatened with deportation by the incoming administration. This would be a horrible humanitarian tragedy. And moral outrage can be averted by a general pardon for immigration infractions, which the president could issue. And we should join to urge him to carry out this necessary step without delay. The power to pardon is one of the least limited powers granted to the President in the Constitution, James Pfiffner wrote for the conservative Heritage Foundation, back in 2007. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson granted amnesty to Confederate rebels. Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter gave amnesty to the more than 200,000 Americans charged with resisting the draft during the Vietnam War. Forty years after Carter, President Obama can use his immense power of the presidential pardon to de-escalate the war on immigrants, which otherwise, under Trump, threatens to get immeasurably worse. Distributed by King Features Syndicate. WASHINGTON You can kick the can down the road, but when Kim Jong Un announces, as he did last Sunday, that we have reached the final stage in preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic rocket, you are reaching the end of that road. Since the early 1990s, we have offered every kind of inducement to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program. All failed miserably. Pyongyang managed to extort money, food, oil and commercial nuclear reactors in exchange. But it was all a swindle. North Korea was never going to give up its nukes because it sees them as the ultimate guarantee of regime survival. The North Koreans believe that nukes confer inviolability. Saddam Hussein was invaded and deposed before he could acquire them. Kim wont let that happen to him. Thats why Thae Yong Ho, a recent high-level defector, insisted that 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. Meanwhile, they have advanced. Theyve already exploded a handful of nuclear bombs. And theyve twice successfully launched satellites, which means they have the ICBM essentials. If they can miniaturize their weapons to fit on top of the rocket and control re-entry, theyll be able to push a button in Pyongyang and wipe out an American city. What to do? The options are stark: (1) Pre-emptive attack on its missile launching facilities. Doable but reckless. It is the option most likely to trigger an actual war. The North Koreans enjoy both conventional superiority and proximity: a vast army poised at the Demilitarized Zone only 30 miles from Seoul. Americans are not going to fight another land war in Asia. (2) Shoot down the test ICBM, as advocated by The Wall Street Journal. Assuming we can. Democrats have done their best to abort or slow down anti-missile defenses since Ronald Reagan proposed them in the early 1980s. Even so, we should be able to intercept a single, relatively primitive ICBM of the sort North Korea might be capable of. Though such a shoot-down would occur nowhere near North Korean soil, it could still very well provoke a military response. Which is why the new administration should issue a clear warning that if such a test missile is launched, we will bring it down. Barack Obama is gone. Such a red line could be a powerful deterrent. (3) Return tactical U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea. They were withdrawn in 1991 by George H.W. Bush in the waning days of the Cold War. Gorbachevs Soviet Union responded in kind. A good idea in general, but not on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang had railed constantly against their presence, but they did act as a deterrent to any contemplated North Korean aggression. Which might make them a useful bargaining chip. (4) Economic leverage on China, upon which Pyongyang depends for its survival. Donald Trump seems to suggest using trade to pressure China to get North Korea to desist. The problem is that China has shown no evidence of being willing to yield a priceless strategic asset a wholly dependent client state that acts as a permanent thorn and distraction to U.S. power in the Pacific Rim because of mere economic pressure. (5) Strategic leverage on China. Weve been begging China for decades to halt the North Korean nuclear program. Beijing plays along with sanctions and offers occasional expressions of dismay. Nothing more. Theres one way guaranteed to get its attention. Declare that we would no longer oppose Japan acquiring a nuclear deterrent. This is a radical step that goes against our general policy of nonproliferation. But the point is to halt proliferation to the infinitely more dangerous regime in North Korea. China is the key. The Chinese have many nightmares, none worse than a nuclear-armed Japan. The principal strategic challenge facing the United States is the rise of revisionist powers Russia, China and Iran striving to expel American influence from their regions. In comparison, the Korean problem is minor, an idiosyncratic relic of the Cold War. North Korea should be a strategic afterthought, like Cuba. And it would be if not for its nukes. Thats a big if. A wholly unpredictable, highly erratic and often irrational regime is acquiring the capacity to destroy an American city by missile. Thats an urgent problem. North Korea may be just an unexploded ordnance of a long-concluded Cold War. But we cannot keep assuming it will never go off. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group; e-mail to letters@charleskrauthammer.com. WASHINGTON Stung by years of failure to stop Syrias bloodshed, the United States is now just a bystander to the civil war as President Barack Obamas tenure ends. Secretary of State John Kerry still is speaking sporadically with Russian, Turkish and Arab foreign ministers about cease-fire efforts, and there are occasional consultations with the opposition. But less than two weeks before Donald Trumps presidency begins, the Obama administration no longer is even claiming to play the leading part in the peace mediation that it spearheaded unsuccessfully for years. Formal contacts with Russia and others in Geneva, the main meeting point for the U.S.-led diplomacy, have ended. Leadership has been ceded to Russia and, to a lesser degree, Turkey and Iran. After helping Syrias military oust the remaining rebels from the city of Aleppo last month, Moscow has cast itself as the would-be peacemaker. It clinched a new truce without Washingtons help and announced Friday that it was starting to draw down its forces in the region. Russian envoys also are organizing the first talks between the Syrian government and opposition in nearly a year. The discussions are set for later in January in Astana, Kazakhstan. We still are at the proverbial table, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Friday. We may not be at the table in Astana, we may not be at the table in Moscow, I understand that. But its not like we are walking away from Syria. He added later: We arent connected to this piece of it. Its not like were pulling out from the whole puzzle. With no indication about how the incoming Trump administration intends to proceed on Syria, U.S. diplomats are wary of engaging in any new initiatives that would require a sustained American role. As a result, the Obama administration is ambivalent about attending, even in an observer role, the proposed peace meeting. Turkey has told the U.S. its presence would be acceptable, American officials said, but Washington has yet to make a decision. The diminution of the American role could have drawbacks. Obama demanded almost six years ago that Syrian President Bashar Assad leave power and allow for a democratic transition. But Obamas reticence to plunge the United States into another Mideast war meant the U.S. never had the capability to shape such an outcome. Its increasingly marginal role in recent months means it could have even less capacity to help shape Syrias future and safeguard vital American interests, such as Israels security and fighting the Islamic State group. On the other hand, Obama hands the baton to Trump without any large-scale military or diplomatic engagement in Syria. Obama never wanted to own the conflict, which has killed up to a half-million people and prompted millions to flee as refugees. On Saturday, at least 43 people were killed when a car bomb ripped through the center of a busy commercial district of a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border, activists and rescue workers said. Obamas reticence to intervene in the war at least means Trump will have flexibility, which Obama didnt have in inheriting the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In a farewell news conference Thursday, Kerry insisted the administration hadnt given up on Syria and that he hoped the warring sides could get to real negotiations on a peace agreement. But some officials were frustrated by the administration essentially withdrawing from the process. For example, Kerry hasnt spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov since Dec. 27. Their discussions occurred almost daily at some points last year. Russia, which backs the Syrian government, and Turkey, a strong supporter of Syrias moderate opposition, brokered the current shaky cease-fire, which came into effect on Dec. 30. The truce has mostly held but not altogether halted fighting; the government and opposition have blamed each other for violations. The truce doesnt include areas in Syria controlled by IS. The U.S. is pressing on with its effort in that campaign, and Trump and his national security advisers have said it will be a top priority for them. The Obama administration has an undisclosed number of special operations troops, presumably about 200 to 250, in Syria. They are advising and assisting what the Americans call the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is comprised of Syrian Kurds and Arabs. Some of the Americans are embedded with the SDF in northern Syria. BTVi, Indias premier English business channel and Reuters will be launching its premier feature series Meet The Entrepreneurs showcasing 12 globally renowned entrepreneurs from 12 countries bringing exceptional brands that have changed lives. In a 12 part series on BTVi, starting from January 7 , the show will be aired every Saturday at 10 PM . This show will feature distinguished entrepreneurs from the across world will share their success stories and educate on changing the business dynamics with disruption and innovation. Filmed in 12 countries, the series looks at how these entrepreneurs built their companies and stayed ahead of the competition in todays fast changing business environment. The first episode of the series will feature the journey of Vinita and Nilesh Gupta, a sister-brother duo running Lupin, one of Indias top pharmaceuticals manufacturers. The two took over their fathers company which witnessed impressive growth and made its mark in the global competitive market. The show will cover brands that deliver innovative solutions in fast evolving sectors like - Self-driving cars, cloud-computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, toys, fashion accessories, flower distribution, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The series will feature new age entrepreneurs of these leading brands such as Mobileye, Arista Networks, Moose Toys, Netonnet, FF Group, Fullerton Health, Dutch Flower Group, Vision-Box, Kasapreko Ltd, Cogobuy and Synergy Health. With the New Year ringing in and people welcoming another year with arms wide open, &pictures- Naye India Ka Blockbuster Channel takes you to one of the biggest action smash-hit of 2016. The channel will showcase Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor starrer Baaghi on Saturday, 7th January at 8 PM. Apart from the stunning lead pair, the film also includes Sunil Grover, Shifuji Shaurya Bhardwaj and Telugu star Sudheer Babu in crucial roles. The film boasts of an outstanding portrayal of the traditional martial art form Kalaripayattu along with chartbuster music and choreography. One of the best-choreographed action movies, Baaghi revolves around Ronny (Tiger Shroff), who joins a martial arts school to train in Kalaripayattu skills. During his course, he falls in love with Siya (Shraddha Kapoor). Burning with unrequited love, Raghav (Sudheer Babu) a Bangkok-based businessman kidnaps Sia. Her father P.P Khurrana (Sunil Grover) approaches Ronny to save Sia from the clutches of Raghav. From an aimless Baaghi to a rebel with a cause, Ronny agrees to help. Who will be victorious - the rebellious Ronny or the resentful Raghav? Catch the rebels Ronny and Siya in their romantic journey on Saturday, 7th January at 8 PM, only on &pictures Please dispose off trash properly! Somebody should remind our Urban Development Minister Arjun uncle that it is not right to chew tobacco inside the House and then spit it out on your hands and then dispose it by throwing it under the chair. Re-reading Kamal Dixit - the essayist I started reading works on modern Nepali history seriously for the first time in mid-1989 when I decided to pursue graduate studies in history. In the following six years, as a doctoral student, I read hundreds of books related to Nepal. The Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, has today provided figures relating to unaccompanied learner drivers. Between 2012 and 2016, 42 unaccompanied learner drivers were involved in fatal road traffic conditions. Showcasing Dolpo Imagine walking up lands wild and seemingly uncharted, stretching far into the oblivion. Imagine a dusk that rolls in glowing shades of pink and blue. Imagine rugged mountains, nothing giant but still sizeable, under stars a million strong. Sean Spicer 93 named White House press secretary and communications director Sean Spicer '93 Sean Spicer, a 1993 graduate of Connecticut College, has been named White House press secretary and White House communications director by President-elect Donald J. Trump. Spicer will also serve as an assistant to the president. Spicer, who majored in government at the College, has served as the Republican National Committee communications director since 2011 and chief strategist since 2015. He previously served as assistant United States trade representative for media and public affairs in the George W. Bush administration, communications director for the House Republican Conference, communications director for the House Budget Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committees director of incumbent retention. As White House press secretary, Spicer will be the primary spokesperson for the United States government administration, especially with regard to the president, senior executives and policies. As communications director, he will be responsible for promoting the agenda of the administration and leading its media campaign. William Frasure, the Lucretia L. Allyn Professor of Government and International Relations at Connecticut College, said Spicers appointment is truly remarkable. The most important journalists in America will be sitting before him every day. Aside from Trump's, his will be one of the most listened-to voices in the country, he said. With televised press briefings, 24-hour news cycles and an unprecedented public demand for information, the modern press secretary plays a key role in the success of an administration, said Connecticut College Trustee Martha Joynt Kumar '63, an emeritus professor of political science at Towson University and expert in presidential-press relations, White House communications operations and presidential transitions. Its about so much more than just providing information on daily operation. The press secretary has the opportunity to try to persuade and not just inform, said Kumar, the author of Managing the Presidents Message: The White House Communications Operation. The role is particularly challenging, Kumar said, because the press secretary has to simultaneously serve and balance the needs of the president, the White House staff and the press. Its really important for a press secretary to have the confidence of the president and the staffand particularly the White House chief of staff. Spicer has that, so he is well positioned, Kumar said. Frasure, who taught Spicer in several classes, remembers him as an enthusiastic student and a great talker who could hold his own in any classroom discussion. In August, Spicer told The Washington Post that his political ambitions trace back to his time at Connecticut College. Surrounded by mostly liberal classmates, he began to identify as a Republican, he told the Post. He got involved with student government and remembers working to ban smoking in a dining hall and lobbying for cable TV in the residence halls. During his junior year, Spicer studied away at American University in Washington, D.C. One of his professors there was Conn alumnus Richard Semiatin 80. "Sean Spicer was a student in my Spring 1992 Washington Semester class, remembers Semiatin, an assistant professor of political science and academic director of American politics and policy at American University. He demonstrated a keen interest in politics from the start. You could already tell that he had an innate understanding of the realities and workings of politics. He worked hard and understood the process of building a career. Here is someone who took nothing for granted and took initiative whenever it presented itself. Spicer, who grew up in Rhode Island, earned a masters degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College in 2012. He is a frequent guest on news and political talk programs on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. His official RNC bio touts his willingness to partner with his Democrat counterparts to raise money for good causes; in his Twitter bio, he describes himself as a wicked Red Sox/ Patriots fan. In his new position, Spicer will play a critical role in representing the president and the agenda of the administration. The way policy is articulated is often very, very important, Frasure said. Sean will be briefed on virtually everything that is going on. Hell be a witness to historyand a participant in it. January 6, 2017 New feed additive could help cut cow methane by 45% A new feed additive to help farmers cut methane emissions from cows could be available as early as next year from Bovaer. Feed additives must go through a proper authorisation The Dalit Question According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, a Brahmins son dies at a young age in the Satya Yugathe age of truthwhen people were supposed to live long, fulfilled lives. Haiti - Elections : The President of Taiwan congratulates Jovenel Moise The President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-wen congratulated the newly elected Haitian President, Jovenel Moise, who was officially declared the winner of the presidential election of Novemeber 20 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19698-haiti-presidential-2016-final-results-jovenel-moise-58th-president.html announced Thursday in a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan. The statement states that Taiwan is looking forward to continued cooperation with Haiti's new government to improve the welfare of the people in both countries. The Taiwanese Chancellery recalls that Taiwan and Haiti have had diplomatic relations since 1956 and of exchanges and close collaboration on programs in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, public health and vocational training. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19705-haiti-politics-portrait-of-jovenel-moise-58th-president-of-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19699-haiti-flash-address-to-the-nation-of-president-elect-jovenel-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19698-haiti-presidential-2016-final-results-jovenel-moise-58th-president.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19690-haiti-flash-bcen-rendered-its-final-decision.html HL/ HaitiLibre A cross party delegation of Irish politicians will travel to Egypt on Monday to visit jailed Irishman Ibrahim Halawa. The man's family in Dublin said they are worried about his health and claimed that he has gone on hunger strike for at least the third time since he was imprisoned over political protests more than three years. He has not eaten for 15 days and is drinking only two cups of water a day, they said. The Irish delegation expects to meet Mr Halawa on Tuesday. His family claimed he has told them in recent days that he would continue refusing food until he is released. "Ibrahim has recommenced his hunger strike because he has reached the stage where he is giving up and is going to continue this hunger strike until he is freed," his sister Somaia said. "We know that Ibrahim is losing the ability to be able to cope with this." Mr Halawa refused food for prolonged periods at least twice before during his incarceration. From Firhouse in Dublin and the son of prominent Muslim cleric Sheikh Hussein Halawa, Ibrahim Halawa was detained in a mosque near Ramses Square in Cairo as the Muslim Brotherhood held a "day of rage" over the removal of their elected president Mohamed Morsi in August 2013. The student marked his 21st birthday in a Cairo jail in the weeks before Christmas. He is awaiting the start of a mass trial, three years on from his detention during a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for January 17. Eamon Ryan, Green Party TD and member of the delegation, said the ultimate goal of the visit was to help secure Mr Halawa's freedom. "The hope is for Ibrahim's return and that an all-party delegation provides a clear diplomatic message that supports his case for return and helps to make that happen," he said. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail accepted an invitation to lead the delegation. The Halawas said: "We welcome the upcoming visit by Oireachtas members to Cairo to visit Ibrahim in prison and to advocate for his immediate release. "We are of course hopeful that this visit will help secure Ibrahim's release but we remain extremely worried, as does he, that this ordeal will just continue and continue." The loss arose from the firm booking a 153m impairment of its entire goodwill as a result of a review of the business in the light of the recommended offer by Sainsburys for the purchase of the owner of Argos, the Home Retail Group. Before the exceptional cost is taken into account, Argos Distributors (Ireland) Ltds losses last year reduced sharply going from 2.56m to 173,000. In newly filed accounts for the company, its directors state that the decreased losses relate to a decline in net operating expenses and an increase in sales. Revenues at the firm increased by 2% going from 223m to 227.5m in the 12 months to the end of February last. Argos has been traditionally a catalogue retailer but also allows its customers buy online but, in common with other bricks and mortar retailers, is coming under increasing competitive pressure from exclusively online retailers. Argos has 40 stores in Ireland and the average revenue per store last year worked out at 5.67m. The numbers employed by the business, here, last year reduced from 1,248 to 1,114 with staff costs decreasing from 19.9m to 18.5m. The loss last year reduced the companys accumulated profits from 162m to 8.3m. At the end of February last, the firms shareholder funds stood at 232.43m down from 391m one year earlier. The firms net operating expenses last year decreased from 63.3m to 56.4m made up of selling costs decreasing from 46.15m to 41.63m and administrative expenses decreasing from 17.1m to 14.7m. The filings show the losses take account of net interest payable charges of 456,000 compared to a net interest receivable of 2.39m in fiscal 2015. The firms cash reduced from 26.6m to 18.9m. The figures also show that the Argos Irelands spend on operating leases decreased marginally from 11.8m to 11.7m in its last financial year. The directors did not recommend the payment of a dividend last year following a dividend of 13,000 in the prior year. Sainsburys CEO Mike Coupe said in November he was more confident than ever in the retailers 1.4bn (1.6bn) takeover of Argos despite falling profits. The UK supermarket company got approval to buy Home Retail Group last summer and concluded the deal in the autumn. Trumps Twitter warning to Toyota unsettles Japan carmakers Donald J Trump sent shivers across the Japanese auto industry on Friday after warning Toyota on Twitter that he would impose a big border tax on the company if it built a new plant in Mexico. County councillors held a meeting yesterday about the decision to house potentially up to 200 Syrians in a hotel in Ballaghaderreen. Fine Gael senator Maura Hopkins, a Ballaghaderreen native, wants a number of questions answered about the resettlement plans. Youre talking about 250 people coming in, she said. Ballaghaderreen has a population of just under 2,000. Thats one in eight people when this happens. We need to know what extra resources will be put in place in order to be convinced that these people are properly supported. Councillors are also irked by the fact the arrival of the Syrian families was allegedly only communicated by email on Thursday by the Department of Justice. An impromptu meeting of the council was arranged so department officials could brief local representatives. Fianna Fail TD Eugene Murphy hit out at the Government and Department of Justice for their appalling lack of consultation over the decision to house the Syrian refugees in the former Abbeyfield Hotel. He said employment options for the wider community would also have to be considered. Much of the hopes and plans around developing Ballaghaderreens tourism potential were linked into this four-star hotel in the town which includes a swimming pool as a tourist destination and now such tourism potential has been dashed, he said. However, the Department of Justice said the Syrian refugees going through the town was a transitional arrangement. While initially 80 people are expected, more would arrive, a spokesman said, but they will then move on. Where a contract is signed the local council is informed at the earliest possible opportunity. This was the case in relation to Ballaghaderreen. Ireland has agreed to accept up to 4,000 refugees under an EU relocation scheme and resettlement programme from UN camps. Childrens Rights Alliance CEO Tanya Ward tweeted yesterday that she hoped communities could support the refugees. Conditions in Greece for refugees are dire, she said. Toyota finished the year just a few units ahead of the years surprise package, Hyundai, which sold 15,442 units, for a 10.53% share. Volkswagen were third, with 15,411 units, and Ford fourth, with 14,603 units. The rest of the top 10 were Nissan, Skoda, Renault, Opel, Kia, and Audi. By Kim Bo-eun The extradition of Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in a massive scandal which has led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, is expected to take some time. Chung, 20, was arrested in Denmark's northern city of Aalborg, Sunday, for staying there illegally. A local Danish court approved a four-week extension of her confinement the following day. Chung appealed, but the higher court denied her appeal. Chung is reported to have accepted the higher court's ruling, but is unwilling to return to Korea under any circumstances, according to a Yonhap report, Friday. Earlier, Chung, who has a 19-month-old son with her, proposed to Korean authorities that she would be willing to go to Korea if she could remain with her son, whether at a welfare center or hospital. The authorities denied her request. She reportedly changed her stance after seeing with her son at the detention center, Thursday. Chung is arguing that her son is the main reason for her not to be extradited, as she will be detained when she arrives in Korea and won't be able to take care of him. By Jan. 30, Danish authorities will review whether the charges Chung faces justify her extradition to Korea. Chung denied the charges against her concerning allegedly receiving favors in admissions and grading in college, as well as being involved in Samsung's provision of funds for her training expenses as a dressage competitor, which is suspected to have been a bribe for business favors from Cheong Wa Dae. Authorities said they will push for another confinement extension if they do not reach a conclusion by the deadline. Meanwhile, the Danish authorities' firm stance on protecting human rights is also seen as a factor which could hinder the process to extradite Chung. Although Chung is in the detention center alone and her son is being taken care of by a nanny, authorities have allowed Chung to meet with her son at the center. Conditions at the detention center where Chung is currently held are also reportedly favorable, allowing access to TV, newspapers and books. In addition, Danish authorities said they will take punitive measures against Korean reporters who took photographs of Chung and recorded her words inside a local court, citing the infringement of Chung's human rights and breaking Danish law. The reporters will likely face fines. She may take the issue to court, even if Danish authorities decide to extradite Chung, and that could take at least several months for the issue to be settled. The independent counsel's probe into the scandal, in the meantime, will finish at the end of February. Chung's case could end up looking similar to that of Yoo Seom-na, the daughter of Yoo Byeong-eun, the deceased owner of the ferry Sewol, which sank and killed over 300 passengers. Seom-na has been fighting an extradition bid for two-years-and-eight-months in France. "A genuinely enduring and democratic peace can now be achieved only by proletarian governments" - Lenin #1917Live 1. The turn in world politics, from imperialist war to open appeals by a number of bourgeois governments for an imperialist peace, coincides with a turn in the development of world socialism. 2. first turn has produced a spate of pious and sentimental pacifist phrases, promises and pledges, with which the imperialist bourgeoisie and the imperialist governments seek to deceive the peoples and peacefully condition them to obediently bear the whole cost of the predatory war, peacefully disarm the millions of proletarians and cover up, by paltry concessions, the preparation for a deal to divide up the colonies and financially (also politically if possible) strangle weak nations. This deal comprises the sum and substance of the projected imperialist peace and is a direct continuation of the existing secret predatory agreements, particularly those concluded during the war, between all the powers of both warring imperialist coalitions. 3.[1] second turn consists in a reconciliation between the social-chauvinists, who have betrayed socialism and defected to bourgeois nationalism or imperialism, and the Zimmerwald Right wing, as represented by Kautsky and Co. in Germany, Turati and Co. in Italy, Longuet Pressemane-Merrheim in France, etc. By uniting on a basis of empty, meaningless and non-committal pacifist phrases, policy, or the policy of social-pacifist phraseology, now predominates in the socialist parties of the chief European countries (see Kautskys five pacifist articles in the German Social-Democratic press and, appearing at the same time, the statement of the social-imperialist leaders in the Chemnitz Volksstimme that they are fully prepared for peace and unity with the Kautskyites on a basis of pacifist phrases; the January 7,1917 pacifist manifesto of the German Kautskyite opposition; the Longuetists and Renaudel and Co. voting together at the French Socialist Party Congress, and Jouhaux and Merrheim, also Broutchoux, at the General Confederation of Labour Congress, for resolutions composed of misleading pacifist phrases; a similar pacifist statement by Turati on December 17, 1916, and the defence of his position by the entire Socialist Party of Italy). Whatever the terms of the peace now being prepared between the present, i.e., bourgeois, governments of both imperialist coalitions, this policy signifies the conversion of socialist and syndicalist (Jouhaux and Merrheim) organisations into a tool of government intrigue and secret imperialist diplomacy. 5. possible terms of the peace now being prepared by the bourgeois governments of both imperialist coalitions are in reality determined by the altered balance of forces which the war has already produced and might still produce. In their basic and principal features the changes are as follows: (a) the German imperialist coalition has up to now proved much stronger than its adversary. The territories occupied by German and German-allied forces are its guarantee in a new imperialist division of the world (colonies, weak countries, finance capitals spheres of of fear of proletarian revolution, the bourgeoisie finds itself compelled in every possible way to conceal and embellish this objective political situation, this imperialist reality. It Is trying to dupe the workers, divert their attention, and the best means to that end is the customary diplomatic duplicity of non-committal, hypocritical phrases about a democratic peace, freedom for small nations in general, armaments restriction, etc. This duping of the people comes all the easier to the imperialist bourgeoisie because, when it speaks of, say, peace without annexations every bourgeoisie has in view annexations by its adversary, and is modestly reticent about annexations it itself has already made. The Germans forget that they have factually annexed not only Constantinople, Belgrade, Bucharest, Brussels, but also Alsace-Lorraine, part of being the objective state of affairs, it is the obvious and imperative task of every sincere socialist policy, every honest proletarian policy (not to speak of conscious Marxist policy) first of all and above all consistently, systematically, boldly and unreservedly to expose the pacifist and democratic hypocrisy of ones own government and ones own bourgeoisie. Lacking that, all talk of socialism, syndicalism, internationalism is a sheer deception of the people. For exposure of annexations by ones imperialist rivals (regardless of whether they are named or merely implied, by denouncing annexations generally or by similar diplomatic methods of concealing ones thoughts) Is the direct concern, the direct business, of all venal journalists, all imperialists, including those that parade, as socialists, such as Scheidemann and Co., Sembat and Co., Plekhanov and Co., etc. 8. and Co., Kautsky and Co., Longuet and Merrheim and Co. utterly fail to understand that this is their direct duty. They represent a definite trend in international socialism and, objectively, in practiceregardless of how supremely virtuous their intentions may beare simply helping their own imperialist bourgeoisie to dupe the people, embellish its imperialist aims. These social-pacifists, i.e., socialists in words and vehicles of bourgeois-pacifist hypocrisy in deeds, now play exactly the same part as the Christian priests, who for centuries sought to embellish the policy of the oppressing classesthe slave-owners, feudals and capitalistsand make their rule acceptable to the oppressed classes by preaching Christian love of ones neighbour and Christs commandments. 9. policy designed not to mislead the workers, but to open their eyes to reality, should consist in the following: Socialists in every country must now, when the question of peace is so directly posed, unfailingly and more vigorously than usual expose their own government and their own bourgeoisie. They must expose the secret agreements they have concluded, and are concluding, with their imperialist allies for the division of colonies, spheres of influence, joint financial undertakings in other countries, buying up of shares, monopoly arrangements, concessions, etc. in this, and in this alone, lies the real, not deceptive, basis and substance of the imperialist peace now being prepared. Everything else is meant to deceive the people. Those who vow and swear by these catchwords are not really supporting a democratic peace without annexations, etc., for real support means exposing, in practice, ones own bourgeoisie, which by its actions is destroying these great principles of true socialism and true democracy. every member of parliament, every editor, every secretary of a labour union, every journalist and public leader can always gather the information kept secret by the government and the financiers that reveals the truth about the real basis of imperialist deals. A socialists failure to fulfil this duty is a betrayal of socialism. There need be no doubt that no government will allow, especially now, free publication of exposures of its real policy, its treaties, financial deals, etc. That is no reason to renounce such exposures. Rather it is a reason to renounce servile submission to the censorship and publish the facts freely, i.e., uncensored, illegally. the Socialist of another country cannot expose the government and bourgeoisie of a country at war with his own nation, and not only because he does not know that countrys language, history, specific features, etc., but also because such exposure is part of imperialist intrigue, and not an internationalist duty. is not an internationalist who vows and swears by internationalism. Only he is an internationalist who in a really internationalist way combats his own bourgeoisie, his own social-chauvinists, his own Kautskyites. ( In every country the Socialist must above all emphasise in all his propaganda the need to distrust not only every political phrase of his own government, but also every In every country the Socialists must above all explain to the masses the indisputable truth that a genuinely enduring and genuinely democratic peace (without annexations, etc.) can now be achieved only if it is concluded not by the present bourgeois governments, or by bourgeois governments in general, but by proletarian governments that have overthrown the rule of the bourgeoisie and are proceeding to expropriate it. war has reaffirmed clearly enough and in a very practical way a truth which prior to the war was repeated by all the socialist leaders who have now gone over to the bourgeoisie, namely, that modern capitalist society, particularly[2] in the advanced countries, has fully matured for the transition to socialism, if, for instance, Germany can direct the economic life of 66 million people from a single centre, and strain the peoples energies to wage a predatory war in the interests of 100 or 200 financial magnates or aristocrats, the monarchy, etc., then the same can be done, in the interests of nine-tenths of the population, by the non-propertied masses if their struggle is directed by class-conscious workers, liberated from social-imperialist and social-pacifist influence. propaganda for socialism must be refashioned from abstract and general to concrete and directly practical: expropriate the banks and, relying on the masses, carry out in their interests the very same thing the W.U.M.B.A.[3] is carrying out in Germany! ( In every country the socialist must explain to the masses the indisputable truth that, if the phrase democratic peace is to be taken seriously, sincerely and honestly, and not merely used as a false Christian phrase meant to conceal an imperialist peace, then the workers have only one means of really achieving such a peace right now. That means is to turn their weapons against their own government (i.e., follow the advice of Karl Liebknecht, for which he has been what our Party manifesto of November 1, 1914[4] defined as turning the imperialist war into a civil war of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie and for socialism). Basle Manifesto of November 24, 1912, signed by all the socialist parties, had in view the very war that is now raging. And when it threatened the governments with proletarian revolution in connection with the imminent war, when it referred to the Paris Commune, it spoke the truth, a truth from which the betrayers of socialism are now cowardly retreating. For if in 1871 the Paris workers could utilise the excellent weapons given them by Napoleon III in pursuance of his ambitious plans, to make their heroic attempt, admired by socialists the world over, to over throw bourgeois rule and capture power for the introduction of socialismthen a similar attempt is a thousand times more achievable, possible and likely to succeed now, when a much larger number of better organised and more class-conscious workers of several countries are in possession of much better weapons, and when with every passing day the course of the war is enlightening and revolutionising the masses. In all countries the chief obstacle to initiating systematic propaganda and agitation in this spirit is definitely not the fatigue of the masses, as the Scheidemanns plus Kautsky, etc., falsely plead. The masses are not yet tired of shooting and will continue to shoot even more in the spring, unless their class enemies come to some arrangement about dividing up Turkey, Rumania, Armenia, Africa, etc. The chief obstacle is the faith part of the class-conscious workers have in the social-imperialists and social-pacifists. Todays major task must be to destroy the faith in these trends, ideas, methods of policy. what extent such an attempt is feasible, from the standpoint of the sentiment of the broad masses, can only be proved by launching this type of agitation and propaganda everywhere and in the most resolute and energetic way; by giving the most sincere and devoted support to all revolutionary manifestations of the mounting mass resentment, to the strikes and demonstrations that are forcing the Russian any case, the alternative which socialists must clearly place before the masses is this: either continue to kill each other for capitalist profits, put up with the high cost of living, hunger, the burden of a debt running into billions, and accept the farce of an imperialist truce veiled by democratic and reformist promises, or rise in revolt against the bourgeoisie. revolutionary party which openly, before the whole world, threatened the governments with proletarian revolution in the event of such a war as is now being waged, would be committing moral suicide if it did not urge the workers, and the masses generally, to direct all thought and effort towards revolt, now that the masses are so excellently armed, so excellently trained in the art of warfare, and fed up with the absurdity of this criminal imperialist shambles, which up to now they have been helping. ( Socialists must centre their activity on the struggle against reformism, which has always corrupted the revolutionary labour movement by injecting bourgeois ideas, and has now assumed a somewhat special form, namely: reliance on the reforms the bourgeoisie is supposed to carry out after the war! Reformists argue that in urging, popularising and preparing the socialist revolution of the proletariat, we are losing sight of the practical aspect, forfeiting our chances to win reforms. argument, customary both to social-chauvinists and supporters of Kautsky, who has even denounced street demonstrations as adventuristic, is thoroughly unscientific, fundamentally false, a bourgeois lie. the course of the war world capitalism has taken a forward step not only towards concentration in general, but also towards transition from monopoly in general to state capitalism on a much broader scale than before. Economic reforms in this direction are inevitable. the political sphere, the imperialist war has demonstrated it does not follow from this that Social-Democrats can, without betraying their cause, vote for or support such imperialist reforms. bourgeois reformism, which in substance is the position of Kautsky, Turati and Merrheim, poses the question thus: either renunciation of revolution and that means reforms, or no reforms at all. all the experience of world history, like the experience of the 1905 Russian Revolution, teaches us the very opposite: either revolutionary class struggle, of which reforms are always a by-product (when the revolution is not completely successful), or no reforms at all. the only effective force that compels change is popular revolutionary energy, providing it does not remain on paper, as has been the case in the Second International, but finds expression in comprehensive mass revolutionary propaganda, agitation and organisation conducted by parties marching at the head of the revolution, not limping along in its tail. by openly proclaiming revolution, by purging the workers parties of all who oppose revolution or sceptically accept itonly by giving every aspect of party activity a revolutionary content, can Social-Democracy, in such critical eras of world history as the present one, guarantee the masses either complete success of their cause if the revolution is supported by very broad masses, or reforms, i.e., concessions by the bourgeoisie, if the revolution is only partially successful. if the Scheidemann and Kautsky policy prevails, there is no guarantee that the reforms will not be Socialists must make a serious effort to bring to reality Karl Liebknechts slogan. The popularity that name enjoys among the masses is a guarantee that revolutionary activity is both possible and likely to succeed. The attitude of Scheidemann and Co., Kautsky and Co. towards that name is an example of hypocrisy: in words they swear by the Liebknechts of all countries; in deeds they combat Liebknechts tactics. broke not only with the Scheidemanns (Renaudels, Plekhanovs, Bissolatis), but also with the Kautsky trend (Longuet, Axelrod, Turati). declared, as early as October 2, 1914, in his letter to the Party Executive: habe erklart, dass die deutsche Partei, nach meiner innersten uberzeugung, von der Haut bis zum Mark regeneriert werden muss, wenn sie das Recht nicht verwirken will, sich sozialdemokratisch zu nennen, wenn sie sich die jetzt grundlich verscherzte Achtung der Welt wiedererwerben will. (Klassenkampf gegen den Krieg! Material zum Fall Liebknecht. Seite 22.) (Geheim gedruckt in Deutschland: Als Manuskript gedruckt.)[5] parties should take up Liebknechts slogan and it would certainly be ridiculous to even think of being able to turn it into effect without ridding the party of the Scheidemanns, Legiens, Renaudels, Sembats, Plekhanovs, Vanderveldes and Co., or without denouncing the policy of concessions to the trend represented by Kautsky, Turati, Longuet and Merrheim. * * * 10. therefore suggest a conference of Zimmerwald supporters to discuss the following proposals: pacifism of a definite trendLonguet-Merrheim, Kautsky, Turati, et .,already rejected in principle at Kienthal, and its concrete defence by these representatives of the afore-mentioned trends should be decisively and unconditionally rejected as bourgeois reformism (on the basis of the theses formulated above). (2) similarly decisive organisational break with social-chauvinism. (3) to the working class its immediate and urgent revolutionary tasks, precisely in connection with the fact that the masses have lost patience with the war and the lying milk-and-water pacifist phrases of the bourgeoisie. (4) brand as a complete break with the spirit and decisions of Zimmerwald and Kienthal, and condemn as such, the policy of the Italian Socialist Party, which is following a patently pacifist path, and the policy of the Swiss Social-Democratic Party, which on November 4, 1916 in Zurich voted to permit indirect taxes, and on January 7, 1917, through an alliance between the Centrist R. Grimm and the social-patriots Greulich, G. Muller and Co., secured indefinite postponement of the special party congress called for February 11, 1917 to discuss the war issue, and which now meekly accepts the outright ultimatum of these same social-patriot leaders, who openly threaten to resign from parliament if the party rejects fatherland defence. sad experience of the Second International has clearly demonstrated the immense damage caused by combining, in actual practice, general revolutionary decisions, formulated in general phrases, with reformist actionswhen professions of internationalism are attended by refusal jointly to discuss, in a truly internationalist manner, fundamental problems of the tactics of each individual party as a component part of the international union. to the Zimmerwald Conference and at the Conference itself, our Party considered it its duty to acquaint the comrades with our irrevocable condemnation of pacifism and abstract preachment of peace as a bourgeois deception (a German translation of our Partys resolution, in the pamphlet Socialism and War,[6] and a French translation, in a separate has now been definitely establishedof this we are profoundly convincedthat the Zimmerwald majority, or the Zimmerwald Right, has made a roundabout turn not towards struggle against social-chauvinism, but towards complete surrender to it, towards merger with it on a platform of empty pacifist phrases. And we consider it our duty openly to state that to support, in these circumstances, the illusion of Zimmerwald unity and Zimmerwald struggle for the Third International would cause the greatest damage to the labour movement. We declare, not as a threat or ultimatum, but as an open notification of our decision, that unless the situation changes we shall not remain a member of the Zimmerwald group. Note [1] with 4. Lenin [2] the manuscript, the words at any rate are written over the word particularly.Ed. [3] und MunitionsbeschaffungsamtWeapons and Ammunition Supply Department.Ed. [4] [ FOOTNOTE.] Lenin [5] have declared my deep conviction that, if it does not want to forfeit the right to call itself a Social-Democratic party, if it wants to restore its prestige in the eyes of the world, now so thoroughly under mined, the German party must be regenerated from top to bottom. (Class Struggle Against the War! Materials in the Liebknecht Case, p. 22.) (Printed secretly in Germany: Published as a manuscript.)Ed. [6] [ FOOTNOTE.] Lenin [7] rough draft was written early in January 1917. The manuscript bears this note by Lenin: (for the I.S.C. and publication in the press). January 7, 1917, Robert Grimm, the Kautskyite Chairman of the International Socialist Committee, induced the Swiss Social-Democratic Party Executive to postpone indefinitely the emergency party congress on the war issue, despite objections from the Left. On the same day the Centrist opposition in the German Social-Democratic Party held a conference in Berlin and adopted a pacifist manifesto framed by Kautsky, Ein Friedensmanifest der deutschen Parteiopposition (Peace Manifesto of the German Party Opposition), later published in a number of German newspapers and in the Swiss Socialist Volksrecht of January 11. Since this signified an open alliance of the Right Zimmerwaldists with the social-chauvinists, Lenin altered his draft but decided to postpone its publication. The manuscript bears his note: Written before January 7, 1917 and therefore partly obsolete. Later, using the draft as a basis, Lenin wrote his appeal To the Workers Who Support the Struggle Against the War and Against the Socialists Who Have Sided with Their Governments. Tusker found dead in paddy field A wild elephant was found dead at Kha Gaun in Purnabas Municipality, Kanchanpur on Friday. JAN. 6: Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM cites a Reds source in reporting that theres still a possibility of a trade that would send Phillips to Atlanta, with the Reds picking up the majority of the money that remains on the contract. He adds, though, that Reds executives acknowledge that they made promises and assurances to Phillips that they are not living up to and will need to work through those issues with Phillips before a deal. Moving Phillips would allow the Reds to clear an easier path to playing time for Jose Peraza and potentially for Dilson Herrera as well. JAN. 5: The Reds had worked out a deal that would have sent second baseman Brandon Phillips to the Braves, but he utilized his no-trade protection to scuttle the arrangement, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Phillipss no-trade clause previously got in the way of potential trades last winter. While Phillips is a Georgia native who (per Rosenthal) owns a home in Atlanta, he still wasnt amenable to the move. There was no discussion of an extension this time around, according to the report; the Braves would not have been interested, and Phillips made his view clear before that subject was even broached. This latest episode raises the question whether the 35-year-old Phillips will ever be a movable asset for Cincinnati, which had been set to retain a significant portion of his $14MM salary as part of the proposed trade. Hes in the final year of his contract, and it seems all but inevitable that hell land elsewhere after the 2017 season. But Phillips is still holding firm on his desire to remain in Cincinnati as something of a matter of principle, per Rosenthal, who says that Phillips would only be willing to sign onto a deal if certain, unspecified issues are dealt with by any acquiring team. While Phillips is more than entitled to utilize the no-trade clause (which he earned through ten-and-five rights) in whatever manner he chooses, its certainly something of an odd situation. The Reds have a variety of young infielders theyd surely like to expose more to the majors in the coming year, which could bite into Phillipss own playing time. Long a productive regular who combined excellent glovework with solid overall offensive production, Phillips has declined of late. Since the start of the 2014 season, he has slashed .285/.319/.396, which amounts to slightly below-average (94 OPS+) work at the plate. Phillips has returned to running more, though his 14 stolen bases in 2016 came at the cost of being caught on eight other attempts. And hes still good for about a dozen home runs per year. The most concerning change, perhaps, comes on the defensive side. Phillips has long rated as a well-above-average defender at second, but took a bit of a step back in 2015 and drew negative metrics in his most recent season. Still, Phillips would represent a steadying presence in the right organization particularly, one that has taken a positive view through recent scouting assessments. If he can bounce back in the field, theres reason to hope that he could put up a season worthy of regular play despite the fact that he was worth less than one win above replacement last year. A right-handed hitter, Phillips has never carried drastic platoon splits and actually fared better against same-handed pitching in 2016. Though its still theoretically possible that the sides could revisit a deal, Rosenthal says thats not seen as a likely scenario. When Rodriguez inked his deal in late November, that added a second-base-capable, right-handed bat and perhaps absorbed some of the salary that might have been allocated to Phillips. We explore a myriad of trade opportunities, Braves GM John Coppolella tells MLB.coms Mark Bowman, some which make more progress than others, and some which get more media attention than others. Trades arent done until they are done. That being said, its still imaginable that Atlanta will consider moving to bolster its mix at second and third base. Rodriguez has experience at both spots, creating some flexibility. But its far from clear that Adonis Garcia will be a worthwhile semi-regular at the hot corner. The left-handed-hitting Jace Peterson is also on hand, of course, and perhaps top prospect Ozzie Albies will be ready sooner than later, but the Braves have already made several 2017-centric moves, attempting to improve the near-term outlook without sacrificing the future. If Atlanta does take a look at adding another infielder, there are any number of trade targets that it could pursue. And the open market still features a variety of second and third basemen that might conceivably be of interest. That includes righty hitters such as Aaron Hill and Trevor Plouffe, as well as lefty bats like Luis Valbuena, Chase Utley, Stephen Drew, Chris Coghlan, and of course perennial favorite Kelly Johnson. *An earlier version of this post incorrectly suggested that Phillipss decision was influenced by the signing of Rodriguez. He's been on international media platforms viz. Al Jazeera & CNN to talk about how the Hiplife music genre he created in the mid 90's was birth, and come next Sunday January 8 on the Voice of America (VOA), Reginald Yaw Asante Osseibetter known as Reggie Rockstone would once again narrate the story of Hiplife to the world. The England-born Ghanaian will not only talk about Hiplife but would also use the opportunity to share with VOA's global audience how his musical journey began and the Hiphop group he started with in the UK. Coupled with this, the dusky dreadlocks rapper will touch on why he decided to relocate, jet into Ghana in 1994 and settle here. Grand Papa, as he's affectionately called will also talk about the Hiplife group, VVIP (formerly known as VIP) he's currently a member of, and also speak on other issues vis-a-vis Ghanaian music. According to VOA's Eugene Selorm Owusu, "Reggie wouldn't just talk about how Hiplife started this time around. He will reveal to the world for the first time how the idea was hatched and what inspired it. Suffice it to say that he's going to take a trip down memory lane." "This interview will be revealing, thus I implore all and sundry to tune in and listen", he adds. The interview airs on the Music Time In Africa show, hosted by Dr. Heather Maxwell on Sunday, January 8 at 09:00 GMT, 15:00 GMT and 20:00 GMT on the VOA Radio, which can be accessed in Accra Ghana on 98.1 FM and www.voanews.com across the globe. A repeat broadcast is on Friday, January 13 at 21:00 GMT and Saturday, January 14 at 09:00 GMT, 15:00 GMT and20:00 GMT respectively. Issiaka Ouattara (C), spokesperson of the mutinous soldiers who took over Ivory Coast's second city of Bouake, speaks to journalists after negotiations with the defence minister (unseen) on January 7, 2017 in Bouake. By Sia KAMBOU (AFP) 07.01.2017 LISTEN Abidjan (AFP) - Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara announced Saturday he has reached an agreement with soldiers who seized the second city Bouake in an pay protest that spread to the economic capital Abidjan. "I confirm my agreement to take into account the demands relating to bonuses and improving the living conditions of soldiers," Ouattara said in a brief declaration broadcast on television. "Having given my agreement, I ask all soldiers to go back to their barracks to allow decisions to be carried out calmly," he added, without giving details of the deal. The announcement came after shots rang out at a military base in Abidjan as soldiers put up barricades in the city, a day after troops took over Bouake, firing rocket launchers in the streets and terrifying residents. The soldiers are seeking bonuses, pay rises and faster promotion. The deal was reached after a meeting between Defence Minister Alain Richard Donwahi and a delegation of the mutineers in Bouake. The situation had dramatically escalated Saturday as the unrest spread to Abidjan, the bustling commercial hub of the world's largest cocoa producer and home to the presidency, government and parliament. Soldiers also took to the streets of Daloa and Daoukro in the country's centre as well as Korhogo in the north on Friday. Though the protests there eased, the unrest had spread to Man in the west as well as Abidjan by Saturday. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. The massacre of 809 people by armed herdsmen in Southern Kaduna creates tension between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria but the deployment of the military to the crisis zone raises hope normalcy will soon return to the area to enable thousands of displaced person rebuild their lives YOHANA Gandu Chawai, national public relations officer of Chawai Development Association, will not forget Sunday, November 13, 2016, in a hurry. It was the day he escaped death by the whiskers but lost his bossom friend, who was hale and hearty, slept in his room the previous night after they had discussed business and believed everything was okay. It was also the day his three relatives; five classmates and 43 others in Angwa-Magari in Kauru Local government in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State were murdered in cold blood. They were all massacred by the rampaging herdsmen who besieged the villages at 3pm on that fateful day shooting and butchering human beings like goats, and burning more than 100 houses. Among those who lost their lives was Clever Kusah, a big time farmer and a grains trader, who was killed along with his wife and three children, leaving only one son who escaped because he went to visit his grandparents. The herdsmen numbering more than 200 were on a revenge mission after a farmer, his son and friends chased away one Alhaji Haruna, a Fulani man and his cattle from their farmland which they had cleared for cultivation and sprayed with herbicides. According to Chawai, who escaped because he was in the ECWA Church where they were doing fund raising, the case was reported to the police. While both parties were at the police station, fight broke out which the police settled, asking Haruna to pick up the bills. When they departed the police station and returned to the village, Haruna, who had an AK47 rifle, shot sporadically into the air to prevent villagers from coming to attack him while his family packed their belongings and retreated outside the village near the boundaries of Kaduna near Ghanawuri in Riom local government of Plateau State in anger. Afterwards the youth went back to the village to burn his hut. Consequently, Haruna threatened to return to deal with the villagers. First, he allegedly ambushed four villagers who were returning home oblivious of an earlier scuffle in the village. The cattle rearer allegedly killed three of the villagers while the fourth person escaped to alert the villagers who went after Haruna and his family in the hills where they had fled. The villagers not seeing them killed a cow and a calf in retaliation. This action further enraged Haruna who vow to deal with them and their neigbhours. As Chawai narrated, the carnage could have been avoided if the police took serious the intelligence villagers gave them that Haruna, who migrated from Plateau state to the area four years ago, had hired mercenaries to attack them. He said that the policemen detailed to protect the village left to eat at 2pm and the armed herdsmen struck at exactly 3pm as intelligence report had stated. Within two hours of the invasion, the mercenaries inflicted untold havoc in the village before the police returned to their duty post. The experience is sorrowful. It has not been easy. What we have was a collateral damage. Some of the victims were young and very promising. We cannot quantify our feelings. For us, it is as if the world has come to an end. We saw how human life was reduced to nothing. It was like the end of the world has come; an experience we cannot wish on our enemies. They burnt all the houses in Kigam, and the ECWA Church and after burning it, also pulled it down, Chawai painfully told Realnews on January 5. Dambazau The carnage in Chawais Local government is one of the series of raids that took place in Southern Kaduna villages recently. It culminated in the December 24, Christmas Eve massacre of residents of Goska village and other surrounding communities in Jemaa Local Governement Area of Kaduna state. Suspected armed herdsmen stormed the villages in a commando style, shot villagers dead and burnt houses. Ibrahim Auta, a native of Goska, who witnessed the attack, said the gunmen numbering more than 100, invaded the village at about 6pm on that fateful day when the people were preparing for Christmas and opened fire on them. The shooting and burning down of houses sparked pandemonium in the area. Those who were lucky to escape the gunfire, fled their homes to neighbouring communities and are still there till date. Others, who do not have anywhere to go, are currently camped at a primary school by the State Emergency Management Agency. Prior to this, killings in Southern Kaduna have been on since 2014 but worsen in August 2016. In November 2016, scores of people were killed in Godogodo and Ninte villages when the same suspected herdsmen invaded the villages. The bandits also razed down houses and farmlands. Up till now, the villages still remain a ghost town as the natives are yet to return for fear of a fresh attack. Residents of the affected villages are still counting the cost of the mayhem, which forced Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State, to visit the area three times in two months. Mourning, anger and hopelessness can best describe the mood of these people who have been sacked from their ancestral homes by the gunmen. Women, men, children and even the aged ones have become refugees in their own land over what they described as mans wickedness against humanity. The attack also affected socio-economic activities in the communities as children are out of school while farming activities have been brought to a halt. Presently, four local government areas namely Kaura, Jemaa, Kauru and Zango Kataf were affected by the attack while about 10,000 people were reportedly displaced. The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, put the number of those killed at 809, a figure Ibrahim Idris, inspector general of police, IGP, dismissed during his visit to Kafanchan, headquarter of Jemaa LGA. Reverend Father Ibrahim Yakubu, vicar general of Catholic Diocese in Kafanchan told journalists that 53 villages have so far been attacked and 57 people injured. The church also accused government and security agencies of not doing enough to protect the people of the area from being attacked by the armed bandits. Yakubu said, Four local government areas have been attacked with 1,422 houses, 16 Churches, 19 shops, and one primary school destroyed. Unfortunately, our government both at the centre and State levels have failed woefully. The church has demanded for an immediate end to attacks in the area and compensation to all families that lost loved ones or property. It has also called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the causes of the crisis. We call on Southern Kaduna indigenes to remain steadfast in prayer, united, strong and never to cave in to the antics of our adversaries. Tribe and denominational differences shouldnt put a chasm between us, he said. Reacting on behalf of his people, Reuben Turbi, president general of the Town Union, lamented how the herdsmen have been terrorising them and destroying their farmlands in recent time, He appealed to both the federal and state government to come to their rescue. Among other demands, they want a police station and military outpost to be located in the area in order to repel future attacks. The state government had also imposed a 24-hour-curfew in three LGAs , Jemaa, Kaura and Zango Kataf in the aftermath of a violent protest by indigenes of southern Kaduna. The natives had during the protest accused the state government and security agencies of not doing enough to stop the attacks against their people. Sequel to the attacks, Governor El-Rufai was constrained to make a statement on the potential consequences of reprisal attacks and the effort to pacify aggrieved parties. This include tracing the aggrieved herdsmen to neighbouring West African countries and the assurance by the state government to compensate the herdsmen whose animals were killed in the post-election violence in southern Kaduna. The communities visited by the governor include Chawai Chiefdom in Kauru Local Government area of the state. The governor, who was accompanied by heads of security agencies in the state and top government functionaries during the visit, condemned the act in its entirety and however, appealed to the residents of the communities to bury their differences in the interest of peace and security. He also vows to prosecute anyone or group found to be involved in the wanton killings. The governor had previously said that he begged and paid his Fulani herdsmen who are his kinsmen to stop the killings. Ayokunle Nonetheless, Agyelo Abeh, Kaduna State Police commissioner, said the crises situation in the southern area has been brought under control. He told journalists that the police and other security agencies have deployed enough personnel to contain any form of lawlessness. According to him, the police command is adequately prepared to maintain law and order not only in Southern Kaduna but in other parts of Kaduna State, adding: Security is everyones business, it cannot be achieved by the police alone, but through collective efforts. Traditional rulers, religious leaders and other citizens must help to ensure peace in Southern Kaduna. The best way to resolve crisis is through dialogue. He, however, dismissed figures of casualties bandied by some groups on the Southern Kaduna crisis, describing the figure as highly exaggerated. The government has institutions charged with the responsibility of going in to find out the true positions of things and give the figures, he said, adding, the police would release details of its investigation on the crisis as soon as it was concluded. This notwithstanding, prominent Nigerians have criticised the federal government for remaining silent while the killings in Southern Kaduna persists. The recent clashes between farmers and herdsmen have also pit Christians and Muslims. Unlike the previous butchery of human beings by criminally minded herdsmen in Enugu and Benue, the Southern Kaduna fiasco have also pushed Christian clerics and government officials into a war of words. These have made pundits to think that if the crisis is not well handled it could degenerate into a religious war. No doubt, this could spell doom for Nigeria, a country already bedeviled by Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and Niger Delta militancy. This must be why Abdulrahman Dambazzau, minister of interior, railed at Christian clerics for their sharp criticisms that the federal government did little to prevent the wave of ethno-religious crisis in the Southern part of Kaduna State. The national leadership of CAN and the Catholic Church in Southern Kaduna had accused Islamist herdsmen of trying to wipe out the Christian-dominated and largely agrarian communities in the area. True religious leaders do not fan the embers of hate, but ensure that communities live in peace and harmony, Dambazzau said in a statement by his press secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, last week. The statement urged all well-meaning Nigerians not to allow themselves to be dragged into religious conflicts. The minister said there were people who were always looking for ways to further create division along religious or ethnic fault lines for their selfish interest, with the aim of creating instability in our internal security. He said that economic growth and development will remain a mirage for Nigeria, with over 500 ethnic groups and multiple religions, unless we resolve to live amicably as a people with common destiny. According to him, criminals, who perpetrate violence against innocent, law-abiding citizens, do not discriminate along religious and ethnic lines, citing examples of how communities in Zamfara, Katsina, Taraba, Enugu, Lagos and Niger were victimised by those violent criminals. He said that a criminal should be treated as such, whether he is involved in armed robbery, drug trafficking, homicide or cattle rustling, and that people should avoid honouring criminals with religious or ethnic attachment. He advised opinion and religious leaders to refrain from giving the crisis between herdsmen and sedentary farmers in Southern Kaduna a religious connotation, rather attention should be focused on the real enemies of our society, who illegally acquire weapons to terrorise Christian and Muslim communities alike. Victims of the Kaduna carnage But CAN, Kaduna State branch, swiftly reprimanded Dambazzau for his insinuations against Christian leaders in Kaduna State, urging him to: Shut up if he has nothing to say. Similarly, Musa Asake, general secretary of National CAN, described the ministers statement as unfortunate, insisting that saying things the way they are does not amount to fanning embers of hate as he suggested. How can somebody be talking like that? We do not exaggerate or say negative things like some people. Agreeing, Sunday Ibrahim, secretary of CAN, Kaduna State chapter, said: The statement attributed to Dambazzau came to us with the least of surprise because of his antecedent on matters like this. If Dambazzau has no interest in solving our security problems, he should shut up, just like President Muhammadu Buhari has kept mute also. Why should Dambazzau not wait for the much talked about investigation into the massacre and bring out a conclusion that may rubbish our claim? What do you call continuous killings and destruction of Christian communities with gunmen chanting Islamic slogans all the time? In areas where there are Muslims, such as Godogodo, Akwa, Golkofa, Gada Biyu, in Jemaa LGA, the homes of Muslims and the Muslim residents there were not touched. But not a Christian home or church is standing in the other areas. What do you call that? Also, he pointed out that in Chaiwai Chiefdom, Kauru, LGA, where five villages were sacked and 45 people killed in November, the survivors said the gunmen were chanting Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar. They shot and killed pigs in the villages, also stole goats and grains and burnt the churches and houses there. We have visited some of these places and the evidence is on ground. ECWA Church addressed a press conference in Kaduna, last October or was it November, and said that all their churches in affected towns and villages had been burnt. The Catholic Church knows its casualties, so do Anglican, Baptist Church and the rest. The statement of Dambazzau is either to cover his shame for his refusal to stop Jihadist herdsmen or he is out to intimidate CAN not to reveal to the world the atrocity that herdsmen are doing at cleansing Christian communities in Southern Kaduna. He then asked whether as the minister of interior has visited Southern Kaduna to see things for himself. He observed that first time the minister commented on the crisis was to cast aspersions Christian leaders instead of saying comforting words to them. Islamists want to destroy Christianity in Southern Kaduna and occupy the land. And right now, they are occupying 16 villages in Southern Kaduna with their cattle and families after terrorising out the Christian natives. Let him come and see with his own eyes if CAN is lying. We are still waiting for the same reaction of the federal government in Zamfara and Katsina just a day or two after gunmen killed several people there. We are happy they got the killers and have secured these states. Since April last year, we have been shouting hoarse and pleading. All we get from the inspector general of police and now the minister of Interior is that we have no right to describe the killings in its true form, while the two just sit and watch on, he said. Southern Kaduna killings Despite the war of words between the Christian clerics and the federal government, Bukola Saraki, senate president, has said that the Senate would commence investigation into the latest killings in southern Kaduna State once the National Assembly resumes January 10. Saraki made the announcement in a statement by Bamikole Omishore, his special assistant on New Media issued in Abuja, last week. Omishore said the senate president made the disclosure while responding to a tweet posted by one Chimeze Ukoha on the Kaduna killings. The statement quoted Ukoha as saying that About 800 Christians were massacred in Southern Kaduna and nobody is talking about that, very bad Every Nigerian life matters and the senate will work to ensure that rule of law is always upheld as prescribed by the Nigerian Constitution. The statement explained that Saraki is already in touch with senators from Kaduna State and that he is constantly getting updates on developments. On his part, Muhammad Saad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto and president-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, has condemned the Southern Kaduna killings. He said fundamental Islamic law forbids the unlawful destruction of lives and properties except for a just cause, calling on the authorities to put an end to the violence. This may be why Brigadier General Sani Usman, director of Army Public Relations, last week, informed journalists in Abuja, that: The Nigerian Army is fully on ground in the southern part of Kaduna State. It is our hope and prayer that the problem that requires this will be nipped in the bud. The Nigerian Army has made provision for military establishment in that part and any moment from now, we are going to have it. But leaders of Southern Kaduna do not have absolute confidence in the security agencies who allegedly looked the other way while the carnage took place. They also accuse not only Buhari but other past presidents of the country of a conspiracy of silence while their people perish in the hands f Jihadists. Isuwa Dogo, former chairman of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, who traced recent killings to have started in 2014, added that the jihadists now plan total annihilation of the locals which he prayed will not happen. He told Channels Television on Friday, January 6, that the killers are hiding in the bushes and that helicopter was being used to drop arms and ammunition to them in the night by their sponsors who could be government officials. Contrarily, Ibrahim Abdullahi, assistant national secretary of Myetti Allah traced the crisis to the post-election crisis in 2011 which affected pastoralists moving their cattle through the stock route which some farmers decided to cultivate. According to him, the stock routes are recognised and supported by international conventions and laws which Nigeria is also a signatory to. He recalled the previous government of former Governor Patrick Yakowa, who is from Southern Kaduna, set up a peace committee which led to a memorandum of understanding to end the hostilities between the farmers and the herdsmen. Unfortunately, the peace agreement did not work as the attacks have continued leading to another committee led by General Martins Agwai which came up with its own recommendation to foster peace in the area. Clearly, this also has not worked. Simon Magajis residence burnt down However, the silver lining right now is that President Buhari broke his silence on the Southern Kaduna Killings. In a statement issued by Garba Shehu, media aide to the president and made available to journalist on Thursday, January 5, said Buhari had over the past week given instructions for decisive measures aimed at bringing to an end the recurring violence in the Southern part of Kaduna State. It was because of the directive that the IGP visited the area on Saturday and Sunday to assess the situation first hand. The statement said that in addition to the conventional policemen deployed in the area, a squadron of mobile policemen has now been stationed there while the military continues to carry out air surveillance across flash points in the area. Buhari has equally directed the National Emergency Management Agency to carry out a joint assessment of the situation with sister agency in Kaduna, SEMA, to determine the level of response required for urgent aid to the victims of violence. These measures should ensure the return of normalcy to the region, while the Kaduna State government continues its peace building efforts, the president said in addition to condoling those who lost there loved one in the violence. It is, however, pertinent to state that Kaduna state is not new to conflicts and violence. Its history of religious riots dates back to 1987 with that in Kafanchan in the College of Education. The state has also witnessed civil disturbances in Kasuwan Magani, Kafanchan, Zangon Kataf, the 1999 installation fights, the Sharia riots, Miss World riots, the Cartoon riots, 2011 post-election riots, and that which followed the church bombing by Boko Haram in 2013. There was also the Shiite Islamic sects clash with the military in 2016 where more than 300 people were killed. Except for the jailing of some prominent elite from the region by a judicial commission of inquiry following the attempted ethnic cleansing in Zangon Kataf, not one citizen anywhere has been punished by the State for the killings and arson. It is hoped that the deployment of the military to the crisis zone, the palpable tension still hovering in the air there will give way to normalcy so the dead can rest in peace and the living can rebuild their battered lives. As Abdulaziz Ibrahim, lawyer and native of Southern Kaduna noted: It is a good thing that the government is trying to set up a military formation there; a welcome development and we hoped that when they come they will be able to enforce peace. I think the military will do their best. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt because I know they will not go into the communities and start to antagonise them. Reported by Anayo Ezugwu and Chimezie Enyiocha. Some of us are agasp when it comes to the general concept of Ghanaian jurisprudence and the selectively tacky manner, in majority of instances, how the laws are interpreted when they border on issues of interest both national and international.. No sooner was "cocaine girl" affair popped up than did we have judicial subpoena or order to consficate the alleged 'cocaine' girl's assets. The rush to use as basis another country's prosecution and conviction automatically as ours left a lot to desire The cocaine girl's case and several other similar instances where we capitalized on convictions of our nationals on drug-related, or any other offence committed by our nationals in other countries to automatically equate to fit into our justice system has been a in practice for years Those who really know and are charged with the sole responsibility ( attorneys, judges and justices) of interpretation and application of our laws, could be unconsciously miss-applying the laws in disjointed and disconnected manner The scenario would have been different if the person, Ghanaian or non-Ghanaian is caught in crocodile's jaw of committing drug-related crime or offence in Ghana, tried and convicted in Ghana, then we can apply the law of forfeiture to consficate the assets Such unprofessional attitude and approach put us in lame spot in the eyes of international communities Countries which are up to the brim with national pride and are willing to use sovereignty and their justice system to protect and enhance fundamental human rights of their citizens, are doing theirs as thus: Amanda Knox a US citizen and one of the suspects in murder trial of fellow exchange student, Meredith Kercher, British citizen in Perugia, Umbria, Italy, was handed over to US due to open diplomatic ties that exist between the two countries Knox was handed over to US on the pretext of she serving the jail term but upon arrival, she was let loose The reason why Amanda Knox couldn't be obliged in US to serve a jail term or retried in US, though she was convicted in ltaly, borders largely on sovereignty, because US can't use litigations in another country to represent theirs and much less use forensic evidence gathered by ltalian authorities to prosecute her Things would been far from over for Knox if she happens to be a Ghanaian. Well, same judicial lapses could have culminated in Woyome saga, a case of 'double jeopardy' une dois acquit et autrefois convict Before we go further into Woyome brouhaha which is becoming more of tribal vendetta per my understanding, than political or even ethical cum moral, when he was attacked in super mall with tribal slur, let's ask ourselves, dear readers, one pertinent question: 'In bleak prognosis scenario where somebody is sentenced to death in Ghana on crimes he never committed and that person has no means to appeal the case what happens?' That is why am completely enthused with the setup of spanish justice system, where the supreme court monitors simultaneously precedings, if not all, at least those with special interest, like "Woyome" case for example, once the supreme court is suspicious of a verdict delivered by one of the courts of lower jurisdiction, the supreme court of cassation automatically annuls the verdict before it takes effect and without the necessity of anybody officially filing writ of appellate/supreme court I hope supreme court/s in Ghana will be doing the same thing. The supreme court in Ghana is part of the blame, because the highest court of the land forms part of the justice system that ordered the payment of the judgement debt to Woyome US jurisprudence can be likened to ours but what makes US justice system different from ours, all the courts of lower and higher jurisdiction are competent. In other words the courts low in authority unlike those we have in Ghana, as evidenced in Woyome gate, do not need supreme Court monitoring Certain cases fall within certain jurisdiction, that is to say, it depends the case at hand will determine which court it should be heard - the so-called admissibility of a case. In other words you risk having your case thrown out without being heard when it is filed at wrong court We live in a country where more than 50% of disputes are mediated by traditional rulers, and the trend is quickly changing because mediation is not the same as adjudication. The courts will be heads over heels should all the disputes be adjudicated That is the main reason why we must entreat our courts be independent, up and running, efficient enough to deliver a clear-cut justice for all Woyome saga cropped up when in 2010 , a high court awarded him Ghc 51.2 million to be paid to him because of his role in construction of several stadia 2008 tournament held in Ghana under the regime of ex-president John Agyekum Kufour He was later arrested and charged with making financial loss to the state through defrauding by false pretenses His arrest and indictment after the money was paid to him, came in 2010 due to hullabaloo that emanated from NPP camp, then the largest opposition party, because he is believed to be NDC, the ruling party's financier, Early 2014, Mr. Martin Amidu's writ which he filed in the supreme court challenging the payment was upheld with judicial determination that Mr. Woyome refunds the money to the state 2015 he was cleared of making financial loss to the state through defrauding by false pretenses, in 2016 November, Mr. Martin Amidu has won yet another writ to cross-examine Mr. Woyome Well, Mr. Martin Amidu could be good intentioned in his personal crusade against Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, but we must bear in mind that Mr. Amidu was then attorney General and Minister justice under whose watch the payment was made, however Mr Amidu has dismissed any involvement from the get-go This has to strike a chord of any well-meaning to come to conclusion that is a clear case of double jeopardy. How many times does he have to go through the justice system before we can come with single verdict - suffice with the bromas that Tsatsu Tsikata has been cleared of any wrongdoing after serving a jail term on the conviction of causing financial loss to the state For me, Woyome's money will be difficult to retrieve because the payment was authorized by statutory constructed and constitutionally mandated body, like the high court and l believe Mr. Woyome will use that as his defense Lawyer, now, incoming president, Nana Akufo-Addo's pre-election promise to retrieve the allegedly defrauded Woyome money will be beyond possibility. In any case, save through judicial manipulation anchored in political vindictiveness, then is possible! Agobodzo, Richard Email contact: [email protected] or, www.facebook.com/Agobodzo Richard Enviado desde Yahoo Mail con Android 07.01.2017 LISTEN Well, well, well. I have seen the video of the arrival of former President Rawlings at Thursday's State Of The Nation address by President "Onaapo" John Dramani Mahama, in which the former President most politely told the Mayor of Accra; Mr Oko "Tsentse" Vanderpuiye to leave him alone. The former President, who clearly had been startled from his right hand side by the uninvited presence of the Accra Mayor, stopped to check who it was and what was happening but realising it was the "dancing hairdresser and fufu pounding Mayor", had ignored him to walk up the stage to his waiting chair. Mr Korshivi Adjorvia Rawlings, who himself is a very smart Dzelukorpe mafia, understood the scheme of Oko Van Pee trying to use him to jump their already sinking NDC ship after a massive electoral defeat to the NPP, refused to play the pawn. Mayor Van Pee, who as a leading member of the NDC and an elected Parliamentarian in the just ended December elections, had not seen it prudent at the time to call his erring colleagues to order when they were bastardising and sponsoring people against Mr Rawlings. He has seen now that the NDC ship on which they had all misbehaved and dragged Rawlings through the mud had now safely berthed at his port by virtue of his role as founder. In a move akin to the typical Ghanaian political prostitutes was trying to use this leverage this grand opportunity to jump from the ship MV "Babies with sharp teeth" to MV "Rawlings has his party now". Smart attempt, Oko Van Pee, but trust Papa J, chief purveyor of the Dzelukorpe Mafia Cadres, your deeds are all known. I have heard some say that Rawlings should be mindful that he is still a former President and not have treated him as such as he would have to deal with such officials regularly. No one who has seen the said video would doubt that Rawlings acted properly until his protocol and space was rudely broken into by "hairdresser" Van Pee. Indeed, the typical Mr BOOM that Rawlings is known for in such cases, failed him on this occasion, as he only first served enough notice that Oko's presence was unwelcome. Some body tell me who else did not get that message of Oko not being welcome by Rawlings from watching the scene?, yet Demolishing man, Oko Van Pee because of "nokofioo" rather took the warning as a sign of Rawlings' happiness at seeing him and stepped up the annoying act, this time virtually out pacing the former President, which is a protocol breach and wanting to physically hold Papa J's hands. At this point, the BOOM in Papa J almost gushed out, but he managed to now signal to Oko Nokofioo Tsentse, to step away. What a gentleman he, President Rawlings was on the day, considering the level of festering anger in the party at this time, of which we later saw a glimpse when the sitting President, Onaapo John Mahama arrived and all stood at ease. Unless any one can convince me that Papa J had dosed off, dreaming of what he would have done to Oko Tsentse, the beautician Mayor. My little advice to Oko would be that you never jump ship and expect to be welcome back to your first love until you have made peace, shown remorse and apologised for your part in the defeat, and you must also wait to be forgiven. It is no smartness to give yourself such open disgrace when its wholly avoidable. "Yaa ni oyakpa Rawlings fai ooo", Oko Van Pee. I think Rawlings was right to ask for his peace and space, and he did it with finesse, while Oko just went out of order in his eagerness to jump ship before it sinks with the sharp teeth babies, after all, the ship MV "Rawlings" might need a street dancer to blurring music on the shoulders of his bodyguard, if Rawlings would provide one, a banku stirrer, a fufu pounder or even a beautician on board. Korshie Quashigah. UK. [email protected] Abidjan (AFP) - Trucks carrying thousands of tonnes of cocoa have been blocked in the main port of Ivory Coast, the world's top producer, as authorities have temporarily stalled exports, sources said Friday. There are nearly "700 trucks blocked here at the port in Abidjan," Ivory Coast's economic capital, said Moussa Kone, head of the national cocoa producers' union. He said trucks filled with cocoa have also been stranded in San Pedro, the country's second port, for several days. "Since December 22, we have been coming here in trucks filled with cocoa but are not being received by the authorities at Abidjan port," said Mohamed Toure, a driver. Industry sources said the authorities were blocking cocoa exports because of a difference in the price set by the national cocoa council and that in the London futures trading price. Cocoa represents 15 percent of Ivory Coast's GDP and more than 50 percent of its export earnings, according to the World Bank. 07.01.2017 LISTEN Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - New clothes for the electoral victory of the President-Elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo and his inauguration on Saturday; January 7, at the Blackstar Square in Accra, have hit the market. The clothes including; the inauguration cloth-Nyame Adi Ama Yen, Kalypo, Onaapo, Nana Aba and the battle is the Lord's are selling very fast. Akosombo Textile Limited (ATL), one of Ghana indigenous textile limited was contracted to print the cloths. Samuel Hemans-Ardey, the Deputy Marketing Manager, ATL told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Friday that ATL designed and printed four clothes, two for the public while the remaining two were ordered by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Executives. Madam Mary Ansongmaa, a trader who sells the clothes at Makola in Accra told the GNA that, 'for the past two weeks, people have been buying the products more than any other cloth'. Another trader who introduced herself as Madam Gyamfua said the Onaapo and Nana Aba goes for GH20 per yard while the Kalypo goes for GH25 per yard. Apart from these clothes other NPP paraphernalia are on high demand. They include; hats, necklace, watches, wrist bands, ear rings, scarves and spectacles. GNA By Mercy Manukure, GNA Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - The Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic was on Friday officially closed, pending dissolution, and subsequent constitution of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic at the start of Friday midnight. With mixed feelings from both sides of the House, outgoing members relished time sent in the House, as continuing members anticipated what the next Parliament would hold for them in their career as politicians and representatives of the people. Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the Speaker expressed appreciation to Almighty God and thanked the legislators, the leadership of the House and ancillary staff for their cooperation which saw the success of the outgoing Parliament. Mr Adjaho, a former member of the House who entered the Legislature in 1993 had risen through the ranks to the position of Speaker, was also grateful to President John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for their roles in how far he had gone in Parliamentary practice. He however noted that posterity would be the best judge of his performance, even though he gave high marks on how he handled the House in his position as Speaker. 'I wish to say that while not by any means laying claim to perfection, I've discharged my duties as Speaker to the best of my ability and the choices and decisions I made were neither dictated by malice, ill will nor self-interest but rather well intended and made in utmost good faith. 'As to my performance as a Speaker, I believe I should leave it to posterity to judge. I'm, however, sure of one thing: that I've done my best to build on and add value to the work, programmes and projects I inherited,' Mr Adjaho said. Mr Adjaho urged non-returning members to conduct themselves in a manner that would uphold the dignity of Parliament in which ever vocation in which the find themselves, as he also extended the best wishes to the Speaker of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic. Outgoing Majority Leader and leader of Government Business Alban Bagbin, and his counterpart on the minority side Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu expressed worry about the high attrition rate of members of Parliament. They contended that occurrence would negate the growth of Parliament, the country's fledgling democracy, urging political parties to do serious introspection and to work on their constituencies to check the high attrition rate in the legislature. Both leaders also entreated outgoing members to make their expertise acquired in the course of the work in Parliament available to the House in its training programmes. The House is expected to reconvene at midnight for dissolution of the Sixth Parliament and the constitution of the Seventh Parliament. The inauguration of the Seventh Parliament will take place at 0005 hours. The House is all set up for the event, which would be telecast live nationwide. GNA By Ken Sackey/Benjamin Mensah, GNA Underpinning regional security With Indias foreign policy currently undergoing a big shift from Nehruvian idealism that for decades underpinned its worldview, Harsh V Pants new book, Indian Foreign Policy: An Overview, is a very-well timed book. 07.01.2017 LISTEN Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood (nAe Lutterodt) was born on June 8, 1947 in Ghana. She had her basic education at Bishop's Girls and Methodist Schools, Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region. She attended Mmofraturo Girls School, Kumasi from 1958 to 1960. Georgina Wood's secondary education was at Wesley Girls' High School, Cape Coast, where she completed in 1966. She proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon, where she was awarded the LL.B. in 1970. Georgina Wood then attended the Ghana Law School after which she was called to the bar. She has also done the Post-Graduate Officers Training Course at the Ghana Police College. Georgina Wood is married to Edwin Wood, a retired banker. Georgina Wood is a judge and also a former police prosecution officer. She is the Chief Justice of Ghana and the first woman to occupy the position. She worked with the Ghana Police Service as a deputy superintendent and public prosecutor for three years. She later joined the Judicial Service as a District Magistrate in 1974. She rose through the ranks and became the presiding judge of the Appeal Court in 1991. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by President John Agyekum Kufuor on November12, 2002. She was nominated for the position of Chief Justice of Ghana in May 2007. Chief Justice Wood assumed office on June 15, 2007 and had sworn-in three Presidents including the late President John Evans Atta-Mills on January 7, 2009, the then Vice-President John Dramani Mahama upon the sudden demise of the President on July 24, 2012 and President Mahama on January 7, 2013. She would swear in the President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo into office on January 7, as the fifth President of the Fourth Republic. GNA Kumasi, Jan 06, GNA - An elaborate regal burial programme to bid final farewell to the 111-year old late Asante Queen, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, who died on Monday November 16, last year, has been announced by the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. Otumfuo Osei-Tutu the II, the Asantehene and biological son of the deceased queen, would sit in state to observe the four-day burial event which begins on January 16, and ends on the 19th, when her mortal remains would be interred at the Asante Royal burial site at Breman. Scores of dignitaries from across the globe are expected to throng the Manhyia Palace to commiserate with the Asantehene. They would include delegations from Seychelles Island, Swaziland, Burkina Faso, Uganda, la Cote D'Ivoire, Uganda and Nigeria as well as politicians and the diplomatic corps. Nana Nsuase Poku Agyemang III, Chief Linguist of the Asantehene, at a media briefing on Friday said the late Asantehemaa, would be laid in state at the Manhyia Palace for mourners to pay their last respect from Monday, January 16 to Wednesday, January 18. Giving details, he indicated that the dress code would be 'all black' and that Nananom (chiefs) in the Asanteman Council would file past the body on Monday, the 19th. The next day - Tuesday, would be the turn of chiefs from outside the Ashanti Region, Institutional Heads and Chief Executives, with foreign nationals and dignitaries paying their respects, on the following day - Wednesday. The Asantehene would sit in state each of these days to receive the sympathizers. Nana Poku Agyemang, who is the Chairman of the Funeral Committee, said in the morning of Thursday, the body would be conveyed to the Saint Cyprians Anglican Church for a Requiem Mass after which it would be moved to the Royal Mausoleum at Bantama for a wreath-laying ceremony. He said night-to-dawn curfew would be observed on Thursday to pave way for her final burial. As part of preparations for the Asantehemaa's funeral, all major roads leading to the Palace would undergo repair works. He thanked the general public, Christians and Muslims for complying with the ban on noise making which was imposed in the city after the demise of the queen and called on the residents to keep the city clean ahead of the event. The late queen reigned for 39 years. GNA By Elizabeth Kankam-Boadu, GNA Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - The Leadership of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic has bemoaned the high attrition rate in the legislature, calling on parties to review their respective constitutions to allow for continuity that would proficiently grow the country's democracy. They contend that occurrence cannot facilitate the growth of Parliament, which needs experienced legislators, and Parliamentary skills for smooth representational, oversight and law-making roles. Despite the inauguration of the Parliamentary Training Institute recently that seeks to enhance the capacity of present serving and debutant parliamentarians, the leadership of the House is of the view that the reduction in attrition rate would save time and cost in training new members. The leaders made the call at the closing of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic on Friday morning in Accra prior to its expected dissolution. The dissolution which would come midnight of the same day will be followed by the constitution of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic at which Parliamentarians-elect would be inaugurated and then troop to the Independence Square to witness the investiture of President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, January 7. Outgoing Majority Leader and leader of Government Business Alban Sumana Bagbin noted that there were 80 members on the side of the outgoing Majority NDC who exited the House, adding that of these 42 were new entrants. On his part, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu the outgoing Minority Leader observed that the minority group in Parliament started with 123 members, later reduced to 122. 'Out of the 123 we began with, 60 were new entrants. Today, of the 169 that will be entering the next Parliament on the ticket of the NPP, 80 are continuing MPs and as many as 89 are new breed. 'I am the lone ranger in my Party's caucus from 1997-2001 stock. Just two remain in the 2001-2005 stock. For the 2005-2009 group, we have 20 remaining. The current majority caucus who are in the incoming minority suffer from the same affliction,' he noted. According to Mr Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu the outrageously high attrition rate cannot facilitate the growth of Parliament and neither has it adequately grown the Parties involved. 'The political parties need to do serious introspection and reflect on their respective constitutions,' he advised. He urged the members to be upbeat their health, take rest and undergo regular medical check-ups as well as exercise regularly to keep body and soul together. GNA By Ken Sackey/ Benjamin Mensah Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is an economist and a banker. He was born on October 7, 1963 in Tamale to the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, former Chairman of the Council of State (1992-2000) and Hajia Mariama Bawumia. His father was a teacher, lawyer and politician and a Mamprugu Royal and Paramount Chief of Kperiga in the Northern Region. Dr Bawumia is married to Samira Ramadan Bawumia, the only daughter of Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, the former PNC National Chairman with three children. Educational Background He was born into a large family and the 12th of his father's 18 children and the second of his mother's five children. He attended the Sakasaka Primary School in Tamale, and gained admission to the Tamale Secondary School in 1975. He was President of the Ghana United Nations Students' Association (GUNSA) in 1981. After his second cycle education, he went to the United Kingdom where he studied banking and obtained the Chartered Institute of Bankers Diploma (ACIB). He obtained a First Class Honours Degree in Economics from Buckingham University in 1987. He then obtained a master's degree in Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford, and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics at the Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1995. His areas of specialisation include Macroeconomics, International Economics, Development Economics and Monetary Policy. . Work Experience From 1988 to 1990, Dr. Bawumia worked as a lecturer in Monetary Economics, and International Finance at the Emile Woolf College of Accountancy in London, England. He also served as an economist at the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, USA. From 1996 to 2000, he served as an Assistant Professor of Economics at Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University, Texas, USA, where he also received the Young Researcher Award in 1998. He returned to Ghana in 2000 to work as an economist at the Bank of Ghana. He rose from Senior Economist to Head of Department, and subsequently as Special Assistant to the Governor of the Bank. In June 2006, President J.A. Kufuor appointed him as a Deputy Governor of the Bank. Political Career Dr Bawumia was selected by Nana Akufo-Addo as his running mate in the 2008 elections, which saw the NPP increased its votes in the 2004 elections, especially in the three Northern regions. 2008-2011 Dr Bawumia served as a Consultant to the Economic Commission of Africa from February to March 2009. From April to October 2009, he was a Visiting Scholar at the University of British Columbia Liu Centre for Global Studies and UBC Fisheries Centre. In October 2009, he was appointed as a Fellow of the International Growth Centre (IGC), a research institute based jointly at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Oxford University that provides advice on economic growth to governments of developing countries, specifically serving as an IGC Team Member for Sierra Leone. He also served as an Advisor to the Central Bank of Sierra Leone on the redesigning of the organisational structure of the Bank and its monetary policy framework. In January 2010, Bawumia was appointed Resident Representative of the African Development Bank for Zimbabwe by the African Development Bank. He served in this position until reappointed as the Vice-Presidential Candidate to Nana Akufo-Addo on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party for the 2012 Presidential Election. 2012 elections Bawumia was re-nominated as the Vice-Presidential Candidate to Nana Akufo-Addo for the 2012 General Election in March 2012. The Party won 10 seats in the Northern Region including Yendi, Walewale, Yagaba - Kubore, Bunkpurugu, Bimbilla, Chereponi, Kpandai, Tatale - Sanguli, Tolon and Zabzugu. It also won the Nabdam and Talensi Constituencies in the Upper East Region although his presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo lost the Presidential Elections to the incumbent John Dramani Mahama. However, in the 2016 elections, the NPP emerged victorious with Dr Bawumia as the running mate and took five parliamentary seats in the Upper West Region for the first time and the Party also increased its presidential votes significantly in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. GNA 07.01.2017 LISTEN Accra, Jan.6, GNA - The bilateral relations between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire is expected to be strengthened despite the recent maritime dispute pending at the International Maritime Tribunal. The invitation of President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, the President of Cote d'Ivoire, as the Special Guest of Honour at the investiture of the President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been invariably noted as " laudable" by some citizens the Ghana News Agency talked to. "The Ivorians are our brothers and we love them so we're happy that their President is our special guest, our differences over the border should not strain our relations at all," said Kwasi Takyi, a librarian. The ceremony, would be held at the Black Star Square on Saturday, January 7, would be attended 10 other Heads of State. President Ouattara has been President of Ghana's Western neighbour since December 4, 2010. Born on January 1, 1942, the legendary economist worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Central Bank of West African States. President Ouattara was the Prime Minister of CAte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993, appointed to that position by Former President FAlix HouphouAt-Boigny. Ghana's bilateral relations with Ivory Coast dates back to the early1960s during the First Republic under Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Despite occasional disagreements over border and security issues, the two countries have enjoyed a high level of cooperation in the areas of Trade, Communications and Transportation. Cote d'Ivoire gained independence on 7th August, 1960 from France, their colonial masters. Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, and Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative capital. According to information gathered from the CIA World Facts Book and the United Nations, Cote d'Ivoire has a population of 23,740,424 with various ethnic groups comprising Akan 32.1%, Voltaique or Gur 15%, Northern Mande 12.4%, Krou 9.8%, Southern Mande 9%, others 21.2% (this includes European and Lebanese descent), unspecified 0.5%. The Elephant is the national symbol, with national colours being Orange, White and Green. French is the official language, while there are 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken. It has a total land area of 322,463 square kilometres (Sq/Km) with 318,003 Sq/km being land and 4,460 Sq/km water. It shares boundaries with also Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, Mali and the Gulf of Guinea. The population of the country in terms of their religious inclination indicates that 40.2% are Muslims, Catholics 19.4%, Evangelicals 19.3%, and Methodists 2.5%. Other Christians are 4.5%, with animists or non-religious being 12.8%, while the unspecified religions consist 1.4%. Following its independence in 1960, Cote d'Ivoire's stability and the blossoming of its labour-intensive cocoa and coffee industries in the Southwest made it an attractive destination for migrants from other parts of the continent particularly its neighbours. Houphouet-Boigny, the First President, continued the French Colonial Policy of encouraging labour immigration by offering liberal land ownership laws. Foreigners from West Africa, Europe (mainly France), and Lebanon were about 25% of the population by 1998. Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly two-thirds of the population. It is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products and in climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but there is also gold mining. Following the end of more than a decade of civil conflict in 2011, Cote d'Ivoire has experienced a boom in foreign investments and economic growth. In June 2012, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank announced $4.4 billion in debt relief for Cote d'Ivoire under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. According to date sourced from un.org the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2014 was $34254, while the GDP growth rate was 8.5 per cent. The per capita income for the year was $1546. GNA By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA The Nigerian Voice (www.thenigerianvoice.com) have been awarded "2016 Corporate media award" by a U.S.A based International organization, HOPe Africa. In a letter dated, 3oth of December, 2016 and signed by the executive Director of the organization, Mr. Francis John, it says: " On behalf of HOPe Africa Secretariat in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, I would like to inform you that you are the Recipient of the Corporate Media Award. This is as a result of your cumulative exemplary timely lead and displaying investigative journalism at all times. Please accept this award as a token of our appreciation for your immersed contributions to Information Age and Information Technology, bringing concise information to teeming Nigerians and the world at Large". The letter stated further, " Your accomplishment is respected worldwide, most especially in the advent of HOPe Africa, creating friendly societies....". HOPe Africa is a NGO registered in Nigeria since 2003 with her Headquarters in United States of America and a branch in United Kingdom. It is registered with international organizations, including United Nations. HOPe Africa is very involved in various accelerated community and integrated works with its network of partners in meeting clients desirable needs: Non-Emergency Transportation, Community Integration, Social Services, Crisis Relief & Management, Meals on Wheels, Exchange Programs, Reward, Award & Recognition, Empowerment, Advocacy & Sensitization, Documentary, Research & Development, Participating in event planning and management to a great extent. In his reaction, The Publisher of The Nigerian Voice, Mr. Henry D Oduenyi, thanked the organization for the recognition, more especially, knowing that they were chosen among others. Responding further, he says "It is with humility and thankful heart that we welcome the "2016 Corporate Media Award". The Nigerian Voice is proud of your contributions to the advancement of Africa. The unparalleled effort of HOPe Africa, USA, to positively impact on the lives of Africans is the genuine meaning of selfless service. It is our pledge to continue to support your numerous outreach projects through our platform, The Nigerian Voice". It will be recalled that the Publisher of The Nigerian Voice, Mr. Henry D Oduenyi was a recipient of a previous award from the organization. 07.01.2017 LISTEN New Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu stoked controversy in Parliament after he wondered who is Ghanas President on the morning of January 7 until forenoon when the President-elect is sworn in. Supporting a motion to suspend the first sitting of the seventh Parliament Saturday, the legislator pointed the defect in Ghana's law, urging immediate fix to avert future danger. We should not walk the path of democratic risk, he warned Members of Parliament (MP). More soon... Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] 07.01.2017 LISTEN The Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic was constituted on midnight of January 6, 2017, ahead of the official swearing-in of President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, January 7. Read below the address by Professor Mike Oquaye, the new Speaker of Parliament of the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic. INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY RT. HON. PROF. MICHAEL AARON OQUAYE SPEAKER OF THE 7 TH PARLIAMENT OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC . I ntroduction Your Ladyship the Chief Justice, My Lords Spiritual and temporal, Hon. Members of Parliament-Elect, Your Excellencies, Nananom, Nii mei, Naamei, Political Parties R epresentatives, Press Corp, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. In the first place I thank the Almighty God for the great favour He has reposed in me. I thank the entire leadership of my Party including the President-elect, the Vice President-elect and the MPs for their support. I also have to thank the Clerk of Parliament for guiding the House up to this time. His priceless guidance will further be valued in future . It is a great honour to be nominated and elected as Speaker of this Honourable House. I see my presence here as a home-coming albeit with a greater responsibility. I am grateful to all who reposed resounding trust in me to make this possible. I pray to the Almighty God that I shall su ccessfully travel the path pursued by various Speakers and begun by the legal luminary Rt. Hon. C.E. Quist also from my hometown Osu, Accra. I wish to congratulate all of you Hon. Members for winning your seats. It is a unique opportunity to serve our dear nation. I look forward to maximizing the opportunities for every member to contribute. I trust the experienced ones will mentor the up-coming. Those who sit in front should please learn to look behind them to allow others to contribute and remember that whereas they cannot normally see from the back of their heads I have been placed on this platform so that everyone can catch my eye. I intend to be fair to all and therefore seek your understanding in advance. I encourage new entrants to prepare and present statements on any issue of interest. Apply the Question Time well. Your brilliant visibility will affect yo ur re-election. I will meet with leadership on this and seek support of the leading Think Tanks in Ghana to help you deliver. A comprehensive mentoring process is vital for improved performance. I need to remind the new MPs that t he highly procedural nature of P arliament calls for an equally high level of commitment to the rules and procedures of the institution. Serious learning will therefore have to be undertaken to sharpen your competencies in order to function optimally. To the majority, let me remin d you that we have a two-party P arliament heavily dominated by you. There is however the need to be guided by high ethical consideration so that we do not relapse into ultra majoritarianism, a symptom of the tyranny of the majority. We will encourage healthy debates. To the minority, even though most parliamentary business is organized on majoritarian principle, the time-honored rights of minority to open, frank, fair and honest debate so as to make your case and offer constructive alternatives will be respected under my stewardship. Both the majority and the minority must be guided by the mandate given to the government to build a vibrant society anchored on the principles of fairness and equality of opportunities. The promotion of good governance requires a parliament that can effectively perform the three cardinal functions of representation , oversight regarding the executive and law making. Our ability to control public ex penditure will be good service to our people. Ghanaians everywhere are looking up to P arliament and government for the solutions to the problems that confron t them on daily basis. It cannot be business as usual. Our people expect us to help fix the economy, provide jobs for the unemployed, improve access and quality of education, hea lth care and generally give them hope. This P arliament is for the people of Ghana and they want us to be honest accountable and responsive to their needs. I ask for cooperation from all and sundry to make our stewardship a success. Challenges T he Fourth Republic Parliament has been seeking to re-establish its role as a key public institution . T he challen ges have been myriad. During the dark days after independence a nytime a coup occurred , Parliament was dissolved while the Executive continued, even if in a different shape. This instability has affected the development of Parliament. When Parliament reconvened in 1993 after several years of military rule , for example, only one member had been an MP before. Hence institutional memory was negligible. Strides have since been made and we congratulate all those who have helped the process of restoration of the idea l s, beliefs and values of Parliamentary democracy in the Fourth Republic . Nevertheless, a huge task still remains ahead of us and I trust we shall rise to the occasion. Standing Orders Parliament operates by Rules and Procedures called the Standing Orders . Incidentally, in Parliament itself , it is generally agreed that there is the need to revise the rules as a whole. Committees have been set up to revise these rules but for over a decade, the process has stalled. Sometimes proceedings become jerky in the House as leaders and members recall conflicting experience s from memory. I am committed to completing this lingering exercise and I will take this up with the leadership soon. In this connection, there is another issue to tackle - rulings of Speakers in the past will be captured to serve as guidance and precedents for smooth operation of the House. The Indian example, is thorough, published together as Rulings from the Chair. I will make copies of the full series available so that we should have Ghanaian precedents well recorded for posterity. This is how institutions grow scientifically, systematically and with responsibility . Private Members Bills The controversy relating to private members bills should be resolved. It is tragic that current ly, it appears to us that Members of Parliament cannot initiate legislation independent of the Executive. Article 108 of the Constitution provides that once a bill has financial implications, it can only be introduced by the Executive. The narrow view has been taken that every bill has financial implications including the paper on which it is printed and the Clerks who work on it who are paid by government. Hence only governments can initiate legislation. This should change. We learnt th e practice from the UK Parliament. The principle was that the Commons would not give to the King/Queen, monies that the Crown had not asked for. But over the years the British Parliament has developed means of allowing private members to introduce legislation. Recent studies I have made show that t here are a number of pro cedures whereby Private Members may initiate bills . Certainly, the Executive cannot sit asid e while Parliament alone passes laws which impose obligations which the Executive cannot meet. We shall broaden our horizon in the lawmaking process to benefit our people. If a Private Members Bill seeks to make a law that will tighten the strangle- hold on corruption, how can that per se be a charge on the public purse? How will a law that protects our women, children and persons with disability better per se be a charge on public funds? I do not see how laws which protect our environment, improve upon our tax collection be inimical to the public purse? Indeed if Parliament should introduce a law which will enha nce the collection of revenue by the GRA, we shall be contributing to the public purse not a liability regarding same. The introduction of Private Members Bills will release the best of the innermost capacities of Hon. Members, broaden the horizons of the Members and gain the respect of the populace. Hon. Members, I challenge you to help improve our laws on elections. We have a lot to learn from others, including Kenya who learnt the hard way after brutal post-election civil war. To sanitize the system, they enacted The Electoral Offences Act. We should copy and improve upon it. Let me give you few example s . Why should our law allow any two adults who are registered to vote, to stand in for a person whose age or nationality is in doubt? Why should just any two people be allowed to do this? If you do not stand in loco parentis , how do you tell the age of a person you hardly know? We shall define only a small category of persons who can give guarantee. They should swear to an affidavit verifying the truth and should be jailed for 5 years if caught in falsehood . Will this not be a deterrent? Those who steal ballot boxes, those found with ballot papers and who commit other electoral offences should be jailed for 5 years. This House can introduce such law to help save this Republic and that will not be a charge on the consolidated fund. Committee System The capacity and scope of the Committee s of Parliament deserve attention. The Committee is the workshop of Parliament. When Committees are weak, Parliament is seriously dented. Bi-partisanship is the hallmark. Not only should Committees be sharp in their routine tasks, but also, they should exercise singular initiative in enquiring into all matters of public interest from Arch a eology to Zoology. This inquisitorial power of Parliament will be applied to its logical conclusion. The Committees should be fully equipped to work. The Committees are closely related to the powers of Parliament as a House of Inquisition. In England, in 2012, the Committee on Education in the House of Commons quickly sprang into action when poor Advanced level examination results rocked the nation. It was a pleasure to read the entire proceedings and the effect it had on the British System. Parliament can act proactively, responsively and with appropriate capacity on issues relating to health, education, agriculture , oil etc. This development should take place to enhance the capacity of the institution and good governance as a whole. It will enable Parliament to help in the fight against corruption and thereby protect the public purse. I urge Honourable Members that no work of CHRAJ, a Presidential Commission or others sh ould est op Parliament in the exercise of its inquisitorial powers. Deference may only be given to cases pending before Courts of competent jurisdiction . We should look forward t o the day when Parliament as a House of I nquisition will develop capacity akin to a Senatorial Enquiry in the USA where every topmost state official can be summoned and questioned in the interest of the state. We can enhance our system and serve our people better. Boycotts and Walkout s T hese have become too fashionable in our system. I trust this House will develop systems of accommodation, tolerance and openness that will minimize this practice to the barest minimum. We should commission a study to document all such boycotts and walkouts; how long each lasted; reasons for staging them; and make an assessment of their impact on the growth and development of democracy in Ghana. Some recommendations on how to forestall such boycotts and walkouts as well as their management when they do occur , I believe w ould be sponsored by our partners in due course. Record Keeping Our library, record keeping process and related activities need modernization. Parliament today does not keep any record whatsoever of how individuals vote. This is in sharp contrast with the US system and other jurisdictions which have detailed record of all Senate voting. President Obama s Voting Record became an issue and an asset in his victory. Both President-elect Nana Akufo- Addo and President Mahama , though very successful former MPs, had no such record to show in their presidential bid of 2012 and 2016 . It would have been interesting and most useful to have such record. How did they vote on issues relating to gender, children, environment, rights of persons with disability etc? Such matters enhance the politics of issues and devalue the politics of vituperation. The record-keeping system has several advantages: i) Sharpens the responsibilities of individual members as they build a record for their future political career; ii) Makes legislators aware that they are being critically watched; iii) It highlights issues and makes MPs respond to specific issues; iiii) It is an avenue towards promoting Private Members Bills in the Legislature; v) It helps the assessment of MPs generally through specific data collection ; This is the Parliament that Ghanaians want to see as we enhance the parameters of democracy in our dear nation. Parliamentarians and Their Constituents A question worth asking is: what do constituents expect from MPs? There is also growing evidence that, public opinion is divided as to the role of MPs in Ghana. A significant majority of Ghanaians are of the view that Parliamentarians should undertake development projects withi n their constituencies. To others, MPs exist to pay school fees , give funeral donations, attend weddings and other social events . Debating , passing legislation and holding the Executive branch of government to account rank low in the public perception of the role of MP s. This also accounts for the high attrition rate of MPs. A programme dubbed Parliament /Citizen Encounter is envisaged and will be pursued with the assistance of Think Tanks. Women Representation One of the main problems facing Ghanas democratization process is the role of women in politics. Article 17(1) of the 1992 Constitution provides that All persons shall be equal before the law. Furthermore under Article 17(2) No person shall be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status. The Constitution provides an instructive meaning of discrimination - to give different treatments to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another description are not made subject to or are granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description- Article 17(3). A very disturbing aspect of Ghanas Parliamentary democracy is the abysmal low representation of women in Parliament . There is a compelling need for a comprehensive study of the factors which militate against the effective representation of women in Parliament. An Affirma t iv e Action law could be the only way of using the law as an instrument of social engineering and mischie f correction to ensure equality . Hon. Members, our democratic development is not impressive at all in this regard. The Inter-Parliamentary Union in their latest publication on 1 st December 2016 classified nations in a descending order by the percentage of women representation in Parliament. Out of 193 nations Ghana was number 150. Very sad. Rwanda, was first, Bolivia, second, Cuba, third, Iceland, fourth, Nicaragua, fifth, Sweden, sixth. U .K , Germany, Switzerland were all listed. Algeria, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Lesotho, Morocco, Zambia, Liberia all beat us to it. I have added the Report as an Appendix to my speech to show all Members how deeply I feel about this tragedy. The methodology to ensure equality is available . This Parliament must do it for Ghana. In the previous Parliament we had 30 women MPs. Today we have 35 women MPs-elect. But there is really no cause for rejoicing. We are far behind the world. The women who are in Parliament should be assisted to become effective role models in qualitative governance. I have some ideas I will share with leadership on both sides very soon to promote a programme. Conclusion Hon. Members, we have a need for a New Chamber, good library, books, mimeographs, researchers which go beyond National Service Personnel. I believe I can help in seeking the needed assistance for Parliament to improve the salaries and condition of work for MPs. I want to use this opportunity to convey to our country men and women we should seriously better the lot of our MPs. Why cant MPs be given official vehicle s for their work as pertain in other places? Then they can get loans for other vehicle s for other uses. The dignity of this House is crucial and with your cooperation that dignity shall not be compromised. We owe this t o all Ghanaians. You have Parliamentary immunity and immerse privileges which cannot be toyed with by any person, body or authority. I shall help to maintain this without fail. Hon. Members, to whom much is given, much is expected. This is the motto of Legon Hall, University of Ghana. Though I belong to Aku a fo Hall, this dictum must guide us all. You will be issued with Diplomatic Passports for example . There are privileges and responsibilities. If you abuse the trust, you will be dealt with. No charge of corruption or abuse of office should come nigh thee. If you fall foul of the law the Special Prosecutor will not be expected to spare you. A law maker cannot be a lawbreaker. Our attitudes in militate against our development. Hon Members, our attendance and punctuality in the House should change to set an example to all Ghanaian workers. A Google search will inform you that the Kenya Parliament has been digitized through a new biometric system to record attendance in Parliament with time and movement etc. a machine will in future register the attendance of MPs automatically. This will be arranged and I trust MPs will embrace it to set a good example to all Ghanaian workers. Ghanaians have said in a research that when parliament is in session half of the room should not be empty. Hon. Members, let us resolve to do something different in the lifetime of this Parliament. I will conclude in the words of Lord Alfred Tennyson which I learnt in Presec: The Light s begin to twinkle from the rocks; The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; The deep Moans round with many voices. Come my friends, Tis not too late to seek a newer world Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die . I thank you once again for this high trust you have so dutifully reposed in me. I know with God on our side we will deliver. Thank you . 14 Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline GNA Reporter Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Africa's largest airline group, Ethiopian Airlines, has concluded preparations to start new flight to Chengdu, China three times weekly as of June 3. Chengdu is the capital of China's Sichuan province and is the 7th largest city in China. A statement issued by Mrs Hanna Atnafu, Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines said Chengdu was the country's western centre of logistics, commerce, science and technology, as well as a hub of transportation, manufacturing and communication. It said Chengdu was also a major hub for Air China, Ethiopian Airlines' Star Alliance partner. The statement said with the new flight, passengers from Ethiopian vast and growing network in Africa would be able to quickly connect to dozens of cities in China partnership with Air China including Shenzhen, Kunming, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Changsha, and Urumqi. Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, said: 'We are glad to launch services to Chengdu, our fifth gateway to The Republic of China. Since our first flight 43 years ago, China has been a key market and it is now the largest per country market in our system.' He said using the geocentric location advantage of their hub in Addis Ababa; the company was connecting China, the world's second largest economy and Africa's biggest trade and investment partner, with 52 cities in the continent of Africa. The Group CEO said with the addition of Chengdu: 'We shall offer the best and fastest connectivity options with a total of 34 weekly flights to China, operated with the latest and most comfortable B787 and B777 aircraft.' 'Our Chinese customers will also enjoy seamless connection on Ethiopian vast intra African network and farther to SAo Paulo in Brazil,' he added. Ethiopian is investing to make Addis Ababa, a Chinese friendly hub airport for the continent. He said the Airline now had Mandarin translators and signage available at the airport transit area and in the Cloud Nine Business Class Lounge. Chinese New Year is also marked every year at Addis Abba Airport. Ethiopian was the first African carrier and the fourth in the world to fly to China back in 1973. In addition to the three weekly flights to Chengdu to be launched in June, Ethiopian currently operates daily nonstop flights to Beijing, 10 weekly nonstop to Guangzhou, and six weekly nonstop to Hong Kong. GNA By Kodjo Adams, GNA Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Mallam Ali Yusuf Isa, Executive Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Adenta Constituency, has called for early congress to weed out incompetent officers in the Party. He said after the congress the Party should regroup, reconcile feuding factions and organise themselves for the 2020 general election. Mallam Isa made the call at a press conference in Accra on the theme: 'The Truth is Bitter.' He said the defeat of the Party should be a special moment to do retrospective soul-searching of the NDC and make sure that members do not repeat the mistakes that took it out of government. Mallam Isa said one of the reasons why the Party lost the 2016 elections was voter apathy, saying Ghanaians did not vote against the NDC, rather they simply did not vote based on their analysis. However the New Patriotic Party added more than 400,000 votes to what they secured in the previous election. He noted that disrespect of some Party Executives, Member of Parliament and District Chief Executives and governments appointees towards the plight of the foot-soldiers caused the defeat of the NDC. Mallam Isa said some party bigwigs decided to impose their preferred persons as parliamentary candidates in some constituencies contrary to the people's choice, causing the defeat of the NDC. He observed that the NDC was complacent and touted its achievements as unprecedented in the area of infrastructure development and neglected the grassroots members which cause dissatisfaction among them. He advised the Party Executives to resolve any misunderstanding with former President Jerry John Rawlings, who was the Founder of the NDC to gain massive support ahead of 2020 general election. GNA US election hacking: Putin 'sought to help' Trump Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help Donald Trump win the presidential election, a US intelligence report says. Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Africa's largest Airline Group, Ethiopian Airlines, has ended the year with profitable growth highlighted by fleet and network expansion as well as significant investment in customer services. Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, recapping the Airline's performance in 2016, said: '2016 has been an exceptionally challenging year for the African Aviation industry.' He said commodity exporting countries in general and oil exporting African countries in particular have been hit hard by the global decline of commodity prices. 'As a result, demand for air travel has been suppressed and the shortage of foreign exchange has severely affected the financial performance of airlines in the continent,' he added. He said yet, at Ethiopian, they were very proud of the new heights Ethiopian had flown in the year with the celebration of its 70th anniversary, inauguration of the largest and the finest Aviation Academy in Africa and a state-of-the-art In-flight Catering facility, the largest in Africa. He said the company had also within the year introduced Africa's first Ethiopian Airbus A350, and spread its wings to more countries on five continents. 'Despite the sluggish growth in the world's matured market, all of our 12,000 colleagues remained focused on the robust execution of our vision 2025, which has proved to be a winning strategy in today's hyper-competitive and complex airline business,' he said. Ethiopian Cargo Services has also remained to be the largest cargo airline in Africa. On cargo, he said the new terminal was 82 per cent complete and was expected to be operational in April 2017, which would have an annual storage, for both dry and perishable goods of 1.2 million tons and a capacity to handle eight B747-800 freighters at a time. He said the construction of the first phase only cost approximately $ 150 million. Upon completion, the uplifting capability would be equivalent to the cargo terminals at Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi or Hong Kong. Ethiopian has increased its fleet by eight aircraft in 2016 and has closed the year with 82 airplanes in service. He said for the first time in its history, Ethiopian had diversified to include Airbus aircraft, with Africa's first A350. The Group CEO said with an average fleet age of just five years, Ethiopian has one of the youngest and most modern fleet in the world and has heavily invested in the two most technologically advanced fleet; the B787 Dream Liner and the A350. He said with high performance, less carbon emission, advanced cabin features, and superior customer comfort, these airplanes were game changers in today's civil aviation industry. He said with the with the booming construction in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, the Airline's four star hotel construction was progressing with 30 per cent completed. The hotel will have 330 rooms, a banquet hall to accommodate 2000 guests, restaurants, a swimming pool, gym, and spa. During the 2016 Ethiopian partnered with significant number of local and international organisations to discharge its corporate Social responsibility. Some of the partners are: Free Shipment of Medicine by Airlink USA, Shipment of Colonel John Charles Robinson's Sculpture, humanitarian shipment for UNICEF Ethiopia and free ticket grants to support medical travellers abroad. GNA 07.01.2017 LISTEN By Iddi Yire, GNA Bunso, (E/R), Jan. 6, GNA - Apostle Richard Kwami Adanu, the First Vice Chairman of the Great Commission Church International (GCCI) Ghana, has urged churches to take a serious look at the training and retraining of their pastors. He said there were vital ingredients that the body of Christ was lacking in the training of pastors and in their work. "Pastors need training in basic management and people skills, personal bible studies and prayer, hermeneutics and homiletics, and basic counselling," Apostle Adanu remarked in his report to the 26th Annual General Council Meeting of GCCI at Bunso in the Eastern Region. The four-day meeting on the theme: "Imitating Jesus Christ," is being attended by more than 120 participants including all members of GCCI Ghana Executive Council and their spouses, all Trustees, ordained pastors, presiding elders, and delegates from Togo. Apostle Adanu said: "It is a must for every pastor to know some basic counselling because various counselling issues come up everyday." "Pastors must have a working knowledge of the various ministries in the church, so that even though they may not be specialists in those areas, they will be able to handle basic issues in the areas," he added. He said churches needed to watch their church planting strategy; stating: "The dynamics of church planting have changed so much over time such that if we do not plan well, taking into consideration meeting places and few basic things to start with, it will be difficult for people to stay with us even after we have won their souls". Apostle Adanu called for series of training for children's handlers with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ghana; explaining that such trainings at various levels would empower their teachers to making lasting impact on the children for Christ. "These are important because training a person is like sharpening the person's tools in order to work easier and better," he said. GNA 07.01.2017 LISTEN Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Dr Sheikh Amin Bonsu, National Chairman of the Ghana Muslim Mission has called on all Ghanaians especially Muslims to comport themselves to maintain during the inauguration of the President Elect, on January 7. He said: 'As we approach the inauguration of the President- Elect we must all ensure to learn to tolerate each other and maintain a peaceful co-existence for the good of the country. In a release issued to the Ghana News Agency on Friday in Accra, he said the inauguration would be a ceremony that would be attended by people from all over the world and it was important as a country to continue to maintain the good image the country had over the globe. Dr Bonsu said: 'The elections are over and we must all bury our differences and put our heads together to support the President Elect in his bid to develop the country.' He prayed for a successful inauguration and successful tenure of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and gave the assurance that the Ghana Muslim Mission as well as the whole Muslim community would provide the needed support to ensure Ghana succeeded. GNA Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Friday midnight before the inauguration of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic exchanged pleasantries with Dr Alfred Oko Vandepuije, former Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive. Dr Vanderpuije is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South. The former President, who on Thursday was captured on social media as having snubbing Dr Vandepuije when the latter attempted to greet him while on his way to the Parliament to listen to the immediate past President John Dramani Mahama deliver his message on the State of the Nation to the August House. Former President Rawlings as a guest of Parliament with former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings attended the inauguration of the House. Legislators from both sides of the House walked to Rawlings and the spouse and exchanged greetings with them. The former President who sat at the right side of the would-be Speaker, walked to the minority side featuring National Democratic Congress lawmakers and sat next to Dr Vandepuije and chatted heartily with him, shaking his hands to the surprise of many. The House went into an uproar, as cameramen clicked their shutters repeatedly. When the former President stood up to walk back to his seat, some legislators applauded, while others looked on bemused. GNA Ashaiman, Jan. 7, GNA - Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday, locked out members of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) to protest and prevent 'an illegal award of contract'. The move, according to them, was to prevent members from attending a joint meeting of the Assembly's Executive Committee, and the Finance and Administration Committee to allegedly approve a revenue collection contract awarded to an Indian Company without due process. The supporters numbering about 30 and clad in NPP paraphernalia, locked the main gate to the premises which also house the Ashaiman Circuit Court. Mr Kwesi Adu-Gyamfi, Public Relations Officer for ASHMA, told the Ghana News Agency that the NPP supporters locked the place up because they thought the meeting was to approve the said contract. Mr Adu-Gyamfi added that the supporters who were mostly at the gate did not riot but vowed to prevent the Assembly Members from entering the premises to have the said meeting. The meeting he said, has since been postponed indefinitely. He added that the gate was opened later when leadership of the NPP in Ashaiman and the Police talked to the group. Mr Emmanuel Chapman Kodam-Takyi, NPP Ashaiman Constituency Secretary, confirmed the incident and said members had information that even though the general assembly of ASHMA has refused to approve the said contract, the MCE, Mr Ibrahim Baidoo, was bent on having his way and issuing fictitious contracts to his cronies. Mr Kodam-Takyi added that they convinced the supporters to open the premises, while they impressed on the Assembly to cancel the said meeting to ensure calm. He gave the assurance that the new administration of the Assembly under the NPP would scrutinize every last minute contract signed by the MCE, and would not hesitate to cancel those awarded illegally. Mr Eric Amexo, Registrar of the Ashaiman Circuit Court and Lawyer Irene Abochie Nyahe, expressed their unhappiness about the incident as it led to delay of the court proceedings. They said court staff, litigants, and lawyers were all locked out for some hours. GNA By Laudia Sawer Ghana's President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has what many people have described as an impressive political record spanning about four decades. He has sacrificed sweat and tears to defend Ghanaians through activism and speaking truth to power. Biography of Akufo-Addo Born on March 29, 1944 Nana Akufo-Addo was raised at Swalaba in Accra to Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo and Mrs Adeline Akufo-Addo. He hailed from Kyebi in the Eastern Region. His father was Ghana's third Chief Justice from 1966-1970 and non-executive President from 1970-1972. Their residence, Betty House at Korle Wokon in Accra, was the headquarters of the Ghana's first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) formed at Saltpond on August, 4 1947. Akufo-Addo is related to three of Ghana's mysterious Big Six who played a key role in the independence of the country. They are his uncles, J.B. Danquah, William Ofori-Atta and father, Edward Akufo-Addo. He has five daughters and five grand children. Nana Addo is married to Rebecca Akufo-Addo. Educational Background He schooled at the Government Boys School at Adabraka, and was later to go to Rowe Road School which is now Kimbu Secondary Technical. He later went to England to study for his O-Level and A-Level examinations at Lancing College, Sussex. He taught at Accra Academy Secondary School when he returned to Ghana in 1962, before going to University of Ghana to read Economics in 1964. He earned a BSc (Economics) degree in 1967. He was subsequently to study law in the United Kingdom and was called to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in July 1971. Nana Akufo-Addo was called to the Ghana bar in July 1975.Akufo-Addo stayed in France for five years as a lawyer at the now-defunct New York-based international law firm, Coudert Freres. Political Career He was the General Secretary of Peoples Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) which led "NO" campaign in the UNIGOV referendum of 1978 under General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong administration which was to solicit support against a one-party military government. In 1991, Akufo-Addo served as the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club.He travelled throughout the country to establish branches of the Club. These branches eventually metamorphosed into local organs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the 1992 general election. In 1992, he was elected the first National Organiser of the NPP and later became the campaign manager of the party's first presidential candidate, Professor Albert Adu Boahen. In 1995, he led the Kume Preko (Kill Me Now) demonstrations of the Alliance for Change (AFC), a broad-based political pressure group, to protest the harsh economic conditions of the Rawlings administration. Nana Addo was elected three times from 1996 - 2008 as the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region.He served his nation from 2001 to 2007 as Cabinet Minister, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and later as a Foreign Minister under the administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor with brilliance and distinction. As Attorney General, Akufo-Addo had the satisfaction of being responsible for the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, a law that had hitherto been used to intimidate the media and criminalise free speech. The repeal had enabled the Ghanaian media to become one of the most vibrant on the African continent.As Foreign Minister, he was fully involved in the successful ECOWAS peace efforts in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote dIvoire and Guinea Bissau, and was chairman of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council in 2003. Akufo-Addo resigned from the Kufuor government in July 2007 to contest for the position of presidential candidate of his Party for the 2008 national elections.He competed against 16 other candidates in the Party and won 48 per cent of the votes in the first round, but was given a unanimous endorsement in the second round, making him the NPPs presidential candidate for the 2008 presidential race. In the December 7, 2008 presidential race, Nana Akufo-Addo received 4,159,439 votes representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, in the first round, but was not enough for the 50 plus one percent needed for an outright victory. In the run-off, Nana Akufo-Addo lost to the National Democratic Congresss (NDC) Presidential Candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.Akufo-Addo again contested in the 2012 national elections against the NDC candidate, John Dramani Mahama after the demise of President Atta-Mills on July 24, 2012. That election generated considerable controversy, and was finally decided by the Supreme Court in a narrow 5/4 verdict in favour of Mr Mahama.In the 2016 elections, Nana Akufo-Addo competed against six other presidential candidates including President Mahama, of the ruling NDC, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention People's Party and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People's Party. The rest were Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings of the National Democratic Party, Dr Edward Mahama of the Peoples National Convention and Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah, an independent candidate. Nana Addo polled 5,716,026 votes representing 53.85 per cent as against his main rival, President Mahamas 4,713,277 votes representing 44.40 per cent to win the contest in the first round. Nana Addo would have the arduous task of fulfilling the high expectations of Ghanaians including creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youth, stabilising the countrys foreign exchange rate, ensuring frequent supply of electricity for commercial and domestic users and other key promises he made during the electioneering. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com Dear President NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO, On behalf of Ghanaian Students in Korea and Associates (GHASKA), we would like to congratulate you on the impressive victory during the December 7, 2016, General Elections in Ghana. You have achieved what could very well amount to one of the greatest political victories in the history of Ghanaian politics. It is a symbol of your hard work and efforts you have shown throughout your three attempts at the presidency in 8 years, Ghanaians finally have entrusted you with the mantle of leadership. We, GHASKA, with the primary motive to help build formidable networks and provide information for the self-aggrandizement of Ghanaian students in the Republic of Korea, with believe of advertently translating into the advancement of the socio-economic agenda of Ghana. A group of students with diversified field of study representing hundreds of students and non-students from every corner of Ghana studying in Korea write this letter on a hopeful note. Mr. President, as the new leader of our beloved Ghana, one of our expectations is that the government puts in measures to tap into and maximize the enormous potential of Ghanaian students in the diaspora who often are reluctant to come home after graduation due to the limited job prospects in the country and also the unfavourable environment to establish businesses. The role of the GHASKA pool whose composition is an influx of diverse graduates with in-depth-knowledge in science, technology, good governance, humanities and the arts, etc. is critically important to our country, Ghana. We take this unique opportunity, on your day of swearing-in, to bring to your attention, the glaring avoidable challenges faced by Ghanaian students in South Korea and earnestly count on your able leadership, to extend your good governance agenda to embrace us here by minimizing or ending our woes as international students in the Republic of Korea. The main challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana, is how to effectively structure and harness the benefits that are derivable from the diaspora. Unlike countries such as Turkey, the Philippines, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco, which have created the structures for doing this, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa do not have any structure whatsoever. That notwithstanding, GHASKA believes that the best way to stem migration or maximizing the pool of intellectuals/experts of Ghanaians in the diaspora is to progressively improve conditions in Ghana for a smoother integration after our studies. Without any equivocation, Ghana has countless students/brains in the diaspora who can contribute in our nation building, we are yet to realize that. Until our leaders wake up to the fact that we now live in a global village where every nation that prioritizes development provides a platform to attract the best of brains from every corner of the world and keep them. Mr. President, GHASKA pray you to give us the best of proactive ambassadors who are well tooled or equipped with modern technology in addition to an effective foreign affairs ministry to handle our requests as international students with efficiency. We want to appeal to your high office of the Land, the Presidency, about our deepest challenge and routine cycle of woe dear to our heart and in need of urgent remedy from your administration as soon as possible. These challenges include Uncertainty of employment in Ghana after school, Delay in passport renewal with missions abroad consulate divisions and the difficulty in securing a visa to South Korea as the processes and required document are not clear and consistent in Ghana. Mr. President, in congratulating and celebrating your glorious moment of victory, we also want to congratulate the Ghanaian electorate, the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the Media and all stakeholders for consolidating Ghanas democracy once again, we have proven beyond all doubt to be a cradle of democracy and good governance in Africa. We call on you to commit to our challenges here in South Korea of which we are ready to collaborate in overcoming from now until the final day of your presidency. We also hope your administration will improve response rates to request made by Ghanaians living abroad. We are proud to be Ghanaians and hopeful of your attention to our plights at GHASKA. More grace to your new challenges as you take the new title, HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANQUAH AKUFO-ADDO via the symbolic swearing-in ceremony. Congratulations! Respectfully, Rita Udor (President, GHASKA) Research Scholar Graduate School of International Studies Ewha Womans University. 52, Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodamun-Gu Seoul Korea. Mobile: +8201059245052. About GHASKA: The group was started at the proposal of Ms. Rita Udor during a post-independence day party on 7th March, 2015 at the residence Mr. Peprah Aprantwum, the Minister Counsellor in charge of Political, Economic and Diaspora. The primary motive is to help build formidable networks and provide information for the self-aggrandizement of Ghanaian students in the Republic of Korea, which was believed, would advertently translate into the advancement of the socio-economic agenda of Ghana. The Association is non-political, cooperates with the Ghana Embassy of Korea and serves as an umbrella body for all Ghanaian students based in South Korea. 07.01.2017 LISTEN If nationalism and economic independence across Europe and America do not wake Africa up, what will? Africans were recruited during World Wars to fight in Europe for Freedom. Suddenly, it hit home what about African freedom! We should be asking that same question that led to Africas political freedom. Unfortunately repossessed with economic and mental bondage made easier by the greed, selfishness and colo-mentality of our administrators and their cronies. Trump, by fiat threat to local or foreign businesses, has exposed the hypocrisy of laissez-faire just to retain jobs at home. In view of what is going on in the world today in civilized societies where free trade, globalization and capitalism propel them into advantageous nations; they now cry nationalism in the name of Brexit and Make America Great Again. Since Emerging Countries cheaper goods and immigrants are displacing them at home. Africa is the real victim. They want the good old days back when they repackage and made everything out of free labor of the slaves, serfs and raw materials dictated to countries of their choice. Other countries have come of age; they manufacture cheaper or better goods dumping them in their countries. Japan has perfected the art of automobile and China has perfected mass production to sell in western markets. If its not fair trade now, how could it be free trade when they were at advantage? It is undisputed that Africa is the richest Continent in natural resources in the world and still remains so. The fact is that the richest human that ever lived, the Queen of Sheba, is now ancient history. She depressed the price of gold around the world like many African Empires kings in Ghana, Mali and Songhai. Their aggrandizement in gold, diamond, art and science from Sudan to Egypt invited the fall of the last African Empire in hands of Moroccans marauders. The biggest and significant difference between these ancient times and today is disappointingly ingrained mental addiction to foreign tastes. Basically, it is the ability of Europeans, Arabs and others to convince Africans that if raw materials from their land is shipped out, manipulated, shined, painted or molded the way Africa used to shaped iron ore, terracotta or mummified royals; Africans would appreciate the same products more since they are imported as refined. Africa has not woken up from colo-mentality while Asian countries are big producers of local products their people appreciate but are also exporters to outside countries. Scramble for Africa, still in the slumber stage, is now between western and Asian countries. European and Americans fiercest competitor in Africa today is China. Poor African countries, they have no choice. When China comes with more favorable price, terms and condition, Africa grabs them. No country buys from any other country a whole industry of manufactured products without establishing a local factory for maintenance, parts production and eventual ability to produce and service same for 50 years except African countries! Nestle, beer breweries and other cocoa companies are still draining Africas foreign reserves. We are not even talking about spacecraft, aero planes or automobile. Ajaokuta Steel is still not productive in almost half a century. They have been draining African reserves because they have to import special ingredients and machineries from Europe and America to make their products acceptable to Africans. We have to be fair now, even African businesses refused to improvise at home and adapt machineries locally to produce so that they could park their profits outside Africa. After fifty years, Africans still prefer ready-made products from abroad where nationalism calls for their local goods. It is one thing to sing and dance Buy Africa even before Fela Kuti, it takes much more to put it into practice as habit of human behavior. There is nothing new about this, yet colo-mentality drains our energy and productive effort to see African Great Again as in the days of our great Empires. It is no wonder that after our ancient and new achievement have been denied, hidden and usurped by lesser civilization, same people claim we cannot be descendants of the Greats. They came as explorers, then traded by barter. In order to save our souls and save us from the devil, they came as missionaries. Each of these has become addicted drugs of opium that is too difficult to disengage. There is no other true God but that of Christian, Muslim or other foreign God. But God said he is everywhere and he created man in his image. If there is only one God that is worshipped worldwide, he can hear our prayers everywhere in every language or name. Moreover, Heaven only help those who help themselves. So why do Africans believe that by being the most religious is the only way God can hear our prayers. Our Pastors and Imams would do and say anything to get attention and recruit followers. They have brought back the dead, walked on ice, predicted calamities but have never been able to lift Africa out of its miseries. Indeed, they have directed killing and maiming of fellow Africans in the name of God. Yet, one of the very few places in the whole world where religious tolerance is highest is in West Africa among the Yoruba and generally with some Africans since they do not force their belief on others. On the other hand, if you want to see a vicious African, watch what he does to his fellow African as he worships others for his salvation. Africans are not in the image of God? Though important, no matter what we write, sing or pray; we need solution as of yesterday. As difficult as it may seem after all these years, the solution is within us. It is enslavement of our mental capacity reinforced from one generation of parents to children. When we have solutions within reach, within grasp and within ourselves, we should not be struggling for a century after regulated and enforced slave trade. We still have some slavery in one form or the other. It is not ironic that of the people that voted for nationalism in the latest election in USA, were 81% of regular Church goers and Christian Evangelists that wanted the good old days back. But it was not the good old days for minorities and women who were deemed three quarters or less than humans. They were willing to sacrifice personal interest in healthcare, social security, unions and wage that elevated them to middleclass, for promises they knew cannot be fulfilled. This is a deep and complex psychological acculturation that has defied reality. Africa, if others will not patronize you, why not love and patronize yourselves? For centuries, the Bible has come under sustained attacks from all angles: atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and pseudo-Christians, and yet, the Bible remains a solid and formidable anvil that bends all hammers of criticism. Yesterday, I read a journalistic article, published by Modernghana, under the above heading by Jean Gasho that sought to indict Africans for holding committedly to a book that supposedly was used to enslave them. Indeed, pro-slavery campaigners developed a kind of hermeneutics that was appropriated to support and rationalise the enslavement of Africans. It must be stated that slavery/servitude has existed in virtually all known human societies. The logic of slavery was anchored in the fact that civilisation/development always came at a cost. Someone must always pay the cost of development. And so, in ancient times, as well as our modern world, some individuals are reduced to servitude status to bring about development and progress. This explains why some of us are convinced that slavery was theoretically abolished, but the practice continues to the contemporary world. The contemporary manifestation and persistence of slavery forced labour, forced marriage, prostitution, human trafficking, female circumcision, honour killing, killing for human organs, and pornography in the 21st Century world breaths life into the debate over the appropriate definition of slavery. Susanne Miers in her article, Slavery: A Definition, has ably demonstrated the futility in attempts in scholarship to provide a universally acceptable definition for slavery. Thus, to be fare to the nature of slavery in the Biblical times, I use the word servitude, which I am convinced conveys the exact meaning and cultural manifestation of the institution at the time. My response to Gasho is markedly influenced by my knowledge of the Bible. I make recourse to the Bible to respond to Gasho for three reasons: First, the Bible is the standard bar against which all practices and beliefs must be measured. In other words, the Bible is the judgment bar for the evaluation of moral values. Second, the Bible provides a clear understanding of how Christians should relate with others, especially in the area of economic relation. Thirdly, the Bible provides us with an accurate account, as against speculations, of how the patriarchs related with their servants. Having said that, I must say that throughout the ages, some individuals have twisted the Bible to support their anti-biblical practices. A classical example is how the Dutch Reformed Church wrongly deployed the Bible to support the apartheid system in South Africa. This situation, however, does not mean that the Bible condones racism. It also does not mean that the Bible undermines justice. In fact, for centuries, the Bible had and continues to provide inspiration to human rights activists across the globe. Most crusaders against injustice and inhuman treatment in our world have had the Bible as their source of inspiration. The major issue that occupies the minds of many thinkers is whether the Bible condones slavery. It must be unequivocally stated that the Bible is roundly against slavery. The Bible categorically condemns slavery since the epiphenomenon of the institution is such that it contravenes justice and undermines human dignity. In fact, the Bible refers to slavery as criminal and subversion of Gods rule concerning inter-personal relationship. Here, I will make reference to two biblical texts that support my assertion. The first is Exodus 21:16, and the second is I Timothy 1:8-10. In Exodus 21:16, we read that: Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. In I Timothy 1:8-10, we read: We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious: for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine (Emphasis mine). From the above texts, it is obvious that the Bible considers slavery as criminal, beastly and inhuman endeavour that God frowns on. The Bibles uncompromising disposition towards slavery stems from the fact that the ancient Israelites had their liberation from slavery in Egypt as a lasting memorial that is engrained in their memory. In fact, the freedom the Israelites got from Egypt was emblematic of how God disapproves of slavery. The Hebrew word used for slavery is more of a servant, which was an expression of pre-modern slavery than modern slavery that the Muslims-Arabs and Europeans introduced in Africa. In view of that, I would hereby provide some of the distinctive features of pre-modern servitude in ancient Israel. My conviction is that that approach would help clarify the haziness, nebulousness and misunderstanding of the Bibles conceptualization of servitude. For the purposes of space, I would provide the following features of pre-modern servitude in ancient Israel: Servitude in ancient Israel was voluntary: A person sold himself to servitude as a security against poverty and despondence (Exodus 21:2-6), Leviticus 25:39-43, Deuteronomy 15:12 A servant could be redeemed at anytime by a next of kin of puts who puts up money for him (Leviticus 25:47-52) In the Seventh year, the sabbatical, and in the jubilee year all servants were automatically free (Exodus 21:2-6, Leviticus 25:10). The liberation of servants was so crucial to God that Israel was to suffer exile because they failed to implement Gods law on the redemption of servants (Jeremiah 34:8-20) Servants took part of religious ceremonies (Exodus 20:10; 23:12; Deuteronomy 16:9-14; 31:10-13) Servants were engrafted into the covenant God had with the people of Israel (Genesis 17:12, Deuteronomy 16:9-14; 31:10-13) Servants were entitled to the same civil and religious rights like their masters (Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 15:15-16; 29; 9:14; Deuteronomy 1:16-17, and had equal legal protection (Leviticus 19:15; 24:22) Runaway servants were not to be returned (Deuteronomy 23:15-16) The above characteristics of pre-modern servitude in ancient Israel denote the understanding that servants in ancient Israel did not suffer social death, to use the expression of Orlando Patterson. In other words, servants were not depersonalized or deculturalised. They were part and parcel of the host society. They were entitled to all the basic rights accorded to a free person. A servant could not be sold as an object. There was no attempt to commodify a servant. These characteristics run contrary to modern slavery, where a slave is reduced to a commodity that could be bought and sold. In fact, pre-modern servitude in ancient Israel could be related to pre-Arab/European slavery in Africa, as Paul Lovejoy, Igor Kopytoff, and Frederick Cooper have demonstrated in their insightful article, Indigenous African Slavery. Indeed, the Arabs and Europeans introduced a type of slavery that explicitly contravenes Gods rules governing servitude in ancient Israel. Let me conclude by making reference to a popular text that anti-Bible writers, including Jean Gasho, use in making God complicit of slavery. The text is Colossians 4:22, which reads: Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing and Lord. What these anti-Bible writers do is that they pick and choose, which text appears to favour their stance. They usually do not add the first verse of the next chapter (chapter 4), which reads, Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. If the master of the bondservant were to obey the instruction in Colossians, servitude would definitely not be discussed. Satyagraha!!! Charles Prempeh (African University College of Communications, Accra), [email protected] The ceremony to swear in Nana Akufo-Addo as Ghanas fifth President under the fourth Republic today, [Saturday] January 7, 2017, has started at the Black Star Square in Accra. The Vice President-elect, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will also be sworn-in at the same event. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to start at 10:00am, and has the President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, as the special guest of honour, to be supported by Liberian President, Ellen Jonhson Sirleaf. Former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and his deputy, Hassan Joho, are also in attendance at the inauguration ceremony. According to the NPP, about 11 heads of State including those of Togo, Gabon, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Benin, Nigeria and Guinea are scheduled to grace the event. As expected, thousands of NPP sympathisers in their red, white and blue colours, are in a jaunty mood as they cheer on their victorious Flagbearer as he assumes the mantle of governance. Vendors have also converged on the venue to cash in on the day by selling party and Ghanaian paraphernalia. Security is tight, with about 5,000 security officers deployed to enforce law and order at the venue, along with a number of access to some roads to venue blocked to traffic. Nana Akufo-Addo secured the presidency after the third time of asking, beating the incumbent, President John Mahama. Nana Akufo-Addo rode on the back with 53.85 percent of the valid votes cast, to become Ghanas fifth president under the fourth Republic. President Mahama, who ran on the ticket of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), secured 44.40 of valid votes cast. Nana Akufo-Addo hails from a rich political heritage with three of the iconic Big Six, the founding fathers of Ghana, being his relatives. J.B. Danquah is his grand-uncle; William Ofori-Atta, his uncle and Edward Akufo-Addo, the third Chief Justice of Ghana and later the ceremonial President of the Republic from 1969 to 1972, his father. Nana Akufo-Addo himself, aged 72, has already served Ghana as the Attorney General and then as Foreign Minister in the John Kufuor-led NPP government from 2000 to 2008. Photos: Godwin Allotey By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana Wont support proposal as it is, says RPP Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the fourth largest force in Parliament, has reiterated that it will not support the constitution amendment bill in its present form. Even a child knows whats right. Right is right but its often difficult for humanity to do whats right. Im reminded of a biblical story: Jesus heals a man with paralysis. My son your sins are forgiven, Jesus told the paralysed man. Soon his action draws the attention of the Pharisees---- the teachers of the law questioning his authority and describing the action as blasphemy. God is the only one who can forgive sins, they said to themselves. But hearing them Jesus said: Is it easier to say to this paralysed man, your sins are forgiven or to say, get up pick up your mat and go home? At another time while walking through a wheat farm on a Sabbath with his disciples they began to pick the heads of wheat. The Pharisees again questioned him: Look, it is against our law for your disciples to do that on the Sabbath. And perhaps they didnt expect to see what Jesus would spill on their bowls. The Sabbath was made for the good of man. Man was not made for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Just something to muse on before we trek down to downtown Accra. Again just wondering what motivated or caused Oko to do what he did? Was President Rawlings life in danger at the time? The president has his aides and security, were they not around to repel any threat if that was the case? Was it for eye-service which I know President Rawlings loathes? Protocol is the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions. For example protocol forbids one to enter the office of the president if the individual is not scheduled to do so or have no business whatsoever with the presidency. Can anyone think of any other uncommon situation where protocol has to be breached in the interest of saving a situation or doing good or what is right? In 1902, The New York Central Railroad used plush crimson carpet to direct people as they boarded their 20th Century Limited passenger train. This is believed to be the origin of the phrase red carpet treatment. Today red carpets are laid for dignitaries, celebs, chiefs etc. But if you fancy the crimson mat, you can lay one for yourself, maybe at the forecourt of your house. Backyard will even do if you so choose. On Thursday 5 January, 2017 at the forecourt of Ghanas Parliament House laid a red carpet. And I assume it was meant for some selected few. For the VVIP, I suppose (Very very important people). But drama had taken the front burner row, soon to unveil itself to the public. In a short video former President Jerry John Rawlings was seen walking on the red carpet to the august house. Suddenly the out-going Accra Mayor, Alfred Oko Vanderpuje approached him. What transpired between the two men in front of the house of the lawmakers has generated wild speculation. The action has been described by many as a snub, a slight, a rejection, a humiliation, an embarrassment, a disgrace and many more. The fully-bearded Accra mayor said something to Mr. Rawlings; exactly what he said isnt yet known. His counterpart Mr. Rawlings made a restraint-hand gesture and said something to Dr. Vanderpuje too. And exactly what he said to Dr. Vanderpuje is also not yet known. And I believe its probably only those who were close to the scene that mightve heard what President Rawlings told the newly elected legislator for Ablekuma South Constituency and vice versa. Meanwhile, spokesperson for the former President has said Dr. Vanderpuje invited the embarrassment to himself. Mr. Kofi Adams had told the media that the Accra mayor breached protocol. He should have known better. Even Rawlings directed him not to walk on the red carpet after initially avoiding him but he forcefully went through which was not right. See, at times Mr. Rawlings grabs the headlines as though hes picking cherries. Or is it not? Dont mind me just soliloquisingTalking to myself as to what to do about all this: This Rawlings latest issue. This man, who makes the news even when he coughs, when hes mute and when he booms. Perhaps a few hours after the forecourt episode another one unfolds inside the eminent house. Like the Trinity, hes seen sitting (while perhaps everyone at the setting is up standing) sandwiched by two white-shirted men. I think the one to his left flank is Kofi Adams, NDC National Organiser. Hands clawed together, head bowed, eyes probably half-closed (behind shades) and seemingly unamused about what was going on all around him. It is this image and the earlier one that have got many talking, tweeting, blogging and writing. And the title tattle bells are still ringing. The rumor mill is still on a high gear. However, a third scene appeared on the eve of the presidential inauguration on Friday night. Mr. Rawlings was seen exchanging pleasantries with Dr. Vanderpuje. He walked up to the new y-elected Member of Parliament (MP). One can see the two smiling as the former president tapped the back hand of Dr. Vanderpuje after a handshake. This would perhaps end the wild rumor that the two are at loggerheads. But how did they come this far, to smoke the seemingly peace pipe--- less than 24 hours after the gargantuan snub? Did someone tell President Rawlings that he overreacted or his behaviour on Thursday was unwarranted or uncalled for? So, what should I do, go to his (Mr. Rawlings) house or give him a phone call to see if I can get to the bottom of this melodrama? I think the latter would do. It isnt the better option but it would save me petrol from where I live, driving all the way to his Ridge residence in Accra. So without much ado, let me give Mr. Dr. Dr. Chairman President Rawlings a ring. Yes, its ringing...! Hey, can I speak with your Dad? Sure. Who should I say is on other side of the line? Please tell him his name sake. Yes just that. JR: Is you, whats up buddy? Nothing much Mr. President you may have noticed that I havent been around for a while. So I just called to check up on you and also discuss a few things with you. JR: Oh you and protocol, always addressing me as Mr. President even when we are at the pubs. Well Mr. President my Grandma Ama Kumiwa taught me better. Respect the elderly and authority, she told me when I was a child. And I know Grandma was right. Jesus said Give to Caesar whats Caesars JR: Thats good upbringing, keep it up. Thank you Mr. President. I surely will pass it on to my kids. Where was I? Ive been away for well over a week, looking for bread and butter. The Akans say: Anoma antua obuada. In translation, an idle bird sleeps without food. But I think you said it better: Do you remember exactly what you said Mr. President? JD; Oh Boy, you always crack me up. Yes I do. He cracks a smile and laughter follows. Mr. President, do you know this generation is used to that saying. Can you please say it again for me? JR: Anoma antua ogyina ho. Loose translation, if a bird doesnt fly it perches. Thank you Mr. President. Please tell me, why did you choose to sit while everyone was seen standing on the occasion of the State of the Nations address by President John Mahama? JR: Didnt you hear these guys say I was too old and too tired to campaign. So its apt to say I was too tired and too old to stand. After all, is it wrong for the old man to sit down when his feeble legs are giving up on him? But protocol is protocol Mr. President. Here, let me read to you what a friend wrote on my WhatsApp platform: What Rawlings did was wrong, he said. Protocol is protocol and ought to be respected and observed at all times. Respect is to the office of the President and not the occupant. And this is why Hillary and Bush are attending Trumps inauguration although they cannot stand the man. Mr. President I couldnt agree with him more on that assertion. What do you say to thatdo you still have an axe to grind with these guys? JR: Well, time will tell. And with regard to Dr. Vanderpuje, someone told me you dont care a hoot about protocol. And the general view is that you did so to spite him? Is that true? JR: You know who I am. I dont like what they call in our local parlance fun-fool respect. I saw the whole thing as an eye-service and I didnt like the idea. Id asked him to stop but he chose to do so. But everything is fine now. I told him to forget about what happened on Thursday and he understood me. Oko is a nice guy... So would you say he breached protocol? JR: That was obvious. He wasnt supposed to come there, but he did. And you also breached protocol at the parliament house. Yes, I did. 07.01.2017 LISTEN With the advent of the late President Evans John Atta Mills who later unfortunately succumbed to an unexplained but very demeaning death, to power, on the ticket of the NDC party, the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) started to be politicized. In year 2009 when President Mills assumed the mantle of leadership of Ghana, he made one Mr Joe Abbey, the then Director of Estates the Managing Director of the TDC. Prior to Joe Abbeys dubious promotion to the Managing Directorship of TDC based on the fact that he was, and is still, a staunch member of the NDC, one Mrs Elizabeth Mansa-Banson was the Managing Director. When the NDC came to power on 7 January 2009, the woman was not yet due for retirement/pension. However, the NDC kicked her out and made Mr Joe Abbey, an NDC activist, the Managing Director. They perceived the woman to have an affiliation to the then defeated NPP government hence forcing her out of her respectable cushy job. When he took over as the Managing Director, the first thing he did was to dishonourably remove the plaque made in honour of Elizabeth Mansa-Banson from a wall in the Boardroom. The NDC felt strongly that as long as the woman was appointed by NPP, she would still champion the cause of NPP even though the party was no longer in power hence her demotion and disgraceful removal from her position as stated above. Joe Abbey started to intimidate all the staff members he suspected to be NPP sympathisers. On several occasions, he would say in meetings that the National Security and the BNI had assured him that any staff member he perceived to be undermining him must be reported to them to be drastically dealt with. He often threatened to terminate the appointment of any staff member suspected to aspire to undermine him. He repeatedly reiterated this nonsensically intimidating statement at any least opportunity he had all in the belief of subjugating his perceived NPP staff members to what was a perpetual culture of silence. He was able to cow all those members who openly or covertly had affiliation to the NPP. There was a total intimidation of staff members at the Tema Development Corporation (TDC). At any least or given opportunity, he kept reminding the staff that the seemingly partisan and politicized BNI and the National Security personnel have asked him to report his enemies to them and once done, they would not hesitate a minute to deal mercilessly with such culprits. He once, out of sheer malice, did report some perceived NPP sympathisers to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) now the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to be investigated. However, there were no adverse findings established against them despite their repeated up and down travels or numerous invitations to the office of the SFO. As if that was not enough to quench his evil appetite for getting the alleged NPP staff members expelled from the job, he side-lined those in senior positions that he still felt were overtly or covertly well-disposed to the NPP. He rather preferred to, and really dealt with, their subordinates that he saw and believed to be NDC guys, faithful or activists. He would call these subordinates to Board meetings, travelled with them to overseas on missions relating to the TDC while their section or department senior members were completely ignored for being correctly or falsely presumed by him, Managing Director Joe Abbey, to be staunch NPP supporters. That silly attitude of his has continued until today, Saturday, 7 January 2017 that I am penning or typing this article, for publishing. My conducted investigations into his bizarre partisan and unethical attitudes have revealed that he was due for retirement in April 2016. However, for unexplained reasons only best known to him and the now gone President Ede bii keke Onaapo John Dramani Mahama, the most unprecedentedly corrupt, clueless and incompetent President in the annals of Ghana politics and the NDC, he was given a two-year extension of his contract by President Mahama. At a quarterly durbar held at TDC during the questions and answers time, he boastfully made it clear that if a new government comes and attempts or decides to abrogate or terminate his contract, he would sue for judgment debt. What is a judgment debt? It is, the amount of money in a judgment award to the winning party, which is owed to the winner by the losing party. He is resolutely determined to take the government relieving him of his post before his outrageously-extended two-year term contract ends to the Employment Tribunal for unlawful dismissal hence his hope of extracting a handsome or a huge NDC-type of create, loot and share judgment debt from the incoming NPP government if they dare terminate his contract. Now that the table has turned with the advent of NPP to power, he has seriously started lobbying them to remain in post but having first packed the TDC with NDC boys and girls in what infamously constitutes job for the boys. However, because of his divide and rule tactics, the majority of the staff are very agitated and disappointed in his attempts to have NPP maintain him for all his devilish practice of partisanship in favour of, and elevation of, the NDC staff members. How can somebody who perpetrated and perpetuated this culture of divide and rule cum harmful intimidation against the majority of the staff for their alleged NPP political persuasion be still allowed to successfully lobby the NPP to continue to remain in office to sabotage the party and the government? Time changes and as said in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, there is time and season for everything. It is now imperatively the time for the Managing Director Joe Abbey to peacefully proceed on leave prior to retiring. He has the option to either jump by himself or he will be pushed at all cost as long as the no-nonsense Rockson Adofo from Kumawu and Asiampa in Juaben has got involved. The choice is his. He must bear in mind that Rockson Adofo does not suffer fools kindly. He is on record to have said recently that some of the staff have started acting funny following the declaration of Election 2016 results in favour of Nana AKufo Addo and NPP. As thick as he is and has always been, thinking he can always be the law unto himself because he had the fullest backing and support of the NDC, the SFO and BNI, he threatened the staff that there was no way he would accept them jubilate the NPPs overwhelming victory in any form or shape at work. He reprimanded staff members jubilating at NPPs election victory and warned that any member who continued to celebrate the NPPs success in any manner or form would be stringently dealt with to their regret. Is this the person that the NPP are going to allow themselves to be lobbied by to retain his position only to continue to suppress their sympathisers and their rights to freedom of association? If I had my own way, Joe Abbey would be a goner long ago. By his character and ridiculous partisan nature unhealthy for running a big public corporation as TDC, he must be deemed a misfit in his current job and position. I recommend he is forced to resign or proceed on retirement before his two-year extension of contract comes to an end. Rockson Adofo (Written on Saturday, 7 January 2017) Germany has been sued for damages in the United States by descendants of the Herero and Nama people of Namibia, for what they called a campaign of genocide by German colonial troops in the early 1900s that led to more than 100,000 deaths. According to a complaint filed on Thursday with the US district court in Manhattan, Germany has excluded the plaintiffs from talks with Namibia regarding what occurred, and has publicly said any settlement will not include reparations to victims, even if compensation is awarded to Namibia itself. There is no assurance that any of the proposed foreign aid by Germany will actually reach or assist the minority indigenous communities that were directly harmed, the plaintiffs lawyer Ken McCallion said in an email. There can be no negotiations or settlement about them that is made without them. The proposed class-action lawsuit seeks unspecified sums for thousands of descendants of the victims, for the incalculable damages that were caused. US representatives of the German government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The slaughter took place from roughly 1904 to 1908, when Namibia was a German colony known as South-West Africa , after the Herero and Nama groups rebelled against German rule. According to many published reports, victims were also subjected to harsh conditions in concentration camps, and some had their skulls sent to Germany for scientific experiments. Some historians view what occurred as the 20th centurys first genocide, and a 1985 United Nations report said the massacre of Hereros qualified as a genocide. Germany has paid victims of the Holocaust, which occurred during the second world war. The plaintiffs on Thursday sued under the Alien Tort Statute, a 1789 US law often invoked in human rights cases. The US supreme court narrowed the laws reach in a 2013 decision, Kiobel v Royal Dutch Petroleum Co, saying it was presumed not to cover foreign conduct unless the claims sufficiently touch and concern the US. McCallion said Kiobel and later rulings leave the door open for US courts to assert jurisdiction in genocide cases. The plaintiffs, including some from New York, also brought federal common law and New York state law claims. Ghana's new President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extolled the democratic virtues of outgoing President John Mahama saying his contribution to the country's democracy will forever be cherished. Nana Akufo-Addo says Mr Mahama's honourable act of conceding defeat as a sitting president to make way for him to serve will go down in Ghana's democratic history. Speaking at an event Saturday to mark his investiture as President and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as Vice President of the 4th Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo paid glowing tribute to the country's former leaders and living ex-Presidents: Jerry John Rawlings, John Kufuor, and John Mahama. He prayed God keeps the soul of departed President John Evans Atta Mills who defeated him in the 2008 election. After the felicitations, he thanked John Mahama for his service to the nation adding, who he said stepped into the presidency at a "delicate moment" in the country's history with the death in office of a sitting president. "He has since steered the affairs of the state with conviction. His elegance by acceptance of the verdict of the people December 7 will without doubt receive the approval of history...I wish him and his family well..." President Nana Akufo-Addo has made a solemn promise to protect the public purse and insist on the value of money on all projects when the business of governance begins. On a day he was sworn into office after taking the presidential oath and the oath of allegiance, the president said the business of leadership is to serve and Ghanaians should not expect any less from him. Quoting one of his mentors Kofi Abrefia Busia, president in the second Republic, president Nana Akufo-Addo charged all to regard politics as an avenue of service to our fellow human being; our success or failure should be judged by the quality of knowledge of the ordinary man and the standard of living he enjoys. On December 7, 2016, Nana Akufo-Addo won an emphatic victory in an election, beating the incumbent John Dramani Mahama who was gunning for a second term. The issue of corruption was one of the most topical in the campaign with the NPP accusing the outgoing administration of inflating prices of projects and misappropriating funds. The citizens bought the campaign of the NPP, voted overwhelmingly for Nana Akufo-Addo with a 53.8% victory as declared by the Returning officer Charlotte Osei on December 9, 2016. That declaration has culminated into an investiture programme which has brought over 15 heads of state across the African continent to Ghana to witness another milestone where a new party takes over from an incumbent administration. Nana Akufo-Addo thanked the outgoing president John Mahama for his "elegant acceptance" of the election results which he says will "receive the approval of history." "I am humbled by the exceptional mandate and the confidence shown in the NPP and in my person.. I will do all in my power to justify that confidence. I will not let you down," Nana Akufo-Addo swore before thousands of Ghanaians that trouped to the Independence Square and millions of others watching from home in Ghana and across the globe. Clad in his rich Kente, the short but elegant looking president with a baritone voice delivered his speech with authority and conviction saying, I am in the unique position to draw from the lessons of three living ex-presidents who represent the continuation of Ghana's thriving democracy. 60 on March 6 On March 6, 2017, Ghana will be 60 years after attaining independence from the colonial administration. The president paid glowing tribute to JB Danquah, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, RS Blay, Edward Akufo-Addo, Kojo Botsio whose "fidelity to principle and patience" and collective action yielded results and won Independence to Ghana. He said with "steely determination" these liberators reclaimed the wealth of Ghana and handed to Ghanaians a democratic legacy. Nana Akufo-Addo however said with sadness that that after 60 years these honorable men will be disappointed at the level of development in Ghana. He said the 60 years have been littered with "few highs and many lows," one dogged by military dictatorship. "After 60 years we have no reason for being poor" he stated and expressed humility for the opportunity to serve. President Nana Akufo-Addo has set the tone for patriotism with a call on Ghanaians to be active partakers in the running of the country. The new President made the call during his inaugural speech at the Black Star Square in Accra on Saturday. Nana Akufo-Addo took over the reins of government from John Mahama to become the fifth President of the 4th Republic. Be good citizens, not spectators, he urged. More soon... Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected] Accra (AFP) - Nana Akufo-Addo was sworn in as Ghana's new president on Saturday, promising to stamp out government corruption and kickstart the private sector. The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer took the oath of office at a ceremony in Independence Square in the capital Accra in front of more than 6,000 guests and a roaring crowd. Wearing a traditional robe draped over one shoulder, Akufo-Addo waved a gold sword -- a symbol of Ghana's presidency -- before giving his inaugural address as head of state. "We no longer have any excuses for being poor," Akufo-Addo said. "We must restore integrity in public life. State coffers are not spoils for the party that wins an election, but resources for the country's social and economic development," Akufo-Addo said. The new president underlined his campaign promise to support entrepreneurs and attract investors to the country, which has suffered from lacklustre growth in recent years. "We will reduce taxes to recover the momentum of our economy," Akufo-Addo said. "Ghana is open for business again." Eleven African heads of state attended the ceremony, as well as the outgoing president John Dramani Mahama, and former leaders John Rawlings and John Kufuor. Accra police enforced tight security during the inauguration, with major roads in and around the venue cordoned off. Traders set up stalls nearby hoping to cash in on the ceremony by selling Ghana flags and white, red and blue paraphernalia from Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party. Akufo-Addo's electoral victory -- and the peaceful transition of power -- cemented Ghana's position as a beacon of stability in an often turbulent region. 'Gold standard for democracy' One international observer described the West African country as a "gold standard for democracy in Africa". The new president told AFP that after smooth handovers of power in his home country and places such as Nigeria, leaders wanting to stay in office at all costs were "fighting the tide of history". In Nigeria -- known for contested elections and their violent aftermath -- Goodluck Jonathan made an unprecedented concession to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. But in the week of Akufo-Addo's election, beaten president Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia promised to challenge the results of elections that he had previously accepted. Elsewhere on the continent, there are numerous examples of leaders wanting to amend the constitution to ensure more years in power. Buhari and other African leaders will meet for talks after the inauguration to discuss the crisis in The Gambia caused by Jammeh's refusal to step down. "A major decision on the impasse is expected to be taken at that all-important meeting," Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu told reporters in Abuja. "President Buhari is the chief mediator in the crisis and he is committed to ensuring that the logjam is resolved." Akufo-Addo has vowed to put Ghana "back on the path of progress and prosperity" after an economic slump under Mahama that led to an International Monetary Fund bail-out. This week Mahama defended his record, saying his government had been up against "strong headwinds" that caused growth to slow, public sector debt to rise and the cedi currency to fall. But the 58-year-old encouraged Ghanaians to get behind Akufo-Addo and on Wednesday showed his successor round the seat of government, Flagstaff House, in Accra. Ghana's 5th President of the 4th Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, January 7, 2017, called on all Ghanaians to be optimistic about the future, and unite for the development of the country. He said his assumption of office will spell the beginning of a new era of economic transformation of prosperity for the country. He reiterated his resolve to protect the public purse, and ensure every Ghanaian has a fair share of the national cake. He issued a stern warning to members of his government to do away with intentions of amassing wealth from public office. Akufo-Addo also assured that, the country will prioritize science and technology to ensure that the country's development targets are met. Listen to the full speech below: By: citifmonline.com/Ghana Ghanas new President has whipped a sense of patriotism in Ghanaians by charging the citizenry to make more meaning and feel proud of being their nationality. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said being Ghanaian must mean more than the country of a persons birth or holding the republics passport. Quoting Ghanas premier leader Dr Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumahs famous 1957 Independence speech where he spoke about measuring the nations progress with the happiness of Ghanaians being able to manage their own affairs, he called on the citizenry to go beyond the routine reference to being Ghanaian. Being a Ghanaian must put a certain responsibility on each of us. Calling yourself a Ghanaian must mean you have signed up for a certain definable code of conduct. Being a Ghanaian puts an obligation on each one of us to work at building a fair and prosperous nation, he told the more than 6,000 people who have gathered at the Black Star Square to witness the investiture, Saturday. According to the President, Ghanaians must look out for each other adding there should be no higher praise than to be able to say I am a Ghanaian. I thank the almighty that I am able to say with pride that I am a Ghanaian, he stated. More soon... Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected] BouakA (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - Ivory Coast's defence minister on Saturday headed to the northern city of Bouake where troops have seized control, firing rocket launchers in the streets in an angry protest over pay. As the country's second city, Bouake was the headquarters of an armed rebellion that broke out in 2002 and split Ivory Coast in two until 2011. The unrest erupted in the early hours of Friday morning with troops demanding hefty pay rises, and the protests quickly spread to other cities, including Man in the west. "We are going to talk with our men, hear their complaints and find solutions to this situation that is understandable but regrettable," Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi said in a televised address before his departure. Lieutenant-Colonel Issiaka Ouattara (left) speaks with Archbishop Paul-Simeon Ahouanan Djro as unrest sweeps through Ivory Coast's second city of Bouake, on January 7, 2017 The rattle of automatic gunfire continued throughout the night, and could still be heard on Saturday morning along with the sound of heavy weapons fire, local residents and an AFP correspondent said. "We heard shooting all through the night," one resident told AFP by phone. Disgruntled former rebels Troops had also set up barricades, blocking entry into the city where long queues of vehicles could be seen waiting. Similar protests erupted in several central and northern towns throughout the day and by Saturday morning, the unrest had also spread to Man, witnesses and a military source said. UN peacekeepers patrol Bouake where soldiers seized control of Ivory Coast's second city on January 6, 2017 "I went out of my house at 7:00 am when I heard the first shots," a local resident called Jean told AFP, saying that within an hour, the firing had "intensified." "The military is now parading through the streets in vehicles," he said, with a military source confirming the unrest had hit the city shortly after dawn on Saturday. Troops wary The protests had also spread to the central towns of Daloa and Daoukro as well as Korhogo in the north, where angry troops demanded salary hikes although witnesses said they had largely disappeared from the streets by Friday evening. Passengers rest next to a bus as they wait to enter Ivory Coast's second city of Bouake, on January 6, 2017 Speaking to AFP on Friday, a military official said the unrest was spearheaded by former rebel fighters now integrated into the army who were demanding bonuses of five million CFA francs ($8,000, 7,600 euros) each plus a house. "We are emerging from a crisis and our army is being rebuilt," the defence minister said in his televised address. "Things are not moving as quickly as we hoped but they are moving none the less." An ongoing issue Ahead of the minister's arrival, troops expressed wariness over his intentions, with one telling AFP, "We believe they are getting ready to do something against us." "If he wants to come to negotiate, there won't be any problems. But if they want to attack us, we are ready for that too," he added. Ivory Coast Lieutenant-Colonel Issiaka Ouattara (centre) arrives for talks with Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi in Bouake, on January 7, 2107 President Alassane Ouattara, who is currently in Ghana for the swearing in of the country's new president, was expected to return to Abidjan, the economic capital, by the end of the day for a cabinet meeting. Friday's unrest saw troops breaking in to Bouake's main weapons depot, arming themselves with rocket-launchers and other weapons mounted on pickup trucks, a military source said. Troops then attacked all seven police posts, manned strategic junctions and put up barricades in the town centre, an AFP correspondent said. A similar dispute by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake in November 2014 which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill. The nearly 9,000 strikers, who joined the army between 2009 and 2011, were demanding full payment of back pay and promotions. Bouake was the capital of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then president Laurent Gbagbo, who remained in power. The effective partitioning of the country between a rebel-held north and a loyalist south sparked a decade of clashes and crises. Rebel forces generally backed Ouattara, the current president who took office in April 2011 after a bloody post-electoral showdown which ended with Gbagbo's arrest. Gbagbo was turned over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where his trial began in January last year for crimes against humanity. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Cloudy this morning, then becoming windy with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 79F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 46F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Khartoum (AFP) - The family of detained Sudanese opposition figure Siddig Yousif have appealed for his release following an "alarming" worsening of his health. The 85-year-old was detained in November along with three other leftist leaders by the National Intelligence and Security Service during a crackdown on protests sparked by fuel price hikes. Yousif's family, who were allowed to visit him on January 5, said there had been "an alarming deterioration in his state of health". "We implore the authorities to release him," they added. Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - Droves of Ghanaians have descended from across the country to congregate at the Independent Square for the inauguration of the fifth President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Large number of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wrapped Party colours of red, white and blue, whilst others appears Nationalistic in kente or white attire trooped to the Independence Square to observe the swearing-in of Nana Akufo Addo as the President of Ghana. By 0500 hours, various streets of Accra were filled with people wearing and holding NPP paraphernalia, with others blowing vuvuzeles and other forms of horns, march on to the Square. Some were in buses and others walking towards the Independence Square cheering and shouting the NPP slogan in twi, 'ya sesa mu' which means 'we've made a change'. By 0900 hours GNA observed that Ghanaians from all walks have converged at the Independence Square to wait patiently for the swearing-in of the fifth President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. The whole Independence Square is draped in the national colours of red, gold and green. A set of huge Fontomfrom drums has also been mounted at the Square. Also, the seats of the President and Vice-President are set and ready for the ceremony. Security is very tight with security personnel doing their job including directing people to their designated seats. Traditional Rulers, Queens, Queen Mothers and religious leaders from all over the country have converged at the Square for the ceremony. Meanwhile some African Heads of State have arrived in Ghana for the investiture of President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, today, Saturday, January 7. Among them are: Zambia President, Edgar Lungu and Equatorial Guinea Vice President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), on Friday, according to media report monitored by the Ghnana News Agency. The Presidents of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika; Egypt's Abdul Fattah el-Sisi and Sierra Leone President, Ernest Bai Koroma are also in town. The rest are Chadian President Idriss DAby, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Hailemariam Desalegn, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia The reports said they were received by the National Security Minister-designate, Dr Albert Kan Dapaah, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman and Papa Owusu Ankomah, officials of the incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP). Some spokespersons for the Transition Team told the media earlier in the week that at least 11 Heads of State would be at the ceremony, with the President of la Cote d' Ivoire, Alassane Dramanne Ouattara being the Special Guest of Honour. The other expected Heads of State are the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Guinea, Alpha Conde President of Nigeria - Muhammudu Buhari, President of Benin - Alpha Talon, President of Togo - Faure Gnassingbe and President of Gabon - Ali Bongo Ondimba. GNA By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - The inauguration and swearing-in of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on Saturday added political flavour that would further deepen the democratic credentials of Ghana. Having held seven successful democratic elections in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, Ghana stands as one of the iconic states in Africa with its democratic achievements. It all started in 1992, when former President Jerry John Rawlings metamorphosed from a military leader to become the first President of the fourth republic and retained power from 1996 to 2000 where he ended his second term of office. A significant feature of Ghana's democracy actually began in 2001 when President Rawlings who was leaving office handed over power to Former President John Agyekum Kufuor who had won the Presidential election on the ticket of a different political party- the New Patriotic Party. Former President John Agyekum Kufuor after serving for eight years as President of the land also handed over power to the late and former President John Evans Atta Mills from the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The NDC handed over to NDC when the late President John Evans Atta Mills administration was handed over to former President John Dramani Mahama hours after his demise. The handing over power from former President Mahama to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo, therefore, marks another milestone that would add to the credentials of Ghana's democracy. The growth and respect for Ghana's democracy was reinforced by the speech delivered by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who said:"Ghana has made West Africa proud by this demonstration." Speaking as the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States, she praised Ghana saying it has set example for others in the West African sub region to emulate. Although many African countries have over the years held successful elections, some have always handed over power to 'themselves' as the same political parties have always won elections. What even makes Ghana's democracy more admirable is the cooperation of former Presidents and their families and thereby enriching the process of good governance and the rule of law. The swearing-in of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo was also witnessed by former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. Former President John Agyekum Kufuor and former President John Dramani and his wife Lordina Mahama also patronised the glamorous occasion that was attended by many Presidents and foreign dignitaries from the Africa and beyond. The occasion would create a good image of what Ghana has been since the days of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, First President of Ghana. For other African countries that have over the years been engrossed in political turmoil and skirmishes, Ghana will forever serve as the shinning star in democracy, good governance and the rule of law. It is therefore time for Ghanaians to turn around and pat each other on the shoulder and say 'by God's grace we are there again.' GNA By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - Some youth enthusiastic youth have expressed joy at the turn of events and prayed that the new government would move the country on the right pedestal. Mr Philip Frempong, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said he was happy that Nana Akufo Addo has been sworn-in as the President and urged him to deliver on his promises. 'All we want are jobs,' Mr Fouad Sarpong said. However, Ms Felicia Quaye, also urged the president to continue from where the out-going President John Dramani Mahama stopped to ensure that projects he had undertaken were not abandoned. Many supporters of the NPP were clad in the party's colours and other paraphernalia's to signify their happiness with the new change. Nana Akufo-Addo won the 2016 general elections as the President elect with 53.8 per cent votes as against the National Democratic Congress's John Dramani Mahama who polled 44.4 per cent. GNA By Samira Larbie, GNA Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - Thousands of Ghanaians thronged the Black Star Square to witness the inauguration of the President elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo as the President of the Fouth Republic of Ghana. A session of them dressed in the NPP and National colours expressed their joy of living to witness this all important occasion. The well-packed Square saw the supporters singing, dancing and waving miniature flags to herald the swearing in of the President and Vice-president. A couple of women dressed in school uniform said it was an indication to remind the new President of his promises to the education sector. Most of the people the Ghana News Agency spoke to said they had travelled from afar just to witness the occasion and to support the new President. Mr John Kofikumah, a teacher from Swedru, told the GNA that he decided to witness the event, since he supports the new government. He said he expected the new government to fulfill its promise to the education sector per their manifesto. Alhaji Kamara Soni, a Businessman told the GNA that, he came in from the Northern Region to witness the all-important event. He commended the transition team and other committees formed to make the occasion a success. To the President and the new government, Alhaji Soni urged the President to make the business environment conducive for investors and investment opportunities for local businesses and foreigners. Thirteen countries sent representatives and were joined by about 6,000 foreign dignitaries with Ivorian President Alhassan Outtarra as the special guest of honour. GNA By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA Bunso (E/R), Jan. 7, GNA - Apostle Joseph Felix Kwesi Mensah, Chairman of the Apostolic Council of the Great Commission Church International (GCCI), has urged pastors to be humble and ready to learn from others. He said it is erroneous for some pastors think that they know everything. He said the body of Christ contains people with various expertise such as lawyers, accountants and PhD holders in diverse fields, and these pastors could tap for the work of the ministry. Speaking at the ongoing 26th Annual General Council Meeting of the GCCI at Bunso in the Eastern Region, Apostle Mensah said good leadership is very key in church growth and ministry work. He, therefore, urged churches to give prominence to the training and development of their leadership capacity. The four-day meeting held under the theme: "Imitating Jesus Christ", is being attended over 120 participants including all members of GCCI Ghana Executive Council and their spouses, all trustees, ordained pastors, presiding elders, and delegates from Togo and Benin. Apostle Mensah said 'a leader is someone who influences other people to follow him'; stating that if the current generation of leaders in the body of Christ fail, the church would face crisis in the future. He said leadership brings about change and success to the any organisation. Apostle Mensah said a Christian leader must be honest, competent and caring for the flocks of God. He said Christ-likeness and servanthood is the hallmark of Christian leadership and God wants Christians to copy Christ and be like him. Apostle Mensah said the body of Christ needs visionary leaders, who would move it to greater heights. GNA By Iddi Yire, GNA Tunis (AFP) - The nephew of the prime suspect in last month's Berlin market attack and three others arrested in Tunisia were not linked to the carnage, a prosecution spokesman said Saturday. Days after the December 19 attack, Tunisia's interior ministry announced the arrest of the nephew of Anis Amri, the suspected Berlin attacker, and two others. Prosecution spokesman Sofiene Sliti told AFP on Saturday that a fourth man had been also arrested. "The investigations have shown that none of them had any link to the Berlin attack and that they don't belong to any jihadist group," he said. Three have been released while Amri's nephew is still being held as part of another investigation into his "intention to join jihadist groups abroad," Sliti added. The interior ministry said on December 24 that the suspects were arrested for links to Amri but that there was no direct link between them and the attack on a central Berlin Christmas market. It said that Amri's nephew -- who has not been named -- admitted being in contact with his uncle through the messaging service Telegram. Amri allegedly urged his nephew to adopt jihadist ideology "and asked him to pledge allegiance to Daesh (IS)," it said. The nephew also told investigators that Amri "sent him money through the post... so that he could join him in Germany." The nephew was reported to have said that Amri was the "prince" or leader of a jihadist group based in Germany known as the "Abu al-Walaa" brigade. Amri, 24, is believed to have hijacked a truck and used it to mow down holiday revellers in attack that left 12 people dead. It was claimed by the Islamic State group. Amri was shot dead after firing at two Italian policemen who had stopped him for a routine identity check near Milan's Sesto San Giovanni railway station on December 23. 07.01.2017 LISTEN At my polling station in Kaneshie, nothing untoward happened. Voters patiently stood in line waiting for their turn to register their constitutionally mandated right to choose their local legislative representative and a leader for Ghana for the next 4 years. Having just witnessed the strangest of elections in the United States I was prepared for anything but it was all good. Early the next morning, the major opposition party's national youth organizer announced that they had already won about 170 of the 275 seats. There was no reason to doubt this as parliamentary results are certified locally at the constituencies. Winners and losers know their fate locally before these results are transmitted to the Electoral Commission (EC) HQ in Accra. This action by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was the strongest indication yet that they did not trust the EC with its core responsibility. The incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) soon responded with a press conference of their own, stating that according to their collated results, the incumbent president was in a "comfortable lead" with about 160 constituencies counted. If they could not provide a list of 160 NDC parliamentary winners, this was likely a false and dangerous claim as it is rare to have "skirt and blouse" voting involving the two major parties. They also launched a tirade against independent election observers, which was not only pitiful but dangerous. As the day wore on, most of the country expected the president to concede early to ease rising tensions, because it was clear to anyone with minimal math skills that, the NPP's lead was now insurmountable. The EC reminded the nation that they had 72 hours within which the EC chair as the Returning Officer for the presidential race, would announce the final results. This did not help matters as the people had already decided that Nana Akuffo-Addo was the new president of the 4th Republic of Ghana. When the concession came later on the evening of 9-9-2016, it was grudging at best. It included a remark about "irregularities" which most found in bad taste. Why the NDC was in a state of disbelief, surprised few objective political observers. They had already failed the first math test. In the last 4 years, Mr. Mahama, though reasonably popular, had proven to be weak in dealing with miscreants on his team. Many Ghanaians believed after many financial revelations and scandals, that the governing party had lost its moral compass under his leadership. The party was out of touch with the electorate. It was routine for NDC officials, when confronted disturbing data, to simply respond with a partisan "ignore them." They were regularly insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians. They harboured no expectation of accountability to the voting public. Non-partisan expert advice on many important issues was routinely ignored. Mr. Mahama continued to turn a blind eye to the log in his eye. Mr. Rawlings, founder of the NDC, later attributed the electoral loss to "corruption, impunity and disrespect." Interestingly, he has said nothing about punishment. This, from the man responsible for the deaths by firing squad of corrupt generals, some of whom were killed merely for taking loans. Ghanaians became quiet and firm in their resolve to use the ballot box to effect the necessary change. What Ghanaians have voted for is transparency and accountability to taxpayers. The country is politically and geographically polarized but morally united in seeking a proper accounting from those they elect to serve. The president-elect's early statement that no one joining his government should harbor the expectation of making money is of comfort to Ghanaians and represents the kind of clarity the public expects from a leader on corruption. His other responsibility is to foster an environment in which the all state institutions including those directly responsible for fiscal accountability function with greater efficiency. Ghanaians also want a review of how the borrowed USD 25bn over the last 4 years has been spent. Anyone who has committed a crime in this regard, should face the full rigors of the law or the cycle of theft will never end and Ghanaians will continue to suffer from poor leadership. This is not a proposal for a witch- hunt but the firm application of due process. The legal standard must be Ghana's standard. It is ironic that one of Mr. Mahama's midnight appointments was that of a substantive Auditor-General. I do not believe that he acted on the last 4 annual reports from this agency, which revealed daylight robbery by officials from the local government level to the national levels of government. Proper accounting and action against offenders is what Ghanaians have voted for. And oh yes, competent and honest appointees to serve us in our quest for sustainable national development. There is a great deal of attitudinal change that the new government must foster through actions rather than words. Nana Akuffo-Addo's government must not preach, it should act. The fundamental problems continue to be illiteracy, indiscipline, poverty and disease. Without strong public sector reform driving a sustained change in our management culture, precious little will be achieved. This is an area in which Mr. Mahama failed the nation woefully. Without dispassionate application of the law in all areas of Ghanaian life, it matters little who is at the helm because our progress will be stunted. Our development must be rooted in a truly just society. Justice for the rich and justice for the poor. I tire of reading about people jailed for stealing goats while white collar criminals roam free flaunting their stolen riches in churches. Ghanaians have Dickensian great expectations of President-elect Akuffo-Addo and his team. They must be qualified, competent, truly disruptive and incorruptible. Above all, the greatest challenge is reforming the public sector by improving efficiency and productivity so that it can act as a real catalyst for private sector and job growth. Dealing with any public institution in Ghana right now is a dreadful waste of time. This is not good for business. The use of technology must be rapidly leveraged in the public sector. The inherent creativity and innovative essence of Ghanaians await their day of freedom and not a moment too late, for we are in a very competitive global marketplace. Dedicated to my granddaughter Eliska Ewurekua Setrakian. - "Welcome to our world." Dr. T. P. Manus Ulzen is Professor & Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Alabama, USA. He is a native of Ghana and author of Java Hill: An African Journey A Historiography of Ghana. [email protected] www.javahillelmina.com Twitter: @ThaddeusUlzen January 7, 2017 Nairobi (AFP) - Burundi authorities have arrested six people in connection with the murder of the country's environment minister, the prosecutor general said Saturday. Emmanuel Niyonkuru, 54, the country's water, environment and planning minister, was shot dead shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve in the most high-profile killing since Burundi's political crisis began nearly two years ago. Police were quick to term the killing an "assassination" although the motive for the attack was not immediately clear. Prosecutor general Sylvestre Nyandwi told journalists that the minister had been shot in the head as he returned home in the capital Bujumbura. "After this foul act, investigations began quickly and six suspected perpetrators were apprehended, including four men and two women," he said. Nyandwi said investigations were still ongoing and did not reveal the identities of those arrested nor their alleged motives. Niyonkuru is the first cabinet minister to be killed but other senior regime figures have been targeted since the crisis erupted over President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid to run for a third term in April 2015. General Adolphe Nshimirimana, considered Nkurunziza's right-hand man, was killed in August 2015. Almost a year later former government minister and spokeswoman Hafsa Mossi was killed by gunmen in her car. Other attacks have failed, with senior presidential advisor Willy Nyamitwe, a spokesman widely regarded as the public face of the government, escaping an ambush by a group of gunmen as he returned to his Bujumbura home in November. Burundi has commonly blamed neighbouring Rwanda for the attacks. At least 500 people have been killed and 300,000 have fled the country since the unrest began as protesters -- and then military coup-plotters -- fought against Nkurunziza's third mandate. UN and NGO human rights reports have raised fears that Burundi's political crisis might take on an ethnic dimension, warning of the potential for genocide. 07.01.2017 LISTEN Part I On December 30, 2016, former President John Dramani Mahama, who was yet to hand over the reins of the Government of Ghana to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 7, 2017, led a Mr. Daniel Domelovo to swear the Oath of Office as the new Auditor General for the Republic of Ghana at the Flagstaff House! Of course, I was not drawn into the brouhaha and public outcry that surrounded Mr. Demelovos appointment, in view of its closeness to the time of exit from office of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, which many of my countrymen chose to be embroiled in! I was however fascinated and even shocked at seeing a cross (crucifix?) held aloft, in an obvious show of sacred seriousness, by Mr. Domelovo as he swore an Oath of Office to the President and the nation, as is required of him in his new position! I am sure readers too may be similarly intrigued as I have been by the photos of this swearing ceremony showing this spectacle of the auditor holding a cross as are posted on the Modern Ghana internet site, and so I am providing here the URL to readers for their viewing pleasure: https://www.modernghana.com/news/746136/mahama-inaugurates-auditor-general-thought-to-have-dodged.html. The Cross in focus here in this article is an item thought to have originally been made by man out of two strong timber beams of unequal lengths that were nailed together in a perpendicular fashion to each other, with the vertical component made to be much longer than the horizontal beam. It is onto such a man-made structure of crossed timber beams that Christians have believed that the Savior of mankind was nailed to hang to die in his self-willed sacrifice for the salvation of mankind in Yisroel in ca. 30 CE (Common Era); and this, they have believed since the advent of Christianity in ca. 320 CE, over three centuries after all witnesses to the Saviors death who could refute this much-acclaimed manner of death had long since passed on!!! Left with no witnesses, Christians have been stuck with this belief since 320 CE! It has been thought by Christians of old and today that the Savior had his arms fully stretched out along either side of the horizontal beam, and that his torso and legs were placed on the longer part or the vertical component of this cross, with his wrists and feet nailed into position! Thereafter, the legs end of this cross was said to have been firmly stuck into a hole in the ground, with the Savior thus impaled on it and left hanging to slowly bleed to an asphyxiated death by malfunction of his internal organs!! However, I can confidently say that the cross is one of the biggest deceptions of Christianity, because the true Savior of mankind was never sacrificed on such a structure! And yet, the cross is considered the very soul of Christianity?? So then, if the cross is a deception, all of Christianity must be the biggest deception ever crafted by the devil, the God of this worldcf. Qorintiyim Sheni (Second Corinthians??) 4:4against mankind!! I am sure anyone who has become used to reading my articles over the past year or so would have by now known and accepted that Christianity is a sham of the devil, and that this issue of the Savior dying on a cross is an integral part of and greatly fuels this sham!! You see, everything that had to befall or happen to the Savior in his days on Earth had an antecedent to it revealed in the Tanakh (Old Testament?) and or was even foretold as a nevuah (prophecy?) as something that was destined to happen to him! But, nowhere in all the Tanakh do we learn of a cross upon which the Savior was to die in sacrifice for the remission of the sins of mankind. In a revelation by the Savior himself prior to his sacrificial death, on how it was to bring healing and life to all who would believe in his true name, mission to Earth, and death, he likened this spiritual healing to a similar one that came to any children of Yisroel who, upon being bitten by a snake during their wilderness journey from Mitzrayim to Canaan, would look up at the replica of a snake made of brass by MoshEl (Moses?) and hung on a pole (not a cross!) so as to be forever healed of the venom of the snake bite and, ultimately, of all diseases caused by the devil (the old serpent and God of this world of ours), in and by the Saviors own sacrificecf. Bamidbar (Numbers??) 21:8-9 and YahuKhanan (John??) 3:14-15!! So then, if the Savior made reference to a pole (or even a tree, as seen in other parts of scripture) as being the natural item of creation upon which his bruised body was to be hanged to die, then where from this idea of a man-made cross of Christians?? I bet you; the cross is the idea of the Roman Empire which established Roman Catholicism as the first and foremost brand of Christianity! Any belief in and veneration of the cross is, thus, an honor rendered to the memory of the Roman Empire and the spirit that established and backed it!! And since Roman Catholicism is what later begat all the known brands of Christianity we hear of and see today, which are collectively known as Protestantism, then Protestant adherents of Christianity too, in their veneration of the cross, pay homage, unawares, and render perpetual service to a defunct Roman Empire and Roman Catholicism, from whose allegiance they think to have broken away and yet remain bound and loyal to!! Oh, what a life of deception believers in the cross have been tricked to live; and in unholy and ignorant zeal!! You see, the armies of the Roman Empire had, as their banner, a light wooden cross with a band of crimson or white cloth arranged to loosely hang on the two horizontal arms of this wooden cross, borne or held aloft as a flag in the lead of any invading infantry or cavalry and on masts of their ships, to herald their advance into nations they waged wars against. It is this emblem of the armies of the Roman Empire which was adapted by its Commander-in-Chief, Emperor Constantine, when he established Christianity [Roman Catholicism, or pagan Christianity if you will] as the new religion of his empire, into a so-called cross of crucifixion upon which the Savior is said to have been nailed to his death in an event that had happened about three centuries earlier!! So then, the cross is obviously a thing of brainwashing made to become the banner of Christianity, in a deliberate fusion with or as successor of the banner of the Roman Empireand thus the reason why Roman Catholicism or Christianity is forever intrinsically related and obligated to the spirit of a long-dead physical Roman Empire. Funnily, in as much as Christianity, (the mother of which is Roman Catholicism), is alive, the Roman Empire and its spirit force or power that backs it is also forever aliveand so, Rome never dies!! History shows that the cross was used in Goy lands of the East as a symbol of idol worship many centuries before the coming of the Savior and the birth of Emperor Constantine. For example, there is, in the British Museum, a statue of the Assyrian king Samsi-Vul, who was the son of Shalmaneser, around whose neck is an almost perfect Maltese cross!! Accompanying the figure to that of Samsi-Vul is another, that of Ashur-nasir-pal (a king of Assyria), also bearing a similar cross. These give evidence to the popularity of the cross among Assyrian pagan idol worshippers long before the death of the Savior, and of the fact that Constantine himself, a diligent worshipper of Assyrian deities, borrowed it into his creation of Christianity while feigning an abrogation of loyalty to those deities! Again, in this British Museum, a statute of the ancient Greek goddess Diana is pictured with a cross over her head, in much the same way that the "Virgin Mary" of Roman Catholics is represented by many medieval artists. Bacchus, the Greek idol in charge of wine, is often pictured wearing a headdress adorned with crosses. Also, long before the coming of the Savior, the use of cross symbols in idol worship was a popular practice among the people of Mitzrayim (Egypt?)!! So then, it is obvious that the use of the cross as a symbol of veneration was an adaptation into Christianity by Emperor Constantine, who established Christianity three centuries after the death of the Savior, upon claiming to have relinquished his religion of idol worship of Assyrian deities that had the cross as an intrinsic part of their worship! No evidence exists of any followers of the Savior using the symbol of the cross before the time of Christianity in the fourth century!! In fact, there is absolutely no evidence that the first century followers of the Savior ever used the cross symbol for any purpose. Nowhere does the holy Ivrit word of Yahuwah Elohiym command its use! But then, the word of Yahuwah Elohiym surely would have instructed it if He expected this of His children!! You see, there are only two ways approved by Yahuwah Elohiym by which anyone deserving of death, due to any violation of His Torah (instructions or laws), was to be put to death by his fellow members of the house of Yisroelthat is, by stoning or hanging on a tree (and not a man-made one at that, such as the cross)! In the manner of hanging on a treeas was the only manner that was destined for the Savior to diewe see its description in Bamidbar (Numbers?) 21:8-9, Yehoshua (Joshua?) 8:29 and in all testimonies by eye witnesses of the Saviors death as are recorded in Maasim (Acts?) 5:30, 10:39, 13:29, Galatiyim (Galatians) 3:13 and Kefa Ekhad (First Peter??) 2:24! Note that this hanging was never done by the neck of the one to be executed, in which case his death would normally have been very quick and almost instantaneous! This hanging was, however, done by tying up the wrists of the ones hands, clasped over each other over his head, and causing him to hang by them, in order for the one being executed to die slowly by a gradual and progressive malfunction, culminating in the failure or collapse, of his internal organs! So then, the evolution today of silvery crucifixes (crosses with human bodies impaled on them) worn by all kinds of Christian Clergymen, seeking to portray them as a manner in which the Savior died on a so-called cross, only advertizes deception and misinformation! And since Yahuwah Elohiym deceives no one, but that it is His enemy who deceives people, it means then that any Christian who is misled to be infatuated in displaying his love for and attachment to the cross is simply living in perpetual bondage and servitude to the devil!! Seriously, one must begin to think of all the zealous veneration and worship that people give to the cross and crucifixes by kissing them, dangling them upon their chests and stomachs from necklaces and often tucking them into their breast pockets, and placing them atop their writing desks, all of which they do in ignorance of the fact that they are being deceived, and are actually enslaved to the devil!! One must also think if there can be anything of holy spiritual value or essence in the open display of crosses on the pinnacles to the roofs of church buildings of Christians, as well as on the pulpits of Christian clergymen, doors, items of clothing, finger and ear rings, book covers, decorations and drawings, coffins for the dead, tombstones, and whatever property conceivable as relating to Christianity or belonging to Christians! It is sad that the cross, which is a man-made object, is believed by Christians to have spiritual value and power, and is thus worshiped and venerated in much the same way that any idol in paganism is worshipped by pagans! And yet, Christians know, think and see no evil in their veneration of the cross?? Oh my!! The simple ordinary cross of yesterday, which was made of wood and available to ordinary members of Christianity, has today evolved into many kinds with very complex designs, flamboyance and sizes as distinguishing features, meant for use according to the hierarchical order of church clergymen and other church officers!! It seems to me that the size, complexity of design and ornamental value of the cross that dangles from ones neck also connote ones level of spiritual fervor or power, ranking, reverence that must be accorded the one by all ordinary or lower-ranked fellow members of the ones church, as well as ones influence, etc, in ones church! Part II Today, the cross is displayed as a piece of jewelry in ear and finger rings, necklaces, wrist, arm and ankle bangles, etc, and as amulets by the rich and affluent so-called celebrities and high class professionals of the secular music and movie industries, many of whom indulge in all kinds of despicable obscene behavior, thus revealing the cross as nothing of any holy spiritual value or good spiritual power, ever since it was used as an emblem to establish Christianity!! The wearing of the cross by well-known brazen Satanists of the art, music and film industry reveals it as having become mature in its intents of deception, and thus takes all who adorn it on their bodies and other objects into full blast idol worship! It is sad to note that history has been allowed to repeat itself in this worship of the cross! Just as the brazen serpentwhich was made and hung on a pole under the instruction of Yahuwah Elohiym by MoshEl during the wilderness journey of the children of Yisroel in order to bring them healing from snake biteslater on became a symbol of idolatry to ensnare Yisroel, so has a supposed cross, on which it is claimed that the Savior died, become to Christians! For many centuries after the death of MoshEl, this brazen serpent was worshipped as an idol (as if in honor of Yahuwah Elohiym??) by the children of Yisroelwho were misled by idol worshippers of Goyim (Gentiles) to see nothing wrong in thisuntil the advent of the holy rule of king KhizkiYahu (Hezekiah??) of Yahudah who condemned the practice as idolatrous and an affront to the ways of Yahuwah Elohiym, and thus saw to its destruction, as we learn from the accounts of Melekim Sheni (Second Kings??) 18:4!! In these evil days of mankinds existence on Earth, may the mercies of Yahuwah Elohiym inspire the destruction of the cross, an idol of worship for all Christians, in order to rid the Earth of the evil that is spread by the veneration of the cross by ignorant, over-zealous and deceived seekers of salvation! Let me point out from the KJV Bible (even though it is an imperfect book, but which, despite its imperfections, is thought and believed by all Christians to be the true word of the Most High One), what evil there is in the oaths that some Christians swear by the cross and or even by the English Bible as a whole!! But first of all, let us look at the wrong in swearing an oath by the English Bible and then apply same to the swearing by the cross! These noteworthy verses of the KJV are MattithYahu (Matthew??) 5:34-36 and 23:16-22, where much is learned from the teachings of the Savior to his followers about oath swearing. These teachings bring to the fore a wrong manner of oath swearing that was practiced during his days on Earth, which, sadly, is what is still being done in error todayoaths in the days of the Savior were sworn to an object or with one in view, just as is still being done today! In the first teaching of MattithYahu (Matthew??) 5:34-36, it is taught as wrong for anyone to swear by Heaven which is the Throne of the Most High One, or by the Earth which is the creation of Elohiym, or by YahuSalem (Jerusalem?) the holy city of Elohiym, or by the hair on ones head, simply because all these are sacred things that belong only to Elohiym; and so, no one today must swear by the sacred Word of Elohiym (the Holy Bible??)!! In this regard, where it was deemed impossible and even ridiculous to think to hold aloft in ones hand any of the things sworn bybe it The Throne of Elohiym, the Earth which is the sole property of Elohiym, YahuSalem the holy city of Elohiym, or ones own hair, in situwhen swearing an oath, so also must it be deemed ridiculous for anyone today to hold aloft a book such as the English Bible, even if its contents are actually and truly the Word of Elohiym, and to swear an oath (or even give the impression of swearing) by it!! In the second teaching of MattithYahu (Matthew??) 23:16-22, where people in the days of the Savior were judged by Him as acting in wrongful practices when they swore oaths by the gold of the Temple (and not even by the Temple itself which, in the first place, makes the gold in it holy), and by ones item of sacrifice or gift to the Creator that was placed on a Mizbeakh [altar??] (and not even by the Mizbeakh which makes the gift holy and acceptable to Him), so also would it be wrong for anyone today, who even holds in high esteem the content of a book (translated from a Hebrew original of verbatim words spoken by Yahuwah Elohiym into a so-called English version, stamped Holy and described as the Authorized King James Bible, or any other so-called Holy Bible for that matter), to swear by this book while holding it aloft over the ones head! Swearing by an English Bible must NOT and should NEVER even be done because no English translation of the word spoken by Elohiym in Hebrew (as He did in the beginning) can ever be of the same purity in the expression of His thought and value of its power, or have the same impression and or effect on its readers as its non-translated Hebrew original would! In any case, which of the numerous versions/editions of the English Bible would be deemed appropriate to swear by, since all available versions (or are they rather perversions of the pure Hebrew original?) disagree with each other in many instances and are not liked or accepted equally by all readers?? Therefore, not even the so-called Authorized King James Version English Bible must be wholly and fully trusted as Thus says the Most High One as to be swallowed hook, line, and sinker, per the narratives of Bible translators, and thus deemed sacrosanct enough to even swear by!! Since it is the abstract words captured in the writings in a book that could be of spiritual relevance and value, and thus could have the potency to affect the reader, and since it is ones belief in a book such as the English Bible that may sanctify the one as to make him stand out distinct from many (in much the same way that the gold in the Temple in Yisroel in times past could be made to become holy by the Temple in which it was found), so also must our swearing of oaths be deemed meaningful ONLY because of the sanctification by ones faith in the words held in that book, and not the physical copy of the book held out to the eyes of the world observing the one swear an oath such as the Oath of Office as President!! Holding a Bible while swearing an oath can be so deceptive and or even distractive as to take away the shine and value from the holy or truthful character of the one swearing the oathwhich is acquired through ones subscription and submission to, as well as profession of the contents of the bookto focus on the physical representation of the book (in this case, the Bible) held aloft by the one taking the oath! In all of this, it would seem imperative for Bible-believers today to be guided by the manner in which oaths were sworn in Yisroel in days prior to the coming of the Savior to Earth! Then, oaths were simply sworn in the name of the Most High Onecf. Vayikra (Leviticus?) 19:12, YeshaYahu (Isaiah?) 48:1, 66:16, YirmeYahu (Jeremiah?) 12:16 and 22:5, etcwith nothing of substance in representation of that name of the Most High One (not even a scroll of His holy word with His true name written in it) being held aloft in ones right hand. Instead, all that was expected of a child of Yisroel was for the one to simply swear the oath ONLY, and sincerely pledge to commit ones self to all truths that are taught by the name and word of the Most High One! Since everyone who must swear an oath of office does so because the one has become a creation or creature of the Constitution of his Country/Republic, he is subservient to this Constitution and also according to the sovereign will of all other citizens under this same Constitution, he must be seen to be fully possessed by their powers; and so the Oath of Office he swears must be in words and a tone of affirmation that show a total commitment and loyalty to this Constitution and the citizenry, without any hint of a more loyal dedication to some superior or higher (or even lower) thing, be it the Bible, the Quran, a man made Cross (Crucifix), or any other idol for that matter. Since all public office holders in Ghana attain their status in accordance with The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, it is by this constitution that they must be made to swear an oath in pledge to the good citizens of the Republic to uphold and defend it with the help of Elohiym if he be a Bible-believer (or Allah if the one is a believer of the Quran of Islam), and not a pledge to propagate and defend his/her faith of the Bible, the Quran, a Cross or any idolthe violation of the teaching/tenets and or precepts of which even the Constitution does not have the right or power to hold him to or demand that he be held to!! So then, every bible-believing public office holder must be made to swear by the pure and holy eternal name [Elohiym] of the Supreme Commander of the Universe, in the spirit of Ivriim (Hebrews?) 6:13, 16 and Yaakov (James?) 5:12 of the KJV Bible, without holding aloft in his hand any version of the English Bible (which obviously cannot be the common choice of all Bible-lovers in an entire nation), in order to commit himself and the entire nation into the hands of Elohiym the Creator, and to solicit His love and faithfulness upon our dear nation! Now, to even go beyond the Bible into swearing an oath of office by the cross, is, to say the least, idolatrous and a spiritual perversion; since the cross, being a man-made object for worship by any people who believe in it as spiritually useful to them, is of the same essence and value as, indeed like every other idol of clay, wood, plastic or metal that is made to be worshipped! And so, Ghanas new Auditor General, Mr. Daniel Domelovo should never have been permitted to hold a cross in his hand while swearing his oath of office to serve the good people of Ghana under the Constitution since his action seemed to introduce a kind of fetishism into his oath, which thus hurts the religious sensibilities of the citizens and the fortunes of the Republic as a whole. In all of this, all bible-believers must be guided by such modern day Bibles such as the Restored Name King James Version Bible (RNKJV), The Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB), the Hebraic Roots Bible (HRB), the Halleluyah Scriptures, The Eth Cepher, to mention but a fewall of which have replaced God with the true Ivrit (Hebrew tongue) name Elohiym of the Most High One!! All Bible-believers who swear oaths may only do so today in the name Elohiym (and not God), and must do so without holding anything physical (claiming it to be a so-called representation of that name), which can only be deemed ridiculous since nothing physical can stand in place of the name of the Most High One!! Shalawam aleikhem! PS: Should readers of this and any of my articles have serious questions or suggestions, they may contact me via e-mail by clicking on Contact on the Home Page of my website, http://sbprabooks.com/BongleBapuohyele You may also want to purchase a copy of my bookBeware of This False Doctrine: Of Reciting the Sinners' Prayer for Salvationvia the same web address so, together, we walk the narrow way to the presence of Elohiym. Shalawam aleikhem! - A journalist, Nsibiet John was arraigned in court for exposing alleged corruption by Akwa Ibom state government - Mr John was accused of publishing a story alleging that Akwa Ibom deputy governor, Moses Ekpo pockets N250 million monthly - Mr John has been granted bail to the sum of N250,000 The police in Akwa Ibom on Friday, January 6, arraigned a journalist, Nsibiet John, for criminal defamation and sedition. Journalist arraigned in court for exposing alleged N250 million corruption Mr John was brought before a senior magistrate in Uyo, Emmanuel Archibong, on the charge that he published a story in a local newspaper, The Ink, alleging that the Akwa Ibom deputy governor, Moses Ekpo, pockets N250 million monthly as security votes from the state government. READ ALSO: Governor Shettima denies saying PDP should be abolished The police said that the offense was punishable under section 58 (1) (C) of the criminal codes of Akwa Ibom state. Mr John pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was granted bail to the sum of N250, 000 and the case has been adjourned to February 13. Mr John, who doubles as the publisher and the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, was arrested on Thursday, January 5, by police detectives from the police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia. He had spent a night in the police cell, despite the reported assurance from the commissioner of police in the state, Murtala Mani, that he was going to be released that day. Another editor of the paper who had gone to the police headquarters to see the detained journalist was reportedly arrested too and later released that same evening.. One of Mr Johns lawyers, Inibehe Effiong in a statement to the press said: No government has ever defeated the press. We commend the courage of His Lordship for releasing the journalist on bail. We want to assure the press that the human rights community will never abandon them in this struggle. Akwa Ibom shall be free. The state deputy governor, Mr Ekpo, who is a veteran journalist himself, had come under intense criticisms especially on the social media, for the arrest of the journalist. A non-governmental organization, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said: Its unacceptable for the government of Akwa Ibom state to harass and intimidate the media, leaving journalists to live in fear. Media freedom shouldnt be fair game for the government of Akwa Ibom state or other states of the federation for that matter. SERAP believes that no one should be arrested simply for criticising public institution or public figures. READ ALSO: This is not what we were promised - Nigerians react Meanwhile, an Investigation has revealed that Buhari's government may have breached procurement law. Documents obtained showed how bureaucrats and politicians are strategising to award the $800 million contract to CTC Global, an electric utility firm based in California. Source: Legit.ng Senate President Bukola Saraki has revealed that the upper house of legislature will investigate why a foreign airliner operating in the country employed only 10 Nigerians. Senate president Saraki says it is unfair of Emirates Airlines to employ just 10 Nigerians when elsewhere it employs more. In a statement shared via series of tweets late on Friday, January 6, Saraki noted that the action of the company Emirates Airlines was unfair to Nigerians. He however vowed to ensure that the anomaly is corrected as soon as possible. READ ALSO: Five dead as gunman opens fire at US airport Saraki said: Today, I learnt that there are only 10 Nigerians employed in the entire Emirates Airlines workforce that operates in our country. I gathered that in countries like Kenya, Emirates Airlines employs close to 1000 Kenyans in their workforce. "Considering the size of Nigeria and its market -- I would have expected more. Foreign airlines and companies need to hire more Nigerians. "I am sure that at the time Emirates Airlines started their route, we did not get a good deal for our people. It is time to look into this. Emirates Airlines in Nigeria is set to be probed by Nigerian senate for employing very few citizens. Saraki noted that not only Emirates will get probed over this, so would other foreign companies operating in Nigeria and are not employing enough Nigerians. READ ALSO: Court hands Diezani's $153.3m stolen funds to FG The former Kwara state governor vowed: The Senate will work to ensure that foreign entities operating in the country hire more Nigerians. This is important for our domestic growth I wish the Senate Aviation Committee Chairman a speedy recovery. Once he's back there is work to do to address this airline employment issue It is important to address why only 10 Nigerian air host/hostesses work for Emirates. Companies operating in Nigeria must employ Nigerians. I encourage everyone out there with information that can help better the plight of Nigerians to let us know. Meanwhile, the federal government is facing a herculean task convincing local and foreign airline operators to temporarily move to the Kaduna Airport. In an aviation stakeholders meeting convened on Thursday, January 5 by Captain Hadi Sirika, the minister of state for aviation, the airlines kicked against the federal government's decision to shut down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for repairs. Source: Legit.ng - The spokesperson for the Defence headquarters, Brigadier-General Rabe Abubakar said they army does not know if Tompolo is dead or alive - He said the armed forces was committed to securing lives and property in the Niger Delta region Brigadier-General Rabe Abubakar, director of information, Defense Headquarters has debunked claims that the Nigerian army was against communities in the Niger Delta region. He said such insinuations were coming from those are not happy with their presence in the region because they feel it will obstruct their illegal operations, Daily Post reports. The army has said it is not aware whether Tompolo is dead or alive We are here to provide, maintain security and create the enabling environment in line with the constitution which is our mandate, he said. Abubakar said he had no knowledge of whether ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, Alias Tompolo is dead or alive. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army launch offensive against Fulani herdsmen after killings I dont know if Tompolo is dead or alive but all I know is that the Armed Forces and other security agencies are ready to mitigate the various security challenges in the Niger Delta Region, he said. The defence spokesman promised that the armed forces will continue to provide and maintain security in the area. He urged the media practitioners and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to work with the armed forces to move the nation forward. Two days ago, the Defence Headquarters declared that the terrorist group Boko Haram, is gone forever, having been wiped out from the Sambisa forest and operations were on by the military to rescue the remaining Chibok girls. Source: Legit.ng - Two suspects murdered an 87 years old man in Delta are in police custody - Gilbert Oshevire was murdered and left to rot away by his assailants -Reasons for the murder are yet to be unraveled by the police Two suspects in connection with the murder of an 87 years old man, Chief Gilbert Oshevire, have been arrested by the police in Delta state. One of the suspects, Peter Oshevire, according to the Delta state police public relations officer, Andrew Aniamaka, is the younger brother to the late chief. Robbers paraded by police (file photo) The 87 years old man was said to have been found murdered by unknown assailants on December 17, 2016 in Kokori, an agrarian community in Ethiope East local government area of the state. But as manhunt for the assailants gathered momentum by the police, two suspects, Eze Ighowunu, 19 and Peter Oshevire, 54 both of the same Kokori Inland community in the council area were arrested in connection with the crime. READ ALSO: Police arrests a banker and a bank security guard for robbery Delta state police public relations officer, Andrew Aniamaka, told Legit.ng that the duo were arrested following intense combing of the area by the police. The two suspects are cooling their feet in police custody pending when they would be brought to the court to defend their case. He said the police in the state would do everything possible to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of the Chief Oshevire and arrest possible accomplices in the crime who may be on run. While expressing his condolences to the deceaseds family, he said the police command has vowed that suspects involved in other crimes under investigation in the command will be fished out and brought to justice. Source: Legit.ng - Ex-agitators have thrown their weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari against prophets of doom - They say Buhari will not die rather the prophets will die before the year runs off - They also caution Ekiti state governor Ayodele Fayose to be mindful of his utterances As Nigeria prophets continue releasing prophecies for 2017, ex-Niger Delta militants have also made known their prophecy with a warning to Nigerian pastors to forthwith stop death prophecies against President Muhammadu Buhari. The ex-militants said rather than Buhari dying before the end of 2017, the fake prophets would die before the end of 2017. The repentant militants spoke at the backdrop of multiple and confusing prophecies that shook the cyberspace on January 1 and 2, 2017, many of which are death threats to the president. Former militants support Buhari against prophets of doom President of the former militants under the aegis of National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, Israel Akpodoro, placed the spell of doom on the prophets, saying Buhari would live beyond the years of the Nigerian prophets who wanted him dead before December 31, 2017. According to him, Nigerian clergy men have abused the sanctity and respect the pulpit commands, noting that it has been hijacked by politicians in the gab of clergy men and women. READ ALSO: FG resumes payment for former Niger Delta militants He said: "Nigerians are very creative when it comes to abusing issues even in the house of God. The hedonistic, boastful and arrogant self-acclaimed prophets are fear mongers who preach hate and wishing the president death." The Ex-militant leader said he wasn't surprised by the prophecies but he would have been surprised if the prophecies were positive, insisting that the prophets are notable prophets of doom who he said spill rubbish in the name of God. They warn Fayose to stop scandalising Buhari Akpodoro who did not spare Governor Ayodele Fayose, of Ekiti state over what he described as his usually unguided utterances, said the governor is a political nuisance and that Nigerians know him for who he is describing him as a man who cannot distinguish between prophecy and politics. READ ALSO: Niger-Delta militants to resume bombing of oil facilities - Edwin Clark Nigerians, Akpodoro stated, understand the frustrations Fayose is going through even as he said he knew where the governor would land immediately he leaves office in 2018. "Fayose is a political nuisance who has no knowledge of the difference between politics and prophecy. Nigerians know Fayose as a man who is agitated by his post governorship life because he has so many questions to provide answers. He is thinking that he could be saved by his unwarranted tirades against the President and the ruling party in his daily accusations against the president", the former militant commander said. Source: Legit.ng - After a short break, the Niger Delta Avengers are set to resume hostilities in the oil-rich region - The militants said the Nigerian government was deaf and can only hear when knocked hard - The group said the outcome of its next activities will make their enemy's eyes to shed blood and his heart shall quake - The Avengers has ordered its fighters to be ready for battle as the Nigerian government was not ready for dialogue The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is prepared for war against the federal government this year. In a statement posted on its site on Friday, January 6, titled Operations Walls of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua, the group said it was set to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta region. The militants congratulated its fighters and commands for a job well done in 2016 while declaring that the months and weeks in 2017 will be filled with surprises and a reconfiguration of the struggle for the liberation of their motherland. Niger Delta Avengers has asked its fighters to prepare for battle against the Nigerian government READ ALSO: Biafra group vows to launch offensive against government The statement signed by its spokesman, Brig.Gen Mudoch Agbinibo read: "Since, the declaration of cessation of hostilities in the region by all fighters and affiliates, it has been evidently clear that the Nigerian state is not ready for any form of dialogue and negotiation with our people to addressing the issues sustaining the unending sufferings and deprivation of the people of the Niger Delta. The world is aware that, after listening to calls from our royal fathers, community leaders, stakeholders and members of the comity of nations especially the governments of the United States of America, Great Britain and the European Union, we halted all actions. "This prospect for hope for a genuine dialogue and negotiations have been dashed and rejected. The world knows that PANDEF as team of critical stakeholders was mandated to engender a genuine dialogue and negotiations process that will be made of apolitical committed Niger Deltans to engage with the government and people of Nigeria, representatives of the International Oil Corporations and neutral observers. But this government decides to go around to politicising and blackmailing the process to forestall any genuine dialogue and negotiations. The NDA said it will resume Operations Red Economy and its next line of action will be unannounced with overwhelming signatures to this government and humanity. READ ALSO: Oro Freedom Fighters sends final warning to President Buhari The militants said it is only through hard knock that the Nigerian government can listen as it has ear problems which has taken a deteriorating deaf level dimensions. It is our believes that, the 2017 national budget of the federal republic of Nigeria is not based on the crude oil production output from the Niger Delta but it is based on the newly found oil deposits in the North and the new pipelines construction from the Niger Republic, the group added. The Avengers said the 2017/2018 crude oil term contracts awarded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company was conspiracy against the Niger Delta people and it will fail. To our Niger Delta people, we feel your pains from these dashed hopes of a genuine talk once again. All fighters and commands are hereby placed on high readiness in your webs of operations to hit and knock the enemy very hard. That is the way to discuss with a deaf, when he cannot understand your soft massage. We are determined to hit him very hard and deadly that even his eyes will shed blood, his ear will be more deafened and his heart shall quake; when he sees, hear and feel the outcome of our next activities. READ ALSO: Leave elders alone, ONLY EX-AGITATORS can solve NDelta crisis On this note, we are declaring 'Operations Walls of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua' simultaneously to reclaim our motherland and dislodge all cleavages the Nigerian Ruling oligarchy has foisted on the region that is sustaining the ongoing primitive accumulation by dispossession, the Avengers added. The federal government has been trying to solve the Niger Delta crisis to no avail. All efforts to reach a truce with the militants has failed. Three weeks ago, former militant commander, Israel Akpodoro, said Buhari should negotiate with the ex-militants and not Niger Delta elders as that is the only solution to the problem in the Niger delta region. Source: Legit.ng -Former Abia state governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has urged his political associates to join the ruling party -Kalu who insisted that it is erroneous to refer to the APC as Hausa party noted that the ruling party remained the only political party that would cater for the plight of Ndigbo - Kalu also posited that under the ruling party, an Igbo man stands a chance of becoming the president of Nigeria Kalu urges his political associates to join APC Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Abia state governor has called on his political associates to abandon their respective political affiliations and join the All Progressives Congress Party (APC). Kalu who was governor of Abia state from 1999 to 2007 told his political associates at his home town in Igbere, to cross to the ruling party in order to ensure that the party wins the entire- south east in 2019 general elections. READ ALSO: EXCLUSIVE: What former Abia governor Orji Uzor-Kalu discussed with Nnamdi Kanus parents Kalu noted at the meeting that the party remained the only political party that would cater for the plight of Ndigbo. Among prominent Igbo politicians and leaders who attended the meeting were: Senators Bob Nwanunu and Chris Adighije, who was the chairman at the meeting. Others were: Chief Tony Ukasanya, former PDP state chairman; Chief Sam Nkire, APC BoT member; Donatus Nwamkpa, APC state chairman; Benedict Godson, APC state publicity secretary; Ralph Egbu, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG); Mascot Uzor Kalu, former chief of staff to Abia governor; Obioma Acho (Chomen); Madukwe Ukaegbu, former deputy chief of staff to the deputy governor; Princewell Ike Ukegbu, president general Ibeku Ekwuasa development union, Umuahia; Nnamdi Irom kalu (Oputaoyom); Uche Akwukwaegbu (BAWAS), traditional Prime Minister, Ibeku ancient kingdom and K.C Ugboaja. Kalu while insisting that referring to the APC as Hausa party is a misconception also noted that under the ruling party, an Igbo man stands a chance of becoming the president of Nigeria. READ ALSO: All government officials should stop using bulletproof cars - Orji Kalu Let me tell you this clearly, APC is not Hausa party as they have been deceiving the people. APC is not owned by President Muhammadu Buhari; the possibility of an Igbo man becoming the President of this country is brighter in the APC than in any other party including the PDP. When we formed the PDP, some people were saying it was Hausa party as they are saying of APC now, but it was the same PDP that produced former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan who are Southerners, the ex-Abia governor," added. Consequently, Kalu called on all his political associates, to join APC and work in their various political wards, to ensure the party win all the seats in the 2019 general elections. Meanwhile, Orji Uzor-Kalu who on Tuesday, January 3, visited the parents of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu discussed the need for the release of Kanu with His Excellency Eze I. O Kanu and his wife Ugoeze Sally Kanu. However, sources within the family said Uzor-Kalus visit to the palace of Eze Kanu was met without much difference from the reply the former governor got from the IPOB leader in Kuje. Source: Legit.ng Pastor E.A Adeboye has appointed Pastor Joseph Obayemi to lead the Redeemed Christian Church of God Nigeria. Obayemi will be the 'national overseer' while Adeboye remains the general overseer worldwide. Adeboye retires as RCCG G.O. and Obayemi has been named as successor Earlier report had it that Adeboye has retired as the general overseer of the church. However, a statement signed by Leke Adeboye, the clergyman's last son clarified that Adeboye remains the general overseer, Worldwide of RCCG while Obayemi will be leading the RCCG Nigeria. According to him, the development was in line with the new legal requirements set up by the Financial Regulations Council, guiding all registered churches, mosques, and CSOs. "The regulation stipulates that heads of non profit organisations like churches now have a maximum period of twenty years to lead their organizations while in retirement, they are not permitted to hand over to their families," the statement read. Here is also the letter written by Pastor Adeboye to inform the new appointees of their new roles in the ministry. READ ALSO: 9 prophecies Pastor E.A Adeboye made for 2017 Before his appointment, Obayemi was the former special assistant to the general overseer on finance. Pastor Johnson Odesola, who was the special assistant on administration and personnel, was also appointed as the church secretary. Recall that last year, the church said those calling for his retirement because of his age were ignorant of the churchs doctrine. Adeboye, 74, was appointed general overseer of the church in 1991, taking over from Papa Akindayomi, who had died the previous year. Nigerians have since reacted to the news about the appointment of a new head for the church in Nigeria as some expressed deep shock on hearing the news. Legit.ng has also gathered six important facts about Pastor Obayemi, the man expected to start steering the affairs of RCCG in Nigeria. Source: Legit.ng - The price of kerosene has increased by 60% in Nigeria - The price of this important commodity went from from N1,100 to N1,600 in first week of January - The increase in price is being blamed on the increase in price of petroleum products Nigerians in trouble as Kerosene price rises by 60 percent The recession is biting harder into Nigeria in 2017 as the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the price of kerosene has increased by 60 per cent in Kaduna, from N1,100 a gallon in December, 2016 to N1,600 in January 2017. According to dealers in kerosene, who spoke to the press in Kaduna state on Friday, January 6, 2017, the commodity suddenly became scarce and expensive and this was why the price was hiked. READ ALSO: FG targets 2.6 million barrels per day refining capacity Mrs Joyful Adeyemi, one of the dealers told NAN, that she bought kerosene in December, 2016 at N47,000 a drum and sells a gallon between N1,100 and N1,200. Only for the price to increase to N72, 000 a drum as at yesterday. This change forced me to increase the price to N1,600 a gallon; otherwise, I will be running at a loss. More so, the product is scarce. I had to part with extra money to be able to get the quantity I needed," she complained. Mr Sammy Bodam who also deals in kerosene said that the patronage had also drastically reduced due to the price increase. Jamila Abubakar who uses kerosene regularly, said that the price increase was making life very difficult for the common man and urged the government to do something about it. She said: If not because we do not have an option, nobody will use kerosene again. This is because firewood is equally expensive, difficult to use and environmentally unfriendly, coupled with the accompanying health risk. But we cannot continue like this. Kerosene is an essential commodity and is becoming beyond the reach of a common man. READ ALSO: Fuel landing cost increases to N213 per litre Just some few weeks ago, a gallon was selling for between N1,100 to N1,200 and suddenly there was a sharp increase to N1,600 a gallon. In fact, in some places, it is selling for N2,000. I am urging the government to look into our plight and urgently address the problem; otherwise there will be no hope for a better life for a poor man in this country." Another consumer, Mr Amen Rabo, said the price increase had forced him to turn to firewood because kerosene was beyond his reach. I cannot afford to buy kerosene, currently selling at N1,600. I am using firewood as an alternative, which is a bit cheaper compared with kerosene, with 10 pieces selling for N100. Unfortunately for us, 10 pieces of firewood cannot cook three square meals for my family a day; we just have to manage because kerosene is beyond our reach, Rabo said. Meanwhile, problems are rising in the petroleum sector as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers on Thursday, December 5, ordered stoppage of loading activities at Total Nig. Ltd. depots nationwide over termination of workers appointment. Source: Legit.ng - A pastor has urged Christians in the country to stop eating cow meat to protest the killings in southern Kaduna by Fulani herdsmen - The pastor also said the cow meat boycott should involve total abstinence from buying and eating cow meat, which directly impact on the economic lifeline of the Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors - According to him, if the killings persist, Christians should boycott products from companies owned by Muslims Kaduna killings: Pastor asks Christians to boycott cow meet Pastor and president of the Laybible translation group, Dele Ikeorha has urged Christians in the country to stop eating cow meat in protest against the incessant attack on Christians in Southern Kaduna by Fulani herdsmen. The pastor made this call in a statement made available to The Cable. According to the pastor in the piece titled: Call to National Indefinite Cow Meat Boycott. READ ALSO: Nigerian Army launch offensive against Fulani herdsmen after killings Ikeorha noted that the time has come for Christians in the country to resist what he termed as the subtlety of the Islamisation agenda of Nigeria as it required forceful and strategic resistance to avert a greater calamity. The statement read: Christianity in Nigeria today is under siege, not only from Islamic fundamentalists, and bloody genocidal actions of Boko Haram, but also from evil moves such as the cattle grazing reserve bill, and from the marauding activities of Fulani terrorists masquerading as cattle breeders, the pastor said. In view of the direct link between the Fulani herdsmen and the blood-letting that has resulted in untold human massacres across Nigeria, and the genocidal slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Christians and Nigerians, the Lay Bible Translation Group hereby calls on all Christians in Nigeria to boycott cow meat indefinitely, as a sign of outrage over the ongoing atrocities committed against Christians and Christian communities throughout Nigeria by Fulani Herdsmen. READ ALSO: Southern Kaduna killings: Buhari under fire over delayed response The Cow Meat Boycott involves total abstinence from buying and eating cow meat, directly impacting on the economic lifeline of the Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors. Should the attacks persist, the boycott should be advanced to the boycott of all goods produced by companies such as Dangote Group whose majority shareholders are Muslims, to send a message. He also said Christians should turn to other alternatives such as chicken, goat and fish. In this time of prayer and fasting, we call on all Christians and churches to pray for the mercy of God on this country, and ask for forgiveness because as a people we have sinned. Daniel 9:3-19, he said. We call on the Christians Association of Nigeria CAN, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and all Christian groups and Christians throughout Nigeria to heed this call and support the call. Ikeorha said that the boycott would hopefully put pressure on policy makers to take action. It is one of the ways to put pressure; its a social action to put pressure, make sure policy makers take action, also to make leaders for example the Muslim groups the Miyetti Allah that they themselves to know it is a serious issue even if it has been treated with levity. This is for the general populace to identify with the pain of the people. It is a regrettable situation; its unacceptable. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has concluded plans to launch an offensive against rampaging Fulani herdsmen across the country. The spokesperson for the Defence headquarters, Brigadier-General Rabe Abubakar disclosed on Friday, January 6 that the Army has concluded plans to launch Operation Accord to check illegalities of the herdsmen. Watch a video on the southern Kaduna massacres here: Source: Legit.ng American officials refused to identify the Americans or their jobs in Yemen, where the Pentagon and the C.I.A. have been training Yemeni security forces in addition to carrying out the drone strikes. But a senior American official said one individual involved in the shooting was a lieutenant colonel with the elite Joint Special Operations Command and the other was a C.I.A. officer. It was unclear whether the two American officers violated embassy security protocols when they visited the barbershop, apparently alone. In high-risk countries like Yemen and Pakistan, American diplomatic personnel are often tightly restricted in where and when they can travel outside the embassy walls, and are typically accompanied by armed security personnel. Per standard procedure for any such incident involving embassy officers overseas, this matter is under review, Ms. Harf said in the email. The killings have an echo of a 2011 case in which a C.I.A. security officer, Raymond A. Davis, was jailed for weeks after killing two Pakistanis on a crowded street in Lahore. The ensuing furor brought relations between the C.I.A. and Pakistans spy service to perhaps their lowest ebb since the Sept. 11 attacks. The Yemeni government is a staunch counterterrorism ally, and administration officials are no doubt seeking to avoid a replay of the 2011 debacle. There will certainly be an investigation, and one would have to assume it will be informed by what happened in Pakistan, one American official said. American officials have voiced fears about the violence erupting in Yemen. The State Department announced on Wednesday that it had closed its embassy in Sana to the public because of security concerns, citing recent attacks against Western interests in Yemen as the reason for temporarily suspending operations. The violence came close to the presidents doorstep on Friday when militants believed to be from Al Qaedas franchise attacked a security vehicle and killed three soldiers in the area of the presidential palace. News reports said the militants had fought a prolonged gunfight in the streets of the capital before escaping. In a second attack in the Bayda Province, militants believed linked to Al Qaeda killed two soldiers and injured many more in an ambush, according to officials in the area. But in an interview last week, Mr. Varod complained about the government including a bureaucracy that he said made it difficult to obtain visas for visiting actors and crew to stay longer than three months. The company had a few million dollars on deposit in K.T.B. and had long worked with it and other local banks, he said. There was no reason not to trust them. Branches of K.T.B. remained closed last week, as the bank tried to sort out its problems under emergency supervision by the Bulgarian central bank. At the main office, in central Sofia, a sign taped to the locked door was meant to assure customers that their money was safe, though it also said they would not have access to it until the bank reopened on July 21. The mystery is how the bank run, which later spread to F.I.B., happened in the first place. The generally accepted account is that the panic sprang from a dispute between Delyan Peevski, a media mogul who is also a member of Parliament, and his former business partner, the financier Tsvetan Vassilev. After the two had a falling-out, the story goes, Mr. Peevski withdrew his money from K.T.B., which was controlled by Mr. Vassilev. Both men declined requests to comment for this article. Spurred by reports in the media, depositors, apparently including a large number of corporate customers and state-owned companies, joined the stampede. An estimated $950 million about a fifth of the banks assets was withdrawn from K.T.B. before it came under central-bank supervision on June 20. The panic then spread to F.I.B. On June 27, customers withdrew about $550 million from the bank after rumors appeared on social media and in text messages. The government arrested at least seven people suspected of spending text messages warning that the bank was about to collapse. Officials of the Bulgarian central bank and the two commercial banks declined requests for comment. Overseas investors are wary. Alex Nestor, vice president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, said, The investment climate in the country is not something we can be proud of. The Spanish version of RT is intended as an antidote to the toxic influence of foreign media channels that transmit news based on their interests, as Mrs. Kirchner put it. The Spanish-language RT deal mirrors the Venezuelan-Argentine venture in the public news channel Telesur, in which Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador and Uruguay also have minority stakes. Like Telesur, RT is presented not merely as an option in a pluralistic media landscape, but as the channel representing the true national cultures of each country in which it broadcasts. From Ecuador to Venezuela, the conflation of state media, private media ownership by politicians and their cronies and party propaganda has been a prominent aspect of Latin American populism during its first decade of ascendancy. As the recent re-election of President Evo Morales in Bolivia shows, these populist leaders continue to enjoy broad support. But in Bolivia, as elsewhere in Latin America, these leaders have also manufactured their support by co-opting the power of state media and by marginalizing more critical elements of the independent media. In Argentina, Venezuela and Ecuador, the typical strategy is to use antitrust laws to force commercial media groups to break up and sell off assets, which are then acquired by pro-government investors. For example, just days before Argentinas deal with RT became public, the government agency assigned to enforce the countrys new media law announced that it would seek to dismember the audiovisual arm of the Clarin media group (which also publishes Argentinas principal newspaper of the same name, where one of us works as a journalist). In Venezuela, the influential opposition newspaper Tal Cual, edited by the veteran left-wing politician Teodoro Petkoff, has announced its imminent closure a situation described by the Inter-American Press Association as symptomatic of the siege on the critical or independent press in Venezuela, where almost all TV channels and radio stations have come under government control. In Ecuador, after the newspaper Hoy was forced into partial closure when the government imposed an advertising boycott, its director attacked the countrys new media law for criminalizing journalistic work. The populist rhetoric against critical newspapers and journalists is that they must be penalized as part of a struggle against the economic interests of private owners that are opposed to the common good. The roots of such populism can be traced to widespread grievances about the failures of the Washington consensus, which made the continent a laboratory for neoliberal economics and imposed considerable hardships. With charismatic leadership, populism has proved remarkably successful in electoral terms. But there is a difference between winning elections and a truly democratic culture, and Latin Americas populist leaders have amassed enormous power even as they expanded social rights. Overnight, president-elect Donald Trump appeared to do a significant back-flip on the project that he is now calling his Great Wall, a permanent barrier that will sit on the USMexican border to keep immigrants out. Despite repeated promises that Mexico would be made to pay for the construction, it emerged this week that Trump will have US taxpayers cough up the funds, then somehow have Mexico reimburse them down the line. Former Mexican president Vicente Fox Quesada, who led the country between 2000 and 2006, took to Twitter overnight to mock the plan, saying that his country would never pay for such a wall. Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument, Fox said of the project. Another promise he cant keep. Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he cant keep. Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 6, 2017 Last September, Mexicos current president Enrique Pena Nieto said on Twitter: I repeat what I told you personally Mr Trump: Mexico will never pay for a wall. The countrys Foreign Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu later added: Weve been very clear that Mexico will never consider paying for a wall that puts barriers between our two countries. We will not pay for it, because it goes against everything we believe our two countries can do together, are doing together. Trump has not said how he will force the Mexican government to reimburse the US for the proposed wall, although he has threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The president-elect has previously referred to the trilateral agreement, originally supported by his Republican predecessor George H.W. Bush, as the worst deal that the US ever signed If America withdrew, its government could place tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, although economists have argued that this could ultimately raise prices for American consumers. Earlier this week, Trump threatened Japanese company Toyota with a heavy border tax on cars built in Mexico, although the auto-maker has said that it US employment will not decrease as a result of is new Mexican plant. Source: The Independent. Photo: Tibrina Hobson / Getty. Unity Minister writes about how a re-connection with an individual from the past changed his outlook By: Positive Media Press Contact Tami Blodgett ***@positivemediapress.com Tami Blodgett End -- In the brand new ebook, SPARKS of INSPIRATION, Kindle Edition #1, Ed Conrad shares his journey of reestablishing a connection with his ex-wife and how it changed his life.In an inspiring story titled, "Out of the Fog," Ed writes about how sometimes even doors that you think are closed can be miraculously opened once again.Ed says, "Notice in your life where you remain reluctant to take action and follow your heart. It may feel like resigning to being stuck in a fog-shrouded valley. Connect with the truth that one simple and likely uncomfortable step can radically alter your relationship with your past and present and thereby shine new light into your future. Rather than waiting for the fog to lift, rise up and move toward what you truly want."Ed Conrad, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, served as a Unity minister for more than 25 years. He is the founding minister of Columbine Spiritual Center in Boulder, Colorado and Unity in the Heart in St. Paul, Minnesota and most recently served as senior minister at Unity of the Valley in Eugene, Oregon. Ed's in-depth forty-year spiritual inquiry and unique set of life experiences have forged his passion to share with others the transformative power of living a heart-centered life. He is the author of Heart Power: Inspiring the Courage to Heal and Love Yourself One Day at a Time, a one-of-a-kind daily reader for personal and spiritual restoration published in 2014. He loves Oregon and continues to speak, write, and do book readings around the U.S as well as love and appreciate his children and grandchildren.Twenty-one authors from all over the world came together in this inspiring digital book, sharing their personal SPARKS, in order to SPARK something in their readers.Through this collection of short stories, readers will be reminded of who they are, where they've been and where they are going.A gift for you at: http://positivemediapress.com/ soi-ebook-1- gift ABOUT POSITIVE MEDIA VENTURES, LLC.Positive Media Ventures is a new kind of media company. We strive to provide positive inspiration for everyday life and counteract the negativity that is rampant in today's media.Our media platforms include: Positive Media Press SPARKS of Inspiration eBooks and magazines Inspirational Radio Directory Inspirational Talk Radio Network Life SPARKS book programs SPARKS of Inspiration live and virtual eventsIt is our belief that every single person on this planet has a story to tell, one that will impact and inspire others. Our mission is to give everyone a platform to share their distinct message, lighting their spark that ignites inspiration in others, and soon that spark expands and becomes a flame of positivity that shines on the world.Submission applications are now open for SPARKS of INSPIRATION, Kindle Edition #2.Find out more at: http://www.positivemediapress.com/ kindle-submission/ Contact Name: Tami BlodgettContact Phone: 541-668-7526Contact E-mail: team@positivemediapress.com (mailto:team@authenticmessengers.com) Local author Frederic S. Merriam will be signing copies of book End --The Massachusetts town of Chelmsford, chartered in 1655, consisted of five villages. In the 1820s, industries related to the production of cast iron, textiles, and textile mill machinery made their first appearance in the North village along Stony Brook. Its social and economic life became aligned with the new industrial city of Lowell, and there had even been talk of secession from the Centre village in the mid-1800s. A golden age of industrial expansion and production occurred from 1875 to 1910. Industry in the West village consisted of blade and textile manufacturing in two locations, also tied to water power on Stony Brook, but this community was aligned socially and economically with nearby Nabnasset village in Westford. Discover the golden age of the North and West villages in photographs and learn about the people who made it happen.A resident of West Chelmsford since 1977, Fred Merriam is passionate about preserving vintage images and sharing local history. Merriam edited and published the third official Chelmsford town history in 2011 and has written three other historical books. Images of America: North and West Chelmsford includes many vintage photographs never seen before, and all have been thoroughly researched and interpreted for the historical record and reader's enjoyment.Barnes & Noble98 Middlesex TurnpikeBurlington, MA 01803Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.The combination of Arcadia Publishing & The History Press creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer - to their community, their neighbors, and their past. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com "Our web-based school management software provides complete administration solution to the educational centers in Singapore. It needs minimal training for its effective use," quoted Ms. Meena, the Business Head of SBS Consulting Pte Ltd. By: SBS Consulting Software Media Contact Tel: (65) 6536 0036 Email: info@summittech.com.sg ***@summittech.com.sg 65360036 Tel: (65) 6536 0036Email: info@summittech.com.sg65360036 End -- SBS Consulting Pte Ltd is one of the leaders in the field of providing business software solutions in Singapore. The firm has a cost-effective school management software system specially designed for the use of small & medium-sized educational institutions. It also delivers other software packages like HR & Payroll System, CRM System, Doctor and Clinic Management System.Today's modern schools need to implement an intuitive & highly integrated school management software. Such a tool can play an important role in seamlessly managing the complexities of its day-to-day operations. Overall, it can enable the schools and tuition centers in taking care of all of their administrative and education related tasks in a more systematic manner."The automation of such tasks allows the schools to improve their efficiency and productivity. A comprehensive school administration software Singapore enables them to focus their full attention on their core goal of providing and maintaining the high level of educational standards to their pupils," continued Ms. Meena.An online school management software that is rich in features and modules can act as the backbone for any school. It provides for the effective student management through the automation of student enquiry, enrollment/ registration, & tracking, and student grades, fees management, etc.A web-based school administration software Singapore also assists in automation of varied school activities like course management, class scheduling, examination management, accounting, etc. A school management system Singapore should be able to provide support for the following day-to-day activities in a tuition center. Parent Management Teacher Management Integrated Teacher schedule Resource Allocation Management Multiple Branch Management Course Management Class Scheduling & Rescheduling Class Administration Exam Management Reports Cards Fees Management Finance Management Bio-metric Attendance Using Finger Scanners SMS & Email Reminder ManagementFailing to implement the right school management software could dearly cost an educational institute. It can affect the coordination between the departments and lead to wastage of efforts and increase the overhead costs. However, the bigger threat is that it may increase the data redundancy in the system leading to unacceptable performance. It can also raise concerns over the security, maintenance, tracking and management of student and school's financial data.That is why it is important for a school to, first of all, fix its own requirements and what it expects from the new school management software. The idea is to research the products available in the market and come up with a list of a handful that looks promising. During this step, it is important for the school administrator to determine the organization's unique requirements. The individual will need to have a heart-to-heart discussion with the representatives of the software manufacturers over this point.The customization of off-the-shelf software is commonplace. The approach helps the educational institutes in cutting down the costs of developing a new school management system Singapore and still have a complete software solution for themselves. The small and mid-sized educational centers especially benefit from this approach as they can keep the cost of software down."SBS Consulting Pte Ltd has a highly efficient team of software developers who, till date, have taken care of all the specific needs of our clients. They have always delivered the customized school management software solutions on time and as per the clients' guidelines. The team has added intuitive and user-friendly menus and graphical interfaces to the software reducing the time to adapt to our software to the minimum," elaborated Ms. Meena.SBS Consulting is a provider of innovative software solutions to its clients. In addition to the school management software, it also provides software tools like HR & Payroll System, Doctor & Tuition Management System, and CRM System.Ms. Meena,Visit: http://www.summittech.com.sg Tel: (65) 6536 0036Email: info@summittech.com.sg By: Evolutionary Press Film Contact Darnell Lamont Walker darnell.walker@ me.com Darnell Lamont Walker End -- Award winning writer and filmmaker, Darnell Lamont Walker, approaches Mental Illness and Blackness with caution and with art. His film, Outside the House, is a documentary featuring several African Americans sharing their stories of mental health, mental illness, and healing.Released January 4 through Evolutionary Press Film, the documentary has already received an overwhelming number of responses from viewers who said they felt alone in their suffering, but thanks to the film, they know they aren't.Depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, molestation, the church, and many other taboo subjects are brought up and tackled in this work. "We are all in here," Darnell Lamont Walker says. "All of us."About the film, Darnell Lamont Walker has this to say:Outside the House, simply stated, is my attempt to burn down the house where our secrets are kept.A Black man once told me mental illness doesn't exist in Black folks. Using that moment as a learning and teaching opportunity, I asked him to explain his thoughts to me, then to the family of my Black friends who've killed themselves, to my best friend who's battling depression and anxiety that once stayed with her for four months, then to the members of his family living in a closet because living their truths out loud is too painful around this non-believer.The work on Outside the House began. How do I tell stories that need to be told, I asked myself. I gathered the people with a facebook status: Black Folks who have sought mental health assistance, why did you do it?The people began responding and my Facebook wall turned into a therapy session. This was where I needed to begin. I contacted friends, family, friends of family, and random doctors and counselors around the US and traveled to where they were. I needed their stories. I needed them to rip off the door of that house outside of which their mothers told them to never share their issues. I needed their stories to help others do the same.This film is not about statistics, or science, or theories, or practices. It's a mental health documentary about mental health and sharing our stories so others will understand they are not alone. It's about what's happened to us, what will happen to our children, and breaking cycles that are killing us in dark places.Walk intends to spread the message via film festivals, screenings, showcases, and appearances while continuing to advocate for mental wellness.To view the film and obtain more information, visit: http://outsidethehousedoc.com RELATED STORIES Eliminating air pollution emissions from energy-related activities in the United States would prevent more than 50,000 premature deaths each year and provide more than $600 billion in benefits each ... 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After all, it had been 22 months - almost two years since the dog was taken from her by animal control officers. MacKenzie Witbracht "I was a little nervous because I thought maybe she was mad at me or she would forget who I was because it's been so long," Witbracht tells The Dodo. Who knows what being locked up in a shelter without a single visit from the human who raised her could do to a dog's mind? MacKenzie Witbracht But Witbracht also knew her dog. Malice, who was named after a rock band, wouldn't bear anyone ill will. Although, it seems someone bought into the hype. According to court records published in the Des Moines Register, animal control officers responded to a complaint about a "dangerous" dog at Witbracht's home. Witbracht's Facebook posts, it was alleged, suggested Malice had attacked other pets in her home. Dodo Shows Foster Diaries This Pregnant Pittie Foster Story Is The Happiest Thing Ever MacKenzie Witbracht For her part, Witbracht, who suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome, doesn't recall making any posts. Last May, Malice was taken into the custody of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL), where she was kept in a kennel for the next 22 months. The organization, which runs the city's animal control services, did not respond to requests for comment. Only at the end of last month did an Iowa District Court judge rule the city didn't have enough evidence to keep a dog who hasn't been proven dangerous. It was a bittersweet victory for Witbracht, as well as Jaysen McCleary and Cami Eslick of the Bela Animal Legal Defense Rescue, who had been waging the court battle since Malice was taken. During that long confinement, while Malice's fate was being argued, Witbracht wasn't even allowed to see a picture of her dog. "She had two birthdays in dog jail," Witbracht says, fighting back tears. "She was living under very awful, isolated conditions. She was living in the back room. That's where they keep dogs on death row." Her daughters, 5 and 7, didn't take the loss of their beloved pet any better. MacKenzie Witbracht "For the first few months, they were crying themselves to sleep every night asking when she was coming home," Witbracht says. It all added up to a moment this week that was fraught with equal parts joy, expectation - and doubt. Then Malice was led into the room where Witbracht was waiting nervously. She didn't quite look like the same dog. At 9 years old, Malice was suddenly a senior. Arthritis had crept into her bones, lending a stiffness to her step. And the black patch around the dog's eye had turned gray. She was pulling that leash hard. Practically dragging herself to Witbracht. And then, sweet release. Of course, Malice remembered. How could she forget her human? She had a kiss for every one of Witbracht's happy tears. "It played out pretty much how I wanted it to," she says, her voice trembling as she recalls that moment. Of course, Malice isn't the only dog to spend much of her life in solitary confinement. In Des Moines alone, at least two more dogs are being held at the shelter, while their status as "dangerous" is being challenged by their owners. That would be Pinky and Diesel, who is pictured below. "I feel like Malice might give them a little hope," Witbracht says. "If she can get out after 22 months, maybe they can too." MacKenzie Witbracht Gary Stokes doesn't have to look very far to find shark fins in his neighborhood. Shark fins being dried on the street in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes Stokes, the Southeast Asia director at Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has lived in Hong Kong for 26 years, and he's seen more shark fins - that is, fins cut off from the bodies of live sharks - than he's ever wanted to. Once a shark has been de-finned, the shark is thrown back in the water to die a slow, painful death. A man drying shark fins in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes "In the last three weeks alone I've seen three 45-foot containers full of shark fins," Stokes told The Dodo. "One from Indonesia; the other two were both from the United Arab Emirates. When we look at 45-foot containers, we're talking millions of sharks." Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Guy And Wild Shark Have Been Best Friends For Decades A shark fin warehouse in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes Unfortunately for sharks, there's an insatiable demand for shark fins in Hong Kong and mainland China. Why? The answer lies in the murky broth of a specialty dish - shark fin soup. Known as the food of emperors, people like to serve shark fin soup at weddings and other special occasions to signify their prosperity and wealth. A single bowl of fin soup can cost $100 or more. But wild animals pay an a hefty price for shark fin soup. It's estimated that 73 million sharks are killed each year for shark fin soup. Scientists also claim that sharks are being killed 30 times faster than they can reproduce. Tresher shark | Gary Stokes What's more, the practice of shark finning is incredibly cruel. It's fairly common for fishermen to cut the fins off sharks, then to throw their bodies back into the ocean. Without their fins, sharks aren't able to move or breathe. A fisherman cutting the fins off a shark in Sri Lanka | Gary Stokes "After being tossed back into the water, the sharks sink further and further; there's no survival or escape," Joanna Grossman, federal policy advisor for the Animal Welfare Institute, told The Dodo. "The animals eventually bleed out and succumb to their injuries, or die from starvation, suffocation, or predation. It's difficult to say exactly how long a shark will remain alive after being finned. For some animals, a slow and painful death awaits while struggling to breathe at the bottom of the ocean; others might be attacked and eaten fairly quickly after being tossed overboard." China is the biggest importer of shark fins, Stokes explained, and the majority of shark fins enter China through Hong Kong. "Hong Kong is the hub," Stokes said. "It's ground zero for shark fin." Shark fins near the harbor in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes When the shark fins arrive in Hong Kong, they're sorted in large warehouses, or laid out to dry on rooftops or streets. Shark fins drying on a roof in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes One of the largest collections of shark fins that Stokes has ever encountered was on a high-rise rooftop, where over 100,000 shark fins were being dried in the sun. He chartered a helicopter to take aerial photos of the fins, then entered the building and ran up to the roof. Shark fins drying on a roof in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes "It was ridiculous," Stokes said. "You just get numb." Shark fins drying on a roof in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes Yet Stokes is quick to point out that China is only part of the problem. "Everybody blames Asia when it's actually a global problem," he said. "If a country has an ocean, it will most likely be contributing to the shark fin trade." Shark fins drying on a roof in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes That includes the United States. While the act of shark finning is illegal in the United States, it is still legal in 39 states to trade shark fin products. "The problem is that once a fin is detached from a body, it is very hard to tell whether it came from a shark caught in a managed fishery or as a result of shark finning," Amy Vorphal, communications manager for Oceana, told The Dodo. "The U.S. still imports shark fins from places that allow shark finning (China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan and Indonesia), so although shark finning is illegal, we are still indirectly supporting it by allowing the import of these products." Shark fins for sale in a store in Hong Kong | Gary Stokes A Hong Kong store selling shark fins and other shark products | Gary Stokes In fact, some of the most common sharks killed for their fins include vulnerable and endangered species, like scalloped hammerheads and oceanic whitetip sharks. Despite the massive challenges sharks face, Stokes remains hopeful for the future. "Things are changing, especially in the younger generations," Stokes said. "The request for shark fin soup at weddings is going down." A shark swimming in Hawaii | Gary Stokes Ever since the U.S. presidential election, Ed Dahlberg has pretty much had a smile on his face. He brokers the sale of private jets, and already hes seeing interest pick up and used-aircraft prices starting to firm up. The sale of a single-engine turboprop aircraft that he recently handled went for about 5 per cent more than anticipated. My phone is ringing off the hook from people interested in buying used jets, said Dahlberg, president of Emerald Aviation in the Washington suburb of Manassas, Virginia. Just the business climate feels like its getting better. The era of Donald Trump, a man long associated with conspicuous consumption, figures to be good to a whole range of luxury-goods industries. But perhaps nowhere is that excitement greater than in the private-aircraft business. Not only is Trump, whose personal Boeing 757 became an iconic campaign image, seen as someone who will advocate for the industry, but he replaces a president who so often criticized private-air travel that he turned it into a taboo symbol of inequality and helped prolong an almost-decade-long sales slump. Youll see more people not being gun shy or embarrassed or apologetic for operating a corporate jet, said Steve Varsano, founder of broker The Jet Business. Demand for private jets is far from the heady days of more than 1,000 deliveries in 2007 and 2008, before the recession hit. In 2016, manufacturers were set to ship 655 jets, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co. estimate, lower than 689 in both 2014 and 2015 after an oil boom that had boosted sales among drillers went bust. Used jet prices have tumbled 12 per cent since November 2015, the bank said. Its far too early to see any sales pickup, of course, and the industry buzz of a comeback is just that at the moment. But investors are encouraged. Shares of private jet manufacturers have soared on Trumps victory. Since Nov. 9, Textron gained 19 per cent, General Dynamics rose 12 per cent and Bombardier jumped 22 per cent. Aircraft sales amount to about 30 per cent of their revenue. The Trump win looks positive for bizjet demand given the post-election stock surge, economic stimulus from an expected lower tax rate and less regulation, and shift away from Obamas anti-bizjet rhetoric, Cai Von Rumohr, an analyst with Cowen and Co., wrote in a report earlier this month. Alain Bellemare, chief executive officer of Canadian planemaker Bombardier, said in an interview that in Trump he sees somebody understanding the value of business aircraft and what it creates. Anybody who is pro-business, pro-growth, who will foster investment in infrastructure its all good for our business, he said. So I hear the tone now and Im optimistic. Most of the manufacturing jobs to produce corporate jets are in North America, Bellemare said. That fits in with Trumps theme of keeping factory workers in the U.S. Both Bombardier and Textrons Cessna unit make aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. Bombardier also makes turboprop planes at its Downsview factory in Toronto. Gulfstream, the corporate jet unit of General Dynamics, has its factories in Savannah, Georgia. Even Brazilian jet producer Embraer SA manufactures planes in Melbourne, Florida. Trade groups have long argued that private aircraft are business tools that help executives save time and make multi-city visits they otherwise couldnt with commercial flights. For security, some companies mandate their top officers fly on the corporate plane. That message was lost when auto executives flew to Washington in their private planes to request bailout money in November 2008, sparking a backlash as the economy careened into recession. A call from a Treasury Department official in 2009 persuaded Citigroup, which was getting U.S. government rescue funds, to drop plans to take delivery of a $50 million Falcon 7X aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation. In a 2011 press conference, Obama called out private jet owners six times to bash a tax break that allows corporate planes to be depreciated over five years instead of seven years for commercial airliners. The National Business Aviation Association sent the president a letter expressing disappointment with the way you mischaracterized and disparaged business aviation. But that was then, as broker Dahlberg sees it. Ive noticed that while theres still a huge amount of inventory, people just dont keep dropping the price every week, he said. You can really feel the floor in the market right now. Read more about: SHARE: HALIFAXFormer soldier Lionel Desmond and his wife, Shanna, were in counselling as the pair struggled to deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder, and she seemed content the day before they died in a murder-suicide, friends and family said. They were working to be a family, Rev. Elaine Walcott, a relative, said Friday. They were working against a common enemy: PTSD. And in the days before tragedy struck Tuesday, when Lionel Desmond fatally shot his family and then himself, it appeared the enemy was on the run. Sheila Pelly, another family friend, said she met with Shanna Desmond and their daughter, Aaliyah, the night before the killings. She was very happy, and we all thought she was very happy, said Pelly, deputy warden of the Municipality of Guysborough. I gave her a hug, and her little girl. The RCMP confirmed Friday that autopsies showed the deaths were a murder-suicide. Desmond was diagnosed with PTSD after a tour in Afghanistan in 2007, and last month he apologized for freaking out on friends and family in a social media post. He had received PTSD treatment from the military. But it remains unclear what level of care if any was provided by Nova Scotias health system after he left the Armed Forces in 2015. Relatives have come forward to say the 33-year-old Nova Scotia man was unable to get help more recently when he went to St. Marthas Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S. That was on Monday, the day before Desmond killed himself, 31-year-old Shanna, their 10-year-old daughter and his mother, Brenda Desmond, 52. Catherine Hartling, Shanna Desmonds aunt, said the couple had taken part in counselling over the phone to help them deal with his rapid mood swings. Thats just part of what they did, Hartling said in an interview, noting that Shanna Desmond was well acquainted with the health-care system, having worked for more than a year as a nurse at St. Marthas, a 30-minute drive west of their rural home in Upper Big Tracadie. The former soldier received treatment in Montreal in May of 2016, but there was little help for him after that, which frustrated his wife, Hartling said. Shanna said, The man is asking for help. And she said the military was not paying any attention to him. And he was working hard at getting help. Walcott, a spiritual adviser for the community, said Lionel Desmond made it clear on his own Facebook page that he was fully aware of his mental illness and was committed to dealing with his PTSD. Pelly said Lionel Desmond confided in her husband in the hours before he killed his family and himself. (He) said he wasnt happy and had to do something with his life, she said. He said he had to make some changes in his life and my husband told him to go see the right people. He seemed normal My husband said, If youre feeling that way you should go do something about it, you know you cant go on living like this. Hartling said it appeared Lionel Desmond was making progress, his outward appearance and actions offering few clues about his inner torment. They seemed to be doing OK, she said, recalling how the family joked and laughed easily during a lobster dinner on New Years Eve. He was good. Absolutely. But with a sick brain, you dont know what is going on. Walcott said she couldnt understand why Desmond was apparently refused treatment at St. Marthas the day before the shootings. His bid to get help should be recognized as an act of sheer bravery, she said. What kind of courage, what kind of stamina, what kind of fortitude did it take Lionel to bang at that door, after hed already been losing hope that the country he went to defend and the service he gave ... didnt count for anything when he needed help. The Nova Scotia Health Authority issued a statement this week saying those in need of emergency help would not be turned away. We do not turn away anyone who requires admission as assessed by a psychiatrist, the Jan. 5 statement said. If there are no local beds, a bed is found elsewhere St. Marthas consistently has capacity for inpatient admissions if required. On Thursday, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said an investigation had started into how the provinces health-care system dealt with Desmond. Meanwhile, Canadas Veterans Affairs Department is standing by the support and assistance it provides to former soldiers in distress. The department has said it cannot comment specifically on the Desmond case, citing privacy laws. But officials say veterans who need immediate help can use a toll-free number to speak to a clinician about their troubles and determine what assistance is needed. The line, staffed around the clock, received more than 1,100 calls in 2015-16. Anyone in the country, or any family member, can call, Veterans Affairs chief psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Heder told The Canadian Press in an interview. Every clinician across Canada who has a job like this on a help line, they are trained to do that kind of assessment first and then take steps if needed. For non-emergencies, the clinician can make an appointment with the veterans case manager, one of Veterans Affairs Canadas many operational stress injury clinics, or one of 4,000 private mental health providers registered with the department. Appointments take three to five business days. If the veteran is in crisis, they will be contacted within 24 hours for an appointment. If there is a threat to the veteran or their family, local authorities are contacted. If the clinician determined that there was an immediate risk for the person, they could call the police, they could call 911 for ambulance services, said Dr. Cyd Courchesne, the departments chief medical officer. Its dependent on the situation, but that always remains the option. That isnt good enough, said Peter Stoffer, a former New Democrat MP and longtime advocate for veterans, who noted family members said Desmond was turned away prior to the shooting after trying to get help at a local hospital. If you call 911, what are they going to tell you? asked Stoffer. Theyre going to come to you and take you somewhere. But if somewhere is full, what do you do then? Stoffer said additional measures need to be put in place, such as making it easier for vets to contact case managers, which is what a House of Commons committee recommended last month. He said hospitals should routinely ask if someone has served with the military, and the department should establish better contacts with hospitals and other local health facilities to ensure veterans in distress arent turned away. Somebody in the hospital could have called the various numbers for him, and then seek out the assistance that he required, Stoffer said. If its not necessarily in that area, then there should have been some availability for him somewhere. And you would have assumed by identifying him as a veteran, that they would have immediately called the appropriate numbers and assist him in that way. University of Victoria associate professor Tim Black, a registered psychologist who works with veterans and their families, said he agrees theres a need for better screening of veterans at hospitals and co-ordination between the department and hospitals. But he said many people with mental illness are turned away when they seek help from local hospitals, with veterans serving as canaries in the coal mine in terms of highlighting the systems shortfalls. These things happen in the civilian world all the time, he said. As a psychologist, you can refer someone to the emergency room. That doesnt mean theyre going to get help. They might be seen, but then they might be sent back home. I think its more an unfortunate commentary on the Canadian focus on mental health Read more about: SHARE: What is to be done with U.S. president-elect Donald Trumps tweets? There they sit like unexploded bombs, or rabbit pellets, cat hairballs, a dropped pill found on the bathroom floor. Is it carfentanil or baby Aspirin? Must it be picked up with tongs and bagged? Perhaps it should simply be swallowed, and ones fate placidly awaited. Shall we call the police? There are no police for this situation in which we find ourselves. American forces work for him. Interpol isnt interested. If Twitter is the chicken, Trump is the giblets. Jack Dorsey of Twitter is betting his business on a madmans mutterings, Beijing and Berlin stir restlessly as they read brief invented accusations, a sharp wind blows across the Russian steppes on desolate late afternoons as the sun fades. Putin twitches as he peers at his iPhone. At one point, I blocked Trump. It had come to this: I was blocking the thought stream of the next president of the United States because I dont like proximity to disordered minds. Then Id read the responses of intelligent people to Trump tweets they offered hard facts, comedy, astonishment, disgust and I muted Trump so that I would only have to read his tweets when posted by Paul Krugman et al. with their comments. I needed the company of clever people. If you want to call that a bubble, go right ahead. Eventually I began writing like Trump, lavishly using exclamation marks, which are the tongue piercings of prose: functionless and rarely attractive. Sad! His tweets are usually written in three little bundles of words, often to demean people, especially women. When hes angry, he uses partial sentences that he cannot contain, and they dribble into the next tweet. He is often angry. Every Trump tweet is unhinged in its own way but occasionally the door slams the reader in the face. On Friday, Trump flamed the new host of NBCs The Celebrity Apprentice, the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got swamped (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT. He was talking about 2008 ratings for a crass reality show that he still produces. That was nine years ago. In 14 days, he will run a country, and this is what is on his mind. He referred to himself in the third person, always a bad sign, and called himself a ratings machine, just as he has boasted about his very high IQ, one of the highest for which there is no evidence. Schwarzenegger responded with statesmanlike dignity. The best course for a politician is never to take things personally. Trumps skin is fish-scale thin. He has never had to mute himself to get things done with others, even rivals, because he has never worked on a common cause. Take this tweet yesterday: Anna Wintour came to my office at Trump Tower to ask me to meet with the editors of Conde Nast & Steven Newhouse, a friend. Will go this AM. Trump cannot spell a.m. or presumably p.m. He is dropping names. But he is degrading the people whose names he drops. Wintour has come to him, not he to Wintour. She has asked, he has given consent. And he cannot spell. The Angry Pajamas of the comment section famously cannot spell either. It isnt because English is their new language; its because they havent mastered the one they were born into. How does that happen? Heres Trump trying to spell correctly. Leightweight chocker Great honer! Barrack Obama dummer people Big shoker Bought and payed for Phoneix will loose big unpresidented beate rediculous lose cannon insticts. And the truth is not in him. He treats poll numbers, even open polls, as actual election results. He himself makes the same mistake angry Americans made by electing him for how he made them feel: he values emotion over thought, feelings over facts. Everything is black or white. People are winners or losers. Thats all his tweets and brain have room for. And thats a problem endemic to Twitter and its 140 characters. Who knew that stupid, violent tweeters would make the world worse if they wrote less rather than more? Its depravity writ small, but theres so much of it. Trump is far, far outside the civilized norm, even the Twitter norm which is not civilized but fast, skanky and superficial. Tweeps never click on the links, are always outraged and forever cruel. It is Trump encapsulated. Twitter is his mise-en-scene. So. Fractured thoughts, vulgar insults, patent insecurity, misspellings, humiliations, simple-minded analysis, references to himself in the third person. I feel like a doctor reading a patients notes. I would say the patient is ill or at least impossible. I would admit him to a quiet hospital with sweeps of green lawn, give him sedating rather than activating drugs and advise talk therapy though not in groups. Dont marry him, I would advise. Dont elect him, that would go without saying. But Americans did elect him. I can only say this: dont read Trump tweets in bed in the morning. Get up, drink your coffee and then let Trump shoot you with his pellet gun. After four years, well make clanking noises when we walk, so riddled with lead will we be. Read more about: SHARE: WINNIPEGManitoba Premier Brian Pallister faced renewed questions Friday over how much work he gets done while spending up to two months a year at his vacation home in Costa Rica. Pallister said he reads and writes documents and communicates by phone while in the tropical country, but rarely uses email. He said he also does not get documents sent to him electronically, barring an emergency. Principally, we use emails for emergencies and, fingers crossed, there havent been emergencies so, its been good. But Im available, Im accessible at any point in time if need be, Pallister said Friday in an interview at the legislature. I prefer direct phone conversations. I just find the quality of the interactions a lot better. Pallister, who was elected last April, revealed in an interview with The Canadian Press last month that he plans to spend a total of six to eight weeks a year not all at once in Costa Rica while serving as premier. The legislature resumes in March and the budget is expected in early spring. Pallister describes himself as a workaholic and has repeatedly said he gets a lot of work done while at his Costa Rica home. A report Friday by the Winnipeg Free Press said government records showed Pallister had no email communication with any of his senior political staff during his first three months in office, and there was no record of a specific email address for the premier in the government directory. Pallister said he has a government email account that he rarely, if ever, uses. He also said he has a cellphone with him in Costa Rica sometimes carried by his wife and Internet access, and he personally covers all long-distance communication charges. The taxpayer is not paying because Im in Costa Rica or anywhere else. On Friday, Pallister showed reporters several large documents he says he took with him on a trip to Costa Rica over the holidays a report on pre-budget public consultations, an external review of his governments fiscal performance and more. Transporting physical documents, as well as a flash drive containing electronic records, also provides a level of security over email, Pallister said. New Democrat justice critic Andrew Swan, who served as a cabinet minister under two NDP premiers, said Pallisters lack of email usage is concerning. I know as a minister, there was not a single vacation that went by that I didnt receive briefing notes and other material that were necessary so that I could give direction and make decisions to make sure that my department was running the way it should, Swan said. Many times, (Pallisters) department or his political staff will have different alternatives on courses of action to take, and I would think that a premier would want to be aware of that to give the best possible direction. Related: Manitoba finance minister set on public-sector wage curb despite union concerns Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWAThe Prime Ministers Office is defending Justin Trudeaus secret family vacation in which he, his wife and children took a government jet to the Bahamas and stayed at the billionaire Aga Khans private island stating it was necessary to protect their privacy during the holidays. Like many Canadians, the prime minister and his family spent private time together over the holiday season, Trudeaus press secretary, Cameron Ahmad, said in an emailed statement. In order to protect the privacy of the prime minister and his family, we do not disclose the locations of their vacations prior to their departure. The revelation came after days of public pressure on Trudeaus office to reveal where he was vacationing during the holidays. His daily itinerary, which typically outlines the prime ministers schedule and appearances, simply said: Personal. Ahmad said the prime minister, his family and a few friends were invited to the Aga Khans privately owned Bell Island for the holidays. Trudeau and his family took a government Challenger jet, following long-standing personal and business travel protocol for the prime minister, while their accompanying friends got there by other means, he added. The Trudeaus will reimburse the public for the equivalent cost of commercial flights to and from Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, Ahmad said. As you are aware, his highness (the Aga Khan) and the prime minister have been close family friends for many years, Ahmad said. A similar situation played out last year, when Trudeau was photographed during the holidays by an American celebrity gossip website at a lavish resort in St. Kitts and Nevis. After keeping his holiday details secret, the PMO was forced to explain that Trudeau and his family covered their expenses during their Caribbean sojourn. After the visit to the Aga Khans private island came to light and following accusations of kowtowing to wealthy donors at elite Liberal fundraisers, it was announced Trudeau will embark on a campaign-style tour, talking to average folks at coffee shops and church basements across the country. His communications director, Kate Purchase, says Trudeau will make three or four pit stops each day of the tour which is slated to take up six or seven days over the next three weeks. We see this as part of a concerted effort to remain connected to Canadians, at home in their communities, Purchase said. The prime minister wants to hear from them how they are feeling at the start of 2017, what their concerns and anxieties are and what we can do to help alleviate that. Trudeaus holiday travel habits contrast with those of some other world leaders. U.S. President Barack Obama, for example, openly discussed his plan to spend Christmas in Hawaii last month (he was even photographed shirtless on the beach in 2008) and American reporters are regularly briefed on their leaders vacation details. Former prime minister Jean Chretien, however, made some secret trips of his own. During his tenure, the Star uncovered unpublicized jaunts to a Disney resort in Florida and a trip to Minnesota. Trudeaus latest unpublicized trip featured a more exclusive locale: the Aga Khans private Bell Island, a promontory surrounded by azure seas in the Bahamas. The Aga Khan is the leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim group, a wealthy figurehead born in Switzerland who was hailed on his recent 80th birthday by Trudeau as mentor and friend who has shown time and time again that no matter our faith, where we were born, what colour is our skin, or what language we speak, we are equal members of this world. The religious leaders ownership of Bell Island which sits in a national park drew controversy when he was given government approval to dredge the seabed to make way for a new marina, the Nassau Guardian reported in 2011. Trudeaus trip is also notable for the Aga Khans many ties to Canada. Since 2004, the government has sponsored 16 international development projects spearheaded by the Aga Khan Foundation, worth a total of more than $300 million over several years. This includes projects in Afghanistan and Egypt with a maximum government contribution of $66 million that started in 2015 and are scheduled to last until 2020. The Aga Khan himself was given the rare distinction of an honorary citizenship in 2009 and opened an Islamic museum in Toronto in 2014. With files from the Canadian Press Read more about: SHARE: Somewhere in the sullen sandstone bunker of Ottawas Langevin Block, somebody has finally pulled the populism alarm. You know the one. It says IN CASE OF ENTITLEMENT, BREAK GLASS. Beneath that inscription, in a smaller font, it says I MEAN, FEEL FREE TO WAIT A WHILE, BECAUSE ENTITLEMENT IS FUN. BUT IF IT GETS REALLY BAD, GO AHEAD AND BREAK THAT GLASS. The glass remained unbroken when Trudeau partied with Bono and Kevin Spacey at Davos a year ago. Nobody reached for the little hammer when his top staffers, Gerald Butts and Katie Telford, posted moving expenses that could have paid to bury Trajans legions in Styrofoam peanuts. Everyone kept their cool when Health Minister Jane Philpott hired a Liberal donor for bespoke limo service around the Golden Horseshoe. Even after Trudeaus social appointments turned out to form an arrow on Google Maps pointing to the one billionaire in China who stays up at night wondering whether the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation has enough money to get by, nobody pulled the red lever. But there comes a point. Perhaps Trudeau realized he had reached it as he was flying back from his New Years family vacation at the Aga Khans private island in the Bahamas. That last bit took a while to tease out of the PMO, didnt it? At first, his public agenda said only Personal. Then, reporters were told he was not in Canada. Then that he had been in the Bahamas. And finally, on Friday, the travel arrangements. Government spokesmen were quick to note Trudeaus conspicuous frugality on the way to, uh, the private island with the yacht in what the Hollywood Reporter calls the Hamptons of the Bahamas. Trudeau paid the market cost of airfare to the, uh, private island with the yacht in the Hamptons of the Bahamas. Note that the Aga Khan makes friends easily, and that Stephen Harper liked him too. But for that very reason, the Canadian government and the Aga Khan Foundation have done business together over the years: $30 million in federal money for the foundations Sussex Dr. headquarters, $75 million for foundation development projects in Africa and Asia. Reporters were left arguing whether its the secrecy or the luxury that looked worse. My own rule of thumb is that there is no good sentence in politics that contains the phrase private island with the yacht. But there are all kinds of good sentences that contain the phrase ordinary Canadians, and at last Trudeaus office decided it was time to write a few. So on Friday Trudeaus office announced he is leaving on an extended tour of coffee shops, church basements, etc. in small-town Ontario, the Prairies and British Columbia. Conspicuously absent from that list: the four Atlantic provinces, which returned a Liberal in every riding at the last election. Clearly the goal is not to bask in adulation, but to nip small problems before they get big. Somewhere between the first reports of the tour and the end of the day, the PMO also announced Trudeau wont be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he made such a splash a year ago. He simply has so many coffee shops to hit that he can no longer squeeze the Alps into his itinerary, reporters were told. This is, it seems to me, the more poignant news. Davos is not actually a disco lounge where billionaires go to douse one another with champagne. Or at least not only that. Its a handy place to meet CEOs and world leaders at the level of minister or higher, and to pitch Canada as an investment destination. Last year Trudeau met General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Thomson Reuters CEO Jim Smith and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella there. Later, all three companies announced large investments in Canada. We are told some number of Liberal cabinet ministers will make their way to Davos without the boss, and its safe to assume hell go back one day. Even Stephen Harper sometimes went to Davos. But there is sometimes the odour of a plutocracy around the Trudeau clique, and as his trade minister, Chrystia Freeland, wrote in her book Plutocrats, that can be a problem. The prime minister, who lived at 24 Sussex Dr. until he was 14, then moved to his fathers astonishing art deco mansion on Pine Ave. in Montreal, will never have an easy time shaking that image. He certainly wont if he makes no effort. In the meantime, he will meet some real Canadians, and hear what they have to say. Perhaps some of it will be sharp-tongued. Hell listen, and adjust. At the next election, the Conservatives and NDP will certainly say he has done nothing for working Canadians. Trudeaus test will be whether working Canadians say, Well, thats baloney. If that reaction isnt automatic, hell have trouble. Paul Wells is a national affairs writer. His column appears Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Read more about: SHARE: MONTREALVowing to bring a little spice to Canadas 150th birthday celebrations, the leader of the Parti Quebecois launched an alternative campaign Friday to counter what he called the propaganda of the official events. Jean-Francois Lisee said the Other 150 campaign isnt designed to derail Ottawas party, but will put holes in the official narrative and highlight Quebecs history and importance. There are some very interesting facts in the Quebec experiment within Canada that may be left behind in the official story, so we will render the service to bring these facts to life, he said at the campaigns kickoff in Montreal. We will give a little spice to the Canadian salad they want to serve us this year. Lisee, who said the idea evolved out of fears that Ottawas narrative would be one-sided, was joined at the launch by the campaigns co-spokespeople: rapper Rod le Stod and chemist Marie Imalta Pierre-Lys. The sovereigntist party leader noted the activities wont disrupt any official Canada 150 events, but will liven up what he said could be an otherwise dull celebration. The good news is that if you thought it would be boring, the 150th birthday of Canada, think again, he said. Its going to be interesting! A recent Globe and Mail report said Ottawa is spending $500 million on the events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. The PQ plans to counter the official government viewpoint through speeches, social media dialogue and other actions that have yet to be announced. The party is financing the activities, joined by a half-dozen historians who have volunteered to take part. One of those historians, Gilles Laporte, joined Lisee at the launch. He said the years themes would include 150 years of Quebec-bashing, the A recent manhandled Canadian francophonie and no lessons to receive from Canada. Read more about: SHARE: Andy Byford is counting down the days until the end of 2017. Thats when he believes Toronto transit riders will be able to enjoy what he calls the utopian journey of the future on the TTC. The upcoming year is a pivotal one for the TTC CEO and the organization he oversees. Its the final chapter of the five-year plan that Byford launched to completely modernize an agency he says was stuck in the 70s when he took over in 2012. He paints a rosypicture of the experience of riding the transit system once the plan is complete. He vows that by years end the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension, the first addition to the citys subway network in over a decade, will be open. Customers will be able to access each of its six stunning stations with the tap of a Presto fare card, and inside they will be greeted by a roving TTC employee no longer confined to a collection booth who will offer directions and schedule information at the touch of a tablet computer. Taking the fully accessible stations elevator down to the platform, customers will be able to browse the internet on a wifi network that extends across the subway system, as they wait for a train that will be faster and more efficient thanks to the implementation of the automatic train control (ATC) system on a portion of Line 1. That ladies and gentleman, that sounds like utopia, Byford said during the TTCs annual customer town hall in November. In an interview, he said he believes the improvements slated for 2017 will restore the TTCs reputation. I think we will meet that objective of being back to number one in North America by the end of this year, he said. The five-year plan laid out a road map for improving virtually every aspect of the TTC, from public safety, employee relations, financial stability, and public reputation. The agency has met some of the targets, which are regularly updated, but missed others. Achievements Byford points to include the rollout of new subway cars and articulated buses, the ongoing overhaul of the woefully outdated communication system on surface vehicles, and the continued cost-saving modernization of the agencys back office systems. Hes also overseen an update of employee uniforms, restructured station staffing to be more customer-focused, and attempted to address the cleanliness of what he says was once a squalid subway system. Short turns, long the bane of subway and bus riders, have been drastically reduced since 2014, and according to Byford subway delays caused by infrastructure failures are down 21 per cent since that year thanks to a proactive maintenance regime. Last October the TTC eliminated the guard position on subways on Line 4 (Sheppard), which Byford said is the the biggest change to TTC working practices in a generation and will eventually save close to $19 million annually. Yet by several important measures the TTC has so far failed to meet the goals of the modernization plan. While delays caused by infrastructure failures have been reduced, delays attributed to other factors persist. Last month the TTC reported that all three subway lines were failing to meet reliability targets. There are also cases where there simply isnt enough service on the street, said Steve Munro, a local transit expert. He argued that TTC management needs to be more vocal in pushing the agencys political masters to provide funding for improved bus and streetcar service. A recent Star analysis found that more than a quarter of surface routes exceed crowding standards at some point during the week because there arent enough vehicles running. (Byford argues that hes gone to bat for TTC funding in the past, citing as one example his public release during the highly charged 2014 mayoral election of a wish list of unfunded transit improvements.) On the plans goal to improve the relationship between employees and management, there is much room for improvement, according to the head of the TTCs largest union. The switch to one person train operation and the pending introduction of random drug testing, both opposed by the union, have soured relations, said Bob Kinnear, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113. He said employees feel that their value is not supported by upper levels of management. The TTC also hasnt met the plans goal of reducing lost time from employee injuries, and has made no progress on reducing worker absenteeism. To Byfords professed frustration, progress on some of the TTCs highest-profile modernization efforts remains slow, through factors that are not entirely within the agencys control. Bombardiers failure to deliver the badly-needed new streetcar fleet on time has infuriated TTC leaders and passengers alike. Meanwhile the pivotal Presto card system has been dogged by technical problems that have helped pushed back the date for the TTCs phase out of other payment methods until sometime in 2018, at least several months later than the agency had hoped. Although the TTC bears the brunt of customer complaints about Presto, most of the fare card technology is ultimately the responsibility of Metrolinx, the provinces transit agency for the region. Ed Levy, a transportation planner and transit historian, said that in the past four years the TTC has done its best to improve transit service, with limited resources. By the standard of other North American transit agencies the TTC receives little government funding for operations, and is forced to rely on the fare box for a much higher portion of its costs. Levy also says that for decades politicians have failed to invest in building out the subway system, meaning a delay on one line can affect the whole network and have a big impact on customers. The big thing is that weve still got a totally inadequate system for the size and pace of development in the city, Levy said. Although Byford says hes proud of progress to date, there is one issue he admits hes still kicking himself over the hot car problem that saw broken air conditioning units induce sweltering conditions on Line 2 subways last summer. He calls the TTCs failure to foresee the issue the biggest disappointment of my tenure. Byfords team is already drafting the next five-year plan, which will guide the agency as it undertakes important work like instituting the automatic train control across Line 1, making the whole system fully accessible, and integrating the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT into the existing network. Asked whether he will stay on as CEO once the current five-year plan is up, Byford, who is a permanent TTC employee and isnt on contract, claims that he has yet to decide. I havent really given it any thought, he said. I have so much to do. SHARE: Since 1969, Vincenzo Pietropaolo has attended the Good Friday processions in Torontos Little Italy every year except one, in 1996, when a work project took him out of the country. In the early days, the young Italian migrant would use his Canon FT a gift from his father and Leica cameras to photograph the actors in theatrical biblical costumes, tireless volunteers behind the scenes and mesmerized spectators along the route in the heart of the Italian Canadian community. The religious procession one of the largest outside of Italy isnt just an annual Easter weekend ritual for Pietropaolo and many generations of Italian Canadians, but now has turned into a photography book documenting the changing face of the community over a 46-year span through its single most visible public event. The procession provides the community a means to express and affirm itself in the city. For one day, the streets belong to us, said the documentary photographer, who settled in Toronto with his family from Calabria at age 11 in 1963, a year after the event was inaugurated. The act of processing is an identity builder. Most Italians came to Canada as poor working class and have become successful. They still cling to the idea of who they are and where they began. This is their roots. Titled Ritual, Pietropaolos 216-page book contains 150 images selected from a body of more than 20,000 images he collected at the Good Friday processions over the years dating back to the 1970s. Ironically, it has become a ritual of my own as a photographer. I just feel like I cannot not go to the processions, said Pietropaolo, who moved out of the Little Italy neighbourhood in 1990 but still visits all the time. The same people I photographed when they were children have become adults. There are those who do not show up any more as they pass on. Over time, you see all these profound changes of the community. His lens has captured everything from the children with candles during Mass of Resurrection to a procession caught up in traffic at College and Beatrice Sts., the women in shrouds who are known as the pious women, and the Roman soldiers who taunt and torture the shackled Jesus. The seed for the book was sown in the late 1970s when Pietropaolo sifted through his procession images and started looking for a publisher. Unfortunately, he had to put the idea aside as he was told time and again the photos were too ethnic, too religious. But it did not stop him from continuing his dream of becoming a documentary photographer while working full-time as an urban planner for the City of Toronto. Through the years, he continued to shoot photos at community functions and events, first with analogue and later digital cameras. In 1991, after 17 years as a planner, Pietropaolo turned the hobby that he began as a student at Harbord Collegiate Institute into a full-time career by doing commercial jobs for magazines, community groups and unions. On the side, he continues his lifes mission to photograph working class culture and the immigrant experience. A few years ago, while pursuing a masters degree in image arts at Ryerson University, Pietropaolo revisited the idea of publishing his Good Friday photo collection. With seed money from York Universitys Mariano Elia Chair for Italian Canadian Studies and online crowd funding, he approached Black Dog Publishing in England to publish Ritual, his 10th {+ } documentary photography book. His first, Not Paved With Gold, was published in 2006. The self-taught photographer always carries a Leica camera with him, in his pocket, car or briefcase. With a handheld camera, you can penetrate into peoples lives. Its unobtrusive, quiet and small. People accept you more easier, said Pietropaolo. Things can happen at any time. You have to take the pictures right there and then. When you go back to the same spot, it is not there anymore. Pietropaolo hopes viewers of his Good Friday collection can see beyond the costumes and theatrics to the humanity of the people. It is a chapter of working class culture and immigration history that has long been overlooked, sometimes dismissively, for its surface colour and ethnic flavour, wrote Pietropaolo in the preamble of his book. But herein lies the power of photography: to help you bear witness and in so doing, becoming empowered to write history of ones own. SHARE: The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage at a Florida airport had a history of mental health problems some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said Friday after the deadly shooting. Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasnt feeling too good, his uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper. Esteban Santiago, 26, deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. In recent years, Santiago a new dad, family said had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. Bryan Santiago said his brothers girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. In November, Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, videos, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The FBI agents notified the police after the interview with Esteban Santiago, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. Bryan Santiago said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues. We have not talked for the past three weeks, Bryan Santiago said. Thats a bit unusual ... Im in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person. Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. Former neighbour Ursula Candelario recalled seeing Esteban Santiago grow up and said people used to salute him after he joined the Guard. He was very peaceful, very educated, very serious, she said. Were in shock. I couldnt believe it, said Candelario. While in Iraq, Santiago cleared roads of improvised explosive devices and at least two members of his company were killed, spokesman Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead told The New York Times. He was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation. Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage, Olmstead told the AP. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for unsatisfactory performance, said Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman. His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. She would not elaborate on his discharge, but the Pentagon said he went AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. Still, hed had some successes during his military career, being awarded a number of medals and commendations including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago after his arrest at the Fort Lauderdale airport. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them, and reporters swarmed around. Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father to a son and was struggling. It was like he lost his mind, she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. He said he saw things. Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. Santiago was charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriends Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, choked her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. A month later municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Law enforcement officers were at the girlfriends home Friday afternoon, and officers guarding the property outside told a reporter who approached the home to step away. Senator-elect Nelson Cruz, who knew the family and represents the town where they live in Puerto Rico, said he had been talking regularly with Bryan Santiago since the shooting. Theyre very humble and very Christian people, Cruz said of Esteban Santiagos brother and mother. They want to tell the families of the victims that theyre extremely saddened and extremely upset by what happened. MORE ON THESTAR.COM 5 dead, U.S. veteran in custody in shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport SHARE: LONDONA senior British diplomat who warned that negotiating a European Union exit could take 10 years has quit the civil service, days after stepping down as the U.K.s envoy to the bloc, the government said Saturday. Ivan Rogers unexpectedly resigned as Britains permanent representative in Brussels on Tuesday, months before divorce talks are due to start, fueling opposition claims that the governments plans for Britains EU exit are in disarray. Rogers came under pressure following last months leak of his suggestion that it could take up to a decade to strike a new trade deal. Politicians who support Brexit called him overly negative. Tim Barrow, a former U.K. ambassador to Russia, has been appointed to replace him. In a farewell email that was leaked to the media, Rogers told his staff to beware of politicians ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking. Britains Foreign Office said Rogers had not sought a new post, and has therefore resigned from the civil service with immediate effect. Prime Minister Theresa May says she will invoke Article 50 of the EUs key treaty, triggering two years of EU exit talks, by March 31. May has refused to reveal details of Britains goals or negotiating strategy, saying that would weaken its hand. Hard-core Brexiteers in Mays Conservative government want to quit the EUs single market in goods and services, gaining the freedom to strike trade deals elsewhere and to end free movement of people from the EU to Britain. But other Cabinet ministers fear leaving the single market would spell disaster for British businesses. On Saturday a major Conservative donor threatened to stop funding the party if Britain leaves the single market. Andrew Cook, chairman of a firm that makes components for the rail, energy and defence industries, said single-market membership was critical to his business and many others. SHARE: CHICAGOA Chicago judge refused to allow four black people caught on cellphone footage taunting and beating a mentally disabled white man to post bail and leave jail, saying they are accused of such terrible actions that they are a danger to society. Where was your sense of decency? Cook County Circuit Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked them on Friday during their first court appearance, sounding baffled that the suspects could be charged with such cruelty toward the 18-year-old victim. The beating was captured on cellphone video by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media. The graphic footage shows the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder. They also said the beating started in a van when the same attacker became angry that the mother had contacted him asking that her son be allowed to come home. A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water, kiss the floor and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt. MORE ON THESTAR.COM Four charged with hate crimes after Chicago beating broadcast on Facebook Live Judge asks 4 suspects in Facebook Live beating: Where was your sense of decency? The four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crime one because of the victims race and the other because of his mental disabilities. On the video, the male suspects use knives to cut the victims hair and his sweatshirt. One of the females can be seen laughing. A female also laughs as she punches the victim. One of the men pulls the cord from the victims sweatshirt around the victims neck and holds him up while the victim groans in pain, according to a document read in court. The victim can be heard screaming when one of the men walks up to him with a knife and asks if he should shank him. At one point, the prosecutor said, someone on the video can be heard saying that he did not care if the victim was schizophrenic. The four suspects were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covingtons 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. They stood quietly as the prosecutor read the allegations. Some of their relatives also listened, including a woman who wiped tears from her eyes. Defence attorneys portrayed the suspects as hardworking, responsible and religious. Cooper, for example, takes care of his twin brother, who is in a wheelchair. Tanishia Covington has two small children. Her sister attends college and has a job. Hill, the judge was told, goes to church with his grandmother. All four have experienced brushes with the law, some for serious and violent crimes. Hill, for example, was arrested as a juvenile in 2015 on allegations of armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and residential burglary. Chicago police said they did not know the disposition of those arrests by suburban officers. Tanishia Covington was arrested in 2007 on attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. Police records do not show any convictions as a juvenile. As an adult, she was arrested on charges of battery and aggravated assault, but those charges were dropped. The uproar over the beating intensified the glare on Chicago after a bloody year of violent crime and protests against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a police department that has been accused of using excessive force and hushing-up wrongdoing. The department has also been the subject of a long civil-rights investigation by the Justice Department, which is expected to report its findings soon. The incident also stirred emotions still raw after a presidential campaign that split the nation. Some conservatives suggested it was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement. Police said there was no indication of any connection. The incident began New Years Eve, when the victim and alleged assailant Jordan Hill met at a suburban McDonalds, and then called his parents later to say he was staying with Hill for a sleepover. Instead, Hill drove the victim around in a stolen van for a couple of days, ending up at a home in Chicago, where two of the other suspects lived, police said. The victims parents reported him missing Monday evening, two days after last hearing from him. The victim eventually escaped and a police officer spotted him wandering down a street, bloodied and disoriented. SHARE: Mexicans should plan for world in which the U.S. is no longer Mexicos ally, because that is where Trumps aggressions are leading. Agustin Barrios Gomez The reality of Donald Trumps anti-Mexico stance is starting to sink in south of the Rio Grande. Ford scrapped plans for a new Mexican plant this week, as Trump threatened a big border tax on General Motors and Toyota. And on Friday the president-elect repeated his pledge to force Mexico to reimburse American taxpayers for his promised border wall. Agustin Barrios Gomez, a former Mexican congressman who is co-chair for North America of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, explains how Mexicans are planning to fight back. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. How are Mexicans reacting to Trumps threatening carmakers not to open plants in Mexico? Mexicans are still shell-shocked. The idea that the U.S. is now a mercantilist predator is taking a long time to sink in. People wanted to think it was campaign rhetoric, but the cancellation of the Ford plant in San Luis Potosi is bringing it home for a lot of people. How can the Mexican government and business community counteract Trumps refrain that the North American Free Trade Agreement is costing the U.S. jobs? North America is competing with other regions of the world and fully 40 cents of every dollar the U.S. imports from Mexico comes from content produced in America. (Parts often cross the border several times while U.S. and Mexican factories work together to finish a product). North America is competitive only insofar as we act as a team. Beggar-thy-neighbour policies act in detriment to everyone in the three countries. What do independent studies conclude about the benefits of NAFTA? According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 14 million Americans have jobs that are a direct result of trade with Canada and Mexico. Mexico is the No. 1 or No. 2 export market for 23 U.S. states, including Texas and California. If Mexico becomes less stable, what impact will that have on the US? American prosperity and national security directly depend on a stable and co-operative Mexico. Trump risks two things: One, generating enough anti-American anger that the Mexican government is forced to cease co-operation on national security matters. Two, destabilizing Mexico, and creating the biggest refugee problem in history. Imagine if 120 million Mexicans get into a civil war. Imagine the impact on the American southwest. The Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, of which you are a member, will meet Jan. 23. What will your message be? Our history is intertwined. One-third of the continental U.S. was once Mexican territory. Thirty-five million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans 80 per cent of whom are either U.S. citizens or legal residents make up more than 10 per cent of the American population. There are between one and three million Americans in Mexico by far the No. 1 destination for their expatriates. My message would be that we manufacture products together. That to humiliate Mexico goes directly against U.S. national interests. What role should Canada take in this? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is fast approaching the moment to decide if he is Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill. Right now, it seems Canadians are going to keep quiet in the hope that the bully can be appeased. But, Canada should join forces with Mexico, as well as with business interests in the U.S., to get the information out with respect to what NAFTA does for our region. I would also argue that Canada has a moral imperative to stand by its Mexican partner. I dont think that Canadians have yet realized, given what is going on in the U.S. and the weakness of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be the adult in the room for North America. How could Mexico and Canada co-operate more fully as trade partners and political allies? The U.S. is in the process of becoming an ethno-nationalist regime based on a cult of personality that is acting erratically, putting everyone in danger. Like German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after Trumps victory, we will work together based on our values. Canada and Mexico have to spell out those values of democracy, human rights and equality. They should also put together a Canada-Mexico free trade agreement framework, in case NAFTA falls apart. How are ordinary Mexicans displaying their anger at Trump? Of course there are Trump pinatas and the typical buy Mexican campaigns have begun, but soon youll see calls for our own trade sanctions, for expelling the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, Homeland Security and other agencies that report to Jeff Sessions, Trumps pick for attorney general. The scope is huge: Mexico City is the only place outside of Washington where every U.S. government agency is represented. Mexicans should plan for a world in which the U.S. is no longer Mexicos ally, because that is where Donald Trumps aggressions are leading. This is potentially very dangerous for both countries. What about Trumps plan to deport undocumented Mexican labourers? What impact will that have potentially on the U.S. economy? Undocumented workers make up 5 per cent of the American workforce. It is up to Americans to do the math. Where will you be Jan. 20, the night of Trumps inauguration? Probably at a bar, with a tequila, Buffalo chicken wings and McCain french fries on the side. As it should be. I will be desperately trying to think up ways to keep North Americans from turning against each other. Agustin Barrios Gomez, son of a former Mexican ambassador to Canada, is president of the Mexico Image Foundation, which brings together academics, cultural figures and politicians to forge a common narrative about Mexicos brand. Read more about: SHARE: BEIRUTA car bomb ripped through a busy commercial district in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border Saturday, killing nearly 50 in a huge explosion that damaged buildings and left rescuers scrambling to find survivors amid the wreckage, opposition activists said. Rescuers and doctors said the explosion was so large there were nearly 100 wounded and burned. Over 50 wounded were transported to the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment, as local hospitals couldnt cope. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Locals said a rigged tanker caused the explosion and blamed Islamic State militants, who have carried out attacks in the town before. The militant group has been increasingly pressed in Syria and Iraq, and has escalated its attacks against Turkey which backs Syrian opposition fighters in a campaign against the group in northern Syria. Azaz, only a couple of miles from the Turkish border, is a key town on a route used by opposition fighters moving between Syria and Turkey, and is a hub for anti-government activists as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. It is also sandwiched between rival groups, including Kurdish fighters to the west and Turkey-backed opposition groups to the east. Islamic State militants, who have tried to advance on the key border town before have been pushed back farther east in recent months in the Turkey-backed offensive. The bomb went off early Saturday afternoon outside a local courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi told The Associated Press from Azaz. It hit the busiest part of the town, Alnajdi said, referring to the administrative part of town. A medical worker speaking to a local media outfit, al-Jisr, said many charred bodies, and body parts mixed with bones and mud, were piled up in local hospitals. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said at least 48 people were killed, including 14 fighters and guards to the local courthouse. He said the explosion was caused by a rigged water or fuel tanker, which explained the large blast and high death toll. The activist-operated local Azaz Media centre and Shabha Press put the death toll at 60, adding that search and rescue operations continued for hours after the explosion. Alnajdi said rescue workers were still working to identify and remove the bodies from the area, suggesting that the death toll was not final. He said some of the severely wounded were transported across the border into the Turkish town of Kilis for treatment. The Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said 53 wounded Syrians were brought to Kilis local hospital for treatment, including five in critical condition, transferred to Gaziantep. The agency said one later died. Media activist Baha al-Halabi, based in Aleppo province and who gathered information from Azaz residents, said witnesses reported many unidentified bodies. Footage shared online showed a large plume of black smoke rising above the chaotic street with the sound of gunfire in the background as onlookers gathered around the site. In one instance, a father ran away from the scene, carrying his child to safety. The court house and the security headquarters were damaged, as well as the Red Crescent and municipality offices, according to activists in the area. Many rebels and civilians who were pushed out of Aleppo city during a massive government offensive late last year have resettled in Azaz. Syrian Kurdish forces control territory to the west of Azaz, and have often tried advancing toward the town, causing friction with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters. To the east, opposition fighters backed by Turkey have been pushing back Islamic State extremists, gaining territory and advancing on the IS-stronghold town of al-Bab, further east. Turkey considers Syria Kurdish factions there terrorists, linked to a local group it is battling at home. A nationwide week-long cease-fire has mostly held across most of Syria after Russia and Turkey, who support opposite sides of the conflict, reached an agreement late December. It is set to pave the way for peace talks between Assads government and the opposition in Kazakhstan later this month. The Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked group Fatah al-Sham Front are not included in the deal, according to the Syrian government. Read more about: SHARE: Re: , Toronto The new carbon tax is inherently unfair. It penalizes efficient energy users the same as heavy energy users. When you use energy efficiently, increasing the price does not make your usage more efficient. There is a more equitable and effective way to tax energy usage. Look at what Santa Fe, NM, did during its severe water crisis. It left water rates the same for what it considered a responsible amount of water usage and charged four times the rate for any usage above that amount. It resulted in an immediate 30-per-cent reduction in water usage. A spectacular result. Like income taxes, carbon taxes must be progressive, because it is fairer. I understand why the government implemented a flat carbon tax. Creating a tiered structure is far more work and politically dangerous. The people that are most affected are people with large homes and big cars. In other words those who provide the political parties with the majority of their donations. Michael Yaffe, Toronto I read with interest Rob Fergusons article that began, Ontario residents will notice more money in one pocket and less in another as electricity tax rebates and new carbon fees for natural gas and gasoline take effect in 2017. So typical of the Liberal brand over these past 10 to 15 years: Give a little into the left pocket while taking a lot out of the right pocket. The cost of electricity has doubled under the Liberals watch. Yet, reliability has stagnated (if not gotten worse). The price of gasoline no longer is tied to the price of a barrel of oil, which means it is going up not due to crude prices but due to government mismanagement of resources. Not to fight climate change (which Ontario is totally impotent to alter) but to pad government resource tools and fulfil a promise of finally balancing a budget before the next election. J. Brunins, Britt, Ont. Unfortunately the small hydro rebates Premier Kathleen Wynne is doling out, as she finds herself at 13 per cent in the polls largely because her green energy program has made electricity in Ontario the highest-priced in North America, pales in comparison to what Ontarians will be shelling out due to her new revenue tool: the job- and economy-hurting carbon tax. From driving to work to earn money to pay more in taxes, to heating homes, to buying food that has to be transported, Ontarians are going to be paying much more for everything. There seems no limit to how far Wynne will go pushing her green ideology, no matter the harm it does. Larry Comeau, Ottawa Ontario businesses are already losing jobs to neighbouring jurisdictions, and weve seen a lot of capital and job flight to jurisdictions in neighbouring areas, said Nathan MacDonald, policy and communications manager for the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade. Please give details as to whos leaving and where theyve gone? Environment Minister Glen Murray said the provinces Climate Change Action Plan has broad support from business and will reduce greenhouse gas pollution at the lowest possible cost to families and businesses. Again, please give details as to what businesses are supporting the Climate Change Action Plan? Leo Ryan, Barrie, Ont. I recently invested in a gas stove in order to escape from the atrocious cost of hydro inflicted upon us by the premier of Ontario. Little did I know that the cost of natural gas was to increase, thus negating my decision to make this purchase. Welcome to Kathleen Wynnes cap and trade fiasco. Am I to believe that my contribution will force me to use less gas to keep warm? Or is this increased price simply a tax to enrich the coffers at Queens Park? I am unlikely to freeze myself, so it must simply be another tax grab. That is not what the people of Ontario need at this time and it is likely the main reason for the loss of manufacturing jobs, with more to come. This is not a good time to be a consumer in Ontario and it is unfortunate that we have to wait more than a year to get rid of these people who have not served us well. Al Truscott, Collingwood, Ont. A swing and a miss on climate for Patrick Brown, Paul Wells, Jan. 4 By persistently describing cap-and-trade as not very much added to a household, the Star has failed to remind readers that the largest and least-efficient industries are exempted, so cap-and-trade is a licence to continue polluting. Those industries that participate in buying and selling credits can keep the profits or off-load the costs of buying credits. But most importantly, cap-and-trade is taxing home heating oil, diesel and aviation fuel. Natural gas as energy or feedstock for hundreds of consumer products is taxed. Every raw material transported to a manufacturer is taxed, and taxed again when finished goods are delivered. Every one of the $8 billion will come from consumer discretionary spending at a cost to the economy. And then, given their pathetic history in spending, what will the Liberals do with the money? Curious that Wells accuses Brown of blowing and sucking at the same time. Maybe with what Wynnes sucking out of the economy, she can give us all an electric car we can drive when the wind blows. Mike McLean, Oakville Paul Wells is both right and wrong with respect to Patrick Browns position on carbon pricing. Wells is correct that Brown is trying to suck and blow on carbon taxes. While he opposes the Wynne governments cap and trade, he is silly enough to advocate for a revenue-neutral carbon tax for Ontario taxpayers. If Brown is planning to rebate most or all of the carbon tax to taxpayers, why bother imposing it? In addition, unless he is also planning to rebate the cost of carbon taxes to Ontario business, then we will see a mass shift of investment dollars away from Ontario to Trumps low-corporate-tax, no-carbon-tax business environment south of the border. Wells is also right in saying that Brown has lost a large section of the Tory base by supporting a carbon tax, but wrong in thinking that a large portion of those voters will return to the PC fold. As a longtime supporter of the provincial Tories, I have cancelled my party membership and will now vote, and work for, the Ontario Libertarian Party in the next provincial election. The Libertarian Party is the only Ontario political party that is calling for the repeal of any carbon-pricing scheme. If Brown continues to support a price on carbon, he may very well be kissing goodbye to any chance of forming government. Curt Shalapata, Oshawa Don Mustill in his Jan. 2 letter tells us that trying to go green is ideological and will cost us money. What he is really saying is this generation caused the problem but is unwilling to pay more now for a better future for our kids. I can guarantee you global warming will cost us trillions and our kids and grandkids will pay. People in poor countries will be paying with their lives. Windmills will get better, cap-and-trade has proven to help but the point of having gas cost more is to make you drive less or get a smaller car/house. Given that most of you live nowhere near where you work, drive a fuel-inefficient car, have built such big houses that technological advances in energy efficiency are offset by size, buy bottled water when it is free out of your tap, etc. No, Mr. Mustill, our own stupidity and selfishness has made your wallet smaller. Scotty Robinson, Toronto Read more about: SHARE: A federal judge has banned the sale of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' (REGN) cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent, handing a surprise and overwhelming victory to Amgen (AMGN) and its competing drug Repatha in a long-running patent lawsuit. Amgen had already won the trial in which Regeneron was shown to have infringed on two patents covering a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors. Regeneron markets Praluent with the French drug maker Sanofi (SNY) . Thursday night's ruling by the judge in the case centered on the penalty Regeneron would have to pay to Amgen. Most investors believed the judge would require Regeneron to pay a royalty on sales of Praluent back to Amgen but would otherwise allow the drug to remain on the market. The judge went further, ruling Regeneron "demonstrated irreparable harm" to Amgen and that money damages were inadequate compensation. Regeneron and Sanofi must stop selling Praluent in the U.S., although the ban has been delayed 30 days to allow the companies to appeal. Removing a drug from the U.S. market over patent infringement occurs very rarely. In fact, the last major case also involved Amgen, which sued Roche and won, resulting in Roche being forced to pull an anemia drug from the U.S. market. "We are pleased with today's decision that recognizes Amgen is entitled to an injunction against further infringement of our patent rights," said Amgen CEO Robert Bradway, in a statement. "Sanofi and Regeneron admitted that they had infringed our patents, and the jury upheld our patents as valid." Regeneron and Sanofi intend to appeal both the original patent infringement decision and the judge's injunction against Praluent. "We will immediately appeal today's ruling, along with the jury's earlier finding upholding the validity of Amgen's patents," said Karen Linehan, Sanofi's general counsel, in a statement. "It is our longstanding position that Amgen's patent claims are invalid and that the best interests of patients will be greatly disserved by an injunction preventing access to Praluent." Amgen shares rose 5% to $160.54 following the dissemination of the judge's ruling. Regeneron shares were halted at $380.92. Sanofi is trading down in Europe on Friday morning. Bruce Kamich, technical analyst for Real Money, our premium site for active investors, said that despite Friday's price weakness, this could be the right time to buy with a sell stop not miles away." Kamich added in his latest analysis of REGN's charts: "Usually I prefer to buy strength as opposed to buying weakness" but "for (REGN) I want to depart from my normal behavior" because "prices are not poised to start a new leg to the downside." For those not convinced, Kamich wrote in his analysis that the chart below indicates they can buy strength above $390, with a close below $345 as "a line in the sand." Sales of both Praluent and Repatha have been minimal to date -- $75 million and $83 million through the first nine months of 2016, respectively -- because insurance companies have largely refused to provide reimbursement. Amgen and Regeneron are conducting separate follow-on studies aimed at demonstrating the use of PSCK9 inhibitors to lower cholesterol levels also provide more substantive benefits to patients in the form of lower rates of heart attacks, strokes and death. Results from these cardiovascular outcomes studies are expected relatively soon, and if positive, could boost sales of the drugs into the billions of dollars, assuming broader insurance coverage. "Running numbers on the back of the envelope, we estimate that if Praluent was gone from the market the long term peak sales for Repatha (Amgen) could move from $2B to $3-4B WW, in theory," said RBC Capital Market biotech analyst Michael Yee, in a note issued after the ruling. A settlement that allows Praluent to remain on U.S. pharmacy shelves is still a possibility, says Baird analyst Brian Skorney. "Though the risk of a true permanent injunction is higher now that we have a ruling back from the judge, we believe that ultimately, Praluent will be allowed to remain on the market. While the decision supports Amgen's position, the ruling does appear to have some questionable conclusions that look risky on appeal," Skorney said. Adam Feuerstein writes regularly for TheStreet. In keeping with company editorial policy, he doesn't own or short individual stocks, although he owns stock in TheStreet. He also doesn't invest in hedge funds or other private investment partnerships. Feuerstein appreciates your feedback; click here to send him an email. Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) jumped Friday after the company and its subsidiary Akcea Therapeutics inked a collaboration pact with Novartis (NVS) to develop and commercialize two cardiovascular drugs in a deal worth up to $1.6 billion plus royalties. "We view Novartis as strong player in the cardiovascular arena and the deal terms announced today as favorable to Ionis/Akcea," wrote Cowen analyst Eric Schmidt in a note. Schmidt added that the collaboration "will enable Akcea/ Ionis to meaningfully accelerate their efforts into broader CV risk populations while retaining meaningful economics and reducing risk to large outcomes-oriented studies." Ionis shares were trading at $48, up 2%. Novartis shares were changing hands at $73.55, down 0.7%. "By partnering with Novartis, we can tap into their significant expertise and infrastructure to accelerate the development of both drugs and we can combine Novartis' global commercial reach with Akcea's lipid-focused specialty sales and patient support team," said Ionis founder, chairman and CEO Stanley Crooke on a conference call with analysts on Friday morning. The drugs being developed, AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx, have the potential to "significantly reduce cardiovascular risk in patients suffering from high levels of lipoproteins known as Lp(a) and ApoCIII," according to a news release from Novartis. Under the terms of the agreement, Ionis and Akcea are eligible to receive $225 million in near-term payments, including an immediate $75 million upfront option payment and a $100 million equity investment in Ionis, which translates to 1,631,435 shares at $61.30 apiece. Novartis has committed to make an additional equity investment of $50 million in the next 18 months in either Ionis at the same premium as the initial investment or in Akcea. Carlsbad, Calif.-based Ionis and Cambridge, Mass.-based Akcea plan to conduct a Phase 2 dose-ranging study for each drug. After the successful completion of each study and before the start of the Phase 3 study, Novartis can exercise its option to license and commercialize each drug. Upon option exercise, Novartis will pay Ionis and Akcea a $150 million license fee for each drug, start a Phase 3 study and will be responsible for development and commercialization activities. Akcea retains the right to co-commercialize any successful drug. In addition, Ionis and Akcea can receive up to $315 million and $265 million in development and regulatory milestone payments for AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx, respectively, plus commercialization milestone payments of up to $285 million and $265 million for each drug, respectively. Ionis and Akcea can receive tiered royalties in the mid-teens to low 20% range on net sales of each drug. Brookfield Asset Management is an alternative asset manager and REIT/Real Estate Investment Manager firm focuses on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and venture capital and private equity assets. It manages a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It typically makes investments in sizeable, premier assets across geographies and asset classes. It invests both its own capital as well as capital from other investors. Within private equity and venture capital, it focuses on acquisition, early ventures, control buyouts and financially distressed, buyouts and corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. It invests in both public debt and equity markets. It invests in private equity sectors with focus on Business Services include infrastructure, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, construction and real estate; Industrials include manufacturers of automotive batteries, graphite electrodes, returnable plastic packaging, and sanitation management and development; and Residential/ infrastructure services. It targets companies which likely possess underlying real assets, primarily in sectors such as industrial products, building materials, metals, mining, homebuilding, oil and gas, paper and packaging, manufacturing and forest product sectors. It invests globally with focus on North America including Brazil, the United States, Canada; Europe; and Australia; and Asia-Pacific. The firm considers equity investments in the range of $2 million to $500 million. It has a four-year investment period and a 10-year term with two one-year extensions. The firm prefers to take minority stake and majority stake. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. was founded in 1997 and based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across Northern America; South America; Europe; Middle East and Asia. Valley National Bancorp operates as the holding company for Valley National Bank that provides various commercial, retail, insurance, and wealth management financial services products. It operates through Commercial Lending, Consumer Lending, and Investment Management segments. The company offers non-interest bearing, savings, NOW, money market, and time deposit accounts; commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, residential mortgage, and automobile loans; loans secured by the cash surrender value of life insurance; home equity loans and lines of credit; and secured and unsecured other consumer loans. It also invests in various securities and interest-bearing deposits with other banks; and provides international banking services, such as standby and documentary letters of credit, and related products, as well as foreign exchange transactions, documentary collections, foreign wire transfers services, and transaction accounts for non-resident aliens. In addition, the company offers investment services for individuals and small to medium sized businesses; and trusts and custom -tailored investment strategies for various retirement plans. Further, it provides trust services, such as living and testamentary trusts, investment management, custodial and escrow services, and estate administration to individuals; tax credit advisory services; property and casualty, life, health, and title insurance agency services; and health care equipment lending and other commercial equipment leasing services, as well as owns real estate related investments. Additionally, the company offers online, mobile, and telephone banking services; and overdraft, drive-in and night deposit, automated teller machine, remote deposit capture, and safe deposit facility services. As of December 31,2021, it operated 232 branch offices in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Alabama. The company was incorporated in 1927 and is headquartered in New York, New York. - Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has treated opposition leader Raila Odinga to colourful surprise birthday bash - Raila turned 72 on Saturday, January 7 Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have treated their leader Raila Odinga to a surprise birthday party in Ghana. Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) treated their leader Raila Odinga to a birthday party in Ghana. READ ALSO: Kenyans show LOVE to Raila Odinga during his birthday The ODM leader was celebrating his 72nd birthday on Saturday, January 7. Earlier, Kenyans had sent Raila birthday messages on social media by using the hashtag #HappyBirthdayRaila. PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest news on TUKO.co.ke READ ALSO: Former MP DIES after watching debate on controversial electoral law The ODM leader was celebrating his 72nd birthday on Saturday, January 7. READ ALSO: Kilifi Governor Kingi attacks Uhuru like Joho The birthday bash for the former prime minister was held at the Tang Palace Hotel, in the capital Accra. According to Joho, the birthday bash was a surprise to the opposition leader. Raila was in Ghana for the inauguration Nana Kuffor Addo as the new President of Ghana. Among those who accompanied Raila to Ghana included his daughter and other high ranking ODM officials. Watch Raila Odinga dancing below. Have something to add to this article or suggestions? send to news@tuko.co.ke Source: Yen.com.gh Source: TUKO.co.ke No Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but one serviceman was 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 one serviceman was wounded as a result of military hostilities in Donbas in last day," Motuzianyk said. ol No Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but two 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 two servicemen were wounded as a result of military hostilities near the village of Novotoshkivske, Popasna district, Luhansk region in last day," Motuzianyk said. ish Exceptional Excellent Very Good (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post) Here are four delicious 2015 Beaujolais just a hint of pleasures to come as more wines from this terrific vintage reach our market. As a bonus for palates looking for a richer wine, we add one from Turkey, combining indigenous and international grape varieties to create something special. Dave McIntyre GREAT VALUE Chateau des Capitans Julienas 2015 Beaujolais, France, $20 Rich and savory, this wine brings to mind a cold winters night with a wood fire and a boeuf bourguignon on the stove. Chateau des Capitans is from the Les Vins Georges Duboeuf portfolio and is just reaching this market, so availability should improve. Alcohol by volume: 14 percent. Distributed by Quintessential in the District and Maryland: Available in the District at Calvert Woodley. GREAT VALUE Manoir du Carra Terre de Combiaty Brouilly 2015 Beaujolais, France, $18 This sprightly red offers black-cherry flavors and a hint of smoke, then reveals an enticing citrusy finish. Its delicious now but should improve further in bottle over the next few years. ABV: 13 percent. Distributed by Kysela: Available in the District at Magruders. Available in Maryland at Mills Fine Wine and Spirits in Annapolis. Available in Virginia at Little Washington Winery Tasting Room in Washington, Market Street Wineshop (Downtown) in Charlottesville; on the list at Restaurant Pomme in Gordonsville. Jean Paul Champagnon Cuvee Champagne Fleurie 2015 Beaujolais, France, $21 Perhaps the appellation name of Fleurie is suggestive, but wines from here do seem to smell of violets. This wine adds a nice level of complexity with a hint of mushrooms and herbs. ABV: 13 percent. Distributed by Elite: Available in the District at Ace Beverage; on the list at Cork Wine Bar. Available in Maryland at Grauls Market in Ruxton, Perfect Pour in Elkridge, Viniferous in Frederick, Wine Cellars of Annapolis; on the list at Les Folies Brasserie in Annapolis. Available in Virginia at Altura Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria, Grand Cru in Arlington, J. Emerson Fine Wines & Cheese in Richmond; on the list at Bastille in Alexandria, Bistro Bobette in Richmond. GREAT VALUE Diren Karmena 2014 Anatolia, Turkey, $15 Turkey, like many countries in Eastern Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus, is producing delicious wines by combining indigenous grape varieties grown for centuries with more familiar international varieties such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot. (Theres often a French or American winemaker consultant involved.) This charmer is based on okuzgozu and bogazkere, bolstered by syrah, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Cork & Fork, Good Food Markets, Wagshals Deli; on the list at Agora, Ankara, Capitol Hill Tandoor & Grill. Available in Maryland at Bay Wine & Spirits in North Beach, Cafe Liquor and Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown, Cork & Fork in Bethesda, Cranberry Liquors in Westminster, Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, Festival Wine & Spirits and Scott Brothers Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Franklin Liquors in Ijamsville, Hair o the Dog in Easton, Midway Discount Liquors in Joppa, Old Town Market in Kensington, Pinky & Pepes Grape Escape in Gaithersburg, Spin the Bottle Wine Co. and Viniferous in Frederick, Wine Harvest (Gaithersburg); on the list at Ayse Meze and a.k.a. Friscos in Frederick, Il Porto (Gaithersburg), Lebanese Taverna Cafe in Silver Spring. Available in Virginia at Locke Store in Millwood, Star Nut Gourmet in McLean; on the list at Greenhouse Bistro in Vienna, Lebanese Taverna and Social Oyster Bar in McLean. GREAT VALUE Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2015 Beaujolais, France, $13 I include this expressively fruity example here because it not only is a tasty introduction to Beaujolais but also should be easy to find. Many wine stores may have a basic Duboeuf and nothing else from the region. Thats a shame, but at least this wine can start your explorations. ABV: 13.5 percent. Distributed by Quintessential in the District and Maryland, Virginia Imports in Virginia: Widely available in the District, Maryland and Virginia. Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor. Staring at the vintage chart in the February issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine, my eyes began to blur. Red, purple, green, orange and blue squares merged into a vinous Rorschach test challenging me on which vintages to hold, drink or pour down the drain, with point scores showing the relative merits of each. The reputations of my palate and my cellar were at stake, if only in my own mind. Then I focused and saw advice. Vintage charts represent the collective wisdom of a magazines reviewers, who taste thousands of wines each year, including current releases and older vintages. They are intended to guide collectors on which wine regions to buy or avoid in a given vintage, which to stash away and forget, or which to dig out of the boxes and racks in our basements, closets and temperature-controlled wine storage lockers. [Four ways to enjoy a very good vintage of Beaujolais] Theres much to learn from even a casual read of a wine vintage chart. (Dave McIntyre) The squares to the left of the chart, showing the most recent vintages, were red, purple and green, indicating wines to cellar; to either open now or hold for a few more years; or to pretty much hurry up and drink. Those to the right were mostly orange can drink, may be past peak or blue in decline, may be undrinkable. Those squares signaled lost opportunities. Vintage charts may seem irrelevant, since todays consumers buy wine to drink it, not to collect it. We dont parse the differences between the 2014 and 2015 Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay or the Barefoot Cellars Merlot, because those wines are meant for everyday consumption and are produced to minimize vintage differences. They are consistent and reliable, like a good beer. And yet theres much to learn from even a casual read of a vintage chart. Ive been drinking German Rieslings too soon, for example. While I enjoy the fresh acidity of a young Riesling, Wine Enthusiasts chart suggests waiting several years. The ready, at peak maturity window for those wines begins at 2007 and goes back to 2001. Although younger vintages are rated very good to excellent, the chart suggests theyll be even better in a few years. Same with red and white wines from New Yorks Finger Lakes: The chart suggests we work through the 2011 through 2008 vintages this year. And Napa cabernets? Dont open anything younger than 2012, but 2010 back through 2005 are best, according to Wine Enthusiast. The chart also affirmed my enthusiasm for the 2015 vintage throughout Europe, consistently rated excellent or superb, with top classic ratings for Bordeauxs Medoc region and for port. Those wines will be pricey, though. Some Bordeaux futures from 2015 are still available through stores such as MacArthur Beverages in the District, and I received a New Years Day email from Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Spirits in Napa offering some last-chance deals. The real Bordeaux bargains however, will be in the lesser-known petits chateaux, affordable wines that excel in value in superb vintages such as 2015. Look for those on retail shelves in the coming months. My eyes also gravitated to one of my favorite French regions, Beaujolais. These wines, from the gamay grape, are fun, food-friendly and consistently underrated. When Georges Duboeuf, the so-called king of Beaujolais, visited Washington last spring, he told me 2015 had been the best vintage for the region since the 1940s. Wine Enthusiast agrees, rating the Beaujolais vintage at 96 points out of 100, or superb, and giving us permission to drink these wines now, even though they should improve for at least a few years. (We are advised to hold most other European reds and several whites.) Beaujolais cru wines, those named for various villages throughout the region, are just beginning to reach the market. The few Ive tasted have been outstanding, and Ill be on the alert for more throughout the year. One of my favorite Beaujolais importers, Falls Church-based Wine Traditions, has yet to bring in any 2015 Beaujolais cru, so there is much to anticipate. Phil Bernstein, a wine consultant at MacArthur Beverages, says his store has about 20 Beaujolais from 2015 on sale. I like the vintage, especially Fleurie and Brouilly, he says, referring to two of the cru appellations. It has attracted lots of folks who normally dont drink Beaujolais. However, Bernstein says the unusual ripeness of the 2015 vintage disappoints some of his regular Beaujolais customers. Its too un-Bojo-like, he quips. Oh, well. More for the rest of us. Dear Heloise: My dog was chewing on her skin and feet. She is on flea and heartworm preventive, so I was perplexed why she was so uncomfortable. I tried skin creams and balms, and these did not work. Then I made an appointment with the veterinarian. Oh my goodness! What a relief literally. After the doctor examined my dog and asked me some questions, she decided that the right choice for us was a prescription oral medication. Immediate relief. We are all so happy. We may do some testing to see if my dog has food allergies, but for now she is happy and healthy. Thank you for your column! Elizabeth Z. in San Antonio Elizabeth Z. in San Antonio: Testing is key. Readers, make sure your doctor has the resources to test for all kinds of allergies. Dear Readers: Tony L. in San Antonio sent a picture of his English bulldog/cocker spaniel mixes, Sir Loin and Lady, celebrating Ladys birthday by eating special birthday cookies. Could they also be saying, Happy Birthday, 2017? To see Sir Loin and Lady, visit Heloise.com and click on Pet of the Week. Do you have a furry and funny friend? Email a picture to Heloise@Heloise.com. Include name(s), breed, age and an amusing anecdote. Dear Heloise: Just a friendly reminder to consider donating used bath towels to your local Humane Society or private animal shelter. Did you know you also can donate unexpired pet medications (flea meds, shampoos, etc.)? You can donate unopened packages of gauze pads/bandaging as well. Your donations are greatly appreciated to help pets in need with items that the Humane Society might not be able to afford to purchase. Call them first; most have a list of items they accept. Mary A., Vancouver, Wash. Mary A.: Also check to see if the shelter lists its needs on its website. Dear Heloise: I retired last month, and my staff gave a donation to Southeastern Guide Dogs in my name! I was thrilled to help this charity. I want to suggest this as an idea for any party. Its a wonderful feeling to give back try it, everybody! B.G. in The Villages, Fla. Dear Heloise: I love animals, but affording an animal can be hard. Food, housing, medical care, a license, day care the costs can add up quickly. I talked to a vet office in my neighborhood. They told me of some typically low-cost animals: a parakeet or a goldfish. The bird singing softly is soothing, and watching the fish is calming, too. The vet office also mentioned that the food bank may have dog food for people who need assistance feeding their dogs. A Reader in Oregon Dear Heloise: When it was cold and dry outside, my longhair tomcat, Toby, used to look like a porcupine! I figured that if fabric softeners worked on my clothes, maybe they would work on him. I took a used fabric-softener sheet and rubbed his fur with it. He was himself again! And he smelled great! Velma, via email Heloises column appears six days a week at washingtonpost.com/advice. Send a hint to Heloise , P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Tex. 78279-5000, or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. VIRGINIA Star power in race for lieutenant governor A former chief of staff to Vice President Biden filed paperwork Friday to run for lieutenant governor in Virginia, adding a third Democrat to the race. Susan Platt was Bidens chief of staff in the Senate for two years in the mid-1990s, according to her LinkedIn profile, and owns a political consulting firm. Other Democrats seeking to replace Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam are former U.S. attorneys Gene Rossi and Justin Fairfax. The Republicans are Del. Glenn R. Davis Jr. (Virginia Beach) and state Sens. Bryce E. Reeves (Spotsylvania) and Jill Holtzman Vogel (Fauquier.) Antonio Olivo Dudenhefer wont seek another term Del. L. Mark Dudenhefer said Friday that he will not seek reelection, opening up a Republican seat in a hotly contested part of Prince William County that Democrats will probably push hard to capture. In a statement on his website, Dudenhefer (R-Stafford) gave no reason for not running again for the seat he narrowly recaptured in 2015 with little more than 50 percent of the vote. Antonio Olivo Applicants are sought for police review panel The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants for a nine-member civilian panel that will review cases of alleged police abuse. Members will be appointed to three-year terms, with one person serving as chairman. The county is seeking racial and ethnic diversity on the panel and will try to appoint members from each of the countys nine magisterial districts. Appointments will be made on the basis of previous civic involvement, expertise in law enforcement and applicants reputations in their communities. For information, email ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty .gov . Antonio Olivo Woman killed during domestic shooting A woman was killed and a man wounded in a domestic-related shooting Friday in Fairfax City, police said. The gunfire was reported in a house in the 9200 block of Okla Drive, said Fairfax County police spokeswoman Julie Parker. The names of the two were not immediately given, and police said they were trying to determine the nature of their relationship. Justin Jouvenal The District Armed robbery near bridge in Georgetown A gunpoint robbery was reported Friday night under the Whitehurst Freeway, near the Key Bridge. D.C. police said three people took part in the holdup in the 3400 block of Water Street NW. Martin Weil Several hundred people some carrying signs and shouting slogans gather outside the Trump International Hotel in the District to protest President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 12. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post) On the floor of an Army post two miles south of the Capitol on Friday, soldiers moved index cards representing groups of roving protesters around a giant map of Washington. Then they plotted where to post police and National Guard soldiers to ensure the presidential inauguration is not disrupted. Planning for protesters is taking up more bandwidth ahead of the quadrennial festivities in the District than at any time in over a decade, since thousands sought to overshadow the second inauguration of President George W. Bush in 2005, officials say. The number of those who might converge in the District this month to protest the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is unclear. But dozens of groups have applied for permits, and more than 100,000 have registered online that they plan to participate in a march the day after the Jan. 20 inauguration. In light of those early indications, authorities on Friday dedicated a large share of a rare, joint news conference with D.C. police and the Secret Service to stress that they will respect the rights of those demonstrating. In return, the authorities said, they expect the gatherings will remain peaceful. D.C. Homeland Security Director Chris Geldart brought up the issue before any reporter did so: High school students from throughout the city march past the U.S. Capitol to protest President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 15. (Bill OLeary/The Washington Post) To anticipate questions about potential protester demonstrations, Geldart said, our goal is always to make sure that people can come, express their rights peacefully and lawfully, regardless of subject matter, and ensure everybody returns home safely at the end of the day. Brian Ebert, special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office for the Secret Service, added in response to reporters questions that authorities would not seek to corral protesters into designated areas. The Secret Service respects the rights of the public to demonstrate and voice their views, Ebert said. We expect that a lot of folks are going to come down to Washington, D.C., over the course of the inauguration and exercise their First Amendment rights. [It started with one retiree, now it could be the biggest Trump protest] Acting D.C. police chief Peter Newsham noted that the city has peacefully managed several protests since the election, including one that drew thousands opposed to Trump. Asked about self-proclaimed anarchist groups that have indicated online that they may seek to disrupt the inauguration, Newsham said the city would be ready. The fact that you have some folks who are indicating on social media that they are coming to shut down the inauguration or the events is something that we will be prepared for, Newsham said. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post) D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said that, similarly to previous inaugurations, the city will host approximately 5,000 National Guard troops who will be activated and deployed by the District as well as by governors of several states to help with crowd control. The city also will host about 3,000 police officers from surrounding states and federal-law-enforcement agencies nearly doubling the number of police on duty in the city. Surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia may also be dispatched inside the District to respond to non-inaugural-related 911 emergency calls on Jan. 20. Beyond security preparations, regional transportation officials on Friday also released a plan similar to recent inaugurals. It will severely restrict movements across a wide swath of downtown D.C. from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21. Parking will be banned on public streets across a large area of Capitol Hill and for many blocks extending in every direction from the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue. On Inauguration Day, five downtown Metro stops will also be closed: Archives, Mount Vernon Square, Federal Triangle, Smithsonian and Pentagon. Generally, officials recommended leaving automobiles far from downtown and taking public transportation to within walking distance of the Mall or parade route. Asked about recent attacks in Europe, in which terrorists have driven trucks into crowds, Geldart said the District would use many types of blockades to create a buffer zone. Ebert, of the Secret Service, said the inauguration is the 56th time the agency has designated a gathering as a national security event. About half of those have taken place without incident in the District. Ebert predicted a successful one again: Weve developed a comprehensive, integrated and seamless security plan to ensure a safe environment for our protectees as well as all the general public attending, he said. Students in Missouri who bully others at school could face criminal charges under a new state law that considers the infliction of emotional distress a felony. Educators worry that the new definition of harassment as a crime part of a broader overhaul of Missouris criminal code could draw police and the courts into situations that are commonly considered school disciplinary matters. That, in turn, could lead to more students facing serious legal repercussions, and even jail time, for school misconduct. This crime was not written with children in mind, said Susan Goldammer, a lawyer with the Missouri School Boards Association. The mandatory reporting laws have forced school districts to apply this to children, which is going to be really hard. The nations public schools have worked for years to reduce police involvement in student misbehavior because many educators believe that children who face legal jeopardy for classroom incidents are less likely to learn from their mistakes and are far more likely to be incarcerated later on in life what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. The Obama administration has focused on reducing the criminalization of school-based incidents and has urged schools to cut back on suspensions and expulsions in an effort to keep students on a path toward graduation. In Missouri, schools are required to report certain crimes to police. That doesnt mean all children who violate the law will be charged as adults, but it can trigger a response from the juvenile justice system. [This 11-year-old survived cancer. Bullying drove her to suicide, her family says.] A change in state law, which went into effect this week, elevates harassment from a misdemeanor offense to a felony. Harassment previously was defined in six specific ways, including making threats or repeated unwanted communication. Under the new law, harassment is broadly defined as any act that causes emotional distress. While schools take bullying and other misbehavior seriously, Goldammer said it is worrisome that educators now must call police when a child is in emotional distress. Thats part of school, Goldammer said. Part of growing up is knowing how to deal with stressful situations. Under the new law, if a student inflicts an injury on another student, that now can be considered felony assault. That change has received the most attention in Missouri because two school districts sent out warning messages to parents about it. Amy Fite, president of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, said the new laws actually make it less likely that school altercations will be considered felonies because the changes eliminated a provision that made any assault on school property a felony. The prosecutors association pushed for the criminal code revisions, and the changes to the harassment language were not aimed at addressing school bullying, Fite said. While prosecutors could use the law against school bullies, she said it would be rare. We are most likely to see this in settings of domestic violence, Fite said. [During a school year of terrorist attacks, Muslim students report bullying] Tina Meiers 13-year-old daughter Megan committed suicide in 2006 after she endured cyberbullying from adults, and Meier has since become a staunch anti-bullying advocate in Missouri. Meier said it is appropriate to characterize harassment as repeatedly trying to cause someone emotional harm, but she believes schools should be trying to address why students bully others through social and emotional supports, not through the legal system. If thats the case, then yes we want to make sure there are consequences, Meier said. But a felony? I dont think a felony is the answer. The state revisions also changed the definition of assault, which led to at least two school districts warning parents that school fights can also lead to felony charges. Missouris Hazelwood School District which serves north St. Louis County, including portions of Ferguson, Mo. sent a notice to parents warning that the new law could have a dramatic impact. School officials gave an example of a school fight that leads to an injury: The student who caused the injury may be charged with a felony, the letter read, noting that it can apply no matter the age or grade level. In a YouTube video, Ferguson-Florissant Schools Superintendent Joseph Davis warned students that fighting in schools can now cause students to have criminal records. Let me be clear, the consequences of poor choices and bad decisions, a simple fight, may follow you for the rest of your life, Davis said. The school system later published a clarification on its website saying the intent of our video message was to keep students and parents informed. We are working with law enforcement and attorneys to be certain that we all understand the changes to the law. Neither district mentioned harassment or bullying in their warnings. Hazelwood officials did not return requests for comment. In a written statement to The Washington Post, Ferguson-Florissant School District officials said there is still a lack of consensus and clarity regarding the new laws and the implications for students and schools. In a statement, the ACLU of Missouri said school fights were already considered felony offenses, but it was rare for juveniles to be charged as adults. But the ACLU criticized the state lawmakers for attempting to address student behavior problems by outsourcing discipline management strategies to law enforcement. A death has occurred in one of Washingtons most prominent families, although its members are unlikely to be aware of it. The grandfather of the National Zoos cherished giant panda cubs Bao Bao and Bei Bei has died in China. The death of Pan Pan, the panda patriarch, in Sichuan province, was reported Dec. 28 by Xinhua, Chinas official news agency. Pan Pan, 31, reportedly had cancer. A natural breeder, Pan Pan was the father of Tian Tian, the zoos adult male giant panda, a National Zoo spokeswoman said. Tian Tian fathered the three surviving cubs born at the zoo. These include Tai Shan, who has been returned to China. The three were produced by artificial insemination and are regarded as among more than 130 descendants of Pan Pan. The zoo said it had no details on Pan Pans death and does not comment on animals in the care of other institutions. A man was found dead inside a car partially submerged in a pond in Bowie Saturday morning by the Prince Georges County Fire and Emergency Medical Servcies Department. Firefighters found a 2003 Honda Accord overturned in a water retention pond near the off-ramp of eastbound Route 50 by Route 197 in Bowie about 8 a.m., said spokesman Mark Brady, with the passenger area partially underwater. Ibrahim Sow, 29, of Bowie, the driver of the car, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Medical Examiners Office, according to the Maryland State Police, College Park Barrack. The incident apparently happened overnight, Brady said, because water had begun to freeze around the car. The cause of the accident is still under investigation by police, but preliminary findings by a crash team suggested that driver impairment may have contributed. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. The State Highway Administration closed the ramp almost entirely during the investigation Saturday morning, but the right shoulder was available for traffic passing by. A District man who authorities say targeted residents of the Dupont Circle neighborhood was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison for repeatedly stealing packages from residents doorsteps since the 1980s. Residents of the Northwest Washington neighborhood had expressed frustration with 60-year-old Wayne Bridgeforth after he had been arrested several times for stealing items from residents. Prosecutors said Bridgeforth, who is homeless, has had numerous mail-theft arrests since 1984, with nine previous convictions. Court records note arrests dating back to 1978. In August, Bridgeforth was accused of stealing a package from a resident. Following his arrest, a judge released Bridgeforth from jail but ordered him to stay out of the Dupont Circle area. A month later, he was arrested again in the neighborhood and was charged with violating the judges order. In October, Bridgeforth pleaded guilty to second-degree theft in the case, which prosecutors upgraded to a felony because the defendant had two or more prior theft convictions. Mike Silverstein, who has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years, told D.C. Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz that Bridgeforth was not only stealing packages of clothes and toys that were delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx, but also pocketing medication delivered to the sick or elderly. When these things occur, they shatter our lives. He wasnt just taking a sweater, Silverstein said. Silverstein blamed the Districts judicial system for Bridgeforths repeated arrests. The system itself is broke, he said. Standing next to his attorney and wearing an orange D.C. jail jumpsuit, Bridgeforth apologized to the residents of the neighborhood. He blamed his actions on his 20-to-30-year cocaine habit. I have a drug addiction, and my drug addiction created this monster, he said. Bridgeforth said that he focuses on the neighborhood because it is where he grew up. He said his parents at one time owned a house there. Now homeless, he said he often stays at a church or McDonalds in the neighborhood. Bridgeforth also blamed other homeless individuals who congregate in the Dupont Circle park for many of the stolen items. Kravitz called Bridgeforths case unusual and difficult, saying that for similar crimes most people are charged with misdemeanors that would not warrant a prison sentence and are often placed on probation. But Bridgeforth, he said, had been before the courts many, many times before. Kravitz sentenced Bridgeforth to the mandatory minimum one-year sentence for theft, plus six months for violating the stay-away order. In addition to the prison sentence, Kravitz also ordered treatment for drug abuse and mental-health issues, and placed Bridgeforth on three years of supervisory release. Bridgeforth also faces additional prison time as a result of violating the terms of his parole in his prior cases. Most egregious, Kravitz said, was that Bridgeforth focused his crime on one particular neighborhood. Residents have a right not to be preyed upon, the judge said. It is an intrusion of the peace of life of living in this city of which no one should have to suffer. Two men were arrested Friday in connection with separate killings in Southeast Washington, D.C. police said. The men were identified as Malik Hough, 21, of Southeast, and Thomas Joyner, 28, of Greenbelt, Md. [Man fatally shot in Southeast is Districts fifth homicide victim in four days] Hough charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 27 shooting death of Herbert Dowtin, of Southeast. On Dec. 27 about 1:18 p.m., police discovered Dowtin in the 800 block of Xenia Street SE. Authorities said the 22-year-old was shot multiple times. Dowtin was taken to a hospital, where he later died. [Two men slain in two days in shooting and stabbing in the District] Joyner was charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the Sept. 6 fatal shooting of 35-year-old Joe Cook. Cook, of Southeast, was discovered by officers about 1:54 p.m. in the 2500 block of Elvans Road SE. Police said Cook was also suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The 35-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he died. Authorities did not release any additional information on the arrests. Officials at a Washington-area medical clinic say Metro officials have blocked them from running ads in Metrorail stations because they run afoul of the transit agencys ban on political advocacy. Melissa Grant, vice president of health-care services for Carafem Health Center, said the banners, which advertise the availability of prescription abortion, are not political. All we are doing is trying to get the word out to potential clients, Grant said. She said Metro stations are an attractive setting because they offer an excellent way to reach a large number of people in one place particularly young, working women who might use the centers services. The bright pink ads feature a picture of a white pill with text below that reads, FOR ABORTION UP TO 10 WEEKS. But Metro officials disagree with Grant. In an email response last month to Carafem officials, Donna M. Murray, manager of advertising and market development for Metro, wrote that because your ad addresses the controversial topic of abortion and promotes a particular abortion product, it is issue-oriented. Murray also said that Metros advertising guidelines, which were updated in 2015, also state, Medical and health-related messages will be accepted only from government health organizations, or if the substance of the message is currently accepted by the American Medical Association and/or the Food and Drug Administration. This is not the first time that Carafem, a Chevy Chase-based medical clinic, has run into a problem with Metro. In 2015, the health center sought to run a series of ads about abortion and birth-control services it offered. Metro officials initially turned down the ads, citing a policy that bans issue-oriented advertising in the system. But after inquiries by The Washington Post, Metro officials reversed the decision, saying the rejection was a misunderstanding. In the most recent exchange, however, Murray wrote that the 2015 reversal was in error. [Metro says it will run ads from abortion-provider, Carafem] Grant said that last month when the health center reached out to Metro about putting up a series of banner ads in select Metro stations, the request was denied. She said Metro officials cited restrictions on health-related and political messages in rejecting the ads. Clinic officials appealed the decision, noting that Carafem is not a political advocacy group but a health-care provider. The appeal was denied Dec. 20. Carafem had planned to spend $23,520 on the subway ads. Grant said the company will find other ways to advertise its services. The ads will appear starting sometime next week on D.C. bus shelters, which are not owned by Metro but rather are owned and maintained by the D.C. Department of Transportation, which has different advertising guidelines. Grant, however, said other venues cannot match the volume of people moving through the regions Metro stations. She said her company has not ruled out legal action against the agency. Advertising, while lucrative, has been a tricky proposition for Metro and other transit agencies across the country. Metro has been sued at least twice by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a group known for its provocative anti-Muslim ads. Transit systems in New York and Philadelphia also have moved to ban advocacy ads. In May 2015, Metro received a request from AFDI to run the winning entry from a Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in five subway stations and on 20 Metrobuses. Rather than prohibit those ads specifically a move that federal courts have forbidden Metros board of directors opted to ban all new advocacy ads for the remainder of that year. At that meeting, Lynn Bowersox, Metros marketing manager, said the revenue from issueoriented ads accounted for about 20 percent, or roughly $2.5 million, of the agencys overall annual income from advertising. Later that year in a surprise move, the board voted to make the ban permanent. But at the same meeting, the cash-strapped transit agency also voted to reverse a 20-year ban on alcohol advertising at the end of 2015, saying that lifting the ban could potentially generate $5 million over several years. The General Assembly convenes Wednesday for the final session of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffes term, and the world looks a bit different from what the Democrat expected just a few weeks ago. With Hillary Clinton roaming the woods of Upstate New York and Donald Trump headed to the White House, theres no more speculation about McAuliffes potential role in a presidential administration. What remains is the routine work of negotiating with a Republican-controlled legislature and to put the last touches on his legacy. At the same time, McAuliffe will have at least one eye on the race this year to succeed him (Virginia governors are prohibited from serving back-to-back terms). Even that is different: Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam was supposed to have a smooth path to the Democratic nomination so the party could focus on the general election, but this past week former congressman Tom Perriello launched a defiant bid to lead the partys ticket. So McAuliffes agenda for the session is somewhat restrained. Its a little surprising, for an ebullient governor who came into office with a reputation for being more of a party man in every sense of the word than a sober technocrat. But McAuliffe says his priorities reflect his joy in governing and desire to get things done. As governor, literally, you can change peoples lives, he said in a recent interview. He was reflective, eager to run through what he saw as accomplishments from previous years transportation projects, building a leadership team, the controversial executive action to restore felon voting rights. But above all, his drive to woo business and jobs to Virginia. Along with workforce training, he said, Ive got everybody in this building focused on that. Late this past week, McAuliffe huddled with his staff for a day-long retreat in Charlottesville, where they mapped out their plans for the coming 46-day session. Finishing strong, that was the overall sentiment, spokesman Brian Coy said. McAuliffe has set out an agenda that builds on long-standing efforts in economic development, workforce development, education and public safety, while plowing new ground on criminal justice and mental health. The governor says he is optimistic about working with Republicans on those matters, without backing down on the social issues that sharply divide them. Just in the past week, a Republican state delegate proposed a bill to restrict bathroom use by transgender people. Two days later, McAuliffe issued an executive order prohibiting state contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or identity. McAuliffe plans to support legislation to repeal the states requirement that women undergo an abdominal ultrasound before having an abortion. He also favors legislation to remove a ban on same-sex marriage made defunct by a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling from the state Constitution. Hes going to continue to make the case that we cant allow Virginia to become defined by the same types of divisive social-issue battles that are raging in places like North Carolina, Coy said. Those policies are job killers. Hes committed to protecting the civil rights of gay Virginians and women because its the right thing to do. But he also believes those polices would put us in a position where businesses dont want to come here. Republicans see a more pragmatic McAuliffe coming into the session. Despite the fact that he helped deliver Virginia for Clinton the only Southern state she won Republicans see him as weakened by her national defeat and chastened by his own losing battles with the legislature. While Republicans have worked cooperatively with McAuliffe on some fronts, most notably the budget, they have thwarted the governor on a high-profile state Supreme Court nomination and his marquee campaign promise: expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. I think that he did not spend his early years looking for common ground, said Sen. Richard H. Black (R-Loudoun). He engaged in clashes with the General Assembly. And I think at this point, of course, the national election has taken the air out of the balloon for liberal Democrats. . . . Hillary Clinton was the big ticket, and he was someone who was viewed as the ultimate insider with Hillary. Senate Majority Whip William M. Stanley Jr. (R-Franklin) said he thinks that could make for a more productive session. Governor McAuliffes had three years of fighting the General Assembly rather than working with the General Assembly, Stanley said. Let us hope that he learned from his last three years of defeat enough to create one year of victory. Here are several issues that McAuliffe is pushing as big themes of the coming session: Criminal justice reform McAuliffe has proposed a package of bills that he says would make the justice system more fair. One would make any felon eligible to petition the court based on new DNA evidence; under current law, those who have pleaded guilty may not do so. Another would boost the felony larceny threshold for the first time in 37 years, up to $500 from a lowest-in-the-nation $200. Two others would end the practice of suspending drivers licenses because of a drivers inability to pay outstanding court fees a practice that is the subject of a pending class-action lawsuit. [McAuliffe proposes criminal justice reforms] The budget Virginia must plug a $1.5 billion hole in the second year of its biennial budget. The pain will probably get spread around. Republicans want to address long-delayed raises for state employees and teachers, but McAuliffe has instead proposed a one-time, 1.5 percent bonus. He otherwise has pledged to keep K-12 funding whole. GOP budget leaders have worked cooperatively with the administration over the years on the budget, so no big drama is expected here. Mental illness and addiction The governor is asking for $31.7 million to improve and standardize treatment for mental illness and substance abuse. That includes money for state mental-health hospitals to pay for beds in private facilities to alleviate crowding. He also includes funds to purchase naloxone, a drug that can block the effects of heroin and other opioids. [McAuliffe calls for big investment in mental health care and addiction treatment] Economic development McAuliffes main focus has been expanding and diversifying Virginias defense-heavy economy an area where he can make his mark largely without having to tangle with the legislature. But he does not have an entirely free hand. He has a bill to reform the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the states economic development arm. The VEDP was recently the subject of a scathing report by state auditors, who found a lack of accountability going back many administrations. [McAuliffe wants to overhaul Virginias economic development agency] Medicaid expansion McAuliffe has built expansion of the federal-state health-care program into every spending plan he has put forth until now, only to have the GOP strip it out. Now, as President-elect Trump and congressional Republicans aim to do away with the Affordable Care Act itself, McAuliffe makes only the smallest nod to expansion: a proposal intended to give the governor power to expand the program unilaterally if it still exists a year from now. Republicans say thats dead on arrival. ILLINOIS Suspects in Chicago beating denied bond Four black people accused of beating a mentally disabled white man and broadcasting the attack live on Facebook appeared Friday in court, where a judge asked them, Where was your sense of decency? Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the victims mother and that the beating started in a van and continued at a house. The suspects are accused of forcing the victim to drink toilet water and kiss the floor, stuffing a sock into his mouth, taping his mouth shut and binding his hands with a belt. Authorities say they also threatened him with a knife and taunted him with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. The 18-year-old victim, who is from a Chicago suburb, suffers from schizophrenia and attention-deficit disorder, authorities said. These booking photos provided by the Chicago Police Department show, from left, Tesfaye Cooper, Brittany Covington, Tanishia Covington and Jordan Hill, four people charged, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, with aggravated kidnapping and taking part in a hate crime after allegedly beating and taunting a man in a video broadcast live on Facebook. (AP) The suspects are all charged with two hate crimes one because the victim was disabled and one because of race. They are also accused of kidnapping and battery, along with other offenses. Three of the suspects, all 18 years old, were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. A fourth suspect was identified as Covingtons 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. Cook County Associate Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil denied bond for all four. Associated Press NEW YORK Indian Point nuclear power plant to close The aging Indian Point nuclear power plant just north of New York City will close within four years under a deal with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), who has long argued that it should be shut down to protect the millions of people living nearby. Under the arrangement, plant owner Entergy will shut down both reactors at the Westchester County facility by April 2021. On Friday, a person familiar with the agreement but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the agreement on the condition of anonymity. It remains to be seen how the state will make up for the loss of electrical generation after the closure of the plant, which supplies a quarter of the power used in New York City and Westchester County. The reactor units began commercial operation in 1974 and 1976. More than 17 million people live within 50 miles of the plant, which sits beside the lower Hudson River about 30 miles north of New York City. New Orleans-based Entergy declined to comment on the deal, which was first reported by the New York Times. Associated Press 1 of 38 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The scene at the Fort Lauderdale airport after a gunman opened fire View Photos Five people were killed in a shooting at the Florida airport, and several more were injured. Caption Five people were killed in a shooting at the Florida airport, and several more were injured. Jan. 7, 2017 A hazmat crew cleans up the baggage-claim area of Terminal 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A gunman opened fire at the facility the previous day, killing several before he was taken into custody, officials said. Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP Wait 1 second to continue. An Iraq War veteran who had complained that the government was forcing him to watch Islamic State videos pulled a gun from his checked bag and opened fire Friday afternoon at Fort Lauderdales international airport, killing five people and injuring eight, authorities said. The bloody rampage at a quiet baggage-claim area sent people scrambling through the terminals and across the airfield at one of the countrys busiest airports, shutting down all flights for hours while paramedics and federal and local law enforcement officers flooded the scene. The alleged gunman, identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of Anchorage, was apprehended unharmed. Santiago was in federal custody Friday night following a lengthy interview by Broward County sheriffs deputies and FBI agents. He will face federal charges, officials said. Police did not immediately identify a motive for the attack at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which occurred just before 1 p.m. and also left dozens of people injured in the chaos that followed the shooting, but said they had not eliminated the possibility that it was terrorism. We are looking at all avenues, George L. Piro, the FBI special agent in charge of the bureaus Miami division, said at a briefing Friday night. We have not ruled out terrorism, and we will be pursuing every angle to try to determine the motive behind this attack. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said earlier on Friday: This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism. Piro described a bizarre encounter the bureau had with Santiago just months before the shooting. Santiago voluntarily walked inside an FBI office in last November, Piro said. Santiago clearly indicated at the time that he was not intent on hurting anyone, Piro said, but what another federal official called incoherent and erratic statements led agents to ask local police to take him for a mental health evaluation. Federal law enforcement officials said that Santiago had told the FBI that the CIA was forcing him to watch Islamic State propaganda videos to control his mind. After interviewing Santiagos relatives and conducting other reviews and checking with other agencies, the bureau closed its assessment of him. Late Friday night in Anchorage, law enforcement officials descended on a small house where Santiagos name was on the mailbox, along with the names of two others. A neighbor interviewed there said that Santiago had lived there with a woman and two small children. Santiago, a U.S. citizen with ties to New Jersey and Puerto Rico, had picked up his bag from the carousel and gone to the bathroom to load his gun before returning to the baggage-claim area and firing at people, said federal officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Travelers are allowed to bring firearms with them to flights as long as the guns are unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container and in checked baggage, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Ammunition can be brought onto flights but also must be placed in checked baggage. The firearm was the only bag that Santiago checked when he traveled alone from Anchorage, en route to Minneapolis and then Florida, said Jesse Davis, chief of police at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, where passengers routinely check their weapons. Were a big hunting state, so we get quite a lot of that, said Davis. Everything appeared normal, said Davis. Santiago checked in for his Delta flight more than four hours early, which was unusual, said Davis, but didnt call attention to himself at all. (Thomas Johnson,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) A federal law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said that the suspect did not appear to say anything during his first interactions with police that suggested a political or terrorism-related motive. According to some witness accounts, he reloaded at least once and fired on horrified passengers, then lay down on the floor in a spread-eagle position and waited for authorities to arrest him. Officials said the suspect had acted alone. Another flurry of nervous activity erupted at the airport later Friday afternoon when there were reports of additional gunfire, but Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said there was no evidence of a second shooting. The shooting took place in the baggage-claim area at the airports Terminal 2, home to departures and arrivals for Delta and Air Canada, according to the airport. Footage from the scene inside the building captured the brutal aftermath of the shooting in the baggage area, on the airports lower level. Jay Cohen was dropped off at the airport for a flight and arrived after the gunfire had stopped, finding an unusual scene at the usually bustling facility. The airport was like a ghost town, Cohen, 51, a consultant, said in a telephone interview. I didnt see anyone around. It wasnt until he walked all the way up to the Delta counter without encountering a line or a single soul that he noticed about 20 people huddled together behind a nearby concrete wall. He said he peeked over the counter and saw the Delta employees on the ground trying to cover their heads with their hands. Hurry up. Get behind here, someone whispered to him, he said. Active shooter. Active shooter. As he looked around the terminal he previously thought was abandoned, he now could see people hiding under benches, squished up against windows, he said. Then Cohen saw police running full speed through the terminal, some with guns drawn, others with their hands on their holsters, while police cars began screaming up to the curb. It went from eerie quiet from when I walked in to pure mayhem in just minutes, he said. It was chaos. Many of those at the airport expressed frustration with the lack of information Friday. Hundreds were stranded on the tarmac and not allowed off the premises for hours as authorities sought to clear the airport, looking for other danger. Sophia Macris, 35, on her way to vacation in Florida, was on her just-arrived plane from New York when the shooting occurred. They held our plane on the tarmac, she said in an interview, still standing on the tarmac outside the terminal. First, they told us there was fire alarm in Terminal 2. Then they said emergency situation. After the shooting, dozens of cars pulled over onto the shoulder of nearby Interstate 595. As hundreds of people waited alongside the highway, family members and friends repeatedly tried to call loved ones who were scheduled to be on arriving flights. Saintnatus Adition paced along the highway as police cars raced past with sirens blaring. His 71-year-old father had just landed from Haiti when the chaos began. He called and said it got very busy all of the sudden, Adition said. He had been frantically calling him to find out whether he was okay but had not reached him as of Friday afternoon. Of course I am very scared, Adition said. Adition finally heard from his father shortly after 6 p.m. I was so happy, he said. He told me hes okay. His father, along with thousands of other passengers, was still waiting in a terminal around 7:30 p.m. As evening approached, family members and stranded airport employees lining the roads grew anxious. Police kept up a heavy presence, and an access road used mostly by airport employees was also closed and jammed with personnel - maintenance workers, taxi drivers, luggage handlers and others whose livelihoods depend on the busy airport. Most had long finished their shifts and were waiting to go home. Lee Kospender, 53, a luggage handler, had been waiting in his truck for four hours. We were working a flight and then saw people being evacuated. Now weve been out here in our cars for hours. Pointing towards a group of officers blocking the road, he said, Ive talked to them five times. We cant leave. All flights were suspended following the shooting, and the airport was closed, officials said. Officials at other major airports across the country, including in Los Angeles and Chicago, said they were beefing up security in response to the shooting in Florida. President Obama was briefed on the situation and spoke by phone with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief to extend his condolences on the tragic loss of life, said Ned Price, spokesman for the National Security Council. This is a senseless act of evil, said Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), who traveled to the airport to make his latest public remarks in the aftermath of a shooting rampage in his state. Julia OMalley in Anchorage, Tal Abbady and Michael S. Rosenwald in Fort Lauderdale, and Abigail Hauslohner, Julie Tate, Jennifer Jenkins, Ashley Halsey and Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report. The potato blight that resulted in the death of about a million people in Ireland in the 1840s originated in South America, a new genetic analysis finds. Until now, the origin of the fungus-like blight that devastated potato crops in Ireland and throughout Europe had not been pinned down. Now researchers at North Carolina State University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology Museum say the blight was caused by a pathogen with a particular genetic lineage, dubbed FAM-1. The researchers conducted a new analysis of 183 samples of this pathogen, the oldest dating back as far as 1941. They found that the genetic strain that caused the European blight probably made its way from South America to the United States and then to Europe via potato shipments and the seed trade, they reported Dec. 28 in the journal PLOS One. [27 Devastating Infectious Diseases] In addition to killing hundreds of thousands of people, Irelands Great Famine of 1846 to 1851 triggered an exodus of emigrants from the island to North America. The potato blight that caused all this had been detected on U.S. shores in 1843, two years before it showed up in Europe, wrote study leader Jean Ristaino, a plant pathologist at N.C. State. (Ireland was hit particularly hard by the widespread blight because the potato was a staple in that country and because of preexisting poverty exacerbated by British policy, scientists noted.) The origin of the blight had been a source of scientific and historical debate, however. Some studies suggested that the strain of the blight-causing pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, arose in Mexico. Others pointed to the Andes. Ristaino and her colleagues cast a wider net than any previous research, sequencing genomes from both modern P. infestans samples and historical samples from Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe and the United States. The U.S. samples spanned the period between 1855 and 1958 and included the oldest known sample of the pathogen from North America. Likewise, the European samples dated from between 1846 and 1970 and included the oldest surviving European sample. The oldest samples from South America dated to 1913, and the oldest from Central America were from 1941. The oldest Mexican samples were from 1948. The researchers sequenced portions of the nuclear genomes and one segment of the mitochondrial genome the separate genetic sequence that resides in the cells mitochondria, which converts energy into a useable form. The researchers also sequenced 12 microsatellites, or simple sequence repeat (SSR) segments, of DNA. These repeating chunks of DNA have a high mutation rate, which allows researchers to detect mutations and changes over time. The researchers found that both New World and Old World blight outbreaks were caused by pathogens with an SSR lineage that they dubbed FAM-1. (Previous research by another group had suggested the culprit was a different genetic variant, called HERB-1, but that variant was not exclusive to the P. infestans pathogen, Ristaino wrote.) After analyzing the patterns of mutations in these samples, the researchers used computer models to determine the probability of scenarios that could have led to those patterns. They determined that the most likely scenario was that the pathogen strain originated from a South American ancestor and then split into U.S. and Mexican strains. The FAM-1 variant hung around long after it caused Irelands famine. The same sequence was found in samples in the United States 100 years after 1843, when it first showed up around ports in New York and Philadelphia, the researchers reported. It was also present in samples from 1913 in Colombia and in samples from 1942 in Costa Rica. FAM-1 was widespread and dominant in the United States in the mid-to-late 19th century and the early 20th century, Ristaino said in a statement. It was later displaced by a genetic strain of the pathogen called US-1, she said, which in turn has been replaced by a strain of Mexican origin that is still active. Live Science Read more: 5 Deadly Diseases Emerging from Global Warming Serous Diseases That Hopped Across Species A survey of 2,000 U.S. physicians released in September found that roughly half believed they had met criteria for a mental health disorder in the past but had not sought treatment. The doctors listed a number of reasons they had shunned care, including worries that theyd be stigmatized and an inability to find the time. But they also voiced a troubling reason for avoiding treatment: medical licensing applications. After graduating from medical school, doctors must complete residency training and apply for state medical licenses to practice medicine. According to a study that appeared in 2008, about 90 percent of state medical boards have licensing forms that include questions about an applicants mental health. Such questions are intended to protect the public, based on the idea that impaired or distressed physicians could endanger patients. A physician having hallucinations, for example, might not be able to focus or practice safely. Yet because applications can be used by medical boards to restrict licensing or mandate treatment, these questions may actually encourage silence. [Medical school has a bad effect on the mental health of doctors-in-training] Disclosing mental health issues can have dire consequences. In the words of one physician interviewed for the new study, all of my fears were realized when I did report it. I was placed in a very strict and punitive [program] that didnt allow me to take meds written by my doctor for anxiety and insomnia. I am now not practicing at all because of this. Given such professional risks, many doctors who need it are terrified about getting mental health care. A 2011 study found that more than 60 percent of surgeons who had experienced suicidal thoughts were reluctant to get help because of licensing concerns; a 2008 survey also found that nearly 20 percent of physicians with moderate to severe depression would not seek care out of fear of losing their medical licenses. A mark on my record When I was a medical student, I suffered an episode of depression and refused to seek treatment for weeks. My fears about licensing applications were a major reason I kept quiet. I didnt want a mark on my record. I didnt want to check yes on those forms. Did that delay exacerbate my symptoms? Did it plunge me further into darkness? Its hard to know for sure, but I do know it was wrong to have to worry about application forms when I should have been taking care of myself. [When doctors commit suicide, its often hushed up.] Even if brave enough to seek treatment, many doctors wont report this during licensure. According to the September survey, just 6 percent of physicians who received a mental health diagnosis or treatment had disclosed this to state medical boards. Physicians who didnt disclose mental health histories most commonly held back because they didnt believe they posed any safety risks to patients. Indeed, its debatable how relevant or even legal these questions from medical boards are. According to several court cases, asking about past illness rather than current functional impairment may violate the Americans With Disabilities Act. In a study published in 2009, researchers examined state medical board applications and estimated that 69 percent had health questions that were impermissible or likely impermissible under federal law. Whether focusing on past or present, the phrasing of these questions matters. Fortunately, some states now focus more on impairment related to mental health rather than broadly screening for any history of mental health diagnoses or treatment. Moving the focus away from the past is an important nuance: A doctor who had mild anxiety as a teenager isnt the same as a physician with multiple recent hospitalizations for suicide attempts. Protecting patients State medical boards are tasked with protecting the public from impaired medical professionals, and its difficult to predict who might put patients at risk in the future. Yet sweeping questions about mental health past and present arent the answer. Ive seen little evidence to suggest that broad screenings make patients safer, and studies tell us these questions deter doctors from getting help. Every year, as many as 400 doctors kill themselves in this country. Physician suicide has been called a crisis and a plague. Mental health care can be a lifeline for struggling doctors and, as with anyone grappling with mental illness, there are many reasons that doctors might not seek care. The questions on medical licensing forms should not be one of those deterrents. In my case, after years of school and training, Im preparing to apply for my medical license. The other day, I downloaded the lengthy application. Most of the forms are straightforward. They ask for proof of medical school graduation, test scores, addresses and the like. Then, theres a question about mental disorders. I pause. Should I have kept quiet? Morris, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, is a resident physician in psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Read more: Medical school is making a lot of doctors-to-be suicidal If health-care providers cant overcome the stigma of mental illness, who will? Blood pressure drugs are linked to depression and other mental health disorders Theres a shortage of child psychiatrists, and thats not good for kids and their families (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) Recent news that NAACP President Cornell William Brooks and five others had been arrested and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing for a sit-in at one of the offices of Sen. Jeff Sessions thrust the longtime civil rights organization to the forefront of a nascent resistance movement against President-elect Donald Trump, his policies and some of his Cabinet picks. It was also a chance for the old-school civil rights organization to try to update its image and tactics. We are in the midst of a Twitter-age civil rights movement, said Brooks, which includes environmental racism, the battle against the corrupting power of money in politics, the ongoing struggle for voting rights and all that we traditionally associate with the civil rights struggle. This is an age which demands an NAACP that is policy savvy but street smart. Democrats, progressives and civil right advocates have expressed a litany of concerns at the prospect that Sessions (R-Ala.), a longtime antagonist of civil rights advocates, will be the nations next attorney general. But it was the NAACP that launched the first civil disobedience against him. Brooks seemed to be everywhere talking about Sessionss track record. It was Brooks demanding greater scrutiny of Sessions in his confirmation hearing, scheduled to start Tuesday. And it was Brooks who repeatedly tweeted a six-person composite of mug shots of the arrested activists complete with hashtags such as #ThingsIWontApologizeFor. Suddenly, it seemed, the NAACP was courting affirmation from the young, and wanting to be seen as being woke and going viral. Many NAACP critics say the organization is the embodiment of an outdated brand of suit-and-tie activism that puts too much of a premium on respectability and etiquette. Even some of the organizations backers use words like sleepy, senior and venerable to describe the 108-year-old organization. But Brooks said, before explaining that his own mother had expressed support for the protest but disappointment that Brookss mug shot featured the NAACP chief with a 5 oclock shadow: We have to be prepared to sometimes engage in activity that some would describe as radical. And we certainly have to be prepared to let young people know what we are doing, make it clear that this is an organization where they can engage in the issues of the day, where they are. And that is Twitter. To be clear, protesting the possibility of an Attorney General Sessions is not a mere marketing opportunity. Sessions has voiced, in allegedly joking terms, admiration for racist organizations. He opposed equal-pay measures in Congress and described the Voting Rights Act as intrusive. As a prosecutor, he put three civil rights activists on trial for alleged voter fraud in a case that a jury rejected in three hours. Sessions has repeatedly countered these descriptions of his record by telling reporters that he is not a racist. The question is not is Jeff Sessions a racist, said Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The question is not is Jeff Sessions a good man. The question is not what is in his heart. It is how can a man with this record be prepared to fulfill the core responsibilities of the attorney general of the United States. [Jeff Sessionss comments on race: For the record] Brooks promises that other Trump nominees, especially those who appear hostile to the core mission of the agency they would lead, should expect to be the targets of litigation and civil disobedience. And senators who plan to rubber stamp Trump nominees on the basis of collegial ties and preexisting friendly relationships should know that more civil disobedience is planned across the country, Brooks said Friday. Brooks said that 28,000 people joined one of the NAACPs 2,200 chapters online in 2016. So building and expanding its social-media footprint must be part of the NAACPs work. Patricia Sullivan, author of the 2009 book Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement, said that the NAACPs future is still rooted in its past. I think we have today a vision of the NAACP that really is not connected to its rich history, not rooted in fact, said Sullivan, a University of South Carolina historian. I dont mean to imply that the organization is flawless, she said. But what happened this week sounds to me like they are getting back to their roots. Selig S. Harrison, shown in Beijing in 2009, was hired by The Washington Post in 1962 as bureau chief in New Delhi and became known as one of the sharpest foreign correspondents in the region. (David Gray/Reuters) Selig S. Harrison, a journalist who covered Asian affairs for The Washington Post and later helped shape them as a scholar, author and advocate of diplomacy with North Korea, where he made 11 trips over four decades as a rare guest of the countrys reclusive regime, died Dec. 30 in Camden, Maine. He was 89. The cause was a blood disorder, said his son, Cole Harrison. Mr. Harrison was hired by The Post in 1962 as bureau chief in New Delhi and swiftly became known as one of the sharpest foreign correspondents in the region. He later was bureau chief in Tokyo before leaving the newspaper in 1974 to join the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he established himself as a preeminent authority on Asia. Even in academia, he retained his reportorial instincts, once describing himself as a journalist in think-tank disguise. A reporter, Mr. Harrison remarked to a friend, Paul Sack, spends days or less on a story that is printed forthwith. An academic, by contrast, may devote years to his or her research before releasing a book. Mr. Harrison said that he wished to spend more time than a reporter could take for a project and publish his findings within months. Besides his quarter-century association with the Carnegie Endowment, Mr. Harrison had scholarly appointments at the Century Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Center for International Policy, where he directed the Asia program for a decade. He achieved his greatest influence on matters involving North Korea, where he traveled for the first time in 1972 as a Post correspondent. He earned a reputation among senior officials in Pyongyang as well as in Washington for his fair-mindedness and was granted repeated interviews with Kim Il Sung, the father of Kim Jong Il and grandfather of current North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. Mr. Harrison became an important liaison with a country that most Americans knew only through regime propaganda and through the scant information that trickled out after occasional visits from outsiders. He had a knack for describing the personalities in Pyongyang in a way that U.S. newspaper readers could immediately understand. Hes a rather avuncular man, he once observed, describing Kim Il Sung, and he puts his arm around you like Lyndon Johnson. Mr. Harrison met with Kim Il Sung in 1994 and was credited with helping pave the way for the Agreed Framework hammered out that year. According to the agreement, North Korea received incentives including fuel and light-water reactors in exchange for freezing its nuclear weapons program. The deal broke down in 2002. Bill Goodfellow, executive director of the Center for International Policy, said in an interview that Mr. Harrison felt that a deal was always possible, because of North Koreas economic deprivation and the regimes desperation to stay in power. The issue is, how do you prevent another war on the Korean Peninsula? Goodfellow asked. That was his whole goal the prevention of another war. Mr. Harrison was an effective go-between, Goodfellow said, because, while he fully understood the brutality of the North Korean leaders, they always knew that they would get a fair hearing from Selig Harrison. Selig Seidenman Harrison was born in Wilkinsburg, Pa., on March 19, 1927. His father was a lawyer, and his mother ran a summer camp. After Navy service during World War II, Mr. Harrison received a bachelors degree from Harvard University, where he was president of the Crimson newspaper. After graduation, he joined the Associated Press, covering South Asia through the mid-1950s. He later was managing editor of the New Republic magazine. During Mr. Harrisons time with The Post in New Delhi, U.S. Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith circumvented the State Department by leaking to Harrison for use in The Post stories he wanted Kennedy to know about, Chalmers M. Roberts wrote in his book-length history of the newspaper. In Tokyo, Mr. Harrison was the consummate foreign correspondent, reporting on major events of the day as well as cultural phenomena such as a $1.3 million, all-Japanese musical version of Gone With the Wind. Even after ending his journalistic career, Mr. Harrison kept a presence in newspapers through frequent commentary and op-eds. His books included India: The Most Dangerous Decades (1960) and Korean Endgame: A Strategy for Reunification and U.S. Disengagement (2002). With U.N. diplomat Diego Cordovez, he co-authored Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal (1995), an account of the end to one of the last proxy battles of the Cold War. Mr. Harrison was a longtime Chevy Chase, Md., resident before moving to Maine in 2013. His wife of six decades, the former Barbara Johnston, died in 2011. Besides his son, of Boston, survivors include a daughter, Kathreen Harrison of Camden; a brother; and four grandchildren. Mr. Harrison at times was considered by critics naive to the limits of diplomacy, particularly where Pyongyang was concerned. But he held fast in his convictions. Everything Ive ever said about North Korea since 1972 has seemed at the time like screaming into the wilderness, he told the Associated Press in 2009, after his 11th and final trip there, and everything Ive ever advocated has come to pass. MEXICO Looting, protests over gas prices turn deadly The death toll in protests and looting fueled by anger over gasoline price increases in Mexico rose to six Friday when authorities confirmed that two men died in a confrontation between protesters and police in the central state of Hidalgo. There were four previous deaths in looting-related incidents, and at least 300 stores were looted and more 1,000 people detained, officials said. The protesters in Hidalgo were blocking a highway Thursday and confronted police who were trying to keep order when gunfire broke out. Two people were also found dead near looting sites in the eastern port city of Veracruz. Earlier, officials said a bystander was run over and killed by a driver fleeing police in another part of Veracruz state, and a police officer was killed trying to stop robberies at a gas station in Mexico City. In Monterrey, officials said a crowd had smashed some of the stained glass windows of the Nuevo Leon state capital building. Associated Press IVORY COAST Soldiers uprising spreads to three cities Disgruntled soldiers demanding salary increases and the payment of bonuses seized control of Ivory Coasts second-largest city, Bouake, on Friday, in an uprising that spread to at least two other cities. A statement from Defense Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi read out on state television said a group of soldiers had used their weapons to force their way into the military headquarters in Bouake soon after midnight and then made their demands. Ivory Coast French-speaking West Africas largest economy has emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continents rising economic stars. But its army, thrown together from a mixture of former rebel factions and government soldiers, remains a divided and unruly force. Gunfire was heard from around 2 a.m. in the city of about half a million residents, but the shooting later died down. Shooting also broke out at a military base in Daloa, the main trading hub in the western cocoa belt. Reuters EUROPE Blizzards, icy weather grip parts of continent Blizzards swept parts of Europe on Friday, causing at least nine deaths and traffic accidents, road closures, travel delays and medical evacuations. In Poland, the cold snap was blamed for five deaths in 24 hours. Three people died from hypothermia, while two more died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by malfunctioning heaters, the government Security Center said. Officials in neighboring Ukraine reported that four people had died from effects of the cold in the Lviv region near the Polish border. In Romania, authorities said 90 people were rescued from stranded cars and that crews were working to save people stuck in some 30 cars on a major highway. Senior emergency situations official Raed Arafat said Romanian authorities also evacuated 622 people who needed dialysis and 126 pregnant women. Snowfall and heavy winds closed roads and some train services in central Italy, pounded areas hit by recent earthquakes and forced the cancellation of some ferry crossings to islands off Naples and Sicily. Serbias state television reported that 22 people, including children, were injured in a traffic pileup caused by the wintry weather on the outskirts of the southern city of Nis. Associated Press Man accused of killing 2 U.S. missionaries escapes: Authorities in Jamaica said Friday that an inmate accused of killing two U.S. missionaries has escaped. Police said Dwight Henry escaped custody after he was taken to a hospital for medical care. He is accused of fatally shooting Randy Hentzel and Harold Nichols in May 2016 along Jamaicas north coast, where they had lived and worked for years. The victims and their wives worked for a Pennsylvania-based ministry called Teams for Medical Missions. Report: 11 hurt in bus collision at Frankfurt airport: A passenger bus collided with a vehicle towing luggage at Frankfurts international airport Friday, injuring 11 people, three of them seriously. The dpa news agency, citing police, said that 75 passengers from a Lufthansa flight from Barcelona were being taken by bus Friday morning from the plane to the terminal when the bus collided with an electrically powered vehicle transporting luggage. The bus then hit a construction barrier. Man phones police from roof of speeding car to thwart thief: A man clung to the roof of his fathers stolen car and called police on his mobile phone during an 80 mph motorway chase before the thief was arrested. Osama Aoukili, who was largely unscathed after the late-night chase near Frances border with Switzerland on Sunday, told French media that his reaction had been spontaneous. From news services HOUSE REPUBLICANS caused an understandable furor this week when they proposed to gut the House ethics office and then reconsidered. That two-day debacle diverted attention from another baleful reform that did succeed. Members of Congress awarded themselves the power to slash the annual pay of any federal employee to as low as $1, thereby essentially telling government workers to forget about civil-service protection: Their jobs now may rise or fall on political whim. The Republican-led House voted to reinstate a procedural rule devised in 1876 that allows Congress to retrench agency spending by singling out a government employee through amendments to appropriations bills. Prior to adoption of the Holman Rule, named for the Indiana congressman who devised it as a hedge against the political patronage that then dominated government programs, an agencys budget could be broadly cut but specific employees or programs couldnt be targeted. Now it can be open season. Republican leaders defend the restoration of this arcane power as a way to increase accountability. Fears of abuse are overblown, they assure us. Any acts of retaliation would have to be approved by a majority of the House and Senate, but it is telling that even Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), who engineered the move, couldnt rule out the possibility of indiscriminate use. And why resurrect the rule if there is no thought of using it? We note that Rep. Barbara Comstock, recently reelected on a promise that as the only Republican member from Northern Virginia she would protect the interests of federal workers, considers the measure misguided and ill informed but loyally voted with the majority to implement it. The move follows efforts by President-elect Donald Trumps transition team to identify employees in the Energy Department who work on climate change and jobs in the State Department devoted to gay and womens rights. The combination of events underscores the inherent danger. Competence and performance not adherence to ideology should be the basis for federal employment. That is why the civil service replaced the system of political spoils. If members of Congress dont like particular programs Mr. Griffith is apparently peeved by a federal program that pays for the care of wild horses on federal land in the West they can choose not to appropriate funds to implement them. If they want to change civil-service rules to target poor performance or reward good work, they have that power too. If they are incapable of properly exercising these constitutional authorities, maybe it is their salaries that should be slashed to $1. The royal family of the Rwenzururu Kingdom has met president Museveni to discuss the fate of the jailed cultural leader Charles Wesley Mumbere. The kingdom spokesperson Clarence Bwambale has confirmed the that meeting held yesterday at State House Entebbe discussed a number of issues relating to the Kasese clashes that left over 100 people dead in November last year. Without divulging details of the discussions, Bwambale says among those in attendance was the queen mother Christine Biira and the kings brother William Kibazanga. The Omusinga together with 150 of his royal guards are currently on remand at various prisons on charges of treason, murder, terrorism and aggravated robbery, crimes allegedly committed in Kasese district late last year. I was deeply moved by the Jan. 1 news article Meeting again after a moment of violence. Forgiveness is more effective when it comes from the one who is most offended. This is not our default generally, yet the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called upon us for such a response in his sermon Loving Your Enemies. Christ called us to turn the other cheek, not as a passive act but as a statement that the egregious act itself would not control the offendeds behavior and that love conquers all. Rakeem Joness stepping toward John McGraw that morning in the courtroom was a dramatic moment. But when he accepted a handshake and then offered an embrace, that was courageous. What a powerful statement from the victim. Despite criticism, he showed no regret for his act of forgiveness. His voice came from a position of power in refusing to be an enemy. I work with Tent of Nations, a farm located on a hilltop surrounded by Israeli settlements in the West Bank. A Christian family there has a sign on its fence that says in three languages, We refuse to be enemies. May Mr. Joness story reach out to all of us, especially at this time in our nations history. There is a great deal of need these days for acts of forgiveness, decency and love. May it be so. Bill Plitt, Arlington Rakeem Jones is to be commended for the courage and grace he demonstrated in his interactions with John McGraw. Both of these men are struggling with aspects of their lives, but the power of Mr. Joness civility, his patience with the rude and unconscionable behavior by Mr. McGraw, and his willingness to extend such kindness were impressive. I hope he finds the support he richly deserves for his actions. He certainly impressed me. Janalee Redmond, Bethesda Regarding the Jan. 4 op-ed by J. Gerald Hebert, Joseph D. Rich and William Yeomans, We know Sessions is overstating his record: Whether Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for attorney general, has overstated his record or not, little light is shed on the matter by the writers inaccurate statement that He did what any U.S. attorney would have had to do: He signed his name on the complaint. While I do not challenge the assertion that the attorneys from the Civil Rights Division would have framed the theories of their cases, my own 30 years of trying cases around the country for various divisions of the Justice Department require me to challenge their potential diminution of Mr. Sessionss role. Unless the U.S. attorney has recused his office from involvement in a particular case, his signature on an indictment or complaint is not merely ministerial: A U.S. attorney may question the theory of the case and raise other objections before concurring and signing. In my own experience, the U.S. attorney refused to sign an indictment until he was disabused of his misunderstanding regarding the applicable statute of limitations. This may seem a small point, but if the three former civil rights lawyers claim to be correcting an overstatement, then they should refrain from moving in the opposite direction. David Farnham, Parkville, Md. Many people who recently read Harper Lees Go Set a Watchman were shocked to learn that Atticus Finch, the hero of Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, had been racist. I never harbored any such misconception. Finch was a good man, but anyone who understands the South of the 1960s surely knows that any lawyer with aspirations of being elected to the Alabama legislature was very likely involved with the Ku Klux Klan. Sorry, Scout. Consider the case of Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, a former senator from Alabama who had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan but left the organization and later became a leading civil rights champion as an associate justice on the Warren Court. As the Senate Judiciary Committee schedules confirmation hearings for another Alabama senator, Jeff Sessions, this time to be attorney general, the senators must ask, Who are you now? Roland Nicholson Jr., Washington The Jan. 3 front-page article on a race between China and the United States on genomics, As China races for genomics dominance, a family gains some hope, understated Chinas vigorous and advanced status. Two years ago I had the pleasure of dining in Beijing with an official involved in genomics. One firm now offers for sale genetically customized dogs and pigs at around $15,000 each. The official told me that Chinese parents (under a one-child policy) have been eagerly paying $50,000 for genetically customized children using embryos that have had common genetic diseases removed using genetic-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The United States will not be able to fiercely compete with this phenomenal head start by China with its different bioethics and laws. Tim Foresman, Elkridge First, a history refresher: For the past nine years, a smattering of Americans, most recently led by our now president-elect, have insisted that Barack Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya. For years, Donald Trump was unrelenting in his insistence that Obama prove beyond existing proof that he was born in Hawaii and not in the African country of his biological father. That Obama said he is a Christian wasnt enough to persuade Trumps followers, who apparently know a Christian when they see one. Further, there is no logical basis for assuming that a young person briefly raised in a given country say, Indonesia necessarily would adopt the dominant religion of that country. He might, however, observe that though people worship in different ways, were all essentially the same. Never mind the cruel and absurd assumption that being a Muslim means that one is, ipso facto, a bad person. Respecting others despite differences is, generally speaking, the hallmark of an enlightened soul, as well as a desirable disposition in a leader. Yet, those who sided with Trump interpreted Obamas gentle touch toward the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims as evidence of a hidden agenda to advance Islam in the United States notwithstanding Obamas rather robust drone operations, which eliminated quite a few bad actors who happened to be, or said they were, Muslims. Noteworthy is that these same Obama doubters werent bestirred to suspicion when then-President George W. Bush visited a mosque immediately after 9/11. Nor, thus far, have they expressed any concern about Trumps cavalier approach to Russias cyberattack on the United States. (Video: Peter Stevenson: The Washington Post/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Given this history and recent evidence, isnt it about time Trump be declared a Russian spy? No, I dont really think hes a spy because, unlike the man himself, Im not given to crazy ideas. But whats with this double standard? Under similar circumstances, how long do you think it would have taken for Obama to be called a traitor for defending a country that tried to thwart our democratic electoral process? Seconds. How surreal to realize that the man who soon will become president was long committed to a rumor soaked in paranoia and propagated by conspiracy theorists whose pursuit of truth stops at the point where facts and willful ignorance collide. How perfectly terrifying. And now? What is so obviously a conspiracy of Russian leadership, hackers and spies, Trump has repeatedly dismissed as lousy intelligence. Why would he do such a thing? Is it that hes so thin-skinned he cant tolerate anyone thinking that he might have benefited from the cyberattack? Or is it that he knew about it in advance and doesnt want to be found out? This is how conspiracy theories get started. Then again, sometimes a conspiracy is just a conspiracy and a fool is just a fool. Consider what we know: Our best intelligence indicates that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee. Trump, who has long expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin (once a KGB agent, always a KGB agent), has his doubts. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post) Obviously, Trump wants to preserve the narrative that he won fair and square. And, clearly, claims of Russian interference would muss his ego. But is that it? Ego and narrative? Consider further: Trump would rather make common cause with our fiercest geopolitical adversary (hat tip Mitt Romney) than take the word of our best people. Moreover, he has said he wont receive daily security briefings and reportedly plans to reduce our security agencies. Pray tell, whose side is this man on? When was the last time you had to ask that question about a president-elect? On Friday, Trump met with real American spies and others who attempted to explain things to him, leaving open the question: Can Trump learn? From his statement following the meeting, it doesnt seem so. On Thursday, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the agency is now even more resolute, and that Trump is damaging American intelligence (not to be confused with the absence thereof, to wit, Trump). To top things off, former CIA director James Woolsey quit Trumps transition team Thursday in protest against being bypassed. In sum, when the president-elect persists in a state of denial, siding with the enemy against his own countrys best interests, one is forced to consider that Trump himself poses a threat to national security. In Russia, theyd just call it treason. Read more from Kathleen Parkers archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook. Next to the White House, the most talked-about federal entity in my world of the 50s and 60s was the Justice Department. Few editions of the Washington Afro American newspaper or weekly Jet magazine failed to contain mention of a DOJ action in civil rights enforcement. Bring up the scourge of discrimination, and Justice was there, or so it seemed. The Justice Departments role in promoting equal justice for all was, and remains, indispensable. Which draws attention to President-elect Donald Trumps nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to the position of attorney general of the United States. Confirmation hearings are scheduled for next week. It was no small moment when NAACP protesters, led by their national president, Cornell W. Brooks, staged a sit-in and got arrested Tuesday at Sessionss Mobile, Ala., office. Or when more than 1,100 professors from 170 law schools in 48 states wrote to urge the Senate to reject Sessions. Charging that Sessions cant be trusted to be the nations chief law enforcement officer for voting rights, Brooks said, We have an attorney general nominee who does not acknowledge the reality of voter suppression while mouthing faith in the myth of voter fraud. The army of law professors agreed. We are convinced, they wrote, that Jeff Sessions will not fairly enforce our nations laws and promote justice and equality in the United States. The focus of their concerns is Sessionss 1986 nomination for a federal judgeship; his rejection by the Senate due in part to his prosecution of black voting rights activists on voter fraud charges when he was a U.S. attorney in Alabama; and his alleged racially insensitive remarks during his tenure there. Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, who as a staff lawyer at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund represented the three voting-rights workers targeted by Sessions, sent a scathing letter to the Senate opposing Sessionss confirmation. To be sure, Sessions has his defenders, led by Trump, who said his nominee is a world-class legal mind and considered a truly great attorney general and U.S. attorney in the state of Alabama. Other supporters claim Sessions is being smeared by the left. Former George W. Bush administration deputy attorney general Larry Thompson, an African American and good friend of Sessions for more than 30 years, said, He doesnt have a racist bone in his body. Another defender, George J. Terwilliger III, who served as deputy attorney general under President George H.W. Bush and has known Sessions for nearly three decades, echoed Thompson: I can say unequivocally theres not a racist bone in the guys body. But this is not about knowing whats in the mind or body of Jeff Sessions. What should matter most are his words and deeds as a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, as attorney general of Alabama and as a U.S. senator. Is Sessions the right person to place in charge of the central agency for enforcement of our federal laws? If confirmed, the nation will have an attorney general who, as a senator: Applauded the Supreme Courts 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. Voted yes on a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. Opposed the repeal of dont ask, dont tell. Opposed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Voted to ease restrictions on wiretapping of cellphones. Voted to abolish a program that helps businesses owned by women and minorities compete for federally funded transportation projects. Opposed comprehensive immigration reform and nearly every immigration bill that has come before the Senate over the past two decades, including voting against a Senate resolution affirming that the United States must not bar people from the country because of their religion. That is the record of an individual who would have the major say in which cases the Justice Department litigated and who was recommended for federal judgeships. This would be the person who determined whether the Justice Department would be driven by ideology and politics palatable to Trump or if the department would follow and uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whats more, this attorney general wouldnt be flying solo. If confirmed, Sessions will take with him a posse of new presidential appointees, including a deputy attorney general and a collection of assistant attorneys general for civil rights, criminal, national security and tax divisions, to name a few. Ninety-three U.S. attorneys and 94 U.S. marshals, many of them new, would have to call him boss. Entrust Jeff Sessions to fairly, openly and impartially administer justice and protect the rights of all Americans? Not if his own public record is any guide. Read more from Colbert Kings archive. Much has been written about crime and the failure of the justice system in the District. Everyone wants to reform the treatment of criminals rather than discuss root causes and solutions. Attempts at prevention are drowned out by a focus on rehabilitation. Both are failing miserably. A focal point of the misguided effort is the $182 million spent per year by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, tasked with helping criminals reenter society after their incarceration. The Dec. 29 front-page article In D.C., few reins on freed offenders, part of the Second-Chance City series, told us all we need to know about this agency: After 90 days under supervision of CSOSA . . . more than seven in 10 offenders capable of working had no job and nearly a third of those had no stable housing. If a private entity had such a record, it would not be reformed it would be disbanded. Government is not the answer. It does not take a sociologist to know that the solutions lie in the questions. Ask how we can improve family life. Ask how we can instill work ethic and respect. Ask about opportunities. Ask about personal responsibility. Ask how we keep children in school. We need to find a path out, not a better Band-Aid. Jerry Duffy, Gambrills As a community college Spanish professor and Mexican art enthusiast, I read with great interest Philip Kennicotts Dec. 28 review, Mexican modernism: More than wall art [Style]. Kennicotts descriptions of Diego Riveras blank and expressionless subjects and the static pageantry of his murals have made me see Riveras oeuvre in a new light. I appreciated the inclusion of Riveras Portrait of Martin Luis Guzman and Roberto Montenegros Maya Women alongside the text. The opportunity to see them, as well as Frida Kahlos Self-Portrait on the Border Line Between Mexico and the United States, certainly merits a last-minute trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is not as clear to me that including Riveras use of a gay slur toward the Contemporaneos enriches the readers understanding of their role in Mexican art history. However, if it is to be included, the plural form of maricon maricones is written without an accent mark. I hope The Post will continue to publish analyses of the achievements of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the arts and other fields. It may become increasingly important to do so over the next four years. Martha E. Davis, Alexandria William J. Perry, founder of the William J. Perry Project on the threat of nuclear weapons, was U.S. defense secretary from 1994 to 1997. In 1994, when I was secretary of defense, we came perilously close to a second Korean War because of North Koreas nuclear program. Today we are again approaching a crisis with North Korea, and again the cause is its nuclear program. A war in 1994 would have been terrible, but we were able to avoid it with diplomacy (the Agreed Framework, from which the United States and North Korea withdrew in 2002). Today a war would be no less than catastrophic, possibly destroying the societies of both Koreas as well as causing large casualties in the U.S. military. It is imperative that we employ creative diplomacy to avert such a catastrophe. The pressure boiled over this past week when Kim Jong Un announced plans to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could deliver a nuclear warhead to the continental United States. In reply, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted, It wont happen, seemingly suggesting he might take military action against North Koreas missile program. The threat is real enough. North Korea has built more than a dozen nuclear bombs and conducted five nuclear tests, several at about the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb. Pyongyang also has a robust ballistic missile program it has fielded a large number of medium-range missiles and is testing long-range missiles. So the question is not whether but when Pyongyang will have a nuclear-armed ICBM. Its ICBM program is not yet operational, and it must take many difficult steps to make it so. But this is evidently a high-priority program moving at a fast pace. There is no reason to doubt that it will reach an operational capability, perhaps in the next few years. Certainly this is dangerous, but we should try to understand the nature of the danger. During my discussions and negotiations with members of the North Korean government, I have found that they are not irrational, nor do they have the objective of achieving martyrdom. Their goals, in order of priority, are: preserving the Kim dynasty, gaining international respect and improving their economy. The regime has demonstrated over and over again that it is willing to sacrifice its economy to assure that the dynasty is preserved. During negotiations in 1999 and 2000, we found a way to achieve all three of their goals without nuclear weapons. I believe that the North Korean government was ready to accept our proposal (it is easier for leaders to forgo weapons they do not yet have), but we can never be certain of that nor that they would have, in fact, complied with an agreement because the George W. Bush administration cut off the talks in 2001. I believe that the danger of a North Korean ICBM program is not that they would launch an unprovoked attack on the United States they are not suicidal. But they have been playing a weak hand for decades, and they have demonstrated a willingness to take risks in playing it. The real danger of their ICBM program is that it might embolden them to take even greater risks that is, overplay their hand in a way that could (inadvertently) lead to a military conflict with South Korea. The South Korean military, backed by U.S. air and naval power (and a small ground force), is more than a match for the large but poorly equipped North Korean military. So if North Korea were to begin losing a conventional conflict, they might in desperation turn to their nuclear weapons. What can we do to mitigate that danger? During the time I was defense secretary, I considered a preemptive conventional strike on their Yongbyon nuclear facility. We rejected that option in favor of diplomacy. Such a strike could still destroy the facilities at Yongbyon but probably would not destroy their nuclear weapons, likely not located there. In 2006, Ashton B. Carter, now secretary of defense, and I recommended that the United States consider a strike on North Koreas ICBM launch facility. I would not recommend either of those strikes today because of the great risk for South Korea; at the very least, any such plan would have to be agreed to by South Koreas leadership, since their country would bear the brunt of any retaliatory action. I believe it is time to try diplomacy that would actually have a chance to succeed. We lost the opportunity to negotiate with a non-nuclear North Korea when we cut off negotiations in 2001, before it had a nuclear arsenal. The most we can reasonably expect today is an agreement that lowers the dangers of that arsenal. The goals would be an agreement with Pyongyang to not export nuclear technology, to conduct no further nuclear testing and to conduct no further ICBM testing. These goals are worth achieving and, if we succeed, could be the basis for a later discussion of a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula. These objectives are far less than we would desire but are based on my belief that we should deal with North Korea as it is, not as we wish it to be. If this attempt at diplomacy fails, then we could consider much more punishing sanctions that would require Chinas significant participation. That would be more likely if North Korea rejected a serious diplomatic approach. We could also pursue non-diplomatic approaches, such as disrupting their ICBM tests, not at their launch sites but over international waters. Indeed, our diplomacy would have a better chance of working if the North Korean government realized that we were serious about non-diplomatic alternatives. Time is of the essence. If we dont find a way and soon to freeze North Koreas quest for a nuclear ICBM, this crisis could all too easily spin out of control, leading to a second Korean War, far more devastating than the first. IT IS curious that a Republican state legislator in Virginia is hoping to legislate discrimination and thereby emulate North Carolina, whose notorious bathroom bill last year cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sporting events, tourism, conventions and concerts, to say nothing of jobs forfeited when prominent companies such as PayPal squashed planned expansions. That Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) wants to copy the Tar Heel States disaster and risk a similar firestorm of disrepute in Virginia suggests an agenda that does not exactly enshrine the commonwealths best interests as his No. 1 priority. Mr. Marshall, a culture warrior who relishes provocation, the more incendiary the better, insists he is a righteous guardian of women and girls who might be groped or otherwise violated by predatory men posing as women in restrooms at schools, public universities and other government buildings. Never mind that he is an enthusiastic supporter of Americas most prominent self-professed groper of women: President-elect Donald Trump. (Not voting for Trump would be a horrible mistake! he wrote.) What really rankles Mr. Marshall is the very existence of transgender individuals. He warns of the threat they represent that desperate boys and men will pretend to be transgender to make a move on some teenage girls or women in bathrooms, notwithstanding his inability to cite a single instance in Virginia of such misconduct. Once upon a time in Virginia, and elsewhere in the Jim Crow South, it was black people whom lawmakers sought to repel from public facilities used by whites. Now its transgender individuals, who represent a new kind of other, anathema to sentries of the old guard such as Mr. Marshall who prefer an America in which people who are different can be safely defined as deviants, without igniting a politically correct tumult. Its unlikely that Mr. Marshalls bill will become law, or even emerge from the Republican-dominated legislature in Richmond, whose leadership is still licking its wounds from a hullabaloo five years ago triggered by a bill that mandated transvaginal ultrasounds for women considering abortions, the better to punish and humiliate them. Even if Mr. Marshalls obnoxious legislation were somehow to clear both houses of the General Assembly, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, would veto it. Still, its likely to attract GOP votes in the House of Delegates, where the idea of marginalizing minorities see: voting restrictions retains a certain allure. The legislation would not only discriminate against transgender individuals; it would also press public school teachers and principals into the project by requiring that they report on any unauthorized bathroom use and convey the information to parents. Thats an effective way to foster prejudice and confusion at any school, costs that Mr. Marshall is more than willing to bear in the cause of intolerance. President-elect Donald Trump has made plenty of news since he won the election, but the coming week should be the most important of the pre-inaugural period by far, a moment when tweets and mixed signals could give way to greater clarity about the incoming president and his administration. For weeks Trump has been mostly out of sight, heard from mostly in random, 140-character bursts that have rattled cages from Capitol Hill to corporate boardrooms to world capitals. But for all the running commentary, Trumps transition has been particularly opaque. Over the next week, he and many of his Cabinet nominees will all be out in public, providing answers that could start to bring his administration into sharper focus. The focal point will be Trumps news conference Wednesday in New York, with two issues uppermost: how he answers questions about the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podestas emails; and how he explains the steps he plans to take with his business enterprises to avoid conflicts of interest as president. Confirmation hearings are scheduled for a slew of his Cabinet picks, so many there wont be enough television screens to accommodate them all. They include two of the most controversial nominees: Exxons Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice for secretary of state; and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the early Trump supporter named to be attorney general. The many confirmation hearings are likely to be overshadowed by Trumps event, but they deserve as much attention as can be given. The coincidence in timing for Trumps news conference couldnt have been written better by a Hollywood scriptwriter. The president-elect hasnt met with the press corps for a full-fledged question-and-answer session since last July (days after the first DNC emails were leaked by WikiLeaks), when he approvingly called on the Russians to find and reveal emails from Clintons private server. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post) They probably have them, he said that day. Id like to have them released. He has sung a different song about the Russians since then. Could he have imagined that questions about Russian interference with the election would be front and center as he prepares to take the oath of office? Trumps decision to delay until next week a scheduled December news conference puts him up against the release of a declassified version of the intelligence findings that pinned the orders to interfere in the election squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin and that ascribed the Russians motivation as intending to hurt Clinton and help him. That leaves Trump open to more pointed questions about the Russians role and motivations and his confidence level or lack thereof in the intelligence community he will soon oversee all of which he has avoided since winning the presidency. [Read the declassified intelligence report on Russian hacking] Nothing has caused more consternation among leading Republicans and more broadly than the president-elects disparagement of the intelligence communitys findings. Trumps written statement after being briefed on the findings did pay respect to the men and women in the intelligence community and called for stepped-up efforts to combat future cyberattacks. Republicans found reasons to be reassured by what he said, but some will need to see more. Notably, however, Trump stopped short of declaring he now accepts that the Russians were solely responsible for what happened during the campaign, the DNC hacking and other nefarious activities. He also claimed incorrectly that the intelligence report said the interference did not affect the outcome of the election. The report drew no conclusion on that point. Trump also will have an opportunity to explain why he resisted the conclusions of the intelligence community, why he gave more credence to Julian Assange of WikiLeaks (Trump said later that wasnt his intent) and whether the new report has changed his perspective in any significant ways. (Courtesy of The University of Chicago Institute of Politics) Led by Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), Republicans have sought to put Trump in a position of having to choose between the U.S. intelligence community that Trump will soon oversee and Assange, who says that the information he released did not come from the Russians. Trump has been determined to avoid being pinned down. Trumps motivations for his multiple tweets questioning whether the Russians were to blame are not clear. Is he worried that any suggestion of Russian interference aimed at helping him diminishes his victory? He told Mike Shear of the New York Times that the whole issue is part of a political witch hunt, presumably designed to delegitimize his presidency. Trump would like the whole issue to go away, but there was enough history before the hacking to raise questions about why he has treated Putin with such respect. Is that friendly posture a genuine effort to recast U.S.-Russian relations with a goal of making them more productive without making concessions to an adversary? [One administration, two styles Trump and Pence and the future] Is Trumps reluctance caused, perhaps, by business relationships with Russians that he does not want jeopardized or exposed? He has said no, but the full extent of his business arrangements isnt fully known. Is he, in some clever way, playing Putin on his way into the Oval Office with some clear strategic purpose? Should Putin be nervous about getting what he wished for: a Trump presidency? Meanwhile, Tillerson will be going through his own grilling before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His relationship with Putin while serving as chairman and chief executive of ExxonMobil has put Republicans such as McCain on edge, fearful of a pro-Russian tilt in the new administration. Tillersons private conversations on Capitol Hill, described by some of the senators with whom he met, have conveyed the impression that he will state clearly that he understands the difference between protecting the interest of shareholders and protecting the interests of the country. But where will that leave him with respect to the president-elect in his assessment of Putin, Russian aggression in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, the value of sanctions imposed and how U.S. policy could or should change after eight years of the Obama presidency? Thats ultimately up to Trump, but will Tillerson act as a counterbalance or cheerleader for the instincts that the president-elect has shown up to now? Sessions can expect a modicum of senatorial courtesy, given his long tenure in that chamber, but however polite, his hearings will expose some of the rawness that remains in the aftermath of the election. No nomination has brought about more opposition from the base of the Democratic Party, particularly in the civil rights community. Although Sessionss nomination appears in no danger, his allies have worked strenuously to counteract the opposition and smooth his path. Beyond those hearings, Trumps choices for the departments of Homeland Security, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Commerce, Labor and the CIA will have their moments in the public spotlight. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence have set some clear priorities, along with GOP congressional leaders, starting with the dismantlement of the Affordable Care Act, several executive orders on Day 1 designed to reverse some of President Obamas actions, and a focus on job creation and building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Still, there is much that remains unsettled, both about those priorities and with other sensitive issues. Details will have to come eventually. How long will the president-elect, who has said many times he wants to be unpredictable, wait to begin to provide more answers? A top ethics official has warned that plans to confirm Donald Trumps top Cabinet choices before background examinations are complete are unprecedented and have overwhelmed government investigators responsible for the reviews. The concerns prompted Democrats on Saturday to call for delaying the confirmation process, but Republicans signaled they are unlikely to budge on the eve of a slew of hearings in the Senate. The Trump administration-in-waiting faces its first big test in coming days, with as many as seven nominees for Cabinet positions many of them already the subject of questions about their qualifications scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill. The process begins Tuesday, when Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Trumps controversial nominee for attorney general, is scheduled to begin two days of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But the big show is planned for Wednesday, when five hearings are scheduled, bringing a marathon of nationally televised scrutiny to the thin public records and vast wealth of many of Trumps Cabinet picks. Democrats have vowed to cast the hearings as a proxy test of Trump himself, in hopes of discrediting his new government before it begins. They hope to remind the public of the president-elects own lack of government experience and reluctance to separate himself from an entanglement of global business interests while he leads the nation. View Graphic Tracking how many key positions Trump has filled so far But even Democrats acknowledge that Trumps slate of Cabinet picks will probably sail through. The packed schedule, similar to those for nominees of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, was orchestrated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the Trump team. In addition, Trump has scheduled a news conference Wednesday that will overlap with several hearings, at which he has promised to talk about separating his presidency from his business interests. Whether the schedule holds in the coming days is unclear. McConnells office declined to respond to warnings by Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, who said in a letter released Friday the current confirmation calendar is of great concern to me because nominees have not completed a required ethics review before their hearings. [Democrats seek to delay confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, citing unfinished ethics review] The schedule has created undue pressure on OGEs staff and agency ethics officials to rush through these important reviews, Shaub wrote in response to an inquiry by Democratic senators. More significantly, it has left some of the nominees with potentially unknown or unresolved ethics issues shortly before their scheduled hearings. Shaub added: I am not aware of any occasion in the four decades since OGE was established when the Senate held a confirmation hearing before the nominee had completed the ethics review process. Republican aides have disputed that notion, saying that in some cases, nominees of both parties have sat for hearings before the paperwork process was completed. But Democrats struck back Saturday, saying that hearings should be delayed until all paperwork is completed. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said consideration of GOP power broker Betsy DeVos to be education secretary should be postponed until OGE finishes reviewing her background and financial investments for possible conflicts of interest or other ethics concerns. (Thomas Johnson,Victoria Walker,Danielle Kunitz/The Washington Post) Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) condemned what he called a lack of cooperation and communication by the Trump transition and asked for a timeout on consideration of nominees until such basic information as an ethics agreement is available to members of the Senate. We should put all of these on hold until the background checks by the FBI and the ethics office reports are completed, he said in an interview Saturday. The OGE enforces federal ethics rules and reviews potential conflicts of interest for nominees to government posts. Shaub, a lawyer and political appointee of President Obama, took over the office in 2013. He donated a total of $500 to Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, federal elections records show. Ethics experts from both political parties expressed dismay at the possibility that confirmation hearings would proceed before the OGE reviews are completed. This is unprecedented, said Trevor Potter, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission who has served as counsel to several Republican presidential candidates and Cabinet nominees in the past. This suggests that there has been a real breakdown between the transition and the Office of Government Ethics. Much of the attention this week is expected to focus on Sessions and his controversial record on civil rights, and on ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice for secretary of state, who has never served in the public sector. [Jeff Sessionss comments on race: For the record] Tillerson is scheduled to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday. The health and education panel is set to consider DeVos the same day, while the Senate Intelligence Committee has announced plans to review the nomination of Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Trumps nominee for CIA director. Elaine Chao a former secretary of labor who is married to McConnell is set to appear before the Commerce Committee to discuss her nomination as transportation secretary. On Tuesday, in addition to Sessions, retired Marine general John Kelly is scheduled to testify at a Homeland Security committee hearing to review his nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. In a statement, the Trump transition team said Saturday that the president-elect is putting together the most qualified administration in history and the transition process is currently running smoothly. The statement added that it is disappointing some have chosen to politicize the process in order to distract from important issues facing our country. This is a disservice to the country and is exactly why voters chose Donald J. Trump as their next president. McConnell had already vowed Wednesday that all the president-elects Cabinet appointments will be confirmed. He called on Democrats to not delay votes on Trumps less controversial choices for national security posts, including Kelly and retired Marine general James Mattis, the nominee for secretary of defense. Basically, they can delay the process. They cant stop it, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said of his Democratic colleagues. [Tillersons Hill tour: No new friends, but some sympathy on Russia sanctions] Republicans said they are proceeding quickly in the hope of confirming a handful of Trump picks on Inauguration Day, as happened eight years ago, when seven of Obamas Cabinet nominees were confirmed unanimously on his first day in office. But Democrats said Obamas nominations moved quickly because nominees had submitted requisite paperwork by early January. On Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Shaubs warning makes crystal-clear that the transition teams collusion with Senate Republicans to jam through these Cabinet nominees before theyve been thoroughly vetted is unprecedented. Murray said in an interview last week that Trump ran his campaign telling people he was about jobs and workers. Many of these nominees dont share that view. Our responsibility is to make sure that we know what we are buying and the country knows what they bought. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said: Were dealing with more billionaires than weve ever seen in one place in this Trump Cabinet. It creates a special challenge. Democrats said they plan to focus intently on nominees business interests and financial disclosures. Several nominees, including DeVos and other picks not yet scheduled for hearings, will probably be grilled over past statements in support of dismantling portions of the departments they have been tapped to lead. Kelly, Pompeo, Sessions and Tillerson are the furthest along in responding to written questionnaires and divulging personal and financial information, according to Senate aides. But reviews by the FBI and OGE are still underway for most nominees, according to the aides, who are tracking the process but not authorized to speak publicly about details. Sessionss FBI check is complete, but other nominees have yet to complete all of the paperwork required by committees, because the FBI and OGE reviews continue, the aides said. Many of Trumps picks are widely unknown on Capitol Hill, prompting his transition team to recruit former GOP senators and the partys top-flight communications and policy talent to make introductions and assuage concerns among Republicans and Democrats alike. Nominees have been scheduled for more than 60 meet-and-greets with senators of both parties, according to Senate aides. Dress rehearsals to prepare for contentious lines of questioning have been underway for several days. Given Trumps refusal to release tax returns and other financial information during the presidential campaign, Democrats see his Cabinet choices as a way to revive the issue. But if Trump uses his scheduled news conference to divulge details of his finances amid a flurry of confirmation hearings, it may capture the news cycle and neutralize opposition. While each committee has different disclosure rules for Cabinet picks, just three panels Budget, Finance, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs have the authority to require nominees to release three years of tax returns. Republicans have rebuffed Democratic requests to force all Cabinet nominees to do so. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, recalled that his panels long-standing tax disclosure rules unearthed trouble for several of Obamas Cabinet choices, including former Senate majority leader Thomas A. Daschle, who was forced to withdraw his nomination to serve as secretary of health and human services due to questions about unreported earnings and gifts. With Democrats vowing to pepper Tillerson about his tenure as an oil executive, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, said the former chief executives decision to completely cut ties with ExxonMobil was responsible. It certainly takes away an issue that we knew had to be taken away, Corker said. I mean, my very first conversation with him he knew that, Exxon knew that. Corker added that Tillerson will probably have one of the cleaner [financial] disclosures because his whole life and his whole net worths been in one company. Some Democrats on the judiciary panel say they have no plans to give Sessions an easy pass, despite his status as a well-liked senator and a former U.S. attorney. Several have vowed to rehash his staunch opposition to immigration reform, his recent support for Trumps call to require extreme vetting of Muslim immigrants and his civil rights record. Sessions was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 over charges of racial insensitivity and prejudice. [Jeff Sessions should have been a tough sell in the U.S. Senate. But hes too nice.] A persons whole lifetime career should be considered in such an important position, Blumenthal said in an interview last week. This position is not just a government lawyer or another Cabinet position. It is the nations chief enforcer of the rule of law, which is the bedrock of our democracy. Schumer said last week that Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), Trumps pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and oversee changes to the Affordable Care Act, will endure heavy scrutiny once his hearing is scheduled. Price is bound to face attacks for his support for privatizing Medicare and over stock he has owned in health insurance, pharmaceutical and biotech companies despite serving on a health-care subcommittee. [Here are the eight Trump Cabinet picks Democrats plan to target] Schumer and others have called on the House Ethics Committee to begin investigating Prices stock holdings before his confirmation hearing. Republicans noted that several senators on the health panel have similar stock holdings. Democrats are also targeting Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), a fiscal conservative tapped to lead the Office of Management and Budget; Andrew Puzder, a restaurant executive set to serve as labor secretary who opposes raising the minimum wage and has made controversial comments about women; Steven Mnuchin, a billionaire former Goldman Sachs partner set to serve as treasury secretary; and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who was picked by Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, which he has sued in the past. Anticipating political combat, Trumps transition office has tapped incoming White House Communications Director Sean Spicer and Bryan Lanza, a veteran of the Trump campaign, to oversee hearing preparations. They are offering strategic advice and sitting in on practice sessions for nominees, according to R.C. Hammond, a transition spokesman. Party luminaries, including former Texas senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and former Arizona senator Jon Kyl, are also on board to vouch for the nominees, transition officials confirmed. Kyl was spotted shadowing Sessions at the Capitol last week. Ron Bonjean, a longtime Republican operative who has worked for the Senate and House leadership, also joined the transition team last week as an adviser focused on the most politically sensitive nominees. Tillerson and Mnuchin, who some Republicans privately worry could face difficult exchanges with senators from both parties, are being assisted by several former officials from George W. Bushs administration. Mnuchins team includes Tara Bradshaw, a Bush-era spokeswoman at the Treasury Department, and Mary Waters, an official in the Agriculture Department under Bush. Tillersons team includes Christian Whiton, who worked at the State Department during the Bush presidency; and Margaret Peterlin, a former Commerce Department official and senior House Republican aide. Collectively, these former senators and administration officials, who come armed with deep familiarity with the arcane nature of the Senate and the complex policies a nominee will tackle, are known as sherpas. But as one transition official quipped: Theres no climbing equipment or walking toward mountains involved. Karoun Demirjian and Tom Hamburger contributed to this report. Republicans on Capitol Hill say they dont need to wait for Mexico to make good on President-elect Donald Trumps central campaign promise: building a southern border wall. In fact, they are happy to underwrite the wall themselves, at a potential cost of many billions of dollars. The GOPs willingness to fund Trumps border wall with taxpayer money could put the partys deeply held desire to rein in government spending in conflict with its long-standing goal of cracking down on illegal immigration and toughening border security. Nonetheless, many Republicans do not see an inherent conflict. It would be a proposal that would cost billions of dollars to get done, but if its an appropriate priority for our country, its worth spending that kind of money, said Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. There is no reliable price tag on building a border wall, but Trump has estimated the cost at $8 billion. Recent congressional legislation pegged the number at $10 billion, and construction experts say it could be more than double that. (The Washington Post) The wall is one part of a massive spending strategy at the core of Trumps populist agenda. Trump has not provided extensive details on how he plans to follow through on vows such as overhauling the tax code, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, and executing a sprawling infrastructure program. But each of those proposals carries an exorbitant price tag, and experts say that combined, they could add trillions of dollars to the deficit. Experts at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimate that Trumps tax proposals alone could add as much as $7.2 trillion to the deficit in the coming decade. Even-more-conservative estimates, such as those produced by the right-leaning Tax Foundation, concluded that Trumps tax proposals would create at least a $4.4 trillion budget hole in the same time frame. The costs of rolling back the ACA are harder to predict. Repealing the entire law would increase deficits by more than $350 billion over a decade, according to a 2015 report from the Congressional Budget Office, which serves as an independent scorekeeper. If Congress plans to mimic a 2015 attempt at repeal, the eventual legislation could reduce deficits by $282 billion. But lawmakers have yet to reveal a plan to replace the ACA with tax breaks and benefits that could more than offset any savings. Trump has not outlined a detailed plan for infrastructure spending. But his nominee to be commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, has suggested that the government offer approximately $140 billion in tax credits to nudge companies to invest $1 trillion of their own money. Under President Obama, Republicans decried new federal spending to stimulate the economy, expand health-care coverage and pursue other domestic priorities. But so far, they seem to harbor no similar qualms about Trumps platform. I think realistically were going to have to find a way to fund this, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), an Appropriations Committee member, said about the border wall. He said the Trump transition team has not directly contacted the committee on the issue. 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. Other Republicans reacted with a shrug, pointing to support and even money for building a wall that has already been provided by Congress. Weve already appropriated money for walls, said Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa). Weve got walls right now. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a fierce opponent of illegal immigration, is not worried about when or how Mexico reimburses the U.S. government for the massive construction project. If we build that wall, and Donald Trump hasnt figured out how to get Mexico to pay, Im not going to be the guy who says, Lets wait until we get this in pesos, King said. The Trump team is committed to moving forward on the wall quickly and before Republicans become uneasy about the project and its political cost, according to several people close to Trump. A national exit poll of presidential voters found that only 41 percent supported building a wall along the entire border with Mexico. But among Trump supporters, three-quarters backed the proposal. And there is plenty of skepticism that Trump will ultimately follow through: A CNN/ORC poll taken after the election found just under half of all Americans thought it was at least somewhat likely that Trump would build a wall along the southern border, while a November Quinnipiac poll found just 19 percent of registered voters thought Trump would get Mexico to pay for such a wall. Trumps strategy is being driven by several advisers, in particular those with political links to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Trumps nominee to be attorney general. They include speechwriter and policy aide Stephen Miller, incoming deputy White House chief of staff Rick Dearborn and incoming White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. Sessions himself, who has focused on border security for decades, also is intimately involved in the discussions. Miller is already drafting executive actions related to border and immigration policy, and Dearborn is working with Republican leaders to coordinate legislation. Bannon, the people close to Trump added, is paying close attention to officials he may be able to work with inside the Mexican government on the border and other issues, with new Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray familiar to him and other Trump aides. Videgaray was involved in Trumps trip to meet Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, which sparked controversy during the campaign. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who once served in the House and is friendly with many Republicans still skittish about Trump, is considered key to smoothing any tensions as the push to build the wall gets underway. During the campaign, the wall was Trumps signature promise and a raucous rallying cry among his supporters at his large rallies. Trump repeatedly said that Mexico would have to pay for the giant structure, but he also signaled that U.S. taxpayers would be reimbursed for it after its construction. In a Friday-morning tweet, Trump said: The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later! Republicans are discussing reviving a 2006 law supported by the GOP and Democrats alike that gave them authority to construct partial fencing along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border. The 2006 Secure Fence Act mandated 700 miles of reinforced fencing along the southern border as well as enhanced surveillance systems. The full complement of barriers was never completed, and GOP lawmakers think the law provides sufficient authority to proceed with additional construction. That would allow Congress, without passing new legislation, to start funding the wall through the normal budget appropriations process. Current federal spending authority expires April 28, and Republicans could push to include such funding in any spending legislation to follow. The plan may put Democrats in a political bind, forcing them to advocate shutting down the government if the wall is included in a must-pass spending bill mirroring a similar position in which Republicans frequently found themselves during the Obama years. Several high-profile Democrats, including then-Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and current Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), originally voted for the Secure Fence Act. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) dismissed Republicans invocation of the bipartisan 2006 law Thats about politics not about policy, she said and said funding for a wall would be a heavy sell. Pelosi also asked where the money would be generated. What is this coming out of? . . . Is this coming out of education? Is this coming out of everything we do on the domestic side? she asked, while mocking Trumps notion that Mexico would eventually pay for it: Oh, yeah, really? Some lawmakers have shied away from committing to building a continuous wall along the border, and some think it could be constructed in different ways and out of a variety of materials, to include fencing. I think it could take several different forms, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said Friday. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Friday he had been impressed with a system of fences he had inspected along the Israeli border with Palestinian territories. Im always looking for best practices, he said. Its been incredibly effective. They had thousands of illegal immigrants; its down to the teens. Scott Clement, Robert Costa, Karoun Demirjian, Kelsey Snell, Sean Sullivan and David Weigel contributed to this report. As U.S. intelligence officials have raised increasing alarm this week over Russias meddling in the presidential election, Donald Trump has sought to recast the investigation as a matter of old-fashioned politics rather than national security. The president-elect has reacted to mounting pressure to take stronger steps against Russia not only by trying to discredit the intelligence community but also by suggesting that the intense Washington focus on the issue is being driven by political rivals still stung by his electoral victory. This is a political witch hunt, Trump said Friday in an interview with the New York Times ahead of a private briefing from U.S. officials on a classified 50-page report, ordered by President Obama, on Russias role in the election. Trump softened his tone in a written statement after the two-hour meeting at Trump Tower, calling it constructive, but his demeanor this week has suggested that he is unlikely to rein in his attacks or accept the reports findings. The assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign to harm Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and aid Trumps candidacy. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) On Friday, Trump was formally certified as the winner of the election during a final congressional tally of the electoral college votes overseen by Vice President Biden. But Trump and his aides have been wary that reports of Russian hacking could be used by his rivals to cast doubt on the integrity of his victory. In his statement, Trump emphasized that regardless of what happened, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election. The report said officials had not attempted to make an assessment of the impact of Russias actions. Trumps stance has alarmed intelligence officials, who have warned that his disparaging comments risk undermining public confidence in their work both at home and abroad. And Democratic lawmakers have dismissed his claims that there was a political motivation behind the investigation, emphasizing that the goal is to protect Americas democratic institutions. Last week, Obama announced that the United States would expel 35 Russian diplomats and close two Russian compounds as part of a series of punitive actions in response to the hacking. Its not a witch hunt its a search for the truth, said Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.). I think its an important story, and I think we need to get to the bottom of it and explore what all the facts might be. Were talking about messing with the democratic process, messing with the right to vote and messing with our elections. Any investigation would be completely appropriate. Brian Fallon, who served as a campaign spokesman for Clinton, wrote on Twitter that it is seriously weird that Trump has not acknowledged Russias role. Yet Trumps allies rallied around him. In a pair of tweets late Thursday and early Friday, Trump complained that NBC News reported details of the intelligence report before he was briefed and vowed to ask Congress to investigate the leaks. Who gave them this report and why? Trump wrote. Politics! WikiLeaks whose founder, Julian Assange, has said Russia was not responsible for leaking stolen Democratic Party emails that his group made public before the election echoed Trumps charge, accusing the Obama administration and the CIA of illegally funneling top-secret information to NBC for political reasons. NBC reported only on the declassified version of the report. Earlier in the week, Trump claimed that intelligence officials had delayed their briefing for him because, he suggested, they needed more time to build their case a charge that U.S. officials flatly denied. Trump also ridiculed the Democratic National Committee, whose emails were hacked, for having weak cybersecurity defenses while praising the Republican Party for taking more precautions. Late Friday night, Trump repeated that argument, saying in a message on Twitter: Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place.The Republican National Committee had strong defense! He also said Democratic officials should be asked to respond to terrible things they did and said, citing the disclosure among the stolen emails that Clintons campaign had received notice of a CNN debate question ahead of the event. Former CNN analyst Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic operative and Clinton supporter, was revealed as the person who sent the tip. Trump called it a total double standard. The missives have put Republican leaders on Capitol Hill in the difficult spot of trying to navigate a fine line between holding Moscow accountable and not offending the president-elect. On Thursday, at a Senate committee hearing on foreign cyberthreats, several GOP senators deflected attention from the details of Russias hacking to take issue with the medias coverage of the electoral interference and to question why Putin would want Trump to win. In a statement on the intelligence report Friday afternoon, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said it was clear that Russia had meddled, and he strongly condemned any outside interference in our elections. But he added that Trump won the election fair and square and said the nation cannot allow partisans to exploit this report in an attempt to delegitimize the president-elects victory. Trumps criticism of the intelligence assessments including mocking references to flawed analyses of Iraqs weapons cache more than a decade ago has threatened to open an unprecedented rift between the incoming commander in chief and the nations 17 spying agencies. The friction has raised questions about how Trump, who has decided to receive few of the daily intelligence briefings traditionally offered to a president-elect, will engage with intelligence officials once he takes office. At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest declined to respond to Trumps contention that the hacking probe was a witch hunt, saying that Obamas goal in ordering the report was to help devise strategies to prevent future interference and to hold accountable those who were responsible. Obama told a Chicago television station that he hoped that after Trump begins receiving intelligence briefings, some of those current tensions will be reduced. David Weigel contributed to this report. People take their dogs to a dog run in the snow, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in New York. (Mary Altaffer/AP) KENTUCKY GOP lawmakers pass right-to-work bill Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a bill Saturday making it the 27th state to allow workers the right to work in union-represented shops and receive union-negotiated benefits without paying dues to the representing body. Republican lawmakers in a handful of states have passed similar right-to-work and anti-union laws in recent years. Supporters say the measures spur economic growth, while opponents cast the laws as assaults on organized labor and blue-collar workers that limit union revenue. The effort to pass the legislation in Kentucky came two months after Republicans won control of the states General Assembly for the first time since 1921. Republicans control both chambers in the states legislature and the governors office. It is widely expected that Republican Gov. Matt Bevin will sign the bill into law in the coming days. If so, Kentucky will immediately become the 27th state and last Southern state to enact right-to-work legislation. Reuters EAST COAST STORM Heavy snow causes crashes, outages Snow and sleet pounded a large swath of the East Coast on Saturday, coating roads with ice and causing hundreds of crashes. Thousands of people lost power and forecasters warned of blizzard-like conditions from Virginia to parts of the Northeast. Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the Souths biggest cities Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh appeared to avoid the worst of the storm. Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped. A National Weather Service map showed the snowfall seemed to follow the Interstate 85 corridor through North Carolina, with locations along and north of the highway receiving snow, and areas to the south getting rain and sleet. Burlington and Roxboro in central North Carolina received eight inches or more of snow. Preliminary figures from the National Weather Service in Greer, S.C., showed snowfall totals reached up to 10 inches in at least seven locations. Associated Press Princes real estate holdings worth $25.4 million: An inventory of Princes estate submitted to a probate court in Minnesota shows he had acquired tens of millions of dollars worth of real estate and other personal property before he died last year. Prince died April 21 of an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl. He did not leave a will. His estate has been valued at between $100 million and $300 million, before taxes. Carver County District Court records show that an asset inventory by Bremer Trust, the company overseeing the estate, lists a dozen properties in Carver and Hennepin counties, with an estimated value of $25.4 million. La. wildlife agent shot during illegal hunting check: A Louisiana wildlife agent has been hospitalized after being shot multiple times while on patrol. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Tyler Wheeler, 25, of Monroe stopped a vehicle while patrolling in Morehouse Parish about 2 a.m. Saturday. Department officials said in a statement that Wheeler was shot multiple times. He was on a routine check for illegal night hunting when the incident occurred. Louisiana State Police and other authorities are searching for the shooter. Police kill slaying suspect on commuter train: Authorities say a suspect in a Chicago-area slaying was killed Friday night in a police shootout on a Metra commuter train while dozens of other people were aboard. Police say the suspect shot at officers, who retreated and fired back. Officials say about 40 people were on the train when the shootout happened. Manson back in prison after illness: Cult leader Charles Manson is back in a Central California prison after a reported hospital stay for an unspecified medical problem. Manson is serving a life sentence for orchestrating the 1969 murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Southern California. From news services Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) should have been a tough sell in the Senate. President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for attorney general voted to impeach President Bill Clinton, opposed President Obamas Supreme Court nominees and led the opposition to a 2013 bipartisan immigration bill. He was also denied a federal judgeship 30 years ago by the Senate amid allegations that as U.S. attorney he had improperly prosecuted black voting rights activists and used racially intemperate language. But heres something else to know about Sessions: He is one of the more well-liked members of the Senate, a place that still retains elements of one of the worlds most exclusive clubs. He is genial, respectful and patient toward colleagues and staff. And that has given fellow Republicans and even some Democrats reason not to scrutinize the more unsavory allegations of his political history. Take Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine who, under other circumstances, might be a target for Democrats to peel off in hopes of defeating Sessionss nomination. Instead, shes his lead spokeswoman. Sen. Jeff Session ( R-Ala.), President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for attorney general, speaks during a post-election Trump rally in Mobile, Ala., on Dec. 17. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Sessions and Collins may both be Republicans, but otherwise they could not be more different. He is a Methodist who grew up in a small town 100 miles from Alabamas Gulf Coast. She was raised Catholic in tiny Caribou, Maine, less than 20 miles from the Canadian border. He speaks in a lilting twang; she with New England deliberativeness. While Sessions was building a voting record in the Senate as a rock-ribbed conservative, Collins has most often been on the opposite side the leading moderate of her generation who refused to vote for Trump and patterned her career after fellow Mainer Margaret Chase Smith, who made national headlines in the early 1950s by standing up to Joe McCarthy (and was the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate). On Tuesday, Collins will introduce Sessions to the Senate Judiciary Committee with a full-throated endorsement for his nomination as attorney general. Hes a decent individual with a strong commitment to the rule of law. Hes a leader of integrity, Collins said in an interview, dismissing attacks from liberal activists about his conservative views and his actions as a young prosecutor. I think the attacks against him are not well-founded and are unfair. Collinss high-profile endorsement signals the uphill fight Sessionss opponents face in trying to deny his bid to become the nations chief law enforcement officer with the sort of broadside attacks that have become common in confirmation hearings. Despite holding some of the most conservative positions in the Senate, Sessions is a heavy favorite to win confirmation. I genuinely like him, said Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Judiciary Committee. Coons still might vote against Sessions because of the stark differences between the two on policy, but they are friends. This has frustrated the liberal coalition of civil rights groups leading the opposition. In 1986, this same coalition successfully swayed the committee to reject Sessions for a federal judgeship. Rather than slink into retirement, Sessions won a Senate seat in 1996 and has served ever since on the Judiciary Committee, whose members are now tasked with voting on his fitness for office. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post) You should be sitting in that room prepared to learn about this person, who you may have seen running next to you on the treadmill in the Senate gym, who you may have had lunch with, whose family you may even know, but whose record as it relates to the critical issue of civil rights you might not know, Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said Friday during a conference call with coalition members. Democrats arent about to give Sessions a pass. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the former committee chairman, wants to question him about his views on religious freedom based on a committee vote Sessions cast a few years ago. Coons went home for the weekend with a 300-page briefing book on Sessionss record, ranging from civil liberties to his personal financial investments. Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, will be watching questions about the Bush administrations use of enhanced interrogation techniques, which some viewed as torture. But most senators tend to see Sessions in the same way Collins does as a friendly man who never broke his word to them. Many have prayed with him and traveled with him on official overseas trips. Almost no one wants to review the original allegations against him during his 1986 nomination; for the most part, they dont think that he is the racist that some have painted at least not anymore. [Trumps pick for attorney general is shadowed by race and history] I dont know the dynamics of what happened then, but I can speak to Jeffs character in the 20 years that Ive known him, Collins said. The dynamic harks back to that surrounding the late Democratic senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose early career was defined and grievously wounded by the scandal resulting from a car crash on Chappaquiddick in Massachusetts in 1969. Kennedy, who was driving, swam free and left the scene; his 28-year-old female companion died inside the car. Kennedys Senate colleagues found plenty of fodder in his liberal record to use against him during debates, but they never yelled Chappaquiddick! in floor debates or committee rooms. They liked Kennedy; they trusted him. His political opponents chose to fight him on the merits of the moment, not on his long-ago past. One senator who has wanted to focus more on Sessionss past on race is Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chambers only black Republican. I think judging a person on 30-year-old history is questionable. Eliminating or exempting 30-year-old history is probably not wise as well, Scott said. So, making sure that you understand what it actually was and who he is, has been an important part of what Ive tried to do. Scott hosted Sessions in mid-December in North Charleston with activists who peppered him with questions about federal prosecution of a police officer who fatally shot a black man in the back. The attorney generals position has more impact on communities of color than perhaps any other nominee, Scott said, adding that he was still considering the nomination. By and large, senators want to focus on other topics. And theres plenty there to discuss, from how Sessions would handle the deportation of illegal immigrants to allegations that in 1995, while serving as state attorney general, he supported the use of chain gangs for prisoner work. Coons suggested that Sessions had so many staunchly conservative positions in the recent past that there was little need to relitigate the 1980s. He spent an hour with Sessions on Thursday talking about legal philosophy. Coons and Sessions have spent the past six years talking at the Senates weekly Bible study and working out together in the gym. Collins and Sessions have had plenty of debates in public, in closed caucus meetings and at the many dinners of the Senate class of 1996. They were almost always on opposing sides, but she learned to trust his consistency. Collins announced in August that she would not vote for Trump. But when Sessions asked her to introduce him Tuesday usually the task of a home-state colleague Collins happily accepted the role for a friend of 20 years. Hes the same person, she said. Read more from Paul Kanes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. The first page of the Joint Analysis Report by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, released Dec. 29. (Jon Elswick/AP) Russian commentators on Saturday dismissed, with no small amount of derision, the conclusion by U.S. intelligence agencies that President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a campaign to sabotage the American presidential election. Few in Russia have ever accepted the notion that the Kremlin intervened to hurt Hillary Clinton and help President-elect Donald Trump, but the 14-page declassified report, lacking as it was in details, drew instant contempt from Moscows chattering classes. This is one more giant fake, tweeted Alexei Pushkov, a senior Russian legislator and erstwhile pundit. The intelligence agencies report, released Friday, may have come off as a blunt assessment of the Kremlins role in orchestrating a coordinated campaign of cyberattacks and propaganda dumps to an audience in the United States. But in Russia, the view was that the report revealed nothing that Russians hadnt already heard from the Clinton campaign and the White House, which formally accused Russia of interfering in the election in October and later directly accused Putin. And because President Obama already delivered on a promise to punish Russia for the hacks in a set of sanctions at the end of December, some were scratching their heads about the validity of the report. (Video: Peter Stevenson: The Washington Post/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) First the sentence, then the investigation, tweeted Vladimir Solovyov, who hosts a televised weekly review that starts as a talk show and ends up in loud debates. First Obama introduces sanctions against Russia for the hacker attack, and then the special services prepare a report. It smells rotten. Then theres the fact that theres no particular reason anyone in Russia would believe the CIA and other intelligence agencies about anything. A U.S. reader might be willing to take on faith that the assertions in the declassified report were backed with real evidence, along the lines of what has been published by cybersecurity companies such as ThreatConnect and CrowdStrike. But not here. The fact that much of the report focused on the activities of Kremlin-controlled media, such as RT, left Moscow observers unimpressed. It turns out they watched TV and read the Internet. A deep analysis, a commentator on the NTV news station said of the agencies. Putin did not address the report Saturday, which was the Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday. He has repeatedly denied that Russia was responsible for the hacked emails and said at his annual news conference in December that the Democratic Party was blaming Moscow as an attempt to cover for its failure to read the mood of the American electorate. Trump understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him, Putin said, adding with a smile, except for you and me. One misconception about Russia is that because Putin rules like an autocrat, no one here respects Americas democratic institutions. That is untrue, and one senior lawmaker, Leonid Levin, on Saturday expressed surprise in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency that the U.S. system would be at all susceptible to hacking and propaganda. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, left, in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 28, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 23. (Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images) More humiliating for the entire U.S. political system is the actual assertion that a publication of a few facts about one of the parties had become a threat for the 200-year-old American statehood, he said. david.filipov@washpost.com Read more Putin to Democratic Party: You lost, get over it Putin wants revenge and respect, and hacking the U.S. is his way of getting it U.S. hacking charges fail to impress Russians. They just think we hate them. Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Recruits at a graduation ceremony after completing military training provided by U.S. Special Forces in the countryside of Syrias Aleppo province. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post) In a former high school classroom in this northeastern Syrian town, about 250 Arab recruits for the U.S.-backed war against the Islamic State were being prepped by Kurdish instructors to receive military training from American troops. Most of the recruits were from villages surrounding the Islamic States self- proclaimed capital of Raqqa, and the expectation is that they will be deployed to the battle for the predominantly Arab city, which is now the main target of the U.S. military effort in Syria. But first, said the instructors, the recruits must learn and embrace the ideology of Abdullah Ocalan, a Kurdish leader jailed in Turkey whose group is branded a terrorist organization by both Washington and Ankara. The scene in the classroom captured some of the complexity of the U.S.-backed fight against the Islamic State in Syria, where a Kurdish movement that subscribes to an ideology at odds with stated U.S. policy has become Americas closest ally against the extremists. The Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, is the military wing of a political movement that has been governing northeastern Syria for the past 4 1 / 2 years, seeking to apply the Marxist-inspired visions of Ocalan to the majority Kurdish areas vacated by the Syrian government during the war. Over the past two years, the YPG has forged an increasingly close relationship with the United States, steadily capturing land from the Islamic State with the help of U.S. airstrikes, military assistance and hundreds of U.S. military advisers. The gains have taken Kurdish fighters far beyond traditionally Kurdish areas into territory populated overwhelmingly by Arabs, threatening not only to stir up long-standing ethnic rivalries but also a wider conflict. [10 new wars that could be unleashed as a result of the one against ISIS] Turkey, which regards the YPG as an affiliate of Ocalans Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is enraged at the U.S. support for the Syrian Kurds, and this month called on President-elect Donald Trump to sever U.S. support for the militia when he takes office. As Russia, Syria and Turkey move closer toward a settlement to the overall Syrian conflict, the United States could also find itself at odds with Russia over its military role in Syria. To assuage Turkish concerns and avert tensions between Arabs and Kurds, the U.S. military is channeling weapons and ammunition to an umbrella organization called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Arab fighters as well as the Kurds. The goal, the U.S. military says, is to build an Arab force capable of taking and holding Arab cities such as Raqqa, thereby diluting the influence of the Kurdish fighters. U.S. officials and military advisers in Syria declined to discuss details of the training being provided to the Arabs in the force. But they said they were unaware that the Arab recruits were receiving lessons in Kurdish political theory before their U.S. military training. What happens to them before they come to us, we dont know, said one of the U.S. military advisers in Syria, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified by name or rank. Manbij Military Council recruits graduate after completing U.S. military training. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post) U.S. officials acknowledge, however, that the Kurds constitute more than three-quarters of the SDF coalition and are leading the fight on the front lines, making them the biggest beneficiary of U.S. military assistance. And it is the Kurdish vision of a future Syria that is being extended to the Arab areas that are being conquered, despite frequent statements issued by the U.S. government opposing the Kurds plans to create any form of new region in Syria. The military support has boosted the YPGs confidence to move beyond Kurdish populated areas and grow their ambitions even beyond Syria, said Maria Fantappie of the International Crisis Group. It has huge political implications not only for Syria but also for neighboring countries. Democratic confederalism [ISIS has been a catastrophe for Sunnis in Syria and Iraq] On a rare visit by foreign journalists to northern Syria, Kurds were eager to explain Ocalans political theory, a mix of Marxism and the utopian dreams of a dead American leftist from Vermont named Murray Bookchin. It seeks to abolish states and eliminate the need for governments by putting communities in charge of their own affairs. Referred to somewhat vaguely as democratic confederalism or the democratic nation, the theory places a heavy emphasis on egalitarianism, womens rights and being kind to animals. SDF recruits read a book written by Abdullah Ocalan outside the school where they attend classes on ideology before going through military training. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post) Originally envisaged by Ocalan as a way of achieving a form of autonomy for Turkish Kurds, who have historically faced severe discrimination by the Turkish government, the theories are now being adapted to the circumstances in Syria, with its diverse mix of Arabs, Kurds, Christians, Alawites, Turkmen and others. Far from seeking to redraw borders to give Kurds their own entity, along the lines of the region carved out by Kurds in neighboring Iraq, the Syrian Kurds are seeking to apply Ocalans vision of a borderless world to all of Syria and beyond, said Nusrat Amed Xelil, who oversees the ideological training of the Arab recruits. We dont want confederalism just for Kurds, but for all Syria, and even all of the Middle East, he said. We dont recognize geographical borders between this area and that. There is no state In the classroom in Tal Abyad, a majority Arab town on the Turkish border that was recaptured from the Islamic State in 2015, Kurdish instructor Agit Ibrahim Heso fielded questions from the slightly puzzled young Arab men, dressed in new green uniforms and seated at desks. What is the role of the state in the democratic nation? one recruit asked. There is no state, Heso replied. The state is an instrument of oppression. Whats the difference between democratic nation and the slogans of the Baath Party? asked another recruit, referring to the party of President Bashar al- Assad that has ruled Syria for the past four decades. The difference, the instructor explained, is that the Baath Party favors Arabs, whereas Ocalans theories apply to all ethnic and religious groups. In interviews after the class, the men said they were happy to embrace the YPGs ideology. It is like having a democratic mother who does not discriminate against her children, said Louay Shammari, who escaped from an Islamic State-controlled town in Raqqa province last summer. If we did not agree, we would not be in training now. We have to learn it, added Mussab Issa Sheikh, who is also from the Raqqa area. A large, faded portrait of Abdullah Ocalan is posted at the southern entrance of Tal Abyad. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post) Analysts and YPG opponents question how democratic or egalitarian the groups ideology really is. Dissent is not tolerated. Photos of Ocalan loom over town squares and in public offices, much in the way Assads portrait dominates areas the government controls. Though elected councils are administering day-to-day affairs in local communities, real power is wielded by shadowy military commanders who have fought with the PKK in Turkey, said Rana Khalaf, author of a report on the Syrian Kurds governance for the London-based Chatham House think tank. In practice, they are as authoritarian as anyone else, she said. Kurds who support Kurdish parties that are opposed to the YPG have been jailed or driven into exile. Those being targeted by the YPG also include people who support the mainstream Syrian opposition, according to an activist from the Arab town of Manbij, which was captured by the YPG and SDF last August. The activist has campaigned against both the Islamic State and the YPG, and the Kurdish militia wants him to turn himself in, he said. As a pressure tactic, the group is holding his brother, who is not politically involved, said the activist, who lives elsewhere in Syria and spoke on the condition of anonymity because he fears for his brothers safety. Potential contradictions Two young Arab members of the YPG say they joined the group when their hometown, Manbij, was recaptured from the Islamic State. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post) Manbij offers an illustration of the potential contradictions of the U.S. alliance with the Syrian Kurds. The town, located in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, is held out by the U.S. military as an example of a successful handover of power by Kurds to Arabs after an area is freed from Islamic State control. But the Arabs who run Manbij are adherents of the YPGs ideology, making them indistinguishable in Turkeys eyes and in the eyes of local residents from the Kurdish force, according to Aaron Stein of the Washington-based Atlantic Council. The YPG-backed Arab force in Manbij has already fought battles with Turkish-backed Arab rebels in the nearby countryside, and Turkey is threatening to launch an offensive to take over the town. At a recent ceremony for 250 Arab recruits who had just completed training with the U.S. military near Manbij, the newly minted soldiers were told they would be heading not to the Raqqa front lines but to Aleppo, to confront the rebels backed by Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States. As U.S. Special Operations troops looked on, Abu Amjad al-Adnan, commander of the Manbij recruits, rallied the soldiers to take the fight to the forces backed by terrorist Turkey. U.S. advisers are also present on the ground with the Turkish-backed rebels in Syria, setting up a scenario in which U.S. Special Operations forces embedded with opposing sides could confront one another. We have taken prisoners who were trained by the United States, and the Turks have prisoners of ours who were also trained by the United States, said Abu Amjad, who keeps a photograph of Ocalan as the screen saver on his phone. Read more On the front lines of the fight for the Islamic State capital of Raqqa U.S. is trapped between its allies ambitions in Syria Trumps administration could upend the Middle East Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Samir Abdo looks at photos of his 10-year-old granddaughter, Maggie Moamen Magdy, who was killed in the suicide attack in Cairo last month. Maggie was the youngest victim to die in the attack. (Sudarsan Raghavan/The Washington Post) The couple didnt buy a Christmas tree. Nor did they place any festive balloons and ornaments inside their modest apartment, as theyve done for decades. On Friday night, when they and other Orthodox Coptic Christians celebrated Christmas Eve, they attended a somber service at a local church. It was not at the church where their 10-year-old granddaughter, Maggie, died in a suicide bombing last month. There is no Christmas for us, said Samir Abdo, his eyes welling up with tears, as his wife sat next to him, visibly anguished. The moment Maggie was taken to the hospital, the clock just stopped. This weekend, millions of Coptic Christians across Egypt are celebrating Christmas, attending Christmas Eve Mass on Friday and joining gatherings of friends and family. But last months attack on St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral complex in Cairo that killed more than two dozen worshipers, as well as stoked fears for the future, cast a shadow over the Christian community during what is normally its most festive season. At services across the nation, amid tightened security, the focus was on prayers for the victims and their attackers. 1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See photos after a bomb explodes at a Cairo church View Photos An explosion ripped through Cairos Coptic cathedral complex, killing at least 25 people and injuring 49, Egypts health ministry said. Activists and mourners gathered outside the church in protest. Caption An explosion ripped through Cairos Coptic cathedral complex, killing at least 25 people and injuring 49, Egypts health ministry said. Activists and mourners gathered outside the church in protest. Dec. 11, 2016 Police special forces stand guard to secure the area around the St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral complex after an explosion there Sunday in Cairo. Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. I will tell the people at my church to pray for those who attack them, Bishop Makarios, the head of the Coptic diocese in Minya province, south of Cairo, said in an interview last week. To love thy enemies, to forgive, and to pray to God to extract evil and darkness from their hearts, not just for the sake of Christians, but all of Egypt. The Dec. 11 attack inside the 100-year-old Botrosiya Church, also known as the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, initially killed 25 people and injured 49. It was the deadliest attack on Egypts Christian minority in recent years. The Islamic State claimed responsibility, saying it had dispatched a suicide bomber during Sunday Mass at the church, located inside St. Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral complex, the seat of the Coptic papacy. The group vowed to stage more attacks against Christians. By last week, the death toll had risen to 28, church officials said. Many victims remain hospitalized struggling to overcome serious injuries. Egypts Interior Ministry said last week that police had arrested four suspects in connection to the bombing. Egypts Christians make up 10 percent of the countrys 94 million people and are the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Under the Coptic calendar, the birth of Jesus Christ falls on Jan. 7, when Christmas is also celebrated in Eastern Orthodox nations such as Russia. For decades, Egypts Christians have felt besieged by successive regimes that have restricted their ability to practice their religion. Attacks against the community have risen since the Arab Spring revolutions that ousted President Hosni Mubarak nearly six years ago. The assaults have added pressure on President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, whose rise many Christians supported in the hope that his government would protect their community. Egyptian Coptic Christian religious leader Pope Tawadros II leads Christmas celebration at the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo on January 6, 2017. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images) We received a lot of threats after the bombing, at different churches all over Egypt, said Makarios. But the security apparatus is following up, investigating, and tightening security measures. On Saturday, Abdo and his wife, Kamelya Naseem, greeted well-wishers at their apartment who had come to comfort and console them. Later, they went to their daughters home Maggies mother which was filled with friends, neighbors, and strangers who had come to support the family. The priest told us that we should not fear, and that life in heaven is better and more rewarding than life on earth, said Samir, referring to the Christmas Eve service. In an interview at their apartment last week, he recalled how Maggie Moamen Magdys life was rewarding in so many ways. She was the youngest victim of the attacks, and yet her short life was filled with accomplishments. She was the captain of the schools volleyball team and had performed in five school plays, including one at Cairos Opera House, her grandfather said. The week before the bombing, Maggie had played the role of Mosess sister in a school play. She had been seriously injured in the blast, bleeding internally. She spent 10 days on a life support machine. When I took her for an X-ray, I couldnt look at her, Abdo said. How could one so vibrant and so animated lie on the bed so motionless? At her funeral, her distraught mother asked everyone to wear white, because black would have made her more depressed. On Saturday, Qelliny Farag spent Christmas Day at the hospital, seated by the bed of his wife, Samira. Her face was partially bandaged, covering the right side. Her jaw was broken, and she was blind in her right eye. She had difficulty breathing. Samira has been at the hospital since the bombing and has gone through two operations, and is facing a third. And if thats successful, shes scheduled to receive more treatment in Germany. On the day of the bombing, Farag was also in the church. He spent hours looking for his wife, finding her in the intensive care unit. Since then, hes spent every day with her, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. I cannot leave her, he said in an interview last week. All my life shes been kind and good to me, comforting me, even when Ive done wrong. He, too, didnt buy a Christmas tree this year. Who would I buy it for? Farag said. I will be with her in the hospital. That will be our Christmas. Like most Christians, hes concerned about the future. He expects more attacks against the community. But also said he has no plans to leave his home, even if he had the opportunity. He noted recent terrorist attacks in Turkey, Germany and France. It will just keep happening anywhere, Farag said. The Islamic State blasts churches, mosques, night clubs. Where can we go? What he and other Christians hope for is that the barricades and increased security personnel at churches not get removed as the government has done in the past following other attacks on Christians. The most important thing is that these measures dont last only for a couple of months, Naseem, Abdos wife, said. As her husband spoke about his granddaughter, how she wanted to become a famous actress or a professor like her mother, he broke down, crying uncontrollably. So did his wife. In front of them, were dozens of blown-up photos of Maggie in the school play, in a pretty dress, at a volleyball practice. There were also newspaper clippings, as virtually every media outlet in the country covered her life. In death, Maggie had become famous. What was her fault? What was her sin? Abdo said. Why would this happen to a 10-year-old? Read more Ousted after the Arab Spring, a former dictator is back The latest casualty of Yemens war? A small but vital middle class. Sometimes the baby dies, sometimes the mother: Life and death in Yemens hospitals Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Jeff Sessions (R-Ala) has been dubbed by a newsmagazine as the Senates anti-immigration warrior, based largely on his successful opposition to any legislative efforts to reform the U.S. immigration system. (Molly Riley/AP) As a senator from Alabama, Jeff Sessions has vigorously opposed any efforts to reform the U.S. immigration system in ways that might benefit those in the country illegally. He has advocated tempering even legal immigration, fearful that people from other countries might take Americans jobs. Sessions (R), President-elect Donald Trumps pick to be the next attorney general, will face no shortage of questions at his confirmation hearing starting Tuesday about his alleged past racist comments, his prosecution of civil rights activists, and his views on voting rights and same-sex marriage. But civil liberties advocates say Sessionss views on immigration concern them just as much because of the role the Justice Department plays in dealing with those who come to the United States from other countries, and because of the constitutionally questionable policies Trump has suggested that Sessionss Justice Department would likely implement. I think its disturbing to contemplate what he would do as attorney general, said Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project. Trump has proposed establishing a registry of Muslims and imposing a ban on their immigration to the United States. Sessionss Justice Department could try to offer him legal footing to do so, and then defend those policies from the legal challenges they are certain to face. [Trump on the future of proposed Muslim ban, registry: You know my plans] (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) Karen Tumlin, legal director of the National Immigration Law Center, said she fears that Sessions might even not feel it was a responsibility of the Justice Department to protect the civil rights of Muslim Americans in this country. Its not because we quibble on policy, she said of why she does not support Sessionss nomination. Its because I quibble with the nations top lawyer not protecting equality in our country. Sessions proposed as a senator a bill that would impose a five-year mandatory minimum prison term on those found to have re-entered the country illegally. Advocates fear he might now direct prosecutors to bring such cases more vigorously, and seek stiffer penalties. In fiscal year 2015, the average sentence for such an offense was just 16 months, according to data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The Trump administration has suggested it will rescind President Obamas executive action that allows people who came to the United States as children to receive work permits and a reprieve from possible deportation. Advocates fear Sessions might use those peoples information now to deport them. The National Immigration Law Center has advised those who do not use the program to not apply for it, because that would give authorities information on those in the country without proper documentation. Many people, of course, would support a crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump, whose views mirror those of Sessions, was notably endorsed by the unions representing Americas Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Our officers come into daily contact with many of the most dangerous people in the world cartel members, gang members, weapons traffickers, murder suspects, drug dealers, suspects of violent assault yet ICE Officers are unable to arrest or are forced to release many of the most dangerous back into U.S. communities due to unscrupulous political agendas and corrupt leaders, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement union said in a statement on the Trump website. Sessionss position on the topic also is no secret. Politico last year dubbed Sessions the Senates anti-immigration warrior, based largely on his successful opposition to any legislative efforts to reform the immigration system. Peter Nunez, a former U.S. attorney in the Southern District of California who now serves as chairman of the board for the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates reducing immigration levels, said Sessions has from his days as a federal prosecutor been shocked and appalled by the border security problems. Nunez said he hopes Sessions will not just crack down on illegal reentry, but prosecute employers who give jobs to illegal immigrants. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Based on his record in the Senate, and based on what the president-elect has said, I would take it that he is going to do his best to increase and improve border enforcement, Nunez said. Sessions has opposed even those in his own party. In 2007, for example, he spoke out on the Senate floor against a George W. Bush-backed bill that would have offered legal status to millions and improved border security, drawing on his experience as a federal prosecutor as he urged fellow legislators to vote down the measure. I dont think theres any other person in this body that has personally prosecuted an immigration case but this senator, he said, gesturing to himself. I have done that years ago. I just say that Im familiar with the process. Im familiar with the system and the difficulties, how overwhelmed it has been, and why it is not working. The case, according to another Sessions speech, occurred when he was an assistant U.S. attorney and involved stowaways on a ship. The immigration reform bill ultimately died, and when the Senate again took up the issue with a bipartisan bill in 2013, Sessions again led the charge to kill it. Armand DeKeyser, Sessionss former chief of staff, said Sessionss views on immigration seemed to have originated in the late 1990s, when he went on a listening tour of his home state. Several city police chiefs and county sheriffs noted that the U.S. Border Patrol was filling their jails with undocumented Mexican immigrants, and they wanted to know how they would be reimbursed for the upkeep. [10 things to know about Sen. Jeff Sessions, Donald Trumps pick for attorney general] We were not aware of this problem until then, said DeKeyser, who also worked for Sessions when he was U.S. attorney and state attorney general. We didnt have any idea it was that big a problem. We were surprised at the numbers. In the years that followed his listening tour, Sessions came to believe that the undocumented immigrants in rural Alabama were taking the jobs of other residents. He advocated against even legal immigration, arguing that anyone coming to the United States should benefit the citizens already here. What sense does it make to continue importing millions of low-wage workers to fill jobs while sustaining millions of current residents on welfare? he wrote in a 2015 memo called the Immigration Handbook for the New Republican Majority. Indeed, the same companies demanding a large boost in foreign labor are laying off American workers en masse. At a 2006 congressional hearing, Sessions pushed the controversial position that an entire group of people wouldnt thrive in America. Fundamentally, almost no one coming from the Dominican Republic to the United States is coming because they have a skill that would benefit us and would indicate their likely success in our society, he said. Not unlike the man who wants him to serve as attorney general, Sessions seems to take a populist view of immigration reform. In a 2007 speech, he derided his colleagues who conceived of the immigration reform bill as masters of the universe, alleging they secretly hatched a plan that did not take into account the view of those actually working to deal with illegal immigrants. They didnt invite anybody from the border patrol in there thats actually working the borders or agents from ICE, Sessions said. They had, of course, direct and regular contact with big business. They had direct and regular contact with special advocacy groups who had their lists of demands they had to do. Sessions has declined to be interviewed for stories about issues that could come up at his confirmation hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report. Correction: An earlier version of this report misspelled the name of Armand DeKeyser, Sen. Jeff Sessionss former chief of staff. Read more: Trumps pick for attorney general is shadowed by race and history President Trumps Justice Dept. could see less scrutiny of police, more surveillance of Muslims US President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to dramatically intensify Washingtons confrontation with Beijing across the boarddiplomatically, economically and militarilythrough reckless measures that risk trade war and war. His bellicose economic threats against China during the election campaign have been followed by a series of provocative tweets that have exacerbated tensions with Beijing over some of the worlds most dangerous flashpointsTaiwan, the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea. Trumps belligerent anti-China stance is bound up with the intense conflict within the US state apparatus and political establishment over the future direction of foreign and military policy. After suffering debacles in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, the question raging in ruling circles is how to use Americas residual military might to ensure its global hegemony, and against which of its major rivalsRussia or China? One faction is exploiting unsubstantiated allegations that Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the presidential election in Trumps favour to greatly inflate the threat posed by Moscow and undermine the president-elect. Trump, however, speaks for a layer of the corporate, political and military elites who regard Chinas rise to the worlds second largest economy as a greater danger to US interests. As he prepared to meet with top US intelligence officials yesterday, Trump once again played down allegations of Russian hacking and instead shifted the focus to China. China, relatively recently, hacked 20 million government names, he told the New York Times, referring to the alleged breach of the US Office of Personnel Management computers two years ago. How come nobody even talks about that? This is a political witchhunt. Despite the intensity of the infighting, the divisions are tactical. Trumps America First jingoism makes clear that his administration will tolerate no challenge to US power from any rivals, including Russia. Trump has already signaled his intention, on his first day in office, to end US involvement in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)the principal economic weapon of the Obama administrations pivot to Asia aimed at subordinating China to US interests. The purpose of tearing up the TPP, however, is to make way for far more aggressive trade measures. Trump has threatened to brand China as a currency manipulator and to impose tariffs of up to 45 percent on Chinese goods. Trump has appointed a gang of anti-China hawks and economic nationalists to implement trade policy, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Robert Lighthizer as US trade secretary and Peter Navarro to head a new National Trade Council in the White House. Current US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker told the Financial Times yesterday that senior Chinese officials have told her Beijing would retaliate against US tariffs. She warned there was a fine line between being tough and a trade war. Trumps trade war threats are a desperate attempt to reverse Americas economic decline. Ideologues like Ross, Navarro and Lighthizer accuse China of trading unfairly and stealing US jobs. Chinas share of global goods exports has increased three-fold since it joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001, while the US share has declined by 30 percent. This dramatic shift, however, is driven by Chinas emergence as the worlds largest manufacturing hub, above all for global transnationals, including many of Americas largest corporations. While accusing Beijing of breaking trade rules, Trump is prepared to initiate punitive action against China, whether it conforms with the WTO framework or not. The eruption of trade war between the US and China would reverberate throughout the global economy, drawing in other countries with a stake in China and impacting severely on world trade. No longer having the economic muscle to lay down the international trade rules, the US has already begun a dramatic military buildup in Asia to assert its dominance, even if that leads to war with China. Trump and his advisors have not criticised the objective of Obamas pivot, but rather its ineffectiveness. They advocate more aggressive methods. Trump has pledged to expand the US Army by 90,000 personnel and the Navy by 40 ships to 350. The naval expansion is above all aimed against China, with Trump advisor Rudy Giuliani boasting in November: At 350, China cant match us in the Pacific. Trump has already made clear that North Korea will be at the top of the foreign policy agenda. Earlier this week, he responded to an announcement by North Korea that it was preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching continental America by flatly declaring: It wont happen. He followed with a second tweet criticising China for its failure to help with North Koreain other words, to economically bully Pyongyang to meet US demands to dismantle its nuclear arsenal. By threatening unspecified action against North Korea, Trump is also putting Pyongyangs only ally, China, on notice. More fundamentally, Trump has threatened to tear up the entire basis for US-Chinese relations since 1979the One China policy, under which Washington recognised Beijing as the sole legitimate ruler of all China, including Taiwan. He incensed the Chinese regime when he took a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen last month, the first direct contact between US and Taiwanese leaders for nearly four decades. As he declared that he would not feel bound by the One China policy, Trump lashed out at Beijing not only over trade and North Korea, but also for building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea, which they shouldnt be doing. His remark signals that he will confront China more aggressively in the South China Sea, where the Obama administration has already risked naval clashes by sending US warships into territorial waters claimed by China on so-called freedom of navigation operations. If there were any doubt that he is preparing for war, Trumps tweet prior to Christmas that the US must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear [weapons] capacity is a chilling warning of his reckless and militarist intentions. The logic of the trade war that Trump and his advisors advocate is the inexorable slide toward war between nuclear-armed powers. The only social force capable of halting the drive to war is the international working class, unified on the basis of a socialist perspective to put an end to the social order that gives rise to warcapitalism and its outmoded division of the world into rival nation states. Photo: Getty Images A New York Police Department captain is in the hot seat after making a public statement regarding the issue of date rape. Essentially, the officer downplayed a series of recent sexual assaults. The department and Mayor Bill de Blasio are distancing themselves from the chatter. Capt. Peter Rose, who oversees the 94th Precinct, sat down with DNAinfo New York regarding the rise of rape crimes in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. According to the website, sexual assaults have spiked by 62 percent in the neighborhood, but Rose seemingly dismissed the cases as something he and other officers are not too worried about. Theyre not total-abomination rapes where strangers are being dragged off the streets, Rose said. If theres a true stranger rape, a random guy picks up a stranger off the street, those are the troubling ones. That person has, like, no moral standards. In his conversation with DNAinfo, Rose added that the rise in rape cases is not a trend that were too worried about, which has some calling for him to step down from his precinct post. The mayors office has stated that it does not support Roses comments. An official close to Rose said that the captain is mortified by the attention the matter has attracted and said that his statements were misheard. Womens rights groups and other related organizations have banded together in their vocal criticism of Roses comments. New Jersey Mom Gets 30-Year Sentence for 1991 Murder of 5-Year-Old Son She Claimed Disappeared at a Carnival A 49-year-old Florida woman, convicted in May of the 1991 murder of her 5-year-old son, was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison in New Jersey, PEOPLE confirms. Investigators had long suspected Michelle Lodzinski was responsible for her son Timmy Wiltseys homicide, but for years, they lacked the evidence to file formal charges against her. That all changed in 2014, after detectives were able to establish a link between Lodzinski and a childs blanket, which was found not far from Timmys remains in 1992. Initially, Lodzinski told police she did not recognize the blanket. But several relatives later confirmed having seen the blanket in her home while they babysat Timmy. Lodzinski herself reported Timmy missing on May 25, 1991. She told police he vanished as the two attended a carnival in Sayreville, New Jersey. Lodzinski first told authorities he disappeared when she went to get a soda, and had long denied she was involved in his death. In subsequent interviews with law enforcement officials, Lodzinski, then a 23-year-old single mom, gave police several conflicting stories about his disappearance, raising detectives suspicions. Hundreds of volunteers spent days searching for the child. 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. Eleven months after he disappeared, Timmys remains were found in a swampy creek in Edison, New Jersey, near the fulfillment center where Lodzinski once worked. Lodzinski eventually moved to Minnesota and then to Florida, settling in Port St. Lucie in 2003 and working as a paralegal for a law firm. A statement from Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey expressed disappointment in the sentence. Despite her efforts to conceal one of the most notorious crimes in the history of Middlesex County by killing her son, dumping his remains in a swamp, falsely claiming he was abducted by strangers, and spearheading a desperate search for a child she knew was already dead, Michelle Lodzinski was sentenced to the minimum sentence permitted under the law, the statement read. Story continues 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. Prosecutors had asked for a life sentence, according to Careys statement. Carey notes in his statement that Lodzinski, who had pleaded not guilty, showed no remorse for the death of her child and declined to address the court before the sentence was imposed. Judge Nieves reduced Lodzinskis term by 884 days time shes already spent in custody making her parole-eligible after serving 27 years and five months behind bars. Jurors convicted Lodzinski after four hours of deliberations, capping an eight-week trial. Lodzinskis attorney could not be reached for comment. Tilikum, the killer whale that was profiled in the 2013 documentary Blackfish, has died. SeaWorld announced the news in an online statement, saying that a cause of death had yet to be determined, but Tilikum, who was believed to be about 36 years old, had been suffering from a persistent bacterial lung infection. In 2010, Tilikum sparked a nationwide conversation about the ethics of keeping orcas in captivity after he killed SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau, pulling her into the pool after an orca show. He was also involved in the 1991 death of a trainer at Sealand of the Pacific in Canada and the 1999 death of a man who apparently sneaked into SeaWorld. Tilikum was captured off the coast of Iceland in 1983, when he was 2 years old, and brought to Sealand of the Pacific. He came to SeaWorld in 1992, and in 2013, he was the subject of Gabriela Cowperthwaites documentary Blackfish, which examined the consequences of keeping orcas in captivity. Tilikum had, and will continue to have, a special place in the hearts of the SeaWorld family, as well as the millions of people all over the world that he inspired, SeaWorld president and CEO Joel Manby said in a statement. My heart goes out to our team who cared for him like family. In all, SeaWorld now has 22 orcas at its parks in Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego. In 2015, the company announced that it would phase out its orca show in San Diego, and in March of last year, SeaWorld ended its captive breeding of orcas. As a result, SeaWorlds current killer whales will be the last generation to live in SeaWorld facilities. Donald Trump Pouts on Twitter That CNN Chose the Worst Photo of Him for Cover of New Book Remember when Donald Trump said that we will build a great wall along the southern border and Mexico will pay for the wall? Well, turns out its a bit more complicated. Although the president-elect uttered that promise numerous times during his presidential campaign, including at an Aug. 31 rally in Phoenix, Arizona, the 70-year-old clarified things a bit on Friday when he tweeted that Americans will actually have to dole out the cash for the border wall and wait for Mexico to reimburse them. In an early morning tweet on Friday targeted to the dishonest media, Trump explained that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed) will be paid back by Mexico later! The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js He appeared to be responding to headlines Thursday that his administration would seek taxpayer funding for the project, signaling to congressional Republican leaders that they could use the appropriations process to fund the wall. Trumps team and Republican leaders are reportedly asking Congress for new money that could put into effect a law that was signed by President George W. Bush in 2006. Though it was never implemented, the law had authorized the construction of a 700 mile-plus physical barrier on the southern border, CNN reported. The appropriations process could begin as soon as April, House Republican officials told CNN. .@RepChrisCollins: "Donald Trump has all the cards he needs to play" to make sure Mexico reimburses US for wall. https://t.co/KWKyfXf15a New Day (@NewDay) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Story continues New York Rep. Chris Collins, a congressional liaison for the Trump transition team, told CNNs New Day that while American taxpayers would pay for the wall out of their pockets, Trump would get the money back. Of course we have to pay the bills, were building the wall, he said. Ultimately though thats a negotiation the president will have with Mexico to determine whether or not they will reimburse us. But I can tell you the mood of Congress is, regardless of what we do, we need to secure our borders and the wall is part of it. When you understand that Mexicos economy is dependent upon U.S. consumers, Donald Trump has all the cards he needs to play, he added. On the trade negotiation side, I dont think its that difficult for Donald Trump to convince Mexico that its in their best interest to reimburse us for building the wall. Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway stood by Trump during her appearance on Fox & Friends Friday, saying the president-elect is not going back on his promise. He is going to build that wall, and Mexico is going to pay for it, she said. That has not changed. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto said during Trumps campaign that his country had no intention of paying for the wall. Trump said he and the Mexican president never discussed the matter during their Aug. 31 meeting. A Colorado mail carrier recently delivered something super special to a struggling dog on his route: quality of life. Jeff Kramer from Boulder, Colorado, built Tashi the 14-year-old black Lab a ramp so he can easily get in and out of his house. The pair met a few years ago, according to the Daily Camera, though things were a bit different then. As fast as he could which was not very fast he ran up to me tail wagging, first day I met him, Kramer recalled. Hes just a really friendly dog. And I am a dog person, and they can tell. Kramer made time for the daily greetings, which would prompt Tashi to come outside and socialize. As the years passed though, the dog slowed in pace. We were literally carrying him up and down the stairs, the canines owner, Karen Dimetrosky, said. And he weighs about 70 pounds. The mail carrier noticed and decided to do something about it. According to the Daily Camera, Kramer had built a ramp for his own elderly pooch, which had been sitting in his backyard since the dog died a few years ago. I just noticed they needed it, Kramer said of the ramp. I didnt need it anymore and I hate throwing things away. Not only did he give Tashi the ramp, but he installed it himself on his day off. Its incredible, said Dimetrosky. I cant imagine not having the ramp now. Its the only way gets in and out. Kramer was happy to do such a nice thing for a dog that he told the Daily Camera was one of his favorites. Ive got about 30 or 40 that enthusiastically greet me, Kramer said. Then Ive got three or four that enthusiastically want to eat me. No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results MEXICO CITY (AP) Authorities say two men have been shot to death on a beach in Mexico's once-glamorous Pacific coast resort of Acapulco. The two were shot several times Friday, apparently with pistols. Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez said the victims did not appear to be tourists. Killings occur frequently in the poorer neighborhoods of Acapulco, but seldom on the city's beaches. The beach in question is mainly used by local residents, not foreign tourists. The most recent spate of beach killings was in early 2016, when two people were shot dead on a nearby stretch of beach, and a vendor was fatally shot by a man who then escaped on a Jet Ski. PureWow There was a small royal family reunion last night and theres a brand-new portrait to prove it. Yesterday evening, King Charles and and Queen Consort Camilla hosted a reception dinner to celebrate the sporting athletes who won the gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo and 2022 Beijing Winter Games. ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images And other royal family members decided to join in on the party: Prince Edward (the Earl of Wessex), Princess Anne (the Princess Royal and Charless sist Accra (AFP) - Nana Akufo-Addo was sworn in as Ghana's new president on Saturday, promising to stamp out government corruption and kickstart the private sector. The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer took the oath of office at a ceremony in Independence Square in the capital Accra in front of more than 6,000 guests and a roaring crowd. Wearing a traditional robe draped over one shoulder, Akufo-Addo waved a gold sword -- a symbol of Ghana's presidency -- before giving his inaugural address as head of state. "We no longer have any excuses for being poor," Akufo-Addo said. "We must restore integrity in public life. State coffers are not spoils for the party that wins an election, but resources for the country's social and economic development," Akufo-Addo said. The new president underlined his campaign promise to support entrepreneurs and attract investors to the country, which has suffered from lacklustre growth in recent years. "We will reduce taxes to recover the momentum of our economy," Akufo-Addo said. "Ghana is open for business again." Eleven African heads of state attended the ceremony, as well as the outgoing president John Dramani Mahama, and former leaders John Rawlings and John Kufuor. Accra police enforced tight security during the inauguration, with major roads in and around the venue cordoned off. Traders set up stalls nearby hoping to cash in on the ceremony by selling Ghana flags and white, red and blue paraphernalia from Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party. Akufo-Addo's electoral victory -- and the peaceful transition of power -- cemented Ghana's position as a beacon of stability in an often turbulent region. - 'Gold standard for democracy' - One international observer described the West African country as a "gold standard for democracy in Africa". The new president told AFP that after smooth handovers of power in his home country and places such as Nigeria, leaders wanting to stay in office at all costs were "fighting the tide of history". Story continues In Nigeria -- known for contested elections and their violent aftermath -- Goodluck Jonathan made an unprecedented concession to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. But in the week of Akufo-Addo's election, beaten president Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia promised to challenge the results of elections that he had previously accepted. Elsewhere on the continent, there are numerous examples of leaders wanting to amend the constitution to ensure more years in power. Buhari and other African leaders will meet for talks after the inauguration to discuss the crisis in The Gambia caused by Jammeh's refusal to step down. "A major decision on the impasse is expected to be taken at that all-important meeting," Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu told reporters in Abuja. "President Buhari is the chief mediator in the crisis and he is committed to ensuring that the logjam is resolved." Akufo-Addo has vowed to put Ghana "back on the path of progress and prosperity" after an economic slump under Mahama that led to an International Monetary Fund bail-out. This week Mahama defended his record, saying his government had been up against "strong headwinds" that caused growth to slow, public sector debt to rise and the cedi currency to fall. But the 58-year-old encouraged Ghanaians to get behind Akufo-Addo and on Wednesday showed his successor round the seat of government, Flagstaff House, in Accra. amazon alexa lg refrigerator smart fridge Amazon's Alexa, the personal assistant that launched with the Amazon Echo smart speaker, completely dominated this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Just ask anyone: "Alexa Just Conquered CES. The World Is Next," read one Wired headline. CNBC, the BBC, MIT Technology Review, and many others all had equally laudatory reports. Companies like Ford, Huawei, LG, as well as a long parade of startups, all unveiled home appliances, phones, cars, and more gadgets with Alexa integration. It's a reflection of the sheer power that Amazon is starting to wield in the nascent smart home market, as a growing number of people come to rely on their Echo devices to run their homes and to automate their lives. The market for the Echo is still small compared to smartphones, but it's growing fast. Google already has the Google Home, its own voice-enabled speaker, designed to compete with the Amazon Echo. Microsoft partnered with Harmon to bring its Cortana virtual assistant to a smart speaker. Even Apple is rumored to be working on a dedicated Siri speaker. But so far Amazon is the smart speaker to beat, with an early start and plenty of buzz. Amazon Echo More importantly though, the rise of the Echo heralds a changing tech landscape that could spell big trouble for Google. No matter how many Google Home devices the search giant sells, Google will be playing on a field that's tilted in Amazon's favor. The rise of Alexa A big part of Amazon's early success with Alexa is due to the fact that the company didn't oversell it. After years of iPhone users getting let down by Siri, the first truly mainstream voice agent, Amazon billed the Echo as a speaker that, by the way, has a few smart voice commands built in. Then, just as people got accustomed to the idea of talking to Alexa, and positive word of mouth spread, Amazon added more capabilities. Alexa now boasts thousands of "skills" that allow it to connect with apps like Uber, Twitter, and Bloomberg news. Story continues That's helped Alexa and the Echo speaker earn a position as the central hub in so-called smart homes. Alexa's voice-first interface is the perfect way to manage internet-connected lights, door locks, and thermostats it's way more intuitive than having to pull out a tablet or phone every two seconds. Echo But here's the crucial part. The Echo also makes it super-easy to buy stuff, specifically stuff from Amazon. Alexa can play music from streaming services like Spotify, but it defaults to using Amazon's own Prime Music, which is a pretty key feature for a smart speaker. It's yet another reason for consumers to get a $99/year Amazon Prime subscription...which also gets you free shipping from Amazon, which encourages you to buy more from Amazon. In other words, whatever else it does, the Amazon Echo is designed to make it easier for you to give more of your money to Amazon. And that slick voice interface for "skills" and for controlling all of your smart home gear ensures that you're always using the Echo and Alexa. It's pretty genius, in a diabolical way. Versus Google This is where things get bad for Google. The more Alexa devices that Amazon and its partners sell, the better Amazon does at its core retail business. Every Echo is a customer who is more likely to spend more on books, groceries, music, and movies. Consider Google's position, though. It can sell as many Google Home devices as it wants. And it's true that Google is better at search than Amazon, by a country mile. But Google is a search advertising company, not a retail company, and those Google Home devices aren't delivering ads. (Can you imagine if they did? "OK Google, open the garage door." "Okay, Matt, but listen to this ad for Mailchimp first.") Google Home Sure Google can use all the data it collects through its Google Home speaker to refine the ads people see on its search engine. But the point is that consumers will be spending less time in front of screens and looking at Google's search ads. No matter how good Google's search ads are, it doesn't matter if people aren't seeing them. In fact, we're already seeing some of this: Amazon is beating Google in the vital area of e-commerce search, because Amazon is the go-to destination for buying things. And thanks to the popularity of Amazon's Alexa, that's likely to continue. Voice technology is still in its very early stages, and smartphones aren't going away anytime soon. And none of this is to say that Google's problems are insurmountable. It wasn't so long ago that investors were convinced that Facebook couldn't monetize its mobile app. Today, Facebook is one of the primary mobile ad platforms. Google could certainly pull off a similar coup. But the direction in which computing is moving is clear, and as things stand now, Google's weakness looks like Amazon's strength. And with Alexa on the rise, the clock is ticking for Google. NOW WATCH: 5 things Google's Pixel phone can do that the iPhone can't More From Business Insider By Julia Love (Reuters) - Amazon.com Incs digital assistant appeared almost everywhere at the CES technology show this week in Las Vegas, even making an unexpected appearance on rival Googles Android system. Companies ranging from appliance maker Whirlpool Corp to Ford Motor Co unveiled products featuring Alexa, the digital assistant from Amazon that responds to voice commands. Most strikingly, Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co [HWT.UL], which manufactures smartphones running on the Android operating system produced by Alphabet Inc's Google, announced that its flagship handset will come with an app that gives users access to Alexa in the United States. The adoption of Alexa by a prominent Android manufacturer indicates that Amazon may have opened up an early lead over Google as the companies race to present their digital assistants to as many people as possible, analysts said. Many in the technology industry believe that such voice-powered digital assistants will supplant keyboards and touch screens as a primary way consumers interact with devices. While the shift is only in the early stages, Google must establish a strong presence quickly, particularly on Android devices, to maintain its dominance in internet search, said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. To the extent that voice becomes more important and something other than Googles voice assistant becomes the most popular voice interface on Android phones, thats a huge loss for Google in terms of data gathering, training its AI (artificial intelligence), and ultimately the ability to drive advertising revenue, he said. Alexa debuted on the Amazon Echo smart speaker, and Amazon is establishing a broad array of hardware and software partnerships around it. The competing Google Assistant launched last year on the companys Pixel smartphone, after appearing on Google's messaging app, and has begun to roll out to third-party devices as well. Graphics processor maker Nvidia Corp announced at CES that its Shield television will feature the assistant. Story continues While Google has expressed an interest in bringing its assistant to other Android smartphones, the decision to debut the feature on its own hardware may have strained relations with manufacturers, Dawson said. It highlights just what a strategic mistake it can be for services companies to make their own hardware and give it preferential access to new services, he said. A spokeswoman for Google declined to comment. While Amazon has a head start, Google is no by no means out of the race, given the strength of its internet search technology. The Google Assistant can already field queries that Alexa cannot, said Sergei Burkov, chief executive of Alterra.ai, an artificial intelligence company. A huge part of an assistant is search, he said. Google is a search company. Amazon is not. (Reporting by Julia Love in Las Vegas; Editing by Bill Rigby) Johannesburg (AFP) - The powerful Women's League of South Africa's ruling ANC on Saturday chose outgoing African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as their candidate for party leader. Battle has been raging within the African National Congress (ANC) to succeed current leader and head of state Jacob Zuma. Dlamini-Zuma, the president's ex-wife, has maintained good relations with her scandal-hit former husband. She would become the first female leader of the ANC if the wider party endorses her. The next ANC head will be assured of becoming national president if the ruling party wins parliamentary elections in 2019. President Zuma is not allowed to run for a third term in office. "We, as the African National Congress Women's League have come out to call for the African National Congress to elect its first ever woman as president," at a party congress in December 2017, the group said in a statement Saturday. "We have found Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be ready to lead the collective leadership of both the African National Congress in 2017, and the Republic in 2019 as the president," it added. "We have come to the appreciation that nobody will break that glass ceiling but ourselves as women of the African National Congress." Dlamini-Zuma, 67, had already decided not to seek a second mandate at the African Union, a move that sparked rumours that she would attempt to succeed her ex-husband at the ANC. Her four years at the head of the AU have given her an international profile which has further boosted her status as an ANC heavyweight. She has already held a string of ministerial posts under South African presidents, including the foreign affairs portfolio. Among the other hopefuls to succeed Zuma as party head are South Africa's Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize. President Zuma, who came to power in 2009, has faced growing calls to resign over multiple graft scandals and the country's poor economic performance, with unemployment at a 13-year high. The ANC has held power in South Africa since the end of the apartheid era in 1994. A double Golden Globe nominee for best director and best screenplay, Nocturnal Animals' Tom Ford is on a crusade. For the past six months, and in addition to any awards-season campaigning, the fashion designer turned film helmer has been proselytizing proper grooming for men's brows - starting with the May addition of a tinted brow gel to his eponymous cosmetics line, which male models sported during his ready-to-wear show at September's New York Fashion Week. Why the clean-arch emphasis? Ford explains that groomed brows improve facial symmetry, which he calls "our beauty standard." So say goodbye to unkempt, grow-where-they-may caterpillars, which - unless they're necessary to a role (e.g., Globe nominee Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water) or part of a branded look (here's looking at you, Martin Scorsese) - now are unacceptable. "If a man's brows are not finished, the look is not complete," says groomer Sonia Lee, who works with George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Hacksaw Ridge nominee Andrew Garfield. Read more: Andrew Garfield Played Santa for His 'Under the Silver Lake' Co-Stars The ideal "man brow," according to Ramy Gafni, a NYC brow stylist who tends to Tiki Barber's enviable set, features a "cleaner line" with "fewer strays." This is a step up in eyebrow evolution from "leaving a few strays to keep it masculine," says Beverly Hills brow pro Anastasia Soare, who counts David Beckham and Ryan Seacrest as clients (the latter keeps regular six-week appointments). For actors in particular, eyebrow upkeep is not just a grooming trend, says Gafni. "Good brows make a man look younger, more polished and can make the eyes look bigger and more expressive, too" - nothing to raise a brow at in Hollywood. This story first appeared in the Jan. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Read more: Peek Inside Steven Spielberg and Rita Wilson's Luxury Yacht-Hosted Birthday Parties One survivor of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport shooting that killed five people and injured at least six others credits his backpack and laptop for saving his life. The backpack saved my life, Steve Frappier told Anderson Cooper on CNN. dropped and the backpack was still on my back and I was turned in such a way where that at one point when the shooter shot toward my direction there was a bullet that ricocheted. Frappier went on to say that he was lying on the ground as the gunman shot in his direction. Describing his position like a tortoise with his backpack on, he added that one bullet went through a small opening in his bag, hit it laptop, and was found in the side pocket of his backpack. I felt something hit my back, he said. It was only later when I went to the bathroom to check myself out that the bullet had entered my backpack, hit my laptop and then later when I gave my backpack over to the FBI for investigation they found the bullet in the pocket of my backpack. Thats incredible, Cooper said. So your laptop saved your life? The laptop stopped the bullet. The way that it ricocheted and entered my bag. That would have been my back, Frappier said. It hit just so through the open backpack, exited, ran through the laptop and the casing and landed in an interior pocket of the backpack. Cooper then said, Gosh you were lucky. The names of the five people killed are beginning to come out in the wake of the deadly incident. The Broward County Sheriff confirmed the shooting, with multiple people dead and a subject in custody, just before 2 p.m. local time on Friday. 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. A federal law enforcement official confirmed to PEOPLE that the suspect is Esteban Santiago, 26. The shooter was discharged from the National Guard last last year on a general discharge, the official says. Story continues On Friday, Santiago arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on a Delta red-eye flight originating from Anchorage via Minneapolis. According to authorities, the shooter had checked a legal firearm in his luggage and retrieved it at the airport before opening fire inside the baggage claim area. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said that Santiago was taken into custody without incident, and has been interviewed by FBI agents and Broward County sheriffs deputies. He is expected to be in federal court on Monday. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f32832%2fcf90cabb-db3a-4999-94f7-3c9b4f765234 BBC Breakfast hosts Rachel Burden and John Kay gave heroic climber Leslie Binns a beautiful introduction on Saturday's broadcast except Leslie Binns wasn't actually there. Binns, who rescued a woman who collapsed on Mount Everest, was set to appear on the show ahead of his next climb. But when Burden and Kay introduced him with much fanfare, we might add the man in the guest's chair turned out to be Dr. Todd Landman, a political commentator. SEE ALSO: People fell for a fake BBC Twitter account saying the Queen was dead "I think you've got the wrong guest, sir," Landman said. Fortunately, because they're British, everyone had a good, awkward laugh about it. "I have many heroic stories to tell you, but not involving Everest," Landman said. Fair enough. This isn't the BBC's first case of mistaken identity. In 2006, Guy Goma, a computer technician visiting the BBC for a job interview, was mistakenly interviewed in place of tech journalist Guy Kewney. Oh, and they found Leslie Binns. BONUS: Ridiculous Fox anchor to Teen Vogue writer: 'stick to the thigh-high boots' Bindi Irwin just introduced her boyfriend to one of her favorite things: lychee! The 18-year-old Dancing with the Stars alum enjoyed a picnic dinner date with Chandler Powell on Friday, where he tasted the fruit for the first time. Its Chandlers very first lychee, Irwin, who sat alongside Powell on the grass, said in an Instagram video as she peeled the fresh fruit. Im really excited. And we have a whole bag of lychees here. And Irwin wasnt the only one excited about the dinnertime event. Im excited too! Powell, 20, admitted as he readied his palette to taste the pink fruit. Woo! And a little outside picnic. Are you ready for this? Irwin proceeded to ask her boyfriend before she took control of the camera to film his reaction. After putting the peeled fruit in his mouth, Irwin gently reminded him, Dont forget theres a seed in the middle. So, just what did the 20-year-old professional wakeboarder, who is currently a college student in Florida, think of the taste? That is so good! he told Irwin with a smile as he chewed the fruit. Arent they awesome?! Theyre the best. I love lychees, Irwin responded. Congratulations on your very first lychee. Dont forget theres a seed. Clearly, Powell will be adding lychee to his cart the next time he goes grocery shopping.Theyre so good, he said as he chewed the fruit. Can you peel me another? You make me so happy @ChandlerPowell. I love our dinner picnics and Im so excited you had your first lychee! #AustralianChandler, Irwin captioned the Instagram post. The couple first met in November 2013 while he was visiting the Australia zoo and have been dating long-distance since then. In early December, Irwin penned a sweet goodbye to Powell when he left Australia to return to the U.S. But just weeks later, the couple was able to reunite and celebrate the new year together in Tasmania. I missed you, Irwin captioned a photo of the couple on New Years Day. Wonderful to be back @AustraliaZoo after celebrating New Years in gorgeous Tasmania together. Ready for lots of fun these Australian School Holidays doing shows at #AustraliaZoo. Behind the centuries-old stone walls of a Benedictine monastery in northern France, monks are busy bringing a long-lost tradition back to life. Between prayer, Gregorian chants and spiritual reflection, they work on producing France's only truly monastic beer. "For me it's a major event, one of the most important since I began my career in 1973," said French beer expert Herve Marziou, who advised the monks as they resurrected the venerable trade at the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille. Nestled in the green heart of Normandy between Le Havre and Rouen, the monastery began selling a precursor of the beer in August before launching its definitive brew in early December. Now the beer -- sold to help restore the monastery cloisters -- is flowing steadily and receiving high marks in the craft beer market. "The feedback is good," said Marziou, 69. Some 25,000 half-litre (pint) bottles at 4.50 euros (dollars) each have already been sold at the abbey's shop, at other monasteries, online or through speciality stores. "This is the only beer currently produced in France by monks in their own monastery," the abbey proudly says on its website. The Saint-Wandrille monastery, founded in 649 and ravaged successively by Viking incursions, the wars of religion and the French Revolution, has been largely destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. Monastic brewing in France enjoyed a heyday during the Middle Ages, but nearly disappeared after the revolution when many religious orders were dissolved. Some monks and nuns returned to private life, many eventually marrying, but others fled the country, taking their beer recipes with them. Monastic beers flourish among neighbouring countries, especially Belgium. But in recent memory France's only abbey beer brewed onsite by monks was that of the Sept-Fons abbey in central France, which stopped production in 1935. Benedictine monks are bound by Saint Benedict's sixth-century "Rule for Monasteries" that says: "To truly be a monk one must work with his hands." Story continues At Saint-Wandrille, monks produced beeswax furniture polish before launching a copying business in the 1970s -- which they dropped after failing to keep up with the technology. The monks cast about for another activity to raise money before seizing, in August 2014, on the idea of a return to brewing, recounts 29-year-old Brother Benoit, in charge of public relations. Two of the monastery's 30 monks took up the challenge, Brother Matthieu, 31, and 70-year-old Brother Christian, who sought out training at an agricultural high school in Douai, near the border with Belgium. - Not too bitter - Upon their return, they experimented using a brewing kit they were given by British friends during a trip by a group of Saint-Wandrille monks to Quarr Abbey, a Benedictine monastery on the Isle of Wight. They then formed a committee that came to an agreement on the desired taste -- bitter but not too bitter -- and colour, a caramel pitched between blond and amber. "They set themselves apart from Belgian beers that are slightly sweet, but less bitter than the beers typical of northern France," said Thierry Cauet, their trainer in Douai, adding that the taste would agree with drinkers in many parts of France. If the beer has an English taste, it is because the recipe includes four English hops varieties, grown in France -- "two bitter hops and two aromatic ones" -- said Brother Matthieu, who started out with no knowledge of brewing. At the end of 2015, the monks took the plunge, taking out a 750,000 euro bank loan to buy the necessary equipment. Their goal is to produce 80,000 litres a year from an operation that employs the two brewers plus packers and a sales force. The label declares an alcohol content of 6.5 percent -- it would have been hard to guarantee a figure of 6.49 percent in honour of the abbey's founding year. Beirut (AFP) - A massive tanker truck bomb ripped through a market by a courthouse in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz on Saturday, killing 48 people and wounding dozens near the Turkish border. The attack appeared to be the deadliest yet in the town in northern Aleppo province, which has been regularly hit by bombings targeting rebels and civilians. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least fourteen rebels were among the dead, but most of those killed were civilians, including five religious judges belonging to various rebel factions. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said identification of the dead was being hampered by the fact that some bodies were completely burned in the blast. Video from the scene showed huge clouds of smoke rising from a street filled with debris and twisted metal, which bulldozers were working to clear. Raging fires were burning in several vehicles, and the fire brigade was battling to put them out with a giant water tanker and hoses. Azaz has been repeatedly struck by bomb attacks, including in November when rebels said 25 people -- civilians and opposition fighters -- were killed in a car bombing of a rebel headquarters. The rebels accused the Islamic State group of being behind that attack. The jihadist group is present elsewhere in Aleppo province and has sought to advance on Azaz in the past. In October, at least 17 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a rebel checkpoint, the Observatory said. - IS suspected - There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack, but Osama al-Merhi, a lawyer at the scene of the blast, pointed the finger at IS. "These kinds of crimes are only committed by the terrorist group Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "They are the ones who target civilians and the cadres who are building this country," he told AFP. The blast comes during a fragile nationwide ceasefire brokered by government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. Story continues The truce came into effect on December 30, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakh capital Astana, which regime ally Iran is also helping organise. But the ceasefire and the planned talks have been threatened by ongoing violence in the rebel-held Wadi Barada region outside Damascus, which is the main water source for the capital. Overnight, the Observatory said seven Syrian soldiers and two civilians were killed in clashes. Fighting in the region has continued despite the truce, which does not apply to IS or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, known previously as Al-Nusra Front. The government says Fateh al-Sham is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Rebels deny the jihadist group is in the region and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. - Millions without water - The damage has left 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs without water, according to the UN. A source close to the regime said a temporary ceasefire had been agreed to allow the repair crews to enter Wadi Barada, though it could take days before the mains supply is restored. State media on Saturday said however that maintenance teams attempted to reach the area 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Damascus but were forced back by sniper fire. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. The fighting has displaced more than half the population, internally or abroad, and proved stubbornly resistant to international attempts to broker a political solution. Turkey and Russia want to convene negotiations in Astana later this month, but rebels have suspended participation in preparatory talks, blaming regime "violations" in Wadi Barada. Elsewhere, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by US special forces moved to within four kilometres (2.5 miles) of the Tabqa dam held by IS, the Observatory said. The monitor said the Syrian Democratic Forces had taken the last IS-held village between them and the dam on the Euphrates, which is the country's largest. The dam is just 500 metres (yards) from the town of Tabqa, where many senior IS commanders have been based. (Changes sourcing, adds Goldman Sachs role, industry context) By Lauren Hirsch and Subrat Patnaik Jan 6 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Carlyle Group LP has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc to help it explore the sale of one of the largest U.S. herbal supplement makers, Nature's Bounty Co, people familiar with the matter said. Carlyle is preparing to sell Nature's Bounty, whose brands include Solgar and MET-Rx, at a time of growing Chinese interest in U.S nutrition companies. Chinese consumers, distrustful of their country's safety standards, have demonstrated a strong appetite for such U.S. products. Nature's Bounty, formerly known as NBTY Inc, has roughly $3 billion in sales, and could fetch as much as $6 billion in a sale, one of the sources said. Ronkonkoma, New York-based Nature's Bounty has a significant retail business in Europe under the banner Holland & Barrett, and may opt to sell it separately, though prefers to sell the business as one, that source added. The sources asked not to be named because the matter is confidential. Nature's Bounty did not respond to requests for comment. Carlyle and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. Bloomberg News first reported Carlyle's plans to sell Nature's Bounty earlier on Friday. Carlyle acquired NBTY in 2010 for $3.8 billion. Earlier this year, Iovate Health Sciences International Inc, the Canadian owner of nutrition supplement MuscleTech, was sold to China's Xiwang Foodstuffs Company Ltd for $730 million. GNC Holdings Inc, a U.S. vitamin retailer, last year announced it was exploring a sale. It has spoken with potential Chinese buyers, but has not yet announced any deal. (Reporting by Lauren Hirsch; Editing by Andrew Hay) Heres how Carrie Fisher felt about Bright Lights, the documentary about her and Debbie Reynolds The loss of Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, within a day of each other was a huge tragedy. Weve been sad, but weve also been celebrating the lives and careers of these two amazing women. HBO has given us another way to do that, with a documentary about their relationship, and even though Carrie is gone, we know how she felt about Bright Lights. Fisher Stevens, who co-directed the documentary about Fisher and Reynolds with Alexis Bloom, told E! News that both women saw the documentary before they died. Bright Lights aims to show the pairs relationship, both good and bad. Said Stevens of Fishers response: she was a little shocked at the intimacy of it. However, with the help of some friends, Carrie Fisher came to appreciate the documentary. There were little things that really bugged her, but in the end she fell in love with the film and thought it was a love letter to her and her mother, and thats the good news, that she loved it, Stevens said. In Bright Lights, viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of both Fisher and her mother. Viewers see events such as Reynolds accepting the SAG Life Achievement award in 2015. Additionally, the documentary follows Fisher as she prepares for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Fisher shared an anecdote from that time with E!: She does this workout to trim down for Princes Leia and she finishes the workout and lights a cigarette and drinks a Coca-Cola, and the trainers like, Carrie, no! and grabs the Coke and pours it out. The next thing you see her assistant putting Coca-Colas in the refrigerator. That was Carrie, a real original. However, the real central theme of Bright Lights is the love between Carrie Fisher and her mother. As evidenced by everything from Reynolds statement after her daughters death, to the fact that they died so close together, the pair loved each other fiercely. Bright Lights premieres on HBO Saturday, January 7th, and we cant wait to see it. Carrie Fisher was always making people crack a smile in life, and she made sure she got just one more out of them in death. It was revealed on Friday that Fisher's ashes were placed in a gigantic Prozac-pill urn. In pictures taken at her and mother Debbie Reynolds' joint funeral, Todd Fisher, brother and son, could be seen carrying Fisher's green-and-white pill urn. Fisher died after suffering a heart attack late last month. She was 60. Her mother, the iconic starlet Reynolds, died a day later. She was 84. Fisher was honest and open about her battles with drugs and mental illness throughout her career. She also had a kooky sense of humor, so it makes sense the Princess Leia actress would want her urn to resemble an antidepressant pill. A private gathering for friends and family was held in Beverly Hills on Thursday. Meryl Streep was among those in attendance. Todd Fisher has said the family will plan a public memorial for the two actresses in the future. Read more: Petition Started to Make Carrie Fisher's Leia an Official Disney Princess From established firms to tech start-ups, one of the biggest emerging trends at this year's CES has been the number of home robots on show, all of whom are vying to be, in the words of the late Douglas Adams "Your plastic pal who's fun to be with." Of the androids on display, the prize for the most humanoid goes to the Lynx. Developed by industry leaders UBTECH Robotics, it has arms and legs and can walk and talk meaning that it will follow you around your home reminding you of appointments and reading out emails as they land in your inbox. And because it uses facial recognition it won't accidentally read the wrong message to the wrong person. "Lynx combines unprecedented intelligence and robotics into one consumer-friendly platform," said John Rhee, General Manager, North America, UBTECH. It also features Amazon's Alexa digital assistant so it can tell you about the weather and of course shop for the best deals on the Amazon site. For those that prefer their robots to be cute, the Panasonic Companion is dome-shaped head and elongated neck above the others. When not wanted, it looks like an egg but when called into action its head extends from its body - think Pixar angle poise lamp -- and thanks to AI and natural language processing capabilities, can converse with you like a person. And, because it's just 290mm tall and has rollers rather than feet, it'll be right at home on a desk or kitchen counter. Or at least it will be if it ever goes into full production. "We are showing this robot at CES as a way of obtaining feedback on its features and functions," said Takahiro Iijima, Director, Panasonic Design Strategy Office in North America. "This is Panasonic's latest effort in demonstrating network services in a friendly package." Therefore the cutest real-world robot at this year's show is Kuri. Developed by Mayfield Robotics as a companion for the whole family, it makes friendly noises, has a range of facial expressions and can even read the children bedtime stories. "While insanely cute on the outside, Kuri contains serious technologies on the inside," said Kaijen Hsiao, CTO and co-founder of Mayfield Robotics. "We hope Kuri introduces people -- especially kids -- to the power of technology and can inspire a new world of possibilities for their future." Robot LQ-101 is a collaboration between SoundHound and Shenzhen Tanscorp Technology and if you ask it nicely, it will spin, dance and even perform kung fu. But away from the gimmicks this particular robot is backed by one of the most advanced and agnostic AI platforms. It's been developed to work with potentially any device or operating system and is capable of performing everything from internet searches to guarding the home when everyone is out. "We see Robot LQ-101 becoming a valuable family companion through its rich capabilities, including high-quality video chat, remote and smart home control, and health management, while incorporating Houndify voice technology to enable it to understand commands like a human family member," said Douglas Zhang, Chairman of the Board at Shenzhen Tanscorp Technology Co. Dakar (AFP) - Chad's former president Hissene Habre will on Monday begin an appeal against his life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity -- a verdict hailed as a landmark for Africa. The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union, sentenced Habre, 73, to life in jail in May, an unprecedented conviction seen as a blow to the impunity long enjoyed by repressive rulers. In July, Habre was further ordered to pay up to 30,000 euros ($33,000) to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his rule, as well as to their relatives. Habre has refused to recognise the court's authority but court-appointed lawyers requested an appeal on his behalf. "We were motivated to appeal by violations of the law and (the rights) of the defence and procedural errors," one of the lawyers, Mbaye Sene, told AFP, adding that he didn't want to reveal their "strategy". It was not clear whether Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, would be in the dock on Monday. "It's an unknown," said the court's spokesman Marcel Mendy. Habre's hand-picked legal team will continue to boycott proceedings, lawyer Ibrahima Diawara told AFP. "Habre believes that this does not concern him at all. He will not appear. We will see whether the court will use force to force him to come," he said. The hearing is expected to last several days, with the final decision expected by 30 April. The verdict will be final. If his conviction is upheld, Habre will serve his sentence in Senegal or in another AU country. The verdict brought closure for relatives of up to 40,000 people killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured during Habre's 1982-1990 term as president of Chad. It set a global precedent as the first time a country had prosecuted the former leader of another nation for rights abuses, said US lawyer Reed Brody, who has worked with the victims of the Habre regime since 1999. Story continues "The appeals court now needs to make sure that a system is put in place so that Habre's assets can be located, seized and transferred to his victims to compensate them for what they have suffered," he said in a statement this week. Known as a skilled desert fighter and often dressed in combat fatigues to fit the role, Habre fled to Senegal after his 1990 ouster by Chad's current President Idriss Deby. For more than 20 years, the former dictator lived freely in an upmarket Dakar suburb with his wife and children. A car bomb attack in the Syrian town of Azaz, which lies just south of the Turkish border, killed at least 50 people, according to opposition activists. A death toll has not been confirmed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast hit near to a courthouse, and that six opposition fighters were among those killed. Credit: YouTube/Aleppo Media Center via Storyful LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Convicted mass murderer Charles Manson is at the California prison where he is serving a life sentence, corrections officials said on Saturday, following recent reports that the hippie-era cult leader had been hospitalized. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said Manson, 82, was at California State Prison, Corcoran, which is about 60 miles (97 km) north of Bakersfield in central California. "We never said he was anywhere else and the law does not allow us to comment on an inmate's medical issues - which should not be taken as confirmation that this inmate was recently in a hospital," Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Jeffrey Callison said in an email. The Los Angeles Times and other media, citing unnamed sources, reported earlier this week that Manson had been transported to a hospital in Bakersfield for treatment. On Wednesday, a state prison official had declined to confirm the media reports or provide details on Manson's location or specifics on his medical condition. In the 1960s, Manson, a charismatic ex-convict, assembled a group of runaways and outcasts known as the "Manson Family." In the summer of 1969, he directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people in what prosecutors said was part of a plan to incite a race war. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) A mentally disabled man, who was tortured and beaten on a Facebook Live video Tuesday, has been released to his family and appears to be healing, Chicago police told International Business Times Thursday. Physically, hes okay, Chicago officer Felicia Jones said. She said doctors were working closely with the victim. Police were also in contact with the disabled man, who was believed to be held hostage Tuesday afternoon by four African-American teens. The teens allegedly tortured the mentally disabled man in a 29-minute Facebook Live video that was later deleted. In the video, it appears the crying victim has tape covering his mouth. One of the suspects grabs him at one point as "f--k Donald Trump" and "f--k white people" are chanted in the background. On Tuesday at around 5:30 p.m., officers arrived at the Chicagos Homan Square neighborhood, where they found the disoriented man walking not too far from the area. Police discovered signs of a struggle and damage to the property and were able to link this evidence to the disoriented male, the department said in a statement. The victim, who was reported missing by his parents, was not a Chicago resident, but instead is from a neighboring suburb. The victim, who was hospitalized for his injuries, was said to be traumatized by Tuesday's incident. His name was not made public. "It's quite a possibility that it is a kidnapping, Commander Kevin Duffin said during a press conference Wednesday. At the press conference, Duffin noted that the 18-year-old victim goes to school with one of the suspects. Studies show that almost one out of every four students report being bullied during the school year, according to National Center for Educational Statistics, 2015. Students with disabilities or special education needs are twice as likely to be identified as bullied targets and as bullies when compared to peers without disabilities, according to a 2010 report from a team of special education and psychology professors. Story continues In the Chicago incident, police were trying to determine whether the act was a hate crime. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said investigators believe the man was targeted because he had special needs, not because he was white. However, police and prosecutors were still considering hate crime charges because of what was said on the video and because of the victim's disabilities, he said. The suspects two males and two females were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, and abusing and torturing the man. Their names were not made public. Related Articles A 6-year-old girl in Oregon experienced severe nicotine poisoning after her parents accidentally gave her liquid nicotine meant for electronic cigarettes instead of a children's liquid pain reliever, according to a new report of the girl's case. The child survived, but nicotine poisoning can be fatal, and the researchers warned that such cases could become more common as e-cigarettes rise in popularity. "As electronic cigarette use proliferates, children are now increasingly at risk of toxicity from ingestions of much larger quantities of nicotine from highly concentrated refill liquid, as in our case study," Dr. Matthew Noble, an emergency medicine physician at Oregon Health and Science University, and a co-author of the report, said in a statement. The girl had previously sprained her ankle, and was taking children's Motrin (which contains ibuprofen) for pain relief. But when the bottle was finished, the girl's mother used it to store some liquid nicotine that she had bought online to use in an e-cigarette. The child's father didn't know the Motrin bottle contained nicotine, and he gave the child a 10-milliliter dose of the liquid for her pain, according to the report. The girl immediately felt a burning sensation in her mouth and throat, which led the father to take a small sip of the liquid. He realized it was liquid nicotine and immediately called poison control and an ambulance, the report said. [27 Oddest Medical Cases] Before the paramedics arrived, the girl lost consciousness and began involuntarily jerking her limbs. She later regained consciousness, but did not respond to questions or commands, the report said. The girl was taken to the emergency room, where she began vomiting and sweating, and her pulse dropped from 150 beats per minute to 60 beats per minute, the report said. Doctors gave her an anti-nausea medication and a sedative, and placed a tube in her throat to keep her airway open. They also gave her a medical form of charcoal used to help treat drug overdoses, because it absorbs nicotine and other drugs. Story continues About an hour after she arrived at the ER, the girl was admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator overnight. The next day, she was taken off the breathing support and was able to respond to commands. Doctors gave her a physical exam, which showed normal results, and she was released from the hospital. The researchers estimated that the child consumed about 700 milligrams of liquid nicotine. Some studies have estimated that ingesting as little as 500 mg of nicotine can kill an adult. An average regular cigarette delivers about 0.2 to 2.4 mg of nicotine. [10 Scientific Quit-Smoking Tips] In addition, a blood test done about an hour after the girl arrived at the hospital showed she had a blood level of nicotine of 348 nanograms per milliliter. The level of nicotine in the blood after an adult smokes a regular cigarette is about 12 to 54 ng/ml, the report said. The researchers also tested the liquid nicotine that the child ingested, and they estimated that the concentration of nicotine in the original product was more than double the concentration that was listed on the product label. "This finding supports previous work demonstrating that electronic cigarette refill containers may have unreliable commercial labeling and widely variable actual nicotine concentration compared with that advertised," the researchers wrote in their report. The report is published in the January issue of the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen embarked Saturday on a nine-day trip to visit the island nations Central American allies. Her itinerary includes U.S. transits which will be closely monitored by China, following President-elect Donald Trumps controversial call with the Taiwanese leader last month. Taiwans first female president will transit through Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco the next. Beijing urged Washington to forbid Tsai from stopping in the U.S. and refrain from sending any wrong signal to the Taiwanese independence forces. A call last month between Tsai and Trump angered China which questioned the U.S.s commitment to the one China policy, according to which Washington recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China. The December call was the first such contact between the U.S. and Taiwan after former President Jimmy Carter adopted the one China policy in 1979. Washington retains unofficial ties with Taiwan but does not have an embassy in the island country. Few countries recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, and as China's clout in the world has grown, their number has fallen from 30 to 21 countries over the last few years, with the Vatican being its most high-profile supporter. Taiwan President Photo: REUTERS/TYRONE SIU Tsais nine-day trip, which includes visits to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador, would show the international society that Taiwan is a capable and responsible partner for cooperation, the island nations president reportedly said Saturday before leaving for Houston. Tsais team declined to reveal further details of her trip and did not confirm if she would meet Trump or anyone from his transition team. The president-elect had been vague about a possible meeting between the two. The 70-year-old said earlier that it would be a little bit inappropriate for him to meet the Taiwanese leader. Story continues It would be a little bit inappropriate, from a protocol standpoint, but well see, Trump reportedly said at a New Years Eve bash at his Mar-a-lago estate in Florida. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which looks after U.S. interests in the country, said in December that the Taiwanese leaders transits would be private and unofficial. 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, reportedly said. There is no change to the U.S. one China policy. Related Articles The names of the five people killed in the Ft. Lauderdale Airport shooting are beginning to come out, hours after the deadly incident that left at least an additional six people injured. Terry Andres, 62 Andres, from Virginia Beach, was fatally shot at the airport, his daughter confirmed to 10 On Your Side. He was there with his wife, heading out on vacation. She was unharmed. Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe gave his condolences to the Andres family Friday. This is just heart wrenching, he told 10 On Your Side. Weve got to get to the bottom of this. Weve got to get to the bottom of the gun violence going on in the country. But obviously, all of our thoughts and prayers are with the family right now. Olga Woltering Woltering, from Marietta, Georgia, was leaving for a cruise with her husband, Ralph, when she was shot, according to friends on social media. Ralph was uninjured. The couple have attended Transfiguration Catholic Church for the last 18 years. Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met, the parish priest, Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, says in a statement shared with PEOPLE. This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved. May God give consolation to all of the victims of this tragedy and may God give eternal rest to those who died. Especially to our beloved Olga. Michael Oehme Oehme and his wife, Kari, were both shot at the airport, Karis mother confirmed to KETV NewsWatch 7. Oehme died after a shot to the head, and Kari is recovering from shots to the neck and shoulder. The Broward County Sheriff confirmed the shooting, with multiple people dead and a subject in custody, just before 2 p.m. local time on Friday. A federal law enforcement official confirmed to PEOPLE that the suspect is Esteban Santiago, 26. The shooter was discharged from the Army last last year on a general discharge, the official says. He arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Friday, on a Delta red-eye flight originating from Anchorage via Minneapolis, with checked baggage containing a firearm. Santiago had previously told the FBI he was hearing voices in his head, some of which told him to fight for ISIS, this according to several reports Story continues Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said that Santiago was taken into custody without incident, and is being interviewed by FBI agents and Broward County sheriffs deputies. He is expected to be in federal court on Monday. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN the shooter acted alone, and that there is no evidence of a partner. She said, At this time we do not have a motive, but we are actively investigating that. In a press conference on Saturday, Israel corrected previous reports that said that there were eight people injured clarifying that the authorities now know there were six people injured. Las Vegas (AFP) - US startup Hyperloop One disclosed a list of locations around the world vying to put near-supersonic rail transit system to the test. The startup company keen to revolutionize the way people and cargo travel said that 35 contenders remained from a field of 2,600 teams in a Hyperloop One Grand Challenge launched in May 2015. Viable submissions had to be condoned by government agencies that would likely be involved in regulating and, ideally, funding the futuristic rail. Projects in the running included hyperloop rail connecting Sydney and Melbourne; Shanghai and Hangzhou; Mumbai and Delhi, and London and Edinburgh. There were also 11 US teams in contention. "There has been a lot of talk about reviving the infrastructure in the United States," Hyperloop One co-founder and engineering president Josh Giegel told AFP at Consumer Electronics Show. "If that is the plan, there is a good chance we would start working with them," he said, referring to the incoming administration of Donald Trump. Hyperloop One wants to get three systems underway, according to chief executive Rob Lloyd. "The end goal is to increase our pipeline of real projects," said Hyperloop One senior vice president of global field operations Nick Earle. Dubai late last year agreed to a deal to evaluate construction of a hyperloop link that could slash travel times to Emirati capital Abu Dhabi to minutes. The cash-flush city state, which has hosted other hi-tech transport pilots, said it would conduct a "feasibility study" with Hyperloop One to sound out the scheme. - Broadband for cargo - The company executives said that a hyperloop test system is being constructed in the desert outside of Las Vegas. Hyperloop One had originally promised a full-scale demonstration by the end of 2016, after a successful test of the propulsion system. "We are not only proving it will work, which we will do in the next few months, but we want to focus on cutting down cost and manufacturing time," Lloyd said. Story continues The startup's reasons for being at the Consumer Electronics show included collaborating with the self-driving car industry to make sure autonomous vehicles will inter-operate with the hyperloop system, loading themselves into pods to be whisked off to far-away destinations, according to Earle. "A self-driving Uber would be able to go inside the hyperloop and come out the other side," Earle said. "It's like broadband internet for transportation" with self-driving vehicles carrying cargo or people in a real-world spin on data packets being taken quickly from one point to another over the internet, he maintained. Hyperloop One, which has so far raised more than $160 million (145 million euros), was set on an idea laid out by billionaire Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind electric car company Tesla and private space exploration endeavor SpaceX. Pods would rocket along rails through reduced-pressure tubes at speeds of 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) per hour. Hyperloop One says the system offers better safety than passenger jets, lower build and maintenance costs than high-speed trains, and energy usage, per person, that is similar to a bicycle. Port colossus DP World Group of Dubai last year invested in the concept, joining backers including French national rail company SNCF, US industrial conglomerate General Electric and Russian state fund RDIF. Hyperloop One late last year settled a lawsuit filed by a co-founder who accused former colleagues of nepotism, threats and mismanagement. Beirut (AFP) - Repair teams were poised to enter a restive region near Damascus on Saturday to begin work on restoring the Syrian capital's water supply, state media said. Millions of people have been without water for weeks after fighting damaged key infrastructure in the Wadi Barada region that is the main water source for Damascus. Clashes continued there overnight and into Saturday morning, killing seven Syrian government soldiers and two civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. But by late morning, state media said maintenance teams had arrived in the area 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of Damascus and were "prepared to enter" to begin repair work. A source close to the regime said a temporary ceasefire had been agreed to allow the repair crews to enter, though it could take days before the mains supply is restored. Fighting has raged in Wadi Barada for several weeks, despite the December 30 start of a ceasefire brokered by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The truce has held across much of the country, though it does not apply to the Islamic State group or former Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, now known as Fateh al-Sham Front. The government says Fateh al-Sham is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Rebels deny the jihadist group is in the region and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. - 5.5 million without water: UN - The fighting has left some 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs facing water shortages, the United Nations warned earlier this week. It said sabotaging water supplies was a war crime but made no direct accusations of blame. Russia and Turkey have worked increasingly closely on the Syrian conflict and last month brokered a deal for civilians and surrendering rebels to leave Aleppo. They want the ceasefire agreement to pave the way for new peace talks to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana later this month. Story continues But the fighting in Wadi Barada has already prompted rebels to halt talks to prepare for the Astana meeting, citing regime "violations" of the ceasefire. Both Moscow and Ankara have launched military interventions in Syria, with Turkey starting its Operation Euphrates Shield in August targeting both IS jihadists and Kurdish militants. After seizing several towns from IS, Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels are now focusing their attentions on Al-Bab, a jihadist bastion in Aleppo province. The Observatory said on Saturday that Turkey had sent major reinforcements to the area in apparent preparation for an operation against the town. - US-backed alliance advances - A US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters has also been advancing into IS-held territory as they press a drive towards the jihadists' de facto Syrian capital Raqa. Alliance fighters supported by US special forces moved within striking distance of the Tabqa dam on the Euphrates River, the country's largest, the Observatory said. "They have taken the last village between them and the dam. Now all that remains in front of them is four kilometres (two and a half miles) of empty land," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The dam lies just 500 metres (yards) from the town of Tabqa, where many senior IS commanders have been based. Russia launched its own military intervention in Syria in September 2015, aimed at bolstering ally President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels. But it announced in December it would begin withdrawing forces, and the Russian military on Friday said the drawdown had started. Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov said a naval group headed by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kutnetsov would be the first to leave. President Vladimir Putin had already announced a partial withdrawal of Russian forces in March 2016, but Moscow later had to ramp up its presence again as fighting increased. More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Over half the country's population has been displaced. Realizing that her students naturally tend to get their information from pop culture, Professor Regina Bradley came up with a new plan for her English class this term: She'll be offering a course all about OutKast. With a P.h.D in African American Literature and a background in popular culture, the Armstrong State professor will use OutKast's music alongside other hip-hop records to explore how the genre can be used an outlet for political expression. She'll also focus on how Andre 3000 and Big Boi used the medium to "question and experiment with what is and what is not black southernness." Explaining that the group's work holds just as much validity as classic literary works currently being taught in schools, Bradley tells Pigeons & Planes, "OutKast is more than deserving of close analysis, especially in thinking about contemporary southernness because they were many folks' first introduction to the possibility of southern rappers. They opened the door." Held on campus in Savannah, Georgia (Big Boi's birthplace) the course will conclude with a 12-15 page "nerdy hip-hop review" essay on an album of the students' choice. Continue for our conversation with Bradley about how OutKast's music stacks up to books and films already being used as curriculum in schools, what southern authors we should read if we like Andre 3000 and Big Boi, and more. Image via Regina Bradley What initially sparked the idea for this course? When I was first introduced to hip-hop studies, the conversations leaned heavily on northeast and west coast artists and culture. As someone from Albany, GA, I wanted to know why there were no conversations about the artists I listened to growing up in the South. This course reflects my need to see more of my experiences as a southern hip hop enthusiast in scholarly conversations about hip hop in general. What specifically about OutKast's music makes them a good subject for an English course? They raise intriguing questions about the significance of region as an influencer of creative expression. OutKast's experimentation in how they articulated and celebrated their southernness manifested in intriguing ways (i.e. literary and cultural metaphors, historical and social-economic influences of Atlanta as a center of southern progress and urbanity, etc.) They had room to question and experiment with what is and what is not black southernness. Story continues Did you have any problems getting the idea approved by the University? I had no issues with getting the course approved. Armstrong is a fantastic supporter of faculty research and experimental pedagogy. How do you think the works of Outkast and other hip-hop groups stack up next to books and films that are currently being taught in schools? What complementary role do you think this material will have for students? I feel like we're playing catch up with including more southern artists in the histories and cultural examinations of hip-hop. OutKast is more than deserving of close analysis, especially in thinking about contemporary southernness because they were many folks' first introduction to the possibility of southern rappers. They opened the door. Obviously, talking about hip-hop makes folks uncomfortable because of limited interaction (i.e. hearing rap strictly on the radio). There's also an equally restrictive definition of what literature is: prose, poetry, or something typeset on pages between covers. Hip hop has lyrical content that can be read as literary but there's also a story in the way hip-hop sounds and how we as listeners receive the message being presented in hip-hop's sonic elements (accompaniment, ad-libs, etc). The last Outkast record came out over 10 years ago. Do you think their work will still connect with young students and be relevant as you tie it in with contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter? No doubt. While they have their whimsical moments, OutKast has multiple tracks that question poverty, illiteracy, and other challenges that can connect and help raise questions about how southern black folks moved on after the movement. That for me is a starting point to tease out how popular culture is a useful tool for connecting past and present struggles for civil rights. What southern writers would you recommend for students who like the work of OutKast? As far as formal writers, folks should dig into southern writers like Jesmyn Ward, Kiese Laymon, and Zandria Robinson or the sharp prose of writers like Mychal Denzel Smith and Marc Lamont Hill. And for the record, rappers are writers too: Big K.R.I.T. and Silas both immediately come to mind as descendants of OutKast's lyricism. OutKast represents an older generation of hip-hop. Do you think there would be value in a similar course centered around younger artists like Lil Yachty and 21 Savage? Yes, but it won't be me because I'm only vaguely familiar [laughs]. Hopefully there is a scholar on the come up behind me to do them justice in a class setting. Would you be willing to share the course syllabus and required reading materials? Still working on the syllabus but the primary texts are: Kiese Laymon: Long Division and select essays from his collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself Jesmyn Ward: Where the Line Bleeds Zandria Robinson: This Ain't Chicago OutKast's discography Select Readings: Maurice Garland, Rodney Carmichael, Gavin Godfrey, Christina Lee, Joycelyn Wilson, Bettina Love, Mychal Denzel Smith, Robin Boylorn, Treva B. Lindsey, Maurice Hobson, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, and others. Continue Reading On PigeonsandPlanes More from PigeonsandPlanes West Salem High School senior Abby Johnson turned her love for the arts into an opportunity to empower the community and raise money to fight hunger. Johnson organized an Empty Bowls fundraiser Jan. 7 at West Salem Elementary School to raise money for the local food pantry. The daughter of West Salem Elementary School teacher Angie Hemker, art has always been a part of Johnsons life. When it came time for her to complete her senior exit project, it was no surprise when Johnson chose to pursue an art-related project. West Salem is one of the few school districts in the state to require its students complete a senior project that demonstrates community service or personal growth. These projects often require hundreds of hours of work to complete. Reminded of involvement in the Empty Bowls fundraiser when she was in elementary school, Johnson set to work to bring the fundraiser back to West Salem. It would be the first time in almost eight years since the community last hosted the fundraiser. I started thinking about it over the summer, she said. Ive done empty bowls before, but Ive never been in charge. Johnson said she wanted to find a way to help community members by getting the community involved in the effort. Empty Bowls is a non-profit that raises money for local food shelves by selling handcrafted bowls. I had a lot of support figuring out the dates, Johnson said. It was kind of difficult. I wanted to do it when it was going to be cold out. During Christmas break, Johnson taught community members to make and glaze clay bowls using clay donated by the elementary art department. It was really busy at first I helped them get started, she said. Its been very rewarding. The fundraiser works much like a bake sale. Bowls are handcrafted and donated by community members and then sold at a banquet. The same community members will have an opportunity to buy their bowls during a soup dinner in the elementary school cafeteria on Jan. 7. The proceeds from the dinner will be donated to the area food pantry. She said the goal was to have 300 bowls available for sale during the fundraiser. The ultimate goal is to send as much profit to the food shelf as possible, she said. Johnson admitted clay isnt a favorite medium and she struggled with it, despite working with it for years. I wasnt very good at it, she said. Its peaceful, but stressful at the same time. Sometimes it doesnt come out. Finding peace in art is an idea that has clung to Johnson, who hopes to pursue a degree in art therapy at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Art can be more beneficial than other verbal therapies, she said. Talking can be too hard for some people. Barring what would be a shocking split from expectation, Congress was set to confirm Donald Trump as the next president of the United States on Friday. Congress was scheduled to formally count electoral votes from the presidential election Friday. After the Electoral College cast their votes, Trump, the Republican candidate, ended up with 304 electoral votes, outpacing the 227 earned by the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. There was a fledgling protest reportedly being launched by Democrats in the House of Representatives, which likely has little chance of stopping a Trump presidency. Politico reported that Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland were all looking into ways to protest Trump's election. Republicans were in control of Congress, meaning any protest will have little chance of succeeding. But Democrats could simply be looking to make their voices heard. Perlmutter's office released a statement Friday saying his potential protest was related to the consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia worked to get Trump elected through its hack of the Democratic National Committee. "This action by a foreign nation was unprecedented, violated our Constitution and undermined the founding pillars of American liberty and democracy. This is not about trying to stop Donald Trump from becoming President," Perlmutter said in the statement. "This is about the fact that our liberty, freedom and democracy were compromised by Russias intrusion into Americas election. We cannot allow a foreign nation to ever influence our elections because it harms our liberty, freedom and independence. This is bigger than just one election, and for the sake of our democracy, we must remain vigilant." Meanwhile, activist groups have pushed to stop Trump's presidency at the 11th hour, claiming that many electors' votes shouldn't count because they lived outside the district they represented or held dual offices, which aren't allowed. This idea stood little chance of succeeding, as well. Story continues Regardless, Congress is scheduled to begin the formal counting process at 1 p.m. EST. C-SPAN will stream the session live here. Related Articles President-elect Donald Trumps transition team is working on making his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall, the cornerstone of his 2016 presidential campaign, a reality. However, there is a slight change in plans. The team told GOP officials the real estate mogul had signaled that the building of the wall be funded by American tax dollars and not by Mexico, as he had previously claimed, CNN reported Thursday citing House Republicans. Officials are looking to fund the construction using the appropriations process as early as April. Trumps team cited a 2006 law signed by former President George W. Bush that grants them the authority to build the wall but the team is unclear of how it will fund the construction. In October, the 70-year-old president-elect said Mexico would reimburse the U.S. for the cost of the wall. The 2006 law allowed the construction of a physical barrier running for 700 miles on the countrys southern border, Politico reported earlier Thursday. The law was never fully implemented and did not include a sunset provision allowing Trump to continue where Bush left off using the funds Congress would allocate for the project. It was not done in the Obama administration, so by funding the authorization thats already happened a decade ago, we could start the process of meeting Mr. Trumps campaign pledge to secure the border, Indiana Rep. Luke Messer told CNN on Thursday. The GOP lawmaker said the project would involve big dollars, but its a question of priorities, citing Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCauls $10 billion border security bill that he proposed last year. Democrats may well find themselves in the position to shut down all of government to stop the buildout of a wall, or of a barrier, or of a fence, Messer added. No decisions have been made yet, officials said. Trump wall Photo: REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER Story continues Republicans would have to add millions to the spending bill which needs to pass by the end of April to keep the government open, should Mexico refuse to pay for the wall. But the move could irk House Democrats who might threaten the GOP with a government shutdown. Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, a senior GOP leader in the House, did not say if Congress will pay for the construction of the wall. We want President Trump to have all the tools he needs to build the wall, Scalise reportedly said. Were in talks with him on the details of it as theyre still putting together their team. We still got a few months before theres another funding bill thats going to move. Were going to work with him to make sure we can get it done. We want to build a wall. He wants to build a wall. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, after a meeting with Trump, reiterated that Mexico would not fund the construction of the border wall. Trump, at a conference after the meeting, said the border wall issue did not come up during their conversation. Related Articles (Reuters) - The sixth stage of the Dakar Rally was canceled on Saturday due to extreme weather conditions in Bolivia, with competitors heading for a rest day in La Paz before resuming the race on Monday. Scouts sent out by organizers to check the 786km stage from the mining town of Oruro to La Paz reported steadily deteriorating terrain. Friday's fifth stage had already been cut short due to bad weather, with Britain's Sam Sunderland leading the motorcycle standings on a KTM and French Peugeot driver Stephane Peterhansel on top in the car category. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond) On Inauguration Day, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on Washington, D.C. Some will be happy revelers celebrating a new president. Some will wave signs to show their displeasure. But only one group has stated it wants to turn Inauguration Day into a cluster f--k," that there will be "no peaceful transition," and that the inaugural parade "must be stopped." That group is the D.C. Counter-Inaugural Committee, the people behind DisruptJ20. "We are voicing our alarm," organizer Lacy MacAuley told the International Business Times. "When we say 'no peaceful transition,' we mean we are going to be using every bit of air in our lungs and all of our strength to call this administration what it is, which is one that is not likely to serve the people." The event was launched publicly with a YouTube video on Nov. 11 and on social media accounts the following day. On Sunday, the group will hold its second general meeting to firm up" plans, according to the groups website. Organizers are calling the meeting a spokes council, and have written the event is open to individual activists, organization staff, affinity groups, collectives, artists, medics and healers, and anyone else who wants to help shut down the inauguration. However, law enforcement and media are not welcome, the invitation states. The meeting will take place in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C., but the exact location was not been disclosed, and will be sent to participants by email before the event. The public schedule for the meeting is, not surprisingly, vague. But what is listed publicly includes an hour-long orientation, an hour of logistic working group meetings and two hours of action planning and coordination. "There are some interesting things being planned. I am not at liberty to give a lot of details," MacAuley said, adding "I don't advocate harming anyone. That's not what this is about." Story continues On Jan. 14 and 15, the group will conduct mass training at its DisruptJ20 Action Camp in preparation for a variety of actions on Inauguration Day, which include protests at all 12 security checkpoints, artistic performances and an unpermitted anti-capitalist parade. The group will deploy medics, legal aid to anyone arrested and "de-escalation" security staff to prevent altercations between protesters and parade attendees. A group of Washington, D.C.-based activists has been planning action at the inauguration for months, but the results of the election drastically changed the preparation and the design of the protest. MacAuley acknowledged that the group would have still taken some sort of action if Hillary Clinton had been the one taking the oath of office on Jan. 20. "Organized resistance to policies that are harming us and people all over the world needs to go on, regardless of who is in power in the White House," MacAuley said. Three days after Trump won the election on Nov. 8, a video announcing the event appeared on a YouTube channel linked to a group that described itself as a "video production ensemble" aiming "to promote anarchist and anti-capitalist ideas, and aid social struggles through the dissemination of radical films and videos." The video has been viewed more than 127,000 times. We must take to the streets and protest, blockade, disrupt, intervene, sit in, walk out, and make more noise and good trouble than the establishment can bear, a digitized womans voice said in the video. The parade must be stopped. D.C. police wouldn't comment on individual protest groups. But a spokesperson said in an email the Metro Police Department is "prepared for all types of demonstrations." "On Inauguration Day, we will be committed to working with citizens to allow peaceful protests," the spokesperson said. More than 25 groups have requested permits from the National Park Service to protest the inauguration, according to a local NBC affiliate. The scale of the DisruptJ20 operation is not clear. Organizers said they expect "tens of thousands" of people to participate in their actions, but the groups social media footprint is limited. The Twitter handle @Disruptj20 has less than 2,000 followers and the DisruptJ20 Facebook page has 3,318 followers as of press time. DisruptJ20 said on social media that 200 people attended the groups first planning meeting on Dec. 11. Just a few days before, Google searches for DisruptJ20 spiked when filmmaker Michael Moore tweeted about the event. In late December, organizer Legba Carrefour told DCist the size of the action is not a measure of its impact. "Let's say 100,000 people show up to the Women's March. 100,000 at the Womens March is going to have a lot less impact than if you get 1,000 people showing up and doing blockades, Carrefour said. We can do a lot with few people." Related Articles Doha (AFP) - Novak Djokovic said he did not intentionally hit a ball into the crowd during his Qatar Open final against Andy Murray, an incident which threatened to take the gloss off his victory. The incident happened in the sixth game of the first set when Djokovic, upset at losing a point, fired a ball into the stands which then flew into the crowd, apparently striking a female spectator. The Serb received a warning for the incident and a further warning for smashing his racket in the second set saw him deducted a point. Djokovic, who won the absorbing contest 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, told reporters he was unaware that the ball had hit someone and said it was an accident. "It was not intentional at all," he said. "Of course people get hit, especially in the first rows, from big serves and so forth." Pressed on whether it was acceptable behaviour, the world number two said no and added: "I definitely didn't want to hit the ball at anybody." "I have to be more careful, I guess, in the future." But he admitted that the consequences could have been far worse, in terms of the on-court penalty he received. It is not the first time he has been involved in such an incident. Last year at the French Open, the Serb admitted he was lucky not to be disqualified in his quarter-final against Tomas Berdych. During that match, frustrated at missing a break point, Djokovic went to smash his racquet into the ground but it slipped out of his grasp, flying into a backwall. Had it hit a nearby line judge, who was forced to take evasive action, Djokovic would have been automatically disqualified. This week, Chicago authorities charged four young black adults with hate crimes, after a video broadcast live on Facebook showed them torturing and beating a disabled white teenager, all the while making racist statements about white people. It's hard to understand how something so gruesome could happen, and perhaps even more perplexing why anyone would choose to broadcast an act so horrendous. It is becoming clear that the public faces unprecedented challenges in a world that's now being broadcast live by anyone, and to anyone. As someone who has conducted experimental research on aggression, prejudice, social influence, and irrational decision-making, I find myself wondering whether the science of social psychology has any findings that can help us understand these events, and address the question of whether Facebook's live-streaming might itself be held responsible for the violence and/or people's responses to it. Watching people hurt other people teaches young observers that violence is normative, and repeated exposure to violence also desensitizes observers to other people's pain, according to Iowa State professor Craig Anderson and a team of prominent researchers, who reviewed several decades of research on media violence. My colleagues and I have also found that people who are concerned with status may "aggress to impress" - actually show off their violent proclivities to win respect from others. It certainly seems clear that the four perpetrators of the recent Facebook torture video believed that they would impress their friends by broadcasting their violence. One of them even complained that not enough of her Facebook associates were commenting! This is, of course, not a problem unique to Facebook and the modern digital era. Way back around 1960, I remember seeing an eerie photo of a smiling teenager on the cover of the New York Daily News. The young man had just been apprehended for committing a number of random killings in New York. Why? Because, he said, he wanted to see his picture in the newspaper. Other research finds that newspaper coverage of famous suicides can up the odds of readers taking their own lives, and Anderson's research on media and aggression looked at the impact of movies, television, and video games. So although Facebook live coverage may be more immediate, any coverage of violence can be harmful. Although there can be parental advisories for video games and music, though, and ratings for movies, live Facebook feeds go up immediately. Those video segments can go viral before parents, or even Facebook censors, can evaluate them. Should Facebook stop live feeds, and only allow edited content to appear? It is hard to imagine that happening without draconian levels of control. And, there is another possible side to this story. For most of us, potential public awareness of our behavior will likely decrease our tendency to misbehave. Some controversial videos depict acts of violence -- as they are being committed, not as advertisements by the perpetrators, but as evidence, filmed by uninvolved observers. The awareness that anyone in the vicinity could turn on their cell-phone camera, and make your antisocial behavior public could have the effect of lowering antisocial behavior. Indeed, research on the topic of "deindividuation" has revealed that most people are more likely to misbehave when they are completely anonymous - under the cover of darkness, in a large crowd of strangers, or when wearing a Halloween mask. Knowing we are being watched will lead most of us, with the exception of a rare few sadistic narcissists, to behave in a more civilized manner. So what should Facebook do, and what should the rest of us expect? Certainly Facebook should, and already does, make an effort to remove videos that involve gratuitous violence. But, live video feeds, like all forms of information, can have good and bad consequences. On the positive side, most people are likely to be better behaved in a world in which Big Brother, or their own little brother, may very well be watching. On the negative side, people without sufficient shame will have an easier time advertising their bad behaviors before a more socially concerned Big Brother can turn off the channel. Douglas Kenrick is a professor of social psychology at Arizona State University, who has studied irrational decision-making and social influence in an evolutionary context. He is the author of The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think, and of Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com If you made the assumption that a PR team is handling Donald Trumps Twitter assaults, youd be wrong. The incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said that the President-elects tweets are his own, and the team never knows when or what hell tweet next. He also said that its likely that President Trump will continue to tweet while in office, as this offers him a direct way to address the public. Don't Miss: This is exactly how fast the Galaxy S8 will be compared to the Galaxy S7 I do not know, I do not get a memo [about the tweets], Spicer said at a University of Chicago Institute of Politics event. He drives the train on this. Former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs and former Obama adviser David Axelrod were also attending the event, The Wall Street Journal reports. Trumps tweeting will make Spicers job more exciting, he said. You know that he can drive a message and influence people in a way that hasnt been done before, the future press secretary said. Spicer also dismissed the idea that Trump tweets randomly, labeling such thinking as misconception. He is a very strategic thinker, Spicer said. He thinks about where things are going to end up. Spicer also said that Trumps doesnt have to fact check what he says, and theres a distinction between Trumps right to express his opinion, and journalists duty to the truth. Its one thing to make a statement, but if youre a journalist, your job is to get that right, he said, according to The Chicago Tribune. Trump was often criticized for his relationship with the truth in the messages he distributes, via Twitter or otherwise. From the looks of it. Trump will continue to tweet when and what he wants, regardless of whether its true, or whether it has any effects on the country. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com President Harry Truman reportedly once said, If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. So as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to move into the White House in a few weeks, will he adopt a pet to move with him? Nearly every president has had at least one pet while in office, including alligators, a hippo and a hyena! NEW YORK (AP) President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that only stupid people or fools would dismiss closer ties with Russia, and he seemed unswayed after his classified briefing on an intelligence report that accused Moscow of meddling on his behalf in the election that catapulted him to power. Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing, Trump said in a series of tweets. He added, We have enough problems without yet another one, and said Russians would respect us far more under his administration than they do with Barack Obama in the White House. Trump repeatedly has questioned the assessment by American intelligence agencies that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 election, and a classified report presented to him Friday seemed to have little changed his thinking. The report explicitly tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to election meddling and said that Moscow had a clear preference for Republican Trump in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. But Trump tweeted that with the many global issues confronting the United States, it doesnt need testy ties with Russia on the list. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad to have a good relationship, he said, and suggested his approach might allow the adversaries to work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! Even as intelligences officials looked back in their reports on the election, they also made a troublesome prediction: Russia isnt done intruding in U.S. politics and policymaking. Immediately after the Nov. 8 election, Russia began a spear-phishing campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy, the report said. Story continues The report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to hack the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, among them Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta. The unclassified version said Russian government provided emails to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks even though the websites founder, Julian Assange, has denied that it got the emails it released from the Russian government. The report noted that the emails could have been passed through middlemen. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid trolls to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. Moreover, intelligence officials believe that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its activities in the election to put its thumbprint on future elections in the United States and allied nations. The public report was minus classified details that intelligence officials shared with President Barack Obama on Thursday. In a brief interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Trump said he learned a lot from his discussions with intelligence officials, but he declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had intruded in the election on his behalf. After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election and that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. Intelligence officials have never made that claim. And the report stated that the Department of Homeland Security did not think that the systems that were targeted or compromised by Russian actors were involved in vote tallying. The report released publicly lacked details about how the U.S. learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret. Revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign. It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency, it said. We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. Before the intelligence agencies completed their assessment, Obama announced sanctions against Russia. Trump has not said whether he will undo them once he takes office, but lawmakers are calling for more punitive measures against Russia and have little to no appetite to roll back any current sanctions. Trump said he would appoint a team within three months of taking office to develop a plan to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks. On Saturday, he said he wanted retired Sen. Dan Coats to be national intelligence director, describing the former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee as the right person to lead the new administrations ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm. Coats, in a statement released by Trumps transition team, said: There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen. ___ Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann, Eileen Sullivan, Julie Pace, Eric Tucker, Chad Day and Jack Gillum contributed to this report. Dozens of people were killed in a prison riot in Brazil on Friday, with some of the dead having been beheaded, according to multiple reports. It was the latest instance of deadly prison violence in the country. Local news outlet Noticias de Misiones tweeted a graphic photo purportedly from Friday's prison massacre. At least 33 people were killed from Friday's riot in a prison located in the country's Amazon region, the Guardian reported. The riot at the Monte Cristo Agricultural Prison, located in the state of Roraima in the northern part of the country, has since gotten "under control," a local official told Noticias de Misiones. Friday's riot came just days after at least 56 people were killed in a separate prison riot in Brazil between warring drug factions. That riot, which occurred Sunday overnight, happened in a prison also located in the Amazon region. No official cause for Friday's riot was immediately announced, Noticias de Misiones reported. However, because Sunday's riot was between the PCC and the Red Command two of the country's most notorious drug gangs local experts predicted more riots and more deaths. "This situation is tense, very ripe for new tragedies," Camila Dias, who has authored a book on the PCC, told Reuters on Wednesday. "This was a butchery foretold." Prison deaths are not a new phenomenon, but at least one prisoner in Brazil dies each day, according to a recent review by South American news outlet Telesur. Last year alone, 372 inmates were murdered in Brazil. Overcrowding in Brazilian prisons could be adding to existing tensions between inmates. For instance, the Manaus prison, where Sunday's riot took place, has the capacity to accommodate 562 inmates. However, when the riot broke out last weekend, it was housing 1,224 inmates. More than 600,000 people incarcerated in Brazil as of Friday, ranking the South American country at No. 4 among largest prison populations in the world. Related Articles Paterson (Adam Driver) is a bus driver who lives in Paterson, New Jersey. He lives a sedate domestic life with his wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) and their dog Marvin, an unflappable English bulldog. At work, he writes careful lines of poetry in a notebook; when he gets home, he takes Marvin for a walk and stops at a local bar for one drink. Its a prescribed existence, but not an unhappy one. In Jim Jarmuschs new movie Paterson, theres no major action day to day, but magic is constantly bleeding in from around the edges. Paterson is an extraordinarily humane film about the creative process, told on the smallest scale possible. It moves at the pace of life (in other words, slowly), but like all the best works of quiet realism, it builds narrative momentum as it goes on. Its a portrait of a persons daily routine thats deeply felt and remarkably powerful, one where even mundane conversations can seem loaded with meaning. Jarmusch is the rare director who can actually ground the audience in a characters point of view, letting you see through his or her eyes. As a result, Paterson emerges as a person who takes the world on its terms and delights in its details; this is a film blessed with a similarly utopian outlook. The magic of Paterson lies in its discovery of poetry on the margins and in the ordinary. Jarmuschs last film Only Lovers Left Alive was another languid portrait of mundanity in a faded American city, but it concerned immortal vampires whiling away the time in Detroit. In that movie, Jarmusch was exploring the lives of jaded artists who are unmoved by every piece of art around them. Meanwhile, Paterson finds inspiration in the smallest things, like a box of matches or an overheard snippet of bar talk. If theres any tension at all to the film, its in Patersons intense privacy. Hes soft-spoken and mild-mannered, and lacks close friends outside of his wife and his local bartender Doc (Barry Shabaka Henley). He keeps his poetry, which he jots in notebooks on his lunch break, in his basement. Laura gently encourages him to share it with the world, but both she and the audience understand thats not really the purpose of his writing. Theres something elemental to Patersons artistry that Jarmusch is trying to help the audience understand; this is not a tale of a successful poet, but rather a celebration of that indefinable spark that exists in everyone, in some way or another. Recommended: The 20 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2017 (So Far) While Paterson writes poetry, Lauras originality pours out of her in all sorts of ways, from her bizarre experiments with cooking to her penchant for decorating their house in different black-and-white patterns, each more oddly mismatched than the last. Doc is obsessed with chess, sharing his insights with Paterson whenever he stops by for a drink; also at the bar is a constantly fighting couple (played by William Jackson Harper and Chasten Harmon) who demonstrate their furious passion for each other through heated arguments. On every bus ride, Jarmusch moves the camera away from Paterson, capturing bits of chatter between the other passengers, some of them nonsensical, but all of them weirdly fascinating. By steering clear of any grand plot, Jarmusch subtly forces viewers to pick up on the minutiae, to weigh each piece of dialogue carefully, to see things as Paterson does. There are magical little moments that seem somewhat otherworldly: Paterson runs into a strange number of twins in his journey around the city, and near the end of the movie has an encounter with a Japanese tourist that almost feels serendipitous. But these dreamlike elements arent bizarre omenstheyre just reminders of the thrilling, unusual details that might strike anyone as interesting as they go about their day. Paterson is helped to greatness by its two fantastic leading performances. Farahani, an Iranian actress who shone in Asghar Farhadis 2009 drama About Elly, is a perfectly effervescent balance to Drivers more muted work. Driver doesnt play Paterson as simply stoic; by confining so much of his emotion to his eyes and occasional smile, he manages to convey the act of thinking with grace. Paterson is a film about looking at our world through different, less distracted, more thoughtful eyes; in the last year of cinema, theres been almost nothing made with such a beautifully defined perspective. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. ROME (AP) -- After sitting on the bench all season, Lorenzo Tonelli finally got a chance to play for Napoli on Saturday and he made quite an impact. The center back celebrated his season debut by scoring the winner five minutes into stoppage time as Napoli came back from a goal down to beat 10-man Sampdoria 2-1 in Serie A. With Kalidou Koulibaly and Faouzi Ghoulam away at the African Cup of Nations, Tonelli played from the start and was ready when teammate Ivan Strinic set him up in the center of the area in the final seconds. Tonelli met Strinic's pass with a rising shot that left a crowd of Sampdoria defenders helpless inside the box. ''I had to get over some physical problems but I was lucky to find myself ready,'' Tonelli said. ''This is a great group and they helped me a lot. ... Napoli showed tonight that it doesn't give up.'' Tonelli had a breakthrough season at Empoli under current Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri in 2014-15 then followed Sarri to Napoli after last season. Sampdoria led on the half-hour mark with an own goal from Elseid Hysaj. Patrick Schick got by Vlad Chiriche near the right sideline and his cross was redirected in by Hysaj with Fabio Quagliarella waiting by the far post. Napoli hardly threatened in the first half but the Partenopei came to life after the break. Dries Mertens wasted a clear look at the goal by shooting high and Sampdoria was reduced to 10 men when Matias Silvestre picked up his second yellow card for disturbing Pepe Reina as the Napoli goalkeeper attempted a kick. After another near miss from Mertens, Napoli finally found the target in the 77th when Manolo Gabbiadini equalized with his knee after being set up less than a yard out by Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon. The victory extended Napoli's unbeaten run to eight matches and moved last season's runner-up level on points with second-place Roma, which visits Genoa on Sunday. The win maintains the southern club's momentum ahead of a matchup with holder Real Madrid in the Champions League next month. Story continues Juventus, which is four points ahead, hosts Bologna on Sunday as Serie A resumes after the holiday break. Earlier, Massimo Maccarone converted a penalty as Empoli beat visiting Palermo 1-0 in a matchup between clubs trying to avoid relegation. Maccarone drilled his spot kick into the left side of the net less than two minutes after going on. Thiago Cionek fouled Maccarone to break up a clear scoring chance from the center of the area. Fourth from the bottom, Empoli moved seven points clear of Palermo and the drop zone. The Pescara-Fiorentina match scheduled for Sunday was postponed due to too much snow and ice inside and around Stadio Adriatico. --- Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) The division of Cyprus is now in its 43rd year. Next week may mark the decisive moment when the small eastern Mediterranean island nation starts to be stitched back together again. After 19 months of talks aimed at reunifying the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south with the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, the final details of a peace deal are set to be thrashed out, potentially bringing some good news to a region wracked by conflict and distrust. But many hurdles remain hurdles that have not been cleared in previous reunification attempts. The Conference on Cyprus is scheduled to start on Jan. 12 in Geneva, and is intended to hammer out some of the toughest aspects of a peace deal including how to ensure security for both Greek and Turkish Cypriots once an aimed-for federation is established. The leaders of Greece, Turkey and the former colonial power Britain the so-called guarantors are widely anticipated to make an appearance at the summit. Making sure there's no repeat of the events of 1974 is key. In the summer of that year, Cyprus was split into two after Turkey invaded in the wake of a Greek-backed coup that aimed to unite the island with the rest of Greece. Following the invasion, the country was cleaved along ethnic lines with the Turkish Cypriots controlling 36.5 percent of Cyprus' land mass backed by more than 35,000 Turkish troops deployed in the north. A Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence is recognized only by Turkey. Before the official opening of the summit, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have earmarked three days from Jan. 9 to clear up a string of outstanding issues including the pivotal matter of how much territory each side will control in a federation. Here's a look at where things stand: ___ MY LAND, YOUR LAND Talks almost broke down in November because Anastasiades and Akinci couldn't agree on how much territory the Greek and Turkish federal zones would control. Story continues The difference was marginal just a percentage point. Its impact was immense. Greek Cypriots say enough territory must be returned under their control in order to allow at least 90,000 Greek Cypriots displaced by the 1974 invasion to reclaim lost homes and property in a relatively short time. The argument is that an agreement on those lines would reduce the financial burden of a peace deal by limiting the compensation amounts that will have to be paid to those not able to reclaim their homes and land. It would also potentially boost Greek Cypriot support for a deal when it's put to a vote a previous peace deal in 2004 was rejected by Greek Cypriots in a referendum. Turkish Cypriots, on the other hand, want to limit the numbers that relocate. Telling Turkish Cypriots to leave what they have considered home for decades is unlikely to go down well with many in any subsequent referendum. Both Anastasiades and Akinci are expected to produce maps showcasing their intentions. Anastasiades said without maps to sort out a final deal, talks won't move to the top issue security. ___ GUARANTORS There's another layer when it comes to Cyprus, an island that's seen its share of big power intrigue through the centuries, from Alexander the Great's invasion in the fourth century B.C., through Roman times, the Crusaders and most recently the British. Legally, negotiations that touch on Cyprus' security must include Greece, Turkey and Britain because Cyprus' 1960 constitution accorded them "guarantor" status. The idea was to have the three protect the fledgling democracy at its independence from British rule which had followed four years of a guerrilla campaign by Greek Cypriots aimed at unifying the island with Greece something the minority Turkish Cypriots deeply opposed. Turkey invoked its intervention rights from its status as a guarantor in 1974. ___ SECURITY Trust is therefore essential. Turkish Cypriots fear that the majority Greek Cypriots could overwhelm them in the future. That's why they are insisting that Turkish troops should remain as a bulwark. Greek Cypriots, meanwhile, have worries over the might of Turkey and insist that a country outside the European Union of which Cyprus is a member should neither keep troops on the island nor the right to militarily intervene. EU officials have backed that notion. Turkey's increasingly authoritarian ways and recent security problems, evidenced further in the New Year's Day attack in Istanbul that killed 39 people, have done little to either assuage Greek Cypriot fears or foster trust. United Nations officials are reportedly trying to work out a formula that would answer the security fears of both sides. ___ SUMMIT Word is that Greece, Britain and Turkey will be represented at the Cyprus Conference at the highest levels. Top EU officials including Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini are said to be going, too. Anastasiades said that U.N. Security Council members may also attend on the sidelines if they so wish. U.N. envoy Espen Barth Eide has said the talks may expand to include issues that affect EU-Turkey relations, such as what to do with all the refugees who have fled Syria for Europe. Akinci has said that if a deal is struck in Geneva, it may take a few more months to thrash out the legal details before accord is put to a vote in the summer. ___ STAKES ARE HIGH A peace deal would bolster regional security and ease cooperation in tapping potentially huge oil and gas reserves beneath the Med seabed. For the wider region, a deal could be a beacon of hope. Greeks and Turks, Muslims and Christians working things out could send a powerful message of peace. One of the biggest icebergs ever recorded is about to break away from Antarctica, scientists at Swansea University in Wales said Friday. The enormous piece of ice, almost the size of the state of Delaware, will soon break off of the Larsen C ice shelf after a rift rapidly grew in December. Only 12 miles of ice (20km) is keeping the nearly 2,000-square-mile (5,000 sq km) chunk of ice from floating away, scientists say. Larsen C, located at the edge of West Antarctica, is about 350 meters thick (more than 1,100 feet) and holds back the flow of glaciers that feed into it. The break off of the large piece of ice leaves the whole shelf at risk to future break-ups, researchers say. Larden C Swansea University Antarctica- Photo: Midas Project, Swansea University Last August, scientists from UKs Project Midas announced that the Larsen C rift was growing rapidly, but in December the speed of the rift went into overdrive, further expanding by about 11 miles (18km) in just a couple of weeks. Scientists have been keeping an eye on the growing rift in Larsen C for years after the collapse of the Larsen A ice shelf in 1995 and the surprising break-up of the Larsen B shelf in 2002. "If it doesn't go in the next few months, I'll be amazed, said project leader Prof. Adrian Luckman. Luckman says the break-off is inevitable and that the area that will break away will join the list of one of the top ten biggest icebergs ever recorded. Scientists are worried about the break-offs impact to the its neighbor, Larsen B. "We are convinced, although others are not, that the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one," said Professor Luckman. The iceberg that breaks off will not raise sea levels. However, if the shelf continues to break up, the glaciers that flow off the land behind it could speed up its passage towards the ocean, which could have an effect on sea levels. If alls that happens, global waters would rise by 10 cm, scientists say. Related Articles By Isabel Coles NORTH OF MOSUL, Iraq, Jan 7 (Reuters) - In the morning, spirits were high among Iraqi troops battling Islamic State for control of Mosul as they advanced on the northern edge of the city, helped by a salvo of rockets fired by the U.S.-led coalition. But as Friday wore on, the mood grew tense on the rooftop behind the frontline where Iraqi commanders and U.S. advisers were coordinating the fighting, as they came up against the challenges of combat in an urban environment and the militants detonated a car bomb. "It's that time of day," said an American adviser as his Iraqi counterparts rushed to make contact with their men on the ground via walkie-talkie following the blast. Vastly outnumbered and overpowered, Islamic State militants have adopted the strategy of waiting for Iraqi forces to reach their target before launching a counterattack when their enemy is worn out after a day's fighting. The view from the rooftop several kilometers from the battle zone provided evidence of that pattern, and allowed a glimpse into the relationship between Iraqi commanders and their American partners. Iraqi forces began their assault on Mosul's Hadba apartment complex early on Friday, breaching the city's northern limits for the first time since the campaign to retake the jihadists' last major stronghold in Iraq began nearly three months ago. Pressing their advance on Saturday, troops closed in on the Tigris river that runs through the middle of Mosul. Elite counter-terrorism services (CTS) pushed into the city from the east in October, but regular army units like the 16th division deployed to the north made slower progress and the offensive stalled. Iraqi forces renewed their assault just over a week ago and have since made rapid progress in Mosul's eastern districts with increased support from U.S. forces now visible very close to the front lines. 'DIDN'T THE AMERICANS TELL YOU?' Although the U.S. presence now is far smaller and more discreet than it was after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, its impact is clearly significant. Story continues "Didn't the Americans tell you yesterday where the un-mined roads are?" Ali al-Freiji, the commander of the northern front, yelled over a walkie-talkie at one of his officers on the ground in the early stages of Friday's assault. "The longer you take, the more the enemy will reinforce. The goal is to exploit the enemy's weakness." U.S. servicemen on the edge of the roof squinted through binoculars at Mosul, over which the Iraqi flag could be seen flying in the foreground, and further away -- but still bigger -- the black banner of Islamic State. Helicopters buzzed overhead as the Iraqi commanders directed their forces on the ground, and the U.S. adviser informed them the coalition was preparing to fire 24 long-range HIMAR rockets from a base in Qayara, south of Mosul. "When the 24th rocket has hit, advance as quickly as possible towards the target," Freiji instructed a commander on the ground via walkie-talkie. "Received, received," came a voice from the other end. Then they waited for the rockets, which struck their target in quick succession, sending a thick cloud of dust and debris into the air: "That is a gift from the U.S. Special Forces," said Major General Najm al-Jubbouri. As well as around 5,260 U.S. troops currently deployed in Iraq, there are around 100 special operations forces who conduct secret raids against senior Islamic State leaders. The rockets paved the way for Iraqi forces to advance into the apartment complex, winning another small victory in the largest military campaign the country has seen since the U.S.-led invasion more than a decade ago. And then began the no less challenging task of securing the gains against a counter-attack before night fell. "Hurry up, hurry up. You've got less than an hour until sunset," an Iraqi officer urged over his walkie-talkie. (editing by John Stonestreet) Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday agreed that key talks on Cyprus next week in Geneva were a "real opportunity" for a fair and lasting solution to the division of the island. Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and President Nicos Anastasiades of the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus are due to meet in the Swiss city for talks from Monday in a bid to give new momentum to the process. From Thursday, they are expected to be joined by the three guarantor powers of Cyprus -- former colonial power Britain, Greece and Turkey -- amid expectations of a major breakthrough in the UN-backed talks. May and Erdogan discussed the upcoming talks in a telephone conversation, where the British premier also expressed her condolences for the latest terror attacks in Turkey. "They expressed the wish the upcoming talks in Geneva will be the occasion for a lasting and fair solution to the Cyprus problem," Turkish presidential sources said. A Downing Street spokesman added they agreed on the importance of reaching a successful resolution in Geneva. They saw the talks as a "real opportunity to secure a better future for Cyprus and to guarantee stability in the wider region," the spokesman added. May would visit Turkey "early this year", the spokesman said, without specifying when. Sticking points in the talks are set to be the presence of Turkish troops on the island, property issues and how much of the island is controlled by the two entities in a bizonal federation. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the island in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece. The breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is only recognised by Turkey. The Republic of Cyprus is however an EU member. Anastasiades and Akinci, who are among the most outspoken proponents of a deal, are under huge pressure to deliver progress in the talks. But any agreement they reach will have to be approved by their respective communities in referendums. Akinci, born in Limassol which is now in the Greek Cypriot south, has said a referendum on reunifying the island could be held in the summer if the talks went to plan. Cypriots on both sides of the island in 2004 voted in referendums on a UN plan to reunite Cyprus. It was overwhelmingly approved by Turkish Cypriots but also overwhelmingly rejected by the Greek Cypriots. Bathroom mats. Toilet seats. Shoes. Dog tags. All of these items have, in recent years, gone on sale adorned with images of Hindu deities, particularly that of Ganesha, known most commonly in the West for his elephant face. It is inappropriate, and it is offensive to devotees, said Rajan Zed, a Reno-based Hindu activist who protests against such commercial products. I havent seen Christ on toilet seat covers. Or any symbol of Islam, said Vasudha Narayanan, a professor of religion at the University of Florida. If you wouldnt do it with one, why do you want to do it with something else? Or at least wouldnt it behoove you to check? Every few months, Zed said, he receives a message about some insensitive commercial use of a Hindu image. Most recently, Zed called on Amazon to pull deity-decorated skateboards and bedding from its online shelves. (This was not the first time the retailer got itself into hot water over such practices. In June, the hashtag #boycottAmazon trended on Twitter in India after users discovered doormats with images of Hindu deities available for sale. Amazon removed the items within days.) Earlier this month, Zed asked online retailers Wayfair and Kess In House to stop selling bathmats, doormats, dog beds, leggings and rugs with images of Ganesha, who often is invoked in prayers for prosperity and success at the beginning of new ventures. Another time, there was the Burger King commercial in Spain that featured Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, sitting atop a hamburger with the caption, The snack is sacred in Spanish. (Many Hindus are vegetarian, with beef considered especially off-limits because cows are considered sacred.) The use of these images in a secular context, and particularly in a context that is in direct opposition to the basic tenets of the Hindu religion, displays a lack of respect, Narayanan said. In Hinduism, myriad deities and their representation through images, sounds (like the chanting of om) and expressive forms like dance or music are an attempt to capture the many facets of a supreme being whose existence is difficult to grasp, Narayanan said. As such, depictions of the sacred are themselves considered to be sacred, she said. Consider that time in 2013 when Urban Outfitters drew criticism for selling socks with depictions of Ganesha around the ankles. Feet are considered the lowest form of a being, Narayanan said. Pointing ones feet at another person is considered to be extremely disrespectful, while bowing at someones feet is a mark of veneration. When you have your foot not just pointing to but touching a god on footwear, its a double-whammy, Narayanan said. Even the most liberal Hindus that I know would find [this] particularly jarring. Its not that Hindus categorically reject the use of religious images on artistic or commercial products. In India, for example, images of Lakshmi are commonly used to sell lottery tickets. In another well-known advertisement, Hanuman, a monkey-faced deity known in Hindu mythology as an efficient, swift emissary, promises fast delivery for ABT Parcel Service, a transportation and post service in south India. Context shapes whether something is a misappropriation or appropriation or appreciation, said Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group for Hindu Americans. Someone whos doing it out of appreciation or reverence would never put it on a toilet. That automatically becomes the filter, she said. Most of the time, when Zed reaches out to companies to ask them to stop selling an item or displaying an advertisement, he said, they apologize and comply. Its ignorance, basically, Zed said. People dont know our traditions and our deities. Indians are a relatively new immigrant group in the U.S., with many having arrived after immigration laws changed in 1965 to abolish national-origins quotas and establish a preference for skilled workers and families. Indians make up only about 1 percent of the U.S. population, and Hindus are a fraction of that, as Indians practice a variety of faiths. There also are Hindu immigrants from other countries, albeit in even smaller numbers. Knowing someone from a religious group is linked with having more positive views of that group, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey. Only 22 percent of respondents in the survey said they knew someone who was Hindu, and when asked to rate their attitudes toward various religious groups on a feelings thermometer (where 0 degrees meant viewing a group as coldly and negatively as possible), they rated Hindus somewhat neutrally, at 50 degrees. By contrast, a majority of Americans said they knew someone who was Catholic or Jewish; those groups received ratings of 63 and 62 degrees, respectively. Susan Scafidi, a law professor at Fordham University in New York and author of Who Owns Culture?, a book about cultural appropriation and American law, said people commonly borrow religious symbols from other cultures because they are the clearest expression of those cultures. People reach for things that are accessible and dont stop to think necessarily what those pieces of culture might mean, Scafidi said. Instead, they infuse the symbol with their own, usually inchoate, meaning, she said. It doesnt typically come from a place of racism or hatred. Its more thoughtlessness, Scafidi added. I havent seen Christ on toilet seat covers. Or any symbol of Islam. If you wouldnt do it with one, why do you want to do it with something else? Vasudha Narayanan, a professor of religion at the University of Florida The man police say opened fire with a gun from his checked baggage at a Florida airport had a history of mental health issues some of which followed his military service in Iraq and was receiving psychological treatment at his home in Alaska, his relatives said Friday after the deadly shooting. "Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good," his uncle, Hernan Rivera, told The Record newspaper (http://bit.ly/2j04ghF ). Esteban Santiago, 26, deployed in 2010 as part of the Puerto Rico National Guard, spending a year with an engineering battalion, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen. In recent years, Santiago had been living in Anchorage, Alaska, his brother, Bryan Santiago, told The Associated Press from Puerto Rico. Bryan Santiago said his brother's girlfriend had recently called the family to alert them to his treatment. In November, Esteban told FBI agents in Alaska that the government was controlling his mind and was forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The FBI agents notified the police after the interview with Esteban Santiago, who took him in for a mental health evaluation. Bryan Santiago said his brother never spoke to him directly about his medical issues. "We have not talked for the past three weeks," Bryan Santiago said. "That's a bit unusual ... I'm in shock. He was a serious person ... He was a normal person." Esteban Santiago was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico when he was 2, his brother said. He grew up in the southern coastal town of Penuelas before joining the Guard in 2007. Since returning from Iraq, Santiago served in the Army Reserves and the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage. He was serving as a combat engineer in the Guard before his discharge for "unsatisfactory performance," said Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman. His military rank upon discharge was E3, private 1st class, and he worked one weekend a month with an additional 15 days of training yearly, Olmstead said. Story continues She would not elaborate on his discharge, but the Pentagon said he'd gone AWOL several times and was demoted and discharged. Still, he'd had some successes during his military career, being awarded a number of medals and commendations including the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. His uncle and aunt in New Jersey were trying to make sense of what they were hearing about Santiago after his arrest at the Fort Lauderdale airport. FBI agents arrived at their house to question them, and reporters swarmed around. Maria Ruiz told The Record that her nephew had recently become a father and was struggling. "It was like he lost his mind," she said in Spanish of his return from Iraq. "He said he saw things." Santiago was flying from Anchorage on a Delta flight and had checked only one piece of luggage, which contained the gun. Santiago was charged in a domestic violence case in January 2016, damaging a door when he forced his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home. The woman told officers he yelled at her to leave, strangled her and smacked her on the side of the head, according to charging documents. A month later municipal prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release when officers found him at her home during a routine check. He told police he had lived there since he was released from custody the previous month. His Anchorage attorney, Max Holmquist, declined to discuss his client. Law enforcement officers were at the girlfriend's home Friday afternoon, and officers guarding the property outside told a reporter who approached the home to step away. ___ Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Rachel D'Oro and Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; and Lolita C. Baldor and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to show Santiago served in the Alaska National Guard in Anchorage, not Fairbanks, per new information from the Guard. Detroit (AFP) - Fiat Chrysler so far has escaped the wrath of President-elect Donald Trump's Twitter feed, but the automaker is due to start importing models from Mexico as soon as this month. Fiat Chrysler shifted production of the new Jeep Compass to Mexico so it could build another vehicle in the Illinois plant outside of Chicago, where the Compass was produced until last month. The move was part of the overall effort to boost production for its popular Jeep brand, according to the company's executives. So far FCA has escaped Trump's twitter outbursts and is trying to maintain a low profile as it prepares the plant in Toluca, Mexico to produce the Compass for sale in the US market and for export to other countries as well. But Trump has targeted Ford, General Motors and Toyota in his attacks, largely via Twitter, for investing in plants in Mexico and threatened to impose stiff import taxes for cars imported into the United States. He repeatedly slammed Ford for moving jobs to Mexico, even as the automaker denied the charge and noted that it actually added jobs in its US operations. Still, the company this week canceled plans to build a plant in Mexico, to instead invest in an existing US factory and create 700 jobs, citing confidence in Trump's economic plan. GM defended its plans, saying it will only import a small number of the hatchback version of the Chevrolet Cruze, while Toyota noted it maintains a large manufacturing base in the United States. GM and Fiat Chrysler also build pick-up trucks in Mexico that are sold in the US market, but so far Trump has not targeted the truck factories. After the election in November, FCA said it was looking forward to working with the new president. "FCA US looks forward to working with President-elect Donald J. Trump and the new Congress to strengthen American manufacturing and build a more secure future for our employees, customers and society." The Fiat Chrysler also noted that since filing for bankruptcy in 2009, the company has announced $8.4 billion in US-based investments and added almost 25,000 new US jobs. Jordana Mollick, Anna Rose Holmer and Nanfu Wang were each awarded $25,000 grants Saturday at Film Independents Spirit Awards brunch. The event, held at Boa restaurant in West Hollywood, takes place a month and a half before the Spirit Awards ceremonies on Feb. 25 in a tent on Santa Monica Beach. Mollick, a producer on Hello, My Name is Doris, won the Piaget Producers award, which goes to a producer who demonstrates creativity, tenacity and vision on a limited budget. Finalists for the award were Lisa Kjerulff, Melody C. Roscher and Craig Shilowich. Holmer, director of The Fits, received the Kiehls Someone to Watch award, which recognizes talented filmmakers of singular vision who have not yet received appropriate recognition. Finalists for the award were Andrew Ahn, director of Spa Night; Claire Carre, director of Embers; and Ingrid Jungermann, director of Women Who Kill. Holmer told Variety on the red carpet that the $200,000 film was funded entirely by grants and shot in 20 days in Cincinnati. The story centers on an 11-year-old girl whos caught up in danger after becoming involved with a dance troupe. It was so satisfying that I received so much help in making this film, Holmer said. Wang, director of Hooligan Sparrow, received the Truer Than Fiction award, presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. Finalists for the award were Kristi Jacobson, director of Solitary, and Sara Jordeno, director of Kiki. The film follows activist Ye Haiyan, aka Sparrow, who seeks justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. The event drew dozens of the nominees, including Ava DuVernay, whos up for the documentary 13th. Shes in the midst of directing Disneys Wrinkle in Time but said it was crucial to show support for independent films. Im a board member of Film Independent so I just had come out today, she said on the red carpet. Ive been feeling feeling constricted politically. Story continues Viggo Mortensen, nominated for Captain Fantastic, said that the Spirit Awards are valuable for their recognition of less-visible films. Captain Fantastic debuted at Sundance in January and was released by Bleecker Street in July. Weve helped keep it alive with hundreds of screenings and Q&As, he added. "It's important for me to be here. I've been feeling constricted politically" Ava Duvernay at Spirit Awards brunch pic.twitter.com/0cf35K6KDU Dave McNary (@Variety_DMcNary) January 7, 2017 Viggo Mortensen explains that the cast of "Captain Fantastic" has done hundreds of screenings, Q&As since it opened pic.twitter.com/8y6vuUiBEo Dave McNary (@Variety_DMcNary) January 7, 2017 Anna Rose Holmer wins the Someone to Watch Award for "The Fits," which cost $200,000 and was totally funded by grants pic.twitter.com/RtniirOVy5 Dave McNary (@Variety_DMcNary) January 7, 2017 Isabelle Huppert at the Spirit Awards brunch at Boa #Spiritawards pic.twitter.com/fo0P7msZsV Dave McNary (@Variety_DMcNary) January 7, 2017 Related stories 'Captain Fantastic' and Viggo Mortensen's Message of Hope Is Increasingly Important Playback: Ava DuVernay on '13th,' Donald Trump and a Weakened Democratic Party Pharrell Williams Humbly Accepts Variety Creative Impact Award at Palm Springs Film Festival Former Mexican president Vicente Fox took to Twitter on Friday to clarify one particular issue for President-elect Donald Trump: He is not going to pay for any wall on the Mexican-American border. The 74-year-old politician first tweeted about the issue in early 2016, when Trump, 70, proposed to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and make them pay for it. Fox lashed out at the then-GOP frontrunner for his threats to block out Mexican immigrants in February 2016, saying, Im not going to pay for that fing wall. He should pay for it. In Thursdays tweet, he reiterated his message, tweeting, TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that f wall. Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it. He continued tweeting, writing, Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he cant keep. Foxs tweets came in response to Trumps own tweet on Thursday, clarifying that, although he had promised during his presidential campaign to make Mexico pay for the border wall, Americans will actually have to dole out the cash for it first and wait for Mexico to reimburse them. The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Trump appeared to be responding to headlines Thursday that his administration would seek taxpayer funding for the project, signaling to congressional Republican leaders that they could use the appropriations process to fund the wall. Trumps team and Republican leaders are reportedly asking Congress for new money that could put into effect a law that was signed by President George W. Bush in 2006. Though it was never implemented, the law had authorized the construction of a 700 mile-plus physical barrier on the southern border, CNN reported. Story continues The appropriations process could begin as soon as April, according to House Republican officials who told CNN. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto said during Trumps campaign that his country had no intention of paying for the wall. Trump said he and the Mexican president never discussed the matter during their Aug. 31 meeting. LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's former president and prime minister Mario Soares, who was a central figure in the country's return to democracy in the 1970s after decades of rightist dictatorship, died on Saturday aged 92, doctors said. He was hospitalized on Dec. 13 and had mostly been in a coma since then. Once popularly known as "King" Soares for his regal manner, the founder of the Portuguese Socialist Party was premier three times and later spent a decade as the country's head of state. "Today Portugal lost its father of liberty and democracy, the person and face the Portuguese identify most with the regime that was born on April 25, 1974," the Socialist Party said in a statement. The government decreed three days of mourning. April 25, 1974 was the day of Portugal's 'Carnation Revolution' when it overthrew the dictatorship that had been headed by strongman Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. Soares, who was born on Dec. 7, 1924, headed the country's first democratically elected government in 1976. Condolences rushed in with the news of his death. "My sincere condolences to all Portuguese on the death of Mario Soares," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a tweet. Soares left office in 1996 after the maximum tenure as president permitted under the constitution with his popularity at a peak. For years he remained one of the country's most influential politicians. He sat on the presidential advisory council and still took part in its meetings in early 2015. One of his last important public appearances was in late 2014, when he visited jailed former Socialist prime minister Jose Socrates, calling him a victim of a slander campaign. Socrates, who denies any wrongdoing, is still being investigated on suspicion of corruption and tax evasion. After flirting briefly with communism at university and then embracing Portugal's democratic movement as a Socialist, Soares was jailed 12 times and then exiled for his political activities during the dictatorship of Salazar. During his career as a lawyer he often defended the government's political foes. With the collapse of the dictatorship, he returned to Portugal to a triumphant reception. One of his two children, Joao, has followed his father into politics and served as mayor of Lisbon. He briefly served as culture minister in the current Socialist administration, but had to resign in April after threatening to slap critics who had called him incompetent and rude. (Reporting By Andrei Khalip and Axel Bugge; Editing by Stephen Powell) The man who killed five people in a shooting Friday at Floridas Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport demonstrated erratic behavior in November that concerned FBI agents, who referred him for mental health treatment. Esteban Santiago, 26, pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his checked luggage Friday in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 and began firing at travelers until he ran out of ammunition, threw his gun down and laid spread-eagle on the ground, the Associated Press reported. At a press conference Saturday morning, FBI agent George Piro, who is in charge of the Miami field office leading the investigation, confirmed reports that Santiago had visited the FBI field office in Anchorage, Alaska in November. He walked in, as anyone has the right to do so, Piro said. It was during that contact that the agents, themselves, noted the erratic behavior that concerned them. Piro said Santiago was taken into custody at that time and referred to a facility for mental health treatment. Santiago arrived Friday in Fort Lauderdale aboard a Delta flight from Anchorage, where the only piece of luggage he checked was his gun, Anchorage airport police chief Jesse Davis told the AP. The indication is that he came here to carry out this horrific attack. We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack, Piro said Saturday, adding that there has been no indication of a specific reason why Santiagowho authorities say acted alonechose the Fort Lauderdale airport. Piro said investigators are continuing to explore terrorism as a potential motive. In addition to the five who were killed, six people were injured in the shooting, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said at Saturdays press conference, correcting an initial statement from authorities that had said eight were wounded. He said three are in good condition and three remain in intensive care. Story continues The incident sparked panic among Fort Lauderdale travelers, many of whom fled onto the tarmac to evacuate. An additional 37 people were later taken to hospitals with minor injuries resulting from the panic, including chest pain, anxiety and fall injuries. Family members said Santiagowho was living in Anchoragewas a new father with a history of mental health problems, the AP reported. He served in Iraq for a year with the National Guard after being deployed in 2010. A military spokeswoman told the AP that Santiago was discharged from the Alaska Army National Guard last year for unsatisfactory performance. The Pentagon said Santiago went AWOL multiple times and was demoted and then discharged, the AP reported. Bryan Santiago told the AP that his brother hadnt spoken to him about medical issues, but Esteban Santiagos girlfriend had recently told his family he was receiving psychological treatment. We have not talked for the past three weeks, his brother told the AP. Thats a bit unusual Im in shock. He was a serious person He was a normal person. The incident is still being investigated by the FBI, and Santiago is expected to appear in federal court on Monday. By Emma Thomasson and Christian Plumb BERLIN/NEW YORK (Reuters) - German's Fresenius Medical Care and U.S. rival DaVita Inc said they had both received subpoenas from federal prosecutors investigating their ties with a charity that helps patients pay for kidney dialysis. The charity, the American Kidney Fund, said it had also been subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Both companies and the charity said they were cooperating with the probe, whose existence U.S. Attorney's office spokeswoman Christina Sterling declined to confirm. The subpoenas were issued amid growing controversy over a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule aimed at preventing dialysis providers from using premium assistance from outside charities to steer patients into Obamacare individual insurance plans instead of Medicare or Medicaid to receive higher payments for medical services. FMC and DaVita said in separate statements that they had sued on Friday to challenge the rulemaking process and seeking an injunction delaying the rule from taking effect, as scheduled, on Jan. 13. The Kidney Fund said it supported the suit, which was filed in U.S. federal court for the Eastern District of Texas. Under Obamacare, individual plans offered by the insurers generally pay doctors and other medical groups more than Medicare and Medicaid for their medical services and may cover different drugs and procedures. In a related case, insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc filed a lawsuit against American Renal Associates Holdings Inc last year that has to do with payments for dialysis through its exchange plans. FMC described the new HHS rule as a move to end assistance to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that could have a "material adverse affect" on its business. DaVita alleged the rule violates federal law and could cause "irreparable harm" to dialysis patients, noting that it was due to take effect days before the inauguration of a new administration. FMC said the new regulation could put an end to assistance programs that help fund health insurance premiums, with between 700 and 2,000 of its patients potentially affected. The Kidney Fund said in a statement the rule would relegate "an entire class of disabled individuals who are poor and disproportionately minority to dependence on taxpayer-funded health care even if they have determined it is not the best choice for them." HHS officials could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Emma Thomasson and Christian Plumb; editing by John Stonestreet and Chizu Nomiyama) The state of Florida's number one industry is tourism, and tourism depends on airports to bring in all those half-frozen northerners for a few days (or more) of thawing out. According to the state's aviation and spaceports office, Florida's airports employ 1.3 million people with an annual payroll of $44.5 billion. Including direct, indirect and multiplier impacts, Florida's airports' total contribution to the state's economy reached $144 billion in 2014. Broward County owns and operates two airports: the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and the North Perry general aviation airport (HWO). The Ft. Lauderdale facility employs 12,500 people and supports nearly 140,000 direct, indirect and multiplier-effect jobs. The total payroll reached $3.5 billion and the total economic impact of the two airports was $13.2 billion, about 9% of the state's total in 2014. ALSO READ: The Most Dangerous Cars in America The airports are operated through the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. The Commission delegates the management and operations of FLL and HWO to the Broward County Aviation Department. The two airports are monetarily self-supporting and do not use any Broward County tax revenue to support operations, maintenance or capital improvements of the airports. The Aviation Department generates funds through user fees, rentals and other charges. Bonds, fees and grants (state and federal) fund the capital improvement projects. Any surpluses are reinvested into the airport facilities. The four largest carriers at FLL based on the number of passengers enplaning (boarding an aircraft) were: JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU): 2.9 million and 22% of FLL's total Spirit Airlines Inc. (SAVE): 2.5 million; 19% of total Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV): 2.3 million; 17% of total Delta Air Lines Co. (DAL): 1.6 million; 12% of total Low-cost carriers like JetBlue and Spirit accounted for nearly 62% of passenger enplanements in 2015, up from 37.4% 10 years ago. International enplanements have also grown sharply, from 9.4% in 2005 to 20.4% in 2015. Story continues ALSO READ: The Next 14 States to Legalize Marijuana More than 13.2 million passengers boarded a flight at FLL in 2015, up 9.9% year over year. Total passenger traffic at FLL is expected to reach 29.3 million in 2016 and average year-over-year growth in traffic is forecast at 13% for the first half of this year. Airline revenues at Ft. Lauderdale airport rose 12.7% year over year in 2015 to $60.4 million, but were only the second-largest source of total revenues for the year. Rental car revenues totaled $63.9 million, up 8.3% year over year. Rental car revenues represented 30% of airport revenues in 2015 compared with airline revenues equaling 28% of the total. Salaries and wages totaled $32.9 million, second to contracted services (shuttle buses, maintenance costs, etc.) of $44.3 million. The third-largest expense was law enforcement and fire and rescue costs of $26.8 million. ALSO READ: The Poorest County in Every State Operating expenses for the year totaled $135.4 million and operating revenues totaled $213.9 million. Ft. Lauderdale International is ranked 21st in the United States in total passenger traffic and 13th in domestic origin and destination passengers. There are more than 325 departure and 325 arrival flights a day on 30 airlines. FLL offers nonstop service to more than 125 U.S. cities and flights to Canada, Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America and Europe. There are also 100 private flights. Each day over 73,000 travelers pass through the four terminals at FLL. Related Articles Twitter The red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards has been a bit of a disaster for the past few years, with little of it having to do with the actual celebrities arriving at the event. Youd expect it to be a parade of egos complaining, but the bulk of the trouble has been with logistics and unforeseen accidents. 2014 saw a sewage pipe burst and drench the red carpet, followed by the confusion around shuttles that plagued the 2015 awards showcase. This year, the awards are doing their best to avoid any of those mishaps with some key planning, but they also now have to contend with the unpredictability of nature according to The Hollywood Reporter. California is currently looking at their largest storm in over a decade, right in the middle of Golden Globes weekend. The show might be able to squeeze in before the system moves south from Northern California, but the description for the storm are definitely enough to make the producers worry a little: The National Weather Service describes an atmospheric river as columns of vapor somewhat akin to a river in the sky. Much of the state is bracing for heavy rains that could bring flooding, avalanches, blizzards and road closures. The brunt of the storm will be felt in Northern California, but rain is expected on Saturday and Sunday evening in Southern California as well. Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service based in Oxnard, Calif., told The Hollywood Reporter that they did expect somewhere between half an inch to an inch of rain late Sunday night heading into Monday morning. It is unlikely that we would see this rainfall early enough to have a large impact, he said. Not taking any chances, the folks behind the Globes will be placing a tent over the red carpet and doing their best to keep things as dry as possible from above and below. And as for increased security possibly causing trouble like in 2015, the event coordinators also hope to have things ironed out. According to THR, The Beverly Hilton is increasing the number of shuttles being used and will streamline their route to save any hassles: Story continues We have been working with all concerned parties throughout the past year to develop a transportation plan that will allow the guests attending the events surrounding the Golden Globes to be transported in a timely manner, while still maintaining the safety and security of our guests. Thats not to say that disaster couldnt still strike on stage during the telecast. Jennifer Lawrence could always trip or talk about her butt at some point or Jimmy Fallon might surprise with his edgy new persona for a national audience. Well just have to wait and see. (Via The Hollywood Reporter) And the award for the best Golden Globes acceptance speech goes to well, its hard to choose. In preparation for the latest edition of Hollywoods biggest party which kicks off at 8 p.m. on Jan. 8 weve assembled a reel of the funniest, strangest, and all-around greatest acceptance speeches by past Globes victors. Watch a baby-faced Brad Pitt publicly thank Kaopectate while accepting his Best Supporting Actor statue for Twelve Monkeys in 1996. Laugh as the victorious star of House of Cards, Kevin Spacey, drops a decidedly unpresidential F-bomb when he breaks his losing streak after eight career Globe nominations with a Best Actor win at last years Globes. And repeatedly hit your Like button as Tina Fey goes after her Internet haters while accepting her Best Actress trophy for 30 Rock in 2009. These are the kinds of unpredictable moments that you rarely see at the Emmys or Oscars, where everyone tends to be on their best behavior. But at the Globes, not so much. Tune in Sunday night to see which of this years winners maybe Ryan Reynolds? delivers an acceptance speech that well remember for years to come. The 74th Golden Globe Awards will air on Sunday at 8 p.m. on NBC. Check out some of the first-time nominees in the video below: A volunteer firefighter headed to a vacation with his wife and a great-grandmother celebrating her husbands birthday were among the five killed when a gunman opened fire at a Ft. Lauderdale airport on Friday, according to family members. Terry Andres, of Virginia, Olga Woltering, of Georgia, and Michael Oehme, of Iowa, were all killed when Esteban Santiago, 26, started shooting in the terminal 2 baggage claim area of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, prompting mass chaos. Read: Woman Arrested In Connection With Shooting of 21-Year-Old Pizza Delivery Driver, Cops Searching for Alleged Shooter Authorities have not released the victims identities. Andres, 62, was on a vacation with his wife when the shooting broke out and he died after being shot multiple times, according to reports. His wife was reportedly able to escape. His family told WAVY-TV that Andres was set to celebrate his birthday later this month. Woltering, a retiree, was scheduled to go on a cruise from Florida on Saturday for her husbands 90th birthday. She was reportedly struck once and also died inside of the terminal, according to reports. Her Atlanta church took to Facebook to express the sadness over her loss. Tragedy hit too close to home today. Transfiguration Church lost a very loving and caring woman in the Ft Lauderdale airport attackPrayers also lifted up for a crazy and cruel world, they wrote. Oehme was also on the way to a cruise with his wife when he was shot and killed, according to reports. His wife, Kari Oehme, was also reportedly shot in the shoulders, but is expected to recover. A witness to the shootings, Steve Frappier, told CNN, that his backpack saved his life. "I felt something hit my back," Frappier said. It was only later when I went to the bathroom to check myself out that the bullet had entered my backpack, hit my laptop... That would have been my back. Story continues Esteban Santiago, an Iraq veteran and new father, was taken into custody without incident after the shooting which wounded eight others in addition to the five killed. Read: Bullet Fired During Istanbul Nightclub Shooting Hit American Man's Cell Phone, Possibly Saving His Life Santiago was pictured in handcuffs Saturday as he was transferred to the Broward County Main Jail in Florida, where he is being held on suspicion of murder. Police believe Santiago flew into Fort Lauderdale with a gun in his checked bag from Anchorage, Alaska on a Delta flight. After picking the luggage up at baggage claim, he allegedly went into the bathroom, loaded the gun and then came out and opened fire, according to reports. A motive for the shooting is still under investigation, but the FBI investigators said they have not ruled out terrorism for the attack. Watch: Dad Dies Shielding Son From Gunman In Targeted Shooting That Killed 2 Children Related Articles: MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexican prosecutors said Saturday they are searching for a gunman who opened fire on an official of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. The Attorney General's Office said the official was wounded in the attack Friday in Guadalajara. The city is the capital of Jalisco state, which is dominated by the hyper-violent Jalisco New Generation cartel. There was no immediate evidence of any cartel link to the attack. The shooting appeared to be a direct attempt to kill the consular employee. Surveillance video of the attack shows the gunman following the official in a parking garage. The official, whose name was not released, was dressed in shorts. The attacker doesn't appear to try to approach the official while he is walking, but instead waits for him to exit the parking garage in his vehicle and fires a round into the car's windshield. The consulate said on its Facebook page that the FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker. Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city and is not specifically singled out for any special precautions in the latest U.S. travel warning updated on Dec. 8. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said that for privacy reasons no further information would be made available on the victim, including his condition. "The safety and security of our employees overseas is among our highest priorities," said an embassy spokeswoman who was not authorized to be quoted by name. "We are working closely with Mexican law enforcement ?in this matter." The Attorney General's Office said the victim was in "stable" condition and under protection, apparently at a local hospital. The office said the case was being handled by federal detectives. An attack on diplomatic personnel would be considered a federal crime in Mexico. U.S. consular employees and other U.S. agents have been attacked in Mexico in the past; the attackers have usually argued the attacks were cases of mistaken identity. Story continues In 2014, a Mexican gang leader was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2010 slayings in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, of a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee. Prosecutors said Arturo Gallegos Castrellon was in charge of a team of assassins with the Barrio Azteca, a gang allied with the Juarez drug cartel, and had ordered the three slayings. The killings of U.S. consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton, her husband, Arthur Redfels, and Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another consulate employee, as they left a children's birthday party were a mistake, former gang members testified during the trial. Redfels was driving a white SUV that was very similar to a vehicle that Gallegos Castrellon had marked as a target for his team of assassins because they thought it belonged to members of the rival Sinaloa cartel. In 2012, uniformed police pumped 152 bullets into a U.S. Embassy vehicle carrying two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain. The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said the people they attacked were in uniform and marked cars, and that they had responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation said those attacked were in street clothes, riding in unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers. A Mexican drug cartel lieutenant pleaded guilty in 2013 to murder and attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States in the Feb. 15, 2011, shootings of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The attackers acknowledged they were members of a Los Zetas Cartel hit squad and directly participated in the attack, which resulted in the death of ICE agent Jaime Zapata and the wounding of his colleague Victor Avila, both based in Texas. According to court documents, a commander in Los Zetas Cartel tried to hijack the agents' armored government vehicle as it was driving on Highway 57 in San Luis Potosi. After hit squads forced the vehicle off the road and surrounded it, the Zetas commander ordered the U.S. agents to get out. The agents refused and tried to identify themselves in Spanish as diplomats from the American embassy, but the hit squad members fired into the vehicle, striking both of them. Guadalajara (Mexico) (AFP) - Mexican authorities are on the hunt for a gunman who was disguised as a female nurse when he shot and wounded a US consular official in the city of Guadalajara. The US consulate in Guadalajara posted a video on Facebook Saturday showing the shooter, dressed in blue and wearing a wig, waiting outside a shopping center's garage at 6:20 pm on Friday (00:20 GMT Saturday). He then raises his gun and fires at the car before fleeing. The shooting left a bullet impact on the car window while the US consular official is seen opening his door. Moments before the shooting video from different cameras showed the official, dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, paying his parking ticket at an automated machine. The gunman is seen following him. "According to the four videos, it was a direct attack," Jalisco state attorney general Eduard Almaguer Ramirez said. The gunman was wearing a wig and a blue nurse uniform, Almaguer said. The US official, who is in stable condition, interviews visa applicants at the consulate, Almaguer said. A US government official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the official is a vice consul, adding that no motive for the shooting has been established. The western city of Guadalajara has been hit by violence perpetrated by the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel in recent years. - $20,000 reward - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $20,000 reward for information about the shooter. The FBI is helping with the investigation, Almaguer said. The Mexican attorney general's office said it was in contact with the US embassy and consulate in efforts to locate the shooter. "The safety and security of our employees overseas is among our highest priorities," the US embassy said in a statement. "We are working closely with Mexican law enforcement in this matter," the statement added, saying it would provide more details "due to privacy considerations." Story continues The embassy issued a security message later Saturday urging US citizens in Guadalajara to "restrict their movements outside their homes and places of work to those truly essential." "They should also take care not to fall into predictable patterns for those movements that are essential. They should vary the times and routes of their movements." - Not the first attack - US officials have faced attacks in Mexico in the past. In 2010, a consular official, her husband and the spouse of another consular official were killed in two simultaneous attacks in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez, which at the time was considered the world's murder capital amid an ultra-violent drug war. An alleged leader of the Barrio Azteca gang was extradited to the United States, where he was sentenced to life in prison for ordering the murder. A year later, gunmen from the Zetas drug cartel opened fire on a vehicle of two US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the northern state of San Luis Potosi, killing one of the officers. In 2012, two US government officials -- widely reported to be CIA agents -- and a Mexican marine where wounded when they were shot at by federal police officers as they were driving in the central state of Morelos. Fourteen officers were initially accused of attempted murder, but were later put on trial on charges of using excessive force, with officials citing a case of mistaken identity. And in a case that caused friction between the US and Mexican governments in 1985, undercover US agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was tortured and killed by the Guadalajara drug cartel. Hundreds of people on New York City trains plan to strip down to their knickers for the 16th annual No Pants Subway Ride Sunday. The event, which was first created by Improve Everywhere members in 2002, started out as a short improv clip and has evolved into an international spectacle with cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Montreal participating in the annual affair that requires passengers to randomly ride the subway wearing all their winter gear except for pants. What makes the event even more interesting, is that participants are supposed to act as if nothing is out of the ordinary if someone asks why theyre not wearing any pants, or respond to questions with, I forgot them. Riders are also supposed to pretend as if they dont know one another (although groups will officially meet before the event starts) and act as though they dont notice other pants-less riders. Subway riders dont have to RSVP to participate, but it is encouraged for people to register on official No Pants Subway Ride Facebook accounts in participating cities to find out more about meeting spots, names of group leaders, schedule changes and a list of bars and after parties. Read on to find out how to participate in this years No Pants Subway Ride in various cities. New York City: The event will kick off at 3 p.m at seven train stations in areas of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Before getting on trains, participants will be organized into groups and assigned to specific train cars. The ride will end at Union Square with a no-pants after party immediately following at Bar 13. To find out which train station at which to meet, check HERE. Los Angeles: For the ninth year in a row, Californians can participate in the No Pants Subway Ride, which will kick off at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles at 1 p.m. Riders need to bring $7 for a Metro Day Pass on their TAP card, or $8 to purchase a new TAP card and Day Pass. Captains will be waiting for participants at two meeting points within the train station, during which riders are expected to remove their pants. Six groups will be led by agents at Union Station at different times headed to downtown Santa Monica. Groups will be broken up by last names. To find specific group leaders and departing times, check HERE. Following the event's conclusion, riders will gather at Tongva Park where there will be a short debriefing with information on after-party locations. Story continues Chicago: The event will travel down Chicagos Red Line, starting at the Loyola Station at noon. Riders will meet before the event right outside of the Loyola Station at 1210 W. Arthur, during which routes and teams will be explained. Those participating in the No Pants Subway Ride will need to purchase a transit card beforehand as time will not be allotted for purchases when groups start their journey. The ride will wrap in the Loop at 3 p.m. Boston: Participants need to arrive at Pemberton Square on Sunday where information regarding train routes, teams and the ending location will be explained. Following the rides end at 3:30 p.m., group organizers will throw a big No Pants Subway Ride bash at Flat Top Johnnys at 1 Kendall Square in Cambridge. Montreal: The fun will start at Mont-Royal station at 2:30 p.m. Guides will deliver route instructions minutes before the event along with details on where groups will be meeting for drinks following the event. Related Articles An area in east Beatrice is eligible for additional financing options after the Beatrice City Council declared it blight and substandard at Tuesdays meeting. According to state law, an area may be deemed substandard and blighted if there is a predominance of deteriorated buildings and enough deficiencies that private investment is not occurring, along with a list of other related factors. In this case, the City Council declared an area of east Beatrice from the area of Hannibal Park to Highway 136 blight and substandard. In doing so, the area becomes elegable for tax increment financing (TIF). TIF funds provide infrastructure upgrades to existing properties such as sidewalks, utilities or parking lots, increasing the value of the property and later the taxes collected on that property. Companies interested in receiving TIF funds are evaluated by the Community Redevelopment Authority. Redevelopment areas are what you need in order to have TIF financing be available for projects in those areas, said City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer. This study has been done and well move forward and have TIF financing available on projects in these areas from this point forward. While the council approved the designation, councilman Rich Kerr pointed out that there are no projects currently planned for the area, and asked how long the designation will stand. We dont have any projects going on there right now, if we go ahead and put this under TIF funding how long can that go out before we have to review it? he asked. Tempelmeyer said the council would have to look at redoing the designation in around 10 years, and added the first area considered in Beatrice was in the late 1990s. The designation was previously approved by the citys Planning and Zoning Commission, which recommended it be approved by the City Council. WASHINGTON (TNS) Donald Trumps hesitation in hiring immigration hard-liner Kris Kobach reflects the next presidents indecision on how to approach the biggest issue of his presidential campaign. As a candidate, Trump promised to build a wall on the southern border, deport 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally, ban all Muslims from entering the country and even enact additional hurdles for immigrants coming into the country legally. But at times he has appeared to soften his stance, saying he would build a fence instead of a wall and deport only some of those in the United States illegally. Now some aides are lobbying Trump to steer clear of Kobach and to take a more moderate stance on immigration, according to a senior transition official with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and architect of one of the nations toughest immigration laws, has met with Trump at least twice since Election Day as the president-elect considered him for attorney general or secretary of homeland security, but he was not offered a job. Roy Beck, the executive director of NumbersUSA, a group that advocates for tighter restrictions on immigration, said he was initially worried about Trumps seemingly contradictory language until he realized thats just his way of talking. Still, Beck said, he would be less concerned if Trump found Kobach a role in the administration. Some anti-immigration groups cheered Trumps appointment of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., for attorney general, but were disappointed that Trump tapped retired Marine Gen. John Kelly to head Homeland Security. Given the importance and his promises you really need to have somebody in administration that understands what the law says and what you can do, Beck said. Groups that want Trump to make good on his campaign promise to rein in illegal immigration are hoping he will immediately rescind President Barack Obamas executive actions that halted the deportation of some immigrants in the United States illegally, secure the border and establish a better system to check the status of those employed in the United States. We would expect he would carry out pledges he made in campaign, said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman with the Federation for American Reform, which advocates for increased border security and stopping illegal immigration. Mehlmans group is also lobbying Trump and his aides to hire Kobach, saying it would send a clear signal to the American people that the rule of law will be restored to our nations immigration system. Kobach has done legal work for the Federation for American Reform, which the Southern Poverty Law Center considers a hate group, a label it disputes. Kelly Arnold, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, said he thought Kobach was still under consideration for a role in the Trump administration. But he said Kobach had remained quiet about his talks with Trumps team. Its possible that Kobach has not been appointed because he wants to run for governor in 2018 or possibly wait to run for a U.S. Senate seat. Trump tapped Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., as CIA director. That removed one of the strongest possible contenders from the race for governor, leaving Kobach as the leading candidate for the Republican nomination. He is also a potential contender to succeed Sen. Pat Roberts, who faced a tough re-election challenge in 2014 and will be 84 when his seat is up again in 2020. Trumps advisers also could be worried that the Senate wouldnt confirm Kobach. Some Republicans senators possibly John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Dean Heller of Nevada or Ben Sasse of Nebraska might vote against Kobach. He is certainly controversial, and so if you hire a person like him hell bring all that baggage with him, said Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, who once called Kobach the most racist politician in the nation. I think you can make a pretty compelling case against his confirmation based on his background. Trump might still offer Kobach a role at the Department of Homeland Security or the Justice Department, but Kobach supporters suggest that Trump appoint him to a newly created position immigration czar that would not need Senate confirmation. Kobach advised Trump on immigration policy throughout the campaign and added Trumps promise to build a wall along the southern border to the Republican Partys national platform. As a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kobach wrote an Arizona law that mandates police officers see documentation from those they think might be in the United States illegally. The controversial law wound up in court, and some parts of it have since been thrown out. As secretary of state, Kobach secured the authority to prosecute election crimes and enacted new voting restrictions. Kobach hosts a weekly talk-radio show in Kansas City, Mo. In 2014, a caller asked Kobach whether he thought that Obamas executive action to halt the deportation of 5 million immigrants living illegally in the United States would result in ethnic cleansing of whites. He said he did not think ethnic cleansing would happen but he did not rule out the possibility, telling the man that things are strange and they are happening. Frank Sharry, executive director of Americas Voice, an immigration advocacy group, said it was normal for an administration to debate how to tackle an issue but that it didnt mean they were debating whether to do anything at all. That the debate is on how hard-line to be isnt surprising to me, he said. They want to deport, drive them out of the country. They may disagree on how far and fast to go. IndieWireFallTV Theodore Melfis Hidden Figures, the untold historical drama about African-American math genius Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) and her two NASA colleagues (Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae), is starting to garner crafts recognition, with production designer Wynn Thomas nabbing a period Art Directors Guild nomination this week. Fortunately, there was a lot of research to draw upon for what the offices looked like at the Langley NASA facility, Thomas told IndieWire. But he was able to bring more imagination to the Space Task Group, which was reconfigured for the movie, which was shot in Atlanta. Instead of a dull, rectangular-shaped office, the African-American designer made it a place of wonder. And I wanted Katherine Johnson and the audience to feel they were entering a very special place where something fantastic was going on, he said. So we ended up using the Morehouse College buildings for the exterior of NASA and there was a student center that was a round, circular building, and that influenced the design for the Space Task Group. That gave me more freedom to design it and made it more interesting to look at, he said. Fifty percent of the movie takes place on that set. And from a conception point of view, there are a lot of circular shapes there, with a globe in the center of the room and its the shape of the earth. I will plant those seeds in the design and some audience members will perceive that and some will not. For Mandy Walker (Truth), the Australian cinematographer who shot anamorphically on 35mm film, it was an opportunity to emulate the Kodachrome look of the early 60s. We wanted the texture and color and we pushed it further in the DI, she told IndieWire. The iconic image of Johnson working in the all-male, all-white Space Task Group was a jewel in a sea of white. For flashbacks of Johnson breaking the color barrier as a math prodigy in West Virginia, Walker used 16mm and went for a sepia look. Story continues We also made sure that we could use the low depth of field focus to create layers to draw your attention to certain parts of the frame, Walker said. We did foreground, mid-ground, background so it looked more three-dimensional. We did that with color as well. We wanted to feel texture and the grain gives you that. In keeping with the conservative dress code at NASA in the early 60s as well as segregation of women from men, costume designer Renee Ehrlich Kalfus went with a disciplined, professional look. But we got to dig deeper with the women during their home life, which was a lot more colorful, she told IndieWire. Indeed, Johnson wore more striking colors as she gained confidence and prestige; Vaughan was a supervisor who dressed elegantly, and Jackson was the younger free-spirit, who was more forward-thinking with her Bohemian fashion. It was accurate but not a slave to the period and breathes some life into the story, Ehrlich Kalfus said. As a producer, Pharrell Williams was responsible for the score and reached out to Despicable Me collaborator Hans Zimmer for expertise, and he recommended that they also enlist classically-trained composer Benjamin Wallfisch. The result was a score that, among other things, reflected the African-American experience of the 60s. We thought, heres a rare opportunity to analyze the matrix of the 1960s and these were African-American women so lets put that in our score, Williams told IndieWire. So right then and there, the physics are different. For me, I like to experiment with chord progressions and how they make you feel emotionally and I took a lot of pride in the ascending and descending moments and I tried to bring as much soul to it as I could. Williams also wanted to be inclusive about inviting African-American women from across the country to participate in the recording of the orchestral score and even invited jazz great Herbie Hancock to play piano. For Zimmer, though, it was about turning the usual Aaron Copland-based score (The Right Stuff or Apollo 13) on its head. We didnt want to discard it completely, but fill in that extra bit of information that was left out of the harmonic structure up until that time, he told IndieWire. But without being too obvious and making it about the music of the 60s with gospel choir and jazz. But it was like a guilty pleasure when you saw the first American up in space and heard a woman singing. For Wallfisch, the theme of aspiration as part of the fabric of the score was unique because of the participation of African-American female musicians. There was just something different, he told IndieWire. Each musician understood in her heart what they were playing about and what the music was trying to say. And that added another emotional layer of directness. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Related stories Oscar Song Roundup: Justin Timberlake, Sting, Tori Amos and 'La La Land' Composers 2016 Producers Guild Awards TV Nominations: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Atlanta' and 'Westworld' All Land Nods Kevin Costner Returns: How the 'Hidden Figures' Star Tackled a Fictitious Role in Fact-Based Crowdpleaser -- Consider This Hidden Figures, in theaters now, tells the woefully overlooked true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA who made U.S. space travel possible in the 60s. If youve seen the film and want to know more, or if youre someone like the movies main characters who just likes to do your homework, its worth picking up Margot Lee Shetterlys Hidden Figures, from which the movie was adapted. Check out the top highlighted passages below, via Amazon, to see what resonated most with Kindle readers: What I wanted was for them to have the grand, sweeping narrative that they deserved, the kind of American history that belongs to the Wright Brothers and the astronauts, to Alexander Hamilton and Martin Luther King Jr. Not told as a separate history, but as a part of the story we all know. Not at the margins, but at the very center, the protagonists of the drama. And not just because they are black, or because they are women, but because they are part of the American epic. How could an American Negro observe the annihilation happening in Europe without identifying it with their own four-century struggle against deprivation, disenfranchisement, slavery, and violence? Through its inability to solve its racial problems, the United States handed the Soviet Union one of the most effective propaganda weapons in their arsenal. Education topped her list of ideals; it was the surest hedge against a world that would require more of her children than white children, and attempt to give them less in return. I can put names to almost fifty black women who worked as computers, mathematicians, engineers, or scientists at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory from 1943 through 1980, and my intuition is that twenty more names can be shaken loose from the archives with more research. As a child, however, I knew so many African Americans working in science, math, and engineering that I thought thats just what black folks did. Their facilities might be separate, but as far as the West Computers were concerned, they would prove themselves equal or better, having internalized the Negro theorem of needing to be twice as good to get half as far. Even as a professional in an integrated world, I had been the only black woman in enough drawing rooms and boardrooms to have an inkling of the chutzpah it took for an African American woman in a segregated southern workplace to tell her bosses she was sure her calculations would put a man on the Moon. But there was no way that Randolph, or the men at the laboratory, or anyone else could have predicted that the hiring of a group of black female mathematicians at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory would end at the Moon. Negro life in America was a never-ending series of negotiations: when to fight and when to concede. Pro-China protesters waving placards reading "Independence will get you nowhere" greeted Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong and three rebel lawmakers as they arrived in Taipei Saturday. Wong, along with Hong Kong legislators Nathan Law, Eddie Chu, and Edward Yiu, is attending a political forum hosted by Taiwan's New Power Party (NPP), which is advocating for recognition of Taiwan as a nation. The two-day event aimed at linking democracy movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan has provoked a hostile reception from pro-unification groups on the island over what they see as a joint independence movement. Television footage showed a scuffle when one of the more than 200 protesters at the Taipei airport broke through the police line and attempted to throw a punch at the Hong Kong activists. Around 50 pro-China protesters also gathered at Hong Kong's airport for Wong's departure. "This really is a bit outrageous," Wong said of the reception in Taiwan. Wong led massive pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong in 2014 bringing tens of thousands onto the streets calling for reform amid concern that Beijing is tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city. The city's government recently launched a legal bid to unseat a number of pro-democracy lawmakers including Law, the youngest ever legislator in Hong Kong. Beijing has also been ratcheting up pressure on democratically-elected Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and her Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party, which has refused to acknowledge the concept there is only "one China." The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war and Taiwan has been a self-governed island since. However, Beijing still sees it part of its territory to be brought back into its fold. China's Taiwan Affairs Office last month denounced this weekend's forum as a collusion between independence advocates that is doomed to fail. The NPP emerged from a 2014 student occupation of Taiwan's parliament protesting a trade deal with China that known as the Sunflower movement. Its most well-known politician is death-metal rocker Freddy Lim, who unseated a veteran lawmaker to win a seat in January's election. "Rather than attempting to suppress democracy in Taiwan and Hong Kong, we hope the Beijing government can spend the time to consider democratisation of its domestic society," said NPP's Huang Kuo-chang at the forum. Hulu has signed a deal with the Disney-ABC Television Group for the exclusive subscription streaming video-on-demand rights to the ABC/ABC Studios comedy series Black-ish. Hulu, which picked up The Mindy Project after first getting SVOD rights to the Fox comedy as part of a NBCU deal, has been active in the off-network comedy business, also buying the ABC/Sony TV comedy series The Goldbergs, in addition to the blockbuster pact for Seinfeld. Black-ish, which was taken to the cable/streaming marketplace in the summer, marks the first syndicatable comedy series for ABC Studios in a decade, since According to Jim. As is the case increasingly for single-camera comedy series, it landed an SVOD deal first/in lieu of a standard cable/broadcast syndication deal. Foxs New Girl was among the first to test that route. After returning for its Season 3 midseason premiere this week, ABCs praised Black-ish just earned its first Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy. It is available to stream in its entirety now on Hulu and new episodes will continue to be available to stream for subscribers the day after air on ABC. In addition to picking up Black-ish, Hulu also has renewed the libraries of ABC/ABC Studios dramas Desperate Housewives, Body of Proof and Private Practice. Black-ish stars Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown, Marsai Martin, Jenifer Lewis and Peter Mackenzie. The series was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Jonathan Groff, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins and Corey Nickerson. The deal comes on the heels of Hulus first licensing agreement with The Walt Disney Studios for theatrical features. In the past year, Hulu also struck a deal with The Disney-ABC Television Group for kids programming from Disneys suite of networks, and more than 20 Disney Channel Original Movies. Story continues Related stories Tracee Ellis Ross On Golden Globes Win: This Is For All The "Colorful People" Keith David To Voice Gorilla Superhero Solovar For 'The Flash' 2-Episode Arc - TCA 'iZombie' Focuses On Discrimination Against Zombies In Seasons 3 and 4 - TCA Hulus new drama National Treasure made its way to the Television Critics Associations press tour on Saturday but its not an adaptation of the best/worst Nicolas Cage adventure film. Hulus drama is a four-part series about aging and beloved comedian Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltrane, a.k.a. Hagrid from the Harry Potter films), who is accused of raping multiple women a story inspired by British Operation Yewtree, though Americans may draw more parallels to Bill Cosby. The series shares a name with the 2004 film, in which Cage plays a historian who must steal the Declaration of Independence to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. On the back of the Declaration is a map that leads to vast treasure. Its easily one of Cages more ridiculous films, but its hard not to watch it or the 2007 sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets when it inevitably airs across various cable networks. In fact, one critic asked the producers at TCA on Saturday if they were worried that Hulus National Treasure would be confused for the film by American audiences, to which EP Marc Munden simply replied No, and quickly moved on. So, well move on, too, but first: Hulus National Treasure debuts March 1. Sri Lanka police fired teargas to disperse hundreds of people protesting the launch Saturday of a special industrial zone in the island's south that hopes to attract billions of dollars in Chinese investment. Protesters pelted government supporters with stones and police retaliated with teargas and water cannon at the launch, which was also attended by the prime minister and the Chinese ambassador, a police official told AFP. Authorities said about 25 people were hurt in the skirmishes, including 12 police. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and ambassador Yi Xianliang said the zone in Hambantota, 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of Colombo, will generate thousands of jobs and bring in about $5 billion in Chinese investment. But residents are afraid they will loose their land to the project, which is situated adjacent to a loss-making $1.4 billion harbour that Colombo hopes to turn into a joint venture with a Chinese company. The port has already proved controversial in itself with hundreds of temporary dock workers going on strike in December demanding that they be absorbed into the main port-owning company ahead of any sale to the Chinese. The government denies residents will lose any land to the new industrial zone, saying 95 percent of the area allocated for the project is state-owned and the remainder will be bought from private owners. They say there will be no forced acquisitions. "In the next two to five years, if everything is OK, there will be about $5 billion of (Chinese) investments in this zone," ambassador Yi said at the launch, adding that 100,000 jobs could be created. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said creating the special area for Chinese investors was aimed at making the debt-burdened Hambantota port viable. "The Hambantota port was going to sink us (Sri Lanka), but we are now trying to leverage it to create new economic activity and boost growth," Wickremesinghe said. The government, which came to power in 2015, has been trying to renegotiate the terms of its $8-billion Chinese debt, which includes the construction costs of the Hambantota port as well as a nearby international airport which is used by only one airline. The former administration relied heavily on China to build ports, highways and railways as Western nations shunned it over its dismal human rights record. Israel announced Friday it will cut a substantial amount from its annual dues to the Unites Nations for 2017 as a sign of protest against the U.N. Security Councils December vote condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas as a flagrant violation under international law. Israels U.N. mission announced it will cut $6 million, which it said was allocated to anti-Israel bodies, out of its over $40 million contribution the U.N.s regular budget. According to the mission, groups that would no longer be receiving funding from Israel include the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the Division for Palestinian Rights and information programs on the question of Palestine. It is unreasonable for Israel to fund bodies that operate against us at the U.N. The U.N. must end the absurd reality in which it supports bodies whose sole intent is to spread incitement and anti-Israel propaganda, Israels Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon reportedly said. We have not been informed, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said of Israels announcement. After the December vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the nation would re-examine its ties to the U.N. I instructed the Foreign Ministry to complete within a month a re-evaluation of all our contacts with the United Nations, including the Israeli funding of U.N. institutions and the presence of U.N. representatives in Israel, Netanyahu reportedly said in a televised speech soon after the vote. He also criticized Washingtons shameful decision to abstain from voting. The U.S., Israels closest ally, had previously used its veto to protect the country from proposed actions against it. The U.S.-Israel relationship, already contentious during President Barack Obamas time in office, was significantly affected by the Obama administrations decision to abstain. The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the U.N., it colluded with it behind the scenes, the prime ministers bureau reportedly said. Story continues Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: REUTERS/MIKE SEGAR Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives criticized the Security Councils vote and also condemned Obamas decision to abstain from voting. The United States Government should oppose and veto future United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final status issues, or are one-sided and anti-Israel, the House measure reportedly said, demanding the U.N. repeal or alter the measure it passed. House Speaker Paul Ryan added he was stunned the Obama administration allowed the U.N. to condemn Israel. Do not be fooled. This U.N. Security Council resolution was not about settlements, and it certainly was not about peace, Ryan reportedly said. It was about one thing and one thing only: Israels right to exist as a Jewish Democratic state. Related Articles Jerusalem (AFP) - Israelis on Saturday answered a wounded army veteran's call for a show of unity after the deeply divisive manslaughter conviction of a soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant. Israeli public radio said about 1,500 turned up at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square after a moving Facebook appeal by reserve Captain Ziv Shilon who was seriously injured in 2012 when a Palestinian roadside bomb went off as he patrolled Israel's border with Gaza. "Tonight, right, centre or left we are together," he wrote on Saturday, before the evening rally. Shilon said he was appalled at the wave of hate unleashed in the wake of Wednesday's guilty ruling in the case of soldier Elor Azaria, caught on video delivering a shot to the head of a Palestinian attacker as he lay wounded on the ground. Immediately after the verdict dozens of Azaria supporters scuffled with police. The following day police arrested two people after death threats emerged online against a military judge and other officials. Another two, both minors, were arrested on suspicion of daubing graffiti, including calls to kill Arabs and police officers. Israel's military has assigned bodyguards to all three judges who convicted the 20-year-old French-Israeli. "I feel that our people are divided, hurting, hating, disappointed, desperate," Shilon posted in the early hours of Thursday. "I -- who did not cry at moments that were so hard that I would not wish them on anyone -- today I just cried," he wrote. "I cried for the hands I left behind in Gaza and I asked myself, perhaps for the first time, was it worth fighting for a people that hates itself?" Right-wing politicians -- including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- have already called for Azaria to be pardoned, although he has yet to be sentenced and his lawyers may appeal. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has reportedly been targeted with threats, with some Azaria supporters suggesting he would join Rabin -- a reference to the 1995 assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist. Parliament speaker Yuli Edelstein said a number of officials had also been targeted online, an army spokeswoman said. A poll by pro-Netanyahu newspaper Israel Hayom found that around 70 percent of Israelis favour a pardon for Azaria. When the La Crosse Task Force to Eradicate Modern Slavery was established in 2013, the perception of human trafficking in the area was largely one of denial and indifference. Almost four years later, the data is hard to ignore and the call to action more urgent. People didnt think this was an issue ... the media wasnt reporting on it, said Sister Marlene Weisenbeck of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, one of the task forces 50 members. Ive run into that attitude a lot people arent ready to hear it, they dont believe it. Thats changing with the awareness created. As part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, TFEMS has released the results of a survey distributed to more than 80 La Crosse area law enforcement, human services, health care and educational organizations in December 2015. Thirty-nine responses were received, and, while 18 reported encounters with trafficking victims, 10 of the 39 organizations reported there was no training in place for handling the reports and six stated no efforts to raise awareness or promote prevention had been made. Though many were equipped to provide victims with medical and mental health services, few offer legal services, and trauma-informed care and coordinated local resources were identified as needs. Recognizing indicators of trafficking was cited as a lead barrier to service, along with lack of funding and local resources. We tried to get the survey in the hands of any agency that might meet a victim, Weisenbeck said. The next effort is to try to help organizations collaborate with one another. Wesisenback became passionate about the issue in 2012, when she was asked by the Obama administration to join the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. You come home and youve got this experience suddenly and you know you should do something about it, Weisenbeck said. A lot of people think the victims in the U.S. come from abroad, but over 80 percent come from here in the U.S. Backpage.com is one of the biggest perpetrators. Backpage.com is the worlds largest classified advertisement site and posts more than a million sex ads per day, according to a 2016 report from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. In addition to sexual exploitation, human trafficking, which is a 9.2 billion dollar industry in the U.S., can also involve forced labor and involuntary domestic servitude, with an estimated 300,000 child victims averaging age 13. The National Human Trafficking Hotline received 255 calls and 50 reports of human trafficking in Wisconsin between January and September 2016: 42 of the cases involved female victims, 13 of them minors. Of the 50, 41 cases involved sex trafficking, eight forced labor, and one a combination. Seventy-nine percent of the reports occurred in Milwaukee, but the La Crosse area was not immune, with a high-profile child trafficking and prostitution bust at a French Island motel in October 2015, and the recent sentencing of a Sparta man who lured three women into a prostitution ring with the promise of heroin and the threat of withdrawal. Many victims are reluctant to come forward for fear of being prosecuted themselves. Wisconsin Act 367 was introduced in 2015 to require agencies to report children used for sex trafficking or prostitution as victims. In addition, the definition of trafficking was expanded to include transporting, patronizing or soliciting any child, or attempting to do so, for a commercial sex act. The law goes into effect May 29. Still, many victims find themselves powerless over the promise of money, drugs and security that traffickers provide. Some dont want to leave staying in a shelter is hard, Weisenbeck said. They make a lot more money from sex than they would at a minimum wage job, which is probably all they would qualify for without education and experience. Money was the hook for a local victim of familial trafficking, who goes by Terry Smith in publications, and who has worked closely with Weisenbeck and TFEMS. The Viroqua woman was trafficked from age 6, and she had her name legally changed and her records sealed five years ago. My family always helped me financially, but it always came at a cost, Smith said. And, when youre on your own, your safety net is gone. Born to a fundamentalist Mormon family in the 1970s, Smith was living in Wisconsin when she was married at age 7 to a polygamist. She was physically and sexually abused and forced to smuggle drugs. A saving grace was public school, which she was required to attend after failing home schooling test requirements. Some of the teachers knew something was up, but they didnt know what to do, Smith said. In (cults) like mine, they put people in positions of power, and they are the first to know when something is reported. It would have been really hard for them to do something for me, but they kind of adopted me ... they modeled a normal life for me. The teachers let her stay with them after school in the guise of hiring her to babysit and bought her regular clothes to wear during the school day so she would fit in. Weisenbeck is quick to commend the good work schools do for victims, saying, What Terry said about finding help at school is so important. Often times people are quick to say teachers and schools arent doing enough. Survey results confirmed area schools are in fact top sources of support, with Onalaska High School ranking sixth in most services available for child victims, and Western Technical College and the Holmen School District ranking first and sixth, respectively, for adult services. Smith continued to find allies in college but remained under the grip of her traffickers. Its very hard to get out of polygamy. I had gotten help from domestic violence programs at times, but I tried to walk a line of staying in touch just enough that they wouldnt come after me, Smith said. But that was still just enough to give them control over me. I was too scared to turn in police reports because I had family members in the police, and how do you turn in a restraining order when its a whole group of people (hurting you). Mormon people take on religious names I dont even know the real name of the person I was married to. Fear has a big way of controlling us as human beings, Weisenbeck agreed. (Trafficking) is an abuse cycle. Smith found safety in Minnesota for a few years, where a counselor suggested she utilize resources for trafficking victims, a notion that surprised her. I said, Im not trafficked, but she gave me a list of (signs) and I went down it it and responded, Yes, yes, yes, to everything. After being tracked down by her family, Smith fled to Colorado, but found her medical and mental health care was not covered and she reluctantly returned to Wisconsin, a place she calls the danger zone. Some of her family members are on an FBI watch list and others are still victims. She communicates with her parents through a safe relative but will not visit them in her hometown, an unincorporated area often overlooked by law enforcement. Weisenbeck and Smith are cognizant of the major trafficking hubs around the Midwest, including the harbors of Lake Superior, where Native American women are taken aboard ships for sex trafficking, and the Interstate 90 corridor. The tendency for traffickers to travel and the mis-identification of the offense are substantial hurdles to prevention and prosecuting perpetrators. The legal professionals tell us the difficulty is proving all the facts. Only about 40 percent of cases are actually prosecuted, and many (offenders) receive suspended sentences, Weisenbeck said. The signs of trafficking and abuse overlap. You have to look very, very hard. Smith has shared her story and the red flags of trafficking, which may include living with multiple people in a small space, inability to speak to someone alone, submissive behavior or responses that seem rehearsed, to several organizations. After a nurse heard her speak at the Racine Coalition Against Human Trafficking, she was able to identify and assist a victim at her hospital. I say to people, Youre the first in line to (saving) someone, Smith said. Weisenbeck agrees, hoping the survey results will help further the TFEMS mission of community mobilization, advocacy and victim services, public awareness and media, training, data collection and safe harbor legislation. Trying to eradicate trafficking requires a group effort, Weisenbeck stressed. Its important to get local people involved in doing something. Internalizing the problem keeps you conscious of it. For more information, visit www.fspa.org/content/ministries/justice-peace/human-trafficking. The legal professionals tell us the difficulty is proving all the facts. Only about 40 percent of cases are actually prosecuted, and many (offenders) receive suspended sentences. The signs of trafficking and abuse overlap. You have to look very, very hard. Sister Marlene Weisenbeck Bouake (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - Ivory Coast soldiers on Sunday ended a two-day mutiny in the second city Bouake and other key areas after reaching a deal on their demands for pay rises, housing and faster promotion. President Alassane Ouattara called on his compatriots to "go back about their business" as normal after the deal was accepted by the military mutineers, who actions had paralysed Bouake. The world's top cocoa producer was rocked by two days of unrest after soldiers seized control of Bouake's streets early Friday, firing rocket-launchers and terrifying residents, in a mutiny that spread to other cities including the economic capital Abidjan. "There has been no firing since Saturday night," a local journalist in Bouake said on Sunday. "Traffic has resumed this morning and the shops have reopened." One of the leaders of the mutiny in the west African country said he was "happy with the turn of events" after soldiers returned to their barracks. "All we are asking is for the president to be attentive to the living conditions of soldiers," he said on condition of anonymity. In Abidjan -- a bustling seaport that is home to the presidency and parliament -- national television reported that shots had been fired at the Akouedo barracks on Saturday. The soldiers had also detained Defence Minister Alain Richard Donwahi for two hours, firing Kalashnikovs and heavy weapons around the home of a senior local official where Donwahi was meeting with soldiers' representatives. "After the regrettable events of recent days, the situation is back under control and everyone should go back about their business," Ouattara tweeted Sunday. On Sunday, Abidjan's central Plateau area where several government offices and leading businesses are located, was calm. "Life is back to normal," a resident said. The same was true for the northern city of Korhogo and Man in the west. Story continues Ouattara announced on Saturday evening that an agreement had been reached. In a brief televised address he said it took into account "the demands relating to bonuses and improving the living conditions of soldiers," without giving details of the accord. - 'Many problems to resolve' - Donwahi, who returned to Abidjan on Saturday night, said all bonus arrears would be paid. "We are aware that there are many problems to resolve... I can assure you that we will keep our commitments but they too should keep theirs," he said. Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the capital of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then president Laurent Gbagbo. Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill. The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement. - Politically motivated? - A Bouake resident said on Sunday he had had enough. "We no longer want this situation in Bouake," said teacher Adama Coulibaly. "We are tired of these actions of the soldiers." Shopkeeper Adama Cisse warned: "If the shooting continues I think the population will revolt." Some analysts said the mutiny could be a pressure tactic on Ouattara. "One of the things to ascertain is whether there has been a political manipulation. We are waiting for the nomination of the vice president and the prime minister... are the former rebel leaders behind this?" one said. "At present everybody is thinking about Guillaume Soro," the expert said, referring to one of the leaders of the 2002 rebellion which sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest. Soro, who served as prime minister for five years until March 2012, is currently parliamentary speaker. Rebel forces had then backed Ouattara, the current president who took office in April 2011 after a bloody post-electoral showdown with Gbagbo that left 3,000 people dead. But some soldiers denied they had been manipulated, arguing that it was "a family matter". "You can equip the army but if the men are not motivated it won't serve any purpose," said one, adding that Ouattara was the troops' "spiritual father". A retired soldier said the problem was that senior officers earned disproportionately high salaries. ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) Ivory Coast's president said a deal was reached Saturday to end a two-day army mutiny that renewed security concerns in the world's top cocoa producer and Africa's fastest-growing economy. President Alassane Ouattara made the announcement during a cabinet meeting Saturday evening. Earlier in the day, his defense minister, Alain-Richard Donwahi, led a delegation to negotiate with disgruntled soldiers in the country's second-largest city, Bouake, where the mutiny that saw troops shooting their weapons began Friday morning. But in an early sign not everyone was on board, mutineers in Bouake fired Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons again after Ouattara's announcement, trapping Donwahi in the home of a local official along with other members of his delegation and journalists. The group was finally able to leave just before 10 p.m., said one of the hostages, Aboubacar Al Syddick, a journalist for the local newspaper L'Intelligent d'Abidjan. The defense ministry then released a statement denying Donwahi had been held against his will, saying he was merely continuing negotiations. In his announcement, Ouattara said he was willing to take into account soldiers' demands for more money and an improvement in their living and working conditions, but he criticized the mutineers' tactics. "I want to say that this manner of demanding is not appropriate. In fact, it tarnishes the image of our country after all of our efforts at economic development and diplomatic repositioning," he said. Ouattara came to power in 2011 after a postelection crisis that claimed more than 3,000 lives. The crisis was triggered by former President Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to accept defeat and step down. It capped more than a decade of turmoil that began with the country's first coup in 1999. The new president faced enormous challenges in trying to create a unified army. Analysts had predicted the government would offer payoffs to defuse this week's crisis, as it did when soldiers staged a similar revolt in 2014. Story continues The details of the deal were not immediately available. Despite the government's attempt at a quick resolution, the incident points to lingering problems with Ivory Coast's recovery, said Cynthia Ohayon, West Africa analyst for the International Crisis Group. "This is another reminder that the longstanding issues that led to the crisis are still unresolved," she said. "Some people forget and think that everything is going well in Ivory Coast. I think this should be toned down." For most of Saturday, the mutiny appeared to be gaining momentum with alarming speed. Heavy gunfire erupted at a military camp in Abidjan, Ivory Coast's largest city, and barricades were erected in the city center amid unconfirmed reports that mutinous soldiers had reached the military headquarters and defense ministry. The ministry denied those reports on its Facebook page Gunfire was also reported in Bouake for a second straight day and in the western city of Man. Abidjan residents stocked up on food and water amid fears the city could see more violence. The U.S. embassy advised staffers to keep off roads and to stay near their homes, while France advised restricting travel to the country's interior and avoiding military camps in Abidjan. Ivory Coast is no stranger to mutinies, having experienced about 10 since 1990, according to Maggie Dwyer, an expert on mutinies in West Africa at the University of Edinburgh. Like Ohayon, Dwyer warned that the resolution announced Saturday might not hold. "If your soldiers are coming to the streets for pay, there are probably deeper tensions within the military structure, and those often go unaddressed," she said. __ Associated Press journalist Hilaire Zon contributed reporting from Abidjan. Los Angeles (AFP) - Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges was described as "royalty" by his peers on Friday as he sunk his hands and feet into the cement at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre. The 67-year-old actor, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe this year for "Hell or High Water," was surrounded by fellow actors and industry heavyweights, including Sharon Stone and Chris Pine, during the ceremony. "He is a pillar. He is a backbone. He may as well be royalty," said Pine as he introduced the veteran actor. "Even within the business, actors are fangirling over Jeff Bridges all the time, including myself." Pine added that Bridges, who won an Oscar in 2010 for his performance in "Crazy Heart," just "breathes love." "He has a heart miles and miles wide. His bandwidth for love, compassion and positivity is something to really behold," Pine said. Bridges, dressed in a suit and tie, recalled coming to the iconic theater as a kid and joked that his brother Beau had told him to "bliss out" and enjoy the imprint ceremony. The actor has been a Hollywood leading man since the 1970s and is notably known for playing Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski in the 1998 Coen Brothers cult comedy classic "The Big Lebowski." The confirmation process for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is rigged and should be delayed in order to thoroughly vet Donald Trumps attorney general nominee, a group of civil rights leaders said in a conference call with reporters Friday. Citing reports that Democrats will be allowed to call only four witnesses to testify at next weeks confirmation hearings, and noting that Sessions left hundreds of questions blank on a required questionnaire, the Rev. Al Sharpton, NAACP president Cornell William Brooks and five other civil rights leaders representing black, Hispanic and Asian-American groups called for a more thorough vetting of Sessions controversial career, which included a failed nomination to the federal bench in 1986 due to accusations of racial bias. Rushing through this hearingdemonstrates a contempt for the need to probe Sen. Sessions record, said Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense And Education Fund. The Senate Judiciary Committee cannot push this forward based on their friendship with Sen. Sessions. Sessions is a former member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a four-term senator. His rejected judgeship nomination in 1986 lasted three days and included dozens of witnesses by both sides. Sessions' confirmation hearing next week is scheduled to last just two days. The civil rights leaders also accused Sessions of hypocrisy for failing to disclose records covering many years. In 2010, he said one of President Barack Obamas judicial nominees could be charged with a felony for doing the same thing. Given the stakes, we deserve a full and fair process, but instead what we are getting is a rigged process, said Christopher Kang, director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and a former deputy counsel in the Obama administration. For more than four years, I was in charge of judicial nominees. And I can tell you, I would never approve a questionnaire like the one that was submitted for Sen. Sessions. Story continues Many of the leaders voiced concerns over Sessions ability, and inclination, to enforce existing laws, especially voting rights laws, as attorney general. For Jeff Sessions, a child of Selma, Alabama, to refer to the Voting Rights Act is intrusive,to have this man over the Justice Department is a nightmare that we cannot wake up from, said Sharpton. Brooks, who was arrested while occupying Sen. Sessions Mobile, Alabama office during a protest Tuesday, called Sessions use of the word intrusive to describe the Voting Rights Act a racialized dog whistle if anyone ever heard one. In 1985, as a U.S. attorney, Sessions prosecuted a group of civil rights activists on charges of voter fraud. The activists were registering elderly black residents to vote in rural Alabama. A jury found the activists, known as the Marion Three, innocent after just a few hours of deliberation. Earlier this week, a spokesperson issued a statement defending Sessions record on race. Many African-American leaders whove known him for decadeshave welcomed his nomination to be the next attorney general, Sessions spokesperson Sarah Flores said in an email. These false portrayals of Sen. Sessions will fail as tired, recycled, hyperbolic charges that have been thoroughly rebuked and discredited. The civil rights leaders also expressed concern about Sessions stances on immigration, mass incarceration and police reform, among other issues that the attorney general is intimately involved with as the governments chief law enforcement official. Sharpton and Brooks vowed to continue to use activism to ensure Sessions history is properly examined during his confirmation hearings. Brooks said Tuesdays actions in Mobile were not a one-off and that the NAACP would continue to oppose Sessions. There will be season of civil disobedience around the Sessions nomination, Sharpton said. Related Articles Octavia Spencer in Irene Neuwirth earrings, Natalie Portman in Tiffany earrings and Emma Stone in Selim Mouzannar earrings Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage; Steve Granitz/WireImage; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images This Sunday night, Award Season kicks into high gear with the 2017 Golden Globes. I have great jewelry expectations for the evening based on all the splendor we have seen at the premieres for the nominated movies. The Adventurine team is heading west for the duration of Award Season to be close to the jewelry action. Before jumping on a plane, I made a few predictions for six of the nominees who we are most likely going to follow right up to the Oscars with the successes of their films. Check them out below and see how many I get right. Follow me on Twitter @theadventurine Sunday night and join in the jewelry conversation live. Natalie Portman at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in Tiffany tanzanite, diamond, black onyx and platinum earrings. Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage NATALIE PORTMAN Its hard to believe it was six years ago when Natalie Portman won the Best Actress Golden Globe (and Oscar) for her haunting performance in Black Swan. When she accepted the statuette she was pregnant and wore Tiffany jewelry. Well, this Award Season is beginning to give me deja vu vibes. Portman is pregnant with her second child and she has been wearing Tiffany on the red carpet. I think momentum towards a win for her leading role in Jackie is gaining traction. Why? She is fantastic in the film, but I am basing my analysis on the size of the jewels. Large jewelry equals confidence. Trust me on this. For the January 2 Palm Springs International Film Festival, the petite actress put on a huge pair of pendant earrings with pear-shape tanzanites weighing a total of 29.55-carats. The purple-blue gems were surrounded by diamonds accented with black onyx and set in platinum. I have little doubt Portman is going to appear in Tiffany jewels at the Golden Globes Related: The Dramatic Jewels Worn by Natalie Portman in Jackie Ruth Negga at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in a Gemfields ruby, diamond and pink gold ring from the Gemfields x Muse collection. Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images and jewel courtesy RUTH NEGGA A newcomer to Award Season, Ruth Negga, who is nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe for her role in the drama Loving, has been handling her premieres and red carpet appearances like a pro. The dresses and jewelry the Ethiopian-Irish actress has chosen have had just the right amount of edge to get her noticed every time. Negga has been consistently shining in pieces from the most amazing jewelry collab of 2016, the Gemfields x Muse collection. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival, she put on a fetching Gemfields ruby and gold ring by Lucifer vir Honestus from the collection. For People magazines Ones to Watch party she wore the Gemfields x Muse emerald Cyclos ring by Elena Votsi and Portrait ring Holly Dyment. At a photo sesh for The New Yorker, she put on the same jewels. Most recently Negga was photographed in a glorious Nikos Koulis Oui necklace set with Gemfields gems. For the Golden Globes, I feel confident Negga will go to the same source for jewelry. Story continues Related: Award Seasonand All the Big Time Jewelry That EntailsIs On! Emma Stone wearing Selim Mouzannar jewels at the Venice Film Festival. Photo Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis; Courtesy EMMA STONE A total wild card, Emma Stone has chosen jewels from several different designers for her red carpet appearances promoting La La Land. The Best Actress nominee started at the Venice Film Festival in August wearing Selim Mouzannar for the red carpet and Jennifer Meyer for the press conference. At the AFI screening on November 15, Stone sparkled plenty in diamond earrings by Anita Ko. She wore Cartier at Critics Choice Awards. Monique Paean, one of the jewelry designers she wore in the movie, was her choice for December 6 opening of La La Land in Los Angeles. What the actress will wear at the Golden Globes, really is anybodys guess. If I am hard pressed, I cant guess. Stone rarely repeats herself in the jewelry department. Related: The Diamond Stars That Lit Up Emma Stones Red Carpet Look Amy Adams at the National Board of Review Gala in Cartier diamond and platinum jewels. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage and jewels courtesy AMY ADAMS The red carpet veteran wore lots of great jewelry in the Tom Ford film Nocturnal Animals. Her Golden Globe nomination is actually for her part in Arrival, but I feel she is taking her style cues from the haunting Tom Ford drama. I mean just look at her chicness above. Lately, on the red carpet Adams has been wearing Cartier almost exclusively. She sported some vintage and contemporary Cartier at a November screening of Nocturnal Animals. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival it was Cartier again, gold jewelry including one of the new Cactus rings. At the National Board of Review she wore diamond and platinum earrings and a ring from Cartiers High Jewelry selection. For the Golden Globes, I think its safe to say Cartier is going to be the jewelry designer for Adams. Lets hope she delves into the heritage collection and pulls out something like the pieces we saw on the stars at the reopening of the Mansion in New York. Octavia Spencer at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in Irene Neuwirth pearl and gold hoops. Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage OCTAVIA SPENCER Hidden Figures, the film Octavia Spencer is nominated for a best supporting actress Golden Globe, was only released on Christmas Day so there have not been as many red carpet moments as the other stars have had for their films that debuted months ago making it difficult to guess just what direction she is heading in or designers she currently favors. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Spencer stepped out in a very strong look. Its worth noting she is one of the few who actually dressed in the manner of the locale. Spencer stylishly paired a white shirt with a printed skirt and stunning gold and pearl hoop earrings by Irene Neuwirth. It all instantly gave me flashbacks to Octavias epic 2012 Award Seaso nwhen she won everything for her role in The Help, dazzled on each red carpet and left us all in awe with her moving acceptances speeches. Guessing what she may wear on Sunday, I say Irene Neuwirth. She has worn Irenes jewels in the past so there is some history to choice of the jewels. Feels like she might have spotted these hoops while she was on the hunt for a bigger piece and put that bigger piece aside to wear at the Globes. Jessica Chastain at the premiere of Miss Sloane during the AFI Fest in Hollywood. Photo VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images and courtesy JESSICA CHASTAIN If there is one jewelry certainty for the Golden Globes red carpet, its that Jessica Chastain will wear Piaget. The actress, who is nominated for her role as the tough as nails lobbyist in Miss Sloane, is the face of the Swiss jeweler. She loves Piaget so much she even incorporated some Piaget jewelry and watches into the film. Jessicas familiarity with the collection results in beautiful jewelry red carpet moments. She often wears the most daring pieces Piaget. Similar Stories: Bold Jewels Shine in Tom Fords Nocturnal Animals The Significance of Jewelry in Hidden Figures Jessica Chastain is Bejeweled Like a Female James Bond in Miss Sloane Despite the UFC announcing a new opponent for Jimmie Rivera for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 103 in Phoenix, Rivera on Saturday said that he is not fighting. Rivera had initially been slated to fight Bryan Caraway on Jan. 15, but Caraway had to withdraw from the fight due to a shoulder injury from his last fight that flared up during training for this one. The UFC on Friday announced that Marlon Chito Vera would step in for Caraway. Although the fight appeared to be salvaged, Rivera on Saturday morning surprisingly tweeted that he would not be fighting in Phoenix. He made no reference to Vera or any other possible replacement opponent. UFC officials had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication, and the match-up of Rivera vs. Vera was still listed on the promotion's website. TRENDING > Rafael dos Anjos Leaving UFC Lightweight Division Behind I apologize to my fans and students. I will not be fighting next Sunday in Phoenix Arizona. Due to my opponent injury i am out of my fight. Jimmie Rivera (@JimmieRivera135) January 7, 2017 Follow MMAWeekly.com on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram "This should be a party." Those words belong to Jimmy Fallon, speaking about what he expects to go down inside The Beverly Hilton on Sunday when he takes the stage as host of the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards. But if the big show isn't quite the fiesta that he hoped it would be, well, there's always the afterparty. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the Tonight Show star has booked West Hollywood hotspot Delilah to host his own private afterparty. And good luck getting in: Fallon bought out the entire restaurant, so it could be reserved for his private guest list. It's typical for hosts of major Hollywood awards shows to host their own bashes. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler threw a joint bash at Soho House when they hosted in 2013, and more recently, Jimmy Kimmel invited his friends for a foodie's paradise at The Lot the same night he hosted the Emmys. Read more: Golden Globes Host Jimmy Fallon Promises Trump Jokes at "Maybe the Last Party" of 2017 (Q&A) It's unclear, though, what time Fallon will actually make it to his Delilah destination because it's expected he'll make a cameo at the NBCUniversal post-Globes party on the Hilton rooftop to pay his respects to his NBC colleagues, and he may also stop by to see his agents at the CAA afterparty at Sunset Tower. What will be waiting for him at Delilah - the latest venture from the H.Wood Group's John Terzian and Brian Toll, which is described as a hybrid restaurant and lounge paying homage to the roaring '20s - is a menu featuring deviled eggs, chicken tenders, oysters, mac 'n' cheese and "Kendall's slutty brownie." The latter contains an Oreo, chocolate chip cookie, brownie, ice cream and chocolate fudge. (Coincidentally, Delilah's hosted Kendall Jenner's 21st birthday party in November.) When THR caught up with Fallon ahead of his Globes hosting gig, he said he hopes "to have fun with as many people as I possibly can. I think you'll see a lot of my friends." Story continues While he was talking about the show, he might as well have been talking about his upcoming afterparty. The venue seats 250 and allows 350 total. Stay tuned to see who shows up ... Read more: Golden Globes 2017: The Complete Party Guide (Updating) Los Angeles (AFP) - A judge has agreed to allow two witnesses to be questioned ahead of the murder trial of Robert Durst, accepting prosecutors' claims that the pair fear the real estate tycoon might have them killed. Los Angeles Superior Court judge Mark Windham said the two witnesses would be questioned on February 14 and their taped testimony could be used at a later hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for Durst to stand trial. Of the two witnesses, only one -- Albert Kuperman -- has been identified. Windham ordered prosecutors to submit to Durst's defense team the identity of the second witness by the end of the month so they could prepare for questioning. The 73-year-old Durst, who appeared at Friday's hearing in a wheelchair and whose bizarre life was the focus of an HBO series, stands accused of the December 2000 execution-style killing of longtime friend Susan Berman. Berman was killed just as she was set to be questioned by authorities on the disappearance of Durst's first wife, Kathleen Durst, who vanished in 1982 from the couple's New York cottage. Kuperman, a doctor who is in his mid-80s, is believed to have spoken with Kathleen Durst around the time she disappeared. Prosecutors had appealed to the judge to expedite the questioning of Kuperman and the other witness on grounds they feared they "might be killed" ahead of the preliminary hearing on whether Durst should stand trial. They noted that Durst "is a menace to society" and had a history of violence, including the 2001 death of a neighbor in Texas who was found dismembered. At the time, Durst was living under an assumed name in Texas and pretended to be a mute woman, prosecutors said. He claimed self-defense and was acquitted after a high-profile trial. - 'Client not a threat' - Responding to the filings by prosecutors in Los Angeles, Durst's defense team argued that there was no evidence he could harm anyone. They told the judge that their client had health problems and his calls in prison were monitored. Story continues Prosecutors told the judge that the taped testimony of the two witnesses would only be used should one of them die or disappear before the case comes to trial. Durst was arrested in March 2015 in a New Orleans hotel room hours before the final episode of the six-part HBO documentary "The Jinx: The life and Deaths of Robert Durst," which delved into the disappearance of his wife as well as the killing of Berman and the Texas neighbor. In the documentary's explosive finale, Durst is heard muttering to himself, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course," apparently unaware that a wireless microphone remained switched on while he used the bathroom. "There is it, you're caught," he said at another point. "What a disaster." He was sentenced to seven years in prison on a weapons charge following his arrest in New Orleans and, as part of a plea deal, was transferred to Los Angeles in November from a prison in Louisiana. The real estate scion, who is worth an estimated $100 million, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Berman. CHICAGO (AP) A Chicago judge refused to allow four black people caught on cellphone footage taunting and beating a mentally disabled white man to post bail and leave jail, saying they are accused of such "terrible actions" that they are a danger to society. "Where was your sense of decency?" Cook County Circuit Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil asked them on Friday during their first court appearance, sounding baffled that the suspects could be charged with such cruelty toward the 18-year-old victim. The beating was captured on cellphone video by one of the assailants and has since been viewed millions of times on social media. The graphic footage shows the suspects taunting the victim with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Prosecutors offered new details of the assault, explaining that one of the suspects demanded $300 from the mother of the victim, who is schizophrenic and has attention-deficit disorder. They also said the beating started in a van when the same attacker became angry that the mother had contacted him asking that her son be allowed to come home. A prosecutor told the judge that the suspects forced the victim to drink toilet water, kiss the floor and then allegedly stuffed a sock into his mouth and taped it shut as they bound his hands with a belt. The four are charged with two counts of committing a hate crime one because of the victim's race and the other because of his mental disabilities. On the video, the male suspects use knives to cut the victim's hair and his sweatshirt. One of the females can be seen laughing. A female also laughs as she punches the victim. One of the men pulls the cord from the victim's sweatshirt around the victim's neck and holds him up while the victim groans in pain, according to a document read in court. The victim can be heard screaming when one of the men walks up to him with a knife and asks if he should "shank" him. Story continues At one point, the prosecutor said, someone on the video can be heard saying that he did not care if the victim was schizophrenic. The four suspects were identified as Brittany Covington and Tesfaye Cooper, both of Chicago, and Jordan Hill, of suburban Carpentersville. All are 18. A fourth suspect was identified as Covington's 24-year-old sister, Tanishia Covington, also of Chicago. They stood quietly as the prosecutor read the allegations. Some of their relatives also listened, including a woman who wiped tears from her eyes. Defense attorneys portrayed the suspects as hardworking, responsible and religious. Cooper, for example, takes care of his twin brother, who is in a wheelchair. Tanishia Covington has two small children. Her sister attends college and has a job. Hill, the judge was told, goes to church with his grandmother. All four have experienced brushes with the law, some for serious and violent crimes. Hill, for example, was arrested as a juvenile in 2015 on allegations of armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and residential burglary. Chicago police said they did not know the disposition of those arrests by suburban officers. Tanishia Covington was arrested in 2007 on attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. Police records do not show any convictions as a juvenile. As an adult, she was arrested on charges of battery and aggravated assault, but those charges were dropped. The uproar over the beating intensified the glare on Chicago after a bloody year of violent crime and protests against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a police department that has been accused of using excessive force and hushing-up wrongdoing. The department has also been the subject of a long civil-rights investigation by the Justice Department, which is expected to report its findings soon. The incident also stirred emotions still raw after a presidential campaign that split the nation. Some conservatives suggested it was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement. Police said there was no indication of any connection. The incident began New Year's Eve, when the victim and alleged assailant Jordan Hill met at a suburban McDonald's, and then called his parents later to say he was staying with Hill for a sleepover. Instead, Hill drove the victim around in a stolen van for a couple of days, ending up at a home in Chicago, where two of the other suspects lived, police said. The victim's parents reported him missing Monday evening, two days after last hearing from him. The victim eventually escaped and a police officer spotted him wandering down a street, bloodied and disoriented. MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas State came close to upsetting in-state rival Kansas earlier this week. That anger and frustration of not pulling off the upset was used as fuel to push the Wildcats into Saturday's matchup with Oklahoma. Wesley Iwundu led a balanced attack with 16 points and Kansas State used a strong first half to defeat the Sooners 75-64. Barry Brown added 14 points, Kamau Stokes 13, Dean Wade 12 and D.J. Johnson 10 for the Wildcats (13-2, 2-1 Big 12). ''I thought they were great,'' Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. ''I told them to come out angry, I said guard the heck out of them, push and share the ball.'' Kansas State started out fast, opening a 14-3 lead and building it to 43-27 at the half on 54 percent shooting (15 of 28) as Stokes scored 13 and Wade 10. The pair combined to go 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. ''I thought Kansas State opened the ballgame well, they obviously played sharp and set the tone.'' Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger, a former player at coach at K-State, said. The Sooners, who shot 38 percent in the first half, shot 68 percent (15 of 22) in the second, got within six midway through the half but could get no closer. ''We just tried to fight, compete and come back. We tried to do whatever it takes to do that,'' Oklahoma's Rashard Odomes said. Kameron McGusty came off the bench to score 20 points for Oklahoma (6-8, 0-3), which lost its sixth straight. Although the Sooners are in the middle of a lengthy losing streak, they remain optimistic about breaking through and getting that elusive conference win. ''Each game we come out confident,'' Odomes said. ''I feel like we have confident players that are working to try and get it done. Game after game we try to improve.'' BIG PICTURE Oklahoma: The loss is the fifth-straight in Manhattan, dating back to 2012. Kansas State: The win was the 250th in Bramlage Coliseum. Story continues STAT OF THE NIGHT Oklahoma's turnovers quickly became Kansas State points as the Wildcats scored 18 points off of Oklahoma miscues. Oklahoma also turned Kansas State points into double digit scores as they cashed in 13 points off of Kansas State turnovers. UP NEXT Oklahoma: The Sooners host No.3 ranked Kansas on Tuesday. Kansas State: The Wildcats are at Texas Tech on Tuesday. LAKE OF THE WOODS, Minn. When Brent Getzler pulled his record-breaking burbot, through the ice, he says he had one overwhelming emotion. Disappointment. I was hoping it was a walleye, he said. Ive been trying for that giant walleye for years, and I thought I had it. On Thursday, the Department of Natural Resources officially passed the state burbot record to Getzlers 19-pound, 10-ounce catch. Its 2 ounces heavier than the fish that broke the record five years ago. Burbot, commonly known as eelpout, are not exactly desirable in the angling community. When asked to describe the giant fish he pulled from Lake of the Woods late last month, the only adjective Getzler could think of was slimy. According to his friend, Chad Thompson, who was with Getzler that afternoon, all that slime was the only reason they could pull the enormous fish out of their hole in the ice. It was a struggle, Thompson said. Getzler and Thompson are both ice fishing guides at Sportsmans Lodge on Lake of the Woods. They spend their days dragging ice houses around the lake for lodge guests. Getzler said hed taken an afternoon off to fish a spot north of Pine Island when he hooked the record burbot. Right away I knew it was big, he said. He also knew it probably wasnt a walleye. He said it bounced on the end of the line, which is how burbot tend to fight. Even so, he said he held out hope for a walleye until the moment it broke the surface. Once Getzler got it through the hole, he and Thompson began to realize just what theyd caught. They found a scale, and then they Googled the previous record. Once we realized it was over, Thompson said, We had to go ashore and get it certified. The fish is now in Getzlers freezer. He plans to get it stuffed and mounted on his wall. It might not be a walleye, he said, but its still a record breaking catch. On the move! Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie are keeping their New Year's resolution, even if they're a little behind schedule. The celebrity pals went on a hike in Los Angeles on Thursday, but admitted to being a wee bit tardy with their 2017 workout goals. READ: Jessica Alba, Nicole Richie and More Attend Kate Hudson's A-List Halloween Party -- Including Her Ex Matt Bellamy! "When you're on Day 1 but you wanna fit in. #resolutions #Jan5," Richie, 35, captioned an Instagram video with Hudson and stylist Jamie Mizrahi. When you're on Day 1 but you wanna fit in. #resolutions #Jan5 @sweetbabyjamie @katehudson A video posted by @nicolerichie on Jan 5, 2017 at 7:58pm PST MORE: Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie Attempt to Give Joel Madden a Snapchat Lesson: 'This Is Gonna Take Weeks' Despite the late start, it looks like they enjoyed the rainy day workout. Hudson posted a hiking snapshot, jokingly captioned, "Day 5 We had no fun at all." Day 5 We had no fun at all #Fabletics10DaysOfGettingBackOnTrack #Fabletics "WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU A RAINY DAY PLAY IN THE PUDDLES" A photo posted by Kate Hudson (@katehudson) on Jan 5, 2017 at 2:35pm PST The 37-year-old actress is all about girl power, especially when it comes to her friendships. In October, Hudson spoke to ET about why her girlfriends are so important. "Guys don't really talk that much, you know what I mean?" she explained. "They like to hang out, and that's important too. But women, we need to talk it out, and my girlfriends have been one of my strongest foundations of support." See more below. Related Articles SANTA BARBARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 6, 2016 / Californias renowned real estate expert and Founder of Investec Real Estate Companies, Kenny Slaught has served on the board of the Santa Barbara Hospice Foundation in the past and since then remained a faithful supporter of Hospice of Santa Barbara. The avid philanthropist has recently expressed his enthusiastic approval of the organizations I Have a Friend Program by promoting it on his blog at KennySlaught.com. Hospice of Santa Barbara endeavours to meet the needs of all individuals in the community who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Understanding that children and adolescents often have the hardest time adapting to loss, the organization has focused much of its programming on their unique needs. One of the most important programs that Hospice of Santa Barbara maintains is I Have a Friend, which pairs young individuals struggling with grief with a trained adult volunteer who has also experienced the loss of a parent at a young age. http://investecre.biz When children experience the loss of a parent, they often feel that their lives will never again be the same. They can feel lost and abandoned. As noted by Kenny Slaught, "The I Have a Friend mentor program allows these young people to share their feelings with someone who has experienced something very similar." The child will have a companion for as long as he or she needs one. The mentee can explore some of the most sensitive subjects in an open and supportive environment with the mentor, who in turn offers support and practical guidance on the hurdles that will come. Research has shown that unaddressed grief among children and teenagers can seriously impact their functioning and personality. When these young people do not have the coping skills they need to process grief, they may turn to violence, drugs, or alcohol. I Have a Friend offers a healthy outlet for these children and the opportunity to form a real bond with someone who has experienced the same deep loss. Understanding the significance of this program, Kenny Slaught writes, "Recognizing that the childs life will never be the same, the mentor offers a positive example for how to process and deal with the pain of loss. The mentor serves as a symbol that happiness and wholeness can be achieved no matter how the child may feel in the years immediately following a major loss." Founder of Investec Real Estate Companies, Kenny Slaught has been in the industry for more than four decades. A dedicated investment strategist, he manages more than 3 million square feet of property throughout California. With total transactions valued above $1.2 billion, Investec has grown to become one of Santa Barbaras leading real estate firms. An avid philanthropist, Mr. Slaught is involved with many non-profit and community organizations, including Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation and the Music Academy of the West. Contributing to the benefit of youth in the area, he dedicates considerable time to these and other worthy causes. Kenny Slaught - Founder & President of Investec Real Estate Companies: http://kennyslaughtnews.com Kenny Slaught - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennethSlaught Kenny Slaught - On Santa Barbara Bowl's 'Greeting the Bowl' Initiative: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kenny-slaught-santa-barbara-bowls-235900501.htm Contact Information: KennySlaughtNews.com www.kennyslaughtnews.com Kenny@kennyslaughtnews.com Source: Kenny Slaught Seoul (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Seoul on Saturday, demanding impeached President Park Geun-Hye's immediate removal and the salvaging of a sunken ferry which left more than 300 dead. Park was impeached by parliament last month over an influence-peddling scandal and the Constitutional Court now has to decide whether to confirm the impeachment. The corruption scandal has brought huge numbers of protesters onto the streets every week demanding Park's removal and she is also under fire over her response to the Sewol ferry accident in 2014. "Park step down, salvage the Sewol," the protesters, estimated to number half a million by organisers, chanted as they marched toward the presidential Blue House, the prime minister's office and the Constitutional Court. At 7 p.m. (10:00 GMT) hundreds of yellow balloons were released and the protesters blew out the candles they were carrying as a symbolic gesture asking that Park clarify the mystery surrounding her seven-hour absence at the time of the ferry sinking. Unconfirmed media reports have suggested a wide range of theories regarding Park's whereabouts, including a romantic liaison, participation in a shamanistic ritual, cosmetic surgery or a 90-minute haircut. The protesters also urged the government to speed up its efforts to salvage the ship to determine the exact cause of the disaster. Regarding the corruption case, Park has repeatedly denied accusations she colluded with a longtime friend, Choi Soon-Il, to strong-arm donations worth tens of millions of dollars from top firms which were then funnelled to dubious foundations. The president still has her supporters however, with an estimated 30,000 demonstrators staging a counter-protest Saturday outside the office of a special prosecutor investigating the scandal. Waving national flags and chanting military songs, the protesters dismissed the impeachment move as a conspiracy spawned by "pro-North Korean" leftists seeking to topple the conservative government. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi Power Co. says its Kemper County power plant will be delayed another month. The latest delay, confirmed Friday, pushes the plant's price tag over $7 billion. Of the nearly $52 million increase caused by the delay, the unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. says shareholders will pay $34 million. Ratepayers could be asked to pay the rest. The plant and associated coal mine were originally supposed to be finished in May 2014 and cost $2.9 billion at most. Customers are already paying for more than $1 billion in assets that are generating power using natural gas and could be asked to pay as much as $4.2 billion overall, if regulators approve. Shareholders have absorbed nearly $2.7 billion in losses. Mississippi Power had already warned that completing the plant was likely to push past the previous Dec. 31 deadline. On Friday, the company confirmed it now aims to put the plant into commercial operation by Jan. 31. To reach that milestone, the company must synchronize the two units that gasify lignite coal. Mississippi Power has tested them individually, but has not yet attempted to run them at the same time, which requires further coordination. "This is why we build in this time in the schedule," spokesman Jeff Shepard said. Brett Wingo, an engineer who formerly worked at the Kemper plant, has said the company is compressing the time needed to fine-tune operations. In a filing to securities regulators, the company said that one obstacle to reaching commercial operation is having a large enough nitrogen supply to start up the gasifiers. Shepard said the company is having nitrogen trucked in to supplement the capacity of the on-site nitrogen production plant. Increasing potential costs to ratepayers are interest on borrowed money and consulting and legal fees. Regulators on the Mississippi Public Service Commission have said they're likely to question those amounts, saying customers shouldn't have to pay for company mistakes. Story continues Kemper is designed to remove carbon dioxide from synthetic gas made from lignite coal, cutting carbon dioxide emissions. It's been making power using natural gas since 2014 and has now made electricity by burning synthetic gas from each of two gasifiers. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy .Read his work at https://www.apnews.com/search/JeffAmy . PHOENIX (AP) The Latest on former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi's release from federal prison (all times local): 5:25 p.m. Former Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi has been released from a federal prison after serving three years for corruption, money laundering and other charges. He walked free just ahead of his scheduled Saturday release date. His attorney, Kelly B. Kramer, declined to comment on his client's plans after prison. Renzi was convicted in 2013 of conspiring to use his congressional post to make companies buy his former business associate's land so the associate could repay a debt to Renzi. Renzi represented Arizona's 1st Congressional District from 2003 to 2009. He didn't seek re-election in 2008 while facing charges. Renzi began serving his sentence at a federal prison in Morgantown, West Virginia, and completed it at a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Washington, D.C. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) The Latest on the five people killed in the airport shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (all times local): 7:30 p.m. An Ohio woman is one of the five victims of the Florida airport shooting and her husband was critically injured in the attack. Steve Reineccius confirmed Saturday over Facebook that his grandmother Shirley Timmons was killed when a gunman opened fire in a baggage claim area at a Fort Lauderdale airport. Reineccius says his grandmother and grandfather Steve Timmons, who was wounded in the shooting, were both 70 years old. WILE-FM (http://bit.ly/2iODNWI) reports that the couple had flown to Fort Lauderdale on Friday to join the rest of their family for a cruise. The radio station says Steve Timmons was shot in the head and underwent emergency surgery at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, where he's in critical condition. The couple's 51st wedding anniversary was in three weeks. They're from Senecaville, about 90 miles east of Columbus. ___ 12:40 p.m. A devout Catholic woman who lived in Georgia was among the five people killed in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport shooting. That's according to her church, which confirmed the death of Olga Woltering in a statement on its website Saturday, the day after the attack. The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration said the native English woman who had long lived in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta "was so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent." A fellow parishioner says she and her husband, Ralph, were "the life of the party." The church says, "Her life revolved around her kids, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and hundreds of extended family at Transfiguration." ___ This item has been corrected to fix a typo in the woman's first name - it is Olga, not Ogla. ___ 12:05 p.m. The sister of an Iowa man says he was among the five people killed in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport shooting. Story continues Elizabeth Oehme-Miller told The Associated Press by phone Saturday that her brother, 57-year-old Michael Oehme, was killed in Friday's attack and that her brother's wife, Kari Oehme, was shot in the shoulder and is expected to recover. Oehme-Miller says the couple was in Fort Lauderdale getting ready for a Caribbean cruise that was supposed to start Saturday. She says they were frequent travelers who loved cruises and were happy to be headed on another one. Oehme-Miller says another family member is flying to Fort Lauderdale to help Kari Oehme return home to Council Bluffs, which is right across the state border from Omaha, Nebraska. No official list of the victims has been released, but loved ones have started to talk about them to news outlets. Warsaw (AFP) - A cold wave across Europe has left at least 23 dead in the past two days, including several migrants and homeless people, authorities said Saturday, with the frigid temperatures expected to continue through the weekend. Russia meanwhile celebrated the coldest Orthodox Christmas in 120 years, and even Istanbul was covered with a blanket of snow. Ten of the latest victims of the cold perished in Poland where temperatures were as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius (seven degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday. "Seven people died on Friday in what was the deadliest day this winter," said spokeswoman Bozena Wysocka from the Polish government centre for security (RCB). "We recorded three other victims the previous day," she said. "This takes to 53 the number of hypothermia victims since November 1." In Italy in the past 48 hours the cold has been blamed for seven deaths, including five homeless people, two of them Polish nationals, authorities said. There was heavy snowfall in central Italy and also in the southeast where the airports at Bari and Brindisi as well as in Sicily were closed Saturday morning. Prague's emergency services reported three deaths -- two homeless people and a parking lot guard -- overnight in the Czech capital, the coldest night so far this winter. Temperatures in Moscow fell to minus 30 degrees overnight and to minus 24 in Saint Petersburg where police found the body of a man who had died of hypothermia. And in Bulgaria on Friday the frozen bodies of two Iraqi migrants were discovered by villagers in a mountain forest in the southeast of the country near the border with Turkey. Authorities expect the toll to rise as weather conditions are set to remain unchanged this weekend. - Snow in Istanbul - The heavy snowstorms reached Turkey, paralysing its biggest city Istanbul where almost 65 centimetres (25 inches) of snow fell, forcing hundreds of flights to be cancelled on Saturday. Story continues Coastguards also ordered a halt to shipping traffic in both directions through the Bosphorus Strait -- one of the world's busiest sea thoroughfares -- and the municipal ferry service between the European and Asian sides of the city was suspended. Greece likewise has seen fierce cold weather over the past week. In the north near the Turkish frontier a 20-year-old Afghan migrant died of the cold on Tuesday. With more than 60,000 mainly Syrian refugees on its territory, Greece has moved many migrants to prefabricated houses and heated tents. The temperature in Athens on Saturday was zero degrees Celsius and down to minus 15 in the north of the country. The coldest temperature in Europe so far this winter was recorded on Friday in the Swiss village of La Brevine at minus 29.9 degrees. That was still much milder than the village's record of the coldest temperature ever in Switzerland at minus 41.8 degrees on January 12, 1987. UPDATE: 4:25 p.m. EST A man who opened fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday apparently flew into the airport and used a weapon from his checked bagged. But despite reports to the contrary, Air Canada said it had no record of a passenger by that name or checked guns on its flights. UPDATE: 4:08 p.m. EST The suspect in a mass shooting that killed five people and left eight others injured at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday was a member of the Army National Guard who was honorably discharged about four months ago, ABC News reported. Shooter Esteban Santiago's motive was not immediately known. UPDATE: 3:55 p.m. EST After a mass shooting that killed five people Friday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, officials in Clearwater, Florida, said police officers were looking for suspicious activity. It's unclear if the shooting was an act of terrorism, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. UPDATE: 3:32 p.m. EST Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Friday flights were grounded at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport because the crime scene was still "fluid and active" after a mass shooting killed five people. The shooter was taken into custody and was "unharmed," Israel said. UPDATE: 3:20 p.m. EST After a mass shooting at a major airport in Florida Friday that killed five people, Port Authority Police in New York City said they would increase patrols at area airports. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said only one attacker carried out the shooting at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport despite reports that there was more than one suspect. Story continues UPDATE: 3:04 p.m. EST Following an initial shooting that killed five people Friday, the Broward County Sheriff's Office tweeted there was an "active search" after "unconfirmed reports" of more shots at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told multiple TV networks that a man named Esteban Santiago was taken into custody after a shooting near baggage claim at Terminal 2 at the airport. UPDATE: 2:57 p.m. EST President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that he was "monitoring the terrible situation in Florida" after a shooting left at least five dead Friday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Trump said he talked with Gov. Rick Scott about the shooting and told people to "stay safe." UPDATE: 2:50 p.m. EST After a shooting that killed at least five people Friday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told CNN that when people bunch up in the airport, like at terminals or in security, it creates a "soft target." Nelson, who has told multiple networks that a man named Esteban Santiago was taken into custody, also advocated for the use of trained dogs for additional security. UPDATE: 2:40 p.m. EST The Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Twitter at least five people were killed in a shooting Friday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told NBC a man named Esteban Santiago was in police custody. The situation appeared to be ongoing. People claiming to be at the airport have posted to Twitter reporting more shots may have been fired amid law enforcement activity. UPDATE: 2:33 p.m. EST More possible shots were reported by people on Twitter claiming to be at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting in the baggage claim area around Terminal 2 left multiple people dead Friday. Police activity was reported at other areas in the airport after the initial reports of a shooting at Terminal 2. UPDATE: 2:18 p.m. EST Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted that he was "praying for the victims and everyone" at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting Friday that left multiple people dead. As many as five people were killed after a gunman opened fire in the baggage area of Terminal 2 at the airport, according to multiple reports. One person has been taken into custody. UPDATE: 2:08 p.m. EST Airports in Miami and Orlando have beefed up security after a shooting Friday in the baggage claim area of Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport left multiple people dead. A person reportedly opened fire at Terminal 2 near the Delta Airlines area. One person had been taken into custody, according to multiple reports. UPDATE: 1:56 p.m. EST All services and flights were paused Friday at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting that reportedly left multiple people dead. The airport's Twitter account posted a statement that told potential visitors to contact their "air carrier about your flight information." Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued a statement to ABC News indicating he was en route to Fort Lauderdale to meet with law enforcement officials. UPDATE: 1:48 p.m. EST The Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Twitter that there was a shooting Friday that killed "multiple people" at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. Multiple reports have indicated that at least nine people were injured in the attack. UPDATE: 1:44 p.m. EST A gunman opened fire Friday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, wounding at least nine people. Conflicting reports have indicated there may be anywhere from one to five people dead. The situation appeared to be ongoing, although multiple reports indicated a person had been taken into custody. UPDATE: 1:37 p.m. EST A person opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida Friday, wounding at least nine people, according to multiple media and witness reports. Live video of the airport can be found here for people want to follow what's going on at the scene. UPDATE: 1:27 p.m. EST Multiple media reports indicated a shooter was in custody Friday after an incident at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. One person was killed and nine others were shot, according to NBC News. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the 21st busiest airport in the United States, according to its website, with flights to more than 100 cities around the world. This past October, the airport made the news when a FedEx cargo plane caught fire as its landing gear collapsed. Nobody was injured. UPDATE: 1:21 p.m. EST After previous reports of a shooting Friday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, an account seemingly belonging to the airport tweeted there was an "ongoing incident in Terminal 2, Baggage Claim." NBC News' Bradd Jaffy reported that one person had been killed, while nine people had been shot. UPDATE: 1:17 p.m. EST One person has died and nine people were shot at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday, according to NBC News' Bradd Jaffy on Twitter. Original story: There was an apparent shooting Friday at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, according to various media reports and tweets from Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary. "I'm at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running," Fleischer tweeted Friday afternoon. He later followed up, tweeting, "The police said there is one shooter and five victims." A public information officer confirmed to WPEC that there was "some type of shooting incident" at the airport. Some 73,000 people travel through the airport every day, according to Broward County. Other people claiming they were at the airport tweeted about a shooting as well. Related Articles The La Crosse County Historical Society usually accepts old items that are already a part of local history for inclusion in our artifact collection. But occasionally we accept something newer that we think will be of value and interest to future generations. This dress uniform falls in that category. Gregg Cleveland, chief of the La Crosse Fire Department, donated this firefighters dress uniform in 2013. It arrived in my office as if by magic, just appearing one morning, with a note in the pocket. No museum is a fan of drop offs, or abandoned property, but when I saw the uniforms provenance, I reconsidered. I have always wished we had more examples of very early uniforms from the police and fire departments perhaps someday this uniform will be of as much interest as an 1890 uniform would be today. Therefore, this uniform, once worn by the 11th chief of the LCFD, is now in our collection. One interesting thing about it is how similar it is to the uniforms worn by earlier fire chiefs. It is still navy blue wool, double-breasted, with fancy metal buttons showing the crossed bugle insignia. Really only the content of the material a polyester lining, and some nylon mixed with the wool identify this as a uniform from the second half of the 20th century, and not the late 19th century. While the working uniform of a contemporary firefighter is entirely different in look, material and functionality, from one 120 years ago, the dress uniform intentionally harkens to the traditional role and look of a firefighter. In 1877, La Crosse had four firemen on the city payroll, who oversaw the four main volunteer companies of firefighters. The first chief, C. A. Hunt, was a strong advocate of a paid firefighting force. He had come to La Crosse in 1886 and joined Rescue Hose Company No. 1. Hunt was appointed fire chief of the city in 1896 when, after many years of discussion, the city fire department became fully paid, with career firefighters. At that time there were 45 men in service, divided into five stations, each headed by its own captain. Today, the fire department has 93 firefighters working out of four stations. Chief Cleveland will retire this summer after 11 years as chief of the LCFD, and his uniform will be become that much more historic. The insignia patch on the left shoulder, for the La Crosse Fire Department, makes it an especially nice piece of local history. Now if only we had the badge that would have been clipped to the metal eyelet on the jacket breast There seems to be some confusion as to who is currently expected to pay for the wall that President-elect Donald Trump promised, over the course of his campaign, would be built on the U.S.-Mexico border. During the campaign, Trump repeatedly said Mexico would pay for it. Former Mexican President Vincente Fox, for his part, insisted, Im not paying for that fucking wall. And now it seems Fox, indeed, may be correct. Mexico might not pay for the wall, because Trump is now going to ask Congress (and, by extension, American taxpayers) to foot the bill. On Friday morning, Trump clarified his comments in a thoughtful dialogue with the press. No, just kidding. He tweeted, The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later! So, to offer an honest media review of events: Trump originally said Mexico would pay for the wall, and then said that Congress would pay for the wall, and then said that Congress would pay first but would then invoice Mexico for what he is now calling the Great Wall (somewhere in China, Xi Jinping shook his head). So Americans will build it and then Mexicans will pay them back. Sort of like how contractors paid for his work in Atlantic City but he then paid them back. Oh, wait. Trump first launched from obscurity to national prominence on a harsh immigration platform. In his presidential bid announcement in June 2015, the now-president-elect said Mexico was sending drugs and rapists over the border (but, of course, adding that some, he assumes, are good people.) Trump has not clarified how he would compel Mexico to foot the bill. Mexicos current president, Enrique Pena Nieto, made it clear he wouldnt pay for it during Trumps high-profile visit to Mexico in September. And its no wonder neither leader wants to pick up the tab; some estimates put the price tag at $16 million per mile, a hefty sum given the U.S.-Mexico border is 2,000 miles long. If Trump gets his way, though, he has a head start. Under former President George W. Bush, the United States built 670 miles of a wall along the border, but that alone costs nearly $2.4 billion to maintain. A full, 2,000-mile long fence could also cost up to $750 million a year. Story continues That hasnt deterred Republican lawmakers from backing Trumps plan. In a Fox News op-ed on Dec. 2, Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, advocated building the wall and putting Mexico on a payment plan. (This came after opposing the walls construction in 2015, when he said it was an inefficient use of taxpayer money). Fox, for his part, has not changed his tune, tweeting, Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he cant keep. Photo credit: YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images By Jessica DiNapoli Jan 6 (Reuters) - Sun Capital Partners Inc, the private equity owner of Limited Stores LLC, disclosed on Friday it has almost doubled its investment in the troubled U.S. women's apparel retailer, even as it announced that it will shut all approximately 250 The Limited stores amid losses. Sun Capital Partners told investors in a letter that it has made 1.8 times its $50 million investment in Limited Stores, thanks to prior distributions and dividends, according to an email to investors seen by Reuters. Sun Capital also said in the letter that it is writing down the remaining equity value of Limited Stores to zero. The disclosure illustrates how private equity firms can boast a profit from companies whose equity value has been wiped out, having previously recouped their original investment by taking dividends from these companies, often by having them borrow more money to fund the dividends. "We have worked very hard and made significant investments over nine years to improve operations and create a sustainable business at The Limited," Sun Capital told Reuters in an emailed statement. Limited Stores said on Friday that it would close all its brick-and-mortar retail locations effective Sunday. "In an increasingly challenging environment for mall-based retail and women's apparel, we are very disappointed that the company has had to make the difficult decision to close its retail locations," Sun Capital also said. Limited Stores declined to comment. Sun Capital acquired a majority stake in Limited Stores in 2007 and bought the rest of the company in 2010. Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, called Sun Capital's return on its investment "an unusually happy ending for the private equity firm," though he added that the nine-year period during which Sun Capital was an investor in Limited Stores was a "little on the long end." Brick-and-mortar retailers, from smaller chains like The Limited to mall anchors including Macy's Inc, have been hard hit as shoppers move online and to offprice sellers. Last year, retailers including Aeropostale Inc and Pacific Sunwear of California Inc filed for bankruptcy. Story continues With the shutdown of The Limited stores, the positions of 4,000 workers, including 800 full-time permanent employees, would be eliminated, according to people familiar with the company's plans, who were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. In the letter to investors, Sun Capital said Limited Stores is evaluating strategic alternatives for the company's remaining e-commerce business and intellectual property. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler) Kalorama As Trump's administration starts to make its way into Washington, a lot of things are still up in the air. And though the chips will fall as they may, a lot of them will probably fall in Kalorama Heights, a small residential enclave in the northwest part of Washington, DC's central urban area. The small neighborhood will be home to the Obama family, who will move into a $5.3 million home after the president's term ends later this month. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner will also be moving into a $5.5 million home just a few blocks away in the same neighborhood. Another wealthy new Kalorama resident is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who reportedly bought a historic 27,000 square foot mansion for $23 million in October. But Kalorama's desirability is not a new phenomenon. "Kalorama Heights ... has always been a very luxury high-end neighborhood," Patrick Chauvin, executive vice president and senior advisor for Compass, told Business Insider. Chauvin is a 25-year veteran in the real estate market, and has sold many of DC's priciest homes. "It was one of the more urban neighborhoods, so to speak, back in the 1800s." It was also a common area for presidents to live both William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson owned homes in Kalorama Heights. Kalorama Kalorama is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in DC. According to public data assembled on Trulia, the median sale price for all homes in Kalorama was $1.395 million between October 2016 and January 2017. The median sale price for Washington, DC, as a whole for that period was $635,000. Chauvin said that many members of the new Trump administration, many of whom are wealthier than their predecessors in addition to being less entrenched in DC society, are looking in Kalorama as well as the similarly ritzy Massachusetts Avenue Heights neighborhood that borders it. Trump's team of top officials and advisers have a combined net worth of at least $10 billion. Some of Trump's wealthiest picks for key positions include Betsy DeVos, his choice for secretary of education, worth $5.1 billion, and Wilbur Ross, the nominated secretary of commerce, who is worth $2.5 billion. Trump has also tapped ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, worth at least $228 million, to be secretary of state. Steve Mnuchin, Trump's pick for Treasury secretary, is worth at least $100 million, according to estimates. Story continues Mnuchin recently purchased a home in Massachusetts Avenue Heights, the Washingtonian reported this week. The homes in Massachusetts Avenue Heights and Kalorama are desirable for different reasons, Chauvin says, but they share the benefit of being very close to Downtown. "The big difference is that Massachusetts Avenue Heights has larger homes on bigger lots with more green," Chauvin said. "Kalorama Heights has large homes with grand entertaining spaces, as most of the homes were built in the earlier years, but on smaller lots." Those smaller lots in Kalorama have the advantage of requiring less maintenance, and they have a shorter walking distance to shops and restaurants. As for the prospect of Secret Service activity disrupting these neighborhoods, Chauvin said that likely won't be any more of an issue than it already is. "All of the neighborhoods mentioned ... already have some sort of Secret Service in them," Chauvin said, noting that even his own building has a Secret Service presence. NOW WATCH: Forget Mar-A-Lago here's a look at impressive presidential retreats of the past More From Business Insider GaneshaSpeaks Earlier known as the UTI Bank, Axis Bank is Indias third largest private-sector bank, after HDFC and ICICI. It offers services in large and mid-level corporate banking, retail banking, SME banking, agriculture business banking, international banking, treasury etc. Head-quartered in Mumbai, Axis Bank also has the third largest ATM network and the fourth largest base of debit cards in India. In spite of its impressive credentials, the bank has been finding it difficult to get out of the controversies that have been surrounding it, especially in the aftermath of the demonetisation move. In this article, Ganesha analyses the Foundation Chart of the Bank and predicts what lies ahead in the upcoming year for it. What are the planetary highlights in the Foundation Chart of Axis Bank? The most striking aspect of the Chart is the conjunction of 5 planets the Sun, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Rahu in the Sign of Scorpio. Ganesha says that Scorpio happens to be the Sign of extremes and thus we generally get to see a lot of ups and downs as well as uncertainty in its stock position. Saturn is formidably placed in its own Sign Aquarius. This placement of Saturn provides great stability for the bank and also renders the ability to face the odds. What could be causing problems for the banking heavyweight? As already mentioned earlier, the conjunction of 4 key planets with the malefic Rahu makes the Bank prone to controversies. The transit of Saturn over this Natal Stellium has triggered fresh controversies. Saturn represents the law and law enforcement agencies. Thus, it is advisable that the bank makes the required course correction and take the steps that would prevent further damage. Additionally, the malefic Ketu has been transiting over the Natal Saturn in Aquarius, which also been adding to the problems. Thus, even in the year 2017, Axis Bank may face problems and controversies. January 2017 a critical month? Ganesha says that Mars and Ketu will be transiting together in the Sign of Aquarius, which will be adding to the woes of the bank. Some sudden changes in the administration or unexpected problems are foreseen. The period till 20th January, 2017 will be a very crucial one, thus anyone planning to invest in the companys shares till then, will have to be very careful. The slot between 1st January, 2016 and 4th January, 2016, will be especially uncertain and problematic. The saving grace: Despite all the other adverse planetary influences, the blessings of Jupiter will help the bank to sail through the challenges. But, considering the overall picture, Ganesha feels that it will not be enough, as the other negative planetary configurations will create serious issues for Axis Bank. With Ganeshas Grace, Dharmesh Joshi The GaneshaSpeaks.com Team An SBS Transit bus. (Yahoo file photo) A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of having attacked an SBS Transit bus driver while drunk. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a press release that at 11.49pm on Thursday (5 January), it received a report that a bus driver had been assaulted by a male passenger at the Bukit Merah Bus Interchange. During the incident, the driver sought help from his colleagues and a security officer helped to detain the 45-year-old suspect, who was subsequently arrested once the police arrived. Police investigations revealed that the suspect, who is believed to have been drunk at the time, had attacked the driver after the latter tried to wake him up to alight the bus. In a Facebook post on Friday night, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Melvin Yong said that the National Transport Workers Union had learnt of the assault and that the bus captain involved had suffered facial injuries and had been given three days off to rest and recover. Such unprovoked acts of violence cannot be condoned. Our public transport workers are protected under the Protection from Harassment Act, he wrote in the post. I intend to raise this at the Public Transport Tripartite Committee as we call upon all stakeholders of the public transport industry to come together, to raise awareness against the abuse of our bus captains who work hard to provide commuters a safe ride to their destination. The suspect will be charged in court on Saturday for voluntarily causing hurt and drunkenness in public. If convicted of the former charge, he will face up to two years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The latter charge bears a penalty of up to six months jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, for first-time offenders. In an earlier incident, a Chinese man was caught on CCTV on New Years Eve slapping three SBS Transit bus drivers after boarding their buses along Bartley Road. A 23-year-old man is said to have been assisting the police with their investigations into that case. Mark Wahlberg wont let his daughter date Justin Bieber which is totally unfair Oh, Marky Mark, forever the overly-macho white male at every event, especially when it comes to his children, and more specifically, his oldest daughter. Most recently, the actor and rapper spoke about his 13-year-old daughter, Ella. And now we know that Mark Wahlberg cannot and will not let his daughter date her celebrity crush, Justin Bieber. Wahlberg, who has four children, told Ellen DeGeneres on Friday that his daughter would date Bieber over his dead body. What sparked the conversation was when DeGeneres questioned Wahlberg about his supposed dinner guest, the Biebs. Wahlbergs daughter is described by her father as a good girl but at the end of the day, shes a girl, in which the crowd let out a hearty laugh, as if Wahlberg had just made a decent joke (something Im still a little confused about). Whats so funny about being a girl? Or being told you cant date the Biebs? After DeGeneres pressed Wahlberg for more information about his mysterious guest, he didnt admit to the fact that it was Bieber, but the crowd, and DeGeneres, were pretty sold on the idea that it was. Without many more hints other than 1) hes Canadian 2) hes a nice man 3) hes been on the show before, DeGeneres nailed who the celebrity guest was at Wahlbergs home (The Weekend being her close second). Dad, thats gonna be my husband, said Ella to her father about the celebrity guest. Actually, over both your dead bodies, Ill go back to jail, said Wahlberg about his daughters comment. Wahlberg was referencing his 45 days in jail in 1988 when he assaulted a man while trying to steal alcohol at the age of 16. Wahlberg hinted that he and Bieber were collaborating although he confidently said that he would not be participating in any recordings. So who knows what the two are really up to. In any case, Wahlberg isnt a stranger to embarrassing his children or calling out his strict parenting. In 2008, Wahlberg talked about his parenting to In Touch Magazine, Yes, being financially secure gives me the opportunity to be around 24/7 and monitor everything that they do. Im not going to leave it up to chance that theyll figure things out. Story continues And more recently in September, Wahlberg rapped about taking his daughters cell phone away on the Dan Patrick Show after cameras turned to her and showed how mortified she was about her fathers singing technique. Its hilarious and sorta cute but totally typical of Wahlbergs conservative and strict parenting style. Mark Wahlberg told People that he hopes to give his children the opportunities that he never had, like dinner with Bieber, while also making sure that theyre appreciative, they work hard, and they dont become spoiled or entitled. But doesnt that mean at least introducing Ella and Bieber? Cmaaaan. Former cult leader Charles Manson, who was hospitalized earlier this week, was too weak to undergo surgery, reports said Friday. The 82-year-old, who inspired his followers to kill seven people in 1969, is serving nine concurrent life sentences for the murders and has been denied parole 12 times. Manson was admitted at a medical center in Bakersfield, California, for gastrointestinal bleeding Sunday. Doctors wanted to perform the surgery shortly after Manson was admitted but he refused to undergo the procedure. TMZ reported the former cult leader later agreed to go under the knife and was scheduled for surgery Thursday but was found too weak for the procedure. The 82-year-old mass murderer was back behind bars, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Inmate Manson is at California State Prison-Corcoran, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Terry Thornton reportedly said. Manson, who has been in jail since 1971, was convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy, along with three of his followers: Charles Tex Watson, Patricia Krenwinkle and Susan Atkins. The group was convicted of killing the actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant at the time, her hair stylist Jay Sebring, student Steven Parent, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, writer Wojciech Frykowski, supermarket owner Leno LaBianca and wife Rosemary LaBianca over a span of two days in 1969. Leslie Van Houten was convicted of murdering the LaBiancas. Charles Manson Photo: Reuters The 82-year-old has had over 100 violations during his four decades of imprisonment, People Magazine reported Friday. He was also found in possession of three contraband cell phones, had refused to submit a urine sample for a drug test and threatened prison staff. He threw hot coffee on a guard and spit on a guards face, retired Los Angeles County prosecutor Stephen Kay told the magazine. He was a nasty prisoner. Kay added that Manson never had any respect for women. Related Articles LONDON (Reuters) - American Bethanie Mattek-Sands will rise to number one in the world when the WTA doubles rankings are released on Monday. Mattek-Sands sealed top spot after winning her 23rd WTA doubles title in Brisbane on Saturday with partner Sania Mirza. She ended her Indian partner's 91-week reign as world number one. "Being number one is something that you dream of from the time you pick up a racket," Mattek-Sands, whose daring outfits and knee-high socks mark her out from the crowd, told the WTA. "You're not given number one -- you have to earn it and I feel really proud of myself for getting there." Mirza added: "I feel like I'm handing over the Miss World No 1 crown. Congratulations to her for becoming No 1. She has had an amazing year.", Mattek-Sands has won three grand slam doubles titles all with Czech Lucie Safarova -- the most recent coming at last year's U.S. Open. (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar) Former Mexican President Vicente Fox essentially told President-elect Donald Trump Friday to f--- off. Fox, a longtime critic of Trump's campaign promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, tweeted that Mexico will not pay "for that f----- wall." "Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it," Fox told Trump in a tweet. In another tweet, he wrote: "Losing election by more than 3M votes and in addition this.Are you a legitimate president?" Fox, who led the National Action Party between 2000 and 2006, called the wall a racist monument and told Trump to be honest with Americans. Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he can't keep, Fox wrote on Twitter. Trump seemed taken aback by the vulgarity, although he has been called out for using much more aggressive language before he entered politics. "FMR PRES of Mexico, Vicente Fox horribly used the F word when discussing the wall. He must apologize! If I did that there would be a uproar!" Trump tweeted. Trump reaffirmed Friday that he wanted Mexico to pay for that wall to stop illegal immigration after media reports this week claimed Trump would seek funding from Congress to build the estimated $14 billion wall using U.S. taxpayer dollars. "Any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later," Trump tweeted. Other Mexican leaders have firmly told Trump his idea is rubbish. In September, current Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter: "I repeat what I told you personally Mr Trump: Mexico will never pay for a wall." Mexican Foreign Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu said in November: "We've been very clear that Mexico will never consider paying for a wall that puts barriers between our two countries. We will not pay for it, because it goes against everything we believe our two countries can do together, are doing together. Related Articles On the occasion of Millard Fillmores 217th birthday, Constitution Daily looks back at a forgotten President and his role in the crisis that led to the Civil War. MillardFillmore There isnt that much written about Fillmore, who was relegated to the dust bin of history by his own political party in 1852 after serving less than three years as President. Fillmore ran a second time for the White House on the ticket for the Know Nothing Party in 1856, and then disappeared. But Fillmores place in the national spotlight was brief and it came at a crucial time in the debate over slavery. Born on January 7, 1800 in Summerhill, N.Y., Fillmore grew up in extreme poverty and lived for a time as a virtual slave when his family allowed him to work as an apprentice to a cloth dresser. Fillmore bought out his commitment to his employer, married his own school teacher, and worked his way up through the political system in New Yorks Whig Party. Moving to Buffalo, Fillmore was a protege of the state Whig party leader, Thurlow Weed, and he served for eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Weed convinced Fillmore to resign to run for governor in New York state in 1844. Fillmore lost that election, but he soon won election to the powerful position of New York state comptroller in 1847. Then, Weed then helped Fillmore get on the 1848 presidential ticket as vice president. Zachary Taylor, the Whig presidential candidate, was a slave owner and a popular figure after the Mexican-American War. Fillmore balanced the ticket as a known, anti-slavery Northerner. When Taylor became President in 1849, Fillmore was relegated to his nominal constitutional duty as presiding officer of the Senate. President Taylor and Fillmore werent close and came from much-different backgrounds. At the time, Congress was involved in a heated debate about the future of slavery in newly acquired territories and states, and it was Fillmore who presided over the debates in the Senate. President Taylor defied expectations and didnt endorse the expansion of slavery. Taylor specifically wanted California admitted as a free state. Story continues The efforts of political power broker Henry Clay were thwarted and the Unions future was uncertain, with secession talk already in the air. Then President Taylor suddenly died after attending a July 4 event in 1850. The unknown Northerner, Fillmore, became President. It became clear very quickly that Fillmore believed his constitutional duty was to preserve the union through what became known as the Compromise of 1850. Fillmore worked with a rising Senator, Stephen Douglas, from the rival Democratic Party on a package of laws that admitted California as a free state, but granted some important concessions to pro-slavery forces. Fillmore was conflicted over parts of the Compromise, especially because his personal experiences. But as he told Daniel Webster in a letter, he felt it was his constitutional duty to enforce the law. God knows I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil, for which we are not responsible, and we must endure it and give it such protection as is guaranteed by the constitution, till we get rid of it without destroying the last hope of free government in the world, Fillmore said. The result was that Fillmore had greatly upset members of the Democrats and the Whigs with the Compromise. The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act angered Northerners, who saw that President Fillmore would act to compel federal marshals to track down slaves to had escaped to the north. Fillmore also sent government troops to the South to act against rumors of a secession by South Carolina. Pro-slavery forces were also unhappy that slavery had been barred in California. The Compromise of 1850 also dealt a fatal blow to the Whig Party, which had divided into an anti-slavery northern section and a pro-slavery southern section. At the 1852 Whig convention, Fillmore couldnt gain support for the presidential nomination he sought at the last moment; General Winfield Scott became a candidate who stood little chance against the Democratic Party. Fillmores last act on the national stage was his nomination as the presidential candidate of the American, or Know Nothing, Party in 1856. The party opposed immigration and Catholics, and Fillmore accepted its nomination without agreeing on its key principles. The remnants of the Whig Party also endorsed Fillmore. While Fillmore came in third in the 1856 election, he gained 21 percent of the popular vote and 8 electoral votes, which contributed to the defeat of John Fremont, the nominee of the new Republican Party. James Buchanan took the critical election before the 1860s began. Fillmore made occasional cameo appearances on the national political stage, but he spent the rest of his life as a prominent citizen of Buffalo, where he died in 1874. The New York Times obituary for Fillmore said that the general policy of his administration was wise and liberal, but that his enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law was problematic. His course in this matter was extremely unpopular with a large portion of the Northern people, and was the occasion of a very general indifference toward him ever after, the newspaper said. A mother has been charged with capital murder after she allegedly stabbed her 5-year-old daughter to death in their Texas home on Thursday, according to police. The Hays County Sheriffs office said they received a 911 call reporting an aggravated assault to the home and when they arrived they found 58-year-old Eustorgio Arellano-Uresti in the driveway with multiple stab wounds and a 10-inch knife in his back pocket, according to the report. Read: 8-Year-Old Boy Shot to Death Walking Home from Birthday Party Arellano-Uresti told police that his daughter-in-law, 24-year-old Krystle Villanueva, stabbed him and was alone inside with her daughter. They then found Villanueva getting out of the shower and 5-year-old Giovanna Hernandez dead inside of a bedroom, according to police. This is one of the worst cases Ive ever seen, Sheriff Gary Cutler said. The suspect has had minor issues with law enforcement in the past, nothing major. Arellano-Uresti told officers that at around 11 a.m. he walked into the kitchen to make lunch when he saw Villanueva take a knife to a back bedroom. He then heard the child crying. Authorities said they believe at this time Villanueva was stabbing her daughter. The mother then returned to the kitchen and began stabbing her father-in-law in the back and forehead as he tried to grab the knife, the affidavit said. Read: 4 Children Killed After 'Restricted-Use' Pesticide Likely Formed Toxic Gas When Mixed With Water Villanueva allegedly abused drugs and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and ADHD, according to court documents. Villanueva has also been charged with aggravated assault, a second degree felony. Arellano-Uresti is expected to recover. Watch: Mom Who Blamed Toddler For Strangling His Sister With Halloween Lights Arrested Related Articles: Moonlight (Photo: A24) By Patrick Shanley, The Hollywood Reporter Moonlight, the story of a young man coming to age in Miami amid the War on Drugs, won top honors from the National Society of Film Critics on Saturday. Barry Jenkins, who adapted the script from an unproduced play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, also won best director. The film scored the best cinematography prize for lenser James Laxton, as well. Meanwhile, writer-director Kenneth Longergans family drama Manchester by the Sea earned best screenplay, best actor for Casey Affleck and best supporting actress for Michelle Williams. The committee is made up of some of the nations top film critics with the Los Angeles Times Justin Chang acting as the current chair. Founded in 1966, the National Society of Film Critics elects its members from publications all over the country, including The New Yorker, NPR and The Christian Science Monitor. This year marks the 51st annual meeting of its voters. The complete list of winners is below. Best Picture: Moonlight Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle and Things to Come Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight Best Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea Best Cinematography: James Laxton, Moonlight Best Foreign Language Film: Toni Erdmann Best Nonfiction Film: O.J.: Made in America Film Heritage Award: Kino Lorbers Pioneers of African-American Cinema Moonlight, the coming-of-age story of a gay black boy named Chiron living in Miami, was named the best picture winner by the National Society of Film Critics on Saturday. In the acting categories, Manchester by the Sea star Casey Affleck took the award for best actor, while Isabelle Huppert won the actress prize for her performances in both Elle and Things to Come. Afflecks Manchester co-star Michelle Williams scored the prize for supporting actress, and Moonlight standout Mahershala Ali nabbed the award for supporting actor. Manchester also won the best screenplay award. Moonlight continued its run by winning cinematography for James Laxton and director for Barry Jenkins. The foreign film prize went to Toni Erdmann the films lead actress Sandra Huller was a runner up in her category. O.J.: Made in America won in the nonfiction category. This year the group had 38 people vote from around the country. The society announced Friday that for the first time in addition to its New York meetings, eight critics would cast their votes in real time from L.A., Chicago, Seattle, Denver and more cities. This year the group welcomed new members MTVs Amy Nicholson and the Chicago Tribunes Michael Phillips into the fold. View of the complete list of awards below: Best Picture: Moonlight Runners-up: Manchester by the Sea; La La Land Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea Runners-up: Denzel Washington, Fences; Adam Driver, Paterson Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle and Things to Come Runners-up: Annette Bening, 20th Century Women; Sandra Huller, Toni Erdmann Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight Runners-up: Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water; Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea Runners-up: Lily Gladstone, Certain Women; Naomie Harris, Moonlight Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight Runners-up: Damien Chazelle, La La Land; Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea Story continues Best Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea Runners-up: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight; Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water Best Cinematography: James Laxton, Moonlight Runners-up: Linus Sandgren, La La Land; Rodrigo Prieto, Silence Best Foreign Film: Toni Erdmann Runners-up: The Handmaiden, Elle and Things to Come Film Heritage Award: Kino Lorbers five-disc collection Pioneers of African-American Cinema Special citation for a film awaiting American distribution: Cristi Puius Sieranevada Related stories 'Spotlight' Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics 'Goodbye to Language' Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics Tribeca Film Acquires 'Hide Your Smiling Faces' for March Release Categories Skincare Anyone who occasionally self or spray tans understands the dilemma that is trying to sleep without transforming your bedding into an orange-tinged disaster (as Chrissy Teiegn so relatably captured on social media). We like white sheets, and we love a faux glow, but were not willing to forgo either. A defiant solution? Sleeping in dark, long-sleeved shirts, pants and socks, which works (sort of) yet proves to be a colossal sweat bath in the warm summer months. We recently caught wind of another alternative thats so plain and simple its just brilliant. Australian brand Tanzee offers a range of luxury sheet inserts that are made from silk microfiber and designed to prevent both the transfer of spray tans onto sheets and streaking of product. Uhh, why didnt we think of that? The insert is essentially a large sack (think: a non-fleecy Snuggie) and might just be the knight in shining armor fake-bake enthusiasts have been searching for. Photo: @_tanzee Full disclosure: Weve yet to test-drive the product ourselves, but it seems straightforward enough and thus, worth a try in our book. (We are unsure, however, about the appropriate arm placementwere envisioning it as a roomy cocoon of sorts, allowing us to emerge after a long slumber as a bronze butterfly.) Never have we felt so fearless at the prospect of slathering on the St. Tropez before bedtime. Have any tips and tricks for keeping orange sheets at bay? Let us know in the comments below! Tanzee Sheet Insert, $48-50 Read more: The Right Way To Apply Self Tanner TESERO, Italy (AP) -- Sergey Ustiugov's run of five straight stage wins in the Tour de Ski ended on Saturday, although the Russian retained a comfortable overall lead before the concluding climb of Mount Cermis. Two-time Tour champion Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway won the 15-kilometer classical mass start race in slightly more than 40 minutes, just 2.2 seconds ahead of rival Ustiugov. Matti Heikkinen of Finland crossed third, 2.8 behind. Ustiugov was bidding to become the first skier, male or female, to win all seven stages in the 11-year history of the Tour. He remained 1 minute, 11.9 seconds ahead of Sundby, with three-time Tour winner Dario Cologna of Switzerland in third, 2:04.1 back. Ustiugov struggled midway through the stage but his Russian teammates escorted him back to the front. ''My teammates did an amazing job today,'' Ustiugov said. ''The fact I am second is mainly thanks to them. I expected to be in top 20 today.'' In the women's 10K event, Stina Nilsson of Sweden reclaimed the Tour lead with her fourth stage win, setting up a close final-day contest with Norwegian rival Heidi Weng on Sunday. Nilsson required slightly more than half an hour to complete the classical mass start event in Val di Fiemme. Nilsson finished 3.0 seconds ahead of Anne Kylloenen of Finland and 3.7 in front of fellow Swede Charlotte Kalla, the 2008 Tour champion. Nilsson, who lost her lead and dropped to third overall a day earlier, moved 19.2 seconds ahead of Weng in the Tour standings. Krista Parmakoski of Finland was third, 53.9 behind. ''I knew the body could respond both ways in the Tour and I'm so happy it responded in the right way,'' Nilsson said. Weng finished seventh in the stage, 17.5 seconds behind Nilsson. Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg also struggled, placing 18th in the stage and dropping out of contention from her second-placed standing entering the day. The Tour remains in the Val di Fiemme for the traditional last-stage climb up Mount Cermis on Sunday. Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) - Japanese player Kei Nishikori reached the final of the Brisbane International when he downed Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in straight sets on Saturday. Nishikori beat the Swiss world number four 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to move into Sunday's decider against either Milos Raonic of Canada or Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov. After an even first set with no breaks of serve the 27-year-old Nishikori stepped up a gear to race away with the tiebreak. He then broke Wawrinka early in the second set and although the Swiss world number four broke back straight away, he then dropped his serve once more to give Nishikori the advantage. Nishikori then held serve comfortably to claim the semi-final in one hour, 41 minutes. It is the first time Nishikori has made the final in seven attempts. He has reached the semi-finals on three previous attempts and the quarter-finals twice. Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama said Friday he was "heartbroken" for the families of the victims of the deadly shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida. In his first public comments since a gunman opened fire in the afternoon, killing five people and wounding eight, Obama said it was too early to know what motivated the attacker or whether the shooting was an act of terrorism. "I don't want to comment on it other than just to say how heartbroken we are for the families who've been affected," Obama said in an exclusive ABC News television interview. The suspected gunman was taken into custody, according to officials, and was being questioned by the FBI and homicide detectives. "These kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the years that I've been president," said Obama, who ends his eight-year term on January 20. "The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous." According to ABC, the president said he had asked staff to contact the Miami mayor to ensure efforts are coordinated between state and local officials. "I think we'll find out over the next 24 hours exactly how this happened and what motivated this individual," Obama added. The fate of Obamacare now lies in the hands of Republican lawmakers who have made it a priority to dismantle the healthcare law. If it's repealed, millions of people who were covered under the Affordable Care Act for the first time ever could no longer have access to healthcare, but a new report shows the impact would go far beyond that. Getting rid of two of the laws most essential provisions could cause the loss of 334,000 jobs in California alone, according to a report published Thursday by the Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University and the Commonwealth Fund. President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, though its unclear at this point what that would entail. Republicans met Wednesday to discuss it, while President Barack Obama told his fellow Democrats not to aid them in its repeal or replacement in any way. The report focused on the impact of the potential repeal of the expansion of Medicaid and the tax credit system by which low-income individuals are able to afford insurance. Researchers found that a repeal of both would cause people to lose their healthcare, thereby forcing medical professionals to provide services for free and in turn lead to the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of people. The layoffs would be primarily in healthcare but could extend to other unrelated industries like finance and construction, the report said. Researchers predicted that such job loss would cause a reduction of $207 billion in gross state product from 2019 to 2023. GettyImages-462802374 Photo: Getty "California has had fairly robust efforts to get people into Medi-Cal as well as into the state health care exchange, and that's been beneficial to the state in terms of health insurance coverage and in terms of economic activity so far," said Leighton Ku, the report's lead author and director of GWU's Center for Health Policy and Research, according to Southern California Public Radio. Story continues Others, however, are skeptical of the prediction of such a large, direct economic impact. "To assume there will be a one to one reduction in health care expenditures relative to the reduction in federal subsidies is simply not realistic," Chris Thornberg, director of the Center for Economic Forecasting and Development at UC Riverside, told Southern California Public Radio. "The hundred dollar question is how much they will reduce their healthcare spending?" Related Articles This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.com. President Obama has invited more A-listers to his farewell party than president-elect Donald Trump has for his Jan. 20 inauguration. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a party for famous friends and major donors at the White House on Friday evening. Those in attendance included George and Amal Clooney, Robert De Niro, Nick Jonas, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Rowland as well as Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. Straight off the plane to the White House, Jonas, 24, shared on Instagram along with a photo of himself and former Kingdom costar Jonathan Tucker. Getting to take my Dad to the White HousePriceless. Soooo excited! Cheers! *drops mic*, Sparks, 27, posted on social media with a selfie with her father. In their last interview with PEOPLE in early December, the Obamas told a young fan that they had been planning a farewell fete, but that it would a grown-up affair. We are going to have a big party before we leave office, but Ill be honest with you its going to be after your bed time, the president said. The bash at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. will likely act as the kickoff of last events for the president, who will head to Chicago to deliver a farewell address on Jan. 10. Obama Going Away Party. I'm charged up. Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Story continues More @WhiteHouse arrivals: Jason Sudeikis, Robert De Niro, Ken Burns, al sharpton, Jordin Sparks pic.twitter.com/w5vPLMjFCh Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) January 7, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Earlier on Friday, Mrs. Obama delivered her final speech as first lady in the East Room, where she also hosted 50 school counselors and a slew of stars at the 2017 School Counselor of the Year event. dumpster fire It's a fitting end to one of the most chaotic years in recent memory. "Dumpster fire" has been declared 2016's Word of the Year. One word simply wasn't enough for the American Dialect Society, a group of linguists, lexicographers, and grammarians that voted on the award on Friday at its annual convention, held in Austin, Texas, this year. The society's flagship event, once called "the Super Bowl of linguistics," aims to crown the word or phrase that defined the year and saw widespread or innovative usage. Loosely defined as a poorly-handled or out-of-control situation, "dumpster fire" could apply to any number of consequential events that took place in 2016 from a bitterly contested election that upended US politics as we know it, and a cataclysmic Brexit vote that sent shockwaves through Europe, to a series of tragic shootings and terrorist attacks and a seemingly endless list of high-profile celebrity deaths. "As 2016 unfolded, many people latched on to dumpster fire as a colorful, evocative expression to verbalize their feelings that the year was shaping up to be a catastrophic one, Ben Zimmer, chairman of the society's new words committee, said in a statement. "In pessimistic times, dumpster fire served as a darkly humorous summation of how many viewed the years events." The metaphor first gained prominence among sports-radio hosts, Zimmer said, and eventually seeped its way into the mainstream by the time the presidential election was in full swing. The term was often depicted pictorially on Twitter with two emojis, a trashcan and a flame. "Dumpster fire" edged out "woke" an adjective suggesting a high level of social consciousness in a run-off vote for the title. Coming in third was another word employed by the political left: "Normalize," meaning "to render normal that which was previously deemed beyond acceptable bounds." And, yes, the linguists are aware that "dumpster fire" is in fact two words. But as Zimmer noted, anything considered a lexical item can win the title, meaning multi-word terms, hashtags and even emojis are all fair game. Story continues In the category of "Political Word of the Year," top honors went to "post-truth" defined as "belonging to a time in which facts matter less than beliefs or emotions." Other nominees in the category included "deplorables" (the infamous moniker Hillary Clinton gave to some Donald Trump supporters), "nasty woman" (what Trump called Clinton during the third presidential debate), "Pantsuit Nation" (the popular Facebook group and hashtag used by Clinton supporters), and "unpresidented" (the erroneous spelling of "unprecedented" Trump used in a post-election tweet). But politically-charged words creeped into other categories as well. "Gaslight," a verb meaning to manipulate someone psychologically by causing them to question their own sanity, won the superlative "Most Useful." The word spiked in usage during the presidential campaign to describe the actions of Republican lawmakers and Trump surrogates, who often contradicted Trump in TV interviews. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Meanwhile, "locker-room banter" took home the dubious honor of "Euphemism of the Year." The Trump campaign made use of the phrase to dismiss the nominee's lewd language following the leak of an Access Hollywood tape in October. Coming up short in that category was "alt-right," a catch-all descriptor for a faction of ultra-conservatives with white nationalist or anti-Semitic ideologies. In the category of "Digital Word of the Year" the symbol @ used as a verb, as in "Don't @ me" barely edged out "tweetstorm." The American Dialect Society has voted on the Word of the Year annually since 1990. Previous winners include "Y2K" in 1999, "metrosexual" in 2003, and "occupy" in 2011. Last year's winner was "they," which gained traction as a gender-neutral, singular pronoun in 2015. View all the nominees and winners below (winners in bold): WORD OF THE YEAR dumpster fire: a poorly-handled or out-of-control situation normalize: render normal that which was previously deemed beyond acceptable bounds post-truth: belonging to a time in which facts matter less than feelings or emotions woke: socially aware or enlightened #NoDAPL: protest against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline POLITICAL WORD OF THE YEAR deplorables (basket of): epithet used by Clinton in speech about Trump supporters nasty woman: epithet used by Trump addressing Clinton in final presidential debate Pantsuit Nation: popular Facebook group for Clinton supporters post-truth: belonging to a time in which facts matter less than beliefs and emotions unpresidented: erroneous version of unprecedented in a tweet by Trump DIGITAL WORD OF THE YEAR fam: ones crew, squad, circle of friends, etc. Harambe: gorilla killed at Cincinnati Zoo, launching numerous tributes and memes tweetstorm: series of connected tweets about a particular subject, often a passionate rant @: (verb) reply on Twitter using the @ symbol SLANG WORD OF THE YEAR fire: (adj.) cool, fun, stylish receipts: proof (as in "show me the receipts") slay: succeed, be excellent or amazing woke: socially aware or enlightened MOST USEFUL/LIKELY TO SUCCEED chip: (verb) insert a bank card into an electronic chip reader (as opposed to swipe) gaslight: psychologically manipulate a person into questioning their own sanity normalize: render normal that which was previously deemed beyond acceptable bounds turn up: get excited, have fun, enjoy oneself MOST CREATIVE -exit: combining form relating to departure, after Brexit (Calexit, Texit, Brangelexit) facticide: killing or distortion of facts gynotician: politician seen as interfering with womens healthcare laissez-fairydust: magical effect brought upon by laissez-faire economics EUPHEMISM OF THE YEAR alt-right: umbrella term for extremist racial ideologies including white nationalism and white supremacy fake news: misinformation, hoaxes, and propaganda, especially as spread on social media sites to boost web traffic locker-room banter: lewd, vulgar talk (used by Trump to downplay Access Hollywood tape) small/tiny hands: jab at hand size implying other anatomical deficiencies WTF WORD OF THE YEAR bigly: in a significant manner (from widespread mishearing of Trumps use of big-league) cuck, cuckservative: derisive term for mainstream Republicans by alt-right p---y: term for female genitalia used by Trump in Access Hollywood tape yuge: dialect pronunciation of huge used by Trump and Bernie Sanders HASHTAG OF THE YEAR #blackgirlmagic: celebration of black women and their achievements #NoDAPL: protest against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline #OscarsSoWhite: criticism of Academy Award nominees lack of diversity #p---ygrabsback: rallying cry responding to Trumps "p---y" remark EMOJI OF THE YEAR raising hands (celebration, praise) raised fist (fist pump, solidarity) upside-down face (silliness, sarcasm, irony) fire ("lit," exciting); dumpster fire NOW WATCH: 11 words you're mispronouncing all the time More From Business Insider In the week ended January 6, 2017, the number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States totaled 529, up by four compared with the prior week and up 13 compared with a total of 516 a year ago. Including 135 other rigs drilling for natural gas and one rig listed as "miscellaneous," there are a total of 665 working rigs in the country, up by seven week over week and up by one year over year. The data come from the latest Baker Hughes North American Rotary Rig Count released on Friday. Last week is the first week in more than a year when the year-over-year count was higher than it was a year ago. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil for February delivery traded up about 0.4% on Friday to settle at $53.99. Crude prices increased by about 0.5% week over week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported last Thursday that crude supplies had decreased by 7.4 million barrels in the week ended December 30, and that gasoline supplies had jumped by 8.3 million barrels. ALSO READ: 7 MLP Giants That Keep Raising Distributions, Even Through Recent Hard Times Over at S&P Global Platts, John Kingston has an interesting post about the changed relationship between WTI and gold prices. The historical ratio has been one ounce of gold to 15 barrels of oil. In 2016 the average ratio was 29.54 barrels of oil for one ounce of gold. Kingston notes: The 2016 average includes a period from the start of the year through early April when oil stayed steady around $35-$36 while gold surged from $1,080 per ounce to almost $1,220, boosting the ratio from 30.19 at the start of the year to 33.85. That included several days above 40, the first time in the history of our series weve seen that. Why is this worth noting? A barrel of oil stores about as much energy as 6,000 cubic feet of natural gas, and for a long time the price of a barrel of oil was about six times the price of a thousand cubic feet of natural gas. In 2007 the ratio changed to nine to one, and a barrel of oil now costs an average of 17 times the price of a thousand cubic feet of natural gas. Story continues ALSO READ: What Could Help Exxon and Chevron Repeat 2016 Gains in 2017 To return to a 15-to-one ratio, oil would have to rise to $77 a barrel to restore the historic relationship with gold priced at around $1,150 per ounce. The natural gas rig count increased by three to a total of 135. The count for natural gas rigs is down by 13 year over year. Natural gas for February delivery closed the week at $3.26 per million BTUs, down 48 cents on the near-month contract compared with the prior week. The drop is almost entirely due to a forecast for warming temperatures beginning in mid-January. Hedge funds under the Managed Money heading in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC's) weekly Commitments of Traders report added 5,684 short futures and options contracts for WTI crude oil last week and added 2,244 long contracts. The movement reflects changes as of the January 3 settlement date. Managed money now holds 360,817 long positions compared with 56,349 short positions. Open interest totaled 2,831,064. There were 46 hedge funds with large short positions last week, up one from the prior week. ALSO READ: Stifel Select List Energy MLPs to Buy for 2017 Among the producers themselves, short positions outnumber longs 652,009 to 394,147. The number of short positions rose by 37,560 contracts last week, and longs added 30,785 contracts. Positions among swaps dealers show 386,021 short contracts versus 116,793 long positions. Swaps dealers added 7,028 contracts to their short positions last week and added 3,078 contracts to their long positions. Last week, Merrill Lynch revealed its top five picks among large cap oil and gas stocks for the coming year. U.S. refineries ran at 92% of capacity, a week-over-week increase of about 132,000 barrels a day. Imports fell by about 984,000 barrels a day, to about 7.2 million barrels a day in the week. Among the states, Texas and New Mexico each added three rigs last week, and Louisiana added two. Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania added one rig each. Wyoming lost two rigs, and Alaska dropped one rig. ALSO READ: Can Investors Expect a Caterpillar 2016 Repeat in 2017? In the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, the rig count now stands at 267, up three compared with the previous week's count. The Eagle Ford Basin in south Texas has 47 rigs in operation, up one rig week over week, and the Williston Basin (Bakken) in North Dakota and Montana now has 33 working rigs, unchanged for the week. Enterprise Products Partners lists a December 31 posted price of $50.44 per barrel for WTI and $51.89 a barrel for Eagle Ford crude. The price for WTI and Eagle Ford crudes rose by $0.27 a barrel in the week. The pump price of regular gasoline rose nearly four cents a gallon week over week. Saturday morning's average price in the United States was $2.367 a gallon, compared with $2.330 a week ago. The year-ago price was $1.997 a gallon. Related Articles Hebron (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Around 1,500 mourners attended the funerals Saturday in the West Bank city of Hebron of two alleged Palestinian assailants killed by Israeli troops last year. Hatem Shaludi, 25, and 16-year-old Mohammed Rajabi were both shot dead in September during separate alleged stabbing attacks on Israeli soldiers in the occupied city. Israeli authorities returned their bodies for burial by their families on Friday. 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. Since the start of the violence, Israeli forces have confiscated the bodies of killed Palestinians, often for several months, as a means of deterrence and to prevent clashes during funerals. Israel is still withholding the remains of seven Palestinians, from east Jerusalem and the West Bank, including three from Hebron which is a frequent hotspot. Mourners at Saturday's funerals carried pictures of the deceased, Palestinian national flags and banners of various Palestinian groups, including the Islamist militant movement Hamas. It was not known, however, if either Shaludi or Rajabi were directly linked to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Israel said last week that it would not release the bodies of Hamas militants killed during attacks on Israelis but would instead bury them itself. The decision by the security cabinet followed the release by Hamas of video footage showing a mock birthday party for Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, believed by the army to have been killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The government did not elaborate on the burial plan, but said that the same meeting discussed ways of getting back the remains of Shaul and another soldier killed in the Gaza war and obtaining the release of two Israeli civilians missing in Gaza and believed to be held by Hamas. In September, a senior Israeli official said that Israel had been holding since the war 18 Palestinians from Gaza as well as the bodies of 19 others and had "offered to swap them for the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers". He said that Hamas turned down the offer. THE PERFORMER | Kaitlin Olson THE SHOW | The Mick THE EPISODE | Pilot (Jan. 1, 2017) THE PERFORMANCE | Mere hours into the new year, we already witnessed 2017s first breakout performance. As Mackenzie Murphy, the titular trainwreck who is suddenly put in charge of her rich sisters snobby kids in Foxs freshman comedy, Olson has the formidable task of acting crass, lazy and wholly irresponsible while also getting us to like her. Fortunately, we were hooked 30 seconds into Sundays series opener, when Mackenzie dumped baby powder down her pants in the middle of the grocery store. Throughout The Micks debut, Olson proved time and again that theres no comedy bit shell shy away from. Hurling herself over a balcony and into some shrubs? Check. Tumbling down a staircase and waking up in a wine-stained wedding dress? Check. Having her face covered in owl claw marks? Check, check and check. Olson is no stranger to eccentric characters, given her years of work on Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But in this starring role, she has new and delightful opportunities to showcase her comedic chops, and she is seizing each and every one of em. And its not just the physical comedy that she excels at; Olson also turned Mackenzies witty retorts into one masterful line reading after another. (Our personal favorite, after a security guard threatened her with a taser: Bitch, I hope you brought two, cause Mamas got a real high tolerance.) We dont expect The Mick to turn into Worlds Greatest Aunt anytime soon. But with Olson in the title role, well have plenty of fun watching her try. RELATEDThe Mick: Will You Keep an Eye on Kaitlin Olsons New Comedy? The OA HONORABLE MENTION | Say what you will about The OAs polarizing ending, but to that very end, co-creator Brit Marlings performance gave the Netflix series much of its emotional heft. As the final installment opened, Marling made you feel every bit of Prairies anguish both in the moment she was describing and as the storyteller when she got ripped away from the man she fell in love with over seven imprisoned years, at the instant they finally touched. When mom Nancy interrupted the yarns climax, you saw the defeat in Prairies eyes, having been caught telling something. Then, in the final sequence, Marling gave us an OA triumphant, proud to see her padawans save the day, as she herself made a great sacrifice. Story continues RELATEDDid The OA Bungle an Important Delivery? And More TV Qs Martin Freeman HONORABLE MENTION | As Sherlocks right-hand man John Watson, Martin Freeman often takes a soft-spoken backseat to Benedict Cumberbatchs flashier lead performance. But in this weeks premiere, The Six Thatchers, Freeman had some heavy emotional lifting to do when Johns wife Mary took a bullet for Sherlock. At first, John put on a heartbreakingly brave face, comforting Mary as she lay dying in his arms. But after she passed, John let out an agonizing wail and then savagely turned on Sherlock (You made a vow!), and the raw ferocity of Freemans performance made the scene even more tragic. Even though we want John to forgive Sherlock, we wouldnt mind seeing John stay mad a while just because Freeman is so damn good at playing it. RELATED Sherlock Season 4 Premiere Recap: Babies, Burnt Bodies, Big Twist sv HONORABLE MENTION | Sweet/Vicious Jules a college student by day, sexual assault avenger by night is clearly not to be messed with. But during Tuesdays episode, portrayer Eliza Bennett showed us a different side of the vigilantes strength. Shoving her rapist against a wall and covering his mouth with her hand, just as he did to her on that fateful night, an emotional Jules finally unleashed everything shed been holding in. What you took from me wasnt yours to take, she declared, her voice breaking. I dont think Ill ever feel safe again because of you. All I feel is just this emptiness. They were just words, but in that moment, Bennett was every bit as powerful and brave as when Jules is kicking butt. Which performance knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in Comments! Related stories Sherlock Recap: The Show's Nastiest Villain Yet... and a Sibling Stunner Quotes of the Week: Sleepy Hollow, Sherlock, The Bachelor and More Who Is Nashville Stalker? Should Mariah Have Just Walked Off? Bleeped Match Game Answer? And More Qs! (Reuters) - Czech Karolina Pliskova crushed Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-0 6-3 with a barrage of winners to win the Brisbane International title on Saturday and signal her intent for this month's Australian Open. Pliskova, who will rise to a career-high number five in the world rankings on Monday, dropped one set all week and continued her dominance in the final, hitting 30 winners compared to her opponent's 10. "It's nice to join the other names on this trophy," Pliskova said after winning the Evonne Goolagong Cawley trophy for her seventh WTA title. "Every day here it's been a full stadium and I've loved to play in front of you and I hope I'm going to be back next year." Cornet, who won her only previous meeting with the big-hitting Czech in 2013, had no answers and the first set lasted 18 minutes. Cornet got on the board in the first game of the second set and managed to stretch her opponent but did not have enough to withstand the Czech's booming serves and fierce groundstrokes. Pliskova, last year's U.S. Open runner-up, served seven aces, won 90 percent of her first service points and did not face a single break point opportunity. "I wish I'd done better tonight, but Karolina was way too good for me and I bet she's going to win a slam soon," Cornet said. "I had an amazing week here in Brisbane and enjoyed every moment. I'm proud I made it to the final, it wasn't easy but I did it. Of course, I couldn't make this last step but there's a lot of positives I can take out of it." (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai,; editing by Ed Osmond) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Sri Lanka police are bracing for a big protest Saturday by thousands of Buddhist monks and opposition supporters against a government decision to lease a major seaport to a Chinese-controlled venture. The government has signed a framework agreement for a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port with a company in which China will have 80-percent ownership. The protest against the deal is taking place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visits the area on Saturday to inaugurate an industrial zone surrounding the port. A court has issued a restraining order on the protest saying it could lead to unrest. China invested over $1.2 billion in the port in what some analysts call its "string of pearls" strategy in countries surrounding its rival India. Although the project made losses since 2010, Sri Lanka's government, at first critical of the enterprise, approached China seeking help to make it viable. Lawmaker D.V. Chanaka, one of the protest organizers, said he fears the port area will become a "Chinese colony." He said more than 10,000 people including 3,000 monks are expected to turn out for the protest. Police commandos patrolled the streets of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of capital Colombo, set up roadblocks and stationed water cannons to prevent unrest. "We are against leasing the lands where people live and do their farming, while there are identified lands for an industrial zone," said Chanaka, the district lawmaker. "When you give away such a vast area of land you can't stop the area becoming a Chinese colony." After the lease expires, it can be negotiated for another 99 years, according to the framework agreement, whose terms are still being negotiated. The government also has proposed to lease another 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in Hambantota district and adjoining Moneragala district for an industrial zone. The Rev. Magama Mahanama, from an organization calling itself the Monks' Organization to Protect National Assets, said that the clergy following an ancient tradition would issue a decree to the government to stop the leasing. Historically, kings in predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka are said to have abided by decrees issued by Buddhist monks. Story continues "It's a way of conveying the message that the monks are not for it," Mahanama said. "Ninety-nine years means at least two generations. When they (the Chinese) take root here, what's the guarantee that we will have it back? There is a major threat of cultural erosion and demographic change." Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, speaking to reporters earlier this week, said the partnership arrangement was necessary to free the country from the debt incurred to build the port. He blamed the debt on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was friendly to Beijing. He said the industrial zone was necessary to make the port and the nearby Chinese-financed airport, also running at a heavy loss, viable. "The port can't be taken away," he said, adding that the former British colonial rulers did not take away the Trincomalee harbor, Sri Lanka's airport or the Colombo port. A proposal from Gov. Scott Walkers administration to reduce the amount of child support wealthy parents pay could affect less than one-tenth of one percent of the states parents paying child support. An estimated 123 child support orders, out of more than 315,000 statewide, are for parents who earn more than $300,000 as of December, according to an analysis from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau requested by Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee. The orders cover an estimated 259 children, according to the LFB. The Department of Children and Families has proposed a rule to reduce the amount of child support paid by parents who earn between $300,000 and $500,000. Under the proposal, parents would be required to pay a smaller percentage of their monthly income in child support than what current law prescribes. A judge would be responsible for determining what percentage of income would be paid in child support for parents who earn more than $500,000 annually under the proposal. Are the taxpayers really willing to sit down to pay for (the state) to come up with these ideas, of trying to give those who could afford to pay more the opportunity to pay less? Johnson said. As a taxpayer myself, if thats what youre investing your time on, then thats a waste especially when you have so many other families who are struggling to pay. It makes no sense. The committee convened by the DCF that produced a report that spurred the proposal also recommended changing the rules for low-income parents, including giving judges the ability to assign child support levels for parents who are unemployed based on the employment opportunities in the parents community. According to the LFB analysis, courts have discretion to deviate from the laws guidelines and there are exceptions to the guidelines, so the actual number of cases where the payers annual income exceeds $300,000 may differ from the estimate by an unknown amount. According to the DCF, the number of child support orders enforced by a child support agency as of Dec. 31 the most recent data available is 315,689. But that number could be larger because not all orders are enforced by a child support agency. The changes, currently under review by the DCF and Walker, are similar to a proposal made by a Republican lawmaker three years ago that was withdrawn amid significant pushback. A spokesman for Walker did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Child support varies The percentage of a parents monthly income that is paid in child support varies according to how much money a parent makes annually. For one child, for example, current law allows courts to require 17 percent of income of $84,000 or less to be paid in child support. The percentage increases with more children, maxing out at 34 percent for five or more children. On the high end, if the parents income exceeds $150,000 annually, 10 percent of the remaining income amount is to be paid in child support for one child and 20 percent for five or more children. The proposed change would introduce a sliding scale to reduce the percentage of income between $300,000 and $500,000 that would be paid, ranging from 10 percent to 5 percent, respectively, for one child. For five or more children, the scale ranges from 20 percent to 10 percent. The DCF also proposes requiring parents to supply courts with detailed lists of potential costs related to their children that go beyond basic care known as variable costs at the time child support is ordered, and prohibiting those costs from being included in the child support order. DCF spokesman Joe Scialfa said in December that the DCF convened the committee because child support is something that affects hundreds of thousands of families in Wisconsin and the Department felt it deserved a thorough review by affected parties and policy makers and would benefit from broad public input. The committee, called the Child Support Guidelines Advisory Committee, urged the state last year not to reduce the amount of money wealthy Wisconsin parents pay in child support, however. Its report noted there is considerable pressure in the Legislature from high- income payer advocates to amend Wisconsins high-income formula in order to bring the states formula in line with other states, and that judges already have the discretion to place a portion of child support in a trust for college expenses. (Reuters) - Police in Alaska said on Saturday they had returned a handgun to the Florida airport shooting suspect which was temporarily taken from him when he underwent a mental evaluation late last year. Anchorage Police Chief Christopher Tolley said it was not immediately clear if it was the same gun used in Friday's deadly rampage in Fort Lauderdale. Officials told a news conference the gun was returned to the suspect, Esteban Santiago, 26, because the Iraq war veteran had not committed a crime. Santiago was sent for a mental evaluation after telling Federal Bureau of Investigation agents he heard voices and thought he was being controlled by a U.S. intelligence agency. (Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Chris Reese) Hours after the tragic attack on Friday in the Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport that killed five and injured at least eight people, President Barack Obama told George Stephanopoulos these kinds of tragedies have happened too often during the eight years that Ive been president. Speaking to Stephanopoulos, 55, for ABCs This Week, Obama said he would not comment on the incident until I have all the information but he did want to express how heartbroken we are for the families who have been affected. Pres. Obama on airport shooting: "I dont want to comment on it other than just to say how heartbroken we are for the families." #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/rVjQIvHRrh This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js The pain, the grief, the shock that they must be going through is enormous, he told Stephanopoulos. Obama, 55, added that his staff has reached out to the mayor of Fort Lauderdale to make sure that coordination between state and local officials is what it should be. I think well find out over the next 24 hours exactly how this happened and what motivated this individual, Obama continued. Gunshots broke out on Friday at the Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport. The Broward County Sheriff confirmed via Twitter that multiple people have been killed and the suspect is in custody. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that 13 people were transported to local hospitals. The suspected shooter used a gun he retrieved from baggage he checked on a Delta flight to the airport, a federal law enforcement official tells PEOPLE. A federal law enforcement official tells PEOPLE the suspect is Esteban Santiago, 26. He is of Puerto Rican descent. He arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Friday, on a Delta red-eye flight originating from Anchorage via Minneapolis, with checked baggage containing a firearm. Story continues He picked up the checked firearm at baggage claim, before allegedly going to the bathroom, gathering his weapon and changing into a Star Wars shirt. He then exited the bathroom and allegedly began firing at those around the baggage carousel. Santiago had a military ID on him when he was taken into police custody. The shooter was discharged from the Army last year on a general discharge, the official says. Santiago was apprehended by a Broward County sheriffs deputy and taken into custody, Sheriff Scott Israel said at a Friday press conference. Israel added that the gunman, who wasnt hit by gunfire, is being interviewed by FBI agents and Broward County sheriffs deputies. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken their first romantic getaway together. The royal, 32, and the Suits actress, 35, recently traveled to Troms, Norway where they enjoyed whale-watching, sunsets in the snow and watched the Aurora Borealis, according to The Sun. The couple, who departed from England on Monday after spending the New Year together, may have even bundled up in their matching beanies and worn their matching bracelets! Harry wanted to make this first holiday something will never forget. It wasnt an obvious choice like a glitzy beach resort or tropical island, a source told the publication. Hed put a lot of thought into it and wanted to make it as romantic and special as possible. Adding, Harry wanted to get away from everyone and be totally on their own just them. The Northern Lights are at their best at this time of year and currently have been the most amazing for ages. They really have had an unforgettable time. Though they picked out a 6-foot fir Christmas tree together in early December, Harry and Meghan did not spend the holidays with each other as they both spent time with their families instead. Markle She celebrated Christmas in her own home base of Toronto, Canada, with her family, and the next day she was spotted heading to a yoga class with her mother, Doria Ragland. Meanwhile, Prince Harry was with a cold-ridden Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the royal family (sans Prince William, Princess Kate and their children) in Sandringham. After months of keeping their romance a secret, the pairs relationship was confirmed in late October. They first met in May when he stopped over in Toronto where Markle films her hit USA show before his Orlando Invictus Games. Then on Dec. 14, the two were snapped together for the first time, walking along Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of Central London, after seeing the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on the West End, PEOPLE confirmed. Photo: Getty Images Prince William and Princess Kates holiday card has finally arrived! The annual Christmas / thank you note marks the Christmas and the New Year for the royal family. The card was revealed this week when one lucky recipient shared her card on social media. With two young kids, its no surprise that this years card is all about William and Kates little ones, Prince George and Princess Charlotte! Held in their parents hands, 3-year-old George and 19-month-old Charlotte are transfixed by a clown-like performer in the picture as he makes the pair their own balloon animals. Its a shot from the couples fall visit to Canada the first overseas tour the Royal Fab Four took together. Their Canadian vacation wasnt the only highlight for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their kids. The family enjoyed a surprise snowy vacation in the Alps, Princess Charlotte turned one, and George had a big day out. Oh, and there was also that time George greeted President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama while wearing a monogrammed robe and slippers. The Cambridges didnt attend the royal familys annual Christmas visit to Sandringham in 2016, instead opting to spend the holiday with Kates parents in Bucklebury, England. NASA release image of Earth and our moon as seen from Mars. NASA have just gifted Earths citizens with a very rare image of the Earth and our moon as seen from Mars. As you gaze up at the night sky and look at our moon and Mars, you may have wondered what we look like from the Red Planet, and now NASA are showing us how we looked from Mars on November 20, 2016, which means that everyone who is reading this right now will have been captured in NASAs photo and will be in the picture. NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter released images on Friday from its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment which shows how the Earth and our moon looked when we were 127 million miles away from Mars. GeekWire report that the photograph NASA has released has been constructed out of the best shots of our moon and the Earth, based on four sets of images. Well, hello there! Earth and the Moon viewed from Mars, November 2016 https://t.co/GAM6RP0xZf pic.twitter.com/gRUJtNj1Lj HiRISE (NASA) (@HiRISE) January 6, 2017 Alfred McEwen, who is a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, explained that this image that was captured of the Earth and our moon from Mars isnt what we would look like precisely if we were standing on Mars and looking back at ourselves through a telescope. McEwen said that each photograph was processed separately before the images were combined so that the moon would be bright enough. Click here to continue and read more... Rare Image Released By NASA Shows Earth And Moon From Mars, And Youre In it is an article from: The Inquisitr News Reuters PRETORIA (Reuters) -The Ethiopian government and regional forces from Tigray agreed on Wednesday to cease hostilities, a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough two years into a war that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands facing famine. Just over a week after formal peace talks mediated by the African Union (AU) began in the South African capital Pretoria, delegates from both sides signed an agreement on a "permanent cessation of hostilities". "The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament," said Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the AU mediation team, at a ceremony. With the fallout from this week's sharp move toward partisanship hanging over the Legislature, state senators engaged in some candid discussion Friday before ultimately approving legislative committee assignments on a lopsided 39-3 vote. Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, who lost his leadership position as chairman of the Legislative Council's executive board during the first day of the 2017 session, opened the discussion with his assessment that an organized effort to place virtually all committee chairmanships in the hands of Republicans had fundamentally changed the character of Nebraska's nonpartisan Legislature. "The first day was the blackest day" that he has experienced in the Legislature, the second-term senator said. "This is now a partisan legislature," he declared. In an organized march, senators chose Republicans to fill virtually every leadership position on Wednesday, naming a single freshman Democrat, Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, to a committee chairmanship. Krist, a Republican, was ousted in the process after a simmering dispute with fellow Republicans over earlier contentious decisions made before the Legislature convened. Several senators embraced the label of partisan legislature during Friday's floor discussion. "It is a nonpartisan election (for state senator), but this is a partisan body," Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson declared. "We are partisan," Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango said. "It's always been there under the surface." "Finally, this body represents the mindset of the state as whole," Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte said, pointing to Nebraska's voter support for President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans. "This chamber should follow," he said, "and it did with committee chairmanships." Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus, a Republican who was not associated with the organized effort to elect Republicans to virtually all positions of leadership, said "we're about to move this Mickey Mouse aside" and move on to the task of governing. "You're about to have a great, great experience," he told newly elected senators. Some senators who are Republicans wanted to change the committee assignments that had been agreed to by the Legislature's Committee on Committees after a couple of tense and sometimes boisterous meetings. "We intentionally have set up some committees to fail," Friesen protested, and Hughes agreed. The committee assignments, which factor into account member preferences and legislative seniority, have produced mixed results. The Appropriations Committee appears to be generally moderate in nature; the Revenue Committee appears likely to be amenable to proposed tax cuts. The Judiciary Committee seems likely to be largely moderate-progressive-liberal; membership on the Education Committee, which Groene will lead, was a contentious issue in the Committee on Committees. Recognizing that the current system may not be perfect, Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln said, the Legislature should consider creation of a set of guidelines to help reach the fairest assignment of committee seats. After the floor discussion that bordered on group therapy, Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer of Norfolk and Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, chairman of the Revenue Committee, urged senators to accept the results. In the end, only Sens. Steve Erdman of Bayard, Bill Kintner of Papillion and John Lowe of Kearney voted against the committee assignments. Erdman and Lowe are newly elected senators. NEW YORK (AP) President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that "only 'stupid' people or fools" would dismiss closer ties with Russia, and he seemed unswayed after his classified briefing on an intelligence report that accused Moscow of meddling on his behalf in the election that catapulted him to power. "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump said in a series of tweets. He added, "We have enough problems without yet another one," and said Russians would respect "us far more" under his administration than they do with Barack Obama in the White House. Trump repeatedly has questioned the assessment by American intelligence agencies that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 election, and a classified report presented to him Friday seemed to have little changed his thinking. The report explicitly tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to election meddling and said that Moscow had a "clear preference" for Republican Trump in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. But Trump tweeted that with the many global issues confronting the United States, it doesn't need testy ties with Russia on the list. "Only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad" to have a good relationship, he said, and suggested his approach might allow the adversaries to work together to solve "some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" Even as intelligences officials looked back in their reports on the election, they also made a troublesome prediction: Russia isn't done intruding in U.S. politics and policymaking. Immediately after the Nov. 8 election, Russia began a "spear-phishing" campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy, the report said. Story continues The report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to hack the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, among them Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. The unclassified version said Russian government provided emails to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks even though the website's founder, Julian Assange, has denied that it got the emails it released from the Russian government. The report noted that the emails could have been passed through middlemen. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid "trolls" to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. Moreover, intelligence officials believe that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its activities in the election to put its thumbprint on future elections in the United States and allied nations. The public report was minus classified details that intelligence officials shared with President Barack Obama on Thursday. In a brief interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Trump said he "learned a lot" from his discussions with intelligence officials, but he declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had intruded in the election on his behalf. After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election" and that there "was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines." Intelligence officials have never made that claim. And the report stated that the Department of Homeland Security did not think that the systems that were targeted or compromised by Russian actors were "involved in vote tallying." The report released publicly lacked details about how the U.S. learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the U.S. monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret. Revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it "does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign." It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. Before the intelligence agencies completed their assessment, Obama announced sanctions against Russia. Trump has not said whether he will undo them once he takes office, but lawmakers are calling for more punitive measures against Russia and have little to no appetite to roll back any current sanctions. Trump said he would appoint a team within three months of taking office to develop a plan to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks." On Saturday, he said he wanted retired Sen. Dan Coats to be national intelligence director, describing the former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee as the right person to lead the new administration's "ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm." Coats, in a statement released by Trump's transition team, said: "There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen." ___ Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann, Eileen Sullivan, Julie Pace, Eric Tucker, Chad Day and Jack Gillum contributed to this report. Jared Kushner Mike Coppola Getty President-elect Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, may be headed for a job in the White House. Kushner is in the process of filing financial disclosure documents in preparation for taking a formal role as an adviser to the president, sources close to the process told The New York Times on Saturday. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is the CEO of his family's real-estate business. He also owns the New York Observer, along with other media properties. He has hired WilmerHale, a Washington-based law firm, to help him navigate and comply with federal ethics laws, The New York Times reported. Kushner leased a 7,000 square foot home in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, just blocks away from the Obama family's new home, in preparation for his move. At the same time, Kushner is working to close a deal with a major Chinese financial company, Anbang, to redevelop a property that Kushner's company owns in Manhattan, according to the Times. Anbang, which owns the Waldorf Astoria hotel and controls an estimated $285 billion in assets, is owned by a tangled web of shell companies and reportedly has ties to the Chinese government. In order to avoid conflicts, Kushner will likely step down from the CEO position at his family's company, and divest "substantial assets," Jamie S. Gorelick, a partner at WilmerHale, told the Times. "Mr. Kushner is committed to complying with federal ethics laws, and we have been consulting with the Office of Government Ethics regarding the steps he would take," Gorelick said. jared kushner donald trump ivanka Incoming Cabinet members must disclose their finances to the nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics to avoid conflicts-of-interest before their Senate confirmation hearings. Members of Trump's proposed Cabinet composed of many centimillionaires and billionaires hold complicated assets, like buildings and equity stakes in companies, which makes the OGE's job especially difficult. Story continues The OGE's director, Walter Shaub, said he was "concerned" that his office would not have enough time to complete the ethics reviews before Senate Republicans begin confirmation hearings next week, according to Politico. Shaub said that his office would have to "rush through" the reviews, adding that he was unaware of any instance of confirmation hearings occurring before an ethics review was completed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democrat from New York, said in a statement on Saturday that Trump's transition team is colluding with Senate Republicans to "jam through" cabinet nominees without them being "thoroughly vetted." The Senate will hold six confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet on Wednesday. NOW WATCH: Donald Trumps connection with Vince McMahon and WWE spans decades More From Business Insider Real estate scion and alleged murderer Robert Durst kills witnesses, a Los Angeles prosecutor said Friday. When pushed into a corner, he murders people, deputy district attorney John Lewin told a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Durst, 73, is charged in the December 2000 shooting death of his close friend Susan Berman. Prosecutors believe Durst killed her because she knew too much about the 1982 disappearance of Dursts first wife, Kathleen, whose body has never been found. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder. At the hearing, Lewin asked Judge Mark Windham to allow the early testimony of two witnesses ahead of trial and to keep the identity of one of them under wraps until 10 court days prior to the hearing because of Dursts alleged history of attempting to violently target witnesses. Lewin previously said Dursts immense wealth could be used to intimidate, buy off, or have witnesses killed. Dursts attorneys argued that the eccentric millionaire, who has been wheeled into court by a bailiff at each hearing, is too frail to harm anyone. 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. Windham ruled that prosecutors could interview the witnesses on February 14, finding that one of them could be in danger. Dursts defense team had argued to postpone the testimony until a later date because they didnt have enough time to prepare to cross-examine the witnesses. Were in a very complicated case with experienced lawyers who are not going to sit by and say its OK to steamroll Mr. Durst, said Durst attorney David Chesnoff. Durst, who has said he is in declining health since a bout with esophageal cancer in 2007, was arrested in New Orleans the day before the finale of the HBO docuseries, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which chronicled his life and alleged crimes. Story continues Defendant is a menace to society, Lewin wrote in court papers earlier this week. He has demonstrated a willingness to use deadly force to escape justice killing two people and arming himself with deadly weapons to kill anyone who stood in his way of escape. Prosecutors allege that Berman told Durst that she planned to speak with Los Angeles and New York detectives after they contacted her about the reinvestigation into Kathleens disappearance. Shortly thereafter, Susan was executed in her home, shot one time in the back of the head, according to documents. In the court filings, Lewin also argued that Durst was not only responsible for the deaths of Berman and Kathleen but the killing of Morris Black, his elderly Galveston, Texas neighbor. In 2001, Durst admitted he killed Black, but he claimed self-defense. He was later acquitted for the decapitation killing. After Bermans murder, prosecutors allege, that Durst hid in Galveston and kept his identity a secret but eventually told Black who he was. The People will demonstrate that this Galveston killing was committed because the victim knew Defendants true identity, and Defendant feared being discovered by authorities who were re-investigating his wifes disappearance, according to the court documents. President Obama has invited more A-listers to his farewell party than president-elect Donald Trump has for his Jan. 20 inauguration. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a party for famous friends and major donors at the White House on Friday evening. Those in attendance included George and Amal Clooney, Robert De Niro, Nick Jonas, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Rowland as well as Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. Straight off the plane to the White House... A photo posted by Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) on Jan 6, 2017 at 6:17pm PST Getting to take my Dad to the White House...Priceless. Soooo excited! Cheers! *drops mic* A photo posted by Jordin Sparks (@jordinsparks) on Jan 6, 2017 at 5:50pm PST Stumbling out of the White House at 4am after a night of celebrating 8 incredible years. A photo posted by Olivia Wilde (@oliviawilde) on Jan 7, 2017 at 2:10am PST The one party we'll wait in line to get into... @johnlegend @chrissyteigen @jerryseinfeld @jessseinfeld @mimisam28 #whitehouse A photo posted by djcassidy (@djcassidy) on Jan 7, 2017 at 2:20am PST This is about to be an AMAZING night.... A photo posted by Will Packer (@willpowerpacker) on Jan 6, 2017 at 6:20pm PST Obama Going Away Party. I'm charged up. Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Story continues More @WhiteHouse arrivals: Jason Sudeikis, Robert De Niro, Ken Burns, al sharpton, Jordin Sparks pic.twitter.com/w5vPLMjFCh Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) January 7, 2017 Straight off the plane to the White House, Jonas, 24, shared on Instagram along with a photo of himself and former Kingdom costar Jonathan Tucker. Getting to take my Dad to the White HousePriceless. Soooo excited! Cheers! *drops mic*, Sparks, 27, posted on social media with a selfie with her father. In their last interview with PEOPLE in early December, the Obamas told a young fan that they had been planning a farewell fete, but that it would a grown-up affair. We are going to have a big party before we leave office, but Ill be honest with you its going to be after your bed time, the president said. The bash at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. will likely act as the kickoff of last events for the president, who will head to Chicago to deliver a farewell address on Jan. 10. Earlier on Friday, Mrs. Obama delivered her final speech as first lady in the East Room, where she also hosted 50 school counselors and a slew of stars at the 2017 School Counselor of the Year event. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party Thursday for catering mostly to the rich and elite sectors of society, which he believed led to their electoral downfall, according to an NPR interview. Sanders, who unsuccessfully ran against Clinton for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination last year, said that the Democrats failed to communicate to voters in rural parts of the country and that the party had neglected its progressive roots to pursue a more privileged agenda. Clinton, who outspent Republican opponent Donald Trump by nearly $500, came up short in electoral college votes, paving the way for a Trump presidency. "Look, you can't simply go around to wealthy people's homes raising money and expect to win elections. You've got to go out and mix it up and be with ordinary people," Sanders said. "The Democratic Party swallowed the bait. They became hooked on big money," he added. Clinton raised a total of $1.4 billion compared to Trump's $932 million. Trump's campaign also saw more small donations, classified as amounts $200 or less, which made up of over a fourth of his contributions. Small donations made up only 16 percent of Clinton's campaign. While competing for the Democratic nomination, Sanders' average donation amount was $27, something he said demonstrated his connection to lower and middle-class voters after receiving $209 million in total campaign contributions. Sanders ran as a Democrat, but holds office as an independent who identifies with Democratic Socialist politics. In Friday's interview, he said Trump won because his message appealed to "millions of people who have given up on the political process," especially blue-collar workers in crucial swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. He urged the Democratic Party to "start listening" to these disenfranchised populations and criticized Trump's current initiatives to scale back federal assistance programs. Story continues Clinton, who has spoken infrequently to the public about her loss, told an audience at a December dinner that her loss was due to "unprecedented factors" including an FBI investigation concerning her use of private e-mail servers and hacks that led to the release of private e-mails within the Democratic Party. Clinton blamed the Russian government for perpetrating the leaks, which she said was executed because Russian President Vladimir Putin had "a personal beef" with her. T he CIA, FBI and President Barack Obama have since condemned what they believe to be Moscow's interference in the election, while Trump and Putin have dismissed these claims. Related Articles GaneshaSpeaks Ganesha feels that the time is opportune for the Mannargudi heavyweight to rise high and achieve an important position in the party. Sasikala Natarajan the much famous companion and soul-sister of Jayalalithaa has seen a fair share of fame and media glare over the years. Things have taken a drastic turn in the southern-most state of India and now, power and fame seem ready to be knocking at Sasikalas door. The AIADMK party leaders have been urging her to take over as the CM, while on the other hand, theres a lot of anger amongst some sections against her. In this article, Ganesha feels though her planets indicate strong potential to rise high, the transiting planets will not let her path be an easy one. Some tricky situations and ugly controversies are likely to make things messy for her. Lets explore what the cosmos has in store for her. The planets indicate that Sasikala can be a very good strategist, and can experiment with unusual systems of administration. The Sun-Mercury-Saturn Connect: Ganesha notes that Sasikala is born with the Sun in Capricorn and it is in conjunction with Mercury. This placement indicates good potential for success to some extent in politics. Mercury, which in her Chart is in retrograde motion, is being aspected by Natal Saturn from the Sign of Scorpio, which indicates that she is highly intelligent and will have some interesting ideas up her sleeve. Moreover, this also presents a picture of a person who is a deep thinker and the one who can be quite practical in her decisions. Benefic planets in good association: Bright fortune The Moon and Jupiter are conjunct in the Sign of Leo and this blesses her with fame, high position and social status. Apart from this, Jupiter is aspecting natal Venus. All the the three planets happen to be top-level benefics and the favourable disposition of these planets explains her proximity to such an influential leader as Jayalalithaa and the attention, popularity and support of the masses that she enjoys. The Strong Scorpio Influence: The Enigmatic and Shrewd Strategist? In the Chart of Sasikala, Mars, Saturn and Rahu are in conjunction in the Sign of Scorpio. The union of all the top-rank malefics, that too in the mysterious Scorpio presents a hazy picture about the soul-sister of Jaya Amma. Saturn-Rahu together indicates vulnerability to legal issues and the very same combination may create a lot of hurdles and challenges. The combination will create a lot of fluctuations and extreme situations in her life. Because of the same pairing, she may sometimes be accused of being a little superficial or her actions may be considered suspicious. Also, the presence of Mars therein denotes disputes and differences with highly placed figures. But, on the positive side, as the trio happen to be placed in Scorpio, she would be a person who can devise wise strategies to deal with complex situations and she would be quite a bold individual, who doesnt mind exploring unchartered territories and trying unconventional ideas. She will also be good at gathering support of people and turning the backing of others into her political strength. But, her strategies may backfire on certain occasions, thus she will have to be extremely careful. The Ambitious Sasi: It can be said that she is a highly ambitious person, who doesnt mind aiming big, as the Signs which are considered highly ambitious Capricorn, Scorpio and Leo are all occupied by key planets. This configuration makes the person crave for attention, fame and power. The current scenario: The favourable aspects: The transiting Jupiter is currently aspecting the Sun and Mercury which will give a boost to her political career. The transiting Saturn is moving over the natal Saturn which indicates a very crucial and decisive time period for her personal life and political career as well. The period between mid January 2017 and April 2017 will be very important for her and she is likely to gain more control over the Party and political affairs. The said period seems opportune for her to get the most powerful position in the Party. She may emerge as one of the strongest leaders in Tamil Nadu politics. The restrictive influences: However, the transiting Rahu is moving over the natal Moon and Jupiter. So, some of her decisions and initiatives may prove to be fatal. The transiting Ketu is moving over the natal Venus. So, there will be conflicts within the Party and someone may try to tarnish her image. It also indicates some legal issues which may impede her progress. The conclusion: Ganesha feels that the favourable influences being rendered by the benefics will not be enough to save Sasikala from controveries and troubles. She will have to make her moves carefully, to avoid stepping on landmines. With Ganeshas Grace, Tanmay K. Thakar (Special Inputs: Aaditya Sain) The GaneshaSpeaks.com Team NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 16, 2019 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple, Inc. ("Apple" or the "Company") (AAPL) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, for the Northern District of California, and indexed under 19-cv-02615, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Apple securities between November 2, 2018 and January 2, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), and SEC Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. If you are a shareholder who purchased Apple securities during the class period, you have until June 17, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Apple is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. The Company's most well-known products include its iconic iPhone smartphones, the iPad tablet computer, the Mac personal computer, the iPod portable media player, the Apple Watch smartwatch, the Apple TV digital media player, and the HomePod smart speaker. The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the U.S.-China trade war had negatively impacted demand for iPhones and Apple's pricing power in greater China, one of Apple's most important growth markets; (ii) the rate at which Apple customers were replacing their batteries in older iPhones rather than purchasing new iPhones was negatively impacting Apple's iPhone sales growth; (iii) as a result of slowing demand, Apple had slashed production orders from suppliers for the new 2018 iPhone models and cut prices to reduce inventory; (iv) unit sales for iPhone and other hardware was relevant to investors and the Company's financial performance, and the decision to withhold such unit sales was designed to and would mask declines in unit sales of the Company's flagship product; (v) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants lacked a reasonable basis in fact when issuing the Company's revenue outlook for 1Q19 and/or making the related statements concerning demand for its products, as Apple's business metrics and financial prospects were not as strong as Defendants had led the market to believe; and (vi) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Story continues On January 2, 2019, after the close of trading, Apple shocked the market when it disclosed the true state of its actual 1Q19 iPhone sales, particularly in China. For the first time during Cook's tenure as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), Apple would miss its public revenue projections and the miss was up to $9 billion. The Company would admit that in addition to macroeconomics in the Chinese market, the price cuts to battery replacements a year earlier to fix the Company's prior surreptitious conduct had hurt iPhone sales. This news caused the market price of Apple common stock to plunge, closing down more than $15 per share, or more than 9%, from its close of $157.92 per share on January 2, 2019 to close at $142.19 per share on January 3, 2019, on unusually high volume of more than 90 million shares traded. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/548801/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-Pomerantz-Law-Firm-Reminds-Shareholders-with-Losses-on-their-Investment-in-Apple-Inc-of-Class-Action-Lawsuit-and-Upcoming-Deadline--AAPL NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 6, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. ("New Oriental" or the "Company") (EDU) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of New Jersey, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired New Oriental American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between September 27, 2016 and December 1, 2016, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants' violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you are a shareholder who purchased New Oriental ADRs during the Class Period, you have until February 13, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] New Oriental is a Cayman Islands corporation headquartered in Beijing, People's Republic of China ("PRC"). New Oriental provides private educational services under the New Oriental brand in the PRC. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) New Oriental engaged in college application fraud; and (2) as a result, defendants' statements about New Oriental's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Story continues On December 2, 2016, Reuters published a report detailing allegations of academic fraud at the company. Specifically, Reuters reported that eight former and current New Oriental employees informed Reuters that New Oriental "engaged in college application fraud, including writing application essays and teacher recommendations, and falsifying high school transcripts." On that same day, Reuters reported that the American International Recruitment Council, which certifies agencies that recruit foreign students on behalf of U.S. colleges, will investigate the company in response to the Reuters report. On this news, shares of the Company fell $6.99 per share or over 14% from its previous closing price to close at $42.00 per share on December 2, 2016, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP In the wake of the shooting that left five people dead and at least six others injured in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, more information is coming out about the shooters alleged criminal history. The shooter, identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, was being prosecuted for allegedly strangling and hitting his girlfriend last year, according to court documents filed in Anchorage, Alaska, where he lived. In January 2016, Santiago allegedly had an argument with his girlfriend and was yelling at her while she was in the bathroom on the toilet, according to a police report filed with the court documents. According to the police report filed with the court documents, Santiago allegedly forced his way into the bathroom and yelled, Get the fk out bitch while strangling and smacking her in the side of the head. Santiago was arrested and released soon after, under the condition that he could not have any contact with his girlfriend. His charges included two misdemeanors: one assault charge and another for criminal mischief for damaging property, according to case records. But a February 2016 document revealed that Santiago had broken the terms of his release and he admitted that he had visited the victims home, according to court documents. However, the assault portion of the case was resolved in March 2016 when Santiago entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. According to The Daily Beast, this means prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges in exchange for Santiagos completion of requirements, the details of which are unknown. The other criminal mischief charge for damaging the victims door is still pending. Santiago was scheduled to appear in court for that charge in March of this year. PEOPLE reached out to Santiagos lawyers but they were not immediately available for comment. In a press conference on Saturday, authorities in Anchorage confirmed Santiagos previous contact with the police, including his current investigation for criminal mischief. Story continues Telemundo and NorthJersey.com spoke with Santiagos aunt, Maria Luisa Ruiz, who said that the shooter had changed after he served a tour in Iraq with the National Guard. (According to various reports, Santiago had claimed that he had been hearing voices.) Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. He had a baby, Ruiz told Telemundo, noting that Santiago lived in Alaska. He had a baby over there who is about 3 months old. Baby was born in September. And in both interviews, Ruiz said her nephew had been hospitalized, but could not confirm any details about the reasons for his treatment. She also told Telemundo that after he left Iraq, he wasnt right. Like a month ago, it was like he lost his mind, Ruiz told NewJersey.com. He said he saw things. In a press conference on Saturday, FBI Special Agent in Charge George Piro told reporters that Santiago had visited a local FBI office to speak with agents. However, after the agents noticed his erratic behavior, they notified authorities and he was allegedly taken to a hospital for observation, according to Piro. A mutiny by soldiers in the Ivory Coast reportedly spread to the commercial capital, Abidjan, on Saturday, January 7, a day after it began in the countrys second largest city, Bouake. According to news media and eyewitness reports, shooting was heard from the Akouedo military base in the east of the city. Gunshots are heard in this footage, shot in the central Adjame district. Soldiers are reportedly demanding wage increases and bonuses. Credit: Facebook/Ibrahim Khalil Camara via Storyful Cecchi Gori Pictures and Cecchi Gori USA have tapped Silence exec producer and former CEO Niels Juul as a consultant. The announcement was made in conjunction with Thursday nights premiere of Martin Scorseses historical drama Silence at the Directors Guild of America Theatre. Newly named CEO Andrew De Camara made the announcement, which formalizes Juuls role at the Italy-based company along with reviving the Cecchi Gori brand. Juul had stepped down as CEO at Cecchi Gori at the end of 2012 but company owner Vittorio Cecchi Gori asked him to stay on the executive producer to finish the work on Silence. He also closed a deal with Michael Mann setting up the Enzo Ferrari biopic as well as settling a Cecchi Gori lawsuit in early 2014 against Scorsese, claiming the director had breached an agreement to direct Silence as his next movie by first directing The Wolf of Wall Street. Cecchi Gori was among Italys top production and distribution companies until the mid 1990s. It went through bankruptcy proceedings in Italy, which included the auctioning off of the companys library which included Oscar-winning pics Life is Beautiful, Il Postino and Vittorio Gassmans Il Sorpasso. If its going to be a movie company, it needs to make movies, Juul told Variety at the premiere. Juul began working with Scorsese on Silence in 2008. Scorsese had launched development in 1990. Martin gave me a bear hug in his living room, he recalled. My whole thing was to make sure he got it done. I believe in the greatest director of all time. Related stories Martin Scorsese at 'Silence' Premiere: 'Prepare to Go Into Another World' 'Silence' Producer on the Challenges and Triumphs of Making Martin Scorsese's Film: 'It's Marty Baring His Soul' Faith, Hope, & Clarity: Hollywood Again Shows Respect in Films for Spiritual Ideas (Reuters) - Katerina Siniakova overcame a slow start to win her maiden WTA Tour title with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Alison Riske in the Shenzhen Open final on Saturday. The Czech world number 52 had beaten top-10 players Simona Halep and Johanna Konta on her way to the final and fulfilled her promise as a junior with a first senior title after losing her two previous WTA finals in Bastad and Tokyo last year. The 20-year-old Siniakova suffered an early break but fought back against her American opponent by reeling off four straight games to take control of the opener before she broke twice in the second set on the way to a 78-minute triumph. "It's been a really great week for me and I'm so glad that I won this time because this match was really tough. I didn't play my best but I'm really happy that I did it," Siniakova said at the presentation. "It's a great start to the year for me. I hope my performance continues to go up and get better." The 39th-ranked Riske lost her fourth final, including a third defeat in a title decider in China, as her wait for a first trophy since 2014 continues. "She was the better player today and for sure deserved to win the title," Riske said. "I'm very pleased with my week, even if I did lose today. It's a step in the right direction and I look forward to my next tournament and the rest of the year." (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O'Brien) From Sudan to the Maldives to the Philippines, divers in search of inspiration can load up on ideas for their next underwater adventures, such as exploring shipwrecks all around the world. Here's a look at some of the historical relics divers can discover. Scapa Flow - Scotland The Orkney Islands are an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, where 74 ships from the German Navy's fleet were detained at the end of the First World War as they waited to learn what fate Allied forces decided for their future. However, the fleet's Rear Admiral decided to scuttle the ships to prevent them falling into the hands of the British Navy in 1919. The body of water known as Scapa Flow is one of the world's largest shipwreck graveyards. USAT Liberty - Bali, Indonesia Bali is one of the world's best-known diving destinations with welcoming waters for underwater explorers and a wealth of diving schools offering PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification courses. It's also a great place for less experienced divers to try shipwreck exploration, as the seabed off the north-east of the island is the final resting place of USAT Liberty. Located just 25 meters from the shore, this US Army cargo ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during the Second World War. It was intentionally beached at Tulamben after sustaining damage, but lava flow from the Mount Agung volcano pushed the wreck back into the sea in 1963. SS Thistlegorm - Egypt The wreck of this British Merchant Navy ship, carrying military equipment to troops during the Second World War, is a must-dive in the Suez Canal. Situated 30 meters underwater, the 126-meter long cargo ship remains almost entirely intact. It sunk after being bombed by the German air force in 1941, with the explosion of munitions in its holds ultimately sealing its fate. Divers exploring the wreck will see cargo such as a locomotive, an anti-aircraft gun, trucks, motorcycles and more. At least two dives are required to fully explore the wreckage. Story continues Hawaii - Pearl Harbor shipwrecks The consequences of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, an important US naval base during the Second World War, have created a hotspot for divers looking to explore history first hand. The wrecks from this major event in world history aren't easily accessible. However, the site is home to other war relics, such as the YO-257, a US Navy Yard Oiler that was scuttled off Hawaii to create an artificial reef. Chuuk Lagoon - Micronesia In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Micronesia is home to a huge underwater graveyard of Japanese shipwrecks from the country's large WW2 naval base in the region. The US Army attacked the fleet in 1944. Today, divers can explore several Japanese shipwrecks around the islands of Dublon, Eten, Fefan and Uman. Highlights include the Fujikawa Maru, which is covered in coral, and the Shinkoku Maru, where a sick bay and operating table are visible. Divers can also spot a submarine which, rather than being bombed, sunk when the crew forgot to close the hatches. Umbria - Sudan At Port Sudan in the Red Sea, the Umbria is considered one of the most stunning shipwrecks for divers, made famous by filmmaker Hans Haas and French naval officer and explorer Jacques Cousteau. The 153-meter long Italian vessel remains intact and can even be explored inside. Divers will easily identify the propeller of the ship, which was scuttled by its crew after being detained by British officers in 1940. The Umbria was, in fact, secretly carrying a shipment of bombs. Veteran TV executive Courtney Conte has joined Slingshot Global Media as president. The independent production company, which has the backing of private investment firm TPG Growth, has been without a topper since CEO David Ellender, who had launched it, exited in March of 2016. Shortly after its launch in February 2014, Slingshot tapped veteran development executive Quan Phung as head of scripted television. The company put together several high-profile projects, including action series Rain starring Keanu Reeves, a virtual reality drama produced by Reeves and Roland Emmerich, a Route 66 series remake and a Cleopatra series. Neither had been set up at a network or greenlighted for production. Slingshot also set up a non-exclusive venture with EuropaCorp aimed at co-developing and co-financing two globally appealing projects a year. Conte recently served as Chief Operating Officer for BBC Worldwide Prods. In the 1990s, he rose up the ranks at Carsey-Werner Co. to become co-president and head of production at the powerhouse independent production company. Conte later become part of the launch team of the Oxygen cable network (which was co-founded by Carsey-Werner) as SVP of production. Contes 30-year industry experience also included a stint as executive in charge of production at the Fox Broadcasting Company. Related stories Slingshot Global Media CEO David Ellender Exits 'Cleopatra' Series In The Works At Slingshot Global Media 'Route 66' Series Remake In The Works At Slingshot Global Media ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- The horrific beating of a mentally disabled white man in Chicago by four black assailants broadcast on social media is highlighting anti-white hate crimes at a time of increased racial strife in the United States. But federal statistics and experts say anti-white incidents remain a smaller percentage of overall hate crimes. Anti-black hate crimes are still the largest number of cases. According to the 2015 FBI hate crime statistics, the latest available, there were 613 anti-white-related crimes out of 5,850 total cases. That's around 10.5 percent of all reported hate crimes, and within the yearly average, federal numbers show. By comparison, the FBI reports there were 1,745 anti-black hate crimes or about 30 percent of all reported incidents. Jews were the most targeted religious group that year and were victims of 11 percent of all hate crimes. It's not clear how many anti-Jewish hate crime victims also may have been attacked because of their race. That data also suggested that blacks and Jews remain disproportionally targets of hate crimes compared to their population as opposed to whites. African-Americans are only 13 percent of the U.S. population, while non-Hispanic whites are 61 percent. The FBI defines a hate crime as a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity." Filing reports for the federal count is voluntary, but guidelines call for reports to be submitted even if they list zero hate crimes. Even then, experts say the FBI data on hate crimes isn't a full picture since anti-black cases are skewed lower by the lack of reporting participation by some southern law enforcement agencies. Some large Florida cities, like Miami, reported no hate crimes to the FBI in 2015, said Brian Levin, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University. "I doubt that cities as diverse as those had no hate crimes," he said. Story continues In Chicago, two men and two women all black are facing hate crime charges in connection with the brutal beating of a mentally disabled white man that was streamed on Facebook Live. The video shows the victim is tied up and the suspects are making racial slurs and references to his mental capacity, Chicago Police Commander Kevin Duffin said. The suspects are accused of forcing the victim to drink toilet water and kiss the floor, stuffing a sock into his mouth, taping his mouth shut and binding his hands with a belt. The 18-year-old victim, who is from a Chicago suburb, suffers from schizophrenia and attention-deficit disorder, authorities said. The victim also was taunted with profanities against white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Eighteen-year-olds Brittany Covington, Tesfaye Cooper and Jordan Hill, and 24-year-old Tanishia Covington also face kidnapping and battery charges in connection with the attack. The case heightened political tensions on social media and opened yet-to-be healed wounds from a nasty presidential election campaign. Some conservatives suggested the attack highlighted growing anti-white violence and was linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, although police said there was no indication of any connection. The FBI does classify attacks based on disability as a hate crime. Federal numbers show 88 incidents related to attacks on disability in 2015. In addition to underreporting, Levin said strong federal data of the race and ethnicity of assailants is incomplete because of the lack of consistent reporting. The 2015 FBI data showed that of the 734 total reported offenses committed against whites a single incident could have multiple offenses like assault or theft 46 percent of those were committed by blacks. In contrast, of the 2,125 reported offenses committed against blacks, 58 percent of those who committed by whites. Still, despite the data, Levin said the Chicago beating is resonating because it was shown via social media and racial relations are tense following the November election. Live streams and 140 Twitter characters inflame the fires. Levin described the situation as "a logjam of motivations" for conflict, saying it's like nothing he's ever seen. "We are seeing the coarseness that exists in society generally, those embers, have crossed the fire lines to all parts of the racial, ethnic and ideological spectrum," Levin said. ___ Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/russell-contreras . (FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.) Many of the five people killed in the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting were on vacation, headed for cruises that promised sun, sand and fun. Three were collecting their luggage when a gunman opened fired in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at the airport a hub for cruisers headed to Port Everglades. An official list of victims had not been released by Saturday afternoon. But family and friends of some of the victims confirmed the identities and shared their stories. ___ Members of Olga Wolterings church in suburban Atlanta circulated news of her death. Shed been an active part of the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Cobb County since 1978. Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met, a church statement said. This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved. Funeral arrangements are not yet scheduled, said Cat Doyle, a church spokeswoman. Parishioners said she was in her 80s, but no exact age was given. Woltering and her husband flew to Fort Lauderdale for a cruise, parishioners said. Friends said she was originally from England. Ralph Woltering had served in the U.S. Air Force, parishioner Alvin Connolly said. From what I understand, their sons are in Florida with her husband right now, Connolly said. Hes 90 or more himself, so its kind of a fragile situation for him as well. The couple lived in a retirement community and were socially active. She and her husband were kind of the life of the party, Connolly said. Theyd go to a dance, and theyd be the last ones on the floor. You look at them and say Man I hope I can do everything they do when Im that age,' Connolly said. Woltering was active in the ladies auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charity affiliated with her church, said Roger Heil, the grand knight of the local Knights of Columbus group. Her husband was involved in the Knights of Columbus, he said. Story continues Heil informed other members of the group that Woltering had died. He said he learned of her death from a past grand knight of the local group. ___ Michael Oehme was a frequent traveler who loved to cruise with his wife, and the couple was about to head out to sea again, his sister told The Associated Press on Saturday. They were supposed to leave today, Elizabeth Oehme-Miller, 52, said by phone from Council Bluffs, also the couples hometown. They were happy to be going on another trip. Oehme, 57, was a land surveyor and owned his own business, Boundaryline Surveys, his sister said. His wife, Kari Oehme, is hospitalized with injuries from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and is expected to recover, with a family member flying to Fort Lauderdale to help her return home, her sister-in-law said. Kari Oehme is a clerical worker at a local office, Oehme-Miller said. She said she learned that the couple was at the airport during the shooting through a text message from her daughter. I still cant believe its true, Oehme-Miller said. It hasnt hit yet. Im kind of in shock right now. The couple was supposed to be cruising to the Caribbean a day after their arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport, a hub for vacationers headed to ships at Port Everglades. ___ Jeff Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia, and David Pitt from Des Moines, Iowa. A mutiny by soldiers in the Ivory Coast reportedly spread to the commercial capital, Abidjan, on Saturday, January 7, a day after it began in the countrys second largest city, Bouake. According to news media and eyewitness reports, shooting was heard from the Akouedo military base in the east of the city. One resident filmed this footage of people fleeing as soldiers walked down a street in the central Adjame district, firing warning shots. Soldiers are reportedly demanding wage increases and bonuses. Credit: Jose Alexis Ayite via Storyful (Repeats to additional subscribers) * ANC women's league backs Dlamini-Zuma as party leader * Party to pick successor to President Zuma in December * Dlamini-Zuma is Zuma's ex-wife, African Union chair * Vice President Ramaphosa expected to be main rival By Joe Brock JOHANNESBURG, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The chances of South African President Jacob Zuma's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, becoming the next leader of the African National Congress were given a boost on Saturday with the endorsement of the ruling party's women's division. The ANC will pick a new leader at a conference in December and, given its national dominance since coming to power at the end of apartheid in 1994, the winner is likely to go on to be South Africa's next president when elections are held in 2019. Dlamini-Zuma, the chairwoman of the African Union, is viewed as a frontrunner. She is a Zulu, the largest tribe in South Africa, and is expected to have the backing of her former husband, who will have a major say in who succeeds him. The Women's League's endorsement is the first for a specific candidate by a national section of the ANC and will intensify the debate over who will take the party forward after it suffered its worst local election results last year. Dlamini-Zuma was regarded as a capable technocrat during her time as South Africa's minister of home affairs between 2009 and 2012 and has since gained international exposure during her time as the first female head of the AU. However, critics of Dlamini-Zuma, a medical doctor trained in South Africa and Britain, say she should have done more to intervene when former president Thabo Mbeki denied that HIV causes AIDs and imposed anti-scientific policies. Mbeki's stance has been blamed by health activists for more than 300,000 preventable deaths. Dlamini-Zuma was foreign minister in Mbeki's cabinet and one of his closest allies. Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa, a unionist-turned-business tycoon, is viewed as her most likely rival after powerful trade unions endorsed him last year. Story continues Neither Dlamini-Zuma, 67, or Ramaphosa, 64, have declared their intention to run. Ramaphosa, who was once touted as a successor to Nelson Mandela, would be the first choice for many investors because his background in commerce suggests he will support more pro-business policies than many in the traditionally left-wing ANC. However, he will face criticism from opponents for his role at platinum producer Lonmin where he was a director and shareholder when violence led to police shooting dead 34 striking miners in 2012. An investigation has cleared him of wrongdoing. The Women's League has a block of votes at the party conference and are a critical lobbying group for the ANC, particularly in galvanising support among female voters. "After careful consideration and opening our eyes as wide as possible, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is the only suitable candidate," the Women's League said in a statement. "Her legacy and influence is known and well documented throughout the history pages of the republic and beyond." Many South Africans believe it is time the ANC had a female leader, a rarity on a continent with strong patriarchal heritage. Zuma has previously said that South Africa is ready for a female president. (Editing by Alison Williams and Susan Thomas) By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Jurors could begin deliberating on Tuesday whether white supremacist Dylann Roof should be sentenced to death or life in prison for killing nine black people at a historic church in Charleston, South Carolina, a federal judge said on Friday. The same jury that found Roof, 22, guilty last month of 33 federal charges including hate crimes heard a third day of raw testimony from the survivors of victims in the June 2015 massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. "My heart is broken," said Malcolm Graham, brother of librarian Cynthia Hurd, who was among those killed after welcoming Roof to the evening Bible study meeting where he opened fire. "Cynthia was easygoing, my motivator, my example." Family and friends attending the penalty phase of Roof's trial sobbed at the memories of victims including Ethel Lance, a matriarch whose family was left in "tattered pieces" by her death, daughter Sharon Risher said. Susie Jackson, 87, the oldest victim, "had an unconditional love for everyone" despite living through decades of racial discrimination, grandson Walter "Bernie" Jackson Jr. testified. Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Joseph Hamski provided more insight into Roof's motivation to kill, outlining references he made to racist and white supremacist groups in writings jail officers found in his cell in August 2015. Roof's comments appeared to be a continuation of the racist manifesto police found in his car when he was arrested the day after the shooting. "I was unable to finish before because I was in a hurry to get to Charleston," Roof wrote from his cell, before stating his belief that Jews, Hispanics and Muslims posed a threat to white people. "I did what I thought would make the biggest wave," Roof wrote, noting he had no remorse. "And now the fate of our race sits in the hands of my brothers who continue to live freely." A few months before the shooting, Roof also posted his views on the white supremacist website Stormfront, Hamski said. "I consider myself well-versed in racism," Roof wrote on the site, according to evidence displayed on a courtroom screen. Some people he corresponded with there said they wanted to meet him, but the agent did not say if any meetings took place. Roof is representing himself during the sentencing phase and does not plan to present any evidence in his defense. Testimony is expected to conclude on Monday. (Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Tom Brown) By B. Channa Kumara HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lankan police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators protesting against a planned investment zone supported by China. Hospital authorities said at least 21 people were injured in the protests. According to police, 52 demonstrators were arrested. Protesters say that the government of President Maithripala Sirisena is trying to evict thousands of families to provide 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of land in the projected industrial zone for Chinese investors. The zone is in the southern district of Hambantota, where China has already built a $1.5 billion port and airport, part of President Sirisena's ambitious $50 billion development project to revive the economy. The government has denied the protesters' claim and says opposition is driven by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's political ambitions. Rajapaksa, who is trying to make a political comeback, has publicly criticized the plan, saying it will deprive people of agricultural land. At Saturday's opening of the investment zone, Chinese ambassador Yi Xianlang struck an upbeat note. "This is the moment for China to help other countries who need investments," the Chinese envoy to Sri Lanka told the launching ceremony. "No force can stop the cooperation from China to Sri Lanka." He also said the investment zone would be the most important economic project of this government and "if everything goes well", China would invest $5 billion during the next three to five years and create 100,000 jobs. Sirisena's government is already in the final phase of discussion with China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd to develop the China-built port, granting them 80 percent stake on a 99-year lease for $1.12 billion. China's interest in the port may reflect its ambition to build a "Maritime Silk Route" to the oil-rich Middle East and onwards to Europe. That makes some countries, including India and the United States, nervous with Sri Lanka's proximity to shipping lanes through which much of the world's trade passes en route to China and Japan. The port was built with Chinese loans and contractors in 2010 under Rajapaksa, as part of efforts to develop the country's infrastructure after ending a 26-year war in 2009. (Writing by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Shihar Aneez and Stephen Powell) Stephanie Beatriz and Courtney Kocak are having way too much fun in Paris, and we wanna be a part of their squad Friends are so, so important. We love nothing more than a stunning BFF duo. It just gives us the warm and fuzzies! So we have to admit that were obsessed with Stephanie Beatriz and Courtney Kocak, the ridiculously talented duo whose Instagrams were basically always searching for style inspo and some laughs. The BFFS are the co-founders of Reality Bytes, a podcast, and were SO about it. So when we saw Stephanie Beatriz and Courtney Kocak were traveling around Paris and taking life-giving selfies, we had to get to liking! Stephanie Beatriz and Courtney Kocak are way too precious. Talk about #SquadGoals! A photo posted by coco (@courtneykocak) on Nov 9, 2016 at 4:25pm PST So when we saw they were heading to Paris, we were like, weve gotta see this. We knew the adventures were gonna be beyond envy-worthy. A photo posted by Stephanie Beatriz (@iamstephbeatz) on Jan 2, 2017 at 6:17am PST Ever single Paris shot is making us wanna hop on the next plane over. A video posted by coco (@courtneykocak) on Dec 29, 2016 at 4:21am PST ITS SO GLORIOUS! Oh, the lights. Time to call our besties and plan a trip ASAP. A photo posted by coco (@courtneykocak) on Jan 1, 2017 at 5:28pm PST Like this super cute selfie by the love wall. A photo posted by coco (@courtneykocak) on Jan 3, 2017 at 6:18am PST They were way too us with these shots proving that, as they wrote, you CAN be besties and still have very, very different health goals. Some of us wanna juice, and some of us want candy! A photo posted by Reality Bytes (@realitybytespod) on Jan 1, 2017 at 5:39pm PST And obviously posing like famous classic statues is a must. When in Paris, right?! A photo posted by Stephanie Beatriz (@iamstephbeatz) on Jan 3, 2017 at 3:43pm PST We hope these two had the most amazing adventure! Thanks for all the travel and bestie inspo. One of the buzziest titles to debut at this months Sundance Film Festival is already off the market. Call Me By Your Name, a gay love story in the tradition of Brokeback Mountain, has sold to Sony Pictures Classics, Variety has learned. The deal for worldwide rights, estimated to be north of $6 million, was struck after several buyers expressed serious interest. The movie will debut in the upcoming Park City festivals Premieres section on Jan. 22. Call Me By Your Name, adapted from the 2007 novel by Andre Aciman, follows an affair after a chance meeting in 1980s Italy between a 17-year-old boy (Timothee Chalamet from Homeland) and a twentysomething man (Armie Hammer). Its not clear what the movie will be rated, but the book involves a sexually explicit act with a peach and other charged moments. The film was made by acclaimed Italian director Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash) and produced by Emilie Georges, Guadagnino, James Ivory, Marco Morabito, Howard Rosenman, Peter Spears and Rodrigo Teixeira. Executive producers include Naima Abed, Tom Dolby, Sophie Mas, Francesco Melzi, Lourenco SantAnna, Derek Simonds and Margarethe Baillou. The early sale for Call Me By Your Name coincides with a trend happening at film festivals, where hot properties are scooped up early, as distributors are eager to avoid all-night bidding wars with deep-pocketed players like Netflix. Last years Sundance featured two such big auctions for The Birth of a Nation (which sold for a record-breaking $17.5 million to Fox Searchlight) and Manchester by the Sea ($10 million to Amazon Studios). The rest of the titles in 2016 either arrived with distribution in tow or found homes in a slow trickle of deals. WME and UTA Independent Film Group handed the sale. Related stories Swedish-Sami Director Amanda Kernell on 'Sami Blood' and Past Racism Against Sami People in the North of Sweden Cinephil Boards Sundance-Premiering Doc 'Winnie' (EXCLUSIVE) Sundance Drama 'Rectify' Is Shining Emblem of TV's Era of Hope Sunset Tower is known for many things: an iconic history, an A-list-favored restaurant and, of course, the town's most famous maitre d', Dimitri Dimitrov. But it might be time to add another, if unlikely, item to that list books. Sunset Tower owner Jeff Klein has converted prime real estate in the hotel's entryway into a makeshift bookstore. Glass cases on both sides of the walkway at the entrance - in front of the valet and before the steps leading to guest check-in - now showcase a selection of books that changes monthly. The tomes are not typical fare either; many are first-edition, rare, sometimes signed or suddenly timely books that are available for purchase. But money was never the goal for Klein, who oversees the operation with hotel consultant Gabe Doppelt (she came up with the concept), in partnership with bookseller Nick Harvill. Klein tells The Hollywood Reporter that he turned down offers from luxury retailers that wanted to use the space to sell clothes and accessories. "I was nervous about that, because part of the secret sauce of the Sunset Tower, and maybe this is my fantasy, is that I hope people feel like they are walking into their second home and it wouldn't be great to have commerce in your face," Klein explains. "That's why this is so brilliant - it's cool for the soul of the property. And I don't need to make money [on it]." Surprisingly, books are flying off the shelves, and Klein expects awards season to continue the brisk business as famous out-of-towners set up shop there for weeks at a time. Asked to pick his favorite, Klein blushes. "I love them all so much," he smiles. "Our guests have such rich social lives when they stay here, and anybody can give a bottle of wine for a dinner party. These make great gifts." January's selections are separated into two categories: the Oscars and RIP 2016. Oscars picks include Mason Wiley's Inside Oscar ($75), Richard Sale's The Oscar ($175) and John Bryson's signed The Private World of Katharine Hepburn ($750). The in memoriam section features two books by Zsa Zsa Gabor including How to Catch a Man ($650), Debbie Reynolds' If I knew Then ($150), Carrie Fisher's Postcards from the Edge ($225), and Harry Benson's The President & Mrs. Reagan ($600). Story continues "Anything Hollywood sells like crazy, with fashion and humor a close second. I thought price would matter but it makes no difference apparently," Doppelt explains, adding that they sold a book, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, signed by Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine for $1,750. (Doppelt herself collects rare books, with her favorite being Andy Warhol's cookbook Wild Raspberries.) The bookshop at the entrance is a nice complement to the hotel's other literary feature in the lobby, just around the corner and directly across from check-in. Located there are several glass cases showing off books that guests can borrow during their stay. Klein called in favors to stock this case, relying on friends like Andy Cohen, David Spade and Maureen Dowd to donate signed copies of their books. Klein admits this curated space has been less popular but he still enjoys having the option for his guests. "It's ambitious," he notes. "In fairness to guests, most people are very busy while they are here and they don't have time to read. If they were on a lake somewhere, they might have time to borrow and return a book." That doesn't mean that the books have gone completely unnoticed. Nestled next to the hotel's "gift shop" case - featuring typical hotel toiletries, popular Sunset Tower-emblazoned pajamas and Donald Robertson-designed boxes filled with tampons and condoms - the books for borrow get attention, mostly for their signatures. Cohen wrote, "I want my next book to be entirely about Dimitri." No doubt that book is one that would make its way to the front case. A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. The suspect in Fridays shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had served in the military, and his brother told NBC News that he was was pro-America. A federal law enforcement source tells PEOPLE Esteban Santiago, 26, who allegedly killed five and injured eight at the Florida airports Terminal 2, had a military ID on him when he was taken into police custody. According to his brother, Bryan Santiago, the suspect was born in New Jersey, but moved to Puerto Rico at age two, reported the Associated Press. A spokesperson from the Alaska Army National Guard tells PEOPLE the suspect served in the National Guard in Puerto Rico for several years, and served overseas in Iraq from 2010 to 2011. JUST IN: Law enforcement sources identify suspect in Fort Lauderdale airport shooting as Esteban Santiago https://t.co/zdEuu5Q7he pic.twitter.com/0KF6kR0xKY CNN (@CNN) January 6, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js The spokesperson says he was in the Army Reserves prior to joining the Alaska Army National Guard in Nov. 2014, in which he served as a combat engineer. He received a general discharge from the Alaska Army National Guard in Aug. 2016 for unsatisfactory performance. For the last two years, the suspect has lived in Alaska, Bryan told NBC News, where he worked as a security guard. 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. His time in Alaska involved a lot if fighting, Bryan said, explaining that the suspect was often in conflict with his girlfriend. The woman called the suspects family in recent months to inform them that he was seeking psychological treatment. The suspect is also a father, Bryan said. He is a regular person, spiritual, a good person, he told NBC. Story continues The federal law enforcement official told PEOPLE that the suspect arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Friday, on a Delta red-eye flight originating from Anchorage via Minneapolis, with checked baggage containing a firearm. He allegedly picked up the checked firearm at baggage claim, before going to the bathroom, gathering his weapon and changing into a Star Wars shirt. He then exited the bathroom and allegedly began firing at those around the baggage carousel. He was apprehended by a Broward County sheriffs deputy and taken into custody without incident, Sheriff Scott Israel said at a Friday press conference. Israel added that the suspect, who wasnt hit by gunfire, is being interviewed by FBI agents and Broward County sheriffs deputies. Bryan confirmed to NBC News that his brother owned a handgun, and suggested that maybe the incident was caused by a flashback to his time in Iraq. He said that the suspect was not diagnosed with PTSD, however. T.I. penned an open letter to Barack Obama to thank the president for what he accomplished in his eight years in the Oval Office. "Not only did you impact a nation, but you defined a culture and you shook up and woke up a generation," T.I. wrote. The rapper's message to Obama, which he unveiled in the New York Times Friday, is the first in a series of open letters that T.I. has written, including forthcoming notes to the American people and President-elect Donald Trump. "For years you fought to keep this nation from the very thing we have now become. For years, many of US failed you because, as I've said before, we were not all ready for the change you wanted to bring about," the rapper wrote to Obama. "But rest assured that we heard you. Rest assured that we felt you and rest assured that your legacy will live on long after your presidency." With just two weeks remaining in Obama's presidency, T.I. reflected back to his teenage years when Tupac Shakur, his favorite rapper, said, "we weren't ready for a black president." "Until you brought US the audacity of hope and reminded US that yes we can," T.I. wrote to the president. T.I. added that he will "forever be grateful" to Obama and promised the president that even as he transitions out of office, "WE will continue to stand with you and alongside those who make a personal investment in US. We will continue to remain committed to causes that are bigger than ourselves. We will continue to remind ourselves that, Yes, We still can!" T.I.'s open letter series follows the surprise release of his politically minded LP Us or Else: Letter to the System. Speaking to the New York Times, the rapper explained his motivation for penning the open letters. "My first purpose is to communicate and share my thoughts and try to be a voice for the people who may be thinking of something to say but, for some reason, may not be able to say it or not have the platform to say it," he said. "Using my platform to be a voice for those who can't speak for themselves." Story continues As for his expectations concerning the Trump administration, T.I. said, "It's time for me to sit back and observe, see what it will be like. I already have my own opinions, information, what I think it will be like. But that isn't as important as the reality. I don't have to talk about or wonder what it will be like. I will have to live through it. I don't want to be presumptuous, I don't want to be premature in my criticism." Related Content: T.I. has entered a real realm of political and social awareness as of late, in and out of music, and his latest releases will be a series of open letters to President Obama, President-elect Donald J. Trump and all of America. The rapper and actor's step towards activism is due in large part to the continued killings of unarmed black men and women in America, as well as the country's divisive political climate, which explored in depth on his Us or Else EP and the Us or Else: Letter to the System album that followed. Now, he has shared his first in the series of letters, this one to Obama, telling the history-making outgoing president that his legacy will live on long after he leaves office. T.I. told the New York Times, which published his first letter with a recorded reading, that his intent with the letters is "to communicate and share my thoughts and try to be a voice for the people who may be thinking of something to say but, for some reason, may not be able to say it or not have the platform to say it. Using my platform to be a voice for those who can't speak for themselves." In the letter to Obama, T.I. reflects on Obama's presidency, saying he is "filled with gratitude, outrage, grief, anger, humility and appreciation, both for the things you helped bring to light and the many things we still have yet to realize." He credits the President for fighting to keep our country from "the very thing we have now become," while the U.S. continuously "failed" him because we were not ready for the change he wanted to bring. "But rest assured that we heard you. Rest assured that we felt you and rest assured that your legacy will live on long after your presidency," T.I. writes. "Not only did you impact a nation, but you defined a culture and you shook up and woke up a generation." And while much of the U.S. may act like "inequality, hatred and bigotry" are something new to America, he continues, many others know it is nothing new. He thanks Obama for helping us focus on these injustices. Story continues The artist also adds a note of humility, admitting to "engaging in the behaviors that further perpetuates the negative stigma in our communities" before again thanking Obama for "looking beyond our shortcomings." T.I. ends the letter, "We will forever be grateful to you and your family, the graceful intelligent compassionate first lady, Mrs. Obama, as well as your beautiful daughters Sasha and Malia for their collective sacrifices for US. WE will continue to stand with you and alongside those who make a personal investment in US. We will continue to remain committed to causes that are bigger than ourselves. We will continue to remind ourselves that, Yes, We still can!" Read the full letter here. Debuting on January 10, Taboo is a visceral, brutish and bloody tale of early-19th century intrigue that is very dark, very dense, truly novel and very much worth watching. Created by Tom Hardy, his father Edward and Steven Knight, the eight-part FX series starring the Mad Max: Fury Road actor takes you on a journey of curse men, hidden and maybe even forgotten history and a reveals a new way of seeing the Old World. deadline-review-badge-dominic-patten With the once rich, powerful and toxic British East India Company as his nemesis, Hardys once thought-dead and now-scarred James Keziah Delaney returns to London from abroad in 1814 to take over his deceased fathers shipping business. Part of the inheritance comes with family secrets, a half sister (Oona Chaplin) and a strategic piece of land called Nootka Sound that everyone wants and Delaney refuses to give up and, with an excellent Jonathan Pryce as East India Company director Sir Stuart Strange, thats just Taboos setup. Now some might see this latest collaboration between Hardy and Peaky Blinders creator and Locke director Knight as slow going. However, as I say in my video review above, I found it very true to its time with the pacing of what would be the 19th century novel equivalent of a thriller plus, from what I saw, the history and the plotting certainly come in heaving waves that require fast reactions and sure footing. Or, to put it another way, youre a long way here from Jane Austen, baby. Click on the video above to see more of my take on the Ridley Scott-EPd Taboo. Its forbidden fruit youll want to bite into. Related stories Channing Tatum & Tom Hardy Circling 'Triple Frontier' 'Archer' Moving To FXX For Season 8 As Network Ramps Up Animated Offerings Deadline's Top 10 New Shows Of 2016 - Part I HOUSTON (AP) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in Houston for a brief transit stop in the U.S. during her trip to Central America. Dozens of supporters stood outside in near freezing temperatures as Tsai arrived at a Houston hotel Saturday morning. She shook some hands and posed for selfie photos. She did not address media kept some distance away. An official with President-elect Donald Trump's transition team said earlier Saturday neither Trump nor transition officials would be meeting with her. Tsai is passing through Houston on a trip she says is intended to bolster Taiwan's international profile by reinforcing ties with diplomatic allies in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. China has been angered by her refusal to endorse Beijing's concept that Taiwan and the mainland are a single Chinese nation. Taipei (AFP) - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States Saturday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be scrutinised by China, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to bolster relations with Taiwan's Central American allies, Tsai's US stopovers will be closely watched amid speculation she may make contact with the president-elect and his team. She is to transit in Houston this weekend and return to Taipei via San Francisco next weekend. The call with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsai's trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. "What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet," political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. "These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US," added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. "A transit is a transit," the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trump's administration. - Seeking to meet Congress members - Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Taiwan's presidential office and the foreign ministry declined to provide details of Tsai's itinerary during her US stays. Deputy foreign minister Javier Hou told a legislative committee last month the ministry was seeking to arrange meetings with members of the US Congress from both parties as per past protocols, according to the Central News Agency. Story continues Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador -- among the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. It is also an opportunity to interact with leaders of other countries "to show the international community that Taiwan is a competent and responsible partner," Tsai told reporters Saturday before her departure. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwan's highest-profile supporter, but the Holy See's recently improving relations with Beijing are casting doubt over ties with the island. Analyst Liao said Beijing would continue to woo the island's allies as a pressure tactic on Tsai, who refuses to acknowledge the concept that there is only "one China". Taiwan's defence ministry has declined to comment on speculation that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait on its return journey after its first exercise in the Pacific. The ministry is "monitoring at all times" the position of the Liaoning, spokesman Chen Chung-chi said. The vessel and five other warships passed south of the island outside Taiwan's air defence identification zone last month, before heading to the South China Sea. After Esteban Santiago, the alleged shooter who killed five people at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Friday, was labeled white Hispanic, Twitter discussed the meaning of the term. With thousands of mentions, white Hispanic soon became the top-trending Twitter term of the day. The label white Hispanic describes a person who physically appears white, but is of Latin American or Hispanic birth or heritage, the Huffington Post wrote in 2013. So, a person can be white and Hispanic because white is a race and Hispanic is an ethnicity. The discussion over Santiagos race versus ethnicity is similar to the one that happened with George Zimmerman, the man who fatally shot Trayvon Martin Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. CNN came under fire after they labeled him a white Hispanic, with many claiming the term was about political bias. Media reports are saying this man is the Ft Lauderdale airport shooting suspect. Reports are saying he's a white hispanic ISIS supporter pic.twitter.com/ux7MrUH2L9 Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) January 6, 2017 Ruben Naravette, a columnist for CNN, fired back against the term. I dont like the sound of that, he wrote in 2012. Ive written about the thorny subjects of race and ethnicity for nearly a quarter century and I rarely hear this term. We might have been able to see this coming given that there is no Hispanic race and Hispanics come in all colors. Naravette added: Still, mark my words. Wherever this road leads, it's not good-- not for Hispanics nor the rest of the country. While people of Latino descent come in different colors, many of the netizens tweeting Friday claimed there was a political bias tacked onto Santiago-- just like there supposedly was with Zimmerman. Hispanics are minorities until they do something the Left hates, then they are white, one Twitter user wrote Friday. The post was liked more than 2,000 times and received nearly 1,000 retweets. Story continues The conversation about being white Hispanic was seemingly started by author Tariq Nasheed. There are reports that the identity of one of the Ft. Lauderdale shooting suspects is a white Hispanic named Esteban Santiago, he wrote earlier in the day. White Hispanic is a correct term because the US Census clearly states that Hispanic is NOT a race. So is reading considered race baiting? pic.twitter.com/v9Mg2dgNEN Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) January 6, 2017 Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella Related Articles Months after it laid off 340 employees, controversy-ridden Theranos announced Friday it will cut down its workforce by 41 percent, firing around 155 more employees. The blood-testing company now has 220 workers. The Palo-Alto, California, company called the layoffs re-engineering, and said: These are always the most difficult decisions; however, this move allows Theranos to marshal its resources most efficiently and effectively. Elizabeth Holmes one-drop blood test company was once worth $9 billion but an investigation launched into the companys technology by the Wall Street Journal in 2015 revealed numerous shortcomings, causing regulators to announce sanctions against Theranos. theranos elizabeth holmes Photo: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri Test results using the company's Edison machine were found to be inaccurate by regulators from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, forcing Theranos to shut down its California lab facility after the companys license to operate it was revoked in July last year. Holmes has been banned from operating any of her labs for two years, a move that was appealed by the company. The Theranos has labs in Newark, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona, along with five blood-drawing sites from where samples are sent to the Arizona lab. As the controversy around the legitimacy of the companys technology gained steam, Theranos lost its partnership with Walgreens drugstores, which closed all of its collaborative blood-collection locations in June 2016. Under the companys new strategy, Theranos is concentrating on its flagship innovation, the miniLab, which is a new blood-testing device about the size of a printer that was announced in August 2016. It is yet to gain approval from federal regulators. We will return our undivided attention to our miniLab platform. Our ultimate goal is to commercialize miniaturized, automated laboratories capable of small-volume sample testing, with an emphasis on vulnerable patient populations, including oncology, pediatrics, and intensive care, Holmes said in a blog post on the companys website in October. Story continues Looking forward, Theranos said in the latest statement: The restructuring follows a period of significant change at the company that has included the building out of its executive team with substantial additional regulatory, compliance and operational expertise. Related Articles Thick fog covers Dubai skyline Thick fog rolls into Dubai in the early hours of the day. (Photo: Rustam Azmi/Caters News) You will be hard-pressed to find a cityscape as spectacular as Dubai, United Arab Emirates, under a blanket of thick fog. Local entrepreneur Rustam Azmi, 31, shot photos of the city's marina and downtown in extreme fog conditions earlier this month. For the marina shots, Azmi took to the roof of the 73-story Cayan Tower. A few weeks later, he set up at the Executive and Index towers for photos of downtown. (Caters News) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr. Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey on Saturday ordered the dismissal of almost 8,400 civil servants and the closure of over 80 associations, including sports clubs, in the latest round of purges after the July failed coup. More than 100,000 people have already been suspended or sacked in a crackdown on those alleged to have links to coup-plotters in a relentless purge that shows no sign of slowing. According to three new decrees published within the state of emergency imposed after the coup, 8,390 more civil servants are to lose their jobs from 63 different state institutions. They include 2,687 police officers, 1,699 civil servants from the justice ministry, 838 health officials and hundreds of employees from other ministries. Another 631 academics and eight members of the Council of State were also dismissed. The dismissals are authorised by the cabinet and require no parliamentary approval under the state of emergency, which has twice been extended and is now due to last until April 19. But its scope has been vehemently criticised by the European Union and human rights activists. The three decrees published in the Official Gazette also ordered the closure of 83 associations accused of "activities affecting the security of the state". These include eight sports clubs, mainly from the Kurdish-dominated southeast of the country. - 'Strip citizenship' - A decree also stipulates that Turkish citizens abroad who do not respond to a summons to testify as part the coup investigation may lose their citizenship. Meanwhile, police have also authorised to access the identity of internet subscribers to investigate crimes committed online. Critics have claimed that the crackdown goes well beyond the suspected coup plotters and targets anyone who has dared show opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara blames the coup plot on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen and says an unrelenting campaign is needed to root out his influence from public life. Gulen denies the allegations. Story continues The failed putsch that left 248 people dead, not including the plotters, and thousands more wounded. Turkey insists that all those investigated will have a fair hearing and, under the latest decrees 276 people, previously dismissed were allowed to return to work following a probe. The state of emergency has also seen closure orders for dozens of media organs. The latest decrees said 11 of them -- mainly from the southeast -- could now reopen. More than 41,000 people have also been arrested over suspected links to Gulen within the state of emergency, with the first trials only now getting underway in the biggest legal process in the country's history. A court in the eastern city of Erzurum on January 5 sentenced two army officers to life in jail over their roles in the failed coup, the first verdicts to be handed out. Turkey also argues the exceptional security measures are necessary in the face of rising threats from the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The country has been hit by two attacks this week, one claimed by the Islamic State group against a high-end Turkish nightclub, and the other which authorities blamed on the PKK in the western city of Izmir. PARIS (Reuters) - Several thousand people demonstrated in Paris on Saturday to demand justice and a speedier investigation into the 2013 murder of three Kurdish activists. Sakine Cansiz, a founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the early 1980s, and two other Kurdish women were found dead in the Kurdish Information Center in Paris in January 2013, all shot at close range. Some 5,500 people, according to police estimates, marched through central Paris demanding French authorities find out who was behind the killing of the three women. "We will continue our protest until justice is done," Kurdish activist Nursel Kilic told Reuters television. The trial of the main suspect, 34-year old Turkish national Omer Guney, was due to open on Jan. 23. But Guney - who maintained he was innocent - died of a brain tumor last month. He had been placed under formal investigation within about a week of the triple murder. Judicial sources have said he is thought to have acted under instructions from people in Turkey. Turkey has denied any involvement in the murders, suggesting instead they were related to internal disputes in the PKK, which has fought a bloody 30-year struggle for Kurdish autonomy from Turkey. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. (Reporting by Noemie Olive, Tatiana Chadenat and Marine Pennetier; Writing by Geert De Clercq; editing by Susan Thomas) Tom Hardy responded to his rumored Stormtrooper role in Star Wars: Episode VIII during a recent interview for his FX event series, Taboo. Now, whether he offered any insight is another matter altogether. I dont know if I can even say that. Where did you hear that? he said when asked by The Hollywood Reporter. The interviewer said the Internet, to which Hardy replied, Ah, the Internet is a glorious web of deceit and misinformation, isnt it? When further pressed on whether the rumor was misinformation, he said, It could be, couldnt it? The casting rumor stems from a Star Wars website called MakingStarWars.net, which alleges Hardy will play an incognito Stormtrooper, much like Daniel Craigs cameo in J.J. Abrams film. Elsewhere in the interview, Hardy discussed losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Mark Rylance last year. It was a lot to take in and lots of nerves, and I was extremely grateful to have not had my name called out, he said of the ceremony. When Mark Rylance won , I was like, Yeah.' I didnt expect to win and was really grateful that I didnt because it would be really terrifying to have to speak, he added. Im not ready for that. I get very scared of being exposed. Youre not a character . And a lot of people have a sophisticated persona but I dont. I havent paid enough attention on that front. One Oscars moment Hardy is thankful for, however, is a photograph with his wife, actress Charlotte Riley. Im really happy that my wife and I have a photograph of us at the 88th , he said. Im in a tuxedo, and shes in this beautiful dress and she looks gorgeous, and its like, Whoa, thats actually a piece of history, and I would never have thought of that happening. Taboo premieres Jan. 10 at 10 p.m. ET on FX. See the latest trailer here. BEIJING (AP) Officials in Beijing are creating a new environmental police squad in the latest effort to fight China's persistent problems with heavy smog. According to state media, Beijing's acting mayor said Saturday that the new police force will focus on open-air barbecues, garbage incineration and the burning of wood and other biomass. Beijing and dozens of cities in China spend many winter days under a thick, gray haze, caused chiefly by thousands of coal-burning factories and a surplus of older, inefficient vehicles. Government-issued "red alerts" on the worst days come with emergency measures that can include shutting down highways, restricting vehicles, or ordering factories to curtail production. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A South Korean Buddhist monk is in critical condition after setting himself on fire to protest the country's settlement with Japan on compensation for wartime sex slaves, officials said Sunday. The 64-year-old monk suffered third-degree burns across his body and serious damage to vital organs. He's unconscious and unable to breathe on his own, said an official from the Seoul National University Hospital, who didn't want to be named citing office rules. The man set himself ablaze late Saturday during a large rally in Seoul calling for the ouster of impeached President Park Geun-hye, police said. BEIJING (AP) An official with President-elect Donald Trump's transition team said Saturday that neither Trump nor transition officials would be meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who stopped in the U.S. during her trip to the Americas. Still, Tsai's trip will be scrutinized by Beijing for any signs that Trump's team will risk its ire by further engaging with the self-ruled island that China considers its territory. Tsai, who departed Taipei on Saturday, pledged to bolster Taiwan's international profile as she set off on a trip to reinforce relations with diplomatic allies in Central America, a task that has taken on new urgency as Beijing ramps up efforts to diplomatically isolate Taipei. Story continues PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Lobster lovers are used to adjusting to high prices, but this winter, they're shelling out even more for the cherished crustaceans because of a lack of catch off of New England and Canada and heavy exports to China. Winter is typically a slow season for U.S. lobster fishermen and an active one off Atlantic Canada. But catch is slow in both countries this year, in part because of bad weather, industry sources said. And the winter months are also an important time for exports to lobster-crazy China, which celebrates its New Year holiday Jan. 28. It's increasingly popular to celebrate the Chinese New Year with American lobster. AMBALANTOTA, Sri Lanka (AP) At least 21 people were injured Saturday in violent clashes between Sri Lankan government supporters and villagers marching against what they say is a plan to take over private land for an industrial zone in which China will have a major stake. Police used tear gas and water cannons to try to break up the clashes, which took place as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was attending an opening ceremony for the industrial zone, located near the port city of Hambantota, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of the capital, Colombo. The clashes began when government supporters started throwing rocks at villagers who were marching to the ceremony site. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A lawyer for South Korea's disgraced president has compared her impeachment to the deaths of Jesus Christ and the ancient Greek thinker Socrates. While that may be over the top, the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye is of critical importance for the world's 11th largest economy as the government tries to boost jobs, restore confidence among furious citizens and navigate relations with a new administration in its close ally, the United States, as well as its always belligerent archrival, nuclear-armed North Korea. A caretaker prime minister now tries to steer the country while the Constitutional Court decides whether Park who spends her days, powerless, in the presidential palace should permanently step down over a corruption scandal or be reinstated. ACH SEH ISLAND, Cambodia (AP) A 7-inch creature with a head resembling a horse and a monkey-like tail glides gracefully out of a dark coral crevice off the Cambodian coast. Master of camouflage, unrivaled as a hunter and a much-loved figure of ancient myths and legends, the seahorse may be spiraling toward annihilation after surviving beneath the waves for some 40 million years. Taking photographs and detailed notes, two divers swim through turbid water to spot the male in the crevice and a nearby female, both hanging on in a once-pristine habitat turned to withered coral beds and ragged remnants of seagrass meadows. TOKYO (AP) Japan announced Friday that it would recall its ambassador to South Korea and suspend economic talks in response to the placing of a "comfort woman" statue representing wartime sex slaves in front of its consulate in the Korean port city of Busan. Both Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine in Seoul and the consul-general in Busan will be temporarily recalled, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. Many Korean and other women in Asia were forced into sexual slavery in front-line brothels for the Japanese military during World War II in what was called the "comfort woman" system. MANILA, Philippines (AP) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte toured one of the two Russian warships docked in Manila on Friday in another gesture of warming ties with Moscow as he shifts his country's foreign policy away from long-time ally, the United States. Rear Adm. Eduard Mikhailov, deputy commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, and Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev and escorted Duterte and several cabinet members around the anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs. At one point during the hourlong visit, Duterte looked out from the ship's deck and pumped his fist in the air. He was also shown equipment and weapons on board the ship and peered from binoculars from a chair. SHANGHAI (AP) In a sign of improving cooperation between the U.S. and China to fight the global drug trade, the Drug Enforcement Administration will open a new office there and its top chief will visit next week for the first time in more than a decade. The DEA said acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg will visit Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong Monday through Thursday, at the invitation of China's Ministry of Public Security. The last time the head of the DEA visited the country was 2005. The planned new office in the city of Guangzhou will likely be staffed with two special agents, pending final approvals, said Russell Baer, a DEA special agent in Washington. Washington (AFP) - A conservative media personality tapped by the incoming Donald Trump administration for a top communications role was accused Saturday of plagiarizing sections of her 2012 book, CNN reported. The president-elect has nominated Monica Crowley, a talk-radio host and Fox News commentator, to a senior communications job with the National Security Council. After reviewing her book "What The (Bleep) Just Happened," CNN reported finding some 50 sections copied -- some with minor changes -- from news articles, websites, think-tank reports and Wikipedia. A section on Keynesian economics, for example, came almost directly from a 2009 article published on investopedia.com. The Trump team defended Crowley in a statement, saying her "exceptional insight and thoughtful work on how to turn this country around is exactly why she will be serving in the administration." "Any attempt to discredit Monica is nothing more than a politically motivated attack that seeks to distract from the real issues facing the country," CNN quoted the statement as saying, without confirming or denying the accusations of plagiarism. Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey's parliament will next week start a fortnight of debates on a controversial new constitution aimed at expanding the powers of the presidency under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state media said on Saturday. The new constitution, which will replace the basic law drawn up in the wake of Turkey's 1980 military coup, seeks to set up for the first time a formal presidential system for ruling the country. Critics have claimed that the move is part of a power grab by Erdogan for one man rule in the wake of the July 15 failed putsch bid. But Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) say the system would bring Turkey into line with countries such as France and the United States and is needed for efficient government. The debates on the 18-article new constitution will begin in parliament on Monday after the draft was agreed by a parliamentary commission ahead of the New Year, the official Anadolu news agency said. The two readings are expected to last a total of 13-15 days, it added. The AKP needs more than 330 votes -- a three fifths majority -- for the bill to then be submitted to a referendum for public approval. However November 2015 polls left the AKP short of a super majority in parliament and is relying on support of the opposition right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the fourth largest party. Once voted by parliament, a referendum should take place within 60 days, indicating a date in late March or early April. Under the new constitution, the president would not have to sever links with a political party, as is the case now even though Erdogan co-founded the AKP. It is also expected to lead to the creation of posts of vice presidents and the abolition of the office of prime minister. The number of MPs would be increased to 600 from 550 and the age of eligibility to become a lawmaker reduced to 18 from 25. The draft law says the president would be elected for a five-year term and serve for a maximum of two mandates. If Erdogan's existing time as president is not counted in this, it means that in theory he could stay in office until 2029, with the next elections due in 2019. Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi security forces on Saturday shot and killed two suspected jihadists including an explosive belt maker during a police operation in the north of the capital, the interior ministry said. Suspect Tayeh al-Saihari, who had been wanted by authorities for his alleged involvement in jihadist attacks, was spotted in a house in a northern Riyadh neighbourhood, a ministry spokesman said. In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the spokesman said that Saihari was with Talal al-Saidi, also wanted by the authorities on suspicion of belonging to jihadist groups. Security forces surrounded the house at dawn and ordered the suspects to surrender but they refused and opened fire on the police who then launched an assault, killing them both, he said. The interior ministry said two explosive belts "ready to be activated" were found in the house, as well as a homemade bomb and material that could be used to make explosives. It said that Saihari had "prepared the explosive belts that were used in suicide attacks", including the deadly bombing of a headquarters of the special forces in 2015 and near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina last July. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 15 people. But no one claimed responsibility for a July 2016 attack in Medina in which four security guards were killed. Since late 2014, IS has claimed a series of bombings and shootings against Shiites in the Sunni-majority kingdom, as well against security forces. By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday designated U.S. election infrastructure as critical, widening the options the government has to protect voting machines from cyber attacks. The decision, announced in a statement by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, followed a 2016 presidential campaign marred by concerns that hackers could disrupt the election. Also on Friday, U.S. intelligence agencies released a report accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of directing a campaign to hack Democratic Party computers in an effort to help Republican Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency. U.S. officials determined hackers targeted more than 20 states' voter registration systems during the election but that there was no evidence tallies were altered when ballots were cast on Nov. 8. Elevating election systems to critical infrastructure puts it on par with other sectors eligible to receive prioritised cyber security assistance from DHS, including communication and transportation systems, the banking industry and the energy grid. Election infrastructure includes polling places, centralized vote tabulations locations, storage facilities and voter registration databases and voting machines, Johnson said. Johnson said he and his staff had consulted with state and local election officials and that he was "aware that many of them are opposed to this designation." Some conservative states such as Georgia objected when the idea was floated during the presidential campaign, claiming elections have historically been overseen by local officials. The classification was not "a federal takeover, regulation, oversight or intrusion concerning elections in this country," Johnson said in a statement. "This designation does nothing to change the role state and local governments have in administering and running elections." (Reporting by Eric Beech and Dustin Volz; Editing by Eric Walsh and Grant McCool) Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Moscow on Dec. 26. (Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a wide-ranging campaign to disrupt the American presidential election, seeking to denigrate Hillary Clinton and boost the chances of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, according to an unusually detailed declassified report released by the U.S. intelligence community Friday. The Kremlin efforts involved cyberattacks, state funded propaganda, including by its RT TV network, and social media trolls. Russias military intelligence hacked the emails of the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic political leaders and then relayed material it acquired to WikiLeaks. The intelligence community reached that conclusion with high confidence, directly refuting statements this week by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that he did not receive hacked emails from the Russian government. The 14-page report, a public version of a more extensive classified assessment briefed to President Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, goes well beyond previous public statements by U.S. intelligence community officials about the election. It includes several alarming new details: In early 2014, it says, Russian intelligence began researching U.S. electoral processes and related technology and equipment and later obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards. The type of systems compromised, however, were not involved in vote tallying. The report also delves more deeply than earlier statements into Putins motives for ordering the influence campaign. Beyond the Kremlins longstanding interest in undermining the US-led liberal democratic order, Putin viewed the release of the Panama Papers (revealing the secret bank accounts of several of his associates) and the Olympic doping scandal as US-directed efforts to defame Russia. He also most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he holds a grudge against her for public comments she made supporting protests in Moscow and other cities against the 2011 Russian elections that kept Putins party, United Russia, in power. Story continues But it also cites one reason that Putin appeared to look favorably on Trump the president-elects business background, including dealings over the years in Russia: Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia, such as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. (After leaving office, Schroeder joined the board of Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, and has maintained close ties to Putin.) Even when polls indicated Trump losing, the Russians continued their efforts to undermine Clinton, according to the intelligence report. When it appeared to Moscow that Secretary Clinton was likely to win the presidency, the Russian influence campaign focused more on undercutting Secretary Clintons legitimacy and crippling her presidency from its start, including by impugning the fairness of the election, the report states. The report was released shortly after Trump received a classified briefing on its contents at Trump Tower by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director John Brennan. Trump then released a public statement that avoided any mention of its principal conclusions that the Russians sought to defeat his opponent and elect him and focused instead on its finding that no actual vote tallies were compromised. ICA_2017_01 by Yahoo News on Scribd While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines, Trump said in a statement. There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defenses and the hackers were unsuccessful. (The report notes that the Russians targeted both major political parties, but does not indicate whether it penetrated the Republican National Committee.) Trumps statement drew an immediate rebuke from Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the ranking minority member on the House Intelligence Committee. The president-elects statement that the Russian hacking had absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election is not supported by the briefing, report or common sense, he said. It is one thing to say that there was no tampering with vote tallying which is true it is another thing to say that the daily dumping of documents disparaging to Secretary Clinton that was made possible by Russian cyber-operations had no effect on the campaigns. The consequence of these disclosures was hugely beneficial to the president-elect and damaging to the Clinton campaign, just as the Russians intended. Whether they had a decisive impact on the outcome will never be known and was certainly not the subject of the intelligence communitys analysis, but that they were of great consequence is undeniable. Its far from clear that the report will settle the ongoing debate in Washington over the role of Moscow in the 2016 elections. It discloses little of the evidence that supports its conclusions, saying only as a general matter that intelligence analysts integrate information from human sources, technical collection and open sources. It says that making attribution in cyber-operations is difficult but not impossible. Every kind of cyber-operation malicious or not leaves a trail. The report also indicates there was little dissent among the intelligence agencies about the findings. It says the entire intelligence community has high confidence that Putin ordered the influence and hacking campaign to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process and denigrate Clinton. On another major finding that Putin and the Russian government intended to boost Trump the CIA and FBI have high confidence in that conclusion. The National Security Agency has moderate confidence in that judgment. Warning that the Russian operation portends a new normal in Russian efforts to undermine Western democracies, the report sounds an alarm about the danger that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts in the United States and worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes. One of the more revealing sections of the report deals with RT, the Russian worldwide television network, which regularly airs programming denigrating the United States, including allegations that American elections are rigged and that the United States is a surveillance state. The Kremlin has invested $190 million a year in RT programming and now, according to its website, reaches more than 550 million people. The report notes that RT has actively collaborated with WikiLeaks; its editor-in-chief visited Assange at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in August 2013 and reached an agreement to provide access to new leaks of secret information. DAKAR (Reuters) - The United States warned its citizens against visiting the tourist destination of Gambia on Saturday, and told those there to considering leaving, citing the risk of unrest as President Yahya Jammeh digs in despite losing an election. "The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to The Gambia because of the potential for civil unrest and violence in the near future," the statement on its website said. It said the supreme court hearing on Jan. 10 of Jammeh's challenge to the result that elected his rival Adama Barrow was a potential flashpoint for violence. "U.S. citizens should consider departing on commercial flights and other transportation," the statement said. (Reporting by Tim Cocks; Editing by Alison Williams) LONDON (AP) A senior British diplomat who warned that negotiating a European Union exit could take 10 years has quit the civil service, days after stepping down as the U.K.'s envoy to the bloc, the government said Saturday. Ivan Rogers unexpectedly resigned as Britain's permanent representative in Brussels on Tuesday, months before divorce talks are due to start, fueling opposition claims that the government's plans for Britain's EU exit are in disarray. Rogers came under pressure following last month's leak of his suggestion that it could take up to a decade to strike a new trade deal. Politicians who support Brexit called him overly negative. Tim Barrow, a former U.K. ambassador to Russia, has been appointed to replace him. In a farewell email that was leaked to the media, Rogers told his staff to beware of politicians' "ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking." Britain's Foreign Office said Rogers had not sought a new post, "and has therefore resigned from the civil service with immediate effect." Prime Minister Theresa May says she will invoke Article 50 of the EU's key treaty, triggering two years of EU exit talks, by March 31. May has refused to reveal details of Britain's goals or negotiating strategy, saying that would weaken its hand. Hard-core Brexiteers in May's Conservative government want to quit the EU's single market in goods and services, gaining the freedom to strike trade deals elsewhere and to end free movement of people from the EU to Britain. But other Cabinet ministers fear leaving the single market would spell disaster for British businesses. On Saturday a major Conservative donor threatened to stop funding the party if Britain leaves the single market. Andrew Cook, chairman of a firm that makes components for the rail, energy and defense industries, said single-market membership was "critical" to his business and many others. f35a WASHINGTON America's priciest weapons system the F-35 is continuing its march to full combat capability, but the US isn't the only major power working toward a fifth-generation fighter. "While there are countries that are building their version of a fifth-generation fighter, they are years and years behind the capabilities of the F-35," US Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, director of the F-35 integration office, told Business Insider. Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus Pleus, a former commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base and a command pilot with just north of 2,200 flight hours, said the F-35 "is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else in the world today." In August 2016, US Air Force Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, declared initial operational capability (IOC) for a squadron of F-35A's a significant breakthrough for the weapons program, which has been beset by design flaws, cost overruns, and technical challenges. Since IOC, the Air Force has trained more than 120 pilots in 100 F-35As, accruing a combined total of 75,000 hours of flight time. "It's important to realize that the F-35 program is flying combat capable today and that our adversaries are trying to produce the same technology that we have but we are in front of them, for the time being," Pleus explained. "So while, Russia and China have both rolled out a prototype of their fifth-generation fighter they have a long way to go until they've got 75,000 flying hours on that airframe and more than 100 airplanes in their inventory." During the Air Force Association's annual conference in September, Pleus sat on a panel alongside Carlisle, F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Program executive officer Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, and 388th Fighter Wing commander Col. David Lyons. Story continues During his remarks, Pleus, who has flown both the F-16 and F-35, described the latter as "absolutely head and shoulders above our legacy fleet of fighters currently fielded." "This is an absolutely formidable airplane, and one our adversaries should fear," he continued. f35a In order to maintain a "tactical advantage over our adversaries," Pleus said the US must continue to modernize the F-35, F-22, and fourth-generation fighters. "You can't just build an F-35 or an F-22 or whatever the next generation of fighter is and say, 'we're good.' It constantly has to be updated because the threat, the folks that want to do us harm, will constantly upgrade their airplanes and their anti-airplane weapons on a day to day basis," Pleus explained. NOW WATCH: This is how pilots train to fly the F-35 Americas most expensive fighter jet More From Business Insider Washington (AFP) - Some 300 US Marines will head to Helmand province in Afghanistan this spring to help a NATO-led mission to train Afghan forces, the Marines said. The move puts Marines back in Helmand, who left in 2014 as NATO withdrew its forces and let Afghan troops lead the fight against the Taliban. They were among the first US forces sent to Afghanistan after the 2001 terror attacks in the United States. Several thousand were deployed in Helmand, an opium-producing region, where they engaged in bitter combat with the Taliban insurgency. The administration of outgoing President Barack Obama had hoped to withdraw most US military forces from Afghanistan by now, leaving behind just a small force. But the United States still has some 8,400 military personnel in the country, and is now returning the Marines to Helmand. At the request of US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the US forces in Afghanistan, "approximately 300 Marines will deploy to Helmand Province Afghanistan in Spring 2017 in support of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission," a statement from the Marine Corps said. The Marines "will train and advise key leaders within the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police," it added. "Advising and assisting Afghan defense and security forces will assist in preserving gains made together with the Afghans." The Afghan army and police are struggling in their struggle against a resurgent Taliban. In early December General John Nicholson, the chief US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said that Kabul directly controls about 64 percent of the country's population of 30 million, down slightly from 68 percent earlier in 2016. He said that the Taliban have been especially active in Helmand province and are working opium with traffickers. "There's a nexus here between the insurgency and criminal networks that's occurring in Helmand that makes Helmand such a difficult fight," he added. Afghanistan is by far the world's largest opium producer. The UN estimates 2016 production at 4,800 to 6,000 tons, up sharply from 3,300 tons in 2015, while cultivated areas have increased by 10 percent in one year. Miami (AFP) - The US authorities have charged the Iraq war vet accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six at a Florida airport with federal crimes that could carry the death penalty. The Justice Department on Saturday charged Esteban Santiago, 26, with firearms offenses and carrying out an act of violence when he opened fire at the busy Fort Lauderdale airport. Santiago, who had earlier shown signs of "erratic behavior," arrived Friday on a flight from Alaska. At baggage claim, he retrieved a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and ammunition that he had declared and stowed inside his checked luggage, then allegedly loaded the weapon in a bathroom and opened fire in the crowded baggage claim area of Terminal 2. Once his ammunition was exhausted Santiago lay on the floor with his arms and legs spread out and peacefully surrendered when a sheriff deputy approached him, witnesses quoted in US media said. The hail of bullets sent thousands scrambling for safety and shut down the airport, a major gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, for about 16 hours. If convicted of the charges Santiago could face the death penalty or life in prison, US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a statement. "Santiago started shooting, aiming at his victims' heads until he was out of ammunition," the statement said. Santiago, who traveled to Fort Lauderdale on a one-way ticket, walked around while firing approximately 10 to 15 rounds "in a methodical manner," FBI agent Michael Ferlazzo wrote in court records, according to US media. FBI special agent George Piro said agents were looking into the motives for the attack, including "continuing to look at the terrorism angle." Piro said Santiago appeared to be acting alone and that "every indication" is that he followed rules in flying with the weapon. Santiago is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Monday. - 'Erratic' - A former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, Santiago served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011. He ended his service in August. Story continues On November 7, Santiago walked into the FBI's office in Anchorage, Alaska and complained that his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies, which were forcing him to watch Islamic State jihadist videos, the authorities said. This "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. Anchorage police chief Christopher Tolley said Santiago came to the FBI office with a loaded magazine, but left his gun and newborn child in his car. Police took Santiago's weapon for safekeeping at the time, but he was able to reclaim it on December 8. Tolley said it was unclear if Santiago used that gun in the airport rampage. Santiago's brother, Bryan, criticized the way the authorities have handled his case. "They had him hospitalized for four days and they let him go. How are you going to let someone leave a psychological center after four days when he said he hears voices that the CIA is telling him to join certain groups?" he told CNN in a Spanish-language interview the network translated into English. "Not everyone has the same reaction when they return from war," he added. "Some are better, and some, not so much." The authorities have not identified any victims, but three named in media reports were all getting ready to set off on cruises. They included British-born 84-year-old grandmother Olga Woltering, who was embarking on a family cruise with her 90-year-old husband, the Sun Sentinel reported. Terry Andres, 62, was going on vacation with his wife of nearly four decades, Ann, the Palm Beach Post reported. Other victims included Michael and Kari Oehme, a couple in their 50s. Michael was killed and his wife wounded in the shoulder, the Miami Herald reported. - Checking weapons - The shooting renewed anxieties about security at US airports. The Transportation Security Administration -- the agency responsible for airport security -- lets passengers travel with unloaded firearms and ammunition as checked baggage. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents the Florida district that includes the airport, said the rules need to be reexamined. The incident should prompt a review of "whether or not you should be allowed to check a firearm at all" -- as well as how passengers should be able to retrieve checked weapons after landing, she told CNN. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy rebuked the Republican-controlled Congress for not tightening gun laws. "Political cowardice is the accomplice of every mass shooter," he wrote on Twitter. "The utter silence of Congress in the face of this carnage has become consent." The Fort Lauderdale airport re-opened Saturday morning, and staff struggled to return nearly 20,000 pieces of luggage and other personal items abandoned by passengers who fled the shooting. US military vehicles and equipment arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany, on Friday, January 6, to help NATOs exercise in eastern Europe. More than 2,700 military items would be sent to Poland for certification before being deployed across eastern Europe. The shipment marked the beginning of the Atlantic Resolve operation, in which the US said they were providing armoured brigades to demonstrate Americas dedication in peace and stability in the region in light of Russias dominance. Credit: US Army via Storyful By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG and the U.S. Justice Department are nearing an agreement to resolve the government's civil and criminal investigations that would require the German automaker to pay a penalty of more than $3 billion, sources briefed on the talks said on Friday. The agreement is not final and could top $4 billion or fall apart but a deal could be announced as early as next week, said the sources on condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential. Volkswagen is also expected to face oversight by an outside monitor and agree to other significant reforms in connection with its diesel cheating scandal as part of a potential deferred prosecution agreement or guilty plea to criminal charges, the sources said. VW has previously agreed to pay up to $17.5 billion to resolve claims by U.S. owners, federal and state regulators and dealers and admitted it had misled regulators for years about illicit software. A VW spokesman in Germany declined to comment, saying the automaker was in discussions with authorities. Volkswagen and the Justice Department have held intensive talks this week aimed at resolving the case before President Barack Obama leaves office on Jan. 20. If a deal is not reached before then it could significantly delay an agreement, the sources said. VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software known as "defeat devices" in 475,000 U.S. 2.0-liter diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner in testing. In reality, the vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution levels. The company later admitted to also using "defeat devices" in 3.0-liter vehicles. The 80,000 3.0-liter U.S. vehicles had an undeclared auxiliary emissions system that allowed them to emit up to nine times allowable limits. The scandal hurt VW's global business and reputation, and led to the ouster of longtime Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn. VW has been barred from selling any new diesel cars in the United States since late 2015. Story continues A settlement could help VW largely move past the scandal, though it still faces lawsuits from U.S. investors and some U.S. states. The automaker will spend years fixing or buying back vehicles and making investments to boost zero emission vehicle infrastructure and must deposit nearly $3 billion in a trust to offset excess diesel emissions. It has also agreed to boost the number of electric vehicles it offers in California. To date, only one VW employee has been criminally charged in the United States. He has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with prosecutors. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Joel Schectman in Washington; Additional reporting by Jan Schwartz in Hamburg; Editing by Chris Reese and Richard Chang) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG and the U.S. Justice Department are nearing an agreement to resolve the government's civil and criminal investigations that would require the German automaker to pay a penalty of more than $3 billion, sources briefed on the talks said on Friday. The agreement is not final and could top $4 billion or fall apart but a deal could be announced as early as next week, said the sources on condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential. Volkswagen is also expected to face oversight by an outside monitor and agree to other significant reforms in connection with its diesel cheating scandal as part of a potential deferred prosecution agreement or guilty plea to criminal charges, the sources said. VW has previously agreed to pay up to $17.5 billion to resolve claims by U.S. owners, federal and state regulators and dealers and admitted it had misled regulators for years about illicit software. A VW spokesman in Germany declined to comment, saying the automaker was in discussions with authorities. Volkswagen and the Justice Department have held intensive talks this week aimed at resolving the case before President Barack Obama leaves office on Jan. 20. If a deal is not reached before then it could significantly delay an agreement, the sources said. VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software known as "defeat devices" in 475,000 U.S. 2.0-liter diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner in testing. In reality, the vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution levels. The company later admitted to also using "defeat devices" in 3.0-liter vehicles. The 80,000 3.0-liter U.S. vehicles had an undeclared auxiliary emissions system that allowed them to emit up to nine times allowable limits. The scandal hurt VW's global business and reputation, and led to the ouster of longtime Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn. VW has been barred from selling any new diesel cars in the United States since late 2015. A settlement could help VW largely move past the scandal, though it still faces lawsuits from U.S. investors and some U.S. states. The automaker will spend years fixing or buying back vehicles and making investments to boost zero emission vehicle infrastructure and must deposit nearly $3 billion in a trust to offset excess diesel emissions. It has also agreed to boost the number of electric vehicles it offers in California. To date, only one VW employee has been criminally charged in the United States. He has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with prosecutors. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Joel Schectman in Washington; Additional reporting by Jan Schwartz in Hamburg; Editing by Chris Reese and Richard Chang) A report on Russian hacking delivered to President Obama Thursday says that U.S. intelligence picked up senior Russian officials celebrating Donald Trump 's win, a senior American official confirmed to NBC News . Trump is set to get a briefing today from top intelligence officials, following Thursday's Senate hearing, during which they made their most detailed case yet of Russia's election interference. (CNBC) James Woolsey, director of Central Intelligence under President Bill Clinton, has left Trump's transition team. The ex-spy chief was said to be uncomfortable with Trump's decisions on intel matters. (NBC News) While defending the Obama administration against Trump criticism about transition cooperation, Vice President Joe Biden said the president-elect's public criticism of the intelligence community was "dangerous." (PBS) A joint session of Congress is set to count the Electoral College votes today, a traditional ending to a most unconventional presidential election to confirm Trump as the winner. (AP) James Mattis, the retired Marine general Trump picked to lead the Defense Department, has reportedly resigned from the board of embattled blood testing startup Theranos. (WSJ) In a tweet this morning, Trump defended a plan that would see the U.S. initially pay for a border wall with Mexico. The effort, he wrote, will be "paid back by Mexico later." (USA Today) The repeal of Obamacare will cost three million jobs and $1.5 trillion loss in gross state product, according to a new study aimed at determining the state-by-state impact. (CNBC) Americans are divided almost equally on whether Obamacare should be repealed, a new survey said. Opponents of the law are also split on whether repeal should happen without a replacement ready. (CNBC) Bucking disappointing holiday numbers from Macy's and Kohl's, Gap (GPS) reported a surprise 4 percent increase in December same-store sales. The stock was surging about 9 percent in premarket trading. (Reuters) Story continues In another challenge to Apple (AAPL) and Samsung, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei is making its Mate 9 device available in the U.S. today, through Best Buy and Amazon for $599.99. (CNBC) Samsung predicted a near 50 percent jump in fourth-quarter operating profit, with its components business expected to offset declines in its mobile unit that was marred by the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. (CNBC) LG Electronics is warning of a first quarterly operating loss in six years for October-December, a drop analysts pinned on continued mobile losses and seasonally weaker appliances sales. (Reuters) Boeing (BA) is due to report final order and delivery numbers for 2016 today. Analysts believe the world's biggest plane maker may fall short of targets, raising questions about next year. (CNBC) The winter weather system that's buried much of the West under record snow was racing east on course to slam Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas with snow and ice that authorities warned could be historic. (NBC News) With stocks around record highs, the "January effect" the notion that the first month of the year is usually bullish appears to be fading , according to an analysis of more recent history by Goldman Sachs. Investors funneled $2.4 billion into U.S.-based stock funds during the week ended Jan. 4, according to Lipper, making the second straight week of inflows. Taxable bond funds took in $1.2 billion, after three weeks of withdrawals. International trade data for November is also out at 8:30 a.m. ET, but likely to get lost in the simultaneous release of the December jobs report. November Factory orders are issued at 10 a.m. ET. Three Fed officials are speaking today, with Chicago Fed President Charles Evans at 11:15 a.m. ET, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker at 1 p.m. ET, and Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan at 3:30 p.m. ET. Frontier Airlines is preparing for an initial public offering, according to The New York Times. The Denver-based low- cost carrier is hoping to raise $500 million for a value of $2 billion. Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NVS) is teaming up with California-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) to license two cardiovascular treatments in a deal that could eventually be worth more than $1 billion. Regeneron (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) plan to appeal a U.S. court ruling that bans them from selling their cholesterol drug because the treatment infringes on Amgen (AMGN) patents. Shake Shack (SHAK) said CFO Jeff Uttz plans to retire in March. The burger chain is also naming its first COO, Zach Koff, who's been part of the executive team since the 2015 IPO. Norway is set to become the first nation to start switching off its FM radio network next week, in a risky and unpopular leap to digital technology that's going to be watched around the world. (CNBC) Grammy-winning British popstar Ed Sheeran, back from taking a year off, released two new songs today, after putting out a 30 second teaser in a Snapchat lens filter. (CNBC) Key and Peele have made one final appearance on The Daily Show as President Barack Obama and his anger translator, Luther, before the real POTUS leaves office. Stopping by the show on Thursday night (Jan. 5), Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele's characters shared their "farewell address" with host Trevor Noah. Peele's Obama, in the video, explains that his anger translator, Luther (Key), was allowed to appear with him in this final address, as long as he was on "his very best behavior." "Since we last spoke, the country has voted for a new president," said Peele as Obama, as Luther raged quietly next to him. Finally, Luther couldn't stand the silence and yelled, "TRUMP?! Really? How did this happen? Don't you understand? This is how The Hunger Games starts!" Obama explained that it's vital that "we move on as a country united," when Luther interrupted: "United in the fact that we can't f - ing stand each other!" Luther lost it when Obama began to speak about his meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. "He doesn't even want the job," explained Luther. "The only reason he ran is because his factory in China made too many red hats!" Obama promised that if Trump succeeds, "then we all succeed," but Luther didn't believe it. "Unless he succeeds with all the shit he promised to succeed with - in that case, we're f - ed," retorted Luther. Luther made a mistake in the end, accidentally reading aloud Obama's secret note to the incoming president in the Oval Office. It wasn't kind. Watch their farewell address below: This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter. Winter storm pounds Carolinas A city worker removes snow from a crosswalk as a winter storm blankets the area in Carrboro, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Snow and sleet pounded a large swath of the East Coast on Saturday, coating roads with ice and causing hundreds of crashes. Thousands of people lost power and forecasters warned of blizzard-like conditions from Virginia to parts of the Northeast. Police investigated several fatal crashes as potentially storm-related, but some of the Souths biggest cities Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh appeared to avoid the worst of the storm. Authorities praised residents for learning the lessons of past storms that resulted in icy gridlock, where thousands of people were stranded along the interstates. But officials warned that bitter cold would keep roads treacherous well after the snow and sleet stopped. North Carolina cities Burlington, Greensboro and Roxboro received 8 inches or more of snow, and several inches fell in southeast Virginia, where a blizzard warning was issued for the cities along the coast. (AP) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr. Lusaka (AFP) - Zambia's President Edgar Lungu's decision to contest the 2021 election sparked an angry response from the opposition on Saturday, with a prominent lawmaker arguing that the "tin-pot dictator" is ineligible for another term. Lungu announced this week that he was prepared to stand for re-election. "I am eligible to stand in 2021 and if you want you can go to the Constitutional Court and they will tell you I am eligible to stand in 2021," Lungu told supporters in the central Copperbelt province on Thursday. "God willing and if the people allow I will stand," he added. His declaration has sparked debate among Zambians on his eligibility. The constitution allows a president two five-year terms. Lungu came into power in 2015 to complete president Michael Sata's five-year tenure after Sata had died in October 2014 -- two years before completing his term. Lungu was re-elected last August, narrowly beating Hakainde Hichilema, head of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND). The opposition party argues that Lungu is ineligible to stand again in 2021. "Lungu does not qualify... We can't continue with a dictator, his police are killing people every day," UPND lawmaker Douglas Syakalima, an adviser to Hichilema, told AFP on Saturday. "Who in Zambia would want to continue with a tin-pot dictator? His election is still been challenged but he is already talking about 2021," he added. However in Luapula province on Saturday Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party endorsed his candidacy for the 2021 election. Political analyst Alex Ng'oma, of the University of Zambia, said that the current constitution allows Lungu to seek another five-year mandate. "The portion of Sata's tenure that Lungu served is less than three years so he is eligible to stand. But the party has to follow democratic channels to arrive at who becomes their candidate," Ng'oma told AFP on Saturday. Lungu's bid for re-election is hampered by divisions within the ruling party, emanating from his sacking of information minister Chishimba Kambwili in November. Kambwili is seen by many as a potential presidential candidate in 2021. The zombie apocalypse won't take long. A new article in a peer-reviewed student journal finds that the zombie hordes would take Earth's population down to a mere 273 survivors in 100 days. The paper, published in the University of Leicester's Journal of Physics Special Topics, was a fanciful use of the so-called SIR model, which is used in epidemiology to simulate how diseases spread over time. It's not the first time zombies have been used as a public health metaphor. In December 2015, for example, the British medical journal The Lancet published a tongue-in-cheek paper titled "Zombie infections: epidemiology, treatment, and prevention." And a viral blog post from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged zombie-apocalypse preparations as a metaphor for real-life disaster preparedness. In the new analysis, the University of Leicester undergraduates assumed that each zombie would have 90 percent success at finding and infecting one human per day a rate that would make the zombie virus twice as contagious as the Black Death, the plague that devastated Europe in the 1300s. [Zombie Animals: 5 Real Cases of Body-Snatching] The researchers further estimated that each zombie could live 20 days without braaaaaains. Assuming a starting population of 7.5 billion people, approximately the world's population today, the students calculated that it would take 20 days for a single zombie to start an epidemic of noticeable proportions. At that point, the pandemic would have begun. Assuming no geographic isolation, in fact, the human population would drop to 181 by day 100 of the epidemic, with 190 million zombies roaming around. With some geographical isolation, the situation would be a tiny bit better for humans. Assuming the zombie virus had to spread through contiguous regions and that zombies were somewhat limited in their ability to travel (not leaving their current region until there were 100,000 zombies roaming there), human survivors would number 273 by day 100, the study found. Story continues A more realistic model might assume that each zombie could find fewer human victims over time, the students wrote, because there would simply be fewer humans to find. "We have also not included the possibility for the humans to kill the zombies," they wrote. But never fear: In a follow-up paper, the students did just that. They extended the zombie life span to one year in order to up the challenge a bit, but also gave each human a 10 percent chance of killing a zombie each day. They also accounted for human reproduction, assuming reproductive-age women would be able to have a baby once every three years. These assumptions provided some hope for humanity. Under this model, the human population rapidly dropped off to a few hundred again. However, the zombies died off after 1,000 days, under this model; 10,000 days after the beginning of the epidemic, the human population would start to recover again, the students found. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations NEW YORK Designer peace reigns. The legal tussle between Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, which shined a spotlight on the inner workings of two of Americas most iconic fashion houses, came to a discreet end Friday. A statement from the two companies on Friday noted: Carolina Herrera Ltd., Oscar de la Renta LLC and Laura Kim have reached a settlement of the lawsuit filed by Carolina Herrera Ltd. The terms of the settlement are confidential, except that Laura Kim has returned to Oscar de La Renta LLC, subject to the conditions agreed upon by the parties. The settlement appears to be a victory of sorts for de la Renta, given that Kim is allowed to continue in her role as co-creative director with Fernando Garcia. Herrera filed its suit late last month in the Supreme Court of the State of New York seeking to block Kim from joining de la Renta. It claimed Kim had a six month non-compete agreement which, according to the lawsuit, barred the designer from working at only one other fashion house: Oscar de la Renta. Kim founded the Monse brand with Garcia and has proven to have a knack for bringing a youthful air to established brands. Herrera, the company, maintained that Kim could not work for de la Renta until her non-compete agreement ran out in April. That would have meant that Kim could not have designed de la Rentas fall 2017 collection. Judge Jeffrey K. Oing, who once presided over Macys Inc.s suit against Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and J.C. Penney Co. Inc., granted a preliminary injunction that for a time barred Kim from returning to de la Renta. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for Jan. 10. Oing later lifted the preliminary injunction but the hearing date remained in place. While baring the inner workings of a major fashion house, Herreras suit also didnt obscure the companys plans to transition out the 77-year-old Carolina Herrera herself and replace her with a younger creative director, Kim. Story continues The suit said Herreras ceo Francois Kress offered Kim a salary of $1 million to become senior vice president of design of the Carolina Herrera brand. Kim allegedly turned the job down, though, and left to join de la Renta. An affidavit filed with the suit by Kims lawyer Neil Capobianco said Kim started having talks about becoming creative director of the House of Herrera about a year ago with the understanding that Herrera herself would be transitioning out of that role. However, according to the affidavit, Kim realized that nobody had informed Ms. Herrera that she was being transitioned out and that Ms. Herrera intended to run CH as if she were the creative director. The affidavit said Kim tried to work around the tensions inherent in a surreptitious transition plan, but realized the conditions were untenable and unworkable and resigned on July 8. The suit claimed that the Herrera brand has lost business since Kim left and described her as a unique employee who is very adept at creating designs that are what commercial clients are interested in stocking in their stores. Herreras suit said the resort 2016 collection Kim helped design was the most commercially successful ever in its 35-year history. The settlement brings to a close the latest battle in a long-running rivalry between the two fashion houses. The Puig-owned Herrera is substantially larger, but draws heavily on the fragrance category, while de la Rentas operation is focused on ready-to-wear and accessories. Kim worked for the late de la Renta for 12 years before leaving to consult with Herrera. Kim and Garcia consulted for Herrera in fall 2015, and Kim became the companys vice president of design last January with an annual salary of $450,000, or at a semimonthly rate of $18,750. That shows exactly how valuable young talent can be to established brands, which are working to connect with a new generation of consumers that has grown up in the Internet age, with fast fashion and a relentless digital drip of style on social media. Its a whole different world than the one de la Renta and Herrera once sought to divide between the two of them. Related stories J.C. Penney Sales Miss Mark Retail Stocks Take Holiday Hit Macy's Approach to Store Closings Is Not One-Size-Fits-All Eleven Bachelors and Bachelorettes have stood in front of the famous Bachelor Mansion and met their future fiance--and some their future spouse. We all know what the entryway looks like (and that it's always wet), and have gotten glimpses of the interior and pool throughout episodes of the show, but now, we finally have the full picture. Thanks to Trulia, we can all take an inside look at the mansion, the living room, expansive kitchen, large dining room, and of course that amazing pool. Since 2006, contestants have called the 7,590 square-foot mansion home, for a few weeks at least. Complete with six bedrooms and nine bathrooms, we're sure many of The Bachelorette contestants didn't have too much of an issue sharing the space, but the same just cannot be assumed for the girls competing for The Bachelor's heart--20 girls to six bedrooms and nine bathrooms can get tricky, especially when said girls have to look perfect every single day. VIDEO: Inside the Bachelor Mansion 5272065223001 RELATED: The Bachelor Premiere: Camels, Shark Costumes, and More Outrageous Moments The $7.4 million home sits on 9.3 acres of land in Agoura Hills, California and boasts gorgeous views of the Malibu Canyons. Scroll down to take a better look at the home. Oh, the things these walls must have seen ... Drones were all over at CES 2017. (image: Rob Pegoraro) The usual soundtrack of Vegas is the incessant, looping beeps and chimes of slot machines, but at CES its often replaced by the high-pitched whine of drones in flight. Much of the enormous South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center here plays host to a flock of vendors of unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones have become a big business, thanks to the Federal Aviation Administrations move last year to open the skies to commercial use and the utility of drones for inspecting things like farms, solar panels, wind turbines and wireless-network towers. As CES was opening, news broke that the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI had bought a majority stake in the German camera manufacturer Hasselbladthe company that made the cameras American astronauts took to the moon. The show floor offered further proof of the increasingly professional nature of the drone industry with UAVs like Yuneecs H520, an industrial drone in a shade of orange often seen in road-work signs that can carry a range of sensors and will sell for $2,500. But if you have more frivolous and less practical uses in mind, CES wont disappoint you either. Selfie drones The idea of the drone selfie may seem silly, but I think we can allow that the traditional family Christmas-card photo might look a little snazzier if it involved an aerial perspective. So of course vendors will ship drones optimized for this use case. Zero Zero Robotics Hover Camera Passport, $599, packs a 13 megapixel camera, a battery good for about 10 minutes of flight time, and a software bundle that includes auto-follow capability into a compact assembly that folds up for easy carrying. Its rectangular enclosure safeguards its four rotors, while its .534-lb. weight keeps the drone below the FAAs .55-lb threshold that requires owners to register their drones. The Hover Camera Passport is perfect for narcissists who need birds-eye views of themselves. (image: Rob Pegoraro) (That registration program turned a year old Dec. 21; by that anniversary, the FAA announced that it had received more than 616,000 registrations.) Story continues The $399 Rova, another selfie drone, doesnt fold up and, at .595 lbs., is subject to the FAAs registration requirement. It includes a 12-megapixel camera and also offers about 10 minutes of flight time. Sink and swim The A in UAV can stand for aquatic just as easily as aerial, something I realized after discovering the PowerVision PowerRay. This underwater drone is aimed at gadgetry-minded fishing enthusiasts. You toss the drone overboard from your boat, with a cable tether providing communication, and use its 12-megapixel camera to look for fish. An integrated light both lures and illuminates fish. PowerVision also plans to sell an optional sonar fish-finder that will attach to the PowerRays underside. Because swimming takes less effort than flying, the drone should be able to dive for up to four hours. But the PowerRay wont be cheap. A representative estimated that the drone would start at $1,500 when it ships in the fall. The inevitable Star Wars tie-in There is no greater marketing force in the galaxy than Star Wars. So the arrival of a set of drones modeled after some of the hardware in George Lucass ongoing space opera was inevitable. Propel Toys Star Wars drones sell for $199.99 and take the form of a TIE fighter, an X-Wing or an Imperial speeder bike. One of many drones at CES 2017. (image: Rob Pegoraro) The drones each feature both battle lasers and sensors to detect when theyve been illuminated by another drone, so you can stage aerial battles. When a drone is hit it descends to the ground. A drone that flies you At the far more expensive end of the spectrum is the Ehang 184, a drone designed to take a single occupant on short trips. I first saw this at last years CES, when the marketing pitch suggested that the drone could streamline the commutes of particularly rich individuals. A year later, prototypes have undergone more than 200 remotely operated flight tests in China, and the company is no longer pitching this as a particularly ostentatious form of personal transportation. The publicist I spoke to instead suggested higher-minded uses like medical transport. But even if the $300,000 Ehang 184 ships as promised, Im sure some dot-commer will buy one just to get around town. And, of course, theyll take a drone selfie in mid-flight. More of Yahoo Finances CES coverage: Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro. Mayfield Robotics chief executive Michael Beebe unveils the Kuri robot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, on January 6, 2017 (AFP Photo/Rob Lever) Las Vegas (AFP) - Professor Einstein rolls his eyes, sticks out his tongue, and can give a simple explanation of the theory of relativity. With his lifelike rubbery "skin" and bushy mustache, he can almost make you forget he's a robot. The Einstein robot is among dozens roaming the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that can be your companion, educator or babysit your children. While robots have been around for years, advances in technology and artificial intelligence have allowed developers to give them traits that enable the devices to be seen as members of the family. "We make robots that have personality and come to life," said Andy Rifkin, chief technology officer of Hanson Robotics, the Hong Kong-based firm which is bringing the $299 Einstein robot to consumers this year. Einstein is the first commercial product from Hanson, which became known for producing humanoid robots like the flirtatious "Sophia," which has life-like facial and eye expressions and can converse through cloud-based artificial intelligence. Einstein, which is knee-high and responds to voice commands, can help kids with their homework, play games and answer questions about math and science. "This is different from other robots," said Rifkin, who noted that the "emotional bond" can be an important element in helping kids learn. Most other robots at CES look like the mechanical objects people expect from science fiction, but many have personality too. Kuri, a knee-high rolling robot set to hit the US market, is touted as a home companion which can entertain kids and allow users to monitor their homes through a smartphone application. - 'Spark of life - "You have to make an effort to give a robot personality and character, otherwise it's too cold," said Mayfield Robotics chief executive Michael Beebe. "Kuri adds a spark of life to the home. The joy of incorporating a robot in the home is unique and magical." Story continues Mayfield, a 40-person California startup owned by German conglomerate Bosch, plans to deliver Kuri by December for $699 to US consumers. Kuri learns to recognize family members and can notify its owners through a smartphone when a child arrives home. Kuri "speaks only robot" -- meaning beeps and bloops, according to Beebe -- but also offers a range of emotional expressions by rolling her head and moving her eyes. She can also play music to recorded sound, which Beebe uses to tell the robot to tell his dog to get off the couch. AvatarMind, a robotics firm with offices in China and California, used CES to showcase its soon-to-be-released iPal "social robot" which can play games, converse in natural language, sing songs and monitor home security. A little taller than one meter (3.5 feet), iPal can self-navigate and use its arms while singing or dancing. CEO John Ostrem said the robot -- which is being released in China early this year and in the US later in the year -- can act as a companion for children or the elderly, and could be used as an assistant for commercial applications for information in shopping malls or hospitals. Ostrem said that "an interesting application is for children with special needs," because it can allow a therapist to care for numerous children with the help of the robot. Chinese startup Roobo meanwhile announced the global launch of its tabletop PuddingBeanQ robot, designed for early child education. The voice-activated robot with a rudimentary electronic face can tell stories and teach children about music, or help learn a second language. Chen Yi, the vice president of Roobo, said the voice system is better for young children than using a tablet or smartphone. "Parents do not want their children using a smartphone or tablet because of the screen," he said, adding that the robot's screen filters out harmful blue light. - Moving chessmen - Also at the show was a chess-playing robot -- one which picks up the pieces and moves them -- from Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute. The robot can also pour perfect cups of coffee. Japan's Softbank Robotics meanwhile announced a partnership that will allow its humanoid robot Pepper to travel onboard SNCF trains in France to assist travelers. Beebe said consumers are ready for these kinds of robots in homes and business. "As a kid we've always wanted to have a robot and now we have one," he said. Hanson Robotics founder David Hanson said these new robots are delivering new kinds of human-computer experiences. "We've always used animated movies and fiction and these are good for kids," Hanson said. "With a robot we can add more dimension to the interaction. This is a new, natural way to interact with our computers." Russia Removes LinkedIn From Appstore LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, is currently blocked from being accessed in Russia, The New York Times reported. The decision was reached after a local court in Russia found LinkedIn to be in violation of their law requiring any service that collects data on Russian Citizens to house that data within Russias borders. Now, Apple and Google have been asked to remove the LinkedIn app from their Russian app stores. While the apps dont function properly after the LinkedIn website was blocked in Russia anyway, the move to have the apps removed from the app store would show how governments can persuade other companies to abide by their rules. Rebecca MacKinnon, and internet freedom advocate, and co-founder of Global Voices Online, stated that Apps are the new choke point of free expression. LinkedIn is the social network for professionals. [Image by Carl Court/Getty Images] This is a turbulent time for such an action to place. A declassified report that was released on Friday stated that American intelligence officials concluded that Putin, the president of Russia, ordered a campaign to influence the 2016 Presidential Election. This included a broad array of activities including cyber activity against individuals that went against their agenda. There have also been accusations, including hacking into accounts like those of the Democratic National Committee. Click here to continue and read more... Russia Forcing Google And Apple To Delete LinkedIn From Russian App Stores is an article from: The Inquisitr News A 31-year-old Michgamme, Michigan, man was referred to the Monroe County District Attorney for multiple offenses after a Dec. 29 incident at Cranberry Country Lodge. Police were called to the hotel shortly after 10 p.m. on a report of a 911 hang-up. The call was traced to a second-story room, where the report says a disturbance was in progress. The report says a male, later identified at Grant Philip Werner, opened the door and appeared intoxicated and confrontational. Werner was told repeatedly to keep his voice down so that other hotel guests wouldnt be disturbed. Werner reportedly resisted efforts of police to place him in handcuffs even after police used OC spray, several closed fist strikes to Werners lower back and rib cage and Taser shots to gain compliance. Werner told police, You guys assaulted me and requested to be taken to the hospital. Werner refused medical treatment from emergency medical personnel at the scene and was reportedly uncooperative after he was taken to the Monroe County Jail. A preliminary breath test of Werner registered a blood-alcohol count of .052. He was referred for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and criminal damage to property. In other Tomah Police Department news: Chase Michael Christman, 28, Necedah, and Suzie M. Drake, 26, Sparta, were referred to the district attorney after a traffic stop shortly before 1:30 a.m. Dec. 28. Police pulled over a car registered to an owner with a suspended drivers license on East Clifton Street. The car contained three passengers, and the driver was identified as Drake. None of the three could produce Wisconsin drivers licenses, according to the report, and a male passenger identified himself as Nathan L. Myhre. A police database was unable to match the mans face with anyone identified as Myhre. Drake reportedly told police the mans name was Nate and that she was living with him in Sparta. Further attempts to gain identifying information from the man were rebuffed, and he was placed under arrest. A search of his person located a card identifying him as Christman. Dispatch informed police that Christman had a Monroe County bond. Police summoned a K9 to search the vehicle, and officers located a three pills identified as Alprazolam, a silver tin with burn marks and a cigarette container rolled into a smoking pipe. The substance in the silver tin was later identified as heroin. Christman was referred for possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstructing an officer and bail jumping. Drake was referred for obstructing an officer. Allan Alfred Blum, 37, Tomah, Amanda Marie Arnold, 30, Westby, and Quintin L.R. Frey, 30, Norwalk, were referred to the district attorney for their roles in an alleged attempt to defraud a hardware store. According to the report, the three rode in the same vehicle to Ace Hardware, where Blum attempted to return $90 worth of brass fittings. Blum told police he planned to give the money to Frey because neither Frey nor Arnold were allowed to enter the store. A store manager took down the license plate number of the vehicle, which left the parking lot without Blum. The manager determined that the fittings had been shoplifted. Blum was referred for theft by fraud and a probation/parole hold. Arnold and Frey were referred for being a party to a crime. Jesse Lee Hansen, 25, Tomah, was referred to the district attorney for threatening a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after a Dec. 26 incident at a Kilbourn Avenue residence. Police were called to a disturbance, and Hansen allegedly threatened to rip the throat of an officer if police touched him. The report says Hansen resisted officers as they attempted to handcuff him. Teal Megan Herold, 27, no address listed, was referred to the district attorney for retail theft and bail jumping. She is accused of stealing a pair of boots from Walmart Dec. 10. It is sad and tragic, though not surprising, that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has deleted basic scientific information about the effects and human causes of climate change from its website. The agency has further added language that is simply untrue. The website now states that the causes of climate change are being debated, and it implies a lack of clear knowledge and consensus among scientists. Furthermore, throughout the years of Gov. Scott Walkers administration, DNR employees have been forbidden from discussing climate change, let alone doing their important research on the topic. Until the last few years, I often worked closely with the dedicated and skilled scientists and managers at the DNR. Several years ago, in my own forest science research lab at UW-Madison, we conducted a multiyear, DNR-funded research project. This was one of several flagship projects on climate change effects on the states resources that the DNR launched just before the Walker administration. A group of dedicated scientists worked on the project for over three years. Our results showed Wisconsin faces significant changes to its forests over the next century. The negative effects will be particularly serious on northern forests, where the iconic northern evergreen tree species pine, spruce and fir as well as aspen and birch, are likely to decline. Some eventually could be lost. This would have serious effects on wildlife habitat, recreation and forest products. A forward-looking administration would have asked the important next question: What can we do to adapt and ameliorate these future changes, now? We had expected to jointly release the results publicly with the DNR to contribute to public and agency knowledge. But following completion and submission of our report, the results were suppressed and have not been released or used. As a scientist, I find the growing anti-science attitude, across many areas of inquiry, to be unsettling and reckless. In this instance, removal of most of the DNRs science research, including work on climate change, as well as the hobbling of the DNRs other resource management duties, has largely been forced by legislators such as Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, and the Walker administration. It is dangerous to preempt scientific inquiry because, at times, it may disturb ones limited perspective. That is not how knowledge of all kinds, needed by all parts of society, is increased for the common good. Over 65 years ago, when the Wisconsin Conservation Department, the predecessor to the DNR, was a growing champion of research-based resource management, the following quote appeared by Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958). He was an American inventor, engineer, businessman and the holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research at General Motors from 1920 to 1947. The quote appeared in the June 1948 issue of the Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin, which was the predecessor to the DNR Magazine: Research is a high-hat word that scares a lot of people. It neednt. It is rather simple. Essentially, it is nothing but a state of mind a friendly, welcoming attitude toward change. Going out to look for change instead of waiting for it to come. Research, for practical men, is an effort to do things better and not to be caught asleep at the switch. A research state of mind can apply to anything: Personal affairs or any kind of business, big or little. It is the problem-solving mind as contrasted with the let-well-enough-alone mind. It is the composer mind instead of the fiddler mind. It is the tomorrow mind instead of the yesterday mind. Ketterings words are worth contemplating today, especially by those who fear change and increasing societys knowledge in any field. Holden Farms is proposing to expand two hog operations in Winona County, both in St. Charles Township. The first site, near Elba, has three barns that house a total of 3,200 swine; the proposed expansion would add an additional farrowing barn and bring the total number of swine to 4,150. The second site, located near Utica, would add a second barn, expanding from 1,532 swine to 4,140. The proposals would also add a new barn, manure storage basin, compost building for carcasses, and watering well at both sites. Both sites are expected to generate 4.6 million gallons of manure per year, which Holden Farms plans to use on up to 31 field sites as crop fertilizer. It would apply it twice a year, in spring and fall. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will hold a public information meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, at the St. Charles Community Center, to explain the Environmental Assessment Worksheet prepared on the proposal and how to comment on it. According to the MPCA, both proposed expansions require federal, state and county permits. That includes obtaining conditional-use permits through Winona Countys planning commission and county board. Emily Bartusek, the countys feedlot officer, said the county is waiting on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet from the MPCA, which helps to decide if a more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement is needed. The review covers site location details, nearby resources including wells, soil types, water use, manure management, air and odor emissions, traffic, and other elements. Currently both sites are within a mile of homes, and in close proximity to water. The first site is within one mile of 20 homes. Trout Run Creek is about one-third mile from the site, as is an unnamed tributary to the creek. The second site is within a mile of 11 homes. The south fork of the Whitewater River is over a mile away, with an intermittent stream over 700 feet away. Both sites meet Winona County setback requirements to protect waterways and the environment, and the MCPAs simulations indicate that both expansions would meet state air quality standards and not significantly increase odors. Bartusek said that neither of the expansions proposed numbers would rise above the countys 1,500 animal-unit cap, and that there are operations of similar size in the county. 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Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1) Archived newspapers are portals to the past that give glimpses into history. Perhaps most interesting are early publications, before the days of printed photographs, when artists were heavily relied upon as storytellers. A new exhibit at the Homestead National Monument of America, installed Friday, features art and articles from 1880s eastern United States publications that illustrate westward expansion. Several of the fixtures that line the walls of the Education Center boast intricate pictorial wood engravings that were transferred onto the newspaper pages of the era. The illustrations show scenes of Native Americans' and homesteaders' lives of the time, including hunting excursions and onslaughts of prairie fires, wind storms, floods and blizzards. "The pieces show how westward expansion was interpreted by easterners," said Homestead museum technician Robin Matty. "They're so detailed. Some are just the images. I almost like those better because it leaves it up to interpretation." Several of the framed pages are from Harper's Weekly, which first published in 1857 in New York City. "The exhibit, on loan from the South Dakota State Historical Society, uses illustrated newspapers to present how the Dakotas and the events in the west were depicted to the American public," the press release of the exhibit reads. The exhibit, called "The Way They Saw Us," will be on display through July. "The 25 framed images will give visitors an idea of what methods of advertising were used to encourage people to head westward," the release reads. "They also depict the struggles settlers faced in the Dakotas. It was through these works that the idea of the 'American Wild West' was born." Homestead staff said they believe this to be the first time the collection has traveled outside of its home in South Dakota. "Historic newspapers are an invaluable resource for historians," said Superintendent Mark Engler. "This collection does a great job of highlighting not only the historical but also the artistic value of newspapers." Friday, January 6, 2017 A suspension for six months plus proof of fitness was ordered by a Colorado Hearing Board In 2014, Respondent discovered two reviews of his legal services posted on Google+ (Google Plus) by two of his former clients. The reviews were negative and disparaged his work as an attorney. Respondent posted responses to each of the reviews on Google Plus. One review, posted by T.S., mentions fees paid to Respondent and claims that Respondent did not adequately represent him. The one-paragraph review opines that Respondent is the worst attorney in Denver, that he did not call the district attorney or present T.S.s side to the prosecution, that Respondent took $3,500.00 and did nothing, that Respondent lost his temper and called T.S.s wife names, and that Respondent should be forced to terminate his law practice. Respondent responded to that review and addressed specific facts about that representation. He wrote: [T.S.] actually retained me twice, on the same case, in which he was charged with felony theft. He had been referred, to me, by a colleague, who is a former judge, deputy district attorney, mediator and private practitioner. After terminating my services, the first time, because I was unable to force the prosecutor to do his bidding, he came to realize that no lawyer has a magic wand, and rehired me on the case. As he had, before my first withdrawal, [T.S.] became nothing but abusive, demanding, insulting and offensive, and I decided to terminate my representation, as the result of his conduct. In order to earn my $3,500.00 disposition fee, I telephoned the district attorney, on numerous occasions but, as is common, among many prosecutors, the deputies never actually answered my call, and almost never returned it. It was necessary to travel outside the Denver metropolitan area, multiple times, for hearings and other court proceedings. I litigated the motion that [T.S.] insisted that I file, i.e. to dismiss, for destruction of evidence, and prosecutorial misconduct. He was not even able to substantiate the alleged facts that he presented to me, in my struggle to prevail, upon the motion. As with all ethical lawyers, it is inherently inimical, to me, to engage in conduct so base as calling either my clients, or their spouses, names. As for the practice of losing ones temper, I commend the reader to [T.S.s] own review, which constitutes nothing but defamation. A second review was ostensibly posted by a person with the first initial D., who claimed to be Respondents former client. That review, also just one paragraph in length, called Respondent one of the worst attorneys and asserted that he was late and unprepared for hearings, that he walked out of court before a hearing was over, and that he never used evidence given to him. The review does not state the type of matter in which Respondent was representing D., nor does it mention the fees paid to him. Respondent responded to this review and addressed specific facts about D.s representation: I never appeared late, for any court appearance, on behalf of [D.], and was always fully prepared, to conduct the business at hand. Logic and common sense dictate that, if I were to attempt to leave a hearing before the court had concluded it, the judge would, as it were, have my head. No such thing occurred. Likewise, it is nonsensical that a lawyer would refuse to use relevant evidence helpful to his client, especially if it is handed to him. [D.] cannot corroborate anything that she claims, because it did not happen. For all of the many hours that I spent, in vigorous defense of her, against felony assault, felony eluding of police, and driving under the influence of alcohol, [D.] paid me, with a $4,000.00 insufficient-funds check. She then committed two criminal offenses, by fabricating affidavits, which were, purportedly, executed by former (and current) relatives, forging their signatures to them, then notarizing the forged signatures, when she was no longer commissioned, as a notary public. [D.s] dishonest, fraudulent and criminal conduct speak for themselves. The T.S. representation In 2013, T.S., an itinerant preacher hired by churches in Colorado and other states to deliver sermons, retained Respondent to help him in a criminal matter. The representation ended by the middle of that year, however. T.S. was dissatisfied and posted his negative review on Avvo.com. He also created his own website, www.lanceisaac.com, to air his grievances. T.S. testified that he put up his website and posted the review to protect the citizens of Denver and to warn the community about [Respondents] behavior because, in his estimation, Respondent is not fit to be a lawyer. T.S.s review also appeared on other websites, like Google Plus, ripoffreport.com, and complaintsboard.com; T.S. said that he imaginedthough he conceded he did not know for surethat someone had replicated his review verbatim and transferred it to those other sites. In the disciplinary hearing the attorney explained his response to the bad reviews As regards his former clients, he remarked, the universe brings these people to me. This isnt my first rodeo when it comes to sociopaths and psychopaths. Ive represented several of them in my career. Concerning the People, he expressed outrage that they had initiated the investigation after going onto the web and finding his posts. He ruminated that it was not just unseemly that the People had done so, but in fact very reminiscent of Stalinist Russia, its reminiscent of Nazi Germany. Its where we go out looking: where can we find a Jew? where can we find a homosexual? where can we find somebody to do something to? He also complained that as a result of what has happened on the internet my business has plummeted. Once people start putting this kind of stuff out there about you it can end the whole game, and thats basically whats happened to me, he said. A key aggravating factor was the attorney's refusal to acknowledge the misconduct as well as extensive prior discipline. Lawyers disclosure of client confidences erodes the trust that undergirds the lawyer client relationship. That Respondent even now fails to recognize this basic truth is disquieting, and leads us to impose a sanction that provides some reassurance that, before practicing law again, he appreciates that such misconduct is inimical to a lawyers role of loyal advocate and defender. We therefore suspend Respondent for six months, with the requirement that he petition for reinstatement under C.R.C.P. 251.29(c) before resuming the practice of law. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/01/a-suspension-for-six-months-plus-proof-of-fitness-was-ordered.html China and the Vatican have held talks in recent months. Observers say the talks could lead the two sides to re-establish diplomatic ties. But if this happens, the Vatican would likely have to give up its existing ties with the government in Taiwan. China watchers say this would be a big loss for Taiwan, which currently only has official ties with a handful of small, mostly poor countries. China considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of Chinese territory, not an independent state with rights to establish foreign relations. The Chinese government bars countries it has diplomatic relations with from having official ties with Taiwan. The Roman Catholic Church operates from an independent territory within the Italian city of Rome. The territory is called Vatican City or the Holy See. It is recognized internationally as an independent state with its own government. China cut off relations with the Vatican in 1951. This was two years after Communist forces won Chinas civil war. The end of the war sent the Nationalists fleeing to Taiwan, where they set up a government. Catholics can now legally attend religious services in China. But they can only attend government-approved churches that are not controlled by the Vatican. China and the Vatican disagree over who should have power to appoint bishops. During talks between the two sides, each has sought more power to choose top church officials. Over the years, the government has closed religious centers and imprisoned some clergymen, according to reports from China. About one-third of the countrys estimated 12 million Catholics worship at underground churches. Last month, the governments head of religious affairs met with leaders of the official Catholic Church in China. He expressed hope that the Vatican would try to improve relations with the government by trying to adapt to Chinese society. Recent reports from Taiwan and Beijing have described Pope Francis as being interested in establishing relations with China. The Catholic News Agency reported in October that this had become a major effort of this papacy. But the Vaticans current ties with Taiwan could hurt its moves to re-establish ties with the government in Beijing. A possible China-Vatican agreement was set back because of the activities of a bishop who had been excommunicated by the Catholic Church. The religious leader, who was supported by the Chinese government, helped fill leadership positions in the church. Taiwans Vice President Chen Chien-jen recently described the islands current relations with the Vatican as normal. I think (Vatican) relations with Taiwan are continuing to develop in a stable way. Chen added that he understands that China is also holding talks with the Vatican on improving ties. He said it is quite important for every Catholic to seek to have the Vaticans blessings. Some experts see Beijings latest efforts to seek closer ties with the Vatican as a result of worsening relations between Taiwan and China. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen angered Chinese officials after her election in May by not agreeing to see Taiwan as part of one China. China was also angered when she called Donald Trump after he won the American presidential election. China watchers saw the call as a sign of possible closer ties between Taiwan and Trumps administration. Im Jill Robbins. Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English, with additional material from Reuters. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bishop n. high official in some Christian religious group worship v. to show respect for god by praying or attending religious services excommunicate v. to bar someone from being a member of the Catholic Church blessing n. approval by a person or group to a certain course of action adapt v. to change or make changes Over 1 million migrants arrived in Europe in 2015. Most were fleeing struggling economies and war in places like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and East Africa. Many of these people arrive in new countries and expect life to become easier almost immediately. After all, they just traveled months by foot and by boat just to get to a new country and start fresh. But when they arrive, the migrants face a world that can be confusing in many ways. Melissa Fogg is the program manager for the Philadelphia Refugee Mental Health Collaborative (PRMHC). The PRMHC is an organization that helps refugees entering the U.S. build their lives in their new country. The PRMHC teaches the refugees skills and helps them adjust to living in a different environment. Fogg told VOA that weather, language and safety issues are only some of the things that can cause problems. "A lot of immigrants and refugees when they come, they have a very idealized version of the United States from movies, magazines, the media And a lot of that is just not true. Generally, our country is very welcoming and very accepting of immigrants. But it can be a tough environment to come into, with a lot of barriers." What seems normal in one country might be illegal in another country. For example, men and woman have equal rights under the law in the U.S. There are laws about gender equality in many countries. These laws can be hard for new arrivals to understand. But that is not the only confusing thing about being in a different country. Some laws and rules are written down. You can learn about them before you arrive. But there are lots of "unwritten rules," too. Unwritten rules are behaviors that no one talks about, but that most people understand. People in a host country might think their behavior is normal, while newcomers might find it offensive or inappropriate. Fogg said that these differences can make becoming part of a new culture seem impossible. "When people come to a new country, at first theyre very excited... Shortly after that, there is reality that sets in. Americas not a perfect country..." But, after some time and a lot of work, most new arrivals begin to feel like they belong, Fogg said. Also, it is important to know that not all differences are major. Often there can be small differences between places that share a border and a language. A person from Canada might find people in the United States are less polite. Likewise, Americans might find Canadians too reserved. Fogg and VOA worked together to create a list of five important issues any new arrival to the U.S. should know about. Be "on time." In some cultures, time is not a big issue. If you tell your friend to meet you at 2 p.m. and you arrive at 2:45 p.m., there is no problem. In the U.S., people feel that being on time is a sign of respect. If you are late by more than a few minutes, people will think you do not care. They will feel you are wasting their time. They will take your lateness as an insult. Being on time is even more important in a professional or formal situation, such as a job interview or when you plan to see a doctor. Be sure you always "tip." In many countries, after you eat at a restaurant, you only pay the amount shown on the bill. But, in the U.S., people who work in restaurants and bars often earn a low hourly wage. So, they try to provide excellent service, hoping the customer will give them a tip, meaning a little extra. Tips are extra money you pay above the cost of the meal. People in the U.S. tip between 15 percent and 20 percent of the bill. You also give tips to taxi drivers, hotel employees and the people who cut your hair. Be careful what you say. Any place you go there will be some things that are appropriate to talk about and some things that are not. Would you talk about how good you feel with a person who is very sick? Probably not. In addition, many people in the U.S. can feel strongly about some topics that people in other cultures have no problem discussing. Assuming that people have the same beliefs as you is a bad idea. In the past decade, people in the U.S. have become more open about discussing strong political and religious views. But it is still best to listen to people share their opinions first and then decide about sharing your own. Also, there are several topics you should avoid asking questions about: how much money a person makes and if they are married. But if a person offers this information, then there is no problem. Be aware of "personal space." Physical contact is the best way to show someone they are your friend or loved one in some cultures. Other cultures feel that showing affection in public is highly inappropriate. People in the U.S. fall somewhere in the middle on this issue. Two people usually do not kiss when saying Hello, unless they are family members or very close friends. Shaking hands is the most common thing to do when meeting someone. Also, people in the U.S. dislike it when strangers stand very near them. Be polite for the situation. People in the U.S. define being polite in very special ways. For example, waiting in line involves a strong set of rules in this country. You must wait until the people in front of you have done what they are waiting to do. When going through a door, the person behind you expects you to hold the door for them. Also, it is common for people you do not know to say some form of hello to you when passing you. But this does not always mean they are inviting you to stop and talk for a long time. Many times the person is just being friendly. If you dont say hello back to them they may think you are being unfriendly. You should examine the situation and think about what you want to do next. Im Dan Friedell. And Im Pete Musto. Dan Friedell and Pete Musto wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck and George Grow were the editors. We want to hear from you. What are some situations you faced while visiting the U.S. that you were not prepared for? What are some things people should know about the culture before visiting your country? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story migrant(s) n. a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work confusing adj. difficult to understand adjust v. to change in order to work or do better in a new situation tough adj. very difficult to do or deal with set(s) in p.v. to begin to be present or show something unpleasant or unwanted that often lasts for a long time polite adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people reserved adj. not openly expressing feelings or opinions customer n. someone who buys goods or services from a business assuming v. thinking that something is true or probably true without knowing that it is true LEXINGTON John Wightman is remembered as someone who cared deeply for people and served well. Wightman died in Lexington on Thursday at the age of 78 after being transported to Lexington Regional Health Center. He was number one a very good man, someone who cared very deeply about Lexington, the county and state, said John Fagot, mayor of Lexington. Dawson County District Court Judge James Doyle IV said Wightman was a servant and listener of two of his defining characteristics. Doyle worked in the same law office as Wightman for 19 years before being appointed a judge in 2001. Wightman served two terms in the Nebraska Legislature representing District 36, from 2007-2015, and was unable to run for re-election in 2014 due to term limits. He served on the Lexington City Council from 1974 to 1978 and again from 1984 to 2000, including two years as mayor. He also was on the Lexington Planning Commission, Dawson Area Development Board of Directors and the Lexington Council of Economic Development. Wightman was a founding member of the Lexington Community Foundation and had served on its board in some capacity since 1982. He dedicated his life to his faith, his family and service to others, said Jackie Berke, executive director of the Lexington Community Foundation, who worked with Wightman for 18 years at the foundation. His contributions to this state, this community, and more directly to this foundation, are commendable. We will miss his direction, his expertise and moreover, his friendship, she said. Fagot said Wightman was his mentor and friend. He taught me a lot when I came on to the council in 1994, he said. Even when he went to Lincoln, he and I had conversations weekly. Doyle said Wightman was an ethical and decent attorney and a somewhat rare genuinely good person. Because he knew the law well, attorneys who went up against him in a case had to be careful and well prepared, said Doyle. However, because Wightman was ethical and kind he didnt take advantage of people. Doyle said Wightman was also a good counselor for people because of his dogged analysis of problems and creative and innovative approach to solutions. Doyle said Wightman was a servant who took the approach of not doing what was on his agenda, but what the people he represented wanted. He said Wightman was willing to listen, and was careful and considerate because he listened well. I will always be grateful for his friendship and mentoring, said Doyle. I will miss him. Fagot said Wightmans fingerprints are all over Lexington. Two physical examples are the Lexington Family Aquatic Center and Optimist Recreation Complex. He was the leader that got the half cent sales tax put together, said Fagot, of funding for the swimming pool built in 1996 linked to school improvements and a bond issue. Without him I dont think we would have got that, said Fagot. Many people probably dont know that John Wightman donated the property where Optimist park is located, added Fagot. Fagot said the city of Lexington will fly flags half-staff on Tuesday, the day of the funeral, in honor of Wightman and citizens of Lexington are invited to do the same. Archived Results for Saturday, January 7th, 2017 Older Page 1 New owners of an Italian restaurant in Cozad are honored to carry on the restaurant's name and tradition of delicious and fresh authentic Italian food. Mark and Ines Diaz of Lexington, husband and wife, assumed ownership of Bella Italia in November. Although ownership has changed, the menu has not thanks to extensive training provided by chef Mohamed Aboushady, known as Shadi, who established the restaurant in 2003. Mark Diaz said he is committed to offer the same fine dining experience customers have come to expect. He said Shadi has shared more than recipes, mentoring him in techniques and sharing his zeal for creating delicious food. "Anybody can see a list of ingredients, but if you don't have the technique down it can taste 180-degrees different. It's important to me that the flavor stays the same," said Mark. "He (Shadi) continues to give me incredible support, even though contractually he's not obligated to be here any more," said Diaz, on a day when he was making split pea soup and Shadi dropped by to check on things. "He's such a great help to me, teaching me things in the kitchen. I appreciate that." "I was looking for somebody to continue this restaurant that I spent 13 years building. I felt bad to have it close," said Shadi, noting that his health and reduced stamina following open heart surgery required a change. The restaurant has a reputation and a following. It is included in an Internet list of "20 Restaurants You Have to Visit In Nebraska Before You Die" and appears first because restaurants are listed alphabetically. Shadi said the food is good because of the use of fresh quality ingredients, including DeCecco pasta imported from Italy. The scallops, garlic and herbs are fresh and homegrown in the summer. The bread is made in-house. "It is grade A for everythingnot just olive oil, but extra virgin olive oil, real butter," said Shadi. "There are no short cuts here. That's how it goes. I learned from my mom." Shadi said he is pleased that Mark has taken over. "He listens, he said. "If they didn't see, they would think it was me," said Shadi of the food Mark now prepares. Mark said customers have spoken favorably of the food following a period of official training. "We've been getting a lot of good feedback these last few weeks," said Mark. He has prior experience working as a chef from earlier in life, when he worked at Chinese restaurants in Texas. Additionally, he has always liked to cook. Victor Diaz, Marks brother, said Mark is the family member who has always cooked for everyone else. "I knew his passion for cooking and that he talked about his desire to cook, have a restaurant," said Victor, who was instrumental in arranging for Shadi and Mark to meet. Victor now helps with the front end of restaurant operations. Last spring Victor had a conversation with a Lexington Chamber of Commerce member and became aware that Shadi and and his wife Becky were looking for new owners for Bella Italia because Shadis health required him to cut back on work. Victor said he casually met with Shadi out of curiosity, and when he learned there were no other perspective buyers, he arranged for his brother Mark to meet Shadi too. Mark said the transfer of ownership began with serious negotiations at the beginning of October and by mid-November "it was all said and done." "The place didn't close between owners," said Mark. "It was a seamless transition," said Victor. Victor said he has heard speculation that the menu would change now that a Hispanic man is owner, but that is not the plan. The menu is the same. "Bella Italia is known from Omaha to Colorado. We have people who plan their road trips around Bella Italia's hours," he said. "We always have people from out of town," observed Mark. He said his wife, Ines, notices license plates and the numerous out of area and out of state visitors. "That's the kind of following he (Shadi) has built. That's something we take seriously, taking care of these long time customers," said Mark. Bella Italia was established in 2003 by the Aboushadys. The couple met in 1996 when Becky was vacationing in New York and found herself returning to Shadi's restaurant daily. Shadi was reportedly Rudy Giulianis favorite chef and they are pictured together in a photo displayed in Bella Italia. Shadi said his New York restaurant was a block from ground zero and was noticeably impacted by 9/11 so in the aftermath he decided to relocate to Nebraska, where Becky is from. "I spent four months doing nothing. I got crazy," he said, noting he had planned to retire. The couple looked at opening a restaurant in some of Nebraskas bigger cities, but settled on Cozad because it was Becky's hometown and there was a vacant building. Shadi was born in Egypt and as a child moved with his family to Italy where he was raised by a mother who loved to cook. He was later trained in restaurant work in both Italy and New York City. Bella Italia is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended and customers should note that because the food is cooked fresh, made to order dining is a two to three hour experience with the possibility of multiple courses. "Our guests know they're not going to be here for 45 minutes," said Victor. "Everything is so excellent. We have wonderful seafood dishes. Being so far from the ocean, we still manage to get fresh seafood in and the recipes are amazing," said Mark, when asked if he had a favorite food. Bella Italia can be contacted at 308-784-3100. 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". From left, Wells Fargos Mark Vitner, UNC Charlottes John Connaughton, Appalachian State Universitys Harry Davis, N.C. State Universitys Michael Walden, and Capital Tonight host Tom Boyum discuss North Carolinas economic forecast during a forum hosted by the N.C. Chamber and the N.C. Bankers Association on Wednesday. (CJ photo by Barry Smith) DURHAM Economists on Wednesday said they expected North Carolina's economy to grow somewhat in 2017, but they cautioned against counting on a robust growth during the coming year.The panel of economists presented their observations to business leaders gathered at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center during an economic forecast forum hosted by the N.C. Chamber and the N.C. Bankers Association Tim Boyum, host of Time Warner Cable's Capital Tonight , moderated the panel made up of Harry Davis , an economist and professor at Appalachian State University; Michael Walden , a professor at N.C. State University; Mark Vitner , an economist at Wells Fargo, and John Connaughton , a professor at UNC Charlotte.Davis said the business climate in Washington, D.C., will improve with President-elect Donald Trump moving into the White House. He said the president can do a lot of things through executive orders, such as whittling down regulations on businesses.Davis said.Vitner, who joked that he's "paying attention to Twitter now" since Trump tweets frequently, said Trump's tax policy, regulatory reform, and conservative Supreme Court justices could help improve the business climate.Walden noted that while North Carolina lagged behind other states during the first five years after the Great Recession, the state's economy has picked up steam in the past couple years.Walden said. He said he expects the state's economy to grow even faster this year, partly because of the number of people moving to North Carolina from other states.While the state's economy is growing, the economists said the fallout from House Bill 2 remains a problem for the state's growth.Connaughton said. "Its possible that you havent run into the stories of Lou Antonelli. Since 2003, hes been publishing delightful short tales of alternate history all over the nooks and crannies of the SF world. Thanks to Fantastic Books, we now have 28 of these little gems in one place. "Many of Antonellis stories have an unexpected twist ending. And many of them are what he calls secret history stories, which arent exactly alternate historytheyre set in our familiar history, but theres always some element that contemporary observers missed. " - - Don Sakers, The Reference Library, Analog July-Aug. 2014 A better path develops for a distraught man in Double Exposure by Lou Antonelli (debut 6/11 and reviewed by Frank D). Jake is about to end it all. He has been trying to keep his high maintenance wife happy for decades and has needed to embezzle to satisfy her spending habits. Now, on the verge of indictment and abandoned by his spouse, he buys a gun. Before he pulls the trigger, he spies a Kodak one-day photo hut. Curious, he pulls up to the window. They are holding pictures of him and his last girlfriend from 30 years before. The package is a lot thicker than it should be. Double Exposure is listed as an Alternative History story but I would classify it as a Magical Realism tale. It is set as a second chance tale, a look into a life that should have been. The author is inspired by his memories of the old photo huts (I remember them) and of their disappearance. A cool idea (photos of another life), one that I could imagine would make for a great anthology. - Frank Dutkiewicz, Diabolical Plots Great White Ship: A traveler stuck waiting for a flight strikes up a conversation with an old airline employee. The Old Timer tells him a story of a Great White Airship that arrives from a most unusual destination. The story of a craft from an alternate reality and how it got there is only the precursor to the final act. This is one of my favorite stories from this site. I have a great passion for lighter-than-air craft and their potential as a future means of transport, which opens the story. The author uses this speculation to launch into an engaging tale. As fascinating as the main story line is, the alternate history premise that accompanies it is just as worthwhile. This story was well written and very well thought out. It is well worth the read. Recommended. - James Hanzelka, Diabolical Plots The Legal Theory Bookworm recommends Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy by Hidetaka Hirota. Here is a description: Historians have long assumed that immigration to the United States was free from regulation until anti-Asian racism on the West Coast triggered the introduction of federal laws to restrict Chinese immigration in the 1880s. Studies of European immigration and government control on the East Coast have, meanwhile, focused on Ellis Island, which opened in 1892. In this groundbreaking work, Hidetaka Hirota reinterprets the origins of immigration restriction in the United States, especially deportation policy, offering the first sustained study of immigration control conducted by states prior to the introduction of federal immigration law. Faced with the influx of impoverished Irish immigrants over the first half of the nineteenth century, nativists in New York and Massachusetts built upon colonial poor laws to develop policies for prohibiting the landing of destitute foreigners and deporting those already resident to Europe, Canada, or other American states. These policies laid the foundations for federal immigration law. By investigating state officials' practices of illegal removal, including the overseas deportation of citizens, this book reveals how the state-level treatment of destitute immigrants set precedents for the use of unrestricted power against undesirable aliens. It also traces the transnational lives of the migrants from their initial departure from Ireland and passage to North America through their expulsion from the United States and postdeportation lives in Europe, showing how American deportation policy operated as part of the broader exclusion of nonproducing members from societies in the Atlantic world. By locating the roots of American immigration control in cultural prejudice against the Irish and, more essentially, economic concerns about their poverty in nineteenth-century New York and Massachusetts, Expelling the Poor fundamentally revises the history of American immigration policy. And from the reviews: "Expelling the Poor is the first book-length treatment of how antebellum immigration restriction emerged from centuries-old restrictions on the residence and mobility of the poor. In showing how indigent Irish migrants in the nineteenth century were shunted between the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland, Hirota contributes towards rethinking the historiography of immigration restriction in the United States, which has conventionally dated the beginnings of immigration restriction to the Chinese Exclusion laws of the 1880s. This is a major accomplishment."--Kunal Parker, author of Making Foreigners: Immigration and Citizenship Law in America, 1600-2000 "An essential contribution to the history of immigration law in the United States, Hirota's meticulously researched volume traces the evolution of municipal and state immigration policies and practices designed to exclude undesirable trans-Atlantic migrants, especially Irish Catholic paupers, from New York and Massachusetts, before and during the Civil War. Tackling a long understudied chapter in America's peopling, Hirota adeptly demonstrates how state restrictions designed to exclude those deemed potential public charges and culturally too alien for assimilation eventually became the foundation of the federal government's plenary power over immigration and later patterns of exclusion and deportation."--Alan M. Kraut, author of Silent Travelers, Germs, Genes, and the "Immigrant Menace" "Meticulously researched and compellingly written, Expelling the Poor traces the evolution of state and local immigration regulation on the Atlantic seaboard over the course of the nineteenth century. With his uniquely comprehensive analysis of this key formative period, Hidetaka Hirota offers an essential new perspective on how federal immigration law came to be what it is today."--Hiroshi Motomura, author of Americans in Waiting and Immigration Outside the Law "In Expelling the Poor, Hidetaka Hirota uncovers the forgotten story of the tens of thousands of Irish immigrants who were deported from the United States in the mid-nineteenth century solely because they were poor. It is a great book on a vitally important and timely subject."--Tyler Anbinder, author of City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York "Hidetaka Hirota's Expelling the Poor is an exceptional, deeply researched, and timely study that transforms our understanding of U.S. immigration history and of Irish American studies. Shockingly, Hirota demonstrates that in the mid-nineteenth century Massachusetts and New York officials, inspired by nativism, anti-Catholicism, and what would now be called neoliberalism, excluded and/or deported roughly 100,000 would-be immigrants to the United States: mostly Irish paupers, many of them helpless widows and orphans, often expelled in the cruelest and most autocratic manner. As Hirota also shows, these vicious state policies were later adopted on the federal level, and, indeed, they are implemented today against the immigrants and refugees that US economic and foreign policies have uprooted from their homes."--Kerby A. Miller, author of Emigrants and Exiles: Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America Blood, pain, earth shaking explosions: William Golliher knows about these. Golliher experienced hell in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now the Flagstaff man, like millions of war veterans across the ages, carries that hell within him. His journey continues as he struggles to find a new normal. Critical to that process, he said, is the company of other veterans. Marine veteran Ralph Boyer knows Golliher through the Marine League Charities Flagstaff group. What you have is a hero here, Boyer said. Thats what. Golliher immediately protests. I dont consider myself a hero. I did a tour in Iraq and in Afghanistan, he said. Golliher proudly traces his family's military history back to a soldier in the Revolutionary War and continuing unbroken through subsequent conflicts involving the United States. His grandfather fought in World War II. His father is a United States Coast Guard veteran. In Iraq in 2005-06, as an army combat medic assigned to sappers (sappers go first, clear the obstacles, clear the land mines so the infantry can follow), he attended to wounded soldiers, hunted IEDs, survived the focus of an infamous sniper, and helped save more than 2,500 lives. One day, when an interpreter failed to show up for work, his platoon went to the mans house. The entire family had been executed, shot in the back of the head. They had been working with the man to help him and his family immigrate to the United States. Youve seen the worst of the worst of humanity and you dont ever want to see that kind of horror any more, he said of his time in Iraq. We went over there to help. We needed to be there, he said of American troops in Iraq. In 2008, he was sent to Afghanistan. Again with the sappers, he was among the first American forces to go into the Kharwar Valley, a Taliban hotbed. Twenty-five soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were assigned to patrol the valley. They endured multiple ambushes and firefights. Then came June 8, when Golliher experienced a new circle of hell when his platoon of 18 men was ambushed by 300 Taliban fighters. Under heavy fire, their vehicles on fire, his leg broken and throat cut by shrapnel, Gollihers only thought was to do his job as a medic and help his wounded brothers. Then I get to Mick, he said. His friend, Kevin "Mick" McClusky was severely wounded and trapped in a burning vehicle. Theyre pulling Mick out. Both his legs were gone. His right arm was mangled. The right part of his face was blown off, one eye hanging out. Were under fire, expecting rocket fire. Golliher, himself injured, dragged his friend away from the vehicle and desperately tried to get an IV into him. After having to to shoot a needle into Micks heart through his chest, Golliher heard a pop and threw himself on top of McClusky to protect him. He woke up 20 minutes later. I was blown apart, he said. But still he went back to work, laboring for more than an hour while his friend begged him to kill him. The fight was still raging when helicopters finally arrived to evacuate the wounded. Putting his patients, including McClusky who survived, on the chopper, Golliher refused to board the aircraft. He continued fighting. Charging a hill (they were at 10,000 feet elevation) with 80-plus pound backpacks, the 13 remaining American soldiers eliminated three machine gun nests and took the top of the hill. We held it for 48 hours before any kind of relief, he said. (It) almost came down to hand to hand. I was out of ammo, everyone was low. I know myself I killed over 80 men that day. It was me or them. A full three days after the initial attack, helicopters were finally sent in to evacuate the men. Despite being able to function through the battle, Gollihers wounds were eventually revealed to be far graver then he had imagined. The trauma to his brain from having a 500-pound bomb explode just 10 meters away slowly began to reveal itself. Originally sent to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to have a crushed hand repaired, tests soon revealed severe brain lesions. He was diagnosed with severe PTSD. Golliher lost the ability to function. He had to be bathed, clothed and fed. He couldnt see or speak. He has no memory of an entire year. His stay at the hospital lasted 18 months as he slowly worked toward rehabilitation. Golliher said he had wonderful care at Walter Reed but follow-up care through the VA has been frustrating at best. He carries a suitcase of medical records with him to every appointment. He pays more than $500 out of pocket a month for his treatment because he cant count on help from the VA. Despite this, he has found healing through family and community. Although he cant work, he keeps busy volunteering. Last September he got married. His wife, Philan Tree, just found out shes pregnant. Golliher has trouble concentrating but has found it helps him to keep to a routine. His wife and a service dog are constant companions. But his biggest source of support, he said, is other veterans who speak the same language. He has a support network of veterans who understand what he has had to live through and the nightmares he now has to live with. Were all brothers. In all services, he said. The week before Christmas he was headed to Seligman to help the Marine League Charities Toys for Tots helicopter toys into Supai village. Every week he meets with other vets. He encourages other vets to come to the American Legion or VFW to get help or to offer an understanding ear. Sometimes the help that you need is to help others, he said. The Marine Corps League invites veterans from all services to meet every Thursday morning at 9:30 at Miz Zip's. If he could do it all over, would he do it again? In a heartbeat, he said without a pause. Its about the country. Its not about us. We go through a lot of stuff but its for the people. For freedom. A panel of federal judges has denied a request from North Carolina lawmakers to delay an order to redraw state House and Senate districts by no later than March 15 and hold special legislative elections later this year.This upholds a ruling by the court Nov. 29.In August , the three-judge panel ruled that nine state Senate districts and 19 state House districts were "racial gerrymanders," in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Since the order came so close to the November 2016 elections, the court begrudgingly allowed the 2016 legislative elections to take place under the challenged maps drawn in 2011.However, the court ruled that the state could no longer use the maps after November 2016.Wynn wrote the opinion throwing out the legislative districts and an order setting a March 15, 2017, deadline for the General Assembly to draw new legislative districtsWynn's original order was joined by District Court Judges Thomas Schroeder and Catherine Eagles. That same panel ruled again Wednesday.Lawmakers, as well as former Gov. Pat McCrory, have appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.The judges, in the latest ruling, wrote: Tampa International Airport took extra security precautions Friday following the deadly shooting at Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. Police officers patrolled public areas in the airport Flights to Ft. Lauderdale International Airport canceled Police officers were spotted in what officials call public areas with large guns across their chests and police dogs. Those areas included baggage claim, ticketing counters and any areas outside of TSA. Ft. Lauderdale bound passenger Dawn Jones said shes not taking any of this lightly. This just keeps me on my Ps and Qs to make sure Im well alert to whats going on around me, said Jones, who was headed to Fort Lauderdale to help plan a fundraiser for less fortunate girls in Jamaica. Now she has to find another way there because her flight was canceled. Im trying to make some connections with other airlines to see how I can get there," said Jones. "Southwest has terminated all their flights for the weekend. So in lieu of that Ive got to find a way to get there tomorrow by at least tomorrow morning." Amy Koltnows flight was canceled, too. But her biggest worry was her husband, who works at Fort Lauderdale airport. Immediately wanted to make sure he wasnt hurt, because he works in Fort Lauderdale," Koltnow said. "So I called him and he said he was fine, he wasnt at work. Koltnow was still left to find a ride home. She was secretly hoping the airport would reopen before her flight at eight oclock Friday night. But Linda Howerton, also left stranded by a canceled flight, wasnt as optimistic. Evidently that flight was coming up from Ft. Lauderdale, picking up here in Tampa and then going to Las Vegas. So evidently we are not getting our plane from Ft. Lauderdale, said Howerton. "So well have to see what happens next. I think were probably going to go home for the evening and then try again tomorrow." Airport officials are advising any passengers heading to the airport to check with the airline before heading out. By Zachary Fagenson | FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A gunman believed to be an Iraq war veteran opened fire at a baggage carousel at Fort Lauderdale's international airport on Friday, killing five people before being taken into custody, officials and witnesses said.Five people died and eight were wounded, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters at the airport, where air traffic was shut down.The gunman had arrived on a flight with a checked gun in his bag, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter. The shooter claimed his bag and went to the bathroom to load the gun before coming out and firing, LaMarca said.Cellphone video posted on social media showed victims on the floor next to a carousel, with people on their knees attempting to provide aid. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds.The shooter was unharmed as law enforcement officers never fired a shot, Israel said, adding it was too early to assign a motive."At this point, it looks like he acted alone," Israel said.Nonetheless, he said "this scene is considered fluid and active" as police searched the airport.The shooter was identified as Esteban Santiago, 26, and had a U.S. military identification, according to a spokesman for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, who spoke with officials at the Transportation Security Administration.A 26-year-old by the name of Esteban Santiago was honourably discharged from the Army National Guard last year and served in Iraq, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The shooter, who wore a "Star Wars" T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. He appeared to use a 9 mm handgun, which he tossed aside upon running out of ammunition, surrendering to police, MSNBC reported.The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by militants with an extreme view of Islam, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed who have easy access to weapons under U.S. gun laws.About 90 minutes after the attack, panic broke out anew with passengers and police running frantically about at a separate terminal, but Israel said there were no other reports of shots being fired.John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, described the shooter as a slender man who was "directly firing at us" while passengers waited for their bags."I put my head down and prayed," Schlicher said, adding that his wife gave first aid to someone who had been shot in the head. His mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said. Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC "there was no rhyme or reason to it.""He didn't say anything, he was quiet the whole time, he didn't yell anything," Lea said.Security officials corralled dozens of passengers in several groups.Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway, with Miami International Airport known as the primary airport for international flights in the area. HISTORY OF SHOOTINGS Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma City's airport in what police called a premeditated act.The deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.One of the most shocking was in 2012, when a man entered an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, and shot dead 20 first-graders and six adults.Attackers have exploited security officials' focus on preventing attacks on airplanes rather than inside airports. In Western Europe and the United States, terminals are easily accessible public spaces. But at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, widely seen as a model for security, private companies trained by the national security agency use bomb-detectors, profile passengers and question travellers under the watch of police at the airport's entrance. (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins, Letitia Stein, Jeffrey Dastin, Joseph Ax, Jonathan Allen, Gina Cherelus and Laila Kearney; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. At least two more cases of molestation have been reported after the incident of a woman being groped and assaulted by two scooter-borne men was highlighted in the media. In the first incident, a young woman was allegedly attacked by a man early morning on Friday in North Bengaluru's KG Haali residential area as she was on her way to work, reported NDTV. The man allegedly grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. Another report in The Times of India said that the woman suffered injuries, including a cut on her tongue, as she resisted the molester. In the second incident, a woman was allegedly molested while returning from the gym on Wednesday. Times Now reported that some boys on a motorcycle allegedly tried to pull her T-shirt. The woman has now lodged a police complaint. These incidents have come to light merely a week after several women were molested and groped and lewd remarks passed by miscreants on MG Road and Brigade Road on New Year's Eve on 31 December night, despite the presence of 1,500 police personnel. The incident drew flak from many quarters even as Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stoked a controversy by blaming the youngsters "western ways" for the incidents. These remarks came in for flak even as the National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam flayed the minister, demanding his resignation. With inputs from PTI A few months ago, foreign tourists were seen near Bengaluru's Varthur lake, clicking pictures. The notoriety of the foaming lakes of India's Silicon Valley had earned it a spot among the must-see tourist spots of the city, making the lake a visual symbol of the degradation of Bengaluru's environment. And today, Varthur is foaming again. The timing couldn't be worse, as Bengaluru is playing host to thousands of NRIs and foreign delegates, who have descended upon the city for the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas from January 7 to 9. To top it, Bengaluru has already been in the news for all the wrong reasons since the alleged mass molestation on Brigade Road on New Year's Eve and the Kammanahalli molestation case in which four persons were arrested. Bengaluru is enveloped by the winter chill and you may even be excused if you are cheated into thinking the foaming lakes are an expanse of snow. From a distance, floating in the air, they look white, light and fluffy. Step closer and the flakes stink. The city's administration does not realise that hell hath no fury like the Earth scorned. The froth provides the optics of the fury of Varthur, Yemlur and Bellandur, the latter being the largest lake in Bengaluru. Most of these water bodies are hemmed in all on sides by residential complexes, whose waste finds its way into the lakes. The fish have all been killed, and the lakes are a den of mosquitoes. Bengalureans blame civic apathy and their inability to police the city. They point out that the administration engages only in firefighting by putting up fencing around the lakes, which only helps the contractors and does little to prevent foaming in the lakes or prevent it from coming on to the main road. "Environmental molestation of Bengaluru's lakes has been going on for a decade now," says V Balasubramanian, former additional chief secretary of Karnataka, and a leading environmentalist. "Of the 25 lakh odd properties in Bengaluru, the Water Supply and Sewerage Board covers only 10 lakh. The rest simply dump their sewage into the water bodies, contaminating them and leading to the phenomenon of foaming." Bengaluru generates about 1,100 million litres of sewage everyday but has installed sewage treatment capacity of just 780 million litres. Even that does not help, however, as only 450 million litres of sewage is actually collected and sent to the treatment plants. This means 650 million litres of untreated sewage is discharged into the water bodies. This is how Bengaluru is killed through slow poison. Everyday. Which is why civic groups like Whitefield Rising are lamenting that the government spends on hosting an international event trying to impress NRIs while turning a blind eye to the plight of resident Indians. They have been mobilising public opinion about heavy pollution in the city for years now. From 200-plus tanks in Bengaluru half a century ago, only 90-odd remain now. Environmentalists point out that it is quite possible that a majority of these would be lost in the next five years. "On one hand, you have global cutting edge work happening here, but on the other, basic concerns like security and health are not taken care of," says K Elangovan, a member of Whitefield Rising. "The government is so disengaged that it is frustrating. When you talk of Karnataka facing one of the worst droughts, the least you should do is conserve this valuable resource of water that we have in Bengaluru." When Cyclone Vardah hit Chennai in December, Bengaluru's lakes felt the heat. When it rains, the water gets churned, mixing up the effluents and causing the froth to come up. Scientists explain that the ammonia and phosphate levels in the water go up due to untreated sewage and effluents flowing in, causing a reduction in dissolved oxygen. That causes the froth formation. The government has done little except blame the washing habits of residents for the foam. Technically, it's not off the mark, as the phosphate that is used by detergents to soften the hard water, along with the foaming agents, causes froth. But to blame the residents is also a way to shut up civic protest. Instead it should get authorities, including the Pollution Control Board, to put in systems which do not give permissions to constructions that will pollute. Efforts to mobilise CSR funds to set up sewage treatment plants have not met with much success. Citizen groups say this is because it is again the government that has to clear roadblocks like allocating land. After the 31 December incident, the Karnataka home minister promised to install 5,000 CCTVs across Bengaluru to improve citizen's safety. Using the same yardstick, if Bengaluru's environment is to be saved, the Karnataka government needs to be put under surveillance too. The General Assembly must approve any plans to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, which may no longer exist even if the governor's plan survives court challenges "Medicaid is bankrupting our nation. For every $1 North Carolina spends on its Medicaid program, it triggers almost an additional $2 from the feds. The open-ended match rate strongly incentivizes legislators to push for additional coverage options and extended eligibility since the feds cover a majority of the tab. On the flip side, Medicaid's flawed funding is just as much of a disincentive for states to scale down on the size of their programs, since a majority of savings accrues back to Washington. "If North Carolina were to expand Medicaid eligibility for those under 138 percent of the poverty line - $16,000 for an individual - who currently do not qualify for the program - 82 percent are able-bodied, childless adults - the federal government promises to fully fund the cost until 2017. At that point, states will take on some of the financing, maxing out at 10 percent starting in 2020 ... "Starting in 2020, expansion would cost North Carolina $6 billion over the next decade. That comes out to an extra $600 million per year. In the long-term, this will either lead to a reduction in provider payments, diverting resources from other important parts of the budget such as education or transportation, or tax increases." Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday he will, by asking Washington to amend the state's Medicaid plan, expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act.He made the announcement during the 15th Annual Economic Forecast Forum, sponsored by the North Carolina Chamber and the North Carolina Bankers Association.Cooper's ploy may draw cheers from the Left, and kudos from hospitals claiming a new source of "free" money, but it will fail. Because it's illegal. Senate Bill 4 , passed in 2013, says unequivocally,Clear enough?We had read a rumor, originated through an email by the conservative Carolina Partnership for Reform, that Cooper planned to issue an executive order expanding Medicaid.We, through our sources, independently confirmed the rumor, although the mechanism Cooper will use is different.Cooper confirmed the rumor himself Wednesday.As Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, who chairs the Senate committee governing health care policy, told our Dan Way, Cooper can do nothing to expand Medicaid under Obamacare without the General Assembly's approval. Hise even tried to give the new governor a civics lesson, saying,The move is on its face unnecessarily confrontational and at its core the metaphorical sharpened sword, a sign of a politically rancorous four years on Jones Street.So far, 31 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income, disabled, and some elderly people. Progressive states jumped on the chance to expand the federal health-care program with the theoretical idea of saving money and offering care to millions of uninsured citizens.But that hasn't happened.Lawmakers, meaning members of the General Assembly, are responsible for enacting laws and distributing state money. The coming order also further removes private insurers from the equation and, thus, limits options for patients while severing ties with a free market, which is already hamstrung by Obamacare.Private insurers have retreated from the North Carolina market - Blue Cross Blue Shield is the lone statewide provider - and premiums and health-care costs, for individuals and business, continue to increase.Nineteen states, including North Carolina, have decided against expansion, preferring to rely on the market and other provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act to take care of their residents.The federal government - and eventually the states, through taxpayers - fund Medicaid, but the money simply isn't there and, in turn, expands an already bloated federal deficit.As Katherine Restrepo, director of health care policy at the John Locke Foundation, wrote in January 2016:In Ohio, as another example, Medicaid expansion under Gov. John Kasich has cost taxpayers $7 billion in a little more than two years, wrote Jason Hart of Watchdog.org in March of last year.Hart wrote.Perhaps Cooper hopes to win some sort of constitutional showdown with the General Assembly and eventually prevail in the state Supreme Court which has a 4-3 Democratic majority, thanks to the election of new Associate Justice Mike Morgan.But even if Cooper wins that lengthy battle, there may be no Obamacare to use as a vehicle for Medicaid expansion.President-elect Trump has promised to repeal Obamacare, and many Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, appear equally committed to ending the ACA as it stands.Cooper has jumped into the fire, sword in hand. But he's wrong, and he's going to lose. Prime Minister Narendra Modis charisma and two of his actions taken in the closing months of 2016 Indian Armys strike across the Line of Control (LoC) at terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and demonetisation make for a recipe for success for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled to take place between February and March. The proceedings of the two-day national executive meet of BJP in New Delhi is a clear pointer to that. To that add the partys pro-poor tilt or Antodyaya, a term championed by its foremost ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhaya whose birthday it is celebrating, and the BJP leadership feels that its public narrative to seek yet another popular endorsement for the party and Modi is complete. A major part of party president Amit Shahs speech and the political resolution passed at the meet are focussed on those same issues. Around the time when one thought that demonetization was the singular most important issue, agitating public mind and creating political discourse, Shah got back to talking at length about strikes across LoC, an action which inflamed passion and had swung national mood to assertive nationalism. If with the passage of time, people forgot Rahul Gandhis khoon ki dalali charge against Modi and Arvind Kejriwals demand for submission of proof by the BJP government for strikes across LoC, the BJP leadership made a conscious attempt make these a part of the electoral discourse. Remember, how popular passion had flown high and both Gandhi and Kejriwal had to face the brunt of popular opinion for making such undesirable remarks. Out of five states which are going to the polls, with the exception of Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and Congress are pitted against each other in Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttrakhand. The Aam Admi Party is making the fight triangular in Goa and Punjab. Now, the Indian army connect is very strong in Punjab and Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh has seen the arrival of coffins of martyred soldiers due to terror attacks and firings along the LoC. The BJP, however, is conscious of keeping referring to the valor of the armed forces. Its political resolution said the surgical strikes executed with utmost precision by our armed forces have shown to the world that India is led by a government today that is committed to securing its borders and interests with determination and will power. The national executive congratulates the prime minister and his other concerned ministerial colleagues for the bold decision of responding appropriately to the terror tactics of our recalcitrant neighbour. We salute our brave soldiers for valiantly fighting and laying down their lives to secure our borders and honour. That the strikes have had the required effect on our neighbour can be gauged from the fact that there is near normal silence on the Indo-Pak border in the last few weeks". Both Modi and Shah are aware that demonetisation (and its actual and potential impact) is the biggest talking point in the country. As such it would be guiding people's mind how they have been impacted and whether or not their lives would be impacted in times to come when they go out to vote between 4 February and 8 March. It was thus important to fill them with confidence and feed the gathered party leaders with enough talking points so that they could lead the charge on behalf of the party in their respective areas. Shah talked about 75 approval ratings in various surveys that the party or other agencies conducted. What is interesting to note is that the BJP is not shying away from letting these elections be called a referendum on demonetisation. It is in fact propping such debates. After the results of the civic agencies polls in Chandigarh were announced, Shah had called it an endorsement of Modis demonetisation move. On Friday, he spoke of it in his presidential address at the national executive meet of the party. This formed a major chunk of political resolution. It said that the BJP has registered convincing victories in the by-elections held for the Lok Sabha and different Vidhan Sabhas in states like Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. Its performance in Left-dominated Tripura, where the BJP is slowly but surely emerging as a credible alternative to the Left front, pushing back parties like Congress and TMC, cant be overlooked. In Bengal too, the Party has weathered the brute politics of the ruling party and has emerged as a strong runner-up in the recent by-polls. The Party has registered a thumping victory in the local body elections held in states like Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The BJPs landslide victory in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections needs a special mention where it almost swept the polls winning 21 out of the 26 seats. It needs to be remembered that most of these elections were held after the announcement of the demonetisation scheme by Modi. It is not an overstatement to claim that the results are a vindication of the unqualified popular support to the demonetisation programme. Even though the BJP's overconfidence and pre-poll exuberance have been counter-productive at times, it does not stop the party from displaying that over excitement, yet again. It is worth noting that the year 2016 has been a very successful for the BJP. It made inroads in the North East by winning Assam with a thumping majority and in the closing days of December, 33 MLAs from the PPA in Arunachal Pradesh, including the chief minister, opting to join the BJP. The party is rejoicing Khandus landing in the BJP for Arunachal becomes the 10th (getting in double digit) state ruled by BJP and the 14th ruled by BJP alliance. Will 2017 will be as good as 2016 for the BJP? Well, one has to wait until March 11 when the votes for the five states would be counted, to know that. Editor's note: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of the shrewdest politicians of India, is known for negotiating multiple paradoxes: from militant nationalism to his secret family life; his stint as a communist; his indulgence in food; and his attempt to project himself as a moderate, if not a liberal. Exploring crucial milestones of Vajpayees career and his traits as a seasoned politician, a new biography 'The Untold Vajpayee: Politician and Paradox' by Ullekh NP (published by Penguin Books India) looks at his relationship with leaders of his party and his lovehate association with the RSS and its feeder organisations. Thoroughly researched, supported by hard facts and accompanied by inside stories and anecdotes, insightful interviews and archival photographs, The Untold Vajpayee will open a window to the life and times of a poet-politician. ** On 27 February 2002, a group of people from a Muslim populated area of Godhra had set fire to a few bogies of a train the Sabarmati Express which carried pilgrims from Ayodhya, a town considered holy by the Hindus. Massive riots broke out, mostly targeting Muslims, for nearly a week. All the killing and pillaging in Gujarat had given Vajpayee a bad name, the more so because Gujarat had a BJP government in place, with a chief minister who had reportedly not risen enough to the occasion to rein in the violence. Vajpayee was blamed for his failure as PM to get rid of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who reportedly shouted back at a Muslim leader on the phone for seeking help after a mob had gathered outside his house. Some hours later, the Muslim leader was lynched, and Modi is alleged to have asked the police forces to let the violence continue. At that moment, Modi seemed to be the villain who brought a lot of shame to the central government. Modi had also dared to publicly snub Vajpayee at a press conference where he was seated alongside the prime minister. The reporter wanted to know Vajpayees message for the chief minister in the wake of the riots. In controlled displeasure, Vajpayee stated that Modi should follow his Rajdharma. He explained that Rajdharma was a meaningful term, and for somebody in a position of power, it meant not discriminating among the higher and lower classes of society or people of any religion. In a bid to stop Vajpayee from saying something scathing about him, Modi turned towards Vajpayee, tried to catch his eye and said with a strong note of threatening defiance, Hum bhi wahi kar rahe hain, sahib (That is what we are also doing, sir). Vajpayee immediately changed tack and said, I am sure Narendrabhai is also doing the same. Three days before his foreign tour in April, when Vajpayee visited the Shah Alam camp in Ahmedabad, which housed 9,000 Muslims displaced by the riots, he was deeply touched when a woman told him that he alone could save them from the hell that their lives had become. Now, on the flight to Singapore, Vajpayee was worried he would expose himself to more humiliation while outside the country. His grouse was: why am I being paraded abroad at such a time? Shourie suggested that the PM speak to Advani, who had by now become the deputy prime minister, about the possibilities of salvaging the situation it could even mean replacing Modi. But even after the pep talk with Shourie, Vajpayee appeared cheerless. He told Shourie that he would speak to Advani about it. They reached Singapore; there were no meetings scheduled for the first day. The next day there were several engagements, including ceremonial visits to dignitaries, which included the former ruler Lee Kuan Yew. The Gujarat issue came up in an interview on the third and final day of their stay in Singapore. The journalist who interviewed Vajpayee first stated that Singaporeans were wary of communal disturbances, clearly indicating that he was referring to the recent riots in Gujarat, under the BJP rule. Then he shot off his question: And in India such disturbances have happened not once, but several times. In this regard what can Singapore learn from Indias experience and what can you share? Vajpayee paused and rubbed his forehead... before answering, betraying a level of discomfiture in answering questions related to the Gujarat riots. Then, weighing his words, he said, Whatever happened in India was very unfortunate. The riots have been brought under control. If at the Godhra station, the passengers of the Sabarmati Express had not been burnt alive, then perhaps the Gujarat tragedy could have been averted. It is clear there was some conspiracy behind this incident. It is also a matter of concern that there was no prior intelligence available on this conspiracy. Alertness is essential in a democracy. We have been cautious. And if one does not ignore even small incidents like one used to in the past, then one will certainly be successful in fighting terrorism. Clearly, he was on the defensive, and the issue worried him no end. ** Before the delegation left for Cambodia that day, Shourie asked Vajpayee whether he had a chat with Advani. The prime minister looked distraught, but answered that he had not yet had a word on the matter with Advani, Modis mentor. On the same day, 9 April, Vajpayee met the Cambodian prime minister, Hun Sen, and other officials. He also made ceremonial speeches at Phnom Penh. Over the next two days, the prime minister signed various pacts with his Cambodian counterpart, and announced that India would offer 10,000 tonnes of rice for distribution among the people of Cambodia, especially among the flood-hit. He also visited the famous Angkor Wat temple, where Shourie again found Vajpayee to be distracted and lost in thought. He asked Vajpayee again if he had spoken with Advani, and he answered in the negative. The Indian delegation led by Vajpayee returned on 11 April. The next day, senior BJP leaders were to attend a national executive meet in Goa. Shourie went home and took a shower. He was reading a book when he got a call from Brajesh Mishra asking if he had booked tickets to Goa. Shourie said he had. Please cancel them. You are going with the PM and the deputy PM in the PMs aircraft, Mishra said, emphasising that if he didnt go, both Vajpayee and Advani would not talk if they were left alone in a plane. When Shourie boarded the plane, Vajpayee was already there, seated next to the window, and facing him, across a table, on a window seat was Advani. The external affairs minister, Jaswant Singh, was also there. The plane took off and after a few minutes, Vajpayee took a newspaper from the table in front of him and opened it so widely that he didnt have to face Advani at all. A little while later, Advani also picked up a newspaper and began to read. Shourie and Singh looked at each other and sighed. Then Shourie surprised himself. He pulled the newspaper out of Vajpayees hands and interjected, Vajpayeeji, newspapers can be read later also. Why dont you tell Advaniji what you wanted to tell him? Vajpayee kept the newspapers away, and muttered in his usual style about what had to be done. First, Venkaiah Naidu would replace Jana Krishnamurthi as BJP president. Then he said, Modi has to go. By the time they landed in Goa, the decision was taken: Modi would go. ** Eight months earlier, in late September 2001, amid massive political infighting, it was decided that Modi would replace Keshubhai Patel as chief minister of Gujarat. On 1 October, Vajpayee asked Modi to meet him in Delhi, where Modi had lived for the previous three years. Modi had put on weight from the last time they had met. Vajpayee joked about too much Punjabi food and then got to business. Modi had to go to Gujarat as CM to prepare the state for the next elections due in 2002, Vajpayee said. Modis immediate answer was a no. Vajpayee insisted, because the Keshubhai Patel administration had incurred public wrath over not doing enough for the people of the state after the 2001 earthquake. Some members of the government were in cahoots with unscrupulous builders indulging in shoddy construction. Some of them enjoyed Patels patronage. Modi told Vajpayee that since he had been away in Delhi as the general secretary in charge of several states, he had been out of touch with local politics. Even so, he agreed to spend ten days a month in the state. However, a short while later, Modi agreed to accept the CMs position after being convinced by his mentor Advani to do so. Advani knew about Modis lack of administrative experience, but was very fond of him. Finally, Modi was sworn in as chief minister of Gujarati on 7 October 2001. ** At Panjim in April 2002, the national executive meet began, and a short while later, Modi took to the dais and said he would like to step down as chief minister over the riots. Immediately, people from several sides got up and said there was no need to do so. Whether it was orchestrated or not, Shourie wasnt sure. But, according to him, Vajpayee felt that it was a coup. Sensing that things were not going as planned, Shourie got up and described what had gone on between Advani and Vajpayee on the plane and the agreement they had reached thereafter. But shouts kept emerging from the delegates: It cannot be done! Modi cannot be allowed to go! Vajpayee immediately understood the situation, and said, Lets decide on it later. It cant be decided later, it has to be decided now, somebody shouted. And as if on cue, it became a slogan. Shourie observed that Advani hadnt said anything though he knew very well that Vajpayee wanted Modi out. Seeing things take a different turn, Vajpayee kept mum, opting against a confrontational stance. Perhaps, for all his bravery, he was worried about younger leaders publicly questioning his authority. He would never forget that humiliation. Extracted with permission of Penguin Books India GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill said Friday they expect there will at least be discussion during the 2017 legislative session of possibly changing Idahos law shielding faith-healing parents from prosecution if their kids get sick or die, but gave no indication of where they think the debate will end up. Otter said he didnt know whether the law would change, but said he does believe it will be discussed. A group of lawmakers studied the issue during the interim between the 2016 and 2017 session but ended up making no recommendations. Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, brought forth a bill in 2014 and again in 2016 to change the law but has been unable to get a hearing on it, with Republicans who oppose changing the law citing concerns about intruding on religious freedom. Most states give some legal latitude to parents who have religious objections to medical treatment, but Idaho is one of a handful that allows it as a defense in cases where a child dies. It has become an issue in Idaho mainly due to media attention on the Followers of Christ, a religious group that rejects conventional medicine in favor of prayer and treatments such as anointing with oil and who have a higher-than-normal number of child deaths among their members. Hill, R-Rexburg, said he also believes it will be discussed but couldnt guess as to where things would end up. He noted that it is an emotional issue, saying that most of the people in this room believe that God can help heal and the state needs to strike a balance between religious freedom and protecting children. Remember folks, were not interested in putting parents in prison, he said. Were interested in protecting children. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy TWIN FALLS Police on Friday arrested a felon suspected of being illegally armed and stealing a luxury car and a large wad of cash from a woman with whom hed been staying. Eric Courtney Hunter, 37, was arrested about 8:20 a.m. when a sheriffs deputy spotted him driving the stolen 2007 BMW 530i on Addison Avenue East near Elm Street, Twin Falls Police Lt. Terry Thueson said. Officers swarmed the area Friday morning to surround and arrest Hunter and later found a shotgun hidden inside the stolen car, Thueson said. They also found a large sum of cash that matched the description a woman gave of money Hunter stole from her. Hunter was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in California, Thueson said. Court records showed he also served a year in prison in Idaho for intimidating a witness and finished that prison term in August. Those convictions precluded Hunter from legally possessing a firearm. Initial police reports suggested Hunter was wanted in connection to a robbery, but Thueson clarified Friday afternoon that he was wanted for stealing the car and the cash, which he allegedly took while the victim was sleeping and not by force or violence. Police began searching for Hunter about 6:30 a.m. Friday when a woman who lives on Monroe Street called to report that Hunter, who had been living with her for about a month, stole her car and her savings sometime during the night, Thueson said. About 8:15 a.m., a Twin Falls County Sheriffs deputy spotted the stolen car and stopped Hunter, and police swarmed the car on Addison Avenue East near Albertsons Market. Officers detained Hunter without incident and found the cash and shotgun inside the stolen car. Police are seeking to charge Hunter with two counts of grand theft for stealing the car and cash, and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hes expected to be arraigned on the charges Monday in Twin Falls County Magistrate Court. BOISE Idahos governor announced Friday he will create a task force to review higher education in Idaho with the goal of boosting the number of Idahoans who go on to college or vocational training after high school. The Higher Education Task Force, Gov. C.L. Butch Otter said, would be modeled on the one that studied kindergarten-through-12th-grade education and produced 20 recommendations that spawned much of the education-related legislation passed in the past three sessions. Otter also said he doesnt plan to put forth any proposals for tax cuts, an issue some of his fellow Republicans in the Legislature have said they would like to make a focus of the 2017 session. I have not and will not prepare any tax-relief measures, he told the Capitol press corps and assorted lawmakers, lobbyists and Legislature-watchers at the Associated Presss annual legislative session preview on Friday morning. And, Otter urged lawmakers to be cautious about passing any legislation on extending health coverage to the uninsured so the state doesnt get ahead of the changes to and possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act that Congress is expected to take up soon. The Trump administration is going to do something relative to Medicaid expansion, relative to Obamacare as we know it, he said. If we get too far out ahead, we may be in a territory thats not prepared to do what the Trump administration is going to do. Otter will give his State of the State speech Monday, when he is expected to expand on his goals for the session and his 2017-2018 budget proposal. The task force will be tasked with developing a five-year plan to improve higher education in Idaho, and one of its focuses will be raising the number of people who go on to college or vocational training after high school. The state Board of Education has set a goal of 60 percent of Idahoans between the ages of 25 and 34 having a post-secondary degree or certification by 2020. The number of graduating seniors who go on to college has not risen but dropped from 52 percent of graduating high schoolers in 2014 to 46 percent in 2015. This is forward-thinking on (Otters) part, College of Southern Idaho President Jeff Fox said of the task force. Fox will be on the committee, along with the rest of the college and university presidents in Idaho, business and industry representatives and some lawmakers and students. Fox praised Otter for including such a variety of voices. I think this is really a good process, Fox said. With state revenues coming in higher than expected House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said the surplus is higher than $100 million some Republican lawmakers want to see tax cuts this year. Income tax cut proposals have been put forth by the House GOP leadership but have stalled for the past two years. Bedke wants to put the extra money into tax cuts and bolstering the states rainy day fund, saying Idahos income tax rates are not competitive with some neighboring states. I think theres some things that we can do to tune up our tax code to make us more competitive, Bedke said. I am also a fan of savings accounts, personally. House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, said cutting income taxes might be a neat piece of window dressing that would make Idaho more competitive, but that the real problem holding back Idahos economy is that not enough people have college degrees. Erpelding called this a real, underlying structural problem that causes structural employment issues in Idaho. Democrats and advocates for the gap population people who dont qualify for Medicaid but dont make enough to qualify for subsidies to get insurance on the state exchange have failed to convince the Legislature to expand Medicaid. With the repeal of the ACA a real possibility, Medicaid expansion seems even more unlikely than it might have been before. A legislative task force that studied the issue before the session urged lawmakers to do something to help the uninsured but didnt recommend what. Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, said she doesnt expect any action on the issue. Its unfortunate, because we still do have those who are not covered in that gap population, and 10,000 of those are our veterans, she said. Otter said lawmakers care and want to help the uninsured, but they need to be careful not to get ahead of federal policy. If we come up with a nut that doesnt fit the bolt that comes from Washington, D.C., then weve got to reinvent the wheel, he said. This years state budget is expected to fund the third year of the career ladder, a plan to raise teachers pay over five years. The plan calls for almost $58 million in new funding, the most expensive piece of the plan yet. Complicating things, though, is news of an independent audit of 225 randomly sampled teacher evaluations from 53 school districts and charter schools from the 2014-15 school year that found 99 percent of them werent done correctly. The Department of Education received the report in July but didnt share it with lawmakers or the public. It was first reported by Idaho Education News last month. It may be a heavy lift this year to get the $58 million for the career ladder, but its a promise that I made and Im going to do everything I can to fulfill that promise, Otter said, pointing to the state Constitutions requirement of a general, uniform and thorough public school system. The Constitution demands that, not just Butch Otter, he said. School administrators have been critical of the audit, saying it was unfair since it compared the evaluations against a specific model known as the Charlotte Danielson Framework rather than comparing each one to the model under which it was built. Erpelding said the Department of Education shouldnt have sat on the data, but there was a lot of flawed information in that report. Bedke said the comparisons in the audit may be arguably unfair, but that an evaluation system is important to make sure taxpayers money is being well spent. The speaker plans to urge the House Education Committee to make sure one is in place. I was disappointed that the data was sat on for months, but it came out, so there we are, he said. Im not looking back, Im looking forward. Im saying that the career ladder depends on an accountability component, and Im going to make darn good and sure that its in there. TWIN FALLS Officials have asked residents to clear snow from rooftops and away from homes and businesses to avoid flooding and collapsed roofs. Snow should be removed from flat or low-pitched rooftops, basement window wells and moved at least 15 feet from homes and businesses, a city statement said. Snow should not be placed on or around storm drains or drainage basins. By following these steps, residents can help mitigate the likelihood of flooding in their homes and businesses, as well as the possibility of a collapsed roof, in the event of a significant snow storm or localized flooding, the statement said. Officials also asked that residents help the elderly and others who may not be able to remove snow on their own. The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View: For seven years, Republicans have yearned to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Now that they have the chance, they seem wholly unprepared to do it right. Much work is still needed to figure out how to avoid destabilizing the health-insurance system. Yet, in their hurry, leaders in Congress seem to want to skip that part. What's the rush? Republicans are allowing themselves just three weeks to develop a budget bill that would scuttle Obamacare ending the tax penalties on people who don't have insurance, and scrapping insurance premium subsidies for low-income Americans. Presumably, some or all of the funding to states that have expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare would also be cut. Congressional leaders intend to thus lay the groundwork for those changes but then avoid actually making them for two or three years during which they promise to think up a better system. It's an unrealistic strategy, because it would give the young and the healthy an incentive to drop their policies, and lead insurers to flee a marketplace undermined by a weakening risk pool and shrinking or disappearing subsidies. Companies can hardly be expected to count on lawmakers' assurances that they'll create a better marketplace later. Obamacare has been able to expand the number of Americans with health insurance by at least 20 million people and slow the rising cost of health care by addressing the system's inescapable economics: The healthy and relatively affluent need to carry some of the expense of covering the sick and the poor. In theory, Republicans could create a successful system of their own, with conservative characteristics. But it's a complicated challenge that takes careful, sustained attention. If Republicans start by sending the insurance market into a tailspin, they'll need to spend precious time and money on dealing with the consequences. Republican leaders keep saying that America demands a quick repeal. But what makes them think that? In a poll taken after the election, just 26 percent of respondents said they wanted the entire law repealed. Even Republican voters were split: Only 50 percent of those who supported Trump were in favor of repeal. Republicans now have the opportunity to shore up America's still unstable health-insurance system either by amending the Affordable Care Act or creating an entirely new system. Obviously, fixing would be easier, and probably more effective, than rebuilding. What's irresponsible would be to destroy what exists with no clear plan to replace it. You almost have to feel sorry for Julian Assange. Shut in at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London without access to sunlight, the founder of WikiLeaks is reduced to self-parody these days. Here is a man dedicated to radical transparency, yet he refuses to go to Sweden despite an arrest warrant in connection with allegations of sexual assault. His organization retweets the president-elect who once called for him to be put to death. He spreads the innuendo that Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer, was murdered this summer because he was the real source of the emails WikiLeaks published in the run-up to Novembers election. And now he tells Fox Newss Sean Hannity that its the U.S. media that is deeply dishonest. This is the proper context to evaluate Assanges claim, repeated by Donald Trump and his supporters, that Russia was not the source for the e-mails of leading Democrats distributed by WikiLeaks. We all know that the U.S. intelligence community is standing by its judgment that Russia hacked the Democrats emails and distributed them to influence the election. And while its worrisome that Trump would dismiss this judgment out of hand, this also misses the main point. Sometimes the spies get it wrong, like the slam-dunk conclusion that Saddam Hussein was concealing Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The real issue is Assange. The founder of WikiLeaks has a history of saying paranoid nonsense. This is particularly true of Assanges view of Hillary Clinton. His delusions have led him to justify the interference in our elections as an act of holding his nemesis accountable to the public. Bill Keller, the former New York Times executive editor, captured Assanges penchant for dark fantasy in a 2011 essay that described him casually telling a group of journalists from the Guardian that former Stasi agents were destroying East German archives of the secret police. A German reporter from Der Spiegel, John Goetz, was incredulous. Thats utter nonsense, he said. Some former Stasi personnel were hired as security guards in the office, but the records were well protected, Keller recounts him as saying. In this sense, WikiLeakss promotion of the John Grishamesque yarn that Seth Rich was murdered on orders from Hillary Clintons network is in keeping with a pattern. Both Richs family and the Washington police have dismissed this as a conspiracy theory. That, however, did not stop WikiLeaks from raising a $20,000 reward to find his real killers. Add to this Assanges approach to Russia. Its well known that his short-lived talk show, which once aired a respectful interview with the leader of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, was distributed by Russian state television. WikiLeaks has also never published sensitive documents from Russian government sources comparable to the State Department cables it began publishing in 2010, or the emails of leading Democrats last year. When an Italian journalist asked him last month why WikiLeaks hasnt published the Kremlins secrets, Assanges answer was telling. In Russia, there are many vibrant publications, online blogs, and Kremlin critics such as [Alexey] Navalny are part of that spectrum, he said . 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, 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. This is bizarre for a few reasons. To start, Assanges description of the press environment in Russia has a curious omission. Why no mention of the journalists and opposition figures who have been killed or forced into exile? Assange gives the impression that the Russian government is just as vulnerable to mass disclosures of its secrets as the U.S. government has been. Thats absurd, even if its also true that some oppositional press is tolerated there. Also WikiLeaks once did have a Russian-speaking associate. His name is Yisrael Shamir, and according to former WikiLeaks staffer James Ball, he worked closely with the organization when it began distributing the State Department cables. Shamir is a supporter of Vladimir Putin. This is all a pity. A decade ago, when Assange founded WikiLeaks, it was a very different organization. As Raffi Khatchadourian reported in a 2010 New Yorker profile, Assange told potential collaborators in 2006, Our primary targets are those highly oppressive regimes in China, Russia and Central Eurasia, but we also expect to be of assistance to those in the West who wish to reveal illegal or immoral behavior in their own governments and corporations. For a while, WikiLeaks followed this creed. The first document published, but not verified, was an internal memo purporting to show how Somalias Islamic Courts Union intended to murder members of the transitional government there. It published the emails of University of East Anglia climate scientists discussing manipulation of climate change data. In its early years, WikiLeaks published information damaging to the U.S. as well. But no government or entity or political side appeared to be immune from the organizations anonymous whistle-blowers. Today, WikiLeakss actions discredit its original mission. Does anyone believe Assange when he darkly implies that he received the DNC emails from a whistleblower? Even if you arent persuaded that Russia was behind it, there is a preponderance of public evidence that the e-mail account of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta was hacked, such as the e-mail that asked him to give his password in a phishing scam. Assange himself is not even sticking to his old story: He told Hannity that a 14-year-old could have hacked Podestas emails. Good to know. In short, the founder of a site meant to expose the falsehoods of governments and large institutions has been gaslighting us. Just look at the WikiLeaks statement on the e-mails right before the election. To withhold the publication of such information until after the election would have been to favour one of the candidates above the publics right to know, it said. Thats precious. WikiLeaks did favor a candidate in the election simply by publishing the emails. And the candidate it aided, Donald Trump, is so hostile to the publics right know that he wont even release his tax returns. In two weeks, he will be in charge of an intelligence community that asserts with high confidence the e-mails WikiLeaks made public were stolen by Russian government hackers. Assange, of course, denies it, and Trump seems to believe him. Sad! Certain refunds will be delayed for this tax season, which begins Jan. 23, IRS officials warned recently. Taxpayers claiming an earned income tax credit or an additional child tax credit wont receive their refund until the week of Feb. 21, regardless of when they file, Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen said in a conference call Thursday. Congress approved a new law that goes into effect this year requiring the IRS to hold all refunds until Feb. 15 for these two credits to check into possible fraud, Koskinen said. Despite this delay, Koskinen urged taxpayers to file as early as possible. Most refunds will be sent within three weeks of an electronic filing, he said. This tax season, its more important than ever to plan ahead, Koskinen said. Taxpayers can track their refunds on the IRS web page in the Wheres My Refund? section. The IRS is expecting to process 153 million tax returns this year. Koskinen also said that taxpayers shouldnt expect any changes this year for penalties and credits related to the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have stated they wish to repeal. Any changes to the law would take effect during next years tax season, Koskinen said. In Montana, the states Department of Revenue processed 544,655 returns for 2016 as of Dec. 23, agency spokeswoman Molly Peterson said. Almost 90 percent were filed electronically, she said. The average Montana refund was $486, according to Peterson. She added that Revenues biggest message to Montana taxpayers is to file early. It will help cut down on the chance that someone can steal their identity and use that information to file under their name, she said. Tax filings are due April 18 this year because the traditional April 15 deadline falls on a weekend. Out and about The Cenex Zip Trip convenience store at 1046 N. 27th St. closed last week for remodeling. A store employee said the store would reopen Feb. 22 with a new interior. A car lot, Car City 24, has moved into the vacant Liberty gas station spot at the 1503 Broadwater Ave. The lot is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. The Downtown Conoco store at 2701 Sixth Ave. N. started in December serving locally made City Brew coffee, replacing a generic brew. Owner Paul Murphy said he wanted to move to a local and better product for customers. Chamber seeking nominations The Billings Chamber of Commerce is seeking the most excellent local business leaders. Nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Billings Chamber Business Excellence Award, which will be given during the chambers annual keynote breakfast March 30. Categories include business person of the year, customer service excellence, supervisor/manager of the year and employer of the year. Deadline for nominations is Friday. Visit the www.billingschamber.com for more information. Correction In last weeks column, I misidentified the family of Martina Fredericks, who opened The Golden Teepee in Billings. Shes a part of the Real Bird family on the Crow reservation. Haikus from the valley A tiff over TIFs Now brewing in Helena A taxing debate Gunmen killed nine Shiite Hazara miners in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan on Friday, officials said, in the latest attack against ethnic minorities. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings in the remote district of Tala Wa Barfak, but the government blamed Islamic State jihadists who are making steady inroads into Afghanistan. "Nine coalminers were killed by unknown gunmen in Tala wa Barfak. They were heading home when their vehicle were stopped by gunmen," district governor Faiz Mohammad Amiri told AFP. The governor of central Bamiyan province, apparently where the coalminers were from, confirmed the incident. The rise of the Islamic State group has raised the spectre of sectarian discord in Afghanistan, something that the Sunni-majority country has largely been spared despite decades of war. ADVERTISEMENT Until a few months ago, IS was largely confined to the eastern province of Nangarhar bordering Pakistan, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings despite a US-backed offensive against the group. But the government this week said the group was steadily expanding into other provinces. Around 2,000 Shiite Muslims in western Afghanistan staged a protest on Tuesday against growing sectarian attacks by the group and demanded protection from the government. Last year, Afghanistan witnessed a wave of attacks on Shiites claimed by IS, which considers Shiite Muslims apostates. At least 14 Shiites were killed in October in a powerful blast at a mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, hours after gunmen targeted Shiite worshippers in a shrine in Kabul and killed 18 people. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The countrys Rodeo Capital tourism potential will further be enhanced with the official announcement of the provincial government that daily direct flights will be operational starting next month. Cebu Pacific Airs wholly-owned subsidiary, CebGo, flies to Masbate starting Feb. 15. Flight DG 6177 will fly daily from the Naia Terminal 4 at 8:20 a.m., and will return from Masbate via Flight DG 6178 at 9:50 a.m., utilizing the airlines new ATR-72-600. Masbate Vice Governor Kaye Revil said the new flight is a fruit of the persistent requests of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the City Government of Masbate via official resolutions since 2013 to provide a more affordable air transportation alternative to the province. MASBATE RODEO. A young cowboy tries to tame a bucking bull during one of Masbates patented rodeo shows in this file photo. The Philippines Rodeo Capital can expect more visitors starting Feb. 15 when CebGo, a subsidiary of Cebu Pacific, operates a once-a-day flight from Manila to Masbate. The lady vice governor said that for the past few years, the provincial government has been pursuing tourism and promotions, special events, and has put in place the Tourism Code to entice the airline to assign an aircraft to the Masbate route. At present, passengers usually fly to Legazpi City Cebu Pacific for affordable flights, then take a 1-hour van to Pilar port in Sorsogon and a 2.5-hour fast-craft to Masbate City. ADVERTISEMENT Revil, a tourism advocate, noted that the new flight will help boost the forthcoming Rodeo Festival, the countrys biggest cowboy-themed event which gathers ranchers from across the archipelago to showcase their skills, she said. For their part, Cebgo president and CEO Alexander Lao said that their company remain firm in bringing people together through safe, affordable, reliable, and fun-filled air travel. He said the addition of this new route will allow passengers to easily visit this fast-rising island province which is strategically located in the Bicol region and near the Visayas. Composed of three major islands, Masbate takes pride in its islands various attractions which is known for its sprawling cattle ranches, awesome rock formations, breath-taking viewpoints, pristine white-sand beaches and sandbars, Spanish era churches and ancestral houses, and marine sanctuaries ideal for diving and snorkeling. Its signature dive site is the Manta Bowl in Ticao Island. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Members of the Cuban Damas de Blanco were arrested during a demonstration in March. (AP photo) In the post-fact world we live in, you can interpret numbers anyway you want, even when they reflect the absolute tyranny of the Castro dictatorship in Cuba. For instance, if you are so deluded, you could argue that repression in Cuba is on the decline. Yes, there were at least 458 politically motivated arrests on the island in December, the second-lowest monthly count in 2016, and less than half of the 930 recorded in December 2015. See, the death of Fidel Castro and more importantly, President Barack Obama's opening to Cuba have made a difference! But in the real world, where facts still matter, the bottom-line is this: Political repression in Cuba, after all the new tourist flights and other business deals, after the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the U.S., is worse than ever. The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation -- the source of the above figures -- reported this week that 2016 ended with at least 9,940 politically motivated arrests across the island. The optimists and apologists might argue that that's less than the 10,000 that had been projected earlier in the year, but it's still the highest since the human rights commission began counting in 2010. (Add in the inevitable arrests no one knows about -- it's not like the Cuban police allow themselves to be held accountable -- and the actual count is probably much higher.) As the numbers show, the opening with the United States and the death in November of Fidel Castro has been met not with a relaxation of political control but instead by a reaffirmation by Raul Castro that he and his regime remain firmly, and mercilessly, in control. 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. @PatriciaMazzei President Barack Obama offered condolences Friday for the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, speaking by phone to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief. The rampage left five people dead and eight wounded. The suspect, 26-year-old Army vet Esteban Santiago of Alaska, is in custody, according to law enforcement. The president "extended his sincere condolences to the families and other loved ones of those killed and noted that his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded," according to Ned Price, a National Security Council spokesman. "He added that federal authorities will continue to assist the ongoing investigation into this horrific shooting." Obama plans to travel to Jacksonville on Saturday for a private wedding. Earlier Friday, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence also reached out to Scott to discuss the rampage, the governor said. Both offered to help however they could, according to Scott, and spoke several times throughout the afternoon. Trump had tweeted about the shooting shortly after it took place. Monitoring the terrible situation in Florida. Just spoke to Governor Scott. Thoughts and prayers for all. Stay safe! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017 "The hearts of every American are in Fort Lauderdale tonight," Pence told reporters outside Trump Tower in New York. "The president-elect and I send our prayers and our thoughts to the victims of this attack, their families, to the courageous first responders and to all the citizens of the Fort Lauderdale area." Scott, who was in Naples, promptly flew into Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and offered nationally televised news conferences at FLL and Broward Health Medical Center, one of the area hospitals treating the wounded. One of Florida's two U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson, played a key role in unmasking the suspect: He was the first official to publicly name Santiago, in a live MSNBC interview. Nelson also divulged Santiago was found with a military ID. "We don't yet know the motive behind today's shooting," he later said in a statement. His Republican counterpart, Sen. Marco Rubio, reacted with shock and sadness, as did other local members of Congress, who were repeatedly in touch with federal and local authorities. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat whose district includes the airport, told the Miami Herald she plans to ask Transportation Security Administration and Homeland Security leaders in Washington to address the security questions raised by Santiago's suspected actions. "The security of the baggage-claim area, whether passengers should be able to check their firearms," she said. "You want to make sure you have the most security possible while leaving people with the most freedom of movement possible." Photo credit: Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press HELENA Gov. Steve Bullock on Friday announced several more appointments to his cabinet: Martha Williams as director of the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Ben Thomas as the director of the Department of Agriculture; Ken Fichtler as the chief business development officer; Patrick Holmes as the governors natural resource policy adviser; Tim Baker was appointed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council; Jennifer Anders was reappointed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council; Jessica Rhoades as the governors health policy adviser; Ronja Abel as the governors director of communications Until the new appointees are in place and the current vacancies are filled, Doug Mitchell will serve as interim director of Commerce, Kim Mangold will serve as interim director of Agriculture, and Paul Sihler will serve as interim director of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In December, Bullock announced six of his first-term cabinet members would be leaving and named some of their replacements during a Friday news conference at the Capitol. The retirement of Department of Corrections Director Mike Batista, who has worked decades in law enforcement and state government, was the first announced departure. Deputy Director Loraine Wodnick is interim director while a national search is conducted for Batistas replacement over the next few months. Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Richard Opper also is leaving and replaced by Sheila Hogan, former director of the Department of Administration. Director Jeff Hagener left Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Also departing were Economic Development Director John Rogers, who led the creation of the Montana Business Navigator; Commerce Director Meg O'Leary, who championed Main Street Montana Program; and Department of Agriculture Director Ron de Yong. Bullock released the following information on the appointments announced Friday: Martha Williams, director of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Williams has been serving as an assistant professor of law and co-director of the Land Use and Natural Resources Clinic at the University of Montana. During her tenure at the university, she focused on natural resource law, public land and resources law, and wildlife law. Prior to that, she served as the deputy solicitor for Parks and Wildlife at the U.S. Department of the Interior. She was legal counsel for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 1998-2011. Ben Thomas, director of the Department of Agriculture Thomas has served in several departments within the U.S. Department of Agriculture throughout his career, most recently serving as the deputy undersecretary, marketing and regulatory programs. He received his undergraduate degree from Austin College and went on to earn a Juris Doctorate at Washington University School of Law and a Masters of Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law in food and agricultural law. He served as legislative aide and counsel for former U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., where he played a lead role in developing the Farm Bill. Thomas was raised on his familys farm which is still in production today. Ken Fichtler, chief business development officer The chief business development officer directs the Governors Office of Economic Development. Fichtler has spent his career in high-tech business management and marketing. He is also an entrepreneur and business investor, having started Montana companies like Gecko8 Studios and Fermion Technologies, as well as co-founding the first and largest TEDx event in the state, TEDxBozeman. Most recently he has served as the senior marketing specialist for Lattice Materials. Fichtler is a graduate of the Montana State University School of Business. Patrick Holmes, natural resource policy adviser Holmes most recently served as the chief of staff to the undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment. During his tenure at the Department of Agriculture, he was trusted to provide counsel to the secretary of agriculture on issues related to forest restoration, innovative wood products, working lands conservation, wildland fire, and others affecting the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. He holds a Masters of environmental management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in natural resources management and policy. Tim Baker, Northwest Power and Conservation Council appointee For the last four years, Baker has served as Bullocks natural resource policy adviser. In that capacity he has worked on issues ranging from energy development and water use, to wildlife, state lands, and mining. He will continue to advise the governor on energy policy. Baker was born in Detroit, Michigan and after graduating from the University of Michigan, he moved west to attend law school at the University of Montana. He worked for the Montana Public Service Commission as a staff attorney and chief counsel, and then with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, where he focused on air quality. After leaving state government he was executive director of the Montana Wilderness Association, and was working for Montana Trout Unlimited when Bullock asked him to return to public service. Jennifer Anders, Northwest Power and Conservation Council appointee Anders was first appointed to the council in 2013 by Bullock. Prior to her appointment, she represented the state of Montana with the Attorney Generals office in civil and criminal cases on land use, water law and resource development issues. Anders holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California and a law degree from the University of Montana. Jessica Rhoades, health policy adviser Rhoades will fill the vacancy created by the departure of Tara Veazey. Rhoades has 16 years of experience in health care and public policy. Prior to her appointment, she was the policy director for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, where she oversaw the work of the Governors Council on Health Care Innovation, which resulted in Montana being selected to pioneer a public-private partnership for the largest primary care reform initiative of its kind in the U.S. She previously served as health policy adviser for former Gov. Brian Schweitzer and before that worked for the Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. She was northwest region public affairs director for a national health care provider, covering 14 states including Montana. Ronja Abel, director of communications Abel will fill the vacancy created by the departure of Tim Crowe. Abel has served as Bullock's deputy communications director for the past year and previously, she served as communications director for the Montana Department of Commerce and as program specialist for the Montana Small Business Development Center Network. JACKSON, Wyo. Gap Pucci works with his bare hands when he's feeding and watering, no matter the temperature. He takes a pair of leather gloves along but drops them on a hay bale or tosses them in the snow while he does tasks that demand dexterity: unlatching pens, scooping grain, scattering feed, reaching in his left pocket for a horse treat or his right pocket for a dog biscuit. Visitors to Pucci's snug compound usually find the 81-year-old retired outfitter and author outside, using a shovel to clear his walkway and routes to various sheds, pens and corrals. He spends four to five hours a day out in the elements, even in winter, seven days a week. He spends much of the rest of his time writing his third and final memoir. "I'm just playing in the snow," he said Dec. 15 as he stuck his shovel into a snowbank. "Trying to get things opened up a little bit." A massive German shepherd, Nina, "little girl" in Italian, bounded up to greet people. There's a lot of work to do providing for the dog, a goat named Valentino, six Morgan horses, 25 peacocks, some chickens, a rooster named Freddie and whatever other critters wander by in search of a meal. "I'm gonna have to get on those roofs pretty soon," Pucci said. He still climbs a ladder every other day to toss hay bales down off a 15-foot stack. "My routine doesn't change much," Pucci said, opening up the shack that holds grain for the fowl and half-filling two gallon coffee cans. The building served as a washhouse back in the 1930s for Howard Ballew, the homesteader who originally lived in this little draw up Hoback Canyon. Pucci hand-hammered the horseshoes that decorate the front wall. Pucci opened the peacock enclosure, brought in the coffee cans and latched the door behind him. As soon as he spread the grain and let himself out, a flock of birds waiting in a nearby tree beat their wings. "See that?" Pucci said. "Those birds come in and eat with the peacocks. I feed everything. Anything that needs to eat, I feed it." *** These days Pucci is a friend to the animals. He seems a lot like St. Francis of Assisi, but for nearly 40 years Pucci was known as a man who could help you kill something. Clients flocked to him from around the U.S. The outfitter and guide spent six to eight months a year in the Gros Ventre Wilderness, taking clients on pack trips, adventures and hunts. He retired in 2008. "I used to ride 800 to 1,000 miles a year," Pucci said, watching his horses sprint by the fence. "I don't need to do that anymore. But I miss it." He invites his visitors inside the log homestead, past wooden skis given to him by Dr. Don MacLeod. Inside the cabin there are 10,000 or more things to discuss, including the fact that Freddie gets to live inside each winter after nearly freezing to death a couple years ago. The rooster serves as a live alarm clock that won't snooze until he gets a handful of lettuce. The first thing Pucci wants to talk about is his saddle. He doesn't like to even go in the tack shed anymore, he said: "It's like seeing a ghost." Back in November, though, Pucci decided to bring his weathered saddle down to the house for some reminiscing. He reckons he put 30,000 to 40,000 miles on that saddle, wearing out the sheepskin until he had to have it relined. He rummaged through a saddlebag, announcing each item and its purpose. "Got some rawhide in here, need to fix a bridle or something you'll need that. A little water cup. You always want to carry fire: a little Sterno. I don't smoke. But I never travel without a lighter. Fire will keep you alive. Toilet paper." At last he found what he was searching for, the mystery item. Eight years ago it was a fist-size navel orange that he shoved in the saddlebag on one of his last rides. He showed off the science experiment with wonder and delight. It had turned greenish-black and shriveled to the size of a clementine. "I never carried a water bottle," Pucci said. "I knew where all the springs were. But I always had an orange or two." Near the saddle is a trophy case that holds a photo of a bulky 19-year-old Pucci holding a bodybuilding pose. He was getting ready for the Mr. Pennsylvania contest, where in 1959 he said he won the "tall man's class" at 5-foot-10. "Either you went to the gym or you got in trouble," Pucci said. "Mom used to say I'd spend more time in the gym than at the dinner table. And I like to eat. I'd crawl in the window to work out. Crazy. Addicted." *** Storytelling is an important art form for a cowboy. It's what keeps guests enthralled around the campfire, what keeps them coming back for more adventures with a man they know they can trust with their life. But what happens when the cowboy has hung up his spurs? Where do the stories go then? Restless after retirement, one day Pucci got out a legal pad and started writing his tales down. He published "We Married Adventure," his first book of memoirs, in 2011. The next book, "We Do the Damndest Things: Jackson Hole Ranch and Outfitter Stories," came out in 2015. Earlier this year the Wyoming State Historical Society honored it "in recognition of outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Wyoming's legacy." The book won a first-place award in the biography or autobiography category. "When I got this letter I had to sit down, it was such a shock," Pucci said. "I don't know how they got ahold of this." There was a ceremony held in September in Buffalo, but attending would have meant driving more than 1,000 miles. He would have had to find someone to feed his animals. And it would have meant time away from writing his next book. The third and final memoir is almost finished. Pucci has been scribbling away for years on the book with the working title "Goliath, the Horse That Disappeared: Jackson's Hole Horse and Family Adventures." *** The magic happens in Pucci's dining room, on a Persian carpet near the crystal chandelier and dozens of taxidermy mounts. A hardback wooden captain's chair with just a sheepskin for cushioning faces the picture window where one Christmas Day years ago some bighorn sheep came and gathered around his outdoor nativity scene to see Baby Jesus. "If you notice things, there's miracles every day in our lives," Pucci said. Dozens of yellow legal pads cover the floor, organized in a way only the author understands. Two fistfuls of green Bank of Jackson Hole pens lie in wait alongside a paperback dictionary whose crumbled binding is held together with a rubber band. His friend Jake Nichols comes regularly to collect legal pads, decipher them, type them in and print out a double-spaced copy for Pucci to line edit. Pucci entertains his guests by reading them a page: how he added electricity and plumbing to the property, his two girls liked to play in the outhouse, elk sometimes ate through the telephone cable and open-range cattle would rub on the electric poles and knock out the power. "At least it was the beginning of civilization for us," Pucci read, "our own little ranch and the start of Crystal Creek Outfitters . It's a life now forgotten by most. Who would have ever believed that way of living could ever come to end for me and my family? That's why I write these books, to let people know how it was, and how it can never be the same again. Those wild days are gone, sad to say." His voice wavered a little. "It brings back memories," Pucci said. "It's good." Pucci could talk for hours about his days as a bodybuilder and in the Army, about his family members cousin Lou Bondi invented a version of the Philly cheesesteak, Pucci's dad and uncle hung around with Joe DiMaggio and, of course, about hunting in the wilderness. In his living room Pucci is surrounded by tangible memories of the hunting lifestyle. A coyote with a snowshoe hare in its mouth stands in front of the hearth. There are stuffed moose, mule deer, elk, bear, sheep, pine marten, ducks and ermine. "What you're looking at in this room is a life's work," Pucci said. Respect for God's creatures was always the way Pucci approached a hunt, he said, and how he advertised the whole backcountry experience to potential clients. "An adventure wilderness, not a kill," Pucci said. "It's that 24-inch Englemann spruce, it's the sunset. I studied all these animals. When a hunter missed a shot, then I cheered for the animal. You made it through hunting season." Pucci gestured around his living room with one of his fingertips askew. It was broken back in the wilderness decades ago and never set straight. "You took care of yourself up there, you didn't run to the clinic," he said. "I took more supplies for the horses than for the people." *** Now retired for nearly a decade, Pucci's memories still keep him entertained, and he writes his stories so others can experience the bygone era. "One of the best compliments I've gotten on my books is, 'I feel like I was right there with you,'" Pucci said. He read from the last page of the book: "The last time I saw Goliath, that beautiful big powerful horse and family member, was 21 years ago on the sandy banks of Crystal Creek. . For those of you who believe, no further explanation is necessary. For those who don't believe, no further explanation is possible." In December, Pucci was finishing the final story for his book. By spring the manuscript will be edited and polished. Pucci reads from the text that will grace the back cover: "Dear folks, this is the third and final book in a series of three, each a sequel to the other. The final journey and roundup of an American Sicilian cowboy's last ride. Staking out a living in the Gros Ventre Mountains . You are now watching the old cowboy ride away. I have run the race, I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith." Pucci's in good health, he says, although he doesn't have much cartilage left. "My joints hurt from all those years of physical work," he said, "being bumped off and knocked down." But he lives alone and climbs 20-foot ladders in below-zero weather without a cellphone, so he doesn't miss an opportunity to make his last wishes known. "If something happens to me, get this damn book published," Pucci said. "It's all here." WASHINGTON Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America's presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies declared Friday in the government's first formal allegation supporting sensational claims that Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted. The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more-detailed classified account given earlier to Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld any evidence to back up its assertions. The president-elect said after his own meeting with the nation's top intelligence officials that it was clear Russian email hacking did not deliver him the presidency. The unclassified version was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the U.S. political process, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta. Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid "trolls" to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines. The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Putin to the hackings, called it the "boldest effort yet" to influence a U.S. election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks something the website's founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied. The intelligence agencies also said Russia will continue to try to influence future events in the United States and worldwide, particularly among U.S. allies. Since Election Day, the intelligence agencies said, Russia has launched a "spear-fishing" campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting U.S. government employees and think tanks that specialize in national security, defense and foreign policy. The report lacked details about how the United States learned what it said it knows, such as any intercepted conversations or electronic messages among Russian leaders, including Putin, or about specific hacker techniques or digital tools the U.S. may have traced back to Russia in its investigations. Exactly how the United States monitors its adversaries in cyberspace is a closely guarded secret, since revealing such details could help foreign governments further obscure their activities. The unclassified version included footnotes acknowledging that it "does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign." It said its conclusions were identical to the classified version, which was more detailed. The unclassified report said the Russian effort was both political and personal. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency," it said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said. It said the Russian effort was the "boldest yet" intended to affect a U.S. election. The report was released shortly after intelligence officials finished briefing Trump a move probably intended to bolster the intelligence findings against pushback from the president-elect. Trump could use the lack of supporting details in the public version to fuel his dismissiveness of the findings, even though he has now been briefed on the classified portion. Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies' claims of Russia's involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information Friday. Just hours before he was briefed, Trump dismissed the assessment and told The New York Times the focus on Russia's involvement is a "political witch hunt" by adversaries who are embarrassed they lost the election. "They got beaten very badly in the election," Trump said. "They are very embarrassed about it. To some extent, it's a witch hunt. They just focus on this." After finally seeing the intelligence behind the claims of the outgoing Obama administration, Trump released a one-page statement that did not address whether Russia sought to meddle. Instead, he said, "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election." Clapper told Congress on Thursday that intelligence agencies had no way of gauging what influence this meddling had in the outcome of the election. It was unclear Friday what evidence Trump had to support his claims. As Trump met in New York with intelligence officials for his briefing about Russia's campaign, Congress tallied the Electoral College votes, officially confirming Trump's November victory. Trump acknowledged in his statement that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people" are consistently trying to hack U.S. networks, including the Democratic National Committee's. He said, as did the intelligence report, that "there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines." Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a plan to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks." Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Chad Day and Jack Gillum contributed to this report. HELENA A special education paraprofessional has admitted to striking a handicapped student who spit on her at Central-Linc Elementary School in Helena. Sharon Suzanne Cox was originally charged with felony assault on a minor for hitting an 8-year-old boy on Halloween. On Friday, she pleaded guilty to a lesser count of misdemeanor assault. Cox remains employed by Helena Public Schools. Officials said Cox, an employee of 15 years, remains on paid leave. In her plea paperwork, Cox wrote she was assisting the boy in using the bathroom when the incident occurred. "When I bent over him to unbuckle his brace, he unexpectedly spit directly into my face covering my glasses, face and mouth. I immediately reacted reflexively, cuffed him on the side of the face and told him never to spit on anyone," Cox wrote. The boy began to cry and she apologized to him, she continued. Cox, 59, said she quickly reported the incident to staff. "I greatly apologize for my out-of-character action," she wrote in her plea. The original felony charge filed in November alleged the boy was injured but does not give any details. Cox was to make an initial appearance on the lesser charge Friday in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court. She and her attorney instead opted to enter a plea and proceed to sentencing. Cox received a deferred jail sentence of 180 days and a suspended $500 fine. Jack Copps, the school district's interim superintendent, said officials have yet to determine the fate of Cox's employment. "She did something that was incorrect. She slapped the kid. The kid was clearly a handicapped child," Copps said after learning the outcome of the court hearing Friday. "She has worked for the district for a very long period of time and made many contributions to the district. But her conduct in this situation was disturbing and unacceptable," he added. Court documents allege Osborne raped the girl in his bed on multiple occasions between March 1 and July 11. The girl later told a forensic interviewer he had molested her, and she demonstrated what Osborne had done to her. The girl said it happened "lots of times," the documents note. Monte Cox is one of if not the most prolific Fighter manager in all of MMA. He even has a team name for the fighters he manages, "Team Extreme"! Monte Cox manages 26 fighters from around America and among them are some of the toughest MMA fighters on the planet at all weight divisions. Monte Cox is one of if not the most prolific Fighter manager in all of MMA. He even has a team name for the fighters he manages, "Team Extreme"! Monte Cox manages 26 fighters from around America and among them are some of the toughest MMA fighters on the planet at all weight divisions. We had a chance to talk to the leader of "Team Extreme", after the controversial fight that took place at the Universal Above Ground Fighting on July 30th where one of his fighters former UFC Champ, Dave "The Warrior" Menne took on Rob Ferguson. Monte Cox took some time out to clear the air and talk about what happened at the controversial UFC scuffle after party in London at UFC 38, his thoughts on Matt Hughes Controversial victory over Carlos Newton 1, the Controversy for Dave Menne and Rob Ferguson at the UAGF 2, and the controversy surrounding why he dropped Bobby Hoffman as a client? Like it or leave it controversy seems to like to follow him around Here is what he had to say. MMARR: Has there ever been anyone you have managed, that you felt was a bad addition and have had to cut? MC: ( Chuckles) I have only cut one person ever MMARR: Who was that? MC: Bobby Hoffman. MMARR: What happened with Bobby Hoffman why was he cut? MC: At one point when he was fighting in Japan, he threatened to kill my wife and kids. That was the end, I had put up with enough Crap. MMARR: Why did he threaten your wife and Kids? MC: He is a psychopath, MMARR: hmmm MC: Why does he do anything he does? Why did he beat up his wife? Why was he in Prison before he started Mixed martial Arts? He is a freaken Loon! MMARR: What was he in Prison for before that? MC: I dont know. He came right out of Prison and fought his first fight. It is not like MMA made him what he is. It is what he was before hand. MMARR: I want to talk about the little scuffle in London in the night Club, Anthony Fryklunds name has been connected to that, there have been a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation about what went on there. Can you tell us what you take is on that? MC: I mean it is almost impossible for me, I was not there, I was in Las Vegas. What I am told is, from the people that I have talked to, is that this friend of Tito (Ortiz) Bo jumped on Pats (Miletich) back when they were all exiting the bar. They were all drunk and he was acting like he was fighting with Pat ( Miletich). Tony (Fryklund) came out Drunk, they were all drinking, and thought someone was attacking Pat (Miletich). So he ripped him off his back in a rear naked (Choke). Pat Miletich turned around and told him "No, No, No" we are just goofing around, and Tony Relaxed, and one of the guys from England blasted Bo and knocked him out. MMARR: Tito (Ortiz) seems to have a problem with some of the situations that have been going on. What is the Problem? ( Tito has been on the Internet forums and vocal about the subject.) MC: I dont know. I tried to ask him on the internet. I dont know what his thing is. I know for sure, these are the things that I have been told. Tony is the one that picked Tito off the ground, He has got blood all over his shirt from where he picked Tito up. To make sure that he didnt get kicked or hit anymore. Pat is the one that pushed Lee Murray away and told him to stop and get out of there and to quit. I dont understand why Tito is not thanking him, I was not there. When Everybody is drunk I dont have any idea what is going on. They dont know. MMARR: So has the situation been squashed with Tito and Team Punishment? MC: We never saw a situation. I mean the only thing that I know Pat was upset as everyone was painting Tony as being some big Villain. I mean that is ridiculous. I mean there was a bunch of people that were drunk. Who is more at fault, a guy for jumping on Pats back and acting like he is fighting him, or a teammate coming out and seeing that and thinking he is fighting him? I mean that was the thing. Tony did not hit the guy. I asked Tony and I told the UFC, Tony will take a Lie detector test. I told the UFC find your guy. He will take a lie detector test and say he did not hit Bo. If he didnt hit Bo, then I dont want to hear anymore, go after the people that were throwing punches, no one on team Miletich threw a punch. MMARR: Is it true that Tony Got suspended? MC: Not True. MMARR: Not True? MC: Not True, He has never been suspended. MMARR: So there is no Merit to that Rumor whatsoever. MC: Not at all, I mean they have not even interviewed Tony yet, or me, so if they suspend him without even interviewing the person that is involved, then we got to make a call to some attorneys. MMARR: Speaking of suspensions, Josh Barnett just got suspended, lost his title, and got his fight declared a no contest what do you think about that? MC: I like Josh a lot. I dont want to rip on him or anything. I do know there is a precedent when Bobby Hoffman tested positive for .Marijuana after beating (Mark) Robinson. They ruled that fight a no contest. That is the only time when that I can. oh when Laverne Clark tested Positive years and Years ago against Fabiano Iha. They ruled that a no contest, so that is the precedent for doing it. You know, so I dont know I am not surprised that they did it, lets just put it that way. MMARR: What is your take on the fact that he was suspended on top of being a no contest. MC: Well that is up to the athletic commission, Bobby Hoffman was suspended also. MMARR: How about the stripping of the Title? MC: Well if the fight is a no Contest, then how can you have a title? You know what I am saying? When this has happened before, and this does not happen very often, but in every situation the fighter has been suspended and the fight has been declared a no contest. That is what has always happened. So here again it just so happens that this is a little more higher profile person, and he had won the title on it. They really did the same thing. They suspended him, which is the athletic commission, I mean they could do what they want to do, If he is fight is ruled a no contest he cant keep the title. MMARR: What are your thoughts on steroid use in MMA. MC: It is difficult to say anything about steroids without everybody jumping on someones back. Jeremy Horn got on the Internet, and Basically said what every big name fighter out there knows, which is yeah there is steroid use in MMA There is no doubt about it. But it has never been illegal to do it, like in Pride they dont even test, they dont care, so it has never been a big deal before. It is something that some people do some people dont. Now that it is illegal I think that everyone should quit using. That is the whole point. Why do you want to risk going out and getting a big win, and get it taken away? Up until that point if it is not specifically illegal. If you are fighting for a living, and this is your job, and the guys you are fighting are juicing, and that is giving them an advantage, I dont blame guys for wanting to juice also. Make it an even playing field. You know what I am saying? That being said, there are guys out there like Matt Hughes and Jens Pulver from our camp, guys who are at the very top of their weight class, who have never juiced a day in their life. So you dont have to juice to be on top. Now every now and again on the Internet someone will say Hughes is a juicer, that is freaking ridiculous. He has never done it and he has no reason to do it. His twin brother hasnt been in a gym in three years and looks almost like him. I mean he is a genetic freak! That is just the truth. He is a freak! Everyone here is always "strong as a farm-boy" or "oh those wrestlers are strong", well this is a wrestling farm-boy. He has always been strong, he has always had endurance, I mean look at the endurance the guy has. He can go five rounds, and that is not typical of a "roider". He told me, "why would anyone say that?" and I go "You know people are always jealous of the people who are on top". They are going to look for ways to. They cant stand the fact that Matt is so good at what he does. People cant deal with it. You are going to have people that dont like it. No matter who you beat. MMARR: Speaking of Matt Hughes, he just beat a pretty good fighter in Carlos Newton. But he beat him in a controversial style the first time out at UFC 34. What did you think of the decision there? Did you think it was a good decision? MC: What other decision could there be? John McCarthy has to make the call. Gotta be made inside the ring. McCarthy, he comes in, Newton is on his back and is unconscious, No one is disputing that he is taking a nap. He was there for a minute taking a nap. Matt is on one knee, and obviously you cant see his face. You cant tell whether he is out, he is dazed, he is spinning, who knows I dont know. MMARR: But he said on Pay Per view that he was out! MC: That is what he thought. He said it was like going through, spinning, spinning, spinning, He didnt know where he was. I mean he was completely out of it, but how many unconscious guys do you see that are sitting on one knee? You know what I am saying? If you are unconscious, you are a noodle, you would be lying face down. It does not make any sense. It is typical of, if Carlos has the choke on and he slams him, and right at impact that Choke nails him and puts him almost out, that is consistent of how it would be. You would be on one knee, you could still have your faculties but barely, you are so close to being just out you know, that you are there, but he doesnt. When McCarthy pushed him, If he is unconscious, he is going to fall over on his face, when you are unconscious everyone lays flat, that is how it goes, it is not like the Mr. Bean stuff where you fall asleep standing. That is the thing, whether he was out, whether he wasnt out, It does not matter because McCarthy has to make a call. He comes in, he sees Newton unconscious, he sees Matt on one knee. He has got to make a call. He made a call to stop the fight. Maybe had Matt been, facing Big John and he could have seen his face, maybe he would have been able to say "oh these guys are both in trouble" I dont know but he didnt, he had his back to him call it fortunate for us, but John had to make a call. MMARR: So you admit there was a little bit of luck involved there. MC: I think that when you have fight like that, that is the closest fight in MMA history. How can it be any closer? Someone has got to get lucky and someone has got to get unlucky. But the thing was, ten seconds later, Matt is jumping up on the cage, Newton is still taking a nap. I dont know, it is one of those things, John had to make a call. John tells me that Matt was not out. He was the only person that was within a foot of him. Jeremy Horn and Pat Miletich told me he wasnt out. I said "was he out?" They said no his eyes were totally open. He wasnt unconscious. His eyes were open but he was out of it, he didnt know where he was or what had happened, but they told me he was not unconscious. I was sitting in the stands so I cant, everyone who gets on the Internet and says that he was out, some of them were watching from television, ten thousand miles away, I dont want to hear what they had to say. MMARR: I was there live as press ringside, but it was hard for me to tell even. MC: Right, That is what I am saying, who was the closest person to it? Thats McCarthy, he made a call! I mean if it was the other way around and he ruled Newton the winner would I be upset and stuff. Probably, but what are you going to do? Someone has got to make the call. Hes paid to do it. He has made hundreds of them. In Kuwait (Warriors War), Pele (Jose Landi) hit Matt with a knee and when McCarthy stepped in and stopped it, we went crazy! When he hit him with the knee and he stopped it, I thought he was fine, and I was right on the cage. I was right in his corner! But, he wasnt facing me. He was looking the other way. And when he stopped it "I went Oh my God!!!" when Matt turned around and looked at us, we shut up, because he was completely out of it. He wasnt unconscious. MMARR: But he would have been done anyway MC: AHH yeah I mean Pele would have had a free blow on him so it was a great call. I learned a long time ago, that I cant pretend to see better then the guy standing right there. I hear people say Oh "He (Matt Hughes) was unconscious from the Choke, and then he fell." Come on that makes no sense. He put him up on the cage to try to work himself free, but if he couldnt work himself free and he got in trouble, obviously the slam is there. He is not going to wait until he is unconscious to slam him. He knows when he is going unconscious. He told me he took a step back and slammed him. I mean he consciously did that. You cant tell me, If I am holding a guy, a 180 lb guy on my shoulders, and standing there and I go unconscious, I am not going to slam him, my legs are going to collapse. He is going to fall on top of me! That is how people go unconscious. You dont go unconscious by taking a step back and slamming someone so hard you knock him out. MMARR: You said that John McCarthy had to make a call, and you said it could have gone the other way, if it had gone the other way. MC: I dont know, from where he was I dont know what other call he could have made, other then the one he made. One guy is clearly unconscious. That guy cant be the winner, I mean he cant be. You cant win when you are sleeping. Matt was still up, he wasnt laying down on his face, he wasnt. He didnt appear to be out. I was at that angle too. I was from behind. So you know at that point, he made a call because he saw one guy out, same as when he made the call with Pele and Matt, he saw a fighter that couldnt defend himself. You got to stop the fight. One guy on the Internet was saying, "He should have stepped back and waited ten seconds to see what happened." Well Come on one guys is unconscious! If Matt would have been OK but he couldnt see, he would have been totally fine. MMARR: That guy is absolutely ridiculous, I mean when someone gets KOd we dont step back and wait ten seconds, wont even talk about that, but. MC: I know I am just saying, every single time that someone in boxing, when a guy is out laying on his back the way Newton was the Referee stops it, and stops the fight. That is the way it is done. He did it just like he has done it every other time. The only reason that people complain is because Matt is brutally Honest. He says what he thinks. He got criticized for Newton II, with the last fight be cause he said, "I expected to win a decision." That wasnt saying, "No I was fighting for a decision." Thats saying this Newton is freaking good! "I dont think I can stop him." He gets criticized for that. He is just Honest. He tells you what he thinks. He told me from day one he is going to beat him. He only trained three weeks. I kept saying, "What are you doing? You gotta get back here and train." "Oh I am doing a roofing Job." He trained three weeks for Newton. MMARR: The second fight? MC: Yeah. MMARR: Tim Sylvia will be in the UFC soon he will be taking on Wesley Cabbage, with the size and reach advantage that Sylvia has do you see anyone posing a threat to Sylvia? MC: Oh Sure, like everyone else, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We built him up. I have managed him from the beginning. He is 15 - 0 and he has knocked out what, 12 of his 15? If you come and you try to stand up with him, you are going to lose. I mean Maybe Pedro Rizzo could stand up with him. Probably, but anyone else, they dont have the reach and they dont have the power. He has got incredible knees, incredible knees, and they are already head level, so if you stand up with him you are going to get hurt. His Jiu Jitsu is improving. He does it every day of course, like everyone else at the gym. He triangles people, he gets people, but that is not as far along as his stand up. MMARR: So he can be grounded and pounded? MC: I dont know about grounded and pounded, because his arms are so stinking long that if you are in his guard, he will hit you. You may not be able to hit him, but he will hit you. I mean he is a FREAK! He is hard to deal with because he is also very coordinated. He is hard to take down. You are going to have to be a good wrestler to take him down. He has a really good sprawl, and when he sprawls his feet are already eight feet behind him! You cant reach him and get him you know MMARR: That is two of your fighters in a row that you called freaks!!! Matt Hughes and. MC: I am Loaded with Freaks!!!!! MMARR: Anthony "The Freak" Fryklund?!?! MC: Yup! I am loaded with them! I have all kinds of them! That is what happens when you live in Iowa, we must be close to some kind of a Nuclear power plant! We are loaded with guys, Look at Robbie Lawler!!! Robbie Lawler can bench Press Three Hundred and sixty Pounds ten times!!! Who else can do that at a hundred and seventy pounds? MMARR: Speaking of Robbie he is in the UFC division at 170, Matt Hughes is the king of the Division right now. I dont know if I see anyone beating matt Hughes right away, where does Matt Hughes take it? Does he take it to 185? Or where does Robbie Lawler take it? MC: Matt does not go anywhere, he stays there as the champion until someone can beat him. Robbie just keeps fighting. Robbie is 20 years old. He has got time to improve. Ask Robbie Lawler if he thinks he can beat Matt Hughes? He just laughs and says, "Not in a million years." But someday you know, it is like a passing of the guard. Miletich was there forever, he left, now Matt took over. Matt could be there, in my opinion, as long as he wants to be there. He has already beaten the two best guys out there. Newton is the second best guy out there at one seventy. No doubt in my mind. I DONT CARE HOW BAD HE GOT BEAT THIS LAST TIME. He is the second best guy. I think Sakurai is top five, I think Miletich is Top Five, and I think that Trigg is top five. I think those are your top five guys in the world. MMARR: How about Silva? MC: Anderson Silva could not make 170. MMARR: he fought Sakurai at 170 MC: but now look at him. He was 190 the last time, I mean he will have to really, really work to make 170 again. Hes big. That is what people think of Pele "Landi Jons", I went to Pride and watched "Pele" and that dude is 205! That guys is going to have to get an amputation to make 180! Let alone 170. They cant even bring those guys up. They cant make the weight. Anderson Silva maybe. But, you know what? I dont think he is top five. MMARR: He has got long legs to I think he could get taken down. MC: He has got things that could cause people problems, there is no doubt about it. But he is built for a wrestler. A Guy like Matt is going to be ten times as strong. You cant have nine-foot long arms, and still have the muscle mass that a Matt Hughes has, with those arms MMARR: at 170. MC: right at 170and so I see that fight trying to get to the clinch, slamming him and pushing him into the cage or whatever, and beating the hell out of him. I think Matt beats him worse then Newton. MMARR: What do you think of the chances of a Matt Hughes type fighter succeeding in a ring, as opposed to a UFC cage? MC: He is 6 and 0 in Rings. MMARR: He hasnt faced the same type of competition in the rings. MC: He has fought good people. MMARR: Has he fought anyone like Carlos Newton or Hayato Sakurai? MC: No, I mean, those are the two best guys in the world, next to him. So, no. But he fought Chris Haseman who was 200 pounds (a Unanimous decision Win for Hughes), and he fought Kanehara (Majority Decision Win for Hughes) who has beaten Menne and Horn, and he beat both of them in a ring. I mean the whole cage thing is overrated. I watched the Newton fight, he didnt even use the cage half the time. I mean the only reason a ring would help someone fighting Matt would be because someone could slide out under the ropes and get a stand up. Matt put it on Newton in the middle of the ring. Just like in the cage, I mean he crucified him with the knee on one arm and holding the other, that was not the cage. If he can do that to Newton in the middle then he can do that to anyone. It is a funny story, about a year ago I called the UFC begging for them to put Matt Hughes back in. They said, "I dont know he just lost to Hallman." I said, "you know, what you guys dont understand is, Matt has the potential to be the best fighter out of Miletich Martial arts ever." His Potential is unlimited. No-one is going to wrestle like him, his submissions are really coming along, he passes the guard, he gets to the side, strikes well from the ground, and he is working his butt off on his stand up. This guy is going to become a machine. Joe Silva and Dana White said "Ok, Ok" they gave me some credit, at least I know talent when I see it. Matt was going to quit, because we couldnt get him anything, no one would take him. So finally they go, "would he fight Sakurai?" So I go, "He would fight Sakurai in a minute." Well then Sakurai ended up pulling out of that fight, Then Anderson Silva Pulled out of the (Carlos) Newton fight, so he went from not being able to get anywhere right into a title shot, and took advantage of it. The thing with Matt is he keeps getting better. Look at every fight. He is getting better and better and better and the next fight he is going to get better then that, and it is not a matter of who is out there that can beat him now, it is who can beat him next time? The guy is phenomenal. MMARR: Who is out there for him? What are you going to do? You have to find fights for him too. MC: I dont have to do anything, thank goodness. Zuffa has to do it. I am in a nice position. I sit at home and play on the Internet and they call me and tell me who they want him to fight. I am like, "Whatever." We dont care. Anybody at 170 lbs! I am thinking Sherk is going to beat Radach in the next show. Then he fights Sherk. MMARR: Do you manage Sherk? MC: Used to I managed him for his first 20 fights. MMARR: Do you think Sherk is going to beat Radach? MC: I think so. MMARR: What is your take on the Jens Pulver saga? He has had some problems with the UFC, is UFO. Does he have a contract with the UFO longer than one fight? MC: The UFO only gave out one fight deals. All the reports on Bustamante being offered a three fight deal it is all bullcrap. No one was offered more then a one fight deal through UFO. And the numbers are insane. I know what he was offered because my partner in Japan is one of the matchmakers, so I know the numbers and those are ridiculous. But getting back to Jens, obviously I manage Jens, The UFC had to make a business decision. I know that it sounds like we are skirting the issue but it is not. I mean they have to decide. Our Contract is up, they have got to decide what do you want to pay Jens? They came up with a figure, we didnt like that figure, I mean we thought, seven fights, never losing, beating B.J PennIt was time that he got paid. We didnt care that he was a 155 pounds. We wanted him to be paid like the 170 pounders and the 185 pounders. We never expected for him to be paid like heavyweights, we never asked for that kind of money, never expected it. But, we wanted to be paid like the 170 pounders and like the 185 pounders, we didnt want to be on top, we just wanted to be in there. MMARR: So what do you think are your chances of getting back into the UFC? MC: I think we can get him back into the UFC tomorrow. The money has got to change. He is going to go fight, we are going to leave on Saturday (Aug 3rd) he is going to go fight in the UFO, I think he is going to win Impressively, and I think it is going to open up a whole new world for him. K-1 wants him, K-1 is offering really good money. UFO would like to do more then one show, I think they are going to do one more show. I think after he beats Murahama, I think Pride is going to be interested in signing him. MMARR: How is Pride going to sign a 155 pounder? Are they going to have a new 155 division? MC: They can do anything! I mean Pride can do anything they want to do. If they want to go out and get Royler (Gracie) for him, or they want to get Uno (Caol) for him or they want to get Sato (Rumina) for him there is all kinds of fights. Pride isnt like the UFC, they dont have all these titles, they just want to make good fights. If they think Jens Pulver is the most exciting fighter or the fighter they want at 155, there is no shortage of good Japanese fighters at one fifty five. So why wouldnt they sign him? It dosnt make any sense that they wouldnt. MMARR: Were you impressed with Jens Pulvers performance against Robert Emerson?( Emerson was his last first fight since leaving the UFC, he won via three round decision) MC: Well.. Long Pause Here is the thing, This just happened last night with Menne. You got Jens Pulver whos just trying to get a warm up fight because he hasnt been in the ring a while. You take Robert Emerson, we didnt know anything about Robert Emerson, other then we were told he was good. We wanted someone good! I mean we didnt want for Jens to get a warm up, we didnt want him to walk in and knock someone out in 30 seconds. If he does that he doesnt do anyone any good. We wanted him to go rounds, so we didnt know anything about Robert Emerson. We dont have video tapes on him, we dont think about him, we just know that he is going to want to stand up. That is what we wanted, so he can get some work. Jens trains right though the fight, I mean Emerson has a chance of a lifetime. He watches tapes on Jens, he grooms himself for this fight, I mean he is ready to go. It is the fight of his life. For Jens, it is just a warm up, just a tune up that is what it is. All the people who saw it say it was exciting, I mean this Emerson kid is tough! He took punches! Jens dropped him with the knee, Jens dropped him with the left hook, I mean scoring wise for the fight, it is not very close, I mean with the knockdowns and stuff he probably had two ten eight rounds. But, the fight is better then the score, the fight is that this guy gets dropped and kept coming, it was amazing, it was great. Jens got tired in the third round, Jens also got kneed in the "nuts" in the second round Pretty bad. (He) Had to take five minutes, and he got really tired. But that is because he didnt train for the fight. If he would have trained like he gets ready for a fight three weeks out, I think he rolls through him, but he cant do that, his fight is ahead of him in the UFO. When you are number one in the world you have to be able to not be at your best and still win. That is what he did. He went out and showed some really nice takedowns. He worked a little bit on his ground and pound in case he needs it. He dropped the kid twice standing. So I was happy. MMARR: You manage both Dave Menne and Matt Hughes. Both fought in Kuwait (Warriors War 1 Feb, 8 ,2001. ) What would have happened if Hughes would have beat Pele and they would have met in the finals? MC: Someone would have won sixty Grand. Laughs That is one of the rare instances where I asked both of them, "What do you want to do?" Now they have already fought each other once. ( Extreme Challenge 21 Oct, 17, 98. Hughes won a Decision) MMARR: Did you manage them both at that time? Time (of their fight at Extreme Challenge 21, Oct,17, 98) MC: No did not manage Hughes, But Laverne Clark fought Menne on my show and I managed both of them. MMARR: What do you think would have happened if Dave Menne would have fought Matt Hughes at Kuwait. MC: I dont know. I mean the first time Matt Hughes won pretty handily. Dave was on in Kuwait. I mean he was absolutely on. He beat Carlos Newton, Dropped him, actually had him knocked out with the kick to the head, and he came to when he landed. MMARR: Yeah it kind of looked like a flash knockdown. MC: yeah but he was out when he fell, because McCarthy came over right after and said "He was Out" and I go yeah "I know, when he landed he came to". Dave is capable of showing, amazing things I mean you just never know with that guy. MMARR: That is the knock against him though, he has never been known as being a finisher. I mean even as his manager you must agree to some extent that .. MC: Yeah but who cares? Do you think his fights are boring? I mean every good fight in my shows all involve Dave Menne. Menne Vs Laverne Clark was amazing. An amazing fight, he finished Laverne. Dave Menne Vs Shonie Carter, both of them had to go to the hospital when it was done, it was probably the best fight I have ever had in my show, and it went to a decision, and I couldnt care less. These people who are caught up in finishes, it is all Jiu Jitsu based. This isnt Jiu Jitsu anymore. Wrestling matches never, I mean you try for pins, If Sanderson (Cael Sanderson) wins eighty percent of his matches by decision does that make him less of a wrestler? It does not matter. I just want exciting fights. That is what I care about. If people argue, "Oh that guy is not exciting", well thats ok, that I can deal with. I mean if they feel that they dont like his style, or whatever then fine! Dont watch him! But when you start arguing that someone is not a finisher, "Oh who cares". Everyone tells me that "Oh that the Aaron Riley Vs Robbie Lawler fight, wasnt that an incredible fight!" No one finished they must both suck!!! MMARR: No I dont mean that, No one thinks that Dave Menne Sucks. MC: No, I am saying that if no one finished it must be a terrible fight! So all those fights, like Lawler (Robbie) Vs Riley (Aaron) , (Dave) Menne Vs Shonie (Carter), well how about Shonie and Serra, Well Shonie Finished with a Knockout, well a few seconds more would that have been a crappy fight? Because he didnt finish? MMARR: But dont you think because he actually finished that fight that it was just that extra bit more exciting? MC: Oh I think it is great! Certainly! But you know what, that is the stuff that makes Pro-wrestling so appealing to people, wouldnt it be great if every single time you could write the script and finish in dramatic fashion? I think it would be great! But this is the real world it does not happen that way. Dave Menne is not real strong, he doesnt have great punching, he is not an incredible submission guy, he is just a really good fighter. He lets you hit him and he hits you back. He kicks at you, he will take you down, I mean he has got "Pele" (Jose-Landi) in a Knee bar, he goes for everything, I cant remember a fight with Menne , maybe Iha, that was boring, I find him incredibly fun to watch, I never know what the guy is going to do. MMARR: He got K.Od pretty good against Bustamante. MC: Yeah he is not going to say anything about it, but ask Zuffa. Everyone at that Connecticut show, everybody got sick. Badly sick. I got sick I lost 12 pounds in 12 hours. MMARR: Monte Cox lost twelve pound eh? MC: TWELVE POUNDS! Jeremy Horn and I were the first two in our group to get sick and they all laughed at me. I couldnt sit on the couch for more then five minutes I had to run to the bathroom and vomit. I had to be buried under blankets, and I never get sick. Thats just not something that ever happens. So everyone is laughing at me, Pulver and all those guys, and I am like "Oh my God" I have never had this before, this is awful. Then Randleman gets it. From political circles in New York City to cocktail parties on Capitol Hill, on right-of-center Facebook pages and among left-of-center donors, two of the biggest untethered threads in New York politics are being drawn together around a single question. Would Hillary Clinton run for mayor? The prospect has an obvious, novelistic allure: A run for mayor of New York this year would pit Mrs. Clinton against Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat who managed her Senate campaign in 2000, and, should she win, would put her in charge of President-elect Donald J. Trumps hometown, ensuring years of potential clashes between bitter rivals. The question has gained momentum in the weeks since Mrs. Clinton lost to Mr. Trump, a Republican. It began quietly at first, then grew louder among the conservative media outlets and pundits who hold her and Mr. de Blasio in disdain. While the answer would almost certainly be no, supporters of Mrs. Clinton and former members of her staff appear to have been happy to let the speculation spread from closed-door gatherings of donors and allies, where it has been discussed among the many hypothetical future jobs Ms. Clinton might pursue, to more public forums. DILLON It's being called the best thing that could happen to bread in America, for both consumers and investors. Great Harvest Bread Co., a 40-year-old bakery brand that makes bread "the way it was made in the Bible" milled from whole grains every day on the premises of its local franchised bakeries hopes to become the competition for Panera. The company announced it will begin offering a "hub and spoke" bakery-cafe franchise opportunity. With the new model, franchisees can purchase a large territory that includes a single Great Harvest Bread Co. bakery operation, and as many cafe-only units as they desire in surrounding towns. The bakery locations would be equipped with ovens and ample space to produce and deliver the hand-milled breads to the nearby cafe-only locations throughout the day. Great Harvest Bread announced they'll be looking to expand in all areas of the United States, primarily in the Northeast region. "All of the other big chains out there in the fast-casual bakery segment have one big box location every 10 or 15 miles that doesn't bake from scratch," said CEO Mike Ferretti. "These competitors are par baking from frozen loaves that are mass manufactured by machines. "They're not milling the wheat berry in the stores and making everything from scratch like we do. With our new model, a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchisee can cover a larger territory for a significantly less investment than competitors like Panera, but still continue to make and serve bread by hand from scratch the way it's supposed to. Our franchisees will have a bakery cafe of their own, which maximizes coverage and still allows them to be hyper-local with a personal touch in smaller communities." Dubbed "bread heaven" by fanatic customers since 1976, Great Harvest Bread bakeries make their bread from whole grains milled on the premises typically a five-hour process that starts every day as early as 2:30 a.m. Emphasizing it is not merely a one-trick pony, Great Harvest Bread represents and offers better breakfasts, better sandwiches, healthier dinners and tastier desserts than common, overblown national chains. Great Harvest Bread offers for breads, muffins and cinnamon rolls, as well as lunch items such as deli sandwiches including chicken or tuna salad, roast beef and vegetables all made on their choice of fresh bread made that morning. "While the rest of the world got used to mass manufacturing of processed bread, Great Harvest continued to mill our own high-quality wheat and bake bread fresh daily," said Great Harvest Bread Company President Eric Keshin. "Our customers love us for that. We continue to grind wheat berries ordered from local Montana family-owned farms." Another difference with Great Harvest Bread Co., is a "Freedom Franchise" model in which franchisees can personalize their decor and menu offerings to suit their local markets. While a national franchise, the bakeries are truly local and neighborly, allowing franchisees to add menu items specific to a particular city or region, stay open earlier or later, give their bakery-cafes a true neighborhood look, or even sell alcohol. "Our franchisees have always loved the freedom aspect. They get the support they need from us, with flexibility to add elements that they know will appeal to guests in their market. They aren't forced into a cookie-cutter boxed model like most franchises," Keshin added. The total average cost to open a Great Harvest Bread Co., bakery-cafe is about $315,000, compared to more than three times that for competing larger footprint concepts, such as Panera. The company is looking to open 25 locations with the new model in the next 15-18 months and is initially targeting the Northeast. While the new bakery-cafe model is ideally suited for multi-unit operators, single-unit franchises in smaller territories will still be available. Keshin said their competitors are "manufacturing in commissaries and focusing on technology, mass and speed. We are baking bread from scratch the right way and offering a franchise opportunity for a significantly lower cost than the big-box guys. We can outperform them with our product and out-cover them with our new model." As the Laurel School District plans its finances, tax protests from the CHS refinery hang over it like a comic-strip-style rain cloud. Laurel is a major backer of a bill that sailed through the Senate Committee on Education and Cultural Resources on Friday that would expand options for paying back tax protest refund money. Current law has schools on the hook for paying money back in one year if tax appeals are won, resulting in a potentially massive one-year tax spike for local schools. The provision would apply to any school in the state, but Laurel is perhaps the most drastic example. The CHS refinery makes up more than 50 percent of the districts K-8 tax base. Weve had to access the protested taxes just to operate, said Laurel Superintendent Linda Filpula. CHS protested tax bills in 2009 and again in 2014 and 2015. The 2009 dispute was settled in 2013, cutting about 15 percent from the refinerys taxes from 2009 to 2012. The underlying dispute over the assessment method wasnt addressed. The state Department of Revenue says the plants market value for 2014 is $848 million and for 2015 is $820 million. CHS says the value is $345 million for 2014 and $352 million for 2015. What were advocating is that wed be able to spread that out over numbers years to mitigate that, Filpula said. Under the proposal, schools would be able to borrow from Montana Board of Investments through the INTERCAP loan program to pay tax protest refund money in one year as required, but the loan could be paid back over several years, spreading out the impact on taxpayers. Legislators unanimously moved the bill, SB 5, forward with little debate. The Montana Board of Investments is authorized to have about $190 million loaned out. Currently, the board has loaned out less than $100 million, said Sen. Tom Facey, a Missoula Democrat sponsoring the bill. This is about flexibility for schools, he said. Modular classrooms The bill also lets schools use the loan program to purchase modular housing for short-term use, a provision aimed at schools that could be in for enrollment explosions should Bakken oil production see a sudden resurgence. Crude oil prices have gone up for the past few months, currently standing at $53.76 per barrel. I think everybodys a little optimistic that things will take off, said Sidney Superintendent Dan Farr. To what degree they impact our side of the border is anyones guess. Adding modular classrooms could help schools address enrollment spikes that might not be permanent, said the bills proponents, which included a host of education advocacy groups like MEA-MFT and the Montana Rural Education Association. Large-scale building projects are usually designed to address permanent enrollment changes and typically are funded by locally approved tax raises. Oil-related enrollment spikes aren't always permanent and can happen quickly, while bond elections are often drawn-out processes. Farr noted that his district has lost some students as the boom waned, but many students the district added have stuck around. He said Sidney has some room should enrollment grow, but he prefers more sustainable solutions if the district would need more space. Modular classrooms, nickel and dime you to death in the long run, he said. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 6, which tweaks language in a tribal college law. I know leadership is happy to have a couple bills in front of them, hopefully early next week, said committee chair Dan Salomon, a Ronan Republican serving his first term in the Senate after serving three House terms. An area that abuts the town of Ramsay could soon be home to a truck stop with more than 130 lots available for overnight parking, a company spokesman for Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores said Friday. On Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. the Oklahoma-based company plans to hold a public meeting at the Ramsay School on the proposal. Steve Walters, a real-estate project manager for Loves, said the proposed location is on a parcel between Palmer Street, which is Ramsay's north-south boundary on the east, and west of the Montana Livestock Auction Co. It's along Interstate 90, just a few miles west of the interchange with Interstate 15. The property would take up 15 to 18 acres and would include a 9,000-square-foot tire center, a second 9,000-square-foot store with space for two food franchises, and 137 parking spaces for tractor trailers on the eastern portion of the property. Walters said Love's is still in the planning stages, so specs on the projects could change. The Travel Shop could bring 60 to 80 jobs to the area, Walters said, ranging from part-time jobs to a handful of managerial positions. He said all Loves employees start above minimum wage and that the jobs come with benefits. The company has a goal of breaking ground in May, but it will have to jump through some hoops before that can happen. This is because a portion of the parcel resides in a rural-residential zone, which means the company will need a variance from the countys zoning board a point Chief Executive Dave Palmer touched on during Wednesdays council meeting. TFID Administrator Kristin Rosa, meanwhile, confirmed that part of the proposed location resides in a rural-residential zone. She said the location will not be in the Montana Connections Business Development Park, the tax increment financing industrial district that Rosa administers. Ramsay residents appear to be gearing up for Tuesdays meeting. Dan Callahan said he received his first call as District 12 commissioner only an hour after giving the oath of office Dec. 29 from a resident concerned about the project. Since then, Callahan said, hes received a number of calls from Ramsay residents, a majority of whom voiced opposition to the project. Their concerns included worries about safety and increased noise, pollution, and traffic. As far as they know, theres going to be a truck stop there, said Callahan, noting that residents are hungry for information. Callahan said the facility will be a departure from what residents are used to. He described the town as quiet and said Ramsay has long been non-commercial. Walters said Tuesdays meeting will address many of the residents concerns. He said hell present architectural elements that will diminish noise and light pollution, such as fencing on the west side of the property to block truck lights as well as a berm with landscaping to absorb noise. He said the truck stop will be monitored and the company has operational procedures that address safety. The proposed Ramsay facility wouldnt be the only truck stop in Butte-Silver Bow. Rocker seven miles east of Ramsay boasts two truck stops. But Walters said hes not concerned about the competition and noted that media outlets have been reporting for years on a nationwide shortage of overnight truck parking. In a 2015 article, the Wall Street Journal said the shortage was partly due to new regulations that require truckers to stop, park, and rest more often. Were in competition with everybody, Walters added, noting that Loves operates in 40 states with 410 locations. Furthermore, he said companys like FLYING J and Town Pump each have their own set of loyal customers. We do a good job, and so do they, he said. Last year was a big year for Loves Travel Stops and Country Stores, having opened 47 locations across the U.S., five of which opened on the same day. Walters said the company is on track to make similar strides this year, with hopes of opening 60 to 80 stores nationwide, including another Montana location in Hardin along Interstate 90, about 50 miles east of Billings. A privately owned company, Loves provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), travel items, electronics, snacks and restaurant offerings, the company writes on its website. The company was founded in 1964 by Tom and Judy Love and remains a family-owned business. Editor's note: This story was updated on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, to reflect a correction in the day of the inquest. It will be Tuesday, Jan. 17. --- The coroner's inquest into the shooting death by a Butte police officer of Peter Grandpre originally scheduled for Monday has been delayed. Butte-Silver Bow County Coroner Lee LaBreche said the inquest was moved due to scheduling conflicts but that a jury has been selected. The inquest will be held at the Butte Justice Center, 3615 Wynne St., at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. LaBreche has recused himself from the inquest, which he said is customary for officer-involved shootings, as he works frequently with the Butte sheriff's department. The inquest will instead be run by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Coroner Gerald Thomas. Grandpre was fatally shot by an as-of-yet-unnamed Butte police officer on June 16, 2016, in the entryway of Grandpre's home. Butte Sheriff Ed Lester said unreleased body camera footage of the incident shows Grandpre aiming a pistol at the police officer followed by an exchange of fire. "There is no doubt in my mind the individual was trying to kill the officer," Lester said in a press conference after the shooting. Grandpre was hit by several rounds and pronounced dead at St. James Healthcare. The officer was unharmed. Lester said at the time it was unknown whether Grandpre or the officer fired first and that the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation was investigating. Grandpre, a military veteran, was wearing a military-style tactical vest and armed with two .45-caliber pistols and a .308 bolt action rifle. Lester said Grandpre's wife called police just before 2 a.m. on June 16 and said Grandpre had been drinking and the two were arguing at their Clark Street home when he took out the three firearms. The officer who fatally shot Grandpre was the first officer on the scene and saw Grandpre through the window holding a rifle. Lester said the man put down the rifle and exited the house but stepped back in the front door and pulled a gun on the officer. According to Montana law, an inquest is a formal inquiry into the causes of and circumstances surrounding the death of a person and is conducted by the coroner before a coroner's jury. An inmate didn't return to the Butte Prerelease Center in Uptown Butte Friday after going to his job as a laborer, according to a news release. Authorities identified the walk-away as Donald Thompson, 37, who is serving a 108-month sentence for felony aggravated assault out of Missoula County. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall; weighs 210 pounds; and has light brown hair and hazel eyes. People with information on his whereabouts are asked to call police. HELENA Before passing the rules that govern how the House functions, its members had a brief rehash of a partisan debate earlier in the week over the ability to blast bills out of committee and the hierarchy of rules, law and the state's Constitution. The House Rules, brought forward as House Resolution 1 by Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, made several key changes from past rules. The two biggest sticking points with Democrats were revisions that eliminated so-called "silver bullets" that allow a bill to be moved out of committee with a simple majority vote and removing references to Montana state law from the rules. Essmann said that it was necessary to remove references to state law because it amounted to giving a previous Legislature control over the current one. He added the state's Constitution gives the House the ability to make the rules it operates under and the change doesn't allow legislators to break the law. Masons Manual for Legislative Bodies, which Montana's Legislature uses, also supports this approach. "I believe we are all citizens of this state and we are all subject to state law," he said. House Minority leader Rep. Jenny Eck, D-Helena, said she opposed the change. "We are not above the law," she said. "No legislator is. If there's a contradiction between our rules and statute, we need to defer to our statute. we need to make sure laws are abided by." Eck also objected to the lack of the ability to blast bills, saying that it diminishes the minority party's position. Republicans hold a majority in the house, 59-41. "Our Constitution says a majority vote is required for a bill to become a law, not a super-majority," she said. "We have been delegating the full authority of the House to pass bills to a minority of its members." Essmann said Democrats "still have plenty of authority to come to the floor and round up the 60 votes to get the matter out." The rules passed on a 63-37 vote on second reading. Resolutions only need a second reading to pass, while bills need a third. A woman is on a quest to get Buttes animal control ordinance changed so she can keep her pet mini pig Pumpkin, saying hes clean, potty-trained, and a family member. Im fighting for my family, pig lovers and for the joy of my (nursing home) residents I take care of (and) for all the pig owners who have pigs in city limits, Nicole Prather said in a letter to Butte-Silver Bows chief executive and commissioners. The council on Wednesday referred the request to the countys Animal Control Department and its board, but in the meantime, she has been told to find another home for it, and officials are prepared to force the issue. Department director Ed Randall said Friday that local law prohibits the pig and Prather has been given ample time to get rid of it. She cant have it, he said. He said he opposes an ordinance change but would bring the issue to the Animal Services Board and take its recommendation to Chief Executive Dave Palmer. But Butte has rules and laws, he said, and they will enforce the ones on the books now. Palmer said Wednesday night the issue had to be looked at by others first, but his initial take was open. I can see allowing them, but maybe limit the number, he said. Maybe limit the number to one or two. Mini pigs can differ in size, weighing between 50 to 150 pounds, but they are smaller than traditional farm pigs. Vietnamese potbellied pigs that became popular in the 1980s can get larger. Prather said she got Pumpkin in September. Hes about 40 pounds now and should only get to 50 to 55 pounds. When outside, she said, hes in a small fenced-in area in her back yard on the Flat. She said an animal control officer came one day in November saying a neighbor had complained and that pigs are not allowed. Buttes municipal code prohibits swine unless lots are five acres or more. Prather said an officer returned on Dec. 14 and told her she now had two days to get rid of it. Less than an hour later, she said, the pig was missing from its pen, and it was picked up by animal control. They said it was running at large, Prather said, but it had never gotten out before. Randall said it was indeed running loose and his officers did not let it out. Regardless, Prather said she had to pay $65 to get it out but was challenging a citation in city court. She not only wants the fine changed, she wants city ordinance changed. I know 10 people who have pigs that live in city limits, she said. In her letter to commissioners, she said there were no mini pigs when the ordinance was written. They have been bred since then to be small, independent pets, she said. They are clean, smart, and quiet; dont sweat; and dont get fleas or bark like dogs, her letter said. Pigs can be trained like cats to use a litterbox or like dogs to use doggy doors or let you know when they have to go to the bathroom, she wrote. She noted a famous quote from Winston Churchill in which he said dogs look up to humans, cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals. Prather said she sometimes takes Pumpkin to a nursing home where she works, and the residents adore him as well as a coworkers mini pig. The residents would rather see the pigs than the cats and dogs people bring in, she wrote. She said Billings allows mini pigs, so why cant Butte. Although the Billings Animal Control board recommended in June 2015 to allow miniature swine in city limits under certain conditions, the city council has not acted on it yet, said Kristal Ward, office manager at the animal shelter there. Prather was scheduled to meet with a reporter and photographer from the Standard at her house Friday morning so they could talk further and get pictures of the pig, but she was not there. Phone messages were left on her voice mail. But Prather has a picture of a pig on her Facebook page and has a link to a web page asking people to sign a petition to Gov. Steve Bullock and (former) Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Matt Vincent. The petition seeks to change laws allowing mini pigs or other service animal or emotional service animals within cities in Montana. She said Pumpkin brings life and happiness to her and the nursing home residents. People say bacon helps depression, she says on the page. Not my fault I like mine uncooked and alive instead of dead and crispy. She told the Standard earlier this week she had been trying hard to find another home for the pig but had not yet done so. Randall said Prather is being treated like anyone else. If they had found 18 dogs at a residence, he said as an example, they would first want to ensure they were OK and not endangered. But they wouldnt expect the owner to find other homes for them immediately. He said his department gave Prather a few weeks to remove the pig, and even after that, she had yet to do so. He would send an officer to visit the home again soon, he said. Randall said he understands some people want the pigs allowed, but despite Prathers claims in her letter, These animals do stink, and they are very loud. We have had an animal control issue in this town for years, and we are finally getting to where its a lot better, he said. But Butte got a late start with animal control, he said, and as of now, he was not ready to support the requested change. He noted that many people want dogs allowed in Butte parks other than Skyline, but I dont think as a community we are there yet. Commissioner Jim Fisher, whose district includes Prathers house, told other council members he had visited with her a few times and thought maybe the ordinance is a little outdated. The pigs are residential oriented, he said, and, Its not like you are going to have a pig farm. He said he simply wanted those who look into the issue now to keep an open mind. Beset by frigid temperatures and behind in the Red Kettle campaign by about $38,000 in mid-December, the Salvation Army in Billings saw a surge in donations that brought in $6,000 more than the agency had budgeted about $126,000 total. The campaign will pay for most of the Salvation Armys programs in 2017. Montana is great, said Maj. Trish Simeroth, who together with her husband, Lt. Tim Simeroth, are corps officers in Billings, having arrived from San Diego in July. People responded to the need, and they made a substantial gift in the kettle. The timing of the larger-than-expected Red Kettle largesse is allowing the Salvation Army to help meet the emergency housing needs of more than two dozen people forced from their homes by the Dec. 20 Colonial Apartments fire on the Billings South Side. To date, the Salvation Army has provided aid to about half of the former residents of the apartments, at Third Avenue South and South 27th Street. That aid has included 84 nights of lodging, food, transportation and case management. Going forward, the Salvation Army will help residents locate permanent housing, help them with their first months rent, and provide them meals, hygiene kits and emotional and spiritual care. The American Red Cross provided the affected residents with three days of emergency lodging following the fire. The more money we bring in, the more we can help, Simeroth said Friday about the Salvation Armys response. When we get a fire, how in the world can we say no to people who are out in the cold? By partnering with other agencies that can help with housing including the HUB and the Human Resources Development Council, or HRDC the Salvation Army can help stabilize, offer counseling and connect people with resources available in the community, Simeroth said. Thats why we do what we do at Christmas-time. Its our main source of funding. It takes the entire community, and the involvement and generosity of the individuals who live there, to support people in need, she said. If we did this on our own, we would have far more nos than yeses, she said. We came alongside the Red Cross, and we encourage the community to come alongside, too. People in crisis sometimes just need someone who can make a call for them, so they dont see disappointment upon disappointment. We do the most good, she said, with what people give us. Case managers are now working with some of those people displaced by the fire, Simeroth said. We are transitioning from emergency shelter (in local motels) to What is your next step? he said. Were offering both case management and rental assistance. The agency is also working with other providers to locate available housing and assist those affected by the fire with applying for a new apartment. It often takes an application fee just to look at a place, Simeroth said. We can call the place theyre looking at and ask them, Can you help? While acknowledging that emergency assistance has its time frame, Simeroth said the Salvation Army strives to be diverse in what we can help with. Fire victims, for example, have now been served for weeks through the Salvation Armys Community Table, which feeds at least 400 people six nights each week. We are usually the first on the scene, and we are always the last to leave, she said. We want to make sure everyone has their needs met. Learn more or make a donation at www.billings.salvationarmy.org. MUSCATINE, Iowa The Muscatine Diabetes Walk Project and Trinity Muscatine Public Health will offer a joint wellness program for prediabetics at the end of January. The goal is to help an individual do a lifestyle change, said Kim Seligman of the Muscatine Diabetes Walk Project. Participants will meet with experts who can help them change their eating and exercise habits, lose weight and decrease their chances of developing diabetes. The program will last a year and Seligman said participants are expected to attend most meetings. The first meeting will take place at Trinity Public Health on Cedar Street on Thursday, January 26 from 6-7 p.m. To qualify for the program, participants must be older than 18, overweight and have a recent diagnosis of prediabetes or a history of diabetes during pregnancy. "We are looking for people who are already in that New Year's resolution mindset," Seligman said, adding that the program can help prediabetics avoid diabetes and its complications down the road. Prediabetics in the community are invited to register for the program on Tuesday, January 10 at the Muscatine Community YMCA from 6:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and from 11:00 a.m.-1 p.m. They can also register at the Second Avenue Hy-Vee from 4-6 p.m. There is a one-time registration fee of $25 a $5 fee per class. The registration deadline for this program is Monday, January 23. In addition to the registration forms, Seligman said, they will also offer low-cost prediabetes screenings. She encouraged people who are at risk for diabetes to stop by. "Anyone that has diabetes in their family treeparents, grandparents, siblingsthe risk is there," she said. DES MOINES While conceding some anxiety over his pending deployment to China as Americas next ambassador, Gov. Terry Branstad said he believes he is soon to embark on the opportunity of a lifetime. Branstad, 70, the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, said in an interview Thursday he is leaving a job he loves as Iowas chief executive, but he felt he couldnt turn down a request from President-elect Donald Trump to serve his country in a key foreign-policy role after getting the blessing of his wife and family members. When the person who is going to be the president of the highest office in this whole country says I think your knowledge and experience with the Chinese people and with the leaders of China could be helpful to our country in an issue that is extremely important and contentious, well, boy, I think thats a really hard thing to turn down, Branstad said. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I think if I turned this down I would always regret it, he added. Branstad was in New York last month on a sell Iowa trip to meet with economic development prospects when he and his wife, Chris, stopped by Trump Tower to visit with the president-elect whom the governor strongly supported during the 2016 general election campaign. His son, Eric, guided Trumps Iowa election effort. A short time later, Trump announced his intent to nominate Branstad to serve as the U.S. ambassador to China, citing the governors friendly relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping dating back to the mid-1980s when Xi was a young county official seeking a closer relationship with Iowa's agriculture sector. Trump said Branstads decades of public service along with his knowledge, experience and close ties to top Chinese leaders made him the ideal choice to serve as Americas ambassador to one of the worlds most powerful nations. Branstad said he was humbled and honored to accept Trumps nomination which is still subject to confirmation by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. First of all, I didnt think my wife would ever have any willingness or interest to do this, Branstad said in the interview, but when Chris and the rest of the family said they were intrigued by the idea and they thought even the grandchildren spending some time in China would be a great experience for them that pretty much sealed the deal. We had several family discussions about it, he added, but I tell you theres still some anxiety in my family. Every one of us has some anxiety about this. This is a big change. Its moving half way around the world. Its a very different culture. Its obviously a very contentious relationship we have, and I still have a lot to learn, Branstad said. I have a lot to learn about foreign policy and some of the issues that the ambassador has to deal with. But I guess Im intrigued and excited about the opportunity. I want to make the best of it. I know its a huge using a Donald Trump term its a huge challenge, its also a huge opportunity. I want to make the most of it. Branstad has divided his time over the past month preparing to deliver his final Condition of the State address and two-year state budget to the Legislature next Tuesday and filling out a detailed questionnaire as part of the process of being nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to China. Branstad said he plans to submit the information to a number of federal agencies as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will consider whether to confirm his nomination. He said he plans to attend Trumps inauguration in Washington later this month and use the opportunity to meet personally with some of the committee members. Branstad served as Iowas governor from 1983 to 1999 before returning to the office in 2011. Since leading his first delegation to Hebei Province in 1984, the governor has led six trade missions to China including one last fall -- meeting with numerous provincial governors, ministerial leaders and local officials. DES MOINES Gov. Terry Branstad says he believes there was more than coincidence, corporate goodwill or random selection behind Amazon.coms decision to begin collecting Iowas sales tax on online purchases effective last Sunday. The only reason why they would pay sales tax in the state of Iowa -- its not out of the goodness of their heart, its that theyre going to have a nexus here, the governor said in an interview on Thursday. They are a growing company, so I could see a fulfillment center or a distribution center or a data center like the others have done in the future. The others Branstad was referring to were Facebook, Microsoft and Google highly sought-after companies that have been facilities in Iowa in recent years. State Department of Revenue officials say Amazon officials contacted them with notification the Seattle-based giant online retailer would begin to collect Iowa's 6 percent sales tax on purchases beginning Jan. 1. Amazon will not collect the local-option portion of the sales tax at this time. It already collects sales tax for purchases made by residents of 29 states and the District of Columbia. Iowa law requires companies with a 'nexus' in the state to collect sales tax for online purchases. That means retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence such as Barnes & Noble, Target and Wal-Mart must collect sales tax on their online orders. For retailers such as Amazon that do not have a physical presence here, the burden has been on the customer to send the state an equivalent use tax -- though few actually do. Theyll have a legal obligations (to collect sales tax) once they have a nexus, and theyve done this in several other states, Branstad said. Weve called on them and I think theyre really interested. Theyre not ready to announce it yet, but the fact that they have made this commitment to start paying sales tax now tells me its something thats imminent. Amazon officials did not respond to a request for comment. George C. Ford contributed to this story CEDAR RAPIDS With Republicans in control of the Iowa House, Senate and governors office, Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, doesnt want to even mention which social conservative agenda items worry him most. I dont really want to tell you all of the things we are concerned about because I dont want to put an idea in (Republicans) minds. I dont want to plant the seeds, Hogg said. Social conservatives hope 2017 is the year the seeds theyve been planting blossom into laws to strengthen and defend families, protect life, strengthen marriage, expand educational choice and defend the poor. But only if pro-family Iowans are engaged in speaking our values to our government, according to a recent Family Leader newsletter. House Minority Leader Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, is calling on defenders of the status quo to speak up, too. We will exercise every option available to us to show our opposition, Smith said. Well have to rely on the people to voice their opinions. Some likely hot button issues of the 2017 session are: Abortion: We are a prolife caucus, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said. Thats who we are. So we will continue to do bills that advance the protection of life. That likely will include restrictions on abortion, perhaps banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy or if the fetus weighs at least 350 grams, and amending the state Constitution to specify there is no fundamental right to abortion. Upmeyer wasnt aware of any plans for an attempt to ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception. Ohio lawmakers approved that legislation, but it was vetoed. Defunding Planned Parenthood: Another Republicans goal in recent years has been to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood. Upmeyer said the caucus prefers state dollars go to womens health care providers that do not also provide abortions. There are plenty of clinics other than Planned Parenthood that offer breast cancer screening and reproductive health exams that are covered by tax dollars for Medicaid patients, according to Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock. Better options for more women and their health care, he said. Voter Photo ID: This could be one of the first bills to land on Gov. Terry Branstads desk. Despite Democratic arguments that requiring voters to show a photo ID is a barrier to voting, Dix cites a 2013 Iowa Poll that found 71 percent of Iowans favored requiring voter photo IDs. Voter photo ID is among the recommendations Secretary of State Paul Pate made to the Legislature. He estimated the cost to provide IDs to Iowans without state-issued IDs would be about $500,000. The argument he and GOP lawmakers make is that voters want confidence that only eligible voters are participating in elections. Voting should be easy, cheating should be hard, they say. Its inconsistent for Republicans to relax restrictions on gun ownership under the guise of expanding Iowans constitutional rights, but make it harder to vote another constitutional right, Smith said. Pate also proposed signature verification in addition to a photo ID, recommended using electronic poll books at every precinct and requiring an ID number for absentee ballot voting. Traffic cameras: Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, has tried, but failed, to ban traffic enforcement devices speed cameras and red light cameras. But Im in the majority and that changes everything, said Zaun, who will be the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. He said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Chip Baltimore, R-Boone, has agreed to run the bill and I have assurances from Gov. Branstad he will sign it. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that in 2014 red-light running caused 171,000 traffic crashes nationwide, which led to approximately 126,000 injuries and 709 deaths. Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, calls Zauns plan for the state to pre-empt local governments that want to use automated traffic devices for public safety a role reversal because its usually Republicans complaining about the Legislature imposing a one-size-fits-all regulation on local governments. Zaun counters that hes trying to stop to the abuse thats taking place throughout Iowa. He believes local governments interest in the cameras is more about raising revenue for cities than safety. The last time it came up in the House, Upmeyer said, and My recollection was that most of the caucus just wanted to do away with them. Gun rights: Attempts to expand Iowans gun rights are a sure thing in the GOP-controlled Senate. Sioux City Republican Sen. Rich Bertrand has been emailing Iowans to tell them that with their help there is an absolutely incredible opportunity to make both constitutional carry and stand-your-ground a reality in Iowa. In an email distributed by Iowa Gun Owners, Bertrand described stand-you-ground as simply stating in law that Iowa gun owners can defend themselves against attackers without fear of legal backlash. Constitutional carry would restore the right of Iowa citizens to carry a firearm for protection without going through a bunch of bureaucratic rigmarole or paying expensive fees, Bertrand said. Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, says a state version of the federal Second Amendment is a priority for the GOP majority. In the past, opponents of these measures could rely on liberal Democrats to block their passage in the Senate. This year, Jeremy Brigham, executive director of Iowans for Gun Safety, said they will need to talk to Republicans. Theyre in charge, so we need to let them know what the facts are. Better laws lead to less gun violence, Brigham said. Weakening law will likely lead to more gun violence. Although expanded gun rights is seen as a GOP issue, Brigham isnt sure all Republican share Bertrands zeal. He points out some Republicans who defeated Democratic incumbents generally won by small margins. They need to watch their backs, he said. Some GOP lawmakers who supported expanding gun rights out of party loyalty in the past may be less willing this year if they think theres a real possibility of those bills becoming law. Brigham emphasized that his group is pushing a gun safety agenda rather than an anti-gun agenda. Iowans for Gun Safety want to require Iowans to have hands-on training before getting a gun permit rather than taking online gun training. It also wants to require the safe storage of guns in homes, including the use of gun safes so weapons are not readily available to children or burglars. MUSCATINE, Iowa Muscatine Lions President Zac Halloran called to order the regular meeting of the club at noon, Dec. 15, 2016, at the Muscatine Center for Social Action. Gladys Reif gave the invocation following the Pledge of Allegiance. The annual Lions Pancake Breakfast is set for April 22, 2017, and further discussion was held on the other details of the event that need to be taken care of. Lion Julie Herold introduced Mary Alice Sissler, art teacher at Ss. Mary/Mathias Catholic School, who was accompanied by her students that had participated in the Muscatine 2016 Lions Peace Poster Contest. Club awards were presented to the local poster contest winners. All entries in the 2016 contest were deemed excellent. Emily Cron won first place; Roberto Solis, second place; Jared Lopez, third place; and Nevaeh Stover and Emi Twitty won honorable mentions. More information is being gathered by the club in regard to the 2017 Iowa Lions Camp Hertko Hollow camp for diabetic children this coming summer. The Muscatine Lions will be offering camperships to qualified local youth in the near future. Anyone interested in this special camp may contact Lion Julie Herold at 263-0500. President Halloran adjourned the meeting at 1:05 p.m. The Muscatine Lions meet at 6:30 p.m., every first Tuesday of the month at MCSA and at noon every the third Thursday. The public is welcome to all meetings. For more information on any Muscatine Lions Club activity, please call President Zac Halloran at 264-4163. MUSCATINE, Iowa A Muscatine man has been sentenced to prison after being convicted on one count of theft in the first degree and two counts of interference with official acts while armed with a dangerous weapon. Timothy William Seefeldt was sentenced to concurrent prison sentences for a total term of not to exceed 10 years. Seefeldt was involved in an incident on January 15, 2016, where he was shot by a Muscatine County Sheriff's Deputy after attempting to flee from the location of a traffic stop. According to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which handled the investigation of the incident, a Hummer H3 that was reported stolen from a downtown business parking lot was spotted by a Muscatine County Sheriffs Deputy at 10:33 p.m. on U.S. Highway 61 and conducted a traffic stop in the Pearl City Inn/Best Western parking lot with the assistance of a Muscatine police officer. Seefeldt attempted to drive away, backed up his vehicle and nearly struck the deputy and a Muscatine Police Officer while hitting several vehicles in the parking lot including one of the fully marked law enforcement vehicles. The deputy fired several shots at the vehicle with Seefeldt receiving a non-life-threatening injury. Muscatine County Attorney Alan R. Ostergren later determined that the deputy's actions were justified and lawful. Muscatine County Sheriff C.J. Ryan determined that the deputy's actions were consistent with departmental policies. Commercial Chestnut Growers Conference LETTS, Iowa A program on growing chestnuts commercially in the Midwest will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on February 11 at the Letts Community Room in Letts, Iowa. Topics to be covered will include markets, cultural practices, cost-share opportunities and economics. The outstanding potential for economic return of chestnuts will be stressed. Chestnuts are a valuable nut crop that can be grown in a low-input, chemical free agroforestry system that includes permanent ground cover. Depending on soil types, they can be an excellent crop for land designated as highly erodible. Seedling chestnut trees of superior genetics can begin bearing nuts after 34 years on a good site and with good management. At 1215 years they can produce 3,000 or more pounds per acre. In Iowa, chestnuts wholesale for an average of $2.60/pound. The profit potential of chestnuts has encouraged the planting of chestnut groves throughout much of Iowa. Roger Smith, manager and owner of Prairie Grove Chestnut Growers, buys and sells chestnuts. In 2016 he sorted, bagged and sold over 49,000 pounds of chestnuts grown in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. He sees no end to the market potential of chestnuts and plans to plant an additional 25 acres of chestnut trees to his existing chestnut groves. Speakers will include Roger Smith, Tom Wahl of Red Fern Farm, Lisa Louck District Forester with the Iowa DNR and Mike Gold, Associate Director of the Center for Agroforestry - University of Missouri. Preregistration is required. The registration of $20 includes lunch, snacks and a 16 page primer on growing Chestnuts in Iowa. Registration is available on line at www.extension.iastate.edu/ Louisa. For more information or other registration options call Kathy Dice at 319/729-5905. This program is being sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Louisa County, Red Fern Farm and Prairie Grove Chestnut Growers. MUSCATINE, Iowa - Writers on the Avenue will hold its monthly meeting from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Student Center at Muscatine Community College on Tuesday (Jan. 10). Writers of all ages and genres are welcome to attend. Inquiry meetings are free; membership is $10/year. Abundant wildlife doesnt happen by accident. The big game herds of deer, elk, antelope and other species Montanans enjoy today are the result of decades of hard work by hunters, anglers, and conservationists to protect special places. Theyre also the result of traditional working farms and ranches that provide important winter range and riparian habitat for big game, upland game birds and numerous other wildlife species. Elk and other critters that spend time on quality winter ranges arent causing fence, haystack and crop damage to private lands. Wildlife conservation takes a joint effort, often with diverse groups coming together. Montana has a long, successful history of different groups coming together for the benefit of both wildlife and quality habitat. It requires that we strike a balance between the interests of the public and landowners. But in one area, we all agree: Open, undeveloped farm and ranch lands in traditional working Montana agricultural families benefit wildlife, as well as hunters and anglers and our longstanding agricultural traditions. Thats the reason the Habitat Montana program, funded by hunting license dollars, is so important. Habitat Montana was essentially derailed in the 2015 legislative session. This program helps secure conservation easements and land purchases to protect key pieces of wildlife habitat. There are no dollars from the state general fund used for Habitat Montana, its all paid for by hunter and angler license dollars. We use those hunting license dollars to continue building quality habitats around the state of Montana and leverage those state dollars with federal Pittman-Robertson funds. The Pittman-Robertson Act levies an excise tax on firearms and ammunition we hunters and shooters have voluntarily imposed on ourselves for the benefit of conservation. Conservation easements on private lands have a great track record of protecting winter range and other priority habitats, while also providing public hunting access through agreements with landowners. These agreements have another major benefit: working capital that helps landowners with their operations, including tax benefits. Land purchases are a key element of Habitat Montana that benefits wildlife and the public. Acquisitions using Habitat Montana funding are only made from willing sellers. Habitat Montana is good for hunters, as well as wildlife enthusiasts. Habitat Montana lands provide public hunting access not only to those lands, but often to large tracts of public land that adjoins these areas. Habitat Montana is a success story. Lets make sure this program endures with full funding restored by the 2017 Legislature. Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi [] I think Ill be supporting some of [Trumps] nominees, I dont think theres any doubt about that, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has assured us, that is if they understand whats going on in my neck of the woods. Well, Tester should be all in for Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, to be the next U.S. Attorney General. Here is a fellow senator with a long track record of serving people at the local level, focusing on justice, security, and stability. That is why a letter of support from former U.S. attorneys general from around the country, including one from Montana, highlights that, During his 41 years of public service, Sen. Sessions has proved to be a leader of strong principles and firm beliefs. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox also joined a letter of support alongside attorneys general from many other states, writing, As the chief legal officers of our respective states, we write to express our unqualified support for the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general of the United States. The challenges we face often cross state lines, and it is imperative that we have as our nation's chief law enforcement officer someone who has the experience, the knowledge, and the principles to work with us to meet those challenges. No one is more qualified to fill that role than Sen. Sessions. Concerned Women for America of Montana agrees. Sessions would be perfect for whats going on in our neck of the woods. What the women of Montana want is a Department of Justice that brings justice back to the center of its focus and stops promoting political agendas, as we have seen for the past eight years. We want an attorney general who values the Constitution and believes in true equality before the law, the rule of law, and in putting the concerns of citizens above partisan politics. We are aware that Tester and Sessions have not always seen eye to eye. For example, Tester was a sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act, believing that, This bill gives us an opportunity to help victims get out of dangerous situations and hold offenders accountable. Sessions opposed it. Tester should not hold that against Sessions, since Sessions was expressing some of the concerns that many of Testers own constituents, like CWA of Montana, have, believing VAWA is in desperate need of reform. At CWAs urging, Sessions supported an amendment to the bill which would have improved it significantly. For example, it required: 70 percent of funds for rape kit backlog processes would go to their proper, previously allocated purpose; as it stands in VAWA, only 40 percent is used for that. 30 percent of money, not VAWAs 20 percent, to go toward the issue of sexual assault. More accountability. Even here in Montana, we have failed audits of VAWA grants. A DOJ investigation concluded, We examined the [Dawson County Domestic Violence Programs (DCDV)] operating policies and procedures, accounting records, and financial and progress reports, and found the DCDV did not comply with essential award conditions in every area we tested. Ultimately, we questioned $3,975,716, the entire amount drawn down. These measures would have resulted in a much stronger bill. We are confident that Tester can see how reasonable people can disagree on something like that. He should not let that kind of disagreement cloud his judgment when it comes to Sessions unquestionable character and leadership qualities. Supporting Sessions will also help Tester in his upcoming election, considering the margin of victory for President-elect Donald Trump here in Montana. GILLETTE The Campbell County Commission has expressed concerns to federal officials about problems with prairie dogs on the Thunder Basin National Grassland. They voiced their concerns this week in a meeting with U.S. Forest Service district ranger Shane Walker. The Gillette News Record reports that the prairie dog population on the grassland has exploded. Area ranchers say the prairie dogs interfere with their cattle grazing operations. The Forest Service is proposing to form a coalition that would include representatives of the Campbell, Weston and Converse county governments to discuss issues related to the grassland. Walker said the coalition is a way to address prairie dog concerns. But Campbell County Commissioner Micky Shober said he thought it would be a waste of time. TOKYO Japan announced Friday that it would recall its ambassador to South Korea and suspend economic talks in response to the placing of a comfort woman statue representing wartime sex slaves in front of its consulate in the Korean port city of Busan. Both Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine in Seoul and the consul-general in Busan will be temporarily recalled, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. Many Korean and other women in Asia were forced into sexual slavery in front-line brothels for the Japanese military during World War II in what was called the comfort woman system. Suga called the placing of the statue extremely regrettable, since Japan and South Korea had reached what was supposed to be a final agreement to resolve long-standing differences over the issue in late 2015. He said that Japan would suspend some ongoing negotiations with South Korea, including a proposed currency swap arrangement for times of financial crisis. South Korean activists opposed to the 2015 agreement installed the statue in Busan late last month, one year after the pact was reached. A similar statue by the same sculptor has stood in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul since 2011. The South Korean Foreign Ministry called Japans decision to recall its ambassador very regrettable, adding that both countries should work toward advancing bilateral relations based on trust even when there are difficult problems. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se later summoned Nagamine to protest Japans decision to recall him. At the time of the sex slave deal, Seoul said there were 46 surviving South Korean victims. As of this year, 28 surviving victims and the families of three victims who have since died received compensation, according to an official from Seouls Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, who didnt want to be named, citing office rules. MORPHOU, Cyprus A mud-brick house in northern Cyprus that symbolizes the island nation's decades of ethnic division is the foundation for Cumar Kamir and Michalis Georgiades' friendship. It's the home Georgiades fled as a teenager more than four decades ago following the Turkish invasion that carved Cyprus along Greek and Turkish lines. Kamir, himself displaced by the population shifts, has lived there almost as long. If the two men get their way, Georgiades may soon be residing again in the modest structure his grandfather built for a dowry in 1924. The Greek and Turkish leaders of Cyprus are holding reunification talks next week in Geneva, where they hope to resolve how many Cypriots would be eligible to reclaim lost property under an envisioned federation. "We want to come back, if there's a solution that's fair," Georgiades, 60, a Greek Cypriot, says at his childhood home over sips of unfiltered coffee served by Kamir's wife. "I have very good memories here. There's a lot of joy whenever I visit. But at the same time, I feel sadness, as if I'm a stranger." Turkish Cypriot Kamir, 63, was raised in southern Cyprus, but moved in the wake of the invasion triggered by a coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece. When the island split into a breakaway Turkish north and a Greek south, Turkish Cypriot authorities gave abandoned Greek Cypriot homes to families like his. Kamir says he bought Georgiades' home from another man, but would gladly hand it back and return to his hometown, if authorities rebuild the crumbling home he has on several acres there. "Could I tell Michalis that this is my home?" Kamir says, sitting on a couch under a wall of family portraits. Property has been at the core of 18 months of negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. The verdant town where Georgiades' grandfather once served as mayor, known by Greek Cypriots as Morphou and called Guzelyurt by Turkish Cypriots, will figure prominently in the summit. Anastasiades has said there can be no peace accord without Morphou's return to Greek Cypriot control in the federation's redrawn boundaries. He insists that giving back the densely populated town would go a long way in meeting the goal of allowing as many as 90,000 Greek Cypriots to repossess homes and property. However, Turkish Cypriots want to minimize the number of their own who would have to relocate, many of whom like Kamir for the second time in their lives. There is also reluctance to hand over Morphou's prime agricultural real estate located relatively close to the capital of Nicosia without major trade-offs. The connection between Kamir and Georgiades is curiously representative of the contradictions inherent in what for decades has been known as the "Cyprus problem." The two men of the same generation are acutely aware of the legacy of hardship that informs the present and genuine in their desire for peace, but at pains to articulate a solution that won't come at the other's expense. Between Kamir and Georgiades, though, there are no hints of animosity. They've built a rapport over the numerous visits Georgiades has made to his childhood home since crossing points opened in 2003 along the United Nations' controlled buffer zone that separates north and south Cyprus. Nonetheless, the awkwardness of a calcified situation that has forced people to plant roots in the homes and property belonging to others lingers in their conversations. Georgiades, who relocated to Nicosia after the invasion, says he wants the family home in Morphou back for himself and his three children, but that any reunification deal shouldn't recycle the injustices of the past that uprooted people by force. "If my friend Cumar is not fairly treated in a solution and if I'm unfairly treated, we'll have problems again," the film producer says. Kamir, a carpenter by trade, says there's no alternative to reunification for Cyprus and that he's ready to do his part to support it even if it means leaving his home of 41 years and experiencing some inconvenience while the home he expects to reoccupy in southern Cyprus is rebuilt. "I would wait a week in a tent until the home is finished and until they give it to me," he says. But despite a wish for peace, some Turkish Cypriots are wary of giving up what they've built in the north over so many years. Djelal Yousuf, who runs a coffee shop in Morphou, is among those who do not want to go back. He pulls out a bunch of yellowed deeds for property he owns in his village Kyvides in the south. "Why should I go back? My house is ruined," Yousuf, 70, says in near-perfect Greek. "What am I going to do, rebuild? There's nothing left for me there." Any peace accord that emerges from the Geneva summit would have to be approved by voters in both the Greek and Turkish communities. The two leaders already have agreed that a property commission would examine individual claims, but the details of how the commission would decide cases have yet to be worked out. Property owners face multiple options and outcomes. They could get some or all of their land back, depending on whether there has been any development on it or not. They also could exchange their titles for other parcels or be compensated for its estimated value. Back at the house Georgiades' grandfather built, only a rack of hooks remains of the contents Georgiades left as a boy. At the end of the visit, Kamir invites Georgiades to pick as many lemons as he likes from a tree in the backyard. After all, the tree was planted by Georgiades' father more than six decades ago. When does it help to have an erratic, unpredictable commander in chief? This is not a circumstance most foreign-policy professionals want to contemplate, but here we all are. When it comes to steering the American ship of state through waters where trust-building is essential, such as working with allies and establishing new partnerships with leaders of other states, uncertainty about the president's motives and core beliefs is likely to be debilitating, if not disastrous. A president prone to unschooled comments - for instance about NATO or the U.S. alliance with Japan - could quickly unravel the hard work of generations of his predecessors. In dealing with foreign enemies, however, the jury is still out on the costs and benefits of unpredictability. Richard Nixon, for instance, famously argued that by appearing to be a madman he could compel North Vietnam to a peace deal that would otherwise prove impossible. Professor Thomas Schelling, whose work spawned some of our most important insights about nuclear deterrence, explained that in a high-stakes game such as Cold War diplomacy, appearing crazy enough to actually start a nuclear war (one that would almost inevitably reach the United States) was essential to persuading the other side not to take steps like placing missiles in Cuba or launching a conventional military offensive in Western Europe. So madness, at least the credible appearance of it, can serve a strategic purpose. Right now, Trump looks as if he may be heading down a similar path to Nixon. His presidency could well end in scandal, perhaps impeachment and resignation. But before that happens, a lot of foreign policy will be made, and it would be nice to know if his madman side could be turned to some constructive purpose. If the upcoming administration is intent on applying the madman theory of international relations, Pakistan might be a good place to start. Washington has yet to find an effective way to gain Islamabad's full cooperation in the fight against international terrorism. As officials within the Obama and Bush administrations quietly attest, and as many influential members of Congress openly lament, Pakistan is at best a sometimes-ally when it comes to counterterrorism. At worst, Pakistan is an enemy, a state sponsor of terrorism in all but name, a host to anti-Afghan, anti-Indian jihadi militants with American blood on their hands. It is widely accepted in U.S. policy circles that Pakistan's military and intelligence services prefer to maintain friendly ties with some terrorists for two reasons. First, they are useful proxies to destabilize Pakistan's neighbors, and second, they would also be deadly adversaries if confronted head-on. Washington has tried just about everything to alter Pakistan's position. Incentives, in the form of tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military and civilian assistance, have won some concessions such as opening overland supply routes to U.S. forces in Afghanistan. More coercive measures, including behind-the-scenes threats, public rebukes, withholding assistance and direct military strikes against Pakistan-based terrorists, have also paid tactical dividends. But neither approach succeeded in changing Pakistan's core strategic calculations. Had Hillary Clinton won the presidency, we could have expected a downsized version of past policies. Her policy advisors had enough recent experience to be skeptical about the likelihood of changing for the better Pakistan's terrorism calculations with the relatively limited range of carrots and sticks consistent with maintaining other U.S. interests in the region. By the same token, they would have been risk-averse enough to want to avoid a confrontation with Islamabad, at least early in the new term, so as to permit the White House to focus on more pressing matters. That approach would have been consistent with the mood in Congress, which has already taken the lead in narrowing U.S.-Pakistan cooperation in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but not blowing up the relationship altogether. The latest NDAA wisely ties U.S. assistance for Pakistan's military to a specific set of counterterrorism goals, including but not limited to the war in Afghanistan. All funding is provided in the form of "reimbursements" for actions that Pakistan must take, which means it can be withheld until Washington is satisfied that Islamabad has satisfied its end of the deal. A full $400 million of the authorized total $900 million can be reimbursed only if the U.S. secretary of defense certifies that Pakistan has taken action against a particularly deadly faction of the Afghan Taliban (the Haqqani network), which has long enjoyed the favor of Pakistan's military and intelligence services. The question is whether a madman administration might be able to do better. The only time that Pakistan has bent to Washington's will in any significant way was immediately after 9/11, when fear of a vengeful Washington led then-President Pervez Musharraf to cooperate on a variety of counterterror operations that netted top al Qaeda leaders on Pakistan's soil and to acquiesce, at least for several years, to an overthrow of Pakistan's favored Taliban regime in Afghanistan. As Musharraf has claimed in his memoir, he and other top Pakistani generals feared that unless they bowed to the Bush administration's demands, they would be "bombed back to the stone ages" or, more likely, would suffer the strategic consequences of seeing the United States align with India. Perhaps Washington's problem in Pakistan has been the inability to muster a sufficiently credible threat (or perhaps a sufficiently generous inducement) to overwhelm Pakistan's other calculations about the costs and benefits of picking and choosing amid terror groups. Imagine how different U.S.-Pakistan relations would be if some combination of threats and inducements had ever forced Islamabad to clearly turn against all of the terrorists on its soil. Trump's apparent "irrationality" could conceivably make American threats to Pakistan far more effective. One of the only sure things we know about upcoming policy is that he means to get tough against "radical Islamic terrorists." Trump's obsession with terrorism and his top policy advisors with military experience in Afghanistan (National Security Advisor-designate Mike Flynn and his pick for secretary of defense, Gen. James Mattis) will, sooner or later, expose fundamental differences with Pakistan. Pakistan's leaders are deluding themselves if they believe that the congratulatory phone call between Trump and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in which Trump reportedly called Pakistan "a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people," actually bodes well for their relationship. Trump may be uniquely well positioned to deliver a credible ultimatum to Pakistan: "Begin a full-scale, verifiable, and rapid offensive against all terrorist groups on Pakistani soil, or else." Trump's madman qualities would make the "or else" more frightening than just about anything a Clinton (or Obama) administration could have dreamed up, as his threat need not even be thoroughly specified in order to have the desired effect. Everything, from punitive military action to public shaming, sanctions and an outright anti-Pakistani alliance with India, could be on the table, even if such actions would affect U.S. interests. None of this is to suggest that Pakistan will simply cave to Washington's demands. At the very least, Islamabad would likely test Trump's will and the unity of his administration to see if doubts or differences could be exploited as a means to reduce or redirect American pressure. Pakistan's leaders have also mastered the art of playing for time, stalling to manage international pressure sparked by crises with India without yielding significant ground. And although a handful of U.S. security demands have been rejected outright over the past 15 years, most have been frustrated by an infinite stream of Pakistani delays and excuses. Beyond that, Pakistan would have the option to escalate or deflect American attention in positive or negative ways. On the positive side, for instance, Islamabad could arrest or kill some top terrorist leader to demonstrate the value of cooperation, while suggesting that coercive ultimatums are really unnecessary between close friends like Pakistan and the United States. On the negative side, a major surge in Pakistan-assisted Taliban violence within Afghanistan or a new crisis with India would force U.S. officials to appreciate just how much danger Pakistan poses as a regional spoiler. So in order to have any chance of success the Trump policy team would need to be ruthlessly unpredictable, but also steadfast and unified. The trouble is that it is impossible for an American president to appear unhinged only to his enemies. Nixon, for instance, scared many Americans as much or more than he ever appears to have frightened the North Vietnamese. Moreover, his impulsiveness and aggression were not limited to foreign affairs, which ultimately spelled his undoing in the Watergate scandal. Even more challenging, Trump would have to be able to play the madman without actually proving himself irresponsibly reckless. Whatever happens, Pakistan will remain a nuclear-armed state of 200 million people with increasingly close ties to China. Although there is little doubt that past and current U.S. policies with Pakistan have failed to deliver satisfaction on core U.S. concerns, a truly mad approach could produce far worse failures. This is why recent administrations have swallowed back the bile from Pakistan's double-dealing. It is also a good reason for Trump's advisors to think twice, even if their boss could be the most effective madman since Nixon. Daniel S. Markey is senior research professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the academic director for the Global Policy Program. He is the author of "No Exit from Pakistan: America's Tortured Relationship with Islamabad" (Cambridge University Press, 2013). He wrote this for Foreign Policy magazine. In dark times, often all we can do is shine our own small light. All Napa County residents have a chance to shine their lights on the weekend of Jan. 16 as the home-grown Martin Luther King Coalition holds its largest-ever Day of Action and Compassion. The event brings together dozens of churches, non-profits and businesses (including the Napa Valley Register) to host a series of events and volunteer projects with a theme of service and community building. The bulk of the action will be on Jan. 16, the Monday on which the official Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated, starting in the morning with a series of seminars and projects, ranging from group discussions on the Holocaust and the principles of Islam to service projects, such as writing letters to troops deployed abroad and cleaning up area hiking trails. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church will be the headquarters for all the events, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That evening, organizers and volunteers will reconvene at St. John at 7 p.m. for an interfaith celebration, featuring a variety of presentations, including an address by Amelia Ceja, owner of Ceja Vineyards and winner of the 2016 Dolores Huerta Farmworker Justice Award. The event is similar to the coalitions event last year, but organizers are hoping for more more projects, more attendees, more connection with the countys growing Latino population. Last year the event attracted more than 400 people; this year they hope for more than 700. They also hope to generate interest and discussion by extending the event into the previous weekend. On Sunday, Jan. 15 the coalition will host a free showing of the award-winning 2014 movie Selma, telling the story of the 1965 civil rights march, organized in part by King, from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The march was met with violence from Alabama state police. Images of the savagery against peaceful demonstrators shocked the nation and helped push through the landmark federal Voting Rights Act later that year. The movie will be shown at Congregation Beth Shalom at 1455 Elm Street at 7 p.m. So what is all this about? The Register Editorial Board met recently with two organizers of this coalition, Rabbi Lee Bycel of Congregation Beth Shalom, and Napa County Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht, to discuss details of this years events. Their message was simple we need to remember that we are all citizens together and start acting like it. Civic engagement is more desperately needed than ever, Bycel told the board. The coalition is the outgrowth of a much smaller traditional Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration hosted for many years by area churches. They revamped the format three years ago and drew a few hundred participants to a non-denominational celebration. But afterwards, Bycel said, it seemed wrong to merely say words on such a day, so he, Wagenknecht and others decided to make the event a true day of service. That way, at least one day out of the year, county residents of all faiths, all political parties, and all interests can meet, discuss issues and join together in productive service to the community. The hope is to create a sense of county-wide identity, develop relationships between non-profits and volunteers, and set the stage for other discussions and projects throughout the year. Getting involved is easy. If you want to attend or find out more about the still-evolving lineup of projects, visit volunteer.cvnl.org and click on MLK Day of Service (Napa), or visit Facebook and search for @mlkmonday. But you dont even have to sign up in advance organizers welcome walk-ins during the day at St. Johns parish hall. And there is no need to sign up for either the movie showing or the Monday evening celebration. It would be easy to dismiss all this as impossibly high-minded idealism, but we ask, whats wrong with that? In an era of cynicism, fear, and anger, of partisan division and national gridlock, we applaud the coalition organizers for thinking lofty thoughts and hoping to bring out the best in their fellow Napa County residents. Who knows where their efforts, and the good will that will be built on that day, may lead? As King himself said, Faith is taking the first step even when you dont see the whole staircase. We hope you will join Napa Countys Martin Luther King Coalition in taking a step in making this a stronger and better place to live. If we all shine our small lights together, we can brighten even the darkest of times. Cal State Fullertons 1995-96 Outstanding Professor Mario U. Martelli, professor emeritus of mathematics, passed away Dec. 30. He was 79. Martelli, who earned his doctorate from the University of Florence in Italy and moved to the U.S. in 1980, taught at CSUF from 1987 until his retirement in 2001. He has been described as a mathematicians mathematician, and former students called him nothing short of inspirational. Hes the best teacher Ive ever had is a comment that was repeated on student evaluations. His research focused in the area of differential equations, with an emphasis on boundary value problems, and he actively involved his students in research projects. Martelli authored or co-authored several publications and books, including Discrete Dynamical Systems and Chaos, and also taught a course on the subject. The recipient of numerous awards over his 40-plus years of teaching, Martelli was awarded CSUFs highest faculty honor for his teaching talents and internationally respected research. Mario is a truly remarkable teacher. Students adore him, seek him out, follow him around, take his classes in record numbers and seek his counsel on academic and nonacademic matters his colleagues wrote in his nomination. Martelli also taught at the University of Florence and Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania before joining the University, and after his retirement from CSUF, taught at various Claremont Colleges; he also lived in Claremont. He his survived by his wife, Ann, of nearly 45 years; two daughters; a son; and three grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, at Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar, 92625. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] On January 1, 2017, a new state law, AB 1887, took effect. As it applies to the university, it prohibits state funds from being used to pay for travel to a state that authorizes discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; or voids or repeals existing state or local protections against such discrimination. State funds include any UCSC fund code in the 1990019999 range. Currently, the states of Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee are on the prohibited travel list maintained on the California State Attorney General Office's AB 1887 webpage. The webpage also outlines the exceptions under which state funds may be used to pay for travel to states on the prohibited travel list. Please be aware that non-state funds can be used to pay for travel to these states. The law also prohibits UC from requiring employees to travel to the states on the Attorney Generals list, regardless of funding source. An employee may therefore decline to travel to one of the identified states, unless one of the statutory exceptions applies. Expenses for law enforcement response to the ongoing Dakota Access Pipeline protests continue to grow at a steady rate, recently eclipsing the $20 million mark. As of Wednesday, numbers from the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services put the total cost at $20.4 million. Of this, $15.5 million has been to cover the personnel costs of those responding to the protest camps in southern Morton County. An additional $2.5 million has been for personnel support and the remaining $2.4 million has been for equipment and supplies. Im not sure of what additional dollars will be needed or when we will request them. Obviously, the response to the protest is ongoing, and we will continue to incur expenses, DES spokeswoman Cecily Fong said via email. House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said the Legislature will be addressing the reimbursement costs during the session. The hope is to be able to do a one-time approval further dollars, if possible, according to Carlson. DES has gone before the North Dakota Emergency Commission multiple times during the interim in recent months seeking dollars to address the ongoing situation and received approval for $17 million total. Law enforcement has been dealing protesters that have, at times, numbered in the thousands camping near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes reservation boundary. Many of them have been camping on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land by the Missouri River. The multi-state, $3.8 billion pipeline is planned to be bored underneath the river near the reservation boundary. Rainy day fund policy ideas House leaders are planning to push potential changes in how the state replenishes one of its primary rainy day funds. After essentially draining the Budget Stabilization Fund while plugging a nearly $1.4 billion budget shortfall last year, Carlson said the method to replenish the fund and how much can be put into it needs adjusting. House Bill 1152 would add the Budget Stabilization Fund to the list of places in which oil and gas tax revenues can flow. House Bill 1154 would increase the cap on the fund from 9.5 percent of the final approved state general fund budget for a biennium to 15 percent. Both bills were introduced by Rep. Jeff Delzer, R-Underwood; Carlson signed on to HB1152. Carlson said the legislation would establish a formula in re-filling that bucket after it was depleted. Under current law, the state treasurer must transfer any funds beyond $65 million available at the end of the biennium or whatever is necessary to the Budget Stabilization Fund to reach the funds cap. If there isnt enough general fund dollars to meet the cap, earnings are retained until the cap is reached. Once the Budget Stabilization Fund cap is reached dollars beyond that are put in the general fund. Bieber, who is currently on his 'Purpose Tour', might land in India this summer as a part of his Asia schedule. According to the Mumbai Mirror, he might fly to Mumbai to perform for one evening at DY Patil Stadium. The other cities where he is scheduled to perform as a part of this Asia tour are Tel Aviv in Israel and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). If everything goes right, this would be the first time Justin would perform in India. Before, Bieber, Mumbai has already hosted pop-rock band Coldplay and rapper Jay-Z as part of the Global Citizen Fest. (ANI) A fresh First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Meghalaya's Independent legislator, Julius K Dorhphang, who has been accused of raping a minor girl, police said today. State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) chairperson, Meena Kharkongor, yesterday filed fresh FIRs in relation to the case."Yesterday, we (Meghalaya police) received a fresh set of four FIRs in relation to the alleged sexual exploitation of a minor girl," Superintendent of Police (city), Vivek Syiem told reporters. "After examining the victim again, the commission chairperson filed an additional four first information reports. One of the FIRs has been forwarded to the Ri Bhoi police, and it pertains to allegation of rape by Dorphang in a place in Ri Bhoi district," Mr Syiem said.The other three first information reports pertained to alleged offences committed by different individuals in Shillong, he added. The three FIRs have been registered at Madanrting police station.With these four additional first information reports, the total FIRs filed till date in relation to the case has gone up to eight. While seven have been filed in two police stations in Shillong, one has been filed in Ri Bhoi district. Mr Syiem said police have nabbed one more individual who has been identified as Sandeep Biswa who allegedly used to ferry the minor girl in his cab. Police have also seized the vehicle used by Biswa. With Biswa's arrest, the number of people apprehended by the police so far is six.A court here had issued a non-bailable warrant against Dorphang, who supports the Congress-led government, is also the founder chairman of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). He, however, surrendered in 2007. "He is still absconding although manhunts were launched after adequate evidence was established against Dorphang," Mr Syiem said. Moreover, he said Shillong police had raided a building was ostensibly being used by former ULFA leader Anup Chetia as his office at Hatigaon in Assam's city Guwahati. UNI RRK RJ 2325 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1097490.Xml A Power Development Department (PDD) employee was electrocuted to death, while repairing a power sub-station in central Kashmir district of Budgam. However, people alleged that the employee was killed because of the negligence of PDD as despite repeated reminders about the repair work, electric supply was not cut off for the area. Official sources here this evening said PDD lineman Abdul Salam Bhat came in contact with a live wire, while doing some repair work at power sub-station in Khansahab of Budgam. Bhat was immediately taken to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead, they said, adding that after completing all the legal and medical formalities, the body was handed over to his relatives for the last rites. This is the second incident in less than 10 days that a PDD employee was killed due to electric shock in Budgam. A lineman was electrocuted to death on December 27 at Khag in Budgam.UNI ABS VS RJ 2344 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-1097350.Xml Unidentified criminals looted four antique idols from Arijapur mutt after assaulting its main priest in Purni police station area in the district late last night. Police said here today that more than 10 outlaws attacked the mutt and looted four antique idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman after thrashing the priest. An FIR had been lodged at the police station concerned on the statement of the priest Shashinath Mishra. Police have launched a massive manhunt to nab criminals. UNI XC DH KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1097783.Xml Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati today released the third list of 100 party candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Ms Mayawati released the list in a high level meeting with the party's senior leaders including the zonal coordinators and other coordinators here at the state party headquarters. The candidates in the third list are from the Bundelkhand and Easterm parts of the State which goes to the polls in the fourth and fifth phases of the Elections on February 23 and 27. Ms Mayawati said she would be announcing the fourth and last list tomorrow. During the past two days, BSP had released the first two list of 100 candidates each covering the entire western UP and Central UP which goes to polls in the first three phases on February 11, 15 and 19. The BSP has released a total candidates of 300 and now they are just left with 103 candidates list to be declared probably tomorrow. There are 403 Assembly seats in UP and BSP will be contesting the polls alone. The third list comes out with announcement of all the candidates for important districts like Allahabad, Jhansi, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar districts. The caste wise third list of the BSP includes 22 Dalits, 23 Muslims, and three women. The third list has announced some top leaders of the party in the fray including leader of the opposition in the state assembly Gaya Charan Dinker from Nairaini seat in Banda district, BSP, UP president Ram Achal Rajbhar from Akbarpur seat in Ambedkharnagar district , Indrajeet Saroj from Manjanpur and Ms Pooja Pal from Allahabad( South ) seats. Earlier this week, Ms Mayawati had announced that of the total Assembly seats in UP, the major chunk of 113 seats will go to the upper caste with Brahmins, who will be getting the major share of 66 seats, Thakurs 36 and rest 11 will go to Kayasth, Vaishya and others. The Other Backward Castes (OBCs) would get 106 seats, while there would be 97 Muslim candidates in the fray. Dalits will have 87 seats.UNI MB SHS 1225 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1097673.Xml An economic resolution passed by the BJP National Executive today described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision for demonetization as ''historic'' and said it had dealt a fatal blow to black money and funding of terrorism. Moving the resolution, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley explained how demonetization had fulfilled the election promise of the BJP and how it was different from other such decisions taken so far. Briefing mediapersons about the morning proceedings, Minister of Commerce and Industry and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitaraman said the resolution, passed unanimously, praised the ''visionary'' leadership of the Mr Modi in steering the country towards growth and prosperity. There was a unanimous feeling at the meeting that demonetization reflected the political will and stamina of the Government to take tough decision and implement it in the interest of the country, Ms Sitaraman said. Dismissing the Opposition criticism of note ban, the resolution said the situation for common man had eased after the 50-day time sought by the Prime Minister since the announcement of demonetisation on November 8. She said Mr Jaitley spoke about the various schemes for the relief of the common man announced by the Prime Minister on December 31, including those for pregnant women, rural housing and for farmers in view of the coming rabi crop. Stressing that demonetisation had not any adverse affect on the economy, Mr Jaitley said the data received till November end showed that revenue of all states except that of West Bengal had increased. Mr Modi will be addressing the valedictory session of the National Executive this evening. Party Chief Amit Shah had inaugurated the meeting yesterday focusing on the effect of demonetization and the surgical strikes on the country and also on the strategy for the coming polls in the five states. The party in its political resolution sharpened its attack on the Trinamool Congress for the lawlessness in West Bengal and also lashed out at the Opposition led by the Congress for stalling the business of Parliament in the winter session. It also condemned the ''red terror'' in the Left-ruled Kerala, and and said the saffron party "will intensify democratic protest programs to awaken people to the misrule of the governments in Bengal and Kerala". The resolution praised the leadership of the Prime Minister and his transformative policies and agenda.More UNI RBE NAZ SHS 1354 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-1097794.Xml To tide over shortage of talented faculty andinvite NRIs to take up lucrative teaching post, the Centre will soontake a decision to open 20 world class Universities in the country,Union HRD Minister Prakash Javedekar said today. Addressing youth at the inauguration of 14th Pravasi BharatiyaDivas here, he encouraged NRI youth to participate in Government'sacademic program and stressed on the need of developing India'sHuman Resource. He said out of the 20 varsities 10 will be public institutionsand remaining private varsities. "India offers seamlessopportunities for NRI students to study and pursue their dreamcareers in India. We have created National Academic Depository tostreamline transcription and verification of documents," he added. He said his Department had finalised the guidelines and willsoon implement the policy to set up the new varsities. He said India had a legacy of having world class Universities likeVikramshila and Nalanda Universities in the past but were razed downby invaders, as they were envious of the power India laid in itseducation. He also recalled the top most institution India boasted inthe past like Nalanda, Takshashila and Vikramsila Universities andhad the ten world class universities. ''This was destroyed byinvaders because they knew the power of India lay in education," headded. Mr Javadekar also said the cabinet has approved the creation ofthe Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to give a major pushfor creation of high quality infrastructure in premier educationalinstitutions. It had a capital of Rs 2,000 crore for the purpose andthe Government equity would be Rs 1,000 crore. The agency would leverage the equity to raise up to Rs 20,000crore for funding projects for infrastructure and development ofworld class Labs in professional institutions. To provide scholarship and opportunities for both Indian and NRIstudents, the government will be launching Global ResearchInteractive Network programme. This would help the students to workwith reputed foreign laboratories and enjoy the liberty of returningto India to continue with research. This would also help minimisebrain drain, he added.UNI RS MSP CS 1517 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1097897.Xml Following outbreak of H5N8in Mysuru Zoo, the district administrations at Mandya and Shivamoggahave launched an extensive surveillance programme in their BirdSanctuaries and other parts. In Mandya District Ranganathittu, near Sriranapatna, and KokkareBellur, a small hamlet on the banks of the Shimsha in Maddur, areconsidered havens for migratory birds to roost and breed. A team ofofficials headed by Deputy Commissioner S Ziyaulla visited both theplaces yesterday. Mr Ziyaulla inspected some of the birds, collecteddetails pertaining to their health, and instructed the officialsconcerned to be extra cautious. So far, the birds there have been found to be safe, but thedepartment is monitoring their behaviour constantly, said L Prakash,Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry and VeterinaryServices. He said that officials are collecting bird droppings from bothRanganathittu and Kokkare Bellur on a regular basis. "We will sendthe samples to the Institute of Animal Health and VeterinaryBiologicals and are also considering sending them to the HighSecurity Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal," he added. The district administration has also directed the owners of allpoultry farms to take precautions to prevent an outbreak, Mr Prakash said. There are 251 poultry farms in the district, including 24 layersand 227 broiler varieties. They have a stock of around 7.5 lakhbirds, while the backyard farms (poultry chicken) have around fourlakh birds. Meanwhile an alert has been sounded across Shivamogga as thedistrict has a significant migratory bird population. Bhaskar Naik, Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department,said no case of bird flu has been reported in Shivamogga, which has305 poultry farms with a bird population of 15 lakh. Samples of droppings and serum collected from the birds in thepoultry units are sent for testing every month. Following theoutbreak in Mysuru, vigilance has been stepped up in the farms, witha team of veterinary experts visiting them and apprising the staffabout the precautions to be taken. The staff have been directed toinform the department about unusual and mass bird deaths. Mr S Shivashankar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, said samples ofthe droppings of reared birds in Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safariand of migratory birds in Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary and Gudavi BirdSanctuary have been sent to the Institute of Animal Health andVeterinary Biologicals in Bengaluru. The staff have been directed tokeep a close watch on the movement and behaviour of the birds, he added. Meanwhile, a team of officials from the Department of Health andFamily Welfare, led by District Surveillance Officer Shankarappa,visited the three places yesterday. Mr Shankarappa said Forest and Animal Husbandry officials havebeen directed to contact the District Epidemics Surveillance Cell atthe Government McGann Hospital in the city if there are anysuspicious bird deaths.UNI BSP MSP CS 1531 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1097912.Xml Another 3 inches of snowfall could blanket central North Dakota from Sunday night into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Bismarck. Meanwhile, a wind chill advisory has been issued through noon Saturday. Single-digit highs, lows dropping into the negative teens and brutal wind chills are expected to continue throughout next week, according to the National Weather Service. About .2 inches of new snowfall were measured at the Bismarck Airport Friday after a morning dusting of flurries. Sunday's high might reach 8 degrees, but it will feel like 2 below zero. Snowfall is forecast to start Sunday evening with an overnight low of 6 below. Wind chills will make it feel colder: into the subzero teens. No other large amounts of snow are predicted in the extended forecast after Tuesday, but it might too early to predict, according to Zach Hargrove, a meteorologist for the Bismarck Office of the National Weather Service. City and county crews used Friday's reprieve from snowstorms to catch up on the more than 50 inches of snow that had struck the area in the past five weeks. "We're hauling snow. We got done plowing Thursday. We were getting the residential and alleyways," said Jeff Wright, public works director for Mandan, where the city commission declared a snow emergency. Wright said he hopes the hiring of private contractors can slow down now. "Our rough numbers show we will spend $120,000 for private contractors. That's $100,000 over what we budgeted for 2016. Our salaries, including overtime, is $15,000 over budget," Wright said Friday. "We'll be hauling until the snow melts. It could be months," Wright said. "It's going to be a long time. We're hauling on streets and intersections so people can see around the corners. While we're doing that, we're trying to uncover fire hydrants. "The phones are quiet so we must have not missed a lot," he said of plowing efforts. Across the river, Jeff Heintz, director of service operations for Bismarck, said his crews, with the help of contractors, also resumed widening streets and hauling snow. "It may take longer to get downtown done than we thought. We hauled 1,600 loads from Fifth and Sixth streets Friday morning," he said "It may be 10 to 12 more days." Marcus Hall, engineer for Burleigh County, said he was in the process of hiring contractors to push the snow away from the township and county roadways. "We'll start the contractors Monday and continue to push until we get ahead of the snow," he said. "We've used half of our yearly overtime budget of 5,000 hours in the last five weeks. We'll be working 24 hours per day. It will at least be a couple of weeks." Three more temporary part-time workers were approved to be hired for snow cleanup at a special meeting of the Morton County Road Commission meeting Friday morning, said Mike Aubol, county engineer. He said two existing staff members from other departments will be allowed to help as well. The City Police today arrested four people, including three women, for allegedly trying to sell a one-month-old boy for Rs three-lakh. Acting on a tip-off that some people were coming to the busy Kasba Peth area of the city, police laid a trap and arrested the four accused when they arrived, police said. The accused have been identified as Lalita Somnath Patil (23), the mother of the baby boy, a resident of Dombivli in Thane district, Asha Ahire (27), a resident of Ulhasnagar, Dipti Kharat (30) and Keshav Dhende (42), both from Pune.According to police, Lalita Patil had come to Pune to sell her boy with the help of local people. Patil and her friends -- Kharat and Ahire -- got in touch with Dhende, who runs an orphanage in the city, to help them sell the child. Police are now trying to ascertain whether the accused were involved in any other crimes in other parts of the state. "We are probing whether Dhende had sold infants in the past," a police officer from Faraskhana Police Station here said.UNI SP SS SM SNU 1706 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1098021.Xml Raitha Hitha Rakshana Samithi President G Made Gowda, who is spearheading the agitation against release of water from river Cauvery to Tamil Nadu, today urged the Chief Minister to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against its direction to continue to release 2000 cusecs of water daily till February 7 the next date of hearing of the petition. Mr Gowda, in a letter to Mr Siddaramaiah, a copy of which was released to the media here, urged the Chief Minister not to release water under any circumstances. "File Review petition and apprise the court on the ground realities in the Cauvery basin Reservoirs. The water level in the Reservoirs has already reached the dead storage levels and in future the crisis will be arising for the drinking water in this region" he added. Maintaining that farmers in the Cauvery basin are reeling under drought for the last three years, he urged the Chief Minister to compensate the affected farmers for the crop loss. UNI BSP MSP CS 1800 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1098212.Xml The Union government today indicated that there is no extension of date for return of banned high valued currency by NRIs beyond June 30. Speaking to reporters after inauguration of the three-day 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, M R Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Secretary (OIA & CPV), Ministry of External Affairs said the last date was alreadyextended from March 31 to June 30 after MEA had consulted RBI and Union Finance Ministry and given reasonable time for NRIs to return the old currency. ''We have given some relief to NRIs. I appeal the NRIs to understand the objective of the scheme (of demonetisation). I want to clarify that large amount of Indian currency was not supposed to have been exported from the country as it is of not much use nor a necessity,'' he said. The provision to exchange the notes would be subject to the regulations of the notification - Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015 which put the limit of bringing back currency into the country at Rs 25,000 per person. On the issue of simplifying the voting pattern in Indian elections for NRIs like introducing Internet voting, he said the Election Commission had already deeply engaged on the issue and made some recommendations to the government. The election body had also taken views of MEA. The decision has to be taken by the EC and theunion government, he said. To a question on how soon the recommendations of the current edition of PBD will be implemented, he said the current addition stood out compared to previous 13 editions. "We are discussing outcome oriented approach, policy orientation and bread and butter issues of diaspora especially the workers in the Gulf countries whonumber more than 90 per cent of expatriates. The focus will be to enhance empowerment of NRIs and their security," he added. Mr Mulay said the current edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas had surpassed all expectations and the number of delegates had crossed 7100 and more were registering themselves. Out of them 1700 had come from overseas and some of them were NRIs already on a visit to their mother country. They represented 72 countries. There were seven Indian ambassadors to different countries who had come to answer queries from the NRIs. There were 22 parliament members attending the session and many ministers from the states.Today there were 3200visitors who came to visit the exhibitions. The new feature of this edition of PBD was all inclusive and participative sessions and more than 100 panelists had been lined up to hold discussions in the three day event. The largest participation was from the US which was at 200 delegates followed by Malaysia 150, Qutar 130 and Oman and Baharin around 90 each.UNI RS MSP CS 1830 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1098249.Xml Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kanwar Sandhu today lambasted PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh for being anti-poor and anti-Dalit.Addressing the media persons here, Sandhu said Capt Amarinder has always been anti-poor and anti-Dalit as it has already been proved through his acts during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2002 to 2007. The AAP leader said when Capt Amarinder was Chief Minister he not only imposed a blanket ban on the fresh recruitment drive into the Government jobs, but also discontinued pensions of the employees apart from other welfare schemes.He said Captain's Government in 2002 in fact discontinued all the welfare schemes initiated by the previous government for the benefit of old-aged, disabled and Dalits. Claiming that AAP is the only political party, which always initiates welfare schemes for poor people, Sandhu added that the intention of AAP for the welfare of poor could be gauged from the fact that recently Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government introduced monthly pension of Rs 2500 for the old-aged persons.Talking about the welfare schemes of the Delhi Government, he said that despite obstacles by the Central Government and Lieutenant Governor, the Delhi Government has done a tremendous job during last two years. He said that it is on record that the Delhi Government provided free water and cheap electricity to the people. The compensation for the crop damage was the highest in Delhi. UNI DB ADG SNU 1802 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1097905.Xml Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today held a meeting with several senior party leaders and all 403 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. In the meeting, review of preparations for the Assembly polls along with instructions to follow the codes of conduct issued by Election Commission were discussed. Addressing the gathering here at the party office at 12 Mall Avenue Lucknow, Ms Mayawati said BSP is known as a disciplined party and during elections BSP has to work in a discipline way. About model of code conduct issued by ECI, Ms Mayawati said that many new instructions have been added this time about which every party worker and candidates should have a brief knowledge, so that they can follow them. Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said to divert the attention of the public from the promises he had made during the Lok Sabha elections Mr Modi took the immature and anti-poor decision of demonetisation. Thrashing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) she said, scared of the outcome of demonetisation, BJP leaders are giving misleading and irresponsible comments. About family feud of Samajwadi Party, Ms Mayawati said that public now wanted to get rid of that party. She also said that SP has already created nuisance and anarchy by promoting mafia and land encroachers in UP. BSP chief further alleged that SP wanted to collaborate with the Congress as they knew that they would not be in power again. UNI JDM MB AKC SNU 1908 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1098342.Xml Uttar Pradesh police has arrested a person, who claimed to be a Secretariat Officer and PRO of a Minister. Senior Superintendent of Police Manjil Siani said here today that Manoj Kumar had complained about Abhishek Nigam and others, who had burgled him and looted Rs 34 lakh from him. Sources said accused had burgled after giving orders of Rs 40 crore. A complaint was registered in this matter in Hazaratganj Kotwali. Crime branch and Hazaratganj police arrested main accused Abhishek Nigam alias Neetu Yadav with his revolver today. During interrogation accused revealed that his real name is Abhishek Nigam, but he was well known with the name Neetu Yadav in secretariat. Accused Abhishek also told that his aides Ms Bhawana Arora, Sonu, Asad, Vivek Kumar were involed in acts of thug. Police is investigating the matter.UNI JDM MB AKC RJ 2000 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1098460.Xml The Delhi government has issued guidelines for 298 private schools functioning from DDA land, in which they will have to give preference to the neighbourhood children, living within up to six km from the school.Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today said in a series of tweets that children living within up to six km radius of the school will have to be given preference."While allotting land to them, the DDA had put a condition that they will not refuse admission to the neighbourhood children."The Deputy Chief Minister said the government has defined the neighbourhood criteria for these schools, adding that these guidelines will ensure transparency in admission.Earlier in the day, recently-appointed Delhi LG Anil Baijal tweeted, "Nursery admission guidelines for private schools allotted by DDA has been approved."The decision has brought huge relief for the parents waiting for nursery admissions to begin in private schools, running on DDA land.On January 2, nursery admissions in over 1400 private schools in the national capital began. However, the Government had directed 298 private schools running on DDA land to withhold it, unless new guidelines were notified.UNI DS RJ 2032 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-1098520.Xml Bihar government will tap the potential of eco-tourism in West Champaran`s Valmikinagar and adjoining areas close to Indo-Nepal border. After offering prayers at Sofa Temple in West Champaran district, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told newspersons that Valmikignar and its adjoining areas were the best suited for eco-tourism as the entire region was located in the lap of nature. He said the state government would initiate all possible steps for the development of these areas to attract tourists from the state and across the country. Earlier, Mr Kumar reached Maguraha under Gaunaha block area in West Champaran district by a helicopter from the state capital. The chief minister made a tour of Sofa Temple premises and directed state Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh to take appropriate steps to develop the temple as a tourist destination in consultation with the tourist department and archeological department. Mr Kumar also visited Maguraha forest area and enjoyed the sighting of wild animals.UNI DH BM -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0214-1098521.Xml UAE-based Global Hawak Imaging and Diagnostics (GHID) will set up " Simple satellite oncology centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The centres, which will be cost effective and friendly, will come up one each in both Telugu states, Dr Nawab Safi Ul Mulk, who is the pioneer in Tele Radiology, Director, Global Hawk Telemedicine and GHID told reporters on the sidelines of the 7th annual International Conference of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) held here today. The centre will have limited infrastructure and will be diagnosed relating to cancer at one roof, Dr Mulk, who has been recognized globally for his path breaking work on innovative health services delivery, touching millions of people around the world, said. Global Hawak Company will invest Rs 100 crore to set up satellite centre in India but initially, will set up one each in AP and Telangana, Dr Mulk, the Indian Origin, said. The discussions with the both governments are also going on setting up of centres in their states, Dr Mulk, who have an excelent command on all modalities and special interest in cross-sectional imaging (MRI,CT), said. Dr Mulk, a scion of the Royal family of Kurnool-India has been credited to be the Pioneer of Teleradiology in United Arab Emirates. This emerging dynamic entrepreneur of Middle East and multifaceted personality is proud Partner of Mulk Group of 21 Companies spread across 84 Countries with a net worth of more than 200 million US dollars. He was honoured with the World healthcare Innovative Entrepreneur of the year 2017 by the prestigious Global Association of physicians of Indian Origin at the conference.UNI KNR AKC RJ 2104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1098545.Xml At 3:45 p.m. Dec. 31, snow plows cleared a path through one last residential street in Bismarck. It was 29th Street from East Avenue E to Valleyview Avenue, still buried in a foot of heavy snow from Christmas Day. "Oh my," said Sharon Kunnanz, a resident on the block, when a reporter showed up on her stoop with the news. "I didn't realize we were the last," her husband, Art, said. In true North Dakota style, they weren't too riled up about it. And neither were the neighbors. "It was a lot of snow to move, so you've gotta be patient," said Wayne Vedquam, a retired bookkeeper who lives up the street. Residents on the block said someone plowed one lane through the road shortly after the Christmas Day blizzard, giving them a way out of their homes before the city plows showed up. They just had to pull into each others driveways for anyone to pass. "For some reason, it didn't stop people from driving the speed limit," Art Kunnanz joked. "We're both retired, so we didn't have to go out in it," his wife, Sharon, added. Lucky for the neighbors on the block, they won't always be the final plow. According to Bismarck Public Works Director Jeff Heintz, plow crews groom residential streets by unit after emergency routes, major roads and school routes are opened. The city is divided into seven units with roughly equivalent road mileage. After a storm, a motor grader, loader and sander are dispatched to each area. Within the units, plow crews usually alternate where they start from storm to storm in order to be fair, Heintz said. Or, they'll go first to an area that's particularly drifted over. "We try to change it up," he said. Around 3:30 p.m. Dec. 31, six days after the snow began, several plow teams gathered in the neighborhood of the final street. Completing their own units, they'd come to help. "We all kind of converged on this area to finish," Heintz said. "Trying to knock that one and get it done." When it snowed on Jan. 2, Heintz said this area was one of the first to be plowed. In that storm, of course, it mattered less. It took only 32 hours for crews to plow the fluffy 8 inches that landed on the city, according to Heintz. Baloch Human Rights Organisation (BHRO) has said that a total of 2,578 families have been displaced in Balochistan in order to make way for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "These people have been forced to leave their homes in Hoshab, Awaran, Jhalawan and Koh-e-Suleman and move to Karachi, Turbat, Hub Chowki and other areas," Pakistan Today quoted BHRO chairperson Bibi Gul Baloch as saying while addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club. Bibi Gul demanded the media and other stakeholders to assist them in highlighting the issues that the people of Balochistan are facing. She urged the media to report the number of people killed, abducted and forcefully detained in the province, adding that new development projects are of no benefit to the local population. According to her, a total of 607 people have been killed in Balochistan in 2016 and 113 of these were unidentified bodies. In the same year, thousands of people have been abducted and have gone missing and BHRO has managed to collect details of only 1,809 of them. Baloch activists have continually voiced their concern to the international community against the human rights abuses being committed by Pakistan in the province and have criticised the CPEC for illegally capturing their lands. The USD 51 billion CPEC cuts through the entire north-south length of Pakistan and is aimed at giving China access to the Gwadar Port that it has helped construct on the Balochistan coast. For Pakistan, CPEC is critical as it looks at the project as a potential to galvanize its sagging economy. (ANI) An Indian-American Congresswoman's last ditch attempt to stop Donald Trump from taking over as the president of the US on January 20 failed on Friday when she was over-ruled and Congress cleared his path by certifying his election. Newly-elected progressive Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal rose repeatedly during the joint session of Congress to object to the certification of his election, which is required to legally complete the process. After repeatedly cutting her off, Vice President Joseph Biden, who presided over the session, declared: "It's over!" Objections from her and other left-leaning Democrats came as President Barack Obama's administration tried to cast doubts on the election blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin of personally directing cyber hacking attacks against the Democratic Party in order to help Trump. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," a report from the government on Friday asserted. Jayapal's objections, however, were about the election results from Georgia. In keeping with the protocol of Congress, Biden addressed her formally when she stood up: "For what purpose does the gentlewoman rise?" She began: "Mr. President, I object to the certificate from the state of Georgia on the grounds that the electoral votes were not..." and Biden cut her off mid-sentence by banging his gavel saying: "There is no debate." Her next attempt to raise it was also unsuccessful because as a new member of Congress she did not seem familiar with the rules requiring a written statement signed also by at least one Senator. And so, with Biden declaring: "It's over," Trump was cleared to become the 45th President of the US. In an interview to the Seattle Times, Jayapal faulted the election in Georgia and some other southern states where voters had to wait for several hours in long lines to vote. That may have discouraged some from voting. "It was really important, from my personal perspective for the American people to know we understand the issues with the way this election happened," she told the newspaper. The session was interrupted several times by hecklers in the public gallery. --IANS al/pgh/ ( 373 Words) 2017-01-07-07:34:06 (IANS) The bill was unanimously adopted by the Sindh Assembly recently against forced conversions. "Please reconsider the legislation," the Express Tribune quoted Siddiqui, as saying in his message to the Assembly Secretariat. The governor, in his observations, cited the letters written by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), MQM parliamentary leader Sardar Ahmed, as well as the protest by religious parties, who had called for the bill's withdrawal or proposed amendments to it. "Today, we have received the bill with the governor's message. The governor's plea for reconsideration means he has asked for the bill's withdrawal and for the introduction of a new law," said Sindh Assembly Secretary GM Umer Farooq. He said that the bill will be presented at the upcoming session of the Assembly as it has Governor's message appended to it and the house will decide to accept it or not. The bill which was jointly moved by the ruling PPP and the PML-F lawmakers recommended that change of religion not be recognised until a person becomes 18 years old and severe penalties for forced conversion of religion. (ANI) Instead of going to Washington to participate in the ceremony, Trudeau will be on a tour of Canada, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday. Instead of Trudeau, the Canadian government will send a top-level delegation from Ottawa to attend the ceremony, Efe news reported. The Canada tour will also prevent Trudeau from attending the Davos World Economic Forum, which takes place every year in Switzerland. --IANS ksk ( 99 Words) 2017-01-07-11:18:06 (IANS) Haley Barbour, former Republican Party leader and Mississippi governor, has been hired by the Ukrainian government to lobby US politicians, according to documents filed this week.The hiring of Barbour and his lobbying firm BGR Group comes at a time when US President-elect Donald Trump's public embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased worries in Washington that the new administration may side with Russia in the Ukrainian dispute.Russia has increased its military presence in Ukraine since annexing the Crimean peninsula in 2014.Barbour and BGR agreed in late December to a 50,000 dollar a month retainer to "design and implement a comprehensive government affairs and business development strategy" for the Ukraine government - including "arranging meetings" with US officials, according to a disclosure filed Jan. 1 with the Department of Justice.BGR also said in the federal disclosure filing that it "seeks to strengthen US-Ukrainian relations and encourage private US businesses to invest in Ukraine."American firms that do business with foreign governments are required to file disclosures with the Department of Justice detailing the work they agree to undertake and the amount of payment.A BGR representative declined to elaborate on the specifics of the agreement.Barbour, who served as head of the Republican National Committee from 1993 to 1997, co-founded BGR in 1991. He continued to build an expansive lobbying operation after his term as Mississippi governor from 2004 to 2012.Barbour considered running for president in 2012, but ultimately sat out the race.Barbour and BGR have also done work for other foreign governments, including Kurdistan, India, South Korea and Bangladesh.Barbour's corporate lobbying clients have included Airbus , Caterpillar, Chevron, Huntington Ingalls and Toyota Motor Corp. REUTERS VS 0734 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1097502.Xml Mosques in Germany run by ultra-conservative Islamists known as Salafists must be banned, their communities broken up and their preachers expelled, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told Der Spiegel magazine."On this question I am for zero tolerance," Gabriel said when Spiegel put it to him that the Tunisian who killed 12 people in a Christmas market attack in Berlin had been in touch with Salafist hate preachers.Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, in which a failed asylum seeker from Tunisia, Anis Amri, drove a truck into a Christmas market."Salafist mosques must be banned, the communities broken up, and the preachers expelled. And as quickly as possible," Gabriel told Spiegel in an interview published today.Germany has seen sharp increases in the number of Salafists in recent years.In November, the head of the Bundesverfassungsschutz domestic intelligence agency told Reuters his organisation estimated there were about 40,000 Islamists in Germany, including 9,200 Salafists.Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, to which Gabriel's Social Democrats (SPD) belong as junior coalition partner, has proposed new security measures in response to the Berlin attack, triggering fierce debate in an election year.The SPD is expected to choose Gabriel, their long-standing chairman who is also economy minister, to run against Merkel for chancellor in September's federal election, senior party sources said on Thursday.REUTERS AKC NS2113 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1098604.Xml BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said Friday it will intensify its crackdown on foreign exchange irregularities in 2017, including underground banking. The administration will also strengthen management of cross-border capital flow, and make further reforms to facilitate trade and investment in order to better serve the real economy, SAFE head Pan Gongsheng said after a work conference. SAFE will also improve operating management of foreign exchange reserves to maintain safety and flexibility while guarding against losses in value. China's forex reserves fell for the fifth straight month in November to 3.05 trillion U.S. dollars, the lowest level since March 2011. Despite recent drops, China is still home to the world's largest forex reserves and enjoys forex inflows from its trade surplus and foreign direct investment of about 620 billion U.S. dollars each year. GENEVA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian and Turkish-backed Syria talks to take place in the Kazakh capital of Astana are expected to start on Jan. 23, the UN Special Envoy for Syria told Xinhua Friday, adding that negotiations could cement a fragile ceasefire in place in the war-torn country since last week. "Astana is an important opportunity and that's why both China and the UN support this initiative. We are looking forward in Astana to seeing the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities," Staffan de Mistura said. "What the Syrian people are asking for is a stop to the fighting, so if by the time there is a meeting on this on January 23 in Astana and the cessation of hostilities is consolidated and not broken as we have seen at times in the last few days, that is an important moment," he added. The diplomat also said that he hoped that the talks will pave the way towards UN-mediated political discussions based on UN Security Council resolution 2254 in Geneva on Feb. 8. "Astana is important to prepare the support and help the meeting we will have in Geneva," he explained. Syria peace talks, involving both the Syrian government delegation and opposition forces vying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have been on hold since April last year amid protracted violence and a systemic humanitarian crisis. The latest cessation of hostilities agreement which came into effect on Dec. 30, as well as the plan for peace talks, received the unanimous backing of the UN Security Council on Dec. 31. The ceasefire is the third in Syria after two previous ones failed last year. The first was reached in February 2016 and lasted for three months before collapsing, while the second was established in September and was observed for only a week. A number of rebel groups announced earlier this week that they were freezing talks on planned negotiations with the Syrian government, casting a shadow over the ailing peace process of the Middle Eastern country. Xie Xiaoyan (L), Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue, shakes hands with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura during their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 6, 2017. Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue Xie Xiaoyan on Friday said that both the UN and China welcome the upcoming Astana talks, with the hope that the talks will bear some fruit for the political process of the war-torn country. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan) GENEVA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue Xie Xiaoyan on Friday said that both the UN and China welcome the upcoming Astana talks, with the hope that the talks will bear some fruit for the political process of the war-torn country. Xie, now in Geneva in an effort to help working on a political solution to the Syrian crisis, said it is unclear which sides will take part in the talks scheduled on Jan. 23, but surely "Chinese representatives will be present." "We hope the Astana meeting will be carried out in the same manner as those peace talks in the past, being representative and tolerant," he said. After Geneva, Xie will travel to the European Union, Turkey and Russia. His journey is aimed at enhancing communication with the parties concerned, supporting global efforts in promoting peace and pushing forward a political solution at an early date. Recently, the Syrian government and major opposition groups reached a nationwide ceasefire deal and agreed to start peace talks, which brought new opportunity for a political solution to the Syrian issue. The UN Security Council last Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Syria ceasefire arrangement brokered by Russia and Turkey, as well as new peace talks among conflicting parties set to be held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. The ceasefire is the third in Syria after two previous ones failed last year. The first was reached in February 2016 and lasted for three months before collapsing, while the second was established in September and was observed for only a week. Xie, China's former ambassador to Iran and Ethiopia as well as representative to the African Union, was appointed the special envoy on the Syrian issue in March 2016, with the aim of better promoting dialogue and communicating with other parties to facilitate a solution. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said earlier Thursday that preparations were being made for the talks. "We, the UN, believe that any effort that consolidates the cessation of hostilities and helps in preparing for a discussion that will take place here in Geneva in February is certainly welcomed," de Mistura told reporters following a humanitarian task force meeting. During an interview with Xinhua on Friday after meeting with Xie Xiaoyan, de Mistura said that he hoped that the talks will pave the way towards the UN-mediated political discussions based on UN Security Council resolution 2254 in Geneva on Feb. 8. "Astana is an important opportunity and that's why both China and the UN support this initiative. We are looking forward in Astana to seeing the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities," Staffan de Mistura said. "What the Syrian people are asking for is a stop to the fighting, so if by the time there is a meeting on this on Jan. 23 in Astana and the cessation of hostilities is consolidated and not broken as we have seen at times in the last few days, that is an important moment," he added. TEHRAN, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- One of the members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was killed in an attack by the rebels in southeastern Iran on Friday. "The IRGC contingent...was attacked by a terrorist group on the outskirt of the Jakigour region in Sistan and Baluchestan bordering Pakistan," Tehran Times daily reported. One member of IRGC forces was killed and three others were injured in the clash following an attempt by the armed group to cross the border, the report said. "The terrorists were pushed back by the Iranian forces and could not achieve their evil goals," Majid Aqa Babaei, an interior ministry official, was quoted as saying. Jaish al-Adl, or "Army of Justice" has claimed responsibility for several attacks on Iran's border posts in the past years. The Sunni rebel group claimed to fight for the rights of Sunni Muslims in the Iran's provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan. 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. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- A UN peacekeeper from Bangladesh was fatally shot by attackers in Central African Republic, UN spokesman Stephan Dujarric said Friday. The peacekeepers of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on patrol were returning from the town of Koui in the Ouham-Pende Prefecture when they were attacked by some 50 assailants, Dujarric told a regular briefing here. The peacekeeper was killed on Thursday, said the mission, noting that the attack brings the number of MINUSCA peacekeepers killed in the line of duty to three since the beginning of 2017. Earlier this week, two Moroccan MINUSCA peacekeepers were killed in an attack near the town of Obo in southeastern CAR. "We express our sincere condolences to the people and the Government of Bangladesh. The Secretary-General will be writing a letter to the Government of Bangladesh to express his own condolences," Dujarric said. Despite significant progress and successful elections, CAR has remained in the grip of instability and sporadic unrest. Clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, mostly Christian, plunged the country of 4.5 million people into civil conflict in 2013. by Carina Lopez MEXICO CITY, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. carmaker Ford will suffer the consequences after canceling its planned investment worth 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in Mexico, a Mexican academic has said. Ford will grapple with higher salaries and taxes in the United States, Hector Moreno, a public policy professor with Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Ford announced Tuesday the cancellation of a planned factory in the central state of San Luis Potosi, which would have generated 2,800 jobs, It has decided instead to expand its plant and hire 700 new people in Flat Rock, Michigan, in the United States. "There is no doubt that the cancellation of Ford's plant in San Luis Potosi is (U.S. President-elect Donald) Trump's doing. But it is questionable whether this move will be a long-term success," Moreno said. Ford's announcement also came on the same day when Trump threatened to impose higher taxes on General Motors (GM) for producing cars in Mexico and importing them to the United States free of taxes under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). GM responded by saying most of its Cruze cars are made in Ohio and only a small number of the cars of the hatchback version are imported from Mexico. "Other investments and strategies will be canceled until it is clear what exactly Trump's long-term strategy about Mexico will be," Moreno said. Therefore, Mexico needs to find out new horizons and can turn to Asian markets such as China to reverse the blow to its automotive sector, according to Moreno. Moreno warned that while the automotive industry has been a major success for Mexico in recent years, its growth will likely slow down in the short term. Ford's existing four plants in Mexico will have to reconfigure and adapt themselves to this situation, he added. Trump has repeatedly expressed his anger at U.S. companies shipping factories overseas and has vowed to slap a 35 percent tariff on any products imported by such companies to the United States. The president-elect focused much of his campaign on railing against free trade agreements signed by Washington and has vowed to either scrap or renegotiate NAFTA. BRASILIA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government is struggling to manage the country's growing security crisis after the killing of at least 89 inmates in two prison riots within a week. A riot broke out Friday morning at the Monte Cristo penitentiary in the northern state of Roraima, when inmates from one drug gang broke the locks on their cells and invaded a wing housing prisoners from a rival gang. The bloodshed has left at least 33 prisoners dead. Riot police had entered the prison and taken control of the situation, Roraima's Secretary of Justice Uziel Castro said. "There are many decapitated bodies, many limbs," he said, adding that at least 30 of the 33 dead had their heads hacked off, with some even having their hearts exposed. The killing happened five days after another riot in Manaus, the capital of the neighboring state of Amazonas, left 56 dead as members from the local group, Familia do Norte, executed prisoners from the rival Primer Comando da Capital (PCC). Dozens of prisoners escaped on Sunday, and a spike of murders in the streets of Manaus have been noted since then, with an average of 10 people being killed each night. Observers said the crisis is likely to continue as the growth of organized crime and the lack of state action could lead to more violence. Another factor fueling the bloodshed is overcrowding in prisons, derived from a heavily criticized mass incarceration attitude toward crime. Furthermore, the financial crisis beleaguering the country has sharply reduced the capacity of state governments to deal with problems. Observers, legal professionals and academics all agree that the lack of action by authorities has led to inhumane conditions in prisons, thus fostering the violence. A government report released in December showed that Brazil's state prisons have on average 70 percent more inmates than their maximum capacity. According to the report, the overcrowding is also due to the excessive number placed in preventive detention, which makes up 40 percent of the Brazilian inmates, as opposed to the 25 percent on average around the world. Tragically, only 19 percent of Brazilian prisons separate those in preventive detention from other inmates. On Friday, the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) said that they would take the cases of these massacres to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The OAB's national President Claudio Lamachia said the massacres were caused "by the lack of concrete actions by the State to resolve the problem, which always repeats itself." According to Lamachia, the OAB believes the prison system has "collapsed" and demands that the federal and state governments take control of prisons permanently and ensure laws are applied. In another statement, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) asked for public policies "based on evidence," which seek alternatives to mass incarceration. On Friday, Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes provided new details about the government's national security plan, including greater integration of federal, state and local governments to face the problem. The killing also revealed critical failures in communication between Brasilia and state governments. It was reported this week the government of Amazonas had been warned by intelligence agencies about the risk of a riot but that information had never reached the federal level. As for Roraima, Governor Maria Suely Campos had asked for help from President Michel Temer in November about the dangerous situation at the Monte Cristo prison, but the request went unanswered. BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Following a nearly three-decade-long diplomatic tradition, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is making Africa his first overseas destination in 2017. On Sunday, Wang will embark on a six-day official visit to five African countries, namely Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, Republic of Congo and Nigeria. The visit is an extension of a much treasured diplomatic tradition for China. Since 1991, five foreign ministers have visited Africa during their first foreign trip each year. The foundation of the China-Africa friendship was laid by former generations of the two countries' leaderships, who have supported and cooperated with each other during struggles against imperialism and colonialism for national independence and liberation in the 1950s and 1960s. Since then, thousands of Chinese workers and engineers have arrived in Africa to assist in the infrastructure construction of the war-torn continent. Major projects undertaken or sponsored by China such as the Tanzania-Zambia railway, the Friendship Harbor in Mauritania and the conference hall for the African Union in Ethiopia constitute a solid groundwork for Africa's economic development. These projects are also tokens of the China-Africa friendship. For China, an old acquaintance is never forgotten. Relations with Africa have been deepened and broadened as the world undergoes profound changes and the Asian country grows into the world's second-largest economy. In a reflection of the two sides' modern efforts to forge a community of common destiny, China and Africa have been cooperating on new, high-tech projects including the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, the first electrified railway in Africa, and the 680-meter-long Nyerere Bridge in Tanzania, the first of its kind in East and Central Africa. Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled out 10 major plans to boost his country's cooperation with Africa based on principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith in a keynote speech at the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Johannesburg in 2015. The big package covers the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, financial services, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security. A batch of early successes related to the summit were achieved in 2016, including the opening of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway and progress on the Mombasa-Nairobi line, as well as the development of industrial parks and special economic zones. During the visit, Wang will discuss the further implementation of Xi's consensus with African leaders and the outcomes of the forum to help the revival of Africa. "China hopes to comprehensively upgrade cooperation with Africa in 2017," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced at a news briefing ahead of the visit. The visit will also help enhance solidarity and common development among developing countries, Geng added. Africa is home to the most developing countries in the world. China's decades-long interaction with the continent testifies to the country's determination, as a major player on the world arena, to promote a fairer and more rational global governance system. In that sense, China-Africa cooperation means more than growth and prosperity. It benefits the whole world in the long run by helping create a fairer, more balanced and harmonious world order. LHASA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- China is working to set up the world's highest altitude gravitational wave telescopes in Tibet Autonomous Region to detect the faintest echoes resonating from the universe, which may reveal more about the Big Bang. Construction has started for the first telescope, code-named Ngari No.1, 30 km south of Shiquanhe Town in Ngari Prefecture, said Yao Yongqiang, chief researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The telescope, located 5,250 meters above sea level, will detect and gather precise data on primordial gravitational waves in the Northern Hemisphere. It is expected to be operational by 2021. Yao said the second phase involves a series of telescopes, code-named Ngari No. 2, to be located about 6,000 meters above sea level. He did not give a time frame for construction of Ngari No. 2. The budget for the two-phase Ngari gravitational wave observatory is an estimated 130 million yuan (18.8 million U.S. dollars). The project was initiated by the Institute of High Energy Physics, National Astronomical Observatories, and Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, among others. Ngari, with its high altitude, clear sky, and minimal human activity, is said to be one of the world's best spots to detect tiny twists in cosmic light. Yao said the Ngari observatory will be among the world's top primordial gravitational wave observation bases, alongside the South Pole Telescope and the facility in Chile's Atacama Desert. Gravitational waves were first proposed by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity 100 years ago, but it wasn't until 2016 that scientists with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory announced proof of the waves' existence, spurring fresh research interest among the world's scientists. China has announced its own gravitational wave research plans, which include the launch of satellites and setting up FAST, a 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope in southwest China's Guizhou Province. A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) TEHRAN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said that it would take the gas dispute with Turkmenistan to an international arbitration, Tehran Times daily reported on Saturday. Last week, Turkmenistan cut natural gas supply to Iran because of the tensions between two countries over the debts owed by the Iranian side. It happened the day after both countries reached an agreement to continue partnership in gas sphere over the next five years. NIGC said that it has cleared all its dues and a part of the debt arrears to Turkmenistan's state gas company in different ways these years, which amounts to over 4.5 billion U.S. dollars. "What remains to be paid is related to the sanction period. Moreover, even in that period in spite of the impossibility of direct payment due to international sanctions (against Iran), huge amounts were paid to Turkmen gas, by the agreement of the sides, in the form of exporting goods and services," NIGC said. Even in the case of existence of a debt or delay in payment, Turkmen gas shall not be allowed to cut off gas delivery to Iran and such a stoppage shall be a "material breach of the contract," it added. Turkmen gas signed a gas deal 20 years ago to supply part of the gas consumed in Iran's northern provinces. Rohingya Muslim refugees along with Indian supporters shout slogans against human rights violations in Myanmar, during a march to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in New Delhi on December 19, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) TEHRAN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has written a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres urging international action to stop what he called rights violations of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Press TV reported on Saturday. The plight of the Rohingya has caused international concerns, Zarif wrote in the letter on Friday. The ethnic Muslims in Rohingya have not only been deprived of their most basic rights, they are also being exposed to killings and violent inhumane treatment on a daily basis, the letter was cited as saying. Zarif said that "the systematic violation of the Rohingya Muslims' basic rights and denying them citizenship ... and forcing them to leave their homes" would have adverse consequences on peace and stability in Myanmar as well as in neighboring and regional countries. He said it was expected of Myanmar's government to take immediate and effective action to protect the rights of the Rohingya and not allow extremist groups to tarnish the peaceful image of Buddhism. It is also expected of Guterres and his special envoy to Myanmar to communicate to Myanmar's government the demand of the international community and the Islamic world concerning immediate humanitarian access to affected areas. He also expressed hope that the UN would take the necessary measures to address the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar. Violence, escalated in the northern Myanmar State of Rokhine over the past months, has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and displacement of people. According to the UN, up to 30,000 people have been displaced by violence and hundreds have been killed in communal clashes and army crackdown since 2012. An image grab taken from an AFPTV video released on January 7, 2017 shows people gathering amidst the debris at the site of a car bomb attack in the rebel-held town of Azaz in northern Syria. At least 43 people were killed and dozens injured in the blast that ripped through the town near the Turkish border. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) DAMASCUS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb was detonated on Saturday in the rebel-held city of Azaz in northern Syria, killing at least 43, a monitor group said. The car was detonated near the a rebel-run courthouse in Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo province in northern Syria, near Turkey, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Meanwhile, other activists placed the death toll at 50. Azaz has changed hands among rebel groups including the Islamic State several times since falling out of the government control in 2012. The recent attack is believed to have been carried out by the IS, which withdrew from the city in 2014, as since 2015 the city control has become shared between the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army. The city is highly valued as a logistical supply route close to the Turkish-Syrian border. The latest explosion comes as the country is observing a nationwide ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey since last week. PARIS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has reiterated "the emergency" to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war within the framework of the United Nations. According to a statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry on Friday, Ayrault told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov via telephone all the efforts to seek a political solution are welcome, provided that they are within the UN framework and that the Syrian opposition is represented in peace talks. Speaking about the conference on Middle East conflict, scheduled for January 15, the two officials stressed the need to energize diplomatic efforts to implement the two-state solution to end hostilities between Palestinians and Israeli forces, the statement added. Related: Syria talks to kick off in Kazakhstan's Astana on Jan. 23: UN special envoy GENEVA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian and Turkish-backed Syria talks to take place in the Kazakh capital of Astana are expected to start on Jan. 23, the UN Special Envoy for Syria told Xinhua Friday, adding that negotiations could cement a fragile ceasefire in place in the war-torn country since last week. GENEVA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue Xie Xiaoyan on Friday said that both the United Nations(UN) and China welcome the upcoming Astana talks, with the hope that the talks will bear some fruit for the political process of the war-torn country. Xie, now in Geneva in an effort to help working on a political solution to the Syrian crisis, said it is unclear which sides will take part in the talks scheduled on Jan. 23, but surely "Chinese representatives will be present." "We hope the Astana meeting will be carried out in the same manner as those peace talks in the past, being representative and tolerant," he said. After Geneva, Xie will travel to the European Union, Turkey and Russia. His journey is aimed at enhancing communication with the parties concerned, supporting global efforts in promoting peace and pushing forward a political solution at an early date. Recently, the Syrian government and major opposition groups reached a nationwide ceasefire deal and agreed to start peace talks, which brought new opportunity for a political solution to the Syrian issue. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Dec. 31, 2016 supporting the Syria ceasefire arrangement brokered by Russia and Turkey, as well as new peace talks among conflicting parties set to be held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. The ceasefire is the third in Syria after two previous ones failed last year. The first was reached in February 2016 and lasted for three months before collapsing, while the second was established in September and was observed for only a week. Xie, China's former ambassador to Iran and Ethiopia as well as representative to the African Union, was appointed the special envoy on the Syrian issue in March 2016, with the aim of better promoting dialogue and communicating with other parties to facilitate a solution. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said earlier Thursday that preparations were being made for the talks. "We, the UN, believe that any effort that consolidates the cessation of hostilities and helps in preparing for a discussion that will take place here in Geneva in February is certainly welcomed," de Mistura told reporters following a humanitarian task force meeting. During an interview with Xinhua on Friday after meeting with Xie Xiaoyan, de Mistura said that he hoped that the talks will pave the way towards the UN-mediated political discussions based on UN Security Council resolution 2254 in Geneva on Feb. 8. "Astana is an important opportunity and that's why both China and the UN support this initiative. We are looking forward in Astana to seeing the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities," Staffan de Mistura said. "What the Syrian people are asking for is a stop to the fighting, so if by the time there is a meeting on this on Jan. 23 in Astana and the cessation of hostilities is consolidated and not broken as we have seen at times in the last few days, that is an important moment," he added. Yu Chengdong, CEO of the Consumer Business Group of Huawei, delivers a keynote speech at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the United States, Jan. 5, 2017.(Xinhua/Yang Lei) LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer Huawei, not satisfied with just making smartphones, is presenting the concept of an intelligent phone, its business head told Xinhua in an interview Friday. On the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in the city of Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada this week, Richard Yu, head of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, delivered a keynote speech to put forward Huawei's new concept called the "intelligent phone." This was the second time the CES invited a representative of a Chinese company to give a high-profile keynote speech. Yu told Xinhua that smartphones which incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) abilities could be considered as "intelligent phones," adding such cellphones could provide computer vision, local decision-making, robotics, air sensors, taste sensors and smart touch to communicate with the outside world. "These AI-based devices provide a connection between the digital world and the physical world," Yu said. "The future intelligent phone will be like a high-performance robot without arms and legs, a smarter personal assistant." In 2015, Huawei became the world's third-largest smartphone brand, following Samsung and Apple, with the shipment of 108 million devices. Huawei has also become the first Chinese cellphone manufacturer to cross the 100 million shipment threshold. In the last year, Huawei sold over 139 million smartphones, a remarkable 29-percent increase compared with 2015. However, Huawei is not satisfied with third place. Attendees try out VR headsets of Huawei Mate 9 smartphone at the Huawei booth during the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the United States, Jan. 5, 2017.(Xinhua/Yang Lei) "Now Huawei has sold almost 140 million devices a year, but within two years, this number may increase to 200 million, taking over Apple," Yu said. Huawei's fast growth was based on its long-term investments in research and development (R&D). Yu said the company has invested 38 billion U.S. dollars in R&D in the last 10 years. In 2015 alone, Huawei spent 9.2 billion dollars on R&D, making it rank 9th in the world concerning R&D investment, surpassing Apple and Cisco. "Huawei's R&D investment amount is still growing. In 2017, it may rise to 100 million dollars. With this speed, sooner or later, Huawei will become No. 1 on this," Yu said, adding he was very proud of Huawei's attaching so much importance to R&D. Gary Shapiro, president of the U.S. Consumer Technology Association, the organizer of the CES, said he was impressed by China's innovation in the consumer technology industry. He said that China's importance in the global consumer technology industry has been reflected not only by its strong manufacturing ability, but also its increasing engagement in innovation. "Huawei is such an important growing company, not only in China but globally," said Shapiro. "The keynote platform of CES, which is considered one of the most desirable in the world for any business executive, is appropriate for such an important company to deliver the message we look forward to hearing." While the intelligent phone remains a concept, Huawei has been testing the idea in its collaboration with Amazon and Google. Huawei has introduced Amazon's Alexa AI software to its Mate 9 smartphone, the world's first smartphone to be equipped with the intelligent voice service of Alexa. Yu Chengdong, CEO of the Consumer Business Group of Huawei, talks about their Huawei Mate 9 smartphone just released to the U.S. market and displayed behind him during his keynote address at CES in Las Vegas, January 5, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS) Yu also announced at the CES 2017 that the Mate 9 phones will be available in the United States starting Jan. 6 for 599 dollars apiece. "In this industry we need partnerships, we cannot do everything by ourselves ... and we want the best partnerships to bring the best innovation together," Yu said. Besides the two tycoons Amazon and Google, Huawei is also going to cooperate with Microsoft, Intel and many other companies in different fields. "To Huawei, 2017 is a pivotal year. We need time to win trust from consumers," Yu said, adding Huawei will unveil more highly intelligent smartphones this year, such as its P10 and P10 Plus with Amazon's Alexa technology and Google's service. "In the past decades, we humans have witnessed great changes in technology. It is our dream that innovation and the innovated products could push us to move forward rapidly," he said. "Huawei is much more like a long-distance runner. We focus more on the future instead of making a great fortune overnight," Yu said. Illegal migrants arrive at the Zawiyah port, a naval base some 45 kilometers west of Libyan capital Tripoli, after they were rescued off the western city of Sabratha on May 24, 2016 as they were trying to reach Europe by boat. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia) BRUSSELS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The total number of migrants reaching Europe by sea in 2016 fell by nearly two-thirds in comparison with 2015, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency said Friday. According to a Frontex statement, some 364,000 migrants arrived in Europe last year. The number is a sharp drop from the more than one million migrants who entered the EU in 2015. Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis accounted for the largest share of the arriving migrants. The decreasing flow on the sea route was in large part due to the EU-Turkey deal, which came into effect in last March. The deal led to tighter border control by the Turkish authorities and readmission of migrants from the Greek islands to Turkey, Frontex said. The drop was also influenced by tighter border controls in the Western Balkans, as the people who crossed over the Mediterranean Sea to Greece tried to make their way via the the Western Balkan route towards western Europe. The number of migrants across the Western Balkans in 2016 fell sharply to 123,000 from 764,000 in 2015.